Random Music Talk CXVIII: Grabbing America By The...

[GirlsAloudFan]

I felt it'd be a waste of my time.

 

[LemonMelon]

I've been listening to some Felt albums based on a recommendation LM made a while ago, and it is puzzling why they aren't better known. Great blend of dreamy soundscapes and jangle pop.

The Felt discography is one of the most interesting of the 80s because they released one album a year, every year, for ten years. After that, they broke up and never did anything again. Sometimes that year wouldn't be the best and they would put out something slight, other times it would be shockingly experimental, other times they would release genre-defining classics. Their albums are uniformly short, so even the weaker ones are worth a spin for curiosity's sake. Forever Breathes the Lonely Word and Strange Idols Pattern should be heard by everyone.

 

[david]

The new Metallica album isn't horrible.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[david]

The new Metallica album isn't horrible.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

But it's not great either.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[Axver]

The world really didn't need another Metallica album.

 

[Mack_Again]

I only listened to 5 or so songs off of new Metallica but they were all "meh". I listened back some classics off of 80s and they were clearly better.

 

[lazarus]

A shocking conclusion.

 

[prbiker15]

I listened to all of it, but lost interest after Moth Into Flame.

 

[david]

The Oasis documentary was a little underwhelming.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[lazarus]

RIP Sharon Jones.


Are there going to be any great music artists left by the time we get to 2017?

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Seriously.

Just in case it wasn't apparent enough already, 2016 really sucks.

 

[corianderstem]

god DAMN it. I was hoping she'd beat it. Glad I had the chance to see her last year.

 

[LemonMelon]

Fuck, I thought they caught it early enough in her case. Awful.

RIP to a fantastic singer.

 

[iron yuppie]

Somebody, maybe Martha, was talking about the band GOAT a while ago. The new one from them, Requiem, is really something. Surprisingly uplifting and spirited.

 

[iron yuppie]

The Felt discography is one of the most interesting of the 80s because they released one album a year, every year, for ten years. After that, they broke up and never did anything again. Sometimes that year wouldn't be the best and they would put out something slight, other times it would be shockingly experimental, other times they would release genre-defining classics. Their albums are uniformly short, so even the weaker ones are worth a spin for curiosity's sake. Forever Breathes the Lonely Word and Strange Idols Pattern should be heard by everyone.

I think Crumbling the Antiseptic Beauty is my favorite so far. Right up my alley.

 

[LemonMelon]

Somebody, maybe Martha, was talking about the band GOAT a while ago. The new one from them, Requiem, is really something. Surprisingly uplifting and spirited.

I recommended them to Martha. Keep listening; they have a few great albums.

 

[martha]

I dug Requiem. World Music arrived in the mail recently. I may have some time for it with this upcoming week off.


Sent from my iPad using U2 Interference

 

[IWasBored]

Day 1 of the 50 song memoir autobiography thing Stephin Merritt/Magnetic Fields are doing was pretty cool. driving back out to the middle of nowhere/North Adams for the 2nd part tomorrow....which is technically tonight at this point.

 

[Hewson]

North Adams, Merritt couldn't find a more out of the way place to debut 50 songs?
Berklee in Boston in April just went on sale.

 

[Mack_Again]

I know you guys have no interest in this but this new Justice album sucks. it's not bad but pretty meh. i don't even remember half of the songs.

 

[bono_212]

Day 1 of the 50 song memoir autobiography thing Stephin Merritt/Magnetic Fields are doing was pretty cool. driving back out to the middle of nowhere/North Adams for the 2nd part tomorrow....which is technically tonight at this point.

Please explain. What are they doing?

 

[IWasBored]

North Adams, Merritt couldn't find a more out of the way place to debut 50 songs?
Berklee in Boston in April just went on sale.

Tell me about it. Mass Moca is near nothing.

 

[IWasBored]

Please explain. What are they doing?

New album is due out in I forget, March or April. It's 50 songs, a memoir, thematically one to match something autobiographical from Merritt's life (or as autobiographical as he's willing to go given a general dislike for writing autobiographical songs). So they're all numbered with their titles to go with each year, for example "74 No" is supposed to be floating around out there as a single, and that's the 1974 song. There's a song about not wanting to ever go surfing or understanding it for the year he moved to LA, etc. So the shows they're doing for it are these two day things, 25 songs the first night, 25 the next night. The nice thing about the first show(s) being in pretty much the middle of nowhere in North Adams was that it's not like when you go see a band in a major city and people go because "oh look there's a band playing and I have no other plans this weekend I guess I'll go hang out with my friends in their presence and talk and be on my phone constantly and annoy anyone who happens to be nearby who has actually ever heard of them." At least from where I was sitting, it seemed like everyone who was there was only in town for the express purpose of going to this show. I kind of feel like there were only a handful of songs that stand up out of context as just good songs, but as a whole it was a good time. Worth the drives, I enjoyed.

 

[bono_212]

That's so cool, I'm glad you could attend that. Please update on show two as well.

 

[Axver]

Thoughts on the new Sleigh Bells album?

Most of it isn't as bad as that whiplash-inducing single (and opening track) "It's Just Us Now", though the closer "As If" is cut from the same cloth. The rest is... average Sleigh Bells. Certainly nothing on the level of Reign of Terror, but I'll probably listen to it a couple more times and see them live if they tour down here.

 

[Hewson]

Tell me about it. Mass Moca is near nothing.

Trying to imagine a show at a place like the MoCA, does it have an auditorium type room or did they set something up specifically for this?

Museum shows are always special though, just like the U2 Save the Whalers show at Kunstmuseum.

My cousin went to North Adams State (when it was called that), but I've never ventured there personally. Closest I've been is Lenox/Lee area.

 

[cobl04]

Just finished my first swing through A Seat at the Table.

Thoroughly in the AOTY discussion. Fucking incredible album.

 

[IWasBored]

Trying to imagine a show at a place like the MoCA, does it have an auditorium type room or did they set something up specifically for this?



Museum shows are always special though, just like the U2 Save the Whalers show at Kunstmuseum.



My cousin went to North Adams State (when it was called that), but I've never ventured there personally. Closest I've been is Lenox/Lee area.

There's a space, a big open room with a stage where there's room for a bunch of fairly uncomfortable folding chairs. I guess Dinosaur Jr is doing a show up there in the near future and it's already sold out.

 

[IWasBored]

That's so cool, I'm glad you could attend that. Please update on show two as well.

ah it's done, that long ass post was right after I got home from the second show. it was a really good time, Saturday was a lot more packed so i think more people only went to 1 day. but I'm glad I got to go to both. Merritt is hilarious, and makes some of my favorite music.

 

[bono_212]

I misread. Cool then!

Now go watch the fites.