[hunkswithguns]

I did a similar retrospective leading up to Painting With (having previously avoided the bathroom jams). I ended up hating my first listen of PW ...but it's now one of my favorite eras.

[Fovrodi]

What if PB never joined AC and he took a more Bright Eyes direction lol

[r_o_s_s]

Hello!! I listened to PB's self-titled for the first time yesterday! On a train! It was fun! And not at all what I was expecting! Not sure exactly what it is that I was expecting, but definitely not that. Most of the songs felt like sketches or demos of what we would call full PB tracks today, Which isn't necessarily a bad thing but a lot of the songs do feel...lacking?? Small?? Shallow?? In a way, the album feels naive. Which is exactly what I would expect from an album made by a 19/20(?) year old. A lot of the music sorta just trickled through my brain without making TOO much of an impact. It was nice, nothing mind-altering. But here and there, PB's ideas would really click and I would be astounded that he made this record working solo and SO YOUNG. That last stretch of four or five tracks especially. Those were the ones that REALLLY worked for me. Interesting how if I was to compare this to another PB release, it would probably be Buoys. The way he fuses acoustic instrumentation and electronics is almost identical. Obviously done a little more elegantly on Buoys but still. Not sure how often I'll return to this, but it's definitely fun to get an insight into PB pre-AnCo.

Danse Manatee next, think I'll listen tonight! Can't wait!

[Strange_Clams]

Those "bursts" in Meet the Light Child around 2:17 are so sick. Dave's guitar tone in that song is great too, it's like this artifact-laden octave-up sound at 100% wet

There's a live recording from the Hollinndagain tour that's really damn good. It's like Dave is trying to play a coherent song then Noah and Brian are just freaking out playing drum blasts and weird feedback noises

[foxtrot]

Fovrodi wrote:

Is it ok if I just listen to select songs if I can't commit to every album? Not that I'm necessarily busy :/

yeh dude, do whatever you wanna do!

i really just set this up for myself. people can come along for whatever part of the ride works for them.

FEEL ON1NE!!! wrote:

The living toys is where danse manatee made sense to me. I always liked stuff like Singing box and runnin da round ball, but living toys is where it made sense to me, like what they're trying to do. I'm not gonna say i know exactly, but to me it's like, music for wounded CD pop music??? idk it's so stupid but they pull it off. I was in iris record store in jersey city listening to living toys, nice little sound system they got with their headphones, the deep bass hit that plays every verse... yeah motherfucker i get it. i dont think they went into it with an intention of doing it that way, it just sort've ended up like that since geo was mixing it and into that shit at the time. if it sounded like ark this album would be so much more accessible and make so much more sense chronologically at the time, and looking back in retrospect, which would actually make no fucking sense whatever.
The daginn version of lablakey is top 10 ac songs of all time for sure.

this is cool. will definitely keep in mind when i listen to Danse again.

scrambledgreggs wrote:

I skipped ahead and listened to Jane - Paradise today, what a treat!

how fucking dare you.

scrambledgreggs wrote:

“Bad crumbs” has always been a hidden gem for me that I don’t think gets called out enough. I’ve always thought it would be so cool for them to bring back Danse songs at live shows that fit the new styles, they all have incredible melodies tucked away inside they could really highlight in a live setting

Yeh this one in particular. And Throwin the Round Ball. They'd work so well.

hunkswithguns wrote:

I did a similar retrospective leading up to Painting With (having previously avoided the bathroom jams). I ended up hating my first listen of PW ...but it's now one of my favorite eras.

PW was rare in that we didn't get to know the songs beforehand in the same way.

r_o_s_s wrote:

Hello!! I listened to PB's self-titled for the first time yesterday! On a train! It was fun! And not at all what I was expecting! Not sure exactly what it is that I was expecting, but definitely not that. Most of the songs felt like sketches or demos of what we would call full PB tracks today, Which isn't necessarily a bad thing but a lot of the songs do feel...lacking?? Small?? Shallow?? In a way, the album feels naive. Which is exactly what I would expect from an album made by a 19/20(?) year old. A lot of the music sorta just trickled through my brain without making TOO much of an impact. It was nice, nothing mind-altering. But here and there, PB's ideas would really click and I would be astounded that he made this record working solo and SO YOUNG. That last stretch of four or five tracks especially. Those were the ones that REALLLY worked for me.!

Looks like we have pretty similar thoughts on that one. I still enjoy giving it a spin every few years. Will definitely listen again this week. Keen to hear people's thoughts/breakdowns once Danse is getting a few spins.

Strange_Clams wrote:

Those "bursts" in Meet the Light Child around 2:17 are so sick.

Fuck I love this bit.

Strange_Clams wrote:

There's a live recording from the Hollinndagain tour that's really damn good. It's like Dave is trying to play a coherent song then Noah and Brian are just freaking out playing drum blasts and weird feedback noises

Love this vid. Haven't watched it in years. Perfect week to do it. Cheers Clams!


Hollinndagain for me today. fuck yes.

[foxtrot]

I included Hollinndagain because its almost all new material (stuff not recorded anywhere else) and because I also remember AC talking about it almost like a studio album. Its just the way this batch of songs happened to be released.

Anyway, for me this one doesn’t capture the magic quite as consistently as Danse. Its got its own place though. Its definitely ‘heavier’ in a lot of ways. Where Danse was like the moment of discovery, this was like the darker underbelly. The seedy parts of this new world that are unearthed when you start scratching the surface. In this way it works well as a segue to the intensity of Ark.

I love how slowly I See You Pan emerges from the muck. And as it slowly does, you can immediately feel how gravelly and filthy things are here. Love how much these opening noise passages scratch away at you. Avey quietly murmuring in the background. As soon as the song title gets sung and the that weeping synth line comes in the song totally shifts its atmosphere. Forlorn and full of longing rather than straight menace. ‘Stop looking at me’. The beast unleashed on Danse has now seen its own reflection and wants to retreat from its own grotesqueness. But that feeling is actually sadly beautiful here. Absolutely love the sharp, staccato ‘tssch tssch’ vocals that come in. Not the bouncy, vibrant chants of Danse but something much more beaten down. Great, atmospheric, minimalist tune. Also, total precursor to so many of the vibes on stuff like ODDSAC.

Pride and Fight continues this atmosphere. “I’ll stand with my pride and fight” feels less like a call to arms and more a like resignation. Accepting that being true to yourself is the only option. It’s only when the massive chugging guitar drone and thumping drums come in that you start to feel like they really mean it. I love the way the synths/minidisc samples chirp above the big thumping sounds. The more the song builds the more conviction it has. It’s really artfully built actually. That feral little creature is now regaining its strength. It once again gazes out at its new surroundings and stands tall. Where Danse’s creature was child-like and full of wonder, this creature is beaten and battered yet still stands tall. Rising from the ashes. The creature from the swamp slowly finding its feet. The explosion of shouting/chanting two thirds of the way through is awesome. So animalistic and aggressive.

The start of Forest Gospel has to be one of the most explosive and insane moments of AC’s catalogue. I can’t do anything but flail around like an idiot every time I hear it. It’s not just loud. It’s pure and visceral. This song is still insane. Completely unhinged and feral.

These are the same dudes that recorded ‘Prospect Hummer’ just two years later.

For me, this opening stretch of the album is the most impactful. All the feelings of simmering anxiety and struggle are here. That said, the start of There’s An Arrow is almost like the calm after the storm. A total return to Danse’s lively, twisted fun at the start here. It’s literally like that gnarly creature taking a breath of fresh air after whatever it’s been through. Though as soon it comes, the break ends as the piercing siren like sample and thumping end section take over.

Lablakely Dress is much spookier on this album. Spending more time on desolate atmospherics at the start and using a much muddier vocal effect. The main melody hits heavier. Panda’s backing vocals are strained and anguished. The whole track full of a wretchedness not really felt on Danse. How fucking awesome and intense is the ‘hey ah hey ah’ stuff at the end?!

Tell It… is the obvious weak point for me. It’s fine. It definitely fits the vibe of the album but doesn’t really offer anything new. I don’t find it’s atmosphere as engrossing or it’s messy noise elements as cathartic as other parts of the album. It might just be that the recording quality is poorer on this track so those drums don’t hit as hard. The textures aren’t as defined and the vocals are a little lost.

Pumpkin finishes things well. Its totally frantic and chaotic. Venomous and brutal. The shambolic drums, frenzied vocal meltdowns and piercing noise blasts are a solid way to end to this restless, tense album.

What a progression already. Hard to think that this is the first of 10 weeks and I’m already listening to stuff as varied as Panda’s Self Titled and Hollinndagain. Worlds apart.

[roopn]

I love there's an arrow, but the rattling sound is like a cicada trapped in a little wooden box and it makes me want to take a shower. You're right about this album being filthy. The feedback loop at the end of there's an arrow is the most memorable moment on the album for me, in that it actually gets stuck in my head in a good way. I think I agree with you that forest gospel is the best track on here. I distinctly remember the start scaring the bejesus out of me the first time I heard it. And ya gotta love lablakely dress

[rohcti]

I need to put more time into listening to Danse bc Meet the light Child hit different last night. I think Ive always liked Hollind better as a listening experience despite the lower fidelity. Forest Gospel and There's an Arrow are great songs and help keep the energy up after the more epic Pan and Pride and Fight. And the end of the record (Pumpkin) is pretty wild.

[nothingmaster]

Penguin Penguin is pretty sweet too, could see it being a live hit

[sound science]

Danse is such a damn treat on a good pair of headphones. I often overlook it when I need a quick AC fix since it's not as immediate as the stuff that came after, but how I love the synth sounds utilized here (perhaps AC at their Black Dice-iest?), and there's so much ear candy to soak up. It makes me all the more pumped to dive into Hollinnd next but think I'll give it another spin or two first

[Slippi's Applesauce]

gave danse a listen this afternoon. such a unique and interesting record. while i can't see it ever being one of my favorites, it has a really cool mystical vibe around it. i honestly love the mixing, makes it sound cold and harsh.

favorite tracks: another white singer, essplode, meet the light child, bad crumbs, ahhh good country, in the singing box (which is proto painting with, don't @ me)

edit: alsoo did geologist have any vocals on this record? I swear there's a few times that i don't recognize a voice as Avey or Panda. I assume he probably did some of the yelling in the background, but id love eto get more info on if he did any real singing lol

[foxtrot]

roopn wrote:

I love there's an arrow, but the rattling sound is like a cicada trapped in a little wooden box and it makes me want to take a shower.

Ha! I love that sound. For me its like some kind of crude mechanical robot thing purring at you.

roopn wrote:

You're right about this album being filthy. The feedback loop at the end of there's an arrow is the most memorable moment on the album for me, in that it actually gets stuck in my head in a good way. I think I agree with you that forest gospel is the best track on here. I distinctly remember the start scaring the bejesus out of me the first time I heard it. And ya gotta love lablakely dress

Yeh, the 'filthiness' is a large part of the appeal here. Where Danse is kinda like a grotty toddler - fun and messy, this one is much more 'filthy' - grotesque and disquieting.

rohcti wrote:

I need to put more time into listening to Danse bc Meet the light Child hit different last night. I think Ive always liked Hollind better as a listening experience despite the lower fidelity. Forest Gospel and There's an Arrow are great songs and help keep the energy up after the more epic Pan and Pride and Fight. And the end of the record (Pumpkin) is pretty wild.

Meet the Light Child is definitely the way in. Everything that's great about Danse happens at some point on that track. Love it dearly.

sound science wrote:

Danse is such a damn treat on a good pair of headphones. I often overlook it when I need a quick AC fix since it's not as immediate as the stuff that came after, but how I love the synth sounds utilized here (perhaps AC at their Black Dice-iest?), and there's so much ear candy to soak up. It makes me all the more pumped to dive into Hollinnd next but think I'll give it another spin or two first

I've heard people explicitly state that you should NOT listen on headphones but I think it feels so much richer. The sound is less tinny and you get all those little details poking through.

Slippi's Applesauce wrote:

also did geologist have any vocals on this record? I swear there's a few times that i don't recognize a voice as Avey or Panda. I assume he probably did some of the yelling in the background, but id love eto get more info on if he did any real singing lol

Would also love to know this. He has to be in there making some of the crazy yelping and yelling sounds in a bunch of tracks.

Also, someone mentioned Penguin Penguin - could definitely sound rad reworked into current live stuff. Imagine it with a straight-ish beat!

I gotta say, if we're picking winners, Danse wins this first week for me. Have listened to all of them a couple of times each. Panda has been fun, Spirit has reminded me of its wonder, Hollinnd has done its freaky, disturbing thing but Danse has just fucking owned. Have played it 4 or 5 times and just loved every minute.


I listened to it yesterday and painted. Tried to capture the feel of the album. Was a lot of fun just being totally intuitive and seeing what would emerge:

[destiny]

I think theres a real interesting connection between danse and campfire songs, but i need to listen in more and read more stuff abotu the two eras before i say anything for sure. stuff like aah good country and jimym raven THE spider boy really reminds me of the loose song structure of campfire songs like de soto de son and moo rah rain... just with more shit in it.

[Fovrodi]

Moo Rah Rain could've been on Danse for sure

[foxtrot]

I agree. Those two albums definitely have a kinship. I almost look at Campfire as the offspring of Sung Tongs and Danse. ST instrumentation with Danse atmosphere/structure (or lack of).

Was reading an old Danse review and it said "The album... at times seems confused and impromptu. The messy, incoherent structure is what makes it a trial for the listener".

I feel like this aspect is exactly what makes it brilliant. The sense of spontaneity and formlessness is a huge part of its atmosphere.

[foxtrot]

Random thoughts after another listen to Spirit this morning:

Man I love the part in Spirit at around 4:45 when the high frequencies start to get munched by this freaky little growling noise monster.

Absolutely love the overwhelming clash of beauty and violence in Untitled. What an inspired moment of soul crushing emotion.

Penny Dreadfuls always makes me think that a AC collaboration with Sigur Ros in the early 2000s could have been amazing. Their sweeping grandeur ruffed up with some AC’s primal chaos. Anyway, this song hit me hard today.

La Rapet – why do people not lose their shit over this song more often? Half of it is this totally unique, swirling, psychedelic wonder. The other half is this slow building, heart-rendering plea to cling to life. I have never heard another song like it in my life.

Bat You’ll Fly kinda hints at the way they’d play with simultaneous vocal lines on stuff like MPP and PW which is cool. Reminds me of things like Taste.

[walkedlikeadog2]

Thanks for putting this together! Long time lurker/infrequent poster here. Posted a while ago as walkedlikeadog but lost my login info! Anyways, really liked this idea foxtrot and wanted to join in the fun!

Listened to Spirit for the first time in a while last night. What a treat!!! Avey’s vocal melodies are so much more nuanced than I remembered them being!!! I was particularly blown away focusing in on his melodies on Bat You’ll Fly, that song is nuts!

There’s a moment in Spirit where the bass swells in such an exciting way, and it only happens once in the song!!! That moment slays.

The bass all over this album is insane. Those lines are truly snaky and weird.

And Alvin is just beautiful, really cathartic.

Also somehow I never paid attention to the “My Cat has got no friends” moment at the end of April and The Phantom. That moment is great, the blueprint for so many more moments like that in later songs! Is that a sped up tape of Avey saying that? Lol I wonder what the origins of that are.


I think for some reason I remembered this album as being messier than it really is, there are really specific compositional choices throughout, really beautiful fantasy fairy vibes like others have put it!

Anyways big love y’all!!! Glad to be listening with ya!

[foxtrot]

Welcome dude!

Yeh Bat You''ll Fly is mental. Love the way the two melodies are disorienting but oddly satisfying.

Agree, the bass on this album is one of a kind.

Great to have you on board. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the other albums on this week's list.

[r_o_s_s]

Been listening to Danse for the last couple of days and here's what I've got to say. The thing I really respect about this record is how the band took all the parts people “hate” about Spirit and crafted a whole album of just those sounds. An eight-legged poisonous beast.

If Spirit is a wistful series of nostalgic thoughts while daydreaming out a car window, Danse is a drunken rant about how everything was good then and SHIT now. I’ve always found there’s something kinda “icky” about the album. It just makes me uneasy, something feels rotten underneath the surface. Like at any second, one of the performers could start manically crying and not stop for the rest of the runtime.

Obviously, the biggest change from Sprit to Danse, is the inclusion of new band-member Geologist. I’m not saying he is the most important member of AnCo, but Danse certainly feels like it possesses a sonic depth that Spirit lacks and pretty much every AnCo record from here onwards has in spades. Songs skitter around and squeal when touched. They’re squishy, damp and all tangled up in themselves.

I love this little section in AnCo’s career because it seems pretty unlikely they’ll ever return to making ‘this’ type of music ever again. Obviously, they’re never going to make another exact MPP sounding record but something like Painting With isn’t a million miles away. Spirit through to Ark just feels really magical. Unbelievably excited to do Hollinndagain next.

[opposite field]

Really fun to read some of these takes and listen to Danse again, always one of their most inspiring records to me. People on twitter over the weekend were asking what album would you want to see a "Get Back" style doc for and this early era is maybe number one on my list.

[blindmowing]

Thanks again, foxtrot, for setting this up. I didn’t expect to commit so fully to this listening schedule, but I’m finding myself really anticipating the next albums on the schedule, while still also finding myself falling in love with the first few I’ve listened to and wanting to just stay lost in those for awhile. I may have had my best listen to Spirit ever when I went back to it last week. I’m hotly anticipating listening to Campfire Songs but holding off until it ‘drops.’ This schedule is actually pretty effective at distracting me from the new album, and I think the pay-off of running through all of these records methodically – in order, giving each its time – before diving into the newest will prove to be valuable in my appreciation for Skiffs.

Anyway, finally ready to dig into Hollinndagain. Just a few thoughts, not nearly as in depth as foxy

1. Always translated these sounds as if it was a field recording of a thunderstorm ripping the sky in half, clouds getting shredded like tissue paper, bits of lightning getting stuck in the eyes of god, the moon rolling like a marble down into the mouth of a black hole
2. AC’s earliest chant song – soon to be followed by other greats like “We Tigers.” Really love when Panda lets loose at the 7-minute mark.
3. “Forest Gospel” is such a fun vocal song, with sick random drum blasts from inside the sugar jar. Feels like one of their punkier songs. My favorite song on the album.
4. The brighter higher-pitched sounds is the first levity we’ve had on the album…and much needed! This one brings me to a real transcendent place…a sunny little bliss point after enduring the dark and the manic for the first half.
5. Not a fan of Avey’s vocals on this version of “Lablakely Dress” until the hey-ahh hey-ahh part starts. They kinda sound like lost forest children calling out for their family.
6. This is the one where you really feel like you’re in the club listening to the band live, along with the 5 others in the audience. And you’re left wondering about all the people missing out on witnessing this vital and incredible energy being expressed and emanated.
7. This feels like a little addendum. It starts abruptly, seemingly in the middle of a performance. I could do without it, but hey, it’s two bonus minutes of feral AC energy.

[foxtrot]

Awesome to see people getting into this! So glad others are getting something out of it. I am bloody loving it already.

r_o_s_s wrote:

Been listening to Danse for the last couple of days and here's what I've got to say. The thing I really respect about this record is how the band took all the parts people “hate” about Spirit and crafted a whole album of just those sounds. An eight-legged poisonous beast.

Ha! Love this idea. Danse as the anti-Spirit!

r_o_s_s wrote:

Danse is a drunken rant about how everything was good then and SHIT now. I’ve always found there’s something kinda “icky” about the album. It just makes me uneasy, something feels rotten underneath the surface. Like at any second, one of the performers could start manically crying and not stop for the rest of the runtime.

Really interesting take. Love hearing how others view albums. I don't quite see it that same way as you. For me, Danse is "icky" but in a cute, ungainly, messy, finding its feet kind way. Hollind is more the evil twin for me. That one makes me uneasy and has this underlying sense of menace and agitation.

r_o_s_s wrote:

Songs skitter around and squeal when touched. They’re squishy, damp and all tangled up in themselves.

Absolutely love this description. Spot on!

r_o_s_s wrote:

Spirit through to Ark just feels really magical. Unbelievably excited to do Hollinndagain next.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Hollinnd considering the above.

opposite field wrote:

Really fun to read some of these takes and listen to Danse again, always one of their most inspiring records to me. People on twitter over the weekend were asking what album would you want to see a "Get Back" style doc for and this early era is maybe number one on my list.

I'd be fascinating to see what kind of discussions/decision making happen in the studio on records like this. Do they just jam and keep it loose and just channel that instinctual energy or is more thoughtfully composed than it appears?

blindmowing wrote:

Thanks again, foxtrot, for setting this up. I didn’t expect to commit so fully to this listening schedule, but I’m finding myself really anticipating the next albums on the schedule, while still also finding myself falling in love with the first few I’ve listened to and wanting to just stay lost in those for awhile. I may have had my best listen to Spirit ever when I went back to it last week. I’m hotly anticipating listening to Campfire Songs but holding off until it ‘drops.’ This schedule is actually pretty effective at distracting me from the new album, and I think the pay-off of running through all of these records methodically – in order, giving each its time – before diving into the newest will prove to be valuable in my appreciation for Skiffs.

Same! Its like there is a new bunch of AC releases every week! I'm also finding myself really loving dedicating the time to deeply listen while also anticipating the coming week. I think when I usually do this sort of thing it doesn't have the same structure so I'll just listen to Danse and then go straight to Ark etc. Fly through it all in a couple of days. This is really working because I am sitting with the albums and savouring them. Giving them multiple listens and absorbing everything the period has to offer. I had a laugh at myself the other day when I had the urge to put Feels on and then stopped and thought "no no, that doesn't drop for another two weeks".

blindmowing wrote:

Anyway, finally ready to dig into Hollinndagain. Just a few thoughts, not nearly as in depth as foxy

1. Always translated these sounds as if it was a field recording of a thunderstorm ripping the sky in half, clouds getting shredded like tissue paper, bits of lightning getting stuck in the eyes of god, the moon rolling like a marble down into the mouth of a black hole

Fuck me this is brilliant. Going to listen again with this imagery in mind. EPIC AF.

blindmowing wrote:

2. AC’s earliest chant song – soon to be followed by other greats like “We Tigers.” Really love when Panda lets loose at the 7-minute mark.

Wish the crazy chant part went longer. That's a pretty common wish from me though. Stuff like Another White Singer probably counts as 'chant' as well but its that aggressive element that really makes it.

blindmowing wrote:

3. “Forest Gospel” is such a fun vocal song, with sick random drum blasts from inside the sugar jar. Feels like one of their punkier songs. My favorite song on the album.

Seems to be pretty much everyone's favourite. Up there for me too though I think Pride probably just pips it.

blindmowing wrote:

4. The brighter higher-pitched sounds is the first levity we’ve had on the album…and much needed! This one brings me to a real transcendent place…a sunny little bliss point after enduring the dark and the manic for the first half.

I love that they've made such a clever sequencing choice even on something that is essentially a thrown together live album. Works so well as a little ray of light among the rest of the stormy tension.

blindmowing wrote:

5. Not a fan of Avey’s vocals on this version of “Lablakely Dress” until the hey-ahh hey-ahh part starts. They kinda sound like lost forest children calling out for their family.

Disagree on this one. Love this version through and through. And yeh, the hey-ahh hey-ahh part is solid gold.

blindmowing wrote:

6. This is the one where you really feel like you’re in the club listening to the band live, along with the 5 others in the audience. And you’re left wondering about all the people missing out on witnessing this vital and incredible energy being expressed and emanated.
7. This feels like a little addendum. It starts abruptly, seemingly in the middle of a performance. I could do without it, but hey, it’s two bonus minutes of feral AC energy.

These last two do a great job and giving a sense of being in the room during those early days but they don't quite knock it out of the park as stand alone tracks, do they?


I reckon I've got time for one more round of listens before kicking off week 2.

[scrambledgreggs]

foxtrot I LOVE your Danse-inspired paintings!! they totally capture the mood I think of when I hear the album

I'm not sure where I originally read it described this way but I can't shake the imagery of Danse being an album recorded by a group of children holed up in a mental institution making music by banging on the walls with whatever objects they could find in their surroundings

also can't help but imagine each of these songs done in the style of later recordings. "Penguin Penguin" could totally be on Feels with those guitar sounds. as others have mentioned "Meet the Light Child" could easily be a Campfire Song. and just picture a "Daily Routine"-style treatment applied to the twinkling arpeggios of "Bad Crumbs"... never thought I would recognize so many seeds of their later explorations on Danse, though I guess it makes sense considering it was the first time they collaborated as a group throughout the whole process. love this album so much

[foxtrot]

cheers! really enjoyed making them.

i know AC often have that 'child-like' descriptor thrown around a lot but Danse has be one of the best examples. it's unique combination of crudeness and innocence fits perfectly.

i agree, there are so many tracks here that sign post future directions.

as r_o_s_s said, this period is pretty unique and stands alone as a really magical period that they'll never return to. that said, so many seeds sown here were reaped in later periods.

[roopn]

It pretty much goes without saying, but how perfect is the art for these albums.




-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[blindmowing]

all of their artwork for their 2000s albums was soooo on point. Sung Tongs, Feels, SJ, MPP...iconic, all of it. Spirit and Danse are must haves on vinyl as well, just for the art. it goes without saying musically they gave us the greatest decade of music ever, but what a feast for the eyes as well... it's always so nice when artwork is as good as the music. so often that's not the case, whether the art is way better or the music is... AC had such incredible artistic vision throughout, and always found the perfect visual accompaniment for their music.


Spirit is wowing me this week...i've never had this much fun with it. most recently i said the back half was perfect but the first half needed more listens for me to hear it on that level...but that's finally happening, and this whole album is just coming together right in front of me like when you stare at a Magic Eye puzzle for a few minutes and finally you see the whole picture... it's astounding and thrilling. AC never lets you down

[rohcti]

Thanks for sharing the art, roopn. Getting a real Jetsons/future '50s vibe from the Spirit cover which I never noticed before. Their artwork is amazing! I also never read the writing before, fascinating stuff which provides more 'backstory' to the album. Hard to believe that their first album was in some ways a high water mark for them esp. in terms of experimentation

[destiny]

i always thought the cover for danse was perfect, upon looking at it it always conjurs images of a thick green haze that permeates like, every song, that cover the bursts of energy underneath all the ringing and rattling

[bullseye]

Really enjoyed listening to these early albums, which I haven't done in years probably, at least when it comes to danse and hollindagain. I also enjoyed all your write-ups on them, keep them coming!

Spirit:
It's just a masterpiece, top notch from front to end. I wish there were some more mids and the vocals wouldn't be as boxy, but still, the songs are so good, that they would probably shine with all kinds of other questionable production decisions.

Danse:
Not as bad as I remembered it being. Manatee dance is completely forgettable, penguin is just a mess, even after having listened to it hundreds of times over the years. The living toys also goes nowhere for me, the vocals are really hard to make out and there's just not enough for my ears to catch onto to really remember anything about the song after I'm finished with the album. I think aah good country pretty much nails the long built-up song formula and danse manatee would be a better album without the living toys. The rest of the songs are special and all have their unique moments, but I rarely have the urge to return to this album. The sequencing is pretty great and the album flows nicely, with the exception of the living toys, which is just a total snoozer for me.

Hollindagain:
The first three tracks are the pinnacle of feral AC. So intense, I get goosebumps multiple times throughout the songs. The rest of the tracks I could easily go without listening to ever again.

Looking forward to the next batch of albums!

[phodicae 2]

roopn wrote:

It pretty much goes without saying, but how perfect is the art for these albums.

I've been wondering, why did they changed the smooth bubble font of STGSTV OG to a lightning-like font on everything else?

[roopn]

phodicae 2 wrote:

roopn wrote:

It pretty much goes without saying, but how perfect is the art for these albums.

I've been wondering, why did they changed the smooth bubble font of STGSTV OG to a lightning-like font on everything else?

Yeah this irked me too. My theory is that it's Domino's doing, or at least influence. Scratchy lightning font first turns up on strawberry jam, so it gets used on peacebone and fireworks singles too. Then domino puts out reissues of spirit and danse so they're like hey, let's get this consistent font everywhere! Lucky with danse I think it only got used on the hype sticker but spirit they fully redid the front and back. Such a shame imo

[zarya]

roopn wrote:

phodicae 2 wrote:

roopn wrote:

It pretty much goes without saying, but how perfect is the art for these albums.

I've been wondering, why did they changed the smooth bubble font of STGSTV OG to a lightning-like font on everything else?

Yeah this irked me too. My theory is that it's Domino's doing, or at least influence. Scratchy lightning font first turns up on strawberry jam, so it gets used on peacebone and fireworks singles too. Then domino puts out reissues of spirit and danse so they're like hey, let's get this consistent font everywhere! Lucky with danse I think it only got used on the hype sticker but spirit they fully redid the front and back. Such a shame imo

flipping through discogs. it looks like the only release with that original font is the cd from 2000. starting with a 2003 fatcat release do we get the scratchy font, and every release after that has it as well. that being said the only picture on that release doesn't look like a proper photo/scan, so it could be from later.

[speen]

just popping in here to say how much i love danse manatee. the album is suffused with beautiful light to me. i love how subtle it is, how hypnotic songs like living toys and ahh good country are, how unexpectedly beautiful meet the light child and throwing the round ball and lablakely dress are.

years of being an AC superfan has desensitized me in some sense to the magic and mystery i felt when discovering these albums as a teenager, but that magic is very much still there in spirit, danse, and hollinndagain. these albums still give me chills like nothing else. such a strange and wonderful time.

[foxtrot]

roopn wrote:

It pretty much goes without saying, but how perfect is the art for these albums.

Hollinndagain too! Especially love the crudeness of the Danse cover. Totally suits the vibe. And that green colour as someone else mentioned.

Does anyone know the link between the Pan mentioned in the Spirit story and 'I See You Pan'? Have always wondered that.

Also, lightbulb moment! I just realised that 'Another White Singer (Little White Glove)' might be about Michael Jackson. Has anyone made this link before? Anyone know anything about this if so?

blindmowing wrote:

all of their artwork for their 2000s albums was soooo on point. Sung Tongs, Feels, SJ, MPP...iconic, all of it.

Feels and Person Pitch are both top 10 album covers of all time.

blindmowing wrote:

Spirit is wowing me this week...i've never had this much fun with it. most recently i said the back half was perfect but the first half needed more listens for me to hear it on that level...but that's finally happening, and this whole album is just coming together right in front of me like when you stare at a Magic Eye puzzle for a few minutes and finally you see the whole picture... it's astounding and thrilling. AC never lets you down

So awesome that this whole idea has led you to really unlock Spirit!

bullseye wrote:

Spirit:
It's just a masterpiece, top notch from front to end. I wish there were some more mids and the vocals wouldn't be as boxy, but still, the songs are so good, that they would probably shine with all kinds of other questionable production decisions.

I think that criticism applies to this and Danse. Remasters that build the mids without sacrificing the high frequencies and bubbly bass would really make them sing even more than they already do.

bullseye wrote:

Danse:
Not as bad as I remembered it being. Manatee dance is completely forgettable, penguin is just a mess, even after having listened to it hundreds of times over the years. The living toys also goes nowhere for me, the vocals are really hard to make out and there's just not enough for my ears to catch onto to really remember anything about the song after I'm finished with the album. I think aah good country pretty much nails the long built-up song formula and danse manatee would be a better album without the living toys. The rest of the songs are special and all have their unique moments, but I rarely have the urge to return to this album. The sequencing is pretty great and the album flows nicely, with the exception of the living toys, which is just a total snoozer for me.

Ha! Quite funny to see someone hating on Living Toys even more than me. I actually don't mind it. It just doesn't blow me away like the rest. Kinda amusing to see some active hate!

bullseye wrote:

Hollindagain:
The first three tracks are the pinnacle of feral AC. So intense, I get goosebumps multiple times throughout the songs. The rest of the tracks I could easily go without listening to ever again.

There's An Arrow and Lablakely deserve more than that man! The last two I can understand.

bullseye wrote:

Looking forward to the next batch of albums!

I am legitimately pumped for next week.

speen wrote:

just popping in here to say how much i love danse manatee. the album is suffused with beautiful light to me. i love how subtle it is, how hypnotic songs like living toys and ahh good country are, how unexpectedly beautiful meet the light child and throwing the round ball and lablakely dress are.

years of being an AC superfan has desensitized me in some sense to the magic and mystery i felt when discovering these albums as a teenager, but that magic is very much still there in spirit, danse, and hollinndagain. these albums still give me chills like nothing else. such a strange and wonderful time.

This period is definitely magical. There are other eras that are even more so (for me) but there is a unique energy in this early period (probably up to Ark really) that is unlike anything else.

[madameghostly]

made an account to say "oh god the first week's almost over and no one's mentioned Padington Band yet"

also i can understand why we're not doing all the non-Hollindagain live albums (three live albums during the Painting With week probably would end up being a bit much) but i'm still gonna listen to 2 Nights

[foxtrot]

welcome!

i did actually give padington band a listen a few days ago for only the third time ever. its cute to hear them mimic pavement and slint but outside of that not really worth diving into too deeply i guess. there is almost nothing recognisably AC about it.

great idea to give it a mention though. we are going through the band's history after all.

thanks for joining, share your thoughts on the other releases for week 1 before its too late!

I am so keen to get deep into week 2.

Ark especially. Its their first 5 star album for me.

[Slippi's Applesauce]

gave hollindagain a listen on a walk today. the first two tracks are so unique and cool, building an intense atmosphere. i wish that that session had more songs, because it kinda loses me in the second half. Forest Gospel is fun and intense, but tbh i despise the lyrics. The next few songs run together to me, but I do really like Pumpkin Gets a Snakebite. The ending to There's an Arrow is pretty, i love the high frequencies.

shoutout to the "forest gospel oh oh oh oh" at the end of Pride And Fight. probably my favorite spot on the record.

[scrambledgreggs]

there's an arrow is such a cute song

[foxtrot]

yeh, you can't dismiss there's an arrow. hollind only really falls off in the last two tracks for me.

a treat people might enjoy to see out Week 1:





crazy that i'm currently blasting penguin penguin and the day after tomorrow i'll be listening to same band quietly whisper moo rah rah rain on a porch.

[roopn]

zarya wrote:

roopn wrote:

phodicae 2 wrote:

roopn wrote:

It pretty much goes without saying, but how perfect is the art for these albums.

I've been wondering, why did they changed the smooth bubble font of STGSTV OG to a lightning-like font on everything else?

Yeah this irked me too. My theory is that it's Domino's doing, or at least influence. Scratchy lightning font first turns up on strawberry jam, so it gets used on peacebone and fireworks singles too. Then domino puts out reissues of spirit and danse so they're like hey, let's get this consistent font everywhere! Lucky with danse I think it only got used on the hype sticker but spirit they fully redid the front and back. Such a shame imo

flipping through discogs. it looks like the only release with that original font is the cd from 2000. starting with a 2003 fatcat release do we get the scratchy font, and every release after that has it as well. that being said the only picture on that release doesn't look like a proper photo/scan, so it could be from later.

Ah thank you I forgot the reissue was fatcat, not domino. Rob Carmichael would have the answer