A Thread For School of Seven Bells Love!

I don't really hear the Dido thing, TBH - but I haven't listened to much (OK, read: any) Dido, and suspect it's not so much an observation as an insult.

There was *always* a kind of adult-oriented-rock tinge to a lot of shoegaze - think later period Cocteaus and a lot of Slowdive - that *is* just a danger of that sort of music. That it can wibble off into dullness. But the trick is to have an element of danger, of offness, of... *noise* behind the music that saves good shoegaze from being yuppie cocktail wallpaper music. Yes, it's adult. But just because something is "adult" doesn't mean it has to be boring.

Beauty can get boring. And SVIIB are - possibly problematically to some people - unrelentingly pretty. I don't have a problem with prettiness, so long as there is something *more* to it - and yes, I think there is *more* to SVIIB, there's enough interesting things going on texturally and melodically.

They could just as easily have gone too far in the opposite direction and been so "ooh, look at us, we so QUIRKY!!!" aesthetic which is irritating in a different way. I like how understated they are, how they're not particularly attention-seeking or wacky, they just get on with making really beautiful music.

It's music like how Matisse described his paintings - beautiful things to sink into at the end of a long and tiring day. If that offends you, then, you know, go and listen to some doom metal or something.

Okay, so I picked up the Face to Face In High Places ep a while back, and have some moderate like for it. It's pretty, but not too pretty, and slots into my mental filing system somewhere between shoegaze retro and contemporary art weirdos like Health. Haven't heard the Ghostly LP though. How does it compare to this EP I've been sort of digging? From all the pretty-pretty talk in this thread, I'm getting the feeling I might not be able to handle it.

It's probably that I like it and think it's great in some ways - I liked enough to pay for it - but it appeals to emo types and maybe the bad review brought that out or made me more aware of it. Should I even bother?

Throwing Muses are kind of folk or roots influenced and I'm just not hearing that here.

Last.fm says "Broadcast" is the comparison.

I haven't listened Broadcast in a long time, but sounds about right. It just seems like reviewers (as opposed to critics) are less interested in encouraging people to learn about different artists ("who the hell knows Broadcast"?) as they are hitching a viable artist to something that was a proven commercial success (i.e. 4 AD and shoegaze).

Throwing Muses are kind of folk or roots influenced

????

i can't imagine you've really heard any

Ya TMs have some plenty harmonious tuneful bits! I dunno abt comparisons to these guys but thats because ive only heard the Guthrie vers of "My Cabal" and ive a feeling that isnt representative of them?

I spent the morning of New Year's Day listening to this while making omelettes and waffles. It was a good morning.

No, the Guthrie version really isn't representative.

I made the TM comparison mostly on the basis of early demos - songs like Tartomundeo and the first version of White Elephant Coat had a much stronger TM vibe in terms of instrumentation, but the album got much more electronic.

But the vocals arrangements *do* remind me of TM, a lot of those kind of sparkling harmonies that they hit. And the way that one will take lead and the other will kind of wind a harmonic phrase around the other - and then they switch.

As a long term Throwing Muses fan I gotta say - I really like this record.

Really loving this, like finding a record that's been slap bang in the middle of my collection for years that I'd somehow never got round to hearing. A big melting pot of all my favourite bits of lots of other things. Surprised there aren't more comparisons (at least here) with the Cocteau Twins as I hear them sprinkled all over this album.

ha ha ha ha ha! I saw them last night, and I was wondering to myself whether boy-unit School of Seven Bells would count as a Dirty Drone Rock Boy. Now we know.

On balance, I am underwhelmed by this band. Live, they sound a bit too much like a Curve tribute act, while on record they seem a bit like weedy electronica. But I will persevere.

Benjamin Curtis = so total DDB katebait that if you looked up DDB in the dictionary, there's probably a picture of him there. Oh yes.

I am seeing them tomorrow! Exciterated! (Well, hopefully - my friend knows I love them so so much that she says that she will sell me her ticket even if they forget to guest list me as the show is, amazingly and happily enough, totally sold out.)

Live, they sound a bit too much like a Curve tribute act

SHIT, I wish I'd been able to see them in Glasgow last night ;)

Onimo sums up the album beautifully: it's so Grimly-tastic that I find it hard to believe I haven't been listening to it since I was 16.

the show is, amazingly and happily enough, totally sold out

oh no! i didn't realise they were playing as have been in deadline-induced hermitude...do you know who's doing the PR kate? could you email me if you do? i'd love to see them live...

A proper video:

Though, to be honest, I'd never associated SVIIB with being stuck in traffic.

SO. GOOD. LIVE.

CAN'T SPEAK. TOO HAPPY. SO GREAT.

Nah, I like that video ^^^^^^^^^^

I think it really works, and not just because of the pretty, smeary lights - but more the sense of disconnection between the sped up traffic outside the car, and the slowed down video of the Deheza sisters inside the car. Because that's what the song's about (to me, at least) - the disconnect/differing speeds of external and internal life. And the car is a good metaphor for the self here.

Can't wait to see these guys three or four times at SXSW in a few weeks!

Great, brief interview on The Quietus this week:

http://thequietus.com/articles/01208-let-it-ring-school-of-seven-bells-interviewed

this is how much I love them...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3382/3317867718_4b6972003b_o.jpg

You should commission that as an official gig poster!

That's awesome Kate!

Well I did suggest it to them, but they never answer their email.

::cries::

;___;

yeah.. the Throwing Muses thing is a bit of a red herring for me too.

I kind of know where Kate's coming from, and I know Kate knows her Muses very well... I just wouldn't highlight that particular trick from the rest of the music if I was describing it as pretty much nothing else but the vocals seems TM-ey to me, at least on the full-length. First listen to this anyway, and I like quite a lot. I feel like the vocals (but yes, that autotune track is fabfabfab) could do with a bit more strength or identity.. they seem a lil' anonymous so far.

the sound of this is really, really together though. amazingly so, I kind of feel like close to this has probably been done before but they're doing it so seamlessly that you kind of forget on first encounter.

Having seen them on Saturday, the trick lies in catching them live. Because that smokes their studio work completely.

http://nedraggett.wordpress.com/2009/05/31/school-of-seven-bells-worth-the-hype/

In this weather, all music is sounding amazing to me. Put this on last night and it sounded incredible. Vitamin D.

Well, I do think that they are EVEN BETTER live than on record, but then again, I bloody love the record.

they're like a 21st century red red groovy!

Ned's pretty OTM in this thread. I saw them open for M83 and thought their show was a lot tighter and more exciting than M83's, much better suited to be live. But my friend picked up Alpinisms and neither of us liked it that much outside of "Half Asleep" and "Connjur" (which are both strong). They have a great sound which translates well live, but on the record, their songwriting is more prominent and that didn't really catch me.

Family issues so I may not be able to catch tonight's show. Bummer.

Glad I caught them three times at SXSW, though.

New American tour:

09.25.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's *
09.26.09 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar *
09.27.09 - Washington DC - Rock & Roll Hotel *
09.28.09 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 *
09.29.09 - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn *
10.04.09 - San Diego, CA - The Casbah *
10.05.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour *
10.06.09 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's *
10.08.09 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge *
10.09.09 - Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore *
10.10.09 - Seattle, WA - Neumos *
10.13.09 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry *
10.14.09 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle *
10.15.09 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace *
10.16.09 - Northampton, MA - Pearl Street *
10.17.09 - Boston, MA - The Paradise *

Also CMJ I'm guessing.

Touring with WARPAINT who are fantastic and I'm so jealous.

Friday, September 25th - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brendas w/Popo
Saturday, September 26th - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar w/ Phantogram
Sunday, September 27th - Washington DC - Rock and Roll Hotel w/ Phantogram
Monday, September 28th - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 w/ Phantogram, Graveyard Fields
Tuesday, September 29th - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn w/ Phantogram, The Tealights
Thursday, October 1st - Austin, TX - Emos Alternative Lounge w/ Phantogram
Friday, October 2nd - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits / Ziker Park
Sunday, October 4th - San Diego, CA - Casbah w/ Phantogram
Monday, October 5th - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour w/ Warpaint, Phantogram
Tuesday, October 6th - San Francisco, CA - Slims w/ Warpaint, Phantogram
Thursday, October 8th - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge w/ Warpaint
Friday, October 9th - Vancouver BC - Biltmore Cabaret w/ Depreciation Guild, Warpaint
Saturday, October 10th - Seattle, WA - Neumos w/ Warpaint
Tuesday, October 13th - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry w/ Depreciation Guild, Warpaint
Wednesday, October 14th - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle w/ Depreciation Guild, Warpaint
Thursday, October 15th - Toronto, ON - Lees Palace w/ Depreciation Guild, Warpaint
Friday - October 16th - Northampton, MA - Pearl Street w/ Depreciation Guild, Warpaint
Saturday, October 17th - Boston, MA - Paradise w/ Depreciation Guild, Warpaint
Friday, October 23rd - New York, NY - Webster Hall w/ The XX, First Aid Kit

Though I'm hoping that the gig they've just scheduled at the ICA for 4th December means that they're playing the MBV ATP?

Superfans, help me out with the Deheza sisters: Alejandra "Alley" is the guitarist with bangs who sings a lot of the lead parts, started the band with Ben before drafting her sister, and is the more frequent lucid dreamer. She also came up with the band name.

Claudia is the keyboardist, the one without bangs, from Daylight's for the Birds and who collaborated with Scott "Prefuse 73" Herren in A Cloud Mireya, and she sings most of the harmony parts. And just to confuse things visually, she used to have bangs and grew them out.

Do I have any of this right? Most articles about them seem to lump the sisters together.

Yes, that sounds about right.

Seeing them again Monday! And I specifically told my bunch we have to show up early for Warpaint based on yr recommendation, Kate.

So jealous you get to see Warpaint! Wondering what they sound like live, if they keep that spooky Slumber Party vibe going.

ARGH, you get Phantogram as well who are my new favourites, as well. Do let me know what it's like.

Ha this is sounding better and better. Thanks!

Did you miss the thread about Phantogram? You might like them. They're shoe-tronica in the same sort of vibe as Telepathe. That is gonna be one amazing line-up.

ooh i shall bear that ica gig in mind...

Thinking about hitting up the Austin show tonight...

Since I was quoted at the head comparing SOVIIB to A Sunny Day in Glasgow, I should mention briefly that the new ASDIG, Ashes Grammar, drops much of their prior lo-fi noise to arrive a destination not too dissimilar from Alpinisms (they're definitely excavating similar veins of the dream-pop mine). It also seems like ASDIG has been listening to a good deal of Juliana Berwick, though virtual choruses are not unexpected with cut-n-paste vocals. I've only heard it through once, but thought others might be intrigued enough to sample it at lala.com.

Is that new ASDIG record out yet?

short answer: yes, and it's on iTunes. RESULT.

not into the new ASDIG

but it did make me break out the SOSB record again!

Surely you mean 'not digging ASDIG'

our own dearly departed Fluffy Bear just turned me onto School of Seven Bells this week; pretty cool stuff I intend to investigate further

theyre playing the paradise in like 3 weeks fyi

I'm enjoying the new ASDIG so far, but then again I have almost infinite capacity for that sort of looped ethereal girl singer thing. It's a bit less melodic and a bit more droning than the last one, but hey, I'm a dirty dronerock girl and not Geir, you know.

however, if you live anywhere near any of those tourdates above ^^^^ GO AND SEE SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS. They're even better live than they are on record.