I just recently moved Alex G up to #2 on my "current all-time favorite artists" list right behind GBV, which, who cares, sure. I'm also ashamed to admit I've paid over $100 for an Alex G *tape* which is absurd. I say all of that to say this: I couldn't help myself and downloaded the leak of *House of Sugar* (preorder on the way, natch), and this is going to be more of a grower than a show-er. The singles are pretty clearly the most straightforward tracks on the album... the sountrack comments in the write-up are accurate. There is more esoteric, indulgent material here, which is fine, but it is not as immediately gratifying as his earworm magic from, well, everything else he's ever done. I wasn't disappointed, per se, but I'm leaning forward rather than blown backwards. "Gretel" is, however, maybe his finest moment to date. [shrug] Listening to that new Messthetics album again. Anyone who likes guitars who hasn't check, check, checked it out is miss, miss, missing out. Sooooo good.
I've secretly always wanted to be messed with by one of the Gum commentariat's leading lights, whether you, Bloc, or one of the other esteemed legends. So, thank you? It was everything that I imagined it would be.
No. The concert venue and local health officials are the ones shutting down the camping component (only) of the concert which is done, traditionally, in supplemental dirt parking lots that are absolutely *riddled* with prairie dog burrows. I live in a residential area that is adjacent to the stadium (imagine a Wrigleyville, if you will) and we have no say about anything insofar as the concert is concerned, but that doesn't insulate us from frequently having to deal with associated externalities from the annual Phish pilgrimage. I think what I meant by "yawn" is that no one here in the neighborhood is like, "wow, the plague is like 200 yards from our house" because, A) prairie dog plague happens once every few years, and B ) there is no real danger if you just, like, don't start wearing a dead prairie dog around on your face.
Who asked me? Well, the comment forum's existence and my proximity to the story, I suppose. Who asks anyone anything around here? Also, contrary to popular belief, Colorado is about as drug-centric as anywhere else I've ever been (lived in about 15 states as a military brat growing up).
I live *literally* maybe 1/2 a mile from Dicks where this event happens annually. For the local residents, we're happy to have invasion of lousy, disease-ridden prairie dogs prevent the annual invasion of lousy, disease-ridden rodents, er, hippies... er, Phish fans. But seriously, this is a real thing that is happening and us locals are like, "yawn." Plague is not uncommon among prairie dogs and there are like 7 human cases in Colorado each year (usually transmitted by pets who get the fleas form the rodents). Plague is highly treatable, but I've been practicing my "bring out your dead!" bell-ringing just in case.
If you're implying that Bob Pollard doesn't have a work ethic, then you have absolutely no idea what the actual eff you're talking about. He might be the hardest working man in music. He's 62 years old, releases about four albums a year (truly, some of his most vital work since the mid 90s), continues to work as a visual artist, and tours relentlessly. The universal quality is open for debate, but the work ethic absolutely, unequivocally is *not*.
Rot Forever was, IMO, the closest any contemporary band has come to capturing the magic of *TIALDFSWNTTA* and *The Lonesome Crowded West*. As such, while I think Strange Ranger is a good, possibly even great, indie rock band, Sioux Falls was a god-level band.
Whenever I listen to Sandy Alex G, I ask myself, "Why am I not *always* listening to Sandy Alex G?" He is not context dependent whatsoever, IMO. The ultimate 'put 'im on whenever nothing else sounds good,' and I don't mean that negatively at all.
They were my #1 most anticipated album AND #1 actual best album of 2018! As posted on the year-end mega thread here on SG. By the way, any and everyone who digs this band would be very wise to check out their fellow countrymen Possible Humans. They're filling the same "hard pop/soft punk" shoes but maybe a bit more classical Flying Nun? A bit more Clean? You heard it here first!
https://hobbiesgalore.bandcamp.com/album/everybody-split
A) Where the heck is everybody?! More proof that guitars are dead for (most?) of Stereogum's commentariat.
B) I am, on the other hand, extreeeeemely here for this.
C) I would preorder this immediately if it was available.
D) They should tour with fellow countrymen Happyness.
E) Tight and loud; the bass player crushed. Everything about this band is great. More please, and soon.
It was my #2 AOTY, right behind BRONCHO’s new one, and you just described me to a T. Except I care not for FJM. But, yeah, this is my favorite new band in years.
As a Denverite, 1) Yes, Trve's beers are phenomenal, especially the sours. 2) Their taproom is pretty rad and atmospheric given their genre-connections (cool beer merch, too). 3) I'm not speaking authoritatively, but I'm certain that their name is a take on the metal-ism "kvlt," as in "cult," or in metal parlance, "super rad/authentic." E.g. "That new Mgła album is kvlt as fvck." It gives the word that semi-spooky medieval vibe, as the letter "U" didn't even enter the alphabet until the 1600s. Until then, the letter "V" was used interchangeably where we would today use "U" or "V." It was an allograph. If you look at old buildings (or buildings that are trying to look old and/or overly stodgy), you'll see that the inscriptions will often use "V's" where you'd expect to see "U's".
Bvt yeah, great beer.
The song "Toonie" from the debut was one of my most played songs the year it came out. This band knows how to make catchy stuff out of really monotone, bleak raw materials.
This is the only band that I can think of that seems to be tiptoeing into the same room as Power Trip, looking around, dropping a riff, and NOT being asked to leave. There are many bands in the warmup ranks that do this, but few that nail the appropriate blend of parts groove/thrash/mosh/unhinged/catchy. HIGHLY ANTICIPATED.
Never to be seen:
1. BRONCHO // Bad Behavior
2. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever // Hope Downs
3. Chastity // Death Lust
4. Dusted // Blackout Summer
5. Shakarchi & Stranéus // Steal Chickens From Men and the Future From God
6. Guided By Voices // Space Gun
7. Kurt Vile // Bottle It In
8. Nap Eyes // I’m Bad Now
9. Khruangbin // Con Todo El Mundo
10. Salad Boys // This Is Glue
11. The Lees of Memory // The Blinding White of Nothing At All
12. Tomb Mold // Manor of Infinite Forms
13. Hovvdy // Cranberry
14. Skeletonwitch // Devouring Radiant Light
15. Nothing // Dancing On the Blacktop
16. Ovlov // TRU
17. Alien Boy // Sleeping Lessons
18. Teleman // Family of Aliens
19. Rolo Tomassi // Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It
20. Soccer Mommy // Clean
21. Slaegt // The Wheel
22. Møl // Jord
23. Snail Mail // Lush
24. Muncie Girls // Fixed Ideals
25. Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats // Wasteland
26. Hot Snakes // Jericho Sirens
27. MGMT // Little Dark Age (LDA)
28. Holy Fawn // Death Spells
29. The Declining Winter // Belmont Slope
30. DJ Koze // Knock Knock
If we’re coming back around for a new take on mid-aughts, British-bred, NYC-indebted, spindly-guitar post-punk, I’m going to need to start freeing up hard drive space and vinyl money ASAP.
Correct. But with a different track sequencing, which Bob is extremely particular about. Also, the article states *1,000 Dougs* as one of the EPs, but it is, in fact, *100 Dougs* (as illustrated by the 10x10 repeating “Doug thumbnail” cover).
One-hundred Dougs is enough for anyone, even GBV.
Also, happy belated birthday, Bob! He turned 61 on Halloween.
As the parent of an almost 3-yr-old and 4-yr-old (with twins on the way, congrats and condolences equally welcome), I'm always on the lookout for shows that I can push on my kids that I will also tolerate (enjoy?). I found this on Saturday morning and, luckily, both kids have been loving it. The animation and color-palette are truly gorgeous. Really great stuff. I enjoy it on its own merit.
If you're looking to add to your list of Hum-inspired bands, I would strongly recommend investigating I Was Afraid (which is the Hum-iest band I've ever heard) and Narrow Head. Both are incredible and undoubtedly indebted to our mutual heroes.
There isn't enough digital ink that can capture my excitement for new Hum. Or how good that new Chastity album is.
This is the most literally literal owning of someone I've ever read in the SG comments. It's like you went directly to Phil Elverum for a comment to refute that dude. Wow.
*April* gets like zero mentions anywhere, and I find it to be peak Koz, the promise of everything that makes him great all at once. The electric outro to "Lost Verses" is, IMO, the best guitar work of his career. The nylon string finger-style of his later career is all there, but still employed in the service of flat-out incredible songs, all little, distinct worlds. *Admiral Fell Promises* is right there along with it, but *April* takes the cake for me. His solo stuff with Jimmy LaValle (*Perils...*) and Desertshore is also severely overlooked by the indie community at large. Both of those records are on par with the absolute best of his canon.
The excitement is real when you're bemoaning the fact that you don't have enough time *left at work* for an album stream. "IF ONLY I HAD WAY MORE WORK TO DO I COULD SNAP MY NECK TO JESUS PIECES!" said one guy ever.
"Operation" was the second best song on the two-disc combo behind "NEH". It's one of those songs that I can mentally listen to almost in its entirety even without revisiting it IRL for months/years. Such an indelible combination of melody and rhythm/cadence. Also, while I'm here commenting, I would second the comment that cherry-picking the poppier moments of *Cryptograms* plus the FG-EP = Top Hypothetical Deerhunter Album, behind only Top Actual Deerhunter Album, which is, of course, *Monomania*. I'll see myself out.
And, if you DO check it out and enjoy it’s majestic black metal pleasures, I’d encourage you to check out Black Fast’s new album, *Spectre of Ruin*. It dropped last week and is so chock full of riffs that you’ll scarcely know whether to air guitar, air drum, or click “buy now.” Blackened thrash with a some structural and vocal nods to the thrashier parts of Death’s oeuvre.
After what seems like a lifetime of listening to Skeletonwitch, and a virtually unimpeachable and varied (rare combination!) back-catalogue, I think *Devouring Radiant Light* might be their best ever. Certainly assuages any concerns I had about their next move post-Chance on the mic. Anyone with even half-an-eardrum on metal (or even loud guitars!) owes it to themselves to check this one out. It’s streaming somewhere (saw them post it on their FB). \m/
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