Metromony: from messages on wrecked cars to seagulls in bumper cars

September 9, 2011 2:40 PM

Metronomy (rhymes with economy) is a musical group fronted by the Brit Joseph Mount, who hails from the town of Totnes, in the county of Devon. The names behind Metronomy have changed over the course of three albums and a slew of EPs and singles, but throughout Mount has been at the center. You can stream the three albums, plus two EPs and a few more singles. If it's too much to sort through, you can stick with the clips on their YouTube account, or read through more details inside to decide where to start.

The first album, Pip Paine (Pay The £5000 You Owe) (streaming version is the expanded tracklist), was named after a local icon of sorts -- a car wrecker who Totnes was owed money by a fellow, Pip Paine. The wrecker would leave wrecked cars around Totnes along with the proclamation "Pip Paine, Pay The £5000 You Owe." As for the sound of the album, it "sounds like everything, but only small portions of everything," and in the end, you'd still fall short of describing their sound. Originally released in 2006, the album was re-released and expanded in 2009, with an additional 4 tracks. Videos from the album: You Could Easily Have Me | live: You Could Easily Have Me and Are Mums Mates.

Metronomy released two EPs in 2008 (My Heart Rate Rapid and Heartbreaker vs Holiday) in the lead-up to their second album, Nights Out (the streaming album is the deluxe version). In reviewing this album, NME drew parallels between Metronomy and Hot Chip, both in style and rise to fame. Videos: Metronomy discuss the new album and more | Radio Lado (and the 2009 version) | My Heart Rate Rapid | Heartbreaker | Holiday | A Thing For Me (previously on MetaFilter). Singles and Remixes streaming: Radio Ladio (Remixes) | A Thing For Me.

Metromony is now a group of four folks, and their new album, The English Riviera, was released earlier this year. Pitchfork said they the album was a mix of Steely Dan and Phoenix, and the Steely Dan bit was agreed upon in the review in Guardian, plus bits of Latin-funky and nu-rave. If you only have ten minutes to listen to the album, Joseph Mount walks you through the tracks, ideas and inspirations. The videos: The Look | The Bay. The singles: The Look | The Bay.

Mount (as Metronomy) gained recognition not only for his original works, but also his remixes, some of which are drastically altered (example: Goldfrapp's "Happiness" gets additional French lyrics, which are all about Nottingham).

posted by filthy light thief (12 comments total)

great band, fun and interesting.
posted by facetious at 3:04 PM on September 9, 2011

Love this band! I'm partial to Nights Out but the new album is growing on me. Really fun videos too, esp A Thing For Me. Their music is very-well produced (obv) and, despite occasional gadgety and crazy time sig flights of fancy, intensely groove based and head-bop-able. Thanks - now I can go mog to metronomy until class!
posted by jmccw at 3:06 PM on September 9, 2011

Thanks for posting this, I just read about them the other day and had been meaning to do a little looking. Now you've gone and done it for me. Great post.
posted by nevercalm at 3:12 PM on September 9, 2011

The English Riviera is definitely my favourite album with Nights Out being a close second. Thanks for the post!

If anyone is looking for more song suggestions - Corinne, is another great track from their latest album.
posted by Bron-Y-Aur at 3:12 PM on September 9, 2011

Another cool (albeit unofficial) 2009 Metronomy video: On The Motorway.
posted by progosk at 3:23 PM on September 9, 2011

One of the best records of the summer and it was soooo summer.

If you are a pro (I am a pro, check me out yo) you companion this up with the also brilliant new YACHT record Shangri-La La La La La cuz they work like bookends in an odd way.

Then after chilling poolside, rev things up with the Azari & III record (really just a compilation of singles and EPs and such but oh so terrific) and that is where the cocaine comes in. And dancing. So much dancing.

OK. Now its time for lunch and the mushrooms are starting to kick in and you just let the grill burn itself out while listening to M83s new mighty colossus of a record Hurry Up, We're Dreaming while you make out cloud shapes and feel the grass stroke your neck.

There ya go. Your life and your weekend are now potentially vastly better.
I am not liable for injury or mis-targeted canoodling.

Godspeed.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 4:31 PM on September 9, 2011

that drummer   *starry-eyed sigh*
posted by krilli at 4:34 PM on September 9, 2011

Really liking the songs I've heard off their newest album; I remain undecided about their earlier stuff. Regardless, thanks for giving me a new band to support!
posted by Kitteh at 4:54 PM on September 9, 2011

Personally I find Nights Out to be far too dry and bland, but English Riviera is them finding their groove.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 5:00 PM on September 9, 2011

The Bay is hilarious. Torbay... so glamorous.

The town is basically divided between fascists and skagheads, the most poisonous of the lower middle class versus the quasi-traveller dispossessed. If you go into a pub toilet, you're likely to find the Daily Mail pinned up to read while you're urinating, with the most anti-immigrant, anti-intellectual bits underlined and annotated with approving comments. Meanwhile, down in town, someone would like to relieve you of your small change and makes it clear there's not much option.

Jim Davidson plays here.

Also, the seagulls are the size of Airbuses and have the robbing instincts of speed-crazed Vikings.

This is the town that inspired Fawlty Towers, which was badly under-written compared to the reality.

On the plus points, it's in a stupidly pretty part of the world, has some top-notch geology and (of its type) small-town Victorian architecture, has a history belied by its present, a present belied by its image, and is within striking distance of Dartmoor and all its joys. Also, the south Devon Great Western line will blow anyone's socks off.

Oh, the music? Pleasant enough.
posted by Devonian at 9:50 AM on September 10, 2011

(By the town, I mean Torquay, btw. Brixton and Paignton don't deserve such condemnation.)
posted by Devonian at 10:34 AM on September 10, 2011

I liked it when they put a donk on it.
posted by Theta States at 7:16 AM on September 13, 2011