Electrelane

Definitely: ever since Axes I've been wondering what their plan was on this front, whether they'd come back to being a pop band on the next record, or whether each LP would mix in both modes (which The Power Out mostly did), or find some third way that left the question behind -- no matter what, it seems like a good sign about a band's vitality that they'd have a few different directions they could profitably go in. I'll be interested to hear this one, especially if it fits their trend of getting increasingly, umm, "historical" from album to album.

i had no idea a new album was coming out! where have i been? albini on board? what's the scoop? i am wicked psyched to hear this already!

"We have decided that the upcoming gigs will be our last for the foreseeable future," the band wrote. "After ten years of much fun and hard work, we have realised that we all need a break and time to do other things. This was a tough decision for us to make, but ultimately a positive one.

"A big thank you to everyone who has come to our shows, put on our shows, and bought our records over the years. It means a lot to us. We're really grateful to have had the opportunity to play gigs all over the world and to meet so many lovely people. This last year has been especially enjoyable and we feel happy about moving on with all these good memories to look back on. At the moment we haven't made any band plans for the future but we're going to have a break and see what happens.

"Love, Electrelane"

this makes me v sad in my heart

Damn shame. Was thinking about them just the other day.

Noooooooooo

It seems like Verity has other projects to work on, though -- we'll see if this leads to an upswing in Mia writing, too.

i would like to do "other things" with all of them, including lesbo drummer

You say you don't know, what love means anymore.

cutty is class

i'm climbing up the waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalls without you

Let's all get together and make sure No Shouts, No Calls makes a strong showing in end of year polls.

GODDAMN IT :( :( :(

love these gals, new album is fantastic & nothing but great albums in their wake.

Goddamnit.

:(

Are you joking me? They were so cute!

:(

Ugh, horrible news. I just discovered this band after catching them open for Arcade Fire (and, quite frankly, blowing them off the stage) and fell immediately in love with them. Especially, especially Mia.

why are yall so obsessed with how they look? i mean yeah, sure they are cute, but it's about the music. i wouldn't care if they looked like Patti Smith x4 if the music was as good as it is.

and it is.

Its just a bonus that they're so cute! I'd love them either way.

Well yes. I only know they're supercute because I like them.

I meant to say love. "You say you don't knowwwww what love meens any morrrre"

The walls the walls the WALLS the walls

vs.

C-CAW!

The walls, even though they didn't do the greater times when I saw them play.

One of the great disappointments of my life is that before I ever heard Electrelane, I was standing by myself in a small record store in Chicago, and the four of them walked in. (This would have been when they were recording The Power Out with Albini, I think.) Record store + four English women in great clothes + some kind of vibe = "this is clearly some sort of band," but I had no idea which. It is lucky for them and unfortunate for me that I missed my opportunity to get excited and go all "do the c-caw sound for me!" on them.

bummer. saw 'em in may, they were grebt.

maybe I Want To Be The President was a more sincere signal of intent than it seemed and Verity needs time to get her '08 campaign going. could the timing really be this much of a coincidence?

IWTBTP is one of their best songs, when it hits overdrive towards the end.. WOOOOOOOOOOO

^ no foolin', nostalgically probably my favourite. it was always the one song i'd come away from shows wishing they'd played.

Well, this fucking sucks.

Yes it does. I'm sad I only saw them once, ages ago, when I wasn't too impressed; I liked them well enough then, but for me No Shouts No Calls was so much better than previous albums and I've heard so much about how great they are live now that I wish I'd seen them since. (Plus I would've liked to see them since Ros joined, since she was from my hometown and all.)

I bought No Shouts No Calls after reading Nick Southall's constant recommendations. I've never heard anything by them before but I love this album so much and it's a shame I'll never get to see them live. So thanks Electrelane for the great album, and thanks Nick for the recommendation!

I only saw them once around the time of Rock It To The Moon, wish I'd made an effort to see them more recently, they got so much better since that album :(

I've spent almost this entire year abroad, far away from home and this has been the one album that I've come back to, on long train rides and before going to bed. I'm happy that I got to see them one last time and that they are going out on the highest note possible, but as my time in Germany is coming to a close and with the announcement of their hiatus, I can't help but to feel a certain sadness by the coincidence.

I heard it from the valleys, I heard it ringing in the mountains...

such a great band. been relistening to their albums the past 24 hours, and i think No Shouts No Calls is definitely a high water mark for the band, and very likely to make my year-end top ten.

That sounds like damning with faint praise!

how is that in any way *damning*?? i said they are great, i've been revisiting their stuff (all of which i own, and enjoy to various degrees), and that their latest is their best work yet. wtf!

I dunno - maybe you really love many more albums in a year than I do. To me, if a band's high watermark album isn't even sure to make my top ten of the year, that's not particularly high praise, is all!

i can usually find 10-12 albums in a given year that i really, really think are fabulous. this year i have about 12 last i thought about it, and the Electrelane is fantastic, but not quite on the level, say, of my favorite 5 albums of the year. still a great album, but toward the lower end of my top 10, probably.