Great writeup, but I disagree this song is low stakes. It reminds me of Kiss by Prince in the sense that its minimalism just amplifies and intensifies everything. Faith is a great album, sadly maybe a bit underrated these days.
"The greatest problem in our culture is narcissism" sounds like Lana listens to Red Scare lol. Not sure what she thinks breeds narcissism if not capitalism.
Sounds like she's been listening to a lot of Dr. Dre and TLC! Finneas production and the groove reminds me this one in particular. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znlFu_lemsU
Completely agree! Pretty incredible melodist and all around songwriter too. Hard to think of a contemporary band that has a had a better evolution than Arctic Monkeys while staying critically and commercially relevant.
The Arctic Monkeys are also weirdly underrated stateside bc being a really great indie bordering on mainstream guitar band isn't really zeitgeisty even if it still retains a significant audience. Tranquility Base was so good it made me appreciate the rest of their discography even more.
Great picks! I'd argue for DBTT as the Oasis version - critically acclaimed return to their classic sound that rejuvenated their touring side too. My own additions:
Rolling Stones - Tattoo You (the clearest comparison for me — huge hit single, "classic" sound that built on recent experiments, last real contemporary relevance that kept them going for the rest of their career, great sounding record with them comfortable being themselves)
The Strokes - New Abnormal
Grateful Dead - In the Dark
Kings of Leon - Walls
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
Liam Gallagher - As You Were
McCartney - Tug of War
The Killers - Imploding the Mirage
I think it's a generational thing. I think millennials are much more likely to have positive feelings about Macca, partially just because he's survived :/
I've been saying this for years! I was totally hooked on her when that album hit and she's never topped it (despite being much more consistent than she gets credit for). Production is so much more interesting than Antonoff's fairly straightforward arrangements.
Same here. Trying to think of the last male artist I remember getting tagged with industry plants...Mumford and Sons and Foster the People? Jaden Smith?
Lovely cover. Glad to see he's finally made his peace with the Beatles comparisons — seem to recall one early interview where he claimed he'd never listened to a Beatles record all the way through in his life.
Sunny Afternoon is all time of course, but the whole second side in general is wonderful IMO. Favorite Kinks album is probably Something Else I would still say!
Incredible list! I have to watch DIG — I've heard such good things for years! Also going to do a deeper BJM dive for sure. Face to Face is one of my favorite Kinks albums too. Fontaines DC have never clicked for me but I will try again after your rec!.
I've also been listening to the new Killers album which is in fact fantastic! Everything Rado touches turns to gold. I've also been listening to the Goats Head Soup reissue, lots of Beach House, Stereolab, the Weeknd's last album, Hounds of Love, Blue Nile - Hats, and Heaven or Las Vegas! In terms of playlists, I've really enjoyed Danger Mouse's playlists that he posts on Spotify and — probably partially out of nostalgia for live music — I've been listening to various band's setlists and really enjoying that. I don't know how you feel about the Grateful Dead and enjoying some of that. I'm always amazed by how I feel like I don't listen to anything but when I type it out to tell you it seems like a lot!
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