Random Music Talk CXXII: 2018 It Is

[IWasBored]

From what I saw online just in passing, people are refusing to count those two albums on grounds of featuring “too much r&b singing to be hip hop.”

 

[lazarus]

While it’s true the big singles from those albums (Hey Ya and Doo Wop) were definitely not hip hop, both albums sure have a lot of it.

 

[LemonMelon]

Believe it or not, Miseducation was nominated under the R&B/soul category. Speakerboxxx/Love Below is the only album in history to ever win both best rap album and AOTY, and that one has an entire disc with almost no rap of any kind. Let's be honest, it's The Love Below that brought home the prize.

Essentially, unless you have a "real" musical talent (like singing) to sweeten the pot, your album doesn't have a prayer.

 

[BVS]

Believe it or not, Miseducation was nominated under the R&B/soul category. Speakerboxxx/Love Below is the only album in history to ever win both best rap album and AOTY, and that one has an entire disc with almost no rap of any kind. Let's be honest, it's The Love Below that brought home the prize.

Essentially, unless you have a "real" musical talent (like singing) to sweeten the pot, your album doesn't have a prayer.

While I think this is a part of it, I also think it has to do with the pool of voters; I think there’s still a fairly conservative view on the language that is used, and of course the genre. Record Academy Voters are made up of people from the industry, hence why it held such prestige, but also why it’s so slow in incorporating and accepting new and different genres. A decade from now the current artists will make up the voting pool and they will be hesitant to embrace the new wave of music.

 

[cobl04]

I was listening to a really good DJ mix that closed with a song by Mark Hollis and now I'm listening to his album (which is amazing!!) and reading his story and no one has seen or heard from him in 20 years, he just dropped one record after doing Talk Talk and then disappeared?!? (not like Richey Edwards-style disappeared, just quit artistry all together it seems)

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Just doesn't seem to want to be involved in the music world at all, that's the gist of it. Probably having a blast whatever he chooses to be doing these days - definitely a brilliant artist.

Think I'll listen to some Talk Talk now actually.

 

[LemonMelon]

Talk Talk is incredible. One of the rare bands that changed again and again and kept making really good albums no matter what. They made new wave and art pop masterpieces and basically invented post-rock.

Anyone who likes Hollis' solo album will probably love the last two Talk Talk albums.

 

[gump]

Janet Jackson headlining Panorama is....unexpected.

 

[prbiker15]

New CHVRCHES

https://youtu.be/LHUKKrcXfJs

 

[HeartlandGirl]

Cuntsssssss DJ Koze with a new album in May FUUUUCK yes. Amygdala is one of the very best electro records of the decade, maybe second only to Jon Hopkins' Immunity.

Late seeing this, but it's good news. Love me some Jon Hopkins as well.

 

[corianderstem]

Yay, CHVRCHES! I dig it.

 

[Danny Boy]

I am totally digging this new Hookworms album. If the members of Pink Floyd had been born 10 years later and discovered synthesizers instead of guitars, I imagine they would have sounded something like this.

 

[Danny Boy]

This just popped up as an ad when I was browsing the forum:

 

[martha]

I am totally digging this new Hookworms album. If the members of Pink Floyd had been born 10 years later and discovered synthesizers instead of guitars, I imagine they would have sounded something like this.

How does it compare to their previous albums? When I listened to the song a while back, the synths kind of put me off it.

 

[cobl04]

Went to Laneway yesterday (Ax going in Sydney today). Saw Dream Wife, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, The Internet, Anderson Paak, Slowdive, Badbadnotgood. Dream Wife were a cool badass feminist punk rock band, Rolling Blackouts were fucking great (so excited about them as a band). The Internet were fine, I imagine they're a band you either love or are just meh about. Anderson Paak was fucking stellar, the absolute highlight, Slowdive was just an hour of noise, noise that was, admittedly, very very good at times, Badbadnotgood I love but 930pm and last act on one of the stages is not the time to play a mellow jazz set.

Takeaways:

- Going to festivals on your own fucking RULES. However I made the mistake of trying to meet up with some friends pre The Internet, and I couldn't find them, and then I ended up in a crowded, narrow, hot stage for like three hours. I skipped Wolf Alice and I was having a much better time sort of wandering around just discovering shit to myself, so from now on, when I go solo to festivals again, I'm not going to try and meet up with people, I'm just gonna wander and do everything I want to and if I run into people, great, if not, even better.

- I can't fucking believe I slept so much on Malibu in 2016. It would have made my top 10 albums for 2016 for sure. Sadly I had a few missed connections from 2016, A Tribe Called Quest and Frank were two others.

- I imagine shoegaze must be a genre where if you know the songs that are being played, you'd like it a lot more? Their set was a complete wash for me for the most part. There were some great parts (a look at their setlists shows that probably my favourite part was a fucking Syd Barrett cover?!) but I can't say it changed my life or anything. Is there a gateway drug shoegaze album?

 

[kabigon]

I'm a solo festival goer. I alternated between Dean Turner and Spinning Top for most of the day. Thankfully whoever did the scheduling made the set times so that there was always somebody playing on at least one of them at any one time, reducing the need for many arduous treks to/from The Very West.

Slowdive were by far the best of any act I saw, despite having never listened to them before. Alex Cameron and Dream Wife probably the next two. War on Drugs didn't fit the atmosphere, but I'll reserve judgement on them until I see them in a more appropriate setting.

 

[Hewson]

However I made the mistake of trying to meet up with some friends pre The Internet,

?

Must have been tough not being able to contact them online. Did you call them on a landline, or write them a letter on nice embossed stationery?

 

[Axver]

I'm on the train back from Laneway Sydney now. Totally concur that going to festivals solo is the best. I flitted between stages at times today during lulls in programming just to see if any of these artists in which I had a limited interest would impress me. Moses Sumney and Amy Shark were both good enough that I stayed for their whole sets. Billie Eilish and Anderson Paak were boring as shit, and Miss Blanks straight up sucked. I would've seen all of Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever anyway because I wanted a rail spot for Wolf Alice but I'm pleased how much better they are live. In general there's no way I would've been able to come and go as I pleased if I'd been with someone—in the end I saw decent chunks of eighteen sets.

My highlights:
- Cable Ties owned it. Holy hell. I feared the rant in "Say What You Mean" would be contrived and over-rehearsed but it was pure fire. I think some people unfamiliar with the band thought it was impromptu.

- Shame were manic. At the end of the set the bassist was flinging himself around the stage without his instrument, which he'd chucked to the ground and was releasing a distorted wail.

- WOLF ALICE. Holy fuck they're incredible live. Set ended with me and the person on my left holding up Ellie Rowsell as she shrieked the final lyrics.

The War on Drugs sounded immaculate—but I agree they just didn't seem quite right in this setting. And Adam Granduciel sang almost every line of An Ocean in Between the Waves slightly too fast.

As for Slowdive, their set had to be abbreviated after somebody collapsed and had to be removed by the ambos. I'm gutted one of the songs we lost was Sugar for the Pill. And their lighting rig failed for a song too! But the main problem, and I think this explains Cobbler's reaction, is that it's hard to get a good sound mix for Slowdive at a festival. They sounded unbelievably good at their headliner a few days ago (when they did play Sugar for the Pill!). And, uh, it helps to have friends in the local shoegaze scene because I spent the time before that gig hanging out with Christian Savill and trying not to be too star struck.

Lastly, in what must be the longest post I've ever written on a phone, Sydney venue for Laneway is waaaayyyy better than the Melbourne one, there is no comparison. More compact, better traffic flow, nicer and shadier areas to eat. But of course you have to put up with Sydneysiders, who either wear ugly hats or look like they're going to a Young Libs party on a yacht—or both.

 

[martha]

Ambos?!

Spoiler

I loved these two write-ups, BTW.

 

[kabigon]

But does it have confused bogans wondering why there's trains running through the middle

 

[Axver]

But does it have confused bogans wondering why there's trains running through the middle

The interstate line is the one redeeming feature of that site.

And, I suppose, the River Stage is lovely of an evening. The other two main stages can go jump.

 

[kabigon]

The interstate line is the one redeeming feature of that site.

And, I suppose, the River Stage is lovely of an evening. The other two main stages can go jump.

Yep, it also seems to be a lot less crowded and you can sit on the hill and watch during the calmer acts if there aren't too many people standing at the front. It's as good as the other two main stages are terrible.

 

[Danny Boy]

How does it compare to their previous albums? When I listened to the song a while back, the synths kind of put me off it.

I only heard their previous album once or twice. I would say this one has grabbed my attention while the previous one really didn’t. A more cohesive album for sure.

I’ve also been listening to Upstairs at Eric’s a lot recently, so apparently I don’t tire easily of synths.

 

[iron yuppie]

The Magnetic Fields: 69 Love Songs. What an undertaking. I think it would be more accurate to call it 23 Love Songs and a shitload of fragments and sketches, but the thing is still consistently entertaining, and the standouts are really superb. Not sure how to rate it as a holistic piece, though.

 

[cobl04]

The only not-horrible part of the carpark stage is that warehouse that backs onto it. Someone who obviously lives or works there always throws a party and they keep you entertained between sets. One bloke did a shoey.

But the main problem, and I think this explains Cobbler's reaction, is that it's hard to get a good sound mix for Slowdive at a festival.

It seriously all just sounded like noise. I'd like to see them at their own show.

 

[Axver]

Yep, it also seems to be a lot less crowded and you can sit on the hill and watch during the calmer acts if there aren't too many people standing at the front. It's as good as the other two main stages are terrible.

Yep. Sydney has two stages like the River Stage (without the river outlook, but in a leafy natural amphitheatre), which are right next to each other so they can't schedule those two stages to clash. The only one that totally sucks in Sydney is the Future Classic Stage, hidden behind a building with very poor traffic flow in and out and shocking sound - it needs relay speakers.

In future, all other things being equal, I'd probably go to the Sydney Laneway in preference to the Melbourne one.

On the other hand, Sydneysiders. You could make an Attenborough doco out of it. So many twenty-something dudes who looked like they went to a private school and dad owns a yacht, not to mention the law firm where they currently bum around. So many ugly hats. So many young women in excessive glitter and vaguely southeast Asian clothes. But worst of all, so many people randomly making out. In the middle of thoroughfares, in the front row during bands, at the bar, I even saw one couple going at it while waiting for a port-a-loo. I think I saw more people making out yesterday than at all previous festivals combined.

 

[Axver]

Forgot to multi-quote, sorry.

It seriously all just sounded like noise. I'd like to see them at their own show.

When you've got three guitars, all with heaps of effects pedals, not to mention a rhythm section and two lead vocalists, I suppose it's no surprise that in the poor acoustic environment of Laneway they're going to sound muddy as hell (I fucking hope they at least had the decency to put them on the River Stage?). I was almost tempted to come down to Melbourne for their headliner this coming week! And I probably would if they varied their set, but as it is I got what I wanted at the Sydney headliner.

Anyway, try these on:

 

[iron yuppie]

Slowdive. Such an awesome band.

 

[kabigon]

Slowdive was on the river stage, had a chilled older skewing audience and you could get a spot a few people back from the stage any time you wanted. Sounded great to me, but then I don't have studio / other live performances from them to compare it to.

 

[IWasBored]

The Magnetic Fields: 69 Love Songs. What an undertaking. I think it would be more accurate to call it 23 Love Songs and a shitload of fragments and sketches, but the thing is still consistently entertaining, and the standouts are really superb. Not sure how to rate it as a holistic piece, though.

Had you never listened to it before? Yeah I’d say there’s about 1/3 some
of their best and 2/3 just other stuff on there.