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Post by blade on Mar 6, 2009 23:41:24 GMT
That's some first post! Welcome aboard varecia! I think your views marry in with the those of many others (well, mine anyway) in that Let's Be Kids and How Long are the weakest tracks on the album. In fact the two b-sides (The Spirited Ones and Hearts and Armor) plus the download only Breaking My Back are stronger than these two and should have been there instead (in my opinion). But the great thing about music is that different things appeal to different people. I'll PM you with the link for The Spirited Ones. It would be great if you (and other recently joined members) could add your story to the "The First Time I Heard About Howling Bells" thread here: howlingbells.proboards105.com/index.cgi?board=howlingbellsgeneral&action=display&thread=7Have fun!
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Post by tealovertoma on Mar 7, 2009 1:19:51 GMT
Really curious to listen to the b-sides. Could anyone be so kind as to supply me with a digital version of The Spirited Ones as I don't own a record player? You can download a high quality (224 kbps) version from their website
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Post by frannington on Mar 9, 2009 18:26:05 GMT
Got my copy of the album today from Townsend Records. Nice packaging, even nicer with the signature , I like the lines from Treasure Hunt next to the band members' photos, shame there are no lyrics printed. (Also, I have to admit I've spent some time splitting the joined tracks, so thanks Garageband...)
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Post by varecia on Mar 9, 2009 21:06:54 GMT
Thanks to johnnyfromthewood and blade for the link to The Spirited Ones! It's magical - love the guitar bit at 0:49 - the perfect musical illustration of the line "like your ghost moving through me". Just like the riff in Wishing Stone at 0:19 illustrates the line "Another wishing stone to throw". Anyway, this is indeed better than a lot of the album tracks so I downloaded it officially from the website (top quality - thanks for the suggestion - since when is it availabe as a download?). I also purchased downloads of Hearts & Armor and Breaking My Back: I agree that these two should have been on the album. The verses of Hearts & Armor drag a little (nice Hooky-esque bass, though), but the chorus and the guitar break more than make up for that. Breaking My Back is stunning: punchy chorus, Hooky-esque bass again, brilliant guitar parts during the chorus and at the end - wow!
Now, with these songs included instead of my three least favourite ones, Radio Wars would be unbelievably great:
1. Treasure Hunt, 9/10 2. Cities Burning Down, 10/10 3. It Ain't You, 9/10 4. Nightingale, 10/10 5. Breaking My Back, 9.5/10 6. Ms Bell's Song, 9/10 7. The Spirited Ones, 9.5/10 8. Golden Web, 9/10 9. Into The Chaos, 9.5/10 10. Digital Hearts, 9/10 11. Hearts & Armor, 8/10 12. To L.A., 8.5/10 Average score: 9.2/10
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Post by blade on Mar 9, 2009 23:11:35 GMT
You substituted the same ones I would have done!
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Post by skeffington on Mar 10, 2009 14:41:02 GMT
So is Breaking My Back definitely only available via iTunes?
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Post by blade on Mar 10, 2009 14:53:54 GMT
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Post by tealovertoma on Mar 11, 2009 10:13:39 GMT
Aw man I want Breaking My Back so bad but I can't buy stuff online right now =[
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Post by blade on Mar 11, 2009 16:41:13 GMT
When my credit card was used fraudulently I got a new one within three days. You seem to have been waiting a long time.
Mine was cloned after buying from one of Amazon's second-hand CD dealers. Don't know which one. Someone used it to buy a trekking holiday in Australia. I wouldn't have minded going with them.
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Post by tealovertoma on Mar 11, 2009 18:00:56 GMT
Not currently at my home address, will get the new one when my parents visit in like 10 days. I should be able to survive that long without Breaking My Back. I think.
I didn't even know Amazon's marketplace clients get to see your credit card details, I thought only Amazon itself did... this could definitely explain how it happened, I buy from marketplace all the time.
Trekking holiday in Australia sounds nice, I'll be backpacking over there in a year and a half if all goes well.
Sorry about the off-topicness of this post =]
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Post by chrome3d on Mar 14, 2009 14:32:34 GMT
I received the limited edition on thursday and it´s a very enjoyable package. The music still feels like the Bells did but it´s going to a whole new direction without losing much of the old feeling. It´s building on the past success but also creating a lot of new possibilities.
So far my fave songs are Treasure Hunt, Nightingale, Digital Hearts...and Let´s Be Kids. I see that song hasn´t been received well here. It still has qualities that some people like. For instance in rateyourmusic.com, a site that I use to catalogue stuff, it has been mentioned favourably in the few reviews so far. It has a more naivistic approach, almost childlike if you will. Nightingale isn´t that far removed from those atmospheres either. That is one side that has been in the Bells in the debut album too, maybe not so much as it is here. I found the song quite pretty and optimistic and that is something that fascinates me so I´m not demanding it to be replaced.
The biggest question so far is that why they didn´t just do 12 song album. I have never liked 2 songs merged in to one on CD and now there is 2 of those. I sometimes leave the CD on and then the last song surprises me but, like said before, it´s a bit 90´s.
Limited edition is packaged very, no VERY, nicely and the bookformat looks simply great. Initially I thought that the graphics were a bit too much to another direction than the debut album but I´ve grown to like them a lot. Like the new music is more modern, then the graphics also have more modern approach than the debut album. Paradiso gig works well for couple of spins. Only the booklet could have had more info. Lyrics, poems, biography, more gig photos, whatever. In the end I´m still very happy with the content and the direction they are going.
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Post by tealovertoma on Mar 14, 2009 15:10:41 GMT
Listening to their debut again makes me realise I wanted more "shoegaze" moments in Radio Wars, moments like at the end of Nightingale where the instruments take the leading role for a bit in an epic instrumental finale. I also feel some songs could've benefited from less conventional buildups and repeating choruses.
I do prefer their first but I'm still really enjoying this one =]
Oh and I quite like Let's Be Kids - hardly the best track when there's tracks like Treasure Hunt and Nightingale around (and I love the experimental Golden Web too), but still, nice beat.
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Post by velvetgirl on Oct 4, 2009 7:29:53 GMT
Is there a physical version with "To LA" on it or another bonustrack? I really don't know which version to buy, on amazon.de the limited editon is too expensive and there is only the normal version with 10 tracks on it.
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Post by jimothy on Oct 4, 2009 13:54:04 GMT
To LA will be on whichever version you buy. It isn't listed on the back of the album, it's one of those annoying hidden tracks that they joined onto the end of How Long.
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Post by velvetgirl on Oct 5, 2009 18:52:51 GMT
To LA will be on whichever version you buy. It isn't listed on the back of the album, it's one of those annoying hidden tracks that they joined onto the end of How Long. ah thank you did not think of hidden tracks... ;D
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