caroline - the band from london, who are excellent despite insisting on lowercase

ok fine! I'm doing it! the exquisite English band CAROLINE (lowercase), a shaggy collective of singers and electric guitarists and strings-players and drummers who were formed as a Jeremy Corbyn support act (allegedly) and who make an electrifying indie-rock indebted to slowcore and improv and folk - and, on the new single, glitchy electronics - aligned with the early 00ness of Songs:Ohia, Mogwai, Hood, Xiu Xiu and Maher Shalal Hash Baz, but then also today-acts like Perfume Genius and King Krule and i dunno Lucrecia Dalt?

they are deeply sincere, with a love of group-singing that lifts the heart to a sacred harp rafters, but tied up enough in punk-rock scruff that there are scrapes and sharps and it never gets too pretty. at the same time: disjointed tempos, quiet-loud dynamics, making what might otherwise feel like backward-looking rockism somehow forward-facing and progressive.

together with people like Archy Marshall, Nilufer Yanya, Mica Levi, Tirzah and Wolf Alice, caroline make some of the most interesting indie music in the UK (nay the world!) right now.

the new song is "Total Euphoria," with a UK tour on the way:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwUapT421Xs

the old classic is "Dark Blue":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0E7ImaolC0

and here's them playing live, doing their thing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l8w0YQ5I_c

am i the only one hopped up on these folk?

I like it even if I think their approach reminds me a lot of uh some other groups utilizing the same influences like Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp

You’re not the only one, I listened to “Dark Blue” a lot when it came out. It’s in the vicinity of where I wish an old band of mine had gone but didn’t.

Unfortunately I already have tickets for Pulp the same night as their upcoming Glasgow show.

I saw them play at the Quietus benefit show in Brixton a couple of years ago and found them infuriating - felt like I was intruding on some very earnest collective musical therapy session. Couldn't get my head around them at all. The forthcoming album however has a couple of tunes that are absolute spring bangers. Still feels like they drift into focus almost by accident, but when they do it's magical.

My own stance is that they almost have potential but they're way too po-faced and dull for my tastes, but I'll still check this new stuff I guess

enjoyed the debut

lol 'way too dull for my tastes' is underhand sorry

amend to 'way too po-faced and linear' there the illusion of objectivity is established

saw them a while back, they were great

gave off a music school hipster vibe

Their name is quite close to Caroliner for comfort... could lead to some intense confusion for dyslexic fans.

they should be on the Caroline label.

instantly love "total euphoria," very cool how the disjointedness almost coheres

music that made me think i had two youtube windows open at once

they're very nice people, at least. i went to a house party round jasper's a couple of year back and was impressed to see a CD of bluetile lounge's 'half cut' on the shelf. i can hear the influence. i also like how mike wore the same red jumper for two years and insisted on using a fold-up table instead of a music stand. two of them play on my friend kiran's new album: https://kleonard.bandcamp.com/album/real-home

i second that album being worth your time

what! this song is class. on repeat. the mix is a bit of a mess, mind you. hyper-compressed flat production leaves me averse to so much new music...

i like this album (the most recent one). good recommendation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAg3YuHkMHQ

i haven't cared about anything they've done before but i really like this one

i'm more ambivalent to this one, but that's probably my inbuilt hostility to Polachek

dynamics are very Agaetis Byrjun!

This is one of the spring bangers I mentioned above. Love it - has been my soundtrack for the cherry blossom eruption across south London this month.

I like the band a lot — they did a great set at Big Ears a few years back. Wouldn't have expected a Polachek collaboration, I wonder if it somehow occurred just because of their name? I think it works pretty well although that may be because I can imagine caroline absorbing just about any influence into their whirlpool. It's the first time they've reminded me of early Animal Collective, which may be good or bad depending on your tastes.

so uplifting!

2 sounds great so far!
The 'doof-doof dance party in the next room/one floor above or below' kick-drum production on "When I get home" is among the clever sonic tricks am digging. Really into all the intimate jumpcuts/overlays.

some of this is wonderful and some of this is insufferable

"coldplay cover" should have been named "bloc party cover"

love "When I get home", waiting for the rest to click with me

the polachek song is amazing, but it should have also been called "caroline" in order to achieve maximum caroline

can this be the stealth kiran leonard thread

this just out is one of the best live albums....ever? ft some of caroline

https://kleonard.bandcamp.com/album/small-brown-bed-with-you-waltz

leonard is too good for this thread

the polachek song is amazing, but it should have also been called "caroline" in order to achieve maximum caroline

― josh az (2011nostalgia), Wednesday, June 4, 2025 7:12 AM (five days ago) bookmarkflaglink

And released on

https://e.snmc.io/i/900/s/84284af90c6a27d46018375cef68453f/121499/Caroline%2C+Label+logo.jpeg

oh, that joke has been made already

they should be on the Caroline label.

― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Wednesday, March 19, 2025 12:29 PM (two months ago) bookmarkflaglink

incredible last night in leeds. dynamic, compelling, engaging, sincere. and such a lovely bunch to chat with.
they have a sub-harmonic generator set up, and the blowout in total euphoria hit so damn hard after half an hour of playing so quietly!!!
thx imago, i mixed that kiran live stuff, haha. we went for maximum powah.