The Smiley Smile Message Board

. . . does a cover of Michael Jackson's "Stranger in Moscow."
https://soundcloud.com/kevinimpala/tame-impala-stranger-in-moscow

Sweet!

Wow! That is certainly sweet. Stunning is perhaps a better word. Thanks for the link. I shall be listening to that again.

While checking out if there was any solid connection between TI and the BBs I discovered this slab of bliss:

http://www.nerdbomb.de/promo-sugar-candy-mountain-knock-me-down-alternative-rock-psychedelic/

Check out track 5 in particular... 

^
Pretty good, like that trippy version of Caroline No.

That TI song is already pushing a half million plays.

I believe TI and The Flaming Lips are going to be putting out a cover of the entire Sgt. Peppers album sometime this year or early into the next.

^
There's a bunch of other bands involved, too. I think one seperate band will each do one song.

New album Currents coming out July 17. Info, including track listing (http://pitchfork.com/news/59124-tame-impala-detail-currents/).

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Has released 4 songs so far ... going in a different direction compared to previous albums.

This is the best IMO, just released today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=33&v=GHe8kKO8uds

Motown vibe here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTfYYRGTB3g

This is almost dance music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ed6UeDp1ek

And Micheal Jackson/Prince vibe here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyEB2AEqHxc

Imo, the best band out right now.

Kevin Parker has a genius sense of melody.

I'm a huge fan of Lonerism, and I understand Kevin can't be boxed in to a specific style or he will get beaten down in the press for it....but I wish the new material was at least more of a smoother progression from that style. The material we've heard from Currents have many elements of things that I would never associate with the Tame Impala style. "Disciples" is easily my favorite - I really like the melody and the brevity actually probably works for it in this instance. The other ones seem to go in a Mark Ronson direction - who needs more of that right now?

I dig the homage to Caroline, No.

Also, from that band's bandcamp bio: "If Brian Wilson had dropped acid on the beach in Brazil and decided to record an album with Os Mutantes and The Flaming Lips, it would sound like this— featuring space-age sounds and far-out frequencies from the tripped our [sic] tropics." ....

Relating back to TI, I get to see them this summer, so that's exciting!  ;D

(http://i60.tinypic.com/33ku889.png)

My view during the concert.... what a great weekend.

Great band, great music. Saw them a few times live at Glastonbury festival over the past years... And seen members of Tame Impala side project band "Pond" live too.... Awesome live shows! :D

Here's a teaser for the new album, according to one person in the comments it's the song "Nangs" (2nd song on the album). Sounds like the most psychedelic song released so far, very "electro-delic." :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfmJilbZCas

^ Thanks for posting that! Very psychedelic. I also think it's interesting that Let it Happen was over 7 minutes long. It allows you to kinda lose yourself in the music.
There's that Brian Wilson quote about listen to Pet Sounds with earphones in the dark... I feel like the same can apply to Tame Impala albums.

Also, I didn't realize they had side projects. I'll have to check that out.

Stream the entire album here:
http://www.npr.org/2015/07/12/420832435/first-listen-tame-impala-currents?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nprmusic&utm_term=music&utm_content=20150712

After a few listens so far, my overall impression is that it's pretty good, but not as good as his previous two albums. I generally like the last 4 songs the best, followed by the first few, and the middle ones I find the weakest. I've read several reviews so far saying they think the last song is the weakest, but personally I find the most interesting one. I'd almost say the last 3 songs are kinda sorta borderline progressive pop/rock. They're busier than the rest of the album, for sure.

EDIT: Actually I think Past Life is the best song, even though it's kinda the goofiest.

New song "Let It Happen" Live on Conan 04/15/15.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qay6t5UpnhM

I'm getting into this group through the new album even though it's inconsistent. I've listened to some earlier tracks and I'm impressed.

I finally listened to this all the way through after only knowing a few songs, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
"Past Life" is amazing. My friend and I find the distorted voice hilarious. And the chorus feels like a dream. A really unique and beautiful song. It's the "Mind Mischief" of Currents, imo. Both might be my favorite songs from those albums.
"Eventually" is the musical equivalent of being high. Parker's voice is on point on this one.
I'll need to listen to it more to get a feel for more of the songs. I do know that I also love "Yes I'm Changing" and "The Less I Know the Better."

I feel like the last two albums would be good "summer chill" or "driving alone" music, but this album is something I would listen to while falling asleep. In a good way.

This is their first release that I've even given a chance. The previous ones, I'd hear the odd song on the radio or skim them, and immediately move on. They struck me (maybe unfairly) as just a kind of psych-pastiche, and I'm not a big fan of psych anyway. Currents still feels pretty influences-influenced, but it keeps my attention more. And I think I'm more fond of Parker's voice now--Mark Ronson's album seems to have gotten me into it.

Yeah, and Kevin seems like a chill dude. He even references the Beach Boys (sort of randomly?) in this little interview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md4JYaxhjtg

It took me a while to get into them. Maybe that makes sense because I'm not a die-hard Beatles fan like the rest of the population. Although now I'm really digging their music.
Tame Impala is great stuff to get into though. Their singles are catchy enough, but their lyrics to their other songs are worth paying attention to (e.g. "Solitude is Bliss").

I don't mean to criticize you here, but I have to say this kind of post drives me INSANE. I honestly don't give a f*** whether somebody liked, mentioned, or listened to the Beach Boys. It won't make their music sound any different (their in this case meaning either the BBs' or the would-be mentioner). Not to say that there isn't some kind of logic: I like the Beach Boys, therefore perhaps if Artist XYZ also liked them, I might like Artist XYZ. (Transitive property? Is that right? f*** math.) But sometimes I feel like people--posters here, not artists--are desperate for credibility, and so it's like "and if the link to this song doesn't work, well, he also likes Brian Wilson!" And I just don't care.

Sorry if I sound like an asshole there. I don't mean to call you out, by any means. You seem like a good poster, and I love that you post about music in this forum, too. (I am pretty damn bored of Beach Boys topics, to be honest. And endless debates about NOTHING.)

So yeah. Tame Impala! I do like the new album. And his voice.

After listening to this album a bunch more times, I've decided I like the last song (New Person Same Old Mistakes) the best.

the captain - I really don't see the need to freak out over this. It seems like undercover-m was literally just sharing that little bit of information because, well, this is a Beach Boys site and it's interesting to us fans.

In regards to this album, it took me a bit to really get into, but now I quite dig it. I met Kevin back in May and he's one of the nicest musicians out there.

I don't think I'm freaking out. I just noted a pet peeve of mine. Within the same post, I said I'm not trying to criticize him/her personally, noted I didn't mean to sound like an asshole (but probably did), etc. Nothing more than that. My personal pet peeves aren't important to the world: that's a fact of which I'm well aware.

I think "Yes I'm Changing" might be my favorite on the album, or maybe "Disciples."

One thing I'm not sure whether I like on Currents is the effect that seems to occur all over the place on sometimes just drums, sometimes the full track, where--and here's where you'll need to forgive my ignorance on the technical side--it's like an overall parametric EQ knob and maybe reverb is being dramatically turned so the track goes from bright and up front to dark and muddy and far back. It's almost similar to phasing or a wah, but is neither of those. More like presence or EQ. Anyway, it happens a few times and I'm not sure how I feel about it. On early listens (meaning still within the first few months), it strikes me as a cool production idea that might not sound so cool in a year or five. But then again, whatever. If it's cool for it's own time, it's cool.

Oh, also "Let It Happen." I really like "Let It Happen." It's far from my usual preferred kind of song (short, poppy, purposeful motion getting from Point A to Point B), but it's got a lot of really good ideas within it.

Ha, none taken. I think I get what you mean. Especially the endless debates... people keep bickering about mike luhv and forget he can actually put on a fun concert. Oh well.  ::)
But actually, my friend (obsessed with Tame Impala) sent me that video because she knows I like the Beach Boys. So it's cool when music brings you together like that.

And I think....? I understand what you mean in your last post? Like are you talking about, for instance, 0:45 of Past Life (http://'https://youtu.be/gAWDk4VjVEA?t=45s')?

The effect Kevin likes to use a lot is phaser. He'll use it on his guitars, but also on a whole song during particular sections.

Hmm. I thought it must be something else just because I didn't hear a certain--and forgive the inability to express it in actual terms, here--"s" sound that seems to travel with the shifting sound in a phaser. (In my mind, there's like an S traveling across the sound when a phaser is brightening and darkening.) But if that's what it is, then yeah, that--when it's applied to the entire track, eventually pushing it into murkiness.

Pond is a few members from Tame Impala's side project band. Saw them live early this year, they rocked!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gice6l5R-nc

^The Jesus comments on the youtube video are hilarious ;D.

It's got hints of Tame Impala. I think I like Parker's voice better. I like "pretty" voices. But I dig Pond's guitar.

Also I'm obsessed with "Let it Happen."

Guys.
I just wanted to say that I love Tame Impala and that I'm so excited to see them for my birthday.
Which isn't for a while but worth the wait.

I will finally go to Red Rocks. Yay Colarado

NOT that anyone cares...

But Tame Impala just announced that they'll be coming to a festival in my city, a festival that just happens to be right after my Colorado trip to go seem them at Red Rocks.
Obviously I'm not going to shell out more money just to see them again, and also the rest of the lineup is mostly meh, but damn that's kinda funny. Maybe this'll increase the odds of running into Kevin Parker at some point, ha.........

On another note, my friend (the one going to the concert with me) and I made a realization the other night, but InnerSpeaker's strongest element is its instrumentation. The way Parker distorts his guitar is a kind of reflection of his introversion. Just listen to the riff in "Solitude is Bliss (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-uH1TAGe0I)." I really think my favorite musicians are somewhat introverted and allow ideas and sounds and songs to bounce and churn and develop inside of their minds, resulting in just really brilliant music.
One of those "whoa, duuuude" realizations, for sure.
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