From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V15 #226 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Wednesday, September 27 2006 Volume 15 : Number 226 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: 75 bands [grutness@slingshot.co.nz] Re: ooo! ["Stewart C. Russell" ] Re: ooo! [2fs ] pre-order [wojbearpig ] upcoming radio appearances [wojbearpig ] Re: pre-order [FSThomas ] Re: pre-order ["Spotted Eagle Ray" ] RH last ten year output ["Brian Nupp" ] RE: pre-order ["Bachman, Michael" ] Re: RH last ten year output ["Spotted Eagle Ray" ] Re: ooo! ["Spotted Eagle Ray" ] Re: ooo! [Eb ] Re: ooo! ["Spotted Eagle Ray" ] Detroit Soft Boys 2001 ["Brian Nupp" ] what a strange newsday ["Michael Wells" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 18:01:09 +1200 From: grutness@slingshot.co.nz Subject: Re: 75 bands >Apparently this isn't new, so maybe you've already seen it, but I think >it's cool: > > cute. I managed to get about 21... anyone got the full list of all the bands being alluded to? James - -- James Dignan, Dunedin, New Zealand -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.-=-.- =-.-=-.-=-.- You talk to me as if from a distance .-=-.-=-.-=-. -=-. And I reply with impressions chosen from another time .-=- .-=-.-=-.-=-.-=- (Brian Eno - "By this River") -.-=-.-=-.-=-.-= ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 08:06:08 -0400 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: Re: ooo! grutness@slingshot.co.nz wrote: > > no-one's mentioned the Handsome family here? I thought we had? Anyway, a fine band. cheers, Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 09:40:07 -0500 From: 2fs Subject: Re: ooo! On 9/26/06, Stewart C. Russell wrote: > > grutness@slingshot.co.nz wrote: > > > > no-one's mentioned the Handsome family here? > > I thought we had? Anyway, a fine band. Thirded. I call dibs on Rennie Sparks if Brett kicks the bucket. - -- ...Jeff Norman The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 11:21:54 -0400 From: wojbearpig Subject: pre-order still no sign of ole tarantula in my mailbox yet ... and i suspect i know why: i pre-ordered the vinyl too. has anyone who pre-ordered the vinyl in addition to or instead of the compact disc gotten it yet? woj ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 11:27:59 -0400 From: wojbearpig Subject: upcoming radio appearances from the auditorium : Robyn on the Radio BBC6 Wednesday, September 27 at 11:40 am (UK time) http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/gideon_coe The Glass Shrimp on Resonance FM Wednesday, December 13 at 5.30 pm (UK time) http://glassshrimp.blogspot.com +w ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 11:38:46 -0400 From: FSThomas Subject: Re: pre-order wojbearpig wrote: > still no sign of ole tarantula in my mailbox yet ... and i suspect i > know why: i pre-ordered the vinyl too. has anyone who pre-ordered the > vinyl in addition to or instead of the compact disc gotten it yet? No vinyl here (nor a way to play it even if I had any), but my copy showed up in yesterday's mail. On the first listen it's brilliant. - -f. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 09:22:31 -0700 From: "Spotted Eagle Ray" Subject: Re: pre-order On 9/26/06, FSThomas wrote: > > No vinyl here (nor a way to play it even if I had any), but my copy > showed up in yesterday's mail. > > On the first listen it's brilliant. Someone (I forget who) in the recent flurry of posts said that the whole key to its quality is the fact that it's a band record. I *so* don't want to believe that... it's too easy, and his last great record by my reckoning was ME, which was not a band record... but I guess the facts on the ground speak for themselves. I'm re-evaluating a lot of recent-ish Robyn... I don't think he ever really stopped writing good songs, but somehow the right crop never quite arrived at the right time for the right project (although Spooked was close, it had some filler). The clearest example of that for me is "If You Know Time", which came out of the Soft Boys reunion and ended up acoustic on Spooked, but there were also those innumerable projects that came out as two separate records that would've been great of trimmed and resequenced, or the not-quite official album-length things that combined throwaways with remixes with songs that were better than much of the contemporaneous real album (and here I even include the SB's reunion, with Side Three). I never much cared for the Jon Brion production style when applied to Robyn (Brion's live contributions are another story altogether) and the acoustic output was a little samier-sounding than on the really great unplugged records of yore. So we've got a little over a decade of scattered gems that defy albumization... some incredible songs whose albums I rarely if ever feel like listening to end to end. This one buries 'em all, and yeah, it's with a band. So. Maybe that is it after all. I mean, not entirely. I think OT is better than quite a few Egyptians records... not in terms of musicianship, of course, but as a set of great songs delivered passionately, it's way up there. Sounds pretty good in the production department, too. - -SER ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 12:53:29 -0400 From: "Brian Nupp" Subject: RH last ten year output >I'm re-evaluating a lot of recent-ish Robyn... I don't think he ever >really >stopped writing good songs, but somehow the right crop never quite >arrived >at the right time for the right project (although Spooked was close, >it had >some filler). The clearest example of that for me is "If You Know >Time", >which came out of the Soft Boys reunion and ended up acoustic on >Spooked, >but there were also those innumerable projects that came out as two >separate >records that would've been great of trimmed and resequenced, or the >not-quite official album-length things that combined throwaways with >remixes >with songs that were better than much of the contemporaneous real >album (and >here I even include the SB's reunion, with Side Three). I never much >cared >for the Jon Brion production style when applied to Robyn (Brion's >live >contributions are another story altogether) and the acoustic output >was a >little samier-sounding than on the really great unplugged records of >yore. >So we've got a little over a decade of scattered gems that defy >albumization... some incredible songs whose albums I rarely if ever >feel >like listening to end to end. This one buries 'em all, and yeah, >it's with >a band. So. Maybe that is it after all. > >I mean, not entirely. I think OT is better than quite a few >Egyptians >records... not in terms of musicianship, of course, but as a set of >great >songs delivered passionately, it's way up there. Sounds pretty good >in the >production department, too. Very well put Rex. So what would be a good mix of all those scattered songs... I mean if you were to put 13 songs together and release them as an album. I feel this is a good time to re-mention one of RH's best songs remains unreleased IMO, that being Surfer Ghost. I feel the 2001 SBs output was strong. Most of us agreed some of the gems from Side 3 should've been included on NDL and some of the weaker NDL songs should've been left off... It recently occured to me that Om may have come from Strings or vice-versa. Anyone know or notice this? - -Nuppy ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 12:55:58 -0400 From: "Bachman, Michael" Subject: RE: pre-order SER: >I mean, not entirely. I think OT is better than quite a few Egyptians >records... not in terms of musicianship, of course, but as a set of great >songs delivered passionately, it's way up there. Sounds pretty good in the >production department, too. I agree. A Top 10 snapshot as of today would be: 1. Underwater Moonlight 2. I Often Dream Of Trains 3. Element of Light 4. Eye 5. Black Snake Diamond Role 6. Invisible Hitchcock 7. Moss Elixir 8. Fegmania! (First Robyn for me, so it's got sentimental value) 9. Ole Tarantula 10. Globe of Frogs Michael B. NP The Church - hologram of baal ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 11:06:11 -0700 From: "Spotted Eagle Ray" Subject: Re: RH last ten year output On 9/26/06, Brian Nupp wrote: > > >I'm re-evaluating a lot of recent-ish Robyn... I don't think he ever > >really > >stopped writing good songs, but somehow the right crop never quite > >arrived > >at the right time for the right project (although Spooked was close, > >it had > >some filler). The clearest example of that for me is "If You Know > >Time", > >which came out of the Soft Boys reunion and ended up acoustic on > >Spooked, > >but there were also those innumerable projects that came out as two > >separate > >records that would've been great of trimmed and resequenced, or the > >not-quite official album-length things that combined throwaways with > >remixes > >with songs that were better than much of the contemporaneous real > >album (and > >here I even include the SB's reunion, with Side Three). I never much > >cared > >for the Jon Brion production style when applied to Robyn (Brion's > >live > >contributions are another story altogether) and the acoustic output > >was a > >little samier-sounding than on the really great unplugged records of > >yore. > >So we've got a little over a decade of scattered gems that defy > >albumization... some incredible songs whose albums I rarely if ever > >feel > >like listening to end to end. This one buries 'em all, and yeah, > >it's with > >a band. So. Maybe that is it after all. > > > >I mean, not entirely. I think OT is better than quite a few > >Egyptians > >records... not in terms of musicianship, of course, but as a set of > >great > >songs delivered passionately, it's way up there. Sounds pretty good > >in the > >production department, too. > > Very well put Rex. So what would be a good mix of all those scattered > songs... I mean if you were to put 13 songs together and release them > as an album. Good question... the wildly varying production sounds make it a little tricky, too, and I tend to put Spooked outside of the "inconsistent era" because it's pretty damned good and definitely its own entity, but I'll include it in my 13. Losing the Soft Boys reunion cuts out some of the best stuff, but I'll roll with that. So how about: Mexican God Antwoman I Saw Nick Drake Philospher's Stone 1974 Visions of Johanna (Studio Version) You Remind Me of You Keep Finding Me Why Would Anybody Live Here? (with the Sadies) If You Know Time Everybody Needs Love Creeped Out Full Moon in My Soul Again, my instinct is to dump the Spooked material because it's good on its own, as it is and would allow for more rarities. And I partly want to even dip back to Storefront for "Where Do You Go When You Die", or even Mossy Liquor (but not ME) for the lesser-heard stuff there. See, it's just a mess to sort this stuff out. Maybe it should properly be two albums, one acoustic (-ish) and one with the various band formations, including the Soft Boys? > It recently occured to me > that Om may have come from Strings or vice-versa. Anyone know or > notice this? They're like yin and yang, major and minor: "The white light is your friend" vs. "I wish that I was just paranoid". - -SER ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 11:38:00 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: ooo! > I've just been listening to an album that rates a solid ooo! How > come no-one's mentioned the Handsome family here? Pure C&W > Americana but with the most bizarre twists in the lyrics, which > somewhere between Tom Waits and David Thomas. > > If you can cope with steel guitars and autoharp-accompanied songs > about Nikola Tesla and drunkenly vandalising gold courses, then > this is for you. I've probably said before that the Handsome Family is among my very favorite Bands That I Don't Like. ;) Fantastic lyrics, but the computer-recorded music is way too antiseptic and their melodies are generally formulaic toss-offs. For me, a great example of good lyrics/ weak music, which is a lot less common than the opposite. Some other recent "no" votes: Laura Nyro-Eli & the Thirteenth Confession...I respect it, but must decline. At least four years before its time, as far as anticipating the Carole King era. She's inventive almost to a fault -- the songs often seem rushed and ALWAYS are too full of ideas, as if she has so much creativity bursting to get out that she can't control its flow. I definitely hear the originality and greatness, but not for me. Not crazy about the "studio production" sound either, but that's just my own hang-up. Roman Candle-The Wee Hours Revue...OK alt-countryish stuff, but too mainstream for me. Those comfortably vintage Wallflowers keyboards lurking around the corners, etc. Also, over-singing. The Pernice Brothers-Discover a Lovelier You..strangely British- sounding record, and that's a minus for me. Too lushly produced, and too much gently flowing jingle-jangle without any edges to chew on. And...still a dull singer. Mew-And the Glass Handed Kites...modern shoegaze, an extremely well- produced and put together disc. But...the guy's melodies suck the big fatty. Hopeless. Joseph Arthur-Nuclear Daydream...can't say much here beyond "ehh." :) Just not distinctive enough. Derek Bailey-Pieces for Guitar...OK, I don't say this too often, but this stuff is just too weird for me. I need a little more structure. Elton John-The Captain and the Kid...boy, Elton's voice is really showing wear and tear now. Much more gravelly, and in a much lower, less taxing range. Yatha Sidhra-A Meditation Mass...an extended piece of one-chord proggy-groove stuff, but nowhere near as interesting as Can. Jaco Pastorius-Jaco Pastorius, Word of Mouth, The Birthday Concert, Invitation Magnolia Electric Co.-Fading Trails Darkel-Darkel Strays Don't Sleep-Strays Don't Sleep Feathers-Feathers Peaches-Impeach My Bush Ima Robot-both albums Japan-Gentlemen Take Polaroids, Quiet Life, Oil on Canvas David Gilmour-David Gilmour (though two tracks were good) Gene Clark-Firebyrd, No Rebellious Lover Cosmic Rough Riders-Stars Look Different from Down Here Love Is All-Nine Times the Same Song Supersilent-6 Eb ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 14:04:11 -0700 From: "Spotted Eagle Ray" Subject: Re: ooo! On 9/26/06, Eb wrote: > > I've probably said before that the Handsome Family is among my very > favorite Bands That I Don't Like. ;) Fantastic lyrics, but the > computer-recorded music is way too antiseptic and their melodies are > generally formulaic toss-offs. For me, a great example of good lyrics/ > weak music, which is a lot less common than the opposite. For me, it's Steven Merritt (spelling approx). His musical settings seem faceless and I don't enjoy his voice. Which is a real obstacle in the path of my wanting to listen to his supposedly great lyrics (although, to be honest, what I have heard strikes me as a little to clever-cutesy-crafty-novelty for my tastes anyhow). Gene Clark-Firebyrd, No Rebellious Lover Is the latter the Carlo Olson duets record? Yeah, FireByrd is depressingly subpar. Cosmic Rough Riders-Stars Look Different from Down Here I thought I might like this band when they first came out, but they turned out to be an odd mixture of generic jangle and embarrassing yet apparently earnest hippyisms. I gather they canned their singer at some point but have apparently remained meh, based on a radio session I heard circa their second album. - -SER ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 14:27:20 -0700 From: Eb Subject: Re: ooo! >> I've probably said before that the Handsome Family is among my very >> favorite Bands That I Don't Like. ;) Fantastic lyrics, but the >> computer-recorded music is way too antiseptic and their melodies are >> generally formulaic toss-offs. For me, a great example of good >> lyrics/ >> weak music, which is a lot less common than the opposite. > > For me, it's Steven Merritt (spelling approx). Yes, I'd say the Magnetic Fields are another standout example. And the all-time for me is...Leonard Cohen. I also freshly have a couple of Jens Lekman albums, and while I haven't made up my mind yet about them, I'm leaning toward this verdict on him as well. > Gene Clark-Firebyrd, No Rebellious Lover > > Is the latter the Carlo Olson duets record? Yassir. Too much country, too much Carla and too much of a sense of "session guys, getting the job done" in the instrumental backing. And for our next category, we have CDs You Own But Didn't Realize Were So Coveted: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000000IM5 Eb ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 15:41:55 -0700 From: "Spotted Eagle Ray" Subject: Re: ooo! On 9/26/06, Eb wrote: > > >> I've probably said before that the Handsome Family is among my very > >> favorite Bands That I Don't Like. ;) Fantastic lyrics, but the > >> computer-recorded music is way too antiseptic and their melodies are > >> generally formulaic toss-offs. For me, a great example of good > >> lyrics/ > >> weak music, which is a lot less common than the opposite. > > > > For me, it's Steven Merritt (spelling approx). > > Yes, I'd say the Magnetic Fields are another standout example. And > the all-time for me is...Leonard Cohen. I can see why, but I'm okay with him. The recently-mentioned Joni Mitchell is one I struggle with at times (not always)... > > And for our next category, we have CDs You Own But Didn't Realize > Were So Coveted: > http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000000IM5 I knew about that one because it took forever for me to find one. The ones that went out of print without my notice and skyrocketed in price were the Feelies records, especially Crazy Rhythms... I burned copies of that one for at least two friends who never got it on CD when I saw what they were going for a few years back. - -SER ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2006 01:12:17 -0400 From: "Brian Nupp" Subject: Detroit Soft Boys 2001 I just found these 2 opening tracks to the 2001 show... proving it's been too long since RH came to Detroit: http://www.mytempdir.com/954193 http://www.mytempdir.com/954197 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2006 16:45:18 -0500 From: "Michael Wells" Subject: what a strange newsday Skimming the headlines, I thought at first that a guy who impersonated the writer of "Polka Dot Bikini" had tried to murder Terrell Owens. And then there's the big p.r. push to make Condi Rice look human, and Bill Clinton claiming to be Anna Nicole Smith's baby's father. It's a strange world out there. On the bright side, my ticket order for the Toronto show was conducted in Canadian funds - which meant getting screwed by TicketBastard only hurt about 80% as much as usual. Good times. And on the sometimes-Robyn-sings-it-too front, last Friday I got to hear Leo Kottke sing "Desolation Row." All one hundred and eleven verses of it. I'm still scratching my head over the choice; here's a guy who does not claim to be a good singer, yet picks one of the slowest and wordiest songs around (not to mention eats up twelve minutes of time that could have been used for more primo guitar flash). The rest of the show was great, but that was indeed a puzzler. Off to watch our boys try to bring home the US Open Cup, and hurl invective at the L.A. 'keeper (more fun than it sounds). Michael ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V15 #226 ********************************