So, some people love the “old” Belle & Sebastian. Don’t get me wrong, I liked them just fine. However, this new incarnation of them is awesome. Simply, unqualified, awesome.
I want to try and capitalize on some of the review trends that Pop Renaisance (PR) seemed to enjoy previously. I thought Belle and Sebastian (B&S) were stellar. To see Stuart come out and be a traditional frontman was a lot of fun. To see him, and by extension the band, I thought B&S managed to have a fairly cohesive sound throughout their set while exploring avenues that I did not traditionally consider B&S territory. Luckily, I like the new album and your feelings towards “The Life Prsuit” will presumably mimic your feelings toward the show. Personally, after PR gave a pre-release preview, I played “Song for Sunshine” every day for two weeks. Happily, they played this song at the show.
Personally, I feel like B&S had a better set than the New Pornographers (NP). There are two main reasons for this. The first is the fact that I think B&S has a more varied repetoire. I love NP but there are times when I think all of their songs sound a little too much the same (especially without Bejar). The NP did perform a few Bejar songs without his presence and, yes, the drumer did sing. I know I’m in the minority here but I think I like his songs the best. This is not to say that NP put on a bad show. It was excellent and I was bouncy and I was hoping for some sympathetic energy from the Bulls! but it was clearly not to be since I got GC, the Bullette(?). They closed with “Sing Me Spanish Techno” and I don’t know what they opened with because when we got to the venue at 8:05pm (show listed as starting at 8pm) they were already playing but that’s another rant for another time.
Anyways, there’s more but I’ll stop to preclude poetry since I’m already too late for banal internet quizzes which, much like humorous forwards, have clearly outlived their actual humor providing potential.
So…. I didn’t make it to the Medications show or the Animal Collective show this week. I was ded tired for the first and forgot the second. Damn. It.
You like them because they are turning into some weird Scottish Of Montreal. I’m sure it is fun, but the substance-style ratio is getting too skewed for me. In my oldness, I have become lame.
wow – pinko told you why you like them. he will now tell you what to wear. he did, however, also admit to being lame, which i feel should be used against him at every opportunity.
np also had REALLY shitty sound, which made everything sound the same – not completely their fault, but they also need to learn how to write out a set-list. the last half of their set sounded like one long song, “spanish techno” aside.
and seriously: FUCK that venue. dreadful, just dreadful.
Seriously, Pinko. Aside from my AiH love you really are misunderstanding my musical tastes if you think Of Montreal is my bag. I am not an Uncanny clone.
I do, however, appreciate a show that has action and I am not a huge morose indie fan. I prefer my music full of sound and fury (signification optional).
Way to get all idiot man-child on him, fulsome.
not everyone liked Ziggy Stardust either
Awesome. If Pinko and fulsome throw down, I’m the bookie: e-mail me your bets at bitchslap@oh-snap.ha.
I’m not sure why I’ve been singled out here, but it seems like the only thing that Fulsome and I have disagreed on is which of two incredibly amazing acts were better. Given the sound issues at your venue that PR discussed, I’m not sure that the analysis is sufficiently well-controlled. NP really need a good enough sound system to let the multilayered textures appropriately syngerize.
Actually, I suppose it’s not true that this is all we disagree on. I do miss the old B&S live act. I miss four kinds of strings and three kinds of percussions, with a stage presence of fifteen people making a sound so delicate that you have to shush people around you. I never really saw B&S as a rock act, and I liked that it wasn’t. I guess I don’t need lots of action and sound and fury to appreciate my music.
Plus Uncanny at least is attending the West Coast Pork Snorkel. IT is unclear if the East Coast Pork Snorkel will even be documented or happen at all. nachodude might not be up to the task, health nut that he is.
Say the word and the battle cry will issue forth, “PORK! SNORKEL!”
I know I’m super late in commenting but ahhhh, thanks for mentioning me on ROD. I’m finally a supah stah!