PO NOW: American Football - American Football (LP2) (Oct 21 2016; Polyvinyl)

[kjkenney]

21 minutes ago, throughbeingcruel said:

 Even though I'm a vinyl collector, I think music is best enjoyed in the car. 

So much this. I was driving around listening to some STP in my Grand Am feeling cool af haha. That or Thin Lizzy. Makes me not hate driving around in AZ as much

[NapalmBrain]

2 minutes ago, kjkenney said:

So much this. I was driving around listening to some STP in my Grand Am feeling cool af haha. That or Thin Lizzy. Makes me not hate driving around in AZ as much

You can't hate anything when the Boys are back in town

[TheGhostOfRandySavage]

Just popping in to say this is legitimately a top album this year for me, but maybe I listen to music a little differently than some of you, definitely different than the Doms.

If something gets a high rating from me it's less about instrumentation or lyrics, (not that those are unimportant) and more about how it makes me feel when I hear it. Sometimes that means what I'm doing when I listen to it affects my rating, sometimes not. For the record, I was cleaning my house when I listened to this the first time. It just felt warm and inviting to me, and I enjoyed it immensely. In summation for this point: opinions are like assholes. You know the rest.

Also, 100 albums this far into the year is barely an album every 3 days. Get your shit together, Dom  Maybe if you and Rez stopped jerking each other off once in a while you'd have more time to listen to music.

[kjkenney]

10 minutes ago, NapalmBrain said:

You can't hate anything when the Boys are back in town

amen brother!

[Tommy]

Randy, I have to agree.

 

What i'm doing on first listen can have a dramatic impact on my perception of an album. Hence why sometimes I have to listen 2-3 times in different settings/places/levels of attention for an album to really hit me. Memories and outside stimulation from the world around you enhance the listening experience. For example, I listened to MBV loveless about 10x and  couldn't for the life of me get into it. One day in college I decided to play it at minimal volume while doing some research, and it wasn't til that moment that I really 'got' it. The melodies shined at low volume and it was beautiful. Now I crank that shit in all its shoegazey glory

[jonnywreck]

8 minutes ago, Tommy said:

Randy, I have to agree.

 

What i'm doing on first listen can have a dramatic impact on my perception of an album. Hence why sometimes I have to listen 2-3 times in different settings/places/levels of attention for an album to really hit me. Memories and outside stimulation from the world around you enhance the listening experience. For example, I listened to MBV loveless about 10x and  couldn't for the life of me get into it. One day in college I decided to play it at minimal volume while doing some research, and it wasn't til that moment that I really 'got' it. The melodies shined at low volume and it was beautiful. Now I crank that shit in all its shoegazey glory

I fucking love these moments. Happened for me with Smashing Pumpkins, on the song "Spaceboy," no less. Now it's one of my favorite songs of all time.

[museummouth]

Some Kind of Cadwallader > Parrot Flies

[rooks]

3 minutes ago, museummouth said:

Some Kind of Cadwallader > Parrot Flies

You crazy Algernon ANUS!

Just kidding  they're both pretty baller.

 

 

As for the serendipitous timing of future listens clicking with records, I've had more epiphany-style awakenings towards records than I've had records "grow" through forced repeated listening.

 

In 5 or so years the younger ones will probably get it that we weren't ALWAYS talking about their age when we said "give it a couple years".

 

[drewberinger]

objectively this is better than LP1 but it's understandable why many will hold LP1 in higher regards. I get that. 

 

I love this record.

[Sad Heart]

(I guess this is kind of directed at the teens.)

 

It took a few years for their self titled to really sink in for me. At first listen it was ok, just another album that wasn't really that special to me. I think I was 17 at the time. Just a normal kid, with normal shit to deal with I guess. It's life experience that really made the album evolve and grow for me, just as I was starting to in my early 20s. One day I put it on and it just made sense. I finally heard what was being said. So when people say 'give it a couple years' I totally get that. That really isn't an insult. It's a simple, and accurate statement. No one said teenagers' opinions are invalid just because they are teenagers, but you need to look at the bigger picture; humans are complex. To complain when people use the variables of 'time' and 'age' as a counterpoint is ironically childish on your part, cause it's true. I can name so many albums that meant so much more to me after I had experienced heartache, loss, depression, etc. Music is emotional, so life experience comes into play A LOT. More ironic is that in a few years the ones complaining about their age will get it. There is going to be music that you can listen to at 16 and it won't mean that much to you on a personal level. Then years later you get a job, have your own place, meet a nice girl, date, fall in love, are happy, and out of nowhere the 'love of your life' rips your fucking heart out. You're in a city where everything reminds you of her, you wake up every morning with chest pain, spending all day playing it all over and over in your head trying to figure out what went wrong. Then you put on that American Football album you used to listen to all those years ago, and suddenly it all makes sense, and you remember when someone said 'give it a couple years', and what they meant becomes a little more clear, as does the album itself. Sometimes age is a legitimate reason for something. We were all in the same age as you, so it's not like it's some put down. It's just the way it is. Just how like a 40 year old could tell me 'just give it a few years', and I'll understand because it's true; time will tell.

 

Take 'I Need a Drink (or Two or Three)' for example:

[Verse 1]
I need a drink... or two or three
To fall asleep without you
I’ve had the longest day

I'm as blue as the sky is grey
[Verse 2]
I need a drink or two or three or four
To spend any time alone with me anymore

Every day, a chance to change
But the devil will find a way
As sure as the sky is grey
I’m gonna die this way

[Verse 3]
Oh, how I wish that I were me
The man that you first met and married
I’m tired of fighting
Endless thunder and lightning
I can’t break this bender
To it, I surrender

 

I especially feel connected to 'I've Been Lost For So Long', and I bet a lot of other people love this album do as well.

[Chorus 1]
If you find me
Could you please remind me
Why I woke up today?

[Verse 2]

I feel so sick

Doctor, it hurts when I exist

This isn't the pain I'm usually in

I hope it's not contagious
[Bridge]
Maybe I’m asleep and this is all a dream
I can’t believe my life is happening to me
[Chorus 2]
If you find me
Could you please remind me
Why I should wake up tomorrow?

 

To someone has experienced it, it means everything. To someone who hasn't it doesn't mean anything personally. To someone who has experienced it, it is their life, their story. To someone who hasn't it's just a story. Each of those words are like a fucking punch in the stomach for me. Without diving into too much personal shit, I've lived that song, I am that song to a degree. I need some way to be ok with who I am now, but 'I feel so sick', and isn't how I'm not who I used to be; how I wake up every morning 'blue as the sky is grey' and 'why did I wake up today' / 'why should I wake up tomorrow', knowing that 'I'm gonna die this way'. So yeah, at 16 that song wouldn't mean much of anything to me. At 29 I am that song. Sometimes you just gotta "give it a couple years". No one likes being stereotyped ( just ask Descendents), but it wasn't really a stereotype or an insult. It was just a general statement. No one is saying your opinions are invalid because you are younger, or that you've never experienced loss, pain, etc., but with life comes experience, with experience comes understanding, with understanding comes clarity. Music like this gives me solace when waking up each day is hard.

 

I didn't real mean to write all that. No one reads long shit on here.

 

/

 

Anyways, I'm glad I'm able to appreciate the follow up right out of the gate. It was still a grower for me, but after a week I was madly in love. I'm just glad the heartbreak I'm feeling listening to this is some sort of solace. So yeah, this is album of the year material for me (and that's coming from someone who doesn't care for any other of their projects).

 

As far as LP1 vs. LP2, to me they're both their own thing. I hold LP1 in very high regard, and love LP2. So I'm very happy. American Football is lovely.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Dave Grohl

[Tommy]

Dave, you nailed it. As someone who is going through the same in my marriage, this album hit me like a ton of bricks

 

where are we now? both home alone, in the same house

Edited August 17, 2018 by Tommy

[Dominic_]

Keep saying I am not coming back but I got so irritated earlier that I keep angrily clicking...

3 hours ago, The Ghost of Randy Savage said:

Just popping in to say this is legitimately a top album this year for me, but maybe I listen to music a little differently than some of you, definitely different than the Doms.

If something gets a high rating from me it's less about instrumentation or lyrics, (not that those are unimportant) and more about how it makes me feel when I hear it. Sometimes that means what I'm doing when I listen to it affects my rating, sometimes not. For the record, I was cleaning my house when I listened to this the first time. It just felt warm and inviting to me, and I enjoyed it immensely. In summation for this point: opinions are like assholes. You know the rest.

Also, 100 albums this far into the year is barely an album every 3 days. Get your shit together, Dom  Maybe if you and Rez stopped jerking each other off once in a while you'd have more time to listen to music.

Maybe that's part of it too. I know we both play instruments so maybe we are looking at it a bit harder than a lot of people. I just tend to analyze all of my music that way. Similarish to the new IIOI and I just found it to be a hell of a lot more exciting than this from that perspective. 

 

Again, though, not 100 albums total, that's 100 2016 releases. We've both been doing at least one new album a day if at all possible (at least last time I heard@DOMAN127?). Scientifically speaking, we have probably collectively heard about a bazillion albums this year. Being younger and newish to giving a shit about music we have a lot of ground to make up hahaha.

1 hour ago, Dave Grohl said:

deleted to not eat up the whole page

I suppose to an extent you have a point for the first bit. In that case I could see it being a valid issue, but around here and the internet at large we're both pretty used to people using it to try to invalidate our opinions so I tend to be a little jumpy about it. Right now most of the stuff I am attached to is because I find it musically interesting, be it because of the instrumentals or lyrics I find interesting or whatever. I try to give a bit more "objective" of scores, not letting my personal attachment interfere and more scoring based on the merit of the album. I've got some really shitty stuff I grew up on that I'd rate higher than had any business getting if I didn't. To each their own, though, there's no "right" way to enjoy music. Glad people are enjoying it, because being let down by it kinda sucks when I was hyped as hell. I guess there have been a few times that I have gotten a bit too attached to an album if I was in a shitty headspace too. No harm was originally meant, I honestly just wanted to figure out what people liked so much because I just couldn't "get" it.

3 hours ago, kjkenney said:

So much this. I was driving around listening to some STP in my Grand Am feeling cool af haha. That or Thin Lizzy. Makes me not hate driving around in AZ as much

Night drives are the best this time of year. Now if only everyone else could learn to fucking drive... Almost got hit by some jackass this week who was having trouble operating a stop sign and it just seems like our drivers keep getting worse and worse. 

[TheGhostOfRandySavage]

37 minutes ago, Holo said:

Keep saying I am not coming back but I got so irritated earlier that I keep angrily clicking...

Maybe that's part of it too. I know we both play instruments so maybe we are looking at it a bit harder than a lot of people. I just tend to analyze all of my music that way. Similarish to the new IIOI and I just found it to be a hell of a lot more exciting than this from that perspective. 

 

Again, though, not 100 albums total, that's 100 2016 releases. We've both been doing at least one new album a day if at all possible (at least last time I heard@DOMAN127?). Scientifically speaking, we have probably collectively heard about a bazillion albums this year. Being younger and newish to giving a shit about music we have a lot of ground to make up hahaha.

 

My point stands. If the goal is to listen to more new music, make it a new 2016 album/day.

 

It's funny to hear you guys kind of shit on this album from a band who are really one of the progenitors of this sound, but then have you reference IIOI, who legitimately might suck Mike Kinsella's dick given the chance since Evan Weiss wouldn't even have his sound were it not for American Football and their contemporaries.

 

I get where you're coming from though. We just listen to music differently and what I hear makes me enjoy this album a ton. As far as VC's taste in music and this so-called circle jerk?  What a group of deplorables, amirite?

 

It's like...I like Nothing, but I couldn't get why everyone was losing their shit over ToT. It was ok, but I'd give it about a 7. It's whatever, taste is subjective.

Edited October 22, 2016 by The Ghost of Randy Savage

[Dominic_]

14 minutes ago, The Ghost of Randy Savage said:

My point stands. If the goal is to listen to more new music, make it a new 2016 album/day.

 

It's funny to hear you guys kind of shit on this album from a band who are really one of the progenitors of this sound, but then have you reference IIOI, who legitimately might suck Mike Kinsella's dick given the chance since Evan Weiss wouldn't even have his sound were it not for American Football and their contemporaries.

 

I get where you're coming from though. We just listen to music differently and what I hear makes me enjoy this album a ton. As far as VC's taste in music and this so-called circle jerk?  What a group of deplorables, amirite?

 

It's like...I like Nothing, but I couldn't get why everyone was losing their shit over ToT. It was ok, but I'd give it about a 7. It's whatever, taste is subjective.

Wish I had that kind of time. "College Prep" high school and getting ready for SAT/ACT/College sucks :/

 

Yeah, and the album that was "one of the progenitors of this sound" is something I think is excellent, but compared to the original the followup was just disappointing to me and not at all what I would have wanted/expected. For some reason I totally bonded with the new IIOI, and I think that it's sound was a lot more interesting overall. Hell, just those drums on the intro to No EQ... schwing. Standards didn't promise to be a followup to an album I really like either, which is probably why I care a bit more about this not being something I enjoyed than I would if it was just some random album.

 

Yeah, it's something I have noticed out in the real world too. It's totally okay though, there's no objectively right way to listen to music or anything that is objectively good.

 

I don't care if VC circlejerks, hell, Dom and I have been circlejerking a couple new albums this year too, this just really made me notice the collective one that VC has going on over certain things that it seems most other people don't like anywhere near as much. It isn't good or bad, just a thing I saw and commented on.

 

I thought ToT was pretty good, but I was in the same boat as you. 

[Derek™]

I'm still chuckling over how many "AOTY" posts are in the ToT thread.

[TheGhostOfRandySavage]

1 minute ago, Derek™ said:

I'm still chuckling over how many "AOTY" posts are in the ToT thread.

Fuckin...right? Ridiculous.

 

I'm listening to this again right now more closely and it's hitting me hard. Sometimes the lyrics are a little melodramatic...but dammit, so is life! It scratches all the right itches for me.

[kjkenney]

2 hours ago, Holo said:

Night drives are the best this time of year. Now if only everyone else could learn to fucking drive... Almost got hit by some jackass this week who was having trouble operating a stop sign and it just seems like our drivers keep getting worse and worse. 

Definitely! I ride my little Honda scooter around in the evenings and absorb the coolness as much as I can...but no tunes that way sadly. I enjoy the mornings a lot as well, warm enough to still wear shorts and a t shirt and rock the windows down, but just cold enough to be pleasant with the stupid sun blasting my face space.

[Stress On The Sky]

Got in late after a gig to find my copy on the doorstep, supposed to be the orange crush variant but its more transparent orange with red splatter (If anyone's going super variant hunter on this I bought it from the UK store at Wichita)

Will probably give this it's first spin tomorrow cos its 4am over here right now.

[Shitty Rambo]

3 hours ago, Holo said:

I know we both play instruments so maybe we are looking at it a bit harder than a lot of people.

Meh. A lot of us here are musicians. I don't consider this a special type of barometer when it comes to liking certain artists or bands. If that were the case I wouldn't find bands like Mars Volta, Coheed and Cambria, and Dragon Force to be goofy.

[Dominic_]

6 minutes ago, Shitty Rambo said:

goofy.

 

6 minutes ago, Shitty Rambo said:

Mars Volta

 

I could totally see the vocals being a bit much for some people though

Edited October 22, 2016 by Holo

[Saxonjulin]

This is already one of my favorite albums this year. It only took 1 spin to stick with me. That's when you KNOW it's good. My favorite this year is still Thrice's new album but this is close behind it

[museummouth]

Wait someone actually was saying because they play instruments that they can analyze music better???? wtf

[fuckinandsuckinandtouchin]

On 10/13/2016 at 0:17 PM, Polyvinyl Record Co. said:

This thread has been quite the roller coaster. Many thanks to all our beloved fans <3

So so excited to finally share the album with you all!

A week later @Polyvinyl Record Co. checks up on the thread...

[DecayToDeath]

3 hours ago, The Ghost of Randy Savage said:My point stands. If the goal is to listen to more new music, make it a new 2016 album/day.

 

It's funny to hear you guys kind of shit on this album from a band who are really one of the progenitors of this sound, but then have you reference IIOI, who legitimately might suck Mike Kinsella's dick given the chance since Evan Weiss wouldn't even have his sound were it not for American Football and their contemporaries.

 

I get where you're coming from though. We just listen to music differently and what I hear makes me enjoy this album a ton. As far as VC's taste in music and this so-called circle jerk?  What a group of deplorables, amirite?

 

It's like...I like Nothing, but I couldn't get why everyone was losing their shit over ToT. It was ok, but I'd give it about a 7. It's whatever, taste is subjective.

I try to listen to either one or two albums pre-2016 and one from 2016 each day, but I only started that in July. I will say that Rez was right when he said We have a lot of ground to cover, haha.

 

I do love the original AF and /enjoy/ this one for the most part. I recognize the influence, just don't necessarily think his current output stands up to '90s Kinsella. Evan was influenced by that scene/record without a doubt, I just think his current output is better than AF's current output. 

 

And not that it's really relevant, but I agree about Nothing pretty much to a T.

[Dominic_]

40 minutes ago, museummouth said:

Wait someone actually was saying because they play instruments that they can analyze music better???? wtf

I don't think that's too far of a stretch if you're looking at it from an instrumentation perspective. It wasn't meant to sound pretentious or anything, but in anything if you do a thing you will have a better technical understanding of said thing than someone who doesn't. 

 

That wasn't my original statement though. What I was saying is that this made me realize I come at music from a different angle. Because I play an instrument I focus more on that aspect than vocals or the emotions people were discussin . My bad if that wasn't clear.