sloan: C or D

search: "i hate my generation"

Oh, and double super classic, because they apparently "hate" Doompatrol. They've clearly got good taste.

I don't think they're classic, assuming that dud is the default for everything in between, because they're too dull. I don't think they're typical of everything that is wrong with Canada. (What's wrong with Canada?)

One good thing about them is that everyone contributes, and it works!

I've always rather suspected that Sloan were the Canadian (pre-Song2) Blur. A perfectly good band who are often *loathed* in their own country, because they are MASSIVE and GURLS like them, yet completely unheardof in other countries (aside from 1 or 2 ancient one hit wonders- Girls and Boys for Blur, Underwhelmed for Sloan). Thing is, with Blur, even when they were unheard, they were indie cred for Anglophile Americans. There's no such thing as a Canadianophile, so Sloan don't get similar cache.

Which is a shame cause they are everything that could go right with indie-pop.

Oh, and they're well cute, too. Did I mention that? Cutest member of Sloan? I nominate Jay Ferguson.

Am I still being talked about??? Fantastic.

For the record, I loved Sloan until the blue album.

Paul.

A vital canadian rock and roll band....not imitating, just passionate playing...

Twice Removed is classic. The liner notes on the blue album...classic. The burt bacharach stylings on the blue album: classic. Underwhelmed: classic.

Bringing more excellent canadian rock and roll bands out of the wood (thrush hermit, joel plaskett experience, erics trip) fantastic.

setting up their own record label: classic.

their peak, really...

However, respect is due.

And hey, Canadian rock is not a wasteland it depends from where you are looking at it from...

Sianspheric Constantines joel plaskett experience...

God is in the details....not the mullet.

But before then, it was exciting to get albums..

What about murderrecords? Is it that bad? Don't really know much about it...

Oh, but he does! Did anyone see his picture from Harvard in Rolling Stone a couple of months ago? (I didn't buy it, okay?)

T

That (A-Sides or some similarly named singles collection) was the first and last time I will ever listen to Sloan on purpose.

The new album has several worthwhile cuts, namely "Another Way I Could Do It," "Ana Lucia," "Blackout" "Can't You Figure It Out," "Ill Placed Trust" and "Fading Into Obscurity." Overall, I like it more than anything that I've heard from them since Navy Blues in '98 (with "Iggy & Angus" being my all-time favorite Sloan track). And their Black Cat stop in DC this spring was fun.

Classic, classic, classic!

Sloan started off classic for me but became exceedingly dull. I imagine it's partly my own tastes moving on and partly because they make the same album over and over again. I am selling everything after _Twice Removed_.

omg... *this* is the thread that brought zac here six years ago!? wow. I somehow missed it at the time. if only "cookie" knew what he/she hath wrought!

classic.

They're definitely due for some more love and re-evaluation in light of how great <i>Never Hear The End Of It</i> is, but I do have to admit that they're pretty spotty outside of <i>One Chord To Another</i>.

should i go to see them live?

sure! if you like their style then they do a good set. i'm not much of a fan but the live show (saw it march 07) was very very solid. just one nice pop tune after another.

I love Sloan.

They were fantastic live when I saw them around 99/00, and I typically don't get much from live rock shows.

Does Sloan have other things in the vein of / as good as "False Alarm"? I bought Between The Bridges when it came out, & it never stuck with me. Sometime mid-last-decade I dl'ed an mp3 of "False Alarm" & ever since have loved it like crazy. From reading this thread & others on Sloan, I gather that they play in a bunch of styles, though, & maybe that's why Between the Bridges never worked for me---because what I really want is more songs like "False Alarm". Any ideas?

2006's Never Hear the End of It is a 30-track monster of an album -- there's probably something you'll like in there. "False Alarm" is an extremely focused song -- perhaps check out "Ill Placed Trust" (which IMO works far better in the context of the album but is still a great track) or "Last Time in Love". 2008's Parallel Play was kind of disappointing but "Believe in Me" rocks hard and "Down in the Basement" is a pretty entertaining take on "Subterranean Homesick Blues". You can skip 2009's Hit and Run EP. All IMO of course.

no sloan thread is complete without this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9s0R1UbxUQ

but yeah Euler, Between the Bridges has some similar-ish stuff. i had this one stuck in my head for weeks solid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvLZh7kpbdk

Action Pact is the only Sloan album i don't have, so i've never heard "False Alarm" before just now. nice song, don't really see how it's any different or better than dozens of other Sloan songs though.

Well Euler said he hadn't heard much. Skip said above, it's pretty focused for them - I've always been surprised it wasn't a single and its easily one of my faves from the 00s. If someone loved that song I'd probably recommend the Pretty Together album - the production is a lot more radio-friendly, less of that dry Beatles thing. "It's In Your Eyes" in particular has the romantic drone-strum quality of "False Alarm".

imo Never Hear The End Of It is the ultimate "I haven't picked up a new album in these guys forever i wonder what they're up to now WOAH HOLY SHIT" album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFAwX6lTWsU

I had no idea there had been another Zach Taylor on this board. Anyway, I really liked that song "If It Feels Good Do It", but the video ruined it. Don't let nobody mess you around.

Appears to be a new Sloan LP due in May. A new song is on the sloanmusic.com site and it's ace, in my opinion.

kind of paint-by-numbers Sloan until the breakdown in the middle...very good stuff.

that song seems ok at first listen, but sure doesn't do much to put a stop to Chris Murphy vs. Matt Murphy confusion.

sounds really good

the leak is impressing me a lot

New album today.

But is it any good?

Not so far :/

did you learn nothing from five season of the wire

haven't listened yet, is that really a 17-minute track at the end

I didn't make it that far. I admire their attempt to make an ALBUM in 2014 (segues between songs, callbacks to earlier songs, etc) but the sequencing is weird with a bunch of ballads in a row then a few rockers in a row etc. but mostly I just didn't hear many hooks.

Apparently it's one songwriter per "side"

Hmm, maybe it's a good thing Reckless didn't have any copies of this today.

Sloan didn't make good record since NHTEOI

it's not bad, give it another chance or two and things may click.

I had no idea that Sloan had put out ten albums by now. TEN ALBUMS. I was trying to keep up back when I had access to Spotify, but I guess I really let it slide.

Haven't listened yet, but The Double Cross from a couple of years back was the first Sloan album that I had actually liked since the 90s, so...

Yeah, I found The Double Cross to be really strong. I gave this new one a quick listen and found it rather forgettable.

yeah this one is a little disappointing after the last 3 albums made for a really strong late career revival. their stuff usually grows on me, though. i'll give it time. the 17-minute song might actually be the best thing about it.

i recently did playlists of the best songs by each member of the group, think it's cool that they're giving each songwriter their own section of the album for the first time on this one:
http://narrowcast.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-imaginary-box-set-sloan.html

canadian wizards / canadian true stars

I'd definitely recommend checking out Nude Beach's 77 album - they seem to be picking up where Never Heard the End of It left off.

Sloan live set on WFMU last night

"You've got a lot on your mind" came on the radio the other day, fantastic for a sunny winter afternoon.

Had this album been released as four EPs, Patrick Pentland's side would have been the best EP of the year.

Haven't really gotten too into the newest one but my early impression is that Pentland's contributions are easily the worst of the four sides. In fact, I feel he's been consistently the worst songwriter in Sloan for at least ten years. .

Pentland's four are the ones that sound best in my car. Not the most sophisticated critical criteria, but...

Haven't really gotten too into the newest one but my early impression is that Pentland's contributions are easily the worst of the four sides. In fact, I feel he's been consistently the worst songwriter in Sloan for at least ten years.

i'd say that this had been true throughout their career. Chris Murphy is head and shoulders about the rest, in my opinion.

I'd say for the most part Andrew is proabably the worst songwriter in Sloan, though I preferred his side on this album over Patrick's.

Patrick has written the majority of their biggest songs, he can be kind of a one trick pony with the anthemic rockers but he's clearly not the weak link

Andrew is the least skilled of the 4 as a singer/songwriter but his big 17-minute track at the end of Commonwealth feels like the best part of the whole album and he's outshined the other guys on occasion before

sloan still put on a good show

patrick and jay have such weird personalities/stage presence though (not sure if these are bad things)

who's heard the new one?

He sounds a little old. Same great guitars.

Only heard the singles and they all sound good

Will give it a proper listen once the album is up on spotify

https://youtu.be/DorF5qxbCxc

I see what they did there

So I guess these past few weeks, Chris Murphy has been dealing with facial paralysis/Bell’s palsy. Seems to be in the mend, but must be quite an ordeal.

https://instagram.com/sloandude?igshid=ay3gt8xq0nm3

Chris Murphy and Matt "Superfriendz / Flashing Lights" Murphy - no relation, right?

Right. But they have a couple of albums together now as TUNS. Pretty fun.

Yes! The new one is pretty great! Sounds like ... an intersection of Sloan and Superfriendz / Flashing Lights. :)

Inbreds too. Cuz Mike O'Neill is in there with them. Also no relation.

Chris seems to be mostly recovered now btw. He’s recently posted some cute punk songs on Instagram where he’s accompanied by himself and his wife.

Mike O’Neill is such a great writer. I wish Neko Case would do a whole album of his tunes.

I'm really enjoying the new album.

"Dream It All Over Again" my favourite at the moment. I love the way the chorus takes off.

it's super good

I'm sure I'll end up listening to this but Commonwealth and 12 didn't have too many songs I liked. Even Jay, whose hit rate was highest, seemed to be falling off.

don't disagree with that, but man "Spin Our Wheels" absolutely kicks ass (to me), even after 100 listens.

Took until only a few weeks ago for 12 to finally click with me, lol whereas Steady, I’ve been enjoying more or less from the jump. Wasn’t super into Pat’s singles but they’re already late period classics for me now. Dream it All Over Again and Keep Your Name Alive, just fabulous Jay songs.

Still wrestling with Commonwealth, one of those admire/not love things. Could’ve worked better if they had changed up their individual sounds some, but the result is about what you’d expect, pretty samey.

Anyhow for 12, Spin Our Wheels, Day Will Be Mine, Essential Services, and all of Andrew’s songs work for me (likewise on Steady), Chris’s songs less so.