A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

General music discussion.
revbob
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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by revbob »

Flex wrote:
09 Jan 2021, 5:28pm
...
Jessica Lee Wilkes - Groove's too Shallow
More contemporary that the other selections, the legendary shack shakers connection makes a lot of sense. This is definitely a post-cramps take on 'billy, in a great way. you and i gotta get together and get drunk listening to some JLW. Depending on where that happens, we can take in a rockies or lake monsters game after. 8/10
Unfortunately the future of the Lake Monsters is in serious doubt right now.

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by revbob »

matedog wrote:
09 Jan 2021, 2:42pm
So I've got a weird issue with stuff that completely rejects modernity. Like the last 60 years never happened, so I had a mixed time with this set and tried to not let that get away in my assessment of the actual music.
...
Would it help if they used auto tune?

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

Post by matedog »

revbob wrote:
10 Jan 2021, 8:22pm
matedog wrote:
09 Jan 2021, 2:42pm
So I've got a weird issue with stuff that completely rejects modernity. Like the last 60 years never happened, so I had a mixed time with this set and tried to not let that get away in my assessment of the actual music.
...
Would it help if they used auto tune?
Just some recognition that the last sixty years occurred.

I first realized this with the first Leon Bridges album which sounds immaculate but still rubbed me the wrong way. Someone like Amy Winehouse could take a vintage sound but still be modern. For example, her lyrics are not something you would have heard in the 50s.

It’s something I’m still trying to rationalize since there are bands like White Reaper that I love but are pretty throwback. Why is that okay, but not a lot of this rockabilly stuff?
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:
10 Jan 2021, 9:09pm
revbob wrote:
10 Jan 2021, 8:22pm
matedog wrote:
09 Jan 2021, 2:42pm
So I've got a weird issue with stuff that completely rejects modernity. Like the last 60 years never happened, so I had a mixed time with this set and tried to not let that get away in my assessment of the actual music.
...
Would it help if they used auto tune?
Just some recognition that the last sixty years occurred.
I do kind of understand where you're coming from. There's an aspect where it seems like a tribute band rather than genuine expression. It's not my conclusion, but there is that element to it all.
"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:
10 Jan 2021, 9:14pm
matedog wrote:
10 Jan 2021, 9:09pm
revbob wrote:
10 Jan 2021, 8:22pm
matedog wrote:
09 Jan 2021, 2:42pm
So I've got a weird issue with stuff that completely rejects modernity. Like the last 60 years never happened, so I had a mixed time with this set and tried to not let that get away in my assessment of the actual music.
...
Would it help if they used auto tune?
Just some recognition that the last sixty years occurred.
I do kind of understand where you're coming from. There's an aspect where it seems like a tribute band rather than genuine expression. It's not my conclusion, but there is that element to it all.
It’s hard because I do like rockabilly and it’s a terrific visual and musical aesthetic.
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 Heston »

Who's up?
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by oliver »

Heston wrote:
12 Jan 2021, 4:45pm
Who's up?
From page 73
BitterTom
gkbill
Flex
Marky Dread
Heston
Silent Majority
revbob
WestwayKid
matedog
Kory
oliver
JennyB
Olaf
Medulla

So... WWK?
Putting a little stick about. Putting the frighteners on flash little twerps

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

Post by revbob »

oliver wrote:
12 Jan 2021, 5:25pm
Heston wrote:
12 Jan 2021, 4:45pm
Who's up?
From page 73
BitterTom
gkbill
Flex
Marky Dread
Heston
Silent Majority
revbob
WestwayKid
matedog
Kory
oliver
JennyB
Olaf
Medulla

So... WWK?
Has he been around lately? Ive been confusing him with Kimmelweck for some reason

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

Post by Kory »

revbob wrote:
12 Jan 2021, 7:27pm
oliver wrote:
12 Jan 2021, 5:25pm
Heston wrote:
12 Jan 2021, 4:45pm
Who's up?
From page 73
BitterTom
gkbill
Flex
Marky Dread
Heston
Silent Majority
revbob
WestwayKid
matedog
Kory
oliver
JennyB
Olaf
Medulla

So... WWK?
Has he been around lately? Ive been confusing him with Kimmelweck for some reason
It's the reverse W and K. He's been active on Facebook at least.
"Suck our Earth dick, Martians!" —Doc

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

Post by Heston »

WestwayKid wrote:
16 Sep 2020, 3:01pm
Who is going after revbob? I have 5 I could throw out there.
Your turn again WWD if you're game?
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by WestwayKid »

Heston wrote:
12 Jan 2021, 8:09pm
WestwayKid wrote:
16 Sep 2020, 3:01pm
Who is going after revbob? I have 5 I could throw out there.
Your turn again WWD if you're game?
Sure thing. Let me think about it tonight and I'll post up some tracks in the morning.
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do." - Oscar Gamble

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by WestwayKid »


New Order – Be A Rebel
A welcome return from one of my favorite bands. I really enjoyed 2015’s “Music Complete” which was in my opinion their best outing since “Technique”. This standalone single calls to mind everything that makes New Order great, but without sounding like a band trying to sound like itself. They still sound like they have something to say. It’s on the more light-hearted side of NO, but it feels positive with bouncy, swooning synths mixed up with Bernard Sumner’s timeless/ageless voice. I don’t miss Peter Hook (I mean, I “miss” him as a musician, but the music doesn’t miss him). Tom Chapman does a good job filling the breach without sounding like he’s simply mimicking Hook.


Ryan Adams – When You Cross Over
I’m guessing this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I really like. I’ve long been a fan because I think his songwriting is excellent and I like how he has hit on so many different genres over the years (he even did a speed metal album). This new LP finds him back in his reflective singer-songwriter mode. This track is just incredibly beautiful (it’s about the death of his brother). I like the dynamics of the music: quiet acoustic, piano, even strings. When Emmylou Harris joins in on harmony vocals it just sends shivers down my spine. I can feel the emotion in his voice, sad, yet also hopeful.


Rilo Kiley – Close Call
Another gem from the past. I always felt like Rilo Kiley was a Fleetwood Mac for a younger generation. Jenny Lewis has a huge honey sweet voice that winds in and out of the spiky guitars. The bass playing is taut, feels like a rubber band that propels the song forward. Overall feeling is a bit detached, maybe almost too cool for school, but any other vibe wouldn’t feel right.


Tegan & Sara - Don’t Believe the Things They Tell You (They Lie)
This sister duo is making some of the best pop around these days. Really cool concept behind this album. They took lyrics they had written as teenagers back in the 90s and then recorded them in their current style. Great pop hooks, though maybe not obvious hooks. They just have a way of getting inside your head. I like the darker tone of this track and the icy tone of the vocals. Some of the synth washes are just huge, but I also like that they incorporate some actual instruments into the overall mix.


The Shins – Simple Song
This is a soaring, off kilter killer of a track. It’s really driven by the propulsive drums. The chorus is fantastic. I like the piano accents and the way the melody just seems to float high in the air. Lush backing vocals. The whole song feels like a balloon tethered to the ground, just waiting to take off. Nice dynamics at the end to bring it back to Earth, but then it takes off again.
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do." - Oscar Gamble

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Re: A Bunch of Fives (New Challenge Thread)

Post by gkbill »

Hello,

New Order - this one is hard to rate without comparisons to earlier (in my opinion, better) New Order - it's not bad and overall I liked Music Complete but this sounds a bit too corporate (I'm hoping that's the best word). 7/10

Ryan Adams - I respect this but it's not for me - I don't express my emotions is such a manner. NA

Rilo Kiley - I didn't get much of a bass supporting this - it could have used more drive underneath. 5/10

Tegan & Sara - pretty decent pop - it got better when things (backbeat? drumming?) came in to help ground it and drive it. 7/10

The Shins - propulsive is a good word to describe this - I like things a bit more minimal with the Shins but liked this regardless. 8/10

Thanks for doing this. It's mostly not my kind of stuff but it's good to listen to all sorts of stuff now and then.

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

Post by Heston »

New Order - One of those bands that never quite grabbed me. Not to say I dislike them but they're just kind of "alright." This fits into that bracket, pleasant enough without being truly exciting. 6/10

Ryan Adams - Sorry, I'm just not into that moody acoustic singer/songwriter stuff. He does it well but this just isn't in my musical ballpark. 4/10

Rilo Kiley - Yes, this isn't bad at all. Good melody and concise arrangement. 7/10

Tegan & Sara - I've always been a fan of electro pop. This bored me a bit on first listen but the hooks became present on the third run through of your tracks. 6.5/10

The Shins - Best of the bunch. Kind of reminded me of James with a dash of Keane. Nice instrumentation and good vocal hooks. 8/10
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

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

Post by matedog »

Looks like we have more in common than just Sturgill.

New Order - Not for me. New Order songs make me either think of Bizarre Love Triangle (good) or that World Cup song (bad). This one reminds me of the latter, but not nearly as egregiously bad. 4/10.

Ryan Adams - I gave it a listen and it's fine, but I have a hard time with Ryan Adams lately, so it's hard to get past the man at this point. No rating.

Rilo Kiley - Thanks for sharing this one. After falling in love with them because of a hot indie girl that I briefly dated, I checked out on Blacklight after that Moneymaker single came out. Since then, I've found and really really enjoyed Silver Lining, so it's good to hear some more from this album. This one is not up there with Pictures of Success or Portions for Foxes, but it is still quite good. Jenny Lewis is a prodigious talent and everything she touches is at a bare minimum, good. 7/10

Tegan & Sara - Another band that I have a well documented history with on this board. Heartthrob is still my favorite of their synth pop albums, but this is still good. I'll Be Back Someday is my favorite from the album, but I like this one too. Particularly that big drop right at 1:59. Thanks for reminding me to revisit this album. 6.5/10

The Shins - This is the fourth song on my now 417 song "Matey's World" playlist on Spotify. This song takes me back to early-mid 2012 when I finally had easy access to new music without any hassle and was devouring new stuff. It has such an epic feel that I did not expect from the band and some great hooks. Nine years on, it holds up for me. 8.5/10.
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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