Appleseed Cast - Low Level Owl Vol. 1 & 2

I don't care how much you hate emo, or the rest of the bands material- this album is incredible. Not sappy, not cliche; original.

I have it on CD, but I'm also desperately looking for it on vinyl. Anyone want to share love for the album?

i've only heard two conversations, which i dig most of.. how does it compare to that?

Two Conversations is pretty straightforward. Honestly I haven't given it much time, but Low Level Owl I really think was what set them apart from the sensitive/"emo" masses of the indie guitar bands. It is really experimental and refreshing, if you're into cohesive albums with emphasis on atmospherics and mood rather than a collection of pop songs.

if you're into cohesive albums with emphasis on atmospherics and mood rather than a collection of pop songs.

lol well unfortunately i'm not, but i'll have a listen to it anyway!

Ha yeah thats understandable. I'm kind of into albums that play like soundtracks to bittersweet films (though I'm not much of a post-rock fan typically- they generally can be kind of formulaic and melodramatic).

(Post-rock bands, that is).

This is great, yeah - not listened to it in a long time but I do like it a lot. 'Blind Man's Arrow', lovely song.

love these records.

They're being reissued on vinyl and the band will be playing these albums through start to finish on tour!

went to the llo performance tour tonight--pretty fuckin awesome if you ask me

I like Sagarmatha

I'm a big fan of these guys. Seen them three times (one was Low Level Owl played in its entirety).

Sagarmatha was excellent and Middle States was darn good too.

Though, keeping up on the band's status, it seems Middle States is probably the last thing Aaron will be involved in (John Momberg has seemingly left, as well). A new track is available at http://theappleseedcast.bandcamp.com/releases (it's decent-ish).

Got my Low Level Owl album signed at the show (this is the original issue on Deep Elm/Gilead Media — both Chris and Aaron were surprised to see it):
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RuUSEFIdgJw/S5SoAwu-JPI/AAAAAAAAAm0/_FnGfzSl7Gc/s1600-h/DSC06660.JPG

Wonderful band.

Whoops, let's try that image again:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RuUSEFIdgJw/S5SoAwu-JPI/AAAAAAAAAm0/_FnGfzSl7Gc/s1600-h/DSC06660.JPG

Okay, I give up, here's the url: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RuUSEFIdgJw/S5SoAwu-JPI/AAAAAAAAAm0/_FnGfzSl7Gc/s1600-h/DSC06660.JPG

Sorry for the multiple posts.

I never listened to these guys much, what is the best album to start with? If I have a preference for guitar-heavy, unabashed emo over respectable indie-rock, should I start with their earlier albums, or is there a clear work I need to hear first?

mare vitalis

this is a great band and their new record is streaming at pitchfork http://pitchfork.com/advance/78-illumination-ritual/

ohhh nice.

Sounds real good. Didn't even know these guys were still around, so this is a nice surprise.

Sounding really good so far. Great drums.

The end of Barrier Islands creates that wall of emotion that they do so perfectly.

Hmm haven't heard yet.

Would you drive an hour an a half to see these tonight? Big storms are forecasted for England tonight.

Are The Appleseed Cast a perfect storm live ? (sorry)

Just saw the Mare Vitalis anniversary tour last night. They've still got it, even though Chris is the only founding member still in the band.

I didn't realize their line-up changed that drastically.

Nate Whitman (bass) has been with them since at least Sagarmatha, if I'm remembering correctly.

But yeah, it was a bit heartbreaking to see them for the first time without Aaron. Replacement Taylor Holenbeck is a worthy one, though (he also plays with two of the same pedals I do!).

new album is prob their best since low level owl https://graveface.bandcamp.com/album/the-fleeting-light-of-impermanence

Ok, listening!

I agree with myself from almost 10 years ago. Low Level Owl is still very special. The whole thing is a dreamlike hazy slow burn... vocals are also pretty notably secondary and obscured for an "emo" band. I get similar vibes to Slowdive and Duster at times. Experimental and moody without the worst of gooey post-rock melodrama.

Going to see my friend play bass with them next weekend

Are you a fan otherwise?

so many incredible melodies all over this thing. I also love how they don’t need to pile on the distortion to execute an exhilarating musical climax. drums!

Obligatory response to every revive...

Agreed the drums are super incredible all over this!

I feel like their reputation as typical late 90s style midwestern emo forces this standout masterpiece to be overlooked. It's so weird and great.

i got to see them around that time, twice in Kansas and Missouri. the drummer was like a folk hero! he was so good, and with arms like trees, too

is it overlooked? maybe i was just in a big appleseed crew in hs/college but they're always around

Well, by non midwestern style emo fans I think? Low Level Owl has crossover appeal. All the other albums however feel like typical for the genre.

they really do kick ass live as well

well they did in 2002 or whenever I saw them lol I’m sure they’re still rad

"...so, in that respect, those later appleseed cast albums are kinda like what would have happened if it had been acceptable for someome like neil halstead to proclaim his love of topographic oceans in 1995 or whatever."

I love these albums so much. Track 5 on vol 1 did always bring to mind “souvlaki space station” for me

I wish they'd re-release this thing on CD. Vinyl prices for the full set are pretty eye-watering and the old versions of both CDs are pretty high.

I seem to rediscover it every year or so and, not to get all Newland Archer, but each time it happens to me all over again.

going back to fleeting light of impermanence a bit lately.

i consider their post-llo stuff in 1 of 3 categories:
1. more llo space drifting
2. an emo band still, inexplicably, trying to pretend to not be a prog band
3. a synthesis of the above two

imo, they really get into that dreamy, beautifully pensive mode that they've made their own when they focus on #3. that bottomless pit of beauty... pygmalion jamming with 1976 neil young sitting in. peregrine and illumination ritual are pretty good at it.

fleeting light does it a lot, too. it's not their best -or even in their top three- but it's definitely them exploring their own world most successfully. it keeps the epic scope of llo in place, but keeps the songs mostly to "middle states" lengths. the heavier reliance on synths isn't immediately noticeable because, again: it feels like they've kind of mastered the whole idea of what "THE APPLESEED CAST" sounds like pretty well, so it's one of those later career albums by a longtime act that neither says anything new or, for the band, all that unique... and yet, they've become so good at doing what they do, it's still satisfying as hell. i hope it's not their last album.

oh yeah, here's the closing track from fleeting light. starts off mare vitalis but then drifts up into a p neat synthgaze blissout coda-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlumHp1Iisk
"last words and final celebrations" (2019)

i think, as far as rock bands go, i've seen them more than anyone else. they are indeed a good experience in person. loud though!