Bloc Party: C/D?

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it's a shame 'little thoughts' isn't on the album, it's very poppy compared to their other stuff but it's probably my second favourite song of theirs too

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Friday, 18 February 2005 03:36 (nineteen years ago) link

Okay, now they're saying it's "American Kids," a song which has appeared on the Bloc Party site in snippet form for the last year.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Friday, 18 February 2005 15:56 (nineteen years ago) link

Maybe I haven't given this album a fair hearing yet. But my initial reaction is yes it's OK but I really don't understand the massive hype these people are getting. Bloc Party is yet another retro rock band, not really advancing on what the post-punk bands of 25 years ago were doing.

― TCB, Monday, 21 February 2005 17:06 (nineteen years ago) link

I would like to formally disown any comments made to Alex Macpherson suggesting I thought Bloc Party were good. I was wrong.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 21 February 2005 18:16 (nineteen years ago) link

Bloc Party is yet another retro rock band, not really advancing on what the post-punk bands of 25 years ago were doing...except that being a contemporary interpretation of what was, Bloc Party's lyrics are more relevant to today's socio-political landscape and their production is glossier, cleaner, more dynamic.

― nader (nader), Monday, 21 February 2005 18:24 (nineteen years ago) link

The hidden track is three minutes of ambient guitar meandering and minimal piano - pretty is the word.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 09:27 (nineteen years ago) link

The Japanese CD has M83 and Four Tet remixes. That I downloaded yesterday. My Euro copy stops abruptly at 1m 20s of the last track (13). Is that how it should be?

― JoB (JoB), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 10:13 (nineteen years ago) link

I hope they don't all abruptly stop at 1m 20s of "Compliments" - the Euro edition's on its way from Amazon UK. (That latter bit rhymed.)

― Ain't Un-nice (nader), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 13:51 (nineteen years ago) link

these guys KILLED when i saw them live on sunday. beyond that, i have no interest in hearing this album.

― joseph (joseph), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 15:00 (nineteen years ago) link

I would like to formally disown any comments made to Alex Macpherson suggesting I thought Bloc Party were good. I was wrong.

Haaa ha! Those comments were slightly shocking, yes.

My housemate made me download the album for him, I tried listening to it and couldn't get past two songs.

― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 15:44 (nineteen years ago) link

I actually really like the first 3 songs or so, then it becomes a blur.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 17:55 (nineteen years ago) link

"The Japanese CD has M83 and Four Tet remixes."

Oh, jesus.... what would I have to do to get those emailed to me?!? Or maybe you could You Sent It them?..... .. . . . . oh, sweet bearded baby jesus.. .. . .

― Bent Over at the Arclight, Tuesday, 22 February 2005 18:25 (nineteen years ago) link

"Haaa ha! Those comments were slightly shocking, yes."

I blame hearing what is probably the best song on the album at exceedingly low volume at 6am in the morning and thinking it sounded a bit like Bows. A proper listen confirmed that it doesn't really, while the rest of the album seemed like the most pro forma recitation of current post-punk revival power-moves that I've yet heard.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 18:34 (nineteen years ago) link

Bows! Hey that reminds me Tim there's a new Music AM release about out, did you ever hear them? It was good to hear Luke Sutherland singing again.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 18:35 (nineteen years ago) link

What is it about these allegedly pro forma recitation[s] of current post-punk bands and artists that makes them so consistently and immediately polarizing and/or easily dismissed?

Is it the hype?

Is it because they're getting press when the artists from which their sound(s) derive(s) didn't tap into/have access to the marketing machines of yore?

― nader (nader), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 20:45 (nineteen years ago) link

I ask because, for example, Interpol seems to (have) elicit(ed) similar streams of love and/or hate.

― nader (nader), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 20:52 (nineteen years ago) link

For the record, I don't think they slot very neatly into the realm of rote repetition of post-punk moves, or anything. That's part of what I was trying to get at when I reviewed them: they seem to have a kind of Big Rock Band ambition that's a lot more modern, whereas bands like Interpol stick to the stripped-down eighth-note thing. Another way of putting this is that Bloc Party are more like late Bunnymen than early Bunnymen (I almost typed "Bummymen") -- they like to show you that they're good with their instruments, that they can write complicated little transitions, etc. It's almost a U2 quality. Part of it's just that, well, while most bands in this vein have to have guitars chugging along the chord sequence, Bloc Party can actually let the rhythm section carry everything and just use the guitars for complex color (always an Ambitious Rock move); most of it, though, comes in my opinion from their just being kind of unembarrassed about having Big Rock Band ambitions, as opposed to Stylish Scrappy Pop Group ones.

― nabiscothingy, Tuesday, 22 February 2005 21:02 (nineteen years ago) link

I agree with Nabisco here - what I hear in this record in an interest in texture and rhythm that's largely absent from most of their contemporaries. Listening to second half of Price of Gas or the build on So Here We Are, there's a sense of openness - I get the feeling that a record or two down the line other influences will seep in and take things on a different course, whereas I can't imagine The Strokes or Interpol ever making a record that deviates hugely from what they've already done.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 22 February 2005 22:09 (nineteen years ago) link

My problem with them is primarily that they make a fucking unlistenable tuneless racket.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 23 February 2005 10:25 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm supposed to like them because they sound like late Bunnymen and U2?

― Jonathan Z. (Joanthan Z.), Wednesday, 23 February 2005 10:37 (nineteen years ago) link

Will their (very surprising) number one album spark a backlash??

Or did the backlash already exist?

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Wednesday, 23 February 2005 10:48 (nineteen years ago) link

I like the whole early 80's rip off thing, and the album would be fine without that whining vocalist.

― dmun, Wednesday, 23 February 2005 10:53 (nineteen years ago) link

Will their (very surprising) number one album spark a backlash?

It was number three...

― JoB (JoB), Wednesday, 23 February 2005 12:00 (nineteen years ago) link

I feel the same as Tim, I liked the single alot but having played the album in the shop a few times I find it a real racket.

I think I'll always hold up "Is This It" as a sort of yardstick for rock albums, of course because I am not really into rock, and it's a fantastic pop album really. Bloc Party for me come across a bit too right on or something with some of the lyrics and delivery, like "passionate" in that rock way, which doesn't do much for me.

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 23 February 2005 12:30 (nineteen years ago) link

hmm... i think that's the point

― elwisty (elwisty), Wednesday, 23 February 2005 13:10 (nineteen years ago) link

It's the point and the problem both, is what I've been trying to say: they're good at traditional We Mean It grand-scale rock moves, but I'm no longer entirely sure who's content with traditional We Mean It grand-scale rock moves. I mean, I put something in my review about how there are still people complaining that Radiohead haven't been good since The Bends -- those are the people I can think of who'd be most enthralled by this record.

― nabiscothingy, Wednesday, 23 February 2005 18:29 (nineteen years ago) link

Am I really behind or has no one else not noticed that So Here We Are is very very similar to a couple of tracks off the last Explosions In The Sky album (except with vocals)?

― elwisty (elwisty), Monday, 28 February 2005 00:37 (nineteen years ago) link

Those lyrics Nick quotes in his Stylus review...

“He’s born a liar / He’ll die a liar… / …he’s just like his dad / He’s just like his dad / Same mistakes / Some things will never be different… / …why can’t you be / More European?”

...are horrible. And I'm someone who's generally forgiving of bad or indifferent lyrics.

― David A. (Davant), Monday, 28 February 2005 02:37 (nineteen years ago) link

I'd never even connected those lyrics with Bush before reading that Stylus review.

Haha Ronan I think we have totally different preferences when it comes to guitar music - I like a bit of bombast to my indie rock. Part of the reason the likes of the Strokes never really clicked with me was because it all seemed a bit too neat and composed.

To be fair, I'm like that with all music - once dance music gets too dry and tidy I tend to lose interest, maybe that's why I've never appreciated the clickier end of microhouse for example.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 28 February 2005 12:08 (nineteen years ago) link

i am SO late to this party (ha ha) but i stayed away cause i really didn't think i'd care. anyway, add my name to the list of "banquet"s fans - it's one of the best indie rock singles in yonks.

― mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 2 March 2005 03:31 (nineteen years ago) link

the Japanese release of the Little Thoughts EP is essential. other than "helicopter" it's all non-LP. both "little thoughts" and "tulips" are excellent, plus the b-side "skeleton" deserves a better audience too.

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Wednesday, 2 March 2005 04:26 (nineteen years ago) link

"My problem with them is primarily that they make a fucking unlistenable tuneless racket."

ON THE FUCKING MONEY

― chris sallis, Wednesday, 2 March 2005 23:49 (nineteen years ago) link

I disagree. I enjoy listening to their tunes.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 2 March 2005 23:51 (nineteen years ago) link

People who think it's a tuneless racket and spend a majority of their time listening to 4/4 house/microhouse music, please step forward.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Wednesday, 2 March 2005 23:52 (nineteen years ago) link

Fair enough sir. In all honesty though, they sound fucking appalling to my (presumably untutored) ears.

― chris sallis, Wednesday, 2 March 2005 23:53 (nineteen years ago) link

I think they're pretty straightforward except for the drumming which is pretty dense. I also listen to a lot of 4/4 house/microhouse music.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 2 March 2005 23:55 (nineteen years ago) link

"Banquet" is very good.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 3 March 2005 19:27 (nineteen years ago) link

johnny, if you can find me microhouse that has as much nasty screaming treble as bloc party then go ahead

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 3 March 2005 19:34 (nineteen years ago) link

like it

― Chris 'The Nuts' V (Chris V), Thursday, 10 March 2005 11:51 (nineteen years ago) link

i have never heard this band. but, yesterday, on the tube, someone had a bloc party belt on

― charltonlido (gareth), Thursday, 10 March 2005 11:58 (nineteen years ago) link

What's wrong with nasty screaming treble?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 10 March 2005 12:19 (nineteen years ago) link

i think this is aight actually. it is brash but quite a pained adrenaline too - there's something of a schoolboy's life-and-death-seeming adventure to it all, like kipling/ lord of the flies or even...

i'm gonna say IF....!! (even tho it doesnt quite fit) just to see cozen wince

― hold tight the private caller (mwah), Thursday, 10 March 2005 14:43 (nineteen years ago) link

also its funny everyone's all about the sonics when this is the first time for ages rock's really forced lyrics onto me

― hold tight the private caller (mwah), Thursday, 10 March 2005 14:45 (nineteen years ago) link

Somewhat randomly I ended up getting drunk with them on Saturday night in one of these lowest common denominator indie places. They seemed like nice people and the singer was convinced that he'd been to a party at my house, so I let him carry on believing that. Girls kept going up and touching him, it was kind of creepy.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 14 March 2005 12:22 (nineteen years ago) link

Then they touched you and it wasn't so creepy.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 March 2005 13:23 (nineteen years ago) link

i just stayed at home and touched myself

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Monday, 14 March 2005 13:43 (nineteen years ago) link

When I think about you you touch yourself. Er, wait.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 March 2005 14:37 (nineteen years ago) link

find me microhouse that has as much nasty screaming treble

DJ Koze's remix of "Zu Dicht Dran" on Kompakt.100

― nader (nader), Monday, 14 March 2005 16:01 (nineteen years ago) link

There was a track by them on one of those Guardian free CDs. It was pretty ordinary and forgettable, I must admit.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Monday, 14 March 2005 16:02 (nineteen years ago) link

find me microhouse that has as much nasty screaming treble

"International Snootleg" by International Pony Vs. Losoul (feat. Malte)

― nader (nader), Monday, 14 March 2005 16:03 (nineteen years ago) link

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