From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V10 #91 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Thursday, April 1 2004 Volume 10 : Number 091 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: not so off then [heidi maier ] Re: SIX FEET UNDER and NEVERWHERE [irvin lin ] Writing silly things about Tori [Ethan Straffin ] thea on kcrw.org [Paul2k@aol.com] Re: SIX FEET UNDER [Ethan Straffin ] Re: not so off then [Ethan Straffin ] Re: BBC DVD (was Re: More on Britvision) [AzeemAK@aol.com] Joanna Newsom and Susanna and the Magical Orchestra [Craig Gidney ] Re: Random Answers and Comments on BBC Shows [Ellen Rawson ] [Wrong Century] Happy highlighted on Echoes website [fingerpuppets ] The Whole Universe ["Lyle Howard" ] Re: Writing silly things about Tori [Ethan Straffin ] Re: Writing silly things about Tori ["Doug" ] Is it [Ethan Straffin ] Re: Writing silly things about Tori [Ethan Straffin ] Re: thea on kcrw.org [meredith ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 17:08:28 +1000 From: heidi maier Subject: Re: not so off then yes, i love "six feet under." if only the dvds would be released in a more timely fashion here in australia ... the first season took forever and there's still no sign of the second. i watched it all when it was broadcast on television but it is one of those shows you just want to own on dvd or video :) heidi. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 23:42:17 -0800 From: irvin lin Subject: Re: SIX FEET UNDER and NEVERWHERE > From: anna maria "stjdrnell" > Hi.. > well nice to see it wasn't off topic..any more fans of > six feet under here? we get the second series now. > the music is great..i heard pj harvey in one episode. > From: Ethan Straffin > I'm in awe of Six Feet Under. I've only seen the first season, because > I came late to the party, and that's all that's out on DVD so far, and > I refuse to watch them out of order. I figure I can deal with some > delayed gratification for drama that's this weird, funny, and brilliant. Count me in as a FAN of the show, though not as hardcore as I used to be. The first season border on brilliance while I watched it, but I found the second season degenerated into a soap opera with story lines that didn't quite ring true to me. The third season (which I have yet to finish up - I have them all on tape from my brother who actually has cable, I'm still old school) got progressively darker - and I found myself becoming more and more detached from the characters. I accidentally read a little bit about the ending of the third season and I am rather fearful to finish that season because of it. But I have heard that season FOUR will be a return to the wacky zany antics from first season. MICHELLE TRACHTENBURG (DAWN from BUFFY) will guest star in a story arc that sounds immensely amusing. It sounds like a return to form to the first season and I look forward to that. Like BUFFY, even the worse episodes of SIX FEET UNDER beats 85% of the crap on the television nowadays. Also of note, I would definitely recommend getting the soundtrack to the SIX FEET UNDER. Not only is the brilliant theme song on there (wonderfully remixed as well as the original, but there is quite a wonderful eclectic groupings of songs that really do remind me of the show. Of special note for ECTO fans will be the inclusion of the PJ HARVEY, LAMB and ZERO 7, JULIE LONDON and PEGGY LEE. As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts though, SEASON TWO will be released in the beginning of JUNE. > From: breinheimer@webtv.net > I am unfamiliar with Neverwhere but am intrigued by the Dr. Who > references. Having only watched two or three episodes of DR. WHO and half of NEVERWHERE I see little in common, other than the poor production value. Somehow it works on DR. WHO, but I couldn't get past it on NEVERWHERE. It's probably why I haven't bothered to finish watching the set that I borrowed from my friend. A review on AMAZON stated that "if you can get past the bad acting, the bad sets, the bad lighting, the bad cinematography, and the bad production the show is quite wonderful" or something to that effect. Orf course once you rule all that out, you are basically just left with a script. Or in this case, the book. So I would highly recommend the book, as the story is well told, though the plot a little derivative of other fantasy stories that I have read. Personally, I found AMERICAN GODS a little bit better in terms of NEIL GAIMAN novels (though again derivative). Personally I think his best work was within the confines of graphic novels, especially THE SANDMAN. But that's just me. I know others who are quite fanatically about everything he's done. irvin ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 00:12:31 -0800 From: Ethan Straffin Subject: Writing silly things about Tori to a friend whose Tori-appreciation bulb just now clicked on after a couple years of living with me and therefore hearing her on a semi-regular basis. (i.e., if it sounds just a little bit patronizing, it probably is, but we ex-housemates get to keed.) Ethan - -- Matt, Tori? Don't get me started. No, really. She is by far the finest singer-songwriter of my (our?) generation, and one of those rare people who makes me think that there just might be a God because genetics alone doesn't quite seem to explain that -- and as you can probably tell from this, I'm long past being objective about her, so there would be gushing. And who wants that? Those four songs are all on her recent compilation _Tales of a Librarian_, so maybe that's what you heard? The song selection is a little bit weird at times -- not speaking of those four, which are essential Tori -- but the remixed/remastered/re-recorded versions are (almost) universally improvements on originals that were already pretty darn good. It therefore retains its value even after you decide that you need to own all of the albums from which the originals were drawn, which you will probably do, because you are a man of taste. I recommend picking it up and preparing to be in awe and NOT LISTENING TO TRACK #10, WHATEVER YOU DO, BECAUSE IT IS COMPLETE AND UTTER SHIT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 03:37:52 EST From: Paul2k@aol.com Subject: thea on kcrw.org I missed Thea when she was out here two weeks ago. Apparently, she opened for Jon Brion at Largo on Friday the 19th, then played out in Santa Barbara on the 20th, which is where Sherry saw her. It's weird, but her official website didn't have the Largo show listed while the Compass Records website did. Anyways, earlier that week, she was at South By Southwest and performed on Morning Becomes Eclectic with Nic Harcourt (they were on location for the conference). It's archived here. http://www.kcrw.org/cgi-bin/db/kcrw.pl?show_code=mb&air_date=3/18/04& tmplt_type=show Has anyone heard of Rachael Yamagata? I heard a song of hers on WXPN when I was home in Maryland for Christmas and was intrigued. She's been opening for Liz Phair (not bad for someone with no release yet [it comes out on RCA in June]) and will have a residency at the Hotel Cafe in L.A. every monday in April. Also, has anyone heard Butterfly Boucher? She appears to be the next "big" female singer-songwriter. She toured with Barenaked Ladies, and I heard that she'll be the opening act for Sarah McLachlan this summer. I've yet to hear anything from her though, and I missed an appearance by her at the Viper room. Speaking of which, Carina Round is gonna be doing a show at the Viper Room Wednesday night. I think I might be too scared to go. Yes, i am a wuss. She was at Spaceland in L.A. tonight, but I was at a show where my friend Sylvie Lewis performed. There were some other interesting acts on the bill, including the piano-based Annie Stela (whose voice reminded me of Leslie Feist...where the hell has Feisty been?!) and a girl named Jessica Dobson (with backing band dressed in slacker shirt and tie ensemble) who was a meshing of Jon Brion/Fiona Apple with the nouveau 80's NY-garage band thing that's popular these days. The individual parts of Jessica's band was really good (they even pulled out a synth keyboard connected to a laptop for some retro sounds), but the whole was, to me, less than the sum of the parts. The songs almost worked, but not quite, and her voice almost grabbed me, but not quite (I think on that part it was the forced vibrato she kept affecting, like Fiona). I'm curious to see how a CD of hers would sound. That's it. Paul K ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 01:30:20 -0800 From: Ethan Straffin Subject: Re: SIX FEET UNDER Irvin, Color me curious. I'm even more interested in seeing S2 and S3 now, since it's always fun to see how opinions match up. Buffy fanatic and giver of thumbs up for Michelle Trachtenburg getting work, Ethan On Tuesday, March 30, 2004, at 11:42 PM, irvin lin wrote: > Count me in as a FAN of the show, though not as hardcore as I used to > be. > The first season border on brilliance while I watched it, but I found > the > second season degenerated into a soap opera with story lines that > didn't > quite ring true to me. The third season (which I have yet to finish up > - I > have them all on tape from my brother who actually has cable, I'm > still old > school) got progressively darker - and I found myself becoming more > and more > detached from the characters. > > I accidentally read a little bit about the ending of the third season > and I > am rather fearful to finish that season because of it. But I have > heard that > season FOUR will be a return to the wacky zany antics from first > season. > MICHELLE TRACHTENBURG (DAWN from BUFFY) will guest star in a story arc > that > sounds immensely amusing. It sounds like a return to form to the first > season and I look forward to that. Like BUFFY, even the worse episodes > of > SIX FEET UNDER beats 85% of the crap on the television nowadays. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 02:27:49 -0800 From: Ethan Straffin Subject: Re: not so off then Cheer up...at least we're all equally annoyed. SFU isn't out anywhere on DVD beyond its first season. It's not like with Buffy, where non-U.S. consumers got a U.S. series on DVD before U.S. consumers who didn't opt for the region-free player did. HBO is very slow at times, but at least they're somewhat egalitarian about it -- and only Fox has done a better job of making the DVDs happen, even if that's maybe not saying much. 69 days until S2 is available to us both. :) Ethan On Tuesday, March 30, 2004, at 11:08 PM, heidi maier wrote: > yes, i love "six feet under." if only the dvds would be released in a > more > timely fashion here in australia ... the first season took forever and > there's > still no sign of the second. i watched it all when it was broadcast on > television but it is one of those shows you just want to own on dvd or > video :) > > heidi. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 05:44:28 EST From: AzeemAK@aol.com Subject: Re: BBC DVD (was Re: More on Britvision) In a message dated 31/03/2004 06:37:22 GMT Daylight Time, silme13@yahoo.com writes: << Only the first series of The Book Club is out on DVD here, alas. I don't know if that one has made it to the US >> The Book Group is totally brilliant! I think it's much better than Black Books, in fact. The writing is razor sharp, terrific acting, deadpan humour, you name it, it's there. I have the first series on DVD, and it repays repeated viewing; the director's commentary is very worthwhile too, as are the cast interviews. Azeem in London NP: Neneh Cherry - Man ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 05:43:56 -0800 (PST) From: Craig Gidney Subject: Joanna Newsom and Susanna and the Magical Orchestra Joanna Newsom, "The Milk-Eyed Mender." 22-year old poppet-voiced harpist-harpischordist is the lovechild of Donovan and Kate Bush (circa "The Kick Inside"). Wurtlizers and quirky lyrics (not unlike Rasputina) abound. http://www.walnutwhales.com/ Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, List of Lights and Buoys. Miminalist electronica, not unlike Mum, sort of like electronic instruments being played acoustically, and the voice of an angel singing over that. A stunning version of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" is included. http://www.runegrammofon.com/ __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 05:50:38 -0800 (PST) From: Todd Pierce Subject: Random Answers and Comments on BBC Shows This thread has prompted some responses from me - but first the On-Topic comment!! I recall seeing a show about Robin Hood on PBS, I don't know if it was British or not, it was done by Samuel Goldwyn studios. It was called Robin of Sherwood and the soundtrack was by Clannad (there! ecto!). The first season or two was very enjoyable (before the actor playing Robin was changed - never a good idea for any show.) Anyway. I've never seen these on DVD or video anywhere, anyone have a clue? While on Blackadder - has anyone seen the Thin Blue Line, with Rowan Atkinson as a police sergeant in a small UK town? Truly hilarious, and a good send up of British society in the late 90's (I lived in the UK for four years in the 90s and a lot of the humor hit home.) Anyway - the DVD of this series is coming out June 2004 in the US! Hooray. The PBS station in New Orleans showed plenty of BBC comedies when I grew up, and I watched them a lot - Fawlty Towers, Are You Being Served, Solo, May to December, Brush Strokes, To the Manor Born, Yes Prime Minister, Good Neighbours, Monty Python. I know the final season of Good Neighbours is on US DVD, as is all of Fawlty Towers. Also saw a lot of BBC dramas like Inspector Morse and Rumpole of the Bailey. And best of all the station showed Dr. Who every weekday when I was in I was in high school - probably the best time to get into Dr. Who, young enough to overlook the cheesy production but old enough to get caught up in it all. I've now seen episodes from all 7 Drs and yes Tom Baker is my favorite probably because he was the first I saw. Peter Davison comes 2nd mostly cause as a high school male I had a crush on Nyssa. Finally on Neverwhere - as someone else said in reply, the Dr Who comparisons mostly refers to the production, not the characters or plots. But Neverwhere is well worth checking out - read the book first if you want, or just rent the DVDs. The story is very clever in the way it weaves together British myths and history with the modern day London Underground. (Those who liked Neverwhere the book might like The Jane Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, set in a different UK where Wales is an independent communist country, the book Jane Eyre does NOT end with Jane marrying Rochester (she runs off with St.John to India instead), the Crimean War is still raging after 100 years, and a dastardly crook starts eliminating characters from Dickens' works....) Todd Pierce Asheville NC __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 08:59:18 -0500 From: Gary Davis Subject: Re: More on Britvision OK, here's one I don't think has been mentioned yet - 'Man About the House.' It's been quite a while since I've seen this one. It was the original British comedy on which the American 'Three's Company' was based. To tell the truth, I never cared for 'Three's Company' at all. But 'Man About the House' left me in stitches! Gary ************************************************************** Gary Davis The Artist Shop The Other Road http://www.artist-shop.com artshop@artist-shop.com phone: 877-856-1158, 330-929-2056 fax:330-945-4923 INDEPENDENT PROGRESSIVE MUSIC!!! ************************************************************** Artist Shop Radio Check out the latest Artist Shop newsletter at http://www.artist-shop.com/news.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 06:40:52 -0800 (PST) From: Ellen Rawson Subject: Re: Random Answers and Comments on BBC Shows - --- Todd Pierce wrote: (Those who liked Neverwhere the book > might like The Jane Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, > set > in a different UK where Wales is an independent > communist country, the book Jane Eyre does NOT end > with Jane marrying Rochester (she runs off with > St.John to India instead), the Crimean War is still > raging after 100 years, and a dastardly crook starts > eliminating characters from Dickens' works....) This series is a lot of fun. Three out of the planned five books have been published. They're all out in paperback over here; the most recent one just came out in hardcover in North America. I'm an English teacher, and even I find these books are so amusing. :) Ellen ===== "Literature stops in 1100. After that, it's just books." - -- JRR Tolkien ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 09:40:05 -0600 From: "Doug" Subject: Re: Writing silly things about Tori > I recommend picking it up and preparing to be in awe and NOT LISTENING TO > TRACK #10, WHATEVER YOU DO, BECAUSE IT IS COMPLETE AND UTTER SHIT. YOU > HAVE BEEN WARNED. Yep, that sure is a silly thing to write about Tori. Good choice in subject names! ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 11:28:39 -0500 From: fingerpuppets Subject: [Wrong Century] Happy highlighted on Echoes website looks like happy's living room concert is archived in realaudio on the echoes site , but it's only available for members. pish. ah well, we have it on cassette which probably sounds better anyway! ;) woj - ----- Forwarded message from Debby ----- To: wrongcentury@yahoogroups.com From: "Debby" Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 15:45:42 -0000 Subject: [Wrong Century] Happy highlighted on Echoes website http://www.echoes.org/ - ----- End forwarded message ----- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 08:47:47 -0800 (PST) From: Ellen Rawson Subject: Re: BBC DVD (was Re: More on Britvision) - --- AzeemAK@aol.com wrote: > > The Book Group is totally brilliant! I think it's > much better than Black > Books, in fact. The writing is razor sharp, > terrific acting, deadpan humour, you > name it, it's there. I have the first series on > DVD, and it repays repeated > viewing; the director's commentary is very > worthwhile too, as are the cast > interviews. I keep waiting for the second series on DVD... and a third series on channel 4, please??? :) Ellen in the New Forest :) ===== "Literature stops in 1100. After that, it's just books." - -- JRR Tolkien ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 10:41:07 -0800 From: Ken Blake Subject: Re: not so off then Heidi, I have the 2nd season of SFU in my Netflix queue (to be released) and I recently noticed it says it will be released in June (in US at least). My wife and I really enjoyed the first season. Ken heidi maier wrote: >yes, i love "six feet under." if only the dvds would be released in a more >timely fashion here in australia ... the first season took forever and there's >still no sign of the second. i watched it all when it was broadcast on >television but it is one of those shows you just want to own on dvd or video :) > >heidi. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 18:51:44 +0000 From: "Lyle Howard" Subject: The Whole Universe Hola, I've been keeping my mouth shut for several weeks now and I can't stand it any longer. Dallas is a hotbed of BBC comedic activity. The local PBS station has played nearly every BBC series at least once. I could sit down and write out several "Good Neighbors" and "Are You Being Served" scripts from memory. I'm burned out on all the comedies at the moment, though I am watching "My Hero." I enjoyed the series "Survivors" in the 90s. Quite thought-provoking. But then I'm a sucker for all those black and white post-apocalyptic 50's and 60's movies. Of course "Survivors" did have a bizzare last season where Ian McCulloh kept disappearing from view in an attempt to compete with Waldo. Then all the characters would spend screen time discussing what Ian was up to. That whole season reminded me of the one Tom Baker Dr. Who episode where he spent ten minutes walking through different levels of the Tardis. The writers must have been hungover that week. There was a study released that says CD sales are not suffering as a result of file sharing. Read it here: http://www.unc.edu/~cigar/papers/FileSharing_March2004.pdf Speaking of ectronica (I like that term), I've been listening to a Dallas band named Tree Wave. http://www.treewave.com/about.html The most interesting thing about the band is their reliance on ancient technology (C-64s, Ataris, etc.) That's it. Lyle nr: Carl Sagan. The Demon Haunted World. wp: Rundgren. Something/Anything. _________________________________________________________________ MSN Toolbar provides one-click access to Hotmail from any Web page  FREE download! http://toolbar.msn.com/go/onm00200413ave/direct/01/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 11:20:53 -0800 From: Ethan Straffin Subject: Re: Writing silly things about Tori On Wednesday, March 31, 2004, at 07:40 AM, Doug wrote: >> I recommend picking it up and preparing to be in awe and NOT >> LISTENING TO >> TRACK #10, WHATEVER YOU DO, BECAUSE IT IS COMPLETE AND UTTER SHIT. >> YOU >> HAVE BEEN WARNED. > > Yep, that sure is a silly thing to write about Tori. Good choice in > subject > names! I try! Though, come on: if one isn't allowed to rip on the techno remix of "Professional Widow," what *is* one allowed to rip on? Ethan ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 13:56:30 -0600 From: "Doug" Subject: Re: Writing silly things about Tori > > Yep, that sure is a silly thing to write about Tori. Good choice in > > subject names! > > I try! > > Though, come on: if one isn't allowed to rip on the techno remix of > "Professional Widow," what *is* one allowed to rip on? Try Vanessa Carlton. ;-) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 12:39:24 -0800 From: Ethan Straffin Subject: Is it a Tribe kinda day, a Heart Throbs kinda day, a Big Pig kinda day, a Veruca Salt kinda day, a Sleater-Kinney kinda day, or a Lush kinda day? I think it's gotta be at least one of them, the retro-ness notwithstanding. Maybe all of the above is the best solution. Save me, iTunes! Ethan ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 14:26:01 -0800 From: Ethan Straffin Subject: Re: Writing silly things about Tori On Wednesday, March 31, 2004, at 11:56 AM, Doug wrote: >>> Yep, that sure is a silly thing to write about Tori. Good choice in >>> subject names! >> >> I try! >> >> Though, come on: if one isn't allowed to rip on the techno remix of >> "Professional Widow," what *is* one allowed to rip on? > > Try Vanessa Carlton. ;-) Feh. Waaay too easy. I'm tempted to start in on Jem, but she seems like a nice person, and I wish her well even while I don't see myself listening to her that much. Ethan ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 23:18:56 -0500 From: meredith Subject: Re: thea on kcrw.org Hi, Paul2K posted: >I missed Thea when she was out here two weeks ago. I missed her tonight. :( I got stuck in a work emergency and couldn't leave in time to get down to NYC for it. Argh!!! I hope this doesn't turn out to be one of those "shoulda gone the one and only time I had the chance" things ... Also, the mention of Jon Brion elsewhere in the post reminds me that he did the wonderful soundtrack for the absolutely brilliant film _Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind_. I highly recommend this film even if you're allergic to Jim Carrey like I am. He's great in this, and Kate Winslet and Kirsten Dunst are incredible too. P.S. On another completely random note... Blondie was on "Last Call With Carson Daly" last night. Anybody know if Debbie Harry and Joan Rivers have the same plastic surgeon? :} She's still got the vocal chops, though. I may just have to pick up the new album. =============================================== Meredith Tarr New Haven, CT USA mailto:meth@smoe.org http://www.smoe.org/meth =============================================== Live At The House O'Muzak House Concert Series http://muzak.smoe.org =============================================== ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V10 #91 **************************