Same. I had seen their videos on MTV and thought they were ok, but I didn't think much of it. I got Siamese Dream just on a whim...I needed some new music that weekend I suppose. My first thought was, "Where has this been my whole life?" I am an audiophile because of that album alone. How it could be so heavy and so melodic at the same time was beyond me. I also had to know how he did it, so it also inspired me to pick up a guitar...I practiced until I could play every track. I still love playing those songs, too.
Good points there, but I think to an extent artists like Bowie and McCartney have earned the right to do whatever they want in most fans' eyes. They may not be delivering something completely fresh, but they have in the past. They paid their dues, so to speak. Bands like Best Coast still have something to prove, and while that something might just be consistently solid guitar-pop, it may not be enough for longevity.
In the end, Best Coast's music is highly enjoyable. I like it a lot. The real question for me isn't "should I dislike this band because of sameness?"...because it really is their choice what music to create and if I don't like it I just won't listen to it. The question is more, "will I still reach for a Best Coast album 10 years from now?" If a band is striving to be remembered like the Led Zeppelins and Pink Floyds of the world, they do need that big hit album...but then they also need to expand after that point. Or at least have an incredibly unique sound that is instantly recognizable (like AC/DC...samey? yes...but anyone else trying that style out is immediately disregarded as an AC/DC clone).
If Best Coast aren't aiming for that, then by all means they can keep doing what they are doing. But after 3 or 4 of the same album, I'm going to move on and find 10 other bands that can fill the hole they leave behind. I'm still on the fence about whether or not Best Coast fits in with this...but when I see creative potential in a band, I get really disappointed when they don't capitalize on it.
I think bands that successfully experiment with their sound are bands that know how to maintain the very basic element of what their sound is in the first place. Radiohead may have tossed their guitars for Kid A, but you can hear traces of their "Radiohead-ism" in all their music. It's when a band doesn't know how to keep that root in their experiments that things flounder and they lose fans. In fact, I feel every band will face that problem. Sticking with the Radiohead example, while they have consistently offered unique sounding albums, there is no denying that they are starting to sound much more similar than their early days. The jump from In Rainbows to the King of Limbs was not that huge when compared to OK Computer and Kid A. I think they have become too comfortable with said Radiohead-ism and don't know how to expand from there without losing that element.
Still, bands like Radiohead love to experiment and they are known for that. Then there are bands that I feel truly just love playing the music they love to play and don't really care to find a new sound. While there are bands that do it to keep the sales going (I think this is why Nickelback gets so much crap) there are bands that just want to play. I think Best Coast falls into that category.
I do have to say, though, the first band that always comes to my mind when the "It all sounds the same" issue comes up is AC/DC. Will they ever stop?
This is the album that made me an audiophile. The moments where I listen to new music and think to myself "where has this been all my life?" are now few and far between, but I still remember that moment.
This album inspired me to learn guitar...I HAD to know how he was doing what he was doing. It also made buying a Big Muff a must. I finally got to check off an item on my bucket list and play my favorite song - Hummer - live. I felt like such a rock star droppin panties with that smooth solo at the end. It feels so good to play...
This has got to be one of the best descriptions of Tool I've heard. I completely agree. One day I realized Tool doesn't really take themselves that seriously, they ask "how serious do you take us?" Just look at Maynard's other projects..more of his humor leaks in. How can a guy that starts a band called Puscifer be taking things totally serious?
I started listening to Radiohead after Kid A/Amnesiac had come out. I hadn't heard anything by them and I was in a massive grunge phase at the time. "Creep" played on MTV and actually became the first Radiohead song I ever heard...and convinced me to start with Pablo Honey. After listening to that I had absolutely no clue why Radiohead was such a big deal. It was...alright. I definitely wasn't inspired to pick up anything else by them. It wasn't until HTTT came out and I heard "There There" that I decided maybe Pablo Honey wasn't very representative of the sound that made them huge. So that became my second Radiohead album and is maybe why I have a much more favorable opinion of it than most people.
In retrospect, Pablo Honey is an interesting album. I just find it interesting that I started with that despite listening to them well after their careers had taken off. I feel like I was almost able to see Radiohead's progression in my own personal way.
I disagree. It's not their responsibility, they can play whatever they want. And who's to say they haven't ignited an interest in more nuanced folk for some people? Not moving beyond Mumford and Sons is fine for the casual music listener, but I'm sure there are people who have moved a little deeps...especially if they use something like Spotify. Just using the "related artists" tab, I could jump from Mumford to Fleet Foxes to Iron and Wine. So the potential is right there, the effort these days I feel falls more on the listener.
I don't care one way or the other for this band, but I will tell you that it has produced some great moments when I meet a fan and ask if they have listened to Iron and Wine. I put that on and it's like I just made their heads explode. So in that sense...thanks for making me look awesome, M+S.
Really great article.
When I first heard Loveless, I was one of the idiots that was convinced something was wrong with my copy when I first heard "Only Shallow". The album didn't really impress me that much and it wasn't until a few months later that I felt I should really try to give it another chance. I heard more I liked that time around and definitely saw potential. Then I bought my first pair of really decent headphones, decided this was the album to send them off with, and never looked back. I devoured any other MBV I could find.
Being so comfortable with this band now, this album was a lot more immediate. I got home drunk at 4am on Saturday (the whole time at the party asking everyone if they are fans of MBV...sadly, this town has horrible taste in music as evidenced by a girl mistaking John Lennon for the Partridge Family), downloaded it, and just sat back and enjoyed. Similar to the author's experience, I didn't know what I wanted it to sound like...but it ended up being exactly what I wanted. I haven't stopped playing it since.
And I hate jumping in on the drug argument...but listening to an album stoned has definitely carried over to listening to it sober. The first time I heard Mew's And the Glass Handed Kites was stoned and it helped me listen to it at a depth I never would have sober. That depth carried over when I listened to it again. It has also carried over to other music that I may not have been open to otherwise (even without listening to something high for the first listen). Had to throw in my 2 cents there.
Even though it's disappointing we won't get anymore Volta, I can't say this is the most tragic news ever. Their music is dense and what they left behind is plenty for anyone to explore. I hate to say it, but I was always looking for another Deloused. Personally, I found something to enjoy in all their albums but they never quite got to those heights again. Deloused was the moment in high school where I officially became a music snob...I couldn't understand why none of my friends liked it. Then I just figured it was too complicated for them haha.
On a side note, I wanted my band to cover Roulette Dares and spent ages perfecting it. My favorite part of the song is that last atmospheric solo and couldn't wait to play that shit and make some panties wet...then my band thought it was too boring and I got outvoted to drop the damn thing. Still a disappointing moment. I guess I still got them to play the Pumpkin's Hummer...
I think the whole Pablo Honey beating KOL was bound to generate some controversy. As dull as I find KOL to be, it is still better than Pablo Honey. PH is good just for listening and thinking "Well, gee, they really didn't come from an alien planet that communicates strictly with music." Other than that, it's a pretty lame album by anyone's standards.
I do agree with the Hail to the Thief ranking, though...I feel it is severely underrated.
I'll admit I kind of enjoyed Highly Evolved, but they seriously released 5 albums? Damn, that's news to me. That's actually a bit more surprising than him beating his mom up...
I agree with some of you on Summer Sun...to me, it was their biggest grower. Electr-O-Pura shoud definitely be top 3. Other than that, I agree with this list. Yo La Tengo is the ultimate "stumble-onto-them-and-not-think-much-of-them-then-slowly-realize-how-effing-brilliant-they-are" band (that's a thing, right?).
I got this album because I had heard some stuff off Antics and asked my brother to pick up that album for me one night when he went out. He came back with this one. I was bummed, but listened anyway and was pretty much blown away. I listened to it nonstop for a while. Then I got Antics and wasn't that impressed. Then I stopped caring about Interpol.
I do still play Turn On the Bright Lights from time to time. That's crazy that it's 10 years old.
It's mostly the older generation that can't speak English. I guarantee you everyone who was there could understand him. It's a heavily promoted language (for economic purposes...the US and Singapore are buddies). Sorry, couldn't help adding my 2 cents...Singapore is like a home to me.
But yeah, pretty ironic considering how intensely strict the gun laws are there. I'm sure he was just saying it as "friendly banter", but it's still funny.
Most of the people there support Obama as well.
Aside from the different lyrics, the song is basically the same. Still, I'm glad to hear they are reissuing this stuff on vinyl. Either/Or is one of my favorite albums of all time. It's definitely worth a vinyl buy.
Agreed about Adore. It's not "guitars in your face" Pumpkins but it still feels very...Pumpkiny. I think a lot of people have a hard time reconciling the lack of distortion. Although I do wish he took it more in the direction of "Eye" like he said he would.
On that note, I feel Machina is basically what Adore would have been if Jimmy was around. Personally, I love both albums, but for that reason i can also see why a lot of people don't like them.
Yeah, this is just for to get some hype for the album. After listening to it I'm convinced hype will be the only thing it has going for it.
I feel like a very bitter Smashing Pumpkins fan now.
Considering Jimmy is the grunge generation's Neil Peart, yeah. There was no contest to begin with. I think he is actually the only thing holding this album together at all.
As for the album...it's Zeitgeist with some 60's psych synth stuff going on. I REALLY wanted this to be good.
I'm a fan of Black Tambourine...so don't get me wrong, I'll listen to the new release...but what sparked the reunion? 21 years later they want to give it another go? Will anyone besides shoegazers and twee poppers care?
Wow, maybe more worthwhile bands are showing up in Singapore. When I lived there, the entire country went nuts when the Red Hot Chili Peppers showed up.
Yeah, this is one reason the Flaming Lips can do no wrong in my book. They've always been a "we will do whatever the fuck we want" kind of band from the very beginning. Even though a lot of their material has been questionable, it has still been done with a love for music.
This sounds like Deep Purple's Bananas...a whole lot about nothing. It's aging rock stars going through the motions. Eddie hardly looks like he cares. Back in high school when I was just discovering Van Halen I might have cared about this reunion. Now I feel like it would just depress me.
I'll just reiterate what some of you guys have said...I'm pretty excited for the new Pumpkins album. I didn't think the day would come where I could say that again.
If this album is crap then I'm giving up for good. This is your last chance, Billy.
Wow...really great interview. I'm with you guys...I'm really excited for this album now. It could all be Corgan hype, but he seemed pretty genuine about it. He nailed it on the head, too, their work since the band reformed has lost the emotional depth that made the old stuff so great. Without that connection, it's really just a nasally guy noodling around on his guitar. If this album can recapture any of the old stuffs' vibes, then I'd say it's a win.
Ok...while this is good it really highlights some frustration I've been having with the music that's been churned out the past few years. Loads of synth and dreamy vocals do not make a creative and original song. It's now easier than ever to record your own near-professional quality music so where is the creativity?
Sure, but I bet you would be pretty excited if one of your favorite bands got up there. I can't say I lose sleep over this stuff, but if the Cure had made it I'd be pumped.
Damn...after reading that I'll be incredibly disappointed if it doesn't happen. What if they all get up there, play, and shake hands after? A sign 2012 really is the end of the world?
I'd have to see the whole thing, but from the clip I'm not so sure the music really fits. There is a very specific vibe to silent film scores...it would have been cool if Air utilized that a bit. You know...make it modern. It just sound like...well...how Air usually sounds.
Believe it or not, Billy is always reaching to relive the Siamese era. Back when they broke up in 2000 and they released Untitled, Billy commented on how people were telling him it sounded like Siamese era Pumpkins. His response was something along the lines of..."See...told you we could bust that sound out anytime...we were just, like, holding it back..."
Alcest has a new album coming? Awesome! Hopefully less death metal and more shoegaze like their first full length.
And 0 comments? For shame...everyone go pick up Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde and Ecailles De Lune like...now.
I like it...there has been some decent music coming out of the nu gaze scene. Ringo Deathstarr, Morpheme, Gliss and quite a few others are really mining this sound. Sadly, it's only a matter of time before it gets really tired and boring, but I'll enjoy it while it's going strong.
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