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[ewok20t3]

I may characterize Thrice fans as just wanting them to rock hard, but to their credit, the fanbase seems willing to roll with them through the changes - I don't tend to hear as much vitriol about them changing up their style as I do with other bands who have gotten similarly restless doing all hard rock, all the time.

Most of the fans who weren't open-minded enough to allow the band to experiment abandoned them when Vheissu came out. So basically, most of Thrice's current fans, who were there pre-Vheissu, are former Warped Tour kids who decided that they were ready for music outside of the modern "punk" scene, at the same time Thrice started playing music that didn't fit into that box.

[murlough23]

Most of the fans who weren't open-minded enough to allow the band to experiment abandoned them when Vheissu came out. So basically, most of Thrice's current fans, who were there pre-Vheissu, are former Warped Tour kids, who decided that they were ready for music outside of the modern "punk" scene, at the same time Thrice started playing music that didn't fit into that box.

That's a good analysis. I think it's easy to dread when heavier bands that are popular with a young crowd start "experimenting" or "maturing", because those words are often used as code for "turning into old farts who can't turn out a high-energy performance any more". it's true that some bands go soft and don't do it in an interesting way, but I've always respected the ones who can be eclectic and sound good doing it, because you just don't know what's gonna happen.

Maybe it makes me an old fart, but I'm starting to feel like rock and roll is over, at least in the sense of judging an album by how much you can headbang to it or how awesome the guitar solos are, whatever. I still appreciate bands that can still rock out with some creative flair, but to break into my top tier, you have to be good at the mellow and/or experimental stuff as well, and that generally means you need to explore instrument options beyond just the typical drums/bass/guitar combo. (Unless you have some really outlandish pedals/distortion effects to play with, I guess.) To see a band start doing this and then sort of back off from it just baffles me.

[ewok20t3]

To see a band start doing this and then sort of back off from it just baffles me.

Yeah, I'm not sure what the reasoning is for them becoming less experimental in the types of instruments they used. Although I don't have any major complaints with the album, I think it could have benefited from a track or two that used some piano or keys as a key piece of the music.

On another note, I am glad that Dustin took a step back from "rootsy" vocals he was using in many of the songs on the last few albums. I enjoyed that for awhile, but I found myself wishing for less of that.

[murlough23]

On another note, I am glad that Dustin took a step back from "rootsy" vocals he was using in many of the songs on the last few albums. I enjoyed that for awhile, but I found myself wishing for less of that.

It was appropriate for songs that were more folksy (the Earth disc) or bluesy ("Beggars" - he sounds like hell there, but he's supposed to.). It wouldn't make as much sense on some of their harder stuff, though finding a way to cross hard rock with folk or blues wouldn't be a terrible thing for them to try.

[murlough23]

Gungor - Beautiful Things

http://www.epinions.com/content_570198494852

[murlough23]

Gungor - Ghosts Upon the Earth

http://www.epinions.com/content_571033095812

[murlough23]

The Hawk in Paris - His + Hers EP

http://www.epinions.com/content_571131989636

[murlough23]

Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

http://www.epinions.com/content_573116288644

[murlough23]

Katie Herzig - The Waking Sleep

http://www.epinions.com/content_573984247428

[murlough23]

Lights - Siberia

http://www.epinions.com/content_574889823876

[murlough23]

Kathryn Calder - Bright and Vivid

http://www.epinions.com/content_576200216196

[murlough23]

Björk - Biophilia

http://www.epinions.com/content_576876285572

[murlough23]

Deas Vail - Deas Vail

http://www.epinions.com/content_577966083716

[Aaron]

heh, I was just listening to that album on Thursday night and couldn't have been more bored with it. I would give it a 2.5 or 3 star rating. It lacked energy.

[murlough23]

heh, I was just listening to that album on Thursday night and couldn't have been more bored with it. I would give it a 2.5 or 3 star rating. It lacked energy.

I'm glad I at least gave it a chance and found the small handful of tracks that rewarded a closer listen. But yeah, overall I realized that I was going soft on them just due to my favorable reactions to their older albums. Looking at the new album more objectively, it deserved an average rating.

[murlough23]

David Crowder Band - Really, I'm Not Going to Type That Big Long Album Title Out Again (Or Am I? [Yeah, I Guess I Should Have])

http://www.epinions.com/content_579035238020

[murlough23]

Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys

It was kind of a bummer to learn, in the process of writing this review that Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel had broken up. Yeah, I'm a little behind.

http://www.epinions.com/content_581083500164

[murlough23]

Belle & Sebastian - Write About Love

http://www.epinions.com/content_581792206468

[Ian]

What's your fav Death Cab album, murlough?

[murlough23]

What's your fav Death Cab album, murlough?

Don't know. It doesn't seem fair to pick a favorite when I've only listened to one thus far.

[Ian]

Transatlanticism.

The Photo, then Facts, then Plans!

[murlough23]

Transatlanticism.

The Photo, then Facts, then Plans!

I plan (no pun intended) to get on those soon.

[murlough23]

Evanescence - s/t

http://www.epinions.com/content_583182093956

[Ian]

You say they're just now a cliche? 

[murlough23]

You say they're just now a cliche? 

I wasn't unaware of it before, but I enjoyed their music enough before that it didn't bug me too much.

[murlough23]

Alter Bridge - AB III

http://www.epinions.com/content_583960137348

[murlough23]

fun. - Some Nights

http://www.epinions.com/content_584745127556

[murlough23]

Dia Frampton - Red

http://www.epinions.com/content_585235336836

Also, my fun. review was apparently stuck in "draft mode" for a while due to a database glitch, so if you tried to read it and got something like "This review cannot be displayed", go ahead and try again.

[Ian]

hehe, 'funner' isn't a word

[murlough23]

hehe, 'funner' isn't a word

I know. "More fun than others" just didn't seem to flow right.

[bloop]

Also, "funner" is more fun.

[murlough23]

Also, "funner" is more fun.

Exactly!

[Ian]

Oh so ignorance is fun now, eh???????????   

[murlough23]

Oh so ignorance is fun now, eh???????????   

Yes. See: A whole bunch of rap albums.

[Ian]

My review of Actress - R.I.P.  Haven't done one in a while so critique is welcomed http://liffeymusic.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/music-review-actress-r-i-p-2012/

[murlough23]

My review of Actress - R.I.P.  Haven't done one in a while so critique is welcomed http://liffeymusic.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/music-review-actress-r-i-p-2012/

Lots of vivid imagery in your descriptions of the music. I like that in a review. Makes me feel like I've heard something even though I haven't really heard it. (Though the way you describe it also makes it sound like the actual music probably wouldn't be my style, but that's not a failing on your part.)

I just finished a marathon review of M83's Hurry Up, We're Dreaming.

http://www.epinions.com/content_587143745156

[murlough23]

I'm going to be doing some "Nostalgia Reviews" while I go through my old CD collection. Here's the first of 'em.

All Star United - s/t

http://www.epinions.com/content_587525230212

[bloop]

Nostalgia seems to be a common thread among a few of my friends lately. Josh is doing his "great records" series. For my part, I've been digging into albums from 20+ years ago more often than new music. I'm assuming "nostalgia reviews" may be different in that you'll choose some that haven't aged so well, too.

I haven't heard this particular album, but I like power pop. I doubt it'll rattle the likes of OK Computers and Homogenics, but it sounds like fun anyway.

[murlough23]

Nostalgia seems to be a common thread among a few of my friends lately. Josh is doing his "great records" series. I'm assuming "nostalgia reviews" may be different in that you'll choose some that haven't aged so well, too.

For me, the two events that prompted it were (a) finally getting around to organizing my room and putting away the boatload of CDs I'd bought within the last two years that were in disarray on my desk, and (b) a database freeze over at Epinions that's gonna prevent them from adding anything new to the database for potentially a few months. So basically I can't review anything new for the time being (I could work on it, or even post it to other sites, I guess, but I'd rather be consistent, and I've been wanting to get around to some of this old stuff for a while now anyway).

I haven't heard this particular album, but I like power pop. I doubt it'll rattle the likes of OK Computers and Homogenics, but it sounds like fun anyway.

Yeah, there's a bit of well-aimed wit, but since most of it's just for fun, that's why I was careful to make the disclaimer that it's not "high art". I think it's a good example of using the tools available to you in straight-ahead pop and rock music exceptionally well, but I have it below the Jars of Clay and Caedmon's Call records I mentioned (and also OK Computer) in my Top 10 for that year for a reason. Some of it might be a bit too insipid for your tastes; I tend to not mind that stuff too much as long as I know they're fully aware of it and are sort of winking at it (and the music is good enough to support it, of course).

[bloop]

My points of reference for this sort of record would be Nick Lowe, Big Star, Weezer, Fountains of Wayne, New Pornos - that kind of thing.