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Beat Street
By Todd S. Inoue

Webbed Head Logging on to local-band pages in cyberspace--the good, the bad and the way too out-of-date LAST WEEK, I traversed rocky Internet territory to bring back some good and bad news about the state of Web pages created by local bands. The absolute best band page I've run across has to be that of the Wynona Riders . There's a lot of love (and wasted time) going into this thing. It's stuffed with graphics, RealAudio and zany pitfalls. Thoughts on home schooling, how the band got its name, tour fun during SXSW, and a positively righteous Mad Libs date fantasy game with Winona Ryder herself are all related with the band's infamous smarmy attitude. You'll never leave. Also worth a peep is the Mystik Journeymen page, just to read the story of how they fooled the Catalyst in Santa Cruz into letting them on the Pharcyde show last winter. Great stuff. The official Skankin' Pickle page is in dire need of updating. Better to point your browser to the unofficial one. This site is pretty thorough, including sound files and information about Skankin' Pickle's Green Album, which consists of unreleased tracks and is only available at live shows. Also in need of revision is J Church's site. The tour diaries are a gas to read, but the page hasn't been updated in months. Squeeze the Dog's page doesn't get beyond entry-level GUI. With the release of the solid Ethnoacousticgroove, things (cyber and otherwise) should start picking up for this talented quartet. There's a cool Odd Numbers story in Stokage, a Swedish rock magazine. Hook me up when you see a cool band page somewhere in the vast cyberdesert. Or find me on Metro's own Web page. Black Friday Halloween in May? Sure seems like it. Not even extra-strength Raid can fend off the ghoulish goth of Kill Sister Kill. The fratricidal can also watch Winter Chapter, Fata Morgana and Cervix descend the staircase to hell on Friday (May 3) at the Cactus Club. ... Then on Sunday (May 5), popular industrial dance mavens Veggie Beat Manifesto (formerly known as Meat Beat Manifesto, ha ha) dig in at the Edge. ... Continuing the series of Locals Only Aloud noontime shows at San Jose State University Amphitheater are Betty's Love Child on Thursday (May 2) and Van Gogh's Daughter on Friday (May 3). Toasted Monkey Earthwise Productions is ready to swing into summer with concerts at Cubberley Community Center. Friday (May 24) features New York ska veterans the Toasters, Springhill Jack and Monkey. Earthwise's Mark Weiss also mentioned some possible summer bookings: Jambay, Palapalooza (local-music showcase), Medeski Martin and Wood, the Cheater Slicks, W.C. Clark, Tribe 8, Salmon, Boxset, Voodoo Glowskulls, Zen Cowboys, Idiot Flesh and Oxbow, as well as a Queers/Hi-Fives/Mr. T. Experience extravaganza. [ Metro | Metroactive Central | Archives ]