From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V7 #307 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Friday, August 14 1998 Volume 07 : Number 307 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Neutral Milk Hotel [Eb ] "BASS!" [Natalie Jacobs ] Re: Neutral Milk Hotel [Capuchin ] nz pop and other non-Robyn band recommendations [Ken Sabatini ] Dan Bern and phwoah [Mark_Gloster@3com.com] Re: NZ Pop & Flying Nun [MARKEEFE@aol.com] Re: fegmaniax-digest V7 #306 [Kevin M Mathews ] Re: phwoah [MARKEEFE@aol.com] audience outbursts, tapes being sent, and a political aside [james.dignan] Re: from randi - hitchcock and sharkboy ["Best Man Poor Man" ] Re: from randi - a Robyn webring? [dlang ] Re: Skip Spence etc. [M R Godwin ] Re: Prunes/Rhodes [Eb ] Re: The Creatures! [Scary Mary ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 13:30:15 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: Neutral Milk Hotel Naively asked: >Has anyone heard the touted "Album of 1998" Neutral Milk Hotel's In the >Aeroplane over the Sea? >All those critics going ga-ga over the surreal lyrics and earthy tones >should really listen to Robyn. It's close but no cigar - anyone out there >agree?>> Man, oh man, what a set-up. Heh heh. Markokeefe: > New around here? At last count, there were right around 30 or so Fegs >who had purchased the NMH disc, most of whom seemed to like it a lot (right, >Eb?). More like 40. >Along with Dan Bern, NMH is probably the steadfastly hottest "sub- >topic" (you know, after Robyn) on the list. You're forgetting the Grateful Dead. ;) >I would also have to say that >those critics are right on the money -- "Aeroplane" remains my favorite album >of the year so far. On the other hand, these same critics are also almost >certainly well aware of RH's 80's oeuvre, but probably don't consider him >"relevant" anymore. That's just rock critics for ya! (right, Eb?) How would I know? In other news, I saw Tricky play last night. Innovative to be sure, but the music started getting monotonous about two-thirds of the way through. I can only listen to one-chord music for so long.... Oh, and Dolph, the Mark Lanegan album is kinda dour and tedious. Certainly "authentic" and all, but I wasn't too thrilled with it. Eb, crushed because he missed TWO of his current fave raves on late-night talkshows last night PS Something resembling Ebby's evolving top five of 1998: 1. Neutral Milk Hotel/In the Aeroplane Over the Sea 2. Rufus Wainwright/self-titled 3. Liz Phair/whitechocolatespaceegg 4. Lou Reed/Perfect Night Live in London 5. Billy Bragg & Wilco/Mermaid Avenue ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 16:54:08 -0400 From: Natalie Jacobs Subject: "BASS!" >This reminds me of a Led Zeppelin tape I have. In between almost every song >there is a guy in the audience yelling "Heartbreaker!", and finally late in >the show Jimmy Page starts playing some of the riffs from it and you'd >think this guy just won the lottery, he's screaming so much! Does anyone >else have any favorite funny audince comments on tape? On a tape of Robyn in Ann Arbor in 1990 that Bayard so kindly made me, there's some dork screaming something through most of the set - I thought he was yelling "BETH!" to a friend of his, but it turned out he was yelling "BASS!" Then, when Robyn actually played the song, he kept on yelling "BASS!" as if to acknowledge its existence... I'm glad I couldn't go to the show (I was underage at the time) 'cos I would have smacked him. n. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 14:39:22 -0700 (PDT) From: Capuchin Subject: Re: Neutral Milk Hotel On Thu, 13 Aug 1998, Eb wrote: > In other news, I saw Tricky play last night. Innovative to be sure, but the > music started getting monotonous about two-thirds of the way through. I can > only listen to one-chord music for so long.... Freekin' proggy chord-counter! Bye now. J. ________________________________________________________ J A Brelin Capuchin ________________________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 17:54:35 -0400 (EDT) From: Ken Sabatini Subject: nz pop and other non-Robyn band recommendations I'm trying to get up to date on these digests. This is pretty recent stuff: On Aug 11, MARKEEFE@aol.com said: >I found a store online that has a lot of cheap CDs! It's called Second Spin >(www.secondspin.com): I >was hunting down some NZ pop and found three >titles there, each for $4.99 or >less(!): >Bats: "Couchmaster" >Straitjacket Fits: "Melt" >Verlaines: "Way Out Where" This is arguably some of the finest work these respective bands have put out. My favorite Bats discs are "Daddys Highway" and "Couchmaster", although I love all their music. Couchmaster represents a welcomed change in their musical approach, in my opinion--its a much denser record. Any future Bats releases in the works, James D.? I would strongly recommend The Magick Heads first disc ("Before We Go Under") to Bats fans, but I was not too impressed by their second disc ("Woody"). Woody has some nice moments, but Jane's singing style changed from the first disc. I like it when she sang more like Bob Scott--more restrained. I have fair amount of Verlaines stuff and would vote for Juvenelia as a great example of their older work and Way out Where as the best of their more recent bigger budget work. I've always been a big S. Fits fan, although I've become impatient with Shayne Carter's limited output since the band broke up. Related to this, the Bike disc has been on my want list for almost a year now! Its really too bad that Flying Nun USA didn't last. You can't go wrong with any releases by the Clean, David Kilgour, or The Mad Scene, but this has probably already been said. One more: The Able Tasmans: very unique songwriting--can't quite put my finger on what it is, but some of their songs linger in my head for days after I hear them (warning, my able tasmans experience begins and ends with their "store in a cool place" disc, which was the last one they made before parting ways) from James D.: >prior to splitting up last year they put out three full albums >("Hellzapoppin", "The Venus Trail" and "Strange News from the >Angels"[1]). Good stuff, a mix of the sweaty guitar distort and slow >luminous vocal tracks. Hellzapoppin' is my favourite. Me, I'm partial to The Venus Trail or Strange News. I know you prefaced this list with "full albums" but its worth noting that there is a cd compilation of their earlier work compiled from 2 eps and a few other misc. tracks called "Fish Tales/Songs for Swabs". I once read the 3ds described as "drunken sailor pop" and for a lot of their stuff I think its pretty accurate. I've got a few nzpop discs for sale if anyone's interested (email me for details): 3ds "Fish Tales/Songs for Swabs" (I've kind of changed my tastes since I bought it) Chug "Metalon" (in theory it should be good--David Mitchell and Denise Roughan of 3d's, among other members, but it felt lifeless to me. I can appreciate Mitchell's guitar playing abilities on some level, but that's all these songs seem to have to appreciate) and one by The Headless Chickens. Mike Runion informed us: >Hey all, >Just got this info in from Flydaddy records. Thought a bunch of you >might be interested in the Tim Keegan stuff, as well as you Brits and >Old-worlders who have a hankerin' to see Neutral Milk Hotel... [extensive touring schedule deleted] Jeez, and Jeff had told the Athens crowd that NMH were cutting back on touring over the next few months. >forthcoming releases on Flydaddy: > NUMBER ONE CUP 'People People Why are We Fighting' CD/LP I'm a big fan of this band. I liked their progression between their first and second discs. I can't wait to check this new one when it comes out. Fans of Number One Cup would be sure to enjoy the New Zealand band named Garageland, whose full cd is distributed in the US on Foodchain Records (I think). Both these bands can give off the energy the Pixies used to. Ken ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 18:16:21 -0400 (EDT) From: Tim Fuller Subject: from randi - hitchcock and sharkboy So Mr. Capitalism Blows aka Eddie Tews was at that show in Toronto. Well I was there too - and I totally remember how cool it was when RH&E played The Byrds...{p.s. - if you have a tape of that show - let me know!!} and *sharkboy* aka Mr. Mark Gloster - it is pleasure to know what you look like inside your {plug} "Monday's Lunch" cd...especially the shark in the pocket - it totally rocks - and allows me to call you *sharkboy* - 'cause the picture says it all ;} But seriously - all you fegs gathering - please please please take pics and send me doubles - so I can SEE who everyone is... Carole was quite wonderful in providing me pics Robyn...but she also gave me the pleasure of *seeing* what she looks like, as well as "Zelda Pinwheel" the back of Tim Keegan's head ;} But, in all sincerity - I'd love feg pics - it was the coolest seeing what Carole looked like - and using my "Remington Steele" skills - got her phone number...and talked to her and Karen - they are both excellent people - in my not so humble opinion. And Eddie, I swear, if you don't come to Toronto next time Robyn tours - I'll be so disappointed. It would be so cool to see RH with a feg, in Toronto, and to be able provide a place to crash as well... My door is always open {when I'm at home, not in the hospital 8-} Okay - ciao for know - much email to catch up on... Randi *what scares you most will set you free* - Robyn Hitchcock *waking up on a strange bathroom floor is a freeing thing* - "sharkboy" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 18:19:04 -0400 (EDT) From: Tim Fuller Subject: from randi - a Robyn webring? I forgot to mention this again - but what do people think of there being a Robyn Webring - cool...? or stupid...? r.s.v.p. to the list Rand ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 17:03:31 -0700 From: Mark_Gloster@3com.com Subject: Dan Bern and phwoah 1) Dan Bern is great. He's in my songwriter triumverate of RH, Stan Ridgway, and, uh, Dan Bern. I suggest hearing the EP of _Dog Boy Van_ first, then _Dan Bern_. You can reverse the two, but hear one of them before hearing _50 Eggs_. I think it's safe to say that his voice can be a little edgy, or even "irritating," but he does many different things with it moving between Dylanesque painful burning itch to the heartbrake of Costello psoriasis. He's often compared to Dylan (possibly unfairly to either), but I really like his stuff and, unbelievably, his voice doesn't bother me at all. I've never been able to get over Dylan's voice or harmonica playing (geez, I mean, which is which?) but I like his songs when somebody else does them. Actually Dan can make his voice sound pretty, but he doesn't lean on that. He usually works it as part of the song to express the feeling around the words, if that makes any sense at all. 2) I'm sure you've all seen this, but... Oxford now says it's okay to boldly split infinitives. It also has included the following word, though I found their definition a bit insulting: "phwoah: appreciation of the opposite sex by the inarticulate." I'm going to be in sharkworld for a few days. All the best. - -Markg ps's: Party: Lots of happy fegs are coming. Bayard has been pressed into service to wrestle with the real live tigermonkey, Dusty, to distract her to keep her from eating all the guests. Other: I played the other night in front of real people. One lady ran up to me and said she loved my music and that it reminded her of Frank Zappa. I hope Susan Dodge did not reach the same conclusion. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 20:29:59 EDT From: MARKEEFE@aol.com Subject: Re: NZ Pop & Flying Nun In a message dated 98-08-13 18:23:15 EDT, you write: << Related to this, the Bike disc has been on my want list for almost a year now! Its really too bad that Flying Nun USA didn't last. >> It is, however, available through Flying Nun NZ (www.flyingnun.co.nz) for about $16.50 (U.S.) + whatever s/h might be -- I'm working on ordering a couple of things from them right now, so I don't yet know how expensive getting the CDs to the USA will be. Anyway, it's a cool site, with all kinds of profiles of the different FN bands. A lot of the CDs there are only $23 (NZ), which is roughly $11.50 (U.S.). Anyone here in the U.S. done any ordering with FN before? If so, how did it go? - ------Michael K., np the forthcoming Elliott Smith . . . and actually kinda liking it! ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 08:44:14 +0800 (SST) From: Kevin M Mathews Subject: Re: fegmaniax-digest V7 #306 > New around here? At last count, there were right around 30 or so Fegs >who had purchased the NMH disc, most of whom seemed to like it a lot (right, >Eb?). Along with Dan Bern, NMH is probably the steadfastly hottest "sub- >topic" (you know, after Robyn) on the list. I would also have to say that >those critics are right on the money -- "Aeroplane" remains my favorite album >of the year so far. On the other hand, these same critics are also almost >certainly well aware of RH's 80's oeuvre, but probably don't consider him >"relevant" anymore. That's just rock critics for ya! (right, Eb?) > Anyway, welcome to the list, Kevin. Sorry to be so "contrary," but I >thought it would be good to fill you in on the whole NMH-on-Fegmaniax >phenomenon. So, what's you favorite album of the year so far (Kevin? >anybody?)? > >- -----Michael K. > No prob, man. Truth is I'm a bit of a "prodigal son" that has returned to the list after a year or so hiatus. Album of the year - well so far it has to be a toss up between Tock by Yazbek (W.A.R.) and Life on Planet Eartsnop by Myracle Brah (Not Lame). Am looking forward to Robyn overturning these opinions in the near future. Cheers, Kevin. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 20:55:40 EDT From: MARKEEFE@aol.com Subject: Re: phwoah In a message dated 98-08-13 20:05:29 EDT, you write: << Oxford has included the following word, though I found their definition a bit insulting: "phwoah: appreciation of the opposite sex by the inarticulate." >> Shaw! As if! I mean, uh, hel-LO! Just cuz I, like, say stuff like, "Inartac. . . " um, "Inerticu. . . " uh, anyway. That doesn't, like, *mean* anything. Whatever! - ------Michael K., hot, sick, and bored (although the latter was probably implied). ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 14:54:27 +1200 From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: audience outbursts, tapes being sent, and a political aside >This reminds me of a Led Zeppelin tape I have. In between almost every song >there is a guy in the audience yelling "Heartbreaker!", and finally late in >the show Jimmy Page starts playing some of the riffs from it and you'd >think this guy just won the lottery, he's screaming so much! Does anyone >else have any favorite funny audince comments on tape? not on tape, but on official released CD! On the Indigo Girls live "1200 curfews" 2CD the audience hushes as a song intro starts and you hear this one voice yell out "I love you!". So Emily (I think - could be Amy) stops, says "thanks, we love you too!", and then starts the song again. Dunno why, but I think it's great. Terrence and Randi, your tapes are being posted off when I leave work today. In both cases, they will be sent in separate packages. So each of you should expect two magnetic packages from Aotearoa in about a week's time. Dolph, yours will probably be sent as one package, probably on Monday. Ah, the vagaries of NZ Post's pricing system! a 100-250g parcel costs 2.5 times as much as a 0-100g parcel. Cassettes weigh 80g. So 3 get sent together, but 2 get sent separately! James (keeping his fingers crossed for an early general election...) James Dignan___________________________________ You talk to me Deptmt of Psychology, Otago University As if from a distance ya zhivu v' 50 Norfolk Street And I reply. . . . . . . . . . Dunedin, New Zealand with impressions chosen from another time steam megaphone (03) 455-7807 (Brian Eno - "By this River") ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 01:21:44 -0700 From: "Best Man Poor Man" Subject: Re: from randi - hitchcock and sharkboy Randi unknowingly said: > ...especially the shark in the pocket That's not a shark in his pocket -- he's just happy to see you. ;-) - -g- )+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+( Glen Uber Email: uberg@sonic.net ICQ UIN: 13311304 Web: http://www.sonic.net/~uberg "When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading." -- Henny Youngman )+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+()+( ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 21:44:45 +0930 From: dlang Subject: Surrealistic posse As part of my website I'm compiling the written exploits of the Surrealistic Posse from this august list. I am trawling through the archives , but this is a lengthy procedure and i have limited internet time . I was wondering if any of my fellow fegs have any old Surreal posse posts in their files that I could use, Robyn dreams also welcomed. I know there are some splendid writers out there, I already have Jon Fetters Quail sloth /Darwin's Quails and Dolphs reg Dwight /Robyn envy posts, but I am missing some of the crazier Quailspiracy posts due to anaccident with my inbox. Dave ( Hoping this brings more response than my request for information on Rt's Aussie tour on the Rt list. 800 + members and not one bloody response) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 21:50:58 +0930 From: dlang Subject: Re: from randi - a Robyn webring? Good idea, saves farting around endlessly trawling through altavista or the other search engines and finding 30000000000 websites selling cd's for every one decent robyn webpage. dave ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 14:34:27 +0100 (BST) From: M R Godwin Subject: Re: Skip Spence etc. On Thu, 13 Aug 1998, Eb wrote: > One of the top albums on my "gotta git" list is the Prunes' "Underground." > You have that one? There's been talk of Reprise releasing a Prunes best-of > for AGES, but it still hasn't happened.... I've got one Prunes album - I think it's called (stupidly) "I had too much to dream last night / Get me to the world on time". And I have a few sensational singles - 'Long day's flight', 'Get me to the world on time', and freakiest of all 'The great banana hoax'. One of them has that great B-side "We are little wind-up toys, wind-up girls and wind-up boys". A live album of a gig in Sweden was supposedly released last year: I haven't tracked down a copy yet, but the review sounded as if it was the from the same tour that I saw. > Still...I don't know about concerts, but Moby Grape's debut is miles beyond > anything by the Prunes. And about half of Wow is pretty darn good too.... Notably 'Omaha' and 'Hey grandma'. Moby Grape obviously set out to be a commercial rock band, like the Turtles or the Eagles, whereas the Prunes were just cashing in (rather effectively) on a trend. I think that, like Brinsley Schwarz, the Grape were victims of excessive introductory hype. Did they ever do a third album (not counting 'Grape Jam')? > (And I don't know of any connection between Rhodes and Parks...not sure why > that cognitive link exists in your noggin.) Dunno. Just West Coast piano players, I suppose... - - Mike G. "This chemical reaction isn't easy to define You drive me to distraction, you disturb my peace of mind" (Get me to the world on time) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 12:48:27 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: Prunes/Rhodes Godwin: >I've got one Prunes album - I think it's called (stupidly) "I had too >much to dream last night / Get me to the world on time". No no no...it's just called "The Electric Prunes." The above two song titles are just printed on the front cover, the same as with so many other albums of that period. In other words, "This record includes the following surefire hits! Woooo!" >And I have a >few sensational singles - 'Long day's flight', 'Get me to the world on >time', and freakiest of all 'The great banana hoax'. One of them has >that great B-side "We are little wind-up toys, wind-up girls and wind-up >boys". Yeah, I have some singles on tape, which I lifted from a friend's import best-of CD. Can't remember the label, now. The disc might've been called "Long Day's Flight," actually. >I think that, like >Brinsley Schwarz, the Grape were victims of excessive introductory hype. >Did they ever do a third album (not counting 'Grape Jam')? Oh, there's several of them! Five or six, I'd guess, including a reunion disc or two. I can't recall all the titles off the top of my head, but I know there's one called "Moby Grape '69" and another called something like "Gooseberry Creek." I also have a not-bad-at-all Bob Mosley solo album, though that's in my get-rid-of-someday pile. Pretty rare, I suppose. Here, have a couple of URLs. I got a million of 'em. Well, about 800, anyway. Electric Prunes site: http://members.tripod.com/~shadwell/ Moby Grape site: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/1256/ Those should fill in the gaps. They're both quite thorough. >>> (And I don't know of any connection between Rhodes and Parks...not sure why >> that cognitive link exists in your noggin.) >Dunno. Just West Coast piano players, I suppose... Well, Rhodes is more of a guitarist than a pianist, so that doesn't hold up either. ;) Rhodes isn't really easy to Kevinbaconize. I don't think any of the other Merry-Go-Round members went on to do much else, and since Rhodes' solo albums were basically one-man shows, there's not much linking potential there either. However, Hal Blaine and Larry Knechtel play on his first solo album "The American Dream" (a *wonderful* record, by the way), and those guys played with EVERYONE back then.... Eb ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 17:35:18 -0400 From: Scary Mary Subject: Re: The Creatures! Christopher Gross wrote: > > It was indeed a great show. It started off a little slow, with John Cale > doing a couple of slower, piano-oriented, almost lounge-y songs; these > were so far from what I was in the mood for that I couldn't even judge > their quality. After that, though, he started rocking out more, then > Siouxie came out, and everything was just fine. Of course, while John and > Siouxie were both great, Budgie was the real highlight of the evening.... > The lugubrious cover of "Heartbreak Hotel" was fun too. I really enjoyed the Creatures part of the show (Budgie was the best!) but I didn't much like the John Cale bits. I kept trying to but it just didn't work for me. While I wouldn't want him to emulate the Creatures sound, his work just seemed so far away from what the Creatures were doing. > > I don't know what Luther looks like, but I did spot another Feg, our own > Scary Mary. (Actually she saw me first.) It's always nice to see some of > you in real life. This time it was also of practical benefit, since > standing near her helped me avoid deciding which of my mutually > antagonistic groups of goth friends to spend the show with! I do know what Luther looks like but I didn't see you. D'oh! > > Now, who was at the Front 242 show the next night? Didn't go to that one but I do have the upcoming Bauhaus and Massive Attack shows on my calendar. s. Mary ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V7 #307 *******************************