From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V8 #162 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Friday, April 30 1999 Volume 08 : Number 162 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Happy Birthday! ...Other things... [MARKEEFE@aol.com] Re: colorado/firearms/jeme/danielle/NZ/US [Danielle ] Re: Beulah/Of Montreal/Ladybug Transistor/Marc Growden Ensemble/Marilyn Manson review ["Jason R. Thornton" ] Slowdiving into tweeness ["JH3" ] RE: A day of celebration! Let the pigeons LOOSE! ;P ["Chaney, Dolph L" ] Re: Bayard's B-Day [Glen Uber ] Re: Bayard's B-Day [Glen Uber ] Re: colorado/firearms/jeme/danielle/NZ/US [Terrence M Marks ] Re: If you're going to San Francisco..... ["Jason R. Thornton" ] Re: Bayard's B-Day [Ethyl Ketone ] That Entertainment Weekly Poll [MARKEEFE@aol.com] naff AND unhealthy ["jbranscombe@compuserve.com" ] Re: If you're going to San Francisco..... ["Chris!" ] Re: mush + Beulah, etc. [Eb ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 17:28:21 EDT From: MARKEEFE@aol.com Subject: Re: Happy Birthday! ...Other things... In a message dated 99-04-29 11:04:17 EDT, you write: << You guys need HBO. Two words: The Sopranos. >. Fuck yeah!! The Sopranos is very much beloved by Liz and me. We're still not entirely prepared to accept the fact that the season is over. << Oh, and Happy B-day to =b. >> Fuck yeah!! The Bayard is very much loved by everyone. - -------Michael K. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 14:49:20 -0700 (PDT) From: Danielle Subject: Re: colorado/firearms/jeme/danielle/NZ/US > Just to interject - it's not exactly "patently" > ridiculous, now, is it? If it > were, nobody would be arguing about it. OK. Just plain ridiculous, then, if you like. My point remains substantially the same. Danielle, writing about Christopher Lasch and very very bored _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 15:12:13 -0700 From: "Jason R. Thornton" Subject: Re: Beulah/Of Montreal/Ladybug Transistor/Marc Growden Ensemble/Marilyn Manson review At 04:03 PM 4/29/99 -0400, Aaron Mandel wrote: >On Thu, 29 Apr 1999, The Great Quail wrote: > >> TWEE > >cute, even cutesy, often in an affected manner. Yikes! OK, this is a term I've really been misusing for the past year or so. No wonder no one knows what I'm talking about. My personal definition has been a lot more selective. Basically, someone once described a band to me as "twee" once - Slowdive, methinks - and since then I've basically thought of "twee" as meaning "sounding all floaty and airy like Slowdive." And, I've basically been using "fluffy" many times when I *SHOULD* be using "twee." Given this expanded meaning, I might have to rethink my Of Montreal not being "twee" comment. Their music is not fluff, though, that's for sure. >> SNARKY > >sarcastic, snide, snippy. Well, shit, that describes just about everything I say. And, come to think of it, "twee" describes about half of what I say. >> MARK GLOSTER > >primitive oracular implement whose cloth-lined mouth is stuffed with beads >while the querent concentrates on his or her own shortcomings. at the >conclusion of the ritual, the "Gloster" emits a cheery melody, which tells >the querent that a flash of insight into his/her problem has struck >someone across the globe who is unlikely to understand its significance. >the religious practices of glosterians are mostly focused on praying for >more crackpots to be given broadcasting jobs. Yowza! This is another term I've been misusing for months. I might have to do an about-face on the whole Of Montreal not being "Mark Gloster" thing I thought about saying. >> NAFF > >bad, of inferior quality, 'off', shoddy, ill-conceived. I apologize for my earlier naff use of the word "twee," and the snarky commentary that followed. I'm not half the Mark Gloster I thought I was. Hell, I cant even use an ' correctly. - --Fluffy Jason ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 17:17:51 -0500 From: "Paul Christian Glenn" Subject: Re: colorado/firearms/jeme/danielle/NZ/US >> Just to interject - it's not exactly "patently" >> ridiculous, now, is it? If it >> were, nobody would be arguing about it. > >OK. Just plain ridiculous, then, if you like. My point >remains substantially the same. Just a word-nerd being anal, there. Feel free to smack me. :) Paul Christian Glenn | "Besides being complicated, trance@radiks.net | reality, in my experience, is http://x-real.firinn.org | usually odd." - C.S. Lewis Now Reading: "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 15:22:38 -0700 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: A day of celebration! Let the pigeons LOOSE! ;P On 4/29/99 1:47 PM, Eb wrote: >The Verve Throws In The Towel Five years too late, if'n you ask me. Just hearing the band name fills my head with that sick-making orchestral arrangement from whatever-the-fuck-that-song-was. aaaaaagh, make it stop!!!!!! - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 13:51:21 -0700 (PDT) From: Vivien Lyon Subject: Re: colorado/firearms/jeme/danielle/NZ/US - --- Danielle wrote: > Vivien, do you misinterpret everyone this wilfully, > or only > those you have the audacity to call 'sister'? Whoa. Hold on. I did not mean to be condescending, or rude, or audacious. You are not my sister. I'll keep that in mind. Moreover, I rarely set out to misinterpret people, unless I have a vendetta going against them. I had interpreted you to mean that Jeme wanted no controls on gun-ownership at all. It turns out, voila, that I misinterpreted you. But not intentionally. > Listen. Why don't you let *Jeme* argue this one? If > he's > capable of making his argument more clear, fine with > me. > Your putting words in his mouth (and mine, it seems) > isn't > going to solve anything. What a dunce am I, that I offered my opinion on a public posting in a public forum. It is totally between you and Jeme, now and forever. Vivien But you can call me dearie. _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 15:29:18 -0700 From: Tom Clark Subject: Bayard's B-Day I too wanted to send out my congratulations to Bay'rd. And remember, this is the anniversary of the feg-gathering in SF when Eddie coaxed the entire bar into singing "Happy Birthday". Oh yeah, and Robyn put on one of the best performances ever. - -tc (Filing for my first patent!!) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 17:39:25 -0500 From: "JH3" Subject: Slowdiving into tweeness Jason Thornton writes: >Basically, someone once described a band to >me as "twee" once - Slowdive, methinks - and since then I've basically >thought of "twee" as meaning "sounding all floaty and airy like Slowdive." They probably were saying "I heard Slowdive, and I thought 'WHEEE!'" and you just added the extra "T" in your head. Of course, I really liked Slowdive, except for that third album (can you say "contractual obligation"?) so it's natural for me to think that's what happened. This is just as good a time as any to point out that you can now sort gig listings for specific songs on Bayard's Glass Hotel/Robynbase site by Performer (i.e. RH, RH & E, Soft Boys) and Type of Appearance (concert/TV/radio/etc.), as well as simply by date. If anyone has a need for sorting those by city name or venue name, let me know, but it's kind of a twee feature anyway, really. >And, I've basically been using "fluffy" many times when I *SHOULD* >be using "twee." I had the opposite problem. I was "tweeking" my pillow before going to bed at night when I should have been "fluffing" it. Now I sleep much better! John "fluffykins" Hedges ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 18:44:38 -0400 From: "Chaney, Dolph L" Subject: RE: A day of celebration! Let the pigeons LOOSE! ;P Welllllllllp, while I'd like to honk Richard Ashcroft's nose as much as anybody, I have to admit that I like A Storm In Heaven. I have become a real sucker for "fluffy" (not so much "twee"), in the absence of new My Bloody Valentine music for the last EIGHT YEARS. (See, Mr. Shields? Getting in there and finally releasing a new rekkid would be a Valuable Public Service! It'd keep easy prey like me away from Verve records!) Tonight I'm gonna go see Edith Frost and Danielson, but hoo boy I may just go to the OTC / Music Tapes show in a few days... Dolph CDs in the office: * Adam Again - Dig * Vic Chesnutt - Is The Actor Happy? * Keith Jarrett - Facing You * Jawbox - For Your Own Special Sweetheart * The Magick Heads - Woody * Rufus Wainwright * Robert Wyatt - Mid-Eighties ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 18:59:54 EDT From: MARKEEFE@aol.com Subject: Re: colorado/firearms/jeme/danielle/viv/NZ/US In a message dated 99-04-29 18:32:37 EDT, you write: << What a dunce am I, that I offered my opinion on a public posting in a public forum. It is totally between you and Jeme, now and forever. >> Well, your opinion about *your* opinion is one thing, while your opinion about *Jeme's* opinion is something else altogether. I'm not trying to make an evaluation here; just pointing out a distinction. My guess is that Danielle wasn't saying that you shouldn't express your own opinions on the subject; rather, she just wanted to hear Jeme defend his own points. No big deal. Heck, I sometimes feel like sticking up for people on the list who I feel have been misinterpreted (which I sometimes do). On the other hand, I totally agree with everything Danielle has said -- including, incidentally, the majority of her interpretations of what Jeme said -- about the subject(s) of guns and gun control and all that. We should get rid of as many of them suckers as we can. Sure, the government could then come and shoot us all, but why would they? I think the fat cats in Washington are all a little too content to bother trying to turn the U.S. into a military state. There's just no motivation. And, yeah, sometimes they're gonna bust down some doors and kill some basically innocent and possibly crazy people who pissed them off. And that's not right. But I don't think anyone owns enough guns to stop a U.S. government attack, anyway. If you don't want the government to blow you up, don't stockpile guns. They hate that. I mean, most of the time, having guns around is just going to get you shot. - ------Michael K., who just had to get his 2 cents in there. - ------Michael K. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 16:06:18 -0700 From: "Jason R. Thornton" Subject: Celebrity deathwatch "Movie, Television Cowboy Rory Calhoun Dies At 76" - --JT ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 16:07:33 -0700 (PDT) From: Glen Uber Subject: Re: Bayard's B-Day On Thu, 29 Apr 1999, Tom Clark wrote: >Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 15:29:18 -0700 >From: Tom Clark >To: Funky Denim Wonderland >Subject: Bayard's B-Day > >I too wanted to send out my congratulations to Bay'rd. And remember, >this is the anniversary of the feg-gathering in SF when Eddie coaxed the >entire bar into singing "Happy Birthday". Oh yeah, and Robyn put on one >of the best performances ever. > >-tc (Filing for my first patent!!) > Cheers! - -Glen- "There are two ways to get enough. One is to accumulate more. The other is to desire less." --G.K. Chesterton Glen Uber | uberg@sonic.net | http://www.sonic.net/~uberg ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 16:11:58 -0700 (PDT) From: Glen Uber Subject: Re: Bayard's B-Day On Thu, 29 Apr 1999, Glen Uber sent a blank reply to the list. For that, he is truly sorry... Cheers! - -Glen- "There are two ways to get enough. One is to accumulate more. The other is to desire less." --G.K. Chesterton Glen Uber | uberg@sonic.net | http://www.sonic.net/~uberg ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 19:14:11 -0400 (EDT) From: Terrence M Marks Subject: Re: colorado/firearms/jeme/danielle/NZ/US On Thu, 29 Apr 1999, Paul Christian Glenn wrote: > >However, he seems to be against tightening it up. Which is > >a patently ridiculous argument. > > > Just to interject - it's not exactly "patently" ridiculous, now, is it? If it > were, nobody would be arguing about it. This is the _Internet_ we're talking on. People don't stop arguing no matter how ridiculous their position is. But that's irrelevant. What I want to know is whether or not Eddie likes the song "Alexander's Ragtime Band". (He likes 'Lawrence of Arabia'. If he can dig four hours of Peter O'Toole walking around in the sand, he might like anything...) Terrence Marks Unlike Minerva (a comic strip) http://grove.ufl.edu/~normal normal@grove.ufl.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 19:15:10 -0400 (EDT) From: Bayard Subject: If you're going to San Francisco..... hi! sorry to (ab)use the list like this, but I lost the message with the address header filled up with bayarea and pac-NW fegaddresses. OK, so I'm flying to portland on wednesday and some point after that I'm travelling by land to the bayarea (not bayardia). Is anyone from points north going down to see the storefront flick again? It's playing in berkeley on the 11th. Never mind that it's also playing in SF that whole previous weekend! Eddie, you have a new car right? Alternatively, I'll just take the train. That was what I intended to do originally, but an overgenerous feg from the santa cluz area offered to come and visit the portland feggios, then remembered the film was coming. thanks for all the kind birthday greetings. Another year older and feggier. well, i'm off to birthday din-din. =b np: Egyptians, clarendon hotel ballroom 17-may-1985 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 16:26:45 -0700 From: "Jason R. Thornton" Subject: Re: If you're going to San Francisco..... At 07:15 PM 4/29/99 -0400, Bayard wrote: >OK, so I'm flying to portland on wednesday and some point after that I'm >travelling by land to the bayarea (not bayardia). Is anyone from points >north going down to see the storefront flick again? It's playing in >berkeley on the 11th. Never mind that it's also playing in SF that whole >previous weekend! Eddie, you have a new car right? Ya know... I'm going to be in the San Francisco area May 7-9... where is it playing again? I'm really afraid to watch the flick though. I fear I might start playing acoustic guitar and telling long surreal tales about Minotaurs and crustaceans. You know how influential moving pictures are on fluffy minds like mine. - --Jason ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 16:48:07 PDT From: "D B" Subject: Re: Frosty the Gunman >Personally, I think Frosted Wheaties and other sugared cerealsare far >too accessible to kids. They really shouldn't be eating thatmuch >sugar. In fact, I've heard that kids can get sugared cerealseasier >than they can get guns. Now that's scary. And while I'm pretty sure they don't do so anymore, there was afew years back at least one of the more prominent cereal companiesthat gave away handguns in exchange for numerous boxtops of theirproducts. Thus the bastardized term "serial" killer came about... ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 17:32:22 -0700 From: Ethyl Ketone Subject: Re: Bayard's B-Day Hey Bayard, Happy Happy. Joy Joy. Be Seeing You (in Berkeley on the 11th actually), - - carrie "Questions are a burden for others. Answers are a prison for oneself." **************************************************************************** M.E.Ketone/C.Galbraith meketone@ix.netcom.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 20:37:22 EDT From: MARKEEFE@aol.com Subject: That Entertainment Weekly Poll Okay, folks, we have to do something about those obnoxious Madonna-list people! There have only been 103 votes so far in the final voting process (wherein you choose one selection from a list of 20, in 12 different categories), so your vote *can* make a difference! They only show you the results for half of the categories -- for the other half, you have to wait until the whole thing is over . . . May 21st, maybe? Anyway, go do some votin'! Entertainment Weekly | The Greatest Pop Music... http://cgi.pathfinder.com/ew/fab400/music100/index.html - ------Michael K. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 22:04:11 -0400 From: "jbranscombe@compuserve.com" Subject: naff AND unhealthy Creeping from my shore-line cave, a la One Eyed Jacks, I'd just like to add to Aaron's 'naff' definition. The primary usage of the term, in my interpretation, is to describe people who think they understand fashion and taste but haven't quite got it right. To extend the above mentioned filmic metaphor, there are 'baddies' who have recently poked their heads above various rocks who will soon be targetted by my figurative fire-power. These Karl Malden figures include a recently arrived gun-slinger who takes the King's name in vain. Quiver Mr Hedges!... All right, perhaps I've already shot my bolt. Finally, to disarm my linguistic arsenal, there are probably a thousand things that Greg SS. and I share in common, and the fact we could never pull a trigger in anger is only one of them. I believe what I believe I've said. It may be ill-expressed (and isn't language a fickle mistress)but as to John Hedges's postulation >You might just be backtracking to save face<. Nope. Sorry. Not in this case. The Brando That Elvis Wanted To Be. jmbc. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 22:25:49 EDT From: Briannupp@aol.com Subject: Invisible History! fellow friendly fegs- I was flipping through Gold Mine Mag and came across Invisible History. I`ve been lookin for this for a while...anyway maybe they`ve got more than one copy. Check it out at: www.saturnrecords.com I ordered mine last Tuesday and called tonite to check on it, the dude said he sent it out 4-26 which was monday. Maybe it`ll come tomarrow. If you order one let if you get lucky. Best Regards Brian A. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 23:25:00 EDT From: Briannupp@aol.com Subject: Re: Bull And Gate In a message dated 99-04-29 12:38:44 EDT, surferghost@hotmail.com writes: << >Subject: biffo, quail's feet and the unknown Robyn gig > >Thirdly,I am listening to the hithero unknown Robyn Hitchcock >8-3-93 Bull and >Gate show and enjoying it very much, especially " A day in the life " >even >though some git in the tiny audience of 15 or so people sings along >with it on >occasions.Bayard and eddie,I'm ready to trade now. That would be the LAST official Egyptians gig. The story behind it is that the venue had a new PA system intalled and RH&TE's were due to open the revamped venue. It was a last minute booking and so not many people knew about it. On the night the PA blew up and so the boys did the show in the bar area using just their amps and a reduced drum kit. RH did a lengthy intro to Beautiful Queen abour looking down on a train that's going under the sea and exploding as it goes. The song itself was wonderful as RH's voice was drowned in the guitars and slowly came through the "mix" as the chorus kicked in. It should have been recorded that way. As far as i know, the decision to play in the bar was suggested by a couple of fans who are friends of the band as there was much chattering after the idea was raised. Most of the others of us present watched the boys toing and froing as bits of PA were swapped and tampered with. It was only months afterwards that we found out that it was the LAST gig for the Egyptians, it was a great way to end as it was a fantastic gig and seemed to convey the fun and greatness of the band. what a way to go. >> Anybody got a copy of this show they`d be willing to swap? I`ve got a few good ones to trade! If so mail me privately Thanks-Brian A. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 21:13:49 -0700 From: Chris Franz Subject: Re: If you're going to San Francisco..... Bayard: > Eddie, you have a new car right? What's this? Eddie, weren't you already accused of being a "limousine liberal" by your radical ETS! cohorts because of your other car? Now even MORE luxury? Geez! Jason: > Ya know... I'm going to be in the San Francisco area May 7-9... where is it > playing again? Storefront Hitchcock will be at the Red Vic Movie House in the Haight; woj has all the details up on the fegMANIA! site. For those who didn't get the message before, all Fegs (and other friendly sorts) are invited to my place for a pre-movie get-together on Saturday, May 8. We haven't had a Bay Area feg-gathering for a while, and some new faces have moved to the area. Email me off-list for directions and other info. (And for those who already have that info, I'd appreciate a note just so I know how many are likely to attend.) People who saw Storefront at the San Francisco International Film Festival last year got the announcement that the rerelease of "Stop Making Sense" would be kicked off by its premiere at this year's festival. That happened Tuesday -- Jonathan Demme, David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth, and The Drummer Who Can't Spell were in the audience. I couldn't tell for sure what was done differently for this release (other than digitization and a remastered soundtrack), but it's still one hell of a spectacle. Something definitely worth catching on the big screen. On the way out, someone was passing out flyers advertising Storefront. Very cool. - - Chris useless fact of the day: the corner of Haight & Ashbury now sports a Ben & Jerry's and a Gap. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 21:23:21 -0700 From: "Chris!" Subject: Re: If you're going to San Francisco..... Chris Franz wrote: > > Bayard: > > Eddie, you have a new car right? > > What's this? Eddie, weren't you already accused of being a > "limousine liberal" by your radical ETS! cohorts because of > your other car? Now even MORE luxury? Geez! Plus, of late, Mr. Tews has had a bit of a Renaisance with Cricket and its role in converting the unorgaized moral civilizations and the economies of far-flung lands. I am sure he will explain. Indeed, he has gone soft on us. It is only a matter of time before that he claims any bottle of wine that costs less than $40 is not even good enough to feed to his cat, even if the fresh salmon in Pussy Kin's bowl is not wild salmon, but farmed fish. Eddie, do not hold back on us now. Tell us how it really feels. .chris ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 16:52:26 +1200 From: digja611@student.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: Re: fegmaniax-digest V8 #160 hipypapybthuthdy to Bayard! James ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 16:56:38 +1200 From: digja611@student.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: Re: fegmaniax-digest V8 #161 >While any word can be represented by ' alone (having all the letters >replaced with a single apostrophe), the word "apostrophe" is the only one >that makes sense when represented this way. > >I find this kind of recursion a beautiful thing. IIRC, Frank Zappa's "Apostrophe" album is technically entitled " ' (Apostrophe) " Daing but those quote marks are confusing... James ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 17:03:59 +1200 From: digja611@student.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: Who you defining, mush? >> TWEE > >cute, even cutesy, often in an affected manner. when used to refer to a >genre of indiepop music, it has less of a derogatory meaning; see >www.twee.net for a pretty canonical list of twee-pop bands. the best example would probably be that wondrous band that by weird fate was a stepping off place for Fatboy Slim, the Housemartins. Gentlew, melodic, but overtly cute. >> SNARKY > >sarcastic, snide, snippy. a combination of snide and sarky (sarkjy being a slang version of sarcastic) >> MARK GLOSTER an old seafaring term used to measure depth of water by surrealists. Instead of counting "Eins, twain, bingle, qwuarr, fint, percussion", et cetera, they would use misspelt English county names "Norfants, Gloster, Woosta, Barks, Worrik", etc. >> NAFF > >bad, of inferior quality, 'off', shoddy, ill-conceived. failing to reach the required level of style or quality. Eb's infamous shirt might be described as a particularly naff piece of clothing. James 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, 30 Apr 1999 03:01:24 -0600 From: amadain Subject: Re: naff AND unhealthy >Creeping from my shore-line cave, a la One Eyed Jacks, I'd just like to add >to Aaron's 'naff' definition. The primary usage of the term, in my >interpretation, is to describe people who think they understand fashion and >taste but haven't quite got it right. To quote from a book of jazz lingo I have (this is from memory, so pardon the inaccuracy, it's been a long night and besides, I can't find the damn book): "Lame is not the worst you could be. Lame means you're way far off, but you -can- learn". This is kind of how I understood "naff". Way far off, but still within striking distance, as opposed to say, one's mother or Ralph Reed. Love on ya, Susan ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 03:56:14 -0800 From: Eb Subject: Re: mush + Beulah, etc. James: >the best example would probably be that wondrous band that by weird fate >was a stepping off place for Fatboy Slim, the Housemartins. Gentle, >melodic, but overtly cute. I agree with the adjectives, but definitely not the example. The Housemartins' sound was too aggressive to be truly "twee," and their lyrics were quite confrontative and forceful, which really doesn't fit either. I kinda think of them as a sugary peer of Billy Bragg, myself. I'd say it's pretty close to a consensus that the standard bearer for "twee" right now is Belle & Sebastian. And as far as "seminal twee," look to the Pastels, Sarah Records, Heavenly, early pop on the Creation level...and maybe Claudine Longet. ;) >Eb's infamous shirt might be described as a particularly naff piece of >clothing. It takes a special breed of man to pull off such a shirt. It's often beyond the powers of even the hardiest souls. - ------- I enjoyed the Beulah/Ladybug Transistor/Of Montreal gig tonight an awful lot. All three bands were excellent. Oddly, my favorite performance of the three was the Ladybug Transistor, yet of the bands' new albums, I think LT's is my *least* favorite. I was particularly impressed with how tightly LT and Of Montreal pulled off their material, because their songs have SO many twists, turns and flourishes. And that wonderful sense of E6 community was definitely there: the bassist of LT was madly snapping pictures of the other bands all night...two members of LT paraded in front of the stage during one Of Montreal song, playing melodica and trumpet...more cross-band cameos in various songs...just charming. Oh, and I also heard that the bands are even alternating their order of appearance, throughout the tour. Awww, how wonderfully un-showbiz. The thing about this whole E6 mindset which really grabs is the sense of innocence. It's so hard for a musician to carry off innocence today, and not seem like an idiot. These groups manage it, somehow. I dig that. Yeah, the lead singer of Of Montreal was a little over-the-top, what with the ink-drawn curly mustache, circus-ringmaster ambience and introductory spiel. I don't really see what so horrified LJ, however. No, the members weren't real attractive, but I think it was more a case of being wimpy/homely as opposed to being like godawful oogly, which was the impression LJ gave me in her previous review. But yeah, it's not often that you see a band onstage and think, "Damn, I could kick ALL their asses." ;) Well, unless you're a macho guy like Quail, I suppose. I enjoyed their set a lot, but the storytelling of the lyrics wasn't really coming through somehow, and that lessened the impact. The detail of the arrangements was enormously entertaining, though...seeing the players hop from their central instruments to quickly pick up clarinets, slide whistle, recorders, etc. etc., play a few lines and then put them down again. Nifty. The Ladybug Transistor were very, very good. Better than their record. Great job of carrying off the songs, gutsy "square" covers of Glen Campbell's "Galveston" and the Beejesus' "Massachusetts"...well-sung, well-played. Very mature and crafted. Not as much visual charisma as the other two bands, but I thought the songs really came to life onstage. The flute and trumpet parts were very strong...not just a case of someone picking up a second instrument as a half-assed dalliance. I ended up in conversation for much of their set, unfortunately -- I kinda wish I had talked a little bit less. Beulah were good, too. Edgier and more indie-rock than they sound on their new album. That's fine, but their set seemed a little ordinary, following the unusual flair of the previous two bands. Still, they had the most energy, volume and power by far, and their songs came off well. And I think this is the first time I've ever seen a french-horn player in a rock-concert context. Woo. On the starfucking front, I ended up talking with just about everyone in all three bands, which totalled about 20 people. And those folks really TALK. I mean, they ask you questions about this or that thing you wrote, whom you wrote it for, what you think of their albums, volunteer their opinion of their performance, etc. etc. etc. Very genuine interest in other people. And yeah, Jason, they backed up what you said about the San Diego show being a deserted disaster. ;) I took CDs to get signed (), and not one musician just signed it and handed it back. They talked and talked. And almost every one of them felt the need to actually WRITE something on the CDs...wacky. You know, like an "inscription." Someone from Beulah (who looked alarmingly like John McEnroe) wrote "You're one heady fuck." Ha. I talked to several of them for minutes, particularly the (darn cute) bassist of Ladybug Transistor and Miles Kurofsky (leader of Beulah). I kept running into the bassist, because she was at the concession table off and on all night. I took some dough with me, knowing there would be product for sale, so I bought the Ladybug Transistor's "Beverley Atonale" and Of Montreal's "The Bedside Drama & Petite Tragedy" while I was there. Didn't have those yet. The most interesting, unexpected conversation I had was with Darian of the Wondermints, who was in the audience. (He's the keyboardist, if you don't know. Sings harmonies, too.) We talked awhile about this or that, mostly during the Ladybug Transistor's set. In addition to talk about current music and the onstage bands (he liked Ladybug Transistor a lot, too), he was telling me some choice Brian Wilson anecdotes. (Remember, the Wondermints are Wilson's tour band, and they've played four dates together already.) I think the best one was that in Chicago, Billly Corgan showed up at Brian's press conference for some reason. After awhile, it was obvious that Brian had no idea who Corgan was, so Darian had to take Brian aside and explain that, well, he's in this band called the Smashing Pumpkins and they're very popular right now. So the ever skewed Brian came back to Billy, sort of blurted out "Rock 'n' roll will never die, it'll never fade away" and scampered off again. Heh heh heh. Darian was also saying that Wilson's onstage introductions have been really naively charming. Like one night, before launching into "God Only Knows" and "Good Vibrations" (both jaw-dropping masterpieces of pop-music history, of course), he just rambled something to the effect that "Well, here's a pretty song...my brother used to sing it, but now he's dead and that's a sad story...but just be patient for a few minutes and then we'll play a real rocking one." Heh heh heh. Talk about understatement. I still think it's amazing, to see three coveted bands for the first time in one night. I don't think that has ever happened to me before (outside of Lollapalooza, perhaps), and it may never happen again. I'm going to stop here, though this tale is probably not complete. Oh yeah, at the record store up the street, there were plenty of used copies of the last Phish CD for only $4.99. ;) Eb http://www.spork.org ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V8 #162 *******************************