From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V4 #24 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Thursday, January 22 1998 Volume 04 : Number 024 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Susan McKeown Tour Dates [Carolyn Andre ] venturing into the unknown [Renee Canada ] Today's your birthday, friend... [matthewm (Mike Matthews)] Re: this week's new releases [nightwol@dircon.co.uk (Steve Fagg)] Simon Jeffes [David Dixon ] Re: venturing into the unknown [nightwol@dircon.co.uk (Steve Fagg)] Re: hit radio [Rod Kratochwill ] Re: this week's new releases ["Joseph S. Zitt" ] Emily Bezar - now a mom! [David Dixon ] Re: Returning to the fold [Magenta <4dm@qlink.queensu.ca>] Re: venturing into the unknown [Magenta <4dm@qlink.queensu.ca>] Re: venturing into the unknown [Laura Clifford ] Music on the Plath/Sexton continuum ["Craig Gidney"] Re: venturing into the unknown [Stuart Myerburg ] Re: venturing into the unknown [Greg Bossert ] Re: venturing into the unknown ["Chad Lundgren" ] Lisa St. Ann on tour...... [Riphug ] Re: venturing into the unknown [Greg Bossert Subject: Susan McKeown Tour Dates We've added new tour dates - and changed a few previously announced ones - for Susan McKeown. You can peruse them on: The tour date page on Susan's website: http://house-of-music.com/susan/smktour.shtml The gig page of Susan's Prime CD: http://www.primecd.com/smgigs.htm Musi-Cal http://concerts.calendar.com and search by performer name (and Michael, there is yet another phone number for the Nature Center!) Regards, Carolyn Andre - ------------------- Chicago, IL / USA | Support Independent Music! Use the Internet candre@enteract.com | Carolyn's House of Music: http://house-of-music.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Jan 1998 23:46:40 -0800 (PST) From: Renee Canada Subject: venturing into the unknown Okay, I am picking six Cds to purchase that have been recommended over the years to me, so I was wondering if anyone wanted to give me any critical feedback on the artists: 'Til Tuesday(so I can hear more of Aimee Mann) Ron Sexsmith Chantal Krevaziak(I know I totally mucked up her name) Paula Cole(whom I am vaguely familiar with) Merill Bainbridge ...and there's another but I can't remember, so we'll say 5. and i am also thinking of purchasing a PJ Harvey and a Radiohead album. Any personal favorites and why? Thanks all Goodnight Renee laverick@leland.stanford.edu ********* "What gets me up in the morning? The thought of another day, fresh with possibilities. A new day to love, to create something beautiful-a friendship, a song, a story. Sometimes it's just the pleasure of enjoying the wonders of life."-RLC, 1997 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 03:00:11 -0500 From: matthewm (Mike Matthews) Subject: Today's your birthday, friend... i*i*i*i*i*i i*i*i*i*i*i *************** *****HAPPY********* **************BIRTHDAY********* *************************************************** *************************************************************************** ********************** Terry Partis (tgp@ukc.ac.uk) *********************** *************************************************************************** -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- - -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Terry Partis Sun January 22 1933 Rocker Sarah McLachlan Sun January 28 1968 Aquarius Ilka Heber Mon February 01 1965 Mermaid Bob Lovejoy Sun February 02 1947 Aquarius Diane Burke Sat February 02 1963 slow children Timothy S. Devine Tue February 03 1970 Aquarius Stephen Thomas Fri February 04 1966 Aquarius Doug Burks Tue February 14 1956 Blank Jim Sturnfield Thu February 18 1954 Aquarius Juha Kannisto Wed February 18 1970 Aquarius Joel Siegfried February 19 Penguin Crossing Linda Saboe Tue February 20 1951 aimless - -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 09:48:36 +0000 (GMT) From: nightwol@dircon.co.uk (Steve Fagg) Subject: Re: this week's new releases Joseph S. Zitt wrote: > On Wed, 21 Jan 1998, Steve Fagg wrote: > > > > > - ROBERT WYATT - Shleep (Thirsty Ear) > > > > And could this be *THE* Robert (Matching Mole) Wyatt of blessed > > memory??? > > Yes, indeed: alive and well and working with Eno again! Oh boy! I *DO* hope this is available in the UK. If it is it will go straight onto my birthday list! ;-) It must be all of twenty years... [cue long reverie about listening to John Peel's radio show in the late '70s] Oh boy! That's made my week! Thanks, Joseph, for the information and thanks meth, as ever, for the original listing! TTFN Steve n.p. Schumann: Violin Concerto - Kremer/COE/Harnoncourt n.r. John Cribbin: In the Beginning - -- Steve Fagg (nightwol@dircon.co.uk) http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Metro/1313/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 11:24:16 +0100 From: David Dixon Subject: Simon Jeffes >> In memory of those who were taken from us too soon: Jeff Buckley, Michael >> Hedges, and Simon Jeffes. > >Welcome back D^2. Hope life is treating you well in Holland. I must have >missed the news somewhere, but what happened to Simon Jeffes? From the Penguin Cafe Orchestra website: The proprietor of the Penguin Cafe has died. Simon Jeffes died on the late afternoon yesterday, 11th December, following treatment of a serious brain tumour. He died peacefully in the company of his son Arthur and his close partner Helen Liebman. In 1972 in the south of France, following a dream, a poem came to Jeffes, on the beach. It began "I am the proprietor of the Penguin Cafe. I will tell you things at random". The Penguin Cafe Orchestra was formed by Jeffes in response to his dream. At that time there seemed to be no context for the music that Jeffes was writing. The Penguin Cafe became the umbrella under which he worked. It would exist at any time in any place. In 1973 the first Penguin Cafe Orchestra album was released, "Music from the Penguin Cafe", on Brian Eno's Obscure label. This was the beginning of a new genre of music, accessible, revolutionary and minimal at once. Jeffes himself described it as follows: "Ideally I suppose it is the sort of music you want to hear, music that will lift your spirit. It is the sort of music played by imagined wild, free mountain people creating sounds of a subtle dream-like quality. It is cafe music, but cafe in the sense of a place where people's spirits communicate and mingle, a place where music is played but often touches the heart of the listener". Simon Jeffes was born in Sussex in 1949. Much of his childhood was spent in Canada. After returning to England with his family, he studied classical guitar. He worked both in the avant garde melier and in the rock world where he became involved in experimental collaborations and wrote orchestral arrangements for singers and groups. At this time he was perhaps best known for his arrangement of "My Way" as performed by Sid Vicious in "The Great Rock & Roll Swindle". Since the formation of the PCO, Jeffes and the Orchestra have consistently worked on an independent path. A series of albums have emerged, most recently, "Union Cafe" and the live studio album "Concert Program" which encapsulates the live studio performances of PCO in its most recent incarnation. In the last three years Jeffes's direction changed. He moved to Somerset with his close companion and partner Helen Liebman and built a new studio. He was working on new pieces when he found that he was suffering from a rare form of brain tumour. He bore his illness with good humour and until very recently was continuing work on his musical ideas. "The Proprietor went on to explain his cafe. He said that the random, chance element in life is totally vital. It is through fear we allow the repression of spontaneous and unpredictable actions and events in order to make life "safer", the creativity that arises naturally from the hurly burly of human life could be destroyed and lost. He kept saying "Come to the Penguin Cafe where things just aren't like that !" D^2 n.p. PCO, _Concert Program_ ====================================================================== David Dixon (D^2) dixon@qt.tn.tudelft.nl Department of Applied Physics, Delft University of Technology This week's bon mot: "Everything is linear to first order." ====================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 11:32:01 +0000 (GMT) From: nightwol@dircon.co.uk (Steve Fagg) Subject: Re: venturing into the unknown Renee Canada wrote: > Okay, I am picking six Cds to purchase that have been recommended over the > years to me, so I was wondering if anyone wanted to give me any critical > feedback on the artists: > > Paula Cole(whom I am vaguely familiar with) Paula has a truly womderful voice, soaring and powerful. I find the quality of the material on her "Harbinger" album a little variable (to me it ranges from average to outstanding) but her voice really shines throughout and she sings with impressive conviction. Her song "I am so ordinary" is one of the most affecting things I heard in '94. That first album has remained a firm favourite. Unfortunately, I do not have her second album. Her substantial vocal contributions to Peter Gabriel's "Secret World Live" set blew me away too. A stunning singer in my opinion. Definitely two thumbs up from me! TTFN Steve n.p. Mendelssohn: Overture 'The Fair Melusine' - COE/Harnoncourt n.r. John Gribbin: In the Beginning - -- Steve Fagg (nightwol@dircon.co.uk) http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Metro/1313/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 10:01:27 -0500 From: Rod Kratochwill Subject: Re: hit radio On Wed, 21 Jan 1998 18:54:55 Bob Kollmeyer was saying: >To tie this whole thing in to the Grammy/popularity issue - the world >of "hit radio" has gradually been lapping onto beach we call ecto over >the past few years, much more strongly in the last year or so. It certainly is refreshing to hear at least some variety on the radio these days. On a whim I emailed a request to the local community radio station (WMNF-Tampa FL) this morning and lo an behold they played _The Wretches Gone Awry_ from Rhode Songs! Next I'm going to try requesting some Emily Bezar. Rod ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 08:51:30 -0600 (CST) From: "Joseph S. Zitt" Subject: Re: this week's new releases On Thu, 22 Jan 1998, Steve Fagg wrote: > > > > > - ROBERT WYATT - Shleep (Thirsty Ear) > Oh boy! I *DO* hope this is available in the UK. If it is it will go > straight onto my birthday list! ;-) Yup, it was available there first. BTW, if you have access to back issues of The Wire (a wonderful British music magazine, for those who don't know), the September issue had a cover story on Wyatt and the album. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 16:31:00 +0100 From: David Dixon Subject: Emily Bezar - now a mom! I don't know if this news has already made it to ecto, but to those of you familiar with Emily Bezar, she gave birth to her first child last month: As she puts it: >Noah Brant Bezar, born Dec. 3d, 8 lbs. 6 oz, 20 inches long...very very >cute. So far it seems like: Dad's eyes, mouth, Mom's nose and fingers >and toes, Light brown hair, outie on its way to innie belly button. >Favorite activities: you guessed it. Eating, sleeping, pooping and >crying. Not necessarily in that order! :) D^2 ====================================================================== David Dixon (D^2) dixon@qt.tn.tudelft.nl Department of Applied Physics, Delft University of Technology This week's bon mot: "Everything is linear to first order." ====================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 10:37:23 -0500 (EST) From: Magenta <4dm@qlink.queensu.ca> Subject: Re: Returning to the fold > In memory of those who were taken from us too soon: Jeff Buckley, Michael > Hedges, and Simon Jeffes. To that list we should add Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, John Denver and -- the greatest loss for me personally -- Laura Nyro. I.D. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 10:53:54 -0500 (EST) From: Magenta <4dm@qlink.queensu.ca> Subject: Re: venturing into the unknown > 'Til Tuesday(so I can hear more of Aimee Mann) Do NOT go into `Til Tuesday expecting Aimee Mann-solo-with-a-band. I`ve been a fan of Mann`s since 1993 when Whatever came out (which I named 1993`s best album, but nobody else listened) and, just like you, got the first `Til Tuesday album to hear more of her. I was quite shocked to find out that `Til Tuesday was more like Duran Duran or even Blondie than Mann (who`s kind of like a folk-rock-alternative hybrid). She even started a fashion trend back in 1985, apparently, when the band`s first music video got people interested in her braids. Voices Carry (1985) was the band`s first hit so if you`re interested, it`s a good place to start -- the title track was a Top Ten hit and quite catchy, but VERY keyboard-oriented. The most acclaimed album in the `Til Tuesday catalogue is Everything`s Different Now, from 1988, which I gather would be the most like Aimee Mann`s solo material (despite years of searching in Asia and North America, I have yet to see a copy of this in any store). Welcome Home, the album in between the two, is quite bland. If you just want a sample, there IS a greatest-hits package, released 1996 if I remember correctly. For other recommendations on Aimee Mann I can give: 1. Jules Shear. A songwriting influence on Mann, and the ex-boyfriend to whom many of her songs were directed -- most overtly `J for Jules` from Everything`s Different Now. 2. Sarah Brightman. Sounds weird? Not really -- Aimee Mann wrote a song for Brightman called `Yesterdays` on the 1989 album As I Came of Age. The combination didn`t work as well as Mann-performing-Mann, but quite interesting. > Chantal Krevaziak(I know I totally mucked up her name) You only missed two letters -- the name is Chantal Kreviazuk. She`s from Manitoba, Canada, up here in my country. Unfortunately, all I want to say is: Avoid her if you like Aimee Mann. She has this squealy, excessively annoying voice, and her songwriting is almost as uncrafted as Alanis Morissette`s. Little sense of melody, poetry, or how the syllables of a lyric fit a melody. I got an early copy of Under These Rocks and Stones and I`m still kicking myself over having wasted the $14. > and i am also thinking of purchasing a PJ Harvey and a Radiohead album. > Any personal favorites and why? PJ Harvey: Her first album, Dry, is the best, but not always easy to find. For aggression and her lyrical coming of age, get 1993`s Rid of Me - -- ferocious performance, despite a third-rate production job by Steve `I hate the human voice` Albini. I consider To Bring You My Love her worst album, but by Harvey`s very high standards, that`s still pretty good. Song picks include `Sheela-Na-Gig`, `Oh My Lover` and `Dress` (from Dry); `Rid of Me`, `50ft. Queenie` and `Rub It `Til It Bleeds` (from Rid of Me); `To Bring You My Love`, `Working for the Man`, `Down by the Water` and `C`Mon Billy` from To Bring You My Love. Hope all that can be some point of reference. I.D. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 11:18:44 -0500 From: Laura Clifford Subject: Re: venturing into the unknown There's also a very interesting EP of Aimee's first band, The Young Snakes, which I understand is quite a collectible now.... I saw them play a few times in Boston when they were still all Berkeley students and also saw a rather amusing reunion show a few years back. At 10:53 AM 1/22/98 -0500, Magenta wrote: > >> 'Til Tuesday(so I can hear more of Aimee Mann) > >Do NOT go into `Til Tuesday expecting Aimee Mann-solo-with-a-band. >I`ve been a fan of Mann`s since 1993 when Whatever came out (which I >named 1993`s best album, but nobody else listened) and, just like you, >got the first `Til Tuesday album to hear more of her. I was quite shocked >to find out that `Til Tuesday was more like Duran Duran or even Blondie >than Mann (who`s kind of like a folk-rock-alternative hybrid). She even >started a fashion trend back in 1985, apparently, when the band`s first >music video got people interested in her braids. > >Voices Carry (1985) was the band`s first hit so if you`re interested, it`s >a good place to start -- the title track was a Top Ten hit and quite >catchy, but VERY keyboard-oriented. The most acclaimed album in the `Til >Tuesday catalogue is Everything`s Different Now, from 1988, which I gather >would be the most like Aimee Mann`s solo material (despite years of >searching in Asia and North America, I have yet to see a copy of this in >any store). Welcome Home, the album in between the two, is quite bland. >If you just want a sample, there IS a greatest-hits package, released 1996 >if I remember correctly. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 13:43:43 -0500 From: "Craig Gidney" Subject: Music on the Plath/Sexton continuum A couple of Sundays ago I had the opportunity to meet/remeet various ecto-philes in the DC area and beyond. I remember during that gathering, I mentioned some cd's that I was interested in. Thought that I would repost them for the participants in particular** and the ecto community in general. 1: Amber Asylum: "The Natural Philosophy of Love" Like a darker version of Rasputina, this group is a neo-classical trio (violin, viola, cello), with electronic/ambient Kris Force is the vocalist/violinist/chief songwriter of this outfit. The compositions are sinister, beautiful, and quiet, with hints of dissonance just below the surface. Like the poet Anne Sexton, Force takes her imagistic cues from fairy-tales and folklore, twisting them to her own ends. One of the pieces is an adaptation of a Brothers Grimm tale, with the music written by my SF friend Mike Richard. The one cover song is a version of Buffy St-Marie song, "Poppies", given a This Mortal Coil treatment. Force's vocals are beautiful and chilling, like the singer of Stoa, or an emotionless early Kate Bush. These soundscapes should not be listened to if you are feeling suicidal. 2: Aether "The Smoke of Vanished Kisses" Two SF women, one sings, the other plays the pedal harp. The backing ranges from spare to electronic-dance to neo-classical. As the harp is used in a fairly conventional manner (though is it *unmistakably* a harp), this release is, relatively speaking, more upbeat. There's an adaptation of a John Donne poem, a Syd Barrett cover among the originals. The vox, who sounds like a Sarah McLachlan crossed with someone else I can't think of, also writes lyrics. Her words are poetic, witty, whimisical and wise - a dash of Jane Siberry, a sprinkle of Suzanne Vega. There's also a nice, non-gender specific bent to much of the lyrics. 3: Claire Voyant (Eponymous debut). This Sacremento trio plays ethereal music with a fairly conventional line-up - female vox, synths, and floaty guitar. What's different about them? The singer, Victoria, has a deeper, more evocative voice, unusual for this type of music, and the music is *accessible* and atmospheric. They even throw in nice, odd touches, like a Farisa organ (real or sampled) in the middle of a song. The chanteuse's lyrics are dark and pretty, typically post Plath-gloom, but closer to Plath than most of its ilk. Very moving. **Amber Asylum recommendation is for Jeff Burka and Chip Lueck, who asked about this group Craig ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 13:26:36 -0500 (EST) From: Stuart Myerburg Subject: Re: venturing into the unknown laverick@leland.Stanford.EDU wrote: > and i am also thinking of purchasing a PJ Harvey and a Radiohead album. > Any personal favorites and why? As for Radiohead, I would avoid _Pablo Honey_. While I now appreciate it, it is flawed and doesn't really give you a good idea of what Radiohead sounds like today. You should start with either _The Bends_ or _OK Computer_. _The Bends_ is more instantly appealing than _OK Computer_. _OK Computer_ is one of those albums that requires repeated listenings to really sink in. But you can't go wrong with either one. Stuart __________________________________________________________________________ Stuart Myerburg stuart@sph.emory.edu Information Services stuart@emory.edu Rollins School of Public Health http://userwww.service.emory.edu/~stuart __________________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 11:01:18 -0800 From: Greg Bossert Subject: Re: venturing into the unknown Renee recounts: > Okay, I am picking six Cds to purchase that have been recommended over the > years to me, so I was wondering if anyone wanted to give me any critical > feedback on the artists: > 'Til Tuesday(so I can hear more of Aimee Mann) i'll take a stab at this one (being from boston and all, and having once actually sat near Aimee at a Leon Redbone show, which doesn't actually make me an expert but did make me very happy) 'Til Tuesday released (only, alas) three albums, plus a recent compilation: * Voices Carry (1985) sounds very early '80s now, with sterile, brittle production, an overall pop-y feel, and vocals high in both pitch and volume that barely hint at the sardonic alto delivery of Aimee's later recordings. however, there are some great songs (like early MTV hits "love in a vacuum" and the title track). i loved this album when it came out, and going back to it now i hear the nuances more obvious in Aimee's solo stuff, but i'd not recommend it as a first purchase... * Welcome Home (1986) contrary to most people, this is my favorite 'TT album (though see the comments for _EDN_). it's produced by Rhett Davies, best known for his work with Roxy Music and its alums Eno, Ferry, Manzanera (maybe i'm just weird, but i would *love* to hear an Aimee Mann/Brian Ferry collaboration...) the sound is rich and warm, Aimee's singing in her natural voice, the songs are beginning to have that quirky-clever Beatles-XTC-Squeeze-Jules-Sheer sort of sound that Aimee does better than almost anyone (including the wonderful "will she just fall down"). recommended. * Everything's Different Now (1988) this is probably 'TT best album, and certainly the closest to Aimee's later work -- in fact, if i lean a bit towards _Welcome Home_ it's only because it feels more like 'Til-Tuesday-the-group as opposed to Aimee-Mann-and-band. Elvis Costello makes a cameo appearance (as does soon-to-be boston super producer Mike Denneen). Rhett Davies and crew create an even warmer and more inimate sound, and Aimee's songs have that almost embarassingly honest edge that makes her solo work so fascinating. also recommended. * Coming up Close: A Retrospective (1996) this looks like a great compilation, with most of the really great songs from the three original albums and one additional track. i'd recommend this one first if i didn't think that everyone should just buy all the other albums ;) note that all three original albums are theoretically in print but sometimes a bit hard to find. i've seen all of them in the "super price" sort of bins for under US$10 -- i'd recommend looking for them in the budget section and buying all of them ;) on the topic of Aimee, i have heard rumors of recordings of her pre-'TT group "the young snakes" but never have tracked them down. anyone? on the topic of quirky-clever pop with emotive vocals from boston, i have to mention the wonderful yet no more group "Tribe" -- while you're poking through those bargain bins, keep an eye out for their albums "Abort" and "Sleeper". trust me. - -- greg bossert 650-933-6431 -- - -- gwis, silicon graphics, inc. bossert@sgi.com -- - -- i have never been afraid to change -- Happy -- - -- the circumstances of the world -- Rhodes -- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 14:39:09 -0500 (EST) From: "jeffrey c. burka" Subject: Re: venturing into the unknown ID sez: > Do NOT go into `Til Tuesday expecting Aimee Mann-solo-with-a-band. > I`ve been a fan of Mann`s since 1993 when Whatever came out (which I > named 1993`s best album, but nobody else listened) oh? I listed _Whatever_ on the top 10 I posted to ecto in '93 and still consider it to be one of the finest albums of the decade; almost 5 years after I bought it (same day I bought Depche Mode's "I Feel You" single), I still play this album several times a month, if not more. > and, just like you, got the first `Til Tuesday album to hear more of >her. next time try working backward, not forward. I'd guess that most people who like _Whatever_ will like 'Til Tuesday's best (and most underrated) effort, _Everything's Different Now_. _Welcome Home_, with the hit "Coming Up Close" is good, but more, oh, new wave I guess, and of course, _Voices Carry_ is very much a product of the mid-80's. jeff ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 14:45:58 -0500 (EST) From: Michael Colford Subject: Re: venturing into the unknown I was a bonafide 'til tuesday groupie in the mid-80's, seeing the band perform in clubs as many as 3-4 times a week for a span of 8 months to a year! (Hey, I had a large crush on keyboardist Joey Pesci. It's kind of embarrassing in retrospect, but they were a really rocking live band. The first album is rather over-produced and dated, but I have a real affection for those songs as being the ones I heard night-in and night-out live. (Hey, how many people remember that _Voices Carry_ was originally sung about another woman, e.g. "In the dark I'd like to read her mind..." Puts a whole new spin on the song.) The later two albums, while terrific, were definitely less a group effort, and more Aimee Mann + various band members. Especially Everything's Different Now. Aimee was a wonderful, funky bass player and I mourned when she traded the bass in for the acoustic guitar. Still, the amazing writing ability that she displays on her two masterful solo albums is certainly hinted at, if not evident on all the 'til tuesday albums. On Thu, 22 Jan 1998, Greg Bossert wrote: > on the topic of Aimee, i have heard rumors of recordings of her > pre-'TT group "the young snakes" but never have tracked them down. > anyone? I have the original e.p. called, "Bark Along with the Young Snakes." It's a 4 song e.p, if I remember correctly. I'd offer to tape it for people, but as it's only available on vinyl and my record player needs adjustment. Maybe at some point. > on the topic of quirky-clever pop with emotive vocals from boston, i > have to mention the wonderful yet no more group "Tribe" -- while > you're poking through those bargain bins, keep an eye out for their > albums "Abort" and "Sleeper". trust me. This is the band I started following around after 'til tuesday went national. In fact, an extremely memorable show that I had the privilege of seeing in a tiny club called Nightstage in the late eighties featured Tribe as an opening act for Sarah McLachlan touring for her first album! That was a night to remember. I second Greg's suggestion, Tribe is a band worth seeking out. It's a crime that they broke up, I really thought they were going to break nationally. They're dark, synth-driven, hard-edged goth sound was just a tiny bit too late for fashion. Ah, what ifs? (And whatever happened to? Lead vocalist Janet LaValley was supposed to have a solo album out, but except for a single radio cut a couple years ago, she hasn't been heard from. Ah, to reminisce about fab Boston bands. Anyone remember November Group? Michael - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael Colford | Reading Public Library Head of Technical Services | Reading, Massachusetts colford@noblenet.org | *North of Boston Library Exchange* - -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 14:37:37 -0600 From: "Chad Lundgren" Subject: Re: venturing into the unknown 'Lo all, Magenta said of Renee's post: > > 'Til Tuesday(so I can hear more of Aimee Mann) > > Do NOT go into `Til Tuesday expecting Aimee Mann-solo-with-a-band. > I`ve been a fan of Mann`s since 1993 when Whatever came out (which I > named 1993`s best album, but nobody else listened) and, just like you, > got the first `Til Tuesday album to hear more of her. I was quite shocked > to find out that `Til Tuesday was more like Duran Duran or even Blondie > than Mann (who`s kind of like a folk-rock-alternative hybrid). She even > started a fashion trend back in 1985, apparently, when the band`s first > music video got people interested in her braids. I only own Til Tuesday's "Everything's Different Now". Although it is different from Aimee's solo work (slightly more electronic than acoustic), but it has a similar feel. If you like Whatever and I'm With Stupid, I think you'll like EDN. Some standout tracks include a track with guest vocals by Elvis Costello called "The Other End (of the Telescope)" and a nice song called "Limits to Love". I recommend checking it out.. All in all, I'm happy to be settled in and back on the list. Later all. Chad ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 12:58:17 -0800 (PST) From: Renee Canada Subject: Re: venturing into the unknown Thanks so much for your recommendations and suggestions. I'll keep them in mind...and no, I know the style of 'til tuesday is different, but I'd still look to hearing it. What are other people's opinions of Chantal? I listen to a variety of people, so don't assume I won't like her just because I like Aimee mann as well. :) Thanks! Renee On Thu, 22 Jan 1998, Magenta wrote: > > > 'Til Tuesday(so I can hear more of Aimee Mann) > > Do NOT go into `Til Tuesday expecting Aimee Mann-solo-with-a-band. > I`ve been a fan of Mann`s since 1993 when Whatever came out (which I > named 1993`s best album, but nobody else listened) and, just like you, > got the first `Til Tuesday album to hear more of her. I was quite shocked > to find out that `Til Tuesday was more like Duran Duran or even Blondie > than Mann (who`s kind of like a folk-rock-alternative hybrid). She even > started a fashion trend back in 1985, apparently, when the band`s first > music video got people interested in her braids. > > Voices Carry (1985) was the band`s first hit so if you`re interested, it`s > a good place to start -- the title track was a Top Ten hit and quite > catchy, but VERY keyboard-oriented. The most acclaimed album in the `Til > Tuesday catalogue is Everything`s Different Now, from 1988, which I gather > would be the most like Aimee Mann`s solo material (despite years of > searching in Asia and North America, I have yet to see a copy of this in > any store). Welcome Home, the album in between the two, is quite bland. > If you just want a sample, there IS a greatest-hits package, released 1996 > if I remember correctly. > > For other recommendations on Aimee Mann I can give: > > 1. Jules Shear. A songwriting influence on Mann, and the ex-boyfriend to > whom many of her songs were directed -- most overtly `J for Jules` from > Everything`s Different Now. > > 2. Sarah Brightman. Sounds weird? Not really -- Aimee Mann wrote a song > for Brightman called `Yesterdays` on the 1989 album As I Came of Age. The > combination didn`t work as well as Mann-performing-Mann, but quite > interesting. > > > Chantal Krevaziak(I know I totally mucked up her name) > > You only missed two letters -- the name is Chantal Kreviazuk. She`s from > Manitoba, Canada, up here in my country. > > Unfortunately, all I want to say is: Avoid her if you like Aimee Mann. > She has this squealy, excessively annoying voice, and her songwriting is > almost as uncrafted as Alanis Morissette`s. Little sense of melody, > poetry, or how the syllables of a lyric fit a melody. I got an early copy > of Under These Rocks and Stones and I`m still kicking myself over having > wasted the $14. > > > and i am also thinking of purchasing a PJ Harvey and a Radiohead album. > > Any personal favorites and why? > > PJ Harvey: Her first album, Dry, is the best, but not always easy to > find. For aggression and her lyrical coming of age, get 1993`s Rid of Me > -- ferocious performance, despite a third-rate production job by Steve `I > hate the human voice` Albini. I consider To Bring You My Love her worst > album, but by Harvey`s very high standards, that`s still pretty good. > > Song picks include `Sheela-Na-Gig`, `Oh My Lover` and `Dress` (from Dry); > `Rid of Me`, `50ft. Queenie` and `Rub It `Til It Bleeds` (from Rid of Me); > `To Bring You My Love`, `Working for the Man`, `Down by the Water` and > `C`Mon Billy` from To Bring You My Love. > > Hope all that can be some point of reference. > > I.D. > > Renee Canada laverick@leland.stanford.edu ********* "What gets me up in the morning? The thought of another day, fresh with possibilities. A new day to love, to create something beautiful-a friendship, a song, a story. Sometimes it's just the pleasure of enjoying the wonders of life."-RLC, 1997 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 15:52:24 -0500 From: Laura Clifford Subject: Re: venturing into the unknown At 02:45 PM 1/22/98 -0500, Michael Colford wrote: >I was a bonafide 'til tuesday groupie in the mid-80's, seeing the band >perform in clubs as many as 3-4 times a week for a span of 8 months >to a year! (Hey, I had a large crush on keyboardist Joey Pesci. >It's kind of embarrassing in retrospect, but they were >a really rocking live band. The first album is rather over-produced >and dated, but I have a real affection for those songs as being the >ones I heard night-in and night-out live. (Hey, how many people >remember that _Voices Carry_ was originally sung about another >woman, e.g. "In the dark I'd like to read her mind..." Puts a whole >new spin on the song.) Joey was a friend of mine back then (I was dating someone in the band he was in previously) and I still hear of him occasionally through the grapevine. Bit of trivia - he used to tutor Brook Shields in French (I think it was French) and he thought I made meatballs like his grandmother :-) When I ran into him years later, I had to remind him who I was though - I think he thought I was an old fan at first...but it had been about 10 years. Aimee used to hang out at the home of my favorite old Boston band, The Dark, who had a 10 year reunion show a few years back at The Paradise and the reformed Young Snakes opened for them. Any Bostonians remember The Dark? They came in second in the Rock and Roll Rumble one year....I have their EP and LP as well. >On Thu, 22 Jan 1998, Greg Bossert wrote: > >> on the topic of Aimee, i have heard rumors of recordings of her >> pre-'TT group "the young snakes" but never have tracked them down. >> anyone? > >I have the original e.p. called, "Bark Along with the Young Snakes." >It's a 4 song e.p, if I remember correctly. I'd offer to tape it >for people, but as it's only available on vinyl and my record player >needs adjustment. Maybe at some point. > I have this EP and always really liked it - made a copy for Neile way back when. > >Ah, to reminisce about fab Boston bands. Anyone remember November Group? Sure do! They were great as well. > >Michael >-------------------------------------------------------------------- >Michael Colford | Reading Public Library >Head of Technical Services | Reading, Massachusetts >colford@noblenet.org | *North of Boston Library Exchange* Laura ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 15:37:19 EST From: Riphug Subject: Lisa St. Ann on tour...... I first saw Lisa St. Ann, not knowing the first thing about her, when she played a free concert at the Cincinnati Borders store. Then I bought her two CDs and had her sign them. She's really nice and talented......I hope you'll give her a listen when she's in your area. Jill :D ****************************************************************************** ******************* LISA ST. ANN TOUR DATES 1/24 Saturday Sidewalk Cafe New York, NY 10 PM 2/2 Monday Arlene's Grocery New York, NY 9:00 PM 2/4 Wednesday The Creek Rochester, NY 9:30 PM 2/5 Thursday Borders Books & Music Syracuse, NY 7 - 9 PM 2/6 Friday Hard Rock Cafe Niagara Falls,NY10 PM 2/7 Saturday Borders Books & Music Westlake, OH 3PM 2/7 Friday Wilberts Cleveland, OH 10:00 PM 2/8 Sunday Borders Books & Music Flint, MI 4 - 6 PM 2/9 Monday Borders Books & Music Ann Arbor, MI 7:30PM 2/14 Saturday Borders Books & Music Tucson, AZ 2 - 4 PM 2/14 Saturday Borders Books & Music Glendale, AZ 8 - 10 PM 2/15 Sunday Borders Boooks & Music Glendale, CA 3 - 5 PM 2/16 Monday Luna Park W. Hollywood,CA 10:00 PM 2/19 Thursday Anastasia's Asylum Santa Monica,CA 9:00 PM 2/20 Friday M Bar/Grill Long Beach, CA 9:00 PM 2/21 Saturday Borders Books & Music Westwood, CA 8 -10 PM 2/22 Sunday Borders Books & Music Mission Viejo,CA6:30 PM 2/25 Wednesday Babe's on 6th Street Austin, TX 9:00PM 2/26 Thursday Poor David's Pub Dallas, TX 8:OOPM 2/27 Friday Borders Books & Music Germantown, TN 8 - 10 PM 3/1 Sunday Borders Books & Music Knoxville, TN 6 - 8 PM We hoep to see you at the shows! And thanks for all your love and support! To order a copy of "Conversations from the Sidewalk" or "Curiously Strong" mail $15.00 to: PAX RECORDS 543 E. 5th Street #17 NY, NY 10009 http://www.ecolution.com/stann.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 13:39:09 -0800 From: Greg Bossert Subject: Re: venturing into the unknown Michael mentions > > on the topic of quirky-clever pop with emotive vocals from boston, i > > have to mention the wonderful yet no more group "Tribe" -- while > > you're poking through those bargain bins, keep an eye out for their > > albums "Abort" and "Sleeper". trust me. > > This is the band I started following around after 'til tuesday went > national. In fact, an extremely memorable show that I had the privilege > of seeing in a tiny club called Nightstage in the late eighties featured > Tribe as an opening act for Sarah McLachlan touring for her first album! > That was a night to remember. I second Greg's suggestion, Tribe is a > band worth seeking out. It's a crime that they broke up, I really thought > they were going to break nationally. They're dark, synth-driven, > hard-edged goth sound was just a tiny bit too late for fashion. Ah, > what ifs? (And whatever happened to? Lead vocalist Janet LaValley was > supposed to have a solo album out, but except for a single radio > cut a couple years ago, she hasn't been heard from. Our Founder (jessica) and I got to know the members of Tribe pretty well for a while -- i can't imagine nicer people... everyone except Janet (who we actually knew less well -- for being so in-your-face on stage, she was surprisingly reserved off stage) was making more money writing music for video games towards the end. they were pretty discouraged about the lack of attention from their label; same old story :P i haven't heard from them in a couple of years -- anyone in boston still in touch? i dunno what happened to Janet's sony contract, alas. nor did i hear the "single radio cut" -- any copies of that floating around? > of seeing in a tiny club called Nightstage which is where i sat near Aimee and where i've seen some great shows, topped by the 3 Mustaphas 3 "Heart of Uncle" tour with beloved sister Lavra... Seamus Egan is bloody well good at *everything*. he's a brilliant celtic tres player, for goodness sake, and there ain't no such thing as celtic tres. just in case you were wondering... - -- greg bossert 650-933-6431 -- - -- gwis, silicon graphics, inc. bossert@sgi.com -- - -- i have never been afraid to change -- Happy -- - -- the circumstances of the world -- Rhodes -- ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V4 #24 *************************