TS: Rilo Kiley vs. New Pornographers

the actual bands, both somewhat overrated

The only NP song I've ever liked is "Letter to an Occupant" because of Neko's vocals. The rest of their songs are just bland and boring indie/power-pop to me.

And you're still going? Okay.

liked Mass Romantic, EV & Twin Cinema.
Neko & Destroyer, multiple records and consistent in their output. enjoyment is genuine and beyond sentimental reason. repeated listens.
Zumpano's output stands on the verge, and Slow Wonder had moments.

brief assessment--personally, there is no contest.

considering how wandering and turgid it is, I'm actually surprised that Anthony likes "It's a Hit."

the actual bands, both somewhat overrated

We could have locked the thread after this post. Assuming you replace "somewhat overrated" with "dreadful".

Tie!

Jenny v. Blake: I prefer Jenny's country leanings and her hot bod. Her solo album was what I've wanted to hear (kind of) since I found Rilo Kiley.

But I think NP and all related projects are objectively better than RK. If nothing else, they're more consistant, with less emoting.

Incorrect! Twin Cinema is their masterpiece, man.

See also:
With Arms Outstretched
"Any chimp can play human for a day," More Adventurous begins, and if you think you know which chimp, you're right, and if you think Bush-is-stupid is way off-message by now, you're also right. But Jenny Lewis isn't stupid, so she massages the cliché, as in, "But it's a jungle where war is made/And you'll panic and throw your own shit at the enemy." The chimp turned "sheep in wolf's clothing" gets a 10-line verse, followed by another about suburban smugness that segues self-critically--she's "not buying it," but she'll "try selling it"--into a nine-liner about sorority girls, their fellow Greeks the tragedians, getting paid, writer's block, the "sin when success complains," and seeing what sticks: "Gotta write a hit/I think this is it/It's a hit." Blam--finally, the chorus. The music's been building--marker riff, drum accent, keyb chimes--and here a horn flourish gets us to "And if it's not" before a femme chorus helps her repeat "it's a holiday for a hanging" 4X and cap it off with "shoo-bop shoo-bop my baby." Now what's this? An 11-line verse about . . . executions, and pardons that never come from the man "upstairs." Who was it who got to enter the kingdom of God? Doesn't anyone remember? Chimp becomes sheep-wolf becomes camel.

Depending on your definition, "It's a Hit" may not be a hit. But More Adventurous will top 30,000, and Warners will underwrite a video. Song of the year.

Village Voice, Sept. 7, 2004

HE NEVER WRONG, AMIRITE????

rilo kiley still blows ass, though.

Not to mention that it only took one NP album to have ten great songs.

Nope, just different leagues. Hint: one of these bands blows goats in the circle of hell reserved for n-th degree meh*, and the other is the New Pornographers.

(*Special scorn reserved for groaning obviousness of "It's A Hit.")

All you people saying Jenny is better looking than Neko have something wrong with your brains.

Also rogermexico OTM.

"Hot Hot Hot" by the Cure was written about her. (Creepy, sure, but true!)

When the weatherman is giving the Phoenix forecast, he says tomorrow will be Jenny Lewisish.

The devil can't look at Jenny Lewis or his eyes would explode.

Now, Neko makes me all a-flutter too. But don't be talkin' about Jenny.

I will admit, however, that there are pics of Jenny that are way better than others. And she seems to look very different in different pictures.

But still and all. Have you seen the "Rise Up With Fists!!" video?

Swoon AND grrrr.

I really don't understand how the song is wandering or turgid. It has a pretty clear structure and the rhythm, while not uptempo, aint molasses. I ususally leave words like "turgid" for nu-metal and "wandering" for songs I can't remember.

I find Jenny Lewis more attractive than Neko Case because she writes songs I find memorable and affecting (you'd be hardpressed to find a female songwriter more sympathetic to and observant of the emotional foibles of indie schmucks). More Adventurous took a while to grow on me (the pacing is weird, the peaks happen early - songs resonated more on shuffle) but I like it a lot now.

Well, this is a sort of fair point. Accepting that I probably am, in actual fact, so weird, let me restate: Rilo Kiley would be well served to leave the kulturkritik to Green Day.

you'd be hardpressed to find a female songwriter more sympathetic to and observant of the emotional foibles of indie schmucks

I think you've put your finger on what bugs me about Rilo Kiley.

PS Liz Phair kthxbye

Not really! There's three Bejar songs on Twin Cinema ("Streets of Fire," "Jackie Dressed In Cobras," "Broken Breads") vs. three on Electric Version ("Testament to Youth in Verse," "Ballad of a Comeback Kid," "Chump Change") vs four on Mass Romantic ("Jackie," "Execution Day," "To Wild Homes," "Breakin' The Law").

Damn straight on the drum sound, though.

Hmmm. It sounds pretty muddy to me, esp. the way the lyrics sort of wander all over the place without leaving much of an impression on me; they also sound really self-conscious. I played the song many times trying to hear what others did in it but thought it was one of the weakest things on the album. I'd actually argue that Lewis's songwriting per se has improved on the solo album, but the solo album is a lot worse than More Adventurous.

cuz those geniuses at teh major labels are the only ones who get to decide who's attractive????