From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V11 #280 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Tuesday, September 10 2002 Volume 11 : Number 280 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Final Spirited Away propaganda [steve ] RE: Andy Metcalfe/Telephone Bill ["matt sewell" ] Nextdoorland [crowbar.joe@btopenworld.com] Nextdoortown(ish) ["matt sewell" ] Can of Bees tour dates [Brian ] Re: Can of Bees tour dates [Stewart Russell ] Sharks patrol these waters ["Rex.Broome" ] Re: Can of Bees tour dates [Tom Clark ] Re: Can of Bees tour dates ["*FS Thomas*" ] Re: Can of Bees tour dates [rosso@videotron.ca] pitchfork soft boys article [guapo stick ] nextdoorland ["R. Edward Poole" ] Re: Can of Bees tour dates [Stewart Russell ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 00:57:53 -0500 From: steve Subject: Final Spirited Away propaganda Spirited Away will be released in a little less than two weeks, so here's one last link, to a pretty well written article by Charles Solomon of the L.A. Times. http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/cl-ca-solomon8sep08.story If you have children that are old enough to go to movies, this would probably be a good choice. It's rated PG, like Lilo & Stitch, but has a couple of scenes that might be too intense for kids that scare easily. - - Steve __________ Does pop music really change anything other than the width of a teenager's trousers? Is there really no Santa Claus on the evening stage? Does the shed hold only a push bike, or is there a lawn mower in there too? Well, I've done the research, talked to the culprit's parents and come to my own conclusions. The answer is this: God's atoms have been scattered and re-assembled in the form of a fluffy bunny. - Bill Nelson ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 09 Sep 2002 09:42:10 +0100 From: "matt sewell" Subject: RE: Andy Metcalfe/Telephone Bill Hmm... they have American Indian reservations in the Mumford Theatre, Cambridge? Doesn't that get in the way of performances! Ok, Ok, I'm going... Cheers Matt >From: hamish_simpson@agilent.com >Reply-To: hamish_simpson@agilent.com >To: fegmaniax@smoe.org, brian@lazerlove5.com >Subject: RE: Andy Metcalfe/Telephone Bill >Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2002 17:09:05 -0600 > >Tons of info for those interested. > >http://www.ado16.dial.pipex.com/tbsohome.html > >H > >n.p. - Nothing, my CD-ROMs bust :( - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. Click Here ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 11:31:11 +0100 (BST) From: crowbar.joe@btopenworld.com Subject: Nextdoorland All right, at the risk of sounding massively smug, I've had a promo copy for several weeks. And I still don't know quite what I make of it, other than to say that there are some very good bits and some not so good bits. No matter how often I listen I can't make Lions and Tigers into a good track: very ploddy musically and overly whimsical lyrically. And Japanese Captain grates more often than not. However all the others have their moments, and I'm with Ed on I Love Lucy: stunningly wonderful opener, which reminds me slightly of Kingdom Of Love's riff as well as, obviously, Sideways. Also think Strings is fuckin' brilliant. V. Can Of Bees V. "...being just contaminates the void." It vies with Lucy and Cherite as track of the album for me. Ultimately though, I think there are two problems which prevent NDL from obtaining instant classic staus. a) the production, which doesn't zip or roar enough. With the exception of a couple of moments its a bit polite. The instruments don't quite meld, aren't quite unified. The frequencies are all a bit separate and 'well-positioned'. b) Too many songs sound like Robyn solo numbers rather than songs written with the Soft Boys in mind. I think a) and b) are also linked, in that too often Robyn's solo stuff is 'well-produced' whereas SBs are fuck-it-make-do-and-mend operations which bring the best out of this slightly lop-sided and yet nevertheless, integrated outfit. This all sounds very subjective, but after all, I bought UM in the month of its release, in Cambridge, and Can Of Bees a few weeks later when I'd save up enough pocket money, and I've lived with them both in a bizarre menage a trois ever since. In my view Nextdoorland is the third best Soft Boys album. But here the Branscombe coefficient comes into play. The worst Soft Boys studio album is one of the best of practically anyone else's. Only Guided By Voices' new one is better this year IMHO. And maybe - whisper it softly - Kimberley Rew's Great Central Revisited, which I think is superb. I'm in an internet cafe in Prague at the mo' so can't give a fuller track-by-track commentary. But will do so when I get back to my CD player. joe.mbc ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 09 Sep 2002 16:51:30 +0100 From: "matt sewell" Subject: Nextdoortown(ish) Hello all bloody hell, it's quiet here, isn't it? Normally, I'd get the ball rolling by saying how we're at the brink of oblivion, your shaved chimp and our loyal poodle hand in hand with their fingers lovingly on the button, or going on about how globalisation is destroying anything good about our species (it is, you know). But no. I'm not going to go on about regime change... I mean, I believe in it wholeheartedly, but could the Democrats really do any better? Maybe the UN could go in and ensure fair elections... I don't know, I'm not going to pretend I have the answers, but I am definitely, absolutely, with no shadow of a doubt, going to go to the Soft Boys' Winchester warm up. Anyone else on the list going? Jim? Joe? Mike? Brian? Anyone coming over to the Uk especially? It would be great to see any and all of you... I can't wait! Cheers Matt - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: Click Here ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 12:06:36 -0400 From: Brian Subject: Can of Bees tour dates Does anyfeg have this flyer?: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=905394754 We (Bayard, myself...) are looking for the tour dates on this flyer. If anyone wins this auction of has this flyer could you please contact us? Thanks! - -Nuppy the wasp cruncher ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 09 Sep 2002 12:28:21 -0400 From: Stewart Russell Subject: Re: Can of Bees tour dates Brian wrote: > > -Nuppy the wasp cruncher what is it with the weird way n.americans classify bees and wasps? They call bees bees. But they also call wasps bees. How strange is that? Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 10:00:16 -0700 From: "Rex.Broome" Subject: Sharks patrol these waters >>Also, people mentioned a lot of XTC songs, but not (iirc) "The Man Who >>Sailed Around His Soul", which is very creepy. Got that one. It's great... I think it may fit well with some footage from "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"; it seems to fit with the Nemo character. By the way, having just watched that film, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it holds up. I think I'm going to use Nemo, James Mason-style, as my costume at the party. Cool guy. We'll probably try to synch "Victorian Squid" with the squid attack sequence, but it may not work... relatively mellow. Also in my "not-quite-right-but-use-in-a-pinch" file is "Little Lighthouse" by the Dukes of the Stratosphear. Surprising lack of shark-related tunes to go with all the footage! I've got: Shark, Throwing Muses Shark Attack, Split Enz Sharks, Morphine ...and of course the Jaws theme... Thanks, me maties! Rex ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 09 Sep 2002 13:29:08 -0700 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: Can of Bees tour dates on 9/9/02 9:28 AM, Stewart Russell at stewart@gandalfgraphics.com wrote: > what is it with the weird way n.americans classify bees and wasps? > They call bees bees. But they also call wasps bees. How strange is that? > Maybe that's the way it is in Canada. Here in the usa we have bees (honey, wood, etc.), wasps, yellow jackets, hornets... And that's just in my yard. - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 16:36:33 -0400 From: "*FS Thomas*" Subject: Re: Can of Bees tour dates I think it has to do with the American. Some are dimmer than others. I've always known the difference between wasps and bees (my parent's house, due to its age, is loaded with wasps) and I had a particularly painful experience with a white-faced hornet's nest when I was about fourteen. Every since I've called that spade a spade. Bumble bees and honey bees are bees. Wasps are wasps and hornets are just nasty. ferris "they sting you and don't die" thomas - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stewart Russell" To: Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 12:28 PM Subject: Re: Can of Bees tour dates > Brian wrote: > > > > -Nuppy the wasp cruncher > > what is it with the weird way n.americans classify bees and wasps? > They call bees bees. But they also call wasps bees. How strange is that? > > Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 09 Sep 2002 18:42:27 -0400 From: rosso@videotron.ca Subject: Re: Can of Bees tour dates On 9 Sep 2002 at 12:28, Stewart Russell wrote: > what is it with the weird way n.americans classify bees and wasps? > They call bees bees. But they also call wasps bees. How strange is that? I've never heard anybody call a wasp a bee. Did you hear that in Toronto? Torontonians call a kaiser roll with a hole in it a bagel, so that figures. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 09 Sep 2002 23:48:31 -0700 From: guapo stick Subject: pitchfork soft boys article , second article down. nothing really new, but for the record... Soft Boys Announce New Album Tracklist, Tour Having finally grown into bandname Alan Haworth reports: The Soft Boys are coming out of retirement with the release of Nextdoorland September 24th. No, it's not a concept album about that creepy jerry-rigged theme park your neighbor's been running using rides he built from old AMC Pacer parts and vintage outboard motors, but it is the Boys' first issue of new music since 1980's Underwater Moonlight. The "classic lineup," which includes Underwater Moonlight-era personnel Robyn Hitchcock, Kimberley Rew, Matthew Seligman and Morris Windsor, has been extra-busy ensuring that their hardcore fans will be well supplied with their latest Soft Boys fix, as vinyl copies of Nextdoorland will include a bonus seven-inch with non-album cuts. Tracklist: 01 I Love Lucy 02 Pulse Of My Heart 03 Mr. Kennedy 04 Unprotected Love 05 My Mind Is Connected... 06 Sudden Town 07 Strings 08 Japanese Captain 09 La Cheriti 10 Lions and Tigers The Boys are also releasing Side Three, a tour-only EP of outtakes and other shenanigans, including a soundcheck version of "Evil Guy" performed at San Francisco's legendary Fillmore last year with Thomas "She Blinded Me With Science" Dolby on keyboards. The tracklist for that: 01 Narcissus 02 Disconnection of the Ruling Class 03 Each of Her Silver Wands 04 Om 05 Coming Through 06 Evil Guy [live] The tour EP will be available as the Soft Boys trek across America on a short tour beginning late next month, and later via Robyn Hitchcock's official website. Tour dates: 10-21 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse 10-22 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club 10-25 Chicago, IL - Metro 10-26 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom 10-27 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom 10-28 Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell's 10-29 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue 10-31 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe 11-02 San Francisco, CA - Slim's 11-04 Los Angeles , CA - House of Blues .: Pitchfork Review: Soft Boys: Underwater Moonlight .: Pitchfork News: Soft Boys: Won't You Be My Neighbor? .: Soft Boys: http://www.underwatermoonlight.com .: Matador: http://www.matadorrecords.com/the_soft_boys ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2002 00:59:20 -0400 From: "R. Edward Poole" Subject: nextdoorland On Monday, September 9, 2002, at 06:31 AM, crowbar.joe@btopenworld.com wrote: > And I still don't know quite what I make of it, other than to say that > there are some very good bits and some not so good bits. No matter how > often I listen I can't make Lions and Tigers into a good track: very > ploddy musically and overly whimsical lyrically. I disagree with this, although I wouldn't argue with the lyrical criticisms; however, for me the opening riff is so good it makes up for the song's other weaknesses. however, I can see how weeks of exposure might tip the balance, so we'll see. > Ultimately though, I think there are two problems which prevent NDL > from obtaining instant classic staus. a) the production, which doesn't > zip or roar enough. With the exception of a couple of moments its a > bit polite. The instruments don't quite meld, aren't quite unified. > The frequencies are all a bit separate and 'well-positioned'. b) Too > many songs sound like Robyn solo numbers rather than songs written > with the Soft Boys in mind. I think a) and b) are also linked, in that > too often Robyn's solo stuff is 'well-produced' whereas SBs are > fuck-it-make-do-and-mend operations which bring the best out of this > slightly lop-sided and yet nevertheless, integrated outfit. I see your point about the production -- it's more kinda non-production, seemingly. I'm sure it took a lot of actual effort to make it seem so much like nothing's going on. you do miss the expressiveness (and pleasant weirdness) of bits like "when I was a kid" or the sharp attack of a tune like "destroy you" -- where the production adds another element to the playing and songwriting. there's something crystal clear, polished and _safe_ about a record recorded like this, but, at it's worst it merely fails to add something; I don't see an active distraction from my enjoyment of the other elements --- when the playing and songwriting are good, that is; as I've said, they aren't especially good on tunes like "cherite," for example -- I'm surprised you like that one so much. the more adventuresome tunes, "strings" especially, work better (perhaps these are the ones that, by force of musicianship alone, break through the plodding production for you?) I also understand what you say about being less turned on by the tunes that sound more like robyn's solo stuff -- it does seem significant that the two tunes credited to the whole band for music writing are my two favorite tracks. > In my view Nextdoorland is the third best Soft Boys album. But here > the Branscombe coefficient comes into play. The worst Soft Boys studio > album is one of the best of practically anyone else's. Only Guided By > Voices' new one is better this year IMHO. And maybe - whisper it > softly - Kimberley Rew's Great Central Revisited, which I think is > superb. yes, once the initial rush wore off I, too, was able to recognize that this is not the album of the year; as much as I love Robyn, I'm not blind to that. however, the album of the year -- hands down -- is Cornelius' "Point." (also on matador, as it happens). Also the live show of the decade, for what it's worth. I may be exaggerating there, but I'm not aware of doing so on purpose. it was that good. - -ed ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2002 08:27:28 -0400 From: Stewart Russell Subject: Re: Can of Bees tour dates Tom Clark wrote: > > Maybe that's the way it is in Canada. Here in the usa we have bees (honey, > wood, etc.), wasps, yellow jackets, hornets... aha! In the UK, bees are honey, bumble, or several types of solitary (red tails, mostly). Wasps are mostly yellow-and-black stripey things that get very fiesty in August. Wasps are also, but more rarely, wood wasps and ichneumons. Stewart ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V11 #280 ********************************