ENTERTAINMENT Swamp Zombies shamble into Eugene Swamp Zombies A Frenzy of Music and Action Doctor Dream Records 1992 ★ ★ By Tim Neff Emerald Associate Editor One of life's greatest Injus tices is that "acoustic hippie punk" music connoisseurs are so starvod for entertainment. Unfortunately, it's a one band genre, and fans have llltlo choice but to turn to the Swamp Zombies, the Southern California band that started and single-handedly continue the acoustic hippie punk revolu tion. And on Aug. 17, Eugene Zombiemaniacs can got a first hand look at the throe street 77w Swamp Zombiia on oot to ploy Aug. 17 ol Horpoo. ThoZombio crow born loft: Stovo Jocobo, Jooh Agio, Dovid Worron ond Roy Vogtmng. 9 musicians turned retro-croon ers at Harpo's. The Swamp Zombies are em barking on a one-week West Coast tour to stump for their re cently released fourth album. A Frenzy of Musk: and Action. If you've never hoard of the Swamp Zombies, the vintage movie poster ring of the album title should tell you just about everything you need to know about the band. Zombie guitar meistor josh Agio confessed to the band's teen-flick Influences. On thin rncnrd wo triad to do a vintage sound, not really rotro." Agio said. “Wo Ilka to stay away from modom ideas. And we're sort of into those trashy films of the '50s and '60s " They also seem to he Into mass murderers. I’ust albums, like Fink and Scratch and Sniff Car Crash (which actually s|>orted a foul smelling scent patch on the cover) contained numerous ref erences to the grisly crime. The theme continues on Frenzy with lho song "Unemployed." which details a down-his-luck drifter who obsesses about infa mous mass murderers Accusing this band of ticing tongue-in-cheek, ts a bit like calling Leona Helmsloy "un scrupulous." Agio would prefer the lalad "pretension free " "It's sort of a level of unpre tentiousness and ignoring a lot of things that popular music Is doing today." he said "We don't pay a lot of attention to those trends." The result is concentrated wackiness like you haven't seen since "Hee-Haw" thank fully went on hiatus. Observe the reggae-influ enced lyrics to the song "I Bawled" - “Took me girl friend homo the other nighl/Cot mcself in an awful fight./She said do. do darling won't you please come In/Hor old lady hit me with a rolling pin." If you rain stomach that, you are definitely Zombie material. It makes no claim to being hip. and it's laced with strict "good-time" overtones. It can be a refreshing change from more serious hands Hut in the end. it will prolsibly only pro vide a brief but wacky musical pit stop Falling Joys capitalize on Nirvana Falling Joys Psychohum IRS Records 1992 ★ ★★ By Pat Malach Emerald Editor Nirvana la big. In fact tho entire Soattln thrush sound Is big. If you nood proof, chock out tho th<> now album by tho Falling Joys from Australia. Psychohum, tho band's aocond album. Is an odo to tho fact that tho Soattle sound is a logitimato trend In tho industry. Tho first song on tho album is cloarly Influ onend by Nirvuna, Sound Cardon, ot al. "Black Bandagus" has tho patontod Nirvana-moan lyrical style, aggrossivo guitar riffs and continuously ftounding bass boat typical of the punk invasion ogilimized by Nirvana's platinum succoss. But the similarities with the Soattle sound end with that first song. The other 11 songs on the al bum are solid. light-touch pop songs (hal hold up well in that genre. It’s as if the Fulling Joys com pletely changed ihuir stylo for that First song Just to capitalize on the popularity of the "alterna tives.” "Black Bandages" works us a neo-punk song. For the most part, the songs on the album are different enough to remain Interesting for the entire album. Tho lyrical mes sage Is suffi ciently nihilistic, ami the music has the necessary hard edge and kick. But the song just doesn't sound liko it be longs on this al bum, mostly be cause the rest of the songs work so we 11 as simple pop tunas. On song* llko "Winter's Tale." load singer Su zie Higgle shows off a gentle voice that ladies the aggressiveness of "Black Bandages " The song Is a typical ballad about love and security. I'or the most part, the songs on the album are different enough to remain interesting for the en tire album. "Natural Scone" has a standard 70-ish melody with backing guitars. "Parachute" is a simple love song with a slightly twisted melody — twisted enough to make It interesting, anyway. Despite what the band, their producers or the record company may want you to think about Psychohum based on the opening tune, this Is not an alternative album. It Is good quality pop music with enough surprises to be worthwhile. i.ft' J Wc ship your staff home! 1 to 1000 pounds Packing • Shipping Boxes vftrtaaino * Store 2700 Willamette 344-3106 The Copy Shop Open Mon-Fri 8-7 Sat 10-4 Otfumtri PMltnon A Fmy - R&t an 13h 485-6253 tordayontheMarietS&M l/ oamCasey Neill v • Mu** for Itborstod anldrmc*^ V11 am YVonne Youne; 1 ! fell** of Irtdilxwil Miff X rJ Noon Virginia Cohen, \ ’0 ln***>** atouUit o»H'n»h % > i3oReioicel / k\3pmSoulfish f' \ Fuat, aoul, rock lai • J U*% ■ On* foot • Uw /itp* It ipa • MM ON SHK •» « M You Jimt jfot lid with tin 0