nields nook faq

Nields Nook FAQ

Currently maintained by Adam Hartfield, with other contributors as indicated

Section A: Nields-Nook and General Administration Questions

1. How do I subscribe/unsubscribe to the digest or regular Nields Nook?

To subscribe to the Nields Nook, simply go to The Nields Official Web site and go to the Nields Nook section of the site. You'll find a form that makes this process easy.

To unsubscribe, just send an e-mail to nields-nook-unsubscribe@smoe.org.

If you have problems, talk to Meredith Tarr, Nook Administrator extraordinaire.

2. Who’s writing this FAQ anyway?

The Nields-Nook FAQ was originally created by Robin Attas, a Nooker for longer than she can remember (probably since about 1996 or 1997). The FAQ is now maintained by Adam Hartfield. Other Nookers have contributed answers to questions as credited. If you have any suggestions, or questions that aren’t answered here, let Adam know and he’ll answer/add them as soon as possible.

3.What do all these acronyms stand for?

Some acronyms are completely unrelated to the content of the Nook itself, being generally used throughout the Internet. These might include BTW (by the way) or IMHO (in my humble opinion). Others stand for individual bands, such as TN for The Nields, MF for Moxy Fruvous, and EFO for Eddie From Ohio. Most acronyms in use on the Nook, however, stand for individual Nields song titles. An abbreviated dictionary for these is provided below, although with a little thought most aren't too hard to figure out.

AMPH--All My Pretty Horses
AOTG--Art of the Gun
BBOM--Black Boys on Mopeds
BBD--Best Black Dress
BNTM--Be Nice to Me
BWBB--Boys Will Be Boys
CIO--Check it Out
CITB--Cool in the Backseat
DLG--Daddy's Little Girl
FATCK--Friday at the Circle K
FOY--Fountain of Youth
GGOG--Gotta Get Over Greta
GTBTS--Giving them Back to Susan
IKWKOLTI--I Know What Kind of Love this Is
IMYITS--I'll Meet You in the Sky
INAD--I Need A Doctor
ISBIMF--I Still Believe in my Friends
ISLICC--I'm So Lonesome I could Cry
ITHBTH--In the Hush Before the Heartbreak
ITWAM--If This Were A Movie
JFD--Jennifer Falling Down
JLCC--Just Like Christopher Columbus
J(NJ)--Julia (Not Julia)
JNS--Jeremy Newborn Street
JTGK--Jack the Giant Killer
KOTH--King of the Hill
KTTK/TKTTK--Keys to the Kingdom, The
LIUITG--Living it up in the Garden
MCMJ--Merry Christmas Mr. Jones
MDC--May Day Cafe
MIL--Maybe It's Love
MLT--Memory Leaves Town
MRN--Mr. Right Now
OHN--One Hundred Names
SHG--Sweet Holy Grail
THAAA--This Happens Again and Again
TTIW--This Town is Wrong
WDIG--Where Did it Go

4. What is Musi-Cal? <answer supplied by Cullen>

Musi-cal is an on-line concert calendar database used by many folk, rock, and country musicians to publish their schedules. It is searchable by name, venue, city and genre. The neat things about Musi-Cal are that anyone can add their band's listings to it, and that it will accept and respond to email requests if you don't have web access.

5. What is the Nields Ring?

The Nields Ring is a linking system for the fan-created Nields web pages. The home base for the ring is http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Museum/2255/index.html

6. Why are some posts printed twice, once normally and once in HTML? <answer provided by Meredith Tarr>

If you use Microsoft Outlook Express, your mail is going to be set up to automatically go out in HTML format unless you shut it off. Sending mail in HTML format means that every message you send will have a MIME-encoded attachment which contains a second copy of your message in HTML. There is really no need for this, and it causes problems for people whose mail systems can't deal with MIME messages. If someone with an older mail system like that receives a Nook digest with one MIME attachment in it, chances are they won't be able to open the entire Digest, and will miss out on more than just your post. Also, those of us on the Digest whose mailers can deal with MIME attachments get to see your message stuck in the Digest twice: once in normal plain text, then again right underneath it with all the HTML coding showing. It's really inconvenient, especially when there are multiple HTML messages in one Digest. All of you who are using Outlook Express for your mail, please do the following:

— Under the "tools" menu, select "options".
— Click on the "send" tab.
— Look in the top box labeled "Mail Sending Format". If the button next to "HTML" is selected, click it off. Select "Plain Text" instead.
— Select "Apply".
— Select "OK".
— Post to the Nook secure in the knowledge that you won't be inadvertently pissing off other Nields fans (or anyone else who might receive mail from you, for that matter) any more. :)

7. Do you have any tips on Nields Nook etiquette?

There are generally very few rules on the Nook, and those that do exist are fairly simple and straightforward. We try to be accepting of each other's opinions, keeping discussions above name-calling and personal attacks, but not being afraid to disagree. Many Nookers cite the Nields song title "Be Nice To Me" as a motto for the list. In terms of discussion content, we try to stay on-topic (i.e. the Nields) most of the time, but a little deviation, fun and games can liven things up. One area of discussion we tend to avoid is the personal lives of the band members. That's their business, and unless they bring it up, we don't speculate. General common sense will get you through most other situations. Try not to repost the whole message you're replying to if an edited version will suffice, and don't be afraid to send personal emails if you don't think the whole Nook wants to get into a certain discussion.

Section B: Nields Albums Questions

1. What albums have the Nields released?

66 Hoxsey Street (trio of Katryna, Nerissa, and David, 1992, independent release now out of print)
Live at the Iron Horse (live trio of Katryna, Nerissa, and David, 1993, independent release now out of print)
Bob on the Ceiling (varies from a trio to full band, 1994, independent release)
Abigail (a five-song EP with the full band, 1995, independent release)
Gotta Get Over Greta (full band, released by Razor and Tie and nicknamed Red Greta for its colour, 1996)
Gotta Get Over Greta (full band, released by EMI/Guardian with three additional "bonus" tracks and nicknamed Blue Greta for its colour, 1997)
'Mousse (full band, a collection of rarer songs, 1998, independent release)
Play (full band, released by Rounder, 1998)
If You Lived Here You’d Be Home Now (full band, released by Rounder, 2000)
Live In Northampton (full band, independent release, 2001)
Love And China (Nerissa & Katryna Nields, released by Rounder, 2002)
This Town Is Wrong (Nerissa & Katryna Nields, released by Rounder, 2004)
Songs For Amelia (Nerissa & Katryna Nields, EP of childrens' songs, independent release, 2005)
All Together Singing In The Kitchen (Nerissa & Katryna Nields, independent release, 2006)

2. Where can I get 66 Hoxsey St. and Live at the Iron Horse Music Hall?

Both of these albums are out of print and are no longer being sold by the Nields. You could try scouring used record stores in the eastern US if you want an original copy, but they're apparently very hard to come by. Your best bet is to ask someone on the Nook to copy them for you, something the band has given permission for (the band has NOT, however, given permission for the albums to be converted to a digital/MP3 format). You can make your request directly to the Nook, or you can contact one of the people listed below:

Robin Attas (Canadian requests preferred): nieldsfreak@yahoo.com

George Green: mediadawgs@aol.com
Alan Sigman (from a dubbed copy): wigdaddy@erols.com
Dave Khanlian (Iron Horse only): khanliand@evesham.k12.nj.us
Teresa Wong: teresa@wongs.com
Kat Kunz: kat@fruhead.com
Adam Hartfield: adamh1@comcast.net
Keith Best: NuAgeThnkr@aol.com

3. Where can I get lyrics to songs?

Most released Nields songs can be found at the official Nields homepage. Unreleased songs fall into the category of Nields Apocrypha. Your best bet with these songs is to visit The Land of Conan web page. If it's not there, it's probably not anywhere! As a last resort, you could ask the Nields Nook directly, where some friendly person may be able to help you out.

4. Where can I get chords and guitar tabs to Nields songs?

There are songbooks available for purchase for the songs on Play, 'Mousse, Gotta Get Over Greta, and one for 66 Hoxsey Street, Live at the Iron Horse and Bob on the Ceiling. These have chords and lyrics for all the songs on these albums, as well as other interesting tidbits, and are available at shows or through mail order. For other songs, ask on the Nook; many Nookers are accomplished musicians who probably have figured out chords and fingerings and would be happy to share them.

5. What is the significance of the titles for 'Mousse and Abigail?

'Mousse is short for pamplemousse, the French word for grapefruit. It's the nickname of Dave Chalfant's sister, Andromache. Abigail is Nerissa and Katryna's younger sister. She has been known to make guest appearances with the band on occasion.

6. Who says “Do you want me to do anything with the lights?” at the beginning of ‘Mousse?

Andromache Chalfant (‘Mousse) herself is speaking. The recording is from a childhood birthday party of Dave Chalfant’s; his band at the time is about to start playing.

7. Who is the child on the cover of Play?

He’s the son of a family that used to vacation with the Nields family (not the band) many years ago. The picture was taken by Katryna.

8. In “Mercy House” from If You Lived Here You’d Be Home Now, what does "Eleos Dojo" mean?

Eleos is mercy in Greek, while dojo is house in Japanese, so the phrase translates to "mercy house" (coincidence? I think not!).

9. What’s that German at the end of “Einstein’s Daughter”?

The German which David Nields speaks over the end of “Einstein’s Daughter” is from a poem by the German Romantic Goethe entitled "Der Erlkönig". Taken from the first stanza, it roughly translates to:

Who rides so late through the night and the wind?
It is the father with his child;
He holds the boy close in his arms,
He clasps him securely, he keeps him warm.

Section C: Miscellaneous Nields Questions

1. What are all the relationships in the band?

First of all there are two sisters: Nerissa and Katryna Nields. Nerissa was married to David Nields, who took her name when they married (he thought there were too many musicians named David Jones!) Katryna is married to Dave Chalfant, with each person keeping their own name. And Dave Hower is a close friend of the rest of the band, but is not related or attached romantically to any of them.

2. What happened to the band?

They decided to split up in 2001. Dave C. and Dave H. still perform with Nerissa and Katryna on occasion, but it is not a regular thing. David Nields is pursuing other interests.

3. What other bands do Nields fans enjoy?

You'll get different answers to this question depending on who you talk to. If you want recommendations, every Nooker can give you her or his own personal list. Here are just a few who have been mentioned fairly frequently:

Jim's Big Ego/Jim Infantino
Jess Klein
Veda Hille
Moxy Früvous
Dar Williams
The Maggies
Martin Sexton
Great Big Sea
Ani Difranco
Ben Demerath
Vance Gilbert
Eddie From Ohio
The Kennedys
Erin McKeown
Catie Curtis
Meg Hutchinson
Tori Amos
Patty Larkin
They Might Be Giants
Lori McKenna
Spanish For Hitchhiking (formerly the Hart Cranes)
The Winterpills

4. What is the Nields' position on fans recording live shows?

Generally speaking, the band is very accepting of fans who wish to record live shows with no intention of selling the tapes. Venues often have their own policies, however, so it's important to clear it with them first (or risk being asked to leave!). At certain shows, the band has requested that there be no taping, and as this happens so rarely, it's only fair to respect their wishes. At one time, there was a tape tree set up to allow greater trading of live show tapes between Nookers. Currently, however, there is no formal system, and the best way to find a show you want is to ask directly to the Nook.

5. What is the Probe?

The Probe was a touring, unmanned (hee hee!) satellite version of the Nields, consisting of just Katryna and Nerissa. It was named by Dar Williams after the smaller ship which left the Starship Enterprise for exploration expeditions in Star Trek. For a time before the official breakup of the band, most concerts during the fall and winter were Probe shows, while the full band tended to play more during the spring and summer.

6. What are some important dates in Nields history?

Check out Bruce Palmatier’s "This Day In Nields History" for all the details on important shows and memorable moments in the history of the Nields!

nields nook faq

Nields Nook FAQ

Section A: Nields Nook and General Administration Questions

Section B: Nields Album Questions

Section C: Miscellaneous Nields Questions

Section A: Nields-Nook and General Administration Questions

Section B: Nields Albums Questions

Section C: Miscellaneous Nields Questions