341. Sonic Youth, EVOL (1986) In retrospect, it’s clear that EVOL is the album that marked Sonic Youth starting to grow up. Devotees of the band’s earlier anti-music roughhousing might have been more inclined to call it selling out, to … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #341 to #339
Lucy Dacus has already released a few songs from her forthcoming album, Home Video. They’ve all been strong examples of her impeccable songwriting and expressive performance style. Clearly, though, “Brando” is the one I was waiting for. Drawing on a … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Lucy Dacus, “Brando”
The short description of the new album Daddy’s Home is “St. Vincent does soul music.” More specifically, the shape-shifting modern-art-rock maestro looked to the soul and R & B music of the early nineteen-seventies, citing Stevie Wonder specifically but clearly … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — Daddy’s Home
These posts are about the songs that fell just short of crossing the key line of chart success, entering the Billboard Top 40. Every song featured in this series peaked at number 41. Like many of the acts that regularly … Continue reading Top 40 Smash Near Misses — “One Chain Don’t Make No Prison”
344. Graham Parker and the Shot, Steady Nerves (1985) For the erudite plentitude that touted Graham Parker of one of the great songwriters of his generation, and who rooted for the man to finally have a taste of the mass-market … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #344 to #342
“How I Can I Make It OK?” is one of those tracks that feels big and epic, constantly escalating to another level of sonic richness, while also standing as finely, expertly contained. It has the luxuriant sweep and exquisite precision … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Wolf Alice, “How Can I Make It OK?”
I suspect the Black Keys would be very happy if every one of their albums from here on in was simply a variation on their latest, Delta Kream. It makes sense. Why strain and struggle to write and record original … Continue reading The New Releases Shelf — Delta Kream
347. Guadalcanal Diary, 2×4 (1987) Guadalcanal Diary evidently sought to recapture something they felt they lost when they recorded their third album, 2 x 4. After an excursion with other collaborators, the band from Marietta, Georgia returned to the producer … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #347 to #345
‘Whoa, this is crazy’: L.A. teen punks the Linda Lindas on going viral (just before finals) by August Brown Playing at the L.A. Public Library is the new South by Southwest, it seems. The live set by youthful punk act … Continue reading Outside Reading — We Rebuild What You Destroy edition
Some weeks are longer than others. Sometimes the only solution is to dance away whatever woes have accumulated. Luckily, there’s a fresh slice of gleaming Norwegian pop for those who might have received the diagnosis and prescription where a spinning … Continue reading This Week’s Model — Sigrid, “Mirror”
Coffee for Two 