Re: Love-Hounds Digest #7.325

[your tragic beauty <REWOICC%ERENJ@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU>]

jimmy fingerle sez:
>3.  Vickie said, "Glad to be of cervix."  Hah! i love a good pun, and that
>is great.  Thanks!

thank rocky rococo and the firesign theatre.

>New question, someone
>mentioned This Mortal Coil.  I've repeatedly heard of them, what do
>they sound like?  What is the quintessential (did I get that right?)
>release of theirs?

this mortal coil is the house project of 4ad's owner ivo watts-russell.
basically, he and john fryer play in the studio and write some of the
music and get the members of the various 4ad bands, as well as outsiders
(such as deidre rutkowski, caroline crowley and gordon sharp) to play
it all. they've got three releases, _it'll end in tears_, _filigree and
shadow_ and _blood_. _it'll end in tears_ is the most song-oriented
of the trio, while the other two range towards more dreamy and connected
music. still haven't heard _blood_ myself, but i think i can recommend
the other two highly. only trouble is they are available on 4ad in
england only and importing to the states is expensive. expect to pay
about $20 apiece if you buy them here (unless you buy them used like
i did for $7 apiece).

incidentially, robin guthrie considers theis mortal coil to be the
biggest pack of incestous musicians this side of the new york city avant
garde scene. reason alone to check it out.

oh, one oher thing, many of the songs that they do are covers, such as
alex chilton's "kangaroo", tim buckley's "song to the siren" and the
talking heads' "drugs". some of the covers alone are worth the purchase
price.

Zimri Smith sez:
>If you're looking for intelligible Cocteau Twins, try the new
>album by the Golden Palominos. Michael Stipe and Bob Mould
>each sing on a song, and Richard Thompson plays guitar
>on several cuts. It's kind of a tasty album.

eh. not nearly as good as previous efforts. check out the self-titled
debut (with the likes of frith and zorn supporting the core of anton
fier on drums and bill laswell on bass) or _visions of excess_. now
those are worthwhile...i do like the stipe song on _drunk with passion_
though. thomspon and stipe also contribute to _visions of excess_,
as does john lydon and syd straw (who really should be more well-known
than she is).

Vishal Markandey sez:
>Also, I understand there will be no future TMC projects.  Anyone know this for
>sure ?

yepper-doodle. ivo called it quits after _blood_, saying that the project
had run its course.

Zimri Smith again:
>In no particular order, here's some of what I've been listening to (other
>than Kate, of course) recently:

>Caetano Veloso : Estrangeiro

yeah! david byrne produced this album, but that really means nothing in
the light of this guy's talent and songwriting. so what if i don't know
any spanish - it's still quite good. recommended.

>John Gorka : Land of the Bottom Line
>           : Jack's Crows

something about his voice...yum! soothing and crooning, this music is
made for cloudy fall afternoons with the lights off.

>Shawn Colvin : Steady On

she's got talent, but i still don't like her too terribly much. maybe
i've just had my fill of this kind of female folkie, i dunno. she was
pretty good live though - she played with richard thompson on his last
tour and did some solo stuff to open for him as well.

>3 Mustaphas 3 : Soup of the Century

fezomaniacs! 'nuff said.

>Luka Bloom : Riverside

intense irish singer/songwriter who does *weird* tunings like a natural.
his new album should be out real soon now.

>     Also, if there are any fans of Kate out there who have not
>heard Jane Siberry, all I can say is: run, don't walk, to your
>favourite musical purveyor.

as richard caldwell will probably no doubt point out, this is not always
true. it is true for me though. she mixes humor with strange imagery and
story-telling. i'm more fond of her introspective _the walking_, but
+the speckless sky_ and _no borders here_ are playfully fun, while still
retaining that thoughtful spark.

Ben Discoe sez:
>I was dissapointed with _Gala_.  It is not at all like the haunting,
>ethereal, abstract, morbid prettiness that occupies other 4AD bands.
>In fact, it sounds more like a conventional british girl band with
>some odd chord changes.

well, they aren't supposed to be "just another 4ad band". essentially
what lush does is sugarcoat the wall of sound "thang" that my bloody
valentine has been doing for the masses. so, yes they are a pop band
of sorts in the "conventional" sense.

however, i think you should go listen again, cos buried in those guitars
is a strong amount of swirling and dreamy guitars. it may not be the
"morbid prettiness" that you've mentioned, but there is a different
kind of etherielness to their music.

also, as a side note, your statement is the kind of statement that would
probably drive ivo nuts. he's been trying to combat the image of 4ad
being an *exclusive* arty-farty label for a long time now. bands like
lush and the pale saints are the bands that are being used to fight
that preconception, which was basically the fault of the cocteau twins
really. listen to the earliest releases on 4ad someday - people like
in camera, cupol, the birthday party and bauhaus - they are far from
the "morbid prettiness" that you espouse as a typical 4ad band.

woj@remus.rutgers.edu - rewoicc@erenj.bitnet - on tape decks all over hell