From: owner-headline-girl-digest@smoe.org (headline-girl-digest) To: headline-girl-digest@smoe.org Subject: headline-girl-digest V4 #313 Reply-To: headline-girl@smoe.org Sender: owner-headline-girl-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-headline-girl-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk headline-girl-digest Tuesday, January 1 2002 Volume 04 : Number 313 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: OT: New Bic Runga album/Mandalay Break Up/Misc.. ["stephanie ~" ] Re: Top Ten List! (finally) [K3285@aol.com] Re: Top Ten List! (finally) [JewelEDA21@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 31 Dec 2001 05:22:16 From: "stephanie ~" Subject: Re: OT: New Bic Runga album/Mandalay Break Up/Misc.. finally bic has a new album! it's been forever since drive came out! ~stephanie p.s. just updated my photo album..pics of travis, strokes, etc... www.picturetrail.com/starorbit _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 31 Dec 2001 16:13:23 -0500 (EST) From: "Julian C. Dunn" Subject: Top Ten List! (finally) So, it's the last day of the year, and not a hell of a lot is being accomplished here at the office, so I thought I'd assemble my top ten list. Here goes: - -- - -- Julian's Top Ten of 2001 - -- These aren't necessarily albums issued in 2001, just ones that I bought this year. In no particular order: * Lenni Jabour and the Third Floor - Ten Songs Live (2001) Yes, Lenni Jabour is a totally whacked performer. No, I probably wouldn't go and see her again any time soon. But her songs are very catchy, and she's a decent piano player. Only if she would tone down her live act so it's not embarrassing to watch her. * Natalie Merchant - Motherland (2001) Some folks have characterized "Motherland" as a disappointment but I actually like it a lot. It's tough to follow up an album as good as "Ophelia", so Natalie doesn't even try to continue in the same vein, branching off instead into very rootsy, soul-influenced music. * Shakira - Donde Estan Los Ladrones? (1998) Unlike her over-produced Britney-Spears-like English-language debut of this year, Shakira's original major-label release, sung entirely in Spanish, is quite charming. I don't understand a word being sung, of course, but Spanish is such an expressive and beautiful language that it almost doesn't matter (with a little help from my Spanish speaking friends as to the general meaning of the songs). * Michelle Branch - The Spirit Room (2001) I hesitated for a moment before putting this up here on my top ten, because let's face it -- it's not like Michelle's songs have a lot of meaning. But damn, are they catchy. And the fact that she wrote them herself, and she had a half-decent indie label debut before this (overproduced) disc lends her credence as a "real" musician. Hey, if people can take Maren Ord seriously... * The Murmurs - The Murmurs (1994) It's taken me seven years from when the Murmurs released this disc to discover it (and them). I can't believe what I was missing all this time. This CD is a lot more acoustic and folkier than last year's MCA release, "Blender". I particularly like the liberal use of the recorder on many of the songs on this album; it lends the songs a "woodsy" sort of feel that suggest a bright and clear winter's day. * Shannon Weir - Nature About You (2001) Shannon's a local musician who has been playing small clubs like Holy Joe's and the Free Times for a few years now, and I think is just waiting to be discovered. Her voice has become so much stronger from her debut CD "Ghosts Of My Past", and she now has a band (The Even Strangers) which complement her gentle piano playing. * Disappear Fear - Seed in the Sahara (1996) Despite judging this book by its cover (or, rather, by the glowing recommendations on the back of the CD), it doesn't disappoint. Were the band on any other label but the esteemed Philo label, I wouldn't have done so. I'd describe the CD as "gentle folk"; it's mellow but not overly so, as in, you could drive through upstate New York to it and not fall asleep. Don't think the band is together any more, though. * The Nields - Live in Northampton (2001) The Nields are known for putting on amazing live shows, which are, to my disappointment, largely in the eastern United States (they've been to Ontario only twice in the last few years). Earlier this year they played a two-night stand at the infamous Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA where, many moons ago, they recorded a live CD. This followup is a two-disc affair which captures, pretty accurately, the excitement and humour of a live Nields show. The Nields have been touring as a band (and in part, a family) for some time now and they've spoken about that era coming to an end soon, so this double album (coupled with a disc of homemade music videos) will make a good snapshot of the band if they do decide to pursue other interests. * Catie Curtis - My Shirt Looks Good on You (2001) A surprisingly strong follow-up to her 1999 Rykodisc album "A Crash Course in Roses", this album is a lot more upbeat and richer in the arrangements. I bought it on a whim for $2.95 and it didn't leave my CD player for a week. Highly recommended. * Emm Gryner - Girl Versions (2001) It took some consideration before I decided to list Emm's album of covers on my top ten list. At first I was hesitant to do so, because strictly speaking the songs aren't her own work, and I felt a little uncomfortable doing so. However, over the last little while the album really has grown on me to the point where I feel the songs have been totally transformed by virtue of having been through Emm's hands; particularly after listening to many of the original versions, I can conclude that she has pretty much reworked a great many of them from scratch. It's no small feat to turn heavy metal songs into sweet piano ballads, so for this reason I think she deserves a place in my top ten list for the year. Honourable Mentions: * Sarah Slean - Sarah Slean (2001) Definitely wonderful material here, but some of it has been heard before, so I felt I couldn't list it in my top ten. "Book Smart, Street Stupid" is such a gorgeous song, though. * Emaline Delapaix Band - The Reins EP (2000) I picked up Emaline's EP when she was here on her (I believe) first North American tour, straight from Melbourne, Australia. The EP is a very strong effort of piano ballads, albeit too short. Looking forward to her full length album some time. - -- - -- Memorable Concerts of 2001 - -- * Emm Gryner w/ Meg Toohey and Gail Ann Dorsey, Feb 17, The Fez (NYC) * Emm Gryner at the Sarnia Public Library Theatre, Mar 24 * Tegan and Sara w/ Kinnie Starr at Trinity St. Paul's, April 25 * Penelope Swales w/ Ember Swift and Miranda Stone, The Art Bar, July 20 * Tara MacLean, Peterborough Festival of Lights, Aug 29 * The Waifs, Ted's Wrecking Yard, Oct 4 * Joni Mitchell Tribute Concert, Harbourfront, Oct 16 * Martina Sorbara w/ The Supers at the Rivoli, Nov 30 * Sarah Slean, Milestones, Rochester, NY, Dec 01 * Dar Williams at the Outpost in the Burbs, Montclair, NJ, Dec 14 Hope everyone had a good year despite the tragedies that befell us, and all the best for peace, health and happiness in the new year! - - Julian - -- [ Julian C. Dunn * ] [ WWW: http://www.aquezada.com/staff/julian/ * PGP: 0xFDC205B9 ] [ "There is a world outside of this room, and when you meet it, ] [ promise me you won't meet it with a gun." -- 10,000 Maniacs ] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 31 Dec 2001 17:21:49 EST From: K3285@aol.com Subject: Re: Top Ten List! (finally) In a message dated 12/31/01 1:15:08 PM Pacific Standard Time, jdunn@aquezada.com writes: > * Disappear Fear - Seed in the Sahara (1996) > Don't think the band is together any more, though. No, they are not. But Sonia continues to record and tour solo. Info can be found at her site: www.soniadf.com Melissa ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 31 Dec 2001 18:44:08 EST From: JewelEDA21@aol.com Subject: Re: Top Ten List! (finally) And no Leona Naess or Miranda Lee Richards, right? man oh man, such dope albums. peace, seb ------------------------------ End of headline-girl-digest V4 #313 ***********************************