Fiery Furnaces

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I saw a video by them last week. the girl is 'hawt'. the music wasn't bad but I can't remember much abt it right now.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 22 February 2004 09:26 (twenty years ago) link

the girl is hawt. thirded innit.

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 22 February 2004 12:00 (twenty years ago) link

I am going to stick up for conventional beauty and say she is not hawt and ur all indie.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 22 February 2004 14:48 (twenty years ago) link

'conventional beauty' => N are you one of those people who 'read' The sun?

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 22 February 2004 14:54 (twenty years ago) link

Yes, yes I am.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 22 February 2004 14:55 (twenty years ago) link

n. thinks nicole kidman is hawt so he is not to be trusted

― jeremy jordan (cruisy), Sunday, 22 February 2004 15:05 (twenty years ago) link

I think N. just wanted her to look more like Euros Childs.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Sunday, 22 February 2004 15:06 (twenty years ago) link

If someone will post a picture of her then, in due course, I will give you a definitive answer.

― the firefox, Sunday, 22 February 2004 15:09 (twenty years ago) link

Yes surely it is time for a picture

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Sunday, 22 February 2004 15:11 (twenty years ago) link

See http://www.splendidezine.com/features/fiery/fieryhead.jpg

He looks better than that photo suggests, and she looks worse.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 22 February 2004 15:14 (twenty years ago) link

They look entirely ordinary, I like that

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Sunday, 22 February 2004 15:15 (twenty years ago) link

Flaming heck.

They're ugly!

― the firefox, Sunday, 22 February 2004 15:18 (twenty years ago) link

that wasn't a good pic. it was too indie.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 22 February 2004 15:20 (twenty years ago) link

Your lack of dodgy indie aesthetics when it comes to women is one of the things I most admire about you, pinefox.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 22 February 2004 15:20 (twenty years ago) link

She's a woman w/a bulgy oldstyle hairdo, let's rock

― Silly Sailor (Andrew Thames), Sunday, 22 February 2004 15:21 (twenty years ago) link

I am being unfair though, she is an impressive, vaguely sexual stage performer. Halfway between Cat Power and Patti Smith.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 22 February 2004 15:22 (twenty years ago) link

what is this indie piss?

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 22 February 2004 15:23 (twenty years ago) link

She's called Eleanor, which I like, though the 'Friedberger' bit isn't so good. Or maybe it is, I don't know anymore.

There's another, enormous, picture here.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 22 February 2004 15:27 (twenty years ago) link

She looks like someone's mom. Yawn.

― anode (anode), Sunday, 22 February 2004 15:33 (twenty years ago) link

This thread has taken a VERY distressing turn.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Sunday, 22 February 2004 19:38 (twenty years ago) link

i was just about to say... the inevitable "hot or not."

― lauren (laurenp), Sunday, 22 February 2004 19:58 (twenty years ago) link

It's important how bands look!

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:00 (twenty years ago) link

yeah, hence the endless threads devoted to how cute/not cute basement jaxx are.

― lauren (laurenp), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:04 (twenty years ago) link

Apparently it's only really important how female musicians look, Jerry.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:05 (twenty years ago) link

I could swear people were talking about the surly brother.

I remember who she reminded me of. emily perkins! the little sister from 'ginger snaps'. I love that movie. more now.

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:08 (twenty years ago) link

we can talk about the brother's orange telecaster too! *drool*

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:09 (twenty years ago) link

How bands look is all part of the 'frame' of pop - the interviews, the videos, the clothes, the sleeves, the haircuts etc etc - it's all the stuff that encourages you to engage more adventurously in the imaginative world of the music.

To downplay or ignore this frame, to claim that it's all about the music, man, is one/my definition of rockism. (the fact that Basement Jaxists on ILM are so exclusively, post-Reynoldsianly, focused on the 'text' is one reason I think of them as slightly rockist [or at least nerdy] themselves.)

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:10 (twenty years ago) link

A good example - I love the way that people on the Morrissey thread are very excited about the new promo photo.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:11 (twenty years ago) link

(But I guess I wasn't taking the upthread comments as sexist because I know the people involved arent sexist, and are just as likely to get worked up talking about 'who are the most beautiful soccer players?')

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:13 (twenty years ago) link

What if you like both Moz and Basement Jaxx?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:13 (twenty years ago) link

i'm not arguing that. it's of supreme importance. but i just find it depressing that where women in bands are concerned, the level of discussion sinks to "oog, she's purty!" or "ick, i'd never touch that!" very quickly. how exactly does this help me engage with the world of the fiery furnaces?

― lauren (laurenp), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:14 (twenty years ago) link

Well I think the fact that they were debating her beauty is interesting. (To be fair, people were talking about whether the boy was attractive on another thread on ILE). I mean if you're talking about actors or actresses the conversation turns very quickly to sexual attraction - they are acting out our dreams and desires. And I don't see why this should be any different for pop singers. If anything the pop stage is even more charged with cathexis. Patti Smith understood this!

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:18 (twenty years ago) link

Yeah, I'm with Lauren on this.

I just resent that the discussion here has shifted from talking about the records to deciding whether or not the band is worthwhile based on how the FEMALE singer looks. That's pretty sad.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:20 (twenty years ago) link

We can talk about the way the guys look too. It's just that RJG was taken with the singer. I liked the one who played keyboards and wasn't the brother. He had a 70s preppy kind of cleancut jumper. Cozen thought he was going for the Sterling Morrison look. The two men looked across at each other in a cool way, supposedly watching for 'the changes' I guess. Ally thought they were trying to be cool and use this to cover their lack of good tunes (or was it the squelchy noises he made this allegation about?). And then he laughted and said "Oh dear, I sound like the pinefox". I'm not sure I buy this effortless/studied cool distinction. It's whether it impresses that's important. Maybe there's something akin to supension of belief. I wondered about if the brother had a girlfriend, and how she'd decided she liked his face. I mean, I liked his face too. I added it to my list.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:20 (twenty years ago) link

As far as I could tell, the "hot or not" discussion was completely removed from the "good or not" discussion.

― anode (anode), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:23 (twenty years ago) link

One of the best things N. ever said, a long time ago, was how pleased he was when he saw what Belle and Sebastian looked like. That they didn't look like - I dunno, Gomez or someone - made all the difference. It's about looks and desire and projection and wanting to be part of their gang - and a lot more complicated than "are they hot or not?'.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:23 (twenty years ago) link

(extremely close brothers and sisters spin me out. I feel like the main character in 'the dumb house': unable to translate the looks and pouts and weird private music of the cloistered twins. I feel like I'm the one who has been shut away without language. their so seductive in scariness. I got the feeling these two are like that. surly inseparable. emily and ginger. frightening.)

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:24 (twenty years ago) link

I can understand why people might find talking about the singers looks is distasteful, but some of these comments remind me of people saying "hey Blondie is a BAND - just ignore that incredible film noir femme fatale singing the songs!"

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:24 (twenty years ago) link

that could have been either there or 'they're'.

they were exceptional. the looks she was giving us!

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:26 (twenty years ago) link

I think it wasn't that I thought that B&S would look different. I think I just said I was watching The Mavericks on VH1 and turned the sound down (because it was awful, in the first place, I guess) and tried to imagine that this it was a video of B&S performing, and yeah, I didn't think I'd be so into them.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:27 (twenty years ago) link

I sometimes think there's a puritanism in American indie fans that would like to routinize charisma.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:28 (twenty years ago) link

Cozen - they didn't immediately cling to each other after the show, or even look at each other that much during it. Why do you get that impression?

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:30 (twenty years ago) link

It's about looks and desire and projection and wanting to be part of their gang - and a lot more complicated than "are they hot or not?'.

then discuss it complicated terms.

some of these comments remind me of people saying "hey Blondie is a BAND - just ignore that incredible film noir femme fatale singing the songs!"

― lauren (laurenp), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:30 (twenty years ago) link

Maybe part of why I'm annoyed with this is because I was really into the Fiery Furnaces for at least two or three months before I had any idea what they looked like. I listen to a LOT of music not knowing (or caring) about what the musicians look like. I don't think that the appearances of performers are irrelevant, but I am put off a bit by people who overblow the importance of a performer's looks.

I hate the implication that someone shouldn't be a performer because they don't look right. That's what it comes down to, when I read certain comments. It just translates to me as "if she isn't hot, she should get off the stage." Or, "she's so hot, she's such a great performer because of that."

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:32 (twenty years ago) link

I sometimes think there's a puritanism in American indie fans that would like to routinize charisma.

to me, judging eleanor on her attractiveness is routinizing (if that's a word).

― lauren (laurenp), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:34 (twenty years ago) link

yeah no agreed. there just seemed this magnetism, perhaps projected outwards from my own fear of these types. a feeling I had. (there was one moment where they seemed to joke together and it felt like a false note, it didn't seem to rhyme with what I was thinking about them). you don't have to be clingy to be inseparably linked. they reminded me of two (brother sister) friends of mine. and a particular pair of twins from school. these couples are both stunningly alike and forbidding.

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:34 (twenty years ago) link

another thing I thought important about the band's looks: the brother had such a serious expression on his face throughout the initial four 'farty-synth' songs. it made me laugh and smile. and not a muscle moved not a flinch throughout those tempo changes. that's why I worry about the translation to record. it couldn't catch that cool gusto. that impromptu improv feeling which I think I could only glean from adding their faces and the music up.

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:37 (twenty years ago) link

blondie specifically set themselves up ("blondie is a group" campaign notwithstanding) with debbie harry as a focus of attraction. i don't think that one can argue that because a band has a female singer, they need to follow this model.
Focus on the vocalist is part and parcel of the rock/pop mileu unless the vocalist specifically rejects it (Lou Reed turning his back to the audience.)

― anode (anode), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:38 (twenty years ago) link

Have you bothered to listen to the records?

I don't understand folks who go to see bands live without knowing their records, unless they are an opening act. I'm not saying that's totally wrong or bad; I just don't get the logic of it on a personal level. I'd rather really know the songs and then watch them be translated to stage than watch performers and hope that translates to record. The latter seems less reasonable.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:41 (twenty years ago) link

haha hey I just like saying the word 'hawt'! In fact I said cozen and N 'hawt' too on the ILE what do you look like thread.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 22 February 2004 20:41 (twenty years ago) link

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