― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 21 August 2003 02:23 (twenty years ago) link
Seriously, Harriet Wheeler has the most beautiful female voice I've ever heard. Going against conventional rockist wisdom, I'd pick her over Aretha, Dusty, Nina, Billie or any other highly regarded musical woman in pop's history.
It's hard to believe it's been six years since Static & Silence came out (a full five years after Blind). I'm hoping there will be a 4th album by 2010, but I fear that will forever remain a daydream.
― Andrew Frye (paul cox), Thursday, 21 August 2003 02:25 (twenty years ago) link
― derrick (derrick), Sunday, 28 March 2004 07:48 (twenty years ago) link
I am touched by Gareth's reference to Stevenage back there. But it's difficult to reconcile the wistful charms of Wheeler with the damply grim banality of the town. In fact they remind me of Norwich, party because that was where I was studying when I heard them and partly because they seem more appropriate to that slightly sleepy market town setting.
Harriet Wheeler once kissed me. I will take that memory to the grave.
― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Sunday, 28 March 2004 09:37 (twenty years ago) link
She once waited at the same bus stop as me in Camden with David G, child and shopping. I will take that memory to Safeway.
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Sunday, 28 March 2004 11:05 (twenty years ago) link
I don't know if "Cry" is about the death of Harriet's dad, but I KNOW it's about the death of mine: I have to programme it out if I don't want to burst into tears.
But how about "Monochrome"? What an extraordinarily atmospheric song. It's so visual; I see these two little girls looking at the moon landings on a television, and Armstrong and Aldrin dancing through the air, and then the girls looking out the window at the moon.
They're dancing around -slow puppets, silver ground, and the stars and stripes in the sand.We hear a voice from above,and it's history.And we stayed awakeall night.
They're dancing around.It sends a shiver down my spine,and I run to look in the sky,and I half expect to hear them asking to come down.
That song sure sends a shiver down *my* spine.
― Baravelli. (Jake Proudlock), Sunday, 28 March 2004 13:21 (twenty years ago) link
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 30 March 2004 15:08 (twenty years ago) link
― Ally C (Ally C), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 15:51 (twenty years ago) link
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 15:56 (twenty years ago) link
― Ally C (Ally C), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 16:24 (twenty years ago) link
"This is my life and it's all very well, but never never ever again...."
― kickitcricket, Tuesday, 30 March 2004 18:38 (twenty years ago) link
reading, writing and arithmetic does seem out on its own - sonically, lyrically - and Blind has a closer relation in Static and Silence I think. rwa is such a chilly, bare-floored record for all its talk of woollen things.
I recall the mixed reception Blind received on its release from the UK inkies. MM, which seemed to have thrown its lot in with the resurgent US rock scene and Brit rave culture with a little more gusto than indie centrale NME, embraced Blind as a wilful anomaly, a wistful gem - there was ET's glowing LP review, Mueller gushing over "Medicine" on the radio and a Quebecois live review in strips of purple. Lamacq gave the album a desultory three, maybe four out of ten in the NME, sad that the band he'd championed had somehow lost the power to jangle.
I saw them that December in Wolverhampton. Winter recast in the Wulfrun Hall, icicles on the lighting rig.
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 08:32 (twenty years ago) link
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 08:51 (twenty years ago) link
This is a bad line that illustrates their weakness. It's nothing like Morrissey, or not like good Morrissey anyway.
― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 09:12 (twenty years ago) link
― piscesboy, Wednesday, 31 March 2004 09:43 (twenty years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 09:51 (twenty years ago) link
― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 10:20 (twenty years ago) link
― David Gunnip (David Gunnip), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 13:02 (twenty years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 13:23 (twenty years ago) link
I've been on vacation. Can someone please clue me in on what IIRC means?
― rainman (rainman), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 13:29 (twenty years ago) link
― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 13:37 (twenty years ago) link
IIRC means "if I remember correctly".
― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 13:38 (twenty years ago) link
how did we let this go by without more explanation?????
― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 15:05 (twenty years ago) link
― zebedee (zebedee), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 15:11 (twenty years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 15:12 (twenty years ago) link
I tried to post to this thread yesterday and things went wrong. So now, again, I will say, perhaps dully:
Careminted phrases pay the rent, and Jones delivers.
That sentence was far better the first time I sent it.
I *think* it was 'careminted'. If you have any better ideas, post them... below.
― the bellefox, Thursday, 1 April 2004 17:16 (twenty years ago) link
What a beautiful, poignant, delicious album. It has so many elements that have irritated me senseless in other bands (Cranberries, "Torn", Sixpence) but somehow it's all just charming and perfect and bicycles and cardigans and a dress, dress, dress that I've been sick on.
― People love Gravity and Evolution! (kate), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 08:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― pete b. (pete b.), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 08:43 (nineteen years ago) link
― People love Gravity and Evolution! (kate), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 08:47 (nineteen years ago) link
― pete b. (pete b.), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 09:03 (nineteen years ago) link
― charltonlido (gareth), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 09:15 (nineteen years ago) link
― bham, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 11:15 (nineteen years ago) link
― People love Gravity and Evolution! (kate), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 11:17 (nineteen years ago) link
― Hanna (Hanna), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 11:20 (nineteen years ago) link
― People love Gravity and Evolution! (kate), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 11:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 11:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 11:26 (nineteen years ago) link
― People love Gravity and Evolution! (kate), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 11:27 (nineteen years ago) link
I also love the lyrics for "I kicked a boy", kind of the same violent un-twee-ness, sung in Wheeler's wonderfully girlish voice that has some sort of hidden madness to it deep down somewhere.
Oh x-post! :-)
― Hanna (Hanna), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 11:30 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 12:18 (nineteen years ago) link
― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 12:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 12:24 (nineteen years ago) link
I assume that Gauvin has never worn a dress, so it's probably safe to assume that particular lyric is Wheeler's. ;-)
― People love Gravity and Evolution! (kate), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 12:25 (nineteen years ago) link
― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 12:27 (nineteen years ago) link
― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 12:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 12:33 (nineteen years ago) link
I heard "Here's Where the Story Ends" in a grocery store the other day, making my sandwich-purchasing experience just perfect.
― Ernest P. (ernestp), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 12:46 (nineteen years ago) link
A particular thought of mine. And they were fantastic live the one time I saw them.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 13:00 (nineteen years ago) link
― the bellefox, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 14:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 15:28 (nineteen years ago) link
a little off-topic, but if you like both ethereal goth and The Sundays, then I have to recommend the second Innocence Mission album to you 'Umbrella'. It's one of the only good Sundays imitations I've ever heard (I've given dozens of bad Sundays imitations a chance), and it has, surprisingly, at least a couple of songs that sound kind of dark. At least search "Evensong" from that album - I promise you'll like it a lot. (Nothing else by Innocence Mission besides the 'Umbrella' album sounds like The Sundays though, - just to save your time).
― monster mash, Sunday, November 8, 2015 4:33 PM (one year ago)
I've been listening to the first two Innocence Mission albums a lot lately, and this is otm! I'm starting to wonder if 'God Made Me' might have been a deliberate send-up of the Innocence Mission. I like to imagine Harriet and Dave listening to Umbrella, being like, 'hey, these American Jesus freaks are eating our lunch!', and writing an innocuously-titled apostate anthem for the express purpose of breaking the Perises poor Catholic hearts. it probably didn't happen that way, but I can dream.
― the baby grew up to be a secessful kid (unregistered), Sunday, 25 June 2017 20:46 (six years ago) link
as for Sundays imitations, the lead singer of the Spanish band Fine channels Harriet Wheeler pretty strongly at times, though their style is more loungey indiepop than ethereal goth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE5XOBgU_po
― the baby grew up to be a secessful kid (unregistered), Sunday, 25 June 2017 21:18 (six years ago) link
nothing makes me happier than a sundays bump : )will check out that IM album
― calstars, Sunday, 25 June 2017 21:27 (six years ago) link
Talking of Sundays imitations…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vt0d9YlTC4
― Bloody Snail, Sunday, 25 June 2017 21:57 (six years ago) link
^good call, this song is very Static & Silence-ish. I hadn't even heard of the Sundays back when it came out
― the baby grew up to be a secessful kid (unregistered), Sunday, 25 June 2017 22:17 (six years ago) link
and I don't think I've ever seen that video before because what is even going on with Natalie's hair
― the baby grew up to be a secessful kid (unregistered), Sunday, 25 June 2017 22:23 (six years ago) link
Wrong Impression was the reason I finally got Reading, Writing & Arithmetic. I told my brother how much I loved it and he said, "you should probably get the first Sundays album then". He was right. I do still love the Natalie Imbruglia single as well.
― kitchen person, Sunday, 25 June 2017 22:43 (six years ago) link
I avoided Wild Hoses for the longest time but it’s actually a great vehicle for Harriet
― calstars, Monday, 5 March 2018 22:03 (six years ago) link
Wild Hoses.
OK .....
― Mark G, Tuesday, 6 March 2018 06:52 (six years ago) link
The rock stars who went back work thread makes me wonder about this lot & how they fund their child rearing. Even though it's none of my business.
― lana del boy (ledge), Tuesday, 6 March 2018 09:17 (six years ago) link
p sure Harriet went into service with the civil service
― how to diss a peer completely (unregistered), Tuesday, 6 March 2018 11:47 (six years ago) link
Finding a pound doesn't count for much these days.
― lana del boy (ledge), Tuesday, 6 March 2018 12:34 (six years ago) link
The Sundays are my go to for smiths-like music when i'm in a smiths-like mood but really don't want to hear morrissey (which as of the last year or so is all of the time, forever)
― jamiesummerz, Tuesday, 6 March 2018 12:51 (six years ago) link
Leave us alone.https://longreads.com/2019/07/30/searching-for-the-sundays/
― Jazzbo, Wednesday, 31 July 2019 17:27 (four years ago) link
^ That's rather good. Can't say I've ever yearned to meet any musician. But can understand how something like RW&A could inspire such a thing.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Thursday, 1 August 2019 02:59 (four years ago) link
Gawd this article is the embodiment of “tl;dr”... I can’t even skim it effectively.
― the last Berry La Croix in the work fridge (morrisp), Thursday, 1 August 2019 03:36 (four years ago) link
tl;dr for ya: big obsessive buildup and then he didn't meet them.
― StanM, Thursday, 1 August 2019 04:58 (four years ago) link
It's the story of an adult learning about boundaries (ie, figuring out, thankfully in time, that showing up unannounced on your heroes' doorstep when they clearly value their privacy and have explicitly said as much to you through a proxy is an unambiguously bad idea).
― Apprentice Taintjazzler (Old Lunch), Thursday, 1 August 2019 05:06 (four years ago) link
Seemed like a string of clichés and truisms threaded around a fairly creepy premise - "they've demonstrated they have no interest in publicity or interviews, but if they only met me they'd change their minds, and I won't take no for an answer! Oh I guess they have a right to privacy after all, we've all learned something and let me explain it to you." Yeesh.
― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Thursday, 1 August 2019 05:20 (four years ago) link
And yet, people moaning because he didn't 'deliver'
― Mark G, Thursday, 1 August 2019 07:01 (four years ago) link
wow this guy is the absolute worst
― boxedjoy, Thursday, 1 August 2019 07:24 (four years ago) link
this isn't even about the band, this is an awful guy's attempt to make himself the centre of a story that nobody else wanted to be told
― boxedjoy, Thursday, 1 August 2019 07:25 (four years ago) link
I mean, would I have been thrilled if they consented to an interview? Absolutely. If it turned out that their 'consent' was the result of someone jimmying the lock on their back door at 3 AM and sitting at the foot of their bed until they finally relented? Not so much. Not so much.
― Apprentice Taintjazzler (Old Lunch), Thursday, 1 August 2019 10:27 (four years ago) link
wow this guy is the absolute worsthey, he’s no Abraham Reisman
― quelle sprocket damage (sic), Thursday, 1 August 2019 11:16 (four years ago) link
Well, something I did not expect
BIG MUSIC NEWS: I have a new band with Patrick Hannan of The SUNDAYS! An absolute dream come true. We are called The Wild Fell. More music (and shows) soon, but for now stream (or download) our first song "The Ghost You Love" now! https://t.co/v52c76tsoI— David Obuchowski, Peugeot Haver & Vax Getter (@DavidOfromNJ) June 20, 2022
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 20 June 2022 17:44 (one year ago) link