 | Tracklist:
1. Surf Solar
2. Rough Steez
3. The Lisbon Maru
4. Olympians
5. Phantom Limb
6. Space Mountain
7. Flight of the Feathered Serpent
| Ranking: #118 for 2009 | |
| | other reviews | SleepyJack (4.5)
With Tarot Sport Fuck Buttons have taken a step back from the experimental brink. All of the distort... | Jonathan Kroening (4)
Seamlessly blending post-rock and electronic music, Tarot Sport is a flight you don’t want ... |
On 36 Lists
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| Summary: Overloaded karaoke amps, blown speakers, thumping basslines with a teensy hint of chaos. Welcome to Fuck Buttons. |
2 of 2 thought this review was well written
Let's get his over with now. *** Buttons is not for those whose musical taste stops at whatever is on the Top 40. (That's not to say nothing good is on the Top 40, but that's an entirely different rant.) To put it bluntly, Tarot Sport is not going to be something that everybody is going to enjoy. Hell, it's not something that many people are going to enjoy. Nonetheless, I cannot say this enough: give it a spin. Look past the accusations that this album is just “noise-” because while it IS noise, it's GOOD noise. If that makes little sense, try to listen to the album. Its sound is rather hard to explain.
The first track, Surf Solar, is a good indication of what awaits the listener. Ten minutes and thirty-five seconds of constant build-up to a rousing climax, of pure, pulsating beats. It's within this song that *** Buttons' strength is revealed- to take stylistically simple concepts- a drum loop, the sound of a karaoke amp being overloaded, etc..., then working said sample into a song. It's a formula that relies on experimentation, and a patient, open-minded listener; and for the most part, this formula produced pure, musical gold.
Surf Solar's formula is followed in the next two songs, Rough Steez and The Lisbon Maru. That's not to say they are boring and inexpressive- there is a defined shift in tone. Where Surf Solar is the bastard child of noise and progressive house, Rough Steez stays more in the “noise” realm of music, and The Lisbon Maru has a strange, almost reggae-like downtempo feel.
Unfortunately, by Olympians, the album begins to sag. Clocking in at just under eleven minutes, the song has its high points, but follows the basic formula established by the first half of the album a tad too closely. This downward decline continues until the closing track, Flight of the Feathered Serpent, which manages to finish the album off with a thumping bassline and endless torrents of noise.
Compared to Street Horrrsing, *** Buttons' previous effort, Tarot Sport is a far more listenable and accessible- *** Buttons has decided to place far more emphasis on actual song structure and melody, rather than just dicking around and seeing what happens. The result is an album that is definitely worth the purchase. Despite a couple of slow points in the latter half of the album, the overall product makes up for these missteps by FAR.
4 ½ stars out of 5.
Recommend try, then buy.
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Album Rating: 4
I just listened to Space Mountain and loved it. Now listening to Surf Solar, will return for final album rating.
Digging: The Grateful Dead - Terrapin Station Digging: The Grateful Dead - Terrapin Station | | | Album Rating: 4.5
album is amazing, great review
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My Dad saw this band live the other week. Ace.
Digging: Haggard - Eppur Si Muove
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Maybe.
Digging: Chromatics - Kill For Love Digging: Chromatics - Kill For Love
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the lisbon maru is such a good song, most of this record is pretty awesome actually. nothing touches 'sweet love for planet earth' from street horrrsing though, that song is immaculate.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Any feedback, anyone? This IS my first review.... I'd love to get some tips.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Surf Solar is one of the best songs to come out of last year but the rest of the album is nowhere near as good. But still pretty wicked. I thought this'd have a review already, but gj on it. You write well, my only gripe would be the length of your paragraphs, the latter three which only run for two sentences. I'd either merge a couple of them or expand on your points a bit more.
Digging: The Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwends | | | Album Rating: 2
I'll check this out
Digging: Rome - Die sthetik der Herrschaftsfreiheit Digging: Rome - Die sthetik der Herrschaftsfreiheit | | |
Love this review, I'd be a little wary about having this on my ipod (girlfriend, you know how it is), but I'd like to give it a try anyways, pos
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If you want feedback, btw, it's a tad short, but they way you phrase it really got my attention, its clever. The top 40 bit made me chuckle, so keep up the good work.
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Good work, its definately pretty cool. Some more about the music would be good. But its a pretty solid album, it's pretty chilled.
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I remember their last album coming out and I never got around to it. This review is decent and makes me want to check them out really bad.
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Very good first review but for future reference beef up your paragraphs and don't be afraid to throw in some fancier words as well.
| | | Album Rating: 4 | Sound Off
Unfortunately, by Olympians, the album begins to sag.
NO Olympians is the best track ever. I go crazy for the melody around 4:30
| | | Album Rating: 4
Yeah, Olympians is the best on here
Digging: John Talabot - Fin Digging: John Talabot - Fin | | | Album Rating: 3.5
yeah that melody in the middle of olympians makes me want to challenge someone in a race around the world
Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music | | | Album Rating: 4
Wow, you're right.
| | | Album Rating: 3
Great album
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
the first track on both fuck buttons albums are amazing. then the rest are just good.
Digging: Sidi Tour - Koima Digging: Sidi Tour - Koima | | | Album Rating: 4.5
"Olympians" makes me want to save whole galaxies and ride a star like a surfboard
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