TheBig3

The radiohead comparisons were a product of the time I want to say. I don't know what they we're doing at the time, but I think it was drawn (the comparison) by people thinking they were both good, not any musical relationship.

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abdullah424

I couldn't find a thread for My Morning Jacket strangely enough. What do you guys think of them?

Personally I've been a huge fan of their music since I first heard them. The show that I'll always remeber is bonnaroo of '08 when they played during a huge rainstorm. I don't know what it is about listening to live music in the rain but you cant' beat it.

half drag

I became a huge fan from the first I heard them in '04 - someone cranked It Still Moves down the hall at work at the end of a day. I was blown away. I thought they sounded like a rocked out version of California rock -- i.e., Jackson Browne, Eagles, Steve Miller Band - i.e., taken up a notch and with a way reverbed-up voice. Keep in mind this was Magheeta, Dancefloors, Golden, Master Plan, and One Big Holiday that formed this first impression of mine. I was as excited about a new band as I've been in years.

I quickly chased down some of their other stuff, notably the Acoustic Citsuoca EP, the At Dawn album, the Split EP with Songs: Ohia, the Chocolate and Ice EP. Those all became favorites of mine. Their first album The Tennessee Fire has a few standout tracks but it's really spotty. At Dawn and It Still Moves will be absolute favorites of mine forever.

Then, Z came and it's pretty solid but not on the same level and not as consistent as the previous two in my view. It goes in some more modern or proggy directions and I do appreciate that, and there are some great tracks, but the first couple tracks on side two aren't that strong and the whole thing is only ten tracks - I don't know -- solid and with some classic tracks but not as good as the previous two.

Then came Evil Urges which is sort of all over the place. I'm Amazed is a great straight-up rock track, Look at You and Smokin' From Shootin' are beautiful ballads, Sec Walkin' is a nice feel-good track. But a lot of the rest is kind of mediocre I think. I mean I appreciate the shape of the album with the two Touch Me's bookending, and I even like the opening title track, but Highly Suspicious and to a lesser extent a handful of other tracks are kind of sub-par.

At least I feel like coming from where they've come from (At Dawn and It Still Moves), they've taken some steps backwards with the last two records. And they do some goofy stuff live too like Kool & the Gang that I could do without. Just stick with the best of the repertoire, boys.

So while I would have voted #5 Amazing without a second thought a few years ago, I actually just voted #4 Very Good today : (.


EDIT: ah, ****it, What a Wonderful Man, Off the Record, Lay Low and Dondante *do* rock off Z...

adidasss

I think it's really odd that anyone could think At dawn is among their best work. I tried to get into it several times but I only like Bermuda highway, and not very much at that. Granted, I got into them during Z and then backtracked, which rarely works for me. So yeah, At dawn is pretty much the only album of theirs I never listen to...

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half drag

I think it has a unique sound. And organic and not too produced (save the reverb). I love the way the first track kind of rises out from the bog. EDIT: Try listening to the LP a little loud. I love the use of the vibes (or the vibes sounds from a keyboard/sample). The album doesn't get too high but it gets pretty low. It's definitely more rock than prog or any of the other directions they've gone in more recently and that makes it more my speed. Lowdown, The Way He Sings and Xmas Curtain are some perfect songs I think. I would have to say it's my fave just ahead of It Still Moves.

I think It Still Moves is similar in that it's not too produced, it's just Jim and the Band rockin' without any studio tricks. Like they were just making straight up rock albums and not trying to prove anything else.

adidasss

I actually think Z is much closer to It still moves than At dawn (in the sense that they're both similar rock-out records, as opposed to At dawn which is a much more low-key affair, almost folky if my memory serves me right). But ok, I'll give it another try eventually...I'm kinda high on Keane at the mo so I can't check out your claims...*giggle*

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“Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle.

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half drag

True

ExopoliticalIdealist

yep yep yep, representing from Louisville!!!
awesome band, if you saw the area in which they came out of,you would see what influences them.:}

jacklovezhimself

!Z!
One of my favorite albums of alllll time.

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debaserr

i wouldn't go that far. but it definitely kicks ass!

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