In honor of the holidays (and us being pretty fried because of the holidays, and the entire year that preceded them) this week’s episode is even more laid back and conversational than normal, and we hit record without any specific topic in mind. After some muttering and grumbling about getting older, and also how we were friends with Dash Rendar without realizing it, the conversation turned to what we’ve been listening to this year, music-wise. So, something along the lines of Max and Brian’s Spotify Wrapped: The Radio Drama, but with some of our usual detours and tangents. For anyone who prefers a more cohesive, less shoegaze-y audio product, don’t worry, This Thing Rules will return to its regularly scheduled programming in 2025. Thanks for bearing with us during these trying and festive holiday times. Here are the albums, artists and music-adjacent media we mentioned (or alluded to) in chronological order: Alli Goertz - Peeled back LL Cool - The FORCE Rome Streetz - Hat & garden hold up Griselda Records (Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher, Westside Gunn, Daringer) HEALTH - RAT WARS ULTRA EDITION Pixel grip - ARENA / Stamina Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - Challengers [MIXED] by Boys Noize NIN - Add Violence NIN - The Fragile The Sparks Brothers (2021 documentary) Sparks - No. 1 in Heaven Sparks - Exotic Creatures of the Deep Abba - Gold (greatest hits record, but also 33 ⅓ book about said record) Beastie Boys Book by Ad-Rock and Mike D (book and audiobook) Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty Madonna: Like an Icon by Lucy O’Brien (book) The Prodigy - Fat of the Land (and its album art by JAKe Detonator) Rage Against The Machine - Evil Empire Rage Against The Machine - Renegades Beck - Sea Change Nirvana - Nevermind Nirvana - In Utero Nirvana - Unplugged
