Beginning with "Caring Is Creepy," which opens this album with a psychedelic flourish that would not be out of place on a late-1960s Moody Blues, Beach Boys, or Love release, the Shins present a collection of retro pop nuggets that distill the finer aspects of classic acid rock with surrealistic lyrics, independently melodic basslines, jangly guitars, echo laden vocals, minimalist keyboard motifs, and a myriad of cosmic sound effects. With only two of the cuts clocking in at over four minutes, Oh Inverted World avoids the penchant for self-indulgence that befalls most outfits who worship at the altar of Syd Barrett, Skip Spence, and Arthur Lee. Lead singer James Mercer's lazy, hazy phrasing and vocal timbre, which often echoes a young Brian Wilson, drifts in and out of the subtle tempo changes of "Know Your Onion," the jagged rhythm in "Girl Inform Me," the Donovan-esque folksy veneer of "New Slang," and the Warhol's Factory aura of "Your Algebra," all of which illustrate this New Mexico-based quartet's adept knowledge of the progressive/art rock genre which they so lovingly pay homage to. Though the production and mix are somewhat polished when compared to the memorable recordings of Moby Grape and early-Pink Floyd, the Shins capture the spirit of '67 with stunning accuracy.
I traveled up to Bend Oregon...or maybe I traveled down...hmm, but anyways my boyfriend and I traveled there to see the lovely Shins. My boyfriend is more into metal music, not like slayer, but Chiodos and Coheed...a step down from hardcore metal, so he wasn't too hot on seeing the shins unlike me who was bouncing in my seat all the way there. When we got there is was the skies were gray and it...
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I saw them at the Rave in Milwaukee and they played the same two songs for their encore as they did at their Chicago show. Can't get enough of the Pressed In Book build-up as the video starts:
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relocating to another city in another country. stop. spending momentary life on finishing all pending work, and dividing personal stuff between luggage and parents' house - as i have had to give up my apartment, too. stop. taking serious thinking time deciding what books and boots not to bring because they are heavy and/or take up too much space. stop. talk to you all MOG lovelies past February...
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Drunk? Ha, you not betcha. No, I am trying to ease the pain from a night of some sort of food poisoning. I feel ill, and wanted some music to soothe me back to sleep. I found this, and it helped. Good night mogsters.
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So, *The Shins* announced new tour dates and they're not coming anywhere near me. at all. once again, though, there are shows in seattle and portland. goddamn it.listen, guys, the east coast is not evil! come visit me!oh, and get this : my friend liz is moving to montana and having a HUGE going away party out in a cabin at seashore state park. which is great, it'll be a lot of fun. but wh...
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I have been pretty bad about updating, only once. Things have been in off and on rut lately. I have discovered some new music. I was friends with this amazing girl who loved Pavement, and she always told me I should check them out. After thinking about how much I missed her the other day I finally gave in and downloaded Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. I didn't like them at first but like most ...
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Drunk? Ha, you not betcha. No, I am trying to ease the pain from a night of some sort of food poisoning. I feel ill, and wanted some music to soothe me back to sleep. I found this, and it helped. Good night mogsters.
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...my eyeballs popped open an hour before the alarm went off for some reason...and I'm rested...almost TOO rested...sheisse, son...what I'm feeling is akin to what Andrew "Large" Largeman felt like when he was walking through LAX on meds while taking a trip back home to Jersey in the film Garden State...been there before...all of this reminded me of when I covered that flick as a favor for a jo...
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relocating to another city in another country. stop. spending momentary life on finishing all pending work, and dividing personal stuff between luggage and parents' house - as i have had to give up my apartment, too. stop. taking serious thinking time deciding what books and boots not to bring because they are heavy and/or take up too much space. stop. talk to you all MOG lovelies past February...
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So, *The Shins* announced new tour dates and they're not coming anywhere near me. at all. once again, though, there are shows in seattle and portland. goddamn it.listen, guys, the east coast is not evil! come visit me!oh, and get this : my friend liz is moving to montana and having a HUGE going away party out in a cabin at seashore state park. which is great, it'll be a lot of fun. but wh...
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"Girl inform me all my senses warn me your clever eyes could easily disguise some backwards purpose it's enough to make me nervous. Do you harbor sighs, or spit in my eye? But your lips when we speak are the valleys and peaks of a mountain range on fire. So let me walk these coals till you believe I can cut the mustard well enough 'cause you know as soon as breathe we scrutinize Unknown quotien...
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"Several days a month you made The mile to my house, And had me do a stroll with you. Far below a furry moon Our purposes crossed The weird divide Between our kinds The silver leaves of ailing trees Took flights as we passed so long ago But a short time I know. It pleases me this memory Has swollen up with age. Even time can do Good things to you." I awake from my dream, at 9:30. I put them pa
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"The dust from a four-day affair is now landing All over the floor and your brown legs The glod plated legs of my rival Whose eyes had no reason to fall. You led no celibate life no skirt while chemicals danced on your head. You stole the keys to this ride and your fables are falling tonight. Because of your struggle to make them. Their taste for your past time is fading Remember the girls in t...
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I think i'll go home and mull this over for a while... Ahh, doesnt it just make you happy? It seems to be telling you "All is well" I first discovered The Shins watching the Zack Braff movie, "Garden State", and i just fell inlove with this track. I just cant help singing along.
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I traveled up to Bend Oregon...or maybe I traveled down...hmm, but anyways my boyfriend and I traveled there to see the lovely Shins. My boyfriend is more into metal music, not like slayer, but Chiodos and Coheed...a step down from hardcore metal, so he wasn't too hot on seeing the shins unlike me who was bouncing in my seat all the way there. When we got there is was the skies were gray and it...
More >
I've been sampling some of the music of my trusted moggers. I figure as long as I'm here I might as well expand my tastes in music, because no doubt I've missed a band or two in the years I spent in an alternate dimension. So I found a few new artists that I would like to thank my trusted moggers for. I'm not going into details right now because the title of this post is Algebra, and that's bec...
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Just amazing. I love this song. The movie Garden State got me into this band.
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If you haven't given The Shins a listen, I suggest that you do that right now.
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A bit of confusion struck the indie rock blogosphere last week after Pitchfork announced that The Shins, one of the standard bearers for indie rock in the aughts, had left Sub Pop, one of the biggest and most revered indie rock labels in the country. The band was said to be working on new music with no set release date. The day after making the announcement, Pitchfork clarified the news the nex...
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I started to write a post but words are failing me at the moment. Damn them. So instead, I give you this.Listen to The Shins - Oh, Inverted World. It's good and gets better with each consecutive listen. Do it now .
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I am a big fan of The Shins. I will admit it's all Zack Braff's fault (damn him and his Garden State soundtrack) but I can't help myself. As a of mine friend likes to say, I like bands who have "lead singers with funny voices". Hmph, interesting comment to make...
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Caring Is Creepy |
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| 2 One by One All Day |
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| 3 Weird Divide |
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| 4 Know Your Onion! |
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| 5 Girl Inform Me |
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| 6 New Slang |
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| 7 The Celibate Life |
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| 8 Girl on the Wing |
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| 9 Your Algebra |
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| 10 Pressed in a Book |
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| 11 The Past and Pending |
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Click to purchase…
© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved
 "Oh, Inverted World")
