Before Today

Last updated
Before Today
Before Today.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 8, 2010
Recorded2009–2010
Studio
  • House of Blues Studios (Encino, CA)
  • various band members' home studios [1]
Genre
Length44:48
Label 4AD
Producer
  • Sunny Levine
  • Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
  • Van Deferens Organization
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti chronology
Worn Copy
(2003)
Before Today
(2010)
Mature Themes
(2012)

Before Today is the eighth studio album by American recording artist Ariel Pink, credited to "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti", and released on June 8, 2010. The album marked Pink's debut on the record label 4AD. [6] [7] It was his first official LP of new recordings since 2003's Worn Copy and his first written and recorded with a supporting band, referred to in the liner notes as "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti".

Contents

The album was critically acclaimed upon release, with Pitchfork placing the album at #9 on its list of "The Top 50 Albums of 2010". [8] Lead single "Round and Round" was also ranked by Pitchfork as the best track of 2010. [9]

Composition

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti performing in 2010 ArielPinksHauntedGraffiti.jpg
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti performing in 2010

The album's opening track, "Hot Body Rub" previously appeared (in an alternative version) on an EP Ariel Pink with Added Pizzazz, which was a collaboration between Vas Deferens Organization (as producers) and Ariel Pink who are friends to each other. VDO provided production for this track, as well as thanks to one of its members, Eric Lumbleau, Pink made friends with Gonzales family who appeared on it. [10]

The album contains several homages to vintage rock and pop songs, including "Bright Lit Blue Skies," written by Ronn Campisi and performed by the Rockin' Ramrods in 1966, and "Beverly Kills," which draws heavily on Ago's 1982 track "For You" and Olivia Newton-John's "Physical." [11] "Reminiscences" is an instrumental cover of an Ethiopian pop song, "I Remember a Man" by Yeshimebet Dubale. [ citation needed ]

Critical reception and legacy

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.9/10 [12]
Metacritic 85/100 [13]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [14]
The A.V. Club B [15]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
The Irish Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [18]
NME 8/10 [19]
Pitchfork 9.0/10 [20]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [21]
Spin 7/10 [22]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [23]

Exclaim! named "Before Today" the No. 15 Pop & Rock Album of 2010. [24] Exclaim! writer Dimitri Nasrallah said that "Before Today is a hard-earned victory lap for Pink, not only the most triumphantly realized album of his left-of-centre catalogue, but a much-needed second wind for an artist who very nearly finished off the decade as another minor curiosity in outsider-pop's long lineage." The album placed seventh in The Wire 's annual critics' poll. [25]

As of 2011, it has sold 25,942 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. [26]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Hot Body Rub"2:26
2."Bright Lit Blue Skies"2:25
3."L'estat (Acc. to the Widow's Maid)"4:26
4."Fright Night (Nevermore)"3:35
5."Round and Round"5:08
6."Beverly Kills"3:56
7."Butt-House Blondies"3:27
8."Little Wig"5:46
9."Can't Hear My Eyes"3:19
10."Reminiscences"2:34
11."Menopause Man"4:00
12."Revolution's a Lie"3:49
Total length:44:48

Personnel

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

Guest musicians

Technical

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cass McCombs</span> American musician (born 1977)

Cass McCombs is an American musician and songwriter. Since 2002 he has released ten albums, an EP and a B-sides compilation under his own name. McCombs' music blends elements of many styles including American roots music, underground music, country, psychedelia and international music. His satirical lyrics, often the focal point, touch on the ambiguities between the personal, the political, mortality and nature.

<i>Sung Tongs</i> 2004 studio album by Animal Collective

Sung Tongs is the fifth studio album by American experimental pop band Animal Collective, released on May 3, 2004 by FatCat Records. The album, newly exploring freak folk, received high critical reception upon its release and was featured in best-of lists at the end of 2004 and the decade of the 2000s. Only two of the band's four members play on the album, Avey Tare and Panda Bear, a first since Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished (2000), which was originally credited to the duo and only later retroactively classified as part of the band's discography.

<i>House Arrest</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffiti

House Arrest is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Ariel Pink, under Pink's "Haunted Graffiti" musical project. It is the fifth album in the eponymous series of albums, as subtitled. It was self-released in September 2002 under the imprint, Demonstration Bootleg, as a double CD set with his follow-up album, Lover Boy.

<i>The Doldrums</i> (album) 2000 studio album by Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffiti

The Doldrums is the second album by American recording artist Ariel Pink, self-released in 2000. It is the second album credited to his solo music project, "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti", and the second installment in his Haunted Graffiti series. On October 11, 2004, the album was released on the independent label Paw Tracks, owned by the music group Animal Collective. It received critical praise and has since been recognized for its influence on subsequent lo-fi acts. In 2020, a remastered edition of the album was released by Mexican Summer.

<i>Worn Copy</i> 2003 studio album by Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffiti

Worn Copy is the seventh studio album by the American recording artist Ariel Pink, under his "Haunted Graffiti" musical project. It is the eighth release in the eponymous series of works and was released on the label, Rhystop, in 2003. It was reissued by Paw Tracks in 2005 with the bonus video, "For Kate I Wait."

<i>Scared Famous/FF»</i>

Scared Famous / Fast Forward are the third and fourth albums by American recording artist Ariel Pink. They were originally released on cassette as a double album by Ariel in 2001. A compilation album of the material from both albums was subsequently released by Human Ear Music in 2007. It consisted of only 17 tracks selected from the original cassettes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariel Pink discography</span>

Ariel Pink is a Los Angeles-based indie artist and musician. He boasts a cult following and endorsements from more widely known artists such as fellow founding Paw Tracks group Animal Collective.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Big Pink</span> English rock band

The Big Pink are an English electronic rock band from London, consisting of multi-instrumentalists Robertson "Robbie" Furze, Akiko Matsuura and Charlie Barker. Initially a duo, they signed to independent record label 4AD in 2009 and won the NME Philip Hall Radar Award for best new act. To date, they have released five singles, with their debut album A Brief History of Love released in September 2009 and its follow-up, Future This released in January 2012.

<i>A Brief History of Love</i> 2009 studio album by The Big Pink

A Brief History of Love is the debut album from British electronic rock duo The Big Pink. The album was released on 14 September 2009 on 4AD. The Big Pink signed with 4AD in February 2009, and won the prestigious NME Philip Hall Radar Award for best new act. The band were also named as "one of the most likely breakout acts of 2009" by the BBC. Prior to the album's release, the band issued three singles: "Too Young to Love"/"Crystal Visions" on the House Anxiety label in October 2008, "Velvet" on 4AD in April 2009, and the non-album track "Stop the World" in June 2009. "Dominos", the album's first proper single and the band's fourth single overall, preceded the album on 7 September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariel Pink</span> American musician, singer, and songwriter (born 1978)

Ariel Marcus Rosenberg, professionally known as Ariel Pink, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter whose work draws heavily from the popular music of the 1960s–1980s. His lo-fi aesthetic and home-recorded albums proved influential to many indie musicians starting in the late 2000s. He is frequently cited as "godfather" of the hypnagogic pop and chillwave movements, and he is credited with galvanizing a larger trend involving the evocation of the media, sounds, and outmoded technologies of prior decades, as well as an equal appreciation between high and low art in independent music.

<i>Eye Contact</i> (Gang Gang Dance album) 2011 studio album by Gang Gang Dance

Eye Contact is the fifth studio album by American experimental music band Gang Gang Dance, released on May 10, 2011. It is the collective's first album to be released under the 4AD banner.

Cole Marsden Greif-Neill, known professionally as Cole M.G.N., is an American musician, record producer, songwriter and mixer. He is a former member of Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti. Cole has worked with Beck, Julia Holter, Christine and the Queens, DāM-FunK, Ariel Pink, Real Estate, The Vaccines, Thurston Moore, Snoop Dogg, NxWorries, Kossisko, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Blood Orange and Nite Jewel. In 2016, Cole M.G.N. released his self-titled debut extended play.

Dinowalrus is an American band from Brooklyn, New York, formed by Titus Andronicus guitarist Peter Feigenbaum. The band have released four albums and toured internationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Round and Round (Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti song)</span> 2010 single by Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffiti

"Round and Round" is a song written and performed by the American hypnagogic pop band Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti. It was released as a double A-side on April 26, 2010 and appeared as the fifth track on Before Today, the band's debut album on 4AD.

<i>Mature Themes</i> 2012 studio album by Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffiti

Mature Themes is the ninth studio album by the American recording artist Ariel Pink. It was released on August 20, 2012 through 4AD, and is the second album recorded with Pink's band. It is the final album released under Pink's musical project "Haunted Graffiti," as he would subsequently release material under his name starting with his follow-up album, pom pom (2014).

Vas Deferens Organization is an American experimental band and a production team founded in Dallas in 1994 by Matt Castille in association with Christopher Moock, Jason Cohen, Barbara Cohen, Craig Carlton, Breck Outland, and Reagen Boone. In 1995 Eric Lumbleau joined the group. From 1995 through 2007, VDO was a loose collective centered on Castille and Lumbleau and ever-changing collaborators. Christopher Moock reunited with Castille and Lumbleau in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Cohen (musician)</span> Musical artist

Chris Cohen is an American singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist best known for his solo albums as well as for having been a member of the band Deerhoof between 2002 and 2006.

<i>Pom Pom</i> (album) 2014 studio album by Ariel Pink

Pom Pom is the tenth studio album by American recording artist Ariel Pink, released on November 17, 2014 through 4AD. It was his first release credited solely to himself, and his last on 4AD. Several of its songs were co-written with the ailing Kim Fowley, who died the following January. Critics generally gave the album positive reviews. Only one single was issued from the album: "Put Your Number in My Phone".

<i>Early Live Recordings</i>

Early Live Recordings is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter and musician Ariel Pink. It was released on December 17, 2013, through Human Ear Music record label. The album features Pink's early live recordings in the late 1990s and early 2000s under the aliases "Gorilla" and "Appleasians".

<i>Dedicated to Bobby Jameson</i> 2017 studio album by Ariel Pink

Dedicated to Bobby Jameson is the eleventh studio album by American recording artist Ariel Pink, released on September 15, 2017, through Mexican Summer. It is the follow-up to 2014's pom pom and features a narrative Pink described in a press release as "a battery of tests and milestones, the first of which sees him [the protagonist] reborn into life out of death." It peaked at number 193 on the Billboard 200 and received generally positive reviews from music critics.

References

  1. Archived April 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  2. nme (August 16, 2012). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti – 'Mature Themes'". NME .
  3. Ryce, Andrew. "Review: Ariel Pink- Mature Themes". Resident Advisor . Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  4. Mrozek, Patryk (November 25, 2014). "Pom Pom". Prefix Mag .
  5. Smith, Stewart (May 27, 2020). "Music: Record Reviews". The List (657): 76. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  6. "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today (new album / MP3)". PopMatters. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  7. Dombal, Ryan (2010-04-06). "Ariel Pink Announces New Album | News". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  8. "Staff Lists: The Top 50 Albums of 2010 | Features". Pitchfork. 2010-12-16. Archived from the original on 2012-01-14. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  9. "Staff Lists: The Top 100 Tracks of 2010 | Features". Pitchfork. 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  10. Niklas Records, Jakub Krawczynski (2011, August). "Vas Deferens Organization and Brad Laner: Transcontinental Conspiracy presskit". Archived 2012-01-20 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 09 September 2012.
  11. "Ariel Pink Uncovers a Sixties Garage Nugget". Rolling Stone . 21 January 2011.
  12. "Before Today by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  13. "Reviews for Before Today by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti". Metacritic . Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  14. Phares, Heather. "Before Today – Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti". AllMusic . Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  15. Murray, Noel (June 8, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". The A.V. Club . Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  16. Cragg, Michael (June 3, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". The Guardian . Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  17. Carroll, Jim (June 11, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti". The Irish Times . Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  18. "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Mojo (200): 93. July 2010.
  19. Malone, Ailbhe (June 7, 2010). "Album review: Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti – 'Before Today' (4AD)". NME . Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  20. Richardson, Mark (June 7, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Pitchfork . Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  21. "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Q (288): 136. July 2010.
  22. Beta, Andy (June 8, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, 'Before Today' (4AD)". Spin . Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  23. "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Uncut (158): 105. July 2010.
  24. "Pop & Rock Year in Review". Exclaim! . Archived from the original on 2010-12-10. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  25. "2010 Rewind: Records of the Year Top Ten" . The Wire. No. 323. London. January 2011. p. 36 via Exact Editions.(subscription required)
  26. "Data". marathonpacks.tumblr.com. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2022.