Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel
Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel is the second album by Minnesota-based band Sleeping in the Aviary. Originally released on October 14, 2008, it was re-released on vinyl on July 26, 2012.[2]
Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 14, 2008[1] | |||
Genre | Pop/Rock | |||
Length | 45:40 | |||
Label | Science of Sound | |||
Sleeping in the Aviary chronology | ||||
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Recording and style
Sleeping in the Aviary's frontman, Elliott Kozel, wrote some of the songs on Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel while in a hospital in Colorado waiting to find out if his mom would die (she didn't).[2] The album was recorded soon after Kozel's mother's hospitalization, as well as a co-worker's brain aneurysm and a friend's drug overdose.[3] He has since said that he didn't like Expensive Vomit very much and that he thought there were "four good songs" on it,[2] and the album's style was "a conscious response to Panic! at the Disco’s last album", saying, "They weren’t keeping it real so we thought we’d try to add some flavor."[4] An article in Free Press Houston noted that Expensive Vomit's music took "a decidedly more folky and weighty approach" than did Sleeping in the Aviary's previous album, Oh, This Old Thing?.[5]
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [6] |
Alternative Press | 3/5[7] |
The Badger Herald | [8] |
MSN Music (Expert Witness) | A–[9] |
No Ripcord | 6/10[10] |
Punknews.org | [11] |
Three Imaginary Girls | 8.5/10[12] |
The album received mainly positive reviews; for example, The A.V. Club wrote that it "opens up the band’s tender side amid its lo-fi scars and unruly freak-outs,"[13] and Katjusa Cisar described it as "a blistering and catchy mix of punk, folk and rock".[14] Cisar later named the album one of the best Madison releases of 2008.[15] It was also ranked as the second best Madison album of 2008 by Rich Albertoni in Isthmus[16] and one of the 10 best "albums you didn't hear" of 2008 by Magnet.[17] Well-known music critic Robert Christgau awarded the album an A−, later ranking it #43 on his Dean's List for 2008.[18]
Track listing
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Write On" | 3:05 |
2. | "Calm Me Down" | 3:32 |
3. | "Gas Mask Blues" | 5:05 |
4. | "Maybe You're the Same" | 3:54 |
5. | "Things Look Good" | 2:56 |
6. | "I'm Old" | 2:46 |
7. | "Everybody's Different, Everybody Dies" | 2:42 |
8. | "You're a Party" | 4:11 |
9. | "Ladybug Death Song" | 4:01 |
10. | "Girl in the Ground" | 4:13 |
11. | "Windshield" | 9:15 |
Personnel
- Elliott Kozel—vocals, guitar, songwriting
- Phil Mahlstadt—bass guitar
- Kyle Sobczak—guitar
- Celeste Huele—accordion, musical saw
- Michael Sienkowski—drums
References
- "Expensive Vomit In A Cheap Hotel - Sleeping in the Aviary". Sleeping in the Aviary. 14 October 2008.
- Green, Loren (25 July 2012). "Sleeping in the Aviary interview 1: On Maroon 5 and Googly Guy". Citypages. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
- Schaults, Janine (8 October 2008). "Sleeping In The Aviary preview". Illinois Entertainer. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- Albert, Jason (25 November 2008). "Interview: Pale Young Gentlemen and Sleeping In The Aviary". AV Club. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
- "Take Five- With Sleeping in the Aviary". Free Press Houston. 11 December 2008.
- Greg Prato. "Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel". AllMusic.
- "Sleeping In The Aviary". Alternative Press. 2009-01-22. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- Reed, Alexandra (16 October 2008). "Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel". The Badger Herald. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- Christgau, Robert (1 February 2009). "Consumer Guide: February 2009". MSN Music. Retrieved 2018-09-28.
- "Sleeping in the Aviary: Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel". No Ripcord.
- "Sleeping in the Aviary". Punknews.org. 16 January 2009.
- "Sleeping in the Aviary — Expensive Vomit In A Cheap Hotel". Three Imaginary Girls. November 2008. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
- "Sleeping In The Aviary". AV Club. 25 August 2009. Archived from the original on 24 May 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
- Cisar, Katjusa (21 November 2008). "Q & A with Sleeping in the Aviary: Back in Madison after a wild ride". 77 Square. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- Cisar, Katjusa (2009-10-15). "Clubs roundup: St. Vincent brings emotions to forefront with vast talent". The Capital Times. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
- Albertoni, Rich (19 December 2008). "Winning spins: My top ten Madison albums of 2008". Isthmus. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
- "Best of 2008: Hidden Treasures". Magnet. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
- "Robert Christgau: 2008: Dean's List". robertchristgau.com.