That Eluvium record is really good. I downloaded the new one and I will probably end up buying it too. Good stuff. As for the new Blood Brothers, I think it's much better than Crimes. It is maybe the most poppy, catchy Blood Brothers record I've ever heard. I don't like it as much as March On Electric Children though. That's my personal favorite.
Just read a review on the Allmusic site for the new Skullflower record Tribulation. Only 2.5 stars, with the reason seemingly being that it is just a bunch of harsh noise. It begs the question.....why let someone who doesn't seem to know anything about the genre review a record like this. The review is short and uninformative, anyone who isn't familiar with Matthew Bower could hear almost any record he's recorded and call it "noise" without any insight. What is the point of doing a review if you don't or can't actually comment on the subject at hand.
I thought those that also peruse this thread might have something to say. Personally I found it disheartening, not the fact that the score was low (which is just one persons' opinion) but that there was pretty much no thought to back it up.
That's incredibly disheartening, jb. You're spot on about the lack of valid criticism in the review and the choice of Greg Prato to write the review is baffling. I know him mostly for writing metal and some alternative reviews, nothing that would seem to lend itself to this genre.
Many, many years ago a magazine I pretty much liked and respected (Musician?) assigned a writer to review The World Saxophone Quartet Plays Ellington who plainly did not like that particular end of the jazz world. I'll not begrudge the writer's opinion, but it's disappointing when an editor has such a wide variety of writers available and chooses one who's neither suited to the job nor willing to open oneself to a new musical experience.
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Posts: 1584 | Location: Bloomington, IN | Registered: 23 May 2004
That's pretty much what I think. If I want noise I'll just turn my radio to a station broadcasting static. I honestly think this is a fad and that no virtually one will be listening to the noise artists of today 10 years down the line.
I agree. I think bands like Broken Social Scene will be completely forgotten in ten years. There's no substance. I like Cursive. They're noisy but they're brilliant.
first off, experimental, avant, noise, and electronic musics have been around for years, even decades, and maybe even beyond that. it is hardly a new thing created by black dice or something. avant has a pretty rich history and has been influential across styles, in at least subtle ways.
further more, i'm pretty sure people were saying "this is a passing fad" with every turn and innovative idea in music. who knew the minimalist electronic experiments would lead to things like Kid A or even Postal Service. i'm pretty certain we have no ability to place these things in any context with just on a stray opinion or two. with noise records specifically, releases from artists like polmo polpo or tim hecker are some of the most interesting and provacative music from the past few years for many people, sometimes me included. based on that, and the exponential increase of technology, this type of music will keep evolving and these records will continue to have a sort of "cult" following. the basis for this idea isn't merely how much i like a band, but rather an overview of technology's exponential growth, fused with the fact that this music appeals to certain people in the same way a band like cursive does to other people, and even the same people, like me. i love bss, windy and carl, and cursive (well, domestica, burst and bloom, and ugly organ anyway)
This message has been edited. Last edited by: not eric,
Posts: 171 | Location: Phoenix | Registered: 05 September 2004
Originally posted by not eric: first off, experimental, avant, noise, and electronic musics have been around for years, even decades, and maybe even beyond that. it is hardly a new thing created by black dice or something. avant has a pretty rich history and has been influential across styles, in at least subtle ways.
further more, i'm pretty sure people were saying that with every turn and innovative idea in music. who knew the minimalist electronic experiments would lead to things like Kid A or even Postal Service. i'm pretty certain we have no ability to place these things in any context with just on a stray opinion or two. with noise records specifically, releases from artists like polmo polpo or tim hecker are some of the most interesting and provacative music from the past few years for many people, sometimes me included. based on that, and the exponential increase of technology, this type of music will keep evolving and these records will continue to have a sort of "cult" following. this basis for an idea isn't merely how much i like a band, but rather an overview of the uniformitarianism of technology exponential growth, fused with the fact that this music appeals to certain people in the same a band like cursive does.
I don't mind experimentation. I love love love Radiohead and Cursive. But I love those bands because they manage to be edgy in a way that isn't abrasive and they never forget that songwriting is really what they're doing. Broken Social Scene sounds like an orgy at a construction site. The songs aren't good lyrically or structurally. I do love their latest album cover, though.
i'm just saying what you like or don't like has almost no bearing on whether or not avant garde music stay or passes away. it hasn't died yet, and the trends imply that it won't. but bigger than that is how the "passing fad" view point COMPLETELY misses how important these innovations are to other styles, such how a horribly average alternative band can do a u-turn and pull out a gem like Kid A by mixing ideas. kid a is, by the way, not my personal experimental music favorite, it's not even that particularly experimental, i'm just using it because of it's general acclaim.
Posts: 171 | Location: Phoenix | Registered: 05 September 2004
Originally posted by not eric: this type of music will keep evolving and these records will continue to have a sort of "cult" following.
This is probably right. But I think right now noise is a bit more than a cult favorite. Wolf Eyes are on Sub Pop, fercryinoutloud. I don't see that kind of popularity being sustained.
Posts: 3969 | Location: NE Indiana | Registered: 14 April 2005
Originally posted by not eric: i'm just saying what you like or don't like has almost no bearing on whether or not avant garde music stay or passes away. it hasn't died yet, and the trends imply that it won't. but bigger than that is how the "passing fad" view point COMPLETELY misses how important these innovations are to other styles, such how a horribly average alternative band can do a u-turn and pull out a gem like Kid A by mixing ideas. kid a is, by the way, not my personal experimental music favorite, it's not even that particularly experimental, i'm just using it because of it's general acclaim.
Yeah, ok. I guess my main beef is with Broken Social Scene. I love many of its members. Feist and Stars have staying power, I think. I realize that my personal problems with certain bands aren't universal but I really hope that my grandchildren don't listen to Broken Social Scene and think of it as a turning point in rock 'n roll history. A lot of experimentation sounds an awful lot like people who can't write within convention trying to fool the listener. Real groundbreakers, like Thom Yorke, conquer the genre and then they break its rules.
yeah i see what you mean, though i don't really think a ton of people regard bss as the gods of rock in the 00's. they are probably one of my five favorite current bands, and even i'm aware that their "importance" isn't too significant. to me, there are basically two types of great bands: great innovators and great perfectors. and bss' greatness to me is more based with them finding their own sound of indie rock and being awesome at that (and live they are absolutely unstoppable). like when they lock in on a groove, they own it like no other ("7/4" "Fire Eyed Boy"). i like avant music for the former reason, because they innovate, deconstruct, synthesize and inspire. i like indie rock (and bss) for the latter reason, because it just feels right to me, it hits those grooves.
now how someone can claim stars, being the fluffy and inconsequential band that they are, has staying power while bss is without merit baffles me, but such is the nature of taste, which i accept.
Posts: 171 | Location: Phoenix | Registered: 05 September 2004
Originally posted by not eric: yeah i see what you mean, though i don't really think a ton of people regard bss as the gods of rock in the 00's. they are probably one of my five favorite current bands, and even i'm aware that their "importance" isn't too significant. to me, there are basically two types of great bands: great innovators and great perfectors. and bss' greatness to me is more based with them finding their own sound of indie rock and being awesome at that (and live they are absolutely unstoppable). like when they lock in on a groove, they own it like no other ("7/4" "Fire Eyed Boy"). i like avant music for the former reason, because they innovate, deconstruct, synthesize and inspire. i like indie rock (and bss) for the latter reason, because it just feels right to me, it hits those grooves.
now how someone can claim stars, being the fluffy and inconsequential band that they are, has staying power while bss is without merit baffles me, but such is the nature of taste, which i accept.
Actually, yeah. I hope Stars doesn't stick around either. I do enjoy their lyrics and I find their boy/girl trade-off nice. They don't belong in the avant-garde forum at all. I listened to some BSS this morning and I remain pretty unmoved. We'll see. I'm open to learning, though I've given them many chances.
I just got Halve Maen and am happy as can be. My goodness I have a thing for these Double Leopards. have any of you heard of Religious Knives? I guess its a mix of Double Leopards and Prurient.
Yeah I've definitely heard of Religious Knives but never heard them, if you know what I mean. Where are you getting this Double Leopards stuff Sicnarf? I just bought Savage Summer Sun when I was in NYC and it is every bit as good (or at least I think it is) as A Hole Is True. I've got some of Marcia Bassett's stuff with GHQ and Hototogisu which are both surprisingly easier to find than stuff like Halve Maen and Over One Through One and To One.
For Halve Maen I couldn't find it anywhere so I finally resorted to downloading it and that took its fare share of time. I am in love with that album though. I like it a lot better than A Pebble in Millions of...Rotations (or whatever it is called). I got a 3" cd of their's at a new local indie record shop in my town. I am still working on getting GHQ and Hototogisu.
Oh, and my error on Religious Knives - mix of Double Leopards and Mouthus - not Prurient. It looks like most of their release so far are on limited vinyl and cdr. Hopefully they'll produce a more accessible release soon.
I saw this awesome Mouthus split LP when I was in NYC...I think it was with The Bay?? I'm not sure. It definitely wasn't the Axolotl, Double Leopards, or Cousins of Reggae split though. Unfortunately like a lot of other awesome vinyl I saw while there, I had no way of getting it back without fear that it might get busted up in either my luggage or on the plane. What a shame. Have you checked out that Mouthus record The Long Salt yet Sicnarf? Bad as a motherfucker!! I've got a feeling it'll make my top albums of the year list.
I know. I need that Mouthus albumn. I just don't want to order it...Iwant the immediate gratification of pulling it of a record store shelf but it lloks like that may be a fading idea. I'll get it soon.
Which one? There is the Drift Yellow Swans record, the split with Moth Dracula, and of course the Psychic Secession full length. If you're referring to the full-length, I think it's really good, probably the best thing the band has done so far, but as far as 2006 noise records go, the Mouthus, Wolf Eyes, and Skullflower records are better from my point of view.
