From: owner-ecto-digest To: ecto-digest@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: ecto-digest V2 #376 Reply-To: ecto@nsmx.rutgers.edu Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Thursday, 8 February 1996 Volume 02 : Number 376 The Ecto digest is now being generated automatically. Please send problems and questions to: ecto-owner@nsmx.rutgers.edu. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: spaced heater Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 01:48:27 -0500 Subject: ectopics hey gang, after a two year hiatus in new jersey, i'm back in the sticks of montana. i've been too busy to visit with any ectophiles in the area, but then, last time i was here, there weren't any and i doubt that has changed much (i'm in billings, if there are any montanaphiles out there...but i'm leaving friday and working late thursday so i guess this little spiel is kinda pointless! :) ). anyways. "Laurel Krahn" sez: >Oh! If anyone sees Richard Shindell in concert, I'd love to hear >about it. I know he was doing a show with Dar that I think meth >mentioned she might be attending. as meth mentioned, we saw richard opening for dar williams a couple weekends ago. i hadn't heard anything of his prior to the show, but i didn't really have high expectations since, well, you know, i'm not a big singer/songwriter fan (dar is one of a couple exceptions, though she sometimes does push the wrong buttons) regardless, i absolutely loved richard's set. you're right: his voice is excellent and his guitar-style is yummy and his songs are great. after he started the set with "the shamrock shore," i was secretly hoping that he would spend the rest of the evening playing nova scotian traditional tunes his voice would be *perfect* for that style. alas, he did not, but is still liked his show anyways. MATH TRIED ERR sez: >Tori looked bizarre >in a red sweater and *very* short skirt (someone ought to tell her that if >you're gonna have hair that shade at least pick tops that match, and I'm not >going to repeat the rude remark woj made about her lack of underwear), which rude remark? ;) hobbes@wintermute.co.uk sez: >You should all do your ears a favour and buy "Smart" by Sleeper. greg (footah!) was pressing this on me before he went west in search of gold. sleeper was one of the bands in his "girl grunge six-pack" (or something like that). i eventually picked it up and like it well enough. i like sincola better though. Kevin Dekan {x66440 CF/DEV} sez: > I'm aware of two M7X albums, the self-titled debut and "7=49". Did > they ever release their 3rd album last year? you may be thinking of the lanterna disc - a side-project by the m7x's guitarist henry frayne. that was finally released on disc sometime last summer (or was it fall?). > After reading some > comments in the archives and checking out their web page, I'm leaning > towards "7=49". ugh. that's a tough choice. neither album is particularly cocteau twinsish. the eponymous album is perhaps softer, where _7=49_ tends to "rock out" (relatively) more. it's definitely meatier and more pop-song-oriented, rather than the mood-song-orientation that the first record has. > As for LSD, they have 2 albums also, "Ardor" and "Idylls". Are they > both full-length CDs or is one of them an EP? From what I have read > about them, they have a "darker" sound than say the Cocteau Twins. > Are they a bit more "accessible" than the Twins? i wouldn't say that their sound is darker. in fact, the only cocteau twins album that love spirals downwards is really similar to is _victorialand_. lsd goes for the acoustic-ethereal sound. very fragile, very pretty (as chandra said). i think i prefer _idylls_, but i have not listened to _ardor_ enough to really have a strong picture of its sound in my mind yet. spanglemaker sez: >on m7x, i would think that 7=49 is slightly better, though i think >overall they're sorta weak vocally. but that's just me. actually, it's not you at all. i sometimes think i'm in a minority regarding lynn's voice as i unabashedly and without reservation think her voice is wonderful. continuing in the contrasting point of view vein, i also think that she is more suited to m7x than area, more due to her personality than her voice. frankly, she's a goofball and that fits better into the m7x thing than the area thing (though it's true that it doesn't fit into either particularly well). maeldun@i-2000.com (Michael Doyle) sez: >Y'know, I think I like the original cassette-only release of M7x's first >album better than either of the CDs. But only slightly so :) i like the cassette better too, but for sentimental reasons rather than musical ones. i had that cassette about two years before the disc was (finally) released and was sung to sleep by lynn many an evening. speaking of sleep, i guess i should get some... woj ------------------------------ From: spaced heater Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 01:53:19 -0500 Subject: oh yeah... i agree entirely with sue trowbridge's current hit pick: aimee mann's new album is great. nothing like _whatever_, but crunchy-yummy guitar pop of high quality. i had a copy of the album since sometime last summer, but it didn't kick into my braincells until i started listening to it again a week or so before the official u.s. release date. now, i can't figure out why i didn't like it initially! woj (going to bed. now.) ------------------------------ From: filmcut@westworld.com (Brion McIntosh) Date: Wed, 7 Feb 1996 23:53:53 -0800 Subject: Caroline Lavelle and Vangelis Kerry White just wrote and asked about Caroline Lavelle. I still haven't found out much about her, but she sings one song on the new Vangelis CD: VOICES. I've been a big Vangelis fan for awhile and greatly enjoyed everything he did with Jon Anderson, so believe me when I say their song together, "Come To Me," is just wonderful. BUT (and this is a big BUT), I really have to say that it's all downhill after this song (it's the third one on the CD). The first two piece are okay, the song with Caroline Lavelle is exquisite, but the rest of the CD (about two-thirds of its length) is far too simple and boring for Vangelis music. I'd love to see Vangelis and caroline Lavelle team up for a whole album, though--they suit each other well! Brion _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Brion McIntosh (yes, there's an O there) filmcut@westworld.com Los Angeles, CA _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ------------------------------ From: "Xenu's Sister" Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 05:22:37 -0600 (CST) Subject: Black Day, Black Web Pages (forwarded) Subject: Protest the Telecommunications Bill (fwd) ======================================================================== JOIN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF OTHER INTERNET USERS IN * 48 HOURS OF PROTEST * AFTER PRESIDENT CLINTON SIGNS THE BILL THAT WILL CENSOR THE INTERNET Update: -Latest News: Congress passed the net censorship language on 2/1/96. -What You Can Do Now: Help demonstrate the extent of the impact of the Internet Censorship legislation. Join Hundreds of thousands of Internet Users in an International protest for 48 hours after Clinton Signs the bill. CAMPAIGN TO STOP THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT Feb 3, 1996 (expires Feb 29, 1996) PLEASE WIDELY REDISTRIBUTE THIS DOCUMENT WITH THIS BANNER INTACT This alert and coalition coordinated by the Voters Telecommunications Watch (vtw@vtw.org) ________________________________________________________________________ CONTENTS The Latest News What You Can Do Now Chronology of the CDA For More Information List Of Participating Organizations ________________________________________________________________________ THE LATEST NEWS Last week Congress approved sweeping restrictions on online speech and conduct, imposing fines of $250,000 and jail sentences of 2 years for anyone who makes "indecent" material available in a public forum online. This legislation threatens the very existence of the Internet as a viable means of free expression, education, and political discourse. Despite loud objections from civil liberties groups and the public, the measure is part of a massive telecommunications bill that President Clinton has already pledged to sign. Although you should feel free to continue to express your objections directly to the President, there are other ways to express our outrage for this legislation. The President is expected to sign this bill into law during the week of Feb 5-9, 1996. For 48 hours after Clinton signs the Telecommunications Reform bill into law, join hundreds of thousands of Internet users everywhere to show the far reaching impact this bill will have on all Internet users. TURN YOUR WORLD WIDE WEB PAGES BLACK with white lettering to demonstrate that the Internet will not accept this kind of second class treatment from the United States Government. ________________________________________________________________________ WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW 1. For 48 hours after Clinton signs the net censorship language in the Telecomm bill into law, TURN YOUR WORLD WIDE WEB PAGES BLACK with white lettering. To know when the bill is signed, check these sources: Newsgroups: alt.society.civil-disob Email:vtw-announce@vtw.org (watch for mail on this list) WWW:http://www.vtw.org/ Finger:vtw@panix.com You can also just watch CNN; they'll announce the signing of the bill. To turn your pages black with white lettering, simply add the following tag to your World Wide Web pages: Put this right after your tags, and before any tags. To explain to people who may be confused by the color change, temporarily add the following link to your page: My World Wide Web Pages are black for 48 hours to protest second-class treatment from the US Government for free speech. Read about it at this WWW page. The Center for Democracy and Technology has also agreed to mirror a similar page at URL:http://www.cdt.org/speech.html If your pages get lots of hits from services that cache their pages like America Online, you may wish to start turning your pages black early. Please try and wait though until Clinton signs the bill, for maximum effect. Also, urge your Internet Provider and any Internet WWW pages you frequent to turn their pages black. Send us interesting sites that comply to vtw@vtw.org. $ Mail vtw@vtw.org Subject: ZTV.COM is turning their pages black! I'm the head of the ZTV Website and I've decided to turn our pages black. Thought you'd like to know. ^D Mail sent! 2. Don't forget to send Clinton a message, contact him at: Email:president@whitehouse.gov Telephone:202-456-1111 Fax:202-456-2461 Sample communique: You're about to sign a bill into law that imposes a terrible set of speech restrictions on the Internet that belong in the broadcast medium, not the interactive one. I'm turning my World Wide Web pages BLACK for 48 hours after you sign the bill as a symbol of protest to show how many people will be affected by this bill. It is unlikely that he will veto the bill. 3. Make a commitment become involved! There will be several court cases coming up to challenge the Internet censorship legislation, as well as an election that will put every single member of the House, and 1/3rd of the Senate (most of whom voted for this legislation) onto the ballot. Don't let them get away with this. Make this a campaign issue, and keep an eye out for legal defense funds for those challenging these laws in court. - --- end forwarded text Vickie http://miso.wwa.com/~vickie/ ------------------------------ From: Ian Young Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 11:39:36 GMT Subject: Re: aimee lyrics attempt MJM wrote: > would people be interested in trying transcribe the lyrics for the > album with me? I started with the single and it's pretty darn tough > but here's what I have so far: Yeah, I made a start. I'll see if I can find my other attempts -- they're probably languishing somewhere in my bedside book-midden... Here's my take on the verses of Choice in the Matter (I'll agree with the choruses!) The UK album sleeve has the words... but she's taken all the songs, collected them together and sorted and uniqued them! I. p.s. In case you were joking about the "growkins aggravate", :-) Choice in the Matter -- Aimee Mann Skip the cloak and dagger bit Don't you know we're sick of it As much as I would like to stay The message light just blinks away And while I'm here you won't push play ... You leave me no -- Option to indulge in this Exercise in cowardice Ignorance without the bliss ... Cos I know where this boat will go (choice in the matter) Pulled down by the undertow (choice in the matter) It's lucky I know How to row... (So go row row your boat Gently down the stream Hope you drown and never come back!) ... ------------------------------ From: petite piquet Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 01:17:18 +1100 (EST) Subject: Cheryl Wheeler and Dar wonderful Dar On Sun, 4 Feb 1996, MATH TRIED ERR wrote: > Cheryl Wheeler is one of those people I feel i *should* like, but I don't > really get turned on by any of her music. To be fair I haven't seen her > live, and apparently you have to do that to really "get" her (I guess you're > the exception there, piquet :). I'll have to do that sometime, and see > what happens then. I'm a walking exception, me. :) I read much the same thing on Cheryl's WWW page, actually - that although what she manages to capture on record is great, it's nothing compared to seeing her live. But since I haven't had the chance to do so, I'll have to take what I can get... and boy, do I *like* what I can get, although I've only heard "Mrs Pinocchi's Guitar" so far. I like albums with songs that can make me laugh out loud, and I do also like a good ballad, and a good rockin' folk song. And this album has all three... unlike, say, Christine Lavin's CDs, which I can certainly giggle along with but whose ballad-y songs somehow never seemed to grab me. But "Mrs Pinocchi's Guitar" has all 3. Rockin' great songs like "Does The Future Seem Black" (this one stuck itself in my head for *days*), hilarious songs like "TV" and "Is It Peace Or Is It Prozac?", plus beautiful ballads like the environmentally aware "The Rivers" or the just plain gorgeous "School Girls".... Yep, this is definitely a 10/10 album for me. :) > > Also, there's a guy with an absolutely *gorgeous* voice singing on a few > > songs - Jonathan Edwards, does anyone know anything about him? Oh, and > > Jonatha Brooke pops up lovely in a few places too. > > He's one of the New York City folk mafia. (Isn't he married to another NYC > folkie -- Lucy Kaplansky? Or am I hallucinating again?) Haven't heard too > much of his music, though. Teehee... folk mafia. Imagine the scene - a dark and dusty folk club, and two men looming over a third. One of them growls menacingly, "Big Mario send us around to make sure you come to the open mike tonight, or the granny gets the capo." You could almost make a movie about it. :) I found Jonathan's WWW page through Folkbook (can't remember the address, 'tho folkbook is an essential resource and is located, for those who don't know, at http://www.cgrg.ohio-state.edu/folkbook). I don't *think* he's married to Lucy Kaplansky... but then, what do I know. :) His latest album, "One Day Closer", looks intriguing and I'll have to track it down next time I place an order from the US. ... Which segues roughly (but the best I can do while trying not to wake myself up because it's already past bedtime :) into the fact that I got my latest shipment from overseas today - Emmylou Harris' "Wrecking Ball", a couple of Mary Chapin's, a couple of semi-collectible IG things (the cardboard packing of "1200 Curfews" is absolutely *abysmal*), and... The big one. The new Dar Williams album. WOW! What an album! Go out! Everyone! Buy it! Now! From the rocking "As Cool As I Am" to the sniffles of "February and the inexorable singalongability and beauty of "Iowa"... to the snickers of "The Pointless, Yet Poignant, Crisis of a Co-Ed"... through driving folk and soft beautiful ballads... this album is a classic, through and through. A beautiful, wonderful, marvellous folk record... this one is going to be another 10/10... it's currently at 9/10 after 10 listens, but it'll get up to 10 after I've had more chance to learn the words. And, folks out there, is it just me, or does title track, "Mortal City", fall smack-dab into the middle of the 'ecto' genre, such as it is? It's got that ambience, flowing smoothness and lyrical quality that, for me at least, defines it as ecto. What do you guys think? Gad, I could write a lot more but it's LATE and I have to sleep and I forgot most of the rest of what I wanted to say anyway. :) Take care all, sherlyn =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= piquet the cat - piquet@geko.net.au; aka Sherlyn Koo - sherlyn@geko.net.au "I've never had a way with women, but the hills of Iowa make me wish that I could, And I've never found a way to say I love you, but if the chance came by, oh, I would." - Dar Williams, "Iowa" ------------------------------ From: "jeffrey hanson" Date: Thu, 08 Feb 96 08:33:22 cdt Subject: Re: diamanda galas Re: Diamanda Galas I don't know how much of a tour she's doing, but she's performing several shows at the Guthrie Theater here in Minneapolis. The performance is supposed to be sections of the new Schrie X, her new performance art piece performed in total darkness, and then followed by some new "songs" with piano. I was thinking of passing this one up since this next week is going to be fairly busy concert-wise anyway (with Jewel, Aimee Mann, Flash Girls, and Dar Williams), but might have to check it out anyway. Jeff Hanson ------------------------------ From: Charley.Darbo@harpercollins.com (Charley Darbo) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 09:44:39 -0500 Subject: megastores I'd like to add my fuel to this particular fire. I've worked in small, independent bookshops, in small, independent record stores, and in small, independent pet shops -- among my many other anything-to-keep-the-wolf-from-the-door occupations -- and I have watched sadly while customers who've shopped there for years; whose children and parents shop there; who've bought christening and graduation and wedding gifts there; I've been there when their seeming disappearance from the planet coincides with the opening of a nearby megastore. Chicago's Parkview Pet Shop has been in the same family for seventy years. Julie, the manager of the fish department, in whose wedding I stood, and who, at 30, has worked there for 18 years, still spends an hour at a time -- often longer -- explaining to someone the complexities of, and how to support and balance, the nitrification process that allows a fish to live and breathe essentially in its own toilet bowl; explaining to someone at _great_ length the differences between various filtration systems; talking someone through a Deathtank disaster on the phone; only to see them drive all aver town to save a dollar when it comes time to actually purchase something. People seem to see nothing at all wrong with this: with going to one store to buy things, because it's big enough to be its own wholesaler, but seeking information elsewhere because the megastore-minimum-wagers can't tell the difference between a goldfish and a gerbil if the gerbil's wet. They don't seem to realize that the reason the small store is more expensive, besides the different sources of merchandise, is the quality of information: Would Julie have accumulated 18 years' worth of knowledge and experience if she weren't paid a living wage? And there are three people who've worked at Parkview longer than she has. Do people think Parkview could cut its prices to match PetScare and still hire knowlegeable people? But still they disappear. These ex-customers are, as far as I'm concerned, stealing from Parkview: They acquire merchandise for a price which reflects only its material value. Then they add value to it -- they render it more likely to survive, or run troublefree -- by picking Julie's brain. Parkview Pet Shop, after seventy years, may close in 1996. And now I'm watching the same thing happen to the great little bookshops and record stores of Chicago. The bookstores whose employees remain because they love books, not because the application was easier to fill out than McDonald's's. The bookshops whose employees come to know your taste and think of you when a particular book comes in, and remember to show it to the next time you're there. The record stores who call you when they come across an obscure band who reminds them of all the other obscure bands they've found for you. Personally, I'd never have heard of Ruby, or Laika, or Melinada Miel, or The Sixths, if I only shopped at Tower -- let alone Coconuts. So please, count the music you'd never have heard if nothing existed but megastores, and realize how frighteningly likely that really is. As it is, they get all the BoyzIIMen and Danielle Steele customers; we're fighting the masses here. Please don't add your dollarvote to the all- but-inevitable success of their campaign to eclipse the smaller stores. We live in an age when the border between BigBusiness and BigGovernment continues to blur, as Business gets bigger even as the feeders at its trough fight to diminish the role of Government in their lives (while demanding its enlargement in your bedroom. For another day . . .). Call me melodramatic, but I believe that every time you buy a CD at Border's you're contributing to the grease upon this slippery slope. Well. Now I feel _much_ better. --charleydarbo ________________________________________________________________________ "The sooner you fall behind, the more time you have to catch up." --unknown ------------------------------ From: Neile Graham Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 08:38:23 -0800 (PST) Subject: Tori in Seattle, very briefly So I heard Tori was going to be in Seattle to do a radio show, and since I'd only met her very briefly, I put aside all my this-is-really-weird- Neile-what-are-you-doing thoughts and went down to the radio station Tuesday afternoon. She was late and I hung around quite a while in the building lobby then went up to the radio station where a few other people were waiting. When Tori was on her way, they herded us into a conference room so we wouldn't delay her entry at all. There were only 9 of us, and one was a little 17-month-old girl, so it felt pretty intimate. They turned on the radio so we could hear what was going on in the studio next door. She talked about mostly the usual things (asked about her internet fans, she said she thought we were "busy" and talked about herself being a nerd) and she played "The Doughnut Song" and "Little Amsterdam" live. Anyway, it was fun talking to the people waiting, and even more fun that Tori did have time to stop by for a few minutes after her show to talk to us and sign a couple of things (I got my "Silent" ltd single and _Boys for Pele_ booklet signed) and let people take photographs. I gave Tori a copy of my book. Dunno why, but I really wanted her to have a copy because I see some similar searches going on in my book as in _Pele_. Of course, who knows if she can find time to or would want to read it. I'd met her once before very briefly but in a huge crowd. This was much different, and she's just as interesting a woman as everyone has said, and it's fascinating to watch the way her attention zeroes in on people, even if just for a second or two. She was charming and energetic despite having flown in from a show in NYC and heading off to a show in SF. And yes she was wearing red again (with a black jumper). The one thing she told us that I hadn't heard before is that she's going to be touring with a guitar player this time--Steve Cato (having a brain freeze about his last night--he's the guitar player on the disc, anyway). I'm glad I had the chance to meet her again and that I got up the nerve to ignore my worries about how strange it was to do it. I still find it weird how huge a crush I can get on someone's work. It's nice to have the chance to connect a real person to that work. - --Neile ------------------------------ From: MJM Date: 08 Feb 96 11:34:07 EST Subject: aimee mann almost sold out in chicago I bought tix for aimee mann this morning (feb 12, park west, chicago) and they will definitely sell out. All they had left was balcony (which is meaningless because it's all gen. adm.). So I snagged a few. If you are in chicago and are planning to go, better buy tix today!! - -mjm ------------------------------ From: Charley.Darbo@harpercollins.com (Charley Darbo) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 12:58:38 -0500 Subject: Jeff's Diamanda dilemma To Jeff Hanson-- I envy you your local music schedule. But _don't_, _don't_, _d_o_n_'_t_ miss Diamanda; especially if you've never seen her. The world is divided into wto types of people: Those who have survived a Diamanda storm ("what dosen't kill you makes you stronger"); and the dead. I'm going to try to find out if Diamanda's coming here anytime soon. If not, I may drive to Minneapolis. --charleydarbo ------------------------------ From: ptv@rtp.scm-metals.com (Patrick Varker) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 15:52:53 -0500 Subject: Aimee Cancelled Hopefully those of you getting ready to see Aimee Mann soon will have better luck than I did. I had a ticket to see her last night (7th) in Winston Salem,N.C. but the show wound up getting cancelled and I don't know why. Maybe one of you could ask her about it and let me know what she says. I'd love to know if she's planning to reschedule. The girl I talked to at the club didn't know. I was really bummed out too because I've been an Aimee fan since the early day's with Till Tuesday. Her two solo efforts are brilliant and only confirmed what I had believed all along, that she was the driving force of the band! I'm envious of all of you getting to see her now. I've seen a lot of good shows the last couple of weeks (inc. Bruce Springsteen & Alanis Morrisette) but Aimee's was the one I was looking forward to the most. (Luckily next week is Ani Difranco) ------------------------------ From: Charley.Darbo@harpercollins.com (Charley Darbo) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 18:40:23 -0500 Subject: Recent Spree Still trying to catch up a little. Here are the CDs I bought this past weekend: Wendy James: _Now_Ain't_the_Time_for_Your_Tears_ I bought this one a while ago, didn't like it, and gave it to Vickie. But I kept hearing more and more about it, so when I saw it for $2, I decided to try it again. Now I like it. Go figure. This is the album Elvis Costello and his wife (escapes me; ex of Pogues) wrote. It surprises me that it reminds me of Kirsty MacColl, because I'd always disagreed with the "Female Elvis Costello" assessment one often hears of her. But maybe that's just because that sounds so inherently insulting. It's like hearing Spike Lee called "The Black Woody Allen." In any case, I've always heard more Lyle Lovett in Kirsty; more of a cynical, sardonic, impishness than Elvis's adolescent petulance. Nonetheless, run EC's songs through a Cristina (anybody remember her?) filter, and what you get is Wendy James, who owes a lot, I think, to Kirsty. As much as I like this album, my favorite cut is its least characteristic: "The Nameless One", an urban-alley-running-with-nighttime-rain of a song with a James Bond bass line and machiney, filtered vocals singing about Cool Hand Luke and Hogan's Heroes. A fun, weird little song. The MoWax Label: _Headz_--_A_Soundtrack_of_Experimental_HipHop_Jams_ A two-disc sampler of instrumental TripHop (I hate that word. Let's us come up with a better one.) from DJKrush's label. Dense, dark, jazzy atmospherics. Eighteen tracks; some real gems, but it'll take me a while to become familiar enough with all of them to comment more specifically. Various.: _Just_in_Time_for_Christmas_ I bought this because it has Klark Kent doing a song called "YoHoHo" which was worth the price alone. I got it home to discover that I would have paid ten times as much for Wall of Voodoo's "Shouldn't Have Given Him a Gun for Christmas". Destined to become a junior-high-choir classic. Boo Hewerdine: _Baptist_Hospital_ This is the Boo Hewerdine (I just like to say his name) of the EddiReader/LaurieFreelove connections; also showed up on BuffySainteMarie's dismal latest. Acoustic, folkyish, but _so_ much more; there's a little Richard Thompson in it (not to mention on it: three tracks). Think of the sounds and textures that _Mirmama_ has in common with _Smells_Like_Truth_: that's Boo. My favorite is his "cover" of "Joke," the song he wrote for Eddi's last album, with Eddi on backup. She appears on a couple other tracks as well. A little too solidly rooted in done-been-done folk rock for my usual taste, but his songwriting is so good and his instrumentation just quirky enough that I hardly notice. Alison Statton & Spike: _Maple_Snow_ Came as a heavy, heavy, heavy recommendation from a record-store person who knows my tastes very well. So heavy, in fact, that I spent $24 on it (japanese, you know) unheard. _H_a_t_e_d_ it. She sounds like Heidi Berry at fourteen. Thin, immature, cliche lyrics and no voice to compensate -- it's even more thin and immature, if possible -- and dull, Kumbayaish guitar. In a word: lame. Oh, well. Any fans out there want to make a deal? Vodu 155: _Vodu_155_ Bought it because I _l_o_v_e_ Haitian Vodu music, and because the title of track one is "Vodu Funkadelic". A shade or two more RawAfrican- sounding than reggae, with the added pump and thump implied by the above track title. With Bill Laswell and Sly Dunbar. Way fun. Knitting Factory Works: _Fall/Winter_1993_Releases_ It was $.99 and has tracks like "John Zorn's COBRA" and "Jewish Avant- garde Music Sessions" and "Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet: Saxhouse" and came with a catalogue of music recorded live at The Knitting Factory, which will undoubtedly cost me a great deal of money. Lot's of good stuff, along with a few that I had to skip. Ini Kamoze: _Lyrical_Gangsta_ I bought this because I liked "Lyrical Gangsta" so much on the Pret-a- Porter soundtrack, only to find that track missing from this album. Nothing else quite matches that, and there's a love song to a gun whose literal-or-ironic ambiguity makes me a bit uncomfortable, but Kamoze's mix of Reggae and HipHop is almost cathartic in its volume and violence. I predict this will be a good party album. Various: _Gas_Food_Lodging_(Soundtrack)_ I bought this, of course, for the wonderful alternative version of Victoria Williams's _Love_. Most of the rest of it is nearly useless soundtrack-filler, but "Maria", performed by The Mitch Green Experience Featuring CARLOS, is wonderful, campy JazzRanchero. God Lives Underwater: _Empty_ I haven't decided on this one yet. I was intrigued by the recent mentions of this band, but they sound more SeattleGrungy (a sound I really, really hate) than Industrial (a sound I usually love). So I'll have to listen to this a few more times. Wendy Wall: _Wendy_Wall_ Very, very ectopian. Her voice reminds me of no one as much as Happy Rhodes. Her songs are, for the most part, a little more conventional -- there are a few weak ones on this album -- but when she's on, there are chills. I've only played this a couple times, and I have the feeling that there's enough there that I should hold off on a detailed review until I've absorbed a bit more. Doris Day: _The_Magic_of_Doris_Day_ What can I say? That velvet voice, that abominable taste in music: some of the best camp to be found anywhere. This one includes such timeless gems as "Put 'em in a Box, Tie 'em with a Ribbon (and Throw 'em in the Deep Blue Sea)", "The Deadwood Stage (Whip-Crack-Away!)" and "Pillow Talk," whereon Doris, that old hipster, Rocks&Rolls ("There _must_ be a boy!"). Great for breaking up tapes. --charleydarbo _________________________________________________________________ "The sooner you fall behind, the more time you have to catch up." --unknown ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V2 #376 ************************** ======================================================================== Please send any questions or comments about the list to ecto-owner@nsmx.rutgers.edu