Chalkhills Digest Volume 9, Issue 59
Date: Tuesday, 16 December 2003
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 9, Number 59
Tuesday, 16 December 2003
Topics:
XTC Mondegreens
RE: Am I Right?
List me with your buddah stick!
Re: The Eyre Affair
A Plea / What The Hell Is An Octaroon Anyway? / Top 10 2003
Eyre Affair
2003 Tops
Top 10 of the year
The Clan LIVES!!
Pugwash XTC Cover
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Countdown to Christmas party time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 7 Dec 2003 21:19:34 -0800 (PST) From: Tyler Hewitt <tahewitt@yahoo.com> Subject: XTC Mondegreens Message-ID: <20031208051934.59350.qmail@web60503.mail.yahoo.com> Ben Gott wrote: Chalkheads, Do we know about this site? [ http://www.amiright.com/artists/xtc.shtml ] No we don't, and thanks for the link! There are several mondegreen websites out there but this is a new one for me (mondegreens are what misheard lyris are called. I found this mondegreen particularly amusing for some reason: XTC's, "No Language In Our Lungs" Misheard Lyrics: I wrote a Madness instrumental, but the words got in the way Correct Lyrics: I would have made this instrumental, but the words got in the way Tyler
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Dec 2003 18:01:02 -0600 From: "Amanda Owens" <daveizgod@hotmail.com> Subject: RE: Am I Right? Message-ID: <BAY1-F122NAxii7ryZ800016afe@hotmail.com> Just one quick little bite for Ben tonite: >Chalkheads, > >Do we know about this site? > >[ http://www.amiright.com/artists/xtc.shtml ] > >-Ben Actually, if you see any lyrics in the XTC section that have been submitted by user entil'zha, that would be me! :) (You can also find me in the Chic, Crash Test Dummies, and Style Council sections......and I'm also available for weddings, funerals, bar mitzvahs.....ok too much caffeine.) Tis all for now, Amanda XTC song of the day-Bumper Cars non XTC song-Wild Wood-Paul Weller
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 11:02:30 +0000 From: "Paul Culnane" <paulculnane@hotmail.com> Subject: List me with your buddah stick! Message-ID: <BAY7-F573m8tHzJcD9r0001bfb9@hotmail.com> End of year lists: yeeugh! Sorry, can't do a "best" list per se, though I enjoy reading everybubble else's ideas and recommendations. This following list of mine is more to do with what has been occupying my listening time largely this past year. It bears only a cursory resemblance to what's come out in 2003. This is what's bin did and what's bin hid on the high-rotation m@d p@ul pl@tter this year. But I can unequivocally state what I reckon the best ever album of the year is in my opinion (by a good country mile) - it's listed first: "Welcome Interstate Managers" - Fountains Of Wayne "Gotham" - Radio 4 "The Jellabad Mutant" - Ariel "Sleep And Release" - Aereogramme "Mutiny" (EP) - Big Heavy Stuff "Earworm" - Pugwash "Long Gone Before Daylight" - The Cardigans "High Anxiety" - Therapy? "Deloused In The Crematorium" - The Mars Volta "Reality" - David Bow-wow "Everything Must Go" - Steely Dan "Songs About Jane" - Maroon 5 "Pretty Together" - Sloan "Think Tank" - Blur "Outside The Simian Flock" - Millionaire "Holes In The Wall" - Electric Soft Parade oh, crumbs, there's probably more y'know, but I've also been retrospective, and buying "best-of " sets by the likes of Ash (fabulous) and DVDs by ole faves like the Fabs & Bowie, along with that fantastic Zep thing, the Red Hots, Mid Oil and even Silverchair (we're allowed to use upper-case now, apparently). The most astounding DVD I copped was The Police: all remixed in 5.1 Surround (you don't have to watch, just listen) - it blows my mind! Oh, there's probably so much more, but I can't think right now. You know what's playing? Oh, hush hush, keep it down now, it's "Skylarking". Symptom of a maniac- Best wishes to all of you for the festive season p@ul-of-0z
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 16:56:00 -0000 From: "Richard Hall" <rhall010861@btinternet.com> Subject: Re: The Eyre Affair Message-ID: <001501c3be75$56ffc680$34848051@Den> I've read this, and the sequel (Lost in a Good Book), and would unhesitatingly recommend them to fans of Adams/ Robert Rankin/Ian Holt..... I believe there is a third installment 'The Well of Lost Plots'.... haven't got that yet >I have been reading a rather strange novel recently by a fellow named >Jasper Fforde, called "The Eyre Affair". It is a sort of Douglas >Adams-ish parallel universe sort of detective story (although far from >being Dirk Gently-ish). Anyway, most of the story takes place in none >other than Swindon. Has anyone else read this tome? I haven't >finished it, so I would hesitate to recommend it. Maybe someone else >can? I keep waiting for Andy or Colin to hop in and solve the crime. > >Yours in literature, >James
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 10:45:19 +0000 From: "*Hobbes *" <hazchem25@hotmail.com> Subject: A Plea / What The Hell Is An Octaroon Anyway? / Top 10 2003 Message-ID: <BAY2-F12VpaEMTx2WED0001d6bc@hotmail.com> Hey All, ----- Ben Gott, write me back already! I have a cd of jangle-pop goodness all ready for you! Why no reply? (I've got to wonder if my email address works at times- or do I smell or something?) ----- Ian Dahlberg wrote: >As of recently, I've discovered Nash Kato's track 'Octoroon' >from his '00 album 'Debutante.' I mentioned this album previously on this list as one of my top ten of 2000, and Octoroon is my favourite track. Every time I hear it I hear it again for the first time, since its dense structure makes it completely impossible for me to retain in my memory. Makes it damn hard to sing along to though. There's that catchy bit with the girls and "Last night I saw an octoroon" and something about someone called Luteica? And the "Hey Octoroon" bit towards the end is also really hooky. My sister described it as like hearing three songs play at once with the different melody lines fighting for dominance so every so often one surfaces into your field of hearing then submerges itself again. It's all flash and fun and guitars and then it ends and you're all "What WAS that? What's an Octaroon anyway???" I've put it on a few mix cds for people and not ONE person has ever commented on it. Looks like Ian and I might be the Octaroon's only fans. Ah well. ----- 2003 - One Man's Opinion So it's that time of year again is it? Well then, in no particular order: Pernice Brothers - Yours, Mine and Hours Contains THE pop song of the year - "The Weakest Shade Of Blue", which piles on the hooks like an Abba record and reminds you of the time when people actually worked to make their songs catchy and memorable. Dream pop of the highest order (or maybe even New Order on "Something to remember"). Maria McKee - High Dive Dropped by her record company, seven years after her last album she re-emerges with a baroque pop masterpiece. Sound familiar? If you're wondering what happened to Kate Bush's quirky piano driven muse circa Lionheart / Never For Ever, it's alive and well in tracks like "My Friend Foe". Postal Service - Give Up As I've gotten older I've found I'm less interested in electronic music. However, this album still managed to catch my attention, due to the sublime melodies and melancholy voice of Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard, who supplies the vocals for this album. Freed from the soundscapes of his usual band, his voice works to take the music here in unusual, dizzy directions. The Waking Hours - The Good Way I've raved about them before on this list so I won't do it again. Sweet 70's power pop. Hooks aplenty. Every song sounds like a single. Enough said. Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers I'm sure everyone on this list has heard this by now. Nice to see they've scaled back on the irony, which was my previous stumbling block with them. I've even heard Stacy's Mom a few times on the radio (which is no small feat in Wagga Wagga, Australia). Mull Historical Society - Us The one man band strikes again. The Wall of Sound was alive and well on the previous album. Now the songs are still epic but the sounds are more selective and allow the melodies to shine more. It's a Todd Rundgren album without the 10 minute guitar masturbation sessions! (Prepares to be flamed) Hidden Cameras - The Smell Of Our Own TWO songs about homoerotic golden showers on one album? (My mum said the baroque style "The Man That I Am With My Man" was `beautiful'. Boy, I'm glad the lyrics are damn near impenetrable). If heterosexual listeners can get past the mo lyrical topics, they'll be rewarded with some truly well-crafted baroque musical backgrounds. It's the bent Beach Boys! If you love the Magnetic Fields, check it out. The Decemberists - Her Majesty, The Decemberists The aural equivalent of the classics section at your local library - the cd cover should come coated with the dust of a musty second hand book shop. `The Chimney Sweep' gets added to my collection of dizzy-with-repressed-Victorian-sexuality-thrill songs (see also The Sensual World, Easter Theatre). `Song for Myla Goldberg' swirls past on a twisting melody line with a great Hammond organ. The stories within will make you reach for the lyric sheet. Rufus Wainwright - Want One His voice is an acquired taste and he has gained enough attention that by now you know if you're interested or not. I wish they'd released the whole package at once. This one is good enough I want to hear Want Two as soon as possible. Stew - Something Deeper Than These Changes The Negro Problem has also been trumpeted on this list, though I haven't seen anyone mention Stew's more laid back solo albums yet, (this is his third since 2000), which surprises me, for he's probably the best singer-songwriter out there at the moment. And these albums surpass his band work in my estimation. Am I the only one who's heard this???? I hope you all got as much enjoyment as I did out of your 2003 listening!
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2003 14:55:09 +0000 From: "Dan YEn" <pogoyen@hotmail.com> Subject: Eyre Affair Message-ID: <Law9-F24hgCZ16q2NhS00008042@hotmail.com> >have been reading a rather strange novel recently by a fellow named Jasper >Fforde, called "The Eyre Affair". It is a sort of Douglas >Adams-ish parallel universe sort of detective story (although far from >being Dirk Gently-ish). Anyway, most of the story takes place in none >other than Swindon. Has anyone else read this tome? I haven't >finished it, so I would hesitate to recommend it. Maybe someone else >can? I keep waiting for Andy or Colin to hop in and solve the crime. > >Yours in literature, >James I have read all three of these magnificent books, and can unfortunately clarify no connections to XTC whatsoever. I can however. heartily recommend them: All three, 'The Eyre Affair', 'Lost in a Good Book' and 'The Well of Lost Plots' are all extremely funny, slightly strange, very quirky and eccentric slices of Adams/Pratchett inflected fiction. I've never posted before, so I'd better add something XTC related: has anyone heard the Icehouse cover of complicated game? I've heard about it, but I'd like to know whether it's worth buying or not.... oh, and the pseudo-country and western version of the same song.... anyone heard that? cheers Dan
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 02:46:42 -0800 From: strwbrry@tidepool.com Subject: 2003 Tops Message-ID: <3FDAEE0C.F01AA379@tidepool.com> Reading this list for the last year, or two I haven't seen much mention of Neil Young. This year is the first release date on CD of "Stars and Bars." Interesting timing for its take on patriotism. pun spelled out: stars and bars - american flag stars and bars - music scene You've got to admit 2003 was an confusingly patriotic year (for some). Also interesting how long it took this one to make it to CD; it has numerous tracks on greatest hits albums... and of course there is that patriotic song: "Homegrown." (there's the xTc content) "Plant that bell and let it ring." Another Steve
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 07:03:12 -0800 (PST) From: Happy Puppy Records <happypuppyrecords@yahoo.com> Subject: Top 10 of the year Message-ID: <20031213150312.76884.qmail@web60702.mail.yahoo.com> Top 10 Albums of 2003: Joe Jackson Band - Volume 4 Mandy Moore - Coverage Logan Whitehurst - Goodbye My 4-track Puffy - Nice Nada Surf - Let Go Ben Folds - Speed Graphic/Sunny 16 Edie Brickell - Volcano Andy Partridge - Fuzzy Warbles 3 & 4 Guided By Voices - Hardcore UFOs Petra Haden & Bill Frisell - s/t
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2003 18:25:12 -0800 From: "Pastula Aaron" <pastula12@hotmail.com> Subject: The Clan LIVES!! Message-ID: <BAY7-F59sXG4xMLYZC7000392bc@hotmail.com> Hey all... Just a quick note to say that Clan MacPartridge's first San Francisco gig was, by all accounts, a success. Adrenaline was running high, tempos were running fast, and volume was running loud, but we pulled it off in true rock and roll form and were grinning crazily and laughing all the way. To boot, we had the best turnout of any band that night...a rainy Tuesday to be sure, but still... Reward for our prowess came in the form of our next booking: Friday, January 16th, again at Kimo's on the corner of Polk and Pine (yeah, it's a dive, but it's OUR dive). Time TBD, but probably in the 10:00 pm range...we'll let you know. Plus, we have plans afoot for more gigs around the city. Thanks to those who were there corporeally and those who were there in sprirt; those who sent us well-wishes before the show; and to Mr. John for posting our gig on the Chalkhills site. You cannot possibly imagine how much fun it is to play this music in front of an audience. Collateral thanks, then, to the guys who wrote it. More later, Aaron, Christopher, Mike and Will
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 10:56:01 -0700 From: Tony Nelson <ten@tmail.com> Subject: Pugwash XTC Cover Message-ID: <1071597361.16BC4B61@r5.dngr.org> Karmic Hit records has a mp3 up of Pugwash's cover of Thanks for Christmas on their website. Fun! Get it here: http://www.karmichit.com/Hall_of_Gifts.html Tony
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