Author: Sam Fason

https://open.spotify.com/album/04EajKw866bzJn3EW8HOdQ From their 2000 debut Spirit They’re Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished to the release of the seminal Merriweather Post Pavillion and excellent Fall Be Kind EP in 2009, Animal Collective were a force to be reckoned with. The band released one fantastic record after another, each with a unique ever-evolving take on psychedelia. From the freak-folk meanderings of Sung Tongs to the eclectic, glitchy, psych-pop of Strawberry Jam, Animal Collective's distinctive brand of psychedelia was always on point. That is, until 2012’s polarizing, and, in my opinion, disappointing Centipede Hz. Centipede, more than any other Animal Collective record, had songs that were forgettable. The hooks were duller, the instrumentals muddier, and with the exception o...

https://open.spotify.com/album/2w1YJXWMIco6EBf0CovvVN In his 1975 single "Golden Years", David Bowie sings "Never look back, walk tall, act fine." Thirty-five years later, it is apparent that Bowie took his own advice. David Bowie died on January 10, 2016, 18 months after being diagnosed with cancer, and only two days after his 25th and final studio album, Blackstar, was released. News of his illness and battle with cancer were kept secret; not even Bowie's closest friends knew. Even though Bowie was planning a follow-up to Blackstar, he new his days were numbered, and had for a while. The result is an eerie, cryptic, and stunning record that is arguably the farthest Bowie has ever forayed from straight up pop. Blackstar is, in short, Bowie's brilliant response to his impending death. Mu...