Simon Vozick-Levinson
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simonwilliam.bsky.social
Simon Vozick-Levinson
@simonwilliam.bsky.social
5.7K followers 980 following 290 posts
deputy music editor at rolling stone // just my own opinions over here
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simonwilliam.bsky.social
i did this interview with Aphex Twin in 2014, before i had kids. now that i'm a parent of two grade-schoolers, gotta say i find this part very relatable lol.

www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
Excerpt from a 2014 interview with Richard D. James, aka Aphex Twin, published in Rolling Stone. Q: Do you work mostly during the day or at night? A: The best part is when everyone’s gone to bed, always. It’s a really good time of the day for creating stuff. Naturally I would stay up until about five in the morning, but when I’ve got to take my kids to school, I’ve got to go to bed early. It really sucks. At the moment, it’s holidays, so I’m fine. But it’s really fucking annoying. I really can’t stand it. That’s the only bad thing about having kids, I think, is that you’ve got to get up to get them to school.
July 10, 2025 at 2:38 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
up now at rolling stone! i chatted with Water From Your Eyes about their jaw-droppingly brilliant new album, IT’S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE. we also talked a lot about the red hot chili peppers. photos by @grifflotz.bsky.social

www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
Photo of Rachel Brown and Nate Amos of Water From Your Eyes by Griffin Lotz for Rolling Stone
June 12, 2025 at 2:12 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
summer’s here and the time is right for a new rolling stone cover story! this one’s a dream come true, words by
@angiemartoccio.bsky.social, and photos by David LaChapelle

www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
Cover of Rolling Stone's July/August 2025 issue, starring Sabrina Carpenter. Story by Angie Martoccio, photos by David LaChapelle.
June 12, 2025 at 1:24 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
lily seabird writes the kind of songs that would make her hero leonard cohen proud. read our interview, up now at rolling stone!

www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
Photo of Lily Seabird by Owen Benfield for Rolling Stone
June 3, 2025 at 1:11 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
on a professional level, i sympathize with the reporter who's being asked to provide breaking news updates and can only offer "uh... it's kinda cold out?"
from NYT breaking news alert on the selection of the new pope: "An evening chill can be felt as the sun sets behind St. Peter’s Basilica. The throngs of priests, nuns and Vatican workers who’ve assembled on rooftops for a glimpse of history don’t seem to mind."
May 8, 2025 at 5:07 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
📢 new interview up now at rolling stone! i chatted with Lifeguard, who made one of my favorite debuts of the year. get excited for this album if you like catchy, original guitar music! it's seriously so good. photos by @grifflotz.bsky.social

www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
Photo of Lifeguard by Griffin Lotz for Rolling Stone. (From left: Isaac Lowenstein, Asher Case, and Kai Slater.) The Chicago band has an awesome debut album coming out this summer through Matador. Read all about it at Rolling Stone.
May 7, 2025 at 2:52 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
what a great tribute to Bob Seger on his 80th birthday, by rob sheffield

www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
Excerpt from Rob Sheffield's 80th birthday tribute to Bob Seger: Everything people love about Bob Seger is right there in “Rock & Roll Never Forgets.” This song isn’t just an invitation — it’s a detailed step-by-step explainer about how to go to a rock show. “Go down to the concert or a local bar,” Bob advises. “Check the local newspaper, chances are you won’t have to go too far.” Talk about service-y. As a kid, I heard him singing to rookie fans like me, but he’s really an adult singing to his fellow adults — the “sweet 16s turned 31.” He assures them that they belong here, that music isn’t just for the young or the cool or the glamorous. Bob’s out here telling 30-somethings—unimaginable in Seventies rock terms—that you have a place on the dance floor, even if you feel old and awkward, even if you have to get up in the morning. And if you’re out of practice, so what? Come back, baby, rock & roll never forgets.
May 6, 2025 at 5:42 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
is this album underrated, or correctly known to all as a classic of its time? anyway, it rules.
Cover art for No Age's album Everything In Between, released in 2010 through Sub Pop. It's a black-and-white image of a crumpled-up piece of paper with the band and album names printed in sans-serif caps.
May 2, 2025 at 7:19 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
congrats to anyone who signed up for this email list at any point in the last 12 years! (i’m very excited, this novel sounds awesome)
Penguin Random House preorder page for Thomas Pynchon’s new novel, Shadow Ticket, out October 7 2025. It’s his first novel since 2013. There’s a pop-up prompt for an email list: “Never miss a new book by Thomas Pynchon!”
April 9, 2025 at 2:54 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
take it from the New York Times: THE SINGER SISTERS nails the songwriting part of any great music novel!

us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
Excerpt from a review of Jennifer Weiner's new novel 'The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits,' reviewed by Caryn Ganz for the New York Times: Sarah Seltzer’s 2024 “The Singer Sisters” also spins a novel out of the secrets and songwriting of a family band, including a daughter trying to make a name for herself while leaning on its legacy. The sisters there were ’70s folkies; the daughter a ’90s alt-rocker; and the lyrics a whole lot stronger. Songwriting is not easy!
April 8, 2025 at 7:15 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
just saw st. vincent play a very small room in austin and it was awesome
St. Vincent at the Rivian Electric Warehouse in Austin, TX for SXSW 2025
March 15, 2025 at 3:23 AM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
unfortunately apt metaphor alert
New York Times front page on February 21, 2025. The headline on one story reads “The S.S. United States is Going Down for Good.” The story is about the former ocean liner of that name, which is being sunk and turned into an artificial reef.
February 21, 2025 at 10:22 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
my 8-year-old son has grown obsessed with an old english folk song called "the carrion crow." i stepped away from my desk and when i return - what do i see on my screen? that's right. it's the lyrics to "the carrion crow"
Lyrics to an old English folk song, author unknown. "A carrion crow sat on an oak, Derry, derry, derry, decco; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shaping his cloak. Heigh-ho! the carrion crow, Derry, derry, derry, decco."
February 18, 2025 at 9:25 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
important piece. this is what all the repugnant hand-waving about “DEI” from the right wing really boils down to.
Victor Ray writes: “Behind the anti-diversity movement’s performative worries about qualification is a not-so-subtle subtext implying that any person of color in a position of authority is unqualified. The Civil Rights Movement successfully stigmatized many overt expressions of racism and this was a sign of progress. Freedom from harassment is a prerequisite for equal participation in workplaces and schools, and asking that your colleagues not disparage your race or gender should not be an unreasonable imposition. Yet, some have always chafed at even these mild restrictions. Claims that DEI means “Didn’t Earn It” is one way people signal their support for old-school racism while avoiding the sanction of using open slurs. Couching bigotry in concern about “qualifications” (which only seems to apply to non-White people) is just the socially acceptable way to launder racist disdain.”
January 31, 2025 at 1:38 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
i profiled Horsegirl, whose upcoming second album is a big leap forward from their brilliant debut, for the february issue of Rolling Stone. this band and their new album absolutely rule. please read and share! www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
Photo of Horsegirl: Penelope Lowenstein, Gigi Reece, Nora Cheng. Photo by Collette Aboussouan for Rolling Stone.
January 9, 2025 at 2:21 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
underrated album by a great band
Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? by Deerhunter
December 21, 2024 at 3:08 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
fyi! my colleagues do tons of amazing work every day - and now you can find it on this platform! bsky.app/profile/roll...
Rolling Stone is now on Bluesky! https://bsky.app/profile/rollingstone.com
December 16, 2024 at 8:15 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
from "Nothing is for sure, nothing is for certain/Nothing lasts forever, but until they close the curtain/It's him and I, Aquemini"

to:

www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
Excerpt from André 3000's Rolling Stone Interview with Andre Gee: What’s your mindset on new OutKast music now? I’ll say maybe 10, 15 years ago, in my mind, I thought an OutKast album would happen. I don’t know the future, but I can say that we’re further away from it than we’ve ever been. I think it’s a chemistry thing. We have to be wanting to do it. It’s hard for me to make a rap, period, you know? And sometimes I’m in the belief of “Let things be.” It was a great time in life, and our chemistry was at a certain place that was undeniable. And I think the audience sometimes believes that something has to last forever, and I don’t think that. Any kind of art form, I think that’s probably the opposite. It probably should not last forever. It’s not like a product. In the end, we did give a product, but what made that product was a certain time in both of our lives.
December 12, 2024 at 6:25 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
my favorite albums released in 2024
My top 10 albums released in 2024: 1. Charli XCX, Brat 2. This Is Lorelei, Box for Buddy, Box for Star 3. Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood 4. Fontaines D.C., Romance 5. Allegra Krieger, Art of the Unseen Infinity Machine 6. Kim Gordon, The Collective 7. Kendrick Lamar, GNX 8. MJ Lenderman, Manning Fireworks 9. Common and Pete Rock, The Auditorium, Vol. 1 10. Thus Love, All Pleasure My 40 favorite albums released in 2024: Charli XCX, Brat (Atlantic) This Is Lorelei, Box for Buddy, Box for Star (Double Double Whammy) Waxahatchee, Tigers Blood (Anti-) Fontaines D.C., Romance (XL) Allegra Krieger, Art of the Unseen Infinity Machine (Double Double Whammy) Kim Gordon, The Collective (Matador) Kendrick Lamar, GNX (pgLang/Interscope) MJ Lenderman, Manning Fireworks (Anti-) Common and Pete Rock, The Auditorium, Vol. 1 (Loma Vista) Thus Love, All Pleasure (Captured Tracks) Cindy Lee, Diamond Jubilee (Realistik Studios) The Smile, Wall of Eyes (XL) Soccer Mommy, Evergreen (Loma Vista) Lip Critic, Hex Dealer (Partisan) Mannequin Pussy, I Got Heaven (Epitaph) Anycia, Princess Pop That (UnitedMasters) Young Miko, att. (Capitol) Hello Mary, Emita Ox (Frenchkiss) Doechii, Alligator Bites Don’t Heal (TDE/Capitol) Mdou Moctar, Funeral for Justice (Matador) Future and Metro Boomin, We Still Don't Trust You (Epic/Republic) Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department (Republic) Cavalier, Different Type Time (Backwoodz Studioz) Hinds, Viva Hinds (Lucky Number) Rauw Alejandro, Cosa Nuestra (Sony Latin) Johnny Irion, Sleeping Soldiers of Love (Blackwing) GIFT, Illuminator (Captured Tracks) Been Stellar, Scream from New York, NY (Dirty Hit) Sleater-Kinney, Little Rope (Loma Vista) Ekko Astral, Pink Balloons (Topshelf) Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter (Parkwood/Columbia) Jack White, No Name (Third Man) Bnny, One Million Love Songs (Fire Talk) Sinkane, We Belong (City Slang) Sabrina Carpenter, Short 'n Sweet (Island) Sophie, Sophie (Transgressive) Brutus VIII, Pure Gluttony (Ramp Local) Schoolboy Q, Blue Lips (TDE/Interscope) May Rio, Elegant Ensemble (DPI) Sinaka, Kema (La única compañía)
December 11, 2024 at 1:35 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
released when i was in high school, shaped my taste forever:

• radiohead, kid a
• elliott smith, xo
• beck, midnite vultures
• the roots, things fall apart
Radiohead, Kid A Elliott Smith, XO Beck, Midnite Vultures The Roots, Things Fall Apart
December 8, 2024 at 12:20 AM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
just saw thurston moore, lee ranaldo, and steve shelley play an hour of improvised instrumental noise, which for a SY fan like me is sort of like seeing 3/4 of the beatles jam. spellbinding!
Thurston Moore, Dec 6, 2024 Lee Ranaldo, Dec 6, 2024 Steve Shelley, Dec 6, 2024
December 7, 2024 at 2:54 AM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
listening to tv on the radio’s NINE TYPES OF LIGHT (2011) and thinking that this is one of the more underrated rock albums of the 2010s. really holds up!
cover art for TV on the Radio’s 2011 album Nine Types of Light, which rules
November 29, 2024 at 6:44 PM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
it’s gluten free and it is delicious
a large pot of gluten-free mac and cheese that @sarahmseltzer.bsky.social and i made. happy thanksgiving!
November 29, 2024 at 1:07 AM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
this is fun. some acts i've seen live, A-Z:
Alvvays
 Beyoncé
 Casual Dots
 Deerhunter
 Empath
 FKA Twigs
 Grizzly Bear
 Hop Along
 Interpol
 Jay-Z
 Kurt Vile
 Lil Wayne
 Mdou Moctar
 Neil Young
 Olivia Tremor Control
 Pavement
 Queens of the Stone Age
 Radiohead
 Sleater-Kinney
 Taylor Swift
 Ultimate Painting
 Vince Staples Water From Your Eyes
 X
 Young Thug
 Zack de la Rocha (this is kind of cheating, only seen him perform with Rage)
November 25, 2024 at 12:28 AM
simonwilliam.bsky.social
Abigail pitched me on this story way back in May. it turned into a 5,500+ word #longread that i couldn't be prouder of! so happy to see it out in the world!

www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
A fan at All Things Go New York, September 2024. Photo by Maria-Juliana Rojas for Rolling Stone, from Abigail Covington's feature "Inside the Highs and Lows of Sapphic Pop's Banner Year"
November 24, 2024 at 6:20 PM