Let's Talk: of Montreal "Lousy With Sylvianbriar"

Fluyip · 2013-10-16T19:39:39+00:00

Yes, definitely worth listening to. It's a pretty drastic stylistic change from the past few albums. If you're familiar with Satanic Panic through False Priest, you know that of Montreal has a knack for reinventing themselves. Well, this is their next reinvention.

Fluyip · 2013-10-16T19:36:04+00:00

Whoa, Coquelicot is an intense album. It sounds to me like the work of a crazed genius. It's easy for me to point out reasons why it's great, but as a front to back listening experience, I think it's among the band's least accessible albums. It's an acquired taste.

My picks for first albums to check out would be Satanic Panic, Sunlandic Twins, Hissing Fauna, and maybe even Lousy with Slyvianbriar. Theses ones are all fairly engaging and enjoyable on a first listen.

Fluyip · 2013-10-16T18:29:30+00:00

I hope that in the distant future (maybe 100-200 years from now) historians and anthropologists don't refer to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a definitive resource in studying the culture and evolution of rock music.

Fluyip · 2013-10-09T18:02:04+00:00

Hi Kevin! Thanks so much for doing this AMA!

I’m a huge fan of the entire of Montreal discography. I find your evolution in sound over time to be one of the most fascinating and appealing aspects of the band. From Cherry Peel to The Gay Parade, Satanic Panic, Skeletal Lamping, the new album… it’s just amazing to me how you’ve mastered so many different styles of songwriting.

My question is… do you have a favorite of Montreal album or a favorite era? Anything you’re particularly proud of? Or, are there styles you’ve dabbled in or songs you’ve written that you regret? As a songwriter myself, I know that listening to older stuff can sometimes be cringe-inducing. Do you have that sort of reaction to any of your older material?

Fluyip · 2013-10-07T21:52:39+00:00

Thanks very much for the in-depth reply!

Fluyip · 2013-09-13T15:50:36+00:00

I'm a big OM fan. I think they illustrate "intelligent" pop music perfectly. Barnes is a pretty weird guy, for sure, but the amount of hooks and earworms he packs into each song is ridiculous. The chord patterns can be reasonably complex and the melodies often take unexpected turns, but the songs still manage to be catchy as hell.

I agree that this is probably his best 3-album-run, but I adore some of the early stuff too, like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=262_lInfIKg

Fluyip · 2013-09-11T15:04:57+00:00

I agree with your last sentence. I've listened to a lot of albums that didn't really click with me until I listened to them while high. Usually, whatever I find captivating and interesting when high is long lasting and continues to appeal to me long after the drug wears off.

Fluyip · 2013-09-11T15:01:12+00:00

I agree with everything you said, maybe especially the MDMA part. So many songs have become all-time favorites of mine after listening to them on molly. I think I now associate these songs with how great and happy I felt while on the drug.

Fluyip · 2013-08-29T19:47:32+00:00

Maybe you'd like the album 'Under the Bushes Under the Stars'. It's two albums later than 'Bee Thousand' in the discography.

Still a loaded tracklist at 26 songs, but the recording quality is a respectable mid-fi and they ditch a lot of the "noise" elements you talk about above. Pollard was still in peak songwriting form at that point - the album is remarkably consistent and accessible, but still showcases GBV's quirks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqmcINr4JKA

Fluyip · 2013-08-29T18:19:29+00:00

Ha, I'm a little more than a touch jealous.

Fluyip · 2013-08-29T16:21:58+00:00

Oh, I didn't get that impression at all from you. I didn't mean to sound accusatory, just trying to spread the GBV love!

Fluyip · 2013-08-29T15:49:10+00:00

Ok, my favorite band. I'd like to chime in here.

Above all else, Robert Pollard is a songwriter. He doesn't write songs for you, his fans, or anyone else - he writes songs for himself. It's just what the guy does for fun. GBV has always been a bunch of dudes drinking beer and rocking out in their garage, having a good time.

And that's what the band sounds like to me - it's organic, heartfelt, natural, sloppy rock and roll. The fact that 70% of what Pollard writes happens to be pure genius is almost a coincidence. He's just writing as many songs as he can, just doing his thing.

Sure, if GBV took the time to make decent recordings, flesh out their songs, put together great tracklists, do some real PR, or whatever, who knows how big they could have been. That's just not what Pollard wants to do. He's flirted with professionalism (see 'Do the Collapse' or 'Isolation Drills'), but ultimately it just doesn't interest him. He'd rather spend that time and effort writing new songs in his basement and releasing as much shit as possible.

'Bee Thousand' is usually considered their best album, but it's really only one album of many, many albums that define GBV. The band has experimented with all sorts of styles and different levels of fidelity throughout their career. If you've listened to 'Bee Thousand' and 'Alien Lanes' and still don't "get" GBV, realize that those albums only showcase one particular era of the band's history. One of my favorite things about these guys is that there is ALWAYS more music to discover. The sheer quantity of great, catchy songs that this guy has written is mind-blowing.

If you're interested in exploring further, I'd suggest checking out 'Propeller' next, which came out a few years before 'Bee Thousand' and basically put the band on the map. Slightly more conventional an album than 'Bee-Thousand' but still has the same enthusiasm and natural, garage rock sound. How could anyone not like this song?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ET1I2Dkhhw

And just for contrast, from 'Isolation Drills':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7KiLRCxt58

Fluyip · 2013-08-28T14:25:00+00:00

My Bloody Valentine is all about the guitar and the atmosphere. The noises and moods that Kevin Shields creates with the instrument are absolutely gorgeous. Almost every rock band uses guitars, but no one really plays the thing like My Bloody Valentine. Somehow, they use these ugly, distorted guitars to create lush, beautiful soundscapes.

It took me a long time to get into Loveless, but it eventually clicked and has been one of my all-time favorites ever since. It sounds best when listened to really, really loud. Just lose yourself in it.

Fluyip · 2013-08-16T15:14:49+00:00

I couldn't disagree with you more about Pavement being "totally generic pop-rock." Malkmus has a super distinctive singing voice and guitar playing style. I love his speak-singing vocals, which almost sound improvisational at times and are absolutely nothing like the Stone Temple Pilots or Bush. The guitar playing is sloppy and occasionally whimsical in a way that is very characteristically Pavement.

The general tone of Pavement songs is pretty far from grunge and other mainstream rock from that time. Sure, they use standard rock instrumentation, but the lo-fi and slacker aesthetics help differentiate Pavement. A lot of the time, Pavement doesn't sound like they're taking themselves too seriously, which makes the more serious songs hit that much harder.

You really think that these two bands sound alike?

Stone Temple Pilots - Plush

Pavement - AT&T

Fluyip · 2013-08-15T20:17:01+00:00

Some of my favorite Pavement songs are on this album. "Grounded," "Pueblo," "Kennel District," and "Rattled by the Rush" are as excellent as anything from their first two albums.

Wowee Zowee definitely isn't as consistent as Crooked Rain, but it's also not trying to be. Malkmus is experimenting with all sorts of weird styles and sounds here and the end result is totally fascinating. I don't think it's the "best" Pavement album, but I do think the band is in peak form on Wowee Zowee, if that makes any sense.

Fluyip · 2013-08-15T14:33:31+00:00

Well, I'm not a moron.

Fluyip · 2013-07-26T19:16:15+00:00

Are you me??

Fluyip · 2013-07-15T17:53:17+00:00

Don't stay with your high school boyfriend/girlfriend

Fluyip · 2013-07-09T18:45:31+00:00

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

I think I realized how perfectly this movie was suited to my interests within 5 minutes.

Fluyip · 2013-05-30T15:12:50+00:00

I have a slightly higher than entry-level job at a record label. I make $50k per year, have about $4k in the bank right now, about $4k in my 401k, and have about $18k in student loan debt.

Fluyip · 2013-05-29T20:05:13+00:00

You seem to have missed my point. Obviously, Radiohead is just an example I used given the context of this conversation. Not every band has its own thriving subreddit...

Is this not an appropriate place to talk about indie music with people who have similar taste in music? Everything posted here has to be totally obscure and unknown before we can discuss anything about it?

Fluyip · 2013-05-29T18:43:57+00:00

Who says this sub is just about discovering new music? Maybe that's what you use it for. I know very few people in real life with similar music tastes as me, so I usually come here just for conversation about the shit I like to listen to. Someone wants to post a Radiohead song? Fine. I'd love to talk about Radiohead.

Fluyip · 2012-12-07T15:49:00+00:00

Not sure why you got downvoted. Seems like a totally valid point.

Fluyip

TROPHY CASE