Frightened Rabbit, "The Modern Leper"

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If you shout...

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Frightened Rabbit's new record, The Midnight Organ Fight, has been getting a pretty good deal of good press from various places, over the last few weeks, and while I think that the record itself is basically average (much like last year's retardedly lauded but not at all bad Boxer), I'm entirely willing to admit that the first song on the album, "The Modern Leper" (much like last year's justly lauded stunner, "Fake Empire") looks like it's going to be one of my favorite songs of the year. I'm curious as to what everybody thinks, around these parts, because while most people around here often seem to hate my taste in music, I'm willing to bet that most of us can see eye-to-eye, on this particular track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu2TPvtOTEw

Lyrics, as heard by me:

A cripple walks amongst you,
all you tired human beings.
He's got all the things a cripple has--
not-working arms and legs,
and vital parts fall from his system and dissolve in Scottish rain.
Vitally, he doesn't miss them.
He's too fucked up to care

Well, is that you in front of me,
coming back for even more of exactly the same?
You must be a masochist, to love a modern leper on his last leg.
On his last leg...

Well, I crippled your heart a hundred times,
and still can't work out why.
You see, I've got this disease I can't shake,
and I'm just rattling through life.
Well, this is how we do things, now.
Yeah, this is how the modern stay scared.
So, I cut out all the good stuff;
yeah, I cut off my foot to spite my leg.

Well, is that you in front of me,
coming back for even more of exactly the same?
You must be a masochist, to love a modern leper on his last leg.
Well, I am ill,
but I'm not dead.
And I don't know which of those I prefer,
because that limb which I have lost,
well, it was the only thing holding me up.
Holding me up...

Well, I'm lying on the ground, now,
walking through the only door.
Well, I have lost my eyesight,
like I said I would.
But I still know,
and that is you in front of me...
and you are back for even more of exactly the same.
Well, are you a masochist to love a modern leper on his last leg?
And you are not ill.
And I'm not dead.
Doesn't that make us the perfect pair?
Just you and me,
we'll start again,
and you can tell me all about what you did, today.
What you did, today...
 
Great song, definitely has shades of Idlewild in it. You can download the mp3 from Pitchfork. Look forward to getting the album when it's released in the US.

Edit: As a side note, I always like how If You Shout can even make things he likes sound miserable in his descriptions by how negative he is about everything. Good times.
 
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I've got nothing but love for this song, though! It's spectacular. The only "complaint" that I have is that the vocal stylings and delivery sound unnervingly similar to those of mewithoutYou, who fucking SUCK. I'm perfectly willing to overlook them shits, though, as this song is fucking tremendous.
 
If you shout... said:
I've got nothing but love for this song, though! It's spectacular. The only "complaint" that I have is that the vocal stylings and delivery sound unnervingly similar to those of mewithoutYou, who fucking SUCK. I'm perfectly willing to overlook them shits, though, as this song is fucking tremendous.
Click to expand...

Just givin' ya crap, broseph. I haven't even heard any of their other songs other than a clip or two on iTunes, so I may end up hating the rest of the album as well. Regardless, this is still a very good song that more people need to check out. :up:

Yay for more Scottish indie/folk/rock type outfits.
 
Another clarification--I don't hate the record, either. In fact, I'd recommend checking it out. I think that it's just gotten maybe a few too many generous reviews on the basis of no more than a few stellar tracks and a good deal of inoffensive filler (but filler, all the same). At over 48 minutes and with, like, a billion songs, t's a lot longer than it needs to be, basically, and that doesn't do it any favors. It's good--no more, no less. Maybe time'll prove me wrong, but until then, I'll be listening to "The Modern Leper" over and over and over the fuck again.
 
I only now just read through the lyrics to this. Brutal yet great, love the last section.

WAY more people need to listen to this. You can legally download or stream it for free here:

The Modern Leper Linker
 
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If you shout... said:
I'm curious as to what everybody thinks, around these parts, because while most people around here often seem to hate my taste in music, I'm willing to bet that most of us can see eye-to-eye, on this particular track.
Click to expand...

Well, I by no means represent "most people around here", but I really enjoyed the song. :up: Very good.

Thanks Ifyoushout, for turning us on to this track. :D
 
The album was released in the US last week. I've only listened to it all the way through once, but I really enjoyed it. My favs as of right now are:

Modern Leper (of course)
Head Rolls Off
Keep Yourself Warm
 
For some reason "search" could not find this thread, so I just spent way too long looking for it...:mad:

Apparently a live/acoustic CD (which is essentially all the songs from the Midnight Organ Flight album) is being released in October:
Frightened Rabbit to Release Live Album | Pitchfork

Head Rolls Off, Modern Leper, and Keep Yourself Warm are 3 of my absolute favorite, and most listened to, songs of 2008. More people need to hear those songs, as I think essentially everyone would like them. :up:
 
I saw them at a free show downtown back in June. They were AWSUM.
 
I need to bump this. I've fallen in love with this album again. Every single fucking song is perfect. Easily the best of 08, if not one of the best this decade. Just so, so good. My Backwards Walk, Fast Blood, Poke, Old Old Fashioned, The Twist, Good Arms vs Bad Arms... argh! So good.
 
Every so often, The Midnight Organ Fight takes me to this fucking, this place that I need to go sometimes. I hate going there, but it's fantastic in a self-medicating sort of way. Tonight is one of those nights. I hope the next time I have one of these nights I'll have learned more.

But: people, download this album. It is one of the best of the decade. Lyrically heartbreaking.
 
Mr. V said:
Every so often, The Midnight Organ Fight takes me to this fucking, this place that I need to go sometimes. I hate going there, but it's fantastic in a self-medicating sort of way. Tonight is one of those nights. I hope the next time I have one of these nights I'll have learned more.

But: people, download this album. It is one of the best of the decade. Lyrically heartbreaking.
Click to expand...

you know, i must have missed this thread earlier. thanks for the recommendation, i'll download when i get home from work.
 
So I had heard of Frightened Rabbit and have seen a video or two (one was in a school house) but I just listened to Poke for the first time :( Why didnt i get into these guys sooner?
 
I would also like to add that it must be the prettiest song to ever use the phrase 'kick its cunt in'
 
I still spin parts of this record pretty regularly, but went through a span of a few months during which I never listened to any of these songs, earlier in the year. I was listening to some music before bed, about a month or so ago, and decided to give "Poke" another go. It has been ages since I wept during a song (puberty was a while ago, all of a sudden), but I wept during that one. Jesus. I don't know if that's a good thing, in and of itself, but it certainly was brought about by a better-than-good song. Amazing.

Couldn't even begin to choose a single highlight, but since I'm now listening and I just heard it, I'll go with "And now, we're unrelated and rid of all the shit we hated./But I hate when I feel like this, and I never hated you." That whole final verse is almost too much for me to bear, for some reason. The song's nearly too honest, a la "Pale Blue Eyes" (The Velvets). But it works.
 
Just found out these guys are playing at a small bar in Toronto on July 22. Tickets are $13.50. I should probably go see them then, right?
 
Jive Turkey said:
Just found out these guys are playing at a small bar in Toronto on July 22. Tickets are $13.50. I should probably go see them then, right?
Click to expand...

Glad you mentioned this, as I just looked and they're playing here as well. Not until Sept. though.


Edit: Looks like it's the day after U2 weekend in Chicago. Not even sure if I'll be home yet, and if I am, I'm doubting I'll be wanting to go to another show. Bummer.
 
I suppose I should make a new thread, but I'm not in the mood. Anyway, you can stream the new Frightened Rabbit single from the upcoming album and its b-side here:

FatCat Records : Releases

308_568.jpg
 
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