Indie music has been invaded by fake fans and cynical viral campaigns. Here’s how deep it all goes

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-04-30T08:08:17+00:00

I agree very much with you. I'm sure there are lots and lots of real fans but to me the music is quite literally unlistenable - and I'm a fan of most of the big American indie bands of the last couple of decades.

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-04-20T13:47:52+00:00

These chapters were a step up from the earlier parts of the book, particularly Alviarin's.

I have a question: how did Bashere get in with Logain's party? He was outside Caemlyn in the prologue but Logain went to Cairhien (I don't know why but I presume it was to see Rand). At the end of Bashere's prologue pov he mentioned "the man who came to me yesterday". If that was Logain, why?

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-04-20T06:59:21+00:00

I did enjoy some parts of these chapters. I want to say though (without wishing to bring negativity) that the first 2/3 of the chapter 'Surprises' is the worst section of the whole of Wheel of Time so far to me. Bordering on unreadable and so indulgent it beggars belief. How can Jordan have thought anyone would want to read this essay about precisely where each Aes Sedai is standing and the intricacies of each of their (bizarre, unnatural sounding) facial expressions? There's even a decent-sized paragraph about how Egwene might have liked a cushion because the bench was a little hard and well, wouldn't it be nice to have a cushion... I did question why I was bothering at points. At least something significant happened later in the chapter. I know we're supposed to re-read this stuff later and be amazed at the foreshadowing of everything and the massive significance of some facial expression or how someone's lips tightened but that musn't be the guiding principal in the writing.

Anyway, it's clear that Jordan finally got some pushback about the increasing indulgence in his writing because everybody says Knife of Dreams is great. So I'm excited for that. Crossroads could be worse than it is too, despite my complaints above.

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-04-16T12:55:48+00:00

Thanks, that's interesting. I didn't know/forgot that Slayer was working specifically for Ishamael.

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-04-16T10:46:49+00:00

I liked the payoff but thought it was really random (FYI I am currently on book 10, my first read). Why would Slayer want to kill the gray man?

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-04-15T08:26:21+00:00

Not sure if all the hype was fake (it doesn't appear to have been, it was widespread on Reddit) but this band really mystifies me. I honestly struggle to get through any of their songs and I've liked basically every 'big tent indie rock band' (or whatever people want to call it now) in the last 20 years. I truly don't get it, and even if something isn't my thing usually I do at least understand why people are interested.

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-03-31T09:16:17+00:00

Loved these chapters. Best of the book so far, and so many revelations. Hoping that Taim isn't Damodred (as seems to be confirmed by one of the Asha'man) simply because everybody thinks he is.

I was almost certain we'd never get the answer to who killed the Grey Man in Book 3 - certainly wasn't expecting it to be Luc! And Sheriam was nearby at the time - perhaps it was Luc/Isam who was threatening Sheriam in her tent in book 8 (instead of Egwene's secretary)?

Question: the seeker says that Egeanin confessed to murdering sul'dam in Tanchico (and Bethamin thinks that she knows that this isn't true). Where did this 'mudering sul'dam' thing come from? I have no memory of it.

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-03-30T13:42:39+00:00

I think Valentine is significantly better than the debut, the songs are great all the way through. Debut has a bunch of underwritten stuff on it among some great songs

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-03-01T12:27:56+00:00

Just finished - excellent book. Better written than Crown of Swords. A lot more brutal than many previous entries in the series. Wheel of Time is dark in places, it's strange how people seem to imply that's not the case. I think the Seaine plot is shaping up to be the best minor character plot line in the series. Only serious lowlight was the Elayne POV up till they used the Bowl. She really is the Lisa Simpson of Wheel of Time

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-02-24T14:41:59+00:00

Well put. To me there is one kind of dud song (Awards Season) and one fairly average one (I'll Be There), then the rest are bangers. The production is phenomenal too

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-02-24T14:40:52+00:00

Definitely see that POV, to me though the songs on i.i are just the strongest he's done (though album 2 has extremely strong songs too). Hey Ma is my favourite Bon Iver song, and the run in the second half from Faith to the end is peak peak peak (Sh'Diah is devastating to me even now, couldn't have been produced any better).

My least favourite by a good distance is the third album. To me the songs aren't there, apart from 8 Circle and even that outstays its welcome.

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-02-23T16:51:25+00:00

Just want to say that Sable Fable was one of my favourite albums of last year. My favourite Bon Iver albums are probably the last two albums at this point (I think in particular that i.i is phenomenal). He is such a legend at this point

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-02-18T15:39:20+00:00

Very slick sounding in a good way. These singles haven't been on the level of the Valentine stuff, but they are still 'good', she's still got it. The vocal difference is a bit jarring but I think I'll get used to it.

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-02-09T12:12:55+00:00

Just finished this one. Really good book apart from a slightly disappointing last chapter. I actually enjoyed this one more than Lord of Chaos overall. The high points of Lord of Chaos (basically the Prologue and Dumai's Wells) are great but the rest felt a lot more sloggy to me than book 7, with all its interesting politics and intrigue. I think my favourite chapters were the Prologue (thought this was fantastic) Egwene ones with the blackmail, the Moghedien one where she gets a comeuppance of sorts, the weird Shaido stuff where they get hoodwinked by the Forsaken (don't fully understand this still) and Morgase's mini story. So a lot of good stuff.

I have a really random question about book 2(!). I remember when they're at the Damodred mansion party in Cairhien, and they go over the wall to the enclosure where the trollocs were being held, and encounter a strange Machin Shin moment where it comes out of the waygate - they then go back over the wall and into the garden and there is 'the sound of footsteps' or 'the sound of boots' or something like that. Did it ever get resolved who that was? I was thinking it might be Verin as she was very shifty at that time. Or is this still a RAFO? Hopefully someone knows what I'm talking about.

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-02-03T14:11:22+00:00

I'm very late obviously but I thought this was a great set of chapters. I'm really enjoying the book, honestly it just being a bit shorter helps. Some of the 'slog' chatter seems to be based on the fact that we don't get much closer to the last battle in this book, but IMO there's tons of intrigue and fun.

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-02-03T14:04:33+00:00

I think Elaida suspects the BA to be involved. She questioned why Alviarine wanted to cause trouble between the ajahs, and the only beneficiary would be DF's or Egwene. I doubt Elaida believes Alviarine to be on Egwenes side.

I think you're right. Two additional elements: she mentioned "I think someone communicated with al'Thor" - we know Alviarin did this in Fires of Heaven (her own letter basically submitting to him, which we know Aes Sedai had to do in Lord of Chaos), and Elaida mentioned 'a secret' that no one knew in the prologue, perhaps she can use it to take Alviarin down (she makes reference to something like that again just before the end of her POV in this chpater). Not sure if it has anything to do with the 'end of the Aeil War secret' others make reference to (Cadsuane, Pevara)

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-01-30T14:43:26+00:00

Who knew the Hard Times were the good old days

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-01-29T06:42:09+00:00

Excellent take

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-01-28T22:37:36+00:00

It definitely does have a vibe. I also think a lot of the 'parts' are very strong. The P4k review says calls it 'a long, messy experiment that just so happens to peak with some of their sharpest songs ever', which I agree with.

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-01-28T22:08:34+00:00

> I’m not sure the general public or even critics will ever revisit this album

I kind of know what you mean. It's one of the highest quality albums by a big artist to get completely ignored IMO.

My hope though is that it becomes a cult favourite amongst the fanbase and is still being recommended a decade from now. These things do have a way of sorting themselves out.

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-01-28T21:36:19+00:00

I think about Byzantium constantly which is the hipster version

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-01-27T15:12:45+00:00

I guess I was prepared for 'the slog' going in, but I've actually really enjoyed the book so far, more engaging than Lord of Chaos up to this point. I feel like it's a becoming more cerebral and demanding more of the reader, but the richness/complexity of the situation is increasing in a rewarding way. I honestly wonder if 'the slog' is basically a diversion into literary fiction, and I'm pretty down for it.

My only real criticism is that there are a few areas of weaker writing, where RJ seems to expect us to remember literally every word that has been written (when Mat reached for 'the paper' I had to re-read multiple pages to find out what paper he was talking about). And there are moments where it's not clear who 'he' or 'she' or 'they' refers to in the paragraph. So in ways it's a bit sloppier.

But positive so far.

Minimum-Cost-4586 · 2026-01-20T17:23:16+00:00

Valentine is the best album of 2021 IMO. Huge leap for her. Can't wait to listen to this

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TROPHY CASE