Sleater-Kinney "The Woods"

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This thread is for talking about the record, not leaks and how the band feels about the leak, etc.

I'm enjoying this album more as I get used to it and get to know the individual songs, but it's a hassle having to adjust my sound to listen to it comfortably whenever I put it on. I'd really like to hear this album on a good sound system to get a better feel for it.

I'm very impressed by the music on the record, though the singing could be a lot better (oh Corin, why have you forsaken the great strides forward that you made as a singer on the Hot Rock? please revisit nuance and subtlety someday!), and the lyrics are generally pretty bleh, but that's almost always the case with S-K. "Modern Girl" is easily the worst song in terms of lyrics - how brave of them to snidely come out against tv and donuts! What a snobby little song.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 18 February 2005 00:13 (twenty-one years ago)

what does the music sound like? is it typical later period S-K or a change of direction? (i'm just wondering since Low's first SP release was a big change)

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 18 February 2005 00:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I couldn't make it through the first song. I'll try again tonight. it was very, uh, something. bombastic? in a way I wasn't expecting.

― kyle (akmonday), Friday, 18 February 2005 00:20 (twenty-one years ago)

It's a change of direction. It's very very very loud. A lot of the guitar songs and drums were recorded with the levels very far in the red (hence making it difficult to listen to on shitty speakers.) There are clean guitar tones too. Some songs have surprising structures, not so much in a proggy way, but in that the guitars will go off and do something non-obvious in the bridge. Some of the more normal songs are still pretty odd - "Modern Girl" is a pretty, folkish song, but as it goes along there's more effects and some harmonica, and at the end the drums kick in with some extreme in-the-red distortion.

That first song is extremely shrill and noisy. You might want to skip ahead to the second song, which is the best/most accessable song on the record.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 18 February 2005 00:27 (twenty-one years ago)

A good word for this record is visceral. Obvs a lot of loud rock records are made, but this FEELS loud. It might hurt your ears a bit. It's not noisy is super obvious ways either.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 18 February 2005 00:28 (twenty-one years ago)

The problem is that you have removed yourself from the community of fans by listening to the album. You see it doesn't make any sense now, but it will in May. It will sound much better because at that point the band will be sharing the music with you. Right now they are all upset and don't know what to think. That's probably why Corrin's singing doesn't sound right.

How does Carrie's singing sound? She's never been that good, but she was godawful on parts of "One Beat". Any better on the new one?

As for the loudness--I thought that was a problem with "One Beat". It seemed to me they had fewer ideas musically on that album, so they went for volume instead. I found the production "heavier" than the previous albums (though what you're describing sounds different than that).

― Graeme Friedae, Friday, 18 February 2005 00:29 (twenty-one years ago)

what?

― f--gg (gcannon), Friday, 18 February 2005 00:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Corin's voice at :33 of "The Wolf" = good use of the shrillness of her wailing shtick.

Carrie sounds okay. Pretty much as she always does, but with less of her haughty One Beat affectations.

Seriously, One Beat isn't half as loud as this record. This is cartoonishly loud. I think that this record is stronger in terms of songs compared to One Beat, but it's not as tuneful as Dig Met Out/Hot Rock/All Hands. There are no obvious singles on this album a la "Oh!"/"You're No Rock N Roll Fun"/"Get Up"/"One More Hour"/"Little Babies"/"Good Things"

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 18 February 2005 00:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmm....I'll wait until May when it will sound right. I want to be a part of the community. Still, I'm intrigued now....

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 18 February 2005 00:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Does this community have a health insurance plan I can buy into?

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 18 February 2005 00:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Does this community have a health insurance plan I can buy into?

yes...and we match 401k contributions up to 5%.

I'm really worried that my wife won't like this new wierd Sleater-Kinney album....she loves them but she likes the poppier stuff....

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 18 February 2005 01:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I would've said to skip the first two songs, then it becomes the goodness. I really don't like the way the first track sounds.

"Jumpers" and "Entertain" are immediate favorites on the record.

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Friday, 18 February 2005 02:39 (twenty-one years ago)

And the long jammy "Let's Call it Love" has some NOISY bits that is like listening to almost for a second, I don't know, one of the noisy psyche bands I listen to.

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Friday, 18 February 2005 02:43 (twenty-one years ago)

You are all privileged bastards for not sharing.

― Jimmy Mod always makes friends with women before bedding them down (ModJ), Friday, 18 February 2005 02:46 (twenty-one years ago)

And you taunt me.

― Jimmy Mod always makes friends with women before bedding them down (ModJ), Friday, 18 February 2005 02:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Suggest a way for me to send these files over to you, Jimmy. I REALLY HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO.

I know why I don't like the first track, it sounds like PAVEMENT.

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Friday, 18 February 2005 02:54 (twenty-one years ago)

"The Wolf" doesn't sound like Pavement, not even a little bit!

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 18 February 2005 02:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Well maybe a couple Westing songs but that's still a stretch.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 18 February 2005 02:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Hm, maybe you're right, which is a good thing cos now I like it!

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Friday, 18 February 2005 02:59 (twenty-one years ago)

does the new sleater-kinney album sound like a new sleater-kinney album only more new?

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 18 February 2005 03:01 (twenty-one years ago)

You are building this up to be the best Sleater Kinney album ever, clearly...

LVDH: richardgin @ (g (m(a(i(l etc

― Jimmy Mod always makes friends with women before bedding them down (ModJ), Friday, 18 February 2005 03:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Immediate reax, having not heard everything, is that this is like when Pinkerton came out -- the "WHAT THEE FUCK" effect is palpable at first...

― Jimmy Mod always makes friends with women before bedding them down (ModJ), Friday, 18 February 2005 03:34 (twenty-one years ago)

This album seems like more of a logical followup/growth-thing to All Hands On The Bad One than One Beat...

― Jimmy Mod always makes friends with women before bedding them down (ModJ), Friday, 18 February 2005 03:48 (twenty-one years ago)

...and the guitar breaks on Steep Air are hostle and thuggish

― Jimmy Mod always makes friends with women before bedding them down (ModJ), Friday, 18 February 2005 04:07 (twenty-one years ago)

"Modern Girl" makes me melt. Lyrics and delivery seem very Joe Strummer/Ari Up

― bchan (bchan), Friday, 18 February 2005 04:17 (twenty-one years ago)

THEIR CONCERTS FOR THIS ALBUM WILL BE INSANE GUITAR FREAKOUTS DO YOU SEE

― Jimmy Mod always makes friends with women before bedding them down (ModJ), Friday, 18 February 2005 04:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I'M READY FOR THAT.

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Friday, 18 February 2005 04:37 (twenty-one years ago)

This album seems like more of a logical followup/growth-thing to All Hands On The Bad One than One Beat...

yay I hope it's true

― Graeme Friedae, Friday, 18 February 2005 06:24 (twenty-one years ago)

did someone say it sounds like the Eels? awesome.

on the strength of a single listen, half-asleep on the bus this morning, my verdict is: um...not sure. i think i will like it. no songs very obvious or immediate, but there's nothing wrong with that. i am one of those crazy kids that thinks One Beat was their best record since Call The Doctor, so what the hell do i know? and it definitely doesn't seem to take that record's lead.

― fsharp (fsharp), Friday, 18 February 2005 08:45 (twenty-one years ago)

this is really Carrie's record, much like Monster was Peter Buck's record, except, um, this one's good.

"Rollercoaster" is one of those songs like "Satisfaction" or "Jumpin Jack Flash" where the only damn thing that matters is the riff, really Carrie is Keith Richards and this is her Exile on Main Street (except that she's also Mick Taylor and this is her Sticky Fingers.

seems like she's traded in Sonic Youth for a bit of Hendrix as well, esp. "What's Mine is Yours."

also I love "Modern Girl" - I think you could read it as a little self-satisfied and smug, but you'd be missing the desperation and longing that's in there too.

― Josh Love (screamapillar), Friday, 18 February 2005 09:16 (twenty-one years ago)

That instrumental break on "What's Mine Is Yours" is one of the best things in any song I've heard so far this year.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 18 February 2005 12:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Can someone please gmail a few highlights to me? thx

― Sonny, Ah!!1 (Sonny A.), Friday, 18 February 2005 14:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Haven't listened to the whole thing yet but "Jumpers" is hot stuff. I dig the noisy assault stuff. It doesn't sound/feel like Sleater-Kinney, but if that's the reason why people will be turned off when they hear it, that's their loss.

― Je4nne ƒury (Jeanne Fury), Friday, 18 February 2005 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)

As long as it doesn't sound like "AHOTBO" I am so so so so so so excited

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Friday, 18 February 2005 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Or EELS. That's some low shit, Fsharp.

― A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Friday, 18 February 2005 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)

THANKS MATTHEW!

― Sonny, Ah!!1 (Sonny A.), Friday, 18 February 2005 15:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, I really like "cartoonishly overdriven" !! How could anyone not love this? I am home sick and my head hurts so bad that the sound of the microwave made me run into the other room, but this is strangely welcome. That kid can really play guitar!

― Sonny, Ah!!1 (Sonny A.), Friday, 18 February 2005 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

just got it and it's gonna take me a while to figure out how I feel about this. I can see the Pavement thing on "The Fox," though just for the first 25 seconds or so.

It almost sounds more like a record PJ Harvey would have made post Rid of Me than a Sleater-Kinney record.

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Friday, 18 February 2005 16:54 (twenty-one years ago)

If only PJ Harvey made anything as interesting as The Woods since To Bring You My Love...

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 18 February 2005 16:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Seriously, though - what Pavement song sounds like this? I've spent an enormous chunk of my life listening to Pavement!

If anything, it's more of a Sonic Youth circa Goo/Dirty thing at the beginning of "The Fox."

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Friday, 18 February 2005 17:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah see, I've never actually heard Pavement, though I probably was thinking "Summer Babe."

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Friday, 18 February 2005 17:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I would also like to sample some of this album's wares. Thank you, good sirs and madams.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 18 February 2005 17:29 (twenty-one years ago)

You have teh AIM?

― Jimmy Mod Has Returned With Spices And Silks (ModJ), Friday, 18 February 2005 17:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, but not at work.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 18 February 2005 17:39 (twenty-one years ago)

find me laters

rgin35

― Jimmy Mod Has Returned With Spices And Silks (ModJ), Friday, 18 February 2005 17:40 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.sleater-kinney.com/images/021705.jpg

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Saturday, 19 February 2005 04:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Dear Carrie,

I'm sorry, but our love can never be.

― Jimmy Mod Has Returned With Spices And Silks (ModJ), Saturday, 19 February 2005 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

teh ablum is so f-in punk! The solo in "wilderness" is hardcore! But I can also hear like stitched-together bits of the moves they were making in "one beat" finding fuller expression here. There's absolutely a rhythmic, almost chanted drive to the songs that's distinct from the older structures reliant on guitar interplay and vocal trade-offs. Its funny how central the drums have become, and the *pulse* on "Jumpers" -- v. new wave meets throwback grunge.

Yeah, it feels like if they took a different turn way back after "call the doctor" and never took the "dig me out" road at all.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 24 February 2005 00:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I only heard it once but I'm pretty sure I like it more than the last two albums. If it was the new Gossip album I'd be flabbergasted.

― miccio (miccio), Thursday, 24 February 2005 00:57 (twenty-one years ago)

someone said somewhere on ILX that it sounds like a band's first album rather than a sixth or seventh (esp. when the previous ones were given raves). The reckless exuberance is astounding.

― miccio (miccio), Thursday, 24 February 2005 00:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 275 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

It didn't work for my Firefox either (I'm on PC), but switching to IE worked fine.

I thought all of SK were wearing business attire, which would've been HOTTT, but only Carrie was wearing pants, which was merely hott.

― Leeeeeeee (Leee), Saturday, 27 August 2005 04:06 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Listening to it again for the first time in a few months and it's very good, one of the best this year actually.

― Marc-, Saturday, 22 October 2005 01:44 (twenty years ago)

just in re: to banana, I don't punish the ambitious for being "generally successful" (something I don't think they were in the case, you're putting words in mouth here) but I also don't reward pretension. And "passing grades," grades in general, is a joke, but, to humor it, in this case I gave the band a B (which was changed by the editor to a B-). To say you understand something personally but not critically seems a bit odd. I'm talking more about tone ("mean") then critical summation.

― miccio (miccio), Saturday, 22 October 2005 03:45 (twenty years ago)

And really I'm talking about a personality trait here more than a critical aesthetic I promote.

― miccio (miccio), Saturday, 22 October 2005 03:57 (twenty years ago)

Months on, this is still Sleater-Kinney's best record since The Hot Rock and I have no idea what album all the hataz in this thread were listening to.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Saturday, 22 October 2005 04:13 (twenty years ago)

It may be their best since the Hot Rock! I definitely like it more than One Beat.

― miccio (miccio), Saturday, 22 October 2005 04:19 (twenty years ago)

Well I admit I like the best songs off All Hands better than the best songs off The Woods. I just think The Woods is stronger overall.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Saturday, 22 October 2005 04:27 (twenty years ago)

I haven't listened to All Hands as a whole in ages. Right now I've just kept the title track, "The Professional," "Was It A Lie?" "Leave You Behind" and "The Swimmer" from it. The Woods probably has more moments that really blow me away, but also more parts I find just excruciating.

― miccio (miccio), Saturday, 22 October 2005 04:33 (twenty years ago)

Apparently they've just cancelled their Uk tour next month, anyone have a clue why?

― DJ Mencap0))), Saturday, 22 October 2005 16:09 (twenty years ago)

Allergic reactions.

― Marc-, Saturday, 22 October 2005 16:38 (twenty years ago)

three years pass...

i always thought this band was some lillith fair shit 4 some reason...this album is unbelievable tho

― johnny crunch, Sunday, 14 June 2009 01:42 (sixteen years ago)

i listened to this a lot when i got it, haven't really revisited it. i should, it's good.

(but if it's your s-k gateway, there's at least 4 other ones you really need...)

― would you ask tom petty that? (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 14 June 2009 02:36 (sixteen years ago)

i always thought this band was some lillith fair shit 4 some reason

― Johnny Fever, Sunday, 14 June 2009 02:39 (sixteen years ago)

lol! Yeah I know. Wtf did that come from?

― Kevin John Bozelka, Sunday, 14 June 2009 02:42 (sixteen years ago)

idk...yea i figured. which other records shd i check out

― johnny crunch, Sunday, 14 June 2009 03:02 (sixteen years ago)

All! Seriously you can go wrong with NONE of them. But my fave will always be Call the Doctor.

― Kevin John Bozelka, Sunday, 14 June 2009 03:13 (sixteen years ago)

I wouldn't go out of my recommending the s/t first one, but yeah...all the others are great!

― Johnny Fever, Sunday, 14 June 2009 03:19 (sixteen years ago)

if you like this album you'll love the other ones, because this one kinda sucked.

― akm, Sunday, 14 June 2009 03:19 (sixteen years ago)

for somebody discovering them via the woods, i'd go:

dig me out -> call the doctor -> the hot rock

and then the rest, if you like all those.

― would you ask tom petty that? (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 14 June 2009 03:19 (sixteen years ago)

all of which makes makes me think there needs to be a dig me out poll...

― would you ask tom petty that? (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 14 June 2009 03:22 (sixteen years ago)

if you like this album you'll love the other ones, because this one kinda sucked.

Agreed. Actually for me, nearly everything after The Hot Rock sucked.

But I will say this - when I saw them on their farewell tour, the live versions of songs from The Woods blew me away. Why it doesn't work on record, I don't know.

― MacDara, Sunday, 14 June 2009 09:19 (sixteen years ago)

If you go from the Woods, I'd say Call the Doctor should come next, then the Hot Rock, then the super amazingness that is Dig Me Out. The other 3 are pretty cool but not essential.

So glad I got to see them live, even if I had to watch the whole show with only 1 lense in my glasses (at Reading a couple years ago, a fucking Pixies fan elbowed me in the face, cunt). I met a cute S-K hardcore fan who took pity on me and we hung out for the rest of the weekend. Love this band.

― b!tchass, birdchested bastard sees a dude bigger than he (a hoy hoy), Sunday, 14 June 2009 09:31 (sixteen years ago)

one beat is an incredible album - have heard a couple others by SK but not got into them as much.

― lex pretend, Sunday, 14 June 2009 11:37 (sixteen years ago)

I'm not much of a fan of All Hands On The Bad One but I like all the others.

― Colonel Poo, Sunday, 14 June 2009 11:57 (sixteen years ago)

Colonel Poo are you available by instant messenger?

― Fever Pitch, Bitch (Bimble), Sunday, 14 June 2009 12:18 (sixteen years ago)

I'm not much of a fan of All Hands On The Bad One but I like all the others.

That's my favorite one!

― Johnny Fever, Sunday, 14 June 2009 16:16 (sixteen years ago)

why do people dislike all hands on the bad one so much? genuine question; i've always liked it.

― horseshoe, Sunday, 14 June 2009 16:18 (sixteen years ago)

i like it too. i think it mostly suffers from coming after that incredible three-album run. lots of good songs on it tho.

― would you ask tom petty that? (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 14 June 2009 17:00 (sixteen years ago)

but back to the woods, coupla killer live videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAmIm3XFPuY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYAitpi6Dhg&feature=related

(just try not to wince when letterman says, "thank you girls!" at the end...)

― would you ask tom petty that? (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 14 June 2009 17:02 (sixteen years ago)

God, I love watching Janet play the drums!

(not enough to see her do it with Malkmus, tho)

― Johnny Fever, Sunday, 14 June 2009 17:05 (sixteen years ago)

Never got this band's appeal. I sold back The Woods. I should try again, I suppose, but eMusic only has a limited selection of their discography.

― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 14 June 2009 17:07 (sixteen years ago)

not so limited -- they have the 4 albums from dig me out to one beat. i'd at least try dig me out or the hot rock before you write them off.

― would you ask tom petty that? (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 14 June 2009 17:14 (sixteen years ago)

Checking out the soundscans to Dig Me Out now.

― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 14 June 2009 17:15 (sixteen years ago)

Dig Me Out is their best album, if you don't like that you won't like them. I was about to call it the first great album of this decade until I realized it came out over ten years ago! It doesn't seem that long.

I wonder if they'll reform in a few years' time? SK were probably the best live band I've ever seen; I saw them five times, every time I could when they came to SF.

― akm, Sunday, 14 June 2009 17:53 (sixteen years ago)

This is still their worst album.

― Bud Huxtable (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 14 June 2009 17:55 (sixteen years ago)

Worse than the self-titled?

― b!tchass, birdchested bastard sees a dude bigger than he (a hoy hoy), Sunday, 14 June 2009 17:59 (sixteen years ago)

Don't own it.

― Bud Huxtable (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 14 June 2009 18:01 (sixteen years ago)

yes it is worse than the debut

― akm, Sunday, 14 June 2009 21:03 (sixteen years ago)

one beat is my least fave. it's not awful, just never grabbed me.

― would you ask tom petty that? (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 14 June 2009 23:41 (sixteen years ago)

You can't say enough great things about Sleater-Kinney. I must have seen them live 15 times.

If you were to make an SK awesomeness graph of their 7 albums, The Woods would fit nicely in the middle. Ahead of the debut, All Hands On... & The Hot Rock, but behind Dig Me Out, Call The Doctor & One Beat.

― kornrulez6969, Sunday, 14 June 2009 23:48 (sixteen years ago)

This is still their ~~worst~~ best album.

Fixed.

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Monday, 15 June 2009 13:19 (sixteen years ago)

Dead OTM!!

― Kevin John Bozelka, Monday, 15 June 2009 13:26 (sixteen years ago)

i dont get that at all, hot rock is my fav forever

― just sayin, Monday, 15 June 2009 13:34 (sixteen years ago)

sounds like there's a bass player on the Letterman clip. Is there? If so, who's hiding? Doesn't seem possible to have that much bottom end without one.

― OCONDOR (Pt.1), Monday, 15 June 2009 23:44 (sixteen years ago)

corin's playing the bassline in that clip. it's just fuzzy low-end guitar.

― would you ask tom petty that? (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 16 June 2009 00:56 (sixteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

so ive listened to dig me out, the hot rock, & one beat and would rank them in that order..im not sure where they stand in relation to the woods that album just seems like a different animal 2 me

didnt really like 'one beat' too much aside from the remainder > light rail coyote > step aside stretch

gonna seek out call the doctor nxt

― johnny crunch, Friday, 3 July 2009 17:05 (sixteen years ago)

three years pass...

wow, this thread is so weirdly permeated by condescension

― j., Friday, 22 March 2013 16:50 (thirteen years ago)

twelve years pass...

20 today

― mookieproof, Saturday, 24 May 2025 22:24 (one year ago)

not so modern, girl

― gestures broadly at...everything (voodoo chili), Sunday, 25 May 2025 00:50 (one year ago)

20 today

Not possible, because that would make me 20 years older than I was then.

― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 25 May 2025 02:37 (one year ago)

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