Not justifying the 'Fork's logic here--just explaining: They've said before that genres with relatively limited appeal (e.g., metal, avant-garde electronic, etc.) tend not to place as high on their year-end lists as the numbers might indicate.
I agree with you completely that it's a "magnet for manarchist dudebros" who just want to kick over garbage cans and fight people, which is one reason why I oppose them.
Add to that everything else they do, and I don't see how anyone who supports tolerance, non-violence, free speech, civil society, democratic governance, the rule of law, etc. could support antifa even in principle.
I'd rather not have neo-Nazis or antifa. It's not a binary choice.
Labeling regular-ass conservatives, liberals, and anyone else who disagrees with them "fascists," "Nazis," or "fascist/Nazi sympathizers"; using physical violence--sucker punches, bike locks, pepper spray, knives, explosives, riot gear--to silence their opponents, including journalists and innocent bystanders; destroying property--public, private, and commercial; doxxing; claiming that any speaking event they disagree with promotes "hate speech" and staging violent counterdemonstrations...
This is just off the top of my head, mind you.
Let's give credit where credit's due.
They did an excellent job of summarizing antifa--propaganda, cosplay, cool colors, comedic lack of self-awareness--it's all there.
"...the people who are confronting white supremacists at protests throughout America."
That's right, Tom: that's what they do. They do just that and nothing else--nothing else whatsoever.
...and that's why empathy and plain language are always better than CYA and insincere legalese.
Hope Lauren is okay and Josh gets rid of whatever thing or feeling possessed him to do that.
dansolo/a.j.,
Hey, guys! Just saw these replies this morning now that I can finally read and write Stereogum comments from work, so you might not ever see this reply. But, for the record:
To a.j.: Yes, I was being sarcastic. No worries. :*
To dansolo: We're in complete agreement here. My sarcasm wasn't meant to imply Caroline Polachek doesn't have a point--she absolutely does, even though, like you, I think she overreacted--only to illustrate dollface's point. The reason I went for the low-hanging fruit was precisely because dollface had just made the same point in a meaningful, substantive way, so I thought I'd have fun. I know it's irrelevant, and I apologize if I came off like someone who would unironically call someone an "SJW"--I'm not. But, man, I wish what I typed up there is an unrealistic stereotype of how certain millennials speak. And if an intelligent, reasonable poster mistaking it for the real deal was any indicator, it's not.
Anyway, I love you both and respect your opinions. (^_^)
So, yeah...I find your comment, umm...like, really toxic and alienating...? Maybe you could, umm...acknowledge the lived experiences of, like...historically marginalized communities...?
"Manson became a point of fascination for many generations of rockers, even though his virulent racism and obvious insanity should’ve pushed him far outside of the edgy-cool category."
Thank you, thank you, thank you for calling out these idiots on their ridiculous obsession with Charles Manson.
Born and raised in Northeast Philly. (Gives you a hell of an accent.)
The only radio I consumed until age 17 was what my Dad listened to in the car: doo-wop, Motown, very early British Invasion, the Moody Blues, Chicago, and like two songs each by the Eagles, ELO, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
That's it.
On the album front, I listened to whatever my friends liked--mostly nü-metal punctuated by the odd Punk-O-Rama comp--until Papa Roach released "Last Resort" and I said, "This is bad and you should feel bad for liking it and I don't care what you think about what I listen to anymore."
I had such a botched introduction to Metallica: first through "Until It Sleeps", "The Memory Remains," and "The Unforgiven II" being in constant rotation on MTV right when I first started watching; then hearing the "Sad But True" riff in Kid Rock's "American Bad Ass" without knowing it was Metallica; then wanting to buy The Black Album and instead buying The Blackest Album (a cover album) by mistake because the font was dark and I was a moron.
Now, at age 32 (Christ), I still haven't heard Kill 'Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, ...And Justice for All, or the Black Album other than the singles.
cheap_suit/YBB/dansolo,
I hear ya, and I realize I came off like one of those "bitch stole my riff" Joe Satriani-type doofuses, which I'm not. I know there are only so many chord progressions--in this case, any uppity high school band geek would tell you both songs rip off Pachelbel's Canon--and parallel thought is just as unavoidable in songwriting as it is in comedy or anything else. And I'm 100% that absurd "Blurred Lines" verdict.
What got to me here is that 1) he didn't even attempt to make it his own--no key change, no swapping out a major with a relative minor, nothing--just straight-up lifted it and sang different words over it, 2) the verses of the Weezer song suck so much and transition so awkwardly into the chorus that it's even more obvious he stole that part from a better song, and 3) his spreadsheet and anagram routine makes it clear he can't even be honest with himself and has to trick his brain into thinking those chords just came to him.
I mean, I'd really hate to see what the Gayes' lawyers could do with this: "We want the identity of the original song to be obscured."
In case you missed it or you need another reason to despise Rivers Cuomo, behold:
"One of the first things I did was I looked in my Spotify playlist that is a collection of songs I've heard that have cool chord progressions. I'm gonna go back and, basically, farm those songs for cool chord progressions.
"So I looked in there, and there's a song called 'Walk Away Renée' by the Left Banke. And then I go back and replay it, like, Weezer-style with my distorted guitar."
[plays "Walk Away Renée" on guitar]
The interview asks Rivers where the demo title "Awake and Early" came from.
"We want the identity of the original song to be obscured, so I'm not influenced by it when I'm writing my own melody, yet we wanted the working title to resemble the original title, so that if...we wanna go back and find that original song, we can kinda make it out from the working title. We use an anagram generator online [laughs] so 'Walk Away Renée' became 'Awake and Early'.
"Now: When I come back looking for a chord progression to write over some weeks later, I don't see the original name of the song, so I'm not reminded of the original tune. All I have to listen to is my distorted guitar playing this really beautiful chord progression, and I don't remember where it came from."
Barely on topic: Anyone else listen to the "Summer Elaine and Drunk Dori" episode of Song Exploder in complete shock as Rivers--in a post-"Blurred Lines" world--shamelessly detailed how he flat-out stole the chorus of "Walk Away Renée"?
Not in shock that he did, just that he was so brazen about it.
Thanks, man!
Hang in there. Glad to hear you got a correct diagnosis, too. I never criticize people for recreational drug use, but anyone who abuses prescription medication other people actually need gets a "fu-huh-huuuuuuck youuuuuu."
luv rap."
Not counting "California Love", "Amish Paradise", and to a lesser extent, "Gangsta's Paradise", all of which were my favorite songs at some point when I was 10.
ADHD, Arcade Fire, and Why I Love All of You
Hey, 'Gummers. I apologize in advance for the meandering, discursive post:
Last March, I was diagnosed with ADHD. I had entered therapy a year earlier (when I retired from Stereogum) for what I thought was anxiety and was lucky enough to meet an intake clinician who really listened and caught it almost immediately. The good news was it helped me gain a better understanding of how my brain works and what to do to compensate for it. The bad news was I only had just begun my long, demoralizing slog through the mental health care system.
Any of you who is in or has been through the system knows what a nightmare it can be: long wait times for appointments, practices that either aren't taking on new patients or don't accept your health insurance (or, in some cases, any insurance), waiting for callbacks that never come, therapists coming and going, wondering how much to disclose when your supervisor asks you for a doctor's note--the list goes on. And it really sucks being someone with ADHD in 2017 when the disorder has been a byword for misdiagnosis/overmedication for at least 20 years. (I'm sure anyone with bipolar disorder or OCD knows what I'm talking about.)
That brings me to Arcade Fire's "Creature Comfort". I don't know for sure why they referenced methylphenidate in their promo material, but I'm guessing it's some kind #2deep4u commentary on overstimulation, instant gratification, "prescription drugs, maaaaaan," and the fear that technology/society is making our attention spans shorter and our impulse control weaker. No matter what their reason, I'm not offended. I'm not "one of those" and never get indignant or correct someone for making a harmless "lol - I feel so ADD today" comment. They aren't responsible for creating or contributing to the stigma surrounding the disorder. If anything, their attitude just reflects (reflekts?) society's. They're great artists and have the right to say whatever they want however they want in their art.
Just wanted to take this opportunity to remind everyone that ADHD is real ("We Exist"?), that it's different for everyone who has it, and that, for some of us, medication such as ritalin can be a big help. It helps us remember to pay our bills on time. It helps us meet deadlines at work. It helps us focus while driving and avoid getting into another accident. It helps us remember when and where our best friend is running that marathon next weekend, so they won't be disappointed when no one's there to cheer them on at the finish line like last time when we forgot. It helps us be reliable and consistent parents, friends, students, co-workers and employees.
Lastly and most importantly: Speaking of people I care about, I want to say thank you to all the 'Gummers. Although I don't comment much anymore, I still read Stereogum religiously and always read every comment, even when I don't care about the subject of the article. I keep up with all the in-jokes and 311 conspiracies. You guys help keep me sane, and I think of you all as my friends.
To RJ, bloc, Dad, dansolo, cheap_suit, YBB, meat, LeMon, Max, aj, scruffy, saturnian, padfoot, crania, knight, all the staff writers, and everyone else here at the 'Gum, from the bottom of my heart: Thank you. I love you guys.
You would think so. The guy's résumé, policies, rhetoric, and character are full of holes, yet YouTube is filled with hours upon hours of "SJW GETS REKT!!!" videos of inarticulate liberals who, when asked why they oppose Trump, nervously stammer out a bunch of platitudes and impossible-to-prove personal attacks.
And that's not just editing: In college, I knew lots of low-information liberals who hated Bush and protested the Iraq War but couldn't tell me a specific policy they disagreed with or find Iraq on a map. They knew he choked on a pretzel once, though. This is, of course, not limited to liberals - "Why do you oppose Obama?" "He's a Muslim and a communist and a terrorist!" - just a reminder that most of us look just as bad and sound just as dumb when we can't back up our "fuck you"s.
But, seriously: Fuck Trump.
Paraphrased the last line of Drake's verse from "I'm on One": https://genius.com/199997
I'll admit it: not that funny or clever. Just riding lil wotie's wave of goodwill.
Proved his point too well and too quickly. Clearly a cheap_suit sockpuppet:
C = 3
H = 8
E = 5
A = 1
P = 16
3 + 8 + 5 + 1 + 16 = 33
33 = 3 X 11
311
Here's your #1 commenter of 2016, sheeple!
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