From: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org (loud-fans-digest) To: loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Subject: loud-fans-digest V7 #2 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 Sunday, January 7 2007 Volume 07 : Number 002 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [loud-fans] Behold, the Idolator [zoom@muppetlabs.com] Re: [loud-fans] Behold, the Idolator [Jenny Grover ] Re: [loud-fans] Behold, the Idolator [AWeiss4338@aol.com] [loud-fans] Ballot, J-Ppop [AWeiss4338@aol.com] [loud-fans] YES!! [CertronC90@aol.com] Re: [loud-fans] 2006 + new email [zoom@muppetlabs.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2007 13:15:11 -0800 (PST) From: zoom@muppetlabs.com Subject: [loud-fans] Behold, the Idolator The web page configurations need work; they don't link (that I can discover) from a title to all the critics voting for that title; the contributors name got organized by first name (reminding me of that guy in VINYL); and they eschew that bizarre "if two tie for for four, five doesn't exist" rule that Pazz & Jop swore by. But this is, nonetheless, the world's first Jackin' Pop Critics Poll, courtesy that upstart idolator.com: http://www.idolator.com/jackinpop2006 Naturally, I have to see how my picks stack up (though I may change my list for Aaron's poll). To wit: 1. The Loud Family and Anton Barbeau - What If It Works? #196, 42 points in 4 votes 2. Scott Walker - The Drift #23, 350 points in 31 votes 3. Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose #574, nobody else voted for it 4. Ornette Coleman - Sound Grammar #45, 206 points in 19 votes 5. Lindsey Buckingham - Under The Skin #98, 86 points in 9 votes 6. Yusuf - An Another Cup #1072, nobody else voted for it 7. Sparks - Hello Young Lovers #109, 76 points in 7 votes (though on my ballot I blew it by reversing the album name and the band name; hopefully someone corrected for this) 8. Gil Ray - I Am Atomic Man! #1137, nobody else voted for it 9. Mishka Adams - God Bless The Child #1206, nobody else voted for it 10. Smoosh - Free To Stay #1286, nobody else voted for it So, while we'll need glenn to quantify all this (paging glenn!) my "Insanity Relative To The Norm" degree appears "Moderate To High," by eyeballing. I've heard exactly one album in the Top Ten. The Bob Dylan. Overrated. I count two other Loud fans on the poll, though I may have missed some. Couldn't find Andrea, unless she's changed her name to "Passion Of The Weiss" and gotten way into Ghostface Killah. Robert Christgau voted. Greil Marcus and Dave Marsh didn't. Strange. While I could probably find crazier if I looked harder, I searched for Paris Hilton's PARIS, fully figuring Chuck Eddy for the lonely vote, but no, 5 people agreed with Chuck Eddy. Paris finished at #119, 72 points, beating out six of my own ten picks, not to mention Solomon Burke, Prince, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Sufjan Stevens, the Melvins, the Flaming Lips, the Beatles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Morrissey, and I could go on. Maybe I should listen to the damn thing. Assuming "Boris" is not the same band for which Jamie Muir once played. But I'm open to correction. Highest chart position of a dead person (I think): Tommy Bolin at #1177, 7 points, 1 vote. Unless maybe you count the four New York Dolls who weren't around to participate in the reunion album (#78, 106 points in 9 votes). Comments encouraged, naturally. And with strange aeons we may even find out where Dennis went, Andy To begin listening, really listening, to Joanna Newsom, you must first reckon with her voice, a sound that has clapped many ears shut on first contact. Newsom sings in a high, wavering squeak that even her admirers have compared to Olive Oyl's and Marge Simpson's. Her voice is fuller and more richly burnished now than on her 2004 debut, The Milk-Eyed Mender. I put the current ratio at about 80 percent radiant loveliness to 20 percent harshly grating crow caw. But it still takes some getting used to, andas with Tom Waits, as with Bob Dylanthere are some listeners who will never get past it. In large part because of that eccentric voice, Newsom has been associated with the so-called freak-folk movement. The "freak" effect is heightened by the fact that Newsom plays a big, antiquated instrument, the harp, and by her song lyrics, which are reams of pastoral verse, seemingly ripped from the diaries of a long-lost metaphysical poet, packed with archaicisms ("thee," "fain") and tongue-twisting couplets of the sort not generally found in 21st-century pop lyrics, or in the 21st century, period: "My clay-colored motherlessness rangily reclines/ Come on home now! My bones are dolorous with vines." But on her stupendous new album, Ys (pronounced "Ees"), Newsom is neither freak nor folk. The five songs on Ys stretch to epic length (the shortest clocks in at seven-plus minutes), but every chord change, harp plink, and poetic conceit is wrought with rigorous craftsmanship. That kind of meticulousness ain't exactly letting your freak flag fly. As for "folk": Sure, Newsom plays an acoustic instrumentalbeit one about 10 times larger than the usual folkie guitarand hints of traditional Celtic and Appalachian music drift up through the songs. But on Ys, she's playing grand, symphonic pop, the kind of stormy music associated with Kate Bush and Bjvrk, who are clearly big influences. The album opening, "Emily," begins with Newsom singing over a tolling harp and string-orchestra pizzicatos. Soon, the full orchestra swoops in, with strings darting and groaning through meter changes, while Newsom sings densely packed, mysterious lines: "And the meteorite's just what causes the light,/ And the meteor's how it's perceived;/ And the meteoroid's a bone thrown from the void, that lies quiet in offering to thee." - --Jody Rosen, from http://www.slate.com/id/2153950/ . (Ms. Newsom finished at #5, 883 points in 84 votes) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2007 16:29:31 -0500 From: Jenny Grover Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Behold, the Idolator zoom@muppetlabs.com wrote: > > To begin listening, really listening, to Joanna Newsom, *** etc. - --Jody Rosen, from http://www.slate.com/id/2153950/ . (Ms. Newsom finishedat #5, 883 points in 84 votes) I've only heard one song by her, "Monkey", and it sounded pretty darned interesting and different from what else I'm hearing these days. Have you heard Ys, Andy? Anyone? Is that song typical, or not? Jen ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2007 13:48:34 -0800 (PST) From: zoom@muppetlabs.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Behold, the Idolator > zoom@muppetlabs.com wrote: >> >> To begin listening, really listening, to Joanna Newsom, *** etc. > --Jody Rosen, from http://www.slate.com/id/2153950/ . (Ms. Newsom > finishedat #5, 883 points in 84 votes) > > > I've only heard one song by her, "Monkey", and it sounded pretty darned > interesting and different from what else I'm hearing these days. Have > you heard Ys, Andy? Anyone? Is that song typical, or not? Had the Amazon sound samples in my ears just as you rang in! ("Monkey & Bear," I think, is the song you mean.) She's supposed to sound like Bjork, and I hear that, though I hear Nina Simone, Cat Power, and musical theater, too. All fine things, says I. So, while I don't own and haven't heard all the way through, I can recommend for further study. Had no idea Charlotte Gainsbourg graced us with a new one last year, Andy "Murders are exciting and lift people into a heart-beating awe as religion is supposed to do, after seeing one in the street young couples will go back to bed and make love, people will cross themselves and thank God for the gift of their stuporous lives, old folks will talk to each other over cups of hot water with lemon because murders are enlivened sermons to be analyzed and considered and relished, they speak to the timid of the dangers of rebellion, murders are perceived as momentary descents of God and so provide joy and hope and righteous satisfaction to parishioners, who will talk about them for years afterward to anyone who will listen." - --E.L. Doctorow, from BILLY BATHGATE ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2007 22:14:00 +0000 From: 1325carter@comcast.net Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Behold, the Idolator Jenny-- There are a couple of downloadable Joanna Newsom mp3s on the various "Best of 2006" lists on the http://marchonelectricchildren.blogspot.com/ site, along w/a ton of other amazing stuff. I believe there are only 5 song on the cd, but they run 9 -16 minutes each. I don't have the problem w/her voice that many other people seem to have. (I get a little Iris Dement.) Her music is intriguing stuff. Regards, Bill Carter - -------------- Original message -------------- From: Jenny Grover > zoom@muppetlabs.com wrote: > > > > To begin listening, really listening, to Joanna Newsom, *** etc. > --Jody Rosen, from http://www.slate.com/id/2153950/ . (Ms. Newsom > finishedat #5, 883 points in 84 votes) > > > I've only heard one song by her, "Monkey", and it sounded pretty darned > interesting and different from what else I'm hearing these days. Have > you heard Ys, Andy? Anyone? Is that song typical, or not? > > Jen ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2007 14:47:32 -0800 (PST) From: Sarah Gordon Subject: [loud-fans] 2006 + new email Due to ongoing technical difficulties with my other email address, I haven't been able to read this mailing list for the past month, which is a shame because it means I've probably missed most of the best-of lists for 2006. (I couldn't find an online archive--is there one?) Ah well, here are my picks, for what it is worth: http://www.fingeronthepulse.org/bestof/bestof2006.html Also, please update your address book for this new address for me. My old berkeley account has been increasingly unreliable and is inaccessible to me more often than not these days. Apologies if you have sent me something, and I haven't responded. It's been down 2 of the last 3 months and is currently down...sigh. Anyway, a belated happy new year to all. I hope to see some of you at the next Loud-event. I was sad to miss the recent LF show at the Plough. Cheers, Sarah ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2007 18:38:16 EST From: AWeiss4338@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] Behold, the Idolator In a message dated 1/6/2007 4:16:39 PM Eastern Standard Time, zoom@muppetlabs.com writes: I count two other Loud fans on the poll, though I may have missed some. Couldn't find Andrea, unless she's changed her name to "Passion Of The Weiss" and gotten way into Ghostface Killah. I'll post my ballot later, but I'm listed at 1234Ace. I do like "Passion of rhe Weiss" though as that is my last name. Nice to see the labum I listed make the list. I was one who voted for the Louds. Andrea ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2007 21:45:50 EST From: AWeiss4338@aol.com Subject: [loud-fans] Ballot, J-Ppop I couldn't resist that abbreviation, lol. Anyway, my ballot: I felt a tiny bit out of it reissue-wise, so none are listed. 1. Loud Familywith Anton Barbeau What if It Works (125 Records) 2. Sid N' Suzy Under the Covers Vol 1 (Shout Factory) 3. Nellie McKay Pretty Little Head (Hugry Mouse) 4. Lindsey Buckingham Under The Skin (Warner Brothers) 5. Dresden Dolls Yes Virgina (Roadrunner Records) 6. Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way (Sony) 7. Cat Power The Greatist (Matador) 8. Neko Case Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Anti) 9. The Hold Steady Boys and Girls in America (Vagrant) 10. Aimee Mann One More Drifter In the Snow (Superego) Top 10 Singles/Tracks of 2006 ARTIST TRACK LABEL 1. Sid N Siuzy I See the Rain (Shout Factory) 2. Loud Family with Anton Barbeau Mavis of Maybelline Towers (125 Records) 3. Dresden Dolls Shores of Californa (Raodrunner ) 4. Neko Case Hold on, Hold On (Anti ) 5. Aimee Mann Calling On Mary (Superego) 6. Dixie Chicks Taking the Long Way (Sony) 7. Nellie McKay Beecharmer (Hungry Mouse) 8. Cat Power Living Proof (Matador) 9. The Hold Steady Chips Ahoy! (Vagrant) 10. Lindsey Buckingham Castaway Dreams (Warner Brothers) Top 5 Reissues of 2006 ARTIST REISSUE LABEL 1. () 2. () 3. () 4. () 5. () Top 5 Artists of 2006 ARTIST 1. Dixie Chicks 2. Lindsey Buckingham 3. Loud Family 4. Aimee Mann 5. Nellie McKay ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 7 Jan 2007 00:58:47 EST From: CertronC90@aol.com Subject: [loud-fans] YES!! The Yoko Onoesque subject line is in response to getting my Gil Ray disc yesterday and my DVDs from Jen today. I rate the experiences up there with being "bootie" on The Go-Go's tour bus circa '82 (which would make me teenage jailbait) or drinking Jack Daniiels and laughing all night with Douglas Coupland. (I got my rock n' roll--that gives me the sex and drugs). WOO HOO! (or AWOO! if you're Canadian) - --Mark np The Hidden Cameras THE SMELL OF OUR OWN ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Jan 2007 22:31:41 -0800 (PST) From: zoom@muppetlabs.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] 2006 + new email > Due to ongoing technical difficulties with my other email > address, I haven't been able to read this mailing list for the > past month, which is a shame because it means I've probably > missed most of the best-of lists for 2006. Well, the eminent Mr. Mandel is running his 2006 Loudfans Poll: http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~aaron/poll/lf06 and I hope you'll join the discussion of the first (annual?) Jackin' Pop Poll: http://www.idolator.com/jackinpop2006 But yes, can someone point in the direction of the archives? And find Dennis? Oh, and if anyone wants a copy of CHEESE CHRONICLES, I found one for seven or eight bucks at Half-Price Books, Andy "The multiplication of our kind borders on the obscene; the duty to love them, on the preposterous." - --Emil Cioran ------------------------------ End of loud-fans-digest V7 #2 *****************************