Holy, Holy, Holy — A Very Sufjan Christmas By Ben Sooy My buddy Ryan saw Sufjan Stevens live back in 2006 . Before the show started, a couple of guys around Ryan were getting impatient, and one asked, “Where is Sufjan??”  “He’s proba...

Sufjan Stevens' Songs For Christmas is my favorite holiday album. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to write about my love for "Holy, Holy, Holy" for A Very Sufjan Christmas (sister site of @swimintosound.bsky.social)! www.sufjanchristmas.com/blog/2025/12...

A Very Sufjan Christmas A fan-made Sufjan Stevens advent calendar featuring one write-up every day from December first until Christmas Day.

www.sufjanchristmas.com

Ben Quad – Wisher | Album Review — Swim Into The Sound Ben Quad are back. Not only are they back, but they’re fucking huge. Or at least that's what it feels like for those of us in the emo world, anyway. I first discovered Ben Quad because I was endeared...

"On Wisher, Ben Quad ain’t the fucking same anymore, but who would want them to be?" Guest writer Caro Alt joins the blog this week to explore the emo band's newest release

swimintothesound.com/blog/2025/11...

okay but sometimes, sick riffs are good

@aplaceforowls.bsky.social
@starkcontrast.bsky.social
@youngweather.bsky.social
@superdestroyer.diysky.xyz

👏👏 For no real reason other than joy I’d like to celebrate the following artists for being awesome:
@perennialtheband.bsky.social @labrador-tunes.bsky.social @andrewpelletier.bsky.social @westernjaguar.bandcamp.com
@wicknebber.bsky.social @nickflora.bsky.social
@brosaleigh.bsky.social

Anamanaguchi – Anyway | Album Review — Swim Into The Sound The ground is firmly under your feet. Your gaze rises to greet an open street lined with trees and grass and apartment complexes that are knotted like corridors of a maze. The wind is warm and breezin...

"When the four members of Anamanaguchi assembled in that infamous emo house, they rediscovered the one simple truth that, if you’re having fun, making music with your friends is the most natural thing in the world."

Elias Amini on the album Anyway. Read more:

swimintothesound.com/blog/2025/11...

hey this rocks

Hater’s Delight – 2025 Edition — Swim Into The Sound It’s hard to look around lately and think ‘You know what the world could use more of? hate .’ Of course there’s an abundance of hatred, animosity, division, and destruction right now. I’d argue it’s ...

Your band name sucks, you need to be more normal about genres, and your production could be worse.

If you're looking for an outlet for your angsty heart, we've got it. Grab a chair, get comfy, and burn your country-alt records for our 2025 Hater's Delight.

swimintothesound.com/blog/2025/10...

Stop Streaming, Start Listening — Swim Into The Sound You know that James Baldwin quote that’s something along the lines of “Every writer has only one story to tell, and he has to find a way of telling it until the meaning becomes clearer and clearer”? W...

Time to delete your spotify. This week, Taylor posted some thoughts on getting rid of the platform once and for all.

swimintothesound.com/blog/2025/11...

Hater’s Delight – 2025 Edition — Swim Into The Sound It’s hard to look around lately and think ‘You know what the world could use more of? hate .’ Of course there’s an abundance of hatred, animosity, division, and destruction right now. I’d argue it’s ...

I contributed to this year's @swimintosound.bsky.social Hater's Delight piece, in which I talk about metalcore, genre labels, and just plead for everyone to be fucking normal.

swimintothesound.com/blog/2025/10...

Dim Wizard – “Stoicism” | Single Review — Swim Into The Sound I am still working on learning that people can only give me so much. Nobody can provide me with all that I need. I spend so much time railing against others’ expectations of me that I owe them grace w...

Check out @swimintosound.bsky.social's review of "Stoicism!"
swimintothesound.com/blog/2025/9/...

There's a new Equipment EP out today!

And I wrote about it!

For @swimintosound.bsky.social!!

swimintothesound.com/blog/2025/9/...

Special Sauce: August 2025 The newest iteration of my rotating playlist of 15 songs - a little saucy, a little spicy, and always lovingly curated

I wrote about 15 songs and 15 drinks and the concept of a little treat www.goodandgoodforyou.co/p/special-sa...

Pile - Sunshine and Balance Beams review by Britta Joseph

Kerosene Heights - Blame It On The Weather review by Brandon Cortez

Jobber - Jobber To The Stars review by David Williams

Greg Frewman - Burnover review by Parker White

Happy Monday, Swim Fans!

Consider reading some of our recent reviews over at Swim Into The Sound to kick off your week right! 🖤✨️

swimintothesound.com

if you want to do something for my birthday, you can contribute to the IHTOV writers fund because it has run out of money

Also I’d be remiss if I didn’t also encourage you to read @ihavethatonvinyl.com
An inspiring example of a very cool artist making a very cool thing that is singularly their own very cool vision!

Aw shucks :')

Here are some great writers whose work you should read!
@taylorruckle.bsky.social
@jenpkelly.bsky.social
@erdanton.bsky.social
@ninacorcoran.bsky.social
@dbanthony.bsky.social
@see-saw.fun
@amcnal.bsky.social
@graceroso.bsky.social
@grantsharpies.bsky.social
@swimintosound.bsky.social

Hot Progust Bites: Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness: with Ciara 10/10 You're Great · Episode

Had an absolute blast going on my friend @chrisfavata.bsky.social's podcast this week to gush about my favorite album of all time! :)

Give it a listen if that seems like your thing! 🖤❤️

open.spotify.com/episode/79Zk...

Peach Rings – i’ll look out for you | Album Review — Swim Into The Sound When I first started transing my gender way back in 2020, whenever I felt myself spiraling out about where my life was at, my therapist would always remind me that trans people are starting over. No m...

oh hey butterfly app I wrote about the new @nauseousgirl.bsky.social album this week for @swimintosound.bsky.social!

the album is very good and I think my review is pretty good

give it a peek if you're so inclined <3

swimintothesound.com/blog/2025/8/...

Pile – Sunshine and Balance Beams | Album Review — Swim Into The Sound Content Warning: This article discusses religious trauma, sexual abuse, and cults. I dug my fists into my thighs as my eyes stung with tears. I was once again the center of attention in our tiny ch...

my review of the new @pile.bsky.social album is up on @swimintosound.bsky.social 🏹 spoiler alert it’s an incredible release

swimintothesound.com/blog/2025/8/...

The Best of Q2 2025 — Swim Into The Sound We’re halfway through 2025, and it feels like my brain is contorting into shapes it was never meant to hold. Unlike my intro for our favorites of Q1 , I’m going to try my best not to go on a screed, ...

It's no secret that the Swim Team has good taste. Find out what our favorite releases of the last few months were in our Q2 roundup. swimintothesound.com/blog/2025/6/...

The Best of Q2 2025 — Swim Into The Sound We’re halfway through 2025, and it feels like my brain is contorting into shapes it was never meant to hold. Unlike my intro for our favorites of Q1 , I’m going to try my best not to go on a screed, ...

I got to write about the emotionally charged new EP from @carefulgaze.bsky.social for the Best of Q2 round-up on @swimintosound.bsky.social. Please listen to this record. It's only three tracks, but it's as powerful as anything else they've done.

swimintothesound.com/blog/2025/6/...

Dance Myth – The Shapes We Make | Album Review — Swim Into The Sound When I was 19 years old, I first heard Listener’s album Wooden Heart Poems , and it made me realize that listening to music wasn’t good enough. Wooden Heart Poems was an invitation to write, and ...

Dance Myth is a new project from Dan Smith, who wields his trademark talky indie rock as an invitation to participate in the divine adventure of being fully human. @noellemidnight.com reviews the project’s debut LP. swimintothesound.com/blog/2025/6/...

Oh and @bluecactusmusic.bsky.social I discovered thanks to @classicdoyle.bsky.social and his weekly newsletter NIGHTSWIMMING

This week it was hosted by the homies @swimintosound.bsky.social

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Phantom Island | Album Review — Swim Into The Sound Well, well, well. Once again, we find ourselves back in the Gizzverse. It wasn’t even a year ago that I was here telling you all about how death, taxes, and King Gizzard are life’s only certainties....

On their 27th (!!) LP, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard picks up right where they left off, embracing a feverish orchestral tilt. Guest writer and Gizz Historian Cassidy Sollazzo reviews Phantom Island. swimintothesound.com/blog/2025/6/...

North Carolina Triple Threat: Wednesday, Kerosene Heights, and Eliza McLamb — Swim Into The Sound After being on the road for a week, first traveling up to Ohio for Fauxchella 8, then to Detroit, and finally to Knoxville, I finally made it back home to North Carolina. After a collective 1,900 mile...

It's a North Carolina Triple Threat. Today, we're treated to new music from @keroseneheights.bsky.social, @elizamclamb.bsky.social, and Wednesday. Taylor takes on all three as this week's Swim Select. swimintothesound.com/swim-selects...