4.03.2009

Times New Viking - Rip It Off

Times New Viking - Rip It Off
2008, Matador Records, Columbus OH



I have some records designated as my come-down music. After a long night when I'm exhausted but not sleeping and I need to center my self a little bit its the music I lie down on my bed and crank up on headphones. A spot formally dominated by all things arctic monkeys and the killers first lp and whatever no age has put out recently. Now I'm afraid all of those albums have lost their spot the minute I herd Rip It Off. Perhaps I'm odd in this use.

Lo-Fi music is a bit of an anomaly. When it works it works. Brings you closer to the sound even as it crackles and distorts it. Bands like Elliott Smith, Neutral Milk Hotel, The White Stripes, Sebadoh, and Beck, just to name a few, push their limited equipment as far as it will go with amazing results. At its worst though it puts a wall between the performer and the audience and you end up wishing they would just cut the crap and let you hear the song straight. My first exposure to Times New Viking had me place them firmly in the second category. Back in November

Fuck it



I was going to go off on this whole direction that was going to be real reviewer-like but, fuck it. i'm not going there. This is loud shit. turn it up. kick your fucking shoes off. i'll make you jump, not brood. its punk over driven to such an extent that the poorly mixed live show is a step up in sound quality. but thats ok. its some how cleansing to me. like a breath of fresh air. and yet it can be angry and anthemic and even, gasp, catchy. its brilliant. once you get past the production it is a very very enjoyable record.


don't get their most recent, the 'Wake Up' ep. its very cheap, comes on a 7" which very few eps seem to come on anymore and hell it cost less then most 7" singles do but it sucks. theres a reason those songs got regulated to an ep instead of the lp.


lets conceive a new concept of thoughtless

No comments:

Post a Comment