From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V4 #458 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Friday, January 1 1999 Volume 04 : Number 458 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: the whitlams (amazing australian band) [Andrew Fries ] a new ectophile :) [meredith ] Bryan MacLean 1946-1998 [dave ] Re: Bryan MacLean 1946-1998 [Jo Yoshida ] kristin hersh at the UBL [meredith ] Anggun [Neile Graham ] Mary Lou Lord [rachel kramer bussel ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 21:33:57 +1100 From: Andrew Fries Subject: Re: the whitlams (amazing australian band) In a message "the whitlams (amazing australian band)" on 31/Dec/1998 01:55:26 Heidi Maier says: > speaking of swinging ... an amazing australian band - the whitlams - will > be embarking on their first overseas tour in (tentatively) mid-april of > '99. i've been a great fan of their music (and frontman - tim freedman) for > many years now, and in the past year their most recent release "eternal > nightcap" has become the biggest selling independent australian release of > all time -> a laurel well deserved for these guys really are brilliant! More about the Whitlams : The driving force behind the band used to be a very close partnership of Tim Freedman and Steve Plunder, but unfortunately Steve took his own life shortly before the band attained a degree of commercial success, uh, probably around 2 years ago now. Amazingly enough, the band did not break up - instead it regrouped and returned possibly even stronger than it was before. A curious bit of trivia: they are named after Geoff Whitlam, our prime minister (that's president to you in the US) from the early 70's. I'm not a huge fan, but I saw them once. It was several years ago, with Steve very much alive and fame still a few years away... I remember that night well, but for the side performance rather than the music: not content with the more usual belly dancer, they got a stripper instead; she walked onto the stage buck naked carrying her clothes in a bundle and proceeded to perform a strip-tease in reverse. At the pub, in the middle of the gig it all added up to a rather surreal experience. More trivia: one of the songs on their award-winning album was written by Greta Gertler from Peccadillo, my fave local band. Peccadillo used to play that song too, their own version wastly superior to that of the Whitlams. - ------------------------------------------------------ A rich man who hailed from Seattle Wrote Win95 to do battle, But Mac users pity The masses not witty Enough to know Wintel's for cattle. - ------ http://www.zip.com.au/~afries/hall.html ------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 09:06:10 -0700 From: alex.teitz@state.co.us Subject: Year's Best Okay I'm overdue. 1998 was a busy year for me. I saw between 50-80 shows, bought more CDs than ever, met & heard music from more new artists than I thought existed. Now my favorite CDs in no particular order are: Happy Rhodes - MWABT Sinead Lohan - No Mermaid The Nields - Play Cry, Cry, Cry Jess Klein - Wishes Well Disguised and a favorite compilation is, the recently released: RESPOND CD - a compilation of New England Female Singer-Songwriters My favorite live shows are: The Nields/Moxy Fruvious - Swallow Hill Music Hall Cry, Cry, Cry - Boulder Theater Space Team Electra (local band) - a small show in February & The Andy Warhol Art Show Jonatha Brooke - Fox Theater My favorite festivals were: The Newport Folk Festival - Friday night especially The Denver Lodo Music Festival My worst disappointment was Tori Amos - The Choirgirl Hotel Tour. The show was too loud, too short and too overdone. The CD is great, but the "production" that is the tour overdid everything. I hope everyone has a great New Year, and I hope to see Happy live when the new part of the tour begins in 1999! Alex ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 12:06:37 -0800 From: Monroe/Fisher Subject: Best of '98 and Kate Mimi Goese - Soak Discovery and CD of the year. And I first heard about it here but seem to be alone in my obsession. There was talk months ago about Hugo Largo but I didn't pay much attention until I was searching the web for info on Brian Eno - one (maybe both) of HL CDs were on his Opal label, but no longer available. Couldn't find any HL but did find Mimi. Not a song I don't like, even her space-lounge version of "Black Hole Sun." The entire CD is so surreal and unlike anything I've heard before. I love her voice, the lyrics, plus she creates some truly unforgettable images like "Then fireflies taking snap shots in the park, Take a picture of me." What a great compliment to the Eno binge I've been on all year. While ordering a copy of Soak for my brother from CDnow, I checked their "If you like this etc" - they recommended Massive Attacks' "Mezzanine". While they are slightly similar in some ways, Mimi is a thousand times better, IMO. Her songs are more melodic, structured, atmospheric, and the percussion is original & creative (not that tick-toc-metronome beat that I find a little annoying on Mezzanine). I would have thought Soak would have had many more ecto admirers than it does. If you like the songs on Mezzanine with female vocals I think you'd love Soak. Happy Rhodes - MWABT I love this album. It took a while but the effort paid off. I don't think this is Happy's "commercial" breakthrough, (Warpaint could have been) though maybe an artistic breakthrough. Still there should be more of "us", NOW! - I don't understand it. The song writing is as strong as ever. Best song (now) - Ra is a Busy God Tori Amos - Choirgirl Hotel I played this CD to death when it first came out then completely stopped - and I don't know why. I just played it the other day and it's excellent. So, back into the rotation for a second run. Veda Hille - This is a Picture This is a masterpiece, but must be taken in it's entirety. I never play one song - the whole CD is the song. Imogene Heap - I Megaphone Ingrid Karklins - Red Hand Bjork - Homogenic Patty Larkin - Perishable Fruit Sarah Ayers - Voices Susan Court - High Relief Massive Attack - Mezzanine Biggest disappointments: Joni Mitchell - Taming the Tiger I was looking forward to this release especially since I loved Turbulent Indigo so much. "The Crazy Cries of Love" is a wonderful song but was done much better when she was on the Canadian show Rita & Friends a few years ago. I haven't given up on it so maybe a few months down the road it will hit me. One thing that does bother me about the album is the guitar sound. It was so bright and clear on Indigo but sounds washed out on Tiger - I think she's using a MIDI guitar. I can understand her wanting to do that live but why on the CD? Heather Nova - Siren I expected more from Heather. This CD just sounds so generic. I do like some songs but it's definitely my least favorite of her's. Nothing comes close to "Island," "Mothertongue," or "Doubled Up" or... I like it but it's too soon to tell: Margot Smith - Taste Wendy Carlos - Tales of Heaven & Hell Regarding Kate Bush: I, for one, have not given up on Kate Bush. Sure I was disappointed in the Red Shoes and TSW wasn't as good as HoL, but I just don't expect her to ever surpass my favorite album of all time. I haven't always liked everything that Joni Mitchell has put out either. There could still be a masterpiece left inside Kate and I can't imagine her putting out an album with nothing of interest to me. Happy New Year. Wayne ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 16:36:56 -0500 From: meredith Subject: a new ectophile :) Hi! Heard on WPKN this afternoon that ecto's own Valerie Kraemer gave birth to a healthy daughter, Genevieve Michelle Richardson yesterday (I think they said 5:46 pm). Both mother and daughter (and, presumably also father :) are doing fine. This kid comes with good musical taste built in. What luck. :) So if you ever catch up on ecto and see this, Valerie, congratulations!!! Happy new year to all ... +==========================================================================+ | Meredith Tarr meth@smoe.org | | New Haven, CT USA http://www.smoe.org/~meth | +==========================================================================+ | U.S.A. OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST NOW!!! | +==========================================================================+ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 16:50:56 -0500 From: dave Subject: Bryan MacLean 1946-1998 This may be of interest to some of you, especially any Maria McKee fans. Singer of 60s group Love dies Obituary Bryan MacLean; Guitarist and Songwriter Bryan MacLean, 52, guitarist and singer in Love, the seminal Los Angeles rock band that joined the Doors, Buffalo Springfield and the Byrds as part of the burgeoning mid-1960s Sunset Strip club scene. The band's sound ranged from folk-rock to groundbreaking fusions of jazz, orchestral strings and psychedelia. MacLean, a Los Angeles native, left the band after their third and most celebrated album, 1967's "Forever Changes," which is still acknowledged by many critics as a masterpiece. MacLean continued his career as a songwriter, most notably with "Don't Toss Us Away," which was recorded in 1985 by Lone Justice, a band fronted by MacLean's half sister, singer Maria McKee. The song became a top 10 country music hit three years later for Patty Loveless. On Dec. 25 in Los Angeles of an apparent heart attack. Copyright 1998 Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved - -- +-----------------------------------------------------+ + dave + + irc.dal.net #Panic_Beach female music artist chat + + http://magpage.com/~sspan/ music clips/pics/links + +-----------------------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 15:12:58 -0700 From: Jo Yoshida Subject: Re: Bryan MacLean 1946-1998 [ This may be of interest to some of you, especially any Maria McKee fans. [ [ Singer of 60s group Love dies [ Obituary [ Bryan MacLean; Guitarist and Songwriter [ Bryan MacLean, 52, guitarist and singer in Love, the seminal Los [ Angeles rock band that joined the Doors, Buffalo Springfield and [ the Byrds as part of the burgeoning mid-1960s Sunset Strip club [ scene. [ The band's sound ranged from folk-rock to groundbreaking fusions [ of jazz, orchestral strings and psychedelia. MacLean, a Los Angeles [ native, left the band after their third and most celebrated album, 1967's [ "Forever Changes," which is still acknowledged by many critics as a [ masterpiece. MacLean continued his career as a songwriter, most [ notably with "Don't Toss Us Away," which was recorded in 1985 by Lone [ Justice, a band fronted by MacLean's half sister, singer Maria McKee. [ The song became a top 10 country music hit three years later for Patty [ Loveless. On Dec. 25 in Los Angeles of an apparent heart attack. Thanks Dave for this posting although I fall in the category of not having heard a single Maria McKee tune (not even Lone Justice); and I date myself by stating that Forever Changes is most likely my all time favorite LP, for sure in the top five. Jah, I would've gotten wind of this obit sooner or later (the disadvantage of cultural isolation in the Great White North) but a blast from the past like this one reminds me why I've continued to explore 60's psychedelia. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 17:45:05 -0500 From: meredith Subject: kristin hersh at the UBL Hi! Kristin Hersh is "band of the week" at the Ultimate Band List . There's a thing there to enter to win "an original piece of artwork" by Kristin, and also a link to sign up for her song-a-month thingie. Thought that might be of interest to some ... +==========================================================================+ | Meredith Tarr meth@smoe.org | | New Haven, CT USA http://www.smoe.org/~meth | +==========================================================================+ | U.S.A. OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST NOW!!! | +==========================================================================+ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 17:38:19 -0800 From: Neile Graham Subject: Anggun Hi, all-- This is a very belated forwarding of a message that came through to The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music that I thought might be of interest. I'm still working on my personal year-end report. It will be a few days yet before it appears. Happy New Year, everyone! - --Neile >Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 01:23:24 -0500 (EST) >Reply-to: Scott Thompson >From: Scott Thompson >To: ectoguide@smoe.org, damon@pobox.com >Subject: Ectophiles' Guide - General Comment > >The Ectophiles' Guide contact form has been filled out. Here is the >information entered: > >Topic: General Comment > >Name: Scott Thompson >Email: grayhank@aol.com > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >I just discovered a new artist that you may have already heard about but I >didn't see her listed in your ectoguide. Her name is Anggun and she is >from Indonsia. Her debut American release is called "Snow On The Sahara." >The title track has been receiving heavy airplay on local Modern Rock >stations in the SF Bay Area. Bio info can found at www.sonymusic.com/ > >She can be best compared to Tasmin Archer {"Sleeping Satellite"); Billy >Myers ("Kiss the Rain") with a slight touch of Sarah McLachlan or Kate >Bush thrown in. The album also features Anggun's beautiful renditon of >David Bowie's "Life On Mars". > > I just thought some of the Ectophiles might want to check her out in case >they hadn't heard of her yet. > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Neile Graham ..... http://www.sff.net/people/neile ..... neile@sff.net The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music .... http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 21:54:22 -0500 (EST) From: rachel kramer bussel Subject: Mary Lou Lord I just wanted to let all of you know that Mary Lou Lord had her baby this morning, New Year's Eve, and is doing well, as is the baby (a girl). Happy New Year! :) Rachel ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V4 #458 **************************