Hefner's codas vs. all other music; UK view

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Here in the US we don't have a good lock on Hefner, which I think is one of the better Songs About Girls groups. Pitchfork draped their usual overwrought mess on their best record "We Love the City," AMG's take is a bit kinder but it doesn't seem anyone is really taken with them over here like I am. At least a coupla years ago when they visited NYC they played the same bars I get gigs at with microcassette & clarinet, etc.

The thing with these guys is that the end of almost every song is some gorgeous 4th section, completely different from the rest of the tune. It's obvious they write those first. Like the "don't stop no war / don't stop no cancer" end bit of "Greedy Ugly People" or the end of "Lee Remick" from their singles collection. Do any other good groups consistently pull this sort of trick? Also, what's the average UK view of this group? Are they a brokenhearted juggernaut like the Shins or too-nice-to-win types like Grandaddy? Do they chart, get in fights with Blur, etc?

Also, POO on Hefner is obviously "Peppermint Taste!"

― caspar (caspar), Thursday, 12 February 2004 16:43 (twenty-two years ago)

They've split up, more's the pity, and Darren and John now indulge themselves with the execrable French. I can't do this thread justice right now, but I want to do a proper post to it tomorrow...

(another excellent hefner coda: 'Love In The Stud Farm')

― Kate Jane Connolly (fixitgirl), Thursday, 12 February 2004 16:56 (twenty-two years ago)

ah! Split up! Pays to check these things out I guess. Was their last real record "Dead Media"?

― caspar (caspar), Thursday, 12 February 2004 16:58 (twenty-two years ago)

The last record, if I remember right, was the Hefner Brain EP.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Thursday, 12 February 2004 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

OK, change my questions to the past tense. "Were they a brokenhearted...," "Did they chart..."

― caspar (caspar), Thursday, 12 February 2004 17:06 (twenty-two years ago)

To be honest I don't think anyone outside of their, admittedly pretty solid and respectable, fanbase gave a shit either way.

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 12 February 2004 17:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I love Hefner. Can't believe they never got more respect. I picked up their first 10" at Vinyl Ink when I read the sticker on the front that Stuart Murdoch played keys on one song and I became obsessed with it. They never did a proper U.S. tour, did they? I never got to see them perform.

― Ben Boyer (Ben Boyer), Thursday, 12 February 2004 17:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Hefner played Chicago at least once - promoting The Fidelity Wars (I think that's their best record, caspar) and were fantastic. OK Go opened and half the crowd left when they were done, which was fine because I ended up square in front of the stage like an little fanboy (which at the time, I guess I sort of was).

― scott pl. (scott pl.), Thursday, 12 February 2004 17:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I am not a huge fan but you're right about the Greedy Ugly People coda.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 12 February 2004 17:55 (twenty-two years ago)

the b-sides from the first singles and the singles from 'breaking god's heart' make a pretty wonderful record as well. ant the drummer's solo records are wonderful, he's got a great voice, it's terribly twee but lovely all the same and the truth is that his voice never appeared enough on hefner records. i wonder if the fortune and glory person up there is the person who is releasing some of his records? 'hymn for berlin' is my favorite of the hymns though i thought it was great that he wrote one about thomas courtney warner. the french are just about the most dreadful thing ever.

― keith m (keithmcl), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:47 (twenty-two years ago)

another good example is the "i don't want to stay in love" bit from "Hymn for the cigarettes".. fucking great song that one.

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 12 February 2004 22:51 (twenty-two years ago)

re: best record, the thing with We Love the City is it has this common theme and is not spatted all about like their other records. I find the other full lengths to bit a bit uneven sometimes and do a lot of skipping. There's a great compilation somewhere in there, of course, but I'd have trouble removing stuff from WLtC besides "The Day that Thatcher Dies." Some other great endings: "Greater London Radio," "Don't Go," "As Soon As You're Ready..."

I should have guessed at the breakup with 'Dead Media,' I remember putting it on first time and freaking out! Who did they think they were! But there's some gems on there too.

― caspar (caspar), Friday, 13 February 2004 11:33 (twenty-two years ago)

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