new New Pornographers

Similar show in Milwaukee, a few nights ago. Bejar also drunk as a skunk for "Jackie," and pretty much bleated the lyrics at an absurd volume. Saw plenty of attendees on the older end of the spectrum covering their ears and looking stunned. I felt their pain. The band played plenty from Together, though--"Moves," "Crash Years," "Your Hands (Together)," "Silver Jenny Dollar," "My Shepherd," "Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk," and "Up in the Dark."

I'm seeing them on Saturday at Terminal 5. I hate the venue, but a lot of good bands play there unfortunately. Do they play some songs from Twin Cinema? That's my favorite of theirs.

They played "Sing Me Spanish Techno," "These Are The Fables," "Twin Cinema," "Use It" and "The Bleeding Heart Show" last night.

That's awesome, I love those songs. Hope they play "Streets of Fire."

I was hoping for a few more from "Challengers," but we got "Your Rights Vs Mine," "Myriad Harbour" and the title track. Two from Electric Version ("The Law Has Changed" and "A Testament To Youth In Verse") and three from Mass Romantic (title track, "Jackie" and "The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism").

Is there some reason Dan Bejar acts like a sulky seven-year-old on stage or is it just part of the ambience?

yeah, it's called stage fright

I saw them tonight at the Shepherds Bush Empire (I think it was a one-off show warm up for their ATP performance tomorrow?). Neko Case was with them this time (Carl said she'd never sung with them in the UK before). Similar set-list to the ones mentioned above from a few months ago, give or take a couple of songs - they didn't play "Letter from an Occupant," but they did play that "Snow White" song from the 'Dark Was the Night' comp. They started with lots of fast classics and then got into a large chunk of midtempo ones. Carl apologized at the end saying they had at least 5 more in them but the curfew was cutting them off.

The crowd was dead, dead, dead... hardly any movement at all. The balcony was open but the place seemed less than 2/3rds full. Strangely (to me), people seemed to respond most enthusiastically to the "Together" songs. The stage is frustratingly low in that place. The drummer is still a monster! They are so much fun to see live.

"Hey, Snow White" is a Destroyer song, but I'm guessing Bejar wasn't there to participate. Sounds good, though.

Huh, I didn't know that. Carl Newman and Neko sing it on the 'Dark Was the Night' comp.
Bejar was indeed absent. Newman offered some faux-angry banter, saying 'that guy's a prick' when someone shouted a question about him.
I think the only Bejar song they played was "Testament to Youth in Verse."

I think the setlist was something like this:

Moves
The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism
It's Only Divine Right
The Laws Have Changed
We End Up Together
All the Old Showstoppers
Adventures in Solitude
These Are the Fables
Twin Cinema
Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk
Crash Years
Hey, Snow White
Your Hands (Together)
Up in the Dark
My Rights Versus Yours
Mass Romantic
Testament to Youth in Verse
Use It
The Bleeding Heart Show

Encore:
Challengers
Sing Me Spanish Techno

I have some of that out of order but I think that's the bulk of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYyu5vbwvbA&feature=youtu.be

lol, love it

Seems unlikely that the Newps will ever release another album. Is there any interest in a Tracks poll? ILM's chance to set their canon in stone.

why unlikely?

i think there's a new album coming out in 2014

Ah, so it seems: http://thefourohfive.com/news/article/the-new-pornographers-have-almost-finished-their-sixth-studio-album

Yeah, AC Newman's been Tweeting about making it for the last year or so (sometimes back and forth with Neko, which is often entertaining)

The question is will it be good?
The answer is probably no.
They (and Newman) didn't release anything good in ages.

idk what counts as "in ages" (let's assume last 5 years?) but i rate Together, Get Guilty, and Middle Cyclone (i like Shut Down the Streets + new Case but not quite as much), and tho i'm not a huge fan i'm pretty sure ilx rates kaputt

Kaputt is good. i agree on that.
but Destroyer had only 3 songs on a NP record, and he isn't responsible of the production..

in ages means since Twin Cinema (2005).

i think in this case, i agree with the silent majority about the rating of their albums:

http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/the_new_pornographers

Mordy otm. Plenty of great material over last few years. Put it on the list of polls now we won't vote before 2016 anyway.

whatever. half of twin cinema is just okay, plenty of great tracks on Together, title track on shut down the streets is booming.

ok, but i miss the more adventurous production, and the strong melodies..

clearly only a poll can settle this

Clearly! Alright, I'll set it up.

I'm thinking: Rank the albums and are ten songs enough? Fifteen maybe? Tempted to include the 2 Newman solo records in this, as they seem so much a piece with the Newps' output (unlike the rest of the band's excursions) but am leaning against it atm.

"Tempted to include the 2 Newman solo records in this"

don't resist the temptation!

I'd vote for putting it into the full-on poll coordination thread. Minimum 20 tracks, solo Newman okay.

Slow Wonder is in league with their best records so, of course - out him in

really? always felt like those songs were strong up until the chorus, where they sputtered on the launch-pad instead of taking-off.

and i was a huge fan of this band not long ago (felt like i loved challengers at the time, but now can easily see why people say twin cinema was their high-point, with a somewhat uneven decline following it).

Don't know much about the New Pornographers beyond a couple of well known songs, but this is great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mU99Hv77S8

I heard it for the first time very late in 2012--too late for my year-end, but I was able to get it onto my ILM ballot.

I dunno. Twin Cinema was a big step forward and "The Bleeding Heart Show" may be their pinnacle but my the highs on Challengers are pretty damn high.

"The Bleeding Heart Show" may be their pinnacle

can't overstate how great a song this is. i've played it enough for a lifetime, but the band deserves like a "lifetime achievement" award for that song alone.

Challengers doesn't somehow hold up as a record to listen to all the way through, but its strengths seem as strong as anything they've done.

So we're cool with keeping solo Newman and leaving out all the Case/Bejar/Fancey stuff?

i am. case and bejar and fancy's solo projects seem too far afield to include. newman's solo work, obv., isn't so far afield.

Agree re Challengers - the first two albums might be superior overall, but the best parts of Challengers are among the best things they've ever done.

no wonder no one talks about Together.
ca we agree it's their worst record?

had some really promising song ideas, fragments. never achieved liftoff. listening to it makes me think their energy is gone, even when they try to rev-up the guitars-and-drums.

But I still rate Together ahead of that 2nd Newman solo record, which had, like, 1-3/4 good songs on it.

the way the chorus in "The Electric Version" just explodes

Same with "Blown Speakers"

Or is it "Brown Speakers?" same thing I guess

"From Blown Speakers." that one is so great, too. also "The Laws Have Changed." never been able to get into any of their albums, but I love half a dozen or so of their tracks.

Favorite moment of the band is Neko screaming the chorus of "Letter"

And if you haven't heard fancey's first one with the orange on the cover, you should

so how's the new one?

Meh

uh no

not meh

Whiteout Conditions =

second installment of an incredible resurgence after the (relative) disappointment of Challengers and (especially) Together

worthy follow-up to the brilliant Brill Bruisers

packed top-to-bottom with perfect Newman New Wave/kraut-pop bangers

latest chapter of the finest discography of the 21st century