One of my top 5 for the year will be...

[noddin0ff]

Car Seat Headrest: Teens of Denial
9969

Great album. Aggressive and introspective, humorous and dark, playful song titles, up and down temple songs. If there's a theme it often revolves around putting personal shortcomings in various contexts that are poignant, humorous, hopeful, hopeless...all at once.

Current favorite is "The Ballad of the Costa Concordia" where the personal failures of ones life are contextualized against the failures of the captian of the Costa Concordia, that cruise ship that was grounded just off shore in Italy.

"And if I’ve lost you for good
Could it have been any other way?
Was the water filling up for years
Or did I wreck it all in a day?

I’m going to bed now
I’ve sunk into my sorrows
And it’ll take three hundred million dollars
To get me up tomorrow

I won’t go down with this ****
I will put my hands up and surrender
There will be no more flags above my door
I have lost, and always will be"

Its an 11 minute song that covers a bunch of ground with a section somewhere in the middle that is humorous, painful and true. He muses about captaining life:

"It was an expensive mistakeIt was an expensive mistake
My horse broke his back to get me here
I have his blood on my hands for no reason
But what was I supposed to do?
How was I supposed to know how to use a tube amp?
How was I supposed to know how to drive a van?
How was I supposed to know how to ride a bike without hurting myself?
How was I supposed to know how to make dinner for myself?
How was I supposed to know how to hold a job?
How was I supposed to remember to grab my backpack after I set it down to play basketball?
How was I supposed to know how to not get drunk every
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and — why not — Sunday?
How was I supposed to know how steer this ship?
How the hell was I supposed to steer this ship?
It was an expensive mistake"

Anyway, lots to like. Several strong reviews and a few online tracks

Car Seat Headrest: Teens of Denial Album Review | Pitchfork (http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21673-teens-of-denial/)

http://prettymuchamazing.com/reviews/car-seat-headrest-hotelier-whitney (http://prettymuchamazing.com/reviews/car-seat-headrest-hotelier-whitney)

Teens Of Denial · Car Seat Headrest · Music Review On Teens Of Denial, Car Seat Headrest dares you to buckle in?and you should · Music Review · The A.V. Club (http://www.avclub.com/review/teens-denial-car-seat-headrest-dares-you-buckle-an-236107)


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bEsItsZphwQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ccztRby3FAk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

[Jack in Wilmington]

Car Seat Headrest: Teens of Denial
9969

Great album. Aggressive and introspective, humorous and dark, playful song titles, up and down temple songs. If there's a theme it often revolves around putting personal shortcomings in various contexts that are poignant, humorous, hopeful, hopeless...all at once.

Current favorite is "The Ballad of the Costa Concordia" where the personal failures of ones life are contextualized against the failures of the captian of the Costa Concordia, that cruise ship that was grounded just off shore in Italy.

"And if I’ve lost you for good
Could it have been any other way?
Was the water filling up for years
Or did I wreck it all in a day?

I’m going to bed now
I’ve sunk into my sorrows
And it’ll take three hundred million dollars
To get me up tomorrow

I won’t go down with this ****
I will put my hands up and surrender
There will be no more flags above my door
I have lost, and always will be"

Its an 11 minute song that covers a bunch of ground with a section somewhere in the middle that is humorous, painful and true. He muses about captaining life:

"It was an expensive mistakeIt was an expensive mistake
My horse broke his back to get me here
I have his blood on my hands for no reason
But what was I supposed to do?
How was I supposed to know how to use a tube amp?
How was I supposed to know how to drive a van?
How was I supposed to know how to ride a bike without hurting myself?
How was I supposed to know how to make dinner for myself?
How was I supposed to know how to hold a job?
How was I supposed to remember to grab my backpack after I set it down to play basketball?
How was I supposed to know how to not get drunk every
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and — why not — Sunday?
How was I supposed to know how steer this ship?
How the hell was I supposed to steer this ship?
It was an expensive mistake"

Anyway, lots to like. Several strong reviews and a few online tracks

Car Seat Headrest: Teens of Denial Album Review | Pitchfork (http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21673-teens-of-denial/)

http://prettymuchamazing.com/reviews/car-seat-headrest-hotelier-whitney (http://prettymuchamazing.com/reviews/car-seat-headrest-hotelier-whitney)

Teens Of Denial · Car Seat Headrest · Music Review On Teens Of Denial, Car Seat Headrest dares you to buckle in?and you should · Music Review · The A.V. Club (http://www.avclub.com/review/teens-denial-car-seat-headrest-dares-you-buckle-an-236107)


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bEsItsZphwQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ccztRby3FAk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

I'm not sure what it is with Indie groups. I keep trying it and it just doesn't click. The opening of "Vincent" seems like it's building up to something and then the vocals start and nothing. It's not like he's singing, it's more like he's reciting the lyrics. I'll keep trying, but maybe it's not supposed to click with old classic rock guys.

[topspeed]

Clever, borderline brilliant lyrics, and the music has good rhythm, but his voice and delivery remind me too much of a disenfranchised Y gen slacker. Beck comes to mind. Interesting stuff, just not my thing. Cool find, nonetheless and thanks for sharing!

[dean_martin]

Hey, noddin'! How goes it?

I've heard a couple of tracks from Car Seat Headrest on more than one public radio program recently. I was able to catch two of'em from start to finish and really liked one. The other had familiar sounds. I intend to check out the album.

[noddin0ff]

Have to agree that if one is anchored in the classic rock mode, this is not for you.

Overall, the album is much more focused than the usual slacker vibe. It certainly plays off the ennui of the slacker, but when you listen it doesn't come across as some idiot slurring words and calling it in for effect. Here that ennui is used a springboard for some actual thought and insight and edge--rather than the more typical indie wallowing pit.

The delivery and tone reminds me a lot of Ray Davies at times (I love The Kinks). Lyrically, I think it's a cross of stuff that's more punk like, not necessarily musical singing, and spoken word. But then again, I also really love Lou Reed, who did a lot without actually ever 'singing' and frequently just talked through songs.

Personally, I don't like overly polished music. I have a pretty deep catalog of classic rock that I never listen to because it's just to formulaic to excite me anymore. I think this album is a clear step above the middling norm for current indie. And there's at least 5 tracks I think are very good, the album as a whole solid. I might remove one track out of a 70 minute album (long! how many good 70 minuter's do we see anymore?).

Goin' to go spin it again :-)

[Jack in Wilmington]

Have to agree that if one is anchored in the classic rock mode, this is not for you.

Overall, the album is much more focused than the usual slacker vibe. It certainly plays off the ennui of the slacker, but when you listen it doesn't come across as some idiot slurring words and calling it in for effect. Here that ennui is used a springboard for some actual thought and insight and edge--rather than the more typical indie wallowing pit.

The delivery and tone reminds me a lot of Ray Davies at times (I love The Kinks). Lyrically, I think it's a cross of stuff that's more punk like, not necessarily musical singing, and spoken word. But then again, I also really love Lou Reed, who did a lot without actually ever 'singing' and frequently just talked through songs.

Personally, I don't like overly polished music. I have a pretty deep catalog of classic rock that I never listen to because it's just to formulaic to excite me anymore. I think this album is a clear step above the middling norm for current indie. And there's at least 5 tracks I think are very good, the album as a whole solid. I might remove one track out of a 70 minute album (long! how many good 70 minuter's do we see anymore?).

Goin' to go spin it again :-)

Agree with you on the length. Most classic rock probably falls into the 35 to 45 minute category. I think that was because the record companies wanted to keep it a single LP release. When CD's came along it was a different story as they could fit a lot more on a CD. I noticed that "Teens in Denial" is a 2 LP release.

[Swish]

I'm loving this record and very much agree with your summary. I am a huge fan of Pavement and their influence can be found on this release, but they are certainly not trying to be Pavement, who may be considered the quintessential slacker band...not that that's a bad thing. This is easily my favorite of the year so far.