Life Without Buildings

What has crossed my mind is how well the music would work without vocals as just a nice breezy post-rock record, like Tristeza or something.

― Bianca Jagger (jaymc), Friday, 22 May 2009 19:12 (2 days ago)

^^^ this. it's the vocals that really push the songs over the edge. case in point: http://www.imeem.com/people/wgMI9AD/music/0B6wbnjb/life-without-buildings-daylighting/

don't know if this has been mentioned already but seeing as we're talking about soundalikes, thomas tantrum sound very very much like LWB:

i mentioned that somewhere, and i agree, sadly their album was v disappointing

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Other-City-Life-Without-Buildings/dp/B00005AKO2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1243287289&sr=8-1

This is insane, the LWB studio album listed at £83.52 - 2 copies, one of the sellers admitting that the digipak is pretty worn. My first copy was £2, and was given to a friend when I found another copy recently in better condition for a whole 10p. Spotted "Is Is & the IRS" cd single for 1p on Amazon, so have broken my self imposed "no CD purchases in May" rule to get it.

Does anyone have an MP3 of "Daylighting" they'd be willing to provide me with? Or know where I can get a legit download of it, I don't fancy paying the £66 someone wants for a copy of "Young Offenders" to complete the collection.

i have it, i'll dig it out when i get home tonight

i will also search for their prince cover too, i have the cd somewhere

Just buy it from Amazon US and not UK, it is only 10.50 on there.

BTW Daylighting is a bonus track on the US pressing.

Daylighting: http://rapidshare.com/files/237239605/11_Daylighting.mp3.html

Thanks very much for that! One day I hope to find a copy of the "Love Trinity" CD single for a reasonable price.

Just buy it from Amazon US and not UK, it is only 10.50 on there.

― svend, Tuesday, 26 May 2009 01:10 (17 minutes ago) Bookmark

Thanks, but I've already got the UK pressing of the 'Any Other City', was just surprised that someone thought they'd get anywhere listing at that price - I know it's the EIL approach, hope someone's desperate enough. Someone on Amazon UK was after £66 for the "Young Offenders" CD single, which is "only" $19 on Amazon US.

And I'm also a muppet - 10.50 for US pressing which includes "Daylighting" rather than $19 or £66 for the single. Duh.

Plus the US one is in a jewel case, I have both as well and the LP :).

At least it's a small discography to be trying to hoover up!

i was going to suggest getting in contact with trifekta as they may still have stock but they seem to have fallen off the face of the earth

http://chaos.com/product/love_trinity_380323_18294.html

The Trifekta website has disappeared but found a myspace, will give them a shout.

I also found that listing on chaos.com, but the 14-20 day wait for dispatch wasn't promising - that would imply they don't have it in stock and would be ordering it in themselves. May as well try and cut out the middleman.

back in the day their website had a free download of a live acoustic take of the leanover that was really good. i last had it in like 2006 - does anyone have that now? i can't find it anywhere!

interesting - a recently conducted "follow up" interview with the drummer and guitarist of lwb: http://musosguide.com/life-without-buildings-the-catch-up-interview/8990

I would love to know if anyone had a .rar of "Love Trinity." The single, not the live one since thats easier to come by.

yeah, i have it. are you looking specifically for the song, or the whole single, which features two other songs?

If the other two are good I'll take them! Thanks!

https://www.yousendit.com/download/RmNBK3BDd0k5RlpjR0E9PQ

there you go!

Saw Life Without Buildings years ago supporting Hefner and thought they were terrible. It wasn't until a few years later when I picked up 'Any other City' and realised how wrong I had been. I was pretty young when I saw them and I guess I didn't have the listening background in post-punk I have now which makes them more understandable. Still, missed opportunity.

Yeah, I'm still cursing myself for missing them the one time they played here (supporting Piano Magic circa Low Birth Weight!). Why the fuck did I miss that?

Catch-up interview with Robert and Will: http://musosguide.com/life-without-buildings-the-catch-up-interview/8990

"We broke up because Sue didn’t want to do it anymore. She wanted to focus on visual art, and had never really bargained on being the singer in a band. To put that in perspective, when the band began of course none of us really thought anyone would be interested, so there wasn’t anything at stake. As things went on, it started to feel a bit more pressurised, so we did some daft things like taking support gigs with larger bands because it would be ‘good for us’ and generally treating it more like a job than like fun (I take a large part of the responsibility for this!). If we had been a bit smarter about it we could probably have carried on a bit longer and tried to plough our own path rather than do things the way we thought they were ‘meant’ to be done. For Sue i think it turned from a laugh into being a commitment she’d never signed up for."

Oh, haha... I guess I should've spotted that seven posts above.

I'm fifteen and just discovered them. I'm glad I don't just sit around being sad they broke up and instead just jam their jams.

JAMzzzzzzzzz

was hoping this thread revival meant they were reuiniting

SEE

So I only got round to getting this album about a month ago and I am completely in love with it. I cannot believe I left it so long to check them out. I'm sure they used to get played on Radio 1's Evening Session back in the day but i was probably too busy obsessing over Mansun to really notice them, even though I'm a huge Japan fan and remember being impressed with their name.

14 Days is probably my favourite track, the chorus is just heartbreaking.

Should I be picking up that live album that came out?

Sure. It's got at least one unique track on it. Be sure to round up the singles tracks, too.

'liberty feelup' is the exclusive on the live record and it is worth having

You get 'Love Trinity' too, which isn't on Any Other City and is pretty much the definition of a must-have.

yeah love trinity is essential. i reckon a second album would have been wonderful, but what are you gonna do

Be sure to round up the singles tracks, too.

yeah, the single versions of "New Town", "The Leanover", and "Let's Get Out" are appreciably different from the later album versions. they're rougher and more shoddily recorded, like demos almost. I prefer the better sound quality of the re-recordings, but the singles are worth hearing if you're a completist like I am.

"Love Trinity" and "Pop Life" are essential, as is "Is Is and the IRS". the latter was recorded twice; the earlier single version (b/w "Let's Get Out") is slightly better than the re-recording on the b-side of "Love Trinity".

"Daylighting" (another "Love Trinity" b-side, which resurfaced as bonus track on the American release of Any Other City) is one of the few songs of theirs where the vocals really grate on me. no, Sue, I will not take you to the kino.

I wish they'd recorded a second album too, electricsound. I feel like a follow-up album where they tried to match the spastic energy of the singles and most of Any Other City would've inevitably disappointed people. but if they went in a prettier, slower, more polished direction in the vein of "Sorrow" and "Love Trinity", I think they could've come up with something as fresh and compelling as their debut.

those guys doing some insane altered images kinda pop record would have been amazing

they could have done a very credible cover of "Pink Blue", imho.

er, "Pinky Blue"

The band essentially broke up because Sue didn't want to be a singer anymore iirc, so the rest of them should've just called Clare Grogan and said "hey, let's do something."

^^

the single versions of "New Town", "The Leanover"

This is the sort of tidbit I love ILX for. I had no idea the single versions were different, thanks!

Of course, if anyone can point to a source for these versions... ;-)

i actually like the 45 version of the leanover way more than the re-recorded version.

if i find a source i will let you know!

I can webmail those track to you if you'd like, gerald.

How is this stuff still out of print?! It's not even available digitally. So many indie nerds go on and on about these records; I find it hard to believe some label couldn't do an all-tracks re-issue that would get some buzz (a'la that Sub Pop Vaselines comp).

if you haven't heard it you should track down their cover of Princes 'Pop Life', Sue trying to rein in her vocal tics and sing it straight is fun to listen to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7Pvu3r5_xg

the live album is on spotify if you have access to that. love the version of New Town on there. I love the way she introduces it with "this is new town! this is australia!" she seems so excited/happy to be there.

In EADGAE btw

awesome. always wondered what tuning he used, so simple once you know

Good to see albums being reissued 'From Glasgow' not from complete and utter cunts

gorgeous, ty for posting