A Blog About Nothing in Particular
Were you one of the poor souls spazzing out over Kanye’s 10.0 from Pitchfork? How perfectly 2002 of you. If you’re looking for more grist for the mill, look no further than Jeff Weiss’ excellent My Beautiful Dark Twisted Family roundtable, in which several critics offer their thoughts on what most people seem to believe is the album of the year. (I’m inclined to agree with most people.)
Not good enough? Jeff and his friends are really, really funny.
Can’t tell you how excited I am to hear Kanye’s new album. “Runaway” just blows me away. I’ve loved everything he’s done so far, so why should My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy be any different?
Feel like he really turned a corner with 808s & Heartbreak, which I felt was unfairly maligned in some circles as being too misogynistic. I thought it was a painful, hurtful, frightening breakup album. Loved it. So did Maura and Whiney. I feel like his next album is our sweet reward. Cannot wait.
I was talking to Mark this afternoon about the state of the music industry, something we do from time to time, usually when I’m certain that it’s finally reached rock bottom. There’s something foreboding in the November release calendar. If this year is really the music industry’s last gasp, then November will be its death rattle.
Who isn’t releasing albums in November? Justin Timberlake. He — and the tireless Rihanna — are the only major stars who come to mind that aren’t squeezing albums into 2008’s Q4. It’s shocking. I keep going back to Maura’s post that suggested that this could be a sign that the end is nigh for multimillionaire artists and the companies that back them. Is this it?
If it is, there’s only one album that I’m even remotely curious about in the holiday glut of new releases. It’s Kanye West’s 808s and Heartbreak. Few artists have such a totalizing aesthetic. Mr. West synthesizes cool ideas unlike any other artist working at his level. Time and time again, I’ve looked for any reason to dismiss his work as pastiche, but to do so would be a big mistake. Kanye West borrows, steals, and co-opts styles unlike anyone since Madonna, sniffing out trends and taboos and elevating them to the mainstream.
Watch Kanye West’s new video, “Heartless.” His coolness is undeniable.