Obnerinian name dropping alert...

http://hipdispleasure.blogspot.com/2005/03/robbers-on-high-street-tree-city.html

Yeah, you nailed it pretty well there. They're Spoon the way that Dogs Die in Hot Cars is XTC. Derivative, but good enough at it that they're also good.

Poetry man, poetry.

Do I make things all rhyme?

(Obscure Phoebe Snow reference there.)

I talked to Phoebe Snow on the phone for like 45 seconds early last year.

No, not the train -- the singer. Whoot.

Their song "Spanish Teeth" just came on SIRIUS as I was opening this thread. Weird man, weird.

And what did you think of the song, Listerina???

Coo.

Don't forget the magic equation...

HD + PM = YSI

Bob has never steered me wrong. Bob is gold.

Good review, yo! I think you should tackle something ridiculous like Beyonce or Ashlee next time. Show us your versatility!

If there's one thing you should know by now, it's that I am NOT versatile. I'm a one-trick hippo. That being said, once I get caught up on my backlog of albums to review, I just might haul off and tackle your brilliant suggestion.

I saw this band last year- they were not good.

I've never seen them perform, so it's quite possible that that suck live. However, I do know that this album is good, and my review was of the album and not a concert. There are quite a few bands who are much better on record than in person, and vice-versa, so I don't doubt what you're saying.

I throw them in with Ambulance LTD and The French Kicks as pretty hollow scenesters. Lots of cool outfits and stage poses but nothing happening musically. I like your reviews, so I'll go by Borders on the way home- they have listening stations where you can listen to an entire record.

I wouldn't steer ya wrong, JS. If you like Girls Can Tell-era Spoon, this should be right up your alley.

the Kicks are hollow scenesters? i think you are disqualified from "scenesterism" pretty much once you start doing tours, record promotion, etc. there's just not much time left to run around posing.

KPH

All I saw them do on stage was pose- there was something resembling music making sounds, but the awfulness of that was cancelled out by the singer smiling at girls in the front row and bantering and name dropping for about five minutes between each song.

It was at least free, I was supposed to review the show for Three Imaginary Girls, but I had nothing productive to say about them or Keane so I didn't write it. They were better than Keane though.

Just a suggestion Bobbo, but it would be helpful (for me, at least) if you put the record label with the band and album name.

Otherwise, still digging the reviews.

shit, if i was as good looking as any of the chaps in the Kicks, i would probably be smiling at the girls down front myself...

KPH

...and if you're as jacked up looking as me, you call dudes like that hollow scenesters.

wow, so if you smile at a girl down in front when you are in a band and might be attractive you're automatically a hollow scenester? that's pretty weak.

i mean, minus the attractive part, at least 2 of us have done this regularly in the savants. of course, i'm blind as a bat, so i could be smiling at some dude with long, shiny hair.

KPH

Good idea, TC. Will do.

so i read the pitchfork review... is this too much a ripoff to be enjoyable, or is it more "the best form of flattery"?

It would only be unenjoyable to me if they did a crappy ripoff job, which they did not. It's a great album. You should give it a listen.