Why Ladytron?

I like the way that a hint of "Northernness" (e.g "Ladybird" or "The way that I found you" creeps into the lyrics. Sort of like Dubstar, only not dire.

There are also elements of “right band, right time.” (There is nothing else out here like this, they’re on an indie label and with an indie PR firm that are doing decent work, people do, unfortunately, fall for things such as the “80s revival.” And personally, of all the records I listed on the thread Tom refers at the top, I’d say that they and Oranger are the two I can’t rightly say I’ll be listening to in a month, so it was the right time to ask the ? and get “Ladyton” as an anser.) Believe it or not, it sounds to new to a lot of people. With the exception of Stephin Merritt, off the top of my head, I can’t even think of an American synth-pop artist of note. And there isn’t much of a cult of people trumping the perfect pop of the Human League. It’s all the same as A Flock of Seagulls to them, a product of an era -- a music video-driven era at that, which in combination allows synth-pop to be dismissed as cheap, tinny.

In contrast, however -- speaking now for myself, why I listen to them -- compared to most prototypical synth-pop, there is a lot more variety of sounds and influences on the Ladytron record. “CSKA Sofia” could be a Beta Band song; “Zmeyka” could be Joy Division. And it’s more of a heavy, bass-driven, layered synth sound, more like Moroder or early New Order. They operate far less in the treble end of things that most synth-pop groups, and, especially with the instrumentals or Bulgarian-lang. bits, they confound expectations -- like Dr. C said. The songs that sound the most like I would think a synth-pop band would sound are actually my least favorite. (Such as the one near then end with the melody line that sounds like Baxendale’s “Electric Trains.”) Admittedly, the lyrics sometimes attempt to be too clever or rely too heavily on cool detachment and attitude.

And, I’m not picking on anyone here, but I always find Stereolab comparisons a bit lazy. In this case: Why? Because there are two girls and synths? Even Broadcast doesn’t sound that much like Stereolab to me. (Probably, however, because they sound so much like the USofA that any other comparison is superfluous.) Yes, the vocals are detached, but it’s more like the girl Cracknell, as DJ Martian said. At least with Broadcast/Stereolab comparisons they share the element of drone, but Stereolab’s is all repitition, and there is virtually none of that on the Ladytron or Broadcast records. Of course the Bulgarian one in Ladytron must be socialist. ; )

I like Ladytron in a way that is not ironic or kitch at all. I heard irony was going out of style...something I just heard.

I think the reason Ladytron have succeded where, say YY28s failed is because YY28s were godawful and Ladytron are ace. Maybe I'm missing something. YY28s really did reek of horrid ironic kitschiness. Did you ever hear their album? How much mileage can a band get from writing songs about pregnant teenagers living in tower blocks and wishing they were famous?

I agree with what a few people have said already - perhaps what they're doing isn't particularly original, but what they're doing is very good and they're doing it extremely well, so where's the problem?

had a good electro club night in liverpool 2003-2005.

been a shit indie night for the last two years tho, anyone been?

it was called "EVOL" by the way

listening to Witching Hour remixes right now, and they're so much better than Witching Hour, which was so plainly rock. Which could have been a good thing, but wasn't quite.

Funny this thread popped up. I just got back from their show tonight, which constisted of mostly straight-forward readings of predominantly WH material. I was pleased, because unlike you sir, I freakin' love that album. Looking forward to the new one in '08.

not heard the WH remixes (although i have got ladytron's remix of GO4's "natural's not in it", which kills) but, like cosmo, i think the album as it stands is a fuckin' classic. wasn't convinced by them at all when i heard "17" and so forth; i think their, ahem, "rock" direction is far more interesting, satisfying and ... well, good.

WH is pretty good

nobody ever go to their clubnight in liverpool then?

it was quite small, so i guess the odds are against it.

I really enjoyed their cover of "Oops, Oh My!"

yeah, that's one of their best tracks, i reckon.

I was at their clubnights a few times 3 years ago at a place called Heebee-Jeebees, or something like that. It was good fun.

At Liverpool of course.

yeah, that was it. i went 4 or 5 times, it was a laugh, they had mark moore from s-express do a dj set, i think richard x played once too. it moved to the carling academy and went a bit indie and shit from what i've heard.

I don't know about that, I just spent one month in Liverpool, but discovered that. Even spoke to the guys, who were quite nice, and there was a week when I always met Reuben accidently in the town.
They played some indie guitar stuff as well, but the balance was just OK I think.

i never speak to djs or musicians cuz i feel like i'm sucking up to them. seemed like quite laid back chaps, i suppose.

My mate used to speak quite highly of Ladytron's clubnight, it sounded fun enough tho I never got much out of their music myself

i'm not a massive fan of their stuff, four of five really enjoyable tunes i think. but reuben wu's sets were class, towards the end of the night he'd play some really slammin techno and electro, well mixed, too.

"remember Komputer?"

yeah, they were wicked. if you're going to rip off someone else's sound, it may as well be kraftwerk's.

new ladyton album now streaming on myspace http://www.myspace.com/ladytron

dated: last friday

Velocifero is on the player...

...for a week or so.

Yeah, this lot sucked.

"Ladytron" is a song by Bryan Ferry, recorded by his band Roxy Music and appearing on their eponymous debut album. The English band Ladytron took their name from this song.

The song has distinctive instrumentation, including an oboe solo, liberal use of the mellotron's famous "three violins" tape set, and much processing of the other instruments by Brian Eno via his EMS VCS3 synthesizer and tape echo. The sound in the start of the song was created by Brian Eno, after Bryan Ferry asked him to produce something reminiscent of the Lunar Landing.

Lyrically, it presents Ferry as a Casanova-style seducer of women, whilst being simultaneously enraptured by them. Another interpretation is that the Ladytron is a female robot (hence the name), being seduced by Ferry.[1]

Forcing myself to listen to some of this because they came up in a review that annoyed me and I realized I've never listened to an actual album's worth of Ladytron, but god I hate this stuff.

Will never willingly listen to this album again.

What was the review? Which Ladytron album did you liaten to?

Was a Pitchfork review of the Phenomenal Handclap Band. When I originally posted to this thread I was listening to 604. I liked Light & Magic a little more (or disliked it less). Didn't make it all the way through Witching Hour. That's as far as I got. Mostly the vocals really bother me, on 604 especially, though I'm not into the beats so much a lot of the time. Some nice sounds throughout, but that's not enough.

Basically, I was enjoying hating them when 604 was playing but after that I didn't find them so objectionable.

so "playgirl" is one of the best songs ever, huh

very simple, very familiar, but so enjoyable

yeah it's a choon that one.

i love this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOrkEPv-TWs