the og video is taken offline? idgi
― Le Bateau Ivre, Tuesday, 11 July 2017 19:32 (six years ago) link
This leaked.
― afriendlypioneer, Thursday, 13 July 2017 14:16 (six years ago) link
It's good. The annoying tracks are really annoying, though. There's one about santa claus that does nothing for me. I kind of expected that from the title.
Funnily enough I listened to Pom Pom and Mature Themes last night and had the same thought...in equal parts brilliant and annoying
― X-Prince Protégé (sonnyboy), Thursday, 13 July 2017 14:55 (six years ago) link
What is the ratio of brilliant to annoying on the new one?
― Moodles, Thursday, 13 July 2017 15:06 (six years ago) link
Wow, 2 months early. I'd rather wait...
― flappy bird, Thursday, 13 July 2017 15:16 (six years ago) link
The brilliant/annoying balance on this seems closer to, say, Before Today than the last two. But you may wanna skip the first song
― bunny slopes, Thursday, 13 July 2017 19:27 (six years ago) link
Ariel Stinks
― calstars, Thursday, 13 July 2017 19:56 (six years ago) link
First song, while pretty annoying, has nothing on the Santa song. First song is more along the lines of your typical throwaway Ariel song.
― afriendlypioneer, Thursday, 13 July 2017 20:20 (six years ago) link
shit, I've been getting Before Today vibes from the singles. That blows. Last 2 are my favorites by him
― flappy bird, Thursday, 13 July 2017 20:42 (six years ago) link
I wouldn't worry too much. It's full of good songs. He wouldn't be Ariel without the jokey throwaway songs.
― afriendlypioneer, Thursday, 13 July 2017 21:03 (six years ago) link
Not a single "jokey throwaway" song on The Doldrums, his best album by a mile.
Not sure if I'm better off postponing or listening to it now. First reactions here are not encouraging.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Thursday, 13 July 2017 22:11 (six years ago) link
Album is great and not as goofy as his last two. Definitely contains at least three or four career highlights and is pretty consistently good in a way that reminds me, again, of Before Today
― bunny slopes, Thursday, 13 July 2017 23:56 (six years ago) link
The Doldrums is my favorite Ariel Pink album, but he's released a variety of albums since that are most certainly full of those types of songs, particularly the last two.
― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 14 July 2017 00:23 (six years ago) link
And I absolutely love Pom Pom, so I'm ok with that.
Yeah the first track sounds like a Maus thing
― calstars, Friday, 14 July 2017 00:56 (six years ago) link
i don't get the appeal. I hear weak melodies and recycling of old ideas. Reminds me of Mature Themes, which imo is his weakest big label album.
― nostormo, Friday, 14 July 2017 05:50 (six years ago) link
"Kitchen Witch" is very good
But the title track seems to be the "round and round" of the album. I dig the Doors homage near the end
I wonder if Tim Koh plays on this
― calstars, Friday, 14 July 2017 14:31 (six years ago) link
I imagine he's on most of it, Koh has been with him for 15+ years, maybe 20...
― flappy bird, Friday, 14 July 2017 17:03 (six years ago) link
skypin' with momus
https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/19959229_10158940216610117_964633508581819906_n.jpg?oh=3983ad704f7523cb56706173e0e3fd54&oe=5A035B2E
― kurt schwitterz, Friday, 14 July 2017 17:37 (six years ago) link
Ha, I'd watch that
― Le Bateau Ivre, Friday, 14 July 2017 18:03 (six years ago) link
https://radio.foxnews.com/2017/07/12/ariel-pink-on-the-science-of-music/
Greg Gutfield lol
― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 14 July 2017 18:03 (six years ago) link
lol I forgot that he went on Red Eye in 2013
― flappy bird, Friday, 14 July 2017 18:43 (six years ago) link
Who's singing on kitchen witch?
― calstars, Friday, 14 July 2017 23:18 (six years ago) link
i think dayzed inn daydreams is one of the best songs of 2014
― Treeship, Friday, 14 July 2017 23:57 (six years ago) link
I think this album is pretty disappointing.
― afriendlypioneer, Wednesday, 19 July 2017 15:41 (six years ago) link
Time to Meet Your God rules. i like the album ok but i think it's mixed poorly. for instance Bubblegum Dreams feels like it should be all spikey and crystalline and it sounds a bit flat and over-compressed instead. Pom Pom had way more texture to it.
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Friday, 21 July 2017 23:13 (six years ago) link
I think "acting" is really good too
― calstars, Saturday, 22 July 2017 00:10 (six years ago) link
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Friday, July 21, 2017 7:13 PM (four hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
fuck... the mixing was my biggest problem with Before Today besides the grab bag sequencing... i loved Mature Themes and Pom Pom because they sounded so precise and clear.
― flappy bird, Saturday, 22 July 2017 04:00 (six years ago) link
Jesus fuck I listened to five minutes of that Greg Gutfield thing I think half of my brain died how dumb can 2 motherfuckers be?
I dug Before Today but I guess maybe this dude isn't for me
― Universal LULU Nation (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, 22 July 2017 06:34 (six years ago) link
Flappy, you don't think "bright lit" "Beverley" and "lestat" from Before sound clear? (Dare I say crisp)?
Also the muddiness of "hot tub" and even "menopause" kind of work in their favor
"Phanthasma" is a good b-side
― calstars, Saturday, 22 July 2017 09:32 (six years ago) link
Jesus fuck I listened to five minutes of that Greg Gutfield thing I think half of my brain died how dumb can 2 motherfuckers be?I dug Before Today but I guess maybe this dude isn't for me
Dude the early stuff really is way better
― brimstead, Saturday, 22 July 2017 16:57 (six years ago) link
The whole album has a lot more reverb than Mature Themes or Pom Pom. They're "well produced," but I don't think it serves the songs. It's very desaturated sounding to me. Mature Themes and Pom Pom are full band but there's a directness and a dryness to them that resembles his early work. I agree that Hot Body Rub and Menopause Man are served well by the production - those are two of my favorites from Before Today (Beverly Kills is my favorite song but I far prefer the early version).
― flappy bird, Sunday, 23 July 2017 03:38 (six years ago) link
The messiness of his early work and his recording process - the little vocal interjections, lots of call and response panning, two seconds of some instrument that never reappears - are all over Mature Themes and Pom Pom. I find the production on Before Today very boring, common, flat, Phil Spector-y in the worst way at times.
― flappy bird, Sunday, 23 July 2017 03:40 (six years ago) link
After several spins:I Wanna Be Young and Kitchen Witch are great. Feels Like Heaven is ok. Don't care about the rest.
― nostormo, Tuesday, 25 July 2017 17:36 (six years ago) link
Long interview on stereogum today
― calstars, Tuesday, 25 July 2017 17:44 (six years ago) link
The phrase "Kitchen Witch" is used ia few times in the Office s9e17. Wonder if he took that or if it's just general cultural osmosis
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Tuesday, 25 July 2017 20:13 (six years ago) link
I haven't heard the leak - but a friend told me that there's another instance on the album of AP totally aping a vocal melody from a famous song. Wish I could remember what song.
― flappy bird, Tuesday, 25 July 2017 20:22 (six years ago) link
Time To Live = Video Killed The Radio Star's verse
― PaulTMA, Tuesday, 25 July 2017 21:30 (six years ago) link
I know about that one, it's a track that hasn't been released as a single. I texted my friend, waiting to hear back...
― flappy bird, Tuesday, 25 July 2017 21:33 (six years ago) link
AP twitter says there are 4 b-sides comin with the vinyl, could it be one of those?
― calstars, Tuesday, 25 July 2017 22:53 (six years ago) link
Did a vinyl rip leak? My friend heard whatever y'all have been talking about.
― flappy bird, Tuesday, 25 July 2017 23:21 (six years ago) link
OK, my friend says one of the songs on here cops the guitar/chords and a bit of the vocal from "Son of a Gun" by the Vaselines.
― flappy bird, Wednesday, 26 July 2017 01:21 (six years ago) link
Yeah, Bubblegum Dreams definitely bears a strong resemblance at times.
― Fetchboy, Wednesday, 26 July 2017 01:35 (six years ago) link
yeah i think he even sings up up up and down at one point
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Wednesday, 26 July 2017 01:39 (six years ago) link
― calstars, dinsdag 25 juli 2017 17:44 (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Yeah. If you want to hear AP explain why Trump is a "success" and how unfair the president's being treated - as he is himself (his words) - do check it out. I sure wish I hadn't.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 26 July 2017 08:27 (six years ago) link
its interesting that he went back to home recording for this one. but it sounds like his last couple of studio records just w worse sonics. its not like the tape wobble and noise and saturation of his old stuff, they probably bought a bunch of nice microphones and a good multitrack machine. so its sort-of lofi but not really. why not do it on a crappy tape machine like the old days?
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Wednesday, 26 July 2017 13:02 (six years ago) link
Long interview on stereogum today― calstars, dinsdag 25 juli 2017 17:44 (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post PermalinkYeah. If you want to hear AP explain why Trump is a "success" and how unfair the president's being treated - as he is himself (his words) - do check it out. I sure wish I hadn't.
It was so long I had to take a break last night... certainly a throwback to the pom pom interviews...
― flappy bird, Wednesday, 26 July 2017 15:28 (six years ago) link
eh his defense of Trump is pretty tepid. AP seems like either not a very bright guy or a garden-variety troll who just seeks out "difficult" opinions but he makes cool music so
― frogbs, Wednesday, 26 July 2017 15:30 (six years ago) link
After years and years of following him I think the answer def is 'not very bright'. But he indeed makes very cool music.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 26 July 2017 15:36 (six years ago) link