The Clientele - Best Band Since The Smiths

Alasdair Maclean?

I think the Smiths aren't ALL THAT either.

I MEANT DIGRAVINA

I can't take credit for The Smiths/Clientele thread, though I'd almost say I agree with its premise, as long as The Clientele continue down the path highlighted by the Suburban Light collection. I'm not too eloquent this morning, so I hope this next part makes sense… a decent sized group of fans/critics see The Smiths as being among the last of the truly great rock bands, and I frequently find it hard to disagree. (Though I sometimes think a case can be made for The Stone Roses simply on the strength of their debut album, and then there’s My Bloody Valentine) While The Clientele don't seem to have the truly magic energy The Smiths had when they started out, I'm reserving a possible place for them amongst my favorite bands and hoping they continue to release excellent singles/EPs. I'm not sure why some people on ILM have lumped The Clientele in with Belle & Sebastian... it seems too early for a backlash. I’m guessing it’s either not their cup of tea altogether (they can’t give in to quaint charm) or they just haven’t played Suburban Light enough times; I’ll admit that I thought it was near rubbish (like Alex) at first as well, but now it’s one of the most cherished pieces of my CD collection. Still, if The Clientele start passing the mic to every band member and every family member and every distant cousin like B & S, then I'll join the backlash. As of now, I'm happy to have them and I'm enthused by their promise.

I love The Clientele! <-- Using the exclamation point specified in the subject.

Just you wait -- the third album will be nothing but bad reggae and refried boogie and be produced by Glen Ballard.

<--I hope the italics worked. If not, it's a Ned Raggett quote.

Well, I'll take the bad reggae and refriend boogie as long as the sleeve is pretty. It's too early in the morning for me to deal with a Glen Ballard reference... but I will say this... my breakfast has returned to its plate in a more liquid form.

I can't believe this thread has been asleep for 6 years! haven't you people heard God Save The Clientele? it's really really good! "Bookshop Casanova" is some kind of sleepy-eyed disco masterpiece, no? The guitar solo is sooo Santana, duh.

There have been other Clientele threads in the last six years.

For instance - God Save The Clientele - The anticipation thread

My mistake, I must have glanced over in the search. Looks like I have some reading to do...

But your underlying point is right: The Clientele are great (and underappreciated). MacLean is also a very good guitarist, I think.

I don't really think they are underappreciated, considering that certain people follow them around the world on tour as if they were Manchester United or Exeter City.

Not sure that's right... That means that a few people really appreciate them. They should be much bigger than they are, I think.

i was just going to revive a clientele thread. "strange geometry" is my favorite lp of theirs. the last time i posted on them, "violet hour" had just come out and i was underwhelmed.

btw when did they get a gorgeous violin player?

also note that alasdair was once an ilxor.

I'd never heard of them until I went through Southall's Best of '07 list on Amazon. I bought it based on that recommendation and yeah, it's a very good album.

Also note that Graham was once an ilxor.

lots of former ilxors... where are they now?...

also note that alasdair was once an ilxor.

I remember reading about that on another thread. But wasn't it just one post by him (e.g., a response to another ILX'or commenting on The Clientele)?

The new violin player joined the band just before God Save The Clientele was recorded, I think. And yeah, she is hot.

as i recall, he was fairly active here for a bit. ca. 2001.

No, it wasn't just one post by any means; we also debated Derrida / Paul de Man / Rudolph Gasché once, for instance.

hi pinefox.

Their new Acuarela ep has been delayed for a month or so now, I really liked the droney tracks on the previous Adriane ep & hope they've done a few more.

i have all their early 7"s, I wish they were bigger than they are so I could sell them and buy a house

One of them's on the MySpace page: "Share the Night". It is great, but it's in no way like the Ariadne stuff.

Good song! But as they become more upbeat and clear, they do lose something essential (that hazy charm of their early records). Still, they've got to grow, and they are still a special band.

Yeah, I kind of think that they've done that... Really well, but better to change than keep on pumping out the same records.

Just you wait -- the third album will be nothing but bad reggae and refried boogie and be produced by Glen Ballard.

well thank god this didn't come true!

New album tentatively coming out in October. Sounds like it might be their last.

I'll be bummed if they break-up after the next album. Feels like they had plenty of room to develop their sound, without losing what makes them special and charming.

The interview makes the record sound extremely promising.

"Sounds like it might be their last."

it's only "might", so ill stay poisitive bout it.

The only Clientele record i return to is Geomatry,really.great piece of music.
also, alsadir is underrated guitarist

...seeing them love made it clearer, to me at least.

The only Clientele record i return to is Geomatry,really.great piece of music. also, alsadir is underrated guitarist

Cosign. I return to all their discs, actually. Losing Haringey (from Geometry, I think) is one of my favorite songs of the past few years.

Since K Got Over Me is one I listen to frequently. Well, listen frequently to many of their tunes.

Alasdair MacLean: We finished mixing. We started recording in that really quiet period between Christmas and the New Year because we wanted to capture a deadening, spectral ambiance.

Ooh, wonderful - though why does Alasdair still look like a young Christopher Hitchens? And didn't he used to post here?

the last album ended up being my least favorite! It felt like a (relative) lack of inspired musical ideas with overly busy production garnish to compensate

this is too harsh

but I agree with the sentiment

I tried to disclaimer that it sounded harsher than I meant for it to...

Gee, the not-a-song-per-se tracks are frequently quite spiffy.

they've always had good interstitals

missing an i in there somewhere

Yeah, true. This time part of me wants an entire LP along the lines of "My Childhood"/"The Village is Always On Fire" etc. Perhaps in a Julian House sleeve!

I think this is one of those albums where you can Remove one song from an almost perfect album to make it a perfect album
maybe several

but maybe that's why it's great

an album can't be a 10 if it doesn't have skips. means they weren't taking enough risks

― flopson, 8. august 2023 22:43

see also voodoo chili's upcoming treatise "in defense of skips"

The Clientele have a new podcast... https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-clientele-podcast/id1698656005

For no good reason at all this has been one of those in one ear, out the other bands for me, but I'll be seeing them tonight!

I was out of town and missed their dc gig, but 2 folks who I know who attended, enjoyed the gig

Really pleasing set, short and sweet, like one long suite with a bunch of lovely movements (that I immediately forgot as I heard them, lol). Alasdair is an endearingly fussy guitarist, love his refusal to use obvious chords. There was one song where he totally (and recognizably, so intentionally) went all "Marquee Moon." Was there with a friend that knows the group so got to say hi at the end of the night. Nice crowd turnout.

Would love to see them but don't think I'll be able to make any of the European cities

Happy all the same that they are performing and that they're great as always

they missed flyover space, i'd enjoy seeing alisdair verlaine. glad they're goin' around tho

got tickets for some of the east coast shows but couldn't make it (not for unhappy reasons though... I bought a new house and had to move that weekend!)

Looking forward to seeing them in SF on the 20th.

Saw them play in Seattle last night, they were great. They did a long version of Lamplight with the Marquee Moon interlude that Josh mentioned upthread. The (three or four) new songs they played sounded really good. Alasdair mentioned they had not yet played Blue Over Blue without messing it up, but they seemed to get through it without a hitch.

Paris tonight! In a boat on the Seine. I’m looking forward to it a lot.

I was undisapponted, and I was not alone in that. Three encores and some disgruntlement that there wasn’t a fourth. They played “A Picture of Dorian Gray” in the final encore, I haven’t heard them play that one in a very long time.

sounds amazing! I'm sad I missed their US tour recently but I was moving house that week

I have never cared for this band but the new album knocked me out.

they played the House Always Wins!

Did they? I haven’t seen that for a while, glad it’s still in rotation

haha wait weren't you there? in paris?

They didn’t play THAW last night - I’d have noticed, it’s my favourite!

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-clientele/2023/petit-bain-paris-france-3ba33868.html

I was working off this posted setlist but maybe it's just wrong!

Yeah I’m absolutely certain that’s wrong

that's really harshing my vicarious enjoyment of the show!

No! It was really good!

this is clearly doing it wrong but my perfect IANTA album (more like an EP this way) playlist goes:

Lady Grey
Conjuring Summer In
Blue Over Blue
Claire's Not Real
Chalk Flowers
Hey Siobhan
Through the Roses

might poll Lady Grey vs. Claire's Not Real vs. Hey Siobhan

results might reflect Strange Geometry vs. God Save the Clientele vs. Suburban Light

Really good in London tonight, including a cellist (worked especially well on The Age of Miracles, I thought, and the extra-extra-long Lamplight) and a special guest appearance from Mel! Pleasure to see her onstage with them again.

"Still Corridor" single from July is very good, today a great outtake "Trains in the Night"

they're spoiling us

The special guest slot for this show looks like an interesting one-off: Alasdair, James and original drummer Dan playing material from Suburban Light and before. https://www.seetickets.com/event/the-smashing-times-special-guests-tba-/moth-club/3165507

There was quite a chunk of SL material in the first, request-based set on Saturday, including The House Always Wins which is my special favourite. Losing Haringey was ably spoken by Justin Hopper who does the Old Weird Albion thing.

They were on vg form in general

why do I live in Texas? this sounds amazing

Wow jealous

What IS the deal with the little James Bond theme sounding part in "We Could Walk Together", anyway?

They are reissuing The Violet Hour on vinyl

https://mergerecords.com/product/the_violet_hour

best album of all time (I have two copies on vinyl already but I did like the t-shirt they made for the repress so I snagged one of those)

tis the season

Trains in the Night is such a great one-off, don't miss it. Digital is on Bandcamp for a dollar.

I am really looking forward to the Violet Hour reissue show in St Pancras Old Church (small, v atmos, v picturesque).

Jealous!

I only had one opportunity to see em, back when they were touring God Save The Clientele - it was great but a Violet Hour-themed show would be blissful

Their initial original-trio reunion for Chickfactor was also magical since they similarly focused on older material.

Yeah all the things they couldn’t make work with Mel (eg and especially my +fh’s favourite The House Always Wins)

haha, every London show Tim mentions breaks my heart a little, I'd love to see them do a Violet Hour-focused set in a church! I can't really complain though, I've seen them play in London, NYC, LA, San Francisco, Houston, and Austin.

I should mention Chickfactor show is also where I bought an original The Violet Hour vinyl copy from them for $15!

that was a great little festival because Amor de Dias also played!