I decided to start a thread about my favorite band, Stereolab.
My favorite album of theirs is Emperor Tomato Ketchup, favorite song is Lo Boob Oscillator. My favorite song from their early “we desperately want to be Sonic Youth” period is Mountain.
I have at least liked everything of theirs I’ve heard (I’m only missing the first Switched On album and most singles), and usually wind up mentioning them in music related threads.
So, anyone else here like them?
I have dots and loops and like it a lot. The best thing about Stereolab is the singer. She did a song with my favorite band LUNA on the cd Penthouse. It’s called Bonnie and CLyde and it is a remake of a french song. You should check it out if you have the opportunity.
Knew they sounded familiar…
High Fidelity soundtrack.
I’ve got Dots and Loops and Emperor Tomato Ketchup. I don’t listen too them all that often, but when I am in the mood they can really be the good stuff.
Also (I think most Stereolab fans know this) but John McIntyre, who did producing on at least one (I think more) of their past few albums is another band called The Sea and Cake. I highly recommned The Biz and The Fawn by them.
John McEntire is also in Tortoise.
Sean O’Hagan of the High Llamas is a Stereolab auxiliary. So is Jim O’Rourke, who I strongly recommend.
I love 'em. I’ve seen them live several times. I like the one chord thing, the moog thing, the French thing, the political thing, the Brazilian lounge thing…
I’ve got Dots and Loops, Transient Random Noise Bursts With Announcements, Music for the Amorphous Body Study Centre, Mars Audiac Quintet and Cobra and Phases Group play Voltage in the Milky Night.
I’m a fan as well; I have most of their albums and finally got to see them last year. I found out about them the day before ETK came out; the lamented Greater London Radio played a track off it (can’t remember which one) and so I went to the shop the next day and got it. I’ve never known an album to have so many people wanting to find out what it was and get it themselves.
Oh, yeah- I also like Tortoise and The Sea and Cake. I’ve never been able to find any High Llamas stuff in the US.
I’ve heard the Luna track with Laetitia singing, its one of about three songs of theirs I’ve heard but I’ve liked them all…
The Trader Joe’s nearby plays Stereolab as muzak.
No complaints here.
I’ve got Mars Audiac Quintet, Dots & Loops, and Peng. I like MAQ and D&L but Peng is pretty mediocre.
Peng is pretty bare musically, but features another of their best songs.
I find it amusing that some friends of mine say all of their stuff sounds alike. I think they have changed their sound more than any other band- from minimalist rock on Peng, to noise rock on Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements to drum-n-bass on Dots & Loops…
I would consider Stereolab to be one of my favorite bands. I started listening to them in around 96 or so. THe local used CD shop has been Stereolabriffic, I have picked up so many of their CDs there, used.
I have Dots and Loops, Aluminium Tunes, Transient Random - Noise Bursts with Announcements, Mars Audiac Quintet, The First of the Microbe Hunters, Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Peng!, Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The Milky Night, The Groop Played Space Age Bachelor Pad Music, and Sound Dust.
I like them all, so it is hard to choose a favorite. But, right now Sound Dust would be my favorite. Probably, because I have been listening to it a lot. But, also, I think it highlights Sadler’s wonderful vocals very well. Plus, it has some really neat sounding songs that shift and go all over the place - all in one track.
I think my favorite Stereolab song is Speedy Car.
I think Mouse on Mars is also a Stereolab offshoot. I forget how they are connected, but I do believe they are. I enjoy Mouse on Mars, much more electronic then Stereolab, but still very good.
I will have to check out the Sea and The Cake. I think I recognize the name, in fact, I think I might have seen them live one time. Fun show. (But, there are lots of bands with the names sea and cake in their name. So, I might be confused. Heck, Cake is another favorite band of mine.)
I am often ignorant, musically. So, I haven’t heard Sonic Youth. Are they worth checking out? I don’t like to think that Stereolab ever wanted to be anyone else, they seem so happy in their little niche.
I do think they have changed a lot from album to album. But, they have managed to keep a particular Stereolab sound to everything they do, so perhaps that is what your friends are picking up on, grendel
pat
That’s interesting, I’ve never heard anyone suggest they sound like Sonic Youth before. Neu!, yes, but not Sonic Youth. Of course they sound like Neu! because they lift guitar lines directly from Neu! songs… that sounded good though, unlike their newer stuff which has the John McEntire “make it boring. make it really, really boring” aesthetic that he has applied to many bands that were exciting beforehand.
You might want to check out McCarthy if you haven’t heard them, while their earliest stuff resembles Stereolab not at all, their last album (Banking, Violence and the Inner Life Today) has many Stereolab moments and is a good LP in its own right.
-fh
The Sonic Youth comparison comes from their “noise-rock” phase, circa Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements and most of the songs on Refried Ectoplasm. The song I mentioned, Mountain, sounds a lot like Sonic Youth to me…
I know of McCarthy (Tim Gane’s first band), but haven’t heard any of their stuff. Actually I heard a comparison with EMF that scared me off…
I wouldn’t say their more recent stuff was boring, if anything they keep getting more musically innovative. I would say they are not so much “rock” anymore, but the lack of loud guitar doesn’t make them boring.
The Sonic Youth comparison comes from their “noise-rock” phase, circa Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements and most of the songs on Refried Ectoplasm. The song I mentioned, Mountain, sounds a lot like Sonic Youth to me…
I know of McCarthy (Tim Gane’s first band), but haven’t heard any of their stuff. Actually I heard a comparison with EMF that scared me off…
I wouldn’t say their more recent stuff was boring, if anything they keep getting more musically innovative. I would say they are not so much “rock” anymore, but the lack of loud guitar doesn’t make them boring.