😤 LET’S ARGUE! 😤 (April 2020 Thread)

youre wrong about pinkerton, watch billy cobb's video about it

More artists/bands should just announce they're going on hiatus instead of "retiring" or ending the band. It'd be a lot less annoying when the artist inevitably decides to return (LCD Soundsystem, Bright Eyes)

Ben Sparks

Only in Dreams off of Blue is the best final song on an album.

Please make more starter pack videos

Devin

'Operation: Mindcrime' by Queensrÿche deserves way more recognition as an amazing concept album than it gets. The story is great, the instrumentation is fantastic, Geoff Tate's vocals are great, the production is amazing and there's no weak track.

Arnarok

Sir, we don't condone blasphemy here

Arnarok

brave opinion

str8 fax

The New Abnormal is the best album The Strokes have released since 2003

"Underthow" is the best Tool album

Famous Monsters is the best Misfits Album

branm25

based

Why didn't you ever review any of those classic bandcamp albums i.e. teen suicide, Salvia Palth, Elvis Depressdly, etc

Hail to the Thief is Radiohead's worst album. It has good trracks but is bloated and sounds like In Rainbows but worse. At least King of Limbs and Pablo Honey felt like they had a more consistent vision and the tracklists were actually refined somewhat.

Daniel S Keeling

Political songs aren’t needed anymore. Social media replaces a lot of purpose it once had, informing people of awfulness in the world and venting frustration. We do that on Twitter everyday now. I think political songs are seen as cringe now because people are like “yeah, we know”

lowkeymatt

How about a rank list video of whistling in songs? Sometimes it works, and sometimes it really truly does not work, like when it's used as a crutch or spacefiller.

ITAOTS is better than The Glowing, Pt. 2

Drake will never go back to his If You're Reading This It's Too Late EP quality standards

OFWGKTA is ICP for intellectuals

Wu Tang members are only good when they decide to do jazz rap. Lollllllll

Nathaniel Zaccagnini

Pink Flag and 36 chambers are not even that good of albums. Why do you consider them some of your favorites? Seems basic to me, Meldawg.

Nathaniel Zaccagnini

Three of a Perfect Pair is the patricians choice

You're like if Garrison Keilor and Frank Zappa had a lovechild.

Brendan James

Muse is better when they put less effort into extravagant production quality and more into instrumentation. Their last few albums have been disappointing to long time fans because they try too hard to stand out rather than fit in.

Andrew Shaktah

Ive had the idea for this question a while now but given his passing I wanted to discuss the nature of artists lyrical and melodic voice and character coming through strongly in covers of their songs, such as John Prine. Growing up I found myself noticing when a song was a cover of Tom Waits or Randy Newman but especially Prine based on its lyrics, vocal lines, and simplicity. To what degree is this real or just a bias of what you’ve heard growing up or just most often?

CarlySortof

'Clapping for the wrong reasons' and the 'Because the Internet' script deserves more credit as pieces due to the traction they gained and the vast amount of internet speculation to their various meanings and stylistic choices (roscoe's wetsuit) despite its lack of direction or cohesiveness as texts (sporadic plot shifts, narrative arcs, weird personality choices). Donald Glover's ability to generate a relatively strong media presence and hype (while not rivaling that of mainstream pop artists) without utilizing controversy or feuds with other celebrities (he is not unique in this) in itself should be applauded, and forming a personal opinion of the screenplay and short film should be a given for people to make an informed rating of the album, as a lot of the more odd and 'random' subject matters in throughout the album are contextualized by the script/film.

morabic

Selling 100$ printed t-shirts as "merch" is immoral

You should do another music hardware vid. It's been a long time since your last one and I'm wondering if anything's changed or if you have new/updated advice.

haughty garbage

King Crimson are severely underrated. People only ever talk about In the court when they put out so many other great albums (Red, Discipline, Lizard, In the Wake of Poseidon, etc).

If you do not cry while listening to an Elliot Smith album. YOU'RE LISTENING WRONG! (Say yes is the song to break any and everyone)

danilo gondim

The Bojack Horseman soundtrack is full of bangers

ElephantofDoom

we really dodged a bullet that nobody found out about the macklemore and Geazy remix of YG's FDT

Jacob B

Without Kid Cudi there would be no Drake and without Drake we have no idea what the past ten years of hiphop culture would’ve been like. Cudi was a pioneer of melodic singing rap without a great singing voice. Man on the Moon 1&2 are underrated when it comes to their influence

I think this new era of meme music is similar to the early MTV era. Many different artists getting popular due to crazy aesthetics and experimental sounds, but all pushing a particular image to get people’s attention. But unlike MTV which was for experimenting with new ideas, memes are just made for jokes. But like MTV, many of these artists will become one hit wonders

lowkeymatt

Each Tyler, the Creator album has been better than the one before it. I fear that Igor will be the peak.

With the recent developments in AI and neural networks we aren't far of from the ability to replace humans in the music creation process with machines. Do you think there is artistic merit in music that is generated without human involvement (i.e. an AI who is taught to create music)? (Ref: https://towardsdatascience.com/neural-networks-for-music-generation-97c983b50204)

Pantera is overrated and has only 1 good album (VDOP)

Sapot

Why do I only enjoy death grips when I’m high

Griffin

Wasted shirt had the most disappointing release of 2020

Chris Hickson

Is social distancing metal?

Chris Hickson

What are your thoughts in French Electro and speicifically Electroswing? I think Caravan Palace's 2012 album "Panic" is one of the most lush and uniquely produced in the last decade.

"Race for the Prize" by Flaming Lips is the song of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kevin Marcellus Horan

Word of mouth is the best way to consume music.

Nathaniel Zaccagnini

I’ve heard you talk about many many indie bands and make inferences to where their influences may have originated, however, I’ve never seen you mention Brainiac. I feel like they are the kind of band you would talk about a lot, just given the taste you have demonstrated over the years. Similarly, when talking about Nick Cave you mention the Birthday Party but not the incredible Rowland S. Howard? I feel like they are very comparable and worth being stated, especially with Nick Caves more recent output! Thanks for the great time!

Jack Bayley

New Magic Wand is the best song Tyler the Creator has ever made

With the monetary value of music at an all-time low we're going to continue to see more solo acts find mainstream success over bands, because it's not economically sustainable for multiple-member groups to share the increasingly-smaller pie. There won't be another wave of ska in this environment, for example, because there's not enough streaming or gate revenue to pay the trombone player anymore.

Kaputt by destroyer should have been higher on your decade list

Psyche pop felt fresh in 2012 but is now just a crutch for creatively bankrupt artists to sound relevant again.

Peggy went bald to finally secure that 10

purple

Lmao

purple

Prince spends too much time wanking over his guitar on Purple Rain

WhyDoIBother

When 2 albums are observed to be of same quality, the longer album of the 2 is always the better one. For example: You gave To Pimp a Butterfly and Kids See Ghosts a 10, but TPAB manages to keep its high quality and entertainment value for more than 3 times longer than KSG, which is a much bigger achievement

Tristan Noel

Rock Lobster does not get the respect it deserves as the Bohemian Rhapsody of new wave/surf rock. It’s fun and groovy as a great new wave song should be, it’s multifaceted with different stages, and who doesn’t love to belt out the lyrics in an over-the-top impression?

Will you give yeezus another review since so many have been requesting it?

Arsene

Slowthai could become a massive international figure for Slowthai, reputation could definitely be reminiscent of Skeptas fame

Fear Innoculum did not deserve a 4/10. As many people are pointing out in the comments of that review, this album is a grower. 4 or 5 listens won't do (I know it didn't for me).

Jacob Raymond

jneiro jarel gets it too hard for the flop that was JJ DOOM. Shape of a Broad Mind is a widely ignored project that is wholly original and very well produced

You seem to be more positive toward mainstream / mainstream-adjacent pop than you used to be, between Ariana Grande, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Beyoncé, and Lana Del Rey all getting 8s/10 in 2019 alone. Do you think mainstream pop is getting better, or do you think you're warming up to the style?

Owen W

If you don't cry while listening to elliot smith, you are doing it wrong.

danilo gondim

Denzel Curry is the most consistent rapper in the game right now.

Weezer should’ve retired after Pinkerton. None of the albums released after were as memorable as their first two.

None of Reddit's April Fools events have ever lived up to r/place.

Zachary F Parker

Check it Out! with Dr. Steve Brule is a far superior show to Tim & Eric's Awesome Show Great Job!

EdibleMessiah

The Slow Rush is the perfect album to vibe to. It’s a sincere and upbeat experience that people underrate because it’s not as psychedelic as his previous material

Chrisp

Q: The oldest record you've reviewed is 1965's I Talk With Spirits by Roland Kirk. Are you only interested in reviewing modern music? What is the oldest piece of music you would consider critically reviewing in a Classics Week review? (Not that I'm exceptionally interested in hearing you review music >50 years old instead of more modern records, personally.)

hot take: peggys "Devon Hendryx" mixtapes/albums are better than the JPEG stuff

I Saw a Tiger is the most important song of 2020

Benjamin Lisboa

Hard disagree

hardly a hot take, but yes i agree

why you sleep on Avantdale Bowling Club? ive seen others recommend them to you but youve not commented on it? great production and amazing stories told, makes for an emotional listen

As good as the lyrics are on TPAB I think the production is even better we will never hear production like that again

Calvin Michael

What are your thoughts on mental/behavioral health disorders and how they effect the way certain people consume art. I guess any one could be used as an example, anixety, ADD/ADHD/ Depression, Bipolar. Are you sympathetic as well if someone gets impatient with a driving rythym that just never seems to end. In my case sometimes the 30 minute songs like you may see in a Horse Lord's project can get tedious. (I just realized this might have some crossover when talking about Mr. Joyner's new Not Good project)

Getting circle glasses is one of Melon’s best fashion choices of all time

Bebe Rexha and Carly Rae Jepsen deserve the fame that Ariana Grande and Halsey have. Those are the pop stars that should be on top today.

Tony Chacon

Metal is the most diverse music genre. In addition to there being metal bands in practically every country/culture in the world, there are so many sub-genres of metal that even people who say they don't like metal will probably like at least one, they just haven't heard it yet.

Despite having a hand in multiple game-changing songs or records, and being an undisputed music icon because of it....Pharrell Williams still has one of the worst singing voices out there. Someone please tell this man to stay off the mic.

Toto deserve more credits than they are remembered now. They have contributed musically to a classic like Thriller, and of their discography only some fantastic hits (Africa, Hold The Line etc.) are remembered while other fantastic records (Hydra, Isolation, Kingdom of Desire, Tambu etc.) end up by the wayside.

Rob Halford's legacy should be on par with singers like Freddie Mercury. Not only is he an amazing vocalist, he's also an openly gay man in a fairly masculine genre and is still beloved by metal fans. I just don't think he gets enough recognition in the mainstream.

Matthew Wisniewski

Borrowed from a friend of mine: Good music taste is an assortment of artists/albums/songs that is self-curated as opposed to spoon-fed or passively accepted from charts and radio.

Noah Mendell

The sex pistols are just radio Disney crass

I... AGREE

Stop slapping NOT GOODs on mildly mediocre albums, at least slap a 2/10 on them now and again

Denzel Curry has had the best career out of that 2016 XXL cypher group

Griffin

Pet Sounds is overrated, just really really overrated. It’s that not that great of an album.

2020 so far is Metal > Pop >>>>>>Hip Hop>Rock

FELCommentary

Just Got Back From the Discomfort-We’re Alright by The Brave Little Abacus is an underrated emo classic and will be praised by critics in the years to come.

Jonny Greenwood's film scores are not appreciated enough. His works on The Master, There Will Be Blood, and You Were Never Really Here is on par if not better than many of the award winning film composers

Omar AlHashmi

I think the fact that streaming gives you access to new albums immediately takes the fun out of anticipating a new albums release and also ordering online or owning a physical copy. It makes album releases boring and every day it seems I wake up and a huge artist has "surprise released" a new album and it's hard to care.

Ben Sparks

All instruments should be treated with the same amount of respect. While it’s cool if you play guitar, or drums. Just as much work can go into a drum machine, or a DJ set. People with the “if it’s made by a computer, it isn’t music” mindset is only limiting themselves to new music.

Riley Schmedeman

An album being 'too accessible' is not a bad thing if it does not divert from the artist's core sound. I never quite understood why albums like NIN - [WITH_TEETH] are so divisive when they still remain very true to their sound/themes.

Froggoking

Snarky Puppy were onto something when they had gigs with everyone sat down, wearing headphones plugged into the mixer. I'm old and tired and anxious but I want live music.

Office Policy

oingo boingo kicked ass and they don't get nearly the recognition they deserve.

funkbrunk

I think you have to remember Aenema is a 90s alt metal song not a dissertation, so yeah the "critiques" laid out in his lyrics aren't the most nuanced and complex, but are we going to pretend LA and Hollywood life and culture wasn't full of shallow, pretentious egomaniacs? Of course it was and still is and this song is a fuck you to those people. Is it a bit overly angsty? Sure but metal fans all have an angsty fuck you to the phonies of the world attitude and Aenema is a song that embodies that feeling, nothing more. Now if you wanna talk about Maynards lyrics post 2015 then we may agree...

Ben Sparks

The show Dave is just a budget Atlanta. It's not even bad necessarily, just nowhere near as great as Atlanta is.

Alice in Chains is better than Nirvana and Nevermind is overrated

Bruno Caamano

Ballad of The Bass (My Sub V) is better than every song on K.R.I.T. IZ HERE

Torstein Gresaker

PND would be a superstar without Drake.

Nas' Illmatic is considered one of the best rap albums of all time just because it was one of the few to get 4 stars from the Source. The album is great, but there are plenty of people, no doubt, that look at that score and take it for fave value without considering the context of the review itself

Jon Hoskins

Swans and Death Grips are best listened to when you're angry. Melon gave both artists a 10/10 Why are you so angry Melon?

The constant debate about the superiority of The Glow Pt. 2 over ITAOTS (or vice versa) is really stupid. Sure, they share a lot of the same elements, but stylistically and thematically they are completely different. Plus, one is obviously very much inspired by the other. It would be like people arguing about whether Nevermind or The Blue Album is better. It’s not a fair comparison.

tryhard

It's ok to consider an album a 10/10 even if there is an aspect about it you dislike. Obviously it's not likely that if you dislike aspects of an album and it ends up being a 10, but it's entirely possible and OK to do so.

Nicolas Babick

Albums that really need to be listened to front-to-back to really appreciate, such as Pink Floyd's Animals and In The Court of the Crimson King, create an awesome album experience at the expense of creating songs that often feel incomplete or confusing when listened to on their own (like in a playlist)

The title track of "Aenema" lyrically embodies "old man screaming at cloud". Maynards "critiques" of LA and materialism are shallow and sometimes really stupid. At one point he critiques people caring to much about their scripts, like okay? Do you not give a shit about your music? I love Tool, but stuff like this makes me understand why some people call the pretentious.

MBDTF really is a 6/10 and you are a hero for saying what no one else had the courage to say

These beat battles that are happening on IG live are impossible to judge when the artists are playing music into their phone speaker. Anyone that needs bass in their beats (notably mannie fresh) is at such a disadvantage. They need to figure out a way to integrate the music

putting skits in an album is outdated, and today is just a lazy way to fill up your tracklist

Can a great music video impact your opinion of a song?

Calum Hughes

Earl Sweatshirt just sounds like any random guy you'd find doing depressed spoken word at an open mic night, but over poorly mixed instrumentals.

Connor Truelove

“Lyrical Miracle” rap is starting to become outdated

Buddy Sweathole

Yumi Zouma are one of the best pop bands of the 2010’s and have one of the most unique sounds in pop