Nah, the CMYK and Klavierwerke EPs are fucking tight. This is beautiful though, it's awesome how he's progressed from there. "Timeless," "Choose Me," "I Need a Forest Fire," "Two Men Down," "Modern Love"... this album is packed.
A massive surprise James Blake album is the only thing that could pull me away from this binge I'm on of the obscure British rock band The Wailing Thom.
I saw it last summer. It was unbelievable. It was one of the best stage performances I've ever seen. Listening to it is like half the impact, but it's still really fun.
Awesome to see this here. This kind of music is my absolute favorite genre. It stimulates my imagination and intellect so much so that I'm compelled to write about it, disseminate it and compose it myself. Hecker's a huge inspiration, and while I'd put Harmony in Ultraviolet on top (and probably bump Haunt Me a little higher), this is very well executed. Kudos!
Been a kickass week for me. Saw Frankie Cosmos and Eskimeaux at Kings in Raleigh and they killed it. I saw Eskimeaux open for Girlpool last year and then and now they bring it live with a killer rhythm section and a wonderful, friendly stage presence. I can't stop playing Frankie's new album and she played basically the entire thing plus an Of Montreal cover. I'm super impressed with her songwriting.
Also volunteering on the tech team at the Full Frame Documentary Festival in Durham which has been incredible so far. I just saw Kirsten Johnson's "Cameraperson" which was breathtaking, like a documentary Tree of Life. Any Gummers in the Triangle NC area?
Oh for sure, I adore the record and think it's essentially perfect. "King Rust" is not really a standalone piece, it's the crescendo of an immense, heaving, immersive experience. Blackstar really only takes the cake for me right now because I've been living with it longer, and personally I think it's an incredible album even without the specter of death hanging over it. Dude's one of the greatest artistic geniuses of all time.
Hasn't been too strong of a year for me so far, but Blackstar's probably the album and "King Rust" is probably the song. I love the shit out of untitled/unmastered though, and also really dig Malibu, The Follower and Anna Meredith's Varmints.
Digging into repeat plays of the classic Tribe albums and goddamn, I had forgotten how fucking solid Midnight Marauders is. "The Low End Theory" is always my go to Tribe album cause of all the stone cold classic cuts ("Excursions," "Buggin Out," "Butter," "Vibes and Stuff," "Check the Rhime," "Scenario" I mean it's like half the album), but damn, Midnight Marauders goes hard. The production especially is incredible, it just knocks in a way that none of their other albums really do. "Award Tour" and "Oh My God" really stuck out to me but I feel it's their most consistent record. What are everyone's favorite Tribe tracks?
So much yes. This is the last CD I bought and it was worth every penny to blast the actual recordings of "Fired Up" and "Dimed Out" back to back in the summer with the windows down at night.
Hey that was me, you're welcome! That song hits me in the gut, and the rest of the album feels like a friend I haven't seen in a while. It's one of my favorites of the year easily.
Super pumped for this! The Field is easily one of my favorite artists. I love that the album cover is pitch black; I hope this is a continuation or variation in the mood of "Cupid's Head," which is easily my favorite of his records. It's so dusky and perfect. "... Sublime" is also perfect, but it's sunny and I love me some dusk.
These days it's either Life on Mars or Young Americans, but as a teenager growing up I found impossible resonance within Always Crashing in the Same Car. Low is a big album for me and sounded just as revelatory when I cranked it this morning.
I'm so fucking hyped for this record. "Blackstar" sent me back on a whirlwind tour of his discography, which already contains several of my favorite records of all time, but this is starting to look like it could legitimately join those ranks.
Album: Titus Andronicus – The Most Lamentable Tragedy
Song: The Mountain Goats – "Heel Turn 2"
Moment: The hi-hats that herald the last third of Viet Cong's "March of Progress"
Beer: Dragon's Milk Stout by New Holland Brewing
Website: The Dissolve
I feel like it's exactly the kind of music the Stereogum community isn't into, but as far as under the radar stuff I've been into this year, as a long time fan of British prog-rockers Porcupine Tree I have to give a shout out to Steven Wilson's fourth solo album "Hand. Cannot. Erase." that came out this February. It's a pretty melancholy concept album and probably not his best work, but it's very accessible, a lot tighter than his last one and can hit me pretty hard if I take it all in in the right mood. I'd recommend the video for the centerpiece "Routine" if you want an intro to the world of this cool record: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh5mWzKlhQY.
Page Four game is strong. It's too early for this, at least as far as I'm concerned, but it's something like:
1. Titus Andronicus – The Most Lamentable Tragedy
2. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
3. Kamasi Washington – The Epic
4. Beach House – Thank Your Lucky Stars/Depression Cherry
5. Julia Holter – Have You in My Wilderness
6. Jim O'Rourke – Simple Songs
7. Sleater-Kinney – No Cities to Love
8. Hop Along – Painted Shut
9. Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear
10. Wilco – Star Wars
But fuck, it's gonna change tomorrow. So many excellent albums, Viet Cong, Destroyer and Courtney Barnett probably next in line. I also don't consider the Beach House albums as one work but they somehow are equally positioned around there in the scheme of things so I grouped them anyway.
Y'all are crazy, Trouble Will Find Me is a masterpiece. Really their last four albums are all essentially perfect. I don't really get the "they're doing the same thing over and over" thing as I think there's a clear distinction in sound and mood between all of their albums. But they are one of my favorite modern rock bands, so. Anyway, great article, I'm glad that it looks like they're branching out and seem to be continuing forward. I was worried on the TWFM tour that it was going to be their last one.
This is insane. I'm losing my mind over here. I still haven't even soaked in Depression Cherry all the way. Fuck, I haven't even soaked in Teen Dream all the way and I've listened to that record easily 100+ times.
All of what raptorjesus said and more. Switching "Night Song" and "Sea Calls Me Home" was an inspired move on the vinyl pressing. It gives "Sea Calls Me Home" incredible power and makes the comedown from "Lucette Stranded on the Island" much more bearable. The first time I listened to the record it threw me off but once I accepted the new flow I've barely taken it off the turntable. It's seriously such a great album.
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