Hey guest...


....


Fuck you.

there is a stunning new live set of MOTHERFUCKER for streaming audio or downloading on the southern shelter site. And here's a video of that same set, with the same excellent motherfucking awesome sounding sound

I nearly bought their T-shirt if the shipping to Europe wasn't like 4 times more expensive then the price of the shirt itself :(

that's not very nice!

I know. Guess I'm a hypocrite :D

I'm just kidding... trolling you about that Pitchfork comment. Because I do indeed glance at Pitchfork at least every other day (almost never read a review or story though) I saw that this album, which I like, was getting the gush. Thought of you.

About ⅓ of the songs sound really good to my silly little ears. In a sad and apocalyptic way. The others sound a bit purposeless and boring; just disco beats and shouting. But it's early. I'll keep listening and give it a fair shake.

Currently:



This record is really freaking good, and manages to sound both like a tribute and like a proper Xiu Xiu album. I didn't give t nearly enough play in 2016.

the metacritic score is quite high xD

Aw snap!

Yeah, see, I anticipate this album getting pretty much nothing but good reviews. It's not revolutionary (none of LCD's stuff has been — it's been nostalgic and retro and meta by design) but it is not at all unsatisfying, like some of the recent albums by LCD's contemporaries (Animal Clllective and Arcade Fire and so on).

However, I'm not sure it will be a favorite for the people who actually grew up with LCD Soundsystem. Those people are just entering that know-it-all phase of emerging adulthood. Social media comments (from fans!) like "I liked this better when it was called [PiL, Suicide, New Order]" abound because those folks are now discovering the music that LCD Soundsystem existed to celebrate. And they think they're elite because they've outgrown the intro course and are now into the "deep" stuff ... forgetting, I suppose, that the rest of the world has known about for 30+ years.

So I think this is a good example of how critics loving something doesn't really affect public opinion as much as that dude in the WSJ interview in that other thread suggested.

Me, I can enjoy it because I viewed LCD as a nostalgic endeavor from the beginning, and to me, this sounds like more nice nostalgia after a 9-year break. To the kids who played "All My Friends" in high school, it's probably going to feel a bit dated. Which is funny, because it's supposed to sound dated. Haha.

Yeah, the good songs are good. He touches on some bitter truths about growing old and becoming a fucking shadow of your own adolescent idealistic dreams on "American Dream." "Oh Baby" is just a really well-crafted, epic synth song.

It's not my favorite anything, but it's good. For me.

Bush
Sixteen Stone
1994, Supposedly Dave Grohl once said or joked that Bush were the most Nirvana sounding post-Nirvana band. I was never sure if that was a putdown or a complement. But Sixteen Stone was one of those albums that it felt like everyone in my high school owned. Don't get me wrong, the Nirvana (and Pixies) influence was obvious, but yeah this was definitely also aimed a lot more towards radio. But whatever, the songs here are certainly catchy enough. All the big singles: "Everything Zen," "Little Things," Machinehead," "Come Down" and of course "Glycerine" were obviously hits for a reason. There's nothing new here; certainly nothing challenging. If anything this is an album playing it safe. But dammit if there aren't a bunch of hummable hooks. And even if the lyrics can come off a bit nonsense, they still remain highly quotable in a post-Nirvana 90's kind of way. I'm sure that Bush feels less cool in retrospect, but I can't deny that this is a damn catchy record. I still like it.

The Lemonheads
It's A Shame About Ray
1992, I saw the video for the title track on 120 Minutes back in the day and was just in love with this band. I spent much of high school tracking down all their albums and singles and t-shirts and guitar tab books and stickers and anything else I could find. Maybe living so close to Boston made that slightly easier. They certainly weren't the most popular band in the world. But my obsession began with this album right here. It's one of those albums that I know every word of. It's fun and poppy and slightly rocky but mostly mellow. It's got a gorgeous ballad about drugs sang with Juliana Hatfield ("My Drug Buddy"). It's got a song with no rhymes from Hair ("Frank Mills"). It for a second looks back to the transitional punk-to-pop era of Creator or Lick on "Alison's Starting To Happen." Yeah yeah, that cover of "Mrs. Robinson" was later tacked on as a bonus track. But this album is way better than that. I love it.

Pixies
Bossanova
1990, Never a band to stay in one place for too long, Bossanova gets way more into surf rock than the Pixies had before. Opener "Cecilia Ann" is a great instrumental take on The Surftones. "Veloria" is a gorgeously epic piece that feels like a power ballad filtered through the ears of this crazy band. "Ana" by contrast is a pretty straight forward surf ballad about a surfer girl. I mean... that's pretty damn Beach Boys, at least on paper. I guess "Dig For Fire" would be the big single here. It's still catchy as hell. Then there's "Is She Weird" which I've always loved, but like much of the material from this album that was re-recorded during BBC sessions, I really prefer those recordings over the album cuts. But still there's some great stuff here. "The Happening" is kind of a weird droney thing about an alien sighting, and then the closing of "Stormy Weather" and "Havalina" really keep to the surf theme. It's a good beach day album I guess. It's not quite the top tier that is most Pixies albums. But even the worst Pixies album is really damn good.

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Mother's Milk
1989, The first Chili Peppers album with John Frusciante is a step in an awesome direction. It's a definite bridge between the overly funky early work, and the more rhythmic material that would follow. Their take on Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" was really the first time many mainstream ears were introduced to the band - and for good reason. All these years later it still rocks hard. Likewise for their cover of Hendrix's "Fire." But the originals here have plenty of personality as well. "Knock Me Down" and "Sexy Mexican Maid" are certainly standouts, as is the instrumental "Pretty Little Ditty." My one complaint would be that there is still a bit too much of Anthony's overdone hyper-fast rapping style of songs here, but the stuff that steps outside of that box points to some very awesome new directions.

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
1991, After Mother's Milk the band was smart enough to keep Frusciante around. They hired Rick Rubin and moved into a haunted mansion where they'd manage to assemble their masterpiece. Blood Sugar Sex Magik - silly title and all - is kind of the third album in this sort of 1991 trilogy in my mind. Thinking back, it's incredible that this, Nirvana's Nevermind and Pearl Jam's Ten were all released in the stretch of about a month. Those are three very different albums from three very different bands, but these three albums ruled MTV and defined 1991 to a certain demographic. Blood Sugar finds a band that is far more comfortable together than Mother's Milk. These songs feel lived in. Of course there's the big singles: the glorious "Under The Bridge," the bouncy "Give It A Way," the rocking "Suck My Kiss" and the acoustic cacophony of "Breaking The Girl." But there's so much more great stuff here. Fans of the funk will be happy with the likes of "Funky Monks," "The Power Of Equality," "Sir Sexy Psycho" and so on. But then you've got moments as diverse as a frantic run through Robert Johnson's "They're Red Hot," and the absolutely stunning ballad of loss that is "I Could Have Lied." This is really a great album.

The Smashing Pumpkins
Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness
1995, This was another one of those albums that felt like standard issue in my high school. To my memory it must have been my first double album. And it's crazy to hear the giant leaps and bounds from Siamese Dream to this album. And while it's a double, there was still plenty of self-editing considering the amount of material that was actually recorded. This is certainly the most over-produced, well known and played (on radio) SP albums, but none of that can seem to diminish how good it actually is. Somehow even under all those layers of strings on "Tonight Tonight" there's some solid guitar playing and insane drumming going on. And I can't pretend that "1979" isn't still one of my favorite Pumpkins' songs. But like any good double album this gives the band license to stretch out; to revisit their heavier side on "Zero" or "Bullet With Butterfly Wings;" to get super twee on "Stumbline" or proggy on "We Only Come Out At Night." This is one of those albums where you're hit with so many well written songs that you forget how many there are. I'm still taken aback by "Muzzle" and lulled by "Thru The Eyes Of Ruby."

Weezer
The Blue Album
1994, What an introduction! Weezer's first of many self-titled albums is no doubt a classic. And one that never stops feeling fresh to me. Right from the acoustic picking of "My Name Is Jonas" through the masochistic torture of "The World Has Turned And Left Me Here;" the hipster-embrace of "Buddy Holly;" or the boredom with the status quo on "Undone," Weezer manages to channel equal parts math geek and Kiss cover band. There's so much confidence in this record that it's hard to believe it's a debut album. Taking the lyrical content of "Say It Ain't So" and deciding to fit it to a somewhat reggae influenced rhythm guitar - such an interesting choice. This is a band who one minute is only happy when they are literally hiding from the world "In The Garage" one minute, but then ending the album on what is truly meant to be performed in front of an audience with "Only In Dreams" a few songs later. It's almost as if they knew that this was too big to keep a secret for too long.

...And Justice For All

If this album wasn't so good, it would be pretty bad. Know what I mean?

Bahahaha. I do. I was just thinking about this album yesterday actually.

I'm a Ride the Lightning/Master of Puppets kind of Metallica guy, but Justice is the last album that made any godforsaken sense in my opinion. I look back and I think, "Why did they choose to shorten and clean-up and classic rockify everything for the album they knew was going to be their biggest (Black)?" I hate that album. What if they'd kept all the things that made their bad music not bad and actually good? Why if instead of going pop, they did a Pink Floyd thing and just did weird and long harder and longer and weirder? Maybe they'd have gone down a different path. The path of something other than perpetual disappointment for the remainder of their career.

Yeah, one of the few bands that could probably pull off an interesting thirty minute track. I love how their long songs that don't feel that long. I can feel the time passing with, like, Yes.

It really sounds like shit, though. Some interesting re-masters on youtube.

Wish to god I could get into LULU. Maybe I'll give that another go.

It's a Shame About Ray is the only Lemonheads album I've ever heard, but it is indeed a good'un.

The Blue Album by Weezer still rocks, and I wish they had managed to keep the sound of the blue, green & maladroit albums. They went off the rails with make believe, in my opinion.

Bossanova is probably the Pixies album that gets the least love. I've always liked it too.

Fun fact: I saw Weezer & The Pixies in concert together! :D

Make Believe sucks but you would probably dig more recent stuff. The White Album is great.

Definitely get more Lemonheads. If you liked Ray check out Come On Feel as it's mostly leftovers from the same period.

LULU is a sore subject for me. Especially because it's one of the last things Lou Reed did. I wish he'd gone out with a Blackstar kind of thing. And I don't think we should talk able LULU. I'm never going to like it. You're probably never going to like it. Best not rape our ears over it.

OK! I will definitely try both suggestions. Thankya.

Don't listen to him! He's trying to hypnotize you with his pretty words. There's straight up nothing going on with these albums!!! (Sorry, NR.)

From my experience the only post-Pinkerton album worth owning is Everything will be Alright in the End. And even that one, I don't necessarily like. But I think it has a little something-something to it at times that makes it worth my time as a curio.

Then again, I guess they've gone beyond they're original reputation (first as pop-punk messiahs, then as unequivocal losers in life, then as the model for what not to do as a band. Now they seem to have loyal fans everywhere who don't give a shit about anything and just dig the tunes. So it's a success story, if a rough one. I guess I am happy for them in that respect.

Everything will be Alright in the End isn't the kind of album I'd listen to unless I was trying to convince myself Weezer didn't lose everything in 2001. But it's still better than the rest of their stuff.

Says this guy.

Don't listen to him! He's trying to hypnotize you with his pretty words. There's straight up nothing going on with these albums!!! (Sorry, NR.)

From my experience the only post-Pinkerton album worth owning is Everything will be Alright in the End. And even that one, I don't necessarily like. But I think it has a little something-something to it at times that makes it worth my time as a curio.

Then again, I guess they've gone beyond they're original reputation (first as pop-punk messiahs, then as unequivocal losers in life, then as the model for what not to do as a band. Now they seem to have loyal fans everywhere who don't give a shit about anything and just dig the tunes. So it's a success story, if a rough one. I guess I am happy for them in that respect.

Everything will be Alright in the End isn't the kind of album I'd listen to unless I was trying to convince myself Weezer didn't lose everything in 2001. But it's still better than the rest of their stuff.

Says this guy.

lol I already listened to Weezer's White album and I think it sounds OK.

I haven't listened to any more Lemonheads yet though.

As for right now I'm listening to:

Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want- The Smiths

Sev you still haven't heard White Album though. You thought you did, but misremembered that you had listened to Red Album instead.
The White Album is so good (insert Beatles joke). Seriously their best of the 2010's.

No I listened to the White one and no go buddy.

Yes, originally I was mistaken. When I understood I was thinking about red not white, I listened to white shortly thereafter.

I admire what they've done. Honestly. They have fans who are not children or idiots, and they've evolved (after devolving like crazy). But it's not for me dude. Sorry.

It's fine if it's not for you. But surprised you'd like Everything Will Be but not White Album. Shrug.

the thing about Weezer is they were never really cool. Think about it. Even Blue Album, that was kind of a fluke. They weren't moody or edgy or anything. They weren't really like the bands that were popular even then. But they did capture lightning in a bottle with that album.

Pinkerton? I loved it. And it was weird, but it didn't sell well and was slammed critically at the time. It was only deemed "cool" in hindsight. It grew a cult following or whatever you want to say.

Green/Maladroit - still not cool. They sort of fit in with some of the shit getting play like Strokes, Jimmy Eat World, White Stripes at the time. But they more appealed to Weezer FANS.

It's never been exactly cool to like Weezer. But whatever. To me it's almost the thing where they care so little about being cool that they're cool. I bet their moms think they're cool.

I'm happy to say that they're one of my absolute favorite bands.

In a weird way it's things we've talked about.... trash culture? I don't know. To some degree I feel like listening to this stuff hiding in plain sight is now more interesting to me than weird underground shit. Oddly, stuff like Weezer for example probably flies under more radars than way out-there stuff thanks to the internet and Spotify and Youtube and all.

Interesting.

And you do whatever you want. Don't give a second thought to coolness. Cool, like punk, is really an illusion, and never something you can really be if you think it's what you are. Hah.

Personally, I thought Weezer was cool as fuck in the '90s. I remember, oddly enough, my father thought they were pussies (which is a weird thing for my father to think, since he knows goddamn well that he is a pussy). When the Blue Album was big and I talked about it, he'd kind of scoff. Like, "Weezer? Isn't that pretty much the farthest thing from Kurt Cobain?" I eventually played him the album and he made it through exactly 1.5 songs. Made me turn it off. Too loud. ��

Pinkerton sounded good to me when it came out too. I liked it from the start. But honestly, even if they'd come back in 2001 with another natural progression in the direction of the weird, I think my adolescence was just too wrapped up in these guys for the effect to last into adulthood.

Too many songs about girls and stuff. I think the era for me has been over forever, and I can't really appreciate it beyond nostalgia for the time. Every once in a while.

Also, I don't think I really "like" Everything Will Be Alright in the End, but I don't have beef with it, I guess. I don't own it or listen to it, I just didn't turn it off after one song. If I were to listen to anything else from Green to present, I would maybe not even last one song.

I can appreciate the pocket of sub-culture within mainstream culture that they've formed though. Really, I can. They have loyal fans and they seem to get new fans all the time. They're almost like Phish in that regard. Hated by millions, but adored by a constant and ever-growing (if slowly) number of new fans. I work with some fresh out of college kids, as I've mentioned, and they're not counterculture types, but a few of them really like Weezer. They were probably not even alive when The Blue Album came out... well, possibly... I think the youngest is 23. (Feel old yet, NR?)

Anyway, you do you man. I refer you again to my unapologetic love of Nine Inch Nails, who were kinda cool in their '90s heyday, then kinda not cool when everyone started following the "underground or nah!" trend, and then kinda got cool again, then broke up, then came back, and are now elder statesman of a specific kind of purist hip culture. They were just on Twin Peaks: The Return, by the way (rocked it) and have they have also found their place at the intersection between '80s industrial nostalgia, '90s alt-rock nostalgia, "serious" cultural auteurism and the quasi-underground. That tends to happen with old favorites who simply refuse to quit.

So... good for Weezer and good for NIN (fuck You Guest ;) ) and good for everyone who listens to what they like without giving a fuck.

Let's not call it the White Album. Let's just call it White. It's not the White Album. The White Album is one of the greatest things in the history of music.

To WeezerWhite's credit though, I was surprised to hear how crunchy some of the riffs were. Crunchy and catchy at the same time, not just crunchy and tossed-off like on Maladroit or whatever. Also, "Endless Bummer" sounds like hi-hi Elliot Smith. Not that I am a huge Elliot Smith fan, but I had my "XO" and "Either/Or" eras just like everyone else, and I appreciate the influence.
I also think Weezer does best when they combine their love of sun and girls and dumbass shit with a kind of tortured sadness and some good old fashioned sexual frustration, which they seem to be doing a bit on That White Thing That Isn't The White Album. ;)

It's not like it's the shittest shit ever shat. It's not like it's Drake and "DJ" Khaled, or the new Taylor Swift song, which is horrendously bad to a disappointing degree. It's not like it's... y'know... Train. Or Twentyonepilots.

Just not for me.

Why does what I'm listening to bother you?

Because Stone Temple Pilots are so much better.

I'm not sure if that's supposed to be a dig at me or him or what. But I have to tell you guys, it was a lot more fun around here back when we all had different tastes and it was like... okay to discuss them. This thread is called "what are you listening to?" right? Like, I thought that's the question we were supposed to answer. Whatever I'm listening to, I've been putting in the effort to write up my thoughts here. But when I'm met with little memes saying "stop talking about that" it's encouraging me to just not bother posting my thoughts here.

Remember back in the day when atsonic would talk in depth about Korn? Or DrEugene would rave about ICP? Regardless how you felt about Korn or ICP, it was really interesting to me to hear thoughtfulness applied to music that normally isn't discussed that way. And personally I found the diversity interesting. But if it's preferred that we all only post in this thread as long as we're discussing some specific list of "SYG Approved" bands then whatever.

Relax.

I'm sure I listen to some stuff that you'd find laughable.

But I hated that radio-friendly alterna-shit then and I hate it now. Your posts are more interesting than the records. Post about an interesting record and we have a winner.

I mean, post whatever you want, but don't be hurt if not everyone wants to get on the Bush train.

Besides, half (at least) of the fun of music is ripping on other people's taste. It's a rich tradition.

---

Replace the B with an R.

Been listening to a lot of Rush lately. Very frustrating. So silly, then brilliant; exciting, then a boring ass guitar solo.

At the moment I'm focused on their mid-80s synthy period. It's like new wave pop with brains, if Flock of Seagulls went to grad school or something.

Lol at Bush/Rush.

It's not that I expect anyone to like what I'm posting about, it's just some of the dismissive comments. Like I said I'm at least trying to put thought and effort into what I'm listening to and sharing it here, which if think better than just posting an album cover and no comment. I mean if reactions were "never liked that band and here's why" that's one thing. When the response is something like soup's meme literally telling me to stop it makes me question why I would put in the effort to make a thoughtful post. That's all.

" Your posts are more interesting than the records."

^I appreciate that by the way. And that's what I was talking about w/ Korn/ICP... my point is that sometimes isn't it more interesting (or at least a change of pace!) to talk about bands (or any art) that you're not already subjecting yourself to? Like, wouldn't it be boring if we all only ever talked about the same bands?

Hey, fuck that shit man. Half of these losers still think Kanye is millennial Puff Daddy. Hah. Don't worry about it.

If someone bites you, bite back. I think it's all in good fun anyway. Just say, "Shut the fuck, Soup Nazi," and keep doing your thing. He'll shut the fuck at least for a while. He has Wilco bobbleheads to polish. ;)

I like reading people's thoughts on music even when I hate the music. And to be perfectly clear, I do strongly dislike a lot of the stuff you talk about (like Bush), but who gives a shit? I still read what you have to say about it.



"Nolite te bastardes carborundorum, bitches!" ;)

^^ He's talking about me you guys. Right, NR? Cuz I put in effort and engage? Cuz I'll shoot the shit about the music even when I think it's shit, and not bust your balls about it?

I'm pretty sure he's nodding.

Be more like me, assholes. :cool:

the "bite back" thing, that's just not me. It's not my personality. Two assholes don't make a non-asshole. Or something.

I like when you discuss those albums w/ me. I don't need you to like what I like. But conversation is fun. Granted, if you just say "I want to punch him in the face," that's not great discussion. But talking about WHY you dont like something (or do like something) is fun and interesting to me.

I guess my point is that ANY conversation is preferred by me than just lazy memes or simple "that band sucks" kind of talk. If the thread turns into an echo chamber, or just each poster talking to themselves than what would be the point really?

For some reason it's harder to communicate why something's good vs bad. And why bother when we're talking about crap designed to make a few people a bit richer a few decades ago?

Some things just suck.

btw, I really like the first Barenaked Ladies album, GORDON. Tons of witty songs and poignant moments. Possibly in my top 50. But I don't expect anyone else to enter into a comprehensive conversation around it.

this made me laugh. Thank you.

But at the same time your'e kind of proving my point. It's like you're saying there's this thing that you like but because you assume that nobody else will want to talk about it, why bother bringing it up? Right? You're actually sort of admitting that at this point the forum has this like singular taste that we should adhere to. Or something?

That kind of sucks though. I mean, I'd be interested in your thoughts on this. Like I said, I found writings about friggin' ICP interesting when the person writing about them was so into them.

i've been on a sonic youth-athon for like a week now. except for playing animal collective's 'tantrum barb' a couple of times it's been nothing but sy.
first it was bad moon on repeat, then gila monster a few times, then confusion on repeat, then i jumped ahead and picked out my favorites from the daydream through dirty era, then my favorites from the jammy 2000s era.

i know that's a probably 'who cares?' on this board, but it had been a long time since i've turned them on. such a great band. hence my brief reappearance.

That's great man. I still listen to them often. So I care! Haha

I don't mean actively argue necessarily. Just, y'know... if someone's a dick, it's fine to tell that person to shut it.

Btw: my desire to punch Drake in the face has evolved beyond language or reason at this point. It's just a fundamental, primal urge. It's probably neurochemical. So I might not be able to expand on that much.

Zen Mother - "Tsumami Song" live at KEXP.

https://youtu.be/7_mybPuyugQ

I just heard Jamie xx's "Gosh" for the first time in a while and even though I've largely written him off at this point I have to admit it's a good song. So I'm listening to that. I think I'm trying to convince myself it's shit, but I can't.