I had VINYL.

I've started work on year-end lists early (just relistening to stuff and getting my personal order somewhat organized), and nothing feels simultaneously more buoyant and enervating than knowing I'll have about three albums on my top TEN Uproxx ballot that will not be shared by anyone.

My most woke opinion? Not only should gender-affirming care be universally accessible and as free as possible - what worth does a society have when it cares naught for its people - but so many treatments cis folks seek out ARE gender-affirming care. The big one for me? Hair loss treatments.

I want to know less about people

I really wish that albums feeling 'apropos to the times' didn't so consistently reflect THIS mood. Nevertheless, Florence + The Machine just released the appropriately titled 'Everybody Scream'. It's excellent, and again, apropos. My review: youtu.be/ixsHKeFMHc0

...yeah, I really wanted to be higher on this Armand Hammer / Alchemist collab, but despite great bars, there might be deeper issues here. My review of 'Mercy' - enjoy! youtu.be/wtJ6dMspM98

I really wish I liked the first 'Sanguivore' album from Creeper more... so here's the sequel that's heavier, wilder, and just better all around! My review of 'Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death' - enjoy! youtu.be/I0MZRwpkud4

When I was a teenager and playing D&D 3.5, my folks let me get both the Book of Vile Darkness and the Book of Exalted Deeds, both of which were rated for 'mature audiences only'. Mostly because of a lot of graphic imagery in both, but also because they got pretty serious talking about morality...

The new Hatchie album feels like a return to her core sound, and there's some intriguing themes... really wish I liked it more? My short review of 'Liquorice' - enjoy! youtube.com/shorts/KPuoa...

Alright, let's get into the meat of it, after yesterday's appetizer: I review the fascinating collab album between Chat Pile and Hayden Pedigo, 'In The Earth Again' - enjoy! youtu.be/eDlGvuk75QQ

It's here, and a little short - new episode of Billboard BREAKDOWN. It goes places, enjoy! youtu.be/QpitMdQAum4

Just my luck, I try to put together a World Hit segment for Billboard BREAKDOWN and the entire video gets blocked worldwide. That's irony or something. Whatever, it'll be up tomorrow morning, stay tuned!

I've been seeing this headline floating around. To be clear: 1) This is "No. 1" on a miniscule chart, The "Country Digital Song Sales" chart, as in people actually paying money to download country songs which is a tiny amount of people 2) The actual consumers are almost certainly fake

It's been a long time since I've had to write poetry for a D&D session I'm running, but a.) I think I've missed it a bit, and b.) purposefully getting the meter and cadence a little wrong purposefully is one of those literary tricks that never fails to amuse me.

Okay, about time I got around to this: a very compelling instrumental project from Hayden Pedigo, "I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away" - my short review, enjoy! youtube.com/shorts/zSc25...

Yeah, this one might be contentious... My review of 'LUX' by Rosalía - enjoy? youtu.be/Ju3ts6fnHos

This ROSALIA album prompts wide swings of emotion. If you're not simply awed by it - and many will be - it could prompt some really fascinating discussion and not all of it is positive. Yes, my review is coming today, stay tuned.

Alright, new episode of Billboard BREAKDOWN, bit of an odd one right now - enjoy! youtu.be/MRDJN_qb9rc

I really wish that albums feeling 'apropos to the times' didn't so consistently reflect THIS mood. Nevertheless, Florence + The Machine just released the appropriately titled 'Everybody Scream'. It's excellent, and again, apropos. My review: youtu.be/ixsHKeFMHc0

I don't know how centrist Democrat senators/congresspeople in the states think they're NOT going to get primaried HARD from the left across the board if they blink and cave. Some will get by, but certainly not all of them. If they want a Tea Party movement, they'll get it - to their peril.

Florence + The Machine review is coming tonight. Later than I'd like, but I had a lot to say with this one, stay tuned!

Two Highwomen reviews back to back, this time where I'm delving into the newest from Brandi Carlile, 'Returning To Myself' - enjoy! youtu.be/I52U4sJJXi0

Switch to Tidal. Do the trial. Its SOOOOO much better for music. Has all the playlist imports and settings you could want as well.

Sup Patrons, schedule is live! www.patreon.com/posts/143135...

I really wish I liked the first 'Sanguivore' album from Creeper more... so here's the sequel that's heavier, wilder, and just better all around! My review of 'Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death' - enjoy! youtu.be/I0MZRwpkud4

I don't hate the Grammy nods as much as usual - they are, in general a little better on average where it matters. (Except for rock and metal, Jesus fucking Christ)

Alright, let's get into the meat of it, after yesterday's appetizer: I review the fascinating collab album between Chat Pile and Hayden Pedigo, 'In The Earth Again' - enjoy! youtu.be/eDlGvuk75QQ

incredible photo that's definitely worth at least 1,000 words from Andrew Harnik of Getty

...yeah, this was a lot. In general that's a great thing, but this was a tough album to work through. I finally review the excellent project from Amanda Shires, 'Nobody's Girl' - enjoy! youtu.be/TbnBDnu1yeE

If you aren't seeing skeets from some of your fave people, they might have been labeled "Rude" by bsky mods. Idk what they are thinking, I don't need a mommy to tell me who to be buddies with. Anyway, go into Settings > moderation > bluesky moderation (advanced) and turn Rude off.

Okay, about time I got around to this: a very compelling instrumental project from Hayden Pedigo, "I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away" - my short review, enjoy! youtube.com/shorts/zSc25...

There's a part of me that knows and hates that JD Vance used to play Magic The Gathering with a glass cannon win condition deck. That part of me is at war with the impulse for every leftist MtG player to challenge and humiliate him in a game because you just KNOW that dipshit can be goaded.

Olivia Dean has seen tangible stateside and mainstream crossover, so I figured I might as well explore her sophomore album 'The Art of Loving' - and here's my short review, enjoy! youtube.com/shorts/L5O1U...

Alright, new episode of Billboard BREAKDOWN, bit of an odd one right now - enjoy! youtu.be/MRDJN_qb9rc

Here's another bit of conventional wisdom Zohran completely blew away: His speech was at well above a 10th-grade level. It was complex, erudite, punctuated by deep and fluent references. You don't have to condescend to voters with baby talk! Part of re-establishing norms is speaking like an adult.

So amidst a day chock full of good news, I have a little bad news, a small damp cloud... Worldwide copyright block on the newest Billboard BREAKDOWN. Hoping that I can have it live for tomorrow morning, stay tuned!

this marketing decision from huge corporations going hard at LLM products has just been outrageously corrosive to public discussion, and i'm going to be angry about it forever

Yeah, this was a really nice bounce back, short and vibrant and a pretty solid break-up album to boot! From Sigrid, 'There's Always More That I Can Say' - my short review, enjoy! youtube.com/shorts/B5gEF...

Good thread if you want to understand the Grammys splitting the country music category between "Contemporary" and "Traditional" (is it about Beyonce? Uh, it is but it isn't)

I know it's not realistic, but if I was at @defector.com , I'd spend every spare dollar possible to recruit the Teen Vogue political team and staff up an incredible operation. I'm already paying for them, but hell, I'd UPGRADE if they did that.

Two Highwomen reviews back to back, this time where I'm delving into the newest from Brandi Carlile, 'Returning To Myself' - enjoy! youtu.be/I52U4sJJXi0

Okay, new and somewhat surreal episode of Billboard BREAKDOWN, where I honestly can't tell where the worst stuff truly is - enjoy! youtu.be/N0wlkQKRt6U

Some pre-session banter before we play on Friday, presented without context.

Demi Lovato goes to dance-pop and... well, I'm conflicted on this one. My short review of 'It's Not That Deep' - enjoy! youtube.com/shorts/MOY2d...

Honestly I expect BIPOC artists to be more represented in the Traditional Country category than Contemporary Country. For every Breland there's five Rhiannon Giddenses, and they're both more successful and more respected than Nashville's Token Black Guys.

...yeah, this was a lot. In general that's a great thing, but this was a tough album to work through. I finally review the excellent project from Amanda Shires, 'Nobody's Girl' - enjoy! youtu.be/TbnBDnu1yeE

Did not expect one of the best paragraphs I’d read about baseball would come from an Irish newspaper www.irishexaminer.com/sport-column...

So I finally got to the new Neko Case album... and it rules. Exactly what I needed right now, could well be on the cusp of the best of 2025! My review of 'Neon Grey Midnight Green' - enjoy! youtu.be/Oo3GGyMUR70

All my thoughts on that last World Series game, courtesy of one of the best wordsmiths of our time. That will be all.

Caught up with Critical Role (Campaign 4) and to avoid jumping too deep into meta-analysis in the early stages of a campaign, I'd like to say that the backlash to Aabria's play style really bothers me. There's a lot of racism to that backlash, but here's the reality: she's playing like a DM.