From: owner-support-system-digest@smoe.org (support-system-digest) To: support-system-digest@smoe.org Subject: support-system-digest V6 #5 Reply-To: support-system@smoe.org Sender: owner-support-system-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-support-system-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk support-system-digest Sunday, January 12 2003 Volume 06 : Number 005 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Liz Phair - the email(s) [Kenneth Lee ] Re: Liz Phair - the email(s) [Brett Jones ] Re: Liz Phair - the email(s) [Jase ] RE: Liz Phair - the email(s) [ZeeBee ] Re: Liz Phair - the email(s) [robert joyner ] Re: Liz Phair - the email(s) [Brett Jones ] Re: Liz Phair - the email(s) [Jase ] The live stuff [Jase ] Re: support-system-digest V6 #4 ["overpavement" Subject: Liz Phair - the email(s) Okay, here is the entire email from Liz, reprinted with her permission: - ----- Original Message ----- Subject: The REAL Liz Oh, I'm just having the best time checking this site out. I love what you've done with it. There seems to be a small furor going on about release dates and evil production couplings, and all I can say is, really, no REALLY, don't worry. The Matrix songs are great, mainstreamy, but really exceptional as such. I needed to get on the radio, and they and I have had an unusually fruitful four song pairing. It's obviously different than my own quirky stuff, but we've amazed the label with a four for four hit-type factor, and no one who's heard it ( myself included) can stop playing it because it rocks and is fun and slick and smart. So that's that. Inside the game of the music business, I've turned my fate around with these tracks and am poised for a nice ride. Which is important to me. A huge part of my motivation in any creative endeavor is ignoring, if not down-right spitting in the face of, the words "No, you can't." I'm just rebelious. I hate that they say you can't get on the radio. I hate that those suited executives look at me (Or looked, thanks to some fabulously generous and outstanding work by Michael Penn, Gary Clark, and The Matrix) and think, "Art Piece. Hang it on the wall. Can't do anything else with it." You might understand that Music Industry is just another Guyville and I want to take it down. Or sit on top of it. It's just my nature. And it wouldn't be satisfying if I didn't love the music I make. I absolutely love some of those Matrix songs. I finally made music, like 'Extraordinary' and 'Rock Me', that I want to blast out of the windows of my car, waiting to park at Universal Studios for KCRW Christmas show. The Matrix stuff is the kind of stuff you take to rural America and play at top volume for your cousins because they get it, and they like it, but when they hear the words, it shocks them. I live for that reaction. As for my own art, there are many, many songs recorded over these last four years that we're deciding what to do with. Many are just me and my guitar, maybe not as good as at twenty-five, when all I had to do in the world was sit around, get stoned and play guitar, but alot are pretty special. I even thought of starting a subscription service to do like a song-a-month club on-line, because, why wait? I write songs all the time, and in their nascent form, are quite possibly more brilliant, especially to all my brainiac fans out there who don't need their art pre-digested. Release date for the proffesional album is very firmly May 22, 2003, because any longer than that and I run out of money. Expect to see me playing shows very soon, as per that money thing. No title as of yet, but I'm hovering around a 'night' image. I don't know what else to tell you, but if you can stand to move a few feet closer to the center, I promise the album rocks. And if you can't, then have a laugh and wait for the demo material to trickle out. It's only music. You don't have cancer. I write it for me. It fulfills my need to speak, to be understood. And if I change, and you don't like it, I can't help you. Because only when I'm traveling in my life, when I feel like I'm transforming, or having some adventure, will music come flooding out of me. Friction, baby! P.S. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't give out my email xxxxoooo Liz - ----- End of Original Message ----- Being skeptical, I responded, and received a reply back: - ----- Original Message ----- Subject: Re: The REAL Liz Wow! What a prompt reply. Sure, you can post my note if you think it's appropriate. And I'd love to do an interview. I'd like to kind of let people know I'm back in business. You just explain how, and we'll do it. Thanks, Liz - ----- End of Original Message ----- So there you have it. New Liz album and tour on the horizon. If you have any questions you want me to ask Liz, feel free to email them to me. - -Ken kenmlee@ix.netcom.com MeSmErIzInG - AnOtHeR LiZ PhAiR WeBsItE http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Club/2471/ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 02:37:55 -0500 From: Brett Jones Subject: Re: Liz Phair - the email(s) I'm so praying to the god of cool stuff for this to happen. I'd do a few bucks for a couple a new songs from Liz every month. Can't wait for May. Kenneth Lee wrote: > pretty special. I even thought of starting a subscription service to do > like a song-a-month club on-line, because, why wait? I write songs all the > time, and in their nascent form, are quite possibly more brilliant, > especially to all my brainiac fans out there who don't need their art > pre-digested. Release date for the proffesional album is very firmly May - -- Brett Jones brett@5foot2.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 03:25:40 -0500 From: Jase Subject: Re: Liz Phair - the email(s) First off, a big thank you to Ken for posting the e-mail he received from Liz. In the past, Liz hasn't really reached out to her internet community (apart from the one post she sent to both this and the Guyville list); the fact that she sent Ken that e-mail after visiting his site speaks volumes. Kudos to Ken; he's put an amazing amount of work into maintaining the most comprehensive Liz site around. I'm also a little amazed by how candid Liz's message was, but I feel reassured after reading it. The only source for Liz news over the past couple of years has been the occasional article on music/entertainment news sites, so it's good to hear something from Liz herself. After reading her message, it seems like she hasn't changed as much as I had imagined and she has put some of my own fears about the new record to rest. I do get the impression from the e-mail that she's aware that some of us have been a little bit skeptical about her musical direction and the people she's chosen to work with. I feel a little bad now about having expressed my doubts on here, but I never imagined our opinions (favorable or unfavorable) would get back to her. And let me tell you, I'll gladly eat my words if the new record is a good one. I want to be proven wrong here. It seems like Liz is still as subversive as ever ("The Matrix stuff is the kind of stuff you take to rural America and play at top volume for your cousins because they get it, and they like it, but when they hear the words, it shocks them. I live for that reaction"), which is good to see. I'm just hoping it will be more of a rock album than a pop one, but either way I'll let go of my skepticism and give it a shot. I'm a little stunned, though, about what Liz said about running out of money if the album doesn't come out when she wants it to in May. I always figured she was fairly well off, based on all the touring she's done and having two records that have went gold. Damn. She's the type of artist who should be able to do more than just keep her head above water by making music. I'm glad that Liz is still writing songs for herself, in addition to writing ones that fulfill her need to "get on the radio." Those other songs, the ones she referred to as "my own art," I hope will eventually be released in some form. I do like her idea of an online subscription service. Kristin Hersh has something like that on the Throwing Music site -- it's $15 per year and you get an exclusive track each month to download. If Liz were to do something similar, I'd gladly sign up for it. I also think it would be great if she could find her original copies of the Girly Sound tapes, have them remastered, and sell CDs of them exclusively through her own online shop. I doubt a major label would jump at the chance to release a 2-disc set of demo recordings, so that may be the only way they'll ever see an official release. Plus, it'd be nice to put some money back into Liz's pockets for music we've enjoyed for free for a long time. I also find Liz's comment about waiting for demo material to trickle out to be interesting -- I guess she must be aware of all the past recordings that have circulated. I'm just glad that it doesn't seem to bother her, and I do hope we'll hear some of this newer demo material at some point. I guess I'm starting to feel excited again, now that the album's release is happening for real. By the way, does anyone else think that Liz should ask Ken to put together an official site for her? With an album and tour on the horizon, now seems like a perfect time to launch lizphair.com. Jase ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 07:17:44 -0500 From: ZeeBee Subject: RE: Liz Phair - the email(s) WOW! That just may be the coolest email I've ever had the privelage to read! I'm so excited for the new release. Can't wait to get the new CD blasting out my car windows in the spring! Well, we all knew Liz was a cool chick, the email just goes to prove it. She ROCKS! I agree about the subscription service, that would totally rock. - --ZEE p.s. oh, also, regarding Liz's official site being launched, I thought the same thing of asking Ken. Still, recently I saw www.liz-phair.com. the photo gallery is great. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-support-system@smoe.org [mailto:owner-support-system@smoe.org]On Behalf Of Kenneth Lee Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2003 1:59 AM To: support-system@smoe.org Subject: Liz Phair - the email(s) Okay, here is the entire email from Liz, reprinted with her permission: - ----- Original Message ----- Subject: The REAL Liz Oh, I'm just having the best time checking this site out. I love what you've done with it. There seems to be a small furor going on about release dates and evil production couplings, and all I can say is, really, no REALLY, don't worry. The Matrix songs are great, mainstreamy, but really exceptional as such. I needed to get on the radio, and they and I have had an unusually fruitful four song pairing. It's obviously different than my own quirky stuff, but we've amazed the label with a four for four hit-type factor, and no one who's heard it ( myself included) can stop playing it because it rocks and is fun and slick and smart. So that's that. Inside the game of the music business, I've turned my fate around with these tracks and am poised for a nice ride. Which is important to me. A huge part of my motivation in any creative endeavor is ignoring, if not down-right spitting in the face of, the words "No, you can't." I'm just rebelious. I hate that they say you can't get on the radio. I hate that those suited executives look at me (Or looked, thanks to some fabulously generous and outstanding work by Michael Penn, Gary Clark, and The Matrix) and think, "Art Piece. Hang it on the wall. Can't do anything else with it." You might understand that Music Industry is just another Guyville and I want to take it down. Or sit on top of it. It's just my nature. And it wouldn't be satisfying if I didn't love the music I make. I absolutely love some of those Matrix songs. I finally made music, like 'Extraordinary' and 'Rock Me', that I want to blast out of the windows of my car, waiting to park at Universal Studios for KCRW Christmas show. The Matrix stuff is the kind of stuff you take to rural America and play at top volume for your cousins because they get it, and they like it, but when they hear the words, it shocks them. I live for that reaction. As for my own art, there are many, many songs recorded over these last four years that we're deciding what to do with. Many are just me and my guitar, maybe not as good as at twenty-five, when all I had to do in the world was sit around, get stoned and play guitar, but alot are pretty special. I even thought of starting a subscription service to do like a song-a-month club on-line, because, why wait? I write songs all the time, and in their nascent form, are quite possibly more brilliant, especially to all my brainiac fans out there who don't need their art pre-digested. Release date for the proffesional album is very firmly May 22, 2003, because any longer than that and I run out of money. Expect to see me playing shows very soon, as per that money thing. No title as of yet, but I'm hovering around a 'night' image. I don't know what else to tell you, but if you can stand to move a few feet closer to the center, I promise the album rocks. And if you can't, then have a laugh and wait for the demo material to trickle out. It's only music. You don't have cancer. I write it for me. It fulfills my need to speak, to be understood. And if I change, and you don't like it, I can't help you. Because only when I'm traveling in my life, when I feel like I'm transforming, or having some adventure, will music come flooding out of me. Friction, baby! P.S. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't give out my email xxxxoooo Liz - ----- End of Original Message ----- Being skeptical, I responded, and received a reply back: - ----- Original Message ----- Subject: Re: The REAL Liz Wow! What a prompt reply. Sure, you can post my note if you think it's appropriate. And I'd love to do an interview. I'd like to kind of let people know I'm back in business. You just explain how, and we'll do it. Thanks, Liz - ----- End of Original Message ----- So there you have it. New Liz album and tour on the horizon. If you have any questions you want me to ask Liz, feel free to email them to me. - -Ken kenmlee@ix.netcom.com MeSmErIzInG - AnOtHeR LiZ PhAiR WeBsItE http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Club/2471/ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 07:28:57 -0800 (PST) From: robert joyner Subject: Re: Liz Phair - the email(s) - --- Jase wrote: > I'm a little stunned, though, about what Liz said > about running out of > money if the album doesn't come out when she wants > it to in May. I always > figured she was fairly well off, based on all the > touring she's done and > having two records that have went gold. Damn. She's > the type of artist who > should be able to do more than just keep her head > above water by making music. I still think that it must have cost a mint to make WCSE. All that studio time and multiple producers/mixers mmust have made for a hefty bill from Capitol for her to recoup from royalties. > > > I also find Liz's comment about waiting for demo > material to trickle out to > be interesting -- Kinda ironic she made this comment to Ken, don't you think? it made me laugh out loud when i read it. > > By the way, does anyone else think that Liz should > ask Ken to put together > an official site for her? With an album and tour on > the horizon, now seems > like a perfect time to launch lizphair.com. I saw where it (lizphair.com) is back up for sale. A mix of Ken Lee and Mike Honaker's Supernova site would be Phair Heaven. later Robert ===== - ------------------------------------------------------------ Nashville - A Liz Phair Web Site http://www.geocities.com/robnashville - ------------------------------------------------------------ Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 13:15:15 -0500 From: Brett Jones Subject: Re: Liz Phair - the email(s) I was just thinking his site needs a real domain name. I run a small hosting biz and would donate the needed space/bandwidth/admin help if ken was looking to do such a venture. Maybe people on the list could pitch in a few bucks each to cover the cost of registering the domain. If your interested Ken drop me a line. Is there an archive of this list Jase? Jase wrote: > By the way, does anyone else think that Liz should ask Ken to put > together an official site for her? With an album and tour on the > horizon, now seems like a perfect time to launch lizphair.com. > > > Jase - -- Brett Jones brett@5foot2.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 17:13:05 -0500 From: Jase Subject: Re: Liz Phair - the email(s) Brett wrote: >I was just thinking his site needs a real domain name. I run a small >hosting biz and would donate the needed space/bandwidth/admin help if ken >was looking to do such a venture. Maybe people on the list could pitch in >a few bucks each to cover the cost of registering the domain. If your >interested Ken drop me a line. I think it would be great if people could pitch in a few dollars each for this. I'd definitely be willing to. >Is there an archive of this list Jase? There's only a partial one, from mid-September 1998 onwards, which is when I moved this list to smoe.org's server. The archive can be found at [http://www.smoe.org/lists/support-system/]. Before that, I had been running the list manually. All the posts were sent to me and I would compile them and send them out to everyone (almost) every night. During the blitz of activity when _whitechocolatespaceegg_ was released, my ISP at the time freaked about the amount of e-mail I was receiving and sending from my account and I had to stop running the list that way. The list started in December 1996 and had a different name back then (the 6'1" Mailing List). I still have most of those old digests saved and I may create an archive of them at some point. That's probably quite far off, though -- my first priorities are to put together a new Web site for the list (the current one hasn't been updated in ages and I think it's time to scrap everything and start anew), and to get the Phairities compilation I've been working on into circulation. There are a couple of people on the list who have copies of my initial attempts at creating the discs, but I'm not completely happy with how they turned out. There have also been a few newer songs, like "Down" and "Take a Look," that hadn't existed during my first shot at the compilation. Since then, we also learned about Liz's small contribution to Urge Overkill's "Digital Black Epilogue" and "Soak up the Sun" has been released as well. I want to add all of these additional songs to what I had come up with earlier, while maybe removing a couple of the poorer-quality live recordings. Since I've kept everyone waiting so long already, I don't want there to be anything half-assed about these discs. Before, I had set it up so that there were two discs: one of live material and one of studio recordings. The studio recordings disc had also contained any professionally-recorded, officially released live recordings and any of Liz's contributions to other artists' songs. I think this time, I'm going to move the officially released live material to the live disc itself. To create the room to do this, I'm going to scrap a few of the lesser quality live tracks. I also want to add "Down" and "Take a Look" to the studio recordings, and create a separate (albeit rather short) disc of other artists' songs that Liz contibuted to. I'm still trying to get ahold of the promotional video that "Down" had appeared on, as well as get one of the samplers that contains "Take a Look." I don't want to just use the MP3s that are floating around, as the quality won't be quite as good. If there's anyone who has either and can somehow help me out, I would appreciate it. If you could record the audio from the "Down" video as a .wav file and either send me the file (I have MSN Messenger) or burn a CD-R and mail it to me, I will send you a free set of the discs when they're completed. As well, if anyone has one of the actual samplers with "Take a Look" on it (not just a MP3) and can burn me a copy or send me a .wav file of it, the same offer stands. As for the actual distribution of the discs amongst the list once they're completed, I'm going to do what was suggested a while ago and just send a set of the discs to someone who'd be willing to organize a CD-R tree. If it's left up to me, it'd likely take too long. I don't know if everyone wants to wait and get the entire set of discs all at once or not. I don't have all the material needed yet to complete the studio recordings disc, but I've got everything I need here to finish recompiling the others. If the general consensus is that people don't mind getting one CD at a time, rather than the whole set all at once, I'll work on getting the live disc finished and send it off to whoever wants to organize the distribution of it. Just curious, have any fairly decent-sounding live recordings of "Love/Hate Transmission" or "Stranger" from the Lilith Fair shows surfaced yet? The ones I have aren't that great, so those are likely the songs that will be cut from the live disc. Jase ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 17:35:29 -0500 From: Jase Subject: The live stuff Just thought I'd post a list of what may or may not appear on the live disc, depending on what I end up having to cut: "Divorce Song/Emotional Rescue" "Explain it to Me" (live version from the 04/08/94 NYC show -- the day Kurt Cobain's body was found. Liz dedicated the song to him after it ended) "Beginning to See the Light" "Hurricane Cindy" (both are live studio performance from KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic") "Sometimes a Dream (Is What Makes You a Slave)" "Wasted" "Ride" "If I Ever Pay You Back" "You Have No Idea" "I'll Get You High" (all performances from shows from the April '95 solo electric tour) "Oh My God/That's the Way I Like It" (from MTV's "Squirt TV") "All Right Now" (live cover, from one of the October 1998 Chicago shows) "I'm a Believer" (another live cover, from a show in Boston -- can't find the date right now) "Wild Thing" "Flower" "Conversation Overheard Between Two Bouncers" (from the infamous March 14, 1999 Lounge Ax show. "Wild Thing" was the first -- and only -- live performances of that Girly Sound nugget, "Flower" was a duet with this list's very own Katie Brown, and "Conversation" was a brand new song being performed for the first time) "Firewalker" "Don't Apologize" (from the April 1999 shows) "Stranger" "Love/Hate Transmission" (from the '99 Lilith Fair shows) As for the officially released live recordings, there's the following: "Fuck and Run" (from the Random Acts 2 compilation) "Polyester Bride" (from Just Passin' Thru 2) "Never Said" (from the Lilith Fair 3 release) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 17:41:21 -0500 From: "overpavement" Subject: Re: support-system-digest V6 #4 to ken lee: congrats on the email from liz, and thanks for posting it in its entirety (or close enough) on your 'mesmerizing' site. you and jason, in particular, deserve recognition, at least, for all the work and time you've devoted to helping push liz's work, and i'm glad to see you get that recognition. as for the note itself, i decline to have an opinion about any of it, just because it seems honest and reasonable (although the reference to something like 'songs you play for your cousins in the midwest because they get it right away,' reminded me -- for some unknown reason -- of that old billy squier song 'stroke me', which i never was a fan of, but which adam sandler used hilariously in 'billy madison'. then the following sentence about, 'then they hear the lyrics and are totally shocked,' eliminates that billy squier image right away (thank the lord)). anyway, thanks for posting it up, and, again, i'm pleased to see you get some recognition for your hard work. would hope jason gets some recognition for his work, as well. o ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 20:01:41 EST From: LilRussianGirl@aol.com Subject: non-liz Toronto Canada Anyone have any suggestions regarding where to stay or where to eat or what to do while in Toronto Canada? Please email me off list. Thanks! lilrussiangirl@aol.com ------------------------------ End of support-system-digest V6 #5 **********************************