ROBOT HERO: POP MUSIC THOUGHTS

California Life is Alright with Me

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 May 2020 16:58:00 +0000

On paper, I thought Avalanches + Rivers Cuomo wouldn't work, but I really like this. And Pink Siifu doing David Berman's line (from Purple Mountains' Darkness and Cold) in the breakdown is the cherry on top.

California life is alright with me.

Bandcamp Day: FRI 1 MAY

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 05:12:00 +0000

Bandcamp is doing another fee waiver day this coming Friday. 100% of the money from anything you purchase will go straight to your favourite band(s). Bandcamp will also be doing at least a couple more of these on the first Fridays of June and July. Read more about it here. Also, I use the Bandcamp app a lot to listen to music. Easy to use UI and you get unlimited streaming with no ads. Totally recommended. So there's that. You know, if you're interested.

Twin Peaks: It Is Happening Again

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 21:23:00 +0000

Johnny Jewel posted a pretty cool Twin Peaks 86-track playlist entitled Twin Peaks: It Is Happening Again over on Spotify. As you might know, Jewel was involved with the Twin Peaks: The Return return a couple years ago. Chromatics appeared in the series (episodes 2 and 12!) Roadhouse scenes. Click above or below to check it out.

Indie Record Stores Need Help

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 02:12:00 +0000

The Y Axes - No Waves (2019)

Just FYI, a couple of my favourite record stores have set up GoFundMe pages. Like anyone, they're being gutted by the current crisis. Amoeba has been with me for nearly all of my adult life, I've spent countless hours at the Berkeley and SF locations learning about and tracking down new music. 1-2-3-4 GO! Records has been my local here in Oakland for the past 12 years, about a 10 minute drive away. When I get the itch, I like to wander down there and flip through the bins and see what I treasures I can dig up. I don't know who reads this, if anyone, but I thought I'd try to amplify.

Amoeba Records: https://www.gofundme.com/f/amoeba-music-needs-help-to-survive

1-2-3-4 GO! Records: https://www.gofundme.com/f/1234goneedsyourhelp

Dolly Parton's America

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 03:57:00 +0000

Dolly Parton's America

I listened to the Dolly Parton's America podcast this week. Super interesting, inspiring and moving. I love Dolly. I wish I had paid more attention to her when I was younger. I think it's a good place to start if you're new to her and hardcore fans will find some interesting info as well. I'm somewhere in the middle, myself, and I enjoyed all of it; even moved to tears at points. She's just such a fascinating, complicated lady and a shrewd business-woman. I think my favourite thing about her is her self-deprecation. She's willing to make herself the target of a joke, kind of diminishing anyone's venom or deflecting pot-shots. The podcast is 9 installments, click on the image to check out the site or find it wherever you get your podcasts.

Glider

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 07:06:00 +0000

My Bloody Valentine - Glider (1990)

Happy 30th name-day to My Bloody Valentine's Glider EP, which contains my fave MBV song, Off Your Face. I love love love this song. Click the album cover to check out the EP.

Figure 8

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 05:42:00 +0000

Elliott Smith - Figure 8 (2000)

Like many people, Elliott Smith's Figure 8 was a comfort to me in dark times. Pretty much all of his albums, really. That guy just fucking knew what was up. Figure 8 was released 20 years ago today and it's still a comfort to me now, like an old friend I can meet up with after years apart and we can still pick up where we last left off. Click the album cover to get reacquainted, or maybe this is your first time. All good either way. There's never a bad time for some Elliott Smith.

Fetch the Bolt Cutters

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 05:56:00 +0000

Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters (2020)

The new Fiona Apple album is finally here and, predictably, it's reeeeeeeeeally good. It feels more raw and direct than The Idler Wheel, kinda fitting for these times. I've listened to it a couple times so far and I can already tell it's gonna be in constant rotation around here. Click the album cover to check it out.

Sawayama

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:14:00 +0000

Rina Sawayama - Sawayama (2020)

Rina Sawayama's new album, Sawayama, is an absolute banger. I became interested in her ever since I heard the excellent Ordinary Superstar a couple years ago. Sawayama (the album) is kind of a melting pot of pop ideas and influences. It comes at you from a lot of different (and sometimes unexpected) angles, but it doesn't feel like a massive Zerg attack trying to overwhelm and smother you. Every moment is a pinpoint surgical strike, and it's beautiful to behold. Album of the summer and beyond, y'all. For real. Anyway, it's officially out now, click on the album cover and hear for yourself.

The Fuck is Dear Tommy?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 04:20:00 +0000

Ruth. On sale at the IDIB store. Not Ruth or Dear Tommy, just the top.

View this post on Instagram

🕯

A post shared by Chromatics (@chromatics) on Apr 15, 2020 at 8:22am PDT

Born Again

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 00:22:00 +0000

Ellis - Born Again (2020)

Happened to catch a blurb about Ellis' new album, Born Again, which made me curious enough to look it up. Lo and behold, I'm very into it. Kind of atmospheric dream pop which, you know, is totally up my street. Click on the album cover to give it a listen over on her Bandcamp page.

Fodder on My Wings

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 11 Apr 2020 18:38:00 +0000

Nina Simone - Fodder on My Wings (1982)(2020 Reissue)

Hadn't heard this Nina Simone album before, thought I'd check it out. I first came across her sometime in the 90s, I think. I've only a cursory knowledge of her. I've seen the What Happened, Miss Simone (2015) documentary. I have a few albums and a compilation. This 1982 album was just reissued by Verve, I freaking love the cover (which you can click on if you'd like to listen to the album).

*Edit - Just finished a full run of the album, man, what a ride. I think I need a couple more listens to absorb it.

*Edit Edit - There's a nice writeup over at Pitchfork. Much better than anything I could ever write.

This Cover of Hey Julie is Lovely

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 04:17:00 +0000

Posted today by Eva from Charly Bliss.

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FOW forever ❤️ Adam Schlesinger forever ❤️

A post shared by Charly Bliss (@charlybliss) on Apr 8, 2020 at 3:19pm PDT

RIP John Prine

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 02:25:00 +0000

Fuck, y'all, shit just keeps getting worse and worse, it seems. Hello in There was my first encounter with John Prine back in the mid-80s. I love his easy-going and sorta conversational songs. One of the greats. Terrible, terrible loss.

*edit* nice writeup here, if you're interested.

Say So

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 02:50:00 +0000

Just stumbled upon this, I hadn't heard of Rainych before, but her cover of Doja Cat's Say So is fucking superb. I love the original and I love this as well. Comparing them is like comparing ice skating and roller blading. Same thing but completely different.

These Clothes Don't Fit Us Right

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 06:36:00 +0000

R.E.M. L-R: Bill Berry, Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills

I had no idea, but today is the 40th anniversary of R.E.M.'s first gig. These guys have been with me pretty much since my late-teens. I had heard of them when Murmur first came out. I read Rolling Stone religiously and Murmur kept showing up in their bands-to-watch columns and on the college charts at the back of the magazine. Some time later, they appeared on Solid Gold, performing South Central Rain, which made this a Reckoning-era appearance (album released in April of 84) . Solid Gold was a weekly show that counted down the week's top ten hits while the Solid Gold Dancers performed interpretive dances along to each track. Dionne Warwick, Marilyn McCoo and Andy Gibb were among the higher profile hosts. The show itself was pretty cheesy. I mean, we already had American Bandstand and Soul Train, but Solid Gold somehow lasted 8 seasons.

In any case, my first listen to R.E.M. was via Solid Gold. I remember liking it but not loving it. After Reckoning (1984) came Fables of the Reconstruction (1985) and Life's Rich Pageant (1986), but it wasn't until Document (1987) where I really dove in. The One I Love and It's the End of the World and I Feel Fine were getting TONS of play on MTV. I got a copy of the album and it clicked with me immediately, so I went backwards from there and those dudes started soundtracking much of my life from the late 80s through the 90s. Green (1988). Out of Time (1991). Automatic for the People (1992). Monster (1994). New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996). So much fucking awesome.

Admittedly, I fell of the bandwagon after Up (1998). Reveal (2001), I felt, was largely lacking in spirit (I've sorta revised opinion that in recent years) and Around the Sun (2004) is easily the worst thing that happened to the R.E.M. brand. The last couple studio albums, Accelerate (2008) and Collapse into Now (2011) sorta had me interested again. And that last live album, Live at the Olympia (2009) is waaaaaay better than it has a right to be. I only listened to it out of curiousity and I was surprised at how much I liked it.

In any case, joyeux anniversaire to R.E.M., one of the best bands to emerge from this country. There are lots of album links here (spoiler alert: every major release is linked in this post). Click one and take it out for a drive if you haven't yet been initiated, or maybe get reacquainted if it's been a while. There are some really good compilations as well, if you just wanna do a greatest hits drive-by. Nothing wrong with that at all.

Stay safe, y'all. Shit is weird out there.

Kathryn Calder

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 05:22:00 +0000

Kathryn Calder did a 30-min livestream from her home tonight and it was super cool. Her voice is one of my faves in pop music today, it's just so clear and lovely. And she seems like a genuinely good person, to boot. Thankfully it's preserved on the Youtubes, and you can watch it again and again and again, if you like. Or just the once. She runs through hits from all three of her albums and even tosses in a New Pornographers tune (Adventures in Solitude, which I fucking LOVE) which is the cherry on top. Check it out.

My Holy Trinity (Country Music Edition)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 22:30:00 +0000

Hailey Whitters - The Dream (2020)

Caitlyn Smith - Supernova (2020)

Aubrie Sellers - Far From Home (2020)

This is my holy trinity right now, and I hadn't heard of any of these ladies before a month or so ago. They're females in country music, but that's pretty much where the similarities end. These are three very different albums and they're all worth listening to, as far as I'm concerned. And I feel like if it weren't for this goddamn virus shit, they'd all be gearing up for triumphant tours to engage with appreciative crowds. I would go to all three of these gigs if they were happening. For now, I'm content to listen to these excellent albums while isolating for the greater good. So, I'll just post some links here to get you started if you're interested. (Weirdly, while getting the links, I just noticed each album is 12 tracks long. Also, I noticed that I posted them in reverse alphabetical order of their surnames. Also also, each album cover depicts each one leaning back, and they're all lone figures. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?)

Hailey Whitters - The Dream
Caitlyn Smith - Supernova
Aubrie Sellers - Far From Home

RIP Adam Schlesinger

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 00:33:00 +0000

Fountains of Wayne - Utopia Parkway (1999)

Ivy - Apartment Life (1997)

Died of C19 complications today. Dude played a big part in my musical life starting in the mid-90s. Utopia Parkway (1999) is probably about as perfect as it gets. Oh, and Ivy's Apartment Life (1997). I played the hell outta those albums, they should be taught to anyone who is considering making pop music. I'm just thinking about these ones right now, but there's so much more. Definitely worth your time to track down some other stuff. Super sad about this. RIP, man.

New York

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 18:32:00 +0000

Lin-Manuel Miranda singing St. Vincent's New York is the content I didn't realize I needed.

Running out of songs of my own
to play on behalf ofhttps://t.co/VL7nwWXY7P
So here’s New York by the brilliant @st_vincent.
That site again is https://t.co/VL7nwWXY7P
❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/UR3B0xee5Y
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) April 1, 2020

The History of Myspace Music

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 17:08:00 +0000

Somebody's Myspace Page

Stereogum posted a fascinating article about the rise and fall of Myspace and its musical impact. I had an account but I didn't really utilize it, I spent most of my time on a few message boards (Bowlie, Giant Robot, Aimee Mann) during those years.

Anyways, check it out here, it's a compelling read (or at least it was to me).

I made you a mix

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 03:17:00 +0000

C192020

I'd been putting something together in my head a little bit before all this shit went down. The other day, I sat for a few hours and finished it. Making mixes is kinda like therapy to me, maybe you'll like this session (I tried to keep it upbeat and I think I somewhat succeeded). No tracklist, just let that shit happen.

I think the link expires after 5 days, maybe 7. Anyway, grab it here. Stay safe, y'all.

Infection

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 03:13:00 +0000

Morpheme, one of Dean Garcia's many, many side projects, put out the Red Dog EP in 2011, which included this song (which fucking destroys, as far as I'm concerned). You might know Garcia from the band, Curve. If not, do yourself a favour and get acquainted. Hope y'all's quarantines are going okay.

I Think We're Alone Now

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 02:07:00 +0000

Today, Billie Joe from Green Day posted this pretty cool cover of the 1967 Tommy James and The Shondells classic. Apparently he recorded it in his bedroom since he's under quarantine like anyone else. A lot of interesting things are popping up because of C19 and it's nice to see people working around quarantine and still finding a way to be creative. Stay home and stay safe, y'all.

The Machine is Bleeding to Death

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 21 Mar 2020 16:39:00 +0000

MOOD

the car's on fire and there's no driver at the wheel

and the sewers are all muddied with a thousand lonely suicides

and a dark wind blows

the government is corrupt

and we're on so many drugs

with the radio on and the curtains drawn

we're trapped in the belly of this horrible machine

and the machine is bleeding to death

the sun has fallen down

and the billboards are all leering

and the flags are all dead at the top of their poles

it went like this:

the buildings tumbled in on themselves

mothers clutching babies picked through the rubble

and pulled out their hair

the skyline was beautiful on fire

all twisted metal stretching upwards

everything washed in a thin orange haze

i said: "kiss me, you're beautiful -

these are truly the last days"

you grabbed my hand and we fell into it

like a daydream or a fever

we woke up one morning and fell a little further down -

for sure it's the valley of death

i open up my wallet

and it's full of blood