What's up with US Maple?

Dead Science, Capillary Action, Extra Life, Skeletons, ZS, and so on-- but the crit of "sounds too composed" goes for all those bands on some level, they all sound tethered to something

Wow, I have heard (and booked) all of these bands -- I'm trying to understand where the "too" is coming from? Why is it "too" composed?

The key phrases there though are “bands I like an awful lot”— because I do, I’ve played with and worked for most of those bands— of course I am totally nuts for Extra Life and Skeletons. And key word “sounds too composed”, that somewhere in the composing/performance process, liftoff had not been achieved, that as a listener I am still too consciously aware of compositional devices, instead of being transported by the work?

I mean, just to compare: everybody I know has had a moment of “surprise" when they hear that US Maple (or The Magic Band before them) duplicate their music from show to show, that it is composed and not improvised. Similarly whenever it’s Extra Life pushing their crazy time signatures, your ears are just like “whoa I feel off-balance and thrilled” instead of “this is in 11/8". My point is not "these bands don't cover their tracks", but that this is the crit that I'd level at some of these bands on those rare occasions when they're not being totally successful

would you feel that way if the compositions weren't as complex?

I get what you're saying -- I feel that way about a few of the bands you mention and others that is a bit related -- like sometimes it will come across as too stilted or "dorky" (iirc that was my response to seeing Cap1llary Act1on 7 yrs ago)

"dorky" otm, I like Capillary Action tho, esp. when they get breathless and ridiculous

have you heard Dead Science's cover of "Sign your name"? It is one of my favorites.

<3 yep I love it

this sounds great

US Maple is the greatest underground rock band of the last 25 years by a large margin

I think there are superficial similarities re. Johnson and Wedren but ultimately the former is pretty unlike anyone - the bizarro creepy breathy delivery, and the this was a whole process he went through for each album...everything was written out and deliberate

Did anyone mention this Maple live show yet, 'cause it's really amazing. No camera movement, but killer performance/sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JarSldMzLfo

Great video.

lol at Samson giving Rittmann hell

i forgot to ask flamboyant goon tie etc what he thought of the band Cheer Accident

La Lechera are you going to see Dead Rider at Hideout tonight?

For those who aren't that familiar with U.S. Maple, another fun fact is that Al Johnson, the singer, has one of the cameos in the movie "Hi Fidelity". He plays the super nerdy guy who comes in looking to buy the Captain Beefheart record

Having just heard this band for the first time this morning, I'm glad to read this post.

Man, I wish I could hear U.S. Maple for the first time again. A real treat (unless of course it isn't your thing and then ....)

Well, I just can't believe how much it sounds like Captain Beefheart! I like Capt Beefheart tho

Having just heard this band for the first time this morning, I'm glad to read this post.

I am totally blown away by this statement

Dominique please listen to Gira-produced "Talker" that is when they really make it new

i forgot to ask flamboyant goon tie etc what he thought of the band Cheer Accident

I only had heard the record on Skin Graft, hadn't thought about or listened to them since my early 20s, but a couple tracks got mix-taped heavily back then. Any recommendations?

I will! Yeah, I'm sure there are a million bands I haven't heard that other people take for granted as basics

La Lechera are you going to see Dead Rider at Hideout tonight?

― Immediate Follower (NA), Friday, April 11, 2014 10:33 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

NO but I would go if you would go! Surely it's not sold out right?! I've got nothing better to do, that's for sure.

Yeah I was thinking about it. Not sure if I'll have enough energy but I'll get in touch if I'm feeling adventurous.

I wonder how many albums Maple sold

@Sarah -- you know Evelyn Davis is in CA right?

Cool!! Lemme know. I'll drive!

The whole Dead Rider album is up on the Drag City SoundCloud account btw. It sounds like Tomahawk.

i feel like the beefheart comparison is way overplayed

it is, but comparisons ITT to tomahawk, polvo, craig wedren are batty balderdash.
have people these days heard music ?
USM:
DNA /pere ubu maybe.
slim whitman wrestling bobcat goldthwaite at the "derek bailey plays the fall vaudeville revue" at a push.
it's that tension / release dialogue that no-one really matches 'fore or since that makes it.
hillbilly slapstick branca cartoons
DR: scott walker gone glam no-wave. alex harvey gone waxtrax paranoid lothario.
i'm quite certain that describing these musics serves no practical purpose, but
fug me

@Sarah -- you know Evelyn Davis is in CA right?

― Dominique, Friday, April 11, 2014 10:19 AM (4 days ago)

Dude, my question to flamboyant goon tie was predicated on Evelyn praising musician Owen Pallett to high heavens

Has anyone seen Invisible Things? They're playing here this weekend.

Who are Invisible Things?

Mark Shippy and a crazy drummer http://invisiblethings.bandcamp.com

Well then yeah, you gotta go!

Oh, I listened to some of their music on bandcamp before, just didn't recognize the name. It's cool! Don't see how they would do it live, but would be interesting to see what they try to do. Plus yeah, that drummer is pretty nuts, seems like he would be fun to watch.

http://www.furious.com/perfect/usmaple2.html

This paper investigates the surprising parallels between U.S. Maple's notion of "reorganization" and Jacques Derrida's polyvalent corpus known as "deconstruction." I will focus, in particular, on how Al Johnson's vocals expand and critique the linguistic side of Derrida's theories through what Marcel Cobussen terms "deconstructions in music" (musical performances that act deconstructively on other musics).

woah that looks awesome

Cosign. Al Johnson is just amazing.

That essay is beautiful, though "Le Click" has always made me thing of NIN shreds when it comes on

i dig the enthusiasm (and at the same time i'm turned off by it) in the Ruccia essay, but wishful shoehorning abounds therein. parallels don't "exist" until they are drawn, are such parallels "surprising"? are they sufficiently investigated? (nope) what does the investigation enable? any acknowledgement of / investigation of alternative interpretations (and their "utility")? i'm sure Ruccia is an absolute sweetie, and that this was fun to research & write, but this was kinda bringing coals to Newcastle.

It's that time of year again, the BEST time of year!!! The time I remember that U.S. Maple is one of the greatest bands of all time and go on a listening spree! Fuch yeah!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW-AgYj77A0

This is the best day of the year so far. U.S. Maple day needs to happen more often.

Fuck what I would give to see this band now

Yeah, I am a dope for never seeing this band live, though I would have had a brief window to do so. Still, bums me the hell out.

One of the amazing things about seeing them live was realizing how intentional even their weirdest and most shambling material was. They could replicate that sound of a band playing while tumbling down a flight of stairs so precisely.

My own ability to precisely replicate posts from two years ago is equally uncanny, it would seem.

Hah pretty much every post of mine in here is a variation of "U.S. Maple is the best".

i am still wondering what al johnson is doing, like he's off making a masterpiece and not telling me
like what is he doing aside from writing this in april of 2013?!

This Masterpiece Creature is procreating (now this should put the (B.F.R.O.) folks on their collective smarmy assess; she’s breeding and birthing on each block depositing 2 to 4 pre-owned or slightly used Chevy Cavaliers,be it the sporty sedan or the more sensible four-door. Oddly enough all Chevy Cavaliers here are born between 98 and 02,’ also born healthy with a Sanyo CD player and roomy ashtrays.

The Cavalier is the official pace car of Dubuque. The Cavalier occupies the second and third quadrant on the Dubuque family crest. She is our quixotic metal, our roboid…roboid. That is my word: roboid - I just made it up! All of you take witness for I have coined. Everywhere you look, every 50 feet or so, there’s another gooey newborn, a Chevy Cavalier-year’s 98’ through 02’

But that’s neither here nor there.

i loled at "roomy ashtrays"

Hah yeah. He was on Twitter for a moment, then he was gone. There is some live footage of him somewhere above doing a solo performance/reading.