IN THIS ISSUE OF COSMIK DEBRIS: Cosmik's staffers and contributors pick their top five CDs of 2001; Interviews with Al Hodge of the Louisiana heavy metal band Tungsten and Robert Fisher of Willard Grant Conspiracy; Part Four in Rusty Pipes' Art Rock series; The life and music of Fela Ransome Kuti; Bill Holmes tells you just how underrated Enuff Z'Nuff was and still is; plus reviews and columns served just the way you like 'em.

COSMIK RADIO!: Cosmik Radio is a one hour on-demand music show that is as diverse as the magazine. 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!

WE PICK THE TOP FIVE CDs OF 2001 - Well, EACH of us picks a separate list, actually. It has to be that way to avoid fist fights. A quick glance at the diversity among the picks in here will make it clear just how Cosmik Debris happens to be the most eclectic music mag around.

TUNGSTEN - Chalmette, Louisiana's heavy metal band is something of a mystery. They don't tour, they don't even play live very much, and they don't make any effort to - as the cliche goes - "make it big." All they do is make their music and use the Internet to distribute it. Guitarist Al Hodge explains the philosophy and more. Interview by DJ Johnson.

ENGAGING IN THE WILLARD GRANT CONSPIRACY - It began when a friend asked Robert Fisher and Paul Austin to put his new home recording studio through its paces. Instead of a test tape, they ended up with a debut album for what became known as the Willard Grant Conspiracy. Holly Day talked to Fisher on the eve of their U.S. tour with The Handsome Family.

CAN YOU RESIST THE GROOVE OF FELA KUTI & AFRIKA 70? - More than four years after his death, Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Kuti is practically deified by the people of his country and others as well. His mid-song political rants often ran him into trouble with the military regimes that controlled Nigeria, and he was regularly imprisoned and tortured. But there were gaps in his character that make unconditionally admiring him problematic. Article by DJ Johnson.


THE GOLDEN AGE OF ART ROCK PART 4 - (Departure From The Gadda-Da-Vida.) It's time to head back to Solid State University where the professor has cooked up a new lesson for today: American art rock, circa 1967-1979. So notebooks open, pencils ready and smoke 'em if ya got 'em. Professor Pipes is in the house.


UNDERRATED: ENUFF Z'NUFF - They were shuffled off into the hair band corner without so much as a listen, and it was your loss. But that was 10 albums ago and they're still here, minus the foofy hair, and if you do listen you'll hear what they always were: a dynamite power pop band who, as Bill Holmes will tell you, remain tragically underrated.



CD & RECORD REVIEWS - Another teetering stack of silver and black platters full of all kinds of music.

EVERYTHING ELSE IN REVIEW - DVDs, books, and Rusty's review of Lord Of The Rings.



PIGSHIT - Gary Pig Gold alerts you to ten records you might have missed in 2001.

CLOSET PHILOSOPHY - Rusty Pipes wants to tell you about oil prices, about scandals, about your privacy... but the damned phone won't stop ringing!

COSMIK BLUES - Eric Steiner's top five blues picks for 2001.

THE MP3 FILES - Bill Holmes brings you five more bands and turns you on to their MP3s' hiding places.



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.

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



There's not a lot to say this month... The Israelis and the Palestinians are at it again, India and Pakistan have nukes aimed at each other and ready to fly, our government has been lying their collective ass off about how many civilians they've been killing in Afghanistan... so business as usual. We have some interviews, articles and a ton of reviews to take your mind off all that horrifying crap. Hope it at least helps a little. See ya next month.

DJ Johnson
Editor

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...