Venetian Flair

September 30, 2008 9:38 PM

The Most Serene Republic, quite possibly the most underrated of all the acts on the Arts & Crafts label, create music in a similar vein to fellow Canadian indie rockers Arcade Fire, Stars, and Broken Social Scene. Experience their explosive, big-band, polyphonic, experimental flair by listening to their 3 releases in full: Underwater Cinematographer (2005), Phages EP (2006), and Population (2007). A few video music videos as well: The Men Who Live Upstairs, Oh God, Content Always Was My Favourite
posted by Christ, what an asshole (21 comments total)

They're a great band to see live too, in my opinion. Bands on A&C usually are.
posted by saraswati at 10:14 PM on September 30, 2008

I love what I hear here and see in das videos.

So which if these records do I buy first, gents?
posted by Senor Cardgage at 10:47 PM on September 30, 2008

if = of, but Im sure you figured that out.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 10:48 PM on September 30, 2008

All three releases made my top echelon of each album's respective year (2005, 2006, 2007), so my recommendation is a toss-up. The most conceptual and pop-oriented album is Underwater Cinematographer, the most experimental and crescendo-heavy is Phages, and the most cohesive and dynamic is Population.
posted by Christ, what an asshole at 11:07 PM on September 30, 2008

Arts & Crafts has underrated bands?
posted by Manhasset at 11:07 PM on September 30, 2008

I came for the band name, I stayed for the music.
posted by athenian at 11:57 PM on September 30, 2008

I love The Most Serene Republic. They're definitely relatively unknown if not underrated. I saw them live a couple of months ago in a 200 capacity venue in Cork. I was the only person in the place when they took to the stage, by the end there were maybe ten. It was incredibly depressing. They were amazing though, they still gave it their all and dedicated the show to me so I felt like a special snowflake.
posted by minifigs at 1:35 AM on October 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

Yeah, even Broken Social Scene. I saw them in Utrecht and there were like twenty people there.

I keep being amazed by how it's possible that guys like these haul all their stuff across an ocean to come play for us and the band makes up like 25% of the people in the venue, whereas in my mind they're totally famous.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 2:19 AM on October 1, 2008

LOVE these guys. They definitely don't get the attention BSS and Stars get, and they should. Great post!
posted by jbickers at 3:01 AM on October 1, 2008

As a comparison, Stars played the same venue with Apostle of Hustle a month earlier and it was sold out a couple of weeks in advance
posted by minifigs at 4:28 AM on October 1, 2008

Yes! Most definitely my favorite A&C band, and hugely unappreciated. Thanks for spreading the news!
posted by youarenothere at 6:52 AM on October 1, 2008

I love this post and I love all the A&C bands, especially Broken Social Scene. The one thing that kills me is that I just now learned that on this tour they're playing in the one and only venue in my suburban-DC hometown. Right after I moved. Grr.

Still, though, thanks for this! Got me thinking about music again.
posted by malthas at 6:53 AM on October 1, 2008

their 3 releases in full

Not on last.fm, unless I'm mistaken.
posted by regicide is good for you at 7:15 AM on October 1, 2008

I saw them open for Rogue Wave some time ago, and I was impressed and even bought the record. While I didn't think all of their enthusiasm translated onto the record, it was good and had a novel sound. I'd see them live again in a heartbeat, though.
posted by littlerobothead at 8:44 AM on October 1, 2008

I saw them a few years ago and it was amazing. I immediately bought their album (Underwater Cinematographer), put it on, and, THUD: Everything I loved about them was woefully absent.

It's definitely worth seeing them live, though.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:11 AM on October 1, 2008

On what POSSIBLE basis do you say MSR is "quite possibly the most underrated" among A&C bands? Where are the "ratings"?

I love MSR and have never read anything about them that wasn't positive, so what's with this silly "underrated" nonsense? Do you mean that they're less than "famous"? If so, are they less "famous" than Gentleman Reg?
posted by ethnomethodologist at 9:41 AM on October 1, 2008

Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you for this thread.

I dont know how this band got by me, they should have been right in my radar area.

Got Population and am loving it.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 10:29 AM on October 1, 2008

Great post - I knew about these guys only marginally, but really like them now. Great video for The Men Who Live Upstairs.

I like these guys much more than BSS or Stars. Thanks for posting!
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 11:14 AM on October 1, 2008

Is there anyway to listen to their entire albums on Last.FM without manually having to click next track after the previous one completed? It's pretty annoying. I would like to just have the player automatically move to the next track after the I just listened to finish.
posted by spacesbetween at 11:35 AM on October 1, 2008

I've seen almost everyone on the A&C label live and TMSR definitely put the most into their live show. Great musicians.
posted by scabrous at 1:21 PM on October 1, 2008

If so, are they less "famous" than Gentleman Reg?

I doubt it. I love Reg's music, but he was serving me drinks the other night.

And I think anyone who thinks any A&C bands don't get publicity doesn't live in Canada. I skip all articles about their artists as everything seems a puff piece. Not everything the label has released is great--much of it'll be forgotten real quick--but to read the press, they're the second coming. Release for release, I think the now defunct Three Gut Records kicked A&C's ass. I'd also take the majority of Constellations releases over A&C's. At least they put out stuff that's not so bland and predictable.
posted by Manhasset at 8:24 PM on October 1, 2008 [1 favorite]