Alfred Soto
@sotoalfred.bsky.social
I write things. Pitchfork. Stereogum. SPIN. Vice Chair of https://bsky.app/profile/floridafilmcritics.bsky.social
Space and light and dreams
That's what people need.
Space and light and dreams
That's what people need.
Pinned
Miguel: CAOS
Read Alfred Soto’s review of the album.
pitchfork.com
Eight (!) years since his last album, Miguel releases CAOS, on which....he does little that's different. So much has changed. My review for @pitchfork.com. pitchfork.com/reviews/albu...
"Losing your job isn't the problem -- it's how you deal with it," says a character in Park Chan-wook's NO OTHER CHOICE. Boy, does he in this murderous little comedy. My review. wp.me/pzXeC-kHW
Off with your head: ‘No Other Choice’
Like his older contemporary Bong Joon Ho, Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, The Handmaiden) uses visual jokes to animate straightforward deconstructions of capitalism. Park is even more impish. The most hila…
wp.me
November 26, 2025 at 8:47 PM
"Losing your job isn't the problem -- it's how you deal with it," says a character in Park Chan-wook's NO OTHER CHOICE. Boy, does he in this murderous little comedy. My review. wp.me/pzXeC-kHW
Reposted by Alfred Soto
I’ve always had a soft spot for this
Your Mother and I
YouTube video by Loudon Wainwright III - Topic
m.youtube.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:16 PM
I’ve always had a soft spot for this
I could triple this list with songs about dysfunctional families but it's a couple days before Black Friday and the consumerism's got me glum enough. wp.me/pzXeC-kI6
I’m sorry, mama: Songs about family dysfunction
Chewed without digested, family trauma and pop songwriting have been uneasy bedmates. The lack of resolution — the dreaded word “closure” — in our relationships and the rigo…
wp.me
November 26, 2025 at 3:54 PM
I could triple this list with songs about dysfunctional families but it's a couple days before Black Friday and the consumerism's got me glum enough. wp.me/pzXeC-kI6
Reposted by Alfred Soto
Tina Turner cared less about R&B than about gutbucket rock, though she ranged wildly across genres. She would've celebrated a birthday. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2019/05/30/r...
Ranking (Ike and) Tina Turner’s American top forty singles
Cheers to the spectacular comeback of my lifetime, not surpassed by Roy Orbison and Cher, both of whom turned out to be one-offs. For a while Tina Turner looked like an anomaly: a woman over forty …
humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com
November 26, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Tina Turner cared less about R&B than about gutbucket rock, though she ranged wildly across genres. She would've celebrated a birthday. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2019/05/30/r...
Paul Mescal deserved to win Best Actor in 2022 for his hair alone. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2025/11/25/m...
My Alternative Oscars: Best Actor 2022
The nominees: Austin Butler – Elvis Colin Farrell – The Banshees of Inisherin Brendan Fraser – The Whale Paul Mescal – Aftersun Bill Nighy – Living The worst acting wi…
humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Paul Mescal deserved to win Best Actor in 2022 for his hair alone. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2025/11/25/m...
Tina Turner cared less about R&B than about gutbucket rock, though she ranged wildly across genres. She would've celebrated a birthday. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2019/05/30/r...
Ranking (Ike and) Tina Turner’s American top forty singles
Cheers to the spectacular comeback of my lifetime, not surpassed by Roy Orbison and Cher, both of whom turned out to be one-offs. For a while Tina Turner looked like an anomaly: a woman over forty …
humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com
November 26, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Tina Turner cared less about R&B than about gutbucket rock, though she ranged wildly across genres. She would've celebrated a birthday. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2019/05/30/r...
Reposted by Alfred Soto
Consider what came afterwards and how well "Tim McGraw" holds up as example of Taylor Swift's songwriting power -- and her shrewdness. For her first crossover hit, she's already setting up an anxiety of influence who needs overcoming. wp.me/pzXeC-kHT
Ranking #40 singles, U.S. edition: 2000-2008
If artistic and business circles overlap at all, consider the premium placed on Originality and its knavish twin “leadership.” Every one of us craves singularity; we like to claim we ar…
wp.me
November 26, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Consider what came afterwards and how well "Tim McGraw" holds up as example of Taylor Swift's songwriting power -- and her shrewdness. For her first crossover hit, she's already setting up an anxiety of influence who needs overcoming. wp.me/pzXeC-kHT
Consider what came afterwards and how well "Tim McGraw" holds up as example of Taylor Swift's songwriting power -- and her shrewdness. For her first crossover hit, she's already setting up an anxiety of influence who needs overcoming. wp.me/pzXeC-kHT
Ranking #40 singles, U.S. edition: 2000-2008
If artistic and business circles overlap at all, consider the premium placed on Originality and its knavish twin “leadership.” Every one of us craves singularity; we like to claim we ar…
wp.me
November 26, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Consider what came afterwards and how well "Tim McGraw" holds up as example of Taylor Swift's songwriting power -- and her shrewdness. For her first crossover hit, she's already setting up an anxiety of influence who needs overcoming. wp.me/pzXeC-kHT
Reposted by Alfred Soto
In which I dissect the 2022 Best Actor race: the worst winner in this category in years vs the most deserving nominee in years. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2025/11/25/m...
My Alternative Oscars: Best Actor 2022
The nominees: Austin Butler – Elvis Colin Farrell – The Banshees of Inisherin Brendan Fraser – The Whale Paul Mescal – Aftersun Bill Nighy – Living The worst acting wi…
humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:32 PM
In which I dissect the 2022 Best Actor race: the worst winner in this category in years vs the most deserving nominee in years. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2025/11/25/m...
In which I dissect the 2022 Best Actor race: the worst winner in this category in years vs the most deserving nominee in years. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2025/11/25/m...
My Alternative Oscars: Best Actor 2022
The nominees: Austin Butler – Elvis Colin Farrell – The Banshees of Inisherin Brendan Fraser – The Whale Paul Mescal – Aftersun Bill Nighy – Living The worst acting wi…
humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:32 PM
In which I dissect the 2022 Best Actor race: the worst winner in this category in years vs the most deserving nominee in years. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2025/11/25/m...
Reposted by Alfred Soto
A grab-bag, but I endorse every one of these bits. My favorite keyboard parts. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2021/06/23/m...
My 30 favorite keyboard parts
To what degree my beloved dance tracks rely on sequencers for their propulsion and immortality is not a point I wish to address here; but when I study this list I see a greater reliance on colorati…
humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:11 AM
A grab-bag, but I endorse every one of these bits. My favorite keyboard parts. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2021/06/23/m...
Reposted by Alfred Soto
Steve Nieve brings some real ABBA energy to Oliver’s Army.
November 25, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Steve Nieve brings some real ABBA energy to Oliver’s Army.
A grab-bag, but I endorse every one of these bits. My favorite keyboard parts. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2021/06/23/m...
My 30 favorite keyboard parts
To what degree my beloved dance tracks rely on sequencers for their propulsion and immortality is not a point I wish to address here; but when I study this list I see a greater reliance on colorati…
humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:11 AM
A grab-bag, but I endorse every one of these bits. My favorite keyboard parts. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2021/06/23/m...
Reposted by Alfred Soto
And now I get to The Killers covering "Shadowplay." wp.me/pzXeC-kHj
Ranking #68 singles, U.S. edition: 1999-2007
A position that during the mid ’00s became a graveyard for alternative rock hits, #68 was home to one of Beyonce’s most freakum album tracks and a Juvenile track I’d never heard b…
wp.me
November 25, 2025 at 1:32 AM
And now I get to The Killers covering "Shadowplay." wp.me/pzXeC-kHj
And now I get to The Killers covering "Shadowplay." wp.me/pzXeC-kHj
Ranking #68 singles, U.S. edition: 1999-2007
A position that during the mid ’00s became a graveyard for alternative rock hits, #68 was home to one of Beyonce’s most freakum album tracks and a Juvenile track I’d never heard b…
wp.me
November 25, 2025 at 1:32 AM
And now I get to The Killers covering "Shadowplay." wp.me/pzXeC-kHj
Gonna lead a mission to persuade reporters from saying "altercation." It's an "argument," a "fight," people. Stop using cop language.
November 24, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Gonna lead a mission to persuade reporters from saying "altercation." It's an "argument," a "fight," people. Stop using cop language.
I reviewed Joachim Trier's SENTIMENTAL VALUE. As Americans approach the holiday seasons, it has resonance. We may have other ways to show affection to a relative, but, as this film argues, we have a duty to explain how and why. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2025/11/24/r...
Recriminations and confidences: ‘Sentimental Value’
Gustav, the director played by Stellan Skarsgård, sees potential in his school-aged grandson. “Erik has secrets,” he informs daughter Agnes. Gustav would like to cast the boy in his fir…
humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:07 PM
I reviewed Joachim Trier's SENTIMENTAL VALUE. As Americans approach the holiday seasons, it has resonance. We may have other ways to show affection to a relative, but, as this film argues, we have a duty to explain how and why. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2025/11/24/r...
Reposted by Alfred Soto
Clem Burke's birthday reminds me that he ranks among my favorite drummers. wp.me/pzXeC-dNI
The best drum breaks, solos, and moments in rock
Replaying “Cattle and Cane” this morning, I marveled anew at what Lindy Morrison had gotten away with. By drumming in what amounted to 11/4 time (a bar of 5, followed by 2, then 4, acco…
wp.me
November 24, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Clem Burke's birthday reminds me that he ranks among my favorite drummers. wp.me/pzXeC-dNI
Reposted by Alfred Soto
This list rules. I’m going to have such a good time going back and listening closely to these!
Clem Burke's birthday reminds me that he ranks among my favorite drummers. wp.me/pzXeC-dNI
The best drum breaks, solos, and moments in rock
Replaying “Cattle and Cane” this morning, I marveled anew at what Lindy Morrison had gotten away with. By drumming in what amounted to 11/4 time (a bar of 5, followed by 2, then 4, acco…
wp.me
November 24, 2025 at 1:13 PM
This list rules. I’m going to have such a good time going back and listening closely to these!
Clem Burke's birthday reminds me that he ranks among my favorite drummers. wp.me/pzXeC-dNI
The best drum breaks, solos, and moments in rock
Replaying “Cattle and Cane” this morning, I marveled anew at what Lindy Morrison had gotten away with. By drumming in what amounted to 11/4 time (a bar of 5, followed by 2, then 4, acco…
wp.me
November 24, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Clem Burke's birthday reminds me that he ranks among my favorite drummers. wp.me/pzXeC-dNI
Reposted by Alfred Soto
Country singles pausing at #38. So did bangers like "Move Any Mountain," "Constant Craving," "Too Blind to See It." I'd never heard (of) Cause & Effect: imagine Information Society in 1992. Sting and Bad Company make a final effort. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2025/11/24/r...
Ranking #38 singles, U.S. edition: 1992-2001
Refuting cliches about the neatness of trend deaths, Causes & Effect scored a minor hit in early ’92 with a song that, misogyny aside, wouldn’t have surprised Information Society.
humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Country singles pausing at #38. So did bangers like "Move Any Mountain," "Constant Craving," "Too Blind to See It." I'd never heard (of) Cause & Effect: imagine Information Society in 1992. Sting and Bad Company make a final effort. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2025/11/24/r...
Reposted by Alfred Soto
I think we thought of Cause and Effect as a Depeche Mode bite at the time
November 24, 2025 at 1:42 AM
I think we thought of Cause and Effect as a Depeche Mode bite at the time
Country singles pausing at #38. So did bangers like "Move Any Mountain," "Constant Craving," "Too Blind to See It." I'd never heard (of) Cause & Effect: imagine Information Society in 1992. Sting and Bad Company make a final effort. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2025/11/24/r...
Ranking #38 singles, U.S. edition: 1992-2001
Refuting cliches about the neatness of trend deaths, Causes & Effect scored a minor hit in early ’92 with a song that, misogyny aside, wouldn’t have surprised Information Society.
humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Country singles pausing at #38. So did bangers like "Move Any Mountain," "Constant Craving," "Too Blind to See It." I'd never heard (of) Cause & Effect: imagine Information Society in 1992. Sting and Bad Company make a final effort. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2025/11/24/r...
Reposted by Alfred Soto
The Star Wars cast avidly discusses whether Meco's theme deserves a high position in this rundown of the best instrumentals to hit #1. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2019/09/11/r...
Ranking instrumental #1s, America
Here I am, considering where Lawrence Welk’s “Calcutta” would rank in any of my posts. Sign of the times. David Rose’s “The Stripper” my generation heard in its …
humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:01 PM
The Star Wars cast avidly discusses whether Meco's theme deserves a high position in this rundown of the best instrumentals to hit #1. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2019/09/11/r...
The Star Wars cast avidly discusses whether Meco's theme deserves a high position in this rundown of the best instrumentals to hit #1. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2019/09/11/r...
Ranking instrumental #1s, America
Here I am, considering where Lawrence Welk’s “Calcutta” would rank in any of my posts. Sign of the times. David Rose’s “The Stripper” my generation heard in its …
humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:01 PM
The Star Wars cast avidly discusses whether Meco's theme deserves a high position in this rundown of the best instrumentals to hit #1. humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2019/09/11/r...