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Underground > Radio & Music >

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

19:16 / 13.09.05

Soo, has anybody got their hands on this album yet? From what I've downloaded at their website, and heard on radio-indie-pop.com they're super-fantastic-awesome.

I suppose if you like Talking Heads (they guy sounds a lot like David Byrne), Neutral Milk Hotel, and Arcade Fire, you'll totally dig them. Just hope they don't become as popular as AF. Well that's pretentious and selfish of me, but it's how I feel.

Can anyone recommend me some more stuff in this vein? Hmm? I promise not to tell anyone and keep it like a secret.

Z

04:29 / 23.09.05

I've got the album, and it is a fucking blinder. I don't have a great deal more to say about them than that right now, having a Hypermagic Mountain of music to listen to... but it's one of the year's best.

07:45 / 23.09.05

Where'd you get your copy Seth?

Are you in London?

I've been harassing the guys at Rough Trade for the last couple weeks for it, with no joy.

Worst part is, I had it in my hands at one point, but no money to buy it. :-(

Gonna try today again

Z

09:52 / 05.11.05

I bought the album this week- Seth you're right it is a blinder- Zenfroglet do you have it yet- i got it in Virgin so its definitely out- and very good it is too.

I know nothing about them other than they're very very good and having read a few threads that raved about them on various websites- downloaded a couple of tracks and loved it- my current fave on the album is 'Heavy Metal'- although that seems to be changing with each listen as the record grows on me.

The talking heads/ david byrne comparisons are pretty acurate- it kind of reminds me of talking heads arrangements circa fear of music- a little more complex than 77 psycho killer type stuff- it also reminds me a bit of The Cure- in a quirky mumbly vocals good way- My other reference is Lou Reed/ Velvet Underground- 'Details of The War' reminds me of Reed and Cale's 'Open House' on 'Songs for Drella'which is my favourite song on that record- it sounds like a New York song should sound (in my non New Yorker rose coloured glasses woody Allen-centric view of New York)

They sound a bit like i wanted bloc party to sound like- The Arcade Fire comparison i don't get so much except like the arcade fire i'm finding it hard to listen to anything else- its rapidly becoming one of my favourite records of the year- anybody else listening to them? Are they going to play over here (London)ever? Anybody know anything about them? i've never even seen a picture, and my search for a video only revealed something made by a fan so they seem pretty elussive at the moment (which is in its own way quite cool)

Anyway a pretty special record. Thoughts folks?

14:02 / 05.11.05

Hey Copey, Yeah managed to get it, absolutely love it. My favourite tracks at the moment are probably "The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth", "Upon this Tidal Wave of Young Blood" and maybe "Gimme Some Salt"

Their website here. Some photo's there too. I don't think they actually have a video yet. They only signed to a label in the past couple months.

They're playing the ULU later this month (22nd), but the tickets sold out within a day of going on sale!! Alas I was too late to pick any up. Only option left is eBay I suppose.

I hear what you say about the Cure & Lou Reed, I think the Arcade Fire comparison comes from their "wall of sound" multi-instrumentation type thing. Also they're supposed to be "the next big indie thing" in a similar fashion to AF.

10:41 / 06.11.05

My copy came from from the net a few months back, just after Fluxblog linked to it. Wonderful record.

16:30 / 11.11.05

Anybody going to ULU gig? after just being out bid on ebay for tickets a friend has just called to say i'm guest listed! i'm pretty happy so long as it works (yay!! make that very happy)- anyone else going?

09:05 / 23.11.05

Ok so i saw them last night at ULU- my verdict they are a very good band- maybe not as good as the hype yet but very good anyway.

On the plus side they play well together- the show had a few sound problems at first (nasty bass feedback swamping everything) but once they're going it starts to sound great- the David Byrne/ Talking heads thing is present in the sound- but also there are echos of Blonde on Blonde era Dylan (details of the war) and Surfer Rosa era Pixies (singers vocals - is this love etc) both very good things in my mind- also nobody seems to have pointed out that they sound a bit wedding present-esque- listen to the jangely fast strumming on 'is this love' to see what i mean (this may put off a few punters but its true so what the heck)

They opened with Let the Cool Goddess Rust away- playing most of the album and a couple of extra songs not on the record- other highlights were the encore when they played a stomping version of heavy metal- only let down by the unknown song that they played as a closer- making the show a teensy bit too long rather than closing on a high...

On the down side they seemed to be playing it a bit by numbers- not that excited to be playing the gig and 'going through the motions' a little bit which really counted against them.

They don't have the charisma or playfulness of the Arcade Fire or other big bands that have made the leap into being very big- in other words i don't think they're going to be that band - they are still however very good and have recorded one of the records of the year (or next year if you live in the UK- i read that HMV and virgin have had to stop importing it on request of Witchita ahead of its official release in January...)

11:16 / 23.11.05

Oh Copey, I'm so jealous right now!

I just didn't feel I could justify the cash for the tickets on eBay (what, like 50 quid?). Why, why couldn't my mate have been doing the sound last night?

How was the crowd?

When I saw Arcade Fire at ULU earlier this year, they were going mental on stage while everybody (apart from a few at the front) kinda just stood there. I dunno if this would have afected their stage performance. Well it didn't in th case of AF.

I'll definitely catch them next time I assume they'll be playing here again next year for the launch. Will keep my eyes peeled.

12:01 / 23.11.05

yup- there was an element of the crowd being there to see the next big thing rather than enjoy the gig- i guess a typical frosty 'impress me' london crowd- but there were some kids going nuts at the front.

Tickets were going for around £20.00 outside which was expensive but not that bad i guess given that a lot of gigs cost £20+ these days. I met an old friend who got a ticket for £15 from a tout so not half as bad as the ebay scrum seemed.

A notable mention should go to one of the support bands who were ace- sadly i didn't get either of the support bands names- one was really good and one was shit... any ideas?

09:10 / 10.02.06

Well I went to the Concorde 2 last night to see Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. My bastard friend couldn't bothered with a trip down to Brighton, so I went it alone. God, that venue is far from the station, why did no-one tell me?

Anyway the gig was freaking great. Worth the trip down, even if I only got home at 2am. On a school night.

I think it may just scrape in for my top 5 gig's of all time. Feedback from the last show seemed to be that they were a little subdued, they seem to have improved that a bit with the members jumping around a bit, Alex Ounsworth, I thought was quite a charismatic front man, well not much repartee with the crowd, but his onstage antics (read: funny little dances) were amusing. The band, or at the very least, Alex Ounsworth, are entirely into their music. I love that, putting everything into the show.

The sound was great, and I was right up front. The venue is nice and intimate, my only complaint is the installed tables that were scattered about the actual band room, making it difficult (or at least slow) to enter/leave the place. Songs, well they played almost everything on the album and only about 4 songs that I didn't recognise, but they were very good. If I recall correctly the encore songs were a new one, with quite a thumping base, and before that "Clap Your Hands" where the crowd joined in with the singing. Fantastic stuff! I think it was at this point that balloons were released in to the audience. Song highlights for me: The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth, Gimme Some Salt Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood, and hearing those new tunes.

The audience, was by far the best crowd I've been in since I was at the legendary (imho) Shins/Modest Mouse gig at The Scala (Jan 2004). People were actually dancing, and shouting and were really into it. Maybe that's the difference between a London and Brighton crowds? I dunno, I hope not, I hope the London gig is gonna be crazy.

I won't be there, so please tell me if you go.

21:15 / 24.01.07

Any thoughts on their new album, "Some Loud Thunder"?

A couple tracks can be dl'd here

I'm not sure this is as strong an effort as their self titled debut. Their sound does seem to have changed a bit, slowed down a lot, perhaps more introspective. I instantly liked most of the songs on CYHSY, I only feel this way about three or four tracks on SLT.

On some of the songs on SLT it seems like Ounsworth is moving away from the chorus - verse structure that was more apparent in the last record, perhaps trying do do something a bit more organic? I dunno. I doesn't sound as good is all I'm saying. A lot of these songs could have been better if they were cut down by a minute or two.

I am a bit dissapointed with SLT, and from the response from my friends it seems I'm not alone. I'll keep listening to this for a while to see if I can *get* it.

Anyone?

23:40 / 27.01.07

I'll add more to this once i have the record- the 3 tracks that i've heard have been interesting- but i've not fallen in love.... yet...

My initial thinking was they were attempting to creat a new sound- one of the tracks (i don't remember which one) seemed to be deliberatly trying not to have a melody- the chord changes seemed to go in just the opposite way my instincts wanted. My first thoughts were that i hated it- but the three tracks on my ipod have grown on me a little- lets see what monday brings...

09:53 / 28.01.07

Just adding that my expectations for this album are very high- given that i really really loved the first album- i should probably try and listen to it with an open mind- expectations often ruin perfectly good albums.

10:11 / 01.02.07

I have had the album now for a few days and i'm a bit disapointed.

The first big big problem is that it sounds like it was recorded and mastered on the mono tape recorder i had in 1981 and then handed to a deaf person to mix. The opening track 'Some Loud Thunder' is almost unlistenable with the percussion just fizzing and distorting on every machine i've played it in on (my ipod, my car, my stereo and my computer..) It's a shame cos it sounds like one of the poppier catchier tracks but its almost impossible to get past the appalling production- Dave Friddman apparently produced this- but was probably snoozing or thinking about ideas for the next Flaming lips album cos this sounds shit.

Emily Jean Stock is an interesting romantic catchy little number- but again suffers scratchy production- however nowhere near as bad as the first track- love Song Number 7 is one of the best things on here with a spooky piano led intro and mesmerizing spiral chant that draws you in- it wouldn't sound out of place on the first record.
Yankee Go Home is another cool pop tune with a catchy hook.

The rest of the record however is like an over extended jam session- Underwater (you & Me) is the track that i refered to earlier as desperately trying not to play the right chord sequence- on further listens it reminds me of "Jams" that i have had whilst playing in crap bands as a teenager- desperately trying to write new tunes but coming up with formuliac dirge.

This record sounds rushed and is more like a collection of potential B-sides- i'm gutted cos i think the first album is a modern classic. Maybe it'll grow on me in time- i've just got a load of new music this week so other stuff is competing for my attention- but i'm pretty disapointed.

boo...

16:57 / 01.02.07

I think you should give it a few more listens.

Initially as per my first posting, I was pretty dissapointed, especially when I played the first album against it. But it is a grower, after a while I really did get into it.

Ok so it's definitely not the pop perfection of their debut album, but as time went on (and probably as with a lot of this type of music) I start picking up on things I hadn't noticed before and now have to accept that this is pretty damn good.

09:33 / 16.05.07

Copey's Brick: The first big big problem is that it sounds like it was recorded and mastered on the mono tape recorder i had in 1981 and then handed to a deaf person to mix.

I've only listened to this once (it arrived yesterday) and on my speakers at work which give pretty much everything this kind of sound - so a more balanced response might follow once I've actually listened to it on the stereo at home.

Still, I'm actually having the opposite reaction to this album, and finding it much more immediate than the first one, which I bought entirely on the strength of this thread and which took an infeasible number of listens before it started to make sense to me (and after that was probably one of my top albums of last year). So I suppose my reaction is partly tempered by the fact that I was expecting to have to go through that all over again, but I'm actually finding it more similar to the last record than I expected.

The most immediate track for me was Underwater (You & Me), so I'd be interested to see what I think of it after a few more listens to the whole album.

Any more thoughts, Paschal Lamb or Copey? Or anyone else who's got this...

09:36 / 17.05.07

The album has grown on me a little- but it still sounds like a collection of B sides.

This is not always a bad thing- the pixies released a genius album of b sides, but b side and rarity collections often lack the cohesive thought and structure of great albums. B sides are often long experemental jams recorded as fillers with a bit less thought in studio downtime.

IMHO this record is a six (or seven at a push) out of ten. I appreciate that coming up with a second album is tough- especially one to rival a genius first record- but i also suspect that there may have been a little bit of arrogance from the band- i know they fought with their UK record label over whether to make any videos- their deal offers them complete creative control- i do wonder though if the backers on the second record had a listen and like me thought- is that it?

I'm willing to give them another chance; so roll on album number 3 i say!