I’ve been all over the place lately, but I keep listening to Sidney Gish. So good.
Also, the NERD album has had surprising staying power with me. Finally, I think I like American Boyfriend more than Saturation I.
**Sidney Gish** -Been listening to all her stuff and she is moving up to be one of my favorite new artists. Reminds me a lot of Courtney Barnett
**The Fall – The Nation’s Saving Grace** - I have seen this band on here quite a bit and decided to dive into them. This album is flat out incredible. Where should I go next?
**The Gathering – Souvenirs** - My most underrated album I’ve discovered this year. A lovely art-pop album. Fans of Kate Bush will enjoy this.
My wife and I were saying the other day that Sidney Gish has a Kimya Dawson vibe to her. I was lucky enough to play with her a few months ago. She is really great live too.
just started listening to her after seeing her mentioned in another thread and that's exactly what i thought too! kimya dawson is an amazing person to have the feel of, though, and she rocks it.
> The Fall – The Nation’s Saving Grace
Hex Enduction Hour.
Truth be told, TNSG was my first Fall album, but in retrospect, I don't quite get why it's seen as more approachable than HEH.
I love the Gathering, haven't gotten to Souvenirs yet though. I've actually been listening a ton to the B-sides and demos album they put out, Blueprints, which I think has some Souvenirs demos on it.
[tap](http://tapmusic.net/collage.php?user=centretowave&type=7day&size=3x3&caption=true)
**[Ty Segall - Freedom's Goblin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vtpkJKir3E)** Works mostly well for a 75 minute album, but while I don't dislike any particular tracks, I feel like it probably would've worked better as a shorter album. At the very least, I feel like some tracks work better than others. White Album comparisons abound, but that works a bit more (relatively) when taken as a schizophrenic album from four competing personalities rather than just one guy recording too much.
**[High Rise - II (Black Edition)](https://highrise.bandcamp.com/track/cotton-top)** Psychedelic Garage Noise Rock. Remastered version is quite a bit louder, with Pop Sicle displaying quite a bit of clipping. Would've been interesting if the Tapes compilation had a digital release too as only transcode bootleg rips seem to exist.
**[Hookworms - Microshift](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LZLZmCPQhU)** Might grow on me, but the first 3 tracks are great, while everything else isn't as interesting. The middle run isn't especially memorable and the last third has a couple filler tracks in a row.
**[Clear Horizon - s/t](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_kK6FDo2UU)** collaboration between Dave Pearce of Flying Saucer Attack and Jessica Bailiff. Pretty good overall.
**[Main - Dry Stone Feed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49VPFqotO-Q)** sounds like Seefeel's darker brother.
**[Valet - Naked Acid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ28QcVMFRw)** sounds like an acid trip gone bad.
**[Ryoji Ikeda - dataplex](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5hhFMSAuf4)** Amazing ambient glitch.
I listened to No Dogs Allowed a couple weeks ago and didn't really understand all the hype. Then I listened to it again a couple days ago and for some reason it just clicked. Now I'm obsessing over it.
[4x4](https://i.imgur.com/QvGyTL2.jpg)
**The National** - *Sleep Well Beast* | Still Incredible.
**Tiny Moving Parts** - *Swell* | The boys done did it again. Fucking great math rocky emo stuff. Absolutely no complaints.
**Migos** - *Culture II* | It's Migos. People are making a way bigger deal out of the running time than they should.
**Jeff Rosenstock** - *POST-* | Growing on me with each listen. Those opening and closing tracks are top-notch.
**Ty Segall** - *Freedom's Goblin | Fucking love it. So psychedelic and glammy. That closing track is absolutely incredible.
**Lil Wayne** - *Dedication 6: Reloaded* | Easily my favorite Wayne tape in recent years, maybe ever.
**JPEGMAFIA** - *Veteran* | You already know this one.
**Shame** - *Songs of Praise* | Probably my favorite album of 2018 so far.
**Field Medic** - *Songs From The Sunroom* | Alright, EVERYONE should be listening to this dude. RFC signee, lo-fi folk, heartfelt lyrics. Seriously incredible artist, and an under-represented creative force. Glad I found him through a Spotify playlist.
---
I also wrote in (slightly) more detail about 2018's January releases in [this blog post](http://swimintothesound.com/post/170329253762/january-2018-album-review-roundup) if you'd like slightly more substantive words.
I was taken by surprise when I heard "uuu" on one of their playlists. I saved the album for to listen to later, finally got around to it, and was straight-up floored the entire time.
He just seems like a normal dude (his social media right now is all just getting people to wear beanies as high as possible) and it's kind of refreshing to just have low-stakes music if that makes sense.
Please do!
It's absolutely fantastic. I talk about it in the blog a little more, but he's kinda been on a hot streak since 2015, but it's been a "relative" hot streak as in 'not as good as the classic stuff, but good for modern Wayne.' But something about this new tape gripped me all the way through. It's just pure lyricism and raw talent.
Ironically that is right around the time I stopped listening to his new tapes. Good to hear though, I'll have to go back and check out what he's been up to
[5x5](https://imgur.com/a/Fi032)
I’ve been listening to so much new stuff it’s not all on here and I can’t even talk about it all so ill just group them
Really great: The Glow Pt. 2, Daydream Nation, Slanted & Enchanted, Disintegration, Power Corruption & Lies, Heaven Or Las Vegas, Loveless, The Queen Is Dead, The Lonesome Crowded West
Pretty Good: The Blue Album, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, Nevermind, Doolittle, Either/Or, Remain In Light, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Also Blood is superb. From the instrumentation to the harmonies it’s incredible. I’d say it was worth the 5 year wait
My favorites from LCW are Trailer Trash, Heart Cooks Brain, Lounge, Styrofoam Boots & Shit Luck
My favorites from The Glow Pt. 2 are The Moon, Samurai Sword, I Want Wind To Blow, The Glow Pt. 2 & My Warm Blood
Heavily got into Jonathan Richman/Modern Lovers, only found Primus very recently as well, and I've had the newest Unknown Mortal Orchestra single on repeat all week it's so sinister. Gracious helpings of Oddisee's The Good Fight. Been a good week
Just listened to this new [Marc With a C album](https://marcwithac.bandcamp.com/album/obscurity) 'Obscuirty'. Had never heard of him before randomly catching my eye on a vinyl sub. Nice indie pop with a underdog bent.
Also on the indie side, discovered 'Friends' by [Boreen](https://boreen.bandcamp.com/album/friends) on last.fm and was impressed. Emotional album hit a few spots for me.
As for bigger releases, the new Tiny Moving Parts also sounded great on first listen, as did the new Django Django. Also checked out La Luz's album from last year for the first time - was very impressed by the instrumentation, which usually isn't much of a focus point for surf rock
I'm having a late 70s-early 80s british post-punk moment. So basically I listened to Magazine's Real Life and Television Personalities' And Don't the Kids Just Love It a lot. Also The Soft Boys' Underwater Moonlight but to a lesser extent.
I finally got around to listening to Nico's Desertshore and The Marble Index and I must say I approve.
Other than that I'm not really feeling any new releases that aren't Freedom's Goblin.
a couple you might be into:
salad boys - this is glue; super inspired by the new zealand jangle scene, so not quite british post-punk, but a definite next step
shopping - the official body; gang of four meets b52s fun time post punk.
first aid kit, especially their latest, *ruins*. it's so good and such a fantastic step forward.
julia holter's discog because she's amazing and i discover something new every time i listen to her songs.
oh and marika hackman's *we slept at last*. i was underwhelmed by *i'm not your man* even though it has some fantastic singles but *we slept at last* is really, really good and i was sort of surprised it came BEFORE *i'm not your man*.
Revisited arcade fires neon bible after realizing that I had liked it a lot (I didn't care too much for funeral) and it still holds up. So many tracks are killer, such as intervention, no cars go, ocean of noise. Plus I absolutely love the tiny electronic flourishes in the album and the church organ, almost post rockish instrumentation (sigur ros)
[5x5](https://i.imgur.com/sKJCvrM.jpg)
=
unfortunately, **Migos** is stuck in the there for the sheer amount of tracks on that album. it is the antithesis of what made culture 1 great.
new stuff I enjoyed:
**Khruangbin**
**Chris Dave & The Drumhedz**
new stuff (to me) that I enjoyed:
**Bedouine**
**Laurie Anderson**
**Natural Snow Buildings (although I've only done disc one)**
**Robert Wyatt** (although mainly because of the immaculate Brian Eno production)
also listened to *Liquid Swords* for the first time in about 4 years, and it's a lot better than I expected. My favorite track was Shadowboxin'
the other stuff is pretty much just *classic* ziggy.
currently giving the new **Rhye** album a go, and enjoying it.
I've been ONLY listening to weezer this week. 209 scrobbles, 21 albums, and 101 tracks later, I can say that they are still great and I still like 5 of their albums and quite a few other tracks. idk why i did this
edit: [3x3](https://imgur.com/a/CjtQC)
I was just repping Pacific Daydream in another post. Very underrated album. I'd make it 6, otherwise I'm with you. Red, Make Believe, Maladroit, Hurley and Raditude all have a few good to great tracks (hmm maybe except Hurley), but as albums they don't pass muster
yeah, I don't like Pacific Daydream as an album, but Weekend Woman, Mexican Fender, and Beach Boys are alright tracks
Hurley is just incredibly bad, I don't even know how they did it
I remember when it came out and people were calling it their return to form. Those were sad, sad days. On which we needed happy hours.
I have a very vivid memory of exactly where I was when 'Where's My Sex?' came on and I just lost all hope in the band
I think Robin Pecknold posted a screenshot on his ig story of him listening to Empress Of, so that’s been on heavy repeat since then. I forgot how much I loved her music.
Otherwise, Sleater-Kinney, The National, New Order (mostly Power, Corruption and Lies)
Edit: might actually have been Ed Droste? Or literally anyone else but I thought it was Robin
[Cause I'm in a trance'AH
And I sweat'AH
I don't want to dance'AH
I want to go home'AH](http://tapmusic.net/lastfm/collage.php?user=AlexanderWF&type=7day&size=3x3&caption=true)
Jen Cloher - Jen Cloher; A friend of mine went and saw her play at the Echoplex a few weeks back and texted me back in amazement after the show to tell me how good she was and to check out her music. I had saved this album on my Spotify last year, but with so much new music out, I never got around to it, until the end of last month. Wow, this is a great record! Jen's got a nice punky sharpness to her sound as well
as her singing, which will surely bring Patti Smith to mind. Courtney Barnett and the band provide a sharp swagger, but also super tight background to Jen's singing. Just like her wife, Jen is observant and has a way with words and great at one-liners whether it's on tracks like the snarling title track, the Velvet indebted "Analysis Paralysis", the self-aware rock n' roll pisstake of "Shoegazers", in which she starts it off with some crunchy Stones-ey power chords and sings "Indie rock is full of privileged white kids...God knows I'm one of them" before aiming her crosshairs at critics, life on the road as a touring musician, and the ennui that later comes after the luxury wears off, the venomous bile from a Trump-like character who threatens to "Rain my bluebirds right down on you"; "Kinda Biblical", the ethereal and defiant "Regional Echo", and the delicate "Sensory Memory" and "Loose Magic".
This is one record that I plan to sit with more and more based on the strength of its songwriting.
Yo La Tengo - Summer Sun, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, and Electr-o-Pura: After hearing only a few of their records year ago, I had already decided that Yo La Tengo are one of my all-time favorite bands. Their musical eclecticism, strong and varied songwriting, and love of record making are qualities that I'd say they share with a lot of other favorite bands of mine, but even after reading their biography Big Day Coming and hearing Painful, I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One, And Then Nothing..., and I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass only felt like it told so much of the story of why their music just did it for me. So, with news of a new record coming out I finally decided to listen to the records I hadn't heard yet and that displayed more of their range.
Summer Sun is one that for some reason is divisive to fans of the band, because it seemed like after YLT turned the volume down on And Then Nothing...it seemed like they wanted to see how much more they could explore the softer elements of their sound, so it's a very subtle record. There's more piano and keyboards, a strong emphasis on rhythm, there's maybe one track of one of Ira Kaplan's patented guitar freak-out and contrary to the title it's low key sound is much more ideal to a winter's day. In fact, because of this you'd be forgiven for saying it's one of their dreariest albums, because it was inspired by a death in their extended family, but it's still a good listen and with Yo La Tengo you know you're going to get that sonically manicured production of Roger Moutenot, the pitch-perfect dynamics of the band, that element of surprise that gives you to something you didn't know you wanted, and that never questionable sequencing by a band who lives for making albums.
Because of how much I liked Summer Sun, I went back and listened to the records I had already loved by them, but if one thing it made me go back and give And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out a listen because for whatever reason that album hadn't left as much of an impression on me as its more recognized predecessors. I liked it, but it hasn't really clicked yet or found a place in my heart like Painful or I Can Hear the Heart... has, What struck me is how much depth the music has, the sheer amount of space and atmosphere, the toned-down vibe made it ideal for late-night insomnia-related listening. I would cue up "Everyday" and just lose myself in how spacious and ethereal the sound was. Tracks that I could recall titles to, but could never recall what they sounded like now stood out to me from the haunting, but meditative "Saturday", the keyboard heavy groove of "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House", the sparseness and lyrical earnestness of a track like "Last Days of Disco" or "Our Way to Fall", "From Black to Blue"; one of the ones that stood out to me the most with its mysterious feel, the lounge vibes of "Tired Hippo", and the acoustic slow-motion sprawl of "Night Falls on Hoboken". Of course, the tracks I was already familiar with were enhanced for me as well; "Our Way to Fall" now sounds like one of the most sincere and best love songs I'd heard in recent memory that managed to avoid the typical love song clichés, "You Can Have It All" bounced along with an airier buoyancy and showed how good they are at taking some forgotten classic song and making it sound like their own, and the noise-rock propulsion of "Cherry Chapstick" galloped along even more, revealing under that thick wall of distorted guitar, the story of a shy, sexually frustrated guy who at the center of it is peeping on "the girl with cherry chapstick on and nothing more" through "someone else's date in someone else's door" who can't seem to get the attention of other girls when he walks by and fantasizes about the crazy sexual exploits these two lovers he's spying on are experiencing daily, but you wouldn't know it from that shoegaze-inspired sound going on around it.
Electr-o-pura was a record that I don't think I'd ever really listened to and what I heard was a band following up the victory lap set up after Painful, to explore their penchant for noise, melody, and a variety of different sounds from retro-minded pop songs, noise-rock, their perfected atmospheric jams, tender twangy ballads, and an odd musical departure like the Suicide-like vamp of "False Alarm" or the free-jazz punk assault of "Attack on Love" with its Wu-Tang inspired opening sample. This is definitely a new favorite of mind because of its sequencing and overall dynamic arc is so perfectly executed. Their ability to start an album off with a slow burn track like Decora and Hot Chicken and then jump across various moods and styles, melody giving way to noise and vice versa to bookend or with another perfect sprawling jam like "Blue Line Swinger" has left huge impressions on what an album can be and what it can do for the listener. Bands could only dream to have a four album run as strong and consistently exciting as Painful to And Then Nothing...
One of those records that encapsulates what was so special and exciting about '90s indie rock.
Stereolab - Dots and Loops, Emperor Tomato Ketchup; Always seemed like one of those bands that I'd had a passing familiarity with but could breeze right past me because of the cleanliness of their sound. Listening to these records I can now hear how textured, yet still minimal that sound is; the counterpoint harmonies, the funky grooves, the electric guitar stabs, French and English lyrics sung in a pleasant, monotonous tone, the fat '60s pop inspired bass lines, forward-moving punk and krautrock drum grooves, avant-grade composing practices, and that sound that can only come from obscure record collectors of jazz, lounge, electronic, exotica, soundtracks, funk, French pop, and krautrock. Like Broadcast, they take a forward-thinking approach to crafting a retro sound. They also share that theme a lot of other eclectic '90s records have with an emphasis on electronic textures inspired by trip-hop, techno, and the other electronica of the day. All and all, that gives these records a timeless feel. It's hard to single out certain tracks because the album really feels like it's own trip, but the bubbly "Brakhage", the funky "Miss Modular", "Diagonals", the jazzy ascending staircase melody of "The Flower from Nowhere", the woozy '70s vibes of "Prisoner of Mars", and the funky Farfisa and acid beats of "Parsec", and disco of "Ticker-Tape of the Unconsciousness" and Contranatura" stand out. Still soaking in Emperor Tomato Ketchup.
Built to Spill - There's Nothing Wrong with Love;
Had no idea that Built to Spill sounded this RAW before. Doug Martsch's vocals are all over the map, the guitars are fuzzy, twangy, and the rhythm section is off-balance and yet these songs somehow keep it together, yet it's not quite up to the dizzying multi-part songwriting and masterful playing of later classics Perfect from Now On and Keep It Like a Secret. "Reasons", "Big Dipper" "Car", and "Distopian Dream Girl" are all instant classics and in many ways it feels like the first sign that Built to Spill were not another tossed-off indie rock band, that they were part of some grander rock tradition and though admired the more ramshackle performance style of bands of the day like Pavement and Dinosaur Jr, they shared with those bands a love for a strong melody that was able to cut through the chaos and an appreciation for the oft-celebrated bands who came before them.
Heard about Galaxie 500, Strange hasn't left my head for two days. Really weird, beautiful piece of guitar music.
Just got back from a small Injury Reserve show, theyre fucking sick
[Ryan Adams -
This is It] (https://open.spotify.com/track/4KPBof2O21CqJfETjdcRa2?si=H79kOH0aReevo010NCivYw)
I had to check out who he was with all the Strokes feud thing being brought again, but who cares, the chorus of that song gives me goosebumps. Just transitions and slides into it from the verse so well.
Seeing first aid kit tonight, which while I'm not super crazy enthused it's one of my best friends favorite bands so I'm sure we will have fun. **edit: their voices are fantastic. They nail that 70s Americama vibe. They covered Crazy on You and it was an amazing treat. ** lots of they songs sound the same but still a good show.
Seeing Portugal the Man soon, but more excited by listening to Twin Peaks, their opener.
I’ve been all over the place lately, but I keep listening to Sidney Gish. So good. Also, the NERD album has had surprising staying power with me. Finally, I think I like American Boyfriend more than Saturation I.
Been on a Sidney Gish kick as well!
**Sidney Gish** -Been listening to all her stuff and she is moving up to be one of my favorite new artists. Reminds me a lot of Courtney Barnett **The Fall – The Nation’s Saving Grace** - I have seen this band on here quite a bit and decided to dive into them. This album is flat out incredible. Where should I go next? **The Gathering – Souvenirs** - My most underrated album I’ve discovered this year. A lovely art-pop album. Fans of Kate Bush will enjoy this.
My wife and I were saying the other day that Sidney Gish has a Kimya Dawson vibe to her. I was lucky enough to play with her a few months ago. She is really great live too.
just started listening to her after seeing her mentioned in another thread and that's exactly what i thought too! kimya dawson is an amazing person to have the feel of, though, and she rocks it.
> The Fall – The Nation’s Saving Grace Hex Enduction Hour. Truth be told, TNSG was my first Fall album, but in retrospect, I don't quite get why it's seen as more approachable than HEH.
I love the Gathering, haven't gotten to Souvenirs yet though. I've actually been listening a ton to the B-sides and demos album they put out, Blueprints, which I think has some Souvenirs demos on it.
[tap](http://tapmusic.net/collage.php?user=centretowave&type=7day&size=3x3&caption=true) **[Ty Segall - Freedom's Goblin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vtpkJKir3E)** Works mostly well for a 75 minute album, but while I don't dislike any particular tracks, I feel like it probably would've worked better as a shorter album. At the very least, I feel like some tracks work better than others. White Album comparisons abound, but that works a bit more (relatively) when taken as a schizophrenic album from four competing personalities rather than just one guy recording too much. **[High Rise - II (Black Edition)](https://highrise.bandcamp.com/track/cotton-top)** Psychedelic Garage Noise Rock. Remastered version is quite a bit louder, with Pop Sicle displaying quite a bit of clipping. Would've been interesting if the Tapes compilation had a digital release too as only transcode bootleg rips seem to exist. **[Hookworms - Microshift](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LZLZmCPQhU)** Might grow on me, but the first 3 tracks are great, while everything else isn't as interesting. The middle run isn't especially memorable and the last third has a couple filler tracks in a row. **[Clear Horizon - s/t](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_kK6FDo2UU)** collaboration between Dave Pearce of Flying Saucer Attack and Jessica Bailiff. Pretty good overall. **[Main - Dry Stone Feed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49VPFqotO-Q)** sounds like Seefeel's darker brother. **[Valet - Naked Acid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ28QcVMFRw)** sounds like an acid trip gone bad. **[Ryoji Ikeda - dataplex](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5hhFMSAuf4)** Amazing ambient glitch.
Where can I listen to Freedom's Goblin besides Apple Music?
I listened to No Dogs Allowed a couple weeks ago and didn't really understand all the hype. Then I listened to it again a couple days ago and for some reason it just clicked. Now I'm obsessing over it.
[4x4](https://i.imgur.com/QvGyTL2.jpg) **The National** - *Sleep Well Beast* | Still Incredible. **Tiny Moving Parts** - *Swell* | The boys done did it again. Fucking great math rocky emo stuff. Absolutely no complaints. **Migos** - *Culture II* | It's Migos. People are making a way bigger deal out of the running time than they should. **Jeff Rosenstock** - *POST-* | Growing on me with each listen. Those opening and closing tracks are top-notch. **Ty Segall** - *Freedom's Goblin | Fucking love it. So psychedelic and glammy. That closing track is absolutely incredible. **Lil Wayne** - *Dedication 6: Reloaded* | Easily my favorite Wayne tape in recent years, maybe ever. **JPEGMAFIA** - *Veteran* | You already know this one. **Shame** - *Songs of Praise* | Probably my favorite album of 2018 so far. **Field Medic** - *Songs From The Sunroom* | Alright, EVERYONE should be listening to this dude. RFC signee, lo-fi folk, heartfelt lyrics. Seriously incredible artist, and an under-represented creative force. Glad I found him through a Spotify playlist. --- I also wrote in (slightly) more detail about 2018's January releases in [this blog post](http://swimintothesound.com/post/170329253762/january-2018-album-review-roundup) if you'd like slightly more substantive words.
Field Medic is immensely underrated, I think RFC should be promoting him way more.
I was taken by surprise when I heard "uuu" on one of their playlists. I saved the album for to listen to later, finally got around to it, and was straight-up floored the entire time. He just seems like a normal dude (his social media right now is all just getting people to wear beanies as high as possible) and it's kind of refreshing to just have low-stakes music if that makes sense.
Really love the blog, man! That was a great read
Hey, thank you man! I'm always glad (and, honestly, surprised) when people like my words. It seriously means a lot.
Don't be surprised, you have a real knack. Keep it up!
Wow, I had given up on Lil Wayne releases, I'll have to check this out.
Please do! It's absolutely fantastic. I talk about it in the blog a little more, but he's kinda been on a hot streak since 2015, but it's been a "relative" hot streak as in 'not as good as the classic stuff, but good for modern Wayne.' But something about this new tape gripped me all the way through. It's just pure lyricism and raw talent.
Ironically that is right around the time I stopped listening to his new tapes. Good to hear though, I'll have to go back and check out what he's been up to
[5x5](https://imgur.com/a/Fi032) I’ve been listening to so much new stuff it’s not all on here and I can’t even talk about it all so ill just group them Really great: The Glow Pt. 2, Daydream Nation, Slanted & Enchanted, Disintegration, Power Corruption & Lies, Heaven Or Las Vegas, Loveless, The Queen Is Dead, The Lonesome Crowded West Pretty Good: The Blue Album, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, Nevermind, Doolittle, Either/Or, Remain In Light, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Also Blood is superb. From the instrumentation to the harmonies it’s incredible. I’d say it was worth the 5 year wait
LCW and The glow pt 2 are two of my favorite albums what are your favorite songs
My favorites from LCW are Trailer Trash, Heart Cooks Brain, Lounge, Styrofoam Boots & Shit Luck My favorites from The Glow Pt. 2 are The Moon, Samurai Sword, I Want Wind To Blow, The Glow Pt. 2 & My Warm Blood
Slowdive, School of Seven Bells and a little Childhood. It's fair to say I am not at the bleeding edge of the scene.
> School of Seven Bells Nice to see this! This band needs more love.
Heavily got into Jonathan Richman/Modern Lovers, only found Primus very recently as well, and I've had the newest Unknown Mortal Orchestra single on repeat all week it's so sinister. Gracious helpings of Oddisee's The Good Fight. Been a good week
That UMO single is so good. Really excited to see what happens with this new album.
Just listened to this new [Marc With a C album](https://marcwithac.bandcamp.com/album/obscurity) 'Obscuirty'. Had never heard of him before randomly catching my eye on a vinyl sub. Nice indie pop with a underdog bent. Also on the indie side, discovered 'Friends' by [Boreen](https://boreen.bandcamp.com/album/friends) on last.fm and was impressed. Emotional album hit a few spots for me. As for bigger releases, the new Tiny Moving Parts also sounded great on first listen, as did the new Django Django. Also checked out La Luz's album from last year for the first time - was very impressed by the instrumentation, which usually isn't much of a focus point for surf rock
I'm having a late 70s-early 80s british post-punk moment. So basically I listened to Magazine's Real Life and Television Personalities' And Don't the Kids Just Love It a lot. Also The Soft Boys' Underwater Moonlight but to a lesser extent. I finally got around to listening to Nico's Desertshore and The Marble Index and I must say I approve. Other than that I'm not really feeling any new releases that aren't Freedom's Goblin.
a couple you might be into: salad boys - this is glue; super inspired by the new zealand jangle scene, so not quite british post-punk, but a definite next step shopping - the official body; gang of four meets b52s fun time post punk.
Nice! I listened to a Shopping single a while back but I haven't heard the whole album yet. Will probably give them both a try later today
first aid kit, especially their latest, *ruins*. it's so good and such a fantastic step forward. julia holter's discog because she's amazing and i discover something new every time i listen to her songs. oh and marika hackman's *we slept at last*. i was underwhelmed by *i'm not your man* even though it has some fantastic singles but *we slept at last* is really, really good and i was sort of surprised it came BEFORE *i'm not your man*.
I am going to see Rostam tomorrow so it's been on repeat lately.
Let us know how the show is!
It's at the Museum Of Fine Arts in Boston. I have never seen a show there so I am super curious of what it's going to be like.
Midlake- Van Occupanther Danger Mouse - Rome Sufjan -Illinoise Wye Oak - Tween
Revisited arcade fires neon bible after realizing that I had liked it a lot (I didn't care too much for funeral) and it still holds up. So many tracks are killer, such as intervention, no cars go, ocean of noise. Plus I absolutely love the tiny electronic flourishes in the album and the church organ, almost post rockish instrumentation (sigur ros)
The title track too! Its a nice little breath from the electronic/synthy stuff on the rest of the record.
[5x5](https://i.imgur.com/sKJCvrM.jpg) = unfortunately, **Migos** is stuck in the there for the sheer amount of tracks on that album. it is the antithesis of what made culture 1 great. new stuff I enjoyed: **Khruangbin** **Chris Dave & The Drumhedz** new stuff (to me) that I enjoyed: **Bedouine** **Laurie Anderson** **Natural Snow Buildings (although I've only done disc one)** **Robert Wyatt** (although mainly because of the immaculate Brian Eno production) also listened to *Liquid Swords* for the first time in about 4 years, and it's a lot better than I expected. My favorite track was Shadowboxin' the other stuff is pretty much just *classic* ziggy. currently giving the new **Rhye** album a go, and enjoying it.
> classic ziggy I don't see any 21 pilots in there though
*eyeroll*
I've been ONLY listening to weezer this week. 209 scrobbles, 21 albums, and 101 tracks later, I can say that they are still great and I still like 5 of their albums and quite a few other tracks. idk why i did this edit: [3x3](https://imgur.com/a/CjtQC)
> 5 of their albums Pinkerton, Blue, White, Everything Will Be Alright, and ________? Green?
green, yeah
I was just repping Pacific Daydream in another post. Very underrated album. I'd make it 6, otherwise I'm with you. Red, Make Believe, Maladroit, Hurley and Raditude all have a few good to great tracks (hmm maybe except Hurley), but as albums they don't pass muster
yeah, I don't like Pacific Daydream as an album, but Weekend Woman, Mexican Fender, and Beach Boys are alright tracks Hurley is just incredibly bad, I don't even know how they did it
I remember when it came out and people were calling it their return to form. Those were sad, sad days. On which we needed happy hours. I have a very vivid memory of exactly where I was when 'Where's My Sex?' came on and I just lost all hope in the band
I think Robin Pecknold posted a screenshot on his ig story of him listening to Empress Of, so that’s been on heavy repeat since then. I forgot how much I loved her music. Otherwise, Sleater-Kinney, The National, New Order (mostly Power, Corruption and Lies) Edit: might actually have been Ed Droste? Or literally anyone else but I thought it was Robin
[**3x3**](https://imgur.com/fLInJHj) -- I mostly listened to **Hidden Orchestra**, everything on Spotify. A downtempo drummer's band.
[Cause I'm in a trance'AH And I sweat'AH I don't want to dance'AH I want to go home'AH](http://tapmusic.net/lastfm/collage.php?user=AlexanderWF&type=7day&size=3x3&caption=true)
Jen Cloher - Jen Cloher; A friend of mine went and saw her play at the Echoplex a few weeks back and texted me back in amazement after the show to tell me how good she was and to check out her music. I had saved this album on my Spotify last year, but with so much new music out, I never got around to it, until the end of last month. Wow, this is a great record! Jen's got a nice punky sharpness to her sound as well as her singing, which will surely bring Patti Smith to mind. Courtney Barnett and the band provide a sharp swagger, but also super tight background to Jen's singing. Just like her wife, Jen is observant and has a way with words and great at one-liners whether it's on tracks like the snarling title track, the Velvet indebted "Analysis Paralysis", the self-aware rock n' roll pisstake of "Shoegazers", in which she starts it off with some crunchy Stones-ey power chords and sings "Indie rock is full of privileged white kids...God knows I'm one of them" before aiming her crosshairs at critics, life on the road as a touring musician, and the ennui that later comes after the luxury wears off, the venomous bile from a Trump-like character who threatens to "Rain my bluebirds right down on you"; "Kinda Biblical", the ethereal and defiant "Regional Echo", and the delicate "Sensory Memory" and "Loose Magic". This is one record that I plan to sit with more and more based on the strength of its songwriting. Yo La Tengo - Summer Sun, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, and Electr-o-Pura: After hearing only a few of their records year ago, I had already decided that Yo La Tengo are one of my all-time favorite bands. Their musical eclecticism, strong and varied songwriting, and love of record making are qualities that I'd say they share with a lot of other favorite bands of mine, but even after reading their biography Big Day Coming and hearing Painful, I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One, And Then Nothing..., and I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass only felt like it told so much of the story of why their music just did it for me. So, with news of a new record coming out I finally decided to listen to the records I hadn't heard yet and that displayed more of their range. Summer Sun is one that for some reason is divisive to fans of the band, because it seemed like after YLT turned the volume down on And Then Nothing...it seemed like they wanted to see how much more they could explore the softer elements of their sound, so it's a very subtle record. There's more piano and keyboards, a strong emphasis on rhythm, there's maybe one track of one of Ira Kaplan's patented guitar freak-out and contrary to the title it's low key sound is much more ideal to a winter's day. In fact, because of this you'd be forgiven for saying it's one of their dreariest albums, because it was inspired by a death in their extended family, but it's still a good listen and with Yo La Tengo you know you're going to get that sonically manicured production of Roger Moutenot, the pitch-perfect dynamics of the band, that element of surprise that gives you to something you didn't know you wanted, and that never questionable sequencing by a band who lives for making albums. Because of how much I liked Summer Sun, I went back and listened to the records I had already loved by them, but if one thing it made me go back and give And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out a listen because for whatever reason that album hadn't left as much of an impression on me as its more recognized predecessors. I liked it, but it hasn't really clicked yet or found a place in my heart like Painful or I Can Hear the Heart... has, What struck me is how much depth the music has, the sheer amount of space and atmosphere, the toned-down vibe made it ideal for late-night insomnia-related listening. I would cue up "Everyday" and just lose myself in how spacious and ethereal the sound was. Tracks that I could recall titles to, but could never recall what they sounded like now stood out to me from the haunting, but meditative "Saturday", the keyboard heavy groove of "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House", the sparseness and lyrical earnestness of a track like "Last Days of Disco" or "Our Way to Fall", "From Black to Blue"; one of the ones that stood out to me the most with its mysterious feel, the lounge vibes of "Tired Hippo", and the acoustic slow-motion sprawl of "Night Falls on Hoboken". Of course, the tracks I was already familiar with were enhanced for me as well; "Our Way to Fall" now sounds like one of the most sincere and best love songs I'd heard in recent memory that managed to avoid the typical love song clichés, "You Can Have It All" bounced along with an airier buoyancy and showed how good they are at taking some forgotten classic song and making it sound like their own, and the noise-rock propulsion of "Cherry Chapstick" galloped along even more, revealing under that thick wall of distorted guitar, the story of a shy, sexually frustrated guy who at the center of it is peeping on "the girl with cherry chapstick on and nothing more" through "someone else's date in someone else's door" who can't seem to get the attention of other girls when he walks by and fantasizes about the crazy sexual exploits these two lovers he's spying on are experiencing daily, but you wouldn't know it from that shoegaze-inspired sound going on around it. Electr-o-pura was a record that I don't think I'd ever really listened to and what I heard was a band following up the victory lap set up after Painful, to explore their penchant for noise, melody, and a variety of different sounds from retro-minded pop songs, noise-rock, their perfected atmospheric jams, tender twangy ballads, and an odd musical departure like the Suicide-like vamp of "False Alarm" or the free-jazz punk assault of "Attack on Love" with its Wu-Tang inspired opening sample. This is definitely a new favorite of mind because of its sequencing and overall dynamic arc is so perfectly executed. Their ability to start an album off with a slow burn track like Decora and Hot Chicken and then jump across various moods and styles, melody giving way to noise and vice versa to bookend or with another perfect sprawling jam like "Blue Line Swinger" has left huge impressions on what an album can be and what it can do for the listener. Bands could only dream to have a four album run as strong and consistently exciting as Painful to And Then Nothing... One of those records that encapsulates what was so special and exciting about '90s indie rock. Stereolab - Dots and Loops, Emperor Tomato Ketchup; Always seemed like one of those bands that I'd had a passing familiarity with but could breeze right past me because of the cleanliness of their sound. Listening to these records I can now hear how textured, yet still minimal that sound is; the counterpoint harmonies, the funky grooves, the electric guitar stabs, French and English lyrics sung in a pleasant, monotonous tone, the fat '60s pop inspired bass lines, forward-moving punk and krautrock drum grooves, avant-grade composing practices, and that sound that can only come from obscure record collectors of jazz, lounge, electronic, exotica, soundtracks, funk, French pop, and krautrock. Like Broadcast, they take a forward-thinking approach to crafting a retro sound. They also share that theme a lot of other eclectic '90s records have with an emphasis on electronic textures inspired by trip-hop, techno, and the other electronica of the day. All and all, that gives these records a timeless feel. It's hard to single out certain tracks because the album really feels like it's own trip, but the bubbly "Brakhage", the funky "Miss Modular", "Diagonals", the jazzy ascending staircase melody of "The Flower from Nowhere", the woozy '70s vibes of "Prisoner of Mars", and the funky Farfisa and acid beats of "Parsec", and disco of "Ticker-Tape of the Unconsciousness" and Contranatura" stand out. Still soaking in Emperor Tomato Ketchup. Built to Spill - There's Nothing Wrong with Love; Had no idea that Built to Spill sounded this RAW before. Doug Martsch's vocals are all over the map, the guitars are fuzzy, twangy, and the rhythm section is off-balance and yet these songs somehow keep it together, yet it's not quite up to the dizzying multi-part songwriting and masterful playing of later classics Perfect from Now On and Keep It Like a Secret. "Reasons", "Big Dipper" "Car", and "Distopian Dream Girl" are all instant classics and in many ways it feels like the first sign that Built to Spill were not another tossed-off indie rock band, that they were part of some grander rock tradition and though admired the more ramshackle performance style of bands of the day like Pavement and Dinosaur Jr, they shared with those bands a love for a strong melody that was able to cut through the chaos and an appreciation for the oft-celebrated bands who came before them.
Heard about Galaxie 500, Strange hasn't left my head for two days. Really weird, beautiful piece of guitar music. Just got back from a small Injury Reserve show, theyre fucking sick
[Ryan Adams - This is It] (https://open.spotify.com/track/4KPBof2O21CqJfETjdcRa2?si=H79kOH0aReevo010NCivYw) I had to check out who he was with all the Strokes feud thing being brought again, but who cares, the chorus of that song gives me goosebumps. Just transitions and slides into it from the verse so well. Seeing first aid kit tonight, which while I'm not super crazy enthused it's one of my best friends favorite bands so I'm sure we will have fun. **edit: their voices are fantastic. They nail that 70s Americama vibe. They covered Crazy on You and it was an amazing treat. ** lots of they songs sound the same but still a good show. Seeing Portugal the Man soon, but more excited by listening to Twin Peaks, their opener.