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Guest Incandenza

Shit You Listened to Today

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Guest Edwin MacPhisto

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I finally got around to listening to the Bright Eyes album thanks to Kazaa and the ol' iPod. It's quite good; at first it's a little off-putting to hear what sounds like an album of demos, but most of the songs start out really raw and sounding like they were recorded on a 4-track before the arrangements really pan out. The songs get a lot of time to develop and evolve almost organically, and for many of them it works out wonderfully. Strongly recommend to fans of good singer/songwriter stuff, especially Elliott Smith's more bombastic moments, with "Let's Not Shit Ourselves," (all 10 minutes of it!) "Make War," and "Method Acting" standing out for me.

 

Oh, I can see why dumbass magazines instantly made the Dylan comparison. Lots of acoustic guitar, lots of long songs with, ya know, lyrics, and harmonicas and stuff. Must be a dead ringer.

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Guest LooseCannon
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I finally got around to listening to the Bright Eyes album thanks to Kazaa and the ol' iPod. It's quite good; at first it's a little off-putting to hear what sounds like an album of demos, but most of the songs start out really raw and sounding like they were recorded on a 4-track before the arrangements really pan out. The songs get a lot of time to develop and evolve almost organically, and for many of them it works out wonderfully. Strongly recommend to fans of good singer/songwriter stuff, especially Elliott Smith's more bombastic moments, with "Let's Not Shit Ourselves," (all 10 minutes of it!) "Make War," and "Method Acting" standing out for me.

 

Oh, I can see why dumbass magazines instantly made the Dylan comparison. Lots of acoustic guitar, lots of long songs with, ya know, lyrics, and harmonicas and stuff. Must be a dead ringer.

I just don't understand why people like this album. I guess there was a brief period after an initial half-hearted listen where I liked it too, but that rather quickly wore off. I've actually come to find it laughably bad. Which is why "don't know when but a day is gonna come," "waste of paint," and "bowl of oranges" are my favorites off of this. I haven't heard songs that unintentionally funny in a long time. But the praise this album gets is driving me nuts.

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Guest Eyeball Kid

I like Bright Eyes more for the music than the lyrics, which, at times, are unbearably hokey. Could this guy get any more condescending?

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Guest LooseCannon

Yeah it's the lyrics I pretty much hate. The musical part I attribute more to who he collaborates with than with any talent the pretty boy might have.

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Guest Edwin MacPhisto

Yeah, anyone who's 22 years old and snaps "I'm not singing this for you" needs to wake up a bit. You don't have to go to college, you don't have to work a day job that isn't music. You damn well be better singing this for me, boy. Lovely sound, though, after the first "this is kinda rough" listen.

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Guest Eyeball Kid
Yeah it's the lyrics I pretty much hate. The musical part I attribute more to who he collaborates with than with any talent the pretty boy might have.

Doesn't he write all the songs himself? Maybe he should partner with a lyricist who doesn't read like a self-pitying 15-year-old's journal entries. Oberst's music, combined with a non-shitty writer, could prove interesting.

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Guest LooseCannon
Yeah it's the lyrics I pretty much hate.  The musical part I attribute more to who he collaborates with than with any talent the pretty boy might have.

Doesn't he write all the songs himself? Maybe he should partner with a lyricist who doesn't read like a self-pitying 15-year-old's journal entries. Oberst's music, combined with a non-shitty writer, could prove interesting.

Supposedly. But I've encountered vehement anti-Conor people who maintain that the Elephant 6 guys and others who've appeared on his records have done most of the heavy lifting songwriting wise. I don't know if it's strictly true, and hell, it's probably not. But I'd like to believe its true, and I don't mind at all spreading the rumor.

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Guest Eyeball Kid

Elephant 6? Doesn't he hang with the Saddle Creek crew? I'll admit to knowing very little about Bright Eyes outside that one album.

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Guest LooseCannon

Yeah. But I know that some of the Elephant 6 guys worked on Letting off the Happiness at least. I'm not precisely sure who worked on Lifted.... I actually enjoy Letting off the Happiness a good bit more because it's a lot easier to ignore the vocals. At least I thinks so.

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Guest LooseCannon

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I listened to some other stuff today too. But I just finished listening to this album, and I have to say it's a fucking beautiful album. Definitely an album of the year contender. No, fuck that. This will be the album of the year.

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Guest Eyeball Kid

Hate makes me happy.

 

Here's all I got in today:

 

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now playing:

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Guest Eyeball Kid

Refer to my previous post. Subtract Stephen Malkmus, and add this, which is now playing:

 

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on deck:

 

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Guest Edwin MacPhisto

Oo, blabber about the Liars album once you're through that. I have one friend who tells me it blows, one who tells me it's big pimpin', and I'm too lazy to find out for myself.

 

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Second is the Afghan Whigs' 1965, which is so, so soulful. I loves it.

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Guest Eyeball Kid

I can go ahead and tell you I think the Liars LP is overrated, yet I had a strong desire to listen to it tonight. I will say that their Fins to Make Us More Fish-like EP is pretty solid, but the songs on the full length are kinda samey.

 

EDIT: Update! I decided to put on this instead:

 

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Guest TheGregWitul

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The last day or so worth of albums (Only including albums played in full)

 

 

j.

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Guest Edwin MacPhisto

So, I see the Gang Of Four album there. Is there anyplace I can actually buy Entertainment! on CD without having to import it or pay $25? I find deep irony in the fact that one of the first ferociously anti-consumerist bands has gone out of print, making their stuff expensive as all get-out.

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Guest TheGregWitul

I would try ebay, as 'Entertainment!' is only in print in the UK. I've seen a couple copies currently at $10-15, but they still have some time left on their respective auctions...If you don't care for ebay, I would either download the tracks off of a file sharing program, or save some cash and import the album. It's really a great listen, well worth the extra cash...

 

 

On topic: I've finished these four albums tonight:

 

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I only put on disc two of the 'In A Silent Way' box set, however the entire collection is excellent...The Eno album predates his Berlin period (77-79) with Bowie by a couple years, however the beginning traces of that sound can be found on this landmark album. 'The Idiot', produced by David Bowie actually kicked off the entire Berlin period (In which the albums 'The Idiot', 'Low', "Heroes", 'Lust For Life', and 'Lodger' were released, with 'The Idiot' and 'Lust For Life' being produced by Bowie for Iggy Pop.) with the first track of the album (Sister Midnight) serving as the basis for the last track of 'Lodger' (Red Money), thus serving as both beginning and end of the Berlin period...I finished off the evening with the 'Eraserhead' soundtrack, perfect bedtime music ;)

 

 

j.

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Guest LooseCannon
So, I see the Gang Of Four album there. Is there anyplace I can actually buy Entertainment! on CD without having to import it or pay $25? I find deep irony in the fact that one of the first ferociously anti-consumerist bands has gone out of print, making their stuff expensive as all get-out.

That's out of print? I know a place that's selling it for like $12. I suppose I better snatch it up.

 

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And...

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Guest Eyeball Kid

It was a long day (and there was a lengthy essay to write), so here goes:

 

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And I'm spent.

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Guest evenflowDDT

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I just can't get into this album, with the exception of "Friday I'm in Love" and "A Letter to Elise". The rest just kinda meshes together. So apparently I think the same way as everyone else in regards to this album.

 

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I don't know how AllMusic got to pick this one as the Primus album (is that what those checkmarks mean?). It's OK, but it seems lacking, like an endless jam album. It's probably some awesome stuff live, but I HATE studio jams, they usually just sound so forced.

 

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This was Primus' seventh album? Damn, I didn't know they were that prolific. You really do learn something everyday. Thanks AllMusic! It's much easier for me to discern the songs on this album than on Sailing the Seas of Cheese. But hey, I listened to them both today for the first time, maybe I need more time for Sailing... to grow on me.

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Guest Eyeball Kid

Material Issue! Nice. And, if you're anything like me, evenflow, you're never gonna like anything by the Cure outside the singles. I really should pick up Staring at the Sea one of these days...

 

Anywho, not much today:

 

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Their 3rd lp, and my personal favorite. Beautiful melodies abound, and Lou Reed explores more upbeat material--please refer to the wonderful "What Goes On" and "I'm Set Free," as well as the joyous "Beginning to See the Light"--to exquisite effect. This album pretty much inspired REM and their early period, as well as much of the indie rock of the 80s. One of those bands being...

 

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The Feelies were nerds well before Weezer made it fashionable--and hey, Weezer's first album cover ripped this one off (or paid homage to) the Feelies' debut, Crazy Rhythms. Unlike the latter band, however, the Feelies never wrote pop songs--their jittery brand of new wave rock owed a lot to the Velvet Underground (the singer's monotone delivery is quite similar to Lou Reed's) and contemporaries the Talking Heads. This is the kind of music I wish I were making. Rapidly strummed guitars and stuttery vocals are a kind of bliss.

 

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XTC's first album after a seven year hiatus, Apple Venus, is a beautiful piece of chamber pop. Full of heavenly orchestration--the album opening "River of Orchids" is as lush and pretty a piece of music I've ever had the delight to come across--and Beatlesesque melodies. All this etheral loveliness, and an angry divorce song to boot ("Your Dictionary" is full of bile, and I mean that in the nicest way possible).

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