From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V15 #23 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Thursday, January 26 2006 Volume 15 : Number 023 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Where oh where has my Fiona gone? [2fs ] Re: Lolita Nation ["Gene Hopstetter, Jr." ] Re: Audities 2005 Top 20 Poll Final Results [Capuchin ] Re: Audities 2005 Top 20 Poll Final Results [Eb ] robyn + minus 5 on bbc radio 3 [wojizzle forizzle ] Robyn at Scala London 25/01/06 [wojizzle forizzle ] RE: Robyn at Scala London 25/01/06 [Matthijs van Geldere ] Colin Meloy/Laura Veirs live webcast [Roberta Cowan ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 20:03:54 -0600 From: 2fs Subject: Re: Where oh where has my Fiona gone? On 1/25/06, The Great Quail wrote: > > I gotta say, the prerelease version of her record is way better than the > > one Sony released. > > Man -- where can I download it? I have looked everywhere! Is there a single > Web site or something, perhaps run by a crazy Fiona Apple pirate, who exists > solely to offer the Brionized version of the CD to curious onseekers? I'm pretty sure I said this earlier, but - I suspect the Brion mixes will show up in six months to a year on a "special bonus double-disc reissue" of the CD or something - similar reissues have happened with a couple of CDs over the past few years, and this one seems ripe for it, given all the publicity. - -- ...Jeff Norman The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 20:17:10 -0600 From: "Gene Hopstetter, Jr." Subject: Re: Lolita Nation > Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 12:53:44 -0800 > From: Eb > >> I wonder if that Scott Miller on Enigma LP I have is worth anything. > > Huh? What's that? It's actually Game Theory's "Real Nighttime" LP (Rational Records, dist. by Enigma Europe). I thought it was a Scott Miller album cause he's on the cover. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 18:15:35 -0800 (PST) From: Capuchin Subject: Re: Audities 2005 Top 20 Poll Final Results On Wed, 25 Jan 2006, Lauren Elizabeth (gmail) wrote: > Capuchin says: >> Did anyone else think they kind of dumbed down the release? > > Personally, I can't really justify listening to the official release > over the Jon Brion version. That's exactly what's transpired at my house. Nobody puts on the official one (which is right next to the prerelease in our music directory and on our iPods). [By the bye, we've almost entirely eliminated CDs in the house thanks to a solid file server, the magic of the modified XBox as multimedia machine, and a couple of well-placed iPod docks.] > The thing I most notice on the Sony release is that Ms. Apple sounds > bored of singing her own songs. It's a darn shame. Are they all different vocal cuts? I thought some of them were the same take, but with different production. The songs sure are a lot less interesting, though, so maybe that's the source of the boredom. Blah blah blah. > I read a few articles and interviews about the official release and why > the songs were redone, but none of them made any sense to me. I'm > cynical - the only thing that makes sense to me is that sales would be > higher if the songs were different. I don't think the thing would have > even been released if the weekly city papers weren't calling it "the > best album you've never heard" and what-not. I don't think that's a particularly cynical view. The only other thing I might insert is that they had to make big changes in order to justify their shelving of the thing in the first place. If they'd released the good version only after all the fuss, they would have had to admit that their system does not optimally provide music "content" to "consumers". Personally, I think the Fiona Apple thing was brilliant because it introduced people to bittorrent who would not have otherwise made the efforts necessary. I've consistently held that the true end of the recording industry will come the day after a genuine popular hit comes down the pike outside their channels. If Sony hadn't done what they did, Extraordinary Machine very well could have been that death knell. J. - -- _______________________________________________ Capuchin capuchin@bitmine.net Jeme A Brelin _______________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 18:17:32 -0800 (PST) From: Capuchin Subject: Re: Where oh where has my Fiona gone? On Wed, 25 Jan 2006, The Great Quail wrote: >> I gotta say, the prerelease version of her record is way better than >> the one Sony released. > > Man -- where can I download it? I have looked everywhere! Is there a > single Web site or something, perhaps run by a crazy Fiona Apple pirate, > who exists solely to offer the Brionized version of the CD to curious > onseekers? I may try to put a torrent together this weekend. We can then open it to a couple of folks who have good solid connections and then share it with the world after it's well-seeded. Any volunteers? Preferably with a private tracker? J. - -- _______________________________________________ Capuchin capuchin@bitmine.net Jeme A Brelin _______________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 19:25:34 -0800 From: Eb Subject: Re: Audities 2005 Top 20 Poll Final Results Lauren Elizabeth (gmail) wrote: > The thing I most notice on the Sony > release is that Ms. Apple sounds bored of singing her own songs. That has been my dominant complaint about Fiona Apple, since day#1. Eb ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 10:01:20 -0500 From: wojizzle forizzle Subject: robyn + minus 5 on bbc radio 3 while there isn't anything about this on the bbc website yet, word is that last night's scala gig was recorded by the bbc for broadcast on andy kershaw's program on radio 3. apparently, when prompted by andy from the audience last night, robyn announced that it would be aired on sunday, february 5th and that opener eighteenth day of may's set, the sunday after that. woj ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 11:05:28 -0500 From: wojizzle forizzle Subject: Robyn at Scala London 25/01/06 forwarded with persimmon! - ----- Forwarded message from John Anderson ----- From: "John Anderson" To: Subject: Robyn at Scala London 25/01/06 Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 09:55:06 -0000 Woj I notice the site's been down for a year or so now so I don't know if you're still interested in reviews of Robyn's London gigs. But you might like to know about last night's show at the Scala (normally a cinema) opposite King's Cross station in central London. It was billed as Robyn Hitchcock and the Minus Five and the band was Scott McCaughey (bass), Bill Rieflin (drums), Peter Buck (guitar) and Morris Windsor (percussion/backing vocals). The set mostly comprised Robyn's songs including one I'd never heard before called "Underground Sun." If memory serves, he also did (in no particular order): If You Were a Priest, Madonna of the Wasps, Birdshead, Creeped Out, Television, Driving Aloud, Queen of Eyes, When I Was a Kid, Somewhere Apart, Flesh Number One (first time I've heard this live), Acid Bird, Bells of Rhymney (Robyn and Peter Buck on double Rickenbackers), Beautiful Queen, Chinese Bones, Sally Was a Legend, A Man's Got to Know His Limitations Briggs (his best recent song I reckon) and Give It To the Soft Boys (!?!?!?!?). There was also a country style song which may have been a cover or a Young Fresh Fellows/Minus Five number I'm not sure and a Scott McCaughey ditty called "Aw Shit Man". Peter Buck was very low key on rhythm guitar but seemed to enjoy the intimate atmosphere, given the enormo-domes he usually performs at with REM. Ten minutes after the gig he was in the foyer chatting to fans and signing autographs. Robyn mentioned he may be doing some "Medecin Sans Frontieres" gigs in the Spring. Hope you are well. John. - ----- End forwarded message ----- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 17:07:12 +0000 From: Matthijs van Geldere Subject: RE: Robyn at Scala London 25/01/06 The London gig was really great. Will post setlist here asap, but the two songs that were referred to in the previous post are 'Coffee Cigarettes and Booze' and 'Aw Shit Man', both from the new Minus 5 CD. Robyn and the Minus 5 kindly gave me permission to record the shows from the soundboard, so do expect recordings soon. So far, the Brighton gig was my favourite, great venue, excellent sound and the end with Listening To The Higsons with Peter Buck on drums was the perfect end to a great evening. I will have to miss tonight's show unfortunately, but will be there tomorrow in Exeter, my last one this tour though....... Will post here once the recordings are available online as a Bit Torrent. Cheers Matthijs ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 10:08:34 -0800 From: Spotted Eagle Ray Subject: Re: Audities 2005 Top 20 Poll Final Results On 1/25/06, Eb wrote: > > Lauren Elizabeth (gmail) wrote: > > The thing I most notice on the Sony > > release is that Ms. Apple sounds bored of singing her own songs. > > That has been my dominant complaint about Fiona Apple, since day#1. Mine has been similar: I sound bored with her singing her own songs. Although I am even more bored with her singing other peoples's songs... Fiona, what "Across The Universe" does NOT need is to be slowed down and sung on qualudes. Maybe I'm being unfair... she's just one of those "astonishing talents" that didn't grab me at first and has proceeded to make career moves that only irritate me more. Okay, I'll try to be upbeat for the rest of the day, and here's a start... I've just found out that a song that I've been enjoying is actually by Belle & Sebastian, so maybe that's an area in which I can Abate The Hate. Love, Rx ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 15:02:51 -0500 From: "Bachman, Michael" Subject: RE: Audities 2005 Top 20 Poll Final Results On 1/25/06, Eb wrote: > > Lauren Elizabeth (gmail) wrote: > > >The thing I most notice on the Sony > > >release is that Ms. Apple sounds bored of singing her own songs. > > >That has been my dominant complaint about Fiona Apple, since day#1. Rex: >Mine has been similar: I sound bored with her singing her own songs. >Although I am even more bored with her singing other peoples's songs... >Fiona, what "Across The Universe" does NOT need is to be slowed down and >sung on qualudes. I always thought that The Cowboy Junkies did the 'slowed down and sung on Quaaludes' bit pretty effectively. However, what worked for them on "Sweet Jane" might not have worked as well as had they done "Across The Universe". I'm glad they didn't do it just as well. Michael B. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 12:13:57 -0800 From: Spotted Eagle Ray Subject: Re: Audities 2005 Top 20 Poll Final Results On 1/26/06, Bachman, Michael > I always thought that The Cowboy Junkies did the 'slowed down and sung on > Quaaludes' > bit pretty effectively. However, what worked for them on "Sweet Jane" > might not > have worked as well as had they done "Across The Universe". A friend of mine once said that slowed-down covers never work. I sorta scoffed at the time, but since then I've noticed that it's usually true. That version of Sweet Jane is a notable exception, and I think it often works when an artist slows down his or her own composition, but the slowest tracks on tribute albums tend to be the clunkers. I'll entertain counterexamples, since I resisted this idea myself at first... - -Rex PS: yeah, I realize that, often as not, tribute albums are clunkers as a whole. PPS what's up with the ever-swelling number of string quartet an "bluegrass" instrumental tribute albums to increasingly obscure artists? It almost seems like the labels cranking these things out might as well offer custom tribute records for individual ordering and consumption. "Pickin' On Mercury Rev"? ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 14:25:08 -0600 From: "Michael Wells" Subject: RE: Robyn at Scala London 25/01/06 Matthijs: > The London gig was really great. Will post setlist here asap, but the two > songs that were referred to in the previous post are 'Coffee Cigarettes > and Booze' and 'Aw Shit Man', both from the new Minus 5 CD. That new CD sounds promising...and if I'm getting some of the titles right, Scott has been previewing some of this material since at least the John Wesley Harding/Scott/Dag Juhlin "All Male Threesome" tour. > Robyn and the Minus 5 kindly gave me permission to record the shows from > the soundboard, so do expect recordings soon. Er...is this a change in policy, he asks hopefully? I know Scott's way cool with board access, but Robyn has been tetchy in the past. Is it because of a combo show and not a solo gig? Humph. Michael n.p. MELL OF A HESS - Jamie Stillway ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 14:40:21 -0600 From: "Michael Wells" Subject: RE: Audities 2005 Top 20 Poll Final Results Rex re: slow covers > I'll entertain counterexamples, since I resisted this idea myself at first... I've heard a number of Dylan covers that sound better both ways; first to mind is Chris Smither covering 'Desolation Row' and 'What Was it You Wanted' noticeably slower than the original versions, and they sound spankin' great (he can do the former at a positively leaden pace, and it just picks up depth). Plus I know a couple Townes van Zandt songs have been covered this way, to good effect. In both examples I wonder if it has to do with the quality of the lyric being able to hold up to different treatments, or just the person doing the slow version knows what they're doing. Michael ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 12:52:36 -0800 From: "Lauren Elizabeth (gmail)" Subject: Re: Audities 2005 Top 20 Poll Final Results Capuchin says: > Are they all different vocal cuts? I thought some of them were the same > take, but with different production. I'm here with dueling instances of Winamp and a headache. I've listened to most of the cuts and I'm really surprised that most of the vocal tracks do sound like the same take. Even the ones that sound different (so far "O'Sailor", "Please, Please, Please" and maybe "Oh, Well") sound much less different than I would have guessed before my (er) in-depth analysis. So I stand corrected. Which says something about perception, my attention to detail, or Jon Brion's production. xo Lauren - -- - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "People with opinions just go around bothering one another." - The Buddha ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 16:56:54 -0500 (EST) From: Jill Brand Subject: Tarkio Quail, thanks for the Colin Meloy article. I think he's 31, but I guess that isn't all that important. Anyway, he played here last night, and the show was quite good, but I was a bit disappointed because he played Clementine, Everything I Try to Do..., The Apology Song, and Shiny (or at least one of them) at the other shows, but he didn't play ANY of them last night (Shiny is my all time favorite Decemberists song). He did play Tristan and Iseult (a Tarkio tune), so that was cool. Anyway, yeah (Eb? were you curious?), the Tarkio re-release came out two days ago. I think I have all those songs, but I'll be interested to see if the versions are the same. Some of Tarkio's stuff is great, some of it is just OK. Now Cricket, there's a band. That was Colin's high school group. They took themselves very seriously. Jill ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 17:23:48 -0500 From: Roberta Cowan Subject: Colin Meloy/Laura Veirs live webcast Hey kids, thought you'd like to know that NPR's All Songs Considered is webcasting the Colin Meloy/Laura Veirs show, live from the Birchmere, this Saturday 1/28. I've heard several of their webcasts and they do a great job with them. Also occasionally, if the artist gives permission, the shows are available afterwards to download in MP3 format. There's always a streamable archive. Enjoy! Roberta ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 21:08:50 -0600 From: Steve Schiavo Subject: Pom Poko in 5 minutes Pom Poko is on Turner Classic Movies in about 5 minutes, at 15 minutes after the hour. It's worth watching just for the "transformation parade". This is a Takahata, rather than Miyazaki film. - - Steve __________ Bush's [domestic] political successes all have three main elements in common....The first is massive partisan discipline.... Element No. 2 is massive giveaways to well-organized lobbies.... The third element is - how should I put it? - lying. - Jonathan Chait ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V15 #23 *******************************