From: owner-ecto-digest To: ecto-digest@ns2.rutgers.edu Subject: ecto-digest V2 #131 Reply-To: ecto@nsmx.rutgers.edu Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Monday, 12 June 1995 Volume 02 : Number 131 The Ecto digest is now being generated automatically. Please send problems and questions to: ecto-owner@nsmx.rutgers.edu. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: vnozick@tribune.com (Nozick, Valerie) Date: Mon, 12 Jun 95 12:42:48 cst Subject: Re: Re; Drinks in airports Tim Cook chided: >I would just like to say for the record that in said airport bar I >gently sipped tomato juice whilst Chip and Valerie got wasted on >tequila slammers ;-) ;-) It's okay. You can say it all you want, but those in the know know what _really_ happened. >(Chip get those fuzzy blue becks on ice). Um, only tomato juice for you, Tim! ==> Valerie ------------------------------ From: kcd@romulus.cray.com (Kevin Dekan {x66440 CF/DEV}) Date: Mon, 12 Jun 95 13:50:35 CDT Subject: bummer On Sat, 10 Jun 95 15:18:06 CDT I wrote: > i'm hoping to catch Jewel when/if she plays at the Fine Line > Cafe in Minneapolis July 3rd. i have not been able to confirm that > show as of yet with the folks there. hope it happens! Well, as luck would have it, the people at Fine Line told me today that the Jewel concert is *NOT* going to happen. I originally saw this date on Jewel's web page. Now I guess I'll have to see if the Madison, WI. show is still on. What a drag. I'm going to go cry in my coffee now... Kev ------------------------------ From: Greg Bossert Date: Mon, 12 Jun 95 14:51:33 EDT Subject: Re: Well, it's about time congratulations to Matt and newly expanded family! 'twas quite a story! i hope mother and child are well and happily home in Omaha. a fuzzy blue footah to Aaron Matthew Bittner! - --+ greg bossert rutgers university network services +-- - --+ bossert@noc.rutgers.edu +-- - --+ http://www-ns.rutgers.edu/~bossert +-- - --+ i have never been afraid to change -- Happy +-- - --+ the circumstances of the world -- Rhodes +-- ------------------------------ From: Garrick Twinney Date: 12 Jun 95 20:05:20 GMT Subject: Natalie's solo album. Hello. This is my first post to this group, I have been lurking for a few weeks, so HELLO to you all. Today I picked up Natalie Merchant's solo album 'Tiger Lilly', a promo copy, and am happy to report that on the first hearing, all I've had time for so far, it is fantastic. I'm looking forward to having the time, some chance I'm in the middle of exams and mountains of work, to sitting down and giving it a _proper_ listen. Looks like I've got a lot of catching up to do with regards to my CD collection as I've never heard a lot of the artists mentioned on Ecto. What would be recommended to someone who likes Ecto artists in general with a special emphasis on Kate Bush? I looked in on the MUSH the other morning and there was no one else there :( Serves me right for trying to connect in the morning, over here, when the rest of the Ecto world will be asleep. My connection is always really slow in the afternoons though which puts a bit of a dampener on trying to log on then. That's all. Back to lurking. - --- 'We all share the same air' - Kate Bush. - -Garrick ------------------------------ From: Greg Bossert Date: Mon, 12 Jun 95 14:51:33 EDT Subject: Re: Well, it's about time congratulations to Matt and newly expanded family! 'twas quite a story! i hope mother and child are well and happily home in Omaha. a fuzzy blue footah to Aaron Matthew Bittner! - --+ greg bossert rutgers university network services +-- - --+ bossert@noc.rutgers.edu +-- - --+ http://www-ns.rutgers.edu/~bossert +-- - --+ i have never been afraid to change -- Happy +-- - --+ the circumstances of the world -- Rhodes +-- ------------------------------ From: SBI!200HUBBARD!AMYD@lmbinc.attmail.com Date: Mon, 12 Jun 1995 14:20:00 +0000 Subject: i'm a dinosaur.. First off... a very high hearty congrats to Dad, Mom and Baby Bittner!!! (Way to go Matt! Your wife deserves a medal for that one!) Sounds like an episode of one of my fave tv shows.. ER! Hopefully the REST of the stuff that comes with a new baby (i.e. sleeping and feeding schedules) don't go as strangely! - - - - - Tamar (BOUTAME@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu) mused.. > I just saw King Crimson twice last week and they were >absolutely incredible! If anyone has a chance to see them, GO! Can anyone >here (like brni) tell me a little about the Chapman stick? I'd heard about it >for a long time, but I hadn't actually seen one before. It looks impossible >to play. Just how many strings does that thing have on it anyway? And what's >the difference between the stick that Trey Gunn plays (which has a body) and the >one that Tony Levin plays (which doesn't)? And how did those guys get to be >so cool anyway? I AM SOOOOOO JEALOUS!!!! I gave up my chance to see Crimso when I dumped the out-of-state boyfriend. oh well... another friend of mine got to see that show in Cincinnati and said they were fanfu*kintastic! with the exception of Mr. Fripp who as usual sat unanimated off to the back of the stage (but I still have tremendous respect for him - quite an eccentric guy!). In answer to your question - I don't rightly know the difference between what Tony plays and what Trey Gunn plays. I do know there are a couple types of "frettless" bass guitars, but I've seen and played (like, in real life) a Chapman Stick. - I knew this guy who had a buddy who played one = he actually let me "touch" it (uh oh.. obscure Spinal Tap joke...) They are played like a keyboard instrument where your fingers run up and down the neck in a rhythmic way. Other than that... I dunno - I trust someone will provide us the answer... King Crimson remains one of my all-time-favourite bands because they are always re-inventing themselves. And... they still have a sense of humor about themselves. I think that is what sets them apart from some of the others in their genre - and why they have endured quality-wise over the years. I just LOVE THRAK!!!! (it is quite reminiscent of Discipline) I heard from a reliable source that KC are going to extend their tour toward the end of the summer - in other words - they'll be baaaaack.... maybe I can see them on that leg of the tour... cheers! Amy D...... ------------------------------ From: Mary M Date: Mon, 12 Jun 1995 14:59:23 -0500 Subject: danielle howle Hello. I had originally posted something about Danielle Howle having opened for the Throwing Muses' show here, along with Lotion, NY rock band. I misspelled Howle's last name in my previous post, and confused her with possibly being a former Boston actress (I periodically used to learn things about Boston because that is where my sister went to school)... I have received today a 7" recording of hers on Simple Machines Records, which includes the 3 acoustic cuts "The Wrestling Song," "The Frog Song," and "Back of Your Mind," the last of which is apparently a live cut probably from the Working Holiday Party. I also received my order for The Working Holiday Party cd (Arlington, VA festival from probably 1994) and also *Working Holiday*. Howle is on the first track of the party cd. She is, it turns out, a young SC folk singer who accompanies herselfon acoustic rhythm guitar. Her voice is strong, somewhat reminiscent of various stalwarts like Joni Mitchell and Jane Siberry, but her writing is unique and sorta humorous/whimsical, altho having heard her live, I guess she can be kinda snotty in her lyrics too. I haven't heard much from her that indicates much in the way of emotion yet, but I'm sure that's forthcoming too. I did hear her do a good job with a gospel tune a capella (and sans microphone) on stage, and noticed a jittery/hyper personality full of energy. Simple Machines Records is contacted at p.o. box 10290, Arlington, VA 22210-1290 and at SimpleMach@AOL.com for those interested... Howle's travelled a lot with bands like Tsunami, I guess, and her bio mentions that she is in a band called Lay Quiet Awhile, which released an LP on Daemon Records, P.O. Box 1207, Decatur, GA 30031. I gave you this info because I hate giving bad info and like to correct myself as fully as possible. Sorry I don't know more to say or more descriptive judgments about her, but I hate being a critic -- I prefer just to pass on info...if anyone else has something to say about this artist let me know thru private email or post it as you prefer. - --mary ------------------------------ From: lakrahn@iw.net (Laurel Krahn) Date: Mon, 12 Jun 1995 15:51:05 -0500 Subject: Flash Girls new album I'm *very* excited about the new Flash Girls album. Not just because they are friends of mine-- but because it is very, very good. Definitely ecto-fodder. :) Gothic folk, female vocals. Then there are all the Gaiman connections (which ties in to Tori, see?). :) Here's the press release, dated May 15th, followed by my own review of the album (actually, I'm gonna put that in a separate post soon to follow this one). The CD ships, hopefully at the end of this week to those who have orders placed. Album is officially due out on July 1. FLASH GIRLS RELEASE _MAURICE AND I_ Minnesota Music Award-winning duo the Flash Girls will release their second album of gothic folk, _Maurice and I_, on July 1 of this year. Produced by Adam Stemple of Boiled in Lead, it features Emma Bull on guitar and vocals and the Fabulous Lorraine on fiddle and vocals. Also tracked are BiL bassist Drew Miller on dulcimer; Lojo Russo on mandolin, bass, and vocals; former Maria Muldaur sideman John R. Burr on piano and Wurlitzer; and Nicole LeCorgne and Steven Brust on percussion. Ex-BiL tunesmith Todd Menton, soprano Stephanie Murray, and the immortal Drunken Male Chorus provide additional highlights, and a team of specialists create the strangest bagpipes this side of Jupiter. Songwriting credits go to Bull and Lorraine, and to Neil Gaiman, creator of DC Comics' _Sandman_; award-winning fantasy author Jane Yolen; Alan Moore, writer of the _Watchmen_ series and the serial graphic novel, _From Hell_; Minnesota/Nashville songwriter Mark Henley; and several dead Irish and Scottish musicians whose names no one knows. The acoustic-death-romance cover art is by Michael Zulli, cutting-edge comics artist and illustrator and sometime _Sandman_ penciller. The first Flash Girls album, _The Return of Pansy Smith and Violet Jones_, was praised by reviewers in the U.S. and Britain, and received international airplay. For more information on the Flash Girls, write SteelDragon Inc., Box 7253, Minneapolis, MN 55407. Or send email to lakrahn@imho.net. The Flash Girls Web page is at http://sunspot.health.org/flash/ --- The Flash Girls mailing list is no-longer announce-only. We're running majordomo software and so far things seem to be working. To subscribe, send email to signal-to-noise-request@imho.net with a message body of subscribe signal-to-noise I have a funny feeling we won't always be just discussing the Flash Girls, the Scribblies, Neil Gaiman, and other stuff may very well be fair game. I'm hoping it'll be a happy ecto (whee) type of environment. The listname "signal-to-noise" is taken from a song by Emma Bull, first featured in her novel _War for the Oaks_. Recorded by Cats Laughing, as well as by the Flash Girls. Is also a graphic novel by Neil Gaiman/Dave McKean. :) And I think it an appropriate name for a mailing list. ;-p Any questions, write to me at lakrahn@imho.net. - ----- Laurel Krahn /// lakrahn@iw.net Director of Operations /// 800.386.IWAY Iway Internet Services /// http://www.iw.net/ ------------------------------ From: stevev@greylady.uoregon.edu (Steve VanDevender) Date: Mon, 12 Jun 95 13:57:10 PDT Subject: stickstuff brni writes: > before i go on and on...can anyone tell me what they think of > the most recent throwing muses stuff? the last album of theirs that > i got was _red heaven_, which was not interesting at all (which is > a shame, since i think that all the albums before that were some of > the best music to come out in many long years). A while ago, on my birthday, I got _Shimmering, Warm and Bright_ by Bel Canto, and _University_ by the Throwing Muses (now without Tanya Donnelly). At the time, I liked SW&B a lot, and was sort of lukewarm about U. After a couple of weeks, I found myself really getting into U, and SW&B migrated out of my CD player (I still like it, don't worry). I've reached the conclusion that U is a really cool album. ------------------------------ From: lakrahn@iw.net (Laurel Krahn) Date: Mon, 12 Jun 1995 16:30:49 -0500 Subject: Flash Girls album review I haven't reviewed the new Flash Girls album on signal-to-noise yet, for fear of getting lynched by fans anxious to hear it. It's not out yet, but I have a promo tape copy that I received last week. It's *very* good. I know some ectophiles who liked the first Flash Girls album quite a bit, well this one surpasses that album. Emma and Lorraine have played together much longer, and it shows. The production is better on this album, as well. Adam Stemple has gotten quite a bit of production practice since _The Return of Pansy Smith and Violet Jones_. Yes, again, it's gothic folk. Emma sings and plays guitar, Lorraine plays fiddle and sings. Lorraine's vocals have improved dramatically, and they seem used (and not used) to better effect on this album. Emma's voice gets stronger and stronger, as does her guitar playing. Of course, there are a great many guest musicians sitting in. See my previous press release post for a list. They're all used to wonderful effect. The album leads off with "Prince Charming Comes," a delightful song with lyrics by Jane Yolen, music by her son, Adam Stemple. Upbeat musically, lyrically gorgeous. A Fairy Tale come to life. Anyone who knows Jane's work, should know what to expect. Very nice. It's followed by "Heathen Horse," a traditional instrumental, methinks. Sounds like Drew Miller playing dulcimer and other nifty stuff. Hard to tell without liner notes as of yet. :) "Banshee" is a glorious song written by Neil Gaiman. It's evolved since I first heard the Flash Girls perform it. It's a haunting song, beautiful lyrically and musically. Slide guitar, piano, and other instruments add to the mix. It builds delightfully. I think Happy would *love* this one. I think most ectophiles would. I think "Neil's Reel/Star of the County Down" follows this song. I don't have the tape here and things may change on the official release... "Neil's Reel" is a reel Lorraine wrote. Named after that Neil guy she works for. "Star of the County Down" is a lovely traditional song. Emma sings it beautifully. They fit together easily. "A Girl Needs A Knife" is a collaboration between Emma Bull, Fabulous Lorraine, and Neil Gaiman. It's charming, dark, lovely. Growing on me with every listen. But then, I like knives. :+) "The Yeti Song" is a song Neil Gaiman wrote, when he was 16 or 18 years old, I forget which. The Flash Girls borrowed the song, played it once in awhile at shows. It's cute and funny and punny. I think Neil was embarassed, but don't quote me on that. Neil was out of town when the Flash Girls recorded _Maurice and I_, I often wonder if he knew the song would end up on the album or if they just surprised him. The version here is just Emma and Lorraine singing with piano playing by John R. Burr. Very fitting arrangement. Reminds me of old time movies, like this should be accompanying a cute black and white silent film. "Amaryllis" is my favorite track of the moment. I hadn't heard it before this recording. It's a peppy arrangement, reminds me of the subdudes musically, I think. Hard to say. Written by Emma Bull-- I'm wondering how old the song is, where it came from. Is gorgeous. Talking of the contradiction of finding an amaryllis in the minnesota climate. "crazy wind blows across the land / african drum in an irish band" makes me smile. Thinking of Boiled in Lead, I'd wager. "Elvira in Paris" is an instrumental written by the Fabulous Lorraine. Very very pretty. I've seen this song evolve, as well. It's a waltz, really. Fine fiddle playing. Very pretty. I'm terrible at describing instrumentals! "Twa Bonnie Maidens" is a traditional song. Pretty. Reminds me a lot of "What Will We Do" from the first album. It may be my least favorite song on the album, but it's still darn good. "Mike's Magic" is another Fabulous Lorraine instrumental. Reel, jig, uh, something like that. It's notable for the odd bagpipe effects at the end of it Must be heard to be uh, appreciated. :) "Me and Dorothy Parker" was written by Alan Moore. I might've recognized it as such without being told. Dark, witty, precise. Fun. Nice effects. I'm not sure how to describe this. Leonard Cohenesque? Emma raps? (well, speaks)... perfect production. it's good. "November Song" by Mark Henley is the final song. It's one of my all-time favorite songs. It first came to my attention when Emma sang it at music parties. And it was quoted in Steven Brust's fine novel _To Reign in Hell_. This is the first recorded version of it anywhere. I love it. I'm biased. It's one of those perfectly written songs. I'm accustomed to hearing Emma sing it. I don't think I'd ever heard the song with fiddle, very nice. I'm so* glad the Flash Girls recorded this. Yes, it's a quirky dark folky trad album. Better than the first album, this one is easier to get into, I think. The other took time to grow on me. I'm tempted to say this album isn't as "funny"-- but it has it's moments. It's a solid album, with a good balance of upbeat songs, slow pretty songs. Dark, humor, truth. I wish I could compare it better with other ecto artists, to give you some idea of if you'd like it-- but I can't think of anyone they resemble. The Flash Girls are originals... Check it out. If you don't like it, give it to a Gaiman/_Sandman_ fan. :) Or just frame the Michael Zulli cover art. :) Write to SteelDragon Inc. at Box 7253, Minneapolis, MN 55407. Check out the Flash Girls Web page for the latest information... http://sunspot.health.org/flash/ Or send me email... or get yourself on the Flash Girls electronic mailing list, signal-to-noise. :) best, Laurel Krahn /// lakrahn@iw.net Director of Operations /// 800.386.IWAY Iway Internet Services /// http://www.iw.net/ ------------------------------ From: jwaite@popmail.ucsd.edu (Jerene Waite) Date: Mon, 12 Jun 1995 14:39:30 -0700 Subject: Help with Walking Does anyone know where I might find a CD of "The Walking" by Jane Siberry? I've been unable to locate it in stores and no one seems to be able to order it. - --Jerene - ----------------------------------------------- Cherish the cycle; Freedom in time. --Happy Rhodes - ----------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ From: "Mitchell A. Pravatiner" Date: Mon, 12 Jun 95 19:16:46 EDT Subject: Reconstruction Wouldn't you know it--I was in the late stages of the first attempt at this post, when my connection to the toasternet died. Hope I can remember most of what I was mentioning. WRT Meredith's query: The indigo Girls and Sarah were on the same bill on June 3, when they and John Trudell headlined the Honor the Earth Concert in Portland, Ore. Depending on the propagation of alt.music.indigo-girls, the account of the concert may still be available. The downside of multitasking was brought home to me when I was reading Matt's dispatch from the delivery room, and it took me awhile to remember I was reading ecto and not cybermind, where someone also had a baby recently. Does this carry the seeds of "ecto: the next generation?" :-) WRT Brni's query: Fred (MC5) Smith died of a heart condition. I don't kow how long he had it. Personal to Tim Cook: it only take some vodka to turn your tomato juice into a bloody mary. What was the detailed composition of the veggie nectar you were drinking alongside the other C&V (not the ones that live at Gaffa Central) in the airport bar, to make you enjoy it so? :-) WRT Mae Moore's gig: The essence of smart eating is to know how to meet the minimum order without overspending, in the continuing quest to achieve satiety :-). A belated happy birthday to Les Paul, inventor of the electric guitar as we know it, without which much of what we talk about here wouldn't be happening; and a belated in memoriam to J. Presper Eckert, coinventor of the computer as we know it, without which we wouldn't be here in the first place. Mitch ------------------------------ From: woj Date: Mon, 12 Jun 1995 19:19:41 -0400 Subject: Re: the Esteemed Mr. Dolby mojzes@monet.vill.edu (brni) sez: >well, anyone who read this far *has* to be interested in the Esteemed >Mr. Dolby's work. For these people, i will recommend some rather >obscure early recordings that include Herr Dolby. i'll also add that the esteemed mister dolby contributed "ocean" (a synth thing, i guess) to robyn hitchcock's "love" on _black snake diamond role_ (recently reissued by rhino records in the states and sequel records in the uk). in return, robyn generated the voice of keith in "white city" on _the flat earth_. woo hoo! woj ------------------------------ From: woj Date: Mon, 12 Jun 1995 19:36:39 -0400 Subject: Re: danielle howle mary m sez: >I also received my order for The Working Holiday Party cd (Arlington, >VA festival from probably 1994) and also *Working Holiday*. Howle is >on the first track of the party cd. well, i'll be fahrvegnugened...i have the working holiday live disc, but just haven't listened to it yet. danielle howle does indeed have the first track on the disc: the ditty "big puffy girl handwriting". it's a kinda goofy number, which seems to be in line with mary's description of howle's material. woj ------------------------------ From: jeffw@triple-i.com (Jeff Wasilko) Date: Mon, 12 Jun 1995 16:56:54 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: the Esteemed Mr. Dolby Just FYI, there is a mailing list for Dolby fans. Thomas is on the list and has apparently emailed posters directly. To subscribe send mail to majordomo@kspace.com with subscribe dolby in the body. ------------------------------ From: Neal Copperman Date: Mon, 12 Jun 1995 21:06:24 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Helpless with Walking On Mon, 12 Jun 1995, Jerene Waite wrote: > Does anyone know where I might find a CD of "The Walking" by Jane Siberry? > I've been unable to locate it in stores and no one seems to be able to order it. > The bad news is that this disc is inexplicably out of print. It's hard to imagine why, as it's a wonderful album, and the only one in her catalog that is not available. Neal ------------------------------ From: Neal Copperman Date: Mon, 12 Jun 1995 21:15:18 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Canadian flicks But first, let me join the applause welcoming Matt's son into the world. Hope he and your wife (and you!) are holding up ok, and that Pearl Jam is gone before he's old enough to buy music. Last Friday I saw the first of 4 Canadian films being shown at the Walters Art Gallery. It was called Whale Music, and had a really promising description that went something like A reclusive, bloated, over-the-hill rock star has his life shaken up by the surprise arrival of a runaway, who helps him with his magnum opus, a symphony for whales. Unfortunately, it looked like a cool, off-kilter art movie that ended up being made by a major studio, who decided the runaway should be a young girl who spends most of the movie in her underwear, and who marvels endlessly at the really bad music made by the rock singer, which she should not (IMO) show the least bit of interest in. (Although I have to admit to getting some pleasure from a song snippet whose only lyrics seemed to be "torque torque, the beast needs more torque") But there was a point to this. The screening organizer complained that it was virtually impossible to license new Canadina films (these are all from 1994). That it was easier to get films from just about anywhere else in the world. Does anyone up north have any idea why this might be true? Neal ------------------------------ From: THE OLIVE-LOAF VIGILANTE Date: Mon, 12 Jun 1995 21:40:51 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Jewel Live Alert! Hi! First off, before I warn non-NYC-area-'philes that they don't really need to read this post, a hearty CONGRATULATIONS to Matt Bittner on the (rocky) arrival of his son into the world!!! While it was hell as it was happening, at least both baby and parentals are fine, and that's what counts! :) Non-NYC-area-'philes can hit "D" now. :) Jewel is playing at Fez tomorrow night!!! Doors open at 7, show starts at 8, with The Candy Butchers (gag) and a neat duo called Jack McKeever opening (thanks to Nick Hill for featuring them live on his show last night!). Jewel should take the stage at 10 or so. Mike Curry, woj, footah (?) and I will be there... come say hello! +==========================================================================+ |Meredith Tarr meth@delphi.com| |Boonton, NJ USA finger info at: mtarr@eagle.wesleyan.edu| +==========================================================================+ |"You obviously have trouble getting a clue. In fact, you don't know what a| | clue is. You couldn't get a clue if I turned you loose with a clue net in| | a field full of rutting clues." -- favorite USENET quote of the month :)| +==========================================================================+ ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V2 #131 ************************** ======================================================================== Please send any questions or comments about the list to ecto-owner@nsmx.rutgers.edu