The Joy Formidable

ok

― congratulations (n/a), Friday, September 14, 2012 10:52 AM (29 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

glad u agree

love the broken bass string

"Cholla" is sweet and this is already one of my most anticipated albums of 2013.

this new song is ok, but the best thing was returning to "whirring" afterwards for the first time in a while

what a tune

video up for 'this ladder is ours', the actual first single from the album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_t4s-HX3z0

They're so good at non-standard times and endless riffs.

i never did get the debut ..

but damn, i like this new one a lot (even though its fairly generic layered to excess guitar pop .. )

like that better than cholla

much more excited about this new record now

streaming: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-joy-formidable-reach-for-rock-heights-on-wolfs-law-album-premiere-20130116

:-D

i have a lot of enthusiasm for this band. i think i used to agree with matt dc about the songwriting being secondary to the sound (think i used to just listen to "whirring" and "cradle" over and over again) but i think the songs are by nature kind of slow-acting; first you're overwhelmed by the sound of it and then the fragments of melody slip in lightly, almost unnoticed. the kind of effect where i was sort of underwhelmed at first by "cholla" and "this ladder is ours" and then found aspects of them in my head a week later

i can tell you right now that i don't know how i feel about "maw maw song"

oh hey I am kind of digging this

also the beginning of "cholla" is like a bomb going off every time

okay seriously why did I have problems connecting with this band before

YOU HAD KNOCKWURST IN YOUR EARS BUT THANKFULLY YOU CLEANED THAT OUT.

Sorry I was just having a compulsive air guitar moment earlier and I mock all who hate this band.

Also the one-two of "Tendons"/"Little Blimp" makes me want to have an Alex in NYC moment and bulldoze over the remains of idiots and fools.

no no you're right, I literally had knockwurst in my ears

Also the one-two of "Tendons"/"Little Blimp" makes me want to have an Alex in NYC moment and bulldoze over the remains of idiots and fools.

*main riff to "cholla" plays as ned, piloting a bulldozer, emerges smiling from beyond the hill*

did they get a little gothier on this release or something

it's a little more immediate than the big roar

they're about equally goth though

also this is the first record i can think of where i'm actually glad there's a hidden track, and it's "wolf's law"

that's good to hear, it was pretty dumb when they released the title track as a single and then said it wouldn't be on the album

i can tell you right now that i don't know how i feel about "maw maw song"

It feels like this: "Whuh, but that's still a cool start...wait they became "Hard to Explain" by the Strokes but actually good, then they went back to the apocalyptic glam-stomp because why the fuck not."

Okay ending (bonus track aside) on a huge string laden punch = A fucking plus.

Probably helps that I was warned by some friends long ago this album was a slow-grower, but man, this is all sounding incredible to me on first listen

oh no, "maw maw." I always assumed these guys were above that kind of Flaming Lips tomfoolery

So yeah, this album is utterly wonderful though. And just distinct enough from their debut, without totally sacrificing the qualities that made that one so good

yeah it's a proper progression

this album is insane.

I watched the Jimmy Fallon performance and thought, "oh man, this band s going to be Smashing Pumpkins kind of huge."

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/video/the-joy-formidable-this-ladder-is-ours/n31790

A couple of days later, and while there isn't anything really amazing about the performance, that idea still doesn't seem entirely far-fetched.

I can't help but sing "We Represent the Lollipop Guild" along to "Maw Maw Song."

awesome album, definitely loved the first in a "this excels at something slightly one-dimensional, and i'm happy with that for at least one album" but they actually upped the ante here

i think i like this but it's a little overproduced, like you don't really need harp trills and string crescendos and claves when you've got a band that already sounds good and writes cool songs

like i'm really not crazy about "the turnaround" for example

Jack Rabid's glowing review on his Facebook feed from a couple days ago solidified me wanting to check 'em out at least:

the formidable joy i get from the new joy formidable album out in three days, and their previous album the big roar and mini-lp a balloon called moaning, is off the charts. and their appearance on jimmy fallon last night, a few hours after i interviewed them for big takeover's upcoming spring issue 72, was just another bit of evidence that they are the best live band going as well, and have been for at least three years. and what an uplifting set of lyrics, without overselling it! and what nice people. is there anything they don't do well? i don't know... trigonometry? cold fusion? flossing?

they're definitely a great band, i'm just not as excited about the direction on this album as others i guess. maybe it'll grow on me.

Just picked up Wolf's Law, so can't comment, but the overproduction was my major disappointment with Big Roar as well. Still think Balloon Called Moaning is their definitive statement so far. They could benefit from a producer in the Albini minimalist/dry production school, or maybe someone like Steve Lillywhite for a wet but sympatico compromise.

sampled by The Lonely Island, of all things:

hulu.com/watch/450051?playlist_id=1031&asset_scope=all

n/a otm

coming into loving this, esp. "tendons" and "the leopard and the lung"

jury's still out on "maw maw song" tho

"Maw Maw Song" is great! I was slow to get into this band but I'm there now, dig the new album.

German livestream happening, y'all

http://www.wdr.de/tv/rockpalast/

I don't get it.

okay this album, it's so good

"Bats" is fantastic

YES.

My attention still drifts when I listen to the back half. But this is an album with "Cholla," "Tendons," and "Bats."

It's quite something.

seeing them tonight, hopefully, for the first time (hopefully because I'm kind of sick, my kid is sick, etc, but should still work out)

well this was very good. a bit slick and professional, but good nevertheless