The Needle Drop talks to Chris Ott (ex-P4K)

I could probably write 10,000 words about my issues with P4K and even a ton about what they spoke about in this podcast, but I'll refrain for now, save for instead of inviting the trolls, I'll just post a comment here instead.

It's mostly just semantics, but I would love just one person in the media to dismiss the term "indie" and just refer to it as what it was originally called to "College Rock." I'm sure it'll never happen though.


I really don't care what arguments that can be made, or however widespread P4K is, they always have been and likely always will be a site for Hipsters and caught within their own college-rock bubble. The people who don't realize or agree with this, really are blinded by their own mis-conception of how diverse the content they include actually is.

And of course how pretentious and self-indulgent their reviews are.

They're really one-of the worst things in music the last 15 years, but until they do actually go away or become irrelevant to their current followers, that likely will never change.

And it's incredibly sad their founder is from my hometown, lol.

On a side note, I hadn't realized this until a bit ago, TND is now uploading his podcasts to his main channel? Perhaps that's new, or I never noticed that before. I suppose it'll reach a wider audience, but part of his podcast's charm was it wasn't found to the hordes of people who find his main channel.

Pitchfork Media: The Leader in Hipster Metal

2/6/14 9:33PM
Since when did Cynic become hipster? LOL sad thing is, the band themself shared this (otherwise I never would have noticed), and probably figure any exposure is good exposure. But it still is rather baffling to see their name along with anything involving that site, and their substance-less approach. Because they sure as hell have talked about Cynic in the past, and I'm sure they will now go ahead and stream and review Focus Traced In Air and the rest of  Cynic's discography, along with all the related projects like Atheist, Aghora, Gordian Knot, Aeon Spoke, etc, LOL.

on P4K's Facebook

1/23/12 3:02PM
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/13035-faiseurs-de-mondes

https://twitter.com/#!/pitchforkmedia/status/161548420497145857

Yeah, yeah. I'm sure they're deeply schooled in listening to Black Metal and all sorts of other non-traditional styles of Metal. Their review history includes some Opeth albums, Mastodon, Agalloch's latest and maybe Krallice.

Yeah, Pukefork Media, where all Metal fans should get their reviews from.

LOL. They're probably never going to stop this shit until someone they look up to actually calls them out on it.

Local Natives - Bowery "City of Music" (Fan Made w/band Video?)

Pitchfork blows chunks, but so be it. This video is really well made, almost surreal video done I believe in Minnesota. My gf's friend did some of the production or filming I guess.

This song and ballet really fit well together.

Rollingstone.com 100 Greatest Debut Albums: King Crimson?

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-100-greatest-debut-albums-of-all-time-20130322

So, it's actually impressive and surprising to see the likes of Toy Matinee and Apes and Androids in there (or Ours, The Receiving End of Sirens, The Dear Hunter, Kevin Gilbert among so many others), along with King Crimson of course...LOL.

But it is Rolling Stone, more or less the proto-Pitchfork. Even the blurbs seem to resemble the tripe-like approach that comes from P-Fork and MTV began vomiting out by the early 90's.

Maybe I'll try and compile my own list somehow, but maybe not with too many blurbs as that adds to the amount of time it takes to finish of course.

Agalloch - 2012 North American Summer Tour

It's great and everything that they are doing maybe their most extensive American Tour ever, but given there's no date for Minneapolis or St.Paul, I can't help but remember how naive the promoters in my hometown are about Metal and progressive Metal if the band isn't named Dream Theater or Opeth.

Agalloch have even become somewhat HIPSTER/PITCHFORK/NPR APPROVED, lol.

Of course there are dates in Chicago and Milwaukee, but also OMAHA, NEBRASKA???? I'm sure their fan base is enormously higher than what we have here in Minnesota, it was an obvious preference, lol.

O well, odds are even if we had a date, it'd be at Station 4, in the middle of the Summer which of course is a SAUNA without any air-conditioning.

That likely being the case, I would still like to see these guys live someday, and meet Don Anderson among others. Maybe talk to him about Sculptured, etc. But unless something changes or falls through, it'll have to be on another tour. Perhaps in the Fall or Winter if Station 4 is the venue, which at least with a lack of AC there then, it's not quite as sweat inducing an environment. Although the lack of AC is hardly the only issue with Station 4, but it remains the biggest issue still.

Agalloch does have a new EP coming this year titled Faustian Echoes which I'm looking forward to, but I still would trade seeing them live for getting to hear that right now.

Facebook announcement

“We fumed and screamed in our mountain nook, mad drunken Americans in the mighty land. We were on the roof of America and all we could do was yell, I guess—across the night, eastward over the Plains…” – Jack Kerouac, On the Road

AGALLOCH will embark on a full US tour this summer. We will be playing the following dates:

Wed 7/11 in Portland, OR at Branx w/Eight Bells
Thu 7/12 in Seattle, WA at the Crocodile w/Eight Bells
Fri 7/13 in Vancouver BC at the Rickshaw w/Eight Bells
Sat 7/14 in Spokane, WA at The A Club w/Eight Bells
Sun 7/15 - TBA
Mon 7/16 - TBA
Tue 7/17 in Denver, CO at Bluebird Theater
Wed 7/18 in Omaha, NE at Waiting Room
Thu 7/19 in Milwaukee, WI at Miramar Theater
Fri 7/20 in Chicago, IL at Reggie's
Sat 7/21 in Ann Arbor, MI at Blind Pig w/Musk Ox
Sun 7/22 in Cleveland, OH at Beachland Ballroom
Mon 7/23 in Toronto, ON at Opera House w/Musk Ox
Tue 7/24 in Montreal, QC at Petit Campus w/Musk Ox
Wed 7/25 in Boston, MA at Middle East
Thu 7/26 in Brooklyn, NY at Williamsburg Music Hall w/Musk Ox
Fri 7/27 in Philadelphia, PA at Underground Arts
Sat 7/28 in Springfield, VA at Empire
Sun 7/29 in Raleigh, NC at King's Barcade
Mon 7/30 - OFF
Tue 7/31 in Tampa, FL at Orpheum
Wed 8/01 in Atlanta, GA at The Earl
Thu 8/02 in Birmingham, AL at Bottletree w/Pallbearer
Fri 8/03 in New Orleans at One Eyed Jack's w/Pallbearer
Sat 8/04 - TBA
Sun 8/05 in Austin, TX at Red 7
Mon 8/06 - OFF
Tue 8/07 - OFF
Wed 8/08 - TBA
Thu 8/09 in San Diego, CA at The Casbah w/Author & Punisher
Fri 8/10 - TBA
Sat 8/011 in San Francisco, CA at Great American Music Hall

We will continue to update this list as dates/venues and opening acts are confirmed.

Joining us for main support will be TAURUS (featuring Stevie Floyd of DARK CASTLE & Ashley Spungin ex-PURPLE RHINESTONE EAGLE). We are excited by their experimental and challenging music and feel they are a perfect fit for us: www.facebook.com/TAURUSISDUST

This tour will mark the release of our recently recorded EP “Faustian Echoes” on both LP and CD. We have taken great care in the design of this release. Sometime before the tour we will have both a streaming and digital download option available. However, the LP and CD versions will only be available at the shows during the dates on the tour and will be available via mail order after the tour.

We will be adding material (both new and old) to our set list and depending on stage time we anticipate playing between 90-120 minutes. The set will rotate each night. We have carefully selected local openers whose music fits the environment of an Agalloch show. Where there are no openers selected, we will play nearly 120 minutes. We are all personal fans of the openers and encourage everyone to show up early to see them.

We will have a variety of merchandise for sale including: 2 new shirt designs, our back catalog, “The Demonstration Archive,” “Marrow of the Spirit” vinyl, a tour poster by Stevie Floyd, original photographic prints by Veleda Thorsson, and various other odds and ends.

NOCTIS V METAL FEST APPEARANCE in Calgary, AB

We are further pleased to announce that we will appear at the Noctis V Metal Fest in Calgary, AB on Sat 9/29

We will post further news and updates via our Official Facebook:

www.facebook.com/AgallochOfficial

and Twitter:

@AgallochBand

Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I #1 on rateyourmusic.com !

rateyourmusic.com 2012 Chart



Yes!. Take that Hipsters! and your substance-less, Kacica-wannabe band Beach House. (or Apes and Androids wannabes Japandroids)

Ne Obliviscaris just brought some justice to your list.

Of course we'll see, but don't be surprised if a bunch of Non-Metal listening/P4K lemmings go and downrate it.

But for now, like Pepe Deluxe and Anathema earlier this year, an actual album that warrants being on top, is.

Jimmy Gnecco News: (The Heart re-release/Weathervane)

Interesting interview, 1st off the frequent praise of Mercy and stressing how still not enough people even heard it, which I would totally echo, in fact I probably haven't echoed enough even on this blog. Mercy is a 5-star record that Rick Rubin's name is on as the producer (for what that actually means), yet even with Rubin getting a Grammy Nomination for its mix I recall, it really never got talked about like it should have. Hip4k I don't think even reviewed it, nor did 89.3 or Radio K ever play anything off of it. But they still could of course. Will they? I probably have a better chance getting my own Technical Death Metal show on 89.3, than that happening.

But also in that interview, it's good to hear info about his current work. The Heart is being re-released and re-arranged, and initially coming out in Europe. The way he describes the difference in the songs, and adding strings, layers, electric guitar, has me pretty curious (even tho I'm a huge fanboy anyway, The Heart didn't end up as great as I hoped last year. Maybe revisiting it would help).

And then the info that I was just reading about this project Weathervane here on the Ours forum, and Weathervane made music for the soundtrack for the film Head Hunters. If I'm getting this all correctly.





Sample of a song/interview here with Paul and Jimmy.

This musician Paul Waaktaar-Savoy I guess is one of if not the main creative force behind a-ha.

I'm curious what this may lead to as that song is pretty good, albeit a little different than Ours and Jimmy's solo music.

Warpaint 60 Seconds Acapella from Hip4K

I honestly do not recognize it (maybe I should). But if I were given 60 seconds by that pathetic website, I'd probably make it as un-hipster-like as I could. Maybe cram as many notes into 1 performance as possible and call it "we can be prog: deal with it hipsters"

Fleet Kittens - Helplessness Blues (2011) (1.0)

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues by subpop

Well Well Well. The band, who early in 2008, released an EP I liked Sun Giant and reminded me of my beloved (and almost entirely unknown) Cavil at Rest, and then went on to release their self-titled full-length record a few months later and became the hipster-est of all hipster bands in a few short months. And I went on to realize the album had 1 or 2 good songs on it, with the rest basically using the exact same idea, on every song.

Okay, fine. But of course the praise I never felt was deserved. But that's the way the Hipfork machine works, right? as I came to learn. And Cavil at Rest went on to become even less like this band, even with their name change to Local Natives and their debut album in late 2009 Gorilla Manor.

That all being said, the Fleet Kittens, could be worthy of their real name (or better) if they would evolve and change their style, even the slightest amount. First off, on Sun Giant they had drums and more electric guitar, than on the lp that followed. They need to do more of that.

But they also need to get away from the same formula of Accapella Folk Music with a bit of acoustic guitar. Change it. Add piano, horns, tom drums, xylophone, even a fucking FEMALE SINGER might help. Just stop writing music as a bloody one-trick-pony as their debut album is/was.

And this new song of theirs, after hearing it once, really doesn't sound much different. 5+ minutes in, there finally is a little bit of drum work and electric guitar. But it's so stripped down and in the background, it may as well not even be there.

Maybe they need a different producer or something. Get Rick Rubin or David Botrill to have them use more loudness, more range, more color. ANYTHING frankly. Get them to show some fucking balls! lol.

But basically, I will check this record out, and if it's basically Fleet Kittens Part 2.0. It's sayonara to this band. But by some miracle they do something new and different, I'll be at least close to back where I was after enjoying Sun Giant.

Eating Crow? no. The mere fact I'm even giving them mention and actually going to listen to this album, more or less doesn't warrant that at this point. The sad thing is, they could be good, if they modified and evolved their sound enough. Could they be even close to as good as Local Natives? fat chance. But unlike some of the other Hipfork groups (Vampire Weekend, Yeasayer), I suppose they at least could climb out of the style-with-no-substance category with the right changes.

I guess we'll find out on May 3rd (or around that time).

Local Natives - Gorilla Manor (Pukefork Media 8.4/10)

8.4/10

fuck it. A whole meltdown was just lost. It's probably better this way.

The 8.4/10 might be a bad sign as a lot of the best, loved music ends up much lower than that. And the review is embarassingly difficult to understand, like more or less all pukefork reviews.

They gave Apes and Androids Blood Moon 7/3/10. That sure helped them, huh.

Cavil at Rest - Orion Way Reviewed June 23, 2007



rateyourmusic review
A California-based band I was introduced to at the very start of the year and I never tired of their music. This EP or really a combination of previously released EPs on one disc, is without a bad song. A group which excels at writing happy, poppy, catchy songs. "Who's There" they actually made a video for, but they are as far as I am aware, an unsigned talent. They certainly have the potential to catch-on big if given the right exposure. I love the barbershop type vocal-harmonies they do especially. The track "Let Down Your Guard" has this great echoing chorus There's-no-decide-ing-which-side to-air-on" which gets in your head. "It's Still Not as Bad" has a great upbeat crescendo. repeated phrase "It's alright...Standing next to you."

"Sun Hands" and "We Could Love" are classics. The latter having this gorgeous piano melody with vocal-chanting that is highly goose-bump worthy and maybe their greatest moment. "The Flower of Rhodes" has an awesome melody which reminds me of Happy- Kaddisfly. "Tidal Killer" and "All Is Well and Good" you can notice some great elements of Jeff Buckley and Phish. The closer "House on Stilts" has this warm, fun, happy, like Jellyfish vibe. It's a cliché to say, but they really are greater than the sum of all their parts. Their songwriting is just so strong and positive, I can't say enough good things about this band. Why their 1st full-length LP is quite high on my list of upcoming records. If it's anything like this full-EP, no doubt it'll be something I'll (and hopefully many others) will be into.

maybe some of the indie lemmings will check this equally impressive collection of songs.

I'm starting to turn out to be right. 89.3, Sound Opinions, Radio K, Citypages..ya'll can't ignore that. Now ya'll should listen to me about dozens more artists who I am right about as well. In a FAIR WORLD THEY WOULD.

Bend Sinister for example, just won $50,000 in a contest in Canada. Gee, was I not right about them too? I believe I was ahead of the curve with them as well. Perhaps in a year or 2, they'll be at least a percentage closer to where Local Natives are about to be, visibility-wise.