(Un)Official L33tist Music Thread.

[YI]

The Field are great. I find Justice overrated by many, but they are good.

Bloc Party are immense. I also REALLY enjoy the second album. It may not be as 'catchy' as the first, with less obvious singles an 'memorable' tracks, but personally I think there's possibly more depth to it than the debut.

[RPS]

I rated the second Bloc Party really lowly when I first listened to it - but its a fucking grower. Its a stark contrast to Silent Alarm, which I instantly loved. Each and every song on Silent Alarm, as you said, was a pop hit that you instantly connected with. With A Weekend In The City, its not poppy (besides Songs For Clay and Hunting), its one of those records you have to listen from bottom to top to certainly enjoy. And they definitely take FAR more risks and definitely experiment far more. At first I found it to be a bore, but upon further listen, I'd say its a beautiful CD that takes time to fully enjoy.

Justice is entirely overrated - but than again, most l33tist is. Cross is a great CD because although their are a bunch of pop songs, he seems willingly to go against the grain and try something unexpected. Its not always good, but its always interesting. Its kind of like Tiga - Tiga is an amazing musician, but is so hit or miss it isn't funny. However, they always seem to be an inch above the competition because they are willingly to be bold, different and take a risk or too. Justice is the same for me. Not always amazing, but always interesting.

[fineintent]

When The Prayer came out I knew it'd be something special. And it is. It's got more depth than Silent Alarm, but obviously less dance-y songs. Put together, its a brilliant back catalogue though.

[Liam]

That new In Flames song is OK, thier singles aren't usually as good as the album tracks, so we'll see how it goes.

And a little late, but yeah, all love for '69 Love Songs' is well deserved.

[YI]

http://www.myspace.com/theweakerthans

OH MY GOD!!! OH MY GOD!!! OH MY GOD!!! ALBUM OF THE YEAR!!!

I've heard 3 songs off this now (Although two were live recordings) and it all sounds awesome. It seems as though it's going to be more laid back lack "Left & Leaving" instead of "Reconstruction Site", which I both like and don't like. I don't like it as "Reconstruction Site" is one of my favourite albums ever, however if they tried to follow it up with another similar album, then it could all go tits up. The bass riff in this song makes me wet. It's nothing overtly flash, but so effective.

Best Canadian band...they deserve more hype.

And in somewhat related news;

Propagandhi frontman Chris Hannah has come in second on the online poll to determine the "Worst Canadian" run by The Beaver, the Canadian History Society's magazine. The winner (loser?) was charismatic and controversial Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. In total the poll had over almost 15,000 votes cast. The magazine commented on the outcome:

When we asked our readers to weigh in with their choice for the Worst Canadian in history, we didn’t expect Trudeau to top the list. But top it he did, beating out an obscure punk rocker by a couple hundred votes --- a result that perhaps speaks as much about the perils of online polling as it does about the love-hate relationship Canadians have had with this paradoxical prime minister, who could wear a flower in his lapel while giving critics the finger.

We call that the "Trudeau salute" by the way.

Edited July 31, 2007 by YI

[RPS]

Never been a fan of the Weakerthans. I don't know why, they are a pretty decent band, I just can't get into them.

M.I.A's new shit drops in August and I am fucking hyped for that shit. Bird Flu is one of the craziest single's I've ever heard. Hit That and Boyz are awesome too. I've heard some other tracks off the album which sound pretty good as well.

[YI]

This 'proves' the rule that good women artists/in bands can't be fit.

Lovely girl. Band that makes me cry.

Why's she hanging out with those kind of man-munters to begin with?

In other news, Jeremy Enigk appears to have a new album out this year. However, I'm a bit confused as to what it actually is, as 5 of the 9 songs were on "World Waits" released last year. Still, 4 new songs.

http://www.myspace.com/jeremyenigk

The new song on his myspace is really sweet. Whatever it is, I'll check it out.

Edited August 1, 2007 by YI

[fineintent]

Hadouken can fuck off, pack of posh wankers.

[Guest Ringy Gainsbourg]

Alright, you pretentious wankers.

Recommend me stuff similar to what Xiu Xiu and Deerhoof do (to clarify, I prefer Deerhoof when they are darker and/or moodier, songs like "This Magnificient Bird Will Rise" and "Giga Dance")

[Guest Ringy Gainsbourg]

I really like all those bands produced by TV On The Radio, they're better than TV On The Radio.

[YI]

Can someone please explain to me why Plain White T's are;

1) Suddenly popular

2) Releasing "Hey There Delilah" when it's 2 years old, and not even on their last album released......IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME!!!

And "Lazy Day Afternoon" MUST be released. Not sure how that'd do in America, but over here it could very much be a hit, fairly strong Brit-pop vibe to it.

Edited August 4, 2007 by YI

[METALMAN]

I realised I hate Hellogoodbye today. That song Here (In Your Arms) is annoying as fuck.

[ROC]

Can someone please explain to me why Plain White T's are;

1) Suddenly popular

2) Releasing "Hey There Delilah" when it's 2 years old, and not even on their last album released......IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME!!!

Edited August 5, 2007 by ROC

[Skummy]

Having just been on a shopping spree of sorts in Hull, I can vouch love for the following:

Gling-Gló by Björk Gudmundsdóttir & Trió Gudmundar Ingólfssonar

"Covered In Nails", the NIN tribute album

"Going Up", the best of The 13th Floor Elevators

"Happy Sad" by Tim Buckley

All much wonderful music, you should listen to it, if you're a fan of formulaic but still rather nice covers of songs you already know, early jugband psych, a folk singer disappearing up his own arsehole, or Icelandic bebop.

[YI]

Just got my hands on "Last Time" by Ignite, which was a b-side from "Our Darkest Days". It's a quality tune. More 'pop-punk' than the rest of the album (Although it was really melodic). As i said, quality tune. Didn't really fit with the rest of the album though. I fucking love Ignite.

Also, IAceI gets much respect for getting me to listen to InMe again.

Edited August 5, 2007 by YI

[VerbalPuke]

I dig 13th Floor Elevators Skummy, Roky Erikson was pretty brilliant with everything he did.

That reminds me, I was listening to my Nuggets Compilation last night, great piece of vinyl right there. It's a compilation of old 60s garage and psych, and is a good start for people looking to get into that sort of genre. There's great bands like Count Five, Electric Prunes, Amboy Dukes, Chocolate Watchband, The Standells, Strawberry Alarmclock, and of course the 13th Floor Elevators.

There's actually other Nuggets comps, and a spinoff known as "Pebbles". A lot of this music is seen as the precursor to punk of the 1970s and 80s.

[Skummy]

A lot of "Nuggets" stuff has been re-released and expanded on CD recently, I've heard pretty much all of it, the boss of the record shop I used to work in is a huge psych fan, and he orders in a lot of that kind of stuff. When the place first opened, it was almost solely psych and 60s garage stuff, some really amazing stuff in there, but it pretty much all went out of the door in days.

A lot of psych stuff has aged pretty terribly, especially the post-Sgt. Peppers lot, which seemed to be jumping on a bandwagon more than anything, and so much of it so quaint and flowery, its just painful to listen to nowadays, but the bands on Nuggets are pretty much spot-on, they got the middle ground between British psych and American garage, and you get a really unique, quite visceral sound which, as you said, could well be viewed as the precursor for punk, especially bands like the Elevators, or John's Children on the British side.

Speaking of pre-punk garage rock stuff, I'm loving The Sonics and The Monks an awful lot lately too.

[YI]

Not reallt l33t, but how good is "Sleeping With Ghosts"? I threw it on today as when I was tidying I stumbled across the CD. I always liked Placebo, even though they get some flack, but this album is fucking immense. So many catchy songs.

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcFZ4UK3pkU

A WILHELM SCREAM ROCK MY BALLS!!!! Vocals sound a bit dodgy. Were much better when I saw them. Then again, it might just be the recording. Though the quieter stuff generally aint too good.

Edited August 6, 2007 by YI

[Quom]

Angus and Julia Stone 'I wish I had a mango tree' is perhaps one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. The rest of their shit I don't really like, but that song <3.

Since he hasn't been mentioned I'll also state I'm digging Andrew Bird's new album (he's sort of like Beirut in that he does the instruments himself including when he plays live from what I can gather)

[YI]

I like Blaqk Audio. NOOOOOOO!!!! They can't even spell. "CexCells" by Blaqk Audio. Grrrr....I'm trying not to like it, but I do.

It's like The Faint, only...easier on the ear. With big 'pop-punk' style (only 'electro'), catchy choruses.

Edited August 7, 2007 by YI