Espers II

New Espers CD is definitely pretty as it should be, and definitely Fairport Convention folk-drone, but not really with songs, and not really country. Belongs more on the psychedelic drone thread, but that thread's a bore. I never heard their first one (assuming this is their second), but they don't really seem like a band you'd need more than one CD by anyway.
(and there's something amusing and maybe even audacious and Espers opening their album with "Variation on a Guitar Progression out of 'Stairway to Heaven,'" except they call it "Dead Queen" instead.)
-- xhuxk (xedd...), February 25th, 2006.

strom - they are from Philly!

greg looks INTENSE.

replace Edinburgh with Los Angeles = OTM
including willingness to be wowed

Annnnd WOW. Four songs in this is an unbelievable step forward for these guys. Darker and tighter, more vivid production. Ballsier songwriting. When the drums (!!!) came in on Widow's Weed it was a shocking, musical-chill producing moment, first because I wasn't expecting drums on an Espers record, and then because of how huge and menacing it sounded. Now, in the middle, they've brightened things up a bit and the Fairport influence is becoming more pronounced. I'm seriously loving this.

this in STARK contrast to their amazingness of their new album: it's marvelous. (and dear band: i would never have heard it, let alone be buying and pitching it for magazine features and stuff, if i had not downloaded the thing.)

ESPERS II (Drag City) record release show!
w/ Currituck County and Lexie Mountain
Saturday, May 6
8pm
@ Lithuanian Music Hall
2715 E. Allegheny Ave. (Port Richmond--- Public Transportation by Girard Avenue ..15 Trolley)
de Sixth Borough, PA

$8 suggested donation / all ages / 21+ to drink
sponsored by Arthur Magazine, for more information contact
laris@arthurmag.com / 917-446-3087

Link to directions at http://www.espers.org

Vinyl and CD copies of ESPERS II will be for sale!

Kaleidoscopic projections by Roby Newton of Lexie Mountain Boys!

http://www.espers.org/lithuanianhall/promoposterweb.jpg

They posted a stream of the album on myspace:

http://www.philebrity.com/player.php?AIDL=33&site=PLB

I give up.

I've never heard their records

By the way, I think the new record sounds great, except for that hippie crap. And the rehash psych nonsense. And all that singing in tune bullshit. And yes, we are Finnish.

Love Greg

Espers plz tour Alaska.

Anybody familiar with the band Brightblack?

"I like Espers, but thought the previous record was sweeter, and hence, I listen to more. what are people latching onto w/this record so much more than the first?"

Listened to both albums back to back, do not hear the sweetness of the first honestly. Both sound bleak in their own ways, but the first thick with its bleakness. I think there is more space in II, while having more instruments and effects. Production sounds great (all of those extra sounds shining nicely) and as sean mentioned, the drums. The songs are still long, but they wander much less. Seems slightly more song oriented and with more peaks, like the drums breaking in track 2. Dark, but quiet and beautiful. "Cruel Storm" is their prettiest song.

Loved the first album, but I think this one has replaced it for me.

That reminded me a lot of Godspeed You Black Emperor.

I just miss the Fresh Maggots-style fuzz guitar tracked over top of every song.

Now that you're an indie superstar, will my copy of What The Cat Dragged In fetch big money on eBay?

Awake Like Sleep is great. I haven't spent enough time with Blood Is Trouble to give an opinion.

That's the stupidest thing I've heard in a long time.

Brightblack was impressive. Not my thing, but they had a really jazzy feel to them that was cool. All the songs sounded the same, though.

Still fucking great.

I just got this album in FOPP for £3! It's a nice listen but, in places, I find the sheer derivativeness of it annoying

Still never heard it. Bought the first album, but that didn't make much of an impression on me, so I've never bothered with II. Did I boob?

It's worth £3

As I said, the Fairport/Fotheringay vibe is a bit silly though

I think I may have been the first person to own this album on vinyl! How's THAT for a claim to fame.

As these things go, it's probably about a £3 claim to fame.

there's a new Espvall/Batoh album on the way soon (mp3 at Drag City.com) which is pretty sweet.

Yeah, I was reminded a bit of Ghost on listening to this album

I like this one the most! Haven't really felt much of their other stuff. Of course I got into this album about the same time as my delve into Fairport Convention, so Tom D. probably pretty otm.

I don't think they sound too much like Fairport, really, though I'm sure that Espers is well-versed in that band -- I get the Pentangle comparisons ...

Oh man, they are totally going for a Sandy Denny thing, as opposed to Fairport per se, on several tracks

Yeah, Sandy Denny, maybe, but Fairport was always waaaaay more of a rock band than people seem to remember.

This album does sound a bit late-60s British folk-rock, with maybe a bit of an early Black Sabbath gothic vibe thrown in there too. But, hey, those are classic veins well-worth mining, and they take things in enough of a new direction that I have no problem with it. Everything's derivative of something.

espers basically do a stylized version of brit folk that never actuall existed as far as i can tell.

yeah, that's sort of a good way of putting it -- even stuff like Comus, which I think espers is going for in terms of vibe, doesn't really *sound* like this.

My favorite thing this band has doen is the covers ep, The Weed Tree.

yeah comus does come to mind, but comus, pentangle, and obv fairport had musicians that were really comfortable with blues and jazz styles and that influence comes through a lot in their stuff.

^otm^. these guys go for a way darker deep forest gothic vibe and aren't nearly as loose as fairport. not a knock (love espers) but upthread dude complaining that they sound exactly like fairport means you're not really listening to one or the other

Uhhhhhhhhhhh, where did I say they sounded exactly like Fairport? I think their more Gothic side actually sounds a bit like Popol Vuh. Apologies and all that, but I found the derivativeness of this album a problem.

derivativeness isn't quite my problem with the band (and I like them fine, don't get me wrong), but it's more sort of a dress-up, play-act-y thing I get from them overall. then again, it's easy to forget that people like Fairport were also kids dressing up as well, at least to some extent ...

most music is derivative. i think they ride mellow candle a lot more than fairport/fotheringay but who cares

i really love this band.

me too. been waiting impatiently since 'the valerie project' for anything new by them

Anyone here check out the Trembling Bells album yet? Same sort of ballpark, but much more of a Steeleye vibe than a Fairport one and they don't have the gauzy haze that the Espers I heard has. Don't love it all, but there's a couple of songs (especially 'Willows of Carbeth') that are just flat out WOW afaic.

Espers side projects are great too -- that Meg Baird solo album is stellar.

what's the valeria project?

haven't heard trembling bells, but a steeleye vibe is interesting

Trembling Bells myspace

valerie project is basically an Espers soundtrack to Valerie and her Week of Wonders, trippy czech cult film from the 70s

http://www.insound.com/The_Valerie_Project_The_Valerie_Project_2xLP/productmain/p/INS40743/

woah dang hadn't heard of that! thx for the heads up

it's ok, not amazing ... some parts pretty solid, others kinda tiresome

this trembling bells stuff is dece tho the girl thinks she is sandy denny and is definitely not.

lol at the Joe Boyd quote. A blessing from the pope!

that Meg Baird solo album is stellar.

yes!

also yes!

I love Espers II but not the other Espers stuff. Agree it "sounds like i imagine other things sound like" but those things don't actually exist. So well arranged, spooky, rising, great. I bought it on vinyl also!

if anyone's interested here's my interview w/ meg baird from a few years back: http://www.junkmedia.org/index.php?i=2055

nice ali roberts interview there too. he's so slept on still it's pretty sad

noooo shit. that new album of his is probably one of my top five records thus far this year. maybe top 3! i still need to gather up some of his other recordings, I don't think I have it all ...

i actually think Ali is a good comparison here -- I get a little more out of him than Espers because he's got a little more warmth/playfulness/humor in his music, which I think is a HUGE, often overlooked part of folk music these days.

really? found his new one so dull.

(i like Roberts a lot, and absolutely in person, but that's his big problem - too dull!)

i think the only thing i find lacking in this new one is maybe that it's bit less melodically memorable than some of his past stuff. but the lyrics are astounding -- some beautiful, beautiful stuff in there.

I've been loving 'Spoils' too. Had neglected Roberts for a few years, now feeling like a big dummy. BTW, he plays with some of the Trembling Bells guys in a band called the Black Flowers. It ain't all that really, but their album's not bad. Versions of 'Calvary Cross' and 'Polly On The Shore' on it, if that gives you a clue as to where they're coming from. It's on eMusic if you're still signed up, Tyler.

not on emusic anymore, but i'll have to check it out, sounds fun. since we're discussing English-y folk rock here, I may as well post this youtube clip of Richard Thompson & Robyn Hitchcock playing the Incredible String Band last weekend ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gVzYlGFQTE

looking forward to III. coming out in october. and i don't look forward to anything!

http://www.dragcity.com/system/album_products/images/1515/large.jpg?1250884669

actually, now i'm thinking i might bug drag city for a copy cuz i don't feel like waiting.

hot damn, thanks for the news!

It's on Drag City? Damn. That's not on eMusic, at least in the U.S. market.

whoa--i listened to ii yesterday having no idea that iii was announced. well if there's any band to have a telepathic moment with...

I hope II gets a mention in some of the best-discs-of-the-decade lists (only the ones that go very deep, say around 200 albums or more; still, it's a very good, and underappreciated, disc).

yeah listening to it the whole way through for the first time in ages it is really, really excellent.

i am looking closely at the cover up there, and seeing, what? a ninja academy? maybe kurihara is guesting

I have been stuck on The Weed Tree cause I love it so much, but this is a good incentive to revisit II.

lol xp

sweet! looking forward to this. i did it upthread, but i'll put in another plug for the Batoh/Espvall Overloaded Ark album. so good.

yeah I really need to hear that

nice mix of free form psych along with some more straightforward folky stuff. the cover of "Sueno Con Serpientes" is incredible -- surely Damon & Naomi are kicking themselves for not getting to it first.

I have been stuck on The Weed Tree cause I love it so much

Yeah, The Weed Tree is my favorite, which is odd, since it has the most British Folk vibe. I hate most British Folk. But somehow I connect with Espers' spooky take on those types of songs.

espers iii is okay but a bit too pentangle, too much like the weed tree and the valerie whatever, not enough eerie comus, spirogyra, spires in the sunset rise unhinged no-neck blues band trip folk

spires that in the sunset rise

not enough eerie comus, spirogyra, spires in the sunset rise unhinged no-neck blues band trip folk

uh when did the espers resemble any of those bands

espers ii, and parts of the debut. meg baird reminds me a little bit of barbara gaskin

think i like III better than the previous ones for the reasons you mention! more Pentanlge/Steeleye kinda stuff, more about songs rather than vibe. also love all all the fuzzy lead guitar.

it's still a really good album. just wish it were stickier with spooky haunted baroque forest vibes. have you heard greg weeks' recent solo album, the hive, yet? there are some moments that anticipate this new one, i think. like the madonna (!) cover, "borderline"

hm, didn't even know the Weeks thing existed. I actually have heard very little of his solo stuff ...

it's pretty good. helena espvall and margaret weinks guest. clips in the link
http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=142668

espers lite

bummer that the new espers album is so boring. they mostly played it tonight at the bell house, doing older originals only to open and close the set. both those songs were way more exciting and absorbing than anything from iii. still though meg is smoking hot

oh, I almost went to that show tonight.
I guess the scene was a bit of a downer due to the news re: Jack Rose.

snow didn't help turnout either. they dedicated the last song of the first set to jack. i hadn't heard the sad news yet

just got espers III....wasn't totally feeling it but it might be a grower

it's nothing special and a drastic step down in terms of ambition imo

i love this record ... my older brother who is a hardcore steeleye span/fairport dude said it was his fave new record of the last 5 years. he probably only heard about ten new records in the last 5 years but ...

yeah II is the fucking business, man, honestly might be in my top 10 of the last few years

I like III a lot, although I think it's uneven and a bit unsteady at times. I find "Another Moon Song" more memorable than anything from II. I can't quite connect with them doing "loud", I much prefer it when they do "pretty", which explains why I like Weed Tree so much. That said, I think II is a more consistent album even w/o the high points of the latest.

Gonna relisten to II right now, maybe it will change my mind. I can see what cad is saying about it having more ambition, it's definitely an "album" and III doesn't flow the same at all.

yeah, i see that -- i guess what III sounded like to me was a more song-based approach. they could've gone further "out" from II, but sounds like they made the conscious decision to rein things in a little, be more economical.

also sorta appreciated that there are a few songs here that are almost ... sexy? nto a word i would've used to describe them before.

i hope i end up liking III, just didn't totally grab me, only listened once.

My favorite Espers track has turned out to be their cover of "Flaming Telepaths."