// Finding the music we like, and other relevant topics.
// Enjoy... [BP]

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Subject: Re: NN: texas 
From: Petop@aol.com 
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 16:32:23 EDT 

In a message dated 4/21/2002 9:06:19 AM Central Daylight Time,
DRANCI@aol.com 
writes:

> I'm returning to Texas in september, could someone maybe recommend a radio
> station to listen to, or even somewhere within a hundred miles of Houston 
> I might be able to find a bar or club that place similar music.   

You need to be in Austin and listen to KSJR 107.1. In Houston and Dallas,
radio is very ratings oriented and, as much as we on this list like the
music of Nanci Griffith, Iris Dement, Lucy Kaplansky et al, stations that
play that style simply don't get the ratings. But if you get to Austin,
you'll feel like you've died and gone to heaven, especially when it comes to
live music 
choices. I have never been anyway that offers more of the type of music
people on this list like, 365 days a year, than in Austin, Texas. But if you
insist on staying within 100 miles of Houston, you will be terribly
disappointed. Houston is nothing more than Los Angeles with all the fun
taken out of it.

=========================================================
"When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his 
sleep, not screaming like all the passengers in his car."--Will Rogers

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Subject: Re: NN: texas 
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 14:03:19 -0500 
From: "Sarah Wrightson" (sarahwrightson@vincebell.com> 


Petop@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Houston is nothing more than Los Angeles with all the
> fun taken out of it.

"Houston lay like Cleveland with the color removed."

I couldn't resist...

Sarah

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Subject: Re: NN: Texas, no Nanci content; would she approve? 
From: ConorMG@aol.com 
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 17:27:09 EDT 

miketeked@hotmail.com writes:
> There was a show on television called Northern 
> Exposure where I heard a beautiful song called "Our Town" 
> and I dug around on the internet to find 
> out it was song by someone named Iris Dement.
 
When I heard her do this at the Stables, Milton Keynes, UK, I nearly leapt
out of my seat, as when she sang 'Let the Mystery Be', one of the most
impressive songs I know.  A friend had taken me along to see the support
act....

In Britain, we have a delightful young singer called Kate Rusby, many
people's favourite, and mine. She had a hit with 'Our Town', and I love her
version.  However, I don't think it's as good as the original, which seems
to have a wry, ironic tone to it, that gives the song an indeterminate
depth.  

Does anyone else know the two versions and have any thoughts on this?

While on her [Iris], I'd love to hear people's views on 'Wasteland of the
Free'. The BBC's folk DJ recently called it one of the best songs ever, but
a friend recently singled it out of a compilation I made and said it was too
direct and lacked poetry...to my ear it ranks with 'Hurricane', and it makes
me almost shudder at its barely controlled rage.

I suspect she isn't going to be popular with patriots in California and
places, though....

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Subject: Re: NN: Texas, no Nanci content; would she approve? 
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 13:23:30 -0700 (PDT) 
From: "Bill Page" (bpage3@yahoo.com> 

--- ConorMG@aol.com wrote:
> In Britain, we have a delightful young singer called 
> Kate Rusby, many people's favourite, and mine. 
> She had a hit with 'Our Town', and I love her version.  

Kate Rusby was on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion"
(http://prairiehome.org/)  this last weekend. It was my first time to hear
her, and I was impressed with her voice.  

Her impact in the States will be limited to those who pay attention to her
style of music already; since the radio play time (as elsewhere discussed)
is limited to certain genres and is controlled throughout the country by the
big companies, only those few folk-oriented shows (mostly on public radio)
will spread the Kate Rusby gospel. 

(Anyone know what the distribution numbers for "Dirty Linen" or "Sing-Out"
are? Seems like these are the only magazines in the States that would be
supporting this kind of music.)

> While on [Iris DeMent], I'd love to hear people's views on 
> "Wasteland of the Free" The BBC's folk DJ recently called 
> it one of the best songs ever, but a friend recently singled it 
> out of a compilation I made and said it was too direct and lacked 
> poetry....  To my ear it ranks with 'Hurricane', and it makes me 
> almost shudder at its barely controlled rage.
> I suspect she isn't going to be popular with patriots in 
> California and places, though....

When that CD came out (what, 4? 5 years ago?) there was some discussion on
the few stations that carry folk music, and a few emails on the F_M list,
but for most of us, Iris was "preaching to the choir." It IS a powerful
song, though. 

By the way, according to the web site, Garrison's guest this coming week is
some little-known singer named Odetta...

Bill "remember when Iris was a regular on APHC?" Page

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Subject: Re: NN: Texas, no Nanci content; would she approve? 
From: "Matt Bloomfield" (mail@mattbloomfield.co.uk> 
Date: 22 Apr 2002 22:11:33 +0000 


> There was a show on television called Northern 
> Exposure where I heard a beautiful song called "Our Town" 
> and I dug around on the internet to find 
> out it was song by someone named Iris Dement.

I could listen to that song on continuous loop forever (actually I often do)
and never get bored of it.  I love the lines, "Now i sit on the porch and
watch the lightning bugs fly, but I can't see too good, I got tears in my
eyes". Brilliant.

Ironically, I first heard this song sung by Iris with Nanci accompanying her
on guitar..
 
> In Britain, we have a delightful young singer called 
> Kate Rusby, many people's favourite, and mine. 
> She had a hit with 'Our Town', and I love her version.  
> Does anyone else know the two versions and have 
> any thoughts on this?

It's not a bad version but she changes some of the words. Certainly doesn't
"feel" the same as the Iris version.

> While on her, I'd love to hear people's 
> views on 'Wasteland of the Free'.  

An excellent commentary on the state of western society.  Not just America
but increasingly, and now perhaps even more so, Britain.  I think many of
the reasons for this are nicely summed up in the equally apt Quality Time.
That, along with an increasingly corrupt and deceitful administration don't
exactly spell a rosy future for our once great Britain...  
( Followups off list, please :) >

> I suspect she isn't going to be popular with patriots 
> in California and places, though....

People aren't always comfortable with the truth.
In fact, I would consider myself a patriot which is why songs like Wasteland
of the Free are so sorely needed, pity so few people hear them :(

Matt -  You can't trust freedom when it's not in your hands.

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Subject: Re: NN: texas 
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 08:19:44 -0500 
From: "Sarah Wrightson" (sarahwrightson@vincebell.com> 

> That's a really good question and I can't give you any reason for it
myself,
> but maybe some of the folks who know more about the recording business
can.
> I'd like to know myself. I'm not from the Texas area, but the people here
in
> the northeast U.S. have never heard of those artists either.

I believe you make the assumption that Nanci or any of the others we talk
about here are famous, and household words, in the Texas or even the
country.  They aren't.  Houston is one of the largest cities in the US.
Radio is commercial.  That means it plays what makes money.
Folk-Acoustic-Singer/Songwriter (WHATever!) music we like here does not
sell. Therefore it doesn't get played except on the college and public radio
stations which a few people have already mentioned.  There are a zillion
radio stations in Texas, and only a handful that will play Nanci.  Therefore
99% of the population doesn't ever hear any of it, as they don't listen to
public radio.  And that includes Nanci's home state.  You don't hear her a
lot on Nashville radio either.

No doubt, too, you've seen some of the rash of articles that have come out
recently talking about the fact that radio is "Pay to Play."  Though
illegal, getting songs added into rotation on a major commercial radio
station is going to cost between $1000 and $10,000 per station grouping.

There are a zillion other reasons...but basically, in comparison to the
music-makers who get all the publicity, this kind of music is relatively
unknown.  You won't read about it, hear it, etc. as you travel about the
country.  Even less in less population areas that don't have public
and/or college radio to begin with.

Sarah

http://www.vincebell.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
For updates & announcements join: 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vincebell
---------------------------------------------------------------
pobox 210373, nashville, tn 37221
615.646.3103, sarahwrightson@vincebell.com
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Subject: Re: NN: Texas, no Nanci content; would she approve? 
From: Petop@aol.com 
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 17:00:39 EDT 


bpage3@yahoo.com writes:

> Her impact in the States will be limited to those 
> who pay attention to her style of music already; 
> since the radio play time (as elsewhere discussed)
> is limited to certain genres and is controlled throughout 
> the country by the big companies, only those few 
> folk-oriented shows (mostly on public radio) will
> spread the Kate Rusby gospel. 

   Actually, for those who have internet access, finding this type of music
is rather easy. Through the internet, I found out about Kate Rusby many
years ago and have enjoyed her most recently release, "Little Lights,"
immensely. When radio doesn't provide what you are looking for, you need to
seek elsewhere.
   As for magazines, as someone who worked for more than 20 years as a music
critic, trust me the printed word has absolutely no influence on what people
in this country purchase. None. Zap. Zero. It's all about what they hear,
not what they read.
   I understand this is not true in England (perhaps Mr. Graveling can talk
about this with more authority and understanding), but only because the BBC
controls the airwaves to such an extent there is not the variety of choices
among radio stations there as there is in most metropolitan areas of the
United States. Melody Maker, among other publications, has had a major
impact on the record buying decisions of Brits, from what I have been told.
   I had always suspected writers had no influence on record sales but my
suspicions were confirmed when a graduate student wrote her master's thesis
on me and my affect on music in this area. It turns out that the major
influence came on live concerts, particularly interviews I did with artists
that ran just prior to a concert performance. Those stories apparently had
significant impact on ticket sales and often stories I did on artists who
were not originally scheduled to appear here resulted in them adding a local
date. But all the record-buying decisions came from what people heard on
radio.
   As has been discussed, that presents a dilemma, especially since many PBS
stations (like the one here in Dallas) has abandoned music for an all-talk
format. That's why internet streaming is becoming popular. There are some
Internet providers who will let you format your own radio station--give them
the names of a couple of artists you like and they will give you 24 hours of
uninterrupted music of those and related artists.
   The Dish network satellite system has a fairly good acoustic music
channel, but Directv doesn't have one nearly as good. 
   The bottom line to this rant is simply this: Yes, the music we like will
not be fed to us, but it's out there if you want to take the time to find
it. I believe the effort is worth it because through these means I have
discovered such current faves as Kate Rusby, Kris Delmhorst, Dave Carter &
Tracy Grammer and many others I might not have known about otherwise.
       
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Subject: NN: Earth Day Recollections 
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 14:44:00 -0400 
From: "Bucky" (Bucky314@insightbb.com> 

Sometime in the early days of CNN,  they televised an Earth Day celebration
in Washington DC. As the cameras scanned the crowd of those attending, a
song was playing on the network feed that caught my ear. Some artist,
probably a tree hugging, left wing activist, anarchist, sang about looking
down on a green planet where everybody looked about the same.

The song was delivered in such a simple and honest manner, I was intrigued,
wanting to know more about the artist and other songs she might have
recorded.  I jotted down a few for the lyrics and the next day in stopped in
to a large record store a nearby mall.  Being slightly over 30 and not to be
trusted by teenage sales persons, I eventually stopped one of them and asked
about a song I heard on TV the past Earth Day.  Earth Day, that they knew
about but no help with the lyrics or the name of the song.

That weekend, CNN ran a replay of the Earth Day coverage and I got more of
the lyrics and the likely name of the song, since From A Distance was
repeated so often in the tune.  No mall record store for me this time, it
was off to the largest local music retailer in town, one with sales help
that knew more than the top 40.  Yes!, They new the song and told me to look
in the Folk or Country section for Griffith, Nancy Griffith,  an Austin,
Texas singer/songwriter that did some good work.

I grabbed a cassette with FAD on it and went home, noticing that nancy was
spelled wrong on the cover sheet.  That weekend I was back for 3 more, and
back again every weekend till I had the complete collection.  I've still got
the cassettes, but I've replaced them with CD's as time went on.

So every Earth Day I thank to program director for playing that song and
introducing me to one of America's many little known treasures.  A gal from
the west Texas plains with a passion for life and the causes she believes
in.  Happy Earth Day Nanci from an old geezer in Kentucky.

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Subject: NN: Hammered and Relevant 
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 11:54:39 -0700 (PDT) 
From: "Michael Wilt" (handofgrace@yahoo.com> 

Griffsters,

Bill Page wrote, "It's been interesting to see
characterizations of "If I Had a Hammer" as
irrelevant, with the corollary being that if Nanci is
singing Pete Seeger songs, she's lost it..."

Arthur Miller's novella "Homely Girl, A Life" includes
this great little passage. It's part of a conversation
between Janice and Charles (he's a blind musician);
they're talking about militant, political artists from
the thirties whose work has faded away. Charles says:

   "It was a style, wasn't it? Most styles crack up
and disappear."
   "And why is that, do you think?"
   "It depends. When the occasion dominates, the work
tends to vanish with the occasion."
   "What should dominate, then?"
   "The feelings that the occasion roused in the
artist. I personally believe that what lasts is what
art itself causes to exist in the artist--I mean the
sounds that create other sounds, or the phrases that
generate new phrases. Bach wrote some wonderful piano
pieces that were really meant as piano lessons, but we
listen now to their spiritual qualities, now that the
occasion is forgotten. The work created its own
spirituality, in a sense, and this lasts."

Far as I can tell, Pete & Co. have neither cracked up
nor disappeared after all these years, and Bruce
Miller's post about Woody/Arlo/Sarah Guthrie
demonstrates how the feelings roused in artists do
indeed transcend occasions and remain relevant. We
need this stuff now as much as we ever did.

Michael "goin' back into hiding now" Wilt

=====
Michael Wilt
handofgrace@yahoo.com

"These days your face in my memory
is in a folded hand of grace
against these times." -- Nanci Griffith

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Subject: NN: Re: Gauntlet 
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 19:18:55 -0600 
From: Molly Prive (prive@charter.net> 

Michael Wilt's posting is an example of why we hang around, here, at the old
NanciNet. Nanci Griffith is what we have in common, but we have not limited
ourselves to just that.  We get educated, inspired and amused. I was very
sad when things turned sour for Donate and she slowed down on her postings.
I think you would have to pay for 5 credit hours in a music theory class to
get all she has shared! :)

As far as the relevance of "If I Had a Hammer", I didn't think Nanci was
trying to make any big statement with the songs she chose for OVOR2, but
they were songs that were part of the backdrop of her past. Things that she
was exposed to and that shaped her.  I have heard her sing "If I Had
A Hammer" in concert three times and it was just plain old fun!

Nanci latest CD's efforts are not my favorites, but I appreciate that she
has not stagnated. Anyone catch Michael Jackson a few months ago on TV? They
could have just used footage from the 80's and no one would have been any
the wiser.  I really liked his music back then, but he has
not progressed beyond that, IMHO. AND, seeing Nanci in concert last summer
made me a "true believer" all over again.

Other musings:
* I still don't like "Snowing", blech
* I LOVE Kasey Chambers, and seeing her live was great.  She and her band
were much better than I expected. (And she sang Woody Guthries "DoReMi" and
Fred Eaglesmith's "Water in the Gas Tank")
* When we will hear from Iris again? I miss her!!

Molly P.

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Subject: NN: Nanci connections in Houston 
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 16:38:59 -0500 
From: "Sarah Wrightson" (sarahwrightson@vincebell.com> 

Well, since we've been maligning Houston, let's do the glass half full. Just
got my schedule for Anderson Fair in the near future.

Richard Dobson and Bill & Colleen Cade, April 20th
Carolyn Hester and David Blume May 3rd
Eric Taylor June 1st
Bill Staines June 7 & 8th
Tom Russell and Andrew Hardin June 14 & 15th

And a personal recommendation to go see Tommy Elskes on April 26th.

Sarah


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Subject: NN: Re: Texas radio 
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 17:31:28 -0500 
From: "Chevelle" (chevelle@pnx.com> 

Howdy, Nancinutters!
   Y'all are right about the two stations previously mentioned on this
thread, KPFT in Houston and KGSR in Austin.  KGSR is broadcast on the Net at
kgsr.com     
   While coming home, I was listening to a rock station out of Lake Charles,
KKGB, and the jock said someone called him and told him about Government
Mule and he liked it so he was going to play one of their tunes.  I'm home
now and supper is ready so I don't get to hear the actual song but it's good
to know that one of the groups I've heard a lot about on various lists is
getting some airplay.
   Caron and I went to a Willys meet this weekend, which is another list
that is held together by a common interest, old Willys jeeps.  Several
comments were made during the afternoon that none of us would have ever met
if not for the shared interest.  That sounded so much like comments we've
heard here.  Thanks, folks, for dropping in and sharing some good times.

Cheers!

Hank "bluebonnet fever" Van Slyke

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Subject: Re: NN: Nanci connections in Houston 
From: Petop@aol.com 
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 19:03:54 EDT 

sarahwrightson@vincebell.com writes:

> Well, since we've been maligning Houston, let's do the glass half full. 
> Just got my schedule for Anderson Fair in the near future.

At the risk of playing one-upmanship, it can't compare to the recent Cactus
Cafe schedule:
April 18: Chuck Pyle
April 19: Dave Alvin, Tom Russell and Katy Moffatt
April 20: Eliza Gilkyson
April 24: Shake Russell and Dana Cooper
April 25-26: The California Guitar Trio
April 27: The Meat Purveyors (I love their album "More Songs About Buildings
and Cows")
May 1: Lisa Mednick
May 2-3: Darden Smith
May 4: Chris Whitley
May 5: Clandestine
May 7-8: Ian Moore
May 9-10: Austin Lounge Lizards
May 11: Eddie From Ohio

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Subject: Re: NN: Nanci connections in Houston 
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 18:18:34 -0500 
From: "Sarah Wrightson" (sarahwrightson@vincebell.com> 

petop risked saying:

>At the risk of playing one-upmanship, it can't compare to the recent
>Cactus Cafe schedule:

Well no, but we were talking Houston, not the best places to hear music.
And Austin isn't the top of my schedule either (g>

Sarah

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Subject: Re: NN: Earth Day Recollections 
From: "kenn lippert" (lippert@nauticom.net> 
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 22:30:05 -0400 
 
Bucky wrote:

> Sometime in the early days of CNN, they televised an Earth Day 
> celebration in Washington DC. ...
> So every Earth Day I thank to program director for playing that song 
> and introducing me to one of America's many little known treasures. A 
> gal from the west Texas plains with a passion for life and the causes 
> she believes in. Happy Earth Day Nanci from an old geezer in Kentucky.

Beautiful memories Bucky, thanks for sharing.  I wish we heard more 
"discovery stories" on the NanciNet.

kenn "Post-partum depression and the Christian Missionary Alliance 
Church" lippert


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Subject: Re: NN: Gauntlet..... 
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 09:13:59 -0700 (PDT) 
From: "Scott Johnsen" (wsjohnsen@yahoo.com> 

Hi  Donate,
Please don't stop.  My opinion and $1.50 won't buy you a cup of coffee at
Starbucks, but I find your posts some of the more informative and
interesting. I hope you continue to post. It would be a loss for all of us
if you stopped.
- Scott

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