A bunch of dumb-ass rednecks swarmed the Capitol building, with Ariel Pink of all people in support (still love his music but he’s gonna be cancelled for a minute). As the human virus left the White House, I rocked out to Mica Levi’s Ruff Dog, soon followed by the similar Blue Alibi — dark, rich stews of fuzz and cinematic textures sculpted into proper tunes.
For the first time since 2003 I didn’t head out to Park City for the film festivals. But pandemic unemployment money was flowing in and I worked on a screenplay and making my place look cute.
Playboi Carti was an unstoppable force of not giving a shit, believing in his own fucked up genius and getting the world to fall in line behind him. Whole Lotta Red was too much in every way, and you kinda had to kind of pick your favorite tracks. The twinkly, drug-positive “Teen X” made my list, as did the dark and surly “M3tamorphosis” and the hilariously antisocial “Punk Monk”: “One thing I hate the most / One thing I hate the most / Is some friendly-ass niggas […] I’m not friendly at all / I don’t even want these niggas on my song…”
Two Saviors was a warm, loving, comfy country album from Big Thief guitarist Buck Meek. What a sweetheart. Favorite lines (on “Candle”): “Did your eyes change? I remember them blue, or were they always hazel? Still the same face, with a line or two, the same love I always knew.”
Then Midnight Sister made the world a cooler place with bruised, glammy alt-dancers “Sirens” and “Doctor Says” from their Painting the Roses album.