From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V12 #128 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Thursday, May 18 2006 Volume 12 : Number 128 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: things we don't get... ["Marcel Rijs" ] Re: Not getting things [adamk@zoom.co.uk] Richard Butler [Nichols ] Re: things we don't get.../things we wish we got more of... [gordodo@opto] Re: things we don't get.../things we wish we got more of... [Julie B ] Chicagophiles, ever wanted to meet Hector Zazou? Now's your chance: FREE (Lanterna too!) ["Xenu's Sister" ] Re: things we don't get.../things we wish we got more of... [Neile Graham] Re: things we don't get.../things we wish we got more of... [meredith ] Re: things we don't get... [andrew fries ] Re: things we don't get... [andrew fries ] Re: things we don't get.../wish we got more ["Gagnon, Christopher R." ] Crazy good news for Tribe fans [Ethan Straffin ] Re: Not getting things [Ethan Straffin ] Re: things we don't get... [Ethan Straffin ] Re: things we don't get... [Ethan Straffin ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 09:41:10 +0200 From: "Marcel Rijs" Subject: Re: things we don't get... The Rolling Stones. I will never understand why people feel the need to listen to any one of their songs, let alone fourty years of mindnumbingly dull substandard rock "music". And why they keep making records, and keep touring, in order to just keep going on. Bob Dylan being a close second, but he once made one decent song ("Lay lady lay") in which he at least attempted to sing a little. Don't know why he never tried again. I do love this thread... Kind regards, Marcel Rijs marcel.rijs@kb.nl www.kb.nl ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 10:23:24 +0100 From: adamk@zoom.co.uk Subject: Re: Not getting things Quoting Bernie Mojzes : > hmm. i never thought of the pixies as anything pertaining to grunge. > they're more "post-punk," and have a lot more in common with mission of > burma and bauhaus than they do with nirvana and pearl jam. grunge (of > this sort) is sort of an illegitimate child of niel young and the beatles, > while the pixies seem to draw more on zappa and eno and salvador dali. > I'll have to take your word for this, as the 80s just weren't my scene and I only came across the Pixies as grunge was breaking (hence my careful use of the "ur", 'cos I thought there was a link) I still wouldn't be surprised if a lot of grunge bands didn't take a spoonful of the Pixies as well as a sprinkling of Velvet Underground. In fact, I think it was Cobain who cited the Pixies as seminal to the whole "quiet bit/loud bit" song structure that grunge made popular to the point of clichi, which is probably why I made the link. But, like I said, having become musically inert in the 80s, I must bow to your knowledge. > with this stuff, it's not how good or bad stuff is. it's whether it > resonates with you. That's a great phrase, much closer to what I was trying to say. I definitely DID NOT mean whether something was good or bad: Bands like the Pixies and the Smiths, despite my efforts, just don't resonate with me in particular. Another example, on a lesser scale, is Erin McKeown. She's been recommended to me by so many different people, but I just can't get into Grand. Someone once told me, "You either love her or hate her". I replied that,in fact, I did neither, but just felt indifferent. I would never say that her music's bad -- I couldn't -- but it just doesn't resonate with me. Good choice of words. I'll write that one down! Thanks, Adam K. - ----------------------------------------------- This mail sent through http://webmail.zoom.co.uk ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 08:26:22 -0400 From: Nichols Subject: Richard Butler Since I haven't seen anyone else mention this, I feel that Richard Butler has crossed over into what might be considered Ecto. In a temporary departure from the mayhem of Psychedelic Furs and Love Spit Love, he has collaborated with instrumentalist Jon Carin to record his first solo CD, simply titled Richard Butler. Butler sings softly here-- nary a croak (okay, maybe one or two)-- and his vocals are like butta. Imagine this new vocal style over synth strings, multi-textured electronica and acoustic guitar, throw in his melancholy poetry, and you've got a masterpiece (yes, KB, I maintain this sentiment despite the e-bow clams and planetarium ponderings). Check it out on Amazon. I hope someone else here falls in love with this CD as hard as I have. I've played it so much in the past two months that the jewel case is totalled. Sharon ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 08:50:52 -0400 From: gordodo@optonline.net Subject: Re: things we don't get.../things we wish we got more of... two more for the pigpile :) lisa germano - i thought i got her music on cd, after seeing her in concert, the cd's went into the trash. literally. first time i ever had to do that. plus i had to walk out of the concert halfway through... diamanda galas - great for scaring the neighbors, lousy for listening for any kind of enjoyment to me. i'd rather go to the dentist. now to turn this around...... who do you wish you got more of? someone who only released a small body of work and then disappeared who had all kinds of potential... i'd love to get a new release by Willow, Mary Lydia Ryan, Bloem de Ligny, Rebecca Timmons (anyone have a copy of the turing event they dont listen to anymore? or be willing to trade a copy of?), plus a new Happy Rhodes album wouldnt be so bad (i know she hasnt release a "small" body of work...but still, its about time for a new one :) ) - -jason np Rosalie Deighton, Truth Drug ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 09:11:49 -0400 From: Julie B Subject: Re: things we don't get.../things we wish we got more of... I wish we got more MILLA I love the Divine Comedy...she needs to put out another album! more AMBEON -- LOVE fate of a dreamer, need more more more! Grace Darling -- I only have the one album! Their 2nd was internet only and you can't get it! And they probably won't make more. I don't get: Diamanda Galas either! NOISE! EEK Frank Zappa: People keep telling me he's a genius. What am I missing? It's either boring or completely intolerable to listen to. Natalie Merchant -- I can't stand the voice. Listening to her cover of Patti Smith's Because the night is painful! (not that Patti sang like a bird, and yet I'll listen to her) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 09:26:11 -0500 From: Doug Subject: Re: things we don't get.../things we wish we got more of... That is so funny! I think Natalie's voice is excellent, and her cover of BTN rocks, IMO. I agree about Frank Zappa though...there is a collection of his songs that are great, including Dynamo Hum, Valley Girl, The Muffin Man, T*tties and Beer, Joe's Garage, and more, but 90% of what he does doesn't appeal to me. I concur re: the Stones and the Beatles...I realize they're great, but they don't thrill me like they do some people. - --Doug > Frank Zappa: People keep telling me he's a genius. What am I missing? > It's either boring or completely intolerable to listen to. > Natalie Merchant -- I can't stand the voice. Listening to her cover of > Patti Smith's Because the night is painful! (not that Patti sang like a > bird, and yet I'll listen to her) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 11:04:32 -0400 (GMT-04:00) From: Greg Dunn Subject: Re: things we don't get.../things we wish we got more of... I think I'd buy a CD of Milla just talking; she's quite entertaining. :D But definitely, more music from her! Zappa was a genius, but he's also an acquired taste. Admittedly, there should be something for everyone in his catalog; I mean, the man did doo-wop, jazz, pop, rock, classical, and a sort of orchestral modern that fits into none of those categories. Part of the problem is that he was not constrained by convention in the slightest, and so even in the middle of a track he's likely to shift gears; an annoyance for those who are already having trouble grokking his music. No, it's clearly not universally accessible, but very rewarding if you do hook up with it. Funny thing - if I hear it on the radio, it usually takes me a minute to identify which version of "Because the Night" I'm hearing; the audible cues aren't strong till it hits the chorus. Guess I'm not nearly as sensitive to whatever irritates people in Merchant's voice. Lucky me! Gotta agree about Germano, though - now, her voice rubs me the wrong way and I can't even explain why. Makes my teeth grate. :-) And Liz Phair; same problem. Can't listen to her at all. Am I the only one here who desperately misses Letters To Cleo? Though a "pop" band, they really hit the spot for me. I know Kay is still performing and recording (only on the East coast!), but I miss the gestalt with Mike & Stacy & the rest. It was a treat to hear them backing Nina Gordon on her last tour, though. One of the things I do love about this mailing list is this substantial spread of music preferences; you couldn't possibly expect that everyone would all like the same things (except Happy of course!!!). I've sure found some new artists over the years. And believe me, it's a welcome relief to have a discussion instead of the flamefest that often occurs on "some" lists. :D - -----Original Message----- >From: Julie B >Sent: May 17, 2006 9:11 AM >To: ecto@smoe.org >Subject: Re: things we don't get.../things we wish we got more of... > >I wish we got more MILLA >I love the Divine Comedy...she needs to put out another album! >more AMBEON -- LOVE fate of a dreamer, need more more more! >Grace Darling -- I only have the one album! Their 2nd was internet only >and you can't get it! And they probably won't make more. > > >I don't get: >Diamanda Galas either! NOISE! EEK >Frank Zappa: People keep telling me he's a genius. What am I missing? >It's either boring or completely intolerable to listen to. >Natalie Merchant -- I can't stand the voice. Listening to her cover of >Patti Smith's Because the night is painful! (not that Patti sang like a >bird, and yet I'll listen to her) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 13:18:28 -0400 From: "Michael Quinn" Subject: Re: things we don't get... Strong agreement on both Dylan and the Stones. Dylan maybe a great poet and political activist but I can't stand his voice. I can respect the contribution the Beatles made to music even if I don't think most of their music is that great in my opinion compared to the stuff I listen to, but the Stones mainly "inspired" a type of music I dislike so it's harder for me to respect that. Some of their early stuff isn't too bad I suppose but they seem to have been riding that for about 30 years. .. - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marcel Rijs" To: Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2006 3:41 AM Subject: Re: things we don't get... > The Rolling Stones. > > I will never understand why people feel the need to listen to any one of > their songs, let alone fourty years of mindnumbingly dull substandard > rock "music". And why they keep making records, and keep touring, in > order to just keep going on. > > Bob Dylan being a close second, but he once made one decent song ("Lay > lady lay") in which he at least attempted to sing a little. Don't know > why he never tried again. > > I do love this thread... > > Kind regards, > > Marcel Rijs > marcel.rijs@kb.nl > www.kb.nl ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 11:02:25 -0700 (PDT) From: "Xenu's Sister" Subject: Chicagophiles, ever wanted to meet Hector Zazou? Now's your chance: FREE (Lanterna too!) Hector Zazou is going to be playing live informally with Lanterna this Friday night at the Abbey Pub, starting (according to the web site) at 10:30pm, though we plan to be there much much earlier since I think there will be other bands on before. We want to get a table and eat probably. Hector Zazou is a producer/musician who has worked with some of the biggest musical goddesses of our time, including Jane Siberry, Anneli Drecker (Bel Canto), Suzanne Vega, Bjork, Siouxie Sioux and Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance), among many others, as well as Peter Gabriel, Brendan Perry, Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Sylvian, John Cale, Bill Laswell, and...well, there's just too many to list. Here is his Ectoguide page: http://ectoguide.org/artists/zazou.hector Lanterna is Henry Frayne's current band. Some will recognize Henry's name as the man behind Area and Moon Seven Times, with the wonderful singer Lynn Canfield (she's not in Lanterna). There are some very nice reviews and much good information about Lanterna here: http://www.badmanrecordingco.com/bands/default.aspx#8 I take it it's a record release party for Lanterna's new album Desert Ocean, so it won't be like a regular concert (there will be one of those the 26th in Champaign, IL), Hector is just sitting in as a musician friend. It's in the *PUB* side of Abbey Pub, rather than the dedicated music space (so it's not listed on the front page of Abbey Pub's web site), which is very odd, but I'll take Henry and Hector any way I can get them. I'm sure it'll be interesting. The informal atmosphere means that it's going to be fairly easy to meet with and talk to Hector (and Henry), which I plan to do. I've been corresponding with Hector Zazou via MySpace, and he said to say hello. I asked him if it would be ok to give him a Happy CD and he said yes, please, so I'm going to give him a Many Worlds. I have no idea if there will be a lot of people there, or only a few. It is Friday night anyway, so it might be crowded just in general. I don't know what to expect, people or music-wise. We might go there early to scope out the place. If anyone goes to Abbey on a regular basis, please post what the pub side is like. I've been to the performance space, I saw Mary Coughlin there once a long time ago. This was a huge surprise. Hector Zazou? In Chicago? In a setting where it'll be easy to talk to him? Great! Vickie - -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ Music, all I hear is music, guaranteed to please... Happy's MySpace profile: http://www.myspace.com/happyrhodes Happy Rhodes song samples and rarities: http://wretchawry.com - -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 14:14:53 -0400 (GMT-04:00) From: Greg Dunn Subject: Re: things we don't get... Just wanted to pop in with a side recommendation... about 10 years ago Richie Havens (yes, THAT Richie Havens) released an album called "Cuts to the Chase" which is really quite good. The standout track is quite simply the most amazing cover of "The Times They Are a-Changin'" I've ever heard; yet just guitar and vocals. More proof that Dylan planted some wonderful seeds. :-) - -----Original Message----- >From: Michael Quinn >Sent: May 17, 2006 1:18 PM >To: Marcel Rijs , ecto@smoe.org >Subject: Re: things we don't get... > >Strong agreement on both Dylan and the Stones. Dylan maybe a great poet and >political activist but I can't stand his voice. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 11:07:36 -0700 (PDT) From: Neile Graham Subject: Re: things we don't get.../things we wish we got more of... Things we don't get: most of the folky pop artists people on this list love cabaret/pop artists Tori's new bland stuff Things we wish we got more of: Aether (possibility of more work) Aisth (they never did actually put out an album as far as I know) Anhai Basque (what happened to them?) Big Hat Kym Brown (her band just doesn't do it for me) Susan Court Sara Craig Dalbello Pamela Golden Ingrid Karklins !! Kaitlyn ni Donovan (another one whose band just doesn't substitute for her solo work) The Shakers Rachel Smith (she's been promising a second album for ages) Kat Terran (yet another artists whose solo work I miss) Rebecca Timmons (also disappeared) - --Neile - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- neile@drizzle.com / neile@sff.net .... http://www.sff.net/people/neile Editor, The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music . http://www.ectoguide.org Workshop Administrator, Clarion West ...... http://www.clarionwest.org ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 16:01:51 -0400 From: meredith Subject: Re: things we don't get.../things we wish we got more of... Hi, Neile Graham wrote: > Things we wish we got more of: I second pretty much everything on Neile's list, and add Psychowelders and Tribe. And I wish Merrie Amsterburg would put out a new record of original material -- her new album is all takes on traditional folksongs, which is cool, but I like her own songs a lot better. A few comments on some of the folks on Neile's list, while I'm here... > Anhai Every once in a while I google Anhai, but have yet to get a single hit. Her CMJ performance woj and I saw at Fez in NYC (along with Ingrid Karklins and Paula Cole, GOD what a night that was!) remains to this day one of the most unique musical experiences I've ever had. That woman wasn't on the same planet as the rest of us, that's for sure! > Big Hat I'm so glad I got to see them live once before they disbanded. The stuff Preston has been involved with since then hasn't really done much for me. > Ingrid Karklins !! A few months ago I was driving around town running errands, listening to WPKN. When I went into the bank music was playing, but when I came out a voice I could've sworn I'd heard before was reading very cool poetry. Turns out it was a recent recording of Ingrid Karklins reading her poetry in Austin, that she'd sent Cliff Furnald (*waves to Cliff if he's still lurking out there*) to play on his show. Sadly it seems that she's given music up for good in favor of poetry ... she is a wonderful poet and I certainly respect her decision, but DAMN what a shame. - -- =============================================== Meredith Tarr New Haven, CT USA mailto:meth@smoe.org http://www.smoe.org/meth =============================================== hear at the HOMe House Concert Series http://hom.smoe.org =============================================== ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 06:49:23 +1000 From: andrew fries Subject: Re: things we don't get... Michael Quinn wrote: > the Stones mainly "inspired" a type of music I > dislike so it's harder for me to respect that. The best thing about the Stones is they wrote 'Wild Horses': it was nothing special to begin with, but it became a sublime masterpiece when performed by the Sundays. It is almost enough to forgive them their other 30+ years :) ... well... that, and say what you will, but 'Satisfaction' is a rock classic. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 06:59:53 +1000 From: andrew fries Subject: Re: things we don't get... Doug wrote: > Who is it...Emm Gryner? She's done an absolutely smashing cover of > Wild Horses.... Nope, the Sundays were an English band, the name of their singer was Harriet Wheeler. You can hear their version of this song on Buffy soundtrack. I don't know Emm's version. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 07:04:17 +1000 From: andrew fries Subject: Re: things we don't get... Doug wrote: > Who is it...Emm Gryner? She's done an absolutely smashing cover of > Wild Horses.... Nope, the Sundays were an English band, the name of their singer was Harriet Wheeler. You can hear their version of this song on Buffy soundtrack. I don't know Emm's version. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 16:10:33 -0500 (CDT) From: "Gagnon, Christopher R." Subject: Re: things we don't get.../wish we got more On Wed, May 17, 2006 3:49 pm, andrew fries wrote: > The best thing about the Stones is they wrote 'Wild Horses': it was > nothing special to begin with, but it became a sublime masterpiece when > performed by the Sundays. I couldn't agree more, and that's my segue to say that The Sundays are a band I would like to have heard more from. They put out three terrific albums and that was it (I think). ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 09:52:16 +1000 From: andrew fries Subject: Re: things we don't get.../things we wish we got more of... Julie B wrote: > Natalie Merchant -- I can't stand the voice. Listening to her cover of > Patti Smith's Because the night is painful! (not that Patti sang like a > bird, and yet I'll listen to her) Isn't it amazing how different we can be? I absolutely ADORE her voice, an I mean just that - not the range, not the manner, but just the pure sound her throat makes. I think it hits what, for me, turns out to be the perfect balance between smoothness and raspiness. Having said that, "Because the night" is not my favourite song of hers. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 18:20:14 -0700 From: Troy J Shadbolt Subject: Re: things we don't get.../wish we got more you know, after all these years of ecto, I think this single thread has distilled it. other lists would be blasting each other for not worshipping x, y, or z. around here, its "i've tried, and i know most of the people here like x, y, or z but it just doesn't do it for me." no rants, no raving. what a concept. and for the record, i've never been able to get into tori amos. it doesn't make any sense based on every thing else i listen to and enjoy- tori should be there, but it just doesn't work. - --- troy j shadbolt www.voyuz.net ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 21:11:54 -0700 From: Ethan Straffin Subject: Re: things we don't get... andrew fries wrote: > Michael Quinn wrote: > >> the Stones mainly "inspired" a type of music I dislike so it's harder >> for me to respect that. > > > The best thing about the Stones is they wrote 'Wild Horses': it was > nothing special to begin with, but it became a sublime masterpiece > when performed by the Sundays. > > It is almost enough to forgive them their other 30+ years :) Heh..."Wild Horses" is one of the few Stones songs that has ever worked for me as well, though it took a different ectophilic singer (Charlotte Martin) to bring it to my attention than it did yours. Obviously I'll have to go track down the Sundays version now, having been one of those who picked up their debut based on their big hit but never quite made it to _Blind_. Ethan ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 21:01:26 -0700 From: Ethan Straffin Subject: Crazy good news for Tribe fans So I haven't exactly been managing to keep up with ecto lately (though I think I've gotta at least try and catch up with the "things we don't get" thread), but I just got this and obviously had to share: - -- Hi, I got your e-mail addresses from The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music. I thought you might like to check out my Tribe website. There are lots of pictures a discography and lots of mp3's to download. I have been in contact with most of the former members of Tribe. They have given me the ok to make some mp3's available. They have sent me some unreleased demos of songs that would have been on the follow up to Sleeper. They also gave me permission to make their extremely rare debut cd available for download. The message board has been getting quite a bit of traffic lately as well. Not bad for a band that broke up 12 years ago. http://www.tribeonline.info Steve Latham Webmaster - -- I hope this will make a few other ectophiles' night even half as much as it's made mine. Too cool. Ethan ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 21:47:50 -0700 From: Ethan Straffin Subject: Re: Not getting things adamk@zoom.co.uk wrote: >Same with the Smiths: thoughtful, sensitive >guitar music about the human condition. Or so I'm told. I don't get it. > > The amusing thing about the Smiths for me is that, having been in the early years of high school at the time, I took their melodrama so very seriously, but that was pretty much it. Only in college did the abundant humor, irony, and self-effacement of Morrissey's lyrics truly sink in, at which point I got to discover them all over again -- even as "I Know It's Over" kept me company on a few dark nights for the original reasons. Most of Morrissey's latter-day stuff hasn't done it for me, because the melodies aren't all there and the lyrics seem to have largely fallen into a rut as well, but I suspect that his and Marr's work together will live on as influences for a long time. (My personal favorite is _Louder Than Bombs_, followed by _The Queen is Dead_.) Ethan ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 22:06:38 -0700 From: Ethan Straffin Subject: Re: things we don't get... meredith wrote: > Rufus Wainwright is another one. He's worshipped in my general > circle, but he sounds like a lamb being slaughtered to me and I just > can't deal at *all*. Wait...that's exactly how Eddie Vedder and J. Mascis sound to me, and yet they and Rufus (whom, yeah, also not a fan) sound nothing alike. We must have grown up around different lambs being slaughtered or something. Ethan ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 22:32:46 -0700 From: Ethan Straffin Subject: Re: things we don't get... kerry white wrote: > Another 'one hit wonder' for me is Kim Carnes. I love "Turn of The >Cards", but everything else sounds like Rod Stewart to me. > > In Kim's defense, Rod Stewart never did anything half as much fun as "Crazy in the Night" -- which is admittedly one of the most "Hi, I'm from the EIGHTIES!" songs ever recorded, but in all the right ways. Ethan ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V12 #128 ***************************