how's the live set without the 2x vocal harmonies thing?
― Damn this thread seems so....different without ilxor (ilxor), Wednesday, 2 February 2011 14:46 (2 years ago) Permalink
It depends... I've seen them twice w/Claudia and twice without and out of all of these shows, I liked last night's one the best. I do miss hearing Claudia's harmonies, but they're overcompensating in interesting ways. Ben is basically doing everything now and hops around like a crazed mad scientist guitar hero. Ally has a stage presence now that she didn't really have earlier and with all the noise they're making now I wonder how much of that harmony would get drowned out. Hopefully, Claudia could make an appearance at least on the next album?
― Stockhausen's Ekranoplan Quartet (Elvis Telecom), Thursday, 3 February 2011 01:39 (2 years ago) Permalink
Having played Disconnect From Desire to death for about a month now, why is "I L U" the default approved song? I mean, it's a good song, but it seems very... safe, I guess? It's a very straightforward beat, very simple vocal line, very simple vocal harmony, very simple instrumental arrangement... it seems like the least representative song on the album of what this band seems to be about (syncopation and vocal harmony, mostly).
"Camarilla", on the other hand, is just full-on great. I love the way the harmony comes in on the verse and the moving thirds in the second half, mixed in with the creepy suspensions in the low voice of the chorus.
― Indolence Mission (DJP), Friday, 11 February 2011 16:18 (2 years ago) Permalink
try just getting over a breakup and then listening to I L U'i want you to know that i loved you' is just extremely emotionally powerful
― ouroboros shoal (diamonddave85), Friday, 11 February 2011 16:48 (2 years ago) Permalink
Yeah the words do take it to a pretty high level, once they sank in.
But "Camarilla" and "Jovian" are just as A+.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 11 February 2011 16:51 (2 years ago) Permalink
yeah forgive me but I'm not about to break up an 18-year relationship so I can truly feel a song
like I said, I think it's a good song; I just vibe off of the musical choices of most of the other songs on the album more
― CAN YOU GULP ANY LOUDER PISS WOMAN (DJP), Friday, 11 February 2011 18:57 (2 years ago) Permalink
I hadn't been through a break up or anything even close when I first fell in love with that song, but I could identify with the feeling by memory...which I guess is way harder to do if you've been in a relationship for 18 years. But even discounting that angle, the chorus's melody just cuts my guts like a knife.
― Johnny Fever, Friday, 11 February 2011 19:37 (2 years ago) Permalink
It's not the melody, though (which is very basic pentatonic scale motion); it's the chord progression that is interesting/impressive in the chorus of that song (and that's mostly because of the false cadence on the first two repetitions followed by the real cadence with suspensions on the outro).
Also IMO the killer line is "And I was a fool to think/It'd be easier to leave/Than to be left behind"; without that, the chorus is kind of powerless and context-free.
(I do like the song a lot but it doesn't strike me as THE SONG of the album, partially because its construction is out of step with what's happening on most of the other tracks.)
― CAN YOU GULP ANY LOUDER PISS WOMAN (DJP), Friday, 11 February 2011 20:47 (2 years ago) Permalink
I L U is too slick and contrived to have any real emotional resonance with me, but it's fantastic nonetheless. i think it works by virtue of its simplicity -- the restrained vocal line, instrumentation etc. make for a very elegant song.
― charlie h, Friday, 11 February 2011 21:23 (2 years ago) Permalink
I just picked up Alpinisms. I see why ppl would prefer this to DFD (it's way more indie)
― Dreaded Burrito Gang (DJP), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 18:38 (2 years ago) Permalink
Update on band and new album: http://stereogum.com/878532/progress-report-school-of-seven-bells/franchises/progress-report/
― Stockhausen's Ekranoplan Quartet (Elvis Telecom), Monday, 14 November 2011 22:05 (1 year ago) Permalink
I like me the sound of that.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 14 November 2011 23:10 (1 year ago) Permalink
*drums fingers*
― dead precedents politics as usual (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 10 January 2012 03:04 (1 year ago) Permalink
i had "i l u" on repeat tonight
― teledyldonix, Tuesday, 10 January 2012 10:17 (1 year ago) Permalink
Behold!
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/12978-lafaye/
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 12 January 2012 17:25 (1 year ago) Permalink
Now THAT is a late eighties Cure intro.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 12 January 2012 17:26 (1 year ago) Permalink
This track is amazing. Looks like I'm back on the bandwagon.
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 12 January 2012 18:09 (1 year ago) Permalink
cannot wait to see them on tour
― lost ai weiwei (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, 12 January 2012 18:22 (1 year ago) Permalink
Only half way though, but the new one is sounding magnificent. Even bigger and more expansive than the last one.
― Homosexual Satan Wasp (Matt DC), Sunday, 19 February 2012 20:08 (1 year ago) Permalink
Nice!
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 19 February 2012 20:11 (1 year ago) Permalink
Man, the harmonies in "Heart is Strange" are so perfect. I love how they're all mixed evenly so no one melody dominates, and also the way she carries single syllables across measures. It's brilliant.
― I have one thing to say: "Roxanne Shanté" (Stevie D(eux)), Sunday, 19 February 2012 21:18 (1 year ago) Permalink
Listened again, the production and the whole sound of the thing are fantastic, perfect for this sort of weather where things are just getting bright again and the light feels clean and sparkly. I'm not quite sure the songs/vocal melodies are quite sticking with me yet.
A couple of the songs have really big, thick, continuous basslines under them, like they're consciously going for that Skream balladstep sound, except the synths and guitars on top of all that are much brighter. One song later on is like a skittering electronic take on Gish-era Smashing Pumpkins. And on the last track, When You Sing, they're very obviously channeling the Weatherall mix of Soon, but I can live with that.
― Homosexual Satan Wasp (Matt DC), Monday, 20 February 2012 09:40 (1 year ago) Permalink
full stream:
http://hypem.com/#!/artist/School%20of%20Seven%20Bells/1/
― Prince Rebus (donna rouge), Monday, 20 February 2012 18:26 (1 year ago) Permalink
confused by this thread's current proximity to the schoolboy q and sleigh bells threads...
anyway, already repeat-listening to "lafaye" and "reappear"
― Prince Rebus (donna rouge), Monday, 20 February 2012 19:46 (1 year ago) Permalink
thumbs up on one listen - the twin who left must be seething at how surplus to requirements she turned out to be cuz if i didn't know i wouldn't have guessed. my favourite tracks were towards the end but i wasn't looking at the titles so i don't know which they were
― lex pretend, Monday, 20 February 2012 19:50 (1 year ago) Permalink
― Stockhausen's Ekranoplan Quartet (Elvis Telecom), Monday, 20 February 2012 21:57 (1 year ago) Permalink
First listen through and I'm also picking up a Laurie Anderson + MBV vibe. Really want to hear how "When You Sing" sounds live.
― Stockhausen's Ekranoplan Quartet (Elvis Telecom), Monday, 20 February 2012 22:11 (1 year ago) Permalink
okay I am listening to "Love From A Stone" on Spotify right now and HOLY SHIT YES
― (thinks and smiles) (DJP), Tuesday, 21 February 2012 15:50 (1 year ago) Permalink
Yeah.
― Andy K, Tuesday, 21 February 2012 16:00 (1 year ago) Permalink
I am extremely irritated that I will not be able to listen to this properly until later today. I'm also irritated that this goddamn flu or whatever I have had for the last few days is going to impact that listen anyway.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 21 February 2012 16:40 (1 year ago) Permalink
The last two tracks are so so so great!
― Tim F, Wednesday, 22 February 2012 05:00 (1 year ago) Permalink
Okay! Finally sinking into this. Damn this is already their most...expansive album, for lack of a better term. It's like they're starting to fill out a huge space. (Also really love how they're repurposing Cocteau Twins background non-Liz vocal shadings -- think the very end of "The Spangle Maker" -- on something like "Love Play," that's a great use of them!)
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 22 February 2012 06:11 (1 year ago) Permalink
Ha and I now see that Matt DC said expansive too. He's damn right about that!
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 22 February 2012 06:17 (1 year ago) Permalink
― Tim F, Wednesday, February 22, 2012 5:00 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Last three songs I should say. But it's all excellent.
― Tim F, Wednesday, 22 February 2012 13:15 (1 year ago) Permalink
Meantime they've also just remixed A Place to Bury Strangers:
http://www.spin.com/articles/first-spin-get-school-seven-bells-remix-place-bury-strangers-so-far-away
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 23 February 2012 19:22 (1 year ago) Permalink
I'd only heard 'Lafaye' (I think that's what it was called) up until now, which I wasn't too taken with, but that 'The Night' track posted above I really love. Crazy. I'm finding myself wanting to check out the full album now, which I certainly will do. There's a lot of elements to this stuff that seem right up my street.
― Turrican, Friday, 24 February 2012 02:38 (1 year ago) Permalink
I listened twice today. This is a serious favorite.
― I have one thing to say: "Roxanne Shanté" (Stevie D(eux)), Friday, 24 February 2012 03:06 (1 year ago) Permalink
an action album
― moullet, Saturday, 25 February 2012 15:46 (1 year ago) Permalink
ilxors that have heard this, please tell me that this awful Popmatters review is just wrong on every level
― Gonjasufjanstephen O'Malley (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 27 February 2012 14:22 (1 year ago) Permalink
He's wrong. Also, he apparently prefers Google+ to Facebook. He's wrong often.
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 27 February 2012 15:10 (1 year ago) Permalink
lol
― Gonjasufjanstephen O'Malley (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 27 February 2012 15:10 (1 year ago) Permalink
be kind, dude justs want to hear another good poco album
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Monday, 27 February 2012 15:12 (1 year ago) Permalink
"drum machine bleating" should never be said by anyone ever
― robbery by sudden snatching (DJP), Monday, 27 February 2012 15:13 (1 year ago) Permalink
mark e. smith could pull it off
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Monday, 27 February 2012 15:16 (1 year ago) Permalink
Lafaye video:
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 27 February 2012 19:38 (1 year ago) Permalink
im in love with "white wind"
― moullet, Tuesday, 28 February 2012 02:01 (1 year ago) Permalink
"scavenger" and "white wind" are astonishing
the lyrics to "scavenger" are a lot more...specific and vicious than i expected from SVIIB!
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 28 February 2012 09:30 (1 year ago) Permalink
Listened to Ghostory on a long dog walk at dawn today. Its very solid. OTOH, what it gains in confidence, it loses in the sense of awkward exploration that worked so well (for me) on the debut.
― Pauper Management Improved (Sanpaku), Tuesday, 28 February 2012 16:41 (1 year ago) Permalink
It's quite handy that this thread is at the top of the page, because I've finally got around to listening to the album today. I listened to it several times all the way through this morning, and yeah, I love this a hell of a lot. Even 'Lafaye', which I wasn't too taken with at first, has now got its claws in me. I can see this becoming a favourite of the year, and as much as I liked the Chairlift record, this quite comfortably runs rings around it as far as I'm concerned.
― Turrican, Tuesday, 28 February 2012 16:51 (1 year ago) Permalink
as much as I liked the Chairlift record, this quite comfortably runs rings around it as far as I'm concerned
If you're looking for a thing from SVIIB that SVIIB is best at, you're not going to find it in Chairlift (and vice versa). They're not exactly apples and oranges, but very different to my mind.
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 28 February 2012 17:24 (1 year ago) Permalink