Chalkhills Digest, Volume 15, Number 2

                Saturday, 10 January 2009

Topics:

             Survey says ... Game Show Teeth!
                       Best of 2008
          XTC/Dukes reissues news in latest Mojo
                       RSM, anyone?

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And your multicolored tea cosy.

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Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2009 22:03:51 -0800 (PST)
From: Ryan Anthony <hamsterranch@yahoo.com>
Subject: Survey says ... Game Show Teeth!
Message-ID: <211570.56939.qm@web51402.mail.re2.yahoo.com>

All right, all right! If Becki, excuse me, becki herself is going to
return from Pern, or Oz, or Middle-Earth, or the Hundred-Aker Wood, or
wherever it is she hides, to urge me to buy Mitch Friedman's new
album, *Game Show Teeth*, I shall lollygag no further.

http://www.mitchfriedman.com ... click on PayPal button ... 'tis
done.

The immediate-gratification-seeker in me wanted to download the
sucker, but I went the physical CD route in hope the latter will give
me, one, photos of Mitch in his underwear (did I write that out
loud?), two, his autograph (hint hint), three, liner notes cleverer
than Sir John John's or Steely Dan's, and four, the option of
reimporting the album into my computer in lossless format at such time
as I have a multi-terabyte hard drive on my desk and I no longer have
to dick around with mp3s.

Congratulations, Mitch! As noncreative garbage (in John Cleese's
memorable phrase), I don't know exactly what-all you went through to
produce this thing, but I gather the process is just about as pleasant
and tidy as childbirth.

Ryan Anthony
An independent Internet content provider

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2009 08:35:19 -0000
From: "Dave Seddon" <d.seddon@btinternet.com>
Subject: Best of 2008
Message-ID: <000a01c96fd9$b5857ae0$0201a8c0@seddonpc>

Thanks you to Thomas for his suggestions last time.  Funnily enough, his top
album of the year is also mine!

I saw the Fleet Foxes live in Nottingham in Nov.  They were awesome.  If
you've not heard them, they sound very English and West Coast at the same
time.  They are big anglophiles.  They mix gorgeous harmonies (some say
Beach Boys, but I find only one track reminiscent of that band) with folk
and baroque.  It is the most uplifting album I've heard in years. Rather
than give you an intellectual appreciation, I'll tell you what it does to my
senses...it fills me with joy.  It has genuine beauty.  You will picture
forests in England, horses galloping, the American Civil War, snow filled
Breugel-like scenes, birds soaring.  It is a sensual album.  Probably the
best of the last 3 or 4 years, let alone 2008.

Anyway, here's my list in order:

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Calexico - Carried to Dust
Coldplay - Viva la Vida
Nitin Sawhney - London Underground
The Fireman - Electric Arguments
Mr Scruff - Ninja Tuna
David Byrne - Big Love Hymnal
Portishead - Third
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds- Dig Lazurus Dig

BTW, I disagree re Coldplay.  In my opinion they suffer slightly from
musical snobbery.  Their last album wasn't so good, granted, but I find this
one tuneful and interesting.  Imagine a world where the excellent Elbow were
household names and Coldplay were the indie hits of the year.  I put it to
you that Elbow would now be getting slammed and Coldplay lauded.  Their
popularity should not blind us to their music.  This last album was strong,
imo.

BTW, is John Bartlett still on this list? John, various computer failures
made me lose your email.  In fact anyone else who used to converse with me,
drop me a line and we'll link up or facebook or whatever.  I've lost all
your emails!

Happy New year.

David

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 22:33:35 -0800
From: "Benjamin Lukoff" <lukoff@gmail.com>
Subject: XTC/Dukes reissues news in latest Mojo
Message-ID: <2a720bde0901072233r68171f4n837f0bbfe9959692@mail.gmail.com>

Hadn't seen this mentioned yet, but perhaps I missed it. On page 18 of the
February 2009 issue of Mojo, there's a bit about expanded, two-disc versions
of English Settlement, Skylarking, and Oranges and Lemons coming in April
from EMI, plus expanded versions in March from APE of 25 O'Clock and Psonic
Psunspot. Rag & Bone Buffet, Explode Together, and Beeswax are mentioned as
well, along with vinyl versions.

Anyone have any further details?

Also, Andy was quoted as saying there was "Zero" chance of a new album by
XTC. "I detest bands getting back together. It's sad, degrading, and daft.
Unless you're going to be better than you were in, say, your twenties, you
shouldn't do it... Colin and I have recently fallen oout and I would like to
repair it. It's worse than divorce when members of the old gang fall out."

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:53:14 -0500
From: "Ben Gott" <BGott@gfacademy.org>
Subject: RSM, anyone?
Message-ID: <fc.0086955f00f6fa580086955f00f6fa58.f6fa7b@gfacademy.org>

Hi gang,

Can anyone help me with an introduction to the music of R. Stevie Moore?
"Play Myself Some Music" is one of the finest songs on God's green earth,
and I'd like to hear more like itbut that's kind of difficult, y'know?

Drop me a line off list.

-Ben

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End of Chalkhills Digest #15-2
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