From: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org (loud-fans-digest) To: loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Subject: loud-fans-digest V1 #21 Reply-To: loud-fans@smoe.org Sender: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk loud-fans-digest Tuesday, April 3 2001 Volume 01 : Number 021 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [loud-fans] Soft Boys Chicago Notes [OptionsR@aol.com] Re: [loud-fans] april 1 on april 2 (ns) [Dan McCarthy ] Re: [loud-fans] Doves, Creeper Lagoon [Dan McCarthy ] Re: [loud-fans] Wasp Star [Dan McCarthy ] [loud-fans] Re: Tape Swap Review (Jason, Part 1) [Jason Long ] Re: [loud-fans] isolation drills (ns) [MarkWStaples@aol.com] Re: [loud-fans] Soft Boys Chicago Notes [Dennis_McGreevy@praxair.com] [loud-fans] Creeping through the Lagoon with the Pixy's Ghost [dmw ] Re: [loud-fans] Creeping through the Lagoon with the Pixy's Ghost [Aaron ] Re: [loud-fans] isolation drills (ns) ["Joseph M. Mallon" ] Re: [loud-fans] isolation drills, Smiths (ns) [Chris Prew ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 03:06:42 EDT From: OptionsR@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Soft Boys Chicago Notes In a message dated 4/2/01 11:03:14 AM US Mountain Standard Time, Dennis_McGreevy@praxair.com writes: << as well as covers of the Byrds' "Bells of Rhymney" (sp?), "Train Comin' Round the Bend" by the Velvet Underground, and Syd/Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive". >> Actually, the Syd/Floyd tune was "Astronomy Domine", as heard on "Lope At The Hive". Yes, it WAS a tad warm inside the Metro, wasn't it (cough, gasp)? What I didn't get was that they did "Rock & Roll Toilet", but without switching instruments. I thought that was half the charm of that song. "Leppo" was on the copy of the setlist I saw, but it wasn't played. However, "Only The Stones Remain", "R & R Toilet", and "Face Of Death" were played: the first was good and grooving, the second was so-so, and the last was bad. The only pre-UM song that can still sound okay slowed down is "Human Music", maybe. I'm still looking forward to some studio waxings of those new songs, nonetheless. Trainspotter, mama...gonna spot my train on you, Just some guy named Mike ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2001 04:04:53 -0400 From: Dan McCarthy Subject: Re: [loud-fans] april 1 on april 2 (ns) >Yeah, I know that My Bloody Valentine's decade long supposed hiatus is worse >than my college attendance, but according to a recent article I read (I think >it was AP) on the album LOVELESS, our recently discussed Alan McGee said that >MBV will never get back together. Kevin Shields, according to McGee, has >some kind of mental thing (taking anal retentiveness to a whole new >level...this probably explains LOVELESS' brilliance of detail...LOVELESS took >two and a half years to complete, and was a drain on the resources of >Creation records...the band even went unannounced to the plant where >cassettes of the album were being made to check on the production quality). >According to McGee, Shields is in Primal Scream now, and that MBV was a done >deal. Imagine if R.E.M. had called it quits after MURMUR (equate ISN'T >ANYTHING with the CHRONIC TOWN e.p.) Think about that. There would be all >these MBV releases and nobody would care. I wonder which one would suck as >bad as MONSTER. >M Kevin Shields still pops up from time to time... the most recent appearance I've seen him make is on Russell Mills' WONDERFUL ambient/electronic album "Strange Familiar" as part of the Undark series. If you haven't heard this record and you're into that sort of thing, check it out. You might know Mills from his visual work with David Sylvian among others, and his audio work obviously draws from the same wellspring in that it's very much a sort of sonic collage. Dan ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2001 04:11:40 -0400 From: Dan McCarthy Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Doves, Creeper Lagoon Doves' latest album "Lost Souls" is fantastic in my opinion. Very warm sounding production and while brit-poppy I wouldn't at all compare them to Radiohead- and that's got to count for something nowadays! On the subject of Radiohead, allow me a minor rant that I think you chaps might understand. While I love the band to death, the music snob in me hates all this prattle about Radiohead's Kid A "reinventing rock"... surely they can't be serious when they say that, can they!?! Kid A has been made a thousand times, the only difference being that nobody paid attention until a high-profile band made it. I remember fuming at the latest Spin magazine when they made a reference to "Idioteque" being the most 'fantastically new-sounding' song in recent years or some such thing. Apparently the english electronic act Autechre reinvented rock in 1994, because it sounds just like something from their album "Incunabula" to me. Ahhh. Blessed catharsis. Dan ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2001 04:20:51 -0400 From: Dan McCarthy Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Wasp Star >Speaking of XTC demos, CD Universe has the Japanese import HOMEGROWN >(Wasp Star demos) on sale for $24.40. It will be available on 04/03/01. > >http://www.cduniverse.com/asp/cdu_main.asp Further speaking of XTC demos, I picked up a supposedly-limited edition of a US promo called "I'm the Man Who Murdered Love" from our promo bin the other day... it's packaged in one of those clear plastic clamshell cases that seem to be becoming more and more fashionable lately... anyway, I took a listen and didn't really care for it but if anyone else wants it let me know, you can have it for the cost of shipping it out to ya... It's got the title track plus two demo versions of songs whose names elude me at the moment. Dan ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2001 05:40:58 -0400 From: Jason Long Subject: [loud-fans] Re: Tape Swap Review (Jason, Part 1) Stewart wrote: >Jason's forthrightly-titled UNTITLED LOUD-FANS TAPE SWAP MIX BY JASE is one >of my all-time favorite tape swap receipts, and easily the one that spends >the most time in my car (which, Carolyn, is where your tapes are right now; >I know they came first, but Jason's is right here and I don't want to have >to put my shoes on and find my car keys). He's not trying to out-hip >anybody, there's no great theme, it's just a good solid unpretentious >collection of really great songs. I don't do well with titles (obviously!) or coming up with themes (low attention span?), so it pretty much comes down to the songs themselves. I'm just glad you enjoyed the tape as much as you did. >"Blood Keeper" -- Liz Phair / "Blood of Feeling" -- Barbara Manning > >Kicking off with a pair of tracks from the uneven label comp WHAT'S UP >MATADOR?, including the original recording of "Blood of Feeling," which I >like much more than the more sedate version that ended up on Barbara's 1212 >album. I can see why "Blood Keeper" didn't make either of Liz's first two >albums, because it's only half-great, but "I'm a wreck, I'm obsessed, I'm >insane/Isn't that what you want me to say?" is one of the all-time great >post-breakup lines. "Blood Keeper" is actually one of my favorite Liz Phair songs, although it's not really much like anything else she's done. The music during the verses has a slightly menacing feel to it and reminds me a little bit of both the Pixies and Nirvana's "Come As You Are." And it does have that great chorus line you quoted. >"Just Like Honey" -- The Jesus and Mary Chain > >It's funny how a record can rule your life when it comes out and then drop >off your radar almost entirely. When the "Be My Baby" drums started up, I >was immediately transported back to junior year, when PSYCHOCANDY, Lloyd >Cole's RATTLESNAKES and Prefab Sprout's TWO WHEELS GOOD were almost the >only albums I played. I probably hadn't heard this song for...geez, >certainly at least five years. I pulled it out when my friend Valerie was >over a few weeks ago because she saw the cover in my vinyl stacks and >neither of us had heard it in ages. We agreed that it sounded better in >high school, but memories of the increasingly crappy albums the Reids did >after this might have been coloring that. I'd been a few years without a copy of _Psychocandy_ when I found it used sometime last fall. I was rediscovering it at about the same time I made your swap tape and I didn't realize how much I'd missed it. My experience with the Jesus and Mary Chain seems to be the reverse of yours; I'd heard a couple of their later efforts first, so _Psychocandy_ was like a revelation. I never thought I could like an album of theirs so much, so it's not as hard for me to remain enthusiastic about it. >"The Official Ironman Rally Song" -- Guided By Voices > >Invariably, just when I'm about to write off Bob Pollard, he comes up with >a song like this, so I'm looking forward to the new one. I still say he >could use an editor. The new one is coming out today and I've been looking forward to it a lot. Pollard seems to be putting some effort into making their albums more consistent now, which is probably why I liked _Do the Collapse_ so much, even if its best tracks aren't as great as the highlights from their other albums. Now that I have a CD-R drive, I've been meaning to make a few discs of my favorites from each album, leaving off all the not-so-great stuff. I'd probably listen to them about twice as much as I do already. >"Everything" -- Jen Trynin > >Whatever happened to Jen Trynon, anyway? I heard she went back to school, >but that was a few years ago. I'm not all that sure about what she's up to, but she does have a new Web site under development at [http://www.jentrynin.com], which used to lead to her old Warners site. >"Turnaround" -- Jules Verdone > >Great song, and she's a nice person, too. Do you know what she's up to these days? I can't seem to find any information on her. I really liked _Diary of a Liar_ and thought this compilation track was an indicator of great things to come. I haven't come across anything new by her since, though. >"Another Pearl" -- Badly Drawn Boy > >Eh. In retrospect, if I were to re-make the tape now, I'd probably leave this song off. At the time, though, I had just bought _The Hour of Bewilderbeast_ and was really getting into it, and this song in particular. While I still like almost all of the album's other songs, this one doesn't do much for me anymore. >"Listen To What She Says" -- Jules Shear > >Find of the tape part two. What's this from? Best song he's written since >"Whispering Your Name." This song is from _Healing Bones_, which is probably my favorite album of his. I'm not sure whether or not it's still in print, but it's worth tracking down (I imagine used copies probably turn up on eBay sometimes). There are a couple of other standout tracks on the album that are almost as good as this one (I don't have the CD nearby right now and I can't remember all of the titles, but "When You Finally Gonna Come Through" is one of them). >"Kiss Me on the Bus" -- The Replacements > >You know, maybe it's just me, but I don't like TIM as much as a lot of >people do. I think LET IT BE and PLEASED TO MEET ME are the masterpieces. >This is a terrific song, though. I also like _Let It Be_ more, but _Tim_ does contain three or four of my favorites. I almost put "Bastards of Young" on instead of this song, actually -- I like both about equally. >"A Cleaner Light" -- Kristen hersh > >Cool! At last a Kristen solo song that sounds kinda like old Throwing Muses! _Sky Motel_, the album this song is from, is the most Muses-like of her solo releases. Not all of the songs are as great as this one, but it does have a few more winners. Her new album is quite good as well and contains one of my favorite songs of the year so far ("Spain"). It's worth checking out as well. >So that's it! Thanks for such an entertaining tape, Jason! I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! Cheers, Jase ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2001 09:50:36 -0400 From: "Aaron Milenski" Subject: [loud-fans] Amazon.com lists (actually has miminal Scott content!) Have any other loud-fans made a "top 15" list on Amazon? I recently made one and now I can't seem to figure out how to see it on their website. Also, I can't quite figure out why links to lists sometimes show up and sometimes don't. Can anyone clarify this for me? I wonder if I'm the first person to put the Loud Family on one of those lists. Aaron _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 08:52:12 -0500 (CDT) From: Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Doves, Creeper Lagoon On Tue, 3 Apr 2001, Dan McCarthy wrote: > On the subject of Radiohead, allow me a minor rant that I think you chaps > might understand. While I love the band to death, the music snob in me > hates all this prattle about Radiohead's Kid A "reinventing rock"... surely > they can't be serious when they say that, can they!?! Kid A has been made a > thousand times, the only difference being that nobody paid attention until > a high-profile band made it. I remember fuming at the latest Spin magazine > when they made a reference to "Idioteque" being the most 'fantastically > new-sounding' song in recent years or some such thing. Apparently the > english electronic act Autechre reinvented rock in 1994, because it sounds > just like something from their album "Incunabula" to me. I'll agree and disagree in varying degree. (Hey - what's with all the "gree" stuff?) Yes, any critical reaction to _Kid A_ that calls it "new" excessively is overstated. And yes, "Idioteque" in particular sounds a lot like what some of the more progressive electronic acts were doing a few years back (I'd namecheck Aphex Twin on that track, myself...). But...it's the combination of the varying ingredients that go into _Kid A_ that make it, if not new, relatively unusual. "Idioteque," for example, *sounds* like Aphex Twin - but it's also structured like a song and features vocals, two qualities that generally don't exist in the Twin's work (yes, there are songs with vocals - but they tend to be structured in the evolutionary mode of most of his tracks). And I'm curious: which albums would you name as being _Kid A_ being "made a thousand times" but by lower-profile acts? Which brings up the not unimportant fact that such an album being made by a high-profile act like Radiohead is its own importance: no, the Beatles weren't the first band to incorporate avant-garde tape loops into their songs, but they were the freakin' Beatles - which meant their doing so had far more influence than either earlier rock-based efforts at so doing (Zappa, I think, preceded them there) or certainly the academic electronic composers. - --Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey J e f f r e y N o r m a n The Architectural Dance Society www.uwm.edu/~jenor/ADS.html ::a squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous...got me? __Captain Beefheart__ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2001 06:57:27 -0700 From: "Jeff Brenneman" Subject: [loud-fans] TAPE SWAP REVIEW: Enchanted Racket (Part 2) TAPE SWAP REVIEW: Enchanted Racket Volume I: Its A Gas! Let me start off by saying this is my first time participating in the tape swap. It was another list member who expressed that the reviewing part was the part that was most difficult or least desirable. Im in total agreement only because I found verbal and written communication as a huge obstacle. With that said lets go.. Another Note: I requested Apples In Stereo, Fountains Of Wayne, Guided By Voices & The Spinanes. These were all bands that were recommended to me, but before the tape I had little or no exposure to. SIDE B: And You Werent In It On Her Majestys Secret Service  The John Barry Orchestra. Cant help but picturing Austin Powers revealing that masculine chest hair to shagadelic babes every time I hear this. The Daily Planet  Love. My favorite. Too cool for words. Gotta get the anthology CD! I did run out and purchase the Nuggets 4 disk box set because of this song and the Squires tune. The box set is something that Ive wanted to get for quite a while, these songs just pushed me a little further. By the way, I love the set! My Valuable Hunting Knife  Guided By Voices. This sounds like a demo or early recording. Along with the earlier GBV offering on side A (Surgical Forces,) I have come to believe that these guys might be something I should definitely check into. Theyll be playing here in San Diego this weekend, however, I already have tix for Psychedelic Furs, the same night, which well be seeing with a few friends of ours. Girlfriend  Hal Sirowitz. OK, this brings back memories of a double LP I had back in 86 that had a bunch of folks from the paisley underground circle reading their poetry, but Im not totally sure if this was included in that set. WHERE IS THIS FROM? No One Will Ever Love You  The Magnetic Fields. I dont care for this tune, reminds me too much of bad 80s music. I have heard a couple other MF songs that Ive enjoy though. Call me a sappy romantic, but I do think the lyrics on this one are awfully nice. Clowntime Is Over  Elvis Costello and The Attractions. I never got into E.C. not because I didnt care for his music. Ive been hearin quite a few songs lately that make me think he really is an incredible songwriter and Im considering picking up something from him. My guess is Id prefer something from his early years. Any recommendations? Sick Day  Fountains Of Wayne. GREAT SONG! Like I mentioned from the get-go, I had hadnt heard much from these guys so this was new. I bought this CD. Im assuming since its a self titled release, its probably their debut? Love the acoustics and melodies! Nobody Knows  Jason Faulkner. I havent been overly with the solo stuff Jason has released, but Im finding that his have a tendency to grow on me. I figure in a couple months, Ill wonder why I didnt realize he was a genious! In My Command  Crowded House. Another 80s group I never invested too much time with. I did borrow a best of CD from a friend 5 or 6 months ago and was surprised with how much I did like it. They seem to consistently write good songs, but nothing stood out as exceptional. Look Away  Apples In Stereo. I love these guys! Im going to have to invest into their matial iff the 2 songs included here (Seems So) are any indication of their talent! Bullshit Detector  Chris Mars. My least favorite song on the tape. If I wasnt too lazy to fast forward , Id do so everytime (if only this was a CD and I could skip to Sensurround.) Sensurround  They Might Be Giants. West included this because I was headin to the TMBG show. Great show, great song! I hadnt heard this one before so that made it all the better! They did not perform this at the show I went to. I think Id like a compilation of their songs (a comp. where I could pick the tracks, not a predertimined one.) Going All The Way  The Squires. Love this! This is included in that Nuggets box set. I dont know any other songs theyve released, but I really like this one! Great feel to it. Love that 60s guitar stuff! Free Yourself  The Untouchables. One of the few on the tape, I had actually heard before. This was a staple of the high school years. Saw these guys twice last year. Always a fun show. This song just isnt quite what it was though, but great memories! ? (Its A Gas!) What can be said about this? This would make a great song to follow tequila on a mix tape or great for a first date? Thanks West for the great tape. I think you cost me about $100 with everything I bought! Ill send you a bill! Im kidding. THANKS AGAIN WEST! Later, Jeff _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2001 09:19:49 -0500 From: Dan Sallitt Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Re: Tape Swap Review (Jason, Part 1) > >You know, maybe it's just me, but I don't like TIM as much as a lot of > >people do. I think LET IT BE and PLEASED TO MEET ME are the masterpieces. Me too, though HOOTENANNY also deserves some kind of special award for having the most personality. Never cared a lot for TIM as a whole. - Dan ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 10:29:19 -0400 From: Dana L Paoli Subject: [loud-fans] isolation drills (ns) So, today is the day that it officially comes out. From what I've been reading, the buzz on this is very positive. (spoiler space following) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Ok, I'm not going to go on a tirade, but after spending quite a bit of time with this, I'm pretty convinced (IMHO) that it's absolutely terrible. It sort of sounds like a classic rock album. But, if you take a moments break to put on, say, Who's Next, you quickly realize how one-dimensional Mr. Pollard's take on that sound really is, this time out. IMHO, it's an endless wall of rockin' guitars, rockin' drums, rockin' vocals, and songs that sound like they're about to be catchy but never quite make it there. At this point, I'm of the opinion that many GBV fans have entered a strange state of denial, where literally anything that Mr. Pollard puts out short of a disco album is going to get their praise. So I won't be surprised to see this album get good reviews based ultimately on the fact that there are no obvious flaws in the production. I have no real axe to grind, and I think that Robert Pollard deserves to be a rock god as much as anyone. But, this is a really bad record, in the sense that it's not even interestingly bad. It sounds much like the Platonic Form of the Classic Rock that ultimately pissed people off to the point where they felt compelled to put safety pins in their noses and act nice to art school drop outs. I'd strongly urge people to make an attempt to hear some of this before buying a copy. - --dana ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 11:09:29 EDT From: MarkWStaples@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] isolation drills (ns) In a message dated 4/3/01 10:34:38 AM Eastern Daylight Time, dana-boy@juno.com writes: << But, this is a really bad record, in the sense that it's not even interestingly bad. It sounds much like the Platonic Form of the Classic Rock that ultimately pissed people off to the point where they felt compelled to put safety pins in their noses and act nice to art school drop outs. I'd strongly urge people to make an attempt to hear some of this before buying a copy. >> I know I should like GBV...it's like I'm supposed to like them or something (its like you can't REALLY consider yourself a SERIOUS record collector if you don't have at least all their major releases or something), but I don't, and I've heard them going back to VAMPIRE ON TITUS. Bought that one and hated it...bought ALIEN LANES and hated it (never bought BEE THOUSAND...maybe that's the one to get...seems to be critic's choice), listened to the last one produced by Ric Ocasek and hated it, and have just given up on them. I do, however like Tobin Sprout's MOONFLOWER PLASTIC, so I cannot say there is nothing affiliated with GBV that I like. Pollard's music just strikes me as negative and miserable, and I've given it several chances to click with me. It's not the self-conscious kind of negativity and misery that I like (ie the Smiths and Morrissey), it's just a bloody nihilstic, hopeless kind...and THEN it pisses you off because the song is over in 2 minutes. Well, if I spent a few minutes writing this e-mail then Pollard's tunage must move me enough to have at least some feelings about it, and that's better than complete apathy. M np Of Montreal CHERRY PEEL ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 11:49:27 -0400 From: Dennis_McGreevy@praxair.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Soft Boys Chicago Notes Jsgn Mike points out: << as well as covers of the Byrds' "Bells of Rhymney" (sp?), "Train Comin' Round the Bend" by the Velvet Underground, and Syd/Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive". >> Actually, the Syd/Floyd tune was "Astronomy Domine", as heard on "Lope At The Hive". [...] "Leppo" was on the copy of the setlist I saw, but it wasn't played. <><><><><><><><> <><><><><><><><> Oops, sorry! I always confuse those Floyd songs. Couldn't say why. So "Leppo..." was on the set list? I wish they'd done that one; the omission of their more strange and aggressive material was my only real gripe. Also, Jeff explains it for me and you: Dennis discovered a time vortex through which he was actually witnessing the Minneapolis show of the following evening (whose events he exactly describes in the rest of his post) and not the apparently subpar Chicago show witnessed by Triggercut. <><><><><><><> This sort of temporal ripple happens every time they change us from good old fashioned American time to this daylight savings crap. And not just to me either; I'm merely one of the few who have figured out what's going on. The damn Federal Government can tell you it's perfectly safe all they want, but I'll bet you a month's worth of canned goods that movie y'all are talking about wasn't originally made to run end to beginning, either. It's not Natural. for perfect awareness, - --Dennis(, actually happy to be able top walk my dog after work and have it still be light out) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 11:57:40 -0400 (EDT) From: dmw Subject: [loud-fans] Creeping through the Lagoon with the Pixy's Ghost On Mon, 2 Apr 2001, Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey wrote: > Sounds right. Didn't they open for That One Band We Don't Discuss on the > DFD tour? > > > Doug's namechecks of Radiohead and Soul Asylum suggests that the new one > > sounds a *lot* different, and the references scare me. > > They have an EP that came out last year - title escapes me - but it sounds > nothing like either Radiohead (whom I like) or Soul Asylum (whom I once > liked, until they were clearly replaced by the same evil aliens who did in > Rod Stewart sometime in the mid-seventies). It is less beatsy/productiony > and more rocky than the full-length, but also with hints of psychedelia. "watering ghost garden" which i don't recall sounding anything like the new one. i dunno, take the radiohead with a grain of salt if you like. i was trying to get at the widescreen vibe of the thing, as well as a couple of vocal or instrumental phrases/arrangement details that struck me as specifically radiohead-y, but definitely more at a micro-level than a whole-song-ripoff level. actual mileage will vary; your mileage will probably be less. maybe dan murphy more than dave pirner, come to think of it. it is really slick and, y'know, B*I*G, and i wanted to hate it, but couldn't, quite. hey: there's been some folks praising the new frank black, and i wonder if anyone wants to be more concrete about it & where it stands in relation to his other work. i thought the previous catholics disc(s? i'm not even sure how many i've heard) had moments, but the last thing i really *liked* as a whole album was probably _teenager of the year_. i think i'm going to see Frank Black and the Catholics at the Black Cat on (Good) Friday the 13th anyway, because, jeez, how could I not?? I expect the show will usher in the apocalypse. - -- d. - - oh no, you've just read mail from doug = dmw@radix.net - get yr pathos - - www.pathetic-caverns.com -- books, flicks, tunes, etc. = reviews - - www.fecklessbeast.com -- angst, guilt, fear, betrayal! = guitar pop ------------------------------ Date: 3 Apr 2001 11:16:57 -0700 From: mbowen@samoyedsoft.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Soft Boys Chicago Notes On Tue, 03 April 2001, Dennis_McGreevy@praxair.com wrote: > So "Leppo..." was on the set list? I wish they'd done that one; the omission of > their more strange and aggressive material was my only real gripe. They played "Leppo" at the NYC show. The second encore was also kind of interesting: band takes stage in darkness, a couple of tuning-type noises, the lights come up, and it's the Young Fresh Fellows, playing "Give It To The Soft Boys". When they finish, the aforementioned Soft Boys come out and all eight bash through "Rock & Roll Toilet". MB, who just gave Unca Bob $2.50 and that awful guy with the ponytail in the online broker ad $7.50 - can I have it back, please? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 19:25:22 +0100 From: "Phil Gerrard" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] isolation drills (ns) I haven't got my copy of the album yet (of course, I've had to order it from the States as no Brit release date appears to have been set), but the tracks and sound clips I've heard so far have impressed me mightily... anyway, I'll reserve comment on dana's POV until I've had a chance for everything to soak in. Mark wrote: > I've heard them going back to VAMPIRE > ON TITUS. Bought that one and hated it...bought ALIEN LANES and hated > it (never bought BEE THOUSAND...maybe that's the one to get...seems to > be critic's choice), listened to the last one produced by Ric Ocasek > and hated it, and have just given up on them. I do, however like > Tobin Sprout's MOONFLOWER PLASTIC, so I cannot say there is nothing > affiliated with GBV that I like. Pollard's music just strikes me as > negative and miserable, and I've given it several chances to click > with me. It's not the self-conscious kind of negativity and misery > that I like (ie the Smiths and Morrissey), it's just a bloody > nihilstic, hopeless kind...and THEN it pisses you off because the song > is over in 2 minutes. Well, if I spent a few minutes writing this > e-mail then Pollard's tunage must move me enough to have at least some > feelings about it, and that's better than complete apathy. Personally, I like 'Alien Lanes' more than 'Bee Thousand' - it seems more cohesive to me - but I know I'm in the minority on that one. However, the vibe I've got from Pollard's music has always been anything but nihilistic and miserable: in fact, I've always thought that for such a 'credible' artist in critical terms he's created music that's amazingly positive and life-affirming. I hasten to add that it's the very self-awareness of the Smiths that has distanced me from enjoying their work - I'm sorry, but there's nothing that I loathe more in English artists than their much-vaunted sense of 'irony'. I've also got to say that to me I find Bob Mould's work, which is often seen as apathetically miserable, truly inspiring, but that the Replacements really did strike me as frighteningly nihilistic at times, so maybe I'm not in tune with everybody about these matters. There's a naive longing to a lot of the GBV stuff that I find tremendously attractive, the same kind of fumbling for meaning that was there on the first few REM albums, and that, to me, suggests an optimism, a belief in some kind of undefinable and maybe unattainable beauty, which strikes me as the polar opposite of nihilism. That was still there on 'Do the Collapse' ('Things I Will Keep' and 'Avalanche Aminos', the last few bars of which were among the most uplifting things I heard in 1998) and even more so on 'Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department'. I can understand that the increased professionalism of GBV as a band might seem to some to be eroding that charm, but to me the content is still there regardless of its current form, and (heresy!) the instrumental power of the current lineup brings it home even more forcefully at times. Oops - I seem to be launching into a defence of a record I haven't even heard all the way through yet, so I'd better stop there, but even if 'Isolation Drills' does end up disappointing me, and at the moment I'd be willing to bet it won't, it'll still take a few more releases to convince me to write Pollard off, or to start seeing his body of work as anything other than one of the most oddly uplifting I've ever been lucky enough to come across. peace & love phil ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2001 12:41:36 -0600 From: Stewart Mason Subject: Re: [loud-fans] isolation drills (ns) At 07:25 PM 4/3/01 +0100, Phil Gerrard wrote: >However, the vibe I've got from Pollard's music has always been >anything but nihilistic and miserable: in fact, I've always thought >that for such a 'credible' artist in critical terms he's created music >that's amazingly positive and life-affirming. I'm trying to think of a single GBV song that strikes me as particularly nihilistic or miserable, and nothing's coming to me. In fact, most of Pollard's lyrics are so thoroughly opaque that it's largely impossible for me to ascribe *any* particular emotion to them. On the other hand, Phil's right, I can think of a number of GBV songs that are entirely positive: for example, "Echoes Myron," one of my favorite songs of its era, is absolutely transcendental. Ditto "The Official Ironman Rally Song," which is downright anthemic in an "arise, ye downtrodden" way. >I hasten to add that it's >the very self-awareness of the Smiths that has distanced me from >enjoying their work - I'm sorry, but there's nothing that I loathe more >in English artists than their much-vaunted sense of 'irony'. I've always found it a good rule of thumb to steer well clear of anyone over the age of about 16 who takes the Smiths seriously. S ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 14:49:34 -0400 (EDT) From: Aaron Mandel Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Creeping through the Lagoon with the Pixy's Ghost On Tue, 3 Apr 2001, dmw wrote: > there's been some folks praising the new frank black, and i wonder if > anyone wants to be more concrete about it & where it stands in > relation to his other work. i thought the previous catholics disc(s? > i'm not even sure how many i've heard) had moments, but the last thing > i really *liked* as a whole album was probably _teenager of the year_. it sounds much more like the other Catholics albums than like anything earlier. i'd say it's the best of the three, but that's largely because i can no longer hear any connection to his days in the Pixies, and so i can fail to fall in love with it without being too disappointed. doesn't sound like it would be an effective use of your music dollar. i heard the new GBV a few weeks ago when they sent the station one, and i too would be bored. i'll still buy the Fading Captain records, but i've had enough of the "official" GBV. a ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 11:53:58 -0700 (PDT) From: "Joseph M. Mallon" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] isolation drills (ns) On Tue, 3 Apr 2001, Stewart Mason wrote: > I've always found it a good rule of thumb to steer well clear of anyone > over the age of about 16 who takes the Smiths seriously. April's MOJO has a cover story on the making of THE QUEEN IS DEAD, a great album. Apparently - and who knew? - Morrisey's a bit of a prick. Such bloody awful poetry, J. Mallon ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 15:10:38 -0400 From: Dana L Paoli Subject: [loud-fans] Isolation Drills (ns) Stewart said: I'm trying to think of a single GBV song that strikes me as particularly nihilistic or miserable, and nothing's coming to me. In fact, most of Pollard's lyrics are so thoroughly opaque that it's largely impossible for me to ascribe *any* particular emotion to them. >>>>>>>>>>>> I personally wouldn't argue with that, but here's a sample of what the critics are saying (this is reasonably typical): "Pain, they say, makes for great art. If this is true, it might explain why Isolation Drills, Guided By Voices' 12th proper album, is one of the bands best. Written and recorded while Robert Pollard was separating from his wife of more than 20 years, these 16 songs form a sketchbook betraying his sadness and loneliness. From his crumbling marriage ("the Brides Have Hit Glass", "Fine To See You") to his search for spiritual comfort ("Twilight Campfighter"), Pollard's prose leaves little room for misinterpretation. "How's My Drinking?" - which the band (augmented by Elliot Smith on organ and ex-GBV member Tobin Sprout on piano) takes at a slow deliberate pace - is positively chilling, the lyrics ("I don't care about being sober.....I won't change") dissolving into a wordless melody that's gradually swallowed by the swelling instruments." [End Quote] Here's a link to a number of reviews (all glowing) of the album: http://gbv.com/critics.html And, I read the Magnet interview with great sadness (no sarcasm at all). It sounds like a classic story about why we shouldn't get what we wish for. The final paragraph, where Robert is talking about how happy he is sitting in his new apartment, all by himself, cranking out songs, is awfully depressing. The paragraph (for those without the patience to follow links): M: I guess one good thing about your current situation is that you have more time for to work on music. RP: Yeah. I've got an apartment by myself. I like being alone. I miss being at home, but this apartment looks like my office. I've got my records and my stereo, my table with everything on it. I don't have to clean up after myself. I think that helps the creative process. I'm constantly working now. I don't have to take a break to go have lunch or coach or watch a sporting event -- I can just do whatever I want. That may sound selfish, but I'm not being selfish -- I'm just saying it helps. So, he's gone from being married, working as a schoolteacher, and hanging out with his buddies in the basement, pretending to be a rock star...to this. I don't know him personally, and god knows I hope it's not as bad as this sounds, but I don't know if I've ever seen a better argument against becoming famous. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he'll win a Grammy, fall in love, and live happily ever after. - --dana ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 14:57:52 -0500 From: Chris Prew Subject: Re: [loud-fans] isolation drills, Smiths (ns) On Tuesday, April 3, 2001, at 01:41 PM, Stewart Mason wrote: > > I've always found it a good rule of thumb to steer well clear of anyone > over the age of about 16 who takes the Smiths seriously. > > S > I would caveat by saying "...unless you listen to it for Johnny Marr's guitars." I pulled out 'Strangeways' the other day and gave it a listen, and although there are a couple decent cuts, alot of it is pretty dreadful. But there are moments on the first 3 albums that still give me chills, and none of them due to Morrissey. Chris now using as an operating system: Mac OS X. Review.....cute, but slow, and more than a bit buggy. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 14:27:59 -0600 From: Roger Winston Subject: [loud-fans] worse than Y2K? Excuse the geek talk, but this might be of general interest to other tech people. A couple of projects here have been hit by Microsoft's "April Fools Day Bug" (http://msdn.microsoft.com/visualc/headlines/2001.asp). It seems that a common version of Microsoft's C compiler calculates the start of Daylight Savings Time wrong on years when April 1st falls on a Sunday, so that any programs compiled using that compiler think that DST doesn't start until April 8th. It was driving us batty trying to figure out why the clocks on our NT servers had the right time, but certain programs were returning the pre-DST time. Needless to say, this can cause havoc with systems that depend on scheduled and/or real-time processing. There's no real workaround without re-compiling the programs with an updated version of the compiler, but at least everything should return to normal next Sunday if nothing is done. I just wonder what systems this is affecting adversely that no one has realized yet... Apparently Microsoft knew about this back in August 1999, but failed to really publicize it (surprise!). Aaaargh. Later. --Rog Roger Winston/Reign delle Rane ``Not every candle burns'' http://www.reignoffrogs.com ------------------------------ End of loud-fans-digest V1 #21 ******************************