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Apprentice Guru
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quote: Originally posted by goathouse's enlarging prostate:
Yeah, the songs get more interesting when the drums kick in, but... ach! I'm trying, but how can someone really, uh, like, get into this. For one thing there's virtually no craft here. Just about anybody with a few amps and a drum set could make this. What are the rules? There are no rules? What standard are they trying buck besides basic musicality with the bare concept of "let's make cacophonous music and smear it into semi-oblivion with a hefty glob of reverb."? I mean, I like how purposefully unlistenable it is without resorting to jokes or sheer tastelessness. I bet these guys are pretty cool, but maybe they should try composing something some time. Is this all improvised? It almost sounds improvised. Should I listen to it again?
it's not an album for everyone. though i think that fans of shoegaze, death/drone/prog/post metal, ambient, or just more experimental music genres will find clear reference points. i'm guessing you are not a fan of these genres, in which case it probably wouldn't make sense to listen to the album again. however, if you are into any of that kind of stuff (jesu, blut aus nord, yellow swans, mbv, etc, etc, etc) then i would listen to it again. i would say it is only unlistenable if you are not a fan of the genre's that it is working with. i would also say that anyone who thinks that "anybody with a few amps and a drum set could make this" is terribly naive and probably does not have much experience with this sort of music. but then, who knows, maybe you are just a particularly discerning experimental ambient metal fan? |
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| Posts: 513 | Location: San Diego | Registered: 26 November 2007 | |
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Jedi
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I am.  But I'm not impervious. I'll give it another shake later. |
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Know-It-All
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To weigh in on this, Pyramids is frustrating for me. They have some interesting textures and atmospheres in their songs, but on a whole the production is pretty hit or miss on a production-based album. Also, the remixes trump all of the original tracks, which says something about Pyramids as a band.
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Jedi
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Pyramids is one of the weirdest albums I've heard this year. I like about a third of it, mostly the more-ambient-less-metal stuff, such as "The Echo Of Something Lovely." Which is beautiful.
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Apprentice Guru
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quote: Originally posted by DFelon204409: s quote: Originally posted by goathouse's enlarging prostate:
Murder By Death ~ Red of Tooth and Claw
This suxx. Cheesy as hell. Pure C-H-E-E-Z-E.
Avoid, avoid, avoid.
Ya this album was pretty disappointing. Their first LP as Murder by Death (previously called Little Joe Gould), Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them, was pretty great.
Man, I'm not sure I would be that hard on it. I guess I like Murder By Death quite a bit, so perhaps my opinion is clouded. It's certainly their worst album, but it's got some good moments. A few of the songs are downright terrible, though.
I had a stick of CareFree gum, but it didn't work. I felt pretty good while I was blowing that bubble, but as soon as the gum lost its flavor I was back to pondering my mortality.
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| Posts: 569 | Location: Chicago, IL | Registered: 14 December 2007 | |
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Jedi
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quote: Originally posted by DFelon204409:
To weigh in on this, Pyramids is frustrating for me. They have some interesting textures and atmospheres in their songs, but on a whole the production is pretty hit or miss on a production-based album. Also, the remixes trump all of the original tracks, which says something about Pyramids as a band.
....this is their debut. Blut Aus Nord, Jesu, Birchville Cat Motel, James Plotkin, Loveliescrushing etc. etc. all have several albums under their belt. Also, I don't understand how you can call it purposefully "unlistenable". It is absolutely blissful and one of the few experimental albums I can put on without my girlfriend bitching (which says a lot about its "listenability"). I'll agree it isn't for everyone but if you're a fan of ambient, shoegaze, and black (/ambient metal) then I expect this to be right up your alley.
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| Posts: 2826 | Location: Drug induced coma. | Registered: 01 December 2006 | |
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Guru
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quote: Originally posted by Dork:
...mostly the more-ambient-less-metal stuff, such as "The Echo Of Something Lovely." Which is beautiful.
Yeah, that was the song I liked the most too.
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"You're half the man Peter Pan could have been"
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| Posts: 803 | Location: Vancouver, BC | Registered: 20 December 2006 | |
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Guru
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I always forget how much I don't like Bloc Party until I hear the lead singers voice. Anyways, the new albums is sux x 5.
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"You're half the man Peter Pan could have been"
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| Posts: 803 | Location: Vancouver, BC | Registered: 20 December 2006 | |
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"Forum Moderator"
Jedi
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I had high hopes for the new Mogwai album, but that Batcat EP kinda sucks. The title track isn't bad, but the other two are bad. One is just boring and seems to sit there and do nothing, and the other features some pathetic vocals and an insipid melody.
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Anatomy to me is a homesick stomach and a broken heart
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| Posts: 4159 | Location: NE Indiana | Registered: 14 April 2005 | |
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Upwardly Mobile Participant
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The new Bloc Party is almost stunningly bad. Never have I heard a band so blatantly play against their strengths.
"Hey guys, we've got an awesome drummer."
"Yeah we do! Let's make sure we hyper-compress all of his drum parts so they sound like they could have been produced by any version of ProTools ever."
It's honestly pretty baffling. And the vocal manipulations on every single track are so annoying. I liked Silent Alarm a lot, but I think this is where I get off the train.
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Participant
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Is anyone else annoyed by the overuse of the word "boring" as a reason for dismissing a work? As a review, I find it lazy and bratty and, at the very least, vague. Rather than criticism, it's whining. I don't know, that may be just a pet peeve.
As far as worst albums, I made the mistake of listening to Blank Dogs, which is a lo-fi noise rock album that actualizes your worst fears for those genres. It has an awesome cover, though. Mason Proper's EP lost the ragtag pop charm of their prior release, and I found Bille the Vision & the Dancers really trite and cloy. As far as disappointing releases, I had hoped for more from Wolf Parade, which to me sounds like they've been taking inspiration from '80's hair metal.
I have enjoyed some of the commonly hated albums this year: El Perro del Mar, My Morning Jacket, The Breeders, and Hot Chip are all winners in my book. Feel free to call me (and them) boring.
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| Posts: 30 | Location: Boston, Massachusetts | Registered: 12 December 2005 | |
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Apprentice Guru
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Not really. I'm no great writer of abstract ideas and vaguely relevant metaphors, when I like something I just make hyperbolic statements about how awesome it is, when I don't, it tends to bore me, and so ... I don't see it as whining, more like commenting. I haven't seen anyone hating on the Breeders album. In fact, I've seen pretty much no one talking about it. I like it too.
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Jedi
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I don't like it in comparison to Last Splash. ---------------------------------- Employee of the month awards are the opiate of the masses. For the potheadsGang Starr |
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| Posts: 3808 | Location: ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha | Registered: 18 October 2004 | |
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Know-It-All
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I cannot believe how bad the new Bloc Party is.
As a big fan of their previous two albums I am totally bummed over how this one turned out.
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Apprentice Guru
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quote: Originally posted by fearlessweaver:
Is anyone else annoyed by the overuse of the word "boring" as a reason for dismissing a work? As a review, I find it lazy and bratty and, at the very least, vague. Rather than criticism, it's whining. I don't know, that may be just a pet peeve.
As far as worst albums, I made the mistake of listening to Blank Dogs, which is a lo-fi noise rock album that actualizes your worst fears for those genres. It has an awesome cover, though. Mason Proper's EP lost the ragtag pop charm of their prior release, and I found Bille the Vision & the Dancers really trite and cloy. As far as disappointing releases, I had hoped for more from Wolf Parade, which to me sounds like they've been taking inspiration from '80's hair metal.
I have enjoyed some of the commonly hated albums this year: El Perro del Mar, My Morning Jacket, The Breeders, and Hot Chip are all winners in my book. Feel free to call me (and them) boring.
Yes and no to the boring question...it may be lazy for the critic to give just that as a justification, but it's not whining...whether or not an album engages you is the most fundamental element of a critique. Talk to any artist actually making a sustainable living at their craft, and they will tell you, point blank...that while theme, style, attitude, breaking new ground, personal connection to the material are all incredibly important...all those concerns are secondary...rule number one is DON'T BORE THE AUDIENCE. (Gene Wolfe, a SF writer, is the one who personally passed this advice on to me...but again, I think it's an attitude virtually all professional artists share). |
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Jedi
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quote: Originally posted by joymonger:
The latest Islands album is really terrible. If I had no idea who they were, I'd call it dull. But since I liked their Return to the Sea and the Unicorns, I dislike In Arm's Way that much more.
I'd also list the Xiu Xiu and Tokyo Police Club albums, but they're more disappointing than anything, certainly not the worst of the year.
I agree with the comment about the Islands. However, I think there are still a few likeable moments on the disk. I would like to cut it up and make a new version that is about the length of an EP. This is coming from the guy that once said bands should just release everything they record wether they think it's any good or not, and who thinks all albums should be at least an hour long. So, thank you Islands, for completely disolving my illusions about a perfect world of music.
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| Posts: 1963 | Location: Peter's Creek, Alaska | Registered: 08 August 2007 | |
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Jedi
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quote: Originally posted by theelfpat:
Brian Wilson "That Lucky Old Sun." Listening to this makes me cringe.
I get the feeling this is how some people would have reacted to "SMiLE" had worshiping the Beach Boys not been imprinted into our DNA. 
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Aren't there any girls out their who like good music? I need to and want to meet them. My favorite bands are Overkill River, The Nife, Songs:Ohio, and Nuetral Milk Hotel. Please let me know if your into indy music and like to go to show's and drink beer's and makeout.
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| Posts: 2323 | Location: ATL-abouts. | Registered: 24 October 2006 | |
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