Stereolab returns and more: The Contenders, Vol. 8

Summary

All Songs Considered: "Stereolab Returns and More: The Contenders, Vol. 8" – Detailed Summary

Release Date: April 15, 2025

In this episode of NPR’s flagship music discovery program, "All Songs Considered," host Robin Hilton and guest Hazel delve into a rich tapestry of contemporary music, spotlighting notable returns, new releases, and reflective retrospectives. The conversation weaves through heartfelt analyses of new singles, explorations of emerging artists, and a nostalgic look back at pivotal songs from 2008.

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Stereolab's Triumphant Return

[00:34 – 06:18]

The episode kicks off with exciting news about the iconic band Stereolab. Robin Hilton and Hazel express their enthusiasm over Stereolab's long-awaited return with their first new album in 15 years, titled Instant Hol on Metal Film. The duo examines the first track, "Aerial Troubles," highlighting its thematic depth and musicality.

Notable Quotes:

• Hazel [00:34]: "Stereo Lab is back, which is incredible to me. They just announced their first new album in 15 years. It's gonna be called Instant Hol on Metal Film, which is such a Stereo Lab thing to name an album."
• Robin Hilton [05:02]: "There's this whole anti-consumerism theme in this song. And that is something... just the end of the world and I feel fine kind of idea."

Analysis: Hazel interprets "Aerial Troubles" as a contemplative piece about the necessity for change without the fervor of a revolutionary call, instead embodying a sense of weariness. Robin adds that the song continues Stereolab’s longstanding critique of consumerism, referencing their 1997 album Dots and Loops and its commentary on society's insatiable appetite for material possessions. The contrasting bright sound with somber lyrics underscores the band's signature style, evoking both despair and a flicker of hope.

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Yeji's "Pondegi" – A Critical Reflection on Social Media

[06:18 – 14:31]

Transitioning from Stereolab, the discussion shifts to Yeji’s latest single, "Pondegi." The song addresses the numbing effects of social media and the perpetual cycle of doom scrolling, wrapped in a catchy electronic melody.

Notable Quotes:

• Robin Hilton [08:42]: "It's kind of about the ways that we, I think, numb ourselves with social media doom scrolling through our phones and all the ways that these distractions actually keep us from the things that really matter most in our lives."
• Hazel [12:30]: "It's a song about people being hypnotized by social media... the song itself is so hypnotizing."

Analysis: Yeji's "Pondegi" is lauded for its addictive quality and poignant lyrics that critique the manipulative nature of social media platforms. Hazel appreciates the song's ability to merge its critical message without sounding preachy, instead presenting it as a potent political statement. The line "normalized you watermelon censorship" is interpreted as a direct reference to tech companies suppressing pro-Palestinian posts, using the watermelon as a symbol of resistance.

Lyrics Highlight:

"Little by little the truth becomes clear... Doom doom Scroll on a boom boom Shadow band normalize you Watermelon censorship."

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Snuggle's "Dust" – Moody Pop with Apocalyptic Undertones

[15:28 – 21:30]

Next, Hazel introduces Snuggle, a Copenhagen-based duo, presenting their song "Dust." The track is described as a beautiful, moody pop piece that juxtaposes intimate, poetic imagery against an apocalyptic backdrop.

Notable Quotes:

• Hazel [19:40]: "This song is so beautiful to me... there are all these gorgeous images in it... we are all just specks of dust."
• Robin Hilton [20:13]: "There are all these great little images... two people sort of lost in love and wonder, even though it's all unfolding against this apocalyptic backdrop."

Analysis: "Dust" is celebrated for its lyrical beauty and emotional depth. Hazel connects the song to the broader Scandinavian avant-garde pop scene, aligning Snuggle with artists like Astrid S and Smares. The reflective nature of the lyrics invites listeners to ponder their existence amidst chaos, making it a strong contender for the year’s favorite songs.

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Feeble Little Horse's "This is Real" – A Head-Spinning Experience

[21:30 – 27:32]

Robin Hilton introduces Feeble Little Horse's new single, "This is Real," describing it as an unpredictable and dynamic track. The song is praised for its complex structure and existential lyrical content.

Notable Quotes:

• Robin Hilton [21:30]: "It's a track full of all these double takes... sudden hairpin turns and just... unpredictable."
• Hazel [25:15]: "When someone screams in a song, I'm like, I'm listening."

Analysis: "This is Real" is highlighted for its genre-blending elements, shifting from math rock to noise and jingly pop within moments. The introspective lyrics, such as "if you're not real, then I'm not real," delve into deep philosophical questions about existence and reality. Both hosts find the song addictive and thought-provoking, marking it as a standout release.

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Lyra Pramuk's "Rewild" – Experimental Vocal Mastery

[27:32 – 34:16]

The conversation then turns to Lyra Pramuk, an experimental artist whose debut album Fountain garnered significant acclaim. Her new single, "Rewild," from the upcoming album Hymnal, showcases her innovative use of vocals and electronic elements.

Notable Quotes:

• Hazel [32:15]: "Lyra Prumuk is really interested in the possibilities of using her voice as its own instrument... it actually sounds quite pure to me."
• Robin Hilton [33:30]: "Her music is the symphony of the universe... it contains everything in the universe."

Analysis: Lyra Pramuk's "Rewild" is praised for its layered vocal techniques and fusion of electronic and classical elements. Hazel notes the song’s purity despite heavy editing, attributing it to Pramuk's background in church choirs and folk traditions. Robin complements this by quoting a press release that describes Pramuk’s music as "cosmic" and "out of this world," perfectly encapsulating the ethereal quality of her work.

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Retrospective: All Songs Considered's Number One Songs of 2008

[35:30 – 42:37]

Towards the end of the episode, Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson embark on a nostalgic journey, revisiting the top songs from 2008 as part of the program’s 25th-anniversary celebration. The discussion features a friendly debate between Hazel and Stephen over whether Bon Iver or Vampire Weekend deserves the top spot.

Notable Quotes:

• Stephen Thompson [37:13]: "This record changed a lot of music... Justin Vernon, having experienced this big breakup... relatable story."
• Robin Hilton [38:14]: "This record has held up so beautifully."
• Stephen Thompson [40:00]: "Vampire Weekend were like a bunch of preppy Ivy League city boys."
• Robin Hilton [41:51]: "Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend... couldn't be more different."

Analysis: The segment reflects on Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago with its rustic authenticity and contrast it against Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut, representing the quintessential “blog band” phenomenon of the time. The hosts reminisce about the cultural impact of both artists, their rise aided by the burgeoning internet music blog scene, and their distinct musical styles. The debate underscores the diverse musical landscape of 2008, highlighting how both bands left an indelible mark despite their differing approaches.

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Weekly Reset and Closing Remarks

[42:31 – 43:20]

The episode concludes with Robin Hilton introducing the "weekly reset," a moment of reflection and reassurance for listeners, encapsulating the show’s ethos of providing not just music but also emotional and philosophical support.

Notable Quotes:

• Robin Hilton [43:20]: "It's just a little moment to take a deep breath and remember... you are a living, breathing creature on the planet surrounded by people who love you, and it's going to be okay."

---

Conclusion

This episode of "All Songs Considered" masterfully balances the excitement of new music releases with thoughtful analysis and nostalgic reflection. From Stereolab’s anticipated comeback to the experimental sounds of Lyra Pramuk, and the evocative debate over 2008’s music scene, Robin Hilton and Hazel deliver an engaging and insightful exploration of the evolving musical landscape.

Transcript

[Robin Hilton]

Hazel, you know, we had on our show last week, we had even more songs to calm the nerves. And you were on the very first original episode of Relaxing Songs that started that whole series about a year ago.

[Hazel]

I was, and I very much enjoyed doing that episode. It relaxed me quite a lot.

[Robin Hilton]

But I actually just learned this week that what you really want to do is let out a lot of pent up rage.

[Hazel]

Yes. I think I was like, you know, Robyn has really been killing it with these songs to relax two episodes. But where is the rage?

[Robin Hilton]

Well, I think this kind of speaks to some of the recurring themes that I heard in the music that we're gonna play on this week's episode. Even starting with this first cut that I know you wanna play from the band Stereo Lab because it's got this recurring line, the numbing's not working anymore.

[Hazel]

Yes, 100%. Stereo Lab is back, which is incredible to me. They just announced their first new album in 15 years. It's gonna be called Instant Hol on Metal Film, which is such a Stereo Lab thing to name an album. And yeah, the first song off of it is called Aerial Troubles.

[Stephen Thompson]

The Numbing is not it is a snow not working anymore More is not working anymore Establish Great is a Nonfiction Thirsty is the fear of death.

[Hazel]

We.

[Stephen Thompson]

Can'T eat away how do we gonna give our way Counter no more the junction invites us to provide future prospect for greater wisdom.

[Hazel]

What I love about this song is that it feels to me like a song about someone realizing they're sort of at the point of realization that something needs to change. You know, it isn't this kind of. It's not a rousing call to arms. There's sort of a weariness to it. To me, there's like a very. It's kind of a gloomy track for Stereo Labor. In my mind, Stereo Lab has always been a vaguely political band. I feel like when you actually dig into the lyrics of a lot of their songs, they are singing about the state of the world and kind of these dystopian ideas. But there is something about this song where it just feels like it's kind of on the precipice of hope, but it's not quite there yet.

[Robin Hilton]

So there's this whole anti consumerism theme in this song. And that is something. You know, I think of that as a bell that Stereo Lab has been ringing for a very long time. You know, you even go back to something like Dots and Loops that came out in 1997. On that album, they talk about the world's Obsession with just having stuff and not being able to get enough stuff and all the damage caused by this, you know, insatiable appetite for more and more stuff. And that definitely comes up on this song. I. I took the sort of bouncy sound and the whole vibe of this song. You know, just how bright it is in a lot of ways as more of a it's the end of the world and I feel fine kind of idea.

[Hazel]

Yes.

[Robin Hilton]

You know, I don't know. I didn't hear the hope that you're hearing, but there is a definite contrast between what they're saying and how it sounds.

[Hazel]

Yes. There is this kind of quintessentially Stereo Lab jazzy tenor to it, but. Yeah. And it's crazy to think that they haven't released a new album since 2010.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. We can't overstate how just surprising this is. How unlikely it is to. I mean, did you think beginning of 2025, eh, we'll probably get a Stereo Lab album this year?

[Hazel]

I didn't think probably because I wouldn't let myself get my own hopes up that much. But they have been reissuing their catalog for several years now. I saw them perform, I think in like 2019 at Pitchfork Music Festival. And, you know, we're talking about the themes of this, so. And sort of the themes that they've been exploring across their career. And, you know, 2025 looks very different than 2010. And I kind of have this feeling of we maybe need Stereo Lab more than ever to soundtrack our apocalypse.

[Unknown]

Yep.

[Robin Hilton]

So instant Holograms on Metal Film from Stereo Lab that is out on May 23rd. I've actually got a song that I think digs a little into some similar themes as the Stereo Lab song. As I said, I think it's going to come up a lot on this episode. And it's maybe not as immediate obvious as some of the messages in the Stereo Lab song, but it's a new single from the singer Yeji. It's kind of about the ways that we, I think, numb ourselves with social media doom scrolling through our phones and all the ways that these distractions actually keep us from the things that really matter most in our lives. I guess that sounds kind of depressing, but the song's like. It's also crazy catchy. It is just a crazy catchy song. Again, it's called Pondegi from Yeji.

[Yeji]

Little by little the truth becomes clear Whether you like it or not it'll appear Stumble and crumble for nothing Willpower savings for punching Seeing how It is Forgot my other senses Walking until no more talking Talking until no more itty bitty rhyme In a time that's violent Far far by It's a trickle pilot watch where you're going Head distraction keep keep scrolling till you're rolling and passive Rats and pigeons and cockroach families Lives we hold dear lives for getting Isn't it a crime to turn away from real you? Look into my eyes look into my eyes look into my Looking for a ride Looking for a ride Looking for a time is a weapon and it'll weaponize you Doom doom Scroll on a boom boom Shadow band normalize you Watermelon censorship When they review they're trying to hide it from you Far far by the trick Co pilot, watch where you're going Head distraction keep keep scrolling till you're r and passive Cats and pigeons and cockroach families Lives we hold dear lives we're getting to turn away from real you look into my eyes look into my eyes look into my. Looking for a ride Looking for a ride Looking for a time is a weapon and it'll weaponize you Doom doom Scroll on a boom boom Shut up and normalize you Watermelon censorship Binary view they're trying to hide it from you.

[Robin Hilton]

Hazel, I want to know what you think of this song, because to me, it's one that when you first start listening, you're thinking, okay, cool little line that she's hooked into here. But the more you listen, the more insidious it becomes. It burrows into your brain. I found it so addictive.

[Hazel]

Yeah, it's interesting. It's a song about people being hypnotized by social media. The Internet staring down at their phones, becoming passive to the algorithms. And the song itself is so hypnotizing. It really is like it. And it definitely speaks to me as someone who has multiple apps on my phone to keep me from going on other apps.

[Robin Hilton]

Wait a minute. You have apps to keep you from getting on other apps?

[Hazel]

Yes, I have an app on my phone that I love, and it's. It significantly limits my ability to access social media apps on my phone because I would rather be spending my time reading a book or doing anything else than scrolling Instagram.

[Robin Hilton]

I don't know. That kind of sounds like there's this alcoholic drink I really like that keeps me from drinking.

[Hazel]

Social media is an addict. You can get addicted to it. Oh, yeah. And we're all, you know. But I think that this song in particular, it doesn't come across as sloganizing or corny or like, Yiji's wagging her finger at us necessarily. It feels like a very potently political suggestion. You know, there's a line in the song that stood out to me where she sings, you know, normalized you watermelon censorship.

[Yeji]

You doom doom scroll on a boom boom shadow band normalize you watermelon censorship. And they review. They're trying to hide it from you.

[Hazel]

Which I feel like to me is a direct reference to tech companies suppressing pro Palestinian posts because the watermelon is a symbol of pro Palestinian resistance. You know, I feel like she's really trying to make a commentary on, like, it's not just about your own personal addiction. It's like, what are these companies are doing this on purpose? Like, these companies want to lure you in, get you addicted, and you need to be aware of that.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. For people who don't know Yaeji, she's been featured on tracks by Charli xcx, Sampha. She's produced remixes for Dua, Lipa and Robin and done tons of other collaborations and of course, her own solo work. No word on a full length album, though, from Yeji. It's just this single for now. All right, a quick reminder that if you enjoy the show, share it with a friend. Leave us a review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also, later on the show, we'll continue our look back at number one songs from the past 25 years of All Songs Considered. We're celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, so we're looking back at a different year in each episode. We're up to 2008 now, so later on this episode, Stephen Thompson and I will talk all about the show's number one songs from that year. Keep listening for that. And also, as always, we'll close out this week's episode with your weekly reset. Hazel, where do you want to go next?

[Hazel]

So I want to keep going on this thread that we have going right now of songs that are reflecting on the state of the world and maybe our place in it. And I want to play a song by a band called Snuggle. You hadn't heard of this band?

[Robin Hilton]

I hadn't and I don't.

[Hazel]

Why are you laughing? I don't know why their name's Snuggle.

[Robin Hilton]

Because it's just the funniest name. I don't. And you know, I thought, this can't be the first band named Snuggle. And I did a little, well, a cursory search on the interwebs. I could not find any other band named Snuggle And I thought, how is it that it's taken this long for a band to be called Snuggle?

[Hazel]

It's a great band name. Snuggle is a duo from Copenhagen. They make very moody pop music. And I want to play a song of theirs called Dust.

[Stephen Thompson]

Soul trails on my skin. Your fingers fall like that. Diving into your eyes. Ocean deep sand greens in my teeth. I'm grinding, I'm grinding. Burning pine trees, Cicada seeds singing. The mountain side is changing. Orange flames eating the remains of the day. Orange peel under my nails. The sweet juice touch my lips. Your lips on my neck. Sweet wisdom under your breath. We're breathing still ashes in the windowsill. Ash trails on your skin. My fingers warm them. Your pain that's melting these walls. All they cont. It's gone. What's left of us. This.

[Hazel]

Yeah, this song is so beautiful to me, I. It has this very light touch to it, but I think what it expresses is so beautiful. You know, there are all these gorgeous images in it, you know, lines about cicadas singing and orange peel under your fingernails. And, you know, it sort of ends on this note of, we are all just specks of dust. We're all just gonna end up as ashes one day. Maybe don't include that part.

[Robin Hilton]

No, it's fine. It's true. And it' I mean, that's one of the images that I really love. And you're right, there are all these great little images that are. That are just so beautiful, that talk about salt trails on someone's skin, and someone's tracing those trails with their fingers, and, you know, they're gazing into each other's eyes, and it's this very sweet, intimate moment, you know, two people sort of lost in love and wonder, even though it's all unfolding against this apocalyptic backdrop.

[Hazel]

Yeah, yeah. Snuggle is definitely a band that I'm paying attention to right now. I feel like I have to say they come from this scene, this Scandinavian scene of avant garde pop artists right now that I really adore. People like ML Book artists like Astrid Son, this duo called Smares, who I love very much. And there's something about Snuggles music. They feel slightly left of center from that scene where I hear this 90s indie rock, this is a contenders episode. And I do think that this song, Dust, is a strong contender for me for already being one of, you know, my favorite songs of the year so far. And, yeah, it's a gorgeous song.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, I have what I think is maybe the most head spinning Song that I have heard this year and also a contender for one of my favorite of the year, for sure. And by head spinning, I mean it's a track full of all these. It's full of double takes, you know, what. What just happened? What did I just hear? These sudden hairpin turns and just. It is just so unpredictable. It's from a band called Feeble Little Horse. Feeble Little Horse. This is. I think you like this band, right? This is.

[Hazel]

I do like this band a lot. Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. Group from Pittsburgh. The song, it's a new single, their first in a couple of years. It's called this.

[Hazel]

I was smoking stacks in your beater.

[Stephen Thompson]

In the back we were pushing past Put the heater to the mask I was smoking stacks with a feeder in the bag when regression pass Pick the heater in the R. I was smoking stacks in the back.

[Yeji]

Sh.

[Stephen Thompson]

See, in a few minutes.

[Robin Hilton]

Andy Warhol once said that in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes. Does this song scratch that rage itch?

[Hazel]

It really does.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah.

[Hazel]

When someone screams in a song, I'm like, I'm listening. Yeah, sounds great.

[Robin Hilton]

They even sing near the end there. Well, I got my anger off my chest but we'll never. We'll never be the same again. But. But this song. Yeah, it is so cool. I mean, it starts off almost like, I don't know, math rock or something, like maybe tortoise would do. And then we're not even a minute into it and it erupts into some sort of noise, melt metal, and then shifts again to. I don't even know. I'm just making stuff up here. 90s 90s emo something, you know, and then more noise and then jingly pop at the end.

[Hazel]

This is another song today that we've played that has these deep existential questions embedded into it. There's like that whole stretch of the song where they're singing, if you're not real, then I'm not real. Right. What does that mean to you?

[Robin Hilton]

Maybe it has something to do with the idea of living in a relative world where you can't know anything, including yourself, without having some sort of understanding of everything else around you. And, yeah, maybe it's the idea that if I can't see you, then I can't even see myself. I don't know.

[Hazel]

It definitely is a very addictive spiral to get into.

[Robin Hilton]

So the song is called this is Real from Feeble Little Horse. Just a single for now, but, you know, they've been putting out music. Well, actually, really only for a Couple few years. But they already have two full albums, couple of EPs, and they're all great, so people should definitely check those out. All right, Hazel, I know that you've got one more thing that you want to play for us.

[Hazel]

Yes, I want to play a song by the artist Lyra Prmuk. She is an experimental artist whose debut album titled Fountain came out in 20 and just completely blew me away. And she has a new album coming out. I'm really excited about it. It's called Hymnal, and the first track off of it is called Rewild.

[Stephen Thompson]

Ra.

[Hazel]

Yeah. Lyra Pramuk is obviously, as you hear in this song, really interested in the possibilities of kind of using her voice as its own instrument. You know, calling different sounds from it, layering it in this really crazy way. And what's fascinating to me about her is that it really comes from her background as someone who grew up in a tiny town in Pennsylvania. She's based in Berlin now. She grew up singing in church choirs. And she's really interested in folk music tradition. What music sounded like before the Industrial revolution.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, wow.

[Hazel]

And it's interesting cause it's like her music is obviously so heavily edited and like she's really interested in electronics on this song. She's using the. These incredible strings. But even as she's doing all of this manipulation to her vocals, it actually sounds quite pure to me. Like there's something about this song that feels very guttural and almost not back to the body. Even if she's, I don't know, using all of these techniques to sort of create a tapestry of her vocals. But what she does in her music is very powerful to me.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. You know, I don't normally quote press releases, but I have to read you something in this case that I read in a press release. It's the description I got for Lyra Pruk and this is the quote. A radical vocal, electronic, classical, constructive, delicate, nurturing, mindful, philosophical, spiritual, political. These are all hyphenated, political, responsible. And techno. Pagan girl Moss.

[Hazel]

Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

And I don't know about the lengthy, very adjective heavy description, but the same press release did say that her music is the symphony of the universe. And that I will agree with because it's a little cosmic, it's a little out of this world, and it somehow seems to contain everything in the universe.

[Hazel]

Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, again, that song, Rewild, it's the opening cut to the new album from Lyra Prummack and it is called Hymn. The album is hymnal and it is out on June 13th. All right, Hazel, as I mentioned, you know, we're taking this nostalgia trip here. At the end of every show, we're looking back at our number one songs from each of All Songs Considered. 25 years on spaceship Earth, Stephen Thompson and I have been doing a new year on each episode. This week, we are up to 2008. So we're going to close out the show here with that, followed by our weekly reset. And if you don't know the weekly reset, but you've been wondering what all those weird ambient noises are at the end of every show, that's it. That's your weekly reset. It's just a little moment to take a deep breath and remember, you know, you are a living, breathing creature on the planet surrounded by people who love you, and it's going to be okay. And if you want to know what the sound is that you hear, because sometimes it isn't always obvious, I have started listing in the episode description so people can read what the sound is there in their podcast feeds. But, Hazel, thank you as always, for hanging out and sharing all this great music.

[Hazel]

Thank you for having me.

[Robin Hilton]

Okay, here's Stephen Thompson on our number one songs of 2008.

[Unknown]

I mean, if you just think about the year 2008 and the show, All Songs Considered, and Stephen Thompson and certainly my. But I was not the only one who loved this song.

[Robin Hilton]

I know exactly what you're gonna pick.

[Unknown]

There's no question.

[Stephen Thompson]

Come on, skinny love just lasting Pour a little so we will never eat my. Staring at the same anchor all the.

[Hazel]

Cross.

[Stephen Thompson]

Cut out all the ropes and let me fall Mama, mama.

[Unknown]

Yeah I mean, this record changed. Changed a lot of music. Like, this record ushered in a lot of different sounds. I mean, the. The origin story of this record where Justin Vernon, having experienced this big breakup in his life, retreated to a cabin in the Wisconsin woods. It was a story that felt very relatable.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, it also became a cliche. The whole idea of an artist goes away to a cabin in the woods because they're so tortured and decorated.

[Unknown]

I remember when Justin Timberlake released an album called man of the Woods, I felt like that was the beginning of the end.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah, it spawned this whole thing about musicians going away, isolating themselves to make art.

[Unknown]

Well, it implies a certain amount of authenticity. But this record. Record was such a statement of purpose, you know, it was such a statement of who he. Who he is as an artist. And we gushed about this. It was not just me.

[Robin Hilton]

I know we all love this.

[Unknown]

I certainly am a. I can be A very effusive guy. When we're. When I'm talking about my favorite music and we talked about this record so much, and we talked about Bon Iver so much. I remember us having a running joke. You, me, Bob Boylan, and Is this the tip jar, Terry Brown, about having an Iver jar.

[Robin Hilton]

Yes.

[Unknown]

That where every time someone mentioned Bon Iver, they had to put a dollar in the Iver jar. And, you know, at the end of the taping, we could all go out for drinks. But, you know, this. This record has held up so beautifully.

[Robin Hilton]

I have no issue with you picking that as your number one song for all songs considered for your life for the year 2008. Back in 2016, when we did 16 number one songs from our first 16 years, when we got to 2008, that is, in fact the song that we picked for 2008. This is the one that I would pick, though, for 2008. Oh, come on, man. You'll know it as soon as the voice kicks in.

[Unknown]

Oh, Vampire Weekend.

[Stephen Thompson]

So if there's any other way to spell the word, it's found with me. With me. Why would you speak to me that way? Especially when I always said that I haven't got the words for you all your diction dripping with disdain through the pain I always tell the truth.

[Robin Hilton]

Who.

[Stephen Thompson]

Gives a fuck about an Oxford climber? I climbed a dumb shout out to who I did I met the highest llama his accent sounded fine to me.

[Robin Hilton]

To me, you know, as when bands come along, they put out a debut album like Vampire Week and put out this self titled debut album in 2008. You have this moment where you're like, it's pretty good. This band might be something.

[Unknown]

You know, one thing that we're talking about when we're talking about the songs that represent each year, you're also talking about where the music industry was at the time those songs came out. And Vampire Weekend, to me, I really think of as one of the ultimate blog bands of one of the ultimate, like, Internet hype bands where the Internet is freaking out about this. And, you know, the Internet had certainly been around for, you know, more than a decade by the time we're talking about 2008. But I really think of this as like a truly Internet phenomenon where by the time they actually put out a record, people were sick of them because people had been talking about them on Pitchfork or Stereo Gum or, you know, these music blogs so much. But the time it came out, and it's sort of interesting to think of Vampire Weekend And Bon Iver, for one thing, they played our south by Southwest Showcase.

[Robin Hilton]

Same.

[Unknown]

Same show, same year, which we picked pretty well that year. But also, they're.

[Robin Hilton]

They're, in a way, also Adele was supposed to play that, was supposed to play that show. Yeah.

[Unknown]

Shout Out Louds were on that bill. I mean, that was a. That was a phenomenal lineup. But, like, in a way, Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend, they kind of came up at the same time. They both had this huge. Well of. Of Internet support, but they couldn't be more different. Yeah, like Bon Iver, it's the rustic, authentic man of the cabin. And Vampire Weekend were like a bunch of preppy Ivy League city boys.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And the fact that those two rose up together and were embraced by a lot of the same people is sort of fascinating.

[Robin Hilton]

All right, that'll do it for 2008. There's so much more we could play, but you know what?

[Unknown]

We're heading into, Robin? We are heading into the stomp and.

[Robin Hilton]

Clap era of 2009. Well, that's funny, because when I will just tease it by saying, in fact, the number one song that I will end up playing for 2009 is a big stomp clap song. So, yeah, we'll. We'll get to it. All right, thanks, Stephen.

[Unknown]

See you later, buddy.

[Robin Hilton]

For NPR Music, I'm Robin Hilton. It's All Songs Considered.

[Stephen Thompson]

LA.