Sunday, 30 Apr 2006
If you’re like me, a new Gomez album is always something to look forward to. I can remember the day that I bought Liquid Skin, which was my first exposure to the band, and driving around in Milwaukee that night I couldn’t believe the music that I was hearing. I got back into the city and made it to Atomic Records just before closing, and bought In Our Gun that very same day.
About a month ago I received the new album, How We Operate. Let me be the first to say that this album was a grower for me. I didn’t fall in love with it on first listen, but, like so many of my favorite records, friends, even girlfriends it took some time to find the greatness that this record is. The record starts off on a delicate note, and progresses through a lot of love tinged stories of the changes that life throws your way. This record would be perfect for a late night renvendous at your place as the night is slowly making way to day. It’s also sound really great in my car as the weather in Wisconsin finally turns from cold to warm.
So, when their label asked if I was interested in holding a Gomez contest, the answer was obviously yes. The contest will run for one week, and the winning prize pack includes:
One clear blue, limited-edition 7″ vinyl “How We Operate” single
One autographed poster
One copy of “How We Operate” album
Because I have the travel bug, and will be heading to Toronto for the next two weeks, I thought I would include traveling in the contest. Please leave a comment telling me where you would most like to travel. Contest ends May 8th.
How We Operate comes out this Tuesday, May 2nd. Here is some press release info:
For How We Operate, their fifth studio album, Gomez didn’t set out to reinvent the wheel. Oh no. The British quintet just wanted to change the blueprint for a different sort of rounded object: Their own records. To help focus their energies on their first studio release for ATO, the band decided to try a wholly new tack, and enlist their first outside producer. When Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters) was named as a candidate, the band leapt at the suggestion.
This album only gets better the more you hear it. Scrutinize the spacey, almost psychedelic title track closely, and the advantages of the band’s judicious new approach to arrangements are evident. “Girlshapedlovedrug” is a beguiling portrait of “a wicked girl… the worst in the world…” who still proves irresistible to the narrator, while elsewhere, the bluesy “Chasing Ghosts With Alcohol” and the twilight reverie of “Charley Patton Songs” find Gomez in a more reflective mood. “There’s always been a certain ragged glory to Gomez, ” concludes Gomez vocalist/guitarist Tom Gray. And How We Operate retains and revitalizes that glory – and presents it in a more immediately gripping form. “This is certainly the most cohesive record we’ve made,” observes Ian Ball (vocals, guitar, harmonica). “And yet it remains stylistically genre-less.” Which is to say, it’s still brilliantly, unabashedly… Gomez.
April 30th, 2006 at 3:09 pm
Actually, Toronto doesn’t sound too bad…Been to Ottawa, but never Toronto
April 30th, 2006 at 6:59 pm
Iceland. beautiful. would love to visit before all glaciers disappear.
April 30th, 2006 at 8:36 pm
Europe; as Eddie Izzard says: “it’s where all the history is”. Also, eastern Canada. It’s always seemed so exotic. Truthfully, though? I’m always up for going anywhere – I love travelling THAT much.
April 30th, 2006 at 11:27 pm
My Ex-Girlfriend’s house. The one I thought I’d be better off without.
May 1st, 2006 at 2:22 am
this might be their best record yet imo. i’ve been fairly lukewarm of the last few, but this one is def up there w/ their first 2 for me already, i can’t get enough of it.
as for where i want would most like to travel… South America, Argentia, Brazil, & Chile, mostly.
May 1st, 2006 at 3:15 am
Somewhere far away from civilization. Blue Lakes, giant forests and maybe some snowy Mountains in the back. I guess this would fit places like Canada or Russia.
May 1st, 2006 at 6:32 am
I was just trying to figure this out last night, as we just got back from two weeks in Europe…
My #1 destination right now would simply be Yellowstone National Park. I want to drive out there from Chicago for my next trip and just camp it up and disconnect for a week.
May 1st, 2006 at 7:15 am
Well, Jason beat me to it but I would love to travel to Iceland some day. I figure any country that can produce the beauty of Sigur Ros’ music must be worth a visit.
May 1st, 2006 at 7:38 am
Florence – my favourite place on earth.
May 1st, 2006 at 8:36 am
I would love to go back to Donostia [San Sebastian, Spain]. The “Tamborrada” celebrations on the Feast of Saint Sebastian are worth seeing twice.
May 1st, 2006 at 10:57 am
I first heard about Gomez quite a long time ago, and at the time I didn’t think that they would ever tour the US…. Of course I fell in love with their music immediately. At that time I remember telling my ex-grlfriend that I would love to go to England and see them. I have seen them a couple of times since, but I still dream of being able to go there and see them on their home turf. I feel the same way now about The Frames as I did back in the day with Gomez.
May 1st, 2006 at 11:47 am
Istanbul or British Columbia
May 1st, 2006 at 4:29 pm
I am hoping to make my dreams come true on our honeymoon (travel dreams too)
Galapagos, south east Asia, Micronesia and the Himalayas.
May 1st, 2006 at 5:27 pm
After hearing the stories and seeing the pictures my friend brought back, I would put New Zealand at the top of the list. But if I had to travel sans passport, I would go with Vermont. I have always wanted to visit.
May 1st, 2006 at 6:40 pm
I would to go Bangalore India, and just chill out for like a month. Totally agree with the posters above I had this album for over a month and love it to death.
May 1st, 2006 at 9:27 pm
I know it sounds stupid, but I want to go to Austin and the SXSW Festival next year… I am a a baseball player and the festival is right in the middle of the seasong…I’m almost done though…I need to travel there
May 2nd, 2006 at 10:10 am
I’d most like to travel around the world to all the locations featured the video game “Pang!”. The world tour visits:
Mount Fuji in Japan,
Mt. Keirin – the Limestone Formations near Guilin, China,
Emerald Temple (Wat Phra Kaeo, Thailand),
Ruins of the Temple of Angkor Wat, Cambodia,
Uluru/Ayers Rock in Australia’s Northern Territory,
The Taj Mahal temple in India,
Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, Saint Petersburg,
Champs Elysees, Paris,
Houses of Parliament, London,
Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, Barcelona,
Parthenon on the Acropolis, Athens,
Giza Plateau, Egypt,
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania,
Statue of Liberty, New York Harbour,
Chichen Itza, Mexico,
Antarctica,
and Easter Island in the South Pacific.
So far I’ve done London, New York, Paris and Japan. Next on my list I’d like to do Chichen Itza, Mexico.
Here’s a map: http://www.ewtoo.org/~matt/pang/map.gif and here’s more information about the tour: http://www.ewtoo.org/~matt/pang/places.htm
May 2nd, 2006 at 11:46 am
the island on Lost
May 2nd, 2006 at 3:50 pm
i’d like to go to madison, wisconsin; I was supposed to go to school there but ended up stuck in rainy boston. i’d like to know what it would be like in madison.
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:16 am
some time in late fall, i’d love to go to lynchburg, tennessee and enjoy the jack daniel’s world championship invitational barbecue. can it get more honky tonk than that? i seriously doubt my friends.
May 3rd, 2006 at 9:48 pm
An easier question for me might be, “Where do you not want to go?” But to answer the real question, the Andes or the Himalayas. I guess I miss mountains living in the midwest.
May 6th, 2006 at 11:03 am
Gomez….truly one of the only bands that matter these days. I would say the Spanish Mediterranean coast would be my first choice, then maybe Florence….
May 8th, 2006 at 11:39 am
Hamoa Beach is my ideal destination.
*On a side note, I once had a bottle of Beck’s handed to me from Gomez’ bassist’s personal stash during a Madison, WI show in 2004 because I yelled “F#CK Bush!” after they got a little political in between songs.