This isn’t just a vibe, they need to use this as suicide prevention instead of a hotline because it damn well shook me out of myself.

America: where my psychiatrist refused to treat me and called me an asshole today because I am educated yet also fat, and not allowed to be anxious *and* have ADHD. I also had to explain why I have PTSD and ask her to stop talking about nooses. (Seriously.)

Better than the last psychiatrist, who accused me of running a drug operation out of a CVS pharmacy starting in 1983, when I was six years old. I’m also a man again per my general practitioner because being transgender makes paperwork a hassle. He was nice enough to explain there was no point in someone like me even having a gender. Then, like every doctor in Wisconsin I’ve seen in the last three years, he told me never to bring it up again.

Not kidding or even exaggerating about the docs, and also I had to drop out of school but still owe them $750 and burned some bridges and my sister checked in to remind me to please have a stroke and die in time for her birthday, but this tiktok did snap me out of my grim mood because it’s good to remember the world is a random and freaky place, but sometimes in a good way.

I’m gonna go have dinner and listen to music and chill out now, sorry for the complaint dump, but also: fuck Trump, fuck Wisconsin, and fuck 2020. Have a great weekend.

I’ve been a Stereogum reader for about 7 years now and I’ve never gathered the courage to post on Shut Up Dude, the amount of comments always seemed kinda intimidating to me so I never did!

This week I’ve been listening a lot to the new Vaya Futuro, “El Peso del Mundo” (Weight of the World). Vaya Futuro is a Mexican band from Tijuana that up until now have been making some of the most interesting shoegaze albums from Latin America. This new one takes a rather different approach and incorporates many more elements from ambient and post-rock, at times sounding almost like a recent Explosions in the Sky or Do Make Say Think record. The mood also reminds me of A Moon Shaped Pool a lot. It is incredibly lush and textured, and has a darkness that I haven’t heard anything recent from Mexico tackle. Its definitely one of my favorites of the year so far.

The Essential Moment of “We Are the World”:

I can see it both ways on this song. Yes, the lyrics seem somewhat naive and overbearing. I’m sure there are lots who find this whole thing insufferable. But I’m placing that directly on the doorstep of the songwriters, MJ and Mr Richie. Plus, the prominent roles of Harry Belafonte and Quincy Jones in this song do a lot to even out the presence of the two songwriters, at least theoretically. Still, my least favorite part of the song is the first chorus featuring MJ alone. MJ singing “We are the children”, and sounding so childlike himself, makes me distinctly uncomfortable.

Facts, though: WATW was groundbreaking in terms of approach, scale, and focus. Apparently, money on the modern order of $100M+ was raised and then used for famine relief and legit-sounding longer term projects to benefit the natives in several African countries. There are people who lived through those times in part because of this single. In that regard, the song got results and has earned respect.

Obviously, this is equal parts song and stunt. The songwriting may be weak, but the stunt came off like a champ.

And as a song in itself, this is kind of a hoot! The big group vocals are boring, but the verses are fun, with the various A-listers taking turns with the lead. They all sound fully invested in delivering their lines. And even if it had no other redeeming qualities, it’s got what few other #1’s have: a screamingly funny moment. Yes, I’m talking about Dylan’s couple of lines.

Springsteen’s full-gravel delivery of the second chorus was my early front-runner. But what’s really moving me is Brother Ray Charles. He holds together the last part of the song and gets to sing the same couplet (“There’s a choice we’re making … Just you and me”) THREE TIMES, first at 4:42 and then, after Stevie and Bruce both have a go at it, again at 6:28. And barely under the wire, he sings it again on the outro! It’s a fitting honor, too. He had seniority over nearly everyone else there, after all.

God I miss Ray Charles. I’d walk a solid month to be able to see him again, even if he sang the same two lines over and over.

When you see that Bartees Strange’s new album, Live Forever, has been named Album of the Week:

FAR FROM THE CHARTS

“Life in a Northern Town” by Dream Academy, released in the UK by Warner Bros / Blanco y Negro, March 1985

This song actually peaked at #7 on the US Hot 100 chart and #2 on the Adult Contemporary Tracks, so technically it may not fit here. Hopefully the quality control department won’t get wind of it, because this is a wonderful song that I can’t resist the opportunity to spotlight.

For me, this song captured some of the mystique of recently-departed Pink Floyd, and with David Gilmour’s name in the production credits, there’s some logic in the association. But windy sound effects and a masterful arrangement do not a successor to PF make. Still, there’s more atmosphere in the intro to this song than most bands can work into a whole album.

Obviously, the highlight is when the chorus bursts forth with the tympani drums and the nonsense Afrcan-style chant. There’s some magic in it, and the way it’s developed in the course of the song lends it more strength every time it appears.

Apparently the lyrics are about Nick Drake? I know little about him, and the lyrics could be about the Jolly Green Giant for all I care. I’m perfectly happy just luxuriating in the spell that this song weaves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UXnulANF8g

If you liked Balam Acab, you’ll love BLM ACAB!

Multiple thoughts:

1.) I don’t care how overplayed it was/is, “Losing My Religion” is a hard 10.
2.) I’m not even an obsessive REM fan, but I feel like they have more perfect 10 songs than nearly any other American rock band I can think of.
3.) Hearing “Imitation of Life” on the Save Stereogum comp the other week totally made me appreciate that song more than I did before. I hadn’t given it much of a thought when it was first released, but hearing it now, it really is one of their best late-career tunes.
4.) Beautiful and heartbreaking write-up by the donor for this one. I read that and felt bad for Tom to have to give a numerical rating to the song. Love and condolences to them and their friends and families.
5.) Hi Scott and Scott!

I don’t use this verbiage often but this is a whole vibe. simple as that pic.twitter.com/NfdLsgLkxu

— DrewFrog (@DrewFrogger) September 25, 2020

Thanks, mt58 and TorrOcie!

I’ve enjoyed reading about everyone’s favorite R.E.M. songs. “Supernatural Superserious” was “our” song, and Don and I both loved “Strange Currencies” as well. My other über favorites would be Talk About The Passion, So. Central Rain, Shiny Happy People (and also Furry Happy Monsters!), Find the River, At My Most Beautiful, Imitation of Life, and We All Go Back to Where We Belong.

Don’s and my first concert together was the R.E.M. show in Mansfield MA in June 2008. Modest Mouse and The National opened. “Supernatural Superserious” was the first encore.

Don has been gone nine years but he lives on through the grandson he got to hold and who now, at age 11, is a big part of my life. Thanks for indulging my walk down memory lane. 🙂

Her chin just won’t quit

That would be a literal hell for me so no thanks. My brother might be interested in it though. I’ll mention it to him.

As a philly kid I’m not going to say Trump is wrong haha. He’s not right. Philly is amazing. Been here for 22yrs. Big difference between Fishtown and Olney

This shit sucks.

This makes me like her less

If so, I hope Adam Sandler hosts that episode just so I can hear his pronunciation of “beabadoobee”