I'm Going Away with The Fiery Furnaces

http://cdn.pitchfork.com/media/imgoingaway452.jpg

New album due out July 21. Track listing is:

01 I'm Going Away
02 Drive To Dallas
03 The End Is Near
04 Charmaine Champagne
05 Cut The Cake
06 Even In The Rain
07 Staring At The Steeple
08 Ray Bouvier
09 Keep Me In Dark
10 Lost At Sea
11 Cups and Punches
12 Take Me Round Again

Someone had to start the thread...

great band, pretty psyched

consistently well-designed album covers, these guys. altho I haven't heard any of their newer stuff

every time I see them live I'm like hey this is great and then I want to fall asleep halfway through

Widow City is up there with Blueberry Boat, Bitter Tea isn't far behind. Consistently awesome band.

^but all their lps are too long.

No such thing as long as content is brought imo, this is the age of the playlist after all

Would agree that maybe Bitter Tea becomes a BIT of a slog for one sitting

...if it weren't for the fact that the tracks towards the end are even better than the ones at the start

Agree with the sentiment of their greatness.

Pretty mediocre and uninspired live, though.

Pretty mediocre and uninspired live, though.

They still punctuate that with moments of sheer brilliance - usually at the same time.

aaahh see litcofsky i've had the opposite experience -- could take or leave their records (except the grandma one), but live, the two times i've seen them, they blew the roof off. eleanor stood there possessed and still spitting insane lyrics at a rapid clip while all hell broke loose behind her

anticipating so hard

^but all their lps are too long.

― nerve_pylon, Monday, April 27, 2009 8:04 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

all their albums are too long, but editing them down creates the illusion of perfect albums.

I’m Going Away is the Fiery Furnaces’ Eighth album. It was recorded by and mixed with Jason Loewenstein at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 in New York City. Jason also played bass and Robert D’Amico played drums. All songs were written together by Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger, except for the title track, which is “trad. Arranged by.” Eleanor wrote most of the lyrics; Matt wrote most of the music and also produced the album.

All rock music is a sort of dramatic music. And since the times are tough, it makes sense to have that “drama” be something more like a version of Taxi than something like a version of Titanic. We like Taxi better than Titanic anyway. So we hope that some of the songs on this record can be used as theme songs to folk's own personal versions of Taxi. Because—ideally—the dramatic setting of the music isn't provided by the story or image of the given act or band. It's provided by the lives of the people who use—listen to—the music. That is pop music's promise and problem, or danger. So be careful and don't get canceled.

The band is very optimistic—despite or because of it all—and will continue its “Democ-Rock” efforts by releasing a fully-fledged Derocmacy in America limited edition vinyl box-set. It might be called something like Your Cashier Today was ACM CASHIER 96. Matthew and Eleanor are also working on the Fiery Furnaces “Silent Record:” a non-record record, in book form, with notation and instructions. Both will be released by Thrill Jockey records later this year.

Bands Whose First Album Is Their Best has strangely not been a thread yet.

fiery furnaces should be nowhere near that thread.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^this, and I haven't even heard the first album

:P

i'm one of the few people, evidently, that loves Bitter Tea. then i went and saw them live, and they performed that lp w/ radically different arrangements and i didn't like it. btw, the vinyl 2lp is great because it's in more manageable 'chunks'. i don't make playlists, i still listen to records from start to finish.

Louis! Get Gallowsbird Bark! I'm not a hater, seriously! I love Blueberry Boat. Their debut is AWSEOME.

Nerve Pylon, I just said I loved Bitter Tea! It's a superb, superb album! No arguments!

As for Gallowsbird's Bark, I'll give it a coupla listens I guess ;)

yeah lj how have you not heard that one? probably my favorite by them as well

dude lent me his copy of Blueberry Boat, mind was blown, read it was a giant leap forward, didn't bother with the debut

...until now

the EP is better than the debut, imho.

Maybe it was that Gallowsbird's was the first I heard (and all that was around at the time, aside from the singles), but that still stands as the strongest (or maybe most tolerable) for me.

Still excited for whatever they put out though.

bitter tea is my fav too, by a lot

o btw "Chris Michaels" is one of the best 20 songs of the decade n/h

i have liked every one of their albums (though i haven't heard the "grandmother" one), looking forward to this. eight albums since 1993, pretty impressive.

the EP is better than the debut, imho.

― nerve_pylon, Tuesday, April 28, 2009 11:28 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

yep

actually it's only six albums but if you count EP, then it is an album per year.

listen to it yet, lj? it just blows my mind that youre such a FF stan and havent heard songs like "inca rag" or "tropical ice-land"

The thread about Rehearsing My Choir, a classic of soulful a-maze-ment, was what got me into 'em. Thanks, http://www.ilxor.com/ILX!

bitter tea has some of their best songs - "benton harbor blues (reprise)" is seriously one of the best pop compositions of the decade

the backwards vocals songs are >_< tho

and http://www.ilxor.com/ILXtoo!

Ooh sorry, I listened to about half of it, was good stuff! I'll put the rest on now...

The EP is also classic yes, especially for "Cousin Chris" and "Sweet Spots" but tbh the whole thing is awesome from start to finish (albeit that "Smelling Cigarettes" is a totally incoherent mess, more so than just about any other FF multi-part composition). It's a great little record.

(albeit that "Smelling Cigarettes" is a totally incoherent mess, more so than just about any other FF multi-part composition)

dude i looove "smelling cigarettes"!
dooont you key that brand new caaamryyyy

Wednesday, May 6

Write the New Fiery Furnaces Album!

It's a plan so crazy, it just might work Write the New Fiery Furnaces Album!

Have you ever read a record review and thought, "That writer's bonkers! It's like they haven't even listened to the album!"? (Surely, this has never, ever happened while reading Pitchfork. Ever.) The Fiery Furnaces are taking that idea one step further.
On Monday, the band posted a MySpace blog post titled "DESCRIBE THE NEW FIERY FURNACES' ALBUM--WITHOUT HAVING HEARD IT!" that read, "Wouldn't it be interesting to see how Fiery Furnaces' fans would describe the new Fiery Furnaces' album--without having heard it?" They then asked fans to email them at thefieryfurnacesem✧✧✧@gm✧✧✧.c✧✧ with what they think I'm Going Away (due out July 21 on Thrill Jockey) sounds like, based on nothing more than song titles and imagination. They've named these musings "Deaf Descriptions."

Yesterday, another Myspace blog post announced that the Fiery Furnaces intend to record "a 'complete' fan-made, word-only, entirely-unrelated, alternate version of I'm Going Away" based entirely on these Deaf Descriptions. This album, which is totally separate from I'm Going Away, "could be called Exclusively-Acolyte, Altered-Otherwise, Hypo-Audio, I'm Going Away," will also be released July 21 on Thrill Jockey.

So, to recap: The Fiery Furnaces want you to email them what you think the new Fiery Furnaces album is going to sound like. In the process, you yourself will actually be writing an even newer Fiery Furnaces album. And both albums will be released on the same day.

Oh you crazy kids.

Posted by Amy Phillips on May 6, 2009

ok i actually love this band even more now, they have taken ilx's no line on the horizon project to the next fucken level

now it is up to the fans to oblige

i agree, that is pretty damn cool thing to do.

Dear Fiery Furnaces,

I think it will sound like dancehall, gabba and dubstep.

Regards,

why would you want to hear fiery furnaces doing a dancehall, gabba, dubstep album

why would you make a joke about the fiery furnaces doing something out of character

when is this going to leak?

http://stereogum.com/mp3/The%20Fiery%20Furnaces%20-%20The%20End%20Is%20Near.mp3

^this is a legal link afaik

the song is really nice, but more than anything i'm just glad it's normal. i love the FF and all their weirdnesses, but i just want to hear a 12-track LP of short, straightforward songs from them.

This band is a headache for me to listen to, which is weird because I totally adore things like the last Of Montreal album which is a similar idea.

i'm just glad it's normal.

I totally agree with this. My favorite moments from them are their poppy, "contained" tracks like "Tropical Ice-Land" and "Evergreen" and "Here Comes the Summer."

"Bands Whose First Album Is Their Best has strangely not been a thread yet."

i'm a furnaces stan but i've gotta concur here.

i love the FF and all their weirdnesses, but i just want to hear a 12-track LP of short, straightforward songs from them.

The album you're looking for is called Widow City, and was as simple and straightforward as this band can get while still being fucken awesome.

not disagreeing, really, but it's an hour long. gallowsbird's bark, on the other hand, is 46 minutes.

(obv in reality im not going to care too much how long it is...if it's good it shouldnt matter. but as long as i dont have it to listen to yet, a guy can dream)

From what I've heard this whole record is super-poppy and straightforward, which is exciting.

a certain twitter reviewer has already heard it, so i't shouldnt be long til it becomes, er, more widely available

Wow, is Widow City really their "straightforward" album? Because it's all over the place--in a great way--and is almost exhaustingly long. I absolutely love everything through "Restorative Beer" but by then I'm pretty spent. All this time later I've still not ever been too swayed by the last four tracks.

new song is a nice pop tune, but the production is kinda boringly minimal.

A thread for free-floating hatred of "Away We Go" a.k.a. the Dave Eggers movie

"The album you're looking for is called Widow City, and was as simple and straightforward as this band can get while still being fucken awesome."

not quite.

i mean, i like widow city, but yeah, it's too much somehow. i think in my case it's all down to needing a break from the whole furnaces/enterprise aesthetic or something. too much, too much. i'm glad they took two years off from releasing studio albums, really. the new track is okay.

that said "pricked in the heart" is one of my fave pop songs ever.

down to the tunnel
down to the leaky, leaky tunnel

oh that widow city and its inscrutable opening track

This leaked BTW but i think its just a webrip

(sounds more than fine to these ears though)

Sounding very fine to these ears too. Haven't finished listening to it yet, but it's already one of my favourite FF record yet. It's like the Fiery Furnaces EP gone LP.

"drive to dallas" is gorgeous

psyched but content to wait a few weeks. i almost never say that about bands i like.

It's like the Fiery Furnaces EP gone LP.

That's what I've been waiting for!

more accessible,poppy and simple? - yes
better than previous records? - not sure
conclusuion? not bad, not so great either - somewhere in between, with a slight tendency towards "good" in the scale.

that's about where i am too, but i'm hoping it'll grow on me

same here

so. so exited about this, listening now!

yeah i almost posted abt it earlier..im a little bored? by it

idk i agree driving to dallas is so good

*excited

i wish the whole album was more like Charmaine Champagne,which is a good example of a good FF track:

rich production, interesting melody, high energy.

most of the rest is kinda repetetive in not-such-a-good-way,( though i still don't totally reject the option that it's a grower)

so, i'm warming to this is a way i didn't to the last two studio albums - def. a grower, though.

favorites thus far:

title track
the end is near
charmaine champagne
lost at sea

i hope this is a grower, as it did almost nothing for me the first time through.

"Even in the Rain" is a Good Track.

Fiery Furnaces fans wont like to listen to what i think about this album.

let's just say i'm going away FROM the fiery furnaces

have they become boring?

let's just say i'm going away FROM the fiery furnaces

― Zeno, Friday, July 3, 2009 10:29 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

^ snork snork

i'm sure the songs on this will sound ok when they play them for 30-40 seconds in the middle of a show : /

*crickets*

...and it's not even out yet. You win this one, internet!

I am enjoying this album immensely, from beginning to end, and for me it's their most emotionally engaging album yet, as well as having some of the catchiest, delightful melodies.

NO ONE CARES ABOUT THIS BAND ANYMORE WHY BECAUSE THEY DONT SOUND INTERSTING

obviously that's not correct, just look at the post just before yours.

$3.99 for Amazon mp3 version. Well worth the $

Listened to it once, wasn't really feeling it at all. Probably won't bother again as I just don't feel like I need this band in my life in 2009.

"I just don't feel like I need this band in my life in 2009."
otm
and i don't think something will change in 2010.and 2011.and...

patience, folks. gets better the more you stick with it. but i totally understand that there are like a billion immediately captivating albums coming out every week that are immediately arresting and everything.

o those crazy fiery furnaces - http://pitchfork.com/news/36048-the-fiery-furnaces-cover-the-fiery-furnaces/

They're also soliciting fans' cover versions of the album.

OK, ILX!

Taking it to the max: Cover versions without having heard the originals! Yeaah!

this may be a lie, though

Write the New Fiery Furnaces Album!

It's a plan so crazy, it just might work Write the New Fiery Furnaces Album!

Have you ever read a record review and thought, "That writer's bonkers! It's like they haven't even listened to the album!"? (Surely, this has never, ever happened while reading Pitchfork. Ever.) The Fiery Furnaces are taking that idea one step further.
On Monday, the band posted a MySpace blog post titled "DESCRIBE THE NEW FIERY FURNACES' ALBUM--WITHOUT HAVING HEARD IT!" that read, "Wouldn't it be interesting to see how Fiery Furnaces' fans would describe the new Fiery Furnaces' album--without having heard it?" They then asked fans to email them at thefieryfurnacesem✧✧✧@gm✧✧✧.c✧✧ with what they think I'm Going Away (due out July 21 on Thrill Jockey) sounds like, based on nothing more than song titles and imagination. They've named these musings "Deaf Descriptions."

Yesterday, another Myspace blog post announced that the Fiery Furnaces intend to record "a 'complete' fan-made, word-only, entirely-unrelated, alternate version of I'm Going Away" based entirely on these Deaf Descriptions. This album, which is totally separate from I'm Going Away, "could be called Exclusively-Acolyte, Altered-Otherwise, Hypo-Audio, I'm Going Away," will also be released July 21 on Thrill Jockey.

So, to recap: The Fiery Furnaces want you to email them what you think the new Fiery Furnaces album is going to sound like. In the process, you yourself will actually be writing an even newer Fiery Furnaces album. And both albums will be released on the same day.

Oh you crazy kids.

Posted by Amy Phillips on May 6, 2009

hey thomp, i posted that about 25 posts up.

i bought this album out of blind loyalty. Fiery Furnaces need to be weird as when they do basic type songs it just doesn't seem to work for them. tend to like the last half of the album best and this is by far the Fiery Furnaces' worst album to date.

i know, that's where i copy-pasted it from d:

i just meant, that one was a gag; the announcement to release a cover version of their own album may also be a gag

"Cups and Punches" rules.

People on this thread keep referring to "the EP," ignoring the fact that the Fiery Furnaces album called "EP" is not in fact an EP.

i've done a 360 on this album, i bought it so i have spent some time with it. it's a fantastic album that is quite different than most Fiery Furnaces albums. when you finally get the groove of what they are trying to do then it becomes rewarding. the lyrics stand out as it was a good move letting Eleanor take over the Fiery Furnaces lead.

http://cdn.pitchfork.com/media/ffcov452.jpg

http://www.fina-music.com/catalog/index.html?id=104510

Take Me Round Again: The Friedbergers cover the Friedbergers.

The Fiery Furnaces have been reworking, rearranging, and rewriting their songs live since they first started touring in 2003. They have taken this practice one step further on their new record, Take Me Round Again. Recorded separately this past July in Michigan and New York, Matt and Eleanor each recorded 6 songs that originally appeared on I'm Going Away. All that remains the same are the words.

Eleanor: "I've gotten into the habit of rewriting songs Matt has written, just as a way of practicing and singing at home. Originally, I had wanted to record a folk-style record called Eleanor Friedberger sings the songs of the Fiery Furnaces. I thought it would make a nice greatest hits record, but reworking I'm Going Away before it even came out seemed a lot more exciting."

Matthew: "After asking people to send us their re-write of I'm Going Away before having heard it http://www.thefieryfurnaces.com/site/deaf-descriptions/ , I thought we owed it to them to make an actual alternate version of the record. And not just leave all the new arranging for live shows."

for the most part their live show versions really suck so i don't know what to make of this exactly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVSstQ8_dHA

Is this album like their other stuff? I've never listened to this band before but thought I'd give them a shot. Maybe I picked the wrong album to start with.

I still haven't heard this! Got put off by all the reviews. I can tell you now you picked the wrong one though. Blueberry Boat is absolutely the one you should start with.

i think all you need is BBoat, the EP, and Bitter Tea,

and Widow City, and I agree with you

first album is crazy overrated

*awaits butthurt*

I got into Fiery Furnaces via Widow City which I think is outstanding - like it more than Blueberry Boat, which I heard later. I'm Going Away is not good. Widow City and Blueberry Boat are both more guitar-oriented, have a harder edge, and are more unpredictable. If this were the 90s I'd say they were "mathy," though not as cold as that term might suggest. The one thing all the albums have in common is that the FFs are always a little grating and awkward... but when they do it right, it's super terrific.

WC and BB are the only out-and-out BRILLIANT albums IMO and yeah Scott's right; you CANNOT overlook Widow City. The songwriting and narrative on both is amazing. Bitter Tea, if edited, would have been at the same level. There's a lot of *great* music there but it's far, far, far too much for one sitting. You really ought to hear it though because the (numerous) highlights are sublime. Just uh...take it slowly - it's much more exhausting than the ostensibly more impenetrable (but actually really fun and coherent) Blueberry Boat.

I never got into BB that much. I love WC though.

i think all their records are way too long. i have Bitter Tea on vinyl--2lp--and it's great that way, in chunks.

I think they're intentionally too long - just another extension of their M.O.

first album is crazy overrated

*awaits butthurt*

― Mark Ronson: "Led Zeppelin were responsible for hip-hop" (acoleuthic), Friday, June 18, 2010 10:56 AM (2 days ago)

u r crazy dumb

*awaits hi-5*

i feel like there's been a real narrowing-down of their ambitions since BB and the grandmother album. is this bad, who agrees, etc

Grandmother album is most ambitious, I guess. I haven't listened to that in a long time, but I liked it pretty well at one time. I should pull it out again. I still have never heard I'm Going Away - was scared off by comments in this thread and underwhelmed by the 30-second snippets I heard.

"drive to dallas" is gorgeous

― what a disaster for 1p3 (k3vin k.), Saturday, June 20, 2009 1:34 PM (7 years ago)