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Tindersticks

  
 
tSuibhne
18:03 / 08.03.02
I was listening to Curtains again the other day. It's starting to turn into spring here, and it just fit the day perfectly. I wanted to drive home slowly with the windows rolled down.

ANYWAYS...

All I've got is Curtains and a sound track they did for a french film. The sound track gets a bit of play now and then, but just doesn't do it for me like Curtains. Do they have any other albums of the Curtains quality? What reccomendations for the next Tindersticks album?

Oh, and if there is anyone on the planet that sounds somethink like Tindersticks, feel free to let me know.
 
 
Spatula Clarke
18:34 / 08.03.02
All the albums are worth hearing. Honestly. If Curtains is your first exposure to the group, I'd say that the next one you want to get hold of is Tindersticks' Second Album (black and white cover).

The first album, Tindersticks, remains their bravest statement, imo. They cover a broad range of styles on it, with almost complete success. The second album is a lot more focussed, but lost a little of the charm because of that. Tindersticks also contains the song that's still their defining moment, City Sickness.

Second Album still has it's moments, though. My Sister is one of the darkest, funniest songs they've done. The main reason that I reckon you should try it next is that it's the closest in style to Curtains.

After Curtains they discovered Soul and came up with Simple Pleasure. I know a lot of people think that this was a Wrong Move, but I have to disagree. They had to move on and find a new sound after Curtains (esp after Ballad Of Tindersticks).

Can Our Love..., on the other hand, was hugely disappointing. Just when it seemed that they were going to mutate into something spectacular, they took a step back.


The collection, Donkeys 92-97 is also worth getting. A distinctly odd take on Otis Redding's 'I've Been Loving You Too Long', the French version of 'No More Affairs', the devastating cover of Pavement's 'Here' and Isabella Rossellini's terrible attempt at sultry on 'A Marriage Made In Heaven' make up for the fact that half the tracks are still available elsewhere.

(And, as an outside shot, try to hear the Kathleen EP, 'cause not much beats ver 'Sticks doing Townes van Zandt.)
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
20:13 / 08.03.02
Hnh mtha mtha sth mmuh ma...

Curtains is still my favourite (one of my favourite albums ever, actually, probably well inside the top 20), but I'd agree with Randy in saying that the Second Album is probably the best bet because it does sound most like Curtains. Or you could get Donkeys for an overview of what they've done (that has 'City Sickness' on, for example, as well as 'Travelling Light', another one of their finest moments, and a duet with the same woman who sings on 'Buried Bones').

Not sure I agree about the relative merits of Simple Pleasure and Can Our Love... - for my money they're both slightly patchy but still very rewarding albums that see the band experimenting laudably, largely with the soul influence Randy mentions. The title track of the latter in particular is pure Otis.

As for bands that sound like Tindersticks - there aren't many. Pulp sometimes remind me of them. I could tell you things in my record collection that seem to be in the same vein, but other people might think they have nothing in common: recent Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (dark and melodramatic and brooding with a jet black streak of humour); Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (sad but warm skewed ballads); this may sound odd but the string arrangements on Belle & Sebastian records always remind of Tindersticks... And sometimes The Magnetic Fields remind me of them as well (Stephin Merritt's ability to be simultaneously dry/sarcastic and moving reminds me of some of their work, and then there's just the quality of the songs).

Oh, and maybe Leonard Cogen.
 
 
Spatula Clarke
19:19 / 09.03.02
On the subject of people who sound like Tindersticks, my immediate reply was going to be Scott Walker, but I couldn't work out why.

Reading Fly's response, I think that maybe Walker (at least, on his Scott, Scott 2 and Scott 3 albums) is the missing link between Pulp and Tindersticks. Maybe.
 
 
Goodness Gracious Meme
15:38 / 11.03.02
I have a version of Rented Rooms on a tape that I think Biz made me, which sounds very like Stuart Staples but is done a la Frank (Sinatra), nice 'n easy... its hysterical
 
 
No star here laces
13:43 / 13.03.02
"Tindersticks = supper club tosh" as someone remarked recently.
 
 
Haus about we all give each other a big lovely huggle?
14:33 / 13.03.02
Oh, never mind.

[ 13-03-2002: Message edited by: The Haus of Horror ]
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
22:27 / 13.03.02
No, go on, what were you going to say? That that was a second-hand parroting of a third-rate one-liner? That you'd be surprised if Lyra could name a single Tindersticks song he'd actually heard? That if people came out with such dismissive, scornful, ignorant nonsense in a thread he's started about a band or artist, he'd be on his aesthetic and moral high horses before you could say "that's not singing, it's just shouting and it's all about guns and drugs and degrading women"? That that's exactly the kind of thoughtless throwaway rubbish that everyone who cares about the Music forum should strive to avoid?

Well, you don't have to say any of that now I suppose...
 
 
Jack Fear
23:12 / 13.03.02
Well, the 'sticks do invite that sort of response, don't they? In their own way, they present a surface image as one-dimensional and cartoonish as that of any gangsta rapper: Popes of Mope, fronted by what sounds like a recently-exhumed Ian Curtis.

To quote somebody: "You say that like it's a bad thing..."

The supper-club crack is a legitimate, marginally-witty response, and value-free in and of itself. Whether or not it's an insult depends on whether or not you like supper-club tosh. And that's up to you, not to Lyra.

Besides, you knew Lyra was gonna hate on the 'sticks, yeah? Lyra's got a hate on for Whitey, which makes his opinions on The Music (a) eminently predictable, and (b) instantly ignorable. How he can even hear the music over the sound of the BIG FUCKING AXE HE'S ALWAYS GRINDING is beyond me...

There, I've said it.
 
 
Robot Man Reformed
21:09 / 14.03.02
And again on the subject of bands who sound like the Tindersticks, well, I do not necessarily think that the Dandy Warhols are anything similar in sound of the little I have heard of the 'sticks, but have you experienced their attitude in their latest? Big fucking irony in an uneasy alliance with heartfelt emotions - which to me suggested a link. The 9th track is so good that I listen to it perpetually on my time off from work.
 
 
haus of fraser
13:30 / 29.07.05
B-Bump...

I just bought the new Stuart A Staples LP, which is sounding really rather lovely at the moment and will have to do in the absence of a new Tindersticks album. Anybody else got it?

I'm on a first listen at the moment but its sounding like a stripped down Tindersticks- a bit like Curtains or the Second Album, it certainly has less of a Soul feel than 'Simple pleasure' or 'Can Our Love...' had and back to the Nick Cavey Leonard Cohen-esque biting sad ballads.

For the record I loved The Souly stuff especially Simple Pleasures, 'Can we start again' is a pop masterstroke in my mind- I also liked their version of What is A Man which was a cover of the four tops song and was also soultastic- in fact the only souly thing they did that i didn't like was the version of 'I've Been Loving You Too Long' which was just a bit too odd- maybe the sound of a band trying to do something new but not quite getting it yet (as they did with Simple Pleasures IMHO).

Their website assures me that Tindersticks haven't split up, so hopefully we'll get something from them soon.

Anyway, since this thread was last posted on there have been a couple of LP's; The 'Trouble Everyday' Soundtrack, and Proper album 'Waiting For the moon', as well as 'Working for the man' another compilation and reissues of the first five albums with extra stuff added: the second album has the bloomsbury theatre LP as a bonus disc, Simple Pleasure has irritatingly got lots of unreleased stuff on it which i don't have, but object to buying cos i already own the album (I really hate that!).

Anybody got anything to add on this subject- one of my all time favourite bands who I've only had the pleasure of watching once (but they were fucking great). who seem to have disappeared into the ether of soundtracks and sporadic live shows.
 
 
STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK
14:10 / 29.07.05
The first Tindersticks album is an all-time favourite of mine (that may have to do with emotional associations I have from the time it came out, but I think it's ace on any level), Drunk Tank being my favourite track on the thing. Seen them a few times (all many years ago, unfortunately) and they were excellent each time. Had that drunken and shambolic yet tight as fuck thing going on that few bands (the Birthday Party, or the Pogues at their best being exceptions) can pull off successfully.
 
 
haus of fraser
14:51 / 29.07.05
My one and only experience seeing Tindersticks was at Glastonbury in 1999- prior to this i had taped a copy of the 2nd album but had quickly forgotten about them as i was probably listening to supergrass or sleeper or whoever was in that week during those heady br*tp*p days... (oh my shame)

anyway they were on before Mercury Rev; who at the time were on the up following the success of deserter songs, and certainly were more interesting to me- anyway Tindersticks were amazing- i only knew a handful of songs but was utterly in love with this band, they pissed all over mercury rev- who came across as prog rock hacks after such a show (They didn't even play with a string section!)

Tindersticks made this beautiful noise and the songs i remembered were like long lost friends; Tiny Tears, My Sister- like Nick Cave but with the wry english wit of Jarvis.
- after Glastonbury I spent the rest of that summer buying up the tindersticks back catalogue and have been listening ever since...
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
17:03 / 29.07.05
'Can we start again' is a pop masterstroke in my mind

I was just listening to this, and I agree 100%. Tindersticks really know/knew how to nail quite specific emotional states - see also 'Bathtime', a song about someone travelling home from the city, feeling dirty and tired, and wanting their lover to run them a bath. Amazing.
 
 
mondo a-go-go
17:29 / 29.07.05
I must claim credit for the tape that GGM is talking about: it's Tindersticks playing with the John Altman Big Band, and is on a 7" that I can't play as I have no turntable and I really want to hear it again. I also have a French language version of No More Affairs that came with initial (vinyl) copies of the second album, that works really well.

I basically need a new turntable, stat.
 
 
haus of fraser
11:14 / 01.08.05
Ok so i'm not gonna just let this thread die, its struck me that quite a few posters here like this band a lot and with the arrival of the Stuart Staples solo album now is a good time to discuss this band and related projects.

I've had the Stuart Staples Album for a weekend of heavy rotation and while it is similar to The Tindersticks its actually much more stripped back than any other Tindersticks record. Rather than a dramatic record this is very laid back- almost ambient with very simple string/ piano arrangements. To the extent where the opening track "Somerset House" actually has no Stuart Staples vocal just a sweet melodic female vocal singing "ooohs" and "do do do's" in harmony over a very simple piano line which slowly builds in more instruments and layers before fading out again- very beautiful almost, gospel sounding- also the sound of someone who makes a good proportion of their income working on soundtracks- this has a Michael Nyman flavour to it which continues through the album.

Second track Marseilles Sunshine is one of the more Tindersticks sounding tracks- clear brooding vocal but stripped back instruments- largely piano driven- staples mumbles/ croons through this before the simplest guitar part cuts the atmosphere with a slightly discordant surf guitar feel (imagine graham coxen playing the beach boys) .

Say Something now picks up the pace - its guitar, drums and staples crooning desperately- reminding me of moments on the first album- a second guitar feeds back in the background a la Jesus & Mary Chain or an out of control saxaphone blasting away in another room.

Friday Night The first single from the album- a slow throbbing bass plucks out a very simple 3 note bass line with a bosa nova drum machine keeping the tempo as a hammond organ slowly builds up from a drone to a counter melody. The vocals are again what we'd expect from Stuart staples - but this is one of the more ambient tracks on the album and has non of the drama of early Tindersticks records- its much more of a brooding restrained sound- again it has that soundtrack feel to it.

Shame on You a guitar/ drums / bass number again picks up the pace- again this reminds me a little of the first album- if anything- but no strings or brass- and a sharp biting vocal - would be perfect for a scene in The sopranos.

Untitled is a nice little instrumental that has an almost Blur like feel- it uses that instrument that sounds like a keyboard and recorder that blur often use.. anyway its nice and mellow- quite different from Tindersticks in fact, don't let the Blur comparison put you off even if you do want to punch Damon albarns voice box out- Staples stil sounds like Staples throughout.

Dark Days is a very simple balad with just a vocal and guitar- fairly haunting maybe the least impressive track on here.

The horns on the track 'People Fall Down'i have that great 40's muted tone used by the old big bands- giving a smouldering jazzy/ film noir kinda feel. We have the same keyboard/ recorder thingy used on 'Untitled' and my current favourite track on the album.

She Don't Have To Be Good To Me is the most Tindersticks sounding track- could have come from any of the albums, and has a great slow percussion swing - similar to Tindersticks II or Curtains IMHO.

I've Come A Long Way is the album closer and has a gospel feel to it- in an epic 'let it be' kind of way. It slowly builds from guitar piano and vocals and gradually introduces a Brass band- played in the style of an english brass band - which I guess reminds me of Sgt Peppers/ The Beatles. Its very Beautiful and different from anything the Tindersticks have ever done.

All in all the albums great and i'd definitely recommend it to anyone hankering for a hit of Tindersticks.

On other Tindersticks related subjects- one thing that's never been mentioned with the change of the Tindersticks sound is the loss of Terry Edwards from the fold- he arranged the horns and played on the first few albums- when you listen to his arrangements of patchwork on the first album compaired to the earlier version on Donkeys he certainly added a lusious/ lavish feel to their sound- but he didn't play on Simple Pleasure and the later souly sounding albums.

This almost certainly changed things- although I noticed he'd played on a couple of tracks on the recent waiting for the moon album- maybe this is what the fans of early stuff had been missing. From my recollection- along with the hundreds of bands Terry Edwards has done session work with he was also in the band Gallon Drunk who made a fabulous garage rock racket- a bit like John spencer but with horns, as well as his own band the scapegoats.

So who has other Tindersticks thoughts/ memories- anybody else got the staples solo album? Favourite Tindersticks song/ album.

Flyboy I like curtains but not nearly as much as the first two albums or Simple Pleasure- that said your post did have me dig it out- and yes bathtime is a remarkable song- but not nearly as good as Lets Pretend which sounds like the missing Serge Leone movie soundtrack utterly over the top and dramatic. Bloody marvelous.
 
 
Mike Modular
23:36 / 02.08.05
I'll have to give Lucky Dog... a proper listen, rather than putting it on late at night and falling asleep to it, but it certainly sounds promising. Tonight I heard a pretty bizarre Tindersticks-related song: Will Oldham singing 'Puff the Magic Dragon' with Stuart Staples on backing vocals. It was rather lovely.

Have to say the second album is probably my favourite (if purely for 'My Sister') with the first album a close second (my CD of which seems to be corroding, though, so I don't listen to it as much as I'd like to). Was never overly fond of Curtains or Can Our Love, but Simple Pleasures and (particularly) Waiting For The Moon are great.

Seen them live 3 times. First time was around when the Kathleen EP came out, I don't remember all that much about it, except they were nervous and kept fucking up the time-change in Kathleen, eventually aborting. Jump forward 10 years or so to the Royal Court Theatre (where I was working at the time, and begged my boss to work that night, babysitting the sound desk). A pretty darn fantastic night, they really suited the venue. And they played Kathleen all the way through (but I suppose they'd had time to practice). There was a German fan/friend-of-the-band (?) who records their every (!) gig, so I helped him use the equipment. The last time was at ATP and probably the best of the lot (first time I'd seen them do City Sickness and My Sister). Like Stoatie says, they really are a tight live band (but a bit less seemingly shambolic these days). Never seen them with an orchestra, however.

Favourite songs: Well, probably My Sister (the most Pulp-like of them all. I always liked Jarvis' narrations, too), but City Sickness, Marbles, A Marriage Made in Heaven (original version) and El Diablo... would all be contenders. You know, the hits...
 
 
Spatula Clarke
00:05 / 03.08.05
Anna: I also have a French language version of No More Affairs that came with initial (vinyl) copies of the second album, that works really well.

That's one of the rarer tracks on Donkeys. I still owe you a comp - can plop that one on it, if you want.
 
 
Alex's Grandma
00:49 / 03.08.05
Not much to add to this thread really, except to say that in the midst of all the rain, heartbreak, cigs, emotional complications, wearing (so wearing) tours of Europe and so on, with just a bus and a mini-bar to keep them all going, they've always conducted themselves like men, goddamnit. Or at least that's how all the records've sounded. And I'm inclined to believe them.

Having just finished a biography about Spacemen 3, who were my heroes as a younger guy, I don't know if I could take much more in the way of disappointment.
 
 
haus of fraser
11:34 / 15.07.06
Tindersticks have just been added to the 'Don't Look Back' season- and will be playing Tindersticks II in its entirety at the Barbican in September 17th- i'm on holiday so i can't go but i may see if i can change my dates cos this is one i really really don't want to miss.
 
 
Jack Fear
02:31 / 16.07.06
That seems to me an odd choice for such a treatment. It's a great record, but it's not a particularly cohesive one—not in the same way as (say) Dark Side Of the Moon or even Sgt Pepper (to lazily cite two overfamiliar signifiers).

I mean, "Diablo en Ojo" is a great opener—and it really has to be the opener—and "Sleepy Song" likewise is one of the perfect album-enders in the history of pop. But between those two bookends, the question of sequencing seems less... vital, I guess. There's the beginnings of a topical connection among the songs, I guess, but there are are too many disruptions to that flow—two variant versions of the instrumental "Vertrauen," the tragicomic shaggy-dog story "My Sister"—to sustain a narrative or even a thematic through-line.

I dunno. I think playing an album front-to-back in concert is kinda weird anyway—surely part of the beauty of seeing an act live, one of the things you can't get in your at-home listening experience, is finding new connections among diverse songs.

Sum: there are a very few albums that I won't listen to on CD shuffle mode, and for those that I don't, there's always areason why I don't—something related to internal structure or a perceived organizing principle. Tindersticks II is not in this elect company.
 
 
redtara
17:37 / 16.07.06
'An if she's torn, put another stich for me.
Give her what she needs and, put another stich for me.'

My throats all lumpy now. This tune twists my guts. I think i can only understand about one word in five of the verses, but I feeeeeel what he's saying...

Off to find Simple Pleasures...
 
 
Ticker
15:20 / 17.07.06
I'm not sure why but some of their lighter stuff reminds me of Spoon. I think it has less to do with sound and more to do with effect on me. I'm toggling between them and Nick Cave on the spectrum of heartache inspired joie de vive. Something about having your heart dragged down the pavement to get the hardened crust off so you can really feel.

'el diablo en el ojo' is squarely in the dark carnival sultry camp though.
 
 
ginger
22:26 / 21.09.06
did anyone make it to the barbican gig?
 
 
Mike Modular
06:48 / 22.09.06
I did. They were great. Full string section, brass, musical saw and everything (but, sadly, no guest singers). I believe a lot of the extra musicians were those who originally played on the second album. They played My Sister again in the second encore, for the hell of it, as they'd got everyone there to do it properly. I wasn't complaining. Stuart Staples has such a calming speaking voice (there was a fair bit of banter), I wish he'd record an audiobook or something so he could read me to sleep.

I hadn't listened to T2 in its entirety for ages (and didn't know I'd be going to the gig till a few hours before) so it was nice to hear it almost afresh (but with Jack's comments above in the back of my mind). After Tiny Tears I did think "Oh, all the best songs are at the start", but then I kept remembering what was next (or was pleasantly surprised when I'd forgotten about the singles) and now it's definitely still my favourite album of theirs. Sure, it maybe doesn't flow as well as it could, but I'm not sure that really bothers me. I even love the instrumentals (I've always thought Vertrauen II would make a great opening credits theme for some kind of Lynchian mystery movie) and as I doubt they'd usually play them live it was kind of a treat (Albeit an entierely expected one, but it was just nice to have every track played well and given as much effort and respect as the rest).
 
 
ginger
17:18 / 22.09.06
the trumpet player was certainly the guy who played on the instrumental b-side of 'no more affairs'.

it was a brilliant gig, yup. made me wish the album was longer, so they could legitamtely end on 'sleepy song', with that light show, but the encores were a treat. still wish they'd played 'jism', mind. don't suppose anyone can tell me if that little intro he stuck on 'buried bones' is a wee quotation from somewhere else? i've seen them a few times, and never heard that before.

i thought it was a bit of a shame they didn't get female vocals in for the two duets, but still found 'travelling light' much more moving than i was expecting; also thought it was a touch wierd that the strings just sat there during the loud bit on 'sleep song', especially since they go batshit at the same point on the recorded bloomsbury gig.

you're dead right about the verbals; 'dancing' or whatever it's called needed something afterwards by way of explanation for the poor sods who hadn't heard the record.

it was a relief that they didn't use the gig as a platform to announce a split, which i was half expecting...
 
 
haus of fraser
11:37 / 01.10.06
I was gutted to have missed this as i was away on holiday (grr!).

I also had half a thought that they may be about to split- but i'm glad they've not announced that yet- who knows maybe it'll inspire them into a new lease of life and a tour?

Has anybody heard the new Stuart Staples solo effort yet? Is it any good? Should i get it (although the truth is i probably will despite what you say....)
 
  
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