Comments

Getting a strong Oni Ayhun OAR003-B vibe from the Fever Ray track., which is still my favorite Dreijer-related track and maybe the most jubilant synth riff I can think of. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSSy3aHsG6c

Black Francis Ocean

Let's see if this embedded image works! ...No? Well I suppose I'll just edit it. ...No, can't do that? Better save face and just delete it. ...Oh fucking hell, this will still be here in 10 years, won't it?

This is the post I dream of waking up to every Friday.

The time has come... 1 Julia Holter - Feel You 2 Destroyer - Dream Lover 3 Grimes - REALiTi (Demo) 4 Car Seat Headrest - Something Soon 5 Joanna Newsom - Sapokanikan 6 Floating Points - Silhouettes 7 Kendrick Lamar - King Kunta 8 Tame Impala - The Less I Know the Better 9 Nicolas Jaar - Nymphs II 10 Viet Cong - Continental Shelf

I have fond memories of collecting different versions of 90's U2 singles for all the B-sides at used record shops. On that note, I feel like the single version of "Please" is different enough to warrant inclusion.

Really enjoyed this, especially the commentary on the "forgotten" majority of 2005 albums. Scrolling through my library, and being honest with myself, this was the year of Black Sheep Boy, Wolf Parade, Illinois, Superwolf, Twin Cinema, Alligator, Z, Andrew Bird, Feels, Separation Sunday, Architecture in Helsinki (!), CYHSY, Futureheads, Bloc Party... Hell, even the sentimentality of M83's "Before the Dawn Heals Us" I remember taking literally and not as some John Hughes throwback. I'm not sure how much of that I can attribute to the era vs. being a college sophomore. These things go in cycles, and I agree with Brad that there seems to be a trend forming with albums like Carrie & Lowell, FJM, & Vulnicura towards more emotional directness. Yet these are all in the ultra-personal, post-Kanye (I feel gross typing that, but really...) sense of highlighting the singer's shortcomings and fears. I totally agree that it's hard to imagine something like Decemberists/NMH/Belle & Sebastian carrying the same weight. Which is funny, considering non-autobiographical songs like "Engine Driver", "A Stone", or "John Wayne Gacy" hit me as hard as Elliott Smith or Funeral the year before. 2005, never forget <3

I'm feeling conflicted about editing out the last 7 minutes of Mortal Man so I can loop the album. :|

10/10 strong finish

When you put it that way, if Around the Sun didn't happen, Act 3 doesn't look half bad. Despite its flaws, something keeps bringing me back to Up. As for Acts 1 & 2, is there another American band that even approaches this?

Now you have me thinking of what the "Definitive American 1980's Album" (not necessarily by Americans) would be and I'm coming up blank. -Born in the USA (duh) -Joshua Tree (love the album, but their take on Americana is more of a caricature) -Reckoning (for that rural, slice of life perspective. not popular enough to be definitive though) It seems like so many of the 80's classics (by Americans) focused on looking outward (Remain in Light, Graceland), or had a smaller/more personal scope (Replacements, Husker Du, Sonic Youth, Dino Jr, Pixies). I feel like I'm missing a big one.

I've never made a connection between songs. Are the vocals a reversed sample of the original?? Always loved that track (and album). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27Tx7m_lUzg

"Blind" has always been my favorite by a landslide. That song could go on forever (and it kind of does).

yup! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg7IlKl-nkc

Don't hate me for this, but I'm having an "Everybody Hurts" type reaction. A track that not only requires me to disable my cynical filter from attacking the overtly feel-good message and major chords in order to appreciate its emotional directness--but gets half of its charm from that liberation. Like when you figure out how to stop feeling guilty for your "guilty pleasure" song. On par with Kindred, amazing.

Finding out his dog is named Cupid makes it that much sadder. :(

Call me not jaded enough, but I came here to read the comment section top 10's. Here's mine. 1 My Bloody Valentine ■ MBV 2 Machinedrum ■ Vapor City 3 Burial ■ Rival Dealer 4 Jai Paul ■ Untitled 5 James Holden ■ The Inheritors 6 The Knife ■ Shaking the Habitual 7 Jon Hopkins ■ Immunity 8 Kurt Vile ■ Walking on a Pretty Daze 9 The National ■ Trouble Will Find Me 10 Laurel Halo ■ Chance of Rain

Wow, this whole article is pure gold--thanks, 'gum! I've loved The Meadowlands since it came out--but I knew nothing about its (or the band's) back story.

I don't know about liking it more, but I've probably listened to it more. It was definitely what got me into MBV. While less hypnotic and polished than Loveless, I initially found it more melodic, aggressive, emotive, and (charmingly) messy. In my mind, it's a Kid A/OKC type thing...leaving one out as "the definitive MBV album" misrepresents the band.