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Post by justyna on Nov 21, 2010 13:56:41 GMT -5
justyna: I feel blessed to have seen them so many times now ! I'll never get tired of their music Have you also had the chance to meet them ? Yes, I was lucky enough to meet them twice. I can't imagine Yeasayer playing on a main stage in broad daylight... Hope they never will ! I agree... a tent or club, later in the evening, is the best setting for their shows They did that (play main stage in broad daylight) at Lollapalooza and ACL, I remember because I watched the live streams. But yeah, I agree that a darker setting certainly works so much better for them. I just wish there were official lyrics for Odd Blood.. I'm always unsure if I hear the right words and it would certainly help concert-sing-a-longs! There's still a lot of mystery in lyrics, even if you know the right words ;o) I agree so much! Especially Rome and Mondegreen, they seem to be the most difficult to decipher. Anyway, I'd love to go to a festival abroad and the ones you mentioned sound great. I looked at the Øya's line-up from this year and wow, so many amazing bands! I was rather disappointed with Open'er's (the festival I go to) line-up this year (well, except for Yeasayer, that is). Is it one of those festivals that sell out really quickly and everything? And how much is it (or at least was this year)? And I'm kind of jealous of you two going to NYC! I've wanted to go the USA for such a long time. I was thinking of going there next summer too but I'm afraid it's not going to work out. I'll probably go to the UK next year to work so hopefully afterwards I'll be able to afford a trip to the States.
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Post by AnnHelen on Nov 22, 2010 18:14:45 GMT -5
Just wrote a novel here but… : indierokkergirl: Norway's such an expensive country, I absolutely understand it if there's a lot of places you'd rather go ;o) You should write a book though! I normally do European festivals during the summer, so perhaps we'll be at the same place at some point… And I'll just trace down all the fun places to go in NYC and make you a list for when you'll be able to go yourself ;o) (That counts for you too, Jystyna - and I've been saving for a year myself, so I totally understand the situation…) Jystyna: Øya keeps getting better and better. It's like they're a few steps ahead. Often they book bands that will become very popular later on in the year or the next year and they book all kinds of genres, which I love (though I always end up seeing tons of black metal bands…) It's expensive, like the rest of Norway… Around 2000 NOK (950 PLN). If you still would consider it I'll fix some cheap or free accommodation for you, and getting here would also be manageable through Norwegian that flies from several Polish cities (when I went to Cracow in September I paid 300 NOK (140 PLN) one way). They don't sell out very quickly, perhaps some time in May… =) I wrote a review of this year's festival for The Rock Club UK, if you're interested in reading more… Then some Yeasayer ;o) I just disagree a lot on the lyrics thing. Partly it's because I speak English as a second language and have little or no linguistic (or cultural) context to base my interpretations on. Partly it's because lyrics are something I find very intriguing (hello, literature student / librarian / book store employee =P), especially with music that I listen to a lot and like a lot. There's a thousand meanings to a good poem or good lyrics, I want to spend my time pondering symbols and metaphors, not whether they sing "June" or "soon" =P And yes, I do get the aspect of lyrics changing meaning when the words are "more ambiguous" or "mysterious", but does that make them any better? I'm interested in that space between lyric and writer, and though you shouldn't go too far in any direction, at least you can dig deeper and search for a truer meaning. So when they won't release lyrics for Odd Blood I keep thinking that maybe they feel like there is no intentional deeper (or truer) intent and rather wants their audience to just be all confused about the literal words to disguise that fact.. ;o) It's a bit harsh of me to say this, so I also have to point out that I think there are a lot of songwriters that don't really know how to take credit for their work.. And not to speak of all the new interpretations that can come out of people reading your writings! Then again, I have no idea why Yeasayer don't give out official lyrics for Odd Blood (except that it "makes them more mysterious")... This is just the way it's perceived by me…
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Post by indierokkergirl on Nov 23, 2010 5:31:35 GMT -5
I think my English isn't good enough to write short novels here AnnHelen: let me know if you come to a festival in Europe, maybe we can meet up I'll probably be at Werchter and Lowlands next year ! Oh, that's really sweet of you to take notes when you're in NYC If you stumble upon good music venues over there, let me know for sure !!! To debat again about the lyrics/meanings: I think Yeasayer concider their voices to be an extra instrument sometimes, they use it like they would use a guitar/drums/... I think that's why a "deeper meaning" of lyrics maybe isn't always so important to them... They do use metaphors and symbolic language sometimes, and ofcourse I'd like to know what the hell it means too, but I understand them wanting to keep a bit of mystery I think it's great though you try to figure out the true meaning of things ! Maybe I'm just too lazy to do that Being a bit of a musician myself, I pay more attention to the music and instrument use. But I'll keep my fingers crossed they will release the official lyrics at some point ! Maybe you can ask them if you meet them someday ?
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Post by AAAsayer on Nov 23, 2010 15:19:41 GMT -5
I think Yeasayer concider their voices to be an extra instrument sometimes, they use it like they would use a guitar/drums/... I think that's why a "deeper meaning" of lyrics maybe isn't always so important to them... They do use metaphors and symbolic language sometimes, and ofcourse I'd like to know what the hell it means too, but I understand them wanting to keep a bit of mystery :) To me, "mystery" is all well and good, and I know they do value it, but in my view they're perhaps confusing "good mystery" with "less good mystery," in this case. ;) "Mystery" when it comes to metaphors and symbolic language in lyrics = great. That's fun. I'm all for it, regardless of whether it's frustrating for fans sometimes. :) "Mystery" in terms of having the lyrical equivalent of their earlier, less-clear overall sound (i.e., what they've mentioned consciously ditching between All Hour Cymbals and recording Odd Blood) = not so much "mystery" as "muddy" - except this time regarding lyrical content... I'd personally prefer to know what the lyrics really are, so I can be properly mystified by them. ;) And sure, it might turn out to be a matter of, "Why they wrote such lame lyrics is a mystery to me," ;) but at least that's a real mystery, as opposed to folks wondering why "Forgiveness" is talking about "my workstation of the dawn,"(!) as the lyricswiki used to say... :D ...but that's just me. :)
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Post by flightlyflaky on Nov 25, 2010 9:57:55 GMT -5
Popping back in again, freedom from uni, so staying up for no reason prevails! :D Also, (late) welcome indierokkergirl! ...as opposed to folks wondering why "Forgiveness" is talking about "my workstation of the dawn,"(!) as the lyricswiki used to say... :D ...but that's just me. :) Well that definitely sounds better than 'workstation of the dawn.' How'd you get to that aaasayer? Still not entirely sure what they're both meant to mean though, but I guess that doesn't matter, cuz it's a part of the ~mystery~, right? ;) There's always been this lurking curiosity about what the definitive lyrics or meanings are, but it's most probably only a part of the ambiguity which is lyric writing, poetry and ultimately, music itself. Good music is always slightly ambiguous, in the best way possible, and the mystery makes us want to listen again and again and again till we find out these lyrics/meanings (or not) and then we all go a little insane. The instrumentals themselves are rather mysterious I guess. I always feel like I should be riding a spaceship everytime I've got Odd Blood on. :P Wait, AOC even has some cosmic appeal to it. Yeah, I'm going insane right now. Having not seen them live yet, so I have no idea about this, but Yeasayer might also play around with lyrics on stage, confusing us fans even further? (speaking of which, going to see them in Sydney for the sideshow next year, not excited at allllllll) AnnHelen: I am so jealous that you're a librarian AND work in a book store! Haha, I've always wanted to become a librarian, sadly they're not hiring at the local one though.
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Post by justyna on Nov 25, 2010 15:05:35 GMT -5
Jystyna: Øya keeps getting better and better. It's like they're a few steps ahead. Often they book bands that will become very popular later on in the year or the next year and they book all kinds of genres, which I love (though I always end up seeing tons of black metal bands…) It's expensive, like the rest of Norway… Around 2000 NOK (950 PLN). If you still would consider it I'll fix some cheap or free accommodation for you, and getting here would also be manageable through Norwegian that flies from several Polish cities (when I went to Cracow in September I paid 300 NOK (140 PLN) one way). They don't sell out very quickly, perhaps some time in May… =) I wrote a review of this year's festival for The Rock Club UK, if you're interested in reading more… I read your review and it does sound like such an amazing festival! But wow, I didn't expect it to be that expensive! I mean, I knew Norway was expensive in general but I kind of hoped it wouldn't be that expensive. I guess I'm probably not going to be able to make it there. But, well, I'll have a look at other festivals. You all mentioned quite a few there and said they were good so yeah. But, I was looking at the cheap flights from my city and came across really cheap ones to Oslo for January/February (when I'm on my winter break) and I'm kind of tempted to book it (42PLN for both, which is like £9). Is it worth going to Oslo at that time? And do you know if there'll be any good gigs at that time?
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Post by AAAsayer on Nov 26, 2010 15:46:23 GMT -5
Well that definitely sounds better than 'workstation of the dawn.' How'd you get to that aaasayer? Still not entirely sure what they're both meant to mean though, but I guess that doesn't matter, cuz it's a part of the ~mystery~, right? ;) I've added lyricwiki links for each track here, fwiw: aaasayer.tumblr.com/tracks If you want to check out past revisions, just mouse over the "edited by" link right under the title on the lyricwiki page, and choose "View full history" from the bottom of the popup menu list. Then click on the "cur" link by a revision to get the side-by-side comparison with the current revision. Here's a bit about that particular phrase - which definitely makes more sense than a workstation of the dawn ;) : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stations_of_the_CrossThere's always been this lurking curiosity about what the definitive lyrics or meanings are, but it's most probably only a part of the ambiguity which is lyric writing, poetry and ultimately, music itself. Good music is always slightly ambiguous, in the best way possible, and the mystery makes us want to listen again and again and again till we find out these lyrics/meanings (or not) and then we all go a little insane. The instrumentals themselves are rather mysterious I guess. I always feel like I should be riding a spaceship everytime I've got Odd Blood on. :P Wait, AOC even has some cosmic appeal to it. Yeah, I'm going insane right now. There have been a couple of twitter posts lately about possible instrumentation, which were interesting (one about loon calls and one about "angklung" - see @aaasayer twitter for a link on that one ;) )... though I get the impression that Yeasayer's sounds tend to be sampled and/or synth-generated, such that there may not be much, if any, significance to what a sound actually was, originally - it may have just sounded cool at the time. ;) Having not seen them live yet, so I have no idea about this, but Yeasayer might also play around with lyrics on stage, confusing us fans even further? (speaking of which, going to see them in Sydney for the sideshow next year, not excited at allllllll) AnnHelen: I am so jealous that you're a librarian AND work in a book store! Haha, I've always wanted to become a librarian, sadly they're not hiring at the local one though. Oo, another book person! :D (Hmm - are you by any chance also into knitting...? Random-sounding question, I realize... :) )
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Post by flightlyflaky on Nov 27, 2010 4:57:05 GMT -5
Oh fark, quietly hoping that no one saw my awful acronym doozy. :S Blaming on lack of sleep that night. Not so quiet anymore though, eeeek. Thanks for the lyrics linkage, can your tumblr get any more awesomer?! Seriously. And Stations of the Cross makes a whole lot more sense now, thanks again, and as always, thank you wiki. ;) There have been a couple of twitter posts lately about possible instrumentation, which were interesting (one about loon calls and one about "angklung" - see @aaasayer twitter for a link on that one ;) )... though I get the impression that Yeasayer's sounds tend to be sampled and/or synth-generated, such that there may not be much, if any, significance to what a sound actually was, originally - it may have just sounded cool at the time. ;) Oh wow, and not surprising, seeing as Ysr are pretty much married to the whole experimenting-with-everything-and-anything ideology. I remember on Pitchfork there was a video on something along the lines of an insight into the workings of Odd Blood at the studio, and Chris did say that he sampled some recordings of weekend daytime tv crap, so yeah, your impressions of such are definitely on target :) Yay, books! Finally have time to read again, so excited! Read some Nick Hornby's High Fidelity today, which was lovely. Haha, random questions are always the best! To be honest, no, not really, but I'm definitely interested so I'll be doing the whole knitting/crochet/cross stitch/etc sometime soon, most probably in the future winters.
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Post by justyna on Nov 27, 2010 6:20:25 GMT -5
Thanks for the lyrics linkage, can your tumblr get any more awesomer?! Seriously. And Stations of the Cross makes a whole lot more sense now, thanks again, and as always, thank you wiki. ;) Yeah, I was just thinking about it too and how it made perfect sense - Jesus walked the stations of the cross to atone for the sins of humanity so this motif certainly fits well with the song's general theme of forgiveness. Anyway, I love Nick Hornby! A Long Way Down is probably my favourite.
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Post by AnnHelen on Nov 27, 2010 19:28:19 GMT -5
I guess my way of "digging deeper" into music through lyrics is closely related to my literature interest. Indierokkergirl, you mention that you're a musician yourself and tend to concentrate on instrumentation etc. I've been discussing this with musician friends so many times! I've sort of noticed that musicians approach music in a different way than I do. I guess it's natural, I don't read music and I can't play any instruments.. I'm good at words though ;o) Just not the most patient one when it comes to guessing them... ;o) I like what aaasayer says about mystery being "good" as opposed to "muddy". It's like repositioning the mystery and actually concentrating on the song as a whole, in stead of focusing on details like single words / phrases.. For me, getting proper lyrics would help me refocus. Does these lyrics reflect the mood given through instrumentation or vocals? etc.. I guess words or phrases shouldn't be crucial to "the big picture that is the song", but that's hard to come by when you're a categorization-obsessed perfectionist ;o) But absolutely! I don't mean it's all in the lyrics. Missing pieces is what frustrates me, and perhaps that's the intention? I just saw that the University of Oslo is doing a course in Bob Dylan's lyrics next semester. That's probably the "coolest" thing Uni's done in decades, almost made me want to go back... Wonder if they'll include instrumentations in their interpretations...? =) Flightlyflaky, it's a few years since I worked as a librarian and that was at Statistics Norway which made me all drowsy.. I really missed the fiction (and the statistics made me crazy!), so book store suited me better! I might try a less statistics-oriented library when I come back from my trip though, my book store job ends in March. And I love knitting (all librarians do...) ;o) I'm making this shawl for my sister as a Christmas present (let's hope she doesn't get to the forum now ) Flightlyflaky, what do you study? I saw you mentioning something about scrubs in a tweet some time ago, is that study related? =) Jystyna, ooh, cheap flights! January / February are boring months in Norway music wise. Only concert I'm going to is Iron & Wine on February 3rd. But who knows what might come up? There are three (different sized) major venues in Oslo, which are all listed at the Rockefeller website, have a look! =) There is also a festival emphasizing Scandinavian bands from February 15th-17th, By:larm. It's just hundreds of bands, known or unknown, that play venues all over the city. There's a lot of industry and international press etc. A ticket giving access to everything is probably expensive, though I couldn't figure out the price, but normally we just hang around and go to whatever gig's rumored to be good. Let me know if you decide to come, I'll look into housing =) Now, the librarian has to admit she hasn't read any of Hornby's books.. As a newbie, should I start with High Fidelity or A Long Way Down? Or something else? Right now I'm just reading music magazines and Swedish crime novels, 'cause they're easy and quick to read... =P
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Post by AnnHelen on Dec 10, 2010 19:50:18 GMT -5
Did I scare everyone off here with all my lyrics talk, or is just everyone busy with exams and holiday preps? =) Anyways, here's my top 100 album list of 2010, Yeasayer's at 3rd. It's been well received in Norway, I'm fronted at VG (largest online newspaper) this weekend, yaay! =)
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Post by indierokkergirl on Dec 13, 2010 4:44:18 GMT -5
Hey everyone ! Sorry if I didn't react on posts for a while, I just find it hard sometimes to explain what I think in English I really enjoy reading everyone's opinions though, I love discussing music, but just can't find the right words sometimes Ann Helen, that's so cool your list got published ! Yeasayer is my number one, Arcade Fire on 2, MGMT on 3. Happy Holidays !
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Post by justyna on Dec 14, 2010 4:41:42 GMT -5
AnnHelen, no, no! Like indierokkergirl, I really enjoy reading people's opinion on music, the lyrics, the way they interpret them but I'm more of a reader here, I guess I'm just not that good with words. Funny fact, though, a while ago my Mum heard me listening to Wait for the Summer and really loved it. So much that one day she came to me said, "Do you know that this song is actually about death?" and went on to talk what the song is about. I found it kind of funny that she got into it so much that she felt the need to read into its meaning (I don't think she ever does that?) but also kind of proud, haha. And thank you for being so helpful with the whole Oslo thing! Now I've come across even cheaper flight tickets to Leeds, but at this point, I'm not sure if I'll be able to go anywhere at all because I might need to spend this winter break writing my BA thesis instead. I'll definitely make up for it when the summer comes, though. As to Nick Hornby, my personal favourite is A Long Way Down. High Fidelity and About A Boy seem to be the most popular, though. And hey, congratulations about your list! Speaking of which, wow, it's so long! I don't think I've even listened to 100 albums released in 2010. But Yeasayer cerainly has to be my #1. Anyway, according to Suckers' Facebook, Anand played with them at Glasslands last night. And one of them is supposed to participate in The Rock Lottery, which sounds like such a cool project! Hopefully there will be some videos online.
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Post by AAAsayer on Dec 15, 2010 21:08:56 GMT -5
And one of them is supposed to participate in The Rock Lottery, which sounds like such a cool project! Hopefully there will be some videos online. Oo, that does sound cool! :) Saw a brief mention go by, and was wondering about it - must check out further... :)
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Post by AAAsayer on Dec 18, 2010 20:25:31 GMT -5
And one of them is supposed to participate in The Rock Lottery, which sounds like such a cool project! Hopefully there will be some videos online. Oo, that does sound cool! :) Saw a brief mention go by, and was wondering about it - must check out further... :) This, on the other hand, doesn't specifically list any of them... hmm. ----- [Update: YsR unable to participate due to other commitments.]
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