Robert Pollard has released a marvelous new Guided by Voices album. Something between Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department and the best of their TNT years (Hold On Hope EP + Isolation Drills). I was already a fan of this year's August by Cake, but this one might be y favourite Pollard release since... Universal Truths.
I think that WIXIW can't even be considered a "bad" album: it's just a damned classic in my book and the overall reception at the time was rather good.
I love all Oldham things-related but "Greatest Palace Music" is the exception. I'm gonna give it another try.
My favourite "bad" albums: Second Coming (The Stone Roses), Up (REM), Like Swimming (Morphine), Heroes to Zeroes (The Beta Band) and King of Limbs (Radiohead).
And then, of course, the classics: "Self-Portrait" (Dylan) and "Mingus" (Mitchell) are the ones that immediately pop to my mind.
I love this record so much. We Don't Deserve Love is probably my favourite Arcade Fire song ever. This interview is very dumb and silly. Wish I could unlistened to it.
In a tangible world, we'll be able to listen to it together, Bloc. And I'm pretty sure my air guitar skills and ridiculous dance moves would make you love it too.
In the last year, I gradually became tired of social media and basically all things on-line. Initially, I thought it was a temporary burn-out, I had experienced similar feelings before. I was born in 1974, which means my first email account was hotmail, my first illegal music download took me 48 hours and was a devastating let down (100th Window, can you imagine?). I still have an iPod and I use it a lot though I haven't updated it for more than a year now. Though I am a dedicated Tidal user (please, I know), I can't seem to be able to enjoy a streaming the same way I enjoy listening a CD or a vinyl with its artwork in my hands. I hope I'll be able to get over it, but the fact that I became a father two years ago plunged me deeper into the tangible world, you know, toys, child books, stuff like that. Arcade Fire's new album speaks about a lot of those things in a way that I can relate: those lyrics are flat and powerless, which is how I feel the most in the digital media arena. A lot has been said about the record being more of a pastiche than a parody, and I also love it because of that: this vernacular approach, this illusion that by simply addressing issues one might resolve them feel damned close to my bones. Ultimately, this one may be a record for losers and people with bad taste. Consider myself included.
I listened to the new Arcade Fire during all day. I absolutely love it, listening to it made me feel warm inside and happy. There is probably something wrong with me.
I think they really do. I think all these new songs are terribly flat and boring, but hey I'm the guy who has been blown away over Arcade Fire's new singles.
Any fan of Shabazz double joint? I can't keep myself from listening to it.
To keep it focused as a laser beam: Alfama and Madragoa are the two unmissable neighbourhoods. Allow yourself to get lost in them, they are absolutely unique. If you can afford a small trip to Sintra, do not hesitate.
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