Since it's a slow Liz news period...

Chicago Sun-Times Jim DeRogatis posted this about Liz and other acts from Chicago's class of 1993 (Smashing Pumpkins, Urge Overkill, Veruca Salt):

http://blogs.suntimes.com/derogatis/2008/1...tive_nosta.html

And here is a terrific reponse to DeRogatis's post by Annie Zaleski of the Riverfront Times (St. Louis):

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/atoz/2008...alt_article.php

Feel free to discuss...

why can't i access the other site?
dayum

my fav burns that I've heard concerning Liz and Chicago. They don't even water ski Eddie Vedder felt sorry for them, . How many people from Chicago does it take to fly a kite? Ooh yeah I mean Michegan. Hanna Montana owns Harpo Marks there for she owns Oprah and shes in Cali. This is simply a translation of the Doors ripping on me. Of course Bjork saved me.

Fub, because in your country, they're still trying to get dial-up to work?

I'd tell you to shut, but I see you're not disposed at the moment.

Okay...what am I missing here?
What started as an interesting post with two REALLY cool articles about a really cool music scene...um...the last few comments...am i missing something?
Seriously..? It's jibberish to me! is it code for something? becuase i totally don't get it.

very interesting reads...its tough. i mean, i think for me - one of the hardest things about liz's little "switch" in 2003 - was that even though i didn't LIKE the music... I "got it". I knew what she was doing.

I think she is a brilliant example of an artist whose work is appreciated by "that certain demographic".

It's like a triple AAA radio station. Adult Alternative, album cuts...not really HITS...but not completely obscure indie either...
there is that tug of war between the music purists - who only enjoy deep deep album cuts found on obscure Pavement EPs...and then there are the poppier folks who like Nickelback or Creed or fucking...i don't know...something the music purists won't like.

The station wants to be cool. But "research shows Nickelback moves units".
so they do a tug of war.
Play deep cuts by Pavement and PJ Harvey...but then throw a NIckelback song...

I "get it". People recognize Nickelback. Why, i don't know...but they fucking sell. But what happens?
The purists get frustrated and frightened away...and the Nickelback fans think "Damn...this station doesn't play enough Nickelback...too much weird shit.."

so you frighten off both sides...

There will always be the LOYAL fans, who "get it", I think.
Who stick around REGARDLESS. Who can sit through the Nickelback to get to the Veruca Salt or the Devendra Banhart or cool obscure Aimee Mann song...

they'll wait. cuz deep down, the people know - Nickelback is only paying the bills - and the good stuff - the ART - is the REAL payoff for the listeners who "get it".

That's where Liz is right now. that weird cusp. And whichever way she goes...can I say I blame her?
Why Can't I was a HUGE ass hit.
think back to her day....when "Supernova" was her biggest, most recognizable hit.

Who else had songs then...?
Veruca Salt - Seether, Belly - Feed the Tree, Elastica - Connection, Juliana Hatfield - Spin the Bottle (although, you could use My Sister or even Universal Heartbeat with her), Lisa Loeb - Stay. Not that I am comparing - but all GIGANTIC, career-making songs for those artists, lets face it - as far as mainstream success goes.

Out of all those artists...not ONE came back with a GIGANTIC, even MORE commercially recognizable song 10 years later.
Not to say this is a bad thing at all...Juliana has put out consistently GREAT material...
but...if "the game" is to make money...liz did it (at least THE SONG made money for SOMEONE - I don't have a clue how much Liz actually made...but - a big hit like that used in so many movies...someone cashed a decent sized check from Why Can't I?). if "the game" is to stay in all the "hot" magazines of the moment, and keep your song rotating not only on the radio, but on the ipods of teenagers - the demographic with the biggest frickin' disposable income in the UNIVERSE...well - it's an accomplishment, in an odd way. not one i am particularily happy about, but it's something her peers didn't do. Somethign they did in 1993 and 1994...but haven't REALLY done since.

this could be argued a thousand ways, i'm just offering a half-assed rant here, in response to the blogs.

It hurts because "i get it". that's sad that I do. sure, i'd be a very happy little music purist if Liz decided to do nothing but smoke pot and play her guitar in her room, recording her little diddies on a 4 track and then circulating them on the internet amongst her small circle of rabidly devoted fans...but that just wouldn't be economy-aggressive, now would it?

*sigh*

Art vs. Money. It's THAT again, isn't it?

There's a great quote from Joni Mitchell. It was some documentary I was watching - and someone asked her: "I want to make it in the music business...what is your advice?"
and Joni Mitchell replied something like: "The first thing you have to do - is figure it out: Do you want to be an artist, or a star? Because those are two VERY different jobs."

I mean, that about sums it up. And Liz is at that tug of war right now, possibly more so than ever.
It's like everyone who is still standing is waiting, holding their breath...wondering...

Her fans who dissed her for the last few years are on the cusp of forgiveness.
Her new fans who like the poppy stuff and yell out absurd things at live shows like: "Play Favorite" or "PLay Why Can't I!", could end up ditching her for Katy Perry.

Shit. Who knows. I sure as hell don't. I'm just hoping a good song comes on after Nickelback is over.
But who am I kidding? I've got Liz programmed in permanently...I won't be changing the channel anytime soon. I'll keep listening, just like I have been since 1993.
A good little obedient and loyal fan.

*radio static*

^Is that, like, Ann Coulter, in your avatar, Baud?

Yeah I posted in the General Chat section about her jaw having broken *somehow*, and yeah I found a photoshopped picture because of course she isn't going to pose with her teeth wired shut unfortunately.

[quote name='DanMacDonald' date='Nov 29 2008, 07:25 AM' post='157201']
Okay...what am I missing here?
What started as an interesting post with two REALLY cool articles about a really cool music scene...um...the last few comments...am i missing something?
Seriously..? It's jibberish to me! is it code for something? becuase i totally don't get it.

"shut the fuck up moron." some other board

I was taking license with your response to that guy from elsewhere given the irony of the AC's jaw being wired shut in your avatar, if you're commenting in on my post. Now I see that you weren't replying to him. Never mind.

Are these adbots talking??? or people? because NOTHING on this board makes any sense to me any more... who are you talking to Jackstpaul??? you quoted it as replying to me... you refer to "my avatar" (I don't have one) and then you say: "now i see you werent' replying to him. Never mind."

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

"other board"... ? What "other board"? Do they actually talk about Liz Phair there? Or do they speak in tongues?
Because I can't make heads or tails here.
"Hanna Montana owns Harpo? Bjork saved me." - !?!? WHAT!??!?
Seriously...i am asking honestly - can someone please interpret the last few messages...because I thought we were discussing the Chicago music scene and whether or not "nostalgia" sells etc...in response to the blogs which MesmerizingToo posted...

confused,
dan

Lucky's a spammer, don't pay any attention to him.

As for discussing Liz Phair, everything's pretty much been talked to death...I, for one, feel like there's really nothing more to be said on this topic that we haven't all already said before. I think other people feel the same way, hence the random conversation (which happens a lot around here, so if that bugs you, be warned....)

Yeah I probably should have clarified the Anne Coulter thing up earlier.

Wow. So Lucky is a Spammer? shit... isn't spam supposed to be commercial advertising? usually porn or get-rich-quick schemes?
Whoever this Lucky dude works for...um...I think his company should fire his ass. Like...what the fuck is he even trying to sell?
And random chatter is cool...i'm good with going off on a tangent... i was just totally baffled by the language everyone was speaking...

LOL! Okay, i get the ann coulter thing now... hahahaha...for real, i thought i was losing my mind there though...i was like... "why can't i make heads or tails of ANYTHING anyone is saying??"

I thought i was on some kind of crazy acid flash back or something...

I am sure this has probably been argued to death too - but I didn't come on the board for a while... what are the chances of booting the spammers the fuck out of here? slim to none, i suppose...

Spammer was probably the wrong word.
Lucky's more like a troll.
Either way, he's annoying as fuck and never makes any sense.

lucky is a poet. his avatar is a work of art.

yeah, i agree that the tripe jim derogatis wrote about liz has been discussed to death in this forum, discussed and dismissed to death. it fucking sucks that there is no new word on liz, on her new album and stuff. it's like she's indie again or something... kidding