The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms (Stiff Records, 1980) Album

everybody get in here and bow down to the birth of jangle.

four kids in new jersey rebelling against three-chord punk with two-chord insecurities. In an era when everybody was getting mad and aggressive, these guys kept things fast but cleaned up the guitars, didnt yell and experimented with the toms and other percussion instruments (likely helping grease the wheels for Vampire Weekend's worldbeat leanings and just general persona along the way).

in addition to laying the groundwork for the types of music and lyrics that would go on to accompany many anxious/manic performers in the next couple decades, this record also built on new wave and post-punk in some really interesting ways. It's so minimal yet you always catch yourself searching around for something in these tracks.

their guitar riffs rarely exceed dicking around chromatically but it all hits me in such a visceral, immediate way every time that I don't care (its a low-level David Gilmour approach, essentially). these songs are gripping and meaningful and matter-of-fact & despite how rightfully maligned the "frustrated nerd songwriter" is these days, i think this band and this record opened the floodgates to a relatively important corner of the rock/'guitar music' world.

 

I got to see them at Pitchfork this year. I wasn't too familiar to them. I had only listened to them a little leading up to the fest and only knew Crazy Rhythms (the song) really well, but they were hands down one of my favorite performers of the weekend, and definitely my favorite artist I discovered because of the Fest. I even bought a shirt because I left their set in such a good mood. I've been meaning to dive into their recorded music a little more!

 

Hm band is really incredible!

 

I need to listen to this

 

This record low key has one of the best Beatles covers ever

 

Only Life came on Youtube after the last thing I listened to. It's really good!