Post Random Music-Related Thoughts You Have

[PHATJ]

There's a handful of Arcade Fire songs I've mildly enjoyed over the years. I went to a show on the Reflektor tour, mostly because my concert buddy was pretty interested. It wasn't a great show. I haven't paid any attention to them since.

[LoathedVermin72]

Funeral is good but I stopped caring after that.

[chewm]

Listening to the Cymbals Eat Guitars record now and I can definetely say that I love that stuff. It's nothing special, just really nice.

[Higgs]

Funeral is good but I stopped caring after that.

Yeah, that's a good album. Not a lot I love after that though, except for some individual tracks here and there.

[Norah]

I love AF, especially the first three albums.

[Monkey_Driven]

I love AF, especially the first three albums.

Yeah, the Suburbs is an all timer for me.

[Jorge]

You know what album contains some surprisingly good Arcade Fire music that doesn't really sound anything like Arcade Fire? The original soundtrack for the movie Her. Some really beautiful piano pieces there that sound a bit like Erik Satie.

[Kevin Davis]

Listening to the Cymbals Eat Guitars record now and I can definetely say that I love that stuff. It's nothing special, just really nice.

I feel like "nothing special" is the feeling I consistently take away from bands like this (meaning these garagey-indie-punky variants that are constantly popping up, of which there are many on this list). There are always moments throughout where I think "hey, that's a nice harmony," or "I'm enjoying the general vibe of this," but so rarely does any of it stick. Most of the time the songwriting just isn't there, and the arrangement/aesthetic just feels too staid at this point to be compelling on its own. There are exceptions, of course, but in general my tastes are really moving away from this conventional indie rock sound. There are so few surprises left in it.

[tragabigzanda]

[Kevin Davis]

Not deeply, I just know him as a peripheral member of Sonic Youth and Wilco.

[tragabigzanda]

[bodysnatcher]

Not deeply, I just know him as a peripheral member of Sonic Youth and Wilco.

Knowing your appreciation of smart pop music, I think there are a couple albums you'd love. I'll get them to you when I get a moment.

I need to look more into him. I've always loved his Insignificance album

[tragabigzanda]

Top 10 maybe?
Hello Morning
Close Captioned
The Kill
Place/Position
Do You Like Me?
Latest Disgrace
Recap Modotti
Nightshop
Break
Life & Limb

I'd maybe bump Life & Limb for Epic Problem

[Jorge]

Not sure that qualifies as a hot take, Trag. We might have to go to the judges on this one.

[Jorge]

(Simple Songs is the only album of his I've heard. It's just great.)

[tragabigzanda]

[LoathedVermin72]

12

[bodysnatcher]

i have a saved mp4 on my phone of a crackling fire that i play any time i'm about to give a hot take in conversation. my friends find it extremely annoying, which only makes me do it more.

[Kevin Davis]

Not deeply, I just know him as a peripheral member of Sonic Youth and Wilco.

Knowing your appreciation of smart pop music, I think there are a couple albums you'd love. I'll get them to you when I get a moment.

I need to look more into him. I've always loved his Insignificance album

I'll send you some too. My hot take on his catalog:

Bad Timing An instrumental record on which O'Rourke tries his hand at John Fahey-style Future Primitive guitar. Hypnotic and instantly familiar. Great record for getting work done.

Eureka A vocal record. Here Jim tackles the sounds of Burt Bacharach, Van Dyke Parks, and songwriters of that ilk ("smart adult pop music" for lack of better term). Bittersweet melodies and traditionally happy instrumentation mask the dark lyrics; this becomes his calling card on all his vocal albums.

Halfway To a Threeway A vocal ep. A mostly acoustic affair, it's somber and sort of sleepy. It's a strong piece of work, but I'd put it near the bottom of your to-do list.

Insignificance One of three masterworks, IMO. A vocal album on which he puts his unique spin on the sounds of Creedance Clearwater Revival, Jim Croce, and other twang-oriented songwriters. This album encompasses the broadest range of his sounds, from skronky southern rock/pop, to '70s Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter, to schmaltzy lounge pop. Notable for its inclusion of Jeff Tweedy and Glenn Kotche; sort of a sonic precursor to the second Loose Fur record.

The Visitor Absolutely stunning instrumental music, and the second master work in his catalog. Shades of George Winston, Steve Reich, John Fahey, Terry Riley, John Adams, and Japanese orchestral music. Despite drawing from a range of instrumental composers, and with a strong dose of minimalism, I can't think of another record that sounds like this. Melodies slowly reveal themselves, blossom into full-fledged sonic concepts, before petering out and giving way to something new. Not to be missed.

Simple Songs His most recent master work. A vocal album in which he takes the pop tendencies of his previous records and dials the melodic interplay, production, and dark vocals up to a higher level of execution. Things that sound immediately simple and familiar reveal themselves over time to be quite complex and idiosyncratic.

Beyond these albums, you're getting into his overtly experimental works. I'd leave those be until you've enjoyed these mainstream releases a bit.

Excellent, thanks! A lot of these sound right up my alley.

[bodysnatcher]

same here, looking forward to checking out some of these. too bad they aren't on spotify