Zero sounded pretty good! Billy's voice is way better live now than it was back in the 90s. But man, the band looks bored.
And, ugh, Solara is so bland. I'm glad this is a greatest hits tour and not a new album cycle.
I gotta give shout outs to all my favorite 90s rockers missing from this list. Great albums all around:
1) The Breeders - All Nerve
2) Superchunk - What a Time to be Alive
3) of Montreal - White is Relic / Irrealias Mood
4) Yo La Tengo - There's a Riot Going On
5) Guided by Voices - Space Gun
6) Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Sparkle Hard
Also, no Car Seat Headrest???? If Twin Fantasy can't crack the top 50 this year, guitar rock is more out of fashion than I realized.
I like these articles just because they spur conversation about old favorites. You gotta go into it though with the understanding that there can't actually be a definitive top song ranking. It's all subjective.
Every release through and including It's Blitz! is just wonderful. Mosquito was mostly good, but had a couple terrible songs that brought the whole thing down. I also think the album pacing is kind of weird.
I just put together this top 10, which admittedly has lots of underdog picks, but I stand by it:
1) Bang
2) Art Star
3) Rich
4) Date with the Night
5) Man
6) Way Out
7) Sweets
8) Warrior
9) Down Boy
10) Runaway
The entire pumpkins' catalog is brilliant up to and including Adore. It's not my personal favorite, but it definitely holds its own against Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie.
Yesss, I was worried Stereogum was overlooking the new Speedy Ortiz. It's a great album for me, so glad to see some coverage here. Don't have time to read this whole thing now, but looking forward to digging in soon!
I'm in love with this band. Saw them live when they were touring Local Business and I got totally blackout drunk. The only things I remember are that the band covered "Closing Time" and that I had a terrific evening. I appreciate the change in direction on this album and have lots of faith in Stickles to remain relevant and continue making interesting music.
How much have you listened to Thank Your Lucky Stars? I find it really captures the essence of those first two albums, but with bigger productions values.
I've listened to the original probably 5-10 times. The songs on the new one seem pretty much the same to me, it's just the fidelity and production that's been upgraded. Makes a huuuuge difference. The choruses and hooks just hit harder on the new version.
Ugh, this is a miss for me. The last album was his first I just couldn't get into at all. This song certainly won't bring me back into the fold. I just want Kevin to write actual hooks again!
I was so ready to talk shit about this list, but then I read it, and yeah... this is a pretty great top 10. Of course there are hugely important songs missing, but Ryan's 10 picks capture the heart of the pumpkins for sure. Cherub Rock deserves that #1 spot.
I've never listened to a JT album front to back before, but I'm about halfway through this one right now. I can't defend the lyrics, but gotta say, I don't really understand the hate this album is getting? It's fine! It's got some cool sounds. I like Filthy.
Pacific Daydream has actually grown on me a bit. It has this weird paradox at its core -- the contemporary/pop sound and production is so unfitting to Weezer's strengths -- but somehow the album doesn't feel like an embarrassing mess the way that Raditude does. Pacific Daydream is really tightly crafted and actually makes a pretty interesting listen. I don't return to it often, but I appreciate its existence.
I thought Heartworms was really solid. I've listened to it a bunch and would probably rank it above Port of Morrow. Will definitely check out the "flipped" version, but can't say I prefer either of the two tracks above to the originals.
Glad to see the GBV love here! I'm also digging this song. Thoroughly enjoyed the last two GBV records and looking forward to many more! The current lineup is killer.
I know I'm late to this thread, but I would like to submit Barragan by Blonde Redhead for consideration. The album was written off as half-baked when it came out, but I was instantly attached. It's moody, beautiful and sorta sexy sounding.
Come onnnn -- that's fine if you don't like anything post-Maladroit, but Space Rock?? I find 90% of songs on EWBAITE and White to be better than Space Rock.
Also, no Slave or Fall Together? Two of my faves on Maladroit right there.
Ughhh, how has nobody mentioned "Uberlin" yet?? To me, this song is the obvious highlight of Collapse Into Now and ranks up there with anything from Automatic for the People or the other major label albums.
I have always loved Zaireeka. I bought it in college and made all my friends bring CD players over so we could listen. It's such a cool sound when you have the 4 CDs synched. These are really great songs too, so it is a shame that they're bundled with the gimmick that is Zaireeka, but I think the fan made single-disc mixes are rewarding.
I only started listening to these guys when Gord was diagnosed. It's been such a rewarding catalog to dig through. Thank you for the music, Gord. You will be remembered.
No way, Untethered Moon is a great album. There are maybe more "good" songs than "excellent" songs, but it's a fun listen top to bottom. To me, the album marked a return to the scrappy sounds of There's Nothing Wrong With Love, which I appreciated.
I still listen to Girls all the time, so this is great news to me. The only solo album I really care for is Chrissybaby Forever. I'm hoping the new band will help push him in new directions or offer some creative inspiration. I like the new single, but it's not exactly game changing.
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