#dü speaks

[rorytunes]

A tag game! I was tagged by @inflammatory thank you so much this was very fun! (I know I say this at the end of the post but I'm very sorry if I tagged you against your will, I get so scared) Last song: It was, when I first saw this, Don’t Want To Know If You Are Lonely by Hüsker Dü, but at time of writing it’s Christian Brothers by Heatmiser/Elliott Smith

Favourite colour: I don’t know and this has plagued me for a long time. I’m going to say either the colour of a Polar Blue PRS Silver Sky, or a navy blue that’s so dark it’s almost black, like the sort of colour I’d use to paint a night sky in Year 7.

Currently watching: I haven’t been watching a lot for the past week or so but on a slightly wider timeframe, Rushmore and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Spicy/savoury/sweet: Spicy in a heartbeat. Dreaming of wasabi peanuts as we speak

Relationship status: Never once before in my life but I have what, three different crushes at the moment? Too busy on the guitar grind to think much about them though

Current obsession: The Sandman comic. Making playlists (my March playlist is almost 8hrs long and I am so pleased with every single song on it). Benevolent Wikipedia editing. Neglecting schoolwork. Iced matcha. And of course the insatiable investigations of music history. Also obsessed with playing This Charming Man on guitar

No pressure tags, I always get scared tagging so I hope you don't mind: @danexist @finch-kid @martitheevans @beachghoulz @strangebrew and all the other mutuals I didn't mention for being deeply scared, and anyone else who wants to join !!

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Sonic Youth - Elysée Montmarte, Paris, France, June 17, 1987

Come on, get in the car! We're careening through the #SonicSummer, brothers and sisters! And speaking of sisters ... the band released Sister on June 1, 1987 — just a few weeks prior to this Paris gig, which was a double-bill with their former label mates Hüsker Dü. SY still had a long road ahead of them. The Dü would barely make it to the end of the year.

Like Sister itself, this set kicks off with "Schizophrenia." The soundman, perhaps excited by what is pretty much the poppiest thing Sonic Youth has done so far, makes Steve Shelley's drums sound like they'd be right at home on a New Order record. It's cool! While the band has certainly been heading in a more straight-ahead direction since Shelley joined, the Paris show showcases just how righteous a rock band SY was becoming, all whiplash riffs and whirlwind energy, as they play most of the new album for the ravenous crowd.

Thurston says: We were getting more seriously into song structure. It's not something we intended to do. It just became something we were getting more proficient at.

Don't get it twisted, sister, this isn't AC/DC or anything, but it rocks mightily, whether Sonic Youth is ripping through "Tuff Gnarl" or finding a very beautiful plateau during the mid-section of "Pacific Coast Highway." Things build up, the music swells majestically ... and then the quartet takes a wrecking ball to it, gleefully and with full abandon. Exciting stuff. And hey, Lee Ranaldo steps up to the mic on "Pipeline," something he'd do much more often in the years to come. Free Lee!

Once again, I haven't tracked down the Dü set from this particular evening, but why not check out a recording from a few days later? Dü it, düdes!

Bandcamp | Merch | Concert Chronology

[reztruck]

Imagine being in a band and both of you were bisexual and had sex during tour but never with each other. And then you guys had a horrible breakup and didn’t speak to each other afterwards. You think this is about your band but this happened to Hüsker Dü.

[myloveforhergoeson]

posting another chapter preview bc i feel bad about not posting for a month and a half lol. everyone promise you'll act surprised when the chapter actually gets posted, okay? please enjoy :) <3

tw: mentions of underage drinking

Finding something to wear to a show was always a struggle for Roxy. Back in Brand New Day, an old band t-shirt or flannel, some skinny jeans, and black boots were practically a uniform worn at every single gig. While on the Big Time Rush tour, her options were equally as simple - Something cute, matching whatever colors the boys were wearing that night, that didn’t make her stand out in the slightest. But to a basement show in her hometown? Nothing in her closet seemed like the right way to go.

She hadn’t even been planning on going to one over the holiday break, but she had run into her old lab partner, Catherine Endicott while at the grocery store earlier, and she wasn’t ever one to pass up an invitation to enjoy the local music scene. So many incredible bands and musicians had come out of Minnesota; It would be a shame to miss out on potentially seeing the next big thing right as they got their start. 

“Bob Dylan, The Replacements, Hüsker Dü, Big Time Rush… Minnesota is crawling with musical talent,” She rambled, twisting her hair up into a large claw clip and letting the ends stick up, framing the top of her head like a spiky crown, while speaking to a spaced-out James. “Now we get to see Cait’s band, Under the Bleachers!”

It sounded like he was humming along to the OneRepublic song on the radio station he’d picked, sitting on top of her messily made bed while she dug through her closet to try and find something she’d feel comfortable in. 

Fashion was always a mixed bag at underground shows, and that had never really bothered her before, but she’d found she favored more colorful and trendy outfits than the experimental and quirky style she often saw at house gigs. Typically, she’d just wear whatever and bolster the strange looks because she’d be with her dad - in his own grunge style - and he’d ward off any unwanted glances or sly comments. But going with James, the poster boy for everything mainstream, would not afford her such grace. 

So… Blend in but make it my own… She determined, reaching all the way into the back of her closet for the punkish outfits she used to wear while she was in Brand New Day. It felt like forever ago now, but that had been her style when trying to fit in with Mag and Dani at their shows, but these days, not so much. 

“So we’re going to see a show by a band you’ve never heard of because someone you kind of know invited you?” James asked, clarifying the situation she had hurriedly explained to him on the phone as she’d come home from the store. Of course, he had been more than eager to bike over to her place in his “alternative” outfit - which to him was a pair of nice black jeans, a black v-neck, and a black jacket - but was having some trouble grasping the concept of seeing an artist they didn’t know. 

Even though he couldn’t see her buried in the back of her closet, the girl nodded as she slid hanger after hanger toward her to check out all her options. “Duh. Most of the people at our first show didn’t know who we were either, but they came because of our amazing advertising!”

Oh… Good times, Roxy fondly recalled running around L.A. handing out as many Big Time Rush fliers as she could and inviting anyone to their show that would stop long enough to listen. Brand New Day’s advertising strategy had been similar, but she also had the power of the airwaves to help her out at the Project Pop radio station. 

Taking in her words, James continued humming to the radio, as Roxy’s fingers landed on a long-forgotten t-shirt she had been keeping tucked away for a special occasion. James’ first basement show seemed like as good a time as any, and she managed to pair it with a short, red skirt and a pair of black fishnet tights. 

 As quickly as she had found it, she ran into the bathroom to change, feeling much more like herself than she had figured she would as she admired her picks in the large mirror. Not only was this her first concert with James, but it would also be her first underground show since she left Brand New Day. A part of her was irrationally worried that she’d see Mag and Dani there, but Duluth wasn’t that small a city, and Cait hadn’t mentioned running into them during their brief conversation earlier. 

Then again… They did show up at the Palm Woods…

“When you say ‘we’ are you talking about Big Time Rush or your old band?” She heard James call through the closed door, just as she managed to slip the final component of her outfit on; A gold chain belt cooly rested against her exposed midriff after she’d tied up the shirt, matching the charm necklace hanging around her neck.

Aside from the time Kendall had stolen her journal and passed it off to famous internet blogger Deke, that had been the first time he’d asked her something regarding her musical past. Not that she didn’t mind sharing - with him at least - the question simply caught her off guard. Despite a long-standing friendship, their relationship was still in the beginning stages. Roxy’s heart skipped; It was nice that even after knowing each other quite well, there was still much for them to learn about each other.

Slowly opening the door to the bathroom and making a beeline back to her closet for a pair of black boots, Roxy considered her next words carefully, “Yes to both; But each time we did a significant amount of advertising. Word of mouth does wonders in any town… Ergo, we’re seeing Cait’s band.”

When she finally turned around to find the jewelry box on her dresser, she felt James’ eyes glued to her as she crossed the small room. It made her chest flutter, knowing he couldn’t stop staring at her, and just for fun, she used it to her advantage as she coyly glanced over her shoulder and shot him a wink before picking out a pair of matching earrings. 

“Rox…” He almost whispered, and the springs of her bed groaned as he stood up. In response, he brought a fist to his mouth before clearing his throat and she didn’t miss the unmistakable dusting of pink blushing the top of his ears. “I know you’re going to be freezing but is it bad that I don’t care? I never want you to take that off…”

In the vanity mirror she was using to check her outfit, she noticed he crept closer while he spoke, gaze suspiciously targeting her legs. When he reached out to wrap his arms around her, she playfully evaded his grasp with a nicely timed side-step.

“Oh, my God!” Roxy cried, cutting into his sentence with a few uncontrollable snorts of laughter and an accusatory finger, meeting him in the middle of the room. “You’ve got a thing for fishnets!”

She watched James freeze, glancing up at the ceiling fan lazily rotating around. In response, he let out a few beats of an innocent whistle before rocking back and forth on his heels. “Whaaat! No!”

Acting against his words, his hand reached out to grab hers at the same time his gaze flickered down just long enough to give her another once-over, noticeably lingering on her tights. When the writer opened her mouth again to tease him, he beat her to the punch and changed the subject, pointing to the old black and white band t-shirt she had tied up above her navel. “Who’s Dec and the Desires? Never heard you talk about them before.”

 Another question that made her giddy, and she grinned as she laced her fingers between his and pulled him into the living room toward the front door, making sure to grab a lighter from the kitchen junk drawer on the way out. “An underground punk band I love. They were really big in the late 80’s and early 90’s in Austin, Texas. Though, I figure you can put the rest together yourself, considering you know the lead singer.”

It seemed as though her words confused her boyfriend for a moment, as they stepped out of the Somerset’s one-story and out onto the freezing streets of Minnesota. Of course, James had been right, and Roxy was freezing, but Cait’s house was only a few blocks away. She could brave the cold in the name of fashion. 

Besides, I’ve got my own personal space heater…

“I do?” He asked, eyes darting around the empty driveway before his brows knit in confusion. 

Roxy carefully tugged him toward the mostly snow-cleared sidewalk, silently letting him know they’d be walking to their destination instead of driving; Someone had been caught up at work after taking an impromptu day off on Christmas Eve and kept Dynamo out late. “Yes, baby. Dec… and the Desires?”

James blinked, either still confused or taking in the pet name he wasn’t quite used to as he followed her lead.

Oh my…

“Declan?” She tried again, doing her best to keep from shivering too much as she and James traversed the icy path. “Somerset?”

“Oh! Your dad was in a band like you?” The genuine curiosity in his voice made her melt a smidge and she snugged his arm into her chest as she practically pulled him down the street to Cait’s. “I didn’t know that, Rox! Kendall and I talked his ear off about sports backstage when we could’ve been asking for music advice! He’s way nicer than Gustavo.”

Her heart involuntarily squeezed at the thought of James feeling comfortable going to her father for advice. “Yeah, they were really going places. Headlining local venues, sending for record labels, lining up an independently run U.S. tour, until…” She paused, realizing she’d never spoken with anyone besides her dad and old band about his small stint in the music industry. Until me. “He’ll talk your ear off about the glory days if you’d let him.”

 “It’s neat that the two of you have so much in common… My parents always had to drag me to stuff about Brooke Diamond Cosmetics - Thank God that’s all over,” James nodded, slinging an arm around his girlfriend as they walked. Try as she might to contain her shivers, he could feel the involuntary shakes and goosebumps riddling her arm under his fingertips. “What did I tell you about being cold?!”

Roxy knew he was changing the subject so she wouldn’t ask any follow-up questions about his statement. In all the time they’d known each other, this was the first in which he’d willingly brought up the company his mother ran. Besides, the writer had only made the connection he was the Brooke Diamond’s son during an interview on the band’s summer tour - If James had wanted her to know that sooner, he would’ve told her.

Just as he was interested to learn more about her past, she was curious about his, but decided not to push her luck as they traveled on to Cait’s. James would share when he was ready and that was perfectly fine with Roxy.

~

They hadn’t even been in the crowded, boiling basement for 10 minutes when a guy around James and Roxy’s age, dripping in metal spikes and heavy chains, came up to them, asking the latter if she was ever in a band because she looked “kinda, sorta, super familiar.” The show wasn’t even close to starting yet.

The writer shrugged him off, playing with the rim of the red Solo cup in her hand when she brought up Big Time Rush - knowing full well that wasn’t what he had meant by his question - and introduced him to James who was far more versed in interactions like these. Just as quickly as the guy had come to speak with them, he wrinkled his nose at the thought of meeting a member of a boy band and disappeared into the sea of people around them. 

Five minutes, and Roxy’s nervous downing of her drink later, someone else stopped by the couple and asked her the same question. Though she wanted them to stick around a bit and ask for a few tips on how they got their sharp-edged eyeliner to stand out so nicely against their dark eyeshadow, her response was the same as before, as was the individual’s when she brought up the pop band she wrote and composed for. 

James, bless his heart, looked a bit uncomfortable with the sheer amount of people packed into the small space and stuck close to her side as she navigated them as best she could around the small space. Despite pouring him a cup straight from the ice-bathing keg’s tap in the corner closest to the entrance, he had declined the drink - “Need to bike home, babe,” - and passed it off to the girl in line behind them.

Then, she asked Roxy if she’d been in a band as well.

Just the thought of anyone associating her with Brand New Day made her nauseous, so she used to boy band line again, and the young girl scurried off to her group of friends, shaking her head at them as if they’d all been wondering the same thing. 

Ignoring the slight shake in her fingers as she reached for her boyfriend’s hand, Roxy told herself she brushed off the questions only because Brand New Day were openly establishing themselves as a duo now that they’d moved to Hollywood and signed with Galactic Records. Telling someone she used to play with them might make her look like a liar, or worse, a delusional fan girl. 

Yup, that’s totally worse than being a liar, she decided, squeezing James’ hand for comfort while waving in and out through the mass of individuals to try and get to the center of the room. I never want to be associated with them again.

“We’ll be able to hear best from here!” Roxy assured James as they’d reached the middle of the crowd, having to raise her voice over the noise level, even though she couldn’t see where Cait had set up the instruments over everyone standing in front of her. In her opinion, the only downfall to house shows was the absence of an elevated stage. “Think you’ll be able to see alright?” 

The question was inherently dumb; One look over the cramped space told her he was one of the tallest people there - excluding those who had used an insane amount of hairspray to hold up their hairdos and those in platform shoes. 

Instead of answering her question, James squeezed her hand back before warmly saying, “You’re famous.”

No question mark, no hesitation. Spoken as though it were the truest of facts.

Taking another sip of her drink, Roxy held it on her tongue for a moment, letting the pungent taste linger before swallowing while she considered his words. Then, the sickly feeling from before returned, heartbeat drumming uncomfortably in her chest, and her immediate reaction was to deflect his statement. “You’re the one in a boy band.”

“No one’s asked me if I was in a band tonight.”

“No one here listens to that kind of music.”

When James realized he wasn’t getting anywhere with this conversation, he sighed and shifted his attention forward to the non-existent stage, while his girlfriend realized how combative her words were coming off. Which, unfortunately, they were designed to be. Brand New Day was the last thing she’d wanted to think about at the show tonight, but he wasn’t asking to be a bother. She knew that; But this wasn’t the setting in which she wanted to have that conversation.

It had just been a long time since she’d considered her past in the Duluth music scene. She never handled the unwanted feelings about her old band members and stolen intellectual property well, as evidenced by the slightly mean tone she’d taken with him. 

Though she thought she was over it after she vowed to move on after her last encounter with Mag and Dani at AM LA, actions certainly spoke louder than words. 

 Roxy took another sip of her drink, starting to feel the beginnings of a buzz itch at the back of her brain. Way to go Rox, drive off the one guy you’ve managed to keep around...

Just as she opened her mouth to apologize, she felt James squeeze her hand again. “Did you play a lot of shows in places like this? How could you stand the distinct… skunky and sweaty smell?” 

Saying a silent prayer of thanks he had moved on from the previous line of questioning, Roxy felt her rapid breathing begin to slow.

“More than I could count. Dani’s basement was a bit bigger than this one, though, but most times we’d jump in on someone else’s show if we begged them hard enough,” She shared in earnest, trying to tell herself it wouldn’t be as bad to talk it out with someone she cared about. “Loved every moment of it, too.”

By now, she had finally worked up enough courage to glance up at her boyfriend in the low light, finding him raising an eyebrow at her comment. 

“Even the skunky and sweaty smell! Got used to it after a while… But you,” Roxy reached up and poked at his cheek with a loose giggle, “You’ve been venue spoiled. Free snacks and gifts, clean green rooms, crowds of thousands screaming your name… Lucky, lucky boy.”

“That I am,” James assured her, bending down to press a much-wanted kiss to her cheek to let her know everything was alright. “Sounds like you get free drinks at shows like these though. That’s not a perk of our job quite yet.”

Of course, his timing was perfect to when she went to take a sip of her drink, causing her to nearly spit out what little she had left as she snorted a bit of buzz-induced laughter. “Only if you’re friends with the homeowner or you’re incredibly cute. So both of us are in the clear tonight, superstar, because those jeans you’re wearing make me wanna-”

The distinct ringing of microphone feedback surged through her ears, immediately cutting her off from her train of thought as Under the Bleachers took their places at the front of the room and soon, it was replaced with the deep kick of the drum echoing in her chest, carrying over the second-hand speakers. Wasting no time, the band jumped straight into their first song, leaving her little choice but to pull her boyfriend down for a quick kiss against the beginnings of a guitar melody meant to promise there was much more in store for him later. 

~

Lucky for James, Roxy cashed in on her silent promise about halfway through the set when the ear-splittingly loud music had thoroughly rattled her brain and she had managed to finish off her second cup of beer. The room was warm, sure, but he’d wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer a few minutes ago, and the temperature prickling her skin reached inferno-like levels just from his touch. Be it the heightened state she had found herself in, the adrenalin rush of her first show in so long, or the fact Cait’s band wrote excellent make-out music, Roxy had dragged James out of the crowd to the back of the room and spent most of the set’s remaining time pressed up against the basement wall with her lips locked onto his. 

That was, until the most pit opened, of course.

When the show ended, she nearly cried, but allowed James to navigate them up the staircase and out into Cait’s backyard with everyone else, before eventually making it back out to the sidewalk and heading in the direction of her house. 

“Tonight was perfect!” She yelled without regard for the late hour, throwing her head and hands back as the sound echoed off the houses on the road they took. “Can you believe Under the Bleachers are so, so, so good? We should call Gustavo - He needs a girl band and they need a record contract! An album too, lots of albums. So many albums…”

The heat of the basement had almost made them forget the below-freezing temperature outside, but Roxy could hardly feel it as she twirled down the sidewalk, humming what she could remember of the songs they’d played. At some point, her boyfriend had given her his coat, but she didn’t remember when. 

When she almost hit a metal mailbox on the street with her hands, James poorly tried to conceal his smile as he caught her around the wrist and pulled her into his side, slinging an arm around her shoulders. “Careful, crazy girl. I know you punks like to break stuff, but let’s keep the damages to a minimum.”

At his statement, she squeezed her eyes shut and stuck out her tongue, shaking her head at the notion. “Not a punk! Not even close!”

Roxy managed to pop one eye open and glance his way, noting the way his head tilted to the side, bottom lip stuck out. It made her giggle.

“Wanna know a secret?” She said, fully intending to whisper it in his ear, but she was too busy continuing to stare at his mouth to focus on her volume. The pair had split her last cup of lukewarm beer; The relaxation it brought had caused her newfound loose lips. “I just like the music, making me the world's biggest poser! I’m not connected to the culture at all; Not like Dad.”

Hand moving up and down on her arm to spark some heat, the perplexed look on James’ face remained. “You think? From what you said earlier it sounds like the two of you were in pretty similar situations. Playing the shows, writing the music, connecting with others around town… Sounds pretty punk to me.”

“He and his band wrote about real issues,” Roxy blurted out, still failing to find the balance between what she should and shouldn’t say. There had been a reason she’d needed to share her last cup with James - The looseness had traveled to whatever part of her brain filtered her speech. “Racism, religious conservativism, labor rights… Shit was bad and they were able to channel it into a musical act of protest. All I ever managed to write about was stupid, trivial teenage stuff to pair over a punky-sounding guitar riff. I still do that, just.. Poppy now.”

James didn’t say anything for a moment, and when she turned to look at him as they rounded the corner of her street, she swore she could see the gears turning in his head. “It’s all about self-expression, though, right?”

A good point - one she hadn’t been expecting him to make. In fact, that had been something she had neglected to realize all night, despite that being one of the core tenets of the genre. 

“Getting in touch with your emotions, writing them out, being brave enough to share them… That’s hard for a lot of people, Rox.” The hesitation in his voice made her think he was speaking from experience, but she certainly wasn’t in a state to ask him. “Whether or not you think it’s punk is up to you, but I think it’s pretty extraordinary.”

There were only two times in her life Roxy could remember being rendered speechless - The first time her dad played her Definitely Maybe by Oasis and the first time she’d met Dak Zevon - and now, this was a conversation she could file away in that folder as well. He wasn’t known for always saying the right thing at the right time, but she internalized his words, playing them over and over in her mind as they approached her front door. While she did, her heart was pounding to the point of ache, almost as though it were attempting to break free from her chest and make a new home for itself in James’ hands. 

Just as she was figuring out how to respond, he continued with a crack of a smile, “Especially extraordinary when the song you write is about me! Perfect subject matter for my perfect songwriter.”

[riseofthecommonwoodpile]

Another round down, feels like lower scores than usual for me? Though there’s an awful lot of 7.5’s. That might be my new 8.0 tbh. That said there were more than a few that were *chef kiss*

Alaska Thunderfuck- Poundcake (1.5/10)

Ayesha Erotica- Barely Legal (9.0/10)

Boredoms- Pop Tatari (8.0/10)

Brainiac- Smack Bunny Baby (7.5/10)

Britney Spears- Oops!… I Did It Again (8.0/10)

Burial- Subtemple / Beachfires (7.5/10)

COBRAH- Succubus (7.0/10)

Deftones- B-Sides & Rarities (7.5/10)

Fairies (妖精達)- 人間哀歌 (9.5/10)

Fergie- The Dutchess (7.0/10)

Francisco López- Hyper Rainforest (8.0/10)

Geinoh Yamashirogumi (芸能山城組)- 恐山 (Osorezan) / 銅之剣舞 (Dō no Kenbai) (8.5/10)

Hatebreed- Satisfaction is the Death of Desire (5.0/10)

Horatiu Radulescu- Intimate Rituals (7.5/10)

Horse MacGyver- Void (7.0/10)

Hüsker Dü- Everything Falls Apart (6.5/10)

Ink & Dagger- Ink & Dagger (6.0/10)

Ke$Ha- Animal (8.0/10)

Kim Petras- Slut Pop (7.0/10)

Lindsay Lohan- Speak (6.0/10)

Lubricated Goat- Psychedelicatessen (8.5/10)

Machine Girl- WLFGRL (7.5/10)

The Make-Up- Save Yourself (8.5/10)

Neon Indian- Psychic Chasms (7.0/10)

pageninetynine- Document #8 (9.0/10)

Paris Hilton- Paris (7.5/10)

The Pretty Reckless- Going to Hell (7.5/10)

Sadaf- History of Heat (8.5/10)

Scene Queen- Bimbocore (7.5/10)

Sifow- ＆YOU REVOLUTION (8.0/10)

Slayyyter- Starfucker (8.5/10)

Thinking Fellers Union Local 282- Strangers from the Universe (10/10)

[gerogerigaogaigar]

Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

Oh no! It's another one of my Favorite Albums Of All Time™. This is the best rock album of the 90's. Somehow blending ennui and deep longing into one contradictory emotion. Crooked Rain speaks to the contradictory feelings of growing up in a middle class suburb. The rebellion vs the comfort. The desire for something that you don't know what it is, but you need it so bad. It's an album about growing up, but it's great contradiction is that it brings me back to childhood every time I hear it. And that isn't nostalgia talking either, I didn't hear this album at all until I was out of high school. If you only listen to one album off the list so far make it this one.

LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver

Deadpan irony delivered with dispassionate sincerity. It's hard to tell whether LCD Soundsystem is making fun of you for having feeling or if they're making fun of you for thinking that you don't. Are they genuinely mad about being mistaken for a European band or are they joking? Is the title track sympathetic or dismissive of teenage angst? Is party culture self destructive or triumphant? The lack of any real answers meld with the slow building and steady instrumentals to create a world where the answers are whatever conclusion you draw. Maybe things can be more than one thing.

Usher - Confessions

Ngl man if you gotta write two back to back songs apologizing for shit then she's probably in the right to leave your ass lol. This album is solid. I think it drags a little, but its not like it's top heavy or anything. I think I just get bored with sensitive R&B guys faster than others. The fact that the album's tone is to be unapologetically horny but also very apologetic at the same time is hilarious to me. I know it isn't deliberate camp but when Usher goes from I'm good at sex songs to please take me back songs it's like environmental storytelling for toxic dudes.

Los Lobos - How Will the Wolf Survive

I'll admit that a sorta folksy sorta rockabilly album from 84 is not an exciting prospect to me. It wasn't bad by any means, but it didn't rock my world either. Not a complete bust though since there is some nice accordion playing here and that always makes me happy.

Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True

The idea to wrap up the brattiest, meanest lyrics in Buddy Holly style rock n roll was one of the greatest masterstrokes of the 70s punk scene. Typically when an artist tries to emulate past styles, especially from the pre stereo era, they either emulate too perfectly and end up derivative or they fail entirely and wind up sounding sterile. Elvis Costello somehow avoids this entirely. The lo fi punk rock production compliments the 50s throwback aesthetics in a way that feels authentic to both styles.

The Four Tops - Reach Out

When I was a child my dad listened exclusively to an oldies station that didn't seem to realize that music existed outside of the years 1951-1968. Hits from the Motown records label were naturally staples of their lineup and the songs that always stood out to me happened to be by The Four Tops. I Can't Help Myself, Bernadette, Walking In The Shadows Of Love, and Reach Out I'll Be There wound up being some of the most foundational songs of my childhood. This album contains three of those four songs. The only real point of this anecdote is to explain how I'm not qualified to review anything by The Four Tops. Hell I even named myself after Levi Stubbs' character from Little Shop of Horrors. This isn't one of my favorite albums of all time, but it contains some of my most essential songs of all time.

Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising

Right in the middle of their discography and in the middle of their evolution from hardcore punk to alt rock pioneers. New Day Rising almost feels like it could have been an early emo influence. Buzzsaw guitars threaten to drown out helplessly shouted vocals. And far from the traditional punk aesthetic that prized political lyricism and outward facing aggression Bob Mould writes personal and introspective songs. Without a doubt this album, while not a turning point in and of itself, is still part of a large scale shift in what rock music would be going forward.

[randomvarious]

Today’s compilation:

SST Acoustic 1991 Folk / Folk-Rock / Acoustic Rock / Singer-Songwriter

OK, so here's one of the most important and prominent independent rock labels of the 80s—SST, who were the top outfit for the American underground movement, with bands like Black Flag, Sonic Youth, Hüsker Dü, Minutemen, Dinosaur Jr., Bad Brains, Meat Puppets, Descendents, and Screaming Trees all on their roster at certain points—trying to cash in on that whole acoustic gimmick/fad in 1991 that was brought about by the immense popularity of MTV Unplugged. Basically, it looks like this label, who at the time were trying to stay relevant and flailing as Seattle grunge and Sub Pop were becoming the new alternative big rock thing, dug up a bunch of acoustic songs from their catalog and put them all onto this album.

But that dawning of the grunge era wasn't what actually initiated SST's downfall; that was merely the death knell. What preceded it was the year of 1987, when the label lost its goddamn mind and decided to put out *eighty* fucking releases. Horizons appeared to have certainly been broadened, but the overall quality and potency of the music itself had also, naturally, been lowered.

And it appears that most of these songs come from that post-1986 period. Now, maybe with their placements on their respective original LPs they serve as solid palate cleansers between all the indie and punk and post-punk and alt and art rock, but with them all just smushed together like this on this release, they mostly just sound like ordinary acoustic and folk tunes; pretty unremarkable.

But there's one song on here that's still pretty great by a guy named Kirk Kelly. According to Discogs, Kelly was never in any other bands and the only release he ever made in his entire career was a 1988 folk-rock LP on SST. No 7-inches or 12-inches or maxi-singles to speak of; just that one, solitary album to his name. And that album's title track, a lively solo tune that's packed with aggressive guitar strums and a harmonica solo, is on this comp and is really the only song on it that especially stands out.

And an honorable mention goes to fIREHOSE's "In Memory of Elizabeth Cotton" too, which, had it been longer, could've, by far, been the best track on this release. A soft and intimately tender folk tune that pairs the male vocal of Ed Crawford and female vocal of Susan Gottlieb (aka Phranc) quite well. Could've used another level, though, I think.

Worth it to mostly ignore this album, but there's still one very good and one decent tune on here.

Highlights:

Kirk Kelly - "Go Man Go"

[tuesdaynightmusicclub]

Shan Tuesdaynightmusicclub's Top 100 Favourite Albums Ever (2024 Edition)

100. Carly-Rae Jepsen - Emotion

99. Boston - Boston

98. Emmylou Harris & Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel

97. Television - Marquee Moon

96. Weather Report - Heavy Weather

95. Aerosmith - Pump

94. Patti Smith - Horses

93. The Pogues - If I Should Fall from Grace with God

92. Sister Sledge - We Are Family

91. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

90. Chuck Berry - The Great Twenty-Eight

89. Sonic Youth - Goo

88. Hüsker Dü - Warehouse: Songs and Stories

87. David Bowie - Station to Station

86. Outkast - Aquemini

85. Guns n’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction

84. Susumu Hirasawa - Technique of Relief

83. Erotic Cakes - Erotic Cakes

82. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly

81. Mitski - Be the Cowboy

80. Kool Keith - Black Elvis

79. Brian Eno - Another Green World

78. The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle

77. Jimmy Carter & Dallas County Green - Summer Brings the Sunshine

76. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

75. Echo & The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain

74. The Specials - The Specials

73. Missy Elliott - Miss E... So Addictive

72. The White Stripes - Elephant

71. Neil Cicierega - Mouth Sounds

70. Aphex Twin - …I Care Because You Do

69. Outkast - Speakerboxx/The Love Below

68. Boy Jr. - Pay Attention to Meee

67. Talking Heads - Remain In Light

66. Gorillaz - Demon Days

65. Tricky - Maxinquaye

64. Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasuredome

63. Kate Bush - Aerial

62. Sinéad O’Connor - I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got

61. Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde

60. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico

59. Beyoncé - Lemonade

58. The Cure - Disintegration

57. Joni Mitchell - Blue

56. Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

55. Michael Jackson - Off the Wall

54. The Grateful Dead - Live/Dead

53. Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous

52. My Bloody Valentine - Isn’t Anything

51. Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison

50. David Bowie - Low

49. Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

48. Talking Heads  - Speaking In Tongues

47. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew

46. The Beach Boys - Smile

45. The Clash - London Calling

44. Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps

43. Radiohead - OK Computer

42. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

41. Yes - Fragile

40. Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell

39. Ennio Morricone - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly OST

38. Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water

37. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

36. The Grateful Dead - American Beauty

35. Stone Roses - Stone Roses

34. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon

33. J Dilla - Donuts

32. John Cale - Paris 1919

31. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead

30. Yellow Magic Orchestra - Solid State Survivor

29. The Seatbelts - Cowboy Bebop OST

28. The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat

27. Malice Mizer - Merveilles

26. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

25. Massive Attack - Blue Lines

24. David Bowie - “Heroes”

23. Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

22. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited

21. Frank Zappa - Hot Rats

20. Fatboy Slim - You’ve Come A Long Way, Babe

19. Koji Kondo - Yoshi's Island OST

18. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Exodus

17. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks

16. Susumu Hirasawa - Berserk (1997) OST

15. ABBA - Gold

14. Rina Sawayama - Sawayama

13. Síomha - Infinite Space

12. Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues

11. Carole King - Tapestry

10. Stevie Wonder - Songs In the Key of Life

9. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation

8. Michael Jackson - Thriller

7. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love

6. Can - Tago Mago

5. Outkast - Stankonia

4. The Pogues - Rum, Sodomy and the Lash

3. Daft Punk - Discovery

2. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells

Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

I put this list together before starting this blog as a sort of exorcism. There's more than a few seriously shit people in here, but their work is a part of my formative years. This is a way of honouring that work, and laying it to rest, in a way.

[i-am-adlocked]

UPDATE! I compiled them all in one album! This has 30 albums and 1 single!

Spotify Link (contains 446 songs):

Youtube Music Link (contains 458 songs):

Youtube Link (same as above but placed here in case y’all don’t have the Youtube Music):

Here’s the list of CDs I got so far Let me know if you know some that aren't here.

Johnny Cash: Don’t Take Your Guns to Town (single) Massive Attack: Mezzanine The Beatles: Revolver Green Day: Rookie Soundgarden: Superunknown R.E.M.: Automatic For the People Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation Nirvana: In Utero Radiohead: OK Computer Red Hot Chili Peppers: Blood Sugar Sex Magik Rage Against The Machine: Rage Against The Machine Portishead: Dummy Hüsker Dü: Zen Arcade The Replacements: Pleased to Meet Me Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks Beastie Boys: Check Your Head Tool: Ænima Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin IV Blur: Blur Van Halen: 1984 The Cure: Disintegration AC/DC: Back in Black Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Fleetwood Mac: Rumours Talking Heads: Speaking in Tongues Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here Oasis: Definitely Maybe Bruce Springsteen: Magic Boston: Don’t Look Back The Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream The Doors: Strange Days

I made 3 Spotify playlists of all the albums Elliot Alderson wrote in his CDs to cover up his hacks.

[27fm]

Playlist 07.02.23

LiLiPUT - Eisiger Wind (LiLiPUT - 2001)

Grauzone - Eisbär (The Sunrise Tapes - 1998)

Bruce Springsteen - Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (Born To Run - 1975)

Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens - It's A Cold, Cold World (Cold World - 2014)

HDQ - The Never Ending Winter (Lost in Translation - 2013)

Diana Jones - Cold Grey Ground (My Remembrance of You - 2005)

Justin Townes Earle - It's Cold in This House (Single Mothers - 2014)

Motorama - Winter At Night (Eyes - 2013)

Joy Division / Warsaw - Ice Age (Session) (Heart & Soul - 1985)

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Coming In From The Cold (Legend (Remaster) - 2002)

Speak 714 - In From The Cold (Knee Deep In Guilt - 1998)

Hüsker Dü - Ice Cold Ice (Warehouse: Songs And Stories - 1987)

John Surman - Winter Elegy (Saltash Bells - 2012)

[smoldinopup]

It's 3 am and I can't sleep (again) so I stopped by to tell you listen to Act 2. It's so beautiful 🤧😭

[felikatze]

Wer braucht Neujahrscountdowns wenn man (T)Raumschiff Suprise schauen kann

[ursaminorjim]

1. FIRST CONCERT The first FULL concert I saw was Yes, 1980, on the Drama tour, at the Civic Arena, Pittsburgh. It was when Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes of the Buggles had joined, replacing Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman. It was in the round, with a rotating stage, and it was boring as hell.

The actual first concert I went to was Angel, 1979, on the Sinful tour (Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh). I was 10. My mom took my brother and I. We unfortunately had to leave midway through the opening band Trillion’s set, because there was simply too much pot smoke. A teenager next to my mother asked her if she wanted a hit from his joint, and she drily replied, “Hang on, let my ask MY TWO YOUNG CHILDREN FIRST.” We left shortly thereafter.

Fun fact — I discovered years later that the keyboard player in Trillion was Patrick Leonard, who later went on to co-write some of Madonna’s stone classic hits. I don’t remember a thing about Trillion’s set apart from the lead singer announcing “We think Disco SUCKS!” between songs. Cue rapturous applause from a couple thousand Pittsburgh rock fans.

2. LAST CONCERT Swans at the Lodge Room, back in April. Seven songs, two-and-a-half hours. Thrilling. My ears rang for three days afterwards.

3. WORST CONCERT Palace Music at the Knitting Factory, New York, 1996. I’ve seen my share of bad shows, awkward shows, boring shows, and shows I just plain didn’t like. But this one stands out in my memory for being so heartbreakingly disappointing. I’d seen Palace Music just a few months prior to this gig, and it was transcendent. I got goosebumps in a hot, sweaty club. Several times. But at this show, just prior to the release of the (contentious , excellent) Arise, Therefore album, he had a completely new set of musicians. Whom he was teaching how to play the songs AS THEY WERE PLAYING THEM. If you told me they were complete strangers he’d pulled in off the street who had never played an instrument before, I’d believe you. It was a stark, disastrous experience in comparison to the joyous and warm show I witnessed mere weeks earlier. Weird.

4. LOUDEST CONCERT See above (number 2)

5. BEST CONCERT There’s way more than just one, so I’m going to have to cheat. And brag a little.

Pet Shop Boys, Performance tour (Radio City Music Hall, New York, 1991)

David Bowie, Heathen/NYC Marathon tour (Jimmy’s Bronx Café, The Bronx, 2002)

Talking Heads, Speaking in Tongues tour (Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, 1983)

Björk, Biophilia tour (Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, 2013) and Vespertine tour (Radio City Music Hall, New York, 2001)

Prince, Lovesexy tour (Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, 1988)

Fever Ray, Fever Ray tour (Fonda Theater, Los Angeles, 2009)

The Smiths, The Queen is Dead tour (Fulton Theatre, Pittsburgh, 1986)

Sigur Rós with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (Reykjavik Festival - Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, 2017)

Kylie Minogue, For You, For Me tour (Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, 2009) and Aphrodite tour (Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, 2011)

Cheap Trick, Cheap Trick Plays the First Three Albums (Irving Plaza, New York, October 29, 30, 31, 1998)

6. SEEN THE MOST Not counting the bands my old band toured with, it’s a three-way tie between Miracle Legion, Saint Etienne, and Fucked Up (9 times each).

7. MOST SURPRISING Most pleasant surprise: Helms Alee, Stillicide tour, Resident DTLA, Los Angeles, 2017. Went in never having heard them, left a lifelong fan.

Least pleasant surprise: Weezer, Pinkerton tour, Roseland, New York, 1997. I’ve been to a lot of hardcore shows in my youth, and again in my old age, but the most violent moshpit I have ever experienced was at a fucking Weezer show. The band were perfectly okay (not great), but the audience of largely teenage boys were just all awful. Spoiling for fights, no pit camaraderie, total disregard. Ugly.

8. HAPPY I GOT TO SEE Kylie Minogue, David Bowie (in a small club! 20 feet away from the man!), The Smiths, R.E.M., Talking Heads, Hüsker Dü, Prince, Barbra Streisand, The Specials, and LCD Soundsystem on their “farewell” tour.

9. WISH I COULD HAVE SEEN Nirvana. And I’m still yet to see Bob Dylan, The Residents, Trepaneringsritualen, and The Cure. Fingers crossed.

10. NEXT CONCERT I don’t have tickets to anything, and I’m on the very, very broke side. But The The are touring the US soon, and playing here in Los Angeles. Fingers crossed again.

[jadedgabe]

AU where billy is more punk than metal, ears pierced with a safety pin, mohawk instead of a mullet etc.

He gets to Hawkins and sees the way everyone is so fake, everyone's pretending so he seeks out the guy who was playing dead kennedy's in his car that morning.

Jonathan Byers is a weird guy, somehow even weirder than Billy, which is why it's so strange to see him pining over some boring preppy chick called Nancy. Until he sees her boyfriend and oh. Billy was maybe too quick to write off the guys in Hawkins.

When those two break up, Jonathan starts ditching billy to spend time with Nancy, leaving him to babysit the lost puppy Steve Harrington and the guy is a total loser, but Billy's half in love with him anyway.

He makes Steve listen to husker dü and trashes his huey lewis tapes, but Steve sticks around anyway, always there for Billy to crash against when shit gets too much at home. He's as steady as Billy is volatile, and it works for them.

One day, when they're sitting on Steve's bonnet sharing a smoke, Steve flicks the safety pin dangling from Billy's ear.

"Did it hurt."

"Yeah it fucking hurt. Bled too, was awesome."

Steve hummed, flicking the butt of the cigarette away without looking. His hand comes back to Billy's ear, and plays with the pin some more.

"You do it yourself?" Billy nodded, not trusting himself to speak. "Would you do mine?"

He coughed to clear his throat, tried not to make it obvious that all his fantasies were coming true.

"Yeah, I can."

Billy was going to wait until they were somewhere cleaner, but Steve just delicately plucked a pin from Billy's jacket and held it out. He raised an eyebrow, as if dating him to do it. Billy has never backed down from a dare in his life.

.

Steve's earlobe was oozing blood and puss. Billy's hands were shaking with the weight of all that trust, but Steve just smiled and said,

"Now we match."

[westerberg]

Tagged by pally @andypartridges 💞💞😵💘🫂💋 appreciated as Always 😋

1. A song that makes you feel cool

I have an addiction to the REM song Crush with Eyeliner I will listen to it on walks and I turn from a loser dressed in 5 layers to a hyper idealized 90s version of a glam rock star..... WHY is it not on any bestofs. Poor Monster 😞 I’ve also watched the letterman performance of this like a hundred times bc 1. It rocks 2. Nudie suit Mike and dad bod Peter 😍

2. A song you relate to

The first time I heard the replacements song Merry Go Round I was sort of like ok this is kinda milquetoast soft 90s alternative whatever sound but once I keyed in on the lyrics I related to it so much that it began like awaking deep anger in me almost more directly than any other mats songs which is kind of ironic. “In fall you knew how much you much you cost....” Paul I’m gonna kill you !!!!! Still not really a favorite but I like it now.

3. A song your mom loves

I changed this from mum to mom bc I thought I should but I want to say I DID go through a phase where I called her mum bc I wanted to be quirky and British.... anyway like Norah Jones whole first album but Come Away With Me makes me think of her in particular for some reason, I think she sang it around the house sometimes

4. Favorite song from a musical

Milk machines lament from mr show 3 Holes..... uh idk I don’t listen to a ton of musicals but sometimes I’ll just wake up with “good morning” from singin in the rain stuck in my head. My mom watched a lot of TCM and I think they’d just play that between movies sometimes

5. A song you never want to hear again

I once was on a class trip and Mr Brightside came on the bus radio and everyone was singing along and freaking out and I was like if I were a different person this moment would be very special..... Then went to a concert recently when they started playing it and at first I was like oh fun but then everyone was so insanely into it and I was like I just don’t get it..... and on some level I’m sure it’s jealousy but something about it just got on my nerves so bad.... the song is fine but I am growing to hate it ... what don’t I get, I’ll never know, but I’ve had enough.

6. Song you hate by a band you like

I honestly question the degree to which I’m a hüsker dü fan bc I think I could pick out at least two songs per album that I simply cannot stand. But what I do like I LOVE so whatever. Candy Apple Grey is such a frustrating album for me bc I think all the Mould songs other than Crystal suck- Hardly Getting Over It is like a fan favorite and I simply do not care for it. I think Mould is such a boring songwriter compared to Hart and along with that it just goes on for 6 minutes for no reason. But people love it!!! And there’s nothing I can do about it

7. Favorite song from the 70s

This is so broad.... probably Land: etc by Patti or Song for Sharon by Joni. Okay Tangled Up In Blue now I’m done.

8. A song you think is underrated

I never know what to put for underrated bc by whom.... in the ideal world every Sparks single ever released would be a hit

9. A song in a language you don’t speak

Earlier this week my Latin American history prof played La Llorona for us and was going off about how it gave him chills... ack I’m so mad I can’t think of the version he played for us but it was g8

10. Your Favorite Song

I always say Answering Machine but idk I’ll mix it up 2day. positively 4th st ! Bobs best and most evilest song

I shall tag The Most Honorable @little-rimbaud @awesomgrlgr8job @the-replacemints @djbluray ☁️🌧⛈🌪🌬💕💕💕❣️😍😵🪦

[vinylfromthevault]

Hüsker Dü “Candy Apple Grey” released 35 years ago this month, March 1986. Today, March 18th, would have been Hüsker Dü’s drummer and co-songwriter Grant Hart’s 60th birthday (b. 1961). Candy Apple Grey was Hüsker Dü’s fifth album and their first on a major label (Warner Bros.), kind of officially marking their final break from punk to power pop/alternative rock. It’s still hard-rocking and a bit thrashy but way more melodic and poppy; even the acoustic guitar and orchestral forest sounds (“Too Far Down” written by Bob Mould) make an appearance. The album went to #140, though despite its poor showing on the charts, singles like “Sorry Somehow” and “Don’t Want to Know If You Are Lonely” (both written by Hart) got play on college radio, the video for “Don't Want to Know...” even aired on MTV. Those two tracks are some of my favorites on the album, plus I also like the Hart-penned “Dead Set on Destruction”  and Mould’s “Eiffel Tower High.”  But, not to speak ill of the dead, I really do not like Hart’s “No Promise Have I Made” - it’s super-whiney-goes-screamy and overblown with emotionality.