Chalkhills Digest, Volume 10, Number 24

                   Monday, 7 June 2004

Topics:

              English Settlement score book!
                  Re: Xray Tango Charlie
               All You Pretty Gilmore Girls
Loser's Lounge Tribute To XTC--CD Available, Video Appearance by
                      New Chomsky CD
               New XTC music? Keep Waiting!

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Told your last joke and threw your mirth away.

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Date: Sat, 29 May 2004 17:37:03 -0700
From: Ian Dahlberg <idahlberg@socal.rr.com>
Subject: English Settlement score book!
Message-ID: <78B2A3FB-B1D1-11D8-B8A8-000393696C30@socal.rr.com>

	I'm happy to announce my brand new xtc music resource site is up,
replacing my old 'Xtc Riffs' site. It's called The XTC Vade Mecum and
it features all the snippets from the previous site, plus some new
ones. But the big announcement is completion of my English Settlement
Omnibook, a full score transcription of the landmark album. Seeing a
big lack of sheet music available for my favorite band, I took it upon
myself to dive in and make something special; at least for archival and
resource purposes. That was 8 years ago, and I've finally put a cap on
it. The book features all 15 ES songs in score format: vocals, 2
guitars, keys, bass, drums, and tabulature; very much like the Beatles
Complete Scores book. Have a look...

http://www.xtcvademecum.org

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Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 10:01:59 -0700
From: "neil oliver" <neiloli@vpl.ca>
Subject: Re: Xray Tango Charlie
Message-ID: <40bb6507.f6b.945710498@vpl.ca>

While I don't think I would write XTC a letter demanding new music, as
James Lowe wants to do, I certainly share his disappointment at the band's
silence.  Back in 1999 it seemed like the release from the Virgin contract
would free them up to produce new music regularly.... Andy always said the
band would release an album every six months if they could. And they set up
their own studio to keep costs down. But since the Apple Venus bonanza
we've had nothing but archival projects, and there's no sign of anything
coming in the future. What happened? A few new song titles crept out a year
or two ago, but since then all Andy and Colin will say is that they may
make another album some day. I know Andy was disappointed with the sales
figures on the last 2 records, but since when have weak sales stopped him
from writing and recording? Has he dried up? Has Colin (the more likely
scenario)? Most of the Apple Venus songs were written 7 years ago or more.
Yes it's up to them when and if they record more music - we can't *demand*
it of them. But I'm surprised more people on Chalkhills aren't lamenting
XTC's moribund state - it sounds more and more like it's over.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2004 09:42:18 -0400
From: Kulak Matthew-MGI0253 <matt.kulak@motorola.com>
Subject: All You Pretty Gilmore Girls
Message-ID: <4788A0BB433CD611B8B00002B30CF07D0A7AB205@pa06exm02.e1.bcs.mot.com>

In Digest #10-23, our fearless leader John Relph asked about which XTC
Songs appear in the Gilmore Girls Season 1 DVD . . .

First, I don't actually have the DVD set (YET).  My fingers are
crossed that it's been purchased and wrapped by my wife, just waiting
for Father's Day for me to tear it open.  It's a great show for those
who haven't experienced it.  Amazingly quick and witty dialogue - a
complete cast of quirky characters - beautiful women (OK, no, I
haven't told my wife about THAT particular selling point!) - really
obscure topical references - and of course, great music like XTC.  In
fact, my 5-year old daughter loves to watch the show - and we only
occasionally have to dodge her embarrassingly direct questions about
the subtle sexual references in the show.  She especially liked the
scene in this season's final episode where Kirk runs naked out of the
Inn screaming, with only a strategically-placed pillow in his hands.

But I digress.  According to the Episode guide found on
http://www.tvtome.com/GilmoreGirls/guide.html here are the XTC songs
included in the first season.  (Incidentally, in the first listing
below, for Episode 2, the young mom and a friend are screaming
ecstatically that the new XTC disc has been released!!!)

Episode 2:  The Lorelai's First Day at Chilton (includes XTC's "I'm
the Man Who Murdered Love".)
Episode 9:  Rory's Dance (includes XTC's "We're All Light")
Episode 10:  Forgiveness and Stuff (includes XTC's "Thanks for Christmas")
Episode 12:  Double Date (includes XTC's Earn Enough For Us).
I also know of at least one other XTC song in a later episode, which
was "Then She Appeared".

Yours in XTC (and Gilmore Girls)
Matt "Two Sheds" Kulak

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Date: Wed, 02 Jun 2004 09:33:56 -0400
From: Joe McGinty <rastro2@earthlink.net>
Subject: Loser's Lounge Tribute To XTC--CD Available, Video Appearance by
Message-ID: <40BDD744.80308@earthlink.net>

Andy & Colin
Finally. The CD of the Loser's Lounge XTC tribute is available. Hear us
attempt songs never intended to be performed live!
Highlights include Matthew Caws (of Nada Surf), Sean Nelson (Long
Winters), Robin "Goldie" Goldwasser (They Might Be Giants), and many,
many more. It's all at www.loserslounge.com. Check out a special preview
on Loser's Lounge Radio, and click on the archive to see a special video
message from Andy & Colin. Thanks!

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 2 Jun 2004 17:09:32 -0500
From: "Richard" <rjpa1@comcast.net>
Subject: New Chomsky CD
Message-ID: <001501c448ee$485bab40$04081fac@verisity.com>

John Relph reviewed Chomsky's "Onward Quirky Soldiers" CD (reprinted below)
on the Chalkhills website as well as mentioning their first CD, "A Few
Possible Selections for the Soundtrack of Your Life."  Aezra Records signed
Chomsky have released a new Chomsky CD entitled, "Let's get To Second."

The nice thing is that it is available all over the US and further points
soon.  The CD contains four tracks from their back catalog (re-recorded for
this release) and eight new tracks, all produced by Gary Katz with some
overdub recordings by Jerry Harrison.

I found my copy at Best Buy (a store I deeply loath) but it is nice to be
able to turn friends on to them in other parts of the country.  It is not
easy to find because the artwork is rather droll so I had to actually think
alphabetically.  ouch.

John Relph's review: "The Jam, Big Country, The Knack, Wire, XTC... Chomsky
have distilled their influences into a nice tight bundle of power pop, and
they have managed to maintain their, yes, quirky edge. Like Drums and
Wires-era XTC, they don't play quite what one expects. Instead, we get
lovely discordancies in counterpoint. Onward Quirky Soldiers, indeed. Their
previous album, A Few Possible Selections for the Soundtrack of Your Life,
is just as good."

If you like this era and style of music, check Chomsky.  They are great fun
and I wish them P. Diddy mansions and Jay Leno car collections.

For the record, Chomsky also contributed "Earn Enough For Us" to the King
For A Day tribute and it is "currently" on the KFAD website
(www.xtcfans.com/~richardpa/) but probably won't be the time this Chalkhills
digest posts.

Cheers,
Richard

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 3 Jun 2004 11:39:27 -0500
From: "James Lowe" <jamielowe@msn.com>
Subject: New XTC music? Keep Waiting!
Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV370gxapzhad00016985@hotmail.com>

Chalkholders:

Did you send a note to the Idea Records Site asking for some new XTC music?
info@xtcidearecords.co.uk<mailto:info@xtcidearecords.co.uk<mailto:info@xtcid
earecords.co.uk<mailto:info@xtcidearecords.co.uk>
No, you did not?  Why the Hell Not? ...  I did and here's their reply:

Hi James

The boys are working a many and various solo projects over the summer, with
possible DVD and 'new' tracks from both Andy and Colin in the near future,
which we hope will either be available as downloads or new CDs/DVD to
purchase. But with all things, these projects take quite a while to
complete, with many huddles along the way.

We would all love a new XTC album, but that is a little way off at the
moment, so we will all have to be patient. More streaming of tracks via the
Ape site going live and Fuzzy Warbles 5 and 6 due July (Andy pet project at
the moment).

Thanks for your interest, kind regards

site admin

In the last Chalkhills Wayne Klein wrote:

"While I'm all for bugging the guys for a new album, I'd prefer that they
take their time and get it right. For a band that used to pump out a new
album every year (or couple of years) four might seem a long time but it
might well be worth the wait."

It's always worth the wait for a new Xtc record as far as I'm concerned.
The problem is that new music is at the bottom of the bands plans.  And if
enough of us speak up our wait may be a bit shorter.  There's no harm in
asking.

Cheers,

Jamie (let'em know) Lowe

XTC Bumper Stickers....
www.xtc.billsherlock.org<http://www.xtc.billsherlock.org/>

"If you are going to wait for someone to encourage you to do something, you
just better give it up."

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End of Chalkhills Digest #10-24
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