Random other thing from that era, a few months ago I had a wild hair and put on the Counting Crows spotify playlist. Their hits more or less hold up, just catchy as **** with big big energy. But the non-hits are so indulgent. I was walking my dog and multiple times said "OH BROTHER" out loud. Then some of their newer stuff hit, and it was if it was written by an AI trained on their worst tendencies. Just a soup of women's names and wistful imagery. Rosanna talks to unicorns etc etc
Re: OT: Music Thread
Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 7:05 pm
by Iheartfootball
stellation wrote:
MikeIsGood wrote:
stellation wrote:Also- going to gigs with your child is a wonderful experience. We first saw The National together 10 years ago, their music/lyrics can cut to the core so deeply and combined with their musicianship/performance it really is just an amazing experience. I hope I'm conveying to my child that it's okay to be emotionally overwhelmed by art, and it's beautiful to share an experience with a community (even if it's an amazingly personal one to you).
Was this the concert that had Fleet Foxes with them? If so, what did you think?
It sure was. I really enjoyed it, definitely recorgnised a couple of songs but overall most of it was new to me and I'm glad I went down that path. They kind of reminded me of the love child of The Decemberists and Arcade Fire, if maybe Jeff Tweedy was the intimacy supervisor- lots and lots of singing "oooooh" in unison! They played a fairly long set for an opener, and got a standing ovation from about half the crowd. Particularly loved the drummer- was doing a lot behind the kit whilst harmonising with nearly everything. The bass player definitely came across as an extremely intriguing man, too.
Have been working my way through their albums this week, the set was a pretty even spread across them.
Love it! I saw Fleet Foxes open for My Morning Jacket this summer and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed their set. I had listened to a few of their albums and was little more than lukewarm on them.
Also, that War on Drugs and National tour is going to be epic. I saw War on Drugs a few years ago and they played for over 2 hours. They played and sounded great, but I'm an old man and I was exhausted.
If any of you get the chance to visit the Bay Area I highly recommend a show at the Greek in Berkley if you can swing it. In the summer, once the sun goes down and the fog rolls over the stage...religious experience.
Re: OT: Music Thread
Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 7:10 pm
by Iheartfootball
emunney wrote:Random other thing from that era, a few months ago I had a wild hair and put on the Counting Crows spotify playlist. Their hits more or less hold up, just catchy as **** with big big energy. But the non-hits are so indulgent. I was walking my dog and multiple times said "OH BROTHER" out loud. Then some of their newer stuff hit, and it was if it was written by an AI trained on their worst tendencies. Just a soup of women's names and wistful imagery. Rosanna talks to unicorns etc etc
That is an incredibly accurate characterization (for me anyway) of Counting Crows past and present. I remember a line from their Story Tellers VH1 concert from years ago where in the teaser commercial Adam Duritz says, "not all of my songs are about past lovers" and then VH1 proceeded to add clips from that set where he sings about "Rosanna and unicorns" in nearly every one.
And now I want to listen to the whole of August and Everything After.
This is a crazy list. I never realized it before reading this that the moment a bunch of artists I really liked started producing songs by Antonoff is the moment I stopped liking their music. Lorde, Florence and the Machine, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey...to a T. They started making music with him, I stopped listening.
Re: OT: Music Thread
Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 7:13 pm
by Licensed to Il
emunney wrote:Random other thing from that era, a few months ago I had a wild hair and put on the Counting Crows spotify playlist. Their hits more or less hold up, just catchy as **** with big big energy. But the non-hits are so indulgent. I was walking my dog and multiple times said "OH BROTHER" out loud. Then some of their newer stuff hit, and it was if it was written by an AI trained on their worst tendencies. Just a soup of women's names and wistful imagery. Rosanna talks to unicorns etc etc
LOL Counting Crows absolutely belong on the list of bands with “the greatest quality variance.” I might put Neil Young on there. He has some transcendent stuff and also some absolute horse ****.
Re: OT: Music Thread
Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 7:23 pm
by chonestown
Licensed to Il wrote:
ReasonablySober wrote: Setup's complete. Like it very much.
I think you are really going to enjoy whatever they currently call the record player/vinyl hobby.
In my profession, I have to do a lot of hospital visits. Sometimes its really difficult, watching someone fade or die. Especially observing the grief of the family. So about ten years ago, after these visits, I'd stop off at "Strictly Discs" which is a record shop exactly in the middle of Madison's main three hospitals. There was something therapeutic about bringing something someone had created, in to my home, in the shadow of loss. An addition after a subtraction.
I love that I can hold a record cover/sleeve. I love that most have been owned by 2-3 other people already. I even think the sound carries a layer that digital music doesn't, but I'm probably imagining it.
I know you get in to stuff like marinating meat, making your own sauces, etc. There is something about music on vinyl, and playing with speakers, that fits that vein. The enjoyment is more, because it wasn't so easily consumed. Wish I could explain it better.
Huh. I been known to work a shift or two at said record shop.
My architecture history professor, easily the most intellectually brilliant person outside these boards I've crossed paths with, made the astute observation we are identified by our "stuff." And really, I think that's responsible for the rise of vinyl amongst the young people (not to mention their companions). Based on their size, delicacy and requisite gear, records are the "stuffiest" of physical media. You want a tangible connection to your interest, well brother, there you go.
I will add this: catalog titles are disappearing at an alarming rate, especially within the last 5 years. Re-issue programs are not nearly as robust as they used to be, even with the vinyl resurgence. There's this weird dynamic where music media stores are coming back, but the recording industry is making fewer physical items available. I remain flabbergasted at the sheer numbers we move solely on "Rumours." Great record, but the quantities are unreal.
Re: OT: Music Thread
Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 7:26 pm
by emunney
Licensed to Il wrote:
emunney wrote:Random other thing from that era, a few months ago I had a wild hair and put on the Counting Crows spotify playlist. Their hits more or less hold up, just catchy as **** with big big energy. But the non-hits are so indulgent. I was walking my dog and multiple times said "OH BROTHER" out loud. Then some of their newer stuff hit, and it was if it was written by an AI trained on their worst tendencies. Just a soup of women's names and wistful imagery. Rosanna talks to unicorns etc etc
LOL Counting Crows absolutely belong on the list of bands with “the greatest quality variance.” I might put Neil Young on there. He has some transcendent stuff and also some absolute horse ****.
I would kill for Neil Young, but I mostly agree. At this point, I'm mostly impressed with the fact that he's still putting out an original album almost every year in his late 70s, but I listen almost exclusively to three albums from the early 1970s (After the Gold Rush, Harvest, Tonight's the Night). Plus Decade of course.
ReasonablySober wrote: Setup's complete. Like it very much.
I think you are really going to enjoy whatever they currently call the record player/vinyl hobby.
In my profession, I have to do a lot of hospital visits. Sometimes its really difficult, watching someone fade or die. Especially observing the grief of the family. So about ten years ago, after these visits, I'd stop off at "Strictly Discs" which is a record shop exactly in the middle of Madison's main three hospitals. There was something therapeutic about bringing something someone had created, in to my home, in the shadow of loss. An addition after a subtraction.
I love that I can hold a record cover/sleeve. I love that most have been owned by 2-3 other people already. I even think the sound carries a layer that digital music doesn't, but I'm probably imagining it.
I know you get in to stuff like marinating meat, making your own sauces, etc. There is something about music on vinyl, and playing with speakers, that fits that vein. The enjoyment is more, because it wasn't so easily consumed. Wish I could explain it better.
Huh. I been known to work a shift or two at said record shop.
My architecture history professor, easily the most intellectually brilliant person outside these boards I've crossed paths with, made the astute observation we are identified by our "stuff." And really, I think that's responsible for the rise of vinyl amongst the young people (not to mention their companions). Based on their size, delicacy and requisite gear, records are the "stuffiest" of physical media. You want a tangible connection to your interest, well brother, there you go.
I will add this: catalog titles are disappearing at an alarming rate, especially within the last 5 years. Re-issue programs are not nearly as robust as they used to be, even with the vinyl resurgence. There's this weird dynamic where music media stores are coming back, but the recording industry is making fewer physical items available. I remain flabbergasted at the sheer numbers we move solely on "Rumours." Great record, but the quantities are unreal.
I was surprised to see numerous copies of Rumours, and at least 8 different Prince LPs, when I browsed the local record shop last week.
Re: OT: Music Thread
Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 7:58 pm
by LUKE23
These guys are a bit poppy but I love their stuff:
emunney wrote:Random other thing from that era, a few months ago I had a wild hair and put on the Counting Crows spotify playlist. Their hits more or less hold up, just catchy as **** with big big energy. But the non-hits are so indulgent. I was walking my dog and multiple times said "OH BROTHER" out loud. Then some of their newer stuff hit, and it was if it was written by an AI trained on their worst tendencies. Just a soup of women's names and wistful imagery. Rosanna talks to unicorns etc etc
LOL Counting Crows absolutely belong on the list of bands with “the greatest quality variance.” I might put Neil Young on there. He has some transcendent stuff and also some absolute horse ****.
I would kill for Neil Young, but I mostly agree. At this point, I'm mostly impressed with the fact that he's still putting out an original album almost every year in his late 70s, but I listen almost exclusively to three albums from the early 1970s (After the Gold Rush, Harvest, Tonight's the Night). Plus Decade of course.
Those are his best albums, but for sure check out “Live at Massey Hall” he’s workshopping some new stuff that the audience has never heard, and it’s magical. Neil, at his creative apex, before anyone grasped he was such a special songwriter. It’s like… the first moment one could see/hear the greatness.
Re: OT: Music Thread
Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 9:27 pm
by chonestown
Beyond the Ditch Trilogy, I'll stack up "Harvest Moon" against anything ol' Neil's done.
Re: OT: Music Thread
Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 10:12 pm
by emunney
Licensed to Il wrote:
emunney wrote:
Licensed to Il wrote: LOL Counting Crows absolutely belong on the list of bands with “the greatest quality variance.” I might put Neil Young on there. He has some transcendent stuff and also some absolute horse ****.
I would kill for Neil Young, but I mostly agree. At this point, I'm mostly impressed with the fact that he's still putting out an original album almost every year in his late 70s, but I listen almost exclusively to three albums from the early 1970s (After the Gold Rush, Harvest, Tonight's the Night). Plus Decade of course.
Those are his best albums, but for sure check out “Live at Massey Hall” he’s workshopping some new stuff that the audience has never heard, and it’s magical. Neil, at his creative apex, before anyone grasped he was such a special songwriter. It’s like… the first moment one could see/hear the greatness.
That is an awesome album, yeah. The sneer in his voice in all the interstitial banter is perfect.
The National were amazing, they're always far more rocking/loud live than you might expect. I hate to put art into a subjective/"best" kind of thing- but each time I've seen them I've come away completely overwhelmed and thinking that I'm certain that was the best gig I'd ever seen. They've been mixing up the older songs in the setlist a little bit on this tour, and opened saying this was the night for a few deep cuts- it was just a killer, killer list, I can't believe we got to hear Cherry Tree live. Some nights it looks like they're not always playing both About Today and Vanderlyle, we were lucky to get both (we're 3/3 of shows with getting both!).
They played for well over 2 hours, the show finished with a crowd singalong for Vanderlyle. Someone grabbed some decent footage of it- at first I thought the audio was a little off, there was about 9k people singing in full voice and it doesn't entirely carry over, but then I realised it almost perfectly captures the experience of being there- a hell of a lot of people around, but an amazingly personal/intimate moment.
Runaway Sea Of Love Eucalyptus Demons Squalor Victoria Bloodbuzz Guilty Party This Is The Last Time Slow Show Apartment Story Sorrow Conversation 16 Geese Green Gloves Cherry Tree Abel Deep End Tour Manager Carin At The Liquor Store Rylan (Annie) England Fake Empire About Today I Need My Girl Weird Goodbyes Mr. November Terrible Love Vanderlyle
This is awesome to hear as I just grabbed tickets for them and War on Drugs (one of my top 3 bands) at Breese Stevens in Madison for September. Been listening more to The National lately, really like their sound.
Then you're in for a treat, dear boy! Mind blowing live band!
Re: OT: Music Thread
Posted: Thu Mar 7, 2024 11:15 pm
by FrieAaron
Licensed to Il wrote:
emunney wrote:Random other thing from that era, a few months ago I had a wild hair and put on the Counting Crows spotify playlist. Their hits more or less hold up, just catchy as **** with big big energy. But the non-hits are so indulgent. I was walking my dog and multiple times said "OH BROTHER" out loud. Then some of their newer stuff hit, and it was if it was written by an AI trained on their worst tendencies. Just a soup of women's names and wistful imagery. Rosanna talks to unicorns etc etc
LOL Counting Crows absolutely belong on the list of bands with “the greatest quality variance.” I might put Neil Young on there. He has some transcendent stuff and also some absolute horse ****.
They're my favorite band but I'm the complete opposite. I think their hits are almost all somewhere in the middle or towards the bottom of their catalog, with the exception of "Round Here." That's definitely pretty high up there. Love most of Neil Young's stuff, too.
This is a crazy list. I never realized it before reading this that the moment a bunch of artists I really liked started producing songs by Antonoff is the moment I stopped liking their music. Lorde, Florence and the Machine, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey...to a T. They started making music with him, I stopped listening.
I think he's won Producer of the Year like 4 or 5 years in a row now or something. I didn't like "fun." and generally don't like the artists that he produces for but I like his band. Going to see them in a couple months here in DC. Having said that, I'm a little nervous for the concert because his band's music is for lack of a better word, HEAVILY produced. I'm hoping their energy will make up for his relatively lackluster singing.
This is a crazy list. I never realized it before reading this that the moment a bunch of artists I really liked started producing songs by Antonoff is the moment I stopped liking their music. Lorde, Florence and the Machine, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey...to a T. They started making music with him, I stopped listening.
I think he's won Producer of the Year like 4 or 5 years in a row now or something. I didn't like "fun." and generally don't like the artists that he produces for but I like his band. Going to see them in a couple months here in DC. Having said that, I'm a little nervous for the concert because his band's music is for lack of a better word, HEAVILY produced. I'm hoping their energy will make up for his relatively lackluster singing.
Yea, ironically I like the Bleachers stuff I've heard. Just apparently not what he did to a good amount of artists I lked.
