European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 23, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Galaxies 500�?Ts music strips Rock n Roll of its traditional Energy and tends toward Flat simmering rhythms. Rock for the 20-something is music to sit still by by Karen Schoemer new York times g Plaxie 500 is named after a 1960s-Model Ford but the songs on the Boston band s third album this is our music Seldom exceed the Pace of heavy traffic. Its music to sit still by. Dean Wareham a thin  can inflate without warning into an eerie falsetto. His lyrics reflect a reluctance to participate an unsure Ness about even the most casual social situations. A Quot stayed at Home on the fourth of july and i pulled the. Shades so i did t have to see the sky a he sings in fourth. Of july a. A a. A a galaxies 500 could be one of the most influential bands to emerge from the late-�?T80s Independent Rock scene. Along with the group mazzy Star and the Singer sonic Boom both popular on College radio galaxies 500 wants to stun its listeners not with Power and volume but with. Their very absence. Instead of a Crisp danceable Backbeat these groups tend toward Flat simmering rhythms rather than a screaming fast fingered guitar solos they play pensive. Dragging leads. F. By stripping Rock a no Roll of its traditional Energy and a ebullience they be thwarted Rock s potential to be Anth Emic and Universal. To listeners accustomed to Bon Jovi galaxies 500 might sound As alien As a language . But these bands want to speak to a different. Audience. College radio listeners in addition to students include those who came of age with the crossover of. College radio bands like Rem and the cure. This is the 20- something generation a the Post baby Boomers Between the Ages of 18 and 29, who have Bee the subject of considerable Media attention. Time. Magazine has defined this generation As one with few. Heroes no anthems no style to Call their own Quot and Quot Only a hazy sense of their own  generation is distrustful of both the 1960s social revolutionaries who they say betrayed themselves with. 1980s materialism and the Reagan ites who they blame for the current state of economic and environmental disarray. \ the 20-something generation sees neither social. Activism nor political irresponsibility As Long term. Solutions. The Lack of choices has produced a kind of. Cultural catatonia it s a generation caught Between dead ends. &Quot.��?�. A the music of a lot of White College Rock reflects this feeling of impotence. Their slow sulky grooves and muted tones convey a repressed longing a vague resentment toward the conventions of mainstream Rock As Well As the world around them. It s a Sublime original articulation of emptiness. A. Galaxies 500�?Ts this is our music is a Call to inaction the songs structured on simple guitar chords that repeat again and again in a monotonous Lull Seldom build to a Climax. A Wareham a lyrics  a vision of contemporary Middle class american life that is Dull and devoid of glory people wander aimlessly stare at things. Lock themselves indoors on holidays and want to shut themselves off from. Life. Quot going to the movies a found a shelter from the Sun Quot he sings in summertime hearing voices a Man finds himself hypnotized by mundane activities Quot i searched the j Kitchen put my ear to the Wall i looked in the Freezer  a a. A. Its no wonder War Hanys characters like the movies for them Ordinary life is a Freak  at Best offer a temporary respite Quot i feel All right when you smile Quot Wareham sings in fourth of july a but at worst seem pretty worthless. Quot Cha pop a singles 1. The first time surface. 2 love will never do without you Janet Jackson 3. Gonna make you sweat a amp a music factory 4. Sensitivity Ralph Tresvant. 5. High enough a Damn Yankees 6. Justify my love a Madonna 7. Play that Funky music Vanilla ice. 8. After the rain Nelson. 9. In a Notin love will to Power 10. Just another dream Cathy Dennis top a albums 1. To the extreme Vanilla ice a. 2. The immaculate collection Madonna 3 the Simpsons sin the blues a the Simpsons 4 please Hammer done to Hurt  Hammer 5. Mariah Carey Mariah Carey. 6 in a your baby tonight Whitney Houston. 7. Wilson Phillips Wilson Phillips. 8. The razors Edge acc /. 9. Some Peoples lives Bette Midler 10. Rhythm of the saints Paul Simon. Country a singles 1. Forever Sas far As ill go Alabama 2 daddy s come around Paul Overstreet 3. Come on Back Carlene Carter. 4. Rumor has it Reba Mcentire. 5. Unanswered prayers Garth Brooks 6. Brother Jukebox Mark Chesnutt 7 life s utile ups and Downs Ricky Van Shelton 8 i be come to expect it from you George Strait 9 these ups done to know How to say goodbye Doug Stone 10. A few Good things remain Kathy Matlea ramp by singles 1. Love makes things happen. Pebbles 2. The first time surface 3. Only human Jeffrey Osborne. 4 love will never do without you Janet Jackson 5. You done to have to worry in Vogue 6. Around the Way girl la Cool j 7. Gonna make you sweat a amp a music factory 8. I la give All my love to you Keith sweat 9. If i were a Bell Teena Marie. 10. Don t be a fool Loose ends. Hope Sandoval the Lead Singer of mazzy Star talks about love with utter detachment ride it on from the. Groups debut album she hangs brightly has the surface trappings of a love song a a gentle Folky acoustic guitar. Melody the Subtle shimmer of Tambourine As the Only. Percussion / the song is about a relationship that is ending. Quot ride it on  she sings softly and blankly Quot you re leaving like you said you would Quot a her childlike voice betrays no emotion she sings the words As though she does t know or care what they mean. Despite the slow often tender mood of both galaxies 500 s and mazzy Star s music the songs Aren t exactly ballads they re too passive to be romantic. When sonic Boom formally of the psychedelic band spaceman 3, sings Quot i ust want to make love to you All a nigh Long Quot on his debut Solo album spectrum he a sounds As if he barely has the Energy to got up and walk across the room. A. This music should not be confused with the enervated Folk blues of Cowboy junkies who use death Knell pacing and whisper dynamics to reinterpret Rock and co unfit. Styles a. Galaxies 500, mazzy Star and sonic Boom  such ties to. A livelier past and spun Kier genres their music is purely contemporary. Even their connection with tie velvet underground whose sensual languorous music was an obvious. Influence goes Only so far they eschew the chaotic smothering White noise that was at the other extreme of the velvet underground s sound. If anything the genres spiritual antecedent is of a which in the late 80s brought anti anthems from the status of cuff Phenomena to mass acceptance. If the 20-something bands Are singing about withdrawal their music is nevertheless a statement against some of the Peculiar problems facing their generation. / a in its Way galaxies 500 s descriptions of a Lant where Quot i hear a Jukebox French Fries and Boer people Are talking a somewhere Quot is As Savage a critique As the photographer Robert Frank s pictures of America in the late 50s a of people standing in front of jukeboxes Frozen forever in their indecision Over which song to play. A generation it seems can be defined by its Lack of anthems As much As its heroes. 1990 readers poll the ballot below is for the third annual stars and stripes readers poll. Let us know your favorite artists albums and 6100 Darmstadt in february. Germany. The entry Best artist. Favorite single Best band. Best new act male performer. Best comeback. Female performer. Favorite live performance. Favorite album. Least favorite artist