Steady as she goes'nt?
Saturday, April 10, 2010
So you're really pumped about one of your favorite band's new album. The release date comes closer and closer and anticipation is boiling over. You get a preview of one of the new songs and possibly a viewing of the cover art. As you wait patiently you start to wonder what direction this band is going to take the new album. You figure they might make it harder or groovier or they just might stick to the same formula that made you like them in the first place. So the time comes when you finally hear the album in its entirety and for some reason it completely blows. For example, say you've been out with your buddies, meet up with some broad, you feel like you're making a good impression and this might go somewhere. Then you buckle down, suck it up, cross your fingers and ask her to hang out again. You're riding a high, whether natural or alcohol induced, but then you're brought back to Earth or lower because the chick just punched you in the gut. That feeling rings too true. You feel awful, let down, almost betrayed. You have no real relationship or connection but for some reason the other party smacks you in the face. I've been there, other people have and I hope you have too cause if not then I want your life. The point of this is to try and get a bit of discussion and maybe some insight. I wanted to try and name some of the biggest artist let downs I have encountered and feel free to list your own cause it may make you feel better. Cause venting and complaining never feels better.
Oh good grief, it's the Beta Band. Do you realize what you did to so many people? You literally broke hearts around the world.

Yes!!! Very!!! It made no sense. Even the album artwork was terrible. Honestly, you guys went from a wide following to basically sprinting face first, willingly into a black hole. Who does that? You guys can't even say that you fell into the category of signing a major contract and having other people sticking their fingers in your soup. You literally jumped on a grenade and saved no one.

He friggin' killed himself! With a steak knife! Don't tell me you're that far off from reality. However, you're right. It wasn't his greatest but it wasn't bad. At least he went off with like a B.A. Homeboy can go ahead and call himself one of the greatest songwriters that ever walked this planet.


- Queens of the Stone Age - Lullabies to Paralyze: Hard to follow up from 'Songs for the Deaf' but gimme a break. Seriously not a single song to complement. Thank goodness Josh Homme has done a good job in Them Crooked Vultures.
- Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple: Kind of in the same category. 'St. Elsewhere' was so good that it pretty much changed an entire year. I will give the song 'Blind Mary' a thumbs up.
- Built to Spill - You in Reverse: Maybe age played a factor or maybe he wasted his tasty licks on his solo stuff but this just fell flat. Only redeeming factor was when the leaked copy came out and it had some guy yelling "who is Mike Jones?" every 30 seconds.
- The Hives - The Black and White Album: The previous albums were so good that I still get pumped when I hear any song from them. This album only produces tears and hair loss when I think about it.
- Hot Water Music - No Division: This album pretty much marks the steep decline of what used to be the most intense, no nonsense, rock band with the most conviction that I have ever encountered. Although I like it at times, it still cannot even compare to everything that came before. I literally get chills, seriously, from 'Forever and Counting' and 'Fuel for the Hate Game'. Too bad.
- Alkaline Trio - From Here to Infirmary: Another band falls into the trap of trying to appeal to a certain crowd. Why not just stick to what worked? I personally think it was the loss of Glenn Porter. One of the few drummers in the world who can take a mediocre song and turn it into your favorite.
- Mew - No More Stories: I can say that I was really stoked about a new album from a band that had such a heavy sound with great melodies that, somehow, incorporated a falsetto singer. I heard the single they released and felt okay about it but still thought there had to be more, bigger songs to compliment it. Nope.
- Jimmy Eat World - Futures: 'Clarity' and 'Bleed American' along with various EP's really made this a band with concrete promise of progressing into stud-dom. Honestly, this is one of those forgettable albums that makes you realize that they have peaked. Haven't listened to anything new since. Do they have anything recently?
2 comments:
First of all, this post is ludicrously awesome.
Secondly, some of these are pretty obvious, but:
...Trail of Dead - It's flabbergasting how AWFUL everything they've done after Source Tags & Codes is.
Antelope - One awesome ep, one awesome split, one giant turd of a boring album
Block Party - Weekend in the City was actually ok, Intimacy was pretty bad
Clor - putting out absolutely nothing after one of the greatest albums ever is simply unacceptable.
Foo Fighters - been on a steep decline ever since Nothing Left to Lose
Postal Service - Yes, I'm blaming them for Owl City
Tapes n' Tapes - Kind of hard to believe the same band made both The Loon and Walk It Off.
The Downfall of Weezer and Green Day have been discussed ad nauseam on this blog already, but they bare mentioning again.
Wow, I'm glad I never really got into the Beta Band. Also, I liked You In Reverse, the first song is good enough that I don't even care what the rest of the album sounds like. I don't really care for their newest one though. And, I haven't listened to it a ton, but since Pitchfork just gave the new MGMT a 6.8, I'm gonna go ahead and call it a huge disappointment.
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