Hey blog. It's been such a fun month of listening and thinking about music. Post-punk, The Strokes, Griel Marcus, and Mark Fisher have all been at the top of my mind. Here are all the albums I listened to!
Sword II- Electric Hour
My cousin told me about this Atlanta-native band. Thanks Harris!
Faves: Halogen, Sentry
Fox Base Alpha- Saint Eteinne
Faves: Wilson, Girl VII, People Get Real
Daydream Nation- Sonic Youth
Get ready for a list of mostly post-punk adjacent albums- clearly I had a theme this month.
Faves-Teen Age Riot, The Sprawl, Eric's Trip, Hey Joni, Kissability, A)the Wonder, B)Hyperstation
Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea- PJ Harvey
When I was searching for this picture I also found this one, which is what I imagine a sequel album, focused on Stories From the Sea, would have as its cover
Anyways my favorites from the real album:
Big Exit, Good Fortune, Kamikaze, This Is Love, The Mess We're In, We Float
Omni Sight Seeing- Haroumi Hosono
I've been meaning to listen to more of his albums, but this one caught my attention solely from the gorgeous album cover.
Faves: Anadura, Caravan, Retort, Laugh-Gas, Korendor
Mars Audiac Quintet- Stereolab
Thinking about how I should have gone to the Stereolab concert last year. Do people like Stereolab for their sound or lyrics? I wish I spoke French so I could translate the lyrics. Obviously I could put it in Google Translate, but there's a quality of their art that is lost when it is so automatically converted.
Faves: Anamorphose, Three Longers Later, Nihilist Assault Group (would use this song in a Poli Sci class- which I found out is actually a completely viable pedagogical method (Rozinski 2015)!!!), and New Orthophony (thats another 'critical theory' song too btw)
Wide Awake- Parquet Courts
One time my dad called this band 'Parkour'. Just wanted to get that off my chest. Also there's a really jarring Elvis Costello similarity that I'm unable to shake.
This album is a direct descendant of Gang of Four's Entertainment!, and another great 'critical theory' album- something I'll probably end up expanding on as I continue to compile my post.
Faves: Violence, Mardi Gras Beads, Freebird II, Normalisation
Phrazes for the Young- Julian Casablancas
Another 'critical theory' album. JC is always really good with themes of the future, modernity, ideology, and collapse, but he really gets to go wild with the production on this solo album, and his ability to somehow evoke nostalgia while sounding like the future shines.
I'm going to make a potentially crude comparison. This album is lowkey a version of Rilke's 'Letters to a Young Poet'. Just look at the title of the album. Also look at this image I found (from what I presume is promotional material- sorry I didn't do great research on this one) that further illucidates my connection:
In The Court Of The Crimson King- King Crimson
Never not thinking about the needle drop of this title track in Children of Men.
The Sophtware Slump-Grandaddy
Faves- Hewlett's Daughter, The Crystal Lake, Chartsengrafs, Broken Household Appliance National Park, So You'll Aim Towards the Sky
As I previously stated, this was a very JC heavy month. I still need to listen to this one a few more times before I fully can get it.
Live at Shea Stadium- The Clash
Was craving some live Clash stuff while reading a book about their late period and breakup. Obviously this is NOT their best live stuff (thats on YouTube), but its convenient enough for now. Also, how great of a name is Cosmo Vinyl? What a character.
Cannonball- Man/Woman/Chainsaw (2026 release! debut!)
So I'm honestly not sure what the London windmill scene actually is, but I feel like this falls solidly within that genre.
LOVE the use of affects vs. effects in this album title. Much to consider.
Listened while I read my book about post-Mick Clash. My freshman year of college I gave a presentation on the connections between Allen Ginsburg and The Clash (Ghetto Defendant feature). I did another presentation at a conference based on 'Straight to Hell' too. They really let me do anything.
Faves- Know Your Rights, Should I Stay Or Should I Go, Straight to Hell, Overpowered By Funk, Inoculated City (super hot take this might be in my top 5 Clash songs ever)
Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
I prefer this album cover over the other alternate ones out there. This album title was taken from the novel Sophie's World (maybe from the Kant or Hegel chapter??), which teaches a loose history of philosophy through a fictional story. Really meta book.
Internal Wrangler- Clinic
This is like if Can did Animal Collective before Animal Collective existed. Domino has always been good at finding that sound I guess.
Faves- Internal Manager, The Return of Evil Bill, T.K., Earth Angel, Distortions
Beggars Banquet- Rolling Stones
Faves: Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town, The Book I Read, Don't Worry About the Government, Pulled Up
Got this rec from Noah Lennox (panda bear). Reminded me of Las Nubes.
Listened to this during my plan period. Didn't like as much as I thought I would... probably my fault. I need a relisten.
Q: From Where Do Our Primal Instincts Originate? A: MTV! -Portraits of Tracy (2026 release!)
I'm calling this 'inverse Imaginal Disk'- the color palette and cover are like the exact opposite of each other. Also the music is super similar, but this sound is heavier, and a lot more intense. If Imaginal Disk is an album that critiques TVs/screens, this is an album that critiques music videos and MTV!
Walking With Thee- Clinic
Not as good as Internal Wrangler.
Lost Weekend- Phoebe Bridgers (2026 release!)
My longstanding relationship with Ms. Bridgers has led to complicated thoughts on this album. A lot of what drew me to her initially was her ability to give voice to what felt like fundamentally female experiences. That feeling was harder to find on this album.
fata morgana- L'Rain (2026 release)
There's a good interview with L'Rain on the critical listening podcast/Insta account.
Reality Awaits- The Strokes
I can probably guess your political beliefs based on how you felt about this album.
A Brief History of Love- Big Pink
Your Day Will Come- Chanel Beads (2026 release)
She want brand new chanel (beads)
Rattus Norvegicus- The Stranglers
Highly literate British post-punk debut.
Government Plates- Death Grips
A Moon Shaped Pool- Radiohead
This is an underrated Radiohead album. Is that a hot take?? I'm not like a Radiohead person you know??
It Goes On- Westside Cowboy (2026 release)
This was nice! I liked it! But I need to be honest- this whole market of slightly off-kilter alt country is oversaturated. I don't know how much more I can handle. That being said, I am most definitely looking forward to Nate Amos' upcoming album.
Morir Saltando- Hesse Kassel (2026 release!)
Not totally sure how to describe this, but it is certainly NOT slightly off kilter alt country/rock.
Let England Shake- PJ Harvey
Adam Curtis could do a lot with this album.
Faves- The Last Living Rose, The Words That Maketh Murder, In The Dark Places, The Colour of the Earth
Entertainment!- Gang of Four
Quintessential post-punk.
Some more post-punk. Can you tell I started reading Griel Marcus' Lipstick Traces??
Another Lipstick Traces inspired listen
Listened after a rewatch of the
Meet Me in the Bathroom doc (which is a really really bad documentary (but a fantastic book) btw), which reminded me that DFA used to have them, and also that James Murphy is/was?? very very intense.
Cut- The Slits
Listened after reading Griel Marcus' musings about 'Roadrunner'. I have the same kind of feelings towards the song 'Old World'. Both are 'critical theory' songs.
I love Phoenix but their albums as a whole feel so mechanical and formulaic.
Ultraviolence/Appetite- Lifeguard (2026 release)
Not really a complete album but I liked it so much I had to include it. Kai Slater, man. Boy can he do a post-punk pastiche.
Pet Grief- The Radio Dept.
Hayday- feeble little horse
LOVE Chores! (the song, not the task)
By subverting the traditional punk form, The Clash attempts to end the extortion of the genre. On Sandinista!, everything is punk, and punk is everything.
Love u 4ever Sandinista!
Lamp Lit Prose- Dirty Projectors
Dave Longstreth is such an enigma to me. Why does he keep making albums with 'Orca' in the title? Why does he keep putting two red and blue blobs on his album cover?
W H O K I L L - Tune Yards
Favorites- My Country, Es-so, Gangsta, Powa
Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me- The Cure
I used to hate the song 'Friday I'm in Love'. I have a distinct memory of hearing it on the radio while driving on I4 through Lake Mary, towards the Sanford Zoo and asking my mom who sang this song, because I disliked it so much. I thought it was so corny and stupid that he went through the days of the week. Like give me a break!
Sorry Robert Smith I now recognize your genius and impact.
Thats it for August bye blog.
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