Arts & Entertainment
‘Snail’ to bring mystical sound to Lincoln
Artist’s songs
about ‘nothing
and everything’
t
By Garth Lienemann
Staff Reporter
The music surrounds the listener
in ever-thickening layers — guitar,
bass, cymbals, kalimba, zither, and
even toy instruments meander play
fully through the intriguing music of
Azalia Snail.
Snail will give a taste of her unique
style tonight at Duffy’s Tavern, 1412
O St. This is her fourth nationwide
lour and could be one of the most
interesting, sense-capturing shows
around.
In looking for an adjective to de
scribe her music, the only word that
comes to mind is “mystical.”
Azalia’s songs range in speed, and
lyrics are not as big a concern for her
as they arc for some bands. She con
centrates on making sure the music
feels good, she said,and writes “about
nothing and everything.”
“Music is THE most important
thing in my life,” Azalia said, and it is
evident.
As she and Mike Bums, her counter
part musician for this tour, sat at a
local bar Monday night, it became
clear that they knew good music. Azalia
knew every song the radio played,
usually before the beginning two chords
were finished.
Azalia (which, of course, is not her
real name) said she became inter
ested in music as a child while living
in Maryland, where she said there
was nothing to do. At about age 10,
she began to fool with instruments
and listen to music constantly. ^
Improvisation is an important fac
tor during her shows, Azalia said,
because being confined to set per
formance patterns is boring.
“I like freedom to be able to change
things at my whim,” she said.
Expect a variety of music from
Azalia, from songs with explicit lyr
ics to instrumentals entitled “Hit by a
Car,” and “Flight #520.”
On previous tours, the number of
members in her band has ranged from
two to five.
This year’s tour is solely the two
person band, with Azalia playing the
12-string acoustic guitar and Bums
playing the 12-string and 6-string
electric guitars. Bums termed the sound
as “whirlpool-like.”
Although the release of Azalia’s
second album, “Burnt Sienna,” still is
being negotiated, the first single from
the album, called “St. Nowhere,” has
been given to local radio stations,
including KRNU, for rotation.
The song’s theme is about not
knowing where to go or what to do.
The song was inspired, she said, by
one of her close friends who had this
same problem.
Although they were influenced
somewhat by Mott the Hoople, Alice
Cooper, Velvet Underground, velvet
material, silk, and glitter, Azalia and
Bums both confessed that one of their
major influences was the library.
Azalia said everyone should get
into reading. Her personal literary
favorites include “My Last Sigh” by
Courtesy ot Thomas Wear
Azalia Snail will bring her ethereal sound tonight to Duffy s Tavern, 1412 O St.
Luis Bunuel, “The Confessions” by
Jean-Jacque Rousseau, and Charlie
Chaplin’s autobiography, she said.
Azalia said she originally wrote
music with the intention that it be
used for movie soundtracks. After
completing a lot of material, she said,
she produced her own movies on super
8 film and began showing them on
walls or screens during her perform
ances.
“I’m interested in expanding, chang
ing things,” she said.
Azalia and Bums both said they
like the Midwest because of its open
space and friendly people. Driving
through this part of the country for the
lour actually is fun, they said.
They cruise around listening to
oldies stations and talking, they said,
and Azalia said she liked to color her
promo slickers while traveling.
A/alia Snail has opened for King
Missile, Butthole Surfers, Mary’s
Danish, and Concrete Blonde. Her
first album, “Snailbait,” received
consistent airplay from alternative
stations and even hit No. 1 at the
University of Tokyo in Japan.
Tonight’s show starts at 10 p.m.
and opens with Rake Strangers of
Minneapolis. Cover charge will be
S3.
Shit Hook will make its first live appearance Thursday night at the Zoo Bar, 136 N. 14th 9t.
Experienced Hiccups ‘Hook’ up
By Shannon Uehling
Staff Reporter
A new band, described by drum
mer Dave Robcl as “a cross between
the Rumbles and Spinal Tap,” is
making its public premiere Thursday
night at the Zoo Bar, 136 N. 14th St.
But that’s not to say these guys
have no experience playing in front
■4
of an audience.
Shit Hook is composed of three
ex-Charlie Burton and the Hiccups
members — Phil Shoemaker on gui
tar and keyboards, David Boye on
bass guitar, and Robcl. New to the
line-up is Steve Lamphere, who plays
guitar.
After Burton moved to Texas,
Shoemaker said, the rest of the band
didn’t want to stop playing music. So
with the help of Lamphere, they put
together a play list of about 45 cover
tunes — enough to play three sets in
a bar without having to share the
stage (or the money) with another
band, he said.
Besides, he said, they had a great
name and thought they should have a
band to go with it.
The band’s name, which came from
the creative mind of producer Lou
Whitney, is not popular with every
one, Shoemaker said.
“My mom doesn’t like (the band’s
name),” he said. “None of our moth
ers liked it.”
The band recently played at two
parties to practice in front of an audi
ence. The first party was kind of rough
at first, he said, but it got better.
Shoemaker said it was odd to have
to use the play list.
“There was no Charlie (Burton) to
See SHIT HOOK on 10
Spring break releases
outshine this week’s
forgettable new videos
Williams stars
as teacher turned
to street dweller
NEW
RELEASES
By Anne Steyer
Staff Reporter
This week’s releases are hardly
worth a mention. A mention will have
to do though, because during spring
break some real gems were released
that deserve some description.
“The Super” (R) Starring Joe Pc
sci (“Goodfellas’O and about a slum
lord sentenced to live in one of his
own rat-infested tenements, it stinks
of the moralistic ‘Tm-a-changed
person-now” plotline. (Available 4/
1)
“Curly Sue” (PG) Another cine
matic masterpiece from director John
Hughes. He seems to crank out a
couple of bad films a year now. This
one is about an obnoxious waif who,
along with her scam-artist sidekick
Jim Belushi (“K-9”), embarks on one
scam after another. (Available 4/1)
Also arriving this week: The gang
ster film “Billy Bathgate” with Dustin
Hoffman, Nicole Kidman and Bruce
Willis and the thriller “Deceived”
with Goldie Hawn and John Heard.
Spring break releases included:
“The Fisher King” (R) Directed
by the visionary Terry Gilliam (“Bra
zil,” “Time Bandits”) this comedy/
drama snagged two Golden Globes
and two Oscars.
It's a delightful blend of fantasy
and reality and combines the search
for the Holy Grail with the search for
inner peace. *
Jeff Bridges plays an abrasive
“shock radio” talk show host whose
behavior leads a listener to tragedy.
He tumbles from the toast of the town
to a toasted has-been.
Stumbling the streets of New York,
he meets another wayward soul played
by Oscar nominee Robin Williams.
They have more than a little in com
mon and develop an unusual bond.
Williams is Parry, a former pro
fessor of medieval history whose life
also took a Tragic turn. Now a street
person, he sees the famed Red Knight
from Arthurian legend riding horse
back through the streets of Manhat
tan.
Mercedes Ruehl won an Oscar this
year for her role as Bridges’ tough
talking girlfriend. (Available now.)
“Rambling Rose” (R) Set in 1935
rural Georgia, this small but
enormously satisfactory film stars
Robert Duvall (“Tender Mercies”) as
Mr. Hillyer, a small-town hotel man
ager.
He and his wife (Diane Ladd of
“Wild at Heart”) take in a wayward
girl (Laura Dem, also of “Wild at
Heart”, in the title role) as hired live
in help.
Rose’s wild ways soon have the
house in an uproar. She immediately
is attracted to Duvall and although he
is fighting his attraction to her, he
rebuffs her.
See NEWVID on 10