were
      written
      by
      male
      artists
      -everyone
     
     
      from
      Joe
      Jackson
      to
      10CC
      —
      on
      the
     
     
      subjects
      of
      women
      and
      gender;
      here,
     
     
      they
      have
      been
      reinterpreted
      by
      Amos
     
     
      from
      a
      woman’s
      viewpoint.
     
    

    
     
      Strange
      Little
      Girls
      is
      a
      concept
     
     
      album,
      then,
      but
      unlike
      most
      it
      works
     
     
      spectacularly
      well.
      Beginning
      with
      Lou
     
     
      Reed’s
      “New
      Age,’Amos
      goes
      on
      to
     
     
      perform
      a
      terrifying
      cover
      of
      Eminem’s
     
     
      infamous
      ““97Bonnie
      and
      Clyde”
      that
     
     
      reclaims
      the
      song
      from
      its
      inherent
     
     
      misogyny,
      and
      gives
      ©
     
     
      The
      Stranglers’
      neglected
      but
      excellent
     
     
      “Strange
      Little
      Girl”
      luminescent
      pop
     
     
      sheen
      and
      a
     
     
      chance
      to
      be
      a
      major
      radio
      hit.
     
    

    
     
      More
      of
      the
      album’s
      tracks
      are
     
     
      hits
      than
      misses.
      Though
      her
      covers
      of
     
     
      Neil
      Young’s
      “Heart
      of
      Gold”
      and
     
     
      Slayer’s
      “Raining
      Blood”
      are
      lacking,
     
     
      her
      versions
      of
      all
      the
      other
      songs
      are
     
     
      solid.
      Her
      choice
      of
      Joe
      Jackson’s
      “Real
     
     
      Men”
      to
      end
      Strange
      Little
      Girls
      is
      fit-
     
     
      ting,
      as
      she
      leaves
      her
      listeners
      wonder-
     
     
      ing
      just
      what
      it
      is
      to
      be
      a
      woman
      (or
      a
     
     
      man,
      or
      straight)
      in
      our
      confused
      world.
     
    

    
     
      -Randy
      MCDONALD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Album:
      Souljacker
     
     
      Artist:
      Eels
     
     
      Label:
      Dreamworks/Polydor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Eels
      add
      rock
      to
      their
      repertoire
     
     
      on
      the
      very
      first,
      and
      possibly
      best,
     
     
      track
      on
      this
      album.
      “Dog
      Faced
      Boy”
     
     
      has
      Eels
      in
      full-on
      rock
      mode,
      com-
     
     
      plaining
      that
      “ma
      won’t
      shave
      me/
      jesus
     
     
      can’t
      save
      me.”
     
    

    
     
      That
      new,
      nearly
      straight-ahead
     
     
      rock
      sound
      resurfaces
      on
      “Souljacker,”
     
     
      the
      album’s
      single,
      to
      a
      slightly
      lesser
     
     
      effect.
      “Bus
      Stop
      Boxer”
      and
      “Woman
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘the
      inscrutable
      yet
      touching
      sadness
      _
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      consistently
      flavours
      Eels’
      music.
     
     
      Eels
      main
      conspirator,
      the
      man
     
     
      called
      “E,”
      still
      hasn’t
      entirely
      re-found
     
     
      the
      stride
      that
      seemed
      so
      easy
      on
      Eels’
     
     
      first
      two
      albums,
      but
      Souljacker,
      the
     
     
      fourth
      album,
      rolls
      along
      nicely
      any-
     
     
      way.
     
     
      -Matthew
      DORRELL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Zine:
      Cometbus
      #46
     
     
      Author:
      Aaron
      Cometbus
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cometbus
      is
      arguably
      the
     
     
      longest
      running
      and
      most
      respected
      of
     
     
      random
      travel/personal
      zines
      in
      circula-
     
     
      tion,
      and
      its
      reputation
      is
      well-deserved.
     
     
      This
      issue
      consists
      of
      a
      series
      of
      inter-
     
     
      views
      with
      the
      patrons,
      workers,
      and
     
     
      hangers-on
      of
      a
      little
      so-cal
      restaurant
     
     
      called
      the
      Dead
      End
      Café,
      a
      venue
     
     
      which
      appears
      and
      reappears
      as
      the
     
     
      backdrop
      for
      a
      number
      of
      Aaron’s
      sto-
     
     
      ries
      over
      the
      years.
      While
      I
      initially
     
     
      expected
      that
      this
      many
      (33)
      stories
     
     
      about
      the
      same
      place
      would
      get
      a
      little
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dry
      after
      a
      while,
      I
      found
      that
      the
      diver-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sity
      of
      personalities
      involved
      and
      the
     
     
      character
      of
      the
      restaurant
      itself
      kept
     
     
      things
      interesting
      the
      whole
      way
     
     
      through.
     
     
      (PO
      Box
      4726,
      Berkeley,
      CA.
      94704.
     
     
      USA.)
     
    

    
     
      -Jonah
      CAMPBELL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Album:
      The
      Anthology
     
     
      Artist:
      Swallowing
      Shit
     
     
      Label:
      G7
      Welcoming
      Committe
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Swallowing
      Shit
      hail
      (or
      hailed...snif-
     
     
      fle)
      from
      Winnipeg
      and
      play
      uncompro-
     
     
      mising
      political
      grindcore
      that
      stomps
     
     
      you
      into
      unconsciousness
      and
      leaves
     
     
      you
      horribly
      ashamed
      to
      be
      the
      land-
     
     
      stealing
      WASP
      progeny
      you
      are.
      With
     
     
      titles
      like
      “Lyrics
      That
      May
      Offend
      the
     
     
      Honkys,”
      “I
      Hear
      Songs
      About
      Animal
     
     
      Rights
      Aren’t
      Cool
      Anymore,”
      “If
     
     
      Assholes
      Could
      Fly,
      This
      Place
      Would
     
     
      Be
      An
      Airport,”
      and
      “Burn
      Winnipeg
     
     
      To
      the
      Fucking
      Ground,”
      I
      can’t
      see
     
     
      why
      anyone
      wouldn’t
      appreciate
      this
     
     
      CD,
      if
      not
      for
      their
      music,
      then
      for
      their
     
     
      delightful
      bitterness.
      Hooray
      for
      angry.
     
     
      (www.g7welcomingcommittee.com)
     
     
      -Jonah
      CAMPBELL
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CONTEST!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Hey
      kids!
      If
      you
      want
      to
      win
      a
      copy
      of
      EMI’s
     
     
      NOW!
      6
      featuring
      songs
      from
      Creed,
      Sugar
      Jones,
     
     
      Snow
      (sorry,
      it’s
      not
      “Informer”),
      Unkle
      Kracker
     
     
      and
      Bon
      Jovi
      (we
      apologise
      again,
      it’s
      not
      anything
     
     
      from
      Slippery
      When
      Wet),
      then
      come
      on
      down
      to
     
     
      the
      Cadre
      office
      (basement
      of
      Main,
      room
      06)
      and
     
     
      answer
      the
      following
      skill-testing
      question:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Where
      does
      paper
      come
      from?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Here’s
      a
      clue.)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE