Artifice

I have seen videos of her rocking live incredibly hard. She is obviously a musical genius. If her records were just a pinch less progressive and didn't feel so..... overcooked. I might be a superfan. But I figure it's time to really dig into one and listen more than twice. This album might be the one.

This is exactly how I feel about her, but I'll give it another go if I can find the leak.

Headed to the beach. This will be on heavy rotation. Amor Fati is smoooooth.

Oops, already posted this in the now playing thread. I love this. Extremely subtle. Love the mood. It's on constant rotation for me right now.

New Feist single is particularly good....

http://soundcloud.com/feist-1/how-come-you-never-go-there-2

I find it quite intoxicating.

what do you think so far?

Gotta agree with nodep5 on both points. I saw their Record Day performance and was hooked, though I didn't think any of the other songs were as strong as Lost in My Mind. And even that one gets a little awkward before the late song buildup.

If they can improve the material for album two, then they'll really have something. Their harmonies and performance energy are great.

And as for Pitchfork - it is getting ridiculous. I have about 8 other blogs that I check first now. A song is good because it is well written, not because of how obscure/weird/trendy it is, and how much cred you can claim for hearing it first.

(disclaimer - I still havent changed my sig - they were right about that).

The Deep Dark Woods - Westside Street

Use Somebody is really a damn good song. It got the piss played out of it and we all got sick of it, but it's still very catchy.

It is godawful. And airplay has nothing to do with it. I don't listen to top 40 radio. I've thankfully only heard the song about a dozen times when I couldn't avoid it. Hated it from the very first listen.

I agree with the production on their early records. There is something dirty, rough and urgent about them that makes them so much more interesting.

They've always been a bore live though. Even back in the early days I found their live show disappointing.

Band of horses are worth it anytime/anyplace/anyprice under $30.

Yes. Google their ACL appearance, which was pretty solid too.

Great great band all the way around. Never seen KOL live, but I will still contend that outside of popularity and tad cleaner vocal they are the same group from album #1.

That analysis works for Sex Is on Fire, but I can't think of anything previous as cheesy as "Use Somebody".

I believe the hipsters in us start biting the hand that fed us when "our" bands make it big. You know who is next (the black keys). Mark my words, they will be labeled as money grabbing sell outs anytime now. Just a thought.

I don't see TBK changing their sound much at all. If they take off, so be it. I'm not a huge fan anyway. I like them (a lot) in small doses.

First single off Girls' upcoming Father, Son & Holy Ghost.

Girls - Vomit (hosted with permission by GorillavsBear)

It's pretty damn epic, I have to say. Maybe a tad self indulgent, but I love it. Not at all what I expected from them.

Finally heard the two new tracks. I had heard I Might a week or so ago and it kinda bored me.

Dawned on Me and Born Alone might have me rushing to buy a Wilco record on release day for the first time in years. I love both of them.

Yuck - Yuck

It sounds nice. Nothing groundbreaking, but just pretty good music.

Ahh the album we're not allowed to admit we love, lest we lose our snob cred.

I love it. There. I said it. Not everything has to break new ground. This is a great record.

the new Thurston Moore record is ridiculously beautiful.

I think I heard him previewing some of the songs on SiriusXMU's live sessions, and one of them was just gorgeous. Damn if I can remember what it is was called, but it was lush and atmospheric and really great.

[*]The Rosebuds - Loud Planes Fly Low[*]

Thank you for mentioning this. I bought it. It's not a great record from start to finish, but it has some high points, and damnit, GO MERGE! (and NC bands!)

The question is which is the better song, not which is the better record. Waterloo Sunset can be sung effectively by any number of singers because it is a great song; September Gurls is not widely covered and the references to what a great song it is are mostly to the recording made by Big Star itself. (Can anyone name a cover of it??) There are some clear glitches on the original Kinks recording, but the over all effect of the song is still pretty powerful. Much of what we all like about the Big Star song is the excellent production and arrangement. SG was recorded from 1974 after Alex Chilton had already been a fairly sucessful rock star and learned alot about production. WS is from 1967 and frankly there are still some rough patches in the Kinks recordings during the Reprise years. (In the original recording the transition to the chorus/bridge is a somewhat awkward.) Alex Chilton was enamored of groups like the Kinks and channeling the British invasion, and with the extra years of recording experience that working with Dan Penn as producer of the Box Tops afforded him, he was quite the studio master on his BS recordings.

 

No matter how many times I hear the "song" Waterloo Sunset (sung by just about anyone) I get goosebumps. There are just such wonderful turn arounds in it.

 

Sorry to belabor these points, but this is an intersting topic to discuss.

 

LouieB

Actually, that's a great point. I agree. I still like ES's cover though

I can't believe that I am the only one with Raphael Saadiq on their list. Wow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjTccwj0IZc

I bought it. I should probably list it as just missing the cut. I like several of the songs, but rarely just spin the whole thing. Might just not be my taste.

Also, I pretty much have to get that fucked up record. Too many people are saying they love it.

I love SG, but WS wins, and heresy though it may be, I prefer Elliott Smith singing it. Just affects me more.

My list is way too "mainstream" to have any cred here..

Yuck - Yuck

Cults - Cults

Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong

Washed Out - Within & Without (Amor Fati!!!)

Fleet Foxes - Hopelessness Blues

Hey Rosetta! - Seeds (Yer Spring is fantastic)

The Antlers - Burst Apart

Just missed the cut:

Devotchka - 100 Lovers (The Alley and All The Sand... are both great songs, but the album falls off too fast after that. Probably the best packaging though.)

I am sure I left something essential out that I'll regret later.

Okay, so I haven't heard all of it yet. Those that have, is the rest of it on par with Calgary? If so, I can't wait. I love that song.

PS - he's touring with The Rosebuds... have my copy of their new one on order as well...

Sublime.

Okay, I'm trying to get this to take. Hasn't quite yet, though that album cover is nearly reason alone to love it.

I do quite like just don't and over you. The latter sounds like it'd be a great live track. The stripped down version of just don't on KEXP is fantastic. Not sure if this is bad form, but here's a link to it:

The pace finally picked up in this week's episode. It's going to be a roller coaster ride from here til episode 10.

 

Okkervil River - I Am Very Far

EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints

 

On a bit of a winning streak this morning. Two more fantastic albums.

I am presently digesting both of those, and have been listening to these two as well:

Both are really good, but Yuck took me totally by surprise. Fans of 90s rock - especially J.Mascis/Dinosaur Jr., Pavement, etc will probably really dig this. Really surprised by how much I like this one. Just a throughly enjoyable listen from beginning to end (not to take anything away from POBPAH's candy lyrics over Pumpkins guitars).

Sister - Country and top 40/hip hop

Brother #1 - Allman Bros, CSNY, etc

Brother #2 - Pretty much stuck in the late 60's early 70s, though he seems to like almost every indie band I play for him.

Mom - Neil Diamond, (bad) Rod Stewart & Journey. Carol King a long time ago.

Dad - listens to christian "rock" and other church group approved garbage, but I know he secretly loves Moody Blues & Bob Dylan

My sister is insufferably bad - e.g. Lady Gag {sic], the country song about rain/corn/whiskey/frisky, etc.

My dad probably saved my childhood, though he made no effort to. He'd throw Dylan on in the car or on a Friday night after he'd had a couple.

It is possible to reject some of the politics that got us to where OBL was an enemy, but still condemn him for a cowardly, despicable act.

It was great to finally see Americans celebrating together holding American flags and just being proud to be Americans for once.. Haven't seen that in a while..

I'm enjoying the brief timeout on the hyper-partisanship.

Also, who knew OBL's death would be such great fodder for the late night crew? J-Stew was on fire last night.

I am sure he is dead, fairly confident that we got a highly sanitized version of the events, grateful anyway, and also certain that 99.9% of the reason for the quick & quiet sea burial was to minimize his poential martyrdom.

I don't care. It's justice. Dirty, bloody, vindicative justice. And this time, that's just fine by me. I dont care if we ran out on Afghanistan, etc, it didn't and never will justify killing thousands of civilians in a terrorist attack. Never. Ever.

I also don't believe this ends our entanglements in the region, not by a long shot, though it may shift the theaters of focus (especially the impending, ievitable dustup over pakistan's complicency). And are we still equating our involvement in Iraq to OBL?

The only thing this killing signifies is that the wheel of justice is inevitible. And while slower than the govt preferred, nonetheless that was the message it wanted to send.