From: owner-jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org (jangle-poets-digest) To: jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org Subject: jangle-poets-digest V4 #148 Reply-To: jangle-poets@smoe.org Sender: owner-jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-jangle-poets-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk jangle-poets-digest Sunday, December 15 2002 Volume 04 : Number 148 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [JP] Easy People ["Passe, Jeffrey" ] [JP] Re: protocol [Don Semmens ] [JP] another review of TK w/band [Fantine729@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 07:48:49 -0500 From: "Passe, Jeffrey" Subject: [JP] Easy People Hi I'm new to this list, but am somewhat active on the Nields-Nook. So far, I haven't seen any posts from someone who is not a member of the Nook. The overlap is appropriate, though it would be interesting to hear from Kennedy fans who aren't Nields fans. I discovered the Kennedys through word of mouth around the time Evolver came out. Any music that evolves from the Beatles' work (which probably includes all music in the last 30 years) catches my ear. I liked the cd, but didn't love it. One song, however, Never Learn, stayed in my head for weeks. I was frustrated when they had to cancel shows in North Carolina, and I never got to see their fabled live performances. I knew I was missing something big, knowing that all the Nields people were singing the Kennedys' praises. I met Pete and Maura at Falcon Ridge two years ago, and was delighted to hear the story behind Never Learn. (I'm assuming you've all heard it.) I was taken by how warm and friendly they were. Of course, I was also immediately attracted to their zaniness. But, except for some impromptu performances, I had never really seen them live. That changed last year at Falcon Ridge, when I sat on the hill and was transformed into a Kennedys fan. I'll never forget that show. Nor will I forget the recent Birchmere set. I'm hooked by a band with so many great hooks. In the past week, in my analytic style, I've been trying to figure out what has me so excited. Here's a bunch of analyses: 1. Maura's voice is so warm and soulful 2. I could listen to Pete play guitar all day long. 3. I am mesmerized by the way they play TOGETHER. 4. Really, their whole duet thing, in every sense of the word, is powerful. 5. We have so many of the same influences (e.g., Beatles, protest folk, Delta blues, Dylan, Zen) 6. Some really amazing songs with intense arrangements, great lyrical wordplay, and beautiful messages. 7. Exceptional fashion sense 8. I like them as (easy) people. Pete said that we are members of a tribe, and I feel that connection. I like to think they could be my friends, if we lived in the same city. Of course, this is a projection, because I know next to nothing about their private selves. But, I genuinely like their stage personas, as we agree on so many things (music, politics, cultural observations.) Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to introduce myself. I'm jeff from Charlotte, NC. Check out the Kennedys' Official Home Page: http://www.KennedysMusic.com/ Fab photos, the Official tour diary, dashboard Buddha haiku, groovy merchandise...what more could you ask for? ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 12:57:15 -0400 From: Don Semmens Subject: [JP] Re: protocol At 01:09 PM 12/13/2002 -0500, you wrote: >In a message dated 12/13/2002 1:01:29 PM Eastern Standard Time, >Nieldsforever@aol.com writes: > > > I was wondering if this would get past the Jangle-poets list-serve > > protocols, > > and it did. Mad Baggins is not subscribed to Jangle-poets. > > > > Bruce > >This list is now a moderated list, and has been for several months (by >request), so, for all intents and purposes, *I* am the list-serve protocol, >and I'm not too picky about things like from which address someone posts. :) Ah, if only there were a computer program like Sheila. We could call it majorsheila. :-) don And deep down I thought that if I burrowed far enough into the minutiae I could drown out that little voice in the back of my head that told me I sucked. -- Necron, Romancer of Death http://www.bigempire.com/filthy/ Don Semmens; Richmond VA; donsem@attbi.com Visit the Regan fan site http://www.nickelsanddimes.org Rob Buck Memorial Scholarship Fund http://gottabuck.org/ Check out the Kennedys' Official Home Page: http://www.KennedysMusic.com/ Fab photos, the Official tour diary, dashboard Buddha haiku, groovy merchandise...what more could you ask for? ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 12:54:41 EST From: Fantine729@aol.com Subject: [JP] another review of TK w/band forwarded from the Audities list: Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 16:24:23 -0500 Subject: Monday Night IPO There isn't much I can add to Henry's fine review of this gig, save for a few random observations... First off, the Kennedys. Yes, they rocked. For all the criticism of this genre, I sometimes think it is like the blues. The blues has a very strict formula, and it is no stretch to understand how some would say that every blues song sounds the same (note, I am not saying this). Yet it is that rigor of that structure-- the fact that the rules are so steadfastly in place-- that makes the shining moments in the genre so bright; think of your favorite blues guitarist wailing as he or she strains against the 12-bar I-IV-V. The formula makes it easy to play the blues in a passable fashion. It does not make it easy to play the blues well. And so it is, I think, with Power Pop. The Kennedys didn't do anything I hadn't seen a thousand times before-- two guitars, bass, drums; short bright catchy songs with great singing and catchy hooks. But when it is well-executed, this stuff is golden. I am reminded of Tom Petty's comment in a 1999 issue of Rolling Stone: "Rock'n'roll will never go out of style. The design is flawless." I was amazed at the end of their set that it was over so quickly-- and despite the relative brevity of the IPO sets, this was unusual. "Why Wynona Why?" was instantly winning, a song you could play for anyone and they'd dig it. (Maura: "In the great tradition of power pop, we're going to do our song about Wynona Ryder.") The song that Henry mentioned, "Chelsea Embankment," got heavier and was indeed a droning, middle-eastern, guitar-heavy Television-esque triumph. One of the highlights of the night for me was that, immediately afterward, as the Flashcubes took the stage, Maura K and a girlfriend of hers made their way to the front of the floor and proceeded to bop and dance around with joyous abandon. It was adorable personified. There was something touching about this player from one band, so unabashedly (there is a pun there I did not intend) enjoying another band. Maybe the popular music press considers this kind of mutual admiration unhip, and favors the pettiness and backstabbing that can often permeate "scenes." But I'll tell you what-- I worked the merchandise table at two shows, and at both of them, artists were coming over and buying CDs of other artists. Sherman described the Flashcubes as "an original skinny tie New Wave band", and they played and dressed to fit the bill. Henry talked about it always being 1963 in his commentary on the Spongetones. Well, in the world the Flashcubes inhabit, it is always 1979, and that too is groovy. David Bash introduced them by saying, "If you don't dance to this band, you aren't alive", and boy howdy! Just energetic in-your-face catchiness from beginning to end. Highlights for me were both off their new CD-- "Natalie" and their set-closing cover of "Do Anything You Want to Do;" the latter was three and a half of the greatest minutes of my life. David Bash asked from the stage afterward, "Do you want another from them?" and I answered, "Actually, I want THAT one, again!" I was unfamiliar with the Spongetones, and extremely interested in checking out their double-length set. I am a sucker for that North Carolina sound; I am convinced that if Big Star's Radio City sold 5,000 copies when first released, 2,800 of them were sold in North Carolina. I was not disappointed. Henry pretty much nailed it. I'll just add that they managed to navigate the acoustic challenges the room presented (tough on vocals) and that, like the Kennedys, they reminded me again of how the rigor of the classic form can provide a platform for great and touching work. When its done well, Power Pop seems boneheadedly easy to pull off. Some are fooled by this into thinking it is an insignificant genre. They don't appreciate how good you have to be to make it look this easy. And being good isn't just (or even mostly) about chops-- I think it is more about attitude, ear, and love of the music. I think everyone I saw and really enjoyed at IPO shared those three traits. Very sorry my schedule kept me from more shows-- two trips out of town plus in-laws visiting, all during this run. ("Honey, you take care of your family. I'm going to IPO." I don't think so.) But I'm glad I caught the three shows I did. And funny how you walk away from three shows with 10 CDs... Check out the Kennedys' Official Home Page: http://www.KennedysMusic.com/ Fab photos, the Official tour diary, dashboard Buddha haiku, groovy merchandise...what more could you ask for? ------------------------------ End of jangle-poets-digest V4 #148 **********************************