Album of the Year: Imaginal Disk

Final chance to fill out the survey! I assume that if you're reading this, you're one of the 23 people who have already filled it out, but ya never know! That's a lot of people, 23. I'm proud of our readership. In terms of regular writers, I have a feeling that the big push we made at the beginning of 2024 to get everyone involved broke the blog a little bit. There were probably a bunch of people who were committed to writing every week and then became so repulsed by the act that they turned away forever. Or maybe I'm just exaggerating, and most people are busy around the holidays. Either way, go ahead and fill that out if you haven't already, then continue on for this week's album.

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WEEK 306 — December 8-14, 2024

Imaginal Disk

by Magdalena Bay

LISTEN:

Spotify | YouTube | Bandcamp | Apple

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PICKED BY RYM

JOE'S COMMENTS: Kendrick distracted me for a week last week. Originally, I was going to do one week of RYM's best album and one week of AOTY's best album, like we did last year (with billy woods and jaimie branch, respectively). But now we only have one week for one more album, and I had to pick which of those two websites was going to choose our album.

Mag Bay had the best album of the year according to RYM, and the Cure had the best one according to AOTY. In the end, I chose the one I'm already familiar with, just to make my own life a little easier this week.

I will also retroactively justify the decision by saying that, if we were letting Stereogum choose the album, we'd also land on #5 Imaginal Disk (since #1 brat is disqualified after four of its songs showing up on YSC, and #2 Manning Fireworks, #3 GNX, and #4 Tigers Blood are all RC albums already).

Generally, though, this feels like a fine pick anyway. A good and interesting album that, unless you are hopelessly plugged into the music blogosphere, probably slid under your radar.

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ALBUM DETAILS

GENRE: Neo-psychedelia, synthpop, chillwave, dance-pop, progressive pop, alternative dance, indietronica, pop rock

RELEASED: August 23, 2024

LENGTH: 53:36

TRACKLIST:

1. She Looked like Me!
2. Killing Time
3. True Blue Interlude
4. Image
5. Death & Romance
6. Fear, Sex
7. Vampire in the Corner
8. Watching T.V.
9. Tunnel Vision
10. Love Is Everywhere
11. Feeling Diskinserted?
12. That's My Floor
13. Cry for Me
14. Angel on a Satellite
15. The Ballad of Matt & Mica

LYRICS: Genius.com

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ARTIST DETAILS

PRONOUNS: she/her/hers for Mica, he/him/his for Matt

ABOUT: Magdalena Bay are a music duo who formed in Miami, Florida, though the two members were technically back home while on break from college when they formed. They are Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin. Both members write and produce their music. Tenenbaum was born in Buenos Aires but grew up in Miami. Lewin was born in Miami but is of Argentine descent. Both members are Jewish. They met in high school, went to different colleges, and continued to collaborate on music remotely. They are currently based in L.A. They are known for "their informational TikTok videos on the music industry and their kitschy DIY visuals." They have been described as "a pop act with a rockist core." The band was named after an administrator at Lewin's former IT job.

DISCOGRAPHY: This is Magdalena Bay's second album, after 2021's Mercurial World. I also count six EPs from 2019 to 2023.

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ADDITIONAL INFO

READING SOME SHIT: August 2024 interview on The Line of Best Fit

WATCHING SOME SHIT: live on Kimmel

PREVIOUSLY ON RECORD CLUB: Both Magdalena Bay and underscores are currently on the Mom + Pop label, and I guess have sounds in the same ballpark, now that you mention it. Andrew Bird was formerly on the label.

I'm trying to think of other bodies of water besides a bay: Lake Street Dive, Pond, Inlet. I guess it's been a while since we've had one of these. Exciting stuff, I know!

I didn't go too far back, but I was curious as to whether there was ever a Record Club album that was legitimately #1 on its yearly RYM chart. Last year's Maps was #3 but chosen due to repeat artists (Danny Brown and Sufjan Stevens). The most recent RYM #1 is 2019's IGOR by Tyler, the Creator. 2016's #1 was Atrocity Exhibition. 2007's #1 was In Rainbows. 1996's #1 album was Long Season. I stopped when I got to the '80s.

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RC CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK

Every week from now on, we're giving a quick re-listen to the RC album we covered five years ago exactly. Check out the quick reevaluation every Friday morning, before the regular reviews. Reevaluation, reflection, something like that.

WEEK 45: December 8-14, 2019

KIWANUKA by Michael Kiwanuka

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Happy listening, RC family!
Have a great week!