From bill@thehubs.net Wed Oct 16 19:39:16 2002
From: bill@thehubs.net (Bill)
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2002 13:39:16 -0500
Subject: [Granite-and-tumble] Music Info
Message-ID: <001501c27543$5f0cd3d0$6701a8c0@hubster>
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Here is some good news for you Pavement fans out there....
Matador records is releasing a DVD and a classic pavement reissue on =
October 22. The DVD entitled Slow Century will feature all their music =
videos, an 80-minute documentary about the band, two live concerts and =
bunch of other stuff. This should be cool.
In addition for you slackers who never got around to buying slanted and =
enchanted (shame on you), Matador is reissuing it as a double cd called, =
"Slanted & Enchanted, Luxe and Reduxe". I personally hate the reissue =
because it forces completists to purchase a mostly redundant album. =
However, if you never broke down an bought the original, run to the =
store and get this album. It will include all of the watery domestic =
ep, some live tracks, b-sides, and bunch of other stuff. If for no =
other reason, buy the CD since it comes with a 62 page booklet filled =
with all kinds of goodies.
And for the thrill jockey fans ...
Another DVD on the horizon that promises to be interesting is Braden =
King's "Looking for a Thrill" You may remember Braden King from his =
previous work, "Dutch Harbor where the Sea breaks it back, " a =
documentary about an Alaskan fishing town. One of the most memorable =
things for me about the film was when I saw it at the now departed, =
Celluloid Moviebar, the score was played live behind the screen by an =
incredible group of musicians, including, David Grubbs, Michael Krasner, =
Charles Kim, Doug McCombs, and Darren RIchard. But, I digress. This =
film will consist of Thrill jockey artists and lots of other cool =
musicians talking about their favorite thrill jockey moment. If you =
are a fan of the label or the bands on the label, I am sure you will =
enjoy this DVD.
And now a quick tear for the emo kings, The Promise Ring. After seven =
years, five full lengths and three eps, the kings of emo are calling it =
quits. Unfortunately, "this thing is now off". Too bad, hopefully the =
musicians will move on to something new and improved.
Bill
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Here is some good news for you Pavement =
fans out=20
there....
Matador records is releasing a DVD and =
a classic=20
pavement reissue on October 22. The DVD entitled Slow =
Century will=20
feature all their music videos, an 80-minute documentary about the band, =
two=20
live concerts and bunch of other stuff. This should be =
cool.
In addition for you slackers who never =
got around=20
to buying slanted and enchanted (shame on you), Matador is reissuing it =
as a=20
double cd called, "Slanted & Enchanted, Luxe and =
Reduxe". I=20
personally hate the reissue because it forces completists to purchase a =
mostly=20
redundant album. However, if you never broke down an bought =
the=20
original, run to the store and get this album. It will =
include all=20
of the watery domestic ep, some live tracks, b-sides, and bunch of other =
stuff. If for no other reason, buy the CD since it =
comes with=20
a 62 page booklet filled with all kinds of goodies.
And for the thrill jockey fans =
...
Another DVD on the horizon that =
promises to be=20
interesting is Braden King's "Looking for a Thrill" You may =
remember=20
Braden King from his previous work, "Dutch Harbor where the Sea breaks =
it back,=20
" a documentary about an Alaskan fishing town. One of the most =
memorable=20
things for me about the film was when I saw it at the now departed, =
Celluloid=20
Moviebar, the score was played live behind the screen by an incredible =
group of=20
musicians, including, David Grubbs, Michael Krasner, Charles Kim, Doug =
McCombs,=20
and Darren RIchard. But, I digress. This film will =
consist of=20
Thrill jockey artists and lots of other cool musicians talking about =
their=20
favorite thrill jockey moment. If you are a fan of the label =
or the=20
bands on the label, I am sure you will enjoy this DVD.
And now a quick tear for the emo kings, =
The Promise=20
Ring. After seven years, five full lengths and three eps, the =
kings of emo=20
are calling it quits. Unfortunately, "this thing is now =
off". =20
Too bad, hopefully the musicians will move on to something new and=20
improved.
Bill
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From Bill@thehubs.net Wed Oct 23 00:33:33 2002
From: Bill@thehubs.net (Bill Hub)
Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2002 18:33:33 -0500
Subject: [Granite-and-tumble] Elephant Six is Caput?
Message-ID: <000001c27a23$70be02e0$6401a8c0@US1087764>
Pitchfork media reported today that The Elephant Six Collective is
officially caput. To be honest, I am not even sure what this means or if I
should be disappointed.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Elephant Six Collective or Elephant Six
Recording Company, it was a fictions record recording company created by
four high school friends: Robert Schneider, Bill Doss, Will Cullen Hart,
and Jeff Magnum. In high school, they all played in lots of various
bands and when they created tapes in their parent's basement they would put
an Elephant Six Logo on the tapes.
So, why in the hell is this even newsworthy? Well these high school friends
did eventually become indie rock stars: Robert Schneider founded the Apples
in Stereo, Bill Doss and Will Cullen Hart founded the Olivia Tremor Control,
and Jeff Magnum founded Neutral Milk Hotel. These bands became true
powerhouses, and released many albums on various record labels: FlyDaddy,
Emperor Norton, Merge, SpinART, Sire, and the Elephant Six record label.
Most of the releases that everyone knows were not released on an Elephant
Six label; in fact Neutral Milk Hotel and the Olivia Tremor Control never
released a full length on the Elephant Six record label.
As fame grew for these three aforementioned bands, the scene grew more
popular; and the fictions label blossomed into something real releasing many
fine records, including albums from the Secret Squares, Beulah, and the
Marbles. Concurrently, their buddies were forming even more bands and
generating more great albums for other record labels, but still loosely
considered part of the Elephant Six Collective. Bands like Elf Power, the
Gerbils, and Of Montreal were the largest of these friend bands that put out
great records for different labels, but are still part of the Elephant Six
Collective.
Clearly, this collective has put out lots of good material, but I am
confused as to what is going caput. Neutral Milk Hotel unfortunately
disbanded years ago, however many of these other bands are currently on tour
and have released albums this year. So, perhaps it is just the record
label that is going caput. If that is the case, BFD; all the bands worth
liking have moved to other labels.
Perhaps, this is one last ploy by those wacky HS chums to inspire
conversation ultimately leading to more album sales. Even assuming that is
what is going on, I will still fall hook, line and sinker and strongly
recommend some E6 albums. I know most of you probably own at least a dozen
CDs from the Elephant Six collective; but for those of you who do not; I
will recommend by five favorite albums from different bands within the
Elephant Six Collective:
1. Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Areoplane Over the Sea
2. Beulah's Handsome Western States (actually on the record label)
3. The Gerbils' Are You Sleepy
4. The Olivia Tremor Control's Singles and Beyond
5. Elf Power's A Dream In Sound
If you want to read more about the collective and see a comprehensive list
of the bands involved; check out http://www.elephant6.com/
From Bill@thehubs.net Thu Oct 24 18:53:17 2002
From: Bill@thehubs.net (Bill Hub)
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2002 12:53:17 -0500
Subject: [Granite-and-tumble] Alt Country Music News
Message-ID: <000601c27b86$3c59fe00$6401a8c0@US1087764>
The Alt Country Music world has seen a number of releases....
Blue Mountain released their swan song, a live CD entitled Tonight It's Now
or Never. This live recording is from their final tour that concluded at
Schuba's in Chicago and was recorded on the fateful night, March 11 2001.
This 2-CD set features many traditional covers and many of their well-known
classics from Dog Days and Homegrown. The CD is being put out by the
Digital Club Network and can be purchased at www.dcn.com as well as many
fine record stores. I don't own the album yet, so no personnel comments.
Continuing with the Chicago theme, the Handsome Family also has a live album
from a show at Schuba's being put out by DCN. The CD features 9 tracks of
Rennie and Brett banter in between songs and Rennie's classic non sequiturs,
plus 16 songs. Most of the songs all from Through the Trees, but there are
a few classics from In the Air and Milk and Scissors. The show was in
December of 2000, and it turned out to be one of the Handsome Family's last
shows as Chicago natives as they decided to move to Arizona in 2001.
Apart from the new live albums, a number of Alt-Country legends have decided
to give the solo album a shot. Musicians from the Old 97s, Freakwater, and
the Bad Livers have all tried the solo gig.
Rhett Miller, from the Old 97s, released his solo debut, The Instigator, on
Elektra Records. It is even poppier than the late 97s records, but Rhett
still delivers the sugary sweet pop ballads better than most. Like most
exceptionally sweet things, this album is great in small doses, but long
plays may wear on you.
Catherine Irwin, from Freakwater, has also issued her solo debut, Cut
Yourself a Switch, on Thrill Jockey Records. Despite their heralded albums,
countless recommendations (Dooling, I know you are reading), and a few live
shows; I was never won over by Freakwater. Catherine Ann Irwin's debut is
receiving loads of praise from critics and quite frankly it sounds like an
album I would like. So, I will probably give this album a shot.
Danny Barnes gave up the electronica gig (thankfully) and his returned to
his roots on Terminus Records. With "Things I Done Wrong", Danny has a
backing band and finally emphasizes the banjo again. This nearly
percussion free album is yet another testament of Barnes's outstanding banjo
plucking capabilities.
While Built To Spill certainly would not have classified as an alt country
band, Doug Martsch's new solo album definitely would. His solo debut, Now
You Know, features some great slide guitar and will fit nicely next to your
Rhett Miller album. The album sounds like the blues going pop. BTS fans
need not worry, Doug's masturbatory guitar solos are still included.