Do Django Django not deserve their own thread?

Sadly, I could not make last night's XOYO show owing to a self-inflicted football watching injury, but hearing breathless reports from those who were there. I was thrilled and astonished when I saw them last year. I can't imagine hearing a better British guitar album this year. But where is the ILX love?

it happens

I like Django Django but I'm extremely curious to find out what "a self-inflicted football-watching injury" involves.

Kicking the pitch perimeter wall of Loftus Road in anger at useless QPR conceding to Fulham after seven minutes, with resulting severe bruising to left big toe causing extreme difficulty walking.

They do deserve their own thread, the album is excellent. They're the sort of British indie band that hasn't really had any limelight or traction at all over the past decade - open-eared, pluralistic, know how to construct a groove. They remind me a lot of the Beta Band, although the Beta Band never really went past sleepy stumbling pace and Django Django are at their best when they're at high tempo. Bet they are fantastic live.

There's a great Optimo remix of the single as well.

Family connections to the Beta Band - David McLean, their mastermind, is brother of John McLean of the BB. The similarities are unavoidable, but as Matt says, Django Django is a much more propulsive version - they're playing a BB take on garage rock, rather than on hazy psych. I hope they'll be a proper word-of-mouth success this year, because they really deserve it.

The live performance is bewitching: really clever use of screens and projections and venetian blinds. I went to see them last autumn out of grim professional duty, assuming they were some tedious hipsters, and came out convinced I'd seen the first truly exciting British guitar band in donkey's years.

I was a bit sceptical about them at first but am starting to consider their album rather wonderful and lovable. I wasn't surprised to read about the Beta Band connection. They also remind me of XTC in the best possible way.

I like them very much indeed. Pissed off at having missed them in Nottingham last week (my body staged a five-day protest at turning fifty), but friends tell me they were wonderful.

Not really understanding the BB comparisons beyond a very vague Pavlovian response to guitars & grooves. They're inhabiting very different emotional territory, and it's the motional territory that pulls me back to the BB (and Steve Mason solo). I've not played the album enough yet. As for British guitar albums in 2012, though, Field Music is doing far more for me thus far.

emotional not motional.

Not really understanding the BB comparisons beyond a very vague Pavlovian response to guitars & grooves

Really? Virtually everyone I've played the album to has said "this sounds like the Beta Band". The voices, the source material and the sort of things they do with it are very similar. But yeah the pace and the the emotional territory are very different.

Yeah; I was on a bit of a BB tip the other week, just before I got DD, too, so BB were fresh in my mind. Mind you, lots of people say "this sounds like X" about certain things and I don't hear it...

Firewater sounds like the Beta Band playing On The Road Again by Canned heat.

Album of the year so far. Really sounds like Beta Band and Simian, but more straightforwardly.

love this band

I picked this up on the basis of being totally blown away by the 'Intro' and its wonderful transition into the second track. The way it builds from those Cluster sounding Kraut beats then goes all tribal before the Meddle era drums kick in and it morphs magically into Hot Chip covering the Beta Band is quite something. I haven't given the rest much of a chance mind you.

yeah, listened to this three times in a row last night. what at first sounds like boring indie turns into something much more textured and interesting. Hopefully they expand their US tour.

The middle section, from Waveforms through to WOR is so much fun. The production is excellent throughout, the drums on Firewater sound so crisp. Terrific album.

I was in the crowd for Jools Holland and they were tremendous, I would love to see them in an actual club. Nothing I've read about them has been remotely accurate. You see things like "experimental, psychedelic indie" or something, and admittedly if you were just looking at a photo of them that's what you'd imagine, but what they reminded me of most was Link Wray, actually.

Yes: big Link Wray fans. What I ilke is the way they sound like completely different things to different people.

fantastic group. their inventiveness sounds so effortless. would love to see them live.

haha ok I just listened to "Hail Bop" and yeah, I can understand the psyche appelation

I saw them last year in a room that is not in any way suitable for gigs acoustically and they passed me by a little, however it was more of a party than a gig. Planning to go and see them in an actual venue next month.

"Once beyond the appropriately named ‘Introduction’ you are hypnotised with excitement by the rhythm of ‘Hail Bop’. When ‘Default’ follows, you are thrown into the realms of wonderment. There’s no point fighting it, you can’t help but be sucked in by the simple beat built for the dance floor."

http://o.onionstatic.com/images/personalities/personality/1017/character2_jpg_90x150_upscale_q85.jpg

Going to see them in a few weeks, am reasonably curious. I gave the album a listen but it didn't really grab me as anything particularly fresh, just another indie jangle-pop with harmonies band. I'll give them another spin.

Just now hearing this, a friend linked me to the full album stream on NPR: http://www.npr.org/2012/08/05/157589268/first-listen-django-django-django-django

Really digging it, one track in!

Yup, found this on npr this morning. Terrific stuff.

People on ILX really digging this? Sounds like the kind of thing you lot would hate. Personally think they're boring as fuck.

their live show is terrific, very stripped down and punky

They're supporting Hot Chip in the autumn so will see them then, but I can well imagine they're great live.

I can't really understand why Ilxors would like these guys and hate, say Alt-J.

well i hate to do a chuck eddy here but in my case it's because django django.... rock? and alt-j don't?

prob need to hear dd again, but I didn't hear much rock in there. Watered-down Hot Chip with acoustic guitars and a song annoyingly title "Hail Bopp" maybe, but no rock...

It doesn't sound like Hot Chip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtJftl8no6g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPMTd83jNcU

the record is pretty fantastic. "default" is such a good kiss-off tune

i haven't laughed this hard since...dunno
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OjM4u3mHBvI

ha

I've come round to finding Hail Bopp quite catchy, but on the whole these guys aren't my cup of tea. I like the Byrds influence, but their sound is just a bit.. flimsy? I dunno, I can't find myself getting too excited by them.

I like them a lot. Don't know if they deserved a full remix album so quickly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HISD9ZcvIj4

a full remix album is exactly what they need. that's something i'm interested in.

Does anybody kno0w what was on the free cd that came if you bought the cd at Rough Trade? I bought a copy with a sticker saying 2cd that only wound up having one cd in, so been wondering what I missed.

forgot how much i liked default.

New album is very good

I like it a lot, too. The vocal melodies are a bit samey and overwhelming at the same time, which doesn't make sense unless you listen to the album, but the music is so awesome.

Enjoying this too although at almost an hour it'll take a few listens to take it all in.

Giant definitely an early standout

a couple of weeks ago, these guys stepped in for arrested development at camp bestival and were bloody fantastic.

when three of them all got behind the synths and let loose ..

well, that could have gone on for hours and i dont think i would get bored.

New album out today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9lGlbTMOXg

I didn't engage with the last one at all but this is excellent. Surface To Air in particular.

I'm enjoying the new one. I really like "Champagne." That's my kind of song. The album feels much more streamlined than the last two, which I guess explains the somewhat middling critical consensus. I think it's good, though.

hastings!

Ooh yeah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ncorkv897A

I love Django Django.

I don't know why they're not more popular with music nerds.

I also don't know why they're so popular with normal people.

I saw them play in NYC a few years ago and it was a big venue, can't remember which, but it was absolutely packed with young college bros. I had no idea they were that popular.

I've really really enjoyed this today! Kinda out of nowhere; this band has been only marginally on my radar for I guess most of their recorded history.

It is surely bad and wrong and arbitrary to always be invoking other bands in describing bands, but there were multiple times when I was reminded of my favourite mode of New Order: intricate interweaving of instrumental lines that separately seem simple.