Topic: That band IDLES are still shit, then

[kngen]

bone-headed punk staples like The Ruts or Sham 69.

Sham, I'll give you. But a bit rough on The Ruts. Look past Babylon's Burning and Staring at the Rude Boys (both of which I love, it has to be said), and there's some real craft and ingenuity in their song-writing, and they married that Westway punk-reggae hybrid sound more effectively and with a bit more bite than The Clash, IMO. Plus they were second only to The Damned in influencing the nascent DC hardcore scene (carrying on as far as Fugazi, I'd argue).

Idles, though - fucking hell. The bum-tit ineptitude of a 3rd-rate UK '82 band combined with sneery Blur-at-their-most-condescending lyrics. Well done, chaps. *Slow clap*

What insane (and presumably deaf) bastard compared them to The Jesus Lizard?

[kngen]

The ongoing US Punk Vs UK Punk wars

Christ, is that still a thing? I though only Exploited fans were the ones spouting that bollocks after we hit 1990, and they've all had to keep their heads down since their mohawks fell out.

[Dirty Boy]

I always get them confused with SLAVES who, if anything are even worse. It's like Danny Dyer and his brother formed a band.

Anything Lamaq likes is probably best ignored and not worth getting upset about...

I see a lot of fans comparing them to The Jesus Lizard

They're doing fucking what?!!!

I've never listened to Parquet Courts, are they one of the good ones then?

[Egyptian Feast]

I've only heard one of their songs, the opening track on a Mojo best of some year compilation (it had a lyric about blue passports, to narrow it down). The singer's voice reminded me of farts and I wanted to have nothing to do with them after that.

[Brundle-Fly]

Sham, I'll give you. But a bit rough on The Ruts. Look past Babylon's Burning and Staring at the Rude Boys (both of which I love, it has to be said), and there's some real craft and ingenuity in their song-writing, and they married that Westway punk-reggae hybrid sound more effectively and with a bit more bite than The Clash, IMO. Plus they were second only to The Damned in influencing the nascent DC hardcore scene (carrying on as far as Fugazi, I'd argue).

Idles, though - fucking hell. The bum-tit ineptitude of a 3rd-rate UK '82 band combined with sneery Blur-at-their-most-condescending lyrics. Well done, chaps. *Slow clap*

What insane (and presumably deaf) bastard compared them to The Jesus Lizard?

I have a soft spot for Sham 69 because of Pursey’s undoubted sincerity. They were yobby but meant it. And yes, The Ruts were a top band, you’re right. Seeing as you mention The Damned, they’re my favourites Of all the punk  acts. They just had it all for me and were never too earnest, a quality that on the whole leaves me stone cold with a lot of punk/ hardcore.

[holyzombiejesus]

Quite a fun slating (even though I hate the reviewer).

https://thequietus.com/articles/28899-idles-ultra-mono-review

The promotional campaign for 2018's Joy As An Act Of Resistance centred around the damage that alcohol had done to the band and its members. This was followed by the launch of IDLES' own craft lager.

Also liked this...

[Cuellar]

[Chorus]
I beg your pardon
I don’t care about But we are in your rose garden

[AllisonSays]

The IDLES single is witless shit, and I agree that the lyrics are horrible; they've confused hating the system with hating the people enmeshed in the system (which to be fair is also a tendency in lots of first-generation punk and post-punk, but I don't like it there either). Sleaford Mods could easily be accused of doing the same thing - and I have the impression that they're both also much posher than they let on. But they get away with it for me because they've consistently rejected any kind of 'spokesperson for the underclass' role, and because there's something a wee bit stranger and more interesting in both the lyrics and the vocals.

Parquet Courts are fucking terrible too, could never get into any of the kind of Pavement-esque wave of new American bands. Just listen to Pavement eh, they're much better.

[OnlyRegisteredSoICanRead]

I always get them confused with SLAVES who, if anything are even worse. It's like Danny Dyer and his brother formed a band.

Anything Lamaq likes is probably best ignored and not worth getting upset about...They're doing fucking what?!!!

I've never listened to Parquet Courts, are they one of the good ones then?

Talking about groups I get confused with Slaves, surprised to see Jehnny beth supporting them, they should be supporting her.

And I don't even like Jehnny beth.

[Puce Moment]

Puce Moment mentions Broadcast.

Now there's a working-class band - Trish brought up in a council flat in Winson Green (one of the most profound shitholes in Brum) by her Prostitute Mother. Yet, if you could find any hints of that in their work you would be doing well.

[jobotic]

Broadcast had imagination and wit and depth. They don't belong in this thread.

[The Mollusk]

The ongoing US Punk Vs UK Punk wars put Blur Vs Oasis war to shame. Talking of which, I know Shame ( seen them live. V.good.) but not the others.  Will have a listen. .  Do you like The Moonlandingz?

I'm definitely not trying to stoke that fire, by the way! I just think one does it better than the other, I don't see why it should be a competition.

I recommend Iceage's You're Nothing for some excellent surly, glum and noisy punk, or Beyondless which is much more accomplished post-punk sort of stuff.

I remember sort of liking The Moonlandingz (that name though, yeesh) when their debut came out but I got quite bored of it pretty quickly. It's like synthy rockabilly stuff innit? Or am I thinking of Pop. 1280? I'll give them another listen!

[Puce Moment]

Broadcast had imagination and wit and depth. They don't belong in this thread.

You're right - sorry. I'm turning into that bloke who always mentions Animal Collective aren't I?

[phantom_power]

The IDLES single is witless shit, and I agree that the lyrics are horrible; they've confused hating the system with hating the people enmeshed in the system (which to be fair is also a tendency in lots of first-generation punk and post-punk, but I don't like it there either). Sleaford Mods could easily be accused of doing the same thing - and I have the impression that they're both also much posher than they let on. But they get away with it for me because they've consistently rejected any kind of 'spokesperson for the underclass' role, and because there's something a wee bit stranger and more interesting in both the lyrics and the vocals.

Parquet Courts are fucking terrible too, could never get into any of the kind of Pavement-esque wave of new American bands. Just listen to Pavement eh, they're much better.

I don't know about the merits of the various bands but Parquet Courts sound fuck-all like Pavement, apart from being American

[The Mollusk]

What insane (and presumably deaf) bastard compared them to The Jesus Lizard?

David Yow is a guest on one of the tracks on the new album, which I'm presuming is IDLES' way of further establishing their cred and simultaneously compensating for their own lack of ingenuity. I've also seen comments on YouTube and Last.fm favourably comparing the two bands.

I've never listened to Parquet Courts, are they one of the good ones then?

Well, some people on here would argue they're not, and they've certainly not been the most consistent band but when they're good they're fucking great. Their scrappy early stuff is my favourite but their most recent album (produced by Danger Mouse) was a really solid effort and their most accomplished work to date.

Sunbathing Animal

Master of My Craft / Borrowed Time

[the science eel]

I always get them confused with SLAVES who, if anything are even worse. It's like Danny Dyer and his brother formed a band.

Anything Lamaq likes is probably best ignored and not worth getting upset about...They're doing fucking what?!!!

I've never listened to Parquet Courts, are they one of the good ones then?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP9l9HBJ1o0

[kngen]

David Yow is a guest on one of the tracks on the new album, which I'm presuming is IDLES' way of further establishing their cred and simultaneously compensating for their own lack of ingenuity. I've also seen comments on YouTube and Last.fm favourably comparing the two bands.

Urgh. Kind of backfired, as it really just tarnishes his credibility (a wee bit) and highlights their lack of ingenuity into the bargain. It's the noise rock equivalent of Orson Welles appearing on that Manowar album (maybe, I haven't really thought this out ...)

[AllisonSays]

I don't know about the merits of the various bands but Parquet Courts sound fuck-all like Pavement, apart from being American

Mardi Gras Beads has the riff from Range Life at the start! To be honest I haven't listened to Parquet Court for about eight years, since I hadn't heard any of their newer stuff, and from a swift coffee-break perusal it doesn't sound all that much like Pavement. Musical observation partially-rescinded, court dismissed.

Also, I should say, it's obviously fine for bands to sound like other bands, there are only so many ways a band can sound. I just found the (early) Parquet Courts stuff a wee bit derivative in a way that I didn't like.

[thugler]

I just find them so intensely boring and plodding. Their schtick is very limited and once you've heard one song you've heard them all. Now, there's tons of bands like that I love, but they're not doing anything interesting or original. It's not like I hate them, it's just there's nothing there. It seems like so many young bands have so many new ideas and draw on so much old music, and then you get this tired bad imitation. All mid tempo blandness with that man shouting his funny slogans and topical references. The lyrics are like tedious Banksy graffiti people continually insist is 'genius insight' rather than something with the depth of a fart, maybe that's giving them too much credit. It makes me feel old.

Goddamn, I love Jesus Lizard and that's embarrassing if he guests on their record.

[Crabwalk]

I've managed to avoid them up until now, but got sucked in by the bile and was curious about the Jesus Lizard 'comparisons'.

Holy shit, that song in the OP is 100x worse than described.

Have I Got Punk For You.

And 'WeTransfer Presents' at the start sinks it before it's even started.

Corporate Punks Fuck Off.

David Yow must've been tricked.

[Brundle-Fly]

I must admit all I could hear in my head looking at their promo video is Big George's HIGNFY theme tune (with John Lydon's Anarchy In The UK opening cackle bolted on at the beginning).

[Dirty Boy]

David Yow must've been tricked.

I think he's virtually stone deaf these days which might explain it somewhat.

[The Mollusk]

I just find them so intensely boring and plodding. Their schtick is very limited and once you've heard one song you've heard them all. Now, there's tons of bands like that I love, but they're not doing anything interesting or original. It's not like I hate them, it's just there's nothing there. It seems like so many young bands have so many new ideas and draw on so much old music, and then you get this tired bad imitation. All mid tempo blandness with that man shouting his funny slogans and topical references. The lyrics are like tedious Banksy graffiti people continually insist is 'genius insight' rather than something with the depth of a fart, maybe that's giving them too much credit. It makes me feel old.

Goddamn, I love Jesus Lizard and that's embarrassing if he guests on their record.

Agree absolutely with all of this.

It may be of some interest to note that Warren Ellis, Kenny Beats and, erm, Jamie Cullum have guest spots on this album.

WHOA THEY'RE SO DIVERSE

[Goldentony]

David Yow was in a cowboy film written by and starring the Insane Clown Posse, this is still hig biggest mistake

[Dirty Boy]

He also directed a video for the Offspring[1]. Won't link it.

Can we just have the Jesus Lizard thread already?

1.	in which Buzz from the Melvins mimes playing a piano while wearing a stocking mask

[jobotic]

Happy Bunny Goes Fluff Fluff Along is their best song.

[bgmnts]

This is utter, utter cack but i know a teenager who hasnt heard good music would think this is the epitome of cool, irreverent punky shit. So who knows if its good or not.

[The Mollusk]

The Needle Drop's review score of this is 8/10, despite starting out by acknowledging the fairness of people saying their music is sloganeering and virtue signalling. He also mentioned the criticisms of class appropriation and calls these comments "bone-headed and short-sighted", which is funny because that's a phrase I'd use to precisely describe IDLES' music and overall outward demeanour.

His review brought another new song of theirs to my attention: Ne Touche Pas Moi, whose lyrics are:

This is a sawn-off for the cat-callers
This is a pistol for the wolf whistle
'Cause your body is your body
And it belongs to nobody but you

Ne touche pas moi
This is my dance space
Ne touche pas moi
This is your dance space
Ne touche pas moi
This is my dance space
Ne touche pas moi
Consent!
Consent!
Consent!

Bypassing the blunt and ugly lyrical form, I don't see how this song could be seen as anything but virtue signalling in this day and age. If anything, getting Jehnny Beth in on guest vocals for the chorus only serves to reinforce that notion. "Men are bastards. Well, not all men. We're fucking great, here's a badge we made to prove it". I know IDLES' fanbase must contain more than its fair share of traditional punks and knuckle-dragging moshpit-seekers who could do with being taught a thing or two about respecting women, but men in Joe Talbot's position should be using their platform to point the finger back at themselves as much as anyone else if they don't want to be seen as blinkered white knights, which is precisely what they are at this point.

I got a bit of a knocking on here in my 2018 thread against IDLES for comparing them to the Pissed Jeans, but given IDLES' recent associations with The Jesus Lizard and the clear influence they also had on Pissed Jeans, I think it's worth bringing up again. PJ are similar to IDLES in that they both use blunt force and sardonic lyricism to lambast societal issues, but the thing that sets PJ leagues ahead is their mirror-punching self-awareness. A key example to set against Ne Touche Pas Moi would be their 2013 song Male Gaze:

It's when a smile becomes a stare and it starts to burn
It's when you ask him to knock it off and he doesn't learn
The sad routine doesn't change if he's broke or a millionaire
There's no getting through, that's how it is, he's never had to care
It's when you're judged before you even get to speak a word
It's when you make the smartest point and it goes unheard

I'm not innocent - I'm guilty
I'm not innocent - but I'm sorry
It's just the male gaze - it's in me I know it
I feel it all around me - I wish I could destroy it
Yeah it's the male gaze - I've had it forever
And I know I'm no angel, but I'm trying to kill it

It's when you're judged in every way before you have arrived
It's pounded down every day since you've been alive
You quiet down and bite your lip in the face of total fools
It's never worth the punishment of breaking social rules

I'm not innocent - I'm guilty
I'm not innocent - but I'm sorry
I'm not innocent - I plead guilty
I'm not innocent - but I'm trying

There are a number of ways that I think Pissed Jeans are a superior punk/noise rock band to IDLES but I don't think it's worth going into, but using these two songs as comparison pieces felt like a noteworthy thing to do.

[iamcoop]

https://www.thesocial.com/life-beyond-the-neutral-zone-8-lias-saoudi/

Very interesting article penned by Fat White Family frontman Lias Saoudi.

[sevendaughters]

https://www.thesocial.com/life-beyond-the-neutral-zone-8-lias-saoudi/

Very interesting article penned by Fat White Family frontman Lias Saoudi.

wish their music was as interesting to me as that