Chalkhills Digest Volume 8, Issue 36
Date: Sunday, 23 June 2002
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 8, Number 36
Sunday, 23 June 2002
Topics:
Re: COMC and Dusty
long time no write
wave the victory sign
How Red Was Your......Palm?
It's the Girls' Turn to Turn a Clever Phrase
The entire Pacific Freaking Ocean?
RE: How Red Was My Herring
A pedant I will be ...
'go en-ga-land'???!!!
Thomas Crown
Additional football references in XTC
Rock Doc "Battle of the Bands!"
other topics
Album Sales
Oh! It's getting hot in here
all that jazz
Abject Confusion
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It's not just bricks and mortar.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 20:22:38 -0400 From: "Kevin Hiscock" <KHiscock@hidebound.com> Subject: Re: COMC and Dusty Message-ID: <OF2361616A.2310E955-ON86256BD8.007E4E58@prominic.com> cheers friends - new to the list (so give me a wee bit of time to get me feet wet, yes?), relatively old time listener (~1982). RE: COMC When I first saw all the album versions listed on the box, I was disappointed. Listening to the discs however, I'm finding I like them being included. It's kinda like I'm off into some alternate earth experience, then I come "home" for a brief respite, then, boom, "All of a Sudden" I'm back off into some never-never-land. Fun stuff. I love the, however many, pages from Harrison. I felt like I was reading my own words, as if I had magically gained the ability to put my thoughts to paper so well. Fine job. Though my eyes *were* a bit tired afterwards. > I am staking a claim to be the biggest XTC fan in Lexington, perhaps > all of Kentucky (poulation of almost 4 million)- any challengers? With all the brashness of a newbie, I'll stake my claim for the District of Columbia. Northwest. Okay, Illinois Avenue. >> Turgid, I know. Turgid, but beautiful. and Oh, the voice, the Voice, the VOICE (of Dusty Springfield). << just popped in the new disc from Marti Jones, "My Tidy Doily Dream". If you like Dusty, give Marti a try, though I'd start with her "Used Guitars" record/cd whatever. Then if you like Marti, give husband Don Dixon (producer of REM, the Smithereens, Marshall Crenshaw and zillions others) a try. - kah http://www.hidebound.com
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 20:36:10 -0400 From: Brookes McKenzie <rmckenzi@dti.net> Subject: long time no write Message-ID: <101401c21404$a58a8aa0$0d01a8c0@PDM526> Organization: Cha, right Hello 'Hillians! Brookes here, and yes I have not written in a few aeons. I have also not been reading the digest so much, so my profoundest apologies if I am being repetitive and/or overly loquacious. (Wait, it's me - of course I'm being overly loquacious! Heh.) And now for the obligatory XTC comments: Picked up the remastered _English Settlement_ - wow, what a difference! I thought the original sounded good, but I was blown away by the new one. Normally I'm very bad at noticing these types of things, so it really must be a lot better for me to be able to tell. Have an autographed _Coat_ but have only listened to Disc One, so far I love it. Harrison's brilliantly hysterical yet sweetly rhapsodic liner notes brought me to tears. (Not kidding, see below.) On the current listening (well sort of, more like recent purchases) front - three CDs I just got in from Amazon today and haven't listened to yet: _Bombay the Hard Way, Vol. 2_ - A second (duh) collection of music from popular Bollywood films, as remixed by Mixmaster Mike, Kid Koala and others. From what I read on the All-Music Guide it promises to be extremely funky and amusing. Am waiting for Volume One to arrive from half.com. Tift Merritt, _Bramble Rose_ - I actually went to high school with her, and she was incredibly sweet and gorgeous, and had an unbelievably beautiful voice. (In case you can't tell, I had a teeny crush on her due to the above-mentioned factors.) She's been playing in Austin for a few years, but this is her debut album. It's been getting raves over on Amazon. The style is alt-country - _No Depression_ has run a few bits on her here and there. Anthony Stewart Head, _Music for Elevators_ - aka Giles from _Buffy_ - yes, the music is supposedly "soft instrumental" which sounds like code for "total crap" but his voice is so succulent I could not resist. Current listening that I've actually heard includes Weezer, _Maladroit_ - the prerelease version with the extra 11 demos, thank you very much, the commercial release has been castrated, probably by Rivers himself - it's not bad despite his self-destructive tendencies, better than the Green Album but not by much, I (and their other fans) are still waiting for the true follow-up to _Pinkerton_; Cornershop, _Handcream for a Generation_ - it's okay, TS has been listening to a little too much George Clinton for my tastes (as his side band's name [Clinton] attests), I want more "Brimful of Asha", please, except not overplayed and remixed by Fatboy Slim [I like FS okay but he did nothing for that song]; and Lida Husik, _Fly Stereophonic_ - I love this album to death, it's an oldie (1997) but goodie. Random crap (aka Responses to 8-35): Ryan Anthony/Edward Collier - You guys funny. Hee. Wes Long - Here's something I've wanted to ask Andy since forever but am way too shy to ask in person: Having been partially deaf, does he have any thoughts about the relationship between deafness and internal music, a la Beethoven? Did the music he hears in his head get more or less complex when he couldn't hear it with his ears as well? BTW your site sounds awesome - haven't dropped by in ages, will have to check in again once I get my DSL back. Harrison - You have totally put your finger on the amorphous thing that has been bothering me about _Play_ since I heard the first commercial. Bravo, sirrah. PS - You rock, I want to have a million of your babies. PPS - Moby sucks: I hated _Everything Is Wrong_, _Play_ was no better, and _18_ is complete and utter shite. PPPS - Sorry to hear about the bad medical news. Hope you're OK, dude. (See PS #1). Okay, I think I've done enough damage for one post - signing off, Brookes "You're the second on my dark angry empty sex list - let's get to it, then, the boat's due back by 6." - Madrigal Costello on the _Angel_ msg board
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 21:06:18 -0700 (PDT) From: Jim Smart <jimsmart1@yahoo.com> Subject: wave the victory sign Message-ID: <20020615040618.39755.qmail@web13508.mail.yahoo.com> I like Sgt. Rock. Jim
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 00:14:54 -0400 From: Matt Hiner <hiner1@uakron.edu> Subject: How Red Was Your......Palm? Message-ID: <3D0ABF3E.10402@uakron.edu> So now I'm confused. If my band decides to call our next CD (next being something of a misnomer, we actually haven't put one out yet, and probably never will) "Indentured Corporate Shills," am I guilty of plagiarizing Bert, Harrison, Moby, or Lomax? But seriously, as a historian, I am very concerned about the issue of plagiarism, and I'm finding the entire Moby debate very stimulating. Harrison, would you be willing to let me know when the Washington Post article you cited appeared? I would like to look that up and possibly use it in class - you would be amazed at the amount of intellectual "borrowing" that goes on at the University level. And I am the only person who actually LIKES Sgt. Rock? I mean, its a great pop song on what I think is one of the greatest pop albums of all time. -- Matt Hiner, Associate Lecturer of History University of Akron hiner1@uakron.edu "I'm working for paper and for iron, I work for the right to keep my tie on."
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 10:23:31 EDT From: IMSUNBAKE@aol.com Subject: It's the Girls' Turn to Turn a Clever Phrase Message-ID: <86.1bf27db7.2a3ca7e3@aol.com> Dear Chalkheads -- I read with wonder some of the intense, thoughtful, hilarious and cleaver posts on this board. Power to the people! I'm in the lazy summer mode, though, and will take up Amy's suggestion to post our favorite clever lyrics. It's time to be LIGHTHEARTED, boys and girls! I will spare you my download of all things Jimmy Buffett and Caribbean (Hey! Be nice!) and stick to my choices from the east side of the Atlantic: My favorite (how can I pick one?) from XTC: The entirety of "We're All Light," with special emphasis on: "Kiss me now, just kiss me now" (Oh, Dear GOD! No! No! That's another song...) "I won't take from you, what you can't take from me, and I'll leave nothing here but love and milk a plenty for your tea." Pure love. Pure sharing. Anyone who has left the last bit of anything for their love understands this one. I seem to be taken with a lot of Del Amitri lyrics... "I took a spoon to the swimming pool to drain your trace away And I changed my name so only my looks remain" -- When I Want You "And the steps of this old church are peppered with confetti hearts Like a million little love affairs waiting to fall apart" -- Won't Take the Blame "But the one girl that I want, she wants that one bit of geography I lack" -- Some Girls (that "geography" thing intrigues me, although Justie Currie says it just popped in his head and doesn't mean anything. Yuh huh.) "So this morning I picked up the paper In the useless descent of the rain While partners in heartbreak the whole world over Lie and cheat just the same." -- Del Amitri, Sometimes I Just Have to Say Your Name Annamarie, who really does look fabulous in a sundress P.S. Ryan is my agent. Smooches your way for kind things said. NP: Mama Cass's greatest hits. WoW! Did she have a voice! 6.15.02
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 22:03:12 -0700 (PDT) From: Ryan Anthony <hamsterranch@yahoo.com> Subject: The entire Pacific Freaking Ocean? Message-ID: <20020616050312.83770.qmail@web10107.mail.yahoo.com> I have to clear up something. Last Digest, I wrote in my "name-dropping post": "Annamarie, a.k.a. 'IMSUNBAKE,' gets top billing, not because she's the only one in the group who looks good in a sundress, but because ..." By "group," I was NOT referring to this entire teeming virtual nursery of John Relph's spiritual bastard children. After all, there are plenty of Chalkhillians who look good in sundresses. (There is at least one other in Maryland.) No, by "group," I meant the people whose names I was about to drop -- all of whom, save Annamarie, are guys. Too obvious for me to bother to state? You'd think so, wouldn't you. The carving-up of the football-shaped world continues. I thought India was a brazen land-grab (does that include all of Kashmir, Sughosh?), but now Jim Smart has claimed not just Hawaii but the entire Pacific Freaking Ocean for his demesne, along with concomitant fishing rights, mineral rights, salvage rights, and no doubt the droit-du-seigneur to interrupt your yacht dance at gunpoint and search the hold for Indonesian XTC bootlegs. While we heavily-armed bunker-hunkering would-be emperors divvy up the globe -- and you'd have to admit we've been courteous in our war dance; not a single border skirmish has been reported -- a greater mind, Harrison Sherwood, fights to protect his intellectual empire from invasion with a devastating counterattack in the previous Digest. Well done, Harrison; you have a deft touch with a flamethrower. Mencken would be proud. Ryan Anthony An independent Internet content provider P.S.: From one of John Relph's aforementioned spiritual bastard children: Happy Father's Day, John! In the great tradition of Father's Day, I didn't get you anything.
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2002 10:36:45 +0100 From: "Edward Collier" <edward.collier@techop.co.uk> Subject: RE: How Red Was My Herring Message-ID: <97D4513F808CA4439B1154BD307857DFF5B0@noddy.techop.local> The central plank of Harrison's riposte to Bert seems to be this: "What I do assert is that to take recordings that were never intended as commercial speech, recordings made by people who cannot object to their use, and to put those recordings to a use that would be obnoxious and insulting to the original artist -- that is, putting an endorsement of a commercial product into the mouth of a person incapable of objecting to this use of his or her art -- is reprehensible and cowardly, particularly when the author of this act profits disproportionately from the endorsement." The telling phrase here is "put those recordings to a use that would be obnoxious and insulting to the original artist". How do you know? Clearly you might not be first in line to sing the praises of the new Volkswagen Staff Car irrespective of the presence or otherwise of financial inducements, but you have no factual basis (or you cite none) for your assertion that any of the artists "repurposed" by Moby _would_ find this either obnoxious or insulting. They may have had no opportunity to register their feelings either way, and that is regrettable, but for all you know they might have been delighted. >PS: Quit fucking with me, Bert. It's pretty goddamned obvious to me and >everybody else what you're trying to do, so knock it off. It's not obvious to me. Care to explain? Edward, mildly irritated at a new ad using Hendrix to sell the Audi TT
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2002 12:28:08 +0100 From: Steve.Pitts@i-tcs.com Subject: A pedant I will be ... Message-ID: <OF742A690E.EF8BB62C-ON80256BDB.00331166@i-tcs.com> Chalkfolks, In #8-34 Jason Witcher opined: > Actually test matches are cricket, rather than football < In the original context of 'In Another Life' you are almost certainly correct, but both rugby codes also feature test matches and Duncan Kimball offered: > One of the great 3-piece units of all time, right up there with Cream and The Police IMO, yet they absolutely loathed each other by all accounts < As did The Police of course. I wonder whether this has anything to do with the fact that both bands featured front-men who also did the bulk of the songwriting and had big egos to boot?? Consequently both bands also released tracks by other members of the band that were not really up to snuff, but which meant that the writers of said tracks could at least collect some royalty payments. I believe that Sting was eventually persuaded to share some of his songwriting royalties with the other two, but I don't think that Weller ever did. This is why the Beautiful South cite 'The Bruce Foxton Syndrome' as one very good reason for sharing all Paul Heaton's songwriting royalties evenly between all the band members. On the subject of The Jam, my personal fave album is 'All Mod Cons', but all six of their original studio albums are well worth an investment of time and money. On the other hand, you can take the Style Council stuff and stick it where the sun don't shine, and Weller's solo efforts have been patchy at best, albeit that there are some gems amongst the dross. BTW I've been reading 'Demolition Man', a biography of Sting, and was amused (given the level of opprobrium that his Stingship attracts in this forum) to discover a fair number of quotes from our beloved Mr. Partridge some of which suggest that he and Gordon were, if not best mates, then at least fairly congenial acquaintances. Once I've finished the full tome I'll post a couple of items that have already caught my eye Cheers, Steve
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2002 16:42:57 +0000 From: "don device" <ddevice@hotmail.com> Subject: 'go en-ga-land'???!!! Message-ID: <LAW2-F6Zs0vyqvXb7IB0001eb9b@hotmail.com> dear chalkhellions, i realize that this post will arrive after our dear mr relph has left on vacation and may no longer be relevant at that time, but i just have to get my two cents in on the whole paul weller thing... i've been waiting for one of our english posters to step up to the plate, but it looks like it'll have to me who does so. i got back from ol' blighty (i live in paris) about three weeks ago and immediately proceeded to rinse my ears with a hearty dose of... well a dose on ANYTHING BUT the Paul Weller English World Cup tribute song that they were playing in a loop on all the radio stations out there! insidious it was, too, hooking us in with some beloved 'jam' chord crashes before metastasizing into a terrible pub-style football rant. let me just say, never trust any song that uses 'England' as a three-syllable word! onto xtc related matters, i've been listening to 'the red lion demos' compiled by our very own jamie and i musty say, i can't get enough. 'cherry in my tree' has taken up a permanent position in my head, and not two-into-three syllable transition in the lot! don device -- "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, its too dark to read." -Groucho Marx
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2002 21:49:49 -0400 From: "Christopher R. Coolidge" <cauldron@together.net> Subject: Thomas Crown Message-ID: <B93409FD.4804%cauldron@together.net> on 6/14/02 4:14 PM, someone I couldn't bother identifying wrote: > Chris Vreeland wrote at length about Dusty Springfield's version of > "Windmills Of Your Mind". Some facts: > > 1. Written by Michel Legrand (music) and Alan and Marilyn Bergman (lyrics) > > 2. The version used in The Thomas Crown Affair was sung (intoned?) by > Noel Harrison, son of Rex. > > 3. The film was not particularly mediocre. It starred Steve McQueen > and Faye Dunaway, and was notable for the use of split screens and a > very sexy chess game. No, really. It was recently remade with, IIRC, > Piers Brosnan in the title role. Another fact: The inside scenes were shot in my uncle's house on Beacon Hill in Boston. It was weird watching Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway frolicking in the part of the house I was only allowed to visit the grownups in briefly while they were mixing the martinis or having dinner, before being shooed off to a child's dinner in the kitchen or bed in a barely heated bedroom. (my miserly Boston Brahmin uncle didn't believe in keeping the heat above 50 degrees in the winter, go figure with his income)
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 11:40:20 +0200 From: "Arnstein Friling" <arnstein.friling@smartcall.no> Subject: Additional football references in XTC Message-ID: <000301c216ac$29d4e7c0$9f52463e@oemcomputer.smartcall.no> I guess most englishmen are fairly keen on the upcomeing World Cup game versus Brazil. Good luck! From reading about XTC I have the distinct feeling that neither Andy or Colin (or Dave) are particularly interested in football or sports. I have read that Terry Chambers had a tryout with local club Swindon FC in his youth. The wave of football hooliganism that plagued England n the early 80's gained a lot of press coverage. I am sure that's the reason why Andy included this bit in "Leisure", his little bit of commentary on political issues from English Settlement. "I busy my fingers nowadays by scoring goals with the gentlest twitch. I've forgotten how to use my legs to invade the pitch of leisure. " -- Diouf, Owen and LFC for the treble next year. -- Regards Arnstein Friling
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 14:04:52 -0400 From: DMiner <werkshop@tampabay.rr.com> Subject: Rock Doc "Battle of the Bands!" Message-ID: <a05100303b935264d0c1f@[192.168.1.100]> I saw a couple documentaries the other night that I figured members of this list might be interested. I posted this review online, but I thought my peers here might find it interesting: Film critics provide some of their best insights while directly comparing films of similar topics or styles. But how often do they have the time to watch such films back-to-back? I seized upon such an opportunity at the just-concluded Florida Film Festival where one Saturday night's offerings included two documentaries on rock bands that many might consider just a footnote in the history of music. Teenage Kicks-The Undertones (**) employs legendary BBC DJ John Peel to chronicle the rise and fall of a seminal Irish pop-punk band. Despite having a couple tunes from The Undertones in my CD collection, I couldn't say that I knew anything about them. The Undertones rose to fame on the strength of the 1978 single "Teenage Kicks," which became John Peel's favorite tune of all time. While the song is obviously good, Peel's testament is the strongest case in the film for The Undertones' importance. For fans of the band, this might be a rollicking good time. To myself, merely a fan of UK pop, the film was enjoyable but lacking. The documentary hints at issues relevant to the importance of this band, but rarely clarifies them. Derry, Northern Ireland, the birthplace of The Undertones, is infamous for the "Bloody Sunday" of 1972 where protestors clashed with the British Army. I looked that up - it wasn't really spelled out in the film, something which would greatly clarify the context for anyone outside the United Kingdom. Also missing is a solid sense of the musical environment that preceded the rise of The Undertones. The group almost seems to exist in a pop culture vacuum. While a number key moments in the band's career are discussed, the presentation is too episodic, never suggesting a relationship between the events. When the story turns to the breakup of the band, it's almost a surprise, because nothing is ever implied about the rising tensions among the members. Even documentaries need a dramatic structure to cultivate the interest of an audience, and this film needs a better one. The presence of John Peel lends a great deal of credibility to the proceedings, however, few of the other friends or experts interviewed come across with as much weight. Critical analysis takes a back seat to the band's first-hand remembrances, which feels more like a light memoir than a documentary. Thankfully, the film utilizes a decent selection of performance clips and songs from The Undertones, if only in limited number. While the filmmakers want the music to speak for itself, too often, it's not enough. The short running time of 72 minutes feels long, yet I would welcome a lengthier version with better material. I came out of Teenage Kicks-The Undertones with a greater awareness of the band, yet I was still lacking a sense of their importance and their body of work. Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (*** 1/2) on the other hand, is one of the most enjoyable films I've seen this year. In addition, it's a good rock 'n' roll documentary about the New York City-based band They Might Be Giants (the two Johns of the title). With a healthy sampling of live performances, faux history lessons (!), archive footage and even celebrity interpretations of the band's songs (look for 2/3 of Spinal Tap!), this documentary would have to try hard to be boring. John Linnell and John Flansburgh have made their mark with a particularly unique catalog of pop songs that could be considered absurdist art, shrewd satire or just pure entertainment. They Might Be Giants began in the early 1980s as a duo performing to taped accompaniment, but the Johns evolved their sound over the years to include live musicians and countless musical influences. While the band has a tremendous cult following, the Johns themselves are notoriously private. Even the biggest fans will find interesting revelations here. When this documentary chronicles the events that led to a falling out between the band and their label, Elektra Records, it's juicy, unheard material. Though my interest in the film was pretty much guaranteed as a fan, the greatest achievement of the documentary is getting to the heart of what people find so fascinating about the band. Rather than just cutting together some foggy recollections and dated live footage, the film follows a determined path through the band's mythology, backing up the claims of those interviewed with solid examples, mostly in the form of live performances recorded specifically for the documentary, but also in some of the oddest archive clips you've ever seen. The style and tone of the film borrow heavily from the unique personality of They Might Be Giants. The Johns are famous for packing their albums with 18 to 20 short, yet twisted pop songs, and the documentary operates with a similar directive. Animations and absurd asides cleverly link the sections of the film. Even the interviews rise above the usual talking head parade with good humor, curious observations and plain weirdness. One might even assume that the most normal people onscreen are the Johns themselves. While Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) may not be the best document of the music scene in the late 80s and early 90s, it does provide some hints at the environment the band was part of. We hear mentions of MTV, hair-metal, grunge, and other contemporary trends, but never get a enough of a sense of these things compared to the band itself. In a perverse way, this is keeping with the spirit of They Might Be Giants' singular musical universe. They don't seem to worry about competing with trends, yet they are able to absorb the musical landscapes of yesterday and today and use their music to comment on them. It's hard for me to decide how the uninitiated might view a documentary about They Might Be Giants. The film is such fun that many might just give in and enjoy themselves even if they learn nothing about the band. But there are bound to be some jaded viewers who find this to be so lightweight and trivial that it's not worth their time. I decided long ago that trying to "explain" They Might Be Giants to people never works. The participants in this documentary aren't really sure how to "explain" things, either. But the film is able to approximate the unique spirit that exudes from everything the band does, and that has to be the best tribute you could give them.
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 16:19:06 -0400 From: James Michael Isaacs <jmisaa00@uky.edu> Subject: other topics Message-ID: <1024517946.b3c5e120jmisaa00@uky.edu> Well, it would seem that my boast of being the biggest XTC fan in Lexington, if not Kentucky, is being disputed. Some fellow named Ferguson is claiming to be bigger. And, it looks like I have been bested. The more, the merrier, I usually say...however, I am going to move to Idaho and look for potatoes that are shaped like Barry Andrews. No, not really. (Another scenario- anyone remember 'Archeology Today'? I just find another XTC fan, jump on their shoulders, and then I'll be walking around 10 Feet Tall!) Well, it is good that there is a secret society of XTC fans (population 1) in Lexington that I have not met yet. I shall have to find this Ferguson fellow when his band plays next time in one of Lexington's venues (insert "Boarding Up" here). Anyway, since my boast post, I have seen a couple of responses, both here and off-site. Makes the 9possibi9lity of XTC fan conven9tions m9ore localized, doesn't it? (No need to book a banquet room at the Ritz, we're meeting in my basement!) PS John- I do know Tony. He likes Robyn Hitchcock like I do, too. Which is lots. (non-sequitur time) The guy who lives across from my sister was in the group Velvet Elvis. Anyone remember them? Mitch Easter produced their lone major label album. On other topics, is it possible to avoid the Moby talk? If the recent posting on the topic were printed out, I would lament the waste of paper. It is instead just a waste of my finger skin, hitting 'page down' to read something about XTC. It seems that it would be better done off-site, where 'dialogue' and 'argument' meet. And I am no fan of personal attacks, either on celebrities (except for Abe Vigoda) or XTC fan, on an XTC fan site. Just one guy's opinion. James Isaacs
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2002 12:07:30 -0700 (PDT) From: travis schulz <xtcisadarngoodband@yahoo.com> Subject: Album Sales Message-ID: <20020620190730.51487.qmail@web12303.mail.yahoo.com> Just wondering, after reading The New York Times article on XTC how poorly Apple Venus 1 and 2 sold. I would have thought that with adult alternative radio going strong in the bigger cities that our guys would have better exposure now, but that's debatable I'm sure. So when's Fuzzy coming out? Next XTC recording being worked on?
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2002 00:42:09 +0100 From: Phil Hetherington <phil@emdac.demon.co.uk> Subject: Oh! It's getting hot in here Message-ID: <ZQ0wuVARtQF9MwXk@emdac.demon.co.uk> Must be something in the atmosphere And if you're not in the UK you won't know that that is the somewhat meaningless but extremely catchy lyric from the second single from Athlete, "You Got The Style". Well if I'm going to recommend one band to Chalkhillians this year then it's going to be this one. Went to see Tanya Donnelly live the other week (wouldn't bother again), supported by Ben & Jason (would take supply of rotten tomatoes to throw next time), but bottom of the bill and totally unadvertised were Athlete. They were awesome and if there is any justice in the world they are destined for great things. There is a review here which says it better than I could: http://www.whatsyoursound.co.uk/reviews/Live/March2002/reviews24425.asp? dmlt=inci There is some more info here: http://www.xfm.co.uk/webClient?guid=13362&pageNum=2&site=xfm And just so you get a totally balanced view here's another review which slates them totally: http://www.tintv.f9.co.uk/athel1.htm By the way I don't agree with the XTC comparison in the first review any more than the Sting comparison in the last one. But they have one thing in common with XTC and that is inventiveness. Well you heard it here first. (Unless, of course, you didn't). PS: Oh yes can I recommend the Elvis Costello album while I'm at it? Album of the year so far, by a long way. -- Phil Hetherington
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2002 15:21:27 -0500 From: "Mark & Barb Kirk" <mondacello@rogers.com> Subject: all that jazz Message-ID: <000a01c21af3$8e2bb780$2acd7218@ktchnr.phub.net.cable.rogers.com> Hello Chalkhillians, Quite some time ago there was a discussion of jazz influenced XTC songs... I was quite taken with the idea and have wanted to compile a disc (as I'm certain some have already done - at least I hope so anyway). I've continued to delay the actual task, but lately I find that the jazz flavoured tunes keep circling 'round my head while I do the mundane chores of everyday life. My point? (do I have one? Ahh yes - there it is on the top of my head)... If anyone has taken the step, would they be so kind as to supply the track order they feel works best? Here's the list of songs that were bandied about: Mantis on Parole Ladybird Me and the Wind I Bought Myself a Liarbird You're the Wish You Are I Had I Remember the Sun Mermaid Smiled The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul Cynical Days Rook River of Orchids Knights in Shining Karma The Last Balloon Chalkhills and Children Yacht Dance No Languge in Our Lungs Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her Omnibus World Wrapped in Grey Garden of Earthly Delights The World is Full of Angry Young Men Miniature Sun Thank you and goodnight... -mark kirk-
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 09:57:36 +1000 From: "Dominic Van Abbe" <domva@hotmail.com> Subject: Abject Confusion Message-ID: <F157NkzCV4WR457yQU5000015d4@hotmail.com> I was going to post something about XTC here. Then, just in time, I realised and didn't send it. This is the bloody MOBY mailing list after all, where we discuss his soundtrack-to-pretentious-wank-dinner-parties music. And I don't think postings about a critically acclaimed, though unfortunately commerically negligible, Swindon-based band would be appropriate, would they?????
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #8-36 ******************************
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