From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V4 #441 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Thursday, December 17 1998 Volume 04 : Number 441 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Defending Fiona ["Xenu's Sister" ] Disappointed ["Xenu's Sister" ] Today's your birthday, friends... [Mike Matthews ] Re: Defending Fiona [Faerymouse@aol.com] Re: Defending Fiona [FAMarcus@aol.com] Milla [kscleaves@juno.com (Kay S Cleaves)] Re: so... ["Xenu's Sister" ] Re: Bjork's success --> Happy ["Tim" ] Re: various replies ["Tim" ] Re: Cocteau success --> Happy ["Tim" ] Death and the Maiden ["Craig Gidney" ] Was Happy reaching me telepathically? [Eponine ] Happy @ YesFest [Suzanne Cerquone ] Re: Moxy Fruvous and Rufus Wainwright [Matthew Woods ] Re: Proof & Mondo ["C. K. Coney" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 00:55:55 -0600 From: "Xenu's Sister" Subject: Re: Defending Fiona At 02:36 PM 12/16/98 EST, Faerymouse@aol.com wrote: >but I also *really* do not like the attitude I have seen from her >in interviews, which tends to be along the lines of "victim" (although I'll >give her a little leeway because obviously reporters can twist things around). She was raped at age 11. She *was* a victim. Her telling her story does not constitute embracing victimhood. It's just telling her story in hopes that she'll help other young girls deal with such things. Tori got flak for telling her story, I'm not suprised Fiona did too. Most people don't want to hear about such things. (I don't mean to imply that's you, but rather many reporters who have covered Fiona). >And that's my opinion, and I don't think it's *wrong* for me to hold that... No, of course it isn't. Vickie (done with the Fiona talk) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 01:01:27 -0600 From: "Xenu's Sister" Subject: Disappointed There's no need to build up one artist by putting down another. I'm so disappointed that the wonderful Happy talk got turned into an anti-Fiona thing, and I can't believe this Neilds vs. Rufus Wainwright thing. What a bummer. Vickie ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 03:00:05 -0500 (EST) From: Mike Matthews Subject: Today's your birthday, friends... i*i*i*i*i*i i*i*i*i*i*i *************** *****HAPPY********* **************BIRTHDAY********* *************************************************** *************************************************************************** ******************** Laura Clifford (lcliffor@bbn.com) ******************** *********** Dirk Kastens (dkastens@titan.rz.Uni-Osnabrueck.DE) ************ ************************ Milla (no Email address) ************************* ************** Chris Schernwetter (cas9353@ultb.isc.rit.edu) ************** ******************** Sherry Haddock (shaddock@uta.edu) ******************** *************************************************************************** -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- - -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Laura Clifford Tue December 17 1957 Sagittarius Dirk Kastens Tue December 17 1963 Sagittarius Milla Wed December 17 1975 Sagittarius Chris Schernwetter Tue December 17 1974 Sagittarius Sherry Haddock Sat December 17 1960 Sagittarius Tracy Benbrook Tue December 18 1973 Sagittarius Mark Lowry Mon December 22 1969 Capricarius Uli Grepel Wed December 25 1968 Steinbock Joseph Wasicek Sat December 25 1976 Brown Eagle Stuart Castergine Mon December 30 1963 You Are Here Marvin Camras Sat January 01 1916 Tapehead Jeanne Schreiter Tue January 03 1967 Capricorn John Sandoval Wed January 04 1967 Capricorn Paul Cohen Tue January 05 1954 Capricorn Tony Garrity Mon January 08 1962 Pool of Life Greg Bossert Tue January 09 1962 OfTheTimes Troy J. Shadbolt Thu January 14 1971 Capricorn Chris Sampson Wed January 15 1964 Void where prohibited Dennis G Parslow Fri January 17 1964 ...of the Saint Ross Alford Thu January 17 1957 Positive - -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 03:31:41 EST From: Faerymouse@aol.com Subject: Re: Defending Fiona Vickie since you said you were done with this thread, if you don't reply that's cool I just wanted to comment on this :) In a message dated 12/16/98 10:59:54 PM Pacific Standard Time, vickie@wwa.com writes: > At 02:36 PM 12/16/98 EST, Faerymouse@aol.com wrote: > > >but I also *really* do not like the attitude I have seen from her > >in interviews, which tends to be along the lines of "victim" (although I'll > >give her a little leeway because obviously reporters can twist things > around). > > She was raped at age 11. She *was* a victim. Her telling her story > does not constitute embracing victimhood. It's just telling her story > in hopes that she'll help other young girls deal with such things. Tori > got flak for telling her story, I'm not suprised Fiona did too. Most > people don't want to hear about such things. (I don't mean to imply > that's you, but rather many reporters who have covered Fiona). > Yes, I do know she was raped...my point was that instead of being strong and doing something (ala Tori, who I think is just incredible for all she has done, what with RAINN and all and has definately used what happened to her to become a stronger person) I see Fiona doing just the opposite...I personally find her portraying herself as being rather weak and "messed up". But, she is young. I have nothing against her telling her story (I think this world needs to wake up to just how many woman (and men too) are raped or sexually abused) but I don't like the way she comes across. But ah well. - - Siobhan ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 03:40:52 EST From: FAMarcus@aol.com Subject: Re: Defending Fiona In a message dated 12/17/98 1:59:54 AM Eastern Standard Time, vickie@wwa.com writes: << he was raped at age 11. She *was* a victim. Her telling her story does not constitute embracing victimhood. It's just telling her story in hopes that she'll help other young girls deal with such things. Tori got flak for telling her story, I'm not suprised Fiona did too. Most people don't want to hear about such things. (I don't mean to imply that's you, but rather many reporters who have covered Fiona). >> I have to go down as one who was totally in love with Tidal when it came out. She was an artist that I listened to and could not believe her age. It amazes me when a person such as Fiona and Alanis are able to write about such serious subjects at 15 and 16. I know people my age who haven't got half of what they are saying yet. I found that it was the odd quality of her voice which attracted me to her. Slightly off kilter. I was more in tune with the emotion she was giving, than weather she sung every note in tune. I think rock is different from other music. Some artists go for a flat sound to their voice. Lene Lovich was extremely weird in her delivery...........but I liked her a lot, as I do fiona. I think that I look for something in a voice that sets it off from another. This is not opera............ fred ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1998 03:23:12 -0600 From: kscleaves@juno.com (Kay S Cleaves) Subject: Milla Hey folks-- Seeing that it is Milla's birthday today (some of us read the birthday list...), I was wondering if anyone has heard (of even heard of) her new cd, the Peopletree Sessions. I just received it a few days ago, and it's spinning right now. I saw a few mentions of it a while back, and just thought I'd offer first opinions. It's a lot different than the Divine Comedy, which was rather folky. This one is more along the trance/trip hop/grungey lines. Lots of her speaking/whispering with droning guitars in the background, a little singing. Massive disc, with sixteen tracks, I think, including some remixes. Very electronic. Her voice sounds completely different on this one, higher and very wispy. She only plays any instruments on a couple of the tracks, although she wrote all of the words. I'm still in the middle of it, but first listen says it's really good music to space out to and occasionally groove, but very different from the Milla of a few years ago. BTW, the CD is only available online at www.peopletree.com, but at a decent price for the amount of music...and it's cool to hear what's become of Milla after some years in L.A. Has anyone else heard this disc, or have any opinions to offer? It's gonna take a bit to wrap my ears around this one... - --Kay np: Milla Jovovich, The Peopletree Sessions nr: Hundreds upon hundreds of Christmas catalogs... "And here is where you'll have to imagine the rest"--The Story ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 06:03:54 -0600 From: "Xenu's Sister" Subject: Re: so... At 09:32 AM 12/14/98 -0500, S Nichols wrote: >Got my 'puter fixed and I'm back online. > >Sharon Hi Sharon, I'm glad to see you back online. So, Carol Coney, Tony Matern, Charley Darbo and I are actually going to do a new zine. We don't have a name for it yet, but we will soon. Carol had a bunch of questions to ask you (me too) and we were thinking that a 3-way telephone conversation would be an easy way to talk. Tell me if you like that idea and then I can check with my phone company to see if I can do that. I'd pay for the call, of course. Carol's worried that you might think that we're "competing" with you, especially since we'll also have a fanzine web page. I said I didn't think of us as competing and I couldn't see that you would either since Terra is now defunct. The only "conpetition" could come on the web sites, but I think we can work that out. I don't want to do anything to step on your toes, and there's no reason for our fanzine web site to duplicate anything that's on your site, with the exception of things like tour dates, which should be "broadcast" in as many places as possible. We will, of course, have a link to your page on our page, and we'll always urge folks to get your back issues. An FYI offer: if, at some point in the future, you didn't want to have to handle the back issues thing anymore, we'd be glad to take it over. What I mean is that we'd be happy to have people get the back issues from us, and then pass along the money to you. Just so you know, you have a backup system to help you there. Terra Incognita/Rhodeways will always have a special place in our hearts and even if every single last issue were sold out and gone forever, we'll never let anyone forget you and the 'zine. You're our inspiration, and *nobody*, not us, not *nobody* will ever do it as well as you did it. As a matter of fact, the one thing I'm worried about, the only thing that has me biting my nails, above and beyond subscriptions, layout and printing, all of which will fall into place, the *ONLY* thing that has me terrified about doing a new zine is content. We'll never be able to live up to what you did, and you know, I just wish I'd told you all this more often, how wonderful I thought the fanzine was, how everything was JUST SO GREAT! I read through these back issues and I smile, and then I tremble, how can we live up to this? It's a scary thought. Way scary. I love that you said you'd contribute sometimes. That makes me very happy. You will get a free subscription, for life. So, let me know if a phone thing is doable, if it's something you'd feel comfortable with. If so, then also let me know what times are good for you (evenings between 6pm-8pm, mornings, 10am-12am, whatever). Carol's a day person, I'm a night person, but I'll work myself around whatever's good for you two. (Of course, I do have to find out first from the phone company if I can even do this). Thanks, *HUG* Vickie ps, I did get the extra copy of the newest issue. Thank you! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 23:35:54 +0000 From: "Tim" Subject: Re: Bjork's success --> Happy - ---------- >From: "C. K. Coney" >To: desmond in a tutu >Subject: Re: Bjork's success --> Happy >Date: Wed, Dec 16, 1998, 5:55 PM > >So on that note I'll end my stream-of-consciousness posting (whew)...but I am >curious if anyone can tell me more about the mainstream success of the >Sugarcubes. I think I blinked and missed it! If its any indication, at the beginning of her solo career Bjork expected Debut to sell about half as well as Life's Too Good. Basically The Sugarcubes were never big in a mainstream sense, and like other fantastic bands like The House Of Love and Kitchens of Distinction, they were only the darlings of the press in that hazy 1987-89 period in between the demise of The Smiths and the rise of The Stone Roses/Madchester/Shoegazer phenomenons. However, they did very well for an indie band (at least with their first and third albums) - well enough to singlehandedly render their label, One Little Indian, "cool". Tim ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 23:35:14 +0000 From: "Tim" Subject: Re: various replies - ---------- >From: meredith >To: ecto@smoe.org >Subject: various replies >Date: Thu, Dec 17, 1998, 4:15 AM > >That's certainly a good explanation. But it doesn't apply to "Birthday". I >don't know what "Birthday" is ... iceberg pop? The instrumentation that >sets it apart and makes it instantly recognizable is the constipated >trumpet wailing, not anything resembling a poppy guitar. It is a song that >instantly evokes images of Iceland, and I'm totally in agreement with you >in that it's one of the best songs ever ... but "guitar pop" it most >certainly is not. Hmm... I really hadn't thought about whether the trumpet figured into the equation. I acutally love the opening (it expresses *immediately* how brilliant the rest of the song will be), the weird drums and, of course, Bjork's voice, particularly her wails in what substitutes for the chorus (where the drum breaks are fantastic). I've never really thought of it as cold, to me its actually quite sunny, but maybe that's because the first thing I noticed was the story, which has approximately the same effect as a lovely little vignette about a summer garden party until you realise that the grass is crawling with spiders and the trees are trying to eat you... Also I find Bjork's solo work "colder" - especially so on Homogenic, to which "iceberg pop" applies perfectly. Perhaps guitar-pop is the wrong term. I really just mean a poppy song which comes under... rock... very loosely though. I hate the term "rock" though, and since all the songs I think of like this are variations on conventional band line-ups (guitar, bass, etc. etc.) it seemed easier to say that. Tim ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 23:36:19 +0000 From: "Tim" Subject: Re: Cocteau success --> Happy - ---------- >From: "C. K. Coney" >To: Tim >Subject: Re: Cocteau success --> Happy >Date: Wed, Dec 16, 1998, 6:27 PM > >There's that word "success" again, this time used regarding CT. I'll bet folks >would be surprised that a band named by AP as one of the 100 most influential >bands in rock history never had even close to a million seller album. That >doesn't strike me as successful marketing by either of their record companies. >Now *former* members ask devoted fans/friends if they know anyone in New York >they could stay with so they can afford to come over here and get something >going with their new careers as soloists and record producers. Good point, although I don't necessarily mean that Happy would have similar "success" in sales figures so much as "success" in creating an image for herself. I would point out that Happy, although highly individual is IMHO much more "approachable" than the Cocteau music, which is highly specialised. The great thing is that Happy could then be marketed in other areas - as a singer-songwriter, albeit not a Lillith type, and also as an electronic artist. It does seem to be a shame that such an influential group such as the Cocteau Twins could be so underrecognised commerically, though they're hardly the only ones. An even more extreme case would be their temporary label-mates AR Kane, who with their first two albums "69" and "I", basically prophesised dream-pop, trip-hop and post-rock all at once, and yet nobody's ever heard of them except a few music historians, holier-than-though music critics and just about every artist in those areas who's music is then called innovative. Hmpfh! Tim ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 10:23:43 -0500 From: "Craig Gidney" Subject: Death and the Maiden - --0__=q3wZtU8dfwttsbLiA5RULjX6xOhyrnVhJjSjbs2zxxIXcP7qpdhnyIf3 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline When I was going to see the - --0__=q3wZtU8dfwttsbLiA5RULjX6xOhyrnVhJjSjbs2zxxIXcP7qpdhnyIf3 Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Disposition: inline Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable ?Pi? with fellow ecto-phile Jeff Burka last summer, he was waxing rapturiously about MWABT. Even though I?d liked Happy?s music before, after the dissappointing (to me) ?Building the Colossus?, I was hesitant to get the new album. I was afraid I?d get burned. MWABT, to me, is a cross-pollination of types of music--the ethereal and the machine-made. My ex-boyfriend had recently gotten me interested in the music of Autechre, Aphex Twin, SeeFeel, among other such artists. The emotion= al, abstract mathematics of this music drew me into imaginary topographies;= in a way, it transcends Eno?s ambient excursions, because Eno?s music, for= all of its aural sophistication, still is connected to distinct emotions, l= ike longing and awe. The musics of these groups are often built upon shift= ing patterns--of rhythms, sound effects. These ?soundscapes? suggest the otherworldly, not so much in a supernatural sense. Rather, it suggests= incorporeality as heightened senses and chemically-induced out-of-body experiences, or the natural phenomena as viewed by aliens. Synasthesia= seems to be the state these groups seem intent on provoking in the listener. The song titles of Autechre and Aphex Twin reflect this disconnection from the any known referent--they make up words, and in A= T?s masterpiece, ?Selected Ambient Works, Vol. 2?, the pieces are represent= ed by pictures. The connection between the ghostly, ?sampled? pieces of m= usic and scientific abstraction which mimic but do not exactly evoke emotion= s and memories fascinates me. (By the way, this music--particularly Autechre--is featured prominently in the afformentioned movie). MWABT impressed me because both because, aurally, it has a faint connection to to the music mentioned above -- as a sort of spiritual goddaughter, perhaps--and also because of its thematic content. Death seems to a consistent theme through out this cd. The use of the lexico= n of ?electronica?--abstract sounds, sampled voices, shifting patterns--work= s perfectly. ?100 Years? is about being trapped in a failed body; ?The Chariot?, a longing for death; and the majestic ?Winter? about looking = back on a life. The harmony between the soaring voice and the echoey, lush sound effects is moving. The machine imagery juxtasposed with the body= imagery creates is unsettling; but it highlights (in a postmodern way) = a desire to shed ?this mortal coil.? Anyone else out there interested in= ambient/electronica? Finally, I have a request (a long shot). Does anyone happen to have a spare copy of Bel Canto's out-of-print classic, "Birds of Passage?" tha= t I could buy? Craig. = - --0__=q3wZtU8dfwttsbLiA5RULjX6xOhyrnVhJjSjbs2zxxIXcP7qpdhnyIf3-- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 09:41:45 -0800 From: Eponine Subject: Was Happy reaching me telepathically? Hi all - What is more annoying than a person who passes your desk and says, "Smile!"? Especially when I'm NOT frowning, I am merely absorbed in the exciting work my career as an OL has given me the privelige of enjoying!! [OL - an expression borrowed from my Japanese friends. Means "Office Lady"!] But I wanted to share something with y'all that Ive been pondering. I ordered my beloved 'The Keep' CD from MusicBoulvard.com last summer. Two months went by and it was still on a back-ordered status. Then I bought MWABT and, um, well, it and I didn't exactly hit it off. So I e-mailed MusicBoulvard to cancel 'The Keep'. The next day I received and e-mail from them saying the previous day their e-mail had not been functioning and 'The Keep' had just shipped out that very morning and by all means I could return it. But I'm not someone who will take the trouble to return something, especially when we're talking about $14. I just think it's weird that it was on back-order for two months, and the very day I changed my mind and wanted to cancel it the Fates intervened to make sure that I got that darn CD anyway!! : ) It's a coincidence, I know. Still ...... Hmmm. Love, Eponine "I still dream of Organon I wake up crying..." They're cloudbusting, Daddy!! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 11:04:31 EST From: LilWhirl@aol.com Subject: Re: ecto-digest V4 #440 of interest to anyone? she's genius, IMHO. - -d. nushkah ======================================================== MEIRA ASHER 'Spears Into Hooks' cram095 CD Beware: this album is a nightmare. An exorcism. Dark voodoo to neutralize malevolent forces, to conjure ghosts from recent and current history. This album is an electronic opera. It's not a pleasurable listening experience. No nice melodies or easy-going grooves to hang on to, no soothing sounds to lull you into an illusion of serenity, no fun, no escapism. This album is a warning alarm. This album is only for the strong-minded. Her 1997 debut album "Dissected," has positioned Meira Asher as a deeply original new artist. Press and public alike have welcomed her both as an important singer/musician and as an emblematic figure which represents an uncompromising, politically-aware, peace-seeking generation of Israeli musicians, whose voice is all too rarely heard abroad. Meira Asher's new album "Spears Into Hooks" will come as a shock to those who got to know her in her previous, mostly acoustic and percussive musical incarnation. While her experience as a singer, drummer, and specialist of West African and Indian traditional music will always remain the foundation on which she has built her identity, Meira has been studying and mastering a number of sophisticated, cutting-edge composition techniques which are currently used in electronic music (in both senses of the term: 'serious' as well as dance-derived varieties of electronica), and has harnessed them to her unique musical vision. "Spears Into Hooks" presents itself in the shape of an electronic opera, which will appeal simultaneously to the young fan of The Aphex Twin and to the more mature admirer of Penderecki. There exists no musical category to describe the music on this album. A free-association test performed on a panel of initial (and initiated) listeners has shown a recurrence of the following words, in no particular order: Industrial Drill'n'Bass, Captain Beefheart, Autechre, Public Image Limited, London's neo-noise scene based around Harder Faster Louder, Kurt Weill/Lotte Lenya, Post-Illbient, Avant-Rock meets Electro Dub Infection, Ligeti, R'n'N (Rhyme and Noise), German Expressionism, Bulgarian mourning ceremonies... more seriously: the sound of "Spears Into Hooks" is absolutely unique, and it will hit you hard in the stomach. Numerous layers of textures and innovative, bold sound-processing were used throughout the album in order to create dramatic aural images which speak directly to the subconscious and reinforce the more verbal aspect of Meira's message. "All spears bent into hooks for the animals we become, to be hung in our traditional slaughter-houses" says Meira, in a sinister distortion of the biblical phrase which appears both in the books of Isaiah and Micah: "and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more". Whereas the texts on "Dissected" dealt with a variety of subjects, this album is entirely devoted to the socio-political crisis in Israel/Palestine, taken as a model for the ethnic/religious/geopolitical conflicts around the globe and throughout history. Like many Middle-Eastern intellectuals, writers and poets, Meira Asher believes that there is no other route but to try to achieve peaceful coexistence between the two people who live in that land, but that real mutual understanding will only have a chance to appear if all the nightmares that haunt the collective minds of both people are mercilessly exposed, bravely dealt with, and honestly taken into account by all parties concerned. Hence the confontation between the characters and situations which inhabit "Spears Into Hooks". Like some kind of possessed digital-age shaman, Meira crawls into the skin of a shahid (Islamic suicide commando), then sneaks into the body of an inmate in an Israeli political prison or into the sick mind of the demented commander of a concentration/holiday camp. One minute she's a vengeful God bent on punishing the human race for their cruelty and stupidity, the next she's an anonymous, universal refugee woman trying to save her baby, in Rwanda, in Nazi Germany, in Kosovo or wherever and whenever men and women persecute other men and women. Meira further says: "This project is a warning alarm. It portrays the individual as a victim of a repetitive, brutal and addictive reality, a reality which generates chronical diseases that settle in everyone: cowardice and apathy". Meira Asher chose to record "Spears Into Hooks" mostly in Ljubljana, Slovenia, a place already associated with powerful and provocative music (Laibach), the capital of a small country which lies at the crossroads between the Latin, Slavic and Germanic worlds, but which is at the same time sufficiently removed from the subject matter of the album. A couple of tracks were recorded in London, in collaboration with young electro-distorsion-noise maverick produced 2nd Gen. The basis for one track was recorded in Brussels with the Macedonian Gypsy brass band Koçani Orkestar. The elaborate mixing process has been entrusted to the experienced and creative hands & ears of pk (aka Paul Kendall), a master of noises and textures who for a number of years has been Mute Records' house engineer/producer, and has worked with the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Barry Adamson, Depeche Mode, Wire and many more. "Spears Into Hooks" will be released in February 1999. Meira Asher (who now lives in Berlin) will be performing concerts around Europe during the Spring and Summer of 99. (1) Meira Asher has studied traditional percussion and dance in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. She has learned Dhrupad vocal techniques and tabla playing with master musicians in North India. She's worked in musicotherapy for autistic children and has taught percussion in several Israeli universities and music schools. (2) "(...some Israeli politicians and writers) have asked us, Palestinian writers, to give up our former writings and to turn towards a peaceful future. Like many others, Jews and Arabs, I believe that it is just the opposite attitude which can serve the interests of the peace process and the reconciliation between our two people (...) Today more than ever, there's an urgent need to translate in Hebrew those of our writings which relate the tragedies of the Palestinian people; it is just as urgent to publicize among us the works of our Jewish colleagues who express their moral rectitude and the conscience of a people whose history is characterized by racial persecutions : how could they then persecute another people ?". Emile Habibi - from "La terre des deux promesses (The Land Of Two Promises)" by E.Habibi & Y.Kaniuk From the press on "Dissected" "Cutting, disturbing, never gratuitous, Dissected is one of these rare records in which the radicality of the sound is the exact expression of the violence of the message. And Meira Asher establishes herself as one of the fascinating revelations of the moment" (Libération, France) "THE LAST WOMAN - It's a shock, naturally, one that can only be absorbed little by little...a disturbing debut album, perfectly adverse to political correctness (...) And then there's the music, harsh and soft like it seldom is... The young woman uses the percussive richness of voices and harmonic variations of percussion to transmit a sensibility which is ancestral and modernist at the same time... She amazingly manages to be always changing, and always powerfully herself."(Les Inrockuptibles, France) "Radical, extremist, provoking, this Israeli singer is exceptional. Her minimal music stays away from any conventional model (...) Her lyricist's pen is sharp as steel, she brutalizes all taboos (...) An audacious and singular debut." (Le Monde, France) "A powerful album. Enter at your own risks and perils"(L'Affiche, France) "A radical debut, disturbing, and as removed as can be from tackyWorld Music exoticism" (Tip, Germany) "Meira Asher, the mirror of Israel" (Le Soir, Belgium) "The menu of her album - AIDS, abused minors, tortures during the Intifada - has shattered the nerves of a good deal of Israel's public opinion" (El Pais, Spain) "A woman who intones psalms of a radical liturgy. Aids, torture, intifada and sex are dissected with an incisive scalpel in this fascinating debut album. A work of synthesis which incorporates Indian vocal techniques, hypnotical tribal rhythms, hebraic rap, creative electronics and mesmerizing oriental melodies. A record which demosntrates that beauty shall be convulsive or shall not be" (Ajoblanco, Spain) "Meira the Heretic - a voice for peace" (Musica, Italy) "Meira Asher, the Sinead O'Connor of the Occupied Territories, extraordinary singer, composer, rebel-minded poly-percussionnist, undoubtedly the most striking talent produced by contemporary Israeli music (...)Dissected has been acclaimed throughout the world as a prodigy of technique, of eclecticism and of passion (...) A devastating mixture which opposes all fundamentalisms." (Liberazione, Italy) "When the young Israeli starts singing "Birkenau, Birkenau", wrapped in a long black leather coat, shaven-headed, a shiver of unease seizes the thousand spines of the audience. But nobody dares to move, fascinated by her ferocious presence. "I draw a parallel between the Jewish holocaust and the Palestinian holocaust. I might as well tell you that I'm not the most popular singer in Israel...I'm talking to Europe. I am partly East-European myself, I have Russian and Bulgarian ancestors. Our history concerns you all." Hard looks and unclenched teeth, she has the piercing look of those who won't blink lest they'll be caught off-guard for a second, she has the strength of those who are in struggle". (Le Journal de Genève, Switzerland) "Quite possibly the most disturbing work of art on CD this year... extraordinary self-produced debut album... the fact that she is a woman who has to speak out against oppression and for peace is just her starting point..." (Folk Roots, UK) "This is music which combine a driving force with dextrous and sensual technique (...) An album that stands squarely at crossroads. European, Middle Eastern, Indian African textures and polyrhythms abound. They represent Asher's own background as a student of percussion and dance in Ghana and India. But there is also a palpable interest in non-national genres: her vision takes in low-level techno and ambigious electronic divergences. There are numerous musicians working today who litter their music with 'ethnoc' tat as a way of dressing something that is intrinsically dull with a bit of glitter. There aree fewer performers who are actively engaged in seeking a methid by which several systems of sound may meet in creatively profitable terms. Asher is one." (The Wire, UK) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 10:39:06 -0800 From: Eponine Subject: Re: more Happy stuff plus Hi Vickie, Love Hounds, and interested others - Xenu's Sister wrote: > At 11:59 AM 12/16/98 -0800, Eponine wrote: > >Hi Vickie, > > > (By the way, I only this year was informed by > >someone at Love Hounds that in "Houdini" it's NOT "Roosevelt believes" > >but "Rosabel Believe"!!) > > I remember that. I got flamed because I responded to that thread > by saying that I thought Kate was a bit silly for not researching > that Bess wasn't *really* contacted by Harry. Oh I remember your post, too!!! My dear, but you DID take a risk by making even a teensy-weensy criticism of Kate!!! : ) So what's up on Love Hounds these days? If KaTie's Mystery Album does come out in 1999 - a big "IF" - won't that be six years between albums? Didn't 'The Red Shoes' come out in 1993? I new record, even for Kate! I hope we get something soon, at any rate. Take care, Eponine ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 12:39:32 -0600 From: Suzanne Cerquone Subject: Happy @ YesFest Vickie asked if any of the members of Yes have seen her performance at YesFest, the fan convention, in 1994. I mailed all the Yesmen videos of the event after the fact, and I do know that most of them received them. I've even been able to mail a few CDs of Happy's to Trevor Rabin's home via a good friend, as I'd love to see the two of them work together in the future. Rabin has been a great influence on Happy's music. Since he is now mainly doing soundtracks for Hollywood (Armaggedon, Jack Frost), I thought that *perhaps* if Rabin needs a female voice for one of his movie soundtrack projects, he would at least know where to start! :) I've not heard back from him, and didn't really expect to, as he's one of the busiest and most requested soundtrack guys out there now. It might take him some time to really discover her music, if at all. I also have to add that Happy performing at YesFest was a dream come true for me, and she was wonderful. She was very nervous--and she had every reason to--as she was performing to a freaking fan convention audience! Talk about a tough crowd. But the crowd was very polite and she created some new fans that day....just what I had hoped for. She was a total doll for performing that weekend, and I'm eternally grateful for her music, that day and always. ~Suzanne <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> The Web North America web site: http://window.to/webna e-mail inquiries: WebNA@eudoramail.com <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ------------------------------ Date: 17 Dec 98 14:03:33 EST From: Matthew Woods Subject: Re: Moxy Fruvous and Rufus Wainwright Old Spice wrote: >Saying I hate the Nields is like saying I hate it when somebody dumps >gasoline on me and then offers me a light. I’d rather be turned inside >out in an isopropyl alcohol storm than listen to the Nields. Or MF. For the record, I like Moxy Fruvous, and I love the Nields. Moxy Fruvous, you really do have to see live to truly appreciate. The Nields are just brilliant. >Or go out and see Scarnella, the current incarnation of Geraldine >Fibbers, also on tour. Lots of stuff to go out and have "bouncy, >giggly" fun with. Or stay in and listen to MF, or the Nields, or >"Barney’s Favorite Singalong Songs." I'm much more of a Sesame St. Fan myself... though I have always been a bit curious to hear what Jane Siberry wrote for the Barney film. :) >I know most of Tom Lehrer by heart. Ahh! So you are an Electric Company fan! ;) - -Matt ____________________________________________________________________ Get free e-mail and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=1 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 12:10:23 -0800 From: "C. K. Coney" Subject: Re: various replies re:Bjork Tim wrote: > ---------- > >From: meredith > >To: ecto@smoe.org > >Subject: various replies > >Date: Thu, Dec 17, 1998, 4:15 AM > > > > >That's certainly a good explanation. But it doesn't apply to "Birthday". I > >don't know what "Birthday" is ... iceberg pop? The instrumentation that > >sets it apart and makes it instantly recognizable is the constipated > >trumpet wailing, not anything resembling a poppy guitar. It is a song that > >instantly evokes images of Iceland, and I'm totally in agreement with you > >in that it's one of the best songs ever ... but "guitar pop" it most > >certainly is not. > > Hmm... I really hadn't thought about whether the trumpet figured into the > equation. I acutally love the opening (it expresses *immediately* how > brilliant the rest of the song will be), the weird drums and, of course, > Bjork's voice, particularly her wails in what substitutes for the chorus > (where the drum breaks are fantastic). I've never really thought of it as > cold, to me its actually quite sunny I've never been to either country, but I've been led to believe that Iceland is in fact the sunnier, more temperate climate, and it's "Greenland" that's supposed to be icy, snowy and cold. So maybe Bjork was expressing "sunny" feelings, in fact, on that one! Carol ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 13:10:51 -0800 From: "C. K. Coney" Subject: Re: Proof & Mondo meredith wrote: > Vickie fonted: > > >("Proof" - what was she *thinking*?) > > Probably something along the lines of, "I'm going to write a song that > kicks ass." :) (Sorry, but I love it.) Doesn't it though? (Kick ass, that is.) I love it...it makes me get up & *dance*. And it's a fun song title to play with, like when I was playing around, looking for a title for the new Happy-fanzine-in-progress in my own mind. I was getting really goofy in my head as I do sometimes & started to put song titles together from MWABT, one of which was "100 Proof" (for the heavy drinkers among us). But I digress...it's a song with a terrific hook, one that could be a club hit, too, and I think I've said it before. (I go to dance clubs when I can...don't like the smoke but love all the bodies groovin' and for me that form of exercise and expression when it's set to really good music is liberating.) > Carol recalled: > > >Another thing having to do with Jane...didn't she get a major feature > article in > >either Mondo 2000 or Wired? > > Mondo 2000. > > (I haven't read it in a while -- is it still one of those publications that > prides itself on making itself completely unreadable? I could never > understand why magazines like that (and Ray Gun, and others I'm forgetting > the names of) were intentionally laid out so it was totally impossible to > follow the text or even see it half the time. What's the point? I think it's an alien plot to induce blindness, and perhaps mass insanity. Ouch! > >How do people in the land > >of geekdom find new music to listen to? > > We hang out on lists like ecto and scour the used bins a lot. :) Ain't *that* the truth?!!! > +==========================================================================+ > | Meredith Tarr meth@smoe.org | > | New Haven, CT USA http://www.smoe.org/~meth | > +==========================================================================+ > | U.S.A. OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST NOW!!! Thanks Meredith for this tag line. I couldn't agree more. And how about this one: U.S.A. OUT OF NORTH AMERICA!!! (Actually I found that on a bumpersticker once and it made me laugh a lot...mostly these days when it comes to politics and the environment and all, I laugh to keep from cryin') Carol ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V4 #441 **************************