Line #36 Music/SilversunPickups


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Silversun_Pickups_6547.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:From left to right: Joe Lester, Chris Guanlao, Nikki Monninger, Brian Aubert]]
3
4	'''Silversun Pickups''' are a UsefulNotes/LosAngeles {{Shoegaze}} band who have steadily gained popularity, starting in the 2000s with the release of their debut, ''Pikul''. The current lineup consists of [[DeadpanSnarker Brian Aubert]], [[ShrinkingViolet Nikki Monninger]], [[TheManBehindTheMan Joe Lester]], and Chris Guanlao. The band name is derived from a liquor store close to where the band members used to live; whoever's job it was to obtain booze was making the "Silversun Pickup", as it was called. It eventually became the band's name.
5
6	Two of their songs, "Lazy Eye" (from ''Carnavas'') and "There's No Secrets This Year" (from ''Swoon''), have appeared in separate VideoGame/GuitarHero games. "Panic Switch" (also from ''Swoon'') has appeared in {{VideoGame/Rocksmith}}. Other relatively well-known songs include "Well Thought Out Twinkles", "The Pit" and "The Royal We".
7
8	Releases:
9	* ''Pikul'' EP (2005)
10	* ''Carnavas'' (2006)
11	* ''Swoon'' (2009)
12	* ''Seasick'' EP (2011)
13	* ''Neck of the Woods'' (2012)
14	* ''Better Nature'' (2015)
15	* ''Widow's Weeds'' (2019)
16	* ''Physical Thrills'' (2022)
17
18	----
19	!!Tropes:
20	* AlbumTitleDrop: For ''Swoon'', occurs during the outro to "There's No Secrets This Year".
21	* BelligerentSexualTension: "Mean Spirits" seems to be about this.
22	* BSide: The "Seasick" EP contains three "Swoon" outtakes.
23	* CoverVersion: They have done a cover of "Toy Soldiers" by Martika.
24	* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Neck of the Woods'' is a lot more ominous and gothic than their other albums.
25	* DeadpanSnarker: Most of the lyrics are written like this. "It's Nice to Know You Work Alone", for example - the title alone sounds like it's in SarcasmMode.
26	** Brian Aubert is pretty fond of deadpan humor in real life as well.
27	* DrivenToSuicide: One popular interpretation of "Dots and Dashes" is that it's about a man discovering that his significant other has hung herself.
28	* EpicRocking: "All the Go-Inbetweens", at a running time of 7:49, is definitely the longest song in their catalogue. The runner up is "Simmer", at 6:50, but both definitely count.
29	* FemaleRockersPlayBass: Monninger is primarily the bassist.
30	* GenreBusting: They play a DreamPop/Grunge/College Rock hybrid. With, as of ''Neck of the Woods,'' some IndustrialMetal, GothRock, and ElectronicMusic influences.
31	* GenreRoulette: ''Neck of the Woods.'' "The Pit" is a techno-shoegaze hybrid; "Mean Spirits" is borderline HeavyMetal; "Skin Graphs" has an apparent Music/NineInchNails influence.
32	%%* HesBack: "Skin Graph"
33	* IdenticalStranger: Musical example. They had never even listened to Music/TheSmashingPumpkins until after the recording of ''Carnavas'', so they were taken by surprise when they discovered that everyone was talking about how much they sound like the Pumpkins.
34	* IsntItIronic: Mitt Romney played the song "Panic Switch", an ode to paranoia and anxiety, before several campaign rallies, without the band's permission. Although they eventually asked for the campaign to stop using their music, the band said they "were very close to just letting this go because the irony was too good. While he is inadvertently playing a song that describes his whole campaign, we doubt that 'Panic Switch' really sends the message he intends."
35	* LastNoteNightmare: Downplayed by "There's No Secrets This Year", which fades back in just in time to provide ''Swoon'''s Album Title Drop. Played straight by "Mean Spirits".
36	** Twice more in ''Carnavas''; "Little Lover's So Polite" ends with a long feedback sound, as does "Common Reactor", which is longer still.
37	* LyricalDissonance: At least half of their discography has this. They ''sound'' bright and cheery, but a close look at the lyrics reveals that most of them are anything but.
38	* LyricsVideoMismatch: "Dots and Dashes" seems to lyrically be about ghosts or suicide; the video is a lesbian love story.
39	* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: From "The Royal We": ''Your throat has been cut several times before / Never noticed the size of the flow...''
40	* MeaningfulName: "Out Of Breath" from ''Neck of the Woods''. It's about continuing a relationship despite being fed up with it, but the title itself can also be the appropriate thing to say at the end of an album.
41	* MinisculeRocking: ''Physical Thrills'' interludes "Dream at Tempo 030" and "Dream at Tempo 310", which basically could be considered {{sequel song}}s to "Dream at Tempo 119" from ''Carnavas'', shy away from clocking at two minutes.
42	* MusicalisInterruptus: Used in the video for "Substitution". Justified in that the band is playing the song for a game of Musical Chairs.
43	* NewSoundAlbum: ''Neck of the Woods'' is borderline GothRock with electronic and industrial influences. ''Better Nature'' pushes the electronic influence even further, also taking elements of {{new wave\|music}} and {{indie pop}}. ''Widow's Weeds'' is a more straight-forward {{alternative rock}} album. ''Physical Thrills'' could be described as basically a blend of everything they have ever done so far.
44	* NightmareFetishist: The narrator of "Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)."
45	-->If we stay up long enough/we can play with Bloody Mary/she'll chase us through the dark/activate our nerve endings.
46	* NonAppearingTitle: "Well Thought Out Twinkles", "Three Seed". "Dream at Tempo 119" is a partial example, as the words "Tempo 119" appear in the song, but not "Dream".
47	** Subverted with "The Royal We." It doesn't show up at first, but the title ''is'' eventually used in a title-only ''outro''.
48	%%* ObligatoryBondageSong: "Catch and Release" has shades of this.
49	* OffWithHisHead: "Make Believe", which appears to be [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness from the perspective of a lunatic.]] "I will sentence everyone/over 21/to the guillotine!"
50	* PerformanceVideo: The "Kissing Families" video starts out as this, [[SelfDeprecatingHumor but then Nikki's clumsiness ends up knocking over all the equipment.]]
51	** The video for "Lazy Eye" also counts - the band is performing in a club. "Substitution" takes this a step further - the band is playing the song for...''[[MundaneUtility a game of musical chairs]]''.
52	* PrecisionFStrike: Up until ''Widow's Weeds'' in 2019, the Silversun Pickups never curse in their music, but their reaction to ''Series/GameOfThrones'''s Red Wedding on Twitter certainly qualifies.
53	** The line "Do you ever think when this ''shit'' hit the brink" in "Neon Wound" is responsible for making ''Widow's Weeds'' their first album to receive a Parental Advisory warning on iTunes and Spotify.
54	* PsychoStrings: "It's Nice To Know You Work Alone" ends with this.
55	* TheRoyalWe: They named a song after it.
56	* SelfDeprecatingHumor: The band loves taking shots at themselves whenever they get the chance (i.e. talking about how it's amazing that people compare them to "real" bands, etc). The chorus of "It Doesn't Matter Why" ("It doesn't matter why we're known/We're just known") could be a subtle example of this.
57	* SeriousBusiness: Nope. They didn't expect to be particularly successful and are mostly just enjoying the ride.
58	** The game of musical chairs in the "Substitution" video, to the point where two of the contestants are on the verge of fighting at one point.
59	* {{Shoegaze}}: Where they have their roots. ''Pikul'' and ''Carnavas'' are pretty straightforward shoegaze, while ''Swoon'' and ''Neck of the Woods'' branch out into various other genres.
60	* ShoutOut: The riff and structure of "Well Thought Out Twinkles" resembles Music/MyBloodyValentine's "Only Shallow" just enough that it comes off more as a time-traveling {{Shoegaze}} high-five rather than a ripoff. The lyrics [[WordSaladLyrics can also be interpreted]] as being about how ''Music/{{Loveless}}'' killed the shoegaze genre.
61	** "The Pit" was inspired by ''ComicBook/BlackHole''.
62	* StepUpToTheMicrophone: Nikki Monninger sings lead on "Alone on a Hill", the second single from ''Physical Thrills''. She also has previously sung in "Ribbons and Detours", from the ''Seasick'' EP.
63	* StopAndGo: "Mean Spirits", "Dream at Tempo 119", "The Pit"
64	* TitleTrack: "Widow's Weeds".
65	* WordSaladTitle: They love these. Their titles are usually in-jokes, family references, or just plain odd. "Well Thought Out Twinkles" and "Future Foe Scenarios" are two of their more well-known examples.

Context Music / SilversunPickups