After this morning, we were an album cover closer to Spoon’s Transference in all its anticipated glory. In posting it Brandon likened collecting the various promo bits to piecing together a puzzle, so it’s somewhat fitting the album’s first single has a title promising a riddle. We first heard this one after last year’s festivals where folks were calling it “Writing To You In Reverse,” but in the studio Britt’s given it his own title (fair play) and made an honest Spoon song out of it, setting up the piano-vamped two-step with typically taut and uncluttered production. There are harmonies and bars of fuzzed guitars, overall hitting the Spoony sweet spots.
Also streaming at NPR. The DJ seems pretty psyched on the record.
Transference is out 1/19 via Merge.
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sounds like the same ol’ bar rock from spoon
Oh please, you’ve obviously never been to a fucking bar. What a throwaway and meaningless criticism. Its far from the best song I’ve ever heard, but its some pretty boring hipster bullshit to brush off an entire band’s sound in such a lazy and thoughtless way. Try harder.
While this is a legitimate criticism of the tendency of many to incorrectly judge, don’t you think the hipster part’s a little much? I mean, is it a hipster thing to do to hate Spoon? I wasn’t aware.
It seems like what we do is just take legitimate criticisms and blame it on people being ‘hipsters’.
Like:
Tropical Islander: Global Warming is flooding my island.
Commentor: I know, fuckin’ hipsters, right?
Or
Anti-Defamation League: Holocaust denial has risen in the last decades. I can’t believe these fucking hipsters.
I mean, honestly guys, can’t we calm down a little?
I’m a big time hipster, and I love Spoon.
anyone who claims to be a “big time hipster” is, by definition, not a hipster. more to the point, this is an extremely promising song, and i cannot wait for more. and even if this were bar rock, which it is not, there wouldn’t necessarily be anything wrong with that. the hold steady has pretty much perfected that genre.
Class C hipster- likes things that he perceives to be different or cool, but still gets the majority of the things he likes to from the radio and TV. These sorts are usually nice kids. They love Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Spoon and Feist. They dislike popular mainstream acts. Many of their peers like Pussycat Dolls and such. They feel superior to these kids.
Class B Hipster- Likes things that “belong to them.” They no longer trusts the radio or TV to reccomend things. Instead, they dig deeper into the internet, go to a lot of small shows and get plenty of advice from other cool people to find new things to enjoy. These kids still have respect for “elder statesmen” bands who got them into this whole mess. Class B hipsters don’t dislike anything too strongly. Its at this point that they are willing to go back and appreciate Little Wayne or give Justin Timberlake a fair shake.
Class A Hipster- Doesn’t like anything. The search for new music has them scraping the bottom of the barrel. They cling to anything new and different with little regard for wether they really enjoy it or not in order to keep their reputation as “hip” amongst friends. These kids treat mainstream indie bands like “dad music” or “passe” or “frat music” in order to elevate themselves above other hipsters. They feel compelled to like extremely trite mainstream music just to shock friends and so that they can prove they aren’t a hipster in a pinch. They go to concerts to be seen and probably spend most of it talking or looking around at who else is there. They probably do coke. They are probably almost ready to backlash against Animal Collective or whoever is starting to get too much attention.
If you add “douche” to the end of any of these, it just means they also dress/talk like an asshole.
I could make it more clear, but I’m tired. Point is, there are diufferent sorts of hipster. Most of us here are most likely “class B”
I’m happy that some people seem unaware of the awful “class a” hipster who sucks your soul dry.
You are allowed to like what you will, but calling a band with such a distinct sound a “bar band” reeks of class a hipster bullshit.
Is this supposed to be funny or…? I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. You should be blogging for the new Hipster Runoff.
Excellent. Nothing else needed said on this.
Nice breakdown of the Class A;B and C thing Quick. And points to Rob S. as well. He’s no bully, he just gets it.
man i wasn’t going to post anything until i read your ridiculous piece of garbage comment. you’re a douche.
I’m going to put what you wrote in a Facebook note. I thought I was really great.
I’m looking at the singles cover and I want it to at least be as good as ELO…they look like they have it in em’….
spoon dirge….bleh
It amazes me anyone can write anything remotely negative about this song. It is pop perfection.
Britt’s howling in the chorus is completely sideways! I love it! Bring on the unpretensious, straight-up, we-are-who-we-are Spoon. I’m waiting.
Spoon is the best. The song is good. From what I’ve heard of the live version, it has a different energy, but like the production on the studio version is good. Britt has really taken to being a producer.
ah, i love this song. and it’s very spoon, without retreading.
The lyrics are perfection, best i’ve heard in awhile.
Hey man, this is really good.
Finally good music is making its come back. Hoping they can pull off another “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” with this album.
Trying to go “over there” causes Internet Explorer (required here at work) to freeze up and the computer’s fans to kick in extra hard. Four times, same result each time, never gets better.
Oh well, will have to wait until this evening.
I find this to sound like every other Spoon song. Generic, fratty and boring.
Show me a frat full of dudes who like Spoon, anywhere in America. Really. gtfohwtbs
Fratty? What the hell does that mean? I’m so unfratty I’m almost gay, and I love Spoon. Spoon is a band with a gigantic catalog, and they have been making great music for over 10 year, so I suggest you hold your tongue and go list to your Parts and Labor records alone in your mom’s basement.
Sounds like the Constantines circa 2001.
Hinterland: thanks for chiming in. Real insightful.
Spoon is terrific. I always look forward to their new releases. I find it hard to take serious critcisms of a band like Spoon. They are who they are and they do what they do….which is pop rock perfection, in my book. What did you expect….a conceptual symphonic jazz tribute to a World War II British soldier? I hear the next Arcade Fire release is going to be Winn Butler farting into a microphone for 40 minutes, should be quite challenging. You’ll love it.
“They are who they are and they do what they do”
This is the most ridiculous statement I think I’ve ever seen. What the hell does that even mean? Everyone is who they are and everyone does what they do. It’s called being alive.
But yeah, I really hate this notion that some music is pretentious and some isn’t. If you’re in a band and you’re selling music to someone, that’s pretentious. You’re selling something that isn’t tangible. The CD or vinyl is tangible but not the songs themselves; they’re ideas. If you have a large enough ego to think that people want to buy your ideas, regardless of how good they are, that’s pretentious.
If thats the most ridiculous statement you have ever seen, you should really do some research. There are hundreds of statements every day across the internet that are more ridiculous than that. I think your statement was actually even more ridiculous. At least mine was based on the fact that Spoon has a particular sound. Yours was a widely exaggerated statement that mainly served to prop yourself up at someone elses expense. How ridiculous is that?
So…you acknowledge what I wrote was an exaggeration but still feel the need to act as if it was literal. That’s…special.
Listen, this is the Internet. We’re on a snarky message board dedicated to music only a select few people listen to. We’re all trying to prop up our own egos at other people’s expense. That’s what 90% of the comments here are: snide attacks on Twilight or metal or the Kings of Leon or whatever to amuse ourselves. You were attempting to “prop yourself up” at the expense of people who don’t like Spoon but making an extremely vague statement about “their sound.” I mean, the crux of your argument was that you can’t take criticism of Spoon seriously because you like the way they sound. Really? That’s not an egocentric view?
And yes, I posted this solely to prop myself up at your expense. Because I’m an Internet bully, and it’s the only way I can feel better about myself.
Rob S. – Hipster Bully! You should have your own TV show. No one would watch, but at least it might get you laid. I doubt your current schtick is working. Good luck and god speed.
awesome!
And I thought i’d have a hard time taking spoon seriously again after hearing ‘the underdog’ everyday on the playlist where I work. But damn. This is one tasty jam.
this is so good. spoon never disappoints. can’t wait for the full album
Life is always that little bit better with Spoon around.
Britt is an asshole. for real. makes it hard to listen to his music.
Eno,
I’ve heard this said before, but no one’s ever given a satisfactory example of said assholeishness. Care to provide an anecdote?
Sounds like slightly updated Girls Can Tell material. It’s decent, but I hope it’s not the best song on the record.
Wow, that’s not exactly Lines in the Suit. I listened three times, probably won’t again. I prefer more notes.
No it doesn’t. I bet your thinking of The Fitted Shirt. But, either way, I strongly disagree.
Got my spoonful. Can’t wait for full album. F*ck all the haters.
These comments intimidate me as an intellectual. Also…. while reading the Class B and Class C hipster things, I was thinking to myself the whole time, “This is soooooo me”.
On first impression, I like the Got Nuffin’ songs better, but you can’t never put too much weight on the first single. Gotta wait for the album.
I find it funny how these young kids dismiss bands just because they are popular and well received. Spoon is a band who has been working, creating, and making art for years now, probably before this ‘hipster’ doofus was born. Spoon, like them or not, is a wonderful pop band. They have a catalog of great music and are by no means a frat boy band. Do frat boys even listen to rock and roll anymore? I think you should check on that. LAst time I did, it was T-Pain, Young Joc, and Lil Wayne, not Spoon.
And dismissing a rock band for not ‘playing enough notes’, is like dismissing a porn movie for have too much vagina. It’s rock music man, it’s based around a 4/4 beat, and three chords. If you want notes, go listen to Asia. Spoon is a wonderful band and they know how to use those three chords better than most people. And for the record dips#it, Spoon pre-dates the Libertines you moron.
Different strokes for different folks. All of that fuss about what other people think of your taste/intellect will do nothing for your smile. Have a great weekend everybody!
That song just ended up being background music for me reading all of these entertaining posts :p. I really like the one by Mr. Quick. Musically: I know class “C and B” hipsters, most of my friend are “Class C Hipsters”. I like talking with the “Class B Hipsters” more, and I know a few that sometimes let their “Class A Hipster” attitude show its ugly head.
I know a guy who is is tranitioning from “Class B Douche” back to a “Class C” as we get older. Soon, he won’t even be a hipster. Its been pretty interesting to watch.
He says he, “Doesn’t have the energy to keep up with music these days”
I can’t be mad at the guy, but it is pretty weird.
I imagine that when he is a little older he’ll only be listening to the music he liked in college and will lecture his kids about “real music”
And for the record, I’m proud to be a hipster. The Beatles were hipsters.
Marijuana is not a drug. I used to suck dick for coke. Now that’s an addiction. You ever suck some dick for marijuana?
please go to any bar and shout ‘fuck you hipster!” and see who turns around.
What a good song. Spoon is grand.
I hate tv and radio, I look for new bands via the internet, read pitchfork reviews, hate a lot of, dislike everyone I see at shows. So I am humbled, what hipster class am I?
What a good song. Spoon is grand.
I hate tv and radio, I look for new bands via the internet, read pitchfork reviews, hate a lot of bands, dislike everyone I see at shows, but don’t share my disgust with them. So I am humbled, what hipster class am I?
Which class meaninglessly categorizes everything?
Zing! That was the equivalent of watching two guys fight for just a minute; when suddenly the one you’re rooting for wins decisively with a big ‘ol loud and embarrassing open-palmed slap across the other’s face, a slap that stings just bad enough to make him shed a single tear like Johnny Depp in “Crybaby”. God bless Al Gore for inventing the internet… and while he’s at it he can go ahead and bless Spoon too.
Wow. I can’t comeback from that. I mean, you attacked my sexual prowess. That’s like the ultimate way to end any argument without actually referring to anything being discussed. Well played, bro.