There are love songs, of course. There are break-up songs. And then there are songs about relationships that don’t fit into either of those categories — the ones about love affairs that aren’t ending, even when something has gone seriously, perhaps irreparably wrong. Romantic crisis anthems, if you will. The newest of Montreal album, Paralytic Stalks, which is out this week, is all about a relationship in peril; the band’s mastermind, Kevin Barnes, recently told Spin, “The general theme of the whole record is trying to keep myself together when I’m faced with all this madness, trying to keep my relationships together.” It struck us that we don’t hear these stories told in song nearly enough — and since Valentine’s Day, with its perfectionist conception of love, is around the corner, this seemed like a good time to compile them.
Good news, music fans: The industry’s annual November-January dry spell is over, and our cup runneth over with promising new releases in February. In fact, if we enumerated everything we were looking forward to this month, we’d have a list three times as long this one. So, as always, we’ve narrowed it down to the ten albums you absolutely need to hear in the next 29 days. From indie stalwarts issuing hotly anticipated new records to frontmen gone successfully solo to oh my God, the new Sleigh Bells album, you guys, there’s something for everyone — except maybe Nicki Minaj fans, because she pushed her Valentine’s Day album back to April — after the jump.
Welcome to your Monday slog, worker bees! We can’t make your hangover magically disappear or do anything about that pile of papers on your desk, but we can try to make your day a bit more pleasant with our weekly roundup of notable albums to stream for free online. This week’s haul is an impressive one, featuring the latest from of Montreal and Sharon van Etten, a promising debut from buzz-band Blondes, a deep, dark solo record by Mark Lanegan, and an unnecessary (but entirely welcome) reminder that Aretha Franklin is the best. Gorge yourself on great new music after the jump.
Last week, we read about Alina Simone, who published her first book, a collection of essays, this past year. However, what’s fascinating about her story is that her editor (at big-name publishing house FSG, no less) didn’t discover her in a small literary journal, in a magazine article, or pluck her from an MFA program, but instead found her music on internet radio service Pandora and approached her to suggest that she write a book.
“It seemed like he already viewed music and literature as part of one continuum,” Simone has explained. “Certainly, the best songs out there read like the best poems or short stories.” Though we think there’s some room for argument on that point, we can definitely think of quite a few lyricists who we really wish would write novels — whether we think they’ve got the life experience or imagination to write a fascinating story or just enough chops slapping words together that we want to roll around in ever sentence they assemble. Click through to check out which musicians we think should write novels — and our first imaginings of what those novels would be like — and let us know who you’d like to see transition into fiction in the comments.
With end-of-year listomania receding and release schedules starting to get locked down for the coming year, it’s time to stop looking back and start looking forward at the the most exciting albums due out next year. We’ve started with a selection of 15 records that have definite (or pretty much definite) release dates, titles, etc. — mostly in the first three months of the year — and also included a more speculative look further forward at a selection of albums that are rumored to be dropping at some point in 2012. So far, we have to say that it’s shaping up to be an excellent year — bring on January!
If you’ve ever wondered what your favorite literary characters might be listening to while they save the world/contemplate existence/get into trouble, or hallucinated a soundtrack to go along with your favorite novels, well, us too. But wonder no more! Here, we sneak a look at the hypothetical iPods of some of literature’s most interesting characters. What would be on the personal playlists of Holden Caulfield or Elizabeth Bennett, Huck Finn or Harry Potter, Tintin or Humbert Humbert? Something revealing, we bet. Or at least something danceable. Read on for a cozy reading soundtrack, character study, or yet another way to emulate your favorite literary hero. This week: Salinger’s number two angst man, Seymour Glass. Read More »
A while back, we looked at albums that’d make for great TV series, a topic that gave rise to much intra-office discussion and several as-yet-unfulfilled promises to actually sit down and write some serious pitches. Anyway, the release of David Lynch’s Crazy Clown Time has got us thinking about the logical follow-up to this idea — albums that’d make for great films! There are plenty of records that spring to mind, several of which could happily be shot by a certain Mr. Lynch himself. Here are the ten albums that we’d love to option the rights to — so if you’re a mega-rich producer, at least give us credit when you cash in on these, eh? Read More »
Indie rock and arts and crafts have one vital thing in common: the DIY ethos. So it makes sense that some of our favorite acts are incorporating Etsy-like aesthetics into their music videos. With the help of shadow puppets, steampunk sculptures, construction paper backgrounds, and more, bands such as Bright Eyes, of Montreal, and Bat For Lashes are letting their craft flag fly with innovative clips that are just as mesmerizing as the music they accompany. Join us as we round up some of our favorite artsy videos.
A good record cover will stop you dead in your tracks, and make you curious not only about the music it accompanies, but about the artist who created it. Album art is often our first introduction to a band’s latest collection of songs, giving a visual aspect to the sonic creations inside the sleeve. Some acts take on the daunting task themselves, many with fantastic results, while other musicians enlist painters, photographers, crafters, and illustrators for the project. Even in this time of digital downloads, we’re not immune to the effects of a great album cover, and we find it unfortunate that the people behind these pieces rarely get the credit they deserve — so we’ve rounded-up ten that you should know, after the jump. Keep the list going by adding your suggestions in the comments.
Jobs (or the lack thereof). Bills. Personal drama. Existential angst. It’s hard out there for 20-something creative types, struggling to make ends meet and still find enough hours in the day to work on our own personal projects. For the most part, here at Flavorpill, we tend to keep a positive attitude about balancing the stresses of our daily existence with the creative pursuits that make life worth living. But every once in a while, we can’t help but get sucked into the vortex of a mini-quarterlife crisis. And we’re pretty sure we’re not alone. Since music is at once the best catharsis and the best inspiration to get out of our own heads, we’ve compiled a list of 15 songs that feel your pain — including a few that might just help you get back to kicking ass.
