THE SWINGING SHINDIG October 1999
THE SWINGING SHINDIG
(R)october 1999
a monthly soiree of musicians
The Swinging Shindig is sent out by request only. It is never unsolicited. Subscription/Unsubscription info may be found at the end of this email, as well as links to our site, FAQ page, snail mail, etc.
CONTENTS
- Letter From Shauna (by Shauna Skye)
- Song Reviews (by The Gene, John McLean, Clark Fries, Dave Iannopollo, Shauna Skye)
- The Premier Artist Show--Internet Radio you need to listen to!
- Valerie Hardin's Opinion of MP3 format
- All That Official Info
LETTER FROM SHAUNA
Hi everyone. My month has been interesting. I finished up my performance with the Hale Theatre Group in Chicago, and I've had a couple of practices with my new band mates. I have Joe Garcia on lead guitar now, and Mark Boggs on bass. Joe is the best guitar player I know. He can play anything; and best of all he likes all those British bands as much as I do!
There's an interesting story behind my two band mates. It begins years ago, when I was a wee lass of 10, and I took to admiring some teenage boys in my neighborhood who played in a band. They were famous locally, and aside from the lead guitarist who was 16, the other band mates were so young they made those Hanson boys look mature. But to me, a small girl, they were big kids and I looked up to them. They played lots of gigs, and were almost chosen to appear on a popular TV show. I thought they were the coolest of the cool.
I liked them so much, in fact, that I got it into my 10 year old brain that I wanted to be IN their band. At the time I didn't play an instrument (I didn't start guitar until I was 15) but I wanted to jam with them so much I thought that surely they could use another singer or someone to beat a tambourine. And I had two things in my favor for getting into this band: 1) An older friend who lived down the street knew them, and 2) Their "manager" had a crush on me.
I tried my friend down the street first, and when he heard my crazy idea of being in the band he didn't laugh as I thought he might. "I'll take you to meet them," he said, and I was so excited! But when we arrived at the guitar player's house I was so nervous I could hardly speak. The 16 ear old who answered the door looked grown to me, and I became aware of how childish I must appear. I was ushered in, however, and I think I managed to stammer out a "hello." But whether I might join the band was not discussed; I was too shy to ask!
I went home without knowing whether I could join the band. Hence, I thought to explore my second option which was the "manager" who had that crush on me. It might seem weird that a teenager would have a crush on a 10 year old, but it is a fact that one did. The fellow always walked out of his way to pass my house, and took to visiting me so much that I'd run and hide when I saw him down the block. Friends teased me because of his attention, and I learned later that the band he claimed to manage wondered if he was all right in the head for it. But that is beside the point. This guy, nuts or not, was the one person I knew who might know whether the band would take me as a member; and I stopped hiding from him long enough to ask him.
His immediate response to my question was "They'd love to have you!" He smiled and wasted no time in grabbing the phone to call them to make sure. He glanced over his shoulder at me as he dialed, and I stood there, wanting to hear everything that was said. "Mark?" he said into the phone.
I don't recall everything. After all, this was a long time ago, and I was kid. I do remember hearing the boy who spoke on the other end of the phone. I mean, his reaction wasn't exactly quiet. I bit my lower lip as I heard "We don't want a little kid in the band!" --and then-- "She's only ten. Leave her alone, you sicko!"
"I'm sorry Mark," was guy's reply, and he looked nervously over at me, realizing I'd heard every word. But it was too late to apologize. He was talking to a dial tone.
Mark, the cute dark-haired band leader who thought I was just a little kid, was himself only 13. You may be interested to know that I met up with Mark a few years later and he didn't think I was such a little kid then. In fact, he rather liked me. How do I know? Well, I married him! As for the guitar player whose house I visited, he was none other than Joe Garcia. That's right. My new lead guitar player! And you know what? I think I'm as tall as he is now.
During last practice I brought up that time when I was 10 to my band mates. I wanted so much to be in their band back then, and glancing at their faces as I rattled off the set list I had to smile. "I am finally in your band!" I exclaimed, to which they both shook their heads. "No, Shauna, you're not in our band," they said. "We're in YOUR band."
I have to gloat a little over that. Fate maybe? I just think it's neat that out of all the musicians I've played with I am finally with the guys I wanted to jam with when I was just an embryo. How many people can say that?
But now, alas, it is time I cut the umbilical cord and end this letter. We have reviews to get to. I hope you enjoy this issue of The Swinging Shindig.
See you next month!
MP3 SONG REVIEWS
the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Reviews are the opinions of the reviewers, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the rest of TSS or any other member of the human race. That's why we encourage our readers to check out even bands who get crunched on. Ratings are between 1-5 stars, 5 being the best.
ARTIST: Random Karma ... GENRE: Twee
SONG: Spank My Monkey ... RATING: 3
SITE: http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/9/orgasm.html
Reviewed by Shauna Skye
At one time it was my goal in life to knock this dorky song entirely off the twee chart, and it is only now that I've decided to download this dreaded thing to hear the "good" quality version. Truthfully this song is hilarious even without the retarded lyrics. ("I don't care what you want. I just want to spank my monkey!") The music itself, with the slow groove, classic rock distorted guitar and cheesy clap noises nearly made me choke on my pop laughing.
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ARTIST: Shaky Tee ... GENRE: Country Blues
SONG: It Ain't Over 'Til I Say It's Over ... RATING: 3
SITE: http://www.mp3.com/ShakyTee
Reviewed by: John McLean
Shaky Tee is a lady with one flexible voice. At times she sounds like Ella Fitzgerald, at times Bette Midler in her campy approach to rocked-up ragtime. Great song in the Tin Pan Alley tradition. The instruments are for the most part programmed; yet this recording captures the feel of a studio in 1950. Phenomenal vocals but an atrocious acoustic guitar solo.
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ARTIST: Tallman ... GENRE: Metal
SONG: Pacafist ... RATING: 4.5
SITE: http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/39/tallman.html
Reviewed by The Gene
The first thing that strikes me about 'Pacafist' is the influence of Tool. >From the heavy sound to the gradually intensifying vocals, you got some great tricks from Tool's arsenal of sound. The track has good musicianship throughout, the vocals are coarse but really capture the feel of the lyrics. I would add that after listening to some of their other tracks, Tallman represent their sound well. Good stuffs.
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ARTIST: Permanent Solution . . . GENRE: Electronic
SONG: The Harvest . . . RATING 4.5
SITE: http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/10/permanent_solution.html
Reviewed by Shauna Skye
I found this ranking #1 in Christian Gothic on MP3.com. I am labeling it "electronic" however because is has no wordst, and I think it is too good to be pigeonholed in that category. This song is moving and powerful, and to me it does bring to mind "the harvest" as the title suggests: big warlike angels separating the good and the wicked and the end of the world! That's just me. No matter what you believe, this is good music.
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ARTIST: Lincoln Field ... GENRE: Acoustic Rock
SONG: Someday Girl ... RATING: 3
SITE: http://www.mp3.com/artists/28/lincoln_field.html
Reviewed by: John McLean
Remember Journey? These vocals and lyrics remind me of Steve Perry. Rick Tratar really hits the notes and holds them. Hey, and the guitar playing reminds me of Neal Schon. The keyboards and arrangement are pretty 80ish. This tune is a little less angular than Dave Matthews and a little hipper than Bryan Adams fifteen years ago. This song could be a tremendous hit on pop/light rock stations.
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ARTIST: Blue Cyberia ... GENRE: New Age
SONG: Caravan to Midnight RATING: 4
SITE: http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/46/blue_cyberia.html
Reviewed by The Gene
'Caravan to Midnight' is a dreamy foray into New Age mellowness. Slightly too many General MIDI sounds for my taste, but well played or sequenced melodies. The drums are a bit too big pop sounding and a bit too straight ahead. Nevertheless, some of the melodic lines are truly haunting, and the overall production is good. Could be a great track for playing a spooky sort of video game. Nice work.
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ARTIST: Crunchie Undies ... GENRE: New Wave
SONG: Get Real ... RATING: 3
SITE: http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/43/crunchie_undies.html
Reviewed by The Gene
Welcome to retro! 'Get Real' isn't a bad track, but it comes off sounding like a mediocre B-52s rip. The style is well done, the production is adequate, but nothing really stands out. As a spoof this would deserve 4 or maybe 5 stars, as a straight up track, well, get real.
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ARTIST: Sean Ewing ... GENRE: Power Pop
SONG: While You Can ... RATING: 4
SITE:http://www.mp3.com/seanewing
Reviewed by John McLean
If you like Lenny Kravitz, this dude's highly recommended. Great sound: Led Zep in 1975; Chili Peppers in 1989 or even Hendrix's poppier stuff. Pretty catchy with well-done grooves and heavy yet rhythmic guitars.
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ARTIST: Three Mile Echo ... GENRE: Rock
SONG: Home Again RATING: 3
SITE: http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/25/three_mile_echo.html
Reviewed by The Gene
Three Mile Echo has a lot of potential. The track 'Home Again' is a bit unadventurous, but solidly played and produced. The vocalist has a vibe similar to John Mellencamp, but the voice is his own. Very Americana. More attention to song writing will no doubt propel this young band to great heights.
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ARTIST: Sump Pump Monkeys ... GENRE: Surf Rock
SONG: Kamikaze Plunge ... RATING: 5
Site: http://www.mp3.com/artists/23/sumppump_monkeys.html
Reviewed by Dave Iannopollo
This cut kicks up the waves right from the start. This is some of the most rockin' surf music I have heard. Cool riffs, cool sound and tons of energy. If you like surf this is a must listen.
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ARTIST: Skarry Sties ... GENRE: Rock & Roll
SONG: If I had the Money ...RATING: 2
SITE: http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/47/skarry_sties.html
Reviewed by The Gene
Hampered by low grade production, it was very hard to really appreciate the finer points of Skarry Sties. They sound very soulful and may be a great live act, but the guitarist should perhaps tune his/her guitar, the singer while usually in key sometimes allows his 'passion' to get the better of him, and the drummer might spend some time working on timing. More production, or simply some actual production would help this project tremendously.
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ARTIST: Will Brown/Brown Brothers Band ... GENRE: Blues
SONG: "Ain't Gonna Get the Blues" ... RATING 3
Site: http://www.mp3.com/artists/30/will_brown.html
Reviewed by: John McLean
Decent sloppy-poppy blues feel. Song is kind of rambling. Smoky organ accompanies subtle rhythm section and snappy Roberty Cray-like guitar. The cranked second guitar mixed way up front is annoying; sounds like a garage band doing Foreigner. Nasally vocals are a departure from the usual tabasco, nicotine & bourbon-soaked gut-blues variety.
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ARTIST: Pulpit Red ... GENRE: Rock & Roll
SONG: A Girl Like You ... RATING: 3
SITE: http://www.mp3.com/PulpitRed
Reviewed by: John McLean
Extremely good 80s' Iggy-type vocals. Music is really close to their listed influence; Jim Carroll. Decent songwriting but the guitars are hella-slobby. Group backup vocals recall the New York Dolls or Sex Pistols in the 70s. Misogynistic words done kitschy in a 50s rock way.
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ARTIST: 77's ... GENRE: Rock
SONG: Sevens ... RATING: 4.5
SITE: http://www.mp3.com/artists/28/77s.html
Reviewed by Shauna Skye
This song reminds me a bit of Collective Soul, though the beginning chords bring to mind David Bowie's "Space Oddity." That image is soon squashed when the vocals come in. I haven't heard much from the 77's, but based upon this one song I'd like to go buy their albums. Smart of them to give this track away for free. I dig it.
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ARTIST: The Clean Jerk ... GENRE: Acoustic Rock
SONG: Bleed ... Rating: 4
Site: http://www.mp3.com/TheCleanJerk
Reviewed by: John McLean
Naked arrangement highlights a good song. The tempo changes are almost jarring. Good vocals; kind of a less raspy Paul Westerberg; in fact the song is faintly Westerbergian. Eric Ward is The Clean Jerk. He lists Seattle bands as influences but I hear more wistfulness than anger here. REM is cited, but this stuff is less obscure, more direct and sing-songy, kind of a less syrupy Jim Croce.
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ARTIST: Michael Denvir and the Ideal Chairs ...GENRE: Adult Alternative
SONG: New York/Version ... RATING: 3
SITE: http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/30/michael_denvir__the_ideal.html
Reviewed by Clark Fries
This is acoustic folksy stuff. Sort of a cross between Paul Simon and a modern heroin junkie. I credit him for putting his heart into the music, but it sounds funny hearing the "F" word in a tune this mellow; and non junkies might not be able to relate to the lyrics. This song could stand more changes to keep it from monotony, but aside from that it's worthy to be heard in a fine coffee shop.
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ARTIST: Solex ... GENRE: Alternative Dance
SONG: Solex vs Bolend - Bolend ... RATING: 4
SITE: http://www.matador.recs.com/mp3/
Reviewed by Shauna Skye
Solex is the name for an extremely cool Bjork-like band fronted by Elisabeth Esselink who has the loveliest, girlish voice. Or rather Elisabeth IS Solex. This is dancy stuff, with weird note bends and vocal octave overdubs that make it seem exotic. In some ways Solex brings to mind the oddness of Yoko Ono's music, but with her own pretty vocals. (Egads!)
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ARTIST: Ripper Inc. ... GENRE: Breakbeat
SONG: El-Fatahl & the Arabian Horror RATING: 5 stars
SITE: http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/22/ripper_inc.html
Reviewed by The Gene
Ripper Inc. JAMS! The track 'El-Fatahl & the Arabian Horror' jumps right at you with teeth bared. Ripper keeps it tight and righteous with enough groove to keep even the most jaded dervish moving. The Arabic motif is innovative as opposed to sounding like so many who try that approach. Exceptional work!
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ARTIST: The Crush . . . GENRE: Brit Pop
SONG: The Gift . . . RATING: 3
SITE: http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/16/loki.html
Reviewed by Shauna Skye
This song makes me think of Spinal Tap during the flashback scene when they went through that peace and love period, and the bass player mouths "We love you!" I know this is meant to be a pretty serious song, but it strikes me funny. I can't help it.
CHECK OUT THE PREMIER ARTISTS SHOW!
You get high quality, original, entertaining tracks from a diverse mix of genres submitted by the artists and selected by the staff of the Independent Artists Radio Network. Promos recorded by the artists, sponsors' spots, and show and network promos are interspersed throughout the broadcasts, and playlists are posted at www.artistlaunch.com
HERE'S THE SCHEDULE: Wednesdays and Saturdays LIVE Starts at 9:00 PM Eastern. Running Time: 5 hours ... Repeated throughout the week up until the next new show. To connect, go to www.artistlaunch.com and click on Connect.
MP3 IS AMAZING
by Valerie Hardin
MP3 is amazing and compact and doesn't take 28 days to download like wave. Okay I'm stretching it just a bit. MP3 has neat features like great sound, but there are some things it can't do. It can't cook your dinner or cure your sore throat.
Well, the true limitations are that it doesn't work with some products. I have yet to find a way to make an avi movie with it and my ebook maker doesn't even know what an MP3 is. This I know will change in time, for I think MP3 was made to go with an ebook. I'd love to have children's downloads that worked like the book audio combos I had has a child. I guess I will have to wait for technology to catch up.
ALL THAT OFFICIAL INFO
The Swinging Shindig is free and published monthly.
EDITOR/PUBLISHER: Shauna Skye
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