Free Liars

March 11, 2004 4:55 PM

Free LIARS - LIARS post MP3s of the the entirety of their most recent release, They Were Wrong So We Drowned. Of course, if you dig it, see 'em live or pick up a CD. Not for everyone, but for those with taste... they rock!
posted by dobbs (28 comments total)

It was OK. I liked track 3, wasn't really feeling the rest of them. It's easy to be weird and "experimental", it's hard to be weird and still be structured and melodic/rhythmic enough to sustain interest beyond the experiment.
posted by Spacelegoman at 5:07 PM on March 11, 2004

Why is that called "dance-punk"? The track I checked out (Read the Book that Wrote Itself) was more like ambient music. I'm admittedly an old fuck and I don't understand the Talmudic sub-classification of electronic music genres.
posted by crunchburger at 5:19 PM on March 11, 2004

You can read a bunch of reviews at MetaCritic first if you don't want to download the whole album without some idea of what you're getting.
posted by Salmonberry at 5:20 PM on March 11, 2004

Reminds me a bit of the Fugs, Ween, and Skinny Puppy. Just a little bit of each.

I'd say there are probably lots of people with decently good taste who don't care for this kinda thing, so a more specific description... it's slow, shifting, dissonant machine noise with a beat, plus heavily distorted vocals. Somewhat minimalist, with some extremely minimalist interludes. downbeat, primitive, industrial. It's got quite a bit of that incessant 4/4 "thump thump thump thump" beat with some interesting sounds on top.

It's pretty good, if you like that sort of thing.
posted by sfenders at 5:31 PM on March 11, 2004

crunchburger, their first album They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top was more "dance-punk" in that clattering-disco-groove-with-sharp-guitar-riffs way. Then they got rid of their rhythm section and went all "experimental" (read: boring and unlistenable).

If you're in the market for free new music that isn't a crushing disappointment, NYC-via-Texas psych/arena/indie rockers The Secret Machines is streaming their new album Now Here Is Nowhere from their site.
posted by monosyllabic at 5:44 PM on March 11, 2004

Thanks, monosyllabic. It's always nice when music isn't a crushing disappointment :)
posted by crunchburger at 5:57 PM on March 11, 2004

They seem really all over the genre. As in, you better like the entire genre or you'll not like the album.


Track 1 reminds me of Dirty Vegas
Tracks 2 and 3 have an IDM feel
Tracks 4, 8 and 9 are certainly industrial
Track 5 seems a bit heavy for ambient music, but probably fits best in that category
Track 6 is techno, in the original sense
Tracks 7 and 10 are definately ambient

Anyways, that's just my opine. Not bad, although a bit unpolished (The music video! ACK! MY EYES!), but no longer my standard fare after I quit doing the radio show. :-)
posted by shepd at 6:35 PM on March 11, 2004

Yeah, I don't bother with the classifications. Their last album, mentioned above, is one of the best albums I've ever bought. It sounds nothing like this one (not that I don't like this one).
posted by dobbs at 6:50 PM on March 11, 2004

I like it. But I like Xiu Xiu better.
posted by the fire you left me at 7:43 PM on March 11, 2004

I like it, too. However, for some reason I can't get the thought out of my head that this is just Wolf Eyes for sissies. :)

And i like xiu xiu better, too.
posted by atom128 at 9:54 PM on March 11, 2004

Thanks for the Metacritic link, SB. I'm going to have to side with Spin magazine's review: Zero, unlistenable. Admittedly, I only downloaded the first four tracks, but jesus, this was some atonal arhythmic shit.
posted by jonson at 11:20 PM on March 11, 2004

Damn, could have done with this post before I splashed out on the album. Got to be honest, this album scares me. I don't understand why they had to ditch everything that made the first album great.
posted by chill at 1:34 AM on March 12, 2004

Ahh nothing makes me want to try something more than the eggregiously condescending "but for those with taste...."
posted by efalk at 2:09 AM on March 12, 2004

Couldn't really deal with that. Made me want to listen to Turning Machine which is betterer I reckons.
posted by ed\26h at 3:05 AM on March 12, 2004

Gotta remember to post to metafilter when I put my album online. I could use some cruel dismissals. (Of course, I think these guys deserve it, but what do I know?)
posted by lumpenprole at 7:25 AM on March 12, 2004

dobbs.. sorry, but LIARS no longer rock. With the departure of their original rhythm section (one forced and one voluntary as i hear it), they traded away everything that made them stand out from all the other boring "art punk" bands. Apparently, they prefer pretentious music that looks to get favorable reviews in fashion mags than the music that finally got kids shaking their asses in the clubs.

Oh well.
posted by bluno at 8:44 AM on March 12, 2004

What efalk said.
posted by pmurray63 at 9:19 AM on March 12, 2004

Jeeze, you people have no sense of humor whatsoever. Do you honestly think I seriously meant that if you don't like whatever I like you don't have taste? It's a joke.

And bluno, people change. As do rhythm sections. Personally, I like the album (it sounded like shit when I downloaded it to my PB but on my iPod it's fantastic). I find it interesting that bands are often condemned by fans/crtics when they fail to "grow" (ie, have a sound they don't deter from) but bands that make a concerted effort to do something differerent are equally chided.

Regardless, what no one seems to have mentioned and what I thought was going to be the topic of discussion, was that LIARS have put a 3 week old album from a medium sized label (ie, not a cheap record) on their web site for absolutely free. Whether one digs the album or not, I think this is a commendable act. No doubt the band makes the majority of its $ from live gigs which means they're hoping they can get people into the show by sharing the music, which I for one appreciate. I'll be seeing them in Toronto next week.

Apparently, they prefer pretentious music that looks to get favorable reviews in fashion mags than the music that finally got kids shaking their asses in the clubs.

Believe it or not, it's not their job to get kids shaking their asses in the clubs. Their job is to make whatever the fuck music THEY like, "kids" be damned, take it or leave it. I'll take it. I think the it's a solid record.

Of course, I've got taste.
posted by dobbs at 9:29 AM on March 12, 2004

Personally, I think putting this album on line is an huge "fukyew" to their label, with made them wait for several months before putting this one out.
I suspect the next album will be, uh - better.

Whatever that means.
posted by black8 at 9:31 AM on March 12, 2004

I like the album. I had picked up the cd when it first came out. IMO, the album has kind of a Ummagumma vibe to it. I first saw the Liars opening up for Sonic Youth a year or two ago.
posted by stifford at 10:05 AM on March 12, 2004

whatever you think about the music, it's a great download server. i got the whole album in about a minute.

on first listen, i like it ok. (but you can never tell anything on the first listen. at least i can't.)
posted by mrgrimm at 10:24 AM on March 12, 2004

Oh fuck, and I bought the album last weekend. Anyway, I think you need to be in the right mood for it. I was playing it on my MP3 Player as the rain was pouring down and I couldn't switch it off quickly enough. Having said that, it is most definitely a grower. And track three is superb.
posted by dodgygeezer at 12:38 PM on March 12, 2004

I haven't listened to it yet, but those track titles sound like me making fun of indie track titles. So I'm in favor of it already.
posted by kevspace at 12:45 PM on March 12, 2004

Believe it or not, it's not their job to get kids shaking their asses in the clubs. Their job is to make whatever the fuck music THEY like, "kids" be damned, take it or leave it. I'll take it. I think the it's a solid record.

dobbs - of course they can make whatever music THEY like, regardless of whether the kids, grown-ups, and music critics think. I just think their aggressive stuff as a four piece was more fun, and refreshing, compared to what the new-no-wave williamsburg-hipsters were churning out. Just noting (mourning?) the change in direction, that's all.

I guess I will leave it, but props to them anyway for making it available on-line for nada.
posted by bluno at 1:22 PM on March 12, 2004

everybody's talking about the quality of the music, but what interests me more is the fact that they appear to have posted their entire album online for anybody to download. i wonder what effect if any this will have on their record sales? i wonder if they care.
posted by jcruelty at 1:40 PM on March 12, 2004

Personally, I think putting this album on line is an huge "fukyew" to their label, with made them wait for several months before putting this one out.

I wouldn't doubt this. Last year I approached many of my favorite artists to donate a track for my blogathon. Proceeds were going to Sweet Relief. With one exception, everyone who declined was extremely polite about why they were passing (though 28 great bands did donate tracks, many of them unreleased). I couldn't find contact info for LIARS so I went straight to MUTE Records--the rep was extraordinarliy rude about it, saying, "well, if this were for an important cause or if you were Rolling Stone or something like that, I wouldn't have a problem." When I asked if she could give me contact info for the band so I could see if they wanted to donate a track themselves she said, "No. I mean, they make the music but we own it." She also insisted I call her long distance mid-day so she could tell me this, rather than just say no in an email. When LIARS eventually found out about this (via Hand Held Heart Records), they were rightfully pissed. From what I understand, the relationship was already strained.

jcruelty, a lot of indie bands these days make most of their money touring and selling shirts. I do the web site for Danko Jones and they've many times told me that, though the record sales are nice, touring is the bread and butter. No doubt it's the same with LIARS.
posted by dobbs at 2:25 PM on March 12, 2004

In fact I saw Danko Jones a few months ago supporting Monster Magnet. I'd never heard of them before in my life, but in the middle of their gig I rushed to the merch stand and got a copy of the CD. What can I say, I'm a sucker for showmanship and they certainly deliver.
posted by dodgygeezer at 3:27 PM on March 12, 2004

Dodgygeezer, glad to hear it. I've been doing their web site for about 9 years. I'm delighted they're finally making waves even if it isn't here at home.
posted by dobbs at 7:33 PM on March 12, 2004