I consider it the best record to come out of that entire scene. Think it's very well written and coherent. Plus I have a ton of nostalgia attached to many of the songs. Still listen to it yearly.
Pinkerton and FEFA will for sure be high on mine. Genuinely flawless records. Hey @OhTheWater while I got you here, quick question: I've know you to be a big Pinkerton fan much like myself. How do you feel about the sexist/misogynistic critiques that get lobbed its way?
It's a dark record. I think most of the hate on it is self hate and confusion and depression and anxiety. The way it manifests itself on the record is ugly, and that's kind've what I enjoy about it. Not to dismiss any criticisms or complaints as the way the music affects the people lodging those complaints is valid, I just think the things being written about on the album are deeper than sex/girls or whatever. I think a lot of the record is Rivers grappling with this ugliness/hatred/misogyny inside of himself, perhaps making a commentary on those traits within men/the world as a whole? Idk, I haven't read much criticism on it.
This is basically the stance I've felt as well. It feels more like Rivers deconstructing himself and his sexist/toxic/depressing self deprecation and commenting on how awful he is more so than actually being sexist and toxic. If I can compare to something, The Ugly Organ by Cursive would be it. Or even Is A Real Boy to an extent. It's more of self hatred and critiquing yourself for having these feelings, more so than actually having them and supporting them. Anyways, thanks for the response my friend.
Exactly, IMO I haven't really heard a better representation of self hate and anxiety in music, which is why I connect to it so much. Maybe some of BTMI/Jeff's stuff. I think there's some problematic stuff in there related to the fetishization of Japanese culture/Pink Triangle, but I'm honestly still trying to decipher what the fuck is happening in that song 20 years later.
I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody's Business is one of those time machine albums for me, damn. I'm listening to it again for the first time in a while and it's taking me back. Flows so well, melodies are great, lyrics are great. A high point for the scene that tends to get overlooked.
some of the japanese fetish stuff and the overall message of Pink Triangle is a bit problematic i agree, but like you said its a lot to unpack and its such an amazingly BLUNT record in that Rivers just laid it all out in plain site with nothing to hide. i guess thats why i, as a queer person, can forgive Pink Triangle for that but the fetish of a culture is a bit harder of a pill to swallow. although i get it, its who Rivers was at the time so it makes sense that he as a problematic character would have an issue like that i suppose. fuck now im going to listen to Pinkerton
Okay, here's mine. Don't drag me too hard/don't mind my lack of variety. My taste isn't as varied as I'd like it to be but I've been trying and I've already come pretty far from a few years ago believe it or not. Also there were 3 releases from 2016 that I actually considered for the list but left off because I feel like it's too soon to tell how they'll hold up. If you were curious they were: Mitski - Puberty 2, Told Slant - Going By, and The Jezabels - Synthia.
Bored at work, so..... Is there a way to copy and paste the details of the albums? I'm not gonna actually go to the bother of writing all 50 out.
God, it hasn't even been a full 24 hours and I realized I left something out. Broken Social Scene's You Forgot It In People. It would've went in the second tier favorites section which makes me forgetting it worse. I guess just imagine it's in there and everything else got bumped a slot, and Go didn't make it or something.
I did a top 100 last year. It would probably be different now, because there are no 2015 or 2016 albums on here, but I'm definitely too lazy to do that again.
The best thing about a top 50 list is I don't feel bad for putting multiple Los Campesinos!/Johnny Foreigner records on my list....
yessssssss it's not the easiest listen, i got into him after i saw him live since the songs are so good but some of the melodies aren't as obviously brilliant with the instrumentation going on. i usually recommend people watch live videos of some of the songs first but you can definitely try and go ahead with it
I have a thing with that band where I prefer all there newer albums, but that album holds such nostalgic value for me, so I will always "rank" it higher up.
I'll report back after a few listens but I'm on track 8 and really love it so far. Reminds me of The Mountain Goats with electronic elements. I've been trying to discover more "folk-tronica" since 22, A Million came out
that's pretty much the comparison i always give, hah. especially live he sounds even more like the mountain goats this is one of my favorite live videos
Johnny Foreigner /// Waited 'til it was light Dananananaykroyd /// Hey everyone I swear by that Johnny Foreigner album more so than any album in existence.