Comments

No need for me to make an oficial Top 10, it's just the usual under-the-radar white guy indie rock stuff you get it... Although WoD and Iceage are on here and would be on mine too, and maybe Nation of Language (need more time with that). So I'll just rattle off a few gems that deserve to be highlighted, in my view: Steve Gunn - Other You - I'm sure if I scroll through the 400+ comments I'll see at least (and at most) a handful who agree this is one of the best of the year W.H. Lung - Vanities - Same, but even less. Maybe 1 or 2 other people agree? Whatever, these guys are making some of the most interesting music out there The Murlocs - Bittersweet Demons - Gonna say I'm, somehow, the only one giving them a shoutout. Why? Who the fuck knows. This album is great.
Oh wow Fleet Foxes. Ultra-rare for an album I actually like to be on any type of Grammy list. I hope they win I guess?
Haha 2014 debut album... best "new" artist in 2021. Fuck off. I do love their first album though, very solid. Each following album had diminishing returns.
The comment looked at you...?
0. Night Moves - Fallacy Actually https://youtu.be/VXLdTrQXzX4 It's a shame Stereogum doesn't report on these guys anymore. They did a bit for their first two albums, then completely stopped, no coverage at all for album #3 in 2019. I wonder why... They've only gotten better, and I feel like a lot of regular commenters here would eat them up, if they only knew they existed. A new Spoon song came out, my #1 band, and yet it's "Fallacy Actually" that I have on constant repeat. These dudes do everything right, I am shocked they're not more popular.
Damn, they were one of my favorite 2010's bands, loved all 3 of their albums. I was literally just thinking the other day, it's been over 3 years, time for some new material... Or breaking up, I guess.
True. When I first heard a lyric-free snippet/preview of the song, I immediately got B&DA vibes.
Do I Have to Talk You Into It really is up there with their older classics. Best song from Hot Thoughts.
Beautiful Head, American Mary, Son, Pay For Me... these are great songs here
Underrated album. I like it more than their newest album and I have no issue admitting it. Is that a hot take or....?
Which was the hardest cut (ha ha)?
Underdog and Cherry Bomb too obvious/played out? No My Mathematical Mind OR Black Like Me, harsh omissions.
I'm not revealing mine until WE GET THE OFFICIAL COLUMN! But we've got a lot of crossover hey nicely done... Can't be mad at that list.
I love when my personal tastes align 1:1:1 with both the S'gum staff and a good chunk of the commenters, as it usually does with all things Spoon. They're just too good. Still waiting on that 10 Best Spoon Songs column though... Listen I know it's tough (and about to get tougher with 10 new songs thrown into the mix) but it's just a minor tough (ha ha), you guys can do it, let's gooooooo
They played that when I saw them live with The Antlers, the only time I ever heard it, but I remember it sounded great.
YES finally! Spoon is my #1 band of ALL TIME so, yeah, this is my kinda news. And they're releasing the album a week and 1/2 before my birthday, aww thanks Britt & co, what a nice gift.
So far, we’ve heard “Across That Fine Line,” “Wounds Of Love,” “This Fractured Mind,” and “A Word And A Wave.” Now, the Brooklyn synthpop outfit has shared the upbeat yet poignant “The Grey Commute" Now I'm not great at math, but (let me get my fingers out).... yep I used my whole hand, I counted 5 (five) songs, on an album with 10 (ten) total, which is... let me get my calculator.... yep, 50%, math checks out.
I've liked their recent output more than their earlier stuff, which I still need to try again to be honest. They're good they're good, but there's just something still kinda... tone-deaf-ish about Savage's voice that I can't fully embrace, certainly not to put them in the same pantheon as Spoon. Britt's voice is 10/10 no matter what he's doing with it, falsetto or screaming.
It's alright. 50% of the album already released as singles, slow down guys.
Thank you, another W.H. Lung convert! Great album front to back. Will be on my own personal top 10 of 2021. Oh yes, that's high praise.
I dunno... I'm a shuffle-entire-library kinda guy when I'm driving (so many possibilities!), and whenever a TOTBL song comes on I rarely hit 'next' on it. Still sound great to me. But does that mean modern Pitchfork wouldn't embrace it? If that's what you meant, then I agree. I've been having problems with P'fork reviews starting around 2014 and it's only gotten worse since. I'm rarely every in alignment with them anymore.
Yes, like Interpol, Foxygen being one of only 19 old reviews that they just HAD TO re-score to take points off seems... weird. Although I guess 8.4 does seem a bit high for that album, and re-scoring it just a point lower to 7.4 (which is about right) wouldn't make much sense either... Eh whatever
Right, I don't like corny lyrics myself, but the overall SOUND of all those TOTBL tunes makes up for any of it. They sound too good to be ruined by lame lyrics. Again, if they were re-scoring hundreds of old albums, and this made the cut, OK fine... but they only picked 19, and this is one of 19 they just HAD TO? Nah. But since you mentioned Kill the Moonlight (a better album than TOTBL for sure), if they wanna re-score something, how about the 3 Spoon albums that got under 8's? Gimme Fiction 7.9 slap in the face...
The Other Site going bonkers this week with their 200 MOST IMPORTANT artists article and Re-scoring old reviews article. What's everyone think? I was shockingly surprised how many of quote unquote "my" bands were on the 200. Spoon, Grizzly Bear, Deerhunter, The National, and obvious ones like The Strokes and Radiohead and Tame Impala... checks down the list. Even unexpected (but deserving and welcome) ones like Los Campesinos!, Phoenix, The Rapture, Mac Demarco, etc... I can't really even think of a "snub" offhand, which is ultra-rare when it comes to lists from that site. So good job I guess...? As for the re-scores, agree with raising the #'s for Wilco and Strokes, disagree with lowering Interpol's debut. Like really? That's one of the 19 old scores you wanna correct in all your archives? No.
OR.... just start getting excited about W.H. Lung! Bc they are very good!
Still no mention of Pond... everyone knows there's a new Pond album out, right?
Aw man that's sad. I love a sugary sweet falsetto, and this guy had one of the best. Really enjoyed his work with Delays, he'll be missed...
The commercials alone annoy me. As someone who hates early-2000's CGI (thank God we've come so far since), which this looks like, I only got one gif to say about...whatever this is https://media.giphy.com/media/d4gmlMeqAHu9O/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47faq9wwbri3k8bu3k84j7k1915wue4vxksxxug9he&rid=giphy.gif
Hell yeah. I love that Stereogum apparently loves these guys too! One of my favorite lockdown discoveries of the past year. Not to brag, but I did put one of their songs (the awesome "Bring It Up") on the Stereogum Spotify playlist back on July 9th, so yeah I was already watching this band before they were officially a "band to watch." https://media.giphy.com/media/62PP2yEIAZF6g/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47divh979i9o0w9f64sjnm8lgqmo6aemh9s3824h61&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g
Field Music = always solid
Iceage? And I guess it's not a "major" release and only about 3 other people here seemed to like it just fine but Steve Gunn should be one too. So good!
Those sex robots have gotten super-realistic these days, congrats man!