#manning fireworks

[relativefict1on]

north star, magnolia electric co. / feel important (2020), zoe alameda / joker lips, mj lenderman

[gabtron]

mj lenderman // wristwatch

[underachievers-please-try-harder]

Track of the day // MJ Lenderman - She's Leaving You

[tuuneoftheday]

MJ Lenderman - You Don't Know The Shape I'm In

[saposters]

me when i’ve got a house boat docked at the himbo dome

[sinceileftyoublog]

SILY's Top Albums of 2024

Much like 2016, last year felt like a turning point in American history, world history, and human history. The rich and powerful got more rich and powerful than ever, right-wing politics and media triumphed, and the climate crisis raged on. Increasingly, the albums that resonated with us turned out to reflect the ills of the world back at it, or, just as important, show that art and creativity can thrive in spite of them. Here are 10 of our favorites.

A. Savage - The Loft Sessions (Rough Trade)

While visiting Chicago on tour in 2023, A. Savage recorded four tracks at Wilco's recording studio, The Loft, three covers and a new rendition of his “Wild, Wild, Wild Horses”. The opening track, “I Can’t Shake the Stranger Out of You” is a cover of a Lavender Country song from his 1973 self-titled debut, a record famously regarded as the first ever queer country album. Savage’s version became my most played song of the year on Spotify, and somewhere in my year-end playlist is the original version. The Loft Sessions is a stellar EP, and something I proudly listen to seeing that I saw A. Savage play at the Empty Bottle only a few hours after he had recorded it. “I Can’t Shake the Stranger Out of You” focuses on odd relationships that can’t seem to progress towards anything truly substantial, whereas the closing track “Wild Horses” contains depth, history, and emotional vulnerability. The four songs on The Loft Sessions are digestible, relatable, and easy to listen to while you prepare your coffee in the morning, an activity that can cover the EP's 13 minutes, depending on your hardware. - Keith Miller

Geordie Greep - The New Sound (Rough Trade)

For his debut solo album after the dissolution of a beloved band, Black Midi frontman Geordie Greep dove headfirst into the id of society's most prurient men. The New Sound is inspired by Greep's experiences out on the town, meeting drunken strangers who revealed to him their gross escapades, and it's got the coked-out, Steely Dan-esque, Latin jazz-rock fusion aesthetic to match. But Greep's also an astute observer of the toxically masculine online culture that pervades the world, finding humor, pathos, and absurdity in it alongside the necessary disgust. The narrators of his songs are far more pathetic and narcissistic than the earnest losers of MJ Lenderman's Manning Fireworks: It's not just that they're using women, but they're obsessed with their own perspective of the world, their own suffering. "You talk about yourself in the past tense," Greep smirks on album opener "Blues", giving a voice to the poet laureate of self-importance. Ever the writer himself, though, Greep's most brilliant moments are when he twists the knife, revealing that the Casanova of "Holy, Holy" is asking the sex worker he hired to make him feel taller, that the unfaithful man in a loveless marriage on "The Magician" is hiding from both his wife and his mistress. The New Sound's final track is a cover of a song made famous by Frank Sinatra, "If You Are But a Dream"; when Greep sings, "If you're a fantasy / Then I'm content to be / In love with lovely you / And pray my dreams come true," he conveys the desperate yearning that's always been a part of men in modern Western society. Greep's self-described new sound is anything but new, even if his version has more bodily fluids. - Jordan Mainzer

Jlin - Akoma (Planet Mu)

The producer from Gary, Indiana doesn't exist on the fringes of just footwork, but of genre as a whole. On Akoma, Jlin proudly wears her influences beyond collaborating with legends like Björk and Philip Glass. Her trademark skittering, journeying percussion gives way to more propulsive beats and layers. On "Summon", Jlin's strings form a gestalt beat that never actually drops, as minimalist as Steve Reich. "Challenge (To Be Continued II)"'s hand drums blanket booming hip hop bass and rolls inspired by HBCU marching bands. Kronos Quartet offer their chopped strings on "Sodalite"; when Jlin speeds them up, it almost sounds like a fiddle tune. Akoma exemplifies her uncanny ability to tell a story with varying textures of abstract music, each song its own symphony. - JM

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Flight b741 (p(doom))

Across its ten tracks and roughly 40-minute runtime, King Gizzard delivers an enticing album that’ll pair well with cookouts, yard work, parties at a lake house, and all around busy and sweaty times outdoors. From its harmonic vocals and borderline goofy lyrics down to the various instrumentation of clanging pianos, bumping bass beats, and uplifting guitars, my biggest complaint about Flight b741 is that it didn’t come out sooner. Grab your sunglasses and put on a pair of jorts–anyone who’s claimed to like “Dad Rock,” this album is for you.

Read the rest of our review of Flight b741 here.

MGMT - Loss Of Life (Mom + Pop)

MGMT’s fifth studio album (6th album if you count 2022’s 11​•​11​•​11) is a fantastic addition to the psychedelic duo’s sound. Each song brings something new to the table, ranging from 90’s nostalgia in “Bubblegum Dog” to Meddle-style slow burn on “People In The Streets.” Band members Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser began writing each song on an acoustic guitar, which gives the album a slight singer-songwriter feel that isn’t as present on their past albums, especially not on their previous record, 2018’s Little Dark Age. MGMT have proven once again that they are a band with staying power. - KM

Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Fu##in' Up (Warner/Reprise)

One of the most ass-ripping recordings of last year came from when a classic rocker with a likely net worth of hundreds of millions of dollars played at a birthday party for one of the richest men in Canada. A cynic could call this a prescient glimpse into a future ruled by technocrats, but I choose to marvel at how Neil Young & Crazy Horse can just up and transform some of their most beloved material into something even grungier and more distorted, and not care what billionaire Dani Reiss or his friends think. Fu##in' Up is, essentially, a live version of their classic 1990 record Ragged Glory, each track newly titled from a lyric from its respective track, save for the cover of Don and Dewey's "Farmer John". ("Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)", Ragged Glory's final track, is also absent.) Young presents it warts and all, his shaky voice and the ramshackle band stumbling through "City Life" as if they gave their instruments to the members of Pavement. Nonetheless, Nils Lofgren's guitars shriek with impunity, and Young's riffs clang throughout "Broken Circle". The band adds some new features to the Ragged Glory originals, namely Micah Nelson banging away on piano on "Feels Like a Railroad (River of Pride)" and "Walkin' in my Place (Road of Tears)". Above it all, though, Young remains in control, leading the band through a 50% longer "A Chance on Love" and a particularly patient "Valley of Hearts", Ralph Molina's crisp snares thwacking with might, sounding like the only thing dragging the rest of the players through a river of molasses. Without much crowd noise or stage banter on the record, you can easily listen to Fu##in' Up and picture the band jamming in the practice room. - JM

Pa Salieu - Afrikan Alien (Warner UK)

"I been gone for a while, but I still make it back to you," British rapper Pa Salieu sings on "Belly", the first single he released after serving 21 months in prison. He's talking to music listeners, fans, even the world, but most importantly, he's talking to his family, paying tribute to the loving act of helping provide. The song's Afropop grooves are subdued, but confident, subtleties that remarkably pervade Afrikan Alien, his second mixtape. Whether it's the cool shuffle of "Soda", cooing vocals, scraping guitars, and dexterous hand drums of "Round & Round", or the string, horn, and chorus-laden "YGF"--standing for "young, great, and free"--the highlights of Afrikan Alien forego bombast in favor of quiet boldness. "Afrikan di alien, moving like he's nomadic," Salieu raps on the title track, referring to the past two years of his life when he was moving from jail to jail. It contextualizes the release, and what he now appreciates: that home is precious and irreplaceable. - JM

Porridge Radio - Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me (Secretly Canadian)

Dana Margolin has come out the other side of exhausting touring, a breakup, and a debilitating sense of “What now?” with Porridge Radio’s best record yet. For the Brighton quartet’s fourth studio album Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me, Margolin returned to her roots as a writer and performer to alleviate burnout, embracing poetry and workshopping the songs solo like she used to do at open mic nights. She dove headfirst into not-yet fully formed material via the rawness of her emotions. It allowed her, the band (keyboardist/backing vocalist Georgie Stott, drummer/keyboardist Sam Yardley, bassist Dan Hutchins) and indie rock producer du jour Dom Monks to foster a live recording environment that allowed for intimacy and intense vulnerability.

Read the rest of our review of Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me here.

Waxahatchee - Tigers Blood (Anti-)

More than ever, Waxahatchee’s songs are easy to sing along to; despite complex turns of phrase, Katie Crutchfield keeps her words metaphorical enough to stand out, abstract enough to be relatable, direct enough to be iconic. The qualities, in conjunction with her and her backing band’s performance, lead to some breathtaking moments. “You drive like you’re wanted in four states / In a busted truck in Opelika,” she sings over Spencer Tweedy’s drum roll on the rolling “3 Sisters”, right before the song’s forbearing beat drops. On “Bored”, she belts the song’s chorus–“I can get along / My spine’s a rotted two by four / Barely hanging on / My benevolence just hits the floor / I get bored”–alongside MJ Lenderman’s sharp riffs, Tweedy’s pummeling drums, and Nick Bockrath’s wincing pedal steel. In context of the song’s inspiration–a friendship that ended badly–Crutchfield’s admissions hit harder.

Read the rest of our review of Tigers Blood here.

Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us (Columbia)

When I was in high school, I became a die hard Titus Andronicus fan. I still am, in fact: That's a band I can’t shut up about. I remember in the summer of 2014, Titus frontperson Patrick Stickles held a live stream press conference in which he announced his 7x7 series where he released seven 7-inch records each 7 weeks apart from one another. (I never got the second installment in the mail and had to buy it at a concert--thanks, Pat.) During this press conference Stickles showed us his collection of 7-inch records, one of which was a B-side of “Diane Young”, a single from Vampire Weekend’s third record, Modern Vampires of the City. Stickles, after briefly mentioning “Diane Young”, apologized slightly, as if he didn’t want people to know that he had it. Ever since then, I’ve wondered what the dynamic of Vampire Weekend's music is among music nerds. For the record, I love it, but I always forget about them a few months after they release a new album. Not Only God Was Above Us. It's incredible; it might be their best record in their discography. It feels like a more tight knit version of Modern Vampires of the City. I started writing out all of the standout songs, but the list was getting too long. - KM

[georganas]

Manning Fireworks, MJ Lenderman:

I am fairly impressed and surprised with this album's chokehold on me. I do not indulge in or venture into the country/folk area. There's nothing wrong with the genre, it's just not my scene. I also argue though that, "I just haven't found my angle yet," but it looks like I found my angle.

Manning Fireworks, MJ Lenderman's (4th?) album is worth a listen.

His voice is unreal - so effortless that it may come off of as lazy. He makes his voice work by playing with the instrumentals and properly harmonizing. Explosive, groovy, and folky as hell.

Wristwatch grew on me. I hated some of the lyrics because I thought they were too simple. The more I listened, the more I appreciated the simplicity. Lately, I have been feeling very lonely. Love hasn't been in my favor and I struggle with being alone. This usually means I'm clinging to company. I'm trying to break this cycle. So yeah, it's true, I am all alone, and it's okay.

She's Leaving You was my first favorite song. I love how his voice flows through this song. The beat also had me hooked. No matter how sucky things are, "We all got to work to do," resonates with me. It's like, "Yeah shit sucks, but shit sucks for everyone. Complaining won't get you anywhere," attitude. Roll up your sleeves and get moving. On top of that personal note, can we talk about the introduction of Carly Hartzman? I absolutely love the climax leading up to this with the guitar solo, and then having the music stop, and her vocals continue with the drums? Love.

Singer/Songwriter MJ Lenderman is stepping into his own as a foreman, moving away from his usual supporting role. His role and abilities are both solidified with this album.

Other favorites: You Don't Know The Shape I'm In, On My Knees, Rudolph.

Other bands & artists to follow that I view similar: Songs: Ohia, Wednesday, Silver Jews, Alex G, Waxahatchee, Car Seat Headrest, Purple Mountains, Wilco, and Sun Kil Moon.

[dustedmagazine]

MJ Lenderman — Manning Fireworks (Anti-)

Photo by Charlie Boss

MJ Lenderman has a voice built for earnestness, a creaky tenor with holes worn thin where the emotion rubs. Listen with half an ear, and it sounds like he’s confessing to you: romantic disappointment, bad choices, bars and lies and gadgets that overcompensate for the empty spaces in his heart. Listen harder, and the writerly part of Lenderman’s art starts to come through, the clever twists, the novelistic details, the detachment. You get the sense, after a while, that he might not be singing about his own life at all. Layers of honesty and embellishment shimmer like a hologram; like Bill Callahan, he has the trick of being dead straight with you about things that never happened. Maybe they should have. They make good stories.

Consider how he tosses off a couplet about the quarter-life crisis in the title track, amid spun out country strings and distant squalls of rock guitar. In perfect waltz time, he confides, “Some have passion, some have purpose, you have sneaking backstage to hound the girls at the circus.” Which is perfect in a 1940s noir movie kind of way, but when was the last time anybody went to the circus?

The doomed romance, the ragged heartful-ness, the underlying shimmer of cleverness, that’s one element that makes Lenderman’s fourth full-length studio album so special. The other is the wrecking ball arrangements, that turn loose squalls of feedback addled electric guitar amid hazy swoons of strings. On “Wristwatch,” the slow-rocking sleeper of the bunch, he sounds a bit like Crazy Horse and a lot like the Replacements roundabout Hootenanny, which is to say drunk on amplifier noise but faithful to melody and throwing wild punches into the crowd. “Rudolph” blares and laments, its main riff a righteous conjunction of hard drums, electric sway and a pining pedal steel. It’s a banger, but Lenderman sings it carelessly, with an offhanded charm, as if he doesn’t know how big his song has gotten. “Bark at the Moon,” the album’s closing cut, lets things rip for just over 10 minutes, an ambling rock song ending halfway through to make space for vibrating waves of pure tone.

None of it is simple—especially given that Lenderman apparently played all the rock instruments himself—but here’s an artist who doesn’t break a sweat. Whether he’s launching a Neil-like arc of guitar dissonance skyward or getting off the perfect description of the horn that wheels through “You Don’t Know the Shape I’m In,” (“The clarinet, singing its lonesome duckwalk”), it never feels like Lenderman is trying too hard. It’s like it’s all natural, all heartfelt, all direct from him to you, except it’s not. It’s more interesting than that.

Jennifer Kelly

[hark-sounds]

MJ Lenderman - Wristwatch, 2024.

[femaleunbonding]

Friday chart 9/6

[grrlmusic]

MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks

[detritivoric]

shoulda been mj lenderman

[thebowerypresents]

MJ Lenderman & the Wind Launch New Tour at Sold-Out Brooklyn Steel with a Lot of Love

MJ Lenderman & the Wind – Brooklyn Steel – April 28, 2025

In what felt like no time at all, MJ Lenderman went from being a hidden gem to buzzy up-and-comer to opening a tour with the first of three-sold out shows at Brooklyn Steel, one of the bigger clubs in New York City. On a Monday night, no less. Taking the stage after a well-received appearance from NYC Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, Lenderman and his backing band, the Wind, provided all the reasons for their ascent, mixing a poetic lyricism with heavy, no-frills rock and roll.

They opened with “Manning Fireworks,” the title track off his acclaimed most recent album, the ragged Americana mixing twangy guitars with an off-kilter fiddle and lines like “Once a perfect baby, who’s now a jerk.” The LP’s songs naturally featured prominently in the set: “Joker Lips” — establishing the Wind’s sound somewhere between the Stones and Crazy Horse — “Wristwatch” — bringing the set to its two-guitar mayhem steady state — full Southern rock on “She’s Leaving You.” 

The show’s highlights centered on a few two-song pairings, one flowing into the next. Midway through the set, “Rudolph,” with its overlapping riffs and rhythms, opened into a short meander, Lenderman’s rhythm guitar leading the way reversing roles with Jon Samuels’ lead guitar, eventually transitioning into “Toontown” with its Malkmusian lyrics, like “Did you find my Disney World? / Did it make you dizzy, girl? / When it fell apart / Did it break your heart?”

The set ended with the couplet of “Bark at the Moon” and “No Mercy,” the former’s “Don’t move to New York City, babe / It’s gonna change the way you dress” hitting the audience appropriately before a long noise-jam segue into “No Mercy” with a massive explosion of double guitar to bring things to a close. The highlight of the three-song encore was a cover of Neil Young’s “Lotta Love,” which served as both a dedication to Mamdani and an appropriate nod to the Crazy Horse influences on Lenderman’s evolving sound. A sound and performance that has two more nights in North Brooklyn, and we’ll see where it takes him from there.  —A. Stein | @Neddyo

(MJ Lenderman & the Wind play Brooklyn Steel again tonight and tomorrow.)

(MJ Lenderman & the Wind play Franklin Music Hall in Philadelphia on 5/17.)

(MJ Lenderman & the Wind play The National in Richmond, Va., on 5/19.)

Photos courtesy of Katie Dadarria | www.instagram.com/dadarria

[tuuneoftheday]

MJ Lenderman - Wristwatch

[watchawiltingflower]

Please don’t laugh only half of what I said was a joke Every Catholic knows he could’ve been pope

[sinceileftyoublog]

MJ Lenderman Album Review: Manning Fireworks

(Anti-)

BY KEITH MILLER

Manning Fireworks, the fourth studio album from singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist MJ Lenderman, is an endearing rock album with slight folk influences that smirks, smiles, and sighs with its audience. Its opening title track leads with an acoustic guitar that moseys its way to the track’s conclusion. Fiddles, electric guitars, and percussion start to fill in as Lenderman sings, “Once a perfect little baby / Who’s now a jerk / Standing close to the pyre manning fireworks.” The thesis seeps through the album: You used to be innocent, but you should know better by now. The lead single “She’s Leaving You” leans into this somber concept. It sounds simultaneously like a hug and a difficult conversation. The chorus reminds its listener, “We’ve all got work to do,” while the guitar builds up and maintains a steady progression to its finale: Wednesday lead singer and Lenderman’s real life ex-girlfriend Karly Hartzman closing out the track, singing, “She’s leaving you” as a steady bass line fills the back space.

Parts of Manning Fireworks feel like a garage band rocking out with the door wide open, like on “Wristwatch” or “On My Knees”, while other songs, like “Rip Torn,” are reminiscent of something you might hear sitting around a bonfire at Boy Scout camp. The product here is a stellar album right up until the very near end. That said, my biggest gripe with Manning Fireworks is the closing track. “Bark at the Moon” plays with a 10-minute run time, twice as long as the second-longest track on the album. I always get excited when a band like MJ Lenderman’s records a long song; I love hearing how they can justify the length. Unfortunately, while half of “Bark at the Moon” is a thoughtful composition about growing up, the other half is just noise emanating from the guitars. The vocals and instrumentation are poignant, but the guitar fuzz drags on a little too long and quickly loses whatever emotion it tried to muster.

Still, Manning Fireworks is a comforting rock album that doesn’t shy away from its Southern roots while still pushing the mainstream appeal of Lenderman’s brand of indie rock. For its very few shortcomings, it’ll be a great record to have on rotation as summer fades into fall. Give it a listen while you’re sipping on something near that bonfire--just be sure to keep the fireworks at a safe distance.