Just got new Editors, Built to Spill, Interpol & Spoon!

[Swish]

So far, Built to Spill and Spoon are sounding really, really good. Editors is a bit more upbeat than their debut, but pretty good so far, and Interpol is getting better with each spin.

Anyway else get a listen to any of this besides Spoon? That was already covered on another thread.

Swish

[3-LockBox]

New BTS?!? Hell, its taken me this long to warm-up to the last year's, You In Reverse.

What's it called?

[ForeverAutumn]

I still need to pick up that Spoon disk. And I've read some good stuff about the new Interpol. But I just bought new golf clubs so I'm trying to exercise some restraint on the CD spending for a few weeks...but...it's...so...hard!

Why does it have to be so hard?!

[GMichael]

...but...it's...so...hard!

Why does it have to be so hard?!

Tisk... That's just the way it is.

[Slosh]

Not really new (unless you consider You In Reverse new :p ) but NP:

[Swish]

New BTS?!? Hell, its taken me this long to warm-up to the last year's, You In Reverse.

What's it called?

I should have said 'the latest Built to Spill'. I never got it for some unknown reason and a friend hooked me up. They don't even have a release date for a new one.

Swish

[Mr MidFi]

You know, I started putting BTS - YIR back into heavy rotation again about 2 months ago and it just won't come out! I might just be ready to name it my fave from them...and that's saying a lot. I flat-out love that disc, and it doesn't seem to fade for me.

And as I reported in an earlier thread, I am definitely digging that new Spoon. Solid songwriting, and great production values to boot. I'll check out Interpol's set at the 'palooza to see if their new stuff grooves me.

[Swish]

You know, I started putting BTS - YIR back into heavy rotation again about 2 months ago and it just won't come out! I might just be ready to name it my fave from them...and that's saying a lot. I flat-out love that disc, and it doesn't seem to fade for me.

And as I reported in an earlier thread, I am definitely digging that new Spoon. Solid songwriting, and great production values to boot. I'll check out Interpol's set at the 'palooza to see if their new stuff grooves me.

...Ancient Melodies of the Future (Down Slosh! Down!), but this one has me hooked. And the new Editors is right up my 1980s alley.

G Swish

[Swish]

Tisk... That's just the way it is.

...gutter, can you? Wish I had typed it first.

G Swish

[Ex Lion Tamer]

They don't even have a release date for a new one.

Swish

Considering it was 5 years betwwen You in Reverse and Ancient Melodies, I would advise against holding one's breath in anticipation.

Like Mr. MidFi I put YIR back into the rotation recently too, along with most of their albums, in honour of the anticipation of finally getting to see them in concert, and I agree with his assessment that it is among their finest albums, but all their albums are so closely packed together; that is they are all so good that my favorite could easily change from week to week with You In Reverse, Keep it Like A Secret, Perfect From Now On, and even There's Nothing Wrong with Love and Ancient Melodies too, taking their turn at the top of my personal list.

...probably my favorite band of the last 10 years.

I haven't heard the other albums yet, except of course Ga Ga Ga Ga, but I'm sure the Interpol will make its way into my library soon enough. I'll report when it does.

On an unrelated note, I did pick up Nick Cave's Abbatoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus, and it is a really great album; my most satisfying purchase of the last six months I'd say.

[3-LockBox]

...Ancient Melodies of the Future

is their masterpiece, one of the best albums of the decade (so far).

[Swish]

is their masterpiece, one of the best albums of the decade (so far).

Could I please have some of whatever you're smoking? Seriously though, I sometimes don't give a new cd a chance. If it doesn't grab me early, it doesn't make it into my rotation. This one never stuck with me, but it did garner some fairly lofty reviews, so maybe I need to dust it off and give it another go. But one of the best of the last decade? Nah.

Swish

[Mike]

So far, Built to Spill and Spoon are sounding really, really good. Editors is a bit more upbeat than their debut, but pretty good so far, and Interpol is getting better with each spin.

Anyway else get a listen to any of this besides Spoon? That was already covered on another thread.

Swish

Ditto ditto on the Spoon, nuff said. I've been playing the Editors for a few weeks now and it's finally getting under my skin, it is more upbeat/commercial not as dark as their debut, but they still pull it off, vocalist Tom Smith makes a great sound.

The Interpol I haven't gone for yet, read mixed reviews so far, one asking where's the bass in the mix gone! As for Built to Spill I'm with everybody else it seems and treating You In Reverse as their latest!

And was it you who offered that download comp which featured Super Furry Animals, where did that come from?

Cheers
Mike

Cheers
Mike

[Monkey Bones]

The Interpol I haven't gone for yet, read mixed reviews so far, one asking where's the bass in the mix gone!

The bass and everything else is so totally brickwalled on the new Interpol that I don't know how anyone could pick out anything to say it's missing. Just a wall of noise that never lets up. The joys of modern CD mastering, as defined by the major labels. Even if one of these bands did, by some twisted alignment of the asteroids, manage to create a record that stood the test of time long into the future, who would listen to such crappy sound once the music world comes back to its collective senses (or actually starts using its senses)? Does that qualify as a rant. Sorry :cornut:


http://members.mailaka.net/davey/interpol.jpg

But the new Interpol is kind of good. Unlistenable for the most part, unless you're really working on a good buzz, but probably better than Antics, which was already mastered pretty loud.

And on a completely different note, I'm listening right now to the very nice new Electrelane CD, No Shouts No Calls, recorded in Michigan at Key Club with the husband and wife team of Jessica Ruffins and Bill Skibbe, who also put together Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio. And mastered very nicely by Steve Rooke at Abbey Road. Still a bit louder than the previous albums they did with Albini at the controls, but this I can listen to all day, because there is some real musical dynamics left. Some nuance. And it still rocks. This one just grows and grows for me, their best yet. So much the sound of a band playing in unison. My CD of the year. And the vinyl is probably even that much better. Jonathan Shipley has a cool observation in his blog about the song playing right now for me ...

'Saturday' is even better. It starts with a delicate guitar intro. "I've got a photo from a long time ago", Verity sings "Put it in your pocket, hold it in your pocket", Mia replies. "I've got a ring that my grandmother gave to me", Verity sings back, inviting Mia's "Wear it on your finger, wear it on your finger". Suddenly the drums double their pace and a heartbreaking four note piano line appears from nowhere, making every hair on my neck and arms clamber to its feet.

http://assistantbrighton.blogspot.com/2007/04/electrelane-no-shouts-no-calls.html


http://members.mailaka.net/davey/electrelane.jpg

edit: fixed link for blogspot

[Swish]

The bass and everything else is so totally brickwalled on the new Interpol that I don't know how anyone could pick out anything to say it's missing. Just a wall of noise that never lets up. The joys of modern CD mastering, as defined by the major labels. Even if one of these bands did, by some twisted alignment of the asteroids, manage to create a record that stood the test of time long into the future, who would listen to such crappy sound once the music world comes back to its collective senses (or actually starts using its senses)? Does that qualify as a rant. Sorry :cornut:


http://members.mailaka.net/davey/interpol.jpg

But the new Interpol is kind of good. Unlistenable for the most part, unless you're really working on a good buzz, but probably better than Antics, which was already mastered pretty loud.

And on a completely different note, I'm listening right now to the very nice new Electrelane CD, No Shouts No Calls, recorded in Michigan at Key Club with the husband and wife team of Jessica Ruffins and Bill Skibbe, who also put together Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio. And mastered very nicely by Steve Rooke at Abbey Road. Still a bit louder than the previous albums they did with Albini at the controls, but this I can listen to all day, because there is some real musical dynamics left. Some nuance. And it still rocks. This one just grows and grows for me, their best yet. So much the sound of a band playing in unison. My CD of the year. And the vinyl is probably even that much better. Jonathan Shipley has a cool observation in his blog about the song playing right now for me ...


...I've only listened to the Interpol in my car, hardly a place for critical review. I just got the Electrelane cd but haven't opened the box yet, but plan to take it on my 2 day trip tomorrow.

Swish Baby

[Monkey Bones]

I just got the Electrelane cd but haven't opened the box yet, but plan to take it on my 2 day trip tomorrow.
"Tram 21" is one of the most motoriffic tunes I've heard in a very long time. Wir fahr'n fahr'n fahr'n auf der Autobahn, indeed. There's a video for the song, shot while motoring around Katwijk in Holland. Be a great song to hit the road. I think they wrote the album in Berlin, and it does pick up some of that Krautrock influence of bands like Neu! and Kraftwerk, but mostly on the subtle, more organic side. Have a good trip :)

Comes with a pretty cool poster with the lyrics and notes on the back as well, by Lecia Dole-Recio, kind of like something inspired by Wassily Kandinsky, whom I love.

[ForeverAutumn]

'Saturday' is even better. It starts with a delicate guitar intro. "I've got a photo from a long time ago", Verity sings "Put it in your pocket, hold it in your pocket", Mia replies. "I've got a ring that my grandmother gave to me", Verity sings back, inviting Mia's "Wear it on your finger, wear it on your finger". Suddenly the drums double their pace and a heartbreaking four note piano line appears from nowhere, making every hair on my neck and arms clamber to its feet.

I like that review. Is this something that I would like, do you think?

[ForeverAutumn]

Thanks for linking up that song Davey. You're right, it's not my thing. I don't hate it, but I don't see myself listening to a whole CD of it either. Just goes to show how powerful a good review can be.

I need to get myself into a store to pick up that new Spoon disk though.

[Monkey Bones]

Thanks for linking up that song Davey. You're right, it's not my thing. I don't hate it, but I don't see myself listening to a whole CD of it either.

You're welcome, happy to do it. Fun to see more mature folks like myself (and most others around here, even though some of em claim to be much younger than me, don't believe em http://forums.audioreview.com/images/icons/icon12.gif) take a chance on some new sounds. So much of what we ultimately really fall in love with still has to be built on some foundation, and that often starts way back when we were young. I think bands like Electrelane are destined to stay in that category, not an easy sound to just embrace without already loving the musical journey that preceded it. The latest from Blonde Redhead and Shearwater are a bit like that too, and not surprisingly, two of my current favorites. Then again, I may just have crappy taste.


Just goes to show how powerful a good review can be.

Yep, and how subjective music can be, though sometimes I do enjoy the challenge of discovering why a critic felt so strongly about an album that I don't particularly like. Especially if I invested the time and money in it because of that review. That's probably the story behind more of my favorites these days than I realize. But I am kind of a sucker for reviews like that blogspot, ones that convey such a tangible connection between the music and listener.

[ForeverAutumn]

I checked out the Blonde Redhead that you kept raving about. I didn't like that much either. C'est la vie.

[Monkey Bones]

I checked out the Blonde Redhead that you kept raving about. I didn't like that much either. C'est la vie.

Yea, good example of what I was just saying, without my love of all that ethereal guitar haze dream pop from the 80s, that in turn lead to my big love of the shoegaze bands of the 90s and a further exploration of the former, hard to imagine 23 making such a big impact on me. But I do love that mix of Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine that they've grown into now, especially when mixed in with some of the harder guitar driven songs from earlier in their career, where they owed a little more to an unlikely (unholy?) mix of Abbey Road-era Beatles and Daydream-era Sonic Youth (and maybe even some spacey David Bowie). So many things I love now come dragging around a lot of Velvet Underground baggage from my misspent early rock and roll days.

[ForeverAutumn]

Man, that's way too much analysis for me.

Either I dig it or I don't. :)

[Monkey Bones]

Either I dig it or I don't. :)

Totally dude .... but still sometimes fun to know why, or why not :)

[Swish]

"Tram 21" is one of the most motoriffic tunes I've heard in a very long time. Wir fahr'n fahr'n fahr'n auf der Autobahn, indeed. There's a video for the song, shot while motoring around Katwijk in Holland. Be a great song to hit the road. I think they wrote the album in Berlin, and it does pick up some of that Krautrock influence of bands like Neu! and Kraftwerk, but mostly on the subtle, more organic side. Have a good trip :)

Comes with a pretty cool poster with the lyrics and notes on the back as well, by Lecia Dole-Recio, kind of like something inspired by Wassily Kandinsky, whom I love.

...well, maybe not my favorite, but what a treasure. Yes, I only listened to it in my car, but the recording is superb, the band tight, and the vocals totally captivating. This reminds me of everything I like about music that's fairly simplistic and not overly produced, but with great melodies and a sense of 'something more' going on. It's going to be in my regular rotation for months to come.

Swish

[3-LockBox]

The bass and everything else is so totally brickwalled on the new Interpol that I don't know how anyone could pick out anything to say it's missing. Just a wall of noise that never lets up. The joys of modern CD mastering, as defined by the major labels. Even if one of these bands did, by some twisted alignment of the asteroids, manage to create a record that stood the test of time long into the future, who would listen to such crappy sound once the music world comes back to its collective senses (or actually starts using its senses)? Does that qualify as a rant. Sorry

Rant on. So much of what I hear in music these days is mastered so badly, I may as well sell off my equipment and just buy a boombox. What on earth are they thinking?

[Monkey Bones]

Yes, I only listened to it in my car, but the recording is superb, the band tight, and the vocals totally captivating.

Yeah, wait'll you get a chance to really sink down with it at home. Fun to hear a rock record with some real in-room presence. The stereo feel is really nice, especially on a song like I mentioned above, where Verity and Mia are trading lines, the voices come from different locations which really adds to the context. Not the zany distracting ping-pong stuff of those 60s stereo records like Hendrix and the Beatles, but much more subtle, and integrated with the music. Like a band playing together in a real space. Puts them in your room. I need to try some other records that were recorded by this team.

[Jim Clark]

Any more thoughts on the Interpol disc besides the crappy mastering? I never have pulled the trigger on that one despite my adoration of the first two. One bad review scared me off pretty fast. Talk about your fair weather fan.

jc

[Davey]

Any more thoughts on the Interpol disc besides the crappy mastering?
I'm not really that big a fan, but they do have a nice sound. Just wish it was more sympathetically presented. Hard to believe that the artists themselves want their music to be presented like this, with so much of the thought that must've went into making it nearly obscured by the high amount of compression, and peak limiting, and the resulting distortion, but I know many do want that in-your-face type of sound these days, regardless of the music type.

I haven't listened to it much, but it doesn't strike me as much different from Antics, although that one surprised me since I came to it late and didn't expect to like it as much as I did, even though it was kind of short-lived. Still, seems like they left something out that they once knew...and I don't think they'll get it back. Heard the LP was a little better, but haven't seen any proof yet.

[Slosh]

Yea, good example of what I was just saying, without my love of all that ethereal guitar haze dream pop from the 80s, that in turn lead to my big love of the shoegaze bands of the 90s and a further exploration of the former, hard to imagine 23 making such a big impact on me. But I do love that mix of Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine that they've grown into now, especially when mixed in with some of the harder guitar driven songs from earlier in their career, where they owed a little more to an unlikely (unholy?) mix of Abbey Road-era Beatles and Daydream-era Sonic Youth (and maybe even some spacey David Bowie). So many things I love now come dragging around a lot of Velvet Underground baggage from my misspent early rock and roll days.Hey, I'm listening to 23 right now for the first time and it sounds pretty damn good to me. I'll definitely have to use a track from this on my 2007 Overflow YEC. The only other Blonde Redhead I have is Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons which I haven't listened to in a while. Guess I gotta copy the LP to CD-R then rip it to the computer so I can get it onto my mp3 player. :)

NP: (duh!)

[Jim Clark]

And I finally got around to grabbing the Interpol and The Editors. Wow, can't believe I waited so long for either one. I'm digging.

Already had Blonde Redhead. Like it, not totally digging it but then again, I don't dig Radiohead and this seems very similar in a lot of respects.

jc

[Mr MidFi]

I'm surprised you didn't get the Interpol earlier, Jim. Seems like it would be right up your alley.

Despite the "wall of noise" production values, it'll prolly end up on my top 10 for '08.

[Jim Clark]

I'm surprised you didn't get the Interpol earlier, Jim. Seems like it would be right up your alley.

Despite the "wall of noise" production values, it'll prolly end up on my top 10 for '08.

I read this gawd awful review when it first came out. Like you and everyone else I buy way too many CDs and way too much gear. It seemed like a decent enough way to save 10 bucks. Of course my will power being what it is, I broke down. My bad, and I agree with you that it's pretty darned good, a top 10 contender for me as well.

jc

[Mr MidFi]

I read this gawd awful review when it first came out. Like you and everyone else I buy way too many CDs and way too much gear. It seemed like a decent enough way to save 10 bucks. Of course my will power being what it is, I broke down. My bad, and I agree with you that it's pretty darned good, a top 10 contender for me as well.

jc

I didn't really get into it the first couple of times I listened. But then, after I'd seen them do these songs live, it took on a more vital character for me. Sometimes it just happens that way.

Not that I'm jumping the gun or anything, but who has the inside track for your year-end #1 spot at this point?

[Jim Clark]

I didn't really get into it the first couple of times I listened. But then, after I'd seen them do these songs live, it took on a more vital character for me. Sometimes it just happens that way.

Not that I'm jumping the gun or anything, but who has the inside track for your year-end #1 spot at this point?

The National seems to be the one to beat for me. Although I really do enjoy the Andrew Bird disc a whole lot. Someone really cool here who shall remain nameless sent me a preview copy and I didn't much care for it at first but later I pulled it back out and fell in love with it.

What about you?

jc

[Mr MidFi]

The National seems to be the one to beat for me. Although I really do enjoy the Andrew Bird disc a whole lot. Someone really cool here who shall remain nameless sent me a preview copy and I didn't much care for it at first but later I pulled it back out and fell in love with it.

What about you?

jc

I'm a relative latecomer to Boxer, and it's still growing on me. It's got a cool vibe all the way through. But I really do want to give that singer a shot of espresso sometimes. The Bird disc is definitely a keeper, although it loses a little momentum in the middle.

But it would take something huge and unexpected right now to knock Spoon out of the top spot for me.

[Jim Clark]

I'm a relative latecomer to Boxer, and it's still growing on me. It's got a cool vibe all the way through. But I really do want to give that singer a shot of espresso sometimes. The Bird disc is definitely a keeper, although it loses a little momentum in the middle.

But it would take something huge and unexpected right now to knock Spoon out of the top spot for me.

Spoon never clicked for me although they seem to be one of the perennial faves around here with the indie types. In fairness I will admit that I haven't even listened to the new one. I guess I'll find a preview copy of that before I commit one way or the other.

Oh yeah, and for any casual eyes or Recording Industry enforcers, I did get a legit copy of the Andrew Bird disc even though it's not evident from my post : ) worth every penny. And I have to agree with you at least in part, track 5 which would be pretty much smack dab in the middle doesn't appeal to me at all. I've posted that before and Slosh and Davie both chimed in that they thought it was one of the stronger tracks. We might be in the minority on this one.

Regards,
jc

[Davey]

Spoon never clicked for me although they seem to be one of the perennial faves around here with the indie types.

Latest Spoon is really good, but like the National and Interpol (and a bunch of others), mastered way too loud. Shame, because it does have some great music, but just not presented very well for those that care about the sound. The older ones, especially back in the Girls Can Tell era, sound so much better. The National is even worse. Nearly as bad as the Interpol disc, which isn't too surprising since they've been working with producer Peter Katis who did the first two Interpol records. Love most of Boxer, but still like it better back in the days when the sound wasn't all squished into such a small space. Makes it kind of disposable, which is a shame. Much rather listen to the Magnoia Electric Co discs, or PJ Harvey, or Electrelane, or even Caribou which is kind of the dark horse sleeper this year. Gonna rate high on many year end lists. Just has that growth appeal, gets better and better. Not exactly great sounding, but not nearly as compressed as some others, and just feels so good, even if the opening note arrives with a bit of a jolt :)

Had some Blind Pig IPA over the weekend, on tap. Russian River Brewing Company. Wow, the real deal. Wish I could find a local source to buy some in the bottle. Don't quite make it down to my area yet. Need to invest in a Swish 'Brew' Baby distibutor company for my neck of the peninsula. Anybody have a favorite IPA? Also has some of that Long Hammer (Red Hook) IPA recently. Pretty good, but not close to the great ones.

[bobsticks]

Hey Davey,

I haven't enjoyed any much less "a good" IPA lately, but I have been known to savor an occasional Old Rasputin Stout from the North Coast Brewery. I believe those boys are from down in your neck of the woods, or at least on the left coast anyway. It was a long, hard winter before they reissued that lovely beveridge.

To these ears Boxer isn't nearly as objectionable as many of the more recent indie, jinglejangly offerings. I picked up The Reminder by Feist the other day and was just about heartbroken that such wonderous music was compressed and tweaked and prodded almost to the point of being unlistenable. To each his own, I suppose.

Peace and enjoy the suds.

[Mr MidFi]

And I have to agree with you at least in part, track 5 which would be pretty much smack dab in the middle doesn't appeal to me at all. I've posted that before and Slosh and Davie both chimed in that they thought it was one of the stronger tracks. We might be in the minority on this one.

Regards,
jc

The thing is, I do like that track (Armchairs) too. It's just the sequencing kinda brings things down to lo-speed a little early in the going. But then it picks back up with one of my favorite tracks of the whole friggin' year, Dark Matter. But then, by tracks 8 & 9, you're sinking back down in reclinerville.

Anyway, the Spoon disc really clicked with me right out of the box. It ranks among their best, IMO...which is faint praise if you don't dig them already.