Jain

Lacunae

DON'T LISTEN TO, OR REALLY LIKE THAT MUCH, BUT PROBABLY SHOULD
Bands/artists I don't like (but I probably should):

OLD STUFF
- Leonard Cohen
- Bruce Springsteen
- Derek & The Dominoes / "Layla," etc.
- Eric Clapton (any part of his career)
- Beach Boys / Brian Wilson / Smile, etc.
- Grateful Dead
- Kiss
- Rush
- Frank Zappa
- King Crimson
- Electric Light Orchestra

NEWISH STUFF
- The Hold Steady
- Wolf Parade
- Perfume Genius
- Sufjan Stevens
- Father John Misty
- Animal Collective
- Grimes
- Sun Kil Moon
- Tame Impala

NOT BAD / NOT GOOD, BUT EXCESSIVE AFFECTATIONS OF CLEVER
Bands/artists I think are overrated and represent a kind of mediocrity disguised as cleverness:

- Tom Petty (with or without the Heartbreakers)
- Elvis Costello

OK I GUESS
Bands/artists that are fine (and often quite good) but are somewhat overrated in the pantheon of pop, rock, and rap, and now it's just too late and too much to try and mount a challenge to the orthodoxy:

- Beyonce
- Jimi Hendrix
- Metallica
- Nick Cave
- Nick Drake

I LIKE THEM! I DON'T CARE!
Bands that will never get any cred from critics but I unabashedly love them and think they are brilliant:

- Tool
- Bauhaus
- Tears For Fears
- Alice in Chains
- Monster Magnet

DONE WITH THEM
BAND THAT I USED TO LIKE BUT OVERPLAY and TOO MANY COMPILATIONS AND REPACKAGING OF SAME OLD MATERIAL HAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED ANY JOY IN EVER LISTENING TO THEM AGAIN
- The Who

BLASPHEMY
Bands whose critically acclaimed phases (e.g., Roxy Music in 1972-73) I think were not as good as the other stuff they did:

- Wire (I much prefer their Eurotrash techno-pop from the '80s over their initial three-album run)
- fiREHOSE (much prefer fIREHOSE to Minutemen; yes, I just said that)
- Flaming Lips (much prefer their mid-period acid psychedelia from late 80s/early '90s to their later Brian Wilson-esque The Soft Bulletin, etc.)
- Husker Du (much prefer the last two albums over earlier stuff)

Ought - "Forgiveness" and "Habit"

This is pretty amazing.

This is the band Ought playing two songs ("Forgiveness" and "Habit") as part of a short movie called "A Take Away Show" (or "Concert á Emporter") as presented by the French website La Blogothéque.

An amazing 15 minute 37 second performovie that is well worth watching.

The two songs are originally from Ought's debut album More Than Any Other Day.

When Song Titles Describe How You Feel

DEAD SET ON DESTRUCTION

DON'T WANT TO KNOW IF YOU ARE LONELY

SORRY SOMEHOW

HARDLY GETTING OVER IT

TOO FAR DOWN

I heard this (Candy Apple Grey) for the first time in '88 or '89, I think. Can't remember. K used to listen to it a lot on a cassette. It sounded like shit. But it felt deeply midwestern in a way that I can't articulate. Like being in Columbus, Ohio or Milwaukee in October. Or maybe even Mankato in Minnesota.

The album is not known as one of their best. But it is my favorite of theirs, bar none.

And just so it's clear: I always preferred Grant Hart over Bob Mould. Still do.

When song titles describe how you feel, a kind of songomatopeia:

Grizzly Bear - Three Rings

Everything feels at once beautiful and about to fall apart. I experienced lots of beauty today with people I love (and I think, people who love me). But yet, at the same time, it feels about to fall apart. This, the new song from Grizzly Bear echoes that feeling. I know I shouldn't like Grizzly Bear (serious white men who do indie rock) but I can't help myself. They make beautiful music. Can't wait for the album, whenever it comes: