Know Better Learn Faster

Last updated
Know Better Learn Faster
Thao Know Better Learn Faster cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 13, 2009
Genre Rock
Label Kill Rock Stars
Producer Tucker Martine
Thao with the Get Down Stay Down chronology
We Brave Bee Stings and All
(2008)
Know Better Learn Faster
(2009)
We the Common
(2013)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 75/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Drowned in Sound 7/10 [3]
Paste 8.6/10 [4]
Pitchfork 7.8/10 [5]
Under the Radar Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]

Know Better Learn Faster is the second studio album by alternative folk band Thao & The Get Down Stay Down. It was released on October 13, 2009 on the Kill Rock Stars label. [2]

Contents

Background

"The record is primarily a response to the end of a relationship, so a lot of it is pretty reactionary. It’s trying to be introspective, but there’s always got to be a little 'fuck you' in there – or, sometimes there’s a lot." [7]

Title

Thao Nguyen explained the title of the album in an interview with KEXP: “The album is named ‘Know Better Learn Faster’ because you can't. By the time you realize you should, it's too late. And I enjoy the predicament and the totally devastating, unfunny humor of that.” [8]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."The Clap"0:33
2."Cool Yourself"2:34
3."When We Swam"2:58
4."Know Better Learn Faster"3:49
5."Body"3:12
6."The Give"3:43
7."Good Bye Good Luck"2:22
8."Trouble Was For"2:47
9."Oh. No."2:46
10."Fixed It!"2:57
11."Burn You Up"2:28
12."But What of the Strangers"3:37
13."Easy"3:37

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kings of Leon</span> American rock band

Kings of Leon is an American rock band formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill, and their cousin Matthew Followill.

<i>Speak</i> (Lindsay Lohan album) 2004 studio album by Lindsay Lohan

Speak is the debut studio album by American actress and singer-songwriter Lindsay Lohan, released on December 7, 2004, by Casablanca Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mirah</span> American musician

Mirah is an American musician and songwriter based in Brooklyn, New York. After getting her start in the music scene of Olympia, Washington, in the late 1990s, she released a number of well-received solo albums on K Records, including You Think It's Like This but Really It's Like This (2000) and Advisory Committee (2002). Her 2009 album (a)spera peaked on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart at #46, while her 2011 collaborative album Thao + Mirah peaked at #7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Thermals</span> American indie rock band

The Thermals were an American indie rock band based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The group was formed in 2002. With influences heavily rooted in both lofi, as well as standard rock, the band's songs were also known for their political and religious imagery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bilal (American singer)</span> American singer

Bilal Sayeed Oliver is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is an independent artist, noted for his wide vocal range, work across multiple genres, and intense live performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thao & the Get Down Stay Down</span> American folk rock band

Thao & the Get Down Stay Down was an American alternative/folk rock group that originated in Falls Church, Virginia in 2003, before relocating to San Francisco, California. Its final lineup consisted of Thao Nguyen and Adam Thompson. Previous members of the project included Frank Stewart and Willis Thompson (drums). The band released five studio albums: We Brave Bee Stings and All (2008), Know Better Learn Faster (2009), We the Common (2013), A Man Alive (2016) and Temple (2020).

Joe Corrales Jr., also known as Yppah, is an American electronic/rock musician. He is currently signed to Future Archive Recordings and resides in Long Beach, California, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thao Nguyen</span> American singer-songwriter

Thao Nguyen, also known as Thao, is an American singer-songwriter originally from Virginia and now based in San Francisco. She is the former lead singer, songwriter and figurehead of the defunct band Thao & the Get Down Stay Down, and has collaborated with Joanna Newsom and Andrew Bird. Outside of the band she has collaborated on projects with several artists including Merrill Garbus, The Portland Cello Project, and Mirah. Her music is influenced by folk, country, and hip hop.

<i>We Brave Bee Stings and All</i> 2008 studio album by Thao with the Get Down Stay Down

We Brave Bee Stings and All is the debut studio album by alternative folk band Thao with the Get Down Stay Down. It was released in January 2008. The album was #10 on emusic.com's list of the best albums of 2008, where it was described as "a friendly and catchy pop record" and "an astonishing mash of herky-jerked D.C. punk and Olympia-style folk"

<i>Gringo</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Circus Devils

Gringo is the seventh studio album released by the American psychedelic rock band Circus Devils in 2009. All songs on Gringo were written and performed by Robert Pollard, Todd Tobias, and Tim Tobias. The first all-acoustic album released by Circus Devils, Gringo is a song cycle in which each track recounts a moment in the life of a nameless drifter known only as "the Gringo." The moods on the album range widely between jubilant to melancholy to mean.

<i>Wilco (The Album)</i> 2009 studio album by Wilco

Wilco (The Album) is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock group Wilco which was released June 30, 2009. Prior to release, Wilco streamed the album on their website. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album.

<i>Something for the Rest of Us</i> 2010 studio album by Goo Goo Dolls

Something for the Rest of Us is the ninth studio album by American rock band Goo Goo Dolls. It was released on August 28, 2010, in Australia and on August 31 in North America through Warner Bros. Records. The recording process took place during the spring to fall of 2009 in the GCR Audio studio in Buffalo and Paramount Studios as well as "the Ark" in Los Angeles, with producer Tim Palmer. A single had been originally slated to be released in November 2009 with an album release in February 2010, but the band went back into the studio in January 2010. According to lead singer and guitarist John Rzeznik, this was done to make further improvements on what they had previously thought had been a finished record. Several producers were brought in to assist on the production process, including Butch Vig, John Fields, Paul David Hager and Rob Cavallo. Something for the Rest of Us is the third Goo Goo Dolls studio album that Cavallo has produced. When asked about the length of time between albums, Rzeznik admitted it was a mix of songwriting issues as well as taking time out for personal reasons; "I wanted to really dig deep and there are a million songs I threw away, like, “Nah, it's not good enough. I wanna do something different. I wanna do something better, go deeper. I also wanted to have a life with my girlfriend for a while. I owed it to her to spend some time with her and be normal and be in one place. That was kind of important." In one of the Ustream sessions, Robby revealed that the album would have twelve songs and "Real" is not among them. In late May, John announced that "Home" would be the first single and was released onto radio and iTunes stores on June 8, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tune-Yards</span> American music project

Tune-Yards is the American, Oakland, California–based music project of Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner. Garbus's music draws from an eclectic variety of sources and utilizes elements such as loop pedals, ukulele, vocals, and lo-fi percussion. Tune-Yards’ 2011 album Whokill was ranked the number one album of that year in The Village Voice's annual Pazz and Jop critics’ poll.

<i>Thao + Mirah</i> 2011 studio album by Thao Nguyen & Mirah

Thao & Mirah is a collaborative studio album by Thao Nguyen & Mirah, released in 2011 on Kill Rock Stars. In support of the album Thao and Mirah toured with indie music artists such as BOBBY. It was well received by music critics; according to Pitchfork, "everything on Thao & Mirah feels of a cohesive collaborative piece, separate from either artist's solo work, a combination that synthesizes their individual strengths to outstanding effect."

<i>We the Common</i> 2013 studio album by Thao & the Get Down Stay Down

We the Common is an album by alternative folk band Thao & the Get Down Stay Down. It was released on February 5, 2013 on the Ribbon Music label.

<i>Therapy</i> (Tech N9ne EP) 2013 EP by Tech N9ne

Therapy is the sixth extended play (EP) by American rapper Tech N9ne. It was released on November 5, 2013, by Strange Music. The EP was produced by Ross Robinson and features guest appearances from Krizz Kaliko, Bernz, Wrekonize, Caroline Dupuy Heerwagen and Tyler Lyon. Session musicians include guitarist Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit and Black Light Burns and hardcore punk drummer Sammy Siegler. The EP is categorized by an aggressive nu metal sound.

<i>Temple</i> (album) 2020 studio album by Thao & the Get Down Stay Down

Temple is the fifth and final studio album by alternative folk band Thao & the Get Down Stay Down, released in May 2020. The album was mixed by Mikaelin Bluespruce and mastered by Heba Kadry.

<i>A Man Alive</i> 2016 studio album by Thao & the Get Down Stay Down

A Man Alive is the fourth studio album by alternative folk band Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, released on the Ribbon Music label in March 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drinking Boys and Girls Choir</span>

Drinking Boys and Girls Choir (DBGC) is a three-piece punk band from Daegu, a conservative city in southeastern South Korea, currently consisting of band members Meena Bae, Myeong-jin Kim and Megan Nisbet. The band's name reflects their love of drinking, their youthful appearance, the fact all members participate in singing, and their gender inclusiveness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fontaines D.C.</span> Irish rock band

Fontaines D.C. are an Irish post-punk band formed in Dublin in 2014. The band consists of Grian Chatten (vocals), Carlos O'Connell (guitar), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan III (bass), and Tom Coll (drums).

References

  1. "Know Better Learn Faster by Thao With The Get Down Stay Down Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Know Better Learn Faster - Thao & the Get Down Stay Down | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
  3. Bliss, Abi (February 9, 2010). "Album Review: Thao and the Get Down Stay Down - Know Better Learn Faster". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  4. Maddux, Rachael (October 13, 2009). "Thao with the Get Down Stay Down: Know Better Learn Faster". Paste. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  5. Deusner, Stephen M. (October 15, 2009). "Thao with the Get Down Stay Down: Know Better Learn Faster Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  6. Leebove, Laura (November 6, 2009). "Thao With the Get Down Stay Down: Know Better Learn Faster (Kill Rock Stars)". Under the Radar. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  7. "Warding off demons with Thao Nguyen (Interview) | Fuel/Friends Music Blog". www.fuelfriendsblog.com. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  8. Cullen, Brian. "Song of the Day: Thao with The Get Down Stay Down – Know Better Learn Faster". The KEXP Blog. Retrieved 2016-04-13.