Phoebe Bridgers

[Robyn]

Didn't know where to post this, so she should probably have her own thread by now.  I guess this thread will be for me and polka because I haven't seen anyone else here recognize how great she is? Also not sure if I already posted about this. I know I thought about doing it...

Not a superfan of her collab with Oberst yet, I enjoy both of their solo efforts more, but I do like the idea of them making music together and enjoy listening to them talk about their craft in interviews. This one is good:

Also:

And literally everything else she has been involved with.

[polkablues]

Even if you and I are the only ones who care, this thread is good and necessary.

Here's some more of the good shit:

[Jeremy Blackman]

Dang that's good. 

[polkablues]

And if anyone ever dares question my bona fides, know that I found these videos of her high school band Einstein's Dirty Secret back when they only had like 20 views each.

[Robyn]

Holy shit, lol.

[polkablues]

Apparently a thing they've been doing at Better Oblivion Community Center shows is playing Phoebe's song "Funeral" in the style of a Bad Religion-era punk song. It's everything I never knew I needed.

[Robyn]

Fuck yeah! Give me a studio version of that and I'll be a happy man.

[Robyn]

[polkablues]

I never really got into The National, and apparently this whole time it was only because of a lack of Phoebe Bridgers.

[Robyn]

[polkablues]

 

New album incoming?

[polkablues]

[polkablues]

"Chelsea" is the most underrated song from her album (in the sense that it's the best song on the album and no one ever talks about it), and apparently there was an earlier, wildly different version that she recorded and shot a video for, which someone uploaded to Youtube. Everything this woman does is the best thing I've ever heard, it's wild.

[polkablues]

The new album is out. I'm just going to be bathing in this thing for the foreseeable future.

"Chinese Satellite" is a particular standout so far.

[Robyn]

Holy fuck.

That outro gave me the chills. It kind of felt like the whole album was leading up to that crescendo. Amazing.

I really enjoyed the title song too on first listen. Was honestly tearing up a bit when I realized it was about Elliott Smith.

I don't even know what to compare it to. In my songwriting style, I feel like I actually stopped writing it earlier than I usually stop writing stuff. I usually write things five times over, and this one was always just like, "Alright. This is a simple tribute song." It's kind of about the neighborhood [Silver Lake in Los Angeles], kind of about depression, but mostly about stalking Elliott Smith and being afraid that I'm a punisher — that when I talk to my heroes, that their eyes will glaze over. Say you're at Thanksgiving with your wife's family and she's got an older relative who is anti-vax or just read some conspiracy theory article and, even if they're sweet, they're just talking to you and they don't realize that your eyes are glazed over and you're trying to escape: That's a punisher. The worst way that it happens is like with a sweet fan, someone who is really trying to be nice and their hands are shaking, but they don't realize they're standing outside of your bus and you're trying to go to bed. And they talk to you for like 45 minutes, and you realize your reaction really means a lot to them, so you're trying to be there for them, too. And I guess that I'm terrified that when I hang out with Patti Smith or whatever that I'll become that for people. I know that I have in the past, and I guess if Elliott was alive—especially because we would have lived next to each other—it's like 1000% I would have met him and I would have not known what the fuck I was talking about, and I would have cornered him at Silverlake Lounge.