Forum Album Club #2 - Now Here Is Nowhere by the Secret Machines

[ManNamedTruth]

If I wanted to hear The Flaming Lips I'd put on The Flaming Lips.  ;)
Just kidding, about to put it on again, I was kinda tired on my first listen.

I get that, but the Secret Machines are like The Flaming Lips if they were all Steven Drozd. Which they are, kind of.

These guys play the HELL out of their instruments.

The heavy drums are definitely Stephen Drozdesque.

[ManNamedTruth]

They did have an EP a couple years earlier, and it's interesting, but it's not close to this.

It's one of the few records that makes me feel like I did as a teenager in my basement bedroom, "exploring space with marijuana"  ;D

does the space of my bedroom count?

[ManNamedTruth]

the beginning of Leaves are Gone is so Wayne Coyne in his whispering gentle reflective mode

[Crispy]

The transitions between songs on this record just blow me away -- Leaves into Nowhere is so perfect, and it's like one piece. All four sides of the record do this, and it is so damn good.

[Crispy]

They did have an EP a couple years earlier, and it's interesting, but it's not close to this.

It's one of the few records that makes me feel like I did as a teenager in my basement bedroom, "exploring space with marijuana"  ;D

does the space of my bedroom count?

It did for me! Especially when Music from the Hearts of Space was on the radio.  :)

[ManNamedTruth]

They did have an EP a couple years earlier, and it's interesting, but it's not close to this.

It's one of the few records that makes me feel like I did as a teenager in my basement bedroom, "exploring space with marijuana"  ;D

does the space of my bedroom count?

It did for me! Especially when Music from the Hearts of Space was on the radio.  :)

In high school I used to hang out at a friend's bedroom who had a black light and glow-in-the-dark stickers of planets and stars and shit, and had them on the ceiling fan too so that when it spun it created these light rings. Pretty sure they were all doing way more acid than I.

[wolof7]

Maybe the rain will stop following me
With millions of colors reflected in daylight
Right on the kick drum, turning the sound up
....love that part

Pharoah's Daughter is probably my 2nd favorite track behind Sad and Lonely.

This albums plays and reads at times like a sci-fi epic 

[sweatboard]

  Is the singer trying to sing like Ian Curtis on Nowhere Again? 

Heard Placebo?  Secret Machines remind me of them.

[Crispy]

  Is the singer trying to sing like Ian Curtis on Nowhere Again? 

Heard Placebo?  Secret Machines remind me of them.

If he is trying to sound like Ian Curtis, I see that as a good thing.

I will need to check out Placebo!

[YimBlaylock]

I'll go ahead and throw my review out there since it's time and whatnot.

Pretty stellar album. I mentioned in last week's discussion that I had never even heard of Secret Machines before this was announced to be the album for this week. After seeing quite a few people rave over Crispy's choice though, I'm guessing I'll be in the minority being a Now Here Is Nowhere virgin.

First, and someone mentioned this I think last week, I really like the classification of "space rock" for this album. The music and production on this album are so dense and atmospheric, it really makes for a great listen. While the music isn't quite similar, the album reminds me of Modest Mouse's "Moon and Antarctica." Both of these albums feel like they were recorded somewhere outside of earth. I really like Crispy's Pink Floyd reference as well. Very fitting.

Favorite Track: Not so much a favorite track, as a favorite two tracks. The cohesiveness of this album is probably my favorite part. The whole album blends together so well, each track feels like a piece of all the others. However, my favorite of example of this is "Leaves Are Gone" and "Nowhere Again." "Leaves Are Gone" is amazing. My favorite song vocally on the album. And its serenity leads so well into the rockin' "Nowhere Again."

Least Favorite Track: "You Are Chains." Solid track, but definitely my least favorite. Not really all that sure why. Just seems, in my opinion, to bring the least to the table out of all the tracks on the album.

Overall: For a rating, I'll give it a 7.2* out of 10. The asterisk being there, because I get the feeling that the more I familiarize myself with this album, the higher my rating will climb. Hardly any of my all-time favorite albums were immediate hits with me, and I feel that it's gonna be the same way with Now Here Is Nowhere. I've listened to the album about 8 or 9 times now, and each successive listen has been significantly more pleasurable than the last.

Just want to thank Wolof again for a million dollar idea in starting this club. And to Crispy as well for choosing a great album that's encouraged me to look into a band that I might would have never come upon otherwise. Can't wait to hear the next selection. 

[ManNamedTruth]

  Is the singer trying to sing like Ian Curtis on Nowhere Again? 

Heard Placebo?  Secret Machines remind me of them.

I was thinking Doug Martsch but mostly at the beginning. no i don't think he sounds like Ian Curtis at all.  ???

[Crispy]

Maybe the rain will stop following me
With millions of colors reflected in daylight
Right on the kick drum, turning the sound up
....love that part

Pharoah's Daughter is probably my 2nd favorite track behind Sad and Lonely.

This albums plays and reads at times like a sci-fi epic 

Absofuckinglutely. Serious head-bobbing time. And then You Are Chains...talk about epic...

[wolof7]

Maybe the rain will stop following me
With millions of colors reflected in daylight
Right on the kick drum, turning the sound up
....love that part

Pharoah's Daughter is probably my 2nd favorite track behind Sad and Lonely.

This albums plays and reads at times like a sci-fi epic 

Absofuckinglutely. Serious head-bobbing time. And then You Are Chains...talk about epic...

I didn't appreciate You Are Chains until tonight....when the drums kick in....yeah that part is beauty.

Great Review Yim!

I think I'll one up you and give this one an 8.2/10 and that's based on not being as familiar as I should....

....This album will keep me warm through this fall/winter when things get weird in New England.

[sweatboard]

  Is the singer trying to sing like Ian Curtis on Nowhere Again? 

Heard Placebo?  Secret Machines remind me of them.

I was thinking Doug Martsch but mostly at the beginning. no i don't think he sounds like Ian Curtis at all.  ???

It's no really the way he "sounds" it's the Way he "sings" if that makes any sense.  I like the term "space rock" as well but this album seems a little to dense, I like my space rock more atmospheric.

[Crispy]

Another amazing transition from Pharoah's Daughter to Chains...it's like you don't realize what's upon you while the full weight of the thing gradually imposes itself...

Give it time, YimB, but I think you've already got it. "...each successive listen has been significantly more pleasurable than the last."  :)

[ManNamedTruth]

Maybe the rain will stop following me
With millions of colors reflected in daylight
Right on the kick drum, turning the sound up
....love that part

Pharoah's Daughter is probably my 2nd favorite track behind Sad and Lonely.

This albums plays and reads at times like a sci-fi epic 

Absofuckinglutely. Serious head-bobbing time. And then You Are Chains...talk about epic...

I was digging this track too. These guys are good musicians and the most musical parts are my favorite parts. The vocals at times are derivative of other bands and that has been my only gripe. Sometimes when I try to get into bands that sound like other bands I get sick of it and go back to that original band.

[YimBlaylock]

Maybe the rain will stop following me
With millions of colors reflected in daylight
Right on the kick drum, turning the sound up
....love that part

Pharoah's Daughter is probably my 2nd favorite track behind Sad and Lonely.

This albums plays and reads at times like a sci-fi epic 

Absofuckinglutely. Serious head-bobbing time. And then You Are Chains...talk about epic...

I didn't appreciate You Are Chains until tonight....when the drums kick in....yeah that part is beauty.

Great Review Yim!

I think I'll one up you and give this one an 8.2/10 and that's based on not being as familiar as I should....

....This album will keep me warm through this fall/winter when things get weird in New England.

For sure. This album made me really look forward to when it starts to get a lot colder cause this is the kind of stuff that I really like to listen to when the world looks a little more apocalyptic, with leaf-less trees, snow on the ground, etc.

[sweatboard]

I think i could get behind this album more if I wasn't so bothered by the lead singer and the lyrics.  The lead singer makes me feel like I'm shopping at Hot Topic.

[Crispy]

Maybe the rain will stop following me
With millions of colors reflected in daylight
Right on the kick drum, turning the sound up
....love that part

Pharoah's Daughter is probably my 2nd favorite track behind Sad and Lonely.

This albums plays and reads at times like a sci-fi epic 

Absofuckinglutely. Serious head-bobbing time. And then You Are Chains...talk about epic...

I didn't appreciate You Are Chains until tonight....when the drums kick in....yeah that part is beauty.

Great Review Yim!

I think I'll one up you and give this one an 8.2/10 and that's based on not being as familiar as I should....

....This album will keep me warm through this fall/winter when things get weird in New England.

For sure. This album made me really look forward to when it starts to get a lot colder cause this is the kind of stuff that I really like to listen to when the world looks a little more apocalyptic, with leaf-less trees, snow on the ground, etc.

Definitely a winter album -- but this summer's been pretty goddamn apocalyptic...

[YimBlaylock]

I really like the vocals on this album. First listen through, wasn't quite sold on them. But by the second time through, I came around. I agree with you all, mentioning Doug Martsch and Wayne Coyne. I think Curtis was definitely influenced by these guys (or it would seem so anyway) but I don't think he's copycat-ing these guys by any means. I think he did a superb job.