quote:

Originally posted by Yay!:
I figure, on this board, just mentioning the Arctic Monkeys is like a synonym for "overrated" or "overhyped" In fact, I should go to urbandictionary.com right now and submit the verb "arctic monkeyed" with the definition "having too much, too soon, too quickly." I could also submit a noun and adjective equivalent.

too true.

The Serena Maneesh record has grown on me on repeated listens. I don't see what's wrong with sounding like a band, especially if it's one as accomplished as MBV. It isn't easy to find a completely original sound, and while they may sound like MBV, they do have some rich melodies and musical atmosphere.

I lurv that thar Serena-Maneesh record. Gotta agree that if you're gonna pick a band to mimic, MBV is pretty stellar.

I've got to join in defending Serena Maneesh. I love it. On first listens, it obviously sounds like MBV. The female vocals are pretty "Loveless-y". But the more I listen, it gets more original. The noisy feedback is much more violent and disarming than the lush/beauty oriented feedback of MBV. It also has a drone/hypnotic quality to it that isn't as prevelant with MBV.

I'll say I'm on the fence with Serena-Maneesh. I like it just fine, but it also bores me a fair bit. But I think Loveless is the same way...

Most of the time, with Serena-Maneesh on in the background, I like it.

You know, I find that I don't really like anything on in the background. I've gotta at least be halfway focused on the music to enjoy it.

quote:

Originally posted by philosopherEric:
I'll say I'm on the fence with Serena-Maneesh. I like it just fine, but it also bores me a fair bit. But I think Loveless is the same way...

That's my opinion of it (and Loveless) as well. I don't necessarily think either's a crappy album, but especially in the case of Serena Maneesh, I fail to see how it got such rave reviews. It's a good album, but there's nothing about it that makes it stand out. At least Loveless had originality going for it.

I like that loveless is so dense and multilayered. That's something that serena maneesh doesn't quite have.

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:
You know, I find that I don't really like anything on in the background. I've gotta at least be halfway focused on the music to enjoy it.

There are some things that I like as background and others I like as 'focus in' music.

I will say that, when Loveless is playing in my office, as I work, I get a lot done. I've finished at least a few things playing it. Curious...maybe it's a 'background fave'?

I'm not that into Aceyalone's release, despite the positive reviews (and the horrible rating from Pitchfork). It's okay, but neither RJD2 or Aceyalone sound like their really trying, and when they do strike gold, the other person fails [Mooore has a great beat, but the annoying refrain kills it despite Ace's okay raps]. Junior is a good story by Ace, but the beat just limps. 5/10 (but STILL not as bad as p4k thinks...sometimes I think they just hand out bad reviews just to keep themselves entertained).

Scott Walker. Ugh, I can't stand that new album, it reminds me of a lonely man muttering alone to himself in a big dark cathedral. At least, that is my attempt to describe his sound.

Before you write him off try listening to one of his earlier albums. I would recommend scott, 2, or 3. It'll give you a better perspective on where the guy's been - he's such a bad ass.

Anyone who only puts out records once a decade or once every half decade (see: from Weezer to Nine Inch Nails to Tool to... hell... Scott Walker) are slobbered over by critics. Even if the release is mediocre or terrible, many will give it undeservedly high marks.

Abscence makes the heart grow fonder.

Think what would happen if the New Pornographers went on hiatus tomorrow. Five years later, upon return, Neko Case and Dan Bejar have both released two more records each and no longer take part in the group because of solo career obligations? It'd be all Carl Newman and if he were rusty from not writing/performing or buckled under expectations, the NP return record will still get pretty high marks. It wouldn't matter whether or not it was the best pop record ever released (and, if that happens, it very well could be).

Hmm. I'm not sure if you're right about that Yay (you may be), but I definitely think that bands who take forever between albums get more credit than they deserve. I mean, if you culled all the best songs from, say, 3 or 4 albums of a guy who makes an album every year (like Jason Molina or the Mountain Goats) sure you could make an incredible album out of them. Plus you get lots of other good material. If your job is to make music, you should make more than an album every 3 years.

Okay, so I just listened to Fishscale, and as much as "The Champ" kicks ass, the album was nothing special. I was hoping the hype was for real.

Also the DFA, love the first track "Deceptacon" but everything else is too overconfident and annoying in places.

Um, as for MBV, I started listening to Loveless a few days ago and it's almost horrible. I love dream pop, but the screeching instruments drown out her (mediocre) vocals - it's unlistenable. I keep thinking something's wrong with the equalizer.

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I mean, if you culled all the best songs from, say, 3 or 4 albums of a guy who makes an album every year (like Jason Molina or the Mountain Goats) sure you could make an incredible album out of them.

So wait... you're saying that 3 or 4 less than stellar albums are better than one incredible one?

So I don't think that Serena Maneesh is overrated at all. In my opinion, it is genuinely worthy of all of this praise that's been heaped on it, for several reasons. The more you listen to the album, the more the songs make sense, and the more you'll get out of them. For example, the moment in "Candlelighted" when the bass line breaks out of its shell (at about the 4 minute mark) while the piano starts playing a pretty melody over strings. This album is full of moments like that, when the orchestral nature of the songwriting is most appartent. It's also a record uf ups and downs, light and darkness. The whole thing moves like a rollercoaster ride, twisting and turning through dark and heavy passages, but always breaking out of them into safety and light. The record, to me, sounds nothing like My Bloody Valentine, and I don't think that the two should be compared. This album is darker, heavier, and less poppy than Loveless. Kevin Shields wrote rock songs that were covered my a blanket of beautiful noise. Serena Maneesh writes compositions that are covered in a blanket of noise. The only thing that the two bands have in common is the fact that both tend to have rather noisy records, so using that as our reference point for comparisons, shouldn't we be comparing Serena Maneesh to The Jesus and Mary Chain too? Of course not, because the music is much deeper than the first impressions that it may give.

So is Serena Maneesh better than My Bloody Valentine was? No, I'm not saying that, all I'm saying is that if you think of the two as sounding alike, you're really comparing apples and oranges.

Oh yeah, Cyrone, uh, dream pop is typically a bit screechy. Give Loveless a few more listens before you toss it out, it's a masterpiece! You'll get it eventually, don't give up!

quote:

Originally posted by vitunkrapula:

quote:

I mean, if you culled all the best songs from, say, 3 or 4 albums of a guy who makes an album every year (like Jason Molina or the Mountain Goats) sure you could make an incredible album out of them.

So wait... you're saying that 3 or 4 less than stellar albums are better than one incredible one?

Depends on what you mean by less than stellar. I think that in the past 4 years, John Darnielle has put out 5 less-than-stellar albums, but I still really like them all, and I consider his output over that period better than the Wrens, even though I like The Meadowlands a lot better than any single one of those Mountain Goats albums.

Fair enough. Although from a musician's standpoint, I might be tempted to hold out for a couple years to produce one damned fine album rather than banging out one per year. I guess that's why there are some people who do it one way and others who do it the other way.

quote:

Oh yeah, Cyrone, uh, dream pop is typically a bit screechy. Give Loveless a few more listens before you toss it out, it's a masterpiece! You'll get it eventually, don't give up!

I've been listening to dream pop for a while now, except electronica, NOT rock. I'm talkin about people like Ladytron, Air, Sigur Ros.. I'm much more familiar with that style. BTW I'm listening to Loveless right now actually! It does sound better on bigger speakers as opposed to my headphones. Songs still sound very similar..