Tuxedomoon: Classic or Dud, Search, Destroy, the whole lot. Go nuts.

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"They're seeding the clouds today
Watch!
nothings gonna go your way"

Fuckin CLASSIC!

― girl scout heroin (iamamonkey), Monday, 17 March 2003 04:49 (twenty-one years ago) link

I second Jason D. The two albums that originally came out on Ralph are musts. The rest has always struck me as pedestrian synth-pop. Still, few bands ever make two albums as interesting as those, so C all the way.

― Lee G (Lee G), Monday, 17 March 2003 14:51 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'm surprised that there's not been a big ol' discussion on these already but I'd like to add that their cover of 'heard it through the grapevine' is pretty good - prob not as good as the Slits's though. and am I right in guessing that the D81 Desire is their finest moment?

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Monday, 17 March 2003 18:46 (twenty-one years ago) link

yep. half-mute and desire. both 100% classics. the crammeddiscs reissues included the earlier 'scream with a view' and 'no tears' eps, both of which also have their moments.

of the later stuff, I'm prone to enjoying 'ship of fools'. it's a glossier, smooth jazz beast and I wouldn't start there, but if you like the first two albums it's worth finding. 'Short Stories' was a good 12", two histrionic songs. I don't like 'holy wars' or much of 'you'.

I was in a vicious mood when I saw them at Sonar last year and left after the first song. Still wishing I'd stuck through more of it.

― jl, Monday, 17 March 2003 20:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

Easily the finest moment in "Downtown 81".

I just posted a thread about their bizarre video for "Jinx" the other day.

Anyway, total classic.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 17 March 2003 21:24 (twenty-one years ago) link

eight months pass...

just bought the reissue of "desire" (plus the "no tears" ep), for rather cheap in fact.

not sure yet what to make of it.

― amateur!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 18:56 (twenty years ago) link

"No Tears" is classic. Desire has a lot of good things going for it but is flawed (marred partly by the heavy-handed social observations).

― Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 3 December 2003 19:12 (twenty years ago) link

i dont like the vocals so far

― amateur!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 19:15 (twenty years ago) link

at all

― amateur!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 19:15 (twenty years ago) link

I can understand that. This is one of many post-punk era bands that haven't held up for me. They sounded much better when I was 13. But it's frustrating because there's a lot about their sound that I like (the whole chamber music/funny-sounding organ thing, for one). Even "No Tears" isn't really classic, now that I think of it.

I don't remember too much about Half Mute though, so maybe I missed their best?

― Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 3 December 2003 19:22 (twenty years ago) link

crap of all cds i had to buy...maybe itll grow on me

but i liked the packaging and it was cheapish

― amateur!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 19:23 (twenty years ago) link

The ploddy sprawling jazzy version of Desire on the album isn't as good as the D81 one. I think the best things on Desire are In The Name Of Talent (Italian Western Two) and Incubus (Blue Suit). Never noticed myself balking particularly at any of the lyrics, some of them are great, esp. aforementioned 'glad I made you cry' and 'seeding the clouds' ones.

I've not listened to Half Mute as much as I should really, I find it a bit of an ordeal but I'm sure I'd like it more if I made the effort. More tuneless than Desire.

― F. Anthony O'Reilly (Ferg), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 19:28 (twenty years ago) link

'no tears' is great! 'new machine' is one of my favorite songs

― geeta (geeta), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 19:59 (twenty years ago) link

Hey Amateurist, I also bought that Crammed re-issue recently an dit took me some time to adjust to the voice and teh electric violin, but hang in there. Perfect late night music to brood to..

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Thursday, 4 December 2003 08:30 (twenty years ago) link

All the Crammed reissue and boxsets are actually very tempting..

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Thursday, 4 December 2003 08:31 (twenty years ago) link

four weeks pass...

They are putting out a new album. If they don't sing, it should be good (although I think I've gone back to thinking "No Tears" is classic).

― Rockist Scientist, Saturday, 3 January 2004 04:47 (twenty years ago) link

two months pass...

New album, 'A Cabin in the Sky', is out on May 10th!
Apparently they've hired a bunch of big names Tarwater, DJ Hell, Tortoise, etc., to mix the album. I'm a bit sceptical of the idea but I'm still pretty excited.

― Baaderoni (Fabfunk), Monday, 22 March 2004 15:06 (twenty years ago) link

eleven months pass...

has anyone heard this album? or seen them live recently? they're playing SF on March 19th.

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 05:00 (nineteen years ago) link

thank you for telling me, just bought my two tickets. this is definitely going to sell out. Cafe Du Nord, this is going to be a cozy homecoming.

haven't heard the new album. saw them three years ago. going again anyway.

― milton parker (Jon L), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 05:21 (nineteen years ago) link

i'm trying to get my band on this bill. god I hope it happens! I should buy tickets anyway though.

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 16:58 (nineteen years ago) link

This seems to indicate that the album is coming out this May (unless it means last May, or is yet another new album of theirs).

― Frank Kogan (Frank Kogan), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 22:31 (nineteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

I saw wobbly there, but didn't get a chance to introduce myself. show was good, I was a little underwhelmed, I think; maybe winston tong really did add something that you could feel was missing. also, I hadn't heard the new album yet, and most of the set was from that, so it was a little hard to find things to hang onto; I have heard the album now, though, it's pretty great.

worst thing about the night was the drunk hippie next to me who kept taking her sweater on and off and hitting me in the head with the flailing arms.

― kyle (akmonday), Sunday, 20 March 2005 23:08 (nineteen years ago) link

also, they are playing at the Rickshaw Stop in SF on Wednesday if anyone missed last night. I would say if you're a fan you should see them. Apparently they are here for a month recording another album.

― kyle (akmonday), Sunday, 20 March 2005 23:20 (nineteen years ago) link

It took me a while to appreciate their last album 'Cabin in the Sky' but I'm now close to thinking that it's their best.
They are indeed recording a new one in SF. Exciting!

― Baaderonixxx le Jeune (Fabfunk), Monday, 21 March 2005 15:37 (nineteen years ago) link

ten months pass...

Bump. Again, search function = FRIEND.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 21 January 2006 05:17 (eighteen years ago) link

two years pass...

i never get over how genius no tears is. and as much as i have enjoyed other stuff/albums by them, i don't think they ever surpassed it in terms of sheer era-defining visceral COOLNESS on anything they did after. i've played it a zillion times (i never even play the other songs on that EP) and i never tire of it. the sad truth for me about any 80's revival/electroclash/etc type stuff is that i have really high standards when it comes to those sounds and if any of those 90's or 2000's synth-lovers ever came out with a song as exciting, i think i missed it. and i LIKED some of that stuff. don't get me wrong.

anyway, in case anyone has never heard no tears:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=W5BZOF8t80k

― scott seward, Monday, 31 March 2008 00:37 (sixteen years ago) link

wow, thanks!

― strgn, Monday, 31 March 2008 05:09 (sixteen years ago) link

Far from my favorite TuxMo tune, but I see what you mean. Adult. did a pretty good job covering it.

― baaderonixx, Tuesday, 1 April 2008 10:46 (sixteen years ago) link

two months pass...

"What Use?" is still kicking my ass after all these years

― baaderonixx, Sunday, 1 June 2008 19:50 (fifteen years ago) link

four months pass...

am i alone in thinking that "in a manner of speaking" is the best tuxedomoon song?

― rio (r1o natsume), Monday, 27 October 2008 03:47 (fifteen years ago) link

also, as a huge huge associates fan, how badly do i need to hear the winston tong album with alan rankine?

― rio (r1o natsume), Monday, 27 October 2008 03:53 (fifteen years ago) link

Winston's little sister was my roommate in college's girlfriend at the time.

That sentence may not be the best I've ever written, but you'll catch my drift. She thought he was a total prat.

No Tears, Night and Day... Winston's "The Stranger", What Use... that's it for me.

― factcheckr, Tuesday, 28 October 2008 02:22 (fifteen years ago) link

eight years pass...

Very sad news via Blaine Reininger

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10211388401519950&set=a.1117061920952.2020313.1059107077&type=3&theater

It is my very sad duty to inform the world that our colleague and brother, Peter Principle has left this world behind. He died this morning, July 17, 2017, apparently of natural causes. We are all stunned.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 17 July 2017 16:09 (six years ago) link

:(((

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Monday, 17 July 2017 21:05 (six years ago) link

two years pass...

Tuxedomoon in 1988 were dead odd -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPV8Cgb8Jmk

― Maresn3st, Thursday, 23 April 2020 09:56 (three years ago) link

hey that's crazy, would not have ever expected the 88 lineup to tackle this set list

Nervous Guy / Tritone Diablo / Desire / What Use? / No Tears

― Milton Parker, Thursday, 23 April 2020 19:28 (three years ago) link

That’s their first reunion tour with Blaine, right? Feels weird to see them with a live drummer

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Sunday, 26 April 2020 08:17 (three years ago) link

one year passes...

https://thumbnailer.mixcloud.com/unsafe/300x300/extaudio/0/c/2/2/1d7e-0e49-48c9-8d57-e2945169678a
Tuxedomoon Live @ Effenaar (Eindhoven, The Netherlands. 3-10-1980
1) Special Treatment For The Family Man
2) In The Name Of Talent
3) Jinx
4) Music #1
5) Dark Companion

― willem, Friday, 14 January 2022 13:43 (two years ago) link

one year passes...

I just finished When Can I Fly?, Michael Belfer's deeply informative history of The Sleepers/TuxedoMoon from the inside.

Michael passed away last year so it was a bittersweet read, but worth it if you are keen on early SF punk.

book:
https://hozacrecords.bandcamp.com/merch/when-can-i-fly-the-sleepers-tuxedomoon-beyond-by-michael-belfer-with-will-york

friendly obit:
https://tapeop.com/blog/2022/03/23/michael-belfer-1959-2022

― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 27 June 2023 23:01 (nine months ago) link

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