First/Last: The Temptation to Firsties
The plague of "first" posts presents a wet cement scenario, a deflowering of the virgin comments section. Being first presents a last word didactic that is filled with simple puns and jokes. Thus, the first is a platform which is underutilized by the masses who in an attempt to…

The mono version of Velvet Underground and Nico could be considered lo-fi but it was still a pretty ornate recording compared to White Light/White Heat which was a purposeful reaction against studio production.

I would say they have already made their "Psychocandy" with Rip It Off since now their next album which comes out in a couple weeks is hi-fi, but having heard a few of the songs off the album, they're still great and very much in the indie pop sphere.

Old School: Guided By Voices, Sebadoh, Daniel Johnston, Dead C, Yo La Tengo, Sleater-Kinney, The Breeders
New School: Mika Miko, Best Coast, No Age, Wavves, Black Lips, Jay Reatard,
Old Old School: Nuggets Box Set

I'll admit that I do not attend many live shows not because of the music but because I hate crowds. And, yes, being able to recreate studio recorded songs in a live setting is impressive and I'm not a musician so who am I to complain. But growing up listening to The Who, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin live albums really…

@Destroy Him My Robots I think lo-fi is more than a production issue because lo-fi bands are able to play live where there is little to no production. Sloppily developing film is not a closer analogy because your wording is wrong. Sloppily has a negative connotation of not being in control but most lo-fi bands are…

It's simple. Lo-fi can be played loudly whereas the awful compression of modern bands CD's/MP3's means playing it softly yields the best sound. Therefore, lo-fi really appeals to our rock and roll radio sensibility of blasting it out the windows till the speakers blow. I don't think it's any coincidence that many…

Saying Robert Johnson would suck today is pretty ridiculous. He had mad acoustic chops and his songwriting was great with many layers of meaning and disturbing imagery. As to your point about the demythologization of blues music, I think many of the blues artists intentionally present themselves as being mythological…

Volume is the Scepter of the Masses
I've actually written a 5,000 word philosophical essay on lo-fi music and its place in 20th century and 21st century art. I think what Mr. Hyden is referring to is the three timelines of lo-fi. This first timeline is from the first sound recordings up until the 1950's and is what I…

Conceptual sex is found in a flea market, presented in a gallery with the artist's signature on the genitalia, and then bought for millions of dollars by people to0 dumb to have sex themselves.

More soloing!
I guess I'm the only one who likes this band. This is their cleanest and most accessible record by far and, yes, a joy to listen to. There may not be any hits on this album but I love that this album has actual guitar soloing/ instrumental passages. When and who was the last great soloing band, Dinosaur…

Picasso fans deemed least likely to wear contraceptives
In a new study from artsy dating site Paintmeapicture.com, fans of late impressionist painting were more likely to be virgins than their symbolist counterparts who were deemed the most likely to engage in fetishism and role play. Fans of abstract expressionism…

The Ramones don't sound the same but their 70's albums do sound "similar." They all contain the fast paced rhythm, fuzzy guitar, sweet harmonies that is their sound. This shouldn't be used as a mark against the band but for people getting into them, it doesn't really matter which of their 70's albums you choose…

I think the Buzzcocks are way more unknown then the Ramones, at least in the US, and the the change in their sound from punk to experimental/pop/new wave is a much more interesting evolution than the Ramones. I like the Ramones but there really isn't anything to say about their 70's output that hasn't already been…

Ramones aren't punk their more rock revivalists. Just like the Stones and the Beatles and the Yardbirds reworkd 50's rock and roll and blues music into something new, the Ramones revived 60's garage and surf music into their own thing. It's also my unhumble opinion that the only true punk bands are ones from the UK:…

The "monolithic homogeneity of its songs" actually makes it easier to get initiated into the band because if you've heard one song, you've heard them all and can decide right there whether you like them. It would have actually been better to do a Gateway for their 80's output only, because that is a much more…

The Ramones don't really even need a Gateway. Aren't the Buzzcocks or the Misfits more deserving?

13 AV Club Inventories with Overly Broad Perimeters and Confusing Explication
You could really put any Marvel or DC character under this list so I don't really see the point in choosing these thirteen because there doesn't seem to be anything thematically linking them to be at all interesting. It really just shows how…

According to wikipidea and other sources I've read it is Michael Stipe's favorite song
http://en.wikipedia.org/wik…

Out of Time: Greatest record of all time
Out of Time is my favorite rock album of all time and maybe all of music. It's idiosyncratic yet thematically linked and also contains some of their most beautiful songs: Belong, Half A World Away, Near Wild Heaven, and their best song ever: Country Feedback. "Shiny Happy…