IDLES and the generally sorry state of the British "punk" scene

[kngen]

"King of Jeans" seems to be their most popular (and well-produced) album, so maybe that one. "Honeys" is my current favourite for arse-ripping tunes like Romanticise Me and Bathroom Laughter. You also can't go wrong with Boring Girls, the best song with one single guitar chord I've ever heard, from their reissued first album "Shallow". All of these songs also have fantastic videos.

I'd concur with this, allow I don't think the first album captures them quite as well as the later ones. One to go back to, I reckon (although my opinion was rather coloured by the fact that I'd [major boast incoming] seen them in their hometown of Bethlehem, PA, playing a gig in a tiny room where their quite phenomenal amounts of gear took up the entire side of one wall, floor to ceiling. They were illuminated by one single red light. It was fucking transcendental, man – and no recording could have captured that!)

You're probably aware of them, Nags, but Snake Apartment and Sex/Vid were contemporaries of Pissed Jeans that ploughed a similar furrow back in the mid-00s, but maybe didn't quite capture the imagination to put them over the top and into the wider consciousness in the way that PJ did. Still worth checking out if you haven't though.

[hedgehog90]

Punk's not dead, it just needs a bit of a sit-down right now.

[Icehaven]

Everyone ages and a lot of people gain weight, and those wheely suitcases make sense if you need to carry stuff, and even his hair isn't too bad, got that very straight parting thing going on that's in right now, but why the fuck is he wearing pillowcases?

[hedgehog90]

I assumed that's the Arsenal away kit.

[a duncandisorderly]

I assumed that's the Arsenal away kit.

arf.

[Brundle-Fly]

It looks like he has meds condition here rather than over indulging. Leave him alone. I love this bloke.

[Durance Vile]

Just looks like he's getting old. Happens to all of us.

Anyway, Idles bloke sounds like Arthur Mullard being sick in a bucket. I've got the feeling they might be the next Frank Turner. Steve Lamacq might be a lovely bloke with his heart in the right place, but by god he's got cloth ears.

[jobotic]

It looks like he has meds condition here rather than over indulging. Leave him alone. I love this bloke.

I don't love him in the slightest but I agree.

[Brundle-Fly]

I don't love him in the slightest but I agree.

Yeah, 'love' is perhaps pushing it, but I am fond of the contrary old bastard and want him to stick around to carry on rubbing peoples' backs the wrong way..

[gib]

Just heard these IDLES for the first time on Jools Holland. Far too much facial hair for a punk band except the drummer, who looks like a racist. Incomprehensible lyrics, Sleaford Mods bangwagon, musically unoriginal cut n past job from the punk and hard rock playbook.

Paused it to nip out for a smoke and found myself humming the tune on the way back so i've decided i quite like it and anyway, it's nice for the youngsters who missed out the first time round back in the olden days.

[good times]

The song with references to Reggae and Trevor Nelson makes me slightly uncomfortable.

I'm certain there's nothing to them, and they were yet another cack handed attempt at seemingly random societal references (see: the song called Rachel Khoo for no apparent reason) and I'm probably being over sensitive but they sound alarmingly like something Morrissey might sing about circa 1992.

Sleaford Mods (referenced back up there) are way more interesting but still nowhere near as clever lyrically as people make out. At least 25% of their songs seem to be about poo.

[jobotic]

Look at the lyrics to the song that mentions reggae

Well done

[Verse 1]
Why don't you get a job?
Even Tarquin has a job
Mary Berry's got a job
So why don't you get a job?

Well done

[Verse 2]
Why don't you win a medal?
Even Tarquin wins a medal
Mary Berry's got a medal
So why don't you get a medal?

Well done

[Chorus]
I'd rather cut my nose off
To spite my face
I'd rather bite my nose off
To spite my face

[Verse 3]
Why don't you get a degree?
Even Tarquin has a degree
Mary Berry's got a degree
So why don't you get a degree?

Well done

[Verse 4]
Why don't you like reggae?
Even Tarquin likes reggae
Mary Berry likes reggae
So why don't you like reggae?

Well done

[Verse 5]
Why don't you watch football?
Even Tarquin likes football
Trevor Nelson likes football
So why don't you watch football?

Well done

[Chorus]
I'd rather cut my nose off
To spite my face
I'd rather cut my nose off
To spite my

[Bridge]
Get on your bike, she said
Let them eat cake, she said
Well done

I mean for fuck's sake.

What have the artists said about the song?
In a statement to NME, frontman Joe Talbot had this to say about the song:

Never in my lifetime has the class divide been so violently apathetic and apparent in equal measure and so 'Well Done' is a simple riposte to a lifetime of advice from the Saturday night TV congregation and the ivory tower fucks that think it necessary to send "helpful" quips in the direction of the working classes.

Who are the Saturday night TV congregation? These are just words that they think make them sound good aren't they? Targuin. Mary Berry. Join a trade union.

[Norton Canes]

I'm not normally one to have my ire pique by message board discourse but FUCK ING HELL I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MUCH POINT MISSING IN MY LIFE

[sevendaughters]

I can imagine the first lines delivered by Jeremy Kyle in a sneery way but it doesn't work for me, Manish.

[alan nagsworth]

I'm not normally one to have my ire pique by message board discourse but FUCK ING HELL I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MUCH POINT MISSING IN MY LIFE

Sorry, what exactly are we missing?

[iamcoop]

I'd just like to say that Pissed Jeans are fucking amazing (so thanks for the recommendation) and yes, a far superior band if you're into noisey stuff but I'm still not really sure why you brought them into comparison with Idles - completely different bands altogether.

[Brundle-Fly]

Fuck me! They were bloody brilliant last night!

[iamcoop]

Fuck me! They were bloody brilliant last night!

I'm seeing them on Tuesday. Should be good.

[Janie Jones]

Charlie Brooker loves Idles
https://www.nme.com/blogs/tv-blogs/fucking-minced-meat-is-going-to-become-sentient-and-start-crawling-out-of-packaging-and-strolling-away-an-interview-with-charlie-brooker-2393265

[king_tubby]

Just looked at 53 seconds of Idles on the old YouTubes, that they have nowadays.

Blimey.

So, not my cup of tea, but I am 44.

[Twed]

Yeah, 'love' is perhaps pushing it, but I am fond of the Country Life old bastard

[king_tubby]

BUT...it reminds me of when I started listening to punk, and I'd gone through the Pistols, Buzzcocks, Penetration, X-Ray Spex etc etc and started to have a listen to the real third division stuff, boring, derivative, cliched shit - I mean, it's fucking bollocks isn't it? I'm not a huge fan of Sleaford Mods but you can't compare them to this fucking woeful piss, can you?

[king_tubby]

Listening to more of this, to give it a chance. This is worse than the fucking Levellers.

[king_tubby]

Right, on to another one now. Which music journalists did they go to public school with?

[Captain Crunch]

Why in the world is there seen to be a need to write this sort of shit these days (just came up on a facebook event):

Drug Church are a glorious contradiction. They are an undeniably aggressive band that writes hooks you can't stop humming: too poppy for the heavy crowd, too heavy for the poppy crowd. Their frontman is a singer who rarely sings and delivers lyrics that revel in the darkest corners of the human condition, but are just as likely to make you laugh as they are to make you flinch. They loudly shout the uncomfortable truths we prefer to ignore but somehow make us want to shout along with them; they make serious music but don't take themselves too seriously; they are completely adverse to planning but have accidentally built a loyal cult following. On Cheer, the band has doubled down on their Drug Church-iest impulses and emerged with an album that's sure to please longtime fans and turn new heads. If there's anything intentional about Drug Church, it's knowing the value of being
unintentional.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClcwKgxu2wk

Oh, or silly me, maybe they're being funny which is even worse. 

[king_tubby]

Right, look at these Australians do this so much better, ten years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10A_-wnpnsY

[king_tubby]

Why in the world is there seen to be a need to write this sort of shit these days (just came up on a facebook event):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClcwKgxu2wk

Oh, or silly me, maybe they're being funny which is even worse.

Laughed.

[non capisco]

Right, look at these Australians do this so much better, ten years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10A_-wnpnsY

Yes! I absolutely love Eddy Current Suppression Ring, even though something of theirs like 'Colour Television' isn't too dissimilar to Idles in execution and intent (and, to be honest, ropey ass lyrics).

What's your favourite Eddy Current Supression Ring song, king_tubby? I think I'd have to go with 'You Let Me Be Honest With You'. That thing still knocks me out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlznjjz1y8g

[king_tubby]

My favourite is the one I posted. Fucking TUNE.

[Pauline Walnuts]

Just looked at 53 seconds of Idles on the old YouTubes, that they have nowadays.

Blimey.

So, not my cup of tea, but I am 44.

Well, there's your problem right there. You're just too young.