Insider Monthly #6
This month’s Insider features Metric, The Legends, Of Montreal, Olivia Rodrigo, Vince Staples, Shannon Lay, and a dose of World Cup Fever!
Insider Monthly is our supporters-only newsletter where we peek behind the No Ripcord curtain and talk honestly about what we’ve been listening to, arguing about, and thinking through each month.
Welcome to the June edition. As ever, we’ll cover:
🎧 Our favourite album of the month
💔 Our biggest disappointment
🔜 The album we’re most excited for next
💿 A classic record we can’t stop playing
📝 Plus some personal notes and behind-the-scenes reflections from running the site
The opening section is free to read. Supporters receive the full edition each month.
💿 Old Favourites
Juan:
Among the many 2000s-era scenes that flourished in the early aughts, the Canadian invasion is one that charmed me the most. It gave me a great excuse to attend the All the Feelings Tour at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California, featuring three of the most popular acts of that era: Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Stars. Someday I’ll write a retrospective on hidden gems such as Plants & Animals and The Stills, I promise, but not today.
While Broken Social Scene were the critically lauded favourites at the time, I’ve always had a softer spot for the more popular Metric. The Emily Haines-led project may not have the strongest albums out of the three, but they write the best singles bar none. So for this I thought I’d share “Youth Without Youth” from their 2012 album, Synthetica, which sounds incredible live.
David:
In my review of Zoon’s Happy Thought School, I made a passing reference to Swedish indie legend Johan Angergård, a member of Club 8 and Acid House Kings, and one of the major forces behind Labrador Records. Angergård also recorded as The Legends, which is probably my favourite project of his, and I enjoyed a nostalgia-fuelled trip through their catalogue. 2003’s Up Against The Legends is the clear standout and an essential listen for fans of indie pop, from the jangly rush of C86 through to the more anthemic strains of Britpop.
🎧 Album of the Month
David:
In the latest edition of sentences I didn’t expect to write, it’s a toss-up between Vince Staples and Olivia Rodrigo! I’m giving Vince the nod because Cry Baby is such an energetic, powerful, cohesive statement, but I just want to back up Juan’s take on the Olivia Rodrigo record. It’s everything pop music should be, as Rodrigo proves herself a cut above all of her rivals.
David Coleman
Juan:
I think I’ve run out of things to say about Olivia Rodrigo, so go give you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love a listen. This month, pop wins!
But since we linked the review above, I’ll share instead something by the Philly rapper Tierra Whack, whose new mixtape, Whack’s Museum, is also worth your time.
💔 Disappointment of the Month
Juan:
Though far from a disappointment, I had every intention of coronating I Built You A Tower as my favourite Death Cab for Cutie release since Transatlanticism. It isn’t. I actually like their slept-on comeback, Asphalt Meadows, more. Considering the highly publicised album rollout, I just felt like it didn’t live up to the hype, which is upsetting since I’ve been a fan since their Barsuk days. But don’t let that discourage you from listening to it, as I wholeheartedly agree with David’s positive review.
Quick speedrun of other albums that didn’t quite meet my expectations: Widowspeak, Swim Deep, and YHWH Nailgun (the last by a wider margin).
David Coleman
David:
Did I have high expectations for Of Montreal’s latest? No. But I was still thoroughly disappointed, dubbing it “a frustrating reminder of a songwriting talent that is all too frequently dwarfed by a penchant for self-indulgence.”
Speaking of self-indulgence, YHWH Nailgun was a chore to get through, which, for an album that only lasts eleven minutes, is actually some kind of perverse achievement.
David Coleman
🔜 The July Release We’re Most Excited About
David:
There are some big pop records out in July—Madonna, Charli, Ariana, Nia Archives—but I’m going to embrace my inner middle-aged man and plump for Shearwater. I have a strong feeling that Jonathan Meiburg has something special in store for us and as a long-time fan of the band, I can’t wait to find out if my gut—another mid-40s calling card—is right.
Juan:
This month might come as a complete surprise, as I don’t have a clear favourite to highlight as I write this. This is typical. The summer months bring fewer quality releases, but there is always an album or two that sneaks up on you. This happened to me recently with Star Moles, which I found out about months after its initial release.
For the purposes of this exercise, I’ll go with Los Angeles-based folk-rock singer-songwriter Shannon Lay, who has a new album coming out late next month called Past The Veil. I loved her previous release, Geist, so I have very high expectations for any new music by Lay.
📝 Behind The Scenes
I’m finding it very hard to get things done at the moment with the World Cup in full swing. Before this year’s tournament, I felt strangely uninterested. Why? Well, pick any of the following: the bloated format, the controversy over ticket prices, FIFA, Trump, Thomas Tuchel’s apparent resistance to selecting actual full backs.
But in spite of everything, as it always does, football finds a way to pull you back in. I’m even working on a special football-music crossover feature (watch this space). Juan may be able to resist its charms, but I’m locked in for the duration—or at least until the Tour de France begins!
– David
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