That is Tim DeLaughter, the main writer and lead vocalist for Polyphonic Spree. He also founded Tripping Daisy in 1990. They were a 90s neo-psychedelia, grunge and alternative rock band, most closely associated with The Flaming Lips in sound and geography (Tim is from Dallas, while Wayne and Steven from Flaming Lips were from Oklahoma City and Houston, respectively). Both bands carried the neo-psychedelia banner, but also would match it with more current genres of the 90s. Here is a cool clip of Tripping Daisy on Conan in 1994:
Two Thousand Places - such a great song…make sure you check out the Austin City Limits clip I linked above a few days ago for an amazing live version of that song…think it starts around 4:20 of that clip, but the whole thing is dope.
yeah, I think some of it for me depends for me on the band and if there is enough psychedelic aspects. Plus the choral vocals help too. Like some Flaming Lips, Arcade Fire and even Sufjan Stevens has strong symphonic aspects as well and I love those. But then the symphonic aspects of The Beatles or like parts of Pink Floyd the Wall I really dislike. When I first heard Let It Be naked, without all the symphony music added, I almost cried it was so much better…it was like another Revolver for me. That’s when I realized how just adding symphonic rock elements for the sake of it can really hurt a great song.
The oooooh-ing has grown on me over the years…as has this song
Sufjan had to steal this technique for the Michigan through Illinois era…
I wish I could put my finger on exactly what was happening for you…lots of ecstasy maybe. But also remember, the Spree might of been Tim reacting to the overdose death of an extremely close friend and Tripping Daisy bandmate. The Flaming Lips music at the time had a similar sense of wonder and awe imo, all the while Steven was openly using heroin and Wayne was at a loss as to how to help him. Politically things were pretty dark in the US too at that time…post 9/11 insanity and invasion of Afganistan and Iraq.
I was very young for the turn of the millennium, so I think I heavily associate all the excitement for what that would bring with the last of my innocence.
This makes a great listen for a heavy Monday morning.
When do you find out if you passed the bar?
This is one thing I’m liking about We’re Heavy Together, that they’re kind of doing this big rock symphony thing better than Sgt. Peppers. Really highlights how the Beatles did it for effect, while these guys are doing it more for real.
Thats cool. I really didn’t connect with your recommendation either…i tried to find pieces i enjoyed, but it was a stretch. People have different tastes, there wouldn’t need to be so much music if they didn’t.
- Revolver
- Abbey Road
- Magical Mystery Tour
- White Album
- Rubber Soul
- Help!
- Let It Be
- St. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Blasphemous, I know. That doesn’t even include Let It Be (naked) which would probably be in top 5. I know it was innovative at the time, but most of the songs have worn thin after 30-40 years depending on how old I was when I first heard them. Other songs and albums have managed to stay fresh, or at least fresher (or “more fresh” I don’t know).
Haha and Arcade Fire don’t do it for me either (apart from maybe the title track from Everything Now).
Re: Beatles Abbey Road always on top, always slightly preferred Magical Mystery Tour to Sgt. Peppers, Revolver and Rubber Soul are together but depends which one I listened to latest, White album varies a lot depending on criteria, I just don’t really listen to Help or Let It Be, and if I ever wanted early stuff A Hard Day’s Night is plenty but I’d easily put on Past Masters or an Anthology or even Love before that.
Now to get to this Polyphonic Spree Beatles cover.
I love Arcade Fire’s first 3 albums and caught each of those tours live, including the final show on their Funeral tour at the Vegoose festival. I skipped Trey to see them since he suggested we do so in sone interview after seeing them live himself. Also Sprawl II is one of my favorite songs of last 20 years for sure.
Sprawl II is my jam. First heard it traveling from Reno to Yosemite. “Mountains beyond mountains,” indeed.
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I don’t get results until the last friday of October. I was offered, and accepted, a job the day after the exam, so I’ll atleast be busy in the meantime.
Whoa, really digging the first track of this. Lead singer’s delivery reminds me a bit of Jason Lytle from Grandaddy, with a dash of Doug Martsch.
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I greatly enjoyed my listen of Together We’re Heavy. It’s an ambitious album that rewarded me with surprising instrumentation and spiritual/introspective lyrics. I will say I was hoping for a few more moments of the heavy-ish riffing that happens in track 1. And, the choir maybe wore thin by the end, but I was never truly turned off. Definitely plan to check out more of their discography. What’s the holiday album like, @Gizzhenge? (If it’s as good as the Xmas stuff the Lips and Sufjan have put out, then I think I’d like it.)
It’s no Christmas Unicorn, but its great if you like more traditional Christmas songs. I think the Tiny Desk Concert on YouTube is holiday songs. I’ve been both their and Sufjan’s holiday singalongs and I like Sufjan’s better, solely because of the aforementioned Christmas Unicorn.
