"In Utero," "Rid Of Me," "Pod" and "American Don" means this list is quite acceptable. I wouldn't have put "Surfer Rosa" on it, but people love the Pixies, so it makes sense.
Were I putting the list together, it would have included Mono's "You Are There" and Zeni Geva's "10,000 Light Years" (although Man or Astro-Man's "Experiment Zero" is awesome, too).
Too much to think about right now.
...which is why they can play big rock festivals without a new single on commercial radio.
I'll be the first to admit Soundgarden's style definitely falls outside the current pop zeitgeist, but calling a band that's able to play sold-out concerts almost 30 years after they formed "irrelevant" means you might suffer from the same developmental issues Cornell suggests Kanye's sound crew suffers from.
White corporate shills realized it was a lot easier to make Black rappers less dangerous if they simply made the un-threatening cooning ones famous, because white kids love to treat Black people as if they were pets. Promote the hell out of monosyllabic idiots, white hipsters buy it to vacation in credibility while Black kids--even the smart ones--try to get paid emulating the money-suckling idiots that get major deals, and everyone forgets that music is actually supposed to challenge you and make you think.
Mr. Locke, it seems people have a problem with lucid commentary on the subject. Although Cornell could have actually been talking about West's music and he'd still be accurate.
Totally. Sounds like he took the money, churned something out and got the fuck outta dodge.
Which, to be honest, is exactly what I'd do in his situation.
For the record, by the time Imbruglia appeared on SNL, "Torn" was already a worldwide hit (Left Of The Middle had been released everywhere else in the world in October 27, almost six months before she appeared on the show)--and only wasn't a charted US hit because Billboard didn't allow airplay-only singles to chart.
Not saying Imbruglia was a seasoned veteran--but at least there was a clear reason why her label would have pushed her to NBC and why NBC would have booked her on the show.
Lana Del Ray has released two songs (under that name) and...that's it. There clearly isn't any reason why she should have booked a high-profile appearance other than it was bought and paid for. Major record labels aren't even being subtle anymore.
The True Widow album is leaps and bounds better than anything on either list except for TVotR (who have finally put out a solid album that interests me) and maybe the Tuneyards album.
I think it's a bit too subtle and dark for this crowd, though--definitely not pop enough.
I'd put "As High As The Highest Heavens," Helms Alee's "Weatherhead" and Atari Teenage Riot's "Is This Hyperreal?" as the best three albums of the year so far.
no Helms Alee or Witch Mountain? sad face. (cue the "Helms Alee's NOT METAL" routine--maybe not, but they're heavy as hell).
still, this is a good list (minus the Liturgy album, which was a huge letdown for me after "Renihilation")
I'll admit to liking songs on each of TVOTR's previous albums, but none of them deserved the critical massage SPIN gave them. "Nine Types Of Light," however, is magnificent.
I'll also agree to disagree with you about Yuck: hipsters hate the grunge/early 90's post-punk scene--not "ironic" enough. (How the Pixies manage to escape this, I have no clue.) How Yuck manages to get play in the Pitchfork scene is a mystery, one for which I'm incredibly grateful, because they're amazing.
This list contains most of the same, predictable hipster stuff (tuneyards, TVOTR--although their album this year is legitimately good) and ironic pop-teat-suckling (Lady Gaga? talented musician; crappy music), but is saved by the Yuck album, which is the best album on this list by far.
Late to the party, but:
While I hesitate to say Beatlemania was a "fad" then or now, I think Luke's comment has a lot of merit to it.
Really, the Beatles' relevance and presence in the zeitgeist is largely due to changes in culture and technology. They became famous by overtly mimicking (if not outright swiping) songs and sounds other, Blacker musicians were making at the time; while this was hardly out-of-the-ordinary (see: The Rolling Stones, etc.), the Beatles had an image that people could sell. And yes, the Beatles had their own share of detractors at the time, but they were still far more accepted than, say, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Ike Turner, or even Chuck Berry. That technology enabled the band to be in the heads of millions of teenagers during one of the most economically prosperous times in American/British history certainly helped.
I do agree with Luke to some extent in that disinterest in the Beatles (if not outright dislike) ought not to be considered a cultural handicap, and that people definitely need to think for themselves. I even agree that the Beatles were overrated as a band, and that the production techniques they employed have since been grossly over-mined by their legions of lesser imitators. I'll stop short of declaring that the Rolling Stones are the better influence, though.
But Luke raises a good point, and the negative reaction to this post proves it.
I love this dude's scream.
While I hate hipsters and part of me bristles at the v-neck tee crowd slumming in Black Metal, I nonetheless appreciate people playing the music without sliding into the annoying costuming and pageantry that ruins any style of music.
From what I hear, these kids are complete pretentious dickwads. But their music's awesome. Can't wait to find/hear this album.
Am I the only one that thinks this is colossally disappointing? Aguayo truly sounds shoehorned into an arrangement that was not meant for him. The overall sunniness of the arrangement doesn't bug me anywhere near as much as it should, but the vocals are way too far in front. And I think niteskin's right on the money (although I immediately think of Sugar Ray, and not the early, heavy Sugar Ray).
The music's okay, but the vocals make this song suck.
Comments