nodep5

I like what LouieB is saying about the long term view of the RSD releases, but not just from a financial worth position, but also from the true inherent value it holds in terms of my appreciation of music. The older I get, the more children I have, and the less time, money, energy I have to or want to devote to things like a rare 7" or what have you, I begin asking myself "do I really need this?". How often do I listen to my cherished Uncle Tupelo 7"s that i hold so damn dear to my heart. Bottom line, it is more for me now than ever about the music and becoming less about the artifact. I don't know what it is about obsessiveness and music that go hand in hand, but it is hard to manage that, but I'm trying. I walked out of my bad RSD experience this year with my head high, saying "probably didn't need that Fleet Foxes 12" anyway". Now that may have just been a way of tempering my disapointment, but crap, less than a week later, I really don't care, let alone a year later.

The unfortunate part about some of this (not all of it, because most stores had record days, pun intentional) is that if there were a larger quantity of these releases then the record stores could still have stock for days or weeks, thus bringing in clientele for weeks in the future. Instead by creating a shortage in such merch as Big Star, the secondary market prospers while the primary market (us!!!) suffers. The whole point of this thing should be that people should patronize their local record stores all year round, not just one day. Many of us do, but still!!

 

LouieB

EXACTAMUNGO!

Man even that response on their website is wishy washy. It shoud read: We wanted to make some money and we tried to pull a fast one, but apparently it pissed some people off, so we are sorry, kind of.

This is my third record store day experience and I know the nature of the experience has alot to do with the store you go to, but overall I'm kind of losing patience for this. Now some stores do it up right, and those are usually the true record stores (ie actually sell alot of vinyl anyway stores). My experience with indie used cd/video game crap stores is that it is a joke. However my biggest beef is with the whole RSD exclusive release issue. Why not just have the Sat be the release date, and those particular releases only available at indie record stores, but why insist on limiting the amount sold? All this does is make EBAY the place to be and the mad bum rush at opening hour a nightmare. Even if would have been able to purchase the two releases I wanted (which didn't happen) it still isn't fun watching a line of people eliminate the 1 or 2 copies of something. Record store day just became record store 10 minutes.

Like I said, last year I went to a real indie record store and even if you didn't get an exclusive there was other shopping to do. However I decided against two hour drive this year for 10 minutes of crap. So I went across town to another place (not an indie store) that sells a crap ton of new vinyl and picked up Whiskeytown Pneumonia and Head and The Heart instead.

I still like the premise, and I know you can't always get what you want, but if people are ready to spend to dough have the freaking product available. Who knows?

I concur about Detlef Schrempf Band of Horses (beautiful sentiment)

Oh, there are so many

Just yesterday put on YHF and Reservations got me like it did back in the day.

I will always lose it for Rocky Votolato's White Daisy Passing or

I just lost it two days ago to Fever Dream by Iron and Wine

To be honest, I would rather a commercial use Kesha because that music means nothing to me and it seems to have been written to sell product anyways, and I got a mute button. Yes, I'm naive to think that Art can still mean something. Yes I know art is subjective and one man's Kesha is another man's Beatles. I know that these days all publicity and exposure is good and it's all about the all mighty dollar. I don't care about any of that. All I know is I would give anything to be able to write a song like that Dawes song. If I was a struggling artist wanting to make music for a living and someone offered me a ton of money to use my song, maybe I would do the same thing. I like to think I would not because like I said, I still think it cheapens it. We have become so inured to advertising anymore that anything goes. I want my kids to feel the same way I did when I heard "Sixteen Blue" or "Harborcoat" and I just don't think it would have the same impact if it were being used to sell them a T-Mobile phone.

 

Jeebus I sound old.

You make some strong points and I can respect the values you speak of, but I disagree because of the reality of the music buisness. On some level in order for the artist to keep making their art they need to get compensated. Now there a number of ways to get compensated so you can continue to produce your art, but today those are far more limited than before. As long as radio is what it is, exposure is limited. As long as many of us are unwilling to actually buy the record, having the production recouped is limited. It is either constant touring or exposure in other avenues. I just think it becomes necessity on some level. I mean we are a part of this also. Are we willing to pay for our convictions in a band or not. If the answer is no, then I don't think we have a lot of room to talk.

From a band's perspective why the hell not. Radio is not playing this song and the way radio is today (minus xm or college radio) they never will. So if placement in a movie, tv show, or commercial broadens exposure, I agree it is a win-win. It isn't like Dawes made a overtly top 40 Black Eyed Peas sounding song to get airtime.

From a fan perspective I think we sometimes get possessive about a band being "our" band, and I think it does feel like the song got cheapened a tad when it hits that type of exposure. Or just hearing something 100 times with a visual makes the song different. Who knows, The Black Keys are sure digging it though

I also want to retract recent negative feelings. More listens of the new record, ESP with headphones has me digging it. I was worried after shepherds and a bad live sow that I was losing it for Sam. I'm back. I think i need to revisit shepherds! I still think shepherds is a bit off, maybe too pissy, who knows?

I still think we all are (including journalists) a little lazy by throwing MMJ, BOH and Fleet Foxes in together, just because of some reverb and appreciation for Neil Young. If I'm being honest when I have grown to know these three bands, I rarely if ever think of the other two (so on and so forth).

But while we are at it, I will always argue that MMJ has some of the best albums that are awfully produced (or sound awful). I can hardly listen to At Dawn because I think it SOUNDS amateurish. Say what you will about the songs etc, they just sound poorly put to tape to me.

i was pretty down on the courage of others when it first came out, just because i loved van occupanther so much, but i've really grown to like it now - the arrangements and production are really strong, it's just that they made a decision to make quite a morose and similar sounding album - like the folk rock albums of the 1970s that it gets its inspiration from - when musicians didn't feel they had to change pace that much if they didn't want to. and it whilst those reference points are pretty clear, it also sounds modern as well. i can certainly understand that lots of people won't like that, but you must be able to hear that the arrangements and general musicianship is of a higher quality than fleet foxes. i don't even want to get onto band of horses, because i don't rate them at all.

Well, I'm not sure why BOH wouldn't even get rated I guess it is the old musicianship over orginality/sincerity/songwriting. In my world, people like Neil Young, Jeff Tweedy, BOH etc are preferred for the sincerity and songwriting skills that I feel they possess. While most could listen to Midlake and see they could play the socks off of the Fleet Foxes and for sure BOH, are they as engaging. I would argue they were holding their own but not as much on Courage of Others. But not to make this about Midlake because I also think they are original and can write songs. I just think there are a million great musicians but how many Neil Young's are there?

true... i guess maybe my fault wasn't that it was mostly midtempo, but just kinda dull in a bunch of spots for me. i can dig on gorgeous/pretty stuff, but if it's boring i'll call a spade a spade (see the last Midlake album)

Well Infinite Arms was my favorite record of 2010 (a lot of nice memories there), so i'm biased, not dull to these ears FWIW.

Speaking of expectations though, I was really looking forward to the Midlake record. Saw the album cover and was thinking hell yeah. Boy is that a chore to listen to. Way to samey, minor key, i don't know. Not terrible but monotone.

it was just a bit too midtempo for me... it certainly sounded great, but they've yet to put out anything since the debut that moves me as much as The Funeral or Great Salt Lake. i did really adore Compliments and Laredo a ton tho.

 

midtempo songs are definitely my least favorite if i had to choose between a slow song or a rocker, so when an album is predominantly midtempo it's always a crapshoot if i'll love it or not.

 

i think Matt Brook's writing input on the debut was a big part of why i loved that album too tho...

I struggle with having expectations, but for me I expect mid tempo from BOH. With the exception of a handful of tracks on the first two records, most BOH is midtempo. I guess I have never thought of it though. I just like the sincerity, the sound, the vibe.

File under bands I don't get. I gave it a shot, but everything sounds exactly the same, just like on the first record only, somehow, they made it even more boring. It's like a poor man's Band of Horses. The whole plodding reverb shtick needs to go.

to each is own. I always wonder how I would feel about the Fleet Foxes if it wasn't for seeing them at Sasquatch a month before their record came out. It was the perfect scene for them.

I will say as a huge fan of the Fleet Foxes and a huge (probably bigger) fan of Band of Horses and an average fan of MMJ, I think they all are different to my ears.

However I can get behind not feeling a band. I always use Grizzly Bear as an example. I try and try and it just doesn't connect. If I have to try THAT much it isn't working, and that is cool.

New video and info at subpop site! Video and tune are sweet.

Some rough stuff here, I thought "helplessness blues" lyrically was beautiful the first time I heard it, almost teary eyed. To each is own.

Having the first 4 Pearl Jam's on vinyl from back in the day, I would like to have the Immortality 7", mostly because Pearl Jam should be supported and recognized as a mainstream act that was pushing vinyl back before this whole vinyl resurgence. I mean crap they have a song called Spin The Black Circle. Even though my love for Pearl Jam is harder to tap into (different place/different time) I respect them.

If I remember right, Vitalogy was actually released back in the day on vinyl a week or 2 weeks prior to the cd release

just read the offical list of releases and was a bit underwhelmed. It seems a lot of companies are going with the special 7" which is cool as a collector piece but not essential. There is enought there (Justin Townes Earle 7", Pearl Jam 7" and Fleet Foxes 10 " and Ryan Adams to keep me interested though

i like it. it's interesting, i think our standards are different now for good and bad music now that production has calmed down. bands that were great in the 70s were unlistenable in the 80s mostly because of horrible production (digital synth etc.) and not so much material. however, now that wilco and dbt and others are kind of coming out of their peak, their 'bad' albums aren't anywhere near say neil young's worst albums. at least they are listenable.

I can get behind your sentiment. When I say I can't stand a DBT record, it doesnt mean it is bad on a bad level, it just means that it is subpar for a really good band. I agree with bleedorange, song for song these new DBT records don't stack up against classics songs from past albums

listened to TBTD today and it just flew by. today, it was a great album! santa fe is such a good song.

I've always been a average fan of DBT. I mean I own everything they have and have seen them live, but I'm not crazed about them. Anyhoo, TBTO is lost on me. I couldn't stand it when it was first released, but recently attempted to revisit it (inspired by Ryan Adams Facebook post heralding DBT as his new favorite band). I really tried to feel it, but it just seemed tired, like a tired act. I was thinking if I was going to make a best of album of DBT songs would any of these make the cut? Maybe Drag The Lake Charlie, maybe Another One? I don't know, I think I get tired of the ominous Patterson Hood songs. I get he is into some darker themes, but after a while it is tedious for me. Now i've heard real positive things about Go Go Boots, so I will continue trying.

I'm really trying to not be let down here. This is easily my most anticipated release this year. The first wave of Fleet Foxes stuff clicked with me big time and my expectations are high. I really feel the title track from the new one is strong, and this latest song is pleasant upon two listens. Their debut had some real strong moments that are epic in my mind, I hope I can view Helplessness Blues for its own thing, but I'll probably always compare.

I can never tell with the Flaming Lips Soft Bulletin/Yoshimi era. These are either the most brilliant lyrics or overtly stupid depending on which way I look at it.

Hadn't seen much mentioned on the new J Mascis solo album from Sup Pop coming out next month. The two tracks I've heard so far are killer and have sweet backing vocals from Ben Bridwell (Band Of Horses).

I will always claim that Dino Jr. records especially Green Mind onward hold up better than 90% of the alt era music. I will admit I have little use for pre Green Mind Dino Jr. or Dinosaur, little love for Lou Barlow stuff. I feel that the the late 90's Dino Jr. album Hand It Over is awesome so is the first J Mascis and the Fog record More Light. I know this puts me in general opposite feel for most who believe that the early Dinosaur records are where it is at, but those just seem noisy without the strong melodies and masterful guitar work.

Oh by the way, I generally like the two reunion Dino Jr. records, except the Lou Barlow tracks. Farm was especially solid.

Anyway, my two cents.

i don't think they sound like csn at all. if anything, they sound like gregorian chant performed by my morning jacket.

There is one part in Mykonos that is straight up CSN, I believe similar to Ohio

The "You go whereever you go" part

If you had to be there to appreciate AM, all I can say is that I'm glad I was. Brian H's playing and vibe on that record are sweet. I miss the vibe of early Wilco, more fun less pretense. Man that was the time, Wilco was growing into a monster, Son Volt was making a true classic, man o man.

For me, I'm just not connected with the band in its current state. I remember listening to Kicking Television and thinking, this just isn't the Wilco I fell in love with. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a huge fan and loved SBS and wore W(TA)out when it came out, but at the end of the day it is too ..............something, too.....just so. I blame the lineup. Too much talent can become predictable. I'll take Jeff's songwriting, Jay B's sloppy quirkiness anyday over the current polished noodling.