New Moon (The Men album)

Last updated
New Moon
The Men New Moon.jpg
Studio album by
The Men
Released5 March 2013 (2013-03-05)
Recorded2012
Genre Punk rock
Length46:05
Label Sacred Bones Records
The Men chronology
Open Your Heart
(2012)		New Moon
(2013)		 Tomorrow's Hits
(2014)

New Moon is the fourth studio album by the Brooklyn punk rock band The Men, released March 5, 2013 on Sacred Bones Records. [1] The album continued a trend set by the band's previous album Open Your Heart, with more melodic songs and less noise rock influences. The album incorporated influences from psychedelic music, Americana and country rock. New Moon received mostly positive reviews, with some critics praising the album's more accessible sound, while others criticizing the album's lack of focus.

Contents

Recording

Production

On April 28, 2012, The Men announced that they were going to record a follow up to Open Your Heart, to be released in the spring of 2013. The band recorded the album at Big Indian, New York in a cabin in the Catskill Mountains. [2] Regarding the album's recording location, drummer Rich Samis said, "We were touring a bunch before that [..] So to go and live in this house wasn't that radical of an idea. It wasn't like, 'Oh my God, this is so crazy.' It was natural." [3] Most of the songs on New Moon were recorded in one or two takes. [4] During New Moon's recording session, the band also recorded a six-song EP titled Campfire Songs, which was a collection of songs The Men recorded by a campfire. [3]

In a press release, the band described New Moon as their "most intensely personal" album yet. [5] The band elaborated on that description with Consequence of Sound, saying that New Moon was personal because it was more "stripped down" and "a little more naked" than previous Men records. [4]

Music

Whereas The Men's first two albums, Immaculada and Leave Home, were noted for their abrasive sound, New Moon continued the down the path established by the Men's 2012 album Open Your Heart, with more melodic songs and less noise rock influences. [6] [7] [8] The album incorporated country rock, classic rock, psychedelic music and Americana elements into the album. [7] [9] [10] [11] For specific artists, writers have cited Neil Young, MC5, Hüsker Dü, Yo La Tengo, Dusty Springfield, The Replacements and Dinosaur Jr. as influences. [4] [6] [7] [9] [10] [12] In an interview with The Village Voice, the Men claimed that Tom Petty was a major influence on the album. [3]

Release

On January 9, 2013, New Moon's title and release date was announced. The album's lead single, "Electric", premiered online the same day. [1] On January 28, 2013, a music video for the song "Electric" was released. The music video featured The Men playing the song at a June 2012 show in London. [13] On February 20, 2013, a second single from the album, "I Saw Her Face", premiered on Entertainment Weekly's website. [14] On February 26, 2013, New Moon was streamed in its entirety on Pitchfork Media. [15] On March 13, 2013, a music video for the song "I Saw Her Face" was released. [16]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 76/100 [17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
The A.V. Club B+ [11]
Consequence of Sound Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [10]
Drowned in Sound Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [18]
NME 8/10 [7]
Pitchfork Media 8.2/10 [19]
PopMatters 8/10 [20]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Sputnikmusic3.8/5.0 [8]
Tiny Mix Tapes Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [12]

New Moon has received mostly positive reviews, though initial critical reaction to the album was more mixed compared to the band's previous album Open Your Heart. On Metacritic, the album has a score of 76 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [17]

Jason Heller of The A.V. Club gave the album a grade of B+, writing "For now, though, New Moon stands as it is: a homey, gut-warming batch of tunes that erratically juggle nostalgia, craft, and ass-kicking abandon." [11] Consequence of Sound's Dan Caffrey praised the album's more accessible sound, writing "Sacrificing recklessness is different from sacrificing passion, and New Moon cements The Men as one of the most exciting rock acts today, no matter who they're listening to or, most importantly, who they're redefining." [10] Gregory Heaney of Allmusic also wrote positively of the album's sound, writing "While on the surface it's easy to see New Moon simply as a band softening its approach, the melodic evolution feels more and more like the Men are trying to separate themselves from an ever-growing sea of second-wave noise rock bands, willingly abandoning a burgeoning trend before they're forever anchored to it. Luckily, the Men have enough versatility that they'll hopefully be paddling on long after the ship has sunk." [6] In another positive review, Sputnikmusic's Adam Downer wrote "New Moon is simply a more casual affair by The Men, a perfectly passable rock record by a band with the talent to pull that off and without the anxiety that you'll want to pay attention." [8] Matt Messana of Popmatters described New Moon as "one of those excellent albums that's going to divide opinion, especially among long-standing fans of the band." [20]

Robert Leedham of Drowned in Sound, on the other hand, described New Moon as "an infuriating collection of songs", writing "its complete disregard towards any sort of structure or cohesion is so overpowering, you'll be baffled how the Brooklyn-based five piece cobbled their fourth record together at all." [18] Slant Magazine's Jordan Mainzer also criticized the album's lack of focus, writing "this lack of a sensible sequence strips New Moon of the convergence, endurance, and catharsis that characterizes the Men's best work. Four albums in four years is an impressive feat, but the band has prioritized quantity over quality." [9]

Track listing

All songs written by The Men. [6]

  1. "Open the Door" - 3:00
  2. "Half Angel Half Light" - 3:18
  3. "Without a Face" - 2:46
  4. "The Seeds" - 4:18
  5. "I Saw Her Face" - 5:22
  6. "High and Lonesome" - 2:42
  7. "The Brass" - 3:22
  8. "Electric" - 3:16
  9. "I See No One" - 3:23
  10. "Birdsong" - 4:14
  11. "Freaky" - 2:25
  12. "Supermoon" - 7:59

Personnel

The following people contributed to New Moon: [21]

The Men

Additional personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonic Youth</span> American rock band (1981–2011)

Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City and formed in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo remained together for the entire history of the band, while Steve Shelley (drums) followed a series of short-term drummers in 1985, rounding out the core line-up. Jim O'Rourke was also a member of the band from 1999 to 2005, and Mark Ibold was a member from 2006 to 2011.

<i>Marquee Moon</i> 1977 studio album by Television

Marquee Moon is the debut album by American rock band Television. It was released on February 8, 1977, by Elektra Records. In the years leading up to the album, Television had become a prominent act on the New York music scene and generated interest from a number of record labels, eventually signing a record deal with Elektra. The group rehearsed extensively in preparation for Marquee Moon before recording it at A & R Recording in September 1976. It was produced by the band's frontman Tom Verlaine and sound engineer Andy Johns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death Grips</span> American experimental hip-hop group

Death Grips is an American experimental hip hop group formed in 2010 in Sacramento, California. The group consists of producers Zach Hill (drums) and Andy Morin (keyboards), and vocalist Stefan Burnett, also known as MC Ride. Though he is not the group's frontman, Hill has been credited with being the driving creative force behind the project. Drawing from punk rock, electronic, noise, and industrial styles, the band's innovative and often difficult-to-categorize sound has earned critical acclaim and a cult following, while their aggressive performance style and cryptic interactions with their fans and the media have gained widespread notoriety.

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

Cloud Nothings is an American indie rock band from Cleveland, Ohio, United States, founded by singer-songwriter Dylan Baldi. It currently consists of lead singer and guitarist Dylan Baldi, drummer Jayson Gerycz, and bassist Chris Brown.

<i>Attack on Memory</i> 2012 studio album by Cloud Nothings

Attack on Memory is the second studio album by American indie rock band Cloud Nothings, released on January 24, 2012 by Carpark Records. Produced by Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studio in Chicago, the recording sessions saw frontman Dylan Baldi's live band contributing as full-time members and co-writers. Attack on Memory features a heavier sound and darker songs, a sharp turn from the power pop of previous Cloud Nothings releases.

<i>Clear Moon</i> 2012 studio album by Mount Eerie

Clear Moon is the fifth studio album by Mount Eerie, a solo project by American musician Phil Elverum. It was released May 22, 2012 on Elverum's own label P.W. Elverum & Sun. The album was written and produced entirely by Elverum, who recorded it at his studio the Unknown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Men (punk band)</span> American rock band

The Men are a rock band from Brooklyn, formed in 2008. The band consists of Mark Perro, Nick Chiericozzi, Rich Samis (drums), and Kevin Faulkner (Bass).

<i>Smart Bar Chicago 1985</i> 2012 live album by Sonic Youth

Smart Bar Chicago 1985 is a live album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on November 13, 2012, on Goofin' Records. It features a live 4-track recording of the band's performance at the Smart Bar in Chicago, Illinois, on August 11, 1985, during the tour in support of Sonic Youth's second studio album, Bad Moon Rising (1985).

<i>Floating Coffin</i> 2013 studio album by Thee Oh Sees

Floating Coffin is a studio album by the American garage rock band Thee Oh Sees, released on April 16, 2013, on Castle Face Records. The album is the band's eighth to be released under the name Thee Oh Sees, and their fourteenth studio album overall.

<i>Monomania</i> (Deerhunter album) 2013 studio album by Deerhunter

Monomania is the sixth studio album by American indie rock band Deerhunter, released on May 7, 2013 on 4AD. Produced by both the band and Nicolas Vernhes, the album is the first to feature bassist Josh McKay, and is the only studio album to feature guitarist Frankie Broyles.

<i>Kveikur</i> 2013 studio album by Sigur Rós

Kveikur is the seventh studio album from Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. It was released 12 June 2013 in Japan, on 17 June internationally, and on 18 June in the United States through XL Recordings. It is the only album to be fully released through XL after the band departed EMI and Parlophone during the label's acquisition by Universal Music Group in 2012. It is the only album since their debut, Von, not to feature Kjartan Sveinsson, following his departure in 2012, and the last to feature drummer Orri Páll Dýrason before his departure in 2018. The cover is a photo by the Brazilian artist Lygia Clark.

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

Speedy Ortiz is an American indie rock band from Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. Originally a solo project for founder Sadie Dupuis, from 2011 a full band incarnation has released three EPs and three LPs mostly on Carpark Records. As of 2022, the band consists of Dupuis, Audrey Zee Whitesides, Andy Molholt, and Joey Doubek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gun (song)</span> 2013 single by CHVRCHES

"Gun" is a song by Scottish synth-pop band Chvrches from their 2013 debut album The Bones of What You Believe. It was released as the band's third official single on 15 June 2013 via Virgin and Goodbye Records.

<i>Government Plates</i> 2013 studio album by Death Grips

Government Plates is the third studio album by experimental hip hop group Death Grips. It was released for free download on November 13, 2013. It was also uploaded by the band to multiple file sharing sites, and music videos for every song were uploaded to the band's YouTube page. On January 14, 2014, Government Plates was made available for purchase through iTunes. The album has sold 13,000 copies as of March 2015.

<i>Tomorrows Hits</i> (The Men album) 2014 studio album by The Men

Tomorrow's Hits is the fifth studio album by the Brooklyn punk rock band The Men released March 4, 2014 on Sacred Bones Records.

<i>Cruise Your Illusion</i> 2013 studio album by Milk Music

Cruise Your Illusion is the debut studio album by American punk rock group Milk Music. It was released on April 2, 2013, via Fat Possum Records on CD and digital formats. The vinyl version of the album was self-released by the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">God Made the World</span> 2013 single by Cold Cave

"God Made the World" is a song by American synthpop act Cold Cave. It was released in 2013 as a single through Heartworm Press — a publishing company and a record label founded by Wesley Eisold of Cold Cave. The release is a part of the series of singles released by Cold Cave in 2013. Alongside the other 2013 singles, it was included in Full Cold Moon compilation album in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death Grips discography</span>

American band Death Grips has released seven studio albums, two compilation albums, four extended plays (EPs), one mixtape, six non-album singles, 16 album singles, three remixes, one guest appearance and 47 music videos. The band was formed by MC Ride, Zach Hill, and Andy Morin in Sacramento, California, during the winter of 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sadie Dupuis</span> Musical artist

Sarah Elizabeth "Sadie" Dupuis is an American musician who is the guitarist, lead vocalist and lyricist for the band Speedy Ortiz. She has also released two solo albums, Slugger and Haunted Painting, under the name Sad13. Dupuis has published two books of poetry. A portrait of her was featured on the August 22, 2022 cover of The New Yorker. In October 2023, Rolling Stone named Dupuis as one of The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

<i>Marigold</i> (Pinegrove album) 2020 studio album by Pinegrove

Marigold is the fourth studio album by Pinegrove, released through Rough Trade Records on January 17, 2020. The album was produced by the band's frontman, singer-songwriter Evan Stephens Hall, as well as guitarist Sam Skinner. As with the band's previous album, Marigold was recorded and mixed at Amperland, a rural farmhouse occupied by the group in upstate New York.

References

  1. 1 2 Pelly, Jenn. The Men Announce New Album New Moon, Listen to New Track "Electric" Now. Pitchfork Media. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  2. ↑ Pelly, Jenn. The Men Begin Recording New Album. Pitchfork Media. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 Sundermann, Eric. The Men Get Out of the Gutter. Village Voice.com. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 Grant, Sarah. Interview: The Men. Consequence of Sound. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  5. ↑ The Men: New Moon. Sacred Bones Records. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Heaney, Gregory. New Moon - The Men. Allmusic. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Gardner, Noel. The Men - 'New Moon'. NME. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 Downer, Adam. Review: The Men - New Moon. Sputnikmusic. 2 March 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Maizner, Jordan. The Men: New Moon. Slant Magazine. 1 March 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Caffrey, Dan. Album Review: The Men - New Moon. Consequence of Sound. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 Heller, Jason. The Men: New Moon. The A.V. Club. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  12. 1 2 Wilson, Alex. The Men - New Moon. Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  13. ↑ Pelly, Jenn. Watch the Men's Video for "Electric". Pitchfork Media. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  14. ↑ Rahman, Ray. Listen to 'I Saw Her Face,' the latest single from Brooklyn's the Men -- EXCLUSIVE. Entertainment Weekly. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  15. ↑ Hear New Albums From Rhye, the Men, Javelin, Blue Hawaii, and Shlohmo Via Pitchfork Advance. Pitchfork Media. 26 February 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  16. ↑ Breihan, Tom. The Men – “I Saw Her Face” Video. Stereogum. 19 March 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  17. 1 2 Critic Reviews for New Moon. Metacritic. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  18. 1 2 Leedham, Robert. The Men - New Moon. Drowned in Sound. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  19. ↑ Berman, Stuart. The Men: New Moon. Pitchfork Media. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  20. 1 2 Messana, Matt. The Men: New Moon. Popmatters. 6 March 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  21. ↑ New Moon- The Men: Credits. Allmusic. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.