Their first record, Terrible Things Happen was released in 1998 receiving glowing reviews in CMJ, The Big Takeover, and numerous indiepop zines, earning enough of a following to generate a tour of Japan in April 1999. Terrible Things Happen (as would the all of the Aislers Set music) was recorded in Linton’s tiny basement studio on an analog 8 track machine.
Spin.com named the band's second album The Last Match to its Top 20 of 2000, saying, "Linton has cleared the cobwebs off the Pop conundrum and dolled them up in a perfect dress." On Salon.com, Greil Marcus wrote, "They make dream pop feel as easy to make as a can of soup, and as dangerous: Watch that jagged edge." High praise followed in the New York Times, NME, Gear, and Alternative Press, and the band set out on lengthy tours supporting acts such as Sleater Kinney and Bratmobile.
In the spring of 2001 the band set off on a three week tour of Europe which was highlighted by an invitation to record a session for legendary British DJ John Peel, they recorded 4 tracks for the show which was aired twice by Peel. He said of the band “If you were in one of your difficult moods you could argue that there are lots of bands making that kind of noise particularly in the United States of America. And you'd say well, why are Aislers Set better than any of the others and I'd have to say, well I don't know they just sort of are..."
In 2002 the band was invited by Belle and Sebastian for a week long tour of the East Coast, culminating in a show at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom in front of over 3000 people. Stevie Jackson of Belle and Sebastian was later quoted in a 2003 SF Weekly article saying that "They are one of the best groups in America as far as I'm concerned".
Late in 2002, The San Francisco Chronicle included The Aislers Set in its list of "Young Artists on the Verge", writing: "The Aislers Set's reinvention of '60s pop resurrects walls of garage guitars and rich, Spector-esque sound, insouciance combined with insightful lyrics. But this quintet makes the past feel contemporary, borrowing from punk and pop to create a 21st century cool sound".
The Aislers Set third album “How I Learned to Write Backwards” came out in the spring of 2003 with critical praise all around. NME wrote “Sleighbells, Cuban trumpets, half-inched Smiths lyrics and chasms of lovely echo all add to an insomnia-like reverie that clings on long after its mere half-hour is up”. “When The Aislers Set hit their mark, they unveil a knack for tying together extremes without ever settling for the middle ground” said MOJO magazine. Pitchfork Media summed up the 2003 version of The Aislers Set: “Here, Linton's indie quintet becomes a pop orchestra. The band's music is denser than ever before, laden with sleigh bells, handclaps and horns piled atop the conventional guitars, drums, bass and keyboards-- and all are drenched in cavernous reverb, providing the ambiance and intimacy of a gigantic, empty concert hall”.
The band toured for most of 2003 including a month long stint supporting Yo La Tengo and a week supporting The Shins.
Since late 2003 the band has been on hiatus with Linton having moved to New York City and Cusick moving to Gothenburg, Sweden.
Friends Of The Heroes
The Aislers Set Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Won't come back until
I've cleaned up my act and my style.
The country is clean and with sheer irreverence
I'll take penance I do it so well and the way
That the friends of the heroes can tell.
I do it so good.
So good. In high eve snow
I'm calling the fives and the zero
And one and the six and the one seventeen
And I know, yeah I know, that I'll get the machine.
I do it so good. I do it so good. Oh yeah.
In the high eve snow I'll call the show.
The Aislers Set's "Friends of the Heroes" emphasizes the significance of accountability and redemption as a means of gaining credibility within one's circle. The opening lines of the song, "Because baby's gone and the train / Won't come back until / I've cleaned up my act and my style," indicate a desire to change and make amends with a significant other. The singer recognizes the consequences of their actions and understands that they need to make a change in their behavior before reconciliation can occur.
The following lines, "The country is clean and with sheer irreverence / I'll take penance I do it so well and the way / That the friends of the heroes can tell," suggest that the singer's desire to change extends beyond their personal relationships. The country could be symbolic of the larger society or community, and the singer acknowledges that they have not been adhering to societal expectations – hence the need for penance. However, this change is not only to earn societal acceptance, but to also prove to themselves and their peers that they are capable of changing their ways.
The final lines, "In high eve snow I'll call the show / I'm calling the fives and the zero / And one and the six and the one seventeen / And I know, yeah I know, that I'll get the machine," suggest that the singer wants to prove their accountability and redemption in a tangible way. As a symbolic gesture, they will call a radio station (possibly requesting a song) and hope to get through when they previously may not have due to their past behavior. The repetition of "I do it so good" emphasizes the singer's confidence in their ability to change and reminds the listener that accountability and redemption are achievable with the right mindset and effort.
Line by Line Meaning
Because baby's gone and the train
The singer's lover has left and won't return until they change their behavior.
Won't come back until
The lover has set a condition for their return.
I've cleaned up my act and my style.
The singer needs to improve their behavior and appearance to win back their lover.
The country is clean and with sheer irreverence
The situation is now different, with a clean slate, and the artist is approaching it with reckless disregard for societal norms.
I'll take penance I do it so well and the way
The artist is willing to make amends but does so with a confident and practiced flair.
That the friends of the heroes can tell.
The singer's actions will be noticed and appreciated by their peers.
I do it so good.
The singer is proud of their abilities to make amends and impress others.
So good. In high eve snow
The artist boasts of their skills in difficult circumstances, like a snowstorm.
I'll call the show.
The artist will make a bold move or take action to win back their lover.
I'm calling the fives and the zero
The artist will take active steps and likely make a phone call.
And one and the six and the one seventeen
The singer will try different phone numbers to ultimately reach their lover.
And I know, yeah I know, that I'll get the machine.
The artist expects to only reach their lover's answering machine.
I do it so good. I do it so good. Oh yeah.
The singer again boasts of their ability to make amends and impress others.
In the high eve snow I'll call the show.
The singer will make a bold move or take action to win back their lover, even in difficult circumstances.
Writer(s): Linton Amy Virginia
Contributed by Riley O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@isaiahestell4840
remember blasting this in a car cassette player in a cold parking lot. 1998. over and over.
@thin747
great taste so early on!
@lizzbliz
thank you so much! ^_^
@bleueverte9610
💙🌙
@terrywitzu3795
You have wonderful and obscure taste. I don't no anyone who listens to these gals, but I don't know anyone who can resist this song's appeal when I show it to them.
I was playing "how to market station'' on guitar before work.
Made me want to find this song for my playlist. Thanks for posting. I wish this whole album was as good as this opening track. :)
@slowdive100
+Terry Witzu thanks :)
@terrywitzu3795
slowdive100 Question- how many albums did they rip. I just have this one and "the last match".
@thin747
@@terrywitzu3795 3 and many singles.
@thin747
These gals is just Av Linton. This song one person. All instruments
@vandekerkhovejeanphilippe196
😀