Phil & the Osophers – Toward Conquering the Invisible North
One of the finest, most perfectly polished pop acts you’re ever… no, actually, this really is fucking rough as hell. It really is – rougher perhaps than anyone bar the likes of Maxwell Panther and the Wave Pictures (before their Moshi Moshi days). And do I love it? Of course I fucking do. Cast iron proof that really all you need in order to make a great album is a cast-iron knack for an infectious tune, and the ability to write good lyrics.
This has both of these qualities in spades. The rough recordings seem to be used as an extra instrument, because Phil himself sings in a lazily casual sort of a way, so I get the impression none of this is all that accidental. There are only two of them as well, and they’ve known each other since school too, so the parallels to the Wave Pictures continue.
They seem to take a perverse pride in not really being able to play things all that well. The recorder (or whatever it is, I’m not sure) on I Will Reverse It sounds like a primary school music class, and apparently the drummer, Kevin, didn’t learn the drums all that recently and there were one or two teething problems early on. Honestly, though, it really doesn’t seem to matter. They clatter and wail their way through their songs and somehow it all just seems to work.
It’s largely upbeat and oddly infectious, with a sort of careless enthusiasm which seems to pervade the album. Sure, it might be a little inconsistent but I’ve really enjoyed listening to this, and I look forward to raising eyebrows when we invite my parents round for dinner next and it slowly dawns on my Mum that, no, it’s not the fucking Lighthouse Family.
Phil & the Osophers – Third World American
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Phil & the Osophers – La Bastille
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
yep, liking this very much! and not to draw comparisons, cause I hate when that happens too very much, BUT… there is a sense of the Violent Femmes here in a nice “surfered up” way. Maybe it’s that boxy drum set sound and the vocals, definitely the vocals, brings back nice early 90s vocals, yes… oh yes.
Stands very well on it’s own, it does, regardless of my trip down memory lane here, and I’m glad you brought them to our attention, thanks! xoxo
Captain Beefheart.
a lot of sound from just 2 guys! actually, maybe it was the passion translating clearly through my headphones. rough drumming i love! slacker voice i love! the songs i sampled are not polished AT ALL, and that is the BEST PART. we need more lo-fi bands like this, seriously.
My reaction exactly. Rough as fuck – more please!
You should hear this out of my new Tangent speakers! Thanks Richer Sounds.
Other ‘rough’ bands, anyone?
early Mountain Goats
Times New Viking
New speakers, Gav? New speakers, and songs which suit them, are such a fucking treat. I envy you the complaints from the neighbours which will presumably be yours in the morning. Once they’ve emerged from behind the sofa.
And a Cambridge Audio A1 amp from ebay.
First time (though kind of the first chance for this new home-owner!) I’ve spent a bit on ear-spunking equipment.
Up to now I’ve only splashed out on earphones.
Tell next door I’ve turn them down at eleven.
In terms of treating yourself, porn has a long way to go before it matches music.
Oh, when I said ’splashed out on earphones’, I didn’t want to give the wrong impression.
As fetishes go, that’s just weird. Mind you, there’ll be a website dedicated to earphone cumshots somewhere on the fucking internet. There’s no perversion so odd someone can’t dedicate their lives to it.
Oh gotta git me summa dat! Sounds like their instruments are busted. Splendid!
I didn’t really hear it at first, but after a couple of listens I think DC’s right. There’s some serious Beefheart action going on here.
Oh quite possibly – I don’t know anything like enough Beefheart to say. Still good though.
Not quite as mental and tuneless as Beefheart at his best, but it’s got that raggedy-ass guitar sound.
Think “Safe As Milk”, “Clear Spot”, “The Spotlight Kid” & “Bat Chain Puller” – definitely there’s some pulled-string twang in there, as well as some tunings. Good shit, though.
quirky and ok, but if i owned this i doubt i would be listening to it much.
BTW just cos it is ramshackled and tuneless doesn’t mean you can liken it Beefheart.
Next!!!
The Cambridge A1 is great amp.
Just thought I’d let you know.
i’ve got a A5 and it is class
Any chance of worming some kind of ‘what equipment do you use to blast out the music you listen to?’ into a Friday 5?
I know it’s just an excuse to geek out, but, while researching, I’ve learnt a fair bit about this kind of stuff, and would be interested to hear what everybody uses.
BTW just cos it is ramshackled and tuneless doesn’t mean you can liken it Beefheart.
We’re not. Listen to it & you’ll hear Beefheart tuning & similar playing methods/progressions. I listed a couple of albums above that you might want to refer back to in order to see what I mean.
Next.
oh i see….love safe as milk….not as a big expert on the others….i will re listen and get back
ear spunk!!! oh i love that! and no matthew, it’s not earphone cumshots, but ear cumshots …. not that i would know or anything.
(well, what else can i talk about, not knowing a thing about Captain Beefheart!?)
Total beefheart !
I hesitate to say ‘lifted’ because they’ve made those riffs sound their own. I’d be happy for a full force mainstream beefheart plunder-fest though. Pusscat Dolls doing Dropout Boogie, fine by me.