Derek™

Crazy.  I’m 3 listens deep and really enjoying it, and I wouldn’t necessarily call either of the singles highlights.  I suppose we’re just looking for different things in a new QOTSA record.

Double the MSRP for a variant that sounds maybe half as good as the standard press, if it's lucky. 🙌 What a time to be into this hobby. 

Teaser for new single Kisses dropping Tuesday [6/20]

Quote

The fifth album from shoegaze giants Slowdive contains the duality of a familiar internal language mixed with the exaltation of new beginnings. everything is alive is transportive, searching and aglow, the work of a classic band continuing to pitch its unmistakable voice to the future. Six years after the group’s monumental self-titled album, everything is alive finds Slowdive—vocalists and guitarists Rachel Goswell and Neil Halstead, guitarist Christian Savill, bassist Nick Chaplin, and drummer Simon Scott—locating evermore contours of its immersive, elemental sound.

The new record began with Halstead in the role of writer and producer, working on demos at home. Experimenting with modular synths, Halstead originally conceived of everything is alive as a “more minimal electronic record.” Slowdive’s collective decision-making ultimately drew the group back towards their signature reverb-drenched guitars, but that first concept seeped into the compositions. “As a band, when we’re all happy with it, that tends to be the stronger material,” Halstead says. “We’ve always come from slightly different directions, and the best bits are where we all meet in the middle.” The convergence of five unique characters has made the sound. “Slowdive is very much the sum of its parts,” Goswell adds. “Something unquantifiable happens when the five of us come together in a room.”

The group’s projected studio sessions for everything is alive, in April 2020, were naturally scrapped, and when the group finally did meet up, six months later, at Courtyard Studio, where they’ve historically recorded, the mood was jubilant. (Finally, they had a proper reason to leave the house.) That was the beginning of a multi-year recording process, which moved from Oxfordshire and into the Wolds of Lincolnshire and back to Neil’s own Cornish studio before extending into February 2022, when the band brought in mixer Shawn Everett (The War On Drugs, SZA, Alvvays) to mix six of the record’s eight tracks.

Owing to their deep history, there’s a palpable familial energy to Slowdive in 2023. everything is alive is dedicated to Goswell’s mother and Scott’s father, who both died in 2020. “There were some profound shifts for some of us personally,” Goswell says. Those crossroads are reflected in the many-layered emotional tenor of Slowdive’s music; everything is alive is heavy with experience, but each note is poised, wise, and necessarily pitched to hope. Its unique alchemy subtly embodies both sadness and gratitude, groundedness and uplift. Reflecting on “kisses,” which may be Slowdive’s surest pop moment yet, Halstead said, “It wouldn’t feel right to make a really dark record right now. The album is quite eclectic emotionally, but it does feel hopeful.”

everything is alive, is exactly what the title suggests: an exploration into the shimmering nature of life and the universal touch points within it. Spanning psychedelic soundscapes, pulsating 80’s electronic elements and John Cale inspired journeys, the album lands immediately as something made for the future; which figures, as their fanbase has grown younger and younger as time has gone on, and their influence on forward thinking musical artists continues to prevail.

For a genre that is often thought of as divisive, and often warrants introspection, here Slowdive show their craft as the masters of it by pushing it outwards, beyond the singular; the end result being a record which feels as emotional and cathartic as it is optimistic.

46 minutes ago, Sad Heart said:

What was were disappointed in? Don’t the variant not come out as intended / envisioned?

Oh yeah, it came out absolutely fucked.  By no means the most offensive or gross variant in the world, but… compared to what the mock above looks like, yeah.

I recall the band manager or someone else from the band admitting that they miskeyed a number on the order form that was off by 1, and it changed the base vinyl from clear to blue.  No one caught the error until the end product was unboxed in true “oh shit” fashion.

All the other boxsets have had variants that are pretty close to the mocks.  The band has been really proud of the way they all turned out, so obviously this misstep was a first for them.  So it’s cool to see them actually correct it.

It’s bretty gud.  The drums are indeed pretty minimal but I feel like their spareness just makes them shine when they do creep in.  The closing track is pure ascension too.  One of those songs that made me stop what I was doing and ask what the fuck am I listening to? (in the best way).

I know the peasant versions of CFUTF were noticeably inferior to the 2LP press, which sounds amazing.  Not sure if that rings true for the remaining albums they repressed.

Seriously so cool of them to do this.  Agree that it wasn’t “necessary” but I think it just speaks to how invested they are in making these editions as cool as can be, and not just cramming out junk to make a quick buck.  They said they were disappointed with the way the first press turned out and they weren’t bluffing. 👏

40 minutes ago, backpackoat said:

Awesome. Also now we finally know for sure how badly we are getting shafted by labels at nowadays' 2xLP prices of $40-$50 if cost is only $7.

100% my first thought.

17 minutes ago, Bronchitis said:

I’m sure I’ll still enjoy it a bit but that is a major bummer to me personally. I’ll always enjoy the louder and more dynamic Sigur Rós over the Valtari sounding stuff. I love this band either way and have been anticipating a new release for a long time. 

Same boat for me.  People who've heard the leak have compared it way more to Valtari which means this one's gonna' be a nice chill-out, late-night / early morning kinda' spin for me.

Super promising, I'm really liking the looks of it.  Just wish it had a few more Wal-Mart affiliate links to redirect my purchases.  Anything we can do about that?

Damn, could be lighting there but that blue's got me swooning compared to the green.  At least the silver looks like it has a nice wavy texture, those are fun.

4 minutes ago, MyEnemy said:

What was the price again? I remember, at one point, being able to pick it up for something like $150-$180, which is not bad.

I somehow had a $50 discount on my receipt, I think as an “early bird” preorder if I recall… which brought it to $202 PPD.

1 hour ago, faaip de oiad said:

Where did you hear this? 

BTW, bandcamp.com shipping my green copy 

There are several spots online where the album has leaked as MP3 files, your usual corners of the internet that'd contain that stuff, but I'm not promoting them on VC.  No early streams or anything though, from what I can tell.

16 minutes ago, Bronchitis said:

I have been wanting to see this material come to light for years and can’t believe that it is finally happening.

I’m glad I got it but still feel stupid for paying VMP’s price for it. Absolute ripoff.

It was steep but have you seen what it sells for now? 😶 I'm happy with the quality at least, I would've been really disappointed if it had that price-tag and was constructed poorly or sounded like trash.

That is admittedly a super sick lineup, damn.

Damn, this album is a whole lot of fun.  Can’t tell if the production is (probably) crunched again or if it’s just the MP3s, but it at least sounds a bit more dynamic than Villains.   I really enjoy how consistently groovy it is as well.  I only put in one listen while tasking with a work project, but I thought the pacing was great.  Already eager to go back to it.

5 minutes ago, 1876records said:

soft ass b*tches

Enjoying the irony of this.

Just now, youspinmeround said:

The tour is boris playing heavy rocks and melvins playing bullhead

Yup.  From 2002 and 1991 respectively.

27 minutes ago, Prestonlanes said:

Very sad I missed the orange variant.  Sold out at TM and Deathwish.  Anyone know where else might have it?

Probably literally everywhere if this is anything like Flood, which was handled by TMR as well.

I’d start checking Luna, Zia, Bull Moose, etc.

48 minutes ago, prowl20 said:

Maybe we can start using this thread for all things Boris?

That works for me.

They also announced tour dates with Melvins, with each band focusing on earlier material exclusively.  Should be a blast.

Probably because she's hyper-aware that her fanbase is more than willing to bend over and get duped into buying the same record 4 times over, in varying shades of the same color.  Big profit, minimal effort.  Can't even blame her.

There hasn’t been a good VC shit-thread in a while, but I have to admire how quickly OP completely unraveled.  I think he may’ve set a new record.  Other users have come completely unhinged over the years, don’t get me wrong, but quad posting, slurs, and alt-posting within… 24 hours?  Wild.

Tell that clown to get out of my maggot-ridden grandma’s grave.  Right the fuck now.

3 hours ago, DarrenMcCall said:

Deftones - Deftones (Barnes & Noble Exclusive)

URL redirects to some kqzyfj.com bullshit that my browser has blocked for safety.

For anyone who wants an actual link without playing any neckbeard redirect games;

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/music/39973982?ean=0093624854241

Credit card bonuses for vinyl. 😂 Good stuff.

The sooner you realize you can just reverse-mortgage your house and convert it into Discogs grails, the better off you'll be.  Use the system man.  Huge loophole that not nearly enough people are taking advantage of.  My friends had been raving about their hauls after downgrading to shipping containers in their parent's backyard, and they were right.  It's free money.  Abuse the system!

3 minutes ago, Sad Heart said:

Agreed. Hoping for simple, single transparent colors myself. 

My hopes / guesses:

YPAA - Coke bottle or transparent green. 
Electra - Clear

Downward - Transparent Blue (again)

Inlet - Transparent purple

Yes to all of the above. ☑️ ☑️ ☑️ ☑️