shouldn't you be like "oh yay, now i have all these 80s synth-soul hams i can check out!" rather than complaining they're being brought up?― da croupier, Sunday, March 9, 2014 8:34 PM (34 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― da croupier, Sunday, March 9, 2014 8:34 PM (34 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
(xps)
― merciless to accomplish the truth in his intelligence (bernard snowy), Sunday, 9 March 2014 20:40 (ten years ago) link
it's like, when my mom would overhear me listening to heavy metal and say "jesus, this is worse than AC/DC!", it didn't make me want to listen to AC/DC, y'know?
― merciless to accomplish the truth in his intelligence (bernard snowy), Sunday, 9 March 2014 20:42 (ten years ago) link
sorry dude but if someone making a cynical "lol are people really getting into Some New Group That Sounds Like This Old Thing" crack gets you upset that people are making reference points you don't know and not taking it seriously suggests you maybe shouldn't be passing around a clip of a dude doing a herky-jerky dance to 80s synth-soul on letterman
― da croupier, Sunday, 9 March 2014 20:46 (ten years ago) link
indie favorites often resemble unfashionable shit from 20-30 years earlier, you know? life is hard.
― da croupier, Sunday, 9 March 2014 20:47 (ten years ago) link
just given it to us straight, maaaan
― POO: the blossom or full flower of the evening (Sufjan Grafton), Sunday, 9 March 2014 20:48 (ten years ago) link
da croupier you must have missed the memo, "caring what the 80s were like" is no longer a thing my generation has an emotional investment in :)
― merciless to accomplish the truth in his intelligence (bernard snowy), Sunday, 9 March 2014 20:49 (ten years ago) link
i still remember when the mean ol' guys at the record store brought up vanilla fudge when i made them listen to the afghan whigs. it hurt, but i'm grateful in hindsight.
― da croupier, Sunday, 9 March 2014 20:50 (ten years ago) link
WOMEN DANCED BEHIND TOM JONES, AND MEN THEY FOUGHT THE WARSTHE CHILDREN LISTENED TO PAUL YOUNG, AND EVERYONE WAS POOR
― merciless to accomplish the truth in his intelligence (bernard snowy), Sunday, 9 March 2014 20:51 (ten years ago) link
(last post, then I gotta bounce)
1. Dismissing a contemporary band because they sound too much like the sum of their influences without appearing to break any new ground stylistically2. Dismissing a contemporary band because they remind you of stuff you never liked in the first place and resented having to hear during its window of mainstream popularity
I do not believe that the difference between 1. and 2. could be totally lost on you, da croup
― merciless to accomplish the truth in his intelligence (bernard snowy), Sunday, 9 March 2014 21:04 (ten years ago) link
actually, i'm a little young for description #2. But i'm sorry if you don't think it's fair to say (again, based on their hit) that these guys sound like an amateurish version of something that was popular a while back.
― da croupier, Sunday, 9 March 2014 21:11 (ten years ago) link
Letterman clip made me think "if Rick Astley had never met Stock Aitken Waterman."
― That's So (Eazy), Sunday, 9 March 2014 21:13 (ten years ago) link
HOW DARE YOU
― da croupier, Sunday, 9 March 2014 21:13 (ten years ago) link
like the children of the eastern seaboard have any responsibility to care about your precious SAW
― da croupier, Sunday, 9 March 2014 21:14 (ten years ago) link
this is machine-tooled for ILX & will probably go top 5 in the EOY
― You cannot interrupt his tea stirring because it is his holy trick (imago), Sunday, March 9, 2014 4:04 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark
bookmarking
― le goon (J0rdan S.), Sunday, 9 March 2014 21:16 (ten years ago) link
"machine-tooled"
― some dude, Sunday, 9 March 2014 21:17 (ten years ago) link
3d printed for ILX
― POO: the blossom or full flower of the evening (Sufjan Grafton), Sunday, 9 March 2014 21:22 (ten years ago) link
am I right that the argt being presented here is "you whipper-snappers don't know the roots of this music"
― joe perry has been dead for years (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Sunday, 9 March 2014 22:11 (ten years ago) link
I thought that was it, but after reading da croupier's latest replies, I'm more confused than ever
croup, I'm not sure why you're hung up on the notion of this performance being "amateurish"—the band is perfectly tight, & Sam goes all-in on his schtick despite having an audience of mostly indifferent non-fans... which is basically the definition of "professionalism"? like, when I think of "amateurish" TV performances, I think of 90s alt-rock bands mumbling thru their one hit as if they were just dragged out of bed and thrown on the Letterman stage by major label hired goons.
― merciless to accomplish the truth in his intelligence (bernard snowy), Sunday, 9 March 2014 23:03 (ten years ago) link
... maybe you woulda liked them better when they sounded like New Order, idk
― merciless to accomplish the truth in his intelligence (bernard snowy), Sunday, 9 March 2014 23:12 (ten years ago) link
man they're way more meatloafy than sprinsteeny, thank god
― a commentary on self-absorbed youth culture in the social media age (zachlyon), Sunday, 9 March 2014 23:40 (ten years ago) link
haven't watched the letterman yet but it's probably awesome, only saw them once a few years ago and it was one of my favorite lead singer performances ever, he was like a campy hamlet belting every line to poor yorick
― a commentary on self-absorbed youth culture in the social media age (zachlyon), Sunday, 9 March 2014 23:42 (ten years ago) link
nice description. definitely gives that feel on letterman when he lifts his right arm up. it's all very theatrical, but he seems so genuinely in it that it's mesmerizing. felt like young sufjan seeing idioteque on SNL with this performance.
― POO: the blossom or full flower of the evening (Sufjan Grafton), Sunday, 9 March 2014 23:48 (ten years ago) link
Saw the Letterman clip and to me its kinda of an amateurish take on Simply Red
― curmudgeon, Monday, 10 March 2014 04:23 (ten years ago) link
nope
― da croupier, Monday, 10 March 2014 04:28 (ten years ago) link
lol xpost
― POO: the blossom or full flower of the evening (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 10 March 2014 05:01 (ten years ago) link
Local band done good. Lovin it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
― i also enjoy in line skateing (spazzmatazz), Monday, 10 March 2014 05:20 (ten years ago) link
What is yr argt dc, I'm not getting it either. Also just watched/loved this
― sonic thedgehod (albvivertine), Monday, 10 March 2014 05:24 (ten years ago) link
My argument is that it struck me as Paul young karaoke. Amateurish vocals over eighties synth soul. After that its just variations of saying "sorry but tough shit" to Bernie's various qualms with that estimation.
― da croupier, Monday, 10 March 2014 05:39 (ten years ago) link
I never said the kids gotta learn, just that the kids gotta toughen up if they're gonna boo Hoo when cranky old farts in other towns aren't "zomg these guys are from a college town, transcendence!"
― da croupier, Monday, 10 March 2014 05:42 (ten years ago) link
Fair enough. Mostly loved how it looked exactly like a guy singing along to something in his room bt onstage
― sonic thedgehod (albvivertine), Monday, 10 March 2014 05:48 (ten years ago) link
amateurish vocals says da croupgeir
― POO: the blossom or full flower of the evening (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 10 March 2014 05:53 (ten years ago) link
I used to be with it, but then they changed what *it* was. Now what I'm with isn't *it*, and what's *it* seems weird and scary to me. It'll happen to you...
― da croupier, Monday, 10 March 2014 05:58 (ten years ago) link
can you elaborate on what makes herring's vocals amateurish? he doesn't sound pitchy to me. it's about the quality and strength?
― POO: the blossom or full flower of the evening (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 10 March 2014 06:06 (ten years ago) link
Dude can def sing, tho. Just awesome to see no polish or selfconsciousness, given that I've seen many indie bands play live
― sonic thedgehod (albvivertine), Monday, 10 March 2014 06:08 (ten years ago) link
lol you guys
― da croupier, Monday, 10 March 2014 06:08 (ten years ago) link
Otoh listened to their new single and wasn't interested, so
― sonic thedgehod (albvivertine), Monday, 10 March 2014 06:09 (ten years ago) link
can i say "unpolished" without bruising your souls or is that still too harsh a take
― da croupier, Monday, 10 March 2014 06:09 (ten years ago) link
when someone calls something amateurish, it sounds like they might have a good idea of what'd qualify it as such. i just thought you may have had some more interesting information about what made his vocals amateurish.
― POO: the blossom or full flower of the evening (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 10 March 2014 06:14 (ten years ago) link
there was some of that on the Haim thread that I found interesting.
― POO: the blossom or full flower of the evening (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 10 March 2014 06:15 (ten years ago) link
fyi if you're going to respond with "oh really, sir, are you a musicologist?" when someone says these guys sound like a rando singing 80s shit you better hope this little shimmy is the peak of their mainstream awareness
― da croupier, Monday, 10 March 2014 06:16 (ten years ago) link
I am not making a "hey man I'd like to see you try argument", I just honestly thought you might have some more insight to add to one of your posts.
― POO: the blossom or full flower of the evening (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 10 March 2014 06:19 (ten years ago) link
but it sounds like you meant "unpolished" so I get it now. and I realize there is no way for me to convey this information via post without sounding sarcastic, but I am not being sarcastic.
― POO: the blossom or full flower of the evening (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 10 March 2014 06:21 (ten years ago) link
i mean, yeah, if you're genuinely assuming everybody on ilx has a technical "insight" to back up terms like "amateurish," lemme tell ya that's not the case.
― da croupier, Monday, 10 March 2014 06:27 (ten years ago) link
I have no problem with calling Sam's vox "unpolished", but "amateurish" comes pre-loaded with a "professional" opposing term, which in this case (as you've made clear) is Paul Young—the problem is that I can't tell whether you genuinely think the music would be improved by singing that sounded more like Paul Young, or if he is just a red herring you're using to draw attention away from the fact that you dislike this musical style in toto.
― merciless to accomplish the truth in his intelligence (bernard snowy), Monday, 10 March 2014 11:55 (ten years ago) link
Dude I'm describing what i hear. People can decide for themselves whether they agree with the description, and whether its something they would or would not want to hear. And if you don't like someone sounding dismissive or reductive in their description of a performance on letterman, sorry but tough shit.
― da croupier, Monday, 10 March 2014 14:08 (ten years ago) link
So glad that Letterman performance has made finally made American indie safe for overenthusiatic amateurish dorky dudes who can't really sing.
― Matt DC, Monday, 10 March 2014 14:26 (ten years ago) link
I like overenthusiastic dorky dudes who can't really sing - Fred Schneider is one of my biggest life heroes - but this seemed kinda sub-Har Mar Supertar to me. Meh.
― Fakeprog Nilsson (Dan Peterson), Monday, 10 March 2014 14:36 (ten years ago) link
He's a better singer than Bryan Ferry and that's good enough for me
― continually topping myself (flamboyant goon tie included), Monday, 10 March 2014 15:46 (ten years ago) link
Ouch.
― Fakeprog Nilsson (Dan Peterson), Monday, 10 March 2014 15:48 (ten years ago) link
its so weird and sad when music nerds confronted with a vocalist who has a unique and/or unusual voice just go with "cant sing"
― °ㅇ๐ْ ° (gr8080), Monday, 10 March 2014 16:01 (ten years ago) link