What should I ask the Fiery Furnaces?

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If you were reading an interview with Eleanor, what would you want to know?

― Sara Sherr, Thursday, 24 June 2004 23:57 (twenty-one years ago)

if her brother wants to marry me

― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 25 June 2004 00:01 (twenty-one years ago)

If she wants to marry me

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 25 June 2004 00:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Why people feel it's necessary to act totally cuntish onstage. (Which she did when I saw them--though the show was fucking amazing.)

― adam (adam), Friday, 25 June 2004 00:47 (twenty-one years ago)

What'd she do?

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 25 June 2004 00:49 (twenty-one years ago)

since everyone is aware that female rock is inherently inferior to all other breeds of music, why do you even try?

― emma cleveland (emma cleveland), Friday, 25 June 2004 01:01 (twenty-one years ago)

That's how I fucked up a Sleater-Kinney interview once, don't try it

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 25 June 2004 01:05 (twenty-one years ago)

why can't you just like, write a song, with, like, no wacky bits?

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Friday, 25 June 2004 01:21 (twenty-one years ago)

is the children's television workshop the biggest negative influence on modern music?

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Friday, 25 June 2004 01:22 (twenty-one years ago)

what is it like to be a woman in rock?

― pitchforkmedia, Friday, 25 June 2004 04:56 (twenty-one years ago)

ask her if she's a size-queen

― fred davis h., Friday, 25 June 2004 05:08 (twenty-one years ago)

do they have sex on the first date

― mentalist (mentalist), Friday, 25 June 2004 05:24 (twenty-one years ago)

When is the second album coming out? I mean, really....

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 25 June 2004 08:35 (twenty-one years ago)

What'd she do?

Just kind of huffed around 'cause there were maybe 30 people at the show, ran through all the songs superfast (not a bad thing) and practically had to be dragged back on stage by the rest of the band to do a couple more songs when she ran off after 35 minutes. $12 for a 35 minute show is pretty cuntish.

― adam (adam), Friday, 25 June 2004 11:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Are you guys really brother and sister? Nudge, wink.

No, seriously, I'm not sure what to ask. I can tell you that their St. Louis show was absolutely brilliant last week. Small crowd, but the whole band (including Eleanor) seemed really happy to be there. Maybe Adam saw them on a bad night.

― mike a, Friday, 25 June 2004 12:11 (twenty-one years ago)

who's a better lay: britt daniel of spoon or alex kapranos of franz ferdinand?

― deanp, Friday, 25 June 2004 12:35 (twenty-one years ago)

talk to her about her politics

― prima fassy (mwah), Friday, 25 June 2004 12:39 (twenty-one years ago)

This is the most overasked question ever, but ask who their influences are.

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Friday, 25 June 2004 14:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I honestly get an almost Sondheim-y feel from their stuff: the lyrics are structured, in the narrative (or quasi-narratives) being related, in the dynamics of the music, and in the way the lyrics are sung. (It doesn't make the music good or bad, mind -- my verdict's out on them.) Do any of them have a show-tune fixation buried deep in their childhood?

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Friday, 25 June 2004 15:17 (twenty-one years ago)

What are her feelings on mp3 blogs?

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 25 June 2004 15:18 (twenty-one years ago)

what are her feelings on joycore/borecore?

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 25 June 2004 15:21 (twenty-one years ago)

"TS: Cozen vs Don Paterson"

― the bellefox, Friday, 25 June 2004 15:21 (twenty-one years ago)

"Cuntish" seems a bit harsh, doesn't it?!
I would be curious to know if she listens to any hip hop.

― Neb Reyob (Ben Boyer), Friday, 25 June 2004 15:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Ask them if they would ever do a duet with Stephen Malkmus. For me. Ask Eleanor if she really, I mean reeeeally, thinks Franz Ferdinand are a good band.

Oh, and ask them to release more quicker, faster, better, stronger.

― John Cei Douglas (John Cei Douglas), Friday, 25 June 2004 15:42 (twenty-one years ago)

ask her if I like them. I can never remember myself.

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 25 June 2004 16:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd be interested in knowing if she considers any of the versions of their songs definitive - since they are constantly reworking their songs , do they ever feel as though a song is finished?

Hstencil, cutty: stop being douches.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Friday, 25 June 2004 16:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks for your suggestions, even the more entertaining ones. Matthew, we did get into the song process a bit. That's a good question.

― Sara Sherr, Friday, 25 June 2004 16:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Perpetua - you first.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 25 June 2004 16:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Ask them if they'd do a live record, too, seeing as how it's such a different experience (and today, because I've been listening to it a lot, a little better and more exciting).

Ask them about the thinking behind the very different studio cuts AND if they'll ever make an album which is really just one long take.

― John Cei Douglas (John Cei Douglas), Friday, 25 June 2004 16:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I interviewed them together a month ago, and I really enjoyed the brother-sister interaction - that was maybe the best part, although Matt talked more than Eleanor. Sometimes Matt would go off for a couple of minutes and then I'd turn to Eleanor and ask, "So Eleanor, what do you think of the future of rock music?"

If you're only speaking with Eleanor, you might want to talk to her about the difference between the first album, which she co-wrote, and this one, where Matt wrote and arranged almost everything.

― Chris Dahlen (Chris Dahlen), Friday, 25 June 2004 17:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I think the main difference is that the first album is a lot better.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 25 June 2004 17:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Or... not.

― John Cei Douglas (John Cei Douglas), Friday, 25 June 2004 17:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Sorry, I wish I could be so optimistic. "Gallowsbird's" was one of my favorites of last year, and while I wanted to like the new album a lot and I appreciate their palpable excitement at having access to more than a couple of days of studio time and a real recording budget, I think they needed to spend more time on writing compelling songs and maybe less time on doodling fanciful arrangements and curlicues all over them.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 25 June 2004 17:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I can see why people might feel that way, but I think Blueberry Boat is a great album in a whole different sense to Gallowsbird's Bark. The first record is definitely simpler in a sense, and I can see why people might want more of that. But in the same way, I'm pleased to see them move on to something so ambitious and diverse (yet still pop) so effortlessly - that I've enjoyed immensely.

I think all of their albums are going to acheive very different things, at this rate, and they show so much potential it's pretty amazing. They're not afraid to take chances, and I find that kind of exciting so far... (I kind of want Album 3/Proper live album already though)

I don't think they'll let you down!

― John Cei Douglas (John Cei Douglas), Friday, 25 June 2004 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know - I'm just worried they're going to turn into Of Montreal circa "Coquelicot Asleep Among the Poppies" - and I don't think the world needs another band of that ilk.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 25 June 2004 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

... I think I'm glad I don't fully know what that reference entails! I can guess, though.

― John Cei Douglas (John Cei Douglas), Friday, 25 June 2004 19:21 (twenty-one years ago)

god, let's hope not.

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Friday, 25 June 2004 19:24 (twenty-one years ago)

But getting back to the thread topic...

I think it would be interesting to ask them how the process of recording this album compared with the recording of the first album. That might shed some light on the differences between the albums.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 25 June 2004 19:41 (twenty-one years ago)

While I really love Blueberry Boat quite a bit, and it's probably my favorite LP of 2004, I kinda agree with O. Nate. I don't think it's as well crafted and remarkably consistent as Gallowsbird's Bark. I think that BB is well written, but sometimes it gets lost in itself. I like that they tried something kinda crazy on their second album, and I think that it was a good idea to set themselves apart, but in the long run, I won't ever love BB as much as GB - GB is just a cut above.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Saturday, 26 June 2004 01:24 (twenty-one years ago)

BB > GB

― adam (adam), Saturday, 26 June 2004 01:29 (twenty-one years ago)

FF fans should take note of this:

GAY BEACH ON EAST VILLAGE RADIO

SATURDAY JUNE 26th

2pm-4pm

WE PLAY GAY MUSIC FOR ALL KINDS OF GAY PEOPLE

THIS WEEK

Eleanor from the fiery furnaces will
be stopping in to talk about her
travels, the new album blueberry boat,
and perform some songs as well.

with DJ MR. WONDERFUL TEDWARD

www.eastvillageradio.com

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Saturday, 26 June 2004 16:56 (twenty-one years ago)

It's been pretty cool so far - Eleanor is talking like a robot, and she played an acoustic version of "Blueberry Boat." They just put on the song "Duffer St. George," which is only available on the UK vinyl single for "Crystal Clear."

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Saturday, 26 June 2004 17:39 (twenty-one years ago)

what do you mean, like a robot? like through a vocoder or something? or is she just all "WHAT ARE THESE THINGS HUMANS CALL 'TEARS'?"

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 26 June 2004 18:34 (twenty-one years ago)

She's just goofing around, speaking with the stilted inflections of a cartoon robot.

There's only another 15 minutes or so, but mixed in with other records and some chit chat, she's played acoustic versions of "Blueberry Boat," "I Lost My Dog," "Quay Cur," and "Straight Street," and they've played the studio versions of "Duffer St. George," "Sweet Spot," "Single Again," and "Evergreen."

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Saturday, 26 June 2004 18:47 (twenty-one years ago)

FYI, I'm recording all of this, and I'll be sharing it on slsk if you missed it.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Saturday, 26 June 2004 18:49 (twenty-one years ago)

booya.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 26 June 2004 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)

One of the most interesting things is that Eleanor reveals that the section of "Quay Cur" that she played is written almost entirely in Inuit, and that one part of it translates to "give me your kisses, don't say no."

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Saturday, 26 June 2004 19:02 (twenty-one years ago)

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