Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 09:26:50 -0400 From: Jeff Keibel Subject: Fort Lake DJ Tony Morley from the Leaf label has the album "Fort Lake" by His Name Is Alive on 4AD listed on his newest chart. As he is an ex-4AD staffer, it seems probable this could be accurate. Is there a promo copy of the new HNIA album circulating already??? Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 17:56:02 +0300 From: Strong Comet Subject: HNIA - FORT LAKE His Name Is Alive - 'Fort Lake' 4AD have the pleasure of releasing His Name Is Alive's new opus 'Fort = Lake' on Monday the 1st of June 1998. 'Fort Lake', His Name Is Alive's fifth album for 4AD, sees the band, = fronted by Warren Defever, embark on new musical routes, working with = co-producer Steve King, who has previously worked with the likes of = Aretha Franklin and Funkadelic. The album also introduces the vocal talents of gospel singer Lovetta = Pippen alongside longtime collaborator Karin Oliver. 'Fort Lake' features the following His Name Is Alive line-up: Karin = Oliver, Lovetta Pippen, Warren Defever, Chad Gilchrist, Trey Many and = Scott Goldstein. The album was produced by Steve King and His Name Is = Alive and recorded on time stereo '97 - '98. All songs were written by = His Name Is Alive. 'Fort Lake' will be available on CD (CAD8009CD) and vinyl (CAD8009). = =20 The tracklisting for 'Fort Lake' is as follows: 1. Glue (Don't Glue The World) 2. Everything (Everything Takes Forever) 3. Waitress (The Waitress) 4. No Hiding Place (No Hiding Place Down Her) 5. Can't (Can't Always Be Loved) 6. Wishing Ring (Wish I Had A Wishing Ring) 7. Red (Red Haired Girl) 8. Secret Code (Spirit Needs A Spirit Tool) 9. Up (Up Your Legs Forever) 10. How It Goes (How It's Gotta Be) 11. Electrical Powers (Always Turn Me On) 12. Don't Make Me Wait (Rock 'n' Roll Girl From Rock 'n' Roll City) 13. Last Blues (Last American Blues) Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 08:30:55 -0400 From: Jeff Keibel Subject: Suburban Delight HNIA 3 : The sampler for the new His Name Is Alive album "Fort Lake" is a wild burst of sonic joy! This two track CD wrapped in a card sleeve by Vaughan Oliver, Timothy O'Donnel and Dominic Davies (a v23 family job) is stunning. The super artwork envelopes the two most poppy and loud HNIA tracks in ages. "Wish I Had A Wishing Ring" is as close to a FM rock radio hit HNIA have ever come before and sounds loud and as catchy as the end of the album version of "The Dirt Eaters". The other track is a strikingly renovated version of "Up Your Legs Forever" (originally from the "Universal Frequencies" EP) that builds upon the version we all know and love and just makes it KILLER! Very catchy too with vocal hooks and inflections that go straight to the heart. God damn, I love His Name Is Alive! The CD also lists a UK release for "Fort Lake on June 22nd, not June 1st as I originally once heard... Date: Mon, 15 Jun 1998 11:08:15 +0100 From: David Thorpe Subject: That HNIA 3 Promo Well, I expected something which rocked but I didn't necessarily expect an unapologetic rock song. <> is just that - heavy guitar riffs, screaming female vocal and trademark guitar solo stuck right in the middle. The second song on this promo <> is thankfully slightly less in yer face but I was unfortunately rolling around on the floor trying to recover from the first, thus couldn't really judge. Andrew Massey put forward the motion "Sounds from the Thievery hi-fi is the most un-4AD sounding 4AD album ever". Mr Massey, your motion is DENIED. Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 12:12:24 EDT From: Freak4ad@AOL.COM Subject: Robbed of a good track? I was looking at my Thievery Corporation and comparing it to the track listing for the 4AD version. While two new tracks are added, "Incident at Gate 7" and"Scene at the Open Air Market", I noticed that my favorite track, "Manha", was not going to be included on the new release. Also, "A Warning" is going to be a dub. Does anyone know if the many of the original tracks are going to be remixed or changed in some way? It is a shame Manha seems to be dropped. Date: Thu, 18 Jun 1998 21:49:23 EDT From: Riouxs Subject: His Name is...Hi-Fidelity from Fort Lake. 4AD new releases from rioux's records. HIS NAME IS ALIVE - Fort Lake CD/LP + 7" (4AD CAD 8009) $24.00 CD / $18.00 LP+7" DUE JUNE 22ND. This (again) is going to be a 4AD u.k. only release. His name is Alive, who began many years ago doing experimenting w/ etherealism, then continued w/ a sound derivative of late 60's a.m. pop radio found in their more recent releases, now are expanding into the opaque and vague area of rock. Warren Defever (and others) maintenance of atmosphere and originality is unrivaled regardless of what influences appear on each recording. The bonus 7" included w/ the LP (heavy gram vinyl) includes 3 extra tracks, "woodstock", "swan song", & "last train". These tracks are supposedly on the CD as well. Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 23:22:43 +0100 From: Lee Hammond Subject: Fort Lake Where to begin... I have now listened to Fort Lake a few times and as with most HNIA releases I am taking some time in deciding exactly what I think. I doubt it will grow to be my favourite LP of theirs, but, again as with most HNIA releases, I would not wish to be without it.=20 To those who have heard the promo, yes, there is a rock element to more than the one track, but as you would expect there is so much more. In any case, to the two who wrote they had never heard HNIA "rock", I see the material as a natural progression from the Nice Day ep, which I grew to like as much as anything. The second track on the promo first appeared, in a slightly different guise, under the name Legs on the Universal Frequencies EP. My main criticism of the LP is not the "rocky" element, but that, untypically, some of the tracks outstay their welcome (Wishing Ring at 6 mins would be much better at half the length). To date my favourite track is Can't - track 5 - unashamedly rock but only 2 and a half minutes long. After Stars On ESP, Fort Lake is in my opinion another short trip through a few different musical styles from down ages, with many of the familiar traits we have all grown to love. Track 7 -Red- has a kind of 50's style rockabilly (in a very loose sense) backing, and Wishing Ring itself ends in a 60's style keyboard epic. After a few more listens I have no doubt my opinions will change, and I will regret posting this to the list before greater consideration, but I did not want fans of HNIA to think this is a radical departure, different yes, but hey why not. Sorry if the above is largely incoherent waffle but as I said, I am still not sure exactly what to make of the LP, and that is often the effect HNIA has on me, and why I will be eternally grateful to Warren Defever. Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 20:35:05 PDT From: Christian Hartwig Subject: Re: HNIA It's a rock/soul/kitchen sink(?) venture going in the direction they've been going (i.e. ESP, nice day ep). I wasn't sure if the new directions they were going would work out but I think it did. Their new co-lead singer, Lovetta, is amazing. I've only listened to the lp twice but it's gives me a good feeling. Livonia and Hiiyh are good albums but I'm glad HNIA are moving on and trying new things rather than making those albums over and over again. I find it rather difficult to describe their newer sound but I could take a stab. . .anyone else care to? Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 15:07:00 -0400 From: Jeff Keibel Subject: Rock 'n' Roll Girl His Name Is Alive's latest release on 4AD, the amazing "Ft. Lake" is an excellent followup and companion piece to 1996's "Stars On ESP" album. This is one of those albums that gets better and better with each listen and I'm making use of my auto repeat function for this one! I'm not thrilled with v23's design job, especially the graphics on the front cover, but I'm trnsfixed by the music so it's not a big deal. The photography is amazing though. Very nice imagery! I can hardly wait to receive the vinyl version with the bonus 7" too! HNIA: Karin Oliver, Lovetta Pippen, Warn Defever, Chad Gilchrist, Trey Many and Scott Goldstein. Also featuring Dara, Jake, Zach, Andy Krieger, and Krrika Hoffmann. Scott Zacharias, Deb Agolli, Davin Brainard, Dee & Laura, Jason Martin, Dan & Liz, Ken 5 and Eric Cook recorded songs that regretably will not be released at this time. CAD8009 & CAD8009CD: Not just a number anymore, it's one of the year's best albums so far! Date: Thu, 9 Jul 1998 11:50:11 -0400 From: Jeff Keibel Subject: A warmth you'll remember HINA4, the bonus 7" that comes with the vinyl version of His Name Is Alive's "Ft. Lake" album is actually pretty good. It is probably stuff Warren deemed not quite up to the album cut but worth a listen. "Ft. Lake", the UK CD version features DIFFERENT fonts on the cover as compared to the Canadian PolyGram version!! This is getting really anal, so I'll stop with this topic for now... Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 16:17:08 -0400 From: Jeff Keibel Subject: Always tip your waitress Toronto local weekly rag Eye said this in the new issue (count the factual errors and you can win a new 4AD promo CD, courtesy of me and 4AD. Email me privately though, limited offer): HIS NAME IS ALIVE/Ft. Lake 4AD/PolyGram Until now, Illinois 4AD mainstays His Name Is Alive made moody, difficult albums full of not-quite-songs - a fan's band. With Ft. Lake, Warren Defever leads his crew into a world of soul, rock and pop. The fans may be angry but Defever knows what he's doing , as tunes like "The Waitress". "Don't Give The World" and "Cam't Always Be loved" sparkle and bubble. While some of the more soulful numbers don't really take off, the majority of Ft. Lake is perfect pop. (written by J.H. at Eye) Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1998 17:08:03 +0200 From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen Subject: Live at the Lake His Name Is Alive has had a kinda weird musical development. They started out as an artsy teenage angst bedroom band (_Livonia_, _Home Is In Your Head_), and then they discovered that they were no longer only in their own bedrooms and started writing proper songs (_Mouth by Mouth_). Having done that, they ran out of inspiration and turned into They Might Be Giants. Only with more "zany" "fun" per minute. Which is what _Fort Lake_ is. It flails wildly all over the place, ranging from piss-take techno to Beach Boys pastiches to souououooul singin' blues to rawk en roll. Ha ha. How amusing. Ha ha. You can tell I'm overjoyed, right? In parts, the album can be charming, but mostly it's just boring. "I only like pieces of things that I hate," as a wise woman once said. Warn has run out of ideas, and bringing in a gazillion friends to play and sing on the albums doesn't make up for that deficiency. Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1998 15:15:24 -0400 From: Jeff Keibel Subject: Fort Lake, USA Coming soon, for the first time in a US domestic issue is His Name Is Alive's new album "Ft. Lake". Look for CAD78009CD to hit American store shelves on November 3rd courtesy of 4AD US and ADA. Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 11:37:10 -0400 From: Jeff Keibel Subject: Always Stay Sweet NOV 03 HIS NAME IS ALIVE : Ft. Lake (CAD78009CD) The fifth album from Warren Defever's band His Name Is Alive receives its American release date! Working in his studio in Livonia, MI with the usual cast of characters - and two new additions - Lovetta Pippen, who sang with the gospel choir that appeared on HNIA's previous album "Stars On ESP" and Steven King whose production skills (with Aretha Franklin and Funkadelic to name but two) freed the band into new directions. Distributed in the US by ADA. Out now in the UK. Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 17:06:49 -0500 From: Jeff Keibel Subject: His Name Is Alive Well, personal opinions about HNIA sure are popping up on 4ad-l and most seemingly are negative. I love "Ft. Lake" as much as I love "Livonia" as well as everything inbetween. I spent most of the latter half of this Summer with "Ft. Lake" cranked up at home and in my car. Warren and company are good because they are not locked into one set style and aren't afraid of being like a Colourbox, a band that put the beautiful piano instrumental "Sleepwalker" on the same album as the bombastic "Edit The Dragon"... The new issue of CMJ New Music features THREE different articles or mentionings of HNIA as well as including them on their monthly CD. The first article is a "Ft. Lake" review which concludes by saying "...the bouncy pop, the guitar jams, and the soulful grooves mark this as the band's most diverse and most spirited achievement". The second is a review of the "Can't Always Be Loved" 7" & CD single, which even acknowledges the neato version of "Wishing Ring" on the 45. The third article is an intro to the CD track (the album version of "Ring") and talks about Warren's being born in a hospital that's only a few blocks away from where he currently lives.