930 Forums
=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: beedubyah on March 15, 2005, 06:00:00 pm
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So Ive gathered from pitchfork media and some grumblings from this board that Soundtrack of our Lives arent really respected among the "indie rock" community. And by posting here, I feel that I am reaching just that.
So what is it? Too poppy? Not depressing enough? Too goofy on stage? Lead singer doesnt look like a heroin addict?
They put on one of the best shows Ive seen at the 930 club awhile back. Pretty much a throwback band that plays straight ahead rock and roll...
Believe me, I love the slow, intense sound of bands like Interpol, Doves, Snow Patrol. etc....But theres definitely room for bands like Soundtrack.
Anyone out there like these guys? If not, why?
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I like them. I loved Behind the Music. Wasn't so keen on Infant Freebase. I streamed the new one a while back and thought it had some great parts. It's on sale for $6.99 at Best Buy this week and I'll probably drive my SUV to the strip mall to pick up a copy.
I thought the last show was great and I'll be at the show next week.
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I don't know their music, but long names are sort of annoying, aren't they?
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Yes, they are, Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer.
Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer:
long names are sort of annoying, aren't they?
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I'm glad someone picked up on the joke.
Originally posted by ggwā?¢:
Yes, they are, Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer.
Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer:
long names are sort of annoying, aren't they?
[/b]
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I dig the Soundtrack with a big shovel. I'll be there. I'll try to pick up the new one first so I can brush up on the new material. $6.99 sounds like the right price to me.
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yeah word
i love em. going to see them next weekend with the Black Crowes
very excited
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TSOOL are fantastic. i last saw them at fletcher's in 2002 and they put on a hell of a show. they definitely capture much of the golden age of late '60s psych/pop, and any fan of the who, the kinks, and love should dig 'em.
three of the guys used to be in this great band in the late '80s/early '90s called union carbide productions. they were mining the stooges and captain beefheart at a time when it wasn't really all that hip to do so. if you're into dirty-ass rawk with a knack for songcraft, check 'em out.
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Originally posted by snailhook:
TSOOL are fantastic. i last saw them at fletcher's in 2002 and they put on a hell of a show.
you were one of the other 9 people who were there?? we partied with them a bit afterwards, awesome guys!!
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Too bad they won't be coming to town with the Ceasars this time. I also really liked the Sam Roberts set last time they were here. I've never heard them, but word I hear so far on the Dears is lukewarm.
*edit*
Shit I just listened to a track from the Dears site....that guy sings just like Morrisey!
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really i didn't hear the morrissey at all... guess i need to clean the wax out of my ears AGAIN.
count me in, just got hooked up with the previous release and it was WOW what have i been missing out on as USUAL.
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I think that one line of that one verse of that one song on the album sounds just like Jimmy Eat World.
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I also loved Behind the Music, and will probably purchase the new CD this week. I thought the show they did at the 9:30 a few years ago was one of the best of the year, and I plan on attending Monday. Hopefully there will be more people there than at their last show, I think it was maybe a little over half full if that.
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Originally posted by sonickteam2:
I think that one line of that one verse of that one song on the album sounds just like Jimmy Eat World.
[insert rabid uninformed retorts here]
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Originally posted by HoyaSaxa03:
Originally posted by sonickteam2:
I think that one line of that one verse of that one song on the album sounds just like Jimmy Eat World.
[insert rabid uninformed retorts here] [/b]
I thought i was the one that was "uninformed"
i did read Express yesterday on the train home from work, so now i must be informed!
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Originally posted by sonickteam2:
i did read Express yesterday on the train home from work, so now i must be informed!
yep, all the news that can fit in two paragraphs.
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beedubya, don't know where you came up with the assumption that Soundtrack aren't respected around here. As you can see, they are. I echo the sentiments already expressed about "Behind the Music," the last 9:30 Club show which kicked ass, and I'll be at the show Monday as well.
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Pleasantly surprised.....Pitchfork slated them so I thought that could have been the consensus round here. Their last show was amazing and I am looking very much forward to Monday night...
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Well, I thought The Soundtrack of Our Lives just seemed kind of quaint, but still mildly entertaining. Overall, I'm leaning toward agreeing with Pitchfork. Frontman Ebbot Lundberg reminded me of a combination of Joe Cocker and Meat Loaf, but not nearly as good as either of those singers. The lead guitarist was quite animated and fun to watch, and the whole band was rather tight actually. Unfortunately, their performance was marred by poor quality microphones and/or a horrendously bad sound mix that made their lyrics mostly unintelligible.
The highlight of the evening, however, was the performance by The Dears. The Dears were a revelation. I was very impressed by them. They created a wall of effects-laden sound using vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, and occasionally flute. They played a lot harder than their 2004 album let on. Radiohead-esque guitar effects at times. They made the whole evening worthwhile for me.
Opening band American Minor did a lousy impression of the band from Almost Famous. They were one of the worse bands I have ever seen at the 9:30 Club.
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Last night proved to be an exhilarating evening of new music discoveries. Rarely does both my ā??Arty Popā? and ā??Need to Rockā? fancies get ticked at the same show. Various body parts were seen attempting to move to the beat as well.
Having seen Three Days Grace, American Minor was certainly not the worst band ever to play at the 9:30 club, and I too kept expecting Jason Lee to bound on stage. While liberally borrowing from any Southern Rock band with Cousin It tresses, American Minor certainly didnā??t seem as forced as the Kings of Leon. It took a couple songs but I warmed up to them, but they got me in a good frame of mind for the show.
Was very interested in hearing The Dears based on the EP I had heard from them and they did not disappoint. Their set had the same impact that the Delgados had on me when I saw at the ā??Hateā? tour. That feeling of WOW this group is great, totally digging what they had to offer and being completely won over. I was pretty much bouncing off the walls after their set.
While the bands initial wall of feedback and distortion could be off putting to some, it was that when paired with the subtle flute and harmonica touches that set the mood for the set. A top notch set which consisted of arty pop, complete with strange twists and turns in the flow of the compositions. The singer, sounding nothing like Morrissey, reminded me more of David Bowie and Damon Alban. Wish I knew the song title, but about the third song from the end, The Dear delivered one of the best Ziggy Stardust era inspired tunes Iā??ve heard.
The Dears secret weapons include the drummer with his jazz influenced soft to explosive style of playing. A more percussive driven sound then rock steady. Also the sound engineer who was serving as seventh member of the band, by adding touch of sound manipulation which included swirling the sound between the speakers. Iā??m eagerly looking forward to any future The Dears show, especially the tour when they take along the Quadraphonic sound system.
The Soundtrack Of Our Lives is also a bit Iā??m just learning about. Had given ā??Behind The Musicā? a few whirls and enjoyed what was on offer. TSOOL certainly bring the appropriate tools in which to rock with, Double Bass Drum Kit containing the spirit of Keith Moon, Flying V Guitars, Rickenbacker basses, and a larger than life singer. Where else is one going to hear the best of 60s and 70s rock on parade done so lovingly right? The Who, MC5, Pink Floyd, New York Dolls, Iggy Pop and even a little Robert Pollard is lurking in the shadows.
TSOOL ebbed and flowed at the beginning, but really caught fire towards the end before the encores. TSOOL could have been utterly brilliant and made me forget about The Dears, completely sucked, or fallen in the middle. In the end I give The Dear a slight advantage on the evening, because TSOOL delivered the rock. A great evening where both bands proved they were better than most, and I left the club with a smile on my face.
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great review Kosmo. anyone have the setlist they played? i cant wait to see em in NYC on Friday.
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Kosmo: The dj'ing last night was a perfect compliment to the show. Was that you at the controls, or were you a civilian last night?
I agree with your review totally. The Dears sound engineer spent the TSOOL set right down front, center, and later was dancin' like a maniac at DC9; me thinks he LOVES the music scene.
I missed the openers, but heard a few people say later they really liked 'em, despite the retro hairdos. I was not familiar with TSOOL, but list me as their "newest" fan - I'm going to try to make their late show in NYC on Thurs. For the record, their early show Thurs. is supporting Robert Plant...I heard he likes Mathias' geetar playin' too.
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Funny, my review would be nearly the opposite of Darth Ed's. I didn't love The Dears -- two songs were really good, but I was VERY put off by how loud it was. Because I had to have earplugs, I think I missed the full effect, and overall it kind of bothered me. Also, while the last song and maybe the fourth to last were really good, I thought the others were marginal -- a lot like many bands I've seen of late (Hope of the States, etc).
I loved TSOOL -- the rock was there and really rockin', and they enjoy playing. It helps that I've listened to "Behind the Music" a gazillion times, and they played a lot off that album.
I think there were certainly stoned, but I thought it was cute. I hate Monday shows -- I'm nearly always cranky, and last night in particular I worked just about up to the time I had to get to the club, so for me to have enjoyed it so much (and only checked my watch once), is a pretty big deal and indicative of a happy camper.
Did anyone else notice that the bass player looked and 'head-bobbed' a LOT like Markie??
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Did anyone notice the guy in the audience who was a dead ringer for Billy Bragg?
American Minor get an A for effort. I hope they sold some merch, because they must spend a small fortune on detangler.
I didn't find The Dears as bad as some of the reviews on this board would lead me to believe. That said, I'm not terribly eager to see them again.
TSOOL were great. Definitely more sloppy than they were last time and the sound was subpar and muddy, but I'm not complaining. Lots of new stuff, several from Behind the Music, and 1 or 2 from Infant Freebase. I thought the new stuff sounded pretty good live, although the guitars got buried in the mix, especially early in the show. Ebbot definitely dropped the shaman act in favor of the laid-back act last night.
Thanks again Kosmo.
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I'm bummed about missing this show...I luv the Dears record and was thinking of going until jetlag and fatigue got the best of me early in the night..here's to hoping they make the rounds soon..how was the attendance for this show?
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Great show. Pretty much what I expected.
Theyve been around awhile and you can definitely tell as they are very tight musically. Their new songs were fantastic I thought. Really fit into the set well. Definitely an older crowd than what I am used to as they lean towards the 60's Doors/The Who type of sound....
Wasnt as packed as I thought it would be for a grammy nominated band and the amount of perceived buzz that they got from their last album, but I didnt mind as I got to get a great seat. Probably because it was a Monday as well.
Overall, it was a great show. Wasnt the surreal experience of the last time I saw them, but they have written some great songs and are very talented. Great band.
Missed The Dears.....Maybe next time.
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I didn't see American Minor so can't comment on them. But their shirts were pretty cool, so that's something.
I was looking forward to seeing the Dears, having heard a few tracks and liking them. And while there were several moments where I thought "WOW! this is great!", overall I thought it was only okay and I wouldn't go out of my way to see them again. The songs seemed a little disjointed, like they were made up of several different parts that didn't quite work together. I was also wishing that the singer would've pulled his mic stand up a bit, because he kept slouching and stooping. Stand up straight, man! I also thought it was one level too loud.
STOOL were great. They seemed a little stiff out of the gate, but once they got going with the Behind the Music material, they were on fire. Mind the Gap was just great. Was surprised that it wasn't the ear-busting set that their previous show had been. After the Dears, I raced over to get ear plugs, anticipating another explosion from Soundtrack, but I never ended up pulling them out.
Soundtrack are a great live band, and I liked how the musicians sounded and looked. There is nothing wrong with some scissor-kicking showmanship. The sound quality wasn't great, but it all came through. Ebbot was sounding somewhat Pollard-like, and in fact, I thought they sounded a bit like GBV a couple time. Very enjoyable set and I'll see them every time they come to town. I'm liking the new album too.
And I really appreciated hearing The Who's "Bargain" right before Soundtrack. Such a great song.
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i was not djing and the TSOOL sound guy had his iPod plugged before thier set...
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great review koz ...
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Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
Wish I knew the song title, but about the third song from the end, The Dear delivered one of the best Ziggy Stardust era inspired tunes Iā??ve heard.
Was it this song (http://www.karmadownload.com/stream2/?7302&g=13) ?
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Kosmo's review put it better than I did.
I think I was put off by what I maintain was really poor sound quality during the TSOOL set. I was standing ten feet from stage, right in front, and I couldn't understand a word Ebbot said all night. Perhaps if I had been more familiar with TSOOL's music, then I would have understood the lyrics better and the poor sound quality wouldn't have bothered me so much, but I had a hard time getting into their set because of it. They had some really rocking songs though and I enjoyed TSOOL for the most part.
Still think The Dears were just awesome though. Too bad their album doesn't sound like how they performed live last night.
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POP MUSIC
Wednesday, March 23, 2005; Page C05
Soundtrack of Our Lives
Mention current Swedish rock singers and the name that's likely to pop into most heads is Pelle Almqvist of the Hives. But Ebbot Lundberg is the Scandinavian howler most worthy of household-name status. First with Stooges-worshiping maniacs Union Carbide Productions and for the past decade as frontman for Soundtrack of Our Lives, his DNA is woven into one of Swede-rock's most diverse and enduring bodies of work. TSOOL drew a modest crowd to the 9:30 club Monday night, but the sextet leaped, strutted and stomped like it was entertaining an arena.
The group's latest disc, "Origin, Vol. 1," is a typical Soundtrack creation: rooted in the glory of late-'60s British rock, dusted with psychedelia and strewn with both boring duds and thrilling rockers. But also true to form, the band's live act puts its records to shame. Guitarists Ian Person and Mattias Baerjed wrapped Pete Townshend riffs around Lundberg's vocals on "Transcendental Suicide" and "Mother One Track Mind," while drummer Fredrik Sandsten (amusingly clad as a football referee) thumped out a pure Charlie Watts heartbeat.
The 90-minute show's main focus was "Origin" highlights -- its single, "Bigtime," was given a much-needed butt-kicking -- but Lundberg sounded sharp when reaching back for "Instant Repeater '99" and "Sister Surround." What TSOOL showed again Monday was that it is an outstanding live act, simply because it does what so many other rock bands can't: squeeze and shake every ounce of energy from its songs without ever falling prey to sloppiness.
-- Patrick Foster
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58508-2005Mar22.html (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58508-2005Mar22.html)
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POP MUSIC
Wednesday, March 23, 2005; Page C05
The Washington Post
Soundtrack of Our Lives
Mention current Swedish rock singers and the name that's likely to pop into most heads is Pelle Almqvist of the Hives. But Ebbot Lundberg is the Scandinavian howler most worthy of household-name status. First with Stooges-worshiping maniacs Union Carbide Productions and for the past decade as frontman for Soundtrack of Our Lives, his DNA is woven into one of Swede-rock's most diverse and enduring bodies of work. TSOOL drew a modest crowd to the 9:30 club Monday night, but the sextet leaped, strutted and stomped like it was entertaining an arena.
The group's latest disc, "Origin, Vol. 1," is a typical Soundtrack creation: rooted in the glory of late-'60s British rock, dusted with psychedelia and strewn with both boring duds and thrilling rockers. But also true to form, the band's live act puts its records to shame. Guitarists Ian Person and Mattias Baerjed wrapped Pete Townshend riffs around Lundberg's vocals on "Transcendental Suicide" and "Mother One Track Mind," while drummer Fredrik Sandsten (amusingly clad as a football referee) thumped out a pure Charlie Watts heartbeat.
The 90-minute show's main focus was "Origin" highlights -- its single, "Bigtime," was given a much-needed butt-kicking -- but Lundberg sounded sharp when reaching back for "Instant Repeater '99" and "Sister Surround." What TSOOL showed again Monday was that it is an outstanding live act, simply because it does what so many other rock bands can't: squeeze and shake every ounce of energy from its songs without ever falling prey to sloppiness.
-- Patrick Foster
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hmmm whose post shall i edit :p
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I was first!
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Man, that damn ggw, must have beaten my by seconds. Go ahead, edit me, ggw added a link to the story (not like there's a photo or anything, though). :p
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when i said edit it would be along the lines of changing all the reference from TSOOL to The Dears....
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Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
when i said edit it would be along the lines of changing all the reference from TSOOL to The Dears....
Ha! Kosmo, which Dears EP do you have? Is it "Thank You Good Night Sold Out"? I auditioned that on iTunes yesterday, and it sounded a lot more like how they performed live than their "No Cities Left" album.
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I have two... At the show I got "Orchestral Pop Noir Romantique" which was one of the early Canadian releases.
The other is "Protest" which includes the song "Summer of Protest" which is what sparked interest in the band in the first place. It can be found at eMusic (http://www.emusic.com/album/10843/10843068.html)
Also got "No Cities Left" yesteday while buying up the rest of the store... It's on as I type
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I bought "No Cities Left" yesterday. Wish I had picked up "Orchestral Pop Noir Romantique" at the show. I thought the price way too expensive, so I passed. Didn't realize it was a Canadian import...
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at $10 it was a bit pricey considering the length... i also got the first full length Canadian CD they were selling. While it clearly shows where Murray was heading soundwise, it's a bit unpolished for my liking. I much more prefer the new one
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Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
at $10 it was a bit pricey considering the length...
And considering that right next to it, the new TSOOL full-length album was on sale for $10 as well. That I picked up!
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I Tivo'd Carson Daly last night to check out the Dears, not being at all familiar with their music. I really enjoyed the song they played and I may have to pick up the album next I'm at the record store. But I've also now got a huge crush on the keyboard player (not the one that also plays the flute; the other one), for which I blame all of you.
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The Dears setlist from Boston, which I suspect matches the DC Setlist...
Postcard From Purgatory
Never Destroy Us
We Can Have It
Gang of Losers (unreleased)
Lake of Fire (unreleased)
Who Are You, Defenders of the Universe
Lost in the Plot
The Second Part (my favorite song of the evening)
22: The Death of All Romance
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Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
The Dears setlist from Boston, which I suspect matches the DC Setlist...
Postcard From Purgatory
Never Destroy Us
We Can Have It
Gang of Losers (unreleased)
Lake of Fire (unreleased)
Who Are You, Defenders of the Universe
Lost in the Plot
The Second Part (my favorite song of the evening)
22: The Death of All Romance
Cool... Thanks!