'Serenity'
There's a lady plays her fav'rite records/On the jukebox ev'ry day/All day long she plays the same old songs/And she believes the things that they say/She sings along with all the saddest songs/And she believes the stories are real/She lets the music dictate the way that she feels.
Not that you were looking for his validation, but it's an interesting appreciation for somebody well out of their demographic.
Are all his reviews that pretentious and condescending? Or is did he put that on especially for Placebo?
I, no surprise, really like the new Placebo. I think Sleeping With Ghosts was a slightly stronger album, but that's because it has my all-time favorite Placebo song on it.
Ooh. I should track that down to give it a listen.
I'm very very excited because there's new Streets and new Sufjan Stevens and new Cat Power! It's a great week for indie-pop.
Are all his reviews that pretentious and condescending? Or is did he put that on especially for Placebo?
Xgau is not for nothing considered the dean of American rock criticism. For every goofy review the man turns out (and the number of these is increasing in his old age), he's turned out hundred to thousands of brilliant appreciations of artists who never would have sold unit one without him. David likes to joke about the man, but I'll bet it comes from a mostly affectionate place.
new Sufjan Stevens
For serious?! What state has he done this time?
I heard that he was doing Oregon next.
For serious?! What state has he done this time?
The only new thing I know about is an album of Illinois outtakes due out in July. [link]
For serious?! What state has he done this time?
It's not a new state. It'a The Avalanche: Outtakes And Extras From The Illinois Album, coming out 7/25, but the link has a track available.
ETA: Aaaaaaand Jon beat me to it.
I'm sorry to report that the Who have apparently recorded a new mini-opera.
David likes to joke about the man, but I'll bet it comes from a mostly affectionate place.
That's true. I built my record collection from his Record Guides of the 70s and 80s. (And Trouser Press and Greil Marcus' Stranded.)
As with Greil, I've been in conversation with Christgau (in my head anyway) for more than 20 years, so most of my grumbling about them is just raggedy end of a disagreement that's never been satisfied on my end. But I agree with Christgau's assessments a lot. And in part for the reasons he notes in the Placebo review - he does go back and listen to the music even though he's prone to dismissing goth bands out of hand. Which is no way to make friends with Jilli, but at least he's honest enough in his opinions to own that bias and get past it to listen to the music itself.