From: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org (loud-fans-digest) To: loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Subject: loud-fans-digest V4 #188 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 Saturday, July 10 2004 Volume 04 : Number 188 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [loud-fans] Roundup of review swap review reviews ["Stefaan Hurts" ] [loud-fans] San Fran, Santa Rosa, and Davis, CA ["Kunkel, Mark" ] wilco (was Re: [loud-fans] Chicago) [dmw ] Re: [loud-fans] Roundup of review swap review reviews ["Fortissimo" ] Re: [loud-fans] Roundup of review swap review reviews ["Tim Walters" ] Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests [Matthew Weber ] RE: wilco (was Re: [loud-fans] Chicago) ["R. Kevin Doyle" ] [loud-fans] Top 5 [Gil Ray ] Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests [Roger Winston ] Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests [AWeiss4338@aol.com] Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests ["Fortissimo" ] Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests ["Michael Wells" ] [loud-fans] Re: Half Year Bests [Stewart Mason ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 08:40:18 -0400 From: "Stefaan Hurts" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Roundup of review swap review reviews > Frank Black > > Frank Black Francis* Frank Black Francis MacDonald ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 08:49:46 -0400 From: Dave Walker Subject: [loud-fans] Archives Ack... does anyone happen to have any sort of snapshot of the pre-smoe posts? I made the silly mistake of ass-u-me-ing that Escribe would always be around (duh, and I've been on the internet forever, you would think I'd have learned.) Given such a thing, I'd throw some cycles at trying to come up with some sort of searchable, not-quite-realtime archive. -d.w. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 09:59:08 -0500 From: "Kunkel, Mark" Subject: [loud-fans] San Fran, Santa Rosa, and Davis, CA Speaking of used CD store recommendations, where does one go in the above cities? I'm visiting my brother in Santa Rosa the week of July 19 and we'll be going to San Fran and Davis. (My mom's coming too, so please don't tell me about any really good and/or loud late night shows that I'd have to miss anyway....) (Cheap eats recommendations also accepted. As well as tourist-y things to do.) Thanks! - -- Mark ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 09:22:24 -0700 From: "Rex.Broome" Subject: [loud-fans] ATP finds, etc. Dan: >>Shan and I saw them/him at the ATP back in 2001 (on a bill with Wilco, >>Big Star, Destroy All Monsters, JOMF, etc.) and they (a 4 peice at the time) >>sounded similar to OP8 and Howe Gelb circa Listener but with a string trio >>backing Papa M himself, Dave Pajo, on guitar and vocals. I was at ATP but didn't see Papa M... my best pickup from the festival was Califone, whom I now really love. >>Headlining that show was Wilco, and once Big Star had ended their set, we >>left our plum seats to make room for Wilco fans. Having been frozen out of >>the prior night's Television performance by the crowds and having little >>knowledge of Wilco at the time, we figured we didn't need to stay and hog >>the seats. It was weird... to my mind Wilco was probably the biggest name on the bill, short of Eddie Vedder (whose ukelele-smashing act we missed, but we did catch Television)... but the crowd really thinned out after Big Star. Maybe it was the fact that the lineup was more experimental and Wilco seemed an odd fit at the time on a Sonic Youth-curated bill. That was right before Yanqui Go Home Foxtrot "dropped" and they were perhaps still considered rootsy alt-country, not having picked up the "difficult and arty" tag they now enjoy. They were quite good. Big Star was great, way better than I expected... I'm hearing rumblings of a whole new record, aren't I? - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 12:19:37 -0400 (EDT) From: dmw Subject: wilco (was Re: [loud-fans] Chicago) On Thu, 8 Jul 2004, Vallor wrote: > I haven't heard Being There, which I understand was the first album in which > they began experimenting with sound, nor have I heard AM which I hear is > more No Depression-y. > > Any thoughts on Wilco from the list ? i like "being there" an awful lot; i think tweedy's writing achieved more depth and resonance on that record -- more consistently if nothing else. "being there" is much more big star and much less gastr del sol/beach boys. a.m. is indeed much more straightforward and no depression-y. i don't listen to it nearly as much, although it remains the favorite of several of my friends in roots-rock/alt country bands. the pathetic caverns: a zine - opinionated and eclectic reviews a studio - specializing in indie/rock/mobile/live/demo recording http://www.pathetic-caverns.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 13:58:15 -0500 From: "Fortissimo" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Roundup of review swap review reviews On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 08:40:18 -0400, "Stefaan Hurts" said: > > Frank Black > > > > Frank Black Francis* > > Frank Black Francis MacDonald Ad Frank Black Francis MacDonald - ------------------------------- ...Jeff J e f f r e y N o r m a n The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com/ :: crumple zones:: :: harmful or fatal if swallowed :: :: small-craft warning :: ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 12:18:51 -0700 (PDT) From: Gil Ray Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Roundup of review swap review reviews Frank Black Francis MacDonald Hadda Farm Gil - --- Fortissimo wrote: > On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 08:40:18 -0400, "Stefaan Hurts" > said: > > > Frank Black > > > > > > Frank Black Francis* > > > > Frank Black Francis MacDonald > > Ad Frank Black Francis MacDonald > ------------------------------- > > ...Jeff > > J e f f r e y N o r m a n > The Architectural Dance Society > http://spanghew.blogspot.com/ > :: crumple zones:: > :: harmful or fatal if swallowed :: > :: small-craft warning :: > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Address AutoComplete - You start. We finish. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 14:59:43 -0500 From: "Fortissimo" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Roundup of review swap review reviews Being difficult, are ya? On Fri, 9 Jul 2004 12:18:51 -0700 (PDT), "Gil Ray" said: Ad Frank Black Francis MacDonald Hadda Farm(er in the Dell)-Tones - ------------------------------- ...Jeff J e f f r e y N o r m a n The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com/ :: "In two thousand years, they'll still be looking for Elvis - :: this is nothing new," said the priest. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 13:35:56 -0700 (PDT) From: Gil Ray Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Roundup of review swap review reviews Frank Black Francis MacDonald Hadda Farm(er in the Dell)-Tones-On-Tail That's it. Promise. Gil - --- Fortissimo wrote: > Being difficult, are ya? > > On Fri, 9 Jul 2004 12:18:51 -0700 (PDT), "Gil Ray" > > said: > > > Ad Frank Black Francis MacDonald Hadda Farm(er in > the Dell)-Tones > ------------------------------- > > ...Jeff > > J e f f r e y N o r m a n > The Architectural Dance Society > http://spanghew.blogspot.com/ > :: "In two thousand years, they'll still be looking > for Elvis - > :: this is nothing new," said the priest. > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 50x more storage than other providers! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 16:12:02 -0400 From: Chris Murtland Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Roundup of review swap review reviews Ad Frank Black Francis MacDonald Hadda Beat Farm(ers in the Dell)-Tones ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 13:44:27 -0700 From: Michael Mitton Subject: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests Now that we're in to July, isn't it time for a thread on people's favorites of 2004 so far? Umm...this is where I ought to get the thread started with my own favorites, but an extended illness has meant that I can count on three fingers the number of 2004 albums I have. (Morrissey great, Wilco bad, Cure somewhere in between.) So, really, I'm just starting this thread to get recommendations. mm ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 13:53:41 -0700 (PDT) From: "Tim Walters" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Roundup of review swap review reviews Fortissimo wrote: > Ad Frank Black Francis MacDonald Ad Frank Black Francis MacDonald [&] Giles - -- THE DOUBTFUL PALACE Free exquisite music http://www.doubtfulpalace.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 16:48:58 -0400 From: Jenny Grover Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Roundup of review swap review reviews Ad Frank Black Francis MacDonald Hadda Farm(er in the Dell)-Tones on Tale Jen ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 14:47:51 -0700 (PDT) From: Gil Ray Subject: Re: [loud-fans] San Fran, Santa Rosa, and Davis, CA Amoeba Records on Haight Street is awesome. And I'm not just saying that because my wife works there! Gil - --- "Kunkel, Mark" wrote: > Speaking of used CD store recommendations, where > does one go in the above cities? I'm visiting my > brother in Santa Rosa the week of July 19 and we'll > be going to San Fran and Davis. (My mom's coming > too, so please don't tell me about any really good > and/or loud late night shows that I'd have to miss > anyway....) > > (Cheap eats recommendations also accepted. As well > as tourist-y things to do.) > > Thanks! > > -- Mark > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail is new and improved - Check it out! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 19:00:07 EDT From: AWeiss4338@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests In a message dated 7/9/2004 4:46:24 PM Eastern Daylight Time, mlmitton@gmail.com writes: Now that we're in to July, isn't it time for a thread on people's favorites of 2004 so far? No particular order Nellie McKay- Get Away From me-totallty original, totally great. Jill Sobule-Underdog Victorious just as original, just as great. Out in Sept. Simple Kid-1 really a guy named Colin McFeely, obnoxious, irritating, funny as anything Juliana Hatfield, In Exile Deo, her best yet Franz Ferdinand excelent retro punk band. Honerable mentions: Modest Mouse, Loretta Lynn, Patti Smith, Van Hunt, The Nields. Andrea ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 19:17:08 -0400 From: Jenny Grover Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests Michael Mitton wrote: >Now that we're in to July, isn't it time for a thread on people's >favorites of 2004 so far? > > So far, not necessarily in order, my tops that I actually own yet: Ambulance LTD -s/t cARRIE cRASH- Love What You Hate Mission of Burma- ONoffON All Night Radio- Spirit Radio Frequency Heavy Me- Maximum Ramrod Lansing-Dreiden- The Incomplete Triangle Robert Roth- Someone, Somewhere... Jen ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 19:27:17 -0400 (EDT) From: Aaron Mandel Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests On Fri, 9 Jul 2004, Michael Mitton wrote: > Now that we're in to July, isn't it time for a thread on people's > favorites of 2004 so far? I was just thinking about this earlier today, so I have a list cooked up. Alphabetically: DESTROYER - Your Blues Weird, handsomely artificial, first catchy album Dan Bejar has made in a while. (If you don't know Destroyer, you've at least probably heard Bejar's voice as the secondary songwriter in the New Pornographers.) The Dali/Disney collaboration version of a 70's songwriter album. DIZZEE RASCAL - Boy In Da Corner British accent, bare-bones rhymes croaked out over barer beats. Possibly inaccessible to anyone who doesn't like hip-hop, but doesn't sound like any other hip-hop I've heard recently. (Though I hear this is now a whole genre called... grime? grease? I forget.) FRANZ FERDINAND - s/t Best of breed in the neo-post-punk division (see Strokes, Interpol, Hot Hot Heat). Special points for stealing a lick from "Hava Nagila". THE KILLERS - Hot Fuss Rips off Interpol and the Strokes rather than their predecessors, with the result that this sounds like confused late Psychedelic Furs crossed with height-of-popularity Blur. Which doesn't really explain how I can't stop playing "Mr. Brightside". AC NEWMAN - The Slow Wonder Other half of the New Pornographers' songwriting division, suffering more audibly from the absence of Bejar (and Neko Case, say the friends of mine who like Neko Case) than you'd think but still just kind of necessary. NOW IT'S OVERHEAD - Fall Back Open If R.E.M. got tired of sucking they might end up like this. (Stipe actually appears on one track.) PIEBALD - All Ears All Eyes All The Time Boston band. This is the kind of yelpy-boy rock that I often feel like glenn and Jer like more than I do, except in this case I love it. Their previous album, We Are The Only Friends We Have, is actually even better, but (a) more unrelentingly rock, rather than having the piano songs this album has and (b) didn't come out this year so who cares? GRAHAM SMITH - Final Battle Smith, of Kleenex Girl Wonder, has temporarily given up on the rapping and learned to write a new kind of less-disposable rock song. He still writes about love like he learned about it solely from Kurt Cobain and Emily Bronte, and my guess is that his voice and production (no longer "lo-fi" but still lo-budget) are close to the edge of just about anyone's tolerance -- but this is a good record. THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS - The Spine I recently listened to Flood for the first time in years, and realized that if you ignore "Istanbul" and "Particle Man", it's not just a good album but a really solid one, filled with TMBG's lyrical and musical peculiarities, only not confining those quirks so firmly each to their own song the way they used to. The Spine feels similar to me (and blessedly, lacks a new "Particle Man"). But I think I just talked it up a few days ago, so, enough. XIU XIU - Fabulous Muscles I can't describe this band at all. Listen to "I Luv The Valley Oh!" at xiuxiu.org and then, basically, if you aren't totally repelled, you need this album. (First album, Knife Play, also good. Last year's A Promise, not as.) REISSUE: The Homosexuals' CD Brilliant early post-punk; I don't yet have the three-disc expansion of this reissue that just came out. MIX: Erlend Oye - DJ Kicks Oye sings enough that this is often like a new solo album from him with lots of collaborators. Everyone I've played this for loves it. OTHER, ALSO GOOD: Bruces - Shining Path, !!! - Louden Up Now, Magnetic Fields - i, Joel Phelps/Downer Trio - Customs, Ratatat - Remixes Vol. 1, TV On The Radio - Desperate Youth, Mr. Lif - Sleepyheads (rarities), Arthur Russell - Calling Out Of Context. I go back and forth on that Mountain Goats record, but if I don't like it, I bet someone else will like it for me. a ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 16:35:40 -0700 From: Matthew Weber Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests At 07:27 PM 7/9/2004 -0400, Aaron Mandel wrote: >I was just thinking about this earlier today, so I have a list cooked up. >Alphabetically: > >DESTROYER - Your Blues >Weird, handsomely artificial, first catchy album Dan Bejar has made in a >while. (If you don't know Destroyer, you've at least probably heard >Bejar's voice as the secondary songwriter in the New Pornographers.) The >Dali/Disney collaboration version of a 70's songwriter album. I've got this, and have listened to it quite a bit, and can't decide whether I really like it or not. It attracts and repulses in almost equal proportions; hence the fascination, maybe... Matthew Weber Curatorial Assistant Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library University of California, Berkeley Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. The Holy Bible (The Old Testament): _Ecclesiastes; or, The Preacher_ 5:5 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 17:51:37 -0600 From: Roger Winston Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests At Friday 7/9/2004 05:35 PM, Matthew Weber wrote: >At 07:27 PM 7/9/2004 -0400, Aaron Mandel wrote: > >>I was just thinking about this earlier today, so I have a list cooked up. >>Alphabetically: >> >>DESTROYER - Your Blues >>Weird, handsomely artificial, first catchy album Dan Bejar has made in a >>while. (If you don't know Destroyer, you've at least probably heard >>Bejar's voice as the secondary songwriter in the New Pornographers.) The >>Dali/Disney collaboration version of a 70's songwriter album. > >I've got this, and have listened to it quite a bit, and can't decide >whether I really like it or not. It attracts and repulses in almost equal >proportions; hence the fascination, maybe... From the sampling I did of this off a retailer site, it sounds to me like all the songs are stripped-down, non-band, no-drums, slow tunes. Is that true? I don't know if I can take a whole album of Naked Destroyer. My #1 of the year so far is definitely the Franz Fredinand, though Shalini's new one comes close. Runners-up: AC Newman, Starflyer 59, Juliana Hatfield, Aveo, Morrissey (which I like better than The Cure). Latre. --Rog - -- Distance, Redefined: http://www.reignoffrogs.com/flasshe ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 14:53:07 -1000 From: "R. Kevin Doyle" Subject: RE: wilco (was Re: [loud-fans] Chicago) I missed a whole bunch of messages on the list regarding Wilco's "AGIB" - or at least enough to not understand why there's been a message or two expressing dislike for it. Personally, I like it a whole lot - more than YHF (though not nearly as much as the two Billy Bragg collaborations). Anyhow, I am curious why folks haven't liked it. If this has been discussed ad nauseum on the list, I apologize! R. Kevin - -----Original Message----- From: owner-loud-fans@smoe.org [mailto:owner-loud-fans@smoe.org]On Behalf Of dmw Sent: Friday, July 09, 2004 6:20 AM To: ideology ... exclusively at hecht's! Subject: wilco (was Re: [loud-fans] Chicago) On Thu, 8 Jul 2004, Vallor wrote: > I haven't heard Being There, which I understand was the first album in which > they began experimenting with sound, nor have I heard AM which I hear is > more No Depression-y. > > Any thoughts on Wilco from the list ? i like "being there" an awful lot; i think tweedy's writing achieved more depth and resonance on that record -- more consistently if nothing else. "being there" is much more big star and much less gastr del sol/beach boys. a.m. is indeed much more straightforward and no depression-y. i don't listen to it nearly as much, although it remains the favorite of several of my friends in roots-rock/alt country bands. the pathetic caverns: a zine - opinionated and eclectic reviews a studio - specializing in indie/rock/mobile/live/demo recording http://www.pathetic-caverns.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 21:34:39 -0400 From: Jenny Grover Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests Roger Winston wrote: > > My #1 of the year so far is definitely the Franz Fredinand, though > Shalini's new one comes close. Runners-up: AC Newman, Starflyer 59, > Juliana Hatfield, Aveo, Morrissey (which I like better than The Cure). New Starflyer 59? Tell me more! Jen ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 22:03:31 -0400 From: glenn mcdonald Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests Half a year, so I'll only allow myself 5: 1. Mascott: Dreamer's Book 2. Puffy: 59 3. Tommy Keene: Drowning 4. Abra Moore: Everything Changed 5. Rick Springfield: Shock/Denial/Anger/Acceptance glenn ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 20:05:10 -0700 (PDT) From: Gil Ray Subject: [loud-fans] Top 5 God, I'm slipping. I actually acquired some current music! 1.Shalini - Metal Corner 2.Magnetic Fields - i 3.Erin Mckeown - Grand 4.Doug Powell - Day For Night 5.Jill Tracy - Diabolical Streak Gil __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 21:25:19 -0600 From: Roger Winston Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests At Friday 7/9/2004 07:34 PM, Jenny Grover wrote: >New Starflyer 59? Tell me more! I AM THE PORTUGUESE BLUES, released back in February. It doth rock - short album (less than 30 minutes), but 10 fast/heavy/catchy songs. What more do you need to know? http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?style=MUSIC&pid=6668270 Latre. --Rog - -- Distance, Redefined: http://www.reignoffrogs.com/flasshe ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 00:25:11 EDT From: AWeiss4338@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests In a message dated 7/9/2004 7:27:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time, sleeveless@zoominternet.net writes: Heavy Me- Maximum Ramrod And that's on my list, too. Andrea ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 Jul 2004 23:59:47 -0500 From: "Fortissimo" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests On Fri, 9 Jul 2004 19:27:17 -0400 (EDT), "Aaron Mandel" said: > On Fri, 9 Jul 2004, Michael Mitton wrote: > > > Now that we're in to July, isn't it time for a thread on people's > > favorites of 2004 so far? > > I was just thinking about this earlier today, so I have a list cooked up. I don't have a list - but curiously, Aaron's taste and my own, which I think at one point differed fairly radically (even though there were always points of coincidence), seem to be coming closer together these days, judging from how much of his '03 best-of I like and how many of the records he lists below I either like or have on my to-buy list. Anyway: > FRANZ FERDINAND - s/t > Best of breed in the neo-post-punk division (see Strokes, Interpol, Hot > Hot Heat). Special points for stealing a lick from "Hava Nagila". I kind of get that "division" - but more kind of not, in that while I don't really know HHH, I know FF, Strokes, and Interpol - and other than that all draw from some earlier referents, I can't hear much they have in common. Unless "neo-post-punk" is less a musical category than a sort of procedural one - in which case, okay, that makes sense. > AC NEWMAN - The Slow Wonder > Other half of the New Pornographers' songwriting division, suffering more > audibly from the absence of Bejar (and Neko Case, say the friends of mine > who like Neko Case) than you'd think but still just kind of necessary. I like this - but I haven't fully warmed to it yet. I say "fully" because even the NPs took a while to fully ingratiate themselves into my system. > NOW IT'S OVERHEAD - Fall Back Open > If R.E.M. got tired of sucking they might end up like this. (Stipe > actually appears on one track.) I had their first record, but seldom listened to it. I have no idea why - - since, relistening to it, I like it quite a bit; and on the strength of Jer's including a track from this one on the mix he sent me recently (to be reviewed shortly), I picked this up...and like it quite a bit. Textural, melodic, engaged, intelligent. > GRAHAM SMITH - Final Battle > Smith, of Kleenex Girl Wonder You know how, when you go to a restaurant, and you get sick, and you just know it was something you ate there, even if you used to like the restaurant you probably don't go back anymore? That's me, and Smith/KGW, and that double-album thing with the utterly inane "plot" from four years back or so. > THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS - The Spine Haven't picked this up yet - but I liked the teaser EP, and I"ve recently gotten in a TMBG phase, after having neglected them for quite a while. So yeah, it's near the top of that to-buy list... - ------------------------------- ...Jeff J e f f r e y N o r m a n The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com/ :: Solipsism is its own reward :: :: --Crow T. Robot ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 18:26:45 -0500 From: "Michael Wells" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Half-Year Bests > Now that we're in to July, isn't it time for a thread on people's favorites of 2004 so far? It's Americana-heavy on this side of the fence so far: The Flatlanders "Wheels of Fortune" - pure class. Grant-Lee Phillips "Virginia Creeper" - almost too smooth. Dreamy and flawless. Mark Erelli "Hillbilly Pilgrim" - nor'easter folkie goes nashville, with excellent results. A high clear tenor and crisp guitar skills. Ben Woolman "Wisdom/Delusion" - solo acoustic guitar, hints of Bensusan and Kottke but wholly original. Peter Mulvey "Kitchen Radio" - his first (originals) in four years, and worth waiting for. Strong and evenly balanced. Ryan Adams "Love is Hell" (complete) - certainly not the world's most avid fan, but this sucker has really put the hooks in me. Jeffrey Foucault "Stripping Cane" - will probably be my album of the year. It's not officially out yet, but I've heard every song but one...the depth and polish is astounding. Michael "guess I'd better go pick up some more power-pop to sort of even things out" Wells ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 01:13:35 -0400 From: Stewart Mason Subject: [loud-fans] Re: Half Year Bests In alphabetical order, and missing a lot of records I haven't bothered to pick up yet (new Wilco, etc.) but will probably like just fine: Acid House Kings -- ADVANTAGE: ACID HOUSE KINGS Antietam -- VICTORY PARK Califone -- HERON KING BLUES Camera Obscura -- UNDERACHIEVERS PLEASE TRY HARDER (2004 US release of a 2003 album: recommended for those who thought that Isobel Campbell was the only redeemable aspect of the otherwise insufferable Belle and Sebastian) The Claudia Quintet -- I, CLAUDIA Elf Power -- WALKING WITH THE BEGGAR BOYS (First record I've ever fully loved from a band I've often had mixed feelings about) Franz Ferdinand -- FRANZ FERDINAND The Hives -- TYRANNOSAURUS HIVES Arto Lindsay -- SALT Loretta Lynn -- VAN LEAR ROSE Magnetic Fields -- I (Seems to me that the whole discussion of whether Merritt "means it, maaaaaaaaaaan" is about five years too late: I'm not hearing the deliberate emotional distancing anymore) Nellie McKay -- GET AWAY FROM ME (still probably my favorite album of the year) Mission of Burma -- ONOFFON The Mountain Goats -- WE SHALL ALL BE HEALED (I think I know what Aaron means: it still feels somehow WRONG to hear John's voice and guitar work in relatively expansive full-studio settings, but for me it works) Volcano, I'm Still Excited!! -- VOLCANO, I'M STILL EXCITED!! (An album good enough, in that retro-80s-indie way, that I'm willing to overlook the appallingly crap bandname) S ------------------------------ End of loud-fans-digest V4 #188 *******************************