February 2012
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I interviewed Depeche Mode's Martin Gore about his... →
The process they had of making this record is about as impersonal as it gets, but it sorta makes sense. He is firm that the record should be instrumental, but I personally think it would sound amazing if Robyn sang on every track.
Which Rocker Is Your Favorite Downton Abbey... →
Zing!
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Rihanna, Chris Brown and Horribly Irresponsible...
I’m pretty grossed out about the notion that Rihanna is collaborating with Chris Brown again. I don’t really have any particular investment in her as a person and only occasionally care about her music, but in terms of cultural narrative, I think she is sending a poisonous and tremendously irresponsible message to her audience. The idea of “role models” can be very corny,...
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Top 10 Whitey Hooston Songs
10. The Greatest Love of Al 9. Slow Emotional 8. It’s Alright But Not Okay 7. I’m Any Woman 6. Saving All My Hugs For You 5. Didn’t We Always Have It All? 4. I’m A Baby Tonight 3. Who Will I Know? 2. I Wanna Dance With Somebody Above Me 1. I Will Always Know You
How Not To Write About Female Musicians: A Handy... →
Maura has a lot of good advice here. I think writers should always be thinking about this stuff, and not just about female artists - this applies to race, sexuality, age, genre. No one is perfect, but it’s good to be mindful about this stuff as you write. It’s important to keep in mind that when it comes down to it, writers are paid to think. So you should be thinking! And it can be...
Oscars 2012: Bret McKenzie on His 'Muppets' Oscar... →
I interviewed Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords, and we talked about the possibility of him eventually scoring an EGOT.
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The Best Songs by the Beetles
I Want to Hold Her Hands She Says, She Says Why Don’t We Do This in the Road? Norwegian Wool Here Comes the Son Being At A Benefit For Mr. Kite I Saw Her Sitting There Martha, My Deer We Can Work Out Can You Buy Me Love? You Need to Hide Your Love Away Paperback Novel Good Day Sunlight Some Thing A Day In My Life Seven Days A Week La-Da-Di, La-Da-Da With Or Without You Mother Nature’s...
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Skrillex Drops the Bass in Manhattan →
I reviewed Skrillex’s show last night for Rolling Stone. It was pretty awesome! I mostly wrote about the bass drops, which are extremely impressive and exciting in the live context.
alackoflogic asked: How do you divide your music listening between newer and older music? Do you take the hyper-methodical approach ("Today, I will listen to four albums each of music recorded before and after 1985"), or just go with whatever you feel like? I ask because the vast size of your survey mixes suggests, to me, some sadistic levels of contemporary music intake. Or maybe that's just the life...
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WatchNeon Indian “Fallout” This is by far the best song this band has ever recorded. The chorus is a killer, but the really interesting and resonant line is buried in a verse: “Are you still carving out a man, is that the plan?” It plays in to the greater theme of this guy being passive and helpless to his attraction to this person who is attempting to turn him into someone...
Interview: Fluxblog Turns 10 →
I was interviewed by The L about the 10th anniversary of the site and the new series of survey mixes.
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FLUXBLOG 2002 SURVEY MIX →
I am celebrating the 10th anniversary of Fluxblog with a series of survey mixes for each year the site has existed. First up: 2002! 140 songs on 8 discs, with music from Missy Elliot, Kylie Minogue, Wilco, Spoon, LCD Soundsystem, Interpol, Cam’ron, The Kills, The Rapture, Cee Lo Green, Coldplay, Ashanti, Andrew W.K., Sleater-Kinney, Clinic, Sonic Youth, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera,...