From: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org (loud-fans-digest) To: loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Subject: loud-fans-digest V5 #67 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 Monday, March 14 2005 Volume 05 : Number 067 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [loud-fans] The Streets [LkDylaninthmvies@aol.com] Re: [loud-fans] The Streets [Aaron Mandel ] [loud-fans] oh...my...gawd! ["jer fairall" ] [loud-fans] Oldies night at the Ivy Room [Gil Ray ] Re: [loud-fans] Oldies night at the Ivy Room ["Richard Blatherwick" ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 14:49:11 -0500 (EST) From: Aaron Mandel Subject: Re: [loud-fans] The Streets On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 LkDylaninthmvies@aol.com wrote: > I was wondering what this band sounded like. Anyone? British guy, "rapping" (but without any technical abilities or style that one might associate with hip-hop) over self-produced music that has been described as both "2-step" and "grime" but doesn't sound much like either of those things to me, so if you don't know what they are, don't worry. Basically, if you like his personality, you like the Streets. The songs are largely about his life being a slacker (weed, Playstation, occasional visits to clubs) and he's a good storyteller in that mode. Sometimes it's way too open-mic-nite for me. Sometimes he manages to deliver a line like "I'm not gonna fuckin' just fuckin' leave it all now" without sounding stilted (or dumb) and I am reminded that there is an art to conversational hip-hop even when it looks effortless. I don't know. If you want to check them out, go for the second album (A Grand Don't Come For Free). a ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 15:15:03 -0500 From: "jer fairall" Subject: [loud-fans] oh...my...gawd! Sure, I'm not this band's biggest fan to begin with, but this is still several versions of Wrong: http://homepage.mac.com/sceldred/.Public/Steve/Kidz_Bop-Float_On.mp3 Jer last played: Interpol, ANTICS last viewed: DONNIE DARKO: THE DIRECTOR'S CUT http://www.Care2.com Free e-mail. 100MB storage. Helps charities. Make a Difference: Stop Canada's cruel and senseless baby seal hunt! http://www.care2.com/go/z/saveseals ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 13:38:31 -0800 (PST) From: Gil Ray Subject: [loud-fans] Oldies night at the Ivy Room I saw a pretty great show Thursday night, just a few blocks from our house, here in Albany. Steve Wynn and his band played a blistering set and I highly recommend seeing them if they show up at a town near you! It's kinda odd that I've never seen him through all these years, but they really do rock, and the band is awesome. Russ Toleman told me that he's had this line-up for several years, and seeing that they play all the time (I'm pretty sure that's how the still earn a living!-though mostly in Europe, they hit a groove that reminds me of the tightness Game Theory could hit about mid-way through a tour). There was also quite a celebrity heavy crowd in attendance: Russ Toleman, Penelope Houston, Sonya Hunter, Bart Davenport, Alison Faith-Levy and Chris Xefos! I'm the only that is bald though.....I must say that all of these folks are looking good! Gil __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 00:13:31 +0200 From: "Richard Blatherwick" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Oldies night at the Ivy Room From: "Gil Ray" >I saw a pretty great show Thursday night, just a few > blocks from our house, here in Albany. Steve Wynn and > his band played a blistering set and I highly > recommend seeing them if they show up at a town near > you! > It's kinda odd that I've never seen him through all > these years, but they really do rock, and the band is > awesome. Russ Toleman told me that he's had this > line-up for several years, and seeing that they play > all the time (I'm pretty sure that's how the still > earn a living!-though mostly in Europe, they hit a > groove that reminds me of the tightness Game Theory > could hit about mid-way through a tour). I've had the good fortune to see Steve & the Miracle 3 a few times in recent years in different UK venues. The main change in line-up that occurred about 4 years ago was that Jason Victor took over from Chris Brokaw on guitar just before Here Come the Miracles, the album that boosted Steve's profile a fair bit. Brokaw wanted soem time to finish off his Red Cities album. The band can really get everyone in the room on their feet and I'd happily travel miles to see them again. In addition to this, if you ever get the opportunity have a chat with Steve as he's a really good bloke to spend some time chewing the fat with - lots of tales from his life on the road and he's happy to discuss reasons for certain things being in the set and others not. He also does requests from time to time if you chat with him before shows! (like that would work any other way round!!) Richard np Pernice Bros - Yours, Mine & Ours (1st time in a while, but still top stuff) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 15:48:13 -0600 From: Jack Lippold Subject: [loud-fans] catching up with Sugarplastic Just recently got Sugarplastic's latest "Will" along with Kiara Geller's solo record and actually sprung for all 7 45's of "7 X 7 X 7". I heartily recommend "7 X 7 X 7". It's unfortunate that only 300 copies (so far) have been pressed. Granted, the 7" format is inconvenient - not too mention expensive - but the colored vinyl and artwork make for quite an attractive package. Another reason God gave us CD burners, so we can enjoy repeated listenings without the inconvenience and vinyl wear. Geller (the Colin Moulding factor) contributes a walloping 50% of the tracks on "7 X 7 X 7" and I'm quite impressed with the strength of his songs that he only hinted at on "Resin". His solo album is quite good too, though not as consistent. We expect strong songs from Eshbach (the Andy Partridge factor) and we get them. He writes all the songs on "Will". (I guess Geller got his creative catharsis on his solo record.) "Will" is dedicated to the late Will Glenn of Rain Parade fame and friend of Eshbach. As on "Resin", "Will" is an elegant, yet senses-assaulting onslaught of baroque pop creativity. On "Hecate", Eshbach lifts a Lovin' Spoonful-like riff and duels it off with a penny whistle like sound. And - if you can stand one more XTC comparison - "My Heart Lately" sounds like it would have been right-at-home on "Apple Venus, Vol. 1". ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 18:21:21 -0500 From: "Stewart Mason" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] catching up with Sugarplastic - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jack Lippold" > We expect strong songs from Eshbach (the Andy Partridge factor) and > we get them. > He writes all the songs on "Will". (I guess Geller got his creative > catharsis on his solo record.) For quite some time, WILL was being mooted as a Ben Eshbach solo project -- their label owner is a friend of mine, and when she sent me an early mix of the record to comment on, she still hadn't made up her mind whether it should be released as a Sugarplastic record or a solo record. I think they made the right decision: this is the album that should put the band's XTC-Lite rep to rest once and for all, not least because it's a stronger record than anything XTC have done in two decades, but also because these are the first Sugarplastic songs I've ever heard that seem to be about something other than what a clever songwriter Ben Eshbach is. S ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 18:39:47 -0600 From: Jeff Subject: Re: [loud-fans] catching up with Sugarplastic On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 18:21:21 -0500, Stewart Mason wrote: > record. I think they made the right decision: this is the album that > should put the band's XTC-Lite rep to rest once and for all, not least > because it's a stronger record than anything XTC have done in two > decades, but also because these are the first Sugarplastic songs I've > ever heard that seem to be about something other than what a clever > songwriter Ben Eshbach is. First, my compliments for the finely tuned, condensed last sentence, which manages two disses in the space of what is otherwise a compliment. Anyway: Since _Apple Venus 1_ is one of my favorite XTC records, I certainly disagree w/the first part - but I'm also not sure, really, why the second part. Yes, Eshbach's songs didn't seem to be "about" much - or if they were, they seemed to be about obscurity - but ironically, the same could be said of a lot of XTC up through D&W or so. Actually, XTC's "about" numbers (except, usually, the romance/end-of-romance numbers) are often kinda cringeworthy, lyrically. But Eshbach's songs didn't seem to be primarily about themselves, or about their author's cleverness, even if that was on display. But then, I'm hardly a lyric-listener generally, so maybe I just missed it. I get as far as thinking many more people should walk around yodelling "Ottawa bo-oone-sa-aaw!" is all. I'm rambling here, but...I was listening to Interpol's first album in the car the other day, and two things struck me: 1. what an assured record it is sonically, particularly for a band's first full-length*, and 2. how glad I am that I usually don't listen much to lyrics and am capable of ignoring them, since it seemed that whenever I tuned in briefly to what Banks was singing, it was some torturedly awkward metaphor for something or other that I didn't really care much what it was. So I guess the point is: I'll take clever about-nothing over unclever attempted-about-something most days o' the week. * I'm thinking in particular about how the first track goes on for 2-3 minutes before there are even any lyrics...and yet they're not being all postrock or anything. - -- ...Jeff The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 23:43:58 -0600 From: Jack Lippold Subject: Re: [loud-fans] catching up with Sugarplastic I should point out that while the XTC-comparisons are by no means a bad thing, Sugarplastic does indeed have some noteworthy tricks of their own up their sleeves. >On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 18:21:21 -0500, Stewart Mason > wrote: > > > record. I think they made the right decision: this is the album that > > should put the band's XTC-Lite rep to rest once and for all, not least > > because it's a stronger record than anything XTC have done in two > > decades, but also because these are the first Sugarplastic songs I've > > ever heard that seem to be about something other than what a clever > > songwriter Ben Eshbach is. > >First, my compliments for the finely tuned, condensed last sentence, >which manages two disses in the space of what is otherwise a >compliment. > >Anyway: Since _Apple Venus 1_ is one of my favorite XTC records, I >certainly disagree w/the first part - but I'm also not sure, really, >why the second part. Yes, Eshbach's songs didn't seem to be "about" >much - or if they were, they seemed to be about obscurity - but >ironically, the same could be said of a lot of XTC up through D&W or >so. Actually, XTC's "about" numbers (except, usually, the >romance/end-of-romance numbers) are often kinda cringeworthy, >lyrically. But Eshbach's songs didn't seem to be primarily about >themselves, or about their author's cleverness, even if that was on >display. But then, I'm hardly a lyric-listener generally, so maybe I >just missed it. I get as far as thinking many more people should walk >around yodelling "Ottawa bo-oone-sa-aaw!" is all. > >I'm rambling here, but...I was listening to Interpol's first album in >the car the other day, and two things struck me: 1. what an assured >record it is sonically, particularly for a band's first full-length*, >and 2. how glad I am that I usually don't listen much to lyrics and am >capable of ignoring them, since it seemed that whenever I tuned in >briefly to what Banks was singing, it was some torturedly awkward >metaphor for something or other that I didn't really care much what it >was. > >So I guess the point is: I'll take clever about-nothing over unclever >attempted-about-something most days o' the week. > >* I'm thinking in particular about how the first track goes on for 2-3 >minutes before there are even any lyrics...and yet they're not being >all postrock or anything. > >-- > >...Jeff > >The Architectural Dance Society >http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 02:01:37 EST From: LkDylaninthmvies@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] The Streets In a message dated 3/13/05 2:52:38 PM Eastern Standard Time, aaron@eecs.harvard.edu writes: I don't know. If you want to check them out, go for the second album (A Grand Don't Come For Free). I'll listen to 'em (him) next time I'm at the record store, but it doesn't sound like my thing...I'm imagining a British Beastie Boy. My exposure to this genre began and ended with my purcase of "Rapper's Delight" in 7th grade. ("Rapture" by Blondie doesn't count) If you want to get me to buy your record, sugar coat it with Archies innocence, remove all testosterone, and make the band members thrift store or black clad sociopaths who toy with the media...I'm sooo there! (hey, I said it) - --Mark ------------------------------ End of loud-fans-digest V5 #67 ******************************