From: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org (loud-fans-digest) To: loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Subject: loud-fans-digest V2 #19 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 Thursday, January 17 2002 Volume 02 : Number 019 Today's Subjects: ----------------- RE: [loud-fans] getting it off my community chest ["Larry Tucker" ] Re: [loud-fans] Introduction [dmw ] Re: [loud-fans] getting it off my community chest [JRT456@aol.com] Re: [loud-fans] getting it off my community chest [Steve Holtebeck ] Re: [loud-fans] Introduction [AWeiss4338@aol.com] RE: [loud-fans] Introduction ["Chris Murtland" ] RE: [loud-fans] Introduction ["Chris Murtland" ] Re: [loud-fans] Introduction ["West Moran" ] Re: [loud-fans] ay carumba! ["West Moran" ] RE: [loud-fans] Introduction ["glenn mcdonald" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 18:01:32 -0500 From: "Larry Tucker" Subject: RE: [loud-fans] getting it off my community chest |-----Original Message----- |From: Miles Goosens [mailto:outdoorminer@mindspring.com] |I hope that any lingering doubts as to whether she "belongs" will |fade. Hearing the same from Larry is even more surprising -- Larry's |updates and reviews about goings-on in the Research Triangle |and environs, |his recommendations, and his off- and on-list generosity seem |like part of |the bedrock of the list. Larry offers the disclaimer that |he's not looking |to the list for emotional support, but I think all the same that it |wouldn't hurt for those of us who appreciate Larry to let him |know about |it! Heck, I had even thought that Jen had carved out a distinct and |accepted niche for herself -- and I still do think this, even more so |now. So stop feeling left out already! Ah jeez Miles your getting me all mushy here. I wasn't exactly put off by the personlalities on the list when I first got on, maybe more just intimidated to find such a large group of people that knew a whole lot about not only the music I loved, but also the music I would learn to love through my exposure on this list. Most music recommendations I get from Audities or even Fegmaniax I tend to have to temper with an understanding of the source, but here, I've generally found that if another loudfan likes something I usually seem to find at least something I can grab onto as well. Hugs to Miles, - -Larry Now where's that box of tissue..... ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 18:13:57 -0500 From: jenny grover Subject: Re: [loud-fans] getting it off my community chest Larry Tucker wrote: > She got sould, but I don't know. She vibrates my bone soul DC? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 15:50:30 -0800 From: Elizabeth Setler Subject: Re: [loud-fans] getting it off my community chest Just another personal view on this subject, from a relatively recent addition to the list (for instance, don't even know who Janet is!). I've gotta say, I was a little surprised to see this come up here. I can be pretty easily intimidated in new groups, and although I haven't posted a WHOLE lot since I've been here, the times that I have done so I've never felt insulted, snubbed or ignored - even when posting pointless personal anecdotes like the one in which the block next to mine was closed off due to bees. Once I had someone correct a bad bit of English usage in one of my posts, but they did so in the nicest possible way - and as someone who worked as a copy editor for about 15 years, I was glad to have the information! Actually, it was pretty funny. This is one of probably fewer than five lists that I never think about unsubbing from. I've met a group of people from the list once, the day of the 125 Records launch party, and really, they couldn't have been nicer. That's really the only opportunity that there's been for socialization since I've been here. And again, this is one of a very few lists where I'd go to a get-together with anything other than extreme trepidation. (I used to do that sort of thing a lot, but after having more bad experiences than good, I pretty much stopped.) I haven't really made *close* friends here (although I knew a few people before I subscribed), but then again I haven't made much of an effort. Maybe if I had, I'd be feeling terribly rejected right now, too. But based only on my own experience, I think this is a pretty nifty place. 36, English major, contact lenses and no beard, for the record. - -- Elizabeth ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 19:56:11 EST From: AWeiss4338@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] getting it off my community chest In a message dated 1/16/02 5:40:59 PM Eastern Standard Time, outdoorminer@mindspring.com writes: > longtime and valuable listmembers like Andrea > Weiss and Larry Tucker said that *they* don't always feel like a part of > the group. I remember Andrea getting off to a rough start with the group, > but as we discovered her overwhelmingly good qualities and as she patiently > tried to figure out what on earth she'd gotten herself into, we adjusted to > her or she adjusted to us or something! I had thought that any issues > about acceptance were long past. Anyway, I'm glad Andrea's still here, and > I hope that any lingering doubts as to whether she "belongs" will > Hi, Thanks! I do remember how awkward it was, I was very excited to find this list, after having been a fan for so long, and was somewhat klutzy as a result. I think it was mutual adjusting. I am glad this topic is being aired, there are times, like now where I do feel included, or the last time I almost made a misstep, my post about Joey Ramone, where I really thought I was in for it, and a lot of people came to the rescue, which was great. I thank everyone too. I guess when I don't feel included is when I make a comment that accidentally provokes people, which has happened and has made me upset. I do have my opinions, and sometimes can be headstrong about them. Andrea ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 17:24:33 -0800 From: Michael Zwirn Subject: Re: [loud-fans] getting it off my community chest On 1/16/02 3:50 PM, Elizabeth Setler wrote: > I've gotta say, I was a little surprised to see this come up here. I > can be pretty easily intimidated in new groups, and although I > haven't posted a WHOLE lot since I've been here, the times that I > have done so I've never felt insulted, snubbed or ignored - Believe it or not, I always felt more alienated on the Crowded House list (which Elizabeth would know) than the Loud Family list. Which is weird, 'cuz, you know, Crowded House is NOT an alienating band. It seemed to be more a function of size of the listserv, as well as contributory factors like geography and the time period of fandom - people were very big about telling of their experiences seeing Split Enz in Whakarei in nineteen seventy-whatever. Also, I think, the fact that the fan base was spread over six continents made get-togethers, except in big centers like London or Sydney, awkward. I have made great friends on the listserv, partly because of the nature of my peregrinations (seeing people in DC, Boston, Denver, Seattle, Portland, Montreal, the Bay and elsewhere) but partly through IRC. I agree that it's a much more intimate and engaging means of communication - just as wont to be trivial and snarky, but so much more immediate. I also have no compunctions about visiting the homes of loudfans and crashing with them (thanks guys!) so maybe I have a high tolerance for letting my on-line existence bleed into my real life. Let it be known, I have not liked every single individual I have met on loudfans (speaking both of the list and in-person). That fact notwithstanding, you all are among the most consistently interesting, articulate, concerned, friendly and outgoing folks I know. Give yourselves a big pat on the back. Michael 28. Glasses, no beard. International relations/environmental studies major. - -- "A girl needs a gun these days, hey, on account of all the rattlesnakes." Lloyd Cole ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 20:51:16 -0500 From: "John Swartzentruber" Subject: [loud-fans] Introduction I don't know whether I'm going to be loved or hated (or at least reviled) for suggesting this, but it seems like one of the difficulties on a list like this is figuring out who the hell everyone is and where they are coming from. I've been on this list (mostly lurking) since the TToOL days, but I still have trouble keeping all of the Aarons, Andrews, Michaels, Jens, and Jers straight. What we need is a program. Ya can't tell the players without a program. Anyone want to volunteer a simple web page with a paragraph of non-personal, non-embarrassing, details about anyone who cares to contribute? I'll even kick things off: Name: John Swartzentruber Location: Harrisonburg, Virginia Occupation: Software Engineer (C++ Windows), work at home but not self employed Married to Lauren McKinney Children: Jack (2) and Will (7 weeks) Birthday: 20 January 1963 Beard: none since I got married Vision correction: bi-toric gas-permeable contacts Met Janet: Yes, at the Worthington Library Other: broke leg skydiving (actually it was the landing) Of course no one really cares about a lurker like me, so let's hear from the top ten. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 22:34:31 -0500 (EST) From: dmw Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Introduction If there's interest, I'd be happy to host such a thing, I've got plenty of space. Maybe something nice and easy where everybody could send me their personal html file, and all I'd have to do would be make an index Name: doug mayo-wells Location: washington dc Occupation: unemployed Things I get money to do sometimes: write (code, fiction, journalism etc.) music (play, record, reinforce, etc.) Marital status: Single, no kids. Birthday: Cancer Age: old enough to know better, too young to care Beard: I don't shave *every* day (see Occupation) Vision: sit in fourth row or thereabouts for subtitled films; wear shades at innappropriate times Met Janet: to my delight, quite a few times Other: I'm not good at straight answers. - -- d. - ------------------------------------------------- Mayo-Wells Media Workshop dmw@ http://www.mwmw.com mwmw.com Web Development * Multimedia Consulting * Hosting ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 22:52:42 EST From: JRT456@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] getting it off my community chest In a message dated 1/16/02 2:40:59 PM, outdoorminer@mindspring.com writes: << Our June visit to New York City (was this the last extensively written-up Loud-Fan meeting?) coincided with the worst on-list controversy we'd had to that point.. >> Ah, yes, June '99. Who can ever forget that awful... wait, was this another battle between bigots who hate Daniel Pinkwater and extremists who can't stand Douglas Coupland? Or did somebody make fun of AOL members again? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 20:23:33 -0800 From: Steve Holtebeck Subject: Re: [loud-fans] getting it off my community chest Ian Runeckles & Angela Bennett wrote: > Carolyn wrote: > >I noticed such a change here after Scott retired-It was a lot of fun > >for us fans when they were touring but I'm sure not very fun for the > >band. I enjoyed meeting lots of people from the NJ NY area, and Steve > >H, Joe Mallon, and Sue T. when they were out here from California few > >years ago. I mean that--I haven't seen any of those people recently > >but it was very nice to meet everyone. > > Strangely enough these (Steve, Joe and Sue) are the 3 Loud Fans that I > met most recently when they were over in the UK back in November! My > Loud Fan meeting batting average isn't that high seeing as how I'm some > way away from most of you and separated by an ocean but I've certainly > made one extremely good friend through the list and every Loud Fan I've > met has been really friendly and a pleasure to meet. Just to clarify, I don't take all my vacations at the same times and places as Sue & Joe do. I did go with them to watch the LF in Portland and Seattle on the 1998 DFD tour together, but we both (they and I) both *independently* decided to visit the East Coast in the Spring of 2000 (which just happened to be when the LF were touring), then both independently decided to visit the U.K. last November, one week apart from each other. And even though I did name all their releases and their release show in my 2001 top ten list yesterday, I'm really not on the 125 Records payroll. However, it is refreshing to have my consumer needs pandered to by at least one record label! Given my propensity for travel and Loud shows, I've probably met more loud-fans than a lot of other people here ("dude, you've met Stewart *and* glenn?"), and also almost met up with Jenny Grover at Bumbershoot 2000 (we were probably at the same show and didn't notice each other), and I have to echo what others have said that loud-fans are the best. I've met more good friends here than one could possibly meet in any online community, and lots of other groovy acquaintances through loud-swaps and whatnot. That said, I agree with Carolyn that the tone of the list changed after the final LF tour in April 2000. Even though the discussions here were never that much "on topic", we all had the common bond of Scott Miller's music, and once that bond was gone, there wasn't anything to take it's place holding us together. Plus, personally speaking, I've felt a slight disconnect with the list in the last year and a half, since at least five of the closest friends I've met here (without naming names) are now either unsubscribed or lurking. I'm sure if Scott were still making music and playing out occasionally, people would have more opportunities to meet up with each other, and the list would've continued to grow more vibrant instead of kind of stagnating the way it kind of has. Elizabeth wrote: > I've met a group of people from the list once, the day of the 125 > Records launch party, and really, they couldn't have been nicer. That was a really fun evening (June 30th), but to cement the connection that this list has with Scott's activities, I haven't seen most of the SF Bay Area loud-fan contingent "in the flesh" so to speak since that show. We should all force Scott to play more shows in the future, so we could all see each other more frequently! Steve ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 20:33:25 -0800 (PST) From: mweber@library.berkeley.edu (Matthew Weber) Subject: Re: [loud-fans] getting it off my community chest At 8:23 PM 1/16/2, Steve Holtebeck wrote: >That was a really fun evening (June 30th), but to cement the connection >that this list has with Scott's activities, I haven't seen most of the >SF Bay Area loud-fan contingent "in the flesh" so to speak since that >show. We should all force Scott to play more shows in the future, so we >could all see each other more frequently! Or maybe we could meet at other shows? I know the idea is unorthodox... Matt It is a question of justice, of mercy, of honesty...If there is a man in the world who is not willing to give to every human being every right he claims for himself, he is just so much nearer a barbarian than I am. It is a question of honesty. The man who is not willing to give to every other the same intellectual rights he claims for himself, is dishonest, selfish, and brutal. Robert Ingersoll, _The Liberty of Man, Woman and Child_ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 23:45:10 -0500 From: "glenn mcdonald" Subject: RE: [loud-fans] getting it off my community chest > Or maybe we could meet at other shows? I know the idea is unorthodox... Here in the Boston chapter the meeting excuses of choice are Indian food, any concert likely to attract satchel-wearing indie hordes, and Scrabble. Please be aware, if you visit the area, that it is unwise to ever let Aaron Mandel have the last turn in a word game. glenn ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 22:51:42 -0600 (CST) From: Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey Subject: Re: [loud-fans] getting it off my community chest Tonight's question on "Jeopardy": "How might one characterize Walter Carlos after the operation?" On Wed, 16 Jan 2002, Dennis McGreevy wrote: > a lass and a lack. Thank you, and we have a winner! - --Jeff J e f f r e y N o r m a n The Architectural Dance Society www.uwm.edu/~jenor/ADS.html ::the popularity of the gruesome FACES OF DEATH video series is ::apparently so great that a children's version is in production, ::to be called FACES OF OWIES. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 23:07:27 -0600 (CST) From: Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey Subject: Re: [loud-fans] getting it off my community chest On Wed, 16 Jan 2002, Dennis McGreevy wrote: > that's really how I am. More specifically, I'll bring this back to > topic: I don't think "The Ballad of How You Can All Shut Up" would be > as emotionally engaging to me if one stereo channel were not taken from > the "Learn To Speak WR#Y*1T session outtakes. I find that stuff at least as compelling and resonant > to my emotional experience as our nominal subject's propensity to use > "pop" song forms to house emotional chinese puzzle boxes (which I Absolutely. And to bring this back off topic - but at least to a topic related to on-topic, by interest - I remember being completely floored, emotionally, by the scene in Joyce's _Ulysses_ in which Bloom discovers that Molly's cheated on him, narrated more or less in the style of a point-by-point, scholastic interrogation: that extreme disjunction between the supposedly objective, proto-scientific means and emotionality of ends made the scene far more effective than a more conventional subjective description might have been. (Apologies for any inaccuracies - it's been years since I've read it.) Also, re Miles' bit about June of '99: that's when I sold my soul patch to Satan. - --Jeff, white male 40 somewhat overweight beard glasses graduate degree in English size 10 1/2 shoe J e f f r e y N o r m a n The Architectural Dance Society www.uwm.edu/~jenor/ADS.html ::I can bellow like a clown school drill instructor:: __Brian Block__ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 23:40:37 -0600 (CST) From: Jeffrey with 2 Fs Jeffrey Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Introduction On Wed, 16 Jan 2002, John Swartzentruber wrote: > Anyone want to volunteer a simple web page with a paragraph of > non-personal, non-embarrassing, details about anyone who cares to > contribute? I'll even kick things off: Non-embarrassing? Now how fun is that? > Name: Jeff Norman > Location: Milwaukee, WI > Occupation: English teacher at UW-Milwaukee (technically, "lecturer" - more or less an adjunct but sans Ph.D. - no, I don't actually lecture) - also work as an administrative assistant at a small tax-accounting firm. I also do not get paid to get free CDs and blabble about them periodically. > Married to Rose Hilbert, who's an architect > Children: none. Am a serial uncle, however > Birthday: 12/20/61 > Beard: yes. had one off and on (mostly on) since sr. year of HS. For a couple years, it was a goatee; normally, it's a full beard but kept trimmed to just shorter than the shortest setting on my beard trimmer. It's gone mostly white - if I were vain about aging, I'd shave it or dye it. I'm not. > Vision correction: glasses: black wire frames (Armani - I'm such a snob). John S. says: "bi-toric gas-permeable contact": does that have anything to do with the Snow Dog? > Met Janet: Yes, many a time > Other: Am not actually a robot Thank god I wasn't the first to respond to this. - --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 ::flag on the moon...how'd it get there?:: ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 00:56:06 -0500 From: jenny grover Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Introduction Name: Jen Grover Location: Huntington, WV Occupation: artist, photographer, writer Married to Larry Grover Children: none Cats: three Birthday: June 20, 1961 Beard: not at the moment Vision correction: none Met Janet: nope Other: fishing and baseball ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 01:03:06 EST From: AWeiss4338@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Introduction Andrea Weiss Red Bank NJ, West Windsor NJ Job, writing, office worker at holistic counseling center in RB single no kids no pets B-day 3-29-63, the big 39 in march, where does the time go no beard wear contact lenses, glasses, nearsighted never met Janet hobbies: music, traveling Andrea ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 01:11:40 -0500 From: "Chris Murtland" Subject: RE: [loud-fans] Introduction Discreet SWM ISO loving caring internet community to heal my emotional wounds with list-making; don't want to play games - looking for the "one"; do you have what it takes? - -------------------------------------------------- Name: Christopher Clement Conrad Murtland (Dr. Murt) Rank: #1 Serial Number: 666 Location: Winston-Salem, NC (hometown of Let's Active, The dB's and Chris Stamey; recording location of Real Nighttime, The Big Shot Chronicles, and Lolita Nation - not sure where "Two Steps..." was recorded) Occupation: overworked owner of internet company/programmer/geek Work Style: pajamas, coffee, cigarettes, mp3s Married: To an ideal Birthdate: May 25, 1970 Cat: Sherby Facial Hair Status: jazz dot Vision: 20/20 Met Janet: nope Rock Band: Splice Factor Instrument: guitar Eye Color: blue Favorite Loud Album: Interbabe Concern First Scottsong Heard: Where You Going, Northern? Interests: technology, philosophy, history, science, girls Too Much Information: Apparently ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 01:12:13 -0500 From: "Chris Murtland" Subject: RE: [loud-fans] Introduction Discreet SWM ISO loving caring internet community to heal my emotional wounds with list-making; don't want to play games - looking for the "one"; do you have what it takes? - -------------------------------------------------- Name: Christopher Clement Conrad Murtland (Dr. Murt) Rank: #1 Serial Number: 666 Location: Winston-Salem, NC (hometown of Let's Active, The dB's and Chris Stamey; recording location of Real Nighttime, The Big Shot Chronicles, and Lolita Nation - not sure where "Two Steps..." was recorded) Occupation: overworked owner of internet company/programmer/geek Work Style: pajamas, coffee, cigarettes, mp3s Married: To an ideal Birthdate: May 25, 1970 Cat: Sherby Facial Hair Status: jazz dot Vision: 20/20 Met Janet: nope Rock Band: Splice Factor Instrument: guitar Eye Color: blue Favorite Loud Album: Interbabe Concern First Scottsong Heard: Where You Going, Northern? Interests: technology, philosophy, history, science, girls Too Much Information: Apparently ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 23:11:17 -0800 From: "West Moran" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Introduction Name: West Anthony Moran, AKA West Anthony Location: Encino, CA Occupation: Office supervisor in Hell Spouse/Girlfriend: None Children: None Relatives: None Pets: None Date of birth: 6 October 1967 Facial hair: None Vision: Glasses, contact lenses Janet: Dammit Hobbies: Music (First album purchased: "The B-52s") Reading (Favorite writer: H.L. Mencken) Armchair film scholar (Favorite film: "The Right Stuff") Baseball (Hero: Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers) This better not be a market research scam. B) Somewhat interested, West. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 23:20:13 -0800 From: "West Moran" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] ay carumba! I received the same CD from Joe, and since J2F already summed up the track list, I'll just add that I found each and every song a thoroughly enjoyable experience; this is easily one of the all-time best collections of music I've ever received from a total stranger. Speaking of which, I must also apologize to you, J2F, for my ever-growing tardiness in getting your swap CD in the mail. I swear by Grabthar's Hammer I'll mail it within the week. Cake and eat it carousel, West. > I recently received two collections of music from two Loudfans...and I > can't even remember whether they're both for swaps, or what. So I'll > review 'em both (not in one message). > > First up is a fine CD from Joe Mallon and Sue Trowbridge, entitled _20 > Grandes Exitos del Sue y Joe 2001_. The cover is a wonderful parody of > those cheapy compilation CDs - a highlighted gold starburst "sticker" lets > the listener know (in two languages, yet) that the collection is NOT > AVAILABLE IN STORES, and a posed photo of a tango-ing couple is placed > over a generic backdrop of large, blue rectangular shapes. The theme is > carried throughout the packaging - cheesy fonts, cheesy publicity photos > adorning the back cover placed at jaunty angles, etc. > > So, on with the music. No word as to whether the tracks are in any order > of preference, or whose preference each track might be. Items marked with > asterisks indicate tracks I already owned. Items not marked with asterisks > generally indicate tracks you may laugh at me for not owning already. > > 1. The New Pornographers "The Fake Headlines"* - I love the opening line: > "I wrote the news today" - oh boy! > > 2. For Stars "How It Goes" - A swirling opening is led by synths and a > backwards-sounding guitar. There's a nice touch a minute or so in, as a > keyboard sort of halfway between a celeste and kalimba is brought up in > the mix. Much of the track burbles on without vocals, which bob upwards to > the surface less often than the song's structure might lead you to > believe. > > 3. The Orgone Box "Find the One" - A very Beatle-y verse, by way of a > somewhat Hitchcockian vocal tone, and something like a less yobbish Oasis > feel. I'm hearing the Hollies, too. Still and all, I'm not 100% > persuaded...in the "good not wonderful" category. > > 4. Jon Brion "I Believe She's Lying"* - Almost put this track on a comp I > made recently - great stuff; love the processed vocal harmonies on the > chorus. > > 5. Paula Carino "Discovering Fire"* - One of my favorite tracks from this > CD - although "Venus Records" is the breakout single in my alternate > universe. > > 6. Radiohead "Knives Out"* - Again, as with Jon Brion, this is the track I > probably would have chosen to represent the "hit" from this album. > > 7. Stereolab "Captain Easychord"* - Yeesh - have Joe and Sue been spying > on my mental listening log, or what? They keep choosing the same track > from the album that I would have...in fact, I just put this song on the > swap mix I sent out a few weeks back. > > 8. Rufus Wainwright "California" - No idea why I don't have this CD yet - > probably because there are too many other CDs in the world. Of course, > excellent songwriting, and the slightly offputting ironic air that > sometimes irked on the first CD is subdued on this track. > > 9. Belle and Sebastian "I'm Waking Up to Us" - Evidently, Belle and > Sebastian have discovered a previously unknown hidden cache of lost late > '60s MOR pop hits. Another in a string of excellent Belle and Sebastian > songs that sound, on first listen, as if I've known them since I was a kid > with one of those dinky earphones stuck in one ear, listening to AM radio > late at night from a little transistor radio secretly hidden beneath my > pillow. > > 10. The Orange Peels "So Far" - Steve Holtebeck forgive me...but I don't > have this one either. For no good reason, either: a very canny arrangement > lends interest to the usual popcraft. > > 11. Ben Folds "Still Fighting It" - The secret of Ben Folds is that, like > many smart-asses, he's really a sap. But that smart-assery cuts the logy > syrupiness, while the saccharine tendencies give a softening context to > the cynicism. Oh...the music's good, too. There's guitar on this - not > so's you can really notice - and some strings near the end. Not terribly > different from the BF5 records - nothing wrong w/that. > > 12. The Kirby Grips "Restraining Order" - An odd little number, catchy but > a bit repetitious, fun but kind of bizarre. For some reason, the second > verse is sung in some language I can't identify. Nice mandolin solo, too. > > 13. Jill Olson "Icy Sparks" - Sez here this is a demo from her forthcoming > 125 Records release - quite a coup for our favorite WWTBAM winners. Kind > of a slightly countryish take on a sort of "Gloria" progression...I like > her feisty singing, too. > > 14. The Bevis Frond "Early Riser" - This one's outfitted with a Beatlesque > descending chord progression and some cool harmonies on the title phrase. > Nice, warmly incandescent guitar solo, too. > > 15. The Donnas "40 Boys in 40 Nights" - The joys of the road, female > division. The lead-in to the chrosu is wittily double-entendred: "I've got > boys all over the road / I've got boys helping me unload." And remember: > "there's no cute boys in Decatur." > > 16. Lucinda Williams "Are You Down" - Exquisitely sung, arranged, and > played, but... This CD's drawn wildly mixed reviews, and I think I know > one reason why. (Even my hairdresser friend, who used to do Lucinda's hair > and practically worships her music, is lukewarm on this one.) I think she > leans on her band too much. The song basically has two chords, and much of > the track is instrumental vamping (a la the lamest, and inexplicably most > played on our college radio station, track from _Car Wheels_, "Joy"). > Seems like there'd be more song two-three years after that CD. > > 17. Yuji Oniki "Rails in Vain" - A lovely track, decorated by Bill Swan's > (Beulah) painterly trumpet playing. The increase in intensity going into > the chorus is very nicely done. Somthing sort of early '70s about this > one...not sure exactly what or who it reminds me of. > > 18. Fireking "I Don't Mind" - Never heard of these folks...anyway, I like > the bass part in the intro, and the way the guitar and piano work together > before the verses. Kind of a '70s hard power-pop thing going on here, but > another "good but not wonderful" song for me. > > 19. Weezer "Hash Pipe" - I'm dubious about the band's "rockin'" fixation - > the rock star posing in the photo promoting their current tour is a good > example, and the uber-seventies near-metal guitar sound here is another. > But as usual, it's catchy as hell even if the smugness feels like a > Mississippi August. > > 20. Stephen Malkmus "The Hook"* - A Sue selection, one imagines - unless > Joe's come around on this one. (I do wonder, given the occasional > disjunctiveness of S&J's tastes, how they divvied up the year's top 20 > records.) I like this okay, but I've never really warmed to it that much. > Actually, I think I like Spiral Stairs' Preston School of Industry album > better overall. > > Anyway, a great selection of tracks, likely to further drain my wallet and > take up yet more music-listening hours of my day. If this really *were* > the 20 biggest songs of 2001, well, it'd be a better world. > > Next up, Brian Block's cassette entitled _The Following Program Contains > Some Material_ > > --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 > :: The possibility of Klingon slash fiction > :: fills me with mild apprehension. > __ Michael Quinion __ > > np: The Soundtrack of Our Lives _Behind the Music_ (thanks to Steve H. for > suggesting this one!) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2002 02:55:46 -0500 From: "glenn mcdonald" Subject: RE: [loud-fans] Introduction Name: glenn mcdonald. Age: exactly I-forget-how-many years younger than Scott. Time zone: GMT-5:00 (Eastern US). Primary input mode: English. Occupational hazards: Complaining about technology that causes people to make mistakes they will themselves be blamed for, starting self-referential meta-threads about online communities in online communities. Partnering valence and current charge-state: heterosexual, unbonded. Pets: rubber plant (deceased), small fern (deceased), robotic toad (needs new batteries). Hair anywhere on head: not usually. Paradoxes: music-geek/soccer-fan, power-pop/death-metal, generous/irritable. Caveats: injury-prone. Strengths: excellent shoes, good with skillets. Weaknesses: currently all major left-side joints. Met: many, but not Janet. Emotional openness in public forum: www.furia.com. Vision aids: none required. ------------------------------ End of loud-fans-digest V2 #19 ******************************