The Beths

I'm not invested enough in this band to play a long game of spot the inspiration, but if you're listening to "Little Death" and the strongest comparison you can make is Weezer, then that's what you *want to* be hearing. It's not there.

The chorus of River Run Lvl 1 is probably the closest they come to Weezer.

This checks out.

is the inspection over

xposts enochroot

jealous of the small room opportunity! they played a relatively small venue here (empty bottle) but it was just before i started listening to them.

but if you're listening to "Little Death" and the strongest comparison you can make is Weezer, then that's what you *want to* be hearing. It's not there.

This always happens me when I try to point out to my wife people who look like other people: she never sees it, because I think she's expecting to see an exact clone, rather than a few shared characteristics.
A band's output is similarly complex, nuanced, and unique, so seeing the similarities really depends on how much you're willing to squint and ignore the details.

btw, i'm rapidly zero-ing in on "Not Running" as my favorite track on the album.

for what it's worth they do say they were going for weezer

https://www.undertheradar.co.nz/news/14777/Interview-The-Beths-Talk-About-Their-Debut-Album-Future-Me-Hates-Me.utr

that’s just what they *want* to be hearing

This was a weird thread detour. If other people hear it and the band says they intended it, fine. They're doing a Weezer thing.

I still barely hear it, but also I'm not deeply taken with this album anyway (it's fine). Enjoy!

They can be influenced by Weezer or by Justin Bieber for that matter. As long as they are good (and they are) who cares.

Just an aside: I just listened to two or three songs from the Charly Bliss album. This has nothing to do with it. What I heard did neither have the hooks nor the speed and variety of The Beths and I cannot get over the squeaky Minnie Mouse voice of the singer.

Idea/Intent from the E.P. is the best song they wrote

Listening to this album over and over

When I was about 20 I remember thinking that there were 3 things that gave me the same endorphin rush: crushes, drugs, and music.
Now that I'm in my 40's, the first 2 aren't happening any more, and music only gives me that buzz on increasingly rare occasions, but for whatever reason, this beths album does it for me.

They played live last night at a tiny place in Boston, and they definitely delivered the goods. It seems like the whole jazz-school background means that they're all solid musicians, so the live versions of the songs popped more than the studio versions. Also, there's something so primally pleasing about bands who can do 4-part harmonies.

Oh, and for whatever reason, they can't play River Run live.

This is like the least challenging album ever recorded but it's really addictive. I dunno, sometimes, more occasionally than is claimed, when you've got the tunes that's really all that matters.

Interesting to hear they've got a jazz background though, it does SOUND much tighter and more muscular than records like this usually do. Like usually you listen to a straightforward indie rock record and it feels like aesthetic decisions had been made because the band weren't capable of doing much more, or couldn't think of anything else to do. Here, it feels like they've arranged things this way because that's what the song NEEDS.

"Least challenging" might actually be the key here (i.e. has anyone ever experienced that endorphin rush feeling from listening to Stockhausen?)

Life is challenging enough sometimes, it's okay to just be a fun, well written and performed pop rock record

Absolutely what can you have against great music if your only critic is that it is unchallenging? What does that mean anyways? I find the whole concept that challenging music is good music which is somehow implied in the reasoning pretty dubious. There is so much crap challenging music out there. Let it challenge someone else, not me.

fwiw if you read matt dc's post he likes the album a lot, and he doesn't argue that music needs to be challenging.

(i.e. has anyone ever experienced that endorphin rush feeling from listening to Stockhausen?)

Yes.

Was just about to post the same thing! Kreuzspiel, Mikrophonie II, Kontakte - absolutely.

I love this album, though.

(i.e. has anyone ever experienced that endorphin rush feeling from listening to Stockhausen?)

Yes.

― Zach Same (Tom D.), Thursday, October 11, 2018 1:38 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I knew someone was going to post this, and ILM, you did not disappoint.

fwiw, 2 of the 4 people on the current tour were not part of the "all 4 have jazz-school backgrounds" group that made the record.

maybe those 2 went to jazz school, i don't know. just pointing it out.

yeah, good point. in that interview katherine posted upthread they mentioned that they used a different drummer on various parts of the tour (a good thing, i think, based off of their videos) and that the bass player was also not a permanent member.

i went to jazz school on the streets

These guys came on Spotify shuffle today at work and I was loving it. This thread bump has reminded me to get the album.

Decent enough rocking guitar pop

I’ve slowly come to realize that Whatever is the best thing here. It’s just one incredible hook after another

I think "You Wouldn't Like Me" is my favourite but that's up there.

At their show, they did play "Whatever" with an air of "well here's the one you've probably all been waiting for..."
Also, it's the only song from their EP that they decided to keep on the album. So I think they might agree with you.

i have grown to like the backup vox on much of the album, but i still can't stomach them on 'whatever'. i have tried many times, but at this point i just play the album through happy unhappy, then either switch to something else or play "less than thou" as the closer

i also skip "you wouldn't like me" most of the time

this band owns live

I'm seeing them Sunday. super excited!

oh hey they're playing here in February.

their version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" somehow redeems that old croaker, with the help of strings and a ripping solo

Elizabeth Stokes is a really good singer. the chorus of "Happy Unhappy" is so warm, it actually makes you physically feel better to listen to it.

I had to force myself to have a break from this album as I didn't want to get burned out on it. I've been going back to it over the last couple of weeks and it's still sounding so amazing. Still can't get over that run of Not Running, Little Death and Happy Unhappy.

cosign on ALL of that

The new video seems like the kind of thing that gets automatically created by Facebook based on all your 2018 posts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=166&v=BmCZ-NxESOc

this band owns live

OTM.

while we're throwing out people we hear I mostly hear Tuscadero

Belated OTM! Certainly in that vein.

I'm so sad I was out of town when they played here :( :(

I'm going to see them tonight! Just realized they are not actually the headliners, rather it's a band i've never heard of called Bad Bad Hats.

They recently opened a 3-week long tour I was part of and I'm delighted to report that they are the nicest, weirdest, coolest people on earth. I watched every bit of their set almost every night.

pulled out of their Smith Street Band national tour support slot (xpost with Weinstein thread)

Turns out they were actually headlining the show (the venue just posted the sets in the wrong order).

They really are a tight live band. I thought they were better this time than the first time I saw them. The sound was better (vocals higher in the mix), and whatever drummer they brought on this tour is a monster. He's an order of magnitude better than he needs to be for this material -- it was like the Cloud Nothings lent the band their drummer for the night. They played almost all the songs from the Warm Blood EP, which sound much better live... the live version of Idea/Intent was awesome.

saw them last night and they were awesome. im def gonna check em out again when they have more material. the drummer is so good--it's almost funny how chill and upright he seems when executing these ridiculous patterns and fills.

While it’s not math rock, the arrangements are intricate and there’s a lot of dynamics that warrant more than timekeeping

i am so excited to see them tomorrow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt0J3IEYkIg

really great performance

glad they're playing "jump rope gazers" on this tour. thx for posting ufo!

New single! They left it off the album as it didn't fit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEO3vmxjoa0

Nice, I think that might be my favorite Tiny Desk since they had Koffee on.
I guess they had to skew towards mellower material given the setting, but those are their best songs anyway

Just got back from seeing them in Bristol. What a tight and thoroughly likeable band. Appalled that my compatriots couldn’t even bring themselves to pogo seeing as though it’s mainly 160bpm bangers but maybe that’s a generational thing. Definitely go catch them if you get the chance.

I was there too...loved it.

It was almost as amazing to think through what they didn't play - Not Running, Happy Unhappy, Whatever, Mars The God of War, Shy of Sure, 2AM - as to marvel at the quality of the set they actually performed. Such a strong catalogue already!

Ah Willl I didn't know they were playing. Would have been pogoing with you

They finally won a Silver Scroll (NZ's annual songwriting award) for 'Expert In A Dying Field' after being finalists for 'Future Me Hates Me' in 2018, 'Happy Unhappy' in 2019, and 'Jump Rope Gazers' in 2021 - I think if they hadn't won this year they'd equal the Phoenix Foundation's record for most nominations / zero wins.

Acceptance speech:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efMWxRN9H4k

Downbeat cover by Samara Alofa at the awards ceremony:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjCNyPs-ek4

(see also: jazz cover of 'Happy Unhappy' by Bella Kalolo from 2019, electro-pop cover of 'Future Me Hates Me' by French Concession from 2018, nothing from 2021 due to Covid)

Radio New Zealand interview about this song (drummer talks about listening to early 90s Kiwi pop-rock stuff like Crowded House and the Mutton Birds re: the drum sound):
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/music101/audio/2018908214/anatomy-of-a-scroll-the-beths-expert-in-a-dying-field