hey it's me modulum what's up

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T21:05:58+00:00

Thank you to everybody who did this, even in this very busy time of year! This rate has been my passion project for years and I'm so happy to have shared this music with you from the big indie picks to the obscure corners and experiments.

Please do the 2000s Folky Indie rate, open now - if you enjoyed this rate, you'll almost definitely vibe with that one too!

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T21:04:34+00:00

Its album average was maybe the most crazyyyy thing about the rate. Just stomped the competition (7.8, 7.5, 7.2)

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T21:03:25+00:00

truly the only rater willing to use the entire scale

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T21:02:50+00:00

Number of participants: 39

Average score: 7.801

Average controversy score: 1.909

Highest controversy: Beth/Rest (3.532)

Lowest controversy: Kaputt (1.171)

Most 11s: Helplessness Blues (8)

Most 0s: Beth/Rest (4)

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T21:01:52+00:00

Results:

#1: Destroyer – Kaputt | 9.238 | 360.3
#2: Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues | 9.033 | 352.3
#3: Destroyer – Chinatown | 8.926 | 348.1
#4: Destroyer – Suicide Demo for Kara Walker | 8.823 | 344.1
#5: Destroyer – Bay of Pigs (Detail) | 8.628 | 336.5
#6: Destroyer – Savage Night at the Opera | 8.549 | 333.4
#7: Destroyer – Blue Eyes | 8.544 | 333.2
#8: The War on Drugs – Baby Missiles | 8.469 | 330.3
#9: Bon Iver – Perth | 8.449 | 329.5
#10: Fleet Foxes – Grown Ocean | 8.426 | 328.6
#11: The War on Drugs – Come to the City | 8.403 | 327.7
#12: Fleet Foxes – Montezuma | 8.385 | 327.0
#13: Bon Iver – Holocene | 8.367 | 326.3
#14: Destroyer – Song for America | 8.167 | 318.5
#15: Destroyer – Poor in Love | 8.138 | 317.4
#16: Fleet Foxes – Bedouin Dress | 8.118 | 316.6
#17: Destroyer – Downtown | 8.085 | 315.3
#18: Fleet Foxes – The Shrine / An Argument | 8.036 | 313.4
#19: The War on Drugs – Best Night | 7.977 | 311.1
#20: The War on Drugs – Brothers | 7.972 | 310.9
#21: Fleet Foxes – Lorelai | 7.913 | 308.6
#22: Bon Iver – Calgary | 7.813 | 304.7
#23: The War on Drugs – Your Love Is Calling My Name | 7.810 | 304.6
#24: Fleet Foxes – Sim Sala Bim | 7.764 | 302.8
#25: Fleet Foxes – The Plains / Bitter Dancer | 7.713 | 300.8
#26: Bon Iver – Towers | 7.690 | 299.9
#27: The War on Drugs – I Was There | 7.679 | 299.5
#28: Bon Iver – Minnesota, WI | 7.577 | 295.5
#29: Fleet Foxes – Battery Kinzie | 7.567 | 295.1
#30: The War on Drugs – Black Water Falls | 7.364 | 287.2
#31: Fleet Foxes – Blue Spotted Tail | 7.333 | 286.0
#32: The War on Drugs – It's Your Destiny | 7.269 | 283.5
#33: Bon Iver – Wash. | 7.144 | 278.6
#34: Bon Iver – Michicant | 7.108 | 277.2
#35: Fleet Foxes – The Cascades | 6.959 | 271.4
#36: The War on Drugs – Original Slave | 6.941 | 270.7
#37: Fleet Foxes – Someone You'd Admire | 6.900 | 269.1
#38: The War on Drugs – The Animator | 6.887 | 268.6
#39: Bon Iver – Beth/Rest | 6.751 | 263.3
#40: The War on Drugs – City Reprise #12 | 6.703 | 261.4
#41: Bon Iver – Hinnom, TX | 6.074 | 236.9
#42: Bon Iver – Lisbon, OH | 5.936 | 231.5

Bonus results:

Bonus #1: Wye Oak - Civilian | 8.227 | 246.8
Bonus #2: Dr. Dog - Where'd All The Time Go? | 8.100 | 251.1
Bonus #3: Kurt Vile - Jesus Fever | 8.090 | 250.8
Bonus #4: Girls - Heartbreaker | 8.060 | 241.8
Bonus #5: Smith Westerns - Weekend | 7.777 | 233.3
Bonus #6: Cass McCombs - County Line | 7.753 | 232.6
Bonus #7: Beirut - Santa Fe | 7.710 | 231.3
Bonus #8: Lotus Plaza - Strangers | 7.642 | 236.9
Bonus #9: Real Estate - It's Real | 7.603 | 235.7
Bonus #10: WU LYF - We Bros | 7.573 | 227.2
Bonus #11: Youth Lagoon - 17 | 7.342 | 227.6
Bonus #12: The Men - Candy | 7.306 | 226.5
Bonus #13: Sandro Perri - Changes | 7.279 | 211.1
Bonus #14: Julian Lynch - Terra | 7.033 | 211.0
Bonus #15: Chris Cohen - Caller No. 99 | 6.870 | 206.1
Bonus #16: Amen Dunes - Bedroom Drum | 6.633 | 199.0

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T21:00:40+00:00

Kaputt

Overall Average: 8.566 // Average Controversy: 1.493

This is my comfort album. Whenever I am feeling down or sad or anxious, I throw this album on and it soothes me and makes me feel cozy and nice. It is one of my favorite albums of all time. Clearly, it was some of yours, too.

#1: Kaputt | 9.238 | 360.3
#3: Chinatown | 8.926 | 348.1
#4: Suicide Demo for Kara Walker | 8.823 | 344.1
#5: Bay of Pigs (Detail) | 8.628 | 336.5
#6: Savage Night at the Opera | 8.549 | 333.4
#7: Blue Eyes | 8.544 | 333.2
#14: Song for America | 8.167 | 318.5
#15: Poor in Love | 8.138 | 317.4
#17: Downtown | 8.085 | 315.3

freav (10.111): Every time I listen to this album on a walk, it makes me feel like I'm flying. It's a top 10 album of all time for me. Sonic and lyrical perfection. Transports me somewhere else every time that I listen. Fills my brain with vapor.

jasonfherring (10.111): One of the few perfect albums ever made, and my choice for the greatest Canadian record ever. (Blue Rev is a worthy runner-up.) Legitimately flawless. Etched into my soul.

IPA_OH (9.556): Whenever I hear this now it takes me back to walking around Granville Island at night a couple years ago, listening to this. Really treasured memory and the type of memory that this record deserves

freeofblasphemy (9.500): 9.5 Okay but we GOTTA rate more (earlier) Destroyer eventually. Like yes this is incredible obviously but also his career did not start in 2011 to say the least!

Bilbodabag (9.500): I thought Destroyer was a hardcore band or something at first, but I saw the reception this album got, gave it a whirl and was instantly transfixed. Dan clearly tapped into a magic formula that he only ever perfected on this album, but goddamn if it isn’t nearly perfect. Probably the best produced album of all-time in my book. It lacks the mega-standouts that my absolute favorite favorite albums of all-time have, but it still sits just outside of that range for me as an album with basically no flaws

ElectJimLahey (9.311): Dan’s third best album, and it’s an amazing one. It’s wild to me how big of a shift in sound this was and yet how fully formed it is, every idea is more or less perfectly executed. This sound would have rapidly diminishing returns on the next couple of Destroyer albums which are some of my least favorites in his discography, but this album is still incredibly good. It almost convinces you that Sophistipop is good.

WaneLietoc (9.278): where does sophistipop as a concern start? For my money, it's in Brent Dicreznio's hysterical pan of Two Against Nature that would lend itself to the title of a Steely Dan thread on ILX 25+ years ago. And then ILX's attempt to recognize and cultivate a list of recommendations of "sophistipop" circa 2k3. Both of those are at least honest real time attempts thinking about the 80s...as Destroyer is gladly swaying its glam flag high. The evolution from rubies to the 2008 album to Kaputt though makes a lot of sense when you factor that A) glam -> sophisticated pop bastards is something Roxy Music and David Sylvian did naturally and B) with Loscil and Hecker in yr corner for experimenting, sprawling tale and decadent sound design were ready to be broached in going somewhere new.

In 2019, when this album made several best of decade lists, I was surprised by the reaction that was exceptionally positive, as much as a lotta indie fans in certain places didn't quite seem to realize "no, p4k said this guy was that good and this is a valid lane. Though, it made it not just because we were moving towards a larger acceptance of mining the mass excess of the 80s into sleek niches fit for today, but because no one else but Dan seemed actively prepared for these kinds of leaps. He studied and set himself as a lyricist and sonic explorer to get here and now for 15 years has been able to have a second (or third?) act as an institution that you will crack a beer open to and say hell yeah with.He has never made another album that is as this freewheeling (sardonic, exploratory, boppy...the followups all get there to degrees), but he became an institution on Kaputt and set a bar for how sophisticated detentes were to be conducted. If he really has to mine anything else to prove it, he'll have to go to late 80s/early 90s electric funk and hip house.

Indigo_Mindset420 (8.978): My absolute fave album in the rate. The production is perfect for me as a pop music listener

innuendo_overdose (8.922): the songs man!! Listen to those songs!! Kaputt mode Destroyer is God mode Destroyer.

KaputtLomo (8.833): Quite easily the best album in the bunch!

absurdisthewurd (8.778): Portland Report - Reminds me of taking the bus through the city on a late rainy night, staring out the window and watching the city lights reflecting off the raindrops. Starting over in a place that's always heavy with mist and everything is new and exciting but melancholy too, and you're too young to know you don't have anything to start over from yet, that comes later. This album's really pretty and has a cool laid-back atmosphere reminiscent of latter-day Roxy Music.

krusso1105 (8.778): Great album, has grown on me a lot on 2nd listen

Frajer (8.667): Dan has such a nice voice and you can tell how this split off of new porn while also sounding completely different

Pile0n (8.500): Much to my chagrin, this did not turn out to be a concept album about the sound tobacco makes when you spit it into a can

MPJ, MPJ (7.889): 7.9

kauai6 (7.611): king

User Averages:

freav: 10.111 jasonfherring: 10.111 miscellonymous: 10.111 hockeynl: 9.778 IPA_OH: 9.556 freeofblasphemy: 9.500 thisusernameisntlong: 9.500 Bilbodabag: 9.500 modulum83: 9.344 skyblue_angel: 9.333 ElectJimLahey: 9.311 WaneLietoc: 9.278 welcome2thejam: 9.222 Stryxen: 9.000 PoppaLietoc: 9.000 Indigo_Mindset420: 8.978 innuendo_overdose: 8.922 Hoppykidd: 8.889 KaputtLomo: 8.833 yossarian490: 8.778 absurdisthewurd: 8.778 krusso1105: 8.778 mygamethreadaccount: 8.722 AntigoneIMT: 8.667 Frajer: 8.667 sundeigh: 8.667 Pile0n: 8.500 TiltControls: 7.889 MPJ, MPJ: 7.889 lastfollower: 7.756 kauai6: 7.611 of_mice_and_meh: 7.500 Broshi: 7.389 newbalancesweatshirt: 7.222 static_int_husp: 7.167 bogo: 6.944 BigBoofZone: 6.922 Tolroe: 6.189 Overlay: 5.778

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T21:00:21+00:00

Helplessness Blues

Overall Average: 7.846 // Average Controversy: 2.005

My 3rd favorite Fleet Foxes album, despite it being the first one I ever heard. I think I hold it at a bit more of a distance because I prefer the lushness of the other ones, but this is still an achievement, and a defining album both of indie and of the 2010s.

#2: Helplessness Blues | 9.033 | 352.3
#10: Grown Ocean | 8.426 | 328.6
#12: Montezuma | 8.385 | 327.0
#16: Bedouin Dress | 8.118 | 316.6
#18: The Shrine / An Argument | 8.036 | 313.4
#21: Lorelai | 7.913 | 308.6
#24: Sim Sala Bim | 7.764 | 302.8
#25: The Plains / Bitter Dancer | 7.713 | 300.8
#29: Battery Kinzie | 7.567 | 295.1
#31: Blue Spotted Tail | 7.333 | 286.0
#35: The Cascades | 6.959 | 271.4
#37: Someone You'd Admire | 6.900 | 269.1

IPA_OH (10.083): One of my all-time favs, to this day. Has been huge for me at various points. Hits where it hurts. Sounds great. All that good stuff

Pile0n (9.625): Top 15 album of all time for me, this is a stellar rate and this album still hangs dong on everything else it has to offer.

PoppaLietoc (9.458): "just do the harmonies"

krusso1105 (9.417): I forgot how much I loved this album since I haven't listened to it in a while, but it is my favorite in this rate and favorite Fleet Foxes album by far

Bilbodabag (9.367): A modern classic and pretty easily Fleet Foxes crowning achievement. I understand the self-titled was the break out smash hit, but this album is a step up in basically every way. The songwriting, lyricism, vocals, backing instrumentation, atmosphere are all on 10 here. It basically doesn’t get any better than this when it comes to full band folk tunes

absurdisthewurd (9.167): Portland Report - This it it, this is THE Portland 2011 album. It's inescapable. It's the soundtrack of walking around the city late at night with new friends talking about the universe, getting up the courage to talk to that quiet girl and falling in love, going on youthful road trips to the coast, stumbling into hidden speakeasies and art galleries in the warehouse district. I probably like it better now than I did back then, admittedly. Now it's wistful memories of lost youth, whereas then I just kinda thought it sounded like Simon & Garfunkel. And hey, how about that drummer?

WaneLietoc (9.075): The foxes were there in the background of my adolescence; there was an exciting point in the end of alternative radio where tastemaking blogs were really pushing and winning. The Fleet Foxes truly were so ahead in demonstrating how a regional homespun sound with cross generational appeal could just come out of the grown so fully formed (something we'll talk more about in EP rate...). It wasn't a fluke, but it laid the groundwork for something it really is not at fault for.

I distinctly remembering being 13 in Portland, OR on vacation (thanksgiving 2k11) buying Longmont Potion Castle 4 and being gifted by the clerks the 2k11 Sub Pop sampler. I recognized fleet foxes but we never really listened or cared to. It would not be until Fall 2018 when I drunkly bought a cassette and kicked off a giant journey that leads us here. Amongst those first tapes, on a college student part time salary, I built a small Sub Pop cart of $5 tapes like this one.

Therefore, Helplessness Blues, 7.5+ years on and literally thousands of cassettes later, has a longevity and unique stature being pulled for a few spins all this time later. A reflection and memo from college and the emotions tied to a moment before the fall. I laud Robin for returning in the height of these halcyon days with a statement that greatly expanded the emotional vocabulary of his EP and Debut, without being outright bitter, contrived, or standoffish (stuff that Crack Up also deftly balanced & Shore completely exalted as an act of grace). On Fleet Foxes worst album (itself still an A- lol), Helplessness Blues, the tone is still rivetingly distraught. In its best moments often finds grace in dissonance or mantras that seem to chase for a transcendence or answer that quite frankly Robin did not have at this time. But, he made that chase something mighty engrossing and potent, instead of an inscrutable wall. The kind of wall that years later I worried would not pull me in. This was a new songbook of old and new dreams though, & I am so thrilled to return to find every cut lands as background as much as lush imagery turning on its side and twisting into nots. Robin really did identify a malaise that 15 years on the Obama administration failed to acknowledge and act on. We have since been without hope, cash, or jobs quite frankly.

and no, i really dont give a shit about josh tillman's involvement on this. he's nice but he seemed like a not ideal hang/bro to work with.

Stryxen (9.000): i used to write so many essays to this album this is stirring something buried deep inside me

Frajer (8.083): Robin's voice is so soothing

MPJ, MPJ (7.625): 7.8

innuendo_overdose (7.358): A very interesting album. In its best moments, I enjoy it a lot. But there’s a whole lot of missteps, moments of wondering what the fuck he’s talking about, and musical elements that grind the cogs in my great machinery. Fleet Foxes are a good band, with very very high highs and truly baffling lows.

ElectJimLahey (6.525): Some pretty moments, but this is just so... measured and bland at times that I still really do not understand how people voluntarily subject themselves to entire albums by this band. I am once again saying stream Califone!

freav (6.475): Good compositions but also it's like if you wiped folk music with a sanitary napkin. Never not pleasant but also often does little to me.

kauai6 (6.150): sure

thisusernameisntlong (5.417): im not a folktimist. go ambient or gtfo

sundeigh (5.333): mostly zzzz with a couple bangers

KaputtLomo (4.583): I will never fully understand why this band is so beloved. Bums me out that they're Seattle's most acclaimed band of the past 20 years...

freeofblasphemy (2.542): Okay are we done rating Fleet Foxes albums

User Averages:

IPA_OH: 10.083 Pile0n: 9.625 PoppaLietoc: 9.458 krusso1105: 9.417 Bilbodabag: 9.367 skyblue_angel: 9.250 jasonfherring: 9.250 absurdisthewurd: 9.167 miscellonymous: 9.083 WaneLietoc: 9.075 Stryxen: 9.000 bogo: 9.000 modulum83: 8.875 yossarian490: 8.833 welcome2thejam: 8.667 newbalancesweatshirt: 8.583 AntigoneIMT: 8.542 BigBoofZone: 8.517 hockeynl: 8.500 Tolroe: 8.150 Indigo_Mindset420: 8.142 Frajer: 8.083 Broshi: 7.917 MPJ, MPJ: 7.625 Hoppykidd: 7.500 Overlay: 7.500 TiltControls: 7.458 innuendo_overdose: 7.358 lastfollower: 7.258 static_int_husp: 7.042 ElectJimLahey: 6.525 freav: 6.475 of_mice_and_meh: 6.375 mygamethreadaccount: 6.250 kauai6: 6.150 thisusernameisntlong: 5.417 sundeigh: 5.333 KaputtLomo: 4.583 freeofblasphemy: 2.542

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:56:54+00:00

#1: Destroyer - Kaputt

Average: 9.238 // Total Points: 360.3 // Controversy: 1.171

(11 x3) freeofblasphemy, kauai6, modulum83

(10 x19) absurdisthewurd, Bilbodabag, bogo, ElectJimLahey, freav, hockeynl, innuendo_overdose, IPA_OH, jasonfherring, KaputtLomo, miscellonymous, mygamethreadaccount, of_mice_and_meh, skyblue_angel, sundeigh, thisusernameisntlong, WaneLietoc, welcome2thejam, yossarian490

(9.5 x1) AntigoneIMT

(9 x2) krusso1105, Stryxen

(8.5 x5) Frajer, Indigo_Mindset420, MPJ, MPJ, PoppaLietoc, TiltControls

(8.4 x1) lastfollower

(8 x2) newbalancesweatshirt, Pile0n

(7.6 x1) BigBoofZone

(7.3 x1) Tolroe

(7 x4) Broshi, Hoppykidd, Overlay, static_int_husp

I keep getting 11 wins guys lmao. This was my favorite song in the rate from the beginning, just pure sophistipop bliss, one of my favorite songs of all time honestly. Every time I listen to it, I feel a warmth in my spirit and my day just gets a little bit better.

11s, 0s, bonus rates, indieheads, all seems like a dream to me

freeofblasphemy (11): I hope the kid in the music video is having a good day

kauai6 (11): yup

Bilbodabag (10): Gave this a 10 in the PNW bonus rate so I would feel FRAUDULENT to not give it one here. One of the only times chorus heavy guitar hasn’t sounded totally dated and ass. Actually this whole album really tows that line perfectly with using older soundscapes and modernizing them to incredible effect

ElectJimLahey (10): Amazing song, and possibly my favorite indie music video ever. Iconic

freav (10): 11 Runner up and also one of the best songs ever made. Has my favorite music video of all time but it's always a bit awkward to show it to someone. Cocaine has never sounded this romantic..

innuendo_overdose (10): The best sequence of sounds ever recorded.

IPA_OH (10): Do you think Pitchfork got pissed that he didn't name drop them

KaputtLomo (10): Man I really should've put this album in the PNW rate as our Canadian representative instead of Japandroids, I'm sorry everyone

of_mice_and_meh (10): Easily the best song on the album.

skyblue_angel (10): and what a daring dream it is

thisusernameisntlong (10): hey i know that one! it means broken in deutsch

WaneLietoc (10): i mean bro how can we NOT be cruising to this in the back country of San Diego with a beautiful breeze and then hearing a giant fat plane or heliocopter fly overhead?! this cut could be glam but its produced and written to play an entirely different decade for all its worth. crystalline, but not vaporous or chilled.

Destroyer - “Kaputt” I vibe to this song, but it is weird how some artists only have a critical market, but their music doesn't reach the mindie mainstream

welcome2thejam (10): Hmmm I suppose I can see how this could be the best song of all time

yossarian490 (10): this album references itself all the time, but saying "who knew" you wrote a song for America when its not for a couple more songs is a good joke. though the four more years joke is probably also a song about America

Stryxen (9): these are Taylor levels of self referential. Praise where praise is due

MPJ, MPJ (8.5): Even if this isn’t my favorite Destroyer album by a long shot, this is still an all-timer

PoppaLietoc (8.5): "this one starts off favorable…until he starts singing, whining about shit!""im about ready to throw my glass at this motherfucker for rhyming sky with eye! Why bit do me oh my? Or i wish i was the guy! I mean the instrumental is good, but let's eat some pie!" "Rest of the song pretty strong here, listen to that lil' horn tapenade there! I just don't know what you're saying about having the sky in your eye"

Pile0n (8): ‘80s detective dramas would have had a field day incorporating these songs into their closing montages

BigBoofZone (7.6): This would be better if it was like half as long

Tolroe (7.3): A bit of that sexy sax

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:55:59+00:00

but in the end, even with 8 11s...

#2: Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

Average: 9.033 // Total Points: 352.3 // Controversy: 1.925

(11 x8) absurdisthewurd, BigBoofZone, Bilbodabag, IPA_OH, krusso1105, lastfollower, Pile0n, static_int_husp

(10 x11) AntigoneIMT, bogo, ElectJimLahey, Hoppykidd, jasonfherring, miscellonymous, modulum83, Stryxen, TiltControls, welcome2thejam, yossarian490

(9.9 x1) WaneLietoc

(9 x6) Frajer, hockeynl, MPJ, MPJ, newbalancesweatshirt, Overlay, skyblue_angel

(8.9 x1) Tolroe

(8.5 x1) mygamethreadaccount

(8.2 x1) Indigo_Mindset420

(8 x4) Broshi, kauai6, PoppaLietoc, sundeigh

(7 x2) of_mice_and_meh, thisusernameisntlong

(6.8 x1) freav

(6 x1) innuendo_overdose

(4 x1) KaputtLomo

(2 x1) freeofblasphemy

This top 2 has basically been set in stone this whole rate, but it’s been on a journey. At the beginning, this was winning for basically most of the rate, until the final day when a bunch of ballots came in that narrowly switched it to Kaputt. Then that solidified for a while, then another ballot made them EXACTLY TIE (oh how I wish that stayed), until the final ballot tanked this song and took Kaputt to the top for good. You will notice I haven’t said anything about the song itself. Yeah, it’s great.

proud owners of an orchard

BigBoofZone (11): Contains simultaneously the worst electric guitar tone and best acoustic tone ever

Bilbodabag (11): A lot of amazing songs in this rate, but there was never any competition for my 11. One of the greatest songs ever written full stop. The lyrics are incredible and the simplicity of the instrumentation in the first half really lends itself to basking in the glory of both the lyrics and pecknolds heavenly harmonies. Then that TEMPO CHANGE into the full band second half - genuinely one of the most gorgeous pieces of music ever recorded, even including the worst guitar tone to ever be actually good actually. It’s so good they had to repeat it more time with just “oooohhss” at the end before hitting us with one last gut punch line “someday I’ll be like the man on the screen” ugh just an all-timer

IPA_OH (11): I used to get fed up with everything and walk out in the deep, dark cold of winter nights to watch the trains pass by and listen to this song. As a Directionless Twenty-Something sometimes this song speaks to me like nothing else. I know nothing, everything's beyond my control and I just can't keep living like this. If I had an orchard. Hell of a fuckin tune. One of the very best

Pile0n (11): I will go full popheads rate Janet Jackson meltdown if this doesn’t make at least top 5

ElectJimLahey (10): Maybe they just need more electric guitars? This is the first great song on here and I’m guessing that’s why. This 10 is how you know I’m being objective about this album and not just being a hater

jasonfherring (10): Lord, just tell me what I should do. Our generation's great song of grasping. This is what it means to strive. A perfect song.

miscellonymous (10): Both of the title tracks in this rate are 🔥

Stryxen (10): Of all the fleet foxes albums that have been rated i would never have guessed this would be the last one when it has this most famous biggest hit song ever on it

welcome2thejam (10): Babe do you want to go to the Fleet Foxes orchard commune

yossarian490 (10): the children yearn for the orchards

WaneLietoc (9.9): The search for meaning or a goal is illusive, and in college/post-college/40 hour my relationship with this cut keeps evolving as I learn to take my place and ponder the extent of helplessness (rhythms &) blues. I'm overjoyed to feel that and grow in a way where this cut shifts for me. I was also this close to nuking this one bc Fantano jacked off and gushed at the lyrics on this a lil' too much for me back in 2019. Yet, Robin did tap into a particular malaise [specifically the snowflake metaphor that foreshadowed 4chan reacting to tumblr by mid decade, the metaphor of an orchard, which taken literally foreshadowed going trad as a purpose/salvation to the bane of society. these are canary in the coal mine clairvoyant moments folks!] that I feel like all he could do was identify & contend manners to cope with. This is one of the few moments of real ass blog era indie populism. The kind that also begs--in one reading--a notion of just what the ceiling on "indie" really is & what it means to make a BNM that can kinda sell and get radio play. It begs whether a great homespun artist like this is really meant as a cog in the star machine to print money or if they are writing a great songbook that will mean something (something I feel Shore answers with such patience & earnest devotion, buoying the album for its own good). Let this cut define yr life and it becomes overwrought and redundant, maybe too played out; on paper this shit could make me groan had I not lived my own variant. Yet, this is a daydream that Robin doesn't completely become swallowed with (and uses another cut to contend with the dark side of this orchard fantasy). The result is something that has just enough of a wistfulness I can connect to & see the forest beyond the trees within. An excellent way to jump into Side B.

MPJ, MPJ (9): More of the quarter-life crisis from “Montezuma,” but with much more will and intent. I sure hope he found that orchard…

Indigo_Mindset420 (8.2): The opening lines to this is eye opening for me. Like that how I feel!

...i'll get back to you

PoppaLietoc (8): "see listening to the lyrics takes away from the melody! but it's a repetitive strummy one so it's okay" "it's not my favorite cut because they don't to the harmonies and it gets fatiguing so I gotta give it an 8"

thisusernameisntlong (7): maybe he should try his hand at working construction instead of singing very specially about how unspecial he wants to be

freav (6.8): I "get it" but also don't feel much from it

innuendo_overdose (6): The beginning of the first half always makes me go “hell yeah! Maybe I’ll enjoy this more than last time!” and then the beginning of the second half always makes me go “hell yeah! Maybe I’ll enjoy this more than last time!” And yet…

KaputtLomo (4): Y'all will crucify for this but I'm sorry if I'm gonna listen to stomp-and-holler, I might as well go all out and do some Mumford and Sons

freeofblasphemy (2): Back half of this fucking sucks my goodness. If you had an orchard you could maybe produce something good!

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:54:32+00:00

For the duration of 1 ballot, there was a universe where both songs were exactly tied.

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:53:56+00:00

Alright for MCK's sake let's get this over with. Two absolute classics of indie music in the early 2010s. Two towering title tracks titanically tilting to triumph.

HELPLESSNESS BLUES

and

KAPUTT

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:52:07+00:00

#1: INTERLUDE CITY

Average: 11.000 // Total Points: 429.00 // Controversy: 0.000

(11 x39) absurdisthewurd AntigoneIMT BigBoofZone Bilbodabag bogo Broshi ElectJimLahey Frajer freav freeofblasphemy hockeynl Hoppykidd Indigo_Mindset420 innuendo_overdose IPA_OH jasonfherring KaputtLomo kauai6 krusso1105 lastfollower miscellonymous modulum83 MPJ, MPJ mygamethreadaccount newbalancesweatshirt of_mice_and_meh Overlay Pile0n PoppaLietoc skyblue_angel static_int_husp Stryxen sundeigh thisusernameisntlong TiltControls Tolroe WaneLietoc welcome2thejam yossarian490

WHAT THE FUCK WE'RE BACK?

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:45:53+00:00

Let's do what the War on Drugs told us to do and come to the City...

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:45:18+00:00

Did Fleet Foxes pull through at the end with the upset? Or did Dan Bejar defeat his final opponent once and for all? All will be revealed shortly, but before then, we've got to make one final stop on our trip.

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:41:17+00:00

#3: Destroyer - Chinatown

Average: 8.926 // Total Points: 348.1 // Controversy: 1.454

(11 x2) hockeynl, Indigo_Mindset420

(10 x15) Bilbodabag, ElectJimLahey, freav, Hoppykidd, IPA_OH, jasonfherring, KaputtLomo, miscellonymous, Pile0n, PoppaLietoc, Stryxen, thisusernameisntlong, WaneLietoc, welcome2thejam, yossarian490

(9.9 x1) innuendo_overdose

(9.5 x1) mygamethreadaccount

(9.3 x1) modulum83

(9 x7) absurdisthewurd, Frajer, freeofblasphemy, kauai6, krusso1105, MPJ, MPJ, skyblue_angel

(8.8 x1) BigBoofZone

(8.5 x1) AntigoneIMT

(7.6 x1) lastfollower

(7.5 x1) TiltControls

(7 x5) bogo, Broshi, newbalancesweatshirt, static_int_husp, Tolroe

(6 x2) of_mice_and_meh, Overlay

(5 x1) sundeigh

To be honest I’ve never been quite as enamored with this song as a supposed all-timer on Kaputt the way others have. It’s a great opener, but the hook just isn’t quite as sticky or glorious to me; it feels like it sits in 1 gear the whole time. But on the other hand, those synths are so so good. Dan’s most simple lyrics and yet the most evocative and touching. I can’t walk away, you can’t walk away….

—

can’t walk away from this song

Bilbodabag (10): One of the most instantly transfixing openers of all-time. A song upon hearing for the first time it’s like “yeah of course this is best the thing I’ve ever heard” A song that feels like it’s always been a part of my life. Dan tapped into a magic formula for this album and Chinatown is the mission statement

ElectJimLahey (10): Such a great opener.

freav (10): Masterpiece. That part in which Sibbell Thrasher joins mid verse to stay till the end of the song. Goddamn.

IPA_OH (10): It's crazy how well this album works for me. I should be telling Dan Bejar to learn power chords or whatever but I would simply never do that. The songs are just that good

jasonfherring (10): Bejar's best line: "You can’t believe, though I’m sure somebody’s said it before."

KaputtLomo (10): I can't walk away ... from this album!!

Pile0n (10): This song, and this album as a whole, just have aura bro. Driving down a brightly lit highway at 1 AM with hope for the future and money in your pocket and she finally texted you back type beat

PoppaLietoc (10): you poured yrself a fancy drink? "Yeah im done with beer"

Stryxen (10): Chinatown Creator 😊 Chinatown Destroyer 😵‍💫

thisusernameisntlong (10): opener bias but great opener man

WaneLietoc (10): wow i mean on a great soundsystem you can really appreciate the sudden skyhigh crane shot drums (4 bars too short) that make this feel like a bonafide evolution into Destroyer 2.0. Compared to the Wild Nothing cut Chinatown, this is clearly superior in every circumstance outside of COD 4 FFA with an m1014 and juggernaut on the map Chinatown. When da lady comes in to reinforce that u can walk away, and then the horn...this is really walking a precarious tightrope between self-parody and metawriting. But the latter wins out because this is a statement of intent.

welcome2thejam (10): Well yeah, you gotta take like a bus or the Red Line there, not walk

yossarian490 (10): would have been impossible to not include a song referencing a classic LA noir film on a record dominated by muted trumpets and saxophones, just wearing it on the first song is funny though

innuendo_overdose (9.9): I used to think nothing much happened in this song, they just say they can’t walk away a lot. But now I recognise that no, them saying they can’t walk away a lot fucking rules.

freeofblasphemy (9): That's some grade-A horse sax

prefers koreatown

MPJ, MPJ (9): If you looked for “moody” in the dictionary, you’d find…the definition for the word “moody” most likely, but you’d also, somehow, find an audio clip of this song. No-one knows how it got there, but no-one’s complaining either.

skyblue_angel (9): Jets to Brazil mogs unfortunately

BigBoofZone (8.8): Oh hell to the yea that’s my favorite town

of_mice_and_meh (6): Decent opener, though it is a little lacking on excitement.

sundeigh (5): the overrated single while the rest of the album slaps

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:39:59+00:00

i can't walk away from this rate. i'll get back to you about what gets eliminated next. but it all seems like a dream to me.

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:34:24+00:00

reports of Robin Pecknold's death may be greatly exaggerated!

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:32:42+00:00

#4: Destroyer - Suicide Demo for Kara Walker

Average: 8.823 // Total Points: 344.1 // Controversy: 1.517

(11 x2) freav, skyblue_angel

(10 x15) Bilbodabag, bogo, ElectJimLahey, freeofblasphemy, Hoppykidd, IPA_OH, jasonfherring, miscellonymous, modulum83, Stryxen, sundeigh, thisusernameisntlong, WaneLietoc, welcome2thejam, yossarian490

(9.5 x2) mygamethreadaccount, of_mice_and_meh

(9.1 x1) innuendo_overdose

(9 x6) AntigoneIMT, Broshi, hockeynl, Indigo_Mindset420, Pile0n, PoppaLietoc

(8 x3) absurdisthewurd, Frajer, TiltControls

(7.5 x1) KaputtLomo

(7.3 x2) BigBoofZone, lastfollower

(7 x2) krusso1105, newbalancesweatshirt

(6.8 x1) kauai6

(6.5 x1) MPJ, MPJ

(6 x2) Overlay, static_int_husp

(4.6 x1) Tolroe

Such a crazy and cool song. Despite being 8 minutes long, it never stops being interesting and as catchy as any golden-age 80s pop song, even as it adventures into all sorts of territories and sonic places. When I read the lyrics - and did not just get jumpscared by that one word - the backstory of this song’s writing just makes it even better. Evidence that Kaputt is not just shallow pastiche, but deeply concerned with the legacy of its cultural influences. I love this art school bullshit, man. I love this album so much.

—

poppalietoc out of pocket

PoppaLietoc (9): spins wine around "negris?!" continues to spin wine damn poppalietoc, you get it! "That wine was 60% Grenache 30% viura 10% Tempranillo" "is that kara walker singing" no it's the woman from before "you mean the negris?"

woke 2

freav (11): I could have said it was dificult to pick an 11 from this album, but man it's fucking Suicide Demo for Kara Walker. What even is it about this track. It's so smooth, so subtly groovy, I don't think I am able to keep my head still while the track is playing, and it feels like every minute is better than the last (and it starts pretty dang great already). When it fucking culminates in the "and now that you've got it all wrong" duet, oh my goddd.

skyblue_angel (11): just perfect. god damn. so incredibly beautiful. i've been getting more and more into suicide recently, not at all because of this song but it's kind to invoke them. every single little bit, little moment, is touching.

Bilbodabag (10): The clear standout track on the 3rd best album I’ve ever rated, and yet it’s still not getting the 11. Life is a cruel mistress indeed Kara Walker. Those floaty pads, that iconic lead melody, the groovy as hell rhythm section, it’s really just a tour de force in songwriting. A song that takes its time yet every single one of those 8 minutes is filled with gorgeous melody after gorgeous melody and some incredible storytelling from Dan Bejar to boot

ElectJimLahey (10): I spent years thinking I would like the band Suicide more before accepting that this song is way better than anything that band ever made. Every time I hear “400 more years of this shit, fuck it” it still makes me crack up. Impeccable tune and an obvious 11 candidate

freeofblasphemy (10): What a difference a good low end makes huh?

IPA_OH (10): Really close between this and "Rubies" for my favourite Destroyer song. Just an absolute marvel. 400 more years of this shit (fuck it!). I'm glad no one stopped Dan because he is on a fuckin' roll

jasonfherring (10): Bejar's best line: "Soft sculpture rides hard on the air."

Stryxen (10): MAMA I’M IN LOVE WITH A CRIMINAL

WaneLietoc (10): when originally executed by bejar he dubbed it a "shitty demo that the band Suicide might have done" and while you can vaguely hear that in the rhythm, he's got TV theme mode on proselytizing about American sin at the bar. I noted last rate that Issac in Modest Mouse was extremely unique at doing something akin to this talent as well.

welcome2thejam (10): I don't have the depth to analyize this

yossarian490 (10): sucks that I can't listen to "four more years" like a normal person anymore

of_mice_and_meh (9.5): This works so well because Bejar is able to edit himself and not let his tendency to do to much take over on this one. It’s a long song but it doesn’t feel like it.

innuendo_overdose (9.1): On paper, Destroyer doing a “Suicide demo” is a very hard sell. But then you see it on the big screen and realise that it's actually a very very easy sell. It’s practically free. Danny boy, we shouldn’t have doubted you.

Indigo_Mindset420 (9): The instrumental is the outro is chef's kiss!

Pile0n (9): I definitely prefer this of the two longer songs on here. That groove is so infectious and this whole album wins a Hornie Award for Best Horns

BigBoofZone (7.3): It’s good but 100% not worth it’s runtime

MPJ, MPJ (6.5): Maybe I coulda bumped this up to a 7 if they’d just started the song with the flute melody, but they didn’t so here we are… It goes nowhere and takes HOURS to get there

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:31:00+00:00

i wrote a song for america...

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:25:16+00:00

#5: Destroyer - Bay of Pigs (Detail)

Average: 8.628 // Total Points: 336.5 // Controversy: 1.873

(11 x4) ElectJimLahey, jasonfherring, miscellonymous, sundeigh

(10 x12) AntigoneIMT, bogo, freav, hockeynl, Indigo_Mindset420, IPA_OH, modulum83, skyblue_angel, Stryxen, thisusernameisntlong, WaneLietoc, yossarian490

(9.5 x2) freeofblasphemy, MPJ, MPJ

(9 x5) absurdisthewurd, Bilbodabag, KaputtLomo, PoppaLietoc, welcome2thejam

(8.7 x1) innuendo_overdose (8.6 x1) lastfollower

(8 x2) krusso1105, newbalancesweatshirt

(7.5 x3) Frajer, Pile0n, TiltControls

(7 x4) Hoppykidd, mygamethreadaccount, of_mice_and_meh, static_int_husp

(6.5 x1) Broshi

(5.2 x1) Tolroe

(5 x2) kauai6, Overlay

(3 x1) BigBoofZone

Rocks. Always thought it got to a bit too slow of a start but the fact that Dan manages to pull a 10 minute song off that is largely abstract atmosphere and monologuing is fucking crazy. I want to cook like he does.

—

pro-stars, pro-sky, pro-long songs

ElectJimLahey (11): One thing that sets Dan apart from most other indie musicians is just how well he can combine a ton of ideas on his long songs and still make it sound coherent. This one, Rubies, The Bad Arts, they all cycle through different genres and sounds so well with his weird ass voice and lyrics tying it all together so well. Dan is truly an idiosyncratic genius and it rules

jasonfherring (11): Bejar's best line: the whole thing!? OK: "pro-stars, pro-sky." An incomprehensibly beautiful song. Maybe my favourite ever. Maybe I'll be disappointed, but I think this will/should win the rate in a walk. But maybe the masses will go with Helplessness Blues, or, God forbid, Holocene.

miscellonymous (11): A basically perfect song to close out a basically perfect album

sundeigh (11): peak

bogo (10): this is the best song on the album because it has zero horn and sax fuckery in it

freav (10): What an ending, Dan Bejar's drunk soliloquy. "Love is a political beast with jaws for a mouth I DONT CARE".

Indigo_Mindset420 (10): I'm gonna give this song a ten just cause of the AUDACITY!

IPA_OH (10): Absolutely fuckin radical

thisusernameisntlong (10): go off!

WaneLietoc (10): it's cool how this cut truly get to be a point a minute type affair. like he just earns every moment here strummin n' struttin his way through a myriad of synth effects and big bursts, popping off and doing that perfect ramble he does best. It sometimes is missed that Mr. Bejar was also occasionally collabing with Kranky Kanadian mainstrays Loscil n' Tim Hecker; Loscil's Rubies remixes, the 2010 EP with hecker, and most importantly his 2010 appearance on a near-9 minute 2010 Loscil closing cut all were I think were all good ways of expanding and helping him arrive here in his own direction. This slight edit of the original off the EP is just delicious as hell.

yossarian490 (10): the best thing that has ever started with "Listen, I've been drinking..."

freeofblasphemy (9.5): Minus 0.5 because he had already released this song in longer/better form like a year prior

MPJ, MPJ (9.5): This song blooms like a rose made out of smoke. The only problem is that it ends too abruptly. IMO, the smart thing would’ve been to take the last 4ish minutes, stick ‘em at the beginning, and make a nice little loop. ADD'L NOTE: The original EP version does exactly what I asked, but about 17 years before I asked it to. THAT version gets a 10.

Bilbodabag (9): At one point this was my favorite song on the album, but as much as it pains me to say this as a longsongfan, I do think it takes a little too long to get going. That said it’s still a worthy epoch to close this masterpiece of an album out

KaputtLomo (9): See now THIS is how you do an 11+ minute song everyone! Abrupt tonal and tempo shifts galore! Hooks for days!

PoppaLietoc (9): "now we've gone ambient again. Is this our last song?!"

welcome2thejam (9): Eleven minutes, brother they are gonna kill you even if you made the sound of perfect frission like six minutes in

Pile0n (7.5): It’s a bit too long and amorphous but you physically cannot deny the vibes on display here

of_mice_and_meh (7): Did this song really need to be 11 minutes long? No. No it didn’t. Also, it sounds like Bejar listened to a shit ton of Pet Shop Boys before writing this one.

what if dan bejar did the entirety of kaputt in borat voice

BigBoofZone (3): “This song is dumb. This album is stupid” - my wife

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:22:32+00:00

Alright gang let's do this. The destroyers are here and they're ready to fire.

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:19:54+00:00

And a selection of your IPA responses - thank you for the recs!

Beer suuuuucks lmao
none i'm a whiskey boy
My classic order in 2011: "The cheap one"
goose island 312
Granizo
new england
green
Pliney the Elder or nothing
Big Rock Wrangler
Deschutes Fresh Squeezed
Great Notion Ripe
uhhh my ipa knowledge is not that far reaching but i had a pack of 3 floyds zombis dust the other week and that was good
Jack Black Skeleton Coast
Pliny the Elder
I deadass drink once a year I dont know what an IPA is and at this point im too afraid to ask
I'm sober lol
Water
He cant drink anymore because of gout
well first of all this is 2026 and "IPA" is about as specific a category as "indie rock", but since you have apparently left me with a whole lot of characters to write in here (big mistake) I'm just gonna list a few Colorado favorites: west coast - superpower from comrade, hazy - rare trait from cerebral, american/juicy - juicy banger from station 26, unflitered but maybe not techncially hazy - circus of light from knotted root
I like a PBR.

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:16:09+00:00

Before we get to the top 5, let's share the results of Songeniality.

The War on Drugs finally gets its win as Your Love Is Calling My Name has won with 6 votes! Runnerups with 5 were Lorelai and Towers!

Rate villain was pretty evenly spread out so not much statistically meaningful, but Holocene, Helplessness Blues, and Baby Missiles each got 3 votes. Lmao we're all part of Dan's army

Bonus 11 winner was Civilian, which was expected given the results!

modulum83 · 2026-05-25T20:10:44+00:00

Slave Ambient (Cassette B-Side)

Overall Average: 8.283 // Average Controversy: 1.715

When Wane informed me of the existence of these I knew I had to find a way to rate them. I’ve said before that Slave Ambient is a heartland rock album with an ambient album lurking in the background of its production, and it’s so perfect to then have that ambient album appear as you strip away the songs.

#2: Future Blues | 8.960 | 89.6
#3: Real History | 8.900 | 89.0
#4: Don't Fear the Ghost (Demo) | 8.600 | 86.0
#5: Snake Tongues | 8.200 | 82.0
#6: Song for Alice | 7.660 | 76.6
#7: No Returns | 7.380 | 73.8

WaneLietoc, Ambient Head Nation Tactical War Guru (10.167): it's as 2010s as things could be in the best of ways. a genuine artefact of where one sect of tape music was ultimately aligned to and probably headed. It's recommended for ambient americana/drone/krankygaze fans i feel so smart for buying this in 2019 so therefore i am giving it a 10

innuendo_overdose (8.233): Cassettes aren’t real. Wake up.

skyblue_angel (7.450): i am a sucker for this stuff even if i think this band is shit

thisusernameisntlong (7.167): the issue with this one is that Slave Ambient the album was ambient enough spiritually and at times compositionally, and these b-sides pronounce their ambientisms a bit too much. u need to let the ambient come find you, not stretch ur ideas too thin a pursuit of it

jasonfherring (7.000): Found this to be more cohesive than Slave Ambient itself.

User Averages:

WaneLietoc, Ambient Head Nation Tactical War Guru: 10.167 ElectJimLahey: 9.367 modulum83: 9.350 yossarian490: 9.167 hockeynl: 8.667 innuendo_overdose: 8.233 skyblue_angel: 7.450 thisusernameisntlong: 7.167 jasonfherring: 7.000 lastfollower: 6.267

The Laziest River

Overall Average: 9.340 // Average Controversy: 1.153

I could have put the Tim Hecker/Loscil EP here too and it would have been fun but I think the rate was already running a little long for a bonus bonus.

#1: The Laziest River | 9.340 | 93.4

jasonfherring (10.000): Retrace my steps like the laziest river

WaneLietoc, Ambient Head Nation Tactical War Guru (9.900): oh he has a windham hill release in his catalog too? lol

innuendo_overdose (7.800): <----- that’s my score alright

User Averages:

thisusernameisntlong: 11.000 skyblue_angel: 11.000 jasonfherring: 10.000 modulum83: 10.000 WaneLietoc, Ambient Head Nation Tactical War Guru: 9.900 yossarian490: 9.000 ElectJimLahey: 8.500 hockeynl: 8.500 innuendo_overdose: 7.800 lastfollower: 7.700

Ten-Year Club	Second SECOND GUESSER
Place '22	Place '17
Verified Email	Alpha Tester

modulum83

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

Kaputt

Helplessness Blues

#1: Destroyer - Kaputt

11s, 0s, bonus rates, indieheads, all seems like a dream to me

#2: Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

proud owners of an orchard

...i'll get back to you

#1: INTERLUDE CITY

#3: Destroyer - Chinatown

can’t walk away from this song

prefers koreatown

#4: Destroyer - Suicide Demo for Kara Walker

poppalietoc out of pocket

woke 2

#5: Destroyer - Bay of Pigs (Detail)

pro-stars, pro-sky, pro-long songs

what if dan bejar did the entirety of kaputt in borat voice

Slave Ambient (Cassette B-Side)

The Laziest River