coming soon: elvis perkins
13Jan09
Remember Elvis Perkins? He put out an album a few years ago that I liked a whole lot, but didn’t really explode into the stratosphere the way, I dunno, other records did. Well, Elvis has a new record coming out in March called, simply, Elvis Perkins in Dearland. I’m on my first listen right now, but it sounds richer and deeper and more rewarding even than its predecessor — one well worth waiting for. You can take a listen to the first single, “Shampoo,” here.
This site’s constant Fleet Foxes hating finally convinced me in reverse to check it out (helped out by the fact that it was cheap at that other site and I had some Christmas gift certs.) And now I must admit that I actually really like Fleet Foxes. (And I know I put it down at some point too … ) So … Joe, Yancey, is there some explanation for the Fleet Foxes hate? I mean yes it’s somewhat derivative, but so are lots of things that get love here (hello Vampire Weekend (and at least Fleet Foxes aren’t third-world culture tourist thieves)), and yes it’s overly hipster hyped (but Ditto), but at it’s root Fleet Foxes strikes me as a well written album that’s just overall damn nice to listen to. So … please explain.
The funny thing is, I don’t even aggressively hate Fleet Foxes. My diplomatic response is that they’re just not for me. Clearly, though, I’m in a serious minority.
ok, I get that. Sorry to jump all over you like that … it’s just something I wondered about as I enjoyed the album.
I can see how someone may not like FF. WHen I first listened to it I wondered how such a genre type could sound so COLD, especially since I listened to Horse Feathers at roughly the same time and it was such a warm, comforting sound by comparison. Fleet Foxes have such a SERIOUS, mature sound, whereas at least VW is having fun. That being said, I eventually warmed to the chilliest folk I’ve ever heard and will listen this “new” Elvis later tonight.
Is it too early to ask if eMu is getting the new AC Newman on Day One?
To me, Fleet Foxes > Elvis Perkins. They’re not going for the same vibe, tho. Judging from the samples/what I remember hearing of it, Perkins’ disc is a stark affair, with most of the emphasis on the grief-soaked lyrics. Fleet Foxes is about . . . well, I don’t know what. But the charm of the disc is in the harmonies, which remind me (and a lot of older listeners, I gather) of the sort of lost art of vocal harmonizing/close harmonies. I mean, there are some other acts that do it well (maybe better than Fleet Foxes, come to think of it), e.g., My Morning Jacket; Grizzly Bear. But Fleet Foxes remind me, in their own beardo way, of acts I remember from the 70s and 80s, when sweeping vocals on the chorus carried a song into space. And they don’t seem dumb-as-a-stump like some of those acts I’m remembering (Journey, for instance, and a million faceless 70s country-rock acts). Anyway, I think that’s why their album was so well-regarded, and it involves reasons totally distinct from why I’d guess people might like Elvis Perkins.
Ex. A on the Fleet Foxes issue, BTW: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6HvhZ6hHNs
The Fleet Foxes reminds me of like a one or two man Polyphonic Spree and I can’t help thinking that is not a good thing.
Elvis Perkins, on the other hand, while not reminding me of the king has composition, lyrics, and a very nice reedy rich sound. Plus I’m a sucker for a syncopated melody. I’m looking forward to this one.
nice one, I really really loved the last Elvis Perkins album. While your were sleeping was the hook for me – download that one if only one. He played it as part of the Take Away Shows series and I just fell in love with the performance, song and lyrics.
@Dan Esq. – hahaha, “grief-soaked lyrics” brilliant. with the back story to his last album it’s no wonder
@Addamm – FF bore me. Sun King was disappointing, the album I tired half heartedly but didn’t ‘get’ it. I don’t really like Brian Wilson that much either…
“FF bore me. ”
I read this a lot. I get it, too. But to me, White Winter Hymnal is moving and beautiful.
Fleet Foxes are beautiful and moving and boring. But then I feel the same way about the CSN(Y) type 70s stuff they remind people of. I can’t criticise it really, nor begrudge it all the number one best of 08 spots and academically I understand the appeal but its just too … pretty to stick in my head or heart or guts.
FF can’t be that close to CSN(Y). Reasoning: I like FF. I *hate* CSN(Y).
FWIW, I don’t think it’s the best disc of 2008, either. Maybe top 5, tho.
I’m actually sort of regretting the FF mention now, to be honest. It was kind of a cheap shot, and not really germane to the point I was trying to make. Bah. Apologies all around!
Elvis Perkins so reminds me of Neutral Milk Hotel. If, you know, NMH were more musically melencholy. And the drums were a bit jazzier. And the vocals were taken down a notch. And they used an upright bass. So maybe Elvis isn’t anything like NMH at all except for the shared nasally vocals and flair for storytelling. Eagerly waiting for the new Elivs Perkins!!
I’m chiming in late on this discussion, but I’m with Adamm in that I am a bit perplexed by the reflexive chatter being launched here and elsewhere (but mostly here) against Fleet Foxes, a band that IMO is not really hateable. Ignorable, I can understand, but it’s another thing to actively campaign against a band that’s otherwise pretty innocuous — and goes about its business in a pleasant enough manner, and whose record(s) seem well-liked by a sizable audience that (to this point, anyway) excludes “the masses.” I don’t really understand the anti-Coldplay vitriol, either, and they’ve at least managed to sell a record to nearly every conscious being in the Western world with money in their pocket and an audio playback device to listen.
Ah, well. Enough of that. Adding Elvis Perkins to my SfL now…