Mogwai

[phanan]

New Mogwai and Alcest on the same day.

Me happy.

 

[u2popmofo]

Only heard it twice, but really enjoying it so far. Some of my favs are things I wouldn't typically prefer on paper from Mogwai (songs with vocals, etc)

 

[purpleblackeye]

Really great album...even better after a few listens. At first was skeptical with some more of the more electro/keyboard elements - especially with the first tracks - but they've grown on me big time. Remurdered is still epic even without soaring guitars.

Can't wait to see them on tour in the US. I've only started listening to them a couple of years ago, and have never had a chance to see them. I hear the concert setting is where they really shine.

 

[u2popmofo]

Can't wait to see them on tour in the US. I've only started listening to them a couple of years ago, and have never had a chance to see them. I hear the concert setting is where they really shine.

I've seen them a couple times now, and can confirm the awesomeness of a Mogwai concert! I'm looking to this tour too.

 

[nielsgov]

Alcest

Great album as well. I actually think they improved without the metal influences.

 

[Axver]

I've only heard Young Team but really enjoyed it. I guess I wouldn't be Cobblering it by listening to this.

I am potentially Cobblering it up by saying that Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will is Mogwai's best album.

Hope they tour Australia again soon. I've missed them two or three times thanks to their Melbourne shows always clashing with other stuff.

 

[nielsgov]

So I listened to all of Mogwai's regular studio releases today whilst studying, bar The Hawk Is Howling (which I still haven't heard) and Rave Tapes (which I've listened to quite a lot the past few days).

And because I know you've all been waiting for this, I'll go ahead and rank them.

1. Happy Songs For Happy People
2. Young Team
3. Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will
4. Rock Action
5. Come On Die Young (haven't listened to this one much so my opinion on it may change in the future)
6. Rave Tapes
7. Mr. Beast

I can honestly say I enjoy all those albums.

The best Mogwai songs I heard today:
Tracy
R U Still In 2 It
Ex-Coxboy
You Don't Know Jesus
Hunted By A Freak
Killing All the Flies
Ratts of the Capital
Travel Is Dangerous
We're No Here
Death Rays
Letters to the Metro
Mexican Grand Prix

 

[u2popmofo]

From Mogwai's Facebook account:

Thanks to everyone who bought our new album Rave Tapes this week. It's our highest ever charting album in the UK and our first Top 10 record.

 

[nielsgov]

Cool.

Pretty weird for a band who's been around for so long. And it's not as if Rave Tapes had hit single or lots of critical acclaim.

 

[purpleblackeye]

So I listened to all of Mogwai's regular studio releases today whilst studying, bar The Hawk Is Howling (which I still haven't heard) and Rave Tapes (which I've listened to quite a lot the past few days).

And because I know you've all been waiting for this, I'll go ahead and rank them.

1. Happy Songs For Happy People
2. Young Team
3. Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will
4. Rock Action
5. Come On Die Young (haven't listened to this one much so my opinion on it may change in the future)
6. Rave Tapes
7. Mr. Beast

I can honestly say I enjoy all those albums.

The best Mogwai songs I heard today:
Tracy
R U Still In 2 It
Ex-Coxboy
You Don't Know Jesus
Hunted By A Freak
Killing All the Flies
Ratts of the Capital
Travel Is Dangerous
We're No Here
Death Rays
Letters to the Metro
Mexican Grand Prix

agree with the Happy Songs...album being the favorite. Hunted by a Freak - Killing All the Files - Ratts of the Capital. These are all tremendous songs and what I would advise people to listen to first if you haven't heard any of their stuff.

 

[u2popmofo]

The crazy thing about Mogwai is that aside from the critical acclaim of Young Team, there really doesn't seem to be any clear "favorites" among fans. When I first got into the band, Come On Die Young was typically listed as the fan favorite. Mr. Beast is actually far and away my favorite full album of the band, and Niels has listed it dead last (though I realize he's said he still enjoys it). It's pretty cool that they've varied up their sound enough that people can have completely different favorites.

They're one of those bands where I can honestly say I've liked everything they've done (though that Earth Division EP is pushing it). I think their soundtracks and collections are pretty much just as good as most of their official albums. Ten Rapid and EP+6 are pretty much essential, and I'd rank Zidane and Les Revenants soundtracks as being nearly the same quality as most of their albums (The Fountain being slightly less enjoyable for me personally).

 

[IWasBored]

I was going to make a comment about how mr. Beast is one of my favorites and of course that would mean it would be niel's last place.

 

[nielsgov]

They're one of those bands where I can honestly say I've liked everything they've done (though that Earth Division EP is pushing it). I think their soundtracks and collections are pretty much just as good as most of their official albums. Ten Rapid and EP+6 are pretty much essential, and I'd rank Zidane and Les Revenants soundtracks as being nearly the same quality as most of their albums (The Fountain being slightly less enjoyable for me personally).

Then I know what to get next. I haven't listened to any of their soundtracks or EP's, bar Earth Division which I enjoyed a great deal actually.

The Hawk Is Howling is great as well. I think it would come somewhere in the middle of my ranking, probably ahead of Come On Die Young.

 

[nielsgov]

So I saw these mofo's live for the first time over the weekend. I loved it. Most songs are indeed better live. The only negative is tha

 

[nielsgov]

So I saw these mofo's live for the first time over the weekend. I loved it. The setlist was a nice mix of older and newer stuff. The only negative is that they didn't play anything from Young Team. New Paths to Helicon part 1 + We're No Here was a great closing duo so I didn't exactly miss Mogwai Fear Satan though. Most songs are indeed better live. Especially Remurdered, which was a beast. One of the highlights.

Setlist:

Heard About You Last Night
Friend of the Night
Travel Is Dangerous
I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead
Take Me Somewhere Nice
Master Card
New Paths to Helicon, Pt. 2
Rano Pano
Ex-Cowboy
The Lord Is Out of Control
White Noise
Remurdered
Mexican Grand Prix

Deesh
New Paths to Helicon, Pt. 1
We're No Here

 

[u2popmofo]

Very cool, looks like they were kind of going with a sound theme to fit in with the new album. I hope they're still doing something similar when I see them here in a number of months! I'm jealous.

 

[iron yuppie]

I gave Rave Tapes a spin a few days ago, and damn did I enjoy it. It's my first exposure to the band, and admittedly I didn't know what to expect. The titles of their albums had given me the impression they would be some kind of generic metal/post-rock hybrid (a baseless assumption, I know), but Rave Tapes was anything but. Any suggestions on where to go next?

 

[u2popmofo]

It's tough to say, because they've been around so long and have so many different "sounding" albums. They actually are considered by many to be the originators of the modern "post-rock" sound. Their first album, Young Team, is typically considered their most influential, but there have been so many bands who've copied same sounds/concepts since, that often it doesn't wow many unless they're paying close attention to the date it was made. Regardless, it's great: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11600-young-team-2008-edition/

I'd say Happy Songs For Happy People might be a good fit if you were a big fan of the new one. It's got a lot of electronica added in, but with a different feel and sound than Rave Tapes.

If you aren't completely opposed to hearing something that isn't necessarily an "album", I'll go back to what I've recommended a lot previously, 'Government Commissions'. It's a compilation of BBC Sessions recorded live for John Peel and Steve Lamacq's shows, so you get a "greatest hits" type sampling from all of their albums up to that point, but also get to hear the live translations of those songs. Considering the band is very popular for how great their live performances are, it's a good combo. Here's a little blurb about it from Allmusic's review: "The album's live atmosphere, which includes voice-overs from the much-missed Peel, adds to its organic ebb and flow, which is all the more remarkable considering that it spans seven years' worth of performances. Though die-hard Mogwai fans are probably the most likely to pick this up, Government Commissions works so well that it could also double as a Mogwai greatest-hits collection -- something that can't be said about many other live compilations."

 

[iron yuppie]

Cool. Thanks for the perspective.

 

[u2popmofo]

From Facebook:

We're pleased to be able to announce details of the forthcoming re-issue of our 1999 album Come On Die Young. The repackaged edition, which includes over an hour of bonus material, will be released on June 16th via Chemikal Underground as 4xLP box set, 2xCD and digital download. The reissue package will be available to pre-order through Chemikal Underground from May 1st.

For further information please visit: Come On Die Young Reissue : June 16th |

This deluxe edition of ‘Come On Die Young’ has been painstakingly put together by the band and label, unearthing more than an hour of bonus material including:

· Previously unreleased takes from early Chem19 sessions of ‘Waltz For Aidan’, ‘Christmas Steps’, ‘Rollerball’ and ‘7-25’ which featured on ‘Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait’.

· Seven remixed and remastered album tracks from CAVA sessions pre-dating the final Tarbox recording sessions.

· Two previously unreleased tracks ‘Satchel Panzer’ and ‘Spoon Test’.

· Rarities ‘Nick Drake’, ‘Hugh Dallas’ and the 3 track ‘Travels In Constants EP’.

· The original, previously unreleased version of ‘Helps Both Ways’.

· A1 ‘San Siro’ poster for Mogwai’s Barrowland Ballroom show from October ’99.

· Boxset includes 4 x 180gsm LPs featuring the original 2LP and 2LP of bonus material.

· Two Chem19 Demos are exclusive to the boxset: ‘Christmas Steps’ and ‘7-25’

· Boxset includes a download code for all audio within the boxset.

You can hear Ex-Cowboy taken from the re-issue via Chemikal's Soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/chemikal-underground/mogwai-ex-cowboy-cava-session

 

[Afliktor]

Saw them live for the second time last week. Amazing show. The Rave Tapes songs were great live (Remurdered is quickly becoming a favourite of mine), and I was super happy they played "Take Me Somewhere Nice." But not as thrilled as when they closed with BATCAT. I almost had a seizure...that song is metal as fuck

 

[u2popmofo]

Nice! Seeing them in a week and a half, looking forward to it.

 

[u2popmofo]

Seeing them for the 4th time tonight!

 

[u2popmofo]

SO AWESOME. These guys really are one of my all time favorite bands, everyone needs to see them live at least once. Here's the setlist.

Heard About You Last Night
Friend Of The Night
I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead
Master Card
Rano Pano
Ex-Cowboy
How To Be A Werewolf
Travel Is Dangerous
New Paths to Helicon pt.1
Deesh
Remurdered
We're No Here

Encore:
Auto Rock
Hunted By A Freak
Batcat

 

[nielsgov]

Nice. Hunted By A Freak.

 

[Afliktor]

SO AWESOME. These guys really are one of my all time favorite bands, everyone needs to see them live at least once.

Agree 100%. they really bring it live (and are surprisingly loud!)

 

[IWasBored]

they closed with batcat in boston, too. and i was quite unhappy i was not there.

 

[u2popmofo]

The 3 new songs on the EP that released today are pretty freaking good for being on an EP.

 

[purpleblackeye]

How are the remixed tracks ? I generally hate remixes and I can't imagine them improving the original versions, especially for a band like Mogwai.

The teenage song is great. Makes you wonder what a whole album of songs with vocals would be like.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[u2popmofo]

I like them too, good EP. Really happy with it.