Anyone heard the new Handsome Family record?

[Stone]

Well? How is it?

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/images/image/18811.last-days-of-wonder.gif

[tentoze]

I made a supreme sacrifice (for me) on Sunday and ventured into Tower, since I couldn't find it anywhere else locally- they had one copy and I left with it.

How is it? After a few spinnages, I think it's very good. Not much new ground being tilled in any of it, other than some jazzy guitar riffs slipping into the twang on one song. I don't think it's nearly as strong as Singing Bones, but that one would be hard to top, IMO. It's as nonsensically engaging, lyrically, as one could reasonably expect, but Brent's vocals remain quite restrained throughout- he never really lets loose those volcanic baritone pipes of his. It will no doubt make my top ten for the year, in a very slow year for me.

[Davey]

Heard one, you've heard em all. Not that I've heard em all, but I have heard more than one. Are you a big fan? I like their stuff but haven't quite made the transition to big fan like tentoze and nobody and a few others around here (or that used to be around here since there probably aren't a few around here anymore).

What am I looking forward to you ask? Well, obviously that new Califone album that bears a striking resemblance to my avatar. Yeah, baby! Roots & Crowns. Some great advance talk about it, including some from Tim Rutili calling it his best work yet. Which means I've got a space reserved for it at the top of my best of 2006 list.

In the meanwhile, just to keep my finger on the trigger, been playing a lot of that first Califone EP, which has some of my favorite moments, including that fine fine song "Pastry Sharp" that became the inspiration for their website and is available at http://www.pastrysharp.com/site/mp3s/Pastry%20Sharp.mp3 ...

by the time i filter down to you
a finger for an invitation
too sane to find the feel
cotton blood, a jewelry box

the last to leave
the last to come
the elevator waits to take you down
she throws a prayer you'll never catch
and i'm not holding on

Also just scored a copy of their odds and sods live rarities hand painted disc from last year called Everybody's Mother. Sick, I know. But they're really the only band right now that makes me do silly things, like buying just about anything related to any of the past, present or future members that I can find.

BTW, this thread has been officially hijacked.

[Stone]

Heard one, you've heard em all. Not that I've heard em all, but I have heard more than one. Are you a big fan? I like their stuff but haven't quite made the transition to big fan like tentoze and nobody and a few others around here (or that used to be around here since there probably aren't a few around here anymore).

Man, you're demanding. I wouldn't call myself a big fan, but I do really like the two albums of theirs I have. No, it's not groundbreaking, but I do really like their style, so it suits me just fine.




BTW, this thread has been officially hijacked.

A two-post-thread hijack? Now that's what I call pitiful.

[tentoze]

Heard one, you've heard em all.

Califone, you mean.


BTW, this thread has been officially hijacked.

Never mind. You two carry on and all.

:wink5:

[Davey]

A two-post-thread hijack? Now that's what I call pitiful.
Hehehe, it is your subject though. Hard to get much gas behind a thread hijack if nobody reads it, eh? Doesn't anyone else have a silly record no one else cares about that they're looking forward to hearing in the coming months besides me? Where's the brotherhood? Sisterhood? Can't I get a witness? New Lisa Germano in another week or so too.

http://forums.audioreview.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

BTW, pitchfork images hang up my work computer. If you care.

[tentoze]

Hehehe, it is your subject though. Hard to get much gas behind a thread hijack if nobody reads it, eh? Doesn't anyone else have a silly record no one else cares about that they're looking forward to hearing in the coming months besides me? Where's the brotherhood? Sisterhood? Can't I get a witness? New Lisa Germano in another week or so too.

http://forums.audioreview.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

BTW, pitchfork images hang up my work computer. If you care.

Since when did you ever have a job???????????

New Guy Clark release next month and woe on all of you who have a disparaging word about that.

:)

[Davey]

Since when did you ever have a job???????????
My mom quit sending me money. Whaddaya expect me to do? Gotta have beer money. But I guess they installed a new Pitchfork image blocker at my Taco Bell. Jerks!

[nobody]

I've listened to it from a download and will be picking it up eventually as I am a pretty big fan of these guys and it is a solid release. Hoping to end the weekend with both this and the new Johnny Cash what with my fancy new tie wearin' job and all.

That said, Davey does have a point that you pretty much know what to expect with these guys, but I personally think its really no big deal as most bands give you little more than slight variations, except when they fly off track and start doing things they're not particularly good at. I think it may stick out a bit more that their albums are all quite similar since they are so unique. It don't take more than a few seconds to know who you're listening to, distinctive music and vocals.

If you like folky, backwoods americana with well-written lyrics, with a dark moody sensibility, they're a band for you. The instrumentation is well played and recorded and the klyrics tend to be of the storytelling variety and rarely feature your standard verse/chorus kinda thing.

If you wanna start with the new one, I see no real reason not to, although you'd be just as well served starting elsewheree. Through the Trees is probably the one where their style really solidified and its a great listen.

[Davey]

Heard one, you've heard em all.
Califone, you mean.
Ouch, guess I shoulda seen that one coming, eh? Guess I shoulda also remembered that old saying about teaching an old dog new tricks. Hey, where is our not-quite-as-old-as-us buddy newtrix lately? Must be pretty busy.

I can listen to a Califone record over and over and over for days on end. Don't really get that inclination from the Family, but didn't mean to disparage any of you thin-skinned souls that might get that from the Family. They are a pretty cool couple, although sometimes I do wonder if they shouldn't be under more careful observation. Crazy as a sack full of ferrets. My kind of folk.

[tentoze]

O. Crazy as a sack full of ferrets. My kind of folk.

Yup- crazy as run-over chickens.

[Stone]

... with my fancy new tie wearin' job and all.


Really? How you like it? What kind of work is your wife doing these days? Is she glad she became a lawyer?

[nobody]

She's not yet practicing...doing some social work again...needs to pass the bar...third try coming up later this month, so cross your fingers for her. She's just glad to have a decent job in the meantime now though because she was really having trouble getting anything since everyone assumes she'll take off once she pases the bar, so even with around 15 years of experience, she was getting nothing but some part time gig.

I went back into the office world, writing grant proposals to help po folks get healthcare, just in time to avoid the summer heat, which I can't stand. I gotta wear a tie and all that crap, but at least I do get to work in the ghetto, so its not too uptight for me. And, I can always stop at the end of the block and pick which strip club I wanna unwind at. Was only getting 25-30 hours with the construction gig lately as two other shops had major lay offs and we were trying to keep a ton of people busy...and just pissing everyone off with tiny paychecks in the process. So, I just needed to get something with a more regular check and saw this gig and grabbed it.

Good news is, once we get caught up on bills, I'll have plenty of cash for music, especially since we moved into a really cheap place just before we both got jobs. Wife got her first check today, so I''ll be heading to grab a couple new things this weekend.

Let me know if you want me to hook you up with any Handsome Family stuff that I've already got. I think you'd like 'em.