Tag: Backbeat column

Looking Good, Feeling Fine: Urge is back and dressed to kill

Jae-Ha Kim

Urge Overkill is at a precarious point in its career. The Chicago-based trio got a taste of stardom with the one-two punch of its last album, “Saturation,” and the inclusion of its cover of Neil Diamond’s “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” on the “Pulp Fiction” soundtrack. Finally, the flamboyant band that dressed for success was dressed appropriately. They made TV appearances. They not only had fans, they had a celebrity fan (Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders).

Social Misfits No More

Jae-Ha Kim

He’s got a name that sounds like Elliott Ness’ punk cousin and a look that’s half Elvis, half mechanic.  Mike Ness is Social Distortion’s singer, songwriter and mouthpiece.  The music industry’s indifference almost made the medium-core punk band disappear.  But 13 years after its inception, the California group is finally enjoying  success, thanks to radio’s acceptance of its latest album, “Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell.”

By Any Other Name: John Wesley Harding Would Be As Talented

Jae-Ha Kim

He took his stage name from a Bob Dylan album almost as old as he is and nicks his album titles from Frank Capra movies.  So where’s John Wesley Harding’s originality?  In his music. An acerbically witty songwriter who sings folk-style rock songs, Harding is touring with a group of musicians who he refuses to Christian with a band name.  Catch him and them when they perform tomorrow at the Metro.

It’s not same old song in hands of Jesus Jones

Jae-Ha Kim

With Jesus Jones, what you hear isn’t always what you get. Spearheaded by songwriter-vocalist Mike Edwards, Jesus Jones is a band that uses sampling as an art form rather than an easy way out. The sound snippets Edwards selects to sample are rarely left in their original state.  Rather, he creates new sounds by elongating sighs, changing pitches and distorting voices.

INXS on Fashion Excess

Jae-Ha Kim

Is it an oxymoron to call a music video politically correct?  Perhaps, but more rock bands are diversifying from the babes-in-bondage theme and opting for vignettes that might be (mis)interpreted as art. Following in the same vein as Van Halen’s “Right Now,” which superimposed socio-political phrases throughout its video, INXS is serving up “Beautiful Girl,” which the Australian band says is a tribute to women.

All it took was a `Kick’: INXS brings fan into present

Jae-Ha Kim

A few days before my 17th birthday in 1983, INXS was scheduled to play a 21-and-older show at the Park West, which left me in a quandary.  On the one hand, I really wanted to check out this new band that had a sound like nothing I’d heard before.  But I also was cowed by the fact that the only fake ID I had said I was 32. INXS won out.