I was listening to "Compared to What" while warming up at the gym the other day. Less than twenty minutes later I was running on the treadmill and I glanced up at the newsfeed on the gym's tv, and was stunned to find that Ms. Flack had passed away earlier that day. Felt especially weird considering I had only heard 'First Take' for the first time two days prior. The universe is weird. Anyway. Unquestionably gorgeous record right here, mind-blowing that the entire thing ... read more

Gus and Jamie have always been terrific pop producers, but man, I'm glad Sarah joined the band after this lol.

When the first title drop hit nearly nine minutes into "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", I sat up in my chair and fucking LISTENED. This has been on my list for ages, and I have been well aware of its classic status, but I think I may have underestimated just how many lingering notes of 'Hot Buttered Soul' can be found in my favorite music's DNA. Foundational work.

I have not made the conscious decision to listen to a new Drake album since 'Certified Lover Boy' and I don't see why I'd pick this new one to tap back in with. Don't think there's anything here for me, bye. I hope the Drake fans can find joy in these songs when they aren't wondering why they keep scaring away every woman they meet.

Squid continues to ride the krautrock wave that began with 'O Monolith'! Aside from a couple key singles, "Swing" and "Undergrowth", I found LP2 from the Squid fellas to be pretty disappointing on the whole. Merging their post-punk sound with jammy, meditative krautrock certainly helped the band stand out from their contemporaries in the Windmill Scene, a musical movement that I'm becoming increasingly disillusioned with (I really don't care about Maruja ... read more

Oops I forgot that this album is completely perfect.

:(

I mean, the music is great as always. With each release, Ada continues to refine and intensify the aggrotech style that I loved so much on 'UGLY DEATH'. "weed store kratom" is one of Ada's best solo recordings so far, I love how she's able to weave these '90s DJ synth hits and odd murmuring samples into that murky bass on the verses. Stripping everything back for a melodic piano-led chorus is a classic Ada Rook songwriting flourish that I like a lot. ... read more

Are y'all high? Sure this isn't reinventing the punk wheel but like... what exactly were you expecting in terms of "innovation" from a sub-30 minute punk rock album lol? This is damn solid, touches on a variety of contemporary issues in concise, energetic, and earnestly pissed little tunes that are delivered with more vigor and edge than groups like IDLES have been able to muster since the 2010s.

Less explosive than 'There Will Be No Super-Slave', and not quite as hypnotic as the best moments on 'Goyard Comin', but 'Goyard Ibn Said' isn't playing the same game as those records. It's true, the ear-catching, borderline gimmicky samples have been toned down, and there are generally less novel musical ideas to be found here, but content-wise this is Ghais's most mature and considered work so far. This a super backloaded project, multiple of ... read more

It must be hard being 'Roots' by Curtis Mayfield. Sandwiched between two of the greatest albums of all time (1970's righteous and uplifting 'Curtis' and 1972's impossibly cool 'Superfly') this admirable 1971 effort was doomed to exist in the shadow of Curtis's other records. The greatest sin of 'Roots' is that it is a great album instead of a life-changing, era-defining work of art, but make no mistake, this is still a terrific record from ... read more

Idk maybe I was too high listening to this but it split my skull the fuck open.

Love Yola, love that she's diversifying her sound, but this EP's got some growing pains lol. The instrumental on track 2 sounds like something Ariana Grande would slide on, not the woman who sang "Stand For Myself"! There's some gold buried here; "Symphony" is likely one of my favorite tracks she's dropped so far. I like hearing her belt over some glitzy, poppy soul instrumentation that actually suits her powerful voice! She's always had a hint of ... read more

A decent new wave album buoyed by an absolutely knockout single. Listen to that halftime buildup on "99 Luftballons", led by a deft bass part that recalls the classic Talking Heads track, "Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town". From there, we're launched headlong into the peppy verses, and the rest is politically conscious pop history. Surely a top 10 one hit wonder of all time, no? "99 Luftballons" casts a tall shadow over the remaining 11 tracks, which is a slight ... read more

classic record. One Love makes me a smile :] !

Kind of the best band. Absolutely love everything about this. "Redemption Song" is good, but the seven surrounding tracks are on another level. Crying a bit rn.

I found the ROSÉ album to be pretty middling on the whole, but this single has really grown on me! The synth horn bass hits and claps in the first verse skirt dangerously close to 2014 Megan Trainor territory, but once we arrive at the first "don't you want me like I want you baby..." pre-chorus, "APT." picks up and never looks back! Add in a little Bruno for flavor and you've got a wonderful little dance-pop hit.

Very nice! Much more prim and proper than the kind of jazz I usually enjoy, but Benson's playing is undeniably excellent all over this. Spiffy suit on the cover art too!

Fav Tunes: Affirmation, So This Is Love?

Outstanding!

Last night, I saw Devi and a few other underground queer artists perform at a bar in Queens. The only thing more deafening than the squalls of distortion and juiced-up beats produced by KFC Murder Chicks was the uproar of applause at the end of Devi's set. I've never been so moved by live music, the communal warmth and safety I felt at that show was overwhelming. On my way out, I saw that Devi was autographing some CDs and artwork for fans. I didn't have anything for her to sign, ... read more

Genuinely exhausting to listen to. That never-ending arrangement of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" nearly spelt the end of me. Six minutes that felt like fifteen.