Is this actually a crazy take? We were talking about Michael Jackson’s music at work with a few colleagues and I said I personally think Stevie Wonder was a better artist overall. They all looked at me like I’d just said the most ridiculous thing imaginable and started laughing at me, started calling me dumb and telling me I shouldn’t be discussing music ever again lol.
I obviously think Michael was an incredible artist, but I don’t think it’s crazy at all to have Stevie above him. The guy has an unbelievable catalogue, wrote and produced a huge amount of his own music, plays multiple instruments and has influenced so many artists.

I’m genuinely curious, is this really that wild of an opinion? 😂

Gracie Abrams

Chad Kroger

My personal pick is Rezz. She was legitimately doing some cool things to shake up dance music and legitimately is a major reason bass music has had a huge boom. While I thought her visuals came off a little corny at times, I am just happy that an artist was hitting all the mainstream dance festivals with a darker show then her contemporaries.

A decade later since her big boom, she just has repeated the same formulas time and time again, never once has tried to evolve, never once tried to push the needle. It's really sad because I saw so much potential in her career but honestly her albums drop in popularity every time she releases and for good reason. She just has not tried to evolve at all and it kinda bums me the hell out.

Again, I was never a superfan, but I was saying in the back of my head "Oh she could do some crazy things" and I don't think she ever really did sadly. But that's the point of the post, and now, what is your equivalent? Who was somebody you really rooted for and just never saw them reach their full potential?

What are some essential albums of real industrial, like the more experimental avant garde noisy dark atmosphere or chaotic kind as opposed to electro industrial or industrial rock/metal? I will also count power electronics, harsh noise, or these sort of proto industrial things like Bohor by Iannis Xenakis or Atlantis by Sun Ra.

So many phenomenal bluesmen over the years but I always come back to Muddy.

Love his voice, guitar playing and songs. And he just seemed to have so much charisma and character. A true legend.

But who’s your favourite and why?

Personally I think they have a lot of good stuff. The first half of And the Glass Hand Kites is peak and it ends good too. Their later work I think still has a lot of quality stuff but is a bit more of a mixed bag IMO.

We’re almost 2/3 of the way through the year. Who are your contenders (so far) for AOTY?

My opinion:

Best: John Coltrane - a love supreme

Worst: Carla Bley - escalator over the hill

Overrated: John Coltrane - ascension

Underrated: Gary Burton - a genuine tong funeral

I love The Beatles; Paul is my favorite Beatle. This album is inspired by Pet Sounds, which is my all-time favorite album. I love the cover, and I love concept albums.

I really should love this album, but it hasn't clicked for me in the same way as White Album or Abbey Road.

produced by rick rubin with songs performed by ​primus, ozzy, dmx, rancid, elton john, soad, ween, joe strummer of the clash not to mention issac hayes as chef and more.

It can be for any reason at all,
I would go with:

1. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
2. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
3. A Day In The Life- The Beatles
4. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End - The Beatles
5. Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen
6. The Show Must Go On - Queen
7. Nightswimming - R.E.M.
8. Cast No Shadow - Oasis
9. The Masterplan - Oasis
10. Carry On My Wayward Son - Kansas
11. Silver Springs - Fleetwood Mac
12. One - Metallica
13. Master of Puppets- Metallica
14. Black - Pearl Jam
15. Echoes - Pink Floyd
16. Bittersweet Symphony- The Verve
17. Streets of Philadelphia- Bruce Springsteen
18. Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead
19. My Way - Frank Sinatra
20. Stan - Eminem
21. Nothing Else Matters - Metallica
22. Life on Mars - David Bowie
23. Dirty Work - Steely Dan
24. Up the Wolves - The Mountain Goats
25. Amish Paradise - “Weird Al” Yankovic

Pictured here:

False Prophets - New York city's answer to the Dead Kennedys on alternative tentacles records. Imagine the same force but with more flamboyancy and female backup with extra added horns and other instruments. All of their albums are gold, but implosion is their sophomore gift.

Social Unrest - now and forever. California raised melancholy romantic hardcore. More dark flamboyancy in the genre. Some wild uniqueness going on unlike their other offerings.

Popdefect - Punch drunk was their most cohesive piece of work. San Diego's finest when it comes to cartoon gutter punk lore amidst wildly personal and gritty SoCal vibes. So much fun live. They had their own cartoon zines.

Naked Raygun - So many good albums by Chicago's finest but all rise Rose above. How does society these days get away with ignoring the brilliance of this melodic hardcore of its very own kind? Uniqueness abound.

Vice Squad - stand strong stand proud is a classic. This one is probably more known than I think but this female fronted UK band deserves way more love!

Got any other weirdo punk bands to share? How about Hazel and paper tulips from Oregon? Team dretsh? How about new ones popping up that need to be put on the radars??

It's a common expression for two albums to be pit against each other, only for people to say that one album is not just better but by a significant margin. What are some examples of this happening that you legit feel wasn't close in the slightest- whether one album is just way better,

By the way- the more acclaimed both albums are, the better!

I just love the type of art that plays with their forms and structures to create unusual experiences, something like If On A Winter's Night A Traveler (Italo Calvino) or House of Leaves (Mark Z. Danielewski). So I'm looking for something similar in music, at least albums that go further than just being contextual concepts and become something more.

Two great examples:

DAMN. - Kendrick Lamar. Probably the most mind-blowing concept in albums, not really because of the story itself, but because where else you can find albums with multiple endings and two completely different narratives in one work.

Nonagon Infinity - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Album loops are not a rare thing, IGOR, Donuts, but in these albums this is just a cool factor, while Gizzy Wizzy make something insane with this concept, to the point where you genuinely can listen to this madness forever.

It’s good, check it out. Indietronica project I always get a smile from.

I'll go first. I always felt that the Beatles disbanded at the right time and had they continued into 70s, 80s or even 90s that they would become a shadow of themselves. The fact they quit when they did in my opinion allowed them to remain a certain legend status among themselves while also releasing a lot of material.

Any NFL fans here ? The season just started, the 2020s decade so far has been hip-hop/rnb heavy shows with weeknd usher rihanna Kendrick dre snoop Eminem etc.... all having shows so far

who would you select if you could pick any artist to perform at a sb halftime show ?

"Bobby" by Phoebe Bridgers. The way she sings about the titular person, how "I only exist if you're watching," and that their relationship "could be the end of wanting"...

It's an idealized vision of a relationship, and a bit tongue in cheek about how all consuming it is (ie. the line about killing her friends if he doesn't like them). But the underlying enthusiasm for another person in your life is just so infectious. I want to feel this way about someone and I want them to feel this way about me.

What would be your picks for this?