From: owner-sycophant-digest@smoe.org (sycophant-digest) To: sycophant-digest@smoe.org Subject: sycophant-digest V4 #170 Reply-To: sycophant@smoe.org Sender: owner-sycophant-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-sycophant-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk sycophant-digest Tuesday, January 4 2000 Volume 04 : Number 170 Today's Subjects: ----------------- sycophant ld's year-end list [ld ] sycophant New Happiness CD [Jun Suzuki ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 3 Jan 00 14:54:49 -0000 From: ld Subject: sycophant ld's year-end list hey ya'll - here's a complete version of my year-end list that was sort of mangled in last week's issue of TIME OUT NEW YORK. they published it as a "best-of" - -- which it wasn't -- and left some stuff out... anyway, if you have any questions about these mostly obscure things, ask me personally. xoxox and happy new year, LD Beghtol LD's Things You Probably Haven;t Heard (Or Haven't Heard Enough Of) List for 1999 1. "ENDING UP" EP by Arco (Dreamy) Slow, dreamy and intense songs from a fab new British group. If you like Low or Red House Painters, this is for you. 2. "SLOW RIOT FOR NEW ZERO KANADA" by Godspeed You Black Emperor! (Kranky) Inexplicably perfect soundtrack for plotting world domination or maybe even your own private apocalypse. Two bass players, cello and violin and lots of loops and samples and voice-overs. Creepy, sexy and sublime. 3. "A DREAM IN SOUND" by Elf Power (Arena Rock) Their best album yet, produced by Dave Fridman (Mercury Rev). Lovely songs full of abstract yearning and surreal passion. And it's not even twee! 4. The Clientele (various 7-inch singles) Hunt these down and buy every copy you can! Gail said it was like falling in love in the rain, and she's right (of course). Sort of like vintage Zombies, but even more exquisitely, painfully beautiful. 5. "HOPE & ADAMS" by Wheat (SGFR) Brilliant second album from this Massachusetts quartet. Like the nice parts of "sister" by Sonic Youth mixed with some My Bloody Valentine textures and "Pet Sounds" harmonies thrown in for fun. 6. "CHRISTMAS" EP & "SECRET NAME" by Low (Chair Kicker's Union/Kranky) Their most satisfying recorded works to date - more pop *and* more experimental at the same time. "Starfire" and "Don't Understand" could change -- or save -- your life. And the "Christmas" ep features the Optigan! 7. "PEDALS" by The Aluminum Group (Minty Fresh) More lovely, moving songs about architecture, modern design and the impossibility of love. Guest vocals from Sally Timms & Edith Frost make it all even more precious and affecting. Jim O'Rourke produced. 8. "LOVE & HATE (In the English Countryside)" by Section 25 (reissue/LTM) Isn't it really all about "Looking from a Hilltop?" Here's both mixes, plus the elusive "Guitar Waltz" and "Slinky." 9. "SHANTI PROJECT I" (Badman) Benefit disc featuring rare and/or obscure tracks from Red House Painters, Low, Hayden and Misc. It is excellent. 10. "LOVE AT ABSOLUTE ZERO" by My Favorite (Double Agent) "The Big Takeover" recently called this record by Long Island modsters "the best record of 1985!" I'm inclined to agree: imagine an irony-free world were passion and sincerity actually count, and the working-class ethos isn;t just a marketing gimmic. DId i mention the farfisas!?!?! honorary mention: 11. "The Floating World" by Darling (unreleased demos) 12. "Sky Motel" by Kristen Hersh (Four) 13. "Madonna" by ...And you Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (Merge) - ------- The Ectophile's Guide to Good Music: http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide/ - ------- To unsub, mail majordomo@smoe.org with the message: unsubscribe sycophant If you gave an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of computers, they would all get AOL accounts and send unsub messages to the list address. AOL users please read the instructions six lines up before unsubbing. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Jan 00 17:21:36 -0800 From: Jun Suzuki Subject: sycophant New Happiness CD Just an FYI: I was at Tower Records today and noticed that the new (4AD) version of Happiness now contains the Inconsiderate Bitch EP. Woohoo! Cheers, Jun - ------- The Ectophile's Guide to Good Music: http://www.smoe.org/ectoguide/ - ------- To unsub, mail majordomo@smoe.org with the message: unsubscribe sycophant If you gave an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of computers, they would all get AOL accounts and send unsub messages to the list address. AOL users please read the instructions six lines up before unsubbing. ------------------------------ End of sycophant-digest V4 #170 ******************************* ======================================================================== Please send any questions or comments about the list to sycophant-owner@smoe.org