Some Musical Notes
30 Aug
Simply amazing. Still in heavy rotation.
I’ve become the sort of critic who likes spring releases. Give them time to marinate, I say. That new Liars album is still revealing new things to me.
Ready for a stunning admission? I still haven’t heard the new Arcade Fire album! I’m still aghast that Spoon opened for them.
What’s even cool anymore? I’m so old I remember when an 8.1 on Pitchfork meant you hit the big time.
new arcade fire is really good, much better than neon bible. not better than funeral tho. but you’ve never liked them. I remember coming into the TLA when they were playing at the other TLA and you said “Bright Eyes” as a descriptor of AF. Spoon haven’t had a consistent album since Gimme Fiction.
Also, what do you think of the Pitchfork 90s list so far? I don’t understand why they put a one-song limit. They always go out of their way to point out how certain artists dominate a stretch of years and then they do this. Trying to do a list of best songs by decade is much more fraught with problems than a best albums list.
I really enjoyed *Neon Bible* to be honest. Thought the concert at the Tower
was great, too. Best Springsteen album in ages!
I was disappointed in *Transference*. I think it has some amazing moments,
but gets hurt by track sequencing. For what it’s worth I really loved *Ga Ga
Ga Ga Ga*, too!
About that ’90s list. First impression: it makes me feel very old. Didn’t
realize each band could only appear once, but I guess that’s how they let
the *High Fidelity* aspect of their editorial process creep back in. I
missed that. I’m surprised TLC’s “Creep” was so low, but I think I’ll be
more emotionally connected to these selections than anything else they’ve
ever done on the site. I’m more interested in seeing which songs they make
representative of artists like Metallica, U2, R.E.M., and Radiohead. I’m
sure people will be up in arms over their hip-hop selections as well. It’s
the first list of theirs I’ve looked forward to reading in quite some time.
wow, very circumspect response. guess I shouldn’t pigeonhole you. gotta go back and listen to gagagagaga.
here are my guesses:
Metallica: the Unforgiven
U2: One
R.E.M.: Losing My Religion
Radiohead: Fake Plastic Trees
Pavement: Summer Babe
Nirvana: Smells like teen spirit
I will be really disappointed if they don’t have:
low: “starfire”
sebadoh: “spoiled”
spoon: “not turning off” or “metal detektor”
outkast: “skew it on the bar b”
dave matthews band: “two-step” (okay, that’s not really going to be on there, but it’s a great song”)
Really torn on that Radiohead pick. You don’t think it’ll be something from
O.K. Computer? I’d love it if they chose something from In Utero for
Nirvana. Was thrilled to see “Interstate Love Song” on the list, just a
little sad to see it that low. Also, “Yellow Ledbetter” was a surprise for
Pearl Jam’s sole entry. Hardly emblematic of their work, but an interesting
choice.
You’re probably right on with R.E.M. It’s easy to write, too. Always about
the mandolin. And Pavement. That’s a mortal lock. It would be funny if they
ignored Metallica altogether, but they really can’t. They might choose
“Enter Sandman.”
wow, totally wrong on REM which leads me to believe my other picks might be less likely (and my favorites totally unrealistic). But Nightswimming just isn’t the best REM song of the 90s. Also didn’t like the picks for Stereolab (Miss Modular), Superchunk (Shallow End), Archers of Loaf (White Trash Heroes), Jim O’Rourke (Ghost Ship In a Storm), Wilco (One By One), Sonic Youth (Little Trouble Girl) and Fugazi (Smallpox Champion), though some you certainly could’ve guessed. I put my choices in parentheses. Radiohead–I like OK Computer a lot more than the bends, but OK is such an “album” and this list has been geared largely towards big singles (withs some obvious exceptions). Which is why I think SLTS will be the Nirvana song. It would be neat if they chose something else tho.
Radiohead will probably be “Karma Police” in a walk, but they could pick
something from the much maligned The Bends. “Nightswimming” caught me
off-guard, but I should’ve expected some sentimental favorites.
I should have my Top 20 Embarrassing ’90s Songs post up shortly. Check back
this evening to see all the awful songs I absolutely adored during my most
vulnerable decade!