iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Interviewed Zack about drumming, indie rock, etc etc

CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

I cannot write about it as a Bandcamp Pick for MGRM as Swami for whatever reason don't throw their stuff on Bandcamp (missing out on a lot of money imo!) but the I Will Die In This Jean Jacket album fucking rules.

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

If you're looking for something fresh this Bandcamp Friday, my buddy Jake (occasional Merry-Go-Round contributor) just put out an EP! RIYL: The Cult, Alien Boy, Protomartyr, Fucked Up, The Twilight Sad, The Replacements. Olivia Rodrigo's drummer Jordi Radnoti is behind the kit on the whole EP!

macluster.bandcamp.com

Ritual, by Mac Luster

6 track album

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

The new Widowspeak is as close as they've ever gotten to interestingly sounding like Mazzy Star (and god knows they've tried, ample times); do with that what you will!

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Indieheads Podcast @indieheadspod.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Out now wherever you find podcasts, we’re joined by @cjsimonson.bsky.social & Luke Phillips of @mgrmagazine.bsky.social on this week’s episode to talk butt rock bands covering songs, paired with butt rock songs covered by indie bands/artists. Listen now: linktr.ee/indieheadspodcast

SONGS DISCUSSED:
Saliva - Lose Yourself
After - Cold
Nonpoint - In The Air Tonight
Midwife - Send the Pain Below
Puddle Of Mudd - Gimme Shelter
Lucy Dacus - Lips Of An Angel
Saliva – They Don’t Really Care About Us
Slow Pulp - Hanging By A Moment
Staind - Bring the Noise (ft. Fred Durst)
Bully - About a Girl
Disturbed - Shout 2000
Allison Lorenzen and Midwife - Glycerine

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Indieheads Podcast @indieheadspod.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

On this episode, we're joined by @cjsimonson.bsky.social & Luke of @mgrmagazine.bsky.social to talk butt rock bands covering songs, paired with butt rock songs covered by indie bands/artists. Support us on Patreon for as low as $1/month to hear this episode over 48 hours early!

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Watched THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE last night and I cannot stress enough, it posits that Jimmy Stewart for most of the film is a young man that just left Law School, meanwhile he looks like this. Makes him as a late 40s teen in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE look like child's play (pun intended).

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Been a while since I just cried to a song, but "Where It Lands" on the new Andrew Sa album just came outta nowhere and got me.

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

For anyone needing a roughly 2.5 hour distraction, really enjoyed playing KABUTO PARK, now available wherever you play games.

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Hey Nongman, go read @jackprobst.com’s profile of Scotty Aux

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Was at Planetary working Arlo's first record when we had #1 for like, 11 weeks or something insane, and have been at [PIAS] for both of the next two albums. Been really exciting to have been there since the beginning and see the reaction at radio evolve and grow.

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

New Labrador tune fully out today, good record and fun video!

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Labrador @labrador-tunes.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

@cjsimonson.bsky.social nailed it with this opening graf. Also, hey @ratboysband.bsky.social 👋

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Released a new Sequence Selector with the undeniable Cold Gawd. Prompt Matt drew was a playlist for the final moments before the asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs. Fun episode, he has some fun jabs at various punk and rock institutions as well. Like, Subscribe, etc!

m.youtube.com

Cold Gawd Builds A Playlist For The Final Moments Before the Asteroid Wiped Out the Dinosaurs

YouTube video by Sequence Selector

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Fascinating things are being asked on the Grateful Dead Facebook fan pages

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

My Phoenix Suns don’t have a lot, but at the very least when people hit threes at home the announcers will always be able to yell “they’re making it rain in the desert!”

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Listening to an album, getting to a song that's 11 minutes long, and just leaning back like Antonio Banderas in the 1995 film ASSASSINS evernever-records.bandcamp.com/track/gizzard

evernever-records.bandcamp.com

Gizzard, by National Photo Committee

from the album Red Hot Photo Committee

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Baffling new Spotify playlist to stumble upon, why does it look like this guy has killed his wife and is in a holding cell?

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

The Home Front + Spiritual Cramp Co-Headline would frankly save a lot of older punks lives, and that’s just a fact

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

No one has asked for this but, my top five U2 songs of the last 20 years: 5. "Ordinary Love" (Extraordinary Mix) 4. "Get On Your Boots" 3. "You're The Best Thing About Me" 2. "Every Breaking Wave" 1. "Song of the Future"

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Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

On ECHO IN THE DUST, you can sense Julianna Riolino's confidence growing. Both as a songwriter and especially as a performer, the varied and dazzling alt-country songs on her sophomore album exude a playful boldness. Check out our premiere of the deluxe version of the album today!

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Julianna Riolino's Thoughts Settle On The Sprawling ECHO IN THE DUST - MGRM

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

This IG ad is trying to tell me old people are putting peanut butter on their phones and that’s one of their biggest mistakes is that true?? I love putting peanut butter on my phone fml

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

The prompts for Sequence Selector are randomly assigned before we start rolling the cameras, but I really couldn't have given Gelli Haha a more Gelli Haha prompt than to build a playlist "for shrinking down in the Magic School Bus and exploring the human anatomy." SWITCHEROO coded for sure.

youtube.com

Gelli Haha Builds A Playlist For Shrinking Down In The Magic School Bus And Exploring Human Anatomy

YouTube video by Sequence Selector

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Best Remember Sports album since ALL OF SOMETHING, really great stuff

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

This is the kinda name / set up / premise a @pftompkins.bsky.social Comedy Bang! Bang! character would begin with ten years ago

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

An artist that has been posted plenty on indieheads, where plenty of weird video interview content gets shared, will get taken down, but a band called Daddy's Beemer can get zero upvotes and stay on. Make it make sense.

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Luke O'Neil @lukeoneil47.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Any successful news operation that emerges going forward will have to be unabashedly left wing. Landlords fucking people over? That's a left wing cause. Businesses polluting? Left wing. City councilor is corrupt? Left wing. Workers being mistreated? Sports stadium displacing housing? Buddy,

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Hello people of Bluesky. We dropped a second episode of Sequence Selector this week, featuring the great band Niis (on Get Better) making us a playlist for a summer bbq in hell! Like, comment, subscribe, do any of that fun stuff if you would!

youtube.com

Niis Build A Playlist For A Summer BBQ In Hell

YouTube video by Sequence Selector

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Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

"Come on in," Grace yells in SINNERS. It's an emotional response that has angered audiences since the film was released. But as our current political moment is revealing, the vampires were always here, and they don't plan on leaving. On I.C.E., Minneapolis, and Ryan Coogler's Best Picture nominee.

merrygoroundmagazine.com

DON'T LET THEM IN: SINNERS, Hell, and I.C.E. - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

"Come on in, you motherfuckers," Grace yells in SINNERS. It's an emotional response that has baffled and angered audiences since the film was released last year. But as our current political moment is...

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Hola! Some semi-professional'ish news: My creative partner Camille Smura and I have started up a YouTube channel! It's a music interview channel based around artists or bands building playlists around random prompts. It's called Sequence Selector!

youtube.com

Levi Evans Builds A Playlist For Riding A Several Mile Slip ‘n Slide

YouTube video by Sequence Selector

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Lauren Harper @laurenleharper.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

You can’t report illegal acts because you don’t want to compromise them being carried out is an interesting take, if true

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Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

Without further ado, we present our Top 50 Albums of 2025! From The Tubs' COTTON CROWN to Greet Death's DIE IN LOVE, Rico Nasty's LETHAL to Jobber's JOBBER TO THE STARS, we count down the best of the year according to our staff! Check out the list today!

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round’s Top 50 Albums of 2025 - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

From Shallowater to Nourished by Time, Ribbon Skirt to Black Country New Road, we count down the 50 best albums of 2025!

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

Wrote about both our best artist and best new artist of 2025! Enjoy!

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Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

To begin our three days of EOTY music coverage to close out 2025, let us begin with a pair of essays about the best artist and best new artist of the year! While the former was obvious, the latter is an act that many of our writers are buying stock in early. Enjoy!

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Merry-Go-Round’s Best Artist and Best New Artist of 2025 - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Merry-Go-Round Magazine is proud to anoint Gelli Haha and Geese as our Best New Artist and Best Artist of 2025 respectively.

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Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

Allegedly taking place in the year 2025, Spike Jonze's 2013 film HER is a fascinating depiction of not-so-future Los Angeles, capturing the feeling of what it is to live in the city while flouting its mechanical limitations. On AI, LA optimism, male loneliness, and more.

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Loneliness, LLMs, and Los Angeles: HER in 2025 - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Allegedly taking place in the year 2025, Spike Jonze's 2013 film HER is a fascinating depiction of not-so-future Los Angeles, feeling like what it is to live here while flouting its mechanical limitat...

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

Wrote about about a whole lotta covers for a sixth year in a row! And if you’re the type to want an easy r/indieheads post, by all means post it up there. Picks from Mavis Stapes excellent album, King Hannah, MJ Lenderman, etc. Happy Holidays!!

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

My top 300 songs of the year (in descending order). Cheers! open.spotify.com/playlist/5yr...

open.spotify.com

Best Songs of 2025

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Here she blows, top 100 albums and EPs from 2025. Cheers!

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Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

Five years ago, we claimed Danny Brown was the best artist of the 2010s. Half a decade later he might be in the conversation for the greatest of all time. On the difference five years makes, QUARANTA, his podcast, and the brilliantly colorful STARDUST.

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Danny Brown is the Greatest of All Time - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

Five years ago, we claimed Danny Brown was the best artist of the 2010s. Checking in now, he might be in the conversation for the greatest artist of all time.

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Merry-Go-Round Magazine @mgrmagazine.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

It's our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring @zayallcaps.bsky.social's modern madcap pop spectacle ART POP * POP ART and bloodsports' thrillingly aggressive ANYTHING CAN BE A HAMMER! Read about both and then check them out over on @bandcamp.com!

merrygoroundmagazine.com

Bandcamp Picks: zayALLCAPS & bloodsports - Merry-Go-Round Magazine

It's our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring zayALLCAPS' modern madcap pop spectacle ART POP * POP ART and bloodsports' thrillingly aggressive ANYTHING CAN BE A HAMMER!

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 02/11/2025

For so much of my life the Spurs and the Lakers were the teams I hated the most, denying those Suns teams in the 2000s Finals opportunities. But... since living in Los Angeles, it's become the Dodgers and its not really that close.

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

Should’ve ended with a grand slam against the bigot Clayton Kershaw smh

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CJ Simonson @cjsimonson.bsky.social · 18/10/2025

The 1%’er Pro-ICE Dodgers winning the World Series is just a bit on the nose no?

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Brendan Menapace @brendanmenapace.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

I'm over at @mgrmagazine.bsky.social for the first time writing about the finale of "WTF With Marc Maron," and the concept of what is or isn't a "satisfying" podcast finale at all in an era where it's eclipsing even legacy TV. merrygoroundmagazine.com/wtf-do-we-th...

merrygoroundmagazine.com

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