oscillations.
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Post by oscillations. on Jun 15, 2008 22:47:40 GMT -5
Despite sudden mental disorders, intraband violence, subsequent band member departures, um "substance issues", and well, just about everything else that a wunderkind frontman and his band could possibly have go wrong for them after 6 months of broadsheet worship, THE VINES ARE INDEED STILL AMONGST US. And the good news is that Craig managed to not only survive the "Forever 27s" curse, he is now 30 years old. Shocking. Their new album Melodia is out in July.  Craig's hair, sunglasses, & rainbow child ideals are back in a big way. The first single: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SABL_hrFzgFact: Three people on this board definitely care. Maybe more. |
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Post by allnightmarelong on Jun 15, 2008 23:21:13 GMT -5
sign me up as one of the three who care.
I love the vines! after watching the Outtathaway video, it's hard for me not to love them!
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pen
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Post by pen on Jun 15, 2008 23:40:35 GMT -5
I'm probably one of the maybe more.
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oscillations.
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Post by oscillations. on Jun 15, 2008 23:46:24 GMT -5
Okay. We are up to at least 5 now.
If only we can get American Idiot onboard, we can approach the double digits...
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Adz
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Post by Adz on Jun 16, 2008 0:37:58 GMT -5
Although I've warmed to the song, I still think it's their weakest single.
Hopefully they get their American label soon.
Craig sounded pretty optimistic that they would so we'll have to wait and see.
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Pipa
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Post by Pipa on Jun 16, 2008 13:00:44 GMT -5
It's fine and all, it's just not a hit.
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oscillations.
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Post by oscillations. on Jun 16, 2008 13:01:14 GMT -5
They could just self release, but I'm not sure it would work in their favor. Plus, Craig doesn't know about the internet.
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Post by American Idiot on Jun 16, 2008 20:29:28 GMT -5
Oy vey. I'm going to be a stinka here. To be honest I'm not THAT fond of The Vines. I liked "Get Free" and I thought "Ride" was ok, but they just seem to me as "eh."
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Post by Pipa on Jun 16, 2008 21:42:01 GMT -5
"Get Free" is good, "Ride" was just simply overdone.
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oscillations.
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Post by oscillations. on Jun 16, 2008 23:26:21 GMT -5
"Don't Listen to the Radio" is underrated, IMO.
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Nicholas2.0
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Post by Nicholas2.0 on Jun 17, 2008 1:56:09 GMT -5
Highly Evolved was a good record, but the little I've heard since then ("Ride," "Don't Listen to the Radio," maybe one or two others) just sounded watered down or rehashed to me.
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oscillations.
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Post by oscillations. on Jul 6, 2008 22:12:57 GMT -5
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Post by Pipa on Jul 6, 2008 22:17:09 GMT -5
Using file2hd to download now.  |
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oscillations.
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Post by oscillations. on Jul 6, 2008 22:25:25 GMT -5
let me know when that process is complete |
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Post by Pipa on Jul 6, 2008 22:26:59 GMT -5
It's done. I just started listening to it, in no particular order. Can you say short? 11 songs and it's 25 minutes long. It's 10 1-2 minute long songs and a 6-minute long one.  |
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oscillations.
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Post by oscillations. on Jul 6, 2008 22:29:16 GMT -5
LOL That's become typical Vines protocol. I guess it depends on Craig's attention span. |
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Post by Pipa on Jul 6, 2008 22:30:35 GMT -5
Yeah, but at least the first two albums had a few 3-4 minute long songs in there. The last two just follow the same formula. The songs are too short to actually grab your attention.
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oscillations.
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Post by oscillations. on Jul 6, 2008 22:42:26 GMT -5
Mmm. It's okay. Not very memorable, I agree.
They have two modes: Nirvana & country-fried.
Sometimes they thrown in a Pink Floyd moment (like "Spaceship" - one of their best songs ever & the best song on Vision Valley). But this one lacks even that.
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Post by Pipa on Jul 6, 2008 22:44:27 GMT -5
Agreed, I just wanted to hear a nicely put-together ballad like "Winning Days" on here. Or heck, even their cover of "4ever".
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oscillations.
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Post by oscillations. on Jul 6, 2008 22:46:51 GMT -5
ASII>ASI>ASIII
lol
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Adz
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Post by Adz on Jul 6, 2008 22:49:40 GMT -5
I think it's a big improvement on VV.
I hope people weren't expecting anything ground breaking from them.
Be careful not to dismiss after one low quality listening!
ASI> ASIII> ASII :O
I think they're all pretty good except 'A Girl I Knew' is a bit forgettable.
'Scream' is very Arctic Monkeys.
'Get Out' the new 'Get Free'?
file2hd lets you download good quality versions but missed 4 tracks.
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oscillations.
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Post by oscillations. on Jul 7, 2008 0:09:48 GMT -5
Not everyone needs or wants to reinvent the wheel, and I've certainly never expected that level of feat from the Vines. It became crystal clear from day one that they were an act interested in referencing a handful of retro styles, and that little outside that spectrum of influence mattered to them. I have no problem with one or two trick ponies, provided that you are a MASTER of your chosen domain. Entire careers have been established and flourished upon this premise.
Highly Evolved demonstrated to me that they could execute their hybrid version of the garage-rock/grunge/stoner bliss idioms convincingly enough to validate continued interest in the band. They disappointed me on Winning Days, and really let me down with Vision Valley, but I listen to Highly Evolved every now and again and want to keep believing. All I want and expect from the Vines are some clever grunge-pop rave-ups and Brian Wilson-esque pastoral ballads. If they could deliver on the promise they exhibited back in '02, I'd be satisfied. But I don't really think that is going to happen, at least not upon my first encounter with Melodia. It's like they've rewritten the same songs 4 times over, only the hooks weaken and ideas obfuscate with every new release. They've trapped themselves into a corner of the musical map they can no longer pretend is interesting. Maybe they should try some new styles; maybe they should break-up. Who knows? All I can say is that they are treading very shallow water at this point.
At the same time, I suspect Craig largely creates music for his own pleasure, anyway. I doubt he cares how the album is received.
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Adz
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Post by Adz on Jul 10, 2008 1:41:04 GMT -5
First professional review:
The last Vines album looked like the last Vines album.
The Sydney band were in disarray and unable to recapture the hype that saw their first two albums take on the world.
When their old record label cobbled together a (rather fine) best-of from their 3 studio albums, then jettisoned, things looked grim.
They'd had a handful of global hits, got on the cover of US Rolling Stone and were wooed by Courtney Love and the ipod - both valuable marketing tools.
Singer Craig Nicholls made headlines for bad behavior and subsequently introduced Aspergers Syndrome to the medical vocabulary of rock.
2008 sees the return of The Vines, but their work is cut out for them.
Melodia aims to recapture the magic of their 2002 debut Highly Evolved, going back to the US and producer Rob Schnapf.
There's no real major diversions from their debut here - super short songs, added grunts in the choruses and a running time a shade over 30 minutes.
It's just that there's no song as track-stopping as Get Free or Ride.
Craig Nicholls still has the kind of Richer-level scream heard only in horror movies and Nirvana bootlegs.
Opener Get Out is vintage Vines - as much guitar and vocal turbulence that can be shoehorned in 130 seconds.
Manger has a nice surf guitar twist (in case you forgot about their Pixies obsession). Single He's A Rocker has the brevity of Highly Evolved but sadly not the impact.
Orange Amber distills Nicholls' beloved '60's jangle bands into a fun-size musical snack, and Merrygoround moves from hippy to metal and back in seconds.
Some of The Vines best album tracks have been their quietest ones, and once again they're strategically placed here.
A.S III is epic in scope if not length as pianos, warm harmonies and acoustic guitars collide...gently and quickly.
Nicholls' gets loved up and toned down on Kara Jayne, an ode to his lady friend, and A Girl I Knew shows Nicholls' can conjure up a decent lost-love lyric when he puts his mind to it.
At 6 minutes, True As The Night is triple the length of most tracks here, but when the strings and wailing guitars lock in, it's arguably 3 times as effective.
Melodia is the sound of the Vines steadying the ship on autopilot.
Here's to a few more trips way out of the comfort zone next time.
3/5
Herald Sun
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oscillations.
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Post by oscillations. on Jul 10, 2008 1:54:19 GMT -5
I think that's a fair, if somewhat generous review.
I'd probably give it a 2.5/5. Then again, I've listened to it once.
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Adz
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Post by Adz on Jul 18, 2008 2:07:38 GMT -5
Next single is the best song on the album - Merrygoround.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2008 2:39:05 GMT -5
Where did the album debut on the BB200?
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Adz
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Post by Adz on Jul 18, 2008 2:42:41 GMT -5
Where did the album debut on the BB200? It wasn't released in America. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2008 2:47:37 GMT -5
Where did the album debut on the BB200? It wasn't released in America. Is it going to be released? ??? |
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Adz
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Post by Adz on Jul 18, 2008 4:07:09 GMT -5
It wasn't released in America. Is it going to be released? ??? If they get a record company I guess. I'm not sure what their plans are for the rest of the year. I think it's their best since HE. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2008 13:24:23 GMT -5
I think it's their best since HE. Will they ever top their debut? :( |
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