Car Seat Headrest (the band not the car seat headrest)

[C_Larence]

Twin Fantasy is a 2011 album by Will Toledo aka Car Seat Headrest. It chronicles the beginning and end of a relationship between a young, gay furry and an older man who wants to transition. Written when Toledo was 17, the album was completely self produced and released on bandcamp. Gaining traction online, it lead to interest from labels, and an eventual record deal with Matador. I don't want to be too boring about this so I'll just post my favourite tracks, although I'd recommend listening to the whole album in full as a lot of the songs reference each other.

Whole album - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g14Jj6gSgPY

Beach Life in Death - 12 minute, 3 part song that I could listen to on repeat for a day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i12PHJRJTVA

Bodys - The single
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmON1UxzGGw

Famous Prophets (Minds) - The one where they breakup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYThBBhxrTw


But C_Larence, I hear you type, these songs sound like shit and you're a fucking idiot and I hate you. Well you're in luck*, because in 2018, with the backing of Matador and access to professional recording equipment, Toledo released a completely reworked version of Twin Fantasy, (the 2018 release named Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) and the 2011 version retroactively Twin Fantasy: (Mirror to Mirror)). 

*For the songs sounding like shit part. I can't help the rest.

Whole album - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNqJFVOKaU0&list=PLUkpIIjyrx_snVKZyBGd8HKPEp2Hhvluu

Beach Life in Death - 13 minute, 3 part song that I could listen to on repeat for a day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbDNP9R23h4

Bodys - The single
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvsQPCbgJOA

Famous Prophets (Stars) - The one where they breakup (I get goosebumps at the 13:20 mark every single time I listen to it)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwj24E44Dak

I fully expect this to go the same way as the Vunderbar thread, and yes I know it is a bad name for a band. I'm just interested to hear what people think about something I can't look at objectively anymore. Since I discovered this album a couple of years ago it's made up about 80% of what I listen to, with at least half of the other 20% being other Car Seat Headrest releases that I'll edit this post to talk about when it isn't 5am.

[non capisco]

I loved the 'Teens Of Denial' album (the chorus of 'Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales' especially) and played it to death when it came out in 2016 but for some reason never investigated Toledo's output further than that which is strange now that I think about it. I'll give 'Twin Fantasy' a spin.

[C_Larence]

I loved the 'Teens Of Denial' album (the chorus of 'Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales' especially) and played it to death when it came out in 2016 but for some reason never investigated Toledo's output further than that which is strange now that I think about it. I'll give 'Twin Fantasy' a spin.

Teens of Denial is great too, but I find it a lot less meaningful than Twin Fantasy. I should have mentioned in the original post that there is a lot of contention among headrest-heads about which version of TF is better. I personally think the original (Mirror to Mirror) just inches it,  because you can tell how much raw feeling is in some of the songs, and on Face to Face it feels like time has healed the wounds, and in a sense that's what the reworking is all about. Here is my in depth analysis of each track:

1 - My Boy (Twin Fantasy). Doesn't really make a difference which version you listen to of this one.

2 - Beach Life In Death. I love the "WE'RE TOO SCARED TO DO SHIT" glitchy ending of the original, and the 2018 version removed my favourite verse ("a book of aubrey beardsley art corrupted me in youth" etc) so 2011 wins here.

3 - Stop Smoking. I actually prefer the 2018 version, but similarly to My Boy it doesn't make much difference

4 - Sober To Death 2011. The interplay between the 2 guitars during the ending is better.

5 - Nervous Young Inhumans. 2011, without a doubt. The monologue is 100x better than the new one, even if galvanistic isn't a word.

6 - Bodys. 2018 version slaps.

7 - Cute Thing. Ditto

8 - High To Death You can actually understand what he's saying in the 2018 version, and there's a really cool new part added in that quotes "Overexposed (Enjoy)" from 2012's Monomania, (a song which in turn quoted Sober To Death from Twin Fantasy, the previous album). I love the verse that counters Stop Smoking too. Definitely the most improved song on Face to Face.

Overexposed (Enjoy) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p2DWo9RJAU

9 - Famous Prophets (Minds)/Famous Prophets (Stars). I genuinely can't pick between the two. The original, (Minds) has the line that kills me every time, "For falling in love too hard, you'll never set foot in this town again", but (Stars) has the part I mentioned in the original post My Boy gets all chopped up and played in under a crescendo of guitar and screaming and I have goosebumps thinking about it!!! Plus I'm a sucker for Corinthians 13. It should be noted that the original version also featured the name of the doomed love interest who was the subject of the album, which wasn't a great look. Lets say (Stars) for musicality, (Minds) for if you want to be worried that a young man's heart won't ever recover from being broken.

10 - Twin Fantasy (Those Boys). 2018

[non capisco]

Listening to the 2018 'Twin Fantasy' right now and it's all kinds of magic. Looking forward to comparing and contrasting with the original. Cheers!

[C_Larence]

Listening to the 2018 'Twin Fantasy' right now and it's all kinds of magic. Looking forward to comparing and contrasting with the original. Cheers!

I'm glad you like it! I'll be interested to hear your opinion on the different releases, especially as you're listening to the newer one first.

[C_Larence]

Bumping with this earlier CSH song that's been stuck in my head for the past week. 3:40 onwards is phenomenal stuff.

https://youtu.be/UgGQ73Gv6f4

As with Twin Fantasy, Toledo's first album after being signed to Matador was Teens of Style, a compilation of re-recorded songs from his previous bandcamp released albums. In my opinion none of the songs benefitted from the process enough to warrant it (most of them are actively worse imo), and I choose to listen to the original versions in every case, but maybe you will disagree so here is the re-recorded version too.

https://youtu.be/SQB1UIeezEU

[C_Larence]

New song! Came out of nowhere. Didn't like it on first listen, second listen loved it. Had it on repeat all day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4lI24uC4gQ

There'll be an album out on May 1st called "Making A Door Less Open". Apparently Toledo will be wearing a gas mask with bunny ears and portraying a persona called "Trait". Of Montreal often come up as inspirations so I reckon this is his attempt at a Georgie Fruit. It also seems as if two versions of the album will be released, one physically and one digitally (the latter coming with the former). One will have more digital instruments while the other will have more real instruments, although I don't think it's been announced which is which.

[His Name Is Death]

Discovered these guys last week during 'Japanese Breakfast Radio' (thank you, Spotify) and haven't really stopped popping Teens of Denial on since. I'm sure they were one of those bands I'd written off years ago for having one of the worst names known to music - then again, what's "The Beatles" or "Half Man, Half Biscuit" if not "a bit pants"? - but they more than make up for it with songs like Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales, Unforgiving Girl (She's Not a), and 1937 State Park. Hugely excited to hear what else they've got in store.

What are they like as a live act, do you know?

[sevendaughters]

hate to be a threadshitter but they're a real diet-Lilt indie rock band. and why is everything they do so fucking long?

[C_Larence]

Discovered these guys last week during 'Japanese Breakfast Radio' (thank you, Spotify) and haven't really stopped popping Teens of Denial on since. I'm sure they were one of those bands I'd written off years ago for having one of the worst names known to music - then again, what's "The Beatles" or "Half Man, Half Biscuit" if not "a bit pants"? - but they more than make up for it with songs like Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales, Unforgiving Girl (She's Not a), and 1937 State Park. Hugely excited to hear what else they've got in store.

What are they like as a live act, do you know?

I've seen them 3 times and each was better than the last, although on their last tour they performed with the support act Naked Giants, so the sound was a lot fuller than usual. This next tour is just going to be the original 4 members again, and Toledo will probably be wearing a gas mask, so it's hard to judge whether it'll be any good. Last couple gigs I saw them do Beach Life In Death as the encore and it was amazing.

hate to be a threadshitter but they're a real diet-Lilt indie rock band. and why is everything they do so fucking long?

Dissenting opinions are welcome! Not sure what you mean by them being diet lilt, compared to who? The length criticism is valid but I suppose it's just personal preference.