The Official 'Destroy The Plastique Man' Thread

[Darek]

From the AFA Myspace blog:

On March 11, AS FAST AS will release 'Destroy The Plastique Man' the follow up to their acclaimed 2006 national release 'Open Letter To The Damned.' In July of 2007, AS FAST AS parted ways with Octone/A&M, Their label of 2 years citing "a difference in creative vision."
The songs on the new record are of a decidedly personal nature and the production is a step in a new direction for AFA. Says Spencer of the recording process, "If at any point I felt we were just doing things automatically, I would stop the process and put the song away. I wanted to make a record that was completely outside of our comfort zone. One that would not only surprise listeners, but ourselves as well. I think we achieved that goal."
Singer Spencer Albee began writing 'Destroy' in January of 2007 while still living in Portland, OR. The album came to fruition in Deep Research, his Portland, ME based basement studio with Spencer not only writing and producing, but most of the engineering and mixing as well. Steve Drown provided some additional mixing and Jonathan Wyman co-produced, recorded and mixed the first single "Dancing A Murderous Tango" which is currently in rotation on Portland's WCYY.
Aside from his AS FAST AS cohorts Hache Horchatta, Zach Jones and Andrew Hodgkins, Spencer was joined by a host of Portland Maine's greatest talents in various roles as players, co-writers and co-producers. Among them are Stu Mahan, John Maclaine, Dominic Lavoie, DJ Moore, Aren Sprinkle, Jay Valani, Holly Nunan, Angela Doxsey, Dave Noyes, Emily Thomas and Garry Bowcott. The CD features unique cinema inspired packaging done in the style of a classic LP gatefold with postcard inserts designed by Patrick Corrigan and featuring lavish photography by Matthew Robbins. "Destroy The Plastique Man' was mastered at Gateway Mastering in Portland, ME by Grammy Award winner Adam Ayan.

[onlycrayons]

Four new tracks posted:

www.myspace.com/asfastasmusic

[Jeff]

Portland, OR?

Good news, looking forward to that. Gonna check out the myspace tracks now

[Darek]

I've always thought it was hilarious that Spence moved from Portland to Portland for a while. I thought it was a typo the first time I read it but I had a short conversation about it with him at the Stone Church show a while back.

[jeff]

What does everyone think of the songs on the MySpace page? They kind of caught me by surprise. I was expecting something a little closer to the sound of the last album. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just different. It sort of reminds me of the Popsicko material in a way.

[mpb]

I really like the title track and tango a lot, not sure how I feel about the other two. I too think it sounds more like the Popsicko than Open Letter, which I'm excited about because I think both Letter albums were weaker than Spence & co's previous efforts.

[onlycrayons]

I was dubious about the title track, but then heard the acoustic version on 207 and now I can't get it out of my head.

[Darek]

I think the title track is killer. I can't shake it from my head either. Really looking forward to getting my hands on the album. I liked Open Letter, but I think part of the appeal of Spence's projects, for me at least, is how many different sounds they've managed to pump out. Every album has had a different feel and I've enjoyed them all.

[moose]

i think these songs are all so killer. brilliantly crafted. at first i thought "oh crap, as fast as is trying to do an indie album" but i just think these songs are great. (i detest nearly all indie music)

[Darek]

Album review from the Portland Phoenix here.

[jeff]

I read that whole review, and I'm still not sure if the reviewer liked it or not. That said, he mentioned the two words that I was dreading, but sort of expecting from the sample and the artwork - concept album.

[onlycrayons]

I'm not sure why the term "concept album" should carry such a negative connotation. Most albums these days sound like they were thrown together around one or two potential "singles." If an album that has continuity has to be called a "concept album," then I'm all for it. Notable recent works that got to be called "concept albums": American Idiot, A Grand Don't Come For Free, OK Computer. All albums that in my opinion are stronger than the sum of their parts.

I realize I sound like a big nerd saying this, but I'm not putting too much stock in a reviewer that doesn't know that "The Single" is on I Love You Good Morning, not the Popsicko.

Reviewers like to force the music they are reviewing into categories in order to try relate to their readers. It doesn't always work.

[Darek]

I've yet to meet a "concept album" I didn't like. Bring it on!

Rusty, I thought the same thing after reading it a couple of times, no clue if the reviewer liked it or not but honestly that was kind of refreshing. It was nice to read a review that was all about the album, not about how much the review could gush over or chastise the choices made on it.

Crayons, we're both big nerds then, don't worry about it.

[jeff]

I don't like the term "concept album" because it has such a polarizing effect. They are either loved or hated. There are really good ones and embarrassingly bad ones. Nothing in between.

Darek: Want some great examples of bad concept albums? The one from Kiss and the one from Styx are arguably what caused concept albums to basically be shunned by the music industry for 20 years or so. The Kiss one was so bad that Kiss, the band that never seems to stop touring, wouldn't tour to support it.

[Darek]

I'll admit that my scope of concept albums is less than broad. The handful I've heard or own are winners but I know there was a frighteningly long period there where it was fashionable to do dreadful "departure" records, aparently just for the sake of doing it. Some really scary stuff resulted. Thanks for the heads up though Rusty, the masochist in me may just have to track down that Styx album

Back on the AFA front, I think this album is going to be good for the band and serve as a cleansing of sorts for Spencer. As excited as I am for this effort, I'm eager to hear what the post-Plasique material sounds like.

[Jeff]

Aha, so it wasn't a typo.. I had no idea, I just could see myself making that mistake.

My initial reaction the Myspace tracks was surprise. I'd heard Tango and Beakless Bird at the New Year's Eve show, but Sleighjacking and Destroy the Plastique Man are quite a change from Open Letter.. which I really liked. I was looking forward to more in that vein.

Destroy was, well, interesting. With the voice mod and the "laser" sounds, it was very foreign to the AFA I was familiar with. I wasn't really sold on it but the 207 and bullmoose acoustic performances were fantastic, and I've come around a bit. I'd still rather more heavy guitar, rock anthem type stuff ala This Is Real, but I'll definitely give these more time.

[notreally]

I agree with Jeff. As Fast As can do a great acoustic performance, but the album is really a let down. I know they didn't want any major label executive input or anything for this album, but I think they went too far. Open Letter is one of my favorite albums I own and I was really really really hoping for a similar follow up to it, and after they put the songs on the myspace page I started getting nervous, but hoped that there would be some songs that were maybe closer to their previous sound. There are none. I'm not going to give up on AFA, but I have lost some hope.

[Darek]

Review from USM Free Press

[Nuphus]

Got my copy today in the mail 3/13/08.

I've listened to the whole album just once. I like the album. But I've come the expect the "Yellow submarine / The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" feel AS FAST AS has with their albums.

Some will love "DESTROY THE PLASTIQUE MAN" as I do and some will not.

I do think that "Beakless Bird", "Sleighjacking" and "Me'ow" don't meld well with this album for me, but every other song in the album makes up for it.

Again I've just listened to this album twice so far.

I'd say that "Dancing a Murderous Tango", "Destroy the Plastic Man", "Homewrecker" and "The Road to Hell" are all instant hits for me.

[Darek]

The pre-order showed up in my mailbox today but I didn't pick it up until I headed to my car to come in to work tonight, so I only had the 25 minute drive in to listen to it. My very superficial first impression of not even the whole album:

-Spencer Albee never met a synthesizer he didn't like (not so much a bad thing as it might sound)

-The Melodica is very well used

-I'm going to have to get used to Sleighjacking and Destroy the Plastique Man at their album tempos versus the 207 performance. I think I can get there with DTPM, but Sleighjacking just looses something being slower.

-The packaging and marketing are interesting, if not quite fully realized

I'm sure I'll have more to say once I've had significantly more time with the album.

[jeff]

Mine came in yesterday too. I haven't gotten to listen to the whole thing, but I skimmed the songs first, and am about halfway done listening all the way through now. So far I'm liking it a lot.

It's very different from Open Letter, which to me is a good thing. To be honest, and I'll probably get beaten down for this, I thought Open Letter was a little generic for a Spencer Albee project. It was very straightforward, almost homogenized rock. It was good rock, don't get me wrong, but it was very vanilla. This album, to me, feels more creative and is pushing the boundaries of what's normal and expected.

[notreally]

I have to admit, this album is starting to grow on me some

[Darek]

jeff said:

To be honest, and I'll probably get beaten down for this, I thought Open Letter was a little generic for a Spencer Albee project. It was very straightforward, almost homogenized rock. It was good rock, don't get me wrong, but it was very vanilla.

Rusty, get in touch with farley1323 about the original, pre-Octone Open Letter (he offered to help folks with it over in the RO thread). From everything you've mentioned here, I think you'd really enjoy it. Even the songs that made it onto the Octone release were re-worked and, as far as I'm concerned, watered down. The original is much more dynamic in my opinion.

[jeff]

darek said:

Rusty, get in touch with farley1323 about the original, pre-Octone Open Letter (he offered to help folks with it over in the RO thread).

Unfortunately, he's not trading in originals - just copies. I don't play that game, even when it comes to out-of-print stuff.

As for the current album, after giving it a few complete, straight-through listens, I've decided that I like it a lot. It's very interesting, unique, and artistic. It clearly has Spencer's fingerprints all over it.

The only songs I find myself skipping are Sleighjacking and the title track. The vocal effects on the title track kill it for me. I think it would be a decent song without them, but as is, I find it unlistenable. The couple of times that I've played the album with other people around (who aren't AFA fans), I've gotten a funny look from them whenever that song came on, so I'm pretty sure it's not just me. Sleighjacking, on the other hand, isn't unlistenable - I just think it's kind of bland.

[Darek]

jeff said:

Unfortunately, he's not trading in originals - just copies. I don't play that game, even when it comes to out-of-print stuff.

I can respect that.

I hear you on the title track. I find myself skipping it on the disc but I love the Bull Moose version. I'm still taking the whole thing in. I got the indie Open Letter the day after DTPM and then the newish Raul Midon disc the same day so I've sort of been rotating them all in and out. I finally have a couple of days off so I should be able to get a few more listens in. It is growing on me, as others have said, but I'm not sure it has a shot to get to the same place as far as repeat listening potential as Open Letter. Time will tell.

[Nuphus]

I'm really diggin' the album. On this album you can really hear that Spencer put a lot of thought into the music as opposed to past albums. "Beakless Bird" and "Sleighjacking" are still skippers for me, but "Me'ow" (at first it just had too much of that Wing's "Uncle Albert" feel to me) is starting to come back into play. So in time I have faith that I'll like them all.

I guess in short I find this album has so much more heart and musical dimension than the cookie-cutter-commercialized-crap that's out there.

[onlycrayons]

I'd say I like everything but Meow, and that's not that bad. Maybe I ought to be president of the AFA fan club, but I love this album. It had a great feel for the middle of the night 3-hour drive back from Portland after the Asylum show. Maybe I haven't been listening hard enough, but I still can't pick up a story running through the album.

[Nuphus]

Seeing that Mr. Ward pointed out our slacker style (nothing I learned from Rustic) to keeping this place up; I thought I'd add this Phoenix link from March 5th to the album review.

thephoenix.com/article_ektid57549.aspx

[Darek]

nahtus said:

Seeing that Mr. Ward pointed out our slacker style (nothing I learned from Rustic) to keeping this place up; I thought I'd add this Phoenix link from March 5th to the album review.

thephoenix.com/article_ektid57549.aspx

I posted that link up a few posts, but thanks for looking out man.

[moose]

i really really really like this album