New Travis Video - "Something Anything"
Since the last time we saw from Travis (palling around with Demetri Martin), they have become the indiest of rockers, severing ties with the Independiente label and starting one of their very own, Red Telephone Box. Looks like that was an inspiring decision: while it took four years for Fran's guys to follow up 12 Memories (with last year's The Boy Who Had No Name), Travis knocked out a follow-up in a two week session and are set to put it out this year. It's called Ode To J. Smith, so named after a song on the forthcoming record, "J. Smith." Must be a good song. Ode's first single, "Something Anything," makes good on the press sheet claim that this will be the band's "loudest, edgiest" album since Good Feeling. It also makes good on your need for raw, scratchy Brit rock and 10 ft. tall guitar soloists.
"Something Anything" is making its way out as a 7" on 9/15 via Red Telephone Box. It'll include a few previously unreleased cuts and, by way of further sonic cluing, a cover of the Kink's "Lola." Read Fran's blog entry on the new album here. Ode To J. Smith is due out 9/29.
Posted at 10:28 AM by amrit in Video
Tags: Travis
When I saw Travis in 2000, I was convinced they could be the best alt/pop band in the world. Then they seemingly forgot how to write a melody, they "got political" and they became mind-numbingly boring (and the Strokes came out and changed the genre entirely). Hopefully, this track puts them on the right track to getting back to some semblance of what they used to be.
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I used to really love this band, but they make it really difficult for their fans. It's hard to be much more than an apologist for Travis these days. On their last album they had Nigel Godrich AND Brian Eno involved and still managed to turn in the same album that they've made about 4 times now. Hopefully this will put them back on track.
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I am thoroughly impressed. But I have to say, I loved last year's Travis CD "The Boy WIth No Name," not only because it was a great listen from beginning to end but because they wrote some of the best songs of their career on that record: "Selfish Jean," "Colder," and "Under The Moonlight (w/KT Tunstall)" were the standouts for me. Yes, some of the songs sound like their old stuff, but what do you want? Damned if you do, damned if you don't (try to build on your most successful songwriting formula). I mean, hey, if AC/DC can make a whole career out of repeating their past, why can't Travis?
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Fran is gray?!?! I feel so old :(
Oh I remember buying Good Feeling back in the day and being completely thrilled...I enjoyed album #2 also...and then just...b-o-r-i-n-g. It was like they were TRYING to write the most generic Travis songs ever over and over again.
I hope this album offers some change-ups.
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Saw them a couple of weeks ago in Singapore, one of my favorite gigs ever. Also got to meet them, and boy was I starstruck. They put on a great show, the new songs rocked. Fran is charm personified, and expect Andy to pull some crazy shit on the solo for "All I Want to Do Is Rock" - in S'pore, that was the first time I'd seen anyone do a solo while climbing on the stage rigging.
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