Monday, March 3, 2008
Hot Goss Romance Is the Douche of the Bourgeoisie: New Silver Jews, Bangin' at Battletapes and Nudie Suits, Oh My!
Posted by Sean Maloney on Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 1:21 PM
Here's another listicle of vaguely related things that you probably didn't know about:
1. The Silver Jews' new album is done. It's also really, really good. I can't tell you how I know this, just trust me. D.C. Berman is in top lyrical form, the band is killer and the recording sounds great. Don't be surpised when this album is on the top of every critic's year-end list.
2. American Bang were cutting tracks at Battletapes this weekend. While it might seem a little crazy at first, if you're familiar with either's resume you'll be stoked. I'm guessing it'll sound like a Nashville version of Spooky Two or Nantucket Sleighride. Of course, if you're like our friend "shwag" you'll probably just hate on it, regardless of how it sounds.
3. Warner Music Group fucked up the Roadrunner deal. Five bucks says De Novo Dahl have to give back their Nudie suits before Christmas.
Comments (27)
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and so by telling us it's good we're indebted to remember that you said so first? dude, did you get left behind a lot as a kid?
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battletapes is the god-haven of recording basements and i don't have to tell you what that makes Jeremy. smart move, AB!
or maybe some of us are jews fans and have been anticipating this album and are genuinely excited to hear good things about it from a dude whose musical taste we trust?
wh, did you get beat up a lot as a kid?
No skin off my back. You can say mean things,I can handle it - I'd be dissappointed if you didn't.
That last Silver Jews record.... bleccch. Didn't have anything (lyrics, music, arrangements, performance, whatever) even close to what you would hear at a half-decent songwriters' night any day of the week in Nashville, but trendiness dictates that your average hipster won't pay any attention to commercial country music.
I pay attention to commercial country (and commercial R&B - in fact I'm pretty fucking lame), and I'd say that Berman is a WAY better lyricist than about 99.999% of the crap-hounds aspiring to smear their shit on Music Row (though that "Cleaning My Gun" song on the radio is fucking genius). Hell, I'd rather listen to DC read binary code than sit through another "writers night"/circle jerk/therapy session for whiny narcissists.
Sure, he doesn't write corny couplets about drinking Coronas and he's not a blonde-haired blue-eyed aryan android, but the man has irreffutable talent.
If we're going to compare him to other Nashville writers I'd say he's closer to a Roger Miller/Tom T. Hall-type everyman-poet than the Kip Winger/Richard Marx cheeseballs that are passing themselves off as country hese days.
I dusted off my 1985 copy of George Strait's Greatest Hits the other night, and it's still bad ass. I heard that the newest SJ album has a dash of island feel to it. Can anyone confirm this?
The SJ record does have a song about a Party Barge, which could be Berman's concession to the commercial marketplace...It sure sounds like a hit to me.
Tom T. Hall is number one and the best. I went to university right down the road from him and never once made the pilgrimage to his home. Color me with regret. Embarassing as it would be to show up on his doorstep, he still deserves to be heaped with praise for writing the song "Turn It On", amongst others.
As far as the Silver Jews record goes, my best pal and local despot John Sheldon Baldwin has something to do with it, so it can't be all bad, right? Party Barge!
Dave Berman is one of the best lyricists in modern music. He is unbelievably talented and I look forward to hearing the new record. I'm glad he and his wife moved to Nashville.
David Berman IS an amazing songwriter. I own every Silver Jews record. I think that Tanglewood Numbers is his weakest effort though and doesn't compare to Natural Bridge or Bright Flight. I'm glad they live here and they are finally touring. The show at The End was great. I'm looking forward to hearing the new record and hope they'll play some shows to support it in Nashville. It would be even better if they played every couple of months.
I think Tanglewood Numbers is way underrated. I actually like it more than American Water.
I really liked Tanglewood Numbers, as well. Punks in the Beerlight was one of their best tour numbers! Also, Boston Shawn knows what he's talking about in regards to the new one. Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea will very likely make even more, new SJ fans and probably surprise (pleasantly) old die hards.
Isreali is a nationality, "Jewish" denotes a religious affiliation. Use more punctuation.
Technically, "American" can denote anyone from anywhere in the Americas, which would include Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, etc. Of course, no one in the U.S. of A. ever means that when they say "American."
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