Field Music

I find it really weird to see Tones of Town way down at the bottom of your list, considering that is what got me into the band in the first place.

To clarify - I love *everything* these guys have done. I just love Tones of Town the least. But I fucking love it. :)

I love the sound and production of Tones way more than the self-titled, but I enjoy the songwriting a bit more. The new one seems to marry the complex poppy writing of the self-titled with the knotty dissonance (and amazing production) of Tones to incredible effect.

I think they played recently at Beat Kitchen.

Nah, they cancelled their U.S. dates because of illness. I was kinda bummed about it -- the band I used to be in was opening the show, even.

So I really like the new one, I think. I mean, individually a lot of these songs sound great... but its just way too much to digest. I really loved how tight and concise Tones of Town was. I don't feel like the sprawling nature of Measure plays to their strengths. Still lots of good tunes though.

Yeah, it's not a knock against any of the material really but there's an amazing 12- or 13-track record lurking in there. Still one of my faves of the new year.

I think this is one of the coolest albums I've heard in a while. Love it.

An album that takes quite a few listens to fully wrap your head around (at least for me). But it's still great. I have a feeling that there won't be quite as many b-sides as there were with previous albums. This band was always one of those that had some amazing b-sides on their singles releases (e.g., 'Can You See Anything,' 'The Breakfast Song' etc.).

I found it to be pretty accessible actually.

The sequencing of the songs is superb.

Love the wacky reinterpretation of "Don't Pass Me By".

been redecorating the bathroom with this on repeat all week and i absolutely adore it - critics need to get behind this in style and hook the brewis brothers up with some mercury type hype - for a double lp i don't think it lags a great deal and its so varied and sumptuous that it just flies by with the melodies sort of buzzing round the house even after the record has stopped ... love it

Yeah, the critics have been missing the boat on these guys since day one. Real shame since these dudes spin circles around their counterparts. It's an unjust world, I tell ya.

I mean for fuck's sake:

Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me [Started by kshighway (ksh) in January 2010, last updated 1 minute ago by Number None] 584 new answers
Field Music [Started by Tom May (Tom May) in August 2005, last updated 2 minutes ago by Darin] 5 new answers

Not really a good comparison, I mean 87% of those posts aren't about Miss Newsom or her new album.

Well, female Tiny Tim was the first artist thread I saw. Substitute whoever.

measure is really really great.

oh wow

...and the brothers solo record, School Of Language (or whatever it's called) while yer at it.

next few days = massive listenathon pre-determining what I will be ranking my best of '10

this has top 10 potential

Field Music liveblog Santafest '10

have a putative list of stuff that might make my list, and am wondering what to add to it - suggestions?

I'd like to see a list without any outside influence. :)

nono I mean suggestions for me to listen to and then JUDGE

i.e. your suggestions probably won't make it but you might as well try :D

n.b. my #1 album of the year changed hands as recently as a week ago

yeah, fucking brilliant, is Measure

i should probably listen to it huh

hahaha you mean you nommed it for the 2010 poll on principle

hero

Measure is indeed awesome. I still don't know why it was so widely ignored. Pitchfork must own stock in 4AD or something.

this is soaring up my year-end list by the day

phenomenal achievement

probably not boorish enough for most ilxors' tastes :P

New album "Plumb" out in February. Excitement! New track here - http://www.field-music.co.uk/

I've never really been too keen on this band, aside from a couple of tracks. 'Give It, Lose It, Take It' for example. But for the most part I just find them a bit soggy. I'm not convinced they're in any way great songwriters, either.

It's a bit of a shame, because on paper they're one of those bands I really should like, but just don't. I own both their first two albums and I just never really have the urge to play them!

http://www.npr.org/2012/02/05/146086375/first-listen-field-music-plumb

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/feb/19/field-music-brewis-plumb-interview?newsfeed=true

Interesting article.

New LP is very good as well

Plumb is fucking awesome.

I got the debut but wasn't fussed. Missed everything since until now. Guess I should get Measure?

IMO, Tones of Town towers over both the debut and Measure.

i like Measure best but they're all pretty good

actually i like the The Week That Was record best if that counts

i kind of like these guys but everything they do sounds exactly the same to me. i probably don't need to keep getting their new albums.

I dunno I thought Measure was pretty great

Oh man, I was excited to listen to Plumb -- didn't realize this thread had been revived two weeks ago.

and I think it's their least samey sounding album fwiw (xp re: measure)

Nm, found it on Luisterpaal.

Ah, Field Music. I thought the first album had its moments, especially 'It's Not The Only Way To Feel Happy', 'If Only The Moon Were Up', 'You're So Pretty...', 'Pieces' and 'You Can Decide', but for me Tones Of Town is the one they haven't beaten yet, to my mind. It's so small and compact you can listen to it in one sitting and it just breezes by, however the attention to detail in it is quite something. I like how they record/produce a lot of this stuff themselves, although you can definitely tell that their tracks aren't really honed through live performances and have been painstakingly crafted from bottom to top in the studio. They're truly a band that rely on themselves almost completely, which I like.

I wasn't too taken with Measure on the whole... I thought it had some great ideas, but I don't think that they really had it in them to make a record of that length at this stage in their career. I've been reliably informed that Plumb has more in common with Tones Of Town than any of their other records, so even though I haven't heard it yet I'm very much looking forward to it.

One of the best things for me about Field Music being a local band is that I pass by the cafe from the front cover of Tones Of Town quite regularly.

measure def my least favourite though it's not crap by any means. the newie is v enjoyable but for me feels like it's missing what made the first two albums so easy to love

Bought TOT and ordered Measure.

Yeah I agree with the TOT > all else sentiment, that thing should have been way more acclaimed - it's pretty much perfect. I've listened to the new one a few timesbut it's yet to fully sink in. Very endearing interviewees, it would seem.

and yeah School of Language / The Week That Was records are essential listens if you're into the FM stuff.

Never did hear the School of Language record, but The Week That Was was pretty good.

Really love the new one, as of right now I'd probably rank them:
TOT > Plumb > S/T > Measure

Measure still strikes me as a standard Field Music record, only with every single track from the session thrown in, rather than the band cherrypicking the best material.

Yeah Measure has its moments, but its far too scattered and overlong. The beauty of TOT and the new one is how concise they are.

As Simon says, I'd definitely check out the School Of Language and The Week That Was records, although I think The Week That Was is probably more my cup of tea than School Of Language.