Interesting on 'Raw Power' and also the s/t LP mention. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love both, but the sleaze of 'Funhouse' is the one I go to the most. Instead of the nihilistic, glue-sniffin' teen boredom of the first LP and the underground coke frenzy parties with Bowie and Reed on RP, there is a seedy, grimy, smack-fueled danger to 'Funhouse.' It immediately sucks you into its hazy Lower East Side underworld of dark alleys and bad drugs, where everybody is coppin' or jonesin' for a grubby hit. Everything about the album evokes what rock and roll and Manhattan were once like before gentrification and corporate greed stripped away the personalities and made both "safe." And 'Loose' brilliantly sums it all up in one smutty & filthy track.
I totally agree. That run of albums is pretty much flawless. You couldn’t go wrong with picking any of them. Raw Power just has a bunch of my favorite Stooges tunes which was the ultimate tiebreaker.
Down on The Street for me; just knee deep in the sleaze (plus it basically spawning Radio Birdman). It's a never ending toss up for me though, because I prefer the ice of James Williamson's playing (especially on Kill City).
I should also mention that I have a long history with the Lips. When I was 18, they were one of the first new bands that I finally felt were coming from the same place as I was. However, this was when they were still a sloppy, noisy, acid punk band (I first heard their 'Oh My Gawd!!!' LP). I saw them many times, often just myself and maybe 9 others in the bar. But they eviscerated the place with smoke, film projections on the ceiling (a projector behind the drum kit aimed at the ceiling above the audience of 10), and serious volume. Maybe that is why I now have slight tinnitus in my left ear? Often, after the show, they would come off the stage, play pool and drink beer with us. I mourned when Ronald Jones left after 'Clouds Taste Metallic', as he is up there with Nick McCabe as one of my all-time favorite guitarists of the last 30 years. He could make sounds from his guitar that were disturbing, unfathomable, and beautiful at the same time.
While I admit I bailed on 'Soft Bulletin,' I don't begrudge Wayne and Michael's new-found sound and success. They worked hard, played tiny bars for many years and totally deserve it. 'Bulletin' and 'Yoshimi' were also clearly the blueprint for Tame Impala.
Yes, to that last point. I like their early stuff as well. They have a pretty eclectic discography, which is what makes them special. I saw them for the first time in 2013 at Bonaroo. It was a whole production full of rainbows, people dancing in costumes, confetti, visual displays, and Wayne Coyne getting in a bubble and walking out to the crowd. It blew my mind and made me a ride-or-die fan.
Okay I ask this as somebody who also really feels incredibly annoyed by Pitchfork's decline over the last 15+ years (but who did actually love those DFA compilations), but do you truly see no merit to pop music? I get that I'm really taking what you're saying and reducing it to hyperbole, but while I really love your writing and your album picks, the constant (admittedly hilarious) digs at mostly women in pop has me kind of scratching my head a little bit.
My issue with poptimism isn't with people loving pop music. If I hated on whatever is popular, that would eliminate at least half of what I listen to. My issue is that poptimism is reflective of this broader tendency within left-leaning culture writing to imbue political valence to every piece of pop culture (and I say this as someone who is progressive).
For the record, I do enjoy Boygenius. Their debut EP is fantastic and I just bought it on vinyl. My criticism is more of the writing and coverage around them just feels very performative and pandering to the LGBTQ community in a way that is very infantilizing, reductive, and condescending to both the band and their fans. Then again, I'm a straight cis white guy, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Same with Olivia Rodrigo. She's not my cup of tea, but I don't find her music offensively bad. But comparing her to Courtney Love and other rock and roll hall of famers this early in her career seems a bit... premature? There's plenty of pop music that's just simple and enjoyable, and that's fine, but I can't help but roll my eyes when people tell me that artists like Katy Perry are making some bold and profound stand for feminism. WAP, on the other hand, is a legendary pop song that should be remembered forever for breaking the brains of right-wing pundits and misogynists.
And, of course, the same could be said about male pop artists like Harry Styles. The two examples I picked were just ones off the top of my head that I found to be notable egregiously cringe pieces of writing.
I actually hate (not really -- get annoyed by the hype for, more like) Boygenius so I don't have much ground to stand on here, and I get it. I think this makes sense, especially because I have gone off on some serious rants about giving brand new records 10/10 reviews when we have no clue how they are going to age or solidify in the public/cultural consciousness. I feel like that's a similar complaint. Regardless! I appreciate the difference here... Pop music isn't the issue, it's the criticism thereof, and I think that I would be happy never to read another (mainstream music publication's) music review again in my life. You already wrote about the annual regurgitation of the same albums on all the EOY lists, I'm pretty sure... makes me want to bang my head against the wall.
They're all redundant now because they're all trying to capture the same audience by scoring cheap middlebrow woke internet points. If any kind of discerning POV and taste is gone, what is the point of reading any of these magazines?
Interesting on 'Raw Power' and also the s/t LP mention. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love both, but the sleaze of 'Funhouse' is the one I go to the most. Instead of the nihilistic, glue-sniffin' teen boredom of the first LP and the underground coke frenzy parties with Bowie and Reed on RP, there is a seedy, grimy, smack-fueled danger to 'Funhouse.' It immediately sucks you into its hazy Lower East Side underworld of dark alleys and bad drugs, where everybody is coppin' or jonesin' for a grubby hit. Everything about the album evokes what rock and roll and Manhattan were once like before gentrification and corporate greed stripped away the personalities and made both "safe." And 'Loose' brilliantly sums it all up in one smutty & filthy track.
I totally agree. That run of albums is pretty much flawless. You couldn’t go wrong with picking any of them. Raw Power just has a bunch of my favorite Stooges tunes which was the ultimate tiebreaker.
Down on The Street for me; just knee deep in the sleaze (plus it basically spawning Radio Birdman). It's a never ending toss up for me though, because I prefer the ice of James Williamson's playing (especially on Kill City).
I should also mention that I have a long history with the Lips. When I was 18, they were one of the first new bands that I finally felt were coming from the same place as I was. However, this was when they were still a sloppy, noisy, acid punk band (I first heard their 'Oh My Gawd!!!' LP). I saw them many times, often just myself and maybe 9 others in the bar. But they eviscerated the place with smoke, film projections on the ceiling (a projector behind the drum kit aimed at the ceiling above the audience of 10), and serious volume. Maybe that is why I now have slight tinnitus in my left ear? Often, after the show, they would come off the stage, play pool and drink beer with us. I mourned when Ronald Jones left after 'Clouds Taste Metallic', as he is up there with Nick McCabe as one of my all-time favorite guitarists of the last 30 years. He could make sounds from his guitar that were disturbing, unfathomable, and beautiful at the same time.
While I admit I bailed on 'Soft Bulletin,' I don't begrudge Wayne and Michael's new-found sound and success. They worked hard, played tiny bars for many years and totally deserve it. 'Bulletin' and 'Yoshimi' were also clearly the blueprint for Tame Impala.
Yes, to that last point. I like their early stuff as well. They have a pretty eclectic discography, which is what makes them special. I saw them for the first time in 2013 at Bonaroo. It was a whole production full of rainbows, people dancing in costumes, confetti, visual displays, and Wayne Coyne getting in a bubble and walking out to the crowd. It blew my mind and made me a ride-or-die fan.
Liquids Swords not at number one invalidates this entire project.
Jk, jk. Looking forward to more.
You could make a case for it being the best hip hop album ever
Glad to see the B-52s on the list.
Pretty strong group of albums you've selected.
That one was Kevin's pick, but I do love that album!
A very strong album. A little out there for most people.
Okay I ask this as somebody who also really feels incredibly annoyed by Pitchfork's decline over the last 15+ years (but who did actually love those DFA compilations), but do you truly see no merit to pop music? I get that I'm really taking what you're saying and reducing it to hyperbole, but while I really love your writing and your album picks, the constant (admittedly hilarious) digs at mostly women in pop has me kind of scratching my head a little bit.
My issue with poptimism isn't with people loving pop music. If I hated on whatever is popular, that would eliminate at least half of what I listen to. My issue is that poptimism is reflective of this broader tendency within left-leaning culture writing to imbue political valence to every piece of pop culture (and I say this as someone who is progressive).
For the record, I do enjoy Boygenius. Their debut EP is fantastic and I just bought it on vinyl. My criticism is more of the writing and coverage around them just feels very performative and pandering to the LGBTQ community in a way that is very infantilizing, reductive, and condescending to both the band and their fans. Then again, I'm a straight cis white guy, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Same with Olivia Rodrigo. She's not my cup of tea, but I don't find her music offensively bad. But comparing her to Courtney Love and other rock and roll hall of famers this early in her career seems a bit... premature? There's plenty of pop music that's just simple and enjoyable, and that's fine, but I can't help but roll my eyes when people tell me that artists like Katy Perry are making some bold and profound stand for feminism. WAP, on the other hand, is a legendary pop song that should be remembered forever for breaking the brains of right-wing pundits and misogynists.
And, of course, the same could be said about male pop artists like Harry Styles. The two examples I picked were just ones off the top of my head that I found to be notable egregiously cringe pieces of writing.
I actually hate (not really -- get annoyed by the hype for, more like) Boygenius so I don't have much ground to stand on here, and I get it. I think this makes sense, especially because I have gone off on some serious rants about giving brand new records 10/10 reviews when we have no clue how they are going to age or solidify in the public/cultural consciousness. I feel like that's a similar complaint. Regardless! I appreciate the difference here... Pop music isn't the issue, it's the criticism thereof, and I think that I would be happy never to read another (mainstream music publication's) music review again in my life. You already wrote about the annual regurgitation of the same albums on all the EOY lists, I'm pretty sure... makes me want to bang my head against the wall.
They're all redundant now because they're all trying to capture the same audience by scoring cheap middlebrow woke internet points. If any kind of discerning POV and taste is gone, what is the point of reading any of these magazines?
doing the little jerking off motion and feeling superior, I guess? 😃