*aside* a guy i used to know insisted on pronouncing the High Llamas' name as if it were Welsh. Never failed to make me giggle.
Oh, and Gideon Gaye is fucking brilliant, and agreed re Hawaii's overlongness. Still ace tho. And Sean's a lovely fella.
― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Sunday, 7 September 2003 21:23 (twenty years ago) link
― jaymc (jaymc), Sunday, 7 September 2003 21:48 (twenty years ago) link
― Momus (Momus), Sunday, 7 September 2003 23:40 (twenty years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 7 September 2003 23:42 (twenty years ago) link
― Sean (Sean), Sunday, 7 September 2003 23:59 (twenty years ago) link
of course living in new zealand means you don't need drippy soundtracks to evoke the beach, the surf, the sun, warmth etc.. so perhaps this is music for northern hemisphere conditions
(oh, that didn't stop me liking Fennessz Endless Summer, but that record is a quantum leap from Hawaiia, the latter a record with too many theatrics and not much content, ie songs, ideas, & w/out the wit of stereolab or the almost visceral Fennessz)
― george gosset (gegoss), Monday, 8 September 2003 01:07 (twenty years ago) link
gideon gaye is perfect winter's time music, i found. perfect for when yer snowed in, can't get outdoors, and all you can do is watch the snow pile up against yer window and drink warm tea. which might be the point. and it was made for some ridiculously low amount of money (like $10K?) if i remember correctly, which makes it even more of an achievement.
― Tad (llamasfur), Monday, 8 September 2003 02:26 (twenty years ago) link
― seanp (seanp), Monday, 8 September 2003 16:57 (twenty years ago) link
― RJG (RJG), Monday, 8 September 2003 16:58 (twenty years ago) link
the couple of times i've seen them live were among the best shows i've ever seen by anyone.
― Dallas Yertle (Dallas Yertle), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 08:45 (twenty years ago) link
― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 09:26 (twenty years ago) link
― laticsmon, Tuesday, 9 September 2003 10:52 (twenty years ago) link
Microdisney's 1st album (what's it called 'Everybody is Fantastic' or something?)is utterly classic - once or twice a year I'm convinced that 'Sun' might just be the *best thing ever*. Possibly the best lyrics too.
I loved the songs on 'Clock Came Down...' but prefer the Peel versions of 'Loftholdingswood' etc etc. All great stuff. I didn't really like the last couple of MD albums and The Fatima Mansions were almost as bad as the High Llamas.
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 12:35 (twenty years ago) link
― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 12:38 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:51 (twenty years ago) link
― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 14:04 (twenty years ago) link
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 14:08 (twenty years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 14:34 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 15:24 (twenty years ago) link
Fatima Mansions - have a few more moments, one or two per record and pretty much the whole of Bertie's Brochures is good.
Microdisney - have even more moments, their last album I always think of as a lost classic but I only have it on a tape that doesn't work anymore so this may be nostalgia talking. "Rack" is my favourite song by them FWIW.
― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 15:35 (twenty years ago) link
― Daniel (dancity), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 21:46 (twenty years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 22:19 (twenty years ago) link
I always wanted to get hold of the tapes of the material Sean O'Hagen was arranging for Brian Wilson and Andy Paley, has anyone ever heard these tracks (or knows where I can get them from?)
― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 00:54 (twenty years ago) link
Chew: if you don't have the Paley/Wilson demos, email off board & I'll see what I can do. Patchy, but moments of greatness.
― harveyw (harveyw), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 11:49 (twenty years ago) link
― Tad (llamasfur), Thursday, 11 September 2003 05:37 (twenty years ago) link
i like stereolab for the synths, bass, drums, horns, strings, disco, more synths, vocals, guitar, probably in that order, but at least all at oncei can see now that 'lab had the tunes and rhyhtms, while o'hagan provided plenty of atmosphere. since there's only so much from the 'lab and i dunno, maybe that's it anyway, which would be very sad as i think they were going in a great new direction, having somewhat jettisoned the guitar rock or at least made it sound like something other than guitar rock, the tragic forced exit of some of the bubble-vocals would make for an interesting album made more of semi-instrumentals i reckon.
anyway i can hear all those noises on this later llamas record, and if the songs themselves make me think of paul mccartney, with all the best intentions and hand-picked band etc. etc., this makes me think that the greatest music from these guys does still boil down to the mandatory good harmonic tune, so i think the llamas-lab axis should continue, with all those noises included. maybe a new band, tripartite songwriting.
― george gosset (gegoss), Thursday, 18 September 2003 19:58 (twenty years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 18 September 2003 20:37 (twenty years ago) link
Just bought Beet, Maize & Corn. Just finished listening and it seems like I just put it on. Beautifully done background music. Emphasis on background. To give it some credit, I think it would make for great baby-making music. It evokes springtime to a T.
― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Saturday, 25 October 2003 16:51 (twenty years ago) link
― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Saturday, 25 October 2003 16:54 (twenty years ago) link
― darren (darren), Sunday, 26 October 2003 19:54 (twenty years ago) link
― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 23 January 2004 20:33 (twenty years ago) link
― dean! (deangulberry), Friday, 23 January 2004 21:10 (twenty years ago) link
If O'Hagan brings a small orchestra with him, I'll gladly hop along and see the Llamas when/if they come to town. I saw them many years tour for "Hawaii", and it was absolutely amazing. Later, I saw them tour for "Cold and Bouncy" and it was... well, not amazing.
― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 23 January 2004 21:16 (twenty years ago) link
― wuperetta, Saturday, 24 January 2004 00:23 (twenty years ago) link
*Highly recommended*.
― Tom May (Tom May), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 01:32 (twenty years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 01:38 (twenty years ago) link
― Tom May (Tom May), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 01:41 (twenty years ago) link
― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 01:42 (twenty years ago) link
― Tom May (Tom May), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 02:11 (twenty years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 16 October 2004 02:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― retort pouch (retort pouch), Saturday, 16 October 2004 02:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― retort pouch (retort pouch), Saturday, 16 October 2004 03:02 (nineteen years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 16 October 2004 03:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― retort pouch (retort pouch), Saturday, 16 October 2004 03:17 (nineteen years ago) link
definitely a favorite disc of mine.
― reo, Saturday, 16 October 2004 03:32 (nineteen years ago) link
― god of rock, Saturday, 16 October 2004 04:22 (nineteen years ago) link
utterly classicsearch: almost everything, *especially* Buzzle Bee, think S O'Hagen was the 2nd best thing that ever happened to Stereolab,(John McEntire being the 1st- wrong wrong wrong) destroy: Gideon Gaye
and the student has become the teacher - Brian who?-said for effect
― tremendoid, Saturday, 16 October 2004 04:27 (nineteen years ago) link
― hstencil (hstencil), Saturday, 16 October 2004 04:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― tremendoid, Saturday, 16 October 2004 04:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― jaymc, Saturday, 16 October 2004 07:21 (nineteen years ago) link
new music is good news — especially if it means Sean's health is good.
love this tune — o'hagan string arrangement: https://cabanemusic.bandcamp.com/track/today
― tylerw, Sunday, 26 November 2023 18:41 (six months ago) link
the whole previous Cabane record has plenty of Sean contributions too: https://cabanemusic.bandcamp.com/album/grande-est-la-maison
― tylerw, Sunday, 26 November 2023 18:42 (six months ago) link
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LKd4lHAt9cA/maxresdefault.jpg
Looks like a full band affair. The first song is interesting. Auto-tune and a bit of atonality you rarely hear on a proper High Llamas track. According to Gilles Petereson it's a true High Llamas LP with the full band on the album.
― afriendlypioneer, Monday, 27 November 2023 20:52 (six months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKd4lHAt9cA
― afriendlypioneer, Tuesday, 28 November 2023 11:46 (six months ago) link
I like that they are bringing some electronics back into the mix on this one
― Muad'Doob (Moodles), Tuesday, 28 November 2023 14:36 (six months ago) link
^ Definitely. That may be my favorite sounding Llamas track since Buzzle Bee (which is 24 years old!)
― mizzell, Tuesday, 28 November 2023 14:49 (six months ago) link
Seems that’s the mission statement here:
https://i.imgur.com/CTVsgVG.jpg
― afriendlypioneer, Tuesday, 28 November 2023 14:59 (six months ago) link
Some great llama hate posts earlier in this thread. Very funny idea to me that Hawaii could drive you mad, that's just excellent
― H.P, Friday, November 24, 2023 6:51 PM (four days ago) bookmarkflaglink
Depends upon what you mean by 'mad'. Hawaii is notorious in my world for being the album I was listening to that one time when I briefly lost my ability to understand English. Okay, sure, I might've been on something at the time. But I can still hear the incomprehensible string of random phonemes that comprised the lyrics to 'Nomads' as clear as a bell.
― It is a disgusting... (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 28 November 2023 15:24 (six months ago) link
“Hey Panda” is so good. I was unconvinced on my first listen but it’s not left my head. I’ve had a few more listens and I like it more each time. Sean has a way with chords and nifty little sounds. He pieces everything together so well.
― afriendlypioneer, Wednesday, 29 November 2023 23:27 (six months ago) link
Nomads lyrics were incomprehensible to me even without being on something. Literature is fluff to nomads is such a great one-two punch. I’ve been pumping Hawaii on my daily morning drive to the beach with dog and it’s really a wonderful way to start the day
― H.P, Wednesday, 29 November 2023 23:33 (six months ago) link
Their lyrics are like Steely Dan with the obliqueness maxed out.
― Muad'Doob (Moodles), Wednesday, 29 November 2023 23:37 (six months ago) link
It’s a very good album. The tracks are lil impressionistic paintings, with the lyrics. That’s the High Llamas way. I think Sean writes pretty evocative lyrics and clearly knew his strengths weren’t the same as Cathal’s.
― afriendlypioneer, Wednesday, 29 November 2023 23:38 (six months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktv4ATNdGyU
Enjoying this lesser known Sean O' album today. It's so nice. He makes very good sounds.
― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 1 December 2023 17:10 (six months ago) link
wow what the hell is "hey panda" (in a good way). the only reference point i have for this is like, lambchop's this (is what i wanted to tell you) (which i adore). it's not as good as that but i'm very intrigued
― ufo, Saturday, 2 December 2023 02:04 (six months ago) link
He did a song with his daughter a couple years ago that foreshadowed this new direction. I really dig it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF1X_N4wraY
― afriendlypioneer, Saturday, 2 December 2023 17:41 (six months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNWxJWAlrtM
― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 19 January 2024 14:59 (four months ago) link
\m/
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 19 January 2024 17:22 (four months ago) link
new Cabane record is up on Bandcamp and flying out (vinyl only). self-released again, so may be one pressing of 500 like the first (thought they did do CDrs).
https://cabanemusic.bandcamp.com/album/br-l-e
― bulb after bulb, Thursday, 25 January 2024 23:41 (four months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YekklReDLPI
I love it.
― afriendlypioneer, Friday, 23 February 2024 11:55 (three months ago) link
It’s so good. A repeat listen since the first upload. Just lovely in every way.
― afriendlypioneer, Saturday, 24 February 2024 18:25 (three months ago) link
The High Llamas in conversation and playing a few tunes from Hey Panda + signing LPs and CDs at Rough Trade East on 3rd April. Ticket price includes the album in the physical format of your choice. Tickets on sale now via DICE.
Hint from Sean on Instagram of some proper live dates later on.
― Jeff W, Monday, 26 February 2024 12:25 (three months ago) link
9/10 in Uncut.
Haven't seen the Llamas get such a high score from the press in a long while.
Though they're all 9/10s to me.
― afriendlypioneer, Thursday, 7 March 2024 18:30 (two months ago) link
Looks like Drag City is about to re-issue the Llamas back-catalog, beginning with Hawaii.
― afriendlypioneer, Tuesday, 12 March 2024 14:48 (two months ago) link
Actually, I think beginning with Gideon Gaye. I keep forgetting about Gideon Gaye, which is also an excellent album.
― afriendlypioneer, Tuesday, 12 March 2024 14:52 (two months ago) link
― afriendlypioneer
This is great news. I've been hoping they would do this for years.
― kitchen person, Tuesday, 12 March 2024 15:14 (two months ago) link
I am so hyped for the new album. All the reviews I'm reading make it sound very interesting.
― afriendlypioneer, Wednesday, 27 March 2024 17:19 (two months ago) link
With a title track that references Sean O'Hagan's obsession with a carrot eating panda he watched on TikTok during lockdown, it's clear The High Llamas are leaning into mass culture on this one. 2016's 'Here Come the Rattling Trees' was still indebted to the '60s pop and exotica that had shaped the band's entire output up to that point, but here they sound driven by a different beat. O'Hagan's voice is often distorted by AutoTune - on 'The Water Moves' he sounds like a sunnier Rainy Miller, and on 'La Masse' he croons over an interpolation of the Super Mario theme - and his accompaniments are bright, breezy and unashamedly electronic. There's still a trace of exotica, of course ('The Grade' is a great blend of cruise-liner pop and contemporary R&B), but The High Llamas have evolved.'How the Best Was Won', a duet with Bonnie "Prince" Billy, is probably the most striking deviation. Anchored by a skittering trap beat (really), the track comes off like Jeremih singing country in the style of blue-eyed soul, with a chorus that might be the theme from a children's song. It's not even the only Will Oldham collaboration either; the fabled folk revivalist crops up again on 'Hungriest Man', a cybernetic Dylan-alike that's best compared with Bon Iver's quirkiest cottage rap. It's all good fun, and when it works, 'Hey Panda' is effortlessly charming: 'Sisters Friends', a collaboration with Blackpool-born singer-songwriter 'Sisters Friends' sounds like Steely Dan jamming with T-Pain, if you can imagine it.
'How the Best Was Won', a duet with Bonnie "Prince" Billy, is probably the most striking deviation. Anchored by a skittering trap beat (really), the track comes off like Jeremih singing country in the style of blue-eyed soul, with a chorus that might be the theme from a children's song. It's not even the only Will Oldham collaboration either; the fabled folk revivalist crops up again on 'Hungriest Man', a cybernetic Dylan-alike that's best compared with Bon Iver's quirkiest cottage rap. It's all good fun, and when it works, 'Hey Panda' is effortlessly charming: 'Sisters Friends', a collaboration with Blackpool-born singer-songwriter 'Sisters Friends' sounds like Steely Dan jamming with T-Pain, if you can imagine it.
https://boomkat.com/products/hey-panda
Isn't "when it works" Boomkat code for "buy something else"?
― djh, Wednesday, 27 March 2024 21:31 (two months ago) link
There’s other positive blurbs out there, just liked the way they described it.
― afriendlypioneer, Wednesday, 27 March 2024 21:40 (two months ago) link
Listened this morning.
Probably the most experimental Llamas album. Surprising lack of strings though production is busy and I may have missed some elements
Will Oldham is great. They should collaborate more. Old posts in here complained about Sean’s thin voice and his presence adds a new element.
It’s also fun and weird. Great late era album from one of my all time favorite artists.
― afriendlypioneer, Thursday, 28 March 2024 13:16 (two months ago) link
It's going to take me a while to wrap my head around this album, was not expecting this direction, had more or less given up on new music from them altogether. It's strange hearing all these electronic elements after they pretty much abandoned that aspect of their music for the last 20 years.
― Muad'Doob (Moodles), Friday, 29 March 2024 19:23 (two months ago) link
this owns
― ciderpress, Saturday, 30 March 2024 01:53 (two months ago) link
i like this but am still not entirely sure what to make of it, it's wild
― ufo, Saturday, 30 March 2024 23:41 (two months ago) link
it is equally irritating and compelling?
― ufo, Monday, 1 April 2024 13:13 (two months ago) link
It's oddly the most personal album Sean's made. Some of the lyrics are actually about feelings & thoughts. Granted, I read a couple interviews for added context, particularly this one - https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2024/03/30/sean-ohagan-that-lovely-beautiful-humanity-i-had-with-cathal-coughlan-in-those-later-years-was-amazing/
I really like it.
― afriendlypioneer, Monday, 1 April 2024 14:31 (two months ago) link
Best HL album since Gideon Gaye. I'm surprised by how much I'm liking this and I generally hate autotune but the Bonnie Prince Billy tracks are really effective. "Sisters Friends" has really grown on me too. He seems to have finally shaken off his Beach Boys obsession (although traces are still there of course). Sounds contemporary but still with enough avant pop leanings and nifty chord changes to make it distinctively O'Hagan.
― Saxophone Of Futility (Michael B), Saturday, 6 April 2024 12:29 (one month ago) link
I just caught up with this radio show on Mixcloud from 8th April. Features Sean & Livvy O’Hagan live in session, an unreleased Livvy solo track and an extended interview with both. Really interesting discussions, and the session includes a cover of Tyler, The Creator’s “See You Again”. Starts about 35-40 minutes in, and lasts for nearly an hour:https://www.mixcloud.com/sohoradio/barkino-125-sean-ohagan-livvy-ohagan-in-session-08042024/
― Jeff W, Sunday, 19 May 2024 19:36 (two weeks ago) link