oceanRain

To be fair to Mr. Lukowski, he does replace sophomore with second. Anyway, why all the national fervor? I notice PF use Britishisms all the time. Meh.

I like Tori Amos. Too bad more mainstream pop artists don't have her sense of adventure.

Thanks to DiS's Wendy Roby for turning me onto thisa one. Cheers. It'll be getting a top vote from me in the end-of-the-year sweepstakes.

and this record does live up to the hype. Me = 8/10 Fans should go find the fanmade video of drunk dude falling down in a mini-mart on "Should Have Taken Acid with You". Tis funny.

but I liked it. Seems like a natural thing to marry shoegaze w/ krautrock...so I'm gonna get this one.

Agreed, one of my favs of the year. A little disappointed to find out Military Madness is a cover: I was gonna nominate it as song of the year...erm, maybe I still will. Anyway, a very promising band: I dig 'em.

but can't comment beyond that. Nicely written review.

and it still does.

It kinda reminds me of the Microphones, how I really dig the spazz moments and then there's long period where the album washes over me (not necessarily in a bad way).

I gave S&BB a minute of myspace time and I quite liked it. I might even give this review a pass (prog?) and buy it anyway.

I thought it was a bit of a drop-off from debut, but nothing to split hairs over.

but it was good. This is good record. This is a good review.

with this (excellent) review. Heh. Hope DiS ain't getting paid on the click-throughs here.

I wasn't gonna bother...but you've talked me into it.

This album is good but it lacks the standout tracks (eg 5.15 Train) of its predecessor.

Ringo Deathstarr - Yay!
Air - Meh
Leisure Society - Nay
Stricken City - Yay
La Roux - Meh
Kindness - Nay
The Drums - Meh
Lou Barlow - Yay
The Phen Handclap - Meh
Graham Coxon - Meh
Bowling for Soup - wtf
DP - Yay
Stornoway - Meh
Mumford & Sons - Yay
Matt & Kim - Yay

Ringo Deathstarr deffo warrants further investigation.

but, 8/10, okay I'll check 'em (Lakeside video)....

I gotta say that song wasn't in any way shape or form up to TVotR standards. Just some uninspired noodling. Meh.

Nicely written review...just don't agree with it.

But somehow shilling for Target, a US dept store, seems hypocritical.

They *do* sound like Nickelback and Creed, which somehow must make PJ even better, considering how close they get to that dogshit everytime they sit down to write a song.

and just before pronouncing, "Get a lesson!" there's this sudden realization that VG are really good.

There's some very promising stuff here.

Pavement really *are* <i>all that and a bag o' chips!</i>...obviously. Who cares about all this "legacy" bullshit. It's Pavement. And they're back!

I'll give it a proper listen tomorrow, but based on a quickie run-through I'd be tempted to bump your score a notch: I like it.

2009 has been a much better year for UK bands.

Nice review. Cheers.x

My friends flew out from LA to see it.

Japandroids really get my ears to perk up. I dunno about album of the year, but it's definitely in my top 10.

Amazing number of great, unsophisticated lo-fi thrashers on the scene nowadays: No Age, TNV, Wavves, Cymbals Eat Guitars, etc.

Did you guys (DiS) do that or did you lift it from somewhere? No matter. Whoever did it is pretty damn good with Photoshop.

review-wise and Mew-wise.

Destroyer - The Chosen Few.

According to iTunes I've heard it 152 times. It only gets better each time...in fact, let's make it 153....

Plants & Animals - Good Friend

Fuck Jay-Z. Fuck Justin Timberlake. Fuck Britney Spears. FUCK 'EM! How a webzine that champions indie rock can top load these acts in their top 500 is beyond comprehension. One Broken Social Scene album has more quality tunes than Britney has or will ever make. Fact.

Gotta add The Wrens - Boys, You Won't. Trail of Dead - Relative Ways. Wolf Parade - We Built Another World. Women - Group Hall Transport. The Pony's - Glass Conversation. British Sea Power - Fear of Drowning. Clinic - Hippy Death Suite. Band of Horses - The Funeral. Deerhunter - Nothing Ever Happens. Patrick Wolf - Tristan.

TVotR-Staring at the Sun = inspired choice.

Honored today, in this article, feels like being damned with faint praise.x

9/10 is generous, but I'm in no mood to argue. Tis a good record.

and go next year. Coachella (which is near me) doesn't thrill me, too much; but this P4K thing looks about perfect: 15 great, near-great bands in a comfortable environment. Plus, Chicago is a fun town.

Nice Pix.

And by and large I'm in full agreement. The only counterpoint I'd wish to make is that there are exceptions to the rule (hello, Pitchfork), and that lots of times a niche audience is all a great indie act can hope to attain. Manufactured hoopla over an undeserving NBT will inevitably fade away. (Why a band like Nickelback can sell a million records is the big question mark in the sky, but one that isn't limited to the internet generation. But really that's not even a question the critic necessarily needs to trouble himself with.)

As a bedroom critic (who pretends to be the real-deal sometimes), methinks there's always room for considered commentary.

I'll check it out.

fer sure.

really is one of the best 80s records.

"Year Zero mindset" -*shutters*

I reason I love DiS and Pitchfork and the like is because the writers talk to as an equal (well, y'know, close enough) even though it's understood they're a lot smarter than I am. I like the learning process good music journalism offers its readers (me).

"social media networking" expertise. Ha! Like employers are all standing around going, "do you know what the fuck is special about Facebook? Nope, neither do I. Let's hire somebody that does!"

I *always* wear a lycra cat-suit for inspiration. You guys don't, what?

except that I'm - probably - gonna be in disagreement: I have their ep (somewhere) and I like it. So I'm gonna get this record anyway. BBC aren't complicated or challenging, but they do a nice jangly pop...

as she seems destined to go straight to the Hollywood Bowl a la Adele or something. But she ain't no Kate Bush...based on 3 songs off myspazz, I give her 6/10.

I bought Engineers' debut and kinda remember it being pretty-okish...I'll check this one out.

but the one missed ingredient, methinks, is how all these alt.country (punk+country) -types love rockabilly. And old hot rods.

true enough. X's --> The Knitters were really good. But I think it's funny to remember how the Cuckoo's Nest (famed soCal punk club: Black Flag, DK, Circle Jerks etc) was right next door to this C&W club...and the punks and cowboys would every so often beat the shit out of each other in the parking lot. Ha!

but it's still fair. This review reads like how I hear Airborne Toxic Event. Those fuckers annoy the hell out of me.

Oh. And I feel compelled to point out our spiritually bankrupt town has some pretty good bands these days. Y'know, ATE notwithstanding. Plus, it's 72F and sunny year round, which if we're destined to Hell, seems like a pretty fair trade-off.

I'm a bit surprised by how well his q&a shows did; in LA the crowd was sitting down and none too many questions for Ira...but I was thinking "oh god, he's gonna say, 'well if there's no more questions, good night" so I badgered the poor guy....with whatever stupid thing I could think of: "where were you the first time you heard yourself on the radio?" "what's the craziest shit you've seen on the road?" and so on. YLT can pretty much play any ole thing off the tops of their heads. Great fun!

I keep thinking this is the best Euro festival show...better than any in the UK. I wonder if I'm right...hmm.

except that I think the genius -tag only belongs on someone who can bring me to tears. Ditto: great review.