Kaiser Chiefs - The Future Is Medieval

[Tellyn]

The Kaiser Chiefs released their fourth album today, seemingly out of the blue.

 

Kaiser Chiefs have released their new album ‘The Future Is Medieval’ today (June 3) – and have given fans the opportunity to build their own version of the LP by compiling the tracklisting on kaiserchiefs.com.

 

By paying £7.50 to download the record, listeners will be able to essentially create their own unique version of the album by choosing their favourite 10 tracks from the selection of 20 on offer, as well as being able to create their own artwork. They will also be able to share their version of the record with other people once it has been created, and earn £1 each time it is purchased by someone else.

 

I think it seems like a pretty unique way to get people talking about it and buying it, with the potential for profit possibly deterring piracy. Has anyone else bought it/listened to any of the tracks?

 

Here's a link to my own version of the album, and if anyone's interested you can also have a crack at making your own.

 

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

The idea is creative, but what about people who just want to listen to the album as the band envisioned it without all this picking and choosing and designing and yadda?

 

I'm getting old; I'm complaining about modern music's way of doing things.

[Jimbob]

It does sound a good idea, but in someways i think the band can't choose what tunes go on what album. The last album, "Off with their Heads" didn't sell so good. So i guess this is a way to rectify the mistakes made on the last one.

 

There will be people, i may be one of them, who makes 2 albums. A disk 1 and 2, where they will own all 20 songs.

[Tellyn]

The idea is creative, but what about people who just want to listen to the album as the band envisioned it without all this picking and choosing and designing and yadda?

 

I'm getting old; I'm complaining about modern music's way of doing things.

 

In that case, the closest you could get is downloading lead singer Ricky Wilson's take on the album, currently the best-selling version on their "album HQ".

[Wesley]

I wouldn't wanna select 10 tracks to create my own album.

 

I don't want to select cool scenes to form a movie either.

 

Some form of bullshit Dairylea Lunchables art.

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

There will be people, i may be one of them, who makes 2 albums. A disk 1 and 2, where they will own all 20 songs.

 

This is what I thought as well.

 

In that case, the closest you could get is downloading lead singer Ricky Wilson's take on the album, currently the best-selling version on their "album HQ".

 

Ah, I see.

 

I wouldn't wanna select 10 tracks to create my own album.

 

I don't want to select cool scenes to form a movie either.

 

Some form of bullshit Dairylea Lunchables art.

 

This is pretty much what I thought as well. If I want to hear their album, I want to hear their album.

[Jimbob]

In that case, the closest you could get is downloading lead singer Ricky Wilson's take on the album, currently the best-selling version on their "album HQ".

 

Probably what i'll pick up, if i can't be bothered to create 2 albums. I don't purchase an album with songs that the artist probably didn't want on there in the first place, but as the artist intended.

 

So in many ways, i'm like Danny and Wesly when it comes to albums and music.

[Dan_Dare]

First: The idea that we should pick the tracks is horseshit. A crafted album far exceeds any loose mix, and 'farming out' that process is lazy, stinks of a lack of direction and shows they have no vision.

 

Second: I was alarmed to hear that the album was snuck out without a press campaign. Frankly, I would have preferred more warning that this fucking talentless troupe of assclowns were about to inflict their particular brand of sonic terrorism on the airwaves.

[mcj metroid]

A terrible idea by a desperate band who used to be part of a genre nobody gives a shit about anymore. Indie was a highly annoying time for music actually, boring ass shit.

[S.C.G]

While I'll openly admit enjoying some indie music by particular bands such as Silversun Pickups which seem decent although not amazing...

 

... Kaiser Chiefs on the other hand just seem totally underwhelming, their first album had some genuinely enjoyable hits but then hits turned to shits by the second album, third album seemed very experimental - and not really in a good way - now this... their fourth album which has absolutely no structure to it because YOU make the album by assembling the tracks...

 

It might seem like an innovative approach but really lets not dance around the fact that the band have composed twenty tracks - most of which I'm betting will be filler - and have attempted to make it look innovative but instead it just smacks of laziness and general desperation.

 

Some of the best albums ever made have been structured in a specific way, there is a reason behind this because it's a tried and tested method that actually works; making an album without a solid structure is like building a house on dodgy foundations, it might stand up for a brief period of time but it won't be long before the whole thing collapses and you're just left with a mess.

Edited June 4, 2011 by S.C.G

[Dyson]

While I'll openly admit enjoying some indie music by particular bands such asSilversun Pickupswhich seem decent although not amazing...

 

decent although not amazing...

although not amazing...

not amazing...

 

[S.C.G]

^ I still stand by my earlier comment... now yes, of course, the first time I heard Lazy Eye by Silversun Pickups I was stunned by it... but since then they haven't amazed me on the same level that other artists have.

 

Of course that one song will still have a special place in my heart - as do a few of their other songs - but I feel like I've 'moved on' from them, the album doesn't do as much for me as it once did so that's why I say, to me they are 'decent' because 'amazing' would be reserved for artists/albums that have truly blown me away on first listening and still have much the same effect on me today if I were to go and listen to them right now.

[Paj!]

I forgot they existed. They're done.

[Dyson]

^ I still stand by my earlier comment... now yes, of course, the first time I heard Lazy Eye by Silversun Pickups I was stunned by it... but since then they haven't amazed me on the same level that other artists have.

 

Of course that one song will still have a special place in my heart - as do a few of their other songs - but I feel like I've 'moved on' from them, the album doesn't do as much for me as it once did so that's why I say, to me they are 'decent' because 'amazing' would be reserved for artists/albums that have truly blown me away on first listening and still have much the same effect on me today if I were to go and listen to them right now.

 

 

 

Mostly the second one. Cmooooon. Amazing.

[S.C.G]

Mostly the second one. Cmooooon. Amazing.

 

Yes, those would be some of the 'other' songs that I genuinely like by them, I was just making the point that in the grand scheme of things I don't rate them as highly as I do other artists, but when I first heard them, they sounded 'amazing' at the time, so I still love them... just in a different way.

 

But as for Kaiser Chiefs... meh... I was 'over' them a long time ago, their first album just happened to be very popular and I'll admit it was enjoyable at the time but they really haven't progressed that much, in fact they've stepped backward... multiple times. :/

[Paj!]

They're about as culturally relevant as N-Gage right now.