OT: Music Thread

MikeIsGood · Post #1241 » by **MikeIsGood** » Fri May 6, 2022 7:08 pm

Kerb Hohl wrote:
Spoiler:
Kerb Hohl wrote:
MikeIsGood wrote:
I don't like it I don't hate it, but I won't be listening to it much or at all.

Like I mentioned before, I think we are probably kinda (?) the same age and this is probably just something we will deal with as our parents watched their favorite bands still put out good stuff, but it wasn't the same. The bands are getting older/more pretentious/probably care about other ****/less creative.

They all have to reinvent themselves as you're supposed to do as a worldwide rock band that isn't necessarily mainstream pop.

It is a similar progression to Radiohead. I'm just going to pretend Pablo Honey doesn't exist.

The Bends/OK Computer and Funeral/Neon Bible - Incredible, these were the generational albums that got them on the scene. A change from A to B, but really good.

Then they both did a major reinvention for
Kid A/Amnesiac/HTTT/In Rainbows and The Suburbs/Reflektor - These were a reinvention but it was still really awesome. They stripped down what they do to some degree for these, but in some cases like Kid A, it was kind of revolutionary.

TKOL/Moon Shaped Pool and Everything Now/WE - "OK guys, don't strip it down that much."

I feel like if they wedged 3 more anthems at various places in WE it would be good/great. I like all of the songs. But they are about as good as all of the bridge songs in the Suburbs basically without all of the heavy hitters.

';tldr I think my more succinct thoughts are - they took 90% of the anthems out of their albums. That is what I got into Arcade Fire for. They pulled it off with less anthems on the Suburbs, Reflektor was OK with like 2 or 3. Now they're down to 1 per album, which they tease us with by giving as the leading single. The rest of it is not the Arcade Fire of old.

Hadn't thought of it that way, but anthem is a good way to put it - at least for most of the songs of theirs I like. I actually love The Suburbs too - certainly my most listened to album of theirs, especially as the opening three tracks are utterly sublime. But even if subdued, like Modern Man, that hits different than WE, for example.

I think Unconditional I is in itself a succinct reason for why I'm just not connecting to this album/them right now. Their lyrical content has changed - which is fine, and I know he's singing to their kid and music probably means something different to him now. But we've gone from the incredible stories of Neighborhood I to 'no one's perfect', 'skinned knees', and other imagery that makes me think more of, I dunno, like Hootie and the Blowfish or something?

ETA: Lightning II is the only track I could see myself continuing to listen to.

Kerb Hohl · Post #1242 » by **Kerb Hohl** » Fri May 6, 2022 7:32 pm

MikeIsGood wrote:
Kerb Hohl wrote:
Spoiler:
Kerb Hohl wrote:
Like I mentioned before, I think we are probably kinda (?) the same age and this is probably just something we will deal with as our parents watched their favorite bands still put out good stuff, but it wasn't the same. The bands are getting older/more pretentious/probably care about other ****/less creative.

They all have to reinvent themselves as you're supposed to do as a worldwide rock band that isn't necessarily mainstream pop.

It is a similar progression to Radiohead. I'm just going to pretend Pablo Honey doesn't exist.

The Bends/OK Computer and Funeral/Neon Bible - Incredible, these were the generational albums that got them on the scene. A change from A to B, but really good.

Then they both did a major reinvention for
Kid A/Amnesiac/HTTT/In Rainbows and The Suburbs/Reflektor - These were a reinvention but it was still really awesome. They stripped down what they do to some degree for these, but in some cases like Kid A, it was kind of revolutionary.

TKOL/Moon Shaped Pool and Everything Now/WE - "OK guys, don't strip it down that much."

I feel like if they wedged 3 more anthems at various places in WE it would be good/great. I like all of the songs. But they are about as good as all of the bridge songs in the Suburbs basically without all of the heavy hitters.

';tldr I think my more succinct thoughts are - they took 90% of the anthems out of their albums. That is what I got into Arcade Fire for. They pulled it off with less anthems on the Suburbs, Reflektor was OK with like 2 or 3. Now they're down to 1 per album, which they tease us with by giving as the leading single. The rest of it is not the Arcade Fire of old.

Hadn't thought of it that way, but anthem is a good way to put it - at least for most of the songs of theirs I like. I actually love The Suburbs too - certainly my most listened to album of theirs, especially as the opening three tracks are utterly sublime. But even if subdued, like Modern Man, that hits different than WE, for example.

I think Unconditional I is in itself a succinct reason for why I'm just not connecting to this album/them right now. Their lyrical content has changed - which is fine, and I know he's singing to their kid and music probably means something different to him now. But we've gone from the incredible stories of Neighborhood I to 'no one's perfect', 'skinned knees', and other imagery that makes me think more of, I dunno, like Hootie and the Blowfish or something?

ETA: Lightning II is the only track I could see myself continuing to listen to.

Outside of your take on the shift of lyrics, I do like Unconditional I. Pretty much agree, otherwise. Age of Anxiety I is decent. The End of the Empire songs are not good. Unconditional II is an OK dance song...but god damnit, you have Rebellion, No Cars Go, Sprawl II, Afterlife...and now the last 2 albums' pentultimate tracks are We Don't Deserve Love and Unconditional II. Ugh.

I think the title song, "WE" really sums it up. I understand maybe they want to leave to wanting more for whatever artistic reason as they close the thing out...but it goes quiet and starts to pick back up for the final 30 seconds. I start to get ready for a big chorus to hit and...the album ends.

There are some rare cases where it works, and I am very into dance/edm/indietronica, but having Arcade Fire have like 50% of their songs now be only Win or Regine with a drum machine is like being gifted a Lamborghini and only driving it 5 miles to the grocery store once/week.

Bmaasse · Post #1243 » by **Bmaasse** » Sun May 8, 2022 1:47 pm

Not for everyone, but these 2 are the most talented and amazing musicians that I've heard in a very long time.

Watch on YouTube

brewbucks · Post #1244 » by **brewbucks** » Mon May 9, 2022 4:24 am

Watch on YouTube

DanoMac · Post #1245 » by **DanoMac** » Mon May 9, 2022 4:39 am

ColeWorld23 wrote:

Watch on YouTube

That Marvin Gaye sample though. Goodness, if the album's gonna be this funky, we're in for a treat

Iheartfootball · Post #1246 » by **Iheartfootball** » Thu May 12, 2022 9:41 pm

I don't know if folks would classify this as rock n' roll, but I love the vibe.

Watch on YouTube

Post #1247 » by **ReasonablySober** » Thu May 12, 2022 10:37 pm

Watch on YouTube

Pretty good.

MikeIsGood · Post #1248 » by **MikeIsGood** » Fri May 13, 2022 1:17 am

Few songs I can't get out of my mind right now.

Watch on YouTube

Post #1249 » by **ReasonablySober** » Fri May 13, 2022 3:43 am

I'm culling my Spotify playllists and one is a 90s rock PL that I didn't make. Just heard Paranoid Android for the first time. It's fine.

ETA: Just saw the PL was made by Pitchfork. Not a surprise that I never heard of or don't like at least half of this ****.

crkone · Post #1250 » by **crkone** » Fri May 13, 2022 12:20 pm

So, uhh, We Cry Together on the new Kendrick is something else.

crkone · Post #1251 » by **crkone** » Fri May 13, 2022 1:17 pm

Hell of an introspective album by Kendrick.

LISTEN2JAZZ · Post #1252 » by **LISTEN2JAZZ** » Fri May 13, 2022 2:31 pm

ReasonablySober wrote:Just heard Paranoid Android for the first time. It's fine.

It’s “fine” in the same way that Pet Sounds, A Love Supreme, Songs in the Key of Life, and Abbey Road are fine. :wink:

brewbucks · Post #1253 » by **brewbucks** » Fri May 13, 2022 2:58 pm

Another masterpiece from Kendrick, thank god for him!

brewbucks · Post #1254 » by **brewbucks** » Fri May 13, 2022 2:59 pm

crkone wrote:So, uhh, We Cry Together on the new Kendrick is something else.

The Alchemist on the boards too!!!

Kerb Hohl · Post #1255 » by **Kerb Hohl** » Fri May 13, 2022 4:23 pm

ReasonablySober wrote:I'm culling my Spotify playllists and one is a 90s rock PL that I didn't make. Just heard Paranoid Android for the first time. It's fine.

ETA: Just saw the PL was made by Pitchfork. Not a surprise that I never heard of or don't like at least half of this ****.

As somebody who has OK Computer in probably his top 5 albums of all time, I agree. That song is OK. The album as a whole rules.

Post #1256 » by **ReasonablySober** » Sun May 15, 2022 5:21 am

Can someone who knows the band better explain what happened to The Killers between Hot Fuss and Sam's Town? They went from incredible to bad in one album by changing their sound. It's Finch level whiplash.

Kerb Hohl · Post #1257 » by **Kerb Hohl** » Mon May 16, 2022 2:26 pm

ReasonablySober wrote:Can someone who knows the band better explain what happened to The Killers between Hot Fuss and Sam's Town? They went from incredible to bad in one album by changing their sound. It's Finch level whiplash.

To me it was Day & Age to Battleborn.

I think everyone has their different tastes, hence your S-tier love for Hot Fuss (which I am on board with), but my personal taste is disliking the mid 2010s/early 2020s trend to go disco.

To me, they went from good synthpop band writing great full albums to another stadium filling band wanting to play dance songs instead (see: Arcade Fire).

Again, I'm sure people love that, but Day & Age is probably the last album I religiously listened to. Hot Fuss probably edges out Sam's Town by a bit, Day & Age was pretty good.

j_hilge444 · Post #1258 » by **j_hilge444** » Mon May 16, 2022 5:27 pm

Kerb Hohl wrote:
ReasonablySober wrote:Can someone who knows the band better explain what happened to The Killers between Hot Fuss and Sam's Town? They went from incredible to bad in one album by changing their sound. It's Finch level whiplash.

To me it was Day & Age to Battleborn.

I think everyone has their different tastes, hence your S-tier love for Hot Fuss (which I am on board with), but my personal taste is disliking the mid 2010s/early 2020s trend to go disco.

To me, they went from good synthpop band writing great full albums to another stadium filling band wanting to play dance songs instead (see: Arcade Fire).

Again, I'm sure people love that, but Day & Age is probably the last album I religiously listened to. Hot Fuss probably edges out Sam's Town by a bit, Day & Age was pretty good.

Did you give Imploding the Mirage or Pressure Machine a try? Mirage is step back from the dance songs...and Pressure Machine is an entirely different direction.

Kerb Hohl · Post #1259 » by **Kerb Hohl** » Mon May 16, 2022 6:13 pm

j_hilge444 wrote:
Kerb Hohl wrote:
ReasonablySober wrote:Can someone who knows the band better explain what happened to The Killers between Hot Fuss and Sam's Town? They went from incredible to bad in one album by changing their sound. It's Finch level whiplash.

To me it was Day & Age to Battleborn.

I think everyone has their different tastes, hence your S-tier love for Hot Fuss (which I am on board with), but my personal taste is disliking the mid 2010s/early 2020s trend to go disco.

To me, they went from good synthpop band writing great full albums to another stadium filling band wanting to play dance songs instead (see: Arcade Fire).

Again, I'm sure people love that, but Day & Age is probably the last album I religiously listened to. Hot Fuss probably edges out Sam's Town by a bit, Day & Age was pretty good.

Did you give Imploding the Mirage or Pressure Machine a try? Mirage is step back from the dance songs...and Pressure Machine is an entirely different direction.

Yeah, I might have to. I think I listened to one of the newer ones a bit and thought it was alright, but maybe I'll give those a try. I might've missed out on some. Thanks.

machu46 · Post #1260 » by **machu46** » Mon May 16, 2022 6:23 pm

ReasonablySober wrote:Can someone who knows the band better explain what happened to The Killers between Hot Fuss and Sam's Town? They went from incredible to bad in one album by changing their sound. It's Finch level whiplash.

I personally really liked Sam’s Town and it was obviously pretty successful commercially.

If I remember right, they essentially said that they were mainly influenced by British rock and Bruce Springsteen types, and Hot Fuss was more of the former while Sam’s Town was more of the latter.

I’ve really enjoyed the evolution of The Killers. They’ve changed their sound so many times but it’s mostly been good to me every step of the way. I also think Brandon Flowers has become a much better singer over the years. On the flipside of this, I think of Maroon 5, where I really enjoyed their first album (or at least the first that put them on the map commercially), but they evolved in a pretty dreadful way over the years.

I would also recommend their two most recent albums. Imploding the Mirage is just great; some of my favorite songs they’ve ever made are on there and I can’t wait to see them live in a few months. The newest album is just totally different; very melancholy storytelling kinda vibes. Probably not great for a rock concert but pretty interesting if you’re in that kind of mood.

Edit: Found the video I was thinking of re: Sam’s Town vs Hot Fuss.

https://youtu.be/6Gb9dgggQwE

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