quote:

Originally posted by headinsand:
I love the Fiery Furnaces and all this hate is completely unwarranted.

There, I said it!

Why is it unwarranted?
People have different opinions man.

Just because u like it and believe they may be the second coming.It doesnt mean everybody should like it.I am on the same boat as the others, they suck.

I actually like Rehearsing My Choir. I like how it all flows together and how it basically the Grandma speaking of her entire life.

It's EXTREMELY weird, very experimental, and it's perhaps their most polarizing album....

I still like it very much though. And I'm still warming up to it.

Pitchfork's resident Fiery Furnaces fanboy, Rob Mitchum, has setup his forthcoming review of Rehearsing My Choir with his article on their most recent Chicago performance:

"Hopefully, their blood ties are enough to get them through the gauntlet of hasty criticism and undeserved scorn Rehearsing is about to face."

So the 0.0 is out. Damn.

OK — taking bets! I'll revise mine to the very safe 7.8 most of the we're-not-sure-what-everyone-else-is-going-to-say albums are awarded.

When I first heard it this past summer, I HATED the self-titled Clap Your Hands Say Yeah album. I just seemed mediocre in every way, and the vocals were so irritating. And that was coming from someone who holds Neutral Milk Hotel and The Decemberists high on their list of favorite bands, so vocals people find "irritating" don't usually bother me. But then, something amazing happened. I was driving, and my iPod suddenly began playing "In This Home On Ice". It was like I was hearing a completely different song. Had his vocals been this emotional and passionate when I had first heard the song? I wasn't sure, but long story short, the album is now firmly on my Best of 2005 list, and "Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood" has been stuck in my head for a solid week. So if you hate it at first, just give it some time. It truly is a "grower".

quote:

Originally posted by m.leland:
the very safe 7.8 most of the we're-not-sure-what-everyone-else-is-going-to-say albums are awarded.

Hahahahaha, this is spot-on! It's not just Pitchfork that does this, though.

Is Rehearing My Choir an album that is to be released later or is it an alternate title for the EP?

quote:

Originally posted by DaninGraniteCity:
Is Rehearing My Choir an album that is to be released later or is it an alternate title for the EP?

It's an album that is going to be released this coming week. Cokemachineglow is the first publication I've seen to have a review of it. They panned it, rightfully so.

I just finished listening to Rehearsing My Choir in its entirety for what I believe is the fifth time. I like it (quite a bit) and find that I grow more fond of it through repeated listening. I do, however, find it puzzling that people who so adamantly defend Blueberry Boat's wackiness/genius can also (and quite hypocritically, IMHO) trash Rehearsing My Choir's similarly unprecedented ambitions. The new album flows remarkably and the lyrics (the fourth or fifth time around) take on a strange personality of their own. Rehearshing My Choir will certainly end up on my year-end list (perhaps not in the top ten, but definitely in the top twenty). It's difficult, frustrating, confusing, and occasionally irritating - but I think all of that contributes rather strongly to its multifaceted character. Like Blueberry Boat, it's an album of many, many little vignettes, and I would argue that the new album is more cohesive in that respect than BB - even if the individual songs aren't quite as strong. Still, regardless of your opinion of RMC, it must be said that we are lucky to have a band out there willing to take these kind of wildly amibitious risks, whether your happen to agree with them or not.

quote:

Still, regardless of your opinion of RMC, it must be said that we are lucky to have a band out there willing to take these kind of wildly amibitious risks, whether your happen to agree with them or not.

I will agree with you there. Still, I hate Rehearsing My Choir. Probably the main thing I miss from Blueberry Boat (and their other albums) is the hooks, man. For all the talk about Blueberry Boat's difficulty, it had more great hooks than any album of 2004 that I heard and they were sequenced them skillfully and unpredictably within and between songs. I also feel like Blueberry Boat had much more variety than Rehearsing My Choir. The grandmother's monotone voice gets really wearisome to me after about 2 songs. The background circus music is also really repetitive and relatively similar in form as well.

Actually, I have no "evidence" about this, but I'm quite sure that if YOU listen to an album over and over again, that you will love it. It doesn't matter if it's WHORE-ABLE; you'll love it. Whatever.

quote:

Originally posted by mark f:
Actually, I have no "evidence" about this, but I'm quite sure that if YOU listen to an album over and over again, that you will love it. It doesn't matter if it's WHORE-ABLE; you'll love it. Whatever.

For many albums I find that to be true: repeated listens make it sound much better. Once I become familiar with an album though, I really can't play it very often or the album becomes ruined for me. It loses its freshness. That's why I don't listen to my favorite albums all that often. If I could get pleasure from listening to a few of my favorite albums over and over I would not listen to anywhere near the amount of music that I do listen to. I only seek out new music because I need a neverending supply so that I don't burn out on stuff that I really like. I get stuff stuck in my head and my mind just keeps playing it over and over long after I've stopped listening to it until that particular song is dead to me. Sometimes I can't concentrate reading as well because I've got some on repeat in my head.

My one little brother is the same way. Everyone else in my family is the opposite. They listen to the same stuff over and over and they've ruined more than one good album for me. There's some stuff that I used to really like that I will never again voluntarily listen to because of overexposure.

Part of the reason that I've begun exploring music that isn't as immediately enjoyable is that I hope that it will not wear off as fast. What I've found though, is that while some of that stuff (post-rock, electronica, noise-rock) doesn't wear off as fast, I never enjoy it as much either. Oh well. I guess there's always a trade-off.

So I was wrong (this only happens two, maybe three times a year). The 'Fork went with a 4.0, but it was Amanda on the review, not Mitchum. Still a glowing review, though, despite the score.

I do miss the hooks from Blueberry Boat as well.

I actually was a little surprised by the review at the 'Fork. Not only did Mitchum indirectly say he liked the album in his live review, but months ago when the album's bizarro-centerpiece "Seven Silver Curses" was reviewed in the site's track reviews segment, it was awarded with 5 stars - by a non-Mitchum reviewer (though can't remember who). Still, this is one helluva polarizing album, and today's review from Amanda P. was quite indicative of that.

Regardless, I still like RMC. Most people will hate it. Moving on.

Anyone have any thoughts on the upcoming DJ Kicks album from Annie? I've listened to some clips from it on iTunes (haven't bought it, it's not the full version), and it sounds like it could be pretty good. Anyone heard it? Anyone care? hahaha.

Whoa! Nevermind about DJ Kicks. Haha.

I stayed up late to get Vashti Bunyan's new album tonight from iTunes. It's stunningly gorgeous. She has such an soothing, enchanting voice, and her musical compositions are simply beautiful. I'll probably be listening to this a lot.......

I know I've said before that I don't like Josh Rouse's Nashville, but I just now realizedhow good some of his earlier stuff is. Songs like "Michigan," "Direction," "Miracle," and "Summer Kitchen Ballad" are excellent. "Feeling No Pain" is one of the best songs about being in love that I've ever heard. Still, I can't find a single song from Nashville, his most highly acclaimed record, that I like at all.

I want to chime in on the Rehearsing My Choir debate.

First off, I am positive that Pitchfork knew that their blatant love for the Furnaces has been questioned a lot. This was an opportunity for them to take them down a few notches and establish their credibility.

Secondly, i'm happy very few peole are saying it is great. I really like the Furnaces, and i LIKE the new album. It isn't the best, but it is decent.

I can see why so many people are hating on it. It is kinda hard to get used to the idea of the spoken word verses, and the singing in general being the "chorus". And even if you can get used to it, odds are most people aren't going to want to put the effort in to hear it a bunch of times.

It isn't nearly as bad as pitchfork and cokemachineglow would have you believe, but it doesn't compare at all to Blueberry Boat.

Every time I try to listen to the Akron/Family album I get about four songs in then break out into hives. My ears haven't hated something this much in years. It'll probably be a favorite of mine when I try to listen to it again in a year and a half. (But jeez... even the "/" in the name is goofy...grrrrrr!)

Here are some of my least favorites of 2005 (checked them out at full album listening parties or from others: )

Emma Roberts - Unfabulous And More (I'm a big female pop/rock fan, but this is too childish)

Barlow Girl - Another Journal Entry

Gorillaz - Demon Days

Weezer - Make Believe (I'm a fan, but I didn't like this one. "Hold Me" is the only song I really enjoyed.)

Backstreet Boys - Never Gone

Hilary Duff - Most Wanted

Ashlee Simpson - I Am Me

Keith Anderson - Three Chord Country And American Rock & Roll

Billy Corgan - Future Embrace

J. Lo - Rebirth

Staind - Chapter V

Nickelback - All the Right Reasons

Bloodhound Gang - Hefty Fine

Here's how I'd grade 2005 releases that I've heard (bored and wanted to make a list) :

New Pornographers - Twin Cinema A+
Stacie Rose - Shadow And Splender A+
The Like - Are You Feeling What I'm Thinking A+
Hope 7 - self-titled A+
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois A+
Teenage Fanclub - Man-Made A+
Anna Nalick - Wreck Of The Day A+
Cindy Alexander - Angels & Demons A+
Martha Wainwright - self-titled A+
Liz Phair - Somebody's Miracle A+
White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan A+
Brandi Carlile - self-titled A+
Garbage - Bleed Like Me A+
Amy Rigby - Little Fugitive A+
Fisher - The Lovely Years A
Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures A
Sleater-Kinney - The Woods A
Sheryl Crow - Wildflower A
Madonna - Confessions On A Dance Floor A
Decemberists - Picaresque A
Bruce Springsteen - Devils And Dust A
Courtney Jaye - Traveling Light A
Wallflowers - Rebel, Sweetheart A
Eisley - Room Noises A
Mary Gauthier - Mercy Now A
Tracy Bonham - Blink The Brightest A
Emma - Free Me A
Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better A-
Brie Larson - Finally Out Of P.E. A-
Laura Veirs - Year Of Meteors A-
Miss Mary - Ready 2 Pop A-
Tori Amos - The Beekeeper A-
Doves - Some Cities A-
Tristan Prettyman - Twentythree A-
Annie - Anniemal A-
Alexz Johnson - Songs From Instant Star A-
Marion Raven - Here I Am A-
Go-Betweens - Oceans Apart A-
Aslyn - Lemon Love A-
All American Rejects - Move Along A-
Mae - The Everglow B+
Click Five - Greetings From Imrie House B+
Lily Holbrook - Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt B+
Kathleen Edwards - Back To Me B+
Kelly Osbourne - Sleeping In The Nothing B+
Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten B+
Kelly Buchanan - Bastard Daughter B+
Aly & AJ - Into The Rush B
Hope Partlow - Who We Are B
Shakira - Oral Fixation Vol. 2 B
Coldplay - X&Y B
Juliette And The Licks - You're Speaking My Language B-
Rolling Stones - A Bigger Bang B-

Country

Lee Ann Womack - There's More Where That Came From A+
Miranda Lambert - Kerosene A
Brad Paisley - Time Well Wasted A
Trisha Yearwood - Jasper County A
Deana Carter - Story Of My Life A-
Faith Hill - Fireflies B+
Chely Wright - Metropolitan Hotel B+
Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts B
Brooks And Dunn - Hillbilly Deluxe B

Disappointments and Dislikes

OK Go - Oh No C+
Lindsay Lohan - Confessions Of A Broken Heart (RAW) C+
Backstreet Boys - Never Gone D+
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl D
Billy Corgan - The Future Embrace C-
Hilary Duff - Most Wanted D+
Death Cab For Cutie - Plans B-
Juliana Hatfield - Made In China C-
Marjorie Fair - Self Help Serenade C
Weezer - Make Believe C-
Jason Mraz - Mr. A-Z C-
Emma Roberts - Unfabulous & More C-
Gretchen Wilson - All Jacked Up B-
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine B-
Paul McCartney - Chaos And Creation In The Backyard C
J. Lo - Rebirth D
Staind - Chapter V D
Trick Pony - R.I.D.E. C+
Neil McCoy - That's Life C
Jo Dee Messina - Delicious Surprise C+
Dierks Bentley - Modern Day Drifter C
Mariah Carey - Emancipation Of Mimi C
Toby Keith - Honkytowk University C
Gorillaz - Demon Days D- at best
Ashlee Simpson - I Am Me D-
Keith Anderson - Three Chord Country And American Rock & Roll F

Also likely low grades: CDs from Scott Stapp, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, CocoRosie, Bloodhound Gang, Dandy Warhols, Nickelback

Likely high grades: Julie Gribble, Imogen Heap, Kate Bush, M.I.A., System Of A Down, Alicia Keys

Not sure about: Fiery Furnaces, Antony And The Johnsons

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MattD,

quote:

Originally posted by MattD:
Also likely low grades: CDs from Scott Stapp, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, CocoRosie, Bloodhound Gang, Dandy Warhols, Nickelback

I know it's your opinion, but I can't believe you're lumping Clap Your Hands Say Yeah in with Scott Stapp, Nickelback, and the Bloodhound Gang.