From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V8 #3 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Friday, January 4 2002 Volume 08 : Number 003 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Today's your birthday, friend... [Mike Matthews ] my first record [runly@hvi.net] 3WK [runly@hvi.net] More of the Rings [Phil Hudson ] Re: my first record ["neal copperman" ] Re: my first record ["Jeffrey Hanson" ] Re: my first record [Sue Trowbridge ] Re: my first record ["Kira" ] Re: my first record [Mike Connell ] first CD ["Kira" ] Re: Should auld acquaintance be forgot... [Jerene Waite ] Re: Should auld acquaintance be forgot... [meredith ] first music purchases [dave ] Re: Should auld acquaintance be forgot... [Neal Copperman ] anet - talented girl ["Karen Hester" ] best of 2001 [meredith ] top 10 ["Harmony Ridge Music" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 03:00:05 -0500 (EST) From: Mike Matthews Subject: Today's your birthday, friend... i*i*i*i*i*i i*i*i*i*i*i *************** *****HAPPY********* **************BIRTHDAY********* *************************************************** *************************************************************************** ****************** Jeanne Schreiter (shark@cs.ucla.edu) ******************* *************************************************************************** -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- - -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Jeanne Schreiter Tue January 03 1967 Capricorn John Sandoval Wed January 04 1967 Capricorn Paul Cohen Tue January 05 1954 Capricorn Tony Garrity Mon January 08 1962 Pool of Life Greg Bossert Tue January 09 1962 OfTheTimes Troy J. Shadbolt Thu January 14 1971 Capricorn Chris Sampson Wed January 15 1964 Void where prohibited Dennis G Parslow Fri January 17 1964 ...of the Saint Ross Alford Thu January 17 1957 Positive Nancy Whitney Mon January 19 1959 slippery when wet Sarah Noelle Pratt Ferguson Tue January 20 1970 Seanympf-Aquarius David Beery Tue January 20 1976 drum Terry Partis Sun January 22 1933 Rocker Sarah McLachlan Sun January 28 1968 Aquarius Ilka Heber Mon February 01 1965 Mermaid Bob Lovejoy Sun February 02 1947 Aquarius Diane Burke Sat February 02 1963 slow children Timothy S. Devine Tue February 03 1970 Aquarius - -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 07:52:42 -0500 From: runly@hvi.net Subject: my first record I'm truly ashamed to reveal this, but the first 45 I ever owned that didn't belong to my brother or sister was "Love Will Keep Us Together" by the Captain and Tennille. I think it was 89 cents. I bought it at Rose's department store in Virginia Beach. My mother almost didn't let me buy it because she thought it was inappropriate subject matter for a little girl. Yep. My second 45 was "Killer Queen." Thank god I finally got a clue. Sharon ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 08:58:02 -0500 From: runly@hvi.net Subject: 3WK Has there been discussion on this list of the online underground radio station 3WK? If so, it bears repeating. If not, it bears mentioning. I've always hated radio until now... http://www.3WK.com Sharon ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 08:53:09 -0800 From: Phil Hudson Subject: More of the Rings On Wed, Dec 19, 2001 at 07:09:48PM +0000, Lyle Howard wrote: "When I think of hobbits, I can only think of them sitting around a > picnic table and eating until they barf. That and the names of the main > characters being either obscene or bad puns." Someone emailed me this URL; it's a hobbit name generator. no bad puns or obscene names, though, unless you include " Hogbut" http://www.chriswetherell.com/hobbit/default.asp BTW, I'm not really an LOTR person anymore, having read it about thrice in this lifetime, but the movie was really excellent, and works for people who haven't read the books. If only George Lucas had scripted and directed the Star Wars series in a similar fashion, instead of again going for the lowest common denominator...... Phil aka: Lardo Sandybanks of Throgmorton ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 17:25:22 -0000 From: "neal copperman" Subject: Re: my first record runly@hvi.net said: > I'm truly ashamed to reveal this, but the first 45 I ever owned that > didn't belong to my brother or sister was "Love Will Keep Us Together" > by the Captain and Tennille. I think it was 89 cents. Heh, you should be ashamed! But I'll join you in your shame, as the first record I bought, with joint funds from my younger sister, was also Captain and Tennille. We bought the full album, and I don't think it's that one, but the one with Muskrat Love instead. Funny, I'm not currently in the throws of a nostalgic urge to hear that song (though I can still remember it). neal np: Alejandro Escovedo mp3's ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 12:05:45 -0700 From: "Jeffrey Hanson" Subject: Re: my first record I also owned the Captain and Tenille's albums--and love the new wireless phone commercial that they're in where the football coach says "we need a backup for O'Neill" and the guy hears "We need the Captain and Tenille." But my first album purchase was Michael Murphy's Blue Sky Night Thunder--an album I still adore--even the song Wild Fire. I had a couple of other albums, but that was the first I"d bought with my own money. I think the next album I bought was Wings at the Speed of Sound--which started me off on a huge Paul McCartney & Wings buying spree. The first two 45s I bought were Supertramp's The Logical Song and Blondie's Heart of Glass. The first CDs I bought--I know I bought 3 at once when I first got my player, but I only remember two of them - Patrick O'Hearn's Ancient Dreams, Simple Minds - Once Upon a Time,and .... maybe Psychedelic Furs Mirror Moves--but not sure about the last. Jeff Hanson n.p. Jewel - Spirit (actually shuffling over 200 but that's whats on right now) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 16:01:51 -0500 (EST) From: Sue Trowbridge Subject: Re: my first record On Thu, 3 Jan 2002, neal copperman wrote: > Heh, you should be ashamed! But I'll join you in your shame, as the first > record I bought, with joint funds from my younger sister, was also Captain and > Tennille. We bought the full album, and I don't think it's that one, but the > one with Muskrat Love instead. Funny, I'm not currently in the throws of a > nostalgic urge to hear that song (though I can still remember it). Wow, I have to respond to this thread, because the Captain and Tennille's debut album was the first full length LP I ever owned!! Is there something about the C&T that leads directly to Happy Rhodes?! The first single I remember getting is Wings' "Mary Had A Little Lamb" -- I thought I might have hallucinated that (Paul McCartney recorded "Mary Had A Little Lamb"?? Huh?), because I haven't heard it or even heard *of* it since about 1973, but I checked on the web, and no, my memory wasn't playing tricks on me: http://www.mcbeatle.de/macca/45/mary_had_a_little_lamb.html I also had a 45 of that "Hot Buttered Popcorn" instrumental around the same time. - --Sue ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 13:03:19 -0800 From: "Kira" Subject: Re: my first record If you count the first record I bought with my own money as my first record, it was a Sesame Street album I bought at the age of 2, for 2 dollars. The first record I really considered mine was Linda Ronstadt's "Different Drum," which my friend Michelle bought me; the first singles I owned were Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," also bought for me by Michelle. I think the next record I bought for myself (after the Sesame Street one) was Linda Ronstadt's greatest hits. The first record I bought myself that my mother did not like was Blondie's "Parallel Lines." Kira http://www.ailurodrome.com/ __________________________________________________ D O T E A S Y - "Join the web hosting revolution!" http://www.doteasy.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 17:33:13 -0500 From: Mike Connell Subject: Re: my first record I like this one.... OK...my first 45(s) that I myself bought were two at the same time...."Young Girl" by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap and an instrumental called "Love is Blue" by Paul Mauriat in the spring of 1968. I can actually remember picking them out and buying them at the Family Bargain Center....I was probably wearing my purple jeans :-) It was a big moment for me, buying my own 45s after listening to whatever my mother had been playing for years (some classic stuff in THAT 45 collection...I still have them). My first album was the one I mentioned a few days ago....the Moody Blues "Seventh Sojourn".....I went almost a half a decade buying 45s before I ever *bought* an album......I had been given a few as presents before that, the first of which I *think* was Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass' "Whipped Cream & Other Delights". If not it was likely a Beatles album., likely Revolver, can't be sure. The first CD I bought was "Holst: The Planets" by Charles Dutoit with the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal. Mike ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 14:37:40 -0800 From: "Kira" Subject: first CD The first CD I bought (continuing a tangent in this thread) is Ofra Haza's Fifty Gates of Wisdom. The last newly-released record I vividly remember getting on LP was Kate Bush's The Sensual World. Kira __________________________________________________ D O T E A S Y - "Join the web hosting revolution!" http://www.doteasy.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 17:36:46 -0800 From: Jerene Waite Subject: Re: Should auld acquaintance be forgot... In response to Bob, Lover of Joy: You win. You are 6 months older than I am. You probably watched My Little Margie, but won't admit it. The first music I heard or remember having heard was probably Rockabye Baby, although time sequencing is a little vague. Rock 'n' Roll... I remember seeing Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show and asking my mother why he didn't stand still. She told me that's what the teenagers like. I wondered what was a teenager. Did you like the Rock 'n' Roll Waltz? (Rock 2, 3, Roll 2, 3) Ah, thanks for the memories. From: "Robert Lovejoy" Subject: Auld? Jerene asks if anyone here is as old, but neglects to give out age! I will be 55 this February, if that helps! First music I heard was from my Dad - he was a Frankie Laine fan. I always loved music, but when I heard Freddie Cannon's "Buzz Buzz A Diddle It" as a teenager I got hooked on Rock 'n' Roll. Big time. Happy New Year everyone, Bob Lovejoy "Uncle Ecto" In response to Neal (neal): After 2 listens, I like both Sigur Ros and Voices on the Verge. VotV are really standard wonderful ecto-feast: lovely lady-voices, melodies that catch quickly, lyrics of poetry. PLUS putting 4 voices on the same recording adds variety, the individual talents shine through the support of the other 3. A very good blend, kept in balance with mostly acoustic guitar (nothing at all like the Andrew Sisters...). Although if someone told me Louise by Beth Amsel was actually sung by Dar Williams, I would believe it. Sigur Ros is more of a sound envelope, reminding me of Rose Chronicles in that way. (But associations occur only because this hasn't yet made it's own space in my brain.) The album art is cool and I might have bought it for that if I did that any more. Some tracks she is definitely intending her voice to be heard as an instrument; in others she may be trying to say something, if I only knew her language. This is one that will grow on me. Ah yes, of course....Farewell, So Long, Auf Wiedersehn, Goodbye My Concubine...that was it! (Sorry) I did mean to nominate Requiem faD as a "best of" for the year, but I don't think I communicated that well. I re-viewed that one recently too and, to me, both films are quite disturbing and excellent in their own ways. My sense of "horrific" is apparently different from N(n)eal's. I have, in fact, read Was and found it to be not a fun book at all. It was disturbing enough that I got rid of the book as soon as I finished reading it. That is not something I ever do. Wicked is nothing like that. I find it (so far) to be a somewhat frivolous fairy tale witch requires some rather large suspension of reasonableness (for me). I don't think the WW of the W would believe it either. My rating: If you have nothing else to do, read Wicked. Then read Was, as an antidote. Jerene --"Grandma Ecto" From: "neal copperman" Subject: Re: Should auld acquaintance be forgot... Jerene Waite said: > Last night's exploration of Border's music on display netted Sigur Ros > and Voices on the Verge, only 2--not 10. Be curious to see what you think, about both. > Best Film: I just finished watching Goodbye My Concubine, but this is > too horrific for me. Obviously, I'm slow at getting to movies, but I > will eventually get to the good ones. Maybe Requiem for a Dream, > because of the cinematic artistry and Ellen Burstyn; slightly less > horrific than GMC. Um, was this Farewell, My Concubine (Chinese movie), or something else. If so, I don't think Requiem for a Dream is less horrific than that movie at all. RfaD is actually quite unpleasant to watch, though still a good movie. > n.r. Wicked (Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West); not the most > high-brow (yet), but a few lovely phrases here and there. I want a > basket of simples. I still haven't read Wicked, but if you want to stick with the Wizard of Oz theme, check out the amazing Was by Geoff Ryman. neal ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 20:38:37 -0500 From: meredith Subject: Re: Should auld acquaintance be forgot... Hi, >I wonder what other people's first record (or other format) purchases >were. I think my first 45 was Juice Newton's "Queen of Hearts". I know the first LP I bought with my own money was Blondie's _Parallel Lines_. I remember it clearly - it was at K-Mart, and my dad picked up ABBA's _Greatest Hits Volume 2_ at the same time. :) The first CD I bought was James Taylor's _JT_. (I got out of that phase in about a week, but at least the disc was pretty cheap!) ======================================= Meredith Tarr New Haven, CT USA mailto:meth@smoe.org http://www.smoe.org/meth "an eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind" -- mahatma gandhi ======================================= Live At The House O'Muzak House Concert Series http://www.smoe.org/meth/muzak.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 20:47:06 -0500 From: dave Subject: first music purchases Mine was Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 19:05:01 -0700 From: Neal Copperman Subject: Re: Should auld acquaintance be forgot... At 5:36 PM -0800 1/3/02, Jerene Waite wrote: >Sigur Ros is more of a sound envelope, reminding me of Rose Chronicles in >that way. (But associations occur only because this hasn't yet made it's >own space in my brain.) The album art is cool and I might have bought it >for that if I did that any more. Some tracks she is definitely intending >her voice to be heard as an instrument; in others she may be trying to >say something, if I only knew her language. This is one that will grow >on me. The lead singer of Sigur Ros is actaully a man :) Amusingly enough, Sigur Ros came in at number two for best album of the year in Albuquerque's free weekly. Since Jeff and I both put Veda near the top of our list, that probably pushed her into the top 40. (We both voted high for Sigur Ros too.) And they picked my Top 10 list as one of the ones to print, as well as a joking bio that credits me with putting on 3,100 house concerts this year. If anyone cares, you can see all this at http://www.alibi.com >My sense of "horrific" is apparently different from N(n)eal's. I have, >in fact, read Was and found it to be not a fun book at all. It was >disturbing enough that I got rid of the book as soon as I finished >reading it. That is not something I ever do. I did find Was disturbing, but the books I find the most powerful and moving are often disturbing. (The Bone People and The Hours both spring to mind.) neal np: Life on a String - Laurie Anderson ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 16:55:05 +1300 From: "Karen Hester" Subject: anet - talented girl Anet  Talented Girl Highly melodic rock; neurotic, funny, heartfelt lyrics; heavy guitars. Available mp3.com (with many samples), but wait for proper cd & booklet re-titled Toilet trained at cdbaby.com soon. The melodies are so immediate and catchy, these are songs you can sing along with second listen. Im not sure yet if that means one eventually gets saturated  I havent reached that stage, though I do with Tanya Donnelly albums, after similar instant infatuation. Maybe Anets lyrics will hold this off  they are a charming mixture of confused and honest, reveling in neurosis and screwy acquaintances and funny situations, but not in a "feel my pain" way, more "Ha! Arent I a mess?! Ha! Arent you a mess?!." The characters and colourful words and passionate delivery keep me involved even when sometimes the lyrics border on cliches. The final delicate "Everything", almost country-tinged, is really moving in its vulnerability  her lover has seen in her poetry what she wanted hidden ("the things you just dont need to know, youll probably just turn and leave"), and yet she cant say what she needs to. Electric chair is a gorgeous over-the-top power ballad with lyrics like Cinderellas drunk and difficult to deal with, from your intoxicating kiss" and "quickly hit the switch and see the pretty colours from the pyrotechnics of my heart exploding." The listener probably needs a specific sensibility to adore this as much as I do. The sound sometimes borders on heavy metal, not the ornate fast kind, but a heavy sound using guitars and drums to thundering affect. This lp is louder than her previous crunchy guitar stuff. Among the louder songs I love the churning "Nicotine" ("shove it down the drain before you have to explain it") with its chanting impassioned politics, the rumbling bass and flailing guitars of sexy "Abductee" ("I want to get inside your mind") and the disturbing "I explode" with a monster struggling inside, apparently about suicide, but it works too if the monster is taken literally. The mid-tempo numbers like "Liar" and "Talented girl" are more clever and cute (too cute?) and unique, but I need loud guitars at the moment. Unfortunately there are only 9 songs and I want more, but perhaps therell be extra tracks on the proper pressing of 'Talented Girl'. There are several versions of Anet's previous album "Tortured/Flowers in the concrete", each with different songs, which is kinda annoying when youd like all the songs but dont want to buy several copies. Karen ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2002 23:42:58 -0500 From: meredith Subject: best of 2001 Hi, From the "better late than never" dept... I am *so* down with the sentiment expressed in Jim Infantino's song "New Lang Syne": "Thank god it's over!" (The song (and accompanying video) is at http://www.bigego.com/newyears, and is well worth checking out.) 2001 sucked in so many ways, on so many levels, starting with the Inauguration on January 20 and sliding inextricably downhill from there. I don't need to mention the fun that Fall brought us. But fortunately, there was plenty of good music to help make the morass worth living through. TOP ALBUMS 1.) Rachael Sage, _Painting Of A Painting_ This was the first new CD I got in 2001, and it remained a mainstay in the player all year long. It's one of those albums I'll turn to in 5, 10, 15 years when I want to listen to something wonderful that I know very well. It all comes together for Rachael on this CD: the songwriting, instrumentation, arrangements and production are all top-notch. I knew instantly that this was going to be in my top 3 for the year. 2.) Veda Hille, _Field Study_ Veda releases an album, of course it's going to be on my list. ;) Curiously I haven't been motivated to listen to this very much, but when I do I'm blown away. The imagery she conveys in these songs is stunning. She makes you feel exactly what she was feeling and thinking during her time in the Yukon. I fear that she's never going to gain a wide audience by putting together these works of art, but they're so brilliantly done I don't want her to stop making them. 3.) Sloan Wainwright, _The Song Inside_ I just got this a couple days before I left town for the holidays, and I haven't even had a chance to sit and listen to the whole thing in one sitting -- but I've heard every track at least three times, and that's enough to know that this album deserves to round out the year's top 3. Finally, Sloan has gathered the werewithal to put together a CD that accurately captures her music at its best. Simply put: this album kicks *major* ass. Bluesy, rocking, driving, gorgeous ... and everywhere there's Sloan's rich, powerful voice. Liadain Clancy provides the perfect backing vocals (sometimes she sounds so much like Happy in her upper range, it's scary), and the instrumentation, from Sloan's brilliant live band is great. Fans of October Project, as well as 60's-flavored bluesy rock absolutely need to have this in their collection. 4.) Suzanne Vega, _Songs In Red And Gray_ This is Suzanne's first album in the post-Mitchell Froom era, and it subsequently sounds more like her first two albums than anything she's done since _Days Of Open Hand_. Her songwriting remains razor-sharp, and the production lets her words shine while placing more emphasis on the acoustic guitar than we've been treated to for a long while. It's the type of CD we automatically put on "repeat", and it's in the running for the title of "CD most played in the car on the way to and from musical events". :) 5.) Bjork, _Vespertine_ Bjork's full-length releases have done less than nothing for me since _Debut_, but this is absolutely wonderful. Her otherworldly voice shimmers over a soundscape that manages to be utterly of Iceland and from a different planet all at once. Don Keller wondered if she is truly a "21st century artist", and I would have to say yes. There are very few musicians out there now who are as consistently and successfully innovative as Bjork. 6.) Laurie Anderson, _Life On A String_ It's fitting that I got this on the same day as Bjork's album -- in my mind they are inextricably linked, and that seems to fit somehow. I was hoping for more music from the _Moby Dick_ show, but what we got instead is well worth the omission. Laurie has become a fine singer, and the musical arrangements are some of her most accessible yet. It was especially poignant to listen to these vignettes of life in New York City in the immediate aftermath of September 11, particularly after seeing Laurie perform much of the album in NYC on 9/19. An instant classic from one of my all-time favorite artists. 7.) Ekova, _Space Lullabies And Other Fantasmagore_ I heard this album on WPKN's Radio Nothing one morning, and within a week I'd ordered it from Amazon. I haven't regretted the impulse buy one bit. Back when I got it I described it as sounding like "Dead Can Dance, Ofra Haza, and Big Hat all at once", and I still think that holds. I still need to get off my butt and pick up their other CDs, but at least I'm not tired of this one yet. 8.) Susan Werner, _New Non Fiction_ It's been way too long since Susan put out a new record, and longer still since she put out one that's worth listening to more than once. _New Non Fiction_ is, simply put, her best studio recording yet. Sure, you can quibble about the song selection (no "Year Of The Bad President", or "Brazil", or "Shot Tower"), but the songs that did make the cut are superlative, with just one exception ("It's OK To Feel Good" should have been dropped in favor of one of the omitted titles listed above). "Nefertiti's Dream" is one of the most addictive songs she's ever written. "Big Car" and "All Of The Above" are a hoot, and "Barbwire Boys" and "May I Suggest" are notable additions to her extensive catalog of songs in the "rip out your heart so subtly you don't notice until you keel over" category. 9.) The Nields, _Live In Northampton_ This was also destined to make the list: a double live CD by my all-time favorite band, chronicling one of the better nights in my live music-going life. The recording could sound a bit better, but that doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the set too much. (You can still hear Dar Williams' backing vocals on "Jennifer Falling Down" 1000 times better than you could while standing in the room. :) Sadly, it appears as though the five-piece Nields are history, so this will have to stand as a final chronicle of how much fun they were as a band. Fortunately, it's a worthy one. (Heck, even the song David Nields sings is listenable!) 10.) Natalie Merchant, _Motherland_ This is Natalie's most interesting album to me, in that she is exploring new musical territory and her voice sounds different: older, deeper, more determined than before. I have really been enjoying this, and I think it'll have more staying power than either of her other solo releases. Honorable mentions: Jonatha Brooke, _Steady Pull_ Wonderful intelligent pop from someone who is managing to keep getting better even as her audience expands. It's an enjoyable listen all the way through, perfect to blast in the car on a bright summer's day. She's obviously having a good time, too - that really comes through in the overall exuberance of the production. Over The Rhine, _Films For Radio_ This is OTR's most kickass album yet. It's also their most slickly produced, but this manages not to have a negative impact on their sound, or on Karin's beautiful voice. In a just Universe this CD would have catapulted the band to worldwide stardom, but alas, we live in a mockery of Hell so that wasn't to be. SONGS OF THE YEAR These are the songs I couldn't listen to fewer than three times in succession: Susan Werner, "Nefertiti's Dream" Tori Amos, "Strange Little Girl" Amber Benson, "Tara's Song" (from the _Buffy_ musical) BEST LIVE PERFORMANCES I'm not going to rate these, because they were all magical in their own way - -- I'll just list them as they come to mind. * Veda Hille in our living room, 6/30 It was 100 degrees with matching humidity, the living room was jammed with people, and we ran out of ice before the show even started. But oh, was it ever worth it. The first set was filled with rousing renditions of my favorite songs, and then for the second set we were treated to the US premiere of the multimedia production of _Field Study_. Simply amazing. I still can't believe it happened in my own house. * EctoFestWest, 6/9 - 6/10 Two days of musical performances in one of the most beautiful parts of the continent I've ever seen. Veda blew everyone away, Happy pulled out an amazing performance despite her hand, and there were more incredible moments than I have room to list here. It was an experience I'll never forget. * Veda Hille and Erin McKeown at The Knitting Factory, 6/29 Veda got things started, which would have been enough in itself, but then Erin took the stage with a band. Then Veda came back to jam with the band. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to heaven. * Susan McKeown and Dorothy Scott at Fez, 9/25 It's always a special thing seeing the full Chanting House at Fez, but adding Dorothy Scott, whom I hadn't seen in years made it even better. The evening was also made indelibly unforgettable by the reception some local firefighters got when they entered the room halfway through the show. * Patti Smith at Toad's Place, 5/10 An intense show from someone I thought I'd never get to see perform live. She has lost none of her fire with age -- if anything, it's burning even more brightly these days. She and her band rocked the house such as Toad's hasn't seen in a long time. A great night. * The Nields and Dar Williams on the New Haven Green, 8/12 I include this mostly because it was such a gas to see these performers within walking distance of my house. :) If it turns out to be the last full-band Nields show ever, I feel privileged to have been a part of it. * Susan Werner at The Turning Point, 11/11 It was the second show of the evening, so the regular set list went out the window and Susan got loopy. She played a bunch of songs we hadn't heard her do in years, then when the piano set came around she ended up doing a medley of Oscar-winning songs for no good reason whatsoever. It was the loosest, funniest show I'd seen Susan do in way too long. Structure onstage is good, but when you could be a stand-up comic if the music thing doesn't work out, it's a shame to lose the between-song banter. It was great to see it back, even for one night. MUSICAL DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR Molly Zenobia This young woman has one heck of a career ahead of her. Her voice, talent and overall vibe are quintessentially ecto. She just needs to get more comfortable up on stage, but that will come in time. I greatly look forward to hear what she will do next -- and maybe she'll start playing closer than an hour and a half away on weeknights so I can see her play again soon. (Runner-up: Ekova) DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR Heather Nova, _South_ I've gone on enough about this album in these pages ... so I'll just let the listing speak for itself. MUSICAL ABERRATION OF THE YEAR The entire Billboard Hot 100. I give up. Here's to a musically fulfilling 2002!! ======================================= Meredith Tarr New Haven, CT USA mailto:meth@smoe.org http://www.smoe.org/meth "an eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind" -- mahatma gandhi ======================================= Live At The House O'Muzak House Concert Series http://www.smoe.org/meth/muzak.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2002 21:44:31 -0800 From: "Harmony Ridge Music" Subject: top 10 Hello, As usual, finding a top ten was easy, confining it to ten was hard, on another day it could be ten others. I still find great comfort in the music we are blessed to hear, even in times that disturb me a great deal. Here are ten that at this moment excite me: Gillian Welch "Time (The Revelator)"probably my most played CD, so simple, so soulful. I always expect superb material from Gillian and David Rawlings, but I think this is the best they've done to date. I think this sets the theme for my top picks of 2001 in that it demonstrates how little musical content is necessary to convey musical excellence. When I see a stage fill with 10 guitars, 5 drums and several other instruments, I get nervous. Veronika Jackson "Hat Check" A combination of originals and some covers. She's a throw back to how they used to do it, blues from the heart. She has a bluesy mellow pickin' style, a warm country blues voice and she writes great material. Vienna Teng "Waking Hour" Thanks to the folks at ECTO this is pretty much the find of the year. She has one of the most stunningly beautiful voices I've ever heard, hint's ever so subtle of Sinead Lohan. The lyrics are powerful intelligent and reflect the wisdom of a very wise and insightful being. Her piano playing is craftily refined and warmly expressive and ties everything tightly together. A very splendid creation indeed! Shari Elf " I'm Forcing Goodness Upon You" I think very few artists are able to caricature a music form, rework it from top to bottom, and yet unmistaken ably exude it's essence. She's a master of simplicity and some people like myself will be drawn in to her magic and others will probably wonder why. Cary Fridley "Neighborhood Girl" Cary was a member of the now defunct old-time music band "The Freight Hoppers". She mostly does renditions of old-time classic tunes from artists like the Coon Creek Girls. I just love her singing style and energy. If you feel like kicking the jams out (whatever that means) and feeling good, go for this one. Annie Gallup "Swerve". If Annie puts out a CD in any given year, it's on my top ten lists, no questions asked. This is her best ever, I say that every time, and I'm totally blown away by her latest effort.......not really, I've grown to expect it, she is a national , no a "world" treasure. Catie Curtis "Your Shirt Looks Good On Me" I would love someone to come up to me and ask for proof or verification of why I'm totally impressed by an artist. I could rattle off song after song of Catie's and just sit back and gloat as they listened to each offering. Their face would say it all, and in anticipation of their obvious question, "why have I not heard of her before?", I would say finding good new music takes effort, finding it on MTV and commercial radio is rare. Land Of The Blind "Ordinary Magic" another invitation to step outside the bounds of commercial pop crap and experience cutting edge, heart felt, earth music. No pretenses here, no top 40 slush, just honest, unabashed emotions set afire in honesty and unbridled energy. Faun Fables "Mother Twilight" I really like it when I find an artist with no grounding characteristics. Nothing to hang your hat on, no familiar hooks. This duo has charted the unfamiliar, and presented something worth attention. If I could hang a sign on their cage, it would be "watch this one". Natalie Josef "Nub" The first thing you notice about Natalie Josef is her crystal clear beautiful voice. In some respects it hints of Phranc, and the song subject and content could well be something Phranc would create. The arrangements are sparse with her voice and guitar the driving presence. This is all that is needed to showcase Natalie's fine songwriting talent. She has a strong message to deliver on social issues, and she delivers with energy, emotion and heart. Jack Sutton Harmony Ridge Music www.hrmusic.com ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V8 #3 ************************