Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 73

Calendar April 9-16,) 998 13 Rack Local CD review Listen up To hear excerpts from Teing it on The Mountain' Earle goes bluegrass; Loveless 'Classics9; a Dutch feast i riiniriTmnr iM.r..i Elvis" is Mary-Chapin Carpenter; and "Blame It on Your Heart" ought to give credit to Highway 101's "Honky Tonk Heart." Still, it's to Loveless' credit that the collection sounds as good as it does. Anyone who loves hit-making female country singers will find plenty to enjoy, especially with Loveless catchiest hit "You Can Feel Bad." RIYL: Trisha Yearwood, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Kathy Mattea, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, Faith Hill B.G.K. "A Dutch Feast" Alternative Tentacles Vz This compilation reminds me of those old Smithsonian field recordings of folk and blues artists. It captures the vibe of a time and place (early '80s punk) with a documentary feel. You get the energy, the rage, the anti-authoritarian philosophy and the often numbing repetitiveness that mimics a painter doing the same still-life over and over.

Although the sheer song volume of "A Dutch Feast" will frighten off casual listeners (46 songs in 72 minutes; everything the band recorded), underground-punk fans will be in heaven. B.G.K. was a highly political Dutch band that recorded between 1982 and 1998 and sang mostly in English. Each song features guitar work that goes from arena rock riffs, to hardcore blur, to fascinating experimental noise in under 20 seconds. The best track is "Vivisection," which provides a blueprint for Nirvana's entire "Bleach" era.

RIYL: Minor Threat, Los Crudos, Dead Kennedys, Nomeansno Mark Robison is Calendar editor. Phat Couch Violet" LuLu Records It's easy to see why this Reno group is so popular. It has a broad sound, ranging from plaintive barroom ballads to the noisiest hard rock and all of it with a strong sense of groove. The group seems to be best when keeping things simple. "Divine" and "Way Out' are compact, catchy tunes with great lyrics and a danceable edge that must keep the club-goers hoppin'.

But it's not all roses: Phat Couch isn't a very convincing hard-rock band. Songs like "Sunshine" or "Penumbra" never rise above the sound-alike grungepile of alterno-rock bands. It's the songs with some folk-country twang in them and "Didi" especially) that seem to suit Phat Couch best, and those are the tunes that also give singer Steve Foht a chance to really emote with his charismatic, gruff vocals. Drummer Scott Loring and bassist Nick Ramirez are taut and in-the-pocket throughout, but I have to give extra kudos to electric guitarist Pete Tiffany, the band's edgiest player and its definite ace-in-the-hole. There is inexplicably no address or contact info anywhere on the CD, so look for "Violet" at most local stores.

Listen up: To hear an excerpt, please mSSLm call 324-0225 and press 1920. Mark Earnest Calling all band Send us your CDs or demo tapes and we will do our best to review them. Only artists who do mostly original music will be considered. You can bring by your music to the Reno Gazette-Journal building at 955 Kuenzli St. and drop it off with the front receptionist, attention to Calendar.

Or you can mail it to: Calendar, Reno Gazette-Journal, P.O. Box 22000, Reno, NV 89520-2000. Rating guide Excellent Good Average Poor Steve Earle, Patty Loveless and B.G.K., please call 324- 0225 and press 1920. New contest Tell us your Top 10 desert-island discs and win a CD We're starting a new contest here on the CD 4Tjk Rack jpS'-S pa9e Te1 us what albums you'd bring to a desert island. If we print your list, you win a $20 gift certificate to a local CD store.

Give us your picks, your name, address and phone number. Send this info to Calendar Desert Island Contest, Reno Gazette-Journal, P.O. Box 22000, Reno, NV 89520-2000. Or fax it to 788-6458. Or e-mail it to mrobison Here are the picks from Calendar's music critics: Mark Robison 1.

Nirvana, "Nevermind" 2. Bob Dylan, 'Blonde on Blonde' 3. Lucinda Williams, "Lucinda Williams" 4. Rancid, "And Out Come the Wolves" 5. Richard and Linda Thompson, "Shoot Out the Lights" 6.

The Replacements, "Let It Be" 7. Los Lobos, "How Will the Wolf Survive" 8. Bob Marley, "Legend" 9. George Jones, "The Spirit of Country" 10. Sam Cooke, "The Man and His Music' Robison is Calendar editor Mark Earnest 1.

Sonic Youth, "Sister" 2. Beatles, 'Rubber Soul' 3. Minutemen, 'Double Nickles On The Dime" 4. Liz Phair, "Exile in Guyville 5. Otis Redding, "Live at Monterey" 6.

R.E.M., "Reckoning" 7. The Smiths, "Hatful of Hollow" 8. Guided By Voices, 'Alien Lanes" 9. The Temptations, Ultimate Collection" 10. Talking Heads, 'Fear of Music" Earnest is a Reno Gazette-Journal music critic and member of the local band Gro Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band "The E-Squared 12 With "The Mountain," Steve Earle makes a play for legend status, something he probably would have attained anyway thanks to nearly killine -J himself with drugs, whoring and police run-ins.

But now he's nearing the plateau on sheer talent. Whereas his RoblSOn other comeback albums were acoustic and country rock, "The Mountain" is pure bluegrass. In the liner notes, Earle states his purpose: "My primary motive in writing these songs was both selfish and ambitious immortality. I wanted to write just one song that would be performed by at least one band at every bluegrass festival in the world long after I have followed Mr. Bill out of this world.

Well, we'll see." Mr. Bill, of course, is bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe. And Earle has accomplished his goal. This album is destined to provide three bluegrass staples: "Carrie Brown" is vintage Earle and the album's catchiest number. The hillbilly murder ballad contains the classic line: "I shot him in Virginia and he died in Tennessee." The title track ranks with "Dark as the Dungeon" among great coal-mining songs.

And "Pilgrim" is a moving eulogy to the late bass player Roy Huskey Jr. Some songs tend toward generic bluegrass, but Earle's colorful vocals and the Del Stew Earle, Bird ten the right, aid the Del McCeaj if Ma r) i i urn .1 i i. i.n. MiiTii nii.nn nr. Patty Loveless McCoury Band's savoir-faire elevate the material between good and great.

Recommended If You Like: Bill Monroe, the Pogues, Iris DeMent, Alison Krauss' fast stuff Patty Loveless Epic Vz You'll have to forgive Patty Loveless for the hyperbolic title "Classics," but she already used "Greatest Hits" for a superior collection with her previous label, MCA. What makes the MCA compilation better even though there are more No. 1 hits on It comes down to voice and songwriting. Perhaps it's not polite to mention Loveless' traumatic ailment that hurt her vocal cords, but listening to the two albums back-to-back, there's less range, less adventurousness and simply less spunk on the later material. Don't get me wrong.

Loveless is still strong, but now it's harder to distinguish her from all the other women on country radio. As for the songwriting, it's not just derivative but lazy. Even the best numbers sound like other hits. For example, "Nothin' But the Wheel" is basically Rosanne Cash; "I Try to Think About Band I )' nirrrrir iiilniri.i,ii rfm-rwrMifiin nrrMim.n.r. ii.iiiiii-iiiiri.iinn rm iimiiinir 11 1 irrmm in.

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