Random Music Talk LXXXI: Now with special V.I.P.-level option ($450)

[the tourist]

That does look pretty badass. I don't really know all that much about amps, though.

It is fucking fantastic and even more beautiful in real life. Best amp I've owned. I sold a Matchless (which are pretty high-end - like more expensive than a hand-wired Vox AC30) and still had to save a bit to get this. It's not quite unobtanium, but this is a brand new amp that I've been waiting for its features to pop up for a long time (stereo with each speaker coming from a different power amp and tone stack, reverb on one side and tremolo on the other, 45 degree angled speakers, only 5 watts on either side so it hits the sweet spot without being deafening) and I couldn't be happier with it!

It's certainly a handsome amp. I too know nothing. I also don't really get pedals. Maybe I shouldn't start a band.

Pedals are pretty easy to figure out. I'd suggest a good compressor (adds a sweetness to the tone, compresses the different frequencies so the tone is not as shrill), an overdrive that is fairly transparent (adds a bit more gain to your natural sound without coloring the tone), a delay pedal with a tap tempo that can do dotted 8ths (obvious what delay is, but tap tempo means you can tap a switch to the rhythm of the drums and the echos will follow that beat; dotted 8th notes are that rhythmic sound like the Edge uses), and a good reverb. Basically pedals push a guitar and amp a little and give you more versatility.

 

[lazarus]

I love how Anu bumps the bullshit "Real Album Cover" started by gvox to tell us all about the Steve Averill news days after we heard about it from another source, when he could have gone into the actual NEW ALBUM DISCUSSION thread and realized that tip was unnecessary.


Douche.


And yes, I referenced the Arcade Fire thing again.

 

[u2popmofo]

I'm a little surprised no one's mentioned it. I'd probably drop a couple of bills to see NMH.

I didn't want to mention it because I know how douchey some people here can get over them.

 

[u2popmofo]

When not done well, you get She Wants Revenge

I saw these guys open for Bloc Party on their debut US tour (Bloc Party's). I'm sure someone thought it made sense for them to play together, but it was a really strange band to see before Bloc Party.

 

[bollox]

On its douchiest day, this place still can't touch atease.

 

[u2popmofo]

On its douchiest day, this place still can't touch atease.

Agreed, but NMH really seems to incite some emotions here. Did you see Mangum on his recent tour? I forgot when the show was here and missed it. Hope they expand the NMH tour.

 

[Jive Turkey]

And while he may have a good amount of money, I doubt he has $15-20 million lying around.

He's only asking for 2 million. By all accounts, he's worth over 20

 

[lazarus]

It's going to cost him more than 2 million to make the film. He'll likely use that as leverage to raise more.

And personally I don't expect someone to put their entire earnings into one project when Hollywood funds so many shitty films every year. I have faith he won't make a generic romantic comedy, because Garden State certainly wasn't.

 

[cobl04]

And it's not like he's taking advantage of fans or anything. If you pledge money you can get heaps of stuff from a copy of the script to a short role in the movie. There's nothing shady or sinister about it, to my eye. I think it's kind of cool.

I'm a little surprised no one's mentioned it. I'd probably drop a couple of bills to see NMH.

I didn't want to mention it because I know how douchey some people here can get over them.

I am probably one of them. I actually bought the album before even hearing it, and I really didn't like it, not being a douche, I genuinely didn't like it. I can't get past about 30 seconds of King of Carrot Flowers 2&3. He sounds like he's straining his vocals on most of the songs.

I'll take The Decemberists for music in that vein.

 

[LemonMelon]

I'll be a total douche about NMH if no one else will. Most overrated band on the internet. Nowhere else though, I only know one person who likes them outside of the interwebz. I am not looking forward to P4k being saturated with articles about them, more so than usual.

 

[LemonMelon]

Unlike music, I don't watch every movie that comes out. Is Garden State essential? The Shins scene that everyone makes fun of is pretty bad, but I don't expect it all to be that cheesy.

 

[IWasBored]

Agreed, but NMH really seems to incite some emotions here. Did you see Mangum on his recent tour? I forgot when the show was here and missed it. Hope they expand the NMH tour.

Joyful did, right?



I know pretty close to nothing about nmh or mangum. I've got a copy of the aero plane album somewhere that, like wincing the night away, I've never listened to.

 

[bollox]

I saw these guys open for Bloc Party on their debut US tour (Bloc Party's). I'm sure someone thought it made sense for them to play together, but it was a really strange band to see before Bloc Party.

I saw She Wants Revenge open for Depeche Mode. Way more exposure than those hacks deserved. Whoever picks DM's openers now (because I'm sure the band themselves couldn't care less) does a much better job; they've got Bat for Lashes and Crystal Castles opening this tour.

 

[cobl04]

I remember when I saw Mercury Rev open for Coldplay in 2009 I came in here ranting and raving about how awful they were, having no idea that they had been around for a while and enjoyed some commercial and critical success.

They really did suck though.

 

[bollox]

Unlike music, I don't watch every movie that comes out. Is Garden State essential? The Shins scene that everyone makes fun of is pretty bad, but I don't expect it all to be that cheesy.

I don't think it's nearly bad enough to warrant the animosity it's engendered, though I understand where the sentiment comes from. I recall enjoying it when I saw it, but I've never really had the desire to rewatch it.

 

[martha]

Thank you, jt! I won't even wear a shirt next time.

w00t!

W00t indeed.

Add my admiration to the pile, gaffie.

 

[Jive Turkey]

It's going to cost him more than 2 million to make the film. He'll likely use that as leverage to raise more.

Then he can use his own instead of taking from naive fangirls/boys online to which he will pay nothing back. Maybe he should sell stock in his film instead

 

[LemonMelon]

Mercury Rev is a good band. I really like their early psych rock records.

She Wants Revenge is to Joy Division as Neon Trees is to shit.

Spoiler

 

[cobl04]

Also yeah, great stuff GAF. I'd love to play music in a band but I have no talent whatsoever. Takes guts. Kudos.

Then he can use his own instead of taking from naive fangirls/boys online to which he will pay nothing back. Maybe he should sell stock in his film instead

...but he is paying them back. Read the kickstarter page.

 

[IWasBored]

I was hoping she wants revenge was the name of a crappy album. That is one awful name for a band. Reminds me of all those stupid bands my partner at work listens to. Have we named so many bands after 1-2 word things (excluding "the" ) that we have to use entire sentences?

 

[Jive Turkey]

And it's not like he's taking advantage of fans or anything. If you pledge money you can get heaps of stuff from a copy of the script to a short role in the movie. There's nothing shady or sinister about it, to my eye. I think it's kind of cool..

A PDF file and the glamorous life of an extra actor! (don't touch the craft table, please. Bring your own sandwich) This could be yours for the low price of $2500 (or you could be an actual extra and at least get $100 out of it)

 

[LemonMelon]

I was hoping she wants revenge was the name of a crappy album. That is one awful name for a band. Reminds me of all those stupid bands my partner at work listens to. Have we named so many bands after 1-2 word things (excluding "the" ) that we have to use entire sentences?

It really sounds like one of the fake band names in that Coachella sketch.

 

[Jive Turkey]

...but he is paying them back. Read the kickstarter page.

I did. I found it patronizing. Any way you look at it, he's a well off actor who doesn't want to shoulder any of the risk and is instead asking his fans to do that for him

 

[Jive Turkey]

scroo u zac braf!

 

[lazarus]

Unlike music, I don't watch every movie that comes out. Is Garden State essential? The Shins scene that everyone makes fun of is pretty bad, but I don't expect it all to be that cheesy.

Essential? No. But as I said, it has a great visual style, a cast that includes Natalie Portman (in an atypical performance), Ian Holm, and Peter Sarsgaard, and as an offbeat romantic comedy featuring people who may have mental health issues, it's funnier and to me more honest in its pain than Silver Linings Playbook. And manages to deftly sidestep some of the genre cliches. I think a lot of people dislike the film because Braff just has one of those faces that a lot of people want to punch.

Anyway, it had one of the best trailers of the decade:

Garden State - Teaser Trailer - YouTube


You could do worse things in 2 hours than watch this.

 

[LemonMelon]

After scanning the Garden State wiki page, I don't even get how this is a sequel. It's about a struggling actor, but its a different protagonist and apparently has none of the same characters. Sounds like a lazy rehash more than a sequel.

If it's not a sequel and just the movie he released after Garden State, he should probably make that clear.

 

[lazarus]

I did. I found it patronizing. Any way you look at it, he's a well off actor who doesn't want to shoulder any of the risk and is instead asking his fans to do that for him

You don't think he's shouldering any of the risk?

You don't think he's going to put up any of his own money?

A PDF file and the glamorous life of an extra actor! (don't touch the craft table, please. Bring your own sandwich) This could be yours for the low price of $2500 (or you could be an actual extra and at least get $100 out of it)

These kind of strawman arguments are disingenuous. Come on.

 

[lazarus]

After scanning the Garden State wiki page, I don't even get how this is a sequel. It's about a struggling actor, but its a different protagonist and apparently has none of the same characters. Sounds like a lazy rehash more than a sequel.

If it's not a sequel and just the movie he released after Garden State, he should probably make that clear.

It's not a sequel. Didn't he say "follow-up" to Garden State? That's not the same thing. If he meant sequel, he'd say sequel.

 

[LemonMelon]

It's not a sequel. Didn't he say "follow-up" to Garden State? That's not the same thing.

He did. However, that's not how it's being interpreted elsewhere:

Zach Braff Meets Kickstarter Goal for 'Garden State' Sequel | Movies News | Rolling Stone)

And I saw that first. After scanning the kickstarter page itself, I can't read it that way anymore though.

EDIT: here's the answer

Braff will direct and star in Wish I Was Here, a dramatic comedy “in the tone of Garden State”. He added: “It is not a sequel in story but a continuation of the tone.”

 

[Jive Turkey]

You don't think he's shouldering any of the risk?

You don't think he's going to put up any of his own money?




These kind of strawman arguments are disingenuous. Come on.

Again, if he's asking people to put up money, they should benefit financially when it makes money. You know he will be.

Strawman? What are you talking about?