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Sprite
* Dog in the Sand *

1225 Posts

Posted - 09/20/2016 :  05:37:40  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
From Pledge? I keep pressing F5 on my email.....
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Arm Arm Arm
* Dog in the Sand *

1034 Posts

Posted - 09/21/2016 :  08:38:50  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by peter radiator

quote:
Originally posted by Arm Arm Arm

I have to say, not listening to this album hasn't had much of an impact on me at all. True, yesterday I didn't put the disc in my cd player and really enjoyed not hearing any of the new songs but overall Head Carrier hasn't made much of an impression on me.


I really appreciate this, Arm3.

It may be my favorite post of the year.


--

"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder



Ha! Thanks Mr. Radiator.
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Fitzy
- FB Fan -

Portugal
86 Posts

Posted - 09/21/2016 :  09:33:22  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Has anyone in Europe received Pledge e-mail confirming shipping of the album?

Starting to get kind of antsy about receiving the album days after the official release.
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johnnyribcage
* Dog in the Sand *

USA
1291 Posts

Posted - 09/21/2016 :  09:46:08  Show Profile  Visit johnnyribcage's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I ordered through amazon and they usually guarantee that you'get it the actual day of release. I had that happen to me a few times with outlets used by band websites before Fitzy and decided to start doing amazon most of the time to prevent that. Not that that helps you here but for future reference...



Take me to the vineyards of Lavaux
Want to see the mountains where the waters flow
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Discoking
* Dog in the Sand *

Belgium
1103 Posts

Posted - 09/21/2016 :  22:30:16  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Fitzy

Has anyone in Europe received Pledge e-mail confirming shipping of the album?


i haven't received any confirmation yet.


it's educational
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trevgreg
- FB Fan -

45 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  03:45:54  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
It's streaming in full now on NPR.

http://www.npr.org/2016/09/22/494263939/first-listen-pixies-head-carrier
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natenate101
= Cult of Ray =

USA
851 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  04:28:49  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Listening now....
Man, Paz's vocals make such a difference. Classic Masher is excellent.
Head Carrier is a solid opener, and BF's vocals on the verses are surprisingly "wobbly". Love the guitars.
Continuing on...
Baal's Back is a nice little punch in the mouth, his screams are awesome.
Might as well be gone, nice guitar, lyrics pretty simple. Repeats the chorus a bit too much. Paz sounds great on it. A bit undercooked.
Bel Espirit is ok. Not much to say right now.
All The Saints is an early favorite. Sounds so Pixies to me.
Plaster of Paris is a bouncy little thing that had me smiling. Fun.

This album sounds more fresh than IC and I think it's more pleasing overall. Some song still light on depth, both musically and lyrically, but overall I like it a lot.

Edited by - natenate101 on 09/22/2016 05:32:38
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johnnyribcage
* Dog in the Sand *

USA
1291 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  04:37:42  Show Profile  Visit johnnyribcage's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I'm waiting. Whatever file type they're streaming over there i'm sure it isn't ideal. I want to hear it as good as it can be (on vinyl) the first time. Have fun though guys I'll join in the full album opinion sharing on 9/30 (assuming my record shows up on that day)



Take me to the vineyards of Lavaux
Want to see the mountains where the waters flow
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Sprite
* Dog in the Sand *

1225 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  04:39:03  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by trevgreg

It's streaming in full now on NPR.

http://www.npr.org/2016/09/22/494263939/first-listen-pixies-head-carrier



This is completely depressing. Nothing from Pledge. Last time I use them for sure.....
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picpic
* Dog in the Sand *

Belgium
1872 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  04:57:36  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thanks for the link !

I thought Dalgety did a terrible mastering. I was wrong. He did a terrible mix, too. Sorry, but I definitely hate his sound. It's terrible, terrible, terrible.

Indie Cindy had a terrible mastering too, but you can hear underneath the wall of sound that Gil Norton did, by far, a better job.


Head Carrier: sounds a little slow, lazy. Would have excepted something wilder like the live version.
Classic Masher: good, but wtf with the volume slider button ? Argh... nearly ruined...
Baals Back: great song. terrible production. Live version 10x better.
Might as well be gone: not a fan right now. Need to re-listen
Oona: I like the melody. There's a really good melody buried in there.
Bel Esprit: No opinion right now. Didn't hit me in the face.
All Think About Now: Sounds like a Breeders song and Paz sings like Kim Deal.
Plaster of Paris: not a fan, but we can at least hear Joey doing something different on this one
All the saints: nice little song

Pretty negative impression on first listen. But maybe it will change with time / more listens.


___
"Service Unavailable"

Edited by - picpic on 09/22/2016 04:58:04
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Ziggy
* Dog in the Sand *

United Kingdom
2411 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  05:37:57  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
'Oona' and 'All the Saints' are my favourites from a first listen.

Edited by - Ziggy on 09/22/2016 12:26:45
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thesilenceofthelens
- FB Fan -

United Kingdom
4 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  05:43:54  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Well, after 3 listens here's my thoughts...

Head Carrier: I wasn't a massive fan of this when I saw them live in Lisbon, but it sounds good here. Decent start to the album.
Classic Masher: I love this song, but they ALMOST made it a bit too sickly-sounding with the production. They just manage to get away with it, and it kinda reminds me of Letter to Memphis.
Baals Back: When I saw them live in Lisbon, this was INCREDIBLE. And while it's good here, they've completely removed the sheer panic, chaos and rawness of the live version. Still a cracking song though. I keep going back to this one - the chorus is so damn catchy.
Might As Well Be Gone: I LOVE this. I never thought I'd say this about a Pixies song, but it's delightful! Paz and Frank's vocals go perfect together here.
Oona: OK, I'm gonna say it... this is going to go down as a modern classic. There is something magical here, I just wish the production went deeper and darker, along the lines of I Bleed or Dead - we could have been talking about an all-time classic IMO. I love it.
Talent: Not a big fan of this - it sounds MUCH better when as part of the album as opposed to a standalone song, though. This one ends the run of five GREAT songs in a row, first real dip in the album.
The Tenement Song: Another cracking song. I really like it, and again sounds even better as part of the album.
Bel Espirit: It's OK, nothing great - a decent album track.
All I Think About Now: Genuinely thought they'd sampled Where Is My Mind to start off with. I adore this one.
Um Chagga Lagga: To me, this is a stone-cold classic Pixies track. Nuff said.
Plaster of Paris: A nice, catchy little tune. That's about it really.
All The Saints: A VERY big Bossanova vibe going on here. Great surf sound.

Highlights: Classic Masher, Baals Back, Might As Well Be Gone, Oona, Um Chagga Lagga
Ones to Skip: Talent, Bel Esperit

Some Notes:
The production is HORRENDOUS. Somehow worse than IC and even worse than I ever thought possible. It's just plain terrible and nearly completely ruins some songs.
There are some purely brilliant songs hidden under this piss-poor production.
Paz is an absolutely wonderful additional to the band, and adds character that was missing on IC.
There is a big Bossanova feel to this album.
The first five songs are truly great.

Edited by - thesilenceofthelens on 09/22/2016 05:58:53
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TheScooper
- FB Fan -

USA
176 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  06:19:19  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I was desperate to be positive about this, but there's no way around it - we have another batch of great songs torpedoed in the sound booth.

There are some nimble, angular, punchy songs here that are trapped in a muddy straight jacket. The individual instrumentation sounds a lot dirtier and grittier, which is nice, but it's assembled horribly.

I love ugly sounding records - but this isn't ugly in a compelling or lo-fi way - it's ugly in an intentional, stifling, sterile way that completely sands down all the wonderful edges of the Pixies.

These songs and this band sound so great live. Why in the fucking name of christ can't someone just throw some microphones in a room and let them play and then release it?
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pot
> Teenager of the Year <

Iceland
3909 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  06:23:35  Show Profile  Visit pot's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I like it.

It's better than Indy Cindy.

I think it is the 6th best Pixies album of all time.

I'm listening to it through slightly crappy speakers, the production sounds all right to me. It could be a little better maybe? I don't know.

Edited by - pot on 09/22/2016 06:25:01
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Sam
= Cult of Ray =

Ireland
511 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  06:44:02  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I think this is a great record. Some great songs. Oona, plaster and all,I think about are really standout for me so far.

I'm listening to it on headphones and it's a nice sound. Some of these tracks are super radio friendly. I get its not surfer rosa type raw, but it's great.

Plus it's streaming, the vinyl will have more dynamics.

They band all sound great here, but props to Joey. Some of his guitar work is very bossanova like. I love that sound only he can make.
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natenate101
= Cult of Ray =

USA
851 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  06:53:25  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I'm feeling the Bossanova comparisons, especially on Oona and All The Saints.
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Bedbug
> Teenager of the Year <

2962 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  07:11:27  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I like it
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Bedbug
> Teenager of the Year <

2962 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  07:16:18  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Chorus of Head Carrier made me think of chorus of Debaser for some reason
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ccuadros
* Dog in the Sand *

Chile
1315 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  07:48:02  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I just listened....sounds like Pixies finally, like a complete album, better than last album, love paz vocals although i still miss the sharped guitar Of Joey, im happy is a Good album
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natenate101
= Cult of Ray =

USA
851 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  08:00:43  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Bedbug

Chorus of Head Carrier made me think of chorus of Debaser for some reason



I can see it. Don't know why Paz's "Head Carrier" in the chorus is so low?
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picpic
* Dog in the Sand *

Belgium
1872 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  08:42:15  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by natenate101
Don't know why Paz's "Head Carrier" in the chorus is so low?


Starts with Dal and ends with gety.

Most frustrating album of all time. Such good songs. Sigh.

quote:
Originally posted by TheScooper
There are some nimble, angular, punchy songs here that are trapped in a muddy straight jacket.


Exactly.

___
"Service Unavailable"

Edited by - picpic on 09/22/2016 08:53:22
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yarbles
= Cult of Ray =

USA
577 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  08:55:12  Show Profile  Visit yarbles's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Ok, first imprssions:

Well, the first crazy impression that hits me before even listening to an entire song is HOLY SHIT IM LISTENING TO A NEW PIXIES RECORD FOR THE FIRST TIME. This is such a rare treat, that I will always be grateful for.... I think back to when I first discovered and fell in love with the band in 1994, and thinking I'd missed them. Yet here we are 22 years later, getting new music. Whatever we get from them at this point is simply a gift and a blessing in my eyes.

Overall, I feel like this is a much better record than Indie Cindy. Production squabbles aside, this feels and sounds like a band. Theres a personality and atmosphere that feels natural. I love it.

Love Head Carrier and Classic Masher. The production honestly does not bother me at all on these songs. They shine and sound great to my ears.
Baal's Back on the other hand really suffers from production.... BF's screaming sounds so hot and forced and overproduced/dry.... Does not compare to the ferocity of the live version.
You Might As Well Be Gone sounds lovely to my ears... Paz's vocals really sound great paired with BF's on this record and this song is a great example of it.
Oona - this was the point of the record that really hit me.... I was so used to the 2012 demo of this that I really enjoyed how it's been changed here. Much more atmospheric and moody, and there's a point at the end of the song that explodes with a classic Joey bit that made me grin from ear to ear. Nothing on Indie Cindy struck me like that exact moment. :)
Talent and Tenement song sound great to me, much better as part of the album then as stand alones, although I never thought they were bad as singles either.
Bel Espirit totally sounds like a Catholics song to me, with Paz's vocal parts and Joey's leads on top. Love it. :)
All I Can Think About Now - Love the intentional WIMM guitar riff to lead this off. Paz sounds great on this, love the idea of BF's words being delivered through her voice to Kim. Poignant, meta, and touching to this hardcore Pixies fan.
Um Chagga Lagga - Listening through the album for the first time, I'd forgotten all about this song... it came on and i was like, "oh yeah, this song!" Feels good on the album.
Plaster of Paris is at the moment my least fave.... the bouncy light vibe just kinda hits me wrong.
All the saints - Dreamy and beautiful. Need to listen more but I like it and feel like it's a good closer to a great album.

All in all, I love it. Even though i have some squabbles with production (Baal's Back being the biggest victim to this) I feel like this is an actual album, with heart and personality. Love it. Bring on the tour and more records, you keep doing what you're doing Pixies. Keep trying different producers too.... may I suggest Adam Kasper. He's great at capturing the natural live sounds of a band playing together in a room (check out Foo Fighters "There Is Nothing Left To Lose" - their best album IMO and Pearl Jam's "Riot Act")

And Joey, all the best to you. All the love and support to you right now with what you're going through. Beat it and then get back on the road touring this great album!


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Fitzy
- FB Fan -

Portugal
86 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  09:01:30  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Discoking

quote:
Originally posted by Fitzy

Has anyone in Europe received Pledge e-mail confirming shipping of the album?


i haven't received any confirmation yet.


it's educational



I checked the Pledge Music page. "Expected fulfillment date" is 07-October. As Sprite said, very depressing. Unbelievable, actually. I'm done with those guys..
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johnnyribcage
* Dog in the Sand *

USA
1291 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  09:12:02  Show Profile  Visit johnnyribcage's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Fitzy

quote:
Originally posted by Discoking

quote:
Originally posted by Fitzy

Has anyone in Europe received Pledge e-mail confirming shipping of the album?


i haven't received any confirmation yet.


it's educational



I checked the Pledge Music page. "Expected fulfillment date" is 07-October. As Sprite said, very depressing. Unbelievable, actually. I'm done with those guys..



Use amazon next time. Mine is scheduled to arrive on my doorstep 9/30.



Take me to the vineyards of Lavaux
Want to see the mountains where the waters flow
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picpic
* Dog in the Sand *

Belgium
1872 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  09:12:12  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by yarbles
Love Head Carrier and Classic Masher. The production honestly does not bother me at all on these songs. They shine and sound great to my ears.

Head Carrier: muffled drums, bathroom vocals, backing vocals too low, can't hear lead guitar, whole song sounds like an indecipherable wall of sound. Can't hear them "shine" cause can't hear any treble.

No troll intended, just frustration.

I'm really expecting them to perform the whole album live. Could be really amazing.

___
"Service Unavailable"
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Broken Face
-= Forum Pistolero =-

USA
5155 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  09:14:54  Show Profile  Visit Broken Face's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I'm surprised by all the BOSSANOVA comparisons, because I'm not really hearing them aside from Joey's lead lines being more in the foreground. It doesn't remind me of any of their other records, to be honest. Not that it is exactly a total departure, but I don't think there's a great fit in terms of a comparison.

I think the record does a pretty nice job of capturing what the post-reunion Pixies are like - all the songs are slightly slower than they'd have been 25 years ago, and even the really aggressive ones are more restrained. If everything was 35 bpm faster, it would sound more like the 'classic' records. Joey's lines are a little more melodic, Dave plays a little more in the pocket. This isn't a criticism of the band, it is just how they've aged.

I still prefer the solo/plus Kim Shattuck "Classic Masher" - it has an energy that I think is missing here. It joins "Silver Snail" and "Dead Man's Curve" as FBF songs I heard solo acoustic first, and which the full band versions never captured the same drive and forward momentum that those live performances had.

Yes, the compression is an issue, but I don't think it is going to stop my enjoyment of the record in a serious way. Sure, I wish it sounded better, but that's true of a ton of stuff I own and love. I'm hoping that the CD/vinyl is an improvement over the stream in that regard, but my hopes aren't all that high.

I, too, am a little pissed that PledgeMusic didn't offer a stream to pre-orders first, but that's on the band, not on Pledge. The band sets all those choices up, Pledge just acts as the delivery service. Their management, especially once the new music started trickling out, aren't very fan friendly - the EPs, this situation, etc. Pledge Music allowed the band to put very little money forward for the physical production of the record, which is a good thing for them. Essentially, we all paid for our records to be printed, instead of a label/band paying for it upfront and then recouping it. But because we did them that solid of pre-ordering, the fact that we weren't the first to hear the album is pretty shitty. Unsurprising, but shitty.

- Brian
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hammerhands
* Dog in the Sand *

Canada
1592 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  09:20:52  Show Profile  Visit hammerhands's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Fitzy

checked the Pledge Music page. "Expected fulfillment date" is 07-October.



Where do you see that date?

Edited by - hammerhands on 09/22/2016 09:21:57
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cptnpasty
- FB Fan -

Spain
151 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  09:32:19  Show Profile  Visit cptnpasty's Homepage  Reply with Quote
i'm just going to come out and say it.

loving the production on baal's back. sounds broken. like someone had the baals to FUCK WITH IT.

plaster of paris is great. it and all the saints remind me of the chills at certain points actually.

it's the kind of record i wanted - not some optimised version of the pixies but charles thompson and his band, who just happen to be the pixies.

i was at the mean fiddler in '88 when they played with the muses.

it's very special to hear this today.



www.alotofwind.com
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benji
> Teenager of the Year <

New Zealand
3422 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  09:54:19  Show Profile  Visit benji's Homepage  Reply with Quote
i can't listen to the stream - it's not available in my region apparently. why am i special?
but the reviews are sounding positive, which is nice, so looking forward to a decent album once i get a chance to hear it.



all i can say, thank god for polio! brian
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Fitzy
- FB Fan -

Portugal
86 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  09:57:20  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by hammerhands

quote:
Originally posted by Fitzy

checked the Pledge Music page. "Expected fulfillment date" is 07-October.



Where do you see that date?


After signing in on their webpage, check your order. You should see the "expected fulfillment date".
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peter radiator
= Cult of Ray =

USA
649 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  09:57:59  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by cptnpasty

i'm just going to come out and say it.

loving the production on baal's back. sounds broken. like someone had the baals to FUCK WITH IT.



You are correct, in that it is clearly an intentionally atypical approach to mixing this type of song and type of vocal performance.

The more I listen to it, the more I appreciate being able to very clearly hear every little tiny bit of FBF's voice and what he is doing with it (especially the little trills he throws in at :34 and 1:20, which are right up there in James Brown-ville in terms of controlled, melodic screaming).

However, that song more than any others on the album really hits home to me the vast potential of brutal power that is reflected in all the bandmembers' studio performance, but which is almost totally hidden and neutered by the claustrophobic mix.

That song in the version on HC sounds like it's DYING to leap out of the speakers or headphones and express a fury and power that it's just not allowed to.

Perplexing, to say the least - unless the whole idea was simply to be contrary and thwart convention. In which case, it succeeds wildly.

And, whether I like what Dagelty and/or the band did with this track, (if any of the Pixies were even hands-on or offered constructive criticism during the mixing phase of the LP), in the end it is the decision of the artists and their creative team that matters most - even if it seems cockeyed or senseless to the listener.

All the rest of us are just Statler and Waldorf, including myself.

--

"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder
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picpic
* Dog in the Sand *

Belgium
1872 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  10:00:30  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by benji

i can't listen to the stream - it's not available in my region apparently. why am i special?


Me too. But I heard it anyway. Ahem.

___
"Service Unavailable"
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OLDMANOTY
= Cult of Ray =

United Kingdom
469 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  11:02:25  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by benji

i can't listen to the stream - it's not available in my region apparently. why am i special?


all i can say, thank god for polio! brian


Me neither, but I note others from UK can listen to it. What sorcery is this?

Edited by - OLDMANOTY on 09/22/2016 11:03:10
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peter radiator
= Cult of Ray =

USA
649 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  11:07:16  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by OLDMANOTY

quote:
Originally posted by benji

i can't listen to the stream - it's not available in my region apparently. why am i special?


all i can say, thank god for polio! brian


Me neither, but I note others from UK can listen to it. What sorcery is this?



They are probably using one of those online services which substitutes a different IP address for their own, which tricks the NPR site (and others) from realizing what part of the world they are actually logging on from, and makes it appear as though they are in a suitable region. Thus allowing the stream.

--

"Real music is out there and real people are making it." ~ Webb Wilder
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yarbles
= Cult of Ray =

USA
577 Posts

Posted - 09/22/2016 :  11:13:05  Show Profile  Visit yarbles's Homepage  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by picpic

quote:
Originally posted by yarbles
Love Head Carrier and Classic Masher. The production honestly does not bother me at all on these songs. They shine and sound great to my ears.

Head Carrier: muffled drums, bathroom vocals, backing vocals too low, can't hear lead guitar, whole song sounds like an indecipherable wall of sound. Can't hear them "shine" cause can't hear any treble.

No troll intended, just frustration.

I'm really expecting them to perform the whole album live. Could be really amazing.
___
"Service Unavailable"



To each his own. But again, to my ears they sound great. Classic Masher especially, it has a warm poppy vibe to it that doesn't sound murky at all to me.

Edited by - yarbles on 09/22/2016 11:14:10
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