VW actually opened for Ra Ra Riot back in the day, prior to releasing their opening album.
John Pike's death was crazy tragic, happened just as they were about to go out on a major tour.
In 2008 I flew out to Chicago to attend Pitchfork. The friend I was staying with ended up not buying a ticket, so I went with all of his friends whom I had met the night before. They all openly hated Vampire Weekend, but wanted to be up front for the Hold Steady who were playing the stage after. So I got to watch VW with a bunch of dudes who hated them. I still enjoyed myself.
I feel like no matter what public opinion on VW is I somehow still enjoy everything they release. Except “Sunflowers,” that song is terrible. Hsppy Friday!
I spent about 10 minutes thinking VW had taken all their stuff off of spotify. Was regretting not taking Ticketmaster up on their offer of a free CD with ticket purchase (which they’ve emailed me about a thousand times about).
"This gets to the one criticism that will forever dog Japandroids, even when they’ve gotten their own girlfriends to do backup vocals — that they’re a dude band playing dude music about being dudes for dudes. "
This times a thousand! The one and only Japandroids show I went to was dominantly male, I had not expected it. I felt very out of place. Even the more "male" bands I've seen usually have a decent split (Titus Andronicus). Also, fellas, wearing flannel to a show in the middle of summer doesn't make you look cool. It makes you sweat and then you smell terrible. The BO was real at that show.
I revisit this album at least once a month. Wonderful from beginning to end. Always makes me feel good.
I was incredibly stressed out last Friday, in a fight with a friend and trying to find something to eat in a rural grocery store because the only restaurant in town was closed. “Graceland” came on as I’m standing in the bread aisle and I almost lost it. It was perfect happenstance that the song came on right when I needed it.
A friend from high school posted some conspiracy about Disney buying out theatres to make Captain Marvel successful even though it's a terrible movie. Then he admitted he hadn't seen it but read the plot summary, so that's his expertise in whether it's good. Fortunately another friend of his took him to task for being so ignorant. It was glorious. I want to send that guy a pizza.
I enjoyed Captain Marvel. Far from perfect, but Ant Man-level entertaining.
I saw Twin Peaks in Chicago. They were fun as always. The best part was all the kids getting super excited and "moshing." The second best part was the two girls who had no idea how to handle crowd surfers and kept cringing back when one came by. My friend pointed out that it was because they didn't want to put their phones away so they could put their hands up. Someone needs to teach the kids how to concert, because most of them have no idea what to do.
I decided to listen to all of the Replacements albums in chronological order today. Made for wonderful listening during work tedium. Then I went back and looked at stereogum's 'mats ranking from 2012, where for some mind-boggling reason PTMM is first. Happily all the comments were eviscerating the choice (I'm partial to Let it Be, but Tim is also an acceptable choice).
Happy weekend everyone! If you're in Chicago, I hope you survive the green drunks!
Cool story, bro. Glad you feel superior because your cause of hearing loss was more harrowing than mine. If that's what you need to feel better, then have it. I don't fucking care. I just wanted to let people know that even minor sinus issues can apparently have a permanent impact.
I had no idea this was a thing that could happen until I went to an ENT. Just figured the tinnitus would go away once my congestion did, but apparently the congestion can actually permanently damage things. Ugh.
I found out this week that the hearing loss from a sinus infection I got a few months ago is most definitely permanent. Every sound coming into my right ear just sounds super muffled. Take care of your ears, everybody! Or else stereo could also be ruined for you, too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEsPhTbJhuo
The only good one of these was, of course, when CRJ showed up and made everything delightful. (I love that she laughs through most of it)
I remember WAAF! At that point my mom was not interested in rock/alternative stations because my sister was super into grunge and my mom hated it. The radio was a contentious subject in our car. And yes to the Berkshires being a wasteland. I sometimes wondered if we had crossed into some alternative universe that hadn't moved forward in time since 1975.
It was 3 hours to my grandma's house by car, driving straight west across Massachusetts. At some point around Worcester the radio would start to cut out and we could either constantly be searching the dial or put in a tape. My mom always chose the tape. There was a very limited collection in the car. If I was lucky she would choose Graceland or the best of the Beatles, maybe even the random mixed-tape that had the "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" moving into "What a Feeling." I usually wasn't lucky. Usually what my mom chose was her favorite, Histoy: America's Greatest Hits." And I had to listen to a song about a goddamn horse in the desert and "Muskrat Love" OVER AND OVER. DO YOU KNOW HOW TERRIBLE THAT IS? Even seeing the album cover today as I googled has given me anxiety. I looked at the track list and realized I can probably sing every stupid word to every stupid song by this stupid band. My mom also insisted on taking me to the county fair one year when they played.
America (the band) can go to hell.
I spent an obscene amount of money today on Florence tickets. I was on a work call and just blinding clicked through. Oh well, i get to see Florence from the pit! Also, fuck LiveNation and their fees!
I had no idea that this was referring to a band. I always thought it was “but guess who sucked?” Referring to a football team, since the Jets are mentioned next (the Jets are a football team, right?).
Well I’ve learned something new about one of my favorite bands today.
Just taking a moment to say I’m very confused about the popularity of “Baby Shark.” I learned that song at camp sometime around 1998, it was silly but forgettable. Then all of a sudden everyone is posting about it this year. As someone who doesn’t have kids, what happened? Why is a 20+ year-old camp song all of a sudden a big hit.
Happy Friday, Gummers! I’m currently working on a meloncholy christmas playlist, because the best christmas music ends up being sad. Help me fill it out! I have Judy Garland, Bing’s “I’ll be home for christmas,” some Sufjan, Jimmy Eat World’s “12.26.96,” and Count Basie’s “Good Morning Blues.” What others?
And I really can’t imagine that the land itself isn’t completely contaminated after years as an industrial site.
Selfishly I don’t want this to happen because I live near there and the construction is going to be hell on earth around Cortland, the one relatively safe bikeabke bridge for a few miles.
Hey! I know how you feel. My mom only owned 3 tapes, one of them being Best of America. The 3 hour drives to my grandma’s every other weekend were quite torturous.
The soundtrack to the Last Unicorn is so phoned in. They legitimately just sing about whatever is on the screen. Ugh.
Like Tom, I will also save my America rant for those articles. There are few things that make me burn with rage the way America does.
My reaction when I saw this “ah yes, we’re in the era of my mom’s terrible taste in music.” My mom used to play this record all the time, to the point where I had no idea that the Hair version came first. Did America have any #1s? Because that is the epitome of music my mom loves that I hate.
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