Stars of the Lid

Are Stars of the Lid like that as well? If Gareth likes them, chances are I would, as well.

requiem for dying mothers part two is filling my room right now and sounds amazing

perhaps i am revealing my innocence, but i do not know what the name, "stars of the lid" refers to. do you?

i love the aegena airlines track from that (http://www.brainwashed.com/common/video/mov/the_dead_texan-aegina_airlines.mov), rest is good, but not essential

adam pacione 'sisyphus' (elevator bath)

very similar vary good

I thought of them yesterday when I heard Harold Budd & Eno's "The Pearl" for the first time, and it struck me as Dead Texan-esque.

Oh, really? Whoops. I knew that someone else did the artwork and the videos for the accompanying DVD, but I didn't know there was a musical collaborator.

"don't worry chief,
there is news and a new 2xcd 3xlp to come.

should be availible in march/april at the latest..."

I'm putting "Stars of the Lid Chief" on my business card, if I ever get one.

It's just plain odd, and quite possibly counterproductive, seeing SOTL at the top of the Metacritic list of albums of 2007. Kind of counter to their whole ethos.

it produces some pretty funny backlash comments though so i'm all for it

Robin C. gave it a 2:
This is a joke,right? These critics have such a wacky sense of humour.

Chris C gave it a 3:
Indie kids decided that the new vogue was a bunch of random tones slowly fading in and out? Why didn't they send me a memo?!

Hehheh.

Best:

Matt A. gave it a1:
This album licks my balls. It's even worse than The Field and so I guess it makes sense in an ironic way that it beats out that atrocity of an album for best of the year on this web site. The critics need to get a clue that they aren't proving anything by raving about this crap. It's aimless electronic nonsense and anyone with ears and half-decent taste in music can tell you that.

Interesting that this was revived, I finally got around to hearing this today. It was pleasant enough. Good ambient music. But top of the list?

xpost
Those comments are hilarious indeed.

I don't understand why it would be counter to their ethos? Unless you mean it's odd to rate it competitively. But it's always fun to read idiot comments.

ironically, this is probably their most "pop" record though in that there are clear melodies/passages in almost every track that stick out in my head and work as hooks, which didn't happen for me with most of tired sounds

it's a bit less minimal and more cinematic than any of their previous albums but i didn't really see anyone touch on this in any of the reviews linked from the metacritic page

I noticed those comments earlier. And chuckled briefly.

ironically, this is probably their most "pop" record though in that there are clear melodies/passages in almost every track that stick out in my head and work as hooks, which didn't happen for me with most of tired sounds

it's a bit less minimal and more cinematic than any of their previous albums but i didn't really see anyone touch on this in any of the reviews linked from the metacritic page

-- ciderpress, Sunday, 18 November 2007 23:18

I'd partially agree with that.. certainly the occasional track like 'Even If You're Never Awake (Deuxieme)' is markedly hooky by their standards.

i think my favorite part of that metacritic page is
GENRE(S): Rock, Electronic

So, it's become imperative that I buy either "Tired Sounds. . ." or "And Their Refinement of the Decline." Either way, Is there any consensus on which is better to get first? From what I gather the consensus says Tired sounds is more so, and I'm not too familiar with, and don't want to burden myself with the arduous task of actually deciding for myself. Or, is there not much difference?

start with tired sounds, yes.

*Should say "Not too familiar with "And Their Refinement. . ." I have, in fact, made my own decisions before.

tired sounds is more singular in tone to atrotd; atrotd goes for full-on widescreen euphoria, where tired sounds culminates with a series of endless blissed out drones. kinda like the difference between inner and outer space. both are some of the best music ever recorded imo so you need both really. even if you only start with one you'll get the other eventually.

going to watch them live on monday. gonna be sick.

I agree with the post above re: the singular tone vs widesceen thing, and that if you like the one you'll want the other eventually. Still, I'd say start with Tired Sounds, as it contains perhaps the greatest consecutive 15 minutes of music they've ever made - Requiem for Dying Mothers, Pts 1 and 2, which somehow manages to evoke the feeling of drifting around in North Atlantic coastal waves, or some impossibly long descent from the top of a tree as a falling leaf, or maybe just peaceful last breaths before dying, all without sounding nearly as gay as I just made it sound. And the rest of the album is nearly as good. Refinement goes for a more varied blissed out feeling, and succeeds, mostly, but if you dig the melancholy mood of Tired Sounds, you'll be obsessed.

i was really upset by those metacritic posts.

Of the next 5-10 cd's I buy, there's a good chance both will be included. It's honestly sometimes hard to fathom how much of an affect they can get out of so little, it's some of the most viscerally captivating and straightforward music I've heard in so long.

woohoo, live in Seattle at the Triple Door 4/18!!!
(with Christopher Willits and Lusine)

a while back a friend gave me all of their albums, and because i get so much music all the time, i didn't really pay them any attention.

and now i've been listening to Avec Laudenum and Refinement on the daily.

i should add that i was incredibly distracted by the other stuff he gave me, too: lots of Plank and rare Eno shit.

woohoo, live in Seattle at the Triple Door 4/18!!!
(with Christopher Willits and Lusine)

― Mackro Mackro, Friday, February 29, 2008 9:37 PM (8 months ago) Bookmark

i love these guys but if my experience seeing them live is any guide you were way too excited about a Stars of the Lid show

I"m pretty sure "Dungtitled" is still my top track on Last.fm

anyone else see them closing the Brainwaves festival last night? they were great!

I saw them friday in nyc. great show.

That tour CD they were selling this year is really, really good. I guess it's a combination of earlier rarities + new tracks, although I haven't been able to find anything that lists which is which and where they come from. The only track on it that I recognize is "Virginia", a 20 minute cover of a Labradford song. It's actually one of the weaker songs on the CD. The last song exists in the middle ground between SotL and Dead Texan.

I bring all of this up only because I noticed that they're selling the left over copies of the tour CD on kranky's website now, if anyone's interested.

I forgot to mention, one of the guitarists said something like, "we're stars of the lid and this is the last time you'll see us in... a long, long time" right before they started playing. pretty cryptic. I took it as, "touring is no fun and we won't be doing it again anytime soon" but who knows.

@ nikefanatic90: Sup (Z S), the discogs entry for Carte-De-Viste gives details of where the various tracks come from: http://www.discogs.com/release/1143841

Tracklisting:
1 The Mouthchew (Part 2) (3:45)
2 JPRIP (4:37)
3 Requiem String Melody (2:46)
4 Porch (Version #28) (5:00)
5 The Kraut (9:42)
6 Slight On The Childproof (5:01)
7 Virginia (20.03) (20:05)
8 Hunting For Pops (5:24)
9 The Funereal (2:27)

¤ Tracks 1, 6 and 8 are out takes from And Their Refinement Of The Decline
¤ Tracks 2 and 3 are out takes from The Tired Sounds Of
¤ Track 4 is an out take from Maneuvering The Nocturnal Hum
¤ Track 7 was previously released as part of The Kahanek Incident - Volume 3
¤ Tracks 5 and 9 are previously unreleased (1999 and 1997 respectively)

Ah, thank you for that!

I was going to say earlier, on one of the tracks there was the same deep, resonating, buttitch-inducing bass tone that comes up in "Requiem for Dying Mothers, pt. 2" on The Tired Sounds Of, so it doesn't surprise me that it's an outtake.

I am surprised that The Funereal is from way back in 1997. It's more "active" than most of their other material, particularly their stuff from back then.

Stars of the Lid are planning a movie...

http://sunhammerpounding.blogspot.com/2008/11/stars-of-lid-plan-feature-film.html

Wonder if non-Youtube clips will embed?

http://vimeo.com/1847116?pg=embed&sec=1847116

I heard that Adam was becoming sort of bored with the set list.

lol

Had no idea that Brian had a new band: http://www.bellgardensmusic.com/

I think I'll pass on this one after hearing those samples.

Roffle

http://spinalbap.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/blog-post.html

Live in London:

http://www.wegottickets.com/event/187786

lol at that link ned posted:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f4t_enzgKJg/T5bzTGTVWQI/AAAAAAAAAL0/mm1OYHQR4F0/s640/SL1.bmp

can't believe it's been 5 years since And Their Refinement of the Decline.

While my primary musical interest as a teenager was rave culture, my tastes were eclectic (e.g., I started posting here as a teenager). When I started attending parties, I couldn’t understand why ambient and drone didn’t didn’t permeate into dance music culture. The cultures felt, despite their shared history and interests (e.g., computers and drugs), antagonistic toward each other in the late-90s/early-00s. It was particularly baffling in Detroit where the specialized shops like Stormy (Wendy & Carl’s shop) and Neptune exclusively catered towards these two cultures. The one exception was Stars of the Lid. Everyone loved them. This band from, of all places, Texas, was the one artist that managed to bring together all these disparate Detroit music sub-cultures. By 2007 with the release of “And Their Refinement of the Decline” it felt bizarre to think these sub-cultures were so isolated. They truly brought people together.

i.e., rip

legit been reaching out to people with whom i shared major life moments with to this music— i remember my friend Eric giving me a bunch of SotL mp3s in early 2008 when all i’d heard was ATROTD.

multi xpost

just had a debate coach friend of mine reach out to me. apparently when my friend was a young debater, mcbride was his judge on occasion. when he later became a teacher, his debate kids worked with mcbride and apparently he put on little concerts for the students. he had no idea of mcbride's side gig as a musician until i told him about it some years ago.

oh how my heart aches

refinement was so healing for me in such a crucial and dangerous moment in my life. the beauty there is unfathomable.

very sad about this as both an ambient/drone fan and a one-time forensics club kid (didn't know that about him until i read the p4k obit). RIP, too too soon

stars of the lid are my most played artist in itunes. it's not even close. it's reductive to describe the influence of music in numbers like this, especially music with as much soul and grace as the music of brian mcbride.

but the amount of _time_ i have spent with mcbride's (and adam wiltzie's) music ... it is a part of me. i will never forget the nights i spent alone in the control room of the 107" telescope at the mcdonald observatory, refinement of the decline blasting out in the silent high desert. rip brian.

Really sad news. I recall that Brian was briefly on the DroneOn list just as SOTL were signed to Kranky. Nice guy. Remarkable music that continues to resonate. RIP.

Just awful news. Refinement might be my most-listened to ever album.

Sawdust - I ran the DroneOn list. I remember when I saw that he subscribed. Kinda undone by this... RIP

his music has meant so much to me. really sad news. RIP.

This was not what I was expecting to see when I saw the thread revive yesterday.

Stars of the Lid—and Brian’s solo work—are simply transcendent. I like a lot of ambient music but SotL have always hit a different emotional button. Nobody, in any genre, elicits the same feelings in me that they could. All these years later I was still holding out hope for one more album. What a loss.

“Even if You’re Never Awake (Deuxieme)” just wrecks me, it’s so beautiful.

RIP. When I think of Stars of the Lid, I think of specific, vivid times in my life when I was seeking quiet and calm for myself and the people I love: writing my graduate thesis in the library late at night; a restless, painful day in the hospital with my partner when our first child was born; laying beside that child years later on a school night when they were anxious and struggling to fall asleep... Stars of the Lid is almost always the first thing I think to play in these moments. I will forever be grateful to have their music.

It was heartening to read the sentiment in this tweet:

It was my privilege to have worked on behalf of the music Brian McBride made. It was my pleasure to have known him. I'll remember cats and conversations on cold Chicago nights. Believe me when I say that he knew how much the music meant to us all. pic.twitter.com/KGYp7r8608

— Bruce Adams (@BruceMAdams) August 27, 2023

Yes, that.

A lovely comment from Jeff Copas on FB, from the long running (and very good) Austin band Sixteen Deluxe:

I counted Brian as a friend, starting with our radio gigs at UT in the early 90s (I took over the “grunge” show from him, he having wisely moved on to less well-trod pastures). He was funny and frighteningly intelligent, with an eye on the horizon way beyond where most could see. A terrible and tragic loss.

Philip Shelburne celebrates the good man:

https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/remembering-stars-of-the-lids-brian-mcbride-with-10-essential-records/

i've been playing refinement a lot over the past few months. miraculous music.

any time i want to be transported to a more peaceful and reflective state of mind, i put on decline. i'm happy to say i'll likely be listening to it regularly until i die.

https://adamwiltzie.bandcamp.com/album/eleven-fugues-for-sodium-pentothal

Releases April 5. Vinyl / CD (yay) pre-order now.

lol at that last song title

And now a nice video too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfrbadnqEoo

I'm lucky enough to have heard the album.

I won't say much except to say that those, like me, who have found the excessively sentimental and overly-orchestrated cast of recent Winged Victory, etc, will be pleased with how enjoyably sparse and at times harmonically dissonant (ish) this is...

dang, that video is something

I like Wiltzie's album more than the last few AWVFTS albums though it's still just okay. Generally like the vibe but nothing grabbing me the way the best SOTL stuff does.

Yeah I found Winged Victory disappointing too. Can’t believe those SOTL albums are 20+ years old

starting to think McBride was the secret weapon

If you’ve listened to his first solo album, it’s absolutely clear he was the secret weapon

^^^ love it as much as SotL

Me too