Grandaddy Lovin'

[Basstrap]

I'm been on a grandaddy obsession lately. I wish I knew of more bands that sounded like this.

They capture a sort of meloncholy in their songs that just really gives me this surreal feeling.

-It's like rain on a sunny day
-or getting fired from your job and walking down a gloomy Bladerunner-esque street,...all lights and commotion, but no warmth
-or waking up realizing life is beautiful, you just haven't started living yet

The neil young-ish voice mixed to a modern dream-pop backdrop, the songs are almost all catchy is some way, but yet very sad and dark.

I love it

If you're new to them listen to these songs:

The Crystal Lake
Everything Beautiful Is Far Away
First Movement/Message Fade
AM 180
Jed the Humanoid
Jed's Other Poem (Listen to these for the story)
The Warming Sun
Laughing Stock

My personal fave is Everything Beautiful is Far Away, it's this incredily sad sci-fi kinda story, stirs up a lot of great imagery. You could make a whole movie on these lyrics

He just finished eating dinner
and stepped outside the cave to smoke
A cigarette he'd made from rolled up photo paper
They were pictures of things back on earth
He looked out on the greyfish white expanse of
Uninhabited terrain he now called home

He'd seen plenty of mirages and imaginary visitors up until then
So he wasn't sure what to think when he saw swans
And they were wading on the shores of a pale white lake
That he'd never seen there before
And it was quite beautiful and it was far away
Cause everything beautiful is far away

He knew he was as good as gone
But gone was somewhere he really didn't mind going to
Since the shuttle had crashed many years had passed
And the pictures of his loved ones
That the drew on the walls of the cave had finally faded
He put out his smoke and proceeded toward the lake
Repeating to himself everything beautiful is far away

 

[Basstrap]

and I guess sumday is most accessible so give a listen to songs like Now It's On, I'm On Standby

 

[u2popmofo]

I only have The Sophtware Slump and Sumday, what else do you recommend?

I too really love this band. They do something with their music that you just dont hear very often.... I'm not sure how to explain it. They almost make songs that nearly sound like they should have been written in the '60's, but make them sound like something from the future with the production.

Some of my recent favorites:

Hewlett's Daughter
The Crystal Lake
Chatsengrafs
Jed's Other Poem
I'm On Standby
The Go In the Go-For-It
El Caminos in the West
Stray Dog and the Chocolate Shake
O.K. With My Decay

 

[Lilly]

I rather enjoy grandaddy. I think the melancholy comes from the guy's voice moreso than the music itself though. the relationship between the music and the voice provides a juxtaposition for the listener.

 

[Basstrap]

No, it's much more than the voice, though

The lyrics are incredible. They range from the great sad sci fi stories like Jed's etc.. and Everything Beautiful to the existential pondering of Sumday.
Backed with computers and programmed noises that sound cold and futuresque. It's a great combination.

mofo, their debut album, Under The Western Highway is probably my fave. It's a bit more hi-fi, but there;s more diversity and ingenuity. I'm biased though, cos it was the first grandaddy album I heard and I get nostalgic.

 

[u2popmofo]

Thanks Basstrap, I'll have to check that album out, I'll also have to check out 'Everything Beautiful is Far Away'.

I came across Grandaddy on accident. They had Sophtware Slump on a listening display in a CD store about 3 years back and I liked the few songs I listened to. (I also liked that they had described them as Pavement meets Radiohead on the display, which I can agree with to a small extent)


Check this out:

http://www.kexp.org/aspnet_client/KEXPViewMediaGroup.aspx?rID=1854&pID=528&fID=539&artist=AI

 

[Basstrap]

cool, thanks!

 

[beegee]

thank you basstrap.

we just got one of their cds (which one it was i have no idea right now) in at the library where i work and i was wondering what they sounded like. whenever we get interesting cds in, i always sit and read the lyrics. (lyrics are SO important to me.)

i noticed that the lyrics inside the grandaddy cd were really, really amazing.

i'll have to bring it home.

 

[DiGi]

mofo, their debut album, Under The Western Highway is probably my fave. It's a bit more hi-fi, but there;s more diversity and ingenuity. I'm biased though, cos it was the first grandaddy album I heard and I get nostalgic.

more reason to get this album.

 

[Basstrap]

that should red 'a bit more LO fi'

 

[zoney!]

great live band too!

In fact, I think they are better live.

but my opinion usually sucks and stuff.

 

[Basstrap]

awww...come on now, zoney

it's doesn't ALWAYS suck

 

[Elvis Presley]

love these guys, liked them alot live as well, although they do have an odd obbession with cats....

anyway, Sophtware Slump is my fave.....

 

[zoney!]

^ indeed. But so does most of Interference too!

 

[u2popmofo]

Dear Basstrap,

You were right about 'Everything Beautiful Is Far Away'

I really like it, I've listened to it about 5 times today already. Awesome song.

 

[SkeeK]

I quite like these guys.. haven't listened to 'em in ages though.

listening to "everything beautiful is far away" just now, has led me to realize that the singer dude has the same voice as John K Sampson, lead singer of the rather excellent Weakerthans.