Fair To Midland

[AnewKINDofFEELING]

Re: Fair To Midland

Does anyone have a decent rip to share yet? I'm waiting to see them again to buy my physical copy (apparently they make peanuts on an iTunes sale).

**crickets**

I guess I'll just say "fuck it" and buy it at Best Buy tonight.

[FeebleFables]

Re: Fair To Midland

**crickets**

I guess I'll just say "fuck it" and buy it at Best Buy tonight.

Sorry man, I could get it to you later in the evening... I don't have it with me at work.

[AnewKINDofFEELING]

Re: Fair To Midland

Sorry man, I could get it to you later in the evening... I don't have it with me at work.

Yeah, that's my problem. At work... I can't even listen to the stream. I appreciate the offer, anyway.

[SimpatiK]

Re: Fair To Midland

Favorite song ever: Rikki Tikki Tavi.

[Gnomad]

Re: Fair To Midland

Holy shit, I'm only 5 songs in... this album is amazing.

[TheRuleofThree]

Re: Fair To Midland

Yes, I feel like the first half of the album really shines while the second half kind of meanders. Also, the sound of the cymbals bugs me to no end.

[AnewKINDofFEELING]

Re: Fair To Midland

Yeah, I'm not usually one to bitch about cymbals clipping, but they do sound really flimsy. It won't stop me from enjoying the hell out of the album, though.
---
Andrew sounds great on Uh-Oh, by the way.

[theis]

Re: Fair To Midland

Musically, they are nearly indiscernable from Breaking Benjamin to me.

[Corroded Halo]

Re: Fair To Midland

That is a bit simplistic, IMO. I'd say more a concoction of equal parts Breaking Benjamin, APC, and Mars Volta.

They're not groundbreaking at all in the sense of pushing boundaries, but they're damn good at what they do. Even the best at it, perhaps. I kind of see them as a replacement for APC, though moreso with this record than their last one.

[theis]

Re: Fair To Midland

Seriously, BB shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence as FTM or The Mars Volta.

[Corroded Halo]

Re: Fair To Midland

I maybe wouldn't go quite that far. To be sure, they're all at least a whole tier above BB. But I do understand hearing some similarities musically on Arrows & Anchors. I happen to think that it has a lot more to do with Barresi's radio-friendly production than anything else, but then again, FTM's guitar work has never been particularly complex. (Of course, APC's isn't either, and they're still worshiped by many -- and rightfully so, IMO).

Also, it may be that BB is not quite as horrific as some automatically assume. Yes, they come across as canned radio-ready frat rock, but they at least know how to make decent, melodic frat rock. They're discernibly more listenable and interesting than, say, Nickelback or Theory of a Deadman.

[Gnomad]

Re: Fair To Midland

I actually like Fair to Midland and Breaking Benjamin and I don't really hear the similarities.

[TheRuleofThree]

Re: Fair To Midland

Frankly, I don't know what to tell you if you don't hear the near identical-sounding guitars. The keys add a lot of atmosphere and distinction to Fair to Midland that is definitely lacking in Breaking Benjamin, and Andrew/Darroh's voice is on an entirely different level than the dude from Breaking Benjamin. Those differences are enough to set the bands apart, but if you were looking strictly at the guitar/bass/drum parts, it would be hard to tell which tracks are Fair to Midland and which are Breaking Benjamin. The guitar part for "A Loophole in Limbo" in particular is very, very Benjamin-esque. Basically heavily distorted bar chords that emphasize the rhythm over the melody.

I should note that I have a soft spot in my heart for Breaking Benjamin, although I consider Fair to Midland about a hundred times better.
---

I maybe wouldn't go quite that far. To be sure, they're all at least a whole tier above BB. But I do understand hearing some similarities musically on Arrows & Anchors. I happen to think that it has a lot more to do with Barresi's radio-friendly production than anything else, but then again, FTM's guitar work has never been particularly complex. (Of course, APC's isn't either, and they're still worshiped by many -- and rightfully so, IMO).

Also, it may be that BB is not quite as horrific as some automatically assume. Yes, they come across as canned radio-ready frat rock, but they at least know how to make decent, melodic frat rock. They're discernibly more listenable and interesting than, say, Nickelback or Theory of a Deadman.

APC is much, much more complex on the guitar than any of the bands you've mentioned here. Billy is great at writing elegantly straightforward parts, but the arpeggios he plays on "The Hollow" alone are easily more challenging than about 95% of most of Fair to Midland and BB's catalogs.

[Gnomad]

Re: Fair To Midland

Hmmm... yeah, I really don't know what to tell you. I just don't hear it. BB sounds a lot crunchier and groovier.

[AnewKINDofFEELING]

Re: Fair To Midland

Dude turned the hate up to 3.