From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org (fegmaniax-digest) To: fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Subject: fegmaniax-digest V19 #6 Reply-To: fegmaniax@smoe.org Sender: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk fegmaniax-digest Thursday, January 27 2011 Volume 19 : Number 006 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: WTF? [Jeremy Osner ] Re: WTF? [Rex Broome ] Re: WTF? [m swedene ] Re: WTF? [Bret ] Re: WTF? [Rex Broome ] wow, what a difference 11 days makes [Jill Brand ] Re: wow, what a difference 11 days makes ["John B. Jones" ] Re: WTF? ["Stewart C. Russell" ] Re: WTF? [Tom Clark ] Re: wow, what a difference 11 days makes ["Stewart C. Russell" ] Re: wow, what a difference 11 days makes [2fs ] Re: WTF? [2fs ] Re: wow, what a difference 11 days makes [Rex Broome ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:54:48 -0500 From: Jeremy Osner Subject: Re: WTF? Whoa, that's odd 2011/1/26 xx : > I'm way behind on this, and apologies if this has been discussed before.... > > As I was driving in this morning, I heard what I thought was a Robyn Hitchcock > song on the radio. It sounded like 'Flesh Number One (Beatle Dennis)'. But it > wasn't. Musically, it was identical, lyrically, it was different. I called the > station (88.9FM KXLU). TheW DJ said it was 'Is It Cold In Silverlake' by Buddy. > > http://www.iamyourbuddy.com/index.html > > Apparently the song was on an episode of 'Ghost Whisperer'. > > Does Robyn know about this? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 12:44:25 -0800 From: Rex Broome Subject: Re: WTF? I can't find that track, but I can tell you: it IS cold in Silver Lake. Also, it's properly two words, not a compound word. So if I run into this guy, I guess I have two things to lecture him about. - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:30:29 -0500 From: m swedene Subject: Re: WTF? HOLY CRAP! for those of you who cant be bothered with googling: http://www.bomb-mp3.com/download.php?mp3_id=8983037&title=Buddy+-+Is+It+Cold+In+Silverlake There is a play now option on the bottom. Mike On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 3:44 PM, Rex Broome wrote: > I can't find that track, but I can tell you: it IS cold in Silver Lake. > Also, it's properly two words, not a compound word. So if I run into this > guy, I guess I have two things to lecture him about. > > -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:39:02 -0600 From: Bret Subject: Re: WTF? Holy Crap indeed. On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 3:30 PM, m swedene wrote: > HOLY CRAP! > > for those of you who cant be bothered with googling: > > > http://www.bomb-mp3.com/download.php?mp3_id=8983037&title=Buddy+-+Is+It+Cold+In+Silverlake > > There is a play now option on the bottom. > > Mike > > > > On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 3:44 PM, Rex Broome wrote: > > > I can't find that track, but I can tell you: it IS cold in Silver Lake. > > Also, it's properly two words, not a compound word. So if I run into > this > > guy, I guess I have two things to lecture him about. > > > > -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:03:01 -0800 From: Rex Broome Subject: Re: WTF? I wonder if there's some missing intro where he explains the origins of the music. In any case, I think this calls for a Very Special Episode of 39-40. - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:51:01 -0500 (EST) From: Jill Brand Subject: wow, what a difference 11 days makes I wrote this about the new Decemberists CD 11 days ago, but it appeared today on the feglist: "I guess I ought to listen to it. I know that it is available on NPR until it is released next week. Since I'm seeing them on 1/28, I might want to know the music. Do I sound enthusiastic?" OK, I'm really embarrassed now. I have the CD, and I even bought the version with the little "making of" DVD. I really, really like at least half of it, and truly love some of it (Calamity Song is GREAT!!!!, January and June Hymn are beautiful, and Rise To Me is pretty heartbreaking). I kind of like Rox in a Box (or whatever it's called) as well. I'm not wild about the super Heart of Gold type songs (Carry It All and Down by the Riv, oops, Water), but this is a fucksight better than the way I've felt about the previous two albums. I think I'm going to listen to it now. And I am psyched about seeing them on Friday (it's been a while). Jill ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:23:47 -0800 From: "John B. Jones" Subject: Re: wow, what a difference 11 days makes I wish I felt the same about it. I've had a love/hate relationship with this band from the beginning....I was one of those people who cried "sellout" when they signed with Capitol. Looking back on it, I feel a little embarrassed because it seemed to have no effect on the kind of music they were making, it was still the kind of crazy loveable bombastic stuff you'd expect from Colin & Co. This album though.....this is the album that I imagined they would make upon signing with Capitol. This album was exactly what I feared. My complaints?? They've removed any trace of the things that set them apart in the first place. Now, not only do they sound mainstream, they deliberately went for an R.E.M. sound (even going so far as to enlist Peter Buck to play!!), and people are loving them for it. This is the kind of record that record labels love because it sells ALOT of records (over 100,000 now, and counting). The songs are so simple, so devoid of personality, that they cross boundaries and genres and cities and suburbs and because it is so watered down and middle of the road, the mainstream loves it and sucks it up. I once heard a program (I think it was on NPR) about the country music industry from the point of view of songwriters. It is a hard business, they say, because to make alot of money you have to write songs specifically for the middle. If it is too great, only a portion of the populace will like it. If people have extreme feelings toward a song (love or hate) then it is deemed to be inferior because it wouldn't sell TONS. It is the stuff in the middle -- the simple, the pretty, the non-offensive that will MOVE ALOT OF PRODUCT. Don't get me wrong, I don't HATE "The King is Dead". I have always played their records on community radio and will continue to do so. I chuckle at "Down By The River" while I'm tapping my feet. I love Gillian Welch's voice as much as everyone else (though I miss the days when Colin was content to have Jenny or Rachel sing instead). One part of me roots for them because they're local, because of their roots, because I remember chatting with Colin back when he was doing Robyn Hitchcock tribute nights. But the other part of me is sad, because I was hoping for a Decemberists record. People are saying that this record hearkens back to the earlier, simpler sound of the first EP or "Her Majesty". And I will grant them that yes, the sound is simpler in that it is not prog, that it is not 10 and 20 minute songs. But the writing is nowhere near as unique...when I think of classic early-days Decemberists songs I think of Leslie Anne Levine or Shiny or the one about the bicycle. Ones where the writing stands out as much as the beautiful memories. I need to give this new one a few more listens, but so far it is only the melodies and the singing that stick out at all. To me the songs don't have much Colin-ness to them. My hands hurt, I normally don't type this much. JBJ On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 1:51 PM, Jill Brand wrote: > I wrote this about the new Decemberists CD 11 days ago, but it appeared > today on the feglist: > > "I guess I ought to listen to it. I know that it is available on NPR until > it is released next week. Since I'm seeing them on 1/28, I might want to > know the music. Do I sound enthusiastic?" > > > OK, I'm really embarrassed now. I have the CD, and I even bought the > version with the little "making of" DVD. I really, really like at least > half of it, and truly love some of it (Calamity Song is GREAT!!!!, January > and June Hymn are beautiful, and Rise To Me is pretty heartbreaking). I > kind of like Rox in a Box (or whatever it's called) as well. I'm not wild > about the super Heart of Gold type songs (Carry It All and Down by the Riv, > oops, Water), but this is a fucksight better than the way I've felt about > the previous two albums. > > I think I'm going to listen to it now. > > And I am psyched about seeing them on Friday (it's been a while). > > Jill ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:26:09 -0800 From: "John B. Jones" Subject: Re: wow, what a difference 11 days makes Melodies, not memories. Sorry. On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 3:23 PM, John B. Jones wrote: > I wish I felt the same about it. > > I've had a love/hate relationship with this band from the beginning....I > was one of those people who cried "sellout" when they signed with Capitol. > Looking back on it, I feel a little embarrassed because it seemed to have no > effect on the kind of music they were making, it was still the kind of crazy > loveable bombastic stuff you'd expect from Colin & Co. > > This album though.....this is the album that I imagined they would make > upon signing with Capitol. This album was exactly what I feared. > > My complaints?? They've removed any trace of the things that set them apart > in the first place. Now, not only do they sound mainstream, they > deliberately went for an R.E.M. sound (even going so far as to enlist Peter > Buck to play!!), and people are loving them for it. This is the kind of > record that record labels love because it sells ALOT of records (over > 100,000 now, and counting). The songs are so simple, so devoid of > personality, that they cross boundaries and genres and cities and suburbs > and because it is so watered down and middle of the road, the mainstream > loves it and sucks it up. > > I once heard a program (I think it was on NPR) about the country music > industry from the point of view of songwriters. It is a hard business, they > say, because to make alot of money you have to write songs specifically for > the middle. If it is too great, only a portion of the populace will like it. > If people have extreme feelings toward a song (love or hate) then it is > deemed to be inferior because it wouldn't sell TONS. It is the stuff in the > middle -- the simple, the pretty, the non-offensive that will MOVE ALOT OF > PRODUCT. > > Don't get me wrong, I don't HATE "The King is Dead". I have always played > their records on community radio and will continue to do so. I chuckle at > "Down By The River" while I'm tapping my feet. I love Gillian Welch's voice > as much as everyone else (though I miss the days when Colin was content to > have Jenny or Rachel sing instead). One part of me roots for them because > they're local, because of their roots, because I remember chatting with > Colin back when he was doing Robyn Hitchcock tribute nights. But the other > part of me is sad, because I was hoping for a Decemberists record. > > People are saying that this record hearkens back to the earlier, simpler > sound of the first EP or "Her Majesty". And I will grant them that yes, the > sound is simpler in that it is not prog, that it is not 10 and 20 minute > songs. But the writing is nowhere near as unique...when I think of classic > early-days Decemberists songs I think of Leslie Anne Levine or Shiny or the > one about the bicycle. Ones where the writing stands out as much as the > beautiful memories. I need to give this new one a few more listens, but so > far it is only the melodies and the singing that stick out at all. To me the > songs don't have much Colin-ness to them. > > My hands hurt, I normally don't type this much. > > JBJ > > > > > On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 1:51 PM, Jill Brand wrote: > >> I wrote this about the new Decemberists CD 11 days ago, but it appeared >> today on the feglist: >> >> "I guess I ought to listen to it. I know that it is available on NPR >> until it is released next week. Since I'm seeing them on 1/28, I might want >> to know the music. Do I sound enthusiastic?" >> >> >> OK, I'm really embarrassed now. I have the CD, and I even bought the >> version with the little "making of" DVD. I really, really like at least >> half of it, and truly love some of it (Calamity Song is GREAT!!!!, January >> and June Hymn are beautiful, and Rise To Me is pretty heartbreaking). I >> kind of like Rox in a Box (or whatever it's called) as well. I'm not wild >> about the super Heart of Gold type songs (Carry It All and Down by the Riv, >> oops, Water), but this is a fucksight better than the way I've felt about >> the previous two albums. >> >> I think I'm going to listen to it now. >> >> And I am psyched about seeing them on Friday (it's been a while). >> >> Jill ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:36:55 -0600 From: 2fs Subject: Re: wow, what a difference 11 days makes On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 5:23 PM, John B. Jones wrote: > I wish I felt the same about it. > > I've had a love/hate relationship with this band from the beginning....I > was > one of those people who cried "sellout" when they signed with Capitol.... > > This album though.....this is the album that I imagined they would make > upon > signing with Capitol. This album was exactly what I feared. > > My complaints?? They've removed any trace of the things that set them apart > in the first place. Now, not only do they sound mainstream, they > deliberately went for an R.E.M. sound (even going so far as to enlist Peter > Buck to play!!), and people are loving them for it. This is the kind of > record that record labels love because it sells ALOT of records (over > 100,000 now, and counting). I'm maybe missing something...but the charts are full of country-influenced folk-rock these days? And R.E.M. - Accelerate topped the charts, right? Sorry - regardless of the merits or lack thereof of the album, the whole "sellout" narrative simply does not make sense anymore. Go look at the Billboard Top 100 Singles chart for 2010 - it's almost entirely commercial R&B, hip-hop, etc. I don't think there's a single song on it that comes anywhere close to the Decemberists' sound, old or new. In order for a band to "sell out," someone has to be buying. Insofar as anyone's doing that, it's older folks with educations...uh, exactly the demographic the Decemberists had appealed to with all their *prior* stuff. If they had wanted to sell out, they would have put out "More Hazards of Love" or "The Blizzards of Love" or something like that. That they changed up their sound is, to me, indicative that they're *not* doing it for commercial reasons: fans *rarely* love a band because they've changed their sound and, as I said, it's not as if that sound has a huge built-in audience. (And it's also nowhere close to mainstream "country," which also sells reasonably well I think.) Note: anyone's going to either like the record or not - I'm not arguing that (based on first listen, I like it pretty well - and I liked the last couple also). But I really do think we should utterly dispense with the entire concept of a band selling out: in this market, there simply ain't no such thing. Well, okay maybe: Had they asked Jay-Z to do a guest rap, Kanye West to produce, and enlisted harmony vocals from Katy Perry, *that* would have been selling out. - -- ...Jeff Norman The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.wordpress.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:46:09 -0500 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: Re: WTF? On 11-01-26 12:13 , xx wrote: > I'm way behind on this, and apologies if this has been discussed before.... Don't think it has, but I see that a blogger caught it in March 2009 (http://powerpopulist.blogspot.com/2009/03/post-sxsw-post-camera-obscura.html) and someone on Last.fm noticed it just over a year ago: http://www.last.fm/music/Buddy/_/Is+it+Cold+in+Silverlake Good catch! If anyone wants to compare the two without having to hit the sleazy mp3 aggregator, here's a link to the two tunes side by side: http://scruss.com/blog/2011/01/26/you-say-homage-i-say-ripoff/ I say we all go to the next Buddy show, and start singing the Flesh #1 lyrics loudly over them. Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 15:48:50 -0800 From: Tom Clark Subject: Re: WTF? Anybody forward this to Robyn yet? - -tc On Jan 26, 2011, at 2:03 PM, Rex Broome wrote: > I wonder if there's some missing intro where he explains the origins of the > music. > > In any case, I think this calls for a Very Special Episode of 39-40. > > -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:53:21 -0500 From: "Stewart C. Russell" Subject: Re: wow, what a difference 11 days makes On 11-01-26 16:51 , Jill Brand wrote: > > I really, really like at least half of it ... It's okay, but I can think of five albums from the last year that wipe the floor with it. On 11-01-26 18:23 , John B. Jones wrote: > > This is the kind of > record that record labels love because it sells ALOT of records I can't imagine what that looks like: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html ;-) cheers, Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:58:30 -0800 From: "John B. Jones" Subject: Re: wow, what a difference 11 days makes No one ever has any love or respect for my alot. On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 4:53 PM, Stewart C. Russell wrote: > On 11-01-26 16:51 , Jill Brand wrote: > > > > I really, really like at least half of it ... > > It's okay, but I can think of five albums from the last year that wipe > the floor with it. > > On 11-01-26 18:23 , John B. Jones wrote: > > > > This is the kind of > > record that record labels love because it sells ALOT of records > > I can't imagine what that looks like: > > http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html > ;-) > > cheers, > Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:00:02 -0800 From: "John B. Jones" Subject: Re: WTF? Yes, it was the same day that someone forwarded "Down By The Water" to Peter Buck. And look what came of that! *ducks* On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 3:48 PM, Tom Clark wrote: > Anybody forward this to Robyn yet? > > -tc > > On Jan 26, 2011, at 2:03 PM, Rex Broome wrote: > > > I wonder if there's some missing intro where he explains the origins of > the > > music. > > > > In any case, I think this calls for a Very Special Episode of 39-40. > > > > -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:55:04 -0600 From: 2fs Subject: Re: wow, what a difference 11 days makes I will have to retract one bit of what I wrote: apparently the 12mo-ists album is in fact selling quite well by current-day standards. But frankly, I think that's more a case of the right band at the right time, over a long, slow-building career rise, than about the sound of this album: early sales rarely reflect the content of the album but the publicity for the album. On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 6:36 PM, 2fs wrote: > On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 5:23 PM, John B. Jones wrote: > > > I wish I felt the same about it. > > > > I've had a love/hate relationship with this band from the beginning....I > > was > > one of those people who cried "sellout" when they signed with Capitol.... > > > > > > This album though.....this is the album that I imagined they would make > > upon > > signing with Capitol. This album was exactly what I feared. > > > > My complaints?? They've removed any trace of the things that set them > apart > > in the first place. Now, not only do they sound mainstream, they > > deliberately went for an R.E.M. sound (even going so far as to enlist > Peter > > Buck to play!!), and people are loving them for it. This is the kind of > > record that record labels love because it sells ALOT of records (over > > 100,000 now, and counting). > > > > I'm maybe missing something...but the charts are full of country-influenced > folk-rock these days? And R.E.M. - Accelerate topped the charts, right? > > Sorry - regardless of the merits or lack thereof of the album, the whole > "sellout" narrative simply does not make sense anymore. Go look at the > Billboard Top 100 Singles chart for 2010 - it's almost entirely commercial > R&B, hip-hop, etc. I don't think there's a single song on it that comes > anywhere close to the Decemberists' sound, old or new. > > In order for a band to "sell out," someone has to be buying. Insofar as > anyone's doing that, it's older folks with educations...uh, exactly the > demographic the Decemberists had appealed to with all their *prior* stuff. > If they had wanted to sell out, they would have put out "More Hazards of > Love" or "The Blizzards of Love" or something like that. That they changed > up their sound is, to me, indicative that they're *not* doing it for > commercial reasons: fans *rarely* love a band because they've changed their > sound and, as I said, it's not as if that sound has a huge built-in > audience. (And it's also nowhere close to mainstream "country," which also > sells reasonably well I think.) > > Note: anyone's going to either like the record or not - I'm not arguing > that > (based on first listen, I like it pretty well - and I liked the last couple > also). But I really do think we should utterly dispense with the entire > concept of a band selling out: in this market, there simply ain't no such > thing. Well, okay maybe: Had they asked Jay-Z to do a guest rap, Kanye West > to produce, and enlisted harmony vocals from Katy Perry, *that* would have > been selling out. > > > > > > -- > ...Jeff Norman > > The Architectural Dance Society > http://spanghew.wordpress.com > - -- ...Jeff Norman The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.wordpress.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:57:31 -0600 From: 2fs Subject: Re: WTF? On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 7:00 PM, John B. Jones wrote: > Yes, it was the same day that someone forwarded "Down By The Water" to > Peter > Buck. And look what came of that! > "like" > > *ducks* > > On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 3:48 PM, Tom Clark wrote: > > > Anybody forward this to Robyn yet? > > > > -tc > > > > On Jan 26, 2011, at 2:03 PM, Rex Broome wrote: > > > > > I wonder if there's some missing intro where he explains the origins of > > the > > > music. > > > > > > In any case, I think this calls for a Very Special Episode of 39-40. > > > > > > -Rex > - -- ...Jeff Norman The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.wordpress.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:55:53 -0800 From: Rex Broome Subject: Re: wow, what a difference 11 days makes On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 7:55 PM, 2fs wrote: > I will have to retract one bit of what I wrote: apparently the 12mo-ists > album is in fact selling quite well by current-day standards. I took it that you were referring to the singles charts; the album charts are a different animal. But it takes a lot less to be a top-selling album in these days when record sales don't mean much. Especially with rock bands, the rabid following among a demographic that's one of the few to still buy physical media can translate to a 1-week chart-topper that still doesn't penetrate the broader cultural psyche very far. I guess that the cryptic, anomalistic ability of Rush to chart high with every new release for the last 20 years really was a predictor of the fate of rock and roll: fueled by cult artists. - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 18:25:17 +0100 From: Sebastian Hagedorn Subject: Re: wow, what a difference 11 days makes - -- "Stewart C. Russell" is rumored to have mumbled on 26. Januar 2011 19:53:21 -0500 regarding Re: wow, what a difference 11 days makes: > On 11-01-26 16:51 , Jill Brand wrote: >> >> I really, really like at least half of it ... > > It's okay, but I can think of five albums from the last year that wipe > the floor with it. One from this year would be the new Iron & Wine, "Kiss Each Other Clean". - -- Sebastian Hagedorn Am alten Stellwerk 22, 50733 Kvln, Germany http://www.uni-koeln.de/~a0620/ "Being just contaminates the void" - Robyn Hitchcock ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:24:56 -0500 From: FS Thomas Subject: Dave's kid's been misbehaving http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jtwjjCgPpM5JtJ1zxVTFmmVIBk ww?docId=CNG.7bfcfd891f40aa72354703f627bc22bc.9f1 Son of Pink Floyd star charged over student protest (AFP)  1 hour ago LONDON  The son of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour was charged Thursday with violent disorder and theft of a mannequin leg after he was pictured swinging off Britain's national war memorial during a student riot. Charlie Gilmour, 21, was one of seven people charged by London's Metropolitan Police force and will appear at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on February 10. A further five people were cautioned as part of Operation Malone, which was launched by the force to investigate large scale protests which were staged in London during November and December. The son of journalist Polly Samson, Gilmour was adopted by the Pink Floyd star after the couple married in 1994. Gilmour said in a statement issued after the December 9 protest that he was sorry for the "terrible insult" to the country's war dead after he was pictured clambering up the Cenotaph and swinging on a British flag. "I feel nothing but shame. Running along with a crowd of people who had just been violently repelled by the police, I got caught up in the spirit of the moment," Gilmore added. A former model who now studies history at Britain's prestigious Cambridge University, Gilmour said he did not realise it was the Cenotaph at the time. Police did not say where the mannequin leg was stolen from. A car carrying Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, and his wife Camilla was attacked during the demonstration which turned violent after parliament voted in favour of raising university tuition fees as much as threefold. Police arrested the student at his Sussex home on December 12. ------------------------------ End of fegmaniax-digest V19 #6 ******************************