Music
Jon Carmanica spends the majority of his time fawning over pop-confections like Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny or Kacey Musgraves. The pop that “matters” to Jon Caramanica is pop that matters, largely, for tween and teenaged girls.
Jon Caramanica is a bad cliché
Buuuuuuuurn
AI is a fad, but not merely a fad. You can’t merely wait for it to blow over, and imagine that things will be as they were. A lot of it will blow over, but also a lot of things will be blown flat by it. Important matters, customs, infrastructures, cherished ways of life, gone with the wind and never replaced.
Whatever Happens to Music Will Happen to AI (2026)
Geese is doing what a band should be doing. A young band should be blowing people’s minds and dividing people in a weird way. It’s exciting.
I will keep trying alternatives to what’s available
I was struck by the realisation of just how powerful live music is – that a group of individuals can come together and concoct a sound unique to them, and that people can connect with that distinctive vision as if it were their own experience.
Nick Cave - The Red Hand Files - Issue #347- I don’t experience anything when I go to concerts anymore, but I still really enjoy music. Do you like going...
“ Monomania is the greatest album I’ve ever made and anybody that doesn’t like it has no idea what I’m about or what I’m doing. They’re simply avid fans of what’s called indie rock and think we’re a notable indie rock band. I hate indie rock and never liked the term. I don’t consider myself a participant in indie rock. I think it’s a ghetto.”
Deerhunter Hated "Indie Rock" And Were The Greatest Indie Rock Band Of Their Generation
Bradford Cox always had some great quotes. I’m a massive Deerhunter fan as well.
Here’s my year-end playlists. Been doing this for a long time. Hope you find something you enjoy. I’m getting the hell off Paragraph soon, but until then, that’s where these things live. I wish it was easier to do email lists like the tinyletter days.
In no particular order, these are ten albums released this year that I enjoyed. Are they the best? I dunno. Who cares? I don’t want to argue or invite discussion about that sort of thing. I do, however, want to introduce people to music they might not otherwise hear.
Brad Barrish
10 albums I think you should hear.