The Liz Phair semblance I mentioned is really mostly in her guitar playing (as my wife observed) -- that slightly choppy, warm sound.
what i've heard so far of that slightly choppy, warm sound reads more cobain than phair to me, though i'm not sure the distinction makes any difference. but my favorite thing about her puts her squarely in kurdt's kamp: she's a lefty.
― fact checking cuz, Saturday, 1 March 2014 20:09 (ten years ago) link
Avant Gardener was one icky favourite things from last year. The line where she describes the reaction of the ambulance driver to her occupation and her own subsequent reaction kills me every time
― Hinklepicker, Saturday, 1 March 2014 20:58 (ten years ago) link
My favourite that is. Not icky at all.
― Hinklepicker, Saturday, 1 March 2014 20:59 (ten years ago) link
I also love the repurposing of "All Shook Up" in that song.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Saturday, 1 March 2014 21:08 (ten years ago) link
I've only heard Avant Gardener but it was probably my favorite song of last year.
― polyphonic, Saturday, 1 March 2014 21:19 (ten years ago) link
I compared "Avant Gardener" to not just Phair, but also Beck on my year-end ballot.
― clemenza, Saturday, 1 March 2014 21:55 (ten years ago) link
The only thing is I haven't heard anything else by her in the same league.
― Hinklepicker, Saturday, 1 March 2014 22:03 (ten years ago) link
I like at least 3 other songs as much.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Saturday, 1 March 2014 22:38 (ten years ago) link
Oh yes? And those might be? History Eraser perchance?
― Hinklepicker, Sunday, 2 March 2014 04:25 (ten years ago) link
Anyhow I will listen to all the songs some more myself.
― Hinklepicker, Sunday, 2 March 2014 09:09 (ten years ago) link
Yeah "History Eraser," "Don't Apply Compression Gently" and "Are You Looking After Yourself" are all standouts to me on the first few run-throughs. I like most of the others, too.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 2 March 2014 12:11 (ten years ago) link
Avant Gardener has gone from 'hmmm that's nice' to being my #1 springtime jam.
― 1 pONO 3v3Ry+h1n G!!!1 (dog latin), Wednesday, 30 April 2014 08:48 (nine years ago) link
favourite bit is how she says she'd rather die than owe the emergency services til she gets old.
― 1 pONO 3v3Ry+h1n G!!!1 (dog latin), Wednesday, 30 April 2014 08:49 (nine years ago) link
Thanks to ILM for tipping me to her, definitely one of my favorite new artists this year. I hear Paul Kelly in her lyrics/delivery and Velvet Underground-via-Yo La Tengo in the guitar squeals. Good stuff!!
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 30 April 2014 14:23 (nine years ago) link
http://thethousands.com.au/melbourne/hear/a-mixtape-by-courtney-barnettNice to hear a bunch of Kiwi stuff on this!
― etc, Thursday, 9 October 2014 06:28 (nine years ago) link
hmm not bad, save for teeth & tongue who i utterly despise
― outback bumfuc (electricsound), Thursday, 9 October 2014 07:16 (nine years ago) link
One day Street Chant might actually release a new record. It's all gone a bit Guns n Roses really.
― Hinklepicker, Thursday, 9 October 2014 07:35 (nine years ago) link
I saw her the other week down here in end-of-the-world Hobart (also her home for a few years). I have never seen anyone have that much fun playing guitar. Not all the songs are top drawer, but when she's on, she's ON.
― MatthewK, Thursday, 9 October 2014 11:00 (nine years ago) link
"Pickles from the Jar" is an extra track that's appeared on a couple of Milk Records compilations:
http://store.milkrecords.com.au/album/a-pair-of-pears-with-shadows-a-milk-records-compilation-2Massive shout out to Hobart on there.
Her new upcoming album has a title, and it's not cryptic! :-o
Aaaaahhhh the title is a quote from A.A. Milne, yeahIknewthat.
― flyingtrain (sbahnhof), Tuesday, 20 January 2015 21:48 (nine years ago) link
sweet!
― AKA Thermo Thinwall (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 20 January 2015 22:09 (nine years ago) link
I love the Double EP, high hopes for this.
― campreverb, Tuesday, 20 January 2015 22:13 (nine years ago) link
Cool. Was happy to see she's on the Bonnaroo lineup, looking forward to seeing her.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 20 January 2015 22:42 (nine years ago) link
New song sounds good. Pissed off and interesting. Sure you might say Dylan Nirvana hybrid but I don't think it is obvious enough to make it especially derivative. In other words it sounds like Courtney Barnett and that is very fucking fine.
― Hinklepicker, Friday, 30 January 2015 03:31 (nine years ago) link
Well ok then, nary a ripple on the ilx surface. This song is kicking me in the pants today.
― Hinklepicker, Friday, 30 January 2015 20:11 (nine years ago) link
I like Courtney Barnett too but the production on the new song is not my thing
― so not gonna häpna (seandalai), Friday, 30 January 2015 23:32 (nine years ago) link
i like her too.
wish the production was more aggressive and less indie though
― nostormo, Monday, 2 February 2015 12:04 (nine years ago) link
I dig the new tune.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-nr1nNC3ds#t=46
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Wednesday, 4 February 2015 18:10 (nine years ago) link
This is a jam.
― how's life, Thursday, 5 February 2015 13:48 (nine years ago) link
I like the EPs album, and this sounds great too.
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 5 February 2015 16:56 (nine years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NVOawOXxSA
whoop
― tender is the late-night daypart (schlump), Monday, 2 March 2015 20:24 (nine years ago) link
New song hits me harder than the previous one, quite looking forward to this album!
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Monday, 2 March 2015 22:01 (nine years ago) link
It's good, but I'm a little bummed that it's not all distorted and grungy like the previous one.
― how's life, Monday, 2 March 2015 23:41 (nine years ago) link
nah it's better
― kriss akabusi cleaner (seandalai), Monday, 2 March 2015 23:44 (nine years ago) link
Anyone going to see her in London on the 10th of April?
― Rainbow DAESH (ShariVari), Thursday, 5 March 2015 09:16 (nine years ago) link
oh man, i could well be tempted. my partner's also a big fan and it's her birthday week but we were planning on a trip to london earlier in the week anyway.
― Unheimlich Manouevre (dog latin), Thursday, 5 March 2015 10:41 (nine years ago) link
I'm going to the Cambridge gig on the 7th.
― kriss akabusi cleaner (seandalai), Friday, 6 March 2015 00:25 (nine years ago) link
We might go to the Cambridge one instead
― Unheimlich Manouevre (dog latin), Friday, 6 March 2015 01:33 (nine years ago) link
I hope the album is more like "Pedestrian" noisy thing
― nostormo, Friday, 6 March 2015 01:58 (nine years ago) link
But I doubt it
http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/courtney-barnett-writes-all-the-best-songs/
― that's not my post, Friday, 6 March 2015 06:47 (nine years ago) link
Pedestrian is striking me as some weird cross between Institutionalized & Parklife. Good stuff.
― that's not my post, Saturday, 7 March 2015 07:26 (nine years ago) link
Her turn of phrase is really quite cringeworthy - "give me all your money and I'll make some orgami honey", "now we've got that percolator, never made a latte greater". I like the grungy sound of the first track but her lyrics just put me in mind of some self-lampooning sadsack character from a Lorrie Moore short story, except no way near as funny or sad or charming or well-written as that would imply.
― Matt DC, Saturday, 7 March 2015 14:06 (nine years ago) link
I love that line and her delivery.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 7 March 2015 15:32 (nine years ago) link
She can kind of sound like the inside of your head when it's four am and you've been trying to sleep since midnight, tangential and ranty and frustrated. Personally, I find it hilarious and really interesting.
― Leonard Pine, Saturday, 7 March 2015 16:56 (nine years ago) link
I really liked Avant Gardner, but to be honest Pedestrian reminds me a whole, whole lot of Magic Dirt's foray into Aussie rock/rap "Vulcanella" and I can't really get that out of my head and it's not an association I want to make.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjB71I9to30
― dlp9001, Saturday, 7 March 2015 18:00 (nine years ago) link
http://www.thedwarf.com.au/live_review/20736/courtney-barnett-secret-gig
previewing a lot of stuff from the albumn.
― how's life, Wednesday, 11 March 2015 18:36 (nine years ago) link
New album is great, no sophomore slump!
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 11 March 2015 21:20 (nine years ago) link
hearing a lot of decent aussie indie stuff lately. its in good health. i really like courtney barnett, dick diver and ausmuteants. any other good aussie stuff people can hip me to?
― tayto fan (Michael B), Friday, 13 March 2015 11:54 (nine years ago) link
I like Dollar Bar. http://dollarbar.bandcamp.com/album/paddington-workers-club
― hardcore dilettante, Saturday, 14 March 2015 01:37 (nine years ago) link
if you don't mind things in a new ordery/kraut direction, black cab's 'games of the xxi olympiad' album is excellent
also i've been digging dorsal fins, living eyes (labelmates with ausmuteants iirc), pearls (if you avoid the 2 crappy glam tracks on their album the rest is v good shoegaze), babaganouj (only a couple of singles out, but brings back welcome memories of peak half a cow days)
xpost
― don't ask me why i posted this (electricsound), Saturday, 14 March 2015 01:50 (nine years ago) link
She’s added a keyboard player who plays guitar on some songs.
― brush ’em like crazy (morrisp), Sunday, 7 October 2018 01:31 (five years ago) link
“Depreston” was amazing (the centerpiece / show stopper) — I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crowd that large so transfixed by a song.
― brush ’em like crazy (morrisp), Sunday, 7 October 2018 01:35 (five years ago) link
that's the one, and definitely one that needs another player... an astounding song, as good as she is that one towers over everything else imo
― flappy bird, Sunday, 7 October 2018 01:44 (five years ago) link
yep absolutely, other than avant gardener imo
― montoya (Ross), Sunday, 7 October 2018 01:44 (five years ago) link
love Depreston, but also Pedestrian at Best and all of the other songs from Sometimes I Sit and Think..
― Dan S, Sunday, 7 October 2018 01:54 (five years ago) link
“Avant Gardener” ruled in this live setting, too...
― brush ’em like crazy (morrisp), Sunday, 7 October 2018 01:55 (five years ago) link
where did you see her morrisp?
just in terms of her recorded songs Kim's Caravan is also so great
― Dan S, Sunday, 7 October 2018 02:36 (five years ago) link
The Greek Theater (Los Angeles)
― brush ’em like crazy (morrisp), Sunday, 7 October 2018 02:41 (five years ago) link
I’ve told several ppl about this show (who weren’t familiar w/CB), and they all asked, “What is she, a singer-songwriter? Acoustic guitar?”She’s a FUCKIN’ ROCK & ROLLER, FOLX!!
― brush ’em like crazy (morrisp), Monday, 8 October 2018 00:47 (five years ago) link
fucking hate compartmentalizing artists but that last album doesn't really rock too hard, though it has some scorching solos
― montoya (Ross), Monday, 8 October 2018 01:31 (five years ago) link
It’s rock & roll, dude!
― brush ’em like crazy (morrisp), Monday, 8 October 2018 01:46 (five years ago) link
sure
― montoya (Ross), Monday, 8 October 2018 01:48 (five years ago) link
Saw her last night doing the power trio thing. Superb show. Reminds me of this statement by UMS from a Florence thread:
it's interesting that people so hold on to like lumpy bands like foo fighters like "we need realy rock staaars man" and like florence is a rock star totally, she had the arena in her hand
Same goes for Courtney (and Julia Cumming from Sunflower Bean, who opened).
― a large tuna called “Justice” (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 19 February 2019 20:14 (five years ago) link
She is indeed a rock star! (as I mentioned in my own blissed-out show reaction above)
― yuh yuh (morrisp), Tuesday, 19 February 2019 21:02 (five years ago) link
Also, my *least* favorite style of hers is the grungy, Nirvana-style song ("Pedestrian at Best," "I'm Not Your Mother") -- but she really seems to rile up the crowd with those songs... so I guess if that style is the necessary "rock star" trigger for a certain type of "Foo Fighters fan" listener, even they will get what they're looking for.
― yuh yuh (morrisp), Tuesday, 19 February 2019 21:05 (five years ago) link
Actually the first time I saw her I was surprised how much her live show reminded of a Nirvana power-trio rock show. That side doesn't come through too strongly on the albums.
― enochroot, Tuesday, 19 February 2019 21:11 (five years ago) link
when she played on SNL in 2016 my ex-gf's dad said she reminded him of Kurt Cobain. I had never thought about that before but yeah, it fits - maybe I didn't see it before because CB doesn't have the anger or angst of Nirvana, but certainly the energy.
― flappy bird, Tuesday, 19 February 2019 21:28 (five years ago) link
...also being a Southpaw fond of throwing guitars around.
― a large tuna called “Justice” (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 19 February 2019 21:44 (five years ago) link
Her neurotic wordplay and chord changes have reminded me of Cobain from the start - the self-effacing wit, the timing.
― eva logorrhea (bendy), Tuesday, 19 February 2019 22:22 (five years ago) link
she certainly enunciates better though
― flappy bird, Tuesday, 19 February 2019 22:32 (five years ago) link
FP'd you for racism
― steven, soda jerk (sic), Tuesday, 19 February 2019 22:44 (five years ago) link
I'M NOT MORRISSEY!
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Eb8YuXZ1L._SX355_.jpg
― a large tuna called “Justice” (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 19 February 2019 22:49 (five years ago) link
it is kind of incredible how much I love love love the first side of "Tell Me How You Really Feel" and yet I can never make it through or really remember anything on side 2
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 12 February 2020 23:52 (four years ago) link
"Help Your Self"? "Sunday Roast"?
― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Thursday, 13 February 2020 00:41 (four years ago) link
also I assume everyone knows about https://courtneybarnett.bandcamp.com/album/mtv-unplugged
― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Thursday, 13 February 2020 00:43 (four years ago) link
the mtv unplugged set from last year is really good.
― treeship., Friday, 14 August 2020 21:52 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUXvlpS0TvE
― Kibbutzki (Jaap Schip), Wednesday, 7 July 2021 21:34 (two years ago) link
Oh cool, didn't know she had a new album on the way.
― r u rolling pop 2021 (morrisp), Wednesday, 7 July 2021 21:44 (two years ago) link
great single, it’s everything she does best. Album’s not out til November but Milk records has preorders in all formats
― assert (matttkkkk), Thursday, 8 July 2021 00:03 (two years ago) link
New song, "Before You Gotta Go," is really a nice one
― Shallot Shortage 2021 (morrisp), Friday, 13 August 2021 18:25 (two years ago) link
https://courtneybarnett.com.au/stemmixer
She put up a few of the new songs in a stem mixer. "Before You Go" sounds great with just drums/vocals/synth pad, gets weird and austere.
― papal hotwife (milo z), Sunday, 3 October 2021 06:23 (two years ago) link
This sounded good on the radio the other day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTrdzqGHqu4
― clemenza, Friday, 22 October 2021 00:48 (two years ago) link
Courtney Barnett, I still like her
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Friday, 22 October 2021 03:37 (two years ago) link
Album's out, it's ultra ultra ultra low key and pushes in some unusual directions for her. Still the first listen but I'm enjoying it. The drawl is a little unchecked on a few tracks but I'm sure I will ease into it.
― assert (matttkkkk), Friday, 12 November 2021 21:35 (two years ago) link
Love the gtr at the end of "Turning Green"
― You Suffer (10 Minute Version) (morrisp), Friday, 12 November 2021 23:21 (two years ago) link
I really got into "Here's the Thing" which is unassuming but has a lot to offer. Noticed Mr Soto's p4k review, don't agree it's her least interesting, but I'll be interested to find out how much it grows on me.
― assert (matttkkkk), Friday, 12 November 2021 23:34 (two years ago) link
It's a pretty unassuming album, def feels like a "grower"
― You Suffer (10 Minute Version) (morrisp), Friday, 12 November 2021 23:35 (two years ago) link
xxp Hey, Alfred's review kicks off talking about that gtr part! "Good morning!," Mr. Soto
― You Suffer (10 Minute Version) (morrisp), Friday, 12 November 2021 23:46 (two years ago) link
Responses elsewhere seem to be generally more positive. I like it, but I still get more out of her first album.
― birdistheword, Saturday, 13 November 2021 06:57 (two years ago) link
put her on a pedestal and she’ll only disappoint you
― grove street (party) direction (voodoo chili), Saturday, 13 November 2021 15:31 (two years ago) link
Hey, Alfred's review kicks off talking about that gtr part! "Good morning!," Mr. Soto
https://media1.giphy.com/media/t8ANqsIUQXty8C7Bpr/giphy.gif
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 13 November 2021 15:33 (two years ago) link
she's onto some good ambient noodling https://courtneybarnett.bandcamp.com/album/end-of-the-day-music-from-the-film-anonymous-club
― corrs unplugged, Friday, 4 August 2023 10:45 (eight months ago) link
Another in a series of terrifically well chosen & executed covers by her -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F94tz8Y6a3Y
― Nonhuman biologics enthusiast (morrisp), Monday, 7 August 2023 21:03 (eight months ago) link