The Drones - any good (also Tropical Fuck Storm content here)

Got my ticket to the Austin show.

I guess I'm glad I didn't hear any of it before today. It sounded pretty damn good. The first one may well be better, but not by a lot.

I feel like I might need more distance and listens to make up for the fact that almost the entire first half was released in advance. I do agree that the vocal harmonies are more impressive on this one, just don't think that extends to the songwriting as a whole.

― Simon H., Saturday, August 24, 2019 bookmarkflaglink

I get that. The only advance track I really spent time with was Planet of Straw Men, which does stand out from the rest of the album for now. But I’ve been playing this incessantly since yesterday slams a lot of the other songs are getting better and better with more familiarity.

I love that "Who's My Eugene?" is (at least allegorically) a love song about the Brian Wilson-Eugene Landy relationship.

Listening to both albums a lot in the last few days. My very favorite songs—Tyres, Antimatter Animals, Soft Power, and Rubber Bullies—are on the first record. But I realize that I spend the other tracks biding time until these big monster tracks hit. Whereas on the new album I think the whole thing flows much better from beginning to end. I’m
Never bored or distracted on the new album.

The Happiest Guy Around is a jam. Almost like some kind of skronk disco.

Also, I like seeing the goofy junk robot from The Black Hole popping up on the cover

ILM having very little discussion about songs like "Paradise" ITT while that balloon song is raised to instant meme status is one of the all time low points of my experience on these boards.

I don't have a ton to say other than this album is really good all the way through.

i agree that the album is great that that i i don't have anything to actually add beyond that. i never have anything more to say other than "i like this" so i ain't really mad

haven’t seen the Drones since abt 2006, if ppl say TFS should be seen this tour I will go on Tuesday

I like seeing the goofy junk robot from The Black Hole popping up on the cover

Ha! I was struggling to remember why that was familiar. Nice.

"Paradise" is huge and dope

Feels like TFS is finally "breaking" on this tour - lots of energy, people know the songs. Been a fan of The Drones since '06 or whenever, lovely to see them getting their due. The live chemistry is truly great. "Rubber Bullies" is just an unbelievably great song.

haven’t seen the Drones since abt 2006, if ppl say TFS should be seen this tour I will go on Tuesday

as i've probably said already, tfs are one of the best live bands i've ever seen

Saw them at a small club last night, they absolutely blew the doors off. Huge energy throughout. One live element that doesn't come across on the albums is just how fucking hard the drummer pounds the drums, just completely non-stop. I have no idea how someone maintains that much energy.

One slight disappointment was that they only played 3 songs from the new one.

Me and cbesinger are en route to Chicago to see TFS at the Empty Bottle tonight so stoked

godspeed

They were incredibly great live, way more fucked-up & noisy. The drummer is a total monster who played with literally the largest drumsticks I have ever seen.

They were good in TO tonight but I think maybe a bit too ambitious for the venue. Gareth's noise wound up steamrolling the sound a bit, much as I admired the sheer percussive fury throughout, akin to a nu-metal band doing a Fall covers set. Also wish the audience knew "Baby" and could have freaked out appropriately.

Was also hoping for CD editions of the Drones/Liddiard records, but alas

oh and the Braindrops LP is just as wonderfully garish, from a design standpoint, as the first one

the Chicago gig was one of the best I've seen for awhile....ditto on the drummer the records don't convey how huge she sounds. best band

Seconded on the Empty Bottle show. Friend said they started off slow, but I love how messy they made that "Lose the Baby" cover and I thought it was the best set of a very busy Chicago weekend that included Fontaines D.C., fwiw. They know what they're doing and it was worth my money, anyway.

They killed it in Boston at a sold-out show. Before the gig, Gareth was sitting at his laptop when some fans came up and chatted with him, asked for a photo, and he gladly obliged. Truly a hard-working, all-for-one spirit permeated the band. They looked like they were having a great time with each other and with the crowd. I made the mistake of slapping Gareth on the back after the encore, he was soaking wet!

I converted a mate of mine and he brought one of his co-workers who also has flipped for the band. They sound like the inside of my head when I read the headlines every day.

Tour postponed, obviously.

But...new single!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ_Vs9k-cmg

As I've said: we've heard this exact songwriting style from them more than once already, but the sound is particularly incredible and I hope they further venture into this universe

If anyone's looking to give a little support to these worthy people, they've released a 4-volume live retrospective in time for the Bandcamp artists' day: https://thedrones.bandcamp.com

and now a fifth, a 2016 show from The Tote in Melbourne (these are like $10 each in America land) http://thedrones.bandcamp.com/album/live-vol-5-the-tote-melbourne-29-05-16

Volume 1 is pay-what-you-want, as a taster

Another new single. It's their best thing in a minute.

https://www.joyfulnoiserecordings.com/products/legal-ghost?

yeah baby! this is good :)

interesting:
‘Legal Ghost’ originally appeared on Gareth and original Drones member Rui Pereira’s pre-Drones experimental home four-track recordings LP Bong Odyssey, recorded in the 90’s when Gareth and Rui were pot-smoking teenage morons.

I FUCKING LOVE THIS BAND SO MUCH

this one's good

Gonna need the outlet of their music this fall, hope there's more to come soon!

the last LP felt a bit rushed to me, I'm happy for them to take their time with this one

Kind of wish they'd ditch most of the processing and effects and go for something more raw and organic, but I doubt that's happening

Not quite the thread for it but this year I've been getting my 'punk blues' (whatever that means) kicks from Wailin Storms's Rattle, which partially fulfills your wish.

moodles it sounds like you may want a Drones record

they can take their time and leave the two preview tracks off it afaic

i mean neither are bad but neither hold a candle to like all of ALDIM

braindrops is def worth a revisit at some point tho

I wouldn't say no to a new, pandemic-grown Liddiard solo folk record

moodles it sounds like you may want a Drones record

I might!

But TFS, as a band, rips just as hard, it just sometimes gets lost in translation.

drones don't need to reform, they literally perfected what they were capable of, 'i see seaweed' is absolutely everything they could have been

I agree that was their pinnacle

i mean it's the pinnacle of rock music p much

I'm happy for them to take their time with this one

They... they're in Melbourne

as time goes I think Braindrops is really great and closer to A Laughing Death...

I do kinda feel Moodles a bit, I like the production but seeing them live they were so overwhelming and heavy

I wouldn't find if they camped out in Electrical Audio for a week and knocked it out w/Albini

if they camped out in Electrical Audio for a week

.............they're in Melbourne

albini plus tfs is too much to hope for from music

nah I reckon they're going to fly to Chicago this weekend and have a surprise release out next month, with a tour to back it