Juliana Hatfield Sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Peter I Lee
'college'/progressive rock.
me and my sister sucked and so did the rest of the album.
pale lyrics, poor musicians, almost as bad as the Lemonheads, but
Not!
e
v
e
n
close.
weak style, no soul, no direction.
the record sounds like a watered dwon conglomeration of every boring
alternative album ive heard.
yuk!
John M. Relph
>I think Juliana Hatfield is weak, the music is generic, stereotypical
>'college'/progressive rock.
etc.
Thank you for your opinion. If we need you, we'll call you. And now,
back to our regularly scheduled drivel.
wit...@unixhub.slac.stanford.edu
Yeah, the exclamation points and wasted carriage returns were overkill,
but I do like when people post their opinions about music -- good or bad.
Grant it, the poster wasn't giving a whole lot in the way of information,
but a.m.a can become such a fawn session about every band in existence that
its opinions become very suspect. For example, ever read a record review
in Option magazine? Or even Tower's "Pulse" rag (I mean -- why even bother
with this one?!! -- it's like having Consumer Reports run by the industries
under product evaluation): a.m.a similarities. Let's face it -- there are
a lot of bands other people love which you or I might think suck out there, and
saving myself from purchasing a bad CD is as important to me as being
informed about a very good one to buy. I'd like to encourage negative
criticism as well as the positive out there.
Then of course, this in and of itself is just one more opinion to throw
in the fire...
--
Provided by the management for your protection | wit...@slac.stanford.edu
Joshua John Buergel
Hatfield Sucks by @unixhub.SLAC.Stanford.E
> but I do like when people post their opinions about music -- good or bad.
> Grant it, the poster wasn't giving a whole lot in the way of information,
> but a.m.a can become such a fawn session about every band in existence that
> its opinions become very suspect. For example, ever read a record review
> in Option magazine? Or even Tower's "Pulse" rag (I mean -- why even bother
> with this one?!! -- it's like having Consumer Reports run by the industries
> under product evaluation): a.m.a similarities. Let's face it -- there are
> a lot of bands other people love which you or I might think suck out there,
> and saving myself from purchasing a bad CD is as important to me as being
> informed about a very good one to buy. I'd like to encourage negative
> criticism as well as the positive out there.
There is a big difference between criticism and flamebait, and the tone
of the original post was clearly in the latter category. There isn't
anything wrong with saying that you don't enjoy Juliana Hatfield's
music. I sure don't. Not only does her voice kind of get on my nerves,
but the music seems rather desultory and uninspired and the lyrics range
from amazingly simplistic to just plain old transparent. The problem
with the original post was not that the poster expressed an opinion but
the way they expressed their opinion. Since there is nothing resembling
voice inflection or any other auditory cues on Usenet, you have to be
extremely careful in the wording of messages lest they cross the line
from criticism to a flame.
That said, I'd like to also point out a couple of more things. First,
if you've never seen Option give a bad review, you obviously haven't
read it very often. Option is actually one of the better mainstream
magazines out there. Although the interviews and features share the
same problem that most features in other magazines have (that of
universally praising the object of the feature regardless of merit), the
record reviews tend to be more honest than those in other magazines,
although you do have to slice through more intellectual posturing to get
there. I'm not saying the reviews are perfect: there tends to be a
rather pronounced editorial bias, the reviews are a bit on the short
side and analysis tends to be clouded at best. Despite these problems,
though, I'll take Option over Alternative Press, Spin, Rolling Stone or
most other mainstream magazines any day.
The other thing I'd like to point out is that a.m.a. tends to be
composed of people who spend their own money on music. As such, they
will naturally tend to purchase stuff they enjoy, rather than stuff they
can't stand (stands to reason, doesn't it?). This explains why you see
fewer bad reviews here than you would in a forum in which people are
sent free stuff to review (this also applies to anyplace where people
review their own purchases instead of promotional material).
Joshua Buergel - all...@cmu.edu - jb...@andrew.cmu.edu
"Anybody who thinks we overstepped the playground perimeter of lyrical
decency (or that the public has any right to demand 'social
responsibility' from a goddamn punk rock band) is a pure natural dolt,
and should step forward and put his tongue up my ass." - Steve Albini
Swag Valance
>There isn't
>anything wrong with saying that you don't enjoy Juliana Hatfield's
>music. I sure don't. Not only does her voice kind of get on my nerves,
>but the music seems rather desultory and uninspired and the lyrics range
>from amazingly simplistic to just plain old transparent.
Yeah, I still say Juliana Hatfield's best post-Blake Babies stuff was her
very brief collaboration with Howe Gelb on Giant Sand's _Swerve_ CD. But then
hey, it's Howe Gelb.
> The problem
>with the original post was not that the poster expressed an opinion but
>the way they expressed their opinion.
I think that one goes without saying.
>That said, I'd like to also point out a couple of more things. First,
>if you've never seen Option give a bad review, you obviously haven't
>read it very often.
I, for one, have been reading it for 4 years and disagree to an extent.
Whenever I read the reviews, half the time I feel like they are being written
by the girlfriend of the band's lead guitarist.
>Despite these problems,
>though, I'll take Option over Alternative Press, Spin, Rolling Stone or
>most other mainstream magazines any day.
This, however, I will agree with. It ain't The Bob, but it is more
comprehensive -- which counts for something.
>The other thing I'd like to point out is that a.m.a. tends to be
>composed of people who spend their own money on music. As such, they
>will naturally tend to purchase stuff they enjoy, rather than stuff they
>can't stand (stands to reason, doesn't it?). This explains why you see
>fewer bad reviews here than you would in a forum in which people are
>sent free stuff to review (this also applies to anyplace where people
>review their own purchases instead of promotional material).
Very good point. However, every one of us buys a real drink-coaster of a CD
now and then -- and more often something we feel pretty apathetic about --
and it's good to hear about that as well. That goes the same for the bands
we see who play live -- as Guy Picciato of Fugazi once said, "We charge no more
than $5 for our shows ... [because] sometimes we can really suck out there."
--
greg | "You want a mystery? Pick up your phone book ...
gshe...@nyx.cs.du.edu | and tell me what are all these people doing living
yeah, "PEACE" this | around here?" -- Howe Gelb
Joshua John Buergel
>very brief collaboration with Howe Gelb on Giant Sand's _Swerve_ CD. But then
>hey, it's Howe Gelb.
I probably should have prefaced my negative comments with "I never cared for
the Blake Babies, so take these comments with the proverbial grain of salt."
>>That said, I'd like to also point out a couple of more things. First,
>>if you've never seen Option give a bad review, you obviously haven't
>>read it very often.
>
>I, for one, have been reading it for 4 years and disagree to an extent.
>Whenever I read the reviews, half the time I feel like they are being written
>by the girlfriend of the band's lead guitarist.
Well, there are the occasional fawning reviews, and they are somewhat annoying.
However, it seems that a fair number of the reviews seem reasonably well
informed, and then there are some reviews in which they really drag a
recording over the coals and usually do it in a thoroughly snotty
manner. Contrast
this with Rolling Stone, where about the worst thing that can happen to you is
that you could get only three stars.
>>Despite these problems,
>>though, I'll take Option over Alternative Press, Spin, Rolling Stone or
>>most other mainstream magazines any day.
>
>This, however, I will agree with. It ain't The Bob, but it is more
>comprehensive -- which counts for something.
One of the things I like about Option is that they seem to make a sincere
attempt to cover music beyond just "alternative rock". They're not perfect
by any stretch of the imagination, but they're not bad, which is more than you
can say about alot of other mags.
>>The other thing I'd like to point out is that a.m.a. tends to be
>>composed of people who spend their own money on music. As such, they
>>will naturally tend to purchase stuff they enjoy, rather than stuff they
>>can't stand (stands to reason, doesn't it?). This explains why you see
>>fewer bad reviews here than you would in a forum in which people are
>>sent free stuff to review (this also applies to anyplace where people
>>review their own purchases instead of promotional material).
>
>Very good point. However, every one of us buys a real drink-coaster of a CD
>now and then -- and more often something we feel pretty apathetic about --
>and it's good to hear about that as well. That goes the same for the bands
>we see who play live -- as Guy Picciato of Fugazi once said, "We charge
no more
>than $5 for our shows ... [because] sometimes we can really suck out there."
I sometimes wonder how many people do buy drink-coasters (I like that term,
incidentally) out there. It seems like there are a fair number of people who
purchase recordings only after hearing it a number of times. Me, I very rarely
even hear one song before buying an album. I've bought some stinkers every
now and again, but I don't really post about them here. I do post
reviews to the
indie list (although I've been really slackin' off lately) as I feel it
is a forum that
is more appropriate for reviews (i.e. they're not going to just got lost
in the rush).
I tend to be more reactive with a.m.a. I'll respond to things, but I
don't really
initiate them. However, if somebody wants to start discussing one of my drink
coasters, I'll be happy to post a trash review.
Swag Valance
>and can something be put in the FAQ asking that if you do decide to post
>a negative review of a band or album, that is says something--ANYTHING--
>besides the word "sucks" ?
>
>Lemme give an example.
>
>Urge Overkill, _Americruiser/Jesus Urge Superstar_-- this album sucks. Here's
>why.
>[good negative review deleted]
>I'm not being egotistical, but I think reviews like this one are infinitely
>better than:
>
>I HATE BLIND MELON!!! <End>
>
>comments?
I liked it -- very good (and not just because I also agree with the review).
Perhaps we should start a drink-coaster CD thread -- not in the spirit of
mouth-breathing flames, but in one of constructively criticizing something we
purchased and it just didn't pan out the way we had hoped. Maybe everyone
else likes it (or seems to) and we really weren't as impressed. Maybe it
"sounded" good in principle, hardly anyone else had the nerve to pick it up,
but it made you wretch once you stuck it in the CD player. It could even
just be "disappointing" for that matter. If done right, this could actually
improve some of the signal-to-noise level in a.m.a! (okay, maybe not!)...
So I invite Joshua John B. to contribute here ... meanwhile I could post some of
my coasters myself once some free time at work makes itself available...
per...@guvax.acc.georgetown.edu
>
> The other thing I'd like to point out is that a.m.a. tends to be
> composed of people who spend their own money on music. As such, they
> will naturally tend to purchase stuff they enjoy, rather than stuff they
> can't stand (stands to reason, doesn't it?). This explains why you see
> fewer bad reviews here than you would in a forum in which people are
> sent free stuff to review (this also applies to anyplace where people
> review their own purchases instead of promotional material).
Good point, but... it's not rare to be a fan of a group or really like
their previous release, but be disappointed by their latest offering.
E.g. Verve, the Fall, Sonic Youth, New Order, maybe even the Breeders.
One of the best uses of a.m.a. for me is to get info about new
releases before I rush out and waste cash on something that I don't
need. I wish people would give more info about new releases,
describing them in detail. Magazines like OPTION (which I think is
the best nationally available US alt. music publication) are generally
way behind in their reviews, and they review stuff months after it has
come out in the stores, so it's not much use for working out whether
to buy a new release. And for those of us in DC, there is no decent
alternative music FM station, so there's no way to hear stuff on the
radio before deciding where to put our cash. I'm sure the same is
true for a lot of other people as well.
Anyway, what's the word on the new SEAM album? Is it godlike or less
than godlike?
Christian
CXH...@psuvm.psu.edu
Joshua John Buergel
Hatfield Sucks by per...@guvax.acc.george
> releases before I rush out and waste cash on something that I don't
> need. I wish people would give more info about new releases,
> describing them in detail. Magazines like OPTION (which I think is
> the best nationally available US alt. music publication) are generally
> way behind in their reviews, and they review stuff months after it has
> come out in the stores, so it's not much use for working out whether
> to buy a new release. And for those of us in DC, there is no decent
> alternative music FM station, so there's no way to hear stuff on the
> radio before deciding where to put our cash. I'm sure the same is
> true for a lot of other people as well.
I think what you need to do is subscribe to some mailing lists. A.m.a,
despite the best efforts of some people, just doesn't seem like the best
place for reviews since alot of reviews are met with stony silence. The
indie-list has a ton of reviews every week, and there are some other
good mailing lists out there. Look around.
> Anyway, what's the word on the new SEAM album? Is it godlike or less
> than godlike?
I wish I could say, but I'm broke. I have heard one song off the new
album and it sounds like Seam is getting louder and louder. This song
is more like Bitch Magnet than like _Headsparks_ era Seam. But, I'll
find out soon how good the entire album is.
Joshua John Buergel
(Chri$ L!) writes:
>and can something be put in the FAQ asking that if you do decide to post
>a negative review of a band or album, that is says something--ANYTHING--
>besides the word "sucks" ?
No problemo. I tried to send a new copy of the FAQ out, and I sent it
to news.answers as well. As it turns out, I've got to muck about with
the headers a bit before I can get it archived, so hopefully sometime
this weekend I'll be able to finish that up. Meantime, the FAQ just
recently got reposted anyway, so that should hold people over.
LISA ELAINE SINGH
I saw her do an all acoustic show here in Denver (KTCL's LIVE MUSICLINK
SERIES) and thought it was awesome.
Hahn Huang
>to buy a new release. And for those of us in DC, there is no decent
>alternative music FM station, so there's no way to hear stuff on the
>radio before deciding where to put our cash. I'm sure the same is
>true for a lot of other people as well.
Well, have you tried listening to 99.1 WHFS? Rolling Stones magazine had
as on e of the top 5 radio stations in the country and I think it's
pretty damn good too. It's an alternative station with an occasional
reggae and techno hour. I'm in Baltimore but I'm pretty sure you can pick
it up down in Georgetown since it's in Annapolis...
-Hahn
ha...@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
per...@guvax.acc.georgetown.edu
It's been a while since the last ceremonial 'HFS bashing set of posts
and replies, and I'm not too keep to restart one. HFS is not all bad:
they have supported PJHarvey for a while, and I've heard Galaxie 500,
Velocity Girl, and other pleasant indie-stuff on there. In fact I
listen to the station quite a lot, since it's the only option.
Especially Dave Marsh's Now Hear This, which despite being incredibly
annoying and stupid with its different features (Dave's Garage, Johnny
Rigg's dumb "greatest band of the world this week" blah, blah, blah)
does play some good stuff. In fact, they even played SEAM on last
week's show. But basically it's an easy listening station for college
kids etc., and there's a world of difference between HFS and a good
college station. Good college stations cater to the community, focus
on independent labels and challenging bands, play more world music,
and so on. And they play album tracks, not just the singles from
albums pushed by record companies. And they don't play Depeche Mode,
U2, New Order and the Cure every 5 minutes.
Christian
Dave Ripton
>>alternative music FM station, so there's no way to hear stuff on the
>>radio before deciding where to put our cash. I'm sure the same is
>>true for a lot of other people as well.
>Well, have you tried listening to 99.1 WHFS? Rolling Stones magazine had
>as one of the top 5 radio stations in the country and I think it's
>pretty damn good too. It's an alternative station with an occasional
>reggae and techno hour. I'm in Baltimore but I'm pretty sure you can pick
>it up down in Georgetown since it's in Annapolis...
I'd much rather listen to Alternative Nation than WHFS. 6 or 7 years ago
they played some cutting-edge stuff, and now they play that same stuff all
the time. If you want to hear the same U2, Elvis Costello, Depeche Mode,
and Cure songs from 5 years ago four times per day, with a smattering
of recent British art-pop, WHFS is for you. If you want to hear real
variety, move away from DC. WHFS plays almost nothing even vaguely
resembling punk (and DC has been the home to some of the best hardcore
bands in the nation, making this a crime) or metal (because they think
they're too artistic) or rap (except for the art-rap song of the month)
or even straightahead rock by a band not on their Official Cool
Alternative (read: Bad British Progressive) List (exception: they were
playing "Remedy" by the Black Crowes last summer). They take credit
for being "cutting edge," but they're full of it; they played U2 years
before anybody else in the area, but back then the DJ's programmed
their own stuff. They've been well behind MTV on almost everything else,
and they repeat stuff incessantly (as I do in this post). And the
difference between WHFS and all the other bad stations in DC is that
they're so pretentious about how alternative they are. I remember
when one of their DJ's introduced Lolla I, wanting to scream "STFU!
You never play any of these bands except Siouxsie and the Banshees!
You don't even know who the Butthole Surfers or NiN or Henry
Rollins are. Go home and play your Elvis Costello some more."
And this was hardly ground-breaking stuff; the Lolla-is-too-
commercial backlash was already building. I'm sure it wasn't the
DJ's fault, though; they're told what to play (over and over and over).
If you enjoy WHFS, then I'm happy for you; you don't need to flame me
as I'm sure tastes differ. But Rolling Stone has absolutely no clue
about anything, and I'd frankly rather listen to an all-news station
than WHFS. One of the colleges near DC needs to get a clue and start
a decent station with a powerful transmitter.
Dave Ripton
Patty Haley
If you enjoy WHFS, then I'm happy for you; you don't need to flame me
as I'm sure tastes differ. But Rolling Stone has absolutely no clue
about anything, and I'd frankly rather listen to an all-news station
than WHFS. One of the colleges near DC needs to get a clue and start
a decent station with a powerful transmitter.
____________________________________________________________________________
There is no need to flame you, Dave, as you are exactly right. WHFS is a
travesty. And as far as Rolling Stone goes, a friend of mine put it well
when he referred to it as "a fashion magazine for yuppies."
-Patty
Jonathan Julian
: ... One of the colleges near DC needs to get a clue and start
: a decent station with a powerful transmitter.
The Baltimore/Washington radio dial:
RAP
CLASSIC ROCK
ADULT POP
Light Alternative 99.1 WHFS
CLASSIC ROCK
RAP
ADULT POP
CLASSIC ROCK
ADULT POP
Not much of a choice, eh? HFS has it's good points (as few as they are),
but they are FAR from where they should be. Cutting Edge? The closest
they come to 'the Edge' is U2...
(MHO) J.
Hahn Huang
>I'd much rather listen to Alternative Nation than WHFS. 6 or 7 years ago
>they played some cutting-edge stuff, and now they play that same stuff all
>the time. If you want to hear the same U2, Elvis Costello, Depeche Mode,
>and Cure songs from 5 years ago four times per day, with a smattering
>of recent British art-pop, WHFS is for you. If you want to hear real
>variety, move away from DC. WHFS plays almost nothing even vaguely
Well, they do tend to repeat a lot of mainstream alternative music but
still around this area, it's the best thing around...besides, my tastes
tend to run more toward the mainstream alternative anyways...would you
rather listen to Mix 106 or Variety 104? Also my point about Rolling
Stone was not to justify a reason for liking WHFS but simply to show
who else liked it because actually the poll was not by Rolling Stone but
by its readers...well, anyways, I like the station, and it sure as hell
beats our college radio station (which I can't even pick up even though
I'm only two blocks away!).
-Hahn
ha...@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
Francis J Park
>Well, have you tried listening to 99.1 WHFS? Rolling Stones magazine had
> as on e of the top 5 radio stations in the country and I think it's
>pretty damn good too. It's an alternative station with an occasional
>reggae and techno hour. I'm in Baltimore but I'm pretty sure you can pick
>it up down in Georgetown since it's in Annapolis...
WHFS has three, if I recall, three transmitters. One is in Annapolis, one is
in Baltimore, and one is in Washington. Or, perhaps, Northern Virginia.
Should not be hard to pick up - I think their listed power is 50,000 watts.
Regards,
--
Francis Park, Johns Hopkins Dept/Military Science kil...@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"My parents taught me a different lesson...lying on this street...DYING FOR NO
REASON AT ALL...the world only makes sense when you FORCE it to" - Frank Miller
Patty Haley
>Well, they do tend to repeat a lot of mainstream alternative music but
>still around this area, it's the best thing around...besides, my tastes
>tend to run more toward the mainstream alternative anyways...would you
>rather listen to Mix 106 or Variety 104? Also my point about Rolling
>Stone was not to justify a reason for liking WHFS but simply to show
>who else liked it because actually the poll was not by Rolling Stone but
>by its readers...well, anyways, I like the station, and it sure as hell
>beats our college radio station (which I can't even pick up even though
>I'm only two blocks away!).
> -Hahn
> ha...@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
>
>
OK, not to get nit-picky or into flame mode, but no, I believe the RS article
was done by staff, not as results from a Reader Poll. If you can enlighten me
as to the issue number if I am wrong, please do so.
No, I would rather not listen to "lite" variety music, but just because something
is the best thing around doesn't mean it is any good. Yep, bread covered in mold
is edible if you're starved out of your mind, but you'd avoid it like the plague
if you had fresh from the bakery available. Unfortunately, the Baltimore/Washington
area doesn't have any bakeries.
As far as the comment that they "tend" to repeat a lot of alternative mainstream
music, that is like saying the sun tends to come up in the East.
I am glad for you that you enjoy listening to the station--too bad 99.1% of its
listeners can't say the same.
-Patty
Sue Borchardt
|> Stone was not to justify a reason for liking WHFS but simply to show
|> who else liked it because actually the poll was not by Rolling Stone but
|> by its readers...well, anyways, I like the station, and it sure as hell
|> beats our college radio station (which I can't even pick up even though
|> I'm only two blocks away!).
|> -Hahn
|> ha...@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
I assume you're talking about WJHU. Maybe you can't pick it up *because*
you're two blocks away. I get it fine across town and could pick it up
almost all the way to Columbia when I commuted.
<obligatory HFS bash> I'd rather listen to National Public Radio than
10 year old Joe Jackson.
Sue
s...@gdb.org
Alekz Traynor
>As far as the comment that they "tend" to repeat a lot of alternative
>mainstream music, that is like saying the sun tends to come up in the East.
>
>I am glad for you that you enjoy listening to the station--too bad 99.1% of
>its listeners can't say the same.
too true...
i myself gave up on any form of commercial radio when WHFS originally went
off the air in ?1987? ... they used to be 102.3 WHFS --> and they really
did have a fairly good show. it was still somewhat commercial, but it was
much more like an independant/college radio station format. this was
pre-PMRC, or any of that. they used to be able to say "Butthole Surfers"
on the air.
they went more to the new-wavey side, but really did play a lot of
alternative and indie tunes, and even had a hardcore show.
at times, when i've been in cars with only radios (like when i drove that
rental for a month) --> i found WFS to be dismal, with more repititions
than the basic top 40 station.
if i didn't already dislike the new Dino Jr., i was ready to shoot on site
Mr. J.Mascis just by hearing "Start Chopping" WAY too many times.
i'd rather listen to silence, after about 45 minutes, which seems to be
the longest you can go without a repeat.
alekz
Brendan Perry
Haley) wrote:
> In article 28864i...@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu, ha...@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Hahn Huang) writes:
>
> [pro-hfs stuff deleted]
> >[con-hfs stuff deleted]
> >
> Hahn
>
> > -Patty
I agree with Patty, and feel that it is a pervasive opinion about
WHFS that "It's the best in town, but only because it's the ONLY
thing in town".
WHFS plays 'alternative-lite' or whatever, focusing on big-name
bands in what was always, until a few years ago, considered by
many, to be a 'DIY, small-name, indie' genre of music. I feel
this has been blurred somewhat and definitely for the better,
since 'indie', 'punk', 'alternative' bands once got virtually no
airplay except at college radio stations. Hurrah they get played
more frequently now. BUT, in the Mega-corp tradition of Anheiser-
Busch, is the watered down version what we want when we can have
Guinness?
I'd like to hear, and not just on college stations, songs from
artists besides 'song one, side one'. And, if you know someone
who talks about WHFS without prefacing it with either 'It's better
than anything else around, but...' or 'They used to be much better,
but...' or 'I hate that damn song now because they play it so
much...', have them contact me.
It bugs me that between MTV (which I don't watch, incidentally,
because I don't have cable), and stations like WHFS, they tell
US what we should want, and go for that ever-popular lowest
common denominator. I worked in college radio for 4 years and
we got 10's of records A DAY sometimes from bands all over the
country. I came to love some bands because I was exposed to them
at the station and nowhere else.
So, my advise is this: If you like WHFS, fine, listen to it to
your heart's content. If you don't like it, call 'Weasel' and
tell him. If you're inbetween, call and complain when you don't
like something, or change the station, and crank it up when you
hear a song you like. And don't let anyone here force you to do
either.
It's hard to convince someone who likes the Beatles they may like
Luna, or someone who likes Duane Eddy might like The Milkshakes,
or who likes Woody Guthrie they may like Uncle Tupelo or who likes
Pink Floyd they may like Bevis Frond. But, keep those record and
show reviews coming here, and spread the word of good stuff, because
you can be sure that WHFS isn't going to spread the word any faster
than Rolling Stone, or MTV.
Finally, as a general flame, I see about 25 bands discussed here
incessantly, and others never discussed, and I'd consider myself
maybe 'above average' in 'alternative' music knowledge. Maybe we
should start some threads in which we take an album, not necessarily
a new one, maybe even an old one and write a review of it and/or
the band. Everyone keep a copy of 'Trouser Press 4th Edition' handy
to rebuke...
cheers,
Brendan
JEFF PETERMAN
WHFS has to be the best radio station out there!!! If you don't agree
with me then what radio station would you say is better then 99.1??? There is
none not a single radio station out there comes close! You people say you
like alternative music. Well that's what you get when you listen to 99.1.
You can always turn to a pop station and here the same songs over and over agai
n that they like but you like alternative music!! You can't have a music
station that pleases eveybody. You're always going to have assholes who aren't
satisfied and who want more. The only way you can listen to all the music that
you want to listen to is if you put in a cassette or a cd, but if you want to
listen to alternative music then turn on WHFS and be happy you have that becaus
e some of us can't even get that and if they want to listen to the radio they'r
e stuck with RAP and R&B so be happy with what you have and stop complaining.
The only thing wrong with WHFS is that it's signal isn't as strong as it should
be I want to be able to listen to WHFS wherever I am!!!!
Jeff
Sean Keric Murphy
Gotta agree - NPR is the one thing really worth listening to in DC
radio, and that's really sad. But, the reason I'm writing is that I've
heard mumblings and such about Positive Force DC trying to start a radio
station, something like WDIY or that. Anyway, just wondering if any DC
folks had any info about this - it looks like I'm moving to DC after I
graduate, and it would be really nice to have a radio station down there
to listen to (since you can't get WMUC very far off the College Park
campus). Thanks...
wit...@unixhub.slac.stanford.edu
I was well aware of WHFS when I lived there 5 years ago, and even then
the sentiment was that they were steering themselves to an "adult
alternative" (counter with "adult contemporary") format that made MTV look
like the cutting edge. From what I've heard since then, they've discovered
this whole advertising revenue concept, now use a heavily-formulated
playlist, and now produce a sanitized, sleeker, more polished "alternative
'lite'" formula. Which is fine if you're into that sort of thing, and it
surely must beat DC 101 or whatever, but I think the original poster
was well aware of WHFS when he wrote that there are no decent alternative
music FM stations in the DC area. Matter of taste...
--
wit...@slac.stanford.edu -- Provided by the management for your protection
per...@guvax.acc.georgetown.edu
Did the real Jeff leave his terminal unattended for a while?
Stations that are better than WHFS?
My vote goes to the great, wonderful, magnificent institution that is
known on earth as WPRB. 103.3FM in the Tri-State area!
(OK, I was a DJ there, but my opinion is still utterly objective.)
Christian
(What's your opinion, Sean Murphy?)
Joshua John Buergel
Brendan Pe...@lheavx.gsf
> incessantly, and others never discussed, and I'd consider myself
> maybe 'above average' in 'alternative' music knowledge. Maybe we
> should start some threads in which we take an album, not necessarily
> a new one, maybe even an old one and write a review of it and/or
> the band. Everyone keep a copy of 'Trouser Press 4th Edition' handy
> to rebuke...
I hate to say it because your post really seemed quite reasonable up to
this point, but you're not helping anything here. Sure, it's true that
there are only a handful of bands that get discussed here with any
frequency. It has something to do with how popular they are. Saying
that "we should review some other stuff" doesn't change anything,
though. Just post a review, don't talk about doing it. Talk's cheap.
In that spirit, I went to the record store and spend some money I didn't
have to pick up the Germs' reissue, _MIA_ and the new Flop album,
_Whenever You're Ready_. First impressions: the Germs is wonderful,
but I knew that. I'll post a track listing for it when I remember to
bring it with me, but it has _GI_, their first two singles, some
unreleased stuff for a soundtrack as well as assorted compilation stuff.
Thirty tracks in all, and it's essential. Flop...well, I've only
listened to half of it so far, but it doesn't sound that hot. It seems
to lack the bouncy energy that _& The Fall of the Mousesqueezer_ had.
The production is a bit too thick and reverbed out. I think Conrad
Uno's warm fuzzy style suited them better. Still, it sounds reasonably
catchy. Perhaps it will grow on me.
consid
Patty Haley <pa...@gdb.org> wrote:
>In article 28864i...@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu, ha...@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Hahn Huang) writes:
>
>>Also my point about Rolling
>>Stone was not to justify a reason for liking WHFS but simply to show
>>who else liked it because actually the poll was not by Rolling Stone but
>>by its readers...well, anyways, I like the station, and it sure as hell
>>beats our college radio station (which I can't even pick up even though
>>I'm only two blocks away!).
>> -Hahn
>> ha...@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
>>
>>
>
>OK, not to get nit-picky or into flame mode, but no, I believe the RS article
>was done by staff, not as results from a Reader Poll. If you can enlighten me
>as to the issue number if I am wrong, please do so.
>
For what it's worth, the most recent readers poll (#651) did not list
WHFS in any of its three radio categories. Nor did the critics (the
majority of whom are freelancers, by the way, not staff) endorse 'HFS. And
a quick flip through issues since then finds no mention of 'HFS beyond a
Random Note on the 'HFStival, and no story about "top five radio
stations." Top 100 videos, yes; radio, no.
Oh, and I suspect the "college radio station" Hahn refers to is the
student-run carrier current station. WJHU severed its ties to Johns
Hopkins some months ago. (The original WJHU, on the other hand, played
stuff 'HFS would never touch -- part of the reason Hopkins took the
station out of the hands of students and other undesireables).
--jdconsidine
p.s.: Does any of this mean ANYTHING to people outside the balt/wash area?
--
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Childhood is cannibals and psychotics vomiting in your mouth!
-Maurice Sendak
* * * * * * * * * * con...@access.digex.net * * * * * * * * * *
Hahn Huang
> For what it's worth, the most recent readers poll (#651) did not list
>WHFS in any of its three radio categories. Nor did the critics (the
(1992)...truthfully I can't say for sure whether it was the reader's poll
or the editor's poll...but I am pretty sure it was the reader's
poll...unfortunately I do not have a copy of the RS from last year to back
me up...anyways, it doesn't matter what they or anybody else says, I like
the station...A LOT...so flame all you want, I'm not a "hardcore"
alternative fan so WHFS suits me just fine...by the way, WHFStival IMHO
was better than Lollapalooza (can't wait to see what response this evokes)
for the money...
> Oh, and I suspect the "college radio station" Hahn refers to is the
>student-run carrier current station.
Yup...I think it's WHAT...anyways, it's an AM radio station and severely
needs a power boost cause the only place I can pick it up is when I'm
within a hundred feet of it...
>WJHU severed its ties to Johns
>Hopkins some months ago. (The original WJHU, on the other hand, played
>stuff 'HFS would never touch -- part of the reason Hopkins took the
Hmmm...I don't think WJHU played alternative at all does it?...It's all
classical and jazz stuff, I think...
>station out of the hands of students and other
undesireables). > --jdconsidine
>
> p.s.: Does any of this mean ANYTHING to people outside the balt/wash area?
Actually it seems that quite a few people outside the balt/wash area know
about the station judging from the posts...
Hahn Huang
>OK, not to get nit-picky or into flame mode, but no, I believe the RS article
>was done by staff, not as results from a Reader Poll. If you can enlighten me
>as to the issue number if I am wrong, please do so.
<sigh> actually, I don't know which issue it was in (sometime in
1992)...all I know iss that I did see it...you can either take my word for
it or you don't have to believe it...doesn't really matter to me...
>No, I would rather not listen to "lite" variety music, but just because something
>is the best thing around doesn't mean it is any good. Yep, bread covered in mold
>is edible if you're starved out of your mind, but you'd avoid it like the plague
>if you had fresh from the bakery available. Unfortunately, the Baltimore/Washington
>area doesn't have any bakeries.
Well, well, well, aren't we just so unbiased in our opinions? I never
placed any judgement on variety music, I simply said, that I'd rather
listen to WHFS...just because you don't like the alternative music that
they play on WHFS doesn't mean you need to compare it to bread mold...to
each his own...'nuff said.
>As far as the comment that they "tend" to repeat a lot of alternative mainstream
>music, that is like saying the sun tends to come up in the East.
Hey if there are songs on that you like, you'd want to hear them again too
wouldn't you? Besides I've only heard a song repeat 3 times at most in
one day ONLY because they were requested...WHFS has a lot of request
hours...they even take requests when it isn't request hours so how can you
blame them...not everyone listens to the station 24 hours a day...I know
I'd be pretty disappointed if they played for example some REM song and I
missed it and then they guaranteed me that I won't be able to hear it
again for the rest of the day...
>I am glad for you that you enjoy listening to the station--too bad 99.1% of its
>listeners can't say the same.
Say whaaat? Let me get this straight...you're saying that 99.1% of the
listeners listen to the radio station even though they don't enjoy it?
sheesh...good logic
Ryan Zamecnik
First off is the show Noise Bazaar. Has anyone seen it other thatn me?
Also it is on channel america. And it is on Saturdays at 1 a.m. my time.
Right in the middle of headbangers ball. Darn I miss it if stay up to
watch NB.
Second is Dave Kendall... He has a new show. It is on a UHF channel. I
think it might be all over. It is on in the Middle of 120 mins. Which
sucks, actually both shows suck.
Lastly is the group Black Market Flowers. Does anyone have any info.
They played a free show in milwaukee, but I live an hour away from it so I
didn't see it, because I heard it on the radio before they went on stage.
I heard one song which was pretty good I thought.
Patty Haley
>In article <1993Sep28.1...@news.gdb.org> pa...@gdb.org writes:
>>OK, not to get nit-picky or into flame mode, but no, I believe the RS article
>>was done by staff, not as results from a Reader Poll. If you can enlighten me
>>as to the issue number if I am wrong, please do so.
>
><sigh> actually, I don't know which issue it was in (sometime in
>1992)...all I know iss that I did see it...you can either take my word for
>it or you don't have to believe it...doesn't really matter to me...
Good thing for you that it doesn't matter, because I have to see proof on this
one. I AM referring to the 1992 article--I remember seeing a couple of the WHFS
staffers' pics in the magazine and wondering to myself how could they ever have
the nerve to present themselves to family and friends again. I know a couple of
ex-staffers there who were so disgruntled a few years back with being forced to
play the same dreck over and over again they actually quit ON THE AIR. And the
station has only gotten worse since then.
>>No, I would rather not listen to "lite" variety music, but just because something
>>is the best thing around doesn't mean it is any good. Yep, bread covered in mold
>>is edible if you're starved out of your mind, but you'd avoid it like the plague
>>if you had fresh from the bakery available. Unfortunately, the Baltimore/Washington
>>area doesn't have any bakeries.
>
>Well, well, well, aren't we just so unbiased in our opinions?
Uh, not sure what you're getting at here. Opinions ARE biased--that is why they
are opinions!
>
>>As far as the comment that they "tend" to repeat a lot of alternative mainstream
>>music, that is like saying the sun tends to come up in the East.
>
>Hey if there are songs on that you like, you'd want to hear them again too
>wouldn't you? Besides I've only heard a song repeat 3 times at most in
>one day ONLY because they were requested...WHFS has a lot of request
>hours...they even take requests when it isn't request hours so how can you
>blame them...not everyone listens to the station 24 hours a day...I know
Let me fill you in on a little broadcast secret. I know some folks who were
disc-jockeys on top 40 radio stations, and they take "requests" for songs they
were planning to play anyway, so that way they can play the song and seem like
ultra-nice folks for playing what was on their playlist, requested or not.
>I'd be pretty disappointed if they played for example some REM song and I
>missed it and then they guaranteed me that I won't be able to hear it
>again for the rest of the day...
>
Well, then it's a great thing that you listen to WHFS, because you won't have
to wait to listen for the rest of the day--just a couple of hours at most. yes,
it is great to hear songs that you like on the radio, but not to the point where
you've heard it so much that you are sick to death of it within a week's time.
>>I am glad for you that you enjoy listening to the station--too bad 99.1% of its
>>listeners can't say the same.
>
>Say whaaat? Let me get this straight...you're saying that 99.1% of the
>listeners listen to the radio station even though they don't enjoy it?
>sheesh...good logic
>
>
First of all, let me spell this out rather clearly, since you seem to be missing
the point of a lot of what I am saying: The 99.1% was a reference to their call
letters, 99.1. Secondly, yes, most listeners listen to the station because it is
the closest approximation to what they would like to listen to if they had a real
choice. We would like espresso, but many of us are willing to make do with cold
instant coffee. Many of us have just given up, and drink tea instead. :-)
WHFS has listeners who listen merely by default, not by design. They would be
in a bad way if there was real competition out there--commercial or college.
-Patty
Brendan Perry
<jb...@andrew.cmu.edu> wrote:
> Excerpts from netnews.alt.music.alternative: 28-Sep-93 Re: WHFS sucks by
> Brendan Pe...@lheavx.gsf
> > Finally, as a general flame, I see about 25 bands discussed here
> > incessantly, and others never discussed, and I'd consider myself
> > maybe 'above average' in 'alternative' music knowledge. Maybe we
> > should start some threads in which we take an album, not necessarily
> > a new one, maybe even an old one and write a review of it and/or
> > the band. Everyone keep a copy of 'Trouser Press 4th Edition' handy
> > to rebuke...
>
> I hate to say it because your post really seemed quite reasonable up to
> this point, but you're not helping anything here. Sure, it's true that
> there are only a handful of bands that get discussed here with any
> frequency. It has something to do with how popular they are. Saying
> that "we should review some other stuff" doesn't change anything,
> though. Just post a review, don't talk about doing it. Talk's cheap.
>
> [good and welcome review of the Germs deleted]
So, uh, if my post was 'reasonable', then became 'unreseasonable'
(presumably) at the above point, why did you proceed to do exactly
what I suggested? I haven't posted a review YET, but that doesn't
mean one isn't forthcoming. In the meantime, my suggestion worked to
get at least ONE review out the gate :p.
If one person posts a review (other than 'it sucked' or 'its the best
on earth') instead of yakking about 'Beahead and Buttvis', I think it
changes A LOT (my opinion, of course). Besides, if you read the last
sentence in my first post, you might notice a little sarchasm.
I'll post reviews of the new Mono Men, "5,6,7,8's" and Cracker tomorrow...
> Joshua Buergel - all...@cmu.edu - jb...@andrew.cmu.edu
Brendan Perry
Sean Keric Murphy
>In article <93271.131...@psuvm.psu.edu>, JEFF PETERMAN <JCP...@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:
>>
>> WHFS has to be the best radio station out there!!! If you don't agree
>> with me then what radio station would you say is better then 99.1??? There is
>> none not a single radio station out there comes close! You people say you
>> like alternative music. Well that's what you get when you listen to 99.1.
>> I want to be able to listen to WHFS wherever I am!!!!
>>
>> Jeff
>
>
>Did the real Jeff leave his terminal unattended for a while?
>
>Stations that are better than WHFS?
>
>My vote goes to the great, wonderful, magnificent institution that is
>known on earth as WPRB. 103.3FM in the Tri-State area!
>
>(OK, I was a DJ there, but my opinion is still utterly objective.)
>
>Christian
>
>
>(What's your opinion, Sean Murphy?)
I also can't answer objectively about WPRB (seeing as I'm still a DJ
there...) but I think there are many better stations than WHF$ (as my
friend Mark writes it). In Boston: WMBR (88.1), WZBC (90.3), WHRB
(95.3). Around NYC: WFMU (91.1). In Chicago: WHPK, WNUR (sorry, don't
know frequencies). And the list goes on...in general, you can't expect
a full-sized, totally commercial station to be "alternative" - gotta
keep the advertisers happy...
[Note - WPRB _is_ commercial, but we're also not-for-profit - our
advertising is set to cover our annual expenses. E-mail me if you're
really interested...it's not easy to explain, but it's an interesting
distinction/concept.]
WARNING - entering rant-mode about the state of "music" today... :)
Anyway, if you want to hear lots of music, not just those 15 bands of
the early 80's now considered "safe" and "acceptable" by the mainstream,
keep looking on your dial - the stations are out there, but you have to
make the effort to find them. And why is there such a backlash against
rap? Why is the "alternative" "scene" so homogenized? Why is it all
"middle-class, college-educated, white kids" ? (I realize I'm
oversimplifying, but there's a valid point within that generalization.)
Rant-mode off. Thank you for reading and thinking objectively and
critically before replying.
Sean Murphy
skmu...@phoenix.princeton.edu
There was a boy who says he'll do anything to please you,
There was a boy who walks alone at night when you're not there.
She speaks to this boy and she knows she doesn't even like him,
But hate is a passion and that's near to love anyway.
- The Marine Girls
mnf0642
>
>In article <1993Sep28....@guvax.acc.georgetown.edu> per...@guvax.acc.georgetown.edu writes:
>>>
>>> WHFS has to be the best radio station out there!!! If you don't agree
>>> with me then what radio station would you say is better then 99.1??? There is
>>> none not a single radio station out there comes close! You people say you
>>> like alternative music. Well that's what you get when you listen to 99.1.
>>> I want to be able to listen to WHFS wherever I am!!!!
>>>
>>> Jeff
>>
>>
>>Did the real Jeff leave his terminal unattended for a while?
>>
>>Stations that are better than WHFS?
>>
>>My vote goes to the great, wonderful, magnificent institution that is
>>known on earth as WPRB. 103.3FM in the Tri-State area!
>>
>>(OK, I was a DJ there, but my opinion is still utterly objective.)
>>
>>Christian
>>
>>
>>(What's your opinion, Sean Murphy?)
>
>there...) but I think there are many better stations than WHF$ (as my
>friend Mark writes it). In Boston: WMBR (88.1), WZBC (90.3), WHRB
>(95.3). Around NYC: WFMU (91.1). In Chicago: WHPK, WNUR (sorry, don't
WHTG 106.3 FM in New JErsey
Nuno
Francis J Park
>Patty Haley <pa...@gdb.org> wrote:
> Oh, and I suspect the "college radio station" Hahn refers to is the
>student-run carrier current station. WJHU severed its ties to Johns
>Hopkins some months ago. (The original WJHU, on the other hand, played
>stuff 'HFS would never touch -- part of the reason Hopkins took the
>station out of the hands of students and other undesireables).
The student radio station is a 530KHz carrier current station running under
the callsign WHSR. Not as original as the callsign WHAT which they ran under
last year, albeit also under carrier current.
Visibility of WHSR is limited, mostly because of its carrier currrent nature.
Myself, I live off campus and don't have access to it. WJHU as a student
station died off sometime around 1984 or so. A real tragedy, I think, but
the JHU administration is apparently pretty conservative.
Chintan Kiran Amin
You then are admitting that your comparison is that of apples to
oranges. Most college stations, which is what the bulk of "alternative"
stations are, are not for profit. They don't have the goal of making money,
so they don't go out of their way to please sponsors or record companies. But
WHFS is a commercial money making enterprise, and I can't name off hand any
radio stations of that genre that can top 'HFS. On any particular night, I
can listen to Sugar, Fugazi, The Connells, The Poster Children, UB40 and
Peter Gabriel and even Cypress Hill without changing the dial... Of course, if
I wan't my personal favorite, I just drop in the 2112 CD. :-) But the point
is there isn't another commercial station that can match 'HFS for style and
real variety. One good thing about HFS being commercial... The HFestival.
>WARNING - entering rant-mode about the state of "music" today... :)
>Anyway, if you want to hear lots of music, not just those 15 bands of
>the early 80's now considered "safe" and "acceptable" by the mainstream,
>keep looking on your dial - the stations are out there, but you have to
>make the effort to find them. And why is there such a backlash against
>rap? Why is the "alternative" "scene" so homogenized? Why is it all
>"middle-class, college-educated, white kids" ? (I realize I'm
>oversimplifying, but there's a valid point within that generalization.)
>Rant-mode off. Thank you for reading and thinking objectively and
>critically before replying.
Read the above about what HFS plays.
>Sean Murphy
>skmu...@phoenix.princeton.edu
>
--
***** Chintan Amin ******** ll...@uiuc.edu ******** NeXT Mail welcome *******
*"Everybody hears the sound of a train in the distance. Everybody thinks *
*its true." Paul Simon "Train in the Distance" Go Orioles. WS Champs 1993 *
******* "College Sucks" -- Butthead ***** "Knowledge Sucks" -- Beavis *******
Sean Keric Murphy
>>I also can't answer objectively about WPRB (seeing as I'm still a DJ
>>there...) but I think there are many better stations than WHF$ (as my
>>friend Mark writes it). In Boston: WMBR (88.1), WZBC (90.3), WHRB
>>(95.3). Around NYC: WFMU (91.1). In Chicago: WHPK, WNUR (sorry, don't
>>know frequencies). And the list goes on...in general, you can't expect
>>a full-sized, totally commercial station to be "alternative" - gotta
>>keep the advertisers happy...
>
>>[Note - WPRB _is_ commercial, but we're also not-for-profit - our
>>advertising is set to cover our annual expenses. E-mail me if you're
>>really interested...it's not easy to explain, but it's an interesting
>>distinction/concept.]
>
> You then are admitting that your comparison is that of apples to
>oranges. Most college stations, which is what the bulk of "alternative"
>stations are, are not for profit. They don't have the goal of making money,
>so they don't go out of their way to please sponsors or record companies. But
>WHFS is a commercial money making enterprise, and I can't name off hand any
>radio stations of that genre that can top 'HFS. On any particular night, I
>can listen to Sugar, Fugazi, The Connells, The Poster Children, UB40 and
>Peter Gabriel and even Cypress Hill without changing the dial... Of course, if
>I wan't my personal favorite, I just drop in the 2112 CD. :-) But the point
>is there isn't another commercial station that can match 'HFS for style and
>real variety. One good thing about HFS being commercial... The HFestival.
Umm, well, that sounds like most of the "commercial alternative" station
in America. I grew up in Boston, and weaned myself off WFNX, 101.7 FM
during junior year of high school because they were getting as
predictable and boring as the top-40 and classic-rock stations, and I
had access to lots of college stations. And the HFestival pales in
comparison to the shows set up and put on by kids right in HF$'s
backyard - one of the truly memorable moments I've ever had was the
Lotsa Pop Losers festival in October 1991 in DC - and Velocity Girl
played that, too, along with Unrest, Sleepyhead, Tsunami, Small Factory,
and 15 more bands. (Oddly enough, the other really good big fest I've
been to was in Providence, home to the "mighty" WBRU, a station which
plays all the same music as WFNX and WHF$ and can really not do anything
adventurous more than one hour a week, on sunday nights). So, I guess
it all depends...when all the kids in my high school were listening to
Dead bootlegs and Steve Miller, I was weird for listening to the Clash.
Now they probably all own copies of "Nevermind" (so do I :), and I'm
still weird 'cause I buy vinyl and listen to bands they'd like if they
gave them the chance. Radio should be willing to take chances and try
new things - what is considered "dislike" is often a case of
unfamiliarity. Nothing should be played constantly. But many more
things should be played. And Washington really deserves better than
WHFS for all it has given to the music world.
Sean
skmu...@phoenix.princeton.edu
who's really starting to dread moving to DC next june..
The Stupidity Patrol
>>>alternative music FM station, so there's no way to hear stuff on the
>>>radio before deciding where to put our cash. I'm sure the same is
>>>true for a lot of other people as well.
>
>>Well, have you tried listening to 99.1 WHFS? Rolling Stones magazine had
>>as one of the top 5 radio stations in the country and I think it's
>>pretty damn good too. It's an alternative station with an occasional
>>reggae and techno hour. I'm in Baltimore but I'm pretty sure you can pick
>>it up down in Georgetown since it's in Annapolis...
>
>I'd much rather listen to Alternative Nation than WHFS. 6 or 7 years ago
>they played some cutting-edge stuff, and now they play that same stuff all
>the time. If you want to hear the same U2, Elvis Costello, Depeche Mode,
>and Cure songs from 5 years ago four times per day, with a smattering
>of recent British art-pop, WHFS is for you. If you want to hear real
>variety, move away from DC. WHFS plays almost nothing even vaguely
>resembling punk (and DC has been the home to some of the best hardcore
>bands in the nation, making this a crime) or metal (because they think
Actually, over the summer, not only did I hear Bettie Serveert
and Liz Phair on HFS, but they actually played a Fugazi song.
Granted it was about 2 am on a weekend, and I wouldn't listen to
the station unless I had a car with no tape deck, but still...
>they're too artistic) or rap (except for the art-rap song of the month)
> [...]
>Dave Ripton
>
--
-Greetings from Robert Lim
(li...@midway.uchicago.edu)