Last night, I retrieved and iPod-ed these:
Empire State Games - S/T
Mineral - The Power of Failing, Endserenading
Six Going On Seven - Heartbreak's Got Backbeat
King For A Day - Before I Go
The Jazz June - Breakdance Suburbia, They Love Those Who Make The Music
Boy Sets Fire - The Day The Sun Went Out
Knapsack - This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now
Christie Front Drive - Anthology
The First Crush Comp.
Texas Is The Reason - Do You Know Who You Are?, EP, split w/ Promise Ring
The Promise Ring - Discography
The Casket Lottery - Discography
The Enkindels - Buzzclip 2000, Can't Stop The Enkindels, Who Here Wants To Fight?
Initial Records Samplers #1 & #2
Small Brown Bike - Collection, Our Own Wars, Dead Reckoning, The River Bed
I know it shouldn't seem like a big deal that I listened to these things, but I haven't heard most of this stuff since around 2002. And I was surprised that some of it held up so well, and ashamed that I'd turned my back on it because I had felt like it was dated, especially when I consider how good it feels to listen to a lot of these albums. Some of it ("Fors," several Casket Lottery songs, all of Heartbreak's Got Backbeat,) sounds better than it did nearly ten years ago. For me, nostalgia tends to be a slippery slope. But lately, it feels a bit more earned and I've allowed myself to indulge in it. So in the near future, you can probably expect the following from me:
- sullenness/sulking
- dramatic relationships
- constant and unwarranted feelings of alienation
- weenie haircut
- poetry
I'd also forgotten how much I loved Small Brown Bike. I had a moment when listening to "Make This A Holliday" where I was able to more vividly remember them playing it at the bowling alley in Lansing for the Dead Reckoning release show. Generally, when I think of that show, it's mostly vague; I think of free bowling and how great the lineup was (SBB, Casket Lottery, Cursive). But when they played "Holliday," it was insane! I'll save the attempt at trying to describe what it was like, because it won't do justice. But it has to be one of the most awesome, transcendent moments I've been a part of at a show.
Anyways, it would be nice to continue to not only have specific memories attached to this stuff, but also to hear it for what it is.
8 comments:
Do you feel obligated to hear these for what they are? Is that a real thing? Listen to them and enjoy them for the specific meaning they have to you... I don't think that's anything to be ashamed of... I think the shame is a market-driven implant that's supposed to make us feel guilty for not exclusively being interested in things that are either brand new or recently reissued.
That is a very interesting point, my friend. My point was that I feel like listening to this stuff as a specific throwback felt like it cheapened the actual music, instead of just listening to it as rock and roll, like we would R.E.M. or Pavement or The Beatles or any rock band over the last 50 years. It's like those really dated 80s songs like "Take On Me" or "Don't You Want Me?" that are actually really good songs, but seem to be more about signifying an era to people that hear them.
Trav, this is my favorite post of yours in a while, for obvious reasons.
I had no idea you owned some of these. I would love to listen to that Christie Front Drive, all I ever had of theirs was their split with Boys Life (which I regretfully traded several years ago). Also, Boy Sets Fire! I only new one song of theirs, from an Initial comp, and I didn't understand them at all. Lastly, I would also like to hear that First Crush comp. Is there a Roadside Monument song on it? If so, it's an unreleased one that I have never heard before.
You and Dan both make great observations, and I will agree with you both. To be honest, some old emo stuff I can only listen to for nostalgia's sake, but I definitely think there are bands that really nailed it and put out legitimate albums that can rival the ranks of more-loved 90s indie rock bands (Pavement, Built to Spill). I would consider those emo bands to be The Jazz June, The Casket Lottery, The Promise Ring (duh) and Braid (double duh).
I've been very vocal about my feelings regarding this. I don't think anything you listened to in the past should be looked back upon with shame (even Golden Earring). It blows my mind that you haven't heard alot of this stuff since mid college. The SBB collection and Dead Reckoning are best of the era stuff for me. I think maybe it is difficult to pull out and listen to a SBB record or a Jazz June record as opposed to something like Pavement is that it is not canonized in the same way. I mean that it is not included by rock journalists or the indie rock blog folks in the history of Rock and Roll. It didn't happen as far as they are concerned because they weren't there for it. I wrote alot more but I come off as a pompous ass even more than I already do so I'm going to go back to the draft now and pray that The Lions take a lineman with the 20th pick.
I am not at all ashamed of this or Golden Earring being part of my past (maybe Golden Earring). In fact, I'm really proud of it. It's been a secret handshake of sorts with a few of the people I've met at shows over the last few years. I'm ashamed of the fact that I haven't maintained my relationship with it as well as say, Tony or Kent has. But I also have by far the worst collection of stuff out of all of us, so maybe that makes it difficult too.
I've more or less held the position Quillen has on the situation, where he says only a handful of bands transcend the emo tag and the rest tend to seem like nostalgia. My initial reaction regarding the difference is that it has to do with lyrics because they tend to cover the whole spectrum.
The first line of Dead Reckoning is: "Remember when you said things would never change? You liar!" I don't want to knock them, but I think it takes a certain kind of earnestness that most teenagers can relate to to really appreciate that. If I heard that on an album in 2009, I don't think I'd respond well to anything that direct. So now, I can't relate to that, but I remember a time when when I definitely did. So that's always with me when I hear SBB, and it's nothing I feel bad about. But compare that to the stuff Bob Nanna wrote or Davey Von Boehlen. Right now, "Nothing Feels Good" is my favorite set of lyrics ever, and I'm 26. And I never stopped listening to it.
I think the most insightful point made in all of this is your point about this kind of emo's place in history. It's sad that they'll probably never get enough attention or respect, but that kinda makes it that much more special for us to have been a part of it. There's no doubt that this stuff is really special to me. But I guess the point of this post was to examine what the music sounds like 10 years later without taking personal history into account.
Also, my word verification for this comment is: ORCEST
Well that is just the Orcest thing I've ever read!
I like that because its a gross word no matter how you read it!
Hmm...well I've always been a raw nerve, so I suppose that has a lot to do with me favoring the direct approach. NFG- The lyrics just don't mean anything to me. They might as well have been another instrument IMHO. I've responded in exactly the opposite way. I've never been a big Jazz June fan but I loved The Promise Ring (up to that record). Now, it's on my IPod but I haven't listened to it straight through in easily ten years.
My word is BLERM.
I've never really moved on from this stuff. Maybe it's a shift in priorities or just an overall lack of time to devote to really listen to albums the way I did then. The bands/albums of the last 5(+or- 3) years that have been acclaimed by indie nerds/elitists/asswipes just haven't stuck with me.
"Remember when you said things would never change? You liar!" I'm with Jerry here. The lyrics are a by product of the intruments. I don't need poetry or profound lyrcis, just don't bring it weak dawg.
If I want to take a chance on something new, I'll throw 5 albums into a playlist and hit shuffle. If something doesn't stick, I only have 3-5 minutes before I can hate the next song I've never heard from a band I'm never going to like.
I have no shame in not growing up. Whether it be in a personal sense or in musical taste. Sheeeet...I'm down with clown. I look for Enkindels/Initial Records/The original American Nightmare hoodie on Ebay at least once a week.
Here's what I've been jammin Trav:
Julia - S/T
I Hate Myself - Ten Songs
Botch - We Are The Romans
Narrows - S/T
Fireworks - All I Have To Offer Is My Own Confusion
Jimmy Eat World - Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World - Clarity Live
My word is PRERYLIV.
Trav, I haven't read this blog in a really long time but for some reason I stumbled across it today. The funny thing about this post is I was reading your blog to find new music. I knew coming here there would be some review or link to an up and coming band I hadn't heard of yet. I'm a lot like Tony in the fact that I haven't had time or motivation to keep up on "the scene" over the years. Looking at this post, however, made me realize how many of these albums I've lost or forgot about.
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