thread of dick diver and assocs.

I am liking them a lot and judging from the rolling indie thread maybe you are too? Not much of a strummy pop partisan but I think the collective ear for mood and lyrical detail sets them apart...the quotidian bummer and all the ways it might be wrestled with (earnest puzzlement, dumb humor, transcendence here and again). Also pretty sure "Competition" is the best Yo La Tengo song in recent memory. Any US folk seeing them on tour?

Yeah, Melbourne Florida is my favorite indie rock album of the year. So tuneful. Reverent to the stuff that came before in that part of the world but doing new stuff with it. Just beautiful

Eh, I dipped back into across-the-ditch dolewave stuff after getting into Courtney Barnett, but none of the Twerps/Dick Diver stuff grabbed me compared w/the sullen queer vibes of Street Chant/Emily Edrosa & Bad Sav (over here the ghosts of Flying Nun never departed, so the Aussie stuff isn't as much of a departure for us), but Bitch Prefect's "Bad Decisions" & #1 Dads' "Camberwell" are p.charming w/their dumb humour / chillness. Current crop of young Dunedin bands like Astro Children and Trick Mammoth do a p.good line in rippling Look Blue Go Purple-ness, too.

I hear that; DD are a little more hung up in ~craft~ or something and seem drawn to the evil flame of adult contempo (so does Barnett, though!). But it seems impossible that they'll ever get to the other side, like they're condemned to fall between the chairs. I like that...

BTW feel free to use thread for UV Race, Lower Plenty, Boomgates (whose Whispering and Singing is excellent in the Diver fashion).

I watched a DD live gig from a record store in Brisbane and I was amazed at how they switched their instruments around and how they changed the singer around. How democratic! Oh yeah, top 3 album for me. I absolutely love it.

what about The Stevens? liking Dick Diver led me to them, and i think i like them more. considering going to see DD tomorrow night, but it's a late show on a Monday night and i'm old...

They were great live when I saw them (even down a member b/c of some visa issues. Dunno if that's been resolved). Go!

Anyway -- album of the year. No contest. Cannot get over how well written these songs are or how great they sound. I was smitten right away by "Waste the Alphabet" into "Year in Pictures". I liked rest of the album at first but have come to absolutely love it. Go back and listen again.

And there's this -- <3 the harmonies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUOld7G67vk

fun fact: my mate coined the term 'dolewave'

this album

is so good

Amazed this hasn't blown up more; such an incredibly catchy and well-sequenced and well-played album

"well-sequenced" is right. once i put it on it stays on. no skipping. cant say that about many other albums this year

i liked their last album well enough so this one has been on my back burner for awhile but i just heard it last week. i am enthralled. the lack of buzz is perplexing.

Speaking of which, the godlike genius of "Calendar Days," because why not:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4ZXaj8P-UA

In all seriousness, I think their name has put a lot of people off. I was disinclined to check them out, and have run into a lot of people who had the same reaction. Because I and other Americans are illiterate or whatever. But yes, amazing album that will probably be looked back on as a lost classic. Almost certainly my album of the year as well.

yeah terrible band name tbh

2nd single from Terry (assoc w Dick Diver, Total Control, UV Race, Constant Mongrel, East Link, etc.) just about out (loved the 1st one too). LP out later in the summer, but this single alone is pretty addictive. I don't know Australian politics enough to completely get it without reading up, but who cares, so catchy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEmR-tSxMnk

I was in a Brooklyn community college sociology class several years ago (don't ask why) and the professor used a video clip of Penny Wong as an example of a woman effectively telling a bunch of men to shut the hell up. One of the students knew who Penny was, started reciting biographical details, etc., and professor nearly died of happiness. Also, this is a great song.

i have enjoyed it