OK, this is weird. i got an e-mail yesterday from my former boss, which just said:
"So... fleet foxes?"
either way: not heard them, vaguely intrigued, should probably rectify that blah blah.
― grimly fiendish, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 09:49 (fifteen years ago) link
I gather they've had loads of hype -= from which directions?
Guardian Media Group
― Bocken Social Scene, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 09:50 (fifteen years ago) link
Have only heard a little, but was quite charmed by the way the hymnal thing conjures up the dusty school assembly hall vibe. Felt like I should be listening to it sitting cross-legged in my socks.
― NickB, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 09:57 (fifteen years ago) link
Shite name though.
I've listened to it three times now and wanted to like it but it's just failed to impress upon me altogether. There are a few nice moment, primarily when they drop the drums and go properly folky, but overall they just sound like a really dull, asset stripped version of My Morning Jacket's quieter moments.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 10:14 (fifteen years ago) link
the record starts promosing, but the Shins meets Grizzly Bear formula is repeated too many times and i lost patience
― Zeno, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 10:17 (fifteen years ago) link
I've been bombarded by almost daily emails lauding their praises from their PR people for the last six months or so.
They are terrible and the Radcliffe/Maconie ALLEGED PAYOLA hype is particularly insufferable though one should expect no better from the Bella Union Guardian Music section.
― Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 10:21 (fifteen years ago) link
Actually, Radcliffe and Maconie are just particularly insufferable at the moment - smug, racist, sexist, homophobic, Tory twats, and that's just their listeners.
― Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 10:22 (fifteen years ago) link
I wouldn't know, I only ever listen to them when I'm driving home from the Bowls club.
― NickB, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 10:38 (fifteen years ago) link
And woe betide anyone who fails to toe the party line - the M+M whip will decry you as "contrived."
― Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 10:41 (fifteen years ago) link
The hype has certainly been off-putting, but my jury's out on them thus far. It all sounds very pretty, especially the vocals; I'll give them that much at least.
― mike t-diva, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 10:47 (fifteen years ago) link
They strike me very much as a group for the kind of people who won't admit to liking Coldplay.
― Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 11:03 (fifteen years ago) link
I dunno, they're a lot more low-key than Clodpole, I didn't really get any sense of stadium aspirations.
― NickB, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 11:10 (fifteen years ago) link
Given the descriptions, this is the sort of Southall music I'd probably find a bit dull, because I have "no heart". As opposed to the sort of Southall music that appeals to the subjective heart I do have. Still, I'll give them a go at some point.
― Just got offed, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 11:12 (fifteen years ago) link
The first time I heard White Winter Hymnal and Ragged Wood it made my heart want to burst.
― Scik Mouthy, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 11:28 (fifteen years ago) link
So you'll probably hate them, Louis...
This is the CD of the month mailed out by the Rough Trade Album Club, but I haven't had a chance to listen to it. It came with a bonus disc of extra songs.
― Savannah Smiles, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 11:43 (fifteen years ago) link
Plenty going for £4 in MVE in a month's time then.
― Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 12:20 (fifteen years ago) link
There's something saccharine in the harmonies that's oft-putting.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 12:24 (fifteen years ago) link
Yeah I'd go with that, but then I don't even like the Beach Boys.
I'd say less Coldplay, more the Magic Numbers without the fat jokes.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 12:28 (fifteen years ago) link
I had the same reaction to White Winter Hymnal. And the saccharine harmonies are what make them appealing to me. Just bought the full disc.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 18 June 2008 12:53 (fifteen years ago) link
I don't like The Beach Boys either!
― Scik Mouthy, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 13:02 (fifteen years ago) link
the Magic Numbers without the fat jokes.
lolololol
― banriquit, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 13:03 (fifteen years ago) link
overall they just sound like a really dull, asset stripped version of My Morning Jacket's quieter moments.
amen. not into it.
― poortheatre, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 13:13 (fifteen years ago) link
Good name that doesn't fit the music - nice vocal sounds, but the predictable, uninteresting chord progressions render the overall effect lifeless and drab.
― dubmill, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 13:28 (fifteen years ago) link
Counting Crows for a (slightly) different demographic.
― Sara Sara Sara, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 13:34 (fifteen years ago) link
Great drum sound.
― Scik Mouthy, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 13:38 (fifteen years ago) link
Not really getting the Counting Crows thing. Light, beatific, joyous vs overwrought emotional trauma?
― Scik Mouthy, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 13:39 (fifteen years ago) link
50% Shins, 50% Midlake for me. Nice, but a bit uninteresting stuff.
― zeus, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:00 (fifteen years ago) link
Not getting the Coldplay thing, either. "Hello clouds, hello sky, hello ickle pretty birdies..." vs. "Meh, bit miserable, shall I kiss it better..."
― mike t-diva, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:01 (fifteen years ago) link
Specifically the start of Ragged Wood reminds me of the "each day / spend it with you / yeah" bit in that Grizzly Bear song when the hammond gets going and everything notches up tempo-wise and IT'S AWESOME. Those drums make me want to run into the mountains forever and live in a delirious cabin.
― Scik Mouthy, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:04 (fifteen years ago) link
Oh Mike, btw, I think you might dig the Shearwater album if you've not already heard it.
― Scik Mouthy, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:06 (fifteen years ago) link
I prefer Grizzly Bear doing it.
How can you scratch your head at Coldplay yet savour those apnoeic cacafuegos Elbow?
― Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:08 (fifteen years ago) link
Hahahaha, I love you, Marcello.
I prefer Grizzly doing it too, just about, but that doesn't mean I don't like Fleet Foxes doing it, at least for the moment.
Elbow do everything Coldplay do but with a better singer, better lyrics, better rhythms, more interesting songs, a wider emotional palette, a better guitarist and less grade 1 piano.
― Scik Mouthy, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:10 (fifteen years ago) link
Man, Shearwater strikes me as a really dull, plodding, flat-sounding band. The :30 samples from their new disc haven't changed my mind yet. When I hear or read someone say "Indie-Schmindie," or some other snide, I think they're talking about bands like Shearwater and Okervil River. I know some people are passionate about those bands, tho. Maybe just not for my (old) ears (damn kids with their crazy rock music).
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:12 (fifteen years ago) link
RONG (xpost)
Nothing wrong with Grade I piano when emotions demand it. If only Elbow had some Cecil Taylor piano, it might drown out the drear ramblings of Guy "Ventolin Man" Garvey.
― Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:14 (fifteen years ago) link
Elbow are what people think Embrace are like.
Hahahaha!
Daniel, Esq., I'm not familiar at all with Shearwater pre Rook, but Rook is some pretty awesome, folk-rock-ambient shit.
― Scik Mouthy, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:16 (fifteen years ago) link
My first impressions were a bit premature, "He Doesn't Know Why", "Heard Them Stirring" and "Your Protector" are truly beautiful songs.
― zeus, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:19 (fifteen years ago) link
I'm looking forward to the Hova "Your Protector" remix: "You walk along the stream BOUNCE, BOUNCE/Your head caught in a waking dream IT'S YA BOYY Your protector's coming home and you don't STOP &c."
― Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:22 (fifteen years ago) link
I just meant Counting Crows in the wearing-influences-on-sleeve/static background muzak kinda way.
― Sara Sara Sara, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:28 (fifteen years ago) link
"white winter hymnal" excepted, the album is a huge letdown after the e.p. the hype these guys are getting is a little overbearing, kind of like the obnoxious liner notes on the sleeve of the cd--a lot of positioning how we're supposed to receive and listen to them, what bands we're supposed to be hearing as influences that these fleet foxes are upgrading for us
― kamerad, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:30 (fifteen years ago) link
See, in the old days you had, say, a Buffalo Springfield album, and all you got was maybe a picture of the band on the front and another on the back plus personnel details, track listing and other relevant credits and you had to work the rest out for yourself instead of being spoonfed.
― Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:38 (fifteen years ago) link
That's not entirely true, Marcello, is it? If anything you get less info on record sleeves these days cos it';s all on fucking Facebook.
― Scik Mouthy, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:41 (fifteen years ago) link
CD packaging is pathetic these days. All you get is a picture of the artist on the front and maybe another on the back plus track listings, personnel details (if you're lucky) and other relevant credits (not always) and so you have to work the rest out for yourself instead of being given proper information what you've paid your hard earned £16 for innit.
― Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:46 (fifteen years ago) link
And more imaginative/adventurous arrangements/production, greater emotional acuity and honesty, a sense of genuine rather than ersatz connection with their listeners, a total lack of pomposity... I could go on!
― mike t-diva, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:48 (fifteen years ago) link
Just playing "Red Sea, Black Sea" now. Hmm, starts off like Richard Thompson, and then it all expands outwards and kind of goes WAAAA! Yes, not bad at all.
As for Grizzly Bear: I didn't like that Crystals cover at all, sorry. But hark, what's this... "Knife"... ooh, much more like it...
― mike t-diva, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 14:57 (fifteen years ago) link
Rook is some pretty awesome, folk-rock-ambient shit.
Okay, this is the new one, yes? It's on eMusic. I'll investigate.
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 18 June 2008 15:00 (fifteen years ago) link
Nope, I can't get with endlessly played on R2 because he's a DJ on 6Music glumdar 1974-style soft rock The Fortunes if they'd lost a fortune Ovaltine-inciting peddlers of dribbling Harvester schmindie Phil and Kirstie-approved mock-pop Elbow.
First album was quite good, though.
― Dingbod Kesterson, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 15:07 (fifteen years ago) link
Well, you have to put "Grounds For Divorce" and "One Day Like This" within the context (i.e. loss and love) slash hem-hem Emotional Arc of the album innit. Try "Starlings" and "The Bones Of You" instead?
― mike t-diva, Wednesday, 18 June 2008 15:16 (fifteen years ago) link
Was just wondering what rock these guys were hiding under
― calstars, Friday, 28 August 2020 17:07 (three years ago) link
pecknold's been working on the next fleet foxes album all year. his instagram is pretty active with updates and teases. he was actually in europe recording when quarantine first hit and was initially told he would have to stay put, but found his way back to la, and now nyc.
the pieces of the new material he's teased have been very "orchestral" and dreamy. i'm excited for it, whenever it happens.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Friday, 28 August 2020 17:29 (three years ago) link
same. Robin's gone from overhyped (in others' opinion, not mine) to underrated genius ... in part because he doesn't work quickly and disappears for long stretches.
first two albums are all-timers.
i'm probably upthread saying the same thing a few years ago.
― alpine static, Friday, 28 August 2020 18:24 (three years ago) link
agreed. helplessness blues is still able to just wreck me in the right vibe. seeing that material live was unreal.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Friday, 28 August 2020 18:34 (three years ago) link
Third album is really good too, just requires some warming up.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Friday, 28 August 2020 21:10 (three years ago) link
Yeah, I'd say it's a good album after listening to it about a thousand times. I'd probably still rate it third out of their three albums so far.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Friday, 28 August 2020 23:10 (three years ago) link
agreed! (xpost)
i appreciate his efforts to try new stuff / stretch / not make the s/t over and over, etc.
not that i would reject an album full of "Third of May," of course
― alpine static, Friday, 28 August 2020 23:12 (three years ago) link
lol, not only did i just post that ^ *before* scrolling up and seeing this thing i posted three years ago:
i am all for Robin exploring whatever he wants to explore, but i'd be lying if i said i wouldn't play an album full of "Third of May"s over and over again until the end of time― alpine static, Tuesday, June 13, 2017 2:01 PM (three years ago)
― alpine static, Tuesday, June 13, 2017 2:01 PM (three years ago)
i also said *this* four hours ago, about something different:
i'm probably upthread saying the same thing a few years ago.― alpine static, Friday, August 28, 2020 11:24 AM (four hours ago)
― alpine static, Friday, August 28, 2020 11:24 AM (four hours ago)
― alpine static, Friday, 28 August 2020 23:22 (three years ago) link
something to be said for consistency, man.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Friday, 28 August 2020 23:34 (three years ago) link
apparently fflp4 is titled shore and will be streamed in full tomorrow at fleetfoxes.co
ok, sure ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Monday, 21 September 2020 16:25 (three years ago) link
stooooooooked
― alpine static, Monday, 21 September 2020 16:34 (three years ago) link
WAIT pic.twitter.com/JnxD8tcoB9— Brandon (@blgtylr) September 21, 2020
― just sayin, Monday, 21 September 2020 21:01 (three years ago) link
the actual cover is gorgeous. i'm too lazy to find it and post it, though.
streaming at 6:31 a.m. Pacific tomorrow, i guess to line up w/ the autumnal equinox?
i wanna get up and listen but then my wife would say "oh so you can get up early for Fleet Foxes, but not for work, to get the kids ready, to exercise, etc."
(and rightly so)
― alpine static, Monday, 21 September 2020 23:48 (three years ago) link
The whole thing is on Spotify now. It's really good.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Tuesday, 22 September 2020 15:37 (three years ago) link
Gave it a (very) distracted listen while working today and it sounded good indeed, but I'm looking forward to giving it some proper attention over the weekend (not to turn into a cliché but a long autumn walk seems like a perfect opportunity to properly enjoy it).
― ˈʌglɪɪst preɪ, Wednesday, 23 September 2020 14:49 (three years ago) link
i don't think i've seen p4k do a tweet like this before ... although maybe there is no other example? or maybe i just missed it.
Best New Music x5Read all the reviews here: https://t.co/zTOVfU0yMa pic.twitter.com/6c5LHOJl0K— Pitchfork (@pitchfork) September 23, 2020
― alpine static, Wednesday, 23 September 2020 22:04 (three years ago) link
i don't disagree with the praise, but fuck narcissistic pfork assholes. yes, i'm on my high horse right now, but robin deserves a better audience than that.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Wednesday, 23 September 2020 23:47 (three years ago) link
who are pfork assholes?
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 23 September 2020 23:48 (three years ago) link
I haven't heard anything of theirs since the first album mainly because the rave reviews all make their music sound incredibly unappealing
― Simon H., Thursday, 24 September 2020 00:19 (three years ago) link
About a third of the new album has stood out for me so far--Crack-Up and Sun Giant are still the only two releases of theirs that I like front-to-back.
Aspects of the production and vocal performances on Crack-Up really reminded me of Phil Elverum fwiw, so it's a mildly interesting coincidence to me that Shore is out around the same time as Microphones in 2020.
― call mr zbow that's my name that name again is mr zbow (Craig D.), Thursday, 24 September 2020 02:30 (three years ago) link
Something about the drumming on this new one feels really different. Can't put my finger on why just yet. Maybe it's a rhythmic rather than a sonic thing. Like a few of the songs are more propulsive than I'm used to with FF material.
I've only really started coming round to The Crack-Up recently, always felt it was almost certainly good just a bit impenetrable.
This one is a lot more fresh faced feeling.
― in twelve parts (lamonti), Thursday, 24 September 2020 07:39 (three years ago) link
"I'm Not My Season" is very nice. did they always sound this much like Leonard Cohen? need to re listen to the old ones maybe.
― gman59, Friday, 25 September 2020 19:49 (three years ago) link
This sounds a bit like Christian rock.
― pomenitul, Saturday, 26 September 2020 17:04 (three years ago) link
They've always given me church vibes. Maybe it's the "choral" aspect. Idk, never really bothered me honestly.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Saturday, 26 September 2020 17:23 (three years ago) link
Singer’s voice is obviously really great but I also enjoy the rhythms and the band on something like “cradling mother”
― calstars, Sunday, 27 September 2020 12:24 (three years ago) link
Devil walk by?devil wakin by
― calstars, Sunday, 1 November 2020 23:10 (three years ago) link
this new one completely passed me by, don't remember a single thing about it
― global tetrahedron, Monday, 2 November 2020 14:14 (three years ago) link
same...it's a lovely record, but it's like a breath of fresh air..doesn't last that long.
― black dice live ft. jerry garcia (rizzx), Monday, 2 November 2020 14:20 (three years ago) link
Hmm, the opposite for me. It felt nebulous in first listen but I find myself continuing to come back to it. I find it a very comforting album.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Monday, 2 November 2020 15:10 (three years ago) link
i really liked the crack-up, had some edges that were shorn down for this new one
― global tetrahedron, Monday, 2 November 2020 15:13 (three years ago) link
I’ve been feeling the itch to return to that album, which I liked but don’t really remember aside from a few tracks. It seems to have gotten a critical reassessment already.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Monday, 2 November 2020 15:16 (three years ago) link
Still kind of baffled by the release strategy for Shore, still not out on vinyl/CD for another full month.
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 18 February 2021 18:34 (three years ago) link
It’s one of those that I keep saving for the right time to play it but that time never seems to come
― calstars, Thursday, 18 February 2021 18:50 (three years ago) link
xp think it might be as simple as Robin wanted to released it on the autumn equinox (possibly in 2020, specifically / he has a thing with numbers, iirc) and vinyl is super delayed but he didn't want to push it back?
― alpine static, Thursday, 18 February 2021 19:20 (three years ago) link
Sure, I know the equinox release strategy thing and production delays are surely a factor, but a six month lag seems to be on the extreme end.
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 18 February 2021 19:21 (three years ago) link
yeah, i'm a little confused honestly. i got a message from the retailer telling me my pre-order (plain old black vinyl) has been delayed from mid-january to now mid-march, but i keep seeing people on instagram posting photos of their copies.
seems like it was about six months turnaround time for the latest fiona apple album from when it was on streaming to to when i could hold a copy in my hands.
it's the new model and i do not like it.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Thursday, 18 February 2021 19:49 (three years ago) link
ha, yeah, not sure I like this much of a gap. No doubt COVID and weather issues all over the country won't be helping things out much on that front.
Looks like it came out in the EU/UK a few weeks ago, so maybe that's how you are seeing people with a copy? This is according to their official store for both CD and vinyl:
EU & UK Orders: February 5, 2021. Everywhere Else: March 19, 2021.
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 18 February 2021 20:16 (three years ago) link
this is nice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTwhDOha4-U
― alpine static, Friday, 19 February 2021 07:47 (three years ago) link
Lovely new single with big red machine “Phoenix”
― calstars, Friday, 23 July 2021 12:05 (two years ago) link
I was a bit late to this album, but Shore is such a pleasure to listen to.
― o. nate, Friday, 23 July 2021 17:57 (two years ago) link
there is zero chance that i would have said this a year ago, but "i'm not my season" has defined itself as the easy highlight of shore for me. and the album overall is a lot more substantial than i gave it credit for. i was also jamming nothing but 80s and 90s r+b at the time, perhaps an influence?
anyway yeah, solid 4.5 mics in the source in 1996. great album.
― things repeat forever and there never is a remedy (Austin), Sunday, 17 October 2021 21:20 (two years ago) link
That’s my favorite track too.
― o. nate, Monday, 18 October 2021 01:01 (two years ago) link
I love this album.
― in twelve parts (lamonti), Friday, 5 November 2021 07:11 (two years ago) link
otm
― the beginning of the end of discourse. (Austin), Saturday, 6 November 2021 02:35 (two years ago) link
My second favorite track might be "A Long Way Past the Past".
― o. nate, Tuesday, 23 November 2021 18:38 (two years ago) link
Back to Crack-Up for the past couple of days and have just now put on Shore for the first time in several months. Crack-Up makes a lot more sense (and sounds better) in retrospect, but wow Shore really is a damn fine record. I've always understood their records to be the kind that will most likely get better with time and Shore definitely feels like another one of those. He really is mining that late 60s Capitol studio vibe for all it's worth and I absolutely love it. Not sure if I'd consider it their single best album, but it's definitely in contention.
― get shrunk by this funk. (Austin), Friday, 18 February 2022 21:59 (two years ago) link
For sure, Shore is great I can never revisit enough
― calstars, Saturday, 19 February 2022 00:02 (two years ago) link
Missed this. Wish there was more with the choir. The albums have become such huge productions that I've forgotten how good of a guitarist he is. Nothing revelatory, but still quite nice.
― Rest assured: the author of this post was smiling whilst writing it. (Austin), Thursday, 3 March 2022 04:09 (two years ago) link