| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| billgoodman |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 04:23:32
Okay, guys. Big interview in the dutch magazine Oor.
Lot's of interesting quotes. I'm going to translate it to best that I can, but maybe some other Hollanders can correct me.
To sum it up:
Frank is proud on the new material and can't wait to record again. Kim Shattuck wasn't part of the new recordings, because they didn't want to put too much pressure on her [ or any other replacement ]. The Bagboy-vocal was supposed to be sung by Kim Deal.
Another Toe In The Ocean is about global warming and alcohol. Frank isn't sure.
The new album [yes Frank speaks of an album] is divided in a couple of EP's, because their manager requested that. Frank says that if he has done his homework it should be the best idea. Just like 4AD made an ep of the purple tape and decided what singles Pixies should re-record and which producer should be used. Frank just wants to make the music. Gil Norton also has a big voice in the way things go. Frank and Joey both talk about how he influenced their style and writing.
Joey: I don't doubt that people will like this new music. We recorded some big ass stuff in my opinion. On the other hand, some people will regret that Kim isn't on it, I can understand that.
Kim was with us for 2 or 3 weeks, she left and almost came back, but we were already used to the new situation (she was very clear that she wanted out). The 'darling of the band' is gone, so some people won't like that. If Kim wants to come back, she's welcome. She will always be a Pixie. If she likes it or not.
This is the third time we tried to record new music. We failed before, not because the songs were no good but we because we weren't ready. We jammed and it led to nothing. We wanted Charles to give us songs that were 80% ready. That way it would be easier for Kim, because she wanted to rehearse with some demos. She didn't want to jam anymore.
Frank: we always knew that her leaving was a possibility. When she left we were heartbroken but not surprised.
---------------------------
BF: Mag ik Engels spreken? |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| billgoodman |
Posted - 09/15/2013 : 09:30:08
Yeah, there was also talk about TLM being a double record, but that Oor interview was about Bossanova.
---------------------------
BF: Mag ik Engels spreken? |
| Grotesque |
Posted - 09/14/2013 : 11:07:17
Bill, are you sure it was Bossanova? I heard trompe le monde was supposed to be 2 eps, a punk mini album and an pop epic one... |
| IBreed |
Posted - 09/14/2013 : 03:56:18
alright, assuming no good will has been squandered and momentum keeps, pixies will sell 25, 000 vinyl records. jack white sold 18,000 in 2012 on a full length LP. do you really think the pixies wouldn't be competitive with that number?
|
| peter radiator |
Posted - 09/14/2013 : 03:28:36
Jason,
I agree wholeheartedly on all the points you just made!
:)
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
| Jason |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 19:39:46
quote:
Originally posted by IBreed
3) your argument is based on the pixies not releasing their album independently. EP1 was limited to 1000 copies, right? so, in total, they'll sell 5000 vinyls. that's the celling, assuming they're all limited releases. my bloody valentine sold upwards of 40,000 copies of their vinyl release... and in a month or so. it was self-released. i have no idea what the sales are up to now.
EP 1 is 5,000 copies.
Ultimately, the band, for whatever reason, feels like this is right for them. They're vital, experienced, independent and rich enough to do whatever they want. Maybe money isn't even the main object. Maybe trying something relatively new and unusual for a famous band these days is part of the reward in itself.
I don't know. I don't have the inside information--nor do I want it, really.
|
| billgoodman |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 19:08:32
In the very same Oor Magazine, 23 years ago:
BF: we had no idea for this album (bossanova), except releasing it as 3 ep's.
I have also a NME that came out before TLM were he talks about releasing it as an 8-tracker.
And I believe he was also fond of the idea of releasing singles every month, instead of albums.
Btw, Kristin Hersh' Fifty Foot Wave tried it before.
---------------------------
BF: Mag ik Engels spreken? |
| IBreed |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 18:51:53
quote:
Originally posted by Jason
I love the idea behind the EPs, myself. If the manager has so much power here, I think it may be because Frank tends to be indifferent to albums and their presentation--a few conceptual moments, such as Bluefinger, notwithstanding. That alphabetical Catholics box set pretty much sums up Frank's views on albums, I think. The EP releases were the manager's idea and the band likes the idea. If they were opposed to it, they'd do something else.
Here's why I think the EPs are brilliant:
1) As a dork who likes to collect this stuff, the idea of a new and unique EP every few months, each released without any advance word, for at least a year is very exciting. It's more exciting than a conventional album.
2) This idea is the future. The future is going to be small and limited "collector's item" releases like this, packaged nicely and often put out by the artists themselves. This has been common in the underground for awhile and now it's erupting into the mainstream. It's rare that old veteran bands are forward-thinking like this.
3) Part of why this is the future is because it makes good financial sense today. A new Pixies album would sell decently, sure. Even with bad reviews, it would at least break even. But the band are probably going to put out five or six EPs over the coming months and they're ALL going to sell out fast and the money will go right to the band. They're not going to be dealing with distributors and various other third party dealers. They're going to blow these records out the door quickly, have no piles of unsold copies laying around, and they're going to do it with no one's help.
4) It helps ease the pressure of having to meet the public's ultra-high expectations for new Pixies music. A new album competes with Surfer Rosa. A new EP doesn't.
2) yes, the future of physical music is in collectibles, but that isn't intrinsically tied to the EP format, especially not arbitrarily divided recording sessions. billy corgan has the pixies beat on this one by three years, and he's since come out and said that release format was a failure in terms of dissemination/interest.
3) your argument is based on the pixies not releasing their album independently. EP1 was limited to 1000 copies, right? so, in total, they'll sell 5000 vinyls. that's the celling, assuming they're all limited releases. my bloody valentine sold upwards of 40,000 copies of their vinyl release... and in a month or so. it was self-released. i have no idea what the sales are up to now.
4) being as the ep is getting savaged for not living up to the band's legacy, it's just not something they can escape. it's happening one way or another. may as well hit it head on with a statement instead of some hesitant "toe into the ocean". jump in, gang. you've got the songs. classic masher greens & blues. they're undeniable, but over the course of a year, it's diluted. plus, there's no real narrative there-- a 2012 recording session released in spurts over a year and a half. if the songs get better (or are received better), it's a failure of pacing and foresight rather than a legitimate artistic improvement.
if anything, the ep merry go round gives the impression of road bait. they'll release an ep whenever a new leg is announced to bump up ticket sales. for a band that treaded so close to county fair act, it's a bit hard to swallow. especially when they're transparent enough to admit its on their managers advice. i don't doubt frank is "all about the music, man", but i wish he'd present some sort of vision for this batch of songs as opposed to being so laissez-faire about their release. was he always that way with pixies albums?
there's no stopping this train now, and make no mistake, i'm very excited for new pixies material, i just can't share in the enthusiasm for its release method.
|
| peter radiator |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 18:42:37
They hired this manager because they respect his opinions and value his input.
That kind of relationship is a cooperative one.
Make no mistake, the Pixies ARE in control of how they present their work. Infinitely more so than most any of their peers.
If you REALLY hire a SERIOUS manager, when it comes to marketing decisions, that manager is, for all intents and purposes, an ancillary member of the band.
Just because they liked their manager's idea and went along with it does not mean they are being led around like puppets. It means they liked an idea by a trusted member of their team, and chose to do things that way.
I think it's refreshing and clever, although certainly not groundbreaking.
I do not believe for a moment that these EPs will at some point be compiled into a long-form LP.
I believe the allusion to the Purple Tape rather confusingly described in the above post is merely to note that in the early days of the band, 4AD surprised them by suggesting they whittle their initial demo tape (which they likely never thought would actually be pressed as an official release) into a tight, short EP ("all killer/no filler"), and then revisit the remaining songs once they had enough money and time to give them another go in the studio.
That was because the label believed the ones on the officially released debut EP to be the best of the lot, performance-wise, and in terms of how they hung together as an EP, and felt the others simply needed more work to be ready for prime time.
I believe the band will merely separate the totality of the release-quality tracks they have already recorded into a series of short, EP-length collections, and if those are well received, continue to press/unveil any subsequently music in tight, occasional batches like that.
It's the way things were done back in Elvis' day, and it relieves some of the pressure of having to make a grand, 70-minute-long "statement" that hangs together cohesively, and is instantly pirated online.
Far from being frustrating to me, I think this approach is respectfully geared toward devoted fans, and, at $1 per song as high-quality lossless downloads (for those who dig such things), these EPs could not be any more reasonably priced.
~ Peter Radiator
"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder |
| natenate101 |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 16:57:11
^ Summed my thoughts up perfectly. Well said. I love albums and part of me is sad this isn't being presented that way, but I'm excited for the band as this seems a viable method for them in 2013. Probably will make some decent coin, and keeps people anticipating new releases for a good long while. |
| Jason |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 16:52:08
I love the idea behind the EPs, myself. If the manager has so much power here, I think it may be because Frank tends to be indifferent to albums and their presentation--a few conceptual moments, such as Bluefinger, notwithstanding. That alphabetical Catholics box set pretty much sums up Frank's views on albums, I think. The EP releases were the manager's idea and the band likes the idea. If they were opposed to it, they'd do something else.
Here's why I think the EPs are brilliant:
1) As a dork who likes to collect this stuff, the idea of a new and unique EP every few months, each released without any advance word, for at least a year is very exciting. It's more exciting than a conventional album.
2) This idea is the future. The future is going to be small and limited "collector's item" releases like this, packaged nicely and often put out by the artists themselves. This has been common in the underground for awhile and now it's erupting into the mainstream. It's rare that old veteran bands are forward-thinking like this.
3) Part of why this is the future is because it makes good financial sense today. A new Pixies album would sell decently, sure. Even with bad reviews, it would at least break even. But the band are probably going to put out five or six EPs over the coming months and they're ALL going to sell out fast and the money will go right to the band. They're not going to be dealing with distributors and various other third party dealers. They're going to blow these records out the door quickly, have no piles of unsold copies laying around, and they're going to do it with no one's help.
4) It helps ease the pressure of having to meet the public's ultra-high expectations for new Pixies music. A new album competes with Surfer Rosa. A new EP doesn't. |
| BunsenH |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 14:45:58
quote:
Originally posted by IBreed
the artist should be in charge of how they present their work. i hate the idea that their manager pushed for EPs and they just went for it. especially with frank's recent work, like blue finger, non stop erotik, the golem, it's all so conceptual and unified. i guess this is a reaction to that, but it's a bummer. it's just a group of songs arbitrarily divided up by someone not in the band. what year is this? the pixies should be running the show! plus, there's NO indication that they'll be recording new work with the old songs. the amount of songs registered lends itself to something like 4 or 5 EPs. further, they're touring! when they fuck will they get the time to record? the EPs are, for all intents and purposes, set in stone i'd wager.
sorry brahs, i'm a supporter in most cases, but this idea stinks more and more every day. had they put 12 of the best songs out on an album, sure, the reaction may have been as hostile as it was towards EP1, but at least it wouldn't seem so hesitant and unsure.
There IS a roughly one month gap in their tour schedule--I can't remember where, but it's in there. I always thought that seemed strange, but now it makes sense for a possible jaunt in the studio.
I'm not 100% sure, but I think they recorded m Thwok, Ain't that Pretty, and one othe yet unreleased song while on tour. |
| IBreed |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 14:20:37
the artist should be in charge of how they present their work. i hate the idea that their manager pushed for EPs and they just went for it. especially with frank's recent work, like blue finger, non stop erotik, the golem, it's all so conceptual and unified. i guess this is a reaction to that, but it's a bummer. it's just a group of songs arbitrarily divided up by someone not in the band. what year is this? the pixies should be running the show! plus, there's NO indication that they'll be recording new work with the old songs. the amount of songs registered lends itself to something like 4 or 5 EPs. further, they're touring! when they fuck will they get the time to record? the EPs are, for all intents and purposes, set in stone i'd wager.
sorry brahs, i'm a supporter in most cases, but this idea stinks more and more every day. had they put 12 of the best songs out on an album, sure, the reaction may have been as hostile as it was towards EP1, but at least it wouldn't seem so hesitant and unsure. |
| moonruler |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 13:48:02
I wonder if they would really be that open to Kim returning.
Sometimes it can be good to be in a collaborative business/creative relationship as opposed to a completely artist controlled product. The manager gets to manage, the producer gets to produce, and BF gets to write the songs. Joey, Dave and BF get to play.
I realize it is more complex than that, but do believe that is the gist of it.
And other than Andro Queen, this is all very Pixies to me.
______________
make some room |
| billgoodman |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 09:50:00
He meant like the purple tape as in:
We just wanted a record out, the label called the shots
---------------------------
BF: Mag ik Engels spreken? |
| jake3 |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 08:42:46
quote:
Originally posted by natenate101
Over the next 15 months, they'll likely make some new music aside from the 20 or so they have already seemingly recorded. Take the best songs of the 5eps and add in some newness...then sell as an album. Doesn't seem to wacky to me. Makes sense, as they surely don't want to lock themselves into al album with this stuff as they are just finding their feet again.
This, with or without newly recorded songs, makes a lot of sense long term.
When I heard they were releasing the music over several EPs I was a little disappointed, (don't get me wrong, I was stilled thrilled they were releasing new material, however they planned on doing it). It will let them test the water and see what proves popular and what less so, whether it be the mixes, songs, song elements, whatever. The only concerns I see is people whingeing that they're milking it (I disagree, it makes sense musically) and also somewhat losing that surprise factor (however additional material may solve that). |
| Jason |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 08:30:52
It's third-hand info so one can't jump to too many conclusions, but if this is a "Purple Tape" sort of thing, that might mean that the EPs are the equivalent to "C'mon Pilgrim" and a future album (if there is one) would be the equivalent to "Surfer Rosa", meaning the album would be different songs.
After all, when EP 1 was announced, it was said that the band would be putting out more EPs over the course of 12-15 months. We know about the big stack of new songs registered with BMI this year. Considering how prolific a songwriter Frank is, he'll probably have a few dozen more songs written by 15 months and it might make more sense at that time to focus on new music rather re-hash the old. |
| natenate101 |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 08:11:38
Over the next 15 months, they'll likely make some new music aside from the 20 or so they have already seemingly recorded. Take the best songs of the 5eps and add in some newness...then sell as an album. Doesn't seem to wacky to me. Makes sense, as they surely don't want to lock themselves into al album with this stuff as they are just finding their feet again. |
| johnnyribcage |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 07:45:32
I'm confused. And if you think the backlash to the EP (and what eps may come) has been a bit harsh, just wait till they re record and sell the same tunes on an album. If that's what I'm reading - I'm having a little trouble following.
Everybody calm down, I'm the Burgermeister of Purgatory |
| Skatealex1 |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 07:30:16
I think if the reception of the eps effects the final album it could be an interesting move. The manager does seem to make annoying decisions though. It would seem more worthwhile though if the album ends up having different mixes then the eps and a different tracklist over time rather than having an album that's finished already and releasing it through eps over time. |
| IBreed |
Posted - 09/13/2013 : 04:58:04
f-ing manager. i'm into EPs, but i'd prefer it if they were records of where the band were throughout the year, not an album divided up into 5 chunks. that's the REAL benefit of this music climate-- a band could record sporadically throughout the year, releasing new music to catalogue their progress, not chop a goddamn album into 4 or 5 pieces and release them over a year and some. |
|
|
