A further fest

The Rhode Island Alliance mixes it up

by Michael Caito

RattleHead Records' Sean Adams is one main organizer of the debut Rhode Island Alliance Festival, Saturday on the URI Quadrangle and later at the Ocean Mist. As the seemingly interminable festival season winds to a close, speaking with Adams Monday offered very little by way of getting a take on their mission, or an overall theme of this festival. In this case, that's a plus.

"A lotta CMJ stuff, not very mega-star oriented," was Adams' description of the lineup, which brings together bands and styles from all over the East Coast -- plus Iowa. It's a simple yet effective tack -- not trying to work up a buzz with a hook or particular cause -- other than bringing almost a dozen promising bands to tweak the ears of those who don't place a lot of credibility in hype.

RattleHead, which releases the Warwick-based Blind Ambition's second CD Melonjelly in a few weeks, isn't as much a label as a consultant, according to Adams. "We might work with a band that's getting ready to blow 10 grand in a studio, and show them that they can get the same results by spending three grand instead, then we'll take our 300 bucks off that," he explained.

Though probably an oversimplification, it's the same music-centric philosophy that organizers bring to both the Rhode Island and next weekend's Boston Alliance debut held at Bill's Bar and the Karma next door on Lansdowne Street. Both shows are co-sponsored by the Norwalk, CT-based Mixx Magazine, the nine-year-old baby of Noel Ramos. Up 'til now Mixx has been distributed in Connecticut, Boston and several New York counties outside the City (Duchess, Westchester, etc.). Ramos, via telephone this week, promised the "more locally-oriented, less of an industry magazine," a monthly, will be available free in Rhode Island soon.

The Alliance bands fall mostly within the rock realm, also serving portions of techno, punk and funk in forming this edgy, intriguing bill. It's starting at 3:30 for free on the Quad, before moving to the Ocean Mist at night for a fiver. Massachusetts is well-represented; live sensations Skingame fuse industrial and power-pop, while Jersey trio Blinder have been described as a mesh of jazz and hardcore. Lunar Plexus' EP Sweeter (Rabid Iguana) scrammed up several CMJ charts throughout the country, topping some and garnering a #1 for the title track in Denmark. New York's Ultramax offer a confluence of funk and rock, while Blind Ambition's pop balloon rises and falls on the strength of Missy Ryan's crafty vocals. Girl On Top is loaded with talent, from Lou Miami &the Cosmetix founder Jack Rootoo through Karen DiBiasse's powerful vocal and guitar. You'll probably wanna check out their Sue Is Sane (STR) EP after hearing DiBiasse croon. Making Piranhas have been compared favorably to Hotrod-era Ministry and NIN composer Trent Reznor. Rounding out the bill are Nine Dollar Melon Baller, 1Adam12, January, and Fuzzy Logic. If it rains, the Quad show moves inside Edwards Auditorium on Upper College Road. "Iwouldn't have spent $400 to build a stage if we didn't plan on doing this every year," Adams concluded. "We would've just gone and spent $1200 on renting one. We'll be around next year too."

THIS 'N' THAT. Correction of Joe Auger CD review:he used real drums throughout, not programmed drums. Whoops. Meanwhile, South County velocity guys Arson Family celebrate their inclusion on a just-out Dead Kennedys tribute CD with a gig at 2Pi skatepark Friday with Drained and Eastcide. Their take on "Government Flu" opens What Were We Fighting For?(17-track Know Records CD) with typical fury, but if you wanna do yourself another favor, go read their lyrics, available on many several online DK sites. Too much of what Jello Biafra and co. railed against remains disturbingly prevalent, years after the "Frankenchrist" censorship fiasco which fiscally pummeled these groundbreaking Cali punk stalwarts. Not to mention pummeling free speech. As you scroll, realize just how close we are to having Tipper Gore as First Lady. Have a cigar.

None of the bands on the comp (gob, Electric Frankenstein, Das Klown, The Dread, AC, Eyelid, Visual Discrimination, No Fraud, Angry Little Man, Politikill Incorrect, Vitamin L, Drain Bramaged, Blanks 77, Insult, the Missing 23rd, Final Conflict) are on Alternative Tentacles, but several would fit. Nothing from Bedtime for Democracy shows up on the comp, but the rest of the DK canon is well-represented, including "Terminal Preppie" and "MTV Get Off the Air." Which leads to . . . .

It was fairly easy to notice the Emergency Broadcast Network's contributions to last Thursday's MTV Video Music Awards. One could recognize a few bytes from their TVT debut Telecommunication Breakdown, which is to be followed by a new EBN record next year, which is why Iwatched. Following the presenters' exceptionally cardboard speeches, the segues among nominated videos --just before winners were announced --were classic EBN. Nice work. Generally, Empty-V is tuned in for an annual total of about an hour in my twisted world, so specific thanks to EBN for the reminder of why it's ignored and easing me past miscast host Ben Stiller with minor nausea. This VMA's only saving graces were the Beasties performance and acceptance speech/ warning. OK, Marilyn Manson's ass was funny too, but the Diminutive Minneapolitan Artist Later Known as Prince did the peekaboobooty already, didn't he? Or was that Stern? Who cares?

There are usually more thought-provoking ideas in one 10-second EBN clip than MTV can dredge up in six months. And what does that have to do with free speech? EBN's is perhaps the freest, which is why it's so neat that they've crawled into the soft underbelly of the beast. There's even a dead Kennedy pun in there somewhere if you want.

SHOWS. It's festival time in the Armory District this weekend; See Listings for details.David Massengill performs at Stone Soup on Saturday for maximum folk satisfaction, and Friday the Fabulous Itchies play in the expanded (bar was shrunk) Green Room Friday with the Oscillators. Chan's continues a smash September, bringing in jazz guitarist Joe Beck and flutist Ali Ryerson. The classically-trained Ryerson's ninth solo album dwells on Brazilian jazz, and since Beck guested one would expect to hear a hefty portion on Saturday in Woonsocket. Beck strings thusly:bass strings are substituted on the low end and tuned down a fifth, the high and middle strings' positions are reversed, so Beck is able to coax bass and guitar parts out of his custom archtop. Did we mention that he was Miles' first guitarist?