Elbow - Leaders of the Free World...

[powerhour24]

Just listened to The Seldom Seen Kid. Color me impressed. Stand outs to me were "Mirrorball", "Grounds For Divorce", and "One Day Like This".

Amen to that.

 

[No spoken words]

Still the best concert I saw all year, their show a few months ago.....just fantastic.

 

[powerhour24]

I hope they do some more US dates in support of Seldom Seen Kid.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I heard Grounds For Divorce on the radio the other day. Good song. Big, heavy riff. I like.

But I will make no further attempts to listen to this band. Why? Their name is Elbow. I have never come across a shittier band name.

 

[LemonMelon]

I have never come across a shittier band name.

Girls Aloud

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

beautiful

 

[powerhour24]

Of course it sounds strange at first, but its interesting, and please there are way worse names out there.

 

[u2popmofo]

Girls Aloud

W3rd. And I don't say that as anything against them, I just mean that ALL band names are pretty lame in and of themselves. I'd understand making a decision to not listen to the band if their name was "Hitler Is Our Greatest Hero" or something that you ethically or morally are offended by, but not listening to something because it's called Elbow? How's that worse than anything else? You like Pearl Jam and Kings of Leon, please try to talk me into thinking those aren't absolutely terrible names. Name, schmame.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

My uncle died choking on elbow macaroni. I have since vowed to hate anything related to elbows. Or macaroni.

 

[LemonMelon]

My uncle died choking on elbow macaroni. I have since vowed to hate anything related to elbows. Or macaroni.

What about Alexis Bledel's elbow?

 

[No spoken words]

What about Alexis Bledel's elbow?

It's firmly planted in his solar plexus.

 

[u2popmofo]

It's firmly planted in his solar plexus.

Halloween related avatar. Now.


Also, I am now on Xbox Live, sucka (well, not right this second, obviously). We need to talk bad about everyone here behind their backs while getting destroyed by nerdy 13 year olds with unbelievably high pitched voices.

 

[No spoken words]

Halloween related avatar. Now.


Also, I am now on Xbox Live, sucka (well, not right this second, obviously). We need to talk bad about everyone here behind their backs while getting destroyed by nerdy 13 year olds with unbelievably high pitched voices.

If I see an avatar I like, I'll switch, just so you will shut up.

I will look for you on LIVE and then, yes, smack will be talked while we are pwned by acne-ridden 13 year old versions of ourselves.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Elbow

 

[powerhour24]

"Mirrorball"

 

[joyfulgirl]

I am very late to the Elbow party - or, rather, The Seldom Seen Kid party. I finally picked this up today and I'm only on track 6 of my first listen and I am completely in love with it. I had to hear The Bones of You and Grounds for Divorce a couple of times before moving on. I can't believe it took me so long to get this when I have never actually heard an Elbow song I didn't love although I only have Asleep in the Back. I have some catching up to do.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

welcome to the club

Get Leaders Of The Free World next followed by Cast Of Thousands...

 

[u2popmofo]

I've been working on a cocktail called grounds for divorce

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Elbow - live concert video on Fabchannel.com

I'm watching this again for like.. the 8th time now... they need to release a live DVD

 

[joyfulgirl]

welcome to the club

Get Leaders Of The Free World next followed by Cast Of Thousands...

I think I have to have both of these by 1PM today. I'm fast on my way to a new addiction.

Which one has Ribcage on it?

 

[joyfulgirl]

I'm watching this again for like.. the 8th time now... they need to release a live DVD

I'll check this out tonight.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I think I have to have both of these by 1PM today. I'm fast on my way to a new addiction.

Which one has Ribcage on it?

Cast Of Thousands

 

[u2popmofo]

You are going to like Leaders of the Free World, Joyful.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

oh, I almost forgot:

I've been working on a cocktail called grounds for divorce

OH-WO-OH-WO-OH-WO-OH-OH-WO-OH-OH!

 

[joyfulgirl]

I've been working on a cocktail called grounds for divorce

has a way of getting stuck in one's head

 

[joyfulgirl]

oh, I almost forgot:

OH-WO-OH-WO-OH-WO-OH-OH-WO-OH-OH!

I was just going to do that!

 

[If you shout...]

I finally picked up a copy of The Seldom Seen Kid (which looks to me to be missing a hyphen in its title...never a good sign, as far as I'm concerned), and I just don't seem to "get it," or whatever. I'm not attacking the band or the record in any way, but, rather, simply saying that it hasn't really done very much, for me. I'd take The Clientele, any day of the week. Also, I do not dislike the band based on typographical discrimination. Just being observant, is all.

Anyway, I would like to request a favor. What I'm asking for is pretty simple, and I'm genuinely interested: could anybody who really enjoys this band and, particularly, this record, state in both specific detail (ie, no "It just sounds SO GREAT!!!!!!!/thread") and non-condescending or -confrontational terms what about it he or she finds so appealing? Like I said, I really am interested. I think that this is a record I'm supposed to like, based on my tastes, but that I so far just don't. I find it kind of sleepy... I wonder if the perspectives of some fans will help me to listen with a different set of ears. Holler at your boy.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I really can't explain why I like them... My wife doesn't like them very much either and I can't for the life of me see why, she says they remind her of easy listening which I don't hear at all.

I like his voice, it has a deeper tone and a dark edge which I find appealing and you can hear his accent which works for me.

The music itself is layered and has a textured feel which I enjoy. A song like Mirrorball is rewarding with repeat listening because I keep discovering different levels. On the other hand Some Riot is simple and haunting.

I dunno though, when it comes to liking something no amount of other people telling you how much they like something is going to make you like it if you don't.

 

[joyfulgirl]

There are certainly others here who can speak to this better than I can but what I love about Elbow is a lush sound that blends the magestic and the intimate. Sweeping orchestral arrangements, anthemic cresendos, choirs, intelligent lyrics, Guy Garvey's swooning vocals... it's all calming yet passionate. I don't know, they don't really sound like anybody else.

 

[powerhour24]

They aren't afraid to pour real passion and emotion in to their songs, whether that makes them more listenable or not (which is a major factor that draws me to lots of U2's work), and other than a few tracks I really think their music does take time to grow on you, after listening to some individual tracks that I really liked Asleep in the Back was the first album of theirs I bought and listened to and yes it did come off as sleepy and not all that interesting, but then you start to here the details, the lyrics are haunting and applicable to a wide swath of situations, while remaining cryptic enough to not be painfully obvious. Their instrumentation is another thing I really like about them, often their songs work with just building on regular rock instruments, but their albums seem to rise and fall on tracks that add more and more to the sound with subtle added instruments, like the organ on "Newborn" and then the sound retreats again. I'm amazed by their ability to be both dreamily quiet and anthemic over the course of a few songs. I can see why they haven't broken out completely (although I'm surprised a song like "One Day Like This" isn't a massive hit), but I think for artistic reasons that might be a good thing.