Tessera

Tristan Ettleman@ettletodd.bsky.social · 2w ago

Here’s an excerpt from my conversation with @lunarcrescendo.bsky.social about EVITA for The Complete Catalog: Madonna. Links in quoted post!

Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/18Wy... Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

Madonna E9 of The Complete Catalog is live! We're halfway though! And into my lifetime of Madonna album releases (just barely). @lunarcrescendo.bsky.social and I take on EVITA, the album and film (and Webber) for a wide-ranging discussion about the messiness and bright spots of the project. Links 👇

Hey, mutuals that are fans of Kingdom Hearts: let me know! I may be working on something…

Tristan Ettleman@ettletodd.bsky.social · 2w ago

Here’s an excerpt from my season finale for The 5 Best Films of Every Year Ever: 1913. Links in quoted post!

Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1pzd... Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1... www.the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list to see the top five and the list of every submitted film!

1913 E7 of The 5 Best Films of Every Year Ever is live! I summarize the themes of the season (a milestone year indeed!) and share the list of most selected films in this finale. Links 👇

Tristan Ettleman@ettletodd.bsky.social · 2w ago

On THE WOW! SIGNAL, Muse’s latest album

Muse’s past decade (represented by these three bottom albums) has ranged from clanging to malaise-inducing and THE WOW! SIGNAL, in spite of its name, lands at the latter end of that spectrum. Its evocation of metal riffs and drumbeats and usual soaring operatic vocal delivery, for all their apparent energy, simply bore me. I know I should be more articulate than that. But this album just settles into a “groove” of white noise, all the more disappointing after the biggest gap between Muse albums at just two months shy of four years since WILL OF THE PEOPLE. THE WOW! SIGNAL does have some gems that bring the record out of the mire, such as a run begun by “Shimmering Scars” and followed by “Cryogen” and “Be with You.” But that’s only a slight injunction in what I felt like was a chore to listen to. So although THE WOW! SIGNAL is a positive trend after the band’s previous two albums, it doesn’t exactly land Muse back into “they’re back” territory.

Nearly a month ago, Muse released their new album THE WOW! SIGNAL. I added my thoughts on it to my piece on their whole discography. trettleman.medium.com/the-muse-alb...

Michael Snydel @snydel.bsky.social · 3w ago

Nearly a month ago, Muse released their new album THE WOW! SIGNAL. I added my thoughts on it to my piece on their whole discography. trettleman.medium.com/the-muse-alb...

The Muse Albums Ranked

Muse is one of those bands that I look back on with a mixed reaction. While I was never an uber-fan, I definitely listened to the…

trettleman.medium.com

ICYMI you can hear me talk about Madonna for an hour and a half if that sounds appealing to you.

Here’s an excerpt from my conversation with @snydel.bsky.social about BEDTIME STORIES for The Complete Catalog: Madonna. Links in quoted post!

Here’s an excerpt from my conversation with @snydel.bsky.social about BEDTIME STORIES for The Complete Catalog: Madonna. Links in quoted post!

Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/46iI... Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

Brian Darr @hellonfriscobay.bsky.social · 3w ago

The 5 Best Films of Every Year Ever: 1913 ends next week! Do you have five favorites from that year? Submit them at www.the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list or reply here to be included in the overall list. And please share around, we’ve been getting more and more submissions with each season!

If I recall correctly, I voted for two of the films pictured here this time around. Anyone want to hazard guesses? For 1912 @snydel.bsky.social got my submission LAND BEYOND THE SUNSET quickly & I also picked MILLS IN JOY & SORROW, ARTHÈME SWALLOWS HIS CLARINET, TWO LITTLE RANGERS & THE BETTER MAN.

The 5 Best Films of Every Year Ever: 1913 ends next week! Do you have five favorites from that year? Submit them at www.the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list or reply here to be included in the overall list. And please share around, we’ve been getting more and more submissions with each season!

Michael Snydel @snydel.bsky.social · 3w ago

The 5 Best Films of Every Year Ever: 1913 ends next week! Do you have five favorites from that year? Submit them at www.the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list or reply here to be included in the overall list. And please share around, we’ve been getting more and more submissions with each season!

I had the pleasure of guesting on The Complete Catalog podcast to talk about Madonna's 1994 album, Bedtime Stories. We discussed the album's crucial timing in her career, its awkwardly fascinating bandwagoning (and that Björk collaboration), and how it predicted the sounds of her future eras.

Madonna E8 of The Complete Catalog is live! @snydel.bsky.social and I discuss BEDTIME STORIES, so of course some element of EROTICA has to come into the conversation. But for all the talk of softening, there is a bit of an edge here, even if it doesn't always work. Links 👇

Madonna E8 of The Complete Catalog is live! @snydel.bsky.social and I discuss BEDTIME STORIES, so of course some element of EROTICA has to come into the conversation. But for all the talk of softening, there is a bit of an edge here, even if it doesn't always work. Links 👇

Here’s an excerpt from my conversation with Charlie Keil about TRAFFIC IN SOULS for The 5 Best Films of Every Year Ever: 1913. Links in quoted post!

Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/20SC... Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1... www.the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list to submit your own top five for 1913. Do so by Monday, July 20 because next week is the season finale and compilation of the overall list!

1913 E6 of The 5 Best Films of Every Year Ever is live! Professor Charlie Keil breaks down the end of his transitional era periodization, which runs from 1907 through 1913, with detailed and insightful analysis of specific filmmaking language in great shorts and one feature. Links 👇

On EARTH, WIND & FIRE (TO BE CELESTIAL VS THAT’S THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD), Questlove’s “worst” movie (as I say below, very much a relative statement!)

Who doesn’t have a suite of Earth, Wind & Fire songs loaded up as part of their nostalgic subconscious? For that reason alone, EARTH, WIND & FIRE (TO BE CELESTIAL VS THAT’S THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD) would work for me, but the usual hagiographic tone of docs of this like is deepened by the group dynamic and discussion of bandleader Maurice White’s “foibles.” Of the subject matter Questlove has chosen for his films, though, this group is the least resonant for me, and for that reason and a bit more straight forward aesthetic (albeit with some neat animation), I see EARTH, WIND & FIRE as his “worst” (very much a relative statement).

Questlove's new music doc, EARTH, WIND & FIRE (TO BE CELESTIAL VS THAT’S THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD), came out just over a month ago. And now I've added my thoughts on it to my piece on his directorial work. trettleman.medium.com/the-questlov...