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Always entertaining to see the debate over font sizes and the always constant Lineup Poster / Actual Festival Experience disassociation. Font sizes don't mean nearly as much as the actual time schedule. If you are scheduled to play between noon and 6pm on any of these days, your font size is irrelevant. Everyone at your set will be miserably hot and tapping their feet waiting for the sun to go down. The exception being, and Tom pointed this out, if you get scheduled during a headliner then you might as well be invisible sized font. It seems like a safe bet Spiritualized might play at the same time as Harry Styles (and for the love of god do NOT put Spaceman outside during daylight. We must protect that man at all costs). As for the lineup poster / festival experience disassociation, this took me about 8 years to figure out. The idea being if you see a lineup with A LOT of acts you want to see, then that means the festival is very good! Wrong! It means if you were to go, you'd be running around catching half sets to try to see everyone, or just realize you will be missing out on many of the acts you were truly excited to see. The biggest "actually there" realization is when you miss out on a band you want to see just to sit down and eat food. Reality hits hard at fests. One of my best festival experiences was where there were exactly three bands I needed to see. I saw them and was able to go with the flow and see other acts I wasn't necessarily amped about, but were still fun experiences. Namely because at no point during the festival did I feel the need to run from stage to stage or feel like I was missing out on missing a band. (That's not entirely true. At said festival I chose to drink Maker's Mark with new festival friends that insisted on seeing Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros [HAHAAA] and missed Spoon [FML] and I'm still mad at myself.) What I see when I see this lineup is a nice in between. I see enough artists on each day where there are about 3-4 I'd be genuinely amped to see. On Sunday the idea of seeing Fred Again.. (WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT HIM IN THE COMMENTS), Solomun (excuse me, KING Solomun. An absolute legend of a DJ) and Jamie xx is almost staggering to consider. All capped off by whatever the fuck "Ye" (I'm loving putting his new name in quotes. Tom making new inside jokes per usual) is going to do. As for the rest? They didn't have to but they still put a good string of indie acts throughout. Again, the fact there aren't so many means the time schedule might actually allow someone to just post up and see all of them. The Avalanches and Spiritualized on Friday would be an absolute delight. Nilufer, J Brekkie and Hot Chip on Saturday in the same boat. More rocking acts with IDLES, Turnstile, PUP and Mannequin Pussy (thought I would be big money these bands will be in that noon to 6pm time slot) are all welcome sights. Finally, (I give no fucks how long this is) the thing with Coachella is that its most unique feature has always been the Sahara Tent. There is a reason it has grown and grown over the years. It is ALWAYS the place to be when there isn't anything else going on. Perhaps it's gotten mega crowded in recent years, but looking at the monster list of dance DJs they have booked (Peggy Gou and Jayda G are personal favorites), it looks like it will once again be the place to be. It's the same reason why Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia are actually legitimate draws for these festivals. The only problem I see is there won't be enough ecstasy for everyone. All said, I'm going to have a great time watching this on my couch.
Not to mention a Coachella ticket is cheaper than a Harry Styles ticket
Ya'll trippen this lineup is stacked. I mean everyone will 100% get COVID, but it's still a stacked lineup.
Loved the "Who Want Smoke" beat but couldn't get behind the original verses. This Kevin Gates freestyle is a welcome alternative.
Same reaction midway through. My eyes went extra wide as I saw the future of 2022 with me going wild to this song over and over again and at a concert. I am stunned by this song.
This is top shelf Spoon.
Pure Phase all the way. Though I am very happy the Ladies & Gentlemen reissue now has the long superior Elvis version of the title track available. Spaceman never misses.
Go figure taking LSD on a Tuesday would lead to Jim Carrey telling me to walk towards the light on a Weeknd album by Friday. This whole DAWN FM / ANTIDAWN EP combo isn't any less of a mind fuck, either.
Anyone been able to single out a Burial tune from ANTIDAWN? Hard for me to pick just one, but the closer "Upstairs Flat" has been sticking out in a way only closing tracks can. Loving ANTIDAWN more and more with each listen.
Interludes rule and I judge everyone on this site that actively dismisses them. Revisited channel ORANGE in the same RAM listening session from above and those interludes kick the hell out of the blond(e) interludes. Interlude haters act like the best albums ever made are greatest hits compilations.
Immaculate is the best way to describe RAM. Not here for this RAM slander, especially after revisiting it this week on LSD. (Ya'll remember Touch?) It's easy to take something immaculate for granted.
Tough to single out any of the individual 5 songs as the whole thing seems like one singular piece (this is a good thing). Should be a good late night going to sleep record and for that I'm thankful. Especially in the dead of winter. There's at least more here on the individual tracks than say, "Subtemple" or "Beachfires" offered.
Playing it now so will return to this thread. Thankfully I spun Chenz and Dark Gethsemane religiously last year so ambient Burial is a welcome change of pace for me right now.
Called it: https://www.stereogum.com/2170736/burial-announces-new-ep-antidawn-shares-new-press-pic/news/#comment-21130953 Plus everyone around here knows I made the best Burial 2011-2019 compilation.
The fact the new Burial has a proper cover at all is somewhat of a miracle.
One question: is it ambient or is it beats?
RIP Hold On, We're Going Home
I am HERE for Jim Carrey as a disc jockey radio narrator.
Factors to consider: Springsteen and Dylan are still alive, meaning there is still that windfall of money to be made on their old albums when they do pass. This should partially explain the higher price tag for their publishing. Bowie has been gone for 6 years and in that time, they had slowly been re-releasing all of his old work and archives in packaged bundles across his active years. Meaning the family did get a lot of the post-death windfall money from people wanting to immortalize Bowie in their music collection. They just recently released the box set of his career up to 2001, which just about covers his output. Point is, I imagine whatever difference in publishing costs you could make between Bowie and Springsteen would be offset by the money they made in the past 6 years off the represses and of course Blackstar alone. Again, it's my opinion that since Bowie knew of his cancer diagnosis for some time, he pre-planned a lot of these reissues ahead of his own death. Hindsight is 20/20, but it isn't out of the question to consider Bowie made every plan imaginable to ensure his family/estate got the lion's share of the money from his work after his death. With all of the reissues released at this point, selling the whole lot seems like the logical conclusion. I hold Bowie in the highest esteem so my bias is showing, but I also don't think it's unreasonable to think that one of the most famous musicians would take extra steps on what to do with his work knowing he would die soon.
Received a positive COVID early this morning so I will be quarantining this NYE. Thankfully my Moderna Trifecta means I have no symptoms and feel fine. I was ready to party with friends tonight but instead I'll be jamming this playlist hoping some of you will jam it with me. Have a happy and safe New Year's Eve Stereogum! We got a big year of great new music ahead of us. Here's what I loved (and some we lost) this year: nye 21/22 "Run Run Run" -- Kurt Vile "Coming Up Tough" -- Chubby and the Gang "HOLIDAY" -- Turnstile "Jackie" -- Yves Tumor "stabilise" -- Nilüfer Yanya "Be Sweet" -- Japanese Breakfast "Breathe Deeper (Lil Yachty Remix)" -- Tame Impala "Be Careful" -- KAYTRANADA feat. Thundercat "Kiss Me More" -- Doja Cat feat. SZA "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" -- Elton John & Dua Lipa "Please - Single Edit" -- Jessie Ware "All I Need (DJ-Kicks) - Edit" -- Jayda G "I Go" -- Peggy Gou "Take My Breath - Extended Remix" -- The Weeknd "Chaeri" -- Magdalena Bay "Good Ones (THAT KIND Remix)" -- Charli XCX "Billie (Loving Arms)" -- Fred again.. "And Groove - Edit" -- India Jordan "X" -- Tinashe feat. Jeremih "WUSYANAME" -- Tyler, the Creator feat. YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Ty Dolla $ign "Wockesha" -- Moneybagg Yo "Nobody" -- Nas feat. Ms. Lauryn Hill "2010" -- Earl Sweatshirt "RIP Young (Remix)" -- Isaiah Rashad feat. Project Pat & Juicy J "GREENER KNOTS" -- Maxo Kream "family ties" -- Baby Keem feat. Kendrick Lamar "Off The Grid" -- Ye feat. Playboi Carti, Fivio Foreign "Y DON'T U" -- 박혜진 Park Hye Jin feat. Clams Casino, Take A Daytrip "Case Closed" -- Young Dolph & Key Glock "JUST LIKE WE NEVER SAID GOODBYE" -- SOPHIE https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1hMTAi1CNpOCBJ5Lf7BPpQ?si=c8fd4a76883a4517
Got some of my favorites on this list. The original classic penultimate for me is "Biscuit" -- Portishead
So we’re all clear, there has still yet to be a penultimate greater than “Storyline Fever” by Purple Mountains. It was “Dollar Days” by Bowie before that, but good lord look no further than “Storyline Fever” to see the bar these other songs aimed for and missed. raptor jesus’ top 10 penultimate tracks of 2021 01. “Happier Than Ever” – Billie Eilish I have to give credit where it is due. There were a lot of songs released in advance of Billie’s hotly anticipated sophomore album. But not the title track. I couldn’t help but notice that “Happier Than Ever” was not only held back from early release, but held back to the second to last track of a 17-song album. (We got a penny!) I have still only listened to the entire album once and that is in large part because I will never get back the shock of hearing this song for the first time. Billie manages to twist a mostly sleepwalk of an album into a post-rock climax at the last minute. I’m a sucker for a post-rock climax and if you have read these lists before, you know I’m also a sucker for a title track in the penultimate slot. Watching her play this song on SNL felt like the ideal penultimate song for the year (especially since it ended up being just that with Charli’s performance getting canceled). I mostly hate the saying “respect motherfucking craft” around these parts, but even I have to hang my head and quietly mumble it (sort of like the rest of this album) in this particular case. Well played Billie. Tell your brother to chill. 02. “BAD SELECTION” – The Armed So now I’m going to yell it with my head up high: RESPECT MOTHERFUCKING CRAFT. ULTRAPOP is a sequenced masterpiece of an album because it is rather difficult to make an entire album sound like one non-stop orgasmic climax. So what to do when it’s the end of the album and you should actually probably have a proper climax? Quiet it down of course. This quieting down begins one track before on “REAL FOLK BLUES” when they sing/ask, “When is the perfect time to die? I want to be unobtrusive,” while the music fades out (!!!) but the vocals stay the same volume (a creative fade out!?) before cycloning into the album’s finale. Even though The Armed spend the entire album with the foot pressing the pedal through the floorboard, they build up the magic from scratch on “BAD SELECTION” as a microcosm of the whole album. Whereas earlier songs spray the listener down like a fire hose, “BAD SELECTION” is patient and measured. Until the climax. The chorus “Something dimly lights the way, violent faith in better days, allelujah” is transformed into, “Something deadly lines my wings, armor plated hell to pay, I’m inhuman.” This is the crown jewel of ULTRAPOP. 03. “You Live / No One Like You” – For Those I Love The most beautiful love letter to a dead best friend. There are lyrical themes revisited here at the penultimate track but these lines: “And Disorder by Joy Division forever on repeat” “Mike Skinner early days Turn The Page” Simply level me. I think that’s the intention. If the listener wasn’t already in tears by this song, this one will make damn sure you are before the end. 04. “Infinite Josh” – The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die Full disclosure: I didn’t listen to this song until the other day. Before listening to it, I went ahead and added it to the list. I had a hunch that a 15-minute penultimate song followed by a 19-minute closing track was likely good enough for this list. DeVille’s inclusion on his best songs list was more indication this would be a shoe-in. What I really love about this song is how it takes me back to my youthful emo days. When I listen to “Infinite Josh” I imagine a college aged kid showing this album to their friends. Hyping them up for the ending of the album and just shivering with anticipation when those opening chords fire up on “Infinite Josh” and just throwing themselves around the room in ecstasy. 05. “The Embers at Dawn” – Panopticon You know you’re in for a penultimate treat when the song before it is a 2-minute banjo jam. Then again, Panopticon has proven to be a master of the penultimate ever since lobster showed me the light. I love how the last two tracks are both more than 12 minutes but the penultimate is slightly longer. We count those. 06. “WILSHIRE” – Tyler, The Creator Who knew this was a concept album? I thought it was a throwback DJ Drama mixtape. Tyler drops clues throughout the album but he expands his vision to the widescreen on this cinematic penultimate. He raps “WILSHIRE” in the second person, speaking directly to a love interest that he thought wanted to dance. It almost feels voyeuristic listening to this song, like 10 years later Tyler is the one that needs to check his window. (The reason I said that is because it’s a reference to “She” from GOBLIN and the reason I wrote this parenthetical is to acknowledge the part on this song when Tyler explains one of his bars). 07. “Fireprayer” – Arca One would have to think that out of four new albums, one of them has to have a stellar penultimate. Go figure it’s the penultimate on the last of the new Kick albums when Arca returns to the instrumental form of her early days. When the song drops out to just the piano, it’s like a mind erase where you wonder what you’re listening to. All of the endings to the Kick albums were noticeably distinct, proving they all needed to be their own entities. Hell, check out “Born Yesterday” with Sia and realize picking just one penultimate from these albums was a challenge. But it’s the simplicity of “Fireprayer” that makes this the only choice. Thanks for the heads up lobo. 08. “Sugar Kiss” – Steve Gunn And thank you Saul. I don’t listen to Steve Gunn but this song probably even had his listeners wondering if they even listen to Steve Gunn. One of those left field penultimate slots where the artist goes for something completely different. What a mind bender. 09. “Cool Dry Place” – Katy Kirby I went over how I like title tracks in the penultimate slot, right? So this should be no surprise. Bonus points for straight up ending the song and not using a fade out. 10. “Lightning Don’t Strike Twice” – Chubby and the Gang Props to Chubby and the Gang for making a nice little trilogy to close out the album. They straight up sound like the Libertines on “Life’s Lemons” but then quickly remind us they’re still the band that hit us with “Coming Up Tough” earlier in the album. So good it makes you feel the album is actually over, only to give us one more bonus single with “I Hate The Radio”. Honorable mentions to the “NO SURPRISE” and “More” type of penultimates that are beautiful standalone tracks whose sole purpose is to lift up the last track on the album. Sometimes I highlight those songs but typically I lean towards penultimate songs that eclipse the closing track. Either way, list your favorite pennies below and the new year's playlist will be posted in SUD on New Year's Eve. Omicron can't cancel that tradition.
Been rewatching PTA movies to prep for LP, and his Magnolia performance is incredible. There's a scene where he's out of focus standing behind Tom Cruise in frame where he's giving such a powerful performance by movements alone. Incredible talent.
As much as I feel this is good news, I think we all know Live Nation will be reading from the Cousin Greg playbook in January.
It's worth a read just for evidence of why YBB is a veteran around these parts. Dude is really a bastard sometimes and I am here for it.
I mean he does not in fact live at the White House anymore so...
I'd also recommend hearing this spun at 45rpm as it was supposed to be heard. Reminds me of when all the Swifties got the new Red version and complained a man was singing all the songs.
Insane to overlook a 2020 album in 2021.
RIP Dear Tommy showing up on this list.
After this story went viral, Morgan Wallen reportedly reached out to Danny Carey to play drums for him on his next SNL performance.
I don't care about the placements because I am simply happy to see I'm not the only big The Armed fan around these parts. Moreso, stoked that Turnstile got #1. I know The Armed was my AOTY, but I felt Turnstile was the objective AOTY, so good to see that confirmed by all of ya'll too.
Holy shit they're actually properly ranked. Well done byers.
The album dropped in the summer so that song had mega summer vibes. Will admit, was revisiting it recently and it doesn't hit as hard without a swimming pool. (Or in Tyler's case, without a boat).
I want to listen to GLOW ON with unknown.
You know I thought I'd like a longer version of "Jesus Lord" but in the end I think I much prefer just Ye & Jay's verses. Pt. 2 brings out some legends, but their flows don't really match the bar Ye & Jay set in their first verses. Would love to hear your take Amir. (Since we might be the only two people repping that song)