Pretty good live band.

I like the guitar interplay. I did the crappy Fender Mustang fuzz guitars. This is easily the most interesting thing about the band IMO. Pling pling, RAOAAAArw, zing zing whoooooooie.

Doug Scharin tunes his snare drum weird. His drumming, while very good, smells like doobie. He's like a partially restrained & dub Damon Che.

The bass playing is alright.

The songs, are mostly OK. They are great when they aren't speak-singing about being AT SEA or being a sailor on a ship or whatever. I wish I could have a karoake machine to remove this aspect of the band.

I didn't like anything past Sharks & Sailors. And even that album kind of gets on the my nerves a bit.

I'll say not Crap.

Everyone here probably has their own version of that one band that kind of transformed them from a casual listener of music into an obsessed and deranged dork. For me June of 44 was that one band. After I first heard Engine Takes to Water it became a new standard by which I judged all other music, and still to this day "Have a Safe Trip, Dear" is one of the finest tracks put to tape, by my judgement. All in all, though I'd have to say Tropics and Meridians is their finest record front to back. That's the one I always recommend to those out of the know. Four Great Points had some great moments, but too many improvised excursions to be their greatest. Anatomy of Sharks is a strong EP, and their In the Fishtank was decent. As far as Anahata is concerned, I'm proud that the band decided to explore something new. Maybe it didn't quite work out for the best, but people like me tend to think of June of 44's records like a mother thinks of her own children. Besides, the opening "Wear Two Eyes" track is a killer, especially live.

Not Crap.

I don't think I ever heard Anahata while not in a smoky haze.
I remember it being really weird and that's all I remember.

Anahata in a smokey haze = Not Crap, for sure.

But I think most people had a problem with the vocal stylings on the record. They were deliberately slightly out of-tune, with this strange harmony that almost sounded smarmy, in a way. I didn't have so much of a problem with the vocals. I was just less thrilled about the record's intentional drift towards pop and away from the heavy.

just like a sailor. just like a sailor. just like a sailor. just like a sailor.

JDanger wrote:Anahata in a smokey haze = Not Crap, for sure.

I love most of that record, I could do with out a couple songs, but I think the drumming might be the most interesting thing about the record. it's sort of got a tropical feeling.

I really like the shipping news as well. I could probably listen to the intro to "haymaker" for rest of my life, and untitled w/ drums simple, and brilliant.

boat rock 4 life

ahoy!

Great band. Great Live.

Picked up the first record shortly after it came out because it featured Fred from The Crownhate Ruin.

Saw them twice. Once on the Four Great Points tour and at there supposed last show at the Bowery Ballroom.

When Jeff sang/yelled the opening to "Annisette" he just stood at the edge of the stage and belted it at the audience sans mic. Awesome!

Great guitar sounds. Great grooves. Beautiful production (thanks Bob)

I Like all of thier albums equally for different reasons but find myself listening to four great points the most...

Not Crap
0 waffles

Did anyone else think Haberdasher sounded exactly like June of 44?

The Code is Almighty wrote:Did anyone else think Haberdasher sounded exactly like June of 44?

Ha! They definitely both ransacked Spiderland's better ideas, which is absolutely fine by me, but I think they both did so in unique ways. Each band kind of customized their influence I suppose. Plus June of 44 never went so dark or macabre as Haberdasher went on their record. That first track on Songs on Love seems way too 'spooky' for J. Mueller. Jeff seems to like his records always with periodic intervals of whimsy, Songs didn't really have that, or much of any vocal melodies at all, really. So, no I don't think so. But the poetry whispering and some of the riffage certainly point toward a common ancestor.

Saw them many (4) times, thanks to college. The only band I can think of whose opening act blew them out of the water every time. Godheadsilo, Dianogah, & Ten Grand (then Vida Blue), made June of 44 sound, well, small, at best. The only time their opening band didn't blow them away was when, the bass player's band, the Boom, opened for them. That band, not so good.

However, Tropics & Meridians and Anatomy of Sharks are pretty good. Anyway, they easily fall in the 'meh' category for me.

-Jeremy

Engine Takes To The Water is still a favourite of mine