November 13th, 2009 9:22am
The Sinking Ship
Fuck Buttons “The Lisbon Maru”
The Lisbon Maru was a Japanese freighter carrying Allied prisoners of war that was sunk by a US submarine in 1942. The ship should have had some kind of marker to indicate its cargo, but it did not, and so the US ended up killing hundreds of its own men. There’s a metaphor in there, but it’s only hinted at in this instrumental by the Fuck Buttons. The piece centers on a steady marching beat, but the emotional charge is in the waves of guitar and keyboards that hit like pangs of regret. It would be sad and moving without the context of the title, but with the suggestion, it opens up considerably. It feels just like being upset about a misguided, confused act of hostility that hurts yourself far more than your nemesis.
Buy it from Amazon.
11/13/09 1:29 pm
FILE THIS UNDER “WHO GIVES A SHIT” BUT I HEARD EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS (ZEROES?) ON NBC LAST NIGHT
11/13/09 4:11 pm
Boats can’t shoot each other down. They can sink each other.
11/14/09 10:00 pm
cool story. and thanks, this band is cool in an animal collective kinda way.
11/16/09 12:14 pm
I absolutely love this song–and this band! And you’re right–I think it’s all about the emotion–for a band so in thrall to pure noise and distortion, their songs all seem almost effortlessly soulful and moving.
1/1/10 1:25 am
retarded description. and their not “the fuck buttons” their just ‘fuck buttons’….
yes the song is about the freighter the Lisbon Maru…..and yes the song kinda feels like a ship slowly sinking to the bottom of the ocean,,,,,
3/4/10 12:36 am
its funny how ignorant people just lump music together they dont understand. fuck buttons is a 2-piece electronic group from england creating progressive drone/trance music. animal collective is a 4-piece psychedelic folk rock band from america creating whiny lo-fi rock journeys. couldnt be more different.
btw.. learn some grammar. he obviously did not capitalize “the” in order to describe THE band correctly.