I can't comment on Incubus since I don't listen to them. I wonder what it is that pushes people into one or the other category, or the CW into one or the other category. Is the new sound just inherently bad? Was the old one just that good, and they shouldn't have been done exploring it?
S'funny, because it happened to me just recently (forgive the Samlikescarrotsness of this part). I heard a couple of Sam's band's tracks. I liked them, like a lot. Suddenly he mentions something in his post on their site about listening to different bands and wanting to incorporate, not so much the sound, more like some of the concepts of those bands. My first thought? "Nooooooooooooooooooo!' Now why? I didn't even listen to any of the post-ephiphany songs, I'm not sure they wouldn't have been somthing I would have liked or not, or even- being one of those sofa art music lovers- if I would have been able to tell the difference.
Is the new sound just inherently bad? Was the old one just that good, and they shouldn't have been done exploring it?
With Our Lady Peace, they pretty much took everything that made them unique and interesting beyond just Raine's voice, and cranked out something ridiculously generic, with the exception of a few great songs, none of which had the touch of any of their past albums. Granted, I haven't heard a lot off their debut
Naveed,
which I hear sounds similar. They got a new bassist (or maybe guitarrist, I forget) for this album, and I read somewhere that it represented the direction they were going, which makes me shudder to think what the next album will be like.
I don't know. The Velvet Underground more or less invented the concept of sounding entirely different on each album, but they always sound like the Velvet Underground. VU fans usually have favorites, but I'm not sure if any fan ever actually hates any of their albums.
I know the lead singer of the band I'm in now seems to think that his sound is heavily influenced by The Band, which I don't hear in the slightest, and hates the constant comparison to The Smiths and Belle & Sebastian, which sound utterly appropriate to me. So I think artists sometimes incorporate influences in a way that's entirely hermetic. That's probably true of the songs I write, too.
You must see the Decemberists, Lilty! Though if the bar is the Big Easy, the show is October 15, not September.
There's no Boston show this time around, but they're in Northhampton on Sept. 28. Hmmmm....
Hmm indeed! Do you know where, Jon? I'm intrigued.
Ah, it IS the Big Easy. Maybe I mixed up the dates on the Decemberists and Rachael Yamagata.
Lilty, I'm also a big Decembrists fan. Probably my fav band of the last five years.
Eh. Pearl Street's not my favorite venue, although I hear it's better now that they don't allow smoking in the ballroom anymore. And for $15, I'd probably rather just buy the CD.
t /loser
