Electrelane - No Shouts, No Calls

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Is anyone else enjoying this (especially "The Greater Times") as much as me?

― tpp, Thursday, 15 March 2007 15:47 (eighteen years ago)

Yes, this is a fucking great record.

― Scik Mouthy, Thursday, 15 March 2007 15:49 (eighteen years ago)

i thought they split up??

― the next grozart, Thursday, 15 March 2007 15:52 (eighteen years ago)

Nope - this is due very early May, I think. And is very good.

― Scik Mouthy, Thursday, 15 March 2007 15:53 (eighteen years ago)

what's it like in comparison to their past albums? give me a reason to listen to it...

― lex pretend, Thursday, 15 March 2007 15:55 (eighteen years ago)

But Lex, even though they're girls, it's indie???????????

Um, it's... much less dark and improvised than Axes. More like a continuation of The Power Out, I guess, but sans choir. Their most song-based effort, possibly. There's a love song with a ukulele at the end. Some isntrumentals. Bit of Kraut. It sounds like Electrelane.

― Scik Mouthy, Thursday, 15 March 2007 15:58 (eighteen years ago)

Also, not produced by Albini, but could have been - still a very Southall-friendly, dynamic, open sound.

― Scik Mouthy, Thursday, 15 March 2007 15:59 (eighteen years ago)

I never really got very far with their previous albums. This strikes me as very accessible - lots of nice harmonies etc.

― tpp, Thursday, 15 March 2007 15:59 (eighteen years ago)

i actually have all of electrelane's albums so far! i think for each, i absolutely adore one or two songs per album, and the rest is nice enough background music. this is on my computer somehow (how? how? i did not even know they had a new album out)...i guess i will get round to it.

― lex pretend, Thursday, 15 March 2007 16:06 (eighteen years ago)

i think the song with the choir is electrelane's finest moment to date really.

― lex pretend, Thursday, 15 March 2007 16:06 (eighteen years ago)

There is more than one song with a choir.

― Scik Mouthy, Thursday, 15 March 2007 16:07 (eighteen years ago)

lex always surprises me with his tom waits, and now electrelane love...

ironic that 90% of fans think "the valleys" (is that the name of the song?) is their best one even thoguh it's nothing like their other stuff.

they had a compilation out not long ago too didn't they?

i think i like the idea of electrelane better than i do actually listneing to them.

― the next grozart, Thursday, 15 March 2007 16:08 (eighteen years ago)

yes, 'the valleys'.

i have been on ilx for so bloody long now, and posted about electrelane before, i'm surprised that anyone is surprised about me any more?

― lex pretend, Thursday, 15 March 2007 16:10 (eighteen years ago)

I've only got into them over the last four months or so, but I've snapped up everything and wormed my way into their PR person's affections enough to have a "No Shouts, No Calls" badge on my Eastpak. I think they're terrific. The Power Out is prob. my fave, closely pushed by the new one. The debut I need to play more. Axes was my initial fave cos of the darkness and epicness, but the meandering mid-section loses me slightly. The comp. is early singles, EP stuff and a few live cuts. It's pretty good.

― Scik Mouthy, Thursday, 15 March 2007 16:11 (eighteen years ago)

They're like Long Fin Killie in that I wont think of them for a few weeks and then I'll have a day where I play their albums in order and nothing else and they strike me as being the bestest thing ever.

― Scik Mouthy, Thursday, 15 March 2007 16:12 (eighteen years ago)

yeah, that's the same as me. i'm glad they exist!

― the next grozart, Thursday, 15 March 2007 16:18 (eighteen years ago)

Are they good live, their B-sides album has a really good cover of Roxy Music's More Than This. I'd love to hear Bells live. Very good. Very good indeed.

― I know, right?, Friday, 16 March 2007 11:52 (eighteen years ago)

I've not seen them live yet, but should get chance to next month, I think.

― Scik Mouthy, Friday, 16 March 2007 11:56 (eighteen years ago)

Here, they are supporting Arcade Fire. It is annoying because I would also like to see Arcade Fire live but they are pretty sold out everywhere. And I think Electrelane would make a good combo. Yes.

― I know, right?, Friday, 16 March 2007 12:02 (eighteen years ago)

Can't wait to hear this. I loved The Power Out, particularly O Sombra. They also do an incredible cover of Springsteen's I'm On Fire.

― kornrulez6969, Friday, 16 March 2007 16:26 (eighteen years ago)

Their most song-based effort...It sounds like Electrelane.

This is pretty much a perfect summary. The 'singing' is more prominant, too, which isn't necessarily a good thing unless you've already acquired the taste. But it is a very good album, as good as Axes and The Power Out, and it's one of my favourite releases of the year so far. Or it will be, when it's released.

― Roberto Spiralli, Friday, 16 March 2007 16:45 (eighteen years ago)

It's odd, though -- it has the song-based feel of The Power Out, maybe, but it also feels incredibly loose and on-the-fly, even more so than Axes.

Also it's REALLY strange to hear Sussman singing what'd appear to be conventional relationship lyrics.

― nabisco, Friday, 16 March 2007 21:29 (eighteen years ago)

this whole thing is excellent. I surely do hope they reach a larger audience in the US

― tornup_andhurt, Monday, 19 March 2007 00:25 (eighteen years ago)

just heard this today. loving "after the call" especially.

― fukasaku tollbooth, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 21:46 (eighteen years ago)

christ, this year just gets better and better. wonderful, wonderful band. cannot wait to hear this.

― grimly fiendish, Thursday, 22 March 2007 23:46 (eighteen years ago)

hi everyone. i've been trying to find the lyrics of 'saturday' and 'in berlin' but it seems to be just impossible. can anyone help me pleeeeeease??

― mau6, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 05:09 (eighteen years ago)

finally heard this. really good stuff! looking forward to subsequent listens.

― Harpal, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 06:46 (eighteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

this is really, really, really great.

except for track 6, which almost spoils the rest of the record. it sounds like the boss music for SNES castlevania.. track 8 kind of blows, too.

ottherwise, definitely one of the best albums this year. i'm going to re-burn my copy without those tracks.

― poortheatre, Thursday, 26 April 2007 00:50 (eighteen years ago)

ottherwise, definitely one of the best albums this year. i'm going to re-burn my copy without those tracks.

nothing against you, but i've always thought of this as kind of a lame thing to do.

― funny farm, Thursday, 26 April 2007 01:41 (eighteen years ago)

i used to, as well. i think i got over it with Sonic Nurse because of Track 4 (?) featuring Kim's caterwauling at its most horrendous. i dreaded listening to the album because of it.

also, electrelane's track 6 is exceptionally bad.

ugh! i just put it on again to make sure. really bad.

― poortheatre, Thursday, 26 April 2007 01:57 (eighteen years ago)

i don't mind "at sea". but that's the problem with this album (after one listen, anyway): i don't mind it. it's good, but it seems quite slight; it just seems to lack the mighty GROOVE that they used to hit in almost every song.

not a patch on "axes". not even close. pleasant enough, though. and i doubt i'm going to find hidden depths. but hey.

― grimly fiendish, Thursday, 26 April 2007 07:25 (eighteen years ago)

I am very surprised that people can identify songs as being below par because one of the things that appeals to me most about this record it its consistency. Which is to say that I love "At Sea"! I also found the record (having had a promo for literally months now) to be very much a grower. I adore it, pretty much.

― Scik Mouthy, Thursday, 26 April 2007 08:16 (eighteen years ago)

okay: i shall let it grow.

― grimly fiendish, Thursday, 26 April 2007 08:45 (eighteen years ago)

i was caught unawares at first because whatever i was expecting to follow 'Axes', this wasn't it, but it does grow and i think it's a fantastic record. i honestly can't separate between 'The Power Out', 'Axes' and this - i share the love equally amongst them.

also, 'At Sea' is possibly my favourite song on the record - at least, it's the one i've been putting on mixes for folks.

― Roberto Spiralli, Thursday, 26 April 2007 12:46 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/electrelane/no-shouts-no-calls.htm

Rar.

― Scik Mouthy, Monday, 30 April 2007 13:08 (eighteen years ago)

love love loving this album...

― CharlieNo4, Monday, 30 April 2007 13:45 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/electrelane/noshoutsnocalls

So many reviews so, so far off the mark.

― Scik Mouthy, Monday, 30 April 2007 18:27 (eighteen years ago)

I tried buying this today in Fnac as it was supposed to be out but they didn't have it. Life is unfair.

― I know, right?, Monday, 30 April 2007 21:24 (eighteen years ago)

This is my favourite album of the year so far. The Greater Times has that grasping-for-another-place swoop that Electrelane pull off from time to time. Sacred music, almost. In Berlin is perfect eerie Electrelane. Cut And Run is insanely catchy ... folk music. "Roop do doo / we're like fish in the sea / And I thought you were the one for me".

I like At Sea, though I didn't the first time I heard it. The only track I am anti is Five. I struggle a bit with Between The Wolf And The Dog too, but I think it would be good live. I'm not really a fan of the noisier drone wig-out stuff of theirs

― Alba, Monday, 7 May 2007 20:09 (eighteen years ago)

Am going to see this lot live tomorrow... and can't stop listening to this (and the new Of Montreal). Such a simple, heartfelt and evocative record..miles better than Axes, and I liked that a lot. As said before, the consistency is a virtue, and the quality of the songwriting and the delivery is a bit special.

I love Tram 21...pure minor euphoria in a shimmery nutshell.

― Mister Craig, Monday, 7 May 2007 21:23 (eighteen years ago)

Wowzers, they were superb last night. I'd say electric if that didn't sound too stupid.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/204/490906104_c60688b99c.jpg

― Mister Craig, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 06:38 (eighteen years ago)

What a great pic.

So sorry that the Arcade Fire european tour got cancelled - I looked forward to seeing them in the support slot... Hopefully they'll come this way on their own though...

― willem, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 08:10 (eighteen years ago)

I like At Sea, though I didn't the first time I heard it. The only track I am anti is Five. I struggle a bit with Between The Wolf And The Dog too, but I think it would be good live.

oh yea, i found out the copy i had was missing two tracks. i really like 'at sea.' the one i can't stand upthread is actually 'between the wolf and the dog.'

― poortheatre, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 08:43 (eighteen years ago)

I am glad the At Sea antipathy has been resolved! Any song with lyrics about rigging gets my vote.

― Scik Mouthy, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 08:53 (eighteen years ago)

Including "Frigging In The Rigging"?

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 08:59 (eighteen years ago)

I smell a new thread.

― Scik Mouthy, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 09:07 (eighteen years ago)

"The walls, the walls, the walls, the walls"

I shouldn't have listened to this song on the bus this morning.

― Alba, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 09:26 (eighteen years ago)

This is one of the great mysteries of the universe for me. I should love Electrelane. I should love this album. I keep trying to like it, but it does not capture me. Why?

It makes no sense, it's got lots of elements that should be perfect Kate Bait. Big droney organs, girly harmonies, motorik beats. It's a nice album, it's well made and well crafted, but it leaves me cold.

1) the drum production. They have a good drummer, but the production makes her sound like she's hitting a sack of wheat. The snare is particularly problematic, and interferes with my listening enjoyment.

2) This is more subjective, but perhaps it is so well crafted and so precise that I get no sense of abandon from it. It seems to be missing some kind of ... joy. That's what I love about dronerock, the spinning out of controlness when a band cuts loose.

3) Textures. Much of the texture is all very much the same. This improves on the second half of the album, where there is more textural variation.

The second half of the album is better than the first. I think track 7 is my favourite. But it annoys me, because conceptually, I should love this record, but I don't.

― Masonic Boom, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:51 (eighteen years ago)

I can understand why they might not hit you as hard as you'd imagine, Kate, but I'm not sure I can quite nail why. I think... even though this album isn't 'produced' by Steve Albini like the last two were, they still sound a lot like an Albini-band, if that makes sense. Their sound is precise and realistic rather than textured, for the most part. And while they have a lot of the signifiers of Kate-friendly music in there, those signifiers are... used differently?

I think they have moments of joy and abandon in there (the aforementioned "the walls the walls THE WALLS THE WALLS OOO-OOOOH OH-OH!!!" bit, for a start, but others too - just the main riff in The Lighthouse gets me smiling and excited), I like the drum sound and find the first half of the album to be a better set of 'songs' < / geir > and so texture (or lack of) isn't so much of an issue.

Have you heard Axes, Kate? It may be a touch more up your alley, so to speak.

― Scik Mouthy, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:25 (eighteen years ago)

i've listened to this two or three times since i last posted and i still don't think it comes close to "axes". it's a good album, but yes, kate is absolutely right about "texture".

"axes" is much more powerful and rich.

― grimly fiendish, Monday, 14 May 2007 13:51 (eighteen years ago)

Skipping 13 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

anyone need a ticket for the nyc show tuesday? i have an extra for you if you'll buy me a beer

― mookieproof, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 03:45 (eighteen years ago)

I find NSNC utterly joyous, in a melancholic type way [/contrary bastard]. I thought the drums sounded loads better live too.

-- Mister Craig, Monday, May 14, 2007 8:50 PM (Yesterday)

wow i sure thought you said NSYNC there.

― s1ocki, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 04:02 (eighteen years ago)

they cancelled their montreal date cuz they're opening some dates for the arcade fire. IRONY :(

― s1ocki, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 04:43 (eighteen years ago)

Maps, Maps... I think I've seen them at the shoegazer club but can't place which band they were. Or am I thinking of Fields? I can't keep my nu-gaze bands straight any more.

shameless pre-1996 Spiritualized rip-off sounds great. Post 1996 can suck a bag of dicks, though. I love UVS so I might give it a listen.

― Masonic Boom, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 09:25 (eighteen years ago)

I suspect it'll tickle you silly.

― Scik Mouthy, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 09:29 (eighteen years ago)

There's nothing as good as The Valleys on it, mind

there's plenty as good! Have you been listening to Saturday?

― o-ess, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 10:02 (eighteen years ago)

Ha ha ha, Sick - Maps are the new Manitoba.

― Masonic Boom, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:57 (eighteen years ago)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo.............

― Scik Mouthy, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 16:24 (eighteen years ago)

Kate, Kate, I take it back! On further exposure the Maps album is really dull and obvious! I'm sorry! I've returned my copy! (It was scratched too, but I plumped for a refund as I'd never have played it again.)

― Scik Mouthy, Thursday, 17 May 2007 13:24 (eighteen years ago)

It's not that bad. I quite like bits of it. But it does remind me a lot of Manitoba.

Electrelane are growing on me. They're better music to listen to at work, I think.

― Masonic Boom, Thursday, 17 May 2007 13:26 (eighteen years ago)

The Manitoba is way better and more exciting! Did you ever get the record he did in 2005 as Caribou? Added some more control, a bit of Kraut. Liked it a lot.

― Scik Mouthy, Thursday, 17 May 2007 13:29 (eighteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

Worth paying the Arcade Fire premium to catch them on a No Shouts tour?

― Leee, Thursday, 31 May 2007 21:59 (eighteen years ago)

I think so, they really blew me away on the Chicago stop.

― jon /via/ chi 2.0, Thursday, 31 May 2007 22:00 (eighteen years ago)

I forgot to mention that I'm not very interested in the AF -- even then?

― Leee, Thursday, 31 May 2007 22:06 (eighteen years ago)

aren't they touring out there after their jaunt with AF?

― fukasaku tollbooth, Friday, 1 June 2007 13:21 (eighteen years ago)

Brilliant show at the Troub last night, but I'd skip the Arcade Fire madness

― Elvis Telecom, Friday, 1 June 2007 15:19 (eighteen years ago)

two months pass...

can't stop playing 'Saturday' off this... what a great song!

― fandango, Wednesday, 8 August 2007 08:28 (eighteen years ago)

I've not listened to this in a couple of weeks, which is probably as long a gap as I've had since March when I got the promo. My most-played album of the year, I suspect.

― Scik Mouthy, Wednesday, 8 August 2007 08:34 (eighteen years ago)

one year passes...

2007 was so good.

― Sickamous Mouthall (Scik Mouthy), Friday, 27 February 2009 11:15 (sixteen years ago)

I miss 2007.

― Millsner, Friday, 27 February 2009 11:42 (sixteen years ago)

one month passes...

whoa, 'at sea' sounds a lot like blueboy's 'air france' !

― poortheatre, Friday, 3 April 2009 10:37 (sixteen years ago)

Goddamn do I miss this band already.

― display names have been changed to protect the innocent (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 3 April 2009 13:05 (sixteen years ago)

seven months pass...

This album is so good I keep coming back to it over and over again.

― dan selzer, Thursday, 5 November 2009 22:03 (sixteen years ago)

!!! So funny, I've been on a big Electrelane kick the last couple of days. Missing them so much.

― & other try hard shitfests (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 5 November 2009 22:11 (sixteen years ago)

I saw them a couple years ago and they were amazing. I love that album and them in general. ;_;

― bear say hi to me (ENBB), Thursday, 5 November 2009 22:12 (sixteen years ago)

oh, I love this album. I first heard Electrelane on the radio doing what sounded to me like a pretty good Stereolab impression, so I kept it in mind but couldn't be fussed to seek it out. Then I saw this album listed in the ILX 2007 albums poll, and the write up made it sound like it was made for my enjoyment... and it was! Now they're one of my favorite bands. No Shouts, No Calls or The Power Out? It depends on whichever one I'm listening to at the time.

Thanks ILX!

― brontosaur, Thursday, 5 November 2009 22:23 (sixteen years ago)

yeah weird was listening to electrelane tonight cooking! cover of more than this gets me riled up ill tell ya!

― plaques (I know, right?), Thursday, 5 November 2009 22:25 (sixteen years ago)

I hadn't heard them before seeing them open for Arcade Fire on the tour mentioned upthread. They completely blew me away, I ended up buying three of their albums from the merch booth immediately after the set. Watching Mia Clarke quite literally writhe the feedback out of her guitar was a sight to behold.

― & other try hard shitfests (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 5 November 2009 22:30 (sixteen years ago)

drummer was pri-tty shit when i saw them, kinda thought it was all about verity sussman, she looks like a geography teacher having mystical visions and cosmic vibrations

― plaques (I know, right?), Thursday, 5 November 2009 22:33 (sixteen years ago)

Haha, thats a good description. She was pretty great, but as I was sitting directly in front of Mia it was pretty hard to concentrate on much else.

― & other try hard shitfests (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 5 November 2009 22:37 (sixteen years ago)

Tremendous live show both times I saw them. Ending feedback monster with Mia scraping guitar over AC30 and Verity in full splat on Farfisa was best.

― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 5 November 2009 23:03 (sixteen years ago)

has mia clarke gone back to writing or what's the story

― plaques (I know, right?), Thursday, 5 November 2009 23:07 (sixteen years ago)

She wrote a book with Sara from Erase Errata called The Art of Touring and a guitar improv thing with Andy from The Ex called "Guitargument", but I'm not sure what else she is doing.

― & other try hard shitfests (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 5 November 2009 23:09 (sixteen years ago)

Fucking great band. Love to lose myself in Axes, a great monolithic monster of a record.

― willem, Friday, 6 November 2009 06:22 (sixteen years ago)

man these guys ruled

― banned, on the run (s1ocki), Friday, 6 November 2009 06:26 (sixteen years ago)

It's weird how this is a band that should have had my name all over it. But it just never really clicked for me. Suppose I should give them another go.

― Persian Pickle (Masonic Boom), Friday, 6 November 2009 10:19 (sixteen years ago)

yeah, kate, axes, srsly

― plaques (I know, right?), Saturday, 7 November 2009 03:44 (sixteen years ago)

has mia clarke gone back to writing or what's the story

Her new band.

― Dave Depper (Davey D), Saturday, 7 November 2009 03:57 (sixteen years ago)

Never got to see them live.

― exploding angel vagina (Scik Mouthy), Saturday, 7 November 2009 08:00 (sixteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kirstiecat/3998681600/

― saraxyz, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 19:18 (sixteen years ago)

one year passes...

revisiting this album i remember why i listened to it about twenty times in a week. miss u guyz.

― Antoine Bugleboy (Merdeyeux), Friday, 3 December 2010 11:52 (fifteen years ago)

four years pass...

^ listened for the first time today, started it right over after it was done

― global tetrahedron, Thursday, 12 February 2015 18:24 (eleven years ago)

love this album, it's still great after all these years

― j. winters (josh), Thursday, 12 February 2015 18:39 (eleven years ago)

new favorite band probs

― global tetrahedron, Thursday, 12 February 2015 19:15 (eleven years ago)

man this was that long ago? if you had asked me to guess the year this album came out i would have gone with like 2010

― ciderpress, Thursday, 12 February 2015 19:54 (eleven years ago)

It'd be bliss if they reunited and opened for SK.

― Hollinger Escape Plan (Leee), Thursday, 12 February 2015 20:40 (eleven years ago)

man, i loved (love!) this band. especially for the power out, one of my all-time favorite rock & roll records, but axes and no shouts are great too, in different ways. like if you put the the power out through that machine that separates a person into good and bad twins, then maybe you'd get the next two, one dark & indulgent, the other light & reined-in. wish they hadn't called it a day so soon :(

― contenderizer, Thursday, 12 February 2015 20:44 (eleven years ago)

& leee otm

― contenderizer, Thursday, 12 February 2015 20:44 (eleven years ago)

saw this band open for The Ex once and it sold me on them, don't know the records too well but this sounds like a good excuse to re-listen

― sleeve, Thursday, 12 February 2015 20:45 (eleven years ago)

nine months pass...

Miss this band, they were in my dream last night

― JoeStork, Wednesday, 25 November 2015 21:00 (ten years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.