Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's Blcok

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After reading about this supposedly amazing band on Pitchfork, I finally heard them. They played on Conan O'Brien last night and were honestly one the worst acts I've ever seen on that or any other late night show. I've heard better high school bands. Wrong again, Pitchforkkkers. Ever notice how every rave review on that site makes the band/artist sound like it must be the second coming and then when you hear it, it sucks? What's the deal with that?

Tronid K (tronidk), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 06:07 (seventeen years ago) link

http://www.dvd.net.au/movies/s/10518-1.jpg

The lyrics on this album are often really painfully generic (to be fair, they're not singing or writing words in their native tongue), but there are so many incredibly rich melodies on this album. Still, it's quintessential indie, which means it's not going to be terribly ILM-friendly. Not as bad as the average Belle & Sebastian mimic; not as good as something similarly Nordic like Herman Dune, which is a bit more adventurous.

But "The Chills," "Paris 2004," "Amsterdam," "Up Against the Wall," "Young Folks," and "Let's Call it Off" are jam packed with hooks - the verses are as catchy as the choruses, which is one of the things I love about the New Pornographers. From a purely pop perspective, they are incredibly talented. Hearing the Concretes-singer verses on "Young Folks," you wonder how they would do writing songs for other people, too.

Tiki Theater Xymposium (Bent Over at the Arclight), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 09:47 (seventeen years ago) link

i like that young folks song.

Storefront Church (688), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 09:53 (seventeen years ago) link

Wait up, they have other songs?

Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 10:09 (seventeen years ago) link

'young folks' is maybe my least favourite song of last year - there may be worse but surely none so annoying

lex pretend (lex pretend), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 10:14 (seventeen years ago) link

They have about 3 albums out. I guess the others didn't do well outside Sweden.

Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 10:21 (seventeen years ago) link

Lex doesn't like indie song shock.

Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 10:21 (seventeen years ago) link

with most indie songs, most people i know sensibly hate them too, but this one unaccountably is loved by everyone, even gareth! tom ewing loathes it as well, i feel we are the only two people left in the world who are sane

lex pretend (lex pretend), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 10:23 (seventeen years ago) link

Ideally a might like a slightly lighter production (theres a kind of late90s/all seeing i type feel about it, which normally i don't like so much).

on the other hand that might just be me wanting everything to sound like mort garson

Storefront Church (688), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 10:28 (seventeen years ago) link

Yes well Tom Ewing prefers Benny Hill to Slade.

Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 10:58 (seventeen years ago) link

'young folks' is maybe my least favourite song of last year - there may be worse but surely none so annoying

true.

groovemaan (groove nihilist), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 14:42 (seventeen years ago) link

Wrong again, Pitchforkkkers.

I think you're off course calling them a Belle & Sebastian mimic... doubt the band even like B&S. The lyrics are simple, not generic -- "Objects of My Affection"!!!

And yeah I was totally wearing a white hood when I fell in love with this album. The fuck?

marc h. (marc h.), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:19 (seventeen years ago) link

dudes more like BITCH pork

marc h. (marc h.), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:20 (seventeen years ago) link

surely none so annoying

Because of the whistling? I love the production on the drums and bass.

I wasn't calling them a B&S mimic, per se - but the surface stuff (sensitive euro peeps) is significant enough; I've seen them mentioned side-by-side in several reviews.

Tiki Theater Xymposium (Bent Over at the Arclight), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:30 (seventeen years ago) link

i mean, i can see the comparisons... i think the difference is pb&j are much more production-oriented. and their older stuff is less "sensitive", more 60s-rock revivalist

marc h. (marc h.), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:43 (seventeen years ago) link

Alright, I have seen the Conan performance that brought on the original thread revival -

http://gorillavsbear.blogspot.com/2007/01/young-folks-on-conan.html

- and I must admit it's pretty weak. I like the shtick alright, but I can't abide a PRE-RECORDED WHISTLE TRACK. And Concretes-lady is awfully shaky. Bongos Jackson back there is good, and I still love the muted bass, but I picture this song exploding with melancholic young love (tm), and this felt like it was first-song-without-being-drunk-yet karaoke or something.

Still, I love the album.

Tiki Theater Xymposium (Bent Over at the Arclight), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 15:57 (seventeen years ago) link

The opening of "Young Folks" sounds like the Monkees' "Mary, Mary". I kinda wish it was. Vocals are a bit much but I'm enjoying it.

Kate Silver (Kate Silver), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 18:29 (seventeen years ago) link

I really love the the reverb sounds on Young Folks.

This is a great example of a song ruined by poor editing. If they would have shaved it down to 2.40 or 3.10 instead of 4+ minutes it would be perfect. They should have either cut the last minute or introduced another strong theme. I always turn it off after three minutes.

on the other hand that might just be me wanting everything to sound like mort garson

There are worse desires to be had...

Disco Nihilist (mjt), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 18:42 (seventeen years ago) link

The performance was fine. Song is great.

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 31 January 2007 18:44 (seventeen years ago) link

"It's like one of those really weak parodies of a Pitchfork review you read on every uninspired blog come to life right before your eyes"

http://www.aversion.com/bands/reviews.cfm?f_id=2957

The best part is when, after declaring the band worthless and making no mention of the fact there was a Writer's Block before Almost Gold, the author then pulls the ol' "their old stuff was better" shtick.

marc h. (marc h.), Thursday, 1 February 2007 14:52 (seventeen years ago) link

I think the best part is that that line might as well be talking about the review itself.

Since when the fuck are the Shins "immediate?"

call all destroyer (Sean Braudis), Thursday, 1 February 2007 15:14 (seventeen years ago) link

Can we get a word count on "pop" in that review? CHRIST, I GET IT. IT'S INDIE POP. WHO CARES.

call all destroyer (Sean Braudis), Thursday, 1 February 2007 15:15 (seventeen years ago) link

Can we get a word count on "pop" in that review?

18!

a nuclear-powered carrot (braveclub), Thursday, 1 February 2007 15:16 (seventeen years ago) link

Saw their Late Night jam yesterday. "One of the worst acts I've ever seen on that or any other late night show" just about sums it up. The song itself is not THAT bad, but the performance was extremely embarrasing.

strom (strom), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 18:43 (seventeen years ago) link

I would characterize the performance on Conan as "low-key." It didn't turn me off to them.

Maltodextrin (Maltodextrin), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 19:05 (seventeen years ago) link

They will never play the Super Bowl.

Maltodextrin (Maltodextrin), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 19:30 (seventeen years ago) link

How are they more 'embarassing' than any other indie crossover act appearing on television? Because they played along with some pre-recorded parts oh no rockist concerns coming to the fore?

Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 19:56 (seventeen years ago) link

I'd call it "no-key". I have no problem with prerecorded parts, and the band I guess did what they should, but I can't stand that Concretes-womans stage manners.

strom (strom), Wednesday, 7 February 2007 00:18 (seventeen years ago) link

eight years pass...

Might be my most extreme example of endless advertising use of a song ruining the entire album and band for me permanently. Loved this album when it came out - incredibly packed with hooks; reminded me of Herman Dune, who I loved. No desire to ever hear a note from them again. I'm sure they don't mind - they had to make a fortune licensing that tune.

Your Ribs are My Ladder, Sunday, 26 April 2015 22:00 (nine years ago) link

Haven't (and may not ever) revisit the album, but I heard this song a few weeks ago and it's still a rush

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrCOmvHEns8

Evan R, Monday, 27 April 2015 13:54 (nine years ago) link

And the question is
was I more alive
then than I am now?
I happily have to disagree
I laugh more often now
I cry more often now
I am more me

It's perhaps sorta typical non-native English lyrics, but that might just make them speak even more to me. It's a great chorus.

Frederik B, Monday, 27 April 2015 14:18 (nine years ago) link

"I laugh more often now
I cry more often now
I am more me"

damn, i remember seeing this quoted somewhere years ago and figured it was whitman or something. you're telling me this is a fuckin PB&J lyric?

soyrev, Monday, 27 April 2015 14:41 (nine years ago) link

Thought of 2011's Gimme Some as 60s Kinks in a motorik zone, approximately...good fun, anyway.

dow, Monday, 27 April 2015 15:05 (nine years ago) link


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