The Indie Thread (2)

[philN]

It's back to normal now...and just in time too, I was starting to think a nuclear attack on Iran sounded like a good idea.

close one.

 

[The Theory]

i don't even know what that means.

but i hope it's an admission of guilt on your part.

 

[theFijian]

Well everyone should be a calvinist, but as for being republicans, not m place to say really.

 

[philN]

i don't even know what that means.

There's been a fair amount of talk about this recently, though there have been hints at this since early '05, but there are currently plans to attack Iran (rather than use diplomacy, as has been previously advocated), with an option for a nuclear strike.

Here's a link:
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060417fa_fact

I don't want to bring political discussion into the Indie thread, so there's no need to comment on the matter, I'm just explaining what I was hinting at with my last comment.

 

[philN]

So, I've given The Eraser a few more listens, and I still don't see what's so terrible about it. Sure, it's not the best thing Yorke's name has been attached to, but still, it's listenable. It could have been a lot worse. I can definitely understand the Amnesiac comparisons, but is it so bad that it is reminiscent of that? I thought Amnesiac was pretty decent.


Is anyone else a fan of Pulp? I had never really given them a fair chance until recently and I have been pleasantly surprised. I was familiar with William Shatner's rendition of Common People, but I had never heard the actual song. I've been mostly listening to Different Class and His N' Hers, though I hear We Love Life is worth looking into as well.

I downloaded some older Super Furry Animals stuff off Soulseek after all the talk about them. So far all I've listened to is Fuzzy Logic, but it's not bad. They've really come a long way it seems. Love Kraft is a lot more poppy and subdued, but I like the more energetic sound as well.

I mowed the lawn today, which means I got to listen to a fair amount of music -- much of it was dominated by Crooked Fingers' self-titled record and Starflyer's Old. The more I listen to it, the more I love that CF album; there are so many good songs on it. I think it's probably the best thing they've done so far (i'm still a little disappointed with dignity&shame). And as for Starflyer, I'm working on booking them at my school this October, so I've been listening to them a lot.

What are you guys/girls listening to?

 

[Arnold_Philips]

You can hear music through the lawnmower?


And: Beirut, Camera Obscura, new Sufjan, Matmos

 

[philN]

Heh. Not exactly. I have about an acre of property to mow and I do it with an old push mower, so to make the whole ordeal less daunting I usually queue up my iPod to enhance the experience (though my iPod is currently being repaired [stupid harddrive crashes!], so today I had to use an archaic cd player).

I don't think I've ever heard of Matmos. What sort of music are they?

 

[The Theory]

The main things I've been listening to lately are Avalanche and the new Anathallo.

 

[philN]

What do you think of the new Anathallo?

I've enjoyed it much more than alot of their previous albums, which weren't bad, but are really disappointing after seeing them live.

 

[Arnold_Philips]

Heh. Not exactly. I have about an acre of property to mow and I do it with an old push mower, so to make the whole ordeal less daunting I usually queue up my iPod to enhance the experience (though my iPod is currently being repaired [stupid harddrive crashes!], so today I had to use an archaic cd player).

Where do you live? Do you have summers?

I don't think I've ever heard of Matmos. What sort of music are they?

They're an electronic duo (they're gay, and I think they're together... not sure). It's glitch or IDM or whatever you want to call it. They use a lot of odd samples, like for one album they used entirely sounds from the medical field (test rats, lipsuction, LASIK, deaf hearing tones, clattering utensils, etc.). Some of it is pretty unlistenable, but they make a fair amount of pretty songs too. One of the guys works alone as The Soft Pink Truth, which is a glitch-house outfit.

 

[philN]

Where do you live? Do you have summers?

I'm a little north of Philadelphia. It's been sort of mild weather lately, but come July the humidity makes Philly feel like the sun's anvil.

They're an electronic duo (they're gay, and I think they're together... not sure). It's glitch or IDM or whatever you want to call it. They use a lot of odd samples, like for one album they used entirely sounds from the medical field (test rats, lipsuction, LASIK, deaf hearing tones, clattering utensils, etc.). Some of it is pretty unlistenable, but they make a fair amount of pretty songs too. One of the guys works alone as The Soft Pink Truth, which is a glitch-house outfit.

Hmm, sounds interesting. I'll see what i can find on soulseek.

 

[The Theory]

What do you think of the new Anathallo?

I've enjoyed it much more than alot of their previous albums, which weren't bad, but are really disappointing after seeing them live.

I really like it... but I had not heard anything musically from them previously. Is their old stuff worth picking up?

New Sonic Youth out tomorrow. Be there or be square.

 

[blackwasp]

What are you guys/girls listening to?

I'm transferring The Avalanche from a friend as I type. That's all I'm really excited about currently. I've been listening to Michigan lately to prepare myself.

I think the second half of "Romulus" is some of the saddest storytelling ever:

When she had her last child
Once when she had some boyfriends, some wild
She moved away quite far
Our grandpa bought us a new VCR
We watched it all night, but grew up in spite of it
We watched it all night, but grew up in spite of it

We saw her once last fall
Our grandpa died in a hospital gown
She didn't seem to care
She smoked in her room and colored her hair
And I was ashamed of her

 

[The Theory]

yeah, I got a pre-release of Avalanche and while I don't put it up there with Michigan, Seven Swans, or Illinois (or, of course, Enjoy Your Rabbit, which is still his best stuff) there are still some astoundingly strong material on it. What Avalanche seems to lack is the meticulous attention to detail his other albums (sans A Sun Came) have... and a great flow. Avalanche feels like a collection rather than an album.

But that said, it is still a collection with some hella-nice songs.

 

[theFijian]

On my playlist at the moment are:
B&S - Push Barman to Open Old Wounds
Devendra Banhart
Snow Patrol - Songs for Polar Bears (...when they were sounding like the Beta Band)
Boards of Canada - Campfire Headphase
Zero 7 - The Garden
Cat Power - The Greatest & What Would the Community Think
Can

 

[blackwasp]

Devendra Banhart

What Devendra have you been listening to?

 

[theFijian]

What Devendra have you been listening to?

Nino Rojo and Rejoicing... I prefer Nino Rojo.

 

[The Theory]

Anyone been reading anything great lately?
"The Dragonbone Chair" by Tad Williams has currently been engaging my attention.

 

[philN]

I've been slowly, but steadily working my way through some Karl Barth material lately. I'm finding it's much easier to read about Barth's writings than to read Barth himself.

I also just finished the most recent issues of Scientific American Mind and Wired, and since it is raining here (again! our entire area was already flooded/partially evacuated last week. grr), I think I'm going to nestle down with some earl grey and this week's Economist to kill some time.


Did everyone hear about Jeff Magnum's *potential* return to music. There have been sources that say it is legit and some that say it is not; but until all is made clear, I'm holding my breath, hoping for his return to music.

Also, I got the new Woven Hand album on soulseek. I haven't organized a real opinion about it yet, but the first few tracks (which I've spent the most time with thusfar) are really solid. The first track gives me chills -- so dark, so beautiful.

And I recently gave Boards of Canada's Campfire Headphase another listen, and I really like it. Not as much as Music Has the Right to Children, but it's still really good.

 

[The Theory]

who is jeff magnum?