''Separation Anxieties'' is a 2000 album by
12 Rods
12 Rods (also known by the stylistic variants 12RODS and Twelve Rods) is an indie rock band from Minneapolis Minnesota. The group was formed in Oxford, Ohio in 1992, later relocating to Minneapolis in 1995 where it was based until its disbandmen ...
. It was the band's third full-length album.
Recording
''Separation Anxieties'' was recorded on the island of
Kauai
Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...
with famed producer
Todd Rundgren through the course of six weeks. However, the band thought negatively of his performance. According to vocalist and guitarist Ryan Olcott, "Todd was under-performing. He was the last person to show up at each session and the first one to leave. He didn't care. He was just there to press 'record', read magazines, and drink Foster's. It was disheartening."
Ev Olcott remembered, "All he would do was press the 'record' button and go back to doing crossword puzzles. Some of those songs are good, but Todd Rundgren did the absolute worst job possible with that record." Adding to the sessions' troubles, drummer Christopher McGuire had left the band during the recording process after just three weeks, leaving the band to finish recording the album by themselves.
Reception
''Separation Anxieties'' garnered mostly negative reviews upon its release. ''
Pitchfork'', which had previously given 12 Rods' prior work rave reviews (with ''
Gay?'' receiving the website's first perfect rating and ''
Split Personalities'' receiving a 9.7), gave ''Separation Anxieties'' a 2.0 out of a possible 10, with writer Matt LeMay panning the album: "This record is acid reflux, gastroenteritis, and dysentery all rolled into one." ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' also gave ''Separation Anxieties'' a negative review, with writer Cam Lindsay writing that the "melodies seem to have potential, but are then ruined by either the "futuristic-ness" or the terrible lyrics."
However, over time, the album has garnered a more positive reaction among fans and critics. ''
AllMusic'' gave the album 3 stars out of a possible 5 and claimed that "the quirky pop edge that helped make earlier releases such a joy is still present".
of the indie-folk band
Bon Iver is a noted fan of the album, stating: "All my picks would come from the
last two records. So insanely good. I went and sold 95% of my CDs and probably kept 100 or 150 of my most important records to me, and these two are list toppers." He also named four songs off ''Separation Anxieties'' as some of his favorites of the band's work, mentioning "Marionette", "What Has Happened", "Rock n' Roll Band" and "Glad That It's Over" as highlights.
Track listing
# "Kaboom" – 4:00
# "What Has Happened?" – 2:56
# "Astrogimp" – 3:57
# "Radioaction" – 4:17
# "I Think I'm Flying" – 3:56
# "Your Secret's Safe With Me" – 5:30
# "Marionette" – 3:04
# "You Gotta Go" – 3:25
# "Everybody" – 4:05
# "Rock N' Roll Band" – 7:14
# "Repeat" – 5:01
# "Glad That It’s Over" – 4:36
References
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2000 albums
12 Rods albums
Albums produced by Todd Rundgren
V2 Records albums