"no reason" is so gorgeous wow
love the flute
― ufo, Tuesday, 14 December 2021 20:19 (two years ago) link
I listened to these tracks like 5 times in row this morning... can't wait for the album, it's gonna be so great!
― katebishopfan616 (morrisp), Tuesday, 14 December 2021 20:37 (two years ago) link
"no reason", "little things" and "time escaping" all some of the very very best things they've ever done
― ufo, Tuesday, 14 December 2021 22:21 (two years ago) link
Best working band right now
― Mule, Wednesday, 15 December 2021 09:27 (two years ago) link
Going thru the tracknoms rn and Time Escaping is....wild? And kinda great? Reminds me of when Wilco do something weird, like Art Of Almost or something
― imago, Wednesday, 15 December 2021 15:46 (two years ago) link
i think 'american radiohead' works better for big thief (though still obviously pretty silly) than it ever did for wilco
― ufo, Thursday, 16 December 2021 03:05 (two years ago) link
I think they are on the REM track and they are just coming out of their IRS years
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Thursday, 16 December 2021 03:20 (two years ago) link
is that to suggest this will be their “Green”?
― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Thursday, 16 December 2021 03:42 (two years ago) link
the coda of "no reason" really takes it to the next level. while "spud infinity" is good but absolutely a minute too long
― ufo, Thursday, 16 December 2021 10:01 (two years ago) link
I think “Spud Infinity” is an amazing song… that juxtaposition of the earthy and the abstract, right there in the title, is beautifully realized in the lyric.
― katebishopfan616 (morrisp), Thursday, 16 December 2021 17:14 (two years ago) link
I'm at a loss on how to describe/characterize these new songs... they're "cosmic Americana" in a certain way, but not in a way that usually fits that definition (and I wouldn't necessarily RIYL them along those lines). They're intense, joyful, lucid meditations on nature, time, and reality; using Americana as a vehicle, but not at all contstrained by what that term normally entails.
― katebishopfan616 (morrisp), Thursday, 16 December 2021 17:43 (two years ago) link
― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Thursday, December 16, 2021 bookmarkflaglink
yes, possibly!
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Thursday, 16 December 2021 17:44 (two years ago) link
this is the best this band has ever sounded, to me
(besides "Not")
― alpine static, Thursday, 16 December 2021 18:25 (two years ago) link
TE >>> Not imo
― imago, Thursday, 16 December 2021 18:28 (two years ago) link
i've listened to "little things" so many times. now when i'm having a beer i like to sing "drinking a beeeeer" to myself
― Heez, Thursday, 16 December 2021 18:57 (two years ago) link
Haha, me too :)
― katebishopfan616 (morrisp), Thursday, 16 December 2021 18:57 (two years ago) link
Yeah, maybe ... TE > Not ... maybe Little Things, too. i didn't necessarily mean forever, just that i've listened to Not a thousand times and these haven't had a chance to overtake it yet.
i didn't say that, but i was thinking it ... or something
― alpine static, Thursday, 16 December 2021 19:38 (two years ago) link
collectively, though, i love these songs
“Spud Infinity” reminds me of Michael Hurley. Fantastic.
― Chris L, Thursday, 16 December 2021 23:47 (two years ago) link
"little things", "time escaping" & "no reason" all > "not", as good as "not" is
― ufo, Thursday, 16 December 2021 23:52 (two years ago) link
I was just forwarded this (haven't read it yet): https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/big-thief-new-album-adrianne-lenker-interview-1272814/
― i woke up alarmed (morrisp), Friday, 7 January 2022 03:53 (two years ago) link
it's a good read, most interesting tidbits are that "wake me up to drive" is "drum-machine pop" (which makes sense actually revisiting the live version) & they directly suggest that there could be another album's worth of material to be released from the dragon sessions
― ufo, Friday, 7 January 2022 04:02 (two years ago) link
!!
― i woke up alarmed (morrisp), Friday, 7 January 2022 04:37 (two years ago) link
they were already hinting that it was a possibility in a previous interview (45 songs were recorded so it could even be another double), just a bit more here
― ufo, Friday, 7 January 2022 04:39 (two years ago) link
Through it all, the band held on to a firm internal sense of self. “We all have our own Big Thief-i-ness barometers,” says Krivchenia. “We did some stuff that, listening back to it, we were like, ‘Wow, people would flip if they heard this… but it’s not Big Thief-y.'”Aw… don’t do me like that, man
― i woke up alarmed (morrisp), Friday, 7 January 2022 06:27 (two years ago) link
japanese version has two bonus tracks, "dragon new warm mountain i believe in you (tucson version)" and "light is as is". the tucson sessions were where they recorded the album's rootsier material so i imagine it'll be quite a different take on "dragon"
― ufo, Friday, 7 January 2022 06:34 (two years ago) link
I am very much hoping that 2022 is the year I get to see Big Thief live. None of the currently announced dates are anywhere near me, but maybe there will be more ...
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Friday, 7 January 2022 14:26 (two years ago) link
Through it all, the band held on to a firm internal sense of self. “We all have our own Big Thief-i-ness barometers,” says Krivchenia. “We did some stuff that, listening back to it, we were like, ‘Wow, people would flip if they heard this… but it’s not Big Thief-y.'”
Aw… don’t do me like that, man
― i woke up alarmed (morrisp), Friday, January 7, 2022 12:27 AM (eight hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
this is such an important part of being a good band
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 7 January 2022 14:37 (two years ago) link
"Simulation Swarm" is out now. Sounds a little like something off U.F.O.F., with a country turn in the chorus.
― Rockin’, and rollin’, and whatnot (morrisp), Wednesday, 19 January 2022 18:35 (two years ago) link
so good, love the fretless bass
― ufo, Wednesday, 19 January 2022 21:18 (two years ago) link
DRINKING A BEEEEEEEEEER
― alpine static, Wednesday, 26 January 2022 10:37 (two years ago) link
I stopped listening to the pre-release tracks, I'm just ready to luxuriate in the whole thing.
― a superficial sheeb of intelligence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 26 January 2022 14:46 (two years ago) link
this album is going to be incredible and i am already annoyed at how it will inevitably renew the big thief backlash
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Wednesday, 26 January 2022 14:53 (two years ago) link
not so sure - i'm someone who was not a very big Big Thief fan (i found the songs sort of muddy and land-locked) but almost everything in the past year has been extraordinary, full of grace and lift, and it's turned me from backlasher into fan
― sean gramophone, Wednesday, 26 January 2022 15:04 (two years ago) link
ive been listening to the pre release tracks as a mini album of sorts, after ignoring the stuff for nearly all of 2021. flows nicely, tho nearly every track they’ve released since “little things” has been better than that one
i think that “spud infinity” is my favorite, big old weird america feeling going on
― roflrofl fight (voodoo chili), Wednesday, 26 January 2022 15:09 (two years ago) link
I'm extremely ready for this album to be of varying quality, like all their albums ;)
― imago, Wednesday, 26 January 2022 15:12 (two years ago) link
is there a big thief backlash? i don't want to meet these people irl
― Karl Malone, Wednesday, 26 January 2022 16:09 (two years ago) link
The little woodwind & gtr jam at the end of "No Reason" is such hot sh1t... I just love it
― Gimme little drink / From your Dunkin cup (morrisp), Wednesday, 26 January 2022 17:35 (two years ago) link
exact same sitch as sean gramophone for me.
there will be a backlash, but it'll be dwarfed by the "album of the year / america's best band" hype, i bet.
― alpine static, Wednesday, 26 January 2022 18:06 (two years ago) link
I thought the backlash happened already (that NYT editor who called them "emperor's new clothes" or whatever)
― Gimme little drink / From your Dunkin cup (morrisp), Wednesday, 26 January 2022 18:11 (two years ago) link
I wish you could do backlashes where you were like 'yeah they're pretty good but there's quite a few bands I prefer', but the Discourse doesn't like that sort of equivocation, they either have to be The Best or Overrated Nonsense
I will say this: much as I've enjoyed the other preview songs so far, I just don't get what's good about Little Things at all
― imago, Wednesday, 26 January 2022 18:14 (two years ago) link
I wish you could do backlashes where you were like 'yeah they're pretty good but there's quite a few bands I prefer',
thats not a backlash that's you.
― xheugy eddy (D-40), Wednesday, 26 January 2022 18:29 (two years ago) link
I just don't get what's good about Little Things at all
It sounds like listening to your Walkman on a warm summer night in 1989, watching the stars come out...
― Gimme little drink / From your Dunkin cup (morrisp), Wednesday, 26 January 2022 19:38 (two years ago) link
good description, i think i like it now!
― for 200 anyone can receive a dud nvidia (ledge), Wednesday, 26 January 2022 21:26 (two years ago) link
it's this wild shifting shimmering thing & their playing is incredible, really highlights their chemistry as a band. it's also just really distinct & fresh, what else out there actually sounds like this? it's interesting because it's really one of their least singer-songwritery tunes, much more of a free-flowing jam where the vocals weave in and out in the same way as the lead guitar. has anyone figured out what's actually going on with the time signature yet
― ufo, Wednesday, 26 January 2022 23:46 (two years ago) link
i wasn't on board with them (i'd heard capacity and wasn't moved though i had enjoyed abysskiss a little) until i was blown away by u.f.o.f. and returning to capacity since then made it really open up for me.
― ufo, Wednesday, 26 January 2022 23:51 (two years ago) link
Isn't this what b-sides are for?
― billstevejim, Tuesday, 1 February 2022 00:40 (two years ago) link
Good point!
― False Pretenses Lad (morrisp), Tuesday, 1 February 2022 00:54 (two years ago) link
Looking forward to "Big Thief Gets Weird."
In the meantime I'm guessing this next one will be their strongest record by far.
― billstevejim, Tuesday, 1 February 2022 21:13 (two years ago) link
reports from those who've got the album early are that the studio version of "dragon" is a mellow folk tune like adrianne's solo version and not the awesome rock version they've been playing live
hope the rock version is the jp bonus track then
― ufo, Tuesday, 1 February 2022 22:42 (two years ago) link
Whaaaat
― Nonhuman biologics enthusiast (morrisp), Wednesday, 2 August 2023 23:35 (nine months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1lnubtQvOQ
this "dragon" is fantastic but lmao they're really into those goofy autotune backing vocals right now huh
― ufo, Thursday, 3 August 2023 06:11 (nine months ago) link
looking forward to the next album going full bon iver
― ufo, Thursday, 3 August 2023 06:12 (nine months ago) link
What a strange effect… is James triggering/playing that somehow? Yeah the performance is awesome though. (I offered to buy my dad tickets to that show, but admission was GA only and that didn’t really work)
― Nonhuman biologics enthusiast (morrisp), Thursday, 3 August 2023 06:21 (nine months ago) link
james' backing vocals are being fed through a bunch of effects including autotune yeah
― ufo, Thursday, 3 August 2023 06:24 (nine months ago) link
i'm seeing them friday evening, will report back on goofy autotune use
― Clay, Thursday, 3 August 2023 06:42 (nine months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WmyWQPxMus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPwd8iJ1uhM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILvivIkUic8
seems like they were in a really jammy mood at that show
― ufo, Thursday, 3 August 2023 10:04 (nine months ago) link
They are some excellent performances, thanks for sharing
― hrep (H.P), Thursday, 3 August 2023 11:13 (nine months ago) link
The way the crowd cheers when the first jaw harp note is struck on "Spud"...
― Nonhuman biologics enthusiast (morrisp), Thursday, 3 August 2023 16:25 (nine months ago) link
I'd like to post the lyrics that someone transcribed for that "Real House" song (above), b/c they're just so good:
* * *
Do you remember running? The purity of the air aroundBraiding low branches into a crownThat love is all I want
I'm a child hummingInto the purity of the black spaceWhere stars shine like tears on the night's faceIn a cool wind
Mama, what happened?Never thought we'd go this longNow 31 and I don’t feel strongAnd your love is all I want
When I was 7I saw the first film that made me scaredAnd I thought of this whole world endingI thought of dying unprepared
We moved into a real houseA wild field behind itI wanted to be an inventorCollected scraps to make a portalI wanted so much for magic to be real
So many dreams of flyingRising high over the crowdAnd they go “oh man, look at her go”And I go
Do you rememberComing to the hospital when I was 14?My friends all left me there spinningDad was angry and you saw everythingAnd you made me laugh as the nurses undressed meYou held my hand as they put the needle in me
I never saw you cryNot until our dog diedAnd our whole family came back togetherWe held her body as they put the needle in herAnd then I saw you cryAnd then I saw you cry
― Nonhuman biologics enthusiast (morrisp), Thursday, 3 August 2023 19:47 (nine months ago) link
Listening just now to "Vampire Empire," which has been released as a single. Great stuff, again.
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Wednesday, 16 August 2023 01:14 (eight months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OpbuEvZvkM
it's a great song but this recording doesn't quite have the energy of some of the live versions, just a little bit more laid back
― ufo, Tuesday, 12 September 2023 23:45 (seven months ago) link
Not available in this hemisphere until it's officially Wednesday, but looking forward to hearing it.
― Taylor Swift Reporter (morrisp), Wednesday, 13 September 2023 00:05 (seven months ago) link
...and it sounds really nice, as expected. Laid back, for sure.
Btw – a friend mentioned that fans on Reddit were upset at "Vampire Empire" not just for the absence of flute, but also removal of the boldface phrases below from the lyrics (when compared to the song as performed on Fallon and maybe other live settings):
I am empty 'til she fills, alive until she killsIn her vampire empire, I am the fish and she's my gillsFalling, yeah(...)Well, I walked into your dagger for the last time in a rowIt's like trying to start a fire with matches in the snowWhere you can't seem to hold me, can't seem to let me go
(...)
Well, I walked into your dagger for the last time in a rowIt's like trying to start a fire with matches in the snowWhere you can't seem to hold me, can't seem to let me go
I can see why Adrianne may have considered those bits to be awkward or unnecessary (e.g., what does "last time in a row" mean, exactly); though I understand how their removal makes for "incomplete rhymes." Anyway, I don't think the song suffers greatly without them...
― Taylor Swift Reporter (morrisp), Wednesday, 13 September 2023 21:20 (seven months ago) link
https://www.reddit.com/r/bigthief/comments/16ihrhi/news_from_buck_about_big_thief/
some news:-they plan for the next album they record to be 'violent, distorted and screamed' and don't expect the recent unreleased live songs to fit with the concept-they're going to spend 6 months writing songs for that next album soon, and are taking a year off from touring-new adrianne solo album coming soon -they're still thinking about putting out some unreleased material (probably from the dwnmibyi sessions?) as a stop gap while they work on their next album
― ufo, Saturday, 30 September 2023 02:11 (seven months ago) link
All cool… hope they do that last thing!
― Chavez video on MTV, July 1995 (morrisp), Saturday, 30 September 2023 02:24 (seven months ago) link
it sounds like we can probably expect the adrianne solo album in january or so
― ufo, Saturday, 30 September 2023 02:39 (seven months ago) link
A little surprising they would decide on the sound of a new album before even writing it, let alone getting into the studio… from past interviews, I had the sense that they followed a much more “organic” method of finding each album’s particular voice.
― Chavez video on MTV, July 1995 (morrisp), Saturday, 30 September 2023 03:01 (seven months ago) link
they plan for the next album they record to be 'violent, distorted and screamed'
Lost Somewhere Between the New Warm Mountain and My Home
― soup of magpies (geoffreyess), Saturday, 30 September 2023 21:18 (seven months ago) link
Today, Adrianne Lenker (of Big Thief) announces a new online songwriting workshop through School of Song. The course will be taught online via live Zoom lectures across 4 consecutive Sundays –– January 7th, January 14th, January 21st, and January 28 –– with 2 lecture sessions on each class day to accommodate different time zones: 11 AM PT and 6 PM PT. Recorded lectures will be available and sent out afterwards for those who are unable to attend at those times.
Every week, Adrianne will give a lecture on subjects specific to her songwriting process. Each class will result in a homework assignment to write a song using the techniques discussed in the lecture. In addition to the lectures, there will be weekly song-sharing sessions composed of peer review and an additional hour of live Q&A with Adrianne. The cost of the workshop is $160 total, and a 20% discount is available for those who sign up with a friend. The deadline to sign up is Saturday, January 6th at 11:59 PM PT. The course is geared towards anyone with an interest in songwriting in general or Adrianne’s process in particular, from absolute beginners to seasoned songwriters. There are no prerequisites to sign up, but having an instrument that you know how to play a few chords on will be helpful if you want to complete the assignments. Course Description:In Adrianne Lenker's songwriting workshop, we will begin with the understanding that songs emerge from an ever-mysterious source within us – our subconscious, our inner child, magic, the universe. Our primary task as songwriters is to ensure this source remains unblocked and unhindered. This workshop will cover how Adrianne navigates this unblocking process throughout all facets of life to get back to the place where songs come from. Building upon this open foundation, we delve into song craft, touching on key elements of Adrianne’s approach. We'll explore how open tunings can transform the guitar into a landscape of drones and bass lines, welcoming resonant melodies to emerge. We’ll consider how various guitar techniques (e.g. strummed cowboy chords, fingerpicking) affect the expression of the songwriter's identity. Lyrically, we'll examine the process of drawing from personal experiences to create lyrics that balance the specific with the universal. Throughout the workshop, students will learn to write lyrics that highlight the beauty and magic often overlooked in our daily existence, revealing the depth that lies beneath the veneer of the mundane. Join us in January as Adrianne gives our community insight into her process. You will leave the course with several new original songs of your own, and with new connections to fellow songwriters all over the world. For more information, contact: Jacob Daneman | Pitch Perfect PR -jacob at pitchperfectpr.com
― dow, Thursday, 16 November 2023 03:14 (five months ago) link
Buck Meek's album Haunted Mountain is quite different from Big Thief but very enjoyable. Title track is a favorite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv8uI2VXppA
― corrs unplugged, Saturday, 18 November 2023 09:38 (five months ago) link
first single from adrianne's new album out on tuesday
― ufo, Friday, 1 December 2023 22:51 (five months ago) link
here's the single, "ruined"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iypx43W_YRg
it's lovely, interesting to hear her on piano. a rather different arrangement to the version big thief were playing earlier this year
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvJPMZb_mls
― ufo, Monday, 4 December 2023 15:12 (five months ago) link
lol whenever james does those autotuned pitch-shifted backing vocals it's so goofy
― ufo, Monday, 4 December 2023 15:13 (five months ago) link
album is apparently bright future which means we can expect this will be on it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTS83wW0Oa0
― ufo, Monday, 4 December 2023 21:50 (five months ago) link
I know this alb has its own thread, but since we come here more often:
December 8, 2023For Immediate Release BIG THIEF RELEASE NEW EDITION OFDEBUT ALBUM, MASTERPIECE LAUNCH BIG THIEF KARAOKE CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE REMASTERED VINYL AVAILABLE NOWToday, Big Thief release a new edition of their 2016 debut album Masterpiece. For the first time on 4AD, the album containing much-loved songs ‘Paul’, ‘Real Love’ and title track ‘Masterpiece’ is available, remastered and reissued. Masterpiece was recorded in July 2015 at an old house that they turned into a studio on Lake Champlain with producer Andrew Sarlo and engineer James Krivchenia (who would go on to become Big Thief's full-time drummer). The resultant debut Big Thief studio album is filled with characters and visceral narratives, songs that pivot in the space of a few words. Adrianne Lenker's voice and guitar playing speak of rich emotional territory with grace and insight. In her words, the record tracks, "the masterpiece of existence, which is always folding into itself, people attempting to connect, to both shake themselves awake and to shake off the numbness of certain points in their life. The interpretations might be impressionistic or surrealistic, but they're grounded in simple things." It soars on what Big Thief fan Sharon Van Etten called "...a real journey, with intelligent stories and twist-and-turn melodies." Big Thief also launched a karaoke channel on their YouTube today, featuring karaoke versions of the songs on Masterpiece. BIG THIEF KARAOKE CHANNEL
Today, Big Thief release a new edition of their 2016 debut album Masterpiece. For the first time on 4AD, the album containing much-loved songs ‘Paul’, ‘Real Love’ and title track ‘Masterpiece’ is available, remastered and reissued. Masterpiece was recorded in July 2015 at an old house that they turned into a studio on Lake Champlain with producer Andrew Sarlo and engineer James Krivchenia (who would go on to become Big Thief's full-time drummer). The resultant debut Big Thief studio album is filled with characters and visceral narratives, songs that pivot in the space of a few words. Adrianne Lenker's voice and guitar playing speak of rich emotional territory with grace and insight. In her words, the record tracks, "the masterpiece of existence, which is always folding into itself, people attempting to connect, to both shake themselves awake and to shake off the numbness of certain points in their life. The interpretations might be impressionistic or surrealistic, but they're grounded in simple things." It soars on what Big Thief fan Sharon Van Etten called "...a real journey, with intelligent stories and twist-and-turn melodies." Big Thief also launched a karaoke channel on their YouTube today, featuring karaoke versions of the songs on Masterpiece. BIG THIEF KARAOKE CHANNEL
asterpiece Tracklist:1. Little Arrow2. Masterpiece3. Vegas4. Real Love5. Interstate6. Lorraine7. Paul8. Humans9. Velvet Ring10. Animals11. Randy12. ParallelsBig Thief 2024 Tour Dates:Sun. Aug. 18 – London, UK @ Gunnersbury Park (w/ PJ Harvey)Wed. Aug. 21 - Sat. Aug. 24 – Torremolinos, ES @ Canela Party 2024For more information, contact: Jacob Daneman, Ahmad Asani | Pitch Perfect PR -jacob at pitchperfectpr.com, ahmad at pitchperfectpr.com
1. Little Arrow2. Masterpiece3. Vegas4. Real Love5. Interstate6. Lorraine7. Paul8. Humans9. Velvet Ring10. Animals11. Randy12. Parallels
Big Thief 2024 Tour Dates:Sun. Aug. 18 – London, UK @ Gunnersbury Park (w/ PJ Harvey)Wed. Aug. 21 - Sat. Aug. 24 – Torremolinos, ES @ Canela Party 2024
For more information, contact: Jacob Daneman, Ahmad Asani | Pitch Perfect PR -jacob at pitchperfectpr.com, ahmad at pitchperfectpr.com
― dow, Tuesday, 12 December 2023 03:36 (four months ago) link
Channel starts here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jFGy2oEMpg
― dow, Tuesday, 12 December 2023 03:38 (four months ago) link
haha that karaoke channel is ingenious
― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 12 December 2023 07:30 (four months ago) link
why not have both the original master and the remaster available online I wonder
this cover gets me every timehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6YRAUKczywSteve Fisher - Anything (Adrianne Lenker Cover)
when she sings harmony ;_;
― corrs unplugged, Sunday, 31 December 2023 10:14 (four months ago) link