Chalkhills Digest Volume 12, Issue 2
Date: Monday, 9 January 2006
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 12, Number 2
Monday, 9 January 2006
Topics:
lists?
New XTC "single"
RE: Puffy AmiYumi
Work works
2005 in Review
Double fantasy and An XTC Board games List
Short stories
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I feel like a giant tonight.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 18:45:29 -0400 From: "Brunkhorst" <brunkhorstk@hotmail.com> Subject: lists? Message-ID: <BAY114-DAV14E2F452419998FC0081FCB6210@phx.gbl> Some discs 2005 Pat Metheny Group: The Way Up. After listening, I wondered if Pat was insane or a genius. The answer is yes. I've spun this a lot and have been amazed most times. Paul McC: Chaos & Creation in the Backyard. Worth it just for 'Anyway' and 'This Never Happened Before', at the very least. Dave Douglas: Keystone. Uri Caine/Bedrock: Shelf-Life. Hilarious. Miles Davis: The Cellar Door Sessions 1970. The MD reissue I've wanted for years. All the funk, but with clarity. Keith Jarrett Trio: The Out-Of-Towners. Zen. The sound of three hands clapping. John Cale: Black Acetate. Louder, angrier, smarter than McCartney, if not as pretty. Makes me hopeful for the day when I'm his age (which would be... um...2024...) My Morning Jacket: Z. Still working on this one. Sigur Ros: Takk. Still working on this one too. They might never beat 'Aegyptis Boingum'. Up here in the Maritimes, we don't have much for record stores. All I bought was stuff I learned about someplace, like allmusic.com, or some other internet site, then ordered it via Amazon and had my wife ship to me from the US. It's a shitty way to buy CDs. There's prob dozens of good pop CDs I woulda liked, had I known, heard, and/or bought. Looking forward to: Donald Fagen: Morph The Cat. And: It's been over a year now, isn't it about time for another David Bowie recording? And: Let's all boycott Sony/BMG for spreading disease in the form of crap stuck on CDs. No XTC content. I still ain't buying Fuzzy Wobbles. There's usually a reason for out-takes being out-takes. I can wait another eight years for a new CD if I must. You'd think with their own label, etc., they'd make a new record so they could have some money. Or maybe they have nothing to pay a studio bill with. Or maybe they have money now, and are busying drinking and watching TV. Finally: another year when we really needed Frank Zappa. Imagine it. Kevin Brunkhorst Asst Professor, Music Dept St Francis Xavier University Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada www.kevinbrunkhorst.com
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 14:49:46 -0800 (PST) From: Jamie Crampton <jamiecfc1@yahoo.com> Subject: New XTC "single" Message-ID: <20060106224946.97285.qmail@web42205.mail.yahoo.com> Greetings chalkies Does anyone know if the "single" as released in December is going to be ever released on any other format than download, for all of us who refuse to join the 20th Century and don't have a credit card, iPod or Edsel.. Thanx! Jamie CFC Herts, UK
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 18:20:35 -0600 From: "mark & barb kirk" <mondacello@rogers.com> Subject: RE: Puffy AmiYumi Message-ID: <004401c61320$2e099920$6401a8c0@markandbarb> Being a Lurker and all for many a year, I have sat quietly through the Puffy AmiYumi debate and finally I've decided Enuff 'Z'Nuff (ha! there's another band up for debate). Thanks to another List that I'm on I was directed towards these J-Pop Tarts (sorry, couldn't resist the opportunity) about a year ago. I checked out a couple songs on LimeWire and was instantly infatuated... It didn't take long before I was collecting everything Ami and Yumi had to offer... I now have all the original Japanese discs, domestic releases and even a promo poster for Illustrated History. Yeah, I do feel like a dirty old man (they're young enough to be my daughters), but this band truly has it all... catchy songs, hooks, harmonies - okay, that may be a stretch - but they're cute as hell! Yeah, I do I watch the cartoon when I have the chance - and yes, it is pretty dumb (it's geared for pre-teens), but the girls do make a couple appearences throughout which almost makes it worthwhile... sort of. Anyway... to sum it up, if you're a fan of just plain good Power Pop Music, you cannot go wrong with Puffy AmiYumi!! -mk-
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 06 Jan 2006 19:09:11 +0000 From: Mark Fisher <mark-fisher@blueyonder.co.uk> Subject: Work works Message-ID: <BFE470D7.616E%mark-fisher@blueyonder.co.uk> I was kicking myself for not sending suggestion into this week's list of songs in The Guardian. The theme is work, which could have meant Making Plans for Nigel, Earn Enough for Us, Work and no doubt several others. But I needn't have fretted. Love on a Farmboy's Wages has made it to number three without my help: http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/readersrecommend/story/0,,1678467,00.html Next week's theme is cover versions that are better than the original. I'd happily vote for XTC's All Along the Watchtower but I expect I'd be outvoted either by Dylan or Hendrix fans. -- Mark
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 15:39:37 -0500
From: John Relph <relph@tmbg.org>
Subject: 2005 in Review
Message-ID: <17345.30857.334532.471669@f5.idiot-dog.com>
Chalkies,
For some reason I didn't buy as much new music this year as in some
past years. I'm pretty sure one of the reasons is that I was
deferring gratification until after the construction on our house was
completed. That was supposed to be in October. Well, as of January
2006 the construction has not yet begun. Soon, I am told.
In any case, there were a couple of really good albums that I found
this year. But then, I also listened to a lot of free downloadable
music. Artists such as Jens Lekman, Field Music, Sleep Station, and
Sufjan Stevens were in rotation on the trusty iPod. Also, there were
a couple of really good reissues, including "Prince Charming" by Adam
And The Ants. What a dumb record. I love it.
But as far as the best "albums" of 2005? Well, as usual, this list is
a list of my favorites that I discovered in 2005, even though some
were released prior to 2005. This year I've decided I'd do things
differently, so here's the Countdown to Number One:
15. Veda Hille: Return of the Killdeer
I love her voice, her lyrics, her piano. But this album still
doesn't quite reach the standard set by "Field Study".
14. Gary Lee Moore: Uncle Pig
Unpolished, out of tune, real and heartfelt. This is a collection
of older tunes, not these modern polished Texas contest tunes, but
real traditional fiddle tunes from Gary's childhood in Oklahoma.
This has been in rotation since June.
13. Spoon: Gimme Fiction
I'm still ambivalent about this one.
12. The Orchestra: No Rewind
There are a couple of great tunes on here. Parthenon Huxley writes
a pretty good imitation of the ELO style. But there are a few
clunkers as well. I suppose that is itself a good imitation of ELO.
11. Mono: Walking cloud and deep red sky, Flag fluttered and the sun shined
Long flowing ambient noise rock.
10. Wild Band of Snee: Wild Band of Snee
I constructed this from downloads available on Rushad Eggleston's
website. I hear there was an actual CD available somewhere, but
I've never seen it. But I kept listening to this, over and over,
and ended up learning three or four of the tunes as well,
especially the magnificent and concise "Gree-himfeny".
9. The Sugarplastic: 7x7x7
The CD collects the seven seven-inchers, and orders them by
composer. A blessing and a curse, because Ben Eshbach's songs are
amazing. And Kiara Geller's songs mostly come as a letdown after
that. Otherwise this album would have rated a higher position in
the list.
8. De Novo Dahl: De Novo Dahl
In constant rotation. Excellent, tight, concise. Pop songs in
many styles, seemingly effortless.
7. Chris Thile: Deceiver
I hear this won an award for best engineering. If so, it's
because Thile has obviously been spending too much time around Jon
Brion. And that's a good thing. This album goes from angry pop
rock to solo mandolin pieces without missing a beat. Just my
cuppa tea. I can forgive the sometimes trite lyrics.
6. Iron and Wine: Our Endless Numbered Days
Incredibly powerful for being such a quiet and understated
acoustic flavoured album. Like somebody whispering the secrets of
the universe.
5. Brad Mehldau: Largo
A modern jazz piano album worth listening to! What a concept!
4. De Novo Dahl: Cats & Kittens
Twice as good as their other one. And four times as much music.
This album has some amazingly good songs, and if I only listened
to "Piggy's Adventure" it would almost be enough. But then they
include a bonus CD of remixes! I love the way this band jumps
between styles.
3. The Wrens: The Meadowlands
"Faster gun . . ." This was a favourite earlier in the year, in
constant rotation for quite a while. But then it was supplanted
by . . .
2. The Arcade Fire: Funeral
Words cannot describe. Includes the second best song of the year
"In the backseat". Majestic. Just writing about it makes me want
to put it on again.
1. The Sugarplastic: Will
Everybody accuses The Sugarplastic of ripping off XTC. They are
really the successors to Eno's pop albums. Songs begin in one
space and end up somewhen completely different. Ambience is
power. Change is your friend. The best song of the year is "The
Harvestman (Daddy Longlegs)", which in my mind follows in the
footsteps of Eno's "Driving Me Backwards". Just when you think
it's built up to a crescendo, another element is layered on. Oh yes.
I will admit that sometimes I think that "Funeral" is better than
"Will". But The Sugarplastic need my support more than The Arcade
Fire. And besides, every time I listen to "Will" I am amazed anew.
Happy 2006!
-- John
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 14:15:02 -0000 From: "David Seddon" <D.Seddon@btinternet.com> Subject: Double fantasy and An XTC Board games List Message-ID: <002d01c61527$156842a0$0200a8c0@seddon> Wayne said: >"Aerial" by Kate Bush. Once you hit middle age things change and, like Andy >and Colin, I think that Kate made the perfect middle age album. I remember >all the criticism that John Lennon took when he released "Double Fantasy" >another perfect middle age album. Indeed, I like Aerial very much, especially the 2nd CD. As for Double Fantasy. I was listening to the Lennon tracks again (for the first time in years) from the Definitive Lennon double collection. They've been remastered. You know, Watching the Wheels, Woman, Beautiful Boy and I'm Losing You were really lovely songs. I was just thinking how much better they were than 99% of what Macca's done since. In fact better than 99.999% of what's been done by anyone since. Kind of sweet sentiment rather than sickly sentiment. He did that kind of thing really well and had an off button for when it got too gooey. It helps if you've got kids and are over 40 - but what super melodies and lyrics. Brings a tear to your eye when you think how obviously content he was then and what we all missed out on. And I wish he could have finished Grow Old Along With Me, which I believe would have been THE wedding song of all. It was the song he was due to sing the very day after he got shot! Boy, of boy! To me that is a great song that never quite was. I know that it was later done by Mary Cahpin Carpenter. Nevertheless, even in it's rough form, we had it played at our reception. On another note, one of the things I do is play board games...as indeed I know Andy does as often as he can (he's even designed them). You may or may not have heard of Board Game geek, but here's an XTC list I did there not long ago. Take a look: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist.php3?action=view&listid=11042
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Jan 2006 10:37:47 +0000 (GMT) From: Paul Culnane <paulculnane@yahoo.co.uk> Subject: Short stories Message-ID: <20060109103747.37579.qmail@web86914.mail.ukl.yahoo.com> Yeah, Howard Jones had some great tunes didn't he? Okay mate (that's you my dear Danny), gloves off (or on, but I never punched anyone). First up, I have the promised CDs waiting, and I'll send you them willingly when you feel ready. I really hope you can like them and we can be friends again. It's got Terry Chambers on it! But hang on, this is a *music forum* to do with XTC, right? If there is an "issue" with my little fetishes and perambulations and conundrums, keep 'em out of the public limelight if you please. I know I'm weird and different but I try not to do any harm. I'm here in CHALKHILLS to talk about the friggin' music, as I trust you are. Don't tear me down man! I think it was long ago established with you, that I CARE. And I would suggest, arrogantly enough, that I could beat just about any of you in a game of "one-up-manship". Take me on, or as Franz sed, take me out! Anyway, I'm listening to a beautiful twin-CD set that another Dan sent me, called "Stars Captured". His favourites of '05, compiled alphabetically. It works, it floors me. I wouldn't know where to begin to describe. Some other news: Kai Chambers, son of our Terry, and serial musical slut, has reverted to the three-piece format. New band is called LOVER. I've heard some sample mp3s, and let me tell you, as Kai himself sez, he's finally found his niche. He would willingly send me his footy shorts, but they would be too big for me. He just sends me the music, and that fits just fine. "All we are saying, is give peace a chance" PAUL Danny Phipps <phipps117@earthlink.net> wrote: >my answer to this question might have something to do with the >inclusion of a certain pair of shorts along with requested music cd's >to be burned and then mailed out, righto paullie?
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