I'm really liking the new Gang Gang Dance CD...different from previous releases but extremely solid while venturing into new territory. Buy it!

condo "best of luck"

http://www.amazon.com/Condo/dp/B001EKR56W/ref=sr_f1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1224611193&sr=101-1

P4K already took a dump on the Of Montreal album, so take that for whatever it's worth.

I don't understand the poor rating P4k gave to Of Montreal. The new album is really good!

White Denim's US edition of "Workout Holiday," (UK) titled "Exposion." A few changes in tracklisting. I prefer the lineup on "Workout Holiday," but either way, this band is amazing.

"I don't understand the poor rating P4k gave to Of Montreal"

it got a 5.9. thats actually really good. its important to take bitchfork's review with a gallon of salt

but really, its not THAT good of an album. earlier stuff is much better

pitchfork gives almost every album a 7.4 or so, so the 5.9 would certainly seem to be a pretty bad review

pitchfork's reviews of bands i already know i like are next to useless. they were once good for exposing new bands, but it's been a long time since i went to pitchfork expecting to find anything good. that said, i haven't heard the new of montreal, but if their trendline is any indication, they're on the downhill.

^^^^agreed. a 5.9 is not a good rating for Pitchfork. What did they give that Vampire Weekend album again???

^^^^agreed. a 5.9 is not a good rating for Pitchfork. What did they give that Vampire Weekend album again???

like a 9 i think, crazy

new Handsome Pheasants?

Thirteen discs of Gabriel-era Genesis...

Prog your ass silly, my dears.

5.9 really isn't that bad. A lot of albums are rated between 5-7

5.9 is definitely a diss from P4K, plus the review reads negative. They absolve Barnes and the band at the end of the review, but they definitely shit on the album.

Whatever. It's not like it really matters what they give an oM album these days anyway.

I'm not big on Pitchfork these days either, but that review pretty much exhoes my own thoughts on the album. It's extremely ambitious, which is admirable, but doesnt quite gel. Apparently that's what Barnes intended, so congrats to him, but its not appealing to me to listen to. It is possible to create sonically interesting music as an art and still have it appeal to peoples pleasure centers, which i think he achieved quite well on Hissing Fauna and Satanic Panic. 5.9 soungs about right to me.. not bad, not great.

Skeletal Lamping is great. It's craziness "appeals to my pleasure centers." Pitchfork is laughable. This record in no way deserves a 5.9

I googled it and the Vampire Weekend record got an 8.8 so that says it all really.

new Parts & Labor is really good. epic!

There's not much consistency in the ratings given out by Pitchfork, so it's important to pay attention to the individual who's reviewing the album. They have a huge staff, and a 5.9 given to one album by a particular reviewer is not the same as a 5.9 given to another album by a different reviewer. They each have their individual preferences, biases, etc. To interpret a Pitchfork rating, you have to look at other reviews written by the same reviewer - it usually sheds a lot of light on the rating in question. I've talked to Pitchfork staff who say they would have given completely different ratings to albums reviewed by other Pitchfork writers (in some cases, their difference of opinion would have been the difference between an average, 5.x rating and a "Best New Music" spotlight).

Some Pitchfork staff are thoughtful critics, some are bombastic sycophants. Based on some of the previous comments it sounds like some Pitchfork readers aren't being very metacritical. (n.b. be especially wary of those reviews written in first person)

I'm not writing this to defend Of Montreal. I can't stand them.

Not to be the Pitchfork defender but I'm almost positive that the reviewer doesn't select the number rating. i think an editor reads it & decides the rating.

I really liked Of Montreal's song called "Let's go Outback tonight." I always crave Bloomin' Onions when I hear it.

I'm glad you pointed that out, but, if it's true, the rating given by the editor is still going to be dictated by the review itself; the editor can't trump the reviewer with a number that's inconsistent with the text. An editor can't and shouldn't try to normalize the preferences of its staff of fifty writers.

the new japanther album came out this week!

tut tut now shake ya butt!

Yes, the new Happy Pheasants is out and I can assure you that it is absolutely fantastic. If you don't already own it, then you should.

Sweet! Thanks Rocky!