From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V14 #135 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Monday, May 18 2009 Volume 14 : Number 135 To unsubscribe: e-mail ecto-digest-request@smoe.org and put the word unsubscribe in the message body. Today's Subjects: ----------------- Carina Round & Maria Taylor [Leonora Christina Skov ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 10:17:56 +0200 From: Leonora Christina Skov Subject: Carina Round & Maria Taylor I'm new to Carina Round, just downloaded her new EP based on your recommendations the other day and I am totally taken aback. What a wonderful voice and what gorgeous melodic music here. I am particularly fond of Backseat which reminds me a fair bit of Joan as Police Woman, though Carina's voice is, of course, very different from Joan's. A new artist to explore - thanks!! The last couple of weeks I've been listening to Maria Taylor's first album for Nettwerk, Ladyluck, and though I find much to enjoy here I'm somewhat disappointed, too. I loved her previous albums, her lo-fi sound, whispery vocals, and knack for penning understated, but catchy songs, but Ladyluck is just so much more polished in a very predictable way. There a several up-tempo songs here that would fit perfectly on a Tara MacLean-disc ten years ago, some pretty strong slow tracks with beautiful strings like my favourite Orchid and My Favourite .. Love, and then there's the obviously catchy if a bit annoying first single Time Lapse Lifeline. It's not a bad album, but to my ears Maria Taylor just seems to have lost what was distinctive about her. Thanks for all your comments on the new Tori. And Birdie; thanks for the glorious photos of Amanda Palmer. / Leonora "I never go outside unless I look like Joan Crawford the movie star. If you want to see the girl next door, go next door" (Joan Crawford) www.leonorachristinaskov.blogspot.com > Date: Thu, 14 May 2009 10:57:27 -0400 > From: meth@smoe.org > To: ecto@smoe.org > Subject: Re: new music, strange days > > Hi, > > Adam Kimmel wrote: > > I reluctantly crack open The Decemberists' "The Hazards of Love" and find myself suddenly wrapped up in a weird and wonderful world of lust, violence and nature set in a blasted, timeless landscape.B Words cannot describe how much I love this album, right down to the nasty infanticide of "The Rake's Song" and the sinister children's chorus of "The Hazards of Love (Revenge!)".B Gothic and uncompromising, this is one weird trip, and it's been a long, long time that I've gone back to the lyrics (impossibly small on the CD leaflet) to try and work out what was going on, and it's alsoB been quite a while since I've listened to an album five times back to back.B My favourite album of the year, so far, by many a mile. > > I can't get enough of this album, either. I thought Vienna Teng's _Inland Territory_ was going to > be my album of the year, but then I stumbled into The Decemberists world premiering _The Hazards Of > Love_ at SXSW and the whole landscape changed. > > > I have also (for the few that have followed so far) just listened to the new Indigo Girls album, "Poseidon and the Bitter Bug".B The Girls, in recent years, have never ceased to be a source of disappointment to me, as they drift off into the middle of the road, check their political leanings in their liner notes but have turned out several albums in a row chock full of pleasant little love songs and folksy musings.B I thought I'd given up on them, but decided one more go, even though I wasn't expecting much.B This time, I read the lyrics first -- something I never do --and things looked promising.B But on initial listening, it was business as usual, with the instrumentation and Mitchell Froom's production turning everything into a smoooooooth experience, music that wouldn't be out of place on an easy listening radion station or in a lift or a mall orB a lift in a mall that plays easy listening radio.B The Girls, however, have attached an extra disc of acoustic versio > ns of the same songs.B I'm only a few tracks into it, but it's enough to make me fall in love with them all over again.B Suddenly, stripped down to the basics, the edge is back in their voices, the simple sweetness and harmony and clear emotion rings through.B It may not pan out over a whole CD, but it's intriguing and very, very refreshing, like a drink of clear water after the milkshake gloop of the first disc.B Oh, but it all might change.B As I often ask, how many plays does it take a CD to take shape?B How many plays does a CD deserve?B Why do I continue to ask these kind of questions? > > I haven't picked this one up yet -- but I also saw them premiering songs from this album at SXSW, > just the two of them as acoustic as possible from up very close, and I've kind of been afraid of the > production. I didn't know about the acoustic extra disc, though -- that might just make the > purchase worthwhile. > > Interestingly, I've had Tori's new one on my hard drive for a few days already and haven't been > motivated to listen to it yet. Sigh. > > > -- > =============================================== > 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 > =============================================== _________________________________________________________________ Dit GRATIS USB-stik pe nettet er vokset til 25 GB! Fe Sky Drive nu! http://www.microsoft.com/danmark/windows/windowslive/products/skydrive.aspx ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 16:37:04 -0400 From: JoAnn Whetsell Subject: vienna teng's inland territory I'm falling in love with Vienna's new album, at least the first 8 tracks. For some reason I've spent little time with the last 4, though of those I'm fondest of "Radio." But back to the beginning. There's the opener, "The Last Snowfall" - lovely sentiment, lovely vocals "White Light" is the 'pop' hit of the album "Antebellum" is one of my favorites, not only of this album but I think of Vienna's songs "Kansas" there's something just a little piano blues bar about. It's a good song but not a standout here "In Another Life" and "Grandmother Song" make a pair that are most stylistically different for this album and of Vienna's music. "Stray Italian Greyhound" and "Augustine" are two more of my favorites Wondering what other people's thoughts are. JoAnn npimh: "Stray Italian Greyhound" _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail. has ever-growing storage! Dont worry about storage limits. http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/Storage?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial _Storage1_052009 ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V14 #135 ***************************