Cheers,
EGM
*And I’m here to happily provide uninvited two-cents from the only guy you know who still only listens to reggae and punk rock about bands I’ve never heard! (BK)
**Me too! (TH)
Running Downhill Presents
Pitchfork Music Festival Preview: Friday
I’m starting to feel old. Like, old in the sense that the only day I really would want to go to Pitchfork is on Friday night, when 50-year old dudes play songs they wrote 20 years ago. I used to scoff at this, and while I still think it’s stupid, I honestly think this is the best day of the festival, and only 4 bands are playing! Now, for a lot of these older bands, these reunion tours/shows are embarrassing cash-ins (I’m looking at you, Pixies, you sad fucks). But shit, man, at least 3 out of the 4 bands were still together prior to being booked for this, so that’s good. (Also remember, fans who bought tickets got to request songs, thereby “writing” each bands setlist.)
Yo La Tengo – Nothing they’ve put out in a while has been worth a damn, but hey, they still play a lot of old (good) songs when they play live. It also looks like they haven’t aged since 1992, which is odd. And since fans are voting on this one, I’m going to assume that their set will consist of “I Can Heart Beating as One” three times over. Plz. “Sugarcube” x10 k thx.
A band I’ve probably not listened too as much as I should, but they’re not my cup of tea, anyhow. Proust, now that’s my cup of zeez. I mean tea.
Never listened to Yo La Tengo.
The Jesus Lizard – Are the Jesus Lizard the epitome of Albini-rock? I mean, besides Big Black/Shellac/etc. But yeah, this could either go really well or really poorly. Being one of Chicago’s most legendary live bands is a lot to live up to, especially in their hometown, so yeah, even when David Yow says in Time Out that he’s not going to get naked … get real.
I love that the JL sound like angry Pixies to me. Which is probably not accurate, but that’s how I feel.
Never listened to the Jesus Lizard.
Built to Spill - Never having seen them live myself, I’ll say that I’ve heard they are pretty bad for the most part. Which is a shame, because, like YLT, while they haven’t put out a great album in a long while, but they remain some essential shit for anyone currently in their mid 20s-30s. Which brings me to a semi-related point: do people younger than me (24) like or listen to Built to Spill? Someone please clarify.
I’m 27 and I have never listened to anything ever, so don’t ask me.
I’m 28 years old, and I have never listened to one note of BtS. Never. I guess I never found them “essential”? On a related note, I have never listened to note one of Death Cab, either. And I’ve listened to about three notes of YLT. And I don’t like Superchunk. I sometimes think I should’ve been born in the 19th century — I like Schubert! And neckties. And waistcoats. And pocket watches.
Tortoise – I recently found out that I work with the wife of one of the guys in Tortoise. So there’s that.
I saw these cats at Pritzker Pavilion in September of 2004. I was really far away, and couldn’t actually SEE them, but I remember lots of drums and complex rhythms. And some noodling. I remember not understanding, and I’m “good” at “math.” This is when Marsh yells at everyone that Tortoise are not actually math rock. He’s usually right. He reads a lot.
At least they’re dressed like a band Ted would like. Actually, they’re also dressed like a band would like. Don’t sound like one though.
Ted, re: your comment on Built to Spill, I think you’d like Momus, as there was a period where I think he felt the same way about himself that you do about yourself, if that makes any sense at all.
The only band I’d really want to see on this list is Built to Spill, and now I’m wondering the same thing Marsh wonders about what constitutes their current “demographic.”
just here to say that Tortoise is definitely not math rock.