Music Banter - View Single Post - Spiderland

Engine · 08-08-2010, 10:47 AM

It's funny that Slint, Tortoise, and Gastr Del Sol all get mentioned together and the biggest point of note is that they sound different.

I am, I think, too close to the material (having heard those albums more times than I can count) to really compare the bands' sounds like the above posts do (i.e. more or less punk, narrative or not, etc.). To me that's like trying to compare a Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young album to the Dead Man soundtrack. Musicians do different stuff sometimes.

I mentioned in my journal (in my sig) that I'm a little bit baffled by how famous Slint is compared to the other bands from their time and place. Spiderland is just one of many albums that some of those guys participated in making. They all did different things musically before and after Spiderland. I love Spiderland but I don't get how it's so much more popular than other similar sounding music.

I think that Slint or Tortoise (90s output anyway) as whole bands are less important than their members who are behind so much varied music. I think the similarities among all these bands are far more interesting than the differences. They may sound totally different at times and similar at other times but there is always an underlying tone or feeling that is always there and somehow distinguishable.

More on point, I think that Gastr Del Sol is more interesting than Tortoise s/t which is more of a masterpiece than Spiderland but on the other hand, if I want something heavier than mellow, jazzy post rock then I'll go with Spiderland for sure. Or maybe something by June of 44.

08-08-2010, 10:47 AM	#86 (permalink)
Engine air quote Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: pollen & mold Posts: 3,108	It's funny that Slint, Tortoise, and Gastr Del Sol all get mentioned together and the biggest point of note is that they sound different. I am, I think, too close to the material (having heard those albums more times than I can count) to really compare the bands' sounds like the above posts do (i.e. more or less punk, narrative or not, etc.). To me that's like trying to compare a Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young album to the Dead Man soundtrack. Musicians do different stuff sometimes. I mentioned in my journal (in my sig) that I'm a little bit baffled by how famous Slint is compared to the other bands from their time and place. Spiderland is just one of many albums that some of those guys participated in making. They all did different things musically before and after Spiderland. I love Spiderland but I don't get how it's so much more popular than other similar sounding music. I think that Slint or Tortoise (90s output anyway) as whole bands are less important than their members who are behind so much varied music. I think the similarities among all these bands are far more interesting than the differences. They may sound totally different at times and similar at other times but there is always an underlying tone or feeling that is always there and somehow distinguishable. More on point, I think that Gastr Del Sol is more interesting than Tortoise s/t which is more of a masterpiece than Spiderland but on the other hand, if I want something heavier than mellow, jazzy post rock then I'll go with Spiderland for sure. Or maybe something by June of 44. __________________ Like an arrow, I was only passing through.