The Poseur Cave

The Batlord · 02-11-2014, 08:43 AM

Reminds me of when I put myself through Britney Spears' entire discography as self-punishment. I as surprised as anyone when I loved every minute of it except for her first album. I don't have any desire to repeat the process with Justin Bieber though.

Isbjørn · 02-15-2014, 09:43 AM

Unprepared for the worst

Album: Good News for People Who Love Bad News
Artist: Modest Mouse
Year: 2004
Genre: Ind... eh... alternative rock
Expectations: Medium to high

Before listening:

The Lonesome Crowded West is the only Modest Mouse album I've heard so far. I loved almost every song on it, and I hope that this one will be as good. But I have a feeling it won't. Seven years had gone, and that's enough time for both maturation and the loss of quality it sometimes brings, just like what happened to Green Day.

After listening:

The title is a perfect descriptor of the album's quality, in my opinion. It's like the band took all the elements I liked with The Lonesome Crowded West, and spat on them. The raw sound was polished to death while trying to keep the charm of the half-whiny vocals. Did that work? No. The songwriting smells of half-assedery (that's a word), and sometimes the songs are just plain annoying (see: "Dance Hall"). A few tracks that can pass as mediocre do not make up for all the fillers. I'm sure some hipsters might have been pleased when this came out, but the indie nerds surely facepalmed themselves to death. Excuse me, I'll just turn this off and put on The Lonesome Crowded West instead.

2/5

Trollheart · 02-16-2014, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silenzio

Swag - what a shortcut:

Secretly We Are Gay
Souvenirs, Wearables, And Gifts
Stuff We All Get
Stuff We Ain't Got
Stolen Without A Gun
Sold Without A Guarantee

Well anyway...
I guess you've been kinda brave? Congratz.
At any rate, I've got to point out a mistake!
Genre: Pop => Genre: teen pop

Sorry but I must correct you!
Genre: Teen pop => Genre: Liquid ****
And I listened to it! All the way through! You think HE's a masochist?? God help me, is there anywhere I can go for treatment now?
Don't check my review, don't check my review, don't ---arrrggh! I SAID DON'T!!!!

Isbjørn · 02-17-2014, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Sorry but I must correct you!
Genre: Teen pop => Genre: Liquid ****
And I listened to it! All the way through! You think HE's a masochist?? God help me, is there anywhere I can go for treatment now?
Don't check my review, don't check my review, don't ---arrrggh! I SAID DON'T!!!!

If you're referring to me, let me just tell you that I listened to it all the way through several months ago for a school-related review. Don't want to do it again, though.

Isbjørn · 02-22-2014, 09:00 AM

A couple of years ago, I was a real Coldplay nut. A friend of mine introduced me to them, and we dived deeper and deeper into the black hole of Coldplay. Then we both just stopped listening. Sort of. As the Mylo Xyloto (I never heard that one) fuss calmed, he moved on to other stuff, Maroon 5 for instance, and I tried to broaden my taste. Joining these forums was a result of that. So when I didn't listen to like, only five bands anymore, I slowly forgot about Coldplay. I heard a song or two on occasion, and was very smug whenever someone mentioned the band in a conversation, but their spot as my favourite band had been taken over.

Lately, my mainstream-alternative and pop friends have reminded me of Coldplay more and more often. Now I can't resist anymore. I need to revisit Coldplay. “Are you out of your mind? No human being can possibly listen to that kind of cheese without being cheese-poisoned!” I don't care. I'm a self-proclaimed poseur and I like cheese. I enjoy Manowar and Queen. “Yeah, but not only is it cheesy, it's a perfect example of how mediocrity is slowly infesting our culture, disguising itself as decent music! Don't listen to the Coldplay fans! They're all brainwashed!” What's that? Sorry, 'Lovers in Japan' was playing too loud. Didn't hear you. “Why did you choose that album? It's one of their worst!” Sorry, but I don't care. Coldplay is among the first bands I got into for real. I think I'll always have a soft spot for them. While I'm tired, like seriously tired of “Viva la Vida”, which everyone seems to accosiate with the band, I dig “Cemeteries of London”, “Strawberry Swing” and “Green Eyes”. That's right, I'm a Coldplay hipster. Crucify me. No, wait. Don't.

~~butthead aka 216~~ · 02-25-2014, 03:51 AM

I've said before, but I have never got into Modest Mouse. I think the production is lacking in what I've listened to and I don't dig the vocals. As for Coldplay, I still love A Rush of Blood To The Head, and I think The Scientist is one of the best love songs ever, but there's no way I can make it through another one of their albums. They are too slow and boring for me.

Isbjørn · 02-25-2014, 01:55 PM

Essential Emo Albums I Have Never Heard

This is a new section, in which I'll listen to and review some essential emo albums I have never heard, loosely based on Trollheart's Classic Albums I Have Never Heard. Sorry, Trollheart, I know January's over, but this is a free cave!

The reason I'm starting this is because even though I'm the unofficial leader of an emo album club, I think my knowledge of the genre is pretty... limited. Therefore I shall hear the essential albums, and rip off Trollheart at the same time.

I want to start at the beginning, but since I'm mostly interested in the second wave, I'll kick this off with...

Artist: Jawbreaker
Album: Unfun
Year: 1990

Before listening:

I'm pretty sure this is a second wave emo album, even though it was Sunny Day Real Estate's Diary, which was released four years later, that defined the movement. What made Jawbreaker unique was how they took the expressive vocals and emotional subject matter from the first wave and folded it into a neat(-ish) pop punk package, and therefore they're second wave, I think. Manky, or some other expert, help me understand this.

Favourite track: “Want”

Final impression: Good, solid pop punk. I think the vocals are great, because of the hoarseness. I think I read that it was polyps that caused it, and that Blake had to get surgery to remove them. That's why his voice sounded softer when he started singing with Jets to Brazil. Anyway, this is not punk for worrying parents, this is an introverted, almost sensitive (especially on the opener, "Want") brand of punk.

Isbjørn · 02-26-2014, 07:10 AM

Essential Emo Albums I Have Never Heard:

Artist: Taking Back Sunday
Album: Tell All Your Friends
Year: 2002

Before listening:

I have a tiny bit of familiarity with Taking Back Sunday. A while ago, one and a half year ago I think, I was hooked on the song “MakeDamnSure”. That's about it, though, maybe a couple of other songs too, but nothing more. My problem with the song now is the vocals. They sound so... fake, I don't know. They reminds me of cheese like The Academy Is... and Jack's Mannequin. This album was released four years earlier, and Butthead praises the hell out of it, so I hope that this will be different.

After listening:

Butthead, I can certainly see why you like this. The songs are all catchy, and I like the double vocals. But this is not for me. The vocals bug me, I suspect that they're autotuned, and I think that sincere and heartfelt vocal delivery is the most important part of emo music.

The Batlord · 02-26-2014, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Briks

I enjoy Manowar and Queen.

I thought you didn't like them. But good on you for that. You're gonna make some neckbeard very happy someday.

Isbjørn · 02-26-2014, 12:08 PM

Oh, I like them alright. Also, I finally got to hear Hail to England. Tons better than Fighting the World.

02-15-2014, 09:43 AM	#62 (permalink)
Isbjørn cooler commie than elph Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: In a hole, help Posts: 2,811	Unprepared for the worst Album: Good News for People Who Love Bad News Artist: Modest Mouse Year: 2004 Genre: Ind... eh... alternative rock Expectations: Medium to high Before listening: The Lonesome Crowded West is the only Modest Mouse album I've heard so far. I loved almost every song on it, and I hope that this one will be as good. But I have a feeling it won't. Seven years had gone, and that's enough time for both maturation and the loss of quality it sometimes brings, just like what happened to Green Day. After listening: The title is a perfect descriptor of the album's quality, in my opinion. It's like the band took all the elements I liked with The Lonesome Crowded West, and spat on them. The raw sound was polished to death while trying to keep the charm of the half-whiny vocals. Did that work? No. The songwriting smells of half-assedery (that's a word), and sometimes the songs are just plain annoying (see: "Dance Hall"). A few tracks that can pass as mediocre do not make up for all the fillers. I'm sure some hipsters might have been pleased when this came out, but the indie nerds surely facepalmed themselves to death. Excuse me, I'll just turn this off and put on The Lonesome Crowded West instead. 2/5 __________________ fast(ml) Hear me play the guitar Look, mom! I got a journal

02-22-2014, 09:00 AM	#65 (permalink)
Isbjørn cooler commie than elph Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: In a hole, help Posts: 2,811	A couple of years ago, I was a real Coldplay nut. A friend of mine introduced me to them, and we dived deeper and deeper into the black hole of Coldplay. Then we both just stopped listening. Sort of. As the Mylo Xyloto (I never heard that one) fuss calmed, he moved on to other stuff, Maroon 5 for instance, and I tried to broaden my taste. Joining these forums was a result of that. So when I didn't listen to like, only five bands anymore, I slowly forgot about Coldplay. I heard a song or two on occasion, and was very smug whenever someone mentioned the band in a conversation, but their spot as my favourite band had been taken over. Lately, my mainstream-alternative and pop friends have reminded me of Coldplay more and more often. Now I can't resist anymore. I need to revisit Coldplay. “Are you out of your mind? No human being can possibly listen to that kind of cheese without being cheese-poisoned!” I don't care. I'm a self-proclaimed poseur and I like cheese. I enjoy Manowar and Queen. “Yeah, but not only is it cheesy, it's a perfect example of how mediocrity is slowly infesting our culture, disguising itself as decent music! Don't listen to the Coldplay fans! They're all brainwashed!” What's that? Sorry, 'Lovers in Japan' was playing too loud. Didn't hear you. “Why did you choose that album? It's one of their worst!” Sorry, but I don't care. Coldplay is among the first bands I got into for real. I think I'll always have a soft spot for them. While I'm tired, like seriously tired of “Viva la Vida”, which everyone seems to accosiate with the band, I dig “Cemeteries of London”, “Strawberry Swing” and “Green Eyes”. That's right, I'm a Coldplay hipster. Crucify me. No, wait. Don't. __________________ fast(ml) Hear me play the guitar Look, mom! I got a journal

02-25-2014, 01:55 PM	#67 (permalink)
Isbjørn cooler commie than elph Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: In a hole, help Posts: 2,811	Essential Emo Albums I Have Never Heard This is a new section, in which I'll listen to and review some essential emo albums I have never heard, loosely based on Trollheart's Classic Albums I Have Never Heard. Sorry, Trollheart, I know January's over, but this is a free cave! The reason I'm starting this is because even though I'm the unofficial leader of an emo album club, I think my knowledge of the genre is pretty... limited. Therefore I shall hear the essential albums, and rip off Trollheart at the same time. I want to start at the beginning, but since I'm mostly interested in the second wave, I'll kick this off with... Artist: Jawbreaker Album: Unfun Year: 1990 Before listening: I'm pretty sure this is a second wave emo album, even though it was Sunny Day Real Estate's Diary, which was released four years later, that defined the movement. What made Jawbreaker unique was how they took the expressive vocals and emotional subject matter from the first wave and folded it into a neat(-ish) pop punk package, and therefore they're second wave, I think. Manky, or some other expert, help me understand this. Favourite track: “Want” Final impression: Good, solid pop punk. I think the vocals are great, because of the hoarseness. I think I read that it was polyps that caused it, and that Blake had to get surgery to remove them. That's why his voice sounded softer when he started singing with Jets to Brazil. Anyway, this is not punk for worrying parents, this is an introverted, almost sensitive (especially on the opener, "Want") brand of punk. __________________ fast(ml) Hear me play the guitar Look, mom! I got a journal

02-26-2014, 07:10 AM	#68 (permalink)
Isbjørn cooler commie than elph Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: In a hole, help Posts: 2,811	Essential Emo Albums I Have Never Heard: Artist: Taking Back Sunday Album: Tell All Your Friends Year: 2002 Before listening: I have a tiny bit of familiarity with Taking Back Sunday. A while ago, one and a half year ago I think, I was hooked on the song “MakeDamnSure”. That's about it, though, maybe a couple of other songs too, but nothing more. My problem with the song now is the vocals. They sound so... fake, I don't know. They reminds me of cheese like The Academy Is... and Jack's Mannequin. This album was released four years earlier, and Butthead praises the hell out of it, so I hope that this will be different. After listening: Butthead, I can certainly see why you like this. The songs are all catchy, and I like the double vocals. But this is not for me. The vocals bug me, I suspect that they're autotuned, and I think that sincere and heartfelt vocal delivery is the most important part of emo music. __________________ fast(ml) Hear me play the guitar Look, mom! I got a journal

02-26-2014, 12:08 PM	#70 (permalink)
Isbjørn cooler commie than elph Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: In a hole, help Posts: 2,811	Oh, I like them alright. Also, I finally got to hear Hail to England. Tons better than Fighting the World. __________________ fast(ml) Hear me play the guitar Look, mom! I got a journal

02-25-2014, 03:51 AM	#66 (permalink)
~~butthead aka 216~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: freely swimmin thru the waters of glory much like a majestic bald eagle soars thru the skies Posts: 1,463	I've said before, but I have never got into Modest Mouse. I think the production is lacking in what I've listened to and I don't dig the vocals. As for Coldplay, I still love A Rush of Blood To The Head, and I think The Scientist is one of the best love songs ever, but there's no way I can make it through another one of their albums. They are too slow and boring for me.