hear this / read this / watch this
trying to become a "writer" again
You may not believe this but raising a toddler is tiring haha. So when I do have some time to myself it’s usually spent playing Red Dead Redemption 2 for the 10th time or watching NBA or wrestling. But things are starting to get a little more routine (or as “routine” as it can be being a dad to a 2-year-old) and I’m gonna carve out time every time to write some more and create this routine. So I’m gonna start small with a weekly post (it’ll usually be on Friday or Saturday going forward) with three recommendations from the prior week - one album (or song), one article, and one video.
Enjoy or don’t.
hear this: Barely Civil - I’d Say I’m Not Fine
Barely Civil thoroughly leveled up on this one. Produced by Chris Teti, this record hits all the classic emo touchstones while adding their own style within in - “Floating Again” is a banger that ping pongs between booming gang vocals and Connor Erickson’s calming delivery over a top of midwest emo styled power chords and prog-rock riffs while a song like “Not Fine” channels Home, Like NoPlace vibes. And the final two tracks really hone in on Erickson’s lyrics - the delicate downtempo “Closing Doors” serving as the perfect template. It’s an unassuming yet incredibly powerful record to enter the emo canon.
read this: The War On Drugs’ “Lost In The Dream” Turns 10 (Stereogum)
I adore Stereogum’s album retrospectives as these write-ups go beyond just the record - adding context, personal memories, and more to each one. Ryan Leas is especially good at this and their piece on The War On Drugs’ breakthrough album Lost In The Dream is extraordinary. This record is as close to a perfect modern rock and roll record we have and this piece just absolutely nails it.
watch this: Soul Glo NPR Tiny Desk Concert (3/22/2024)
Soul Glo is the most important band we have right now. Diaspora Problems is a modern classic through and through. So it’s a goddamn treat to see this band unleash through some of those album cuts at the iconic NPR Tiny Desk and yes of course they brought the first ever pit to that studio. Pierce Jordan in a bright pink TELFAR hoodie backed by GG Guerra, TJ Stevenson, and Alan Nunez furiously ripping through "Jump!! (Or Get Jumped!!!)((by the future))", "If I Speak (Shut The Fuck Up)", "Driponomics", and the all time great "Gold Chain Punk (whogonbeatmyass?)" has made this Tiny Desk one of the most memorable ones in the history of the series.