Before Today (album)

Before Today
Studio album by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Released June 8, 2010
Recorded 2009–2010
Genre Psychedelic pop, lo-fi, synth pop
Length 44:48
Label 4AD
Producer Sunny Levine, Rik Pekkonen, Michael Wagener
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti chronology
Odditties Sodomies Vol. 1
(2008)		 Before Today
(2010)		 Mature Themes
(2012)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic85/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The A.V. ClubB[3]
The Guardian[4]
Mojo[5]
NME8/10[6]
Pitchfork Media9.0/10[7]
Q[8]
Slant Magazine[9]
Spin7/10[10]
Uncut[11]

Before Today is an album by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti (the first time presented as a group), released on June 8, 2010, by 4AD.[12][13][14] The album contains several homages to vintage rock and roll songs, such as "Bright Lit Blue Skies" which was originally recorded by the Rockin' Ramrods in 1966, and "Beverly Kills," which draws heavily on Ago's 1982 track "For You." "Reminiscences" is an instrumental cover of an Ethiopian pop song, "I Remember a Man" by Yeshimebet Dubale.

In December 2010, Pitchfork Media named "Round and Round" the best song of 2010.[15] Pitchfork placed it at number 9 on its list "The Top 50 Albums of 2010".[16]

Exclaim! named "Before Today" the No. 15 Pop & Rock Album of 2010.[17] Exclaim! writer Dimitri Nasrallah said that "Before Today is a hard-earned victory lap for Pink, not only the most triumphantly realized album of his left-of-centre catalogue, but a much-needed second wind for an artist who very nearly finished off the decade as another minor curiosity in outsider-pop's long lineage."

The album was recognized as one of The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far, a list published by Pitchfork Media in August 2014.[18]

Additional information

The album's opening track, Hot Body Rub previously appeared (in an alternative version) on an EP Ariel Pink with Added Pizzazz, which was a collaboration between Vas Deferens Organization (as producers) and Ariel Pink who are friends to each other. VDO provided production for this track, as well as thanks to one of its members, Eric Lumbleau, Pink made friends with Gonzales family who appeared on it.[19]

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "Hot Body Rub"   2:26
2. "Bright Lit Blue Skies"   2:25
3. "L'estat (Acc. to the Widow's Maid)"   4:26
4. "Fright Night (Nevermore)"   3:35
5. "Round and Round"   5:08
6. "Beverly Kills"   3:56
7. "Butt-House Blondies"   3:27
8. "Little Wig"   5:46
9. "Can't Hear My Eyes"   3:19
10. "Reminiscences"   2:34
11. "Menopause Man"   4:00
12. "Revolution's a Lie"   3:49
Total length:
 44:48

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ "Reviews for Before Today by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti". Metacritic. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  2. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Before Today – Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti". AllMusic. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  3. ↑ Murray, Noel (June 8, 2010). "Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  4. ↑ Cragg, Michael (June 3, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". The Guardian. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Mojo (200): 93. July 2010.
  6. ↑ Malone, Ailbhe (June 7, 2010). "Album review: Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti – 'Before Today' (4AD)". NME. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  7. ↑ Richardson, Mark (June 7, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Q (288): 136. July 2010.
  9. ↑ Cataldo, Jesse (June 7, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Slant Magazine. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  10. ↑ Beta, Andy (June 8, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, 'Before Today' (4AD)". Spin. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Uncut (158): 105. July 2010.
  12. ↑ "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today (new album / MP3)". < PopMatters. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  13. ↑ Archived April 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (2010-04-06). "Ariel Pink Announces New Album | News". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  15. ↑ Pitchfork, December 13, 2010 (2010-12-13). "Staff Lists: The Top 100 Tracks of 2010 | Features". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  16. ↑ Pitchfork, December 16, 2010 (2010-12-16). "Staff Lists: The Top 50 Albums of 2010 | Features". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  17. ↑ "Pop & Rock Year in Review". Exclaim!.
  18. ↑ http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9465-the-top-100-albums-of-2010-2014/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. ↑ Niklas Records, Jakub Krawczynski (2011, August). "Vas Deferens Organization and Brad Laner: Transcontinental Conspiracy presskit". Retrieved 09 September 2012.
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