tapping into the lucrative norwegian market, i guess.
― tylerw, Monday, 4 April 2011 15:05 (thirteen years ago) link
I think a black metal Robyn Hitchcock would be interesting ...
― BlackIronPrison, Monday, 4 April 2011 15:40 (thirteen years ago) link
Years ago another quirky-ish pop guy I liked (Laptop) put out a seemingly random Norway release, and I wondered at the time what the deal was. Do you get free healthcare or sardines or something if you use their record labels?
― dlp9001, Monday, 4 April 2011 16:29 (thirteen years ago) link
all the lutefisk you could ever desire
― tylerw, Monday, 4 April 2011 16:31 (thirteen years ago) link
I thought Robyn said all his future albums would be digital-only?
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Monday, 4 April 2011 16:33 (thirteen years ago) link
yeah he hinted at that...guess he's not ready to say goodbye to the physical world just yet.
― tylerw, Monday, 4 April 2011 16:36 (thirteen years ago) link
I've only listened to the two streamed tracks once apiece, and I wasn't terribly excited by them. Then again, that happens a lot with my first hearing of a new RH album; I tend to start out hearing what it's NOT and only later hear what it IS...
Anyway, what I'm hearing is a kind of late 60s Kinks-y midtempo thing with prominent rhythmic cello. "Dismal City" feels a bit cute, though the sentiment expressed is unique enough.
The "produced by Paul Noble" tag is intriguing; RH's London live band is usually Noble on bass, Terry Edwards on various, Kimberly Rew on guitar and Morris Windsor on drums. I've long hoped he'd do a record with that lineup (one of its few studio recordings, "City Of Women", is IMO one of RH's top 5 songs of the 00s).
Nice cover painting.
― how do I Mothman a ho? (Jon Lewis), Monday, 4 April 2011 16:55 (thirteen years ago) link
There's another track floating around, one listen to each didn't move me, but then "Propellor Time" needed a few spins to really grow on me. Still, I think the last out-of-nowhere album he released was "Luxor" which is really weak.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Monday, 4 April 2011 16:58 (thirteen years ago) link
Haha, I didn't see your comments when I posted, Jon. Twisted minds think alike!
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Monday, 4 April 2011 17:02 (thirteen years ago) link
dunno, i kinda like this poppier direction -- hitchcock could easily settle into rootsy folk-mode, but the arrangement on dismal city is fun.
― tylerw, Monday, 4 April 2011 17:03 (thirteen years ago) link
Hype City is on eMusic btw, so I expect I'll get this on there.
― how do I Mothman a ho? (Jon Lewis), Monday, 4 April 2011 17:05 (thirteen years ago) link
Tracklist is announced:
01 Light Blue Afternoon02 Raining Twilight Coast03 Savannah04 Dismal City05 Old Man Weather06 Erasing Your Life07 August In Hammersmith08 Everything About You09 The Abyss10 Godnatt Oslo
― Beast the Measles (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 02:29 (thirteen years ago) link
I just discovered Fegmania and I wonder why I've never heard of it before? Digging it.
― Trip Maker, Wednesday, 6 April 2011 03:34 (thirteen years ago) link
yeah that's a great one -- production on it is this weird mix of 80s gloss and really raw sounds. some of hitchcock's best songs too.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 6 April 2011 03:40 (thirteen years ago) link
looks like this new one will be available via robyn's website.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 6 April 2011 15:32 (thirteen years ago) link
I am predicting based strictly on track titles that tracks #5 through #7 will be my favorites.
― Beast the Measles (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 15:41 (thirteen years ago) link
ha! yeah those do sound good. wonder what the deal is with the re-recorded "raining twilight coast"? love that song.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 6 April 2011 15:43 (thirteen years ago) link
Yeah that's one of the best songs on Eye. I'm assuming this will be a band arrangement so I'm really curious what sort of tempo/rhythmic dynamic he'll use. 'Each Of Her Silver Wands' became sort of odd when it went from solo electric arr. to full band Soft Boys arr.
― Beast the Measles (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 16:10 (thirteen years ago) link
Pre-order for physical CD and more sound samples are up on robynhitchcock.com - you get a digital version immediately. Just downloaded, will offer thoughts later.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 12 April 2011 19:16 (thirteen years ago) link
thx for the heads up. samples sound nice! ordering ...
― tylerw, Tuesday, 12 April 2011 19:24 (thirteen years ago) link
twilight coast is just guitar and cello, so, no full band on that. it's pretty good though.
― akm, Thursday, 14 April 2011 22:37 (thirteen years ago) link
It's mixed really oddly - the cello is a bit overwhelming, don't you think?
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 14 April 2011 23:21 (thirteen years ago) link
On that song or the whole album?
― last name ever, first name gjetost (Jon Lewis), Friday, 15 April 2011 03:00 (thirteen years ago) link
That particular song, but there's other spots on the album where the mix felt strange - al,ost like certain instruments weree too far up in the mix. I need to give another listen and make some notes for a proper review.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 15 April 2011 03:48 (thirteen years ago) link
First impression of this is that it's not very good. Not Luxor levels of suck, but an uninteresting throwaway. I like "Savannah" with it's "I Am The Walrus" strings, and even in Norwegian "Godnatt Oslo" is one of the best songs in his entire catalog.
I agree that the mix isn't helping; it's too punchy. Anything in the lower registers - cello, bass, etc - is slapped into the front more than seems necessary for the material.
― EZ Snappin, Friday, 15 April 2011 15:50 (thirteen years ago) link
it's ok, it seems like a trifle of a record though, not as good as propeller time or most of the other recent albums. but it kind of seems like an afterthought record anyway, with what are basically two cover versions of his own material
― akm, Friday, 15 April 2011 17:46 (thirteen years ago) link
"Tromso, Kaptein" just arrived in the mailbox. It has a fairly tossed off feel to it, his singing is a bit flat in places - "Dismal City" for example. The new version of "Raining Twilight Coast" pales in comparison to the original, the female backing vocals just detract. On the plus side, "Old Man Weather" is wonderfully soulful and I appreciate that Robyn seems to be trying something different. A decidedly minor addition to his catalog.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 5 May 2011 23:25 (twelve years ago) link
Is the mix better on the actual disc than on the downloads?
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 5 May 2011 23:30 (twelve years ago) link
haven't head the new one yet, but i'll get to it. in the meantime ... anton barbeau and the egyptians? http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/threeminutetease
― tylerw, Monday, 9 May 2011 21:28 (twelve years ago) link
I'm clearing out stuff in preparation for moving, and came across roughly 35 CDRs of Robyn shows from (mostly) the 1990s - nothing especially rare, I suspect, but all pre-mp3 CDR trades from 10 years ago, or occasionally stuff downloaded from DIME and burned to CDR. Includes a complete UK tour from 99 or 2000, I think. Anyway, I don't have time to rip this stuff to mp3 and tag etc, so it's no use to me.
I don't think my mail here works, but if someone living *in the US* (sorry, don't want to mess around with airmail) wants them, post here and I'll get in touch and send them to you.
― toby, Tuesday, 31 May 2011 12:38 (twelve years ago) link
hi! i'd be into getting these, maybe sharing some of them on my blog...
― tylerw, Tuesday, 31 May 2011 14:49 (twelve years ago) link
Webmail sent.
― toby, Tuesday, 31 May 2011 15:11 (twelve years ago) link
he played a great set in whitechapel last week. was the first time i'd heard anything by him tbh. will def be checking some more stuff out. nice dude.
http://www.hells-belles.org/2011/05/robyn-hitchcock-plays-captain-beefheart/
― Crackle Box, Tuesday, 31 May 2011 16:31 (twelve years ago) link
urgh, that show sounds rad. hitchcock can actually do a convincing beefheart impersonation.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 31 May 2011 16:35 (twelve years ago) link
Noticed in my email that RH will be at Bell House in Brooklyn on November 19. It's been a longer span than usual without a US tour for him.
Wonder if it'll be rawk band or solo troubador format...
― Axolotl with an Atlatl (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 28 July 2011 17:26 (twelve years ago) link
cool, kind of hope it's with a band? and that he does an actual tour ... still never seen him with the venus 3 somehow. this sounds great (from his website)Robyn re-opens EyeTo commemorate its 21st anniversary, RH plays a definitive version of his second entirely solo record EYE, at St. Leonard’s Church in Shoreditch, London. First released in 1990, and subsequently in various formats (most recently by YepRoc), the record has contained different track selections. In this show where RH will be joined by Jenny Adejayan on cello, and Lucy Parnell & Jen Macro on harmonies, he will attempt to present a ‘director’s cut’ of the piece.
Doors are at 7:30pm. TICKETS are £15 in advance HERE.
― tylerw, Thursday, 28 July 2011 17:39 (twelve years ago) link
Hmm maybe it's that in NYC. That would be fine w/me because his IODOT show with small ensemble was totally amazing (same show as the CD release).
― Axolotl with an Atlatl (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 28 July 2011 17:50 (twelve years ago) link
yeah the Trains CD was a a pleasant surprise -- nice reimaginings, w/o being super radical about it. EYE with a backing band is intriguing ...
― tylerw, Thursday, 28 July 2011 17:52 (twelve years ago) link
I have a spare (free) ticket for his London show tomorrow night, post if you're interested: http://www.villageunderground.co.uk/events/robyn-hitchcock
― toby, Monday, 27 August 2012 18:28 (eleven years ago) link
If I wasn't thousands of miles away I would be all over it. Hope you find a taker!
― EZ Snappin, Monday, 27 August 2012 23:51 (eleven years ago) link
ditto!
― tylerw, Tuesday, 28 August 2012 01:29 (eleven years ago) link
Apparently working on his next album, "File Under Pop", due out very early next year.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 28 August 2012 03:24 (eleven years ago) link
OK, this was pretty great! 5 musicians on a rooftop in perfect weather. We got IODOT + a Roxy Music cover, Quicksand + Queen Elvis. Maybe not quite as good musically as the IODOT show I saw in Boston a few years ago, but the atmosphere was awesome.
― toby, Wednesday, 29 August 2012 05:08 (eleven years ago) link
ah, that sounds cool. i'll point these things out on my blog -- http://doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com/post/29493804365/ghost-ship-heres-a-short-but-extremely-sweet and http://doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com/post/26576660442/the-soft-boys-underwater-moonlight-live-thebut tbh i think i got most of the material for both from toby, ez and gerald.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 29 August 2012 14:43 (eleven years ago) link
That does sound like a cool show. If only...
― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 29 August 2012 14:45 (eleven years ago) link
i know i've complained about it (probably on this thread) but it's going on 7 years since i've seen hitchcock live. and before that i think i had a streak of seeing him pretty much every year from 1994-2005.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 29 August 2012 14:52 (eleven years ago) link
I haven't seen him since 2000! I haven't been within 150 miles of a show since then.
― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 29 August 2012 14:55 (eleven years ago) link
It looked like this:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7886720400_e451ee5652.jpg
― toby, Wednesday, 29 August 2012 15:00 (eleven years ago) link
amazing!
― tylerw, Wednesday, 29 August 2012 15:18 (eleven years ago) link
Stream of that gig:
http://soundcloud.com/villunderlondon/robyn-hitchcock-i-often-dream
― toby, Friday, 5 October 2012 15:51 (eleven years ago) link