Hum - You'd Prefer an Astronaut, very pumpkin-esque

[Katy Lied]

This album gets compared to the pumpkins A LOT. Every review I've read mentions how big of an influence SP was on Hum, and I can actually hear some resemblance.

Review: Having partially created what many felt was a template for the Smashing Pumpkins to become successful, Hum found itself in an unenviable spot when the lead single from its major-label debut, "Stars," became a hit precisely because of that sound. There's certainly a similar connection at points, what with some fierce, chopping feedback and crisp drum slams, but the lyrical portrait is less solipsistic and somehow the whole song feels more inspirational and dreamy for it. Like the song itself, then, You'd Prefer An Astronaut is, for all the similar love of psychedelic volume in service of emotion, its own beast, most specifically because of the singing. Talbott's lead vocals are much more restrained than Billy Corgan's aggro screams, bearing more immediate comparison with, say, Mark Kozelek of the Red House Painters or Stephen Immerwahr of Codeine. Sounding crushed and regretful amid the surge and flow of the music, his singing generally feels very approachable, reflective rather than declarative. When he does let loose with screaming here and there, it's nowhere near as strained as Corgan, something which a lot of people might be terribly happy about. As for the music, the quartet can work up a thick head of steam without cloning Corgan or James Iha's metallic rampage, just that little more dreamier and muted around the corners. Songs like "The Pod" and "I'd Like Your Hair Long" certainly recall the chunkier punch of such Pumpkins numbers as "I Am One" and "Cherub Rock," but, again, they easily stand on their own. Elsewhere, the slow building shimmer and then release of "Why I Like the Robins" is very much the band's own individual creations, as is the soft, hurt drawl on "The Very Old Man" and the downbeat start of "I Hate It Too," for all things fire up towards the end. ~ Ned Raggett

[Karl Connor]

i wonder what restaurant they work at now

[monkeyfritters]

the pod is a great song.

[HorseflyKing]

NEWSFLASH!

[neopryn]

this is timely

[ZackZ]

Originally Posted by Karl Connor

i wonder what restaurant they work at now

HUZZAH!

I don't know if Hum really sounds like Pumpkins. Pumpkins had big guitars, but more of in a Boston-500000 million overdubs- kind of way. Hum was more like a whacked out Big Muff fuzz kind of sound.

[Ol' Couch Ass]

I'd prefer an astronaut not pepper spray me in the parking lot of the Orlando airport.

[redbull]

SP > Hum > god

[East Rocket]

Its a great album.

<3 Stars and Why I Like the Robins

[redbull]

Suicide Machine

[House of Bread]

Originally Posted by redbull

Suicide Machine

yes

[wally]

DIH>YPAA

[House of Bread]

Originally Posted by wally

DIH>YPAA

yes

[???]

first time i heard about hum, someone told me they were nasa scientists. that would be so fucking cool if it were true.

[wally]

yeah, at the Rocket Propulsion Laboratory in Champaigne IL

[Electron52]

For what I hear...

Matt runs a recording studio (http://gwrecordrecorders.com/) and coaches football
Tim is in school er grad school?
Bryan is a pharmacucital Rep (I think)
Jeff Dimpsey was in National Skyline and I think he has some sort of IT job.

[redbull]

Matt is also in the band Centaur, who still play around here (Champaign/Urbana) every now and hten. I was going to see them in december, but they cancelled

[Electron52]

I saw Centaur in Ohio once. Are they even still together? I haven't heard a peep in... 2 years? Their website is gone too.

[Karl Connor]

i always thought of that Hum album as a bargain bin MCIS