From: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org (loud-fans-digest) To: loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Subject: loud-fans-digest V5 #163 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, June 30 2005 Volume 05 : Number 163 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [loud-fans] mid-year [Dave Walker ] Re: [loud-fans] mid-year [Dave Walker ] Re: [loud-fans] Posies [Roger Winston ] Re: [loud-fans] Posies [Larry Tucker ] Re: [loud-fans] mid-year [JRT456@aol.com] Re: [loud-fans] mid-year [Jeff ] [loud-fans] Uh-oh - do you think Blank Frank got 'im? [Jeff Subject: Re: [loud-fans] mid-year On Jun 27, 2005, at 11:09 PM, Jeff wrote: > On 6/27/05, Dave Walker wrote: > > >> Minimum-Maximum - Kraftwerk >> > > You know, I love Kraftwerk as well as the next person, but...the idea > of a live Kraftwerk album seems kinda like, I dunno...playing the CDs > and overdubbing crowd noise? That is, how different are these versions > from the studio ones - or do they suddenly turn into the Grateful Dead > and whip out a 25-minute version of "Numbers" with a huge long > electronic-drums-and-spacey-synths segment? (probably not.) It's basically a documentation of their current live set for people not fortunate enough to live in one of the dozen or so cities they've toured in over the last couple of years. Some of the tracks actually are significantly reworked from the studio versions -- they've been evolving things like "Autobahn" and "Man Machine" over the years, they're a little different every time they bring them out on the road, to the point where they're _very_ different from the arrangements you're probably most familiar with. To quote (er, ugh) Pitchfork, who I happen to agree with in this case: "As a career overview Minimum-Maximum far surpasses The Mix." -d.w. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 07:16:51 -0400 From: Dave Walker Subject: Re: [loud-fans] mid-year On Jun 28, 2005, at 9:18 AM, Chris Prew wrote: > On Jun 27, 2005, at 8:36 PM, Dave Walker wrote: > > >> A few I've been enjoying... >> >> Engineers - s/t >> >> > > You know, I enjoyed this too, especially the opening cut, but this > album has a bad case of mid-tempo-itis that they don't break out of > till the end of the album. I'd file this one under "Nice, but I > have really high hopes for their _next_ album". A recommended > listen if you were ever into Ride or Chapterhouse, though. I agree that they could vary the tempos a bit more. I could see them going a bit more "out there" for an EPs length or so -- "Peter Street" from the album reminds me of the crazy interstitials MBV started did on the _Tremolo_ EP. For the genre, though, I'm happy with how song-oriented things are -- some of the tracks (e.g. "Forgiveness") would work on an acoustic guitar around a campfire. In terms of influence, I hear mid-period Pink Floyd, too (indirectly via the Beta Band, maybe?) -d.w. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 08:02:55 -0600 From: Roger Winston Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Posies At Wednesday 6/29/2005 12:04 AM, dc wrote: >anyone heard the new album? Not yet, but (alert!) it has appeared on eMusic and I intend to download it when my downloads refresh in a few weeks. Latre. --Rog - -- Distance, Redefined: http://www.reignoffrogs.com/flasshe ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 10:26:28 -0400 From: Larry Tucker Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Posies Thanks for the eMusic alert Roger, but from all I've heard from others it ain't so great. I'll at least give a peak before downloading. Stringfellow's last solo for me was almost unlistenable...and that after really enjoying TOUCHED. Larry On 6/29/05, Roger Winston wrote: > At Wednesday 6/29/2005 12:04 AM, dc wrote: > > >anyone heard the new album? > > Not yet, but (alert!) it has appeared on eMusic and I intend to download it > when my downloads refresh in a few weeks. > > Latre. --Rog > > -- Distance, Redefined: http://www.reignoffrogs.com/flasshe ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 13:16:48 EDT From: JRT456@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] mid-year In a message dated 6/29/05 6:57:00 AM, dwalker@freeke.org writes: > To quote (er, ugh) Pitchfork, who I happen to agree with in this case: > "As a career overview Minimum-Maximum far surpasses The Mix." > Pitchfork errs often, but I'm probably not the only one who used "M-M" as a chance to free up some space by getting rid of some other Kraftwerk discs...and the import packaging is even slimmer. Kraftwerk was also a lot more fun in concert than I expected. As for the Posies, I suspect a lot of former fans will be disappointed by the latest...especially if you're a Stringfellow fan who was disappointed by where he went after the greatness of TOUCHED. And if you thought Eno's alleged return to structured songwriting was a drag, wait until you suffer through Colin Newman's latest bid fronting Githead. We'll have a return-to-bad-songwriting hat trick if the new Bob Mould doesn't work out. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 12:49:08 -0500 From: Jeff Subject: Re: [loud-fans] mid-year On 6/29/05, JRT456@aol.com wrote: > And if you thought Eno's alleged return to structured songwriting was a drag, > wait until you suffer through Colin Newman's latest bid fronting Githead. I haven't heard either of these yet - but the thing with Newman is, first one has to figure out what he has in mind, since "songwriting" isn't necessarily it. Not that, having done so, you'll necessarily think everything he does is great. As with all Wire members, he's committed some suck to vinyl and/or polymethyl methacrylate (if I remember the material correctly). At any rate, all I know about Githead is it's a collaboration among Newman, Malka Spigel (Minimal Compact & Newman's wife) and Robin Rimbaud (Scanner). - -- ...Jeff The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 15:01:20 -0500 From: Jeff Subject: [loud-fans] Uh-oh - do you think Blank Frank got 'im? Anyone heard from Aaron Mandel recently? His websites haven't been updated for a while - the last thing I remember him saying was that the new Eno album was "ass." I hope Eno's goons haven't gone out and roughed him up using Oblique Strategies cards or anything. - -- ...Jeff The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 14:14:31 -0700 From: dc Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Uh-oh - do you think Blank Frank got 'im? On Jun 29, 2005, at 1:01 PM, Jeff wrote: > the last thing I remember him saying was that > the new Eno album was "ass." > i have to say, i'm not sure i really understand the new vernacular. is "ass" good or bad? or does it depend on the ass? dc ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 17:38:28 -0400 From: "Stewart Mason" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Uh-oh - do you think Blank Frank got 'im? - ----- Original Message ----- From: "dc" >> the last thing I remember him saying was that >> the new Eno album was "ass." >> > > i have to say, i'm not sure i really understand the new vernacular. > is "ass" good or bad? or does it depend on the ass? In this sense, ass is bad, and not in the sense of bad-ass. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the new Eno is ass overall, although the opening track is genuinely, atrociously awful. The album as a whole is sort of lackluster, but if you're an eMusic subscriber, there are a few individual tracks that are worth the download. While I'm on the subject, the new Posies is overall just kind of "eh," which at least makes it better than the giant wad of suck that was AMAZING DISGRACE (and it once again leads off with an egregiously rotten song; I'm sensing a trend at Rykodisc), and the new Orange Peels is the first Allen Clapp-related album that's not doing much for me at all. I think it's a definite drop-off in quality from AVAILABLE LIGHT, which was overall better than SO FAR, which was considerably worse than SQUARE. But basically, it's just starting to feel like the guy's been repeating himself since 100% CHANCE OF RAIN and he's running out of variations. And to avoid sounding more curmudgeonly than I really feel, a quick run-through of some recent albums I've really liked: PICARESQUE--The Decemberists HUMMING BY THE FLOWERED VINE--Laura Cantrell ELECTRIFIED--Dressy Bessy LET IT DIE (US edition)--Feist AD FRANK IS THE WORLD'S BEST EX-BOYFRIEND--Ad Frank TANGOS AND TANTRUMS--Sylvie Lewis THE SUNSET TREE--The Mountain Goats BRIGADOON--P:Ano PEAKAHOKAHOO--Piney Gir FOURTH PERSON--Sarah Sharp S ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 16:47:51 -0500 From: Jeff Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Uh-oh - do you think Blank Frank got 'im? On 6/29/05, Stewart Mason wrote: > AD FRANK IS THE WORLD'S BEST EX-BOYFRIEND--Ad Frank Definitely in the running for Album Title of the Year that... And am I the only one who for some reason hears Stephen Manning singing about his fragile bones in that one song: "I have a glass femur"...? Probably so. - -- ...Jeff The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 18:29:05 -0400 (EDT) From: Bill Silvers Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Uh-oh - do you think Blank Frank got 'im? Stewart Mason wrote: And to avoid sounding more curmudgeonly than I really feel, a quick run-through of some recent albums I've really liked: HUMMING BY THE FLOWERED VINE--Laura Cantrell - ----- It's not my wish to be catty or critical, because my exposure to Ms. Cantrell's work to date has been pretty limited, but has mostly confirmed the word on the streets where I live-- she's working with a, um, limited vocal instrument. Do you find that to be an issue with this current record, which is getting some strong notices? ELECTRIFIED--Dressy Bessy - ----- A big omission from my list. I'm am liking it every bit as much so far as the self-titled predecessor, which was a favorite of whatever year that was back then. b.s. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 19:16:24 -0500 From: Jeff Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Uh-oh - do you think Blank Frank got 'im? On 6/29/05, Bill Silvers wrote: > > ELECTRIFIED--Dressy Bessy > > ----- > > A big omission from my list. I'm am liking it every bit as much so far as the self-titled predecessor, which was a favorite of whatever year that was back then. I believe that now, that year was back then, whereas back then, that year was now. I hope that helps. - -- ...Jeff The Architectural Dance Society http://spanghew.blogspot.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 23:46:03 -0400 From: "Stewart Mason" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Uh-oh - do you think Blank Frank got 'im? - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Silvers" >> HUMMING BY THE FLOWERED VINE--Laura Cantrell > > It's not my wish to be catty or critical, because my exposure to >Ms. Cantrell's work to date has been pretty limited, but has mostly >confirmed the word on the streets where I live-- she's working with >a, um, limited vocal instrument. Do you find that to be an issue with >this current record, which is getting some strong notices? She sounds exactly the same here as she does on her earlier records, which I think is a good thing. However, this does probably mean that you won't. I wouldn't say she has a limited vocal instrument (which is more true of her NYC alt-country counterpart Amy Allison, who sounds like the female Jimmie Dale Gilmore, which I also think is a very good thing indeed), more that she has a certain range in which she's most comfortable and structures her performances around that. Which is a slight distinction, I know, but an important one: she doesn't try to do anything she's not capable of. S ------------------------------ End of loud-fans-digest V5 #163 *******************************