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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.
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.”
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.
New Waxahatchee song with MJ Lenderman (from Wednesday and solo stuff) on guitar? Yes please.
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.
New single from the co-founder of Dinosaur Jr. Love it.
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.
Come for the low-budget energy, stay for the piano solo at 2:55.
Does it sound like a Depeche Mode song from 40 years ago? Sure. Is that good? Absolutely.
Had this in heavy rotation lately.
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.
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.
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”:
Here’s Bartees Strange performing Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love.”
I’m no authority on mid-20th century jazz, but I keep coming back to this YouTube channel and its well-curated footage.
“The Steps” by HAIM (2020).
“Cameo” by Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (2020).
“Hard Life” by Sault (2020).
“Printer’s Devil” by Ratboys (2020).
“Animal” by Katie Malco (2020).
“Luminous Spaces” by Jon Hopkins & Kelly Lee Owens (2019).
“Forever Half Mast” by Lucy Dacus (2019).
“Mwana” by Sampa the Great (2019).
“The Onely Ones” by Lightning Bug (2020).
From my regular nightly music posts from May, as Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, and YouTube playlists.
“First Feeling” by Spice (2020).
“New Normal” by Caroline Polachek (2019).
“Oxbow” by Waxahatchee (2020).
“Life Worth Missing” by Car Seat Headrest (2020).
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