I suppose it's more that I can only take a bit of them at a time, so I generally lock on the few songs that seem strong enough to transcend the often overbearing vocal treatment. I also don't think much of their Human League-esque electronic things although they're listenable.
"Emma's House" does sort of seem sui generis though, I could easily see someone liking that song and that song only. That person might be me, eventually.
― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 7 August 2003 21:51 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 7 August 2003 21:53 (twenty years ago) link
Overall F.M. strike me as a WRONG reaction to music currents of the late '80s. Or at leasta profoundly reactionary one, sort of a dead end. That doesn't mean it didn't produce some good music.
― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 7 August 2003 21:55 (twenty years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 7 August 2003 21:56 (twenty years ago) link
― David. (Cozen), Thursday, 7 August 2003 21:57 (twenty years ago) link
David: yeah, that's a great line. It reminds me of driving around my home town or college town... physically everything is the same but emotionally all there are, are ghosts and memories. I think it's that sense of transience that makes the song stirring. Although I mostly like it because it's a very concise and self-confident pop song, sort of summarizes the (modest) virtues of the genre without being beholden to them.
― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 7 August 2003 22:01 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 7 August 2003 22:02 (twenty years ago) link
Also "Emma's House" is one of the few F.M. songs that allows the emotions to emerge from the scenario, rather than detailing the emotions in deadening clinical terms or obvious metaphors.
how much FM have you actually heard? because i don't think you have any idea what you're talking about.
― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 8 August 2003 00:11 (twenty years ago) link
Way to be diplomatic, Jim.
― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 8 August 2003 00:14 (twenty years ago) link
― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 8 August 2003 00:19 (twenty years ago) link
― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Friday, 8 August 2003 00:41 (twenty years ago) link
― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Friday, 8 August 2003 01:44 (twenty years ago) link
― youn, Friday, 8 August 2003 05:37 (twenty years ago) link
I suppose one problem I have with FM is how determinedly not-shouty it is, or rather how simpleminded is their solution to that perceived problem.
― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 8 August 2003 05:49 (twenty years ago) link
― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 8 August 2003 05:53 (twenty years ago) link
By "FM" I mean Field Mice, without exception. I've never heard them on the radio!
I wonder how this thread would've progressed if the confusion continued...??
― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 8 August 2003 05:54 (twenty years ago) link
is it fair to say that the FMs were one of the 'indie-dance' pioneers? and if so is this something to be proud of?
― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 8 August 2003 05:56 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 8 August 2003 06:01 (twenty years ago) link
― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Friday, 8 August 2003 06:01 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 8 August 2003 06:04 (twenty years ago) link
― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 8 August 2003 06:05 (twenty years ago) link
well what i'm getting at is that i think they pre-dated all that Madchester/"indie dance" nonsense (back when "indie dance" wasn't really dance at all)
― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 8 August 2003 06:06 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 8 August 2003 06:08 (twenty years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Friday, 8 August 2003 06:18 (twenty years ago) link
― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 8 August 2003 06:19 (twenty years ago) link
― youn, Friday, 8 August 2003 06:26 (twenty years ago) link
― etc, Friday, 8 August 2003 07:21 (twenty years ago) link
― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 8 August 2003 07:25 (twenty years ago) link
― Jim Eaton-Terry (Jim E-T), Friday, 8 August 2003 08:30 (twenty years ago) link
Jim E-T: the idea that TFM were ever the Band You Had To Like in Exeter is baffling to me in the extreme. Did indie really have a heyday in Exeter? (I left the area in 1989 and kind of assumed that the same 10 people stayed liking that kind of stuff as had been interested for the previous five years.) TFM played their second (third?) ever show in Exeter, as I recall.
― Tim (Tim), Friday, 8 August 2003 08:56 (twenty years ago) link
― Alan (Alan), Friday, 8 August 2003 09:14 (twenty years ago) link
(Sorry Sarah)
― Tom (Groke), Friday, 8 August 2003 09:23 (twenty years ago) link
― Jim Eaton-Terry (Jim E-T), Friday, 8 August 2003 10:18 (twenty years ago) link
Jesus, we must have overlapped. I was there from 89-91.
― Jim Eaton-Terry (Jim E-T), Friday, 8 August 2003 10:19 (twenty years ago) link
I saw the WDYLTKTW comp for a fiver and bought it meaning to flog it on e-bay for as much as it could get. I haven't sold the bugger yet, as I do very occasionally play the keybd/sequencer tracks which aren't bad. But the jangle-indie stuff is staggeringly useless - Wratten's lyrics are so *literal* and plain - no mystery, nothing unexpected, just 'I am so far way from you/summer's too long..blah blah blah.How can anyone stand to listen to this shit? It's delivered in such a mopey, 'I'm so useless' milksop croon that you want to say 'Stop hanging around the fucking coach station you dozy twot and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!' Or bring back national service!At least Morrissey was funny.
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Friday, 8 August 2003 10:44 (twenty years ago) link
i like wratten veers towards the wet on many occasions, but how can you deny a song like "so said kay" or "missing the moon", two of their least literal (and most beautiful) songs..
― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 8 August 2003 11:12 (twenty years ago) link
― flowersdie (flowersdie), Friday, 8 August 2003 12:29 (twenty years ago) link
I really dislike the record sleeves, for the most part, and I know I part ways not just with many of you but with several of my closer friends as well on this. I always thought the lettering was too big! They often seem like Minimalism for Dummies. (I guess this quality--a kind of studied naivete--is on purpose.) I find the For Keeps cover especially ugly. I like a lot of the covers to the Sarah comps, though.
― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:28 (twenty years ago) link
― flowersdie (flowersdie), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:38 (twenty years ago) link
This is something that bothered me about the FM, but now it doesn't for some reason. I think the first time I heard "If You Need Someone," I probably cringed.
If you need someone to tell you everything is gonna be alright, I can do that, I can do that, I can.
Bob is really a wimpy, wistful, fragile fellow (and seeing him live confirms this), and it comes off as completely honest. So it works for me. A little sincerity is refreshing nowadays, isn't it? (But I can *totally* see how people would hate his lyrics. I gave the comp to a friend of mine, and he said that he loved the music but sometimes the lyrics made him want to punch the guy.)
So, "Willow":Don't you go thinking I never did love you
Kills me every time.
― Ernest P. (ernestp), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:45 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 8 August 2003 14:46 (twenty years ago) link
― flowersdie (flowersdie), Friday, 8 August 2003 15:03 (twenty years ago) link
― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 8 August 2003 21:32 (twenty years ago) link
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 06:20 (twenty years ago) link
― Rob M (Rob M), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 06:32 (twenty years ago) link
Matt Haynes makes me well cross with his attitude to reissues.
― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 07:14 (twenty years ago) link
[Homer Simpson voice] Bids, anyone?
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 08:02 (twenty years ago) link
New Twilight Hour LP called 'Overwintering' coming soon
― Stop the tape I got spittle all over my moustache. (Talcum Mucker), Sunday, 23 January 2022 16:46 (two years ago) link
wonderful news! i deleted my instagram and that was my source for updates on them, so thank you for posting! definitely been on my wish list for some time.
i also posted it on the trembling blue stars thread, but here's bobby's ambient cassette-only thing (released under the liath name) from 2017: quiet actions.
― get shrunk by this funk. (Austin), Sunday, 23 January 2022 17:01 (two years ago) link
this is the most head-over-heels-in-love first listen I've had for any band in a long time, what the fuck
― imago, Sunday, 17 December 2023 22:18 (five months ago) link
did you start listening to them because of the mouse murder thread, as an act of solidarity
― 🍍🥧 (cat), Sunday, 17 December 2023 22:46 (five months ago) link
No results found for "the killing field mice".
― 🍍🥧 (cat), Sunday, 17 December 2023 23:00 (five months ago) link
"Emma's House" over and over
Also "White"
― Evan, Sunday, 17 December 2023 23:11 (five months ago) link
"the killing field mice" omg
someone I'm pals with on RYM made a list of essential tweepop and put their big 1998 compilation on it. The first half of Disc 1 is amazing
― imago, Sunday, 17 December 2023 23:27 (five months ago) link
they are wonderful. so are trembling blue stars, I think some of the songwriting there hits new heights for him but there's something special about the field mice
― J Edgar Noothgrush (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Monday, 18 December 2023 03:37 (five months ago) link
LJ may I recommend the twee Coil stylings of "Humblebee" (IIRC not on that comp)?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVNWnn67X8c
― etc, Monday, 18 December 2023 20:48 (five months ago) link
Thanks, will try shortly!
I liked Disc 2 almost even more than Disc 1 in the end, there's some fantastic stuff buried deep within it. Always runs the risk of getting stuck in a sort of corny trance but there's so much lovely work throughout. The bassist is a hero
― imago, Monday, 18 December 2023 20:59 (five months ago) link
They are synonymous with twee in many circles, but there is so much more to them than that.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 18 December 2023 21:02 (five months ago) link
Absolutely. There's some serious (and highly varied) pastoral evocation going on here
― imago, Monday, 18 December 2023 21:05 (five months ago) link
holland street is a dazzling instrumental
― brimstead, Monday, 18 December 2023 21:22 (five months ago) link
i adore "missing the moon" but i've never really dug into them beyond that
― ufo, Monday, 18 December 2023 21:33 (five months ago) link
“letting go” is really gorgeous and dreamy too, I don’t think it’s on the Shinkansen comp.
― brimstead, Monday, 18 December 2023 21:40 (five months ago) link
"Other Galaxies" is pretty epic by their standards, and only shows up on a Waaah! comp if I recall. They also recorded a version of Loop's "Burning Sky" for a Waaah! flexidisc. There could be an amazing collection of experimental stuff by The Field Mice in which the word "twee" dare not be spoken.
― henry s, Monday, 18 December 2023 21:48 (five months ago) link
only field mice I own is For Keeps and it has such an inventive and surprising mix of styles, much more than I expected from their twee rep
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Monday, 18 December 2023 21:50 (five months ago) link
I'm not super familiar with the Field Mice catalog but "Fabulous Friend" sounds like it came straight off of R.E.M.'s Reckoning, which is a very good thing in my book.
― The king of the demo (bernard snowy), Monday, 18 December 2023 21:56 (five months ago) link
Too many people here need to explore more it seems
― Evan, Monday, 18 December 2023 21:56 (five months ago) link
this song from a Peel Session is so good, v New Orderish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_27IUnBk1o
― ( X '____' )/ (zappi), Monday, 18 December 2023 22:13 (five months ago) link
― brimstead, Monday, 18 December 2023 21:22 (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink
this one absolutely leapt out at me yeah
― imago, Monday, 18 December 2023 22:39 (five months ago) link
Humblebee was lovely ty!
― imago, Monday, 18 December 2023 22:47 (five months ago) link
ditto Anoint
― imago, Monday, 18 December 2023 22:53 (five months ago) link
"Below The Stars" has a lovely Lazer Guided Melodies vibe. More of this sort of thing please!
― The king of the demo (bernard snowy), Tuesday, 19 December 2023 19:24 (five months ago) link
Another obscure good one, originally given away on vinyl with Bob Stanley’s old Caff zine. Goes for a small fortune nowadays
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYsMIDKeMCI
― piscesx, Wednesday, 20 December 2023 13:26 (five months ago) link