In a music industry dominated by cold-hearted streaming goliaths, money-hungry monopolies, and imperial superstars, @LosCampesinos’ triumphs are especially worthy of celebration—and, perhaps, replication by other artists in search of a more humane path
Hearing Things
1,036 posts
Independent music journalism. No algorithms. We promise.
Joined July 2024
- HELLO! HI! To start, we compiled 100 terrific songs that define our decade so far—consider it an introduction to our taste, both individually as veteran music journalists and together as Hearing Things. HELLO! WOW!
- “My fans always look, like, moisturized,” observed Ravyn Lenae sagely, before giving us a playlist of what she's listening to in the van on tour, and some good advice for keeping it cute in the chaos of road life
- Artificial intelligence has hit music hard, and hip-hop is no exception. A reminder that typing out a prompt isn’t the same thing as adjusting equalizer settings, splicing loops in a sequencer, or playing out samples on a drum pad.
- Los Campesinos! soundtracked the romantic disasters of my 20s, and with All Hell, they’re entering early middle age right alongside me, too. How do you maintain integrity in a culture determined to undermine it?
- “Don’t be the coolest or the smartest—be the one that’s the most resourceful.” ~ this @nemahsis quote is about building campfires, but it also applies to making her *incredible* debut album
- The Cure has long contemplated the darker side of life. But at 65, Robert Smith is now writing some of the best songs of his career about grief, aging, and actual death
- Since the 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' era, major statement rap albums have favored blow-out spectacle and obsessive curation. These records run counter to that impulse, giving the artists space to be messy and contradictory. hearingthings.co/pink-siifu-and…
- I’m sorry…what’s the point of all this?
- Redman's latest album Muddy Waters Too has a track called "Lite It Up," where he recruits 12 other New Jersey rap icons for an unbelievable cipher. From Queen Latifah and Rah Digga to Shaquille O'Neal, Dylan did a power ranking of all 13 verses. Enjoy!
- An exciting housekeeping note from yours truly!
- Chappell Roan is queer pop made by a queer person that straight people listen to, Charli is queer pop made by a straight person that queer people listen to, and Sabrina Carpenter is frighteningly heterosexual—plus 28 other brain fizzes on the year of Brat
- The rise of streaming, decimation of music media, and ripple effects of the pandemic have led to an indie landscape that's particularly inhospitable to emerging artists looking to establish careers off their work

