What are you listening to right now?

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:46 am

I'm currently listening to Franz Ferdinand's difficult second album in readiness for seeing them tonight.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:55 am

Enjoy! Why difficult? Seems very straightforward to me. As the TV ad says, quoting !, 'bigger, brighter, better,' or something like that. That said, I couldn't stop playing the first when I got it, whereas the new one is a little too predictable, and makes me think 'why put that on when I could be lisstening to something much denser and more involving like Elbow or Arcade Fire, or preparing for Dylan on Sunday with further explorations of the Bobiverse?'

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 11:47 am

Who Shot Sam? wrote:Listened to McCartney's Chaos And Creation for the first time today. Apart from the lovely "Jenny Wren" and to a lesser extent "Riding To Vanity Fair", I don't understand how people can view it as any kind of return to form. Guess this will be my nominee for most overrated album of the year. I think that people want him to make a great record so badly that they tend to forgive more than they might from a lesser artist.

I think it deserves the praise it has been getting but I wouldn't call it "a return to form" only because I think his albums have been getting progressively better each time since at least 1989's Flowers In The Dirt (don't know about the 3 classical albums in the meantime).

Classical influences are surely much more apparent in this one than in the last two but I like how they are used without being at all overbearing or annoying, they just work powerfully. I kept thinking of EC in this regard, that he could try something as ambitious and not just on a record like North or The Juliet Letters, since Il Sogno. McCartney also played most of the instruments.

There's a lot going on - it's pretty dense (though not heavy); lots of subtle instrumentation in mostly complex arrangements, the songs are consistently well written (it occured to me that many of the lyrics are introspective and outerspective simultaneously), there's tasteful nods to The Beatles and Wings... it's all extremely well nuanced and thought provoking. I knew it was one of those records where it would help me a lot to look at the lyrics a couple of times initially and am now finding it very easy to enjoy.

Post by **BlueChair** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 11:53 am

Otis Westinghouse wrote:how can you not love them, Blue, they're so much more interesting to listen to than almosst everything new that's out there.

I'm sure they're a terrific band, but their music simply doesn't excite me at all. Maybe I need to listen to their record again. And I'm not saying that in anti-new music sort of way, because there have been at least half a dozen albums this year that I find more interesting to listen to... Sufjan Stevens, M. Ward, and Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings to name a few. I'm looking forward to sharing Best of 2005 lists with everyone when it feels appropriate

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 12:07 pm

For me it was fourth/fifth play album. After hearing Mug and others rave about it, there was a definite element of 'what's the fuss all about?' when I first heard it, as there often is with stuff that you then go on to adore. It's a very unique sound, and it's very moving. Emotion-stuffed music. Give it a couple of extra spins and see if you get nearer to it.

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 12:12 pm

Ultimate Kylie (2CDs). I'm amazed at how many consistently good pop songs she has had. I'm enjoying Put Yourself In My Place, I Believe In You, Spinning Around, Please Stay, In Your Eyes, Can't Get You Out Of My Head...

Has she cracked North America yet?

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 12:31 pm

bambooneedle wrote:Ultimate Kylie (2CDs). I'm amazed at how many consistently good pop songs she has had. I'm enjoying Put Yourself In My Place, I Believe In You, Spinning Around, Please Stay, In Your Eyes, Can't Get You Out Of My Head...

Has she cracked North America yet?

Not really. Kinda like Robbie Williams in that regard. I think more people are aware of her than 2-3 years ago, but she's not nearly as well-known here as she is in the UK and Australia.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 12:36 pm

Arcade Fire's self-titled EP (2003 but just re-released this year) is also worthwhile. Not as good as Funeral if only because it's not the big, coherent work that Funeral is, but there are some moments of brilliance that are very welcome once you've played Funeral four thousand times and are dying for more. The first track, Old Flame, is the best and could easily hold its own against the Funeral tracks. Plus it's in a favorite (if minor-- I could name about four) tradition of songs about moths being drawn to flame, as in Virginia Woolf's essay.

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:11 pm

Who Shot Sam? wrote:Not really. Kinda like Robbie Williams in that regard. I think more people are aware of her than 2-3 years ago, but she's not nearly as well-known here as she is in the UK and Australia.

Hmm... how impenetrable a market North America must be...

El Vez · Post by **El Vez** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:44 pm

bambooneedle wrote:
Who Shot Sam? wrote:Not really. Kinda like Robbie Williams in that regard. I think more people are aware of her than 2-3 years ago, but she's not nearly as well-known here as she is in the UK and Australia.
Hmm... how impenetrable a market North America must be...

We beat back the tide of Yahoo Serious so unless you're from Liverpool and at least one of you is highly photogenic you can pretty much piss off.

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:51 pm

At least we don't sound like we're going arhh arhh all the time when we speak. Got a spring stuck in your throats, or what?

mood swung · Post by **mood swung** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:52 pm

Yahoo Serious over Crocodile Dundee any day.

I remember Kylie from the late 80's?? is that right?? she had a big obnoxious hit, went away for a long time and then popped up again a couple years ago. So, if I've heard of her (outside of the board), living under a rock in the backwaters of rural turista hell as I do, then she must've had a considerable impact. I mean, I managed to miss the whole Achy Breaky Heart phenomena.

El Vez · Post by **El Vez** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:52 pm

Bama Lama Boo -

Yeah, yeah...go back to worshipping your bronzed bust of Bryan Brown why don't you.

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:54 pm

I hate Bryan Brown, I'm more Jack Thomson, Russell Crowe... that sort of lineage...

El Vez · Post by **El Vez** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:56 pm

That's not what your autographed, 3 disc anniversary dvd of F/X 2 is tellin' me.

Come on....you watch The Thornbirds at least once a week. 'Fess up.

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:04 pm

I read The Raven. But also kick back and enjoy our* wonderfully fucked up and pathetic 'manly' sense of humour. So do they.

*Australia's

Mike Boom · Post by **Mike Boom** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:20 pm

Almost makes me homesick for the Land of the Great White Cloud.

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:21 pm

I've got a lot of respect for Kylie Minogue - she's been at the top of our charts consistently for 18 years. That's a mighty long time shaking it in pop... That has got to top Olivia Newton John.

Mike Boom · Post by **Mike Boom** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:27 pm

Nevermind Manchester, Australia has a lot to answer for hasnt it?

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 2:54 pm

Oi mate, ya can't do that, it wouldn't be austraaaaalian... gonna buy some fush n' chups? or is it more like fuesch n' chiaaahps now that you're in Texas Moike Boom?

Kylie's done Australia proud since she was knee high to a grasshopper.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 3:33 pm

selfmademug wrote:it's in a favorite (if minor-- I could name about four) tradition of songs about moths being drawn to flame, as in Virginia Woolf's essay.

Go on then, please!

Can't Get You Out Of My Head is an all-time party classic, especially the Blue Monday version.

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 5:04 pm

I'm with bamboo on this one.
Well, at least I prefer Kylie to Madonna.

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 5:40 pm

mood swung wrote:I remember Kylie from the late 80's?? is that right?? she had a big obnoxious hit, went away for a long time and then popped up again a couple years ago.

Mood, was the obnoxious hit (as I suspect) I Should Be So Lucky?

Only some of her Stock Aitken & Waterman singles were good - Step Back In Time, Shocked, Better The Devil You Know, What Do I Have To Do... (and it turns out some of these are dance mix versions of the originals and bad ones at that for the most part. Oh well, it's only those SA&W ones on Disc 1). Yeah, she had a kind of resurgence since the single Spinning Around back then, featuring the famous gold shorts.

Madonna's constant reinventions were so wanky - now I'm the little girl lost (Btw, 'Papa Don't Preach' should be 'Papa, Don't Preach'), now I'm a dominatrix, now I'm spiritual, now I'm pretending I'm a disco queen again, it's all part of my art....

Post by **BlueChair** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 6:12 pm

Let's not forget Kylie's contributions to "Where The Wild Roses Grow," one of Nick Cave's best songs.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 7:01 pm

Madonna's rear end is in such good shape in her new vid that it looks like she must have an ass-double, but clearly it's all her own.

I am listening to an altogether more listenable woman, the awesome Gillian Welch, and her most awesomely awesome moment, Time (the Revelator). It's just too good to be true, isn't it?