From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V3 #119 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Monday, December 29 1997 Volume 03 : Number 119 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Jane on Sessions [Heather Russell ] Iris [sspan ] Vickie's DC visit [Neal Copperman ] VKP ["Larry J. Hernandez" ] Re: Jane on Sessions [Neal Copperman ] Re: DC ectofest with Vickie [Neal Copperman ] Susan Werner, Gray Eye Glances [Neal Copperman ] Re: Was Ectophobia, now . . . ["Darbo, Charles" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 09:09:44 -0500 From: Heather Russell Subject: Jane on Sessions Did anyone happen to tape Jane on Sessions last night? I was so sad that I missed it! Neal, thanks very much for the info about ordering from Sheeba - I'm planning to call her this week and order Child and the video tape... BTW, does anyone know what group does this song on the radio, something like "coming home". I thought it was the Cowboy Junkies but my boyfriend disagrees... Best wishes to everyone on ecto for the coming year, Heather - -- |***********************************| | Heather Russell | | http://www.freecloud.com/heather | | hrussell@bellsouth.net | |___________________________________| Thank you, Santa... ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 11:07:03 -0800 From: sspan Subject: Iris If I remember correctly Iris made my top 10 list last year with 'The Way I Should' which covers some strong social issues, from 'Letter to Mom' where a woman tries to tell of her abuse as a young girl at the hands of her mothers boyfriend to 'Wasteland of the Free' about the ills of American society. Her other album is 'My Life' which is a tribute to her father and a look back at her childhood. Especially moving is "No Time to Cry' which tells about holding back her feelings at the death of her father so she could get on with her busy life. Iris' songs are very insightful and her voice is just beautiful. I also have Vicky Pratt Keatings 'Blue Apples' which is a very nice CD, she has a very pretty voice, and some very good songs, I'm reminded at times of Joni Mitchell, especially on 'Shoot for the Moon' np: Grey Eye Glances - remastered version of Songs of Leaving with cover of Yes' 'Your Move' (plug plug) - -- ++ -dave- ++ + irc.Dal.net #Panic_Beach + + Maria McKee/Grey Eye Glances/Lisa Loeb + ++ ++ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 13:45:31 -0500 (EST) From: Neal Copperman Subject: Vickie's DC visit Sorry for clutter. I'm arranging to meet Vickie for dinner tomorrow (Monday). I've sent out some info to the people I know are local ectophiles. If anyone out there would like to join us and didn't get seperate e-mail, let me know. (er, I can't actually check e-mail from work, so if it's already Monday for you, you may want to post back to ecto, or try calling Vickie Mapes at her hotel (202) 872-1680) Neal now shuffling over: Louisians Spice - 25 years of Louisians Music on Rounder Records Dead Can Dance tour program single R.E.M. - Strange Currencies single Verbow - Chronicle ani difranco - Living In Clip (disc 2) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 14:36:04 -0700 From: "Larry J. Hernandez" Subject: VKP Neal wanted to know about VPK: > Also, anyone know anything about Vyktoria Pratt Keating? I'm sure I've > heard her name somewhere, and this was the likely place. > [...] I posted my thoughts on her last album _Blue Apples_ here a few weeks ago. > To gather fresh, > unusual ideas, they played entire songs backwards and sampled sounds as > diverse as crickets and "flying saucers" to help them achieve a personal and > natural, yet otherworldly, effect. > [...] > Vyktoria's spirituality comes to the forefront more than ever on This Guardian > At Noon, weaving a metaphysical tapestry of healing, hope, [bla bla bla] Bleacch!! Gaud, but this style of hype makes me ILL. It's beyond phony; it's about as compelling as the new 'spellyng' of Vicky's first name, and I always get cautious when I read such fluffy junk in a press release. _Blue Apples_ was pretty lightweight stuff, but I'd still like to hear the RA files on the website- perhaps sampling those flying saucers and crickets may have improved her songs. :-p Plllbbt... > Visit the This Guardian At Noon page to read lyrics, listen to sound files, > and find out how to place an order for the CD. >> Did anyone else have a problem listening to these files? The files end in .ra instead of .ram, and for some reason, my Realplayer 5.0 doesn't recognize the .ra extension, even though it's supposed to. Any suggestions? Larry (alundra@flash.net) np: Belly _Feed the Tree_ CD single ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 23:03:41 -0500 (EST) From: Neal Copperman Subject: Re: Jane on Sessions On Sun, 28 Dec 1997, Heather Russell wrote: > Neal, thanks very much for the info about ordering from Sheeba - I'm > planning to call her this week and order Child and the video tape... I think I may have gotten some of the details a bit off on my Siberry report. Here is the real scoop, clipped from the Sheeba pages. (But first, saw the new Atom Egoyan film, The Sweet Hereafter, this evening. It's a pretty amazing, powerful film. Plus, the main character sings a snippet of "One More Color" from "The Speckless Sky". She doesn't do a particularly notable job, but it drove me crazy for about a half hour trying to place it. Anne Bourne's name also shows up in the credits.) And now, from Sheeba: Peoria Fontaine here. This is just a quick note to let you know that Jane has ordered the SHEEBA's office to be reduced to bare bones, until all debts are paid off. This is the spirit with which she wishes to enter the new year. Here's what this means to you: - I, Peoria, am the sole contact available to you until we reopen the office fully, at the beginning of the zodiacal year (aka the end of March 1998). I will do my utmost to make sure everyone is properly taken care of, to the best of my abilities! But since things will most likely take a little longer than usual, we are counting on your patience during this lean time. - We will continue to accept mail orders (music, clothing, etc.), but no orders will be processed until January 15th, 1998. (We are fully closed until then). This also means your credit card will NOT be charged until your order is processed. After January 15th, order processing will resume as normal. - The website might seem a little sleepier than usual. We will continue to post all late-breaking news on the Hot News page, so check it regularly. Most other pages will be hibernating until further notice. - SHEEBA will be an E-MAIL ONLY company during this semi-closed period. All items requiring postage (EXCEPT mail orders) are on hold. This includes our printed newsletter. If you have friends that receive our newsletter, please let them know they can expect the next edition sometime in Spring and pass along our thanks for their patience. And if they have e-mail access, let them know that there is now a convenient signup page for our e-mail list (http://www.sheeba.ca/mailinglist.html), so they can get on the SHEEBA Info Pipeline. As soon as possible, we will resume e-mail newsletters to keep everyone up to date on Siberry's doings. Once again, we thank you for the wonderful support during the past year and we wish you all abundance in the coming year. Peoria Fontaine ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 23:30:30 -0500 (EST) From: Neal Copperman Subject: Re: DC ectofest with Vickie After discussing the options with myself all evening, I have managed to come to an agreement on the following plan. (Noticing that Amy Rigby was playing at Iota made my decision very easy.) Let's meet at Iota around 7:30. Iota is in Arlington, at 2832 Wilson Blvd. It's near the Clarendon Metro station, but I couldn't give you directions, since I don't know where that lets out. (I'm thinking it's on Wilson, so you're practically there. If you need more info, call the club at 703-522-8340.) This will allow people to trickle in as their schedules allow, and provide the opportunity for good food and drink, and eventually music. As a nice bonus, there is no cover for Amy's show. Hope to see some other people there tomorrow. Neal np: Trance 2 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Dec 1997 00:18:55 -0500 (EST) From: Neal Copperman Subject: Susan Werner, Gray Eye Glances Thanks to all for the Iris dement and VPK comments. On Sun, 28 Dec 1997, sspan wrote: > np: Grey Eye Glances - remastered version of Songs of Leaving with > cover of Yes' 'Your Move' (plug plug) Funny this came appended to info on people I asked about, since I saw GEG just last night. It was my first exposure to their music, and unfortunately, I wasn't all that impressed. Actually, I had decidedly split feelings about them. I thought the songs were nice enough, but really disliked the arrangements. Occasionally, the vocalist had a nice Moon Seven Times vibe going, in phrasing and tone, but I disliked pretty much everything that came out of the electric guitar and synths. The problem was made eminently clear when they played Yes' "Squares" (I don't know my Yes, so that may not be the correct title. But it's the chess playing song.) I thought this song played into all of the bands weaknesses, and none of their strengths. I liked GEG's melodies, and the Yes song was pretty sparse in the catchy melody division. And realizing that the band were Yes fans explained what they were trying to do in their arrangements. I never cared for it when Yes did it, and I think they were dramatically more interesting than GEG. I know lots of people out there like Yes, so if you are a fan, take this as a GEG plug :) Out of curiousity, are there any non-Yes fans who are smitten with the GEG sound? They were opening for Susan Werner, who I found to be much more entertaining. I have a copy of Last of the Good Straight Girls, which never made a huge impression, but I'm thinking perhaps I should listen to it again a bit more carefully. I thought a fair portion of her show was fairly generic folk, though consistantly well played. And Susan was always an engaging personality. But the other half of her set really worked for me. Every once in a while she'd pull out a song with a lot of depth and character, and I'd be completely drawn in. I was also impressed with how she performed in an entirely different style when she sat down at the piano. Those songs were more torchy/bluesy, and she turned out to be a fine piano player too. She played a very intriguing cover of When Will I Be Loved, which turned the pop song I remembered into a wrenching, jazz blues number. (Was the original by Linda Ronstadt? OR at least covered by her? ) Neal np: Trance 2 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 22:35:57 -0600 From: "Darbo, Charles" Subject: Re: Was Ectophobia, now . . . >Jeff Hanson wrote: >What woj wrote, I could have written myself. I haven't heard the second >2 albums, but liked Blue Nile and Jazz Butcher (never have really heard >of Spirtiualized, nor knew they had anything to do with Jazz Butcher). >Anyway, I bought the Fibbers first album, and really liked the song... >whose name I'm currently spacing, Richard? about cutting off heads >and fish spilling out. Yes, "Richard"--and that's the central image of that album for me, too. That's wild: of all the almost overwhelming maelstom of images on that album, the first one I always think of is that one: "she laughed as her own head was cut off and the fish came spilling out", I think it is. That's an amazing song. >Overall that album was a little hit and miss for me. Yeah, me too: _Lost_Somewhere_Between_the_Earth_and_My_Home_ is growing on me, but _Butch_ has latched onto my soul like a limpet at low tide. >Based on your accolades, I picked up Butch, and also found it a >little hit or miss, but do like the song Trashman in Furs a lot. Yep. One of my favorites. But the entire album has become indespensible for me. > >I think it would definitely grow on me if I listened to it more, but >to be honest I haven't listened to it enough to grow past the "some >of these songs are kind of noisy and annoying" stage, which on repeated >listenings, I would probably get used to the noise and start focusing >on the music. Again, it took me a while, too, but I'm thrilled to've made the transition; to've "gotten it". I've always loved Bozulich's vocals though. The _only_ redeeming factor of Ethyl Meatplow. They're a >band I always really want to like, would love to see live, but are just >a little noisier than most of the stuff I usually feel like listening to. Again, me too. But I couldn't hope to be converted by a better band. Do see them live if you get a chance. She transcends the aural medium, and Bill the bass player (in addition to being gay and way cute) thrashes around the stage like no other bass player has ever dared do. And Nels, the guitar player, is just a show in himself. - --charley ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 22:16:57 -0600 From: "Darbo, Charles" Subject: Re: Ectophobia woj writes: > >i haven't heard the latter two albums . . . but >haven't gotten around to picking up a copy of the blue nile's newest and >have never really followed spiritualized all that closely, despite liking >spacemen 3 and being excessively fond of the jazz butcher), but i've been >listening to _butch_ for the past couple months unsuccessfully trying to >figure out what i think of it. > >i picked up _butch_ since i thought the first fibber album was okay and >because of your accolades, charley. at first, nothing really struck me >about it -- it was nice to listen to, but i couldn't really recall what it >sounded like afterwards. now, though, it's finally starting to sink in - -- Same with me. I bought a single a couple years ago because I liked one song on it. Then it sat there for a while and never really called to me again. Then I responded to an announcement on rec.music.female.alternative (or whatever it is) seeking people interested in participating in a Geraldine Fibbers mailing list. I remembered the song fondly (if vaguely) and felt a need to expand my mailinglist experience, so joined and lurked for a couple months. This was right before _Butch_ came out, so there was a mounting sense of excitement on the list. So when the album came out, I bought it. Blew me away. Much louder and rawer than anything else I listen too, really, with the possible exceptions of Diamanda Galas and L7. But I really can't compare them to either of those. Where Diamanda's volume is an outpouring of rage, and L7's a just an extreme of mindless fun, the Fibbers produce an operatic wail of murderous despair. There's a truth behind the melodrama, though, that gives the desperation a strength that prevents it from being mere lament. But yeah, they're way loud. I've never felt such cathartic blades of soundwaves like seeing the Fibbers at Chicago's LoungeAx. Vickie will confirm, painfully, that they were way way way too loud (i.e.: they had a medicinal effect for me). >i'm feeling that arcing twinge of whatever-it-is when all the guitars and >strings kick in (i get the same kind of feeling during the cello bridge in >"collective heart" -- swoon-inducing!). the music is definitely from that >crunchy pravada/frontier records tradition (which i've always, accurately >or not, equated with america's mid-west) best epitomized by bands like >giant sand or thin white rope, but there's a light catchiness which makes >me think dambuilders. All three of these bands receive frequent mention on the Fibbers list (the Dambuilders opened for them on one leg of their tour) but I've never heard them. I have the OP8 album, which I think is a Giant Sand project, but that's as close as I come. I might pick them up if I see them, but I'm a little trepidatious about that: I generally don't like bands who make use of the kind of extreme volume and noise the Fibbers use to such great effect. I really don't quite get what it is about them that so won me over, but there's a hypnotic effect to their noise and a seductive energy to (tied in with a kind of martyred empathy for) their suicidal, murderous despair. Excuse the disjointed ineloquence: I'm at work and writing this in bits and pieces. > >go figure. > >in any event, i think i'm beginning to like this record quite a bit. i just >don't know how much i will in the long run. > >> Anyone care to comment on how far my taste has diverged from the Ecto >>mainstream, such as it is, or any other observations? I'm aware of my >>occasional perpendicularity to Ecto's flow and will be little (if at >>all) offended by disagreements of taste (Ron Sexsmith rules!). But I've >>never felt so dis-ectonnected as I do this year's end. > >there may be an ecto mainstream (which, really, is just the locus of what >most people's tastes are), but i think that is a lot less tenuous a thing >than what constitutes the top 40 mainstream. although there is a core set >of artists that everyone may like, i think our tastes are overall too >varied for there to be an meaningful average. > >that said, there *are* fringe ectophiles and i'm afraid that you'd have to >be counted in that subset! i'm probably out there too, i suppose, though >you wouldn't know it from what little stuff i've actually managed to post >this year. And I love a lot of solid ectopian artists: Happy, Kate, Jane, Ingrid, and and and . . . I just have a great deal of personal distaste for a few of the "goddesses", which dead horse needs no further beating here. In other words. My taste, though it includes the fringes, does not do so at the expense of the ecto core: I flatter myself that my musical taste knows no boundaries of genre or style, only talent and taste. Though I'm sure some of you would disagree with me . . . Anyway. Blue Nile: emotional power of voice and music comparable to jane Siberry or Jeff Buckley. A beautiful, beautiful, beautiful voice. And Spiritualized. New to me, as I said (did I?), but just astounding. Very proggish, I think; feelings of Pink Floyd and late Beatles. Intense, dark, rich, lush arrangements; an incredible gift for melody. But less affected than either. Spiritualizedis that rare example that makes good, creative (rather than lame, lazy) use of the current postmodern rut. And still, despite the lushness and the strength of melody, there's a gratifying use of volume (though only occasionally enough to make an effective spike in the album's ekg without drowning the sound). A friend said it made her think of a combination of Love and Rockets and This Mortal Coil. I really cannot recommend either album too highly. - --charley ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V3 #119 **************************