#Real emo sounds ENERGETIC

[anduinwrynngaysex]

the real reason that wrathion and anduin could never forgive each other is that anduin is an emo purist who only listens to american football, car seat headrest, home is where and rites of spring, and wrathion is a myspace emo who only listens to metalcore and pop punk

[budutinahrobnositmandarinky]

i found this emojiridden copypasta that i made in 2020 in the depths of my notes app and i think the world (like 3 people on tumblr dot com) should see it.

twin size mattress

This 👉 is for the lions 🦁 living 🌱in the wiry⛓️ broke 🚫💸 down ⬇️ frames 🔳 of my friends 🤼 bodies 🏋️‍♀️

When ⌚the flood water 🌊 comes🏃‍♀️, it ain't💁‍♂️ gonna be clear 💎

It's gonna look 👀 like mud 🤢

But I 🙋will help 💪 you swim 🏊

I 🙋‍♂️ will help✌️ you swim 🧜

I'm gonna help 🙏 you swim 🤽

This 👈 is for the snakes 🐍 and the people👫 they bite 🦷

For the friends 🤸 I've made; for the sleepless 🚫🛌 nights 🌌

For the warning ⚠️ signs I've completely ignored 🤦‍♀️

There's an amount to take 🎁, reasons 🤔 to take more 🛒

It's no big 🧿 surprise 🥳 you turned out 📝this way 🛣️

When they close 🗝️ their eyes 👁️ and prayed🛐 you would change ♻️

And they cut your hair 💇‍♂️, and sent 📨 you away ↪️

You stopped ✋ by my house 🏠 the night 🌌 you escaped 🏃‍♀️

With tears💧in my eyes 👁️, I begged 🙏 you to stay🕺

You said 🗣️, hey man 👨‍🌾, I love 😍 you 💆‍♀️ but no 🙅‍♂️ fucking way 🛤️

I'm sure 👩‍🏫 that we could find 🕵️ something🙌 for you 🧘‍♀️ to do on stage 🎶

Maybe shake 🗯️ a tambourine 🥁 or when I sing 👨‍🎤, you sing harmonies 👩‍🎤

This 👐 is for the lake 💦 that me and my friends 👬 swim 🏊‍♀️ in

Naked 🧖‍♂️ and dumb 🤪 on a drunken🍹 night 🌃

And it should've 🙈 felt good 👍

But I 🙋‍♀️can hear 👂the Jaws 🦈theme song 🎵 on repeat 🔁 in the back 🔙 of my mind💆‍♂️

Make sure you kiss 💋 your knuckles ✊ before ⏪ you punch 👊 me in the face 👩

There are lessons 👨‍🏫 to be learned 🧐, consequences 😬 for all the stupid 🤪 things I say 🗣️

And it is no 🚫 big surprise 🎉 you turned out this way 🛣️

The spark ✨ in her eyes 👁️

The look 👀 on your face 👩

I will not 🚫 be late ⚰️

I'm sure 🤔 that we could find 🕵️‍♂️ something for you 🙇‍♀️ to do on stage 🎤

Maybe shake 🌀 a tambourine 🥁 or when I👩‍🎤 sing, you sing 👨‍🎤 harmonies

I wanna contribute 🤲 to the chaos 🦠

I don't wanna 🙅‍♂️ watch 👀 and then complain 😾

'Cause I am through ☠️ finding blame 🙊

That is the decision 🤔 that I have made 🚽

She hopes 🙆 I'm cursed 🧙‍♂️ forever ♾️ to

Sleep 💤 on a twin-sized 👯 mattress 🛏️

In somebody's attic ⬆️ or basement ⬇️ my whole life 👴

Never graduating 🎓 up in size to add ➕ another ⏭️

And my nightmares 👹 will have nightmares👺 every night 🌃

Oh, every night 🌉, every night 🌌

[torotits]

we should start saying men don’t cry again so they start making more fuckass music

[yuri-is-online]

OMG SKULLLYYYYY

HES SO CUTE- HES SO ANIMATED AND HIS VOICE IS PITCHED JUST RIGHT THATS ITS LIKE "OH YOURE A PUPPY" AND IT FITS HIM SO WELL AND HES SO FLUFFY AND HE FUCKING KISSED EVERYONE AND CALLED YUU LOVELY AND IS JUST JOKINGLY FLIRTING WITH EVERYONE AND I JUST-

ALL THE OTHER CHACTERS ARE ALL RESERVED AND WEIRD WHEN IT COMES TO HIGS AND KISSES BUT YOU KNOW WHO AINT?! THIS GUY!!! THIS GAY IS FINE IF YUUS ALL KISSY FLIRTY WITH HIM CAUSE HES THE SAME WAY AND ITS JUST 😫😫😫😫 WE HAVE AN OUTLET!!! I CAN BE AS AFFECTIONATE AS I DAMN WELL PLEASE WITH THIS MF AND IT'LL BE FINE CAUSE HE MATCHES ENERGY SO WELL

HES MY NEW FAVORITE WHITE BOY!!! HES SUCH A GENTLEMAN BUT IN SUCH A CHAOTIC WAY AND I LOVE HIM SO MUCH OMGGGGGG

He's so energetic and full of life in the same way as the Addams Family is, a real win for the goths and the emos who have stayed stanning Jack the Pumpkin King since Hot Topic first opened it's doors <3

He's even holding Yuu in his arms when they wake up... which gave me a truly evil idea he's such a sweetheart by the sounds of the event so far I will be so sad when we forget everything upon leaving the book. The other NRC guys are just jealous he has the confidence and energy to be a fun flirt because they're too used to Rook pretending to be french to appreciate Skully's swagger lol

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Oh my hey! Please, if you haven't already, please, could you do if you haven't please do favorite singer and song of the sdv bachelor/ettes

Oh, this is the first time I've posted an ask about a topic like this, so I hope I did it right. Thanks for the question, and have a great day! 🫰💕

_________________________________________

SDV bachelors:

Harvey's radio will always play Louis Daniel Armstrong or Ella Jane Fitzgerald because the doctor loves listening to jazz. If he wants something more energetic, Harvey will switch to the Latin music radio channel. He's sure to start dancing in the kitchen when Pete Rodríguez's "I Like It Like That" comes on. With music like that, cooking dinner becomes more interesting and fun.

It may sound pretty cliche, but Alex will definitely have a workout playlist with songs from the 80s rock and roll, pop rock and metal genres. Stan Bush ("Touch", "Fight for survive", "Never surrender"), Paul Engemann ("Push it to the limit, "The Eagle Lands"), Survivor ("Eye of Tiger"), Judas Priest ("All guns blazing", "The Sentinel") would be his favorites.

I'm sure Sebastian will be a fan of alternative rock (Nirvana - "Smell like teen spirit" and "Lithium"), emo-core (Taking back Sunday - "Cute without an "E") and electronic rock (almost all Celldweller albums, his favourite album is "Wish upon a Blackstar"). I also think that Sebby often likes to enjoy breakcore, not really remembering the specific artists and listening to whatever he likes. This is how I imagine Sebastian trying to explain to his mom what breakcore is (Warning: loud).

It's quite difficult with Sam because he's a real melomaniac. He listens to absolutely everything and almost all the time. Depending on his mood, he can listen to both heavy metal and pop music. However, the most frequently played bands in his music player are definitely the Beatles (his two favourite albums are "Help" and "Yellow submarine"), Coldplay ("Yellow") and Arctic Monkeys (the album"AM"). And also any popular song that gets stuck in his head (California girls we're unforgettable, daisy dukes bikini on top-).

Classics for Elliott! Our dear writer - and without masterpieces of classical music? Unthinkable! Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Grieg, Debussy - all either playing in his little radio on the table, or the writer himself sits down at his piano and plays music by famous composers. He also loves modern classical music, and sometimes light jazz.

Shane listens to rock and heavy metal like Metallica, Ramstein, AC/DC all the time and you won't change my mind (I'll fight for that headcanon). I like to think he just lies on his bed, turns on his music player and plays the loudest heavy rock you can imagine in his headphones. One of his favourite songs that he listens to all the time is "For whom the bell tolls" (Metallica).

SDV bachelorettes:

Actually, I always thought that Maru would like synthwave and retrowave genre. I don't know why, but it would be just her style to include a playlist with synthwave artists (all Home songs, especially "Resonance" and "Head first"). If this genre is a too calm and the young inventor wants something a bit more energetic, her choice would be Daft Punk (Around the world, around the woooooooooooooorld!) or Disclosure ("Grab her" and "Omen" are her favorite songs).

Abigail's choices are quite chaotic. One moment she can listen to dark electro (Owl vision - "Horus" and "Holy shit"), and the next moment the amethyst lover admires folk music and promises herself that she will also learn to play the flute (Percival Schuttenbach - almost all songs, but especially "Karanfilce" and "Lazare", as well as Sowulo - the whole album "Sol"). She is also a lover of video game soundtracks and dark ambient. As I said before, pretty chaotic music taste.

All the popular pop, dance-pop and R&B you can think of - that's what Haley's playlist is. Ariana Grande, Doja Cat, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Britney Spears.... Haley doesn't have a particular favourite song, she likes everything. In the evening she likes to listen to the same pop and dance music songs, but in slowed down version + reverb.

Emily just can't live without energetic dance music. She could probably compete with Sam for the title of Starview Valley's music lover. And the genres can be diverse: from electro-swing (Caravan Palace) to Latin music (don't play Kaoma - "Lambada" in front of her, otherwise she will drag you to dance), from RnB (Beyoncé) to disco (Bee Gees).

When classical music is played, Penny falls into a melancholic mood. She is particularly affected by Claude Debussy's cycle of six piano pieces "Children's Corner", and she loves to listen to the piano version and the orchestra version equally. Besides classics, the young teacher also likes to listen to Enya (she always sheds tears when she listens to "May it be" or "Aniron"). But Penny will shed real rivers of tears if she hears the soundtrack from Titanic (especially "Hymn to the Sea").

If you ask Leah about her favourite music, the artist will name you a few groups of indie music and alternative music. After all, those are her favourite genres. In her free time, she sometimes likes to relax listening to Slenderbodies (especially "Belong" and "Opal ocean"), or Glass Animals (she can listen to the whole "Zaba" album all day long and she won't get bored). Leah also loves listening to songs by the indie duo King of Convenience (especially "Mrs Cold").

[agoddamnbeautifulidiot]

Flicker of Hope

Epilogue One: Madison Square Garden - Night One

A/N:

Hey bitches. Bet you never thought you’d see me again.

That’s right. Flicker of Hope is back…sort of…

So, I’m sadly never going to be able to finish this story. A lot has changed for me and a lot has also changed for Niall. It’s also been 7 years since I started this story (and isn’t that fucking wild, like 7 years!?!) With that being said, I’ve decided, mostly because Sarah @harrywavycurly drunkenly asked me on our first Niall show in Raleigh, if I was ever going to finish it. So here is an epilogue to let you know what Niall and our main character are up to in the present day at his two SOLD OUT Madison Square Garden shows AND how they got there. This will be two parts.

Only real warnings are that this is EMO because I was so very emo seeing Niall at MSG, and that it might’ve gotten a little spicy. Nothing explicit, just implied.

Thank you so much for all the love on this. I hope you enjoy ❤️

--------------------

There’s nothing like seeing Niall perform.

Even sitting at sound check, you’re in awe. Niall has always been an energetic artist on stage, even with his knee issues. But this particular performance, this venue, he’s hyped like never before.

He’s played Madison Square Garden before, several years before the two of you had met. This time, though, it’s his name on the marquee. Only his. And while the thought of that has given him quite a bit of anxiety over the last year, he’s also been bouncing off the walls waiting for this moment to arrive.

Standing next to the mix, you laugh watching Niall and John wiggle their bodies at each other as they run through “If You Leave Me”. You quickly open your phone camera and record them, laughing harder as Niall’s hips move ridiculously.

“Such a dad dance,” you mutter, shoving your phone back in your pocket. You make your way through the floor, nodding and smiling at the crew members still working, and stand at the end of the catwalk just as the song ends. The band all congregates for a moment, Niall facing the drums as they talk. Smiling, you cup your hands around your mouth and shout, “Play ‘The Tide’!” Ducking down quickly, you can hear the band laughing and the sound of quick footsteps.

Over the lip of the stage, Niall’s face appears, eyebrow raised as he smirks at you. “You gon’ interrupt every sound check, love?”

Smirking back, you stand, bracing yourself against the barrier. “If you ever took my requests seriously, maybe I wouldn’t have to.” He laughs, eyes crinkling.

“I took ya request that one time.”

“Niall,” you scoff. “I suggested ‘San Francisco’ in Raleigh as a joke. It made absolutely no sense to debut it there and you know it. You just like being chaotic.” He just grins cheekily.

“Hey, lovebirds!” You both glance back to center stage at John, arms resting on his bass, the band watching you both. “Be nice to finish this and get some lunch if ya don’t mind. You know how Jake gets if we don’ keep him fed.” Rolling your eyes, you flip him off, everyone laughing when Jake throws a pick at him.

Niall turns back to you, hands on his hips and winks before turning and striding back up the catwalk. Leaning further against the barrier, you smile, watching how happy each and every one of them is at this moment.

--------------------

Two hours before Niall goes on, you’re starting your pre show ritual. The doors of MSG have just opened and you know in a few minutes the area will start to fill with chatter. Triple checking that your pass is visible and you have your phone (neither you nor Niall has ever forgotten the anxiety of you getting lost in Boston almost seven years ago), you head out the backstage door and onto the floor.

When you’d first started following Niall, during his Flicker Sessions, the idea of being in the crowd had honestly been kind of terrifying. Niall’s fans were great, but you’d seen the mania of One Direction, so you hadn’t known what to expect. Later, during the tail end of the Flicker World Tour, you’d decided to start walking around the crowd, passing out picks and accepting gifts from the people who loved him.

When Niall had announced The Show Live on Tour, you’d seen quite a few TikToks of his fans making friendship bracelets and decided to do it yourself. Niall had laughed when the Amazon order of beads, letters and string had arrived.

“How many bracelets are ya planning on makin’ there babe?” He’d asked as you organized your purchases on the dining table.

You’d shrugged, mentally counting your letter packs. “I don’t know. I was thinking like 75-100 per show depending on how hard it is.”

Niall had thought you’d gone absolutely mad. “But…there’s 96 shows.”

“That’s why I’m getting started now.”

In the end, you’d managed to make 5,000 bracelets. Well, you, a few friends and even Niall had made a few, despite how frustrating he found the art. So, at each show, you grabbed an already counted out bag full and headed out into the arena, handing out a few in each section. Having been around Niall so long, most of the fans knew who you were and were incredibly nice. Sometimes though, you’d walk by a crowd and no one would really seem to recognize you. Those were fun. You’d give out a few bracelets and then, later on Instagram on TikTok, find out someone had told them who you were. Niall always got a good laugh out of those posts.

As the crowd started filtering in, you headed to the elevator to start at the higher seats. The elevator attendant happily took you all the way up to the top, accepting a bracelet as payment and offering a fist bump as you left. Even with your massive fear of heights, this view of the stage was incredible. You could see people filling in the seats below, laughter and screaming already floating up into the rafters.

You notice people filing into the bridge and made your way in their direction. Laughing slightly, you shook your head at the photo queue forming behind Harry’s banner. You and Niall had come up here earlier and done the same, taking silly photos and videos to send to his friend and former band mate.

“Oh my god! Y/N!” Smiling, you turn and wave as a group of younger girls comes in your direction.

“Hi!” You offer them bracelets, accepting some from them in return, and take a few photos, pointing at Niall on their shirts. Wishing them a good time, you start making your way around to the other side and back into the rest of the arena.

--------------------

You finally make it backstage about halfway into Del Water Gap’s set. The bracelets had run out a while ago, but you enjoyed hanging out with the fans and lurking on them.

The band is chilling as you come into the doorway of the green room. Your eyes search the roof for that familiar face, and you frown slightly when you can’t find him. Emily looks up and smiles at you. She points to her right and you look down the hall at the door to Niall’s room. She laughs and catches the kiss you blow in her direction and several others look up and laugh as you disappear down the hall.

His door is open and you stick close to the doorframe as you watch him. He’s in his pants and tank top, vest hanging on the back of his chair. Standing there, you take a minute to admire him. Niall has always, always been attractive to you. Blonde, brunette, scrawny, now more filled out, it’s never mattered to you. He just has this energy, this joy and confidence that makes him so easy to love, even when it once used to be in secret.

“Uh oh, don’ be gettin’ dat look in your eye.” Your eyes meet and you shake your head at him.

“And what look is that?”

Niall wiggles his eyebrows, shoulders shimmying slightly. “Like ya wish ya could ravish me. I hate to say it, love, but we just don’t have time right now.”

You snort and roll your eyes, fully coming into the room and walking over to his chair. He turns to face you better and even with his silly grin, you can’t help but reach out to cradle his face in both hands. Leaning down, you feel him tilt his head up to you, his eyes shining. Your lips brush against his lightly, and you can feel the twitch of his body when you pull just slightly out of reach after so little affection. With a sigh, your fingers brush the short hairs at the nape of his neck. “Hate to break it to you, Horan, but we aren’t all slags like you. Some of us can keep it in our pants for a whole concert.”

Niall jerks slightly back from you, slightly shocked for only a moment before he smiles and his hands grab your waist to drag you onto his lap. He grasps you firmly, fingers digging in as he tickles you. “Oh ‘m a slag am I? Gotta talk ta whoever is teaching ya language like that, babe.”

You laugh, pulling at his fingers in an effort to make the torture stop. “It was Deo! It was Deo!” Niall laughs at your shouting, finally ceasing his assault on your sides and just winds his arms around your middle.

“Always knew that guy was trouble.” He mumbles, humming slightly as your fingers massage his neck.

“Well,” you draw out the word. “I’d say trouble honestly runs in the family.” Niall snorts, rolling his eyes. His hold on you tightens and his head drops forward to rest on your sternum. “Also, I feel like I’ve been letting you watch too much Bridgerton if you’re using words like ‘ravish’.”

You both laugh lightly, your embrace and the moment becoming softer. “I don’ know about lettin’ me since you’re the one who always turns it on.”

“Debatable.”

In a regular day, you’d expect more of a silly fight with Niall. Tonight, however, it’s not shocking that he just huffs out a laugh against your skin and murmurs, “Whatever ya say, love.”

Your fingers continue to massage his neck and Niall’s arms tighten a bit more around you. The music from his opener plays faintly in the background and you can hear his band milling about in the other room. In this moment, it’s just the two of you, wrapped around each other, content.

“Hey,” you say softly, gently pulling his head up to meet his eyes. “I’m gonna be sappy for a few seconds, and then we’re gonna move on because we do not have time for tears right now.” Niall huffs out a laugh, but says nothing. Staring into those striking blue eyes of his eyes, you take a breath. “I am so, so, so incredibly proud of you, Niall James. You are so talented and you’ve worked your cute little ass off to get here. You are the most amazing person in my life and I’m so lucky that I get to be here with you. I’m so lucky that I get to stand beside you while you live your dreams. There is nowhere else I’d ever want to be then here with you.” There is a burning right behind your eyes and you know they’re shining with the possibility of tears. Niall isn’t much better as he listens to you, hands gripping your sides. You smile and crinkle your nose, trying to lighten the mood. “Plus, like I said, that’s one cute little Irish ass you got there, so I’m pretty much the luckiest girl on the planet.”

He laughs and shakes his head. Leaning in, he pulls you closer and you hum softly at the touch of his lips on yours. The kiss is firm, but short and soft, as the door is open and the two of you know you can get carried away.

Drawing back, Niall just looks at you, enjoying the way your cheeks tint slightly pinker at his staring. “Ya know,” he says, clearing his throat. “I do agree that me ass is cute, but I don’ know about little.” He smirks, throwing his head back in laughter when you roll your eyes and shove his shoulder. He opens his mouth to say something else, but a knock on the doorframe interrupts. Nodding at the crew member who tells him it’s time to get on stage, his eyes meet yours and you can see the nerves returning.

Grabbing his face, you kiss him one more time, pouring all of your love and pride into it. You rest your forehead against his and breathe him in for just a moment. When your eyes meet again, he looks less nervous and more determined and you lean in. “Go give them a fucking show, Niall Horan.”

The smile he gives you is almost blinding.

--------------------

It’s emotional watching Niall perform.

You’ve seen him play so many times at this point, but you know this one is special. Everyone in the room knows this one is special.

Niall is looking around the packed arena, eyes shining as he takes it all in. From your spot at the side of the stage, you can see how crazy the fans are going. It’s a contrast to the first time you saw him on tour by himself, flying to Dublin to surprise your best friend. It’s crazy to think about your life back then. To think about how far not only Niall had come, but how far the two of you had come together.

You’d thought your life had changed the day you and Niall had admitted having feelings for each other. And, in a lot of ways, it had. But it had really started to change after Orlando. After Robbie.

"I guess I'll take this as my queue to back off then, love?" He chuckles, eyebrows moving suggestively as he looks between the two of you. "Don't think you'd be too keen on sharing, eh Horan?"

Niall goes rigid in front of you, nostrils flaring slightly as he releases a breath. "Don't think I would, no, mate." He practically bites the end of the last word and your mind returns to you as you wrap your hand around his bicep.

"Let's just get back to the group, alright?" You ask softly, fully aware that while Niall isn't a violent man, he'd do just about anything to protect you.

"Yeah Nialler," Robbie says, and you catch his smirk again when Niall's jaw clenches. "Let's just put this behind us and get back to the party."

Niall pushes off the door, grabbing your hand in his. He pulls you past Robbie, who shrugs with that stupid smirk on his face and shoves his hands into his pockets before he follows behind you both.

Robbie had not only been a creep, but he’d also ended up being an absolute asshole. It had been a shock to you, but sadly not to Niall when it had come out that Robbie had been using you. He’d known you were close with Niall. He’d spent weeks figuring out a way to get close to you, practically stalking you. And when you and Niall had finally had your first real kiss, Robbie had been hiding down the hall, filming all of it.

The video had dropped during Niall’s Atlanta show. While a grainy video of a celebrity making out with his best friend wasn’t a huge deal, the fans and tabloids had blown the story up. Every part of Niall’s life and every part of your life had been scrutinized. It hadn’t made for the best beginning to a relationship and, in the end, you’d left before the tour bus had reached Chicago, the two of you agreeing that some separation was a good idea.

It had been hard on you. And you knew it had been hard on Niall too. The different ways you’d both handled it had kept you apart even longer. You’d buried yourself in work, taking assignment after assignment just to avoid thinking about all of it. Niall had returned to the road for his Flicker World Tour. Neither of you had reached out to the other.

And then there had been Hailee.

Now that…that had hurt.

Even though you and Niall had never made any promises to each other at the time and hadn’t had any discussions about dating, it had been hard to see when the news hit. But you knew Hailee, at least casually. And you knew she and Niall had been in a somewhat similar situation to the two of you. Despite how short their relationship was, if you wanted to call it that, it had been all anyone around you could talk about. They’d only been together a few months during the early days of his World Tour, but even then it had wrecked you. After it was over, Niall had reached out. The two of you spent days talking, back and forth, phone calls, texts and FaceTimes. Niall had confessed that he’d leaned heavily on her because he felt lost without you and it had all spiraled a little out of his control. He’d apologized a ridiculous number of times and you’d finally had to tell him to stop, because what truly did he have to apologize for? So the two of you kept talking. And then, slowly but surely, your friendship repaired and when Niall asked you to join him for the last few weeks of his tour, you hadn’t been able to say no.

Things hadn’t immediately felt normal. Everyone could tell you and Niall were awkward around each other. They all tried to play it cool and diffuse the tension, but it was definitely difficult all the way around. After the tour had ended in September that year, the two of you had decided it was time to sit down and really talk about everything. The talk ended up with the both of you holed up in Niall’s LA house for over a week. There had been screaming, crying, every emotion possible, but it had all culminated in the decision to try again.

Your second beginning had been much easier. Well, as easy as dating in the public eye can be. It had been agreed that you would actually take it slow. So, you’d moved your stuff out of Niall’s house and stayed with some friends. He’d come to pick you up and taken you out on real, slightly normal dates. It had been really nice to sort of get to know each other again. Heartbreak had changed both of you, but in the end, it had been for the better because it had led you here. Four and a half years later, everything was different.

You watched Niall walk over to the piano, ready to play his first ballad of the night. The crowd was going absolutely wild and you could see from the look on his face just how unbelievable this all was to him. He sits down and just looks around for a minute and the roaring intensifies.

“Good evening Madison Square Garden,” He says, leaning against the piano. The crowd shrieks. Niall laughs sightly. “What is life?” You laugh at that, already feeling the sting of tears as you watch him try to contain his own emotions. He welcomes them to the show and then raises his arms. “We made it!” All he can do is look around in awe as the crowd starts screaming again. He’s shaking his head and it takes everything in you to stay in your spot when all you want is to hug him tight. It gets even more difficult when he actually leans over and you can tell he’s letting some of the tears flow. It’s amazing how much Niall’s fans love him and how much he truly appreciates everything they do for him. He tells you all the time that he still doesn’t believe his life is real.

“Scared ‘m gonna wake up one day and it’s all gonna be a dream.” His head is on your chest, arm gripping tightly at your hip. Your nails lightly scratch his scalp and he nuzzles into you further. “What could I have possibly done ta deserve all dis? Just some kid from Mullingar.” He mumbles the last part into your skin.

With a frown, you look down at him and shift slightly onto your side and shuffle down the bed. He lets out an adorable whine that he’ll deny later, but adjusts with you and you end up facing each other. Burying your hand in his hair, your fingers tug just slightly and he looks up at you. “Just some kid? You’re Niall Motherfucking-Boss-Babe Horan.”

“That’s not me middle name.”

You ignore him. “You deserve everything good in this world and anyone that says any different will have to deal with me.”

He grins at you, visible only by the moonlight streaming in through the window. “And what would ya do about it, huh? Know how you feel about violence, love.”

“Well, in order to defend your honor, I’d do whatever necessary.”

His hand glides up your side and over your shoulder to tangle in your hair. “Whatever necessary, huh?” You hum and nod. “So, ya’d get in the ring for me? Duke it out?”

“If I had to.” He tugs lightly on your hair and your head falls back.

Shifting closer, Niall plants a kiss on your exposed neck, rubbing his stubble against you just how he knows you like. “Hmmm, would pay good money to see you duel for me, darlin’.” Letting go of your hair, he skims his hand back down your body, squeezing your thigh as he pulls it up over his hip. He moves even closer, pressing himself against you as his lips trail over your neck. “Maybe you could challenge my enemies to some mud wrestlin’. Wouldn’t mind dat at all.”

You snort, one hand on his back, the other back in his hair. “You’re such a guy, Ni.”

“A guy who’s utterly mad about ya.”

You both laugh, eyes meeting as you hold each other. Then, after a few moments, you pull Niall’s mouth to yours, whispering against his lips as you roll until he’s hovering over you. “Prove it.”

You smile at the memory now, arena lit up as the crowd audience all hold up their phone lights. As the piano fades out, Niall smiles out at them and the stage lights go dark.

--------------------

The curtain drops as the band prepares for their encore. Every one of them is bouncing in excitement, looking at each other and just laughing as the crowd goes wild just beyond the piece of fabric. Niall stands in the middle of the stage, shaking his hands out and smiling so wide that you just know his face hurts. There’s barely any light back here, but you can see the moment he spots you. Always drawn to each other like magnets.

He rushes over to you, impressively not stumbling a bit in the dark. Strong arms reach for you, pulling you in and he tucks his face into your neck. His body is practically vibrating, he has so much energy. The roar of the crowd is deafening and you can hear them chanting his name. Your hands rub at is sweaty neck and the back of his soaked tank top. The band starts getting ready to play again and you lean in the plant a kiss on the side of Niall’s head. His lips against your neck curve in a smile and he squeezes you one last time before he pulls back and runs back out into the middle of the stage.

You smile, bouncing around in the wings as the curtain opens to the sounds of “Heartbreak Weather” and thundering cheers from the crowd.

--------------------

“I am exhausted in da best possible fuckin’ way.” You laugh as Niall plops down on the couch in your hotel room. “Could sleep for ten years.”

Walking over to him, you force him to sit up, helping him shrug off the grey vest and chucking it into the empty side of his suitcase nearby. “Well, you definitely can’t do that considering you have another show to play tomorrow night.”

Niall groans, lifting his arms slightly as you strip off his tank top. “And anoter one after dat. Why did I agree to dat?”

“I cannot help you figure that one out, babe. No one asked me what I thought about your schedule.” You laugh when he flops back on the couch again, arms flung dramatically over his eyes. “Ok, come on big guy, let’s get you in the shower and then ice your poor knees. You have got to stop kneeling on stage.” Niall resists as you attempt to pull him up. “Niall!” You laugh, pulling his arms off his face and attempting to pull him off the couch.

His face scrunches up, eyes glinting at he mock glares at you. “Ya can’t be mean to me. I just played da most famous arena in the world.”

Staring at him for a moment, eyes narrowed, you just shake your head and let go of his arms. “Alright,” You comply, stepping back only a few inches. “If you don’t want to get up and shower and take care your knees, you don’t have to.”

Niall nods, slumping further into the soft cushions. “That’s what I thought.”

“Guess I just won’t be able to give you your present for being so incredible on stage tonight.” With a sad shrug, you tug at the bottom of your shirt, looking at the floor for a second. “Oh well.”

You move as if to walk away, but Niall sits up, hand grabbing your arm before you can go too far. “Wait.” He’s looking at you intently now and it’s all you can do to keep your giggles at bay over teasing him. “What’s me present?”

“No, no, you want to lay on the couch, all sweaty and smelly, so I’ll leave you to that.”

“But!” It’s only how tired he is after the show that lets you pull out of his grasp and walk into the bedroom. Once in there, you wait a minute, biting your lip to hold in your laughter. Niall finally calls out to you. “Babe!”

Slowly, you move to lean on the bedroom doorway, looking at him as innocently as you can. “Yes, honey?”

Niall’s glare is probably slightly more real now, but his eyes are still shining with amusement when he holds out his arms. “Come help me up so I can shower and me hot, amazing girlfriend can give me a present.” You raise your eyebrow, then crinkle your nose as if in thought. He groans again, huffing out a short laugh. “Darlin’, please!”

You push yourself off the doorway. “Oh fine. I guess you did earn it.” He lets out a real laugh and it’s your turn to groan as he makes you do most of the work pulling him up. “Let’s go superstar.” Turning to lead him, you shriek as he presses himself against your back, fingers tickling your sides and starts walking you both quickly towards the bathroom.

“Dat was not very nice love.” He breathes out against your neck as you both stumble into the bathroom and he shuts the door. He’s grinning at you when you manage to get away from him, leaning back against the sink.

Smirking back at him, you shrug. “Just trying to get you motivated, babe.”

He nods, stepping towards you. His rough fingertips find your hips, pushing up and under your shirt, just above the top of your jeans. Leaning in to you, he squeezes the flesh of your sides. “’m pretty motivated now. Any chance I could get me present a little early?”

You run your hands down his chest, admiring the way his heart is beating and the shaky breath he takes in when you reach for his belt. “I mean, I guess I could give you part of it now. Since you were so amazing on stage tonight and you managed to get off the couch.” Niall nods, eyes tracking your lips with his eyes right before he leans in. Your fingers make quick work of his belt and the button on his pants, swallowing his groan when one of your hands disappears beneath the fabric.

--------------------

Later, you’re both tucked into bed, skin against skin, just listening to the sounds of the city outside. You know it’s late, but neither of you are asleep just yet. Head on Niall’s chest, you listen to his heartbeat, feel the rise and fall as he breathes. The hand on your back slowly taps, something Niall only does when he’s thinking hard.

“Ni.” You say softly, rubbing your hand over his chest. His other hand reaches for yours, fingers intertwining as he hums in acknowledgement. “I know I’ve already said it, but I’m so proud of you. Honestly, I don’t know when I’ll stop saying it because you continue to amaze me every single day.” His chest hitches just slightly under you. “Watching you perform, seeing you on stage…” You breath in, attempting to quell your own emotions. “I’m reminded every single day how truly amazing you are. How much you love what you do and how much you appreciate everyone around you. This incredible, talented, humble, beautiful man that I am so lucky that I get to even be on the planet at the same time as him.” A few tears slip out and you sniffle lightly.

“Love.” He whispers, the hand on your back reaching up to stroke your hair.

You shake your head and move to sit up, face him as he lounges on the pillows. Smiling at him, you wipe the tears off your cheeks. “Ugh, I’m always a blubbering mess around you, Horan.”

Chuckling, he reaches up and runs the pad of thumb under your eye. “Yeah, but you’re my blubberin’ mess and I wouldn’t have it any oter way.” That makes you giggle and you lean over to kiss him, pressing against him, needy for the feel of him against you. “I love you so much.” The words are whispered against your lips.

“I love you too.”

--------------------

Part Two Coming Soon

[urmanipulatorytendencies]

enha as twenty first century american teenager stereotypes (up until 2024)

I LIV LAF LUV playing association with enhypen because they're my interesting little stinka-butts who, in my opinion, are so frozen in this whole kpop ordeal and i need them BROKEN FREEEE

Hybe, babes, let them explore the real world and interact with idols and people who don't gaf about their latest random single release and just wanna vibe w them I BEG

+ Yang Jungwon aka "Maicah"

Maicah Jungwon Yang is the middle man of your class. He's involved, he's energetic with the dude-bros, and he's on the JV basketball team. He only has okay grades but is somehow on Student Council. He's friends with a ton of the Varsity boys, and he's got lots of cool friends. Jungwon is super bubbly but he's really put together. His rl engagement in school and enha leadership compels me to think he's responsible enough to be in Student Council but bros also just an athlete. He'd also probs be on the track team as a 100m sprinter or smth. He'd definitely have a lot of friends but he might have a surprisingly unconventional bestie. Maicah wears the same two pairs of nike sweats along with Yeezy slides and a black hoodie. If it's cold, Maicah brings a Spiderman blanket to school.

+ Lee Heeseung aka "Ethan"

Ethan is the ultimate trend maxxer of whatever Bay Area high school you have imagined. He wears string earphones, never sporting shorts, and always has a damn beanie on. Absolutely not in sports-- is THE arts student. He's on the junior group of horn instruments in band, probably plays the trumpet, and isn't all that great but he's a fast learner. Hee would be top 30 in his class, but would most likely prioritize his rising Sound Cloud presence post-Grad. Doesn't date but he has a lot of younger friends, flirts with girls two years younger than him but also maintains a homoerotic friendship with his childhood friend in college who's like a year older than him.

+ Park Jay aka "Jay"-- DUH

Jay is the batman. He's farms or surfs (depending on what region you imagine we're in the context of) by day, and is in a garage band by night. He has a super duper close knit friend group of equally spunky guys. Has absolutely no female friends-- not out of misogyny or anything but bro is just such a dude idk. He's pretty smart, def a AP Chem warrior but stinks at stem. His focal point is the school guitar group. He probably gets his community service hours working with the lunch ladies. Jay is charismatic and super sweet-- but he probably deals with anger issues and was def that kid in behavior management during elementary. Despite his emo TM status-- Jay wears the fluck out of his chino + Sperrys combo.

+ Sim Jaeyun aka "Jake"-- DUH

He is the captain of the Varsity Soccer team. Jake is popular as a mf; has a big friend group, dates around, is loved by the teachers, and most of the school appreciates his mega vibes. Think Jeremiah from The Summer I Turned Pretty. Jake probably gets zesty allegations cause he wears lots of jewelry and paints his nails but he doesn't mind cause trust-- he's pulling every female bro-lover in the COUNTY. He's super duper competitive and is a strict captain, which is the only reason why someone'd have a problem with him...but he makes up for it by being a beast on the field. He's also on Honor Roll, cranking his Class with a 4.6 GPA and Salutatorian status. He's a chronic overstayer at school with him being in sports and academic clubs year round. Jake probably has some weird connections with Parker which throw people off like Junior year. Chronic Croc wearer. Bro's committing to Notre Dame for Soccer.

+ Park Sunghoon aka "Parker"

The hottest loser on campus fr fr. He's well known for being the numba one hallway crush but bro has no school friends so everyone kinda just assumes he's a little bit of a bitch (in the best way possible). He never stays longer than he has to but he's a hard worker and the history teacher loves his compassion for AP Gov.. He's a club Volleyball player outside of school but he's not in school athletics (he's got connections to the Athletics Dir. tho). He's always at school early to use the weight room and he's an avid lean pump master poster on IG. Hoon was super isolated as a kid so I imagine that Parker would probably have a hard time being social with just normal kids (Parker's homeschooled in elementary for the plot). He was probably chubby in middle school and then had a gigantourous glow up freshman-sophomore year: 6'0, lean muscle, "clean guy" aesthetic. Guys def wanna be him but they're jelly cause their girlfriends are obsessed. Closet gay but no one knows until a random IG story during college where he takes a pic w his boyfriend or something idk. Wears Jordan 4s.

+ Kim Sunoo aka "Sonny"

The typical friendly gay bestie minus the obnoxious Netflixed exaggerations (i.e. loud and super sassy). Just think about the token feminine gay guy at your school-- he probably has a group of girl friends, is kinda introverted lwk, wears either super outdated 2018 IG fashion or is the most fabulous Hollister warrior. He definitely has a weird situationship with one of the popular guys-- top athlete, unlikely to be friends with him but is anyways...you know the shabang. Sonny's pretty witty, pretty scholarly-- excels in stem but has a soft spot for English. He probably listens to Ariana Grande and is a Olivia Rodrigo die-hard. Sonny probably bakes, too. Overall, he's on the low but anyone knows that unprovoked, that mf is loud sometimes. Will not hesitate to beat a bitch up too.

+ Nishimura Ri ki aka "Nico"

The skater boi TM, bahaha. Just kidding, but fr, I think American Ri ki would skateboard. Like-- in an East Coast way not a West Coast way if you catch my drift. He's a New Yorker at heart-- going to a crowded arts school somewhere idk. He's constantly outdoing himself with the fits-- the girls love it. He's can be shy but has a knack for being a trouble maker-- probably went to special group as a kid, the guy with ADHD (not that that's a big deal but ik we all got that one guy in class that's hyper to no end, n to me, that's ri ki). Nico's got a couple friends, plays basketball in his free time, and his specialty is, of course, dance. He leads the department by a long shot so everyone either loves him or hates him. Nico isn't afraid to be flamboyant or outgoing (as Ri ki is competitive and a little bit of a diva) but can come off a little high strung sometimes.

[plumbogs]

a new family in brookton... time to investigate

This is Nick Dobbs and his wife, Tracy. He works in the medical career as a resident. Their house isn't fully decorated yet, but they take some time to play a few rounds of chess anyway. They aren't as piss-poor as the other families, but they're not quite rich by any means.

They're both pretty serious people, but Tracy actually cares about doing things like making friends. As you can probably tell, they have children.

Celeste is their eldest daughter. She's going through her emo phase and spends every morning frying her hair to a crisp. Starla is the second daughter. She hasn't tried that yet.

The girls aren't very similar to each other. Celeste is a very curious and energetic shy girl while Starla is a lot more friendly like their mother. She doesn't really care much for popularity despite that.

They go back and forth on whether they get along, but that's how sisters go. Celeste thinks that any job that involves working in an office sounds like a bore. Starla argues that office jobs have their own interesting culture with many chances to get ahead.

And this is Derek. He's about halfway through childhood.

He's a bit of a grumpy kid, but he takes closely after their father otherwise.

The very first thing that happens is the entire neighborhood showing up to shove their noses into their business. Tracy has to quit the chess game early to meet them.

Michael Tyler beelines for their violin, which he absolutely sucks shit at playing. Camila argues with a townie behind him. Tracy immediately wants to start befriending these people.

The kids come home from school and get to meeting the neighbors as well. Michael tells Derek about how he can fix basically any coffee machine, which gets him some real perks at work. Tracy pulls the lame "how was school?" conversation out on Starla. Celeste ignores them all in favor of painting.

Derek is a fan of chess. He plays it by himself after Michael confesses that he doesn't actually know how chess works and chooses to sit at their computer instead.

Tracy corners him to tell him jokes about jewelry. He reacts in a similar way to a stinkbug and then goes home. Nick has to go to work in the evenings, which cuts into the family time he generally wants.

[foxxear]

14 of my all time favorite albums, because this is my blog.

I like a lot of albums quite a bit, but there aren't a huge amount that become an utmost favorite, in the sense that I really like pretty much every song on it. Many artists have released an album's worth of songs I love, but not quite on a single release. We're going to look at who has pulled it off, and a bit of how.

^ Badfinger - "Straight Up" (1971)

This is my all time favorite "classic rock" album. It's just good. Every song is so listenable, memorable, and generally well constructed. The production is also unusually punchy and high-fidelity for something well over 50 years old. The collective songwriting ability and musicianship on display here has always been very personally inspiring, and many of these tracks are rather special to me. Sometimes one of the songs will make me just weep so good.

This band and all of it's members are rather underrated/unknown amongst the artists of their era. Their career is a shockingly tragic tale of severe mistreatment by the selfish, and that is probably the only reason you may not have heard of them. Seriously. These guys deserved so, so much better. In a different reality, this record is as famous as anything.

Favorite Tracks: "Baby Blue", "Take It All", "It's Over", "Day After Day", "Sometimes", "Flying"

Bonus Favorites from the artist: "Come And Get It", "No Matter What"

^ Paramore - "Riot!" (2007)

Probably my favorite "pop punk" or "emo" record of all time. The material is energetic and hard hitting, with lovely contrast provided by gentler sections, and the production quality is just excellent. Perhaps too excellent for some, because I see people acting like this is just some pop record, not to be confused with a "real band" playing "authentic" material.

Paramore here is as authentic as the next garage band... it's just that they happen to sound good, too. Confusing, I know.

The guitars rip, the drums pound, and the vocals bring delightful musicality & power. I've studied this album a lot to develop much of my own musical style. This thing is also named perfectly — This is definitely music to riot to. Listen to it when you're pissed off.

Favorite Tracks: "For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic", "That's What You Get", "Hallelujah", "Misery Business", "Born For This"

Bonus Favorites from the artist: "All I Wanted", "This Is Why", “Careful”

^ Point North - "Prepare For Despair" (2023)

Certainly the newest band in my favorites, Point North is on repeat for me a lot these days. They started out rather "pop punk", and have have been leaning "heavier" with the release of this album. I'm all for it, this thing sounds amazing.

The production is top notch by any standard, and so many of the songs simply sound cool as hell. Jon Lundin's singing is exceptional, and I like many elements of his lyricism. Sage Weeber's drum parts strengthen everything further — He has strong technique, and the crucial ability to walk the line between tasteful and technical. The guitar work deserves similar praise, and it's turned up enough that you can actually hear it. Thanks, Jon.

A few electronic "additional production sounds" pop up on this album, which I can be pretty picky about on "band music", but it's done tastefully enough here for me. This is a great no-skip record, and overall, very inspirational for my own debut album.

Favorite Tracks: "Psycho", "Like A Weapon", "Recover", "Someone" You Don't Know", "Social Suicide"

Bonus Favorites from the artist: "Heartbeat", "Nice Now", "Gasoline", "Dearly Departed"

^ Set It Off - "Midnight" (2018)

Maybe the closest thing to a "pop" album in my utmost favorites, which kinda makes it refreshing. Ironically, Set It Off is a band with emo/scene roots, whom I have seen live a few times. They put on a great show. Naturally, this album brings some punky aggression and passion to the songwriting, but I feel like it's done in a way a lot of people would enjoy. These guys just know how to write memorable tunes, and they blend that with a lot of wonderful & mature messages in the lyrics here. Some of it may surprise you to hear, in a good way.

I am very fond of this record, along with my memories from back when it came out. I think I actually prefer listening to the band's very latest material now, with more heavy guitar work, but I firmly believe this is a really solid album. I'd listen to it any day.

Favorite Tracks: "Hourglass", "Happy All The Time", "Lonely Dance", "Killer In The Mirror", "I Want You (Gone)"

Bonus Favorites from the artist: "Punching Bag", "Wolf In Sheep's Clothing", "Skeleton", "Evil People"

^ Led Zeppelin - "Led Zeppelin" (1969)

I like a LOT of Loop Zoop records, I used to listen to them all the time. I love the grooving songwriting, musicianship, and creativity. I like this album (and much of the early material) for the "blues" appeal. I don't exactly have a deep passion for the blues, or jazz, but I kinda get really into that stuff when it comes on regardless. Don't play this album near me or I'll start talking about "swing" and "feel".

I'm also pretty sure these guys would get cancelled now, like most people in 1969, but I'm not gonna pretend I don't enjoy the sounds of a 55 year old album from my childhood over that. I wish people were better, though

Favorite tracks: "Good Times, Bad Times", "Communication Breakdown", "Dazed And Confused", "I Can't Quit You Baby", "How Many More Times"

Bonus Favorites from the artist: Too many

^ Sueco - “It Was Fun While It Lasted” (2022)

This guy’s debut album was hugely inspirational to me as an artist, in the way that it seems completely unbothered about unity through genre. This album is a collection of songs that, on their own, would arguably be categorized as completely separate genres from one another. Some of the tracks are fully "pop punk", some are entirely "hip hop", some are kinda "emo", and some blur the lines.

You’d think such a track list would feel like a disjoint playlist, instead of an album, but no. Ultimately, the collected songs STILL reveal consistencies in the artist’s personal taste/style overall… perhaps more comprehensively than if he were conforming to the same style concept on every song. The album's sound is unified by the artist's taste, not a restrictive concept, and this makes it sound very him. I like that a lot. Most newer records I listen to deserve similar praise, but it is perhaps most strongly applicable here.

The album drips with authentic enthusiasm and inspiration in everything it does, and the resulting material is very strong. Strong enough that I'm willing to disregard some lyrics that I really do not resonate with, along with the cover image being very "graphic design is my passion". Maybe it looks cool to people from LA, I dunno

Favorite Tracks: "Today", "Loser", "Paralyzed", "It's Going Good", "Toxic Therapy, "Motel 666"

Bonus Favorites from the artist: "Wreck", "novacane:)", "Wanna Feel Something"

^ First four Ramones albums (1976-1978)

These are my all time favorite albums, and they might as well be a packaged set. Despite having their own unique nuances, they were all recorded within a span of two years, and produced by the band's original drummer, who left the group after these were done. They represent the original Ramones' sound, which many would call the genesis of true "punk" music.

I can say more about these than I could ever summarize, but know that they simply never left my regular listening rotation after my early teens. This band captured something special which fascinates me to this day. Their sound, their look, their philosophy... it pushed many important things forward with genuine innovation, and offered a much needed reminder in the mid 70s that "virtuoso guitar playing" is not the only way to make "rock" worth hearing.

Seriously, these guys changed music, inspiring countless artists in countless genres. Many have taken a handful of the ideas presented here into their own work, and perhaps evolved them, or even taken them to greater heights, but nobody has ever done precisely what the Ramones coalesced. And you know what? Nobody else needs to. This band already existed, and these records are always waiting to be played. RIP Ramones, and thank you.

Favorite Tracks: All of them.

^ Bad Drugs - "Old Men, Young Blood" (2014)

You wanna talk about underrated? THIS is an underrated punk album, from an obscure German band. Fantastic musicianship on display here, with exciting songwriting and well-sung lyrics that range from impactful to hilarious. The playing and production is coarse in all the right ways, blending punk and grunge sounds into something aggressive, fun, and perhaps thought provoking?

If a wise old sage released a punk album, I suppose this might be it. You ever heard the phrase "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"? Well. These guys say some important things VERY simply. One such lyric confidently states "Life is about the people, and the world, and how we treat them". It blows by, sung only once, but damn... they're kinda right, aren't they? They say such things like it's all so obvious, and in that moment, you believe it is. This album lets you live in a world of bold yet sensible people at times, not the one we're actually in.

Favorite Tracks: "We Are F*cked (Not)", "This Will Kill Me", "Your RAMONES Coverband Sucks", "Oh My My My", "Superheropower", "You Got The Answer", "Hold On"

^ The Strypes - "Little Victories" (2014)

Dude, my brother and I were vibing with this album when it dropped. "Get Into It"? I think I will. The Strypes were a very blues-influenced "alternative rock" band, and they were like, teenagers. This particular album represents them finding a bit more of their own sound, a bit darker and more versatile than their debut.

I love this record. It's just some kids rocking out, with pretty clear themes of adolescence, and a lot of really catchy melodies. Sadly, the Strypes split up after the album following this one, due to typical creative difference issues. A shame, because they were onto something. They should have stayed into it.

Favorite Tracks: "Get Into It", "Eighty-Four", "(I Wanna Be Your) Everyday)", "Three Streets And A Village Green", "Scumbag City"

Bonus Favorites from the artist: "Blue Collar Jane", "What A Shame", "Hometown Girls", "Angel Eyes"

^ Weezer - "Weezer" (1994)

The blue album

Favorite Tracks: "Buddy Holly", "Undone - The Sweater Song", "Say It Ain't So", "Holiday"

Bonus Favorites from the artist: "Pork And Beans", "The End Of The Game", "Beginning of the End", "Back To The Shack"

^ The Muffs - "Whoop Dee Doo" (2014)

This is such a cool record. The music/production doesn't sound "modern", but it is crisp, thick, and high-fidelity... and the songwriting is so good. Aggressive, hooky, fun, & authentic. If you like the Ramones, The Clash... just the CLASSIC "punk" sound, this album has you covered. I was pretty ecstatic when I just stumbled onto this one.

It is also one of the final releases by The Muffs, a band from the 1990s that made a comeback in the 2010s. Tragically, their lead singer/guitarist Kim Shattuck died in 2019 after a two year battle with ALS, but her incredible work writing, performing on, and producing this album will live on. RIP Kim, you were really cool.

Favorite Tracks: "Weird Boy Next Door", "Up and Down Around", "Where Did I Go Wrong", "Forget the Day", "Like You Don't See Me", "Paint by Numbers"

Bonus Favorite from the artist: "You Can Cry If You Want"

[skeeverboy]

so you keep hearing people talk about emo have, and you feel left out because you have no fucking idea what they mean? well i’m hear to help, with my helpful guide of emo waves! (please note: definitions may vary from person to person)

first wave (approximately mid-80s to early 90s), also may be called emocore, emotional hardcore, or, if you’re a pretentious dickhead, real emo

first wave is very punk-forward, one of the main differences being subject matter, first wave emo being way more focused on personal issues rather than political or world issues like punk often is. much heavier, emerging right out of the hardcore scene, with distorted guitars and shit. vocals are more screamy, angry, and energetic.

bands include: rites of spring (considered by many to be the first true emo band) and cap’n jazz (though some might consider cap’n jazz second wave i think), the hated, beefeater

second wave emo (early to late 90s)

second wave is way considerably more mellow than first wave. much more melodic, with long instrumentals, sometimes twinkly guitar bits. way softer, laid back, and emotionally driven.

bands include: american football, sunny day real estate, penfold, texas is the reason, braid, mineral, the promise ring, the appleseed cast, park ave., rainer maria

third wave emo (00s?)

im gonna be honest i’m lost on this one. this is when the definition of emo changed and kind of split, because during this period you had pop punk/alternative bands like my chemical romance and blink-182 (debatably) and even green day to an extent getting branded as emo with emo as a fashion culture taking off. so you could define 3rd wave as pop punk emo, though i’m sure if you’re talking to someone who cares this much about emo waves they might kill you for calling mcr emo

my second definition is mostly a guess, but we did start to see the rise of a sort of acoustic, shouting sound, with bands like the front bottoms and tiger’s jaw putting out their first albums. you also had bands like jimmy eat world though which falls more into the pop punk category? this era confuses me.

bands: maybe early tiger’s jaw, early front bottoms, early death cab for cutie. i don’t know :(

fourth wave emo (2010s to current day(ish)) also known as emo revival, midwest emo

we’re back to second wave basically! american football started to blow up as a cornerstone emo band so a lot of people imitated their twinkly, melodic style, reviving that sound from the 90s. melodic instrumentals, whiny vocals, and somehow both stupid and tear-jerking lyrics are the defining characteristics.

bands include: marietta (my beloved), i’m glad it’s you, joie de vivre, twiabp, snowing, empire! empire! (i was a lonely estate), arm’s length, macseal, camping in alaska

fifth wave emo (mid/late 2010s to current day!)

emo gets more experimental, with lots of variety! kind of hard to define right now, there’s a lot of bands with very different sounds all under the umbrella of fifth wave emo, but generally i’m seeing a lot more contemporary lyrics with pop culture references in song titles or lyrics and art-rock influences! there’s also a lot of overlap between fifth and fourth wave, to the point where some people might not quite distinguish them :)

bands include: glass beach origami angel, arcadia grey, prince daddy & the hyena, the hotelier, riley!, maybe even late front bottoms!

in case you’re curious, my favorite wave is second followed closely by fourth followed closely by fifth

[stairs-feooff]

"Real Emo" only consists of the dc Emotional Hardcore scene and the late 90's Screamo scene. What is known by "Midwest Emo" is nothing but Alternative Rock with questionable real emo influence. When people try to argue that bands like My Chemical Romance are not real emo, while saying that Sunny Day Real Estate is, I can't help not to cringe because they are just as fake emo as My Chemical Romance (plus the pretentiousness).

Real emo sounds ENERGETIC, POWERFUL and somewhat HATEFUL. Fake emo is weak, self pity and a failed attempt to direct energy and emotion into music.

Some examples of REAL EMO are Pg 99, Rites of Spring, Cap n Jazz (the only real emo band from the midwest scene) and Loma Prieta.

Some examples of FAKE EMO are American Football, My Chemical Romance and Mineral

EMO BELONGS TO HARDCORE

NOT TO INDIE, POP PUNK, ALT ROCK OR ANY OTHER MAINSTREAM GENRE.

[frankbedbroken]

frankcore february 2024 update !!

still lots of r&b this month, though maybe not quite as electronic inspired overall, though there's definitely a bit of that still, i.e. the kelela remix (which side note, was kinda hard to pick only one of them, the remix album as a whole is very very good, special shouts out to the tayhana remix of enough for love, the nguzunguzu & dj gay-z remix of let it go, the lsdxoxo remix of sorbet and the flexulant and bambii remix of closure) and the abra tracks (i feel like i'm slightly cheating by having two tracks by the same artist but gold on me is technically a collab sooo i'm bending my own arbitrary unspoken rule, i guess), but there's also more classic contemporary r&b with the erika de casier and they hate change collab, and also more modern, trap-influenced stuff with the ojerime stuff and the tama gucci track (love love loooove his voice and delivery, check out their stuff if, again, you dig electronic-inspired r&b stylings, he's super underrated imo).

the most predominant paradigm(?) this time around is definitely electronic, though: dusted idm and downtempo hybrids from boards of canada and vegyn, turn-of-the-2010s in your face french electro house from sebastiAn, headier techno and electro sounds from actress and grrl, murky and evil dubstep courtesy of alix perez and flowdan, different stylings of breakbeat, jungle and dnb from ivy lab, nia archives and psykh, the return of raver burial with an ever-evolving behemoth of a track, and so on. heck, there's electronic influences bleeding into some other tracks here that aren't specifically electronic: the cheeky eurodance bounce of six sex's 4 novioss, the (surprisingly!) 80s electronic influenced midtempo rhythms of yeat's team ceo or the more organic breakbeats on house of self-undoing by chelsea wolfe. latter of which brings me to mentioning that there's a surprising amount of Guitar Music™ for my standards at least, by which i mean three tracks lmao, all three of those albums from which the songs on the playlist are from are very good though, deffo check them out if you're interested in midwest emo, post-punk or darkwave respectively.

only non-spotify track i have to shoutout this time around (and it's a real good one, mind you) is lock the doors by kfc murder chicks and free.99, absolutely insane stuff, really energetic and hard-hitting hardcore stuff, i need to check out more stuff from kfcmc, i've really liked what i've heard from them tube it! (the playlist i mean)

[be-good-be-safe-be-kind]

journal

today's been… okay, i guess. had to do another ptsd eval as a check-up/update for insurance, one of those 'on a scale of zero to four, rank these things' which is never fun because while i can figure out the 'never's and 'every day's, it's the bits in between that are harder to place. and also the wording of rank how these things impacted 'you' in the past month. kinda hard when 'you' is somehow a constant presence and absence at the same time. and then there's also the nuances of each question, which i had to ask therapist for clarification and we couldn't really settle things. like how often are you impacted by memories of event vs impacted by body sensations of shakes and things like that and it's like what do you mean memories don't always have visceral physical reactions? then we briefly discussed the upcoming chag and how that's probably gonna shake some things loose up here -taps forehead- and not looking forward to that. with or without the weather being cold, or actively participating in holiday things, winter is winter, and it's a hate/love thing. managed to go to the grocery store after and tried tuning out the christmas carols and blocking out the holiday stuff everywhere, but then i still had to walk back to the house and pass up decorations on every storefront and every other lawn (shout out to the house with a giant inflatable pink unicorn, no tinsel or cheesy slogan or anything else up) and it fucking sucks. not the decorations themselves, those are mostly cool (see ^) but that i can't exist for more than a few hours at most because everything is a fucking trigger and i'm exhausted after a day of not even doing much.

speaking of memories. i went looking on youtube for something to listen to while working on nanowrimo, and stumbled upon a full set of a sort of reunion tour set from what might be my favorite band. put earbuds in instead of quietly using the laptop's speakers because i could tell there were going to be 'dial it up to eleven' moments, and also because i needed to drown out the holiday music. and it's nice, real energetic and familiar but also it's hard to listen to. not from a musical perspective, exactly, (there's maybe one song on piano and the stage banter is all right) but because of how many memories it's bringing up and things i didn't even realize were things. like i'm ten now, with a secondhand cd player and headphones with crackling foam snuck under my pillow, keeping the volume on minimum to keep one ear on the door and another on the baby in case we had to move. that's wild, man. not entirely unsurprising, especially considering mentioned other sounds as negative triggers while doing the eval, so why does it seems shocking that there are kinda positive sounds as well? not that hypervigilance is exactly happy, and some of the specific songs are associated with specific places less warm than a couple coats on a mattress, but some are also with the bittersweet shit. humming along with the records to shush the baby. letting the lyrics wash over me, wanting to be optimistic of there being a possibility of a great escape and knowing even as a kid that it's just a high school fantasy.

i'm fourteen now and doing sit-ups in the dingy school gym to avoid lunch, tiny ipod in my hoodie sleeve, rolling my eyes at the irony of listening to a song about running from jesus while hiding in the corner of orthodox school. i'm eighteen and rather than writing my tehillim final about which chapter and specific verses i'd recite every day or which one always gives me hope, i pick the final track off the album with the bleeding heart and, in typical emo kid fashion, say that if i did have to select a psalm it would be lines 2-3 of 22 ('my god, why have you forsaken me…'). sure, i knew as well as i knew at ten that just go is easier said than done, that you shouldn't spend your whole life holding on, but i also knew no one was listening to me, anyway, so i might as well doodle around some lyrics and call it a day. i also had absolutely no vocabulary or concept of trauma (aside from having shoah survivors visit our classrooms since kindergarten, and i obviously didn't experience anything like that, so there's nothing for me to complain about), and by extension, the words to say that i can't simply go because everything means something to me and fucks with my head. i'm twentysomething and sitting on a park swing, music on my phone, kicking leaves and mentally kicking myself for ever thinking there's a possibility of being anything other than stuck in the middle. 

i'm sitting here today, all of these things flowing in and out of my head and through my body during the course of an hour and forty-five minutes. i've felt more in the past day than i have in a while, and i don't know how to feel about that.

[mescher-core]

"Real Emo" only consists of the dc Emotional Hardcore scene and the late 90's Screamo scene. What is known by "Midwest Emo" is nothing but Alternative Rock with questionable real emo influence. When people try to argue that bands like My Chemical Romance are not real emo, while saying that Sunny Day Real Estate is, I can't help not to cringe because they are just as fake emo as My Chemical Romance (plus the pretentiousness). Real emo sounds ENERGETIC, POWERFUL and somewhat HATEFUL. Fake emo is weak, self pity and a failed attempt to direct energy and emotion into music. Some examples of REAL EMO are Pg 99, Rites of Spring, Cap n Jazz (the only real emo band from the midwest scene) and Loma Prieta. Some examples of FAKE EMO are American Football, My Chemical Romance and Mineral EMO BELONGS TO HARDCORE NOT TO INDIE, POP PUNK, ALT ROCK OR ANY OTHER MAINSTREAM GENRE

[hatcred8]

"Real Emo" only consists of the dc Emotional Hardcore scene and the late 90's Screamo scene. What is known by "Midwest Emo" is nothing but Alternative Rock with questionable real emo influence. When people try to argue that bands like My Chemical Romance are not real emo, while saying that Sunny Day Real Estate is, I can't help not to cringe because they are just as fake emo as My Chemical Romance (plus the pretentiousness). Real emo sounds ENERGETIC, POWERFUL and somewhat HATEFUL. Fake emo is weak, self pity and a failed attempt to direct energy and emotion into music. Some examples of REAL EMO are Pg 99, Rites of Spring, Cap n Jazz (the only real emo band from the midwest scene) and Loma Prieta. Some examples of FAKE EMO are American Football, My Chemical Romance and Mineral EMO BELONGS TO HARDCORE NOT TO INDIE, POP PUNK, ALT ROCK OR ANY OTHER MAINSTREAM GENRE

[ag-updates-and-archives]

THE SOUND OF ANIMALS FIGHTING MAKE A LEGENDARY RETURN TO THE WILTERN IN LA

Check out the full gallery here

There’s nothing quite like rolling up to The Wiltern on a cloudy Los Angeles evening for a few hours of hardcore. Maybe it’s the art-deco interior, or the tiered viewing areas or the red curtains draped off to the side that sets the stage so well for energetic music - it rewards intensity and showmanship. You can get sucked into a sonic labyrinth and wander until the walls and ceiling start to resemble some long-forgotten circus grounds. And what might have once felt anachronistic outside before the snack bar entrance can quickly start to seem very much like the here and now.

Not that emo is anachronistic in the slightest. The resurgence of many favorite early 2000’s mainstays could come off as a flirtation with newcomers hopping on a trend, or old hands pedaling legend status. But in the grand tradition of emo, screamo, pop punk, and the ilk- the focus Wednesday night was firmly set on acceptance, vulnerability, and ritual catharsis through music. The grand tenets of which continuously ring true throughout decades. And we had to wait close to an actual decade for some of what was witnessed throughout the evening, more on that anon.

Record Setter kicked off the night and did an excellent job of setting the stage for what was to come with an explosive sound bouncing effortlessly between heavy-hitting screamo and chilling post-rock melodies. Concrete castles took the torch and carried it further with a high-energy set, building up to anthemic guitar-heavy beat drops and pop-inspired vocal melodies.

Hail the Sun lived up to their well-cemented history as a killer live band with a riotous post-hardcore performance. High-octane musicianship and stage presence mix exquisitely well on each song, with frontman Donovan Melero a whirling dervish of a mic stand, cable, and long hair. Halfway through their set Melero switched to playing drums (while continuing on vocals of course). Legend.

TSOAF or The Sound of Animals Fighting. What a performance. There’s always been something about the term supergroup that invites side-eye. As if music could be somehow calculated to some sum of the parts equation. But when it works, it really works. Each member on stage has a well-documented history in music bringing unique flair and creativity. And the chemical mixture indeed goes boom.

The stage was lit by 16 (I think) glowing pillars, calling forth some epic seance to commune with the spirit of a once-thought-dead band. TSOAF was performing their first recorded material in 14 years, on their first tour in 9 years. And with a powerful lineup, fronted by the inimitable Anthony Green - now feted and properly celebrated as the incredible performer that he is.  

Each song brought something new and interesting to the show.  Sometimes soft and dynamic, here a screaming crescendo, there a polyrhythmic duel between the rhythm section. There was a book read out onstage, live painter Norton Wisdom painted his interpretations of the evening in the back (an interesting watch in real time). Green swung around a weird glowing orb that somehow paired perfectly with the rest of the aesthetic. Guitar solos with wah, helium-high vocals, hugs and laughter, and acrobatics. And through it all not a false note.

When the supergroup goes right it goes so right because not only do you get musical creativity and talent, but seasoned performers bringing unique experiences all grafted onto each other in a Frankenstein’s monster of perfect execution. Like the aforementioned circus sucking the anachronism from the room, Wednesday gave us a clockwork of moving parts so smooth that in the moment we lost ourselves amidst the merrymaking and let the grand performers give us a hint of something magical.