The new Avett Brothers album is terrible. It’s without a doubt the worst album we’ve ever heard, and you should avoid it at all costs. If Kelly Clarkson and Carrot Top were to put out an album of traditional yodeling duets, it would probably sound way better than this abomination. Listening to the Avett album’s so-called “music” will leave you with bloody ears, hairy palms, and a brutal case of IBS.
Oh who are we kidding? The new album is incredible, combining all the upbeat catchiness of Emotionalism with the breathtaking sincerity of the Gleam EPs. It’s just that every time we write about the Avetts, we gush about them, and we don’t want to bore you with our repetition. But I can’t help it—just as the Avett Brothers can’t seem to help putting out great records.
Don’t believe me? Check out the new album, I and Love and You, in its entirety at NPR and see what the fuss is about. The stream will be up from now until September 29th, which also happens to be the day the album gets released. Fans of vinyl and excess can order the limited Deluxe Edition, which includes the 180-gram record, a linen covered box with gold foil print, MP3 downloads of the album, a six-song bonus disc, 31 lithographs, and, just for the hell of it, a bandana.
You can also catch the band live on The Late Show with David Letterman on September 28th, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on October 6th, or on one of the many tour dates they’ve already got planned between now and April.
And look, this isn’t the last time we’re going to write about the Avett Brothers, and the smart money says we’ll continue to have positive things to say about them in the future. Complaints should be directed not to us, but to the band themselves, for refusing to put out anything less than great music. They’re real jerks like that.
UPDATE: The band has just released their first video off the new album, for the title track “I and Love and You”, on Myspace.
Tour Dates:
9/17/09 – North Charleston P/A/C – North Charleston, SC
9/18/09 – Westobou Festival – Augusta, GA
9/19/09 – The Moon – Tallahassee, FL
9/20/09 – Bama Theatre – Tuscaloosa, AL
9/22/09 – The Lyric Oxford – Oxford, MS
9/24/09 – Minglewood Hall – Memphis, TN
9/25/09 – Robinson Center Music Hall – Little Rock, AR
9/26/09 – Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK
9/30/09 – The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern – Toronto, ON
10/02/09 – Austin City Limits Festival – Austin, TX
10/03/09 – Baton Rouge River Center Theatre – Baton Rouge, LA
10/05/09 – Lovett Auditorium – Murray, KY
10/15/09 – Rams Head Live – Baltimore, MD
10/16/09 – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA
10/17/09 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY
10/18/09 – House of Blues – Boston, MA
10/20/09 – Englert Theatre – Iowa City, IA
10/21/09 – The Barrymore Theatre – Madison, WI
10/22/09 – The Canopy Club – Urbana, IL
10/23/09 – Turner Hall Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
10/26/09 – Michigan Theater – Ann Arbor, MI
10/29/09 – Keith Albee Theatre – Huntington,WV
10/30/09 – Louisville Palace – Louisville, KY
10/31/09 – Ryman Auditorium – Nashville, TN
01/03/10 – Granada Theater – Dallas, TX
03/03/10 – Rose State PAC – Midwest City, OK
04/18/10 – Grand Sierra Theatre – Reno, NV
I saw the Avetts on Jimmy Kimmel Show, beyond a doubt the WORSE bunch of uncoordinated spudnuts. HOW IN THE WORLD ARE THESE BUFFOONS POPULAR. It was like 11 guys playing 11 different songs as loud as they could. And ‘obviously’ trying to sound hickey. This is BS, a further indication of the death of real music. My ears bleed when I hear their junque……
Haha, you dastard bastard. I, like the previously mentioned Alex, almost skipped right to the comments to say something irreverent about your mother. Do apologize to her for me. I can't fathom why my first thought was to put a banjo there… Great write up, seriously. We just got our socks rocked off for three days in Myrtle Beach, SC. When we met Scott and Seth after the third show I feel I must have looked similar to a tween meeting…Taylor Hanson? Is he popular anymore? Justin Bieber! That's it. On a side note, we love your city. Although, there really should be a sign above Black's Beach warning of the shriveled, geriatric phalli waiting to greet you at the bottom. Cheers from Charlotte!
hahah you asshole, i hadn't read this one. nice.
Hi Gareth,
Yeah, we really love Frightened Rabbit. The Midnight Organ Fight was our favorite album of 2008, and we're anxiously awaiting the new album that comes out next month. If the first single ("Swim Until You Can't See Land") is any indication, the new album should be every bit as good as the last one.
Thanks for reading!
Chris
Woah! At first I thought you weren't kidding, good job I did read beyond the first paragraph. Yes, "I and Love and You" was my most favorite album of 2009. have you listened much to "Frightened Rabbit" – a very similar style of emotional folk-rock music. love love love it!
Hi Alex,
Yes, we are kidding!
Had you read beyond the first paragraph of this post, you would have learned that we actually love the new Avett Brothers album, and that the introduction to this article is what is commonly referred to as a "joke".
In fact, the Avett album was recently featured as part of our Best of 2009 list, and that list wasn't a "joke" (I'll remove the quotation-mark training wheels soon, I promise).
I am, however, willing to believe that you actually meant to post your comment to a different post (or perhaps an entirely different website), since even the first paragraph of this article makes no mention of the Avett Brothers changing their sound, whether it be for better or worse.
If the latter case is true, and you didn't even mean to post your comment to owlandbear.com, let me be the first to welcome you to our little website. We've got all sorts of fun stuff for you to check out, and we love the Avett Brothers too! That last statement was not a joke, and notice how I'm not putting the j-word in quotation marks anymore. That's because I think you've learned a valuable lesson today, and I'm happy to have helped you along. Congratulations, and keep reading!
Love,
Owl&Bear
Are you kidding?
Just because it's not same doesn't mean it sucks.
Seriously dude, if you want the band to stay around, they have to make some sounds that first listeners can appreciate.
Bands evolve over time. I never understand why die-hards think they're so cool… get over it man!
PS I bet you won't even publish my comment b/c I don't agree with you… we'll see