LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BAND KNOWN AS WIRE

Which just makes me more psyched, because it's BETTER than SEND.

People keep pointing to this one and muttering "back to the days of Pink Flag!" or somesuch, and I don't buy it. Sure it's got the really upbeat punky energy again, but on Pink Flag the songs ended when they had said their bit; here the clatter on for a couple more minutes, just repeating the same bits over and over again in a very uninteresting fashion. It seems very ironic to me that they have a song called "The Art of Stopping" on this album when it's quite clear that they have lost their feel for stopping when appropriate.

Also I should mention that "You Can't Leave Now" sounds amazing, especially on headphones; it is the first real glimmer on this album of real variation. The slower bass globs sound like they're sliding off your head, the way they drop in pitch like that, and I find that far more interesting than the hypercharged staccato 1-2-1-2 drumbeat that overtakes most of the rest of the album.

You cheeky young scallyway - why I'd take my belt to you if I didn't need it to keep my trousers up!

Alternative TV, Buzzcocks, The Damned, The Fall, The Vibrators and XTC are all around the same vintage and have all released albums in the last couple of years which rank amongst their best.

It must be something they're putting in the philosan these days.

February 25: Has Bruce Gilbert left Wire?
That seems to be the rumour currently rampaging around the internet, notably due to the statement on Mike Thorne's website, www.stereosociety.com, which reads in full that Wire "are now one member short after the departure of Bruce Gilbert late last year. Whether the remaining three will continue as the group is undecided. After the last releases as a four-piece, Read & Burn 01 (2002) and Send (2003), recording is also uncertain."
However, the official word from Wire's manager, Paul Smith, is that to his "sure and certain knowledge, all four band members remain on the company payroll". He notes that, for various reasons, a Wire tour of any kind is looking unlikely in the immediate future, but also says that Colin's Githead project has sparked rumours of Wire's demise, despite Colin still actually working hard on a selection of Wire duties.

I keep meaning to get round to buying the Send Redux. Oneofthese...

i am listening to read & burn 03 as i type.

it is so not what i expected that i'm not sure what to think. rather delighted seems to be the main emotion, mixed with hefty surprise. if anything, it's what "manscape" should have been.

i think anyone who (like me) rates the mach-two stuff as the best they've done will love this. key words on a first listen: contemplative, gentle, shuffling, introspective, quiet.

i'm also listening to it on crappy laptop speakers: can't wait to hear it properly.

wow.

also: can i just say that posteverything are absolute gods, and an example of how every such mail-order company should work? thank you.

has this leaked or are they streaming it somewhere? i'm really excited since 'a bell is a cup' is still my favorite wire record

I have it on preorder, I heard it online and flipped out of my skull. Best they've sounded in 20 years to my ears.

Also I find it amazing that you can preorder the new Burial album from the same site.

akm, you can listen to the Wire at post everything.

it's out on monday; i've been a bit lucky thanks to posteverything's largesse.

bimble, what are you doing up at what, for you, is surely an unearthly hour? :)

yeah I was going to say: "wow I'm on when the Brits are for once, what is going on?" Just a lucky accident, I guess. I did get some sleep but I woke up.

key words on a first listen: contemplative, gentle, shuffling, introspective, quiet.

?!!!??!

whoa

okay. "quiet" is a relative term here. but still.

read
and
burn
03!

thank you for that new insight there

I'm going to have a hysterical fit of unbridled excitement when this CD arrives at my door.

More shock than insight. I thought Wire mark III were kaput.

i'm digging this

Anyone else planning to see them in a few hours at (NYC's) South Street Seaport? It's free! Die! Die! Die! are supporting, and also worth seeing.

Whoa! Sweet! I'm going to this after work! They play at 8pm.

yep! I'll be up there

I knew about this.. did not go. I live too far away :(

They were really good. Graham Lewis shouted "Respect!" as they walked offstage. Funny. Who's the new guitarist (in place of Gilbert)?

I was pleasantly surprised, they were very good and able to make the South Street Seaport not so cheesy but actually pretty cool. Also, who were all these people who knew who WIRE were? There was like 3,000 people there!?! Very happy to be able to say that I've seen '12XU' performed live.

yeah the end of the show was really good. The Lowdown -> 12XU -> Pink Flag! also that one from 154 that they played a couple songs before the encore (The 15th?)

Yeah - I was also really surprised at the huge crowd. More there than for the National last year...

Who's the new guitarist (in place of Gilbert)?

I read Margaret Fiedler from Laika and Moonshake fame.

Is a setlist posted anywhere?

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2008/05/wire_south_stre.html

also includes a link to a youtube vid of lowdown & 12xu

never heard this stuff!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_iUa6NYp7I