Errors-To: owner-ecto@ns1.rutgers.edu Reply-To: ecto@ns1.rutgers.edu Sender: ecto@ns1.rutgers.edu From: ecto@ns1.rutgers.edu To: ecto-request@ns1.rutgers.edu Bcc: ecto-digest-outbound@ns1.rutgers.edu Subject: ecto #268 ecto, Number 268 Saturday, 20 June 1992 Today's Topics: *-----------------* geez, you people have good taste in music Something better to discuss? (was: It didn't start with me) Arson Garden report Re: NOT MY SCENE, FOLKS... Re: :) Goodbye Africa! HBP Monsters poll results Happy promotion ======================================================================== Subject: geez, you people have good taste in music Date: Fri, 19 Jun 92 16:04:09 -0400 From: jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu I like it when things work out this way. Klaus posts the current HBP list, which includes Meredith's selection of "Blueprint" by Rainbirds, which inspires me to go pop on my CD single of it (the only Rainbirds I own) which I haven't listened to in a while and it was as wonderful as I remembered. A pleasant interlude before being forced to choose what to play next. Wish I'd seen Arson Garden recently. I really wish I'd known about their Baltimore appearance because I would have driven up for it. I also wish I'd seen them perform acoustic. The combination of them as opening, acoustically, with Shawn Colvin headlining remains one of the highlights of my concert-going career. Well, at least I've just learned that Shawn Colvin will be in town in the next month or two, so perhaps I'll be able to see her. Too bad I probably won't have the money to see Innocence Mission next week. Jeff (who hopes this will start a trend of messages have absolutely nothing to do with Jody) |Jeffrey C. Burka | "Show what you are / Be strong, be true | | | Time for you to / Be who you are." | |jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu | --Happy Rhodes | ======================================================================== Date: 19 June 1992 14:45:15 CDT From: Subject: Something better to discuss? (was: It didn't start with me) (_caveat emptor_: contains adult words. parental discretion advised) Greg says we need something as per above, maybe this will fit the bill. Last night I spent much time skimming through _Give Sorrow Words_, by Maryse Holder (Grove Press, 1979), because the library recalled it. (It's about the author's sexual adventures in Mexico, where she was murdered.) When I read the first couple pages, my first reaction was "_she writes like me_." At least, this seems to hold for style if not for specific content. It starts out like this: Dear E., Had been going to write you ebullient sex letter intermixed with poetic epistemological reflections on being reborn in the crater of civilization but I actually fucked him this afternoon and it was grubby and banal, as you always knew. It is incredibly shocking, their lack of any need but to plug one conquest after another, and that boring whining _pleeeeeeze_ to let them shtoop you. Yet I succumbed. He played angry ploy (he would reject me if I didn't) and more strongly than I played my "If you care you''ll wait until man~ana." Sheez....But so grubadick was he....The visceral desire leading up to this sordid interlude was extremely pleasant....And the head too--lizards on the wall, seeming quintessentially him, or Mexico.... Plus I'm sick sick sick. Danced my ass off two nights ago in a really swinging disco here, swam my arms off, burned my bod to a crisp and got three hours sleep and BONGA. Now an invalid bored out of her gourd. In this deva- stated physical condititon, natch, was fucked. Yecch. (p. 17) Certainly not _exactly_ the way I write, but not that wide of the mark. Wonder where she learned to write like that :-). Mitch ======================================================================== From: kyrlidis@athena.mit.edu Subject: Arson Garden report Date: Fri, 19 Jun 92 16:12:48 EDT Hi, [This was written yesterday. I wasn't going to post it but hey, Jeff expressed interest, so there you go...:)] Well, it's been great fun seeing them live twice in 24 hours! The first time was at the Middle East Cafe. Liz, al footah, and I met there and enjoyed our dinner, checked out one of the opening bands (they sucked) and decided to have coffee and tea, trying not to stare at April Combs who was having dinner in the table next to ours. When we saw them leave we decided it was time to move to the back room (where the music was happening), and after the second opening band finished their set, we claimed the carpet space in front of the stage to ourselves, and sat down watching the band set up their instruments. April was walking around, and Greg decided it was now or never, and got up to say hi. After a while he pointed in our direction, and I took the cue to join in the conversation. As I mentioned yesterday she is a very beautiful, charming, and *funny* young lady. After a while, she left us to get ready for the show, we resumed our position on the floor, and indeed in a couple of minutes they started. They played a 50 minute set, all electric with lots of songs from both _Under Towers_ and _Wisteria_. Some of them were amazing. Lash, Love is all around us, This Chemical Draws, Impossible space and of 2 minds, where James Combs did some amazing effects with the volume knob on his electric guitar!!! April's voice was at times hidden under the guitars, but it was very powerful. She is IMHO a very passionate performer, and her jumps and stomps on the stage vibrated all the way through to the not-too-full room. After the show was over, we all lined up to check out the T-shirts, and chatted a little bit more with April. That is when the *Happy* incident occured :). Poor band. They made $28 from the show... That's pathetic, considering how talented they are....Then again Happy didn't make any money from the shows either... We found out how their ex-record company was on their back asking for money, when they practically don;t do anything to promote them, and heard about their nightmares of playing and nobody showing up... After a while Joe Harvard was playing with us chatting in front of the stage, and so we decided to say goodnight and call it a night. But the encounter wasn;t over... 17 hours later, and after a *really*boring* day at work, I finished a two hour lecture in one hour (my advisor wasn't there, so I got away with rushing through the stuff :) ) and hopped onto the T, and in no time I was in the Harvard Square Tower Records, where the center aisled had been moved slightly to accomodate a little stage where Arson Garden were to perform an acoustic set. I stood by the magazine rack, in front of a Michael Jackson stand where his latest book was in display, and in the presence of the 'gloved' one waited for a while. Sure enough around 5pm they started with an acoustic version of Impossible Space, which was awesome, and then continued on with some interesting selections, ranging from some new unrecorded songs, to a cover of a Leonard Cohen song, to a 'sexy' song called 'Black Iron bed', to a mind-blowing cover of Patti Smith's 'Dancing Barefoot' to a funny country song. It was totally different from the other show, and just as powerful and interesting. Of course, after the end, we chatted for a while with them, kindly asked if they needed the posters :), Greg got some more autographs, and after a while we said goodbye to them, and Liz, Greg and I quickly rushed out of Tower, to avoid the siren call of all those CDs... :) I thoroughly enjoyed both of the performances, and encourage you to try to find some of their stuff. They are struggling musicians, and need your support. They also happen to be very talented!! Angelos +=====================================+ |'My ears have parasites'-hApPy RhOdEs| +=====================================+ ======================================================================== Date: Fri, 19 Jun 92 16:27:47 -0400 From: gb10@gte.com (Gregory Bossert) Subject: Re: Arson Garden report Angelos says: > [rave review of both Arson Garden shows deleted] yeh, what he said... ;) let me add that the level of technical ability of the group members is *extraordinary*!! not only is April an incredible singer, who manages to be in perfect control of her voice while *seeming* wild and impassioned, but the band is amazingly tight and polished, as the snarl through some *truly* difficult music... i do not, perhaps, feel the goose-bump-and-wonder emotional link to Arson Garden that i do to Happy or KaTe, but outside of those special cases i cannot think of a band that has more impressed and intrigued me... also, i agree that April is "beautiful, charming, and *funny*," and her bro James and the rest of the group are very very friendly... Jeff, it *was* you that sort knew them/knew of them in indiana, no? i mentioned you, anyway ;) they know about the Net and vaguely about gaffa and ecto... they remembered the chicago crew from the new years concert ("oh, yeah, Vickie!" :) and when i mentioned the autographed playing card that V. and KirI had gotten and sent to me, April said "oh, you're that guy! they said you were big fans!" :) and that i am! footah! -greg -- gb10@gte.com -- "those years are lines of color on my face, the past is warpaint" -- HR ======================================================================== Date: Fri, 19 Jun 92 16:37:58 -0400 From: gb10@gte.com (Gregory Bossert) Subject: Re: Something better to discuss? (was: It didn't start with me) Lizzylou (who?) suggests: >Perhaps you should read Mitch's now infamouse post re "rendered up the >spout." What, pray tell, is insipid or sanguine about that? just in time for Mitch to render up (spout-wise): >Last night I spent much time skimming through _Give Sorrow Words_, by >Maryse Holder (Grove Press, 1979) > >[great excerpt deleted -- go back and read it :) ] > >Certainly not _exactly_ the way I write, but not that wide of the >mark. Wonder where she learned to write like that :-). indeed the infamous (infacat?) r.u.t.s. (heh, a bit of an unintentional play on words there :) post was notably similar in style and content :) good goddess, if Happy ever starts reading ecto she'll disown us all :) foo'ah! -greg -- gb10@gte.com -- "who's the funky sex machine?" -- KTB ======================================================================== Subject: Re: Arson Garden report Date: Fri, 19 Jun 92 17:21:20 -0400 From: jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu Greg sez: >i do not, perhaps, feel the goose-bump-and-wonder emotional link to >Arson Garden that i do to Happy or KaTe, but outside of those special >cases i cannot think of a band that has more impressed and intrigued me... Yeah, what he said. Though there _are_ a few songs on _Under Towers_ that give me an incredible buzz (no shivers, which are reserved for more, um, haunting, I guess, music, but a definite adrenalin rush acompanied by uncontrollable urges to move my body in strange directions at high speed). Especially "Face of Resistance" and "Armistice". I have no idea how April manages to sing that long "line" in "Armistice" without running out of breath 1/3 of the way through. ;-) >Jeff, it *was* you that sort knew them/knew of them in indiana, no? i >mentioned you, anyway ;) Yeah, that's me. I didn't know them in person. April was the girlfriend of a friend of one of my best friends out there the year before I arrived so I used to hear stories about "Mike and 'Apey'" By the time I arrived the band had moved out of my dorm. I did see them play at various times and in various configurations around Bloomington. And another friend of mine often delivers pizzas to April. I was out record shopping last night for the first time in a month and a half (geez how I hate being broke!) but couldn't find anything interesting that I was looking for (which included _Wisteria_). Oh well. I can always get a copy from Bloomington. Why is it that AG has managed to get _two_ different lables that don't seem to promote them worth a damn? Then again, they _did_ do an appearance at a Tower. It just wasn't _my_ Tower. Jeff (who just realized that he used an "AG" acronym that probably shouldn't have been used in _this_ mailing list...;-) Happy weekend... ======================================================================== Date: Fri, 19 Jun 92 17:30:56 -0400 From: gb10@gte.com (Gregory Bossert) Subject: Re: Arson Garden report Jeff smilies: >(who just realized that he used an "AG" acronym that probably >shouldn't have been used in _this_ mailing list...;-) every time i saw a case or bit of equipment labelled "AG" at the Arson Garden show i did a doubletake ;) also, may i point out that "Arson Garden" is a very strange name? i will sit right here, waiting for the gift of sound and footah... -greg -- gb10@gte.com -- "quote" -- quotee ======================================================================== Date: Sat, 20 Jun 92 1:42:54 EDT From: Vickie Mapes Subject: Re: NOT MY SCENE, FOLKS... I've been reading the back and forth on this and things seem to be fairly straightened out now, but I did want to add a couple of things from my own perspective. First, I'm sorry you misunderstood, or misinterpreted, Steve's remark about Cynthia. I caught it right away. Cynthia and Steve and I have a "history" that made that line perfectly reasonable. I knew that it was meant in regards to Cynthia and me showing back up on the net the same day. I will be the first to admit that I myself have said a couple of nasty things about Cynthia at the height of the flame wars we were involved in. I regret that, because you're absolutely right about "backbiting" and "fuzzy blue" not being compatible. I said what I thought at the time, but shouldn't have brought it into Ecto, where it didn't belong. Bygones are bygones though, and Cynthia and I have had e-mail correspondence that was very friendly and interesting. We're not friends, but we're far from the enemies we used to be. I like and respect her and I think (maybe) she feels the same way about me, even though we disagree about a lot of things. Steve has written his thoughts, so I won't speak for him, but I hope you honestly understand that the remark he made was innocent and in context with our Cynthia history. I think your post has gotten us (me for sure) to think about issues such as talking about people who aren't on the list, and that's a good thing. Discussions like this help the list to gain even greater depth. Even though you've unsubscribed, I hope your feelings about Ecto are clarified and not as bitter (and "disgusted") as you seemed. About not liking Happy's music, I perfectly understand. She's not for everyone and I don't expect everyone (even on Ecto) to like her exactly the same way and with the same intensity. At least you tried her music out and that's the important thing. Many people have dismissed her without even hearing what she sounded like. I would never try to change your mind, but I would like to point out a couple of things, just because that's the kind of person I am :-) 1. Sometimes things you don't like right away grow on you. This is first on the list because of a post by Melissa Caldwell that appeared in gaffa today. She said that she listened to Jane Siberry's _The Walking_ and couldn't get through the first song. That reminded me that it took me nearly a year to like Jane. Chris was crazy about her and I just went "nice, but..." until one day when everything just clicked for me. NOw, of course, she's one of my very favorites. I dismissed Tori the same way, and I've already written about my conversion toward her. I'm not saying you WILL like Happy at some point in the future, but, from my own experiences, it's always possible you might hear her at a different stage in your (or Happy's) life and change your mind. You never know... 2. You mentioned that one of the things you disliked about Happy's music is that she's too depressing. I understand that. It's been discussed fairly recently *why* much of her music is so depressing. The only thing I really want to point out is that she grew and changed with each album, and the progression from suicidal depression to accepting herself and healing herself and embracing the beauty of life is all there in song. You have to admit that you're judging Happy on the basis of a sampler tape (the contents of which I can't remember) that only represents a fraction of her recorded output. Maybe the sampler tape is depressing, but many of Happy's songs are uplifting and inspiring, and some are downright fun and happy. Now, I realize that has nothing to do with her voice, which, if you don't like, is also understandable. If her voice bothers you, then nothing I say about her music and lyrics will change your mind. I just didn't want you to go away thinking that *all* of Happy's music is depressing and black. I don't suggest that you try more songs, I just wanted you to know. Thanks for being open about your feelings. When people unsubscribe from Ecto without a word, I often wonder why. It's better to know, and be able to respond, and think about the reasons, than not know at all. See you on gaffa and rdt... Vickie ps, btw, some Ectophiles are under the impression that you're a man. You are the *female* Jody who is friends with Ed Suranyi, right? If you are that Jody, you're a big Jane Siberry fan, true? If you're not that Jody, sorry I got you confused. ======================================================================== Date: Sat, 20 Jun 92 2:33:28 EDT From: Vickie Mapes Subject: Re: :) Jessica wrote: >...i really *love* this list, and i just had to say so Ditto! I'm still trying to get caught up with everything. I loving every single post (even the Jody discussion) even though I can't comment on all of them. You people are terrific! Thanks for all the welcomes, every one is special and heartwarming to me. Welcome to all the new folks, it's nice to read all the introductions and hellos. I owe lots of people e-mail and I'm working on it. I only have a fraction of the time I used to have to spend on the net, so my replies will tend to lag *way* behind, thanks in advance for being patient with me. I loved hearing about the Philly in-store, thanks Bob, Jessica and Greg for passing along all the details. What fun! Happy Birthday to Albert, Tracy and David Lubkin! Has there been any discussion about the group Cranes while I was gone? I discovered their album _Wings of Joy_ a few weeks ago and I really love it (well, not every song, but most of them) and Allison Shaw's voice is *so* cool. (but very weird, kind of like a cross between Virginia Astley and Val Martino from Grace Darling...it's high and sweet and child-like and ethereal) Neile, I too love "When the Rain Came Down" very much! Do you have the original version, or the CD version? Happy told me that she didn't put it on Warpaint because it was *too* much like Kate, the chorus, that is. Uh oh, "In Concert" is just starting. Tori is on, gotta go... I'll be back! Vickie ======================================================================== Date: Fri, 19 Jun 92 23:46:49 PDT From: stevev@greylady.uoregon.edu (Steve VanDevender) Subject: Something better to discuss? (was: It didn't start with me) I think you should write _exactly_ like that, Mitch. Except you'd talk about getting rendered up the spout, allowing your posts to be distributed under the more profitable PG-13 rating rather than the less marketable R and making them far more humorous than Maryse Holder's. "Last night at the sociology conference I ended up sitting next to a charming blonde during an inner-city demographics presentation. Afterwards during casual conversation we discovered a mutual interest in sex-bias statistics and soon she was offering to show me her results if I'd show her mine. We retired to my hotel room, where after much discussion of controversial but highly interesting recent proposals presented during the day, I rendered her up the spout. Yecch." Hmm, not quite wordy enough and I'm sure I didn't do your field justice but really, we'd plow through every word of your posts all the more diligently if they went like that :-). ======================================================================== Date: 20 Jun 92 12:25:00 From: Alan.Ezust@f1.n721.z5.fidonet.org Subject: Goodbye Africa! To: ecto@ns1.rutgers.edu Date: Sat Jun 20 12:26:04 1992 GMT+2 I have exactly one week left to spend on the "dark continent". All my luggage was dropped off at British Airways yesterday, and I am saying goodbye to all my african buddies. I'll be re-subscribing to ecto when I get back to North America, around the second week in July, but I'll be doing some travelling around the continent so I won't always be accessible by e-mail. I want to enjoy my last few months of freedom before I go back to grad school at McGill in september... If there are any ecto-gatherings anywhere in the US happening between, say July 15 and August 30, please send me details of them: where they are, who to call, if there are cheap places to stay in the area, etc.. I'll have a "delta pass" so I'll be able fly anywhere on the spur of the moment. Please send to sae@cmpsci.suffolk.edu, my "permanent" e-mail address... I already know about the Katemas party in Boston, and I am quite sure I will be there. Looking forward to seeing those I met before again and meeting those I didn't!! And I'll be here - I'll be ecto.... -S. Alan Ezust sae@cmpsci.suffolk.edu 70 Wendell St Cambridge, MA 02138 617-354-5252 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- , Jun 20 1992 at 12:38 ======================================================================== From: iamecto@chinet.chi.il.us (kirstin hargie) Subject: HBP Date: Fri, 19 Jun 92 22:48:09 CDT Since Klaus posted the songs sthat are planned for the HBP, thought I would jump right in and say that mine isn't going to be what I said - partially because the album was in my mom's car when it ws in the accidnet and is slightly warped - however if I find the tape I made of the album I will still be sending that. In lieu of the Breeze tuneo/..//...who knows what I'll play....shhh...I may be working on an alternative version of take me with you....muse only. but that's tentative.. Just watched Jesus of Montreal - excellent flicko!! back to Madame Bovary kIrI ======================================================================== From: kyrlidis@athena.mit.edu Subject: Monsters poll results Date: Sat, 20 Jun 92 11:57:09 EDT Rock the vote, choose or lose Monsters yes, monsters boo Don't know, don't care The numbers are in and I will share them with you The following results were collected, counted, double-checked and triple-checked by the counting firm of Kyrlidis, Inc., of Cambridge, MA. They are provided for your reading enjoyment. Any unauthorized use of these results, is prohibited by law, except where it is legal. Monsters YES : 12 Monsters NO : 4 So, to summarize, Monsters win big. But according to the pluralistic, democratic constitution of ectoland no victory speeches, or celebrations are expected. When asked to comment about the landslide victory, and plans to restructure Happy's commercial appeal, all monsters refused to reply. Alice, who was not included in the poll, as he is a subject of a song, and not a cover-monster per se, was seen drinking can after can of ecto-cooler, and in a sugar-high commented 'I feel warm and whole, and there's noone here. I want to break free from your lies, you're so self-satisfied I don't need you. And who does Happy think she is, to sing 'he's alive, because I let him be...Come through the walls, your lady calls'? I'm alive and kicking, and I'll do what I (*&#$ want' Angelos ======================================================================== From: kyrlidis@athena.mit.edu Subject: Happy promotion Date: Sat, 20 Jun 92 12:52:27 EDT Hi, Just when you thought that I'd stop rambling I am back :) Well, the latest Rolling Stone has an interesting plea to its readers to pick and review their favorite albums of the 60's,70's 80's and 90's. I will go for it and talk about: 60's: Velvet Underground and Nico 70's: David Bowie-'Heroes' 80's: KaTe Bush-The Dreaming 90's: Happy Rhodes-Warpaint For more info, check the latest issue of RS (with the Batman cover). If it gets published you can say in coctail parties: 'oh, I've written for RS :)'. Angelos who usually gets published in Physical Review A ;) ======================================================================== The ecto archives are on hardees.rutgers.edu in ~ftp/pub/hr. There is a README file explaining what is where. Feel free to send me (or leave in the incoming directory, just let me know) things you'd like to have added. -- jessica (jessica@ns1.rutgers.edu)