Quick! Should I see Vivian Girls tonight?

This is pretty otm, but it doesn't explain why the Vivian Girls have such a strong nationwide following w/ hardcore indiepop fans who do realize that the music is more-or-less old hat. If you lurk on the indiepop list & read the year-end poll, you'll see people gushing over them with very little backlash. This is (presumably) a crowd who followed Black Tambourine 20 years ago and Slumber Party 10 years ago, so you'd expect a little less excitement from those parts.

The easy answer, I guess, is that twee lifestylists are happy to gush over any new act that reminds them of the Golden Age of Indiepop, and they're slow to turn their noses up at any music that comes out of their own fuzz-pop ghetto, regardless of its (un)originality. If the concerts are fun and the crowds are friendly, then it's easy to be a little forgiving and noncritical about the music as long as its reasonably fun and intimate (I'll give the VG's that much credit, at least...)

For me, the answer is that I like a handful of Vivian Girl's songs. A lot. And look, I like innovation and experiment in art, but I can also appreciate stuff that has a comfortable feel and/or grooves and/or has great hooks and/or compelling songwriting and/or wonderful technique or some other admirable quality (so long as it isn't a steady diet of total pastiche).

My case against them basically boils down to "they're nothing new, and I don't get much enjoyment out of their songwriting, groove, texture, hooks." I'm not trying to indict all music that doesn't break a lot of new ground (if that's the way you interpreted the quoted post), and fwiw I'm pretty sure I like Slumber Party for all the same reasons you like the Vivian Girls. If I happen to dislike a particular band, I tend to dwell on points like unoriginality, even if they're no more or less innovative than x artist that I'm absolutely in love with.

No worries. Nothing wrong with your feeling at all (obv.).

Actually, your post got me to wondering what -- these days -- is innovative/groundbreaking in rock, anyway? I mean, would the F---k Buttons (pretty/abrasive), Radiohead (rock/electronics (circa Kid-A)), Animal Collective (as eMusic just described them: psychedelic '60s pop + Jamaican dub + Grateful Dead bootlegs + Terry Riley +mesmeric German techno), M.I.A., The Advisory Circle qualify? I dunno. I feel like are easily dismissed, maybe because they have an audience/buzz. If not them, that's fine, but then who? I'd say maybe The Books, The Bug, Burial and some other stuff, but that's not really rock (neither is M.I.A., but I feel like she could qualify).

I dunno...I was thrilled by the Vivian Girls when they first came out, and I'm one of those people who raved over Slumber Party* and Black Tambourine, and the Aislers Set too. Months later, I find myself only listening to that one Vivian Girls song - you know, the one by the ex-member - whereas I can still turn on Psychedelicate or my old Pam Berry 7" singles and enjoy them as music (as opposed to "sound").

To push this post further off topic: Slumber Party put out a great CD, Musik, in 2006 that got completely lost in the shuffle. Completely different lineup and a 180 away from the JMC-distorto old sound.

Never heard the bands you mentioned (except Black Tambourine, who I just discovered). But I'm heading to eMusic with those names now, to check 'em out.

(Sorry for incoherence; posting and parenting are hard to do at the same time. Must go now and turn on Mighty B).

the first two aislers set albums are fantastic. i think all the SP albums are there too - i might go and get 'muzik' myself since it's the only one of theirs i don't have

I debated buying a $4 copy of SP's third album last month, but I passed it up in favor of a more budget-friendly Jimmy Somerville comp. I can vouch for the fantasticness of their debut and Psychedelicate, and now I'm pretty curious about Musik.

But my point there was just that in terms of overall trends, certain sorts of shambly/modest indiepop haven't been hugely visible over the past several years

Visible to me and visible to you are slightly different things, and I understand what you're saying, but there's no reason the Vivian Girls should be bigger right now than, say, Cause Co Motion, or some other lo-fi brooklyn indie pop band.

I am going go not post on this thread anymore, because part of my new year's resolution is to be less of a hater. And I admit I might give these ladies more of a chance if I didn't know them when they were playing screeching weasel covers in my friend's apartment.

why they get so much press: huge fat fucken titties

we've established that i think

sad truth, only one of them is cuet since fr4nki3 left the band.

xcvnfxngjkds i know i said i would stop the hating.

http://bestmessageboardever.com/uploads/monthly_06_2008/post-2636-1212621923.jpg

katy's cans

nsfw

(´・ω・)つ(・(・

@___@

lard a'mercy

I find myself only listening to that one Vivian Girls song - you know, the one by the ex-member

Which one is that? Is it "Where Do You Run?"?

Good god, this thread

i've had the phrase 'kickball cansy' in my head all day thanks to this thread

This is pretty otm, but it doesn't explain why the Vivian Girls have such a strong nationwide following w/ hardcore indiepop fans who do realize that the music is more-or-less old hat. If you lurk on the indiepop list & read the year-end poll, you'll see people gushing over them with very little backlash. This is (presumably) a crowd who followed Black Tambourine 20 years ago and Slumber Party 10 years ago, so you'd expect a little less excitement from those parts.

Even ten years ago the indiepop list had the same split... posters liked C86 bands and they liked the 90s bands that were inspired by those same C86 bands. And there were people posting the exact same observation you are on the list as well, except they were asking why all the fuss about Black Tambourine!

Putting aside the somewhat subjective claim that the C86 bands were actually better, the advantage of the contemporary bands was that their records were easier to get a hold of and you could maybe see them perform live. And as others have noted, the concept of "old hat" doesn't really map onto indie pop aesthetics.

As for the strong nationwide following... they don't have that. They get press because they're young and they're cute and they put out a record they're happy to give interviews about. It doesn't take much more than that. Operating out of NYC probably helps a lot as well.

if they encourage kids to get into early/ier slumberland albums then their existence isn't a total waste

the new single is reeeeeeally good imo

minute plus instrumental outro = good idea!

is that "when i'm gone"? it is pretty good.

(´・ω・)つ(・(・

I am on board with the Vivian Girls.

xp lol is that boobs or something?

it's kneading tits

looks like a butt, to be fair, but it's the best we got

Finally listened to the new album and IMO if you love Black Tambourine, Tiger Trap, Slumber Party etc etc etc and you don't like this there is something wrong with your ears.

mentioned this a bit on the other thread but yeah i think the 2nd album is ridiculously better than the first. also they were pretty darn tight live

there is a new song available through lol polyvinyl.

it's clean and midtempo with lots of harmony i.e. it's v. boring :(

xpost
nsfw pic rip

Such an angsty thread. Those 2nd and 3rd records were pretty solid. Mostly. The world could do with more Vivian Girls songs than we ended up getting.

Wow, I was the last poster on this thread.

Anyway, they're back, and I've not seen any mention of it here. This sounds kinda promising.

https://youtu.be/OYwmrOCAd_s

Yeah, we have tickets for SF

here for this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oUWoj6KXpM

yes

The whole album sounds nice and dense. Possibly similar to Everything Goes Wrong in that it may take a few listens to absorb the finer details.

Show the other night was quite great!