Sigur Ros's new album "()"

[mithrandir2001]

Breathtaking, carthartic, mindblowingly fantastic. Lift up and float away on a trail of space and fairy dust. Who'd ever think the best band in the world would be from ICELAND?

AOTY!!!

 

[UglyCasanova]

Yup, not as good as their last though. I was doing my little ( ) countdown on here but gave up. I like it and all, but it's just not as good as the last one. After this they have moved down on my list of favorite bands, but not by much. Still a great albulm.

Also, as czar mentioned in said thread, try mum This is actually my favorite song right now .

 

[mithrandir2001]

It's still to early for me to decide which album is better. Ágætis Byrjun had a few more instantly memorable songs but oftentimes I have to hear an album 3, 4 or 5+ times before it hits me.

A more challenging question is: who's better, Sigur Ros or Slowdive?

 

[MomAndSkoorbaby]

.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Originally posted by: mithrandir2001
It's still to early for me to decide which album is better. Ágætis Byrjun had a few more instantly memorable songs but oftentimes I have to hear an album 3, 4 or 5+ times before it hits me.

A more challenging question is: who's better, Sigur Ros or Slowdive?

Never heard of Snowdive. I'll check them out. But as far as who is better, Mogwai ownz you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[luv2chill]

It leaked a while ago and I have been listening constantly. I can't really compare it to Ágætis Byrjun... it's quite different really. Heavier I think (especially the final few tracks). It's nice to finally have a studio version of Njósnavélin.

They are coming to Lawrence in about two weeks and I got tickets... I am expecting great things. Aimee Mann is coming the night before and then Beck and the Flaming Lips the night after. What an amazing three nights that will be.

l2c

 

[UglyCasanova]

Damn, I wanna see the Flaming Lips.

 

[mithrandir2001]

Now that I've listened to the album on headphones I can say that it is really depressing! Most of it sounds like a funeral procession of sorts. The reviews I read before buying the album spoke of the rawer, heavier sound, but I disagree. The sound is rather low-key, ethereal and occasionally very dark and is surprisingly consistent from track to track. There seems to be less experimentation and noise except for the closing track, Popplagid. The album clocks in at 71 minutes but it really seems to fly by.

People who liked the "poppier" tracks of the previous album will probably not like () at all. It's kind of like going from New Order's "Low Life" to Joy Division's "Closer". The music is cathartic but there's much less of the occasionally sunny prettiness of before. OK, there's still a lot of prettiness but instead of feeling like you are in a massive echoey cavern with sunbeams coming through the cracks, now you are on a placid arctic lake at night under clouded moonlight.

I don't know if anybody has heard of the obscure prog band called Anglagard but they released two albums during in their short career and you can easily see the similiarities between these two albums and Sigur Ros's two. Yes, Sigur Ros actually released three albums (the debut "Von") but I haven't seen legal copies of it stateside (yet).

Two influences that seem to have grown on Sigur Ros are Low and Mogwai, not exactly poor choices to emulate.

Originally posted by: luv2chill

They are coming to Lawrence in about two weeks and I got tickets... I am expecting great things. Aimee Mann is coming the night before and then Beck and the Flaming Lips the night after. What an amazing three nights that will be.

:Q That's an unbeliveable concert series for a single week!

 

[Entity]

This album is unbelievable. I stumbled across it the other day and am off to buy a few of their CDs now. I turned it on at home, cranked it as loud as I could stand on my 3802, and sat in the midst of seven speakers booming the album. It has an amazing, ethereal quality - similar in ways, but not in sound, to Pink Floyd's Division Bell.

Anyone have other recommendations? Slowdive?

Gonna have to go find some more of this stuff. I think I'm in love.

Rob

 

[Atrail]

I have this album. My favorite is "The Nothing Song" track 4 or 5, can't remember.
They actually play it on TCU's college radio station.

 

[Czar]

just here to promote more great Icelandic bands

Didnt find it on Amazon, so I doubt it has been released internationaly, but thats the soundtrack for a movie called Englar Alheimsins. Sigur Rós did the soundtrack along with some other guy. Some great songs there.

"Úlpa", kinda like Sigur Rós in some ways just, more with the drums and guitars,
http://notendur.centrum.is/~czar/misc/01%20-%20Dinzl.mp3
http://notendur.centrum.is/~czar/misc/03%20-%20Skur%f0ur%20%e1%20%feumli%20(live).mp3

 

[Czar]

^bump

 

[joemamma]

() is overrated

 

[Czar]

^and another bump for Úlpa

 

[Entity]

Any other recommendations Czar? I'm checking that out right now.

Rob