new New Pornographers

Twin Cinema (the album) for me was the apex of The New Pornographers as an idea. Supergroups, indie or otherwise, rarely live up to expectations. TNP's had done it on several songs before that, but the Twin Cinema album was absolutely phenomenal (even Carl's title track). Such a thing will probably never happen again, but it took me over a year to really appreciate Challengers... so what do I know.

challengers is better than it was given credit for. they didn't let the songs soar (i.e., they tried too hard to make a "mature album," but the songs themselves had lots of potential). i don't see why they couldn't equal or top twin cinema.

I really like Challengers, it's got some of their best tunes on it. I'd say each record has at least six stone-cold awesome tracks, so if they can keep the quality level up I'll be satisfied.

"out-of-date" Newman-style powerpop >>>> 90% of new indie-fux0r shit

Correct. I rate Electric Version slightly over Twin Cinema for sheer tunedom, though they're both crammed with splendidness. Challengers was not as consistently compelling, but has some really excellent songs, and IMHO "Adventures In Solitude" is probably the best song Newman has ever written.

I can't snark on a band that is responsible for the existence of "The Bleeding Heart Show."

yes. bleeding heart show and sing me spanish techo stand at the top of an album of amazing high-points.

Besides being strong from beginning to end, Twin Cinema was also paced really, really well. Opening with "Twin Cinema," closing with "Stacked Crooked"? Excellent.

Would have been a perfect record had they lopped off "Broken Beads" and "Three or Four," mind.

Also, I haven't seen this mentioned elsewhere, but Challengers had some great outtakes - esp. "The Speed of Luxury" and "Fortune."

Would have been a perfect record had they lopped off "Broken Beads" and "Three or Four," mind.

so true. there's a stretch of semi-mediocre songs that do drag the album down a bit, but that's quibbling, given all the high-points -- twin cinema was my favorite album of the decade for a long time.

I like Three or Four a lot, you guys!

both those songs are awesome

meh.

At least Challengers was better than the last A.C. Newman album Get Guilty. That one never sunk in.

Heresy: All New Pornographers albums would be improved by the removal of Dan Bejar songs except "Jackie Dressed in Cobras" which is awesome.

All New Pornographers albums would be improved by the removal of Dan Bejar songs except "Jackie Dressed in Cobras" which is awesome.

^ this!

I really loved A.C. Newman's first solo album, I think that was released in '04

Never got Dan Bejar, honestly except for "To Wild Homes."

i hate destroyer but he's contributed 1-2 good songs to all the new pornos albums

!

Destroyer's Rubies is an excellent record, and 75% of Trouble in Dreams is also solid. "Libby's First Sunrise," the final track off the latter record, is probably one of my favorite songs of his.

this thread would have been perfect for you, ksh
Destroye's Rubies

didnt that get a 10 on pitchfork?

Apparently you thought the thread was "lol."

you supply the night, baby, i'll supply the lol

Let's make lots of money.

cad: 8.5

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/8970-destroyers-rubies/

didnt that get a 10 on pitchfork?

it would have, too, if you people hadn't ruined things with all your "thread comments."

Good record imo, but it's no Have One on Me, my record of the year, which I still haven't heard.

lol

;-)

All New Pornographers albums would be improved by the removal of Dan Bejar songs except "Jackie Dressed in Cobras" which is awesome.

OTM.

The Slow Wonder would be just behind EV as my fave NP or NP-related album. Get Guilty was below-par though, with some exceptions.

^ Get Guilty just doesn't have the sort of variety in the arrangements that you expect from a Newman project.

Nice to see I'm not the only one who doesn't like Bejar.

get guilty is awesome you are all crazy

i'm a guy who really likes twin cinema and electric version but i gotta say it's still all downhill from "my slow descent into alcoholism."

yeah I'm pretty happy with Get Guilty you wackjobs

whereas Challengers never really grabbed me aside from the title track which is impossibly good

Get Guilty is half great, has a few of his best tunes but quite a few that never grabbed me.

Get Guilty is all mediocre, to me. What song(s) on there are noteworthy?

Also, love Dan. The anti-Bejar sentiment in here is all out of wack.

Nothing--and I mean NOTHING--about "The Heartbreak Rides" is mediocre.

get guilty is a snooze imo

do all the bejar-in-new pornos haters like destroyer solo? i think i'm kind of weird in that i can't bring myself to give a shit about the new pornographers as a group, but really love their solo acts, destroyer being my favorite. j0rdan s is like this too iirc

Destroyer is ear poison to me.

cray-zee talk, seriously

I pretty well hate me some Destroyer, but I love Bejar's songs with the Pornos. Go figure.

good Get Guilty trax IMO:

Ten or Twelve Things
Heartbreak Rides
Hitman/Dancer
Thunderbolts
Days/Days Off

best Bejar trax w/ NPs:

Jackie
Jackie, Dressed in Cobras
Streets of Fire
Myriad Harbour
Balad of a Comeback Kid

"The Spirit of Giving" is win, too, no? Without or without the tongue in his cheek, that's a terrific song.

yeah I love that song too, but I don't suspect that's widely shared.

Also, love Dan. The anti-Bejar sentiment in here is all out of wack.

Srsly. "A Testament To Youth In Verse" is one of my very favorite NPs songs!

Also, when I saw them on the last tour in Cleveland, Dan was not with them, so they had Will Sheff from Okkervill River come out and do "Myriad Harbor" with them and it was great.

good Get Guilty trax IMO:

Ten or Twelve Things
Heartbreak Rides
Hitman/Dancer
Thunderbolts
Days/Days Off

these plus prophets, palace, the changeling, young atlantis, the collected works.

i know the arrangements are very straight pop/rock, but as a songwriter he was completely on fire.

Which tracks does Neko sing on the new one?

Re: Get Guilty: Thunderbolts, Prophets and The Heartbreak Rides are all excellent. Otherwise it's at best mildly diverting, at worst forgettable.

I've never warmed to Destroyer the way I have his NP tracks.

love The Slow Wonder, never got into the rest

True story. I was listening to the new OMD (which is good). Next up in the queue was (I learned retroactively) "Brill Bruisers," which I'd literally never heard. The OMD album is playing when my wife pops in, but she doesn't say anything. Then seconds later I notice the music has changed.

"What is this?" she suddenly asks. "It sounds familiar."

"Well, it had been OMD, so it should be familiar," I say. "But I was just wondering what it was myself, because I think the album switched."

"Hmm," she answered. "Reminds me of the New Pornographers."

Which I think is nuts impressive, because she likes the NPs when they're on, but they're almost never on here, and she's never asked to hear them, but was immediately able to identify an album I'd literally never heard or played before (and neither had she) as the NPs. Good for her, I say. And good for them!

we should just poll them at this point, I've spent so much time listening since that Stereogum article. Thanks Dan!
Current ranking:
EV
TC
MR
BB
everything else.

Thank you again, thread revive, because I think there was a better than average chance I might not have ever listened to this band on purpose ever again, for no good reason, the ultimate taking a group for granted. But I'm loving them today.

I sort of fell into a state of ambivalence toward them for the last couple of years but Whiteout Conditions totally rekindled my love for them. It's one of my favorite records of the year.

best recorded catalog of the past 2 decades, imo

Here's the list I came up with.

not bad. jessica numbers would be the biggest omission for me.

We have arrived

Too late to play

Hard to argue with that list. "Divine Right" would replace "Testament" in the top 5, but the other 4 are pretty undeniable, especially the vocal octave leaps and drops in the chorus of "Spanish Techno," or the end of "The Bleeding Heart Show" when it goes all "Pleasant Valley Sunday."

(Psst... "Mass Romantic" is on twice.)

easy to argue with that list. "the bleeding heart show" is their best song and remains unmentioned. talk to me about the stooges without mentioning "fun house" or run DMC and "raising hell" and i tune you out

Uhm, 'Bleeding Heart Show' is Alfred number one?

aaahh. no arguments with alfred's list. i thought you were talking about the challopsy stereogum dude's. sorry!

I'll give you something to be sad about

Ranking their albums. They've shown this on both screens!

Why is this nsfw?

guessing it's a joke derived from the band name

went on a lil new pornographers ride the other day,

twin cinema deffo seems the best when going back - had a surprisingly good time with brill bruisers too

I love the way the drums get mixed on Twin Cinema.

My man Todd fancey has a new LP out today

https://ffm.to/eyesoffire

New!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fDdetA8LU4

"Really Really Light"

whoa!

We’re so incredibly excited to share our new record ‘Continue as a Guest’ with you on 3/31. This one feels extra special, as it will be our first release with the legendary @mergerecords. Pre-order is available, as well as our latest merch! We’ve also released our brand new single “Really Really Light”, paired with a beautifully directed video by Christian Cerezo. Listen + watch + pre-order: lnk.to/ContinueAsAGuest

We can’t wait to play these new songs for you all when we hit the road this spring! Ticket presale will begin tomorrow 1/10 at 10am local and general onsale begins on Friday 1/13 at 10am local. Sign up to get the presale code for your show via thenewpornographers.com. A portion of the proceeds from presale tickets sold via our website will go to @fronterafundrgv. Special guests @wildpinknyc open all shows. See below for a full list of dates.

4/19/23 - Asheville, NC - Salvage Station
4/20/23 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
4/21/23 - New Orleans, LA - Tipitina's
4/22/23 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
4/23/23 - Dallas, TX - Studio at The Factory
4/25/23 - Austin, TX - Paramount
4/26/23 - Oklahoma City, OK - Tower Theatre
4/27/23 - St. Louis, MO - Sheldon Concert Hall
4/28/23 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room
4/29/23 - Kansas City, MO - The Truman
4/30/23 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre
5/03/23 - St. Paul, MN - The Fitzgerald
5/04/23 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
5/05/23 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
5/06/23 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
5/08/23 - Cincinnati, OH - Memorial Hall
5/09/23 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
5/11/23 - Detroit, MI - El Club
5/12/23 - Toronto, ON - Danforth
5/13/23 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Ballroom
5/14/23 - Norwalk, CT - Wall Street Theater
5/15/23 - Boston, MA - Royale
5/17/23 - New York, NY - Brooklyn Steel
5/18/23 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
5/19/23 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
5/21/23 - Saxapahaw, NC - Haw River Ballroom

Tracklist:

01 “Really Really Light”
02 “Pontius Pilate’s Home Movies”
03 “Cat And Mouse With The Light”
04 “Last And Beautiful”
05 “Continue As A Guest”
06 “Bottle Episodes”
07 “Marie And The Undersea”
08 “Angelcover”
09 “Firework In The Falling Snow”
10 “Wish Automatic Suite”