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Not Crap ever.

One of my top ten live music experiences ever.

Never crap.

They are so great at showing how a genre with art hyphen (art rock? Art pop?) or a band with avant garde curiosities doesn't need to be inscrutable or boring. On the contrary those ambitions are part of what makes them so fun and joyful.

They're consistently great, too. Their last few records are just as compelling as the stuff from the mid-2000s. They live in different cities and put their songs together piecemeal. Apparently it's quite a laborious process.

Many times I've tried to find something good by this perennially-stanned band and always found it underwhelming. Does anyone have any specific recommendations? Maybe they're more of a live experience thing.

Bluegum LaBloat wrote: Mon Jun 12, 2023 7:36 pm Many times I've tried to find something good by this perennially-stanned band and always found it underwhelming. Does anyone have any specific recommendations? Maybe they're more of a live experience thing.

I think the record that most closely approximates their live performances is The Runners Four. They really let loose and rock out on that one. Lately I've been digging the weird avant pop of Future Teenage Cave Dwellers. This album is very dense and layered; it repays repeated listenings.

Yeah. Music for music school undergrads for whom Animal Collective is a bit 'fussy' and St Vincent is a bit 'corporate'.

Bluegum LaBloat wrote: Mon Jun 12, 2023 7:36 pm Many times I've tried to find something good by this perennially-stanned band and always found it underwhelming. Does anyone have any specific recommendations? Maybe they're more of a live experience thing.

Milk Man, the runners four and Offend Maggie are all pretty like-able records. Specifically check out the song Eaguru Guru.

I love so much of their music though and have seen them dozens of times over the last 20 something years. They are often fantastic live.

Truly one of the most exciting bands to see play live. It's like they're playing through telepathy. Riveting, actually.

Wish the drummer would get a normal fucking drum throne. I worry about his back.

I like about 4 of their records A LOT, which is a very high batting average for any band.

I've never dug into this band. What's a good start?