Blocked in my country due to copyright reasons.
― shackling the masses with plastic-wrapped snack picks (sic), Monday, 4 September 2017 00:55 (six years ago) link
The new album definitely needs cutting down a little bit, but there's some great stuff here. I Wish You Were Fun and So Tell Me Miss Lincoln Aside From That How Was The Play? are my current favourites.
― kitchen person, Wednesday, 6 September 2017 17:43 (six years ago) link
Okay, it's out:
https://sparks.lnk.to/hippopotamusFA
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 8 September 2017 13:16 (six years ago) link
this is their funniest album in a long time, isn't it? kinda feels like the sharp sense of humor that went wayward sometime around Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat is back. some real great tunes too. I don't think it needs to be cut down...every song on this seems pretty good to me!
― frogbs, Monday, 18 September 2017 13:40 (six years ago) link
Yeah, I was thinking you'd have to go back to the '80s to find the last Sparks album that was this overtly fun/funny. At the same time some of the last album's more melancholy side is there too -- feel like they've really perfected that balance.
― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Monday, 18 September 2017 20:53 (six years ago) link
Livestream of their Berlin show happening now:
https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/078567-001-A/berlin-live-sparks/
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 6 October 2017 16:31 (six years ago) link
Oooooh, thank you!
― "Celebration" encourages the listener to celebrate good times. (Dan Peterson), Friday, 6 October 2017 16:38 (six years ago) link
ok I'm dying at the video for "missionary position"
― good art is orange; great art is teal (wins), Monday, 9 October 2017 17:16 (six years ago) link
Btw I find the idea that they haven't been funny since the 80s bizarre. Good morning, lighten up morrissey, collaborations don't work
― good art is orange; great art is teal (wins), Monday, 9 October 2017 17:21 (six years ago) link
I hard a rumour that the collaboration didn't work and that they fell out with Franz
― PaulTMA, Monday, 9 October 2017 17:35 (six years ago) link
Well hope various American posters caught the NYC/California shows. Saw the early show last night here in SF; fantastic as ever. They're doing two nights in Tokyo in a couple of days should anyone be over there.
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 21 October 2017 13:39 (six years ago) link
You can listen today, 3pm ET
https://wfmu.org/2017/10/23/sparks-live-on-wfmu-plus-interview-with-ron-and-russell-mael-airing-on-brian-turners-show-on-oct-31st-3pm-6pm/
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 31 October 2017 16:20 (six years ago) link
every day i find myself with any of a half dozen of the new tracks in my head and i haven't even listening to the album that much.
― new noise, Thursday, 14 December 2017 17:15 (six years ago) link
― good art is orange; great art is teal (wins)
agree, see also "Let The Monkey Drive"
― sleeve, Thursday, 14 December 2017 17:20 (six years ago) link
Same
I think every song on it is good. It actually reminds me more of Indiscreet than anything, where each song seems to be in it's own world. But I find it even better than that album, because yeah, nearly song is so stupidly catchy, and only the title track is actively irritating. I've gone back to it a lot, it's very much the sort of album I wished Exotic Creatures was.
― frogbs, Thursday, 14 December 2017 17:35 (six years ago) link
My 2-year old daughter is obsessed with the title track so I've been hearing it daily for the past few weeks.
― cwkiii, Friday, 15 December 2017 03:35 (six years ago) link
Good interview and live "Missionary Position":
https://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/bookworm/sparks-part-i
― ... (Eazy), Friday, 15 December 2017 05:54 (six years ago) link
Oh nice, I'd missed they'd done another interview with him (had done one some years back).
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 15 December 2017 05:55 (six years ago) link
Holy shit I need this immediately.
http://www.indiewire.com/2018/06/edgar-wright-documentary-rock-band-sparks-1201977373/
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 21 June 2018 21:14 (five years ago) link
Oh yeah, he mentioned it a few weeks ago during his appearance on the R U Talkin' R.E.M. RE: ME? podcast.
― MarkoP, Thursday, 21 June 2018 21:28 (five years ago) link
I vaguely remember news of him filming the London concert but had missed the documentary news. What a good thing to see this week, honestly.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 21 June 2018 21:33 (five years ago) link
He said on R U Talkin' R.E.M. re: Me? (last week's episode) that he hasn't done anything on it apart from filming the London show, and there's no timeframe as yet.
― kelp, clam and carrion (sic), Thursday, 21 June 2018 23:21 (five years ago) link
Yes, thank you:
https://www.facebook.com/sparksofficial/photos/a.161269161864/10156502326196865/?type=3&theater
NO 1 IN HEAVEN・40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION ✨Originally released March 2nd 1979, Sparks are celebrating the 40th anniversary of No 1 In Heaven with a specially remastered and curated double color vinyl and CD release. This edition features new sleeve notes written by Ron & Russell and remastered bonus tracks, which include original and rare album Peter Cook radio promo spots.Out March 1st 2019 on Lil' Beethoven Records.Available for pre-order → store.allsparks.com
Originally released March 2nd 1979, Sparks are celebrating the 40th anniversary of No 1 In Heaven with a specially remastered and curated double color vinyl and CD release. This edition features new sleeve notes written by Ron & Russell and remastered bonus tracks, which include original and rare album Peter Cook radio promo spots.
Out March 1st 2019 on Lil' Beethoven Records.
Available for pre-order → store.allsparks.com
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 28 January 2019 18:23 (five years ago) link
Sounds like this might actually finally be happening: https://variety.com/2019/film/global/marion-cotillard-leos-caraxs-annette-1203215774/
― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Wednesday, 15 May 2019 19:03 (five years ago) link
Still great:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Givls9BUhc
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 16 December 2019 21:28 (four years ago) link
saw that single pop up on RYM and wondered if it was an environmentalist tune
take the word "fuck" out of the title and this could be the Pet Shop Boys
― frogbs, Monday, 16 December 2019 21:59 (four years ago) link
"We are the world" for the Greta age
― reggae mike love (polyphonic), Monday, 16 December 2019 22:16 (four years ago) link
Am I the only who thinks the opening lines sound a bit like the chorus in "Across the Universe", harmonically?
― Johan Lif, Monday, 16 December 2019 22:50 (four years ago) link
Sparks' new album A STEADY DRIP, DRIP, DRIP is released May 15th, 2020 ✨Check out all the different editions of the album & pre-order your copy → https://t.co/pGZJKQ6OVg pic.twitter.com/LuyO06pn8g— SPARKS (@sparksofficial) January 27, 2020
not sure if that picture disc is awesome or an eyesore but I'll probably grab it regardless
― frogbs, Monday, 27 January 2020 17:39 (four years ago) link
An awesome eyesore.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 27 January 2020 17:53 (four years ago) link
oof the shipping puts this over fifty bucks, I guess I'm out
currently listening to the 3-disc version of Gratuitous Sax, this is kind of an odd album get the megaexpanded reissue treatment but it's pretty fun. there's basically an entire CD's worth of demos that were never properly recorded.
― frogbs, Monday, 10 February 2020 20:22 (four years ago) link
Because of my Franz Ferdinand fandom (and their FFS collaboration, which I own a copy of on CD) and Ned's continual championing of the band, I own a copy of New Music for Amnesiacs: The Essential Collection and my goodness is it a good one. Think I should get their Moroder album next because I love Moroder already, then work my way through their '70s oeuvre before making my way through the '80s. Though I kinda already loved "Eaten by the Monster of Love" because of how much I love the music from the movie Valley Girl and I've known about "Cool Places" ever since I was a young teenager since it was on the first CD release I ever owned (Classic MTV Class of 1983).
― We Live as We Dee, Alone (deethelurker), Tuesday, 11 February 2020 13:24 (four years ago) link
My intro to Sparks was in the 70's movie "Rollercoaster", about a cop tracking down a psychopath intent on planting bombs on rollercoasters across the USA. Sparks was the band playing during the inaugural ride on the faster/tallest coaster which was opening at Magic Mountain. They sure had the look and feel of a typical hard rock band of the era. Imagine my surprise when I finally heard Kimono My House!
http://graphikdesigns.free.fr/sparks-rollercoaster-movie/rollercoaster-movie-mael.jpg
― henry s, Tuesday, 11 February 2020 15:39 (four years ago) link
haha wow
― let's talk about gecs baby (sleeve), Tuesday, 11 February 2020 15:46 (four years ago) link
In retrospect this was a memorable sequence. The viewer wasn't sure if there was a bomb planted on the Great American Revolution (the name of the rollercoaster, this was 1976 after all) or not, and the camera POV kept going back and forth between the screaming riders and Ron Mael's glowering countenance. Every so often a flash pot would explode on the Sparks stage, to unsettling effect. It was pretty tense, actually!
― henry s, Tuesday, 11 February 2020 16:04 (four years ago) link
New single! Though apparently not the first single from the new album, because Please Don't Fuck Up My World is going to be on there too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkEAhNJC-zE
― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Thursday, 20 February 2020 21:26 (four years ago) link
awesome song! terrible production!
― kurt schwitterz, Thursday, 20 February 2020 23:27 (four years ago) link
yeah it sounds like a compressed MP3. you can hear it in the drums
great song, does all the things they do well
― frogbs, Friday, 21 February 2020 15:00 (four years ago) link
Love these guys so much. New album is GREAT.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DA95FFBJNs
― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Sunday, 17 May 2020 04:15 (three years ago) link
i watched the video for Lawnmower yesterday and I've been walking around singing it ever since
― making gazebo money (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Monday, 18 May 2020 00:57 (three years ago) link
I like the new album a lot. like the last one it doesn't quite have the high points of Hello Young Lovers or Exotic Creatures but it's a much more consistent album. the singles aren't really any better or worse than the album tracks. as a whole it reminds me of Indiscreet, every track is its own thing and there are a lot of unexpectedly emotional moments. every time I listen to it I like it more
― frogbs, Friday, 19 June 2020 17:08 (three years ago) link
Pacific Standard Time -> Stravinsky's Only Hit -> Left Out in the Cold...what a great stretch
― frogbs, Friday, 19 June 2020 20:33 (three years ago) link
Been waiting for this news to break!
✨EXCITING NEWS!!✨@edgarwright's long-awaited documentary THE SPARKS BROTHERS will get its premiere at the 2021 @sundancefest!! 🎬#Sundance #TheSparksBrothers pic.twitter.com/Tit2GCAMjl— SPARKS (@sparksofficial) December 15, 2020
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 15 December 2020 21:30 (three years ago) link
Yes!!!
― Three Rings for the Elven Bishop (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 15 December 2020 22:02 (three years ago) link
Okay, reminder that the Sparks documentary is live later today via Sundance -- go here:
https://fpg.festival.sundance.org/film-info/5fd11d4063d6771d15c3a5f8
3 pm Pacific, 6 pm Eastern, 11 pm UK.
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 30 January 2021 18:24 (three years ago) link
Three hours to go, can’t wait!
― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Saturday, 30 January 2021 20:04 (three years ago) link
ysi?
Just kiddin. I hope there will be a DVD.
― spectralist brostep (Noel Emits), Saturday, 30 January 2021 21:27 (three years ago) link
Awesome and a half. Waiting on the Q&A.
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 31 January 2021 01:27 (three years ago) link
What a ride! I know there was a point where Edgar Wright was having trouble whittling down a 3-hour version of it. Hope that version sees the light of day eventually. Even if it’s just more footage of Ron and Russell going about their daily routine — all that stuff was delightful.
― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Sunday, 31 January 2021 17:17 (three years ago) link
Yeah that sense of regularity of habit immediately made me think of Gilbert and George.
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 31 January 2021 17:18 (three years ago) link