A- from Christgau on his email newsletter
― curmudgeon, Friday, 22 November 2019 20:19 (four years ago) link
So I've been playing the album by Black Country, New Road, a seven piece from London that apparently came up in the same scene as black midi. There is a lot of Slint and American Football worship going on, but I think I love it? Definitely not something I'd have expected from Ninja Tune in 2021.
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 8 February 2021 20:10 (three years ago) link
knew they had to get brought up eventually and this is about the right place to do it
I fucking loathe them with every fibre of my being, also they have the worst lyrics I've ever heard
― imago, Monday, 8 February 2021 21:15 (three years ago) link
https://genius.com/Black-country-new-road-algorithm-lyrics
― imago, Monday, 8 February 2021 21:17 (three years ago) link
other than that, how was the play mrs. lincoln?
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 8 February 2021 21:18 (three years ago) link
Ha, I'll be honest, I had it on in the background while I worked and mostly had the lyrics tuned out. There seems to be nothing original about their approach at all, but the Slint / American Football sound they nail hits some nostalgic spot for me.
I don't know, clearly very divisive overall. They've got the the #2 album of the year over at RYM (I know, I know, but it's useful to see what others think) but it has a ton of 1-star reviews mixed in with all the 5-star ones.
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 8 February 2021 21:19 (three years ago) link
Okay that particular song isn't on the album, I def would have caught those lyrics!
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 8 February 2021 21:20 (three years ago) link
Like, there's something superficially redolent of good stuff in the sound, but imo they have neither songwriting skill nor ensemble chemistry to render that guy's vocals and lyrics anything other than the main focus, and my god, my *god*
― imago, Monday, 8 February 2021 21:27 (three years ago) link
Yeah, I was really hoping to like the BCNR album based on what I'd read. There's definitely some cool stuff going on instrumentally, and I feel like I could even appreciate the lyrics (which namecheck both black midi and Slint iirc) if they weren't sung like that, but man, those vocals...are not my kind of vocals.
― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Monday, 8 February 2021 22:00 (three years ago) link
this is like prog los campesinos
― adam, Monday, 8 February 2021 23:51 (three years ago) link
dug what i've heard of this album, but wasn't paying close attention. imago's disapproval is a good sign that i'll probably wind up liking it.
― tiwa-nty one savage (voodoo chili), Monday, 8 February 2021 23:52 (three years ago) link
Lol his vibe is kind of 'if Matty Healy was an unbearable post-rock charlatan'
― imago, Tuesday, 9 February 2021 00:12 (three years ago) link
lol imago, the Pfork review made me think of you:
The 22-year-old wordsmith commands the studio while enunciating lyrics with a pompous-prefect quiver. Hearing their recordings for the first time, you might oscillate between irritation and intrigue. You might cringe, then cringe harder, almost enjoying it this time. It may feel like catching a sworn enemy at an open-mic night and realizing, aghast, that he is destined for brilliance.
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 9 February 2021 14:46 (three years ago) link
He is 22, I would cut him some slack.
― Van Horn Street, Thursday, 11 February 2021 01:54 (three years ago) link
I'm glad they have a new album coming out, but...I think they may have accidentally become Primus.
https://bmblackmidi.bandcamp.com/album/cavalcade
― change display name (Jordan), Tuesday, 23 March 2021 20:21 (three years ago) link
Finally heard Black Country, New Road and somehow the vocals were worse than I was expecting, fucking intolerable
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 23 March 2021 20:24 (three years ago) link
like it makes you question the entire concept of singing in music
thank you
― imago, Tuesday, 23 March 2021 20:27 (three years ago) link
new bm preview track considerably more promising than their debut. would go as far as to say it's great
― imago, Tuesday, 23 March 2021 20:37 (three years ago) link
also just discovered Squid, who appear to be bad in similar ways to BCNR
― imago, Tuesday, 23 March 2021 21:23 (three years ago) link
yeah they straight up sounds like primus
― Bongo Jongus, Tuesday, 23 March 2021 21:31 (three years ago) link
Digging the new black midi! Getting some major Hausu Mountain vibes from that cover art.
I def can see bc,nr not being everyone's thing, but considering some of the shit that gets tons of ilm love the vox aren't THAT bad.
― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 23 March 2021 21:32 (three years ago) link
New single is kind of amazing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tJ4ISRpl-Q
― imago, Wednesday, 28 April 2021 17:34 (three years ago) link
ok this album is going to rule
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4wgnx_Phrw
― imago, Wednesday, 19 May 2021 21:54 (three years ago) link
I like their fusion-y side, and even if I'm not particularly into their vocals, I'd rather have this than a jazz singer
― change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 20 May 2021 20:38 (three years ago) link
first part has a real hyper almost Contortions vibe
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 20 May 2021 21:21 (three years ago) link
i get why he has this new vocal style, but i kinda miss when he sang like larry blackmon from cameo
― the mai tai quinn (voodoo chili), Thursday, 20 May 2021 21:28 (three years ago) link
They kind of all sing, I assumed that was a different Black Midi kid
― change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 20 May 2021 21:35 (three years ago) link
ah good point, probably
― the mai tai quinn (voodoo chili), Thursday, 20 May 2021 21:36 (three years ago) link
I just remember that from seeing them live (oh yeah, the short one with the Gang of Four look does the talking, that other guitarist does more of the singing, etc)
― change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 20 May 2021 21:45 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Won7s8xJYZM
here it is
― imago, Wednesday, 26 May 2021 22:25 (three years ago) link
still not really into their thing but much better than their debut
― ufo, Wednesday, 26 May 2021 22:49 (three years ago) link
oh it's not even a close comparison
― imago, Wednesday, 26 May 2021 22:58 (three years ago) link
Heard this one about a dozen times so far, front-to-back, and it is an assured, creative improvement on Schlagenheim (which was a captivating debut). The recent KEXP set was going to be hard to top for me, but the studio versions of Slow and Dethroned do just that.... and Ascending Forth is a great closer. Can't wait to see them live once again.
― co11ective, Wednesday, 26 May 2021 23:24 (three years ago) link
there are more people talking about the new Frost album than this on ILM, lmao
― imago, Friday, 28 May 2021 13:08 (three years ago) link
always nice when a debut shows promise and the followup realizes it in a more satisfying way, this is v v good, and FUN which is always a plus
― intern at pelican brief consulting (Simon H.), Friday, 28 May 2021 13:22 (three years ago) link
xp lol I wish
― frogbs, Friday, 28 May 2021 13:50 (three years ago) link
HERE'S your prog 3.0 lmao
― imago, Friday, 28 May 2021 13:51 (three years ago) link
eh, I'd say it's worth a 3.5
― frogbs, Friday, 28 May 2021 14:01 (three years ago) link
lol
― imago, Friday, 28 May 2021 14:05 (three years ago) link
man this first song sounds like Mahavishnu…
― veronica moser, Friday, 28 May 2021 14:19 (three years ago) link
I just realized that black midi, new road exists and is exactly what you think it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpegm3h79y0
― pomenitul, Friday, 28 May 2021 14:53 (three years ago) link
"Hogwash and Balderdash" == "Jerry Was A Racecar Driver"
― enochroot, Friday, 28 May 2021 16:48 (three years ago) link
Black midiEsp like the name, the drummer, the new hella/primus sounding song ...Their recent kexp session. all smooth bonkers— Stephen malkmus (@dronecoma) May 28, 2021
― o. nate, Friday, 28 May 2021 19:51 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0FypjnAZEk
ok their taylor swift cover rules
― ufo, Saturday, 5 June 2021 02:51 (two years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOT1fOlOExY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIHKnPizo5Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yV6f6UKtR8
they're good at this covers thing wow
― ufo, Saturday, 5 June 2021 03:04 (two years ago) link
this album is pretty frustrating to me because i love it when they're not being a little too skronky
― ufo, Saturday, 5 June 2021 03:39 (two years ago) link
I wish you had all continued talking about Nicole Lizée, who needs rock music.
― Nabozo, Saturday, 5 June 2021 06:20 (two years ago) link
i can post more of the youtube gimmick genre that they got their band name from if you want, it's kinda fascinating though gimmicky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzXDQZzQq6w
as i said originally i'd love to see someone do stuff with the ideas of this stuff that really explores the textural possibilities, instead of just seeing "ok how many midi notes can we have"
― ufo, Saturday, 5 June 2021 07:06 (two years ago) link
all smooth bonkers
― alpine static, Saturday, 5 June 2021 07:10 (two years ago) link