This compilation of sorts, There Are No New Clouds, was again well received. Epitonic described the band's sound by asking its readers to imagine perhaps, if The Go Betweens had formed not in the wake of the punk and New Wave explosion, but instead in the wake of early '90s U.K. shoegazer and U.S. lo-fi college rock, and you get darn close to the joy of Ides of Space. Alternative Press heard "10 stunning tracks", the All Music Guide noted that the presence of "[soaring] Guitars, boyish multi-part harmonies [and] good old-fashioned hooks" and Pitchfork stated that the way they play and write, it's hard to believe they've only been together for two years. The melodies are well developed and the playing is technically flawless, yet rough enough to sound real.
On the back of touring the U.S. tours with the likes of The Gloria Record, Her Space Holiday, Despericidoes, and The Special Goodness, and Australia with Trans Am, Preston School of Industry, Art of Fighting and Knievel, these recordings reached no. 3 on the Australian AIR charts and 28 on the CMJs.
The band then retreated with producer Wayne Connolly (Underground Lovers, Youth Group, The Vines) to record its follow-up LP, which saw the light of day through low-key releases in Australia, Japan and Sweden in 2004 but not the U.S. Here the story gets a little hazy...various U.S. deals did not eventuate, lives got in the way of the band, and its activities began to contract. In 2005, Ides recorded 2 songs with Tim Whitten (Go-Betweens, Hoodoo Gurus) intended as a 7-inch single release. The masters of these recordings sat in songwriter Patrick Haid's desk draw until about 2 weeks ago.
But now Ides of Space's ‘lost recordings' Sleeping Fractures (and then some!) gets its long overdue release on Better Looking Records. The entire record, plus the insomniac's opus ‘fighting age/guaranteed escape' (previously only available on the Australian limited release EP We Have Nowhere...) plus the ominously titled pop-bliss nuggets ‘The Final Straight' and ‘No more Sound' (aka the desk-top draw recordings) will be available to those unwilling or unable to make Indiana Jones type expeditions for indie-rock.
Recently, members of Ides of Space have been active again in Line Drawings, who have a debut EP available through Bell Sounds. Check them out here (www.myspace.com/linedrawings).
Band members:
Patrick Haid - guitar and vocals
Mark Ayoub - guitar
Dave The - bass guitar
Martin Barker - keyboard
Anthony The - drums.
No Trace of Fading
Ides Of Space Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About the stars that you collect and store
You know that I would if you just asked me
The same as I did before
And as the image makes out
It's nothing to me
But if you've got time
For spinning around, you may as well be
Don't teach me to write songs, it takes so long
And we won't talk, it's just so old
And we're so young
But it's not fun anymore
And so can I ride along to your shelf
And then ignore your goodnight
Just so the pieces of old toys can collect like your nothing might
The pretext that you live with is going to give you
All the ideas you need
To tie bundles of letters with your hands down
But never concede
That we could not be strong, it takes so long
And we won't talk, it's just so old
And we're so young but it's not fun anymore
That we could not be strong, it takes so long
And we won't talk, it's just so old
And we're so young but it's not fun anymore
Don't teach me to write songs it takes so long
And we won't talk, it's just so old
And we're so young but it's not fun anymore
Old and we're so young but it's not fun anymore
Old and we're so young but it's not fun anymore
The lyrics to Ides Of Space's song "No Trace of Fading" convey the unease and dissatisfaction that comes with growing up and losing the magic of youth. The first verse speaks of a sense of longing to engage with something greater than oneself, represented by the stars collected and stored. The singer wants to be included in this pursuit, but only if invited. The idea of "spinning around" suggests a sense of aimlessness, a feeling of being lost without direction. "Leave it on the line" could refer to leaving things to chance or fate, rather than actively seeking out one's destiny.
The second verse delves deeper into the sense of disconnection and isolation that the singer feels. The reference to "old toys" and "nothing" suggest a sense of sentimentality and meaninglessness respectively. The singer feels rejected by the other person's indifference, and offers a half-hearted excuse for it. The line "the pretext that you live with is going to give you all the ideas you need" suggests that the other person is hiding behind their circumstances to avoid taking responsibility for their actions or feelings.
The repeated refrain of "Don't teach me to write songs, it takes so long, and we won't talk, it's just so old, and we're so young, but it's not fun anymore" emphasizes the sense of frustration and disillusionment that comes with growing up. The singer feels stuck in a rut, unable to progress or connect with the other person on a deeper level. The repetition of "old and we're so young, but it's not fun anymore" reinforces the idea that the magic of youth has been lost, replaced by a sense of weariness and apathy.
Line by Line Meaning
You know that I want to wonder
I am curious about the stars you collect and store.
About the stars that you collect and store
I want to know more about the stars you have and how you store them.
You know that I would if you just asked me
If you only asked, I would gladly explore the stars with you.
The same as I did before
I have been interested in these stars before and still am.
And as the image makes out
Despite what the stars might look from afar,
It's nothing to me
They hold no value to me unless we can appreciate them together.
But if you've got time
If you are willing to make the effort,
For spinning around, you may as well be
I suggest we use that time to explore the stars instead of wasting our time.
Leave it on the line
Let's put our effort into something meaningful and worthwhile.
Don't teach me to write songs, it takes so long
I'm not interested in learning how to write music, it's a long process.
And we won't talk, it's just so old
I don't want to talk about old memories because it's tiring.
And we're so young
Life is too short for us to waste it reminiscing old times.
But it's not fun anymore
It's no longer enjoyable for me.
And so can I ride along to your shelf
Can I come with you to your collection of stars?
And then ignore your goodnight
I don't want to go to sleep just yet, I want to explore more.
Just so the pieces of old toys can collect like your nothing might
I want to explore more so that I can add more experiences to my collection.
The pretext that you live with is going to give you
How you live your life would shape your future.
All the ideas you need
You possess all the ideas and creativity to lead a fulfilling life.
To tie bundles of letters with your hands down
You can use your creativity to create something meaningful.
But never concede
But don't give up your creativity.
That we could not be strong, it takes so long
It takes a long time and effort for us to become strong and resilient.
And we won't talk, it's just so old
Conversations about the past are uninteresting and tiresome.
And we're so young but it's not fun anymore
We are still young, but we need to find new activities that bring joy into our lives.
Old and we're so young but it's not fun anymore
Despite being young, we feel unfulfilled and need to find new interests.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind