Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You

The run from Little Things - Blurred View isn’t country/americana influenced at all though. It’s very decidedly a 90’s alt rock vibe in those tracks.

Ok maybe “little things” could be. But whatever country rock albums you’re listening to that sound like “flower of blood” I’d love to listen to.

I mean if we’re gonna spin this thing all the way out… the Pumpkins covered “Landslide,” so…

Iirc Buck Meek lists Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine on his influences, so there’s that.

One of my (and Lenker and Meek’s) favorite songs on the new record, “Jenni,” sounds like Hum’s 1995 alt-rock hit “Stars,” had it been recorded in a teenager’s humid, imploding bedroom.

But that image is perhaps even less weird and florid than the manner in which the song was actually recorded. “We hung the guitar from the rafters of a barn, from this 30-foot ceiling on a rope,” Meek explains to me. Around it, Stonehengelike, they arranged a circle of amplifiers. “[It’s] an idea I kind of stole from [Sonic Youth guitarist] Lee Ranaldo, who has an ambient set with that setup, a circle of amps.”

https://www.theringer.com/music/2019/4/30/18523793/big-thief-adrianne-lenker-ufof-capacity-band

Ah yes, country rock legends Hum and Sonic Youth.

this sucks and isn't fun

Ok. I’ll go back to listening to my favorite country song of the year so far: “flower of blood”.

I’m so glad that good bands are less fussed about genre than some of their fans are. One of the amazing things about this album is that they draw from such a wide range of influences & yet it still sounds like a cohesive thing.

The Blonde Redhead mention above — that was actually one of my first reference points when I first got into U.F.O.F. I think it was mostly her vocals and the way they sat in the mix. As I listened more and felt their folk roots more that association faded but I can still hear it.

xpost no I meant the whole thing, I hate my previous posts and contributing to turning this thread into some dire know-it-all spot the musical reference pissing contest. if they were tweets they'd be deleted

the album deserves better than ilm at it's worst

it's not even actually talking about music really just I know this well guess what I know this other thing 🤮

lol my initial pumpkins reference was very personal--and half joking-- rather than playing spot the influence, but I will say Adrienne can get a certain ache to her voice/melodies that reminded me of Corgan

Mmm Corgan is not a country rock artist, I doubt it’s intentional.

well, this week he isn't

moka i already took back all my posts on this thread ok you win congrats

Not much to add to what's already been said, this is incredible. Just amazing to listen to a band like this at the peak of their powers. I've already played it four times in full, finding more to love with each spin.

Unsurprisingly, Jim DeRogatis is absolutely wrong about this (although I guess he was otm about the "knish" rhyme), catching his review this morning once again reminded me how insufferable he can be.

Lol I’m joking. Also my original post was about how I was personally hearing a 90’s alt rock thing in that section of the album that brought SP to my mind, not that Big Thief were influenced specifically by them or saying they were.

That said, I think that one of the main reasons they’ve become one of the biggest indie acts of the past years is that they are not really operating under “indie folk” or “country rock” or whatever constraints a genre gives you. Some people are fans of John Prine and some are fans of idk… Slowdive and this is an album that could actually be of interest to both sides. I think it’s valid talking about the vast array of sounds they’re pulling - and points of references as unintentional and boring as they might be.

^ not to take anything away from this point, but this song is a very odd reference point for the big thief track “Jenni”(!):

One of my (and Lenker and Meek’s) favorite songs on the new record, “Jenni,” sounds like Hum’s 1995 alt-rock hit “Stars,” had it been recorded in a teenager’s humid, imploding bedroom.

Two things we can all agree on:

1) Dragon New Warm Mountain = classic

2) Jim DeRogatis = dud

Yep, it's just always bracing when you realize just how dud he is.

as a critic dud
as a journalist classic

That's otm. Wish he'd stick to the latter.

Catching back up, I can definitely hear the "Suzanne" influence on "Promise is a Pendulum", I was thinking the same thing on my first listen before I even saw the comparison itt. Right now "Red Moon", "Blue Lightning", "Love Love Love", "Certainty", "Spud Infinity" and "Simulation Swarm" are my favorites, but that would likely shift with another relisten.

Tbh, still trying to crack my way into appreciating "Blurred View".

It's just a really joyous song. I love the "Wanna be the vape that gets you high" line and the slightly offkey guitar lead

^^ this

It's the first song I loved after absorbing the original EP or whatever

Oh wait I meant Blue Lightning not Blurred View

yeah I love "Blue Lightning" too! "Blurred View" is the one I just haven't hit on yet.

Yeah I'm not sure Blurred View has quite sunk in either. It's a bit like Heavy Bend but through a sort of Thom Yorke filter

Some people are fans of John Prine and some are fans of idk… Slowdive and this is an album that could actually be of interest to both sides.

lol, yes to both and to this album

sing for you sing for you sing for you sing for you sing for you

that was one of the first songs that sank in for me

It's a bit like Heavy Bend but through a sort of Thom Yorke filter

otm, and although it was the first track that really surprised me off the album and I liked it quite a bit at first, it's starting to cool on me as much of yorke's solo material does over time as well

I classified "Blurred View" as "the trip-hop one," coming after "the shoegaze one." I don't know that it's actually trip-hop, but ... it's not not. Anyway, I love it.

good call, it is totally trip-hop

The Pitchfork review called it that, but I don't think I would have made that connection myself (or necessarily "agree" with it)

Iris Dement (very passionate about Infamous Angels)

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, February 21, 2022 8:20 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

Thought I couldn't like her more

I think the Michael Jackson cover might be my fave song on this.

Gave Blurred a proper listen and yeah I like it. I think because of the production being so much hotter and claustrophobic than the other songs it kind of passed me by before

Hadn’t made the connection, but there’s a bit of Portishead in Blurred View, yeah.

"I love John Prine and Iris Dement"

"Your new country rock album reminds me of Portishead”

Cool/interesting band interview: https://www.vulture.com/2022/02/big-thief-interview-album-dragon-new-warm-mountain.html

Jeff Tweedy does a Substack thingy and today's came with a recording of him doing a nice, Tweedy-esque cover of "Certainty"

blurred view def one of my fav songs

"I love John Prine and Iris Dement"

"Your new country rock album reminds me of Portishead”

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Tuesday, February 22, 2022 11:55 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

fucking let it go. you are right. i was wrong.

Today's favourite is Simulation Swarm, especially:

I remember
Building an energy field
In your room

I thought it was “energy shield”? Maybe just because my dad used to put these things he called “energy shields” (pieces of insulation cut to fit) over the windows when it got cold, ha ha

Jeff Tweedy does a Substack thingy and today's came with a recording of him doing a nice, Tweedy-esque cover of "Certainty"

― alpine static, Wednesday, February 23, 2022 2:22 AM (seven hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Normally I put songs behind the paywall, but this album is brand-new and incredible, and I want everyone with ears to hear it. If ya subscribe, maybe I’ll talk the Tweedy band into recording a second song from the request pile later this week.

https://jefftweedy.substack.com/p/certainty-big-thief-cover?utm_source=url

from the liners, i think "Certainty" is the only one on the album that's a co-write (with buck meek)

Spent about an hour working on “Seasons in the Abyss”, the Slayer request. (Thanks Sean) Alas, it eluded me. I’m sure there is an acoustic version in there somewhere but I couldn’t find a believable way to sing “frozen eyes stare deep in your mind as you die.”

come on jeff tweedy! i already believe it, just reading the words

when does the Tweedy/Rahm Emmanuel podcast kickoff?