From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V4 #14 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Wednesday, January 14 1998 Volume 04 : Number 014 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Michelle Malone [Sherlyn Koo ] Joy Askew ["Charlie Sweeney" ] Stereolab [kerrywhite@webtv.net (kerry white)] RE: Kylie Minogue - Ecto? :) ["Bridges, Martin (Exchange)" ] Re: Michelle Malone [Riphug ] Re: Stereolab ["Robert Lovejoy" ] Re: Lunar Landing [Neile Graham ] Re: Stereolab [Neile Graham ] Moving [JEFFREY_HANSON@ccmail.udlp.com (JEFFREY HANSON)] Cane is no more :( [Yngve Hauge ] Re: Lunar Landing [Chris Sampson ] SF area shops, and KaTe as muZak [forum@inlink.com] Re: Michelle Malone [Sherlyn Koo ] Indie Stores Page? Re: Rochester area indie stores ["Michael P. Hayes" ] this week's new releases [Steve VanDevender Subject: Michelle Malone Hey folks, I think this is my first post of the new year, so I hope you all had great holiday seasons. And a happy 1998 to all of you! Marcel said: >Malone's got more of a rock voice. They're both wonderful songwriters. >I recommend both albums highly. Hehe. This might be time for a quick plug - to subscribe to the (very quiet) Michelle Malone mailing list, send this command to majordomo@smoe.org: subscribe devil-moon Or replace "devil-moon" with "devil-moon-digest" for the digest version. Just a bit of background on Michelle Malone - she's around 30 and has been a big part of the Atlanta folk/rock scene for 10+ years. During that time she's been on about five different labels, from indie labels to Arista to Indigo Girl Amy Ray's Daemon label, and has gone from rock to folk to rock again - she really can sing the hell out of both genres. :) Michelle's a good friend of both Indigo Girls and has opened for and performed with them many times. Last year, after "Beneath the Devil Moon" came out, Michelle underwent emergency surgery which took her out of circulation for more than two months, which meant she had to cancel a stint opening for Indigo Girls on one of their US tours. But, she's back now and rocking more than ever, by all accounts. She's great in concert, if you like acoustic and/or electric rock and roll and a voice that can belt you all the way through the back wall! Yeah, I like her. :) BTW, can someone explain to me very simply exactly what the process of "mastering" does for a CD? I know what mixing is (I think) but haven't quite figured out what mastering means yet... Happy happy happy, sherlyn =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Sherlyn Koo - sherlyn@fl.net.au =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "When you wake up from this night, oh yes there'll be a morning; The sun's gonna be shining bright, with new ideas dawning. And when you wake up from this night, we'll start a new beginning, Show the earth her due respect, create new laws for living..." - Sally Fingerett ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 02:39:30 +0000 From: "Charlie Sweeney" Subject: Joy Askew Hi ectophiles, Would anyone know what happened to Joy Askew? She ghad one solo album in 1996, and disappeared in the Private Muwic takeover? Any help would be appreciated. Thanx Charlie Sweeney (=}===# Virtual Guitarist-Something Black http://www.voicenet.com/~charlies "Passion's always half impossibility" Join the Susan Werner E-mail list at: http://www.voicenet.com/~charlies/swmail.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 02:18:26 -0600 From: kerrywhite@webtv.net (kerry white) Subject: Stereolab Hi, I was watching AMP on eMpTyV and saw a piece by Stereolab: Mr Modular. Tell me, someone: how does that compare to the rest of their stuff? The vid was ok but the sound!!!!!!! I'm old enough to remember Stereolab test records to test your new hi-fi with. Robert, you too? [Ecto is a continuum, ranging from Tribe and Siouxsie and the Banshees at 1 end and Joan Baez singing acapella at the other. Can't like it all!] KrW "Help me, Mr Wizard!!!" "Drizzel drozzel druzzel drome, time for this one to come home." also:zzkwhite@ktwu.wuacc.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 08:57:06 -0000 From: "Bridges, Martin (Exchange)" Subject: RE: Kylie Minogue - Ecto? :) afinney writes: > Yes it's true. I just bought Kylie Minogue's new album Impossible > Princess > (with a *lovely* 3D cover). And I have to say that I am just amazed by > how > good it is. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. The Kylie of "I Should > Be So > Lucky" and "Better The Devil You Know", but seriously, this is one of > the > best albums I've bought in a while. > I assume this is the same album as was released here under a somewhat different title - the change was made because the album was about to be released when a certain someone died in a car accident in Paris........... Not particularly ecto-relevant I know, but I've been reading my musical reviews of the year! Martin ************************************************************************ ******** * Martin G Bridges - Consultant, Communications Division, Logica UK Ltd. * * Tel. +44 171 637 9111 http://www.logica.com email: bridgesm(at)logica.com * * All opinions expressed are mine, but may be shared. * ************************************************************************ ******** ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 06:42:51 EST From: Riphug Subject: Re: Joy Askew In a message dated 1/13/98 2:48:01 AM Eastern Standard Time, charlies@voicenet.com writes: << Would anyone know what happened to Joy Askew? She ghad one solo album in 1996, and disappeared in the Private Muwic takeover? >> She has a 6-song EP out now titled "Gorgeous Creature." A friend of hers, Larry Fast, *took her in* and let her put her music on his label. It's available for $10.99 from "The Artists Shop." For more information, here's Joy's website: http://www.eclipse.net/%7Esynergy/joyaskew.html (Joy Askew) I know *I'll* be ordering it! ;-) Jill :D ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 06:47:14 EST From: Riphug Subject: Re: Michelle Malone In a message dated 1/13/98 2:28:25 AM Eastern Standard Time, sherlyn@fl.net.au writes: << Just a bit of background on Michelle Malone - she's around 30 and has been a big part of the Atlanta folk/rock scene for 10+ years. During that time she's been on about five different labels, from indie labels to Arista to Indigo Girl Amy Ray's Daemon label, and has gone from rock to folk to rock again - she really can sing the hell out of both genres. :) >> Just because I happen to have it bookmarked......here's Michelle Malone's website: http://www.hidwater.com/bds/ ( Michelle Malone ) Jill :D ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 06:45:45 -0500 From: "Robert Lovejoy" Subject: Re: Stereolab Kerry Muses: I'm old enough to remember Stereolab test records to test your new hi-fi with. Robert, you too? Ah, this brings back memories! Not just Stereolab; I remember many others. JBL had a nice slab of vinyl with Pentangle (very early ecto-ish band!), and AR had one called "The Sound of Musical Instruments", consisting of solo pieces recorded very dry. But the Stereolab and several others were nerd heaven: bleeps and swoops, tones and timbres. Oh yeah, Shure's "torture test" lp had progressively louder tests to check where your cartridge crapped out and jumped the groove! Those were heady daze indeed! Old Man Lovejoy "Eh? What?" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 09:06:52 -0700 From: Neile Graham Subject: Re: Lunar Landing Richard Holmes wrote: >I haven't gotten around to getting Emily's latest (shame shame) You'll love it, Richard. _Moon in Grenadine_ is extravagant and eclectic. >but I >did listen to moon hut (fast-forwarding through the tracks at a LackLuster >Records, er Blockbuster)... it wasn't sufficient to get me to part with >my money or look for it cheaper. Marcel wrote: >I guess the Fox and Malone albums are more accessible to me, as they >consist of more traditionally structured songs. Malone, as I'm >relistening to her, reminds me somewhat of Sheryl Crow. So maybe Fox's >album has a more distinctly unique voice. I downloaded the sound files from Kim Fox's website, and unless those samples were aberrations, it sounds too pop/rock for my tastes. >I would be interested in the Mechelle Malone's description; and any other >comments on Moon Hut 'cuz I admit I probably didn't give it a fair listen. I couldn't find any sound files on the web for her, but it sounds from the descriptions as though she's more on the slight folk/country rock side. She has connections with Indigo Girls. There definitely is a world of difference between the accessibility of Emily Bezar's work and Fox's at least from the little I heard. Emily Bezar's music is highly individual and doesn't sound like anything but her, even though there are elements from jazz and pop and rock. Maybe if I heard more of Fox's music I'd see the individual strains in it, but from what I heard it sounded pretty generic. I was hoping for something a little more on the edge, but that's just what my ears are looking for. >> n.p. Garmarna, _God's Musician_ >> n.r. Penelope Lively, _Cleopatra's Sister_ > >Neile, your comments on these would also be nice! Ok. Garmarna is kinda like a speeded-up Swedish Steeleye Span or some of the faster Malicorne. The sound is mostly fast and hard but it's all based on traditional Swedish songs and instruments. The singer has a powerful, clear voice. It's interesting, we saw them live a while back, and as Marion said in a recent message, the instrumentalists are all male and play with their whole bodies, really throwing themselves into it, while the singer is motionless, straightfaced and expressionless--except in her voice which is anything but. My impression is that she has stage fright. It stands out in that band especially as the rest of them are so expressive. Anyway, it's traditional folk but fast and loud and great singing--what more could anyone want? I prefer them to Hedningarna, though I like the latter band, too. If anyone is looking for their discs in the U.S., two of them are released through Omnium. They have a we presence and I think there are links or addresses at least on the Cordelia's Dad page in The Ectophiles' Guide. http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide/cordelias.dad.html I finished the Penelope Lively novel last night (kinda late so damn I'm sleepy). I haven't had much time to reflect on it, but I found it fascinating. It's the story of a man, a woman, and a fictional Middle Eastern country in crisis. The novel tells the story of all three and how circumstance and small choices bring them together. It was dramatic and powerful, and I found it compelling reading, though at first I thought the country stuff was a little boring. It all added up to something, though. It also seemed to me quite well written in terms of craft. I'd recommend it. There are also a couple of new pages on The Ectophiles' Guide: Jon Anderson (a really brief page), Fat Man Waving (former band of Rebecca Campbell who has been touring with Jane Siberry), Anna Homler (experimental vocals), and Rasputina. Lots of added comments here and there, too. - --Neile - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Neile Graham ..... http://www.sff.net/people/neile ..... neile@sff.net The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music .... http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 09:14:55 -0700 From: Neile Graham Subject: Re: Stereolab Robert Lovejoy wrote: >Kerry Muses: > I'm old enough to remember Stereolab test records to test your new >hi-fi with. Robert, you too? >Ah, this brings back memories! Not just Stereolab; I remember many others. >JBL had a nice slab of vinyl with Pentangle (very early ecto-ish band!), and >AR had one called "The Sound of Musical Instruments", consisting of solo >pieces recorded very dry. But the Stereolab and several others were nerd >heaven: bleeps and swoops, tones and timbres. Oh yeah, Shure's "torture >test" lp had progressively louder tests to check where your cartridge >crapped out and jumped the groove! Those were heady daze indeed! That pretty much describes the band Stereolab, too. They basically take those techniques and a bunch of 60-style synthesizers and put it all together with a 60s/90s sensibility and smooth female vocals with Marxist lyrics. My husband who mostly lurks here is a huge fan of theirs, so we have pretty much everything they've released, which is a lot--and lots of limited edition stuff, but they usually release compilations of that rare stuff later on their "Switched On" compilations. Apparently they're currently putting together their third of those. They are incredibly prolific, and each of their non-compilation albums has just a slightly different flavour. My favourite is _Peng!_, an early and smooth one. Second favourite is _Transient Random Noisebursts with Announcements_, the most alt rock of theirs. I also really like _Emperor Tomato Ketchup_, which is a recent one and has the great "Noise of Carpet" on it. The only one I don't like is _Mars Audiac Quintet_, which is too 60s poppy for me. Jim loves them all. Their most recent one is _Dots and Loops_, which I like well enough. For a long time _Peng!_ was on my DID list, then _Transient Random Noisebursts..._ edged it out. Now I'm a little weary of Stereolab altogether, but I think that's just a function of living in my house. Jim claims to be equally weary of Tori Amos. Luckily he's not tiring of Veda Hille. - --Neile - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Neile Graham ..... http://www.sff.net/people/neile ..... neile@sff.net The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music .... http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 12:23:12 -0600 From: JEFFREY_HANSON@ccmail.udlp.com (JEFFREY HANSON) Subject: Moving Hi folks, Just thought I'd let you know that as of Friday I'll be off the internet (and ecto) for awhile (a week minimum). I'm going to be moving to Scottsdale, AZ to start work with a new company. I'm sure I'll be back on ecto once I get settled. My current e-mail address will be good until Friday. If any ectophiles are out there in the Phoenix area and have recommendations of good indie cd stores or places to see local music, etc., I'm open to suggestions. Also would be interested in meeting people too. Hope to be back on ecto soon. Jeff Hanson n.p. February - Tomorrow is Today n.r. Te Kaihau - Keri Hulme ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 19:30:29 +0100 (MET) From: Yngve Hauge Subject: Cane is no more :( Hi, I just heard that Cane has grown tired of the slow happening in the Warner company and quit. The most promising norwegian band last year is then no more :( There will be a last concert in not too long, but that will also be the last we hear from this band. Damn, the norwegian branch of Warner got to learn to do their work soon. It is not the first time this happens :( At least Kari Rueslaatten, Velvet Belly and Unni Wilhelmsen are still around ... - -- Yngve n.p. Sara Ayers - Voices n.r. Fred Halsall - Data Communication, Computer Networks and Open Systems ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 14:05:07 -0500 From: Chris Sampson Subject: Re: Lunar Landing Not that I'm her only fan, here... Or even her greatest fan (though I may be that), but I suspect that it's time I offer my $0.02... To be sure, Emily's music is not an instant-love phenomenon... but that's no novel experience for ectophiles. It's not that here's anything "difficult" about it... Nothing that makes you cringe the first X times you hear it. What sometimes DOES happen is that one needs to penetrate the experience of having been exposed to so much synth-laden music that was so mediocre. Patience (more than perserverence) is the key... Allow it to unfold in all its richness (and rich it is... No minimalist, she). Her lyrics can be cryptic (admittedly, even to her, on occasion) but there is such poetry within as to overwhelm you... if you're receptive. It is, alas, not for everyone. Some people don't have the patience... They need to be grabbed by some more obvious handle (I've opined enough about hook-y songs). And her voice is, well, operatic (an initial obstacle for me) but, maybe, this is more of what opera should have in it... beautiful voice, in a language that one understands, with contemporary (but not trendy) themes buried (and I do mean buried) within. Neither ambient nor pop, it may only oddly (or only occasionally) fit your day, but there's no predicting that. I've sat and *worked* to Grandmother's Tea Leaves (with tears streaming), but that was a strange day. But it does not work as sonic wallpaper, either... it's too demanding for that... Still, it's engaging in its way and quirky in some others and baroquely festooned in still others. I love it, by the way, and anxiously await her third CD... No word on that, yet. Chris PS Don't consider this as much a persuasion as an explanation; to be taken or left as you will. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 14:19:50 -0600 From: forum@inlink.com Subject: SF area shops, and KaTe as muZak >Try Streetlight Records in San Francisco; a bit of a drive, but, with The >City's international crowd, a good place to shop for rare and import gems. > >It's been a few years since I left SF (and left my heart there), but used >to be that the Noe Valley store (on 24th?) was a good choice. it is (well was last i was time i was there in August) on market near 24th i think. alas though, i was kinda dissappointed with it. in fact i was pretty dissappointed over all with the used CD stores in general in SF. the used bookstore on the other hand was fabulous, but the used CD stores....Well i found a couple of decent things at a hole in the wall store near the Castro (which for the life of me i can't remember the name of, maybe because the name wasn't very prominent when i went into it, but it was inside a building with a bookstore and a hairdresser, and coffeeshop like place. Anyway that is wher ei picked up a couple of used Nina Simone CD's and Lori Carson's first out of print CD (in the bargain bin, only $4). Another half way decent place is over in the INNER SUNSET DISTRICT called ROCKET RECORDS, wehre i picked up the 2CD set of LORI CARSON'S latest as well as a couple of other CD's. i was told though, that the best place in the bay area to get used CD's was over in Berkeley, on Telegraph, where there are a couple of pretty decent places (someone mentioned Amoeba to me, but i don't know, i never got over there). Either way, i hope the used CD situation improves, as i am moving there in may. on a completely DIFFERENT note. I was at a local VENTURE store (a discount store, similar to K-MART or TARGET or a smaller VALUE-CITY or WALMART) and overheard on the instore piped in muzak KATE BUSH'S ARMY DREAMERS. i was aghast. they had turned KaTe into muzak. what is the world coming to? that's all love irvin Forum for Contemporary Art 3540 Washington Avenue St. Louis, MO 63103 314/535.4660 314/535.1226 (fax) forum@inlink.com January 16 - March 14, 1998: Nancy Burson:Portraits, Eve Andree Laramee: Apparatus for the Distillation of Vague Intuitions, and in the Project Room: Bottomland: John Hilgert, Richard Newman, and Christina Shmigel ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 08:31:06 +1100 From: Sherlyn Koo Subject: Re: Michelle Malone Hey folks, Jill said: >Just because I happen to have it bookmarked......here's Michelle Malone's >website: >http://www.hidwater.com/bds/ Whoops, I really should have put her URL in my last message. Duh. :) But actually, the URL above is for Michelle's old band Band de Soleil, who broke up last year. Michelle herself has got a brand spanking new web site at http://www.michellemalone.com, which has lyrics to albums and other exciting stuff like that. I haven't had much chance to really look through the site but what I've seen so far looks great. Other stuff to say but I can't remember what so I'll sign off for now... :) sherlyn =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Sherlyn Koo - sherlyn@fl.net.au =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "When you wake up from this night, oh yes there'll be a morning; The sun's gonna be shining bright, with new ideas dawning. And when you wake up from this night, we'll start a new beginning, Show the earth her due respect, create new laws for living..." - Sally Fingerett ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 17:59:21 -0600 (CST) From: "Michael P. Hayes" Subject: Indie Stores Page? Re: Rochester area indie stores A goofy thought just struck me... Perhaps a more-industrious soul than I might be willing to compile all the indie stores mentioned here on a web page as a companion to the Ectophiles Guide To Good Music, or (maybe much easier) if a site like this already exists, perhaps all that would be required would be a link to that page from the ecto page? The reason I'm not volunteering is that I don't have enough time to compile and update such a project... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 20:24:12 -0500 From: meredith Subject: this week's new releases Hi! Quite a few new releases that may be of interest this week! > *Rock and Pop new releases* > --------------------------- > - MARCIA BALL, IRMA THOMAS & TRACY NELSON - Sing It! (Rounder) > - FAIRPORT CONVENTION - Who Knows Where the Time Goes (Green Linnet) > - VICTORIA WILLIAMS - Musings of a Creekdipper (Atlantic) > > *Rock and Pop reissues* > ----------------------- > - BEN FOLDS FIVE - Naked Baby Photos (Caroline) > - ARETHA FRANKLIN - The Delta Meets Detroit: Aretha's Blues (Rhino) > - GENTLE GIANT - King Biscuit Presents (1/8/75, NYC) (King Biscuit) > - CHAKA KHAN - Chaka (Ol' Skool/WB) > - CHRIS SMITHER - Another Way to Find You (HighTone) > - Various artists - HER INFINITE VARIETY: CELTIC WOMEN IN MUSIC & > SONG (two CDs w/Eileen Ivers, June Tabor, Sharon Shannon) > (Green Linnet) > > *Information subject to change after press time. +==========================================================================+ | Meredith Tarr meth@smoe.org | | New Haven, CT USA http://www.smoe.org/~meth | +==========================================================================+ | "things are more beautiful when they're obscure" -- veda hille | |***TRAJECTORY, the Veda Hille mailing list: trajectory-request@smoe.org***| +==========================================================================+ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 18:13:30 -0800 (PST) From: Steve VanDevender Subject: this week's new releases meredith writes: > > *Rock and Pop reissues* > > ----------------------- > > - BEN FOLDS FIVE - Naked Baby Photos (Caroline) I ran out to grab a copy of this today, since I've been a big BFF fan ever since Neile, Jim Gurley, Doug Burks, and I saw them opening for Heather Nova in Seattle. I seemed to be the only one who really took to them of our group, and they're certainly not your normal Ecto fare. _Naked Baby Photos_ is really more an album for fans, as it's mostly B-sides, unreleased material, and some live tracks. The previously unreleased songs are pretty good; the live material does convey a good idea of what BFF is like in concert. "For Those of Y'all Who Wear Fannie Packs", an extended rap-like improvisation that the liner notes say they spontaneously created during a sound check, is a total hoot -- and I hate rap. Of course, this is rap with a piano . . . It's too bad all the BFF TV appearances recently (Letterman, SNL) featured "Brick", which is an OK ballad and oddly a chart hit. Certainly what attracts me to BFF is a combination of good songwriting, skillful musicianship that's cheerfully low-fi on the surface but really competent in the fundamentals, and high energy. I'm also interested in the new Victoria Williams. Like many people, I can't figure out why I like her -- her voice is really weird, and anyone else who used as many religious themes as she does would normally grate on me, but she's an excellent songwriter, and her music really does give the sense that she's a truly wonderful person. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 14:40:19 PST From: Stephany Burge Subject: Re: SF area shops, and KaTe as muZak > >It's been a few years since I left SF (and left my heart there), but used > >to be that the Noe Valley store (on 24th?) was a good choice. I think it is pretty close to 24th and Noe. (within a block or so) > i was told though, that the best place in the bay area to get used > CD's was over in Berkeley, on Telegraph, where there are a couple of pretty > decent places (someone mentioned Amoeba to me, but i don't know, i never > got over there). I really like Ameoba and Rasputin (both in Berkeley). Ameoba has a very large selection of used CD's. They recently opened a store over in Haight-Ashbury. > Either way, i hope the used CD situation improves, as i am moving > there in may. So am I! :) -stephany ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V4 #14 *************************