― Joe Folladori, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 02:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sean@tangmonkey (Sean M), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 02:07 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Al (sitcom), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 02:14 (twenty-one years ago) link
― gygax!, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 02:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 02:50 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Curt (cgould), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 02:53 (twenty-one years ago) link
― James Blount (James Blount), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 03:32 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sean@tangmonkey (Sean M), Wednesday, 20 November 2002 04:15 (twenty-one years ago) link
what do you mean kottke/fahey-ish guitar? isn't it just easier to say country blues?
― jq higgins, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 16:31 (twenty-one years ago) link
― gygax!, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 17:36 (twenty-one years ago) link
guess i was really more referring to the version of salty dog in question. that really is pretty straight country blues pickin.
― jq higgins, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 19:02 (twenty-one years ago) link
she's been covering 2 of his songs on her recent tour
did you see him in DC w/ lambchop?)
― gygax!, Wednesday, 20 November 2002 19:18 (twenty-one years ago) link
― paul cox (paul cox), Thursday, 21 November 2002 01:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― gygax!, Friday, 22 November 2002 01:17 (twenty-one years ago) link
― ron (ron), Friday, 22 November 2002 02:44 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Paul (scifisoul), Friday, 22 November 2002 02:46 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Chris Ott, Friday, 22 November 2002 03:05 (twenty-one years ago) link
― ron (ron), Friday, 22 November 2002 03:42 (twenty-one years ago) link
― ron (ron), Friday, 22 November 2002 03:45 (twenty-one years ago) link
I have been a big, nay obsessive, Cat Power fan for years. I even paid $20 for the impossible-to-find Undercover seven-inch. So, when I eagerly downloaded He War in preparation for my next big Chan fix in February, I expected something like a cross between the circular beauty of Moon Pix and the near-naked genius of The Covers Record and the Peel Sessions. Not exactly the same, of course--bands are allowed to grow, change, evolve, whatever you want to call it.
But very few people seem to have noticed about the new song what I did. To me, it sounds like just another slab of boring college rock. I keep listening to it to find out what I'm missing, but it leaves me cold. It just doesn't have that certain something that made me fall in love with Cat Power.
I am trying to remain optomistic about the rest of the record.
― call mr. lee, Monday, 25 November 2002 01:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
― david h (david h), Monday, 25 November 2002 11:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Curt (cgould), Monday, 25 November 2002 13:43 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Venus Glow (1411), Monday, 25 November 2002 14:47 (twenty-one years ago) link
― david h (david h), Monday, 25 November 2002 14:49 (twenty-one years ago) link
― jason elliott, Wednesday, 18 December 2002 19:30 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Peter Parasol, Saturday, 4 January 2003 13:40 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Monday, 24 February 2003 23:03 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Monday, 24 February 2003 23:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 25 February 2003 13:49 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Tuesday, 25 February 2003 17:14 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Tuesday, 25 February 2003 17:25 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Tuesday, 25 February 2003 20:27 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Tuesday, 25 February 2003 20:31 (twenty-one years ago) link
diff is good. will buy and post.
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 25 February 2003 21:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 25 February 2003 21:01 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 25 February 2003 21:18 (twenty-one years ago) link
― jm (jtm), Wednesday, 26 February 2003 03:44 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Aaron W (Aaron W), Wednesday, 26 February 2003 20:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
― S Samson, Monday, 24 March 2003 00:42 (twenty-one years ago) link
― La Monte (La Monte), Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― The Brainwasher (Twilight), Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:32 (eighteen years ago) link
― glasgow coma score (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:43 (eighteen years ago) link
― La Monte (La Monte), Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:45 (eighteen years ago) link
pCatPower = new tCatPower();pCatPower->FaultInject();delete pCatPower;
― donut hallivallerieburtonelli omg lol (donut), Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:48 (eighteen years ago) link
― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:52 (eighteen years ago) link
― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 13 October 2005 18:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 13 October 2005 19:00 (eighteen years ago) link
I guess this went up on twitter last night (!)
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2t1rofDGC1qb3nrko1_500.png
― Johnny Fever, Saturday, April 21, 2012 6:20 PM (1 month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I HAVE HAD ALL THE MOUNTAIN DEWS
― bronytheus (some dude), Monday, 18 June 2012 16:16 (eleven years ago) link
Team Chan vs Team Fiona 2012?
― Grimy Little Pimp (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Monday, 18 June 2012 16:33 (eleven years ago) link
I feel the same about both of them (temporarily interested in new things, but actually just a fan of a few songs over all).
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 18 June 2012 16:34 (eleven years ago) link
Hadn't seen this thread before. so just now posting my two cents on a wonderful album (later w bonus tracks, I think) review archived on thefreelancementalists.blogspot.comMonday, March 10, 2008 The Record to Beat in '08Cat Power's Jukebox. I used to find her tiresome, but she's notoverplaying the waif card here, even though this probably her mostromantic album, her most truly atmospheric, because in order to havean atmosphere, you gotta have gravity, from the right substance in thespin. Every time the music starts, her voice first reaches me as a dryice smoke ring 'round the moon, over the shining spine of historee(great and good old and newer songs coming together, and coming up injust a minute) with a vivid poise that keeps her from sounding tooearnest: it's just the right, sensuous sound (especially as it movesthrough her musical companions' reverb, echo and grooves) for hercosmic quest, for romantic and spiritual fulfillment. ( Janis Joplinanswered, when asked what Today's Youth are looking for: "Sincerity,and a good time." Hey hay hey.) The confidence as well assensitivity—so of course "New York New York," with just a simpleadjustment of its seatbelt, should have this tensile lope and sway,backbeating right past Radio City rinky-tink, with ingenue still intow/charge. She's totally at home with the Dirty Dozen Blues Band,especially drummer Jim White, of the Dirty Three and recent,noteworthy collabs with Nina Natashia; Judah Bauer of the Jon SpencerBlues Explosion(! But he does not play no fratblooze here) is alsoaboard (with Eric Papparozzi on bass and Greg Foreman's keyboards),but this little combo is less like a blues band is usually expected tobe, more like rockers who have learned much from the Hi RhythmSection, in terms of taut, spare punctuation and momentum, fittingChan Marshall's vibrant reveries perfectly (the one time she holdsback a bit, seemingly getting lost, on "A Woman Left Lonely,"Foreman's electric piano tremolo gets more emphatic, rallying her,appropriately for a song about a woman who's coming back fromrejection). The sequence of tracks is very effective: after "New YorkNew York," Hank Williams' "Ramblin Man" is recast as "Ramblin' Woman,"and the original's melodramatic, spooked compulsion is tempered by acertain expansiveness: she knows this kind of journey is where she'smeant to be, not that it doesn't matter who and what she finds. A newversion of her "Metal Heart" follows, with a confrontation, a note toself and other, that steadfastness , mettle and "metal" is in thesound, not heavy metal, but the electricity moving through naturalelements, 20th Century engine-uity revving up again in these oldsongs, which sound as timely as ever. The sleek, starlit,meta-metal's also there in Lee Clayton's "Silver Stallion" whichpractical-minded Cowgirl Chan leads from mythology or decoration, outinto her own prospects, and "Aretha" is wistfully, unpretentiouslyinvoked, to re-inspire her lover and herself, also (as repeatedlistenings reward), I think of this as prefiguring later songs, as Irelate it to Dylan's line from Tarantuala, "Aretha, crystal jukeboxqueen (the album's title from this?), I shall play you as my trumpcard." I think of that because I know she'll reach Dylan's own "IBelieve In You," with Bauer accentuating the Stonesy riff with whichDylan foresaw "Start Me Up," and White's drum leaps develop a hip hopcast, kicking off the mud of a town through which one proud outcastsearches for another. Marshall's own "Song For Bobby, " reminiscingabout various near-misses with the Master, could easily be gushy, butshe's even too grown-up for that now. She strikingly connectsDylanesque phrasing to Billie Holiday's, on the latter's "Hush Now(Don't Explain)," reminding me of D. 's description of his later songsas "overlapping phrases on an electrical grid," the overlapping ofexpression and reticence, austerity and warmth in the shadows. Whichis also where the hope and fear meet in, Jessie May Hemphill's "LordHelp," just as "We're all reborn, to face the morning sun." Uh, and soon, with some surprises: I didn't even recognize Joni Mitchell'spassive-aggressive self-pity/guilt-tripping you-dumped-me classic,"Blue," at first, cos Chan doesn't imitate her at all! Not even inthis age of girly-swirly chamber folk, not at all (and the band's justbumpin' at the walls of the break-up, you know it'll all work out asit should or will). This girl is a woman now! (But not too scary withit.) ------Don Allred
― dow, Monday, 18 June 2012 16:43 (eleven years ago) link
Ruin is great.
Mixed by Philippe Zdar
o_O
― jed_, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:21 (eleven years ago) link
i didn't like jukebox at all. hope the new one is hundreds of times better.
― akm, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 16:19 (eleven years ago) link
i don't like the new single at all. there is something mor and polished about it. i think she has lost it. she does not sound like herself any more.
― alex in mainhattan, Friday, 22 June 2012 16:10 (eleven years ago) link
LOVE the new single, so glad she's back. Fiona AND Chan in the same year, I can hardly contain myself!!!
― Peace (peaceful) (The Brainwasher), Friday, 22 June 2012 16:28 (eleven years ago) link
she does not sound like herself any more.
― alex in mainhattan, Friday, June 22, 2012 5:10 PM (29 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
^^yeah i think this is okay/maybe pretty nice but i would give anything for a cat power record in which she was singing in her original harmonica-like clean ringing bell of a voice instead of her weird sultry post-you-are-free affectated slur. even the way the vocals are recorded on this is strange. too much.
― blossom smulch (schlump), Friday, 22 June 2012 16:43 (eleven years ago) link
17 min into this- http://www.npr.org/2012/06/26/155705361/summer-music-preview-premieres-from-cat-power-avett-brothers-grizzly-bear-and-mo
― blossom smulch (schlump), Tuesday, 26 June 2012 17:18 (eleven years ago) link
"Cherokee" oddly sounds like an alternate 90s version of Cat Power, one where Chan Marshall chose drum programming and layers and trip-hop atmospheres rather than guitars and low fidelity.
― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 27 June 2012 04:28 (eleven years ago) link
...whatever that means.
Anyway, song's kind of flat and aimless imo.
weirdest thing about it is how after an intro that sounds like nu-era-digital-cat-power it morphs into something sorta moon pix-esque - the tangled guitars and layered singing
― blossom smulch (schlump), Wednesday, 27 June 2012 11:33 (eleven years ago) link
She's always been aimless and plain but she used to have a very hypnotic, breathy voice that made the meandering passages seem worthwhile... she might have been rubbish for all I care but it sounded heartfelt and it got into my nerves in a good way. Without the hypnotic, nudity of her voice we're just left with a pointless version of her.
― Moka, Monday, 2 July 2012 08:31 (eleven years ago) link
Can't judge the full album yet but Ruin doesn't sound like it has enough going on to pull my attention or demand a replay.
― Moka, Monday, 2 July 2012 08:34 (eleven years ago) link
Without the hypnotic, nudity of her voice
this is lovely & otm, moka. i def can't get anything out of the performative tone she has on the last few.
i always try to find a live version of what would the community think that i can't find online anywhere, to post in support of my old-cat-power-best-cat-power argument. her voice used to just carry & call out.
― blossom smulch (schlump), Monday, 2 July 2012 10:31 (eleven years ago) link
ohhhh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97nNDDDUWHs
chan your voice is like a wonderful harmonica
― blossom smulch (schlump), Monday, 2 July 2012 10:36 (eleven years ago) link
man, the new album is really bad
― Number None, Saturday, 28 July 2012 13:48 (eleven years ago) link
and everyone otm about what she's lost from her vocals
― Number None, Saturday, 28 July 2012 13:49 (eleven years ago) link
aw that's sad
― , Blogger (schlump), Saturday, 28 July 2012 14:30 (eleven years ago) link
Have people heard this yet? Am I the only one who thinks it's kind of great? It's her best since You Are Free by a mile, but it feels more like a counterpoint to that album than a sequel. It's so bright and buzzy and the bass on every song is just huge; it's distinct from all of her other records.
― Evan R, Tuesday, 7 August 2012 15:46 (eleven years ago) link
And yeah, there are a few kind of embarrassing stylistic flourishes or indulgences throughout the album, but I don't think they really detract from anything. Even Moon Pix had its share of those
I heard it casually last night and I liked what I overheard! Has a I do not want what I haven't got kind of production vibe? Considering I have no love for any Cat Power post-Moon Pix I was pretty impressed, will listen again
― Ówen P., Monday, 13 August 2012 17:23 (eleven years ago) link
Uh, that was not meant to be a sideways dis at 00s CP. Just mentioned it b/c I'm a specific fan of two awesome records, I can see how the new one would dismay fans of "You are free" etc.
― Ówen P., Monday, 13 August 2012 17:25 (eleven years ago) link
Been listening to this constantly for the last week or two. I'm still impressed by how much umphff and authority these songs have. Not something I expected from Cat Power.
― Evan R, Monday, 13 August 2012 21:33 (eleven years ago) link
i can't really work this album out: i like the sound, i like her voice, but a lot of the time it seems kind of blustery and empty? and doesn't go anywhere much? idk.
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 15 August 2012 15:24 (eleven years ago) link
the nico jaar remix of "cherokee" is HEAVENLY though
i like this album a lot
― johnny crunch, Tuesday, 4 September 2012 11:44 (eleven years ago) link
this is kinda terrible imo
― some dude, Tuesday, 4 September 2012 13:17 (eleven years ago) link
i still don't know what i think of this but "manhattan" has this glorious day-drunk vibe. more songs like that plz
― monotony, Tuesday, 4 September 2012 13:21 (eleven years ago) link
the monkey on your back song rules
― spazzmatazz, Tuesday, 4 September 2012 14:06 (eleven years ago) link
I think the truth is, really, I've never liked Cat Power as much as I've pretended to like Cat Power. Community and Moon Pix have the bulk of the material I like, then there's a few songs on You Are Free and The Greatest (and I like her "Hanging on the Telephone" cover for the cellphone commercial), but that's about it really. The pre-Community albums, the covers albums and Sun are all mostly in one ear out the other for me.
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 4 September 2012 14:36 (eleven years ago) link
Bought this yesterday, played it once through last night, and thought it seemed awesome.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, 5 September 2012 11:57 (eleven years ago) link
the real long track on this is fucking amazing
― young money color me badd (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 5 September 2012 12:07 (eleven years ago) link
'nothin' but time' ??
― pandemic, Wednesday, 5 September 2012 12:26 (eleven years ago) link
the superhero one i think
ya
― young money color me badd (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 5 September 2012 12:27 (eleven years ago) link
Does it take the chord structure from Heroes by Bowie?
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, 5 September 2012 12:28 (eleven years ago) link
― some dude, Tuesday, 4 September 2012 13:17 (Yesterday) Permalink
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Wednesday, 5 September 2012 21:34 (eleven years ago) link
what would the community think is her masterpiece. that is the sound of pure fucking desolation, being in a hole
― spazzmatazz, Wednesday, 5 September 2012 23:22 (eleven years ago) link
Started listening to this now. Don't know if it will turn out to be Tron or Field Day.
― POLLed Turkey Has Got Me (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 5 September 2012 23:58 (eleven years ago) link
So, she broke?
― Moka, Wednesday, 31 October 2012 22:09 (eleven years ago) link
should i go see her when she comes to philly?
pros: i love her musiccons: chances are good she won't finish the show?
― Mordy, Wednesday, 28 November 2012 05:02 (eleven years ago) link
I don't think she's "not finished a show" in years and years.
― sean gramophone, Wednesday, 28 November 2012 15:10 (eleven years ago) link
Based on the show I saw, and what I've read of the others, these are some of the most confounding shows she's ever played. They begin really shaky (so much so that a lot of people leave) and then end triumphantly. At times the juxtaposition between the good and the bad felt deliberate, almost as if she was faking the bad parts. I tossed around some theories about what might have been going on in my review of the show, but really, I have no idea what she was going for.
Anyway, as a fan I'm glad I went, because it was an experience and when she hits her stride it's still really glorious.
― Evan R, Wednesday, 28 November 2012 15:32 (eleven years ago) link
looked at a few setlists and found almost nothing from moon pix or wwtct, but a TON of covers. uninterested. love her new hairdo tho
― black redhead (spazzmatazz), Wednesday, 28 November 2012 16:21 (eleven years ago) link
might be worth going just to do a head-count of all different eras of cat power haircuts the audience is miming
― kelpolaris, Wednesday, 28 November 2012 18:40 (eleven years ago) link
maybe like a cat power people's choice awards, researched without having actually talked to anyone
― kelpolaris, Wednesday, 28 November 2012 18:41 (eleven years ago) link
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jwray/surrounded-by-legends#.wbRYqRy7e
― 龜, Wednesday, 10 February 2016 15:52 (eight years ago) link
that was excellent, thanks
― rip van wanko, Wednesday, 10 February 2016 21:45 (eight years ago) link