That video reminds that earlier this evening was waxing eloquent about pre-pandemic days of walking about NYC in particular Soho randomly encountering celebrities and Kevin Corrigan was one of the many cast members of Slums of Beverly Hills I crossed paths with.
― Indieland Phil and Indieland Don (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 21 November 2020 04:44 (three years ago) link
Never listened to the 2019 album but liked the one before that.
― Indieland Phil and Indieland Don (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 21 November 2020 05:20 (three years ago) link
Feels wrong not to vote for a Bejar song when I’m a destroyer head... but it’s definitely letter from an occupant right
― EvanP, Saturday, 21 November 2020 05:59 (three years ago) link
comes down to "this boy's life among the electrical lights" vs "salvation holdout central"... leaning this boy's life but it's a tough one
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Saturday, 21 November 2020 06:16 (three years ago) link
I know the other guys are pretty popular in whatever scene this is but I find it hard to stay interested when neko case isn’t singing
― Left, Saturday, 21 November 2020 08:08 (three years ago) link
Love all these, was telling husband about how I was obsessed with TNP and Destroyer my senior year in high school and everyone thought I was crazy lol.
It's clearly Letter, tho.
― healthy cocaine off perfect butts (the table is the table), Saturday, 21 November 2020 15:09 (three years ago) link
I didn't listen to this until 2004, and I could immediately hear the melodic and vocal influence of Scott Miller, which (to my knowledge) no other band had yet taken up. I didn't like any of the Bejar songs then; now that I've become a fan of his, I still don't like any of these.
The Newman songs are good-to-great except for Body Says No, but the overall effect is overcaffeinated. Only the intro of Fake Headlines works as a breather from the powerpop overload; they'd get better at album sequencing with Electric Version. I guess at this point they were trying to grab the listener's attention with as much extroversion as they could manage.
I voted for Slow Descent into Alcoholism, but I hope Centre for Holy Wars gets a vote.
― Halfway there but for you, Saturday, 21 November 2020 23:43 (three years ago) link
i like the idea that there's a ton of viable choices here cos tbf there is a ton of viable choices here and i won't even call all the cunts that don't vote for "My Slow Descent" cunts tho i might because fuck you, you cunts, but gareth david "The Slow Descent" is the kill tune despite the obviousness of my affection
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 21 November 2020 23:55 (three years ago) link
FYI New Pornographers lyrics
― Robert Gotopieces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 22 November 2020 00:25 (three years ago) link
lots of deserved accolades for “slow descent,” “letters,” and the title track, but “body says no” arguably has the biggest hook.
also have soft spots for “holy war” and “execution day.” this was really a high watermark for indie, wasn’t it?
― la table sur la table (voodoo chili), Sunday, 22 November 2020 00:26 (three years ago) link
High point for me is neko’s wailing on the chorus of occupant
― calstars, Sunday, 22 November 2020 00:29 (three years ago) link
i would like to boringly accept all the wrong votes for this amazing album that aren't votes for "Slow Descent"
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 00:31 (three years ago) link
― Robert Gotopieces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 22 November 2020 00:32 (three years ago) link
i spent a long time thinking about the supergroup shit that was bands that i didn't know about but totally made sense of the way people perceived this rekkid and elucidate people's choices but also my slow descent
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 00:33 (three years ago) link
into FUCK ALL Y'ALL i went
also i like the i don't know angry daftness
y'know it was all a steep downhill form here?
title track is very very real
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 00:35 (three years ago) link
I love Slow Descent, but the way Neko wails "WHERE HAVE ALL SENSATIONS GOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNE" slays me in every possible way.
― healthy cocaine off perfect butts (the table is the table), Sunday, 22 November 2020 00:37 (three years ago) link
<3 i'm slapping fives with everybody who thinks neko is the keystone
cos she is even when it's not her on the lead
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 00:41 (three years ago) link
"To Wild Homes" is one of the better FM-Tusk(album) tributes ever made.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Sunday, 22 November 2020 00:54 (three years ago) link
my challopsy take is that I love Neko but prefer her more polished vox on the later albums
― it bangs for thee (Simon H.), Sunday, 22 November 2020 00:55 (three years ago) link
there are a lot of very good tracks on this list also gtf
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 00:56 (three years ago) link
also into alcoholism i went
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 00:57 (three years ago) link
Is it wrong to register a wee complaint about the production on this album?
― Robert Gotopieces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 22 November 2020 00:57 (three years ago) link
i'm not a production guy but i get there's a wonkiness
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 01:01 (three years ago) link
uh-huh
being a dick aside this is one of my favourite randonm sooper-groop indie kids records
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 01:02 (three years ago) link
mah mah mah mah slow dissent
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 01:03 (three years ago) link
SALVATION HOLD OUT CINTRAL
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 01:08 (three years ago) link
I love this band (although I don't seem to have listened to anything they released after 2010, oops) but never been able to get into any of their other bands, Destroyer, Zumpano, Neko Case solo etc. nothing has grabbed me. Sum greater than parts for me I guess.
― CP Radio Gorgeous (Colonel Poo), Sunday, 22 November 2020 01:18 (three years ago) link
i gHear you GColonel
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 01:19 (three years ago) link
also i gAgree
i mean this gAlbum murders everything it's constituent parts gRecorded
except pissably gNeko
gBoys gBoys gBoys
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 01:21 (three years ago) link
What's with the nasal mutations? Is this now Dw i'n caru Cymraeg?
― Robert Gotopieces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 22 November 2020 01:24 (three years ago) link
NV, w/ all due respect you seeem to have many wrong opinions about this band/music
― alpine static, Sunday, 22 November 2020 01:55 (three years ago) link
i love "fake headlines" and i'm gonna vote for it
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Sunday, 22 November 2020 01:55 (three years ago) link
'CAUSE HOPE GROWS GREENER THAN GRASS STAINS
― alpine static, Sunday, 22 November 2020 02:01 (three years ago) link
but “body says no” arguably has the biggest hook.this hook is what really most impressed me when I first listened to it 19ish years ago and listening to it again today for the first time in years I am still amazed by it.
― silverfish, Sunday, 22 November 2020 02:13 (three years ago) link
alpine thank you for your repspect and respect for your kindness and i don't really know why this album is so otm cos it's not automaically a thing that i'd love
but i love the fuck out of it
which also makes me say daft things about it
"my slow descent" tho, that's a thing, that's a moment
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 02:19 (three years ago) link
was having a hard time choosing between tracks before i remembered "i've cried five rivers on the way here/which one will you skate away on?" and voted accordingly
― donna rouge, Sunday, 22 November 2020 02:41 (three years ago) link
I mean even the first couplet from that is incroyable: "I'm told the eventual downfall/ is just a bill from the restaurant"
― healthy cocaine off perfect butts (the table is the table), Sunday, 22 November 2020 02:52 (three years ago) link
SALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRAL SALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRAL SALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRAL SALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRASALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRAL SALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRAL SALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRAL SALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRAL L
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 03:42 (three years ago) link
loves, love to love love <3
SALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRASALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRAL L
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 03:44 (three years ago) link
"letter from an occupant" is the academic answer.
"the body says no" was my first love, like someone else upthread. i think it was one of the more straightforward ones when i was 16 and wrapping my head around this album.
best live memory: neko's harmony on the end of "execution day." one of the moments when you have to step back and appreciate what a pure singer she is.
personal favorite and vote: "the fake headlines." "mass romantic" tells you that the band could produce a great single, but fake headlines is such a beast of a second song. i remember listening to this album cold, and all of a sudden neko is gone, this lispy guy is singing, and it's still a total banger. you're fully onboard with the record from there. it has a great lyric. i love that lyric transcription thread, i think newman is really underrated as a lyricist.
― call all destroyer, Sunday, 22 November 2020 04:09 (three years ago) link
those are all beautiful answers and i agtee
SALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRASSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRAL
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 04:13 (three years ago) link
i keel evety last one of you
SALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRASALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRALSALVATION HOLD OUT CENTRAL
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 04:14 (three years ago) link
lol
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 04:20 (three years ago) link
"slow descent" has slightly edged out "letter from an occupant" today
― ufo, Sunday, 22 November 2020 04:38 (three years ago) link
since this is maybe the most active a New Pornos thread has been in my 10+ years on ILM, i want to take the opportunity to say something i've said elsewhere: this band is responsible for the best recorded catalog of the 21st century so far. which makes this album the first all-killer-no-filler step on that incredible journey.
thank u carl, neko, dan, old drummer, new drummer, guy with the hair, guy with the beard, carl's niece whose name i really should remember, keyboard guy who looks bored as fuck during shows, new lady singer and maybe another guy if there's another guy i'm forgetting about (but i don't think there is).
luv u Noodle Vague
― alpine static, Sunday, 22 November 2020 04:51 (three years ago) link
<<3 same and apologies for being drunchenhausen
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 05:02 (three years ago) link
it's a fucking perfect albumen tho while we're on
― Bandscamp Fryday (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 22 November 2020 05:03 (three years ago) link
Just listening to Challengers and Bejar’s “Entering White Cecilia” jumped out at me. I can see why people might find his, um, tics (or “ticks,” as Xgau wrote) annoying, but to me he just has a knack for highlighting his hooks.
― Robert Gotopieces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 25 November 2020 23:54 (three years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Thursday, 26 November 2020 00:01 (three years ago) link
oh also "sweet talk sweet talk" is such a banger come on
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Wednesday, November 25, 2020 6:03 PM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
i like this song a lot but i think the arrangement is lacking and it has this really weird abrupt ending.
― call all destroyer, Thursday, 26 November 2020 01:18 (three years ago) link
hm yeah fair
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Thursday, 26 November 2020 01:29 (three years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Friday, 27 November 2020 00:01 (three years ago) link
Feel like this is the wrongest fakest falsest new porno result
― pence's eye juice (Hunt3r), Friday, 27 November 2020 00:04 (three years ago) link
Tbh surprised Jackie beat out the title track and Fake Headlines.
― healthy cocaine off perfect butts (the table is the table), Friday, 27 November 2020 00:38 (three years ago) link
I've also listened to this album about 40 times in the past week lol
― healthy cocaine off perfect butts (the table is the table), Friday, 27 November 2020 00:39 (three years ago) link
obsessed w challengers now thank u thread
― A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Chooglin (will), Friday, 27 November 2020 00:48 (three years ago) link
nothing but respect for my jackie-heads
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, 27 November 2020 00:49 (three years ago) link
this pretty much went chalk, huh
― call all destroyer, Friday, 27 November 2020 00:50 (three years ago) link
Noodle Vague going to show up and start berating us soon
― healthy cocaine off perfect butts (the table is the table), Friday, 27 November 2020 00:59 (three years ago) link
"We End Up Together" is my favorite NP track post-Challengers
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Friday, 27 November 2020 01:27 (three years ago) link
The New Pornographers' cover of "Breakin' The Law" is pretty underrated ITT. ― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Monday, November 23, 2020 9:42 AM (three days ago)
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Monday, November 23, 2020 9:42 AM (three days ago)
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 27 November 2020 01:33 (three years ago) link
I’d like a mash up of the title track verses w/ the Occupant chorus.
― calstars, Friday, 27 November 2020 01:54 (three years ago) link
otoh i just read this thread and i love this band, these songs, all the other songs, this thread, all y'all, and the chance to listen to these songs again. hmm.
― pence's eye juice (Hunt3r), Friday, 27 November 2020 03:36 (three years ago) link
thank you all for participating
not even a big bejar fan but true to form 'execution day' has lived in my head for at least a decade
― mookieproof, Saturday, 28 November 2020 05:57 (three years ago) link
I was about to comment on how perfect the song order is ("Breakin' The Law" is a great ending and feels like a victory lap), and I just noticed on Discogs that depending on which vinyl version you may have, "Letter from an Occupant" and "To Wild Homes" swap places (last song on Side A, first song on Side B). I've only listened to the CD (like a million times), where "Letter" is first...I'll have to try swapping those two.
"Letter" first (Matador): https://www.discogs.com/The-New-Pornographers-Mass-Romantic/release/688996"To Wild Homes" first (Matador): https://www.discogs.com/The-New-Pornographers-Mass-Romantic/release/3915032It looks like the Mint Records vinyl releases have "To Wild Homes" first.
― ernestp, Saturday, 28 November 2020 17:08 (three years ago) link
Thanks for this excellent POLL, mookieproof
― Robert Gotopieces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 28 November 2020 21:25 (three years ago) link
Hm, what's going on with the different versions of "Hey, Snow White"?
― Robert Gotopieces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 28 November 2020 23:42 (three years ago) link
Y'alll ready for some challops??!?!?!?!!?11
"Breakin' The Law" - 0 is the best song on this album
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Wednesday, 2 December 2020 06:57 (three years ago) link
This drummer packs a wallop, sings good bg vox too.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Wednesday, 2 December 2020 06:58 (three years ago) link
“Mary Martin Show” deserved better seeing the turnout.
We should keep this polling on to “Electric Version”
― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 07:09 (three years ago) link
I love that this conversation exists and wish there were more bands containing multiple songwriters of equal skill with distinctive-but-complimentary qualities
― flamboyant goon tie included, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 11:01 (three years ago) link
wish there were more bands containing multiple songwriters of equal skill with distinctive-but-complimentary qualities
Sloan?
― Hideous Lump, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 15:19 (three years ago) link
^^^^^^^^^^
― a (waterface), Wednesday, 2 December 2020 15:39 (three years ago) link
I mean, I love Sloan, but couldn't guess the authorship from song-to-song with much (or any) accuracy
― flamboyant goon tie included, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 16:31 (three years ago) link
Agree with that. I bet hardcore fans could, though.
Uncle Tupelo comes to mind. And the DBTs.
― alpine static, Wednesday, 2 December 2020 17:49 (three years ago) link
Is Rolling Blackouts this way? Or do they write everything together and just trade off lead vocals?
sloan to me are more solid workhorses than "holy shit that song" type songwriters. which is not a dis!
― it bangs for thee (Simon H.), Wednesday, 2 December 2020 18:05 (three years ago) link