While part of me doesn't want to live in a world where twigs releases songs like "Measure of a Man" and "Tears in the Club", I think this is the correct take.
She's had an absolutely flawless decade and released some of the most progressive and touching music of her generation, so she can have a little fun as a treat!
I wonder if that 19 song scrapped record was the one Alchemist referred to in the Fantano interview, or if it was SICK! In any case, anything new from Earl is worth getting excited for, and the singles from this LP have been fantastic.
Those moments where Earl let's the track ride on without him are usually bliss. "Riot!" is one of the most beautiful and cathartic enders of the last decade, and shows that the man is capable of affecting deeply even when he remains silent.
Woah this really takes off in a big way after an initially mid start! Fantastic tune, I should have learned long ago to never doubt Bejar.
Love all the Vancouver shots in the video, too. This city is so often documented only with a gaze to the undeniable beauty of the ocean and the north shore mountains, but there is also an overwhelming amount of hideous greys and browns and bleak streets and box houses whose aesthetic baseness is only amplified in relation the grandeur of the adjacent natural beauty. They really nailed that with the video!
I listened to LAGWAFIP obsessively for a good half-decade before digging into the rest of the Spiritualized discog ("Sweet Heart, Sweet Light" aside as a friend had the CD in his truck), with the lamentable presumption that nothing else could come even close, so why bother.
On some levels, I was right, as that record is so singular and grandiose that nothing really does come close, but these days, I think my personal favourite is "Pure Phase", with "Lazer Guided Melodies" close behind.
RAM was a certified snooze ("Contact" aside), and its insane to me that it received and continues to receive acclaim.
Good artists can make bad records, that's ok; we needn't bend over backwards to justify that which is without ground.
I think that you're right in both respects, really, and I think it's what makes Radiohead and Thom so enduring in their brilliance. While on the one hand, they have always been almost peerless when it comes to writing prescient, pertinent songs about current events and anxieties, they do so in such a way that does not get drowned in particularities, and thus allows the lyrics and sonic elements to transcend their own definite moment, and speak across and through time.
It's really something remarkable, and I think this song is exemplary, which is wild that so deep into a career, he can still tap into that!
Are we still getting a "Nosferatu" remake from Eggers? Words cannot express how excited I am for the possibility of it, and I loathe remakes generally !
Woah are we finally getting a proper Rossen solo album? The man’s a genius and a master with the geet. I’ve listened to the “Silent Hour/Golden Mile” EP more times than I could care to count. Genuinely one of the most original and compelling writers in that corner of the indiesphere!
Not my favourite thing twigs has ever done, but I would be down for her take on a future pop record! Also, what an absolutely forgettable Weeknd feature. How are you going to get a call from one of the most exciting and talented artists working today and just phone it in like that?
Dave's a talented rapper and compelling lyricist, but I don't think he's ever once been on a beat that was half-way memorable. Dude needs to work with some more interesting producers in a big way.
Surprised that "LP!" hasn't gotten more love around here! Arguably Peggy's best work to date; the 'offline' version is especially stunning.
In any case, what a ridiculously good year for rap music! One of the best in recent memories, to my ears.
1. Boldy James & The Alchemist - "Bo Jackson"
2. Armand Hammer & The Alchemist - "Haram"
3. MIKE - "Disco!"
4. JPEGMAFIA - "LP!" (offline)
5.Young Thug - "Punk"
6. Playboi Carti - "Whole Lotta Red"
7. Tyler, The Creator "Call Me If You Get Lost"
8. Navy Blue - "Navy's Reprise"
9. Wiki - "Half God"
10. Kanye West - "Donda"
Jim is such an underrated genius. While I respect and understand the choice of not having one's music on major streaming platforms, I really wish more people could easily access his work, as he deserves all the praise, recognition and audience in the world.
While there weren't too many albums I connected with in a big way this year, there was an absolute wealth of songs that I played over and over and over. I think perhaps because of not connecting with records so much, I entered more of a *playlist* mode, which was sort of fun and refreshing, especially spending the past decade really braining out on the capital-A "Album". Here are 25 of my favourites, which don't include any tunes from records that were designed to work as a seamless whole ("Promises", GAS for example).
1. Leon Vynehall - "Mothra"
2. Marie Davidson & L'OEil Nu - "Persona"
3. Big Thief - "Little Things"
4. Hildegard - "Jour 2"
5. Tirzah - "Send Me"
6. Beach House - "Through Me"
7. Black Marble - "Somewhere"
8. Spectral Wound - "Frigid and Spellbound"
9. Andy Stott - "Never the Right Time"
10. Koreless - "Black Rainbow"
11. Amen Dunes & Sleaford Mods - "Feel Nothing"
12. Converge & Chelsea Wolfe - "Blood Moon"
13. The Body & Big Brave - "Oh Sinner"
14. Earl Sweatshirt - "2010"
15. King Woman - "Boghz"
16. Chad VanGaalen - "Nightwaves"
17. Armand Hammer - "Stonefruit"
18. Meitei - "Happyaku-yacho"
19. Sam Gendel - "Eternal Loop"
20. Iceage - "Shelter Song"
21. The Alchemist - "Loose Change feat. Earl Sweatshirt"
22. jonatan leandoer96 - "Under Heaven"
23. Mach Hommy - "The 26th Letter"
24. Panopticon - "The Embers at Dawn"
25. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - "Old Time"
A good year, indeed!
Jesus, this is absolutely horrific. What an absolute piece of shit Marshall is, almost beyond comprehension. Hoping Hayter is safe and in a better place, and her courage is immense and without bounds.
Looks like tonite we’re blasting “Sinner Get Ready” and burning Daughters.
Man I guess I need to give that Fluisteraars record another spin! I loved “Bloem” immensely, but couldn’t get into this new one. I recall the production maybe rubbing me the wrong way? Will sone again tonite!
Definitely bummed! It’s a fantastic record, easily one of my
Most listened to throughout the year. One of the best heavy atmospheric listens of the year for sure, and one that escapes all of the tropes and codifications that often make that genre sort of flat.
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