Chvrches

Great new(ish) pop band IMO. What say you ILM cats?

http://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/read/chvrches-gun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y7kP98ty1g

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

you can tell they're cunts from the name. neeext

Not overly fond of the band, but this remix is great:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yI1AN6zlJ4Y#!

you can tell they're cunts from the name. neeext

― OH NO, SECONDS LEFT, SECONDS LEFT, AND THERE IT IS. REGRET. (imago), Friday, 31 May 2013 12:40 (8 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

you mean cvnts surely?

i was reaaaally into "the mother we share", but every single following that has really bored me. overrated group at the moment, i'm willing to change my mind though if they hit on something as massive as that first tune

Yeah I feel the same. But I almost went to go see them just because "The Mother We Share" is so goddamn good. I thought maybe live they could bring that energy to their other songs.

Have been addicted to The Mother We Share for months. I like the other songs too but this one's perfect.

Very good MSMR remix too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5736_z1S4Vw

yeah the Ms Mr remix is bliss.

agreed with everyone re: 'the mother we share' being head and shoulders above all their other songs

The Mother We Share is one of the worst songs I've ever heard

That's one of the worst posts I've ever read.

it really presses all the wrong buttons for me - limp, fey synths, adult doing toddler voice, general twee floral dress air

Recover is the one track out of the three so far that made a real impression on me.

"gun" is so fucking great

anyway i'm hearing the album now and it's lovely

Recover is still the only one I like, but I'm looking forward to hearing the album anyway.

Kind of dig the Cid Rim remix of "Recover".

any more details about the album Brad?

yeah that Cid Rim mix is great.

The elpee doesn't come out until the 30th September, does it? Long wait.

Fwiw, I haven't listened to the EP all that much, but it's perked my interest enough to check the album out when it's out.

when will the abuse of consonants end please tell me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mTRvJ9fugM

any more details about the album Brad?

it's like the singles but times 12; i'm not as in love with it as i thought i'd be but it's still really lovely

also the bloke sings too much

I almost saw them last month but then didn't for some reason. Really love the singles but don't know if I could handle a whole album of that? Hmm.

http://www.nme.com/news/chvrches/72677

I am going to see them tonight!

Have fun! I mean, really, who could hate this stuff?

Thanks, I'm pretty excited!

I was just listening to them in the car!
I tried to stream the album on NPR but it kept failing >:(

I mean, really, who could hate this stuff?

― I have gathered no gaudy flowers of speech in other men's gardens (dowd), Tuesday, September 17, 2013 7:34 AM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

surprised at how much i hate this stuff tbh! vocals seem particularly awful?

v weak vocals but i guess thats the appeal to some?

feel like i like other similar indie dance stuff with weak vocals like YACHT or whatever... mb that's more deadpan or something

Yeah, I mean obviously people can hate this stuff just fine. I suppose it's on the fey side? You think with a more powerful voice you would like it more?

Solid album but the first thing I ever heard by this lot was The Mother Will Share and there's nothing to touch it. Haim they are not.

i felt the same way about "gun" at first but it's now apparent to me that "night sky" is the best thing on here

really REALLY hate the dude vocals

"night sky" and "we sink" really

very enjoyable album IMO, very in the vein of Purity Ring

xp cosign on the dude vocals, the bleating on "under the tide" is horrible

honestly I don't remember the dude vocals

The mother we share is great. The vocals are rough but every time I hear a bit of her scottish accent in it all is forgiven.

Having heard the dude vocals now, I feel like ppl are looking for reasons to hate them?

I like "The Mother We Share", but it was "Lies" that really grabbed me initially. I wouldn't claim that every song on the album is of equal intensity or immediacy, but I think it's a great debut by a really promising band. Frightened Rabbits + Robyn, or a post-indie version of Berlin, or something. The hype, such as it is, is absolutely fine with me.

http://s8.postimg.org/os01f2p91/perpetua.png

lmaoo

It seems like just about everyone on this thread has a different favorite song, despite the album basically operating in the same tiny box all the way through. Mine's still Recover.

this genre of music was started by Telepathe in 2008, i think

They were pretty great last week btw and one of my favorite songs was one one of the dudes sang. He was a crazy dancer. Everyone at the show was like 12.

OK maybe like 20 but man it was a YOUNG crowd which is not surprising at all it was just something I noticed.

ha that's like the exact opposite of the PSB crowd, where I am pretty sure the median age was 47

Can confirm both of you; I seem to only go to shows nowadays where the crowd is way younger or way older than me

oh for the days when 47 was way older than me ;_;

http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/sep/30/chvrches-lauren-mayberry-online-misogyny

Just went from liking this band to loving this band.

It's heart-sinking that this is part of the job of a woman in a band now. Obviously sexism isn't new but the task of combing through social media interactions every day, knowing that it will contain shit like that, is.

can't wrap my head around the fact that this band is so under-appreciated here. not that they're great or anything but we share our mother and gun are eprfect pop songs.

"The Mother We Share" might be my Single of the Year.

Love them. Maybe my album of the year. Top three for sure.

i like the album a lot but - and i assume i am in the minority here - i feel like Purity Ring does it better.

Recover is my favorite jam (tho Mother is great), and i don't mind when the dude sings.

Need to listen to the album more. Mother and Lies have made the final cut onto my 'drivetime classix' cds i.e. ones to belt out in the car

Hurricanes (chvrches remix) by Ms Mr is good and chvrchesy too

On paper this Knife-aping vaguely indie pop is designed for me but I just can't get into them, and I'm a fan of Nikki And The Dove.

this album is very hit-or-miss for me but I'm digging parts of it more than I thought I would.

My god is their "Bela Lugosi's Dead" cover a steaming pile.

Haven't heard it. Is it worse than Lorde's cover of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"?

Differently so, but yes. But DJP likes it and my soul hurts a little. It's streaming at Stereogum if you want to hear it.

I voted for "Mother We Share" in the EOY poll, largely on the strength of this unnominated waning summer remix:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZIA7H24F48

<3 <3 <3

we sink is ace

courtesy of youtube:

Jk Prat
3 weeks ago
that guy is playing drums with his fingers lol!!

Kaybee
2 weeks ago
It's called synth.

FilmPriest
1 week ago
A drum machine / sampler is not a synth.

Finally got around to this album a few weeks ago and I love it. A lot of people I know really don't like it, and they're fans of The Knife/Grimes/Purity Ring/et al.

I don't understand the hate they get, as Chvrches seems to fit in perfectly with all the other recent "synthpop" bands that are out now. Maybe it's because they're a little less "dark", or because they're slightly reminiscent of Bis in places (another band I loved but everybody else hated)?

Haha Bis is a bit cold, you prob put a few ppl off right there

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-Mq04a4pMw

Chvrches-Linkin Park beef!

Mike Shinoda:
"There’s so much music out there; there’s so much stuff that sounds like Haim or CHVRCHES or Vampire Weekend that I’m full. The thing I’m hungry for is not that. I turn on the rock station in L.A. and it sounds like Disney commercial music."

Lauren Mayberry:
"I think that everybody likes different kids of music and that's absolutely fine. I call bullshit a little bit on that one because it's not a coincidence that his band has a record to sell and he mentioned several bands that people are writing about. It's not an opinion I worry about hugely because it's not my kind of music. [But] I don't really like being called a corporate sellout by the man that wrote the music for the MTV VMAs."

pretty good zinger

Nice one Lauren!

Shinoda was on Real Time with Bill Maher a couple weeks back, and Bill was lavishing him with praises like "rock legend" and shit like that. I choose to believe Bill was reciting from a press release. Some right wing dickwad who was also a guest on the show was genuinely excited to be sharing the stage with Shinoda too, but that's less suspect.

Also, it wasn't until these two incidents that I even knew the name of the guy from Linkin Park.

is mike shinoda the rappin dude or the singin dude

*shrug*

the rapping dude, aka Fort Minor

wikipedia suggests the singing dude has a history of terrible band names

Chester Charles Bennington (born March 20, 1976) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actor. He is best known as the lead vocalist of rock bands Linkin Park and Dead by Sunrise. He was originally the lead vocalist for Sean Dowdell And His Friends? and Grey Daze. He is also the current lead vocalist for Stone Temple Pilots and rock cover band Bucket of Weenies.

jesus linkin park have been famous for so long

wait Chester is singing for STP? how did I miss that

*glares at Comedy Linkin Park News alert disapprovingly*

according to this
http://priceonomics.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-book-your-favorite-band/
you can hire chvrches for $30,000 - $50,000
or you can hire wavves for $5,000 - $10,000

http://mikeshinoda.com/2014/07/01/pointless-dicks-chvrches-laziness-and-cowards/

Shinoda was on Real Time with Bill Maher a couple weeks back, and Bill was lavishing him with praises like "rock legend" and shit like that. I choose to believe Bill was reciting from a press release.

might have to be open to the possibility that maher is an idiot

chv on

I learned a new term this year: “click bait.”

"I learned it from the tubes, the Googles."

KROQ and the clear channel clone did not play Haim. the only song from Vampire Weekend that KROQ has ever played has been "Unbelievers." they both played the hell out of "The Mother We Share" and surprised that it stuck so well, though it was better than any other song on heavy rotation at the time.

well maybe not "Get Lucky" and "Royals" were pretty big at the time.

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

better in theory than execution (maybe it's just in the wrong key?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZRxFsMD4UM

Didn't take very long at all for me to realize that's the best song Chvrches has released yet.

yeah so wonderful

Oh wow.

this bands singles have all been top notch, even bought their last debut album because of that. this is a very good song as well and now looking forward to album number two.

hmmmm, I'm looking forward to the new album, but I'm not sure I really love this track. On the one hand, her singing is much bolder here, and I think her voice has improved a lot. But with this new emphasis on the vocals, the rest of the music is much more sedate and in the background. I miss the massive stacks of monolithic synths.

massive stacks of monolithic synths

That's a big part of why I could never fully get with them before. No nuance in the arrangement. Just big synths fo yo face! all the time.

i was about the monolithic synths but this is such a sweet and carefully composed song

i have been listening to it all day

seems like higher/more hifi production value, I guess I miss an obvious huge synth hook but it has good emotional impact, lyrics seem strong too

is it just me or is her singing dramatically better here? like there just seems to be so much more oomph

oh wait i see moodles touched on this

chvrches are great

I Love Music (TM). Sometimes I forget that when I spend all my time reading clusterfuck threads

They were good at Pitchfork! I discounted the ropey dancing

when I saw chrvches at northside last year the highlight was a 5-year-old kid dancing wildly on his dad's shoulders

the set wasn't even great (I think it was more the setup / backing track than them) but the kid was the best kid

(that was last year to clarify; I only caught part of their set this time)

Definitely looking forward to the second album, I liked the debut a hell of a lot.

the new single is so rad.

lauren mayberry is i think an underrated singer. her vocal performances always seem so understated and natural.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU9_0pxiDjY

Yeah, this one's a bit safer and more in keeping with the debut album, I think.

this album is going to be huge. they are going in the right direction and the masses should pick up on it. another great leaked song even if the first one is better.

Not feeling this one like I was Leave a Trace.

Oh, I'm definitely looking forward to the new record without a doubt. I'm hoping that Curxes break through like CHVRCHES have. Their album is fucking great.

Not feeling this one like I was Leave a Trace.

same. maybe it'll grow on me

this album is going to be huge. they are going in the right direction and the masses should pick up on it.

their popularity is interesting to me. the debut has sold 182,000 in the u.s., which i'm having trouble making sense of in 2015. seems like a lot for a band that isn't played on commercial radio? in any case, they seem to have become popular/cool enough that i wouldn't be surprised to see an SNL booking after the album comes out. at the same time, i don't get the sense that they have much critical cachet, so the fact that i love them sometimes leaves me a little embarrassed in a way that i wouldn't be if they were less popular. i know, it's dumb.

imo it's perfectly okay to love Chvrches, regardless of popularity or cachet. I can't say I love love them, but a couple songs from early on were nice and Leave a Trace is super nice. Also, Lauren Mayberry is a badass.

glassnote sells a lot of records, a cursory look at the sales totals for other bands on their roster can be really astonishing sometimes

Headlining the 7300-capacity Alexandra Palace in London, which surprised me.

Chvrches seem to be as popular with people who are a huge fans of first wave UK synthpop as they are with younger listeners, fwiw.

Thanks for the Curxes mention Turrican, digging it.

Thanks for the Curxes mention Turrican, digging it.

― Leonard Pine, Thursday, August 13, 2015 7:34 PM (58 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

You're more than welcome! It's my favourite electronic/synthpop record of the year so far! :)

new track recycles verse opening melody from "recover" ... and what a muddy mix

Video for "Leave a Trace!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Eo84jDIMKI

This is the best one so far imo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpFXXPruuqU

aw fuck yeah

when i first saw the pfork performance of this song i assumed it'd be the opening track and it is not, oh well

wow, this album is going to be great!

mixing's great on this stuff

http://www.npr.org/2015/09/20/439491238/first-listen-chvrches-every-open-eye

The dude-vocalist song in the middle is actually good!

and because I am a bit obsessive about track lengths I am kind of nerding out over how it is in almost the exact middle (length of the five tracks on either side: 19:11/12)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moD5muTQcwY

I've just read one review of the new album which states that Chvrches have managed to do what a lot of recent UK synthpop artists haven't, and that is to make a great second album. I can't argue with that, and it's about fucking time!

The dude-vocalist song in the middle is actually good!

eh, I could live without it

That Bieber cover is weak compared to the original, but the album is GREAT.

the one with the guy singing sounds like a chromeo song

I'm loving this album a hell of a lot, sounds perky as fuck after listening through the latest New Order.

I'm finding that, aside from "Empty Threat" (which I'd say is among the 2 or 3 best tracks on here), the energy wanes a bit too much on the second half of the record. The good stuff here is so good, though, that I feel kind of churlish even complaining.

'Down Side Of Me' is stunning. 'Empty Threat' is fun.

'Make Them Gold' is obnoxious.

"Empty Threat" and "Bury It" are the ones I like best that weren't pre-released.

Also I was happy to see Lauren discuss her appreciation for emo in this podcast as it sort of explains why I was compelled to make a playlist entitled "Pvrvmvre" over the weekend.

ok im late to the party on this but 'leave a trace' is A+

This record seems to inhabit a very heightened emotional position that is both extremely euphoric and rushy (even down to the trance synths on one song), but that at the same time you can imagine soundtracking moments of peak self-indulgent adolescent misery, it's at exactly the kind of emotional tenor that I guess people see in Fall Out Boy records or whatever.

Album is way way better than I thought it would be, if you skip the dude song it's near perfect.

I even like the dude song!

Liked the first one but not hearing the superiority of this one at all, just seems like more of the same but with nothing really jumping out.

I'm afraid to listen to this because I don't think chvrches and I are on the same page about what the chrvches record should be (basically, I just want 12 more "Science/Visions")

definitely not much of a Science/Visions vibe on this new one. Much more focus on the vocals, much less on the music. It makes for some strong pop tracks, but I do miss the more techie aspects of the first one.

After giving this a few more listens and then going back to the debut, I have to say that I vastly prefer the new one, and I speak as someone who really, really liked the debut album. I'm enjoying the smoother sound, improved songwriting and the vocals are much stronger.

'Make Them Gold' is obnoxious.

― KevRus, Tuesday, September 29, 2015 10:38 PM (5 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Can't agree, it's one of my favourite things they've ever done and should be a single.

Yeah, it's fair to say that this is one of my favourite albums of the year - I keep getting several of the songs from this record lodged in my head at random. Chvrches have become my favourite new UK synthpop artist for a very long time.

this is all i listen to right now, this album is so good. it will be my number one album from 2015 as i can't see anything replacing it.

i guess there's nothing wrong with recycling melodies (certainly the brill building songwriters did it all the time), but it's weird to see a band emerging from this particular taste culture doing it this baldly.

also, this album is really boring, but i guess the lack of discussion here means ILM knows that.

I like it but there's not very much to say about it.

all i can say is that it's one of the few albums i bought on itunes that i just deleted after a few days. it's "pleasant," but so lightweight that it's almost... unpleasant? it's certainly redunant; if i feel like a chvrches fix, i'll just listen to the previous album.

I didn't like the previous album much but like this more. It feels like there's a little more subtlety in the arrangements, and the vocals are stronger. I can understand why it could seem redundant to some, but it's nothing but an improvement to me. There isn't really that much to say about it though, it's solid but unspectacular.

I can't forget how much it reminds me of Tegan and Sara.

I liked the previous album, I like this album more, and no doubt I'll like their next record too. This and Ten Love Songs are my two favourite albums of the year.

I like it but there's not very much to say about it.

Yeah. This is in my Top 10 this year, much prefer it to the debut, tune after tune, but what's there to say? If the quality of an album is judged by the number of posts then ILX must love Amanda Palmer.

I once started writing a post which began talking about Lauren's love of anatomical imagery and man as machine and machine-made music and then I remember writing something about how this album is what must have been going through Data the Android's circuits in that episode he learned to feel love, and then I caught myself and logged off, what I'm trying to say is some times no discussion beats the alternative

Fantastic album anyway, top five for me for sure.

I like this fine, but I don't feel passionate about it the way I did their debut.

I like the new album, but apart from "Leave a Trace" the first album had more songs overall. I just picked up the Under the Tide 12" last week, and the "Alucard Session" versions of "The Mother We Share" and "Gun" are something else!

'Leave a Trace', 'Keep You On My Side', 'Make Them Gold', 'High Enough To Carry You Over', 'Empty Threat', 'Bury It' = all absolutely superb.

I liked the previous album, I like this album more, and no doubt I'll like their next record too. This and Ten Love Songs are my two favourite albums of the year.

― Turrican, Wednesday, 11 November 2015 18:23 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This seems strange to me, I'm not particularly for or against Chvrches but the ambition and vision driving Ten Love Songs seems so much more impressive to me.

It's not strange at all - it's possible to like both for different reasons.

"Keep You On My Side" is one of the best songs of the year - the chorus is really intense and when it crosses over into Latin Freestyle for a few bars it becomes almost overwhelming.

This is the best damn new band. What I'm about to say is gonna sound kind of shitty, but I actually mean it.

I love this band, I love her voice, I love the instrumentation... but, damn, it hurts to actually spend time with this band, for this woman is so gorgeous that it's frustrating to know she actually exists, and that I can never be with her.

I felt the same way about Nina Persson from the Cardigans when I was 10. I got over it, though.

Chvrches are a wonderful band. I just wish that chick were ugly or something. Eh, I know, this is a shitty post. There must be other people here who know what I mean.

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

What's up, Doc?

at lest my Data comment isn't the most awkward thing in the thread anymore

haha isnt that the same dude that revived the sundays thread to write some creepy shit abt harriet wheeler? cmon son

I felt the same way about Nina Persson from the Cardigans when I was 10. I got over it, though.

a happy prognosis then!

oh man that really didn't need to be said

https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/CTqm2tWVEAATFVR.mp4

https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/CTqm2tWVEAATFVR.mp4

what? i just wish people that made good music weren't so good looking, sometimes. it can be distracting.

also, yeah, that was dumb of me to post, lol

Particularly given Lauren Mayberry's thoughts on the matter, motivated by emails like this.

^ i'm aware of those things. pretty sure what i said was coming from a completely different angle, from which i was pretty clearly goofing. ok. assume the worst of me, though.

i do regret what i said, though.
but, i just don't know... it kind of seems like a valid feeling to have sometimes about great-looking people in good bands? yeah, what i said came out really badly, and i regret posting it. still, is it that hard to understand that when people are super-attractive in really good bands that it can be kind of distracting from the music???

but i already knew this woman gets a TON of shit. it's disgusting.

i accidentally trolled again. sorry. i felt the weight of the pile on, so everyone either move on or speak constructively to my posts. i'll leave, now.

It's ok. When people of either gender are extremely talented and accomplished and good looking and likable all at the same time it does feel unfair and causes me to feel envious of them. You're describing something similar but since you're attracted to her your envy doesn't take the form of wanting to be her but wanting to be with her. Unfortunately you have to keep it to yourself because this attitude, once expressed, is objectifying (considering her primarily in terms of your desires) and if Mayberry read it she'd be more weirded out than flattered, most likely. I don't think what you said is on a continuum with the sexist emails she described, however. That's my exegesis.

I'm still gonna post pics of Ezra Koenig though.

Yeah, fancying people is still allowed, I hope.

"Accidental Troll"

I feel like a lot of bands would benefit from a reverse Milli Vanilli arrangement in which the unsettlingly good-looking lead singer was replaced by an average-looking stunt double in videos and photoshoots and live appearances. it would make drunken messageboard fanboying a lot less stressful and would create a lot of jobs for underemployed unattractive ilx-looking dudes like me.

on a less trollish note, 'Down Side of Me' is probably my favorite song on this album. I love the layered vocals in the chorus, and I wish some of the other tracks were as harmonically dense. Every Open Eye may be more consistent than their debut, but the minimal/streamlined arrangements are a bit of a letdown and are probably the reason why some people have dismissed this album as 'slight' or 'rushed'.

keep you on my side is my favorite. it would not be out of place in some kind of training montage in a movie

although the scottish lilt in mayberry's voice is especially pronounced in "clearest blue" imo. her vocals are really the main appeal of this band.

the bridge in "down side of me" is incredible

thanks for getting it, treeship. i definitely should have kept what i said to myself, especially as i'm well aware of the shit ms. mayberry gets. it's horrible and disgusting.

although chvrches were the wrong example to begin with (because of the shit ms. mayberry gets - and how easily it can sound bad/objectifying to talk about her attractiveness, even in an innocent/non-threatening way), i still think it would be an interesting thread idea to talk about how, sometimes, an artist's super-attractiveness is almost distracting from their music. i'm probably not starting that thread though, after this.

anyway: i frickin' love this band, even their lazy "i would die 4 u" cover! they can do no wrong to my ears! but, i'm never looking at another photo of ms. mayberry or watching their videos ever again, lol. i just don't want her attractiveness to distract me from their music anymore, which, i love on its own merits, and which i thought was clear from my first post in this thread. i know, i sounded like a creep, i was wrong for posting what i posted, when i'm aware of how much shit she gets, etc. sincerely sorry.

A friend who saw them live last month said something to the effect of finding her worryingly attractive, on account of how young she looks.

(referring not to her actual age--which I'm assuming is twentysomething--but to the fact that, according to my friend, she looks about 15 in person)

i fancy mortiis

i know! i can barely stand how super-attractive mortiis is too! i won't look at another picture of him either, so as to not distract me from his music. i mean, those ears, daaaaaaaamn.

on a less trollish note, 'Down Side of Me' is probably my favorite song on this album. I love the layered vocals in the chorus, and I wish some of the other tracks were as harmonically dense. Every Open Eye may be more consistent than their debut, but the minimal/streamlined arrangements are a bit of a letdown and are probably the reason why some people have dismissed this album as 'slight' or 'rushed'.

― scarlett bohansson (unregistered), Sunday, November 15, 2015 11:12 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I love 'Down Side of Me', but for me it's without a doubt my least favourite song on the album. I don't think this album is slight or rushed at all - it's a great, highly listenable pop record IMO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNHxwSp-6Og

Odd to make a video for that track which, while great, isn't the strongest on the album. "Clearest Blue" with it's Erasure-ish build up to the stomping "Just Can't Get Enough" second-half seems like an obvious choice, or "Make Them Gold" or "Keep You on My Side" which is my favorite but maybe too fast. There are just so many riches on this.

"Empty Threat" is actually, possibly, my fave track on the record, but yeah, I've pretty much fallen in love with the whole thing at this point.

"Empty Threat" is the best song that isn't "Clearest Blue", yeah

it's extremely "highs of the paramore s/t"

album not exactly robbed on eoy lists but nowhere near the presence of Bones - so anyway, maybe "leave a trace" does miss the mark a bit as a single? a bit to indirect beating around the bush etc. (what I thought when listening on the bus this morning anyway)

I think it's a bit of a weaker album, but it has definitely grown on me and is still one of my favorites for the year

Still play this all the time and will be in my Top 3. Have also listened to the debut again and agree it's a better album.

I absolutely adore both of their albums, and feel the new one to be the superior record. Can't wait for their third.

Video for "Clearest Blue"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZyzX4c1vIs

nice, one of my favorite songs on my Album of the Year 2015.

been raving to this in my car this week

I'm still spinning Every Open Eye on a regular basis. I did give it a break for a week or so at the beginning of the year, but when I returned to it it sounded as wonderful as ever. Brilliant record, I hope their crucial third record is as good as their first two.

Been listening to the first one too, genuinely thought there was a song going 'I'm a nice guy'
(night sky)

My favourite song on the first album is probably 'Tether', the way that Lauren's voice echoes around those reverb-drenched guitars before it drifts down to a hush and then comes thundering back in with that synth riff. Masterful.

are they worth seeing live? they're coming to Boston in June

Absolutely! Not just from a performance perspective, but because the two records they've put out are so good that every song in their setlist will be a killer.

yeah, I don't doubt that they have a strong setlist (and they're generally good at choosing non-obvious covers, although I'm not sure how often they play them in concert)

i have not seen the live in person but last year, or the year before, they played Coachella and they owned. sometimes acts get lost on the big stage but they had the audience in the palm of their hands. was really one of the highlights from the youtube feed.

i was going to go to this show here in Los Angeles this week but i waited too long to buy tickets. now they are sold out and i'm so pissed.

So I have found out this is a one off show as they're playing Coachella

i might have to scalp tickets. i really, really want to see this show!

as Coachella is out

not sure if i will live blog this year.

Listening to their coachella set now. Mayberry's voice sounds less magical in the live context but is still awesome... better even.

Like she knows that live she really needs to sing powerfully to keep up with those pulsing multidimensional synths.

I think this band is better than most people who listen to them assume. Their sound is very accessible but pretty unique, and Mayberry is an incredible vocalist especially compared to other indie synth bands of similar renown.

These songs are all so good

(not at coachella btw.. Listening on sirius xm in a car in new jersey)

I'd say they're about tied with Kendrick as my fave new artist of the decade thus far.

Yeah, they're definitely one of my favourite acts of the decade too, if not my favourite!

Gotta post this today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mJ4wedBN10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-2vYI7cnaQ

when_worlds_collide.mp3

any of you ilx0rs see them in NYC this weekend? the show tonight was very solid IMO

Lauren just walked in to the bar where Im at. What to do, what to do

I'd probably just leave her to get on with her night, tbh.

Yes. That's my plan exactly.

Dave Stewart (yes, he of the Eurythmics) just recently posted a picture of himself in the studio with Chvrches... wonder if there's a new LP in the works and Stewart's working on it...

don't get the allure of this band at all

Synths pulsing in your face

The allure of this band is that they're the best new UK synthpop band since Pet Shop Boys debuted in the mid '80s, which for synthpop fans such as myself is obviously a great thing. They've released two excellent albums and can't wait for their third. Plus, unlike some other acts, such as The 1975, Chvrches are an example of '80s revivalism done well. No posers in this band.

i read that entire post thinking "there's no way turrican can resist mentioning the 1975... ah there it is"

Lauren Mayberry has a piercing clear voice that commands its frequency range amidst the pulsing synths. Would be nice if the lyrics merited the clarity.

they're the best new UK synthpop band since Pet Shop Boys debuted in the mid '80s

That title belongs to Ladytron or Goldfrapp imo.

I'm also open to Pooka (2001 album), Client or Hot Chip as the opposition.

I like Chvrches, but I fully recognize they're some sort of "Cranberries +" Rorschach test.

Yeah, def. Ladytron or Goldfrapp over Chrvrches.

This owns though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRwRsF5_NVM

that is a jam

I love Ladytron and think they have some wonderful stuff, but they didn't come into their own for me until Witching Hour

I also love Goldfrapp and they'd undoubtedly take the title for me if they didn't have a split personality of synthpop band vs. folk act.

Chvrches have released two superb albums and have never deviated from their synthpop template, therefore it's them.

Client were/are garbage, and I don't like Hot Chip at all.

Also, unlike a lot of synth-pop revivalists, Chvrches has a vocalist who can actually sing.

^ Absolutely. Which is why I find that Cranberries comparison incredibly wtf.

I cannot think of a single stylistic similarity between Chvrches and the Cranberries.

client were/are great but I'd still pick Ladytron; Chvrches don't really work in the same vein except for a few scattered songs mostly on the debut, also wtf cranberries

Which is why I find that Cranberries comparison incredibly wtf.

It's a horrible thing to accuse anyone of.

Goldfrapp's two explicitly synthpop records "Black Cherry" and "Supernature" are miles better than Chvrches.

UK based Fear of Men's last album "Fall Forever" did interest things with synth-pop but was totally slept on in 2017

It all comes down to personal taste anyway *shrugs*

Goldfrapp's two explicitly synthpop records "Black Cherry" and "Supernature" are miles better than Chvrches.

I'd definitely rank Supernature as being up there with any Chvrches LP, yes.

Cheers, Turrican. Probably should get back into Chvrches again...

Accidentally playing Somebody Else by The 1975 at double speed makes it a @CHVRCHES-esque banger. pic.twitter.com/vag1603n0V

— Steve Holden (@SteveH1982) June 5, 2017

Yeah, I'm not clicking on that.

I was going to, but then I had a Change of Heart, ah ah ah...

So I'm guessing that the new album isn't going to show up this year? There's been no news about it since February...

Just spotted Lauren AGAIN - getting lunch at my regular spot. This girl and I are on the same wavelength or sumthin

Ha, no way!

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

new single is underwhelming, feels more like an album track?

album is titled Love Is Dead according to a recent interview

Yes!! About time!!

that's underwhelming, sounds like chvrches but the songwriting's off

hope the next single is better

Agree with all of that.

I'm not underwhelmed by it at all - it's not an obvious first single but still it's exactly what I was expecting. Welcome back!

the ‘get out’ bit just reminds me of the ugly duckling

I'm just biding my time until this trio breaks up and Lauren Mayberry starts making good albums.

She's already made two excellent albums as part of Chvrches.

Agree to disagree.

Mayberry sounds uncannily like Avril Lavigne when singing the "good intentions never good enough" line.

the songwriting is v early-mid 00s pop-punk

Really disappointed with this single. They won me round on the second album, but this sounds like they're totally going through the motions.

It sounds like Chvrches being Chvrches and not trying to be pain in the arse arty bellends for the sake of it, which suits me down to the ground.

You like it and nobody else who's commented does. It's not a personal attack on you, though it may turn into one.

I know it's not, but I reserve the right to disagree - and I do.

Mind you, I could have predicted this exact textbook response to the track months before any new stuff came out anyway.

I like the single. I hear Hayley Williams more than I hear Avril Lavigne, though.

Mind you, I could have predicted this exact textbook response to the track months before any new stuff came out anyway.

― Full of bile and Blue Nile denial (Turrican)

Why would you say that? I really wanted to like this song. I thought Every Open Eye was a huge improvement over the first album.

I like the new song. It's not pushing their boundaries but it's kind of what I want out of it.

Didn't realise the synth player used to be in Aerogramme till I saw a picture of them the other day.

New track!

https://youtu.be/fKuxh0E9mSI

Apparently, the youtube mobile app link doesn't embed. Which is a shame cause this is excellent!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKuxh0E9mSI

when I listen to 'get out' I find myself singing 'party in the usa' half an hour later

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEdRhmBx8IU

good afternoon everyone except turrican

brad!!!!

yessss

I kind of like this better than either of the two new singles we've heard so far.

Also, man is Lauren adorable!

I kind of like this better than either of the two new singles we've heard so far.

― Dangleballs and the Ballerina (cryptosicko)

I was just thinking exactly the same thing. This is a lovely version of one of the best songs of the last few years.

Nah.

This is like The Beatles covering Freddie & the Dreamers - utterly pointless. Why lower yourself when your original material is so good?

That's Chvrches AND the 1975 done and dusted, who next for our intrepid hero?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvH6XcFGPAE

Needs more synths.

The newest one is probably the best so far: https://open.spotify.com/album/6JeYnZs46raym3yo9L1koC

i really wish we made a new thread for the new album.

looking forward to this album

Never Say Die is much better than My Enemy and Get Out which were both quite dull

This album's gonna rule.

Chvrches - Love Is Dead (2018)

The long-awaited Chvrches/Chris Brown beef is on!

Seems like this has become an alt-right pet topic on Reddit. They'll latch on to pretty much anything that makes an African American artist look bad. But no doubt Chris Brown is a scumbag.

Lauren's been sharing PM's that she's been getting via Instagram over this whole thing. Literally threats of violence.

Chris Brown is a major asshole junkie. He deserves all the shit he gets. That said, just erase him into oblivion.

I think that he's a hugely talented black male American artist who had a seemingly one-time violent altercation with Rihanna when he was all of 20, turned himself into police the same day, pled guilty to a felony charge, served his time, and has since found Rihanna's forgiveness, but has not emancipated himself from the harassment of both the media and the public, largely because he's a talented black man, and non-talented non-black Americans have a serious problem with "talented" and "black" people.

You know who had police called to his house three times for domestic disturbances? And: allegations of physical abuse? Sean Bean. Lord of Winterfell! But he's old and white and so I guess whatever. He probably wasn't dating Rihanna at the time. I wonder if he's a "major asshole"? I wonder if he's a "junkie"?

If Chris is in fact a "major asshole" that completely contradicts every account that I've heard from mutual friends. If he is a "junkie" then I support him and hope he's getting care for his addiction. "Erase him into oblivion"? What do you mean, exactly? Kill him? Get all excited if he gets murdered in the street? Emmett Till him? I don't understand what you're actually requesting. If you are actually posting here asking for a black male entertainer to be "erased into oblivion" i.e. murdered? destroyed? shot into space? then we can talk about that. If that is your desire then maybe we can help you with that. But if you have issues with him that can be addressed by adjusting your browser settings or your internet habits that don't involve engaging in topics that involve "Chris Brown" then maybe these can be addressed without implied physical violence against black American men... and I say this as a person who fully installed a "block Chris Brown" widget on my browser because I couldn't personally deal with the discourse surrounding his arrest etc. I don't wanna read about Chris Brown. Or what Chvrches have to say about him. But I hope he's not "erased"! "Into oblivion"! And if he is in fact a junkie I hope he has support.

I don't know anything about the band Chvrches except a couple of songs I've heard on the radio and they seem to be pretty good I guess. If they are going to be "calling out" Marshmello for being complicit in abuse they might want to check in with the survivors of Chris Brown's violence before doing so, as it seems as if the survivors of his violence are largely desiring of moving on from the entire affair and have expressed no desire to see the man "erased into oblivion".

Other women have made claims of abuse against Chris Brown,including most recently rape accusation earlier this year.

Being a drug addict is no sin obv and junkie is a shitty slur

Why a bus full of mental patients though?

Being a junkie might be a shitty slur but he's a father. Or should be a father. And time and again he's been an abusive partner. And to imply my statement is racist? Please. I don't think highly of any addicted parent who neglects their duty. (Top spot for worst is my grandmother.) I know plenty pf addicts who aren't abusive. I just think in his case it brings out the worst. And racism has no relevance in my thoughts of him. It's his behavior. Not the colour of his skin. (There are plenty of caucasian artists, and non-artists, whose behavior I find despicable.)

To say Rihanna forgave him: sfw. He's still a terrible person. (Case in point: how he reacted. Being run over by a bus? Meh. Full of "mental patients?" Double yuck.)

Was it Tyga who said? Let's have positive energy. Fuck that. If he had proven to change his behavior, sure. But no.

Btw when I said erase, I meant to imply from the stage. Jfc. Get a grip. I do not wish him harm. I just wish he was a better human being. And stop dragging the colour of his skin into it. It doesn't give him a pass, nor does it Depp/Bean/Weinstein nor any other white man.

My attitude has shifted enormously about this sort of discourse once I saw white Twitter dancing jigs about XXXTentacion getting gunned down in the street, while Geneva Ayala was grieving about it. I don’t believe people have survivors prioritized. I believe Chvrches’s statement was absolutely made in reference to Rihanna. I don’t believe that Chvrches’s statement was of any benefit to Rihanna or any other potential survivors of Chris Brown’s actions. I don’t support Chris Brown’s response or really fuck with him or his music, but I won’t ever deny that the man’s talent is incandescent, and I definitely think that in general white people pile on overzealously on black male public figures

as much as i've observed white people getting a tantalizingly-close-to-racist thrill from shitting on chris brown i do think his apparent incandescent talent is irrelevant to this conversation unless you believe that talent has permanently earned him his space in culture and that none of his actions have any impact on the size of that space. i think chvrches statement was absolutely made in reference to how powerless one feels when they see an abuser constantly rescued by an industry that makes money off of them, idk

I definitely think that in general white people pile on overzealously on black male public figures

... you do realize not everyone on ILX, or the world for that matter, is American?

Let's not forget his classy chain choice shortly after the Rihanna thing. At the very least, he seems to have always come across as an unapologetic douchebag whenever he gets called out for his behavior.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZuXhNPn_MXk/S9RnU__xqBI/AAAAAAAAAIc/sYtj2ARimQg/s1600/opps-chain.jpg

as much as i've observed white people getting a tantalizingly-close-to-racist thrill from shitting on chris brown i do think his apparent incandescent talent is irrelevant to this conversation unless you believe that talent has permanently earned him his space in culture and that none of his actions have any impact on the size of that space.

He doesn't have a place in my life. But I also don't go out of my way to call him out... I recognize that the majority of his fans are black women, and that it is likely that those fans won't appreciate or be interested in the opinions of white men or women commenting on him and his actions. I would imagine that it would be dehumanizing for a black (female) Chris Brown fan to observe white voices intruding into their relationship with his music, calling him an "abuser", when in their perception, he did his time and was forgiven by the survivor of his violence. Added to this is a reenforcement of the rush-judgement toward black men being criminals. I don't think it's a good look. I hate that Chvrches are getting death threats, they do not deserve them. I understand why people would be moved to such anger and vitriol.

i think chvrches statement was absolutely made in reference to how powerless one feels when they see an abuser constantly rescued by an industry that makes money off of them, idk

I don't use the word "abuser" very often any more, if at all, as I have observed its usage to capitalize off the ambiguity of its non-specificity, and the black-and-white dichotomies that "abuse" and "abuser" imply. I have seen the usage of the word used more often by people who are themselves attempting to engage in harmful and manipulative and controlling behaviour, rather than people who are actually trying to achieve any sense of justice. So I don't personally use it. More specifically than Chris Brown being an "abuser", he's a felon who pled guilty to a charge of domestic abuse, he was arrested on cannabis possession, had a restraining order placed against him by another girlfriend, and had a sexual assault charge against him dropped.

Again. He doesn't have a place in my life. But I question, as always, if white people are thinking about how their comments about someone like Chris Brown being an "abuser" makes his black fans feel, if it might not re-enforce long-standing feelings of systemic persecution by the justice system, if it might not re-enforce long-held cultural stereotypes about black men being violent criminals, and if their comments are actually are doing anything to benefit or protect past survivors of the individual's abuse and/or future survivors.

nathom, my frustration with this issue is a response to the discourse-at-large and I focused this frustration on you with the post I made last night and it was repugnant and I apologize

ok!

Actually you made some valid points. And thank you for elaborating.

It wasn't repugnant btw. Not at all.

Ah thanks. I felt like I was being an asshole, I really shouldn't post after midnight my brain is like Gremlins

I definitely think that in general white people pile on overzealously on black male public figures

... you do realize not everyone on ILX, or the world for that matter, is American?

― Ned Caligari (Tom D.), Tuesday, 30 April 2019 15:13 (four hours ago)

Are you saying you think this is strictly an American phenomenon?

No, but this context is American and fgti explains it from an American viewpoint, and maybe fgti is very familiar with the situation in countries outwith the US - in which case I defer to fgti - otherwise I don't believe you can switch from the American to the general, especially as nathom is not American. And this happens all the time on ILX.

There was virtually a whole thread of darraghmac and jordan s (I think?) going toe-to-toe over it.

fgti is not american

Canadian. Not exactly Belgium, is it?

... maybe don't answer that

We have had nearly a decade of Rehabilitate Chris Brown military-industrial complex and now we have a band who have had to up their security because they're recieving rape and death threats for calling it out.

Yes black artists are disproportionately attacked for things like this because they are disproportionately attacked for everything relative to white artists but even bearing that in mind no one should be choosing this hill to die on.

Also without wanting to downplay the racial element it's not like we haven't just had nearly two years' worth of #MeToo and an intensely nasty backlash to it, of which this is another symptom.

I hate that Chvrches are getting death threats, they do not deserve them. I understand why people would be moved to such anger and vitriol.

o_0

Understanding =/= endorsement

Good posts Matt DC

Tbh I am extremely doubtful that the abuse Chvrches are getting is predominantly motivated by racial injustice, especially given the parts of the internet where this story has blown up. And while we're talking about toxic biases it doesn't take a genius to work out which member of the band is getting the worst of the threats and abuse.

If you read what Brown actually posted it seems very much in asshole character ("a speeding bus full of mental patients"). Writing "TA-TA. GOODDAY PEASANTS" at them is kinda mostly lolsad - I'm probably trying too hard to read it as he also thinks they're from England.

it doesn't take a genius to work out which member of the band is getting the worst of the threats and abuse

oh yeah, no way they get 1/10 the grief over this sans Lauren

ime men sending a woman sexual violence threats over the internet are generally motivated by the impulse of "when a woman says something bad about something i like i threaten her w/sexual violence via the internet" & little more. like we can talk about how the media and white ppl talk about chris brown and black entertainers without extending the hand of understanding to chuds sending a woman their sex-torture fantasies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFGq92BYmt4

new track for Death Stranding is much better than nearly all the last album

oh yeah this plays way more to their strengths

this seems more promising yeah (that said is it just me or the mixing... not great)

I like how this performance sounds like it's just barely being held together

https://youtu.be/AGKpjOfjz48

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjxq36QcUDI

really like this bc it reminds me of perfume

I'm here for this

feels like an improvement from the last album

reminding myself that the first four songs on the debut is like the best music ever lol

opening run on every open eye arguably even better

"leave a trace" ;_;

good song, love this band and looking forward to some new stuff

I put Love is Dead on the other day, and was surprised to find that it has grown on me quite a bit. Still not as strong as the first two, but not the disappointment I pegged it as at the time. Looking forward to the new stuff now.

next single is gonna have robert smith on it

hyyype

matt berninger, hideo kojima and now robert smith....they know their audience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOjc7xtaPes

I like this!

But also, let's stop distracting him from finishing a new Cure record pls.

He'll move at his pace. Anyway yes, a lovely song and another good guest turn.

It's also long past overdue for him to do a second Join the Dots set just because the amount of one-offs, guest appearances, collaborations and more pretty well approaches 2 CDs for this century alone.

His guest spots for the last 20 years are consistently great, unlike the same period's two Cure albums. Encouraging him to do more pop-ins is surely only more likely to prompt him to make more music in general, too.

Jeez guys I was just joking because I want a new Cure record. I'm glad he does these pop-ins!

I figured! Ned and I were just musing, I guess

oh this is cool, especially the outro. sounds more like the cure than chvrches, very obvious why they got robert smith to guest on it & he does a great job

poll of robert smith pop-ins from the past 20 years

we're legally bound to refer to them only as "pop-ins"

Well yeah, it's not as if any of these bands actually invited him. I heard he bursts into the recording booth Kramer-style

Very cool

X https://t.co/GEdTU4SciQ

— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) June 2, 2021

I’d love if this was similar to the Crystal Castles setup where there’s two versions of the same song. One with Lauren and another with Robert. don’t feel like their vocals work well together, the contrast sounds weird. The chorus in particularly sticks out badly to my ears... I don’t know how else to describe it but Lauren’s vocals register to me as high energy and Robert’s isn’t. It sounds as if Robert is trying to keep up the pace with her in there.

Don’t love the way the drums are mixed either but that doesn’t bother me as much.

YO THIS IS FANTASTIC

so hyped for the album

I've not been taken at all by anything CHVRCHES has done since the first album but everything I've heard in the run-up for this new one has been glorious

the video game song is still my recent fave of theirs

video out now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U_LhzgwJ4U

poll of robert smith pop-ins from the past 20 years

top of the head: Junior Jack, Paul Hartnoll, Crystal Castles, Blank & Jones, Junkie XL, Blink 182, Earl Slick, Tweaker, Japanese Popstars, Blurillaz - what else needs to go in?

unfortunately, the billy corgan cover of "to love somebody"

sic:

65daysofstatic - come to me
Anik Jean - J'aurai tout essayé
Reeves Gabrels - Yesterdays gone

^ the last one of those is definitely the best of the three imo

Yesterday's Gone is a COGASM-era joint from the '90s, I'd skip that in this context. Will throw up a button poll unless there's mild interest in a week-long ranked ballot?

So now there's a full on Robert Smith remix of "How Not to Drown" and it's even more awesome than the original?

https://chvrches.lnk.to/HNTDRSRemixPR

basically the best cure song in decades?

new song "good girls" is awesome.... i'm so excited for this record

Really am looking forward to the tour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ns3sZw88Lk

This is the most excited I've been about CHVRCHES since their debut

John Carpenter remix (!) of "Good Girls"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypUwRjH9sAU

this is by far the best chvrches album

"asking for a friend" is one of their best ever tracks

"california" too wow

you will find yourself saying that pretty often this record

yeah this is a gigantic step up for them in every way, they've shot way past the return to form i was expecting

"final girl" does so the minor-key goth verse + major-key chorus with big shiny pop guitars combo so well

"violent delights" definitely my favourite song after a few listens

you still matter

Sounds good upon first listen. I'm curious, though: what is the form to which some of you feel this is, or excels beyond expectations of, a return to? Every Open Eye remains the high water mark of their career, for me.

imo this is better than every open eye, my previous favorite

just feels deeper and more assured in every way, plus mayberry’s lyrics went through a real upgrade

First listen, "Better If You Don't" and "Violent Delights" are leading. Their first album is my favorite, so now want to listen to the intervening discs for reappreciation.

yeah every open eye was their best previously & love is dead was a real misstep, this one is really up with the classics of the genre

with this one they've all really stepped up - the production is the richest it's ever been, mayberry's lyrics are significantly better, expanding their sound into cure-esque goth-pop is very successful

i also love how cocteaus-y "california" is without just being pastiche

god i listened to this thing three times today. tight album

it's such a triumph, i really never would have expected them to come out with something this good.

i have listened to all songs but the last one on my walk tonight, great album

not having doherty take lead vocals at all ends up making a big difference too, his tracks were the low-points on the first two albums. i saw a recent interview where they said it was mostly just from mayberry not being as confident, & them writing songs in keys she wasn't as good at singing in.

the terminator-ass synth bridge in “nightmares” >>>>>>>

just clocked the “tinseltown was always in the rain” lyric in the closer. glasgow represent

Catching up with the album now, ridiculously good. Very glad I already have my ticket for the December show, crossed fingers given everything that it happens!

"final girl" is such an impressive composition, musically and lyrically

"lullabies" too, i watched a track-by-track and the band were apparently really going for a blue nile feeling on that one

pulsing synth-pop bangers w/ shadowy goth guitars about feminist narratives in horror films and with no shortage of influence by the blue nile... haha it must be my album of the year

also the closer is like chvrches finally wrote a straight-up jimmy eat world song

oh i had not picked up the blue nile thing on "lullabies" but it's so obvious as soon as you say it

i FEEL LIKE I'M LOSING MY MIND
(FEEL LIKE I'M LOSING MY MIND)
OVER AND OVER I

New cover of "Cry Little Sister" (that song from The Lost Boys):

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

how the fuck is it possible for a song to be as good as "violent delights"

Got into this over the weekend. I'm not that familiar with Chvrches, outside of that one song they did with Hayley Williams. I picked it up because I was reading up on John Carpenter soundtracks and heard about their remixes. It's one of those records where I started off feeling a little meh on it, but not enough to prevent subsequent listens. Then the indifference wore away and I really started to enjoy it, getting different songs stuck in my head throughout the weekend.

the opening guitar riff from Better If You Don't really reminds me of something specific from the 1990s, but I can't put my finger on it.

I don't generally like guest tracks and I'm not a die hard Cure fan, but the Robert Smith song works surprisingly well and I love that they got his guitar in there too.

director's cut edition of screen violence out friday with three bonus songs

should be great to have even more of one of the year's best

yeah i can't remember being this excited about a months-later deluxe rerelease

"lullabies" is the best song ever made

i'm lying on the floor
what are we waiting for
i'm getting tired of trying so hard to be adored
close the door
wish i'd reached out to my mother
wish that i hadn't kept the score

the opening guitar riff from Better If You Don't really reminds me of something specific from the 1990s, but I can't put my finger on it.

― peace, man, Thursday, September 23, 2021 9:19 AM (one month ago) bookmarkflaglink

^Any thoughts on this? I'm pretty sure I'm thinking something pretty popular off of modern rock radio, as opposed to some deep cut.

Also super excited about the deluxe version. This album keeps growing and growing on me.

However, I remain skeptical that no one ever warned her that she would die in California. "You're going to die in California" is a very common lyrical theme!

the opening riff from that song sounds kind of r.e.m.-y? my other thought was "one" by metallica lol

yeah one for sure. jimmy eat world - work? maybe idk

r.e.m. is definitely in the ballpark of what I'm thinking of. definitely not metallica although I can hear that a little too, of course. I'll think on it more.

Yeah, this is my album of the year so far too

And some of them are not our friends
And some of them are still our friends but DEAD

pretty good bonus tracks, especially "screaming" and "bitter end"

"bitter end" could've been on the record

i love all three tracks tho, wow

"Screaming" might be my fave Chvrches song of this era.

ugh this is the best album ever made

pull me into the screen at the end

EVERY song makes me cry. all of them

very good chance it ends up being my aoty

I'm a bit late to the party as usual but I'm eight tracks into this album and it's been nonstop bangers. This band had never really caught my attention before but now they have it

I should qualify that last post as they haven't had my attention since "The Mother We Share", which is a phenomenal song, but much better than anything else I heard on the three albums to follow. but Screen Violence might be my album of the year too. "How Not to Drown" gives me chills listening to it - I'm sure some of that is nostalgia for Robert's Smith's voice and playing, but he makes a genuinely amazing pairing with this band. even the three bonus tracks are great

it's by far their best album yeah

"final girl" has convinced me the 1975 should follow in their footsteps and go goth

and "nightmares" is basically what i've wanted the 1975 to do for ages lol

Listened to Screen Violence because this thread resurfaced and I'm so glad I did. I only cared for about four tracks from their previous output, but this album is top-to-bottom excellent.

I liked most of the first album and it felt like diminishing returns since. They did have that good single with Wednesday Campanella, after the last album, that introduced me to them. Though after that there was that big single with Marshmello (still their most Spotify plays by far) so I really had no clue where they were headed.

Screen Violence is so good I'm going to have to revisit the in between albums. Feels like a lock for my 2021 #1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNtMdNc0Qaw

was sad that i had to miss this show bc i was out of town. suddenly thankful for people who hold their phone up for the whole show. "violent delights" is incredible live

speaking of the 1975 and Chvrches:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEdRhmBx8IU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HYI26sG8u0

i didn't go to the funeral
heard you cry on the phone
your voice was so beautiful
and now i need to let it go

And some of them arе not our friends
And some of them arе still our friends, but dead

Oh, I already posted that one already.

And it feels like the weight is too much to carry
I should quit, maybe go get married

also brings the tears

saw them live on wednesday, and the new material is quite spectacular live. the venue was large and besides “science/visions,” not much of the older stuff could fill the room like that

“how not to drown,” “violent delights,” “better if you don’t,” and especially “asking for a friend” went fucking hard

wanted to see this show but the tickets were like maybe about $20 too expensive ;_;

no release date yet but something called "OVER" appears to be coming soon:

OVER – Coming 2023.https://t.co/wJ8BeWn6WT pic.twitter.com/wQAbiyoYwW

— CHVRCHES (@CHVRCHES) February 9, 2023

seems like it's a new single, maybe even with a new album on the way already? looking forward to whatever it is

"coming 2023" i.e. settle in for a six-month+ rollout. nevertheless, stoked.

Just this one song being released, apparently. Have not started on an album yet.

OVER – OUT 24 FEB 
A brief reprieve from the horrors of CHV4, we finished a new song and couldn’t wait to share it with you.

Pre-save it here: https://t.co/wJ8BeWn6WT pic.twitter.com/JzzAg6V2bJ

— CHVRCHES (@CHVRCHES) February 14, 2023

"CHV4" being the last album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkEbEYoAwe4

"over" is fine but a big step down from the last album. notably co-written/produced by oscar holter ("run away with me", "blinding lights", many other hits of varying quality) & matthew koma (about half of crj's kiss). at least it's better than some of their previous big pop moves like "miracles" and the marshmello song. seems to just be a one off based on this interview: https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/chvrches-interview-over-single-island-records-feature-1235259499/

I like it a lot, but am still digesting it. I need to go back and re-listen to the Screen Violence bonus tracks as well. I wasn't fond of those when the deluxe edition came out, but I'm wondering if that just wasn't some kind of knee-jerk reaction.

https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/chvrches-interview-over-single-island-records-feature-1235259499/

Oh wait - didn't realize that I clicked on your interview, read it, and thought "that'd be a good thing to share with ilx."

"Screaming" was the best of the Screen Violence bonus tracks, better than a couple that made the album, but largely I think they made the right choices with what they left off

"over" is a solid one-off, feels like screen violence lyrics sung over something from every open eye

i think i'm just a big fan now tho so i no longer trust myself

yeah my problem is just it's good and not great like screen violence was

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikLc9_0TJ-w

All I can think of is the absolute agony associated with holding your arms up for 2:30 minutes straight

I'm betting that wasn't the first time she tried that.

Solo tour!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu7Qi_Mrmq3/

This year is the 10th anniversary of the first CHVRCHES album. I met Iain and Martin when I was 23 — a little baby of a person, in hindsight. Looking back on what we’ve achieved together, so much of it doesn’t feel real or even possible. Thank you to every person who has been a part of that.

I am so proud of all the chapters our band has been able to have and I am so grateful to my bandmates for taking me on that journey with them. We are all confident that the CHVRCHES story has many more pages yet to be written.

For now, though, I am excited / terrified / bewildered to tell you that I have been working on my first ever solo music and will be able to start sharing it soon.

For a long time, I couldn’t imagine ever doing anything outside of CHVRCHES. Since I was 15 years old, I have always, only, ever been in a band. I always wanted so badly to belong somewhere — to be one of the boys, and to fit in. But as I sail / stumble through this era of my life (your 20s really do go by in a flash, kids), it has started to feel like there are things I want to write and say and do that need to be done on my own.

Thank you for being kind to us and for giving me the opportunity to do this. The first headline shows are now announced and on sale at 10am local tomorrow in the US and Monday in Europe. I guess here we fucking go?!

First track from the upcoming Lauren Mayberry album. Gorgeous piano ballad. The official video premiers at 12:45pm ET.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMhnoRR935o

really lovely ;_; gonna have to try to see one of her solo shows out of pure curiosity

her solo show was SOOOOOOOO good, i cannot wait for this record to come out

Seeing her in Boston tonight, and enjoying the fact that I really don't know what to expect.

oooh so im assuming the rest of her solo stuff is good? if the album is anywhere near as wonderful as "Are You Awake?" then this could really be something. I've been playing that track over and over.

i listened to some live recordings and the main reference points are 80s madonna (she's even covering "like a prayer") and pretty hate machine (surprisingly enough), it all sounds pretty good

In concert, at least, the other songs were all much more upbeat than "Are You Awake?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN5171u8a1Q