#avant-garde vocalist

[estranhossonhos]

he is the personification of poetry, and nobody can convince me otherwise.

DIR   EN   GREY  『目黒鹿鳴館GIG (Meguro Rock-May-Kan GIG)』 輪郭 (RINKAKU)   ›   京

[avantgardemetallover]

BAND: Idiot Flesh

ALBUM: Fancy

GENRE: Experimental rock/Avant-Garde Metal

RELEASE DATE: 1997

Few songs I enjoy!!!:

▪︎ Teen Devil Worshiper Jonathan Canteros List

▪︎ People in Your Neighborhood

This band has quickly became one of my favs!!!

[viksalos]

Diamanda Galás photographed by Austin Young, 2023

[julian-skrz]

Good Book instrumental

[vintageblackandwhiteportraits]

[iamlisteningto]

Hatis Noit’s Aura

[haveyouheardthisband]

obscure bands and where to listen to them, part 2

Follow-up to [this post].

Here I'll go over five artists whose polls got an extremely low amount of "yes" votes, plug where you can listen to them, etc.

If you're a fan of one of these artists and I got anything wrong or you have anything to add, please send an ask!

Long post ahead.

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PALMSY

Genres: Indie Pop, Jangle Pop, Bedroom Pop 10 out of 2,375 voters have listened to them. (0.4%)

Self-described as such: "Bedroom songs from the Netherlands. Feel-good sunny energy, jangly indie pop and the breezy energy of pop-punk." Their website (in Dutch) says they're influenced by artists such as Bombay Bicycle Club, Darwin Deez, Little Comets, and The Wombats. Released one EP in 2017 and seems to have been inactive since, but two members went on to form the band Banji.

Apple Music Soundcloud Spotify YouTube (official) YouTube (auto-generated)

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Clay J Gladstone

Genres: Pop Punk, Punk Rock 12 out of 2,495 voters have listened to them. (0.5%)

Australian. "Emo punk outfit Clay J Gladstone was formed in 2020, comprised of current and former members of powerhouses Resist the Thought, Caulfield, and Buried in Verona." Released one album and some singles in 2021-2022, but they're still active and playing shows! Apparently one of their guitarists got his equipment stolen recently but they were able to fundraise enough money to replace it so yay :)

Apple Music Bandcamp Soundcloud Spotify YouTube (official) YouTube (auto-generated)

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Radiation 4

Genres: Avant-Garde Metal, Mathcore 10 out of 2,314 voters have listened to them. (0.4%)

Los Angeles-based experimental metal band that dressed in lab coats and glasses for their live performances. Their MySpace listed their influences as "Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Tom Waits, Mr Bungle, Botch..the list goes on." (IMO, the vocals especially are VERY Mike Patton-ish.) Released an EP in 2001 and an album in 2003, then went on hiatus in 2007 (though the vocalist uploaded some of their stuff to Bandcamp in 2022-2023?) Here's a fairly recent interview with the vocalist.

Bandcamp Here are unofficial YouTube uploads of Radiation 4 (2001 EP) and Wonderland (2003 album), which aren't on the Bandcamp, or anywhere else that I can find. ...Also, I finally found a copy of the album art for Wonderland that isn't JPEG'd into oblivion.

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LightGuides

Genres: Pop Rock, Indie Rock, Math Rock 4 out of 2,158 voters have listened to them. (0.2%)

Self-proclaimed "Glaswegian pop-punk samba legends" (they aren't really samba though...) previously known as We Hung Your Leader. According to their old website, their influences included Jimmy Eat World, Alexisonfire, Brand New, and The Get Up Kids. Released two "mini-albums" between 2010 and 2011, and ceased posting on social media around 2017. Here's an interview (from shortly before the release of their second album) if you want to know more!

Apple Music Soundcloud Spotify YouTube (official) YouTube (auto-generated)

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Tribraco

Genres: Jazz-Rock, Avant-Prog, Progressive Rock 12 out of 2,534 voters have listened to them. (0.5%)

Italian instrumental jazz-rock band, formed in Rome in 2004 initially as a trio but then grew to a quartet. Their MySpace listed such influences as John Zorn, Frank Zappa, Igor Stravinsky, and Fred Frith. Released two albums, one in 2008 and one in 2010. (...there's not much else I could find about them!)

Apple Music Spotify YouTube (official) YouTube (auto-generated)

[calicohyde]

Jack Hyde All-Character Tournament: SEMIFINALS, Seed 2

Ferris the cat ("Witch Noir")

Ferris is a familiar, which is a cat that was a witch in its first life. A familiar gets reincarnated as a cat and has nine lives with which to find its platonic soulmate in a living witch. With each life, the power and preternatural intelligence it carries with it from its human life degrade, until on the ninth and final life it has become just a normal cat. Ferris found its mate in Anca on its third life as a cat. It spies for her and does whatever bidding it can manage without opposable thumbs or the ability to speak, but it has enough of its human personality left to make independent decisions and go against her wishes when it chooses. It was a tectonist when it was human, which is a witch that can move the earth, and it still has some of that leftover in its furry little body. When Anca elects to leave Angel to his own devices instead of sticking up for him against the board of Crones that want to banish him, Ferris decides to go with him and help him as much as it can. It still thinks of Angel's kids as its own. It protects Fred and Eddie with every trick it has left, as well as keeping an eye on other people it feels have been abandoned by its illogical human family members.

Genre: Horror Fantasy Designation: Side Character Quick Facts: ~300 years old when all lives are counted, was one of the founding members of the community it lives in and is technically a prominent local historical figure

VERSUS

Asher Adam (Any Publicity Is Good Publicity)

Asher is the frontman of the punk duo ION. He is forthright and blunt to a fault, in part because he's autistic and in part because he's just kind of a cunt - and proud of it. He is the lead vocalist and guitar player for ION, but he also plays flute and violin, which he and his other band member and brother Jordan sometimes creatively incorporate into their music. Ash is also the primary lyricist for the band. He writes a scathing and very direct track lambasting politician Gwaine Hinata, which quickly makes news and brings Gwaine himself to a show. When he spots Gwaine in the audience, Asher gets off stage to perform the song right in Gwaine's face. Ash has a typical Tragic Backstory. He is a double amputee from surviving a terrible car crash. His right arm and leg were irreparably crushed by debris when he crawled back into the wreckage to rescue Jordan. Now, he uses avant garde fashion prostheses to announce ION's new albums and match his body to the cover art.

Genre: Romantic Comedy Designation: Main Character Quick Facts: trans, gay, Jewish, Alabaman with the accent to prove it

Semifinals Poll Masterlist

[blood-sucking-freaks]

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 Facts

-was originally supposed to be about a town full of cannibals instead of just the Sawyer family. This version was to be titled "Beyond the Valley of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. Bubba Sawyer and Sally Hardesty were to return. Nubbins Sawyer would've survived, been left paralyzed, and tied to a tree by the Sawyer family.

-Bill Mosely was cast as Chop Top because he splayed Nubbins in a Texas Chainsaw Massacre parody called 'The Texas Chainsaw Manicure'.

-Bill Mosely played Chop Top as the vocalist in an avant-garde metal band formed in 1995 called The Cornbugs with Bucket Head, Pinchface, and Travis Dickerson. The band released five albums and two DVDs before their 2007 breakup. Their songs were heavily inspired by TCM and TCM2.

-Gunnar Hansen was offered to return as Bubba, though he turned down the role because the offer was too low.

-Dennis Hopper, Lefty Enright's actor, celebrated his 50th birthday on set and cut his birthday cake with a chainsaw.

-Tobe Hooper's son William Hooper tried to bring Bill Mosely back as Chop Top in a TCM short film. It would have been titled 'All American Massacre' and was supposed to be both a prequel and sequel to TCM2. It would have followed Chop Top's origins and his breakout from prison to embark on his own massacre. The project died out when William Hooper ran out of money to complete the film during post-production. Eventually a trailer for the film was leaked and can be watched on youtube.

-Edwin Neal, Nubbins actor in TCM confirmed that the reason Nubbins wasn't sent to war while Chop Top was was because Nubbins was too crazy.

-The family photo used in the advertisements, posters, and covers was a spoof of The Breakfast Club.

-In the original version, Stretch was going to be Lefty's illegitimate daughter.

-Lefty is Sally and Franklin's uncle.

-When Lefty is buying his chainsaws, Bubba's TCM chainsaw model, a Poulan 245A, can be seen on the wall.

-Chop Top's real name is Robert. His and Drayton's are the only two known real first names of the Sawyers.

-during filming, the main set caught on fire and when firefighters showed up, they thought they had stumbled upon a mass murderers body stash

[droughtofapathy]

"Welcome to the Theatre": Diary of a Broadway Baby

Kill the Whale

April 14, 2024 | Joe's Pub | Evening | Concept Album Release | Song Cycle | 1H 40M

Long ramble, so buckle in:

I did not like Kill the Whale. Let's start this off being very clear on that. I went in knowing nothing, and I was fully prepared to love it. I love Amber Gray, I love Grace McLean, I love weird avante garde art. This was... I did not like what was presented to me. As a song cycle, a series of solo character introductory songs that don't do much to serve the plot is certainly a choice. The performers are all vocal powerhouses, that's undeniable. And with genres like rap, hip-hop, and lots of rock & roll, I understand why every song was screltched to the high heavens. But it was borderline painful to listen to as the night wore on, partially owing to the inconsistent sound mixing and inappropriate acoustics of Joe's Pub, but mostly it's the writing. The seven(?)-person band overpowered the vocalists on any lines not belted, and the belting pitched out more than once. Would it kill some of the singers to hold the microphone a little further back when going for it? And why do contemporary songwriters all want their performers to blow out their vocal chords every night? Everyone was full throttle the whole time, and it left little room for growth or breath.

The song cycle does remarkably little to evoke more than just head-bopping beats, as if the story inspiration is only really a mood setter and not integral to any plot or story trying to be told. There are almost no duets or indeed, characters singing with each other at all. The final Chase sequence (three parts) is really just like ten parts of individual solos with different genres and beats. There's little to really tie these songs together beyond a vague association with Moby Dick. The lyrics too are more about feelings and moods than about crafting a story. Should this ever become a piece of musical theatre, I don't think it would work as presented. It was also a 100-minute show and they had to cut songs for time, so that's...long. More than half is just one character intro song after another, and they're not so much as "I Want" or "I Am" songs, so much as "here's what I'm thinking about, you don't know me, or care yet, but here I am just ruminating about life," and that's tiresome after the sixth one in a row.

Also, one character is heavily influenced by rap and hip-hop and uses a lot of AAVE in his songs. The writer is a white man. I...wonder who or what he might have worked with to craft these numbers. I also wonder why this writer wanted to write a character whose songs speak so deeply about contemporary Black struggle and oppression. Because while the body emulating this on stage is Black, the words are from a white creator who is only ever imagining what that experience is.

That being said, I'm a lesbian, and Grace McLean (though even she screlted too much for me in the end) being hot and sexy and aggressive was great. Didn't save the night, but great nonetheless.

Verdict: A Long Slog to Curtains

A Note on Ratings

Had the show only been an hour-long sampling of songs, I'd have been more positive. But this was too long to listen to the same thing time after time. As an album where I can control whether or not I want my eardrums to hurt (I was at the back of Joe's Pub, so I can't imagine how the people up front fared), maybe I'd like it more? It's not my taste, at the end of the day, and I'm sure there are many people who love it. Pass.

[lovejustforaday]

Shoegaze Classics - Xuvetyn

Xuvetyn - Lovesliescrushing (1996)

Main Genres - Ambient, Shoegaze, Ethereal Wave, Experimental

A decent sampling of: Drone, Noise, Dream Pop, Post-Rock, Neo-Psychedelia

I'm not gonna lie - I'm super excited to gush about this record. I've been meaning to get around to reviewing this bountiful, fascinating little gem for years now. Let's hope that I can do this often unsung masterpiece the much needed justice that it deserves.

🙙

I touched on this previously in my Ride review, but for all of the talk of the 'Big 3' of shoegaze, I think that many of the younger shoegaze fans these days would agree that Slowdive and My Bloody Valentines' discographies are a cut above the Ride catalogue. Not to diss on the band, but the Big 3 is really starting to feel more like a Big 2 these days, with Slowdive's relevance to new fans only increasing over time whilst Ride's relevance seems to be stagnating.

This has left a potential vacuum in the consensus online. Don't get me wrong; plenty are still going to champion Ride as one of the giants of shoegaze, and most folks that were around for the original scene that celebrated itself are most likely still diehard for Ride as the scene's closest group to being mega rockstars.

But in terms of the legacy of 90s shoegaze, could there still be a record that is missing from all-time canonization? One that has oft been overlooked when discussing this supposed "Big 3"? Is one of indie rock's most beloved and revisited eras still hiding an elusive diamond in the rough?

In case it wasn't already obvious, that's the case I'm going to be making today. And I don't think I'm entirely alone on this one. Few shoegaze bands from the 90s have had such a considerable late resurgence like this band, though they've always had a cult following.

Today I'll be making the case for Lovesliescrushing, the creative juggernauts behind the 1996 experimental ambient shoegaze masterpiece Xuvetyn.

The Band

Lovesliescrushing are one of the rare American bands of the original 90s wave.

The project began in 1991 as the brainchild of avant-garde guitarist and producer Scott Cortez, who teamed up with the apparitional soprano voice of singer Melissa Arpin-Duimstra, a vocalist who more than any other shoegaze vocalist before or since has dedicated her artistry to using the singing voice as a medium to carry and modulate the properties of sound timbre first and foremost.

Daringly, Lovesliescrushing as a band decided to forego having a rhythm section altogether. Not even a drum machine. The band's radical ethos right from its inception would seem to have been to distill shoegaze rock music down to a purified elemental substance, achieving the platonic ideal by creating an undisturbed solution of dense and glorious blended textures.

Indeed, where reverberated guitar sounds with bizarre effects and blended vocals were what set apart bands like Swervedriver, Catherine Wheel, and Curve from being otherwise ordinary indie/alternative rock bands, the qualities I just described encompassed the near-entirety of Lovesliescrushing's early output, taking the concept of the subgenre to its logical extreme.

The band pioneered what is essentially the fusion of ambient music and shoegaze, a match made in heaven as far as I'm concerned. This marriage of genre ethos would give way to some of the most unyielding sublime auditory sensations that I have ever been so fortunate to have experienced.

Lovesliescrushing also had one foot steeped firmly in the murky waters of ethereal wave (particularly on the sophomore record), the goth subgenre which served as shoegaze and dream pop's most apparent predecessor and influence. Indeed, some of the band's material can be seen as building upon the prototypical blueprint that can be found in Cocteau Twins' fourth LP Victorialand which similarly removed the rhythm section in order to create pure blissful atmosphere.

Some may see Cortez's work as hero worship, and I've heard a dozen or so folks accuse this band of being "My Bloody Valentine without the melodies and drums", but this is a grossly reductionist take that does a huge disservice to just how brazenly groundbreaking and experimental this band's early work was at the time and still remains to this day.

Lovesliescrushing also regularly made their foray into other schools of experimental music like drone, sound collage, and harsh noise, incorporating these ideas into their creative process. Some of their material even sounds like experimental music with no apparent roots in any particular legacy whatsoever.

This is honestly some very radical music. I can't think of much of anything really quite like early Lovesliescrushing. Perhaps MBV is one of the closest points of reference, but then only because they were a shoegaze band that also sounded quite unlike anything at the time.

Information on the beginnings of this band is scant on the internet compared to many other shoegaze artists, and they were never well-documented by the alternative music press the way that bands like Slowdive or even Catherine Wheel were. And as far as the North American scene goes, Drop Nineteens definitely overshadowed their popularity.

I think it's a fair assessment to say that Lovesliescrushing were truly underground in the band's formative years. I remember only as far back as 2017, when I was just getting into this band through online recommendations, that even many avid fans of Slowdive and MBV had never even heard of this band. But I digress.

Lovesliescrushing released their debut LP Bloweyelashwish twice: first as a casette tape in 1992 on their own indie label with a shorter track listing, and then as a longer full-length album in 1993 on Projekt Records, with newer recordings and mastered versions of the songs.

Bloweyelashwish is a beautiful record in its own right. More generally noisy and droning than its successor, with crunchier guitar sounds, blown out distortion, and a listless melancholic atmosphere. Somewhat closer to very early Sonic Youth, or some of A.R. Kane's weirdest output. What the record does somewhat lack, at least in comparison to its successor, is relative cohesion.

Nevertheless, some very brilliant tracks on the debut LP. "Babysbreath" is music for when you need to smother your tears in a pillow with all of the lights off, "Sugaredglowing" is one of my favourite ambient tracks ever (and a surprisingly potent form of migraine relief), and "youreyesimmaculate" is a stunning and ethereal foreshadowing of what was to come next.

Speaking of which...

The Record

Xuvetyn is... what even is it?

Xuvetyn is a series of documented sound frequencies that would be made by a sentient, shimmering blue light galaxy consisting entirely of trillions upon trillions of frozen ice shard particles. Alternatively, it is the contradictory sound of the bitter coldness of the universe itself caressing the listener in a warm cocoon.

The fact that most of all of this is accomplished with guitar, pedal, vocals, and some studio effects here and there is still unfathomable to me. That is an incredible feat in itself.

Judging solely by the ability to create awe-inspiring atmosphere, I don't believe that there is any other shoegaze band that has managed to accomplish the level of mastery that Lovesliescrushing consistently demonstrates on this record. Yes, If Loveless was the zenith of shoegaze texture, then Xuvetyn is the zenith of shoegaze atmosphere. Completely surreal and captivating.

As I've described the band's sound itself, Xuvetyn really is the concept of shoegaze distilled into its essence, then manipulated ever so slightly with a delicate songcraft and expertise, in order to give these tracks a semblance of form and structure. But make no mistake - there is no solid seabed foundation to this ocean of resonant sounds like there would be on any other shoegaze record. No, this is just infinite, icy sonic fluid that flows all the way down into a multi-dimensional abyss. And holy fuck is it ever beautiful.

Which is not to say that there is no songwriting here - just that it is incredibly subtle. But also incredibly effective.

People who generally don't care for or listen to ambient music often stereotype the genre as being uninteresting, low-effort, or too non-descript, when in fact all of the truly greatest ambient musicians know that making a masterpiece is about learning how to do miraculous things with precious little. It requires immense patience (as does the listener sometimes), a keen ear for detail, and meticulous perfectionism. Unsurprisingly, Scott Cortez strikes me as being just that kind of guy.

The album is a double LP in length, with an hour and sixteen minutes runtime and a listing of 18 tracks. Most songs generally run over the five minute mark, with the A, B, and C sides of the record all padded out every one or two tracks with these really curious little intermissions that are generally less than a full minute each.

These intermissions are often the most experimental recordings on the album, like the abrasive hailstorm noise collage of "Aquan 1" and the gloomy factory white noise of "Hum VIbralux". I could see how someone might want to omit these, but personally I think it adds to the record's pacing by giving it room to breathe, and they made the right decision to let up for the last set of tracks. Plus, the little intermissions are all so deliciously weird that it kinda reminds me of the way that your brain will just plant these bizarre, inexplicable little blips in the middle of your dreams sometimes.

Also hey, can I just nerd out about something really silly for a second? Has anyone ever noticed how a bunch of the track names on this record end in an "-ed"? "Threaded", "Handed", "Blue-Eyed", "Honeyed", "Blooded". Just another cute little detail, adding to the esoteric nature of this record, and I appreciate the alliteration.

OKAY, let's just get to the track by track analysis already.

Admittedly this is one of those records that hits you with the very best it has to offer right out of the gate. Listening to "Valerian (Her Voice Honeyed)" is among the most sublime feelings I have ever experienced in my life, literally ever. Not just in music but like, anything.

Think of any familiar place, or perhaps a virtual space in a piece of media, that held a sort of transcendental significance to you during your childhood, as though it carried a life of its own, a place that you may have revisited in your warmest dreams - for me, it's the lost woods in Ocarina of Time. Think of the sensation that those transcendent spaces would give you.

This track is that same sensation, only on steroids. As soon as that heavy ambient wall fades into the foreground and the sense of infinity takes hold, this gently flowing waterfall of dark sound matter creates a sort of window of reflection into wherever it is in your soul that you have ever felt the most at home. I get that music is a subjective experience at the end of the day, but I feel like what I just described would be inevitable for almost any listener, unless they simply weren't listening to this track the right way. One of the greatest songs ever? I'd wager a hard fucking yes.

The good news is that from here, you have only just begun your journey into a world of many more sublime and mysterious figures.

"Xarella Almandyne" is like the sound of a choir of angels in a massive hall the size of an entire city - the unknowable, lovecraftian, biblically-accurate seraphim kind of angel. Somehow soothing, yet oddly paralyzing at the same time. Based on this track alone, I must say that I'm not entirely convinced that Scott and Melissa are regular mere mortals of this world.

"Blooded And Blossom-Blown" is an eerie, gleaming, and loudly piercing void. I find the majority of the songs on this record to be overall comforting, sometimes somber and darkly mystifying if anything, but this might be the one odd track that genuinely unsettles me; in a way that I cannot get enough of, mind you. Compared to what we often call white noise, this piece represents sound that I visualize in the distinctly unnatural shades of negative blues and turquoises.

"Virgin Blue-Eyed" is a very rare departure in the band's early discography from their guitar ambience, focusing on the incantations of Melissa's euphonious elven voice, with clanging little bells in the background (which, funnily enough, technically makes this the most percussive track on either of the band's first two records).

My favourite of the intermissions is "Seesaw". Transitory shoegaze in a continuously elevating loop, like music for the loading screen that would take you to the shoegaze version of heaven, or perhaps the mythological world of Mag Mell.

"Golden-Handed" is soft, swirling, hypnagogic, and lamenting. This ambient ethereal wave track manifests as the faintest, loneliest light flickering in the gloomy hush of an otherwise dead midnight. Completely arresting atmosphere.

"Bones of Angels" is a two parter - first there's "Bronze Lit Feathers", a labyrinthine chorus of resplendent, inharmonious, and rippling guitar impressions, drifting almost aimlessly and forming only vague constellations with the help of Melissa's frail melody, and a foundation of ambient bass notes cutting through the discordance with great magnitude. This is contrasted by the second part "Her Tongue Pulled Out", wherein the sky parts and the drifting guitar sounds align into a shrill cry, forming a radiant column of sonic light, as if something gorgeous is beginning to descend upon the world. Music for high priestesses summoning divine power.

Xuvetyn reaches its second greatest peak with the penultimate track "Ghosts That Swirl", a piece which opens with this really foreboding orchestra of dreary, gargantuan ambient chimes, sounding as though the world around the listener was compressing in on itself and then stretching in and out of itself, like alternating waves in the membrane of the universe. This overture leads into an ominous, secluded, and crystalline dreamland soundscape, further removed from reality than any other track on the record, and unlike any other song that I have ever experienced. This is music that could only be dreamt up from the confines of a comatose slumber, wherein Melissa's whispers in your ear are the only traces connecting you to the corporeal world, though only audible as faint echoes far off in the distance of a seemingly endless cerulean.

I could go on all day but I've decided to end the track-by-track analysis here. The entire record is vividly evocative beyond what should be reasonably possible (and what I can convey words). You might get something entirely different from my descriptions of these tracks, but I guarantee that you will experience something unearthly.

What Came After That?

Lovesliescrushing followed up their first two records with a series of two records in 2002 that were more just straight up ambient music, rather than comprising an ambient shoegaze fusion.

The first of these is Glissceule, a similarly icy record to Xuvetyn with less dark edge and more of a reserved calm, plus more electronic elements. Second was the more ambiguous Voirshn which I enjoy significantly less than previous projects unfortunately.

The band has sporadically released more ambient records over the course of the last couple of decades, which I have yet to really deep dive into. Scott has worked on a few separate projects, most notably his other band Astrobrite which releases much harsher noise shoegaze records. Nothing from this band has really grabbed me like Lovesliescrushing's work, so I am not very familiar with it.

Like I mentioned previously, Lovesliescrushing's relevance in online shoegaze circles has seen a steady increase over time for a little while now. But Scott and Melissa have always been favs amongst the more hardcore followers of the scene, achieving an almost mythical status as figureheads of the experimental shoegaze micro-scene. And they're pretty much always one of the first bands I see people recommending nowadays when someone online says that they're looking for more "weird shoegaze".

And believe me, I'm one of those nerds recommending this band with every relevant opportunity that I can seize. This should be among the first dozen records we play when the aliens come down to Earth, in order to plead our case for the culture of humankind. This is a very special piece of art.

I won't pretend that this is going to be music for everyone, but if you really wanna transcend your corporeal existence in way that doesn't involve experimenting with potentially harmful substances, I can't really think of any better method. Xuvetyn is from beyond our plane of existence - some people native to our world (allegedly) just happened to manifest it one day.

Join me next time where, in case this review wasn't goddamn long enough, I will be doing a series of reviews on every major Slowdive release from the self-titled EP all the way up to their latest record 🙃.

10/10

Highlights: "Valerian (Her Voice Honeyed)", "Ghosts That Swirl", "Bones of Angels", "Xarella Almandyne", "Golden-Handed", "See Saw", "Blooded and Blossom-Blown", "Virgin Blue Eyed", "Flowered Smother", "Mother of Pearl", "Mandragora Louvareen", "Milkysoft", "Hum Vibralux", "Staticburst"

[mywifeleftme]

316: Toto Bissainthe // Chante Haïti

Chante Haïti Toto Bissainthe 1977, Arion

“These songs are mostly slave songs taken from the Vodou cult. They speak of the quotidian, of the suffering of exile, and the desire of Africa, not as a geographical place but as a mythical land of freedom. They express their resistance and their refusal: resistance to the colonizer, refusal of his politics, of his religion, of his culture, of his language.”

So begins Toto Bissainthe’s statement on the rear of Chante Haïti, her 1977 collaboration with a small combo of Antillean folk and French jazz musicians: vocalists Marie-Claude Benoît and Mariann Mathéus; percussionists Akonio Dolo and Mino Cinélu (Miles Davis, Weather Report, Gong); Patrice Cinélu on acoustic guitar; and Beb Guérin on the double bass. The songs indeed fuse the Vodou ritual of her native Haiti with the European avant garde sounds of her adopted milieu of Paris, where she had moved to pursue acting and found herself a de facto exile due to the political situation back home. Bissainthe had become a prominent figure in the French theatre, performing in new plays by Beckett and Genet and co-founding Les Griots, France’s first Black theatre company; by the late ‘70s, she was an acclaimed recording artist to boot. Her accomplishments made her a prominent figure in the Haitian diaspora and her activist streak is apparent throughout Chante Haïti, explicitly linking the grief and yearning for liberation in these traditional ceremonials with the country’s contemporary struggles.

Like many songs on the album, the Creole words of opener “Soley danmbalab” mourn the people's estrangement from Mother Africa, a crossing which can neither be reversed or repeated. It begins like a field recording, Bissainthe’s soulful, Miriam Makeba-esque voice set to a chorus of rattles and bells and gurgling masculine whispers. As the song develops, her melody wends like a stream through the dense jungle of percussion, dissonant bass, and counterpoint chanting. Eventually, Mino Cinélu’s arrangement becomes more free, the male chorus imploring the Oungan (a male Vodou priest) to intercede with the creator on the people’s behalf as the tune breaks down into an increasingly abstract bass and drum interplay, while the three female singers exchange birdlike vocal improvisations.

“Ibo Ogoun (Variations)” is even wilder, evoking a trance ritual, the spirits speaking in many tongues through the celebrants as they seek to summon Ogun, God of Iron and War, to lead the battle of liberation. One of the male percussionists times his tanbou beat so that it hits just as he sings certain notes, creating the illusion that he voice has suddenly lurched down an octave for a moment, almost like a DJ freaking a vocal sample. Bissainthe, Mathéus, and Benoît match the intense drumming with some crazy syncopations, sometimes talking, sometimes hissing and whispering, sometimes wailing and ululating.

Most of the album takes on a more meditative tact, anchored by Guérin’s plangent double bass. On the smoky “Papadanbalab,” an entreaty to the serpent creator Damballa to bear witness to the penury of his people, Bissainthe sways over a slinky jazz bass line, Patrice Cinélu adding mellow acoustic fusion licks. The song seems like a brief stopover in a Parisian club. But even the less overtly intense tracks pack plenty of musical interest. “Lamize pa dous” has this hypnotic rhythm that sounds exactly like a micro house beat—in fact, the first thing it made me think of was Ricardo Villalobos’ Alcachofa, or Animal Collective at their campfire ravingest. The song is about the moment of surrender to death, the winnowing of time represented by water encroaching on all sides, the realization too late that “we spend our lives trying to fill the sea with stones.”

Listening to a record like this, especially in light of Bissainthe’s note on the back excoriating the colonialist ethnographer who reduces Haitian folklore to “excitement and violence,” requires at least a smidgen of awareness from the white listener that Chante Haïti is not intended for them. The traditions it engages with are of deep spiritual significance to many Haitians, both in the ‘70s and today. But for those inside and outside the culture who are willing to approach it with respect, Chante Haïti is a fascinating fusion of Antillean and European musics, and a peek into a profound and secret history.

316/365

[bhackpink]

Jie Kim.

At first glance, Kim Jisoo is the embodiment of elegance and grace, but behind her serene exterior lies a powerhouse vocalist and an unsung hero in BLACKPINK’s rise to superstardom. Known as the visual of the group for her classic beauty, Jisoo brings a calm strength and quiet confidence that perfectly balances the group’s fiery energy.

Her warm, resonant vocals and understated charisma are the backbone of BLACKPINK’s success. In a group known for its high-octane performances, Jisoo’s more grounded energy provides the perfect counterbalance, making her the secret weapon that holds the team together.. But make no mistake—she’s far more than just a pretty face.

But Jisoo’s talents go beyond music. A natural actress, she’s expanded her portfolio into the world of acting, starring in the hit K-drama Snowdrop, where her performance earned her critical acclaim. Her ability to navigate both the music and acting industries speaks volumes about her versatility and ambition.

While she’s often seen in luxurious Dior outfits or effortlessly pulling off avant-garde fashion, Jisoo’s style is as timeless as her personality—sophisticated yet never over the top. Her influence as a fashion icon extends across the globe, and with every red carpet appearance, Jisoo redefines what it means to be both graceful and bold.

Let’s get into the fun side of Jisoo, who’s truly proving she can do everything and still look like she’s on vacation! First up, did you hear the news? Our girl has her very own label now—BLISSOO! Yes, Jisoo is officially adding 'boss lady' to her already jam-packed resume. But wait, there's more! She’s just wrapped filming for her latest acting project, Newtopia (formerly Influenza), where she stars in a post-apocalyptic zombie drama! From taking on zombies to running her own empire—she’s out here living all our wildest dreams while still being the same fun, goofy Jisoo we all adore.

Who wouldn’t want to hang out with a gamer queen who's secretly a business mogul and actor, right? Meet our dearest Jie here! x.com/Jisookym

[wearelatinamericanrockers]

Marilina Bertoldi is an Argentine Rock musician since 2010

She began her career as the vocalist and main composer of the alternative rock group Connor Questa, from 2010 until their separation in 2015, after which she began a career as a soloist with which she established herself as one of the great figures of Argentine rock that emerged in the decade of the 2010s.

In 2019 she became the first female rocker in the entire history of the Gardel Awards to win the Gardel de Oro Award. For these reasons, Bertoldi earned the nickname "the queen of rock."

She was apart of the Eruca Sativa band, her most famous songs are "fumar de día", "RACAT" and "y deshacer".

Soda Stereo is an Argentine Rock Band formed in 1982 and considered the most important, popular and influential band in Spanish rock and a legend of Latin American music.

They were the first Spanish-speaking group to achieve massive success in Latin America and played a very important role in the development and dissemination of Latin American rock and rock in Spanish during the 1980s and 1990s. During their career, they were avant-garde and marked trend in Latin America, in which they starred in various genres such as the fun music of their beginnings, the new wave, the dark wave, hard rock, alternative rock and the electronic rock of their ends.

Soda Stereo has topped the all-time charts in the world, where several records for record sales and concert attendance were established. Until 2007, the band's sales were estimated at more than seven million copies sold of its albums.

Their most famous songs are "De Música ligera", "Persiana Americana" and "En la Ciudad de la Furia".

[riley-reference-mark]

Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), and Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals). They have sold 10 million albums in the US and more than 35 million worldwide.[1]

After signing to Geffen Records in 1993, Weezer released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, also known as the Blue Album, in May 1994. Backed by music videos for the singles "Buddy Holly", "Undone – The Sweater Song", and "Say It Ain't So", the Blue Album became a multiplatinum success. Weezer's second album, Pinkerton (1996), featuring a darker, more abrasive sound, was a commercial failure and initially received mixed reviews, but achieved cult status and critical acclaim years later. Both the Blue Album and Pinkerton are now frequently cited among the best albums of the 1990s. Following the tour for Pinkerton, the founding bassist, Matt Sharp, left and Weezer went on hiatus.

In 2001, Weezer returned with the Green Album with their new bassist, Mikey Welsh. With a more pop sound, and promoted by singles "Hash Pipe" and "Island in the Sun", it was a commercial success and received mostly positive reviews. After the Green Album tour, Welsh left for health reasons and was replaced by Shriner. Weezer's fourth album, Maladroit (2002), incorporated a hard-rock sound and achieved mostly positive reviews, but weaker sales. Make Believe (2005) received mixed reviews, but its single "Beverly Hills" became Weezer's first single to top the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and their first to reach the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2008, Weezer released the Red Album; its lead single, "Pork and Beans", became the third Weezer song to top the Modern Rock Tracks chart, backed by a Grammy-winning music video. Raditude (2009) and Hurley (2010) featuring more "modern pop production"[2] and songs co-written with other artists, achieved further mixed reviews and moderate sales. Everything Will Be Alright in the End (2014) and the White Album (2016) returned to a rock style that was reminiscent of their 90s sound mixed with modern alternative production and achieved more positive reviews; Pacific Daydream (2017) once again featured a more mainstream pop sound.[3] In 2019, Weezer released an album of covers, the Teal Album, followed by the inspired Black Album.[4] In 2021, they released OK Human, which featured an orchestral pop sound and was met with critical acclaim, followed by the hard rock-inspired Van Weezer. In 2022, they released a series of EPs based around the four seasons. History Formation and first years (1986–1994)

Vocalist and guitarist Rivers Cuomo moved to Los Angeles from Connecticut in 1989 with his high school metal band, Avant Garde, later renamed Zoom. After the group disbanded, Cuomo met drummer Patrick Wilson, and moved in with him and Wilson's friend Matt Sharp. Wilson and Cuomo formed a band, Fuzz, and enlisted Scottie Chapman on bass. Chapman quit after a few early shows; the band reformed as Sixty Wrong Sausages, with Cuomo's friend Pat Finn on bass and Jason Cropper on guitar, but soon disbanded.[5] Cuomo moved to Santa Monica, California, and recorded dozens of demos, including the future Weezer songs "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here" and "Undone – The Sweater Song". Sharp was enthusiastic about the demos, and became the group's bassist and de facto manager.[5]

Cuomo, Wilson, Sharp and Cropper formed Weezer on February 14, 1992. Their first show was on March 19, 1992, closing for Keanu Reeves' band Dogstar.[5] They took their name from a nickname Cuomo's father gave him.[5] Cuomo gave Sharp one year to get the band a record deal before Cuomo accepted a scholarship at the University of California, Berkeley.[5] In November, Weezer recorded a demo, The Kitchen Tape, including a version of the future Weezer single "Say It Ain't So".[5] The demo was heard by Todd Sullivan, an A&R man at Geffen Records, who signed Weezer in June 1993.[5] The "Blue Album" (1994) Main article: Weezer (Blue Album) Current guitarist Brian Bell (pictured in 2013) replaced Cropper while recording the Blue Album.

Weezer recorded their debut album with producer Ric Ocasek at Electric Lady Studios in New York City.[6] Cropper was fired during recording, as Cuomo and Sharp felt he was threatening the band chemistry. He was replaced by Brian Bell.[5] Weezer's self-titled debut album, also known as the "Blue Album", was released in May 1994.[7] Described by Pitchfork as integrating "geeky humor, dense cultural references, and positively gargantuan hooks",[8] it combined alternative rock, power pop, polished production and what AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine called an "'70s trash-rock predilection … resulting in something quite distinctive".[9]

Weezer's first single, "Undone – The Sweater Song", was backed by a music video directed by Spike Jonze;[10] filmed in an unbroken take, it featured Weezer performing on a sound stage with little action, barring a pack of dogs swarming the set.[11] The video became an instant hit on MTV.[12] The song reached No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100.[13] Jonze also directed Weezer's second video, "Buddy Holly",[10] splicing the band into footage from the 1970s television sitcom Happy Days.[14] The video achieved heavy rotation on MTV[15] and won four MTV Video Music Awards, including Breakthrough Video and Best Alternative Music Video, and two Billboard Music Video Awards.[16] "Buddy Holly" peaked at No. 18 on the Hot 100 Airplay and No. 2 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.[13] The song is included on Rolling Stone's 500 Best Songs Of All Time.[17] A third single, "Say It Ain't So", followed. It was met with critical acclaim and later Pitchfork ranked it #10 on the top 200 tracks of the 90s list.[18] The song reached No. 51 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart and No. 7 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.[13] Additionally, the track was included in Rolling Stone's list of "The Top 100 Guitar Songs of All Time".[19]

Their debut album gained critical and commercial success. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it number 294 on The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time.[20] Weezer is certified quadruple platinum in the United States as well as Canada, making it Weezer's best-selling album.[21][22] Pinkerton (1995–1997) Main article: Pinkerton (album) Cuomo in 1997 Matt Sharp (pictured with the Rentals in 2007), co-founder of Weezer, left in 1998 after the Pinkerton tour.[23][24]

In 1994, Weezer took a break from touring for the Christmas holidays.[25] Cuomo traveled to his home state of Connecticut and began recording demos for Weezer's next album. His original concept was a space-themed rock opera, Songs from the Black Hole, that would express his mixed feelings about success." The album featured a story in which each member of the band played a character. Other characters were played by Rachel Haden (The Rentals and That Dog), Joan Wasser (The Dambuilders), and Karl Koch. The story was set in 2126, with the spaceship Betsy II embarking on a galaxy-wide mission.[26][27] Cuomo conceived the story as a metaphor for his conflicted feelings about touring in a successful rock band.[27] The ship's name Betsy II is taken from Weezer's first tour bus, nicknamed Betsy; M1 represents Weezer's management and record label; Wuan and Dondó represent the part of Cuomo that was excited about success; Jonas represents his doubts and longing; Laurel and Maria represent his relationships with women.[27][28] Weezer developed the concept through intermittent recording sessions through 1995.[29] At the end of the year, Cuomo enrolled at Harvard University, where his songwriting became "darker, more visceral and exposed, less playful", and he abandoned Songs from the Black Hole.[30]

While attending Harvard, Cuomo experienced loneliness and frustration while also undergoing an extensive surgery for his left leg. These experiences influenced his songwriting for the next record.[31] The other members of Weezer decided to embark on their own side projects during this time. Sharp started The Rentals who released their debut album, Return of the Rentals, in October 1995. The album also featured Patrick Wilson on drums. Wilson also formed his band, The Special Goodness, during this time.[32][page needed] Bell decided to work on his band, Space Twins.[32][page needed]

Weezer's second album, Pinkerton, was released on September 24, 1996.[33][34] Pinkerton is named after the character BF Pinkerton from Madama Butterfly, who marries and then abandons a Japanese woman named Butterfly. Calling him an "asshole American sailor similar to a touring rock star", Cuomo felt the character was "the perfect symbol for the part of myself that I am trying to come to terms with on this album".[35] It produced three singles: "El Scorcho", "The Good Life", and "Pink Triangle".[36]

With a darker, more abrasive sound,[33] Pinkerton sold poorly compared to the Blue Album[37] and received mixed reviews; it was voted "one of the worst albums of 1996" in a Rolling Stone reader poll.[38] However, the album eventually gained a cult following and came to be considered among Weezer's best work;[33][39] in 2002, Rolling Stone readers voted Pinkerton the 16th greatest album of all time,[40] and it has been listed in several critics' "best albums of all time" lists.[41] In 2004, Rolling Stone gave the album a new review, awarding it five out of five stars and adding it to the "Rolling Stone Hall of Fame".[42] Pinkerton was later certified platinum in 2016.[43]

The album became an emo masterpiece and some credit it to "rewriting the emo blueprint" as it became quite influential for a number of bands and the genre itself in the 2000s.[44][45][46]

In July 1997, sisters Mykel, Carli, and Trysta Allan died in a car accident while driving home from a Weezer show in Denver, Colorado.[47] Mykel and Carli ran Weezer's fan club and helped manage publicity for several other Los Angeles bands, and had inspired the "Sweater Song" B-side "Mykel and Carli". Weezer canceled a show to attend their funeral.[48] In August, Weezer and other bands held a benefit concert for the family in Los Angeles.[49] A compilation album, Hear You Me! A Tribute to Mykel and Carli, was dedicated to their memory. The album included "Mykel and Carli", as well as songs by Ozma, That Dog, and Kara's Flowers.[50] In 2001, Jimmy Eat World released "Hear You Me" which was dedicated to Mykel and Carli.[51] Hiatus (1997–2000) Mikey Welsh (pictured in 2010) played bass with Weezer from 1998 until 2001.

Weezer completed the Pinkerton tour in mid-1997 and went on hiatus.[52][53] Wilson returned to his home in Portland, Oregon to work on his side project, the Special Goodness, and Bell worked on his band Space Twins.[54][55] In 1998, Sharp left Weezer due to differences with the band members.[24] He said of his departure: "I certainly have my view of it, as I'm sure everybody else has their sort of foggy things. When you have a group that doesn't communicate, you're going to have a whole lot of different stories."[56]

Cuomo returned to Harvard but took a break to focus on songwriting.[53] He formed a new band composed of a changing lineup of Boston musicians, and performed new material.[52] The songs were abandoned, but bootlegs of the Boston shows are traded on the internet.[57] Wilson eventually flew to Boston to join Homie, another Cuomo side project.[citation needed] The members of the band were composed of Greg Brown (Cake and Deathray), Matt Sharp, Yuval Gabay (Soul Coughing and Sulfur), Adam Orth (Shufflepuck), and future Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh.[32][page needed] Although a Homie album was being recorded, they ended up only releasing one song called "American Girls" for the 1998 film Meet The Deedles.[58]

In February 1998, Cuomo, Bell and Wilson reunited in Los Angeles to start work on the next Weezer album. Rumors suggest Sharp did not rejoin the band and left the group in April 1998, which Sharp denies.[24][59] The group hired Mikey Welsh, who had played with Cuomo in Boston, as their new bassist.[60] Welsh was also previously a bassist for Juliana Hatfield. Weezer continued rehearsing and recording demos until late 1998. Frustration and creative disagreements led to a decline in rehearsals, and in late 1998, Wilson left for his home in Portland pending renewed productivity from Cuomo. In November 1998, the band played two club shows with a substitute drummer in California under the name Goat Punishment, consisting entirely of covers of Nirvana and Oasis songs. In the months following, Cuomo entered a period of depression, unplugging his phone, painting the walls of his home black, and putting fiberglass insulation over his windows to prevent light from entering.[61] Eventually during this time, Cuomo started experimenting with his music and ended up writing 121 songs by 1999.[32][page needed] In the meantime, Wilson continued to work with The Special Goodness while Bell again worked with Space Twins. Welsh continued to tour with Juliana Hatfield.[32][page needed] Comeback and the "Green Album" (2000–2001) Main article: Weezer (Green Album) Scott Shriner (pictured in 2019) has been Weezer's bassist since 2001.

Weezer reunited in April 2000, when they accepted a lucrative offer to perform at the Fuji Rock Festival.[62] The festival served as a catalyst for Weezer's productivity, and from April to May 2000, they rehearsed and demoed new songs in Los Angeles. They returned to live shows in June 2000, playing small unpromoted concerts once again under the name Goat Punishment.[63] In June 2000, the band joined the American Warped Tour for nine dates.[64][65]

In the summer of 2000, Weezer went on tour, including dates on the Vans Warped Tour.[66] Eventually, the band went back into the studio to produce a third album, the "Green Album". Due to the mixed reception of Pinkerton, Cuomo wrote less personal lyrics for the Green Album.[67] The band hired Ric Ocasek who had also produced the band's debut album.[68] Shortly after the release, Weezer went on another American tour.[63] The album was supported by the singles "Hash Pipe",[69] "Island in the Sun",[70] and "Photograph".[71] Executives suggested that "Don't Let Go" should be chosen as the first single.[72] However, Cuomo continued to fight and "Hash Pipe" eventually became the album's first single.[72] "Hash Pipe" peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart and No. 6 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[13] "Island In the Sun" was released as the second single and became a radio hit as well as one of their biggest overseas hits.[13] The song peaked at No. 11 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. The song has gained increasing popularity over the years as it later joined the digital song sales in 2008, only to peak at No. 18 in 2022.[73]

The label tried to postpone the release date of Weezer further until June, but they ended up sticking to the album's original release date of May 15 release date.[74] The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified platinum.[13]

After suffering a breakdown from the stress of touring, undiagnosed bipolar disorder, and drug abuse, Welsh attempted suicide and left Weezer in 2001.[75][76] He later joined The Kickovers for a short stint before retiring from music. He was replaced by Scott Shriner.[77] During this time, Spike Jonze returned to film a music video for "Island In the Sun".[78] Matt Sharp was originally intended to appear in the video, but it did not end up happening.[32][page needed] Maladroit (2002) Main article: Maladroit

Weezer took an experimental approach to the recording process of its fourth album by allowing fans to download in-progress mixes of new songs from its official website in return for feedback.[79] After the release of the album, the band said that this process was something of a failure, as the fans did not supply the group with coherent, constructive advice. Cuomo eventually delegated song selection for the album to the band's original A&R rep, Todd Sullivan, saying that Weezer fans chose the "wackest songs". Only the song "Slob" was included on the album due to general fan advice.[80]

The recording was also done without input from Weezer's record label, Interscope. Cuomo had what he then described as a "massive falling out" with the label. In early 2002, well before the official release of the album, the label sent out a letter to radio stations requesting the song be pulled until an official, sanctioned single was released. Interscope also briefly shut down Weezer's audio/video download webpage, removing all the MP3 demos.

In April 2002, former bassist Matt Sharp sued the band, alleging, among several accusations, that he was owed money for cowriting several Weezer songs. The suit was later settled out of court.[53]

The fourth album, Maladroit, was released on May 14, 2002, only one year after its predecessor.[81] The album served as a harder-edged version of the band's trademark catchy pop-influenced music, and was replete with busy 1980s-style guitar solos. Although met with generally positive critical reviews, its sales were not as strong as those for the Green Album. Two singles were released from the album. The music video for "Dope Nose" featured an obscure Japanese motorcycle gang, and was put into regular rotation. The song reached No. 8 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.[13] The music video for "Keep Fishin'" combined Weezer with the Muppets, and had heavy rotation on MTV. Both videos were directed by Marcos Siega.

Spin reviewed it as the 6th best album of 2002.[82] A Rolling Stone reader's poll also from that year voted it the 90th greatest album of all time.[83]

Weezer released its much-delayed first DVD on March 23, 2004. The Video Capture Device DVD chronicles the band from its beginnings through Maladroit's Enlightenment Tour. Compiled by Karl Koch, the DVD features home video footage, music videos, commercials, rehearsals, concert performances, television performances, and band commentary. The DVD was certified "gold" on November 8, 2004. Make Believe (2003–2006) Main article: Make Believe (Weezer album)

Before working on new material, Cuomo discovered vipassana meditation which became a large influence to his songwriting.[84] He decided to take a more personal approach to his writing once again. One song during this process, "The Other Way", was written for Cuomo's ex-girlfriend Jennifer Chiba after her then-boyfriend, singer-songwriter Elliott Smith, died by suicide. Cuomo said, "I wanted to console her, but I was confused and skeptical about my own motives for wanting to do so, so I wrote that song about that."[85] Before recording material for their 4th album, Brian Bell and Patrick Wilson worked on their own projects. Bell's Space Twins released The End of Imagining which Rolling Stone critic, John D. Lueressen named the 7th best album of 2003.[86] Meanwhile, Wilson's The Special Goodness released Land Air Sea. Weezer performing in 2005

From December 2003 to the fall of 2004, Weezer recorded a large amount of material intended for a new album to be released in the spring of 2005 with producer Rick Rubin.[87] The band's early recording efforts became available to the public through the band's website. The demos were a big hit, but none of the songs recorded at this time were included on the finished album. That album, titled Make Believe, was released on May 10, 2005.[88] The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.[13] Despite commercial success, Make Believe got a mixed reception from critics, receiving an average score of 52 on the review collator Metacritic.[89] Although some reviews, such as AMG's, compared it favorably to Pinkerton,[88] others, among them Pitchfork, panned the album as predictable and lyrically poor.[90]

The album's first single, "Beverly Hills",[91] became a hit in the U.S. and worldwide, staying on the charts for several months after its release. It became the first Weezer song to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart and No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.[92] "Beverly Hills" was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, the first ever Grammy nomination for the band.[93] The video was also nominated for Best Rock Video at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards.[94] The second single released from Make Believe was "We Are All on Drugs" which peaked at No. 10 on the Alternative Airplay chart.[95][96] MTV refused to play the song, so Weezer re-recorded the lyrics by replacing "on drugs" with "in love" and renaming the song "We Are All in Love".[97] In early 2006, it was announced that Make Believe was certified platinum, and "Beverly Hills" was the second most popular song download on iTunes for 2005, finishing just behind "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani.[98] Make Believe's third single, "Perfect Situation",[99] reached No. 1 U.S. Billboard Modern Rock chart and No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.[92] "This Is Such a Pity" was the band's fourth single from the album, but no music video was made for its release.[100] The Make Believe tour also found the band using additional instruments onstage, adding piano, synthesizers, pseudophones, and guitarist Bobby Schneck. The "Red Album" (2006–2008) Main article: Weezer (Red Album)

After the success of Make Believe, the band decided to take a break. Cuomo returned to Harvard where he ended up graduating cum laude and as a Phi Beta Kappa in 2006.[101] Cuomo also married Kyoko Ito on June 18, 2006, a woman he had known since March 1997. The wedding was attended by the current members of the band as well as Matt Sharp and Jason Cropper. During this break, Patrick Wilson and Brian Bell appeared in the 2006 film Factory Girl playing John Cale and Lou Reed respectively and contributing a cover of the Velvet Underground song "Heroin" for the film.[102] Also during this time, Bell started a new project, The Relationship. Weezer performing in Arizona in October 2008

Weezer (also known as the Red Album) was released in June 2008. Rick Rubin produced the album[103] and Rich Costey mixed it. The record was described as "experimental", and according to Cuomo, who claimed it at the time to be Weezer's "boldest and bravest and showiest album",[104] included longer and non-traditional songs, TR-808 drum machines, synthesizers, Southern rap, baroque counterpoint, and band members other than Cuomo writing, singing, and switching instruments.[105] Pat Wilson said the album cost about a million dollars to make, contrasting it with the $150,000 budget of the Blue Album.[106] The album was produced by Rick Rubin and Jacknife Lee.[107] The album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 while receiving generally positive reviews.[13]

Its lead single, "Pork and Beans",[108] topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks charts for 11 weeks while also peaking at No. 64 on the Billboard Hot 100.[109][13] Its music video won a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video.[93] The second single, "Troublemaker", debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and peaked at No. 2. In October 2008, the group announced that the third single would be "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)" which was met with critical praise.

On May 30, 2008, the Toledo Free Press revealed in an interview with Shriner that Weezer would be unveiling the "Hootenanny Tour", in which fans would be invited to bring their own instruments to play along with the band. Said Shriner: "They can bring whatever they want… oboes, keyboards, drums, violins, and play the songs with us as opposed to us performing for them."[110]

The band performed five dates in Japan at the beginning of September and then embarked on what was dubbed the "Troublemaker" tour, consisting of 21 dates around North America, including two in Canada. Angels and Airwaves and Tokyo Police Club joined the band as support at each show, and Brian Bell's other band The Relationship also performed at a handful of dates. Shortly before the encore at each show, the band would bring on fans with various instruments and perform "Island in the Sun" and "Beverly Hills" with the band. At a show in Austin, after Tokyo Police Club had played its set, Cuomo was wheeled out in a box and mimed to a recording of rare Weezer demo, "My Brain", dressed in pajamas and with puppets on his hands, before being wheeled off again. This bizarre event later surfaced as the climax to a promo video for Cuomo's second demo album, Alone 2. Raditude and Hurley (2009–2013) Main articles: Raditude and Hurley (album)

Weezer toured with Blink-182 in 2009, including an August 30 stop at the Virgin Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. Drummer Josh Freese joined Weezer on a temporary basis to play drums on the tour, while Pat Wilson switched to guitar. Wilson said in an interview for Yahoo! Music that Cuomo wanted "to be active and more free on stage and him having guitar on was an impediment." Freese stated he was a Weezer fan and did not want to pass up the opportunity to play with the band.[111]

On August 18, 2009 Weezer released the first single for their upcoming album, "If You're Wondering If I Want You To". The song peaked at No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100.[13] The title of the album was called Raditude which was a suggestion from actor Rainn Wilson.[112]

Raditude's album artwork was revealed on September 11, featuring a National Geographic contest-winning photograph of a jumping dog named Sidney.[113] The record's release was pushed to November 3, 2009, where it debuted as the seventh best-selling album of the week on the Billboard 200 chart. The band scheduled tour dates in December 2009 extending into early 2010 to coincide with the new album's release. On December 6, 2009, Cuomo was injured when his tour bus crashed in Glen, New York due to black ice. Cuomo suffered three broken ribs and internal bleeding, and his assistant broke two ribs. His wife, baby daughter, and their nanny were also on the bus, but they escaped injury. Weezer cancelled the remaining 2009 tour dates the following day.[114][115] The band resumed touring on January 20, 2010.[116]

In December 2009, it was revealed that the band was no longer with Geffen Records. The band stated that new material would still be released, but the band members were unsure of the means, whether it be self-released, released online, or getting signed by another label.[117] Eventually, the band was signed to the independent label Epitaph.[118] Cuomo performing in 2010

Weezer co-headlined The Bamboozle in May 2010,[119] and performed at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee in June.[120] In August, 2010, Weezer performed at the Reading and Leeds Festival,[121] and performed at the Voodoo Experience festival in New Orleans, LA in October 2010.[122]

The album Hurley was released in September 2010 through Epitaph Records. The name comes from the character Hugo "Hurley" Reyes from the television show Lost. Jorge Garcia, the actor who portrayed Hurley, stated that being featured on the album cover is "one of the biggest honors of [his] career."[118][123] The first single, "Memories" was chosen as part of the Jackass 3D soundtrack with the music video featuring members of the cast contributing backing vocals.[124]

Weezer used internet streaming service YouTube as a way to promote the album. Weezer loaned itself to 15 amateur online video producers, "going along with whatever plans the creator could execute in about 30 minutes." The band was promoted through popular channels such as Barely Political, Ray William Johnson and Fred Figglehorn. The Gregory Brothers solicited musical and vocal contributions from the band on one of its compositions built around speeches by Rep. Charles Rangel and President Barack Obama. Weezer called the promotion "The YouTube Invasion".[125]

In November 2010, Weezer released a compilation album composed of re-recorded versions of unused recordings spanning from 1993 to 2010, Death to False Metal.[126][127] The title track, "Turning Up The Radio" was a collaborative effort with many fans on Youtube. On the same day a deluxe version of Pinkerton, which includes "25 demos, outtakes and live tracks" was also released.[128] A third volume of Cuomo's solo Alone series, titled Alone III: The Pinkerton Years, consisting of demos and outtakes from the Pinkerton sessions, was released on December 12, 2011.[129] The band also contributed a cover of the Cars' "You Might Think" for the Disney-Pixar film Cars 2 as well as a cover of The [DATA EXPUNGED]s' "I'm a Believer" for Shrek Forever After.[130]

Weezer began working on their ninth studio album in September 2010 with the intent of a 2011 release,[131] but the year ended without seeing a release. On October 8, 2011, former Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh was found dead from a suspected heroin overdose in a Chicago hotel room.[132] Weezer performed in Chicago the next day and dedicated the concert to Welsh, who was expected to have attended.[133] Welsh had previously joined Weezer on stage for a few performances between 2010 and 2011.

The band headlined a four-day rock-themed Carnival Cruise from Miami to Cozumel that set sail on January 19, 2012.[134][135][136] In July, Weezer headlined the inaugural Bunbury Music Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio.[137] In early 2013 the band brought its Memories Tour to Australia—the band's first Australian tour since 1996. The band played its first two albums in full at several venues. The band also headlined the Punkspring 2013 tour in Japan and later in the year toured Canada and USA. They played multiple nights in cities around the U.S. The first night shows were dedicated to playing their hits, then the Blue album in full, front to back. The second night, they played Pinkerton in the same fashion. Koch did a "Memories" slide show at the Gibson amphitheater in Los Angeles (And most likely many other venues around the U.S.) The slide show consisted of photos of gigs over the years and highlighted the loss of their fanclub team members Mykel and Carli Allan in 1997.[138] Everything Will Be Alright in the End and the "White Album" (2013–2016) Main articles: Everything Will Be Alright in the End and Weezer (White Album)

Over 200 tracks were considered for their next album, but they were able to narrow it down to 13.[139] According to the album's official press release, the album is organized thematically around three groups of songs: "Belladonna", "The Panopticon Artist" and "Patriarchia". "Belladonna" includes the songs "Ain't Got Nobody", "Lonely Girl", "Da Vinci", "Go Away", "Cleopatra" and "Return to Ithaka", all of which deal with Cuomo's relationships with women. Tracks under "The Panopticon Artist" include "Back to the Shack", "I've Had It Up To Here" and "The Waste Land" all deal with Cuomo's relationships with fans. The final group of songs, "Patriarchia", are "Eulogy for a Rock Band", "The British Are Coming", "Foolish Father" and "Anonymous", which deal with relationships with father figures, "with a new spin".[139]

In January 2014, Weezer began recording with producer Ric Ocasek, who had produced the "Blue Album" and the "Green Album".[140] A clip of a new song was posted on the band's official YouTube account on March 19, 2014, which confirmed previous rumors of the band being in the studio.[141] On June 12, 2014, it was revealed that the album title would be Everything Will Be Alright in the End. It was released on October 7, 2014[142] to generally favorable reviews, becoming the band's best-reviewed release since Pinkerton.[143] The first single, "Back to the Shack", reached No. 5 on the Alternative Airplay chart.[13] Weezer performing at the City of Trees Musical Festival 2016

On October 26, 2015, the band released a new single, "Thank God for Girls", through Apple Music and to radio the same day. The following week, the band released a second single, "Do You Wanna Get High?". Cuomo claimed in an interview with Zane Lowe, that the band was not working on a new album.[144] Later, on January 14, 2016, Weezer released a third single, "King of the World", and announced the "White Album", which continued the critical success of the band's previous release.[145]

While writing the album, Cuomo joined Tinder to meet with people to get inspired for new songs.[146] He also started to explore other songwriting techniques including a cut-up technique, stream-of-consciousness, and writing melodies with a piano instead of guitar.[147]

Weezer was officially released on April 1, 2016 and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.[148][149] The album is considered a concept album exploring the themes of gender dynamics, modern dating experiences and references to religious iconography.[150] Musically, the album serves as a throwback to the band's first two albums, Weezer (1994) and Pinkerton (1996), while also serving as a tribute to the Beach Boys.

The album received a grammy nomination for Best Rock Album for the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.[151]

In support of the album, the band performed on the Weezer & Panic! at the Disco Summer Tour 2016 with Panic! at the Disco in 2016.[152] The band later signed to Atlantic Records as part of a joint venture between Warner Music Group and Crush Management.[153] Pacific Daydream (2017–2018) Main article: Pacific Daydream

Soon after the release of the White Album, Cuomo discussed plans for Weezer's next album, provisionally titled the "Black Album'. Cuomo said the album would tackle "more mature topics" and be "less summer day and more winter night", and suggested the band could return to the recording studio as soon as October 2016.[154] Weezer delayed recording after Cuomo felt his new material was more "like reveries from a beach at the end of the world [… as if] the Beach Boys and the Clash fell in love by the ocean and had one hell of an amazing baby".[155]

To write the album, Cuomo utilized various musical and lyrical fragments he had collected over time. He kept an archive of song ideas and hired programmers to organize a spreadsheet of lyric snippets by beats per minute, syllable, and key to call from whenever stuck. "Instead of trying to force myself to feel inspired, I can just go into the spreadsheet and search […] I just try them out to see which ones work magically."[156]

On March 16, 2017, Weezer released a new song, "Feels Like Summer", the lead single of the upcoming album.[157] The song drew a mixed reaction from fans but became their biggest hit on Alternative radio in a decade (peaking at number 2 on the Alternative Airplay chart ).[158] On August 16, Weezer announced Pacific Daydream, released on October 27.[159] On August 17, the promotional single from the album, "Mexican Fender", was released.[160][161][162] The following month, "Beach Boys" was released, and the month after, they released "Weekend Woman" to positive reception.[163][164] "Happy Hour" was chosen as the second official single of the album, peaking at No. 9 on the Alternative Airplay chart.

The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.[165] The "Teal Album" and the "Black Album" (2018–2019) Main articles: Africa (Toto song), Weezer (Teal Album), and Weezer (Black Album)

Following a persistent Twitter campaign by a fan, Weezer released a cover of Toto's song "Africa" on May 29, 2018.[166][167] Prior to this, the band released a cover of "Rosanna" to "troll" their fans.[168][169] "Africa" reached number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in August 2018, becoming the band's first number-one single since "Pork and Beans" in 2008. Two days later, on August 10, Toto responded by releasing a cover of Weezer's single "Hash Pipe".[170] "Africa" eventually peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.[13] The success of the "Africa" cover led Weezer to record an album of covers, the Teal Album, a surprise album released on January 24, 2019.[171][172] The album was a commercial success as it peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. In addition, all tracks charted on the Hot Rock and Alternative Songs chart.[149]

On September 20, 2018, Weezer released "California Snow" as a single for the 2018 film Spell.[173] It was chosen as the closing track for the "Black Album". On October 11, 2018, Weezer released "Can't Knock the Hustle", the lead single from their upcoming album.[174][175][176] On November 21, they released the second single, "Zombie Bastards",[177][178] and announced the "Black Album", produced by Dave Sitek and scheduled for March 1, 2019. An arena tour of the U.S. with the Pixies and supporting and international tour dates were also announced.[177][178][179] On February 21, they released "High as a Kite" and "Living in LA" as the next singles.[180] They would later play them on NPR Music to promote the album for their series of Tiny Desk Concerts.[181]

During a Beats 1 interview by Zane Lowe on Apple Music on January 24, 2019, Cuomo announced that Weezer had already recorded the "basic tracks" to the follow-up album to the "Black Album". The album is being produced by Jake Sinclair, who produced the "White Album". Cuomo said the songwriting for the album is piano-based, and that some songs have string parts already recorded at Abbey Road Studios. For the recording process, Weezer departed from the modern "grid music" style (music recorded via modern software using grids to organize and manipulate the individual elements of recorded music) and did not perform to a "click" (i.e., metronome) for a more natural style.[182] Cuomo said the album is tentatively titled "OK Human" and that the inspiration for the album is the 1970 album Nilsson Sings Newman. Furthermore, Cuomo said he is currently working on an album with the working title "Van Weezer" that harkens back to their heavier rock sound after noticing how crowds go nuts for big guitar solos at Weezer shows.[183][184] OK Human and Van Weezer (2019–2021) Weezer plays Musikfest in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, August 2019 Main articles: OK Human and Van Weezer

On September 10, 2019, the band announced the Hella Mega Tour with Green Day and Fall Out Boy as headliners alongside themselves, with the Interrupters as an opening act. They also released the opening single, "The End of the Game", off their upcoming fifteenth studio album, Van Weezer.[185] The song reached No. 2 on the Alternative Airplay chart.[13] Cuomo said that the band would return "back to big guitars". He remarked that when the band would perform "Beverly Hills" live in concert, he would perform a guitar solo that was not present on the recorded version of the song. "We noticed that, recently, the crowd just goes crazy when I do that. So it feels like maybe the audience is ready for some shredding again."[186]

The band recorded a version of "Lost in the Woods" for the 2019 film Frozen II, which was included on the soundtrack album.[187] A music video was shot for the song, featuring the band and Frozen voice actress Kristen Bell.[188]

On May 6, 2020, the band released the single and music video, "Hero", a tribute to essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Simultaneously, they announced the delay of Van Weezer for a time to be determined.[189] The song reached No. 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart.[13] On May 10, Weezer guest-starred on an episode of The Simpsons, "The Hateful Eight-Year Olds", where a snippet of their song "Blue Dream" from Van Weezer was played.[190] On August 14, 2020, the band announced that the album had been delayed to May 2021 in order to coincide with the rescheduled Hella Mega Tour. That same day, the third single, "Beginning of the End", was released as a part of the soundtrack for Bill & Ted Face the Music.[191]

On October 6, 2020, after Eddie Van Halen died, the album was dedicated to him.[192] In addition to Van Halen, the album is also dedicated to Ric Ocasek, who produced the band's debut, The Blue Album, The Green Album, and Everything Will Be Alright in the End, as Ocasek had died in September 2019.[193]

On January 18, 2021, the band announced their fourteenth studio album, OK Human (a play on Radiohead's OK Computer).[194], following cryptic promotional floppy discs and links sent to some members of the Weezer Fan Club a few days prior. The announcement came with a release date of January 29.[195][196] The single "All My Favorite Songs" was released on January 21.[195] The song reached No.1 on the Alternative Airplay chart and was later nominated for Best Rock Song in the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.[13][197]

The album was planned to be released following Van Weezer, but when the album suffered a year-long delay following the COVID-19 pandemic,[198] the band decided to shift their focus to completing OK Human first.[199] Work on OK Human began as early as 2017, when the band decided to make an album that combined rock instrumentation with an orchestra.[200] The band hired a 38-piece-orchestra and recorded the album entirely with analog equipment to achieve their desired baroque sound. The album was additionally inspired by The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Sings Newman (1970).[200]

The fourth single, "I Need Some of That" was released on April 21, 2021.[201] Van Weezer was released on May 7, 2021 along with an animated music video for "All the Good Ones".[196] The album has been compared to their fourth studio album Maladroit (2002), and is inspired by 1970s and 1980s hard rock and heavy metal bands such as Kiss, Black Sabbath, Metallica and Van Halen (the last of whom inspired the album's title).[202] SZNZ (2021–present)

After delays due to the pandemic, the American leg of the Hella Mega Tour finally kicked off on July 24, 2021, in Arlington, Texas.[203] The European leg saw Weezer, Green Day and Fall Out Boy performing in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, England, Ireland, Scotland and, finally, France.

While doing an interview with NPR about the OK Human and Van Weezer albums, Cuomo hinted that the band were working on a four-album box-set called SZNZ (pronounced as "seasons"). Cuomo also described the potential musical styles of Spring and Fall, saying: "Spring can be a very breezy, carefree acoustic-type album, whereas Fall is going to be dance rock." He later stated that the albums, titled Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter respectively, are planned for release in 2022 on the first astronomical day of each relevant season.[204] Each season is linked to their own emotion. "Spring is optimism, Summer is anger, Autumn is anxiety, and Winter is sadness."[205]

On March 11, 2022, Weezer officially announced the project, now titled SZNZ, would consist of four extended plays, with Fall renamed to Autumn. The first, SZNZ: Spring, was released on March 20, and the lead single "A Little Bit of Love" was released on March 16.[206] The song reached No. 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart.[13]

On June 20, 2022, Weezer appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, debuting "Records", the lead single from SZNZ: Summer. The song reached No. 1 on the Alternative Airplay chart.[207] The EP released at midnight on June 21, along with news of a Broadway Theater residency planned for September 2022.[208] In August 2022, the residency was cancelled due to high expenses and poor ticket sales.[209]

On September 19, 2022, the band performed once again under the name Goat Punishment at Troubadour (West Hollywood), where they played SZNZ: Winter for the first time. They also debuted the single "What Happens After You?" from SZNZ: Autumn, which was released on September 22, 2022. "What Happens After You?" was later performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[210] A music video for the single was released on November 29, 2022.

On December 9, 2022 Weezer released "I Want a Dog", the lead single from the last EP in the SZNZ series, SZNZ: Winter.[211] SZNZ: Winter was released on December 21, 2022, alongside a music video for "Dark Enough To See The Stars". Musical style and influences

Weezer has been described as alternative rock,[212][213][214][215] power pop,[214][216][217][218] pop rock,[212][219][220][221] pop-punk,[222][223][224] geek rock,[212][225][226][227] emo,[218][228][229] indie rock,[212][230] emo pop,[231] melodic metal,[232] and pop.[233] The members of Weezer have listed influences such Kiss (with direct references in the song "In the Garage"), Nirvana, the Pixies, the Cars (whose member Ric Ocasek produced several Weezer records), Cheap Trick, Pavement, Oasis, the Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day and Wax.[234][235] Cuomo credited the Beach Boys as a major influence, specifically Pet Sounds; Bell described Weezer's sound as "Beach Boys with Marshall stacks".[236] Operas and musicals such as Madama Butterfly (1904) and Jesus Christ Superstar (1970) influenced Pinkerton and Songs from the Black Hole.[237] The band members' worship for hard rock and heavy metal music was the source of inspiration behind Van Weezer, including 1970s and 1980s bands like Kiss, Black Sabbath, Metallica, Slayer, Rush, and Van Halen (the last of whom inspired the album's title).[238][239][240]

Artists such as Paramore, [241] Fun.,[242] Pete Wentz,[243] Fall Out Boy,[244] Panic! at the Disco,[245] Blink-182,[246] Steve Lacy,[247] Taylor Swift,[248] Charli XCX,[249] Real Estate,[250] Dinosaur Pile-Up,[251] Cymbals Eat Guitars,[252] DNCE,[253] Ozma,[254] Wavves,[255] Joyce Manor,[256] Origami Angel,[257] and the Fall of Troy[258] cite Weezer as an influence. Solo work and side projects

Patrick Wilson started his side-project the Special Goodness in 1996, for which he sings and plays guitar and bass.[259] In May 2012, he released his fourth record with the Special Goodness, entitled Natural.[260]

Brian Bell started the Space Twins in 1994 releasing an album, The End of Imagining, in 2003.[261][262] In 2006, Bell started a new band called the Relationship, and did not contribute any songs for Weezer's Raditude in order to save material for the Relationship.[263] The Relationship's self-titled debut was released in 2010, with a follow-up, Clara Obscura, released in 2017.[264]

Former bassist Matt Sharp started the Rentals in 1994.[265] After releasing Return of the Rentals in 1995, Sharp went on to quit Weezer in 1998 to focus more on the Rentals.[265][23] Sharp has also released work under his own name.[266] Mikey Welsh toured with Juliana Hatfield[267] and played bass for the Kickovers.[268] Scott Shriner played bass for Anthony Green's debut studio album Avalon.[269]

On December 18, 2007, Cuomo released Alone - The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo, a compilation of his demos recorded from 1992 to 2007, including some demos from the unfinished Songs from the Black Hole album.[270] A second compilation, Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo, was released on November 25, 2008, and a third, Alone III: The Pinkerton Years, on December 12, 2011.[271] The album was sold exclusively with a book, The Pinkerton Diaries, which collects Cuomo's writings from the Pinkerton era.[272]

On March 20, 2013, Cuomo and Scott Murphy of the band Allister released Scott & Rivers, a Japanese-language album.[273] They released their second album in April 2017.[274] In November 2020, Cuomo released thousands of unreleased songs and demos from throughout Weezer's career on his personal website for purchase and download.[275][276] Musical contributions

In 1994, Weezer contributed the song "Jamie" to DGC Rarities Vol. 1, which is a compilation of demos, B-sides, and covers recorded by bands on the label.[277][278] It was the first appearance of the song until it was released as a B-side for the single of "Buddy Holly" and again on the Blue Album Deluxe Edition.[279][280]

In 1999, Weezer contributed a cover of the song "Velouria" by The Pixies to the tribute album Where Is My Mind? A Tribute To The Pixies.[281]

On July 22, 2003, Weezer contributed an acoustic cover of Green Day's "Worry Rock" to the compilation album A Different Shade of Green: A Tribute to Green Day.[282]

On December 4, 2008, iOS developer Tapulous released the game Christmas with Weezer, featuring gameplay similar to Tap Tap Revenge and six Christmas carols performed by the band. A digital EP featuring the songs, titled Christmas with Weezer, was also released on December 16, 2008.[283]

On March 9, 2010, Weezer appeared on an episode of the children's daytime television show Yo Gabba Gabba! and performed the song "All My Friends Are Insects". The song appeared on a compilation soundtrack album for the show, Yo Gabba Gabba! Music Is…Awesome! Volume 2, as well as a bonus track for the Weezer album Hurley.[284]

On June 11, 2010, the band released a new single, "Represent", as an "unofficial" anthem for the US Men's soccer team to coincide with the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Although technically unofficial, the song was embraced by the team, and on June 23, 2010, US Soccer released a music video on their official YouTube channel featuring dramatic footage of the US team spliced with footage of Weezer performing.[285]

In 2010, the band recorded a cover of "I'm a Believer" for the movie Shrek Forever After.[286] Previously, Weezer had planned to include an early version of "My Best Friend" from Make Believe in Shrek 2, but it was rejected due to the song sounding "too much like it was written for Shrek".[287]

In 2011, the band covered "You Might Think" by The Cars for the Pixar movie Cars 2. The song appears on the movie's official soundtrack.[288]

In 2011, Weezer recorded a cover of "Rainbow Connection" with Hayley Williams for Muppets: The Green Album, a cover album of Muppets songs which also included OK Go, The Fray, Alkaline Trio, and others.[289]

On September 20, 2018, Weezer released "California Snow" for the film Spell, which Cuomo also provided voicework for.[290] The song later appeared on the Black Album.[291]

In 2019, Weezer recorded a cover of "Lost In the Woods" for the Frozen II soundtrack.[292]

In 2020–2021, Weezer released "It's Always Summer in Bikini Bottom" for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run's film soundtrack.[293]

In June 2021, Weezer contributed the song "Tell Me What You Want" to the video game Wave Break. The song is featured in a special level of the game called "Weezy Mode".[294]

In August 2021, Weezer contributed a cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" to The Metallica Blacklist, a compilation of Metallica song covers by various artists, with each song getting several covers by different artists.[295] Band members

Current membersRivers Cuomo – lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards (1992–present) Patrick Wilson – drums, percussion (1992–present), backing vocals (2007–present); lead guitar, keyboards (2007–2012) Brian Bell – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals (1993–present), keyboards (2000–present) Scott Shriner – bass, backing vocals (2001–present), keyboards (2007–present)

Former membersJason Cropper – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals (1992–1993) Matt Sharp – bass, backing vocals (1992–1998)[23][24] Mikey Welsh – bass, backing vocals (1998–2001; died 2011)

Former touring musiciansBobby Schneck – keyboards, rhythm guitar, bass (2000–2005) Josh Freese – drums, percussion (2009–2012) Daniel Brummel – keyboards, rhythm guitar (2012–2014) Dave Elitch – drums, percussion (2022; substitute for Patrick Wilson)

Timeline Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Award is an award presented by the Recording Academy to recognize achievement in the mainly English-language music industry.[296] Weezer has received one award from five nominations. Year Nominee / work Award Result 2006 "Beverly Hills" Best Rock Song[93] Nominated 2009 "Pork and Beans" Best Music Video[93] (Director: Mathew Cullen) Won 2017 Weezer Best Rock Album[297] Nominated 2019 Pacific Daydream Best Rock Album[298] Nominated 2022 "All My Favorite Songs" Best Rock Song[299] Nominated

iHeartRadio Music Awards

The iHeartRadio Music Award was founded by iHeartRadio in 2014. From 2014 to 2018 the event was broadcast live on NBC,[300] and in 2019 the event was broadcast on FOX.[301] Year Nominee / work Award Result 2019 "Africa" Alternative Rock Song of the Year[302] Nominated Best Cover Song[302] Nominated

Kerrang! Awards Year Nominee / work Award Result 2008 "Pork and Beans" Best Video[303] Nominated

MTV Europe Music Awards

The MTV Europe Music Award is an award presented by Viacom International Media Networks Europe to honour artists and music in popular culture. Year Nominee / work Award Result 1995 Weezer Best New Act[304] Nominated "Buddy Holly" Best Video[304][305] (Director: Spike Jonze) Nominated 2008 "Pork and Beans" Best Video[306] (Director: Mathew Cullen) Nominated

MTV Video Music Awards

The MTV Video Music Award is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Weezer has received five awards from eight nominations. Year Nominee / work Award Result 1995 "Buddy Holly" Video of the Year[307] Nominated Best Alternative Video[307] Won Breakthrough Video[307] Won Best Direction (Director: Spike Jonze)[307] Won Best Editing (Editor: Eric Zumbrunnen)[307] Won 2001 "Hash Pipe" Best Rock Video[308] Nominated 2005 "Beverly Hills" Best Rock Video[94] Nominated 2008 "Pork and Beans" Best Editing (Editor: Jeff Consiglio and Colin Woods)[309] Won

Teen Choice Awards

The Teen Choice Awards were established in 1999 to honor the year's biggest achievements in music, movies, sports and television, being voted by young people aged between 13 and 19.[310] Year Nominee / work Award Result 2005 "Beverly Hills" Choice Music: Rock Song[311] Nominated Discography Main articles: Weezer discography and List of songs recorded by WeezerWeezer (Blue Album) (1994) Pinkerton (1996) Weezer (Green Album) (2001) Maladroit (2002) Make Believe (2005) Weezer (Red Album) (2008) Raditude (2009) Hurley (2010) Everything Will Be Alright in the End (2014) Weezer (White Album) (2016) Pacific Daydream (2017) Weezer (Teal Album) (2019) Weezer (Black Album) (2019) OK Human (2021) Van Weezer (2021)

{That's blueengland, alright}

[lucythornwalter]

Shadows of Shalott 1/58: “The Lady of Shalott”, Tokyo & the Boy // Combyne

“Shadows of Shalott” is a 58-installment project where I curate one outfit per song adapting, based on, or inspired by the Tennyson poem ‘The Lady of Shalott’. Spoken word recordings are exempt, as are covers; the 58 songs I selected are original musical pieces. The tag to track (or block) is “shadows of shalott”.

To start this project off, we have a loud, sonically demanding track that sounds like a meeting between Tori Amos and Aurelio Voltaire. The pounding piano and ugly drums demand attention, and the vocalist sings of being pulled in and killed by her fateful obsession with a boy, presumably Lancelot. I chose a floral, rose-heavy red with beiges and neutrals as the backbone of the look, hammering home the femme and avant-garde nature of the music and subject matter. This singer is not furious about her fate, but she is morose and resigned.

Something I’ll be curious about over the course of this examination is how often the Lady herself is the narrator, compared to someone else. Here, she speaks for herself, primarily clinging to resigned acceptance as she faces her death - later, she may be angry, or bitter, or elated. Now, though, she’s aware of what she describes as enslavement to Lancelot, something that binds and compels her, and perhaps she may be angry but mostly she simply knows it’s the end.