i bought this record without really having a feel for whether i liked it or not--there can be no debating that she's doing something interesting, at least--and thought it might be sort of like a less-funny xiu xiu. between the mid-90s downstrokiness and neuroses fully on display what it actually comes across as is maybe the truest descendent of pinkerton.
― call all destroyer, Monday, 15 August 2016 01:53 (seven years ago) link
This is cool. I really like Fireworks.
Yes. That is a doozy of a song.
― kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 7 September 2016 19:25 (seven years ago) link
so...Your Best American Girl is the best song anyone's gonna release this year, huh
― alpine static, Friday, 23 September 2016 18:50 (seven years ago) link
p much, although keep tabs on Weyes Blood as well
― imago, Friday, 23 September 2016 18:57 (seven years ago) link
i loved that last Weyes Blood album, thanks for reminding me to check in on her
― alpine static, Friday, 23 September 2016 18:57 (seven years ago) link
found this: http://songexploder.net/mitski
interesting breakdown of YBAG
― alpine static, Friday, 23 September 2016 19:23 (seven years ago) link
I'm not typically a person who places a great deal of value on lyrics, but the "Your mother wouldn't approve of how my mother raised me / but I do, I think I do" (and later "I finally do") really punches me in the heart for some reason. It's such a wide open doorway into inhabiting someone else's life for 3 minutes, especially when your own experience is totally different.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Saturday, 24 September 2016 02:43 (seven years ago) link
it was you and you alone that he had shown his bedroom dancer to
― meaulnes, Tuesday, 27 September 2016 08:19 (seven years ago) link
Ha, wrote about this album last night for our record club blog, and that's the lyric I plucked out. Because it's amazing.
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 27 September 2016 10:14 (seven years ago) link
Also wiki says it's her 26th birthday today. Happy birthday!
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 27 September 2016 10:18 (seven years ago) link
i finally saw mitski this weekend after listening to her all summer. it was a super sketchy show. tension was in the air from the start. mitski was complaining of sound woes from the offset, and after playing two songs as a band (her producer, a drummer and herself) she told her band to leave the stage and said that she'd rather play a solo show ("with a missing string") where "pitch and timing isn't an issue". she played about 5 songs on her own from here, was visibly irritated and tense, and then asked for requests. i yelled out 'fireworks' - she played a few chords of it, and then decided she couldn't remember it. she also couldn't tune her guitar. after pacing around for a while, she called for "my band" to return to the stage. they didn't seem to want to head back out, so she done a 180 and did play fireworks. they took to the stage after that to end the set with one loud song together. i left feeling weird about the whole thing and she seemed a little bit of a diva about the situation. i guess all shows can't be great for a performer. i believe fault lied both in the band and the sound engineers... but who knows.
― meaulnes, Tuesday, 4 October 2016 12:59 (seven years ago) link
well, we're seeing her on thursday and we're super stoked so whatever lol
― imago, Tuesday, 4 October 2016 13:01 (seven years ago) link
i guess i'm not that bothered she wrote some good songs and that's all that really fucking matters.
― meaulnes, Tuesday, 4 October 2016 13:01 (seven years ago) link
that sounds like a real unusual situation. she was incredible live opening for speedy last year
― who is extremely unqualified to review this pop album (BradNelson), Tuesday, 4 October 2016 13:05 (seven years ago) link
if she takes requests she's already more audience-receptive than 95% of artists. and she's neurotic as anything - it's a crucial factor in her art - no surprise at all that she feels tension or irritation at all times, as is her right
― imago, Tuesday, 4 October 2016 13:05 (seven years ago) link
fireworks would be my request too fyi
― imago, Tuesday, 4 October 2016 13:07 (seven years ago) link
oh god i KNEW they'd roll out Trust Fund as support, much as they did when Speedy Ortiz visited last year. much as i want to like them they really haven't written any songs yet
― imago, Tuesday, 4 October 2016 13:10 (seven years ago) link
I saw her say on Twitter once how she felt upset that some audiences gave her stick for not always having a full band live. It might be that she's not so accustomed to that set up. And yeah, like imago mentioned, her own internal struggles probably contribute enormously to the stress of being on tour. She's hardly full of self-love and it must be so hard to negotiate everything under a pretty sudden and full-on spotlight. I think it'll be great to see her regardless of emotional tension, and I hope she adjusts well to her massively deserved success in the long run and releases another ten albums as good as the last two.
Aaw Trust Fund are cute.
― tangenttangent, Tuesday, 4 October 2016 13:19 (seven years ago) link
trust fund are darlings. i hang out with them in my town. the two records they put out last year are both amazing pop songs start to finish.
― meaulnes, Tuesday, 4 October 2016 13:54 (seven years ago) link
tangent, yes. i agree with your sentiments. i guess i just wanted to report the show. it was strange.
― meaulnes, Tuesday, 4 October 2016 13:55 (seven years ago) link
omg Trust Fund are WAY better than last time, that was great
― imago, Thursday, 6 October 2016 20:20 (seven years ago) link
Being a singing-drummer three-piece suits them and it turns out they have a few lovely songs :'D
anyway, Mitski impendeth
― imago, Thursday, 6 October 2016 20:21 (seven years ago) link
omg she did ...crushed Little stars as her encore it was the best encore ever
― imago, Thursday, 6 October 2016 21:51 (seven years ago) link
am I alone in getting strong Annie Clarke/St. Vincent vibes from this?
― niels, Saturday, 29 October 2016 12:21 (seven years ago) link
the comparison has been made on RYM quite a lot, but I'm not entirely convinced
― imago, Saturday, 29 October 2016 12:31 (seven years ago) link
also imo comparing female solo artists to each other is a fine habit to get out of
― imago, Saturday, 29 October 2016 12:33 (seven years ago) link
I am allowed to compare male artists to male artists though?
it's mostly the melodic style and vocal delivery, compare Mitski "Happy" to St. Vincent "Strange Mercy":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ0O2vDT0VE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JwXCBi-Eh8
― niels, Saturday, 29 October 2016 13:28 (seven years ago) link
Saw her in Durham, NC tonight. No tense vibes, and the crowd adored her. Power trio format for most of the show, with Mitski on bass sounding like she'd borrowed her rig from Bob Weston. She was magnetic. Plus she earned my goodwill forever for explicitly declining to play the obligatory encore. "When it's over, it's over... let's no go through that social ritual" (or words to that effect).
― JRN, Thursday, 17 November 2016 05:38 (seven years ago) link
can't stop listening to your best american girl
― Treeship, Sunday, 20 November 2016 16:48 (seven years ago) link
Finally shelled out for this after spinning it on Spotify all the time. Does anyone else find the distorted guitar timbres really harsh and digital-sounding? I really like the tunes and voice but I don't think I understand the production choices on this album.
― My Body's Made of Crushed Little Evening Stars (Sund4r), Monday, 16 January 2017 20:11 (seven years ago) link
it really works on my body's made of crushed little stars, but otherwise I agree with you- the rest of the album sounds very cold.
― flappy bird, Monday, 16 January 2017 20:25 (seven years ago) link
it is a bit hard on the ears
much contemporary music is...
― niels, Tuesday, 17 January 2017 17:37 (seven years ago) link
Finally I like a song within the ILM top 50!I've just heard Your Best American Girl today, feel like it sounds really like something I've listened to within the past year or so, but what??
― kinder, Friday, 3 February 2017 23:44 (seven years ago) link
and I don't mean Weezer
― kinder, Friday, 3 February 2017 23:47 (seven years ago) link
Sister by Angel Olsen?
― Treeship, Saturday, 4 February 2017 03:19 (seven years ago) link
Two Step by Throwing Muses?
― MarkoP, Saturday, 4 February 2017 03:35 (seven years ago) link
Crying?
― I Am In Atlanta And Thug Is Young (imago), Saturday, 4 February 2017 03:37 (seven years ago) link
Crying is dope
― ein Sexmonster (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Saturday, 4 February 2017 06:03 (seven years ago) link
def
― flappy bird, Saturday, 4 February 2017 06:18 (seven years ago) link
That song fireworks
― Treeship, Saturday, 13 May 2017 16:54 (six years ago) link
one of my favourites
― kinder, Saturday, 13 May 2017 17:03 (six years ago) link
as someone already said upthread, i believe, the run from Fireworks to Crushed Little Stars is stop-you-in-your-tracks good.
― alpine static, Saturday, 13 May 2017 17:53 (six years ago) link
i like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnhTkFl5Imw
― nxd, Friday, 4 May 2018 08:49 (five years ago) link
sounds like first album charli xcx
yeah i really like that too. also because i've always felt i would like xiu xiu more if it wasn't for JS' voice.
― Roz, Saturday, 5 May 2018 04:12 (five years ago) link
New album Be The Cowboy in August. First single "Geyser" today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zdFZJf-B90
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 14 May 2018 15:43 (five years ago) link
second half of that is incredible jeez
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Monday, 14 May 2018 15:57 (five years ago) link
uh wow
― ufo, Monday, 14 May 2018 16:06 (five years ago) link
!
― imago, Monday, 14 May 2018 16:11 (five years ago) link
Some confluence with Crying maybe
― imago, Monday, 14 May 2018 16:12 (five years ago) link