Random Music Thread LXIII: Cobbler is disqualified for poor effort.

[bollox]

I talked to about 20 different strangers from at least 5 different countries, all of whom spoke perfect english, their native language and usually at least one other language....I know like 50 words in Spanish. I can buy a fucking bottle of water and ask how much it costs, maybe ask you to close the door or window and ask why the cow is red....fucking useless.

My experience last year in Barcelona was similar. It seemed like most people there could speak Spanish, English, French, and Catalan. Amazing. I'd like to think I can speak passable Spanish, and would address people in halting phrases. They would smile politely and then address me in flawless English. Some of them probably spoke better English than many native born US citizens do (I'm looking at you, South Carolina).

 

[PhilsFan]

Thanks.

You know the language better than I do, I figured it would be a confidence booster.

 

[LemonMelon]

I hear you. I wasn't bashing them, more wishing I liked them more, since I'm always on a quest for music that raises my adrenalin levels a bit. I think I first started talking to mofo due to my quest to find such music......

Did you listen to Fucked Up's album from last year, David Comes To Life? It's like 80 minutes long, but it will definitely get your adrenaline up. Basically Springsteen on speed.

 

[nielsgov]

You call someone who speaks three languages trilingual.
Someone who speaks two, bilingual.
What do you call someone who speaks one language?

Spoiler

An American.

I wouldn't bother with other languages if everyone spoke my native language.

I enjoyed the Japandroids album a great deal while sitting in the car. Is that a good way to listen to it?

 

[No spoken words]

You know the language better than I do, I figured it would be a confidence booster.

This was funny.

Did you listen to Fucked Up's album from last year, David Comes To Life? It's like 80 minutes long, but it will definitely get your adrenaline up. Basically Springsteen on speed.

I have not....but, I will. Thanks.

 

[LemonMelon]

I can read Spanish without embarrassing myself, but I can't speak it.

A couple years ago, I was a beast with Japanese, but I've forgotten everything but counting, days of the week and other remedial crap.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

A joke, which you've heard before:

You call someone who speaks three languages trilingual.
Someone who speaks two, bilingual.
What do you call someone who speaks one language?

Spoiler

An American.

Ha.

That joke also reminds me of the "English only!" politicians, and that thought makes me sad.

 

[iron yuppie]

They would smile politely and then address me in flawless English. Some of them probably spoke better English than many native born US citizens do (I'm looking at you, South Carolina).

Yeah, that's why it is ironic funny when they apologize for their English, as it is indeed better than a significant amount of native speakers.

 

[corianderstem]

Baby remember my name.

Rememba
Rememba

This is glorious.

I'm surprised Cori isn't drunk off her ass already celebrating this Duchovny/Anderson news.

I had a Facebook freakout, where all my fellow former Philes flocked to each others' Facebook walls and reverted to our 1998 selves.

Special bulletin for martha:

Thanks for being my messenger girl. Texting with joyful before a concert is now my favorite pre-concert activity.

Sigur Ros was so fucking good, you guys. I mean seriously, you guys.

Seriously.

 

[u2popmofo]

Sigur Ros was so fucking good, you guys. I mean seriously, you guys.

Seriously.

Are they doing a "confetti" moment this tour, or have they stopped now that even miserable mall punk bands have copied the idea?

 

[Jive Turkey]

I'm upset that since I moved away from Montreal, my French and Italian language skills have actually diminished because of lack of use. That became especially apparent on my visit last week.

If I had more time, I would work to rectify it. I may just resort to just watching more French and Italian television.

Here, let me give you a lesson in the two:

eyyyy beeepidy bopidy beepidy.



Uhhhhh hon hon honnnnnn.



You're fucking welcome

 

[PhilsFan]

Don't be such a mamaluke.

 

[corianderstem]

Are they doing a "confetti" moment this tour, or have they stopped now that even miserable mall punk bands have copied the idea?

There was no confetti, but one of the two things Jonsi said was something about this was the first indoor show they'd played in 4 years.

I can only assume that means they haven't been doing that for a while.

 

[LemonMelon]

This is also the first album they've released in four years, FWIW.

 

[djerdap]

I wouldn't feel bad if English was my native language and I couldn't speak some foreign ones. It is the global language and most young people with a bit of education today can speak it, at least in Europe. When you compare it to some other languages, it was for me by far the easiest to learn, due to many reasons, one being that the grammar is relatively simple (no cases for instance). But this also has to do with the fact that I was surrounded by British/Irish/American/Australian film, music and literature literally from day one. I feel that the biggest problem with English is the pronunciation of words, but that also becomes moot once you watch a lot of TV.

Still, it's very cool and useful to know some other languages as well. In Europe, this is a major advantage when looking to build a career for yourself.

I speak Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian and Montenegrin.

Spoiler

Somebody will get that joke. Hopefully.

 

[corianderstem]

This is also the first album they've released in four years, FWIW.

Oh, yeah. Right. I knew that.

In other news, I just saw a man at work wearing an Elbow shirt.

I wish I'd looked to see if he'd been wearing a wedding ring, because my first thought after "zomg he's wearing an Elbow shirt" was "I am going to marry that man."

 

[HeartlandGirl]

That's what you get for being tardy, lady.

I know.


Going to weigh in on this language thing. I've studied six or seven languages now--languages are my thing, and I teach Latin and ancient Greek. When my students and I talk about why most Americans only speak English, I tell them not to feel too bad. The majority of us have no good way to stay fluent in another language. On a daily basis, there's no real opportunity for me to speak French, German, or Korean with anyone else to stay up on what I've learned. So despite my best intentions, my knowledge of those languages has fallen by the wayside.

I'm jealous of people in Europe, India, etc. They have the opportunity to learn new languages and actually put them to use regularly so that they become (and remain) fluent. They're surrounded by native speakers of other languages and have plenty of real life situations where they can practice.

I'm certainly not a proponent of an English-only America. People who say, "This is Amuricah--speak English!" are idiots. If we're supposed to "speak American," then we'd all be speaking Navajo, Cherokee, or Lakota. At any rate, that's just my $0.02 on why the majority of Americans only speak one language. It's not that all of us are English-only moronic snobs; it's that even those of us who wish to be fluent in other languages just aren't set up opportunity-wise to make that happen.

 

[No spoken words]

Yeah, in my case, it's mostly that I'm a moron. Snobbish, no. Just doltish.

Adios.

 

[u2popmofo]

I lived in a country where I spoke another language all day long for 2 years. I then returned to the US, minored in that language in school, and had a job after graduating where I did nothing but speak that language all day long. 10 years later, I am painfully embarrassed at how crappy my language skills have become. I can still listen and understand most of the same crap I used to be able to understand, but I find myself getting lost easily, and having a hard time catching back on once lost. I can speak when I have to, but the right words don't come naturally, and the flow is atrocious. The few times I've gone back to the country, the language has started to come back right when it's time to go home. If I try to study, it feels futile, as I know I won't have a chance to practice anything I'm studying.

Friggin' America.

 

[joyfulgirl]

The majority of us have no good way to stay fluent in another language.
I'm certainly not a proponent of an English-only America. .

It's so true. I have studied French and Italian and it's been impossible to keep up with them without being able to speak them on a regular basis. I try to keep up in little ways, like sometimes while watching a movie I'll turn on the French or Italian subtitles and if I'm really up for a challenge, I'll watch a French or Italian film without the English subtitles. I usually don't get very far, but I pat myself on the back for the effort.

What's interesting is that I recall a lot more French than Italian because that's what I studied starting in jr. high through college, and post-college. I studied Italian pretty intensively as an adult but didn't retain it or become as good at it as French simply because I was younger when I studied French.

 

[corianderstem]

I teach Latin and ancient Greek

That is friggin' awesome.

I can speak very limited German. That's about it.

I can pronounce Latin, because I've been singing choral music for years, but I couldn't tell you what it meant.

I mean, other than your usual sacred music words and themes, because if it's in Latin, you're singing about God 'n junk.

 

[No spoken words]

I always forget that I used to be able to read and write Hebrew.

 

[cobl04]

I learnt Italian for 13 years. I loved it but was not great at it. I haven't done it for over two years now though so my skills are almost completely gone.

I also couldn't roll my r's, which was a massive hindrance.

I was bored so I did a list as well: List by Zdravko Gunj / The People's List: Top Albums 1996-2011 / Presented by Pitchfork and Converse

Thanks for reminding me how utterly ridiculous Pitchfork is. I understand not having in the database some obscure Croatian, Serbian, French or Mexican bands I had, but not having bands like Porcupine Tree, God Is An Astronaut, The Charlatans and Electric Wizard in your database at all?

But let's all have lists with 100% indie hipster rock on them, because that's so much more fun!

That sounded more bitter than I actually am right now.

I wonder if Axver did this, how many album covers we would actually see...

I had to put in ATYCLB.

 

[corianderstem]

I started doing that Pitchfork list thing, but when I looked at my list to try and re-order them, I decided that was too much work.

 

[IWasBored]

You're doing OK, being a total moron and all

In all seriousness, while it disappoints me that a ton of people don't get anything out of Japandroids, the critics foaming at the mouth over them, trying to make sense of music that is pure adrenaline made me laugh. You either dig it or you don't, and a lot of whether or not you do depends on context. Their albums are repetitive and one-note if I dedicate my full attention to them. Put them on at the gym or something and it's an entirely different story. And they are tremendous live.

This assumes that everyone who isn't over the moon with them prefers predominately cerebral stuff where you must sit down and listen to whatever it is with an expensive pair of headphones on, sipping cognac, in a fucking robe and slippers. Perhaps most of the critical opinions you've read are (I would expect them to be), and perhaps a lot of the folks here are as well. I can think of a few too many bands I've listened to over the years that do pure adrenaline in a way that actually grabs me as catchy, usually pretty honest, anthemic, run to the mosh pit, fist pumping sing-a-long stuff that I don't get from these guys. Or titus andronicus (except for a more perfect union). Yet I feel like that's what they're going for, they just don't quite pull it off. Too mints sweater vests on their closets or something. So they alienate me, they alienate the total hipster, and they appeal to the folks who are somewhere in between that--folks who put everything they listen to up on this hyper-analytical pedestal, yet really just want to kick someone in the head every once in a while.

I assume you've never been around anyone on pcp? That's more like ringworm, starkweather...dead fetus band.

 

[LemonMelon]

I had to put in ATYCLB.

Are people adding these, or is the database drawn from what P4k has reviewed?

 

[iron yuppie]

I've studied six or seven languages now--languages are my thing, and I teach Latin and ancient Greek.

You and I can be charter members of the Interference dead languages club.

Friggin' America.

I think this is one of those instances where American hegemony ends up hurting us in the long run. I for one am embarrassed that I so frequently find myself thinking "plenty of people in [insert country here] will speak English" when I travel; it's an entitled mentality that generally makes Americans look crass abroad, I think.

 

[IWasBored]

I hear you. I wasn't bashing them, more wishing I liked them more, since I'm always on a quest for music that raises my adrenalin levels a bit. I think I first started talking to mofo due to my quest to find such music......

Please, please tell me he pointed you in the direction of the bouncing souls.

 

[Axver]

So, uh, just when Cobbler and I were bitching about Australia having shitty festivals, this is announced: Line Up - I'll Be Your Mirror Melbourne curated by The Drones & ATP - All Tomorrow's Parties

Hooooly shit.

I wonder if Axver did this, how many album covers we would actually see...

Oh, I did one yesterday when somebody posted about it on RYM and had to add a billion albums - many of which weren't even obscure.

List by André Axver / The People's List: Top Albums 1996-2011 / Presented by Pitchfork and Converse

Hate how it fucks up apostrophes in manually added titles.

 

[IWasBored]

I lived in a country where I spoke another language all day long for 2 years. I then returned to the US, minored in that language in school, and had a job after graduating where I did nothing but speak that language all day long. 10 years later, I am painfully embarrassed at how crappy my language skills have become. I can still listen and understand most of the same crap I used to be able to understand, but I find myself getting lost easily, and having a hard time catching back on once lost. I can speak when I have to, but the right words don't come naturally, and the flow is atrocious. The few times I've gone back to the country, the language has started to come back right when it's time to go home. If I try to study, it feels futile, as I know I won't have a chance to practice anything I'm studying.

Friggin' America.

Four years of high school, three in college. Without ever having been to the country, at my best I spoke russian like a special ed teenager. Listening comprehension and writing-wise, I made it through some literature classes that were solely in Russian (one was Pushkin, the other was on Bulgakov's Master and Margarita--and that one is fucked up if you read it in your native language). And since 06 I have used it twice to embarrass some people at work who thought they were talking about me in front of me while I didn't understand. That's it. Now, since the grammar was pretty well beaten into me, I think it would be ok. But I've retained probably 3% of my vocabulary since graduating college. Sure, that's to be expected, since everyone knows what you don't use, you lose is extremely true for languages. I couldn't take a language class my freshman year of college because umass didn't bother to space the retired professors, since students can go to smith or amherst colleges if they really want to study Russian, however, you can't do that til your second semester. Now show me a language class that is only half the year...that year off was pretty damaging, and I'm still irritated about it. I can't really name much more that depresses me than having forgotten something I spent that much time studying. The reason I ended up a Russian/Eastern European studies major was because I kept taking language classes just for electives to NOT lose it, and when I opted against a couple other things, it came down to that being the field I was most close to done with by the time it started coming down to really needing to keep a declared major...

The local Puerto Rican population is just as bad as Americans who think everyone should speak English. I can't tell you how many times I've had people yell at me for not speaking Spanish. But I'm still in the US-- not in Puerto Rico, demanding they speak English. I'd be open to both of us learning both languages (I wish I could speak as many languages as peefer can drink beers, guys. Although that semester of Finnish did not go well for me), but none of this I have to learn Spanish nonsense.