that makes a lot of sense. most of John Darnielle's appeal is definitely to be found in his lyricism. although i have to say, part of my love for All Hail West Texas is the way it sounds. there's something incredibly warm and comforting to me about the buzz of the tape recorder. i'm not sure. all i know is the opening notes of The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton never fail to fill my heart with an unparalleled kind of joy.

top 100 lists are tricky, to be sure. mine is already horribly outdated. but i do like the idea of keeping there as a means of remembrance. it's like a document. years from now i'm always going to remember that for my first year of college, that Hotelier record was the most important thing in the world. i don't know, i guess i could remember that on my own, but it's still fun. also, the similarity of our taste never fails to astound and delight me.

yeah there's a bevy of rym reviews//reviewers that make me incredibly happy, and i agree, it's never the ones that are technically analytical. i think my favorite review on this site might be ballasted's of Mare Vitalis by The Appleseed Cast. that shit is crazy [also, that record is crazy].

personally, i think Tallahassee is the next best thing, especially if you're into like, 'Fault Lines' and 'The Mess Inside' and are looking for more songs about collapsing relationships (because that's more or less a whole album expanding on that concept, and it's heartbreaking). i also think Tallahassee is slightly better than Sunset Tree, but Sunset Tree gives you a much more personal look at John Darnielle because it's more autobiographical and it's nearly as wonderful as the first two. difficult to say which one is better. we shall see.

yeah, seasonal lists are significantly more pleasant to me than the top 100 ones are for similar reasons. you can update it wantonly and also sort of catalog like, a period of your life. definitely some cool shit. also, you're absolutely right about Home, Etc. and we are definitely cooler than everyone else.

i'm definitely gonna check out that misterie review [misterie: A Cool Human]. and yes i would recommend Mare Vitalis at all times, always, because the second and third tracks actually saved my life this autumn. that wasn't hyperbole. probably would have dropped out of uni if not for that.

there's definitely a stark contrast between them; if you're looking for more West Texas-esque stuff check out their earlier releases - Zopilote Machine, Sweden, and Full Force Galesburg are all quite good and have that same warm lo-fi sound. also, that lyric in Jenny - "we were the one thing in the galaxy god didn't have his eyes on" - might be my favorite ever written.

i've been meaning to give the C&L live album a spin. i've been listening to a lot of Sufjan lately anyway, and the tracks i've heard off of it have been fucking incredible. you're right, though, anyone saying it's better than the album is crazy (because, honestly, there are very few things better than that album)

Full Force Galesburg is absolutely incredible. it saved my life this winter by reminding me that spring exists. also, you're absolutely right about Jenny. one time toward the end of high school Matt and i were rocketing out of town and that came on and we turned it all the way up and when that line hit i don't think i've ever grinned as much as i did right there. fucking incredible tune.

i'll definitely watch the entire concert now that you mention it. that's an excellent idea. also, i completely feel you w/r/t C&L. a few of them clicked right away, but it took a long time for me to completely fall in love with it. at this point though i'm pretty sure Eugene -> Fourth of July -> The Only Thing is the best progression of three songs ever recorded. "what's left is only bittersweet/for the rest of my life pretending the best is behind me/now i'm drunk and afraid wishing the world would go away/what's the point of singing songs if they'll never even hear you?" you just want to give the poor guy a hug.

speaking of amazing progressions of music, i saw you favorited my Appleseed Cast review. i'm guessing that means you've been spinning it a little?

i have a tendency to slightly overuse expressions (for example, as my girlfriend pointed out to me yesterday, i have approximately 100 "best songs of all time"), and this is definitely one of the more exaggerated things i've ever said. also: i've been waiting all goddamn year for spring and i have never been so excited for it to finally get here. this is exam week for me, which means for the time being i'm somewhat handicapped in my ability to fully enjoy it, but the weather gods also chose this week to make everything weirdly cold again, so i suppose that's a wash. i cannot wait to drive away from this place into the spring air and feel like the world is open again.

i'm really damn excited to listen to that live record, especially because the girl i mentioned in the paragraph above is massively obsessed with Sufjan and that record destroys me now more than it ever has before. which is saying something, because it's been making me cry for upwards of a year at this point. but yes, the arrangements i've heard are both respectful to the originals and new and exciting, and the Hotline Bling thing is absolutely fantastic.

Starting To Talk To A Girl Again And Requiring Emo Music: A Classic Situation. tracks 2 & 3 of that record are truly incredible, and the end of the third one will probably sufficiently break you ((i promise you with warm salt air//hallowed breezes in your hair//days on end and days long gone//the beach and the fires and the nights are gone//flow, tide, ebb, road//night, sky, sand, home//the fair in the park by the sea in my heart is never gone)), so that's definitely a good place to start, but if for some reason you're ever looking for situation-specific emo music, hit me up. we have pretty similar taste, so you've likely heard most of what i have, but i'm always game to hand out emo recs.

i haven't, but especially with your endorsement i have every intention of doing so. also, that movie seriously saved my life this week. it's incredible. and that part (hesitate to call it a "scene") is one of the best things that's ever been put into the world.

look, i think there are a few tracks on Pablo Honey that i think are pretty killer ((and honestly, Creep is not among them)). King of Limbs, on the other hand, has Nothing to offer, from my perspective. i promise i'm not just trying to rock the boat, i have real reasons for thinking this.

i have every intention of revisiting King of Limbs at some point, because i'm sure there has to be something there. i'll let you know if i'm ever able to access it the way i'd like to.