First listen, I thought it was good but couldn't understand all the fuss, other than the fact that they were so young.

Second listen, it started to settle in. Some really great tunes. Very well-produced (by Rob Schnapf). And a genuine, classic sound.

Like the Beatles writing songs for the Stones to play with (a young) Rod Stewart singing lead.

I think they're only gonna get better. And that's scary.

Todd i'm really surprised you haven't already been totally swayed by this. I assumed you were already championing this.

I think you (like many here) have formed an opinion of my listening habits based upon the music I play and my username. I am not the pure pop guy that many here think I am.

Today's listening:
NP: Kazu Matsui w/ David Lindley - Wheels Of the Sun

od:
Tom Zé - Defeito de Fabricaçao
Redwalls - de nova
Caesaria Evora - Cabe Verde
The Late, Great Daniel Johnston, Discovered/Covered

LP:
Yamatonpu Blues (A CD of blues and jazz standards recorded by a few Japanese expats living in Chicago.. one of whom is my friend, Katsu. Some DAMN good playing.)

But yeah, I have been curious about this for a while. Especially since I know their manager, Mitch.

oh, i don't really think of the redwalls as pure pop. but the stones/beatles/pop stew they make...well that just seemed to have your name written all over it.

Okay, yeah. It did!
I was hesitatin though, because I wanted to try to find something new from this year that had a little more "interesting" sound. Almost picked up The Decemberists' new one, but balked for some reason. Why? I don't know.

Did I make a mistake?

I too am shocked that you didn't love this.
Isn't it just as good as Pet sounds?

i seem to be rare in this opinion, but i fing the decemberists boring as all hell.

I don't know why they call them fingers. I never saw 'em fing.

Nope, you're not alone in this one Cotton. Me too.

As for the Redwalls, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I Really wanted to be blown away by these guys but Universal Blues didn't do much for me. I felt like it wasn't just that they were going by their influences, they were just doing their damndest to sound exactly like them.

So that has ruined it for me. I don't even know if I want to pick up De Nova now.

I liked the first one, but everything since has bored me to absolute tears.

Just listened to samples of De Nova streamed on the internet. The influences are on their sleeves but it's well done. I liked it.

I think the Decembrists are boring and goofy. Music by dorks. I will listen to the first one every once in a while, though

Redwalls: I'm with Madame B, because that last one was nothing special and annoyingly derivative. I prefer the Stones over the Beatles, but I still like the Beatles. Thing is, I don't want them mixed. Sort of like peanut butter and kosher pickles. Love 'em both, but they make a shitty sandwich.

And fuck Rod Stewart.

It's been over a week now and I still think De Nova is brilliant. Easily one of the best albums I've bought in the past five years.

I've never heard Universal Blues and don't care. Bitching about a young band's first album being derivative seems pretty pointless. As I recall both the Beatles and the Stones were pretty fecking derivative on their debuts.

That's more than enough to make me want to hear it.

The Decembrists are BEYOND meh, Todd.

Radz, you'd appreciate Universal Blues for what it is. Me, being an uncultured sot, loved the hell out of that album.

As soon as I get a paycheck, I'm picking up De Nova.

a soon as i saw my typo i thought of that. sadly, this quote was on my mind last night, so it might not've been all that accidental.

am i the only one who has Simpsons quotes pop into their brain at the most inopportune moment possible, then laught the hell out of myself for 15 minutes straight?

Katie can testify that the slightest thing will bring a Simpson's reference to my mind, causing me to chuckle, her to ask what the hell I'm laughing about, and me relating the quote, with context.

Boundless cornucopia of delights, indeed.

Being me, not being around me.