I hadn't read any of the hype about this album and didn't really have any expectations except that I'd like it. To me it sounds more like Atlas Sound (or maybe even Cox's Bedroom Databank series) than Deerhunter. I'll give it plenty of time to see what happens but out of the gate it's not immediately jibing.

enframed wrote:Thoughts on Monomania? I've some but not ready to share just yet.The band over-hyped this release by mentioning Pierre Schaeffer, Steve Reich, Bo Diddley, Ricky Nelson, and the Ramones in the press release. I remember reading it and thinking this might be something I've never heard before.Of course, it wound up being a collection of scrappy, stripped down garage tunes and Bradford ballads.It hangs really well as an album, but there are almost no standout tracks. Maybe Leather Jacket II or the title track. It's just weird to listen to an entire album of tunes and then have a problem recalling a single vocal melody. Not bad at all, but I was definitely expecting something else.It's odd to think that they recorded this as a quintet. Most of the songs are so bare that they sound like a trio recorded 'em.

"Nothing Ever Happened to Me" is a great great song.Everything else is kinda meh. The new song I saw them play on Fallon sounded like the Strokes.

Just read that Pitchfork interview where Cox essentially barks orders at various PAs for the length of it. Seriously, fuck this shit. Fuck this guy and fuck people like him, they're taking the sonic elements of music I love and just using the popularity of these elements to have a career and to act like a wanker in the process to the point where truly obnoxious, cunty behaviour is classed as acceptable because of this guy's supposed 'genius'. That guy is a perfect product of the times and the times can fuck themselves.

They remind me of Dinosaur Jr. The music isn't crap it just sounds like a lot of other bands but with little to distinguish it or make me want to listen to it over the other bands they sound like.

I tried but cannot get into Monomania at all. Doesn't that annoying overdrive/upper midrange frequency spike on the vocals and guitars annoy the shit out of everyone or is it just me? They did it throughout the whole fucking album.I wish they'd keep writing more songs like "Nothing Ever Happened" and stop with the fucking around.But then again, my friend who is a huge fan of these guys says it's his favorite one yet and can't get enough of it.

Really dug Cryptograms and Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.Thought Halycon Digest sucked and I really don't like the new one either.Oh well.

halcyon digest is actually p. deece!

They are playing a festival in Monterey, California (nice job, Chamber of Commerce!) over the summer and apparently signed one of those contracts that won't allow then to play within X miles for Y days because the next closest show is Sacramento. No SF, no Oakland. Assholes.

New record is fairly solid. Already seen it stated, but there really aren't any true standout tracks. Easily their weakest release. I did see them live recently and they absolutely ruled. The Monomania tracks they played were a lot noisier and less typical Garage sounding.