Random Music Talk CXXX: The AFL Finally Gets Revenge on Meat Loaf

[DaveC]

The greatest living American songwriter is back

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Kiss my ass! I don't care! I'll die happier than you'll ever live.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

I saw The National last night. For some reason they put them up against Idlewild for an ending slot at a festival.

Anyways, third time seeing the National. Second time at a festival. When I saw them at an indoor venue, it was amazing. When I saw them at Lolla, I complained. I stand by both of those and feel this was a confirmation - they’re just not made for that big outdoor stage. It was still nice, but I felt super connected last time I saw them. Not this time.

 

[DaveC]

Kiss my ass! I don't care! I'll die happier than you'll ever live.

 

[cobl04]

Adore this.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Yes.

 

[cobl04]

Do we think it's a nod to U2?

 

[cobl04]

this is a great piece, and the song rules hard https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/how-...cial&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=twitter

 

[LemonMelon]

Always good to see a Pitchfork article that isn't about sexual assault

 

[iron yuppie]

The crate-digging theme reminds me of one of my favorite hip-hop songs: Lost by Danny Brown. When I first heard it, the sample captivated me. Turns out whoever made the beat found a recording of a Mao-era Chinese lounge singer and chopped up the vocal. Super inventive sample.

 

[iron yuppie]

Adore this.

Digging this as well. The vibe and synth line in particular seem really familiar, but I can't quite place it.

 

[dan_smee]

Loving new AM - it’s got a gloss and sheen to it that is somehow probably going to be entirely satisfying to fans who didn’t like TBHC but still following on directly from Star Treatment. It’s not TBHC, it’s a definite progression but there’s DNA there. Need to live with it for a bit, but very into it so far. It’s oozy and oily in a really great way. Fuck I love Alex Turner. Please don’t be a predator.

 

[dan_smee]

Just to clarify I think AM fans went three ways with TBHC - either love, hate because they want real, or hate because they felt it was challenging/dense/inaccessible.

I think this song will really satisfy group 1 and 3, and group 2 - well, I don’t care what they think.

 

[dan_smee]

I’m getting a slight upbeat Laura Palmer’s theme vibe in the intro

 

[cobl04]

I listened back to Tranq Base today and it's definitely spotty. The first four tracks are incredible, and set it up to be an all-timer, but really only Four Out of Five (maybe the best track) reaches the same highs imo. The rest of the tracks are all good with some great moments. Suck it and See has more greatness. This track is incredibly promising for the record itself. I think I get a perverse pleasure out of shitting on AM because of those AM fans you mention Dan. I know a few, have seen plenty more, and it seems to me they just love that sleazy, white collar cock rock, and anything off that path they resent. Now, Arctic Monkeys do that type of rock incredibly well, and there's no doubting that AM has phenomenal grooves, and it's easy to see why it still resonates and dominates their setlists. It also harkens back to their original sound, too. But I just don't find it that interesting. I've said this before, but Turner's stargazing is more interesting to me than the navel gazing.

 

[dan_smee]

Agree 100% with everything you’ve said.

Suck It and See took a while for me, and it wasn’t until I “got” tracks like the title track and That’s Where You’re Wrong before I felt it was great. Cohesive and yet diverse - quality throughout.

TBHC - the second half has ambition and interest, but it crosses the line at times of art for art’s sake and some songs just don’t quite land long term. American Sports is close to my favourite song of theirs all time, and the title track is not far behind.

 

[dan_smee]

Ugh typos are bad - I have a sick cat and my head is all over the place. The types of TBHC reactions I meant were:

Love
Hate because they want rawk (not real)
Hate because it’s too dense/challenging/inaccessible.

 

[lazarus]

Did that song not have a chorus or did I just miss it?

Love the vibe.

 

[dan_smee]

It’s kind of just a shape that repeats - it almost goes intro, verse, pre chorus, verse, pre chorus outro

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Lyrics/singing could use some fixing but the music is a bop:

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Do we think it's a nod to U2?

Ha, I thought of that as well.

The moon is a mirrorball
Light flickers from across the hall

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

"There'd Better Be a Mirrorball" keeps getting better the more I listen. Cannot wait to hear the rest of this album and this sound. If they don't release any more songs between now and album release (Oct 21) then this will end up being my most listened to song of the year. I just want to keep diving into this sound. Have probably listened 6 or 7 times already.

 

[cobl04]

It's fantastic, I love it that much too.

 

[dan_smee]

Yep - it’s such a complete and confident idea. I have listened a whole heap and it keeps growing.

 

[dan_smee]

This will probs not be relevant to anyone, but on the off chance any Aussies here are fans:

Today is the 25th anniversary of The Whitlams classic Eternal Nightcap. For the uninitiated, it’s a deep and intimate exploration of disconnected personal relationships and suicide where the pianist and co-vocalist from a group opened their heart through song following the death of the guitarist and other co vocalist. Stevie Plunder (the inspiration for the trilogy of “Charlie” songs on the record) jumped off a brutal and incredibly high cliff at Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains. Tim Freedman, the songwriter, singer, pianist grieved through writing songs about his friend, and vignettes of his life dealing with the loss. Three years after this the upright bass player in the group had left the band and also taken his own life.

Despite all this, Tim remains one of the country’s most well established and respected songwriters and artists. It was a real shame they never registered abroad.

For the anniversary the original tapes were baked and fully remastered breathing new life into absolute classics for indie and alternative music fans of the mid to late 90s in Australia. The remaster is phenomenal. The one-two punch to start this record is all time stuff for me. It’s a shame they became quite naff in the following years - this album was a true indie release that became part of the national cultural fabric, and unfortunately success took the focus away from the story.

I hope this post inspires someone to listen to this record for the first time and that they may be transported to a strange time not that long ago when indie radio could sustain a piano ballad about suicide and co-exist with jazzy romps like track 4 - You Sound Like Louis Burdett.

https://music.apple.com/au/album/eternal-nightcap-deluxe-edition/1640597245

 

[cobl04]

Never listened to them. Something for Kate is my band of that era.

 

[dan_smee]

Never listened to them. Something for Kate is my band of that era.

Love SFK. The Whitlams are amazing though. You should spin that record, it’s got some great tunes.

 

[lazarus]

Australian music appreciation thread!

 

[cobl04]

Love SFK. The Whitlams are amazing though. You should spin that record, it’s got some great tunes.

I'll give it a burl.

SFK played Elsewhere for Eight Minutes in full, it was incredible.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Caught Wolfgang Van Halen's performance at the Taylor Hawkins tribute. Inspired me to buy his debut album Mammoth. I don't know why it took me so long. Wolfie is an amazing musician. I would have to think that Hewson has this one being the VH fan that he is.