From: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org (loud-fans-digest) To: loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Subject: loud-fans-digest V5 #55 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, February 24 2005 Volume 05 : Number 055 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [loud-fans] how'd they do that? [LkDylaninthmvies@aol.com] [loud-fans] Rogue Wave (2/22/05, Doug Fir, Portland) ["Michael W. Zwirn" ] [loud-fans] trail of wow [Jenny Grover ] [loud-fans] More new old [glenn mcdonald ] Re: [loud-fans] More new old ["Steve Holtebeck" ] Re: [loud-fans] how'd they do that? [Jeff ] Re: [loud-fans] Rogue Wave (2/22/05, Doug Fir, Portland) [Sarah Gordon My question being, how would they put these songs out without the original vocal track? Is it simply a matter of finding the right studio tapes in the pre-final version during mixing, or what? It's kind of novel to hear these songs without the vocals. - --Mark ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 11:37:09 -0800 From: "Michael W. Zwirn" Subject: [loud-fans] Rogue Wave (2/22/05, Doug Fir, Portland) I rarely see a band on the basis of one single and positive press clippings, but Rogue Wave's "Kicking the Heart Out" is an absolutely masterful mid-'00s pop song, with a shuffling acoustic guitar line, delicately picked electric guitar, sighing choruses, and Zach Rogue's deadpan, bitter verses. It's impossible to avoid an immediate Shins comparison - and there's utterly nothing wrong with sounding like the Shins - but in concert last night at the Doug Fir in Portland, Rogue Wave quickly demonstrated that they far exceed the limitations of that particular subgenre. In a tremendously entertaining set, Zach and the other Rogues performed most of their only album, Out of the Shadow, as well as throwing in a few choice covers. It's an absolutely delightful guitar pop band with dark lyrical undercurrents, whose songs periodically echo Game Theory, the Shins, Beach Boys, Byrds, dada, and a host of West Coast pop luminaries. All the songs in concert were performed with ringing electric guitars, tight drumming, the occasional xylophone solo, and full-band harmonies on the choruses. If the band's sound were any crisper, you could serve it with ranch dressing. Some songs had the ringing guitar lines and pure harmonies of an Ocean Blue, but toughened up by an energetic rhythm section and Rogue's wary lyrics. "Bird on a Wire" and "Postage Stamp World" were highlights, as was a revelatory Buddy Holly-via-Bevis Frond rendition of "Everyday" and a total obscurity from The Who Sell Out. Songwriter Zach Rogue's material was strong enough to hold its ground however, and almost every one of his songs could be a single. In the light of Rogue's remarkably assured songwriting, the overwhelming positive press coverage and the band's utter professionalism, it's impossible to resist Rogue Wave's charms. Only possible regret was the omission of their U2 cover, "Seconds," available on an iTunes EP. Openers were Film School, also from California, who had their sound down pat - pleasant 1980s style chiming guitar alternapop with washes of synth - but lacked the songs to make the experience memorable. It's a pity, because I like that genre. The vocalist, Krayg Burton, seemed to be emulating a Robert Smith, which works fine if you have songs as good as the Cure's, and lyrics worth emoting about. Even the band's best and most engaging song could have been a medley of The Church's "The Unguarded Moment" and the Cure's "Pictures of You", but both bands had stronger material than Film School does. - --------------------- Michael W. Zwirn, michael@zwirn.com (t) 503-234-3901 (c) 503-887-9800 http://zwirn.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 17:44:41 -0500 From: Jenny Grover Subject: [loud-fans] trail of wow I just got the latest Trail of Dead album "Worlds Apart" today, and I must say I'm impressed. Powerful stuff, musically, lyrically, and including the wonderful artwork in the booklet that works right along with the lyrics and music. Lyrically it's quite an indictment of modern American society on several levels, including the personal life of the narrator. And all the serious stuff aside, it's fun to listen to, artfully arranged, and definitely won't put you to sleep. Jen ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 21:24:29 -0500 From: glenn mcdonald Subject: [loud-fans] More new old Unrecovered fans of mildly angular modern recapitulations of early 80s New Wave might enjoy the new album from the Columbus, OH band Manda & the Marbles. The album title (_Angels With Dirty Faces_) suggests that maybe they don't quite get the distinction between inspiration and imitation, but I'm having fun listening. Some MP3s on their site at http://www.mandaandthemarbles.com/, and the album's on iTMS... And if you prefer your old New Wave bands old, and don't mind tracking down obscurities, I will mention that the UK CD-single for the Blue Nile's _I Would Never_ has a totally fantastic b-side called "I Love This Life" that's as good as anything on _High_. glenn ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 19:38:53 -0800 From: "Steve Holtebeck" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] More new old On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 21:24:29 -0500, glenn mcdonald wrote: > Unrecovered fans of mildly angular modern recapitulations of early 80s > New Wave might enjoy the new album from the Columbus, OH band Manda & > the Marbles. The album title (_Angels With Dirty Faces_) suggests that > maybe they don't quite get the distinction between inspiration and > imitation, but I'm having fun listening. Some MP3s on their site at > http://www.mandaandthemarbles.com/, and the album's on iTMS... and also on eMusic, along with an earlier album MORE SEDUCTION. I sampled a few tracks from that one, wondering if "Fast Cars" was the Buzzcocks' song (it isn't, but "Wanna Go Home" is the Holly & the Italians song). The new one has a Penelope Houston/Avengers song ("Cheap Tragedies"). Not the most original stuff, but certainly enjoyable, especially for fans of the punk side of punk-hyphen-pop. - -Steve ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 13:32:20 -0600 From: Jeff Subject: Re: [loud-fans] how'd they do that? On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 12:26:16 EST, LkDylaninthmvies@aol.com wrote: > Rhino put out an updated best-of compilation in 2003 of The Monkees. I just > got this to replace an older one (the sound quality of "Pleasant Valley > Sunday" is MUCH improved) from '95. It comes with a bonus karaokee CD of the > Monkees' theme, "I'm a Believer," "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," "Pleasant > Valley Sunday, " and "Daydream Believer." My question being, how would > they put these songs out without the original vocal track? Is it simply a > matter of finding the right studio tapes in the pre-final version during mixing, > or what? It's kind of novel to hear these songs without the vocals. CD technology is, as you know, "digital." This means that if you were, to say, look really closely at a CD - like under a microscope - you'd see all kinds of teensy ones and zeroes making up the disc. The pattern of ones describes the soundwaves of the instruments; the pattern of zeroes reproduces the open/closed mouth pattern of the vocals. So it's simple: they just take a CD of the original performance, get a very very small #2 pencil, and color in all the zeroes. Voila - no vocals. Either that, or your guess about going back to the master tapes is correct. - -- ...Jeff The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 20:17:03 -0800 (PST) From: Sarah Gordon Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Rogue Wave (2/22/05, Doug Fir, Portland) > Openers were Film School, also from California, who had their sound > down pat - pleasant 1980s style chiming guitar alternapop with washes > of synth - but lacked the songs to make the experience memorable. It's > a pity, because I like that genre. The vocalist, Krayg Burton, seemed > to be emulating a Robert Smith, which works fine if you have songs as > good as the Cure's, and lyrics worth emoting about. Even the band's > best and most engaging song could have been a medley of The Church's > "The Unguarded Moment" and the Cure's "Pictures of You", but both bands > had stronger material than Film School does. I must chime in here and say that I love Film School. I've seen them 3 times now and find their performances to be mesmerizing. I love Krayg's vocals. The last part of their song "Activated" has some parts that I find very moving. I think you have to hear the music and his singing to find it affecting, but the lines are "remember what you used to say/the tightest stich will come undone" followed by repetition of variants of "all that we could do is not enough for you". It's a shame they took the mp3s off their site because it doesn't sound impressive just reading it, but for me, I get shivers when they play it live or when I hear the recording. They are definitely one of my favorite SF bands. That said, I know other folks who I've taken to see their shows haven't been as impressed as I am, but I totally love them and just thought I'd offer up a dissenting opinion. Back to lurking, Sarah ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2005 02:06:38 -0500 From: Jenny Grover Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Rogue Wave (2/22/05, Doug Fir, Portland) Sarah Gordon wrote: >I must chime in here and say that I love Film School. I've seen them 3 >times now and find their performances to be mesmerizing. I love Krayg's >vocals. The last part of their song "Activated" has some parts that I >find very moving. I think you have to hear the music and his singing to >find it affecting, but the lines are "remember what you used to say/the >tightest stich will come undone" followed by repetition of variants of >"all that we could do is not enough for you". It's a shame they took the >mp3s off their site because it doesn't sound impressive just reading it, >but for me, I get shivers when they play it live or when I hear the >recording. > >They are definitely one of my favorite SF bands. That said, I know other >folks who I've taken to see their shows haven't been as impressed as I >am, but I totally love them and just thought I'd offer up a dissenting >opinion. > > I haven't seen them live, but I have their "Always Never" EP. Nothing on there reminded me of the Cure or the Church. It's pretty quiet, dreamy, shoegazey stuff, but it's quite a fine listen in my book. Do they have any other records out? Jen ------------------------------ End of loud-fans-digest V5 #55 ******************************