So this is fucking immense. Way better than the first two (which I still liked).
― 80085 (a hoy hoy), Thursday, 11 February 2010 14:37 (fourteen years ago) link
just caught myself singing out loud some of the more dragon quest sounding bits at work ("the stony hiss of cockatrice has cast us into serfdom! i close my eyes and spur imelda down the mountainside - for a liberated spectrum!") — felt 'nerdy'
― thomp, Thursday, 11 February 2010 14:41 (fourteen years ago) link
Haha--I find myself singing "I will not sing your praises..." all the time.
― President Keyes, Thursday, 11 February 2010 14:46 (fourteen years ago) link
this = awesome
― Michael Steele, the first black Superman (HI DERE), Thursday, 11 February 2010 14:49 (fourteen years ago) link
should probably hear this huh
― sonderangerbot, Thursday, 11 February 2010 14:51 (fourteen years ago) link
dude it's incredibly good
― Lee Dorrian Gray (J0hn D.), Thursday, 11 February 2010 15:02 (fourteen years ago) link
unsurprisingly; I'm really enjoying this. Will be putting it on repeat methinks.
― forksclovetofu, Thursday, 11 February 2010 15:12 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah i dont have much else to say other than this is epic and kind of really good
― vag gangsta (k3vin k.), Thursday, 11 February 2010 17:49 (fourteen years ago) link
just caught myself singing out loud some of the more dragon quest sounding bits at work
or on the bus! or on the street! or...well, anywhere. and then you get really self-conscious about how ridiculous you sound!
― Alex in Montreal, Thursday, 11 February 2010 18:09 (fourteen years ago) link
I work in the student shop at Goldsmiths College. The staff get to pick the music that plays; today I kicked off my shift with Heartland. Some guy comes up to the counter and we start talking about it. Dude's gotta review it for The Quietus apparently. My brush with music writing 'fame' haha.
― Dwight Yorke, Thursday, 11 February 2010 22:04 (fourteen years ago) link
you want lyric embarrassment, try accidentally muttering "I've got a taste for liquid gold / I'll bludgeon til the body's cold" while waiting in line at a McDonald's
― oɔsıqɐu (nabisco), Thursday, 11 February 2010 23:37 (fourteen years ago) link
^^ the most effective method I've ever found of enlarging my Personal Space
― oɔsıqɐu (nabisco), Thursday, 11 February 2010 23:38 (fourteen years ago) link
(obligatory cock ring joke)
― forksclovetofu, Friday, 12 February 2010 05:04 (fourteen years ago) link
If Heartland is totally from the perspective of Lewis, is the EP a collection of disparate voices just supplementing with context? Are any of those "Lewis" songs as well, or should we just treat them as vaguely connected bonuses? (Specifically is The Butcher supposed to be in the voice of "Owen, God of Spectrum", because that's the only way I can make head or tails of it).
I read "E is for Estranged" as being from Owen's point of view as well, and then started to notice the melodic similarities to "The Butcher" toward the end of it - neat if I'm right.
― if, Friday, 12 February 2010 08:19 (fourteen years ago) link
I'd never heard any of Owen's other music before listening to this - it's some astonishing music. I had no idea my subconscious had been craving a long-form orchestral-pop concept album so much, but hey no complaints here
― HPSCHD, Friday, 12 February 2010 18:50 (fourteen years ago) link
Pooland
― velko, Friday, 12 February 2010 22:03 (fourteen years ago) link
for some reason listening to this makes me want to read dave sedaris. an odd sensation i know.
― 80085 (a hoy hoy), Saturday, 13 February 2010 09:04 (fourteen years ago) link
he poos hearts?
no, wait. he hearts poos.
― thomp, Sunday, 14 February 2010 17:27 (fourteen years ago) link
I think he means the set of aesthetic priorities that electronic composers might be said to have - what exactly these are isn't something I'd be in a position to state, but it does seem that composition, for electronic composers, is a different activity from composing on standard instruments of the symphony in some ways, right? or maybe not, just thinkin'
― Lee Dorrian Gray (J0hn D.), Thursday, February 4, 2010 2:40 PM (2 weeks ago)
been ruminating on this idea as i'm listening to this album repeatedly the last couple of weeks. it hit me watching a live clip from ifc. it's the looping, i think, the way he (and other electronic composers) records a phrase to have the exact same thing loop over. the sensibility is the same if you are recording that loop live or copy/pasting midi notes or letting a drum machine run over the same beat etc etc. this isn;t to say that acoustic instrumentalists don't use or even rely on repetitive phrases, but save for the most precise players there's going to be some variation in timbre or micro-imprecisions in rhythm. the loop otoh is always "exactly" the same.
there's a lot of variation in chord structures, but as a point of reference, "e is for estranged" is essentially the same chord structure throughout but it took me a long time to figure it out. the addition and removal of layers is much more akin to electronically produced (at least 4 me at any rate). it's to his great credit that he doesn't allow this repeating structure get stale and has enough going on that the song moves.
― tuvan ear, nose, and throat singer (m bison), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 04:22 (fourteen years ago) link
i want to say something clever like this is technical wizardry disguised as a beautiful chamber pop album or vice versa, but i don't think either facet is hidden at all. it's like "i'm fucking talented, let's waltz :D"
― tuvan ear, nose, and throat singer (m bison), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 04:28 (fourteen years ago) link
man, I know I can be accused of bias here, but this is the BEST. FUCKING. ALBUM. Like, every song makes me go "fuck yeah dude this is the best song on the record" only then the next one comes up. And it's the same thing again. BEST. FUCKING. ALBUM.
― Lee Dorrian Gray (J0hn D.), Sunday, 7 March 2010 00:48 (fourteen years ago) link
Yeah, this is going to be hard to beat for my favorite of the year.
― President Keyes, Sunday, 7 March 2010 02:09 (fourteen years ago) link
loooool i've been listening to this tonight!
Owen's vocal melodies are INSANELY great on this. Seriously. The vocal melodies. A++
― ksh, Sunday, 7 March 2010 02:16 (fourteen years ago) link
"I took a No-Face by his beeaaaak, and broke his jaw, he'll never speak again (ahhhhhhhh)"
Cannot overstate the greatness of the vocal melody on this line.
― ksh, Sunday, 7 March 2010 02:23 (fourteen years ago) link
"about face, about face"
― ksh, Sunday, 7 March 2010 02:26 (fourteen years ago) link
I've really tried to like this, guys ("Lewis Takes Off His Shirt" is still in my iPod), but this still sounds malnourished.
― Inculcate a spirit of serfdom in children (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 7 March 2010 02:31 (fourteen years ago) link
dogg what u mean, this album is walking around town all bloated and blowin out inappropriate farts from eatin so good
― ramses 'gyptian nightmares (m bison), Sunday, 7 March 2010 02:47 (fourteen years ago) link
m bison I wish to subscribe to your newsletter
― Lee Dorrian Gray (J0hn D.), Sunday, 7 March 2010 03:06 (fourteen years ago) link
Finally gave this a full listen last night -- very lovely on first blush. Owen's voice is the standout for me here because it reminded me of nobody so much as Joe Cassidy from Butterfly Child, one of my all time favorite and far too obscure bands. Something about the combination of ease, vulnerability and evident skill.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 9 March 2010 17:50 (fourteen years ago) link
i can't listen to this one enough! when have i last been so obsessed with a recent album? stunning music.
i think i'm looking forward to seeing owen this may more than just about any show i've ever anticipated
― sleepingbag, Wednesday, 17 March 2010 18:19 (fourteen years ago) link
this album is incredible btw
― ciderpress, Friday, 19 March 2010 18:21 (fourteen years ago) link
I love this.
― No, YOU'RE a disgusting savage (Scik Mouthy), Friday, 19 March 2010 18:34 (fourteen years ago) link
What do people think of Dan Deacon's remix of Lewis Takes His Shirt Off?
― Dwight Yorke, Friday, 9 April 2010 10:25 (fourteen years ago) link
I'm guessing this is a bit of a grower, eh?
― musicfanatic, Monday, 12 April 2010 00:13 (fourteen years ago) link
It sounds interesting at first listen - not sure if I'm "blown away", as most people here are, though.
it will haunt u in yr dreamz
― acoustic bugaloo (m bison), Monday, 12 April 2010 02:35 (fourteen years ago) link
Owen's record is great
― ksh, Monday, 12 April 2010 03:13 (fourteen years ago) link
this album is so fantastic - my favourite for the year so far definitely.
― Roz, Monday, 12 April 2010 10:11 (fourteen years ago) link
It's one of those that's pretty easy to walk away from during/after first listen and then 100times easier to walk back to time and time again. It reminds me of Scott Walker or Coil in the way that the arrangements completely immerse you into the music. Still haven't listened to it on headphones but very much looking forward to the experience.
― Fetchboy, Monday, 12 April 2010 10:41 (fourteen years ago) link
not feeling it as much as i'd like to /:
― thomp, Monday, 12 April 2010 11:26 (fourteen years ago) link
otoh this still sounds worth investigating:
Lewis Takes Off Shirt 12″ Track List:
A
1: Lewis Takes Off His Shirt (Album version)
2. Lewis Takes Off His Shirt (Dan Deacon Remix)
3. Lewis Takes Off His Shirt (Benoit Pioulard Remix)
B
1. Lewis Takes Off His Shirt (CFCF Remix)
2. Keep The Dog Quiet (Simon Bookish Remix)
3. Midnight Directives (Max Tundra Remix)
― thomp, Monday, 12 April 2010 11:27 (fourteen years ago) link
owen, why do you hate providence
04-08 Toronto, Ontario - Queen Elizabeth Theatre04-10 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall04-11 Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater04-12 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall04-13 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center04-14 Pittsburgh, PA - Andy Warhol Museum04-15 Washington, DC - Black Cat04-18 Indio, CA - Coachella Festival04-20 Boston, MA - Institute of Contemporary Art04-22 New York, NY - Webster Hall04-24 Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery04-25 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church04-27 Atlanta, GA - The Earl04-29 Dallas, TX - Granada Theater04-30 Austin, TX - The Mohawk05-05 San Francisco, CA - The Independent05-08 Seattle, WA - The Crocodile05-09 Vancouver, British Columbia - The Vogue Theatre05-10 Victoria, British Columbia - Alix Goolden Hall05-11 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater05-13 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court05-14 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge05-28 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound Festival06-01 Paris, France - Villette Sonique Festival06-02 Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Monday, 12 April 2010 22:52 (fourteen years ago) link
05-14 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
o my calendar has been marked~!
― sleepingbag, Monday, 12 April 2010 22:53 (fourteen years ago) link
tempted to drive up to austin 4 that show
― acoustic bugaloo (m bison), Monday, 12 April 2010 22:56 (fourteen years ago) link
I'll be at the Denver show.
― Throwing Muses are reuniting for my next orgasm! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 12 April 2010 23:00 (fourteen years ago) link
no britisher show? :(
― he might have even have gone in. (a hoy hoy), Monday, 12 April 2010 23:05 (fourteen years ago) link
Just finished our EU tour, we did London, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff two weeks ago. Sad we missed you. It was a good tour, we played a fun set at Inferno Festival in Oslo, between Atilla Csihar and Jarboe. (My booking agent likes to pretend we're a metal band and we like going along with it.)
BTW if there are any people from Milwaukee up in this bitch, come down to Turner Hall tonight, we are hilariously undersold.
― Miracles (acoustic version) (Ówen P.), Monday, 12 April 2010 23:40 (fourteen years ago) link
oh man i never knew/had any money. anyway, cracking album dude.
― he might have even have gone in. (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 13 April 2010 00:46 (fourteen years ago) link
my gf and i went in london! you were dope as usual
― just sayin, Tuesday, 13 April 2010 07:39 (fourteen years ago) link
what're you doing for the summer owen? you in america? available to play?
― forksclovetofu, Tuesday, 13 April 2010 15:42 (fourteen years ago) link