i fucking love these guys so fucking much dude like what the hell man oh my fucking god how are they consistently this awesome and cool and how do they get me so feely and ugh it's just so beautiful and pretty and-

I could genuinely keep on gushing like ... read more

Okay, really though, “Algorithmic” takes this EP from just being an immensely derivative pile of post-punk mediocrity to a pathetic shitshow. Saying “You’re not a fucking black midi ripoff” when you have quite literally been stealing Geordie Greep’s idiosyncratic vocal style AND using it weakly for the entire project is pretty damn laughable, to say the least. Not to mention how annoyingly preachy and self-important the ... read more

This project is seriously just so gorgeously melancholy and touching. Gentle guitars and soft vocals orbit patient drumming as the record swallows you entirely in its tired, worn-down atmosphere. And although there is a palpable sense of sadness present throughout the entire thing, it's still so immensely comforting and warm. Whether you're losing ... read more

The horribleness of this project seriously hit me like a fucking truck, because I really wasn't expecting anything too bad going into it. However, words cannot describe just how ... read more

Yeah, this is absolutely one of the coolest releases of the year so far. Through this explosively freakish debut, Model/Actriz bring a dauntingly unique style to the table, taking heavy influence from various distinct places and bringing everything together in an incredibly satisfying and coarsely smooth way, if that juxtaposition makes any sense. Through pounding drums, chunky basslines, screeching guitar leads and frantically ... read more

What a beautiful cover.

"Ferris Wheel on Fire" serves as quite a subtle finish to Neutral Milk Hotel's discography, consisting entirely of purely acoustic, singer-songwriter tracks. Across 8 short and sweet cuts, Jeff weaves his beautiful lyricism and unique, versatile voice over bare acoustic instrumentals, making it quite an intimate, comforting listen, for the most part.

There are a few songs here that have shown up on previous NMH releases, such as a ... read more

Jeff Mangum's two biggest influences for this record:
- Anne Frank
- Semen

All jokes aside, where do I begin? No, seriously; this is one of the few times in my life where I'm genuinely not sure how to talk about a record. Sure, the whole thing is really quite simple from a musical standpoint, with straightforward, catchy chord progressions and melodies, but the immense vastness of the world created throughout is simply so magical and entrancing that I have no idea how ... read more

Damn, I guess NMH fans really like staying true to the first song's title

Anyways, this thing is SO FUCKING GOOD! I'm not sure why it didn't fully click with me on my first few listens, but now, "On Avery Island" just feels amazing. It takes the noisy, psychedelic folk elements of their last couple projects, throws in that simple yet superb songwriting the band have displayed on a few highlights of theirs thus far, ties together every song seamlessly with an ... read more

NOTE: I listened to the 7 song version of this EP, so my rating and review are based on that.

This is pretty much a second helping of "Hype City Soundtrack", from the same quirky production and songwriting to recurring tracks off of that demo showing up again. To start, I really enjoy some of the lyrics here. While, with only a few exceptions, the writing on "HCS" didn't particularly strike me in any way, here, songs like the title track or ... read more

I think the best way I can describe this thing is that it sounds like it's high out of its fucking mind.

Neutral Milk Hotel's first demo tape, "Hype City Soundtrack", is quite the odd one. There's really not much to say about it other than that it's just dumb fun. It's constantly jumping from weird idea to even weirder idea, from explosive, abrasive cuts to strange, abstract interludes, to then quiet and laid-back folk songs. It's a wild little ride of an ... read more

EDIT 2: 80 - 70
STOP GROWING OFF ME WHAT THE FUCK. Yeah, this is seriously just not hitting as hard as it was at first. As I said in my previous edit, quite a few moments just sound weirdly thin and awkward. The highlights are absolutely amazing, and the record is still pretty good as a whole, but there are a few stoops in quality that really bring it down overall.

EDIT: 90 - 80
Okay, I overrated this a little bit at first. Still a great record, but there's a small amount of ... read more

cover really rizzing me up rn

"Oh No", Xiu Xiu's follow-up to their wildest and most harrowing release yet, 2019's "Girl with Basket of Fruit", is a near hour-long record of duets that features a wide array of guest vocalists. The result is an album that, despite its generally focused sound and aesthetic, feels really incohesive as a holistic experience, each song feeling like its own, disconnected piece. That, paired with the fact that it isn't a ... read more

Although I sadly deleted it a while ago and now have no way of getting it back, REAL @mike_drop fans will remember the review I put out for this record wayyy back in the summer of last year, when I only had a few followers and had just started writing a couple reviews here and there. But, that actually makes me think; 400 fucking followers? Seriously? I cannot thank you all enough, for everything, really. I love listening to and talking about music more than anything, so the ... read more

What a beautiful cover.

Following Xiu Xiu's vast and harrowing adaptation of the classic "Twin Peaks" soundtrack, "FORGET" serves as somewhat of an ambition cool-down, revolving around generally more pop-centric structures. Obviously, the band still incorporate their idiosyncratic, forward-thinking sound and style across the entire project, but in comparison to lots of their past work, this record is relatively tame. "Wondering", for example, is ... read more

For someone who's never watched or even heard anything from "Twin Peaks", I can wholeheartedly say that this record is fucking phenomenal.

"Plays The Music of Twin Peaks" is exactly what its name suggests; a Xiu Xiu cover album of various pieces from the original soundtrack of David Lynch's "Twin Peaks", composed by Angelo Badalamenti. Seeing as I've never delved into the show's contents in any capacity, I went into this a bit worried that the ... read more

Pretty much "F*g Patrol" part 2.

I mean, yeah, that's kind of the best way to sum this up. Just like its stylistic predecessor, "Unclouded Sky" is a bare, intimate collection of quiet folk songs that consist of Jamie, a guitar and some other subtle sonic details, such as bleeding ambience or, most importantly, field recordings. This project makes quite heavy use of field recordings, as, between every single cut, there is a short interlude of natural sounds. ... read more

Midgel Mids: Mid Classmid (incredibly creative, I know)

Yeah, this thing is honestly pretty underwhelming, which is really quite the let-down considering how good it could've been. "Angel Guts: Red Classroom" sees Xiu Xiu taking the foundational elements of their sound and heading into a far more sonically, and often lyrically, abstract realm. Now, despite the various intriguing, exciting ideas the band present across the entire record, I just don't think most of any ... read more

I've listened to very little of Nina Simone's music; mainly just a few big hits here and there. So, going into "Nina", I didn't have much reference for how Xiu Xiu's renditions of various Nina Simone classics would compare to the originals; however, after having gone through this whole thing a couple times now, I can definitely say this: they are awkward as fuck.

Hear me out: I really, really, REALLY love the idea for this album. Not even just the tribute aspect of ... read more

Despite that god-awful album cover, this thing was actually pretty damn great!

This is definitely Xiu Xiu's poppiest and most "accessible" project to date (keep in mind that I'm using that word very lightly, since this is still Xiu Xiu we're talking about). There are so many straight bops here that even someone unfamiliar with more experimental music could still have a decent amount of fun with the record. "Joey's Song", for example, has this very bright, ... read more