From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V16 #461 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Tuesday, January 22 2008 Volume 16 : Number 461 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Firesign Theater [Tom Clark ] Re: Like you're dying to know my top 10 for 2007... [Rex ] Re: Firesign Theater [Michael Sweeney ] Re: Firesign Theater [lep ] Re: reap [Michael Sweeney ] RE: reap ["Bachman, Michael" ] Re: Firesign Theater ["vivien lyon" ] Re: Firesign Theater [2fs ] Robyn's "Shadow Cat" CD available, and FOUR new t-shirts [gaseous clay ] RE: Band names ["Bachman, Michael" ] Re: reap [grutness@slingshot.co.nz] Re: Robyn's "Shadow Cat" CD available, and FOUR new t-shirts [Tom Clark <] Re: reap [grutness@slingshot.co.nz] RE: reap ["Bachman, Michael" ] RE: reap [kevin ] Re: reap [Jeff Dwarf ] RE: Firesign Theater ["michael wells" ] RE: Firesign Theater ["Marc Alberts" ] RE: reap [Michael Sweeney ] you say trilobyte, I say cows.... [Eleanore Adams ] Any chamberpop fans? [Steve Schiavo ] FAO UK fegs - spare tickets for Brighton ["Charlotte Tupman" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:29:40 -0800 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: Firesign Theater On Jan 20, 2008, at 6:17 PM, Stewart C. Russell wrote: > since this thread refuses to die ... > > Back when I worked for Renewable Energy Systems Ltd, our Glasgow > office received mail for > > Rene Wable > Rene Wable Energy Systems When I was going to college in northern Massachusetts I had to phone the local town offices for some reason, and presumably because of my NY accent the old woman on the line thought I had identified myself as the Town Clerk. Since then that has been the name of my fantasy sports teams. Go Clerks! - -tc p.s. And Giants! ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:10:32 -0800 From: Rex Subject: Re: Like you're dying to know my top 10 for 2007... On Jan 21, 2008 8:26 AM, Tom Clark wrote: > On Jan 20, 2008, at 11:52 PM, lep wrote: > > > Hi FegList, > > > > A bit late, I know, but here goes. In no particular order: > > > > 1. Sounds from True Stories by David Byrne > > 2. Sounds from True Stories by David Byrne > > 3. Sounds from True Stories by David Byrne > > 4. Sounds from True Stories by David Byrne > > 5. Sounds from True Stories by David Byrne > > 6. Sounds from True Stories by David Byrne > > 7. Sounds from True Stories by David Byrne > > 8. Sounds from True Stories by David Byrne > > 9. Sounds from True Stories by David Byrne > > 10. Sounds from True Stories by David Byrne > > > > Honorable Mention: > > Sounds from True Stories by David Byrne > > > > Oh, and I *really* tried to like Sounds from True Stories by David > > Byrne, but it sucked big time. > > *golf clap* > I hate to quibble, but Numbers 3 and 7 were released in 2006, and Number 9 is technically an EP. - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:12:39 -0800 From: Rex Subject: Re: Firesign Theater On Jan 21, 2008 7:50 AM, Christopher Gross wrote: > > At work I've seen more junk mail addressed to "Mr. George W. University" > and "Mr. Gelman Library" than I could count. "Library" is a kind of cool surname, actually. Wonder if it's common. - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:41:52 +0000 From: Michael Sweeney Subject: Re: Firesign Theater Rob wrote: >On 1/20/08, Stewart C. Russell wrote:>> ... or a family friend, Mr Sartin, who got mail for a Mr Sugar Tin, as>> he'd one given his name over the phone as "S, as in sugar, A, R, T, I, N".>>Reminds me of a friend of mine, Miss Dent, whose father's name is>Robert. When giving his name once he said 'R, for Robert, Dent' and he>now gets post addressed to Arthur Robert Dent. ...Glad to see all the jumpers on the Hitchhiker's reference...saved me from doing it at a day's remove... Michael "Took years for me to fully get the 'Ford Prefect' joke, since, of course, they don't have that car in the U.S. and I'd never heard of it before" Sweeney _________________________________________________________________ Need to know the score, the latest news, or you need your Hotmail.-get your "fix". http://www.msnmobilefix.com/Default.aspx ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:43:28 -0500 From: lep Subject: Re: Firesign Theater Chris explained: > At work I've seen more junk mail addressed to "Mr. George W. University" > and "Mr. Gelman Library" than I could count. That junk mail included more > than a few of those "you've been pre-approved" credit card offers. I > wonder if any office workers have ever been tempted into a life of > identity theft by an easy opportunity like that? once, santa's little helper got pre-approved. i think they had his first name as santos. xo p.s. is that also the episode where bart get the wonder-dog-in-a-crate delivered to him? if so, the irony of bart's using santa's little helper good credit to get the wonder dog has just now occurred to me. if not, never mind that last sentence. - -- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "People with opinions just go around bothering one another." - The Buddha ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:56:19 +0000 From: Michael Sweeney Subject: Re: reap Jeff Dwarf wrote: >Rex wrote:>> Weird record, the CVB "Tusk".>>The Fleetwood Mac one isn't exactly non-weird itself.... ...OK -- not that any of you are exactly disparaging it yet, but, forewarned: I'll take on anyone who trashes "Tusk." Sentimental and musical fave...and I'll defend it to my own utter ruination. Just sayin'... Michael "My best friend and I always referred to John Stewart as 'the amazing Johnny Stew' after the song about him on Lindsey's first solo record" Sweeney _________________________________________________________________ Shed those extra pounds with MSN and The Biggest Loser! http://biggestloser.msn.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:53:33 -0500 From: "Bachman, Michael" Subject: RE: reap - -----Original Message----- From: owner-fegmaniax@smoe.org [mailto:owner-fegmaniax@smoe.org] On Behalf Of Michael Sweeney Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 12:56 PM To: fegs Subject: Re: reap Jeff Dwarf wrote: >Rex wrote:>> Weird record, the CVB >>"Tusk". >TheFleetwood Mac one isn't exactly non-weird itself.... >...OK -- not that any of you are exactly disparaging it yet, but, forewarned: >I'll take on anyone who trashes "Tusk." Sentimental and musical fave...and I'll defend it to my own utter ruination. I've been meaning to get the remastered double disc version of "Tusk" that was released a couple of years ago for some time now. Michael B. NP The Bill Charlap Trio - Live At The Village Vanguard ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:59:18 -0800 From: "vivien lyon" Subject: Re: Firesign Theater On 1/21/08, lep wrote: > > > once, santa's little helper got pre-approved. i think they had his > first name as santos. Santos L. Holper. That used to crack me up. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:06:29 -0600 From: 2fs Subject: Re: Firesign Theater On 1/21/08, lep wrote: > > Chris explained: > > At work I've seen more junk mail addressed to "Mr. George W. University" > > and "Mr. Gelman Library" than I could count. That junk mail included > more > > than a few of those "you've been pre-approved" credit card offers. I > > wonder if any office workers have ever been tempted into a life of > > identity theft by an easy opportunity like that? > > once, santa's little helper got pre-approved. i think they had his > first name as santos. As good a time as any for this one: in college, a friend of mine in the same dorm and I decided it would be amusing to order a set of those pencils engraved with your name (aside: I'm not sure why anyone would really want 100 pencils with their name on it...). Of course, we didn't use our own names. We used "Swami Aiwana Fak'yamaddah." We were slightly surprised they actually got printed. I probably still have one somewhere. - -- ...Jeff Norman The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:53:13 -0500 From: gaseous clay Subject: Robyn's "Shadow Cat" CD available, and FOUR new t-shirts - ----- Forwarded message from The Museum of Robyn Hitchcock ----- Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:52:06 -0500 From: The Museum of Robyn Hitchcock Subject: Robyn's "Shadow Cat" CD available, and FOUR new t-shirts We have very limited quantities of Robyn's "Shadow Cat" CD available now on the website. There are also FOUR new t-shirt designs - these first appeared late last year during his tour, all are colorful drawings by Robyn. Order now at http://www.robynhitchcock.com - ----- End forwarded message ----- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:30:21 -0800 From: Rex Subject: Band names Okay, so I was at the Glendale Galleria yesterday (please don't ask) and passed by Hot Topic, where a sign proclaimed that next week you'd be able to meet the hot new band Bullet for My Valentine at their album release party. And I'm all, really? Bullet for My Valentine? Why not just call yourself The Jesus & Mary Chair? One can only assume that the poor Hot Topic kids will never know any better. Similar topic: Jeff N's year-end compilation feature a song by a band named Ringo Deathstarr. And there is already a fairly well known band called Deathray Davies. Surely we can come up with a third "insert the word 'Death" into a British Invasion musician's name for an hilarious pun" band name, right? I mean, Ron Deathwood won't cut it, but there's gotta be another one out there. - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:00:35 -0500 From: "Bachman, Michael" Subject: RE: Band names - -----Original Message----- From: owner-fegmaniax@smoe.org [mailto:owner-fegmaniax@smoe.org] On Behalf Of Rex Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 3:30 PM To: Squidmaniax! Subject: Band names Rex wrote: >Okay, so I was at the Glendale Galleria yesterday (please don't ask) and passed by Hot Topic, where a sign proclaimed that next week you'd be able to meet the hot new band Bullet for My Valentine at their album release party. And I'm all, really? Bullet for My Valentine? Why not just call yourself The Jesus & Mary Chair? One can only assume that the poor Hot Topic kids will never know any better. Other possibilities: Paledive Slow Saints Bullwinkle AR Abel Versehouse Curvedriver The Cathy Wheel The Robert Duvall's Michael B. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:37:50 +1300 From: grutness@slingshot.co.nz Subject: Re: reap >On Jan 20, 2008 3:29 PM, ><grutness@slingshot.co.nz> wrote: > > >ISTR I have an old copy of his "Bombs away dream babies" album >somewhere. The hit from it ("Gold") was clearly done during the same >sessions that saw some of Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" recorded - they >guested on each other's albums, and one of the FMac tracks is >basically "Gold part 2" ("Sisters of the moon", IIRC). It worries me >a little that I know that. > > >Don't worry, it's hard to miss if you've heard "Gold". Actually, >I've only ever heard Camper Van Beethoven's version of "Sisters of >the Moon", which, in a thread-merge, contains the words "this one >goes to 11", alongside a bunch of computerized Pynchon and Melville. > Weird record, the CVB "Tusk". The original FMac one is pretty weird in itself. Perhaps the only really interesting record they did post Peter Green et al. 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: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:47:51 -0800 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: Robyn's "Shadow Cat" CD available, and FOUR new t-shirts On Jan 21, 2008, at 11:53 AM, gaseous clay wrote: > ----- Forwarded message from The Museum of Robyn Hitchcock > ----- > > Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:52:06 -0500 > From: The Museum of Robyn Hitchcock > Subject: Robyn's "Shadow Cat" CD available, and FOUR new t-shirts > > We have very limited quantities of Robyn's "Shadow Cat" CD available > now on > the website. There are also FOUR new t-shirt designs - these first > appeared > late last year during his tour, all are colorful drawings by Robyn. > > Order now at http://www.robynhitchcock.com > > ----- End forwarded message ----- I just loaded up with Shadowcat, Obliteration Pie, and a banana shirt. But no men's Mummy shirts are available! The museum curator says they're just selling what they got leftover from the tour. - -tc ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:02:24 +1300 From: grutness@slingshot.co.nz Subject: Re: reap >Death has been far too present lately. > >Marc Ain't that the truth. In the last few months, for me there's been an ex-girlfriend, my aunt, Alice's aunt, the father of one of my best friends, Gnatalie, plus in the last week or so not one but two major NZ public figures (not only Sir Ed Hillary but also Hone Tuwhare, possbly the country's best known poet), and any number of othe people reported on the list. Reap-a-gogo. James, also freaking over the upcoming football game - different game, though (different football, in fact) - -- 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: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:04:34 -0500 From: "Bachman, Michael" Subject: RE: reap - -----Original Message----- From: owner-fegmaniax@smoe.org [mailto:owner-fegmaniax@smoe.org] On Behalf Of grutness@slingshot.co.nz Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 4:38 PM To: Rex Cc: fegmaniax@smoe.org Subject: Re: reap >On Jan 20, 2008 3:29 PM, ><grutness@slingshot.co.nz> wrote: > > >ISTR I have an old copy of his "Bombs away dream babies" album >somewhere. The hit from it ("Gold") was clearly done during the same >sessions that saw some of Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" recorded - they >guested on each other's albums, and one of the FMac tracks is basically >"Gold part 2" ("Sisters of the moon", IIRC). It worries me a little >that I know that. > > >Don't worry, it's hard to miss if you've heard "Gold". Actually, I've >only ever heard Camper Van Beethoven's version of "Sisters of the >Moon", which, in a thread-merge, contains the words "this one goes to >>11", alongside a bunch of computerized Pynchon and Melville. >> Weird record, the CVB "Tusk". >The original FMac one is pretty weird in itself. Perhaps the only really interesting record they did post Peter Green et >al. Kiln House from 1970 had some decent rocking cuts and is the last album with Jeremy Spencer. I still listen to it once a year. Future Games from 1971 was pretty tame and is the first one with Christine McVie as a full time member. Bare Trees from 1972 is a improvement over Future Games and is the last album with Danny Kirwin. The 1973-74 albums I never listen to anymore. I've heard enough of the 1975 eponymous album and Rumors to last a lifetime. Michael B. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:38:24 -0800 (GMT-08:00) From: kevin Subject: RE: reap >Kiln House from 1970 had some decent rocking cuts and is the last album >with Jeremy Spencer. I still listen to it once a year. Future Games from >1971 was pretty tame and is the first one with Christine McVie as a full >time member. Bare Trees from 1972 is a improvement over Future Games and >is the last album with Danny Kirwin. The 1973-74 albums I never listen >to anymore. I remember Thurston Moore mentioning Bare Trees as something he was fond of but since I've never paid attention to anything from the House of Mac post-Kiln House myeslf I've always wondered why... ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:43:07 -0800 (PST) From: Jeff Dwarf Subject: Re: reap Michael Sweeney wrote: > Jeff Dwarf wrote: >> Rex wrote: >>> Weird record, the CVB "Tusk". >> The Fleetwood Mac one isn't exactly non-weird itself.... > ...OK -- not that any of you are exactly disparaging it yet, but, > forewarned: I'll take on anyone who trashes "Tusk." Sentimental > and musical fave...and I'll defend it to my own utter ruination. > Just sayin'... Hey, it's the only Fleetwood Mac album I both having other than that double best of, so.... "I'm not tempted to write a song about George W. Bush. I couldn't figure out what sort of song I would write. That's the problem: I don't want to satirize George Bush and his puppeteers, I want to vaporize them." -- Tom Lehrer "The eyes are the groin of the head." -- Dwight Schrute . ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:50:37 -0800 From: "michael wells" Subject: RE: Firesign Theater > (it IS, it's TWOO!!) "I don't know about true, baby...you're sucking on my elbow." Michael P.s. a couple of weeks ago I sent away for a tourism guide to one our major Midwestern cities, and on the online form I inserted "ramma lama ding dong" between my wife's first and last names. It arrived a couple of days ago with that on the label. High comedy. At least we'll know who they sell the list to. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:08:04 -0800 From: "Marc Alberts" Subject: RE: Firesign Theater Vivien wrote: > On 1/21/08, lep wrote: > > > > > > once, santa's little helper got pre-approved. i think they had his > > first name as santos. > > > Santos L. Holper. That used to crack me up. Close, but it was actually "Santos L. Halper." Lep also wrote: > p.s. is that also the episode where bart get the wonder-dog-in-a-crate delivered to him? if so, the irony > of bart's using santa's little helper good credit to get the wonder dog has just now occurred to me. > if not, never mind that last sentence. You got the right episode. Of course, it's hard to figure that it was Santa's Little Helper's credit that bought the dog (incidentally, his name was "Laddie") unless you really believe SLH was really a "Butt Doctor" with an income of "whatever I finds, I keeps." Then again, I'm not sure the good folks at The Covet House catalogue would actually sell to such a low life as a butt doctor. Ah, I knew my many wasted hours invested in becoming a Simpsons geek would pay off one day. I just never realized it would pay so well.... Marc ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 02:40:27 +0000 From: Michael Sweeney Subject: RE: reap > Subject: RE: reap> Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:53:33 -0500> From: Michael.Bachman@fanucrobotics.com> To: m_l_sweeney@hotmail.com; fegmaniax@smoe.org> > > > -----Original Message-----> From: owner-fegmaniax@smoe.org [mailto:owner-fegmaniax@smoe.org] On> Behalf Of Michael Sweeney> Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 12:56 PM> To: fegs> Subject: Re: reap> > Jeff Dwarf wrote:> >Rex wrote:>> Weird record, the CVB > >>"Tusk".> >TheFleetwood Mac one isn't exactly non-weird itself....> >...OK -- not that any of you are exactly disparaging it yet, but,> forewarned:> >I'll take on anyone who trashes "Tusk." Sentimental and musical> fave...and I'll defend it to my own utter ruination. > > I've been meaning to get the remastered double disc version of "Tusk"> that was released a couple of years ago for some time now. > > Michael B. ...It isn't bad, but I'd have to say it's mostly for completists. All of the additional material is simply alternate versions (rehearsals, work takes) of what is already on the album. I've got bootlegs from that period that have PLENTY of different stuff, songs that later ended up on LB's or SN's or CM's solo records...plus band things that just never got released. But none if it is on there. So, interesting to freaks like me...but a bit too esoteric for most casual fans, I'd say... Michael "Would it be surprising to anyone to hear that Nicks had PLENTY of Buckingham-produced/arranged material from that period that just blows away the wan, girl-locked-in-her-room sort of stuff she released on her '80s solo records?" Sweeney _________________________________________________________________ Helping your favorite cause is as easy as instant messaging. You IM, we give. http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/Home/?source=text_hotmail_join ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:27:37 -0800 From: Eleanore Adams Subject: you say trilobyte, I say cows.... Cows are the new spaghetti monster: http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/Moo/ http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/Pork/ eleanore ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 08:56:14 -0600 From: Steve Schiavo Subject: Any chamberpop fans? - - Steve __________ I can't resist an anime that includes a small, cute, violence prone girl with a scythe. - John ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:59:26 +0000 From: "Charlotte Tupman" Subject: FAO UK fegs - spare tickets for Brighton I have two spare tickets for Robyn's Brighton show on Jan 30th - I was hoping to go to the show but am now unable to. If anyfeg would like them please contact me offlist. Charlotte ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:33:06 -0800 From: "Stacked Crooked" Subject: Jim Nabor's Peking Olympic? okay, is it just me, or did a LOT of this year's albums' last songs (and by extension the albums themselves) seem to end very abruptly? otherwise, another phenomenal year of rock and/or roll. hooray for rock and/or roll! as i did last year, i've uploaded my top fifty to the usenet. to find 'em, browse on over to binsearch.info (or some other usenet search facility), and execute a search for "rekkids". The New Pornographers - Challengers The New Pornographers - Live From The Future Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests ~ can't choose between 'em. possible tiebreaker: the live act. can't choose between *them*, either! other possible tiebreaker: the cover art. here, it's definitely josh. so, if i were absolutely posi-fucking-tively *required* to choose -- and without getting into records against common opponents (and crap like that) -- i'd probably have to go with josh. oh, wait, i thought of another tiebreaker: the bonus material. here, while josh's is quite good (c'mon, is "Labelship Down" the best song-title of the year, or what?), it's clearly the new pornos. so we're right back to square-one. and one day after i wrote the above words, *Live From The Future* arrived in my inbox, tipping the scales for once and for all -- even though it clocks in at a mind-bendingly parsimonious 47 minutes. Film-School - Hideout ~ yeah, it turns out that this-here best-o' list may not be wholly dissimilar to the olympic figure-skating results, in which sometimes the skater giving the best performance needs must, in deference to the established "names", settle for the bronze medal. i'm placing this record in third position...but it might actually be my favourite for the year 2007. Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts - Let's Just Be ~ similarly to what i proposed about gomez last year, i feel that joseph has a masterpiece in him. he's always been so immensely talented, and seems to be getting slightly better with each record. he's got it within him to produce something astonishing, methinks. this one isn't quite cohesive enough to be that; but it's damned fine in its own right. and "Spacemen" is possibly my favourite song since "The Opera House". Chuck Prophet - Soap And Water ~ for some time, i had misheard the lyric "you could make a doubter out of jesus". so, every time i'd listen to the song, and the schoolchildren's choir would come in singing (what i had thought was) "you could make a dollar out of jesus", *i* was in fucking heaven. hard, now, to believe that i'd been hearing it that way. but that's it: i had been! Beirut - The Flying Club Cup ~ i think i had posted earlier, saying that this isn't as good as *Gulag Orkestar*. and maybe it's not...but, damn, it's *good*. Boris and Doomriders - Long Hair And Tights Boris with Merzbow - Rock Dream ~ boris are fucking GOD. (parse that any way you want -- it's true in all interpretations.) Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II ~ uh, am i missing something, or was this just criminally overlooked in the year-end best-ofs? (is "ofs" really a word? i don't know that i've ever seen it before!) The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible ~ if this is a sophomore "slump", i can't wait to hear what they'll get up to next... Akron/Family - Love Is Simple ~ thanks much for the tip, michael! Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Baby 81 The Editors - An End Has A Start Two-Cow Garage - III Bright Eyes - Cassadaga ~ you may recall that, upon its release, i dissed this one fairly heartily. i was wrong to have done so. as brilliant as some songs on previous albums are, i don't think any of the records are consistently great (*The Story Is In The Soil* comes closest, i guess). this one is; and so is probably the best record to-date. Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band - Magic Bruce Springsteen & The Seeger-Sessions Band - Live In Dublin ~ lyrics to the former are perhaps a bit sappy at times; but otherwise this is pretty damned fantastic. these last two records have verily disabused me of my long-held presumption that his career had been more less played as-of a quarter-century ago. might've rated even higher were it not for the totally annoying practice, in the latter, of his fans' mooing out of his name after every song. the fuckers. Shantel - Disko Partizani ~ kind of a one-trick pony, i guess; but, damn, i think i'm addicted to it! it might be kind of a neat experiment to crank this up at the young-republicans' next convention (or at similar gatherings of the rhythmically challenged) -- i don't think even *they* could resist its siren call to get up on the dance floor! Alcest - Souvenirs D'Un Autre Monde Gerald Collier - How Can There Be Another Day? ~ the race for cover-song of the year comes down to, in my opinion, collier's "Rocket Man" and petra haden's "Don't Stop Believin'". slight edge to the former, i suppose. Okkervil River - The Stage-Names Puscifer - V Is For Vagina ~ it's very surprising to me that this is as good as it is! Rufus Wainwright - Release The Stars Great Northern - Trading Twilight For Daylight Sunset Rubdown - Random-Spirit Lover Cloud Cult - The Meaning Of 8 Grinderman - Grinderman Eluvium - Copia So-Called - Ghettoblaster Dinosaur, Jr. - Beyond The Scotland-Yard Gospel Choir - The Scotland-Yard Gospel Choir The Blakes - The Blakes Amiina - Kurr ~ either i'm getting old, or this album is fucking amazing. Buck 65 - Situation ~ is he the new beck? this isn't, in my opinion, as strong as *Secret House Against The World*, but it still keeps his career miles ahead of beck's right now. Jeremy Enigk - The Missing Link ~ much like last year's *World Waits*, it's great, but gets knocked down for being way too short. apparently, his next album is already in the can. motherfucker's on a roll! Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade The Thrills - Teenager ~ at first i hated this, but now, i am really quite digging it! not as good as the first record, but, still: yay, thrills! Wilco - Sky-Blue Sky ~ i have to say that i think it's their best album. not to be confused with being their best batch of songs, necessarily. although, funny thing about being an voracious live-wilco-downloader: they break the new songs in gradually; so that, before you know it, you know them all as though you've *always* known them all. so, when you do stoop to listening to a record, on the off chance that it's become not-boring, it's like, "oh, *that* song's on *this* album? huhn!" Jim White - Transnormal Switcheroo ~ i think it's his best album (however, his collaboration with nina nastasia does nothing for me). The Apples In Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder Joe Henry - Civilians A Fine Frenzy - One Cell In The Sea Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon ~ about two-thirds of this feels like ultimate wank. the other third, though, is gorgeous and heartbreaking and brilliant. if i come around on that two-thirds, this could be one of my favourites for the decade. Hella - There's No 666 In Outer-Space Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand Against Me! - New Wave Menomena - Friend And Foe ~ half-brilliant and half-pretty-good adds up to...eagerly anticipating the next release. The National - Boxer Glen Hansard - Once soundtrack ~ the music is great, of course. but the movie, as cinema, was (to my way of thinking) anything but. Po' Girl - Home To You Richard Thompson - Sweet Warrior ~ unfortunately, it's just too uneven to right more highly. Martin Atkins' China Dub Soundsystem - Made In China ~ thanks for the tip, michael! perhaps too much to take in one sitting, but this is really interesting. Bat For Lashes - Fur And Gold Eddie Vedder - Into The Wild soundtrack The Kings Of Leon - Because Of The Times Immaculate Machine - Fables Elvis Perkins - Ash-Wednesday ~ have you heard this, stewart? it's got saw on a few songs... The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Is Is ~ had to penalise it quite a lot for its only being an EP -- otherwise it'd be very near to the top spot. Ola Podrida - Ola Podrida Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank ~ you know, *Good News For People Who Love Bad News* is the only one i can profess to love unreservedly. Beatallica - Sgt. Hetfield's Motorbreath Pub Band ~ while it's no doubt far from perfect, it certainly offers a rousing good time. the instrumental jam closing "Ktulu (He's So Heavy)" and the lyrics to "Hey Dude" (go on, admit it: "So crank your amp and deal the pain / Hey, dude, you're insane / The rivers run red with the blood of poseurs" is a better couplet that the beatles themselves ever did write) are particularly inspired. Ghost-Stories - Quixoticism Sonic Youth - Live Daydream ~ recorded in '07, so it is eligible. alas, it's not nearly as good as it'd be had it been recorded twenty years ago. compromises...why do there always have to be compromises? The Cave Singers - Invitation Songs The Real Tuesday Weld - The London Book Of The Dead Interpol - Our Love To Admire Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter - Like, Love, Lust, And The Open Halls Of The Soul ~ i've definitely warmed up to it. i still, however, don't consider it to be in the same league as *Oh, My Girl* -- of course, few albums released this decade are in that league. Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals Mike Farris - Salvation In Lights Various Artists - I'm Not There soundtrack ~ love the lineup combinations...surprised robyn wasn't asked to contribute. i think my favourite is mark lanegan's "long black coat". Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist Sounds Under Radio - Cinematica Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Living With The Living ~ the live act is second to none. but much like wilco and radiohead, they're just not quite able to capture it in the studio (*Tyranny Of Distance* excepted). Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation ~ a bit uneven to be sure; but when it's great, it's very great. Iron And Wine - The Shepherd's Dog Brandi Carlile - The Story ~ well, she's definitely talented. may soon start living up to the potential -- this release is a step in the right direction. The Foo-Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience, And Grace ~ a horrible title. but it's their first decent album since the debut (which was one of my faves of the '90s). James Blunt - All The Lost Souls River-City Rebels - Keepsake Of Luck ~ suspect this one may be a grower. The Broken West - I Can't Go On, I'll Go On Panda-Bear - Person-Pitch Nicole Atkins - Neptune-City Smog - Woke On A Whale-Heart Intramural - This Is A Landslide Biffy Clyro - Puzzle Laura Veirs - Saltbreakers ~ not a big fan, to be honest. but this one has its moments. Jason Webley - The Cost Of Living ~ not his best effort, but a worthy change-of-pace nonetheless. Les Savy Fav - Let's Stay Friends Emma Pollock - Watch The Fireworks John Fogerty - Revival ~ while it's certainly agreeable enough, there's just nothing compelling here. the anti-bush songs in particular, while no doubt heartfealt, just seem forced. Rocky Votolato - The Brag And Cuss ~ definitely not his best work, but i do really love his voice. Leslie Feist - The Reminder Eleni Mandell - Miracle Of Five Radiohead - In Rainbows ~ this will win the *Village Voice* poll, of course. whatever. i've listened it twice, and have my doubts that i'll ever listen to it again. just like wilco, they should only ever release live albums. Clockcleaner - Babylon Rules Caribou - Andorra ~ a nice little record; but surely not deserving of all the praise that's being heaped upon it? The Pipettes - We Are The Pipettes ~ first two songs are SO amazingly bitchin' that i feel compelled to list this, even though the rest of the album is pretty boring. Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City Polly Jean Harvey - White Chalk Imperial Teen - The Hair, The TV, The Baby, And The Band Ben Lee - Ripe Mammatus - The Coast Explodes Northern State - Can I Borrow This Pen? The Puppini Sisters - The Rise And Fall Of Ruby Woo ~ while i like them all well enough to not delete them from ye olde harde drivee, these are just major, major disappointments for me. i would, if pressed, allow that the ben lee is the least disappointing of the lot; and, further, that the puppini sisters' and mammatus' malaise may, indeed, be attributed to that most inimical scourge of mankind, the dreaded "sophomore slump". this kinda mirrors last year; when, despite a bang-up year generally, many of my most-favourite bankable artists turned in clunkers. KEN "We all go to Heaven in a little rowboat" THE KENSTER ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V16 #461 ********************************