I'd never actually listened to Spoon before, and seeing so many people mention them, I picked up Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga tonight. The first thing that caught me was that they're on Merge, the label one of my all-time favourite bands (The Magnetic Fields) were on before signing to Nonesuch Records. I must say, I'm pretty impressed. The songs are well-written, the vocals good, and the production quite interesting at times. Good stuff. I'm still on my first listen, so I'm sure it'll grow on me more and more as I listen again (and with this one, I think it'll be again and again).

(Sorry about errantly starting the new thread, EricG.)

quote:

Originally posted by pianofaerie: see the crack? solid brass.:
(Sorry about errantly starting the new thread, EricG.)

No problemo. You're a n00b, so I'll let it slide...this time.

Spoon is one of my favorite bands, and if you enjoy Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, you'll definitely love their previous albums. Aside from their first album, Telephono, which I'm not real crazy about, every other album in their catalog is fantastic.

I picked this one up the other day due to people everywhere recommending it, and I'm loving it. All solid songs, plus a number of standouts, and they all have depth, things you pick up on upon repeated listens that are excellent, such as the pre-chorus alternating guitar/clapping on "The Underdog". And how good is the guitar-line on Finer Feelings?

My only complaint is that the album is too short!

To me, this is one of the easiest albums to like and recommend to people this year. Sort of like The Hold Steady's "Boys and Girls" last year.

I must admit that my first reaction to this one was a bit negative. I thought the songs were a bit too similar in style and pace. However, after several listens I've come to really like it. Alot of solid songs all the way through. I just wish they would use some of the ideas in the bonus CD in the songs on the main CD.

quote:

Originally posted by ezkcdude:
To me, this is one of the easiest albums to like and recommend to people this year. Sort of like The Hold Steady's "Boys and Girls" last year.

I don’t know about The Hold Steady comparison. I know a lot of people that love both bands but I am an exception because I can’t stand The Hold Steady but love Spoon. This isn’t to say that I think The Hold Steady suck, I just can’t get into them but I can definitely see why people would like them. Hmm…that doesn’t make much sense.

As for Spoon’s newest, it’s short and concise and great from top to bottom. I think it’s still in my top 5 of the year—easily—I think.

Because I haven't bought a lot of albums this year, I was scrambling to make my Frankenstein list by listing almost every album I'd bought. Now, for sure, NIN gets the kick off the list and I'm re-arranging it to include a Spoon song. Yay!

quote:

I can’t stand The Hold Steady but love Spoon

Yay!

quote:

Originally posted by skyTweedysky:

quote:

I can’t stand The Hold Steady but love Spoon

Yay!

Oh no. I smell another VS thread brewing.

quote:

Originally posted by Maximum Jack:
Oh no. I smell another VS thread brewing.

Uh oh...

This is such an outstanding album! All the songs are so expertly (yet seemingly effortlessly) crafted. My only gripe is the relatively short run-length. I still have it as my #2 album this year, and "Don't You Evah" as a top five song.

that's interesting. 'The Ghost of You Lingers' is one of my favourite songs I've heard all year.

All and all a nicely rounded album. Definitely one of those albums that gets even better the more you listen.

I like Spoon...I like Spoon alot actually. I like that they are a steady force. they dont' seem to be too concerned with constantly reinventing themseles release after release. But unfortunately that also has a tendency to lend itself towards predictability. I know exactly what a Spoon album will sound like before it's released, and Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is no different. Yeah, there are horns, and other interesting instrumentation, but it mimics Kill The Moonlight so much...

So yeah, Ga Ga Ga GA GA is a great record, because Spoon makes good records. I'm just still waiting for them to do something different..

I don't know.... I wish it mimiced Kill The Moonlight, more than it does. I think Spoon is best when they are as minimalistic as possible.

I agree that they are a consistently great band though.

quote:

Originally posted by strawberryjam:
I can't understand why the Underdog gets so much attention here. It's reggae flavour is annoying. You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb is so much better!

i have to agree with you.
Even if "The Underdog" is a brilliant pop track to cheer you up , it remains one of my least favourite new Spoon tracks.i prefer the great powerful opener "Don't Make Me A Target" , or the perfect -ala Grandaddy-powerpop of "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" .
"Rhythm & Soul" is also a top moment here , with an intro (n not only) that brings you in mind Pulp's "Razzmatazz" (actually it s the same intro & outro!!!) , a track that could fit perfect in the first part of "Girls Can Tell" album , along with tracks such as "Me and the Bean" or "Lines in the Suit".
My favorite track in Gax5 remains the mindblowin "The Ghost Of You Lingers" , a song that you are gonna see in my top 10 list , one of their most ambitious and inspired moments so far.maybe that track is the answer to that comment..>

quote:

I'm just still waiting for them to do something different..

I've listened to Gax5 more than 5 times, but i still think that the only excellent song here is 'You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb'. The rest is decent, but not as mindblowing as, for example, wonderful Kill the Moonlight which I like the most. I was surprised to hear from a friend that she liked Gax5 much more than Kill the Moonlight. I can't understand that.

I was lukewarm to Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga at first but I now realise it is a much better album than I first thought.

I was the exact same way, Tom. For a while it just didn't connect with me, but after I set it aside for a month or two and came back I really dug it. Same thing happened with Okkervil for me.

Good for you RL, welcome to the dark side where people like Indie-Rock, now if we could only get you into Boxer, then we’d hit the trifecta.