The Clientele - Best Band Since The Smiths

I did manage to find those both online for very reasonable prices but as for record shops here in Minnesota I just seem to have no luck. Strange Mercy is right at the top of my list of albums I want on vinyl and has been for the last year. Couple of copies on Discogs for over a hundred dollars but that's about it. Rarely even comes up on eBay.

Strange Geometry? Yeah me too. All time favorite album.

I bought strange geometry vinyl for a friend on his birthday. I guess he can retire now.

It was my birthday almost a month ago and I still haven't received anything in the mail...

your copy of Dan Fogelberg's Souvenirs is on its way, i swear!

no idea about this reissue. what is the new/extra material?

who gives a shit about vinyl, though, really?

Extra material is on a CD. Unreleased/alternate versions/limited stuff.

I like vinyl.

The only unreleased thing on it I haven't come across before is May Has Brought a Change in You... not sure where it is from. There's some demo versions that might not have seen the light of day before as well.

Strange Geometry? Yeah me too. All time favorite album.

― Evan

Oops, that was indeed meant to be Strange Geometry and not the St. Vincent album (already have that on vinyl)

I like vinyl too. It looks and sounds lovely.

I should force my friend to give strange geometry to one of y'all because he heavily favors violet hour over it iirc. At least violet hour is easier to find on vinyl.

Violet Hour does seem to be bit more available. Think I only paid $30 for it in the end.

Strange Geometry was my favourite when I first got into them. It's much more instant than Violet Hour which I actually thought was a little dull the first time I heard it. After a while I kept going back to Violet Hour and it's taken over as my favourite and has become one of my favourite albums ever. Not many albums have grown on me like that did.

That's funny. I kind of have the exact same story. Since I got into them late, Violet Hour sounded kind of limp and dour in comparison. Now it's extremely hard for me to imagine that perspective. I guess the production made it all blend together, though I now I know the songs!

oops- I now know the songs*

yeah, I didn't get heavily into violet hour immediately. but the aforementioned friend played it every night through one summer, and it eventually took a very strong hold. I immediately took to strange geometry, however, while my friend apparently did not, which does seem a bit backward to me.

Have Strange Geometry on vinyl - didn't realize I was lucky to have it, was one of the first things I ordered once I started collecting. Also one of the first albums I downloaded when I started reading Pitchfork. Also All Time Favorite top10 (agree completely w thread title). Caught the band live last year for local Pop Revo festival's 10th anniversary - all time top5 concerts, wooow, especially hearing/seeing Alasdair's live delivery was eye opening.

Never really got into Violet Hour bc of production, still like it over Bonfires but not overn God Save. SG #1 by far for me. Woohoo Clientele!!!

I was at that PopRevo show, it was a total wonder, not least because it was the first show back as a three-piece and they played a bunch of stuff which no-one had heard live for years. I probably mentioned all of that upthread somewhere.

In other mentioned-upthread news, I have the new recording I talked about now: it's lovely, The Clientele in bright and breezy mode. And a trumpet! It's called "On A Summer Trail".

Has anyone heard the tracks from the Merge singles club 7" yet? Falling Asleep and Orpheus Avenue?

I hope all these new songs are harbingers of a new album (more new Birdie recordings would also be pretty wonderful)!

The Birdie thing we're putting out is "Spiral Staircase" (it's never been out in the UK before) because the new recording ("Bowling Green Saturday") wasn't finished in time for manufacture ahead of the July show (i.e. today). But we are doing our best to persuade them that the world requires the great lost Birdie LP.

Triple Echo is so good!

I know!

Right?

I don't know anything about Birdie. Fill me in?

yes, was going to ask the same thing...

birdie is debsy from dolly mixture (though maybe better known as saint etienne's key regular backup singer on tour, occasionally on album.) paul kelly is the other member, he's done some film work too.

xpost

The core members of Birdie are Paul Kelly (East Village, Episode 4) and Debsey Wykes (Dolly Mixture, Coming Up Roses, tons of other stuff), both of whom have played with Saint Etienne in their time. They make a beautiful noise, which I'd tend to think of as cool-psychy-pop and they know better than most how to deploy an electric piano.

Try these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-KdaAKlB6g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e40p8lnEbA

(We're talking about them here because we have a split single coming out featuring them and the Clientele, and the two bands will be playing the same London show at the start for July; 5 tickets left, hurry hurry.)

I'd attend but I just spent a bunch of money seeing the Clientele up in NYC!

Thanks!

I'm from the states, and no worries- I've got tickets to their show here in July as well! I really can't wait. The chickfactor show in Brooklyn was magical. I mean, so was their Hoboken show in 2010, but I only become a bigger fan as the years pass if that were possible.

I owe my ambition to write overly knotty and complex but beautiful guitar parts to these guys (also Kozelek).

See you there I guess!

love the sound and texture of those birdie songs.

yeah birdie sounds real good too, thx for recommending.

@Tim that's so funny you were there - I did notice some english speakers and thought, wow Clientele really has fans (totally makes sense, were I not at roskilde festival 5th july I would buy tickets for the london show now)

sure i've said this before, but losing haringey is brilliant, mind-blowing, sadly-sweet nostalgia.

got my suburban light in the mail just now! and a package from slumberland at the same time, when it rains it pours

Will you be at the Clientele show in NYC this July?

nah, can't afford to go up there as often now that I don't have family living there to stay with... also I'm going to the outer banks! might try and catch one of their east coast summer shows if the timing (and distance) is right.

Oh I guess I misread your earlier post. Good luck catching them if you're able to! I'm just glad that they're active again.

Thanks! If the stars align I'll be going through DC in July and I'll try and time it so I can see them at the Black Cat!

The Clientele on facebook:

"wow thank you so much Suburban Light purchasers - our old 4 track record is currently #27 in the Billboard LP chart."

Awesome!

Tempted to post on there asking about a Strange Geometry reissue but I'm worried that will come across as looking a bit greedy.

do it!

Done. Because I'm that cool.

nice.

I asked Alasdair at the Chickfactor show and he said "If Merge wants to!"

well maybe the suburban light success will help

When Merge first starting posting about these 25th anniversary reissues I actually posted on their Facebook page asking if they'd consider putting out either a Surburban Light or Strange Geometry reissue. They responded with something along the lines of "Watch this space" Then just as they announced the reissue they responded again to my post with a link to the Pitchfork article about the reissue. I though that was pretty cool.

So basically, I need to start hassling Merge now.

Thought not though obviously.

I'm 99.9 percent sure I have Strange Geometry still sealed in my closet. I bought it after I bought the cd and have just been using the cd or flacs all these years. Pretty sure Violet Hour is in there unplayed along with God Save The Clientele still sealed. My reissue LP came this week, I thought I read something about the cover art being slightly different, but other than being darker than the original one, looks the same to me.