Slowdive - Everything Is Alive

I saw them just before they released the s/t, I think maybe it was at the Mayan in downtown LA. Absolutely great. Really kinda floored me, as did that album. Getting the sense I won't see them this time around, but glad they're selling out the venues.

Disagree that "Kisses" has no personality. Next to the flangy guitars, I clearly hear the singer of Mojave 3 and no one else. (The synthesis of those two strands of Halstead's career is a nice touch on the 2017 record and now this.)

That said, this was presumably chosen as the first promotional track because it is straightforward pop. I'm curious to see how challenging the other tracks are, since the press release mentions electronic experimentation.

second show added on Oct 16 in SF. hyped to see them again.

Oh nice! On sale now?

Answering my own question: yes they are! Thanks for the tip, just got GA floor.

ehh, I find the new song completely forgettable. Like something he'd write in his sleep.

Nice I'll be there as well!

Babe wake up new slowdive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWtlDuzHc4g

Liking this one better than the first single. Love the guitar sound.

listening to these new songs while it thunderstorms outside… bliss

I really like this one. It's a lot more instant than Kisses. His voice sounds a bit like Alasdair from The Clientele on it.

This is great, this album might even be better than the last one.

this one's much better than "kisses"

Much better than kisses but still..

interesting track although the chorus vocal sounds like a pisstake. The guitar part sounds like the first EP!

Yeah not fully sold on the vocals but guitars sound amazing

Saw their gig last night, brilliant show, they are an absolute powerhouse live (loud!). Weirdly they only played “kisses” from the upcoming record—I was half-expecting some more new tracks but I guess they’ll add them to the setlist for the autumn run of shows, once the album is out? Rachel stole the audience’s hearts btw

New song next week: The Slab

The Slab.

Coming next week. pic.twitter.com/HNSBYRyNSx

— Slowdive (@slowdiveband) August 4, 2023

It’s out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiQUd6F6_kw

Alright, this is the first track that offers the more ambient, electronic stylings that the press release augured. I admit, I didn’t expect Slowdive 2023 to sound like Seefeel 1993. Still, nothing at all wrong with this tune and I still look forward to the album.

That is about fifty times better than “Kisses” and now I’m keen to hear the album

I just hope that the album is released in a digital format that isn’t brickwalled like this YT upload. Rachel Goswell is famously partly deaf, and the other members are getting on in years. Hopefully they listened to younger engineers who could ensure some room to breathe in the tracks.

yeah this is definitely the best so far

They are releasing a third song from an album of eight? I'm going to wait to hear the full album.

Sadly the mastering on iTunes download is as awful as on YouTube, one of the loudest files in my library.

Waveform of The Slab is literally a slab. Maybe it’s conceptual.

Rachel Goswell is famously partly deaf, and the other members are getting on in years.

Jesus, they're only in their early fifties. This isn't the Rolling Stones we're talking about!

they're of a generation that should hate brickwalling since they know what a real mastering job sounds like

Jesus, they're only in their early fifties.

As anyone in their early fifties could tell you, one’s ears aren’t what they were in one’s twenties or thirties. And all those changes in hearing are well known even for ordinary people, let alone members of a loud concert scene.

I'm in that age bracket myself, and while my ears' frequency range certainly isn't what it once was, I am still plenty capable of discerning a brickwall-limiter job from something with decent dynamic range. I just think it's kind of presumptuous to imply that Halstead and co. can't tell the difference any more?

Alex Lifeson brickwalled Rush’s Vapor Trails album at the age of 49. It seems a reasonable presumption that any rock artists are going to need younger ears to serve as a check.

really love all three of the advance tracks, i listen to them every day

I don't think younger ears would really help with brickwalling, it's more just a question of realizing it sounds like shit and you should allow for some headroom for dynamics

Apparently there's an ATMOS mix of this?

https://thequietus.com/articles/33300-slowdive-rachel-goswell-interview-favourite-music

(the thing that jumped out at me from this is neil having to pawn his guitar)

that and Rachel being BFFs with Wayne Hussey!

the phone call thing was a bit creepy

Yup

feel like if it had been creepy then adult Rachel wouldn't have wanted to meet up and hang out with him so I will go with her take on it

Are Jadu Heart any good?

https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/slowdive-rachel-goswell-everything-is-alive-album-tour-1235403397/

The angst that was there between Neil and I at certain points in the ’90s — that isn’t there anymore. We were together from about the age of 18 to 22, and split up just before Souvlaki — that is kind of seen as the breakup record — and it was obviously not an easy time for either of us. To have to remain in a band together post-that was very difficult. Normally you distance yourself, and we weren’t able to do that. It wasn’t easy, and I mentally probably quite destructive — certainly for me during those bloody years.

All of that is gone. Thirty-odd years has passed, and a lot has happened. I do feel like we have a genuine friendship within the band.

they've done it again!

maybe doesn't reach the same highs as the s/t and the sequencing is a little odd (mostly just "prayer remembered" is in an odd spot) but it's another great album from them. i'd even say their post-reunion discography > pre-reunion discography now! it's drawing a bit more on pygmalion and 5 than the s/t but also pushing into somewhat new territory with modular synth arpeggios everywhere

Xxpost: the new Jadu Heart album is probably their best yet. I like it, but your mileage may vary… they’re a bit generic indie rock… nothing special, but nothing offensive.

I think the phone call bit feels creepy with so many bad stories regarding musicians interacting with underage fans…, but I chose to believe this was actually innocent and sweet and that Mission dude wasn’t doing anything sexual and really just wanted to talk and thank his fans.

Relistening the Jadu Heart quickly to see what shoegaze influence she listened to and forgot there’s actually a couple of songs round the middle that sound shoegaze-y so I can see now why she liked it.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m an inch from falling asleep but It’s actually sounding really good right now.

“Shimmer” is the one that sort of sounds like mbv. Maybe check that out?

“Blame” and “freedom” are the songs I liked on first listens and haven’t really listened to it in the past months but realizing the middle of the album is actually good.

Also listened to the new Slowdive album.

Shanty is the highlight on first listen.

anything other than Outside Lands? I haven't been there in like 20 years, and there have been plenty of better lineups than this year, but I'm half inclined to go this time just because of them and Grace Jones

Thanks for the correction Elvis Telecom, we should have met up to say hi.

I drove 170 round trip last night, the place that I live is just so huge.

*miles

So I'll be a little nitpicky... the sound at the Fox Theater last night was uncharacteristically moderate? I brought earplugs this time, but didn't use them. I keep thinking of the Bellwether show last year with all the sound coming at you at once - literally on fire burning Teengazers in their tracks like moths to flame. Last night was just amazingly great. As mentioned earlier, they are at performing peak right now and if you're on the fence about going, this is your push.

Thanks for the correction Elvis Telecom, we should have met up to say hi.

BTW, it's complete bullshit that Slowdive isn't playing the Las Vegas Sphere right now. I can't think of anyone more perfect for it. How do we make Spheredive happen?

Anaheim
Moreno Valley
Pomona
Moreno Valley
Anaheim

2 hours 30 minutes
170 Miles

Not going to Kraftwerk, unfortunately, going to fewer shows these days. Sad, because it's one of the funniest things in life.

anything other than Outside Lands?

I know I saw them listed for something else -- and not around the same time either, which was kinda odd but interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1MB86_2PyM

I'm surprised they're even doing Outside lands; they're in Sweden two nights before and then back to Portugal two nights after. Crazy schedule!

slowdive more like quickflight

i assume they're renting or borrowing equipment for the SF gig

(worth the watch)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmSrHCUBLQ0

holy shit the version of "When the Sun Hits" there is IMMENSE

I was looking at the members names of 90s shoegaze bands a while ago and it seemed like a lot of them had names like "Scaz, Biv and Smithy". But when I think on it there's a lot of british musicians in the 80s-90s with short names (presumably nicknames): Lol, Loz, Gaz, Bez, Boz... I'm sure there's a lot more.

There was a drummer for Swervedriver named Jez

Since Morrisey was nicknamed Moz, I like to think Boz Boorer's real first name is Borrisey.

not many "biff"s in this scene iirc. breaking the three letter format, not welcome.

Related - here's a recent-ish interview with three-latter named Slowdive drummer Ian McCutcheon
https://wordsontape.com/remembering-the-view-ian-mccutcheon