A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

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WestwayKid
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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by WestwayKid »

matedog wrote:
13 Sep 2021, 10:33am
WWK is up right?
Yes. Will get something up later today. Thanks for the reminder.
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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

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We're still doing this? It's going from weekly series to holiday special to reunion episode.
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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

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Dr. Medulla wrote:
13 Sep 2021, 11:18am
We're still doing this? It's going from weekly series to holiday special to reunion episode.
It's been pretty regular. Labor Day through the septics off last week.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Dr. Medulla »

matedog wrote:
13 Sep 2021, 11:56am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
13 Sep 2021, 11:18am
We're still doing this? It's going from weekly series to holiday special to reunion episode.
It's been pretty regular. Labor Day through the septics off last week.
Seems like every three weeks or so.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by WestwayKid »

Hot Snakes – Six Wave Hold Down: A few years old, but just heard it again on a local station. It’s catchy and relentless. I like the descending chords in the chorus. I also like the wall of sound they’ve got going on.


TORRES – Don’t Go Puttin’ Wishes in My Head: It starts out synth heavy and a bit minimalist, but then she builds it into a something far more interesting and anthemic.


Parquet Courts – Waking at a Downtown Pace: Frenetic and anxious and brimming with energy. Clash Mk. II gang vocals on the chorus, but I don’t find them off putting. Bass line is epic and drums lope along with a loose groove.


Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime: I know nothing about this guy, but I heard it on the radio and was captivated. It’s timeless, yet current. I love his guitar playing. He’s expressive without being boring or indulgent.


Film School – Superperfection: I like the sound and tone of the vocal. It works with the claustrophobically dense music. There is just enough melody, not too much, not too little.
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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

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Hot Snakes – Six Wave Hold Down:
Yep I liked this it reminded me of a more shouty version of The Strokes early material.

TORRES – Don’t Go Puttin’ Wishes in My Head:
Not too mad on this one until the track builds up. Then it is pretty decent but it takes too long to reach it's crescendo. 5/10

Parquet Courts – Waking at a Downtown Pace:

I played this one through a few times and it got better with each play. I like it's pace. I don't think the vid did it any favors. 8/10

Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime
Never heard of this guy but that is some cool playing and a great vibe to what amounts to a very sublime protest song. 8/10

Film School – Superperfection

This one had all the feel of an art project. I think I would've preferred just an instrumental version. But I did dig it. 7/10

Nice mix of tracks WWK.
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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by gkbill »

Hello,

A side note: this is among my favorite threads despite me being behind a week. Anyplace I can hear new music is a good place.

Slime - good ol' punk stuff without pretension right here - I like this - good energy - this would be a very fun song to see live in a bar.

Paranoid Visions - vocals were a bit off-putting - maybe too scared-ish - I like the track otherwise - I hope the vocals take on a different tone on other tracks.

Anhrefn - okay - sounds a little too stereotypical - not a bad track, just not as good as I hoped or think they could be.

Oi Polloi - good buzzy guitar sound - good energy

Les Partisans - nice - the horns add a bit could use more energy - liked these guys - hope they have a good message.

And

Hot Snakes - I had some stuff by these guys a while back (I'll have to dig them out) - enough rough edges, enough singing, enough screaming - good energy - yes, these guys check a lot of boxes for me - I like it.

Torres - decent but doesn't excite me - if getting excited isn't a priority (sometimes that's true for me), your opinion may differ.

Parquet Courts - I'm mixed on these guys - pretty good, more polished than I usually care for - less angry, more compliant but it's one of their better tracks.

Mdou Moctar - bluesy, catchy - vocals and guitar seem to clash (not that that's a bad thing) - more rhythm than what I would consider a typical blues song without sounding Rhythm & Blues-ish

Film School - pretty good groove - dislike the soft, whispery vocals - still, a decent track.

Thanks to all. Again, I like hearing new stuff and this thread does that.

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by oliver »

Hot Snakes - like this a lot. If you described it to me, I'm not sure I'd get the appeal, especially with the scream-y vocals but it works. And it's relentlessly good.

TORRES - there's something a little unusual about her voice and I can't quite put my finger on what it is. I do like the the strange mix of styles but I wish it just had a bit more of everything, like it's a little subdued

Parquet Courts - at times like this, I wish I had the skills to do a mash-up. The music here with a different vocal would be amazing. Not that I really dislike it but I don't think the voice is doing it any favours... I think it's dragging it down a little rather than elevating it.

Mdou Moctar - wasn't sure what to make of this until the drums kicked in, and then it most definitely delivered. I must admit, approaching the minute mark I was looking at the timer and thinking 'another 6 1/2 minutes?' but once it got going and the drums did that speeding-up thing like a freight train, then I didn't want it to end.

Film School - good stuff but could do with a different video. I often joke about things hurting my eyes (anything with The Enemy in it for example) but this literally did. TBH, not sure I could improve on your description - sums it up perfectly.
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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Apologies for my tardiness. I won't protest any late penalties.

Hot Snakes, “Six Wave Hold Down.” Goddamn, the music reminds me of someone else—like, a lot—of someone I really dig (Pixies?), but I’m blanking. I’m not sold on the vocal approach. He seems like he’s competing with the music rather than working with it. Still, this has an addictive energy.

Torres, “Don’t Go Puttin’ Wishes in My Head.” I’m reminded of a critic who said that Snow Patrol made arena rock for those who were ideologically opposed to arena rock. Which is to say, they want indie cover for liking REO Speedwagon and the like. It’s an observation that pops into my head whenever I hear stuff like this. I don’t dislike it mainly because it doesn’t have enough there for me to respond to. It’s generic indie fluff acting bold.

Parquet Courts, “Waking at a Downtown Pace.” I’ve tried out one of their albums because they were recommended as appealing, I think, to fans of the Fall. Maybe it was this album. Can’t say because it just kind of went in one ear and, unimpeded by anything in between, out the other. This is okay but I’m not sure it’s something that grabs and makes me want to listen again. Still, it does have a kind of wry cocksuredness that I like.

Mdou Moctar, “Afrique Victime.” Acknowledging that the guy is pretty dang good with the guitar, this just isn’t my thing. A bit too guitar wankery for my tastes, tho I was pretty partial to the madness in the last couple minutes of the song.

Film School, “Superperfection.” I thought I knew these guys, but I must be thinking of a band with a similar name. Anyway. This is good shit—at least in terms of music. The vocals are a distraction from the cool psychedelic groove, like they want you to be bored than hypnotized.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by matedog »

WestwayKid wrote:
13 Sep 2021, 4:01pm
Hot Snakes – Six Wave Hold Down: nice screamy rocker. Interesting chord progression, great vocal performance. Nothing groundbreaking, but a solid tune. 7/10

TORRES – Don’t Go Puttin’ Wishes in My Head: Per usual, your picks have one or two ones I already dig. Like you said, the build up is great on this - 7.5/10

Parquet Courts – Waking at a Downtown Pace: Your description is spot on regarding the groove. Very infectious drums/bass. Vocals bring it down a little for me and the chord progression never really changes except for the gang vocal breakdown. I wish it did a little more, so I can't rate it too highly 6/10.

Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime: Certainly different from any picks we've on had on this thus far. Cool free flowing intro with a surprising kinda acid rock transition to that reggaton beat with interesting chorus vocals. Fucking love those 80s drums. Drags on way too long with the guitar work at the end, though I do like how nasty it gets. Still, very cool stuff and I'm going to dig into this guy(s) more. 8/10.

Film School – Superperfection: Interestingly, I don't like the sound/tone of the vocal. I like the guitar tone, the general airyness. I wish it was a little more direct. 5/10.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by matedog »

I'll post mine next Monday if that works for everyone.
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

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Santigold – Who I Thought You Were - I vacillated between about ten different songs from my beloved Santi and ended up with one I think would resonate best with this group. She loves everything from Devo (her favorite band) to dancehall to hip hop and her music always reflects these broad influences. And to top it off, she knows how to write a hook.


Sincere Engineer – Hurricane of Misery – Hot off the presses from a few weeks ago. Further proof that there is still great, hooky, energetic guitar rock coming out these days. I’m detecting some punk, emo, alt rock influences and the band really had fun with this arrangement. The singer can belt too.


Twin Shadow – Get Closer - Another recent 2021 release. Dominican born Twin Shadow has putting out some great indie synth pop, dabbling in gospel, soul, and funk for the last ten or so years. This newest release has a brighter, peppier Caribbean influence. He also knows his way around a good hook.


Cody Chesnutt – Look Good in Leather – Cody wrote and recorded most of this lo fi album in his bedroom for probably $10. The album is all over the place stylistically and a real unique gem of that era anchored by Cody’s terrific soulful voice. Consequently, it’s hard to pick one song from the album, but I chose this one because it’s a stupid, catchy, and braggadocious and I think the video is a lot of fun. It probably cost $15 to make, but everyone looks like they are having a blast even when it gets a bit repetitive at the end.

Also I love that I can only find a shitty res upload from 2007.


Latin Playboys – Offshoot of Los Lobos, this album is a lot of cool, loose structures rooted in Mexican-American culture. It has a great, organic sound not unlike what Tom Waits was doing at the time and I wish I could pick multiple tracks because the album is so interesting. I can’t describe this album better than Allmusic: “Grounded in roots music, the lyrics and song structures are almost impressionistic in tone, creating an effect similar to listening to your car radio as stations drift in and out of reach while you drive along the Mexican border.”
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Making up for my lazy-assery with WWK’s picks …

Santigold, "Who I Thought You Were.” Something that clearly draws from early 80s synth new wave without being a slavish copycat. It’s like a mature reconsideration of new wave. And groovy as all get out. This is flat-out fantastic.

Sincere Engineer, "Hurricane of Misery.” I want to make some kind of engineer joke, but I’m blanking. Fuck the world for that. This is perfectly fine for what it is—and I honestly don’t mean that in a dismissive way—but it does make me think about the limitations of that pop punk blueprint. It’s fun while it’s playing but it’s entirely forgettable. Which, again, isn’t really a dis—there are plenty of pop songs I love that fit that definition. But it is rather constrained.

Twin Shadow, "Get Closer.” Surprisingly deliberate and earnest for something so catchy. It’s also kinda neat that you can hear the Caribbean perspective, but it’s really not foregrounded in a way that we usually expect. It’s a neat collection of surprises.

Cody Chesnutt, "Look Good in Leather.” There’s a lovely timelessness here. This sounds like it could have come from 1972, 1982, 1992, or any time after. It’s that partying post-60s r & b. Just gloriously fun.

Latin Playboys, “Forever Night Shade Mary.” Smooth and confident, tho it’s not really my thing because I despise Mexicans and their culture. No, wait, that was out loud. What I really mean is that it’s a bit too languid for what I go for.

Overall, a very nice selection. Treat yourself to the Mountain Dew of your favour.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by matedog »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
27 Sep 2021, 9:14pm
I despise Mexicans and their culture. No, wait, that was out loud. Treat yourself to the Mountain Dew of your favour.
:lol:
Code Red it is!
Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by oliver »

Santigold - one of those artists I like without ever buying anything or seeking anything else out. I like this but not spectacularly, even though every aspect of it is interesting. Maybe it's time to go further - what's a recommended album?

Sincere Engineer - the vocal reminds me of Camp Cope, I was almost waiting for a "show 'em, Kelly."
I was a little put off by the intro and the opening lines but it got better and better. The sort of thing I'd like to listen to while driving, which I barely ever do now.

Twin Shadow - enjoyable but I can't deny my attention was waning a touch towards the end. It definitely stayed the right side of not being cliched (both musically and lyrically) but didn't have me jumping around.

Cody Chesnutt - like a Right Said Fred I wouldn't be ashamed to be bleeding out of my headphones. I really like the guitar lines at about 1:19 and his voice is very smooth but I'm not a fan of the leather obsession (don't ask)

Latin Playboys - at first I was like 'bit noodly, not for me' but it kind of gets under your skin and I ended up liking it a lot and going back for repeated listens. A fine choice.
Putting a little stick about. Putting the frighteners on flash little twerps

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