Congratulation to MGMT for their upcoming album

recorded with pete kember of spacemen 3 -

looks like the new one will be different from the debut: quieter, maybe minimal,with 60's psych influences:

song dor dan tracey - indeed sounds like television personalities/modern lovers.
it's working - kinks/barrett, maybe even animal collective.
congratulation - slow flaming lips
destrokk - spacemen 3 (surprising..)

it's gonna be enjoyable.i think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS0WvNij4Mo&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AZHvwPoEEw&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQKSIPhuqe4&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgYUdidfDtA&feature=related

recorded with pete kember of spacemen 3 -

WTF!?! not credited as Sonic Boom...?

He hasn't released an album as "Sonic Boom" since the early '90s, so it's probably fair to call him Pete now.

"The Adventures of Pete and Pete" eased the stigma of calling yourself that.

http://cdn.pitchfork.com/media/mgmtcover452.jpg

i love ausgang artwork

Jesus, that's the new MGMT cover?

That's not an MGMT cover, that's the inside gatefold of an old E.A.R. record - I can't remember the name of the painter but he did a lot of psychedelic cartoon stuff. Will google "E.A.R." and "The Transaction" which was the name of the painting and see what comes up.

Jesus Christ, I knew no good would come of those tots hanging around Sonic Cathedral like a pair of floppy puppies. Eurgh.

Anthony Ausgang, that's the artist.

They have taken too much of Sonic's hydroponic. o_0

After seeing these guys open for Of Montreal in a cafeteria five years ago, where they more or less just did karaoke over a PA backing track, I bought their Time To Preted EP. I got it home and was blown away at how good the thing was. Melodies Melodies Melodies. Amazing, catchy, poppy stuff. I was confused as to why the indie- community had yet to embrace these two dudes.

Flash to two years later, and they're on the cover of the NME and "Kids" is playing everywhere. Except where there used to be a perfect electric drumkit, there's now a live one, and....well, the magic's gone. It's not just that they're huge(ish) now. It's that their album pretty much sucked (save for the two tracks that were on the EP + "Electric Feel"). They used to exude a "we don't give a shit" attitude; now they're some psychedelic AnCo mockery.

I hate to be the "I just want them to be the way they used to be!" guy, but so it goes.

I urge everyone who likes even a single of these guys' songs to check out that debut EP. "Love Always Remains" > "Indie Rokkers" > "Kids" is pure pop gold. The breakdown in "Indie Rokkers" is probably the best thing they've done.

go fuck yourself kate

Excuse me?

perhaps they like ausgang's work? did you consider that? what the hell does it have to do with "sonic's hydroponic"? why do you have to be so smarmy about everything?

this isn't really about MGMT is it

no

wtf was that about? Not necessary, Jim.

http://boxtofu.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/explosion.jpg

jim.... back away from the keyboard

::terrified to say anything::

jim don't listen to them

whoa

Congratulation to MGMT

for their upcoming album

zeno is like the king of typos in thread titles

Based solely on amazing chorus in "The Youth" these guys deserve some attention.

That album cover makes perfect sense for this band. The first album's cover is not flattering and already looks dated.

congrats!

congrat

Really wish they'd have kept the original cover for the last album, I liked that much better.

So I'm confused now, is that the album cover or not? Did a quick search and other sources seem to agree.

Anyways I think it looks really good. Their first ep also had a psychedelic cartoon sort of cover so don't really understand why are you fighting upthread.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/23/MGMT_Time_To_Pretend.jpg

whatever your album cover ends up being MGMT i just wanna congratulate you guys on all your success, you definitely deserve it!

If anything their debut album should have kept the same sort of psychedelic cartoon style.

Congratulation MGMT.

congratulation to MGMT and all their supporters on their tremendous achievement

good luck mgmt

we should get them a card and all sign it

talking in a non-dickish way about mgmt album covers

congratulation to MGMT and all their supporters on their tremendous achievement

― eau de humanity (haitch), Friday, February 19, 2010 9:18 PM (42 minutes ago) Bookmark

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ky4dqfv6Sp1qzuxmwo1_400.jpg

hahaha brilliant

You can get the new single here:
http://www.whoismgmt.com/

Anyone like this? Definitely not a hit.

Congratulations on your new single MGMT!

Will the new album be less compressed than the debut? I am asking because the debut album was probably one of the loudest albums ever released, and I just cannot listen to it. It may be good, possible, but it wears my ears and head out to such an extent I just wasn't able to enjoy it.

this track sounds a lot like an Hot Cheap song

seeing as this album was financed by a major label, i'm willing to bet that they're just fucking around with this song (see also: album cover) and they'll put out a real single in a week or two

this apparently leaked late tonight -- assume it will get posted during tomorrow's hype cycle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v2hF0BVBA4

it sounds like belle & sebastian or something

also these guys are dickheads

(unrelated)

damn, that is really really boring.

i am of course referring to the track, not jordans opinion.

congratulation, jordan, on your not-boring opinion

"My name is Beth Kaplan and the word I’m interested in is the word smarmy."

also these guys are dickheads

Is there a story that goes with this?

pretty sure i've seen posts from a member of the group on this very message board that confirm that.

In that case I retract my congratulation.

pretty sure i've seen posts from a member of the group on this very message board that confirm that.

wtf?

Congratulation to MGMT for their upcoming suggest ban

yes it's true, all the members of the band are actually inexplicably named richard head

In the late summer of 2008, MGMT entered the Norwegian singles list at #1 with "Kids". The week after, it was completely gone. This one week at #1 in the singles list was MGMT's only placing ever on the Norwegian hitlists. I guess people smelled an obvious hype...

i want to know why they're dickheads and what thread(s) they posted on

A GREAT BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO MGMT!

i'm a member of MGMT. we toured constantly for 24 years to get our opportunity, over which time i personally have become pop music's preeminent harpsichord player, and i will be DAMNED if i am going to let some snot-nosed peons on an internet messageboard call me and my life partner dickheads. go fuck yourselves.

the track at Pfrk (Flash Delerium) is much better than the one above, but it is kind of a mess, maybe in a good way.

congrats?

http://connectgraduations.com.au/img/photos/stock/congratulations.jpg

i'm also a member of MGMT, and I'd like to thank ILX for their congratulations for our upcoming album.

don't get greedy dude, we didn't give you any more than one congratulation

i'm also a member of MGMT, and I'd like to thank ILX for their congratulations for our upcoming album.

― tylerw, Wednesday, March 10, 2010 5:04 PM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

CONGRATS ON THE NEW MGMT ALBUM WHICH I'M NOW ASSUMING SOUNDS A LOT LIKE OUTTAKES FROM PLANET WAVES

Thank you. There's also a little Chrome Dreams in there, as well.

"Flash Delerium (Remix)" - MGMT feat. Kid Cudi, Ralph Molina, Rivers Cuomo, and Daniel Lanois

perfect

from brooklynvegan:

You have won a chance to be part of an extraordinary MGMT event. The MGMTmobile will be visiting 6 cities, and we are challenging YOU to come find it

We will reveal clues to the location 1 hour prior to arrival. The first 6 people to this location will be part of a very special MGMT experience. Be sure to stay tuned as we reveal each city below. [Where is MGMT?]

This show "event" starts at 5pm?

UPDATE: This is NOT a show. My guess: they're going to play the record for people that get there in time.
UPDATE 2: And it's not even for that many people. The first people that got there went into a van I think.
UPDATE 3: The first few people that got there were loaded in a van. The rest saw "MGMT Was Here" written in on the sidewalk and were GIVEN A BUTTON!

Sorry I ever even posted about this. :-( -- Lame stunt.

lol

very special

congratulation on your button, thanks for coming

OMG, sounds like the people who arrived first were abducted?

OMGMT!

Spam I just got in my inbox:
"Microsoft Corporation Wishes You Congratulation.....Dear Lucky Winner.!!!"

I still want to know the story behind "these guys are dickheads"

congratulations on your new MGMTMobile MGMT!

^^^omgmtm

http://yvonnelindsay.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/congratulations_0907.jpg

also guys it's CONGRATULATION singular, i don't want to see more than one congratulation doled out at a time for the remainder of this thread, this is like when people keep misquoting 'why because she look intersting', it kills me inside

http://www.guy-sports.com/fun_pictures/cake_congratulation.jpg

i love you, you bastard

uhh there are two congratulations there

http://www.friendskorner.com/forum/photopost/data/500/congratulation2.gif

http://francisgouillart.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/nyt-cake1.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b12/dinsorsign/congratulation47/congratulation.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll34/sonnytrigg40/Congratulation-3.gif

http://s1.smsnshayari.com/congrats/girl-congratulation.gif

http://www.ukgameshows.com/atoz/programmes/e/eurovision_song_contest/eurovision_7.jpg

uhh there are two congratulations there

hence 'you bastard' - my dictum was skilfully circumvented

uhh plz do not circumvent my dictum

tia

i can do it without you even noticing

it will be a painless circumvention

http://s1.smsnshayari.com/congrats/congrats-thumb.gif

liking this thread

it's kind of totally baffling to me how many "congratulation" images are -- i've never heard the word used in the singular form like that -- i'm assuming the images were made by... stupid people?

http://www.meme4u.com/images/card/F69E0803-102C-4AAD-B9FD-4C4801FA30C3.jpg

what the fuck

http://tdesignart.com/wp-content/uploads/wpsc/product_images/Card%20-%20congratulation%20953%20(2).JPG

http://ih3.redbubble.net/work.2560512.5.papergc,441x415,w,ffffff.v3.jpg

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q52/nitaino/congratulation.jpg

http://www.walksydneystreets.net/photos/wakeley-sign-congratulation-usg.jpg

Results 1 - 10 of about 282,000 for "congratulation for". (0.29 seconds)

will I be the only person here calling out the wtf "congratulation on your baby girl"?

that king park public school sign--soooooo obvious that they ran out of s's

Leaky-loo.

Cursory listen inspiring much agony.

Listening to the leak right now. Want to believe so hard it's all a joke, sort of a rickroll just instead of having 9 times the same rick astley song we have 9 'songs' recorded by MGMT on a lazy Sunday afternoon as a prank for leakers.

I mean wtf is this thing?

A shame because I really like the artwork and was hoping for a good excuse to buy it on vynil.

Congratulation to MGMT for their upcoming album that everyone hates

Congratulation for pretending your first single was a joke to make your record company feel better

Congratulation for your album still ending up in the ILM top 50 of 2010

Commiseration on your terrible second album.

The song where you go on about how ace Dan Treacy is in the style of one of his recent appalling songs is surely post modernism reaching its lowest ebb. And the song where you diss Brian Eno... Well...

Doran! You get given lots of album copies early - what's cooking atm?

Interestingly, no one would give me MGMT despite the fact we were interviewing them last week. It was almost as if they didn't want us to hear it before we interviewed them...

Ones that I like that are out soonish are Foals, LCD Soundsystem, Walls, Nice Nice, Virgo (reissue), Blood Of The Black Owl, Chrome Hoof, Matthew Sawyer, Mulatu Astatke, Tamikrest.

I'm skeptical of the first two but fully prepared to believe they've done good this time - the rest (aside from the amazing and brilliant Chrome Hoof) I am unaware of - as I've said, 2010 is definitely going to be, for me, the best year for new music in living memory

Oh, and Cathedral.

^^^The 'other' JD has been telling me that is the best shit ever - a good year for the brothers Smee

He's right.

what's virgo?

Virgo Four: The Best Chicago House Album

Chicago house act from late 80s. They've got some reissues coming out on CD, not available for ages. Really fucking great house.

Haven't heard them all yet but those seem like great recommendations Doran. So just for the record, you already have a copy of the MGMT album and you can confirm it's not a prank right?

Congratulation for your album still ending up in the ILM top 50 of 2010

― 12 monkeys of sex (acoleuthic), Saturday, March 20, 2010 6:58 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark

i think you mean NME top 10

Listening to the leak right now. Want to believe so hard it's all a joke, sort of a rickroll just instead of having 9 times the same rick astley song we have 9 'songs' recorded by MGMT on a lazy Sunday afternoon as a prank for leakers.

Haha, maybe it is. Their way of saying "Congratulation on finding the leak!"

There is a fake leak going around that fits that description.

I got my leak from sordo music yesterday and it seems the link has been deleted already. Not sure if this attests to its authenticity, Doran pretty much confirmed already confirmed it's real and it's crap tho.

Doran hasn't *exactly* confirmed it's real tbh

http://www.whoismgmt.com/

Alright listening to the stream and I think I most definitely did have a fake leak as this sounds much better... although to be honest I deleted it after a listen and can't confirm. This doesn't want me to kill myself.

Siberian Breaks and I found a whistle were my favorites on first listen. Doesn't seem to be anything in here ripe for singles radio or clubs but this is much better than what I had put my hopes on. I feel an odd relief after I started to lose all hope on them after listening to that fake leak :P

79.72 MB ?

finally

That stream is the same thing I was listening to last night. I still think it's terrible. I wonder how bad the fake leak must be if you actually like this, Moka.

this has some moments -- "someone's missing" & "i found a whistle" -- but it really does kind of reek of a band grasping at something and not knowing at all what that is. i'm sure they're proud of making a left turn album that will divide their fanbase and critics, but i'm pretty sure there will be a day when their fame has passed when they look back and say "yeah this album is pretty retarded." it's pretty laughable that this is being released by a major label.

also lyrically, not like it matters all that much, but they're still very much the band that rhymed "electric eel" and "electric feel"

it's funny -- yeasayer & mgmt toured back in the day before mgmt really blew up, and after hearing their respective first albums, if you told me, "one band will overreach in an attempt to make a challenging second album and it will lead to nothing of worth and quite possibly might kill their career" and "the other band will pare down their negative qualities and write a second album that is not perfect, but indisputably has three or four epic, monster anthems" i would not have guessed that mgmt would be the first band and yeasayer would be the second

I saw that tour and thought Yeasayer basically blew MGMT off the stage, but they've yet to effectively transfer that energy to their recordings.

Have One On MGMT

Considering how much of a disaster that first "single" was, I'm surprised at how not terrible this record is. Doesn't even come close to something I'd recommend to anybody beyond "Check it out, I guess" -- but it's mostly harmless (occasionally interesting) psych (with a few half-decent Sparks impersonations thrown in for good measure). I previously thought this band had no staying power, but I'm willing to recalculate that if they can refine what's on Congratulations for the future.

That said: commercially, this record will drop like a fucking stone. Can't imagine them staying on Columbia after this one, although I can't see them on any of the major indies either (Domino, MAYBE). So, time will tell.

That stream is the same thing I was listening to last night. I still think it's terrible. I wonder how bad the fake leak must be if you actually like this, Moka.

― Johnny Fever.

No Johnny, I never actually said I liked it, I still think it's awful. But yeah, the leak I had was just a bunch of annoying pitched voices and atuned synth pads... come to think of it, I don't know why I thought it was the real deal as it sounded nothing like the vocalist from MGMT.

two songs in and it is my opinion that you guys are wrong about this not being commercially viable--sounds very accessible, reaching out of lo-fi dance glow into unobtrusive psych pop will get these into way more people's hands and the impending 4.0 pitchfork review won't do enough to stop it.

I remember nearly all the songs on the first album having a chorus.

This is a terrific album. There is so much imagination and joy in it! And guess what? I think Pitchfork is going to give it a BNM. Sorry haters. Good music is good music.

congratulation!!!!!

haha

Sorry haters. Good music is good music.

meme half-life approx 17 days

yes but someone has to make it their display name first (hint hint)

Good music for me to poop on.

First song kinda almost makes me think of old Of Montreal.

I really like the coda to "Someone's Missing". Vocals are mixed too low in this record IMO.

this album is incredible. do you people hate fun or something?

yes

this album is incredulous.

this album is incredible. do you people hate fun or something?

― johnnyo

It's not fun when the joke's on us.

sure it is!
i'm not even really sold on these guys, but thank god someone is doing something that's ambitious AND humorous.
this album is even funnier than the cover.

you have a terrible sense of humor

Kinda skipping around on the stream, "Brian Eno" is pretty funny but I could really go for some more huge hooks.

good music is BORING

i'm not even really sold on these guys her, but thank god someone is doing something that's ambitious AND humorous.

Could just as easily have appeared in a Joanna Newsom thread.

mgmt have never been funny -- they're cynical at best but aren't clever in expressing their cynicism at all

yeah but that's why they're funny. who are they supposed to be - warren zevon?

i don't think joanna newsom is doing anything humorous. pure pretention.

it's not bold to be a pop band that releases an album that has no singles but has a bunch of songs like "flash delirium" that flail around in the name of "unexpected stylistic curveballs" -- it's just self-defeating and self-hating

haha, hold on -- mgmt aren't pretentious? aaalright

good fucking god i hate the 60s

i don't think it's self-defeating. obviously a lot of work went into these songs, they're pretty elaborate. it's self-defeating to just declare something a "fuck you" because you don't get it all right away. i'm not saying their geniuses, but this album is hardly intentional career suicide. just use your imagination or something.

thin-sounding, derivative, twee, joyless, sexless, rhythmless, hookless "retro pastiche" that really "highlights their influences"

for fucks sake at least e6 bands were sincere when they played shit like this

this doesn't sound anything like elephant 6 bands. lazy comparison.
this album sounds exactly like the last one minus the three electro-pop singles. hardly mind-blowingly different.

i think it's pretty hard to read it as them intentionally trying to pull back from the sort of fans that they've amassed -- they said that they don't want people to download their songs, they want people to download the album and listen to it in full, blah blah -- for people who only heard "kids" or "electric feel" and then here "flash delirium" or w/e, i'm not exactly sure that a lot of them are going to be enticed into hearing the whole album! that sounds as pretty close to "intentional career suicide" as a major label rock band can get

pretty hard NOT to read it as them*

"this album sounds exactly the same as the last one minus the three good songs"

exactly

actually it's been a long time since i tried to struggle through the first one but this sounds like way, way more affected

ok maybe if Kings of Leon had followed up their huge piece of shit with this, you could say it was reaching and/or a fuck you album. but this sounds EXACTLY like MGMT. if you heard this and had to guess who's new album it was, would you really get it wrong?

But it doesn't sound EXACTLY like GOOD MGMT. The whole thing sounds like the laziest album tracks from the last go-round.

commiseration to MGMT

sorry, i just think it's going to be annoying to read every review because they will all have the same meme, which is what you're saying now. An unexpected left-turn, intentionally difficult, in thrall to the sixties.
anytime a band makes a record with harmonies and reverb, people start talking about the sixties. or elephant six. it's lazy.

anytime a band makes a record with harmonies and reverb, people start talking about the sixties. or elephant six. it's lazy.

ha!

what a disaster for MGMT

i'm sure the jurnalistz have it harder.

"this album sounds exactly the same as the last one minus the three good songs"

― call all destroyer, Monday, March 22, 2010 3:54 PM (20 minutes ago) Bookmark

^OTM

I can't help but imagine that all of this "we aren't writing poppy songs anymore" business is just to impress a handful of arty girls in Brooklyn.

hey looks like another thread where i'm going to have to suggest ban people who mention "brooklyn" "hipsters"!

it's interesting to see how makeitpop trolls in threads that he didn't start for the express purpose of trolling

I really don't see how that's trolling. Is that opinion so outlandish that it seems like I'm baiting you? C'mon.

these dude were probably out for like a year smashing lapsed weezer fan poon by the truckload and you think they are making a whole album to impress five chicks in brooklyn?

smashing post

+2

Well, why else would a band decide to do something so retarded. I'm guessing arty chicks in BK because I think this band is way too calculated and self-conscious to make this album for purely artistic reasons.

you are guessing arty chicks in BK because you have nothing meaningful to say

tbh if these guys actually have made an album that in any way ends up being commercial or critical self-sabotage, more power to them. it seems like every alt/indie band that gets to about their stature these days gets rubber stamped "they did it again! 7.9!" reviews all around, it'd be refreshing for someone to actually shit the bed and/or piss everyone off for once.

The song where you go on about how ace Dan Treacy is in the style of one of his recent appalling songs is surely post modernism reaching its lowest ebb.

^^^probably the most depressing three minutes of my life this year

"Someone's Missing" is easily my favorite song of the disc so far. It's over far too quickly, they should have just looped the whole thing once more. The rest is fun but less tuneful than the debut. I still don't understand how these guys got such tremendous hype power so fast.

because "Time to Pretend" was a monster tune

so is what u all are saying is 'mgmt is over'? pheww was a crazy ride but im frankly kinda relieved

is it 'time to stop pretending'

yeah i think these dudes got tired of the ex-raver poon and are trying to get some of that 16-year old pittsburgh art school "i tried to get into sonic youth but i dunnnooo" action.

"Time to Pretend" was great, but I liked "Kids" far less. "Weekend Wars" and esp "The Youth" were my fave tracks on the debut. It's a good second album, if you listened to the whole first one and not just the singles, you'll probably like it. I think they have a really amazing colossal record in them and this is "Congratulation" is definitely not it.

yeah see i like this new album because it sounds like a more realized "weekend wars".

btw seriously dudes don't waste your time handwringing about MGMT for fuck sakes. this is the only life you will ever have.

this band has only ever been good for clowning on.

Joanna Newsom was in the "Kids" video, and the two singles I heard, including "Kids," were alright. that's about it.

yeah it's like that song was cool...it's just some song that will make it on TV late night CD "best of the 00s" type shit...like "sex and candy" or
"steal my sunshine" and shit...

just let it go, this band will never amount to shit, they had one good quasi hit

yeah we should talk about good music. i'm sure that will make us feel better.

xp except the 90s were flush with music like that ("rock" bands with an alternative or indie sensibility of some kind that could produce mainstream singles that lots of people enjoyed) and the 00s were....not. that to me is the frustrating thing about mgmt--they had three legitimately good singles and rather than pursuing that sound they're pretty much making bullshit afaict.

huh, i just heard the single for the first time, and i don't understand this thread at all now.

also, the little flute solo is funny.

Kids is totally like 2kx "Sex and Candy". But if you haven't heard some of the other tracks you should listen to this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EURZuzHyWb0

vid by Eric of Tim & Eric

seems like most people's opinions are colored by some idea about mgmt that doesn't have much to do with the actual music. the amount of hate they inspire is a sign that they're doing something interesting, imho. the first track on this new one i'm particularly digging... great melodies, harmonies, sonic textures, etc. what's to hate?

i also think it's weird these guys are seen as rock stars. they just seem like awkward stoners to me, which is endearing.

also, i love the cover art.

the amount of hate they inspire is a sign that they're doing something interesting, imho.

rock solid logic

exactly. what's to hate? it just sounds like a musical album. made by a band. they made another album before this one that sounded like whatever, and now this one sounds like this. are people accusing this band of being reverse-sellouts or what is the problem?

a band had like two hits and then changed their sound a bit on the next album. is this offensive? unheard of?
maybe you people should listen to the black crowes instead of this indie rock stuff. you're obviously getting confused.

people are accusing them of not being very good

then i take it back, you probably won't like the black crowes either...

love where this thread is going

"twice as hard" > "kids"

it just sounds like a musical album.

ohhhh, i hadn't realized this is a musical album--this changes everything!

Conshitulation by MGMT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LLRk3_nogo

they made another album before this one that sounded like whatever, and now this one sounds like this.

7/10

-- johnny0

can we turn this into a rockism thing? i've got a looong day left at work.

I don't think they've sold out or really changed their sound all that much. Both those arguments are pretty silly for any band imo.

I think it's a case of the songs were just more memorable on the first record and because they are so hyped everyone is reading all this extra stuff into that. I just think it boils down to better songs the first time.

honestly surprised that the Ausgang artwork might be the best thing about this album. I was hoping for at least one more "Kids" out of the deal. what the hell Soulwax supposed to remix off of this dud?

strangely, parts of this album remind me of Cornelius.

^^^stop tempting me to hear it!

actually when this fuckmare of a class assignment is done i will listen to it, and return with judgements

i dunno, i hear lots of things in it at times. Cornelius, the Chrysanthemums, Homosexuals, late-period Turtles, early Supergrass. Flaming Lips, of course. it's interesting, at least.

Wish Cornelius was releasing a new album!

Maybe all that touring w Yoko will get him back into writing music again...

did he ever release anything after Point?

Sensuous is pretty amazing. Same minimal/robotic mix of sounds, really well done, some wonderful experiments in there too. They have a DVD for the entire album that features mindblowing animation from Koichiro Tsujikawa. Subsequent multimedia tours followed, along with a live DVD release. Parts of the live DVD are on youtube and it looks incredible but my days of forking over $50 for a Japanese DVD are sadly over....

4 star review from Spin

http://www.spinmagazine.com/reviews/mgmt-congratulations-columbia

that's pretty expected i would assume

SPIN is prob more invested in the career of mgmt than any other rock band currently going

also i thought they changed from 5-star scale to 10-point scale? i guess that's tough to code on a website tho

commiseration to SPIN for their tough-to-code website

other way around, they used to be 10 scale and are now 5

wait, no way, i swear they changed to a 10 scale pretty much at the beginning of this year

oh duh, i have a current issue right here that has reviews on a 10 scale. what am i thinking of? they went to an ABCDF scale for a while? i just remember them changing it for a few years there.

they could try out a Do Re Mi scale, that would really bring the readers in

I rate this album a half-diminished seventh

This is a really great album, first two tracks are especially good. Hipsters and GHEYS will hate it though!

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You're right, I'm gay and I hate it. According to Whiney I'm a hipster as well. So you've got me bang to rights.

i dont hate the album as thats just a waste of useful energy.
i'm completely indifferent to it.
ok, perhaps i'm a little annoyed i wasted 30 minutes of my life maybe, but i was on the payroll during the stream, so not all is lost.

'Dan Treacy' is my favourite here, completely different from anything MGMT have ever done before. It is a really charming song, with a little Television Personalities-resemblence, and I really can't imagine anyone hating it.

u don't need to imagine, because it's really happening

Guys, sorry this album pretty much sucks. If there was maybe at least one hook even half as exuberant as "Kids" or "Time to Pretend" I might be willing to give it another chance. This is just kind of meandering and dull, like they willfully smoothed over the most joyful exclamations that made the last one work.

Yes, there is no Kids or Time To Pretend here, but everybody have known that for months. And not enough hooks? Come on, it's a way too much hooks here.
MGMT second album >>> Vampire Weekend second album

That's a bit like saying cold vomit tastes better than warm vomit.

i think with the idea of hipsters often comes the idea of being "in the know" so your conception of hip hop and r&b rules u out, Doran. suggest u rebut whiney in this wise.

i like this album a lot, but this thread is funny.
it's like listening to people decide whether or not they want to have fun.

i decided i wanted to have fun, so i stopped listening to the stream of this album

o, snap!

ch-ching!

"i think with the idea of hipsters often comes the idea of being "in the know" so your conception of hip hop and r&b rules u out, Doran. suggest u rebut whiney in this wise."

This is *exactly* what I said to him, but he said that it didn't matter and that I was a hipster anyway.

(In my defence, I don't pretend to know anything about R&B or hip hop from the last decade or so.)

would anyone mind if we turned this into the fourth Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record thread?

i think this thread should just be destroyed, tbh.

you could do a million things in this world to have fun
you could play frisbee with a dog
or kiss a girl
or have a barbeque with some friends on a sunny day
and you suggest that i need this pitiable little collection of songs?

are those lyrics to an MGMT song?

yeah, you know m@tt, always railing off actual mgmt lyrics

m.he1go
ghost writer
and for the right price
i can even make MGMT's shit tighter

lol

loooool

when you were trying, among other things, to back up yr writer's claim that rihanna was "the archetypal ghetto hustler" in the comments to his "piece", you were pretending to know something abt r&b and hip hop, alas. if u have a new resolution not to do so in the wake of that, all power to you.

Look, you dull witted cretin. It says about 58 times I think he was entirely WRONG you fucking dullard.

All I said was that he was not a racist. Try reading before mouthing off. I do NOT think that Rhianna is an archetypal ghetto hustler...

Johnnyo could you please stop condemning people who hate on this album as unfun? I don't think this album is meant to represent fun and at any rate being fun is a really lame defense going for it.

^^^^^^^

you don't think you were trying to back him up? ok then. the comments speak for themselves.

I was - QUITE CLEARLY - attacking the suggestion that I allowed racist writers to pen for The Quietus.

Oh look, here's a quote from me: "I don't think Rhianna is an archetypal ghetto hustler." Fancy that.

here's another, there are more

"Yeah, how in God's name could you ever apply such a blinkered term to someone who's recorded with Jay-Z, signed to Def Jam, collaborated on an Memphis Bleek album named after a housing project, released an album called 'Good Girl, Gone Bad', sings about killing a boyfriend in 'Unfaithful' and the wholesome 'Rehab'."

(In my defence, I don't pretend to know anything about R&B or hip hop from the last decade or so.)

Can we save that battle for another thread fellas? We're trying not to enjoy MGMT in here thanks.

Xpost: quite. I'd just like to say thanks to dickwad for point several thousand people back over to my site. Cheers.

and by "another thread" he means let's put it in a box and dump it in a river

maybe put MGMT's new record that haven't heard yet in the box too

ok but i wanna scratch off that cover first

yes iirc trolling for hits was your real defense of that piece.

you guys wanna talk about the new deftones record instead?

the only rationale for not liking this album i've read on this thread is "it doesn't have the hit singlz".
i'd like to talk about what's ACTUALLY on the record.
i'm not saying this album is Blonde on Blonde, but you guys are starting to sound like my mom for christ's sake.

all i've been getting so far are a bunch of "withering" generic chandler comebacks like "could i BEEE anymore this record sucks???"

Dude, its okay if we don't like a record. I hated the first listen, so I'm not going to sit through it again just to make you feel better.

XPost: I've listened to it four times now.

Ok. Here are a few for starters. Its psychedelia is unpsychedelic. Instead it is twee, mannered, goofy and aimless. To the extent that it makes a Flight Of The Conchords LSD music parody sound like The Calico Wall by comparison.

thank you doran! see, this is what i'm looking for. that is an interesting observation! you know how to make them, you win!

chandler dude above him, you are the loser today!

Good grief.

exactly!

i agree about the psychedelia thing. i think it's interesting for a band go for psychedelia and miss the target so completely. that is one of the reasons i like these jokers.

it reminds me of when pearl jam did "art" on Vitalogy.

Seriously johnnyo, fuck off. K?

I mean, no need to insult me for not indulging in your little game.

music tagged psychedelic is rarely actually psychedelic, in my experience. most of the time it just denotes use of phasers and late 60's vibes.

yeah, i imagine these dudes sitting in their dashkekis and telling the producer they want more reverb.

But I don't even hear that much dedication in the record! My biggest problem after that one listen is that it seemed pretty dull and lifeless. I loved the debut because it was fun and packed with so much joy. This time around things just feel a lot more flat.

I'm sure that doesn't count as "valid" criticism though.

that is totally valid, thank you dude!
i am also pretty surprised that this thing is a downer the WHOLE WAY THROUGH.
i think we're gonna get one of these downer "leave me alone" records out of Lady Gaga soon too. what are the vegas odds on lady gaga's next album being a "dark examination" of something?

Wow I think you just helped me nail my main criticism, I don't want a "downer" record from MGMT. That's about the complete opposite of what I look for in them! Lady GaGa already has some pretty dark elements in her music, particularly some of the non-singles on the her mini-album.

yeah i don't think anyone wanted a downer record from these dudes.
but now we know what one would sound like.

*clears throat*

it's like listening to people decide whether or not they want to have fun.

― johnnyo, Wednesday, March 24, 2010 11:33 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

that's a pretty perfect summation of this record, i guess.
at times you think they're gonna go for it, and then...

too bad cuz that cover is the funnest thing i've ever seen. it looks like a folder i had in 3rd grade.

the only rationale for not liking this album i've read on this thread is "it doesn't have the hit singlz".

i already explained myself you fucking retard

thin-sounding, derivative, twee, joyless, sexless, rhythmless, hookless "retro pastiche" that really "highlights their influences"

― call all destroyer, Monday, March 22, 2010 3:50 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

that was your summation of the people on this thread xp

guys, this is a thread about MGMT

guys we were just starting to get somewhere.

i would like my encouraging pat on the head please

*pats head*

*beams*

I'm looking forward to this. can't be bothered to find a leak. always annoyed how so much album discussion happens on this board BEFORE an album is widely available

the band themselves are streaming it, dude!

link is upthread somewhere

eh I hate streaming shit at work

but for the sake of this thread, I will do it

http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc340/funnyroadsigns/cake/gaffecake.jpg

That song about The Whistle sounds OK.

Ok I'm giving the whole thing a second chance.

1. It's Working - This actually sounds decent and makes for a good opener. A few nods to psychedelia... oh hey a harpsichord! Will we get eastern instruments too? Mmm... seems not. It got a tad annoying towards the end and even tho the chorus got drilled add nauseum, when it was all over I couldn't remember anything about it.
2. Song for Dan Treacy - I'll be honest, I've no idea who Dan Treacy is but I thought this sounded like a throwaway Of Montreal song. Got a bit better towards the end as it started to accumulate energy but it's been a confusing listen so far.
3. Someone's Missing - Hey there's the eastern instruments! The bassline helps shape an otherwise amorphous piece. Ends up being too short and uninspired. First revelation that they didn't gave a fuck when recording this and I'm starting to wonder why should I.
4. Flash Delirium - Nice mood but as the song progresses it starts to sound like a bunch of half assed ideas that dont fit one another, I'm starting to sense a trend in here. The ending was terrible, MGMT should never resort to screaming.
5. I Found a Whistle - Probably the most anthemic thing on the album so far. I thought it was good the first time I heard it but this time it felt like annoying hippie drivel to my ears. The psych influence starts to grate.
6. Siberian Breaks - Best song on the record. Lovely synths here and there. Seems to channel Flaming Lips somewhere round the middle. I like many of the individual ideas in here but don't think it works that well as a whole. Good but not enough too keep me interested through the whole 12 minutes. I don't see returning to it very often.
7. Brian Eno - Sounds to me like some sort of terrible rockabilly band trying to hommage space age pop. Didn't paid attention to the lyrics but song is incredibly annoying. I suppose this is what johnnyo refers to as the humor in this record.
8. Lady Dada's Nightmare - Meandering synth pads, not too much of a song.
9. Congratulations - Somehow reminds me of VU's Loaded for the first minutes and I like that, as it progresses, though, it starts to sound as detached and uninterested as the claps that end the record.

If I have to be positive the best thing I could say about this record is that it has a great album cover and the production is a step up from the blown-up sound from Oracular. As for the music, they need to rein it in a little bit... I'd like to isolate a few moments and ideas that could've made a decent piece and throwaway the most part of it.

12-minute thing in middle? may have to hear this

The interview makes them sound like cunts. Stupid cunts at that.

Maybe they HAVE been smoking too much of Sonic's chronic.

this album reminds me of 3-way era lilys.

hedgehogs have the best weed

lol this thread

looking forward to rereading this thread w/ johnnyo 3 yrs from now when hes zinging & posting about dance bobbins

this isn't terrible or anything but it is lacking in the monster hook department

The more I listen to this the more I like it. Lots of little hooks that over time get more and more interesting. LOVE LOVE LOVE the title song. Great slow jam. The first couple of songs I now detect a really strong Tromp Le Monde-era Pixies influence, especially the first song. "I've Got A Whistle" is pretty rad.

And I really like "Lady Dada" a whole lot. It's kind of like a Bruce Haack version of "White Christmas" getting derailed and lost in soft noise.

Still think "Brian Eno" is a bit annoying.

The new video scares me tho. Not good.

What other recent band (Fallout Boy? Panic at the Disco?) did this, where they essentially cut a light and loopy sixties psychedelia album?

This is decent on first listen -- I'm not really sure the world needed another one of these albums, but that's quite alright.

wow, the new video makes me want to take back the nice things i said about the album.

So does this thing have a bit of a Spacemen/Spectrum vibe to it then?

not at all - whatever Sonic Boom influence is on this record is nigh undetectable to my ears

well that sucks.

yeah I was kinda disappointed on that score too

I downloaded this expecting to hate it but I'm finding myself wanting to go back to it a lot. The vocals remind me a lot of the guy from Wire especially on the second track and about 3 minutes into Siberian Breaks. I already like it a lot more than the first album, me being in the 'it only had three good songs' camp.

I bet the writers at the NME are having a hard time right now trying to decide if they should give this a rating of 5 or 10.

Still think "Brian Eno" is a bit annoying.

― Adam Bruneau, Wednesday, March 31, 2010 1:33 AM (20 hours ago) Bookmark

I totally agree with this, there's something that really annoys me about the way he sings Brian Eno.

Sonic Boom is in a huge I-collect-Nazi-memorabilia phase at present. To the point where he's actually wearing shit out that could ruffle some serious feathers among folk who don't take kindly to that sort of thing. I kind of hope this MGMT album shifts in huge numbers and the Brit tabloids get all indignant and do some kind of expose on him. Preferably with a Hitler stache 'shopped on at some point.

eh kinda not worried about Sonic being a Nazi

"drug addled shithead" is a more pressing concern

junkies not so good at rounding people up in camps knowhutimean

last two Spectrum releases were awesome. (war sucks; cap'n memphis)
Boom is on-point wrt his own work at least

there is a ventriloquist's dummy with a hitler stache in the video....

Spectrum were amazing live in London last month, although Kember, Treacy and several others in attendance looked like they'd recently spent some time in a concentration camp.

What other recent band (Fallout Boy? Panic at the Disco?) did this, where they essentially cut a light and loopy sixties psychedelia album?

I believe you are thinking of the last Panic at the Disco album, where they dropped the exclamation point and went all 60s/Kinks pop. Worked surprisingly well on some of the songs, I liked that album.

Could a Sonic/Lemmy collab be in the works?

makes sense. "lady dada's nightmare" sounds like sonic's been listening to hawkwind's "goat willow" and "wind of change" some lately

and captain memphis sounds suspiciously like jim morrison. "the old cow dies" could be a doors song. "santa monica sunday and the big one still coming, another hotel room window high overlooking freeway arteries. . . ."

what is dance bobbins?

http://mybooks4charity.com/images/indie-kidd.jpg

i think everyone who wants to like this album more than they actually do and especially everyone who wants to hear some sonic boom influence should check out DELOREAN

Guys I am listening to this album on whoismgmt.com and it is *really* bad.

yup

it seems kind of amazing that these guys are *headlining* Red Rocks outside of Denver this summer. Are they really that popular?

hmm is this a recorder solo I hear

Congratulation on the 6.8 in Pitchfork, MGMT

So weird that nobody is saying "Congratulations" the track could be a single. It's pretty badass, if a slow jam...

This time out, MGMT aren't crafting pop; they're Creating fArt.

Missed opportunity for poop/fart 2x joke.

congratulation to mgmt and columbia for needlessly pressing a 43 minute album on 2 lps and charging $30 for it.

If I wrote for some online music mag I'd be tempted to refer to MGMT, in my review of this new album (to which I've listened exactly once), as "Spacemen Twee" -- tell me that's not an apt description!

SPACEMEN TWEE!

Oracular Spectacular is still such a great album. It's a really warm summer'y day over here and I've been blasting it all day and it's been perfect.

Congratulation MGMT on booking three nights at brixton academy (that's 15,000 people) before people realise it's time for you to disappear.

You mean, ATP is hosting MGMT for three nights at Brixton?

We're not that cool unfortunately

Congratulation to MGMT on being too cool for ATP.

So while I still think the album mostly sucked, being exposed to it again made me realize there are some cool "moments" sprinkled throughout... but none that add up to a cool song.

Been listening to "Congratulations" a bit more. I think I like it even more than the first album. It's really grown on me. The title track is still my favorite but "I Found a Whistle" and "Lady Dada's Nightmare" are my current fave jamz. This record is far better than it gets credit for.

Also about 70% of "Siberian Breaks" is top notch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWawd9Vvpb8&feature=player_embedded

Yes, Virginia, they are covering the Clean.

covering the Clean's not making them any more credible

As predicted, MGMT's oddball album isn't exactly tearing up the charts-- it currently sits at number 166 on Billboard's Top 200, three spots behind Ariel Pink's Before Today. Weird times.

covering the Clean's not making them any more credible

Not making whom any more credible: the Clean or MGMT?

congratulation to mgmt for covering the clean

Not making whom any more credible: the Clean or MGMT?

well, considering The Clean have about 30 great songs as appose to 1 ok one, who do you think?

mgmt late night tales has an excellent track list... v impressed for them including the bix

wow yeah Laughing Boy by Copey! love that one.

New album coming out. I re-listened to "Congratulations" recently and while it didn't wow me as much as when it came out I still really really like it.

"Congratulation" in this thread title always made me lol

Aw hell, "Someone's Missing" is probably my fave track of theirs. But mostly just for the Jackson 5-style ending.

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/15334-alien-days/

Hard to tell if this is a proper indicator of what the next LP will sound like since it was a Record Store Day release, but it's, uhh...pretty lame.

Whatever, though. Not going to begrudge these guys for going down the road of their choice, but I have better things to do.

I like it it's good

i like it too. i'm glad they are building on their last album instead of retreating back to a more accessible sound. tbh, i loved congratulations from the start and i didn't understand what people were talking about when they said it was "weird" or "challenging." to me it seemed like a really great psych pop album. i listened to it a zillion times.

i mean "plants...as far as i know/ are still bending...towards the light!" is a classic lyric.

This sounds alright.
Could do without the Fridmann/Lips drum sound, but it's nice that it isn't a double back to what made them cake early on.

Liked the last album quite a bit... never really enjoyed the first album.

'Congratulations' is the 'Neither Fish Nor Flesh'/'Beauty Stab' of the p4k era, right?

more like the Don't Stand Me Down

The last album was really great. Hoping they come up w more good melodies/psych-outs.

yea congratulations is a sick record, hope it gets another chance as time goes on

not optimistic about new record though, getting slammed/poo-pooed/ignored for going out on a limb and making a weird(er) album after a pop smash seems to do a number on a band's head... (blue album to pinkerton to green album, mellon collie to adore to machina). they'll either over or under compensate

it sounds like these guys are desperate to be weird. which sucks because they can actually write some great pop songs but they don't do the weird thing very well imo.

^ this

I'm fine with weird/outsider stuff when it doesn't sound labored.

i love congratulations, but this song sounds very dull

it's like they want to be ariel pink but are going about it backwards. they should write a whole bunch of great catchy songs but perform and record them in a weird amateur bedroom kind of way instead of writing weak meandering songs and then doing these big slick productions around them.

bleah, this song is horrid. did the last album sound like this, like doilied-up indie psych?

wk otm

www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=96168#unread

oh you made a new thread: MGMT (s/t 2013)

i don't agree with this "trying to be weird" narrative. congratulations had eccentric elements, but the hooks were there; songs like "song for dan treacy" "someone's missing" and the title track are total earworms. i think one of the things people responded to in oracular spectacular was this sort of groovy wiccan undercurrent, which was way more 60s than most 2000s indie, and i think they just are continuing to refine that san francisco sound. i mean "i found a whistle that works like a charm/ and when my noose is tied i can blow it/ and fall right into your arms / fifteen centuries of dissolution and grief/ and return a yellow trickster and a thief." classic psychadelic Odin reference, the god of the hanged. the album reminds me of new hope pennsylvania.

people talk about this album like it's jandek or something but in actuality it is a total joy. i hope they get "weirder" with each new release. also, this isn't noted very often, but the production on congratulations is way better than on oracular spectacular, which sounds really bright and metallic for some reason. i want to hear it remastered.

I think people are talking about the new song, not Congratulations. You think the new song has hooks? I never got into congrats, but my favorite songs on oracular are The Handshake and Weekend Wars which are both somewhat adventurous but still great pop songs.

I mean I guess The Handshake hinted that they were going to screw the label over and spend their advance on acid, but this is not the way to go about it. You can make an uncommercial "fuck you" album that's still great, but somehow I don't think this new one is going to be their Dopesmoker.

maybe not "hooks" on that one, but it seems pretty straightforward melodically and not at all "out there". what it reminds me of most is yoshimi-era flaming lips. idk, it is like camp psychadelia and it sounds really into what it is, if that makes sense.

i just think their music is fun, and their second album moreso than the first one, much as i love "Kids." this song seems like it is in a similar vein to congratulations.

is this album widely considered a masterpiece yet?

this is the best album of the 2000s. that's an exaggeration, but seriously. I'm going to continue to flog this particular horse until it magically comes back to life.

which of the three?

congratulations is light years better than either oracular spectacular or the new, self-titled one.

never got into them. is it different from oracular?

ya. congrats rules. wouldn't say top 20 tho even of the decade
top 50 tho

it's pretty different than oracular. the song structures are generally looser and there are more surprises. but the main thing that's brilliant about it is the way the band plays with the album's inevitable failure in the wake of oracular spectacular, a fluke hit they would never again live up to. i mean, there are few moments in music journalism more memorable to me than mgmt essentially bracing the new york times for disappointment when they were profiled as part of the promotion for the album. similar sentiments abound in the album: "the hot dog is getting cold / you'll never be as good as the rolling stones." "dead in the water / it's not a paid vacation/... yet all is well if the ticket sells." on one level, this kind of thing is just funny, a way of trolling the whole media cycle they were caught up in. but there are also anxieties about artistic belatedness on display that seem more pointed and serious. "we'll always be a step behind him, he's brian eno."

i guess mgmt had already explored their fatigue at the idea of being pop stars in "time to pretend". "congratulations" takes this further, and in more personal directions. i mean, the closing track -- which is the source of the album's title -- is basically a fuck-you to themselves. they are not convinced that their music has any real value. and yet, they clearly have a ton of fun with the wiccan-psychadelia stuff, like "i found a whistle" which would have blown people away if it had been written in 1968. so that's the other twist. there is a way in which the band's stated ambivalence about their work is liberating and i think, for them, that's the whole point of making fun of the whole idea of the pressure of a sophomore album.... to get some distance from the whole thing. and it works! there are moments that seem pure and fun. but also as a listener i can't shake the uneasiness these guys clearly feel about their whole career. all of this stuff is compelling to me.

tl;dr this is the definitive album of the era of clickbait journalism because on a literal, lyrical level it is consumed with anxieties about its reception.

Congratulation to MGMT

@treezy

i'll give it a listen. cheers for the introductory

"I Found a Whistle" is def one of their best tracks. "Something's Missing" was another highlight from that record. Love love love the Jackson 5-style outro hook.

congratulations to treeship

treeship otm this is a forgotten masterpiece and idk why

i understand the circumstances i guess. first album crossed over, indie world turned on them and didn't pay attention to this record, and none of the songs were hits.

this album is totally top 10 cover art for me

maybe one day i'll listen to it

new single. sounds better than anything on the 2013 s/t. bumping this thread because Congratulations is a criminally underrated record.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtL5oMyBHPs

i love all their records Congratulations is probably my favorite.

but this song is a little boring

I found the s/t really dull & badly produced... this is at least nice on the ears, warm synths... but I feel that they really were poisoned by the harsh rejection of Congratulations. Such a shame, that record is so so fucking great.

yeah "Something's Missing" is all time imo. sort of existing in a glorious psychedelic nexus between Jackson 5 and Pink Floyd. the build up and that final chorus is so beautiful, and the A/B structure of the thing is so perfect.

"I Found a Whistle" has that utopian pop thing going for it but w really cool production and backwards sounds and stuff. a lot of this record feels very "Clouds Taste Metallic". maybe hearkening back to the space gospel of "They Punctured My Yolk". i think they hit this feeling in the first album with "The Youth" (probably my 2nd favorite track from that album after "Weekend Warriors").

the title track is so perfect. it has that sweeping-the-floor feel to it. it is the sound of a champagne bottle popping, hittin' the dusty trail. spare acoustic guitar and drums, with little rainshowers of synths, like tiny digital fireworks. it is so pleasing to listen to. this really scratches that Roxy Music itch, of truly futuristic pop.

yeah otm, especially about the title track "sweeping the floor" feel. it's such a beautiful song, an instant classic in a way. all about that descending bass line.

my favorite has always been "Song for Dan Treacy." completely manic and catchy and just fucking fun, those Scooby Doo synths on the chorus. & the thing jolts from section to section and actually gets better. "It's Working" is a great opener, too. "Siberian Breaks" - again, brilliant, and something they'll probably never attempt again because they got slapped for it in 2010.

Best album of 2010

"It's Working" is a great opener, too

yes <3 the harpsichord, the slowed down "Be My Baby" bit, dream pop production, all of it. so good!

my favorite has always been "Song for Dan Treacy."

"he made his mind up" is such a killer hook! im amazed at their ability to write these weird kind of askew and wandering melodies that end up actually being super catchy. good lyrics too. i love this band, Treeship OTM

Alien Days from the s/t is as good as anything from Congratulations but otherwise it was really dire

these days I think I would take Congratulations over any Flaming Lips album

I'm so happy the tide seems to be turning on the reputation of this album.

lol connan mockasin in that video tho

this is the best album of the 2000s. that's an exaggeration, but seriously. I'm going to continue to flog this particular horse until it magically comes back to life.

― Treeship, Friday, March 21, 2014 1:43 AM (three years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

my life has meaning now

Ah I had totally forgotten this band ! Never listened to Congratulations. I might give it try.

Ah I had totally forgotten this band ! Never listened to Congratulations. I might give it try.

new song

MGMT have shared a new song called “When You Die.” Take a listen below, and also check out its corresponding psychedelic music video. MGMT recently shared the visual for their new song “Little Dark Age,” the title track off their forthcoming fourth record. The album is due out in February according to the New Yorker; while its release date and tracklist have yet to be announced, the group have been performing new tracks from the record while on tour. Little Dark Age is the follow-up to the band’s 2013 self-titled LP. Read Pitchfork’s 2013 interview with MGMT.

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

hmmm i like this song! came up on my release radar and was into it before i even checked to see who it was

there's a brief interview in the new Rolling Stone. describes Congratulations as a "disappointing experimental album" that alienated "fans, critics, and even their record label." apparently they handed the new album in to Columbia last April, and were told it wouldn't come out until this month. they have one more record left on their contract & are eager to not be on a major label. made me kinda sad. the piece says the record is their most poppy since Oracular Spectacular, praise that I don't know how to take. makes me equally excited and nervous. from the end of the piece:

"I would love to just go straight from fucking around in my attic to putting something on YouTube," says VanWyngarden. Goldwasser has an even bolder vision: "Maybe instead of putting out an album, we'll put out an immersive art installation where you go into a house and each room is a different musical landscape. We can enter the David Byrne era of our career."

new album is pretty good not my favorite but it will grow on me for sure. feels a lot like the first album at times. lots of 80s style synth pop here w the standard Pink Floyd Lite subject matter. a few tracks remind me of "I Wear My Sunglasses at Night" or something. like the song about looking at your phone is actually really cool. "Me and Michael" is better than "Kids" and probably gonna make them a lot of licensing dough. the song seriously rules. lyrics, chorus, all of it, feels like a lost 80s classic.

"When You're Small" bringing heavy "The Wall" vibes

First listen “James” is the one I like the best. Also like the goth vibes in some of these but they usually mess up the landing for me. They have a great idea somewhere inside the songs and sometimes the section transitions are a bit awkward.

The opener is very Yellow Magic Orchestra. Sounds great.

This is surprisingly great. Can definitely hear Ariel Pink's input.

Great new album, sounds like a different band other than the vocals. Obviously Congratulations is one of the albums of the decade.

Wow really enjoying this new album. Never been a big fan other than some songs from Congratulations

Really solid, engaging listen. And as stated upthread "Me and Michael" is an all-timer

Man I’ve given these guys so many second chances cause their first was so good, but this might be the last

Me And Michael video is something special
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTHHeIAYfuU

"Me and Michael" is so good! i listened to it walking home earlier in the rain. masterful. might be one of the best retro 80s synthpop songs of all time. great video too! <3 the Cronenberg phone cases.

Also like the goth vibes in some of these but they usually mess up the landing for me

yeah tbh i was expecting more dark synthpop from the marketing. not quite that dark compared to something like Fad Gadget or The Cure or something. for instance the Ariel Pink song just sounds like a regular song but they are singing about death so now it's goth.

I love this album. I really didn't see this coming at all!

My son is obsessed with this album. It apparently has very high meme value among the teenager set.

i'm really into this

Hey, I haven’t heard the new record yet, but I just wanted to pop in and say that, um, based on the evidence of this thread 2010 ILX was pretty mean and bad.

wow, Me and Michael is something!

^^

Liked the debut a lot

Loved "Congratulations"

Left totally cold by album 3

Totally stunned by this one. I cannot stop listening to it! If "Me and Michael" isn't my most listened track of 2018, it's gonna be a helluva year.

Liked the debut a lot

Loved "Congratulations"

Left totally cold by album 3

this is exactly how i feel. so i'm very excited to hear this new one in full tonite

That's similar to my feelings, but I only really loved the three hits from the first album. The new one has overtaken Congratulations as my favourite album of theirs. The year's first big surprise.

i still love Congratulations above all. the new album is nice but feels way too short. 5 songs i love and the other 5, eh, they're ok.

the whole stretch "Me and Michael"/"TSLAMP"/"James" is the highlight of the record imo. "Me and Michael" absolutely rules and this can't be stated enough. those lead synths are so sparkly!

excited to check this out but i just heard a new track by simon doom and it was the worst thing ive ever heard

excited to hear remixes when they come out, keep me posted thx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=3OVr1rt3Dxw

^ full album

I think I like the True Faith version of Me and Michael even more. https://youtu.be/_zK_m6EgVSQ

congratulations to MGMT

When you die is solid

the way album ends, when all of "Hand It Over" goes thru a super intense flanger, is really awesome, amazing ear candy for me

need to listen to this more before i comment further

It's too soon to poll this album, isn't it? I'm feeling a very strong attachment to at least half of these songs after listening to the album for the last 2 weeks.
Have I totally slept on this band (I've never listened to an MGMT album before, with the exception of their LateNightTales mix) or did they suddenly get really good?

no they released their masterpiece 8 years ago

this album is good but i fear too little too late... this should've come out in 2013

I dunno, I'm a big Congrats fan but I think the new one towers above it.

Lou Reed Turned Down an MGMT Collaboration, Told Them to Fire Their Managers: The band say they asked the late icon to appear on Congratulations

While talking about working on the album, they revealed that they approached Lou Reed to contribute vocals to their track “Lady Dada’s Nightmare.” “He pretty much said it didn’t need it,” they reveal. “And then he talked about how we also didn’t need managers, and our managers were there.” Soon after, they ran into Reed at a dog show (where they were dressed as dandies)

When your small is like people are strange meets pink Floyd. Love the lyric about curling into a ball, funny song

The bubbling synths on James are a lot like the style stereolab used on ffs - interlock iirc

My son is obsessed with this album. It apparently has very high meme value among the teenager set.

My 13-yr-old as well. I'm taking him and his younger brother to see them in Nashville next month, should be fun. (I like the album a lot, too.)

love the sonic details on this album, like the cartoon falling down stairs piano on "when you're small" and the Wendy Carlos clockwork orange styled synth parts on "Hand It Over"

this album is brilliant. love, love, love "When You Die."

The concert last night was as much fun as I expected. Did most of the new album, plus four Oracular, two from Congratulations and "Alien Days." (Plus a cover of "The Neverending Story.") "Flash Delirium" in concert is A+. My kids loved the whole show.

that sounds like an awesome time. i didn't know if they were a good live band or not but it does sound like a hell of a time.

Yeah, tight band, great light show, they put a lot of work into it. It helped that the hall has great acoustics, but they sounded great.

i'm buying tickets tomorrow and probably wouldn't have if Tipsy didn't say how good they were live. so thanks Tipsy Morthra!

Me and Michael wouldn't sound out of place on an old school M83 record

I'm officially going, so stoked for this

"I’m not that nice
I’m mean and I’m evil
Don’t call me nice"

i can't stop playing this album.

"GO. FUCK. YOUR. SELF. U. HERD. ME. RIGHT."

This is growing on me

the only indie album I have on rotation

going to see these guys in one week, i'm so excited. i now know the new album inside and out. i actually don't know Congratulation that well, only the debut and the new album.

You should listen to it, it's one of the best albums of the decade

"Flash Delirium" in particular is my favorite MGMT song. (And video.)

yeah it really is. title track, song for dan treacy, it's working are all completely classic

Buddy saw them and said they did a video mocking those who only like their 3 huge hits. Yeah - only the hits you made your careers on :-/

seeing these guys tonight, so excited. have no idea what to expect.

It'll be good!

at The Observatory Orange County, Costa Mesa, CA, USA

1. She Works Out Too Much
2. Little Dark Age
3. When You Die
4. Time to Pretend
5. James
6. Alien Days
7. Flash Delirium
8. Kids
9. The Youth
10. TSLAMP
11. Electric Feel
12. Me and Michael
13. Hand It Over

Encore:

14. When You're Small
15. Congratulations

May 16, 2018

the show was amazing. it leaned heavily on the new album witch was fine with me. it was all techno color and made you want to dance. the did play their three big hits and the place was packed. they had video going on with a smaller HD screen in front of a bigger screen and flashed all sorts of stuff on it. they were pretty psychedelic for the most part. fun show and will see these guys again. they should be massive in this type of music climatic (2018).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgGN_G7cU6k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycCPRVCoA9c

ending with Congratulations is so perfect

MGMT on Jimmy Kimmel last night:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6g4_ZiT694

Oh then they played an extended set:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pslYctuASsU

^^^May 17, 2018 Jimmy Kimmel:

1. Little Dark Age
2. When You Die
3. James
4. TSLAMP
5. Me and Michael

is anyone on here seeing them in Hollywood tonight?

they played the same set but closed the show with "Siberian Breaks" instead. "Congratulations" was also played but was the last song before the Encore instead.

Congratulations to MGMT

Sick encore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABtQrFn7zQs

enjoyable new single

Wow that's great and a little bit new for them, I could take a whole album of songs like this. Bunch of youtube comments point out a Cure influence and I can hear that

Definitely sounds like The Cure

Is 11•11•11 any good?

Me and Michael booms!

Always like returning to little dark age whenever I need that particular taste of pop. Giving congratulations its first listen based on the reaction in this thread. Loving this second song, like a mid era Beatles song at 1.5x speed and a coat of slick modern production