Derek™

Only after you accept aesthetics > rarity can you ascend as a respectable vinyl enthusiast.

Now I just wanna’ see Twatay’s NFT collection. Shoot me a PM and we can swap blockchains, man. 🤓

Love the sentiment, N8, but there’s just way too many people in the vinyl community without any backbone – it would be a pipe-dream to pull off. AFI could repress STS and force you to accept a disclaimer upon checkout that states for every 1 copy sold, 1 kitten would be legitimately drowned. And it’d still sell out.

Interesting dilemma. Often times for me, adding vocals reduces the margin of error. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a new band set up a promising song before stepping up to the mic and laying down some cornball vocals or just singing with distracting pronunciation / strain. Way too many “man this was good but now it’s kinda’ ruined” moments. I do think something like CODY’s sparsity or “skeletal” atmosphere contributes to its identity though. Could really just be a case of different strokes for different folks, because Barrens’ Penumbra does little for me. (In full transparency, I think a lot of Pelagic’s roster is a snooze these days.) Post-rock is a broad-enough genre that offers enough for everyone to co-exist as fans of it, but I know I’d be pretty miffed if I could only cherry-pick select cuts from various Mogwai albums. Wishing you the best in someday figuring out the rest, if that’s in your cards.

That seems like some pretty valid speculation, Gumbo. I love me some Isis… they and Mogwai are easily in my top 10 bands and have been for a while. Both have great discographies and while I would have loved to see Isis keep going, I will always (always) respect bands who know when to call it quits. Even if it’s in the interest of just 1 member that consequently impacts the future of the band… I’d rather see bands leave behind a legacy of 2-3 great albums instead of “hanging in there” and phoning it in for 5+ more uninspired ones. think it’s safe to say that we all wish our favorite bands stay active and stay consistent until the sun goes down. The sad reality is that you usually get to pick only one of those things. But then there’s bands like Mogwai who somehow dodge catastrophe and stay relatively fresh as the years go on. Did you know they lost one of their founding guitarists back in 2015? Dude was with the band for 20 years and contributed to arguably my favorite era of Mogwai. They could’ve crumbled without him but they’ve moved on and released some real gems in his absence. To answer your question, which Matt already did, I don’t think there’s any reason to sweat their webstore being sold out of YT or CODY. I’ve been seeing preorders for them all over the place but I suspect inventory isn’t super high if sites like BM sell out quickly. Maybe get in touch with your favorite indie shop and see if they’ve got it or can order it for you. Yeah these are great, though I will admit they took me a bit to warm up to. I always thought HSFHP felt a little too vocoder-heavy up until recent years. And THIH, for as many killer songs and moments as it has, has always felt a little “off” given the soundtrack history of its origins. It definitely works though and I do dig it… it just took me a little bit of work to accept it for what it is and where it sits in the discography.

I’m not doubting or downplaying the impact of Covid on bands and the music industry by any means. But in the past 2-3 years, I feel like State Faults is probably the only one I follow who’s been teasing a new material - either done or “so close” - that actually hasn’t delivered it, or dropped a single, or… anything. Everyone else seems fine dropping new music with “vinyl coming later” or a 9 month PO. 🤷‍♂️ Not trying to be an asshole here, there could be a number of personal reasons preventing them from actually pulling the trigger on a new album drop. They’ll do it when and if the time is right for them, and no amount of whining on the internet will adjust that timeline. I get that. Just hope they’re not waiting for some stars to align where Covid is nonexistent, all venues are open, and pressing plants are miraculously freed up with no delays, before announcing a new album or single.

That new album would be pretty cool. They’ve been writing / teasing it for years now. No idea what the holdup is.

Well said all around. I agree – at least in regards to music I’d legitimately listen to, I don’t think I’ve ever reduced a critique to “this shit sucks”. Because that’s about as boring and non-constructive as circle-jerking all bands, all albums, all the time. I’ll definitely comment if the production is questionable, or if certain vocals / stylistic changes just don’t do it for me, or if a song’s direction is failing to grab me like a previous record has. I think that drives discussion and is way more interesting than having everyone post order confirmations or talk about shipping notifications. I’ve seen way too many VC threads get reduced to that, and… no thanks. Pretty good example with RC too. They aren’t exactly pushing the creative envelope with every album but they still do what they do better than 99% of the bands they share the genre with, so I celebrate it for sure. I’m really trying to think of the last VC “big hype” post-rock thread that I was nonplussed about, and what I may have posted as a critique. (If I even bothered to post at all.) Re: Mogwai, I will peer-pressure you into buying these sooner than later, Gumbo. No idea how many were pressed but I’m starting to see them dry up here and there. Same thing kinda’ happened with that EPx3 set but I think it eventually started to get replenished, so who knows. The demand for a YT repress was a lot greater than the demand for that set though. I would kick myself hard if $70+ became the norm on the aftermarket for a YT repress… because it’s be between that or $100+ for an older press. Even if you don’t fully get YT / CODY at present, they’re 2 albums that are completely worth securing to have later. I didn’t realize the press(es?) of MFMK were so bad. That’s a shame. I’ve had it on my wantlist for a minute, holding out for something that’s both decently priced and also in good shape. Seems to be one or the other. At this point I think I’ll just wait for a proper reissue, whether it’s in a box or not. I saw Stuart comment that even Government Commissions is being repressed, and that’s a fairly obscure cut for the band. I’m confident MFMK will get the wax treatment, and hopefully handled well.

MFMK is pretty incredible. I believe it was recorded at the same their 3rd album (Rock Action) was, back in 2001. So YT → CODY → RA (+ MFMK). Allegedly there’s a whole album’s worth of material that got cut from Rock Action that Stuart wants to eventually release in a deluxe boxset. Having that unheard material + the original album + MFMK in one set would be fantastic.

Oh yeah. A lot of bands and genres (can) shine brighter in a live setting, that’s for sure. For instrumental stuff, I think it’s a real game-changer for those who aren’t necessarily acclimated to the genre. It all hits a little different when the sounds are completely washing over you. For that reason I feel like the right venue or sound setup can make any cookie-cutter post-rock band a real treat to spectate. I’ve seen TWDY play on a modest little corner stage of a bar, with minimal lighting effects or flashy shenanigans. (As I’m sure you’re aware, the full band lineup doesn’t even stand when playing.) It was chill but it was massive. I don’t think the bar residents were expecting them to pack the punch that they did. There’s something to be said about a lot of post-rock bands accomplishing a certain oomph in their sound to perhaps make up for the lack of vocals. In terms of being critical about music… I mean, at risk of being blunt or rude here, all I can really say is tough tiddies. 🤷‍♂️ The internet is ripe with multiple degrees of criticism and I think VC’s is considerably tame in the grand scheme of things. I know I made this point earlier but I’ll reiterate it – I dabble in graphic design. I’m not a professional but I know when something looks good or insuring, and when something is a mess of Comic Sans or overplayed effects. I have no problem discussing that kind of stuff in a negative light. Which is very different than me attacking the artist directly or publicly posting an essay on how trash the work is, how the artist should retire, how no one will ever want to look at it, etc. You’re on end of the scale. Toxic dismantling is the opposite end. VC is somewhere in the middle. So I do get where you’re coming from with what you’ve posted above, and good on ya’ for sticking so tightly to a “if you don’t have anything nice to say…” fundamental. But quite frankly I think it would be boring as hell if we could only jerk off about bands and never shared any varying opinions. (Being a Mogwai thread, I’ve even been “eh” on a single or two they’ve released, and voiced it accordingly. It makes for interesting conversation. I’m not afraid that Stuart will read it and call it quits for the band, or that it’ll come back to haunt me should I ever write or perform music down the road.) The post-rock flame may have sizzled out for now, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t stoke it when the time is right. Of that big stash of records I mentioned earlier, residing on my shelves, apparently 20.3% of it falls under the post-rock umbrella in some manner or another. That’s post-rock, post-metal, stuff with vocals like Moving Mountains and Appleseed, etc. That’s pretty substantial. About 400 records. And that’s after pruning out some so-so stuff over the years. But I hold onto those because I know that even if the mood for them only comes around once a year, I’ll want to own it and spin it when that time is right. I wouldn’t trade those out or sell those off for cheap anytime soon, even if I don’t feel enamored with the genre at the moment. I go through the same kind of cyclical binges for electronic, hip-hop, metal, etc. I don’t know if you or anyone else will relate to this, but for me, hopping so vastly between albums or genres - like you mentioned with going from prog to post-rock to metal - is almost like a bit of a cool down or recalibration. I can’t listen to 5 hours straight of upbeat electronic music in a day. Nor I have the stomach for 5 hours of instrumental albums or dense metal. But each time I leap from one of those to the next, it’s a palette cleanser of sorts and just makes the next listen all the more refreshing. Props to anyone who can binge certain artists for hours or days on end – the fatigue is too real for me to handle that. Even if I’m on a big kick with a certain artist, I feel like 1-2 albums at most and I need to mix things up. And yes. 100%, the right kind of setting is so important. LLO would make very little sense to me cooped up indoors on a cold night. CODY would feel off on a sunny afternoon drive. Of course I could “get something” from the music in either of those settings but it’s nowhere near ideal, and I do think the right kind of setting or situation can really add new context or mold the way you feel about a particular band, or artist for that matter.

Computer Students use their own mailers – or they did at one point – which I thought was cool. They definitely fit the aesthetic they’ve established for themselves. Curious to see how Bull Moose will ship this one though. They were like $9+ cheaper than CS if memory serves me right… I hope that savings isn’t offset by cramming it into a thin mailer and having it creases to hell. I’ve never ordered a CS record through BM before.

I‘m in my early 30s and dreading that reality more and more as time goes on. Especially with musicians and actors. Reading a lot of comments on various posts across numerous sites, it’s harrowing to see (and consider) the youth shrug off this loss or ask “…who?” I keep thinking back to when I was young and my parents would tell me about an actor or musician that had passed, and would have to explain their importance or impact to me because I simply had no idea at that age. It’s very strange - and admittedly, not very fun - to feel myself slide towards that end of the table as it turns.

I think anyone with even vaguely admirable tastes in music experience a similar cyclical nature of music consumption. I know I do. I listen to too many bands and genres to just commit to one or two for months, weeks, or even days. The burnout is too real. As I’ve gotten older I’ve found tremendous value in being able to identify what kind of musical mood I’m in, and how to best scratch that itch. There’s nothing quite like finding the album to throw on that will “get you your fix” of what you’re after. Sometimes that’s riffs for days. Sometimes it’s mathy guitar noodling. Walls of guitar, a la shoegaze. Minimal ambience. Aggressive. Acoustic. Electronic. Sludgy. Etc. etc. For me anyway, I don’t think it’s aligned with ADD so much as “hey, I have 2,000 records and there’s 365 days in a year. Maybe it’s time to dust off [X].” Often times I do, and I’ll find myself remarking at how good the band / genre is. I’ll find myself grateful that I own it, and that I was fortunate enough to stumble across it in my time here on Earth. And if I feel nothing, it’s time to sell it. That being said, I have been “off” the post-rock cycle for a bit now. I anticipate coming back to it, but it’s not something I’m going to force. There’s no quicker way to feel meh about your records than forcing yourself to spin specific ones in hopes of grasping something that isn’t there in the moment. So while the idea of throwing on some Caspian, TWDY, Mono, or EITS has no real appeal to me right now – and hasn’t really, for months – I do indeed know the value of those artists and albums. What they meant to me, and what they probably still mean to me when I’m in an instrumental music kinda’ mood. If that changes as times goes on, I’d reevaluate things and potentially look into selling them off… but I see no rush or pressure to do it. As long as my shelves aren’t filling up with stuff I’m detached from, I’m happy. I’m not totally sure what you were getting at with the implication that “we” may or may not bully post-rock bands here. (On VC?) I think in the past, maybe the general post-rock thread, a lot of us were quick to dismiss a lot of the dime-a-dozen crescendo-core bands that you were gushing on. (Only because the formula had been beaten to death to most of our ears.) If you made a PO thread for one of those bands though, I think you’d get a yawn emoji from someone, at worst. No one is deliberating going into threads and trying to convince someone to not pre-order something. At least, not from what I’ve seen. (Excluding bootlegs; that’s a separate issue though.) Not to sound like an elitist goon but as time has gone on, I feel like your tastes have began to slowly align to mine and others. That isn’t to say I (or we) set the defining parameters for all things post-rock on VC. Just an observation that you’re maybe becoming seasoned and jaded like everyone else – on our cyclical music journeys – and perhaps even starting to appreciate more bands that broke the usual post-rock mold from 15+ years ago. I never assumed you loved all things shimmery / epic / “life-affirming”. So many bands have tried - are trying - to get their bag with a slice of the genre. But you don’t need me to tell you just how much formulaic drivel is out there. (I say all of this as a music consumer; I have no real instrument talent and thus hesitate to call stuff derivative. But you don’t need to be a master chef to identify a bland meal.) Stuff like This Patch of Sky, later ITTCT, Spurv, etc. do a lot more for you than me, and that’s cool. I don’t think anyone is out to bash you for that or interesting in changing your mind there. I think it’s great to be very passionate and engaged about anything in life - especially music - but I also suspect that if you were the kinda’ person to just post “new Spurv made me splooge” or “man I’m really enjoying the new GIAA even if it’s not doing anything mind-blowing”, you probably wouldn’t get a single reaction. You’ve toned it down considerably but I feel like a lot of us were just taking the piss, back when you first joined VC, because every week saw you posting about your mind being blown by artists that were drawing from a dry well. It’s tough not to respond when someone links a certified YouTube-only post-rock band that apes Mono or EITS, while writing about life changing their sound is. Hopefully you get that any responses of that nature were akin to “busting your balls” for the sake of VC entertainment. These boards get super slow these days; those replies come more from a place of endearment than malice. Onto Mogwai. CODY is a bit of a tough nut to crack on first go, so don’t feel too disheartened. All I can recommend, first and foremost, is that it’s a night listen. The first third of that album is like a warm blanket. One that gradually starts to slip off, leaving you exposed and cold in some secluded area. And the last stretch feels like a mad dash out of there, with your heartbeat throbbing in your ears. Even the album’s heaviest and most explosive moments take their time to pop off. The entire LP is a practice of patience and payoff. You’re right in saying that that structure resembles a song in and of itself. You’re floating around with early Mogwai from the sounds of it, and that’s a great start. Check out Ten Rapid if you get a chance. It’s a shorter listen; a compilation of their earliest material. Not all of it will stick with you, I don’t imagine, but it has some super important cuts. Helicon 1, especially, taps into the traditional post-rock twinkle before smothering your ears in guitars. To this day I think it’s maybe one of the most melancholy-drenched shoegaze songs I’ve heard; underneath the fuzzy onslaught of guitars are some chord changes that never fail to hit me right in the gut. What a magic song. I’m so glad they’ve kept it a part of their live arsenal over the years. Anyway, I don’t expect everyone to read all this but I figured it’s some quality reading material for @Gumbo72203 while he’s home sick. Feel better soon.

The RFCurse.

Was waiting until tonight to give it a shot. A few songs in and I can absolutely hear the Yndi vibes. (Especially Under Summer.) Really enjoying it thus far – eager to hear where the rest of it goes. [Edit] Thought those first few songs, even if totally sharing the same DNA as Yndi’s Under Summer, were probably my favorite. Middle of the record maybe wobbled a little bit for me, but it closed strong. I’m happy with it. I may even like it a bit more than Ceremonies but we’ll see how that opinion holds up.

Probably one of the most hard-hitting losses in the music world for me, at least in recent memory. From the announcement of her cancer to today – such a rapid decline. Doesn’t even seem real.

Boiling frog 101. Baffling to me how many people on that sub have accepted $40 as the norm for a double LP. Celebrating a $32 PPD single LP ain’t it… but the goalposts they set get way, way distorted by the $80 Alchemist POs they hype up, $50+ bootlegs, steep imports for region-exclusive variants, etc. Super warped sense of what vinyl should actually cost, over there.

So you’re saying I should spam all photos on all 3 of those Instagram accounts? Is that what I’m reading between the lines here?

Yeah, I’ve seen some photos of it out in the wild. I think it’s just the “blob” and silver-blue mesh – that they added late – that are still a ways out.

That looks clean. Where was it posted, any idea? I don’t remember it on the Hello Merch site. To add insult to injury, that mock looks opaque too. (Not that mock-ups can really be trusted.)

I don’t think I follow what you’re getting at here. The indie blue never had a mock-up, I don’t think? Could’ve been any shade at all… but I agree; think they went a little too dark with it, personally.

Before they removed / blocked comments on that post this morning, whoever runs the account was insisting that it’s “to keep each version unique”. 🙄

Did you catch that most indie stores have a translucent blue available as of today? Not as exciting as some of these variants but still a great choice if you’re just looking to own a copy again.

Whoever runs their account just straight up disabled comments for that 1 post. I can still see comments and even add my own to every other post, though. I guess when you’re receiving too much flack, just silence the masses and ignore any feedback. I wasn’t even being rude or negative, I just asked if there was a reason they opted for embarrassing new album art. I was trying to drive a constructive conversation.