"It shouldn't take you long?" What's that mean? Which one do the cool kids vote for Zwartitude? Don't the cool kids like them both? The old cool kids like Fiona and the young cool kids like Foxygen is that it? I don't know what to do.
So here's the thing: I don't have any history with Fiona Apple and her music, and it doesn't sound like this album is gonna be a good starting point for her and me to begin one, I mean, based on listening to it.
But on to my real point: Why I like Foxygen. Sure they are derivative, but these days all the kids are trying to sound 80s, and these kids here are trying to sound 60s/ 70s. (As a personal rule of thumb, I like bands who try to sound 60s/ 70s more than bands who try to sound like most other decades I can think of. So I'm biased already....) But these kids do an especially good job with the retro thing, you see, because it's like this: It's like all those magical little dwarves from that one story decided to bail on the cobbler's joint and go to the record store instead, and they went straight for the good stuff from when rock and roll came of age like like the Beatles and the Stones and the Kinks and Bob Dylan and the VU, and maybe some T.Rex and some Donovan and some Flamin' Groovies, and even a little bit of that cornier shit that you kinda like but you don't always listen to like the Fifth Dimension and the soundtrack from Hair, and they threw all that shit into a magical cauldron or some shit like that and they melted all the vinyl and mixed it all together and then they pressed it into a brand new record with their tiny little dwarf fingers and - Voila! - you have WATTFCAOPAM. Everything on here sounds familiar because it's made with the same vinyl DNA as the old stuff, and yet everything is new and different and fresh and gets your juices going like it's supposed to. You think to yourself "Do I know this song?", "Is this a cover of some b-side I missed from back in the day?" But it's not, and it's good, and most of all, it's fun and catchy and has some good lines (Call: "I left my love in San Francisco", Response: "That's okay. I was bored anyway.") which is why we liked the old shit to begin with. I'm done, and I'm not even drunk or anything.
Foxygen's band name SUCKS. I mean, really?! Foxygen?! I vote against them for that alone. But then I listened to them and found another reason to vote against them - boring classic rock style, not my jam.
Plus, Fiona Apple just rules. She's dark and easy with coffee. I like her new album. She's got badass lyrics like: "Oh, I ran out of white doves' feathers To soak up the hot piss that comes from your mouth Every time you address me"
Also, she recently jumped stage when ppl were being rude at a Fashion Party. "Predictable Fashion! Fuck You!" As someone who knows that world well and knows how fucking shallow and aloof ppl in that world can be and I love that she said "Fuck-a-war, I'm out!"
Hard to believe Eric S. just referenced the Hair soundtrack.
Anyhoo, for me, this one breaks down similarly to SBJ's The Band vs. Luna matchup a couple years ago. I'm going with Fiona Apple because she has more passion and soul.
Maybe, if given more time, I would end up liking Foxygen (shit name, for sure) better, but that's not how this works.
So I’m walking up the stairs to my apartment the other night to hear some unknown music coming from my apartment. As I walk in I wonder to myself “since when does Brooke blast the Kinks when she’s alone?” I quickly learned that this was actually Foxygen and that all of their songs don’t like just like the Kinks. Some sound just like the Zombies and some sound just like other bands other bands. Sure, most bands are derivative of other bands, but it seems that Foxygen is paying too much reverence to a by gone era, and trying to recreate every element of a sound as opposed to letting that old music simply influence them. (Did I just write a few matches ago that I’m fine with Sharon Jones for sounding like she was beemed in from the late 60’s?......I think I did.) Foxygen can be featured in the next Wes Anderson movie if he can’t get the licensing for old obscure Stones and Kinks songs.
I’m always a bit on the fence with Fiona Apple. I haven’t listened to her a ton, and she is one of those artists that I feel like I should like more. On this album I can really appreciate the compositions, but still in a somewhat detached way. I think I simultaneously like and dislike parts of it at the same time. Is that possible? Ok, I vote Fiona Apple.
Oho –oh, as I’m writing this I’m listening to “San Fransisco” by Foxygen and its growing on me….oh oh…..I’m abstaining…..no I’ll stick with Fiona.
I liked both quite a bit, but I have to vote on originality. Foxygen is just too much of the past compacted into one.. it has its merits, but if Dread Zeppelin can't win a round, neither should Foxygen. I wonder when they are mixing their songs, if they actually say things like "I need to hear more Stones", "Turn up the Kinks", "Can I get more Neil Young in the monitors"
Fiona for me too. No, she's not an everyday listen, but every day I do listen, I'm like "damn." If only all virtuosos could be so emotionally tapped-in, so musically daring.
Note to self: Don't bother writing too much on MDM; you won't persuade a friggin' soul.
Also: Really??? Everyone is that into Fiona? I've always found her stylings rather irritating, on a superficial level anyways. I'm sure early Elton John is genius, too, but it doesn't mean I have to like the crap. "No Destruction"? "Shuggie"? These didn't do anything for anybody??!! Grrr. Sigh.
How many times do I have to say it? Democracy doesn't work. I'm with Eric on this one. And, yes, I know I didn't vote, so I can't really say anything, but my wife 's been in the hospital for the last three days (don't worry, she's okay (and by the way, she would have voted Foxygen too)). Anyway, what are the rest of you non-voting jerk-asses' excuses? I was also going to write a long manifesto on why Foxygen (name and all) are awesome, and why being derivative shouldn't be a problem, but Eric already did that, and despite his eloquence, you all still fell for Fiona. So, grumpy-pants, you are not alone.
"No Destruction" had some of the more insincere, poseurish lyrics I've encountered in a while, at least in one attention-getting verse:
"I’m talking to my grandma who lost her arms in the war The aliens and armory that bombed her cigar store Now you think that I don’t know but I know you to know quite well That I caught you sipping milkshakes in the parlor of the hotel There’s no need to be an asshole, you’re not in Brooklyn anymore You may take what you are given but you leave it on the floor And I know you’re gonna try to take my big mouse Take the panels off my greenhouse"
WHAAAA? (And no, I don't expect every musician to be deep all the time. But on top of being musically derivative, um, the Beatles/Bowie/etc. called and want their surreal lyrics back.)
Come on, that Brooklyn line is great (no offense Joe & Brooke). I'd trade a whole song of Fiona's lyrics for that one line. Also, it's also about his delivery, like when he sings, "I saw your daughter the other day / well, that was weird." I love how he sings that. Eric's with me.
I am, zwartitude. I honestly read through the lyrics Sarah posted and thought: "It's that Brooklyn line that always sticks out. That's a good one." I also agree about the delivery...In "Shuggie", like the weird-daughter-sighting line, I love how he sings: "Hey man have a soda, it's on the house..." Can't put my finger on it; I just dig it.
VS.
"It shouldn't take you long?" What's that mean? Which one do the cool kids vote for Zwartitude? Don't the cool kids like them both? The old cool kids like Fiona and the young cool kids like Foxygen is that it? I don't know what to do.
ReplyDeleteMy question exactly.
DeleteI have stopped trying to predict which one the cool kids will pick. I cannot figure out the algorithm, even with Karl's handy guide a few matches ago.
DeleteLike.
DeleteSo here's the thing: I don't have any history with Fiona Apple and her music, and it doesn't sound like this album is gonna be a good starting point for her and me to begin one, I mean, based on listening to it.
ReplyDeleteBut on to my real point: Why I like Foxygen. Sure they are derivative, but these days all the kids are trying to sound 80s, and these kids here are trying to sound 60s/ 70s. (As a personal rule of thumb, I like bands who try to sound 60s/ 70s more than bands who try to sound like most other decades I can think of. So I'm biased already....) But these kids do an especially good job with the retro thing, you see, because it's like this: It's like all those magical little dwarves from that one story decided to bail on the cobbler's joint and go to the record store instead, and they went straight for the good stuff from when rock and roll came of age like like the Beatles and the Stones and the Kinks and Bob Dylan and the VU, and maybe some T.Rex and some Donovan and some Flamin' Groovies, and even a little bit of that cornier shit that you kinda like but you don't always listen to like the Fifth Dimension and the soundtrack from Hair, and they threw all that shit into a magical cauldron or some shit like that and they melted all the vinyl and mixed it all together and then they pressed it into a brand new record with their tiny little dwarf fingers and - Voila! - you have WATTFCAOPAM. Everything on here sounds familiar because it's made with the same vinyl DNA as the old stuff, and yet everything is new and different and fresh and gets your juices going like it's supposed to. You think to yourself "Do I know this song?", "Is this a cover of some b-side I missed from back in the day?" But it's not, and it's good, and most of all, it's fun and catchy and has some good lines (Call: "I left my love in San Francisco", Response: "That's okay. I was bored anyway.") which is why we liked the old shit to begin with. I'm done, and I'm not even drunk or anything.
So anyways, this old cool kid votes Foxygen.
Foxygen's band name SUCKS. I mean, really?! Foxygen?!
ReplyDeleteI vote against them for that alone. But then I listened to them and found another reason to vote against them - boring classic rock style, not my jam.
Plus, Fiona Apple just rules. She's dark and easy with coffee. I like her new album.
She's got badass lyrics like: "Oh, I ran out of white doves' feathers
To soak up the hot piss that comes from your mouth
Every time you address me"
Also, she recently jumped stage when ppl were being rude at a Fashion Party. "Predictable Fashion! Fuck You!"
As someone who knows that world well and knows how fucking shallow and aloof ppl in that world can be and I love that she said "Fuck-a-war, I'm out!"
Fiona for sure.
Good match-up. Interesting music. Good advocation, Eric.
ReplyDeleteFiona Apple's title makes me think of Drew Barrymore in Donnie Darko, but I think she still gets my vote.
Karl, you voted? Welcome.
DeleteHard to believe Eric S. just referenced the Hair soundtrack.
ReplyDeleteAnyhoo, for me, this one breaks down similarly to SBJ's The Band vs. Luna matchup a couple years ago. I'm going with Fiona Apple because she has more passion and soul.
Maybe, if given more time, I would end up liking Foxygen (shit name, for sure) better, but that's not how this works.
So I’m walking up the stairs to my apartment the other night to hear some unknown music coming from my apartment. As I walk in I wonder to myself “since when does Brooke blast the Kinks when she’s alone?” I quickly learned that this was actually Foxygen and that all of their songs don’t like just like the Kinks. Some sound just like the Zombies and some sound just like other bands other bands. Sure, most bands are derivative of other bands, but it seems that Foxygen is paying too much reverence to a by gone era, and trying to recreate every element of a sound as opposed to letting that old music simply influence them. (Did I just write a few matches ago that I’m fine with Sharon Jones for sounding like she was beemed in from the late 60’s?......I think I did.)
ReplyDeleteFoxygen can be featured in the next Wes Anderson movie if he can’t get the licensing for old obscure Stones and Kinks songs.
I’m always a bit on the fence with Fiona Apple. I haven’t listened to her a ton, and she is one of those artists that I feel like I should like more. On this album I can really appreciate the compositions, but still in a somewhat detached way. I think I simultaneously like and dislike parts of it at the same time. Is that possible? Ok, I vote Fiona Apple.
Oho –oh, as I’m writing this I’m listening to “San Fransisco” by Foxygen and its growing on me….oh oh…..I’m abstaining…..no I’ll stick with Fiona.
Fiona for me.
ReplyDeleteI liked both quite a bit, but I have to vote on originality. Foxygen is just too much of the past compacted into one.. it has its merits, but if Dread Zeppelin can't win a round, neither should Foxygen. I wonder when they are mixing their songs, if they actually say things like "I need to hear more Stones", "Turn up the Kinks", "Can I get more Neil Young in the monitors"
Fiona for me too. No, she's not an everyday listen, but every day I do listen, I'm like "damn." If only all virtuosos could be so emotionally tapped-in, so musically daring.
ReplyDeleteNote to self: Don't bother writing too much on MDM; you won't persuade a friggin' soul.
ReplyDeleteAlso: Really??? Everyone is that into Fiona? I've always found her stylings rather irritating, on a superficial level anyways. I'm sure early Elton John is genius, too, but it doesn't mean I have to like the crap. "No Destruction"? "Shuggie"? These didn't do anything for anybody??!! Grrr. Sigh.
God Save Foxygen! Yours, Bitter Grumpypants
This just makes must love Fiona Apple even more.
DeleteBam! Just kidding.
DeleteHow many times do I have to say it? Democracy doesn't work. I'm with Eric on this one. And, yes, I know I didn't vote, so I can't really say anything, but my wife 's been in the hospital for the last three days (don't worry, she's okay (and by the way, she would have voted Foxygen too)). Anyway, what are the rest of you non-voting jerk-asses' excuses? I was also going to write a long manifesto on why Foxygen (name and all) are awesome, and why being derivative shouldn't be a problem, but Eric already did that, and despite his eloquence, you all still fell for Fiona. So, grumpy-pants, you are not alone.
ReplyDelete"No Destruction" had some of the more insincere, poseurish lyrics I've encountered in a while, at least in one attention-getting verse:
ReplyDelete"I’m talking to my grandma who lost her arms in the war
The aliens and armory that bombed her cigar store
Now you think that I don’t know but I know you to know quite well
That I caught you sipping milkshakes in the parlor of the hotel
There’s no need to be an asshole, you’re not in Brooklyn anymore
You may take what you are given but you leave it on the floor
And I know you’re gonna try to take my big mouse
Take the panels off my greenhouse"
WHAAAA? (And no, I don't expect every musician to be deep all the time. But on top of being musically derivative, um, the Beatles/Bowie/etc. called and want their surreal lyrics back.)
Come on, that Brooklyn line is great (no offense Joe & Brooke). I'd trade a whole song of Fiona's lyrics for that one line. Also, it's also about his delivery, like when he sings, "I saw your daughter the other day / well, that was weird." I love how he sings that. Eric's with me.
DeleteI am, zwartitude. I honestly read through the lyrics Sarah posted and thought: "It's that Brooklyn line that always sticks out. That's a good one." I also agree about the delivery...In "Shuggie", like the weird-daughter-sighting line, I love how he sings: "Hey man have a soda, it's on the house..." Can't put my finger on it; I just dig it.
ReplyDelete