The albums thread - 2014

[tinycowboy]

I tried to give the Avi Buffalo record a listen with 'er indoors yesterday, thought it might suit a lazy Sunday afternoon. We got half way through the second track before it was given the elbow (I suspect it might have been related to the vocals)

Vocals can ruin things quite easily (as per my previous post which really I should have incorporated within this post). I don't mind his voice, but it does tire me after a while. Luckily, the first track is the standout.

 

[Buzzer]

I like this, my wife does not. Something to do with the vocals. In the same way, my wife complains if I play Broadcast. Some types of female vocal make her quite angry.

My girlfriend's the same. She doesn't get my obsession with female indie singers. It's becoming a bit of a sticking point if I'm honest as I like to play Hafdis Huld and Beth Orton loud and often.

 

[spring hall convert]

Brightonian band, Fear of Men has been a constant this weekend. Very much a "Resident Records"-type band. Folky, whimsical, beautiful lyrics, slightly downtempo.

Caught them live in the summer and was shocked by their progression. They used to be a charming but scrappy lo-fi affair, not unlike Times New Viking. They are now a really slick professional dream-pop outfit. A bit samey but very good at what they did, I wouldn't be at all suprised if they are playing bigger venues before long.

 

[tinycowboy]

My girlfriend's the same. She doesn't get my obsession with female indie singers. It's becoming a bit of a sticking point if I'm honest as I like to play Hafdis Huld and Beth Orton loud and often.

Please think of the children - and I'm pretty sure Beth would encourage you to find some common ground (Jenny Lewis?) before calling in the lawyers.

Caught them live in the summer and was shocked by their progression. They used to be a charming but scrappy lo-fi affair, not unlike Times New Viking. They are now a really slick professional dream-pop outfit. A bit samey but very good at what they did, I wouldn't be at all suprised if they are playing bigger venues before long.

They need some exposure on the soundtrack of a surprise indie flick hit set amongst young Americans having some teething problems in their post-college years.

 

[spring hall convert]

They need some exposure on the soundtrack of a surprise indie flick hit set amongst young Americans having some teething problems in their post-college years.

Spot on.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

My girlfriend's the same. She doesn't get my obsession with female indie singers. It's becoming a bit of a sticking point if I'm honest as I like to play Hafdis Huld and Beth Orton loud and often.

Girls, eh?

My wife is quite happy generally with my music choices, at the twee end of the Indie spectrum - The School are our common ground. Hafdis Huld she is having NONE of though - I think 'Daisy' as her introduction was just TOO sugar-sweet.

I also think she may just be slightly irrationally jealous, tbh. Just like with Harriett Wheeler back in the day, she knows that its not only Huld's voice that I'm a tiny bit in love with.

 

[Ludensian Gull]

I bought this last week. It's a real grower isn't it?

Really enjoying it,must say I'm finding a lot of music from these threads some not to my taste but some real gems.

 

[Buzzer]

I found this funny

http://www.theguardian.com/music/mu...t-indie-diss-tracks-mark-kozelek-war-on-drugs

And I know which side I'm on, with apologies to HT and others

I'm firmly on the side of FACTMAG with this brilliant writers' reviews of SKM's quite pathetic 7 minute whinge.

http://www.factmag.com/2014/10/13/i-know-its-for-charity-but-fk/2/


(The review of "God Only Knows" further on is something else to behold too).

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Been giving the Caribou album a lot of spins over the past few days. Quite an incredible album and successfully transfers a clear understanding of the dance floor into an album format. Endless simple melodies and hooks and dynamics. The Frau liked it so much she went and bought the vinyl version.

 

[Buzzer]

Have you heard the album 'Liminal' by The Acid? It's a side-project of Adam Freeland and very much in the same sort of territory as Caribou although a lot more accessible, I'd say. Reminiscent of Atoms For Peace and Thom Yorke's solo electronic stuff. Or even the remixes of Damon Albarn's more sedentary tracks from his latest. An album I'm enjoying greatly despite growing to hate him every time I hear of him. In a recent interview, Tricky says that he would never work with Damon Albarn again. The pair of them were walking through a very rough area of Leeds once and Tricky commented "Look at this, these kids got nothing.". Albarn's response: "They've got us".

 

[Kumquat]

I'm firmly on the side of FACTMAG with this brilliant writers' reviews of SKM's quite pathetic 7 minute whinge.

http://www.factmag.com/2014/10/13/i-know-its-for-charity-but-fk/2/


(The review of "God Only Knows" further on is something else to behold too).

Kozelek is the only one laughing. he's got the publicity he wanted. Anyone whose watched him play over the years knows what he's about and this is another classic. What surprises me is how many people fall into the trap. Comments like "it tarnishes the lustre of Benji" and the like are much more childish than Kozelek's imho.

 

[Kumquat]

Been giving the Caribou album a lot of spins over the past few days. Quite an incredible album and successfully transfers a clear understanding of the dance floor into an album format. Endless simple melodies and hooks and dynamics. The Frau liked it so much she went and bought the vinyl version.

Fantastic album. Been playing it alongside the new Peaking Lights effort which is also astounding (they've gone all Fever Ray). Even the short experimental ones like Dive and Julia Brightly work really well.
[MENTION=5200]Buzzer[/MENTION] I'll check out Liminal by The Acid. Sounds right up my alley.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

The pair of them were walking through a very rough area of Leeds once and Tricky commented "Look at this, these kids got nothing.". Albarn's response: "They've got us".

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Have you heard the album 'Liminal' by The Acid? It's a side-project of Adam Freeland and very much in the same sort of territory as Caribou although a lot more accessible, I'd say. Reminiscent of Atoms For Peace and Thom Yorke's solo electronic stuff. Or even the remixes of Damon Albarn's more sedentary tracks from his latest. An album I'm enjoying greatly despite growing to hate him every time I hear of him. In a recent interview, Tricky says that he would never work with Damon Albarn again. The pair of them were walking through a very rough area of Leeds once and Tricky commented "Look at this, these kids got nothing.". Albarn's response: "They've got us".

I read a review of Liminal a short while ago and thought it sounded like my thing...your post has sealed the deal as I've literally just gone and bought it.

I'm a big fan of Albarn as you probably know, and really do like his solo offering althought it took some time to fully appreciate as it is quite sparce at times. I tend to listen to it on my own with a some booze on the go; works well. As much as I admire him he really has the potential to be a knob at times. I have heard similar stories to the one you mention....at times he gets quite close to Bono levels of self-importance.

 

[Buzzer]

Kozelek is the only one laughing. he's got the publicity he wanted. Anyone whose watched him play over the years knows what he's about and this is another classic. What surprises me is how many people fall into the trap. Comments like "it tarnishes the lustre of Benji" and the like are much more childish than Kozelek's imho.

I'm not sure anyone's fallen into a trap here. Sure he's a controversial bloke and he thrives on this persona but when he's being a **** like with this record...and there's no denying this is an incredibly twatty thing to do, then I think it's almost the duty of these professional music reviewers to point this out. Hopefully, Kozelek might reflect on this. I doubt it but you never know...recently, Henry Rollins was absolutely pulled apart because of comments he made regarding the suicide of Robin Williams. To his credit he took this all on board and his response made me respect him so much more.

And I don't think that a few tart comments by a music reviewer on a fairly niche website is more childish than a fairly mainstream artist releasing a song called "War On Drugs Can Suck My F*cking Dick" - and all because Kozelek could hear WoD playing when he went on stage at a festival. The music reviewers' words aren't even in the same solar system of childishness.

I'll just add that I'm a huge fan of Kozelek's music especially the latest album and given a choice between watching WoD and SKM at a festival then Kozelek wins every time.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I'm a big fan of Albarn as you probably know, and really do like his solo offering althought it took some time to fully appreciate as it is quite sparce at times. I tend to listen to it on my own with a some booze on the go; works well. As much as I admire him he really has the potential to be a knob at times. I have heard similar stories to the one you mention....at times he gets quite close to Bono levels of self-importance.

I've never found it difficult to separate the music from the man. Sometimes you have to - Morrissey is a great example of just how brilliant AND irritating, one man can be.

Albarn is a very talented guy, who has put together a very impressive and diverse body of work.

Through the early Blur work, and the Gorrilaz stuff, to the solo work and the under-rated The Good, the Bad and the Queen album, there's something for everyone.

To think back to the Britpop years and the Albarn v Liam Gallagher spats - Albarn has constantly extended himself since, whilst Oasis, and then Gallagher alone have released half a dozen albums of the same dated stuff on repeat.

 

[Kumquat]

I'm not sure anyone's fallen into a trap here. Sure he's a controversial bloke and he thrives on this persona but when he's being a **** like with this record...and there's no denying this is an incredibly twatty thing to do, then I think it's almost the duty of these professional music reviewers to point this out. Hopefully, Kozelek might reflect on this. I doubt it but you never know...recently, Henry Rollins was absolutely pulled apart because of comments he made regarding the suicide of Robin Williams. To his credit he took this all on board and his response made me respect him so much more.

And I don't think that a few tart comments by a music reviewer on a fairly niche website is more childish than a fairly mainstream artist releasing a song called "War On Drugs Can Suck My F*cking Dick" - and all because Kozelek could hear WoD playing when he went on stage at a festival. The music reviewers' words aren't even in the same solar system of childishness.

I don't think Kozelek gives a shit about what happenend on stage. He's just seen an oppportunity and he knows it will get him some publicity like that Guardian article. Fair point though, the reviewer's comment wasn't childish but a bit silly. Does it really debase Kozelek's album? As for the bloke who slaags his album off whil at the same time saying he didn't get past the first two tracks? Well, I'm not sure what the right word for that is. War on Drugs themselves seem to have taken it well once they realised what he was about. They probably know full well their album is better than his and are a bit less precious than some of those reviewers. Just my view. I think Kozelek does it for exactly the reaction those reviewers have given him.

 

[Buzzer]

I've never found it difficult to separate the music from the man. Sometimes you have to - Morrissey is a great example of just how brilliant AND irritating, one man can be.

Albarn is a very talented guy, who has put together a very impressive and diverse body of work.

Through the early Blur work, and the Gorrilaz stuff, to the solo work and the under-rated The Good, the Bad and the Queen album, there's something for everyone.

To think back to the Britpop years and the Albarn v Liam Gallagher spats - Albarn has constantly extended himself since, whilst Oasis, and then Gallagher alone have released half a dozen albums of the same dated stuff on repeat.

The collaborations Albarn did with those Mali singers is very good too. I think you're right, of all the Brit Pop acts Albarn is the one who has still kept pushing himself and his music. Take someone like Jarvis Cocker, more talented than most, his solo work hasn't reached anywhere near the levels that DA consistently achieves. In fact, I expect Jarvis to duet with Scott Walker or release a Jacques Brel tribute album any time soon.

And I love those stories about Albarn's twattishness. A particular favourite is when that chap from the Streets won a Brit. Albarn went up to him afterwards, gave him a gram of charlie and said "Welcome to my world."

 

[spring hall convert]

Been playing it alongside the new Peaking Lights effort which is also astounding

Wow! 936 is in my top albums of the decade so far, the new one to these ears is terrible cod reggae mixed with Europop. The decision to bring Indra's voice front centre is ridiculous - she can't sing and it just brings focus on some utterly excruciating lyrics. There are some pretty sounds here and there but not nearly enough.

In the space of 2 records they've gone from favourite band to pet hate.

 

[spring hall convert]

To think back to the Britpop years and the Albarn v Liam Gallagher spats - Albarn has constantly extended himself since, whilst Oasis, and then Gallagher alone have released half a dozen albums of the same dated stuff on repeat.

As evidenced by the new NG song. It's ok but completely dated. Albarn for all his faults would never release something like that.