gotta thank preacherben for the picks just for Ms. Secret which blew my mind like never before... was NOT expecting to hear as much new shit in that song as i ended up hearing...
but also for that chocolate girl which sent me into a frenzy of "damn AC is god tier aren't they?"
Ms Secret
A Eucalyptus stand-out. I like the busy strum pattern and the single bass note on the upbeat. With its rhythm and steel guitar, this song feels like a predecessor to Saturdays. The little flourishes in the “she told me” breakdown are almost orchestral.
Home Free
Spacious tune, great use of delay, and some beautiful, surprising melodic turns. The drums sound like bubbles popping. The downpitched vocals are odd here and don’t really serve the song imo
Island Chase (Live at Music Hall of Williamsburg on 2010-11-02)
Never heard this before – cool rhythms. There’s a pained, ragged quality to Deak’s vocals that’s moving to me. He’s been through some shit and you can really feel that in his singing.
Chocolate Girl (09 NPR)
*hits bong* feels like I’m in the Water Temple bro. The shimmering, translucent arpeggio is such a signature sound for them and it works beautifully here. There’s a confidence in the songwriting here that I think is missing from some of Avey’s later work. There aren’t any rug pulls or zany left-turns – just a patient, gorgeous tune that hums along for 10 minutes.
Prospect Hummer
A dynamic song with a charming series of stops and starts and detours. Love the opening groove. Panda’s reverb’d harmonies (“ooo-ooo” at the start of each verse) are so good. The crunchy triplet percussion sound that begins at 1:16 is very sick and reminds me of In the Flowers
NightlifeMingus picks
Covered in Frogs
This song is sooooo fun and a lesser band would struggle to pull it off. It’s playful but the little minor key turns give it just the right amount of shading. Arguably the best vocal interplay from that whole era. I have great memories of walking across my college campus on fall mornings blasting this in headphones. The version from the recent Sung Tongs tour is perfect, Noah snapped lol
Satin Orb Wash
I’m scared
Cuckoo Cuckoo
I revisited SJ recently and this track was the one that really jumped out at me. It’s an incredible song from a pivotal moment in their career, where the live band techniques refined in previous eras are melded with hypnotic samples. That looping piano line foreshadows moments to come in their discography (Safer, MPP, Scheherazade, Lonely Wanderer, and others I can’t recall) and evokes Alice in Wonderland for me. That classical sound is wrenched into the future by Geologist, who’s conjuring pure magic here. Panda’s free jazz drums are singular and cathartic as ever, Avey’s screams are perfection and the explosion of “i’m going … OOOOOOOO” gives me goosebumps every time. Buried in that cacophony is Avey’s sweet, childlike melody. Such a dynamic song, accentuated perfectly by the mix. Masterclass
Cosplay
I think this song is my worst case of demoitis – the early live version with the uncleared sample was like a hallucinatory take on Paul Simon’s Graceland. I love the fluttering synths and graceful descending wordless vocals of the EP version, but they can’t replace the warmth of the demo version.
What Would I Want? Sky
Man…where to begin. I could live inside this sound world. That distant intro synth, the riser, the echoing percussion, the arpeggiated avey vocals, the pleasantly harsh ride cymbals, the bassline, that bird cry or pokemon sound or whatever the hell Geo is sampling at 1:53. Euphoric, blinded by warm and blissful white light. I get absolutely giddy when the Grateful Dead section begins, what a heavenly groove. So much to love in this section, too – the tambourine, the female choir synth, Noah’s transcendent harmonies (GOT ON THE RIVERRRR), the xylophone scrape joining the snare in the chorus, climaxing with glorious harmonies. This EP dropped the same year as MPP, and I was dumbfounded that the lads had somehow expanded and improved on that sound. I was a young man then, full of hope and promise, and when I hear this song I feel like that person again. A very special tune
Time to finally take a break from IIN and enjoy this week's picks:
Preacherben:
Ms Secret:
Love this song. One of Avey’s strongest melodies. How good are slide guitars in an Avey Tare song?! Really distinctive. Love all the delay on the background guitars too. And what about those little flute trills?! So many fantastic details in this track. And the ‘she told you’ part is classic AF. It makes me imagine the sun rising over big open plains with wild horses running free. The effect during the outro is super Sung Tongs. Fantastic song.
Home Free:
It hurts me to say this but I just can’t get into Buoys. I’ve tried so hard. Probably listened 20+ times but it’s just not an album I enjoy much. One of the few missteps in the band’s/Panda’s career. The production just irks me. It doesn’t work for me at all. Another issue for me is the over-reliance on very similar guitar strumming patterns. Home Free suffers the most from this as it is the third song on the album (first two are Cranked and I Know I Don't Know) with EXACTLY the same strumming pattern/delay effect. The song itself is OK. Feels slight and barren, like most of Buoys. I’m sorry. Pretty rare for me to pan an AC song.
Island Chase:
Said at the start of the week that i’d never heard this because I thought it was some lost band track. Didn’t realise it was part of the Glasslands boot! I know this one and the whole thing is great. A lot like Just Am with that beat and the way Deakin riffs over it. Classic Deeks guitar. His voice is so emotive. More broken and desperate than usual.
Chocolate Girl (09 NPR):
Classic AC song update. Perfectly fits the MPP era. The shimmering arpeggios, hypnotic dancey percussion, Geo bits flittering about, watery atmosphere, classic Avey vocal delivery. Everything here is as it should be. Peak AC. Sends a bit of a shiver down my spine revisiting this. They are so good. Thank you preacherben.
Prospect Hummer:
Absolutely perfect. The guitar, the mouth percussion and ‘wah wah’ bit, the chimes, that sweet melody, Vashti’s gentle voice. That break down with the ‘wah wah wah wah wah wah wahhhhh’ from everyone involved is so incredibly precious and heart warming.
Thanks preacherben - please tell me why Home Free made your list! Curious to keep trying to unlock whatever it is I don’t see in Buoys. People here seem to love it.
NightlifeMingus:
Covered in Frogs:
Absolute ripper. AC in their absolute peak tribal, primal, wild phase. Can you imagine being brave enough to bash this out in a record store somewhere? Dave and Noah were so brilliant and courageous and inventive at this time. It’s one fucking chord that they just smack the shit out of for 3 minutes while they chant and shout and squeal and do their incredibly unique thing. It’s glorious. Magic. Wish it had been on Sung Tongs.
Satin Orb Wash:
Listening for the first time without watching the visuals (much like I did with Urban Creme). It’s pretty loose! Lots of creepy noises etc. That weird grunting noise and the voice bits. I can’t say I take a lot away from it. It is nice to pick up on all the little bits and pieces going on though. Like the little choral sample that pops up early on. Never noticed that before. Fun to give this a spin out of context.
Cuckoo Cuckoo:
Easily the most brooding and gloomy track on SJ. Its ghostly vibe (musically and lyrically) and brutally dramatic, dynamic choruses are unlike anything else on the album. The piano loop is so spectral. And THAT chorus. Those cute but creepy backing vocals and Avey singing with such passion and purpose. I love the way the messy parts (those post-chorus freak outs) drop away the first time to that haunting piano loop and the second time to that really abrasive insect noise bridge thing. Brilliant arrangement and brilliant song.
Cosplay:
Just a big sloppy, stoned walk in wellingtons through a pond. Sun baking your back and adding a muddy, earthy aroma to your surroundings as it warms the water around you. The harmonies rule and the sloshy loop is so soupy. Particularly love the wordless vocal bit. Rad tune.
What Would I Want? Sky:
Two songs in one. I probably prefer the first half. Live it was an absolute behemoth. An epic, trance like piece of existential intensity. On record it still owns. That crashing drum loop and descending vocal thing could just ride along for another few minutes and I’d happy ride with it. The second half is sweet and buoyant. I like the backing ‘aaahhhh’ vocals (a sample? sounds like a female voice). The chorus is a beautifully glistening MPP era highlight.
Cheers NightlifeMingus! Why did you go with Satin? What secrets does it hold for you?
decision paralysis has kept me from listening to this week's selections as much as i would've liked to (dammit IIN why did you have to freebird this early) but i've decided i'm gonna be a good girl/carrots and see this thing through to the end if y'all will
MS. SECRET: my favorite song from eucalyptus. hell, it might be one of my favorite avey solo songs ever. how can a song be so comforting and anxious at the same time?
HOME FREE: it's just now occurring to me how much confidence panda must have had in this sound to make a whole album that sounded like this. not that i think it's a bad sound, quite the opposite really, but he really went for it, didn't he? anyway this is a pretty nice way to close out buoys. and yeah, i agree with the people saying a song with the line "see you around" is a really cute way to end an album
ISLAND CHASE: never heard this one before, and my first impression is... it's alright. has potential, but doesn't sound finished. on one hand, i can't really fault deak for that, seeing as this was his first ever foray into solo material and all, but on the other hand, it's kind of disappointing he seemingly abandoned it so quickly. oh well, i guess we'll always have sleep cycle
CHOCOLATE GIRL 2009: never heard this one before either, and my first impression is... i like it! one of the best parts of just about every AC album being something completely different is that they can record a song in 2000, then perform it live in 2009 and it's like it's a whole new song. and yet, at the same time, it's still distinctly the chocolate girl we know and love. the more things change, the more they stay the same.
but also shame on them for not playing the "i'll open up my brain again" part. this is almost as bad as the time i found out modest mouse doesn't do the "OH MY GODDAMN" part when they play teeth like god's shoeshine live. smh
PROSPECT HUMMER: just thinking about this song's second verse is enough to make me want to tear up, and i haven't even owned a cat since i was, like, ten! such a sweet song. this is the kind of tune you can bring home to your parents. maybe even one of the best of the sung tongs cycle. and to think, i probably wouldn't have even discovered it when i did if it wasn't for them tacking this onto the end of the sung tongs tour (2017-2018) setlist
COVERED IN FROGS: speaking of songs i discovered because of the sung tongs tour (2017-2018)... this! love the raw energy, and it's such a perfect bridge between the softest voice and winters love, it almost feels wrong that it was never on the original album. of course i prefer the pitchfork version but also i listened to the crack box version for the first time just now and it's also very good
SATIN ORB WASH: i'm scared
CUCKOO CUCKOO: devastating song. don't know what else to say about it except i just realized it's kinda like a proto snow globes by black country new road, just with more tape loops and sound collages and it isn't just one big climax. also big footy energy
COSPLAY: not too familiar with this song. also not sure which version mingus wanted us to listen to, so i'm just gonna do both!
the atp v6 version is very trippy, almost to the point of being disorienting, but i can't really say i don't like it. sounds like a demented person pitch outtake. definitely gets the point across of marijuana making his day, and the sound of his cat sitting on the keyboard at the end really ties the whole thing together
the crosswords ep version is very... produced. i like that it sounds just a tiny bit more like a complete song with the ooh-ooh-ooh-oohs, but it kinda gets to the point where there's just a bit too much going on. again, though, not terrible. i just don't really see myself coming back to either version any time soon
WHAT WOULD I WANT? SKY: what can i say about this song that hasn't already been said? it's been a while since i sat down and listened to it and i forgot how perfect it is. the gorgeous ambient opening - well, it would be ambient if it wasn't for those DRUMS oh my god i love them - giving way to one of the biggest bops in the entire AC catalog, with a sample that almost feels like it was made for this song. not only is this one of my favorite AC songs of all time, i might even say it's one of my favorite 7/4 songs of all time (the number of 7/4 songs i like is longer than you might think it is)
Riiiiiiight sorry it's been a silly few weeks for many reasons but I do really love this whole exercise so I'm just gonna do a stupidly long post taking in the last three weeks. TLDR. I'll go back and reply to other people's points too because I'm super interested to hear everyone's takes.
WEEK 2 - williswire:
Cemeteries
Feels like most AC-universe albums know just when a mellow moment is needed most, and Cemeteries hits that mark every time. I could listen to it every day. Only got properly into DT in the last year or so, having kinda dismissed it after a couple of listens when it first came out - this song was an exception because it didn’t feel quite so dense and heavy to me. Lovely sample work here.
The Preakness (2011 version)
The superior version without a doubt. Suuuuuuch a fucking great song. Top 3 Panda solo tracks for me without a doubt. The lyrics are so clear and the harmonies are so flawless. Really simple and effective instrumentation - perfect use of his Tomboy era guitar playing for sure. The way it also doesn’t really have any repeated sections just goes to show how effective and memorable each part is. He could’ve made this a 7 minute track easily but didn’t have to.
The Softest Voice
Excellent Tong. Always thought it was an interesting choice to put it so close to the start of the album but I can’t imagine it any other way at this stage. So gentle, so pretty. Some of my favourite supporting Panda vocals ever. The way they taper off and sort of fool you into believing the song is over… magic.
Afterburner
Classic Tomboy era track and classic Panda harmonies but I've just never been a fan. Really feel the album drops off after Drone. To me the mix is too cluttered and muddy, the song generally doesn't go anywhere and the lyrics are kinda unintelligible (eyyyyyy ohhhhhhhh maaaaaaaaaaaa).
Bees
Unreal song. Top 10 AC for me I reckon. I’ve had so many truly profound listening experiences with this thing. Half the music I’ve ever written is basically just trying to replicate this in some form. It’s got all the classic staples of a Feels song but the autoharp is just…. something else. Hearing this on the PW tour is something I’d never get to do, and I cherish that memory so dearly that I got the Feels bee tattooed on me. Reereeraaraaruuu indeed.
WEEK 2 - roopn:
Jungle Heat
First time listen for me - I've not dug into Crack Box extensively. This is really lovely tbh. Super meditative, like a more clearly mixed Campfire Songs/Young Prayer jam. Gotta love those old school Panda vocals. Also maybe the only AC song (at least that I've heard) with some proper solo-y guitar noodling/riffing.. sorta Nick Blake-esque??
Call Home (Buy Grapes)
Definitely started off as my least favourite track on the Keep tape but over the years it’s started to climb. I can easily see this on DT, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Heather In The Hospital and Oliver Twist. The swampiness is there in full force and I like how the ending is a bit of a change up but isn’t massively fleshed out.
Forest Gospel
Been getting into bits and pieces from Hollinndagain and Danse recently, having totally overlooked the whole era for like 14 years lol. It was all just a bit too harsh and chaotic for me at first and nothing really stuck. I’m not gonna say this isn’t harsh but the rawness is something I miss. This song in particular feels very Ark to me. The energy is astounding and it properly feels like you’re in the room.
Coral Realization
Never really clocked how aggressive this is really because I think I’ve always taken TR in as a whole. I don’t love it and I don’t hate it, sort of like most of the rest of the record. Definitely cool alongside the visuals but yeah… not one I’d choose to come back to all the time.
DR aw one for J
One of my least revisited songs from Eucalyptus but jeeeeeesus coming back to this is heavy. It’s like a slow funeral march but in a good way somehow? It’s the best sort of dreary. I could see this fitting on MotW with relative ease. Love the droney vibes on Eucalyptus to pair up with the delicacy of the core songs.
WEEK 3 - organic cat
Recycling
One of the better PW songs and one of the only ones I very often come back to. My favourite AC album closers are all the Panda ones (plus Alvin Row). I don’t think he’s really got it down on his own full-lengths but yeah. The way the proper song comes in and the way the vocals get introduced are pretty hard to fault. It’s one of the few examples of the PW era hocketing that I feel works in favour of the song.
Selection of a Place (Rio Negro version)
Heartbreaking and genius. I personally prefer the Eucalyptus version but the beauty isn’t lost here at all. It’s also a really vital moment within MotW. No doubt Geo adds something special to this version too and the video of them recording it is probably my favourite moment in the doc. I also really love the fact that there’s a song that appears on both an AC solo album and an AC record. There’s been lots of other crossovers in a live context (playing Comfy on the MPP tour, Deakin and Panda each playing a fair few AC tracks in solo sets over the years) but yeah I dig this.
Someday I'll Grow To Be As Tall As The Giant
Believe it or not, there was a little while when this was my favourite song on Spirit. Penny Dreadfuls took too long to get to the point, Alvin Row hadn’t clicked into place and most of the others were a bit tricky to wrap my head around. This one though just stuck out as a soft, sweet tune in a sea of madness. I still adore it and view it in that light except now I’m more into the sea of madness.
Micheal, Remember
Wow what a slog. Exactly as I remember - listened to it once and never felt the need to go back. 24 minutes of experimentation, which I'm sure was good fun to play and may even be somewhat captivating in certain live settings, but jeez that first 16 minutes is a hell of a nothing burger to me, save for a couple of interesting textures. Definitely heats up after the 16 minute mark and those kinda dancehall/reggae-esque vibes from minute 22 are great but still... does that whole section merit being eight minutes long? Nah.
Baleen Sample
I’ve always loved this. So simple and pretty. I’ll admit it works better in the context of the record than on its own but man it really serves its purpose alongside the other hummers.
WEEK 3 - Stan
I See You Pan
Blown away. Diving back into this era having long disregarded it has been a blessing. Do I think this song would be markedly better without the sound of Geologist scrunching up crisp packets into a microphone? Yes. Do I wish they had ditched their abrasive instincts? No. This is another one that I’d desperately like to see a modern live rendition of.
Infant Dressing Table
Haven’t listened to Ark in a good while but jeeeez yeah this is on a higher plain. Really euphoric stuff. I never realised how much of a direct link there was between this and their later work but this easily could have ended up on People. Some harshness of the early days but a lot of the same attitude present in the more meandering (in a good way) Sung Tongs/Feels period. I was also surprised by how excellently this is recorded and mixed.
Two Corvettes
Somber first section which fits so snugly into the rest of the album. Just what you need. That second section though is so jarring in the best way. I always forget it’s there and it almost feels like being a block of cheese mid-grate. As I’ve said in the past, I really do feel Campfire Songs deserves to be appreciated in its entirety so I always struggle isolating tracks from it to some extent.
Visiting Friends
Ok hear me out… it’s my least favourite track on the album. BUT!! It’s still Sung Tongs so I still enjoy it a fair amount and certainly value it within the tracklist. I appreciate the trance-iness of it for sure - there are some days when I spin it really scratches the zoning out itch. But yeah on the whole I feel like I’d enjoy it a lot more as a slightly formless album deep cut if it was 5-7 minutes shorter.
Urban Creme
Perfectly fine ambient-ish track with some nice bass frequencies but largely uninteresting outside the context of the film.
WEEK 4 - slothorpe
Peacemaker
I can’t quite put my finger on it but this song has grown on me a lot over the last few years. Perhaps because I listen to those Bandcamp live shows fairly regularly and this worked surprisingly well as an opener. It’s just quite tenderly melancholic and the bass line works really well imo. It’s also one of those Noah songs where you can hear his talking voice almost? That kinda uniquely deep/nasal-y thing that rarely comes across in his singing unless it’s some of that live growling.
Rain In Cups
Good track. Murky and dark. Not my favourite off the EP and tbh the EP isn’t one I go back to much anyway but I do enjoy it when it’s on. I appreciate that it’s actually pretty different for them all round yet sort of gives FBK vibes in a way. Would’ve been interesting to see what they did with a full LP’s worth of B2Q style tracks. Those haunting piano tones sort of came back on Cloud Stop Rest Start.
Ballad of Reverend War Character (Silver Jews cover)
Never bothered listening to this when it came out and I'm not particularly sad about it. I've only ever listened to Silver Jews in the form of AC covers and it feels like Avey very much changes his voice to impersonate them. It's simple and nice, sorta like a 7s demo but I don't think I'll come back to it much.
Meet the Light Child
So harsh, so dynamic, so beautiful. This one really goes everywhere doesn’t it? It could slot right into Spirit or Ark if it wanted to imo. I long dismissed Danse as noisy drivel but relistening to it recently for the first time in ages really turned things around for me and this was a clear highlight. Would be so interesting to hear a modern rendition of this.
Sweet Road
Clearly a fucking banger. I always liked this song but was never overly hyped about it until the PW boots started appearing. That version is a holy shit moment. But the big awakening was seeing the Pitchfork stream before getting to see the ST tour. The way other people reacted to it sorta invigorated me and got me into the hype zone. It’s a manic belter hiding under a cutesy little guise.
WEEK 4 - jam
Agg Report
So weird, I've never listened to a Jane track and don't really know anything about them other than being a footnote on Panda's Wikipedia page. Not sure why my obsession never took me that way but there we go. And my god, HOW have I never heard this. Love it. Just a deeply pleasant track with a superb build up, lots of sonic excitement in the form of little percussive bits and tiny sounding synths. If anyone here is particularly clued up on the band Braids, it almost sounds like it could have been a super early era (2009-2011) demo jam or something.
Baby Day
I thought I’d heard this before but apparently not? I almost feel like the version I have can’t actually be them because it’s so bizarrely different from anything else they’ve done. I like the vocals a lot but the drums are pretty flaccid. In general it’s ok, just unremarkable I guess. Sounds like a demo by a college band who are into slightly shoegazey indie rock.
Footy
Yeah this shit is raw. I uphold my belief that Sleep Cycle is a four song EP with some interludes but each of the “main” songs undoubtedly hits. It’s heavy and dense and has some stellar melodies in there. The “oooh you’re fine” bit always gets me. This would’ve fucking obliterated as a SJ song (even though it almost certainly wasn’t written back then). The back half is blistering and I adore it.
Blue Noises
So great, such a moment. The image of Avey and Geo in the Amazon recording this is forever burned into my brain. As a song it’s almost like something that could’ve ended up on Feels if it had been arranged differently. I know a lot of the MotW songs came from the Eucalyptus writing era but this just doesn’t appear to be in the same family. Some stellar sound design work by Geo here as well. Works perfectly imo.
The Outlaw
One of my less frequently revisited Slasher Flicks jams. Nothing wrong with it and actually listening to it in isolation proved better than I’d remembered, so maybe its placing on the record’s tracklist is what’s given me a less favourable opinion of it. I love the section starting around the halfway mark - Deradoorian’s harmonies crush.
WEEK 5 - preacherben
Ms Secret
A top three Eucalyptus song for me for sure. The whole album didn’t blow me away initially but this was one of maybe four songs that stood out immediately. It’s emotionally poignant and the fuller instrumentation throughout - flute-y sounds, percussive strumming, bright vocal harmonies, pedal steel - all beefs this out. Glad Avey seems to have some continued connection to it through playing it live and glad it seems to get the recognition it deserves.
Home Free
Meh. Bit of a squib. I like some of the vocal melodies but it’s just a bit nothingy. Why does a man with such rock solid closers on AC songs just not know how to write a closer for his own albums? Sunset is astonishingly good but Homies isn’t a full length and I have a soft spot for Ponytail but I never felt like it fit with the rest of PP.
Island Chase
Not super clued up on Deakin boots but woah this is definitely something special. Where did this come from and where did it go?? Sounds like something from that Tickley Feather album he worked on. The words are unintelligible to me (as they so often are with AC/AC-related songs) but as with everything he does, it sounds like our man Deak is putting his soul in.
Chocolate Girl 09
Sublime rendition. Flawlessly Merriweather-ized. When I was first getting into AC around this time, I knew that Chocolate Girl was one of those songs I was “meant” to like but I don’t think Spirit had really quite hit with me yet, so this version wasn’t always a favourite spot on the boots but oh man… I think now more than ever I have a great appreciation for the studio version, so this version ticks the box in a real way.
Prospect Hummer
Stone cold classic. Everything you could want from an acoustic era AC song - softness, tenderness, bizarre and sweet yet comical lyrics, guitars bouncing off one another. The only song in their catalog that gets a laugh live?
WEEK 5 - nightlifemingus
Covered in Frogs
Yeah sorry the Pitchfork version is my definitive one, no competition. I couldn’t ever fully get into this beyond it being a good example of the pre-Sung Tongs savagery but when I watched the p4k livestream just assuming they’d play the record straight, this was the best possible surprise. Properly wild. And now I can’t imagine the song without the Winters Love transition.
Cuckoo Cuckoo
Sorry purists, this is the best song on SJ. Top five AC songs ever for me, no question. It hits me right in the fucking chest every time. Lyrically and emotionally nothing really it’s in its own universe and the instrumentation just accentuates that. I wish they’d bring this back live but I don’t think they ever will.
Cosplay
Thinking with my critic’s hat on, a one dimensional throwaway of the PBVGR era. Thinking with my stoner hat on, same bud. Same.
What Would I Want? Sky
What can even be said at this point? What a monolith. This jam is a fucking event. Somehow never got to catch it live, which is such a bummer because that 9:30 version SLAPS. But yeah the juxtaposition between the two sections, the very Merriweather transition between them, and good lord that chorus. All up there with the greats.
Wow, what an epic post! Loved reading through that. Awesome that you have a Feels bee tattoo. You should definitely give the whole Berserker album some time. Last track drags a bit but the other three are all fantastic. Totally agree about Home Free being a bit nothing but Acid Wash and Benfica are dope closers.
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Last edited by foxtrot on Fri Sep 08, 2023 12:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
I thought the drawing was later, oops, lemme get my thoughts in real quick for last week
NightlifeMingus
Covered In Frogs
don't think I've ever heard any version other than Pitchfork/ST '18 tour. It's pretty cool! I think the later version has a bit more energy, but I like how it sounds a bit demented and uncertain. This isn't something I will revisit much, but I listen to the Pitchfork version semi-frequently bc it's that good. Always a pleasure to discover 'new' stuff from this era
Satin Orb Wash
Is this a song?? Lol it's scary as fuck. Nice audio/visual combo, I cheated and just watched the clip. I like Avey as some kinda ancient alien shaman
Also:
Cuckoo Cuckoo
Seeing other ppl's love for the studio version of this makes me wonder what I find missing with it. I feel like the chorus is lacking some grittiness. Sick song regardless, SJ is great for these raw bursts of emotion and this song is essential for carrying that thru to the end
Cosplay
The Ladysmith Black Mambazo sampled version is leagues better. I find this kinda boring, unfortunately. I've tried really hard to like it at various points. Feels kinda unnecessary and becomes even harder to listen to esp after Jaba. I do love the lyrics though
What Would I Want? Sky
Man, this is one of those songs that transcend the band. "You feeling stormy? You feeling phony? You're not the only" randomly popped in my head last week when I was feeling particularly stormy and phony, hadn't even heard the song in months, maybe years. This song feels like a balm for a cut when you need it. The time signature keeps things interesting and allows some intricate wordplay by Avey, as well as a fantastic melody and great Panda harmonies. IF I had to make a complaint, I would say the intro could be a little more interesting. Regardless, it's Essential AC
Last edited by rohcti on Fri Sep 08, 2023 1:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
edit: wait a minute, we've already had visiting friends!
edit 2: went to the start of the thread to make sure i wasn't imagining things and i noticed selection #34 from corrie has THREE duplicates (in the singing box, footy, and happy singing band)
Woah very cool to see my picks up. I've fallen behind but will try to go through previous weeks best I can. It looks like Stan already took Visiting Friends, should I swap something else in? Let it ride again? Will also try to do a post later on why I picked some of these.
Ms. Secret - One of Avey's best songs. The pleading tone with the lyrics feel so relatable to me right now. Un-quantifiable but immediate rhythms, I particularly love the bass groove
Home Free - I get the criticisms of Buoys, but I vibe with it sometimes. It's kind of like Painting With where I don't listen to it to connect with something emotionally (except Inner Monologue). It's gotta be heard on some big speakers with big bass I feel. I think the individual songs of Buoys are great, but maybe it doesn't hold up as much as a whole album as this song definitely could blend with some of the others by the time you're at the last track. But I think the vocals are really pretty and the groove is nice too.
Island Chase - Damn this was great. He's almost sounding like the guy from Interpol here. Totally got lost in this
Chocolate Girl 09 - Absolutely iconic. From heaven
Prospect Hummer - So adorable. Love the cute lil hi hats. The chiming bells. Perfection
Tiwkid
Such a sweet and catchy jam. The candy-coated guitar lead, the piano runs, the call and response vocals, the yearning bridge. Sick drumming from Panda on this one. It’s pretty, fun and a little bizarre. Total earworm melody – easily could’ve (and should have??) made the record
Faces in the Crowd
This song is tied with This Side of Paradise as my favorite song on the Mr. Noah EP, which is fantastic all around. The starry-eyed synth lead twinkles above that nostalgic 80s bass synth and Noah’s melody is classic and bittersweet. I’ve always imagined this as a song for his son (“to my guy, till I die”). My minor gripes – drums are buried in the mix and there’s maybe a bit too much swirling chaotic weirdness fx – are easily forgotten given the strength of this tune
Untitled
Beautiful and thrilling. Beneath the squealing noise is a mournful chord progression. This song embodies how I sometimes feel in busy public places – NYC, music festivals, Costco on a Sunday. Overstimulated, overwhelmed and a little sad. Avey conjured a similar vibe on Bus Travel New York Tare My Face Off pt. 2, which is one of my picks
Happy Singing Band
This song is fine. It doesn’t do much for me. Seems like a similar theme to The Musical (a meditation on performance, audience expectation, the entertainment business)
Gotham
Got DAMN this song is so good. It’s a sprawling Western melancholy epic. Sounds like a break-up song to me: “It’s not my choice to be there at night; I can’t believe this goodbye; is your ficus fine?” – this last detail is especially heartbreaking to me. It’s the memory of a mundane household concern that’s suddenly weighted with emotion after a separation. Deakin’s guitar and Panda’s drumming are so crucial here. This song absolutely should have made the record and, as someone else noted, embodies a loose, sparse production style that would have served CHz well. I also love how dynamic the song is, with its pauses and building to the cathartic release of Avey’s screams. This one can easily get me teary and always gives me goosebumps
opposite field picks
Ice Cream Factory
Perfect title. A pretty, warped lullaby bleeding from blown out speakers. The same sort of twinkling childlike vibe heard on From a Beach and STGSTV. Vocal melody is kinda whatever, not one I listen to often
Ahhh Good Country
Menacing cicada intro (I’m scared) gives way to a hypnotic, relentless jam. This euphoric repetition is one of the band’s trademarks, and I can't help but hear this song as an early iteration of a technique Avey would go on to use in some of his best songs (Purple Bottle, For Reverend Green)
Hey Light
Strange and singular. I imagine some sort of killing or massacre (the feral first section) followed by an intimate forest funeral. Both sections are unsettling
Flesh Canoe?
(tbd)
Amanita
I love this song, but I understand some of the criticisms I’ve seen on the board over the years (namely that it feels like a self-conscious attempt at a bombastic Grand Finale song). Nevertheless it was one of my most-listened songs when the album dropped. The song is always evolving, the rhythmic “feel” shifting with each new section. The part that begins at 2:11 (“What have we done – There’s nothing to do, imagination floating around”) is so, so good. The harmonies on “floating around” get me every time. The final “run into the forest section” is nice enough, but then they surprise you with that gorgeous, wordless, four-on-the-floor section beginning at 4:56 that dissolves into whirring noise to end the album. That part is great and always seemed to me like the album’s only nod/acknowledgement to the Merriweather sound
Quick run through on my picks, excited to see how others feel.
None of these are super deep cuts or anything but the general connecting theme for me here is the band's use of guitars which has always been super interesting to me. I remember first getting into the band and watching live videos of them and seeing them playing guitar but the sounds that were being made were the furthest thing from what a guitar typically sounds like. I also think they are a lot more creative in that regard and don't just do the normal like "I will make my guitar sound like a synth or use this weird pedal" or whatever which is always more appealing to me.
Ice Cream Factory -
Probably the least guitar heavy song on here but this has become a favorite of mine over the last few years. Just a perfect example of their early era I think in a pretty accessible package. I hear and feel connections to the current era on this. Amazing tension and release here, I would love for them to bring this back.
Ahhh Good Country -
My favorite Danse track. Just perfect to me. The high frequencies, percussive guitar, and slow layering just really work. Similar to Ice Cream in that it feels like a feeling they have been working at their entire life as a band.
Hey Light -
Pure energy, punk AC. When the guitars kick in it feel more intense to me than any kind of traditionally "heavy" music. Just like primal freak weirdo music in the best way. My only answers for the "if you had a time machine" questions are eras of bands I wish I could have seen and this era is up there for me.
Flesh Canoe -
Again guitars. I have joke about creating a "Flesh Canoe" pedal to get the sound of the opening chords. Just a beautiful song all around.
Amanita -
Always one of my favorite CHZ songs. This one has something that has happened a ton with AC music and myself which is realizing their influences years later. I've dug in pretty deep on African guitar music over the last few years and hearing this song again it's like "OH THATS WHAT THEY'RE DOING" which has happened countless times with AC's music for me which for me is one of the most fun things about being into this band.
TIKWID: i don't have even the slightest idea what this song is about but it sure is a bop. i really love the beach boys harmonizing in the middle section. definitely my favorite track from people (not that that's a very competitive field (sorry)). also what's up with avey's meatwad impression at the end?
FACES IN THE CROWD: this song feels like saint peter showing me a highlight reel of my life before leading me through the pearly gates. if it had made it into the final version of pbvsgr it would be the best track on there. i'm talking about the mr noah ep version btw - i think i prefer it very slightly to the atp version but they're both real good
UNTITLED: i know i said sigtbatatg was the best interlude on spirit but untitled is definitely no slouch either. it feels a lot longer than it actually is but in a good way. young avey sure knows how to tickle the ivories AND tickle my eardrums - i actually like the ear-piercing noise smothering everything but then again i'm a little bit of a freak
HAPPY SINGING BAND: never heard this or the other music bootleg before, so i decided to just listen to the whole show while i was at it and i'm currently crying and pissing and shitting that i didn't do it sooner because this is fucking perfection. they do so much with so little, and you can really feel their love for making music and playing it for people. i don't mean to sound sappy but this is life-affirming. the whole show is, really. again, why did it take me so damn long to listen to this
GOTHAM: okay, this one's gonna make me look insane but here we go. this song has a habit of sounding like the sweetest ambrosia filled with my favorite sad chords and impassioned vocal melodies while i'm listening to it and then completely leaving my head when i'm done listening to it. like i get that it's a really good song but my brain just kinda completely slides off of its smooth, smooth surface. just no real hooks to be found, i guess. i can't really see myself coming back to this too often, i just think there are way better avey breakup songs out there
Night Park - awesome write-ups and I think I pretty much agree with your assessment of every one of these tracks (which is rare!).
opposite field - love the idea of your focus on their guitar sounds. Ahh Good Country is a stunner. Its a Danse fav of mine too.
madameghostly - love your Faces In The Crowd description! I think it and Tikwid are both top shelf and should have made their respective albums. Gotham might need a few more listens.
Tiwkid
Such a sweet and catchy jam. The candy-coated guitar lead, the piano runs, the call and response vocals, the yearning bridge. Sick drumming from Panda on this one. It’s pretty, fun and a little bizarre. Total earworm melody – easily could’ve (and should have??) made the record
Faces in the Crowd
This song is tied with This Side of Paradise as my favorite song on the Mr. Noah EP, which is fantastic all around. The starry-eyed synth lead twinkles above that nostalgic 80s bass synth and Noah’s melody is classic and bittersweet. I’ve always imagined this as a song for his son (“to my guy, till I die”). My minor gripes – drums are buried in the mix and there’s maybe a bit too much swirling chaotic weirdness fx – are easily forgotten given the strength of this tune
Untitled
Beautiful and thrilling. Beneath the squealing noise is a mournful chord progression. This song embodies how I sometimes feel in busy public places – NYC, music festivals, Costco on a Sunday. Overstimulated, overwhelmed and a little sad. Avey conjured a similar vibe on Bus Travel New York Tare My Face Off pt. 2, which is one of my picks
Happy Singing Band
This song is fine. It doesn’t do much for me. Seems like a similar theme to The Musical (a meditation on performance, audience expectation, the entertainment business)
Gotham
Got DAMN this song is so good. It’s a sprawling Western melancholy epic. Sounds like a break-up song to me: “It’s not my choice to be there at night; I can’t believe this goodbye; is your ficus fine?” – this last detail is especially heartbreaking to me. It’s the memory of a mundane household concern that’s suddenly weighted with emotion after a separation. Deakin’s guitar and Panda’s drumming are so crucial here. This song absolutely should have made the record and, as someone else noted, embodies a loose, sparse production style that would have served CHz well. I also love how dynamic the song is, with its pauses and building to the cathartic release of Avey’s screams. This one can easily get me teary and always gives me goosebumps
You've basically said everything I would say myself. Completely agree on everything except Happy Singing Band.
the band's use of guitars which has always been super interesting to me. I remember first getting into the band and watching live videos of them and seeing them playing guitar but the sounds that were being made were the furthest thing from what a guitar typically sounds like. I also think they are a lot more creative in that regard and don't just do the normal like "I will make my guitar sound like a synth or use this weird pedal" or whatever which is always more appealing to me.
GOTHAM: okay, this one's gonna make me look insane but here we go. this song has a habit of sounding like the sweetest ambrosia filled with my favorite sad chords and impassioned vocal melodies while i'm listening to it and then completely leaving my head when i'm done listening to it. like i get that it's a really good song but my brain just kinda completely slides off of its smooth, smooth surface. just no real hooks to be found, i guess. i can't really see myself coming back to this too often, i just think there are way better avey breakup songs out there
Loving your takes on these. I do understand this criticism. It almost feels like a folk song in a way, as there's not much to the progression and it feels like it would be just as good if it was just a guy wailing his heart out whilst strumming an acoustic.
No real theme here. Just some nice songs that can sometimes get overlooked.
Tikwid
Love this to bits. It's a beautiful scribble. Soft but hectic. That twinkling piano in the right channel, that classic Feels era guitar that sounds like a cheese grater, Avey almost rapping then going into his sweet sweet oooooh's. All just wonderful and unforgettable. What the fuck does tikwid mean? What is that thing at the end where he says "row" but melting? Who cares, it's great.
Faces in the Crowd
One of my favourites from that era. Heartfelt and earnest, which alongside Selfish Gene and Tropic of Cancer was sort of on display at its finest from Noah at that time I think. Love the kinda cheesy brass-like bass. I do think it suffers a bit from too many side effects but the vocal melody (especially in the "don't ask why" section) just cuts right through. The sweet almost vibraphone-y notes wouldn't be out of place in Reset. If anybody hasn't heard it, go listen to the version at the Boiler Room MoMa show.
Untitled
I've had a real journey with this one. My first listen to Spirit was confusing and unsettling with some real highlights. I know people can find this one a bit abrasive but even on first listen it was a real holy shit moment. It's a perfect early example of Avey putting a spiky mask on something stunning. With the remastering, it shines more than ever - it's just a devastatingly emotive song that happens to have some prongs sticking out its sides so you don't get too close.
Happy Singing Band
Not much to it, just a friendly visitor that stopped by to say hi and went away. It's so simple and so effective. Makes me cry for something I never had. Like a childhood summer daydream. The mmmm's from around the 4:15 mark do something special for me and I don't know why.
Gotham
Best song of the CHz era for me without question. Absolutely crushing. I was kinda heartbroken when the album track listing was announced without it and I'm bummed that they never brought it back live, but I also understand both decisions. It's so fucking heavy. What Night Park said about "is your ficus fine" was spot on. Stab you in the heart sorrowful moment there - one of those moments that many of us have had I'm sure, where you just want to inject yourself back into a normal everyday life that you used to have. My one criticism would be that Deakin's kinda tropical sounding guitar in the right channel during the "not my choice" section don't elevate it in any way. I also think the ending is a bit impotent after how heavy the body of the song is, but it's forgivable.
WEEK 6 - opposite field
Ice Cream Factory
First listen for me. It's whimsical with a dark side, like a teddy bear with laser eyes. The vocals kinda suck though in my opinion - a bit out of tune in parts, super muffled and loose but not in the charming early days way. Feel like this could've been an excellent tune done properly in the studio but don't see myself coming back to it much because of the vocals unfortunately.
Ahhh Good Country
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh good song. I overlooked this until recently but it's definitely one of Danse's major highlights. Excellent build-up, excellent harmonies, excellent subtlety in the details. Feels like there are a lot of sonic similarities to the likes of Penny Dreadfuls but structurally it's much closer to their later stuff (Ark era let's say). It's invigorating without being stressful.
Hey Light
I think my favourite song on the album? It goes EVERYWHERE. The back and forth screaming, the PAP PAP PAP PAP snares, the urgency, then the monumental solemn chanting. It's a thrill ride until it isn't, but it never stops being interesting and adventurous. That funeral march second half is one of the more heart wrenching bits of their earlier material. It's the best kind of chaos.
Flesh Canoe
Mmmmm sorry I think this is my least favourite song on the album. Feels is my fav AC full-length but Flesh Canoe has never properly clicked with me. I enjoy it for its sonic stickiness and the piano flares that sound like they're galloping off into the hills, but yeah as a song I just feel like it could've been done more justice in a different style. Not sure what that style is.
Amanita
Big fan of this. Emotive and hopeful. It suffers from the same mixing flaws that I think much of CHz does and I think it got really let down live because they couldn't convey the same energy. Would be really cool to see this brought back live with fewer... how do I put this... unnecessary noises..?
ICE CREAM FACTORY: this song is so delightfully childish and innocent. i, too, wish i could fix my friends' depression by building them an ice cream factory. i also like how it kinda sounds like a blend of a bunch of different AC eras, from danse manatee to ark to even feels
AHHH GOOD COUNTRY: more proof that danse manatee is good, actually. sure, there are AC songs with better buildups and releases, but the buildup of this song followed by the chord change at around the 5 minute mark is just so good. makes me wanna go on a road trip. too bad gas is so expensive
HEY LIGHT: the manic, almost punky first half of this song is great and all - love the scream hocketing, which is what i've just now decided to call it - but the second half, where it's just them clapping and singing like some sort of post-apocalyptic campfire singalong, is where it's really at. again, this band is so good at doing so much with so little. and then the transition to infant dressing table where the singing just devolves into moans? perfect
FLESH CANOE: i didn't always like every song on feels. case in point, this was the last feels song that i got around to really really liking. the final piece of the puzzle, if you will - that puzzle being the realization that there literally isn't a single bad song on feels. anyway this song is really sweet and i like it a lot, avey should be gay for his bandmates more often
AMANITA: the "touch grass" of AC songs. the part where it goes into double time is super fun and the outro is downright anthemic. definitely one of the highlights of centipede, can't think of a better way to end that album
Loved reading your reflections/thoughts tay's tee and madame.
Unfortunately have struggled for time this week but here are some quick thoughts about this awesome selection of tracks before I do the next draw. Wanted more time to really listen and rediscover!
tay's tee games:
Tiwkid: This is peak AC. I absolutely adore the giddy, wild Feels stuff. This song is just a euphoric, playful, joyful, sweet slice of brilliance. A massive favourite for me.
Faces in the Crowd: Agree with most that it should have been on PBVGR but Noah had so much material so I guess something had to be cut. I love the GR era - technicolour wonder across the board.
Untitled: I like it but it's not as deeply affecting for me as others seem to find it. In fact, I’d probably say that about all of Spirit (yep, even Alvin Row). It is sonically interesting and I listen a lot but it doesn’t fit me deeply in the feels like the 04-09 stuff or Skiffs Now era.
Happy Singing Band: Cute and endearing offcut. I love the feeling this whole era gives me but this track isn’t the most spectacular. Feels good though!
Gotham: A pivotal element in why CHz turned out differently. This is one of my favourites of the era and it’s inclusion would have really helped nail the aesthetic that these tracks originally had.
opposite field:
Ice Cream Factory: One of those undercooked but fascinating tracks from the early golden era. It’s got THAT energy. Underwritten in the end. Would have been very interesting to see how they developed it if it had been deemed worthy of studio treatment.
Ahhh Good Country: Have always felt like this track builds on and masters a lot of what Living Toys hinted at earlier in the album. The droning guitars drive the song more successfully here. The vocals really soar and grip the listener. The melodic element is stronger yet none of the noisy textural detail has been lost. Love the lyrics. A great example of an early nature themed song. Particularly love the imagery of the line ‘Mountain lions gonna surely wake up’. Classic AC.
Hey Light: Another piece of classic AC. I feel like an animal listening to it. Wild and uninhibited. As the quiet chant at the end begins there is this deep sense of communing with nature yet been disquieted by its violence.
Flesh Canoe: Not sure how you can not love this. Everything great about ‘ambient’ Feels era. The lyrics are so incredibly brilliant.
“And I creep on your chest to the hut I have
Where I pluck a few notes on the strands of your hair
And I'm singing to you what to do
If I'd ask you to make funny faces with me in the mirror of the bathroom”
Amanita: Cops some criticism but ultimately its just a really fun and energetic song with some great writing and lots of entertaining moving parts. I really enjoy it.
Fickle cycle is amazing, I just wish it after it slowed down at the end that it went back for one last verse of the first part.
Mr fingers is the direction I want the next album to go, a mix between mr fingers and pw loch raven.
Bridge to quiet massively underrated. The panda backing vox justify the tracks existence alone but also a fun song w a unique palette for them imo
Covered in Frogs - All about the Other Music version for me here. The slightly out of tune guitars are perfect in this recording. Panda and Avey weaving vocal stuff together culminating in "TIME. MOVES. FAAAAASSSSST" in a ragged scream. Gah I love it, it makes sense this is a live only cut
Satin Orb Wash - This is like the very beginning of a full on nightmare bad hallucinogen trip. The final panic landing with that tragic and melodramatic atonal descending melody of madness at the very end. It's pretty great, that part really brings it all together.
Cuckoo Cuckoo - Not much to say, the song speaks for itself. It's top 5 for me. It's beyond brilliant and one of the examples of them communicating a feeling with music that no other band or artist can pull off.
Cosplay - Yeah really great with the original sample, but otherwise it's kinda on the nose. Still fun tho
What Would I Want? Sky - A real achievement of production here. This to me is the first time in their career where a song of theirs was leagues better in studio than live. The intro was great live but the song proper always felt a bit thin. But I think that's just due to how luminous the FBK version is. Love it to bits, was in my top 5 early on but it fell off a bit after I got more deep into the band.
Tikwid - Great, great song that deserved to be on the album, but I can see why it was left off. Feels tells a perfect story that Tikwid sadly doesn't quite fit into imo. It seems like it would compete with Grass maybe for the track 2 spot, but considering how Grass came out in studio it's just a rough matchup for ol Tikwid. This song is my favorite of the 04 versions, I mildly lament some of the lost wild energy of that version with Panda's snare rolls. But the tinkling piano, the stumbling rhythms and harmonies are so good.
Faces in the Crowd - The rehearsal recording is AMAZING. V6 I think. The textures have an incredible visceral quality. The studio version is good too though. It feels kinda wonky but in a charming way. Probably my most demoitis'd Greaper tune.
Untitled - Hmm like having your soul ripped asunder and scattered across the void. My color association with this is pure consuming darkness.
Happy Singing Band - I love this pleasant atmospheric jam. Perfect way to kick off Other Music. I like to think they wrote this for this specific set the night before.
Gotham - Like madameghostly, I always enjoy listening to this song, but don't remember a single melody or lyric from it as soon as it's over. Might also need more listens. I agree that CHz could have used the desolate, expansive flavor this song brings to the table
Tikwid is so freaking good, I forgot how much I loved it. Noah's loose drumming just really hits the wavelength and the whole song just feels like fall to me. Perfect song imo
Ice Cream Factory - A fun outlier from the early days. It does feel like a mix of various eras. Pretty funny they played this during the Ark shows now that I think about it. I don't feel strongly one way or the other about it, but they do that demented children's song vibe very well.
Ahhh Good Country - A Danse highlight for sure, the way they bring sonic elements in and out is an early example of their arranging talents. It's like finally making out of the city on a road trip and suddenly finding yourself in the beautiful expanse of the countryside. Ahhhh
Hey Light - The use of dynamics on Ark is pretty unmatched across their whole career and this song is the epitome of that. You have part 1 which is exploding with tight punk energy and then it collapses into the helplessly downtrodden and forlorn part 2. The duality of dark and light in their extremes feels like a big theme in this song.
Flesh Canoe - My first favorite band before AnCo was My Bloody Valentine so this song clicked pretty much immediately and remains a strong favorite. It was the first AnCo song I heard that made me realize there was something extremely special going on with them. All the elements combine into this one experience of sound and within it all is a really sweet folk song about falling in love but not wanting to give your life away just yet. I didn't know music could be like this.
Amanita - I've been in the hater camp with this one but I've been coming around. It's fun, it's big and I like the overall message. I guess I feel it's too overwrought or something.
Gotham and Crimson in back to back weeks makes me happy. They’re like twins. The busyness of the CHz sound was served well by these slower paced tracks, along with Pulleys imo. Night Parks write up of Gotham is really great, everyone read that. Crimson was the closer in a lot of the pre CHz shows, (almost?) always preceded by Rosie Oh. Great “closer” vibes and it ended up closing the era as the bside of the Applesauce single. Avey put so much emotion into the vocals, but it’s Panda and Deakin who’s contributions are stamped in my mind when I think of this song. the way the drums and guitar kind of interlock throughout the song creating a cage around the singer. “I’m sorry I cut you with my knife” and the whole desert vibe reminds of Dune as well for some reason.
So sorry I've all but abandoned this thread but if I get half a day to myself soon I want to do a big big catch up post. Props to y'all keeping it up in here! The sheer variety across all these picks is actually a lot to take in.
_________________
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Buuuuuuudhaaaaa
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guess we'll do it twice if i'm picked asw