The members originally met in Atlanta, formed the band in London (2007), and the album was completed by file exchanges between three cities.
They remind me quite a bit of the On-U Sound blues/field song project Little Axe.
― We'd like to conduct a wobulator test here (Sanpaku), Thursday, 23 July 2015 19:04 (eight years ago) link
And by that, I mean, ALGIERS & MATADOR, GET ADRIAN SHERWOOD TO DO SOME SINGLES REMIXES!
― We'd like to conduct a wobulator test here (Sanpaku), Thursday, 23 July 2015 19:07 (eight years ago) link
That would be interesting. So they did it over the internet? Do they play as a live band or is it just a recording project?
― (no offence to people) (dog latin), Friday, 24 July 2015 11:22 (eight years ago) link
File exchanges between the three principals in Atlanta, London, and New York. They never thought they'd play live 'til Matador A&R discovered them whilst surfing. Live, they add Matt Tong of Bloc Party as tour drummer.
Unsurprisingly, they're familiar with Sherwood, his mix of Einstürzende's "Yu-Gung" appears on their Mix #1 from May 2013.
― Pauper Management Improved (Sanpaku), Friday, 24 July 2015 16:20 (eight years ago) link
A live appearance, on French TV:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOQmhLEzuSo
― Pauper Management Improved (Sanpaku), Friday, 24 July 2015 16:58 (eight years ago) link
There's a pretty good KEXP session on YouTube too. Really enjoying the album, underneath all the clever sampling stuff they're obviously a pretty kick-arse rock band as well
― feargal czukay (NickB), Monday, 27 July 2015 07:27 (eight years ago) link
Note to self: stop saying pretty
― feargal czukay (NickB), Monday, 27 July 2015 07:29 (eight years ago) link
Yeah as a rock band they're really understated. My drummer and I were trying to work out exactly what was going on when we were listening to them the other night.
― (no offence to people) (dog latin), Monday, 27 July 2015 08:13 (eight years ago) link
This all reads very exciting. I may purchase this album on my way home today.
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 27 July 2015 08:39 (eight years ago) link
listening to the full album on Spotify now and there's something undeniably thrilling about a post-punk/industrial band fronted by a singer who's a direct throwback to The Four Tops
― I Am Curious (Dolezal) (DJP), Monday, 27 July 2015 15:59 (eight years ago) link
btw it was gratifying to write the above post, google "Algiers The Four Tops" and find this interview:
http://kgou.org/post/algiers-debut-album-southern-boys-find-common-cause
FISHER: So ever since I was a kid I was playing in these bands as a lead guitarist. But it was always very Anglo-sized, you know what I mean? I was, like, playing in bands trying to emulate The Beatles or something like this. And when I was writing lyrics to these songs and trying to sing, I couldn't really find my voice. And I think Ryan perceived that I was trying to emulate a lot of my musical idols, but with whom I didn't really share any sort of aesthetic. And so he was like, hey, man, why don't you just kind of, like, reference what you know? And for me, you know, that was music that I grew up to in church or the music that my parents listen to, you know, driving my grandma's house, like Motown and things like this. And so we developed this vocal approach, and that's really me pretending that I'm in the Four Tops.
― I Am Curious (Dolezal) (DJP), Monday, 27 July 2015 16:02 (eight years ago) link
upcoming live dates including two london shows:http://algierstheband.com/live
― feargal czukay (NickB), Tuesday, 28 July 2015 09:08 (eight years ago) link
oh there's a boston date as well djp
― feargal czukay (NickB), Tuesday, 28 July 2015 09:09 (eight years ago) link
ASRGH! everything cool in the world seems to be happening during the crucial weeks of me moving house :-(
― (no offence to people) (dog latin), Tuesday, 28 July 2015 09:11 (eight years ago) link
Finally catching up here a bit. Very intrigued.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 28 July 2015 14:20 (eight years ago) link
this is the one performance that made my hair stand on end:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cq4TdDB4-0
― feargal czukay (NickB), Tuesday, 28 July 2015 14:29 (eight years ago) link
oooh Sep 17, eh
― I Am Curious (Dolezal) (DJP), Tuesday, 28 July 2015 14:51 (eight years ago) link
while listening to this record i can't stop thinking about the difficulties of mixing handclaps as your main source of percussion. the best sound in the world when there's not much else happening, but so easily swallowed up once the guitars & synths come in.
― lil urbane (Jordan), Tuesday, 28 July 2015 15:02 (eight years ago) link
cool record btw.
Kind of wish I could poll this album without fear of it being a pointless exercise. So far track 3 'And When You Fall' is doing it for me best.
― (no offence to people) (dog latin), Thursday, 30 July 2015 14:49 (eight years ago) link
OMG I love this more than life.
― Tim F, Sunday, 9 August 2015 07:30 (eight years ago) link
OK, Spotify's discover playlist pointed me to this album, and holy shit is it thrilling!
― as verbose and purple as a Peter Ustinov made of plums (James Morrison), Wednesday, 30 September 2015 00:00 (eight years ago) link
saw these guys last night - absolutely smoking set, one of the best bands i have seen in YEARS. they do need some more songs cos it was a bit on the short side tbh, but seriously: head, heart, body and senses - everything just chewed up, spat out and set on fire
― djp HOOS clouds (NickB), Monday, 9 November 2015 14:43 (eight years ago) link
Yeah I saw them on Friday night alongside _jed and it was really, really good. Amazing stage presence from every member too.
The support act Jupiter-C were very different but really good too, minimal wave disco with lots of shoegaze effects.
― boxedjoy, Monday, 9 November 2015 18:53 (eight years ago) link
finally got around to this album and it's goddamn incredible
― slothroprhymes, Tuesday, 10 November 2015 17:40 (eight years ago) link
I will be the one naysayer, or maybe subsequent listens will win me over. On first listen, some of its too goth and industrial for my tastes. I like old-school post-punk, but am less of a goth and industrial fan. I love the 4 Tops aspect, but its done in a too abrasive manner for me. Plus, am not hearing the Adrian Sherwood dub aspects I like.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 10 November 2015 18:28 (eight years ago) link
It's definitely more on Maffia side of the On-U catalogue, but I still think Sherwood would be a good touchstone for some dub remixes. If he's not available, I'd be happy for Liam Farrell (producer behind Mbongwana Star, one of this year's more comparable albums) to do some knob twirling.
― There's no Hell, so we'll improvise (Sanpaku), Tuesday, 10 November 2015 20:17 (eight years ago) link
Not sure I can hear much goth unless you mean a birthday party / gun club / wolfgang press gutter blues thing?
― gabba cadaver (NickB), Tuesday, 10 November 2015 20:33 (eight years ago) link
A few weeks back I know Mekon Sally Timms was extolling these guys on Facebook, and for some reason all I could think of was that band Bastille. But yeah, this album is pretty cool, and yeah, I get a hint of the Goth stuff, too. A la Fields of the Nephilim or something, though yeah, I hear a lot of that junkyard skronk blues stuff, too. Also, maybe TV on the Radio had that band existed in 1982.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 10 November 2015 21:46 (eight years ago) link
it's more American Gothic than 80s goth to me.
― canoon fooder (dog latin), Tuesday, 10 November 2015 22:05 (eight years ago) link
^^^
― gabba cadaver (NickB), Tuesday, 10 November 2015 22:17 (eight years ago) link
someone needs to hook mark e up with this thread btw, think he would like this A LOT
― gabba cadaver (NickB), Tuesday, 10 November 2015 22:18 (eight years ago) link
It's the mechanical rhythms combined with the gospel/blues stuff that give it that Goth vibe, imo. Or, sure, whatever Wolfgang Press gets categorized as. But I'm definitely not getting the American Gothic vibe. It's way too theatrical, too dramatic, too minor-key, less mysterious more aggressively dark.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 10 November 2015 22:48 (eight years ago) link
That said, there's tons of stuff in here, from the gospel-y vox to the skronk AR Kane guitar to the nods to blues, electro, the spooky backing vox ... just a cool album, sounds really fresh to me.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 10 November 2015 22:51 (eight years ago) link
I've been rly on the fence from listening to the album. saw them last night and they were rly good. very posey in some ways, which doesn't play to my tastes, but there's an innocence to their... i guess they feel like religious "enthusiasts" in the old sense: there's an earnest innocence to the aggression, which I find immensely appealing. franklin's voice is wonderful.
don't get sherwood, don't get fœtus. not sure entirely what I do get but this I guess is uncertainty is part of what I like about them. they're really up front and central. venue cocked up the sound which distracted from the intensity a bit - all a bit farcical in fact - but very glad to have seen them.
― Fizzles, Wednesday, 11 November 2015 00:45 (eight years ago) link
"The Mute Sessions were undertaken as a way of using alternate instrumentation to accentuate different sonic and conceptual contours, which may not have been so heavily in the foreground in the album versions.
Tape manipulation, musique concrete and synthesizer programming were some of the techniques employed here.
We endeavoured to strip a few of the songs of their machinations, as if re-sung from sheet music at the end of times to a tape loop and a broken piano."
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mute-studio-sessions-single/id1057988459
― etc, Friday, 1 January 2016 20:54 (eight years ago) link
http://lpr.com/lpr_events/brendan-canty-christoph-greens-burn-to-shine-6-atlanta-april-13th-2016/
― ulysses, Monday, 4 April 2016 17:03 (eight years ago) link
About a month ago my dad sent my brother and me a text asking "Who set up this Algiers Pandora station on my computer? It's WONDERFUL!"
― i like to trump and i am crazy (DJP), Monday, 4 April 2016 17:14 (eight years ago) link
yeah someone on twitter nudged me on saturday re one of their tracks.he said it reminded him of Mecca era Age of Chance.and in my drunken state, i could not disagree.its on my list of "get it in fopp for a fiver".
― mark e, Monday, 4 April 2016 17:34 (eight years ago) link
Can you claim the credit, djp?
― a hairy, howling toad torments a man whose wife is deathly ill (James Morrison), Tuesday, 5 April 2016 10:41 (eight years ago) link
I can!
― i like to trump and i am crazy (DJP), Tuesday, 5 April 2016 15:23 (eight years ago) link
saw these guys play a show last night & it was amazing! go see them, everybody
― arts and crafts THIS GUY (daria-g), Wednesday, 13 April 2016 22:44 (eight years ago) link
don't get fœtushearing this first time today, but oh man, the climax of irony.utility.pretext. with the repeat mock-orchestra stabs over staccato beats is totally hole-era foetus imo.
― we have no facts and we're voting no (Hunt3r), Thursday, 27 April 2017 19:36 (seven years ago) link
As long as this is revived, thread on the new album here:
Algiers -- The Underside of Power
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 27 April 2017 19:37 (seven years ago) link
Playing Baby's All Right in BK on July 22https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1472342
― Chocolate-covered gummy bears? Not ruling those lil' guys out. (ulysses), Friday, 28 April 2017 14:42 (seven years ago) link
I couldn't make it last night, but I heard that advance tickets for the Chicago show, in a tiny club, were apparently pitiful.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 20 October 2017 18:41 (six years ago) link
seeing them tomorrow night in TO, I pledge to buy a fuckton of merch if the turnout here is bad
― Simon H., Saturday, 21 October 2017 03:49 (six years ago) link
Wisdom.
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 21 October 2017 13:37 (six years ago) link
A M A Z I N G live band. thankfully people in my town showed up, but I picked up both LPs anyway. they deserve bigger venues and a fifth member so they can ease up on the multitasking.
― Simon H., Sunday, 22 October 2017 06:14 (six years ago) link
!!!!!!!
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/algiers-announce-new-lp-tour-share-dispossession-video/
https://youtu.be/bwKTIQuH5ug
― Simon H., Tuesday, 29 October 2019 18:00 (four years ago) link
Not sure about this one after a couple of listens. A lot of songs seem to peter out just as they're gaining steam.
― bold caucasian eroticism (Simon H.), Monday, 20 January 2020 18:40 (four years ago) link
“Chaka” is amazing. I like this new album a lot.
― Tim F, Monday, 20 January 2020 20:26 (four years ago) link
Three tracks in and I think this is sounding pretty cool - it's a sonic step forward again - all sorts of lovely details in the mix
― opden gnash (imago), Tuesday, 21 January 2020 21:13 (four years ago) link
This album is great, cosign on "Chaka"
― totally unnecessary bewbz of exploitation (DJP), Tuesday, 21 January 2020 21:14 (four years ago) link
Ah right, I should link my review here:
https://daily.bandcamp.com/album-of-the-day/algiers-there-is-no-year-review
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 21 January 2020 21:17 (four years ago) link
Chaka the highlight so far for sure
― bold caucasian eroticism (Simon H.), Tuesday, 21 January 2020 21:18 (four years ago) link
Dispossession for me
― opden gnash (imago), Tuesday, 21 January 2020 21:42 (four years ago) link
"We Can't Be Found" and "Dispossession" are incredible.
― gman59, Wednesday, 22 January 2020 04:01 (four years ago) link
OK, it's been steadily growing on me even if I'm pretty sure it's the least of the three albums (though not by as much as I feared.)
I'm confused about how popular they are/aren't. They have significantly more monthly streams on Spotify than every band in their "fans also like" recommendations (including Iceage, Preoccupations, Savages, Protomartyr, and Tropical Fuck Storm) but on both visits here they are playing one of our very smallest dedicated venues.
― bold caucasian eroticism (Simon H.), Monday, 27 January 2020 14:46 (four years ago) link
I was trying to remember why I didn't ever try to investigate Iceage and on a hunch googled Iceage racist
now I remember
― totally unnecessary bewbz of exploitation (DJP), Monday, 27 January 2020 14:50 (four years ago) link
I can't imagine their singer's vocal uh "stylings" would be much to yr liking anyway
― bold caucasian eroticism (Simon H.), Monday, 27 January 2020 14:52 (four years ago) link
I was disappointed to listen to the Trap Set interview with Matt Tong and not have Algiers touched on at all; Bloc Party and Algiers require totally different approaches and I'd like to have heard more about how he made the leap
― bold caucasian eroticism (Simon H.), Monday, 27 January 2020 15:02 (four years ago) link
totally unnecessary bewbz of exploitation (DJP) at 8:50 27 Jan 20I was trying to remember why I didn't ever try to investigate Iceage and on a hunch googled Iceage racistnow I remember
iirc correctly there's a thread here where Fred explains how his fellow Danes are not racist and everyone was too dumb to understand
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 27 January 2020 15:18 (four years ago) link
plz do not summon anyone to this thread based on northern european politics
― babu frik fan account (mh), Monday, 27 January 2020 15:44 (four years ago) link
lol that’s all coming back to me now
― totally unnecessary bewbz of exploitation (DJP), Monday, 27 January 2020 16:03 (four years ago) link
they went on Colbert
https://youtu.be/JmzwOG06iUg
― bold caucasian eroticism (Simon H.), Sunday, 2 February 2020 00:49 (four years ago) link
Put up a full live set from a couple of weeks ago in Dublin:
https://algierstheband.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-dublin-8-feb-2020
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 17 February 2020 00:09 (four years ago) link
And this one from the other day! Apparently they're going to make a thing of it.
https://algierstheband.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-amsterdam-13-feb-2020
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 18 February 2020 00:01 (four years ago) link
NYC show rescheduled to December 11. Something to look forward to.
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Wednesday, 1 April 2020 18:48 (four years ago) link
and then it wasn't
― the serious avant-garde universalist right now (forksclovetofu), Saturday, 23 January 2021 22:33 (three years ago) link
Been a couple of good solo things lately -- here's Ryan's:
https://dedmeet.bandcamp.com/album/the-end-of-their-world-is-coming
And here's Lee's:
https://algierstheband.bandcamp.com/album/mondo-decay
Meantime the band themselves put out this for the election -- a hell of a thing:
https://algierstheband.bandcamp.com/album/cleveland-20-20
And even a Christmas single!
https://algierstheband.bandcamp.com/album/algiers-crew-holiday-fan-club-digi-7inch
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 24 January 2021 02:06 (three years ago) link
So Lee's Nun Gun project is out today per the link above -- and there's a dub version due in a couple of weeks. You might recognize some of the names (he said, drily).
https://algierstheband.bandcamp.com/album/stealth-maxi-dub-companion
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 19 February 2021 19:36 (three years ago) link
New album en route and the new single is here with Backxwash and billy woods and it rules.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17SmU2Q_Qt0
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 13 September 2022 14:22 (one year ago) link
oh this rules, hopefully the album is similarly cool because the last one just didn't quite do it for me
― ufo, Tuesday, 13 September 2022 23:17 (one year ago) link
omg this is fantastic, full portishead prog-rap-soul trip
― imago, Thursday, 15 September 2022 07:21 (one year ago) link
I felt like "Chaka" was a near-pinnacle for them and this isn't quite at that level but yes it's very promising for the new album.
― Tim F, Thursday, 15 September 2022 07:42 (one year ago) link
yeah I quite liked the last album but it def had Internet Backlash
― imago, Thursday, 15 September 2022 08:04 (one year ago) link
oh i didn't know RYM hated it lol, i just remember it being mostly more-of-the-same except not quite as strong as TUOP
― ufo, Thursday, 15 September 2022 10:13 (one year ago) link
just a little underwhelming rather than being awful or anything
― ufo, Thursday, 15 September 2022 10:14 (one year ago) link
Fantano apparently piled in, you know the rest etc
― imago, Thursday, 15 September 2022 11:22 (one year ago) link
Piled in full knowing their history of sub(bass)tweeting their critics, even. Time for a sequel lads
― imago, Thursday, 15 September 2022 11:23 (one year ago) link
― imago, Thursday, September 15, 2022 3:04 AM (five hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
now this one has internet backxwash
― comedy khadafi (voodoo chili), Thursday, 15 September 2022 13:27 (one year ago) link
😎
― imago, Thursday, 15 September 2022 14:15 (one year ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfkWWzQPNrs
another very cool new single
album shook out feb 24
― ufo, Wednesday, 26 October 2022 21:30 (one year ago) link
late pass but bite back is fucking great
― “Cheeky cheeky!” she trills, nearly demolishing a roadside post (forksclovetofu), Friday, 13 January 2023 19:37 (one year ago) link
Saw some IG video clips of a December 15 gig in NY where they were joined onstage by guests including Billy Woods and Mark Cisneros; and I was impressed
https://www.thisisnotaphotograph.com/blog/2022/12/16/algiers-and-special-guests-at-national-sawdust
― curmudgeon, Monday, 16 January 2023 15:17 (one year ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ2Uw9llbrg
the new album is sure shaping up well
― ufo, Wednesday, 8 February 2023 20:39 (one year ago) link
extremely cool, touch of Mars Volta to it dare i say
― imago, Thursday, 9 February 2023 09:11 (one year ago) link
interesting/awesome remix-not-remix album by nyc doing-it-wrong hiphop impresario king vision ultra aka geng aka head of ptp
https://algierstheband.bandcamp.com/album/shook-world-hosted-by-algiers
― Vapor waif (uptown churl), Thursday, 9 February 2023 14:04 (one year ago) link
new album sounds pretty good on first listen
― ufo, Friday, 24 February 2023 06:08 (one year ago) link
It does indeed.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 24 February 2023 13:45 (one year ago) link
Enjoying this
― imago, Saturday, 25 February 2023 14:46 (one year ago) link
Will be seeing them in a few weeks at Bottom of the Hill; they were great when I caught them for Underside of Power a while back but I suspect this show, with the catalog even deeper now, will be a hell of a thing.
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 25 February 2023 15:55 (one year ago) link
Algiers not happy with Under the Radar site negative review
no one could accuse under the radar of knowing what theyre talking about— Algiers (@AlgiersMusic) February 25, 2023
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 26 February 2023 15:31 (one year ago) link
Haha. Well presuming they read all the criticism of them, this is easily their best album yet imo
― imago, Sunday, 26 February 2023 16:02 (one year ago) link
yeah it's fantastic, definitely their best
― ufo, Wednesday, 1 March 2023 08:22 (one year ago) link