Field Music

next few days = massive listenathon pre-determining what I will be ranking my best of '10

this has top 10 potential

Field Music liveblog Santafest '10

have a putative list of stuff that might make my list, and am wondering what to add to it - suggestions?

I'd like to see a list without any outside influence. :)

nono I mean suggestions for me to listen to and then JUDGE

i.e. your suggestions probably won't make it but you might as well try :D

n.b. my #1 album of the year changed hands as recently as a week ago

yeah, fucking brilliant, is Measure

i should probably listen to it huh

hahaha you mean you nommed it for the 2010 poll on principle

hero

Measure is indeed awesome. I still don't know why it was so widely ignored. Pitchfork must own stock in 4AD or something.

this is soaring up my year-end list by the day

phenomenal achievement

probably not boorish enough for most ilxors' tastes :P

New album "Plumb" out in February. Excitement! New track here - http://www.field-music.co.uk/

I've never really been too keen on this band, aside from a couple of tracks. 'Give It, Lose It, Take It' for example. But for the most part I just find them a bit soggy. I'm not convinced they're in any way great songwriters, either.

It's a bit of a shame, because on paper they're one of those bands I really should like, but just don't. I own both their first two albums and I just never really have the urge to play them!

http://www.npr.org/2012/02/05/146086375/first-listen-field-music-plumb

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/feb/19/field-music-brewis-plumb-interview?newsfeed=true

Interesting article.

New LP is very good as well

Plumb is fucking awesome.

I got the debut but wasn't fussed. Missed everything since until now. Guess I should get Measure?

IMO, Tones of Town towers over both the debut and Measure.

i like Measure best but they're all pretty good

actually i like the The Week That Was record best if that counts

i kind of like these guys but everything they do sounds exactly the same to me. i probably don't need to keep getting their new albums.

I dunno I thought Measure was pretty great

Oh man, I was excited to listen to Plumb -- didn't realize this thread had been revived two weeks ago.

and I think it's their least samey sounding album fwiw (xp re: measure)

Nm, found it on Luisterpaal.

Ah, Field Music. I thought the first album had its moments, especially 'It's Not The Only Way To Feel Happy', 'If Only The Moon Were Up', 'You're So Pretty...', 'Pieces' and 'You Can Decide', but for me Tones Of Town is the one they haven't beaten yet, to my mind. It's so small and compact you can listen to it in one sitting and it just breezes by, however the attention to detail in it is quite something. I like how they record/produce a lot of this stuff themselves, although you can definitely tell that their tracks aren't really honed through live performances and have been painstakingly crafted from bottom to top in the studio. They're truly a band that rely on themselves almost completely, which I like.

I wasn't too taken with Measure on the whole... I thought it had some great ideas, but I don't think that they really had it in them to make a record of that length at this stage in their career. I've been reliably informed that Plumb has more in common with Tones Of Town than any of their other records, so even though I haven't heard it yet I'm very much looking forward to it.

One of the best things for me about Field Music being a local band is that I pass by the cafe from the front cover of Tones Of Town quite regularly.

measure def my least favourite though it's not crap by any means. the newie is v enjoyable but for me feels like it's missing what made the first two albums so easy to love

Bought TOT and ordered Measure.

Yeah I agree with the TOT > all else sentiment, that thing should have been way more acclaimed - it's pretty much perfect. I've listened to the new one a few timesbut it's yet to fully sink in. Very endearing interviewees, it would seem.

and yeah School of Language / The Week That Was records are essential listens if you're into the FM stuff.

Never did hear the School of Language record, but The Week That Was was pretty good.

Really love the new one, as of right now I'd probably rank them:
TOT > Plumb > S/T > Measure

Measure still strikes me as a standard Field Music record, only with every single track from the session thrown in, rather than the band cherrypicking the best material.

Yeah Measure has its moments, but its far too scattered and overlong. The beauty of TOT and the new one is how concise they are.

As Simon says, I'd definitely check out the School Of Language and The Week That Was records, although I think The Week That Was is probably more my cup of tea than School Of Language.

http://sickmouthy.com/2012/03/31/field-music-plumb/

Great write-up Nick. It's pretty much my own album of the year so far too, and you do it justice. I've been driven away from the album format by my listening habits of late so it's wonderful to find a band that still believes in the medium enough to create something that can ONLY be heard in one glorious sweep. While not as overwhelming as Measure (which is probably still my favourite, just about), this is more concise, intricate and arguably sublime.

One of the most important British bands of the day. I wish they were more central to the indie discourse.

yeah nice job nick.

it took me a long time to get into this for some reason. i think the weird halting start over the first 3 tracks didn't help. but since it clicked i have liked it more and more with every listen, i think maybe even more than measure now. really amazing stuff. it's my current default listen when i haven't got anything particular in mind to put on.

interesting about the single choices, not surprising necessarily but not what i would've guessed. is this the picture seems like a more obvious single?

Huh this band is perplexing in a good way. Never heard of them. Checked the new album out...interesting, definitely hear the XTC influence, that was the first thing I thought of, like mid period XTC but more prog.....tbh though some of the prog moves are a little corny, or fusion....reminds me of Brand X

But this is cool I think it will grow on me...also appreciate how completely unfashionable it is, like they are completely on their own trip....can't imagine NME is exactly breaking down their door

@sickmouthy Nick, thanks! That's so kind. You've pretty much nailed how I hope people will hear the record. It means a lot so again thanks!
2 hours ago

That was from @fieldmusicmusic, which is the younger brother: very nice to know they appreciated my appreciation!

Liked that review too!

Autumn tour dates on the website.

http://www.field-music.co.uk/

Will try and make it to Bath.

Bath tickets bought.

http://devonrecordclub.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/field-music-plumb-round-27-nicks-choice/

I guess I'm kind of surprised you didn't fall for Tones of Town at the time.

I simply didn't hear it until a couple of months ago. They fell totally off my radar.

That's fair enough, I guess. This band have never seemed like the kind of band who would want to force themselves on anyone's radar. They're just kind of there, waiting for people to discover them.

I decided to give this a go but it's leaving me really cold. There are nice touches here and there but a lot of it is really laboured-sounding, like they've gone for this second-half-of-Abbey-Road vibe (which I'm not crazy about in the first place) but they're not good enough songwriters to pull it off.

Didn't get to see them in Bath last night because of our interminable house problems. Gutted. Listening to Measure as some kind of recompense. It's really very good. I just love the sound they make.

Still haven't got round to "Plumb" yet, though I loved "Measure". Should investigate their back catalogue too. I've heard good things about their covers album as well, I love the song choices.