| Author | Message | ||
     Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 1103 Registered: 04-2005 |
I heard a track on the radio this morning from Modest Mouse's new album, "We Were Dead Before the Ship Sank" (great title). I didn't know what it was while it was on, but my first thought was "a blatant ripoff of early '80s Cars"--except the vocal sounded a little familiar...and recent. Almost like Isaac Brock. But no, it couldn't be. Then they back announced it, and sure enough, it was Modest Mouse. Not really what I was expecting from them with Johnny Marr as a member. Could be an interesting album, or a totally crass sell-out. Has anyone here heard an advance copy yet? | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 250 Registered: 08-2006 |
Does this mean the new Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is going to sound like Men at Work? And the new Shins is going to sound like Kajagoogoo? Damn you, indie rock! | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1297 Registered: 05-2005 |
The Clap Your Hands has had a few pannings in the monthly UK mags - I saw at least two "2 star" reviews. Cant say I'm that surprised, I thought the first album was weak and massively overhyped. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 1149 Registered: 05-2005 |
CYHSY - shit, shit, shit, name. Say no more for me. | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 1105 Registered: 04-2005 |
Gotta go with Kev and Spence--I gave their first album a chance and very little of it stuck. Didn't seem like anything particularly new and special, just yet another VU/Heads/Feelies-derived band. I think it got overhyped because the album was self-released but caught on. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 461 Registered: 10-2004 |
Rob - if only your rhetorical questions would prove true. Then maybe my faith in indie rock might be restored. If the Shins sounded like Kajagoogoo, I might actually buy their new record. I was traumatized to learn that Johnny Marr was joining Modest Mouse. My favorite guitarist from one of my very favorite bands, joining a band for which I have nothing but extreme hatred and disgust. I haven't heard the new tune, obviously, but if Modest Mouse are taking on a noticeably poppier direction, my first reaction would be to attribute that to Mr. Marr's influence. | ||
| Matt Ellis Member Username: Matt_ellis Post Number: 140 Registered: 11-2004 |
I've just caught on that Marr is joining Modest Mouse. I guess my dream of that elusive 4th Electronic Album may never come to pass. I wouldn't bet on Marr staying long in the band Jeff - his previous project (I forget the name) didn't seem to last too long. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 881 Registered: 03-2005 |
I've not heard any of the bands being mentioned here. (Well, I have an unopened copy of the Shins' "Phantom Limb" so I guess that won't be true in a bit). But be fair. I recall seeing a lot of gushy entries on this board about the decidedly retro and derivative current Midlake album. I agree with Spence; Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is a totally unacceptable name. Anybody who sounds like the Cars is going to be about as listenable for me as anybody who sounds like Fleetwood Mac. | ||
| John B. Member Username: John_b Post Number: 87 Registered: 10-2006 |
CYHSY is indeed a seriously bad name and I don't like the record either. I just hope that Interpol keep their familiar sound when their album is released - and not head in the pop direction like The Killers did. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 1152 Registered: 05-2005 |
Who cares? I really couldn't care less who Marr plays with at the end of the day. We all know he was great with The Smiths, and generally he is renowned as being a truly exceptional guitarist, but like, say, Verlaine, really, he hasn't done anything that lights my fire since he was in The Smiths. Same with Verlaine, he's done some good stuff, but not like he did with Television. | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 1109 Registered: 04-2005 |
Randy, don't let the mention of the Shins in this thread keep you from opening their new CD. They're legitimately good (despite the slightly obnoxious "Gen Y" push they got from the movie Garden State), and James Mercer is quite a fine songwriter. And Matt's right about Johnny Marr. He doesn't stick with anything for long. I saw the Pretenders in the late '80s when he was a member. That lasted, what, two weeks? He'll probably be in CYHSY next year! | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 1153 Registered: 05-2005 |
...now if he joined Midlake (Randy!!), I might care more! | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 462 Registered: 10-2004 |
I know, Spence, I'm being intentionally silly when I speak with such dramatic disdain of Marr joining Modest Mouse, because he really hasn't done anything interesting since the Smiths, as you said up above. It's not like joining Modest Mouse is going to prevent him from making that amazing guitar-pop album that he's never going to make! But still, there's a part of me that dislikes Modest Mouse and all that they represent so much that I'd almost rather see Marr founder with more heinously bad solo albums on which he does sad imitations of Oasis, than see him join MM. | ||
| Little Keith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 1373 Registered: 03-2006 |
While I can't claim any major fandom of MM, I do like what they do - I think they're very sharp, melodic, smart, and all their stuff is very harmonically interesting. What's his name, Brock, comes up with some fascinating lyrics, fascinating word combinations, etc., the title of that single being one example. While Marr's style of playing may not seem superficially like a perfect match to MM's more quirky, out-there stuff, that to me is what makes it an intriguing pairing...Whether or not I end up buying it, that's one I definitely want to hear. As for the Shins, I have their other two discs, but they never quite moved me. Despite the great musicianship and songwriting, it basically came down to my not caring for the sound of the singer's voice - too whiny, and dammit, if I want to hear that whiny nasal sound, I'll listen to me some Neil Young! But the new one, of which I've obtained a copy, is a real corker. The guy is even singing in a different register, for the most part, and the songwriting is a zillion times stronger. | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1310 Registered: 05-2005 |
Agree about The Shins new one LK. I've had this for about 2 months now and play it a couple of times a week. This is not gonna crossover(still too quirky for the mainstream), and thank the sweet baby Jesus for that. Its one of those albums that is sequenced brilliantly, I cant imagine the running order being any different, its perfect. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 368 Registered: 01-2005 |
Randy, anybody that sounds like Fleetwood Mac circa 1968-70 is fine with me. Nobody ever did come close though, as Peter Green, Danny Kirwin and Jeremy Spencer were all unique guitar players. And Peter Green was the best British blues singer of his time. I'll give Clapton mucho cudos for Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, but a lot of those great guitar parts and arrangement ideas were Duane Allman's. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 892 Registered: 03-2005 |
I confess I haven't heard anything by that era of Fleetwood Mac since, well, about back when it was new. I can't remember what it sounds like at all. Ah, you meant to say "best British blues guitarist of his time," didn't you? Yeah, Green was lyrical; I'm familiar with his work with John Mayall. I took your typo literally and just sent my proposal for best British blues singer. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 370 Registered: 01-2005 |
Randy, Yes, he was the best British blues guitarist of his time, and maybe the best Brit blues singer as well for that brief 4 year period. I got to see Fleetwood Mac in March of 1971, just after Jeremy Spencer had been abducted by The Children of God cult group. Peter Green, who had left FM the previous year after a real bad acid trip, rejoined them mid tour to fill in for Jeremy Spencer. Needless to say, that made me happy getting to see FM with Peter Green. Three months later I got to see The Allman Brothers Band, when Duane Allman was still alive. Two of my top 5 guitar players of all time in a three month span, not bad. | ||
| andreas Member Username: Andreas Post Number: 410 Registered: 04-2006 |
michael, you lucky one. to see fleetwood mac with peter green is not bad, but to see duane allman live is absolutely fantastic. and not to forget dickey betts, the other great allman guitarist, whom i like very much. michael, yes, you are a lucky one. |