New Bloc Party Video - "I Still Remember"
The second clip from A Weekend In The City is here, and it's got the guys feeling very emotional on the train. Not our favorite from the record (and if you hear Coldplay in the new, it's intentional) -- but the vid does provide countless ways to entertain yourself while on the regional rail. Try "accidentally" hitting businessmen with soccer balls next time you ride. Fun for all! (via P4K)
The song is also Kele's way of exploring homosexual themes. You've probably read it by now, but here's what he told the Guardian about the song:
'Yeah, yeah. [Getting hit on by straight boys] happened a lot before all this [the band] started happening. This is probably a contentious issue, but I swear that I could always see it in people, in the way that guys would need to be touching other guys. You could see there was something they couldn't say aloud. And I saw it when I was at school. And I guess 'I Still Remember' is an attempt at trying to confront that. I don't think that my sexual impulse is that bizarre or foreign. [But] the way that it's supposedly discussed in mainstream culture is [that] it's a crazy thing. But I know from my own experiences a lot of heterosexual boys had feelings or experiences when they were younger. And that's not really ever spoken about, that un-spoken desire.That's easy -- "London Bridge"! We still can't even figure out what that perspective is.'Not two gay boys,' he continues, 'but the idea of two straight boys having an attraction, or there being an attraction that's unspeakable - that was the idea of that song. When was the last time you heard an interesting pop song that actually tried to give you a different perspective on desire?'
Posted at 5:00 PM in Video
Tags: Bloc Party
Ugh! I'm sort of sick with all the good bands wanting mainstream success. I understand why. But i don't really feel coldplay or tv on the radio or other bands that have become more mainstream decided to make a more poppish album. I think it's just that they stuck with what they were doing and because of that, it finally opened some peoples eyes. But bloc party is cool no matter what.
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Well.. regardless of the intention, that song SOUNDS gay.
It's like... really bad people.
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beautiful song.
different lead off single from the uk - not as "challenging" as "the prayer" - why they do dat?
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i'm kinda sad that they're awful now.
this song is really really bad.
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So Kele is gay? Not that there is anything wrong with that. I mean, some of my best friends are gay.
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they should've actually gotten famous in the u.s. before dude essentially came out.
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I read that whole interview a few days ago, and Kele has really shot up in my estimation. Not cos of the gay thing, everyone here in London knew he was gay from day one, but because he’s started to speak up about politicised issues, whereas previously it was like getting blood from a stone (see the bloc party dvd for that).
re: pop city's comment - is the american alt/indie community really that homophobic?
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Wow.. terrible song.. I actually like the Prayer song or whatever it was called. This is just bad though. It's like watered down coldplay but without the hooks. How the hell did Mew not get bigger? Mew is cheesy, but.. fuck - this isn't??
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no, but if they want to gain any sort of audience beyond the "indie" community - which the coldplay/whatever comparison everyone makes surely attests that they do - i would definitely say so. bro dudes in jeeps aren't going to drive around singing a song on the radio about a romance between two men.
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for whatever reason, i didn't see the gay thing coming. but of course now it makes complete sense. and i think i'll always love bloc party for silent alarm, and sorta like some stuff this time, i'm pretty sure this is the year core fans will leave and a bigger audience will come. this song is terrible, but others on the record are damn good, if a little too "soft" (but chicks love that shit). anyway, horrible video.
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same thing I thought about their last album:
what a waste of a good drummer (who is also really hot)
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i love bloc party :] thanks for the vid stereogum!
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lol, stereogum you're begginning to lose it. I saw this video last night, read the article 2 days ago....come on you use to be so....cutting edge.
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Regardless of whether or not he's gay Bloc Party is still an amazing band. The other songs leaked are better I think some core fans will always leave after a great first album because they think nothing can compare. Maybe with all the other songs it will make sense...
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I actually like this song. It's the first time that I've heard it and I think it's very well done.
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i actually like the song too.
also, everyone in bloc party is fucking hot. except maybe emo-bangs. but still. as i see it, this is one of the only bands where they dont try to hide some ugly-ass guy in the back. they're all so damn attractive.
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The song is alright, it sounds like a filler song to me. Hopefully the rest of the album is better.
Speaking of the last album, it wasn't that great. The first 5 songs of the album were rock steady, the other songs were just a blur that blended together.
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I love this song. It's one of my favourites of the new record in fact which I'd see is on the whole as good as if not better than Silent Alarm.
So nyer.
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gah. i do not like this song. there were other better songs they could've released from that album. i don't care about him being gay. why are they going in this direction?
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Yeah the coldplay comparison is totally unfair. This isn;t Bloc party at their best but it sounds like a pretty natural progression from the likes of 'plans' or 'modern love'. It's not like they were qued up for the mainstream, they're just good on record and live. Does anyone who's heard the record know if there's any more sort of beat oriented songs like 'she's hearing voices' or 'hellicopter' on it? Those songs are the make or break point for most including myself.
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"It's got everything that makes a Coldplay song, plus more," bassist Gordon Moakes says -- The Coldplay comparison is totally fair considering they are making it.
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"bro dudes in jeeps aren't going to drive around singing a song on the radio about a romance between two men"
yeah. i don't think that was really their aim.
to say that he should have waited to come out of the closet until after they achieved more success in the States is fucking ridiculous. first of all, hiding who you are isn't healthy, it potentially blocks the real you from coming out, and it's just living a lie. This is a band that i now have a lot of respect for... not just because Kele (more or less) came out, but because they deal with so many issues on this record that effect all of us. at least the ones who are not and never were "brod dudes in jeeps".
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i think kele is great and really smart, but not only does this song suck hard nuts in the cheesy factor, but that video is the most computer animated piece of crap I've seen in ages.
so unbelievably sub par it's embarassing
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first, this video, and the video for the prayer are absolutely terrible. i dont know who keeps making them for bloc party, but they should be fired.
and second, this song isnt terrible, it sounds much better when its played with the rest of the album. but there are lots of good tracks besides from the prayer and this one. those 2 tracks arent the ones i immediately liked upon hearing the album. the first 3 songs, uniform, and then kreuzberg are the highlights for me.
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It's very muted.
Compared to their first album they seemed to have mellowed out. Don't think this will do as well.
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Why do people care so much about how people look? It's friggin music. It's for your ears. Who gives a shit what they look like.
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I like it, its slow and melodic
Takes a few listens but I can relate to the whole loving someone scenario but not taking the chance at it.
Great song
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I agree. I like the song a lot the more I listen to it and who cares about attire? All I care about is the music, the musicians and the magic they make. Bloc Party is just one of the bands we cover; others include Belle & Sebastian, The Still, The Shins, Camera Obscura, The Killers, All American Rejects, Cat Power, Yo La Tengo, and so much more.
You can check out my blog for lots of news and profiles, podcasts and MP3s, album reviews and rare exclusives:
http://www.indierockcafe.com
Anyone who wants to contribute to this quickly growing website, please email me and tell me what you want to write or send me an article or what have you in an text email and I'll get back to you.
indierockcafe.com@gmail.com
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I agree. I like the song a lot the more I listen to it and who cares about attire? All I care about is the music, the musicians and the magic they make. Bloc Party is just one of the bands we cover; others include Belle & Sebastian, The Still, The Shins, Camera Obscura, The Killers, All American Rejects, Cat Power, Yo La Tengo, and so much more.
You can check out my blog for lots of news and profiles, podcasts and MP3s, album reviews and rare exclusives:
http://www.indierockcafe.com
Anyone who wants to contribute to this quickly growing website, please email me and tell me what you want to write or send me an article or what have you in an text email and I'll get back to you.
indierockcafe.com@gmail.com
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'the coldpay comparison is totally fair considering they made it'
Wrooooooonnnng! That's hardly a comparison, considering it's coming from being asked some tactful question like 'how does it feel to be the new coldplay?'. Al, your post is and out of context, not to mention lie-ish. Surely you dont rely on stereogum that closely that you now cant see coldplay and Bloc party as two separate bands?
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dude, guys in jeeps and stadiums ride and stand and sit on their asses singing queen. case closed. really, that people could be such twat waffles about whether or not dude is gay is so damn sad, esp. when the gays are everywhere. even the right wing in america can't get shy of them (drudge, cheney, joyboy in the wh press room). the only people who are concerned about the gays are people who want to be concerned about it because they can't help wondering just how tight it is. ugh. may kenneth anger curse you with skeleton crows and swastika kill signs, you pissy indie sock fucker.
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Gay, straight.. A great band is a great band. These guys are only getting started.
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