Buzz Magazine: Sept. 30, 2004 by Buzz Magazine

Charles Bissell will be opening for Mike Watt and the Secondmen on Wednesday, Oct. 6, at The Highdive.

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any a music snob will consider only the earliest and “youngest” work of an artist as the best. But what if you started making music in your post-college years and found yourself releasing some of the best music of your life at 40? For Charles Bissell, singer, songwriter and guitarist of the Wrens, this came true with last year’s Meadowlands. “Something’s going on if you’re 38, sitting on a park bench thinking about how you don’t have health insurance, making 13 grand a year and trying to be in a rock band,” said Bissell, who is now 40. “At what point do you stop doing what you want to and take a regular job? All of those thoughts affected us deeply and came out on the record.” Meadowlands stands as a triumph for these musicians, who range in age from mid-30s to early 40s. Although it is only the third full-length record they’ve released in their 14 years as a band, it has such a pristine sound of pure passion and emotion for their music that it surpasses the work of many of their contemporaries.

“The whole record is about the band more than anything,” said Bissell.“It’s about trying to do what you want to even as you get older and face more challenges. Everyone evaluates things as they age.” In 1996 with the release of Secacus, they received much critical praise and were being offered a semi-major label deal. It appeared good on the surface, but after more thought the band decided against it, and their former label went on to release Creed’s debut. They went on without a label to record (in their living room) what would become Meadowlands in the spring of 1999, but something wasn’t right. “We were all having problems at the time,” Bissell said. “We were exhausted, suffering from a lack of focus (and) motivation, and some mild depression was taking hold.” From 1999 to 2003, many of the songs from Meadowlands saw numerous incarnations that will never see the light of day,

HURLY-BURLY Rufus Wainwright will release Want Two, a companion to 2003’s Want One, on Dreamworks Nov. 16. Four of the 12 tracks were previously available as an iTunes exclusive EP. Stephen Malkmus announced he has placed the finishing touches on his third solo album and that it will be released sometime in April or May via Matador. The former Pavement frontman asserted the album was recorded in his basement studio and he did most of the engineering himself. After being pushed back, Mos Def’s sophomore album New Danger is prepped for an Oct. 12 release date on Geffen.

w H at tH e He L L? MOMENT OF THE WEEK John Lydon, former lead singer of The Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd. has started a career hosting animal documentaries. Having already hosted two documentaries for BBC 5 about gorillas and sharks, the embittered grandfather of punk is set to host a documentary for the Discovery Channel about insects. One can only envision one of the architects of underground rock referring to a group of honeybees as “a bunch of arseholes” and then giving them the two-finger salute.

since several of the master tapes were erased ritualistically by the band. The released version (on Absolutely Kosher records) is a wonderful collection of guitar-driven rock songs with contemplative lyrics of heartbreak and failed dreams.The album received much critical praise, being dubbed the best album of 2003 by Magnet magazine and placing toward the top of the list in many others. “The reality is that it took us four years to release the record because we all had to overcome our exhaustion and disillusionment with the record industry,” Bissell said. Today, the band still finds time to tour and create music, although a few of the members have families and “real” jobs. But for Bissell, music is currently his only occu-

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pation and he is even taking on some smaller venues with his solo performance, which features mostly Wrens’ material. He plays his solo set with the aid of looping his guitar parts, preventing his songs from becoming too stark and maintaining their layered qualities. “It’s more fun to play everything live and put it all together in front of the audience,” Bissell said. Although Bissell is only one member of this amazing band, seeing one is more than enough reason to make it to Wednesday’s show at The Highdive with Mike Watt headlining. buzz

Charles Bissell, far right, with his bandmates from the Wrens.

(March 21-April 19)

We have all been guilty of desiring people and things that turned out to be no good for us. Whenever I review the history of my own relationship with longing, I'm embarrassed about some of the dumb "pleasures" I once craved. I've also noticed, though, that sometimes the only cure for wanting illadvised thrills is to actually get them. The suffering that ensues can be an excellent prod to avoid repeating the same mistake in the future. I bring this up, Aries, because it'll be important for you to keep in mind during the next six weeks. You will have to be quite discriminating about your desires. If you're careful, you can refrain from fulfilling the wrong ones.

TAU RU S

(May 21-June 20)

This is Walk Your Talk Week for you Geminis. More than any other time this year, you will have everything going for you when you concentrate on translating your highest ideals into practical actions. Live up to your hype, you beautiful dreamer. Fulfill your promises. Call on all your ingenuity to create effects that are in harmony with your intentions. You are now capable of being as free of hypocrisy as it's possible for a human being to be.

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sound ground #46 TODD J. HUNTER • STAFF WRITER

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Another action-packed

long weekend of live music kicks off tonight at 8 p.m. with an admirable last-minute twist to CU Rock the Vote at Mike ‘n Molly’s. Per prior arrangement with the bar, the presidential debate live from Florida will air in its entirety on the television set downstairs. After the 90-minute telecast, Mad Science Fair, Goldman, Mandarin and Balisong will play. On campus, also at 8 p.m., the Courtyard Cafe hosts a Christian show at which brand-new light rock band Bread Box opens for Fire by Night and Rantoul metal ministry Kwench. Cover is $4 or $2 for University of Illinois students. Back downtown, there are two opportunities to see singer-songwriters for free. At 8 p.m., Aroma hosts Kristi Kjeldsen and Dave Burdick. Then at 11 p.m., Cowboy Monkey presents its Thursday Special with J. Scott Franklin of Cleveland and local gal Angie Heaton, who has neat new I-57 pinback buttons to go along with her song “Drive.” Gina Villalobos is no longer on this bill. Angie Heaton appears again Oct. 4 on “WEFT

this week in music

Sessions,” and J. Scott Franklin returns Oct. 8 for an engagement at Borders with G. Lee. Tomorrow, Joni Laurence launches yet another local concert series, this time with Verde Gallery manager Curt Tucker. The aim of “Acoustic Fusion” is to pair acts that are different, yet complementary, so that distinct crowds may experience and enjoy them together. Shows are the first and third Fridays of each month, with Joni Laurence and Noisy Gators Oct. 1, and Jimmy Legs and Grass Roots Revival Oct. 15. Show time is 8 p.m., and cover is $5. For those unaware, Verde Gallery has a cafe with wine bar. At 9 p.m., Independent Media Center Booking Collective has an alcohol-free, all-ages show at Red Herring Vegetarian Restaurant, once a hotbed for the folk and punk scenes. On the bill tomorrow are Palomar, a pop group from Brooklyn, The Opportunists and Wasteoid Workforce (ex-The Failures). Palomar is on tour in support of their third album, Palomar III, and rarely play venues this small. Cover is $5. Saturday, Headlights (ex-Absinthe Blind) finish a 15-state tour, their first, at Cowboy Monkey. Also aboard are New Sense (Decibully), The Roots of Orchis and Triple Whip.

Show time is 9:30 p.m., and suggested cover is $5. An alcohol-free Local H show? Sounds dubious, but one is scheduled at the Courtyard Cafe that same night at 9 p.m. Suffrajett, “a ratty little band from NYC,” sadly cancelled due to a wedding, but promised a makeup date by November. Ascot Fire remain on the bill. Cover is $9 or $7 for University of Illinois students. Colonel Rhodes, an alt-country act that formed here last autumn and opened for Juliana Hatfield at The Highdive, recently added vocalist Elizabeth Holt and guitarist Paclavel Pierzysztipopintoff.The new ensemble played their inaugural show Sept. 19, upon completion of their debut track, “Setting Sun,” with Adam Schmitt for the Save the Plastic Records compilation Anger Is a Gift. In the meantime, the track is available for free download at http://www.colonelrho-des.com/. Colonel Rhodes perform Oct. 4 at The Highdive with Lucero and Oct. 8 at The Void with Catfish Haven and The Invisible.

(June 21-July 22)

These days it's rare to hear music that's not channeled through machines. When is the last time you enjoyed beautiful singing unenhanced by a microphone or the technology of a recording studio? But I say unto you, my dear Cancerian, that it's now crucial for you to listen to the naked human voice raised in song. Don't stop there, either. Your soul craves all kinds of raw, unfiltered contact with the world—first-hand information that hasn't been translated or interpreted before it reaches you. So try divesting yourself of the opinions you've borrowed from "experts." Look for guidance from the experiences you actually have, not from stories, gossip, and news gleaned from second-hand sources. Make love with a real person, not with the fantasies implanted in your imagination by the entertainment industry.

L E O

(July 23-Aug. 22)

During the day, the sky is filled with as many stars as it is at night, but the sun so thoroughly monopolizes our attention that we can't see them. I believe this is an apt metaphor for a certain situation in your personal life, Leo. Some dominant force keeps you from becoming aware of less spectacular but still important influences. Soon, though, that dominant force will go on sabbatical. You'll be able to gaze upon sights that its presence normally obscures. Your understanding of the world will naturally change forever, and though that may be shocking at first, in the long run it will be invigorating.

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(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

"In countries where large percentages of the population believe in hell, there seems to be less corruption and a higher standard of living," concluded a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. My translation: Many people are motivated to do the right thing out of primal dread. I bring this up, Virgo, because it is critical for you to wean yourself of any attraction you might have to letting fear serve as a central motivator. I'm happy to report that in the coming months, you will have an unprecedented opportunity to retrain yourself to do just that. By September 2005, your quest for success and goodness could very well be inspired primarily by your love of life.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

The cosmos is finally ready to discharge you from your heavy, dark assignments. Your main duty in the coming weeks is to seek relief and release in the most constructive ways possible. Celebrate, Libra, don't thrash. Rejoice and look to the future, don't thunder against the ordeal you've completed. I nominate the exuberant Libran poet Michael McClure to be your role model during this time. The poet Aaron Shurin has described McClure as a reveler who "puts the attitude in beatitude," and as an alchemist who's "fluent in two languages, English and Beast." That's exactly what you should be like as you lift your own spirits. Now please read aloud this paraphrase of a McClure poem: "GRAHHRR! RAHHR! RAHRIRAHHR! HRAHR! I'm not sugar, I'm love looking for sugar!"

S C O R P I O

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

What's dying within you, Scorpio? Is it a passion that has expired? A dream that has gone to seed? A goal you neglected for so long that it can't be resuscitated? If it's time for that part of you to die, help it die. I mean create a ritual in which you formally complete your relationship with it, let go of it for good, and begin the grieving process. In honor of its passing, write a testimonial or draw a symbolic picture, then bury that remembrance in the earth near a tree you love. When you're done with the funeral, eat the freshest, juiciest pear you can find.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

"If you plant a crocus bulb, it won't grow into a grapevine," my teacher Ann Davies used to say. "You can't learn to play the violin by practicing the piano." I hope you've had some version of this wisdom lighting up the back of your mind these past 11 months, Sagittarius. Soon you will harvest the fruits of the seeds you planted around your last birthday, and you will leap to a new level of mastery in whatever skill or trick or habit you've been faithfully plying for the past 11 months.

CA P R I C O R N

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

In portentous tones, as if exposing yet another sickening deterioration of our collective health, the Center for Disease Control recently informed us that the average person is "sad, blue, or depressed" about three days a month. As I read various news articles reporting the results of the CDC's survey, I looked in vain for even a glimmer of triumphant glee. After all, if we're downhearted three days every month, it means we're feeling pretty good the other 27 or 28 days. And that's a glorious revelation that should, in my opinion, provoke dancing in the streets. But now I have even better news for you,

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Capricorn: According to my reading of the astrological omens, you will have, at the most, just one day of feeling sad, blue, or depressed this October.

AQUA R I U S

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Mystery writer Agatha Christie took issue with the old saw that says "necessity is the mother of invention." Just as often, she believed, the creation of new conveniences is prompted by the desire to save time and trouble. If necessity is the mother of invention, laziness is the father. I suggest you make that your motto in the coming week, Aquarius. Be on the lookout for innovations that will free up your time and imagination. Dream and scheme about how you can get more room in your schedule to do absolutely nothing but dream and scheme.

P I S C E S

(Feb. 19-March 20)

In the autumn, the sweet gum tree in my yard is a paradoxical sight. As its green leaves turn red and fall to the ground, it seems to be announcing that it's slipping into a state of dormancy. At the same time, though, it sprouts hundreds of spiky, bright green balls full of seeds, as if to declare it's bursting with irrepressible vitality. This phase of the sweet gum's life is similar to where you are in your cycle right now, Pisces. Would you mind if I called you Sweet Gum? Homework: If you had to choose one wild animal to follow, observe, and learn from for a month, which would it be? Testify at www.freewillastrology.com.

ART EXHIBITS — ON VIEW NOW Alchemy & Stones of Brittany: Sculptures and Encaustic Paintings by Toni Putnam. Verde Gallery, 17 E Taylor St, Champaign Mon-Sat 7am-10pm Marque Strickland [Mixed media drawings and paintings] Cafe Kopi Mon-Thu 7am-11pm, Fri-Sat 7am-12pm, Sun 11am-8pm “Featured Works XVIII: Art and Spirituality in the Medieval World” [Explores the sacred word, devotional objects and cultural interchange. Includes artwork from the major religious context within the Mediterranean region, like Medieval Europe, Byzantium and the Jadaic and Islamic traditions] Krannert Art Museum through Oct 24 Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm, Sun 25pm, $3 “eGo: A Selection of Abstract Work by Randall A. D. Plankenhorn” [Work from Randall Plankenhorn, an Urbana native. Each black-andwhite photograph reflects the larger theme of distor ted views of self both through the lens of introspection and relationships.] Aroma Cafe through Sept 30 Open every day, 7am-midnight “Restoring Byzantium: The Kariye Camii in Istanbul and the Byzantine Institute Restoration” [Devoted to the restoration of the Kariye Camii in Istanbul, originally the

Todd J. Hunter hosts “WEFT Sessions” and “Champaign Local 901,” two hours of local music every Monday night at 10 p.m. on 90.1 FM. Send news to soundground@excite.com.

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(April 20-May 20)

In the French village of Lourdes is a spring whose waters are reputed to have miraculous powers of healing. For 150 years, sick and despondent pilgrims from all over the world have traveled there seeking relief. To get to the sacred sanctuary, ironically, seekers must make their way through streets filled with cheesy souvenir shops and tourist traps. And the restaurants in Lourdes are among the worst in all of France. This scenario may be a bit like your life in the coming days, Taurus. In your search for healing and purity, you'll probably have to weave your way through a mini-wasteland.

GEMINI

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church of Christ in the Chora Monastery] Krannert Center through Oct 10 Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm, Sun 2-5pm, Suggested donation: $3 Steeple Gallery [by Gary Ingersol, including the Allerton Series, U of I Series and Unique Monticello Series] 102 E Lafayette St, Monticello Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-4pm. www.steeplegallery.com Larry Kanfer [Four galleries feature Larry Kanfer’s new pieces of the Midwest Prairie. Photographs from the University of Illinois, Upper Midwest, Coast to Coast and European Collections also included] 2503 S Neil, Champaign Mon-Sat 10am-5:30pm, free, www.kanfer.com Creation Art Studios Gallery [Original artwork by Jeannine Bestoso, Andy Gillis, Shoshanna Bauer, Amy Richardson and students of the studio.] 1102 E Washington, Urbana Mon-Thur 1-5:30pm, Sat 1-4pm. www.creationartstudios.com “Allen Stringfellow Retrospective” [Stringfellow works with a vivid palette, using a variety of mediums, most notably collage and watercolor. Focusing predominantly on the themes of religion, gospel and jazz music, his work imparts a lively historical and personal perspective on African-American life in Chicago and Champaign.] Krannert Art Museum Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm, Sun 2-5pm, Suggested donation: $3

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