I think it’s probably hurt by being a very 90s album released in 2001. To me it seems like a logical progression/conclusion of wear Slint left off, but by 2001The Strokes had taken over.
The album that hooked me on indie. This record means everything to me, still reaches in and grabs my soul every listen. An instant classic that sometimes gets overshadowed by Funeral.
I just think it’s a really bland record. I do think it’s cool that the world’s biggest pop star made an “indie” album, but I had always hoped it would have been bolder than this.
Ok so can we discuss what some of the most ridiculous requests for the custom Number Ones column would be? I'd like to nominate that dance mix of Jennifer Lawrence singing "Hanging Tree" in The Hunger Games that charted all the way up at #12.
When I was 18 I wrote the band an email about what "Brain Problem" meant to me and how I connected with it in a way I rarely do with lyrics, hearing myself in Furman's lyrics and also learning more about myself thanks to the way he spelled everything out in ways I couldn't. They responded with a super nice email basically telling me that stuff like that is why they make music, and it really moved me.
I'll always root for these guys and am so glad to have Knot now, the new track is great.
I too am late to comment and have become a lapsed commenter in general lately, but absolutely happy and proud to donate to help keep the site up. I started reading the 'Gum back when I was probably 13-14, specifically brought here because of the Monthly Gum Mix of MP3's you guys used to do. I'm 23 now and obviously I basically have Stereogum to thank for taking my taste beyond the realm of Guitar Hero soundtracks - do you know how cool it was to be 13 and discover bands like Mogwai, Big Troubles, and M83 (Midnight City!) from those mixes??? Hell, you guys are the ones who finally sold me on Carly Rae and then I ended up doing my literal college thesis on Emotion. To be honest I even think my voice as a writer and the way I approach reviewing albums has been shaped by the amazingly talented people that have worked here over the years (too many to shoutout!).
Anyway I'm rambling but this site is awesome, long live the 'Gum, long live independent journalism, I love y'all.
In my head I've always played with the idea that the hook in "Queen" could be flipped to also be heard as "don't you know you're queen." Doesn't quite line up with "don't you know me" later on, but taking the song as a subconscious self-evaluation is an interesting journey too.
Anyway, pretty hard-to-argue list, though I'd try and make room for "Some Dream" and "Otherside" on mine.
It shouldn't be too hard to figure out which 2019 Song of the Year nominee Dugan claims only got nominated because they sit on the committee and have representation on the board of trustees. This is all going to get very messy very quickly.
Listening to some Priests today and I am always floored by how good a guitarist GL Jaguar is. His playing isn't always flashy but it's always perfect for the song, and he has a certain quirky showmanship onstage that's captivating.
That got me thinking: who are the guitar gods (relatively speaking) of today? Off the top of my head I'm thinking GL Jaguar, Adam Granduciel, and Kerry McCoy.
They’re still doing it now with streaming, since more streams = more money AND because album sales as derived from streaming numbers are IIRC calculated based on track stream totals without consideration of the length of the album.
Recent examples: The Weeknd (18), Migos (24), Katy Perry (17), Post Malone (18)
Writing/media for sure, ideally music journalism or basically any position where I get to think, talk about, and share music with others - radio, concert venues, music blogs/magazines, soundtracking, all of the above, etc.
Ultraviolence is money. It's the least pop of Lana's albums (it's hard to genre-fy honestly) and is also more ambitious and varied than her other work, IMO. That's why Venice Bitch has me PUMPED for the new album whenever it may come; we need more 6+-minute LDR
Holy SHIT I just graduated. My whole life has been about being good at school, what do I do now? (Not a rhetorical: I am still jobless! Yay debt!)
But in all seriousness it feels pretty unreal and overwhelming to be done with college. I tried spinning Graduation but that didn't really do it for me, weirdly, so instead tonight is a Meadowlands and What Chaos Is Imaginary night. I'm back home now so I'll probably be popping up in the comments section at a YBB-esque rate for a bit. Feels good to be back :)
So the thesis is handed in - al 27,000-odd words about our Queen Carly. At this point it's hard for me to care about any other classes, this felt like a good finishing point and now the last month feels like a weird tack-on.
Anyway, people have been asking about reading it (believe it or not) but I can't just put it out their publicly here for *legal reasons*. BUT! If you really wanna see me go on an on (...and on and on) about Emotion and pop culture and Jepsen's place in the middle of it all, you can email me telling me who you are here at michael_oneill@brown.edu (or I guess just comment your email here? idk) and I can send you a PDF version. (Also, to any prospective employers who somehow got here after stalking me online: consider this my writing sample.)
ANYWAY anyway, "Julien" is great and Lizzo just overtook Girlpool as my AOTY. Happy Passover/Easter weekend everybody.
In Boston, Emerson's station is 88.9 and definitely the most indie in the region. At Brown we were 95.5 but we were also commercial radio and definitely pointed less indie before switching to just online (which is now very indie)
Also, electability isn't this, like, hard-and-fast thing. It's established by definition by people who elect; if we like someone but decide they're "unelectable," WE'RE the ones making them unelectable.
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