solace

i've decided it's definitely not as great as Ghosts, but certainly much closer than I would have expected. that and the new Constantines and Black Keys are my fave records so far.

don't diss on dogshit like that!

haha, yeah it threw me off a bit, but i think it's kinda cool, reminds me of Beck. i'm pretty sure it's just a sample, so they may use it live? guess we'll see.

yeah, bummed that i'm missing the Mpls show due to Swell Season (can't pass up 2nd row center tickets!) but i've seen her twice this year already (and one was a few bands before DeVotchka at SXSW). we're gonna try and get her to do an in-store that day maybe though.

no no no! i didn't mean that... they're incredible live... i just meant that the new stuff has a lot more layers (organs, bass, banjo, etc.) that they sort of compensate and re-arrange with just the two of them, and for me the songs suffer a bit live, but their old stuff is as amazing as ever live

haha... i think i liked about 3-4 songs on it

yeah... about 70% of it is just boring as all hell

it's their best and most divedse record yet for me... as for the new stuff live... i gotta be honest, other than "I Got Mine" i was disappointed with all of the new songs live compared to the record. they could stand to employ a 3rd touring member for organs/bass. hopefully they figure stuff out by next Friday when i see them again though...

i found it kinda boring myself...

again, that's too bad At Dawn is one of the best records of the '00's for me is that because of the reverb though? the reverb is just as thick (and sometimes thicker) live...

yeah, that song is amazing, especially solo Touch Me, I'm Going To Scream Pt. 2 is the first single i guess

you know that kinda bums me out... i mean i can understand it somewhat, but MMJ are one of the best live bands in America, right up there with (and at times ahead of) Wilco, but if the vocals (or mostly the reverb) is that big of a turnoff, that's a bummer. you should check out this solo Jim James show i saw @ SXSW w/ M. Ward, the reverb is mostly just from the church's acoustics: http://www.archive.org/details/mmj2008-03-15.aud.flac16 one of the best shows i've ever seen

live.

but would you rather have a band appear (and it's only your perception to be honest) to be trying too hard rather than coasting? i'd take the former myself if i had to choose.

Rolling Stone never claimed it was the best album they've ever made, you need to learn how to read. David Fricke (who is one of their best writers & reviewers) called it "one of the best albums they've ever made", there's a HUGE huge difference. that could constitute it just being in their top 5 or 10...

yeah, it's top 3-5 for me... it has the best production of any of their records too. those drums on How The West Was Won, jesus...

New Adventures In Hi-Fi is their best post 1980's album (yes better than Automatic)

i saw them last fall with White Rabbits & The Virgins, they didn't impress me much live. didn't help that White Rabbits kicked total ass right before them tho. album is decent tho

starting to think this isn't legit at all... or hoping anyway edit: yeah, my friend who works for the label just confirmed it's fake... only track that's legit is the single, *phew* :

through track 5? not whatsoever... this is like their Adore or some shit... pretty drab/dark piano driven songs, and not many interesting/catchy melodies at all so far. Ben's voice sounds really fucking weird too, it's really deep. People who got annoyed by the nasally whine may dig it, but i dunno. track 5 is just awful... just a horrendous sonic mess edit: i'd never guess it was Death Cab from the vocals on most of these tracks...

edit: false alarm... this is some Death Cab clone appearntly

the difference between the two is, one evokes true emotion from the soul, and the other skims the surface.

some of his lyrics are great, some are way way too literal

sweet! now he just needs to announce a Mpls date

it's pretty great... he went almost 100% soul/R&B on this one. left a lot of the electronic flourishes off the album. no single song on it as great as the title cut from the last one tho. i thought he was fun live, but i got pretty annoyed by him after 15 minutes or so and left only to come back to catch Hot Chip's set. hope he tours with a full band this time, the one man band thing doesn't really work for me in his case. it comes off as very karaoke-ish.