I just heard the Clientele for the first time

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the album is out in the US on july 8th, merge is selling it on their website now. i agree with jim but i also don't get what people see in james yorkston? i listened to his records and didn't find anything compelling, the clientele have seemed to have taken great pains to make their sound their own even if the songs aren't overly complex(they could be what do i know) it seems like they put a great deal of effort in making each and every one beautiful.

― keith (keithmcl), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 23:46 (twenty years ago) link

what band is james yorkston in?

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 23:48 (twenty years ago) link

keith, the clientele songs all sound the same. it's there. floating about. they are very tedious live (remember this is my opinion). i wanted to like them but found it very hard going and it was one of those cds that i had in my collection which was there because i felt like it had to be there - they are sort of like the guitar rock high llamas, i guess. nice to look at, critically praised but bores the pants off of me.

james yorkston is basically a singer-songwriter with a collective. the clientele have yet to release something as worthy as 'Sweet Jesus'. A simple soul song. "they look so cosmopolitan like this is france or this is londontown" - something so heart-breaking about that line. a folk song from people on the outside looking in at the bright lights. i don't buy the clientele's bedsit poetry. something more honest about james yorkston. even in the winter pastoralism of the music with the lone pidgeon doing mantra-like backing vocals.

i would have to say no to the clientele - though ric menck never heard them before - (we had an argument at the tyde show) that - clientele were alright. better than that godawful london rubbish of comet gain.

you should check out aidan smith. an eccles singer-song writer.

jim - i don't think you are missing much re: clientele live. yawn. the tyde review is done, going to bed.

― doom-e, Tuesday, 1 July 2003 23:56 (twenty years ago) link

i like both 'emptily through holloway' and yorkston's 'man with my skills' equally, and a LOT.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 1 July 2003 23:58 (twenty years ago) link

the clientele are missing that crucial x-factor, though, that brings it to reality rather than reality television show james yorkston is not comparable to clientele - different sort of singer songwriter. i honestly can't tell the difference between clientele songs - they all sound the same. i'm off to bed. yawn. goodnight.

― doom-e, Wednesday, 2 July 2003 00:00 (twenty years ago) link

well, far be it from me to try and convince you how to hear what i'm hearing, but anyway.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 00:01 (twenty years ago) link

jim are we going to implode over this? ; - ) because we agree on alot of things. i'm not saying it's rubbish. it's just sort of there.

― doom-e, Wednesday, 2 July 2003 00:03 (twenty years ago) link

i.e. for me; clientele are there, like tescos is there. i'm not going to firebomb tescos and i'm not going to firebomb clientele, you know what i mean?

― doom-e, Wednesday, 2 July 2003 00:04 (twenty years ago) link

fair enough. i'm not hella passionate about it.. just saying that i hear an x-factor in the atmosphere and melodies that's too entrancing to my ears to ever be bored by it..

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 00:05 (twenty years ago) link

they still don't have a song that is in the calibre of sweet jesus though.

i have to tell you about some crazy news re: ric menck. as for now, i have to get up in four hours and the tyde review still needs tinkering! yikes. music journalism dead lines for weeklies really sucks sometimes. and they took my eagles reference out of the cosmi review! the eagles revival stops here! : - ( i am not poo-faced enough. : - [ i guess!

― doom-e, Wednesday, 2 July 2003 00:07 (twenty years ago) link

poo- or po-?

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 00:08 (twenty years ago) link

po! i'm tired. i've got to go to bed!

― doom-e, Wednesday, 2 July 2003 00:09 (twenty years ago) link

i like their 1st album and a few singles. my favorite is the split single with the relict--both sides have female vocals. one of the songs is "(i can't seem) to make you mine" (nice seeds reference) and it's great.

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 00:54 (twenty years ago) link

that james yorkston album was the most boring album I've heard in ages. just so, so derivative. it makes mojave 3's nick drake aping sound stunningly original. yorkston = david gray for people too embarassed to buy a david gray album.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 01:12 (twenty years ago) link

they've been pretty well flawless since 'a fading summer'. i am anxious to hear the album. new camera obscura cd soon too, every band i love is releasing an album this year.

― keith (keithmcl), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 01:13 (twenty years ago) link

are Andmoresound doing the UK version? i'm still pissed at them for not releasing the Tacoma Radar album yet

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 01:18 (twenty years ago) link

elefant is releasing it everywhere. september 8th.

― keith (keithmcl), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 01:36 (twenty years ago) link

all their songs sound the same! oh, me. on that level, surely the fact that they play guitars and not synthesizers should make them real enough?

perhaps i should try listening to music with cerebro instead of headphones in order to better isolate the crucial x-factor, i have obviously been doing it wrong listening to music with my ears instead of with my psionic forebrain.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 01:57 (twenty years ago) link

for a moment there i couldn't tell whose side you were on.

Elefant releasing it everywhere? shame.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 02:18 (twenty years ago) link

why is that a shame? what is tacoma radar like?

― keith (keithmcl), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 02:22 (twenty years ago) link

galaxie 500 except with a wonderful female singer (not dissimilar to Camera Obscura girl) in place of Wareham. ergo fookin ace.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 02:25 (twenty years ago) link

shame because Elefant seems to have issues getting its product well distributed. i'm sick and tired of having to mail order EVERYTHING

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 02:26 (twenty years ago) link

jockrock, the scottish music site, has a nice review of the tacoma radar album fthat looks like it was posted like a year ago.

― keith (keithmcl), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 02:39 (twenty years ago) link

yeah, appears it never ended up being released :(

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 02:45 (twenty years ago) link

Poo-faced!

― Dan I., Wednesday, 2 July 2003 03:11 (twenty years ago) link

Well (I suppose predictably) I thought the Clientele were absolutely thrilling last night, but then I don't think there's a guitar band in the world to touch them at the moment. I'm sorry Doomie didn't lke them much. More people than usual seemed to be watching them and listening closely, and a lot of people seemed to enjoy them (incl people who I thopught would react as Doomie did). I wish they were in a position to stop playing these horrible pub back rooms (as they seem to be in the US).

The Tyde were the same as they usually are, which was not terribly interesting to me.

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 07:47 (twenty years ago) link

sorry tim, i did try to like them. i wanted to be blown away by them. it just didnt happen!

― doom-e, Wednesday, 2 July 2003 09:38 (twenty years ago) link

I like the new album, very pretty.

― Chris V. (Chris V), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 10:49 (twenty years ago) link

they also have a 7" single on elefant, though if you live in australia you will have to mail order it ;-)

― joan vich (joan vich), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 10:53 (twenty years ago) link

a new 7" on elefant or are you talking about the old one?

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 17:06 (twenty years ago) link

the old one. i've got it, but both sides are on Suburban Light as well

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 2 July 2003 22:25 (twenty years ago) link

the new record doesn't seem to have the lazy pace of their older stuff, i need to adjust my ears. first time through seems there are not any drop dead gorgeous new songs, or did i miss one?

― keith (keithmcl), Saturday, 5 July 2003 21:08 (twenty years ago) link

it seems a bit faster and yet a bit more diffuse at the same time

― jess (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 5 July 2003 21:13 (twenty years ago) link

maybe that reynolds "being the drummer in the clientele must be the most demeaning job in the world" quote really stung

― jess (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 5 July 2003 21:14 (twenty years ago) link

yeah it is tough to get ahold of the individual songs, not that they sound the same but that the atmosphere is all encompassing, everything swirls.

― keith (keithmcl), Saturday, 5 July 2003 21:35 (twenty years ago) link

and second time through i realize 'voices in the mall' and 'when you and i were young' are both stunning.

― keith (keithmcl), Saturday, 5 July 2003 21:38 (twenty years ago) link

i listened to it about a half a dozen times before it really started clicking. it's brilliant. i like how they seem to opt for getting a bit noisier instead of having a chorus and let the guitar wander off somewhere. from "haunted melody" to the end of the album is just untouchable.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Saturday, 5 July 2003 23:00 (twenty years ago) link

got it (thx nabisco!!). hasn't left a strong impression after two listenings. but we'll see.

― amateurist (amateurist), Sunday, 6 July 2003 03:41 (twenty years ago) link

i wish they would consider some tempo changes in their songs, or a surprise here or there. i agree the end is the strong point. some flab on the record though i would have jettisoned the rhumba, everybody's gone and porcelain, the middle definitely drags and i wish he'd do the falsetto more to break up the monotony of his standard singing voice. near the end there is more falsetto and more vocal effects, probably why it is the best portion of the record. i still think it is lovely but it probably isn't top ten for me.

― keith (keithmcl), Sunday, 6 July 2003 03:57 (twenty years ago) link

i retract my negative thoughts, it is the perfect sunday morning record.

― keith (keithmcl), Sunday, 6 July 2003 16:10 (twenty years ago) link

This is out now, already (I guess merge slips release dates). Picked it up yesterday. Have not stopped playing it. Wonderful!

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Sunday, 6 July 2003 20:07 (twenty years ago) link

ok, my tentative judgment is that it's much weaker than the previous record. many of the songs have all the textural elements in place but the songwriting doesn't go anymore, they're almost formless. the little instrumental excursions are mostly limp. also whoever said that his vocal shtick is unvaried and ultimately wearing was right on. it'd be nice to bring in some guest singers like on that split seven inch.

― amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 14 July 2003 19:38 (twenty years ago) link

doesn't go anyWHERE

― amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 14 July 2003 19:38 (twenty years ago) link

It goes loads of places: down the hall, to the kitchen for a glass of water, out on the patio for a smoke, downstairs to let in the delivery guy, over to the couch, back down the hall, into the armchair, over to bed, out to the bathroom, back to bed. . . .

― nabisco (nabisco), Monday, 14 July 2003 20:00 (twenty years ago) link

Is that poetic or sarcastic?

― amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 14 July 2003 20:31 (twenty years ago) link

it is definitely a grower, i love it now. i wish he would use the falsetto a bit more and i like the neil halsteadish last track with the female vocals, should be used more, in my ideal world.

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 14 July 2003 23:15 (twenty years ago) link

the discussion on this thread is a good thing.

i thought i would chip in to tell keith that there aren't any female vocals on the last track. nor is there any piano (as is mentioned in the other music review).

― marianna, Tuesday, 15 July 2003 07:12 (twenty years ago) link

he thinks that because we secretly replaced keith's clientele album with folger's crystals.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Tuesday, 15 July 2003 07:18 (twenty years ago) link

8 minute Clientele songs = good.

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Tuesday, 15 July 2003 15:33 (twenty years ago) link

that is so not true.

― amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 15 July 2003 16:08 (twenty years ago) link

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