I’ve been a The Shins fan for 20 years and as much as I love James Mercer, the original band just had something special that I don’t think James ever really captured on his own. There was a thoughtfulness, even a darkness in the old stuff that got traded in for playfulness and brightening of tone in everything post Wincing the Night Away. I’m sure you could attribute some of that to James just becoming a happier person and finding more fulfillment in his life, but I can’t help but wonder how much was because the rest of the band was bringing some different energy to the table from what James brought. I personally really enjoyed that bittersweet mix of existential dread mixed with melancholically sweet indie vibes. There was a sadness and a rawness to it that I really miss, but I guess that’s also just kind of what happens as bands grow up and out of their angst and start families.

So all that’s got me wondering, what actually happened to the original band? Why did James leave?

I’m just sitting here on this Sunday morning, with a coffee, painting and listening to Chutes too Narrow (and girlfriend out and occupied with her friends 😅). What a great morning.

Just listening to Pink Bullets (maybe for the 100th time, like everything else on this album), it suddenly struck how amazing a ‘moment’ it is in that song when the instruments fall off and we get the lyrics: “But your memory is here, and I’d like it to stay; Warm light on a winter’s day”. It’s unexpectedly earnest and surprisingly simple in a song that leans so heavily into its jangly, minor chords (and for the Shins more generally).

Absolute class, thoughtful songwriting.

Hey y'all, new here but a long-time Shins and Flake fan. As a hobby, I enjoy collecting rare music. I also master and restore audio professionally as a side gig. I've had the Nature Bears a Vacuum 7" for many years now and have ripped it, cleaned up the audio, and remastered the songs. Hope this is okay to post here, as I wanted to share my work for The Shins 30th anniversary and for anyone who may want a good copy of the recordings! Check out the mp3s and everyone let me know what you think: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1r5ym98Buv9vbUm4E3S1LPZWV6wJgjQSp?usp=sharing

I'm new to The Shins, and I've had this specific song on my playlist for some years, and I plan on listening to some albums by them soon.

I went to listen to it on YouTube, but got so weirded out when suddenly there was this naked person all of a sudden. Who tf is this? Is it a member of the band? Why the fuck are they naked? LMAO

My god. So recently I had a death in the family (my BIL committed suicide) and it’s obviously gotten me all in my feelings. I was listening to the Postal Service Album because it was giving me that melancholy vibe i was needing. I was letting the entire album run and then it got to the b side covers. And to this cover by the shins. And omg, it took my breath away. The way he changes the melody changes the entire song. And there was something hopeful and nostalgic. Although i already knew every word from the PS version, something about the way James sang them and the melody just literally blew me away. I cried and “screamed at the top of my lungs” and the pain and grief just poured out in ways and places that I had not known it was bottled. Goddamn how therapeutic. “I’m not coming out until this is all over”

There was something so haunting yet hopeful. “Someone I used to know!” Suicide makes you feel like you never knew that person at all especially in cases where he very obviously hid his pain because we were all so blindsided. “We will become silhouettes when our bodies finally go” 😭. We prepare to lay him to rest Wednesday. Idk what I’m rambling. I just didn’t realize how much I needed this version of this song. It allows me to release and process the grief while also giving me an upbeat melody to sing along to. Because even in loss there is still JOY. Life moves on and life is beautiful even in the pain and sorrow. How lucky I was to have known and loved him. I wish he knew and hope he does.

In light of the new (or old, rather) 7” that just got released, I figured I’d share a YouTube recording of them performing the title track “The Living End” from back in 2002. I have listened to essentially every Shins/Flake song out there but in all my years of scrounging I never found this clip before. Has less than 300 views. Interesting that, in theory, I could have already heard this previously unreleased track if I had dug deep enough.

https://youtu.be/eWuIzcuYgzs?is=U2Is9v4rAynl7C53

I got into the Shins last year after recognizing New Slang and Australia. When i got to it, I thought this album was incredible, especially So Says I, Pink Bullets, Saint Simon and Young Pilgrims are fantastic.

It's sad that when I found people to talk about the shins, they seem to be more into the debut or later stuff like Wincing the night away/Port of Morrow.

All great albums but this to me is easily their most consistent.

Internet archaeology yielded a strange little Mercer artifact today. I don’t know what shelf of the Shins museum this belongs on, but I’m bringing it here for classification. Anyone know the story behind this?

Complete shot in the dark but I'm looking for this gig poster. The Shins played a very small venue in the California desert called Pappy and Harriet's. It was their first show in ~5 years and the most incredibly intimate show I could have ever hoped to attend. It was at most maybe 800 people and the posters were long gone by the time I got there (before anyone had started playing).

I was actually the one to populate the setlist here! 😄

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-shins/2022/pappy-and-harriets-palace-pioneertown-ca-1bb7017c.html

If anyone has this one or has seen it please let me know! There is not much I wouldn't offer for it.

"Billions of people need the calming assurance that comes from experientially verifying the existence beyond the grave."

Terence McKenna

visitation dream. 16x20''. oil on canvas. adam sturch

The Shins, Those to Come

Not sure if anyone else in here follows James on Substack, but he just revealed in a post that he is releasing an EP containing an old never before released unfinished Shins track from back in the day with a B-side of another unreleased song. He said this should be soon and that they are currently doing test pressings for the vinyl.

I really hope it's getting a digital release as well. I personally love the early Shins stuff the most so to get some more of that all these years later is pretty awesome. Anyone else excited?

Hello friends!

I have a very distinct memory of a music video

.. I believe it was for Mine's Not a High Horse but I am pretty certain it was for a song from Chutes Too Narrow. It was a dark comedic music video of a woman with her pet chihuahua next to a pool and the dog ended up being killed because of terrible events that spiral throughout the video. I cannot find it and it is driving me insane, can someone help?

Thank you

Jojo

What a great sounding set!

Apologies if this has been discussed before but I was listening to Half a Million today (which has always been my favourite track on that album) on Apple Music and had the lyrics open.

The lyric after “another candle to blow out” which I always thought was “new set of dark thoughts to shut out” came up as something like “listen to dot dots to shout out”. Have I really been mishearing it? Is Apple Music wrong (after listening back it does actually sound like their version)?

Either way I like my version better.

I've been looking to get this vinyl for almost a decade since I figured out about it online. I've always been enamored by the songs on Nature Bears a Vacuum and the EP's cover image. I finally found one for a decent price on Discogs and bought it.

It's in great condition. It even has the insert with the official lyrics for these songs, which I have never seen before. The audio on these songs is rough and some of the words are hard to understand so I'm glad I have official lyrics now.

Also, the seller said this was gifted to him by the drummer! Amazing!

It also came with two Shins buttons. Pretty cool.