Real Estate. Not Sunny Day. Just Real Estate.

Generic

whole album is lovely. whole album is Real Estate.

Very excited.

Track + video:

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/16682-real-estate-crime/

http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/9342-real-estate-suburban-dreams/

I'm seriously exactly the same guy as all three of these dudes and can directly relate (though I'm from only a few towns over) to a million of these sentiments.

I really need to start a late 80s early 90s jangle pop band myself. WTF am I doing?

^Whoa. That P4K writer hit the nail on the head with that description of Real Estate's music.

That's the same kind of vibe I get from Kurt Vile (his latest album) and, to some extent, Pavement.

Yeah, that's a great profile and has me super stoker for Atlas.

on paper these guys should be so mediocre and forgettable but the execution is just so good

They aren't accessorizing with their particular influences. No novelty at all.

^Aren't accessories just other influences, as well, though?

???

Heard the album yesterday and realize how much I've missed this sound. Adventure-era Television, Yo La Tengo, Feelies, Luna, early Clientelle. Love it! What else would you put alongside it in a mix? Maybe Veronica Falls, Minks, Beach Fossils?

I put them in mixes with Field Mice, 14 Iced Bears, Ropers, Clientele, Feelies, Close Lobsters, etc. Yeah all that kind of stuff.

@Evan

Sorry, I think I misunderstood you. What do you mean by accessorise?

I mean the novelty of imitating a style of music blatantly. In their case they take from the style of the bands I listed above but it's definitely not derivative.
In my opinion.

Oh okay. I think I agree with that.

I'll check out 14 Iced Bears, Ropers, and Close Lobsters. I hope they're on Spotify!

Close Lobsters is probably no ...closer than any other 80s jangle pop band to Real Estate's song but they're great so always on the front of my mind.

Here's a good song... I admit it doesn't really sound like Real Estate beyond pretty, sunny guitar-work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U77ctQngL84&feature=kp

I'm not super-familiar with most of those referents. The band that Real Estate most reminds me of is the Sea and Cake. Granted, there's more (overt) jazz and electronics in the Sea and Cake, but I get a similar vibe -- wistful maj-7th-chord guitar-pop -- from both bands.

This one might be a little closer maybe? I'm realizing Fastnbulbous is more trustworthy for matching sounds:

14 Iced Bears:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8bozvcPH0A&feature=kp

Yeah and fully self-aware here Ropers is another that is just sunny indie pop and not really a good reference point either. Apologies!

Oh but this one works!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIppK6kDCUM&feature=kp

I'm not super-familiar with most of those referents. The band that Real Estate most reminds me of is the Sea and Cake. Granted, there's more (overt) jazz and electronics in the Sea and Cake, but I get a similar vibe -- wistful maj-7th-chord guitar-pop -- from both bands.

― jaymc, Thursday, February 27, 2014 3:04 PM (12 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Agreed!

Images of ∞ checking out Ropers and going "Huh?" gives me anxiety for some reason, like when I would realize I made the same error at the record store to a customer after the fact, or simply when you realize you gave someone bad driving directions after they're already gone.

Close Lobsters is a good call. I love that album, I think I bought it in '88 after reading about it in a Xeroxed fanzine out of Michigan called "You Can't Hide Your Love Forever." Field Mice too.

Hahaha. @Evan, don't sweat it, man. It's no big deal. Plus, I might like them for other reasons (even though they sound nothing like Real Estate).

I have heard Field Mice, and I don't hear the similarities, to be honest.

Been looking for new stuff to listen to, anyway, though.

I'll start with Close Lobsters, then.

See with Field Mice it probably starts and ends with "Emma's House" which I posted above.

The first few bars of that Close Lobsters song are exactly like "Its Real". Looking forward to the new Real Estate - lovely languid summer voibs all day please

Ha, yeah - I hit play on the Close Lobsters thing and actually momentarily thought 'oh shit, Real Estate is auto-playing somewhere else'

Randomly heard 'Green Aisles' this morning, and I might be projecting, but, besides the usual suspect, I'm hearing a strong Cure influence in there.

Guess I'm not as far off with the references as I'd thought!

the band they remind me of most sound-wise are probably Mccarthy

i hear the second and third feelies albums big time

Definitely.

Haven't heard this one yet but I agree that Real Estate has something in common with early Clientele. Their previous albums are recorded like the music is playing in a small venue, or a bar, and you're not front-and-center. Maybe their backs are to you, and their amps are facing the other direction, or maybe their just in the next room. They're a very ambient band in that way.

*they're

Wow, check out this dickish review. Reminds me of the early days of Pitchfork.

http://www.popmatters.com/review/179361-real-estate-atlas/

Boy, Real Estate sure has done it again. Without a doubt, this is another Real Estate album. Atlas has all the hallmarks: clean guitars, open chords, the faintest whiff of melancholy. Unfortunately, it doesn’t begin to approach anything resembling an interesting idea.

i agree with the author. i am so livid that this pleasant guitar pop made by dudes who seem pretty nice from what i've heard is enjoying moderate popularity.

i mean, don't real estate want more out of their music? what ever happened to wanting more? is real estate just waiting it out until their consciousnesses are uploaded into the cloud? does real estate care about anything at all?

Yeah, it was pretty interesting to read that Popmatters review right after reading the Pitchfork one.

This new album is seriously beautiful.

"Navigator" is my favorite. Chorus reminds me of something I think but I can't figure out what.

The instrumental track "April's Song" is the one i've been playing over and over.

"Primitive" is great too. This band definitely captures the new jersey i know better than springsteen.

re influences I don't know galaxie 500 that well but I hear some of that in in real estate's earlier, less polished stuff

No one's mentioned a distortion less Ride?

The "country" one on this is very yo la tengo

does bleeker have a track on atlas? wonder years is one of my faves from days.

atlas is great but I miss the valedictory album-ending jam

Bleeker does have a track, though it's not as sunny as Wonder Years.

his song on this almost sounds like a christian hymn