― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 16 October 2004 02:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― retort pouch (retort pouch), Saturday, 16 October 2004 02:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― retort pouch (retort pouch), Saturday, 16 October 2004 03:02 (nineteen years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 16 October 2004 03:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― retort pouch (retort pouch), Saturday, 16 October 2004 03:17 (nineteen years ago) link
definitely a favorite disc of mine.
― reo, Saturday, 16 October 2004 03:32 (nineteen years ago) link
― god of rock, Saturday, 16 October 2004 04:22 (nineteen years ago) link
utterly classicsearch: almost everything, *especially* Buzzle Bee, think S O'Hagen was the 2nd best thing that ever happened to Stereolab,(John McEntire being the 1st- wrong wrong wrong) destroy: Gideon Gaye
and the student has become the teacher - Brian who?-said for effect
― tremendoid, Saturday, 16 October 2004 04:27 (nineteen years ago) link
― hstencil (hstencil), Saturday, 16 October 2004 04:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― tremendoid, Saturday, 16 October 2004 04:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― jaymc, Saturday, 16 October 2004 07:21 (nineteen years ago) link
this i agree with, Sean's arrangement work is by far is greatest strength, and he's feckin good at it. Buzzle Bee is no more or less dull than most of the HLs stuff.
― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Saturday, 16 October 2004 07:26 (nineteen years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 16 October 2004 15:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― god of rock, Saturday, 16 October 2004 17:02 (nineteen years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 16 October 2004 19:19 (nineteen years ago) link
― bangelo (bangelo), Thursday, 25 January 2007 22:35 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tyler W (tylerw), Thursday, 25 January 2007 23:18 (seventeen years ago) link
― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 25 January 2007 23:33 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tyler W (tylerw), Thursday, 25 January 2007 23:40 (seventeen years ago) link
― zeus, Tuesday, 6 March 2007 14:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― jaymc, Tuesday, 6 March 2007 14:26 (seventeen years ago) link
Has anyone here heard the Musical Wheel thing that Sean O'Hagan put together with some French artist? The soundtrack for La Vie D'Artiste last year was excellent, so I imagine this is just as inspired/interesting:
http://www.jpmuller.be/musical-painting/
― teflon monkey, Monday, 23 June 2008 20:39 (fifteen years ago) link
It's probably a D&L thing but Cold & Bouncy has bullied its way into my very being. I accept that I have little/no taste but bugger it.
― TS: Toad of Toad Hall v Wobbie of Wobbies World (Autumn Almanac), Friday, 22 October 2010 11:58 (thirteen years ago) link
I've always loved Buzzle Bee.
― corey, Friday, 22 October 2010 14:07 (thirteen years ago) link
new one: Talahomi Way, out 4/19/11.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 26 January 2011 18:19 (thirteen years ago) link
Classic.
Sean O'Hagan is a genius IMO. Creates worlds with his music. It's not so much about the songwriting to me.
― mjqjazzjbar (teflon monkey), Wednesday, 26 January 2011 18:32 (thirteen years ago) link
yeah, the albums are wonderful sonic journeys -- dunno if o'hagen has written a ton of great "songs", but he's a master at (like you say) creating little worlds.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 26 January 2011 18:39 (thirteen years ago) link
I view him in the tradition of like Penguin Cafe Orchestra. It's music that takes you away, gliding over the sea, wandering through snow valleys. Just really strikes the right chord with me, plus he does great work for other bands.
I think when he has written actual "songs," he's done a great job. "Put Yourself Down" on the first High Llamas album is something I go back to often and I think Can Cladders could be considered the most song-oriented album he's done since the early days. I enjoyed that one immensely.
― mjqjazzjbar (teflon monkey), Wednesday, 26 January 2011 18:42 (thirteen years ago) link
Psyched for this even though I thought Can Cladders wasn't as good as it could have been.
― Moodles, Wednesday, 26 January 2011 18:45 (thirteen years ago) link
i thought can cladders deserved a little more attention than it got. my fave is still gideon gaye, but i don't think they've made a bad album yet.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 26 January 2011 18:46 (thirteen years ago) link
Anyone check out the latest soundtrack, the Copacabana OST with Tim Gane? I enjoyed it. Pretty insubstantial and sounds about what you'd expect it to sound like, but I'm fond of that niche so it's been one I come back to.
Album art for the new one is on here: http://stereogum.com/tag/the-high-llamas/
― mjqjazzjbar (teflon monkey), Wednesday, 26 January 2011 18:49 (thirteen years ago) link
i'd like to hear that sdtk, but haven't gotten around to it.in case anyone's interested i interviewed o'hagan around the time of can cladders: http://www.junkmedia.org/index.php?i=1997
― tylerw, Wednesday, 26 January 2011 18:53 (thirteen years ago) link
I have a major soft spot for '90s High Llamas albums, but I feel like everything they've done in the past decade has suffered from diminishing returns. As a fan, I'll still listen to the new album, but I guess I just don't expect anything from them anymore.
― Tyler/Perry's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (jaymc), Wednesday, 26 January 2011 19:04 (thirteen years ago) link
Fantastic news. Excited. Love everything they've done.
― Touch of Death, Friday, 28 January 2011 01:29 (thirteen years ago) link
http://cdn.pitchfork.com/media/dc469.jpg
Love the art.
― mjqjazzjbar (teflon monkey), Friday, 25 February 2011 20:48 (thirteen years ago) link
I always find with the Llamas that their albums sound a much of a muchness until I've had them on a few times, and then suddenly it clicks and it becomes as essential as anyone else they've ever done. I've never understood the "lift muzak" accusation.
I think "Sailing Bells" and "Honeytrap" off Can Cladders might be my two favourite tracks of theirs. Perfect music to walk home to on a summer evening.
― Pheeel, Saturday, 26 February 2011 11:03 (thirteen years ago) link
It's music of subtle complexity. On the surface, it might sound that way. But as I've become a bigger fan over the years, I've grown accustomed to Sean's arrangements and my expectations of hearing expertly layered music that comes with this otherworldly atmosphere is always met.
― mjqjazzjbar (teflon monkey), Saturday, 26 February 2011 15:36 (thirteen years ago) link
wow, this new one's really good, nice and tuneful. my favorite since buzzle bee
― reggie (qualmsley), Thursday, 31 March 2011 13:17 (thirteen years ago) link
Sold my copy of Santa Barbara years ago, but I'm listening to clips on Amazon right now and I'm surprised how well (and fondly!) I remember all of these songs. They never did anything else that sounded like this, did they? I guess Gideon Gaye would come closest... (Sorry to revive and not mention the new album. The cover art is nice.)
― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Tuesday, 19 April 2011 18:18 (twelve years ago) link
Nope, can't think of anything like it, but Can Cladders is probably the poppiest thing he's done in ages.
― i-i (teflon monkey), Thursday, 26 May 2011 00:57 (twelve years ago) link
http://thisispopshow.blogspot.ie/2013/02/this-is-pop-show-003-february-22nd-2013.html
"I don't believe them (Radiohead) for a second. I'm not vehemently down on them, as I am say Oasis, but I hate the way that that record ( O.K. Computer ) is supposed to be the greatest record of all time and so radical. I don't think there's anything radical about what they do. They're careful, well-honed cliches. The perfect marketing tool and I think those things need to be exposed. I mean I hate to sound so bitchy about it, but I think it's incumbent upon people to make that point".
*swoon*
― afriendlypioneer, Wednesday, 6 March 2013 20:08 (eleven years ago) link
Word Sean otm! I always knew Yorke was just a mediocre art student jerkoff. Yeah being a fucking bos-eyed twat might get you laid ... hmmm maybe an album of this type zzzzzzzzzz...... Contribution to modern music = 0 Radiohead fucking boredom deathray pulverising my head in the 90's = 100000000
― Damo Suzuki's Parrot, Wednesday, 6 March 2013 21:44 (eleven years ago) link
The audacity of Sean O'Hagan to call something out for being a 'careful, well-honed cliche' is quite frankly obscene
― insert witticism here (hypehat), Wednesday, 6 March 2013 21:54 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah that was my first thought too. I like some High Llamas now and again (especially Hawaii) but they're hardly the most original band ever.
― Kitchen Person, Wednesday, 6 March 2013 22:02 (eleven years ago) link
I guess the difference is that the High Llamas wear their well-honed cliches on their sleeves.
― Moodles, Wednesday, 6 March 2013 22:12 (eleven years ago) link
The difference is that the High Llamas actually have some great songs.
― Damo Suzuki's Parrot, Wednesday, 6 March 2013 23:22 (eleven years ago) link
I think Cold and Bouncy is extremely progressive music.
― afriendlypioneer, Thursday, 7 March 2013 15:09 (eleven years ago) link
Look, I love the High Llamas, but O'Hagan's being dumb there.
― jaymc, Thursday, 7 March 2013 15:15 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Lei1FFjb4k
I really, really, really loved their last one.
― afriendlypioneer, Thursday, 7 March 2013 15:56 (eleven years ago) link
So this is the "musical performance before it becomes an album" he alluded to:
Sean At The End Of The Road Festival.Woodland Library01 September 2013
Sean is delighted to play a ,very early set , 11.30 on Sunday morning ,in the Woodland Library section at the festival. It will include a reading from a new new piece of narrative work called Here come The Rattling Trees.So its a solo performance with a literary edge set in a library created for the festival in the woods.... magical. Any one around at the time of the morning ? If you are please come along and make a great start to the day!!
― afriendlypioneer, Wednesday, 4 September 2013 15:49 (ten years ago) link