also I hate The Electric Factory and have never seen a great show there so that might have influenced my opinion.

Not sure how I missed this before, but I'm not sure anything has ever been more sig-worthy.

I mean, they just played Saturday Night Live. They made all kinds of year end lists last year and have been touring like crazy.

It's not like they're the new Pitchfork flavor of the week blowing up. They're playing Muscle Shoals-esque soul rock. Aka reg rock.

Every casual music fan I've played their album for has loved it. So, not completely surprised. Just slightly surprised.


I know in social media Patterson Hood has been over the top supportive and happy for them but you know deep down he had to be a little annoyed/bitter to see a young band he brought along play SNL and the Truckers have never sniffed that gig.

One man's opinion.

Interesting take.

I get that they tour like crazy and made year end lists. There are a a lot of bands that tour like crazy though and don't blow up like that. DBTs are a good example. They've made a bunch of year end lists in their day too although not so much recently. Patterson Hood has been such a backer of them that it caught me by surprise that they are now bigger than the DBTs.

I was surprised to see Interpol graduate from a 1000 capacity venue to the LA Forum in a year's time too a few years back. It feels like bands blow up much faster these days than they used to. I don't know whether that's really true or not though. I guess it could be that I just don't notice it as much because record sales are less important, there's no MTV video play and who even knows what commercial radio is playing now so there's less observable signs of them growing in popularity. In any case, I find myself surprised by it more often now.



I didn't mention it because I considered it irrelevant but I really don't like them. The music is pretty great but I can't stomach the singer's voice at all.

I like them but also thought the album had too much filler.

My point is that being that it does cross rock and R&B lines at times and is pretty inoffensive, it's easy to see how a much more mainstream audience could catch on. For instance, for some guy/girl that likes Kings of Leon or MMJ, I don't think it'd be too much of a stretch that they'd be a fan of Alabama Shakes.

I think "Hold On" got a lot more play in various outlets than you think. I know it got play on rock radio around here.

I will say I am surprised by the SNL appearance. I knew they were getting bigger but that's a big jump.

Definitely their big break.

Yeah, "Hold On" got a lot of radio play.

And I'm not surprised they are instantly more popular than a lot of bands, DBT included. DBT plays fucking dark music. What the Alabama Shakes lack in depth (for lack of a better word), I think they make up for in being fairly accessible, somewhat different than what is out there (to wit, they aren't too black, too heavy or a Mumford and Sons clone).

I only hope they don't fall on their faces with their second album, because I agree with Derris, lots of filler (and frankly not a lot of staying power) with the first.

my wife turned me onto them, which says something or other about something. I'm not sure what though.

I tried, not sticky enough for my ears over repeated listens but I could imagine them do a great intimate show, good for them going large anyhow

To me, they seem much better in theory than practice. I can see them evolving into something better - kind of the opposite career track of Kings of Leon.

fixed

They have two truly great songs, and one or two good ones and the rest is just filler. Perfectly fine filler, but filler. If this was the era of their heroes they would have padded their first album with cover songs, I wish people would go back to that.

Jewlz, they don't make 'em like Van Halen anymore.