absolute steaming turd.

no love from prefix either...

http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/cds/W/We-Are-Scientists/With-Love-and-Squalor/1810

http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/cds/M/Morningwood/Morningwood/1681

had to play a show with morningwood....uhhh...totally lame.
get ready for the big let down.

had to play a show with morningwood....uhhh...totally lame.
get ready for the big let down.

We overestimate the world of our indie music friends/blogs a bit too much. WEA and Morningwood aren't going to make it big. I have nothing against these bands and don't find them offending. But think about their music and how it fits into the general landscape of popular music today.

Simple. They don't.

Some may like them in the blogosphere but otherwise, they're going to fade out. You know how it is.

I feel that the Prefix review for W.A.S. is overly harsh, and actually what I'd probably expect from Pitchfork. On the otherhand, Jason Crock's review for PFM is well written and pretty positive for only a score of 6.7.

I have mixed feeling about the album, but for me it's all about their live show. I can't get tired of their performace.

Wow, is this actual editorial content from BV? What's going on here???

Who cares really?

Who cares really?

sorry about that...but seriously...there's so many other bands...much better bands, to be excited about.

like longwave

On Prefix WAS got a 2.0 out of 5.0.
P-fork gave it a 6.7 out of 10.0.

The Prefix review might be harsh, but in general most reviews that receive low scores at prefix tend to be harsh. Also, I think the writer made solid arguments as to why he did not like the album.

I could see both bands selling fairly well, but I'd be surprised if they do well amongst the critics.

oops. I didn't realize Pitchfork reviewed WAS already.

why is everyone so freaking fickle?

Ah, hype.

Those MW comments from July are pretty awesome. Or should I say, ill as hell.

morningwood's music has already been on Veronica Mars at least once this season, and that show has a fairly large following (and a following that follows its music choices)...just saying...

hey BV...I gotz Morningwood's Nth Degree mp3 up in this post for those interested:

http://myoldkyhome.blogspot.com/2005/12/new-years-eve.html

most of you probably have it/heard, but if not...

Veronica Mars is the new barometer?

i'm interested in any secret shows if any one knows about some secret shows please informe me of these secret shows

Morningwood is dead in the water. I see them going nowhere. We are Scientists will be headlining Roseland and opening for Fall Out Boy at Jones Beach or something by August. Mark my words. Every step they've taken in marketing themselves has been spot on so far and the label is extremely supportive of them. They'll crack through, I have no doubt.

you have to be as naive as strawberry shortcake to believe/predict that We Are Scientists or Morningwood will be on the cover of SPIN in 2006 (or 2007) for that matter.

you guys are all so fucking harsh and bitter it seems. forgetting about whether or not these bands will be huge, both these bands are good bands, and both of them are certianly set up for some serious success. WAS have a nice little buzz going and some big shows to boot, a video getting airplay, good press... and Morningwood is all over MTV, MTV2, MTVu, Fuse, Rolling Stone, NY TImes, Blender, Entertainment Weekly, you name it. they had a top 25 track at radio, and all this without a record out, so to say they are dead in the water, or that WAS are gonna fail, is very premature. The reason they will probably both succeed on a grand scale is because most kids that buy music arent indie blog readers, but regular old kids who like to listen to catchy music presented in a glossy manner, and the number of people who love both these bands is far greater than those that hate them. and lastly, and maybe this thread will prove the point, most bands that sell a ton of records are bands that people either hate or love, and are not indifferent about. Bands that inspire a strong feeling one way or another. My money is on WAS to sell a lot of records on buzz and cred, and Morningwood to sell a lot of records due to radio and tv.

and for the person who "had to play a show with morningwood", you should consider yourself fortunate to have had an audience that night. I'm sure your band is doing a whole helluva lot better than they are, cough.

sorry, but threads like this are discouraging because they are so hateful. It turns good blogs like this, into The Velvet Rope, the epitome of bitter musicians and industry types who rant and rave about how everyone who gets more recognition than they do sucks.

and for the person who "had to play a show with morningwood", you should consider yourself fortunate to have had an audience that night. I'm sure your band is doing a whole helluva lot better than they are, cough.

sorry, but threads like this are discouraging because they are so hateful. It turns good blogs like this, into The Velvet Rope, the epitome of bitter musicians and industry types who rant and rave about how everyone who gets more recognition than they do sucks.

and for the person who "had to play a show with morningwood", you should consider yourself fortunate to have had an audience that night. I'm sure your band is doing a whole helluva lot better than they are, cough.

sorry, but threads like this are discouraging because they are so hateful. It turns good blogs like this, into The Velvet Rope, the epitome of bitter musicians and industry types who rant and rave about how everyone who gets more recognition than they do sucks.

I agree that some of the comments here are harsh, but that comes with the territory. I do wish that the people that were critical would backed up their statements.

As for the Prefix reviews, while the reviews are not favorable I do believe that the reviews clearly state reasons for the ratings. I'm not sure how the bands will do in terms of album sales, I wouldn't be surprised if either band got big on MTV, etc. I would be surprised if either band ends up high on Metacritic though.

Who cares how these records are reviewed? Both bands are working crazy hard to succeed. Chris is the mastermind of WAS's roll-out plan and it's working nicely. Chantal is tireless in promoting her band, and good for her for doing it and not laying back to let the cards fall where they may. Both bands have great records that will probably appeal to many more people than us sadsters who spend their evenings knocking artists while unable to play instruments ourselves. I hope both bands sell out hockey arenas in the midwest by year's end.

MW has not released anything in the UK yet, not even a single.

that's the sound of the men working on the train: Thank you! When I originally wrote this, I thought they hadn't released it yet. Then I noticed the "import" on Amazon that was released in August, and stupidly assumed UK, when closer inspection reveals Japan.

That would explain "Have Morningwood taken off in the UK?" I thought it was weird that I hadn't really heard anything.

Rewriting.

I love Morningwood. I really really do.

I just rewrote it. Hopefully cleared some stuff up and fixed a lot of stuff.

i think one of the great thing about both these bands is that neither of them seem to care what everyone thinks. and who could blame them. if i had to read this shit and actually cared, i would need to be locked up. bands take themselves way too seriously these days. its not even fun anymore.

I'm not as familiar with We Are Scientists, but as a fan of morningwood, i love the fact that this girl makes no bones about who she is, calls it as she sees it, and just doesnt give a fuck. Maybe a little over the top at times, true, but fer real the band is good and shouldnt be dismissed so quickly. and the tracks i have heard sound fucking amazing (myspace.com/morningwood), so i'm not sure why people are so sour on them. Maybe it was the Kimmel performance, cause that really did blow, but that shouldnt be a determining factor.

i do love the We Are scientists video too, the one they play on subterranean with the baby chillin while they tear shit up. That video made me buy a ticket to bowery on the 12th.

i hope both these bands succeed bigtime, they deserve it. my money is on morningwood cause Virgin Records sucks. they can't break a glass, let alone a record.

Why would I give two shits if these bands are "working hard to succeed"? So am I. Want to by a video of me sitting at a desk?

I expect We Are Scientists to be huge, seeing as how they've already been featured in the last two issues of Spin. As for the Pitchfork review, I expect there to be some backlash given that their official debut is coming from a major; they went from self-releasing to Virgin without any hip "Matador" or "Kill Rock Stars" stops in between. They have the ability to extend beyond 'blog' popularity because they make great music, and happen to be extremely photogenic and are very media savvy. They know how to handle interviews, and their personalities really shine through. Superficial or not, I think that ability win over the press will help them win over legions of fans. I went to college with them so I saw the sound develop, and I love what it has become.

Some people care about reviews, some people don't. Either way they often bring out strong opinions and people do still read them. BV's post mentioned P-fork so I added my 2 cents on reviews.

I agree with Will who mentions how WAS are photogenic and media savy. I met the guys for a bit and they do seem like genuinely nice guys. The band is also being well marketed. All this could lead to big album sales and I would not be surprised if that happened.

Stop acting like you're industry insiders. If they're being "well-marketed" then it's to you.

Hey, have you heard the WAS album? It's totally photogenic!

so is anyone going to these two shows at bowery?

I think it's odd that the WAS Bowery show is being mentioned all over the place and no mention that they are also playing at Maxwell's the following Friday. Screw the Bowery show, I got tix for Maxwell's instead.

I don't know from Morningwood, but I can attest that WAS are a great band and really great guys to boot. They're much more intelligent and funnier than your average rock band, and they've been playing around New York for the last 5 years with zero attention from the local press b/c they don't suck people off to get press or have a lot of cash to buy a P.R. agent. They got signed because they're a great band, and they deserve all the success in the world. Next up: Bishop Allen.

Good call on Bishop Allen. They play a fantastic live show and are worthy of attention.

hey jonathan,
not sure where you're coming saying "stop acting like your industry insiders". they are being well marketed i'd say, but probably not to me. i wasn't into their album.

zzzzzZZZZzzzz

Looking at iTunes today, Morningwood is featured on the front page, are #57 overall and have some pretty bad reviews on their page. WAS is #200-something on Amazon and is getting above-average reviews. Looks like the predictions are wrong. Watch for Seth Cohen to get into Morningwood soon. (I much prefer WAS)

I just bought both records. there is no way that the WAS is going to last. the first few tracks are cool but the rest SUCKS. I dont think i will listen to it again. And the Morningwood record which was on sale for 6.99 at best buy (someone is smart) is really fucking good. no joke. its not all kitchy. there are some great moments on there and there isnt a bad track. nth degree is too pop for me, but the rest really rocks.

i am probably the only one on this page who bought either record.

...and the Pitchfork score for Morningwood is.....

3.9

ouch

first week sales:

Morningwood: 8,940 sold. #1 debut on the Heatseekers Chart

WAS: 4,400 sold. #10 debit on the Heatseekers Chart

not too bad