they have a strong following on rym:
http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/s1206880.jpg
― djmartian, Tuesday, 12 February 2008 12:36 (sixteen years ago) link
they sound like a droney vesion of the pale saints
MySpace.com - Have A Nice Life - Middletown, US - Gothic / Industrial / Shoegaze - www.myspace.com/haveanicelife
― djmartian, Tuesday, 12 February 2008 12:38 (sixteen years ago) link
^^I kind of agree with that
― W4LTER, Tuesday, 12 February 2008 12:39 (sixteen years ago) link
they have suddenly emerged from an obscure local band in Connecticut ...to rabid international internet fandom - how?
― djmartian, Tuesday, 12 February 2008 12:41 (sixteen years ago) link
it's the spiritual follow up to the pale saints circa this album in 1990:
http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/s8562.jpg
spooky: released 18 years ago TODAY ! February 12th, 1990
I remember buying that album when I was at uni !
― djmartian, Tuesday, 12 February 2008 12:46 (sixteen years ago) link
also discussion on Deathconsciousness (Have a Nice Life) - Sound Opinions Message Board
― djmartian, Tuesday, 12 February 2008 12:49 (sixteen years ago) link
Me like! (Too difficult for the Arctic Monkey/Lily Allen kind of hype, though.) Interesting production, too.
― StanM, Wednesday, 13 February 2008 17:38 (sixteen years ago) link
I wonder what Mr. N. Raggett would think of this album, by the way.
― StanM, Wednesday, 13 February 2008 17:45 (sixteen years ago) link
Indeed (having just noticed this thread). Will investigate.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 13 February 2008 17:48 (sixteen years ago) link
http://www.rose-hulman.edu/irpa/IR/inair/investigate.gif
― am0n, Wednesday, 13 February 2008 18:23 (sixteen years ago) link
Elementary.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 13 February 2008 18:26 (sixteen years ago) link
This has pretty much completely taken over my music listening time. Keep looking for reference points and have stopped trying to at (first disc: A Silver Mt. Zion / second one: The God Machine - but also the "this production sounds wrong but it works" feeling I got from discovering Unknown Pleasures, Loveless, Psychocandy) Ordered it, even. Cheap! Friendly guy too, that Dan.
― StanM, Sunday, 17 February 2008 08:46 (sixteen years ago) link
(both of those band comparisons are also way wrong btw)
― StanM, Sunday, 17 February 2008 08:51 (sixteen years ago) link
it's too repetetive with the same formula.
though the 2nd track is great.
― Zeno, Sunday, 17 February 2008 08:52 (sixteen years ago) link
Nice, with a lot of potential, but I wish they had used a little more variety in their drum machine rhythms. Another plus for me is these guys seem to have a sense of humor too. "Waiting for Black Metal Records to come in the Mail" is a great and funny title. If your talking obscure Factory reference points, they sound more like later The Royal Family and the Poor than Joy Division. But I'm probably the only person who'd think that.
― leavethecapital, Sunday, 17 February 2008 13:55 (sixteen years ago) link
sense of humor here starts and ends on the song titles i'd say
― Zeno, Sunday, 17 February 2008 14:29 (sixteen years ago) link
Gotta agree there. Title is the best thing about that track.
― leavethecapital, Sunday, 17 February 2008 16:48 (sixteen years ago) link
This keeps veering pretty close to greatness but falls a bit short IMO. It sounds a bit too much like a demo tape so I wouldn't be surprised if they released something really great in the near future.
― baaderonixx, Sunday, 17 February 2008 17:24 (sixteen years ago) link
purty
― I know, right?, Sunday, 17 February 2008 17:28 (sixteen years ago) link
I cannot tell if this tongueincheek or not (I hope it is cuz otherwise these guys sound like metal cornballs)
WHAT IS DEATHCONSCIOUSNESS? Deathconsciousness refers to three things: It refers to the debut double album from HAVE A NICE LIFE, featuring over 4 years and 2 hours worth of recorded material. All songs have been re-recorded, remixed, and remastered, including the songs from our demo release, Powers of Ten. It refers to the short book of the same name that accompanies the record. Over 80 pages in length, written by a University of Massachusetts History professor, this book explores the deep religious symbology we used for inspiration while writing the record. The songs contain elaborate references to 12th century apostasies; the book will help those without a background in religious history to understand their meanings. And, finally, Deathconsciousness is the concept that lies at the heart of the record itself: the overwhelming awareness, at all times, of death and it's proximity.
Deathconsciousness refers to three things:
It refers to the debut double album from HAVE A NICE LIFE, featuring over 4 years and 2 hours worth of recorded material. All songs have been re-recorded, remixed, and remastered, including the songs from our demo release, Powers of Ten.
It refers to the short book of the same name that accompanies the record. Over 80 pages in length, written by a University of Massachusetts History professor, this book explores the deep religious symbology we used for inspiration while writing the record. The songs contain elaborate references to 12th century apostasies; the book will help those without a background in religious history to understand their meanings.
And, finally, Deathconsciousness is the concept that lies at the heart of the record itself: the overwhelming awareness, at all times, of death and it's proximity.
― baaderonixx, Sunday, 17 February 2008 17:55 (sixteen years ago) link
Oh no I should stop reading their website cuz it's making me cringe...
Combining digital with analog, DEATHCONSCIOUSNESS is a deeply exploratory collection of tracks, combining the aggressive industrial elements of Sister of Mercy with the angular guitars of Joy Division and the droning shoegaze of My Bloody Valentine. Ranging from near-abstract ambience to extreme heaviness, DEATHCONSCIOUSNESS is ambitious and exhibits a complete and utter disregard for the tastes of the mainstream. This was designed to be something New, and it is.
― baaderonixx, Sunday, 17 February 2008 17:58 (sixteen years ago) link
there were some that said mew were the new pale saints and i heard the album and it was dreadful. i imagine this is more of the same. if only ian masters would just release something other than musical saw records.
― keythkeyth, Sunday, 17 February 2008 18:06 (sixteen years ago) link
This sounds nothing like the Pale Saints
― baaderonixx, Sunday, 17 February 2008 18:12 (sixteen years ago) link
Yeah, this sucks.
― StanM, Sunday, 17 February 2008 18:51 (sixteen years ago) link
Hehe - that killed the thread, did it? Tsss.
Arrived in the mail today, can't wait to read the whole booklet (a treatise on the Antiochians, a medieval religious movement, by professor (name blacked out) )
― StanM, Tuesday, 26 February 2008 17:08 (sixteen years ago) link
I got my cdrs with the booklet in the mail today.
― Herman G. Neuname, Tuesday, 11 March 2008 16:28 (sixteen years ago) link
I need to give this another shot (despite "elaborate references to 12th century apostasies" nonsense)
― baaderonixx, Tuesday, 11 March 2008 16:33 (sixteen years ago) link
haha There's a poem in it called "Waiting For Black Metal Records To Come In The Mail"
― Herman G. Neuname, Tuesday, 11 March 2008 16:36 (sixteen years ago) link
Stan did you ever read the booklet?
― Herman G. Neuname, Tuesday, 11 March 2008 17:21 (sixteen years ago) link
Not yet, no, bit afraid to start :-)
― StanM, Tuesday, 11 March 2008 17:27 (sixteen years ago) link
Poem? Aren't that the lyrics?
― StanM, Tuesday, 11 March 2008 17:29 (sixteen years ago) link
Oh is it? I've not investigated yet
― Herman G. Neuname, Tuesday, 11 March 2008 17:45 (sixteen years ago) link
Yeah, they are, just checked - and they're in the wrong order in my booklet too. Telefony = after Hunter, not before The Big Gloom.
― StanM, Tuesday, 11 March 2008 17:50 (sixteen years ago) link
still enjoying this very much
― StanM, Thursday, 20 March 2008 12:41 (sixteen years ago) link
me too
― Herman G. Neuname, Thursday, 20 March 2008 12:43 (sixteen years ago) link
got this on vinyl now, still love it.
― Jamie_ATP, Tuesday, 1 September 2009 15:22 (fourteen years ago) link
Compiled here are two separate EPs, the first being Have A Nice Life's extremely rare second demo, Powers Of Ten, and the second being What Happened Next Was Worse, a collection of tracks written around the same time as Deathconsciousness that didn't make it onto the main album. Together these two EPs make up Voids, a sort of footnote detailing a little more of what was going on during the five year period leading up to 2008's Deathconsciousness
http://www.mediafire.com/?yjkmwiynyg4
― van smack, Thursday, 10 September 2009 04:27 (fourteen years ago) link
Also, from their myspace:
We will release a record, an honest to goodness, printed record, this year. It will have around 13 songs. 10 of those are done now, and we're already at 1.2 hours of music.
― van smack, Thursday, 10 September 2009 04:29 (fourteen years ago) link
missed this thread revival but heard about the vinyl version and ordered it(i have the original cdrs with booklet) and came here to let people know!
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 15 September 2009 17:00 (fourteen years ago) link
hows the packaging on it?
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Sunday, 20 September 2009 20:46 (fourteen years ago) link
My lp came yesterday.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 1 October 2009 20:29 (fourteen years ago) link
Looks very nice
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 1 October 2009 20:30 (fourteen years ago) link
hope it sounds as good as it looks.
I got mine several weeks ago. Pretty spendy, but worth it I think. Great album.
― van smack, Friday, 2 October 2009 00:02 (fourteen years ago) link
So they're playing their first show on 28th feb at the stone in nyc. Wish i could be there.
― Jamie_ATP, Wednesday, 27 January 2010 10:48 (fourteen years ago) link
what is the stone?
― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 27 January 2010 10:59 (fourteen years ago) link
http://thestonenyc.com/
― Jamie_ATP, Wednesday, 27 January 2010 11:31 (fourteen years ago) link
Free EP
http://www.enemieslist.net/timeofland/
― StanM, Monday, 8 March 2010 16:47 (fourteen years ago) link
I got this in the mail today http://enemieslist.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=13&zenid=c8455954fc19df9e1fa5bde14e237c25
It's not anyone from Have A Nice Life but it's the same record label and you guys might be interested in it.
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 3 June 2010 18:27 (thirteen years ago) link
That sample song sounds vv nice, thanks for the tip!
― StanM, Thursday, 3 June 2010 18:34 (thirteen years ago) link
I knew you would be along in a min ;)
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 3 June 2010 18:37 (thirteen years ago) link
LOL @ the URL to the new site
http://enemieslist.net/kvlt/
― StanM, Thursday, 3 June 2010 18:40 (thirteen years ago) link
yeah i noticed that too, thought it was funny
― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, 3 June 2010 18:50 (thirteen years ago) link
http://tinyurl.com/5u7s4bf
― Algerian Goalkeeper, Tuesday, 22 February 2011 15:22 (thirteen years ago) link
Preorders going on now for the vinyl repress of Deathconsciousness over at enemieslist. If you missed out the first time, now's your chance to grab a copy.
― van smack, Saturday, 29 October 2011 04:52 (twelve years ago) link
Got into these guys via the holyfuckingshit40000 blog... esp considering the album art is the site's masthead. Despite, I've still always been a little underwhelmed that this dude who actually purveys a lot of my taste in things trumps this over much of what he posts in way of... err, maybe this isn't so legal.
― chaningning tatumtum (kelpolaris), Saturday, 29 October 2011 06:12 (twelve years ago) link
I was reminded of Deathconsciousness when I heard Sólstafir's 2011 "Svartir Sandar" album - they're supposedly the metal Sigur Rós (Sólstafir means crepuscular rays by the way)I know this isn't the right thread per se (no actual connection to Have A Nice Life afaik but anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBqH_8h_KmY
― StanM, Thursday, 21 June 2012 15:31 (eleven years ago) link
Did anyone pre-order the new vinyl only album?
― ۩, Sunday, 1 December 2013 23:00 (ten years ago) link
pre-orders are shipping
― ۩, Thursday, 23 January 2014 21:04 (ten years ago) link
I've not heard Deathconsciousness, but I am loving this new album, which is streaming in full here:
http://pitchfork.com/advance/317-the-unnatural-world/
Good "vibe" these folks have.
― alpine static, Sunday, 26 January 2014 06:17 (ten years ago) link
you need to hear Deathconsciousness
― ۩, Sunday, 26 January 2014 13:17 (ten years ago) link
Just discovered Dan Barrett of HANL's solo project - Giles Corey. The self-titled album is...well I'm only two tracks in but it is already amazing enough to generalise about. It is darkest folk. Beautiful choral harmonies and lots of gravelly echoes. Really recommend everyone to listen.
― propaganda for the American springtime (tangenttangent), Monday, 18 April 2016 09:10 (eight years ago) link
2019 album is going to be called Sea Of Worry:
https://www.kerrang.com/features/have-a-nice-life-arent-joking/
& there's a tour too:
http://theflenser.com/have-a-nice-life-announce-north-american-sea-of-worry-tour-dates/
― StanM, Saturday, 23 March 2019 13:38 (five years ago) link
Nov. 8th - http://theflenser.com/sea-of-worry/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLkxcoEPcMc
― StanM, Sunday, 15 September 2019 09:47 (four years ago) link
guess i'm glad they finally abandoned the shitty garageband drums but this doesn't really do much for me
deathconsciousness is a really frustrating album to me because there's clearly a pretty good post-punk album there but it's all buried under the shitty production that sounds so blown out and clipped in a way that just makes it sound like a badly recorded demo and not even in a cool way
― ufo, Sunday, 15 September 2019 11:29 (four years ago) link
I've been obsessed with the unnatural world lately and was really looking forward to the new one, but it's pretty mediocre. The singles are the best tracks..
― officer sonny bonds, lytton pd (mayor jingleberries), Friday, 8 November 2019 18:41 (four years ago) link
Not received mine yet
― Vote (with a bullet) (Oor Neechy), Friday, 8 November 2019 18:43 (four years ago) link