From: owner-find-your-mind-digest@smoe.org (find-your-mind-digest) To: find-your-mind-digest@smoe.org Subject: find-your-mind-digest V2 #139 Reply-To: find-your-mind@smoe.org Sender: owner-find-your-mind-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-find-your-mind-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk find-your-mind-digest Wednesday, October 20 1999 Volume 02 : Number 139 Today's Subjects: ----------------- find-your-mind The Full Monty [MykePM@aol.com] Re: Re: find-your-mind how does "survey" sound like? ["C.A. Carlino" ] Re: find-your-mind NON LJ request for help [AGENTCLPT@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 00:05:10 EDT From: MykePM@aol.com Subject: find-your-mind The Full Monty Sorry. I hit "send" by accident. Here's the whole article... GIRLS, YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE Luscious Jackson lights up the charts with 'Electric Honey' By Alan Sculley With a sound that bridges the gap between pop, hip-hop and dance music, Luscious Jackson has been regarded as being ahead of its time since the debut EP, In Search of Manny, in 1992. Since then, an number of artists have scored hit singles with music that taps many of the stylistic elements Luscious Jackson used -- incorporating hip-hop with pop and rock -- in their music. It's an open question about whether Luscious Jackson can expect a commercial payoff with the new CD, Electric Honey. But drummer Kate Schellenbach, an original member of the Beastie Boys during their punk phase in the early '80s, senses that the perception of the band may have shifted somewhat within the market. "I think when we first came out we were very much part of like college radio - -- that's where we were being promoted -- and alternative music, alternative rock and so on," Schellenbach said. "We were sort of like urban and hip-hop influenced and we had heard that VH-1 wouldn't go near us because they thought we were too rap, which is pretty ridiculous. We always thought we were writing pretty mainstream pop. It maybe didn't sound like it when you put the CD on, but as far as our approach, (it was) like catchy pop songs that we thought would translate not only in the college world, but maybe in the VH-1 world, like people our age. "And VH-1 has accepted our video (for the new song "Ladyfingers") and there might be a future there." The pop element that Schellenbach mentions has not gone unnoticed with Electric Honey. Many initial reviews have characterized the new CD as having traded some of the group's emphasis on inventive rythyms for melody, resulting in a poppier album than the first two full-length Luscious Jackson CDs, Natural Ingredients (1994) and Fever In Fever Out (1996). Still, it's not as if the band, which also includes guitarist/singer Jill Cunniff and bassist Gabby Glaser, has abandoned their hip-hop and dance groove leanings. Songs such as "Nervous Breakthrough" and "Gypsy" feature especially inviting rythym tracks that show the group's grasp of the groove. Yet, songs like "Ladyfingers," "Devotion" and "Summer Daze" contain some of Luscious Jackson's catchiest melodies and are essentially pop. However, Schellenbach said she isn't so sure the band has made any major shift toward a poppier sound. "I think we've always felt we were a pop band and as far as how well we construct pop songs, it might just be that we're better at it now," she said. "I think you sort of learn things along the way and what people respond to. Also, as far as learning production methods and honing your sound and also your instruments, we feel like this record is sort of an incorporation of everything we've learned along the way, everything that we love and again putting it all on one record. "The thing that people seem to have been able to pick up on that we agree with is that it's concise, this album as a whole -- there's no filler. Sonically, it all ties together. That's good because we used four different producers." Electric Honey indeed was a fairly involved project. Recording began in the group's home base of New York in May 1998 and continued until January 1999. Along the way, the group collaborated with producers Tony Mangurian (who co-produced the band's other records), Tony Visconti (known for his work with David Bowie), DJ Alex Young and Mickey P. (who has worked with Beck and the Eels). This was a notably different approach than the one taken by the group on Fever In Fever Out, in which the group worked with acclaimed producer Daniel Lanois. Fever had a more introspective and moodier sound than Natural Ingredients. Observers felt the murkier feel was a product both of the involvement of Lanois -- a producer known for creating plenty of atmosphere on records -- and of lyrics written by Cunniff, who was going through a rough patch with a boyfriend. Schellenbach said there's some credence in both lines of thought. "For us, it really felt like a collaboration," Schellenbach said of Lanois' role in Fever In Fever Out. "We certainly allowed Dan to come in and shape our sound as far as production wise. We learned a lot from him about performance and capturing vibes and all that kind of stuff. But there were certain songs which he took more of a back seat, like 'Naked Eye' and 'Under Your Skin,' which I still think maintained the Luscious Jackson sound." As for Cunniff's new lyrics, they reflect a change in her romantic life. She got back together with her boyfriend and they married this past February. One other significant change is Electric Honey is the group's first CD without keyboard player Vivian Trimble, who left last year. Trimble had grown tired of the group's extensive touring schedule, Shellenbach said. However, Trimble's absence didn't have a major effect on the band's creative process. "As far as the songwriting goes, the majority of the material in the past had been written by Jill and Gabby," Schellenbach said. "And the few songs that Vivian did collaborate on, I think her sound is pretty apparent, especially on the last record with songs like 'Moodswing' and 'Soothe Yourself,' which definitely have more of a jazzy (feel), but I don't know if that's quite the right word. She definitely comes from a different musical background so that's where her influence is apparent...Vivian's flavor, it's probably something that's missing on the record." Given Trimble's reluctance for extensive touring, though, Schellenbach said it was probably best for all concerned to go their separate ways. "Toward the end of her stay, she was pretty miserable and unhappy with touring and the amount of time it took her away from being at home," Schellenbach said. "And when we regrouped as the three of us, we were pretty focused. 'OK, here we go, we're ready for another album.' Whereas if Vivian was involved, it would have been hard because she wasn't really motivated to give up more time." - ----------------------------- That's it. Kind of an odd way to end it, but there you go. - -Mike ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 05:15:39 -0800 From: "C.A. Carlino" Subject: Re: Re: find-your-mind how does "survey" sound like? Laura Dern as Vivian is a pretty good casting call. How 'bout Ally Sheedy (w/ shorter hair) as Kate? LookSmart … or keep looking. http://www.looksmart.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 05:17:46 -0800 From: "C.A. Carlino" Subject: Re: Re: find-your-mind how does "survey" sound like? Okay, then....... very young (circa "Love Story") Allie MacGraw as Gabby, and John Turturro as D.J. Alex. LookSmart … or keep looking. http://www.looksmart.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 05:18:20 -0800 From: "C.A. Carlino" Subject: Re: Re: find-your-mind how does "survey" sound like? Didn't they play "Friends" a few times at Lilith? Could have sworn I heard that. LookSmart … or keep looking. http://www.looksmart.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 16:13:06 -0800 From: Miss Propaganda Subject: find-your-mind mags For all you psycho obsessed people...I put 6 copies of Mean Street on e-bay for auction. This particular issue (from last June) has a little article about LJ with a pic and it has a little color pic of them on the cover. http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=184664558 happy bidding! ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Oct 1999 20:10:06 EDT From: AGENTCLPT@aol.com Subject: Re: find-your-mind NON LJ request for help Hey guys- This has nothing to do with the gals, but I'd love your help. As some of you know, I write on pro wrestling and boxing for a living. There is currently a poll going on a website for the best wrestling writer. I am not on the poll, but a colleague of mine, Dave Scherer, is. Ironically enough, he's matched against a writer who is known for creating false rumors and such. If you guys would take 2 seconds to hit the site and vote for Dave Scherer in Poll #2, I'd REALLY appreciate it. I'd like to see the goof opposing him trounced. The site: http://steelcageasylum.com/kor/ I apologize in advance for using the forum for this to anyone who is upset. Michael K Johnson II ------------------------------ End of find-your-mind-digest V2 #139 ************************************