Either/Or, Figure 8, and XO are all masterpieces and I don’t begrudge anyone saying any of them is his best, there are days I’d agree with any of the above depending on my mood. I went through a good 4-5 years after his death where I could barely listen to his music because the depressive aspects of it were just too much to bear knowing how it all ended. I can and do listen to it all now and marvel that it was all going on in his head. He was certainly a genius on the Lennon/McCartney/Wilson/Bowie level. It’s a crying shame he left us so quickly, but we are certainly all the better for him having been with us at all.

Billie Eilish’s 2029 career defining masterwork Shepard Fucking Fairey!

Does anybody else feel like you could draw a straight line from Tom Waits’ Bone Machine to this album? The production, strange rhythms and hell even the yelping feel like they’re closely related

Great idea. Wouldn’t want anyone getting the Whoop Whoop-ing cough.

I’m a long-time lurker who also happens to be a board-certified psychiatrist. I want to add to some information:

– What Fiona Apple experienced is unfortunately pretty common, and it’s great that she feels better off whatever meds were causing problems. Side effects and withdrawal from psych meds are a valid problem – a problem that the psychiatry-pharmacological industry complex tends to minimize. It’s also great that she shared that quitting alcohol helped…it makes a big difference in most mental health conditions.

– Certain “atypical antipsychotics” can be effective for non-psychotic conditions (usually major depression…but also OCD and anxiety) when used in lower doses and added on to an antidepressant medication. All “atypical antipsychotics” are initially studied in the treatment of psychotic disorders (usually schizophrenia), but later on they get studied in other disorders.

– At the same, atypical antipsychotics (and psych meds in general) are WAY over-prescribed. This isn’t just my opinion – there’s plenty of research that supports this.

– I love Elliott Smith’s music, and I really enjoyed the Figure 8 write-up. I’m grateful that artists like Fiona Apple and Elliott Smith, even though they suffer in some aspects of their lives, share their beautiful music with us.

What she said about Louis CK is totally true. You know he is ashamed because the part of that man who is a genius could talk about this directly and do something probably not seen/heard before. A brave person wouldn’t choose cutesy deflection.

via GIPHY

I give this PE a 10.

The title track really freaked out my cat. I haven’t let the dog hear it yet.

A young Fiona once said “I’m not shy, I just don’t speak if I don’t have anything to say.” Her release schedule has definitely underlined that point. But hot damn has she got some things to say today.

Lady Gaga did a horrendous job curating this thing. She is the absolute worst.

One of the indie legends that I just can not get into. I’ll just say that it’s no surprise to me that his new song is called “Forced Convalescence”

I’m mentioning the Stereogum author, who does not seem to possess any understanding of it, either. By all means, downvote. Your hostility means nothing to me.

Pay pay payola

really ugly cover

Can’t help but feel sad for the kids who will hear the Chronic for the first time on Spotify and not on the cassette deck of their cousin’s Suzuki Sidekick.