I've been finally updating my newsletter on a regular basis, sharing a weekly playlist with new music I'm digging (alongside old favorites) and an essay of sorts. Here I wrote about why music matters: anniezaleski.substack.com/p/music-writin…
@Jalopnik Toyota RAV4. It’s widely considered the best compact SUV. However, they are being sold at a premium under the false pretense that they are “bulletproof” reliable. Reliable yes (relatively speaking) bulletproof no. I’d argue that the new Cherokee offers more bang for buck.
Trip hop has aged incredibly well. Portishead, Tricky and Massive Attack sound great today. Name any other niche time specific genre that doesn't sound embarrassing and clunky 20 or 30 years after its heyday.
Galaxie 500 - On Fire (1989)
00:00 - Blue Thunder
03:48 - Tell Me
07:40 - SnowStorm
12:48 - Strange
16:07 - When Will You Come Home
21:31 - Decomposing Trees
25:37 - Another Day
29:20 - Leave the Planet
32:03 - Plastic Bird
35:20 - Isn't It a Pity
@johnvvariety I have not vibed with most of his solo music but I give him a lot of credit for doing pretty much whatever he wants and still somehow not being a huge shithead while doing so. (I think his general trajectory has been more interesting than, say, Beck)
The biggest fall off of modern music has gotta be Jack White. Imagine making all that stuff and you lose what everyone thought was your cool Moe Tucker accessory drummer but she was the inexplicable key to your music and you do bad bands and become pretend Elvis to constant scorn
How many artists/bands did great work in their 3rd decade & beyond that equaled or surpassed the music they created in their 1st? The list is mighty small. We talk about a few that defied the odds on @soundopinionsbit.ly/4rBTe37
What are your late-career faves?
#OTD, 38 years ago, #Morrissey released his superb debut solo album, 'Viva Hate', which was co-written & produced by @StreetStephen, who also played guitars & bass guitar on the album, alongside fellow band members @ViniReilly on guitars & @AMcGibbonParesi on drums.
#VivaHate
The ever-expanding resist playlist (linked in comments) is just a small sampling of the outpouring of new protest songs, most released in the last few weeks.
Dunno why people are talking about Duran Duran, but they were *adequate*. Yes, it's a miracle that LeBon, Rhodes, and all those Taylors - male models, the whole lot of them - could actually come together and put out some great pop singles, but they're SINGLES, not albums.
That said, "Ordinary World" still slays.
@Top10Nathan it’s awful. people are happy to have new gorillaz product so of course it’s doing well. we’re all wishing it to be good, aren’t we, but it really truly honestly isn’t.
Two weeks after release, Gorillaz' 'The Mountain' is already feeling like one of their best.
Up there with Demon Days and Plastic Beach, it's the record the world needs, not necessarily one it deserves 👇
open.substack.com/pub/top10natha…
@VonBlowtorch@larrybehrens Mazda makes excellent cars. Our Subaru was disappointing. Never broke down but other than that, not great. Terrible ride quality.
Honda joins the billion-dollar EV regret club with up to $15.7B down the drain. Add in Stellantis ($26B), Ford ($19.5B), and GM ($6B), and we're talking ~$67B collectively torched because no one wants glorified golf carts.
Reality is undefeated.
@dunne_insights Honda has been releasing uninspired designs recently. For example, why does the new Prelude look like a 2-door Civic? And once people start liking a particular model, why does Honda stop selling them (S2000, Del-Sol, Fit, CR-Z, NSX)?
Honda. Wow.
First loss since the 1950s.
“Honda’s automobile business has fallen into an extremely challenging earnings situation due to various factors, including its inability to respond flexibly to these changes in the business environment,”
Honda slumps to first annual loss since going public in the 1950s ft.com/content/ab76ef… via @ft