From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V8 #352 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Thursday, September 16 1999 Volume 08 : Number 352 Today's Subjects: ----------------- sister I'm a...all over this town [way long] ["Andrew D. Simchik" ] My last Cope experience ["Tony Blackman" ] Did Robyn really see Nick Drake? ["Gene Hopstetter, Jr." ] Re: the moog ["Gene Hopstetter, Jr." ] hi from randi - a bobby pin and a credit card ;-} [**twofangs** {randi} ] oops [**twofangs** {randi} ] Re: crickets chirping all over the world [attn: college-radio types] [MAR] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1999 22:47:05 -0400 From: "Andrew D. Simchik" Subject: sister I'm a...all over this town [way long] >From: "Shane Apple" >so i read a momus interview, and momus mentioned how he's always been amused >with people not "getting" morrissey or the smiths (i actually forget which >but it may not matter) and not understanding the irony. not long after that, >a feg calls the smiths "the greatest comedy band of all time" or something >like that. now, i'm not the brightest music fan around, and i'm having >trouble figuring out what i'm missing here. I don't think there's a question here of "missing" anything, and "irony" isn't always the best word for this stuff, even when the soi-disant irony-savants in the UK use it. With Beck and Ween and Blur and the Smiths, and I'd wager even Randy Newman, the best way to put it is that, as with Momus, I ain't always I. Momus holds forth frequently, from what I've seen, about the prevailing Romantic (as he terms it) view of music as a sort of confessional form. The music is supposed to express the authentic emotions -- usually angst or lovesickness or some other languishment, or sometimes joy -- of the songwriter, and the use of the first person is supposed to refer to the singer. The point of the music is to convey and express personal emotions, and any deviation from this aim is perverse. Songs about other people are third-person only, and preferably observational. Well, "ironic" pop music either deviates perversely from this ideal, or discards it altogether. Therefore, Beck himself may not have two turntables and a microphone, he may not personally be or feel himself to be a loser, and it may be somebody's fault but his own. Damon Albarn may not have lost his girl to the Rolling Stones (although I wouldn't be too quick to doubt it), or genuinely be a killer for your love. This is obvious, and might be "irony," or it might just be metaphor. Blur probably doesn't think America is all that magic (well, Graham at least seems to have a soft spot), but they don't sing first person there, as they do on the certifiably ironic "Bank Holiday." So: spotting irony or quasi-non-Romantic elements in Morrissey and the Smiths is as simple as considering the possibility that while Morrissey may in fact be miserable *now*, he might not always be, and he might just be mocking out some (other) drama queen he knows. One hopes "National Front Disco" is not an anthem, though there is some debate on that point. "Last of the Famous International Playboys" is a Momus-like exploration of a zeal one assumes Morrissey feels some ambivalence about. "Sing Your Life" may or may not be ironic -- hard to tell. Are the Smiths the greatest comedy band of all time? Well, I doubt it, but then I like them more than I would like the greatest comedy band of all time. They are not as funny as Ween by a long shot, or even Spinal Tap (just take a magic marker and write in the umlaut yourself). But they are pretty funny in their own way - -- "Vicar in a Tutu" is an obvious example. "Some Girls are Bigger than Others" is another, but it's not a joke you can tell, exactly. "Meat is Murder" is hilarious but Moz probably didn't mean for it to be -- same with "Shakespeare's Sister," about which he's said (sincerely?) that he poured his heart and soul into it (if true, the best anti-Moz insult ever). Though he probably meant "I thought if you had an acoustic guitar, it meant that you were a protest singer...oh, I can smile about it now, but at the time it was terrible" to be funny. I think it is. Is there a grand joke? Not really. But I do think that Morrissey is fully aware of how he comes across and is (was -- "Sorrow Will Come In the End," from the new album, is an excruciating/hilarious counterexample) in total control of that. The Smiths and Morrissey aren't just about being miserable. (Mostly they are about being narcissistic, but that's another discussion.) >From: Eb >So far, there are 29 indie-label releases of 1999 which I've added to my >permanent collection. Of those, a formidable TWELVE of those "indie" >artists were formerly on major labels: Adrian Belew, XTC, Poi Dog Pondering >(um, assuming Tommy Boy is indie...is it?), Frank Black, Tom Waits, the >Muffs, 10000 Maniacs, Kristin Hersh, the Go-Betweens (well, this is just a >rarities compilation), They Might Be Giants, Super Furry Animals and the >Velvet Crush. And I can add Pavement to this list, once I get a finished >copy of the damn thing, and I'll shortly get the new Buzzcocks disc on >lowly *Go-Kart*.... > >Does this illustrate 1) the abrupt commercial decline of so-called >alternative music (and subsequent major-label roster purges), 2) my woeful >inability to stay in touch with up-and-coming indie acts or 3) the sheer >crappiness of the newest indie-rock generation? Or all three? I was thinking you were going to head for 4) the realization by many newly "indie" artists that there's suddenly a what-have-we-got-to-lose? alternative to the major-label reaming they've been getting for years and years, which obviously is related to 1), my second choice. 3) is also a possibility, though I'll get called nasty names if I elaborate. Drew - -- Andrew D. Simchik, wyrd@rochester.rr.com http://home.rochester.rr.com/wyrd/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1999 21:11:37 -0800 From: Eb Subject: Re: sister I'm a...all over this town [way long] Drew: >>Does this illustrate 1) the abrupt commercial decline of so-called >>alternative music (and subsequent major-label roster purges), 2) my woeful >>inability to stay in touch with up-and-coming indie acts or 3) the sheer >>crappiness of the newest indie-rock generation? Or all three? > 3) is also a possibility, though I'll get called nasty names if I elaborate. Don't be shy, honey.... Eb ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1999 21:52:18 -0700 (PDT) From: delia winthorpe Subject: Re: who has seen Eddie Munster naked? chicken pot, chicken pot, chicken pot-pieeeeeeeeee... sorry, i've been not here. i've been reading but haven't found anything of interest lately. unrelated to robyn (except that david himself told me that he caught one of robyn's shows in chicago moons ago), has anybody heard the new david byrne record "in spite of wishing and wanting"? curious...i'm about to buy it... d __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 00:14:46 -0500 (CDT) From: Charles Gillett Subject: Re: crickets chirping all over the world [attn: college-radio types] Eb wrote: > Does this illustrate 1) the abrupt commercial decline of so-called > alternative music (and subsequent major-label roster purges) I can't claim to know anything about anything, but recently our local corporate "alternative" radio stations have both tweaked their formats, so that "The Zone" is playing "20 years of alternative music" and "The Point" is playing "The best of today's alternative and retro." This means that I can hear that great alternative hit of yesteryear, "Take On Me" by A-Ha, virtually any time I turn on the radio. It also seems like an admission that the pop-rock music of today isn't worth broadcasting, moneywise. This doesn't explain why Eb can't keep up with the hep indie bands, though. - -- Charles Now Playing: Vinny Golia Quintet, "Endo Crededo," _Dante No Longer Repents_ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 01:06:05 -0500 From: steve Subject: Re: crickets chirping all over the world [attn: college-radio types] Charles Gillett: >I can't claim to know anything about anything, but recently our >local corporate "alternative" radio stations have both tweaked their >formats, so that "The Zone" is playing "20 years of alternative music" >and "The Point" is playing "The best of today's alternative and retro." >This means that I can hear that great alternative hit of yesteryear, >"Take On Me" by A-Ha, virtually any time I turn on the radio. It also >seems like an admission that the pop-rock music of today isn't worth >broadcasting, moneywise. Our local "The Zone" has changed to "Merge Radio" and they continually urge you to go to their web site and listen at the same time. What's up with that? - - Steve _______________ We're all Jesus, Buddha, and the Wizard of Oz! - Andy Partridge ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 08:57:52 +0100 (BST) From: Stewart Russell 3295 Analyst_Programmer Subject: Re: I Thora Hird NASA Clapping >>>>> "badger" == badger writes: badger> I wouldn't mind seeing that, if you mean meddling with badger> politics. It's a good role for a benevolent lunatic. I wouldn't class Julian as a loony. He knows exactly what he's doing. badger> Why was he utter shite? I've been to several Cope gigs. The really weird thing is, there are *lots* of really loud hecklers. The same people keep coming back just to yell obscenities. Stewart [bad news: Elephant 6 no longer have a UK distributor. Fuck fuck fuckity fuck.] [good news: Issue one of my Thora Hird fan zine will hit the web soon. It is, of course, called Thorazine.] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 10:34:24 +0100 From: Patrick Cleasby Subject: RH on stage in London last night Apparently Robyn appeared during Tim Keegan's encore at the Jazz Cafe to sing "Save me from Happiness". Patrick, now kicking himself for being too idle to go. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 10:41:14 +0100 From: Patrick Cleasby Subject: Copey not ropey At 21:44 15/09/99 -0400, you wrote: > >It's a shame as I was big fan of The > >Teardrop Explodes and even some of his early solo stuff, but the last time > >I bothered to see him live (circa '95) I had to leave as he was utter > >shite. > >Why was he utter shite? I've never seen him live, but have a couple of >bootlegs from '91 and '93, and they sound fine to me. Then again, i prefer >Cope's later album to his early ones, to the point that I'm eager for his >next one. Oh, well... Peggy Suicide show in Sheffield in 91 was fantastic. I saw the 95 Propheteering show at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, and though long, it was intermittently aspiring. I was very, very drunk at the time. Apparently a solo charity date supporting the Ozric Tentacles slightly later was crap though. Maybe it was this one. Last year's solo show was superb, as was the lecture on the Modern Antiquarian at Dingwalls. Bring on the new album... although 2nd volume of autobiography is due first. Patrick ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 10:59:12 +0000 From: "Tony Blackman" Subject: My last Cope experience Badger said: > Why was he utter shite? I've never seen him live, but have a couple of > bootlegs from '91 and '93, and they sound fine to me. Then again, i prefer > Cope's later album to his early ones, to the point that I'm eager for his > next one. Oh, well... > Just a matter of difference of opinion in music, but still curious as to > what turned you off so much. Firstly, a matter of personal taste, he arrived on stage with one of those absolutley ridiculous "comedy" large felt hats somewhat akin to a jester's hat that I detest. I was all behind the "V" festival's stance a couple of years ago to refuse entry to anyone wearing a "comedy" hat. Secondly, he made no sense whatsoever. His ramblings between songs were slurred, disjointed, and judging by his stumbling and wild eyed stares, drink and/or drug fuelled. Personally, I've no real need to hear a story about being naked and having a shit on The Ridgeway. Thirdly, and most importantly, his playing was dreadful. Several songs took 3 or 4 attempts to get going and he just gave up on others about half way through. I thought that being as though it was a "local" gig for him (The BierKeller in Bristol) that he might've made more of an effort.... then again, perhaps he didn't need to? Tony. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1999 15:40:39 -0500 From: "Gene Hopstetter, Jr." Subject: Did Robyn really see Nick Drake? OK, I've heard about Robyn playing at Nick Drake tribute shows, I've heard Robyn sing *about* Nick Drake ("I Saw Nick Drake") but I've never actually heard Robyn *play* a Nick Drake song. I can't seem to recall his speaking about Drake, either. So, fess up, people. Who has a recording or recollection of Robyn speaking about Nick Drake or playing one of his songs? And what song was it? (Oh, and Bayard, I did try to check Robynbase, but I couldn't access the site.) I've long wanted to hear how Robyn would handle Drake's songs, especially considering Drake's (lush? busy? fillagree-like? delicate?) guitar playing, but I'm beginning to wonder if it's ever actually happened. NP: Jewels for Sophia ------------------------------ Date: 15 Sep 1999 09:33:46 -0400 From: Jeffrey_Rose@eri.eisai.com Subject: New to list Been diggin' RH since the early 80's. Some random thoughts: Has anyone seen "Storefront Hitchcock"? It still hasn't played in Boston. Speaking of playing in Boston, I was bummed Robyn didn't play a full solo gig here. He was the 3rd of 5 bands with the Flaming Lips headlining and was only allowed about a half hour to play. I was really looking forward to seeing him for the first time since the "Eye" tour. Does anyone know where I can get my hands on a copy of the demo/bootleg of Robyn performing Dylan's "Royal Albert Hall" concert? The best sitcom on TV is still "The Simpsons". A minor plug for "Just Shoot Me"...the "retarded brother" episode was hysterical. Stands out in my mind along with the "runway model" episode from Chris Elliot's long-dead sitcom "Get A Life". Jeffro ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 12:00:39 -0500 From: "JH3" Subject: Re: real itchin' >>The argument that *horrible* things have been done >>in the name of religion is pretty thin. Horrible things are >>being done every day in the name of hundreds of things. >>Humans are horrible. Well then, I'm glad I'm not human! But I think that when you filter it down to horrible things that have been done on a *mass* scale, you find that the number goes from "hundreds" to "a handful," and religion still makes the cut. (Which isn't to say that its record hasn't improved quite a bit in the last 200 years or so, IMO.) >>At least some organized religion engages in >>charitble acts, at least it gives hope to people, at >>least it built some beautiful artefacts. To be completely fair about it, good things are being done every day in the name of hundreds of things. Humans aren't *always* horrible. But this is all beside the point... >more important than any of these, i think, is that it provides a >sense of community... something modern culture is sorely lacking. >the other side of the coin is, it tends to divide people and can >promote an "us and them" mentality that engenders other types >of prejudice. Yeah, but imperialist/nationalist political systems often do that too, and often with similarly nasty results. Personally, I think the main reason Robyn occasionally does anti-religious diatribes is because to someone looking at history the way he does (i.e. from a detached and bemused perspective) it just seems more absurd to have people killing each other on a mass scale over what amounts to ideological differences over things that can't be empirically proven, than it does to have people killing each other because they want a piece of land or something that's currently held by a group of people who are distinctly different from them because of their language or customs or even their political/legal system (assuming the differences are significant enough). Of course, religion plays a large part in creating those cultural and political differences in the first place (Kosovo, East Timor, etc.), so much of the time you can't see it as two separate things -- but that doesn't make it all right, does it? Obviously I'm oversimplifying, but still, to someone like Robyn, who clearly delights in pointing out the essential absurdity of human endeavor in general, something like the Battle of Trafalgar would make a lot more sense than, say, the conflict in Northern Ireland. This is all just my opinion... And on a completely different note, Cmdr. Lang writes: >I need more weirdness, I'm not getting enough recently and >I usually look to the feglist for inspiration... I need to be >entertained. But don't you see, your *need* to be entertained is precisely what's enslaving you in the first place! You MUST take control of your own mind before you can be truly happy, my friend! Having said that, did any body actually read that Oasis-breakup parody piece I sent in last week? I have a feeling it might have been too subtle, or realistic-looking or something. But I guess maybe it just wasn't all that funny? John "one of the handful" Hedges ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 09:40:21 -0500 From: "Gene Hopstetter, Jr." Subject: Re: the moog >From: "Shane Apple" >Subject: the moog > >anyway, if you like the moog, check out the following: [snip good list of moog things] I'm no musician by far, but I've been fascinated by the sounds of analog synthesizers for as long as I can remember. So I collect the stuff like crazy. >any other moogy albums i'm missing here? Yup! Lessee, the Vampire Sound Incorporation (check out the recently reissued soundtrack to "Vampyros Lesbos" on Motel records), Hugo Montenegro's reworking of pop hits of the 60s, anything by Mort Garson (especially the pentagram album), Hot Butter's "Popcorn" album, the Electric Moog Orchestra's recordings of the Star Wars and Close Encounters soundtracks, Les Baxter's "Moog Rock" and Martin Denny's "Exotic Moog" (both available on a single bootleg CD). Oh, and of course, Silver Apples (though those were basically a bunch of oscillators and filters and such, not synthesizers proper). Some of the proggies used those early synths well, too: National Health, the Soft Machine, etc. (Alright, hold your tomatoes: I didn't mention ELP or Rush ;-) I'd also recommend some earlier, proto-moog stuff, too. Raymond Scott's "Music for Babies' trilogy is quite amazing. There's also a compilation called "Electronic Toys" put out by a German label, Normal records, that's full of early analog synth pop gems. Some of the THC-drenched psychedelia of the late 60s, like Comus' "First Utterance" and Sand's "Ultrasonic Seraphim" are full of amazing early synth work, too. >so what's everybody's favorite use of a moog? Mort Garson's "Plantasia" (http://www.worldwidewax.com/songs.cgi?recnum=1607) was meant to aid in the growing of plants. If I had $125 to buy that album, I'd make my cacti very happy with it. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 10:52:38 -0400 From: **twofangs** {randi} Subject: hi from randi - a bobby pin and a credit card ;-} I miss you ...each and every one of you in this globe of fegs ... And I've only been in the hospital since Monday! {Well, I waaaaaaas supposed to go in on Wednesday, September 8, but it was nearing Rosh Hashanah & my grandmother {83, my fave person - I love her more than anything,} was coming to Toronto {from Montreal} for the holidays. So I **begged** my doc to wait until Monday, the 13th, so I could spend some quality time with the coolest grandma in the world.} :-} Anyway -- kinda dumb on my part, 'cause I ended up in the hospital late Sunday / early Monday type of thing. Nanny {my grandmother} was very sad. Seeing _none_ of my jokes putting even a __fake smile__ on the person I love most in the whole wide world's face, kinda ripped my heart out. :-{ But I will not complain - I shall explain. 1. I've been getting more and more sick, more blood loss, more throwing up, more not eating; and the pain has reached the level of "oh-oh." 2. Went to doc {G.I.} - who wanted me to go in the hospital earlier, but I wanted to wait and hang out with Nanny.. 3. Have **already** had yucky procedures and already a minor surgery {!} ... 4. Oh, should have started with this one - I took a bobby pin and an old security card and jimmied the door to get to a computer. {tee-hee ;-} 5. Had a really nice chat with Miles :-} 6. Have no idea what is going to happen / and I'm worried*........................................ - ----{terrified really, but let's keep that between you and me -- gotta be supergirl}---- .............*because I'm going to get switched from hospital to hospital to hospital {maybe even Montreal, Ross} so as to find a surgeon that will operate, or suggest another solution.. I *could* choose to stay "as is" - but - my quality of life has / and is, kinda shot. {Don't *anyone* tell my bestest friend Tim the following - please.} By virtue of my past medical history, delayed healing time, amount of surgeries, I could be seriously endangering my life by having surgery, yet I'm seriously endangering my future by waiting... . {Normally I'd just say "kill me", rather than "endanger", but that's too blunt for some people ;-} So this hospital stuff is bumming me out: Also -- I'm not really talking to my parents -- the one week drop of 20 pounds 'means' I am "anorexic;" I'm awfully tired of the childishness my parents exhibit, and the lack of support. My friends and fegs {somewhat redundant :-} helped hold me up last time, but ... now I don't even have a computer of my own, as Sarah needs her laptop at work So I'm not feeling like a part of any 'community;' intellectually, I know my T.O. friends and all you wonderful fegs -- are sending good vibes. Emotionally, what I really need is a hug. Sometimes I wish I had the kind of parents who, after 21 years of their daughter living with Crohn's, would be supportive, or at the very least would have read a pamphlet about Crohn's; whereas my family just pretends I'm not sick. I'm just really lonely, and know I shouldn't complaining, it's just that my day to day pain** [{ it's worse than labour, {so says the doc} ... if someone dropped a brick on my foot I'd barely notice.}] **is completely out of control -- and though I like to pretend I'm 'supergirl' - I'm having a hard time thinking clearly and making decisions. I do like to bounce ideas around with people - and often it's not the advice the other person gives - it's a good way to sort things out; for when I'm explaining the situation to someone else, I start to become more focused and I begin to see solutions. Guess that's what I'm doing know :-} ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Warning: contains truth, modified details, and parental discretion is advised. ;-} The function of the small bowel, or small intestine, is to absorb nutrition. The large intestine, or large bowel, is the place where water is sucked in -- so as to facilitate a "bowel" movement. {I'm trying to be polite here - okay :-} People who have Crohn's Disease {that would be me ;-} can have Crohn's from the mouth to the rectum --{ hey - you in the back row - stop that laughing!} which means anywhere in the 'digestive tract.' There are four layers in the small and large bowel - - - - - - - - - Colitis affects the inside lining of the large intestine and nothing else, so, since the function of the large bowel is to absorb water, doctors do not feel the large bowel has that much use anyway. So if you have really bad Colitis -- you can "get a bag" and be cured. In the wonderful world that is Crohn's, the disease {like cancer} eats through ** all four layers ** of the small bowel and the large bowel: Crohn's moves anywhere it feels like in the digestive tract. Okay - touch the lining in your mouth with your tongue. That is the exact same lining {mucosa} as the first layer of everyone's bowel. The diameter of the small bowel should be 200 mm - mine - in this pesky spot -- is 2mm in diameter. I could translate into inches ... but I'm too tired right now. So, this 2 mm vs. 200mm means ... Randi eats breakfast. Food sorta goes down. Randi eats lunch. Food has trouble going down. Randi eats dinner -- and then *major* ouch! Or, think of it this way.... Blow up a balloon and tie it. Then imagine the little knot at the end is my 2mm bowel stricture / obstruction. The rest of the balloon can't dump it's contents when it wants to 'cause of the "knot"-- so, "air" is pressing and pushing and painfully trying to get through. So, this pressure can rupture the bowel - 50/50 live/die. My problem is that if my bowel does, in fact, rupture, the surgical team won't have the time to be able to stop the bowel's contents from going everywhere so 50/50 ratio is changed, and not in my favour. The surgeons don't want to operate {for obvious reasons} so I may have to wait until the 2mm goes down to .00005mm, then they will consider surgery - 'cause if they don't try then, I'll die for sure. I'd rather be pro-active, my docs have advised me against it. So - that is the shortest version I can come up with. There been tons of blood loss too - but I shan't gross you out any further. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Anyway - since I can't always be bobby pin girl, and I don't know what hospital I'm going to next - I'm going to miss any shot at having some phonecalls - from people who have both the "thoth" symbol & kindness tattooed on their forehead. ;-} So, I've thought of a compromise. 1. Email Tim, he has my password, and he'll print out stuff so I get to read it -- I warn you there will be little gratification for you in that -- for I probably won't be able to write back -- but Tim will surely write you and tell you the "coo-ing" noises, cries of joy, and the look on my face while I read my email ... No instant gratification for you -- but soooooooooooooo very much for me :-} 2. Snail mail @ Ms. Randi L. Spiegel 200 Balliol Street Suite 1603 Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4S 1C6 {I almost never get letters} If anyone chooses either of the above options... please please please please please please please please .... enclose a picture of you, along with your snail mail addy and your phone number - at least this way I can call some people - and I will feel the presence of fegs everywhere. 3. I have call forwarding now - so you should call me at home - and you will be forwarded to wherever I am - 1 - 416 - 440 - 1309. So feel free to call this number, as my calls are forwarded along with me-- and I can always call you back if you can't afford the long distance charges; So - call, write letters & send pictures, send email ... - - you have no idea how hearing from one feg a day - be it through any medium - means to me :-} I hope you are all well ... Take care of yourselves, fading back into yesterday before the nurses come, ;-} Randi 1 - {416} 440 - 1309 *what scares you most will set you free* ~~ Robyn Hitchcock * I picked up that something of it...I could still try to make* ~~ Michael Penn p.s. *sharkboy* - Jewels For Sophia is not available in Canada - so I listen to the tape you made me everyday, thinking of you, {and Robyn, ;-} the whole time rls ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 11:15:45 -0400 From: **twofangs** {randi} Subject: oops If anyone emails' --- could you put 'for rand' in the subject title? It will help Tim sort. Merci rls :-} ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 11:22:45 EDT From: MARKEEFE@aol.com Subject: Re: crickets chirping all over the world [attn: college-radio types] In a message dated 9/15/99 10:19:36 PM, gill0042@tc.umn.edu writes: << > Does this illustrate 1) the abrupt commercial decline of so-called > alternative music (and subsequent major-label roster purges) << our local corporate "alternative" radio stations have both tweaked their formats, so that "The Zone" is playing "20 years of alternative music" and "The Point" is playing "The best of today's alternative and retro." It also seems like an admission that the pop-rock music of today isn't worth broadcasting, moneywise. >> >> Well, I think the paradigm has definitely shifted toward a younger audience. hroughout most of the 90's, all marketing was focused on, say, 16-22 year olds ("alternative music"); now it's on teens and pre-teens (N'Sync, Backstreet Boys, etc.). This means that there's no longer money being put behind the forces that were recently propelling the alternative radio stations. This, in turn, means that no one's informing your average, stupid college kid what to buy anymore. Poor kids! But, with MTV completely dead and, as Charles pointed out, many radio stations altering their formats so that their recently hour-long retro shows now run Tuesday through mid-Monday, maybe true college radio will become the source for hip music once again. And people will probably start reading record reviews a little more closely, too. Or maybe everyone on the planet will subscribe to Fegmaniax! We could lead people to believe that this is merely a forum in which people well-versed in many different kinds of music discuss really cool new releases when they come out . . . "and they keep mentioning this Robyn Hitchcock guy - -- he must be the best of 'em all!" - -----Michael K. ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V8 #352 *******************************