This album was produced by Issac Brock and their first show (ever) was opening for The Arcade Fire, so it makes sense that these guys sound like Modest Mouse on crack. And when i say "crack" i just mean lots of distortion and even less melodic concern with that archaic practice called SINGING. But here's the thing that worries me. I really think people out there believe this is original stuff. I think people hear this post-modern-alterna-punk-emo-garageband crap and believe its something brand new. So Wolf Parade's biggest sin is copping some glory in Modest Mouse's wake, and you can't even fault them for that because they do it so shamelessly. Good for them. Welcome to the NEW new-wave. Nihilism is dead so we're going to sing out of key and play absurdly sparse atonal guitar lines becasue that's the best way to present our concerned yet bleak twenty something angsty outlook on life.
And the worst part about it all is that THEY'RE RIGHT. This crap speaks to me. It makes me sick to say it but it does. "I got a hand / So I got a fist / So I got a plan / It's the best that I can do / Now we'll say it's in God's hands / But God doesn't always have the best goddamn plans, does he?" FUCKIN' A MAN, ROCK ON!!!
But you know what? Marilyn Manson, The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Suicidal Tendencies, and a whole shit-load more ALL spoke to me when i was thirteen, but that doesn't mean they aren't lazy superficial recycled crap.
The thing is if you listen close this is the same shit that's been around forever. The chord progressions are so fucking simple, but they hide them by making them sound messy. ii - V - I. IV - ii - V - I. I - V - vi - IV - I. V -I. Those are chord progressions. They've been around for centuries. And in them is every song you've ever heard. They started as implied harmonies in four part classical music. Travelling musicians borrowed them for their folk songs. They moved to the Americas and were picked up in slave spirituals-->Blues/Jazz-->Rock. You listen to Wolf Parade you're listening to Beethoven I SHIT YOU NOT! And I know I sound like a music teacher here, but that makes sense and it doesn't change the fact that its true. So what do you do as a musician when its all been done before? You take these chord progressions, you strip away the actual meat of the chord and you layer it with intentionally bad singing, and insanely out of key lead guitar lines and you have this music we've all been gobbling up for the last few years. And that's fine. Good for them. When Modest Mouse blew up it blew my mind. And you have to give them credit because they were the first to get it right. But you have to figure how much of this is "creative genius" and how much of it is just trying to disguise tired old recycled shit to trick people into thinking they're listening to something new. But trust me. Listen to close. Listen to the bass. Its not new. It's all the same. And I am SO SICK of these little indie rocker freaks walking around pretending to be BoHo rocking their Urban Outfitters trying to be underground and arguing about who's more original. Modest Mouse sold out, Clap Your Hands is the new hot shit. Wolf Parade is good but they sound too much like Modest Mouse. SHUT THE FUCK UP ITS ALL THE SAME. Just play that shit on an acoustic guitar. And I don't mean those ridiculous minor fourth jumps over a major chord, i mean just strum the goddamn chords on an acoustic guitar. We all know you have one. Just do it. I fucking dare you.
None of this changes the fact that there is artistry in what they do. I'm not trying to sell anyone short here. What they do in the studio and in their band, to turn these songs into something cool and interesting is impressive. It really is. And i'm going to keep listening to it as long as it makes my head nod. Because that's what music is all about. Its not some bullshit artistic ideal about the quest for originality because there are only 12 notes in the world guys. That's all. There never have been, and never will be any more. 12 notes. And we figured them all out a long ass time ago. So its about ENJOYING WHAT YOU'RE LISTENING TO. Its not going to make a difference which band came out when, who did what first, or why, if you vibe off something. If you feel something in the music you love then listen to it. Who gives a shit. Listen to what you like. And don't indulge your friends in these pathetically narcissitic arguments about who has better taste in music. YOU HAVE THE BETTER TASTE. NO ONE WINS. Just listen to what you like and keep your goddamn mouth shut.
uhhhhhh
7.2113432264786572643578239854734563778596709475400/0.0000200203040506067077656543e10,000
And the worst part about it all is that THEY'RE RIGHT. This crap speaks to me. It makes me sick to say it but it does. "I got a hand / So I got a fist / So I got a plan / It's the best that I can do / Now we'll say it's in God's hands / But God doesn't always have the best goddamn plans, does he?" FUCKIN' A MAN, ROCK ON!!!
But you know what? Marilyn Manson, The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Suicidal Tendencies, and a whole shit-load more ALL spoke to me when i was thirteen, but that doesn't mean they aren't lazy superficial recycled crap.
The thing is if you listen close this is the same shit that's been around forever. The chord progressions are so fucking simple, but they hide them by making them sound messy. ii - V - I. IV - ii - V - I. I - V - vi - IV - I. V -I. Those are chord progressions. They've been around for centuries. And in them is every song you've ever heard. They started as implied harmonies in four part classical music. Travelling musicians borrowed them for their folk songs. They moved to the Americas and were picked up in slave spirituals-->Blues/Jazz-->Rock. You listen to Wolf Parade you're listening to Beethoven I SHIT YOU NOT! And I know I sound like a music teacher here, but that makes sense and it doesn't change the fact that its true. So what do you do as a musician when its all been done before? You take these chord progressions, you strip away the actual meat of the chord and you layer it with intentionally bad singing, and insanely out of key lead guitar lines and you have this music we've all been gobbling up for the last few years. And that's fine. Good for them. When Modest Mouse blew up it blew my mind. And you have to give them credit because they were the first to get it right. But you have to figure how much of this is "creative genius" and how much of it is just trying to disguise tired old recycled shit to trick people into thinking they're listening to something new. But trust me. Listen to close. Listen to the bass. Its not new. It's all the same. And I am SO SICK of these little indie rocker freaks walking around pretending to be BoHo rocking their Urban Outfitters trying to be underground and arguing about who's more original. Modest Mouse sold out, Clap Your Hands is the new hot shit. Wolf Parade is good but they sound too much like Modest Mouse. SHUT THE FUCK UP ITS ALL THE SAME. Just play that shit on an acoustic guitar. And I don't mean those ridiculous minor fourth jumps over a major chord, i mean just strum the goddamn chords on an acoustic guitar. We all know you have one. Just do it. I fucking dare you.
None of this changes the fact that there is artistry in what they do. I'm not trying to sell anyone short here. What they do in the studio and in their band, to turn these songs into something cool and interesting is impressive. It really is. And i'm going to keep listening to it as long as it makes my head nod. Because that's what music is all about. Its not some bullshit artistic ideal about the quest for originality because there are only 12 notes in the world guys. That's all. There never have been, and never will be any more. 12 notes. And we figured them all out a long ass time ago. So its about ENJOYING WHAT YOU'RE LISTENING TO. Its not going to make a difference which band came out when, who did what first, or why, if you vibe off something. If you feel something in the music you love then listen to it. Who gives a shit. Listen to what you like. And don't indulge your friends in these pathetically narcissitic arguments about who has better taste in music. YOU HAVE THE BETTER TASTE. NO ONE WINS. Just listen to what you like and keep your goddamn mouth shut.
uhhhhhh
7.2113432264786572643578239854734563778596709475400/0.0000200203040506067077656543e10,000