Music
Spotify playlist for this quarter is here. Playlists for past quarters and years here.
Okay, music I most enjoyed discovering this quarter:
- Department of Eagles: In Ear Park (2008)
- Benoit Pioulard: “La Guerre De Sept Ans” (2006)
- Émilie Simon: Végétal (2006)
- David T. Little: “How We Got Here” (2003), “Tricky Bits” (2007), Agency (comp. 2013, rel. 2019)
- Anakronos: The Red Book of Ossory (2020)
- Straylight Run: “How Do I Fix My Head” (2007)
- Blitzen Trapper: Wild Mountain Nation (2007)
- Beat Circus: These Wicked Things (2019)
- Volcano!: Paperwork (2008)
- Parts & Labor: Mapmaker (2007)
- Invisible Things: Home Is the Sun (2012), Time As One Axis (2016)
- The Dear Hunter: The Fox and the Hunt (2020)
- Combat Astronomy: Kundalini Apocalypse (2013)
- White Flight: White Flight (2006), White Ark (2009)
- Eartheater: RIP Chrysalis (2015)
- Kablam: “Everything for Everyone” (2019)
- Nubya Garcia: Source (2020)
- Cave: Threace (2013)
- Wildildlife: Six (2007)
- Cyann & Ben: Happy Like an Autumn Tree (2004)
- Ken Valitsky [Walicki]: “Meaning – Less” (1995), “Black Velvet Elvis and the 900 Foot Jesus” (1998)
- Rick Cox: Fade (2005)
- UFOmammut: Eve (2010)
- Journey to Ixtlan: “Burnt Coyote Teeth” (2008)
- Legion of Two: Riffs (2009)
- DM Stith: Heavy Ghost (2009), Pigeonheart (2016)
- Clubroot: Clubroot (2009)
- Yacht: I Believe in You, Your Magic Is Real (2007), See Mystery Lights (2009)
- Kiran Leonard: Grapefruit (2016)
- Miasma & the Carousel of Headless Horses: Perils (2005), Manfauna (2007)
- Yugen: Labrinto D’Acqua (2006)
- Jean Louis: Jean Louis (2008), Morse (2010), Uranus (2013)
- Ken Valitsky: Species Compatibility (1993)
- Alexander Mosolov / Metallica: “The Iron Foundry” (1927/2020)
- Jun Togawa: “カウンセル・プリーズ [Counsel Please]” (2004)
- Tom Zé: Jogos de armar (Faça você mesmo) (2000)
- miRthkon: “Daddylonglegz” (1999), The Illusion of Joy (2006), Vehicle (2009)
- Hoppy Kamiyama: “Flesh For The Jet Set” (1998), A Meaningful Meaningnessless (2005)
- Jose Luis Fernandez Ledesma: Sol Central (2000)
- Ebonylake: As Ghosts We Dance in the Thrashing Seas (1998)
- Natsumen: Endless Summer Record (2005)
- Fire!: You Liked Me Five Minutes Ago (2009), In the Mouth, A Hand (2012)
- Buck Jam Tonic: Buck Jam Tonic (2003)
- Clarence Clarity: Save Thyself (2013), Who Am Eye (2014)
- Zegota: “A March to the Dead Sea” (2001)
- Rovo: Pyramid (2000)
- Flotation Toy Warning: Bluffer’s Guide to the Flight Deck (2004), The Machine That Made Us (2017)
- Leonid Fedorov & Vladimir Volkov: “Галушка” (2007)
- Encre: Flux (2004)
- Alex Tiuniaev: I Knew Her (2008)
- Skeletons: Lucas (2007), Money (2008), People (2011), The Bus (2012), Am I Home? (2016)
- Keefe Jackson / Jim Baker / Julian Kirshner: So Glossy and So Thin (2020)
- Clogs: “Who’s Down Now?” (2003), Lantern (2006)
- Lau Nau: Valohiukkanen (2012), Poseidon (2017)
- Ultralyd: “Saprochord” (2007), Inertiadrome (2010)
- Sebkha-Chott: “Gode Sainture Cuir” (2019)
- Eyedea & Abilities: “Burn Fetish” (2009)
- Kiss Kiss: “Virus” (2009)
- Endon: “Born in Limbo” (2017)
- Jocelyn Pook: Deluge (1997), Untold Things (2001), Caótica Ana (2007)
- Murmuüre: Murmuüre (2010)
Rediscovered or revisited (i.e. I’m no longer excluding great albums I revisited but hadn’t forgotten about), and really liked:
- Grizzly Bear: Yellow House (2006), “Two Weeks” (2009)
- Patrick Wolf: Lycanthropy (2003), Wind in the Wires (2005)
- Santigold: “Les Artistes” (2009)
- Circle: “Meronia” (1994)
- Fatboy Slim: “Praise You” (1998)
- Fastball: “The Way” (1998)
- Julianna Barwick: The Magic Place (2011), Nepenthe (2013)
- Juana Molina: Segundo (2000), Un Dia (2008)
- Remy Zero: “Save Me” (2001)
- Vincent & Mr. Green: Vincent & Mr. Green (2004)
- Manitoba: Start Breaking My Heart (2001), Up in Flames (2003)
- Caribou: The Milk of Human Kindness (2005), Andorra (2007)
- The Earlies: “Dead Birds” (2005)
- CocoRosie: The Adventures of Ghosthorse & Stillborn (2007)
- Royksopp: Melody AM (2001), “Happy Up Here” (2009)
- Shugo Tokumaru: L.S.T. (2005)
- Something Corporate: “Drunk Girl” (2002)
- Wolf Parade: Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005)
- Architecture in Helsinki: Fingers Crossed (2003)
- The Polyphonic Spree: “Soldier Girl” (2002)
- Broken Social Scene: You Forgot It In People (2003)
- The Go! Team: Thunder, Lightning, Strike (2004), Proof of Youth (2007), Rolling Blackouts (2011)
- The National: Boxer (2007)
- Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes (2008), Helplessness Blues (2011), Crack-Up (2017)
- Father John Misty: Pure Comedy (2017)
- Shearwater: Palo Santo (2006)
- The Dodos: Visiter (2008)
- Beat Circus: Dreamland (2008)
- Battles: Mirrored (2007), Gloss Drop (2011), Juice B Crypts (2019)
- The Eternals: Black Museum (2003), Rawar Style (2004), Heavy International (2007)
- The Books: Thought for Food (2002), The Lemon of Pink (2003), Lost and Safe (2005)
- Zammuto: Zammuto (2012)
- Toby Dammit: Top Dollar (2001)
- Hella: There’s No 666 in Outer Space (2007)
- Man Man: The Man in a Blue Turban with Face (2004), Six Demon Bag (2006)
- Explosions in the Sky: “With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept” (2001), All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone (2007)
- Kopernik: Kopernik (2003)
- Visible Cloaks: A Crystal Skull in Peru (2007)
- Interpol: Turn on the Bright Lights (2002), Antics (2004)
- The Strokes: Is This It (2001), Room on Fire (2003)
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs: “Maps” (2003), “Heads Will Roll” (2009), “Zero” (2009)
- TV on the Radio: Young Liars (2003), Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (2004), Return to Cookie Mountain (2006), Dear Science (2008)
- Yeasayer: All Hour Cymbals (2007)
- Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend (2008), Modern Vampires of the City (2013)
- The Paper Chase: “Who Can Deny How Delicious It Tastes?” (2001), Now You Are One of Us (2006)
- Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand (2004)
- Holy Fuck: Holy Fuck (2005), LP (2007)
- Arcade Fire: Funeral (2004), Neon Bible (2007), The Suburbs (2010), Reflektor (2013)
- Islands: “Swans (Life After Death)” (2006)
- Electrelane: Rock It to the Moon (2001), The Power Out (2004), Axes (2005)
- Fuck Buttons: Street Horrrsing (2008), Tarot Sport (2009), Slow Focus (2013)
- Blanck Mass: “Cruel Sport” (2015), World Eater (2017)
- Vessels: White Fields & Open Devices (2008)
- Colleen: Everyone Alive Wants Answers (2003), The Golden Morning Breaks (2005)
- Jóhann Jóhannsson: Virðulegu Forsetar (2004), Fordlandia (2008)
- Magyar Posse: Kings of Time (2004)
- Menomena: I Am the Fun Blame Monster! (2003), Under an Hour (2006), Friend and Foe (2007)
- The Dear Hunter: Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional (2016)
- Ahleuchatistas: On the Culture Industry (2003)
- Far Corner: Far Corner (2004), Endangered (2007), Risk (2018)
- The Mars Volta: Tremulant (2002), Deloused in the Comatorium (2003), Frances the Mute (2005), Amputechture (2006), The Bedlam in Goliath (2008)
- Omar Rodriguez Lopez: Omar Rodriguez (2005)
- Combat Astronomy: The Dematerialised Passenger (2005), Earth Divided by Zero (2010)
- Grails: Burning Off Impurities (2007), Take Refuge in Clean Living (2008)
- Zukanican: E 5number (2006), Horse Republic (2006), The Stumbling Block (2009)
- Mono: One More Step and You Die (2003), Hymn to the Immortal Wind (2009)
- Max Richter: Memoryhouse (2002), The Blue Notebooks (2004), Infra (2010), Recomposed: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons (2014), The Leftovers: Season 1 (2014), Black Mirror: Nosedive (2016), Three Worlds (2017), “The Shores of Scotland” (2018)
- Hauschka: Salon des Amateurs (2011), Silfra (2012), Abandoned City (2014), What If (2017)
- Apparat: Duplex (2003)
- Ben Frost: “Theory of Machines” (2007)
- Encomiast: “Without Fear of Wind or Vertigo” (2001)
- The Killers: Hot Fuss (2004)
- Ratatat: Ratatat (2004), Classics (2006), LP3 (2008), LP4 (2010)
- LCD Soundsystem: LCD Soundsystem (2005), Sound of Silver (2007), 45:33 (2007), American Dream (2017)
- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: “Clap Your Hands!” (2005)
- MGMT: Oracular Spectacular (2007)
- Girl Talk: Night Ripper (2006), Feed the Animals (2008)
- Lindstrom: “Fast & Delirious” (2006), “Where I Go You Go Too” (2008)
- Justice: Cross (2007), “Civilization” (2011)
- Out Hud: Street Dad (2002)
- !!!: !!! (2000), Me and Giuliani Down by the School Yard (A True Story) (2003), Louden Up Now (2004), Myth Takes (2007)
- Erase Errata: Nightlife (2006)
- Mi Ami: Watersports (2009), Steal Your Face (2010)
- The Kills: “No Wow” (2005)
- The Fiery Furnaces: Blueberry Boat (2004)
- Marnie Stern: In Advance of the Broken Arm (2007)
- White Denim: Workout Holiday (2008)
- Thee Oh Sees: Carrion Crawler / The Dream (2011), Face Stabber (2019)
- Black Mountain: “No Hits” (2004), “Bright Lights” (2008)
- Ancestors: “Neptune with Fire” (2006)
- Smoke & Mirrors: Deities (2004)
- Silentist: Chariot Swing (2005)
- Between the Buried and Me: Colors (2007)
- Ephel Duath: “The Passage (Pearl Gray)” and “Praha (Ancient Gold)” (2003)
- Alcest: Souvenirs D’Un Autre Monde (2007)
- Cave: Psychic Psummer (2009), Pure Moods (2010), Neverendless (2011)
- Gnaw Their Tongues: L’arrivée de la terne mort triomphante (2010)
- Seirom: 1973 (2012)
- Kings of Leon: “Use Somebody” (2008)
- Health: “Stonefist” (2015)
- Natural Snow Buildings: “Felt Presence, Ghostly Humming” (2006)
- Deerhunter: Cryptograms (2007)
- Belong: “I Never Lose, Never Really” (2006)
- Excepter: Vacation (2004)
- Raccoo-oo-oon: “Tail at Prospect Peak” (2007)
- M83: Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts (2003), Before the Dawn Heals Us (2005), Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (2011)
- Serena-Maneesh: Serena-Maneesh (2005)
- Akron/Family: Akron/Family (2005)
- Brightblack Morning Light: Brightblack Morning Light (2006)
- Shit and Shine: Ladybird (2005), “Practicing to Be a Doctor” (2006)
- Black Heart Procession: “Waterfront – The Sinking Road” (2000)
- Hans Zimmer: Inception (2010)
- Leila: Blood, Looms & Blooms (2008)
- Yugen: Iridule (2010), Death by Water (2016)
- Kneebody: Kneebody (2005)
- Fire! Orchestra: Exit! (2013)
- Taal: Skymind (2003)
- Derek Charke: “Tundra Songs” (2015)
- These New Puritans: Hidden (2010)
- Owen Pallett: Heartland (2010)
- Teeth of the Sea: Your Mercury (2010)
Movies/TV
Ones I “really liked” (no star), or “loved” (star):
- Nitzberg, The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia (2009)
- Barbakow, Palm Springs (2020)
- Mendes, 1917 (2019) ★
- Shults, Waves (2019) ★
- Various, Peep Show, season 1-7 (2003-2010) ★
- Various, Peep Show, season 8-9 (2012 & 2015)
- Various, Barry, seasons 1-2 (2018-2019) ★
- Kaufman, I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
- Various, Billions, season 1 (2016)
Games
Ones I “really liked” (no star), or “loved” (star):
- The Last of Us Part II (2020) ★
- I don’t have a Playstation so instead of playing it, I watched an HD no-commentary playthrough (while doing other things, often at 2x). Great storytelling (for a video game). It seems the aspects that many people hated about the story were exactly what I most liked about it. Much better than the first one.
Books
- Priess, The President’s Book of Secrets
- Ritchie, Science Fictions
- Klein, Why We’re Polarized
- Yglesias, One Billion Americans
I wonder if you would love Shadow of the Colossus if you were able to play it for the first time again. Saw you rated it as the greatest game back on listology, tho only at 6.5/10
You might enjoy Noah Gervais’ video on The Last of Us pt. II. He eloquently, and to my mind very persuasively, defended its story against the widespread backlash it received.
https://youtu.be/Bat38vErWr4
Enjoyed that video, thanks!
Hi, Luke. I’m commenting here because your website CommonSenseAtheism is not working anymore due to a lack of update. Your website is very valuable, so could you please update it for us? I’m sure it will take just some moments! Thank you very much!