IN THIS ISSUE OF COSMIK DEBRIS: The ultra-busy Nigerian juju master King Sunny Ade; Bun E. Carlos and Cheap Trick rock into 2000; Talkin' Gas Giants with Robin Wilson; The one and only Cynthia Plaster Caster; Boz Scaggs in concert; Political Playbook goes Green. Plus columns, reviews and other stuff!

COSMIK RADIO!: We have an hour of genre whiplash sure to introduce you to music you might never have heard otherwise. You just need a RealAudio Player to listen. If you don't have one, go pick one up. Cosmik Radio is just the kind of Net-Only audio that radio station program directors don't want you getting hooked on. So go ahead. Inhale!

KING SUNNY ADE - As African music makes significant headway in the US, many are discovering King Sunny Ade, the Nigerian king of juju music. Before you go nominating him for rookie of the year honors, you might want to read about his 26-year career and -- get this -- 112 albums! Interview by DJ Johnson.

CHEAP TRICK - Drummer Bun E. Carlos talks with Roan Kaufman about the past, present and future of one of the best bands in pop history. What have they been doing, what are the best memories and why hasn't there been a Behind The Music: Cheap Trick? The answers are here.

ROBIN WILSON OF THE GAS GIANTS - This is a great band! Great power-pop hooks, great writing, and a pedigree, because these guys were part of The Gin Blossoms. Why aren't you boppin' to their music yet? Maybe you just haven't discovered 'em yet, so here's your chance. Interview by Bill Holmes.

CYNTHIA PLASTER CASTER - Read at your own risk! That's right, it's that famous lady with the... um... interesting collection of... um... pottery? If you're under 18 or very sensitive to "off color" ideas, don't read this. For everyone else, it's a Tape Hiss Interview to remember. Interview by John Sekerka.

POLITICAL PLAYBOOK - After decades of dedication to the Democratic party, Shaun Dale's finally had it. This month, he tells you who you really SHOULD vote for, and why.


CD & RECORD REVIEWS - Everything from rock to jazz to reggae and back again.

EVERYTHING ELSE IN REVIEW - Boz Skaggs on tour, and the Sex Pistols saga unfolds on the screen.



THE MP3 FILES - Bill Holmes examines another batch of bands on the MP3 battlefield.

PIGSHIT - Gary "Pig" Gold fans out his favorite Beach Boys records.

TUNING IN TIME - DJ Johnson helps you build your launching pad for exploring the online world of old-time radio.

CLOSET PHILOSOPHY with Rusty Pipes - Rusty rustles the Bushes.

WALLEY@WITZEND - A funny thing happened while hanging out with the guys from ESPN Zone.



CREDITS - The names and e-mail addresses of the people responsible for this thing.

COSMIK RADIO - Want an hour of music that fits the personality of Cosmik Debris Magazine? That's right, Sinatra segues into Megadeth into Peter Tosh into Man Or Astro-Man into... well, you get the picture. It's a little something we like to call Genre Whiplash. Or maybe you're in the mood for a trip into The Fog Machine, our mix of music of the ethereal variety. All you need is a RealAudio player. Come on in.

INTERNET RADIO STATIONS - Great radio is alive and well on the Net! Cosmik Debris presents links to take you where the good ones are hiding, from St. Louis to Dublin. You're no longer stuck with just the "classic rock," "young country" and "24-hour talk" that has your town held hostage.

OUR OWN WEBSITES - Many of the Cosmik Debris writers have websites of their own. We have some links right here.



Did you miss an issue? We now have many of our back issues online, including sound clips and extras. Check out interviews with The Witches, Electric Frankenstein, the Vampire Beach Babes, Jeff Berlin, Curve, Michael Shermer, Steel Pulse, Transglobal Underground, Mark Helm, The Southern Rock All-Stars, Ottmar Liebert, Jason Noble of Shipping News, Phil Vassar, Joel Dorn, Mark Cline of Love Tractor, Texas Terri (of Texas Terri & The Stiff Ones), Mike Keneally, Chris Shinn of Unified Theory, Alley of Wise Monkey Orchestra, Mario Escovedo of The Dragons, The Clarks, Big Ass Truck, Richard Cheese, Paul Krassner, Tony Iommi, Ron Dante... and too many more to list!!



Hello, Cosmik folk! Just a quick note to point out the arrival of a new writer to the Cosmik Debris staff. Roan Kaufman has written for Maxim, Gallery, Liquid, Players, Musicmag, and now Cosmik. He arrives with a fun Cheap Trick interview this month, so be sure to read the transcript of his chat with Bun E. Carlos. Also, after you read the King Sunny Ade interview, hit the search engines and seek out African music sites. There's a whole lot to discover out there, from Ade to Loketo to Lucky Dube, and you might just discover a whole new musical love. That's about it. Enjoy!

DJ Johnson
Editor