i love the shins, but the new album wasn't bad, it was just really underwhelming.

there's certainly no (cliche and over-played, i know) new slang on this album. nothing that blows you away like their last few releases.

Can't say I ever cared much for The Shins, but I actually like Phantom Limb and a few other tracks on the new album.

I always thought they sounded a bit like The New Pornographers, only more melancholic, and while I like a few of their songs too, that axis isn't really my cup of mocha.

hmm... the new pornographers seem really different to me.

They do sound different, I just feel they make a lot of similar stylistic choices. In other words, how I see it is that The New Pornographers might present a more upbeat and sometimes kitschy way of playing the same songs that The Shins do. The only reason I mentioned it was because the first thought I had when I heard Australia was, "Edging a little closer to TNP, are we?"

But I like grouping things together in my mind like this. Perhaps I generalize too much.

couldn't resist the urge to say something - i'm running out the door to go see them, right now. sister randomly called me up and had free tix for me. (definately cool - they always sell out months in advance)


oh [i]hell yeah.[/i]

nice

Cool. Hope they play some older stuff for you.

i'd have to say, i was REALLY impressed. probably somewhere in the top 15 as far as best concerts go.

there was only one opening band, a really good local band (viva voce,) and almost no waiting or BS.

they played a long set - an hour, or thereabouts.

the mixture of songs drew pretty evenly from all their releases, and all the songs you'd expect were there - new slang, girl on the wing, kissing the lipless, turn a square, caring is creepy.. but they also threw in a few that i didnt expect, and was really happy about. YOUNG PILGRAMS - HELL YES!

they changed the feel quite a bit on their older songs. it took a little while to get used to, but its actually an improvement - in the dynamics. so most were played just a little slower, and rocked just a little harder than i expected. with one notable exception*

they also played about 4 songs off their new album. and even made jokes about the fact that people were calling out tracks - since it obviously meant they had leaked copies. i actually appreciated the new songs a lot more live, and even though people keep talking about how much their sound changed, the new songs blend in PERFECTLY with the rest of the show.

the encore was amazing: one by one all day, ending with a 5 minute noise/freakout, leading into kissing the lipless. and the ending it with know your onion.

highs: phantom limb, australia, young pilgrams, know your onion,

actualy everything they played.. even the songs i usually skip were really good. (gone for good, pink bullets..)

lows: NEW SLANG. the ONE song i was dying to/expecting to be amazed by.. was really lackluster. simply because they played it too slowly. even though it wasnt slowed down that much, it lost every bit of passion and feeling. UGH.