From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V3 #37 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Saturday, October 11 1997 Volume 03 : Number 037 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: waterson:carthy specifically & folk music generally [neile@sff.net (N] Women on Air web radio [Neal Copperman ] Re: [MSCHELLE@wiley.com: Jane tour dates at Christmas] [Neal Copperman ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 09:56:43 -0700 From: neile@sff.net (Neile Graham) Subject: Re: waterson:carthy specifically & folk music generally Count me as a huge Waterson:Carthy, Martin Carthy, Eliza Carthy, and middling Norma Waterson and The Watersons fan. I think a lot of this has to do with how you like your traditional music. I generally prefer hearing traditional music played simply, rather like the way it was traditionally played. These people/groups epitomize this for me. As does Cordelia's Dad. I'm also a big fan of rock instruments added to traditional folk, as in Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention's _Leige and Lief_, and now I guess Io (the rocking spin-off group of that side of the earlier Cordelia's Dad work). Oyster Band and Boiled in Lead generally go too far that way for me, though there are always songs I love, and I adored June Tabor's album with the Oyster Band, _Freedom and Rain_. Other people prefer the more synthesized, sometimes new-agey (Enya), or richer, prettier (Loreena McKennitt) music, or the very simple, very pretty stuff like Emma Christian, Christine Primrose, Eilith (sp?) McKenzie [I have her disc, I just can't spell her name]. Lots of the "pretty" stuff--I would say 95% of it--leaves me cold. It's a taste thing. Other people like traditional-flavoured contemporary folk, which is where I'd place Susan McKeown, and which is why it took a while for her work to grow on me, since very little contemporary folk appeals to me. Where most people find the emotional content of contemporary folk compelling, I mostly find the lyrics forced, didactic, and superficial, and the music mostly too smooth and pretty for my tastes, not matter how "rocked up" it is. And often it's music in service of a message, and I don't like being preached to, especially if I'm already in the choir. I've loved Martin Carthy's work for years, to the point where I've been picking up all of the recent cd reissues of his early work. He's a stupendous guitarist, and he's got a "real" not gorgeous voice which it suits the style of music he sings. I really like Eliza's new disc with the Kings of Calicutt. I have her earlier work with Nancy Kerr and like it ok, but the new one is wonderful. I love Norma Waterson's voice--I think it's edgy and rich--though I haven't picked up her solo disc because I haven't spotted it used yet. The Waterson's stuff I have two discs of, which is plenty for me. While I love their raw loud harmonies, a little of it goes a long way for me. As far as hearing traditional groups live, I love the jigs and reels, but on album it's the songs that get me. The jigs and reels only interest me much when they're live. It's in Waterson:Carthy that I love how it all comes together. Here's what I said in the Ectophiles' Guide entry on them in the "general comments" section: "The group consists of Norma Waterson and Martin Carthy, her husband, and Eliza Carthy, their daughter. It's wonderful how their voices and performances come together, and how all three of them shine together." and in the section on their first album: "A brilliant traditional folk album, and a wonderful compilation of songs, and their voices and the way they perform the songs complement each other well. A delight! It's traditional music done in a simple, traditional way and still lively and contemporary--and the musicianship is brilliant. The album won several awards when it was released in 1994." Anyway, more than anyone wanted to know about my tastes in folk music. - --Neile n.r. Helen Humphries, _Leaving Earth_ n.p. flourescent light buzz - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Neile Graham ..... http://www.sff.net/people/neile ..... neile@sff.net The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music .... http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 00:41:36 -0400 (EDT) From: Neal Copperman Subject: Women on Air web radio More on the Lisa Cerbone shows I mentioned a few days ago... in Cambridge she's playing just before Tara Mclean, so you now have added incentive to go (whoever you are). Sunday, October 12th - Oktoberfest @ Harvard Square Cambridge, MA part of HMV Records 2:00 full band performance 4:00 Tara Mclean hits the stage Also, Lisa sent this out in her last note. I haven't heard a thing about it, and don't generally do music on the web, but I'd be curious to hear feedback if anyone checks it out. > NEWS! Check out the Women on Air web site. You can hear entire radio > shows showcasing women artists. My music was selected for three of the > shows. You can listen as you surf: http://www.womenonair.com or > http://www.audionet.com/shows/womeninmusic/ Neal np: Storm of Drones ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 00:38:05 -0400 (EDT) From: Neal Copperman Subject: Re: [MSCHELLE@wiley.com: Jane tour dates at Christmas] On Tue, 7 Oct 1997, Jeff Wasilko wrote: > "Jane will be doing a December tour with some of the fine musicians > featured on the upcoming Christmas release 'Child' > > Canada: Vancouver, Toronto > > Great Britain: London, Dublin > > US: NYC, San Francisco, Portland, LA" And, apparently, Annapolis MD!!!! This is extra strange, because no one ever plays in Annapolis. Once a year an artist of national reknown plays a show at the Naval Acadamy. I think last year it was Foreigner. In the 10 years I have lived here, I think I've been to Annapolis 3 times, and the last visit was more than 6 years ago. But, I find myself looking at an ad for the grand opening of the Rams Head Tavern, featuring a 225 seat, 4,000 square foot room, and a schedule including the Four Bitchin' Babes, Richard Thompson (2 shows on November 11 - I'm there, anyone else?), Patty Larkin, and on December 2 - Jane Siberry "The Christmas Show"! I'll call for info and see what I can learn about the place. It has reserved seating, and (probably not a very good sign) dinner and combo entertainment specials. Maybe the food will be ok given that it also looks to be a brewpub (unless some beer savvy person knows something about Fordham Brewing Co.) My experience with places that do music and food is that the food generally is mediocre to bad (with Iota being the only exception I can think of... well, new 9:30 has ok food, though nowhere to eat it.) Any DC folk seen the new Birchmere yet? Jeffy (or anyone), any interest in June Tabor, there on Thursday? That's all for the next few minutes... Neal np: A Storm of Drones - The Sombient Trilogy: Disc Three - Immersion ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 23:37:51 -0500 (CDT) From: Michael Curry Subject: Re: waterson:carthy specifically & folk music generally On Fri, 10 Oct 1997, Neile Graham wrote: > I think a lot of this has to do with how you like your traditional music. I agree, though I don't think most people fall into just one of the categories you listed. For example, I like most of my trad (which for me mainly means Irish traditional music) to be quite trad. I'm not so into the pure drop that I scorn things like the addition of an accompanying guitar (especially in the hands of people like Dathi Sproule or John Doyle), but I *loathe* the addition of things like electronic keyboards. There's no tune so wonderful that a keyboard can't diminish it (which should have been the subtitle of Deanta's last cd). However, I also love Loreena McKennitt's music... probably because I don't think of her music as being trad at all, but instead as a very literate mix of celtic, north african and other influences. I dislike the artists that Loreena tends to get lumped in with (like Enya) quite a bit, because they sound so new age-y, and I think that the similarities between her work and theirs is mainly superficial. As for contemporary folk, I don't really think of that as being much related to traditional music. Obviously some people do (which is why some folk festivals seem to like to mix trad and folk acts), but I see them as two distinct areas of music. Some artists may draw from both, but artists often draw from diverse influences. Mike np: Dervish -- Playing With Fire nr: Archangel by Sharon Shinn | Michael Curry / mcurry@io.com / mcurry@compuserve.com | | http://www.io.com/~mcurry | | Am I bitter? Do I sound bitter? -- Veda Hille | ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Oct 1997 00:51:49 -0400 (EDT) From: Neal Copperman Subject: Baltimore music On Tue, 7 Oct 1997, Jeffrey C. Burka wrote: > Greg Jumper wrote: > > > Back to music, I discovered a group called Love Riot at a Borders > > listening station a few months ago. I'm kind of surprised that no one > > else here has mentioned them > > hmmm...woj seems to be spreading. Heh heh... I always like to see questions like that to get a hint if people actually read my babbling :) > Yes, Love Riot has been mentioned here by the Baltimore contingent (Hi, > Neal...yer back in town, right?), along with Lisa Cerbone, another Baltimore > artist. In fact, I got back 2 weeks ago. The day after I got back, Love Riot played a solid set to a surprisingly diligent 50 or so people standing in the rain at the Baltimore Book Fair. And a few nights later, Lisa played a nice set at Fletcher's, and I even managed to get on the guest list while waiting for the doors to open. It was like all my favorite local artists were scheduling shows to welcome me home. If anyone is curious about either of these artists, but don't want to leave the safety of your home, you can live the thrilling Baltimore experience vicariously through Homicide. Not only will you get lots of shots of cool places in Baltimore, but you will get music by both Lisa and Love Riot. I don't have dates for the shows, but Lisa said that they will be using a full 3 minutes of her single "Watching you Drown" on a show in November. And I think the other Lisa (Mathews, of Love Riot), said that their episode will be on November 7. This will be the 3rd time Love Riot music has been used on Homicide, but this time the band will actually be playing on the show! And Lisa and the drummer each have speeking parts. I may actually have to find myself near a tv a few times next month. I've never seen Homicide, but the police station is a permanent stage in Fells Point, and they are very supportive of local events, participating in local theater and clubs. And once Sue, Doug and I ran into Richard Belzer over sushi (and even odder, we were having dinner with Mitch Easter that night). Neal np: Storm of Drones ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V3 #37 *************************