About to see Weinberg’s The Passenger in Amsterdam!

Babe wake up new cryptid just dropped

Gonna do a listening project of Mieczysław Weinberg’s string quartets. Partly because I’ve never listened to them in order and I want to get a better handle on them, and also so that hopefully some of the few people who read this and haven’t already heard them decide to check them out!

These “Trump has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing” sentences thrown into all the news stories are doing heavier and heavier lifting.

Why do none of the reviews of Krallice’s Ygg Huur comment on the fact that 4 of the 6 tracks are exactly 6 minutes and 42 seconds long?? I feel like that’s pretty notable and I’m curious how and why they made it that way. #metalsky

Downloaded the full discography of Krallice on Bandcamp as a Christmas listening project the other day and really enjoying it, but can’t get past Years Past Matter. Takes a couple listens to get into, but once it clicks it’s hard to stop listening! #metalsky

Current listening: Dead as Dreams by Weakling. Really just a stunning album whose legendary status truly does it justice. I’m amazed by the almost contrapuntal guitar writing throughout, with riffs that complement each other while subtly shapeshifting, like smoke from two fires

Current listening: Shaking the Habitual by the Knife. What’s amazing about it is that it’s is structurally a drone record -

Occasionally I start thinking I’m too cool for the Brahms piano quintet and then I’m reminded that no I’m not. Current listening: Arthur Rubinstein with the Guarneri Quartet going hard in the scherzo.

Feels notable that Politico is now using this straightforward description of Trump as “a longtime associate of Epstein.”

Siri, what’s a good name for a villain with strong ties to the crypto sector?

🚨🚨🚨big news for anyone who’s always forgetting the password to their pizza hut account

Thinking about how wholesome it is that Sully Sullenberger ever listened to Evanescence or had them on his ipod

Did anyone else feel like they were specifically called out by today’s wordle? Wordle 1,409 6/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 🟨🟩🟨⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Proud to be an exponent of the hobby of “going to the movies by yourself!”

Just listened to the Missa Solemnis after listening to a lot of the Mass in B Minor and had the sense of irritation at all of Beethoven’s shit. Like, just end a fucking movement already

Calling Greenland a “landmass” has the same energy as calling women “females.”

Glad to see an elected dem treating this moment like what it clearly is.

The root that tears apart your foundation begins as a seed of distrust, hate, and blame. The seed that grew into a dictatorship in Europe didn’t arrive overnight. It started with everyday Germans mad about inflation and looking for someone to blame.

Ok my nascent obsession with Holmboe continues with his symphony 6, which is absolutely fantastic! Feels like a missing link between Shostakovich and Allan Pettersson.

Latest haul from the library, on recommendations from @rotskullrich.bsky.social and @loveinner.bsky.social!

When will this war on Christmas be stopped?

Ladies and gentlemen, the Democratic Party:

thinking about starting a blog called “Serious Metal for Serious Dads.”

So glad that Biden staffers are really focusing on the important issues with two months of democracy to go...

Today’s (and yesterday’s) listening: Beethoven’s late quartets with Quatuor Ébène, particularly op. 131 and the Große Fuge. Music that’s harsh, uncompromising, and depressing, but still somehow offers hope without making it seem inevitable or easy.

Lead is poisoning children and the administration wants to stop it - but the plan could cost money… 🧐🧐🧐 so who can say if it’s bad or good

Okay I feel like the new Sunset Rubdown is actually great…

I unintentionally on purpose got my 4-year-old into Serpents Unleashed by Skeletonwitch and now it’s the only thing she wants to hear… and man these lyrics are a lot less unintelligible than I thought! 😬 but anyway, damn this is a great album!

Me, raising my monocle: Good heavens, Jenkins, could this herb be weakening my critical facilities?

Guess who’s going to Bayreuth for the first time tomorrow?? Any tips for first-timers? I’m seeing Parsifal tomorrow and Tristan on Thursday!

Harris needs to appeal to Satan voters. That’s why she needs to pick Baphomet as her VP.

Current listening: What One Becomes by Sumac. The first track alone is a fucking masterpiece and it gets better from there. Fantastic album!

I guess Biden’s Stephanopoulos interview went well since there are no stories about it? I feel like if he so much as stuttered it would be front-page news everywhere.

Well my next musical obsession is the band Low! Just listened to “things we lost in the fire,” “the great destroyer,” and “double negative” and - holy shit! - what a stunningly varied set of absolute masterpieces!

Will Oldham as Mayor Humdinger

Since google is useless now, anyone care to give any recommendations for passion settings not by JS Bach? Just put the passions of Rolle and Schütz on hold at the library, but wondering what else I’m missing!

My spiciest take: If you’re a Mozart specialist you can go fuck yourself!

🙄 Wordle 983 6/6 ⬜⬜🟨⬜🟩 🟩⬜⬜⬜🟩 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ 🟩⬜🟨🟨🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Bullshit Wordle 980 6/6 ⬜🟩⬜⬜🟨 ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 ⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

My latest haul from the library! Thank you muziekweb.nl!

Jesus, this guy really going after his colleagues in the booklet of Pettersson 10/11! Like straight-up: “you’re a provincial fool who’s standing against musical progress for not recognizing the genius of this particular composer; also Germany did the Holocaust, so there!”

Allan Pettersson seems like an easy composer for a conductor to get wrong, so I’m amazed that there are multiple well-regarded cycles! I’m cherry-picking here, but seems like both sets are able to tackle the fast tempos and complicated rhythms while achieving a real clarity and lightness of texture!

The lucky streak continues! I am yet again absolutely floored by Allan Pettersson with his Symphony 9. I switched up the conductor/label and it still didn’t disappoint! A dangerous trickster to 6’s and 7’s demons, it sacrifices none of the earth-shattering trauma but adds a tinge of sardonicism.

Not me searching Allan Pettersson on Bluesky and liking every post that comes up.

Just listened to Pettersson 6 for the first time hot off the heels of discovering Pettersson 7 last week, and holy fuck how is this guy not being programmed all over the place?? Like Jesus Christ these symphonies are good!

Is there a way to mute all posts about dogs?

Really excited that I’m in a place where I’ve been knocked in my face with how good some new (to me) music is twice in a week, and that it came from things as different as Pettersson 5 and AC’s “Isn’t it now?” I’ve also been eagerly listening to a new recording of the St Matthew Passion.