Reading · Michael Gale's Blog

Spoilers

Here's the full ordered-list, for the time-poor

Vulfpeck - Clarity of Cal 🥇
Totorro - Sofa So Good
Ashnikko - Smoochies
Tyler, The Creator - DON'T TAP THE GLASS
Ghostsmoker - Inertia Cult
Deftones - Private Music
Deerhoof - Noble and Godlike in Ruin
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Phantom Island
La Dispute - No One Was Driving The Car
Thrice - Horizons / West

Read on for more detailed nonsense.

Thrice were one of the first bands I saw live in concert at The Roundhouse (UNSW), with Alkaline Trio and Hot Water Music. It was a mind blowing thing to see in my early teens. I kept a poster from the event on my wall all the way up to leaving home at 18.

I paid homage to a Thrice riff in Blood Brothers. I'm kind of a fan. This record itself feels like a Thrice homage. Owed to the various styles of band that Thrice has been in the past. Vheissu is here. East, Major/Minor and Beggars are here. Big riffs, big emotions.

Favourite track: Albatross.

9. La Dispute - No One Was Driving The Car

The opener "I shaved my head" reminds me of when we first brought Mow-mow (my cat) home, and finally got her comfortable and settled, and then I shaved my head and she didn't recognise me and her tail poofed up really huge.

This record feels like a return to form for me. Not that Panorama, Rooms of the house and ...Somewhere (remaster) were a let down, but they were more polished, a bit more shiny, a little bit synthetic sounding. ...The Car feels raw and spontaneous in comparison. Inching back toward Wildlife.

Favourite track: Autofiction Detail.

8. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Phantom Island

King Gizzard had a bit of a year. They ditched Spotify, made their discography pay what you want, dominated Bandcamp's sales charts, then back on Spotify, some dipshit uploaded AI generated slop posing as King Giz, and it got thousands of listens before Spotify took it down.

The opening to Phantom Island makes me so happy.

Favourite track: Deadstick.

7. Deerhoof - Noble and Godlike in Ruin

In the space of a week Deerhoof went from "band I know about and might get around to listening to some day" to: new favourite band.

They take stands. They make art.

Favourite track: Sparrow Sparrow.

6. Deftones - Private Music

Genuinely one of the most exciting records of the year. I love new Deftones day. I fully expected this to be higher up on the list, but I simplly connected more with some of the other stuff below.

Pre-ordered this one on Z-digital in Australia, because their official Bandcamp disappeared for some reason.

This thing has so many riffs comprised of two or three single Stephen Carpenter guitar string plucks, that it makes me think all other contemporary musicians are doing way too much. Heavy. Riffs.

Favourite track: Milk of the Madonna.

5. Ghostsmoker - Inertia Cult

I follow Art As Catharsis. They mentioned this band Ghost smoker. The bands name is Ghost Smoker. That's boss as hell.

Anyway, turns out the record rips. It's fun to listen to really loud in the car.

Favourite track: Elogium.

4. Tyler, The Creator - DON'T TAP THE GLASS

I have found a place for each of Tyler's records but if I'm truly honest his repertoire kind of follows a paradiddle¹ pattern of

Ok, great, ok, ok, great, great, ok, great.

This one drew me in especially due to the dedication at the start. You have to dance. Its really, really hard not to dance to these songs.

Favourite track: Sugar on my Tongue.

3. Ashnikko - Smoochies

Alternative bubble-gum horror pop might be kind of an odd-ball pick compared to the rest of the list. But this is merely the third very excellent record from Ashnikko in a row.

Another excellent car record too. Love to get myself amp'd up to go out to a comedy show or get some Sunday morning brunch by blasting Smoochies. Full of ear worms that will really dig around in your brain and move the dark, moist earth around.

Favourite track: Smoochies.

2. Totorro - Sofa So Good

Sofa so close to number one. I popped this on so much while working, because instrumental math rock groups have been my productivity jams since like 2012. Or whenever Battles' Gloss Drop released. 2009?

New records from Totorro are kinda rare so when they dropped a music video for New Music I watched that shit twice in a row and immediately pre-ordered. It just clicks. Its positivity rock. Imagine if yaucht rock was good and loud and fast and fun and clever. You're getting close.

Favourite track: New Music.

1. Vulfpeck - Clarity of Cal

This band warms me up. Like the sunshine

Vulfpeck recorded this studio album entirely on stage in front of a massive audience. I can't imagine that kind of pressure.

I listened to it back to back like five times before I read more about it and learned that. I haven't watched the documentary about the record, but my understanding is they played through the setlist in its entirety 8 times before they ended up with "the perfect take".

Every time I put it on, I smile, I move, I laugh, I sing.

"Whatever. Been in the game so long dude. Platforms come and go. THE MUSIC NEVER DIES!"

There's something wholesome about making a record about knocking out dingers and hanging out with your friends in real life.

No algorithms!

How did I find this music without any algorithms? Since folks seem to have lost touch with the art of finding stuff without it being shovelled down their throats by a marketing campaign, I'll explore it.

Friends

~Deftones, Totorro, Ashnikko.

My friends have good taste in music. Its what we all bond over. They share things that interest them, I share things that interest me. We all benefit without a robot learning our every thought and selling them to weenies.

Mailing lists

~Ghostsmoker, La Dispute, Thrice.

When you buy music on Bandcamp, you have the option to sign up to mailing lists. I did that with Thrice, and La Dispute, probably more than 10 years ago. Bing! In my inbox I discover they have new releases.

Ghostsmoker I found through their record label. Record labels are a great way to find other music you will probably like, especially imprints that exist for specifc genres, or cities where underground scenes are blossoming.

Pelican - Flickering Resonance - I forgot Pelican released an album this year until literally today. So not enough time to form a real bond.
The Hives - The Hives Forever Forever The Hives - I excitedly bought this, but only listened to the single which is unusal for me. So this is still on my list to give a proper spin. For the record, I didn't go see The Hives in Australia, because The Hives used Ticketek.
Sharon Van Etten & Attachment Theory - Live Forever - I need to give it more attention. And I need to listen to more women in general, going by this list!

Footnotes

A paradiddle is a marching drum pattern, kinda like a single stroke roll, but: left hand, right hand, left hand, left hand, right hand, left hand, right hand, right hand. ↩

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