― BlastsOfStatic (BlastsofStatic), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 17:12 (twenty years ago) link
― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 17:54 (twenty years ago) link
they are a thousand times better than the shins. but pas/cal is making the songs i wish the lilys would make now.
the manual blissout is better than the lilys blissout.
― keith m (keithmcl), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 02:49 (twenty years ago) link
http://www.rainbowquartz.com/albtnails/rqtz102.jpg
― the 'surface' 'noise' (electricsound), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 03:06 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 03:29 (twenty years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 03:45 (twenty years ago) link
― BlastsOfStatic (BlastsofStatic), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 14:34 (twenty years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 15:05 (twenty years ago) link
― mzui, Wednesday, 12 May 2004 15:08 (twenty years ago) link
I hadn't heard the original album in a while, so I can't tell the difference w/the remixes...whatever the changes are, they don't smack you in the face. The sequencing is better than on Precollection.
― dlp9001, Saturday, 31 July 2004 14:43 (twenty years ago) link
Glad I stuck with Lenola, then!
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 1 August 2004 15:35 (twenty years ago) link
― BlastsOfStatic (BlastsofStatic), Monday, 25 April 2005 01:02 (nineteen years ago) link
― keith m (keithmcl), Monday, 25 April 2005 01:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― BlastsOfStatic (BlastsofStatic), Monday, 25 April 2005 12:41 (nineteen years ago) link
if you've got a moment, folks should check out this philly band called THE A-SIDES [http://www.a-sides.net/]. they started off as this rudimentary garage / 60's throwback on their first single but their recently released full length is as close as you're going to get to the second coming of classic lilys. and the thing is, when i listen to the record, there's no blatant ripping off of heasley's style -- its just got a similar vibe to the classic records. best local release of the year, hands down.
― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Monday, 25 April 2005 12:42 (nineteen years ago) link
― BlastsOfStatic (BlastsofStatic), Monday, 25 April 2005 12:45 (nineteen years ago) link
he certainly does. actually a lot of people do. he's the twee nigel godrich.
― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Monday, 25 April 2005 22:21 (nineteen years ago) link
― keith m (keithmcl), Monday, 25 April 2005 23:27 (nineteen years ago) link
― and what, Sunday, 13 May 2007 13:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― electricsound, Sunday, 13 May 2007 22:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― Saxby D. Elder, Monday, 14 May 2007 03:23 (seventeen years ago) link
― keythkeyth, Monday, 14 May 2007 04:26 (seventeen years ago) link
"ginger" from A Brief History of Amazing Letdowns" is catchy as hell. I can see Ned's complaints about their more-MBV sounding stuff. They aren't all that great at it (which, given the setting, is what you saw at that Terrastock set you mention upthread?). As dlp9001 sorta points out above, trying to do too much in some songs, not enough in others. When their songs are pop-y, they're quite fun.
― john. a resident of chicago., Saturday, 3 May 2008 17:50 (sixteen years ago) link
i would listen to 'in the presence of nothing' before either mbv album any day of the week
― electricsound, Saturday, 3 May 2008 18:27 (sixteen years ago) link
Eccsame The Photon Band is an excellent album. That split with a Aspera Ad Astra is smart too.
Moving away from the MBVisms to the Kinks - I thought that 'Better Can't Make....' was wholly listenable for want of a less boring description.
I love me some Lilys. Talented geezer.
― Fer Ark, Saturday, 3 May 2008 18:52 (sixteen years ago) link
They aren't all that great at it (which, given the setting, is what you saw at that Terrastock set you mention upthread?).
I honestly can't remember. We're talking six years ago now!
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 3 May 2008 18:59 (sixteen years ago) link
Def. The Three Way, which is the most Zombie-like. "Socs Hip." I don't have that record anymore and can't find it anywhere.
― Kate, Sunday, 4 May 2008 15:14 (sixteen years ago) link
I still listen to Zero Population Growth on occasion, but now I honestly can't remember much of their other albums.
― Elvis Telecom, Monday, 5 May 2008 16:41 (sixteen years ago) link
Some of the through-composition on The 3-Way is ridiculously impressive; I think it let itself get written off as a pastiche record, but it had that great pastiche-record quality where having heavy inspiration lets you make something a million times more complex and ornate and ambitious than a lot of the stuff you're drawing on.
There's a song on Eccsame called "The Hermit Crab," which I listened to once on a listening station in 1996 or so. I didn't buy the record, but the song stuck with me enough that I spent years afterward trying to re-write it myself, a bit, from bad memory: I'd try and write a song something like this great song whose details I couldn't begin to remember. I dug the song up, recently, and it was a bit weird to listen to: every other hook, riff, or melody has some distorted misremembered cousin in songs I've written since then. (Even one three-word snippet of lyrics!) I suppose a decent amount of the original wound up embedded deep in my head, and kept coming out without my realizing it.
― nabisco, Monday, 5 May 2008 18:08 (sixteen years ago) link
There's an unreleased song that can be downloaded from the lilys' myspace page called "The right thing to do." It's odd, and not a greatest hit or anything. After downloading it, I notice that it's already labeled as track #10, and now I wonder just how many other unreleased tracks there are. Hmmmm.
― dlp9001, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 16:13 (sixteen years ago) link
I can see Ned's complaints about their more-MBV sounding stuff. They aren't all that great at it
they were about as good at it as anyone else; consider the sliver of money they recorded that first album on and, sonically, how close it is to Loveless (and consider when it was recorded as well), that's impressive. Songwriting wise it doesn't match up but everything else is close enough in my book.
I still think Eccsame the Photon Band is better though
― akm, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 17:43 (sixteen years ago) link
i am hoping the mythical pas/cal album will end up in the place where i wish the lilys had ended up after 'the 3-way'. the first song from the pas/cal album is very lilys, well from that time period.
― keythkeyth, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 01:39 (sixteen years ago) link
what up bitches i still dig this can anybody recommend other 60s type ish with real memorable hooks that i can go live inside whenever i get tired of how fuckin b.s. rap in 09 is
― and what, Tuesday, 13 January 2009 05:39 (fifteen years ago) link
lol this song always reminds me how i eff w/ these dudes
― and what, Tuesday, 13 January 2009 05:41 (fifteen years ago) link
i heartily recommend outrageous cherry
― Lemonade In Hammocks (electricsound), Tuesday, 13 January 2009 05:57 (fifteen years ago) link
I guess I never paid enough attention to their "indie rock" album Brief History of Amazing Letdowns. Suddenly it sounds awfully good.
Someone was playing "Ginger" at a bakery that I went to the other day, and jesus it's great! I saw a movie not long ago (Keeping Up With The Steins) that has "Any Place I've Lived" over the closing credits. Took me a while to realize who it was. Their stealth album?
― dlp9001, Sunday, 28 June 2009 19:51 (fifteen years ago) link
Whoa I didn't realize somebody was talking about them so recently (relatively) on here. I found that album used in April or May and I love it. Its their most consistent of their early period (which I guess is easier since its their briefest) but yeah it hasn't aged one bit as far as I'm concerned.
― Evan, Wednesday, 16 September 2009 04:53 (fifteen years ago) link
i am otm all over this thread
― suzi cointreau (electricsound), Wednesday, 16 September 2009 04:57 (fifteen years ago) link
Loves them Lilys.
'Better..' is a desert island record.
Why they never made it on that stupid Neu tribute disc is beyond me.
― MaresNest, Wednesday, 16 September 2009 11:04 (fifteen years ago) link
People who like really big sounding songs should do themselves a favor and listen to "Eskimo" off of the Tone Bender EP.
― Evan, Monday, 15 February 2010 14:23 (fourteen years ago) link
been listening to the 3-way a lot recently and loving it.
― mizzell, Monday, 15 February 2010 14:41 (fourteen years ago) link
I tried that one, but I can't get behind it. Its not bad, but I just feel cheated by them cause its so opposite of the sound they had that I love. This problem would have been 90% solved if they just decided to go by a different band name when they went all Kinks-y.
― Evan, Monday, 15 February 2010 14:45 (fourteen years ago) link
Eccsame the Photon Band is pure nostalgia for me. It may not be their most unique or consistent record, but it always pleases me.
― Trip Maker, Tuesday, 2 March 2010 16:59 (fourteen years ago) link
Is Day Of The Monkey on that one? I love that song.
― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 2 March 2010 17:25 (fourteen years ago) link
Its so great, but whenever I try to play it for (most) people I know, they seem bored. As an album, not for pop fans.
― Evan, Tuesday, 2 March 2010 17:29 (fourteen years ago) link
Day of the Monkey is on that one and it was the song I was listening to when I wrote the post.
― Trip Maker, Tuesday, 2 March 2010 17:33 (fourteen years ago) link
To my ears it's inconsistent in sound and almost a little too low-key in places but I really love that album. It gets better with repeated listening.
― You Weaked It! (MaresNest), Tuesday, 2 March 2010 17:40 (fourteen years ago) link
Oh it also totally soundtracked my first sexual experience so that probably has something to do with my fondness for it.
― Trip Maker, Tuesday, 2 March 2010 17:43 (fourteen years ago) link
Also I disagree with you Trip on the uniqueness. Definitely their most unique.
― Evan, Tuesday, 2 March 2010 17:49 (fourteen years ago) link
it's "returns everymorning". no space between every morning.
― nancy stein, Tuesday, 9 March 2021 02:01 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_MpvIGlcOcone of its videos
― nancy stein, Tuesday, 9 March 2021 02:03 (three years ago) link
^^^That was a good tour. It was The Beachwood Sparks full band backing Kurt (which at that point in time shared a couple common members).
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, 11 March 2021 16:32 (three years ago) link
omg,I did not know that. I'd love to see live videos at this point in time. I find myself liking these band members' projects as well,beachwood sparks,the photon band...I remember once I was listening to a compilation and the only two songs I liked belonged to Beachwood Sparks which I only find out later was in connection with lilys.
― nancy stein, Friday, 12 March 2021 13:49 (three years ago) link
Photon Band is very underrated! I like them
― Evan, Friday, 12 March 2021 19:32 (three years ago) link
I need to revisit Beachwood Sparks... I have always been a HUGE Further fan, massive- but mostly for the California sun warped Dinosaur Jr tape vibes unique to that stuff in particular.
― Evan, Friday, 12 March 2021 22:02 (three years ago) link
I love the photon band very much!It's my favorite side band.
― nancy stein, Saturday, 13 March 2021 02:59 (three years ago) link
I like peas
― intrusive dobro, shoeless guest (Sufjan Grafton), Saturday, 13 March 2021 03:03 (three years ago) link
I don't know if this is common but it popped up on D1me@d0zen today, so I thought I'd share:
Lilys - 1991 xx xx Washington DC
Show note: Very early Lilys show, featuring many unknown tracks. Any ideas?
1 Tra-La La-la 2 Elizabeth Colour Wheel (early) 3 Any Several Sundays 4 Unknown Track 1 5 Unknown Track 2 6 Salad Bar 7 Unknown Track 2 8 Unknown Track 3
https://www.fromsmash.com/aRZlCy5Wqf-bt
― Maresn3st, Thursday, 17 June 2021 18:14 (three years ago) link
im kinda gobsmacked, this band ticks every little tickbox on my chart, even with all the variations, even the kraut techno, and i know beachwood sparks, and apples quite well and i thought i knew all the shoegaze erwhere, and like...all that shit. but i've never listened to lilys once. or was even aware of how obviously perfectly i am made for their stuff. i will say my first listen, thanks to ilm threads was bcmylb, and my initial reaction was 'this good,' and my second was 'this is kevin barnes singing the kinks. it's kevin barnes, right'? since then i'm just mainlining every rabbit hole. huh.
― The Hon. Christian Sharia (R - MO) (Hunt3r), Thursday, 30 December 2021 04:57 (two years ago) link
That’s great! What’s your thought on the period just before the kinks transformation? Namely Eccsame The Photon Band
― Evan, Thursday, 30 December 2021 11:29 (two years ago) link
i really like eccsame, but i've listened only like 2 times. i will update once i've listened more. i DLed like some rarities collection from thread, and that any several sundays track is awesome. there's so much to hear. it's great. my buddy who's a huge bjm fan hit me with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epwvysOIk9U and now i'm just convinced i like whatever this guy does pretty much.
― The Hon. Christian Sharia (R - MO) (Hunt3r), Thursday, 30 December 2021 22:37 (two years ago) link
Eccsame still hasn’t soaked in next-level enough for me to comment, but the bcmylb and 3 way stuff is so in my head all the time for now…i’m like obsessed with trying to know all the things in a fanboy way. first time i’ve ever seen heasley interviewed, and i at least get his charisma. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCm94bDG_FU(Getting obsessed with great great talented almost-stars is def my style, prev jason falkner, where I end buying japan only releases and shit, or bid and monochrome set, in which i’m like, “i’m gonna have to go to UK to see this legend, but how? 🤷🏻♂️)
― The Hon. Christian Sharia (R - MO) (Hunt3r), Thursday, 6 January 2022 17:45 (two years ago) link
I DLed the import Precollection from above. this is fucking great. Bits of eatb (esp guitar attack) and teardrop explodes and VU, all with his usual shit and great memorable melodies. the songs, the songs. idg the dislike on it i’ve read at all. I dont think its ever pastiche, it’s just…everything, while it sounds fantastic. To me. This guy blows my mind on merit, and also by having escaped my notice.
― The Hon. Christian Sharia (R - MO) (Hunt3r), Friday, 7 January 2022 23:27 (two years ago) link
BCMYLB at its best (e.g. Tennis System) is like the song-form equivalent of babbling. Verbose lyrics that never come up for air, chord changes on every other beat that sometimes aren't repeated, and no dynamic range, with only vertical leaps in the melody to break up the monotony. I admire the audacity of disguising this super weird songwriting style as a British Invasion throwback record.
― The 25 Best Songs Ever Ranked In Order (Deflatormouse), Saturday, 8 January 2022 01:22 (two years ago) link
“never come up for air” 🤷🏻♂️
― The Hon. Christian Sharia (R - MO) (Hunt3r), Saturday, 8 January 2022 01:25 (two years ago) link
Heya Hunt3r, so good to read about your enthusiasm for Lilys, have you heard this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8ITut57JiA
― Maresn3st, Saturday, 8 January 2022 13:04 (two years ago) link
Timely thread revive
all aboard pic.twitter.com/oUFNpdYHf6— l i l y s (@theLILYS) January 7, 2022
― Elvis Telecom, Saturday, 8 January 2022 13:16 (two years ago) link
I thought that's why the thread was revived!
Anyway, count me among the people that missed out on the band more or less entirely. In my case I think I was always confused by comparisons to both the Kinks *and* shoegaze. At the time my brain could just not make that compute.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 8 January 2022 14:38 (two years ago) link
They have covered a lot of ground, even the differences between BCMYLB and The 3 Way (arguably in the same stylistic genre) are noticeable.
It definitely started off very beholden to MBV, before that 1966 feel crept in.
But even ETPB, which came before, is the most wonderfully unusual, soporific gaze record, slowly edging toward those 1960s elements.
― Maresn3st, Saturday, 8 January 2022 14:51 (two years ago) link
I think I always got them mixed up with the Swirlies, too.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 8 January 2022 17:14 (two years ago) link
maresn3st, thanks. i had not heard that, i like it a lot-- edgy retropsych, sounds like from bcmylb era
― The Hon. Christian Sharia (R - MO) (Hunt3r), Sunday, 9 January 2022 02:44 (two years ago) link
― Ssäm Sauce | Martha Stewart (Sufjan Grafton), Sunday, 9 January 2022 03:37 (two years ago) link
"I think I was always confused by comparisons to both the Kinks *and* shoegaze. At the time my brain could just not make that compute."
after listening to two alt takes of Any Several Sundays, then just now hearing the version off the Selected ep for the first time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOKeNxAxzfMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxuJUDCykGkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R4NdGAIE0U
― The Hon. Christian Sharia (R - MO) (Hunt3r), Sunday, 9 January 2022 17:33 (two years ago) link
Lilys2022-01-20Starlet Lounge at Harlow'sSacramento CA
Setlist
00 intro [7:48]01 The Hermit Crab [4:01]02 Threw A Day [4:10]03 There's No Such Thing as Black Horchids [5:40]04 Coby [6:04]05 High Writer at Home [6:57]06 Ginger [6:01]07 Overlit Canyon (The Obscured Wingtip Memoir) [4:53]08 Claire Hates Me [4:43]09 Tone Bender [3:28]10 Day of the Monkey [4:49]11 Elizabeth Colour Wheel [7:34]12 Radiotricity [3:33]13 Your Guest and Host [4:58]14 Dandy [7:40]
15 Will My Lord Be Gardening [3:48]16 Elevator Is Temporary [2:48]
https://www.fromsmash.com/6x42yu76ZN-bt
― Maresn3st, Sunday, 23 January 2022 17:52 (two years ago) link
Hunt3r sorry I’ve not been engaging more with your Lilys dive I think it’s awesome though and glad you’re enjoying all of the phases!
― Evan, Sunday, 23 January 2022 18:25 (two years ago) link
Wow that’s a very overwhelmingly 1995 era setlist. Cool!
― Evan, Sunday, 23 January 2022 18:27 (two years ago) link
No worry at all— also, this thread has enough volume and depth that the education available is pretty nice.
― The Hon. Christian Sharia (R - MO) (Hunt3r), Sunday, 23 January 2022 19:28 (two years ago) link
Nice, the Harlow's recording was done by me. Used Zoom H1n with built-in mics.
Here's a more permanent link to the lossless version:https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=kZuhJrXZu2sel87QYNJcd9moKYsap7QYUiay
― thehappyone, Wednesday, 11 May 2022 01:49 (two years ago) link
TY!
― The Hon. Christian Sharia (R - MO) (Hunt3r), Thursday, 12 May 2022 02:37 (two years ago) link