Emily wrote: >i'm sorry about your mouth but i hope you can type because, what >is "season of the witch"?!?! am i totally clueless? is this a new >hole album? i only have "live through this" and "celebrity skin." >i'd be so psyched if they had a new release already! I'm not sure if this has been answered yet (I'm on digest), but "Season of the Witch" is a cover of the Donovan song that was recorded during Hole's appearance on MTV's Unplugged a few years back. It can be found on _My Body, The Hand Grenade_, which is an odds-and-ends compilation of live recordings and pre-_Live Through This_ singles (back when Hole were more of a "grindcore" band). Their pop sensibility wasn't as well-developed at that time and as much as I used to love their earlier stuff, I find I can only handle it in small doses now. The disc is well-worth it though just for the songs "Beautiful Son" and "20 Years in the Dakota," from a now out-of-print single, as well as a demo of "Miss World" and the _Live Through This_ outtake "Old Age." Of the earliest recordings on the disc, "Dicknail" and "Retard Girl" are the most compelling -- harrowing yet fascinating at the same time. I've seen quite a few Liz Phair mentions here, and as the resident Phair addict, I must speak up. Since you already own _Whip-Smart_, I would definitely recommend _Exile in Guyville_. To me, it is Liz's most essential album -- the songwriting is much stronger than on her other releases and it's flawlessly structured; one of the best-sequenced albums I've ever heard. Her voice is much rawer than on the following releases and her vocals have more of a conversational tone to them, which does seem to turn many people off. But hey, who said Bob Dylan was a great vocalist either? Liz's voice suits the material on the album. Songs like "Shatter" or "Divorce Song" would not resonate so powerfully for me if coming from the likes of a Mariah Carey or Celine Dion. Also, regarding the _whitechocolatespaceegg_ slams I've seen: Okay, okay, it's not Liz's best album, but it's still not a bad record. Liz's vocals are a little more polished and the production's a little more slick, but I have to give her credit for making an album that alienated a lot of her indie faithful. The songs are a lot more pop than rock this time out, and it's a lot more varied both musically and thematically. Sure, there are a few stumbles along the way, but she's developing into a songwriter with wider range, which I love seeing. As much as I love _Guyville_, I think I'd get rather bored if all her other albums were mere retreads of it and given all the changes in her life, it wouldn't be believable anyway. I think my main problem with the 'egg is that while I like all the songs individually, they don't hold together very well as an album -- maybe it's the sequencing, maybe it's the variance of styles and subject matter, but there's just no flow. It lacks the cohesiveness that both _Whip-Smart_ and _Guyville_ have. Of course, it wasn't until I heard the first completed version of this album that was rejected by the label that I came to see so many flaws in the released version. Now I almost can't help but see _whitechocolatespaceegg_ as a somewhat compromised vision, knowing that some of its best (but least accessible) tracks were left off. And the first version feels truer, somehow more in line with the spirit of her past work while still reflecting a maturer Phair. As for another artist you might enjoy, I would wholeheartedly recommend Jen Trynin. Both of her albums, _Cockamamie_ and _Gun Shy Trigger Happy_ are now out-of-print, but they should be easy to find used. The former album has a real "live band" feel to it and while the songwriting and Jen's guitar playing and vocals are both excellent, it feels like a rather run-of-the-mill alternative-pop release compared to the latter, which is one of the most consistently stunning albums I own. It's deeply personal, like Liz Phair's _Exile in Guyville_ (and possibly the best break-up album since it), her songwriting is like a slightly grittier Aimee Mann, her vocals are vaguely reminiscent of Chrissie Hynde and her guitar playing is like no one else. She used to open for Aimee Mann quite a bit when they both were playing the Boston club scene in the early '90s and they remain friends: Jen played guitar on "Ghost World" on Aimee's new one (presumably to return the favor from when Aimee contributed backing vocals to Jen's "Snow" off her first record). Also, have you heard any Juliana Hatfield? I never used to be a believer (in fact, I had purchased _Become What You Are_ out of curiosity at one point and traded it back in within days), but a few of the fine folks on the Liz Phair list strongly recommended one of her new discs, _Beautiful Creature_, which I picked up a few months ago and really like. You may recognize Juliana's voice; she's another person who's worked with Aimee Mann, contributing backing vocals to three of my favorite Aimee songs: "You Could Make a Killing," "Amateur" and "Deathly." If you'd like any more information about any of these artists, please feel free to write to me off-list. Cheers, Jase NP: Blur, _The Best of Blur_
