Chalkhills Digest Volume 10, Issue 62
Date: Friday, 31 December 2004
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 10, Number 62
Friday, 31 December 2004
Topics:
Top 3....
My top 10 of 2004
Top 10 CDs of 2004
Re: Best of 2004
O&L gold vs. reissue / Yazbek's new musical
Mommyheads
Happy 2005!
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Hello. This is Andy Partridge from XTC. Have a psychedelic christmas, and a
great new year. And remember: DON'T drink and drive; DON'T sacrifice goats if
you intend to use heavy machinery; and DON'T boil your best friends in vats of
their own phlegm if you intend to go hanggliding much...more...often...
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 02:04:55 -0500 From: "James Campbell" <jquatz@hotmail.com> Subject: Top 3.... Message-ID: <BAY102-F30F58230E9ECFE6FF361D1CE9B0@phx.gbl> Hi Chalkheads....coming up for air and a quick post from Lurkland. Time for the inundation of Top lists for 2004, here is my contribution..... I managed to buy *three* whole albums this year, as I continue my now multi-year XTC withdrawl. I guess I find record buying just boring compared to the glee in unwrapping a new Partridge/Moulding recording (or Goodness, what I'd give for a Jellyfish album). Its just not as fun. Note....frankly, the Warbles don't do it for me. Its been argued here before, you either are or you aren't....I guess I'm not... Anyway, three albums... 1.) Keep Your Wig On - Fastball - These guys had the smash XTC never could manage. Don't blame 'em for it....it was as smart, and well recorded a track as anything our boys could've managed. Their latest is really a fine album, with nary a dull track. Southern U.S. roots in every song, its worth every penny, start to end.....this trio deserves better....sound familiar? 2.) Mosquitos - Mosquitos - I thought Natalie Merchant had spoiled me for all waif-like frontwomen to come, then JuJu Stulbach came along.....dig the portuguese and shake that booty..... 3.) Mosquitos - Sunshine Barato - The follow up CD....two releases in one year, imagine that? A neat band who really scores on the average of every other track.....not a bad hit rate nowadays I suppose. Check 'em out.....www.mosquitosnyc.com..... Happy new year folks....jc
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Dec 2004 23:39:40 -0800 (PST) From: Tyler Hewitt <tahewitt@yahoo.com> Subject: My top 10 of 2004 Message-ID: <20041229073940.80657.qmail@web51709.mail.yahoo.com> Here's my top ten of 2004. Instead of limiting myself to music, I took the Artforum approach and made a list of the best of everything that captured my attention this year. Everything influences everything, it seemed to make sense to make my list this way. I tried to put them in order, but ultimately, numerical order is secondary to their having made the list at all. Tyler 1. Bjork: Medulla The best album I heard this year (I love a good challenge!). A difficult listen at times, but so worth the effort. By turns joyous, creepy, and breathtaking. I've listened to this more than Fuzzy's 5&6, the new Tom Waits, and all the other cds on this list combined. 2. Erik LaGattuta: "Shuhkawgo" at Gescheidle Gallery Full disclosure: Erik is one of my best friends, and I've modeled for him (I'm in three of the paintings in this series). That said, I am constantly amazed at the scope and quality of his work. This series is his most ambitious work yet, a series of thematically linked paintings, done in an old master style, depicting a dystopic, future Chicago inhabited by warring colonies of genetically engineered post-humans. Creepy, yet beautiful, and featuring a virtuosic painting technique. Why he isn't famous is beyond me. You can see this work at http://www.gescheidle.com/. Click on past exhibitions, and go to Jan, 2004. A gold star if you can guess where I am in the paintings! 3. Barack Obama By now, almost everyone has heard of the formerly unknown Illinois state representative who rose to international fame after giving the keynote address at the Democratic convention. In November, he became the third African American elected to the US Senate since Reconstruction. What puts Obama on my list is that I spent most of 2004 as a volunteer in his election campaign. This was the first campaign I've ever worked on, so I have nothing to compare it to. It seemed, however, to be very grassroots in nature, and always strapped for cash. Sometimes finding a stapler or a computer that actually worked in the campaign office was a challenge. I called prospective voters, stapled yard signs, went door-to-door registering voters in the heart of South side Chicago, and met a lot of friendly people. I also had occasion to chat casually with Senator Obama a few times, something that I will likely never have the opportunity to do again. 4. The Daily Show The most honest political reporting to be found anywhere this year. It's disturbing, but not surprising, that given the current state of tv news reporting (equivocation while invoking fairness, or, in the case of Fox news, outright and deliberate bias), a satiric comedy show won a Peabody award for their coverage of political issues. 5. The Venture Brothers Nifty new animated series on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup. It's a parody of Jonny Quest, but takes off from there and goes wherever the hell it wants to. Pop culture references abound (the writers are obviously Bowie aficionados), as does the crude humor present in much of the original Adult Swim programming. The adolescent crotch-level humor is kept in check by clever writing, arching storylines, and good animation. Great original music by Jim `Foetus' Thirwell ( a sort of jazz/lounge pastiche), tv's sexiest character (the malevolent yet soft hearted Dr. Girlfriend) the and the best opening credits of any tv series, ever. I sure hope it gets renewed for a second season. 6. Slapp Happy/Henry Cow: Desperate Straights Best reissue cd of the year. The first record made by the pairing of naive popsters Slapp Happy with art rockers Henry Cow, originally released in 1975 or thereabouts. To my ears, it's more Slappy than Cowy, and it's a delightful listen. Peter Blegvad's intellectual yet goofy lyrics are as good as any he's ever written, and the music has that 70's progressive coating without losing its chewy pop core. 7. Ralph Eugene Meatyard at International Center of Photography OK, I haven't traveled to New York to see this show, but I did buy the catalog. If the show is even half as good as the book, it would be worth the trip. The catalog is the best art book of the year, with great reproductions of Meatyard's photographs and writing by Guy Davenport. Underappreciated during his lifetime, Meatyard's photographs have received increased critical attention in the years since his death in the early `70's. On one level these are interesting compositions made by placing his friends and family members in decaying buildings. They work on many different levels symbolically, however, and often become stronger on repeated viewings. Wonderful, challenging images made by a true master. 8. BUMP OF CHICKEN: Yggdrasil Titled after the `world tree' in Norse mythology, the fourth album by oddly-named Japanese rockers BUMP OF CHICKEN finds the band extending their reach and delivering their most varied and ambitious album yet. Acoustic numbers and short instrumental tracks balance the harder songs, which are more fleshed out and have fuller production than on previous albums. So what if you might not be able to understand the Japanese lyrics. The music is really great. 9. Harry and the Potters Two brothers who both dress up like Harry Potter and perform original songs that retell episodes from the Harry Potter books. Definitely of the low-fi, amateurish aesthetic (by choice or ability I'm not sure). Think of The Modern Lovers as a couple of untrained high school kids and you're pretty close. They released their second cd, `Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock', this year, and celebrated by touring the US, playing libraries and bookstores. I was one of about 20 people in attendance when they played in a feminist bookstore in Chicago last July. It was way more fun than it had any right to be. Check them out here: http://www.eskimolabs.com/hp/news.htm. There's a couple of songs you can download, and you can buy their cds if you're a geek like me. 10. Teen Titans season 3 I don't watch much tv at all (even though there are three tv shows on this list), and probably 80-90% of what I watch is animated shows. For all the animation I watch, however, I could never really `get' anime. That is, until I found Cartoon Network's Teen Titans last summer. It's done in a sort of fake anime style. This seems to annoy hardcore anime fans, but for me, it served as a sort of primer for anime. I understand it much better now that I've taken the Teen Titans tutorial. The current season has dropped some of the anime conventions, and what remains is a consistently well-animated show. It's bright, and fast moving. Visual references, tributes, and in-jokes abound. The writing, which was always pretty good, has improved greatly from previous seasons. While aimed squarely at the10 and under crowd, the writers have figured out how to add complexity and emotional depth without losing the kiddy appeal.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 16:11:31 +0000
From: "M Tiegler" <tiegler@hotmail.com>
Subject: Top 10 CDs of 2004
Message-ID: <BAY24-F34250DCA7A1C79D89CA81CAB9B0@phx.gbl>
I've enjoyed receiving the Chalkhills postings all year. Thanks for your
thoughts, recommendations, and ideas.
Here are some of my favorite 2004 releases in no particular order:
"Everyone is Here" The Finn Brothers
As solid as anything Neil or Crowded House ever released
"Dotted Line" Scott Bennett
[of Brian Wilson Band. Brian called him "the best musician I've ever
met"]
best way to describe his music is: melodic sensibilities of XTC + vocal
abilities of Jeff Buckley + musical aptitude of Brian Wilson. LISTEN HERE:
http://www.notlame.com/index.htm?action=product&itemid=171914&parentid=
"Kitchen Radio" Peter Mulvey
His songwriting is fantastic and his guitar playing is something you
must see live. Trust me.
LISTEN HERE: http://www.petermulvey.com/music.html
"Good News for People Who Like Bad News" Modest Mouse
Don't let their new found fame fool you. This record is fantastic.
BEST RECORDS EVER THAT YOU'VE (likely) NEVER HEARD:
"The Subversive Sounds of Love" Frisbie
(one of the best power pop bands ever. From Chicago)
LISTEN HERE: http://www.digfrisbie.com/sounds.html "Pollyanna"
"Shine" "Vertigogo"
"Chutes Too Narrow" The Shins
These guys give me hope that great pop can be intelligent, inventive and
complex.
"Matinee" Torben Floor
Singer Carey Ott has the voice of Thom York (Radiohead) but the songs
are alternate reality Beatles. Perfect pop record.
LISTEN: http://www.beautyrockrecords.com/torben_floor_beautypage.htm
"Precious" Ours
Singer Jimmy Gnecco is peer to Freddy Murcury and Jeff Buckley but has
his own distict sound. Great pop that rocks hard. I could listen to this
record every day.
LISTEN HERE:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006WKY0/chalkhills
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 11:49:15 -0800 (PST) From: The Colonel <captainextraneous@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Best of 2004 Message-ID: <20041229194915.26572.qmail@web41215.mail.yahoo.com> Here's my two cents! 1. BRIAN WILSON - Smile 2. GREEN DAY - American Idiot 3. OF MONTREAL - Satanic Panic In The Attic 4. HEAD OF FEMUR - Ringodom Or Proctor 5. DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS - Please Describe Yourself 6. ARCADE FIRE - Funeral 7. ROGUE WAVE - Out of the Shadow 8. WILLIAM SHATNER - Has Been 9. AIR - Talkie Walkie 10. THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS - The Spine 11. A.C. NEWMAN - The Slow Wonder 12. THE DELGADOS - Universal Audio 13. THE FIERY FURNACES - Blueberry Boat / Single Again 14. SAHARA HOTNIGHTS - Kiss & Tell 15. FRANK BLACK - Frank Black Francis 16. FRANZ FERDINAND - Franz Ferdinand 17. THE POLYPHONIC SPREE - Together We're Heavy 18. THE HIVES - Tyrannosaurus Hives 19. THE LIKE YOUNG - So Serious 20. THE FUTUREHEADS - The Futureheads *Added the Single Again tracks to the Fiery Furnaces, which I know is kind of cheating, but they're the best things FF have done in a long time! **I wanted to love the Futureheads disc, but for some reason, I had a heck of a time getting into it (and White Music, Drums & Wires, etc. are some of my fave XTC albums). I found the Dogs Die In Hot Cars disc much more appealing, mainly because I thought they had much better songs. Oh well, to each his own. ***Of Montreal and Head Of Femur are two of the most overlooked bands of the year. Check out their latest if you have a chance! And believe it or not, the Ben Folds-produced William Shatner release, 'Has Been,' is much better than it has any right to be. Okay, back to work now. Happy New Year, all. -Patrick
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 14:57:46 -0700 From: Jeremy Mathews <jeremy@red-mag.com> Subject: O&L gold vs. reissue / Yazbek's new musical Message-ID: <D6DF7296-5AAD-11D9-A030-000A95D0CF3A@red-mag.com> Hello, It's been a long time since I've posted, but I was wondering if anyone could advise me on the sound quality of the Oranges and Lemons reissue vs. the old Masterdisc gold release, which I already own. As I've tried to buy all the reissues, I've grown increasingly unimpressed by the packaging, despite Caroline Records' bragging about "standardizing" the artwork to an eight-page booklet that dedicates much of its space to an ad for the reissues. For Nonsuch and Black Sea, I tried buying the Japanese releases, which are supposed to preserve the original vinyl packaging with cardboard sleeves, but go one worse than the Caroline reissues by stretching and ruining the cover art. So, to sum up: Since the packaging will only make me mad that I spent money on the O&L reissue, is it worth it just for the sound improvement over the gold disc? (Skylarking was because it restored the UK sequence.) Also, has anyone in the San Diego area caught XTC friend, collaborator and sharer of admirers David Yazbek's new musical, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels? I remember some Chalkhillians offered a sneak peak at The Full Monty when it came out. Thanks! Jeremy Mathews NSPS - Avant Pop for the Next Generation www.nsps.net
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 19:38:16 -0500 From: Frank McDonnell <fmcdonne@optonline.net> Subject: Mommyheads Message-ID: <002f01c4eed1$04733090$6f6e2f18@DFQGJC21> I will give a STRONG second to Michael Versaci's recommendation of the Mommyheads album, Bingham's Hole. There are some fantastic grooves on this album, particularly the title track, Pig In a Blanket and Needmore, Pennsylvania. It is their best work, but there are good things to be said for their Don Was-produced major label eponymous album, which doubled as their swan song. I had the pleasure of seeing them live in Portland, Oregon while I was in college; they kicked the horse's ass. Frank
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 09:16:31 -0500 From: Benjamin Gott <bgott@rectoryschool.org> Subject: Happy 2005! Message-ID: <9195C08E-5B36-11D9-8606-000D9328AB7A@rectoryschool.org> One and all, Just a note to wish everyone a happy, healthy 2005. Here's hoping it will be filled with a little less stress, a little more fun, and a lot more great music! I've enjoyed most of the new music I've bought this year, which is very unusual. Robyn Hitchcock's "Spooked," Brian Wilson's "Smile," Jason Falkner's "Bliss Descending," Chris Stamey's "Travels in the South," and, weirdly enough, Gwen Stefani's "Love.Angel.Music.Baby" have been some favourites. I've also had the chance to discover and re-discover some great early-1990s bands after reading John Harris's "Britpop: Cool Britannia and the Spectacular Demise of English Rock" (published in the U.K. as "The Last Party"). Finally, and on a more serious note, Bob Herbert wrote a chilling op-ed piece in today's New York Times about the devistation in Asia that began as follows: "One moment the kids were laughing and skylarking on the beach, yelling and chasing one another, sweating in the warm bright sun. The next moment they were gone." A perfect use of an obscure term, don't you think? -Ben -- Benjamin Gott Departments of English & Reading Assistant Director of Admission http://www.rectoryschool.org
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