Sounds entertaining. But I think I'd rather just listen to his records.
― calstars, Sunday, 15 July 2012 19:54 (eleven years ago) link
i don't understand how him jumping around and being intense undercuts the performance when that is the performance?
― the late great, Sunday, 15 July 2012 20:27 (eleven years ago) link
If I'm parsing you correctly, it's because the "intensity" seems like so much of a put-on (ie, pre-meditated / disingenuous) that it was unintentionally funny, which almost never happens? Thrashing around on stage and looking like you've got bees in yr pants is a pretty standard performative pose; usually, as someone in the audience, you either buy in or watch w/o much interest in the physical performance. Out of the thousand different ways a singer can look intense onstage, he found some sweet-spot where he looked silly enough that I was perma-chuckling/cringing for the whole 30+ minutes. It probably didn't help that he was kind of running through the same four or five physical ticks throughout the whole show.
There was other stuff not to like -- same echo effect on vox, bad skip-track transitions -- but I thought his stage presence was irl lol. Then again I didn't spend any money on the show, so can't really complain that much.
This is coming from someone who likes his music fwiw.
― ❀ the cult of ➥upside➥wingspan➥personal growth gurus➥FA charlatans (CompuPost), Sunday, 15 July 2012 22:07 (eleven years ago) link
i bought in pretty easily
― the late great, Monday, 16 July 2012 00:04 (eleven years ago) link
i admit i did go outside during the last two because i felt like i had seen all of his poses by then but i also just wanted fresh air
i liked his unamplified screaming parts too because there
― the late great, Monday, 16 July 2012 00:06 (eleven years ago) link
Huh, I might be in the minority then, although I saw a few people around me who were lolling as well (I was kind of on the outskirts though, rather than down front w/ people who were a little more amped). Was just disappointed since I really like the tracks he puts out; but, if other people are connecting to it, I guess, more power to him.
i liked his unamplified screaming parts
Agreed, which is always good!
― ❀ the cult of ➥upside➥wingspan➥personal growth gurus➥FA charlatans (CompuPost), Monday, 16 July 2012 00:41 (eleven years ago) link
i was lolling too, i think inside john maus was lolling at times, the only people who never cracked a smile were the girls from tropic of cancer, who i was surprised to see were unaccompanied by silent servant, who was also lolling
it was lolling with rather than lolling at
my friend regifted to john maus a carpentry and paint build-your-own-toy-pirate-ship kit that i had given him, john maus lolled at that but i think that was lolling at
― the late great, Monday, 16 July 2012 00:44 (eleven years ago) link
http://devonrecordclub.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/john-maus-we-must-become-the-pitiless-censors-of-ourselves-round-41-toms-selection/
― yugi ex, Thursday, 6 December 2012 06:49 (eleven years ago) link
That album has only gone up and up in my estimation since last year. It's a record I can just have on repeat and not notice it's been looping for about three hours. Helps that it's nice and short.
― make like a steak and beef (dog latin), Thursday, 6 December 2012 09:25 (eleven years ago) link
no one's been talking about it here but the 'rarities & unreleased material' record is a party & absolutely worth your time.
― ogmor, Thursday, 6 December 2012 15:22 (eleven years ago) link
It certainly is a grower and I find the sound of the album - that deliberately 80s sounding synth cheese with doomy vocals thing - to be really intriguing...it should be awful!
― yugi ex, Thursday, 6 December 2012 17:34 (eleven years ago) link
now on his wikipedia:
Underground Releases1984: Maus1985: Maus Time1986: Baumaus1987: Man or Maus?1988: Maus and the Gang1989: Maus and the Gang 2: Return of the Maus1990: Maus and the Gang 3: This Time It's Mausy1991: The Janitor's First LP, with Sam Anderson and Cory Boik1992: The Janitor's Second LP, with Sam Anderson and Cory Boik1993: A Janitor's EP, with Sam Anderson and Cory Boik1994: Early Songs 1, with Cory Boik1995: Early Songs 21996: Early Songs 31997: Early Songs 41998: Mass Appeal, with the Tony Alonso Ensemble1998: The Mystery Molasses LP, with Ian Stahl, Jay Jensen, Gabe Schlake and Jess Bednar1998: Early Songs 52000: Fish With Broken Dreams2000: Love Letters From Hell2001: Snowless Winters EP2003: I Want to Live2011: Demos
― JoeStork, Tuesday, 28 May 2013 07:17 (eleven years ago) link
"Believer" is some next level shit
― calstars, Friday, 25 April 2014 02:33 (ten years ago) link
pretty much
― 1 pONO 3v3Ry+h1n G!!!1 (dog latin), Friday, 25 April 2014 09:06 (ten years ago) link
All-time break down
― calstars, Saturday, 4 October 2014 00:13 (nine years ago) link
Psyched to hear that he's planning new music for next year.
― calstars, Thursday, 4 December 2014 12:38 (nine years ago) link
We Must Become has to be one of the most surprisingly enduring records I've heard in recent years. I didn't expect to give it more than just a cursory listen when it first came out, but I ended up just having it on repeat for weeks and I still play certain tracks on a fairly frequent basis.
― Hello, my name is Dark Chocolate Cookie (dog latin), Thursday, 4 December 2014 12:55 (nine years ago) link
^^ otm. It's in my top ten of the last ten years probably. Never expected it because his previous work was so scruffy and scrappy, but We Must Become is a stone cold classic start to finish.
Great news that he's going to make music again, was afraid he'd stick to lecturing.
― a pleasant little psychedelic detour in the elevator (Amory Blaine), Thursday, 4 December 2014 18:08 (nine years ago) link
I just got my first Twitter follower who's not a member of my family - John Maus!
― calstars, Thursday, 4 December 2014 23:46 (nine years ago) link
just realized new gold dream by simple minds feels like a total blueprint for the john maus vibe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzMgfi9y-nc
― austinb, Sunday, 7 May 2017 05:33 (seven years ago) link
https://t.co/NebtrtwBRFAug 19th— John Maus (@JOHNMAUS) May 18, 2017
Aug 19 at moma?
― calstars, Thursday, 18 May 2017 22:15 (seven years ago) link
Hope it’s something to do with Spotify.
― the ghost of markers, Thursday, 18 May 2017 22:19 (seven years ago) link
I can sort of understand the New Gold Dream comparison in terms of the kinds of chord changes used.. I'm always thinking in terms of arrangements/sonics
― brimstead, Thursday, 18 May 2017 23:34 (seven years ago) link
when's he dropping a new album?
― dynamicinterface, Friday, 19 May 2017 00:38 (seven years ago) link
^^^^^^^^^^
― joshywinty (josh), Friday, 19 May 2017 03:37 (seven years ago) link
i think he said in an interview a few years so he wanted to have a live band for his next album
― ufo, Friday, 19 May 2017 04:41 (seven years ago) link
huh
https://youtu.be/g_WPWpo2AXU
― Dancing on the Pylons, Wednesday, 9 August 2017 19:10 (six years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_WPWpo2AXU
― Dancing on the Pylons, Wednesday, 9 August 2017 19:11 (six years ago) link
i hope john maus finds what he's looking for
― Karl Malone, Wednesday, 9 August 2017 19:13 (six years ago) link
I do too. This is awesome though.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 9 August 2017 22:59 (six years ago) link
really liked that but I will never not call him "worthless vhs idiot john maus" in my mind
― she carries a torch. two torches, actually (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Thursday, 10 August 2017 01:10 (six years ago) link
keep the meme alive!
― sansa riff (sarahell), Thursday, 10 August 2017 01:52 (six years ago) link
is this guy the pretentious Ariel Pink?
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Thursday, 10 August 2017 13:00 (six years ago) link
adam what are you using the word pretentious for, is it cuz of philosophy
― ogmor, Thursday, 10 August 2017 13:05 (six years ago) link
I'm excited.
― emil.y, Thursday, 10 August 2017 13:33 (six years ago) link
I've been popping maus all day, would love to see him live
― ogmor, Thursday, 10 August 2017 13:36 (six years ago) link
he is amazing imo.
― Bein' Sean Bean (LocalGarda), Thursday, 10 August 2017 13:43 (six years ago) link
I'd basically given up on him coming back with new music, so when I say I'm excited, you'd better believe I mean I AM EXCITED.
― emil.y, Thursday, 10 August 2017 13:50 (six years ago) link
Count me EXCITED as well
― calstars, Thursday, 10 August 2017 17:01 (six years ago) link
"The Combine" is from the forthcoming album Screen Memories by worthless VHS idiot JOHN MAUS available October 27, 2017. Screen Memories is also a part of a career-spanning limited edition 6 LP box set being released in April 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kF2-Cr6yX4
― crüt, Tuesday, 29 August 2017 14:26 (six years ago) link
Dear worthless VHS idiot JOHN MAUS,
It's good to have you back.
Yours,
― Le Bateau Ivre, Tuesday, 29 August 2017 15:06 (six years ago) link
I like the new one, some very nice synth solos. Compositionally and production wise, could fit in well on that Rarities disc.
― calstars, Wednesday, 30 August 2017 01:27 (six years ago) link
Damn. He's coming to town opening for a.pink but don't want any of my money going to AP. 30 bucks for an opening act is steep.
― Fetchboy, Thursday, 31 August 2017 23:20 (six years ago) link
^ especially steep if Maus's live set is still just him singing and shouting over his music played on an iPod.
I saw Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti years ago because Os Mutantes were opening. I thought AP was pretty good! I was impressed by how the band seemed to capture the washed-out VHS sound of his records in a live show. But this was before all the controversy and I was a few drinks in by the time he came onstage.
― crüt, Thursday, 31 August 2017 23:26 (six years ago) link
definitely one of those acts that is great after a few drinks ... or more
― sansa riff (sarahell), Thursday, 31 August 2017 23:28 (six years ago) link
AP music is good!! but yeah he is a garbage person
― brimstead, Thursday, 31 August 2017 23:29 (six years ago) link
well was good, i just like the old lofi stuff mostly. crut you really should check out "the doldrums" album at least once..
i hate ap but love his music so i got a ticket, fetch :(
― kurt schwitterz, Thursday, 31 August 2017 23:32 (six years ago) link
yeah I like The Doldrums!
― crüt, Thursday, 31 August 2017 23:36 (six years ago) link
just him singing and shouting over his music played on an iPod
this sounds extremely appealing to me and is why i bought tickets earlier
― ogmor, Friday, 1 September 2017 00:17 (six years ago) link