God Save The Clientele - The anticipation thread

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so, anyone heard it yet?
it's supposed to be more up-beat and less melancholic than "strange geomatry"..

― Zeno, Saturday, 17 March 2007 22:26 (eighteen years ago)

That rumor makes me curious, because I haven't really liked anything since the early singles (which were up-beat and less melancholic).

― Johnny Fever, Saturday, 17 March 2007 22:30 (eighteen years ago)

really?
i think "geomatry" is their best effort yet.

― Zeno, Saturday, 17 March 2007 22:35 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, I think Geomatry's their best, too. That spoken-word piece on Geomatry disc, Losing Haringey, perfectly captures the sad, bittersweet feeling of nostalgia and lost youth.

― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 18 March 2007 00:04 (eighteen years ago)

"That spoken-word piece on Geomatry disc."

I sound like Marissa Marchant.

― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 18 March 2007 00:06 (eighteen years ago)

their best album is the violet hour, which is the best album by any band ever, but they were playing songs from the new album on their last north american tour and they were fantastic, so i'm excited about this. yes very excited.

― f. hazel, Sunday, 18 March 2007 08:33 (eighteen years ago)

New tunes on the MySpace site:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=19066424

― Keith, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 17:34 (eighteen years ago)

Both tracks brilliant.

Tracklisting and tour details here: http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/41676/Clientele_Reveal_LP_Details_Tour_With_Beach_House

― Keith, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 17:40 (eighteen years ago)

I have heard some of it! There's a pedal steel involved. From what I've heard, it's pretty great.

― molly mummenschanz, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 18:25 (eighteen years ago)

From what I can tell, it's lacking the "fuzz" quotient, but isn't nearly as melancholy as the more recent LPs.

― molly mummenschanz, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 18:27 (eighteen years ago)

I agree with the dude who said the early singles are the best. they are more upbeat. not sunny, but certainly less cloudy. I'd recommend the disc they were selling of early 4 track recordings. I think I also prefer the relict's album to any of the clientele albums, except maybe the first rec, which isn't a proper full length anyway (though I suppose it is precisely what an "album" is).

― certain, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 18:32 (eighteen years ago)

Can't wait to hear this album. But what is this "relict's" album you talk about?

― zeus, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 18:34 (eighteen years ago)

the relict is an offshoot of the clientele. it's the songs of a dude who was in the band from the beginning up until just before the elefant single. he's recorded a few singles, one split with the clientele, and an album always using the clientele and others as his musicians. very good stuff. basically the same as the clientele, though often with female singers. pam berry, abi marvel, that gal from the pipas.

― certain, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 19:01 (eighteen years ago)

'Bookshop Casanova': Glad to hear a more fast-paced track from this fine band- much as I love the previous albums, they were all of a similar-ish pace. Reminds me of recent Scritti Politti a little, too. Looking forwar dto hearing more. d

― Mr.Gripper, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 19:49 (eighteen years ago)

ooh, i hope that's not the only track to have pedal steel. very nice!

― f. hazel, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 21:06 (eighteen years ago)

They recorded the album in Nashville (hence the availability of pedal steel players).

― molly mummenschanz, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 21:23 (eighteen years ago)

i hope they record the next album in han dold city!

― f. hazel, Tuesday, 27 March 2007 22:04 (eighteen years ago)

I'm still very surprised that this band continues to be worth listening to...never would have predicted that in the beginning. The Myspace tracks are good indeed (and I love the fact that another Beatles weirdo track has been sort of resurrected, e.g. The Moles "What's The New Mary Jane).

Just out of curiousity, I never have managed to track down their Spacemen 3 cover (from a single off of the last album). Has anyone heard it, and is it worth going on a quest for?

― dlp9001, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 02:04 (eighteen years ago)

if you have a record player it's not hard to get ahold of... "i believe it" is the song, it's the b-side to the "since k got over me" 7".

― f. hazel, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 04:46 (eighteen years ago)

merge's website has it for $5.

― f. hazel, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 04:48 (eighteen years ago)

Inspired by this thread I ripped/copied Strange Geometry this morning and then changed my route to work so I could hear it on the train. It had been a few months since I'd played it. It sounded magnificent rolling through a cutting between Honor Oak and Forest Hill (I know north London is Al's muse but we had claim of him in the southeast for a few months, so I reckon the songs can survive the transfer).

Can wait to hear the new stuff.

― Michael Jones, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 11:10 (eighteen years ago)

Can't wait! Well, it can wait until I've played the rest of the last LP again on the way home.

― Michael Jones, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 11:16 (eighteen years ago)

And will this record sell more than... umm, 1500 copies in the UK?

― zeus, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 11:59 (eighteen years ago)

I couldn't tell you. I know they're sort of invisible here (big NME review for The Violet Hour wasn't matched by press interest in the next record, I don't think) for reasons beyond my ken.

― Michael Jones, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 12:18 (eighteen years ago)

I think I should probably get some records by these people.

I have never heard of this Relict thing.

Funnily enough, The Violet Hour, I used to listen to that (on minidisc) on the train between Reneteria and San Sebastian, back in the day.

― PJ Miller, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 12:29 (eighteen years ago)

what was 'Bicycles' on? that is my fave Clientele song.

― Grandpont Genie, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 12:33 (eighteen years ago)

Why are they so much more popular in the States, do you think?

― Mark Rich@rdson, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 12:35 (eighteen years ago)

serious indie rock band with 80's and 60's influences and no electronic beats? not in the 2000's UK!

― Zeno, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 13:10 (eighteen years ago)

Perhaps because they have more US indie influences than British (Galaxie 500 to say the obvious)

― zeus, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 13:11 (eighteen years ago)

if the whole album will sound like those 2 beautifull songs in myspace it will be their mastrepiece

― Zeno, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 13:31 (eighteen years ago)

...taking the belle and sebastian formula one good step forward it seems

― Zeno, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 13:36 (eighteen years ago)

i'm not super-familiar with these guys, but a promo of the new one showed up yesterday--and it's fantastic! not sure how I managed to sleep on them for so long. Beautiful production, Lennon-esque vocals, pedal steel, Waterloo Sunset harmonies--maybe as perfect a record as I've heard this year.

― tylerw, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 14:23 (eighteen years ago)

can't wait for this. the last one really snuck up on me over the course of 2005. i should probably give the violet hour another go.

― strongohulkington, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 14:27 (eighteen years ago)

I have never heard of this Relict thing.

I think we have more than one copy, PJM, if you'd like it.

― Michael Jones, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 14:43 (eighteen years ago)

i am very excited with these two new 'uns, though i loved strange geometry i was disappointedt the pop moments weren't more so, since they had covered fuzzy melancholy so comprehensively on the violet hour. bookshop cassanova in particular sounds like it could shake up the torpor that surrounds them here in the uk. i hope so, they've always sounded like they could be huge to me and the world would be a better place if they were

― cw, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 15:55 (eighteen years ago)

I am very excited. It will be the event of the decade. I agree with the person above who says that the Violet Hour is the best record ever recorded by anyone ever.

― Keith, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 17:29 (eighteen years ago)

I totally drink the Kool Aid for this band.

― Dandy Don Weiner, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 18:00 (eighteen years ago)

The record has leaked and its very gently produced (with lots of acoustic and pedal guitars, and layers of sound) ,outstandingly beautifull,very melodic and great.
1st impression: one of the best twee records ever.
and it's combining the up-beat with the melancholic.
can you ask for more?

― Zeno, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 20:13 (eighteen years ago)

it's great!!!
bookshop casanova is incredible

― tornup_andhurt, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 20:16 (eighteen years ago)

btw great cover art as well

― Zeno, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 20:18 (eighteen years ago)

Oh, please don't call it a 'twee record'!

The cover art is great, right enough. Much as I would love to hear it, I am nonetheless going to wait until it comes out.

― Keith, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 20:54 (eighteen years ago)

you can't ignore the twee on it,...plus, it's not such a dirty word (least not in this case).and yes,..if it was only twee it was awful,but luckily it's not.

― Zeno, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 20:58 (eighteen years ago)

they fail the twee test for the same reason the monochrome set do... they're too good at playing their instruments.

― f. hazel, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 21:02 (eighteen years ago)

where's it leaked at, anyway?

― f. hazel, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 21:03 (eighteen years ago)

i thought twee was about style, not technique

― Zeno, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 21:03 (eighteen years ago)

it's part of the style!

― f. hazel, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 21:06 (eighteen years ago)

even if it's so - it's one part of many,but still all parts are under one umbrella.
.so the clientele are a good band cause they play good and they are complex than being only twee

― Zeno, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 21:12 (eighteen years ago)

are you saying the clientele perform live under hello kitty umbrellas?

― f. hazel, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 21:13 (eighteen years ago)

half hello kitty half emily the strange

― Zeno, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 21:16 (eighteen years ago)

goth save the clientele!

― f. hazel, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 21:20 (eighteen years ago)

Skipping 42 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

So.... I don't like this one very much.

― sean gramophone, Thursday, 26 April 2007 11:42 (eighteen years ago)

As far as production, the Clientele sound started to get lost on The Violet Hour and was gone with Strange Geometry.

Time to dig out the Tascam 8-track cassette deck then.

― Michael Jones, Thursday, 26 April 2007 12:18 (eighteen years ago)

i was initially disconcerted about how much his doesn't sound like a Clientele record, and more particularly, like my favourite bits of that sound, but i stuck with it and i actually like it a lot now. it's like they've almost plucked up the confidence to leave the familiar, musty introversion of their apartment and stride out boldly into the outside world, but they're hovering in the doorway. the lyrics have suffered for it, but there are stronger melodies.

― Roberto Spiralli, Thursday, 26 April 2007 12:53 (eighteen years ago)

I saw them when they came to Chicago and I bought their little fan service DVD. It was really entertaining and fun, I thought. In any case someone in the band pointed out that the origin of their sound was that they had all this really cheap, antiquated equipment and this terrible microphone and that was the only sound they could get that sounded good.

But that was what made them so great! Well that and the songwriting. But there's something really charming about that small sound, working within your limitations. The Radio Department screwed themselves the same way by fucking with a really good thing. Next thing I know Ariel Pink is going to start putting out records, naked in the crisp, digital studio sound and totally ruin himself too.

― PublicRadio, Friday, 27 April 2007 06:49 (eighteen years ago)

I still like "god save" a lot.
the melodies are superb,and it reminds me a bit of Mojave 3's "out of tune" but the clientele are much much better.

― Zeno, Friday, 27 April 2007 06:52 (eighteen years ago)

i hope they record a double album based on pound's cantos and have paul webb produce it.

― f. hazel, Friday, 27 April 2007 08:31 (eighteen years ago)

Is this gonna get a UK release? Amazon only have it down as import (May 8th release).

― Scik Mouthy, Friday, 27 April 2007 08:38 (eighteen years ago)

I don't think they have a UK deal any more.

They had a few bad experiences early on with pro studios (unsympathetic engineers, etc) and generally couldn't afford it, so stuck with the home-recorded route when they got a bit of cash together for The Violet Hour - a couple of Fostex 16-track tape machines (not used together - just one kept blowing a fuse), Mackie desk, some better mics, budget outboard gear and their own old vintage stuff. I'm sure they were itching for someone else (someone good, someone on the same wavelength) to do the engineering stuff though as I think they'd reached the limit of what they could achieve in the drummer's basement.

I think the Phillippe/O'Shaughnessy hook-up for Geometry was pretty inspired. They've always held the likes of Lambchop in great esteem for their sound, so I guess it's no surprise they should edge towards that by recording in Nashville. I don't know very much about these sessions but I really like the results. It still sounds like them but it's in another realm, sonically. It guess it's broader, softer, less insular but it still gives me the chills.

― Michael Jones, Friday, 27 April 2007 09:01 (eighteen years ago)

will there be a vinyl release does anyone know?

― cw, Friday, 27 April 2007 09:27 (eighteen years ago)

nice show yesterday,although ths sound problems,and although the bad tension between alsadir and the new lady member (forgot her name):
"can you turn the violin down and the vocals up"?

alsadir is a really great guitar player!

― Zeno, Monday, 7 May 2007 16:35 (eighteen years ago)

public record and ladybug were good too

― Zeno, Monday, 7 May 2007 16:35 (eighteen years ago)

xpost:

followed closely by "can you turn the violin up" by mel the new lady member. it was funny, hard for me to say there was underlying tension there. who knows

the sound fell apart by the end. the sound lady at the back seemed not to care.

― Billy Pilgrim, Monday, 7 May 2007 16:48 (eighteen years ago)

if you watched closely just before the show you could notice the tension easy.

― Zeno, Monday, 7 May 2007 16:54 (eighteen years ago)

fistfights during soundcheck?

― f. hazel, Monday, 7 May 2007 18:10 (eighteen years ago)

I wasn't paying particularly close attention before the show started so i'm not surprised i missed it. doesnt bode well when that's the first date of their tour isn't it?

― Billy Pilgrim, Monday, 7 May 2007 18:15 (eighteen years ago)

I think Michael is a better producer/engineer than some hairy dude in Nashville.

really? better than Mark Nevers? it's a world full of opinions. Mark is clean-shaven. one might think that a healthy apprecation of professionalism counts for more than someone's perception of Nashville and its hairstyles, but there you go, that's the indie mind-set at its best.

I really like God Save. great sound, perfect summery pop. What's not to like? Better than the Shins.

― whisperineddhurt, Monday, 7 May 2007 18:38 (eighteen years ago)

"doesnt bode well when that's the first date of their tour isn't it?"

it's not i think.they played some shows in england in april

― Zeno, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 04:29 (eighteen years ago)

really? better than Mark Nevers? it's a world full of opinions. Mark is clean-shaven. one might think that a healthy apprecation of professionalism counts for more than someone's perception of Nashville and its hairstyles, but there you go, that's the indie mind-set at its best.

It was a joke. I'm not fit to untangle Mark Nevers' mic cables.

The Clientele are always good when they're pissed off, so all this supposed tension bodes well, I think. Or maybe not.

― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 07:02 (eighteen years ago)

so heckling them will make them sound better?

― f. hazel, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 08:47 (eighteen years ago)

I've seen The Clientele crackle along furiously when they clearly haven't been in the greatest of moods going onstage. For the band's sake, obviously I'd rather they didn't get dicked around by venue staff or suffer technical problems or endure inter-band tensions or whatever glitches have sullied their mood, but, purely selfishly, some of those shows have been the best.

But I've never seen them outside London and that, increasingly, is not really their live domain. I don't know what goes on on tour. Larks, I expect.

― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 09:15 (eighteen years ago)

I've just ordered this from US Amazon; it came to $21. It's £11.99 on import at UK Amazon and is only in 2-4 week dispatch anyway. Daftness.

― Scik Mouthy, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 10:00 (eighteen years ago)

I just did the same... What's the score with the deal, Mike?

― Keith, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 10:03 (eighteen years ago)

I've really no idea. I'll make enquiries...

― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 10:11 (eighteen years ago)

it's $13.00 for the cd or $15.00 for the rekkid direct from merge with $6.50 p&p (for the vinyl dunno about the cd) . listening to the record streamed from the label site for the first time it sounds absolutely ravishing, very immediate, very consistent

― cw, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 10:20 (eighteen years ago)

though it is a shame i can't go out and buy the flaming thing on the way home, what with them being a london band and all.

― cw, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 10:21 (eighteen years ago)

i held the CD in my hands tonight while putting out new releases at the store! it has shiny lettering. there was only one copy though so they'd have noticed if i'd taken it home.

the live versions (that i've heard) of lamplight and impossible have been truly amazing. especially the slowed-down impossible, gorgeous!

― f. hazel, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 10:25 (eighteen years ago)

where do you work f hazel? is it still there do you know?

― cw, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 10:27 (eighteen years ago)

in a music department in austin, texas so you won't be all that pleased to know it's still there.

― f. hazel, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 10:28 (eighteen years ago)

ha! i was hoping for fopp in camden, still, i hope it finds a good home!

― cw, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 10:32 (eighteen years ago)

oh, i'll probably go back and buy it later today. first i have to sleep for ten hours. there must be a copy somewheres in london!

― f. hazel, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 10:38 (eighteen years ago)

i think i'll enlist someone shady to grab me the mp3s and order the vinyl from merge. london's a big place, a very big place, a man can lose himself in london.

― cw, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 10:43 (eighteen years ago)

I would love to help but I'm duty bound not to let my promo copy out of my sight (or ripped and distributed). Anyway, the penultimate track is all messed up on mine.

― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 10:59 (eighteen years ago)

At first listen this is a bit disappointment. However, it's strange, why they put the two best songs (Bookshop Casanova, The Garden At Night) at the end of the record.

― zeus, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 11:17 (eighteen years ago)

really? i find it more immediately seductive than any clientele record since suburban daylight, my only worry is that it sounds so delightful on first listen that i can't see how it will grow on me as, say, the violet hour did

― cw, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 13:25 (eighteen years ago)

They're playing in Washington D.C. late tonight at the Black Cat.

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 13:26 (eighteen years ago)

and i bought it! along with rocketship's "a certain smile, a certain sadness" now let's see if the CD sounds better than the mp3s that have been floating around.

― f. hazel, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 02:36 (eighteen years ago)

just about anything will pale with Rocketship as the measuring stick

― zaxxon25, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 16:52 (eighteen years ago)

I think Michael is a better producer/engineer than some hairy dude in Nashville.

really? better than Mark Nevers? it's a world full of opinions. Mark is clean-shaven. one might think that a healthy apprecation of professionalism counts for more than someone's perception of Nashville and its hairstyles, but there you go, that's the indie mind-set at its best.

Yes, I was joking. I don't have an indie mind-set and have nothing but respect for Nashville.

We got tales of tour larks at that bowling alley gig, Michael.

― PJ Miller, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 17:06 (eighteen years ago)

nothing but respect for Nashville.

And hairy dudes.

― Keith, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 20:11 (eighteen years ago)

let me say again, and be more specific about it:
Alasdair Maclean is one of the best living rock guitarist.and you can see it clearly on the live show.
the fact that this is an unspoken fact should be fixed!

he got this unique technique of playing those jangle notes all over the instrument, and he can even go Hendrix if he wants to.impressing.

― Zeno, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 22:54 (eighteen years ago)

agreed... particularly pay attention when they play lamplight live.

― f. hazel, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 23:13 (eighteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

Revive!

Great album, but I'm having trouble with some of the lyrics.

Can anyone figure out the begginning to "Somebody Changed"

Back on the streets
Everyday is the same
Girls and trees (???),
???? ???? ????

― Go, GO, GO, Sunday, 3 June 2007 20:01 (eighteen years ago)

the girls in the trees
have the faces of angels

― f. hazel, Sunday, 3 June 2007 20:42 (eighteen years ago)

OMG! Thanks!

― Go, GO, GO, Sunday, 3 June 2007 21:05 (eighteen years ago)

There's no mystery in this new one, it's all laid out too perfectly, the songs sound too similiar to each other, the lyrics are cringe-worthy.

― calstars, Sunday, 3 June 2007 21:30 (eighteen years ago)

I like the record OK but think it would have been better if it were shorter; maybe 9 songs instead of 14.

― kwhitehead, Monday, 4 June 2007 00:22 (eighteen years ago)

There's no mystery in this new one, it's all laid out too perfectly, the songs sound too similiar to each other, the lyrics are cringe-worthy.

There's certainly less mystery on the new disc, and that's a little disappointing. But the tradeoff is that the production is cleaner and better. And the songs -- which are melodic and sometimes surprisingly bouncy -- get more of a chance to stand on their own, instead of being hidden under a fog of hazy atmospheric effects.

And I think the charge that "the songs sound too similar to each other" is more appropriately leveled at The Clientele's earlier discs, not this one (To be clear, I loved the band's earlier discs; I just think this new one is a nice, and necessary, step forward for them).

― Daniel, Esq., Monday, 4 June 2007 02:23 (eighteen years ago)

I'm not sure the production is 'better', although obviously that's not really something that one can objectively state unless you get into clipped vs not-clipped or something. I think my favourite 'sounding' Clientele record is still The Violet Hour; that slightly faded photograph sound I find remarkable. The new one is only OK to me so far, but their records generally take a while to sink in on me, and I'm prepared to give this one time.

― Scik Mouthy, Monday, 4 June 2007 08:08 (eighteen years ago)

That's fair. I guess cleaner, not necessarily better, production is the right description. Still, I think it's hard for The Clientele to catch a break in some respects: If they don't change -- e.g., cleaner production -- they're at risk of being criticized as a one-trick pony; if they do change -- e.g., cleaner production -- they're at risk of being criticized for losing the mystery of their earlier work. I suppose lots of bands can make the same complaint.

I prefer The Clientele's "slightly faded photograph sound," too, but I see why they'd want to move toward something else. And the progression from The Violet Hour to Strange Geometry to God Save seems very natural (adding new instruments, like violins; cleaner production; and so forth). Thankfully, I think the band's songs stand up nicely even without hazy atmospheric production.

― Daniel, Esq., Monday, 4 June 2007 16:42 (eighteen years ago)

I like all the songs except for the Queen of Seville. Haven't been in the mood for the Clientele the past couple of albums but now I am returning to the fold.

― Virginia Plain, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 00:32 (eighteen years ago)

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