Anti Antony
January 26th, 2009
Antony and the Johnsons
Ah yes, the newest bane of my existence. A & the J’s are the newest and truest in WHAT THE FUCK music. If you haven’t been exposed, do yourself a favor and stay behind the shield and I’ll give you the gist. Old Timey warbling voice of a dismissed chior singer over music being read from sheet music scraped from the forest floor that’s still more than a bit soggy. It’s like Morissy singing show tunes, only worse. This stuff makes me CRAVE Morissy… and I HATE Morissy. A & the J’s are what I would expect everything to sound like if I were drowning ing a vat of buttercream while overdosing on opiates. Or maybe what being slowly beat to death in a padded room with a toy poodle would sound like… Ugh.
.
How did this make it onto the radio, let alone into heavy rotation? My head slowly seals itself up when I hear this and it takes 20-30 minutes before I can really experience anything audio again. Like pouring a mix of warm wax and cotton into your ears. Everyone move over, the death bus is making another pickup.
.
Now I’m going to go bump some NWA at full stregnth to try and scrub some of this crap outta my head.
If you dare…
http://www.myspace.com/antonyandthejohnsons
January 26th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
The Lady said:
First of all, he sort of looks like the guy who played gollum in Lord of the Rings. Can, ahem…, anyone back me up?
Oh, ledoux, make cracks at Antony, I don’t really care. I love the Hercules and Love Affair album. I’m not so crazy on Antony and the Johnsons although the Erasure and Bryan Ferry part of my heart has a soft spot for it. But, you really had to bring the Moz into it, huh? AND, misspell his name? The Smiths’ vigilante brigade will soon be paying you a visit. Viva Morrissey!
January 26th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Kevin Ledoux said:
I suppose when there is no arguing the statements, we can always attack the spellings, eh?
Maybe I wasn’t talking about the sob-story singer from the Smiths after all.. but maybe I was…
January 27th, 2009 at 8:14 am
LB said:
Maybe his popularity is due to this:
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/148458-antony-and-the-johnsons-the-crying-light
He does kind of look like Andy Serkis’ chubby little brother.
January 27th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Kevin Ledoux said:
I’m amazed at the utter contrast I have to 99% of Pitchfork’s opinions. Literally, if they love it, I’m going to hate it, if they hate it, I just go out and buy it.
January 27th, 2009 at 11:19 am
JOad29 said:
That sums them up Ledoux ……… oh by the way F’ Pitchfork I’m not sure if I’m listening to the same CD they reviewed some times
January 27th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
LB said:
I agree that Pitchfork is often arrogant, self-serving, and narrow-minded. They remain, however, THE online influence for the general music population (Top 40 leeches notwithstanding).
My point was to answer Kev’s question about why the A&tJ record is so heavily rotated. There is a significant audience for this band.
January 27th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Kevin leDoux said:
Oh, OK so are you saying that the right people got paid the right price to give this good press and jam it down our throats on the radio so now we’re a willing audience?
Great.
January 27th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
LB said:
Who knows; I’m just saying that a lot of people probably feel differently about them than you do :).
January 27th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Kevin leDoux said:
And a lot of people probable feel the same,
I think more scary, a lot of people who THINK they feel differently, really feel the same, they’ve just been told to feel differently
It’s like American Idol contestants going on tour.
Yay.. fill the arena!! Be SEEN!!!
January 27th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
janejaynie said:
As a glam fan I’m fond, but not in love with him. Takes himself/themusic way too seriously AND shamelessly ripsoff Ferry etc. He should take notes from Patrick Wolf (who is simply brilliant), or dare I say Of Montreal (who’s spectacle *might* be brilliant, the rest not)…get some glitter, Antony.
As for MORRISSEY singing SHOW TUNES…that’s genius! Someone write to him, quick! I’m tired of eagerly anticipating a new Morrissey album, only to realize that it’s exactly the same as every other Morrissey album. Show tunes would be a great change of pace.
January 27th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Dr. D said:
This is another example of the perfect review by Ledoux. Thumbs up or way down in essentially two paragraphs. Beautiful.
January 28th, 2009 at 8:14 am
Kevin leDoux said:
Thanks, Dre!
So I found SPIN trying to get on this “We think A & the J is cool too” train. But their review was more than confusing. 1st, they review the previous album, then they finally open with this line:
“The album’s opening note, quivering and clinging like a spider in a wind-buffeted web, could send an unprepared listener to the brink of tears.”
and then end with this:
“…a message from a man who voices his species’ joys and sorrows in sounds only he can produce.”
You obviously know where I stand, and they are right-it DID send me to the brink of tears… but doesn’t this sound like a BAD review? (more here)
January 28th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Sam said:
Mr Frodo…?!?!
Mr Frodo, where are you?!?!?!
My GOD, Smeagol ATE Mr. Frodo!
January 29th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Curtis M said:
Couldn’t agree more. I put this album in rotation on the advice of someone I used to consider a friend. nuff said.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Chris C. said:
Thom Yorke=perfect vibrato. That guy sounds like he’s singing while riding down train tracks. Too much. Everything in that music is just too damn much.
January 30th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
the safe passage clause said:
I have had so many people try to get me to listen to this band. Finally I suffered through it! His voice makes me want to summon unicorns and dwarves.
On a side note, if I could summon Unicorns… that would be awesome!