That’s another thing I don’t get - the dismissal of artists who are experts on their instruments.If it hasnae any showboating solos on each instrument,
It's so broad it's almost meaningless though. Nothing wrong with 'middlebrow' either'. I find myself listening to examples from yesteryear more and more as I get older. For example I saw 'Becoming Led Zeppelin' at the local i-max last evening. Very jolly it was too.changed to encompass guitar-based music that isn’t of the Van Halen, Bon Jovi or Journey variety.
I don’t think “experts on their instruments” necessarily make music that I like. As I wrote — sometimes simple is best! I don’t know that anyone could call The Beatles anything like “the best” instrumentalists, e.g. or Dylan or many other influential artists/bands. I think it’s okay to like and dislike both, and I do and wouldn’t ever revel in nor dismiss an artist solely on musical ability/showmanship alone (edit: except maybe for ONE band — Rush). Some of my favo(u)rite bands became bands before the members knew how to play a note! The ideas came first, then the production/execution of them.That’s another thing I don’t get - the dismissal of artists who are experts on their instruments.
Why wouldn’t you want instrumental passages in your song to marvel at?
I get that not every song needs one or that sometimes the focus will be on the singing or sometimes less is more and all of that but … anyway, I’ll just leave it there because it doesn’ really relate to the album under review.
That’s another thing I don’t get - the dismissal of artists who are experts on their instruments.
Why wouldn’t you want instrumental passages in your song to marvel at?
Is that because of their music? If so what do you see that defines them as Indie. Or is it because of the labels they initially signed for? Genuinely interested.I see Indie starting with groups as far back as The Smiths,The Redskins,3 Johns,Microdisney,Early Nick Cave,The Fall,The Chameleons,The Wedding Present and our last pick The Housemartinns
I think that's what they think they are. Or are they middle class New Yorkers who think wearing ripped jeans and Converse and a singer who pretended he didn't care in a slacker way made them edgy? Albert Hammond Jr's album are quite good though. Up to you reviewers to decideI get the main definitions of genres but when it comes to some of the sub genres I give in as I don't think thy are accurate or helpful. I always believed that the Strokes were post punk indie garage rock. Aren't they?
The music and labels mainly.Is that because of their music? If so what do you see that defines them as Indie. Or is it because of the labels they initially signed for? Genuinely interested.
When I started watching The Chart Show on ITV on a Saturday morning they had a rolling 3 week cycle of charts. Indie,Metal and Dance. The indie chart made me sit up the most. Early Sugercubes,Pixies and latterly Inspires and The Stone Roses. Occasionally Kylie would pop in there as PWL/SAW were in reality the biggest independent record label in the country. Hard to defineIs that because of their music? If so what do you see that defines them as Indie. Or is it because of the labels they initially signed for? Genuinely interested.
To me it’s really all about the labels, not the music. And then the labels become great, and therefore non-indie. Like Merge, e.g. To me, indie is an early 90s phenomenon in America, coinciding with lo-fi DIY production.The music and labels mainly.
They had Indie charts in the NME way back.
Joy Division and New Order as well.
Thanks Rob & thank you all for giving a little of your time and views to my offering. Always nice to entice a few "outsiders" to this little place of "normalcy" on here (By that I mean lacking in rancour on weeks when radiohead ar not the topic)Great nomination from @LGWIO - with 17 votes/reviews, that's the most since October.
London 0 Hull 4 scored an average of 7.15 and just misses out on a place in the top 20 because The Blue Nile's album with the same score got 19 votes.
This week it's the turn of @FogBlueInSanFran who has already informed me that he's ready to so, so assuming he's up and about, we'll await his clues.
...And I do actually own about 6 albums by one of them and did contemplate putting one forward.unless you are a dyed-in-the-wool hardcore middlebrow with Billy Joel, Whitney Houston and Sting (solo) as your three favo(u)rite artists (which I doubt), there is no way in the world your "objective" sentence is anything like "objective."
Well, it has to be BJ. Billy Joel is the artist the phrase “Okay, Boomer” was invented for. I like one of his songs, dislike most, hate a few and cannot abide his perspective on music and other artists. A crass, smug commercialist if ever there was one. Ugh. Anyway . . . :)Thanks Rob & thank you all for giving a little of your time and views to my offering. Always nice to entice a few "outsiders" to this little place of "normalcy" on here (By that I mean lacking in rancour on weeks when radiohead ar not the topic)
Looking forward to this weeks selection. Not having the album but fully aware of the singles, with "Last Night" probably being overplayed as much as "Happy Hour" & "Alright" were at the time.
...And I do actually own about 6 albums by one of them and did contemplate putting one forward.
I miss the days when we had a scoring system based on the quality of the pick - not additional half points for album covers, how it makes you feel on a wet Monday morning etc etc
Awaits half point deduction because of the bands hairstyle!!
If I remember reading right, and I wouldn't trust me given the mistake I made about production, there was a bidding war for their signature.I do not and will not deduct points for hairstyle as evidenced by the fact that I scored Megadeth well above the tonsorial 2 they would have deserved.
Actually I say I would never do it but I would probably make a dishonourable exception for Bon Jovi if a anyone was insane enough to nominate them.
You step out for 5 mins and pages and pages on what is Indie. Signed to RCA and they don't strike me as ever having been short of a bob or two for the pedals of their choice so whatever I make of it, I suspect it won't be Indie as I tend to think of it. Just about to put it on now.
Regardless of my better half's better judgement, I continue to stand behind my firm opinion of W Houston that she cannot in fact "sing" by any definition of the word. Her vocal talents are nothing more than those that all women are born with, namely, yelling loudly, constantly and without taking a fucking breath.Wow.
Your penalty for this post should be 24 hours of listening to nothing but Sonic Youth records at full volume. Especially the bad ones. :)
Not only do I disagree with (or maybe not understand) how you are defining "indie", but unless you are a dyed-in-the-wool hardcore middlebrow with Billy Joel, Whitney Houston and Sting (solo) as your three favo(u)rite artists (which I doubt), there is no way in the world your "objective" sentence is anything like "objective."
Brilliant review. The 16th note, Modern Age as the stand-in for all, the tension-release dynamic (so important in so many of the records I love the most) — even if you hadn’t have liked this record, you would have as usual hit on the key dynamics that drive it.The secret to being cool is to cultivate an air of nonchalance. The moment it looks like you've actually tried the illusion is shattered. Kevin De Bruyne is one of the greatest footballers ever to grace the Etihad turf but his red face as it exerts excellence betrays his effort. David Silva on the other hand ........
The secret is not to do nothing. I've done nothing and I am definitely not cool. The secret is to do something genre defining but look like it was nothing. Make it feel like you woke up at 4pm and took your roommates bass without asking (it doesn't even have a bag). Sit in the park for a bit. Have a drink. Chat someone up. Then about 11pm text a couple of people you know and go to a disused and abandoned recording studio and make an album. The singer couldn't make (he couldn't be bothered) but he sang his vocals over the phone so you could record.
The Strokes hit on a winning formula of taking it turns to try rather than all trying at the same time. But whilst your waiting your turn play 16th notes to keep the energy high and the foot tapping. They have an inate sense of dynamics but not the quiet quiet loud Pixies style. Take for example The Modern Age which will serve as a stand in for all the other songs - similar things are happening in all of then. The band are working expertly to keep things fresh and moving. The drummer hits his slightly different third groove as the chorus hits and the instruments drop in and out supporting each other very smartly but without making any of it seem intentional.
Lyrically I have no idea what's going on. I can barely understand a word and a quick glance at the lyrics online leaves me uninspired. This is an album I've listened to loads but I rarely sing along to the words. I'm normally making bad bass sounds with my mouth or doing the guitar stabs. That's not to say the vocal performance is bad. The voice is used to inject energy and impetus in support of the band rather than say anything meaningful. It's expressing rather than informing.
The beauty though is in the 16th note relentless groove. When it threatens to get messy the band change who's hammering out the 16th notes or stop playing. This gives it an infectious pulse of tension and release. There is also a nice use of swing which gives it a little soul edge. This is most noticeable on Last Night which always reminds me of You Can't Hurry Love but it's here and there in little tasty morsels particularly on the bass parts.
There is not a song i dislike on it and even if you might argue they all sound similar it's a quick listen. I can't remember what score I gave OK Computer and although this in someway feels opposite in terms of effort I enjoy them both so it gets a 9 (assuming that's what I gave the Radiohead classic).
LOL’d even though I think I’m probably a bad person for doing so.Regardless of my better half's better judgement, I continue to stand behind my firm opinion of W Houston that she cannot in fact "sing" by any definition of the word. Her vocal talents are nothing more than those that all women are born with, namely, yelling loudly, constantly and without taking a fucking breath.