From: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org (loud-fans-digest) To: loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Subject: loud-fans-digest V4 #245 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 Wednesday, September 8 2004 Volume 04 : Number 245 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [loud-fans] The Justin Case ["Fortissimo" ] [loud-fans] attn: a trophy Bradley in particular ["Fortissimo" ] [loud-fans] Band Reconfigured ["Rex.Broome" ] Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove [Stewart Mason ] Re: [loud-fans] Bands Reunited returns [Roger Winston ] Re: [loud-fans] Bands Reunited returns [Stewart Mason ] Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove [Jenny Grover ] Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove ["Fortissimo" ] Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove [Stewart Mason ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 07:01:32 -0500 From: "Fortissimo" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] The Justin Case On Mon, 06 Sep 2004 23:20:00 -0600, "Roger Winston" said: > And yes, Scott still sports the 'do, even if it is a bit more mellow than > in years past: > http://www.toneandgroove.com/live/live.html Whoa. That band above the Scott Miller Experience's photos is seriously ugly. Unless you're that really mean-looking big guy, and you're on this list, in which case I'm referring to the other guys in the band, unless you're prone to defend their looks, in which case I just realized I accidentally was looking at another page entirely and you guys are *hot*! - ------------------------------- ...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: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 07:11:11 -0500 From: "Fortissimo" Subject: [loud-fans] attn: a trophy Bradley in particular So - what think you of the most recent John Cale, Hobo Sapiens? I've heard good things about it (haven't actually heard it) - but I never really warmed to that bright orange one from the last decade (whose title I forget)... The guy at All Music compares its quality to Honi Soit, which is one of my favorite Cale albums... - ------------------------------- ...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: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 09:06:40 EDT From: JRT456@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] attn: a trophy Bradley in particular In a message dated 9/7/04 8:16:05 AM, tonerbomb@warpmail.net writes: > So - what think you of the most recent John Cale, Hobo Sapiens? > If nothing's changed since the UK edition on EMI, then it's the most song-oriented album Cale's done for a while, albeit with plenty of slight electronica. Variations on that same sentence is probably found in every review of the album so far. It's the only Cale studio album I've bothered keeping since 1982. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 09:37:07 EDT From: LkDylaninthmvies@aol.com Subject: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove In my post last night my sass was not aimed at Stewart personally, and I certainly meant no disrespect towards Scott for all the sexual imagery (like Scott would even GO to a club like that, or put money in the undies of women). I was venting my frustration with the music biz through humor. Ultimately, I think Stewart is right about Scott himself pretty much short-circuiting any chance of top ten success, but, if the American public will listen to a reference to a Russian novelist by Sting in a Police song, or listen to Costello, why not Scott? Couldn't he make it to the top twenty? True, those artists had their peak in the '80s, so has America simply dumbed themselves out of intelligent pop music over the years? I would like to think that the American people in general are capable of more than the lowest common denominator of sex with a throbbing beat to sell a song, and that the song could be in a musical style other than dance, hip-hop, or quasi metallic rock. - --Mark S. np: The Sea and Cake ONE BEDROOM (thanks again for my cool birthday presents Jen!) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 09:38:41 EDT From: LkDylaninthmvies@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] attn: a trophy Bradley in particular In a message dated 9/7/04 9:15:16 AM Eastern Daylight Time, JRT456@aol.com writes: > So - what think you of the most recent John Cale, Hobo Sapiens? > > > My friend at the record store gave me an edited promo of it that I haven't listened to yet, but I'll get back to you. - --Mark S. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 09:27:17 -0500 From: "Fortissimo" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove On Tue, 7 Sep 2004 09:37:07 EDT, LkDylaninthmvies@aol.com said: > certainly meant no disrespect towards Scott for all the sexual imagery > (like Scott > would even GO to a club like that, or put money in the undies of women). I'm not sure what Scott's ethnic heritage is, but as it happens, the banking systems of many countries are so insecure that storing one's money "in the undies of women" is far more reliable, and therefore is the preferred method of many citizens. - ------------------------------- ...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: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 09:29:50 -0700 From: "Rex.Broome" Subject: [loud-fans] Swamp Things Stewart: >>The Grid? The ones who did "Swamp Thing"? Or, as the sticker on my copy >>says, "Der hit mit dem banjo"? >>Great song, particularly considering it's one of those CDs I spent a dime >>for during Hastings' annual January used-disc blowout.... Oooh, nice one. Since it's getting on towards that time of year, I'll mention that having done years and years' worth of themed Halloween compilations, eventually getting to the point of a marshy/swampy edition bookended by soundbites from "Creature from the Black Lagoon" that turned out very nicely. The Grid's "Swamp Thing" was on there, back to back with the other "Swamp Thing" performed by Interpol. Erm, I mean the Chameleons. Loud-fans could probably easily guess many of the other tunes on that comp. And bearing in mind that there are approximately fifteen other full-length themed horror mix discs where that one came from, one might also correctly assume that our boy Scott has landed a song or two on there over the years, perplexing and delighting the guests at out large-ass Halloween parties over the years... - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 09:40:28 -0700 From: "Rex.Broome" Subject: [loud-fans] Band Reconfigured Mark S: > Wednesday: English Beat >>I wish I had cable television to see this! I saw Dave Wakeling interviewed >>last year when I was watching VH1 at a friends' place, and he looked almost >>burly...nothing like the young tennis player looking guy dancing in a Lacoste >>shirt... He seems to sometimes get really embarassing oldies gigs around So Cal, where I think he's lived for a long time. There have been so damned many reconfigurations of the Beat, the Specials (AKA), General Public etc. over the years that the mind reels. One thing I wish I could revisit was the version of "Special Beat" that I saw live on campus in 1991... if memory serves, this was a weird combo with members of both the Specials and the Beat with Ranking Roger and... dunno. Anyway, Wakeling wasn't in it per se, but he joined them at that gig, which was cool. At the time I knew the Beat stuff but not yet the Specials, so I can't say for sure that the other white guy on stange was Terry Hall, but he sounded like him in retrospect. The other Beat guys were still going kinda strong with FYC, so I know they weren't involved; otherwise, I just couldn't say, but I was jazzed to see a "realer" combination of the two bands than most folks got. And for free! >>np: new Finn Brothers (this is fantastic...Bradley, you were so right!) Mine's on the way... took it as a premium for renewing a subscription to KCRW... but man, did those guys put on a good show, and even the two song sampler given away at the concert has been in pretty heavy rotation with me. - -Rex ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 15:08:23 EDT From: JRT456@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Band Reconfigured In a message dated 9/7/04 12:48:13 PM, Rex.Broome@preferredmedia.com writes: > He seems to sometimes get really embarassing oldies gigs around So Cal, > where I think he's lived for a long time. > The English Beat (along with DEVO, The Motels, and some other bands that should've known better) appeared in Central Park this summer for a Nike event where they were all part of a one-hit wonder theme. I just watched as an Atlantic City casino put up their billboard promoting an October R.E.M. concert. There may be a few reasons why Scott Miller never made it big, but I don't think we can blame ambiguous/ambitious lyrics. And has everyone heard the one about Peter Buck being unable to provide Robyn Hitchcock with the lyrics to an R.E.M. song, since he never knows "what that freak is saying"? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 15:05:26 -0400 From: Stewart Mason Subject: Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove At 09:37 AM 9/7/2004 EDT, LkDylaninthmvies@aol.com wrote: >America simply dumbed themselves out of intelligent pop >music over the years? I would like to think that the American people in >general are capable of more than the lowest common denominator of sex with a >throbbing beat to sell a song, and that the song could be in a musical style other >than dance, hip-hop, or quasi metallic rock. I was vaguely considering pointing out counter-examples of best-selling albums and singles that don't fit this tired, smug and elitist dismissal. Then I figured, the hell with it. S ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 14:41:07 -0500 From: "Fortissimo" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove On Tue, 07 Sep 2004 15:05:26 -0400, "Stewart Mason" said: > At 09:37 AM 9/7/2004 EDT, LkDylaninthmvies@aol.com wrote: > >America simply dumbed themselves out of intelligent pop > >music over the years? I would like to think that the American people in > >general are capable of more than the lowest common denominator of sex with a > >throbbing beat to sell a song, and that the song could be in a musical > style other > >than dance, hip-hop, or quasi metallic rock. > > I was vaguely considering pointing out counter-examples of best-selling > albums and singles that don't fit this tired, smug and elitist dismissal. > Then I figured, the hell with it. Errr, I kind of wish you would. Leaving aside the rhetorical overkill of "lowest common denominator" and the sort of incipient puritanism of the above, it does seem to me that there's just not that much *there* there in what little I've heard from the charts over the last few years. There seems to be a certain creativity in sound within very narrow sonic parameters: I remember everyone was all a-coo over Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River" last year; I downloaded it and, uh, it was overwrought singing with nothing for lyrics over a couple of lame movie-music quasi-Easternisms. About the only chart song I've heard, and really liked, is the ubiquitous, and unstoppable, "Hey Ya." Oh - actually, a couple of Kylie Minogue songs I've heard are okay...but "okay" is about as far as I'd go. It's certainly true that I'm not a dance person, I appreciate hip-hop more in the abstract than in the ears, and I'm allergic to metal (and twenty-year-old white suburban guys' versions of angst)...so insofar as those styles, generally, are most popular, I'm unlikely to find much to say to me. Would I not buy something I like just because it's popular? Would I pretend I like something that's the musical equivalent of urine-soaked moldy cardboard just because it was cool? No...but what I've heard on the charts hasn't exactly predisposed me to go looking there for music I like. I don't think that's necessarily "elitist" - although it's true that if a whole bunch of good music (by my lights) started charting, it would take me quite a while to become aware of it, just because I'm not looking there. So - it might be tired, but I don't think it's necessarily elitist, and "smug" is in the teller, not the viewpoint. Plus, it might still be true. - ------------------------------- ...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: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 15:42:32 -0400 From: Chris Murtland Subject: Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove LkDylaninthmvies wrote at 9:37 AM on 9/7/2004: > I would like to think that the American people in general are > capable of more than the lowest common denominator of sex with a > throbbing beat to sell a song, and that the song could be in a > musical style other than dance, hip-hop, or quasi metallic rock. Hey, never underestimate sex or lowest common denominators. Are you not going to eat because that's an LCD? Do you never buy anything? You might as well embrace what life is, because it will never change and you can't change it. Personally, I never listen to the radio at all, ever. Yes, that makes me feel shiny and new, like a virgin. But it's just a personal taste. The majority of people don't give a shit about who does or doesn't top the charts, and why should they? What will it do for anyone if our favorites happen to top the charts? Nothing. What harm comes to us if they don't top the charts? None. Some people care who wins the superbowl, and in my opinion, the success or failure of rock bands is equally meaningless. Obviously I may have different feelings about it if it were *my* rock band, but my feelings would never affect you in that case, so why do you care? Insulate yourself, young wayfarer. Of course, any combination of happenstance that would conspire to allow another Loud Family and/or Scott record is just fine by me. flush with optimism, murt ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 15:49:49 EDT From: JRT456@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove In a message dated 9/7/04 3:13:23 PM, flamingo@theworld.com writes: > I was vaguely considering pointing out counter-examples of best-selling > albums and singles that don't fit this tired, smug and elitist dismissal. > Then I figured, the hell with it. > Nothing smug about that! ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 13:29:36 -0700 (PDT) From: Phil Fleming Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Bands Reunited returns Considering how fascinated I was with the first season. (I've got renewed interest in Romeo Void, Berlin, and to a lesser extent, The Alarm thanks to it), I'm a little disappointed with the choices this time out. The only one I'd be interested in is The Motels...maybe ABC. I read somewhere that this current season (the next five reunited bands will air in November..one of the bands being Scandal) took 10 months to complete, and that it may be the last season for the show. They're blaming the increasing indifference among the bands for the show's slow (and presumably expensive) production. Well it was a great idea... Phil F. - --- Roger Winston wrote: > Heads Up - Bands Reunited on VH1 is returning for a > week's worth of new > shows this week. Remember the fun we had talking > about the last run? I > believe the schedule goes like this (forgive me if I > mess up, I'm depending > on my memory from when I programmed the DVR): > > Monday: Haircut 100 > Tuesday: New Kids on the Block (wha the...?) > Wednesday: English Beat > Thursday: ABC > Friday: The Motels > > Check your local schedules. Since mine is > satellite, it's probably > different from yours. Looks like they're doing two > or three showings per day. > > Latre. --Rog > > -- Distance, Redefined: > http://www.reignoffrogs.com/flasshe > _______________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Win 1 of 4,000 free domain names from Yahoo! Enter now. http://promotions.yahoo.com/goldrush ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 16:31:08 -0400 From: Stewart Mason Subject: Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove At 02:41 PM 9/7/2004 -0500, Fortissimo wrote: >> I was vaguely considering pointing out counter-examples of best-selling >> albums and singles that don't fit this tired, smug and elitist dismissal. >> Then I figured, the hell with it. > >Errr, I kind of wish you would. Leaving aside the rhetorical overkill of >"lowest common denominator" and the sort of incipient puritanism of the >above, it does seem to me that there's just not that much *there* there >in what little I've heard from the charts over the last few years. There >seems to be a certain creativity in sound within very narrow sonic >parameters: I remember everyone was all a-coo over Justin Timberlake's >"Cry Me a River" last year; I downloaded it and, uh, it was overwrought >singing with nothing for lyrics over a couple of lame movie-music >quasi-Easternisms. About the only chart song I've heard, and really >liked, is the ubiquitous, and unstoppable, "Hey Ya." Oh - actually, a >couple of Kylie Minogue songs I've heard are okay...but "okay" is about >as far as I'd go. That's a well-reasoned argument backed up with concrete examples, and one I have no beef with at all, not least because it suggests a relative amount of familiarity with what you're discussing, down to specific songs that you either like or dislike. The rhetorical overkill and puritanism was what I objected to, along with the blanket dismissals of entire genres of music. I have no problem with people saying things along the lines of "I don't care for hip-hop, metal or dance music." Staples' post strongly implied that he felt all of these styles were by definition of lesser artistic quality than the music he likes, and the idea of a hierarchy of musical genres, while unfortunately common, is one that never fails to irritate me. >It's certainly true that I'm not a dance person, I appreciate hip-hop >more in the abstract than in the ears, and I'm allergic to metal (and >twenty-year-old white suburban guys' versions of angst)...so insofar as >those styles, generally, are most popular, I'm unlikely to find much to >say to me. Again, that's a perfectly reasonable and well thought-out position, but there are worlds between "This style of music means nothing to me" and "I don't like what I've heard of these styles of music, and therefore anyone who listens to them is by definition a mouth-breathing idiot," which strikes me as much closer to the spirit of Staples' posts about "lowest common denominator" people with a "third-grade vocabulary" who have "dumbed themselves out of intelligent pop music." It's phrases like that that strike me as elitist, smug and dismissive, not the idea that someone might not like hip-hop or dance music. Hell, there's tons of stuff in both genres that I think is absolute crap. There's tons of white-boy indie rock that's not worth the powder it would take to blow it to hell, too, but that doesn't mean that the style, or its audience, automatically sucks. S ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 16:57:08 -0400 From: Chris Murtland Subject: Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove Yes, and there obviously comes no self-satisfaction in dismissing inferior, tired, elitist dismissals. Stewart wrote at 3:05 PM on 9/7/2004: > I was vaguely considering pointing out counter-examples of best-selling > albums and singles that don't fit this tired, smug and elitist dismissal. > Then I figured, the hell with it. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 17:09:52 -0400 From: Overall_Julianne@emc.com Subject: [loud-fans] Momentary delurk/relurk Guess what Buddy Holly, Gloria Gaynor, Chrissie Hynde, and Corbin Bersen have in common with the notorious Roger Winston? Hope it's great, enjoy. I just hope I got the day right! -julianne (Some of you might even remember me!) Now, can we please get back to discussing Justin Timberlake and The Amazing Race? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 16:57:58 -0400 From: Chris Murtland Subject: Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove Fortissimo wrote at 3:41 PM on 9/7/2004: > Would I pretend I like something that's the musical equivalent of > urine-soaked moldy cardboard just because it was cool? And that's the answer. I know it's important for appearances to seem very fair and open to new ideas and multiple avenues of expression and whatnot, but... *stuff on the radio sucks* Yes, I'm an elitist pig! I attempt to make objective what is only subjective! Oh no, I'm so frightened of not getting my social brownie points. Whether or not we say it makes no difference, but I like to say it. It gives me good vibrations. Maybe it gives Mark good vibrations, too. Maybe it gives those who prefer considered, rational discourse good vibrations to participate in considered, rational discourse. Maybe it gives dismissers good vibrations when they dismiss. It's all about turning the vibrator on yourself. later - - murt ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 17:48:58 -0400 From: Stewart Mason Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Bands Reunited returns At 01:29 PM 9/7/2004 -0700, Phil Fleming wrote: >Considering how fascinated I was with the first >season. (I've got renewed interest in Romeo Void, >Berlin, and to a lesser extent, The Alarm thanks to >it), I'm a little disappointed with the choices this >time out. The only one I'd be interested in is The >Motels...maybe ABC. I thought last night's Haircut 100 episode was bizarrely close to the band's actual music: entirely pleasant and quite fun, but pretty much entirely lacking in drama. The only truly egregious musical flaw in the performance section was Mark Fox's bizarrely over-miked and completely off-key backing vocals; the chorus of "Love Plus One" was downright painful. I'm looking forward to seeing the ABC and English Beat episodes just out of nostalgia, since they were arguably my two favorite bands circa eighth grade. I still think the Beat were just about the best live band I've ever seen, and it'll be fun to see if my suspicions concerning the back half of the first ABC lineup are confirmed: I've always rather assumed that David Palmer and Stephen Singleton were strictly hired hands. S ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 18:02:18 -0400 From: Jenny Grover Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Momentary delurk/relurk Overall_Julianne@emc.com wrote: >Guess what Buddy Holly, Gloria Gaynor, Chrissie Hynde, and Corbin Bersen >have in common with the notorious Roger Winston? > > > You forgot Benmont Tench. Jen ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 17:30:54 -0600 From: Roger Winston Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Momentary delurk/relurk At Tuesday 9/7/2004 04:02 PM, Jenny Grover wrote: >Overall_Julianne@emc.com wrote: > >>Guess what Buddy Holly, Gloria Gaynor, Chrissie Hynde, and Corbin Bersen >>have in common with the notorious Roger Winston? > >You forgot Benmont Tench. And ESPN and Ocean City, New Jersey! And, um, Bruce Springsteen's sister, who was born on the exact same day. Thanks for the greetings! If sending cash, remember to conceal it tightly. There have been mail thefts in the area recently. Latre. --Rog - -- Distance, Redefined: http://www.reignoffrogs.com/flasshe ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 17:39:22 -0600 From: Roger Winston Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Bands Reunited returns At Tuesday 9/7/2004 03:48 PM, Stewart Mason wrote: >I thought last night's Haircut 100 episode was bizarrely close to the >band's actual music: entirely pleasant and quite fun, but pretty much >entirely lacking in drama. Yeah, the only really big mystery was why Nick Heyward kept talking about unicorns. >The only truly egregious musical flaw in the >performance section was Mark Fox's bizarrely over-miked and completely >off-key backing vocals; the chorus of "Love Plus One" was downright >painful. I'm looking forward to seeing the ABC and English Beat episodes >just out of nostalgia, since they were arguably my two favorite bands circa >eighth grade. I still think the Beat were just about the best live band >I've ever seen, I'm guessing the English Beat reunite was a go, since Dave Wakeling (bizarrely) appeared in the Haircut 100 episode. It does seem that once word gets out about the show, it would be harder and harder to come up with new episodes. >and it'll be fun to see if my suspicions concerning the >back half of the first ABC lineup are confirmed: I've always rather assumed >that David Palmer and Stephen Singleton were strictly hired hands. The ABC one is the one I'm most looking forward to. Out of the five this week, they are the only ones I actually own albums by. I always kind of wondered about what went on with that band, including the odd sound & lineup change on the third album. Latre. --Rog - -- Distance, Redefined: http://www.reignoffrogs.com/flasshe ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 20:25:46 -0400 From: Stewart Mason Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Bands Reunited returns At 05:39 PM 9/7/2004 -0600, Birthday Boy Rog wrote: >At Tuesday 9/7/2004 03:48 PM, Stewart Mason wrote: > >>I thought last night's Haircut 100 episode was bizarrely close to the >>band's actual music: entirely pleasant and quite fun, but pretty much >>entirely lacking in drama. > >Yeah, the only really big mystery was why Nick Heyward kept talking about >unicorns. Someone else I know was like, "Boy, when did Nick Heyward get so weird?" The only possible response to that is "Isn't 'Fantastic Day' about a mouse catching a train or something like that? He's not Syd Barrett, but he's closer to Robyn Hitchcock than you might think." >I'm guessing the English Beat reunite was a go, since Dave Wakeling >(bizarrely) appeared in the Haircut 100 episode. It does seem that once >word gets out about the show, it would be harder and harder to come up with >new episodes. There's also the fact that there's only a few bands that really fit the profile, once you look at the groups they've chosen so far: active between 1981 and 1989, at least one big iconic song that had a high-profile video, nobody in the band is dead or anything, and they're not already on the reunion circuit. So there's like the Thompson Twins, maybe Modern English...I dunno, Ultravox? Altered Images? The Plimsouls? Real Life? Ready for the World? There's a rapidly shrinking pool of potential recruits, which must be why they're going ahead and showing the ones where they get a half-hour's worth of material before someone says no and scuttles it. >The ABC one is the one I'm most looking forward to. Out of the five this >week, they are the only ones I actually own albums by. I always kind of >wondered about what went on with that band, including the odd sound & >lineup change on the third album. That's what makes me think that David and Stephen were hired hands, the fact that the third album featured two people who appeared in the press photos and videos, each spoke one line in one song, and otherwise contributed absolutely nothing to the record! I always got the feeling that ABC was pretty much Martin Fry and whoever else was around. S ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 15:02:50 -0400 From: Jenny Grover Subject: Re: [loud-fans] The Justin Case Fortissimo wrote: >Whoa. That band above the Scott Miller Experience's photos is seriously >ugly. Unless you're that really mean-looking big guy, and you're on this >list, in which case I'm referring to the other guys in the band, unless >you're prone to defend their looks, in which case I just realized I >accidentally was looking at another page entirely and you guys are >*hot*! > > > LOL! You mean Lazy American Workers? I picked the meanest pick of Todd I had. Steve's actually not bad looking. Jen ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 20:44:04 EDT From: LkDylaninthmvies@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove In a message dated 9/7/04 4:42:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time, flamingo@TheWorld.com writes: > The rhetorical overkill and puritanism was what I > objected to, along with the blanket dismissals of entire genres of music. > I have no problem with people saying things along the lines of "I don't > care for hip-hop, metal or dance music." Staples' post strongly implied > that he felt all of these styles were by definition of lesser artistic > quality than the music he likes, and the idea of a hierarchy of musical > genres, while unfortunately common, is one that never fails to irritate me. > I am biased towards music that I like, and, honestly, I do think it is a superior style, and I know that's prejudiced, but hey, I admit it. To say I was repentant and going to start buying Eminem, Usher, Britney and Brooks and Dunn would be a lie. I hear top 40 stuff all the time at work, and most of it makes me groan, longing for The Haircut 100s and The Go-Go's of my youth. My beef is that these musical styles dominate (along with country), and pop music that is descended from a Beatles influence (again, my perception) has been marginalized and sent to the indie underground. I suppose it's just a style that has gone out of vogue. You can probably give me some examples to prove otherwise. Also, I think it's just way too easy to go for someone's sexual appetites to sell them music. For example, Costello's "Alison" is a terrific pop song. Costello didn't have to undo all the buttons on his shirt or wear leather trousers to have it sell. He didn't need to. And, just because it's indie, doesn't mean I think it's good. I hear what I consider crap in the play stacks at the station every time I go through them. The last time something really blew me away from going through them was the Polyphonic Spree's first record, and that was what, three years ago? But, they're doing well for themselves, so maybe they're the example of something descended from a Beatles influence that are charting today. - --Mark S. np: The Trashcan Sinatras WEIGHTLIFTING (damn, this was $17.99!) Oh, JRT, the John Cale CD I got didn't really grab me. I felt like I should be driving through the Holland Tunnel in my black BMW 7 series smoking Galouises, and dusting the ashes off my black Zoran sweater ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 18:09:10 -0700 From: dennis Subject: [loud-fans] Goodbye to 1985 In 1985, I was 18/19, attending Mesa Community College, spending all extra money at either Rockaway Records across the street or at Tower Records in downtown Tempe. The Phoenix area had this wonderfully eclectic AOR station called KSTM (see http://zeus.illusions.com/~dennis/kstm.html for my badly written intro to KSTM). It played a very cool mix of music, both new and old. I remember being quite taken by Pink Floyd and David Gilmour's solo albums. I loved Suzanne Vega's first album, as well as Kate Bush's Hounds of Love. I had a love affair with Husker Du's Zen Arcade and New Day Rising, John Mellencamp's Scarecrow. I remember listening to Scritti Politti's Cupid & Psyche '85 as well as REM's Fables of the Reconstruction. I saw REM in concert at Palace West (now the Orpheum, renovated and no longer a venue for rock shows). Does anyone remember Roger Glover's The Mask? I was quite taken by that song and bought the album used. I think I also picked up a Robyn Hitchcock import LP in this timeframe. I'd never heard anything by him, but I kept reading recommendations. I am probably missing a bunch more, but that is what I could come up with at the moment. I don't have a journal from that timeframe, and my LPs are in storage. Dennis Sacks dennis@illusions.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 21:37:49 -0400 From: Jenny Grover Subject: Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove LkDylaninthmvies@aol.com wrote: > >Costello didn't have to undo all the buttons on his shirt or wear leather >trousers to have it sell. > And thank God he didn't, cuz he doesn't have the looks for it. Jen ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 20:03:11 -0700 (PDT) From: Gil Ray Subject: [loud-fans] 1985...oh boy! I've enjoyed the '85 thread. Unlike Roger, I live in the past. I swear, I will work on this, though.. I found it very interesting that for many of you, it was not a particularly fun year. It was fun and very un-fun for me. Turns out, it was probably the most important year of my life. Musically. I had left my gothic death-rock band, Fade To Black on Halloween night, 1984. (it was a memorable show with SF's The Mutants! - the singer was attached to a bungee cord and hopped really high, always a sign of a fun show!) At the time, I was listening to Specimen, Killing Joke, Birthday Party and plenty-o-Bauhaus. Once I bailed from that scene, I went nuts with the indie-pop thing. I remember searching out anything with production by Mitch Easter or Don Dixon. In '85, lots of things happened to me (some of this ain't too pretty, but what the hell....). In a nutshell: 1. more or less left my wife #1 for another woman (I was soooo bad! Never leave a letter from your mistress explaining why she must get your name tattooed on her shoulder, in a guitar case while you're away on tour. Sometimes friends like to borrow guitars..) 2. joined Game Theory 3. went on my first national tour w/GT 4. recorded Big Shot 5. met Stacey 6. the "other woman" more or less left me. Text book example on how these things usually work out. The thing that really sets these events apart from normal everyday life is that most of this took place during a 2 week stretch of the '85 tour. Good god! I got the news that my soon to be ex-wife figured all of the affair business out while GT was staying at her grandmother's house in Illinois!!!! "Gil? Your friend Joe from San Rafael is on the phone!" I pick up the phone and hear: "Gil...she knows" Christ. Somehow I gotta eat a wonderful breakfast with my ex's grandmother and my new band, and keep it together....this must be the first instance of Karma kicking my skinny ass (at the time..) I'm positive the hair loss was part of this too.... As awful as all of this was, I'm pleased to say that my ex and I are now good friends, and Stacey and I visit every Xmas. My ex only wanted me done in with extreme prejudice the first 5 years or so. It's all good now. Everyone involved is in a better place. Sorta. I was in a hurry for 1986. Gil __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail is new and improved - Check it out! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 22:08:49 -0500 From: "Fortissimo" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove On Tue, 07 Sep 2004 21:37:49 -0400, "Jenny Grover" said: > LkDylaninthmvies@aol.com wrote: > > > > >Costello didn't have to undo all the buttons on his shirt or wear leather > >trousers to have it sell. > > > > And thank God he didn't, cuz he doesn't have the looks for it. Never stopped all those metal dudes... - ------------------------------- ...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: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 23:36:25 -0400 From: glenn mcdonald Subject: [loud-fans] The Sounds If you haven't heard of them yet, here's another new New Wave throwback band for you. The Sounds. From Sweden. The album is called _Living in America_. Imagine Blondie and Missing Persons channeled through the Hives and the Killers. The album is from last year, and a song from it is in the fabulous Swedism movie _Hip Hip Hora_ (or, in English, _The Ketchup Effect_), which I just saw at the Montreal Film Festival. glenn ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 23:44:11 -0400 From: Stewart Mason Subject: Re: [loud-fans] pull you close and share my groove At 08:44 PM 9/7/2004 EDT, LkDylaninthmvies@aol.com wrote: >I am biased towards music that I like, and, honestly, I do think it is a >superior style, and I know that's prejudiced, but hey, I admit it. To say I was >repentant and going to start buying Eminem, Usher, Britney and Brooks and Dunn >would be a lie. No one is asking you to. My statement was only that there is a world of difference between "I don't like this form of music," which is an entirely defensible opinion, and "This form of music completely sucks [which is an unsupportable statement -- are you saying you've heard every hip-hop record ever made and you know that all of them are useless?] and it's all demonstrably inferior to the much superior pop music of my youth [which is nothing more than fogeyism, the next generation down after the people who think that pop music went to hell in a handbasket after FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE]." >I hear top 40 stuff all the time at work, and most of it >makes me groan, longing for The Haircut 100s and The Go-Go's of my youth. My beef >is that these musical styles dominate (along with country), and pop music >that is descended from a Beatles influence (again, my perception) has been >marginalized and sent to the indie underground. I suppose it's just a style that >has gone out of vogue. You can probably give me some examples to prove >otherwise. I could (in the last 12 months, Fountains of Wayne's "Stacy's Mom," Fefe Dobson's "Take Me Away," Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out," Yellowcard's "Ocean Avenue," the Hives' "Walk Idiot Walk," Liz Phair's "Why Can't I," Junior Senior's "Move Your Feet" and, yes, Outkast's "Hey Ya" and "Roses" have all been big enough hits that their videos have been inescapable on the MTV Hits channel that Charity and I flip to when there's nothing interesting on VH1 Classic, and all of them are clearly influenced by just the sort of early '80s pop that you're always going on about, to the point that there's a pair of obvious homages to Ric Ocasek in the video for "Stacy's Mom" and the video for "Roses" is based on the climax of GREASE II), but I don't see the point. If you can find the records that hit YOU the right way, why on earth does it matter to you what OTHER people are listening to? I mean, I find it odd that bands like Dashboard Confessional sell hundreds of thousands of records, but I don't take it as some kind of personal affront! S ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 22:31:06 -0600 From: Roger Winston Subject: Re: [loud-fans] 1985...oh boy! At Tuesday 9/7/2004 09:03 PM, Gil Ray wrote: >I've enjoyed the '85 thread. Unlike Roger, I live in >the past. I swear, I will work on this, though.. You're forgiven, Gil. At least your past is much more colorful than mine. 1985 was the year my mom died (well, late Dec '84, anyway) and also featured my longest period of adult unemployment (4 1/2 months). I don't remember exactly what the soundtrack of those days was, and don't really care. But what I really wanted to say was to second glenn's recommendation of The Sounds LIVING IN AMERICA. All you 80s new wave kids will love it (both those of you stuck perpetually in the 80s, and those of you who have moved on but can still appreciate that style within today's musical environment). And Mark, I watched an episode of Square Pegs on HDNet last night, and you know what? It totally sucked. I did not laugh once. Some things from the 80s are better left in the 80s. The HD picture quality was nice though. Latre. --Rog - -- Distance, Redefined: http://www.reignoffrogs.com/flasshe ------------------------------ End of loud-fans-digest V4 #245 *******************************