From: owner-ecto-digest To: ecto-digest@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: ecto-digest V2 #146 Reply-To: ecto@nsmx.rutgers.edu Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Thursday, 29 June 1995 Volume 02 : Number 146 The Ecto digest is now being generated automatically. Please send problems and questions to: ecto-owner@nsmx.rutgers.edu. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Matt Bittner" Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 08:21:49 -0500 Subject: Re: rain, happy, vampires On 28 Jun 95 at 16:36, SBI!200HUBBARD!AMYD@lmbinc.at wrote: > one more thing.. I saw Batman..! It was not half bad... ! I have to admit > that i enjoyed it - Val Kilmer is a MUCH better Batman than Keaton ever > could be... of course the female "love interest" was useless - I could do > without Nicole Kidman in this movie (uh oh.. I smell flames..) but the > surprise of surprises was Jim Carrey! Some of the best one-liners since > Pulp Fiction! (the script was pretty clever) I also thought the sets were > well done . . very Blade Runner-like. I give it two snaps up! Actually, if I may be so bold, Batman Forever is the best yet. The Riddler is Jim Carrey's best role to date. Nicole Kidman can't play a bimbo. Tommy Lee Jones left a little to desire. Robin? Give me a break, even though Chris O'Donnell did an okay job. The Dark Knight is best when operating solo. "It's the car. Chicks love the car." Completely agree with the best one liners. We - as in the collective family - went to see it at a drive-in. Great experience, and fun, but the picture was poor and the sound sucked. We plan on seeing it again in the theater. When we went to see Pocahontas, Batman Forever was playing in the next theater over, and the sound was rocking our theater. YES! Matt Bittner meba@cso.com Omaha, Nebraska "It must be inordinately taxing to be such a boob." ------------------------------ From: anthony@xymox.apana.org.au (Anthony Horan) Date: Thu, 29 Jun 95 13:22:19 EDT Subject: Kerri Simpson CD review Whoops - forgot to actually post the reviews I promised to :-) Here they are, with an extra Bjork review because somebody mentioned the album. BTW, if the lines here aren't word-wrapped, someone let me know. This is very strange mail software I'm using, and I've just copied the magazine files in via the clipboard... :-) Kerri Simpson The Arousing (Shock) After redefining her musical career and impressing all who heard her debut EP VeVe, Kerri Simpson did the logical thing and started work on what is effectively her debut full-length album. The perils of financing your own recording meant that the gap between the EP and the album has been a little longer than might otherwise have been the case, but the wait has been well worthwhile. The Arousing is a unique Australian album, and an essential one. Freed from the expectations and creative input usually imposed upon artists by a record company, artists often make one or more of a plethora of mistakes when recording their own album - self-indulgence, overproduction, or simply an inability to be objective about the material they are recording for public consumption. No such problem here, though - high production values meet with memorable songs and flawless performances, and the result is a record that could be one of the best albums of the year. Kerri’s strong interest in American Indian culture manifests itself on this album through the regular appearance of a ritualistic chant that, while actually a part of the final track, gives the experience of listening to the entire record an unexpected continuity - the songs themselves become self-contained insights into states of mind. This is an album best heard as a whole, and one that is not easily taken in on the first listen. Opener Ah Jolé does give the first-time listener an easy way in, though - a bass-groove powered wall of emotion and noise hiding cleverly behind the conventions of dance music, it’s probably the most instantly accessible track on the album, and it’s only once you get to know it on a casual basis that you start to discover the intricacies that are lurking in there. 51 Years is stunning, opening like a scene from a Spanish movie before journeying to a darker place, the lyrical despair made solid by a vocal that renders anything else that may be happening around you at the time completely non-existent. All Night Forever brings things musically back into the light, thanks to a delicious 12-string guitar bed and a vocal that travels octaves in the one line; I Wonder manages to be truly positive lyrically while somehow maintaining a decided air of menace during its verses. Red Badge Of Courage takes the most minimal approach of the songs on the album, a single unaccompanied vocal that conveys the dynamics of a complete song effortlessly; attempting something like this would be an unnecessary indulgence for many singers, but this song doesn’t need any additional instrumentation - the emotion and conviction in Kerri’s vocal renders the song complete. Think About It (preceded by an amusingly titled and rather filmic accordion instrumental) is probably the most straight-ahead pop song here, and one which, in a perfect world, would be heard on a regular basis on a thousand drivetime car radios. Number 49 reverts to the bass-and-guitar arrangement of 51 Years but with a completely different attitude, the lyrics here revisiting the imagery used earlier in the album - the suspicion that many of the same characters inhabit these songs is hard to ignore. Billy is something akin to Cajun blues being hijacked for a Tarantino film, complete with twang guitar and raucous backing vocals; Free At Last is the album’s most openly optimistic moment captured in simple acoustic mode. Painting Blue Soldiers (with Shane O’Mara guesting on guitars) brings things to an emotional climax with an impossibly intense vocal and some delicious chord progressions. Finally, the title track (the healing chants here and throughout the album provided by Dorothy Fraser), which stunned audiences at Kerri’s acoustic gigs over the last year, appears in a more concise but decidedly more sensual form. Music that can find a home deep within the soul rather than just the head is one of the hardest things to come by, but that’s exactly what’s to be found here. The Arousing is an album that, after being heard a few times, is not easily forgotten. (9.5/10) ANTHONY HORAN - -- - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anthony Horan, Melbourne Australia - anthony@xymox.apana.org.au Physical mail: P.O. Box 40, Malvern 3144, Victoria, Australia "The red sky was bleeding glimpses of heaven, in sections of seven..." - Rose Chronicles reaching lyrical perfection on "Awaiting Eternity" - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ From: anthony@xymox.apana.org.au (Anthony Horan) Date: Thu, 29 Jun 95 13:23:15 EDT Subject: Kerri Simpson live review Kerri Simpson Cherry Tree, 11 June 1995 Having launched her new album The Arousing a few weeks back at the Esplanade, Kerri Simpson and VeVe are now half way through a four-week residency on Sunday nights at the Cherry Tree - a situation that takes on more of an atmosphere of a friendly gathering than a formal performance. And that, in a strange way, makes perfect sense. The material on The Arousing - an unforgettable album in its own right - carries within it a unique intimacy beyond and above the physical substance of the songs. While Ah Jole may have cornered the market in relentless decibel catharsis, there’s something at the heart of the song that demands the meeting of emotion and introspection. While that’s not always easy when you’re having bits of yourself stepped on by curious punters searching for the bar at the typical pub gig, this arrangement gave those who were there Kerri and VeVe live in their loungeroom, or as close to it as it gets. Kerri is playing at the moment with an incarnation of VeVe completely different from the band that recorded the album, but that proves to be no hindrance at all. Former White Cross members Pasquale Monea and Randall Thain have taken on bass and guitar duties respectively, while Michael Davis has taken over on drums; those who’ve heard the album but aren’t personnel trainspotters would never notice the difference, though. This tightly rehearsed incarnation of VeVe is completely comfortable with the songs and more than capable of translating the recorded versions to the live format. If you’re not familiar with Kerri’s music, by the way, try to imagine Tom Waits and The Church running into the ghost of The Doors in the middle of a Victoria Williams recording session. Or better yet, just track down the album. And while Kerri’s voice is breathtaking on record, it somehow takes on even more energy and excitement live, choosing to completely ignore the fact that its owner was shaking off a dose of The Flu That Ate Melbourne. Opening with a brief, unrehearsed “acoustic” set that became a full band affair of its own volition, the depth and focus in Kerri’s performance was evident from the first song, coincidentally one from back in the White Cross days. The atmosphere of spontaneity was abetted by the inclusion in the set of material from the first VeVe EP, the title track of which ended up being one of the highlights of the night. But it was a trio of songs from The Arousing that had the greatest impact, not least due to their transformation from recorded to live versions. All Night Forever adds a layer of desperation to the gorgeous guitar bed of the song - a more electric version than the one on the album (indeed, most of the album material is endowed with an electric edge on stage). 51 Years is the song that couldn’t possibly have worked live, but thanks to a sparser arrangement and some superb delayed-guitar work by Randall Thain, it becomes a whole new experience. Ah Jole steps away from the recorded version’s relentlessness a little, which is almost disappointing for a brief moment, before it escalates into white-hot aural terror and shatters before your ears. This is, you see, the kind of gig you walk away from wanting to live again (and you can - Kerri plays the next two Sundays at the Cherry Tree as well). A compelling, original and genuinely individual songwriter and performer - and assisted by an excellent band - Kerri Simpson provides a handy reminder of how good it can be when music is done right. ANTHONY HORAN - -- - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anthony Horan, Melbourne Australia - anthony@xymox.apana.org.au Physical mail: P.O. Box 40, Malvern 3144, Victoria, Australia "The red sky was bleeding glimpses of heaven, in sections of seven..." - Rose Chronicles reaching lyrical perfection on "Awaiting Eternity" - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ From: anthony@xymox.apana.org.au (Anthony Horan) Date: Thu, 29 Jun 95 13:32:15 EDT Subject: Re: Mary Karizan >On the way home, which took the better part of an hour, I fired up a >couple new CD's that I'd loaded into the changer. Natalie Merchant's new >one, which from all accounts I'd heard is generally quiet and >uncompelling but well-performed. I'm picking this up tomorrow... I hope it manages to be at least half-good. >The other CD I checked out is definitely not ectofodder, but if you're >like me and tend to like other types of music, like Seattle-style rock, >then listen up. I can almost guarantee this one is going to end up in the >year's top 5. The band is called Silverchair, they're 16 & 17 years old >from Australia, and the album is called Frogstomp. Wow! Silverchair make it to Ecto! :-) They're much-hyped here, and I noticed that they'd been getting good crowds in the US (they're taking time off school to tour!). That album was recorded when they were 15 years old. >They sound very much >like Pearl Jam, and IMHO this record is everything Pearl Jam has failed to >deliver since their first album. The music is passionate, and the record >is brilliant, WAY beyond these musicians' years. I'm not a big Silverchair fan, but one thing I will acknowledge is that the production and mix on "Frogstomp" is light years better than any of the Pearl Jam albums. Musically, I think once the band get a bit older and stop wearing their influences on their sleeves, they will be quite interesting to watch. BTW, I think Eddie Vedder's vocal delivery has all the passion of a shelf packer on night shift, but that's just my opinion... :-) - - Anthony - -- - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anthony Horan, Melbourne Australia - anthony@xymox.apana.org.au Physical mail: P.O. Box 40, Malvern 3144, Victoria, Australia "The red sky was bleeding glimpses of heaven, in sections of seven..." - Rose Chronicles reaching lyrical perfection on "Awaiting Eternity" - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ From: anthony@xymox.apana.org.au (Anthony Horan) Date: Thu, 29 Jun 95 13:39:26 EDT Subject: Re: rain, happy, vampires Post 3000 from me for today... :-) Amy goes to the movies... >one more thing.. I saw Batman..! It was not half bad... ! I have to admit >that i enjoyed it - Val Kilmer is a MUCH better Batman than Keaton ever >could be... I saw the film last night; I must disagree with what seems to be everyone on Kilmer being a better Batman. Michael Keaton was perfect for the kind of man that Bruce Wayne is - haunted by fractured nightmares, half-destroyed by a desire for revenge. Kilmer looks far too... nice - he looks like a fresh-faced college boy. Once they're in the Bat-suit there's minimal difference, but I thought Keaton was far better at being Bruce Wayne. >of course the female "love interest" was useless - I could do >without Nicole Kidman in this movie (uh oh.. I smell flames..) :-) She performed a badly written, cliched part as well as could be expected. > but the >surprise of surprises was Jim Carrey! He's *still* playing the same character! While I thought the film was quite diverting, it was just too silly for its own good, never certain what tone it wanted to take, and lit like it was the sequel to Disney's Dick Tracy. Give me the darkly funny "Batman Returns" any day. :) - - Anthony Maltin - -- - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anthony Horan, Melbourne Australia - anthony@xymox.apana.org.au Physical mail: P.O. Box 40, Malvern 3144, Victoria, Australia "The red sky was bleeding glimpses of heaven, in sections of seven..." - Rose Chronicles reaching lyrical perfection on "Awaiting Eternity" - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ From: anthony@xymox.apana.org.au (Anthony Horan) Date: Thu, 29 Jun 95 13:24:50 EDT Subject: Bjork album review... ...and I'll spare your mailboxes now. Sheesh, you really know when I'm back... :-) Björk Post (Mother/Polydor) Possibly the only Icelandic pop star who sings with a thicker accent than she speaks, Björk has found herself in the enviable position of being considered fashionable by, well, just about everyone. Her first foray into solo album territory in years (she has done solo work before, albeit many years ago), Debut was a groundbreaking album that caught even the most die-hard Sugarcubes fans by surprise. In the space of a few years, Björk had gone from vocally sparring with the discordant Einar on the last Sugarcubes album to outdoing every single contender in the girl-vocal indie-pop stakes, taking fans on board along the way from the fashion-obsessed to commercial radio junkies. Debut took everything current about pop music and filtered it through a shimmering haze of cellophane production and jazz-inspired arrangements, stopping every few songs for an effortless example of how a shiny happy pop song should sound. It sold two and a half million copies, the fragile voice on the Sugarcubes’ Birthday was all but forgotten, and suddenly Björk was an international pop star. Which makes it all the more admirable that the album she’s created to follow up such success is such a strange, twisted, and downright uncommercial piece of work. Post is most accurately described as the anti-Debut, the 5am after the gold dust and cocktails of the night before. But the kind of 5am where, unable to sleep, you start to think thoughts that couldn’t possibly come to life during the day. This album may not have been recorded at 5am, but it sounds for all the world as if it was. Opener and current single Army Of Me should give you an idea what to expect - and beware, it’s the most commercial thing here, and the only track that’s even remotely dance-friendly. The first time you hear it, all you can make out is the most obnoxious bass line in the history of music duelling with drums so huge you’d swear they resurrected John Bonham for a quick guest spot. The song itself is there, but you’ll have to dig to find it; it’s obnoxious, it’s musically incorrect, and it’s brilliant. As is the track immediately following - - Hyper-ballad could well be the first meeting of jazz and techno, a consummately Björk scattered pop song with the most unlikely of arrangements. Shuffle drums give way to Orbital-inspired technology loops and an orchestra quietly playing in the background while someone retunes an old analogue synth. This is the sort of song the Pet Shop Boys have been trying to do for years. The Modern Things is no less unconventional, and it’s about now that you start to realise that whatever else awaits you on this album, it’s probably not going to be very normal. It’s as if Björk along with her co-producers Nellee Hooper, Graham Massey and Tricky set out to deliberately record an album that broke every recording rule while still somehow sounding aurally delectable. From the stuck record at the end of The Modern Things you’re treated to the Broadway cabaret antics of the Björk Big Band on It’s Oh So Quiet. Don’t get used to that too quickly, though, because it’s followed by the first Tricky collaboration Enjoy, which is as industrial as they come but unfortunately this time also a song without a tune to speak of. You’ve Been Flirting Again is a brief journey to 40s cinema that serves a far greater purpose, as a lead-in to the phenomenal Isobel. The rhythm track from the last album’s Human Behaviour lives in here, but so does a full orchestra and one of those addictive hooks that are unique to Björk. It’s a fun, subtly stompy pop song until the chorus, when suddenly it’s the theme from The Onedin Line on acid. After that, anything is going to be a bit of a let-down, and Possibly Maybe doesn’t quite cut it in the song department despite a warm (but still strange) arrangement. I Miss You production-wise sounds like a storming techno track played through a low-budget PC sound card with a MIDI problem, and that’s fine. Then it turns briefly into a 1984 Hunters And Collectors track, and then you understand. This isn’t supposed to make sense. Understanding that helps a lot with this album, and especially with the closing two tracks, Cover Me and the bizarrely appealing Headphones. If it’s dance music you want, you’re in the wrong place here. But if you been missing Björk’s journeys to Planet Strange, you’ll be very happy to know that she is most assuredly back. This time, though, she’s got a nice big public to play with. (8.5/10) ANTHONY HORAN - -- - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anthony Horan, Melbourne Australia - anthony@xymox.apana.org.au Physical mail: P.O. Box 40, Malvern 3144, Victoria, Australia "The red sky was bleeding glimpses of heaven, in sections of seven..." - Rose Chronicles reaching lyrical perfection on "Awaiting Eternity" - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ From: Ken Latta Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 14:27:49 -0400 Subject: Re: Zap Mama? I've been looking for Adventures in Afropea 1; I have Number 2 which is "The Best of djur djura: Voice of Silence." The Series is compiled by David Byrne. To quote: "In France Djura is a best-selling author, filmmaker, and singer who writes haunting songs about the continuing struggle of women in North African societies and the liberation of Algeria." The songs are sung in a mix of Arabic and French and her voice is very nice. Citation: 1993, Luaka Bop, Inc/Warner Brothers, 9(362) 45211-2 Kenneth Latta, University of Michigan 313.763.1479 313.747.3630 fax klatta@umich.edu, Ken_Latta@mail.uhs.umich.edu > From: Neal Copperman > To: ecto > > Marion Kippers was looking for info on Zap Mama. > I certainly don't have a discography for them, but I can add at least one > album to your list: > > Adventures in Afropea 1 > > (This may be the name of a series, since I have seen a number 2.) It's > on Luaka Bop/Warner Bros (David Byrne's subdivision, or whatever you call > it.) Copyright is 1993. It also has Brrrlak! on it. > > I also thought there were both English and French versions of Sabsylma. > > > > > I would also like suggestions for any other CD's/bands/artists > > that are sort of 'similar' in style to the likes of Zap Mama, > > Ladysmith Black Mambazo or Varttina... > > While not exactly in the same style, you might want to consider trying > Sweet Honey in the Rock. They are an all woman a capella group whos > influences come from American folk and spirituals, gospel, and African > music. The best of their discs I have are Breaths and Live at Carnegie > Hall, both on Flying Fish records. They also have some great songs on > the Folkways: A Vision Shared disc. > > Neal ------------------------------ From: "Matt Bittner" Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 13:22:47 CST Subject: Jammin... Jammin' to _woody and dutch on the slow train to peking_, I was wondering if amybody had a complete discography for Rickie Lee Jones. Anybody else enjoy listening to Rickie? Thanks. Matt Bittner meba@cso.com Omaha, Nebraska "We devour those who would subdue us." ------------------------------ From: Sam Warren Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 18:03:42 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Jammin... Matt Bittner wrote: > Jammin' to _woody and dutch on the slow train to peking_, I was >wondering if amybody had a complete discography for Rickie Lee Jones. >Anybody else enjoy listening to Rickie? Thanks. Here's a complete list of her (commercially available) albums: Rickie Lee Jones Pirates Girl At Her Volcano The Magazine Flying Cowboys Pop Pop Traffic From Paradise I don't know of any singles, or bootlegs, so this is not a complete discography. Then again, maybe it is, because the only single I can remember is "Chuck E.'s In Love." Rickie is wonderful, and I'm glad to see someone else out there getting a special warm and fuzzy feeling from her music! - -Sam ------------------------------ From: Richard Handal Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 18:16:33 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Juliana Hatfield with Regis I couldn't bring myself to say Juliana Hatfield *on* Regis. :-) Anyway, some of you may be interested in this. She's going to be on the American TV show "Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee" on Friday, June 30. I'm not subbed to ecto so this may have been mentioned there already. Richard ------------------------------ From: jeffy@wam.umd.edu Date: Thu, 29 Jun 95 19:23:49 -0400 Subject: fun with cheap discs... Had a pleasant hour or so scrounging through the used and cut-out sections at the Kemp Mill in Dupont Circle today. 4 discs for under $25 seems like a reasonable deal to me. I picked up: Over the Rhine's _eve_, which I'm listening to now. It's not quite what I expected from mention on ecto -- much bluesier, but still very cool. I have a friend who's gonna love this. Golden Palominos' _Drunk With Passion_. I first heard them back in the late '80s in college, but never bought any of "their" stuff. This was there and cheap. blackgirls' _procedure_. I've been hearing Vickie talk about this band for years, but have never heard them. $5 buys a listen... and finally, the real bonus... About 5 years ago, I heard a song on Vickie's SiG118 compilation. I gathered that she had just gotten the album, and I think she actually had a dub of it. She did manage to explain that it was a Bulgarian Women's Choir, but not *that* Bulgarian Women's Choir, and that it was called "Balkan" and that it had something to do with the soundtrack to a film called _Bunker Palace Hotel_. It was a great song, very moody, though actually featuring very few of those classic Bulgarian harmonies. Well, I came across the CD today. It's called _Balkan: Pour le Film BUNKER PALACE HOTEL_, performed by Les Voix Bulgares de L'Ensemble Radio Sofia, with music written by Philippe Eidel and Arnaud Devos. Originally released on Virgin France, this version is on Virgin America and came out in '89. It turns out that the track Vickie played is called "Holm." The whole album is very cool. Very moody, atmospheric, and edgy. The Bulgarian singing is as wonderful as ever, if you like that sort of thing. Best of all, it was only $1.99!! They had one other copy in the cutout bin, so if somebody wants me to snarf it up for them, give me a holler...I can probably swing back this weekend and see if it's still there. Jeff |Jeffrey C. Burka | "When I look in the mirror, I see a little clearer/ | | | I am what I am and you are you too./ Do you like | |jeffy@wam.umd.edu | what you see? Do you like yourself?" --N. Cherry | ------------------------------ From: David Dixon Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 16:41:52 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Susan James: ATTN SF Bay Ectophiles! Some of you might recall my raves about a local artist named Susan James about a month ago. Well, I just got a postcard from her with some of her upcoming Bay Area dates: Friday, June 30: Cafe Abir, 1300 Fulton, SF, 9:30 PM Saturday, July 1: Cat's Grills and Alley Club, 1190 Folsom, SF, 9:00 PM (w/ Dianne Nola- part of the "Goddesses" series) Sunday, July 2: Blake's, 2367 Telegraph, Berkeley, 9:30 PM Monday, July 3: Cubberly Community Center, 4000 Middlefield, Palo Alto, 8:30 PM (with 3 Day Stubble, Heavy INto Jeff, and others) If you can make it to any of these shows, GO! This gal is amazing. Word is that her album will be coming out later this summer/fall. It's going to be released on a new label formed by the members of X; in fact, DJ Bonebrake drums on the new album. Em and I will be at the July 1 show, so maybe we'll see some of you there. Going back to studying for my PhD qualifying exam :P, D^2 ------------------------------ From: Neal Copperman Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 21:47:13 -0400 (EDT) Subject: s,T! and Lori Carson Last night I headed down to the Birchmere to catch suddenly, Tammy! and Lori Carson. I was surprised to find it the least attended show I've ever seen there. Only about 50 or 60 people showed up. I've never really been able to figure out what to make of Lori Carson. I've got Shelter, her first disc, and I find it to be uniformly nice, but not particularly notable. There's a few songs that finally started to make an impression, but by and large, there was little in it that I found exciting. I've also got The Golden Palominos' Drunk WIth Passion, and I love it. It doesn't even sound like the same singer. The vocal style, delivery, lyrical content, hell- even the voice, all sound different. I find that to be a totally captivating album and a totally unexpected side of Lori as a vocalist. She opened the show by playing a 35 minute set accompanying herself on guitar. The songs were all sung with her thin wispy voice sounding tired and sad, and the minimal guitar accompaniment not building up any sort of noticable melody or anything. I thought of the Red House Painters with a female singer because of the slow, somber readings that everything got. She only played one song from Shelter (Pretty Girls, given the same low key treatment as everything else), with the remainder being from the new album and one from the Palominos Pure, although it didn't sound any different than the others. These mostly made me drowsy. I was completely unprepared for her final song, which is new and not on any album. It was the raw and painful tale of a woman who's only known abusive, unloving relationships. The singing aproach was essentially the same as on all her previous songs, but resonated with a deep emotional intensity. The chorus was: I put my whole heart in it, I put my whole heart in it, I'm spinning and spinning in it, but it never turns around never turns around never turns around To be fair, the people around me seemed to have loved her entire set. Both the proclaimed fans and the people seeing her for the first time. A fair amount has been written about Suddenly, Tammy! here, so I'll be briefer on them. Once again, I'd never actually heard any of their music, so I was quite surprised at what I found. I was immediately inclined to like them just for their instrumentation (piano, bass, drums), particularly since they used it so well. I had trouble making out most of the lyrics, but really enjoyed the piano/bass interaction. I couldn't decide if the songs had a better chance of growing on me or becoming iritating, since Beth has a really odd, slightly grating voice. Despite that, they were clearly having so much fun performing and talking with each other that you couldn't help but love them. Probably the funniest moment was when Beth introduced the drummer as her brother, and the bass player introduced her as the drummer's husband. Definitely a good band to see live, though they didn't inspire me to run out and buy any of their stuff. Neal ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V2 #146 ************************** ======================================================================== Please send any questions or comments about the list to ecto-owner@nsmx.rutgers.edu