Opus Digest: January 2025
Highlighting some of the best stuff posted on Opus last month.
Jan 1: My Favorite Songs of 2024: Aphex Twin, Arooj Aftab, The Cure, Luxury, Pet Shop Boys, Starflyer 59
The year brought us ambient classics, otherworldly jams, the return of goth and synth-pop icons, thoughtful post-punk, existential shoegaze, and more.
Jan 1: January 2025’s Best Streaming Titles: Severance, Heat, Interstellar, Wallace & Gromit, Prey
Lumon Industries, Pacino vs. De Niro, black holes, Wensleydale cheese, the Predator, and more.
Jan 3: My Cultural Diet (December 2024): Dune, Gladiator, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Cross, Bloodsport, Jamie Foxx
A quick rundown of last month’s cultural experiences.
Jan 3: “Forever Green” by The Veldt
The “soul-shoegaze-alternative rock” band delivers a blistering performance for KEXP.
Jan 5: My Favorite Posts From 2024
These posts from last year best exemplify what I’m trying to achieve here on Opus.
Jan 5: Opus in Numbers (2024 Edition)
The site continued to grow with its busiest and most active year in maybe ever.
Jan 8: DOOM: The Gallery Experience Is a First-Person Art History Lesson
The iconic first-person shooter is now a relaxing, and educational, trip to the art gallery.
Jan 11: “Raw Blue” by Whirr
The Modesto-based shoegaze band’s latest album was self-released on Christmas Day 2024.
Jan 13: Macross Has Finally Come to Hulu
After a long delay, American audiences can now enjoy one of anime’s most iconic franchises.
Jan 14: Knights Don’t Cry: A Dungeon Synth Tribute to The Cure by Various Artists (Review)
This unlikely compilation reveals some cavernous new depths to The Cure’s already massive influence.
Jan 14: The Problem of Neil Gaiman
It’s only right and fair that we should want our favorite artists to be decent men and women. But what if they’re not?
Jan 20: “All My Friends Who Play Guitar (Dormir Version)” by Starflyer 59
One of the band’s most lust and cinematic songs gets the lullaby treatment.
Jan 21: New Subscriber Playlist: “The Bluest of Velvets, Volume 2”
This month’s subscriber-only playlist and podcast episode offers another look at one of my favorite indie labels.
Jan 22: Lost in Ohio Is Reissuing Aunt Bettys’ 1996 Debut Album
The alternative rock group was fronted by the late Michael Knott in the mid-to-late ’90s.
Jan 24: So Long, Elon
When the President’s right-hand man doesn’t care that he’s making neo-Nazis and white supremacists happy, I know it’s time to go.
Jan 27: An Extremely Slow Motion Explosion by Yttriphie (Review)
Soulwhirlingsomewhere’s Michael Plaster returns with a new album filled with lush, evocative ambience and atmospherics.
Jan 29: “Glue” by Cigarettes for Breakfast
The Philadelphia outfit pummels your eardrums in the finest classic shoegaze fashion.
Jan 29: “Batman Forever” by Jeffrey Runnings
The For Against frontman, who is currently in hospice for stage 4 cancer, is releasing a new solo album later this year.
Jan 30: In the Grim Darkness of the Far Future, There Is More Astartes
Syama Pedersen is returning with more Warhammer 40,000 animation, and it looks awesome.
Jan 30: “Gonna Need a Vacation” by Fine China
The Arizona-based indie poppers return with a classic-sounding single from their upcoming album.
Related: Opus’ full January 2025 archives.
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