Future of the Left

[Keith Whitener]

Will any of you be going to the show at Maxwell's?

[Keith Whitener]

It was a great show! I got lost in Jersey City, Kearny, and the town whose name escapes me in the area that starts with a W. I missed the opening act, unfortunately, but caught all of FOTL's set.

[JonFromMaplewood]

Bought The Future of the Left's latest album based on this thread.  Chin Music makes me want to punch my fist through the roof of my Fit.

[jbissell]

Saw them in Chicago Tues. night and it was the best rock show I've seen all year.

[bakersfieldchimp]

Saw `em on Saturday at the Capitol Hill Block Party, and they were great. ALMOST great enough to counterbalance the horribleness of the rest of the Block Party, which was borderline intolerable.

[jbissell]

Saw `em on Saturday at the Capitol Hill Block Party, and they were great. ALMOST great enough to counterbalance the horribleness of the rest of the Block Party, which was borderline intolerable.

Hey, it looks like there were at least a few good bands there.  I just saw the Black Lips for the first time at they were great.

[bakersfieldchimp]

Saw `em on Saturday at the Capitol Hill Block Party, and they were great. ALMOST great enough to counterbalance the horribleness of the rest of the Block Party, which was borderline intolerable.

Hey, it looks like there were at least a few good bands there.  I just saw the Black Lips for the first time at they were great.

The bands were good, but the Block Party itself wasn't organized very well. There were only two entrances/exits out of the party which resulted in huge bottlenecks since there were a boatload of people teeming around inside the perimeter. It was also pretty insufferably hot. Also, a lot of the people there were wearing shit that would have made me want to push them into thorny hedges, if there would have been any around.

[jbissell]

Saw `em on Saturday at the Capitol Hill Block Party, and they were great. ALMOST great enough to counterbalance the horribleness of the rest of the Block Party, which was borderline intolerable.

Hey, it looks like there were at least a few good bands there.  I just saw the Black Lips for the first time at they were great.

Also, a lot of the people there were wearing shit that would have made me want to push them into thorny hedges, if there would have been any around.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

[JonFromMaplewood]

Okay, please don't kill me, but I have one minor issue with "Travels With Myself And Another."  And it is not so much an "issue" with the album...just a misalignment with my preferences.

The production is a little too clean for my tastes.  It doesn't have to be like Iron & Wine-style lo-fi, but I do like a little grit.

[emma]

A bunch of my friends went to see them play here while i was out of town, and then they all sent me emails telling me how much fun the show was. Jerks.

[bakersfieldchimp]

My friend Tyler is a pretty awesome photographer, and he managed to get some good pictures from the Block Party set:




Don't know how well you can tell from these pictures, but they (and everyone in the crowd) were sweating up a storm. yeesh.

[todd]

just got this album. the vocals are way too clean (the whole thing sounds way way too polished). i like some of the songwriting but the way its recorded makes this thing sound like System of a Down with keyboards.

[JonFromMaplewood]

Todd, Did you see my post above? I felt the same way.  That being said, the music and lyrics are strong enough that I am still listening to it and enjoying it despite the overly sanitary production.

[todd]

Todd, Did you see my post above? I felt the same way.  That being said, the music and lyrics are strong enough that I am still listening to it and enjoying it despite the overly sanitary production.

I did see it and agree! It's a bummer because it's very close to being good. Go easy on the Noise Gates next time around, fellas.

[oilcantim]

I dunno, guys... not every rock band needs to be a garage band.  I'm really happy with the sound on Travels... maybe there's a ton of overdubbing (I can't really tell), but at least you can hear each part distinctly, and nearly everything that's being played is smart and interesting.

There's a ton of deliberately lo fi bands out that clearly chose to go that way because better production would reveal a lack of ideas.  I'm glad I can hear the vocals on this --because they're fucking awesome-- and I'm glad I can make out the lyrics without a lyric sheet.