There are few musical moments as unlikely as a new My Bloody Valentine album. And it’s here. And I’m listening to it. And it’s glorious in its My Bloody Valentine-ness. I’ll leave the review to Ned Raggett.
A Smiths reunion seems a fait accompli now, no?
Matthew Ingram’s fantastic Woebot blog was an inspiration to me as a critic. His voracious appetite for and catholic taste in music pushed me to expand my palate and listen to music others may have dismissed as lesser works. In short, Woebot had big ears and it didn’t hurt that he could write.
I’m finally reading his ebook, 100 Lost Rock Albums from the 1970s and it’s bringing back lots of memories. This is the music I fell in love with around the time Stephen Malkmus released Pig Lib and even name checked the Groundhogs on tour. Some of the ground Ingram covers is familiar, but what makes the book so rewarding are the impossible to find albums that rekindle my love for crate digging.
If you’re looking for a place to begin, check out this companion playlist on Spotify.
If you’ve read the reviews of Christopher Owens’ Lysandre, you’ll find quite a few critics who wished he’d never left Girls. His solo debut may have underwhelmed most critics, but it’s a charming collection of paisley melancholia. I can’t get enough.
But don’t take my word for it. Read Aquarium Drunkard’s evenhanded take here.
Matthew Friedberger featured in Dusted Magazine’s Listed. Read it for his fond remembrance of Dick Allen.
Here’s something I scribbled about @TheRealYLT back in 2007. It’s still so true. Need more proof? Fine. Check out these clips of a reunited Pussy Galoredazzling the crowd at Maxwell’s last week. Let’s not forget the fact that Yo La Tengo are still playing their standard 8 night Hanukkah run while Ira recovers from an undisclosed illness. Since I couldn’t make it to any of their shows this week, I’m listening to everything Yo La Tengo on Spotify. Unsurprisingly, it’s perfect for this week.
These guys are seriously the greatest, most generous act in indie rock and I can’t help but think people still take them for granted, because, well, they do.
(I’d be remiss if I didn’t link over to Jesse Jarnow’s online home, Frank & Earthy, for full setlists from these shows.)