The Shins' Oh, Inverted World: C/D?

(b) I really, really enjoy this record, and I've found it interesting that it's becoming the poppy indie record of choice for people I know who could care less about poppy indie. (From the cliche file: "Normally I hate this kind of stuff, but...") It's well-done, for the most part. Most notable, I think, is that it's the most stylistically diverse poppy-indie-record I've heard in several years, which I think is a good sign -- probably I'm getting nostalgic for the era when a pop band making a record meant playing different kinds of songs instead of shooting for the straight-through cohesive variations-on-a-theme feel.

Really, Nitsuh? The only other ABQ. band with decent national exposure I can think of is the Eyeliners...and I spent a year living in Santa Fe too...Of course, not bein old enough to get into clubs=I probably missed most of the local talent.

I would like to think that the southwest has a coherent 'sound,' but to tell the truth it's hard for me to tell where the southwest ends and the midwest picks up--In other words, quite a bit of Emo. It probably doesn't do help the Southwest's bid for originality that relatively well known Emo groups come through on the midwest circuit all the time. Given the greater critical acceptance of midwest Emo as the 'standard form' a lot of southwest bands ends up sounding derivative. Of course, on the club scene, it's probably different.

But I agree with Mark that they were a letdown live, tho maybe the night I saw them wasn't a fair representation--it seemed like the singer was losing his voice, and so the vocals got progressively thinner throughout the night until they were barely audible by the end of the set.

Next Beach Boys? Of course not. But 'Oh, Inverted World' will always have a fond place in my heart as *the* summer record of 2001.

As for defining the "southwest," I'd go with the following rule: if it has lots of corn, forget it. So my southwestern-sound region would include Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, some of western Texas, and Oklahoma. (Oklahoman bands occupy a whole lot of that sound, really -- compare the Shins record with the Starlight Mints record to see what I mean.) The record from back when the Shins were Flake Music is even more southwestern-y, I think.

Most successful southwestern-y sounding band ever: Gin Blossoms. Two notes and you can just tell these guys are from Arizona.

I haven't heard them yet. But those titles make me want to smack them around.

And Nitsuh -- the Gin Blossoms? Excuse me? May I direct you to a far more worthy band by the name of the Meat Puppets...

As for "New Slang," I find it pretty inoffensive as a title, but hey. That one is available in RealAudio here; follow the link to the Oh, Inverted World section.

I love this record, it's in my 21st century Top 10 I think. "Girl Inform Me" is a huge classic, but almost every song is likeable here. And please, don't mention 'Garden State'.