Tell me about this Woods band. Apparently they have three records out (At Rear House, How To Survive In/In The Woods, Songs of Shame) and I've just heard the latest one and it's all fine and pleasant without being spectacular. It pushes a few of the psych/folk buttons I enjoy without being overly experimental; doesn't hit me the same way as, for example, Hush Arbors at their best; but I'll admit it's not bad, and I'm curious to hear/know a bit more...
Any fans here? What say you about Woods, ILM -- worth exploring further?
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Tuesday, 11 August 2009 00:27 (3 years ago) Permalink
Yes, def worth exploring. At Rear House is at least as good as Songs of Shame. Also Woods Family Creeps is ace.
― wilter, Tuesday, 11 August 2009 00:30 (3 years ago) Permalink
Great band, own several lps by them, sadly missed out on the tapes.Woods Family Creeps is terrific too , got that on vinyl as well.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 11 August 2009 00:32 (3 years ago) Permalink
Kerr are the tapes noisy freak-outy thingoes?
― wilter, Tuesday, 11 August 2009 00:35 (3 years ago) Permalink
no.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 11 August 2009 00:48 (3 years ago) Permalink
the one tape i heard is a companion to songs of shame. but i didnt find out about it til it was too late. I need to track it down.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 11 August 2009 00:49 (3 years ago) Permalink
o rly, I think I've got a rip of one and it was like that. mebbe wrong tho.xp
― wilter, Tuesday, 11 August 2009 00:50 (3 years ago) Permalink
Interesting, thanks all!
What is the best full-length of theirs? Am I missing out by only having the new one?
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Tuesday, 11 August 2009 03:21 (3 years ago) Permalink
yesss u r missing out
― wilter, Tuesday, 11 August 2009 03:23 (3 years ago) Permalink
Work backwards maybe? Woods Family Creeps is pretty well perfect.
― bear, bear, bear, Tuesday, 11 August 2009 03:28 (3 years ago) Permalink
Is that one a collaborative album of some sort, or just a different moniker for no obvious reason?
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Tuesday, 11 August 2009 13:10 (3 years ago) Permalink
actually dont know, but guessing different moniker for no obvious reason. It is an awesome album tho. 1st track is jarring as shit. and twisted tongue is a great pop song...
― wilter, Tuesday, 11 August 2009 13:15 (3 years ago) Permalink
2nd half is more 'difficult'
― wilter, Tuesday, 11 August 2009 13:21 (3 years ago) Permalink
I think they just use different monikers at times, not sure why. They just released a bootleg of sorts of radio sessions under the name Acoustic Family Creeps (but really Woods). btw, that single on Captured Tracks is great too.
The two tapes I've heard are Some Shame, which was just an early version of Songs of Shame with a few less tracks, and From the Horn which was two longer improvy things (not necessarily noisy or freak outy tho).
― grey davies (city worker), Tuesday, 11 August 2009 13:23 (3 years ago) Permalink
...actually the second side of some shame also had a 20 minute "medley" of songs, non-songs, etc.
― grey davies (city worker), Tuesday, 11 August 2009 13:27 (3 years ago) Permalink
i need those tapes
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 11 August 2009 13:40 (3 years ago) Permalink
They have a single on Half Machine (UK label) which I believe came out yesterday - it hasn't grabbed me yet but I thought that the comp of the two Fuckittapes was interesting
― Tim Krul ringmaster (DJ Mencap), Tuesday, 11 August 2009 13:59 (3 years ago) Permalink
Think I'm gonna pick up How to Survive In/In the Woods this afternoon (there's a used copy in my fav. local shop).
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Tuesday, 11 August 2009 18:05 (3 years ago) Permalink
imo their best work is "Family Creeps" and "Songs of Shame" wilter otm re: "twisted tonuge." great song.
― ian, Tuesday, 11 August 2009 18:21 (3 years ago) Permalink
woods family creeps is superb, is 'songs of shame' in the same spooky/freaky vein?
― vain_bowers, Wednesday, 12 August 2009 09:09 (3 years ago) Permalink
Songs Of Shame is very short, and at least 3 songs are fillers/arent so great,so it really could be a great EP
― Zeno, Wednesday, 12 August 2009 13:16 (3 years ago) Permalink
they're playing here with dungen, considering going
― （ ´_ゝ˙） (Dr. Phil), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 14:26 (3 years ago) Permalink
At Rear House and Woods Family Creeps are my faves. But really I like them all a lot.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 15:11 (3 years ago) Permalink
ehhh guys this singing is not working for me...
― wishes to be referred under the pseudonym of kronos (call all destroyer), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 15:16 (3 years ago) Permalink
Vocals straight out of the Dean Wareham school of squawk.
― Joerg Hi Dere (NickB), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 15:20 (3 years ago) Permalink
whatever you think of wareham he always sounded like it never occurred to him to do anything else--these guys seem to be consciously choosing to sing like muppets.
― wishes to be referred under the pseudonym of kronos (call all destroyer), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 15:21 (3 years ago) Permalink
you crazy
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 15:23 (3 years ago) Permalink
i'm taking that as meaning u enjoy the singing?
rain on is a nice lil jam but that's as far as i'm going atm.
― wishes to be referred under the pseudonym of kronos (call all destroyer), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 15:34 (3 years ago) Permalink
'sunlit' sounds kinda like the elevators. the softer stuff is too twee imo not my bag i can't groove on that maaaaan
― （ ´_ゝ˙） (Dr. Phil), Wednesday, 12 August 2009 16:22 (3 years ago) Permalink
Great band. The new one has leaked, and it's fucking awesome...which I expected. Great day. This and the new Ariel Pink.
― SourPatchCorpse, Thursday, 8 April 2010 19:19 (3 years ago) Permalink
Yeah its great. Is the vinyl available to pre-order anywhere?
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 8 April 2010 19:21 (3 years ago) Permalink
what's it called
― goon with the wind (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 8 April 2010 19:21 (3 years ago) Permalink
At Echo Lake
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 8 April 2010 19:23 (3 years ago) Permalink
recent live show here, including woods and real estate jamming blind melon's "no rain"
http://www.nyctaper.com/?p=2687
― mizzell, Thursday, 8 April 2010 19:41 (3 years ago) Permalink
cheers! I saw the no rain clip on youtube.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 8 April 2010 19:43 (3 years ago) Permalink
is this album longer than previous ones?
i love those guys i just wish they'd make something that doesnt sound like an extended e.p.
― Zeno, Thursday, 8 April 2010 22:40 (3 years ago) Permalink
death rattttttttles
― wilter, Monday, 12 April 2010 09:27 (3 years ago) Permalink
i just wish they'd make something that doesnt sound like an extended e.p.
Really? I like shorter albums. I wish more bands would use some semblance of quality control, and release albums that *do* sound like extended EPs. Great example unrelated to Woods: Lady Gaga's 8-song macro-EP/mini-album. Perfect length!
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Monday, 12 April 2010 14:37 (3 years ago) Permalink
Woods and pretty much all of the Woodsist-related artists are really good. Ganglians in particular.
― ImprovSpirit, Tuesday, 13 April 2010 21:38 (3 years ago) Permalink
i like the new album.very similar to the previous one (though the production is clearer), but thats fine with me.
" wish more bands would use some semblance of quality control, and release albums that *do* sound like extended EPs"
i agree but the thing is, that even though the Woods albums are short - they still got some fillers .
― Zeno, Tuesday, 13 April 2010 21:49 (3 years ago) Permalink
i tht they were p mediocre live? spoiled by seeing a lot of really dope live bands recently, maybe
still think the woods family creeps album is their high point
― Lamp, Tuesday, 13 April 2010 21:51 (3 years ago) Permalink
still think they didnt release their best/breakthrough album yet, and they have the potential for to do it
― Zeno, Tuesday, 13 April 2010 21:54 (3 years ago) Permalink
woods family creeps really is awesome
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 13 April 2010 22:01 (3 years ago) Permalink
guh. that was terrible
the encore I mean, rest of the show was good. Woods clicked for me live more than when I heard their record (Songs of Shame), some of the tunes are good but there's something a little thin sounding about it
I'll def. check out the new one though
― dmr, Tuesday, 13 April 2010 23:43 (3 years ago) Permalink
this sounds like simon & garfunkel? it's pretty awesome in any event
― ibaka flocka flame (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 29 April 2010 07:36 (3 years ago) Permalink
I state my support for these folks once again, though they are probably not for the audiophiles among us. Quirky, jangly bizarro-folk with the sound of the porch included.
― ImprovSpirit, Thursday, 29 April 2010 16:02 (3 years ago) Permalink
I like the new one, but dude's voice is trying hard to make me hate it.
― Trip Maker, Thursday, 29 April 2010 16:04 (3 years ago) Permalink
one of my favorite things at the moment, though i can only take them in small doses and have to be careful who i play them around. went to sleep last night listening to/to how to survive in/in the woods. and stockhausen.
― contenderizer, Thursday, 29 April 2010 16:43 (3 years ago) Permalink
have to be careful who i play them around
why?
― peacocks, Wednesday, 29 September 2010 13:51 (2 years ago) Permalink
guys i cant stop listening to echo lake
― fennel cartwright, Thursday, 30 September 2010 07:53 (2 years ago) Permalink
vocals and twee/folky vibe offend some
and yeah, at echo lake
― having taken an actual journalism class (contenderizer), Thursday, 30 September 2010 09:25 (2 years ago) Permalink
bland vocals, like canadian folk rock vocals, offend me wayyy more. also i'm overexposed to canadian folk rock in canada so i prefer this style
i like twee vibe when it's done right. to me the whole point of twee is balancing cheerful and morbid. tough alliance is my favorite example of twee vibe done like that.
and i dunno it's just so C A T C H Y
― fennel cartwright, Thursday, 30 September 2010 11:15 (2 years ago) Permalink
oh yeah forgot to mention that woods also balances cheerful and morbid really nicely!!!!! it's nice... but SO melancholy. best way 2 be
― fennel cartwright, Thursday, 30 September 2010 11:17 (2 years ago) Permalink
Didn't know there was a thread for them. On one of the Neil Young threads, I posted about how much I love "Blood Dries Darker," and how it sounded like a munchkin version of "Powderfinger." The last song on the same LP is also pretty great.
― clemenza, Thursday, 30 September 2010 11:30 (2 years ago) Permalink
I read a little bit upthread but can someone explain the problem with the vocals? They are so beautiful and integral to the sound of this band I literally can't imagine anything objectionable about them.
― Badmotorfinger Debate Club (MFB), Saturday, 2 October 2010 05:16 (2 years ago) Permalink
his voice cracks and is frequently out of tune? not that i don't like them, it's just pretty unpolished
― teflon dawn (uptown churl), Saturday, 2 October 2010 06:21 (2 years ago) Permalink
probably why they're so good. fuck being polished.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Saturday, 2 October 2010 14:56 (2 years ago) Permalink
Any thoughts on the new album? On first listen I like the mellow parts that sound like their recent albums (it's been a good year for folk rock!) and am not so sure about the parts where they try to play motorik.
A decent track that's on Youtube:
― hipsters gonna hip (seandalai), Thursday, 9 June 2011 23:49 (1 year ago) Permalink
Yeah, I agree. There were a couple of songs I unchecked pretty quickly (Out of the Eye, Sol Y Sombra) but he writes some great tunes (Any Other Day, To Have in the Home, I guess I like the poppier, upbeat ones). Shame about the vocals though. It's hard to take too much of it at a time.
― unmetalled world (wk), Friday, 10 June 2011 00:01 (1 year ago) Permalink
Revive inspired me to give WFC a go...wow! This is great!
― symbol of the paramount chaos (Drugs A. Money), Sunday, 12 June 2011 04:17 (1 year ago) Permalink
i am enjoying the heck out of this record
out of the eye is awesome!!
― attention to thee tail (electricsound), Thursday, 30 June 2011 23:43 (1 year ago) Permalink
hi i'm new here. but i really love woods and am a fan of the new album. i think their sound is pretty unique: the combination of their grainy, lo-fi campfire vibe with the sort of bee gees-ish falsetto vocals was striking to me when i first heard it. a lot of their songs are really ear-wormy too; i'm surprised they're not more popular. i half suspect that pushing onlys is going to show up in a movie trailer.
― Pat F1nn, Friday, 1 July 2011 05:29 (1 year ago) Permalink
Still trying to figure this out.
New one is great but the last three have stuck pretty close to a "formula," it's a formula that works really well but I'm hoping they shake things up slightly, maybe even production-wise, with the next record.
― Badmotorfinger Debate Club (MFB), Saturday, 2 July 2011 17:01 (1 year ago) Permalink
Well, going off of the Bee-Gees comparison, those dudes can actually SING. Woods is like somebody who can't sing doing a jokey Bee-Gees impression at Karaoke. Also, the Bee-Gees didn't do the falsetto thing on every damn song. He needs to break it up a bit. I love individual songs but I honestly can't make it through an entire album in one sitting. And I guess some people are just more sensitive to pitchiness than others.
― Ktulu says, I've come to hate my body (wk), Saturday, 2 July 2011 17:15 (1 year ago) Permalink
hmm, i've always found the vocals to be very well integrated with their sound. they've never struck me as a karaoke-type novelty. but i think that's the risk with using unapologetic falsetto the way woods do, some listeners can't really take it seriously because it's so obviously an affectation and, as you said, it's harder to control the pitch. one reason i like woods so much may be that i'm not really very sensitive to pitchiness and i rarely ever find myself wishing that idiosyncratic vocalists were more 'traditionally' skilled or polished.
and yeah, MFB, i would definitely welcome more experimentation in their next record. they definitely need to expand their sound if they want to make a 'great' album. but maybe they don't want that, i feel like people see them primarily as a live band.
― Pat F1nn, Saturday, 2 July 2011 20:39 (1 year ago) Permalink
wait, I finally figured out my problem. he sounds exactly like Mickey Mouse.
― Ktulu says, I've come to hate my body (wk), Saturday, 2 July 2011 20:46 (1 year ago) Permalink
well, he sounds like early mickey mouse. like, before the coke and polyster suit period, when it was still about the music.
― Pat F1nn, Sunday, 3 July 2011 05:51 (1 year ago) Permalink
Bend Beyond is a nice album
having seen them live a bunch of times recently though ... I like most of these new songs better the way they've been doing them live. the title track being only 4:25 long is a surprise, in their set they stretch that one out with a buncha spacey shit in the middle.
Cali in a Cup is a p sweet track. sounds like sunshine. nice harmonica.
― dmr, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 19:59 (8 months ago) Permalink
best song on this might be Size Meets the Sound, pretty awesome
― dmr, Tuesday, 18 September 2012 20:19 (8 months ago) Permalink
Enjoying this a lot, best album I've heard from them since Songs of Shame. The B-Side to "Cali in a Cup" is lovely too (only clip on Youtube involves the knees of a crazy cat guy):
― tish tosch (seandalai), Tuesday, 25 September 2012 00:42 (8 months ago) Permalink
Fuck I love this new one, right up my alley. What of their other stuff sounds like the new one?
― HAPPY BDAY TOOTS (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 27 September 2012 02:25 (7 months ago) Permalink