Give New Material a try, I think it’s better. It’s catchy and poppy in the way that Preoccupations was, albeit in a half-assed manner, but New Material uses all the ass.

My friend recommended Soft Kill to me, along with Drab Majesty. Enjoyed the latter but couldn’t get into the former. Soft Kill sounds great, but the songs are kinda forgettable to me.

Bad Witch is the best of the trilogy IMO.

Albums I Like Not On This List So Obviously You Are All Idiots:

There’s a hidden track on their first album that’s a cover of The Rite of Spring, surprised you didn’t notice that.

This is a great list — Don’t Let’s Start is a real lightning-in-a-bottle classic, and it’s almost unbelievable that it didn’t chart.

Make it five!

The early QOTSA albums all had shit kickin’ music right out the gate... Regular John, Feel Good Hit Of The Summer, and You Think I Ain’t Worth A Dollar But I Feel Like A Millionaire are all great.

I think the second two were good, but not as good as The Areas of My Expertise.

Mutations is an A+ album.

Those are the only two post-Pinkerton albums I listen to as well. Green Album is embarrassingly formulaic but is otherwise OK — but everything else is a mess.

Bowie — Five Years
Wire — Reuters
The Cure — Plainsong
LCD Soundsystem — Dance Yrself Clean
Julia Holter — Marienbad

Also, skits are the only thing keeping Kanye’s “We Don’t Care” and Ghostface Killah’s “Shakey Dog” from this list.

“You worry too much.”

No, no! Then he’ll know I told! You said I could trust you!

100%. Sounds like they want to build another Marvel Cinematic Universe, except about cultural property I actually care about.

They make a great case for “Bart vs. Australia” but I might still like “Bart On The Road” better. Now are you gentlemen going to buy some wigs, or ain’cha?

I’m just disappointed it ended before the “Gasoline!” gag.

This article was a great read. The Cars (and The Cars, really) walk(s) a pretty impressive tightrope, applying a pop sheen to arena rock, mixes in prog chops and punk cool, and stuffs all that into neat little packages.