// New tour dates!
// And a few more "best of" lists. We could use some more!
// Enjoy. [BP]

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Subject: NN: NanciNews: New Tour Dates Added
    From: info@nancigriffith.com
    Date: Jan 5, 2004 5:50 PM

New Tour Dates Added:

Nanci has confirmed several new performances for February. The full 
lineup
of shows is as follows:

2 / 17 - Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere
2 / 18 - Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere
2 / 20 - New York, NY - Town Hall
2 / 21 - Boston, MA - Berklee Performance Center
2 / 22 - Albany, NY - The Egg @ Hart Theatre
2 / 24 - Northampton, MA - Calvin Theater
2 / 26 - Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theater	
2 / 27 - Montclair, NJ - Outpost in the Burbs
2 / 28 - W. Collingswood, NJ  - Scottish Rite Auditorium	

More information can be found in the Tour section at 
www.nancigriffith.com
		
Visit us online! http://nancigriffith.com

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Subject:    NN: Where are those lists?!?!?!?
    From: bpage3@earthlink.net
    Date:    Jan 6, 2004 8:17 AM

I have a feeling that many of us have forgotten (or simply not gotten
around) to send our best of the year selections to David. I think he's 
only
had about 5 submissions so far, which hardly seems worth the effort!

SO, if we want to have the compilation, please get those lists in the 
mail!
I am including the information below for your convenience...feel free to
copy the unmoderated NanciNet with your lists!

Bill "I didn't buy enough music this year" Page

======================================================

Please send your best lists to bestofnanci@yahoo.com.
Only lists sent to this e-mail address will be counted.
Of course, send them to the NanciNet,
as well, so we can all appreciate your choices.

Start    Date:  NOW
End    Date: JAN. 15TH, 2004 (no submissions accepted after the 15th)

Guidelines:

1.  Best cds of 2003:

Limit your list to no more than 15 choices. Try to say something brief 
about
why you think each choice is so good.  US, UK, or anywhere releases 
during
2003 are all fair game.  This does mean, of course, that some titles 
will
likely appear on this year's and next year's lists  (e.g., Kate Rusby's 
new
cd is out in the UK this year and in the US next year).

If any of your nominations are anthologies, re-issues, tribute albums,
broadway scores, or anything unusual, please indicate so.  If there are
sufficient numbers of these, I may tabulate them in a separate "best of"
category.

Try to give me the complete name of the artist and the cd....with 
correct
spelling!

2. Best music dvds of 2003

Since a number of interesting music dvds were released this year, let's 
try
this as a separate category of nominations. This can include any 
stand-along
music dvds or any cds which were released with accompanying or bonus 
music
dvds. There were a number of these this year. If you believe one of 
them is
the best of the year, please say so.  Be aware that you are nominating 
the
dvd part of the package only.  If you felt the cd was also a best of
candidate, nominate that separately in the category above.
Clear? or totally confusing?

Would the brilliant person responsible for maintaining previous years' 
bests
lists
(at http://www.nanci-griffith.com/nanci_links/TopTens/index.html )
be willing to post the results for 2003 in late January?

Any questions, e-mail me at davidtsteere@yahoo.com.
Remember that your nominations must go to bestofnanci@yahoo.com.

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Subject: NN: RE: Where are those lists?!?!?!?
    From: "Potts, Marcia (NIH/OD/ORS)" (pottsm@ors.od.nih.gov>
    Date: Jan 6, 2004 8:39 AM

Just can't decide which Britney Spears CD I like - oops the one I 
adored got
recalled.  Just not her year, poor thing.

Marcia Potts
Program Assistant
Office of Research Services
(mailto:pottsm@mail.nih.gov>

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Subject: NN: Best of 2003
    From: Troy Roepke (taroepke@ucdavis.edu>
    Date: Jan 7, 2004 1:47 AM

Howdy!

Well, I reckoned since I am back at home in Nebraska this week with
nuttin'to do but mourn the loss of my beloved Grandma with the rest of 
my
family, I would get my list together. This year, unlike most of y'all it
appears, I have acquired close to 200 CDs this year both released in 
this
year and earlier. Since I don't have a telley but have 50+1 CD home 
stereo
system, a car CD player and an iPOD, I listen to musak all the freggin 
time.
I listen to about 50 of the approximately 1500 CDs of mine a week.

Yeah..yeah..yeah.. I am CDaholic and my name is Troy.

Anyway, of the 2003 releases, many from my favorite peeps were less than
stellar or somewhat disappointing. While these albums were good, they 
just
weren't great especially when compared to previous albums. These include
albums from Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch, Basement Jaxx, Madonna, 
eels,
Missy Elliot, Erykah Badu, Rosanne Cash, Jane Siberry and many others. 
Even
with those outta the running, making a list was extremely difficult. I 
have
15 here but there are many honorable mentions including albums from Amy
Allison, Nelly Furtado, Macy Gray, Leona Naess, Bettie Serveert, Beth
Gibbons and  Rustin Man, The Sounds, The Thrills, Carla Werner, Kathleen
Edwards, Catherine Irwin, The Bad Plus, etc.

On with the list:
15. Kylie Minogue - Body Language: Well, this is not as great as her 
last
two albums but it is still fun. It has an R&B feel to most of the songs 
and
an homage to the Destiny's Child sound of music. It made the list mostly
cause it made the trip to airport for the flight back home for the 
funeral
bearable.

14. Sun Kil Moon - The Ghosts of the Great Highway: The remnants of the 
Red
House Painters. If you know RHP, then you know this album. It's moody 
and
miserable. Hmm..Hmm..Good.

13. Damien Rice - O: For those across the pond, this is an old one but 
for
us colonials, it's a newby. Folkie with an 'edge'. Especially love the
operatic 'Eskimo'.

12. Rufus Wainwright - Want One: Another stellar release from the
pretentious but recently-rehabbed Ruf. The use of 'Bolero' in the first
track alone is arrogant but effective. None of the tracks moved me as 
much
as some in his previous albums and that's why it only #12.

11. Belle & Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress: An upbeat not as 
'twee'
B&S album with an almost rockin' sound and therefore not as downer as 
their
previous work. That's why it's at 11. I rather like downer rock.

10! Goldfrapp - Black Cherry: Goldfrapp dropped the trip-hop and went 
for
something completely different - bluegrass! Ok, well...not really. The 
band
just made the beats heavier and funkier and Allison G. vocals less
atmospheric and more visceral. Their live show at the Filmore was a 
hoot,
too.

9. Grandaddy - Sumday: Their best album yet. The band is goin the 
opposite
direction of Radiohead. Their albums are becoming more melodic, less
obscure, less deconstruction of song structure, less clicky-blippy, blah
blah blah. Besides, they're much hotter than Radiohead.

8. Dannii Minogue - Neon Nights: Here's to sisterhood! Kylie's sister 
makes
a better album than she does. Its fun disco-pop akin to a 50-50 mix of
Kylie's last two albums - 'Light Years' and 'Fever'. She's very similar 
to
Kylie but more aggressive in the sex-tart category. The bootleg version 
of
several songs mix em with old 80's hits from Madonna and Dead OR Alive.
Cheeky.

7. Fannypack - So Stylistic: Take two high school girl rappers, add a 
punk
girl DJ and two of her quirky DJ friends and some 80's phat beats and 
this
is what you get. THE PARTY ALBUM of 2003! FUN FUN FUN! Put this album 
in at
any party of 30 yr olds and you will get busted in no time. No one can
resist the infectious grooves and sly but silly rhymes.

6. Junior Senior - D-D-Don't Stop the Beat: The second best party album 
of
2003 and they're a Danish duo! Its all campy, disposable, fun dance rock
reminiscent of the B-52's and such. 'Move Your Feet' is an inescapable 
ditty
certain to stick in your head instantaneously. The only reason its 
ahead of
the best party album of 2003, is that Senior is big fat jolly homo...my
favorite kind like my BF.

5. The Cardigans - Long Gone Before Daylight: This one wasn't released 
in
the states thus forcing me to download it! If it ever is I will 
certainly
purchase the album.  The Cardigans aren't the cute pop-rock that 
everyone in
the States thinks of them anymore. Dark lyrics with cheery music is a
Swedish specialty (ABBA!!) but the Cards have fomented into a band that 
does
it all with a touch of the melancholy. LOVE IT!

4. Be Good Tanyas - Chinatown: This was the second greatest discovery of
mine this year. This album impressed me so much that I purchased not 
only
their first album 'Blue Horses' but also the band members side and solo
projects - Po' Girl and Jolie Holland (although she is no longer with 
the
group). The songs are a mix of traditional and original but its the 
vocals
styles and tones that hook me. If you like anything that remotely 
resembles
folk/traditional/appalachia/country...you'd like BGT...unless you hate
Canadians.

3. Cat Power - You Are Free: Ok, Ok. She lacks in the performance 
category,
but this album is a masterpiece. I played it for months in the winter
driving over 600 miles a week back-n-forth between Sac/Davis and Bodega
Bay/Guerneville, CA. The recording was done with enough echo to make it
haunting and full of vibration (well at least turned way up on the car
stereo).

2. June Carter Cash - Wildwood Flowers: The world of country/folk is
indebted to this woman and her family. This album is everything music 
should
be. I don't have much else to say about this one. It's simply excellent.

1. Annie Lennox - Bare: Annie is at her blue-eyed soul best in this 
album of
break-up and loss. I have loved everything she has released as a solo 
artist
and most of the non-solo. Well worth the 8 year wait. Favorite Song is 
'The
Saddest Song I've Got'...quite possibly the best end-of-the affair song 
this
decade. My man and I listen to this album all time even though we are
nowhere near the end-of-our-affair. Just a side note - Annie sings the 
theme
song to 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'. Its entitled 
'Into
the West'. Perfect song for the epic ending of the saga. If it doesn't 
win
an Oscar for best song...well...I oughtta...

Ok...there you have it. My best of for the year '03. Are you tired? I 
am.

Cheers and all that whooey,
Troy


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Subject: NN: Re: Best of 2003
    From: Tony Cox (tonycox@pacific.net.au>
    Date: Jan 8, 2004 1:49 AM

Troy wrote:

> 3. Cat Power - You Are Free: Ok, Ok. She lacks in the performance
category,
> but this album is a masterpiece.


Another one forgot to include in my list.  It IS a great album.  
Understated
yet awesomely powerful, lyrically as well as musically.

And another one I'll add to my original list is 'Shine' by Daniel 
Lanois.  I
like the musicality of his soundscapes a lot.  New Age music with soul. 
  The
vinyl pressing sounds stunning - big rich bass notes, crystal clear top 
end
and vocals with enough presence to give you a warm glow inside.

These two are in addition to Jolie Holland's superb 'Catalpa', 
mentioned in
a previous post (but not included in my original list of 8).

Got them, David? :)

Tony

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Subject: NN: Top Five for 2003
    From: Doug Brown (douggob@hotmail.com>
    Date: Jan 7, 2004 6:08 PM

Hi All,

I'm afraid my list is only a top five.

Joel Rafael--Woodeye:  A terrific collection of Woody Guthrie songs.

Tom Russell--Modern Art:  Tom Russell has become one of my favorites 
and it
doesn't hurt that Nanci sings a couple of duets with him, including one 
more
"Gulf Coast Highway"  Tom and Nanci also do a heart wrenching version of
Dave Alvin's "Bus Station"

The Be Good Tanyas--Chinatown:  A discovery for me this year.

Guy Davis--Chocolate to the Bone:  My introduction to Guy Davis was his
version of "Sweetheart Like You" on a Nod to Bob.

Chris Smither--Train Home:  I love anything this guy does.

Although there are only five, I think I've enjoyed them as much as any 
of my
top tens from the past.  These really seem to my ear to be all-star 
quality.

Doug from LA

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