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Underground > Radio & Music >

Mogwai, anyone?

  
 
deja_vroom
12:38 / 10.12.01
After listening to some of their stuff on "Ten Rapids" I didn't think twice about buying "Rock Action". But it was kinda of a let down. I don't know, I miss the dirtortion, the noise. Anyone wanna discuss?
 
 
suds
12:45 / 10.12.01
i think the intensity, which is what i dig best about mogwai, is still very much there in rock action. they are a band you can only really understand when you see them live, least that's what i think.
de jade, have you got come on die young? they get really loud and intense in that album and i think it's their best. (especially the song christmas steps)
 
 
Matthew Fluxington
12:52 / 10.12.01
Personally, I think the best Mogwai release is the EP +2 record...it's short, to-the-point, all the songs are very strong, and the best song they've ever recorded (and probably ever will record) is on it, "Rage : Man".

CODY, Ten Rapid, and Rock Action are all okay, and have their moments, but have too much in the way of generic dull 'post rock' to merit being anything more than 'okay'. Gotta love "Year 2000 Non-Compliant Cardia" and "Like Herod" though...
 
 
deja_vroom
13:12 / 10.12.01
Yeah, I've heard that CODY is really good and intense. And, of course, the live concert experience must be really impressive (just like GYBE! or Sigur Ros etc). I hope they release CODY around here soon.

P.S.: DIAL:REVENGE from Rock Action is really good.
PPS.: Flux, what's with the "Traffic Tiger"?
 
 
Matthew Fluxington
14:07 / 10.12.01
Traffic Tiger : see "Band Names" thread.
 
 
Ellis says:
16:31 / 10.12.01
My first experience of Mogwai was at a concert where they fucking rocked. Afterwards I bought their CD's which seemed... shallow in comparison.
 
 
Rev. Wright
16:42 / 10.12.01
Loved the Mogwai remix album
check http://www.loveless.st
 
 
rizla mission
10:06 / 11.12.01
Yeah, good though Mogwai's records are, none of them have even COME CLOSE to the screaming intense wonder of their performance at the Brixton Academy last month..

I couldn't pick a favourite album - I like parts of all of them, and don't like other parts of all of them.

A rather pointless list of my favourite Mogwai tracks:

Yes, We Are A Long Way From Home
Like Herod
A Cheery Wave From Stranded Youngsters
Punk Rock
CODY
May Nothing But Happiness Come Through Your Door
Xmas Steps (ep version)
Small Children in the Background
Heroes of BMX
Burn Girl Prom Queen
Sine Wave
You Don't Know Jesus
My Father My King

That would be my 'greatest hits' anyways.

What the heck is 'Ten Rapid', by the way?
 
 
Matthew Fluxington
18:40 / 11.12.01
quote:Originally posted by Rizla Year Zero:

What the heck is 'Ten Rapid', by the way?


It's Mogwai's singles compilation.

[ 11-12-2001: Message edited by: Flux = Rad ]
 
 
Seth
19:33 / 11.12.01
"Ten Rapid" is a lot of their early stuff.

I tend to think that if Mogwai wanted their sound to be like it is live, they'd get a producer who could create it (I've heard albums that capture some of that intensity). I reckon they deliberately understate on record.

I like their records a lot more having seen them destroy Briston Academy.
 
 
Matthew Fluxington
09:01 / 12.12.01
Yes, I think Mogwai are one of those bands who are very pessimistic about recreating their live sound, so they make their LPs distinctly different...

I'm sure they COULD reproduce their live sound... they should perhaps consider recording their live sets and playing new material then, and drop out the audience in the mixing, and release those as 'studio' recordings. Kinda like a few of the tracks on R.E.M.'s New Adventures In Hi-Fi...
 
 
Seth
09:07 / 12.12.01
...or just record live in the studio.

The problem with Mogwai's live sound on record is that very few of us have decent enough stereos.
 
 
deja_vroom
09:07 / 12.12.01
GYBE! records live, don't they? I remember expressionless said it. And I think GYBE! manages to get really intense on record.
And, back to Mogwai, what about one of the best song titles ever: "I am not batman"?
 
 
rizla mission
13:01 / 12.12.01
that is a good song title.

I can't believe i've never heard of Ten Rapid before!

What have I been missing out on? I've never seen it in the shops.. it's got 'Helicon' and all that stuff right?

Crikey. Must buy it soon as possible.
 
 
Seth
15:24 / 12.12.01
If expressionless said it it must be true...



Yeah, Godspeed...! record everything live, although some of their longer pieces are assembled from various pieces. Godspeed...! are much more subtle than Mogwai, however: I got the impression that most of Mogwai's live sound was born from overuse of a Tonerbender Fuzz pedal and an intimate relationship with the front-of-house engineer.

Plus there are as many members of Godspeed...! as they need for the particular piece of music. Mogwai are just five pissed off Scottish blokes with wicked song titles.

Has anyone ever written to the address on "Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada?" I e-mailed Efrim once, but never got a response (strutting superstar wanker).
 
 
rizla mission
10:07 / 13.12.01
quote:Originally posted by expressionless:
I got the impression that most of Mogwai's live sound was born from overuse of a Tonerbender Fuzz pedal and an intimate relationship with the front-of-house engineer ... Mogwai are just five pissed off Scottish blokes with wicked song titles.


And what, pray tell, is wrong with that?
  
 
The Return Of Rothkoid
10:57 / 13.12.01
C'mon; Mogwai are just pissed that they're not in Glenn Branca's ensemble...
 
 
Seth
12:57 / 13.12.01
quote:Originally posted by Rizla Year Zero:
And what, pray tell, is wrong with that?


Nothing at all, my friend. Nothing at all.

Mogwai are the best guitar band that Britain currently has to offer. That's by a very large margin, as well. We desperately need more bands like them (well, with attitudes like theirs).

Although Hundred Reasons sound pretty damn good from the song I've heard....
 
 
rizla mission
10:29 / 14.12.01
I think Hundred Reasons sound pretty boring, actually.

Not 'bad' exactly, but I turned down a chance to see them last week just because, well, I couldn't be arsed..

They're just one of those hundreds of bands around at the moment who are ripping off At The Drive-In just like everybody ripped off Nirvana in '92.. which is getting really dull really quickly.

[disclaimer: I've just realized it's probably slightly unfair to accuse 100 Reasons and other bands of 'ripping off' ATDI, it's probably just that bands who sound like that are being given more attension following their success..]
 
 
deja_vroom
10:50 / 14.12.01
[off topic]I've seen you guys talking about these two bands: Bardo Pond and Modest Mouse.
Now I found cds from them in this small shop near my workplace. What should I expect? How do they sound like? Are they any good?
Thanks for the input.
[/off topic]
 
 
Seth
11:35 / 14.12.01
Since when were ATDI original? They seem to owe a massive debt to Fugazi (thanks for the comp, Flux).

I think it's more likely that the sound has been around for a while, and ATDI just forced it into mainstream attention. The great thing about Hundred Reasons is their passion, which can't be faked. But then, I've only heard one of their songs.
 
 
rizla mission
12:29 / 14.12.01
quote:Originally posted by expressionless:
Since when were ATDI original? They seem to owe a massive debt to Fugazi (thanks for the comp, Flux).

I think it's more likely that the sound has been around for a while, and ATDI just forced it into mainstream attention

Um, yeah, that's what I meant by the disclaimer to my above post.

I don't find much passion in them, they just sound like, over-emotional angsty hardcore = yawn.

But they're gonna be huge, so maybe I should learn to love them.
 
 
uncle retrospective
21:07 / 17.07.03

BUMP

There is a disgrace going on here, no one here has mentioned the fucking amazing "happy music for happy people". I've been listening to it almost non stop (along with amazing grace, Spiritulized's new album but that's another thread)
I think it's as good as come on die young which is saying them a lot.

The first track hunted by a freak is one of their best tracks, the slow build into the wall of distortion is magic, the vocal line, mangled so far down the mix by a vocorder it sounds like a synth line, fits so well. Well single of the year for me so far.

Ratts of the Capital pushes the Mogwai sound into full on metal while still sounding like no one else.
Magic, magic stuff.
(I kinda like this one as you might be able to work out)
Oh, and see them on this tour. I've cough them 3 times in the last two months and dear god their rocking like I've never seen anyone rock before.
Go Mogwai!
 
 
pomegranate
14:09 / 18.07.03
"r u still in2 it" has to be one of the best sad songs ever. who hasn't gotten that on a mixtape from someone Trying to Tell You Something, or put it on one themselves, or at least considered putting it on one?
i love "young team" and "cody" but "rock action" let me down. haven't yet heard "happy music..."
i've seen them live a couple times. amazing, all the way to yr organs. bring earplugs.
mildly interesting anecdote: my friend met stuart and chatted w/him for a bit. stuart said very excitedly that they had seen a sticker while on the road that said, if it's too loud, yr too old. my friend was like, uh yeah... (that being a fairly common expression in the u.s., but i guess it's not in scotland judging by stuart's excitement.)
and how cool were their "blur are shite" t-shirts? i mean even if you like blur.
 
 
rizla mission
14:26 / 18.07.03
I don't quite have a coherent opinion on "Happy Music.." yet.

It's definitely Mogwai's most low-key album - there's no big musical theme going down, none of it's very confrontational - it's possibly the first studio album they've done that hasn't been a deliberate step away from the expectations created by the previous one..

..but then it's also possibly their most varied album - almost every track seems to explore a new musical idea. It sounds a lot better than Rock Action.. the way it's produced sits a lot better with me for some reason.. (which is not to say Rock Action wasn't an excellent record).

I've only listened to it once or twice, so it'll probably be a little while before I come up with a really coherent asnalysis of the album. Some of the shorter tracks are actually my initial favourites - "Moses? I Amn't" and "Golden Porche" particularly..
 
 
Sunny
04:28 / 17.08.03
so hey, should I go see them or the kills again, who's got the better show?
 
 
rizla mission
12:41 / 17.08.03
Well.. Mogwai's live performances are frequently compared to the stars exploding, the heavens splitting in two and the forces of the apocalypse riding to battle. People have been known to respond with either trance-like rapturous ecstacy, or by running away clutching their ears.

The Kills are a pretty fun 'Mary Chain/Royal Trux hipster band.

Your choice.
 
 
Sunny
19:43 / 17.08.03
I think I'll go with mogwai then
thanks man
 
 
Seth
22:10 / 17.08.03
Which show're you going to, MM?
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
22:14 / 17.08.03
Go see The Kills, they have better tunes and are better looking than Mogwai.

Mind you, the latter is hardly a difficult thing to accomplish.
 
 
The Falcon
01:06 / 18.08.03
Given that Stuart Braithwaite does actually resemble a turd.
 
 
deja_vroom
19:02 / 18.08.03
Funny that when I started this thread I had not seen Mogwai live, and now I have (they came to Rio last year). It was really beautiful and loud, event though their rockage on stage was set to "low". They played "Like Herod", which means everybody died.

But anyway, right now I'm burning HSFHP for my housemate and we will be listening to it together for a while now, it seems. Mogwai's site is hilarious, btw. And Stuart Braithwaite, just like someone else has already said of Phil Collins, looks like a fat, pouty toe.
 
 
Sunny
20:38 / 18.08.03
well the thing is that I've already seen the kills(last month to be exact) and they're playing again next month but on the same date as mogwai. and now I'm not so sure again, I'm going to check mogwai out at some music shop then decide. the kills were fucking cool, Hotel beat the shit out of his guitar at the end and I got a picture with him afterwards, VV didn't come down.
 
 
uncle retrospective
08:47 / 19.08.03
Well if it helps I've seen both the Kills and Mogwai and I say go see Mogwai. You've seen the Kills already so try something new.
And on this tour Stuart and the boys will blow you way.
 
 
Sunny
20:47 / 19.08.03
yeah I probably will.
 
  
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