The Pitchfork News/reviews thread

[Still-ill]

Eh, it's still in that No Age two piece noise vein.

[pancakespancakes]

You mean Wavves? I feel like he just introduced indie music listeners to the "lo-fi beach boredom" style that was kinda the dominant theme of 09... and Woodsist Records as well... Not that he invented it, but definitely popularized it.

[Still-ill]

Yeah I see what you're saying. I was kind of surprised when I found a Wavves CD in my ex-gf's car.

[MuseRadio]

I really don't understand how Veckatimest could be the 42nd best album of the decade but not one of the top 5 of the year. I understand that perspectives change, but still...the decade list wasn't that long ago.

I was thinking the EXACT same thing. No consistency at all.....

[wmgaretjax]

I was thinking the EXACT same thing. No consistency at all.....

Clearly. I mean. Their process should be rigidly defined and rigorously monitored by a group of continuity supervisors that all have the utmost concern for the fraught minds of music fans everywhere.

[Still-ill]

I snickered at that one.

[kreutz2112]

I'm definitely glad to see Japandroids and Neon Indian place so high.

[PassiveTheory]

Honestly? I'm glad to see Wavves get shafted.

My Maudlin Career should have placed, for sure. And The XX record is pretty much miserably boring too.

[bmack86]

The xx album is so awesome. It's really spare, but there's tons of tension and weird drive beneath the surface.

[miscorrections]

Seriously. And it got fully stuck in my head on the second listen. It's a really great album.

[Gribbz]

The video posted in the xx thread inspired me to give that album a second listen. Looking forward to seeing them live.

[rage patton]

Its really that good? I tried to listen to one song before and it was so boring I couldn't even make it through the whole song, let alone album. I dunno. Maybe I will give it a try sometime.

[miscorrections]

It really is that good. It's a sparse, sexy album.

[Gribbz]

Watch the video I mentioned Josh.

[suprefan]

Like nobody thought # 1 wouldnt be there? Fixed voting!

[wmgaretjax]

The XX album is brutally sexy. I was really surprised at how much I ended up listening to the album this year.

[miscorrections]

I think I want to listen again RIGHT NOW.

[mountmccabe]

I actually think the lazy or incompetent reader is the problem. The parallel that's being drawn isn't to the actual sonic content, but the shift in the manner in which the listener engages with the record.

Agreed.

Even if its true that they are "Addressing the manner in which the listener engages in the record" then they are wrong because like I already said if they are "revivalists" that shift hasn't happened "too soon" because Darklands which was JAMC's second album not Automatic was where that change occurred.

Eh. Maybe. Automatic is a more clear signpost, with its brighter, cleaner almost power-pop sound, though.

What I am saying is that while there is a shift from Psychocandy to Darklands, there is a greater shift from the latter to Automatic.

I'd find it necessary to point out that every JAMC album represented a sonic shift; they were not ones to stay put.

From what I gathered from the Pitchfork review, it made it sounds like they thought Exploding Head should have been their Automatic, but they failed to deliver. Maybe I have serious reading comprehension issues, but that is how I read it. No matter how they meant it though, comparing it to Automatic is somewhat unfair and it seems a bit arbitrary.

I think the reviewer was suggesting that Automatic was more immediate, more streamlined and with clearer precedents than the earlier JAMC material... that it was just plain easier to listen to. And they were saying that Exploding Head shared some of these relative characteristics.

Also it doesn't excuse it much but at least they prefaced the Automatic discussion with an "if we're still classifying... [APTBS] as [JAMC] revivalists..."

Looking back at the discography I'll bet most people will look to Exploding Head as the true genesis of APTBS' sound instead of the initial release.

I think that is the fear expressed by the Pitchfork review. The debut seemed to promise more that what it appears they've settled for.


To clarify, I am attempting to clarify what the Pitchy reviewer was trying to say. I am rather certain I, at this time, disagree. I quite love the record and don't believe it's significantly "easier" or whatever than the debut.

[mountmccabe]

Also I concur on the love for XX... it's seductive and sultry as hell.

[miscorrections]

Someday I'ma bone to that album. It's been a long time since the arrival of something so hot.

[OutOfmYminD]

Crystalised is a great song.

I'm surprised Bat for Lashes made it so high on the list, loved the first cd but I gave up on the second pretty early. Anyone vouch for it?

Fever Ray.... That voice just grates on me, not in a good way.

[Gribbz]

I really liked "Two Suns." I think it's pretty unique. Bat for Lashes are incredible live too.

[hawkingvsreeve]

So 9 of my top 15 are on P4K's list, in almost the same order.

I'm a goddamn clone.

In my defense, I posted my list well before they did.

[dorkfish]

Not from Pitchy, but this is a good interview with Grant Hart from Husker Du:

http://www.blurt-online.com/features/view/520

sample:

Q: Do you ever feel like your contributions to Husker Du are overlooked?
Grant: This isn't thrown out as a condemnation of Bob, but I think that my fans know my material better than a lot of Bob's fans know his material. The reason I say that is every time I've gone to see a Bob Mould concert, someone has yelled out the name of one of my songs. When I'm out touring, I maybe hear that one out of five concerts.
The last couple of years of Husker Du proved this, but the larger your audience is the more dumb elements it's going to encompass. Bob's fans who never heard Husker Du, but heard Sugar first have more of a "Grant sucks" kind of attitude. I think with the popularity of Copper Blue, Bob ended up with a bunch of cowboys for listeners. If Bob and I were as competitive as our fans are, we would have never gotten past Land Speed Record.

Q: I'm surprised to hear that you go to Bob Mould shows.
Grant: The only times they've ever been uncomfortable is because of the effect I would have on the people immediately adjacent to me. I don't like going to a show and being watched unless it's my show.
I think the world is better off [with Bob and I having separate careers]. They get more music this way, and if anyone wants the old records they're still out there.

[bmack86]

That sounds less bitter than other recent interviews. Maybe his last tour went well.

[psycobetabuckdown]

I hope I'm not alone on this but, Manners by Passion Pit was pretty horrible.

I'm very wtf about Passion Pit. His voice is hella annoying. And they just seem like generic electronic pop songs that will not last. Or maybe I should listen to them again.

[dorkfish]

Vic Chesnutt's in a coma after a failed suicide attempt (according to Kristen Hersh). Rough.

[bmack86]

Holy damn...

[dorkfish]

and now he's died.

[paulthomasanderson]

Via Pitchfork:

Here's a handy city-by-city guide to what's happening on December 31, as the aughties (noughties?) become the tens (teens?) Obviously, this list is far from comprehensive, so check your local listings.

CHICAGO, IL

The Jesus Lizard, Disappears - Metro
Jens Lekman - Empty Bottle
The Fiery Furnaces, Cryptacize - Lincoln Hall
Girl Talk - Congress Theater
Crystal Castles, Pretty Good Dance Moves - Logan Square Auditorium
The Black Keys, Kurt Vile & the Violators - The Riviera
Local H, Electric Six, White Mystery - Double Door
Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, Wild Sweet Orange - Subterranean
Pegboy - Beat Kitchen
BBU - Darkroom
Mark Ronson, the Drums, Airborne Toxic Event, the Virgins - River East Art Center
Bobby Bare Jr., David Vandervelde - Schubas
The Hood Internet, Bald Eagle - Smart Bar
Spires That in the Sunset Rise - Reversible Eye
Ssion - Berlin
Supersuckers - Reggie's Music Joint
Tight Phantomz, White Savage - Quenchers Saloon
The Tossers, Yakuza, Scott Lucas & His Married Men - Reggie's Rock Club
Prefuse 73 - Aragon Ballroom
Urge Overkill - House of Blues Back Porch Stage

NEW YORK, NY

Patti Smith - Bowery Ballroom
Passion Pit (DJ set) - Pianos
MSTRKRFT - Webster Hall
Fischerspooner - Irving Plaza
Q-Tip, Dâm-Funk - Brooklyn Bowl
Chuck Berry - BB King's
Surfer Blood, Frankie and the Outs, Beach Fossils, We Are Country Mice, Lemonade - Cameo Gallery
Frankie and the Outs, Talk Normal, Screaming Females - Cake Shop
Titus Andronicus, The Detroit Cobras - Mercury Lounge
Dean & Britta, The Felix Brothers - Southpaw
Antibalas - Knitting Factory
Obits, Eli "Paperboy Reed" - The Bell House
Project Jenny, Project Jan - Union Hall
The Felice Brothers - Southpaw
Paul Van Dyk - Roseland
Golden Triangle, DJ JG Thirlwell - Glasslands

LOS ANGELES, CA

Erykah Badu - House of Blues - Sunset Strip (West Hollywood)
A-Trak, DJ Mehdi, Boys Noize - Hollywood Palladium
Peanut Butter Wolf (video set), Chromeo, VEGA, Gaslamp Killer - Club Nokia
Mika Miko - The Smell
DJ Quik - Key Club
Above & Beyond, Miguel Migs, Christopher Lawrence - Hotel Bonaventure
Dengue Fever - The Mint
Avi Buffalo - Long Beach East Village Arts District
Reverend Horton Heat - House of Blues
The English Beat - Brixton
The Head Cat ft. Lemmy - Viper Room
David Guetta, John Digweed, Sander Kleinenberg - Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arwena

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

The Flaming Lips, Stardeath and White Dwarfs (performing Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon) - Cox Center Downtown

MILWAUKEE, WI

Spoon, Jay Reatard - Riverside Theater

PHILADELPHIA, PA

Mos Def - Trocadero

ATLANTA, GA

Band of Horses - The Tabernacle
Black Lips - The Earl

ATHENS, GA

Washed Out, List Christee (Kevin Barnes from Of Montreal, DJ set), DJ A Dot (Dottie Alexander from Of Montreal, DJ set) - Chase Park Warehouse (159 Oneta St)
Atlas Sound, Supercluster, the Selmanaires - 40 Watt

SEATTLE, WA

Apparat, Lusine, Nosaj Thing - Neumos
Minus the Bear - Showbox
Aqueduct - Crocodile Cafe

LAS VEGAS, NV

Mayer Hawthorne - Hard Rock Hotel
Merle Haggard - Star of the Desert Arena

KANSAS CITY, MO

Parliament/Funkadelic - KCI Expo Center

DETROIT, MI

The Von Bondies - Hyatt Regency

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

The Roots - The Warfield
Afrika Bambaataa, Zion I - Club 6ix
Devin the Dude - Shattuck Down Low
The Morning Benders, Miniature Tigers - Bottom of the Hill
Ozomatli, Bassnectar, Ghostland Observatory - Concourse Exhibition Center
X - Slim's

DENVER, CO

Madlib - Re:Creation at Gothic Theatre

PORTLAND, OR

Murder City Devils, Jello Biafra and the Guatanamo School of Medicine - The Roseland Theater
Quasi (covering the Who), the Shaky Hands - The Doug Fir
Flying Lotus - The 2410
Lifesavas - Someday Lounge
Jaguar Love - Rotture

AUSTIN, TX

Flosstradamus - Seaholm Power Plant

WASHINGTON, DC

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - 9:30 Club

BOSTON, MA

Amanda Palmer - Symphony Hall
Kristin Hersh - Emmanuel Church
Mr. Brownstone (Guns N Roses cover band) - Paradise Rock Club

HOBOKEN, NJ

Roky Erikson - Maxwell's

MIAMI, FL

The B-52's - Hard Rock Live
Lady Gaga - Fontainebleau Miami Beach Poolside
Kid Cudi - W Hotel