From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V5 #300 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Monday, September 6 1999 Volume 05 : Number 300 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Peter & Wendy in Ireland (reminder) [neal copperman ] One more ectofest review [neal copperman ] Neile's August Acquisitions [Neile Graham ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 00:48:12 -0400 From: neal copperman Subject: Peter & Wendy in Ireland (reminder) I had a chance to chat with Susan and get some sneak previews on her upcoming schedule (at least the parts that possibly intersect with me). She said she was trying to set up a show in (Charlotte?) Viriginia in November, and might consider driving back to the northeast, stopping at a few places along the way. She also said she was setting up shows in New Mexico in the February timeframe. But what I really wanted to mention was the Peter & Wendy dates in Dublin in early October. (http://www.iftn.ie/dublinfestival/index.htm) This show is so unbelievably good. One of the most original and captivating theater experiences I have ever seen. This would probably be true even without Susan and Johnny Cunningham's involvement, but hey, they will be there too, so you'll have that as well. I flew to San Francisco to see it last year, and didn't regret it at all. So I just wanted to give a heads up to you European ectophiles. It really is worth the effort to try to catch this show. There, you have now been warned. neal np: cedar grove - jeff lang ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 6 Sep 1999 00:38:58 -0400 From: neal copperman Subject: One more ectofest review Guess it's time for me to throw my voice into the chorus of praises for ectofest yesterday. Thank you Chuck and Meredith for putting this thing together. It was a great day. Thanks also to John Henshon and Tony for their work on the sound. It certainly wouldn't have been the same without it! Reviews have been pretty thorough so far, so I'll keep mine fairly short (yeah, right), or at least only comment where I think I have something to add. For me, the musical highlight of the day was the Susan/Sloan duet on "Meet me on the Ledge". Wow, that was so breathtaking. Their voices complimented each other wonderfully, and the joint choruses were unreal. Close behind that was Happy's Monty Python Robin Hood song. It was a hoot and a half. Unbelievably funny. It was my first time hearing Rachel Sage's music, and i found it to be quite intriguing. I thought her new songs were the strongest in her set, which bodes quite well for her next album. Oh, and she gets the cleverness award of the evening for her amazing candy! (She had free, homemade hard candy with her name and some decorations in it. Very cool.) I'd seen Sloan once before, and found her set to be as captivating as it was at Folk Alliance in Albuquerque. One of the real pleasures of events like this is that the artists are hanging out in the crowd with everyone else, so I had a chance to chat with most of them. Sloan was really friendly and easy going. She and Rachel impressed me by hanging out with the people and watching just about all the sets. (Sadly enough, I don't think any of the performers made it through [and few made it to] Happy's set.) I've been fairly lukewarm on Mila Drumke's Illinois. After multiple listens, the only song that I can ever remember, and the one that jumps out, is the cover of "Under The Ivy". It was the highlight of her set for me too. While her voice seemed richer live, none of her songs really made any impression. However, I thought Lyris, her violinist and backup vocalist, was great. She added tons of interesting touchs in her vocals and playing, lifting up songs that seemed generally unremarcable to me. I'd be curious about how things would sound if she got to take the lead on a song or two. Happy's set mirrored the recent Tin Angel shows pretty well, but sounded dramatically different with Bon's guitar replaced by the extra keyboard. I've never seen Happy play with a second keyboard, and was amazed at how different the arrangments sound. It made the songs sound quite fresh and new to me, though I missed the inventive guitar work of either Bon or Kevin. Also, Happy got a lot of her effects working, which were abandoned at the Tin Angel. She seemed really thrilled when they all synched up for her on Roy. While I thought they were kind of fun, I didn't think they really added much to the songs. Maybe once they get integrated a bit more smoothly into the live show that will feel better for me. But for now, I thought they were more novelties than solid embellishments. After the show, I found myself hanging around and chatting before the party. After a while, I realized that the whole stage had been broken down, and right in the middle of it was a set list for Happy's show. Odd that no one had grabbed it. It's interesting for the way they goof on the songs, and also for the songs that didn't show up in the set. So, here it is: WARPAINT PROOF RA IS A BUSY DORK MANY SQUIRRELS WINTER ALL THINGS TIVOLI WISHES ASHES TO ASHES (not played) ROY 100 YRS ENCORE SERENADING GENEPOOL (played as the second encore) Words Weren't Made for Cowards (not played) TRAGIC (played as the first encore) LOOK FOR THE CHILD (not played) As always, it was a joy to see so many ectophiles that I already think of as friends, as well as meeting a bunch of ectophiles who have only been names to me in the past. No lists, so I don't forget anyone or spell any names wrong. Oh yeah, and I was lucky enough to win one of the prizes on the raffle - a gift pack of autographed CD's from all the performers of the evening (except, oddly enough, Happy), plus a cool Rachel Sage t-shirt. And despite what everyone seemed to think, there were even a few of those discs I didn't already have. Thanks again to all involved, and the weather gods who somehow kept the rain at bay until Sunday. (Welcome back to ecto Alan. It was good to meet you.) neal np: Ceadar Grove - Jeff Lang ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1999 21:49:25 -0700 From: Neile Graham Subject: Neile's August Acquisitions We were out of town for a chunk of August, and were waiting for a bunch of new releases, so it's a more manageable list than usual. September is going to be an amazing month and will probably take me a while to write up, so I will mention in advance that I really love Mary Lydia Ryan's new release, _Diaphanous_--I liked her first cd quite a lot but it has that strange quality of fading into a blur when I'm not listening to it. This album has stronger hooks both in her songwriting and production, and the first track "Devil with wings" is demanding I hit the repeat button. And Alan we just got the new My Scarlet Life and I'm relieved to say that I quite like it. I liked their first two albums a lot but I didn't like _Buzzbomb_ so I was worred about this one. Jim actually didn't want me to take a chance and order it but I did anyway, and we're both glad. I guess I would say that it's a lot like _Trypnotica_. Anyway, let me go back in time to August: Sarah Slean, _blue parade_ I like this, but I must say that I'm a little surprised at how conventional it sounds compared to _universe_. The album really focuses on her softer more balladic side--the punch these songs have is in her piano techinque and soulful vocals. I also have a couple of quibbles about the strings being just a little too sweet for my taste. I so think this is a lovely album, but the songs are (generally) a little more soulful/slow/pretty than I usually like. Mostly she pulls them off for me by her clarity, her lyrics, and by knowing how not to overdo it. In other words, she pulls me in pretty well. Sorten Muld, _Mark II_ This is kind of along the lines of Snakefarm, but a little less triphoppy, but it is updated traditional music. Not anything with the rock power of Garmarna's lastest, but this is still good, and I'm pleased to have found it at the disc store when I heard a snippet on NPR's _The World_ on my way to pick up Innocence Mission, _The Birds of my Neighborhood_ Okay, yes, I'm disappointed. I loved _Glow_, and their first self-titled disc. This has some wonderful moments like the lovely "The Lakes of Canada" but also a skip-every-time tune, their cover of John Denver (ack!)'s "Follow Me"--a song I never liked even in the brief period when I liked John Denver. In a lot of ways this sounds like home demos, and if I'd been prepared for that I might not have been so let down, but the only song I listened to before buying this is "The Lakes of Canada" so I had no idea. There are some wonderful moments on this, but overall I'd say it's not going to win them any fans and might even lose them a few. It's too bad--I have loved their songwriting and Karen Peris' voice so much over the years. Robyn Hitchcock ,_Storefront Hitchcock_ Yeah we got this a little late (Thanks, Brad!) but I love "Viva SeaTac". Man, that's funny. And he's right, the Space Needle is a guy. Jessica Weiser, _Transition ep_ This ep shows a definite growth from her first ep, both in the strength of her vocals and her maturing songwriting. Her voice has that DIY reedy sound on sustained notes like Juliana Hatfield and Mary Lou Lord have, and her songwriting seems along those lines to me, too, but I actually like her better than either of them. I like how she fits the piano-only piece in here--it's a nice mood break between the guitar pieces, and then ends with another moody piano piece (my favourite on the disc). This makes me look forward to hearing more from Jessica. - --Neile - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Neile Graham ...... http://www.sff.net/people/neile ....... neile@sff.net Les Semaines: A Weekly Journal . http://www.sff.net/people/neile/semaines The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music ....... http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V5 #300 **************************