The next Strokes = The Notwist ?

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Well, it probably won't get picked up by the major media like “Is This It?”, but The Notwist's "Neon Golden" is getting unabashed praise these days. (On a side note, Strokes mania really is rampant: Bob Costas did a poker-faced Strokes medley after lamenting the thoroughly boring figure skating "controversy." Anyway, why have The Notwist been flying under the radar for so many years? I have to admit that I haven't heard "Neon Golden" yet, but the band’s past albums are subtle, fragile masterpieces. Do these gentle Germans percolate a bit too much? Why did Britney Spears get to do that wearisome Super Bowl time-traveling commercial when Micha Acher has hair that's seemingly more manageable and thus better suited for mimicking clichéd hairstyles of decades past?

― Tim DiGravina, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Bob Costas did a poker-faced Strokes medley

Hm, I think I'm rather glad I had the volume turned down most of the night.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I want to say that I am responsible for all The Notwist buzz.
The fact that this is untrue is immaterial.

― Melissa W, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I bought neon golden on vynil. It's amazing. As far as hype goes, i can see them being the next strokes. However, Neon Golden is much better than "is this it". I love the strokes, but the Notwist are pushing music in a forward direction, rather than rehashing.

― andrew, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I've gotten the impression that The Notwist's hype is due to the fact that they're the only "New Radiohead" that actually sound even a tiny bit like, um, new Radiohead? The fact that they've been kicking around for years is almost immaterial. As others have noticed the hype around them vs the hype around The Strokes is substantially different and with different motives, though I don't think it's anywhere *near* as clear-cut as just progressive vs. recycling.

― Tim, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Even if this sounds stupid. I think they deserve the hype much more than The Strokes which do not exist musically apart from the hype. Their music is more substantial. Though I must admit that I am already a little tired of the new album. The voice is a little annoying and the electronic gimmickry has worn out already. Quite frightening: the half life of the new music I listen to gets shorter and shorter.

― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't really hear any similarities between The Notwist and Radiohead.

― Melissa W, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Not heard them. This "subtle" and "fragile" stuff doesn't usually do much for shallow old me but the constant praise has piqued my interest a bit. I have a terrible feeling though that they might sound like Yo La Tengo with more blips - someone set me right on this fear!!

― Tom, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The last album was very Stereolabby circa Mars Audiac Quintet, only German and with much brassy horns. Nice, but nowt special.

― RickyT, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Not everything on Neon Golden is subtle or fragile - "The Pilot" and "Pick Up The Phone" are pop songs, with proper verses and choruses and everything. The album does feel weary, though.

NG is a great album, but I don't think they're doing anything revolutionary.

― clive, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tom, I think you would like "Pilot".

― Melissa W, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I downloaded "Chemicals" off of Filepile - an earlier track I suspect - and it sounded like polite German post-pop (though not like YLT) and I quite liked it. Hopefully I'll be able to scavenge an MP3 or two of the latest album from somewhere.

― Tom, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I knew this was coming....

In my book Radiohead+Lali Puna+Notwist = the true "axis of evil". How can you guys get excited about this fluff? For some reasons that elude me music crits made up this eccentric theory in which those bands are the future of music (maybe someone should tell them that the music of the future doesn't necessairly involve IDM, a well- established common place by know). I mean, music of this kind is certainly easy to review (there isn't mush to say about electronic noises with sparse guitar lines here and there so you can fill pages with abstract nonsense) but, honestly, isn't it just plain boring???

I mean, it's not even pretentious by now so it shouldn't appeal to anyone, not even music snobs, who will go for Tzadik or avant-jazz.

I'm pretty sure a guy called jess will rise up saying that I don't get IDM and that I use faulty logic... there is very little to get...

― Simone, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Could someone tell me who the singer reminds me of? It sounds rather familiar but I can't put my finger on it.

― Todd Burns, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

In the weblog world The Notwist are new faves of 2002, but unfortunately back in the real world The Notwist are not played, maybe with the launch of this things could start to change.

Secondly NME put The Strokes on the front cover last year, in 2002 NME do not put The Notwist on the front cover. [NME is getting worse week-by-week - Oasis and a 2 page feature on corporate rock crap Puddle of Mudd, it seems that IPC Ignite still have not learned the lessons of the MM decline. ]

Therefore unfortunately The Notwist will remain marginal cultural faves.

― DJ Martian, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Puddle of Mudd=the next Sevendust

― John Darnielle, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I agree with Simone to a certain extent. 'Neon Golden' does indeed fit that formula. Same goes for their previuos record, 'Shrink' ('98) , a great record and not only because of the fact that it then already incorporated the same components.

I think that, as more people get to hear their prevous material, as well as Markus Acher's other bands (Lali Puna, Tied & Tickled Trio, Village Of Savoonga, Potawatomi, Cakekitchen), the more (overdue) respect they'll get.

― Arien, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I am convinced that Simone is not a real person.

― Melissa W, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, and they're quite big here in Holland... OOR, our crappy, even more populist counterpart to your NME, are all over them. And I see online magazines in Europe and America catching on too. So they have a pretty good chance at passing that threshhold from marginal to not so marginal. But of course, prolly never as big as Puddle Of Mudd

― Arien, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Could someone tell me who the singer reminds me of? New Order/ B.Sumner

― DJ Martian, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't think that's it, seeing as I've heard only their new album and 'Blue Monday.' I'd list my entire record collection to give you a frame of reference, or I'd go through my entire record collection myself, but that'd take a bit too long and I'd probably gloss over it. Does the singer remind anybody else of someone besides Bernard Sumner?

― Todd Burns, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i've only heard the funksrorung remix, and it wasn't great.

― ethan, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

See, here's the weird thing: paragraphs of excellent prose on FT about The Strokes and I still can't be arsed to hear their wretched LP, even tho' I'd probably love it. But I really really want to hear the Notwist LP altho' I doubt very much I'd like it. Why is this?

― Jeff W, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Because they have a sexier name.

Radiohead+Lali Puna+Notwist = the true "axis of evil".

Review of the year!

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

eh? havent the notwhist been aroundf for ages?

i would have thought that the notwhist are morel ikely the new tied and tickled trio.

― ambrose, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Mid-nineties, at least. Stereolab list first talked about them a long while back.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

To answer the question regarding how long they've been around, Notwist started in '90. Neon Golden is the fifth or sixth album, depending on who you talk to (I don't count the live one).

― Luke, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tzadik or avant-jazz.

I like your tone, however, true music snobs realize John Zorn was played out in 1997. Dave Douglas in 1998. And don't even think about trying to big-up anyone from Japan (or France).

― dleone, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

There's a reactionism involved in Simone's response that bothers me. It's difficult to define, because I really don't see much of a musical connection between the Lali Puna/Notwist axis and Radiohead, other than use of electronics and a sometimes dour mood. To be sort of reductionist, Notwist/Lali seem to have more to do with 80's synthpop (emphasis on pop), whereas late-period Radiohead as some strange mix of late-70's/early-80's post-punk and progressive rock.

What bothers me isn't Simone's response in general, but rather that there's always a legion of people leaping to trounce anything that seems to be aligned along that indistinct axis -- Radiohead, bands that Radiohead 'appreciate' like Sigur Ros, etc ... but then there's the artful dodge: 'I don't hate the music, really. Couldn't invest enough energy in hate. It's just, so dreadfully boring .. '

Which is a fine opinion, but the way I've constantly seen in articulated on message boards makes me wonder at how much this is motivated by reactionary anti-trendism. Does it make sense, even in jest, to group the three together and then dismiss them? Even more, I wonder whether the distaste they leave in mouths has to do with the perception of their fanbase, or with the gloomy/depressive/melancholy mood of the music -- i.e. dave q-style 'bah rubbish limp-wristed English wastrels' opinions ..

I listened to the Notwist album for the first time the other night, and it sounded surprisingly pop to me!

― Dare, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I quite like Dare's response to Simone's axis of evil fever dream. Far more eloquent than I would have put it. What is wrong with music that's occasionally boring? What's wrong with music that doesn't scream in your face and demand attention? First of all, Lali Puna and The Notwist fall pretty far from the IDM spectrum of things, and there are far more pop overtures in L. Puna and The Notwist than Radiohead's latest endeavours. Second, what's wrong with IDM? I'll take gloomy/depressive/melancholy "boring" music from The Notwist, Tarwater, Bark Psychosis, Talk Talk, Dntel, Kitchens OD (just wanted to thow them in, though they were frequently far from gloomy) any day over Slipknot, No Doubt, and Jimmy Eat World (isn't there some idiot band named Jimmy Eat World?). Long live boring music. I just looked up Simone's Introduce Yourself post. Simone, you claim your favorite bands are "dirty three, morphine, tortoise, and arab strap." And you find The Notwist boring? Are you sure?

― Tim DiGravina, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I downloaded a number of tracks off Neon Golden after reading the gushing Pitchfork review and found them to be quite pleasant. Kind of like a more accessible (but not quite as interesting) version of what Hood did on Cold House. "Pilot" is especially nice and poppy in that dark 80's synthpop kind of way.

Does anyone know if this has been picked up by an American label yet?

― Miranda, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

As of right now, no U.S. labels have opted to pick it up according to the band's manager. Hefty is interested, but I don't know how much. The manager asked me for a list of possible labels and I replied with about ten, including Matador, Temporary Residence, Thrill Jockey, Drag City and a number of others. I'm positive some label on these shores would be interested in releasing it, although I don't know what the band is looking for in a label.

Matador makes sense because Console has already released material there. Drag City as well, because of the T&T Trio connection.

― Luke, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Of course they are a reaction against trendism. Everyone is very keen on being the first to hear a certain band and proclaim them genius. It would follow that a band that has had number one records in other countries "favorite bands" are going to be looked down upon by indie purists as being something that is closely aligned in attitude, if not in musical style. Sure, it's hard to find the parallels in what the Notwist and Lali Puna are doing with their sound and what Radiohead is doing with their sound now. But maybe it would be easier to see the parallel if you imagined the Notwist as some sort of facsimile of what Radiohead might have been on The Bends, if they hadn't been english Britpop and had instead been German- and on the Morr Music label. It's a pretty odd, thought, I guess- but I think it has a bit of validity. Anyway, when you start to be namedropped by any famous performer you're going to get immediate detractors by the rabid fans of that artist or they're going to love them. Words from Thom Yorke, to some people, are the gospel. If Clinic is being listened to on their tour bus then Clinic is going to be listened to in a fan's bedroom. If Puddle of Mudd was namedropped before they released their record by Fred Durst you better believe that the in the know Bizkit fans were doing internet searches for Puddle Of Mudd. I don't think that it's neccesarily fair to group the band's as an axis of evil, perhpas, but once Radiohead named them as an influence or something that they listen to and enjoy- they took on that tag of Thom Yorke's bedroom music, whether they like it or not- and all the connotations that come with that.

― Todd Burns, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm a ramblin' man.

― Todd Burns, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Matador makes sense because Console has already released material there.

Matador tried to sign them back in 1996, and were brushed off in favour of Zero Hour in North America. After Zero Hour went out of business in 1999, someone asked Matador on their bulletin board if they'd try to sign them now that they had no label, and the response (from Matador's president) was that they did in fact try to sign them, but some major label (he couldn't remember the name) scooped up the band's contract while Zero Hour was selling off stuff, and so they were out of luck, unfortunately. Seeing how the album hasn't turned up in North America, I'm gonna guess it was a Universal label that picked them up, and in the shuffling under the merger a few years back, they got lost in the cracks.

― Vic Funk, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think Notwist is good, but why does it have to be anything else?

Mass consumption of it does not make it any better or worse in my mind

It is not the new anything... except the new (sixth) Notwist album

Get over it

― Sonicred, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

there's no reason for the public to like the notwist. if the notwist was to be the next big thing we would have heard of it already, the single 'pilot' was released a bit before the album. i love neon golden so much (worn out two cdrs already), but i don't see why the public would eat them up strokesstyle.

― tyler, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I can see the similarities between Neon Golden and Cold House, but The Notwist are much more successful at blending traditional instruments (and structures) with electronica elements than Hood.

I wouldn't consider the Notwist/Lali Puna/etc to be IDM, either, or to even contain typical IDM components.

― clive, Thursday, 14 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

"Chemicals" rocks. I was just listening to it. It has that cool glitchy intro that sounds like it was friggin' made yesterday, you know? So anyway, Maria buys one of those old albums that I've never heard and it's Notwist fuckin' metal!! Hahahahahahahaha! I didn't know what to think. I really had only heard the Chemicals 12 inch and Neon Golden and maybe one other thing. Did everyone from that era of the band leave? quite shocking really.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 7 June 2004 20:56 (twenty-one years ago)

METALLICA! Cause that was them then.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 7 June 2004 20:58 (twenty-one years ago)

is there a new album? out or on the way?

yes the old stuff was loud grunge (un)inspired sludge.

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 7 June 2004 21:05 (twenty-one years ago)

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