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 #335 ecto, Number 335 Tuesday, 22 September 1992 Today's Topics: *-----------------* HBP What a weekend! Siberry -- Walking cursing the morning... Music of the Season and other stories Cursing the season and other stories (?) anne clark another week in ectoLand psychowelders my bloody valentine ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 21 Sep 92 08:43:41 +0100 From: Terry Partis Subject: HBP Hi ectophiles, Can someone in the US give maybe the smallest clue as to what has happened to the HBP???? I sent tapes well in advance of the cut-off date to the snail mail address and have heard nothing since? Did they get there? Was the HBP sent to Happy in time for her birthday? Was the HBP completed? Was it started??? It would perhaps be nice to know if the tapes and message, etc that I sent were received. I heard that footah was having pr oblems making the tape up, with his new job , but was the preparation ever passed on to anyone else????and if so is it in hand? Good to know that Vickie is taking a hand in the next HGP,could be that the HGP will be completed before the HBP??? Sorry to be such a nerd about this, but I'm not having a lot of success with sending tapes to the US.. The first ones got lost in the post and this last pair could be anywhere unless they are still in Footah's sack. Anyway I thought I bring the subject to the surface again, since any mention of HBP seems to be tabboo and has sunk to the bottom lately!! =============================================================================== _ __ Jolly Hockeysticks _ __ / `-' ( ,,, / `-' ( ,,, | I I ||||||[:::] | I I ||||||[:::] \_.-._( ''' Terry (Tel Boy) Partis \_.-._( ''' _ __ (tgp@ukc.ac.uk) _ __ / `-' ( ,,, With a smile and a song / `-' ( ,,, | I I ||||||[:::] I'm HaPpY | I I ||||||[:::] \_.-._( ''' \_.-._( ''' YYUR - YYUB - ICURYY4ME ================================================================================ ======================================================================== From: kyrlidis@athena.mit.edu Subject: What a weekend! Date: Mon, 21 Sep 92 11:08:58 EDT Good news or bad news first? bad news: MIT is recovering from the murder of a student outside the science library on Friday night. A truly sad event... :( good news: France voted OUI! [by a narrow margin, mind you, but a oui is a oui] Other news: Found the Digging in the dirt CD single for 99 cents, (now THAT's what I call a deal) and I'd like to point out that it has four tracks on it: Ditd, Ditd (instrumental), Quiet Steam, and Bashik Bazouk (or something like that). GOOD STUFF! I also *finally* got me some Laura Nyro, but haven't fully listened to the album. Although the songs are late 60's pop, the vocal qualities are apparent. More on that later. back to Hartree Fock Angelos ======================================================================== Date: 21 Sep 92 11:12:55 EDT From: MJM Subject: Siberry -- Walking Noteworthy Music carries Jane's Walking CD for 10.71. They ship internationally. call 1-800-648-7972 (US) call 1-603-881-5729 to request a free catalog. (2.50/canada;5$international) FAX: 1-603-883-9220. They take plastic. -mjm ======================================================================== Date: Sat, 19 Sep 92 15:21:58 EDT From: woj Subject: cursing the morning... hey all... just finished reading through the past week's digests (i was out of town again); or at least the digests which have been delivered though the middle of the week. thought i'd toss my two pesatas into the discussion on suzanne vega's new album. i picked it up last weekend and listened to it twice before leaving and a few times today. i rather like it in fact. you might recall the love- hate relationship i have with her music that i've babbled about before. well, despite that, i find that the old style songs are rather boring. however, the new style songs are *great*. "blood makes noise" and "99.9 fo" are the next step in the evolution of her music based on the foundation of _days of open hand_: more involved instrumentation and farther and farther away from an acoustic origin. in fact, the instrumentation for most of the songs really appeals to me: that fuzzy bass is *great* and i'm impressed by her use of percussion - she's getting better and better at rhythm with every album. i'm also rather pleased with her songwriting development as well, especially with regards to the musical aspects of that. interestingly, my first reaction to much of the album was laughter - it's incredibly funny to hear her in the context of the album, especially as someone who's loved her simple acoustic stuff from day one. however, it's good laughter and i really do enjoy the album (i think the song i laughed at most was "when heroes go down" which reminds me of marshall crenshaw for some reason; in- cidentially, you can sing the lyrics of the classic "needles and pins" to that melody). i disagree about the production complaints that valerie had - i don't hear this as production as i hear it as development (this does not surprise me though: we still argue about "rocKeT man" whenever we see each other :) other news... *mucho* thanks to michael peskura for the amy denio tape! uninvited, he sent me an early release of hers called _no elevators_. quirky, funny and en- grossing jazz/rock weirdness. it's surprising that her essential sound has not changed that much over the years - i could pick out her sax playing from a mile away (if it was loud enough), but even the songs sound vaguely similar to those on her latest release. despite that, it's all great and highly recommended. probably the easiest material that she's done to find would be _birthing chair blues_ on knitting factory works and the tone dogs' _ankety low day_ on c/z records. hats off to michael for being a way-cool guy (tm). found the debut tape of a local (well, hoboken-based) duo called the marys last week. this is acoustic pop of the amusing and serious nature. i have a single of theirs as well called "the day roy orbison died" (which is also on the release). well worth your money if you ever come across it - kinda like a more rootsy barenaked ladies stripped down and less focused on being funny, but still managing to be so when the mood strikes them. they write excellent songs though. listening right now to swirl - a uk band in the my bloody valentine/ride vein of stuff. this is also pretty good, though a lot less fuzzed out than mbv. perhaps ride's "vapour trail" is a good reference point. not too much to say about them since this is the first listen to it i've given. can anyone fill me in on some info about anne clark? i picked up a single of hers ("true love tails") last weekend. i have not listened to it yet, but i saw a lot of her stuff the last time i was in germany. i feel like i should know who she is, but the mind is drawing an utter blank. well, that's it for now. back to cleaning out the closet (a rewarding ac- tivity for spatial and nostalgic reasons). woj ======================================================================== Date: 21 September 1992 13:51:02 CDT From: Subject: Music of the Season and other stories Hope _Warpaint_ makes it to the Clinton campaign in one format or another. "Words Weren't Made for Cowards" is indeed apropos; but given the kind of mud that's been going back and forth--in more campaigns than just the presidential one--it occurs to me that "The issue is, does conscience survive?" may be at least as relevant. With all this in mind, I would like to propose some starter entries for a list of apropos music for this campaign season. Needless to say, everybody's additional suggestions are solicited. Alice Cooper, "I Wanna Be Elected" (or something to that effect--if Tipper hasn't already put Alice on the Mothers of Prevention shit list :-) ) Doobie Brothers, "It Keeps You Running" Patti Smith, "People Have The Power" Frank Sinatra, "Here's to the Winners" _____________, "Here's to the Losers" (as Lord Baden-Powell used to say, be prepared for any old thing :-) ) Max Frost and the Troopers, "Nothing Can Change The Shape of Things To Come" (for use in emergency only :-) ) In other news: On Angelos' advice, I bought the latest _Q_ magazine while shopping at Tower yesterday, as part of my recent descent into economic irrationality :-). In addition to the free CD sampler of recent Columbia releases (including some very good stuff), it has what is claimed to be one of the first pictures of Our Kate (we should probably be getting out those Bush '92 posters in connection with the referents of the previous paragraph :-) ), and--just for those in need of a reality check--an interview with Kylie Minogue. All this for only $6.25 Yankee dollars (up from $5.95 the previous issue). Mitch ======================================================================== From: kyrlidis@athena.mit.edu Subject: Cursing the season and other stories (?) Date: Mon, 21 Sep 92 17:10:37 EDT Hmmmmm.. woj inspired me to write: One comment wrt Suzanne Vega again: Is it me, or is the song mix used in the neo-industrial type video of 'Blood makes noise' a 'rougher' mix? I was on the verge of falling asleep when it got played last night, and couldn't be bothered to check with the recorded version. I *think* it is. Nice video. Mitch writes (re: Q magazine): >--just for those in need of a reality check--an interview with Kylie Minogue. Which was fascinating reading! I literally couldn't believe what I was reading. ;) The REM interview was interesting, AND the Peter Gabriel questionnaire at the end was also interesting, although he was rather cryptic and uninclined to answer their questions. Did France say 'Oui' or 'mmmmmmm, yes'? :) Can't wait for the new Sinead O Connor album, due out tomorrow! Angelos ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 21 Sep 92 17:11:20 EDT From: jessica@maurolycus.rutgers.edu Subject: anne clark I have an anne clark CD "hopeless cases". It's title describes it probably better than I can. :) I actually like the album a bit, it's good for certain depressing moods:) The songs are more like poems with some occasional music background. Well, some are more song like than others. the music is very electronic - at times reminds me of Yaz's "Upstairs at Erics". The vocals are very different of course. It's more spoken than sung, most of the time. jessica ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 21 Sep 92 14:24:32 -0700 From: Michael G Peskura Subject: another week in ectoLand well, woj, i'm glad you enjoyed the amy denio tape ... she has a number of way cool (tm) tapes produced during the end of the 80's. besides i'm sure she'd love to hear from you people (as ole mr. perot would call us). i think she's great. contact Amy Eliott Denio c/o Spoot Music P.O. Box 85154 , Seattle WA 98145 US of A On a slightly different note, i highly recommend the Psychowelders 'Inertia' CD (thanx again for the tip, Vickie) not only for the music, but for the beautiful packaging as well. Mp ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 21 Sep 92 17:29:53 EDT From: jessica@maurolycus.rutgers.edu Subject: psychowelders Mmm! Let me second (or third or fourth or fifth at this point) the recommendation for the Psychowelders. Woj lent Greg and I the Inerta cd, (i've had it for a while now:) and it is indeed very very good. I listen to it pretty often. And as Mp notes, the packaging is beautiful. Thanks much to woj for lending us the CD. I guess you'll be wanting it back, now that you're back:) we'll have to order one for ourselves :) jessica ======================================================================== Subject: Re: Cursing the season and other stories (?) Date: Mon, 21 Sep 92 17:34:21 -0400 From: jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu Angelos sez: >One comment wrt Suzanne Vega again: Is it me, or is the song mix used in the >neo-industrial type video of 'Blood makes noise' a 'rougher' mix? I was on the >verge of falling asleep when it got played last night, and couldn't be >bothered to check with the recorded version. I *think* it is. Nice video. Having only seen the video twice, I'm not *really* qualified to say, but here's some speculation: In case you hadn't noticed (I don't see how you couldn't), there are two distinct vocal tracks on "Blood Makes Noise." Suzanne sounding like she always does on the left (at least on my headphones, which have been reassembled many times, so that may be inaccurate), and a weird distorted vocal on the right (compressed? sounds like some high end is missing? I've no idea, as I know next to nothing about such things). The two vocal tracks were recorded with very little care given to making sure they're perfectly synched (which I think is brilliant for the track). It seems entirely possible that on a low-fi, non-stereo tv (such as the one I saw the vidoe on!), the two tracks are harder to distinguish from one another, changing the sound of the song. Or it could just be a different mix... ;-) Jeff ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 21 Sep 92 15:07:12 PDT From: "John M. Relph" Subject: Re: Swirl >listening right now to swirl - a uk band in the my bloody valentine/ride >vein of stuff. this is also pretty good, though a lot less fuzzed out than >mbv. perhaps ride's "vapour trail" is a good reference point. not too much >to say about them since this is the first listen to it i've given. As opposed to The Swirlies? Apparently a U.S. band, doing much the same except more straightforward, less noise, a la earlier MBV material. MBV still win in this vein, nobody else has any power. Too busy being ethereal. -- John ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 21 Sep 92 15:15:20 PDT From: "John M. Relph" Subject: Re: anne clark jessica writes: >I have an anne clark CD "hopeless cases". > >The >vocals are very different of course. It's more spoken than sung, most >of the time. Actually both Anne Clark and Joolz are more poets than lyricists, more spoken word than songs. "Hopeless Cases" is definitely Anne Clark's best effort to date. It includes the underground classic "Hope Road", which apparently got some airplay. She's got some other good material as well, but I find I don't listen very often. HC gets on the turntable, so to speak, every so often. Joolz is the woman responsible for the artwork on most of the New Model Army releases. She writes poetry and performs it to a musical backdrop provided by New Model Army, and has also worked with Jah Wobble in the past. Her stuff is definitely more hard-edged than Ms Clark's. But there are some good gritty English street sentiments expressed in Joolz' work, as opposed to Ms Clark, who seems more the bourgeois intellectual. Also gets some airtime, so to speak, every so often. -- John ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 21 Sep 92 18:17:48 EDT From: justin@campion.crim.ca (Justin Bur) Subject: Anne Clark continuing on from where jessica left off... she's English; basically, she's a poet of Depressing Things (the music she recites to is usually written by others). The two albums I like best are Pressure Points (1985) and Hopeless Cases (1987). They are both readily available on Virgin Records at low prices in the UK and Germany. Pressure Points is a really good album, Deep Dismalness notwithstanding. Hopeless Cases I don't like quite as much, but it has Hope Road on it, which is very very good. After these two, there was a live album (recorded in Utrecht (NL), I think) called RSVP. Two earlier albums were released on Virgin Germany only: Changing Places (1983) and Joined Up Writing/The Sitting Room (actually two records on one CD). Later she switched to UK and German indie labels and my collection is very sparse. I don't have An Ordinary Life, but somehow I think it's probably a good album. Hmm, I should get a friend in Europe to send me a copy. Terra Incognita contains earlier material translated into Spanish. The most recent one I've seen is Unstill Life (1991). I didn't find it particularly noteworthy, but that could be because of insufficient listening and attention. In any case, Pressure Points is recommended! justin ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 21 Sep 92 15:32:23 -0700 From: Michael G Peskura Subject: my bloody valentine Oh oh, now you've got me started again ... remembering the MBV show, sitting there with a silly grin on my face (where else? :), blissed out by their barrage of noise and lights. Blood makes noise, huh? Well, guitars do, too ...! Mp ======================================================================== The ecto archives are on hardees.rutgers.edu in ~ftp/pub/hr. There is an INDEX file explaining what is where. Feel free to send me things you'd like to have added. -- jessica (jessica@ns1.rutgers.edu)