Arcade Fire are back. Does lightning strike twice? Are once-great bands entitled to a second lease on life in the same way cats are an additional eight? Are we excited? I dunno, excitement’s a pretty hot commodity with this band. Much as I love vintage Arcade Fire, I never found the inclination to listen to Everything Now in its entirety: 2013’s Reflektor had already exhausted much of my patience with its inflated mishmash of arthouse flim over occasionally decent songs that insisted both on taking an eternity to end and on orbiting incremental degrees of pastichey conceptual bollocks. I had no desire whatsoever to hear those wavelengths aggressively reconfigured into a smug “expose” of the Gritty Realities Of Everyday Life. Maybe this was unfair, maybe apathy won and society died, maybe I was spending my time listening to better music – we’ll never know.
What I do know for sure is that “The Lightning I, II” is every inch The Song Destined To Make Me Believe In This Band Again – that is, insofar as it goes through all the motions that persuaded anyone to believe in them to begin with minus, unironically enough, a crucial pinch of electricity. As many have pointed out, it more or less sounds like one of the Suburbs‘ more expansive cuts (though I hear a subtle measure of Reflektor in the ’80s-tastic booming chords and twinkling accents of Régine Chassagne’s piano) – far as Canadian megaindie goes, this is all welcome but older hat than Kevin Drew’s baseball cap. The music video is also entirely appropriate for an Arcade…
I haven’t had what I’d consider a true nightmare in at least a decade. I still have the occasional dream where something happens that makes me upset – perhaps I forget something important, or my car breaks down on the way to a big meeting – but the sort of haunting images that used to cross my mind when I was younger have entirely dissipated. No more shadowy figures standing at the foot of my bed, no more quiet laughter coming from downstairs, no more sitting straight up in bed after some kind of malformed, upright animal charges me in my own bedroom. Generally speaking, most people outgrow those kinds of fears – monsters and ghosts are replaced by adult stressors, and your dreams grow with you by reflecting those concerns.
“That Cannot Be Dreamed” is the closest I’ve come to experiencing that sort of terror again. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an exhilarating terror – but still quite spooky. I’m admittedly not the most well-versed in Blut aus Nord’s expansive discography, or even black metal for that matter, but I’ve heard enough of them both to know “That Cannot Be Dreamed” is exceptional. It evokes the sort of hellish imagery that other bands strive for with twice the effort and half the affect – resulting in an eerily powerful blend of avant-garde metal and industrialized dissonance. Despite the visceral, primitive fear that the song invites, it also manages to be majestic, beautiful, and meditative –…
At the outset of Weezer’s career, The Blue Album and Pinkerton established them as one of the greatest new rock acts of their time. However, a run of six LPs from 2001-2010 saw their reputation tarnished by music that was occasionally good enough, but all too often disappointing. After a decade of mixed results, it seemed that Weezer had adopted a new identity – not one that wanted to please their loyal fanbase, but rather one that used meme-worthy album art and was obsessed with fame.
On the heels of 2014’s Everything Will Be Alright in the End and 2016’s The White Album, it seemed like Weezer had finally reclaimed control of their destiny. However, as with history, Weezer seems to repeat itself. Just as those two albums rekindled Weezer’s magic, we once again found/find ourselves mired in another excessive run of mediocrity. Pacific Daydream, The Black Album, and Van Weezer were all pretty bad, while The Teal Album gets a bit of a pass because it was a gimmicky covers album. OK Human has really been the band’s only post-2016 saving grace, and even that record – while quite beautiful at times – didn’t quite capture the full essence of Weezer. It was like Weezer does the Beach Boys (not that I’m complaining personally), sans any of the grittier punk/rock elements to keep them grounded.
So where does that leave us in 2022? Well, Weezer is embarking upon an ambitious…
“Why doesn’t it get better with time?”, a forlorn Regina Spektor asks God. The two are sitting down at a bar across from a corner deli, beers in hand. You might not have taken God for the drinking type, but it was actually his idea. After encountering her while she was walking home one night, he suggests that the two grab a beer and relax a bit. That’s about where God’s portion of the dialogue ends, however; he strikes up this fun idea, and then leaves Regina alone with her thoughts. “Let the ones who want it bad get all the things that make them better”, she wishes. Then, as if talking to a wall: “Let the ones who don’t care feel a thrill.” You can sense the desperation in her voice growing with each verse. On the other side of the table, an expressionless face stares onward, refusing to respond. “And I just want to ride, but this whole world — it makes me carsick” Regina continues, at this point probably aware that God has completely tuned her out. “I’m becoming all alone again…stay” she pleads. As the camera pans out, Spektor indeed finds herself completely alone again. By the end of the song, the dialogue is reversed: this time it’s Spektor seeking God out, asking him to join her for a beer while singing “It’s awful late…I know you’re here.” No response is given, and he never shows.…
It was only through watching the bland music video to Red Hot Chili Peppers’ new single, “Black Summer”, that I remembered John Frusciante had rejoined the band (again). The results are pretty evident of this reformation as well, because let’s be honest here – the band haven’t written a great song with Frusciante behind the wheel since By the Way. I know, I know, I’m probably sounding a little harsh here, but know that I don’t facetiously parade my sentiment around with no meaning behind it. It might sound like a knee-jerk reaction, but the thing is, when I realised John had returned (again), all of those emotions from Josh Klinghoffer’s firing came flooding back. The thing is, I wouldn’t even say that I’m a fan of the band – I really enjoy some of their albums, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to put one of them on – however, I can affirm one thing with certainty: The Getaway was the best thing the band had done since By the Way, and that was with the help of Josh. Yeah, I’m With You sucks, but I put that down to Josh getting a feel for his surroundings before easing himself into the writing process.
So, it goes without saying that I was a little disappointed Josh had been ripped from the band at a pivotal point in his tenure, as we could have potentially seen an incline in untapped potential within the band post The Getaway,…
Literally death-god (死神), a Shinigami is a supernatural figure from Japanese mythology. They don’t spark joy and you do not want to meet one. They are the Grim Reaper, but in accordance of the ancient doctrine of thing, but Japanese, somehow better.
…Eyes
In the anime Death Note, the Shinigami have magic eyes that display the exact convenient predetermined time of each individual human’s lovely death like a floaty alarm clock from the future. If they kill someone before they’re destined to die, they get to steal their remaining lifespan. Shinigami are very good at killing humans because they have long nails and magic powers and freaky makeup. They are death gods.
This infodump is important and necessary because it’s the only way anyone will ever be able to extract a fraction of substance from Grimes’ doss of a new single. It is not good and probably kinda bad. There is little to analyse, which suits me just fine. Grimes wastes everything she learnt between Art Angels and Miss Anthropocene as a producer on a cut/paste kick-clap beat that has no opportunity to support a single good hook. She wastes everything she clearly didn’t learn from the “Kill vs. Maim” video’s cyberpunk death dream of definitely cultural probably appropriation on, like, the same shit but with longer nails. And different coloured eyes. The way she delivers the words Shinigami eyes gives me flashbacks to aural readings of My…
While Shinedown’s post-Sound of Madness career has been anything but consistent, they’ve still managed to outlast most of their grunge/rock peers thanks to Brent Smith, who is easily one of the most talented vocalists in the mainstream sector of those genres. His ability to transition from raw, gritty barks to soaring melodic choruses is something special, and for the majority of Shinedown’s existence, it has allowed listeners to overlook some of the band’s other glaring deficiencies.
A lot of folks will be bothered by ‘Planet Zero’s apparently right-winged lyrical content, but the truth is that political affiliation alone doesn’t make a song bad or good. Revealing your political affiliation like a series of low-end YouTube comments, on the other hand, does: [I think we’ve reached the ceiling / They’re canceling your feelings], [Shut the door, say a prayer, kill the lights / Bite your tongue ’cause it might save your life], [Better pray that you’re not erased…On your knees or you’ll be replaced]. It doesn’t take long to realize that they’re criticizing cancel culture, and to be more accurate, beating you over the head with it. You can be for or against these lyrics — that’s your prerogative — but a less meme-worthy set of verses would have gone a long way in establishing ‘Planet Zero’s concept as possessing enough depth to actually convince someone on the other side of the aisle to pay attention. Instead, this just plays out like a poorly thought-out Facebook…
Hell has frozen over, Sputnikmusic has acknowledged singles as a legitimate artform, and Yeule has dropped a song we can dance to. From the comfort of our bedrooms. With or more likely without company. Under whatever concentration of serotonin. All. the. time.
Backed with a jungle beat courtesy of Danny L Harle, “Too Dead Inside” is as close as we’ve heard from Yeule to an upbeat pop song. The comatose dream pop they perfected on 2019’s Serotonin II is vaguely residual here, but it upends that album’s dissociated reverie into a more driving self-confrontation. Shock horror, it’s a dark one: too dead inside is less about getting lost in an apathetic wallow than scrutinising the root of that feeling as a coping mechanism for trauma.
Yeule’s vocals, typically indicative of some kind of digital ghost, take on a more urgent whisper-rap style throughout the verses, but they revert to a more familiar style as they hang every line in the chorus off the end of the one before. It’s like a waterpixelfall of uncertainty, and Yeule’s knack for keeping this kind of fragmentary delivery on personal footing is masterful. They also go above and beyond the call of duty by throwing in a surprise one-off prechorus before the second chorus that just so happens to contain the track’s most critical lyric (It’s not so hollow, I’m chasing […] my own shadow) and its best melody. Digression: count the number of pop-affiliates you’ve heard in the last five years who’ve done anything more with the space after their first chorus than copy/paste the same…
Where did this come from? Bad Omens – once a generic Bring Me the Horizon wannabe band – are set to drop their most ambitious album to date on February 24th; and they are poised to make, dare I say, the best core album in a very long time – if we’re judging The Death of Peace of Mind on its current string of singles. The eclectic spray of styles from this album’s line-up of promotional tracks is both eye-bulgingly impressive and exhilarating to behold. Not only is Noah taking his vocal capabilities to unprecedented levels, the band are taking their talents to new and exciting pastures. This is coming from someone who rolls his eyes at the flaccid state of metalcore, and generally avoids the style like the plague at this point. Nevertheless, I can’t help but feel a sense of overwhelming excitement for this album’s potential and the good it will bring the genre as a whole if they pull it off.
Ironically, this is probably not the best single to showcase on the Sputnik Singles series, as I would consider it to be their weakest track from the four singles released thus far, showcasing the most derivative qualities of the band. However, with all of that said, “Like a Villain” still manages to be a bloody good song in its own right. I would concede that “Like a Villain” rides dangerously close to a BMTH track from the Sempiternal era, but I still think there’s enough…
Ah, Avril Lavigne – everyone’s favorite 2000s pop-punk star! Oh wait, it’s 2022? Well, you’d be forgiven for mixing up your decades, because Avril is once again revealing her pop-punk side in an ode-to-Green Day that all but cements just how much the world has actually passed her by.
Oh well, the world is overrated. Even though I (allegedly) enjoy music that is actually good from time to time, I still find it fun to indulge in very basic pop/pop-punk. It takes me back to a simpler time when bands like Yellowcard, Simple Plan, and Sum 41 were dominating MTV. In that sense, ‘Bite Me’ is a nice little nostalgia trip – it’s got punchy upbeat verses and a chorus so memorable that you’d think it was written by The Gaslight Anthem. It’s not a shining beacon of originality, but it’s got enough going on to be enjoyable – especially Travis Barker’s contributions on the drums.
Vocally, Avril pretty much continues doing her thing. She’s always possessed a good blend of melody and attitude, making her an ideal fit for these sort of quasi-rebellious anthems. For as much as I doubt that any true music aficionado takes Lavigne’s songwriting seriously — a prospect made all the more difficult by lines like “forever and ever, you’re gonna wish I was your wifey” — there’s still no shame in bobbing your head or tapping your feet to this. It’s shallow, face-value…
Muse’s career has been a tale of two halves. From 1999’s Showbiz to 2006’s Black Holes & Revelations – a stretch that also included their best LPs in Origin of Symmetry and Absolution – the band was virtually unstoppable. They were one of the most technically skilled mainstream rock acts in the entire world, but they also demonstrated an uncanny knack for quality songwriting and memorable hooks. That formula made them irresistible to fans of guitar-driven alternative music, and they were able to garner even more widespread appeal thanks to their politically-driven lyrics, a Queen-like flair for the dramatic, and an ever-increasing commercial footprint.
Unfortunately, 2009’s The Resistance came along and things quickly fell apart. The album was a haphazard blend of new, poppier pursuits and attempts to pacify their original fanbase with half-baked riffs and watered down versions of previous hits. Some would argue that their target audience merely shifted, but in aiming for a more streamlined and profitable sound, they lost too much of their core appeal. In short, they chased the rabbit too far, and then continued for another decade after that: The 2nd Law was just as uneven of an experience, Drones – while marking a sincere attempt to return to their roots (‘Reapers’ and ‘The Handler’ are more than worthwhile) – still had two laughably bad songs for every tolerable one, and Simulation Theory – co-produced by Timbaland – finally pushed Muse to the…
One hundred and thirty nine songs. Eleven hours. That’s what we’ve poured into our collective playlist this year, as we continue compiling what will hopefully be an infinitely growing resource for registered users and general readership alike. All songs have been hand-selected by individual members of our staff, and the final product represents a melting pot of musical tastes covering a diverse range of genres. No matter your personal preferences, there should be more than something for everyone. Who knows, you might even find yourself dabbling in genres that you’ve never considered approaching before! That’s part of the magic of this place. We’re unpaid, unbought music critics who play for the love of the game.
Everything you’ll hear below meant something to us at one time, and every word you’ll read in the blurbs (see our quarterly installments, linked above) was a labor of pure passion. As we put a lid on 2021 and look ahead to 2022, we hope you’ll join us in revisiting some of our favorite tunes from this year. Feel free to shuffle the below tracks for more of an even-flowing experience, or play it in order for a chronological/retrospective journey through 2021.
Protip: Spotify’s embedded playlist only shows the first 100 songs of our expansive 139 song collection. To hear…
Welcome to the fourth and final installment of our 2021 quarterly playlist! It’s been another quarter of quality music, and we look forward to sharing some of our personal favorites with you. Please play or shuffle the Spotify list at your leisure. Our staff writers have also taken a few minutes to jot down some thoughts on each track. We hope you enjoy it, and feel free to share additional music worth checking out in the comments!
To view the historical content of these playlists, visit the bottom of this page.
Tracklist:
1914 – “FN .380 ACP#19074”
1914 is not your average blackened death metal band; these guys have done an amazing job in researching their material, and that shows in their lyrics. “FN .380 ACP#19074” is a song about the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, and the symphonic elements, that may bring to your mind Septicflesh, fit the atmosphere of the song perfectly. — manosg
Aesop Rock x Blockhead – “That is Not a Wizard”
“Could you please share some more Aesop Rock quotes with us all?” asked nobody.
Welcome to the third installment of our 2021 quarterly playlist! Feel free to jam the songs below while reading what our writers had to say about each selection. Tell us what your favorites are in the comments, as well as any new artists you may have discovered. Alternatively, you can always let us know what we missed! Thanks for reading/listening.
To view the historical content of these playlists, visit the bottom of this page.
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Tracklist:
BADBADNOTGOOD – “Signal from the Noise”
At the height of BBNG’s (TikTok) fame comes ‘Signal from the Noise’, a psychedelic jazz marvel. The band’s longest track in some time, it’s also its most filmic. Having proven itself in a number of ways over the last few years — popularity-wise, as well as in terms of diversity and productivity — its about time BBNG returns to crafting albums. And if this and ‘Beside April’ are any indication (what else is the point of single?), Talk Memory is going to be a well-crafted album. Lotsa fun, too. — BlushfulHippocrene
Welcome to the second installment of our 2021 quarterly playlist/mixtape! Feel free to jam the playlist below while reading what our writers had to say about each selection. Tell us what your favorites are in the comments, as well as any new artists you may have discovered here – or, alternatively, tell us what we missed! Thanks for reading/listening.
To view the historical content of these playlists, visit the bottom of this page.
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Tracklist:
AFI – Dulcería
AFI continue to delve deeper into a more sophisticated sound three decades into their career and ‘Dulcería’ is the most suave moment on Bodies. I dare to say the groovy bass lines and silky guitars echo Roxy Music and Davey’s smooth croons are impressive and very catchy. The result is such a beautiful and elegant tune. — insomniac15
Altarage – Magno Evento
Succumb sees the dissonant Basque collective broaden its spectrum by reconciling experimentalism and orthodoxy. Besides being one of its discordant highlights, the charismatic ‘Magno Evento’ stands as one of the best tracks the band has ever recorded. — TheNotrap
![FN .380 ACP#19074 [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1OmVD311fL._SS500_.jpg)
![That is Not a Wizard [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91tlCNXTInL._SS500_.jpg)
