Let's have a thread for Maximo Park, then

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For this week they're apparently on for gatecrashing the top 10 - midweeks have them ahead of Weezer, Li'l Jon, the Killers, Faith Evans etc.

What exactly am I missing, here? They just don't really sound that interesting from what I can make out.

William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Wednesday, 4 May 2005 21:38 (eighteen years ago) link

"Apply Some Pressure" is a spectacular single.. that "what happens when you lose everything..." section is just brill. Unfortuntaely, everything else I've heard from them is terrible. Shame. Maybe they should've spent their time writing soem more songs instead of learning how to apply eyeliner.

The Brainwasher (Twilight), Wednesday, 4 May 2005 21:40 (eighteen years ago) link

"Graffiti" is a great single, and "Apply Some Pressure" is even better. Album not as strong as those two (the first single wasn't bad either). Don't forget the Annie remix and do see them live, that singer is a star.

JoB (JoB), Wednesday, 4 May 2005 22:04 (eighteen years ago) link

the annie remix? i thought it was the 'phones maximo remix' not a remix by maximo park.

anyway i love the three singles lots so i will be oh so definitely getting the album. best thing on warp since broadcast.

shine headlights on me (electricsound), Wednesday, 4 May 2005 22:08 (eighteen years ago) link

I think their songs are far more interesting that most of the current crop of british bands, and most of the tracks just get better on repeated listens. I really didn't like Graffiti at first, but now I think it might even have overtaken Apply Some Pressure as my favourite song of theirs.
I saw them live over the weekend, and there were so many screaming teenagers there it seemed more like a pop concert than an indie gig

jellybean (jellybean), Wednesday, 4 May 2005 22:09 (eighteen years ago) link

They're on Warp which is the weird thing.

dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 4 May 2005 22:23 (eighteen years ago) link

Warp wants to make some money for once.

The Brainwasher (Twilight), Wednesday, 4 May 2005 22:24 (eighteen years ago) link

I saw a boy with a Maximo Park T shirt today, someone on my MSN list is using a lyric as there tag, huge flyposting campaign. Heard both singles, seen them live can catergorically state they are The Futureheads it's not OK to like.

elwisty (elwisty), Wednesday, 4 May 2005 22:25 (eighteen years ago) link

Found them risible at first, but ended up buying the Grafitti 7". They're completely preposterous, and the singer looks like an art-school Alan Titchmarsh/Partridge but they have 10x more charm than the rest of this wave of guitar bands. As for being "the Futureheads it's not OK to like" I can't see what all the fuss is with with that band anyway. Utterly unremarkable, and Maximo park have better Geordie accents.

Ben Dot (1977), Wednesday, 4 May 2005 23:47 (eighteen years ago) link

There is only one Alan Partridge in indie-dom, and he sings lead for the Killers.

James.Cobo (jamescobo), Thursday, 5 May 2005 00:34 (eighteen years ago) link

They're great.
'Apply Some Pressure' is a truly fantastic song, especially the second part of it. The album is not that great, but there are a few more good songs as well.

zeus, Thursday, 5 May 2005 05:03 (eighteen years ago) link

This is an absoutely amazing band! Finally a great new rock brand from Britain. They piss all over boring cunts like Bloc Party or Franz Ferdinand. I'm in love(and it only took one listen).

Lovelace (Lovelace), Friday, 13 May 2005 20:37 (eighteen years ago) link

Art Brut is way better/

The Brainwasher (Twilight), Friday, 13 May 2005 20:47 (eighteen years ago) link

I've actually started liking this single even if it's only because they sound so much like The Inspiral Carpets. He's got the Tom Hingley intonations and everything!

William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Friday, 13 May 2005 21:56 (eighteen years ago) link

They were underwhelming on TOTP.

They look immaculate, but I can't help feeling it's just a veneer of something interesting in the music.

I'd like to give them a chance but the new wave of brit-indie-rock isn't something that's exactly set my pants on fire enough to go investigating full-lengths yet. I might buy 'First Day' by The Futureheads if I happened to see it on 7" maybe. If I wasn't on dial-up it'd have been downloaded already. Everything else = meh.

I can easily imagine Franz Ferdinand making these guys look very sallow indeed, if they lose some of the mediocre-ness and turn in a darker second album.

fandango (fandango), Friday, 13 May 2005 22:16 (eighteen years ago) link

hmmm haven't Bloc Party beat 'em to the punch already?

elwisty (elwisty), Friday, 13 May 2005 22:28 (eighteen years ago) link

probably yeah.

What's with that washed-out new version of 'Banquet' and the Gap advert-esque video anyway? I forgot I got excited about them (a bit) but no "Little Thoughts" on the album meant I passed it up in the end :-/

fandango (fandango), Friday, 13 May 2005 22:34 (eighteen years ago) link

I was sent their album as a promo, but haven't listened to it yet. I do like the Robert Longo-esque cover art, though.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 14 May 2005 00:40 (eighteen years ago) link

The singer has the most artfully crafted combover in popular music. The single is great. I loved the last Razorlight single too, I'm worried I may start buying the NME again.

Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Saturday, 14 May 2005 14:28 (eighteen years ago) link

That combover is the biggest obstacle between them and world domination. Someone get this man a proper hair stylist.

JoB (JoB), Saturday, 14 May 2005 14:56 (eighteen years ago) link

"Little Thoughts" on the album meant I passed it up in the end :-/

Album wise they veer perhaps deliberately away from the Little Thoughts sound and go deeper and darker.

elwisty (elwisty), Saturday, 14 May 2005 18:03 (eighteen years ago) link

Paul used to have better hair than that combover.
ihttp://www.nunuworldmusic.co.uk/photos/truck2004/maximopark1.jpg
Just last summer. Didn't expect them to be this popular 10 months on...

I love this album more and more with every listen. Actually, the mention of Little Thoughts, makes me think, if Maximo Park wrote the song, it would have fitted in quite well on this album.

jellybean (jellybean), Thursday, 19 May 2005 09:13 (eighteen years ago) link

it cracks me up that they keep the most unattractive member completely hidden in the back during the 'grafiti' video and off to one side during photo shoots.

lauren (laurenp), Thursday, 19 May 2005 10:01 (eighteen years ago) link

do they really spell thir name with an umlaut, thus: Maxïmo Park

why? This alone makes me hate them, and their music confirms that I was right.

The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 19 May 2005 10:02 (eighteen years ago) link

"thats enuufffff"

inspirals connection seconded

.. this was my first thought.

i love the excessive northern accents.

makes me homesick.

hated the lp on listen one.

loved it by listen four.

mark e (mark e), Thursday, 19 May 2005 10:09 (eighteen years ago) link

same here. I really didn't want to like this (hated all the big NME hyped guitar bands of last year), but it's just wormed itself into my brain. maybe it's something about familiarity

jellybean (jellybean), Thursday, 19 May 2005 10:16 (eighteen years ago) link

my flatmate has been playing the album nonstop for a while now, and i've come around to it after initially thinking that it was kind of wimpy and lacking in personality. still not at the "love it" point, though, and i doubt i ever will be. it's one of those that gets the damning faint praise from me and not much more.

lauren (laurenp), Thursday, 19 May 2005 10:16 (eighteen years ago) link

I also like the album more and more at each listening.
My favourite track is 'Once a Glimpse' now. If someone dislikes it just because this NME hype, then he's a fool.

zeus, Thursday, 19 May 2005 11:29 (eighteen years ago) link

First listen this is really really good.

Hari A$hur$t (Toaster), Monday, 23 May 2005 11:55 (eighteen years ago) link

'acrobat' is like 'This Is Hardcore' era Pulp.

Hari A$hur$t (Toaster), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:05 (eighteen years ago) link

"The coast is always changing" is gorgeous.

rest of the album = further attempts to rewrite that song, ie also pretty good.

Koens (Koens), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:11 (eighteen years ago) link

'acrobat' is like 'This Is Hardcore' era Pulp.

-- Hari A$hur$t (lindseyloha...), May 23rd, 2005.

The singer does remind me of a poor Jarvis Cocker copyist. They lack the flair of Pulp, from what I've heard.

Amiii Stewart (Amiii Stewart), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:24 (eighteen years ago) link

NOT AS GOOD AS STELLASTARR*

you people have short memories of dodgily punctuated indie rock acts.

elwisty (elwisty), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:25 (eighteen years ago) link

Lauren, what one's the attractive one? i cant really tell. speccy or maybe blonde?

jed_ (jed), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:33 (eighteen years ago) link

that's a good point. i can't really tell either.

lauren (laurenp), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:10 (eighteen years ago) link

but one of those two? :)

jed_ (jed), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:15 (eighteen years ago) link

yes.. blonde, i suppose. but you've forced me into it.

lauren (laurenp), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:23 (eighteen years ago) link

yes, definately the blonde.

jed_ (jed), Monday, 23 May 2005 13:43 (eighteen years ago) link

four years pass...

sorry to come over all southall but i never realised just how ridiculously bloody distorted the whole first album sounds

good tunes but

c.c. crabcock (electricsound), Friday, 3 July 2009 12:55 (fourteen years ago) link

one year passes...

so, it seems that yesterday i inadvertedly bought an album by this bands guitarist, duncan lloyd, that came out on Warp a couple of years back.
thought it was going to be a laid back affair (the sticker on the cover promised 'sublime melodies'), whereas its all bit graham cox-esque, roughed up guitars, slacker vocals i.e. duncan has a love for 90s alt.rock
that said, i will probably listen to it lot more than the MP albums.

mark e, Wednesday, 16 March 2011 16:38 (thirteen years ago) link

seven years pass...

there are a surprising amount of Maximo Park threads on ILM. Have to say I've a soft spot for them and 'Apply Some Pressure' is one of the best mid-2000s indie landfill singles

Hire Planes (dog latin), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 14:00 (five years ago) link

Smh at people using the term "landfill indie" wrong. Again.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 14:19 (five years ago) link

the_landfill_indie_defender has logged in

i am fast and full of teeth. i willl die in a barn fire (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 14:20 (five years ago) link

There does seem to be much more to MP than a lot of their supposed peers

imago, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 15:48 (five years ago) link

Landfill indie refers specifically to the large crop of z-list indie bands/acts that appeared in the period after the Arctic Monkeys first album.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 16:21 (five years ago) link

worst Philip Larkin line ever

R.A. Lafferty, lover of the Russian queen (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 16:24 (five years ago) link

Landfill indie is not: The Libertines, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, The Futureheads, Maximo Park.

Landfill indie is: The Wombats, The Pigeon Detectives, Scouting For Girls, Reverend & the Makers, The Ting Tings, Kate Nash etc.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 16:29 (five years ago) link

what defines the border there? other than bands you like and bands you don't

chant down basildon (NickB), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 16:31 (five years ago) link

Interesting that I'm being asked what defines the border when I've already supplied it.

I'm not expecting any reasonable conversation from Noodle Vague in this thread.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 16:40 (five years ago) link

what defines the border there? other than bands you like and bands you don't

― chant down basildon (NickB), Wednesday, May 23, 2018 9:31 AM (thirteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this is exactly turrican's view and it's as incomprehensible as you might imagine

( ͡☉ ͜ʖ ͡☉) (jim in vancouver), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 16:45 (five years ago) link

turrican are you saying it’s just a chronological thing rather than some sort of value judgement?

chant down basildon (NickB), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 16:48 (five years ago) link

scouting for girls aren't even indie ffs

( ͡☉ ͜ʖ ͡☉) (jim in vancouver), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 16:51 (five years ago) link

Jim: Not that I should need to point this out, but it's not.

Nick: It's both a value judgement and a chronological thing.

Did anyone actually read the Word Magazine article where the term initially appeared?

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 17:03 (five years ago) link

landfill indie referred to the glut of bad indie bands in the 00s, you can date this to after 2006 and the arctic monkey's first album if you would like - and if that's what the word article you refer to referred to - but the glut of shit indie bands of the 00s started after the strokes came out with is this it in 2001. bands that predate, or were contemporaneous to the the first arctic monkeys album such as the fratellis,the zutons, razorlight or the kooks are landfill indie or there is no point in having the term

( ͡☉ ͜ʖ ͡☉) (jim in vancouver), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 17:13 (five years ago) link

The Fratellis (who released their debut album after the first Arctic Monkeys) and The Kooks (who also released their debut in 2006) are undoubtedly landfill indie.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 17:21 (five years ago) link

kooks released their album on the same day as the arctic monkeys debut hence they did not come after the arctic monkeys

so no, they are not landfill indie according to your definition

( ͡☉ ͜ʖ ͡☉) (jim in vancouver), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 17:26 (five years ago) link

The Vines and The Datsuns were certainly not to my taste, but neither of them were landfill indie. Every era has a glut of shit music - landfill indie refers to a specific period of shit music which roughly spans 2006-2009.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 17:27 (five years ago) link

What are Maximo Park's attitudes to public transportation?

imago, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 17:28 (five years ago) link

Are The Cribs landfill indie? Is 'Our Earthly Pleasures'?

Frederik B, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 17:33 (five years ago) link

The first Cribs album came out in 2004.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 17:40 (five years ago) link

fuck sake

( ͡☉ ͜ʖ ͡☉) (jim in vancouver), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 17:45 (five years ago) link

The success of the Arctic Monkeys debut is notable in that it had the record companies shitting themselves trying to sign the next Arctic Monkeys while people were still buying physical copies of music. Again, there's always been shit music, but from 2006-2009 there was a ridiculously high quantity (beyond the point of oversaturation) of god-awful z-list indie from a lot of newer and not-very-good artists - hence why the "landfill indie" term was coined. No wonder people started to get their musical kicks elsewhere.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 18:03 (five years ago) link

i think there were some people getting their kicks elsewhere than indie before 2006

R.A. Lafferty, lover of the Russian queen (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 18:05 (five years ago) link

the problem with insisting on a prescriptivist definition of "landfill" is that it no longer describes the term as it's popularly used. in the same way that Don Quixote or A Tale of a Tub are postmodern works avant la lettre, "landfill" as a critical term has come to signify all kinds of noxious, space-consuming waste, dumped both before and after the article that may or may not have coined it. from the moment 3 or 4 white teenagers got together to generate the spirit of real music that had been missing from the landscape for too long, landfill was born. it's a state of mind, a vibe, a certain swagger.

R.A. Lafferty, lover of the Russian queen (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 18:11 (five years ago) link

There undoubtedly were, but I was referring to people who had become jaded with guitar music specifically as a consequence of that particular period.

(x-post)

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 18:15 (five years ago) link

why as far back as 1980, Billy Joel wrote

"Razorlight, 3 chord shite, as long as it's fully white
It's all landfill shit to me"

R.A. Lafferty, lover of the Russian queen (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 18:15 (five years ago) link

Turrican is right chuffed he gets to teach about landfill indie again ;-)

don piano (Ross), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 18:19 (five years ago) link

The Creation Myths of Landfill Indie by JRR Turrican.

Poisoned by Johan's pea soup. (Tom D.), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 18:24 (five years ago) link

(xp) You may as well send for an expert at times like this.

Poisoned by Johan's pea soup. (Tom D.), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 18:25 (five years ago) link

Only an expert

don piano (Ross), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 18:26 (five years ago) link

What good is a term if it can't be used to shit on Razorlight?

Frederik B, Wednesday, 23 May 2018 18:28 (five years ago) link

that was the point Billy Joel was making

R.A. Lafferty, lover of the Russian queen (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 18:29 (five years ago) link

solid chuckles at jrr turrican

chant down basildon (NickB), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 18:34 (five years ago) link

the problem with insisting on a prescriptivist definition of "landfill" is that it no longer describes the term as it's popularly used.

It's popularly used by people that feel they're somehow above a certain type of music from a certain era to dismiss said type of music from said era entirely. Misusing the term is convenient for them, because it makes them feel marginally more clever saying it vs. "I don't like this music", which is what they really mean to say.

"landfill" as a critical term has come to signify all kinds of noxious, space-consuming waste, dumped both before and after the article that may or may not have coined it.

Every era has had it's fair share of shit music, and shit music happens across all genres, but I can say with absolute certainty that I've never once read or heard the word "landfill" used to describe any other type of music or era.

from the moment 3 or 4 white teenagers got together to generate the spirit of real music that had been missing from the landscape for too long, landfill was born. it's a state of mind, a vibe, a certain swagger.

I rest my case.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 19:13 (five years ago) link

Steering the topic back to Maximo Park, though, I have a hell of a lot of time for their first two albums and even like about half of their third, but I think they'd said all they needed to say by then.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 19:26 (five years ago) link

Self-clowning scarcely covers it.

Poisoned by Johan's pea soup. (Tom D.), Wednesday, 23 May 2018 20:39 (five years ago) link

what have I come back to? lol

Hire Planes (dog latin), Thursday, 24 May 2018 00:20 (five years ago) link

Did anyone actually read the Word Magazine article where the term initially appeared?

the canonical magazine first appearance was actually retconned a couple years later. just called Andrew H. on the phone, he agrees Maximo Park was definitely landfill indie as of the critical reassessment of the chronology at the official meeting in 2011

(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻ (mh), Thursday, 24 May 2018 21:18 (five years ago) link

When was it first used?

Poisoned by Johan's pea soup. (Tom D.), Thursday, 24 May 2018 21:25 (five years ago) link

even in 2005 when I saw them at Glastonbury I knew they were landfill, but they were a brilliant fun live band.

they were on the same afternoon/stage as Art Brut and Departure.

what a day.

mark e, Thursday, 24 May 2018 22:10 (five years ago) link

I was just surprised that they've been going on so long, regularly churning out albums every couple of years. also impressed their last one made it as high as something like number 12 in the UK album charts in 2017. always wonder how these sorts of bands keep going, keep selling records despite having had their 15 seconds of fame over ten years ago

Hire Planes (dog latin), Friday, 25 May 2018 10:44 (five years ago) link

well tbf, to get to number 12 in the uk album charts in 2017 only required selling about 40 copies

^ this

Poisoned by Johan's pea soup. (Tom D.), Friday, 25 May 2018 10:50 (five years ago) link

Earliest mention on ILX:

Teenagers in Crisis:

NME = landfill indie
Kerrang = mallcore rock

― djmartian, Tuesday, 22 July 2008 19:01 (nine years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Poisoned by Johan's pea soup. (Tom D.), Friday, 25 May 2018 10:52 (five years ago) link

That Dakota vs Sex On Fire resemblance is quite uncanny

groovypanda, Friday, 25 May 2018 11:17 (five years ago) link


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