Although initially lumped into the New York dance-punk scene of the early 21st century, they have come to be categorized by their dramatic stylistic shifts between albums, while retaining a consistent interest in rhythm and sound texture. Liars are one of the many contemporary bands to draw from the late 1970's British post-punk movement. Their first album, 2002's They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top, bore some resemblance to the work of Delta 5 and Gang of Four, accenting their angular, acerbic punk with modern synths and drum machines. Liar's second album, 2004's They Were Wrong, So We Drowned, eschewed their debut's trendy post-punk aesthetic in favor of dissonant atmospherics and electronic soundscapes more akin to the sound of This Heat. That album stratified fans and critics alike, especially chafing with those who took to They Threw Us All for the clear dance/punk leanings of a number of that album's tracks (e.g. "We Live Northeast of Compton"). 2006 saw the release of Drum's Not Dead., which continued the direction they had taken with They Were Wrong but was met with a much more favorable critical reaction. 2007's self-tited LP, Liars, found the band once again shifting styles, this time towards 60's style garage rock and 70's proto-punk, all through the dark, effects-driven prism that Liars began channeling on They Were Wrong. While more straight-forward than their previous 2 LPs, the record contained the same focus on rhythm and experimentation with the deconstruction of traditional sounds. Similar to Drum's Not Dead. Liars was critically praised and found its way on to Best of 2007 lists. They released Sisterworld, in 2010, which continued in their experimental post-punk direction. Its deluxe edition came with a completely remixed version of the album, with tracks being remixed by artists such as Thom Yorke, Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead and Carter Tutti. In 2012, they released WIXIW, which saw the band take an almost entirely electronic direction with their music.
On January 13, 2014, Liars premiered their single "Mess on a Mission" and announced the title of their 7th album as Mess, which was released on March 24 via Mute Records.[17]
TFCF
Edit
On February 20, 2017, Liars updated their site with a short video clip titled TFCF.[18] Another video was later added, called TFCF H, and then TFCF E, and so on. When taking the last letter of each of these videos, the word THEME is spelled out. On June 2, the band released four more videos which spell out the word FROM.[19] On June 15 and June 24, more videos were released spelling the words CRYING and FOUNTAIN, respectively. On May 18, Andrew announced a new Liars album to be released sometime in August, along with the amicable departure of founding member Aaron Hemphill. He will go on tour from August with a new backup band.
The initialism TFCF was the title of the band's LP which was released on August 25, 2017. Liars have, as a matter of course, sounded radically different with each album, pursuing new concepts and occupying diverse mindsets. On this, Liars’ eighth studio album, the bustling backdrops of Los Angeles, Berlin and New York have been replaced with a presence far more intimate and autobiographical.[citation needed]
The Apple Drop
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On May 4, 2021, Liars announced the release of a new album, titled The Apple Drop, which was released on August 6.
Hold You Drum
Liars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You got more mouths to treat
The swallowed seeds will grow it seems
To turn a tree
You're a dirty one, Grassy
Five hundred apples all for me
Don't turn a tree, tree
The lyrics of the song Hold You Drum by Liars, is a poignant portrayal of the burden of guilt that someone may carry due to their actions. The primary focus of these lyrics is Grassy, who is being referred to as "dirty". This term may not necessarily mean that Grassy is physically dirty, but rather implies that they are guilty of some wrongdoing. This is further emphasized by the line "You got more mouths to treat", which may mean that Grassy has hurt more than one person. The next few lines seem to suggest that although Grassy has done something wrong, they are also aware that they have to bear the consequences of their actions. The line "The swallowed seeds will grow it seems, to turn a tree" is a metaphor for Karma, suggesting that every action has a reaction and that Grassy must face the consequences of their actions.
The second verse is a bit more ironic as Grassy is depicted as having five hundred apples. This specific number of apples may represent something significant or it could just be a reference to the biblical story of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit. The line "Don't turn no tree, tree" reinforces the idea of consequences, as if Grassy takes any action, it may lead to something even worse. Overall, Hold You Drum is an introspective song about the burden of guilt, the inevitability of consequences and the power of Karma.
Line by Line Meaning
You're a dirty one, Grassy
You are deceptive and untrustworthy, Grassy
You got more mouths to treat
You have more people to deceive and manipulate
The swallowed seeds will grow it seems
The lies you tell will eventually become apparent and lead to consequences
To turn a tree
Resulting in the growth of an unwanted outcome
Five hundred apples all for me
You have benefited greatly from your deception
Don't turn a tree, tree
Do not let your lies result in an undesirable outcome
Don't turn no tree, tree
It is imperative that you do not let your deception lead to a negative outcome
Writer(s): Julian Morgan Gross, Aaron Hemphill, Angus Andrew Copyright: Music Sales Corporation O/B/o Mute Song
Contributed by Adeline H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.