Just caught them on Conan.

Are they, like, a cult or something...?

It's not that I didn't like them, cuz I did.

just wondering..

I have been a fan of their music for a while now...they are...interesting. I think their following has grown a bit after their music was used in a comercial...Volkswagon I think.

I'm pretty well aquainted with two of them (harp player and guy in the choir). They aren't a cult themselves but some of the fans might be going that way.

It's all a schtick. They're really pretty normal people if you hear them in interviews. They do lose a lot of money, however. Their dry-cleaning bills are apparently immense.

so when is the new album slated to be released?

I've enjoyed them for over a year now. Picked up the CD when it was originally released on their own label, based on a review from othermusic.com. I was surprised to hear their music in the Volkswagen commercial.

As for cult, they kinda let people believe they are, but not really. The lead singer and "cult leader" is actually the former singer for Tripping Daisy, if you remember them from the mid 90s.

They had a feature on this group a couple months ago on NPR's All Things Considered. Yes, it's the former Tripping Daisy guy. He saw it all as a 21st century throwback to the Fifth Dimension-type vocal groups of the '70s.

I remember reading recently that they've been dropped from their label.

Since these guys are from Dallas, I've seen them in concert a few times. If you ever get the chance, it's definitely an incredible live experience. The guy's name is Tim Delaughter. I believe there was also a write-up about them in a recent CMJ.

Really?! Huh...I remember sitting on my sister's bedroom floor and listening to I Am An Elastic Firecracker -which now slightly annoys me- after school. I'll have to fill her in on that.

What is the best place to start w/ this band? I really can't stop listening to their version of "Wig In a Box" - s'gorgeous!

Not surprising--no matter how good their music is, how can you pay a group of 50 people or whatever a tiny sum and keep them happy while making a profit? I'm amazed they ever released an album at all.

I'd like to hear it.

I don't think they were dropped from they're label, they just went w/ a bigger label that could market them more effectively. The label they were on, Good Records, is owned, partially, I believe by Tim Delaughter (lead singer). True, they didn't make a lot of $$$, from talking to some of the other owners, but I think when they went on tour (especially in the UK), someone else was picking up the tab, besides the record company, for any deficits their shows incurred.

Quote:

Originally posted by Jepthah
Not surprising--no matter how good their music is, how can you pay a group of 50 people or whatever a tiny sum and keep them happy while making a profit?

this was the first thing that came to my mind...even before the cult stuff...

I think total it is only about 37 people, however, when they tour not everyone goes. That's part of how they make a little more money. I know when I saw them in Dublin this summer the place had a HUGE crowd. They are really pretty big in Europe, and I imagine that most of the 20 somethings in the band just enjoy the experience. My friend Michael gets enough money to pay for his food and housing, while he's able to see the world for free. He doesn't complain.

According to their website there are 24 people in the band.

I saw them at the Metro last month and it was a great show. I'll definitely pick up their next album.

I recommend their stuff.

Best place to start with Polyphonic Spree? They only have the one album, The Beginning Stages of the Polyphonic Spree. There's two versions out, but they both contain the exact same music. The original Good Records release had untitled songs, they were basically Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, etc. I believe the reissue on the semimajor label has titles for the songs. But they're still the same songs in the same order.

I saw them at the Austin City Limits Festival. I would equate their shows to a religous experience. Simply amazing/wonderful songs, performances. Huge crowd too.

I saw Tripping Daisy in '89 and was bored stiff. Didn't realize this was the same guy. After reading about Poly for over a year now I finally saw them on Conan. Hmmmm. I like the Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev and the Shins (all bands with that higher pitched voice), but I didn't care for this Poly song. How would you rate the song they sang on Conan compared to the rest of the album?
It's definitely an interesting sight, but something about them really rubbed me the wrong way.

So they're ironically taking the stance of a cult, while inadvertendly creating a cult amongst their fans? Irony and postmoderism must be stopped.

Um, are you serious?

Saw them with Bowie last nite. Interesting to say the least. At least it was different and was pleasant to listen to.

Seems like a cross between Flaming Lips, Up With People, and a really scary cult. Their acid budget must be really huge.

It was funny to hear some of the comments around us after they left the stage.

"Now we know what happened to David Koresh's children"

"I fully expect to wake up one morning and find that they have all killed themselves"

etc.

They were on Scrubs a few weeks ago too (I didn't even realize who they were until my wife said), anyone know the name of the song they sung then? I haven't quite made up my mind about 'em yet but they are definitely interesting.

I think it was "Light and Day."

I have to listen to that at work every day, every hour. It gets annoying REEEEEAL fast.

I remember them. Saw them sometime in the late '90s. Good concert.

I'll have to check his new group out. I was wondering who the band was when they were on "Scrubs".