Editor, writer, web guy, drumulator, music nerd, etc. Law firm marketing & communications, so I follow the law. Listening to hear where you are.
162 followers 143 following 456 posts
view profile on Bluesky
“Glorious” only begins to cover the experience: MTV in the 80s was transformational, maybe the most impactful cultural force of the decade? It changed music, TV, and movies (and news, a little), even drove certain (good and bad) changes in racial, national, and global politics.
Also worth noting the discovery mechanics of indie labels: once you got hip to a single artist or record on SST, Dischord, Rough Trade, Twin/Tone, etc., you were 1 SASE away from a catalog that could pry open your mind & ears.
Yeah, it’s wild how these things change their approach to the same music over time. I upgraded to the new edition of Ted Gioia’s History of Jazz, which made the startling discoveries that women play jazz and fusion isn’t so bad…
Still have some of the core guides I used alongside Spin, 120 Minutes & hip friends.
Taken on its own (and not skipping to what lies ahead), I’d argue PRESIDENT is a very good YLT record. I dig the layering in Barnaby, the doomed optimism & lovely vocals of Alyda, the stoned drones driving Drug Test & Evil That Men Do, etc. Damn fine 89 indie rock.
I definitely remember how I heard about PRESIDENT in 89: Spin reviewed it, made it sound very much my jam, bought the combo CD at a record store 2 towns over. Had no catalog context, but fell hard & have been a fan ever since. Unpopular opinion: this is a very good YLT record.
Mail call
I crocheted Patti Smith’s Horses cover
If you're a fan of the sound/vibe of Neil Young's Ditch Trilogy and dig longer slo-mo jams, give The Photon Band's ALONE ON THE MOON rec a try. (Released by Darla during the Bliss Out period, but not blissy.)
Or at the very least the most solid point of entry. Has good versions of everything they do.
I hear this as the 1st time a YLT record brought in the sound and dynamics of their live show. I almost never listen to the first 2, but I pull out PRESIDENT a lot. It was all upward from here.
Agreed—the general indie/whatever scene love for Yo La Tengo seems to not carry over into the Best Album voting cohort. It’s a perpetual mystery to me. 🕵️♂️
I will never apologize for a post
At 1st glance thought you were setting up the wildest “You can only choose one” ever.
It’s a great way to introduce Blanc’s parents.
Does he call his dad from jail at some point?
I feel attacked by this, which makes me very happy.
It is definitely not. I blame the Brits and their mistaken approaches to English…
“Portland” isn’t on the original album—great song, but it’s an outtake.
A bunch of years ago, the Mekons went on an anniversary tour and had the Sadies open as a Mekons cover band (it made sense at the time..). BOTH bands played “Memphis, Egypt” in their sets, and I think it was the only overlap.
99.9% sure it’s “MEE-cons”
In which the lower seed is a vastly better record. Peak Mekons vs Meh Mats.
Oof
I second the Block Island rec. If you want a shorter trip from NYC, Cape May, NJ never misses.
Question for Neil Young heads: Do you listen to the Ditch Trilogy in the order it was recorded (TFA>TTN>OTB) or the order it was released (TFA>OTB>TTN)?
They all look they’re auditioning to be Lenny Briscoe.
My favorite Faith No More is Imperial Teen… en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_%28I...
I’m consistently amazed and confused by the degree to which some people will get hammered to see Shakespeare in the Park.
The rumors are true! youtu.be/zG3VUXBcyt0?...
There’s an alternate (even better?) version of Blue Thunder with Carney’s sax. youtu.be/f5Zy48-dVI8?...
Fun Fact: That’s Ralph Carney playing sax on the Galaxie 500 record—he played with almost every cool person & is Patrick Carney’s uncle. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_C...
I forgot this was 2001! Stellar album, worth the double-disc length.
John Zorn’s THE GIFT is the start of something wonderful (and mostly accessible) he’s been exploring regularly since; The Glands’ s/t LP is a mini-marvel of a certain kind of rock writing and playing that re-delights me every time.
I’ve spent a few weeks w/the Tim Barnes comp via @islandhouserecs.bsky.social and it’s a deeper experience on each listen. Beautiful, patient journeys that surface expansive conversations between the musicians on each track. Don’t miss this one. timbarnes.bandcamp.com/album/inside...
After that, the best one is the entire catalog all of the time.
Man, I haven’t listened to this since…I think last week? Practically perfect Dylan.
It even has a few songs that Weird Al parodied—a sign of quality/eternal life.
Same here—listened to the records, read the articles, even saw them live. Did nothing for me…tho Imperial Teen and some Mike Patton stuff is very much my jam. I guess metal edges just turn me off?
Always know where your videocassettes are (even if you no longer have a VCR…)
There was a time K would sell you the entire BH catalog (including an ephemera compilation) in a tasty box set.
My younger kid so was so upset we had to immediately watch Search for Spock.
“Everybody Dies” is already an all-time Superchunk classic.
1989 tournament participants Yo La Tengo covering a song from 1989 tournament partipants Beat Happening's BLACK CANDY. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vygB...
1989 tournament participants Tin Machine covering a song from 1989 tournament partipants Pixies' DOOLITTLE. www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbiZ...
Now you just need 10-15 more Mekons albums.
things were better when the computer lived in its own specific room and you only went in there sometimes
That might just be your library or region? Or a short-term glitch? I just checked & all the DC stuff is available in mine.
MTV was rarely accused of subtlety in that era…
I remember when the Berlin Wall fell, MTV used “Rockin’ in the Free World” over footage of people sledgehammering the wall to pieces.
Fair, tho I’ll note those are Crazy Horse records and FREEDOM isn’t. I think of his time with the Horse as distinct from the rest of the catalog.
His ECM record is delightful. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Ni...
Moreso, IMO. Even at his most “Sister Ray,” Lou couldn’t make his guitar freak out at length the way Shakey still can. METAL MACHINE MUSIC has gotten a cultural rehab that ARC never will.
Sonic Youth made a strong case for at least one of the tunes from TRANS. youtu.be/bifFwY_tY0o?...
Maybe Neil gets tagged as a Classic Rock Dinosaur but Lou rides on his avant-garde cred? I certainly don’t get any serious rock fan who isn’t down with a sizable chunk of the Neil Young catalog.
Really hope this is the members of ALL.
So this morning’s announcement means the bundle will have new Makaya AND Tortoise? Seems almost unfairly exciting!
album covers but with muppets: thread
Is today a good day? It sure is—the new @superchunk.bsky.social LP showed up in the mail from @mergerecords.bsky.social
13 SONGS is Fugazi recording songs the way they played them live; from REPEATER onward, they thought more about making each record a distinct experience from the (extraordinary) live show.
On the other hand: Ian released it as 13 SONGS, and he knows what he’s doing.
3 things I need shelter from: 1. The storm 2. The powder 3. The finger
He needs an illustrated book about birds, or something similar. This is your chance to change a life.
*Pere Ubu. (Fucking autocorrect…)
Have you heard the previous Pete Ubu LP? CLOUDLAND is good, but THE TENEMENT YEAR is frighteningly fantastic.
Counterpoint: This is an all-time Neil Young record. (See DC coming soon…)
How do you know how close I think it is? 🤔
I would love to hear the version of THE SEEDS OF LOVE in which TFF was an Elephant 6 band madly bouncing a million tracks per song on their home-recording gear.
It’s probably similar to SNL—the high point is whenever you were in high school.
Worth noting that “Ever Fallen in Love” is a cover of an ace Buzzcocks tune! youtu.be/aUVVRyjiVzo?...
In real time, I’d say first 4 LPs (so pre-BSSM). Especially 2-4 were genuinely fun when they came out, and were part of a larger thing that was bubbling up from the punk world. Together w/Fishbone, Jane’s, 24-7 Spyz, etc., it was a fun scene for punk kids.
Also very much worth your time: FYC’s s/t debut from 1985. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine_Yo...
Other people have better imposter syndrome than me I bet
youtu.be/J7DOSda4JFc?...
“A million maniacs isn’t cool. You know what is? A BILLION maniacs.”
Crosby Stills Nash & Young & Jan & Dean & Seals & Croft & Simon & Garfunkel & Dean & Britta & Damon & Naomi w/Ghost
Plus it’s on the new covers comp they just released.
It’s weird how RHCP attracted super-cool musicians to produce their first 4 LPs. Rubin is by far their least interesting producer, from a musical standpoint.
Wheats by Mazarin! youtu.be/HoS25i-skwg?...
For (not) better or (definitely) worse, this is the last time RHCP sounded like themselves for a full LP. After this, they had Rubin getting in their heads & a ballad pop hit reorienting their priorities. The Fishbone/24-7 Spyz/Jane’s Addiction context went away forever after MM.
Lack Flag
This is a fascinatingly bad take, right from the part up top that misrepresents how record stores work. The clever part is mixing in bits that are definitely true to deflect from the ones that certainly aren’t.
It was the closest IMAX theater in 1989!
Also, and this is a vanishingly narrow point, but I’d argue that this is the rare @bestalbumbrackets.bsky.social matchup between a Rock and Roll album and a Rock album. They’re different disciplines, and I think considering the differences can change one’s listening. (But still: Vote BLEACH)
#Truth — I voted BLEACH but have memories of/feelings about STEEL WHEELS. And it’s weird to think in 2025 that in 1989 the Stones were still considered a “contemporary” band (probably more so than Nirvana at that moment).
I’m guessing it would perform roughly similar to contemporaneous TAD or maybe even Mudhoney records.
I wasn’t interested in track analysis—more focused on the historical dividing line here. IMO, the Stones ended when Wyman retired & should have shut down operations when Charlie died.
Try MUSIC FOR 18 MUSICIANS next—it might be his best, most accessible work. I’d recommend the ECM, Nonesuch, or Grand Valley versions. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_f...
And of course Jonny Greenwood has gotten in on the “Electric Counterpoint” action. youtu.be/wNWR47gwy0A?...
“Electric Counterpoint” is famously a piece for 1 guitarist + tapes…but in the last several years there’s been a move to playing all of the parts live. Very different, still fantastic. youtu.be/sFeWeyyZ7gE?...
One of the many benefits of being in the NY Metro area is getting to see Reich’s works performed live on a semi-regular basis. Always hypnotic and moving, to say the least.
I just sent it in! It's only about rock and roll, but the voters might like it.
I kinda half want to anyway…
Thursday sounds particularly carnivorous.
Fascinating that album sales is one of the few pieces of info they went with. How many people hear Dylan’s name & the 1st or 2nd thing they think is, “That guy sells a lot of records.”
Then your stick collection could use some fixin’
youtu.be/Qt81bVae4tQ?...
