Sucker that I am for post rock, I’ve never given much time to Ireland’s God Is An Astronaut. I’ve heard the name plenty, and I had a couple of their albums on one of my work playlists, but I never paid close attention to it.
But when I saw that they released a new record, I made a note of it. I haven’t noticed many good post rock records this year, and I had a hunger.
And by God (who is an astronaut), this record satisfies that hunger.
Public opinion is a fickle thing.
Once you catch the public’s attention, it can be difficult to keep it. A hit single is no guarantee that you’ll maintain relevance. Just ask any of the hundreds of artists deemed “one-hit wonders.”
But a number of these alleged one-hit wonders actually have long and storied careers that the general public has largely ignored.
And by God, it makes me so irritated.
Today, I’m counting down my favorite bands whose best work went mostly unnoticed.
If I were to ask you to imagine a female singer-songwriter, there’s a good chance your mind would go to a subdued, pensive artist, a la Joan Baez or Julien Baker.
But lately, there’s been a crop of women whose particular brand of introspection is better accompanied by rattling, detuned guitars and a pummeling rhythm section than an acoustic guitar. Women like Kristina Esfandiari of King Woman and Chelsea Wolfe.
Hipster music snob that I am, the depths of my musical knowledge is riddled with blind spots. For example: until last week, I realized that I had never knowingly listened to Dinosaur Jr. Continue reading
Last fall, my band was driving between cities, sharing music with eachother o the road. At one point our bassist pipes up, “have you guys ever heard Dawes?” He grabs the aux cable and plays a song.
My immediate thought was, “dang, this is pretty boring.”
There is no curse greater than a masterpiece, and no one knows that better
than Deafheaven.
Miles Davis once said that the history of jazz could be told in four words: “Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker.”
And while Satchmo’s contributions to jazz might have been far behind him in 1964, Hello, Dolly! would become his most commercially successful record.
If nothing else, no one can accuse Deerhunter of making the same album twice. Their discography has shifted between hypnotic shoegaze to abrasive garage rock to doo-wop informed dream pop. But their discography is even further augmented by Atlas Sound and Lotus Plaza, the twin solo projects of co-lead singers Bradford Cox and Locket Pundt.
At first glance, it might seem like shoegazers/indie rockers Deerhunter are subject to their eccentric and unpredictable leader, Bradford Cox. He hogs most of the attention, and most of the press is focused on his singular strangeness.
But looking deeper, you’ll notice that Locket Pundt has just as strong a hand in the group. One listen to his work as Lotus Plaza proves that.
Pop music and I have a tenuous relationship. I have tried for years to be a better poptimist, letting myself get lost in the catchy singalongs and feel-good beats. But I’ve never been able to shake the feeling that most pop music is just vapid and corny.
But every once in a while, a pop singer will rise from the din of mass-produced hacks and sugar-coated copycats to create something truly special.
Michael Jackson was one of them. Lady Gaga is another. And now, we have Lorde.