SPIN’s 300 Best Albums of the Last 30 Years

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READ IT AT SPIN

I went big for this, taking on 30 of the 300 albums. Click through this hulking document for my posts on (in alphabetical order, no spoilers): Arcade Fire, At the Drive-In, Beastie Boys, Beck, Belle & Sebastian, Björk, Bright Eyes, Broken Social Scene, Clipse, Cloud Nothings, Dirty Projectors, the Flaming Lips, the Fugees, Frank Ocean, GZA, Interpol, Jimmy Eat World, Justin Timberlake, the Microphones, My Bloody Valentine, Neutral Milk Hotel, Pixies, Portishead, the Postal Service, Radiohead, TV on the Radio, the Unicorns, Vampire Weekend, the xx, and Wilco. So many of my all-time favorites in here, and so many I’d never had the chance to write about.

News Roundup: Abe Vigoda, Michel Gondry + Mia Doi Todd, Salvador Santana, Intuition + Al Bundy

Quick bloggy bits* from around the L.A. underground (and up).

todd and gondry

Mia Doi Todd in her new Gondry-directed video

  1. Abe Vigoda Leaks Demo, Tours With Vampire Weekend
  2. Exclusive: Salvador Santana’s “Don’t Do It”, Plus Michna Remix
  3. Watch: Gondry and Mia Doi Todd Make Human Rubik’s Cube
  4. Watch: Rapper ‘Intuition’ Pays Tribute to Al Bundy
  5. (all stories via West Coast Sound, via LA Weekly)

*If you like it, then you better put a tweet on it.

Trip-Out Tuesday: Psychedelic Visions from Red Sparowes

Quick bloggy bits* from around the L.A. underground (and up).

Durlin Lurt's 'Him Jenson'

  1. ‘Him Jenson’ Releases Wild Muppets Mixtape [MP3s]
  2. Dâm-Funk Making LPs w/ Steve Arrington, Nite Jewel [MP3]
  3. Trip-Out Tuesday: Psychedelic Visions from Red Sparowes
  4. And The Top Radiohead Benefit Donor Is… Dangerbird?
  5. ASKA of Moonrats Collaborates Flea, Spike Jonze
  6. (all stories via West Coast Sound, via LA Weekly)

*If you like it, then you better put a tweet on it.

Trip-Out Tuesday: Psychedelic Visions from Red Sparowes

Live In LA: The GZA Performs ‘Liquid Swords’ at the Echoplex… with RZA and Killah Priest

Well hot damn. On Friday night, GZA came to town and he wasn’t alone. Not hardly. In addition to a large posse of unfamiliar (though talented) rap understudies, The Genius brought RZA and Killah Priest along for the ride. They performed most of the classic Liquid Swords album, along with a bunch of other hits. I got nostalgic with this one. Took it all the way back to freshman year in high school. Steve Plant, if you’re out there, holler.

The RZA, razor sharp.

LA Upcoming: GZA; The Hot Rats + Lemon Sun

A short list of recommended L.A.-area shows for the coming week (plus videos for instant gratification). Click “details” for descriptions.

The Genius to enlighten Echo Park.

  • Region: Echo Park
    Music: GZA, Curtains + DJ Dark Alley
    Vitals:
    TONIGHT at Echoplex!!!
    (details at LA Weekly)
  • Region: West Hollywood
    Music: The Hot Rats + Lemon Sun
    Vitals:
    The Troubadour on Thursday, January 21
    (details at LA Weekly)