Silver Jews: Classic or dud

But despite their lack of technical ability, they had charisma
and an infectious sense of rhythm.

I don't hear either in Berman's voice. But that's just me.
They have a few great songs, so I can't in fairness dud them.

I say classic, all the way, but i didn't buy his last album. Was it good?

'in 1984 i was hospitalized for approaching perfection /
slowly screwing my way across europe, they had to make a correction

1.American Water
2. Natural Bridge
3.Bright Flight
4. Starlite Walker

According to gygax, it is still coming out. I hope so, because I Ebayed my copy of The Arizona Record when I was broke and hungry and now I miss it. :(

when smog was on tour last year, i asked dan k. about it and he said it was coming out. as expose sang many moons ago: "seasons change, people change..."

I have Bright Flight and American Water, but they have never been favourites. I shall dig them out from where they are stored.

Still, Starlite Walker is great. If they played here, I would go and see them, and as a rule I don't really go to concerts much these days.

I think I like the song about being ill/throwing up that is on the Hey! Drag City comp (I could be wrong about the subject)

I never really got into Smog, Ex-con is the only song I like by them...it's the "casing the joint" line.

The "send in the clouds" b-side "Self-Ignition" is classic

From Pfork Berman interview:

Sometimes I notice that people nowadays seem to build their own context, whatever they want it to be. I see someone like Devendra Banhart, and to me it's fascinating that he's able to create a context in which the scene in Animal House where the folk singer's bashed over the head with a guitar never happened. In his context, not all of America saw that movie, laughed, and agreed that folk music was annoying. And I never thought that I'd live inside a context like that. But I do, so I decided to make my own ones up too.

Thoughts on new album?

I like 3 or 4 songs a lot.

The songs i'm digging are: What is Not But Could Be If, My Pillow is the Threshold and Open Field.

I need to give more listeningz tho.

It's outstanding, maybe album of the year. "Open Field" (A Maher Halal Hash Baz cover, I think), "Candy Jail," "Suffering Jukebox" and "Party Barge" are all genius.

Oh yeah Suffering Jukebox the wifey sings the chorus? That's a great one too.

Wait...there's a new album? When is it coming out, what's it called? Shit, how did this pass me by?

yah mee too im psyched dling now!

l loved tanglewood numbers - so by far their best

I like it.

any sm involvement? american water's by far the bossest

Really not feeling this much beyond "Suffering Jukebox", "My Pillow is the Threshold", and "San Francisco B.C.".

don't think there's any Malkmus on the new one. Smog is a decent comparison--I really only like one Smog song, "Cold Blooded Old Times," and has Berman ever come up with anything like that?

"random rules," "the wild kindness," and "buckingham rabbit" i like better than anything i've heard from smog. smog has always struck me as a little, um, smug. berman's not humble by any stretch, but there's way less standoffishness, and his best lyrics affect like nobody's business

Why must it be a competition?

Anyway, jon / via - crazy! Give it a few more spins. I didn't like Tanglewood Numbers much on first listen, but after absorbing it, it became one of my favorite albums of the year. This one is also a grower. And lyrics? Come on, dude:

"Living in a candy jail
With peppermint bars
Peanut brittle bunk beds
and marshmallow walls...
the warden keeps the data on your favorite brands..."

I need to catch up on the joos .... I was big into them around the time of Starlite Walker / American Water but I've only heard a couple tracks since then ("Punks in the Beerlight" off Tanglewood Numbers is pretty classic)

reading back on the thread I'm surprised there's only scattered mention of "Advice to the Graduate," that was by far the "hit" as far as my friends were concerned. awesome lyrics.

"sleep on your back, and ash in your shoe, and always use the old sense of the words ... "

Oh shit, I love me some Silver Jews. Gotta get on this.

I think it's one of his better albums.

SS! Missed you! <3 SS

My favourite SJ song is Suffering Jukebox

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT_YIk-a8jU

Can anyone ID the final song in that War Comet set? I’ve never heard it before.

sounds like an improvised jam.

src: someone who listened to a lot of pavement improvised jams around that time.

was watching this old Harmony Korine/Gaspar Noe documentary and caught off guard by the Berman cameo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYiN2um9-Zs

Bless you, WBF, but you just posted a YouTube video that's 52 minutes long.

I'm going to take your word on the cameo.

It's in the first few minutes, although he kind of looks like an alternate universe David Berman.

9:00

Bob Nastanovich is with David there but doesn't get the call out.

haha - I didn't even catch Bob there!

Kind of off topic, but is Ryan Davis on anyone's radar? The album this song is from came out last year but I'd never heard of him (or his previous band, State Champion) until the Quietus reviewed the album a couple weeks ago. I have to assume Berman is a major influence, but Davis + bandmates actually put that influence to good use and take it interesting places. And Berman even said "he's the best lyricist who's not a rapper going," back in 2018, apparently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyHctZs5n8s

Maybe should have started a dedicated Ryan Davis thread but posting here for now since my point is basically that Joos fans should check this guy out if they haven't already.

Yes, liking this album a lot. Doing dates with MJ Lenderman, which will be a great bill.

His label Sophomore Lounge puts out some good stuff including the new Ned Collette, Lou Turner, Styrofoam Winos, and a bit oddly, Bill Direen/Bilders.

yeah, i love his label more than this record, but obviously lots of people love the record ... it has gotten great reviews and ppl seem to still be discovering it.

State Champion ruled. Fantasy Error is prob my favorite album of the century.

somebody should make a ryan davis / sophomore lounge thread and post all their favs

^

Ryan Davis thread: State Champion, Roadhouse Band, the Sophomore Lounge label, etc.

Thread started, hoping people will post their favorite stuff

Just put on some Silver Jews favorites yesterday for the first time in years. I've found him really hard to listen to since his death.

I Remember Me is an all-time great song imo. Put it in the time capsule.

That might be the song that has misted me up the most.

I get choked up even when the first line hits. "They slow danced so the needle wouldn't skip/until the room was filled with light" is such a great description of falling in love.

That song gets me emotional every time I hear it and has for 23 years.

Purple Mountains 5 years old today

He said you are the highest apple on the tree

I find it really, really hard to listen to Purple Mountains (and did even before his passing, when I was listening to it for a review). It’s just so raw.

Yeah, I feel the same. Great album but I'm not sure I'll ever listen to it again.

I Loved Being My Mother's Son is impossible for me to listen to. I never get moved quite like that by songs. The album is so catchy though, and I always end up stuck on those grim lyrics. He was so brilliant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CStDjTZnh2s

I was at this show. Probably the only person I could imagine doing it justice.