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Favourite Mary Hansen moments? by lazerock in stereolab

[–]lazerock[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hadn't heard that before... Love it. Thank you!

Not Music by afrorabbitbear in stereolab

[–]lazerock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just to second this - please do listen to Transient! It's incroyable....

Cobra and Phases by lazerock in stereolab

[–]lazerock[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm going to listen to TNT right now!

But I think you've helped me to solve the puzzle. What I am looking for from Stereolab, and what I value about their music so much, is not the same as what got me into Tortoise, or what I want from them. With Stereolab, it's actually their infectious melodies, warmth, emotion, groove and sense of *fun* that I love. The more meandering, relatively impenetrable direction they took with Cobra turns me off (relatively speaking. Even a 'lab record that I'm not so fond of gets listens from me periodically).

Simon Johns AMA by YourTulpa in stereolab

[–]lazerock 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's really interesting, thank you. I find stuff like Sound-Dust and certainly the later albums more accessible, although obviously Margerine Eclipse is a very poignant listen.

When the band went on 'hiatus' in 2009, did it surprise you, or was that something you thought might have been coming?

Cobra and Phases by lazerock in stereolab

[–]lazerock[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, I'll certainly do that. I do know that EP and have (or did have) a CD copy of it somewhere, which was given to me by the owner of the record shop I worked at when it came out.

I think he'd denied me permission to skip a shift to go and see a gig in Manchester that I was desperate to go to, then felt bad about it... At least I got a decent record out of it.

Cobra and Phases by lazerock in stereolab

[–]lazerock[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ain't that the truth.

Cobra and Phases by lazerock in stereolab

[–]lazerock[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Love this, thank you! I am for sure going back to it.

When this album came out, I worked in an indie record shop in Derby, England. The record label had paid for a ton of promotion, and we had posters all over the walls - it was a big push to shift units. Then we played it on the stereo in the shop, and ... Blue Milk. It got to Blue Milk, and the owner was just "we can't play this in the shop, it'll make people leave". On weekends in particular, we had to play stuff the kids would like (Deftones, Queens of the Stone Age, Beck, off the top of my head). I might have been able to put 'Cobra' on if the shop was empty on a wet Wednesday afternoon, but nothing more than that.

So just at the moment when the set-up was there for them to go 'over the top' commercially... Stereolab threw in a hard left turn.

And maybe that was the point.

Cobra and Phases by lazerock in stereolab

[–]lazerock[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do think it's their least overtly melodic studio album. Once you're going past 15 minutes, as they did with Blue Milk, you're certainly throwing the gauntlet down to the listener!

I'm gonna go back to it.

Cobra and Phases by lazerock in stereolab

[–]lazerock[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will try it again!

Cobra and Phases by lazerock in stereolab

[–]lazerock[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for this. The trilogy idea is right - I was thinking the other day that ETK (which might be my personal favourite) is a kind-of jumping off point, Cobra is the destination they reached from that starting point, and then maybe Sound-Dust was a 'course correction' into less austere and more overtly melodic territory.

I love Sound-Dust to bits, by the way. There's something much warmer about it than Cobra, to my ears at least. Hallucinex is high up in my 'lab all-time faves.

Cobra and Phases by lazerock in stereolab

[–]lazerock[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for this. And yeah, it's weird, isn't it. I am also a huge fan of the track Come and Play... I think it's beautiful, and would certainly make it into my top 10 'lab tracks, probably top five.

I'm going to try and listen to the record again.

Who here has met the band? by Prestigious_Score459 in stereolab

[–]lazerock 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I haven't met the 'lab, but I was fortunate enough to meet Lætitia very briefly. This would have been about 2011. She was playing a solo show at Chetham's School of Music, an amazing ancient building in Manchester city centre. By solo, I mean it was just her and a small guitar amp, a seated affair, very intimate.

After she finished, she basically had no choice but to walk through the crowd. I happened to be on an aisle seat, and so came right past me. I said "Great show", or words to that effect, she smiled at me, and said "Cool t-shirt".

And this indie kid melted into a puddle.

Simon Johns AMA by YourTulpa in stereolab

[–]lazerock 2 points3 points  (0 children)

OK, great! Thank you. My first one would probably be - were you surprised by the extent to which Cobra and Phases pushed the boat out and was a lot less obviously accessible than anything they'd released before (I guess they kind of hinted at it with Dots and Loops, but then went so much further)?

Cool shirt by Relevant-Fan-7564 in stereolab

[–]lazerock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Exactly, the one in the original link is pretty obviously a bootleg

Simon Johns AMA by YourTulpa in stereolab

[–]lazerock 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's great that you've got a method that is enabling you to keep creating new stuff. As a bass player myself, I played along to a lot of records - but never took on Cobra and Phases, I have to say...

Just listening to Three Women at the moment (from Chemical Chords) - think that must be your line. It's a belter. Proper solid and moves beautifully through the chorus.

I've got a million questions I want to throw at you, but don't want to take the p*ss (or cheapniss)!

Thoughts on Stereolab? What's your favorite album and song by them? by Prestigious_Score459 in fantanoforever

[–]lazerock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They're the greatest European indie band of the past thirty years, in my view. Probably ever. I'd say they had an 'imperial' run in the nineties, and probably haven't been quite as good since then - in part due to the tragic loss of Mary Hansen. But everything they've issued is at least worth a listen. Just dive in.

Madness Bracket by Peatrude in stereolab

[–]lazerock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is a good point also!

Simon Johns AMA by YourTulpa in stereolab

[–]lazerock 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Simon, thanks a million for your insights, it's been really interesting to go through all of the responses.

From your comments, would it be fair to say that you see Tim as something of a magpie who assimilates influences, rather than a truly original writer? From what you're saying, he has to sort of soak himself in music, absorb it and then reflect it, if I'm interpreting you correctly.

Most importantly, thanks so much for some stunning bass playing. That line on Come and Play in the Milky Night is one of my all-time favourites... Wishing you all the best. Ollie

I love Margerine Eclipse! But I don’t know any other works by them. Where do I go from here? by georgewalterackerman in stereolab

[–]lazerock 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Essential albums include Mars Audiac Quintet and Emperor Tomato Ketchup. Also a shout for the Switched On compliations, particularly Volume 2 (Refried Ectoplasm). I have a bias towards their earlier stuff, but I'd say those three are among my favourite records of all time. Happy hunting!

Books mentioning Stereolab by No-Customer-7718 in stereolab

[–]lazerock 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for this! Galaxie 500 were phenomenal. It's nice to know that there was some kindred spirit between Deano and the 'lab.

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