Love or Hate?

Trollheart · 01-10-2016, 08:44 AM

Title: First Impressions of Earth
Artiste: The Strokes
Genre:
Familiarity: Zero. Yes, zero. Wanna fight about it?
Recommended by: The Identity Matrix

Expectations: Everyone knows The Strokes, right? Wrong. I know OF them, but have never heard a single song. So sue me. Mind you, this is the first rec from The Identity Matrix, and he (it?) was really gushing over Jeff Wayne, so I had better be nice. Or not. Lets hit play. Oh, interesting to see seventies star Albert Hammond's son is in the band.

1. You only live once: Kind of sounds a little like The Cars to me, good beat to the song. Is this where YOLO comes from? Like the guitar work, very sharp but very melodic. Vocal is definitely very new wave. Catchy song.
2. Juicebox: Love the Peter Gunnesque bassline that opens this. Very uptempo and a little frenetic. Different vocal entirely. Same guy? It would seem so. Good range then. Some of Hammond's guitar work here is really frantic, almost verging on metal at times, and the vocal skates the edge of punk without actually falling in.
3. Heart in a cage: Was expecting a ballad, got a rip-roaring rocker that I absolutely love. Such energy and fun. First Blue, may not be the last.
4. Razorblade: This is really whimsical. The high fluting guitar really makes it. Cool. Great hook, though it sounds suspiciously familiar... ah yes. “Oh Mandy! You came and you gave without taking...” Cheeky, guys! Cheeky!
5. On the other side: Another great bassline and a song that trundles along really well, sort of like a happy march or something. Really like this one. Are these two songs about suicide? If so, they're the happiest songs about that subject I've ever heard.
6. Vision of division: Didn't think I'd like this one but as it went along I really got into the angry and frustrated vibe of it.
7. Ask me anything: There's an odd kind of minimal new-wave thing about this; sounds like violin and I'm told that's mellotron though it doesn't sound like it. Pretty depressing song, first that's come across to me that way.
8. Electricityscape: This is much better. Boppy, uptempo, though again I feel the main melody is familiar. Can't place it this time however. Nice midsection.
9. Killing lies: This is pleasant, but nothing special, and I feel to a degree that the album is tapering off slightly now as it heads towards the end.
10. Fear of sleep: And another very familiar melody. Very powerful song, you can really hear his passion in the vocal and the guitars just batter.
11. 15 minutes: Great blues ballad. Maybe we're back on track? Oh, okay: not a ballad. Just kicked into third gear. Nice.
12. Ize of the world: This really has a tremendous amount of energy in it, some excellent fretwork from Hammond, and I think my previous comment about the quality dipping can be seen now to have been in error. Totally abrupt ending is odd, literally stops mid-word?
13. Evening sun: Real sense of The Divine Comedy in this one. Very breezy.
14. Red light: And another bouncy uptempo one to end.

End result: A lot better than I had expected. Some very good songs, even if they do seem to occasionally filch melodies and ideas from other songs.

So, Love or Hate? This would have to be a Love. Three in a row!

The Batlord · 01-10-2016, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

11. The flames of the end: Keyboards opening? Keyboards? More like progressive metal here, even progressive rock! Is this an instrumental? Oh now listen to that guitar bite in! ****ing excellent! Love this one.

The part before the guitar feedback was actually from a soundtrack to a homemade horror movie that one of the members had tried/was trying to film.

Trollheart · 01-10-2016, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

The part before the guitar feedback was actually from a soundtrack to a homemade horror movie that one of the members had tried/was trying to film.

Ah, I see. That makes a certain kind of sense now.

Trollheart · 01-15-2016, 10:10 AM

Title: Still Bummed
Artiste: Nouns
Genre: Emo/Punk
Familiarity: Zero
Recommended by: Machine

Expectations: Not much: I see the words “noise rock” and “emo punk” thrown around in the description of their music, none of which appeals to me. At least all the songs are short.

1. Dogs: Somewhat less frenetic than I had expected; quite relaxed guitar intro in fact. Very melodic. Didn't expect this at all. More like indie rock at the moment. Will probably kick up in a minute ... well yeah, but still pretty cool when it does. Sort of a marching beat to it, good vocal with good backing vox. Some really new-wave synth is odd and yet doesn't seem out of place. Yeah, enjoyed that. Lyric is hilarious.
2. Still bummed: Short, frenetic, still very damn good.
3. School bus: Starts off as a real emo song, slow and emotional, then kicks, almost literally, into a raucous “we ain't gonna take it” style slice of chaos, then back to the reflective guitar and emo stuff. Good juxtapositioning.
4. Conch: No such emo in this one; bouncy and exuberant from the off. That weird little Casio-like keyboard going again.
5. Yaw: Another nice little gentle guitar here, reminds me of “When love breaks down” by Prefab Sprout. Wonderful vocalise; runs along on a really gentle swaying balladic theme. Well, for about half the song, then it kicks into life on punishing drums and harder guitar.
6. Dumped: Now that's some stark piano, and a hollow vocal for the first few seconds, then it just explodes with emotion and drama. This would be the emo in emo/punk I assume.
7. Way: Bassy single piano notes and a narrated vocal. Interesting. Then heavy slow crashing drums and just the piano until one hell of a wounded vocal comes in. Strong organ joins in and the recording returns.
8. You're not the one that I want: Another fragile piano with vocalise, very slow and morose. Really nice guitar in this.
9. The graduate: Alternates between stripped-down guitar and more solid synth and piano, good closer.

End result: Really expected to be writing a harsh review of this and ranting at Machine for wasting my time, but I'm quite surprised to find I really liked everything here. If this is what emo mixed with punk is like, maybe I should open my ears to more of this.

So, Love or Hate? Thought it would be Hate, or maybe Meh, but I have to admit, it's worth a Love of anyone's money.

Machine · 01-15-2016, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Title: Still Bummed
Artiste: Nouns
Genre: Emo/Punk
Familiarity: Zero
Recommended by: Machine

Expectations: Not much: I see the words “noise rock” and “emo punk” thrown around in the description of their music, none of which appeals to me. At least all the songs are short.

1. Dogs: Somewhat less frenetic than I had expected; quite relaxed guitar intro in fact. Very melodic. Didn't expect this at all. More like indie rock at the moment. Will probably kick up in a minute ... well yeah, but still pretty cool when it does. Sort of a marching beat to it, good vocal with good backing vox. Some really new-wave synth is odd and yet doesn't seem out of place. Yeah, enjoyed that. Lyric is hilarious.
2. Still bummed: Short, frenetic, still very damn good.
3. School bus: Starts off as a real emo song, slow and emotional, then kicks, almost literally, into a raucous “we ain't gonna take it” style slice of chaos, then back to the reflective guitar and emo stuff. Good juxtapositioning.
4. Conch: No such emo in this one; bouncy and exuberant from the off. That weird little Casio-like keyboard going again.
5. Yaw: Another nice little gentle guitar here, reminds me of “When love breaks down” by Prefab Sprout. Wonderful vocalise; runs along on a really gentle swaying balladic theme. Well, for about half the song, then it kicks into life on punishing drums and harder guitar.
6. Dumped: Now that's some stark piano, and a hollow vocal for the first few seconds, then it just explodes with emotion and drama. This would be the emo in emo/punk I assume.
7. Way: Bassy single piano notes and a narrated vocal. Interesting. Then heavy slow crashing drums and just the piano until one hell of a wounded vocal comes in. Strong organ joins in and the recording returns.
8. You're not the one that I want: Another fragile piano with vocalise, very slow and morose. Really nice guitar in this.
9. The graduate: Alternates between stripped-down guitar and more solid synth and piano, good closer.

End result: Really expected to be writing a harsh review of this and ranting at Machine for wasting my time, but I'm quite surprised to find I really liked everything here. If this is what emo mixed with punk is like, maybe I should open my ears to more of this.

So, Love or Hate? Thought it would be Hate, or maybe Meh, but I have to admit, it's worth a Love of anyone's money.

Very glad you enjoyed this. I wasn't sure if it was really up your alley, but I figured it was accessible enough for anyone to get something out of.

grindy · 01-10-2016, 06:21 AM

I'd never have expected you to hate Fire! Orchestra that much.
Sure some of it is way too free-jazzy for you, but I thought you'd enjoy its groovier parts enough to at least give it an overall meh or even like.
Now I'm eagerly anticipating Frownland's inevitable argument with you on the album's behalf.

Trollheart · 01-10-2016, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grindy

I'd never have expected you to hate Fire! Orchestra that much.
Sure some of it is way too free-jazzy for you, but I thought you'd enjoy its groovier parts enough to at least give it an overall meh or even like.
Now I'm eagerly anticipating Frownland's inevitable argument with you on the album's behalf.

Oh yeah, that will be fun.

As you can see, I kind of dug the first and last tracks, but overall the rest of it pissed me off so much that I couldn't really say I didn't hate it. So I did.

**Frownland** · 01-10-2016, 08:44 AM

I'm just confused as to how "really ****ing good" can get an orange rating. Maybe if someone else had recommended it to you, you wouldn't be so predisposed to getting "pissed off" by the music.

Trollheart · 01-10-2016, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

I'm just confused as to how "really ****ing good" can get an orange rating. Maybe if someone else had recommended it to you, you wouldn't be so predisposed to getting "pissed off" by the music.

Well it also has to be taken in the overall context of the album. Like I say, up to then I was expecting it to go Red. It wasn't as bad as that. It was only "really ****ing good" in comparison to the rest of the tracks. I certainly didn't love it, so it would only get an Orange. It was probably more the surprise aspect of it that changed the rating. Had I heard that as first track, it would more than likely have got a Green, but the rest of the album coloured (hah) my perception of it.

**Frownland** · 01-10-2016, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Well it also has to be taken in the overall context of the album. Like I say, up to then I was expecting it to go Red. It wasn't as bad as that. It was only "really ****ing good" in comparison to the rest of the tracks. I certainly didn't love it, so it would only get an Orange. It was probably more the surprise aspect of it that changed the rating. Had I heard that as first track, it would more than likely have got a Green, but the rest of the album coloured (hah) my perception of it.

I can understand that, even though I don't give the context as much credit.

01-10-2016, 08:44 AM	#1 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Title: First Impressions of Earth Artiste: The Strokes Genre: Familiarity: Zero. Yes, zero. Wanna fight about it? Recommended by: The Identity Matrix Expectations: Everyone knows The Strokes, right? Wrong. I know OF them, but have never heard a single song. So sue me. Mind you, this is the first rec from The Identity Matrix, and he (it?) was really gushing over Jeff Wayne, so I had better be nice. Or not. Lets hit play. Oh, interesting to see seventies star Albert Hammond's son is in the band. 1. You only live once: Kind of sounds a little like The Cars to me, good beat to the song. Is this where YOLO comes from? Like the guitar work, very sharp but very melodic. Vocal is definitely very new wave. Catchy song. 2. Juicebox: Love the Peter Gunnesque bassline that opens this. Very uptempo and a little frenetic. Different vocal entirely. Same guy? It would seem so. Good range then. Some of Hammond's guitar work here is really frantic, almost verging on metal at times, and the vocal skates the edge of punk without actually falling in. 3. Heart in a cage: Was expecting a ballad, got a rip-roaring rocker that I absolutely love. Such energy and fun. First Blue, may not be the last. 4. Razorblade: This is really whimsical. The high fluting guitar really makes it. Cool. Great hook, though it sounds suspiciously familiar... ah yes. “Oh Mandy! You came and you gave without taking...” Cheeky, guys! Cheeky! 5. On the other side: Another great bassline and a song that trundles along really well, sort of like a happy march or something. Really like this one. Are these two songs about suicide? If so, they're the happiest songs about that subject I've ever heard. 6. Vision of division: Didn't think I'd like this one but as it went along I really got into the angry and frustrated vibe of it. 7. Ask me anything: There's an odd kind of minimal new-wave thing about this; sounds like violin and I'm told that's mellotron though it doesn't sound like it. Pretty depressing song, first that's come across to me that way. 8. Electricityscape: This is much better. Boppy, uptempo, though again I feel the main melody is familiar. Can't place it this time however. Nice midsection. 9. Killing lies: This is pleasant, but nothing special, and I feel to a degree that the album is tapering off slightly now as it heads towards the end. 10. Fear of sleep: And another very familiar melody. Very powerful song, you can really hear his passion in the vocal and the guitars just batter. 11. 15 minutes: Great blues ballad. Maybe we're back on track? Oh, okay: not a ballad. Just kicked into third gear. Nice. 12. Ize of the world: This really has a tremendous amount of energy in it, some excellent fretwork from Hammond, and I think my previous comment about the quality dipping can be seen now to have been in error. Totally abrupt ending is odd, literally stops mid-word? 13. Evening sun: Real sense of The Divine Comedy in this one. Very breezy. 14. Red light: And another bouncy uptempo one to end. End result: A lot better than I had expected. Some very good songs, even if they do seem to occasionally filch melodies and ideas from other songs. So, Love or Hate? This would have to be a Love. Three in a row! __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-15-2016, 10:10 AM	#4 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Title: Still Bummed Artiste: Nouns Genre: Emo/Punk Familiarity: Zero Recommended by: Machine Expectations: Not much: I see the words “noise rock” and “emo punk” thrown around in the description of their music, none of which appeals to me. At least all the songs are short. 1. Dogs: Somewhat less frenetic than I had expected; quite relaxed guitar intro in fact. Very melodic. Didn't expect this at all. More like indie rock at the moment. Will probably kick up in a minute ... well yeah, but still pretty cool when it does. Sort of a marching beat to it, good vocal with good backing vox. Some really new-wave synth is odd and yet doesn't seem out of place. Yeah, enjoyed that. Lyric is hilarious. 2. Still bummed: Short, frenetic, still very damn good. 3. School bus: Starts off as a real emo song, slow and emotional, then kicks, almost literally, into a raucous “we ain't gonna take it” style slice of chaos, then back to the reflective guitar and emo stuff. Good juxtapositioning. 4. Conch: No such emo in this one; bouncy and exuberant from the off. That weird little Casio-like keyboard going again. 5. Yaw: Another nice little gentle guitar here, reminds me of “When love breaks down” by Prefab Sprout. Wonderful vocalise; runs along on a really gentle swaying balladic theme. Well, for about half the song, then it kicks into life on punishing drums and harder guitar. 6. Dumped: Now that's some stark piano, and a hollow vocal for the first few seconds, then it just explodes with emotion and drama. This would be the emo in emo/punk I assume. 7. Way: Bassy single piano notes and a narrated vocal. Interesting. Then heavy slow crashing drums and just the piano until one hell of a wounded vocal comes in. Strong organ joins in and the recording returns. 8. You're not the one that I want: Another fragile piano with vocalise, very slow and morose. Really nice guitar in this. 9. The graduate: Alternates between stripped-down guitar and more solid synth and piano, good closer. End result: Really expected to be writing a harsh review of this and ranting at Machine for wasting my time, but I'm quite surprised to find I really liked everything here. If this is what emo mixed with punk is like, maybe I should open my ears to more of this. So, Love or Hate? Thought it would be Hate, or maybe Meh, but I have to admit, it's worth a Love of anyone's money. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-10-2016, 06:21 AM	#6 (permalink)
grindy . Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: . Posts: 7,201	I'd never have expected you to hate Fire! Orchestra that much. Sure some of it is way too free-jazzy for you, but I thought you'd enjoy its groovier parts enough to at least give it an overall meh or even like. Now I'm eagerly anticipating Frownland's inevitable argument with you on the album's behalf. __________________ *A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.*

01-10-2016, 08:44 AM	#8 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	I'm just confused as to how "really ***ing good" can get an orange rating. Maybe if someone else had recommended it to you, you wouldn't be so predisposed to getting "pissed off" by the music. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.* d e a f b o x