Las Vegas Weekly

NOISE

Buzz Osborne of The Melvins, She Wants Revenge, Thanksgiving menu, Coming to Town

Three Questions with Buzz Osborne of The Melvins

What's it been like having Big Business members Jared Warren and Coady Willis onboard for latest album A Senile Animal and this tour?

When we got rid of our last bass player, we were looking for something new to try. And we've played with Big Business before, so we thought, "Instead of adding one guy, why not add two?" And so far so good. I'm really happy with the results. I'm not afraid of this kind of stuff. There's no set way that we have of doing anything. When it comes to music, we're supposed to be the drivers and people are supposed to come and enjoy what we're making, whatever it may be. And if we believe in it, then they should. And if they don't, there's nothing I can do about it.

Why did you bring Leif Garrett in to sing "Smells Like Teen Spirit" [on 2000's The Crybaby]?

We thought it would be really hilarious to have him—a burned-out teen idol—do a big song from the '90s from a dead, burned-out teen idol. We thought it was really funny, and I think we were about the only ones that did think it was funny. I couldn't really explain to Leif exactly why I wanted him to do it, and I don't know that he really understood that; maybe he doesn't to this day. But Leif's got other things on his plate right now that he should be worrying about, like jail.

You're credited with giving Dave Grohl's phone number to Krist Novoselic, which led to the formation of Nirvana's "classic" lineup. Does being part of that history mean anything to you?

Without us, none of that would have ever happened, that is true. Beyond that, how do I turn that into something that has a dollar figure put to it is anybody's guess. Any money we've made, we've made on our own, certainly without Nirvana helping us, that's for sure. Kurt's been dead for a long time; he doesn't talk to us. And they have an absolute bastard for a manager who's hated us from Day 1. The same guy still manages Dave Grohl. I haven't spoken to Dave Grohl in more than a decade, and I have absolutely no idea why. But we put out a lot more records than Nirvana ever did, or ever will. And none of us are dead or nursing a heroin addiction or married to Courtney Love. So you tell me who the winner is.

She Wants Revenge isn't a band for everyone. The duo of Adam Bravin ("Adam 12") and Justin Warfield has crafted a dark, sexy sound with obvious nods to Depeche Mode and Joy Division. Some people feel those influences are too close to the surface. Some complain that the band's self-titled debut is monotonous and droning. But the album's appeal grows with each listen, the repetition evolving into a delightfully insidious soundtrack. And the amazing thing about She Wants Revenge is that it has become an entrancing live act, a tight quartet hinged by Warfield's androgynous gesturing and Bravin's robot-like presence.

We've set our Thanksgiving menu and—what a surprise!—it has a definite musical flavor ...

Fruit

Fiona Apple

Peaches

Appetizers

The Caesars

Bowling For Soup (with Cracker)

Entrées & Sides

Meat Loaf

Phish

Korn

Black Eyed Peas

Smashing Pumpkins

Cranberries

Bread

Drinks

Ice-T

April Wine

Juice Newton

Condiments

Salt-N-Pepa

The Sugarcubes

The Jam

Cream

Dessert

Cake

Humble Pie

Jello Biafra

GYM CLASS HEROES


AS CRUEL AS SCHOOL-CHILDREN (2 1/2 stars)

Prince-sampling, Alternative Press-approved hip-poppers take on relating to girls, the fortitude of alcohol and stressing over MySpace friend requests. If high-schoolers are looking for a gateway drug to harder beats, this is it.

CELEBRATION


CELEBRATION (3 stars)

Nomadic indie couple Katrina Ford and Sean Antanaitis pick up a new drummer, bring on David Sitek to produce and receive guest support from Sitek's full-time band, TV On the Radio, on this latest project's debut LP. The results—a swirling, whirling dervish long on texture and electricity but short on hooks or structured songs—feels a bit too ephemeral to call for much real celebration.