CJ Simonson

Wrote about a few things I’m nostalgic for (Streetlight Manifesto, Nanami Ozone):

Kinda stopped keeping up with him in the early ‘90s…

The thing about TONY HAWK PRO SKATER 3 + 4 is that 4 is remarkably harder than 3.

ILLINOIS at 20: Envisioning an America Worth Celebrating - Merry-Go-Round Magazine On the 20th anniversary of its release, Sufjan Stevens' ILLINOIS reads as a remarkable piece of fiction, a hopeful vision for an America and a Chicago that don't currently exist.

Twenty years after its release, and on July 4th no less, Sufjan Stevens' ILLINOIS feels like a hopeful piece of fiction. The America in these songs isn’t the one we live in today, but through community and solidarity, we can make it into something better.

The thing about Wavves is, they're a genuinely amazing singles band, and if I was *insert name of big pop punk / rock band* I'd hire Nathan to help write songs for me yesterday

The Bargain Bin: Bob Mould's BODY OF SONG - Merry-Go-Round Magazine Learning to wear earplugs. Contemplating your sexuality. The awkwardness of meeting your idols. Bob Mould's BODY OF SONG. It's a tale from the Bargain Bin!

@jackprobst.com is dusting off some LPs and exploring how music becomes etched into our own stories. This month: Learning to wear earplugs. Contemplating your sexuality. Awkwardly meeting your idols. Bob Mould's BODY OF SONG. It's a tale from the Bargain Bin!

At one point a sound drop of Don in the final episode of MAD MEN lamenting he’s never made anything of himself transitions us into A$AP Rocky’s “Everyday,” you should come and dance with us!

Processed my hatred of MATERIALISTS:

Had the honor of premiering the new @fleshtape.bsky.social EP today ahead of its release tomorrow. Their debut from last year was incredible and this EP picks right up where that left off!

Tonight’s episode of Game Changer is just remarkable stuff. On a tremendous hot streak here this season.

Bandcamp Pick: Exileth - Merry-Go-Round Magazine It's our Bandcamp Pick of the Week, featuring (possibly?) the first proper Armenian death metal album, Exileth's DEATH OF THE ALMIGHTY!

It's our Bandcamp Pick of the Week, featuring (possibly?) the first ever proper Armenian death metal album, Exileth's DEATH OF THE ALMIGHTY, out now via Satanath Records! Read all about it and then grab a copy over on @bandcamp.com!

THUNDERBOLTS* and The 2020s Super-Fascists - Merry-Go-Round Magazine On THUNDERBOLTS*'s John Walker, the undercurrent of fascism running through modern superhero storytelling, and the Homelander Effect.

"Context doesn’t matter anymore. Does the supervillain who rattles off cruel comments and fascist ideology make you feel seen? Then sure, he’s the protagonist."

On THUNDERBOLTS*'s John Walker, modern superhero tropes, and the Homelander Effect.

Bandcamp Picks: 100%WET & After - Merry-Go-Round Magazine It's our Bandcamp Picks, featuring a pair of debut self-titled releases, a blissfully nostalgic EP from Los Angeles dream pop purveyors After, the other a whirring, dancy rock album from Danish duo 10...

It's our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring a pair of debut self-titled releases, including a blissfully nostalgic EP from Los Angeles dream pop purveyors After, as well as a whirring, dancy rock album from Danish duo 100%WET, out now via @crunchyfrogrecords.bsky.social! Read about both today!

The modern C3 Presents style of music festival poster, specifically for recent Austin City Limits and Lollapalpozas, sucks shit. Just a big block of text that’s impossible to navigate, nowhere to draw your eye. Horrible.

Hello! I have spent essentially seven months working largely by myself on this and it’s finally here… tickets on sale Wednesday. For like 53ish bucks total you could have two incredible days of music and fun. And I’ll probably buy ya a drink. Hoping for a big sell out! Cheers!

Watched both CHILLY SCENES OF WINTER and CASABLANCA tonight and it’s funny that both are about a dude conveniently being in a relationship with a married woman and their reactions when the relationships end couldn’t be more different.

Uber on the way home only asked my name, his car reeks of cigs, and he was blasting the Offspring >>>>>

Bandcamp Pick: Nicole Grace - Merry-Go-Round Magazine It's our Bandcamp Pick of the Week, featuring Nicole Grace's whimsically folksy solo outing MINERAL FORK, out now!

It’s our Bandcamp Pick of the Week, featuring Nicole Grace’s whimsically folksy solo outing MINERAL FORK, out now and available to purchase over on @bandcamp.com!

Uber driver asked who I was seeing tonight and I told him Franz Ferdinand, and as I was in loose terms explaining who that was, I watched that man queue up “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People, and ya know what? Fair play to him. Got my ass.

They were so good! This song was clearly our crowd bullying them into one more where a theoretical encore they hadn’t planned would be and them being shocked the venue was like “what the hell sure, go for it”

Ahhhh, to die happy seeing Ovlov do “Baby Alligator” live

YouTube video by Soft Blue Shimmer - Topic Sapphire Door

New @softblueshimmer.bsky.social is unsurprisingly very good, love this one especially—lotta change of pace songs for them on this album and I dig it

Worth about a handful of films for our best of the year list! Happy Oscars week!

“can you ever really know?” by fish narc… many are saying it’s THE song of the year… and me? I agree.

On today, the 25th anniversary on AND THEN NOTHING TURNED ITSELF INSIDE-OUT… I’m here to say “Cherry Chapstick” is the best Yo La Tengo song

I like the title track okay I guess, but it's kinda baffling HURRY UP TOMORROW doesn't end with the Lana Del Rey song. Like "The Abyss" is a natural closer in every way, and then it goes on for another nearly 15 minutes.

But for real can’t imagine being a Mavs fan today—if that happened to Booker I’d be distraught beyond belief

My wife (from Boston) frequently out loud about me (from Arizona):

Do with this what you please, but was pretty into this flipturn album on first listen. Feels, at times, like what Local Natives have tried kinda unsuccessfully to make work on their more recent albums. But also it just feels and sounds like a big “modern” indie rock album that isn’t embarrassing.

Monica Barbaro getting a nomination because there are many men in the academy who now also believe that Joan Baez could’ve fixed them in the late ‘60s… that’s representation, babyyyy