Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
This is the new "it" band. Below are tracks from their self-titled, self-released first album. If you like it you can find more from the guy who wrote their Pitchfork review and from their own website. And if you end up surfing to their website, make the jump over to my friend Joe's band Dirty On Purpose (Yes, they stole my initials and they know it) and download the very good Mind Blindness.
Let The Cool Goddess Rust Away
Gimme Some Salt
Comments
This band is ok. "In This Home On Ice" (available on the band's site) is the album's highlight. This is another case of the Pitchcretins trying to convince the kids that a decent "indie rock" album is indeed a classic (see, among others, Broken Social Scene and The Arcade Fire, though the latter is inexplicably beloved by every rock critic on the planet.)
"Indie rock has received a much-needed kick in the pants ..." Ha ha! Great. Now I'll resume listening to System of a Down and The National's Alligator (download "All the Wine" here), the year's two best releases.
Posted by: Omar | June 28, 2005 8:13 AM
I gave it a runthrough yesterday morning on the way in. I three-starred a couple of songs (rare for any first listen). Neither of the songs I three-starred are Goddess, Salt, or Home on Ice! So. I guess there's something on this thing for everybody. Omar will appreciate that one of the songs I three-starred is called "Heavy Metal." Ha ha.
I didn't realize that the Moistworks dude wrote for the Fork. Moistworks is one of the few remaining mp3blogs I still check. He's good.
Pitchfork is best used as just another flag in the "maybe I should check this thing out" game. Ignore the ratings and reviews, think of it as a new release list, and we'll all be just fine.
Posted by: x amount | June 28, 2005 9:03 AM
Goddess is indeed a favorite, but after the 2 tracks on Moistworks and the 3 on their website, there were only 3 left from the album to choose for a second track.
I will also take this time to reiterate that you should download Mind Blindness by Dirty On Purpose, if you have not already.
Posted by: DOP | June 28, 2005 9:51 AM
"Pitchfork is best used as just another flag in the "maybe I should check this thing out" game. Ignore the ratings and reviews, think of it as a new release list, and we'll all be just fine."
Correct. It's good as an "Oh, that thing is out now? Oh, 5.8? It must be good, then" thing. (Largehearted Boy's Monday "Tomorrow's Shopping Bag" posts are another good source of "oh, all this stuff comes out tomorrow"-ness.)
Their extreme championing remains an oddity -- per Fork, two of the best "indie rock" records of this century are the BSS and the CYHSY. 9+/10 should be reserved for at least near masterpieces (like that Liz Phair record they gave a 0.0 to! Ha ha.), not just some ***-y thing. There's nothing kick in the pants-y about the Clappity Clap record. A few pokes in the pants, maybe.
Posted by: Omar | June 28, 2005 9:55 AM
I look forward to giving the CYHSY more spins in search of more songs to three-star. Those three starred tracks may even rise to four! Who knows! The first listen was promising. Here's to potential pant-poking!
But for the love, please stop trying to get me to listen to Blind Melon.
Posted by: x amount | June 28, 2005 10:12 AM
What does the A in CYHASY mean?
Posted by: DOP | June 28, 2005 10:42 AM
An Ass Assesses Accidents? No wait, that would be four As. Okay, just use the second one.
Posted by: x amount | June 28, 2005 10:55 AM
The band name should be Clap Your Hands And Say Yeah. I am being instructed to do two things I want the damn conjunction. I will consider this the actual band name.
Posted by: Omar | June 28, 2005 12:43 PM
Industry Rule #4083: If you want your band name to be grammatically correct, don't get said name from graffiti in Brooklyn.
Posted by: DOP | June 28, 2005 3:51 PM
DoP's "Mind Blindness" is quite enjoyable in my opinion.
Posted by: Omar | June 28, 2005 8:33 PM