Adam Isacson

Defense, security, borders, migration, and human rights in Latin America and the United States. May not reflect my employer’s consensus view.

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“Neon Signs” by The Weather Station

Ignorance, the 2021 album from this group led by Toronto-based songwriter Tamara Lindeman, deserved all of the many accolades it received. I’m glad to learn that the Weather Station has a new album coming out in January, Humanhood—and that this first single, released yesterday, is excellent.

“Sick Sweet” by Wishy

There’s a good debut album out today from Wishy, an Indiana band that put out 2 great EPs since last year. Triple Seven got a 7.3 on Pitchfork yesterday, which is about right: there are some super catchy tracks, but a minority that aren’t quite there.

Sound is poppy (not sludgy/heavy) shoegaze. Here’s the album’s first track, “Sick Sweet.”

Wednesday (the Band) on Tuesday Night

At Washington’s 9:30 Club, Karly Hartzman screams through the harrowing final minutes of “Bull Believer,” from last year’s phenomenal album Rat Saw God.

Young Fathers Live on KEXP

I was enjoying Young Fathers’ latest album. Then last night, I watched this and immediately got on my phone and bought tickets for when they come through Washington in April.

“The Window” by Ratboys

I’m angry at Ratboys (a group I’ve seen twice, because they’re always touring and open for everybody) for writing a song that’s absolutely brilliant and instantly catchy—but I can’t seem to hear without tearing up.

Stereogum explains why:

“I wrote this song a few days after the death of my grandma in June 2020,” says Ratboys’ Julia Steiner. “She didn’t have COVID, but because of the pandemic my grandpa wasn’t able to visit her in person at the nursing home to say goodbye. He ended up standing outside her room and saying goodbye through an open window. A lot of the lyrics are direct quotes of things he said to her in those final moments.”

Gorgeous but gutting. Damn it, got something in my eye again.

The Beths, 9:30 Club, Washington DC, March 4

Great to see New Zealand’s The Beths, an indie-pop group at the height of their powers, at a sold-out 9:30 Club in Washington.

A much larger space than where I last saw them, in October 2018 at the Songbyrd Music Hall basement in Adams Morgan, which has since moved to a bigger and far better space. Here, my view of lead singer / guitarist Elizabeth Stokes was obscured by a post.

Have a good weekend

Seattle’s KEXP just posted this video of The Smile—Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead with drummer Tom Skinner from Sons of Kemet—playing 3 songs from last year’s album.

Back at work

Holiday break is over. Jury duty is over (they almost picked me for a week-long civil trial, but chickened out). I’m back at the job, full time.

Here’s a nice live version of New Zealand’s The Beths playing “Expert in a Dying Field”:

Have a good weekend

Here’s Bartees Strange performing Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love.”

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