oh, that was poorly expressed. 'backrooms of the world' is vaguely metonymic or synecdochal imo, it functions slightly differently to e.g. 'countries of the world', which more or less = 'rooms of my house'. ymmv etc.
― thomp, Monday, 25 April 2011 17:51 (thirteen years ago) link
this is cool http://www.danielbejar.com/Visual_Topography_of_a_Generation_Gap.html
― diamonddave85, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 21:59 (thirteen years ago) link
difft dan bejar iirc
― Clay, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 22:27 (thirteen years ago) link
http://www.danielbejar.com/Destroyer_1.html hilarious
― V79, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 22:45 (thirteen years ago) link
about the googleganger
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2011/03/21/110321ta_talk_sanneh
― Moreno, Thursday, March 17, 2011 8:03 AM (1 month ago) Bookmark
― gr8080, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 22:53 (thirteen years ago) link
that cyclic defrost review is terrible
― omar little, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 22:58 (thirteen years ago) link
It's weird how this '80s New Romantic-disco style, which seems at first like such a total left-turn for Bejar, ends up fitting him so well. For one thing, his distinctive nasal tenor and loquaciousness seem better suited to an understated singing voice. His loud rock voice, as on his earlier glam-rock albums, could be a bit grating at times. Also, the weird wordless ostinato "la la la" and "da da da" vocal parts that he often used in place of choruses now make more sense as instrumental horn or synth parts. I guess I'm making it sound like I hated his old stuff, which isn't true at all, but this new style does suit him very well.
― o. nate, Friday, 6 May 2011 19:27 (thirteen years ago) link
still LOVING this album. today I realise it sounds a lot like...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hxkwaXaGKI
― reallysmoothmusic (Jamie_ATP), Tuesday, 17 May 2011 15:47 (thirteen years ago) link
live show that nyc taper posted is really great -- i'm glad bejar and band are embracing this sound. They could've easily "rocked up" the arrangements (like when he took Your Blues on the road), but the horns/keyboards work so well in a live setting.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 17 May 2011 15:56 (thirteen years ago) link
He looked like he was facing some sort of inner turmoil last night, the band did well to pull the thing together. The latter half of the gig was better. Brass players kind of made the show for me.
― mmmm, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 14:19 (twelve years ago) link
yeah the band really killed it, esp that sax player, but idk is that how dan bejar always is? didnt really seem happy to be there
― just sayin, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 14:21 (twelve years ago) link
I saw him in NYC earlier this year. He wasn't the most charismatic performer ever, but he didn't seem to be actively unhappy - just slightly uncomfortable.
― o. nate, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 15:01 (twelve years ago) link
^all part of the schtick of this record, no? Bejar-as-detached-socialite-voyeur or something...I for one don't want to see him smile his way through 'Suicide Demo for Kara Walker' or 'Chinatown.'
― answering_machine, Monday, 24 October 2011 16:17 (twelve years ago) link
also, this still stands as AOTY for me.
― answering_machine, Monday, 24 October 2011 16:18 (twelve years ago) link
yeah, i've listened to this record *a lot* this year -- my two year old loves it for some reason. and it still hasn't gotten old.
― tylerw, Monday, 24 October 2011 16:23 (twelve years ago) link
^all part of the schtick of this record, no?
It didn't seem like a shtick to me, but I haven't seen him on other tours. He didn't seem like the kind of natural performer who feeds off the crowd, but maybe he was just nervous - it was a pretty big crowd (full house at Bowery Ballroom).
Also, this record still sounds amazing.
― o. nate, Monday, 24 October 2011 17:42 (twelve years ago) link
The guy's not a smiler. I think he self-styles after misanthropic literary heroes of his like Thomas Bernhard, etc...
xp record still sounds great. album of the year (not having heard a single other contender!)
― Iago Galdston, Monday, 24 October 2011 18:14 (twelve years ago) link
he should become a robot like daft punk
― ⚓ (gr8080), Monday, 24 October 2011 18:16 (twelve years ago) link
Has anyone else noticed the similarities between Bejar's voice and Amanda Lear's?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxEOFeNzIlM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yDIO0DXKok
― _Boldt_, Monday, 24 October 2011 19:21 (twelve years ago) link
― Michael B, Monday, 24 October 2011 19:56 (twelve years ago) link
yes yes yes still album of the year. i think i've said it on here before but the obvious vocal comparison = luke haines. they are totally the same person split into different nationalities (thus bejar is a lot more positive obviously)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqmLQE6BiwY
― Jamie_ATP, Monday, 24 October 2011 20:00 (twelve years ago) link
Best America-themed album in years? Discuss.
― answering_machine, Monday, 24 October 2011 20:21 (twelve years ago) link
Well, no, that would be this:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YoeL-GdyL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
But it comes damn close.
― jon /via/ chi 2.0, Monday, 24 October 2011 20:24 (twelve years ago) link
Damn, The Laziest River is really astonishing, isn't it? So cinematic, so epic, so beautifully paced, so beautifully recorded. I wish it went on for hours.
― Clarke B., Tuesday, 25 October 2011 03:43 (twelve years ago) link
yeap, my album of the year as well, nothing has been better
― Bee OK, Tuesday, 25 October 2011 03:46 (twelve years ago) link
also *my* album of the year, tho it's not like i hated all other 2011 music by any means
― it's time for the purpculator (psychgawsple), Tuesday, 25 October 2011 06:02 (twelve years ago) link
still haven't heard laziest river. is it worth getting the vinyl for it?
― spellcheck is really advanced these days (cajunsunday), Tuesday, 25 October 2011 11:29 (twelve years ago) link
yes. or the UK/european version of the CD has it.
― Jamie_ATP, Tuesday, 25 October 2011 11:50 (twelve years ago) link
yeah absolutely worth it
― max, Tuesday, 25 October 2011 12:41 (twelve years ago) link
I found it on a blog (might've been posted upthread). It's amazing.
― A Lip in the Blandscape (jaymc), Tuesday, 25 October 2011 12:59 (twelve years ago) link
would buy a solo album from that guy
― Jamie_ATP, Tuesday, 25 October 2011 12:59 (twelve years ago) link
i just emailed the guy at the website i posted above and asked if its the right ted bois and if hes going to write more stuff like TLR
― max, Tuesday, 25 October 2011 13:06 (twelve years ago) link
Keep us "posted," Max!!!
― A Lip in the Blandscape (jaymc), Tuesday, 25 October 2011 13:18 (twelve years ago) link
I think the album's terrific, but I don't think anything else comes close to the majesty of The Laziest River, so yeah, the vinyl's more than worth it!
― Clarke B., Tuesday, 25 October 2011 14:19 (twelve years ago) link
the vinyl came with a link to DL a 320kbps of the entire album, including the laziest river, iirc
listening to the vinyl right now, though, dang
― i love pinfold cricket (gbx), Tuesday, 25 October 2011 14:42 (twelve years ago) link
bois wrote me back! says hes working and will maybe have new stuff next year! i sent him a link to this thread, too
― max, Tuesday, 25 October 2011 19:46 (twelve years ago) link
Righteous.
― A Lip in the Blandscape (jaymc), Tuesday, 25 October 2011 19:49 (twelve years ago) link
Yall have inspired me to pull this back out after a few months away from it.
Damn, what a great album.
― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Tuesday, 25 October 2011 20:18 (twelve years ago) link
yeah its basically made me seek out all the destroyer stuff i didn't have, feel a bit of an idiot for not having done so sooner.
― Jamie_ATP, Tuesday, 25 October 2011 20:25 (twelve years ago) link
Great work Max!
― Y Kant Lou Reed (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 25 October 2011 20:36 (twelve years ago) link
best of the year for me too
― ⚓ (gr8080), Tuesday, 25 October 2011 20:57 (twelve years ago) link
OK fine -- I'm playing "Savage Night at the Op-eh-RAAAAHHHH"
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 25 October 2011 20:58 (twelve years ago) link
the turn in the weather made me reach for this. not as much of a summer jam
and yeah this is my top pick
― i love pinfold cricket (gbx), Tuesday, 25 October 2011 21:00 (twelve years ago) link
I haven't heard a lot of albums released this year but this album's my favorite of the ones I've heard.
― Euler, Tuesday, 25 October 2011 21:01 (twelve years ago) link
I'd like to listen my way through all the albums that people have compared this to on this thread. Somehow I've never managed to hear "Avalon" or "Boys and Girls", so maybe those should be next.
― o. nate, Tuesday, 25 October 2011 21:19 (twelve years ago) link
oh i'm regreting preordering the merge version now. i'll try and get the vinyl.
the videos for kaputt and savage night at the opera are pretty good. the savage night one is a bit of a slog but the pay off makes up for it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puu3IvKnSb4&ob=av2ehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfuDbWD_PIk&feature=relmfu
― spellcheck is really advanced these days (cajunsunday), Tuesday, 25 October 2011 22:16 (twelve years ago) link
ha, that's a pretty neat homage to the paris one
― i love pinfold cricket (gbx), Tuesday, 25 October 2011 23:36 (twelve years ago) link
Whoa! This is the first Destroyer record I haven't listened to a bajillion times.
― ste throkes (Ówen P.), Wednesday, 26 October 2011 01:52 (twelve years ago) link
and this is the first Destroyer album I've listened to a million times.
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 26 October 2011 01:59 (twelve years ago) link
^^^^^^
― i love pinfold cricket (gbx), Wednesday, 26 October 2011 02:01 (twelve years ago) link