Discuss the Musics Thread

[D_Davis]

New Grant Lee Phillips is the best thing he's done since Might Joe Moon. Every track is great.

[transmogrifier]

Primal Scream's "Where the Light Gets In" is one of the best pure pop songs I've heard in a while.

[D_Davis]

The new album is pretty good. Although it does sound like a best of collection of everything they've done since Screamadelica.

[transmogrifier]

They are a fascinating band....the way they jump from electronica to straight rock to pop to the onslaught that was XTRMNTR.... truly a group that just does what the hell they feel like album to album

[D_Davis]

And they do it all really well. That's the amazing thing.

[transmogrifier]

If it's possible for an album to be underrated only a week after its release, The Hope 6 Demolition Project is that album. I like it better than Let England Shake... which was pretty good.

[transmogrifier]

Well, Radiohead are officially in a slump. The new album is boring... Their butchering of True Love Waits is a perfect embodiment of their overproduced, sluggish, mirthless new direction.

[Idioteque Stalker]

Since I know that any defense of Radiohead could be easily dismissed as fanboyism (considering my user name), I'll first say that I agree with you that they are in a slump.

I've been reminded with every new Radiohead record that it's perilous for me to proclaim anything within the first week or more (I disliked In Rainbows and adored The King of Limbs upon first listens, for instance), but I think it's safe to say this is not some OK Computer/Kid A type of "oh shit" achievement. But does anybody except marketing execs really expect that from Radiohead at this point? I've cooled off of The King of Limbs in the time since its release, but I'll always defend that album for its transcendent moments. Unfortunately, Radiohead's transition from making groundbreaking, cohesive, essential albums to making kinda inconsistent, albeit oftentimes beautiful, albums has been met with a relative knee-jerk dismissal. It's not that they used to be good and now they're not, but rather they used to be the most important band in the world--and now they're not.

Indie music or whatever has caught up to Radiohead. They're not in their own league anymore. I'm not sure exactly where this new album will end up for me. But I do know that, to me, there are moments on here, including the new version of True Love Waits, that are breathtaking.

[transmogrifier]

Oh, I hate the new version. In fact, I think it is their worst ever closing song.

[Idioteque Stalker]

Theoretically I could agree with you and still love it. Radiohead owns closing songs.

1. Motion Picture Soundtrack
2. Videotape
3. Life In a Glass House
4. True Love Waits
5. A Wolf at the Door
6. the Tourist
7. Street Spirit (Fade Out)
8. Separator

They're all fantastic.

[Ivan Drago]

I've only heard the first two singles from Radiohead's new album, but they're both incredible. I hope to get my hands on the full album soon.

In the meantime, I've become obsessed with The 1975. Their new album is fucking amazing.

Davis!!! Have you heard the new Pet Shop Boys album yet?

[ledfloyd]

I just bought the new album.

For the record, I was underwhelmed by King of Limbs, but I loved In Rainbows — I still think it's their third or fourth best album.

[slqrick]

The new album is fantastic. Really love Greenwood's film scoring influence and that PTA video for "Daydreaming" was terrific. Thought they did some really interesting stuff on this and just because it's not as immediately pleasing as something like In Rainbows doesn't mean they're in a slump. I enjoyed King of Limbs but it lacked any sort of urgency. There's less anxiety in this than their best work, but Yorke is 47 now, and the new version of True Love Waits is absolutely gutting. The live version is probably my second or third favorite song of theirs, but this studio version closing out this album felt very powerful.

Between this, Lemonade, Pablo, and the James Blake, it's been a hell of a month and half. Looking forward to Chance 3.

[Idioteque Stalker]

I love Greenwood's film scoring influence as well. The instrumentation is currently the album's highlight for me. The strings on Burn the Witch and Glass Eyes, the pianos on Daydreaming and True Love Waits... All seriously cool and gorgeous stuff.

There's this one nitpicky thing that's really bothering me though: five minutes into Daydreaming, pretty much the climax of the song, the strings take center stage with this Eastern-influenced "dipping" motif (I'm not an ethnomusicologist so I don't know the proper term). Sorry, but for me it seems incredibly out of place. I know he's been messing around with non-Western music for a while now, but that honestly makes it worse. After all that adventuring, this is what you bring back to Radiohead? It sounds like something my buddies and I would do to channel Middle-Eastern music while goofing off. I know this may be weirdly specific, but it really bothers me because otherwise Daydreaming would probably be my favorite track on the album.

[Ivan Drago]

Davis!!! Have you heard the new Pet Shop Boys album yet?

Adding to this. . .on this day, I have purchased tickets to see the Pet Shop Boys live.

Given how seasoned they are, and how rarely they tour, I'm so excited, I'm hyperventilating.

[bac0n]

I'm jealous! The PSB aren't coming anywhere near to me, and I'm not in a situation where I can fly out to a city where they are playing. (I'm already flying out to Chicago in Sept for Riot Fest. Flying out again in November would be hard to pull off).

They're great live. Neil has a very warm, friendly, personable onstage presence, and Chris is, well, Chris.

As a side, Super is a solid album. Not as good as Electric, but that album is a tough act to follow. They're sliding into their new roles as the elder statesmen of electronic pop quite well.

[transmogrifier]

Since I know that any defense of Radiohead could be easily dismissed as fanboyism (considering my user name), I'll first say that I agree with you that they are in a slump.

I've been reminded with every new Radiohead record that it's perilous for me to proclaim anything within the first week or more (I disliked In Rainbows and adored The King of Limbs upon first listens, for instance), but I think it's safe to say this is not some OK Computer/Kid A type of "oh shit" achievement. But does anybody except marketing execs really expect that from Radiohead at this point? I've cooled off of The King of Limbs in the time since its release, but I'll always defend that album for its transcendent moments. Unfortunately, Radiohead's transition from making groundbreaking, cohesive, essential albums to making kinda inconsistent, albeit oftentimes beautiful, albums has been met with a relative knee-jerk dismissal. It's not that they used to be good and now they're not, but rather they used to be the most important band in the world--and now they're not.

Indie music or whatever has caught up to Radiohead. They're not in their own league anymore. I'm not sure exactly where this new album will end up for me. But I do know that, to me, there are moments on here, including the new version of True Love Waits, that are breathtaking.

I've mellowed on A Moon Shaped Pool; I quite like it on the whole (it's way better than TKOL), though it is mainly because each song has one little lovely bit in it, rather than having any front to back great songs on it...

EXCEPT it saves the worst two songs to last. I've tried, but they are so, so, so damn boring.

[Ivan Drago]

I'm jealous! The PSB aren't coming anywhere near to me, and I'm not in a situation where I can fly out to a city where they are playing. (I'm already flying out to Chicago in Sept for Riot Fest. Flying out again in November would be hard to pull off).

They're great live. Neil has a very warm, friendly, personable onstage presence, and Chris is, well, Chris.

As a side, Super is a solid album. Not as good as Electric, but that album is a tough act to follow. They're sliding into their new roles as the elder statesmen of electronic pop quite well.

You've only added to my excitement. Their music video for All Over The World is a collage of their live performances of the song, and between the vibrant colors, trippy costumes and awesome dance choreography, what they do on stage looks to be right up my alley.

I've been catching up on what they've came out with since Yes (which was the album that got me into them, and still my favorite), after getting tickets, and Electric is just like it in the sense that I can listen to it from beginning to end. "Love Is A Bourgeois Construct" might be one of the best songs they've ever done, and "Shouting In The Evening" is a blast to work out to. I thought Elysium was decent yet disappointing, but Electric was a return to form.

I liked Super when I first heard it ("Happiness" is the catchiest track for me), but I'll be revisiting it more than a few times before the concert.

[Derek]

I've mellowed on A Moon Shaped Pool; I quite like it on the whole (it's way better than TKOL), though it is mainly because each song has one little lovely bit in it, rather than having any front to back great songs on it...

EXCEPT it saves the worst two songs to last. I've tried, but they are so, so, so damn boring.

I'm with you on "Tinker Tailor...", which is quite dull and easily the worst song on the album, but I love the haunting re-imagination of "True Love Waits". Different strokes I suppose, although I still find a part of me wishing more of the album had more cuts like "Ful Stop" which I imagine is your favorite track? It's a big step of from TKoL, which really gets worse every time I listen to it.

As for guitar rock, you heard the new Parquet Courts or Car Seat Headrest? Both are pretty great even if the latter is a bit overhyped.

[dreamdead]

Midyear assessment of the year's most interesting listens so far:

Black Mountain - 4
The Hotelier - Goodness
Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp
Mitski - Puberty
Esperanza Spalding - Emily's D+Evolution
Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book
David Bowie - Blackstar
Kvelterak - Nattesferd
ANOHNI - Hopelessness
Cobalt - Slow Forever

There's a palpable drop-off from "Sorry" to "Freedom" on Beyonce's Lemonade, but it's pretty decent.

Derek, few things have been better last year for me than 2814's album. Any thoughts on what's been exciting you this year?

[Derek]

Midyear assessment of the year's most interesting listens so far:

Black Mountain - 4
The Hotelier - Goodness
Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp
Mitski - Puberty
Esperanza Spalding - Emily's D+Evolution
Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book
David Bowie - Blackstar
Kvelterak - Nattesferd
ANOHNI - Hopelessness
Cobalt - Slow Forever

There's a palpable drop-off from "Sorry" to "Freedom" on Beyonce's Lemonade, but it's pretty decent.

Derek, few things have been better last year for me than 2814's album. Any thoughts on what's been exciting you this year?

I haven't heard any of those except for Chance and Esperanza, which were both pretty good, and Bowie's, which I love. I have ANOHNI and Mitski, but I'll look into the rest.

So far this year, there's really nothing that's blown me away but a lot of decent/good albums. It's mostly usual suspects for me (looking forward to checking out the new Autechre too), so hoping for some nice surprises in the back half of the year.

In rough order of preference w/the top 4 standing out a bit more than the rest.

Bowie - Blackstar
Radiohead - AMSP
Parquet Courts - Human Performance
Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial

Matmos - Ultimate Care II
The Field - The Follower
Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered.
Tim Hecker - Love Streams
Andy Stott - Too Many Voices
Porches - Pool
PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolition Project
And Also the Trees - Born Into the Waves
Beyoncé - Lemonade
Fire! - She Sleeps, She Sleeps
Explosions in the Sky - The Wilderness
Kanye West - The Life of Pablo

[transmogrifier]

I'm with you on "Tinker Tailor...", which is quite dull and easily the worst song on the album, but I love the haunting re-imagination of "True Love Waits". Different strokes I suppose, although I still find a part of me wishing more of the album had more cuts like "Ful Stop" which I imagine is your favorite track? It's a big step of from TKoL, which really gets worse every time I listen to it.

As for guitar rock, you heard the new Parquet Courts or Car Seat Headrest? Both are pretty great even if the latter is a bit overhyped.

Rough order of preference..

1. Daydreaming
2. Burn the Witch
3. Ful Stop
4. Decks Dark

5. The Numbers
6. Identiket
7. Present Tense

8. Desert Island Disk

9. Glass Eyes
10. True Love Waits
11. Tinker....

I'll check those two albums out - need some new stuff.

[bac0n]

You've only added to my excitement. Their music video for All Over The World is a collage of their live performances of the song, and between the vibrant colors, trippy costumes and awesome dance choreography, what they do on stage looks to be right up my alley.

I've been catching up on what they've came out with since Yes (which was the album that got me into them, and still my favorite), after getting tickets, and Electric is just like it in the sense that I can listen to it from beginning to end. "Love Is A Bourgeois Construct" might be one of the best songs they've ever done, and "Shouting In The Evening" is a blast to work out to. I thought Elysium was decent yet disappointing, but Electric was a return to form.

I liked Super when I first heard it ("Happiness" is the catchiest track for me), but I'll be revisiting it more than a few times before the concert.

You're right, Elysium was a bit of a let-down after Yes, and I'm inclined to think that they were well aware of it, which was why Electric came out so quickly after it. I think they were trying to capture the melancholy of Behaviour, but fell a little short.

And from a pure catchy hook standpoint, Love is a Bourgeoisie Concept is, in my opinion, their best pop single since, sheesh, probably going as far back as Home and Dry if not farther back.

[transmogrifier]

PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Radiohead, Kanye West, The Avalanches, Deerhoof, maybe LCD Soundsystem.............

Big year.

[Thirdmango]

On the first listen this radiohead is my least favorite. I'm not a fan of ambient music though so it might not cool for me. I hope it does though since it seems there is some joy there. I'll have to give it another go.