BadComrade wrote:Lightning Bolt are fucking boring and stupid. Wow, you can crank your bass amp up all they way and play through a bunch of pedals... heavy. The drummer can spazz out on a couple of drums and cymbals for 45 seconds at a time... uh, impressive. I'm sure those of you who are reading this that like LB think that I just "don't get it". I do get it, and that's why I think they suck.

Jim White's drumming is some of the most dynamic you'll ever see. Warren Ellis and Mick Turner ain't too shabby either.

The Dirty Three.

I thought I loved Lightning Bolt, then I saw them live a few weeks ago. It was exactly as you just described it, BadComrade and so very far from the revelatory moment I was promised. They didn't seem to be trying, just flailing.

And with all those messengerbagwearing, skinnyassed hipsters pumping their fists in the air, I couldn't help but think: will they be back in a few weeks for Mastodon/Converge? Probably not.

Lightning Bolt: the most dissapointing live show I've ever seen. Still a NOT CRAP but definitely in the midst of being re-evaluated.

The Dirty Three: the best live show I've yet to see. And I'll take their drummer over LB's any day. He can do anything the other guy can do, but better. And even if you want to talk brute force alone, they're louder too.

The Dirty Three.

BadComrade wrote:

space junk wrote:Lightning Bolt are like The Who - on motorbikes! This is a good thing.

Something tells me you don't play an instrument, because if you had even the slightest idea of the technical proficiency that it takes to play like the drummer or bass player from The Who (possibly without a doubt the best rhythm section in the history of rock music, period), you wouldn't make such a stupid comparision. Now, if you don't play an instrument, and you're comparing the energy level you feel coming from both bands, then I guess I can understand how you'd be able to make such a mistake.

Oh, and if you do play an instrument, please stop.

Something tells me you don't ride a motorbike.

If you do, please wear a helmet.

BadComrade wrote:Lightning Bolt are fucking boring and stupid. Wow, you can crank your bass amp up all they way and play through a bunch of pedals... heavy. The drummer can spazz out on a couple of drums and cymbals for 45 seconds at a time... uh, impressive. I'm sure those of you who are reading this that like LB think that I just "don't get it". I do get it, and that's why I think they suck.

Jim White's drumming is some of the most dynamic you'll ever see. Warren Ellis and Mick Turner ain't too shabby either.

The Dirty Three.

Backed. 100%

BadComrade wrote:

space junk wrote:Lightning Bolt are like The Who - on motorbikes! This is a good thing.

Something tells me you don't play an instrument, because if you had even the slightest idea of the technical proficiency that it takes to play like the drummer or bass player from The Who (possibly without a doubt the best rhythm section in the history of rock music, period), you wouldn't make such a stupid comparision. Now, if you don't play an instrument, and you're comparing the energy level you feel coming from both bands, then I guess I can understand how you'd be able to make such a mistake.

Oh, and if you do play an instrument, please stop.

Something tells me you don't have the taste to appreciate great music.

If you did, you would understand that Brian Gibson is easily one of the most technically proficient bass players out there. He also has a completely unique style.

Brian Chippendale's drumming is also spot-on and extremely difficult to duplicate.

In fact, I've heard these two guys lionized as musicians by other incredible musicians such as Nels Cline and Weasel Walter.

i've tried listening to lightning bolt about 5 times. every time i was both bored and annoyed. there's something very trite about them. the opposite is true for the dirty three, although i really haven't followed them much since ocean songs.

Just another quick note:

I can understand how LB's music might sound chaotic or even "improvised" on a first listen. (Note that I'm not making a reference to the actually improvised songs like "Bizarrobike"). But people who have really spent some time with the music can tell you that EVERY single drum beat and bass riff is completely mapped out.

Just listen to the title track off of "Ride the Skies"--it's amazing how Chippendale can play with such force and yet land every beat on every measure.

I have some regard for both bands.

I vote for Dirty Three.

I can appreciate the adrenaline pumping aspect of Lightning Bolt's music (it is fair to classify it as music, it's not just noise) and the sharp, garishness of their sound can be provocative at times, even aesthetically pleasing.

The music of the Dirty Three is more beautiful and ultimately more powerful than that of Lightning Bolt.

I also heard Warren Ellis refer to the jazz musician Art Pepper and I feel that both these musicians have conveyed genuine feeling with their instruments.

talent and taste vs. wank.

talent and taste win. i'll let you guess which is which.

hint- the winner has a guy who plays with nick cave.

I have seen both bands live. Lightning Bolt were loud and good. They didn't necessarily slay my face, but I enjoyed their show. That being said I saw Dirty Three about 5 years ago and they closed with the song "Indian Love Song." I have never seen anything like what I saw Dirty Three do during this song. They didn't move me to tears, they made me almost shit my pants. It was, simply put, amazing.

I own the first Lightning Bolt album. I own every Dirty Three album. I guess that sort of explains where my allegiance lies.

-Jeremy

I like both bands quite a bit, though I have seen neither band live.

However, LB has certain pockets of approval in the hipstersphere that D3 does not as far as I can tell. A friend of my girlfriend says lighting bolt is the only "metal" band she really likes. She would be of the fistpumping skinnyassing messengerbagging crowed who won't be coming back for the mastadon show.