New Pornographers

Newman talks

STEREOGUM: Dan Bejar wasn’t involved in this record. Was he just busy with Destroyer?

NEWMAN: I was talking to him about what I wanted to do [with this record], and I think I told him, “I see it as being a bubblegum krautrock record.” Talking about the songs being 160BPM. He was talking to me and saying that all the songs he was writing were weird, quiet songs, and he was right in the middle of doing a Destroyer record. Which was something we’d narrowly skirted for our whole career. I’m always amazed that we managed to. Sometimes we avoided Destroyer, sometimes Destroyer avoided us, but eventually we hit at the same time. It wasn’t anything weird. We were just in Vancouver rehearsing and I’d go up and hang out with Dan. It’s not like anything’s really changed between us. It’s always the way it’s been. When we made Mass Romantic, we really didn’t know we were going to make another record. If nobody had paid attention, it’s possible we wouldn’t have, because it was hard to get that one done. When nobody’s asking for it…it’s hard to do something when you’re just doing it for yourself as a labor of love. The economics kicked in. If people wanna hear it, we’ll make it.

On the plus side, I hope this means we get a new Destroyer album later this year.

new album is so amazing. this plus Brill Bruisers has just brought much-needed Newman-y joy back to my life after the (relative) lull (imo) of Together.

is the new one out? i think i get a free album download w/ my concert tics

Seeing them tonight, excited to hear them. It's a bummer that Bejar won't be around. You really feel his absence on this new record (which I enjoy), especially since he wrote the best songs on Brill Bruisers.

I'm kicking myself for getting into this band just in time for Bejar to be gone. It's like XTC without Colin Moulding or Guided by Voices without Tobin Sprout.

did he ever tour with them?

bejar toured with them several times. they were a lot of fun last night tho.

I'm pretty sure he was with them the last time they played in my part of the country, hence the kicking of self.

I saw them with Bejar, some time around 2010. He stood with his back to the audience.

Even when he sang?

Yeah—I figured it was a shyness thing, but I'm not sure. If I remember right, he went off stage most of the time when he wasn't singing.

^^Saw the full band on the Challengers tour, and Bejar only came out for his songs, which were spread out in single shots throughout the set.

Wow. His place in the band is even more mysterious, then. Moulding and Sprout still played instruments in their bands when they weren't singing, i.e. almost always. I can't think of another band that works or worked like New Ps apparently did with Bejar.

it looked to me like bejar was getting some quality drinking done between his songs

Ha!

The new album has faded.

The one time I saw Bejar with the New Pornographers he was drinking so much he looked like he could barely stand up for his last couple of songs. He was still singing perfectly though.

Who is the Skunk Baxter of the New Pornographers?

wait wait wait https://t.co/UuNeMqhHmX pic.twitter.com/URlrZRQrxN

— Sarah Zhang (@sarahzhang) July 27, 2017

Haha. I'm guessing AC

his twitter feed is a heck of a smokescreen in that case

Maybe Fancey then?

New album, In the Morse Code of Brake Lights, out September 27.

First single:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqDO6DWldpw

Good title
Anyone heard the single yet?

friend of mine did the cover 8)

song is unfortunately pretty boring :/

enjoying their new direction

Is Dan Bejar involved? Their last one missed him.

I didn’t miss him at all on the last one. His schtick really gets on my nerves. Chacun a son etc etc

Last album was among their best ever.

Not super crazy about the new song but looking forward to hearing more.

enjoying their new direction

does anyone know who is playing bass in the Letter From An Occupant video? is that John Collins? doesn't look like him to me, but this was a long time ago...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBAUQaj6EJo

Yep, young John in a pre-beard era. When I saw them live a few years after this I thought “new John” was a different dude. I think he musta got more exercise as an Evaporator.

Big surprise in this vid for me: Blaine smiling and acting animated. Anytime I’ve seen them live he’s looked like he was updating his resume, not playing keys in a power-pop band.

yeah, I've been watching old New Pornos live footage on YouTube and Blaine has completely changed his demeanor onstage ... either because he's older, he's tired of it, he won't go thru the motions anymore ... who knows. pretty much the same for Todd Fancey, too. Carl should tell everyone in the band to at least pretend like you want to be there for these upcoming tours.

related: there is an incredible dearth of old New Pornos live footage on YouTube. i found a clip from '03 and some stuff from '07 and that's kind of it. (or i don't know where to look.)

There probably isn't a lot of fan footage from the last several years, as Neko bans cell phone recording/photography from both her own gigs and Newpies shows.

The Latin branch of PBS has a cool Challengers-era appearance they filmed in Mexico City for a show called Billboard Studio or something. Quite interesting, as it's sans-Neko and Bejar.

^^Not sure if it's on YT tho.

Thoughts on the new one?

One listen in and nothing really immediately clicked with me. Their albums tend to reveal themselves to me upon repeat listens, though.

It clicked.

It's good. Not top tier NPs, but good.

i miss bejar! but this record is really good

I like this more than their past few; it's a little peppier/zippier. They were sounding more & more "over-the-hill" with every release, to the point I kept mistaking each new LP for their swan song.

Bejar’s absence certainly contributes to what feels like a lack of variety.

I'm not usually big on strings in rock songs; but they sound so "grafted on" here that it almost works for me in a "That's interesting..." kinda way.

I like this more than their past few; it's a little peppier/zippier. They were sounding more & more "over-the-hill" with every release, to the point I kept mistaking each new LP for their swan song.

― #YABASIC (morrisp), Monday, September 30, 2019 11:27 AM (forty-five minutes ago)

You should re-listen, I think? This one is a little less peppier/zippier than their last two, which firmly allayed any (rightful, after Together) concerns about them being over the hill.

I actually am revisiting "Whiteout Conditions" as we speak...

Strings or keyboards? They got two keyboardists now.

They sound like strings, maybe they’re synths, I dunno

Ambition fails them when the keys or synths smother good songs ("Dreamlike and On the Rush") and mediocre ones ("Leather on the Seat") in hysterical swells.

I like it a lot on first listen, though I wish there were more guitars.