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The New Pornographers — The Bones Of An Idol
Album: Twin Cinema
Avg rating:
6.9

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1527









Released: 2005
Length: 2:44
Plays (last 30 days): 1
We're lit by a torch as we kneel in the court of the king.
As we sift through the bones of an idol,
We dig for the bones of an idol when the will is gone
'Cause something keeps turning us on.

You hold up the cup you've been searching for since you were young.
When you still had the bones of an idol,
If you still had the bones of an idol, you'd be long, long gone.
But something keeps turning you on.

We cling to the raft we are missing by half what we wanted.
But we escaped with the bones of an idol,
Escaped with the belt and the title, but our land is gone.
And something keeps turning us on.
Comments (123)add comment
 Kajukenbo wrote:


While well intended, I get the feeling Neko is an ass-kicker in her own right and needs defending from nobody.


Yeah, okay Neko's public relations person...
 peter_james_bond wrote:

{#Fire}{#Fire} Blastphemy!!!!{#Fire}{#Fire} You sir, have sullied the reputation of the fair goddess Neko! Prepare for battle! {#War}


While well intended, I get the feeling Neko is an ass-kicker in her own right and needs defending from nobody.
 On_The_Beach wrote:

I much prefer the old pornographers.



More bush.
i love these guys. i think it's interesting that a lot of people think the only female vocals are always neko, when that is not the case. 
Ahhh.. Neko. I'd drink her dirty bathwater. 
I read in a review once that Neko Case has a flamethrower of a voice.  Couldn't agree more, although it's tamed a bit in the NP's.
Well ain't that something... just yesterday I was complaining about Bleeding Heart Show being played too much and the rest of New Pornographers taking a back seat.  I guess patience is needed.
The Beatles?  Who would name their band with a pun?  That band is never going to get very far.
 bizon wrote:

I'm quite surprised at all the comments about the band name. Why does anyone care? Stop and ask yourselves how many great bands over the years have or have had horrible names. I'm sure you can come up with more than a few.


If we weren’t all so used to it, we’d groan at the terrible name The Beatles. 
 On_The_Beach wrote:
I much prefer the old pornographers.
 

They don't make it like they used to eh?   
This entire album is pretty great. 
Great chord changes.
Saw them on their latest tour in Boston last week. They were OUTSTANDING. Check them out if you get a chance!!
What a great band!  Not sure they get enough love outside of Canada.
 Prius wrote:
Reminds me of Dubstar.
 

Getting the same vibes!
Saw them live in Montreal at the Corona Theater a few two years ago. A truly cool venu.
Expected a show like the Dancehall Domine video.... very disappointed with their stage presence.... seemed more into themselves and not so much with the crowd.
Good vocals though...
 Noé wrote:
Who's this fabulous drummer ??
Kurt Dahle
Who's this fabulous drummer ??
{#Bananajam}gets me up and moving
I much prefer the old pornographers.
Neko does it all
We had the special treat of seeing Neko, A.C. and the NP gang at a rather small, intimate concert here last month. What a treat! They played this song, too! 
 rushed wrote:
Those background vocals are reminiscent of vintage Yes. Much like.

 
I like this song too but that's a connection I'd never make, then again the vocals on Yes records generally annoyed the hell out of me, so I try not to think of them too often.  Cheers.
{#Cheers}
A very remarkable song.  It starts out great and keeps on getting better to the very end.  The guitar hook right before the last stanza puts it over the top.
Reminds me of Dubstar.
That guitar sent me to a Cocteau Twins atmosphere immediately.
Those background vocals are reminiscent of vintage Yes. Much like.
 lmic wrote:

I also like her best with NPs. Although Fox Confessor... is pretty great. I haven't really warmed to Middle Cyclone.


 
It was the opposite for me.  I loved her early stuff (Furnace Room Lullaby and Blacklisted) but Fox Confessor, the Tigers Have Spoken and Middle Cyclone didn't do much for me.


strange but interesting i can not stop listening
 michaelgmitchell wrote:
You ARE following this with Elbow, Bill? Keep the theme rolling. Then, The Hip (Little Bones). Then, you're on your own.

 
"Roll the Bones" by Rush perhaps?
B L I S S  H A R M O N I E S
One of my RP All Time Favorites and one of the very first in my Radio Paradise Favorites playlist begun 6 years and 666 songs ago! (And I can't believe I haven't commented on this song before now!)
 fredriley wrote:
I've never had the bones of an idol, but my Mum was always accusing me of being bone idle as a kid. I've never really understood the meaning of that phrase...
 

It's nothing bad-fred - it's nothing but our lack of serious education one can observe when following your posts.

Just my 2 Cents from the Cologne jury!

Smile!


 crockydile wrote:

As long as she doesn't sing, that is...{#Rolleyes}
 
phht.....go find another radio station
I've never had the bones of an idol, but my Mum was always accusing me of being bone idle as a kid. I've never really understood the meaning of that phrase...
You ARE following this with Elbow, Bill? Keep the theme rolling. Then, The Hip (Little Bones). Then, you're on your own.
 salide wrote:
Any Neko is good Neko!
 
I just heard a song by Peter Wolf today on "The Loft" and Neko sang back up.
I need to hunt that one down.

Just did. New CD from him...
https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Souvenirs-Peter-Wolf/dp/B0030E5NKK/ref=ntt_mus_ep_wlb_dpt

 salide wrote:
Any Neko is good Neko!
 
As long as she doesn't sing, that is...{#Rolleyes}
 salide wrote:
Any Neko is good Neko!
 
Agreed! Musically she is SO amazing, she is beautiful, and likable - yet, unfortunately, she writes such FREAKING warped songs! Now my mom loves her too.... My husband & I listen to her OFTEN. We just sit on the couch and sing albums with her sometimes. I call her "the twisted little girl".

Any Neko is good Neko!
 cherylg4 wrote:
I really don't like Neko's solo stuff but I like her with the New Pornographers. What's up with that?
 
I also like her best with NPs. Although Fox Confessor... is pretty great. I haven't really warmed to Middle Cyclone.

 peter_james_bond wrote:

{#Fire}{#Fire} Blastphemy!!!!{#Fire}{#Fire} You sir, have sullied the reputation of the fair goddess Neko! Prepare for battle! {#War}
 
https://www.trutv.com/video/operation-repo/unhand-thine-prius.html?link=truTVshlk


 kaybee wrote:

I'm the opposite.  I don't mind the New Pornographers but I feel Niko's talents are buried with them and she really shines in her solo work.

 
Agree with Kaybee.  Felt stronger after seeing the band live.

 RadioDoc wrote:
Actually, you hit on one of my key gripes with her...the sparer the arrangement she louder she seems to feel it necessary to sing.  To the point of shrieking at times.  Emoting in vocals requires control and resonance.  Unless you're doing thrash metal...

I haven't written her off but some of her stuff is just horrid.
 
{#Fire}{#Fire} Blastphemy!!!!{#Fire}{#Fire} You sir, have sullied the reputation of the fair goddess Neko! Prepare for battle! {#War}
 cherylg4 wrote:
I really don't like Neko's solo stuff but I like her with the New Pornographers. What's up with that?
 
I'm the opposite.  I don't mind the New Pornographers but I feel Niko's talents are buried with them and she really shines in her solo work.

 Crawlmeister wrote:
Sweet! A modern classic. Now just play Home-made Bombs in the Afternoon more often as well, by that Newman fella :)
 
YES!!! Please do - that song is amazing - I've almost crashed my iPod, I've listened to that track so many times! He's one of the best songwriters going, for my money. Just keeps cranking out one gorgeous bubblegum gem after another.

 ROSSinDETROIT wrote:

American Music Club.  Great band, awful name.

X.  ditto
 
To which I add Porno For Pyros.

 gandalfbmg wrote:


You're very brave to speak ill of her around here.

Now where did I put my pitchfork and torch...{#War}

 

Huh? Yeah, really brave to echo the dozens of people who post stuff like "She's screeching! Shut up!" every time RP plays one of her tracks.

Give me a break. The chorus of Neko haters hereabouts is hardly what I'd call reticent.


ROSSinDETROIT wrote:
To my ear, Neko's voice is better served by the more spare arrangements framing it on her solo CDs, although alt-country is not the direction to go to get my attention.
Actually, you hit on one of my key gripes with her...the sparer the arrangement she louder she seems to feel it necessary to sing.  To the point of shrieking at times.  Emoting in vocals requires control and resonance.  Unless you're doing thrash metal...

I haven't written her off but some of her stuff is just horrid.


gandalfbmg wrote:


You're very brave to speak ill of her around here.

Now where did I put my pitchfork and torch...{#War}

Well, someone has to do it.  So many naked emperors, so little time.

I really hope she improves.  She has a LOT of potential as shown on this track.


 RadioDoc wrote:

Probably because her "producers" insist on burying her in ten tons of reverb, plus she shrieks more than sings when she's solo.  She's a marginal performer but you'll never convince her rabid fans of that.

This song's melody, however sounds like something you'd play with your Tonette in third grade.

 

You're very brave to speak ill of her around here.

Now where did I put my pitchfork and torch...{#War}

 RadioDoc wrote:

Probably because her "producers" insist on burying her in ten tons of reverb, plus she shrieks more than sings when she's solo.  She's a marginal performer but you'll never convince her rabid fans of that.

This song's melody, however sounds like something you'd play with your Tonette in third grade.

 
I play her CD Fox Confessor Brings the Flood about 3 - 5 times a week.  Personally, I can't stand the production style of the NP albums although the songwriting and performances are among the best to be found anywhere.  The NP CDs sound hard, flat, compressed, trebly and bassless to me.  Like the greatest music heard through a bad car radio half a block away.  To my ear, Neko's voice is better served by the more spare arrangements framing it on her solo CDs, although alt-country is not the direction to go to get my attention.


cherylg4 wrote:
I really don't like Neko's solo stuff but I like her with the New Pornographers. What's up with that?

Probably because her "producers" insist on burying her in ten tons of reverb, plus she shrieks more than sings when she's solo.  She's a marginal performer but you'll never convince her rabid fans of that.

This song's melody, however sounds like something you'd play with your Tonette in third grade.

 bizon wrote:
I'm quite surprised at all the comments about the band name. Why does anyone care? Stop and ask yourselves how many great bands over the years have or have had horrible names. I'm sure you can come up with more than a few.
 
American Music Club.  Great band, awful name.

X.  ditto


Love the band and the album.  An this is my favorite song from it.  I can hardly believe the talent that this group packs.  More NP!!  Especially with Neko singing.
I used to like this song but overexposure has caused me to resent the hell out of it.
WOW I love this song! Great band name too. So, is it really Neko singing?? I like Neko.
Love this, Love Neko with them or solo.
I really don't like Neko's solo stuff but I like her with the New Pornographers. What's up with that?
Sweet! A modern classic. Now just play Home-made Bombs in the Afternoon more often as well, by that Newman fella :)
wow, what a nice surprise (-: I really can't stand that "my right versus yours" song from them, but this is brilliant. Different singer, maybe that's it.
This is probably my favorite song by the New Pornographers.
I'm quite surprised at all the comments about the band name. Why does anyone care? Stop and ask yourselves how many great bands over the years have or have had horrible names. I'm sure you can come up with more than a few.
jstevep00 wrote:
Someone may have already explained this, but it is a reference to the televangelist of the 80s, Jimmy Swaggart. He said, at the time, that rock music was the "new pornography," i.e. it was replacing pornography as the #1 source of corruption. So the band, as rock musicians, are The New Pornographers. Quite clever if you ask me. Oh, and I think there needs to be more of this band on RP. Love'em.
DrCyKosis wrote:
Some of their music is good, but I dislike the name of the band.
Someone may have already explained this, but it is a reference to the televangelist of the 80s, Jimmy Swaggart. He said, at the time, that rock music was the "new pornography," i.e. it was replacing pornography as the #1 source of corruption. So the band, as rock musicians, are The New Pornographers. Quite clever if you ask me. Oh, and I think there needs to be more of this band on RP. Love'em.
wild_mercury wrote:
I found this album tedious, but I loved the title track. I much prefer Neko's solo albums.
Wouldn't call this tedious, but yes, I too prefer Neko's solo stuff.
Catchy but wearing thin with repeated listening.
Mari wrote:
Wonderful Album!
Agreed!
DrCyKosis wrote:
Some of their music is good, but I dislike the name of the band.
Thanks for sharing?
There is a much better version out there. What happened to it?
Some of their music is good, but I dislike the name of the band.
NorthernLad wrote:
neko is a hottie.
dAMN tHAT'S hOT
inindian wrote:
That may be so but in this pic she somehow looks like or reminds me of the actor Edward Norton...from the neck up...
That's funny, this pic always reminded me of... a bunch of cars driving down a winding road at night. But then again some clever chap may change the linked picture again, so I may be wrong in the future... watch out for links!
Music from this band always gets me in a good mood.
That may be so but in this pic she somehow looks like or reminds me of the actor Edward Norton...from the neck up... NorthernLad wrote:
neko is a hottie.
I found this album tedious, but I loved the title track. I much prefer Neko's solo albums.
if my pornographic memory serves me correctly, this is a great song.
neko is a hottie.
calray wrote:
I want to hear the Old Pornographers! Does this seem derivative of Bowie at all?
too bad neko case wasnt present when i saw them at the legendary horseshoe tavern
I love this song, the lyrics, the singing, the production, the melody. The lyrics seem to be about religious fanaticism. One of my RP favorites.
This isn't even my favorite cut off the album, and it still gets an 8.
This is really quite good.
Wonderful Album!
Where is the really raw and edgier version of this one? Where to find? RP has played it before.
flyfree wrote:
Much love to Neko et al., but did anyone else think that this NP outing was not as good as the first two?
I thought that the first couple of times I heard it, but it has grown on me tremendously. I have to rate it right up there with the first two, now.
llj4665 wrote:
agreed
Seriously, I think I'm going to pass out at my desk!!
agreed gregortheblue wrote:
boringBoringBORING
This album is a masterpiece!
I bought this album on allofmp3.com and initially thought it was okay. After a couple of listens, I totally got it. This band is very good, definitely worth the time. Now I'll buy the CD to support all. Definitely worth it!
gregortheblue wrote:
boringBoringBORING
Take a little time. Pay attention to the detail, and you won't feel so bored.
Heard the name, now heard the music. Not disappointed at all.
flyfree wrote:
Much love to Neko et al., but did anyone else think that this NP outing was not as good as the first two?
Nah, this whole CD is good. Really. I think it was Pat Robertson who called music "the new pornography." The band thought it only appropriate to call themselves The New Pornographers. Edit: I've been corrected. It was Jimmy Swaggart, not Pat Robertson. gillespp wrote:
Jimmy Swaggart. See https://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/23230
Much love to Neko et al., but did anyone else think that this NP outing was not as good as the first two?
Great album all the way through.
boringBoringBORING
wondertoofar wrote:
the New Pornographers same as the Old Pornographers. WE won't get fooled again!
wonderful
something about this song.
voice reminds me of Neko Case.....oh wait....
voice reminds me of Kristy MacColl for some reason
Are you getting paid to promote this or something?! catmaven wrote:
This cut is pseudo-country for sure. Or did country-music stations play it? In either case, if you liked this but want something better musically, give a listen to this: https://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,1622132,00.html and from www.popmatters.com/music/reviews: Various Artists From Hell to Breakfast: A Taste of Sugar Hill's Texas Singer-Songwriters (Sugar Hill) US release date: 5 February 2002 by Andrew Gilstrap PopMatters Associate Music Editor :. e-mail this article :. print this article :. comment on this article Texas claims to be the best at a lot of things, and quite frankly, it annoys nearly every other state in the Union. One thing that's hard to argue with, though, is the stunning amount of songwriting talent the state produces. Maybe it's the flipside of Minnesota, where a thriving artistic community stems from the fact that, in the winters, there's little you can do besides sit in the basement and create. The wide open spaces of Texas and its border-influenced culture must do something similar to the heart and mind. Only Nashville rivals Texas for songwriting prowess, but only because everyone moves there from somewhere else. Lyle Lovett's from Texas. So are Joe Ely, Willie Nelson, Radney Foster, and Freddy Fender. Nanci Griffith and Tish Hinojosa? Texas. Doug Sahm, Buddy Holly, and Waylon Jennings? Drinking Shiner Bock and raising a Texas flag in the hereafter. Roll the dice on any significant form of American songwriting, and Texas is likely to show its face. The Sugar Hill label does a good job of documenting some of the depth and breadth of the Lone Star State's musical terrain. Offering up cuts from legends like Townes Van Zandt, obscure-but-seminal acts like Bad Livers, and up-and-coming artists like The Gourds, From Hell to Breakfast is a satisfying listen. At first, the song choices might seem a little strange -- with few exceptions, these are hardly each artist's best-known songs -- but they make sense after a while. "For the Sake of a Song" began Townes Van Zandt's career and "Snowin' on Raton" perfectly evokes a Texas winter. Terry Allen's "Gone to Texas" and The Gourds' "El Paso" have obvious Texas links, and Robert Earl Keen's "The Road Goes on Forever" (overplayed though it is) closes the disc in grand storytelling style. In fact, storytelling is probably the disc's greatest theme. Folks like Guy Clark, James McMurtry (novelist Larry McMurtry's son but an accomplished artist in his own right), and Rodney Crowell definitely know how to inject the feel of the open road, the open plains, or an open seat at the bar with considerable skill. The artists on From Hell to Breakfast created a sub-genre all their own, so completely that imitators have left a bucket full of cliches in their wake. Perhaps that's why the Austin Lounge Lizards' "Old Blevins" works so well. Starting off like a poignant story-song about a wizened old man, the song quickly takes a different tack, summing up Blevins' wisdom as "blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah". The stories on From Hell to Breakfast run the gamut from quiet meditations that are so private you feel like an intruder for hearing them, to honky tonk rave-ups that skewer their subjects with such gleeful precision that you can't help but laugh along. Van Zandt's "For the Sake of a Song" is so layered and subtle that only the passing of years and the accumulation of experiences help you get inside it, while no explanation is needed for Terry Allen's full-throttle Lone Star celebration "Amarillo Highway". From Hell to Breakfast delivers exactly what it promises: a taste of some of the finest songwriting in Texas. Van Zandt, Allen, Keen, Clark, McMurtry, The Gourds, the Austin Lounge Lizards, and others have all found unique niches reflecting their home's reputation for individuality and self-reliance. If you're not familiar with many of these artists, expect From Hell to Breakfast to whet your appetite for the rest that they have to offer.
Danny_G wrote:
Not bad
actually I belive the term is VERY GOOD
doasfu wrote:
I discovered these guys a couple of weeks ago when they opened for Belle and Sebastian and I've been listening to them non-stop since.
Belle and Sebastian, and this. Yeah, makes sense. In a not-making-sense sort of way.
I discovered these guys a couple of weeks ago when they opened for Belle and Sebastian and I've been listening to them non-stop since.
Case sings on new porno albums and often tours with them. The band was formed by Carl AC Newman and friends. Mostly from Vancouver, and oh, they're great live.
This cut is pseudo-country for sure. Or did country-music stations play it? In either case, if you liked this but want something better musically, give a listen to this: https://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,1622132,00.html and from www.popmatters.com/music/reviews: Various Artists From Hell to Breakfast: A Taste of Sugar Hill's Texas Singer-Songwriters (Sugar Hill) US release date: 5 February 2002 by Andrew Gilstrap PopMatters Associate Music Editor :. e-mail this article :. print this article :. comment on this article Texas claims to be the best at a lot of things, and quite frankly, it annoys nearly every other state in the Union. One thing that's hard to argue with, though, is the stunning amount of songwriting talent the state produces. Maybe it's the flipside of Minnesota, where a thriving artistic community stems from the fact that, in the winters, there's little you can do besides sit in the basement and create. The wide open spaces of Texas and its border-influenced culture must do something similar to the heart and mind. Only Nashville rivals Texas for songwriting prowess, but only because everyone moves there from somewhere else. Lyle Lovett's from Texas. So are Joe Ely, Willie Nelson, Radney Foster, and Freddy Fender. Nanci Griffith and Tish Hinojosa? Texas. Doug Sahm, Buddy Holly, and Waylon Jennings? Drinking Shiner Bock and raising a Texas flag in the hereafter. Roll the dice on any significant form of American songwriting, and Texas is likely to show its face. The Sugar Hill label does a good job of documenting some of the depth and breadth of the Lone Star State's musical terrain. Offering up cuts from legends like Townes Van Zandt, obscure-but-seminal acts like Bad Livers, and up-and-coming artists like The Gourds, From Hell to Breakfast is a satisfying listen. At first, the song choices might seem a little strange -- with few exceptions, these are hardly each artist's best-known songs -- but they make sense after a while. "For the Sake of a Song" began Townes Van Zandt's career and "Snowin' on Raton" perfectly evokes a Texas winter. Terry Allen's "Gone to Texas" and The Gourds' "El Paso" have obvious Texas links, and Robert Earl Keen's "The Road Goes on Forever" (overplayed though it is) closes the disc in grand storytelling style. In fact, storytelling is probably the disc's greatest theme. Folks like Guy Clark, James McMurtry (novelist Larry McMurtry's son but an accomplished artist in his own right), and Rodney Crowell definitely know how to inject the feel of the open road, the open plains, or an open seat at the bar with considerable skill. The artists on From Hell to Breakfast created a sub-genre all their own, so completely that imitators have left a bucket full of cliches in their wake. Perhaps that's why the Austin Lounge Lizards' "Old Blevins" works so well. Starting off like a poignant story-song about a wizened old man, the song quickly takes a different tack, summing up Blevins' wisdom as "blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah". The stories on From Hell to Breakfast run the gamut from quiet meditations that are so private you feel like an intruder for hearing them, to honky tonk rave-ups that skewer their subjects with such gleeful precision that you can't help but laugh along. Van Zandt's "For the Sake of a Song" is so layered and subtle that only the passing of years and the accumulation of experiences help you get inside it, while no explanation is needed for Terry Allen's full-throttle Lone Star celebration "Amarillo Highway". From Hell to Breakfast delivers exactly what it promises: a taste of some of the finest songwriting in Texas. Van Zandt, Allen, Keen, Clark, McMurtry, The Gourds, the Austin Lounge Lizards, and others have all found unique niches reflecting their home's reputation for individuality and self-reliance. If you're not familiar with many of these artists, expect From Hell to Breakfast to whet your appetite for the rest that they have to offer.
I want to hear the Old Pornographers! Does this seem derivative of Bowie at all?
Another RP turn on for me. Thanks, Bill. This time a double. Neko Case solo and now TNP... is this her side project or? Very good song.
I love the subdued but melodic feeling this song has. I can imagine hearing this while hanging out near the ocean just before dusk as a comfortable cool breeze blows.
Not bad
Thought this was Earth & Fire (without 'Wind' yes, that's another band). I like it.
the New Pornographers same as the Old Pornographers. WE won't get fooled again!
love this band - several cuts from this album are worth a listen
finally, some -new- pornographers! the old ones are in such a rut. i like it.
Yeah...like the groove
from 7 up to 8 now!