This should satisfy me... but it doesn't.

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Inspired by buying the Warlocks album this weekend. I mean, come on, this band was designed by robots to make me love them. They're on Bomp!, they've got ex members of the BJM, they're namechecked by Sonic Boom, they do that swirly sort of VU/Spacemen3/Nuggets psych rock thing with an authenticity that shows up idiots like the BRMC for the poodleperms that they are.

Yet strangely, two songs in, and it's leaving me cold. It's almost like it's _too_ authentic, too deliberately aimed straight at my musical tastes, and I'm feeling almost manipulated.

Have you ever bought an album, knowing that it would be *perfect* for you, and found that it was *too* perfect for you to actually get into?

And at what point do you stop being impressed by too good examples of genres that you love? At what point do you become cynical and say "Sorry, this is too much like the rest of my record collection." Sorry if that doesn't make sense.

Maybe this album will grow on me. I suspect that it will, and in time I will just treat it like the Dandy Warhols album that I forgot to buy in 1996.

― kate, Monday, 7 April 2003 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I think you've nailed the Warlocks' problem, kate. They were pretty good when I saw them, but the entire time I couldn't get Spaceman 3 songs out of my head.

― hstencil, Monday, 7 April 2003 14:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I like BRMC :(

― arc-de-ciel, Monday, 7 April 2003 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm at about song 4 and I've just re-adjusted my attitude to believe that I'm listening to a Spacemen 3 album, and I was liking it just fine ... UNTIL THE BLOKE STARTED SINGING. And he started whining in this fake mid-Atlantic whinge that sounded toooo disconsertingly like Brian bloody Molko.

Up until then, I was perfectly happy beliving it was a lost track from Sound Of Confusion or Fade-Out or something.

The funny thing, is these are exactly the thoughts that went through my head when I first heard the BJM - i.e., this is the perfect encapsulation of MY ENTIRE RECORD COLLECTION. The conclusion then (about 6 or 7 years ago) was that I could dispense with my record collection and just listen to the BJM from then on.

But now I've got this vague feeling of irritation about it. Like "Why do I need this album when I've already got my entire collection?"

― kate, Monday, 7 April 2003 14:33 (twenty-two years ago)

the funny thing is the guy sings in a British accent, even tho they're from Los Angeles or something.

― hstencil, Monday, 7 April 2003 14:33 (twenty-two years ago)

So does Anton Newcombe, but it's funny when Anton does it.

Well, about as funny as all these British New Rock Revolution bands trying to sing like Lou Reed.

― kate, Monday, 7 April 2003 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

This is NOT intended to be a thread about the Warlocks, BTW. I was just using them as an example.

― kate, Monday, 7 April 2003 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

it took me about 4 years to actually enjoy listening to hoover. perfect mix of exactly what I listened to most at the time they were around (94ish) lots of fugazi/girls against boys/slint influence with a smattering of dub and jazz. exactly the same reaction as stated above. I got with them after a while though.

― simon 803 (simon 803), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

...too deliberately aimed straight at my musical tastes, and I'm feeling almost manipulated.
Welcome to Modern Pop Culture.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I've got a lot of respect and admiration for the Mekons, but outside of a small handful of songs, I have never become a big fan of their music.

― earlnash, Monday, 7 April 2003 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)

There is a difference between feeling like someone is "on your wavelength" or "in your universe" and feeling like you are a demographic with a big target audience painted on your back.

― kate, Monday, 7 April 2003 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I have a simliar example: Pavement's "Slanted and Enchanted" was supposed to be some sort of witty VU meets XTC pastiche (or so I'd been told), so I went out and got it and was bored barely half a song in. But it was something that should've hit all my weak spots. I felt sooooo cheated.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:47 (twenty-two years ago)

simon, have you moved on to Regulator Watts yet? Do so! It's another Alex Dunham band, and they're great (not quite as good as Hoover, but close).

Anton's my hero, by the way.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I haven't heard them yet but I think I will like the Warlocks too and I know what you mean about that sick feeling you get when you can see the marketing angles, like you're being lined up. I get that with TV adverts sometimes like Ray Winstone Holsten ads. Having said that, aren't you usually suspicious when someone stroke something attempts to trade off the authenticity angle? Always gets me suspicious. But is that what the Warlocks is doing?

I'm just trying to think of some music that I thought would be perfect and in fact, it did happen when someone first played me the 12 Dreams by Spirit. However, that album IS actually perfect for me so that doesn't work. Err, maybe the White Stripes sort of. First time I heard them was late, like when the first bubble of hype had burst a couple of years back. And though I thought I'd love, there's something in the package which just puts me off a little - those matching clothes and that brother/sister/lover schtick. Maybe that's just what the press likes to get excited about but put it together with this 'authentic' pose and the fact that they are so damn cool, and I start to feel a little nauseous. And I have just a little less time for the product.

Hmm, but that's like missing the point, isn't it. Like Kate, you didn't really talk about the Warlocks' music much up there. Like, all the stoof that's got up yer nose is extraneous to what they're actually doing on record. I think maybe I have the same problem with the Stripes which is stoopid isn't it, cos it's supposed to be all about the music. I mean, I can make judgements about authenticity myself, and in fact, maybe that's the problem. Can't handle someone telling me what's authentic and what's not.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it all though eh. Should just chill out and enjoy the sound.

ps: that's a joke about those FUCKING Ray Winstone Holsten ads.

― Roger Fascist (Roger Fascist), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I could be mistaken, but I thought one of the dudes from the Warlocks WAS from the U.K. And then he relocated.I could be wrong though.And I don't even know if it was the singer. They are really good live if you stand next to their speakers.
For me it's the Stooges. If I hear a band sounds like them, I know that I can safely avoid them. I kinda wish more people sounded like Spacemen 3, though. Or at least, I wish more bands had 3 guitarists and two drummers( or maybe 3 drummers) like the Warlocks. Cuz I like armys of fuzz to invade my ears.

― Scott Seward, Monday, 7 April 2003 14:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, all the bands that people say sound like V.U. rarely do. But all the bands who really do remind me of V.U. I love. Feelies, Bizarros, Human Switchboard, RFTT/Pere Ubu, um, others that I can't think of. So, yeah, I wish more bands ACTUALLY sounded like V.U. instead of having some essence or something of V.U. like the Strokes.

― Scott Seward, Monday, 7 April 2003 14:55 (twenty-two years ago)

The White Stripes is an EXCELLENT example. I really loved that one album of theirs, but my enthuisiasm waned really quickly, and I found that it just made me want to listen to Pixies and Gun Club albums.

― Scott Seward, Monday, 7 April 2003 14:58 (twenty-two years ago)

I had this problem with the second Basement Jaxx record. Everything was perfect about it in a way, I understood all the rave reviews it got, and the basic M.O. (let's assume 'house' means anything we want it to mean, including chipmunk voices, Euro beats, heavy metal buzz, and Prince) is right down my alley, but...it just never connected that deeply (I still prefer the debut). I'm still holding out hope that I'll one day "get" it.

― s woods, Monday, 7 April 2003 15:01 (twenty-two years ago)

It's one of BRMC that is actually English, not the Warlocks.

What bothers me about the Warlocks is...

1) The singer's voice. It just sounds thin and reedy and whingey when it needs to come on stronger. People like Sonic Boom or Iggy Pop - they couldn't necessarily *sing* but they had very strong and distinctive voices, and were good at emoting. While this guy just wibbles.

2) The music is just *so* derivative. I can't point to anything and say "I don't like this or that" but ... right now there's a middle eight of track five which sounds so much like We Will Fall by the Stooges that I thought for a minute I'd put the wrong record on. I'm caught between wanting music that SOUNDS A CERTAIN WAY and wanting music that DOES SOMETHING DIFFERENT with the sound that I love.

― kate, Monday, 7 April 2003 15:38 (twenty-two years ago)

yah the warlocks a fucking crap.

remember that mike watt solo album that came out circa 97 (i think) ??
wow this album has everyone on it! all my favorites! maggot brain cover! minutemen cover! wow it really sucks.

― chaki (chaki), Monday, 7 April 2003 15:42 (twenty-two years ago)

There is a difference between feeling like someone is "on your wavelength" or "in your universe" and feeling like you are a demographic with a big target audience painted on your back.

I get this feeling whenever I listen to hit country radio.

― Christine "Green Leafy Dragon" Indigo (cindigo), Monday, 7 April 2003 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

While I wasn't so hot on the full-length, I really liked that EP with "Song for Nico" (mmmmm....)
It reminded me more of late Jesus & Mary Chain

― Kate Silver (Kate Silver), Monday, 7 April 2003 15:50 (twenty-two years ago)

But that's the annoying thing, Chaki. The Warlocks *aren't* crap. They sound just like a bunch of bands I really like. They just don't satisfy me.

― kate, Monday, 7 April 2003 16:03 (twenty-two years ago)

well then they're mediocre which is worse!

― chaki (chaki), Monday, 7 April 2003 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

The Warlocks are totally derivative, but weirdly, it almost seems like that's the intention; like this is some kind of homage designed to hit the Jesus and Mary Chain base, the Velvets base, the Spacemen 3 base - methodically, one by one. I don't feel like they're packaged, exactly. But they seem to work on a level that doesn't feel totally authentic. I guess this is only a problem if you want to make it one.

― Jason J, Monday, 7 April 2003 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I should like Iron & Wine more than I do, since I'm a sucker for fingerpicked guitar, gently cooing vocals, self-harmonizing, lo-fi production, etc. But apart from a couple stand-out tracks, it sounds sort of bland.

There have been times when I have deliberately not bought a record I was eyeing because I was too sure I would like it. Like the new Brokeback record. I'm sure it's pleasant and right up my alley, so therefore there's nothing exciting about it.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 7 April 2003 17:55 (twenty-two years ago)

this has happened to me a few times:
usually because i become so focused on finding the ultimate record with such a specific difference of 'ultimate' that i forget what i even like in music. the best way to fight this emptyness is to go back to the original record buying technique: by cover. when you buy a record with a cool cover by a band you don't really know and it sounds so good for one reason or another: that is the ultimate.

― ddd, Monday, 7 April 2003 19:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I think this is the main reason that I never want to hear Interpol...

― kate, Tuesday, 8 April 2003 08:38 (twenty-two years ago)

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