Silkworm: C/D?

I'm really trying to put a finger on why I love Silkworm so much, and the nearest I can get is this:

I really grew up on my Dad's records...the Stones, CCR, Neil Young, etc. There's a certain part of me that – although I have grown to love all sorts of music - weird post punk, hip hop, electronic stuff, noisier rock, punk, metal, world music, jazz, etc etc - there's a certain part of me, way down in the lizard brain, that loves classic rock in a way that that stuff can never touch..

just thinking of stuff like "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere" or "Lodi" by CCR or "Rocks Off" by the Stones...like music that basically gives you that "Four beers deep" feeling J0hn mentioned upthread, where you feel a something in your chest and you just want to rip your heart out cuz it's so anthemic and real and makes life seem so awesome and rocking

But at the same time, you can't just be stuck in those songs because there aren't any more of them being made, and any band that tries to be *actual* classic rock is going to fail. Those days are gone and it just seems fake and it won't even sound like those records sound.

So I guess for me Silkworm was a band that gave me those feelings of real "bro" classic rock, but at the same time they acknowledged and used influences from all the other stuff that changed how i viewed rock music - fugazi and mission of burma and sonic youth and the minutemen and gang of four etc – they were a part of that world two, the whole lineage of the "this band could be your life" era

they were able to combine the strange angles and skronk and sorta impenetrable lyrics and sometimes odd sounding chord changes and rhythmic hiccups in a way that still felt as anthemic and huge and heartfelt and full of everything as all the old music did.....but they weren't pretending to be like "hey we're a throwback to the old days" either like kings of leon or dudes that have a whole "let's bring OLD TIME ROCK BACK" jive.

basically they were exactly what i need out of rock, or at least a big part of it.

also a lot of the stuff i just posted might not make total sense when you read it, but i makes sense when i feel it.

(this also figures into why i think Lifter Puller was a great band and Hold Steady is only a good band)

great post

I was about to ask where Lifter Puller/Hold Steady fit into this! That's a really nice summary of a personal aesthetic, M@tt.

yeah, nice post M@tt. Funny, though -- there are a *lot* of bands who try to invoke that classic rock feeling and fail miserably. Like, uh, any band I've been in. It's a weird fine line to tread, and Silkworm do a great job of it. I don't really like the Hold Steady at all, but it seems like I should.

Great post M@tt. Thanks for sharing that.

listening to Lifestyle rn

re: bottomless pit. a different (but not totally different) animal, and man, I love love love it.

I got deep into that congress ep last year as well. "red pen" is epic.

listening to bottomless pit hammer of the god atm

"dogtag" is such a brilliant, oblique and not cheesy tribute to a fallen friend.

interesting thing abt bottomless pit to me is that cohen seems to be doing his thing, as ever, while tim midgett is really kinda pushing the sound forward with the four-piece lineup.

i've really needed silkworm this week, it's been a helluva week.

how do you guys feel about the crust brothers record?

actually never owned that that but always meant to, is it good? i heard it a bit a looong time ago but don't remember

it's just the live thing right? i love their version of

GOIN TO ACAPULLLLCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

yeah, it's just a live show. has a pretty good vibe, they're just having fun cruising through these songs. wish there was a bit more variety (as opposed to mostly basement tapes tunes) cause i really love the version of tuesdays gone.

And all men knew it
Then God came to take you.
So I said to myself
I would bring that glass of beer.
Thus we used to do
For everyone to see.
So I brought along this beer to give you, to drink.

that dude needs to finish that documentary!

the lyrics for LR72 are pretty remarkable

love that song. such a weird song in a way but it really gets me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEW3hsNVF9M

Joel R.L. Phelps mini-collection posted over here (they're all out of print and all pretty great)

Bummed I missed the thread revival!

wow, thanks, on it.

bottomless pit playing at schuba's in chicago on april 19th, opening for monotonix, which seems like an unlikely pairing but whatever. thinking about making it down for this, if any chicago people wanna meet up for a minifap.

the great indie mag Puncture published a Joel R.L. Phelps profile back in the day that I remember being really heartbreaking. All about him working with disabled kids or something and then playing shows at night and no one really paying much attention.

http://www.joelrlphelps.com/

huge fan of phelps's solo work

Weird, I was just thinking about Silkworm today! I have no idea why exactly. I never owned a record by them but saw them play in Providence once and they completely blew me away.

start at the beginning, in the west.

oh, i love yr display name!

i love you, jed_

thanks x o

I think Italian Platinum is very underrated and so is Blueblood.

cohen's solo on "The Third" off Italian Platinum is WOW

I was so excited when Italian Platinum came out, it was my favorite album they'd done since Firewater. "I Hope U Don't Survive" is right up there with "Treat the New Guy Right" as catchy Silkworm rock-out anthems.

Will anyone rep for Don't Look Back? I was pretty disappointed with it, especially after the resurgence of Italian Platinum. I've tried to go back to it a couple of times but just can't get that excited about it.

do you mean it'll be cool? i fuckin love that album.

oh yeah duh

yeah i never actually bought It'll Be Cool but this thread makes me want to, heard it a few times at a friend's house.

the Chokes EP is another sorta lost SKWM joint

Are You Dignified? is the bomb

oh man chokes is great too

there's a cohen song on it called low blow that is just amazing

for some reason I only have "Bar Ice" (which is great) off that EP, I should buy it

oh yeah Bar Ice kills

much love for "even a blind chicken..." over here

the beginning and end of it'll be cool (don't look back, insomnia, shitty little yacht, the operative) is great but the middle lost me. the guitar solo at the end of shitty little yacht is my favorite solo of andy's - just all over the place - there's almost an extended version of it on "38 souls," one of two new bottomless pit tracks posted on FB today. they both sound great!

ah shit thanks for the tip!!!!! SWEEEEEEEEEEEET!

WHAT

New Bottomless Pit will be called "Blood Under the Bridge." They are hoping for a summer release.

xp - Insomnia is killer. but yeah that album didn't stand up to the two previous, imo

wow, Chokes is awesome. Got that and Blueblood because of this thread. i don't know what the hell "you can keep that piece of Indiana lakeshore" means, but it's been in my head for days.

yeah I finally downloaded all of Chokes after the thread revival and it's really good, especially "Int'l Harbour Of Grace"

blueblood's okay. . . it's like the songs aren't quite there but the solos are. i think they are becoming a new favorite band, i also grabbed the first two songs from It'll Be Cool on emusic.

and "Bar Ice" ... I guess I'm a sucker for the Silkworm songs with female backup vox. Is it Kelly Hogan again on here?