Versions of Modern Performance is the debut studio album by the American rock band Horsegirl. It was released on June 3, 2022 via Matador.
Versions of Modern Performance | |
---|---|
Studio album by | |
Released | June 3, 2022 |
Studio | Electrical Audio, Chicago, Illinois |
Genre | indie rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, shoegaze, post-punk, slacker rock, noise pop |
Length | 33:07 |
Language | English |
Label | Matador |
Producer | John Agnello |
The group was influenced by Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, Stereolab and other 1990s indie bands while writing the album. [1]
The album was written while the members of Horsegirl were in high school and recorded during the summer of 2021 at Electrical Audio in Chicago, Illinois with John Agnello. [2]
Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth is credited for auxiliary percussion on "Billy" and Lee Ranaldo is credited for guitars on "Beautiful Song". [1] [3]
The first single, "Billy", was released on November 16, 2021. [4] The album was announced on March 9, 2022 along with the single "Anti-glory". [5] Two more singles, "World of Pots and Pans" [6] and "Dirtbag Transformation", [7] preceded the album's release.
The band headlined a tour in Europe and the UK [8] followed by a tour in the United States during the summer of 2022. [9] The band performed at Lollapalooza in Chicago in 2022, for the first time. [10]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 82/100 [11] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [12] |
Versions of Modern Performance was met with critical acclaim upon its release, with many praising its reminiscent 1990s indie rock sound. The album appeared on multiple year-end lists and was named album of the week by Stereogum upon its release. [13]
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
A.V. Club | The 30 Best Albums of 2022 | 25 | [14] |
BrooklynVegan | Indie Basement: Top 40 Albums of 2022 | 38 | [15] |
Crack | The Top 50 Albums of the Year | 12 | [16] |
Gorilla vs. Bear | Gorilla vs. Bear's albums of 2022 | 35 | [17] |
Metacritic | The Freshman 15: 2022's Best Debut Albums | 14 | [18] |
NME | The 25 Best Debut Albums of 2022 | N/A | [19] |
Paste | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 27 | [20] |
Rolling Stone | The 100 Best Albums of 2022 | 56 | [21] |
Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 15 | [22] |
Under the Radar | Top 100 Best Albums of 2022 | 32 | [23] |
All tracks are written by Gigi Reece, Nora Cheng and Penelope Lowenstein
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Anti-glory" | 3:31 |
2. | "Beautiful Song" | 2:57 |
3. | "Live and Ski" | 2:23 |
4. | "Bog Bog 1" | 1:53 |
5. | "Dirtbag Transformation (Still Dirty)" | 3:05 |
6. | "The Fall of Horsegirl" | 2:40 |
7. | "Electrolocation 2" | 1:56 |
8. | "Option 8" | 3:32 |
9. | "World of Pots and Pans" | 2:51 |
10. | "The Guitar is Dead 3" | 0:49 |
11. | "Homage to Birdnoculars" | 3:37 |
12. | "Billy" | 3:48 |
Total length: | 33:07 |
Note: On vinyl, "Electrolocation 2" precedes "Anti-glory".
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha, and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, the band has undergone several line-up changes since their reunion in 2006, with Corgan being the sole constant member since its inception. The current lineup features Corgan, Chamberlin, and Iha.
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 1998. The band is composed of lead singer and primary songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Moretti. They were a leading group of the early-2000s post-punk revival and garage rock revival movements.
Pavement is an American indie rock band that formed in Stockton, California, in 1989. For most of their career, the group consisted of Stephen Malkmus, Scott Kannberg, Mark Ibold (bass), Steve West (drums), and Bob Nastanovich. Initially conceived as a recording project, the band at first avoided press or live performances, while attracting considerable underground attention with their early releases. Gradually evolving into a more polished band, Pavement recorded five full-length albums and ten EPs over the course of their decade-long career, though they disbanded with some acrimony in 1999 as the members moved on to other projects. In 2010, they undertook a well-received reunion tour, followed by another international tour in 2022-24.
Dashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, formed in 1999 and led by singer Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" off their debut album, The Swiss Army Romance.
Blonde Redhead is an American alternative rock band composed of Kazu Makino and twin brothers Simone and Amedeo Pace that formed in New York City in 1993. The band's earliest albums were noted for their noise rock influences, though their sound evolved by the early 2000s with the releases of Misery is a Butterfly (2004) and 23 (2007), which both incorporated elements of dream pop, shoegaze and other genres. They have released ten regular studio albums and have toured internationally.
Slanted and Enchanted is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on April 20, 1992, by Matador Records. It is the only Pavement album to feature drummer Gary Young.
Funeral is the debut studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on September 14, 2004 by Merge Records. Preliminary recordings for Funeral were made during the course of a week in August 2003 at the Hotel2Tango in Montreal, Quebec, and the recording was completed later that year all in an analogue recording format.
"Teen Age Riot" is a song by American rock band Sonic Youth, and the first single from their 1988 album, Daydream Nation. It received heavy airplay on modern rock stations and considerably expanded their audience.
"Soul Meets Body" is a song recorded by the American rock band Death Cab for Cutie for their fifth studio album Plans (2005). It was released as the lead single from Plans in 2005, through Atlantic Records. Death Cab for Cutie emerged from the Pacific Northwest in the early aughts and built a following with its confessional lyricism and straightforward indie rock sound. "Soul Meets Body" was their first single for Atlantic, the major label with which they signed in 2004. The song is thematically existential, examining the intersection of soul and body though a relationship metaphor.
"Bull in the Heather" is a song by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth from their eighth studio album, Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star (1994). It was released to radio as the lead single from the album on April 19, 1994, by Geffen Records. The song was written collectively by Sonic Youth, and production was done by Butch Vig. According to band member Kim Gordon, the song is about "using passiveness as a form of rebellion."
Vampire Weekend is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 2006 and currently signed to Columbia Records. The band was formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Chris Tomson, and bassist Chris Baio. Batmanglij departed the group in early 2016.
Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson, known as Lykke Li, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, model and actress. Her music often blends elements of indie pop, dream pop and electronic. Her debut studio album, Youth Novels, was released in 2008, and has been followed by Wounded Rhymes (2011), I Never Learn (2014), So Sad So Sexy (2018), and Eyeye (2022).
Rostam Batmanglij, known mononymously as Rostam, is an American record producer, musician, singer, songwriter, and composer. He was a founding member of the band Vampire Weekend, whose first three albums he produced. He has been described by Stereogum as one of the greatest pop and indie-rock producers of his generation. Rostam also works as a solo artist and is a member of electro-soul group Discovery. He produced his first number-one album, Vampire Weekend's Contra, when he was 27 years old.
Alvvays is a Canadian indie pop band formed in 2011, originating from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and subsequently based in Toronto, Ontario. It consists of Molly Rankin, Kerri MacLellan (keyboards), Alec O'Hanley (guitars), Abbey Blackwell (bass), and Sheridan Riley (drums). Their self-titled debut album, released in 2014, topped the US college charts. Their second studio album, Antisocialites, was released on September 8, 2017. Their third album, Blue Rev, was released on October 7, 2022.
Mitsuki Miyawaki, known professionally as Mitski, is an American singer and songwriter. She self-released her first two albums, Lush (2012), and Retired from Sad, New Career in Business (2013), while studying studio composition at Purchase College's Conservatory of Music. The albums were originally made as her senior project. Her third studio album, Bury Me at Makeout Creek, was released in 2014 on the label Double Double Whammy.
Glory is the ninth studio album by American singer Britney Spears, released on August 26, 2016, through RCA Records. After renewing her contract with RCA, Spears began work on the album in 2014. Lacking a deadline for completion, she continued work into 2015 and 2016, which, according to Spears, provided her with the opportunity to create one of her favorite albums in her catalog. Primarily a pop record, it also contains elements of R&B, EDM, and hip hop music.
The Smile are an English rock band comprising the Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with Tom Skinner (drums). They incorporate elements of post-punk, progressive rock, Afrobeat and electronic music.
Horsegirl is an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois. The band members are Nora Cheng, Penelope Lowenstein, and Gigi Reece. The group is currently signed to Matador Records.
A Light for Attracting Attention is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Smile. It was released digitally through XL Recordings on 13 May 2022, with a physical release on 17 June.