This Song is a Mess...

[asshat]

I know this is a Xiu Xiu message board, but I was just wondering if anyone bought This Song Is A Mess But So Am I's CD, "Church Point, LA"?

Also what do you think of it?

[FloatingDowntheLiffey]

A paper-thin blatant rip-off of xiu xiu. but apparently jamie likes it? not half as sincere or compelling.

[RecordRelapse]

I like it. It focuses more on noise that Xiu Xiu, with some tracks being composed of really crushing waves of noise and distortion. Think Wolf Eyes or Whitehouse for a reference point, although it's not a pure noise band, as This Song still has pop-elements and lighter electronic tracks.

I wouldn't say he's a Xiu Xiu rip-off. Sure, they're both really emotionally raw and intense, but they have very different ways of presenting it. Their lyrical style is also very different, with this song is a mess writing more about his personal experiences dealing with his mother's death and how it has affected him and his family. Jamie's lyrics are more abstract and almost "story-like" in that they cover a range of characters, personalities, and personal situations.

[TomLobstar]

FloatingDowntheLiffey said:

A paper-thin blatant rip-off of xiu xiu. but apparently jamie likes it? not half as sincere or compelling.

you're an ignorant dick.

___________________________________________

to: "freddy(pinocchio)rupert" (if you happen to read this post)
i don't think you're a rip-off, your music is compelling
im sorry some people have to spit in you face. i know your above them"you're a real boy''...i mean comon, i've seen your elvis wallet.
- zach

[FloatingDowntheLiffey]

um what are you like thirteen?

[TomLobstar]

I'm thirteen and a half!

[ashofjar]

Freddy Ruppert has a better soul than all of you

and he's not a blatant rip-off of Xiu Xiu when him and Jamie are like.... great friends.. and tour together.

Maybe 'in the vein of'


....ok.

[dr. strangelove]

i've seen freddy live a number of times, and i would have to say that while there are some simple, obvious similarities between this song is a mess... and xiu xiu, overall, the two bands have a drastically different sound. while i don't personally find this song is a mess... as compelling as xiu xiu, i wouldn't discount it as a blatant rip-off

[FloatingDowntheLiffey]

1. The cover art looks just like a promise (stylistically)
2. The honest-to-life song subjects
3. Merging of electronic noise-rock and pop melodies
4. Vocals duh.
5. Tragic subject matter
6. Explicit use of proper names

im not saying its EXACTLY like xiu xiu--if anyone could pull that off i wouldnt be listenin to jamie & friends in the first place. but cmon now. xiu xiu have a niche and freddy ruppert or whatever his little boy band name is would rather share it than actually work at something original. IS ALL IM SAYIN

[dr. strangelove]

i would say that this song is a mess but so am i (for now on referred to as TSIAMBSAI cause i can cut and paste it easier, and it doesn't confuse sentence structure as much) is much more dissonant than xiu xiu... xiu xiu uses dissonance as a tool to capture a mood, but it usually happens after tension has built up, creating a harsh effect for the listener, wheras TSIAMBSAI seems to focus more on the creation of dissonance for dissonance's sake

xiu xiu's vocals do occasionally break into screaming, but i find that most of the vocals suggest more anxiety/tension rather than a constant explosion, which i find is more of the case with TSIAMBSAI... while i think that tension is what makes xiu xiu so much more amazing than most other "noise"/"post-punk"/whatever groups, i would definately say there is a drastic difference between the two bands here. also, jamie often whispers, which is a concept i don't think would work with TSIAMBSAI's loud music

TSIAMBSAI is entirely electronic with vocals, wheras xiu xiu blend electronic instruments with acoustic instruments and vocals, creating a much stronger contrast

TSIAMBSAI's songs are generally short bursts of energy, which i wouldn't use to define most (if not any) of xiu xiu's songs

of course, tragic subject matter has been common long before the days of pop music, and as morrissey, the artist that both seem to look up to a great deal, also dealt with sometimes sad themes, i wouldn't put them into the same category because of that.

as for the other things, i agree they are similar. perhaps it's because they're both coming out of similar musical/artistic references, or perhaps it's because TSIAMBSAI has not been around nearly as long as xiu xiu (and xitsj before that, and ibopa before that), and i'm guessing mr. rupert would gladly name xiu xiu (et al.) as an influence

so, while i don't completely disagree with your argument, i think your classification of TSIAMBSAI as a "blatant rip-off" of xiu xiu is a little hasty

[TomLobstar]

I think you'are an ignorant dick.

[asshat]

So anyway, did anyone buy Church Point, LA?

[todd]

I'm freinds with Freddy and heard the album before it was released.
I don't listen to the album as a whole very much; I usually skip around to songs I really like (Parting Sea, Washington Explorers, Bedridden & Dancing).

I saw Freddy play once, when I got him a show up here in Fresno. His live performance was dramatically different than Xiu Xiu's - given Xiu Xiu played some of the quieter songs.
After Freddy was done, it looked like he had an emotional breakdown on stage.

I wouldn't consider Freddy a rip-off of Xiu Xiu, but more like ashofjar said, "in the vein of."


The album is good. It's very, very personal. Like Recordrelapse said, it's all about his mother dying of cancer and how it affected his family.
And even if you don't like This Song, you should meet Freddy, because he's super nice and just great all around.

[TomLobstar]

todd said:

And even if you don't like This Song, you should meet Freddy, because he's super nice and just great all around.

he realy is...

and yes i have the album.

[Owen from Final Fantasy]

Q: I drove all the way from San Francisco to cook you dinner. What did you think of the meal?

A: Well, honey, the chicken was delicious. The rice, however, was obviously just a chicken rip-off. Totally lacking in originality.