mewithoutyou

The Worst Debuts From Great Bands

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

There’s a certain art to a good debut.

On the one hand, the debut has to be captivating enough that it can stand as a self sufficient statement on its own. On the other, there has to be enough untapped potential to keep future releases from getting stale. It’s generally a bad idea to just keep releasing the same record over and over again.

But sometimes, even great artists whiff it at their first at-bat. In fact, some of the artists responsible for some of the most gorgeous music ever started their careers with albums that barely have even have a glimmer of what they would go on to create.

Disclaimer: not every album on this list is bad per se. They just fail to offer any sort of representation of what the band would be capable of.

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2018 Year End Lists

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald / 2 Comments

At midnight tonight, the earth will continue another circle around our star.

And while it might be a pretty arbitrary marker of time, it’s a great way to group music together to quantify it. And since I am an amateur music critic, I’m obligated to create my own year-end lists.

2018 was a banner year for music—not just because of the relentless onslaught of incredible new albums, but I also saw more shows than ever and discovered a fair amount of music that I missed. And in this article, I’m counting them all down. Continue reading →

Record #560: mewithoutYou – [Untitled] (2018)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

After the release of the doomgazy single “Julia” and the subdued [untitled] e.p.,  speculation was high as to what the forthcoming [Untitled] full-length would bring.

But the similarity of covers between the releases seemed to promise an explosion.

Across social media, that theory seemed to be confirmed. When drummer Rickie Mazzotta was asked if the full-length would be as quiet as the e.p., he said, “that’s porch-sittin’ music. The album is cliff-diving music.”

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Record #559: mewithoutYou – [untitled] e.p. (2018)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

Few artists have as diverse and unpredictable a sonic palette as mewithoutYou. From the scorched-earth post-hardcore of [A–>B] Life to the ambient punk of Catch For Us the Foxes to the rambling quirkfolk of it’s all crazy! it’s all false! it’s all a dream! it’s alright, few bands have created more different-sounding music that still sounds distinctly like themselves.

And nowhere is that wide-ranging individuality as completely displayed as the twin untitled releases that came out this year.

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Record #558: mewithoutYou – Pale Horses (2015)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

In the years following Ten Stories, a few things happened to mewithoutYou.

They added Brandon Beaver, who was a session player on Ten Stories as a full-time member. Then, they went on a special tour to celebrate Catch For Us the Foxes. Finally, they signed to Run For Cover Records, a haven of post-hardcore and punk bands.

You could look at that set of datum and conclude that they were returning to their punkier roots. And you’d be right.

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Record #557: mewithoutYou – Ten Stories (2012)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

After the rambling folkiness of it’s all crazy! many mewithoutYou fans weren’t sure what to expect. Several friends washed their hands of the band, firmly deciding that their best days were behind them.

And even though I had liked it’s all crazy! I must admit that a part of me worried that it might be more than a one-off. When the first singles were released from Ten Stories, the fanbase was apprehensive. Continue reading →

Record #556: mewithoutYou – it’s all crazy! it’s all false! it’s all a dream! it’s alright (2009)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

Looking back over mewithoutYou’s seven-album discography, it’s all crazy! stands out like a sore thumb.

That’s not severe enough: it stands out like a giant thumb that was swollen to five times its size, painted bright neon, severed, and worn like a hat.

It’s been the subject of debate and controversy among the mewithoutYou fanbase, some disowning it entirely, others calling it their creative peak. But there’s one thing that everyone agrees on: it’s a bit out of place.

But while it makes almost zero sense now, when it’s all crazy! was released, it made all the sense in the world.

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Record #554: mewithoutYou – Catch For Us the Foxes (2004)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

As much as I’ve looked forward to this section of my collection, I’m sitting here with “January 1979” blaring at a complete loss of what to say about this record.

Do I talk about the broad scope of Aaron’s lyrics as he dissects theology, philosophy, and his own mental state in a yelping shout? Do I talk about how the rest of the band broke the doors off of punk music to create some of the greatest soundscapes put to tape? Do I talk about how over the last fourteen years, no record has meant more to me?

Because this record is all that and more. And if I didn’t have work to do today, I could write about this record all day.

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Record #553: mewithoutYou – [A–>B] Life (2002)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

In the summer of 2004, I found a copy of [A–>B] Life by mewithoutYou in the church camp bookstore for $7. I had seen the name trudging through the Tooth and Nail website (the things we used to do to find new music), and I was enchanted by Vasily Kafanov’s album art, so I took a chance on it.

On first listen, I hated it.

But following along with the lyric sheet, I realized that there might be a worthwhile experience if I could dig in deeper. So I listened again. And again. And a few more times.

And over a few listens, I became fully convinced of the genius of this bookish, experimental post-hardcore outfit.

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