Courtney Barnett, I like her

I'm late to the table on this, having ignored her until I happened to hear "History Eraser" on the radio the other day. But I really like the two EPs -- smart, scruffy, funny. So I figured she deserved a thread.

http://ic.f.tsatic-cdn.net/1290/635_340/d92ff_1290492.jpg

Your early-Liz-Phair comparisons here. (Tho Barbara Manning is just as apt. And/or the entire 1990-93 era.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6_G5PlEXdk

Talked about her on that Johnny Fever not pop not indie thread :

http://pitchfork.com/features/rising/9230-courtney-barnett/

Not sure what thread to use to talk about Aussie Courtney Barnett who likes Nirvana and the Go-Betweens

― curmudgeon, Friday, February 21, 2014 12:11 AM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

bump

― curmudgeon, Friday, February 21, 2014 2:57 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I'm gonna give her a few more listens. Her DC gig got a nice Washington Post review.

― curmudgeon, Saturday, February 22, 2014 4:06 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol I should probably bookmark this thread so I see the new things

― Johnny Fever, Saturday, February 22, 2014 4:15 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Courtney Barnett just recorded an NPR Tiny Desk concert

― curmudgeon, Monday, February 24, 2014 7:20 PM (5 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Courtney Barnett is really cool but isn't she straight-up indie? Whatever indie means.

― Legendary Zing! Alum (seandalai), Monday, February 24, 2014 7:27 PM (5 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Probably, but I couldn't find an "Indie 2014" thread and didn't want to be the one to start one, since I'm no indie 2014 expert

― curmudgeon, Monday, February 24, 2014 8:29 PM (5 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Regretted playing shambala vigilante border patrol as soon as I posted, but yeah there should be a Rolling Indie 2014 thread.

It's not like I really know what belongs here anyway. Just listened to the Jaakko Eino Kalevi Dreamzone Remixes EP and this track jumped out at me, it's poppy but in a very meandering way:

http://noisey.vice.com/en_se/read/youneedtohearthis-listen-to-this-gorgeous-remix-of-finnish-mastermind-jaakko-eino-kalevi

― Legendary Zing! Alum (seandalai), Monday, February 24, 2014 10:20 PM (5 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

She is definitely straight-up indie whatever indie means. Which apparently I can still like sometimes.

The Liz Phair semblance I mentioned is really mostly in her guitar playing (as my wife observed) -- that slightly choppy, warm sound. Her voice is totally her own thing.

I'm still hearing a female take on Nirvana unplugged with a dash of Go-Betweens

Richards in the W. Post likes her lyrics (and guitar-playing too)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/courtney-barnetts-electric-deadpan-wows-at-dc9/2014/02/20/885e499a-9a38-11e3-80ac-63a8ba7f7942_story.html

The Liz Phair semblance I mentioned is really mostly in her guitar playing (as my wife observed) -- that slightly choppy, warm sound.

what i've heard so far of that slightly choppy, warm sound reads more cobain than phair to me, though i'm not sure the distinction makes any difference. but my favorite thing about her puts her squarely in kurdt's kamp: she's a lefty.

Avant Gardener was one icky favourite things from last year. The line where she describes the reaction of the ambulance driver to her occupation and her own subsequent reaction kills me every time

My favourite that is. Not icky at all.

I also love the repurposing of "All Shook Up" in that song.

I've only heard Avant Gardener but it was probably my favorite song of last year.

I compared "Avant Gardener" to not just Phair, but also Beck on my year-end ballot.

The only thing is I haven't heard anything else by her in the same league.

I like at least 3 other songs as much.

Oh yes? And those might be? History Eraser perchance?

Anyhow I will listen to all the songs some more myself.

Yeah "History Eraser," "Don't Apply Compression Gently" and "Are You Looking After Yourself" are all standouts to me on the first few run-throughs. I like most of the others, too.

Avant Gardener has gone from 'hmmm that's nice' to being my #1 springtime jam.

favourite bit is how she says she'd rather die than owe the emergency services til she gets old.

Thanks to ILM for tipping me to her, definitely one of my favorite new artists this year. I hear Paul Kelly in her lyrics/delivery and Velvet Underground-via-Yo La Tengo in the guitar squeals. Good stuff!!

http://thethousands.com.au/melbourne/hear/a-mixtape-by-courtney-barnett
Nice to hear a bunch of Kiwi stuff on this!

hmm not bad, save for teeth & tongue who i utterly despise

One day Street Chant might actually release a new record. It's all gone a bit Guns n Roses really.

I saw her the other week down here in end-of-the-world Hobart (also her home for a few years). I have never seen anyone have that much fun playing guitar. Not all the songs are top drawer, but when she's on, she's ON.

"Pickles from the Jar" is an extra track that's appeared on a couple of Milk Records compilations:

http://store.milkrecords.com.au/album/a-pair-of-pears-with-shadows-a-milk-records-compilation-2
Massive shout out to Hobart on there.

Her new upcoming album has a title, and it's not cryptic! :-o

• "Courtney album!

• "first taste of the new CB album sometimes i sit and think, and sometimes i just sit will be in your ears NEXT WEEK. keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitters for the announcement."

Aaaaahhhh the title is a quote from A.A. Milne, yeahIknewthat.

sweet!

I love the Double EP, high hopes for this.

Cool. Was happy to see she's on the Bonnaroo lineup, looking forward to seeing her.

New song sounds good. Pissed off and interesting. Sure you might say Dylan Nirvana hybrid but I don't think it is obvious enough to make it especially derivative. In other words it sounds like Courtney Barnett and that is very fucking fine.

Well ok then, nary a ripple on the ilx surface. This song is kicking me in the pants today.

I like Courtney Barnett too but the production on the new song is not my thing

i like her too.

wish the production was more aggressive and less indie though

I dig the new tune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-nr1nNC3ds#t=46

This is a jam.

I like the EPs album, and this sounds great too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NVOawOXxSA

whoop

New song hits me harder than the previous one, quite looking forward to this album!

It's good, but I'm a little bummed that it's not all distorted and grungy like the previous one.

nah it's better

Anyone going to see her in London on the 10th of April?

oh man, i could well be tempted. my partner's also a big fan and it's her birthday week but we were planning on a trip to london earlier in the week anyway.

I'm going to the Cambridge gig on the 7th.

We might go to the Cambridge one instead

I hope the album is more like "Pedestrian" noisy thing

But I doubt it

http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/courtney-barnett-writes-all-the-best-songs/

Pedestrian is striking me as some weird cross between Institutionalized & Parklife. Good stuff.

Her turn of phrase is really quite cringeworthy - "give me all your money and I'll make some orgami honey", "now we've got that percolator, never made a latte greater". I like the grungy sound of the first track but her lyrics just put me in mind of some self-lampooning sadsack character from a Lorrie Moore short story, except no way near as funny or sad or charming or well-written as that would imply.

I love that line and her delivery.

I saw her play last night — holy gawd, it was amazing. She’s a rock star. I’ve seen a lot of shows; and this was one of “those shows”... She plays (without a pick!) fierce, confident rock & roll with perfect, in-the-pocket solos. Tight, excellent band. Even if I didn’t already know (& love) many of these songs, I would have been swept up. I felt privileged to be there, silly as that sounds.

She is also the best selector and performer of cover songs that I know. These are two she did last night:

https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/08/courtney-barnett-houses-cover-weinberg/

https://www.stereogum.com/1998072/watch-courtney-barnett-cover-gillian-welchs-everything-is-free/video/

awesome!

there is a video online where she demonstrates her guitar technique (sans pick) here

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

did waxahatchee open??

Yes, Wax. & Malkmus/Jicks. (Katie C. of Wax. came back out and performed that first cover with CB)

sounds like a great time

both shows sold out here instantly, which was sad. album still in my top 10 for this year tho!

Saw Phoebe Bridgerscover Everything is Free the other month. Interesting resurgence covered here:

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/gillian-welch-everything-is-free-courtney-barnett-father-john-misty-725135/

I hope she comes thru on this tour, saw her 2+ years ago and it was great but imo another guitarist was desperately needed, so many of her songs are propelled by her leads. Glad she's expanded the band. Haven't spent as much time with the new record as I should.

She’s added a keyboard player who plays guitar on some songs.

“Depreston” was amazing (the centerpiece / show stopper) — I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crowd that large so transfixed by a song.

that's the one, and definitely one that needs another player... an astounding song, as good as she is that one towers over everything else imo

yep absolutely, other than avant gardener imo

love Depreston, but also Pedestrian at Best and all of the other songs from Sometimes I Sit and Think..

“Avant Gardener” ruled in this live setting, too...

where did you see her morrisp?

just in terms of her recorded songs Kim's Caravan is also so great

The Greek Theater (Los Angeles)

I’ve told several ppl about this show (who weren’t familiar w/CB), and they all asked, “What is she, a singer-songwriter? Acoustic guitar?”

She’s a FUCKIN’ ROCK & ROLLER, FOLX!!

fucking hate compartmentalizing artists but that last album doesn't really rock too hard, though it has some scorching solos

It’s rock & roll, dude!

sure

Saw her last night doing the power trio thing. Superb show. Reminds me of this statement by UMS from a Florence thread:

it's interesting that people so hold on to like lumpy bands like foo fighters like "we need realy rock staaars man" and like florence is a rock star totally, she had the arena in her hand

Same goes for Courtney (and Julia Cumming from Sunflower Bean, who opened).

She is indeed a rock star! (as I mentioned in my own blissed-out show reaction above)

Also, my *least* favorite style of hers is the grungy, Nirvana-style song ("Pedestrian at Best," "I'm Not Your Mother") -- but she really seems to rile up the crowd with those songs... so I guess if that style is the necessary "rock star" trigger for a certain type of "Foo Fighters fan" listener, even they will get what they're looking for.

Actually the first time I saw her I was surprised how much her live show reminded of a Nirvana power-trio rock show. That side doesn't come through too strongly on the albums.

when she played on SNL in 2016 my ex-gf's dad said she reminded him of Kurt Cobain. I had never thought about that before but yeah, it fits - maybe I didn't see it before because CB doesn't have the anger or angst of Nirvana, but certainly the energy.

...also being a Southpaw fond of throwing guitars around.

Her neurotic wordplay and chord changes have reminded me of Cobain from the start - the self-effacing wit, the timing.

she certainly enunciates better though

...also being a Southpaw fond of throwing guitars around.

FP'd you for racism

I'M NOT MORRISSEY!

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Eb8YuXZ1L._SX355_.jpg

it is kind of incredible how much I love love love the first side of "Tell Me How You Really Feel" and yet I can never make it through or really remember anything on side 2

"Help Your Self"? "Sunday Roast"?

also I assume everyone knows about https://courtneybarnett.bandcamp.com/album/mtv-unplugged

the mtv unplugged set from last year is really good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUXvlpS0TvE

Oh cool, didn't know she had a new album on the way.

great single, it’s everything she does best. Album’s not out til November but Milk records has preorders in all formats

New song, "Before You Gotta Go," is really a nice one

https://courtneybarnett.com.au/stemmixer

She put up a few of the new songs in a stem mixer. "Before You Go" sounds great with just drums/vocals/synth pad, gets weird and austere.

This sounded good on the radio the other day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTrdzqGHqu4

Courtney Barnett, I still like her

Album's out, it's ultra ultra ultra low key and pushes in some unusual directions for her. Still the first listen but I'm enjoying it. The drawl is a little unchecked on a few tracks but I'm sure I will ease into it.

Love the gtr at the end of "Turning Green"

I really got into "Here's the Thing" which is unassuming but has a lot to offer. Noticed Mr Soto's p4k review, don't agree it's her least interesting, but I'll be interested to find out how much it grows on me.

It's a pretty unassuming album, def feels like a "grower"

xxp Hey, Alfred's review kicks off talking about that gtr part! "Good morning!," Mr. Soto

Responses elsewhere seem to be generally more positive. I like it, but I still get more out of her first album.

put her on a pedestal and she’ll only disappoint you

Hey, Alfred's review kicks off talking about that gtr part! "Good morning!," Mr. Soto

https://media1.giphy.com/media/t8ANqsIUQXty8C7Bpr/giphy.gif

she's onto some good ambient noodling
https://courtneybarnett.bandcamp.com/album/end-of-the-day-music-from-the-film-anonymous-club

Another in a series of terrifically well chosen & executed covers by her -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F94tz8Y6a3Y