The 2013 Music Thread

[tristy]

She & Him's Vol. 3 is utterly amazing. Favorite record of the year, by far.

EDIT: !!!'s THR!!!ER is really good, too. They've come a LONG way since Louden Up Now. Been a fan of these guys for almost a decade now, this album better get them some much deserved recognition.

[RPS]

Savages album, Silence Yourself, is getting a lot of hype. But it's pretty good. So check it out even though it is getting the overload treatment.

[thatshortguy]

She & Him's Vol. 3 is utterly amazing. Favorite record of the year, by far.

EDIT: !!!'s THR!!!ER is really good, too. They've come a LONG way since Louden Up Now. Been a fan of these guys for almost a decade now, this album better get them some much deserved recognition.

I've got the !!! album queued up, gonna check that out tomorrow or Friday. Heard the single from She & Him and dug it. Say what you will about Zooey's ability, it's Ward that continually impresses me.

[thatshortguy]

So Neutral Milk Hotel are touring again...

That's pretty huge...I wouldn't turn down the chance to see them, though at the same time, I wouldn't go in with too great expectations either. Jeff Mangum was appalling when I saw him live.

Of all places, they're coming to Track29 in Chattanooga, TN on October 19th. Strangely, they're also one of the most expensive acts to swing by (most expensive was Ted Nugent at $40, these guys are $30).

Also, it's will call only, forced entry (you have to go in the venue the moment you get your tickets), and no cameras of any kind (meaning nobody can take their smartphone inside).

For a show that may well be one of the biggest trainwrecks that city has seen in a while.

Edit: I should probably clarify that last sentence. Very erratic, left-field kind of band meets very young, hipster town. If Coulton & TMBG couldn't sell out Track 29, I wonder how Mangum will react to seeing barely triple digits in a thousand-seat venue.

That said, I hope I'm wrong. Glad to see bands like this get a second chance.

[Skummy]

When I saw Mangum he had the same "no cameras allowed" rule. If anything, that just made me hate the gig even more. Not because I was too fussed about taking photographs - there's only so many photos you can take of an ugly man hunched over an acoustic guitar anyway - but just the audacity of it.

[VerbalPuke]

Not a fan of the new Sabbath at all. Could do with being four or five minutes shorter at least. There's just no dynamic to it, doesn't go anywhere. Bland and badly produced. Decent bass, though.

You know what is bad about it? It really misses Bill on drums. Snare drum and hi-hat just doesn't work for Black Sabbath. It's decent riffing but the drums make it sound like post-Black Album Metallica nonsense.

I thought the same, the first thing I wondered is what is this Metallica sounding horse shit? Tony Iommi still has a good tone though in some of the heavier riffs. I love Black Sabbath but I'd be lying if I said I expected a lot out of the album.

I just listened to Burn off of the new Stooges album and its actually pretty good. It's not Raw Power, but its still a good song, it's like they revamped We Will Fall into something that isn't monotonous. I'd definitely like to hear the rest of the album, sounds promising.

[thatshortguy]

When I saw Mangum he had the same "no cameras allowed" rule. If anything, that just made me hate the gig even more. Not because I was too fussed about taking photographs - there's only so many photos you can take of an ugly man hunched over an acoustic guitar anyway - but just the audacity of it.

I'm glad you phrased that the way you did, because that is the first word that came to mind when I read all the restrictions for this show. They're the first act to pull the forced entry stunt at this venue and only the second or third to restrict all cameras (Jack White was the first, because artiste, you guys).

[MalaCloudy Black]

Not a fan of the new Sabbath at all. Could do with being four or five minutes shorter at least. There's just no dynamic to it, doesn't go anywhere. Bland and badly produced. Decent bass, though.

You know what is bad about it? It really misses Bill on drums. Snare drum and hi-hat just doesn't work for Black Sabbath. It's decent riffing but the drums make it sound like post-Black Album Metallica nonsense.

I thought the same, the first thing I wondered is what is this Metallica sounding horse shit? Tony Iommi still has a good tone though in some of the heavier riffs. I love Black Sabbath but I'd be lying if I said I expected a lot out of the album.

I just listened to Burn off of the new Stooges album and its actually pretty good. It's not Raw Power, but its still a good song, it's like they revamped We Will Fall into something that isn't monotonous. I'd definitely like to hear the rest of the album, sounds promising.

I liked "Job" more, but "Burn" is a great track.

[supergrass]

When I saw Mangum he had the same "no cameras allowed" rule. If anything, that just made me hate the gig even more. Not because I was too fussed about taking photographs - there's only so many photos you can take of an ugly man hunched over an acoustic guitar anyway - but just the audacity of it.

I'm glad you phrased that the way you did, because that is the first word that came to mind when I read all the restrictions for this show. They're the first act to pull the forced entry stunt at this venue and only the second or third to restrict all cameras (Jack White was the first, because artiste, you guys).

This was followed by pretty much everyone taking as many photos as they wanted at the Jack White shows I went to, only security would flash a torch at you after a while. Surprisingly this was not an effective deterrent.

Most websites seemed to think the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were great when they pulled the same move - I too find it preachy and annoying. I pay for my ticket, I'll take a photo. It's not getting in anyone's way and I've never been bothered by anyone else doing the same thing.

And no, a terrible photographer on the stage taking boring press shots that I can download later is not really the same. When you get to the point where you're telling people how to enjoy your show, it reaches the point where I no longer want to go. Or they tell you you're not really "experiencing" the concert. I experienced many a great concert over the last 10 or 11 years, but I can't really remember what the early ones were like visually - a picture is nice.

[Lowerdeck]

So I'm going to Mountain Oasis in October, and a bunch of people I know who are also going are psyched about NMH playing there. I'm failing to see why it's such a big deal, other than it's a reunion after 15 years.

[tristy]

I hate you. I want to go to Mountain Oasis so fucking bad. Neutral Milk Hotel reunion is a big deal because, unlike other reunions, everyone presumed they wouldn't get back together and tour. Hell, no one expected Jeff Mangum to come out of hibernation a few years ago, much less a full band reunion and world tour.

Plus, you get to see Nine Inch Nails AND How to Destroy Angels. Damn you!!!

[livid]

Random Access Memories is dripping all over the internet...

[tristy]

Is it legit?

[livid]

Definitely sounds like it.

[deli]

iTunes Stream of the Daft Punk album is up

[SRN]

So far, I am really really enjoying Random Access Memories. It is so retro it hurts, I love it.

[tristy]

I'm only like a minute into the album and I already love it.

[METALMAN]

I am not whelmed by the Daft Punk album

[RPS]

The new Daft Punk album is not the album people wanted them to make, but it is so so good. They totally took the huge expectations, forgot about them, and made the one hell of a gutsy album. Spoken word, flutes, two great Pharrell Williams jams, lots of Nile Rodgers, a few breathtaking ballads, a 8 minute song with famous song-writer Paul Williams and a fantastic Panda Bear collaboration. Such a great album.

[New Damage]

Sadly, I found it underwhelming also. I'll be the first to admit I don't know much of Daft Punk and haven't listened to a full album before, but I was expecting an album full of more dancier songs like the two Pharrell songs. Instead to me, a lot a of the tracks sounded like filler pieces that go between those two songs. I just think I expected more in terms of 'singles', I can only see myself dancing to about 3 songs in a club (one of them being Get Lucky, which I've already danced to several times).

As I type this, I'm listening to the last song, which is actually pretty good, and oddly reminds me an electronic version of Endless, Nameless from Nirvana's Nevermind.