The Books

[Moonshine]

I've only just recently discovered these guys.

A mixture of samples of speech and sounds with the band playing over them "live"
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gTZZhmKg7OA
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8pX9F5vyILU - Tokyo

Anything similar to reccomend?

[McFlymo]

Funny, I was just thinking of The Books as I writing in that other thread about " music you avoid now", but not because I avoid The Books, on the contrary, they were one of the few bands that when I first heard them (in 2005) I genuinely thought I had never heard anything remotely like it before and I felt so joyous about their music and what it represented to me, at the time!

I saw them live, in Belfast (must've been 2006 or so).

The only thing close to them that I've heard since is Tunng.
I'm not sure what the story is, but there seems to be some sort of rivalry between them, as Tunng have a sample that says "The books have nothing to say" and I think in a more recent song, Tunng mock a trope The Books use, the sample saying, "with your eyes closed, close your eyes." BUT! I could talking bollocks and getting my wires totally crossed.

Mùm arguably have similarities to The Books, in terms of arrangements being "cut up", the intensity of things and the use of silence, perhaps.

[Vitalstatistix]

Fucking love The Books. Really great distinctive style. And unfairly thought of as an intellectual exercise by some. "I Didn't Know That" is so funky, for example.

https://youtu.be/ZP88rsuQ0K0

For that reason it's difficult to think of similar acts, but at a push I'd say some Cornelius, and a dash of Tortoise, perhaps. Tunng is a very good shout.

https://youtu.be/0DT3Z9LCaaI
https://youtu.be/rXf4VeYVkH8

Dunno, these are quite different from TB, the more I think about it. But they're amazing songs so you might get a kick out of them anyway.

[Brundle-Fly]

The Books were great.

I add Grasscut to our list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s717xRYq9V4

[rasta-spouse]

Lemon of Pink is a top album. I haven't found much similar though, maybe The Dirty Projectors - they have a no disguise mash-up uplifting style too.

[holyzombiejesus]

I like them too - once travelled up to Glasgow to see them play with Clogs and ended up having to share a room in a hostel with a man who'd been robbed by a prostitute -  although haven't listened to them in ages and can't imagine ever wanting to again. Motherless Bastard is a lovely tune though. Anyone listened to any of Nick Zammuto's solo stuff?

[Moonshine]

Thanks for all of these recommendations but as rasta-spouse says, there's not much out there similar to The Books.

I'd caught a song of  Tunng's on a compilation a few weeks back and loved it, Heatwave the track's called, so they were already on my list and I'd already heard plenty of mùm and Tortoise too.

Why might The Books be considered an "intellectual exercise"? I wouldn't say much of their music is particularly obtuse or difficult to get into.

[McFlymo]

I think Smells Like Content is one of my favourite pieces of music, like, ever, OMG!!! TOTALLY....

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

[Moonshine]

That's gorgeous

[Shaky]

Yes, it's very lovely, that.

[Famous Mortimer]

"Be Good To Them Always" is one of my favourite songs ever, to the point I tend not to listen to too much else of their stuff.

[peanutbutter]

the problem with the Books is that the best thing they ever done is the first song from the first album.

Smells Like Content comes close though