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

[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




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.co...-no-calls.html




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




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.

[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

[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.

[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?

[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?