#also that other song. king. she's such a good artist too. love her. that's my favourite song of hers. together with dahlia i think

[keungking]

i'm 80% sure my url means "stretch the ginger" in thai (completely by chance), but i want everyone to know that actually it's a reference to this album and this song

and also i fucking love ginger if a dish has ginger in it i'll devour that shit. not to be super basic but if i go to a restaurant and they serve moo pad king? well

[thelilylav]

Y'know what? Fuck it (gives u guys a list of poc artists to listen to cause the white ppl on the music side of tumblr have been embarassing me)

List is under the cut, and warning bc I made it very long

Rock:

Los Abuelos De La Nada

Gesu No Kiwami Otobe

Chuck Berry

Ben E. King

Los Prisoneros

Ahmed Fakroun (ok this one's french art rock but in my book it still counts)

Burnout Syndromes (been fucking w them since I got into Haikyuu lmao)

Infinity Song (their hater song genuinely gets me every time LMAO)

People in the Box

N.E.R.D (my god if u don't know them.. idk dude my brother has been obsessed w them for forever so i just was not getting away regardless lol)

Punk/Punk Rock (& other punk subgenres):

Nova Twins (u must listen to them it's just the way it's gotta be guys)

Rina Sawayama (her hatred of Matty Healy is so attractive. i cannot believe i found her two years ago cause i still remember i would not shut up when i first heard her music it was so good)

BABYMETAL (the way their band name just straight up screams at people gets me every time lmaooo)

Indie:

The Younger Lovers

Mashrou Leila

Stella Jang

Shak SYrn (Jenni is on repeat in my room at any given moment)

Steve Lacy (if u listen to more than just Bad Habit u will find an actuall amazing discography)

Jenny Nuo (i have been OBSESSED w her music since like 2021 ish and it is a crime she hasn't blown up more imo)

Nujabes

Hemlocke Springs (oooo i hate that she does not get more love!!! synth pop and alt indie is such a fun niche like!!!)

Lyn Lapid (in my head she's huge but i have recently learned that artists i think r super popular may be unknown to an entire genre of ppl soo)

Megagonefree (found them on ig and omg!! PLS go check them out genuinely)

boa (i am once again shaming u if u don't know them)

Wallice

JAZZ (in all caps bc I fucking LOVE jazz no it's not dead go listen to jazz rn motherfuckers):

Idris Muhammad

Esperanza Spalding

Joanna Wang (ok she does pop and folk music too but idk she felt most appropriate here)

SAMARA JOY (put. some. respect. on. her. name. i would actually go to war for her i am not kidding. also this is in all caps bc MY MOM GOT TO SEE HER LIVE??? AND SHE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHO SHE WAS PLS I WAS SO MAD OMGGG but i've been promised tickets next time so we're good)

Sade (my og one and only)

Funk:

Fadoul

George Clinton (i mean he's just a classic yknow)

Parliament (Give Up the Funk can make me dance like no other i swear)

Stevie Wonder (i mean.. like if we're on the topic of classics anyway then...)

Michael Jackson/The Jackson 5 (moreso his earlier stuff if my memory isn't lying to me.. look it's been a second since i listened to mj IM SORRY i am a busy person ok TT)

R&B:

Valerie June

Maxine Nightingale (if u don't listen to her... how do u have fun? actual question i put her on every time i need to feel happy atp)

Boney. M (technically they're reggae but they also count as R&B so idk.. i'm just putting them here if anyone wants me to move them later i will)

Amahla (Ca Suffit was so good and got me to check out the rest of her music, YOU SHOULD TOO!!)

Mary J Blige (not to judge but like... if u don't know THE queen then idk how to help you tbh)

SZA (wouldn't be a list without her in it tbh. i'm in love w her not even joking abt that)

Kali Uchis (to this day i cannot believe i saw her live i'm truly never getting a better moment than that omggg i have such a big crush on her anyway)

Aupinard (if ever u need to just vibe, this is the man u go to.)

Wejdene (TU PARLES AVEC UNE ANISSA MA MOI J'APPELLE WEJDENE- she's been my day 1 since i was like thirteen i can't even lie)

Annisse (just found out she only has like ~500 listeners on spotify??? apparently i'm one of them tho lmao so yeah go get that number up guys i love her too much for this disrespect)

Sister Sledge

Cheryl Lynn

Reggae:

Daddy Yankee (he's an honourable mention cause i couldn't not lmao)

Skindred (they're a reggae/metal fusion band and i will shut up abt them when i'm dead bc Nobody rewired my brain chemistry!!)

Manu Chao

Toquinho (i was so convinced this man was bossa nova but apparently he is reggae and i need to do some music theory review)

Folk:

Sushi Soucy (oh the things I Deserve to Bleed had me going thru in 2020/2021)

Miriam Makeba (Pata Pata should be enough to get anyone listening to her, just saying)

Lead Belly (do urself a favour and do some research on this man, i'm not kidding even if u don't like folk music u should know abt him- ESPECIALLY if u like Nirvana that'll make sense later trust)

Pop:

Corinne Bailey Rae (she has so much good music that gets ignored bc of Put Your Records On so.. yeah go listen to Black Rainbows she's only gotten better as time goes on lol)

Dru (he is for any person who likes ke$ha. i'm so serious he is early 2000s in a bottle and i love his music ur rlly missing out if u ignore him)

Monique Hasbun (found her recently! she's a Palestinian, Mexican and Salvadorian artist who plays around with Latin pop and does a lot of fusion music. she's dope go listen to her fr)

Mohammad Assaf (he made the Palestine song that's been going around ig a lot, but his other stuff is great as well. he's another Palestinian artist, so once again, go check him out!!)

Pinkpanthress (i LOVE her she's so much fun to just vibe to and idk how anyone couldn't have heard of her atp but then again this is the sight that didn't know who drake was so... sigh. go listen to her if u don't already!!)

Aliyah's Interlude (BROOO if u haven't heard of her actually go listen rn i'm so serious she is so good i can'ttttt ok bye)

Veondre (had a collab w Aliyah on It Girl and is gonna be releasing her own music very soon! she's trans too so go give her some love)

Shalco (wasn't sure whether to put him here or in hip hop, but his stuff is very very good either way)

Ado (she's j-pop but it's a form of pop so into the pop category she goes)

Moon (she's got two songs out rn, Moonlight and Seoul City Drift, and both r going on loop in my head at all times)

Jay Chou (call me a basic bitch idc he's good ok)

Atarashii Gakko! (i wouldn't say they're j-pop, but google did, so i'm just going w it lol)

flowerovlove (just trust me on this one)

El Tio Gamboin (Los Gatitos is such a cute song)

Grace Chang (see note for Jay Chou)

King Gnu (for all my j-pop lovers... come get ur man)

Salsa:

Lalo Rodriguez (included this genre specifically so i could mention him)

Adalberto Santiago

Roberto Roena (he's a classic i can't lie)

Hector Lavoe (i think he might be the most popular one in this genre lol)

City Pop (this is its own genre bc i literally did a presentation in high school abt it and i'll be damned if i don't flex my knowledge now):

Mariya Takeuchi

Miki Matsubara (my QUEEN my everything my-)

Anri

Taeko Onuki (one of my most listened to artists last yr for a Reason)

Kaoru Akimoto

Kingo Hamada

Jun Togawa

Bossa Nova:

Joao Gilberto (ooo he gets me every time i fucking love this man)

Elizeth Cardoso

Johnny Alf (forgot this man the first time around my bad BUT he's called the father of bossa nova for a reason so)

Hip Hop:

Flyana Boss (they're sooooo good i actually can't gush enough i have never felt so girlypop listening to music before go listen to them!! found the duo through ig so yeah if u want go follow them on there too to show support)

Lil Uzi Vert (for any emo lovers, go check out his song Werewolf with Bring Me the Horizon it is SO GOOD)

Samyra (she's slowly curing my body dysmorphia lol)

Yame (there's an accent on the e but idk how to do that on tumblr. anyway my ass loves french rap and before him i was stuck with klub des loosers so he saved my faith in the genre i can't even lie)

Lay Bankz (u cannot be chronically online and not have heard Ick yet, but i'm repping her regardless bc SHE'S SO GOOD)

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie (HEAR ME OUT-)

Kaliii (Area Codes was one of my most listened to songs last year... as it should be tbh)

Miguel (he does R&B too i just first listened to him bc of his collab w J.Cole sooo)

Tyler the Creator (putting him on here just to brag abt getting to see him in concert lmao)

XXXTentacion (he has been mourned and talked abt an insane amount, but he deserves it i'm not even gonna joke on this one. his artistry is insane and he deserves some love if u haven't listened to him yet)

Kendrick Lamar (i mean i've been reblogging stuff abt him enough. Mr. Morale was actually the album that made me start Listening listening to him and i'm honestly glad it was bc that album is still my favourite to this day if i'm being totally honest)

Renaissauce (criminally and i do mean CRIMINALLY underrated)

[milgram-tournament]

MILGRAM Best Song Tournament, Round 1, Match 2 BRING IT ON vs. AFTER PAIN

Propaganda for both options under the cut!

Propaganda for BRING IT ON:

"Reasons why Bring it On should win:

- Just by starting the song, the instrumentals are BANGER. Like his more rock style is very cool, even better than After Pain’s more mellow style - Arthur’s voice (Futa’s va) had bills due because have you HEARD his singing?? His raspier voice fits Futa so well - It feels so explosive and like a call to action in a sense, which very much matches Futa’s mentality during trial 1. He also wasn’t playing victim like a CERTAIN girl… (jk, love you mu!) - SAA HAJIMEYOU USOTSUKI KARIDA - UNDEAD HEROOOI YES SLAY KING HIS HIGH NOTE HERE IS HEAVENLY - His scream at the end. Oh my god. HE LITERALLY ATE THIS NOTE. AFTER PAIN COULD NEVER. BRING IT ON FTW 🔥🔥🔥" - His range goes WAAAAAY higher than Mu. She would end up like PHG if she even tried hitting any of his high notes in the last chorus /j

---

- The vocals are amazing, those growls are so well done - You’re able to get Fuuta’s crime and motive pretty succinctly, only based on the visuals - But it still leaves a lot up to interpretation, like how he only attacked once in the final fight scene. It lead to some cool theories. - On that note, the game aspects are so cool!! Especially when paired with him going after people online, just good synergy with awesome style! - Fuuta’s scared face after he realizes what he did. The great contrast of other foes simply being knocked out then being met with blood splatter. - The tempo of the song changing with his mood is a really good touch as well. Make the song more chaotic which highlights his character traits well

---

"propaganda for bring it on: the music FUCKS it genuinely slaps so hard listening to it. song style is incredible its perfect for fuutas personality and gamer vibes. also the way the mv frames everything as a game? the only time real blood and real gore happens being when killcheroy dies? the little details of all the usernames, the different monster designs, the generally distorted feel of everything being too lighthearted?

okay i could go on about the mv for hours but lets not. aside from that: the FEEL of the song!!! the vocals!!!! it really feels like fuuta putting his whole heart into it, into this point of view that both blows problems out of proportion and minimises them, and DEEPLY fucking up. my darling little hypocrite gamer boy twitter user. he makes his witch hunt genuinely sound like something that could sweep people up into it. also the instruments goddddd. the guitar and synth the bass and the drums the DRUMS. im relistening to it to write this propaganda and it keeps making me headbang when i should be writing. if you arent headbanging to bring it on you are LYING.

the way the lyrics are written is wonderful too!!!! they feel so brash and brave and powerful and like. cocky about it. and it fits PERFECTLY. its gets someone swept up into it and it FUCKS. vote bring it on im serious. lets go!! a victory march!! dan da dan!!"

Propaganda for AFTER PAIN:

"so here is why people should vote for AFTER PAIN !!"

Muu's vocals. Need I say more?

The bridge to it is absolutely wonderfully done, the way she softens her vocals to an almost creepy point is incredible

during the final chorus you can hear the desperation in her voice and it’s very well portrayed

The coloring in this music video were phenomenal

The overlapping vocals at the end of the song just have a really really nice effect

Its just a pure banger

In some parts of the song there’s the sound of a clock ticking in the background used as a sort of beatline… GENIUS??

Its just a banger

even with what we found out about Muu in her second trial, After Pain on its own portrayed bullying in a very realisitc and artistic way (from someone who deals with it regularly)

---

"After pain propoganda: She just girlbossed too close to the sun and happened to be holding a knife at the time"

---

"Gosh everything about After Pain... How can you NOT like it? It's literally such a good song and is very singable. The instrumentation is absolutely amazing and I've listened to it on loop so much."

[lesb0]

A Treatise on Pop Celesbians/bis 🌈✨

(by someone who only listens to music from the 15th-16th century)

I'm super happy that tiktok is making it possible for small artists to breakthrough and blow up BUT when it comes down to chappell, sabrina simply slays more and is the better artist. She genuinely loves being a pop princess, has so much fun on stage, and started serious singing lessons back at Disney ages ago. her work is more cohesive and better produced, her stylist is doing really well with establishing her silhouettes, her vocals are stronger, and she also naturally has the adorable Disney girl look that the industry eats up which propelled her career so fast

chappell is purposely drag "ugly" which is very fun and will def get her some Halloween costumes this year, her fun little songs are so catchy and cute, but the production and style and her skill level needs a lot more work. Beyonce wasn't good at first either, remember when she was just solanges off key pretty little sister? I love that she's a successful rags to superstar story and she is really bringing the community together rn, it feels good. but, she doesn't know how to be famous. It's making her extremely depressed and miserable. She sings improperly for a soprano and it's going to ruin her vocals. quickly. she HATES having a fandom. she was reeeally lucky the pandemic algorithm picked her up right before the great tiktok boom but that doesn't have longevity. also I know she's freshly out but I can't be obsessed with a new lesbian who totally disregards lesbian culture. it's just so blah to see another drag queen appended onto male culture. I just want to see Dykey Dykes who are super proud to be one of us, cultural-historically and all, not a sad hag adopted by gay boys.

Billie adores her craft and has the strongest vocal signature out of anyone on the charts by far, she's an incredible artist and is the most mature performer. She is so protective of other famous women in general even though she started out as a baby in so many precarious positions herself. I know shes going to keep making good catchy music about loving pussy. I hope she puts some effort into learning production because obviously her brother doesn't want to do her sex songs LOL

Muna Absolutely EATS at vocals, punchy beats, they have such a strong sound and the butchfemmebutch thing is so, so powerful & sexy & real. They are thee perfect band imo. but the stylist is so inconsistent with branding that I couldn't recognize them as the same band I learned about from my gay friend in 2020. they're constantly serving cunt. but only the good taste lesbians are there to eat it.

Zolita has released some absolute bangers but her vocals haven't kept up with her high production standards and the rebranding from vampire to nun to barbie to cheerleader isn't helping her establish a solid pop artist identity! she should've stayed in the indie zone, dark and whispery and gothic was her thing. But I love that she's never shyed away from aggressive out and proud lesbian aesthetics and marketing, I still have her lesbian sex stickers on my laptop!

peach prc sacrificed getting 1m+ views early on in her career to be an out lesbian. she's a good singer, but she's stuck singing about her ex boyfriend because that's what got her the #1 single. I love her adorable fairy femme4butch aesthetic even if her music isn't good

As for JoJo I don't know WHAT she's doing with the whole troll cringebait thing but it's funny and shes rich enough to take care of generations... It's very responsible that she's keeping the new annoying dyke brand away from her little girl brand at target, she's growing into a good woman which is rare to see.

King princess CAN be a good pop artist but she's too inconsistent. she has a billion dollars and doesn't need her career anyways she's just having a good time.

I still think Hayley kiyoko could've been the queen of dyke pop if she would've dropped acting and modelling but she really is such a triple threat in talent and has the right looks that there's no way she shouldn't come out really successful but she is a woc so there's a whole different standard and many darker elements at play when considering the racism to killing her career.

I don't know why st Vincent moved into doing pop for 5 seconds. but Los ageless is my jam. Annie has been disappointing for a long time!

[oncamelliastreet]

⋆｡‧˚ʚ ❀ hi!! i’m r, and i’d love to be friends ❀ ɞ˚‧｡⋆

here’s a little about me:

in general:

i am a minor, i’m fine with 18+ just don’t be…weird

my pronouns are she/her

i’m bi and somewhere on the ace spectrum (people are pretty but ew)

i’m an infp and a february aquarius

i’m obsessed with camellia flowers (and not because it’s a luke hemmings lyric, that was just a delightful coincidence)

please don’t bring any drama or any negative energy anywhere near my blog

tv & movies:

stranger things

fav character : max and mike

fav ship : byler

dead boy detectives

fav character : charles and jenny

fav ship : charles and edwin

gilmore girls

fav character : luke and jess

fav ship : rory and jess, luke and lorelei

ted lasso

fav character : colin and sam

fav ship : roy and keeley

heartbreak high

fav character : spider and any

fav ship : spider and missy

the bear

fav character : richie (cousin)

fav ship : i don’t really have one?

outer banks

fav character : jj

fav ship : jj and kiara

young royals

fav character: wille

fav ship: wille and simon

shadow and bone

fav character: nina

fav ship: nina and matthias

school spirits

fav character: wally

fav ship: maddie and wally

criminal minds

fav character : spencer

fav ship : jemily

sitcoms

new girl

parks & rec

the office

brooklyn 99

superstore

mcu

fav characters: bucky, wanda, loki

other fav movies

10 things i hate about you

the breakfast club

the bikeriders

grease

elvis

music:

5 seconds of summer (my favorite artist)

luke hemmings is my lane and also my favorite human ever :)

my fav album is youngblood, fav song is lie to me

luke hemmings

fav album is wfttwtaf (fav album of all time too), fav song is garden life

taylor swift

fav album is midnights, fav song is yoyok

reneé rapp

fav song is willow

chappell roan

fav song is naked in manhattan

one direction

fav album is four, fav song is what a feeling

harry styles

fav albums is harry’s house, fav song is lights up

louis tomlinson

fav album so fitf, fav song is angels fly

note: i am not a larry

niall horan

fav album is heartbreak weather, fav song is science

conan gray

fav album is superache, fav song is movies

olivia rodrigo

fav album is guts, fav song is teenage dream

sabrina carpenter

fav album is tied between short n sweet and eics, fav songs are vicious, juno, and exhale

ruel

fav album is 4th wall, fav song is lie

ashe

fav album is ashlyn, fav song is loose ends

maisie peters

fav album is the good witch, fav song is lost the breakup

madison beer

fav album is silence between songs, fav song is king of everything

florence + the machine

fav album is ceremonials, fav song is breaking down

paramore

fav album is after laughter, fav song is fake happy

i am also an enthusiast of 80s music :)

hobbies:

art:

i love to draw (graphite)

i dabble in watercolor

i do some digital art but nothing too complicated, mostly i just make wallpapers and turn albums into books

writing

nothing completed or posted anywhere because i procrastinate until i lose interest :)

reading

romance books mostly, my fav author is emily henry and my fav book series is once upon a broken heart

other fav books: six of crows duology, dance of thieves duology, abby jiminez’ most recent series (yours truly, part of your world, just for the summer), i’ll give you the sun, all our broken pieces, i’ve read most fluffy gay romances (red white and royal blue, boyfriend material, her royal highness,

⋆｡‧˚ʚ ❀ and that’s all!! i’d love to be friends, feel free to message me anytime! ❀ ɞ˚‧｡⋆

[marxonculture]

Albums of the Year 2024

I used to do this every year, but as with everything else in my life, the pandemic and academia got in the way. This is the first year since 2021 where I've made a concerted effort to keep up with (at least to some extent) new music, and I'm feeling the itch to do that typical too-online, self-indulgent thing of writing up a list of my favourite new albums of the year in the vain hope someone might care about it.

Believe it or not, I used to do a full 50-album list, but I'm chilling out a bit with this one and limiting it to 20. These are the records that have gotten me through a hugely transitional year in my life, and my only hope is that if you're reading this, at least one of these records might end up meaning something to you, too.

20. Cunningham Bird by Madison Cunningham and Andrew Bird

A collaboration, built over the last few years, culminates in a wonderful ode to one of the greatest, most volatile, singer/songwriter collaborations of all time.

19. Understory: Live at the Village Vanguard by Ben Wendel

One of those great, live jazz recordings that makes you feel as if you're sat in the venue, watching it all unfold. Brought me back to my own, religious experience at the Vanguard from a couple years ago.

18. Woodland by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

The neo-old time genre's greatest songwriting duo return with an unapologetically contemporary suite of beautiful new songs. There's a reason Welch is your favourite folk songwriter's favourite songwriter.

17. Nothing by Louis Cole and the Metropole Orkest

If you're into Louis Cole's whole deal, then the majority of this record will feel pleasantly familiar to you. Just add on a full orchestra to give the oddball's usual brand of jazz/funk/fever dream songwriting some extra depth, as well as provide a new colour palette for some rather daring compositional diversions. Lovely.

16. Eagle's Point by Chris Potter

Not a huge amount to say about this one other than that it's an immensly entertaining set of new tunes from four of the greatest jazz musicians currently alive. What's not to like?

15. King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2 by Denzel Curry

Not usually my preferred brand of hip-hop, but at this point, I'll give anything Denzel Curry does a chance, and while this record isn't as much my thing as his last few projects, it's so meticulously made and visceral that I've found myself returning to it over and over again.

14. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish

The first of three absolutely essential pop records from 2024 on this list. Eilish and her brother/producer have designed an imaculate album of queer love (and lust) songs which feel especially mature for such a young artist.

13. Against the Fall of Night by Sungazer

I'm glad bassist Adam Neely has diverted his attention away from video essays to focus on his metrically-experimental, electronic jazz group, Sungazer, because this band is doing legitimately crazy and fascinating work. Give this a spin if you like the challenge of trying to head bang to music which refuses to be rhythmically predictable.

12. brat by Charli XCX

Maybe the album of the year in terms of pure cultural dominance. brat is, by my count, second only to one other pop record released in this calendar year (stay tuned). If you could make an audio recording of adrenaline, it'd sound like this. Summer may be over, but I'm not ready to stop bumpin' that.

11. Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé

She's just unstoppable, okay? This latest record from arguably the most famous woman alive is properly totemic pop Americana. If I had to pick a single song of the year, it might be '16 Carriages', which makes it all the more impressive that the rest of the album is good enough to hold up in comparison. It's also cool getting to see some of my favourite bluegrass musicians being involved in a project this massive.

10. Speak to Me by Julian Lage

Julian Lage might be the single most impressive jazz guitarist alive. All of his projects are good if not great, but this one was particularly exciting because he made his recorded return to the acoustic guitar - a real treat whenever it happens. Surrounded by a large-ish and very eclectic ensemble of musicians, Lage's compositions and playing sparkle even more than usual.

9. Wall of Eyes by The Smile

I like Radiohead, okay? I do think Yorke, Greenwood and drummer Tom Skinner have found something special with this new collaboration. The sophomore record is more assured than their debut and has Yorke's best songwriting in years. This stuff is hypnotic!

8. All Now by The Staves

I was so worried that after the eldest Stavely-Taylor sister left the band, that the sound produced by the two remaining sisters would suffer some. Sometimes it's nice to be emphatically proven wrong. All Now is a sonic extention of The Staves' last record, Good Woman, but this one trades wistful melancholy for relentless optimism, and my goodness does it work for them.

7. Fearless Movement by Kamasi Washington

There are very few things more satisfying than when an artist you've felt let down by in the past makes an unequivocal return to form. Kamasi Washington has always been compelling, but I've found him liable to get caught up in his own legend at times at the expense of his music. This new record feels a lot more grounded and a lot more substantial. It's also just a ton of fun!

6. Väsen & Hawktail by Väsen and Hawktail

Two of the most exciting acoustic ensembles in the world, who have been dancing around one another for years now, have finally come together for a full-length record, and it's marvellous! Both bands have lost a member to other projects recently, so given their natural proclivity for each other's music, it made sense for them to collaborate in order to fill those gaps. The sound of these combined groups is nothing short of miraculous. If you like instrumental folk music at all, then this is essential listening.

5. Service Merchandise by Previous Industries

Often, nostalgia can be a blight on culture, but when employed effectively, it can be a tool for exposing deep truths. My personal favourite rapper, Open Mike Eagle, along with Video Dave and Still Rift, have done just that on their debut album as a trio. Service Merchandise doesn't bemoan the loss of the past, but rather highlights the out-of-placeness of those who cling to it. The themes are sombre but the bars carry Eagle and co.'s signature whimsy.

4. GNX by Kendrick Lamar

In contrast, the latest release from LA rapper Kendrick Lamar is maybe the least whimsical major release of the year. It's direct, confrontational, and introspective to the point where it comes uncomfortably close to self-indulgence. What is lyrically quite a challenging record is made spectacularly listenable thanks to its absolutely stacked lineup of bangers which are sequenced to perfection. Undoubtedly Kendrick's best since To Pimp a Butterfly.

3. Fly by Michael Mayo

To my mind, the most deeply underdiscussed and most exciting young voice in jazz right now is Michael Mayo. I'm deeply obsessed with his debut album, Bones, which is a big, dense production. His latest, Fly, is far more intimate by comparison, but no less ambitious. Backed up by virtuosos Shai Maestro (keys), Linda May Han Oh (bass) and Nate Smith (drums), this suite of songs by the vocalist and composer is the most involving jazz record I've heard all year.

2. Only God Was Above Us by Vampire Weekend

I wanted to put this list out today, because come Monday I will have seen Vampire Weekend tour this album live, and the experience will likely skew my opinion of it.

I cannot think of another mainstream popular music outfit that addresses the modern Jewish experience at all, leta lone this well. Vampire Weekend are truly singular in that way. Every new release of theirs speaks to diaspora Jewishness in new, specific and relevant ways. What makes this particualr record so special though is how aesthetically adventurous it is while being so cogent in the delivery of its themes. This is up there with the band's very best records in a discography without a single dud. P.S. 'Classical' is an all-time great indie rock song.

1. The Golem and Other Tales by Sam Reider and the Human Hands

Accordionist and pianist Sam Reider's newest project is a manifestation of something I've been personally wishing for for close to a decade now: jazz and progressive instrumental music as a vehicle for explicitly Jewish cultural expression.

When I was in New York working towards the PhD I would ultimately flame out of, I spoke with Sam Reider and his bandmate, saxophonist Eddie Barbash, about the connection between their music and their relationship with Jewishness (not to be confused with Judaism). It was a lovely and eye-opening conversation that I'd like to think was as helpful to them as it was to me.

I'm not arrogant enough to suggest that this album is a result of that conversation, but it's so unbelievably exciting to see Sam, Eddie and the rest of the Human Hands construct a suite of pieces which so perfectly capture what I was searching for during that period of my life.

Reider's compositions are a particularly magical amalgamation of jazz, bluegrass, klezmer and other folk traditions from around the world. Those combined sound worlds feel like natural bedfellows in Reider and co.'s capable hands, and on this record. The result is an instrumental retelling of the 16th century Jewish folk tale, The Golem of Chelm. I can't tell you just how special this album is to me, but I can tell you that it sounds amazing, and that this group of musicians, led by Reider feel like they were cosmically destined to make this music together.

[spinningalbinoturtle]

Modern Songs and Artists that the Lotr crew would jam out to

Aragorn

He loves his look-a-like Hozier not because of their shared hairstyle but because he loves the message of a worshipping your girlfriend like a goddess. He has listened to “Too Sweet” too many times to count. Also enjoys some Noah Kahan and Florence.

Legolas

While I think Legolas generally likes pop-I think he secretly likes Noah Kahan as well cause he matches his foresty aesthetic. All of Stick Season was on his Spotify wrapped. He also loves the Beyonce country album and Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, and Charlie XCX

Gimli

He’s been blaring “Hind’s Hall” with Eowyn cause he’s a king like that. He likes rap but only when it has a social conscious message. I think he also enjoys some Hozier but more for the music and less for the lyrics. Generally listens to very little modern music-much more of a 90s guy.

Merry

He’s a big fan of The Weekend and has recently been getting to Djo. He also LOVES SZA. He actually has pretty decent taste in (pop) music. He likes Billie Eilish as well

Pippin

Pippin is still listening to Machine Gun Kelly. He’s been getting into K-pop a lot and really wants to see Stray Kids. Is taking Drake’s side. He likes anything fun on the charts.

Sam

Sam is a Swiftie and was really stoked tor TTPD. I think he also enjoys Maggie Rogers’ new album a lot too. He also likes Lizzo and isn’t sure who to believe in the controversy with her. He also loves Olivia Rodrigo but doesn’t want to think bad of Taylor so isn’t sure where he stands on that issue. I think he like Brandi Carlisle for her country gayness.

Frodo

He loves some boygenius and Vampire Weekend but lately he’s been losing it over Good Luck Babe (he’s screams it when he’s by himself). He did buy the Chappell Roan album on vinyl. Though not a big Swiftie generally he actually really liked Tortured Poets since he himself is one. And of course Mitski. He went to Troye Sivan with Arwen and they sat in the accessible section.

Arwen

She’s a huge Kacey Mussgraves fan. She also is into Troye Sivan. Arwen likes Dua Lipa cause she doesn’t have drama and embodies the sparkly aesthetic. She kinda likes Halsey as well.

Eowyn

She’s recently become a big Macklemore fan (wink wink). She also got really into LABOUR of course. Other than that she doesn’t listen to much that is super popular but she does like King Princess, Halsey, and Phoebe Bridgers and Brandi Carlisle.

Eomer

He’s real into Kendrick Lamarr. Pretty much into all the big rappers-was a Kanye defender for a while before Eowyn finally convinced him not to be (via various threats)

Faramir

Faramir also loves Chappell Roan. Also loves Ethel Cain cause she had a traumatic upbringing (no I am never letting go of my transfem Faramir headcanon you can pry it from my cold dead hands)

[writersp3n]

···➯ 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬

⋆.˚ ͟͟͞͞���❥ 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐗 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤!𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞; I was supposed to this like months ago😭😭Masterlist and other things regarding my blog are on my site.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬; Headcanons about Francis!!

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠; fluff

𝟏𝟏-𝟓-𝟐𝟒 | 𝟓𝟓𝟓 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬

✂〰〰〰〰〰

-- Favorite singer is Nat Cole King, I mean like have yall heard him. Francis seems like he would like his tone of voice and the loving nature of his songs. This remind him of Anastasha, mostly and his songs are very easy to play on His piano. (yes, I did sit down for like 45 mins listening to different artist in the 40s, 50s, and whatnot.)

-- Grew up a middle child, which is why he's so reserved and quiet. Doesn't really like the spotlight on him and lives his quaint life by himself satisfied.

-- Favorite color is scarlet, this is his favorite color because of strawberries, the color itself reminds him of his mother's garden, and the sweet smell the berries gave off during the summer.

-- favorite fruit is strawberries, he likes the sweet taste they give off, and his mother had a small garden full of strawberries before she died. (They were the sweet Charlie ones.)

-- His favorite song is, 'Pretty Little Angel Eyes' by Curtis Lee, which was the song playing in the background when Nacha told him she was pregnant. And was also played throughout Nacha's pregnancy, and in the hospital room, while Francis held her hand while she pushed Anastacha out.

-- He does call Anastasia "Ana" for short, which she doesn't mind unless someone else does that not Francis, she even got snappy at Nacha for calling her that.

-- Took piano lessons as a child. Still has that skill but typically doesn't like to flaunt. Has a humble old piano in his apartment he plays but very softly to not disturb his neighbors. (My turn: Anastasha, also likes listening to him play songs on it, usually falling asleep to them.)

-- Big softie for animals, when he does his milkman runs around the block, he definitely pets the local strays and feeds them spare crackers he may have packed for lunch. He wishes he could keep one but doesn’t really have the time and plus the apartment complex doesn’t allow pets because of doppel precautions! (I'm ignoring this whole sentence.)

-- Hes a bit (Very) messy. but if he's not sleeping throughout the day, he definitely makes an effort in cleaning his place up and making a proper meal for himself. On overwhelming workdays though, his clothes are scattered everywhere and it's quick and easy meals for dinner. (My turn: I Think Francis is honestly very messy, Anastasha helping clean up bit when he has her over. the only thing that would be clean is her room, and his bedroom wouldn't be as dirty but still dirty as the rest of the apartment.)

-- Barely socializes with neighbors. He isn't necessarily buddy-buddy with any of his neighbors, however, there is some acquaintance with Angus and Izaack (mainly because of their extroverted personalities, they must be known by everyone in the complex!). -- Super shy about physical affection or any type of affection. It would take a good while for him to make any sort of first move. He would do a little secret admiring from afar just to warm up to it. Nothing too intense. Consider leaving a rose or a nice compliment on the front desk while no one is looking. Definitely had to be hyped up by Isaack to go through with it.

[omegasmileyface]

The Foleys' Incredible Crisis

Chapter 1: Call It Stormy Monday

Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad) was written and performed in 1947 by T-Bone Walker. It is one of the most popular Blues songs ever, and has been performed and reiterated by countless other musicians. It has been credited with inspiring B.B. King to take up electric guitar, and it is included in the Library of Congress.

Happy Invisobang!!! This should have been posted earlier in the week but I couldn't make myself get to the computer to finalize/format it. Hehe. This year I had the INCREDIBLE experience of working with Shadow and Sharks, who were such wonderful artists— they have a whole smörgåsbord of art to please your eyes in this story! They have kept me on my toes— as I write this, the final, collaborated illustration is still a secret to me 👀 Lola is an OC I named once I realized Tucker absolutely feels like he has a little sister. Since then she's been in my heart and I can't let her go. My wonderful girl Lola. It's a treat whenever I get to see her in the wild— I almost had a heart attack when she appeared in Lex Luthor's Ascent from Supervillainy to Fatherhood by halfagone!

For a directory of all currently posted chapters and related content, check out the Table of Contents!

fic summary: After a whole week of vacation stuck together, the Foleys were more than happy to have some time apart. So when they each found themselves caught up in ghost business, that meant handling it alone. Angela wasn't planning on improvising a ghost conspiracy, Maurice was hoping to avoid working IT, Lola didn't think playing a hero would take her out of school, and Tucker would really have liked to focus on his own problems. But, really, what else did they expect from Amity Park? Home, sweet home.

words: 2269

AO3 link

next chapter [pending]

Tucker dropped his bag with a thunk. He was far beyond caring to be delicate, despite the electronics inside— he just wanted to shed his shoes and jacket and maybe the memories of the trip along with them.

"Ohhhh-kay," said his mom, grimacing at the trash can. Nobody had thought to empty it before they left. "What a vacation!" She laughed emptily. "I'm going to bed. You can fend for yourselves for dinner."

Tucker's dad popped back out from behind the bathroom door. "Before you go," he called over the rush of the faucet, "can we all just agree? Real quick, get in the den and then we can all ignore each other."

Lola sighed loudly and gave up untying her shoe, just kicking it off. Tucker agreed. He couldn't wait to wash his hands after the long trip.

His dad dried off his hands and joined them in the den, looking each of his family members in the eyes one by one. "I propose we never talk about this trip unless we have to."

Everyone agreed with as much fervor as they could muster after the fraught day.

"Also," said Lola, "I think we should try not to talk to each other for a whole day."

"Works for me," said Tucker.

His mom yawned. "Much as I love you all, I'm good with a day pretending you don't exist. Tucker, can you walk with Lola to and from school tomorrow?"

He looked at his little sister. She shrugged.

"As long as she plays nice, yeah."

His dad clapped. "Cool. Alright. So, unless one of us needs something, we all mind our own business tomorrow? Okay. I'm gonna order a pizza, and... I'll sleep in the guest room tonight. Pleasure doin' business with you all."

Tucker closed his eyes and sighed, pleased at imagining taking a shower and sleeping in his own bed in a few hours.

They had just wanted to see family in Chicago. What a disaster.

The library was quiet when Angela Foley came in. That made sense, she worked weekday mornings, so they usually only saw adults and the rare preschooler. As much as she liked helping the spread of knowledge, it was nice not to have too much to do at the front desk. Maybe she could get a crossword puzzle or two done.

She had made it about halfway through the puzzle (Angela knew a lot of things, but wordplay was never her specialty. What on Earth was she supposed to get from "gift for a blue lady"?) before someone walked in, paused, and went straight for the front desk.

She put on her smile. "Hi! Can I help ya with anything?"

The man was tall, wearing a clean white button-up shirt and jeans. His brassy skin and black hair caught strangely in the fluorescent lights, turning almost orange at their edges. She was pretty sure he was a ghost in disguise, but she had helped ghosts before. Usually, if one was asking for help using a library, they weren't intent on doing anything violent.

Usually. She still reserved a little caution.

"Yes, I'm looking for information on a very distant place. Where might I find something like that?"

"Well, what place is it?"

"It's called An Aghaidh Mhòr."

Angela blinked at the unfamiliar sounds. "I'm not familiar. Is that... Gaelic?"

The man fiddled with his sleeves. "Scottish, I believe, yes."

"Alright." Angela stood up and moved toward the computer monitor at the desk by the door. "I'm going to check in our catalog for books on Scotland."

The man watched silently as she searched. Angela hummed. "It looks like, in house, the only books we have on Scotland are travel guides covering the whole of the UK or Europe. I don't expect they'd have many details on smaller places— well, I'm assuming An Aghaidh Mhòr is small, since I haven't heard of it. If you'd like, you can check anyway, or I can contact another library in the system, and they can send over some more specialized books, but that might take a few days."

The man said nothing, but his eyebrows furrowed in thought. Angela recognized the face of a person with a wide, potent array of bad options.

"Or, if you're more pressed for time, we do have a few computers and Internet access here. I can help you find some web sites that might have what you're looking for."

"And this wouldn't take any longer than looking through a book?"

Angela smiled and headed toward the public computers. "Faster, even, if you know what you're doing. I can help you if you've never done it before."

They began their search, and the man caught on quickly to what Angela was doing and how. She helped him for a while, long enough to find out that An Aghaidh Mhòr was a place in the woody North of Scotland, usually called Aviemore, and was something of a tourist destination. Beyond that, she left him to do his own research and went back to her crossword.

She just had a pesky few clues left when the man started muttering curses in another language and walked back over to her desk.

With panicked eyes, he said "I have to be honest. What I'm looking for is, ah… evidence that An Aghaidh Mhòr has an open community of ghosts alongside its humans. I'm certain that it once did, and I know that it still must. But I have chased every tail of information I could find that led to pages on the computer, and none of them, regardless of detail or experience with the town, has mentioned it."

He looked down and seemed to weigh something in his head. "It must be some sort of secret. Whether to protect the ghosts or to protect themselves from ridicule, the living people of An Aghaidh Mhòr have hidden their ghost society. You have to help me find it."

The little hairs on Angela's body all stood up. Warning bells were going off in her head. There was nothing to do but remain calm. "If that's the case, I don't know about anything like that. I can send out a question to my colleagues to see if they know anything, but I'm afraid I can't–"

"No!" The man swung out a hand, and the inner doors swung shut, silvery light weaving across them like fishing nets to keep them in place. The lights dimmed and his skin faded to a deep, fiery orange, layered and complex like agate. His eyes glowed like the moon. The few library guests gasped and looked at him in shock.

"You are a keeper of information, from a city with a striking connection to ghosts. I need to know the truth about ghostly An Aghaidh Mhòr, and you must help me find it." His silver eyes were full of fear, but Angela couldn't bring herself to care how the ghost who just trapped and threatened her was feeling.

She had to think fast to get out of this safely. Something to keep his hopes up…

"Fine. Fine." Angela held up her hands. "I'm not confident in my own grasp of the situation, but I do know of some secrets like the one you're talking about. It'll take some time– say, a couple hours– to put together anything meaningful, and I'll need to call in an expert, but I can do it. I will do it."

She could only hope her friends were any good at improv.

Maurice was never one for early mornings, but he always made the best of his hour alone after the kids went off to school and Angela's shift started. That was his time to make coffee and goof around. He could prance around the kitchen in ways that would make Tucker gag if he were there, and as long as he couldn't see his neighbors, he could put them out of mind enough to sing as loud as he wanted.

Before work was the blues hour. Today he put on Lucille. Whole album, on tape, from the top.

If anybody asked why he started his days with the blues, he'd probably say something about the sad lyrics reminding him how lucky he was. How no matter how embarrassing the family vacations or boring the work or sleazy the boss, he still had a clean house around him and a faithful wife beside him.

In reality, though, he mostly just liked the beat.

Once he got into work, it was just the same as ever. Double-entries and journalizing. He didn't even get to mix up which accounts he dealt with. VLADCO was too big for that. It was Accounts Receivable, 140-180, day after day.

But at least it wasn't IT.

Then, after almost an hour of swimming through "Axiom Labs, Ltd. $1,300 Debit" and "Hey, Maurice, how was the weekend?" and "Nugreen Ectosuppliers, LLC $400 Credit" and "You get that last letter? Crazy what Masters is trying these days, yeah?", everything went dark.

(Or, at least darker than usual. The grainy white of every surface in the office never lent itself to anything deeper than a cloudy grey.)

After a few seconds of quiet shock, the lights came back. Now, however, there was a ghost floating in front of the door connecting the Finances and Supplies department to the rest of the facility.

He seemed to be well-muscled and of average height, though it was hard to tell exactly what a ghost looked like when they were putting off that much of an aura. His skin was dark green and rough-looking, like bark, and there was a reddish halo around his head like some sort of spectral hair. His blood-moon eyes looked over everyone in the room individually before anyone dared speak. Finally, he opened his mouth.

"This is the center of a company that arms humans againsts ghosts and similar threats. Yes?"

Shocked, a few people nodded.

"And you are all from the department keeping stock of supplies. I do not know where your weapons are kept, but I know that you do. Someone in here will retrieve them for me. I need them, if I am to bring my people, ghosts and humans, together again."

The tension finally broke the membrane freezing time, and several office workers started to move for phones.

"Don't bother trying to get help. I have severed all the lines of communication between you and the world outside this office. I will leave you alone, as soon as someone leads me to the armory."

Maurice glanced at the little LCD display on the phone on his desk. No signal. His computer, too, had nothing when he clicked over to the Internet settings.

No one said anything. Some kept trying with their phones, but not a single person offered to explain how scant and useless the actual in-house ecto-equipment supply was or show the path to it. Maurice imagined they were all thinking the same thing he was; yes, complying was generally the way to stay safe in a hostage situation, and panic was strong, but a ghost coming into town and getting their hands on even just half-assembled ecto-equipment never went well. And, maybe even more importantly, VLADCO had terrifyingly strict regulations on safe ecto-tech policy. Unless the immediate threat of being personally hurt for information increased, the consequences in the long run were the biggest monster here.

The ghost crossed his arms. "Fine. You have one hour to bring me to the weapons. I can wait. I have waited this long. If you take any longer, or if you attempt any trickery, then I will start going through with threats. Until then, you may have your time to panic and fantasize about ways out that don't involve giving up company supply. I will be standing here."

He leaned against the door, and his gaze stayed rock-hard on the workers and their cubicles.

Maurice caught the eye of his most tolerable coworker Jacob. Jacob widened his eyes in some silent look of panicked questioning. Maurice shrugged. He was scared out of his mind, but what was there to do? Freaking out wouldn't do anybody any good. He could wait here and see if any ghost hunter showed up, and once they got closer to the end of the hour, everybody could meet up and decide if it was worth giving up the ecto-tech.

For now... well, he certainly wasn't going to do more accounting. This was as good an excuse for a break as any.

He toyed around on his computer for a bit, fidgeting with whatever programs he had. Maybe if the ghost noticed him, he could say he was looking for office schematics explaining where the ecto-tech was held. Really, he couldn't think to do anything but let off stress.

He played around in the rudimentary E-mail client for a bit. Mimed sending goofy messages to his coworkers while he knew he couldn't accidentally send them. But there, at the top of his inbox, was the automated morning office update. It had just come in four minutes ago... after the communications were shut off.

Was there some kind of hole in the ghost's anti-communication measure? The intercoms weren't working, and normal E-mails weren't going through, even within just Finances & Supplies. But the daily updates worked on a different system than the normal E-mails, so nobody had to send them at a consistent time each day, just queue them up.

...Was there something about the different setup that made it immune to the ghost's blackout?

Maurice got to investigating.

[ashbeanss]

I’d never heard of precious jewel armor before reading your post talking about c!wilbur songs and now I’m listening to these songs and doing a thousand yard stare into the distance coping with all these emotions, GREAT artist thank you for the inadvertent recommendation!

ofc man! there are a few other dsmp musicians that i always think about: (this will be long check under the cut)

amanda fagan made some of the very first songs for a few characters, most notably her ‘take you down’ for quackity, ‘bittersweet’ for jack manifold, and ‘promises you couldn’t keep’ for niki. i will be very blunt, i do not like how she writes wilbur, and i would not recommend her wilbur songs, but ‘take you down’ is still the best written quackity song out there, and ‘bittersweet’ is incredible. do check out her work.

kanaya is a name most people have heard before but i need you all to listen to a song that is not marionettes or violence because guys. guys my god. yeah ‘i’ll let it burn’ is alright whatever have you heard ‘november 16th’? have you heard ‘us against the world’? please. i love her work. she did a collab with precious jewel amor where she wrote tommy’s song and precious wrote tubbo’s, they’re both great. ‘little hero’ is gorgeous. if i don’t think about ‘no reprise’ it can’t hurt me.

kroh made the ranboo song of all time and i will forever be greatful for that. go listen to ‘typical me’, amazing song, ‘hush’ is cool too. oh yeah kroh also made ‘mr bones’. i guess. but who gives a shit about ‘mr bones’ when ‘typical me’ is so good, you have to believe me. ‘home’ is also really good and way more underrated than ‘typical me’ so you should listen to it as well, more even.

candlebard only made two dream smp songs. and one of them is a dream song. that i haven’t listened to. but i would be fucking wrong if i didn’t tell you about ‘disappear’. oh my god ‘disappear’. i could write essays on this song. i love it so much. it is the c!wilbur song of all time, nothing will ever get him like ‘disappear’. it has everything, seasonal metaphors, an empathetic perspective on wilbur’s fall into destruction, incredible music. that’s all you need to make me happy really. this song has less than 200k views and that’s a crime. go listen to it please.

cjack, like candlebard, only made two dream smp songs, and i have only listened to one of them, but i physically couldn’t not bring up ‘phantom feelings’. it’s so important to me. no ghostbur song is like ‘phantom feelings’ i’m telling you. go listen to it, every other ghostbur song will be ruined for you forever. you will never be able to appreciate ‘blue’ by derivakat again because you will know there is better. and you have heard it.

hatorbee is a musician i’ve literally never seen anybody talk about but i needed to bring them up because they’ve made? so many songs? and to be very frank with you, are they all great? no. like musically some of these songs are not the best, but fuck damnit they should write poetry. also they get these characters more than some songs that sound amazing so. you win some you lose some. ‘one more dance’ was a core part of my dsmp phase and also the only skephalo song i’ve ever heard and the only reason i gave a shit about them. the timing is weird, the vocal performance isn’t perfect and is mixed strangely, but you can feel the passion oozing out of it. they also made the only karlnapity song with precious jewel amor and winks, and it’s kind of incredible? i might cry? also lies in the letters is very good wilbur characterisation. i’m giving it a strong stamp of approval.

bonus: ‘the mad king wilbur’ was deleted in it’s original video form recently but the topic reupload and an animatic still exist. watch one of them, the song is incredible and gorgeous. also not fansongs but cyborg blood’s crimeboys animatics make me very emotional and you should watch them specifically their ‘by your hand’ wilbur animatic.

thanks for reading my essay. have a good day. listen to los campesinos!

[phanfuckingtasmal]

ok it's 4am and i just finished arc 3 so here are some very tired thoughts. spoilers below ofc

- episode 7 might be my new favourite in the whole show even though half of it (you know which half) had me literally screaming and hiding behind a pillow on my couch (i am not good with horror. i was very scared.)

- i was so fucking right about the king princess song and oh my fucking god i'm dying. they are Such lesbians. in a fucking prison cell. there was blood on the floor girl. "wait i slept with someone-" "ok dyke"

- i love ekko so fucking much and i'm so glad he got to have such a big moment at the end there

- did i mention i loved episode 7

- pace of ep9 was crazy. i feel like ep8 could've been shorter to give them more time in 9. that being said with the time they had there were still a lot of very incredible and beautiful moments and hoooooooly fuck some of that art in 9 was off the WALLS good. just absolutely insane. i hope they paid the artists a million dollars

- will never be over timebomb ever

- i'm too tired to remember anything else rn. will post more tomorrow. wish we'd had more sevika.... all her time on screen was good and i knowwww they had time restraints so it's ok but. where was she. missed my wife etc etc.

- episode 7 fucked me up so good i had to pause and stim like literally five or six times. the designs. the au. that look at the end that implies in another universe far away they're happy together

- maybe controversial take but i absolutely loved the jayce and viktor forehead touch at the end. i personally love love love stories where it's like these two ppl loved each other so much that they save each other in every timeline and it doesn't matter what kind of love it was. it can be any kind you want. it could be all of them. but what matters is they loved each other.

- on that note i did love that they were *also* giving "i'd kill you in every universe"

- i am so tired. i have more to say about jinx but i have to sleep. rn im scheming and thinking about that shimmer trail and all the hints.

- goot night

[moonspirit]

my hcs on the alliances favourite song/musician:

levi- Elvis. no specific song

he’d lock himself in a room and blast some of his songs, he’d sip a cup of tea and stare out the window while stewing his hatred for that lil monkey boy zeke. the first time he did this onyankopon broke down the door because he thought levi was gonna kill himself. my reasoning is that I think he’s a lil ol fashioned so.. Elvis.

annie- hit ‘em up, 2pac.

she’d LOVE diss tracks, especially this one. she’d sometimes mumble “..that’s why i fucked yo bitch you fat motherfucka..” in her sleep. the alliance doesn’t let her pick the music anymore after falco and gabi arrived for obvious reasons. if she was more public she’d be cancelled for imitating a black accent.. she can’t help it..

armin- nursery rhymes. 

oh god don’t give him the aux.. he would genuinely be listening to “je mappele dolphine” or something like that. do NOT let him find national anthems. (not the lana del rey one.. please let him find that one it’s so good)

gabi- karma, jojo siwa.

you couldn’t water board this information out of her. she pretends her favourite song is also hit ‘em up like annie to act tough but she’s a Jojo siwa fan at heart. she doesn’t let anyone in her room because you’d find every single bow jojo has released, that one mold infested jojo siwa curry sauce, and a karma vinyl she somehow got her grubby hands on. 

connie- con calma, daddy yankee.

our latino king! you cannot stop him from replaying this song, unless you want to go get a rabies shot. if he’s listening to spanish songs while driving make sure to buy car insurance right then and there because connie doesn’t have any! and you’re definitely gonna crash..

pieck- telepatia/melting - kali uchis.

couldn’t decide which she’d like more, but she’s a huge fan of cutesy songs. i can also see her liking prom song gone wrong by lana del rey. (can u tell lana is my favourite?) anyway, she would bedazzle her record player with pink rhinestones and dance around her room to kali uchis. 

reiner- caramelldanssen, caramella girls.

you CANNOT change my mind. he’d try to overdose on crushed up jolly ranchers (someone scammed him, placebo affect go crazy) while laying face down on the carpet with this song in the background. someone asks him to hangout he’s like nah i’m busy today.. he’s just listening to this song while ugly crying about nothing in particular.

jean- maneater- nelly furtado

much like gabi, he’d probably say his favourite song is something like too many nights or big poppa.. but we all know this is what he’d listen to. that and promiscuous (also by nelly furtado. he’s a huge fan) yeah nobody believes him when he says a hip-hop/rap song.

falco- kidz bop version of ms.jackson. (that kidz pop song SPECIFICALLY.)

while other people are stanning loona or whatever artist he’s stanning kidz bop.. like a true alpha male. he’d also probably say shit like “fudge” instead of fuck and yell “language!!” when someone cusses. bless his heart.

hope u know all these songs, they’re very.. diverse. it took a while to get you these headcanons but i’ve been busy lately.

Hiya xD

Gotta admit, I didn't know a lot of these songs so I had to look them up. Had a great time tho!

I like Levi listening to Elvis. He's an old time king, and he's right - old timey songs really do FTW. Nothing like being holed up in your house with some fucking great tea and 50's rock n roll.

Annie tho xD She can listen to ALLLLLL the diss tracks and hard rap she wants to and wear outfits that got drip and swag but she'll never beat the cute allegations. Sorry but that's... That's just how it is.

But Armin - nursery rhymes???!?! Come ooonnnn you gotta give him more credit than that lol xD I like to think he enjoys pop and instrumental a lot.

Gabi, Falco and Jean being like "No! We're tough nuts! In this house we listen to songs that go hard!" And then actually listening to energetic pop and kidz bop lmaooooo. People pretend they don't know so these three can keep their pride intact xD (secretly they're a club of liars)

I listened to Telepatía by Kali Uchis and omg 🥺 I can imagine Pieck vibing to that slow R&B soul in her room. Dancing around her room as the record player plays and plays and plays. Ahhhh that's such a good image!

The best ones are for last.

Connie boy! He's definitely not got a thought in his head with that song as he drives - and it's a pretty GREAT road trip too! All cheer and good vibes!

Reiner listening to Caramelldanssen is the only thing of true value in this post. In true style, he's got the video and everything playing on the largest screen in his house. He knows the moves. He dances, he sings, he cries.

(the others are horrified. Perfect time for Annie to spit some 2pac diss bars).

thank you for sending these in omg xD

[karlie-what-you-want]

People were discussing Taylor’s lyricism, and the level of it compared to other artists. Most people said that her lyrics are very good, but not better than other beloved writers like Carol King, MJ, John Lennon, Bernie Taupin, and even a few more contemporary artists. As a songwriter myself, I respect people’s opinions, and I also enjoy a good analysis, so I asked what people feel makes her not better or perhaps a few steps below those songwriters.

I got some really lovely, genuine answers that I won’t go into on this post, but I really appreciated those! They gave me some good perspective.

I also got one answer that emotionally landed somewhere between amusing and frustrating to me. The answer was that the “problem” with Taylor is that her own fans can’t even say what makes her lyrics so good. They’re unable to define it. What makes MJ, Lennon, and others so good was how they influenced artists for years to come. And MJ has lyrics that are clearly better than Taylor’s. (This was all according to one person.)

I wasn’t offended by this, but I found it interesting, because I can define exactly what makes Taylor special to myself and so many others. So I politely put it into words:

I would gently disagree there. As a Taylor fan, I could tell you what (I feel) is so good about her compared to other artists of our time. For me, it’s her ability to place the listener in a moment—in an experience. At her best, Taylor doesn’t have to tell you how she’s feeling; she describes a series of moments, and through the details she gives, you as the listener just feel it. However, I think that gift does tend to get lost in her more “pop” style songs—not always, but often. I’d say All Too Well and Ivy are great examples, though. Not just that the lyrics are strung together nicely, but that they’re very effective. That is just my opinion of course.

I am someone who tries to be objective, so I’m not going to beat anyone over the head with my opinions.

The response I got was…interesting. This person decided that my opinion was to be disregarded because it was…an opinion? “Judging the lyrics should be an objective thing, not a subjective thing. The things you described were subjective things, any artists fans can say that about their favorite artist and it would be true for them. I was talking about more objective literary judgment.”

…🙃

I’m not one to argue with strangers on the internet, so all I could do was politely point out that almost all literary judgement is subjective. And also that the things I described of Taylor are things she objectively does, but whether that makes a good song is where opinion comes into play. And, because I’m a little petty, I pointed out that their statement of “MJ has clearly better lyrics” was also very subjective. Because it is—and that should be okay! But let’s not pass of our opinions as facts while accusing others facts as being mere opinions.

Anyway, like I said. I don’t argue with strangers online. I DO, however, come to vent about their silly behavior to my tumblr community.

[atopvisenyashill]

Dances of the dragons; what are things you like about the story in the show and book.

Well clearly I’m very fond of Rhaenyra and her little family. Something I really like exploring in fiction is ~blended families~ having been born into one myself and I find it fascinating especially in the pseudo-medieval context of a song of ice and fire. The complexity of balancing this family with what the world at large considers proper, of protecting this family when it's very existence is a threat to the established order of things.

I also really love the whole Aegon/Sunfyre and Baela/Moondancer stand off. I think the narrative aspects of it are amazing and it fits their characters so well. Baela being purposefully kept out of the war, kept even from defending Dragonstone, going off on this long shot stand off against the leader of the enemy faction and then she fails. I think what is often forgotten about Baela in this instance is that her amazing bravery is worth nothing in the end. Aegon still takes Dragonstone, Rhaenyra is still murdered, and worst of all, Moondancer dies and Sunfyre is mortally wounded. All she does is help kill two more dragons, help kill the power of her own family, sacrificing her own beloved dragon, her own agency later in life, for nothing not even a temporary win. Then you have Aegon as Sunfyre's only rider, Sunfyre feeling Aegon's distress and sacrificing his own life to come save Aegon, taking not one but two life ending crashes to the ground all for love of Aegon, and then just dying and leaving Aegon such a mess he's dragging Baela out and threatening to become a kinslayer with his own two hands in front of the entirety of King's Landing. The moment Sunfyre dies, Aegon is dead. They are too connected in a way many of the other bonds are not. It's not just like Vhagar or Caraxes mindlessly going into death because it's what their riders want from them; no, Sunfyre seeks death out in a vain attempt to save his rider, after Aegon goes through deliberate pains to separate himself from Sunfyre to spare Sunfyre the same fate as Vhagar, Caraxes, Arrax, or Meleys.

Also that final confrontation between Aegon and Rhaenyra - that i hope you died / you first, you are the elder exchange - is soooooo good. The way Aegon traumatizes the Younger the way Helaena and Jaehaera were, completely screwing over his own heir in his rage, and Rhaenyra's body isn't even safe from being sexually abused when she's dead.....George was cooking here.

As for the show, I think the casting is leaps and bounds better than the main show. I think probably the weakest links on the cast are (I'm about to get tomatoes thrown at me here) Ewan, Emily, and Sonoya but I don't think any of them are bad by any stretch. Emily does some amazing work showing Alicent's despair and anxiety and intelligence. I would put her on the same level as Maisie in the original show - she needs some time to find her feet as an actor but you can see her growing and changing as an artist and performer before your eyes. Sonoya has a bit of a lackluster script to work with (it's hard to adapt Mysaria, she's just a bunch of awful ~far east~ stereotypes rolled into one upsetting character) and she's also clearly struggling around her accent. I'm hoping she'll pull a Peter Dinklage next season and get used to the accent. Ewan is also here I guess (*kanye shrug* I think he looks too old and little Aemond was leagues better, sue me!!). But everyone else is just on their mark constantly, elevating the script with their own ideas or acting choices. And what I'll give Condal, Hess, and Miguel is that they also let the actors have a say in the characters. In my opinion, the best shows always include actor input. Three of my favorite shows in fact - Leverage, Battlestar Galactica, and Farscape - all include rather long arcs for several characters that came because the actors said "can we dig into what motivates my character more? i wrote out a backstory if you're interested" or "i'm not sure my character would react that way, i think it would go this way" and the writers listened and let them be part of the writing. I love to drag these writers for all the best ideas coming from the actors but I find it commendable that instead of plugging their ears to minor pushback like D&D did, they said "damn tom, olivia, this carriage scene is so much better the way you're doing it, go crazy" or "hey matt you're doing some great acting here, tell us what you're thinking, let's dig in" and emma has talked extensively about how they let them really dig into gender performance as they wrote the character.

Maybe that doesn't seem like a big compliment but, at the risk of sounding too cheesy, I think art is a conversation ya kno?! It's a push and pull between the performers, the writers, the cinematographers, the special effects, as well as the viewer. When you see art as a dictatorship, it stifles what you're saying. But when you bring in fresh eyes, when you collaborate, I think you are more likely to have a much more polished, much more beautiful end product. And I think in allowing like, Emily Carrey the ability to read her own queerness into Alicent and then portray that on screen made for an Alicent that feels so much more real than if Emily was forced to simply read the words on the page without emotionally connecting to it! Look at how Stephen Dillane and the guy who played Barristan were clearly phoning it in because they weren't listened to! Look at how clearly annoyed Gwendoline and Nikolaj were at the ending there because they didn't like how the plot was going! When the artists are involved in the making of their own craft, it's just better!

(but what about Rhys, you say, didn't you once say he had negative charisma? yes, yes he does, i think he's wildly overrated as an actor and i don't understand the appeal but i think otto himself is also devoid of charisma so rhys fits!! i am a hater sorry!!!)

Anyways, yes, I love Rhaenyra and Aegon because I love deranged gay older sister - violent beefy young brother duos from hell with all my heart, I love Baela the Burnt with all my heart, and I love all the actors and the collaborative nature of HOTD.

[portlandwithyou]

Releases of the Year- 2024

Every year, I share a few of my favorite albums and EPs from the year. Below are my thoughts a handful of my favorites. There are some very, very good releases that don't make the cut, but I always choose my sentimentality over all else.

Find the collection plus honorable mentions that didn't quite make the cut on Spotify.

BRAT- Charli xcx

Brat was everywhere this year; you could hardly miss it. Some of us knew it was coming, but I know many were taken by surprise. Charli xcx is a powerhouse and has been for years. I still remember the first time I heard her 2019 semi-self-titled album Charli, and in 2022 I even named CRASH one of my favorites of the year.

I'm using this entry to highlight all three releases-- BRAT, Brat and it's the same but there's three more songs so it's not, and Brat and it's completely different but also still brat. Although each has its own highlights, they are so intertwined with one another I don't believe you can fully separate the subsequent releases from the mother.

Charli is my top artist of the year on Spotify, and my top ten spots are essentially the album in order. The album, club music featuring confessional lyrics, simply captivated me more than any other this year. Hell, I even learned the Apple dance. It has been such a delight to see one of my favorites be acknowledged as the innovator she is.

Try: Talk talk

Challengers [MIXED] by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross/ Boys Noize

How thrilling is it that a score is recognized ahead of time for its brilliance and given a special mixed release?

It's no secret that I liked the film Challengers-- I saw it six times in theaters-- but I had the pleasure of hearing this album first, which immediately set the mood for the movie. Unlike some remixes, which can bury an original song so deeply it's inscrutable, this "mixed" version of the songs allows the songs to stand on their own two legs apart from the film.

I recommend listening to the straightforward score, too, but this album was in my ears quite a bit in the late spring/early summer.

Try: Challengers

Flight b741- King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard

On January 11th, while home alone on a quiet night with nothing to do, I decided on a whim to check out a band I'd been hearing about for the last 10 years- King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. In the months since then, I've heard every album, watched the documentary, seen them live, done the couch tour thanks to the band generously streaming each show, made multiple spreadsheet to try and get my hands around their vast discography, made a smattering of gifs, and fallen truly head over heels in love with them.

It's a special thing, the first time a band you've fallen in love with puts out an album while you're a fan. Flight b741 is no different. Leaning into a sort of southern rock-esque sound the album is another in a long line of "genre" albums by the band.

The first single, Le Risque, hit me hard and fast, although I'll admit it took the rest of the album a minute to grow on me. I believe, like much of Gizz's oeuvre, it is best heard live. Don't let this stop you from listening to this well-produced album. In fact, Le Risque, Mirage City, and Daily Blues are all stellar tracks that benefit from the kinds of sound you can only produce in a studio.

Try: Hog Calling Contest

LEAVING- Kerosene Heights

Kerosene Heights is a force to be reckoned with. Their sound is developing at the speed of light. In 2023 I named their album Southest of Somewhere one of my favorites and this year I'm delighted to tell you they're only getting better.

LEAVING is so impressively made I struggle to believe they're not the biggest band in the world right now. They know how to write a hook, they know how to captivate you, they know how to deliver. In my heart, they are rockstars.

Special mention on the this release goes to the lyrics. If I catalogued every single one I loved, I'd just be writing out the lyrics to the the whole EP, but trust me between the pleading "I can't take this anymore" in Such Great and "There's a highway right outside of my house" in Dennis #3, you will have this EP stuck in your head.

Try: Such Great

Our Bodies Pain Traffic Lights- fanclubwallet

One of Canada's finest and another returnee from the 2022 list is fanclubwallet. Although in a strong evolutionary moment, fanclubwallet is now a fully fleshed-out band.

Released in March, I fear this EP may not get the love it deserves, as it has been such a packed year. But I cannot stress enough how the sound has changed as a full band, with a new depth added that accentuates the writing and lends a layer of complexity.

Despite the new additions, this five-song EP does not abandon the sound you've already come to know and love, with the trademark vocals lending an intimate sound throughout. I'm thoroughly looking forward to seeing how fanclubwallet grows thanks to its new additions.

Try: Pictures of Her

Palette- Quarter Conscious

I don't think in the couple of years I've been doing this that I've ever highlighted a local band, but that is a wrong I am rectifying. Quarter Conscious has a near-mythic status in the local scene. They're an insanely talented self-described "two-piece cathartic math punk" band. I genuinely believe they're on the cusp of blowing up in the mathy/emo world.

Their first full-length release does not disappoint, although I can't say they've quite captured the immense power they have live. Although they have room to grow, I still reach for the album.

In the next year, I anticipate they'll continue to solidify their space in not just our local scene, but also at the national level.

Try: Daisy Chain

Romance- Fontaines D.C.

I'll admit, when I saw Fontaines D.C. open for Arctic Monkey in September 2023, I had no idea that a year later, they'd be releasing an album that would burn itself into my brain.

Fontaines D.C. have been at least some measure of good since their start, but their latest album, Romance, is a giant leap forward. Strangely, I want to highlight something that always gets me when I'm listening to the album: the use of breathing throughout the album. You hear this most with the "huffing" on Here's the Thing and the exaggerated breathing on Starburster. Something about this technique breathes life into the songs.

This album came out at a particularly dark time for me this year, but it proved itself to be a bright spot without challenge.

Try: Bug

Sisters, Not Twins- Swiss Army Wife, Kerosene Heights

If I was forced to pick a split of the year, it would be this by a mile. Kerosene Heights have already made an appearance on this list, and Swiss Army Wife will make another, but together they are something even more special.

In March, I had the pleasure of seeing Swiss Army Wife, wherein they teased this release. I cannot express the torture of waiting months and months knowing something so special is coming out.

The music on this split is raw, but some of the best either band has ever produced. Both bands are clearly comfortable with their sound, and neither overpowers the other on the split, a rare feat in my book.

At a scant eleven minutes, I implore everyone to take a moment and listen.

Try: Idaho

The Ultimate Emo Album- Swiss Army Wife, Avec Plaisir, Celebration Guns

To kick off the new year, three of the best emo bands around right now teamed up for a banger release. Each brings something special to the table-- Swiss Army Wife with their relentless energy, Avec Plaisir has their insane technical work, and Celebration Guns with their anthemic sound.

Really Rad Records is a label you sound be watching if you're into the emo scene even tangentially. In the future, people will be stunned three powerful bands go together to do an EP.

Try: Trying is Hard

[einsteinsugly]

That 70s Show: The gang, and their varying music tastes.

In That 70s Show, most of the gang (minus Jackie) loves what we now call stereotypical classic rock. Zeppelin, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Queen, etc. But now and then, we see small glimpses of the gang's varying tastes, from Eric's love for the prog rock band Styx to Donna's Janis Joplin poster on her wall. Here, in this essay, I'm going to present their variations in music taste, as provided by both the show and my realistic speculations (and some real life experiences, via my EDish parents), from character to character.

Donna: She has a singer-songwriter slant/vibe, such as…

Fleetwood Mac, Carole King, Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, The Mamas and The Papas, etc.

Also, she'd generally have a slant towards female rock groups and solo artists. Heart, Pat Benatar, Janis Joplin, Joan Jett/The Runaways, and the occasional Blondie tune (mainly, she'd really like Rapture).

She would also, with Eric, like these rock bands more than the others would (they all give me "mom and dad" rock vibes): Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Kansas, The Eagles (and all their solo stuff in the 80s, too).

In the 90s/00s, she would be a fan of Jewel, Alanis Morissette, The Cranberries, Tracy Chapman, The Fugees/Lauryn Hill, Sheryl Crow, Natalie Merchant/10,000 Maniacs, Melissa Etheridge, No Doubt, Evanescence, Alicia Keys, KT Tunstall, etc.

Eric: He has a prog/soft rock vibe, such as…

Chicago, Styx (but he can't stand Mr. Roboto, because Kelso ruined it), Genesis, Pink Floyd, Air Supply, Rush, Foreigner, Boston, The Police, Journey, Supertramp, The Cars, The Doobie Brothers, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, Hall and Oates, Huey Lewis and the News, Genesis, Tears For Fears, Billy Joel, Wings, U2, etc.

He's a huge fan of The Beatles, Paul McCartney in particular. He constantly compares him and Donna to Paul and Linda.

He, along with Hyde, likes more "chill" rock when he's in a good mood, like Eric Clapton and Steely Dan. And James Taylor, after Jackie gets Hyde into it.

See above for the "mom and dad" rock bands. Eric loves "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," though, and Donna hates it.

In the 90s/early 00s, he'd like a lot of the mainstream/less grunge rock of the 90s, such as Matchbox Twenty, The Goo Goo Dolls, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, and Weezer (Weezer is such an Eric-y band). He'd like John Mayer, Five for Fighting, and Michael Buble in the 2000s, and the gang would make fun of him for it.

Fez: He has a mix between an R&B/Motown slant (such as Stevie Wonder) and what I would call a "crappy novelty song" slant. This mix leads him to be a fan of KC and the Sunshine Band, which everyone makes fun of him for (although Kelso likes a couple of songs). He's a huge fan of Queen and Freddie Mercury, and a huge fan of Prince and Michael Jackson (and to a lesser extent, Boyz II Men). He, unfortunately, likes Milli Vanilli (even after they were exposed), Ricky Martin, and Enrique Iglesias (he's not as bad as the first two, though). and all those novelty songs from the late 80s/90s (like Mambo No 5 and the Macarena). Currently, he would be a big fan of Bruno Mars.

Hyde: I'm admittedly less knowledgeable about hard rock, and I'm just gonna throw some well-thought out band names at you. He particularly likes Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Santana, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix. In the 80s, he hates hair metal, minus maybe Guns N Roses (if that counts; Kelso loves it), and in the 90s, he's a big fan of grunge. Nirvana, Soundgarden, The Smashing Pumpkins, etc. He also likes Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lenny Kravitz, and The Black Keys (his kid gets him into it). Jackie gets him to be a fan of James Taylor, Elton John, and Adele (much later), and very occasionally, Billy Joel. He likes Steely Dan when he's in a good mood.

Anywho, I grew up with Eric and Donna "mom and dad" kind of rock (but my dad's a mix of Eric and Jackie music taste wise, and it's the worst) mixed with a bit of some good R&B and Motown (not the crappy Fez kind). My dad grew out of a solid chunk of the harder rock that he listened to as a teen, hence how I personally developed Eric's music taste over time in my verse (it's realistic, frankly). So, if any of you grew up with a parent with Hyde-ish taste in music or just like hard rock yourself (or are just more familiar with it than me), toss some ideas at me.

Jackie: She's the only one that majorly deviates from the classic rock status quo on T7S. She loves ABBA, The Carpenters, David Cassidy (she grows out of that, though), The Bee Gees (my dad does too, eww), Captain and Tennille, Journey, Elton John, Billy Joel, Blondie, Fleetwood Mac, Olivia Newton-John, Donna Summer, and Peter Frampton. She grew up listening to James Taylor with her dad, so it holds a special place in her heart. She gets Hyde to like James Taylor and Elton John, and Hyde gets her to like Zeppelin. She gets Donna to like Blondie, to some extent, and Heart and Pat Benatar is Jackie's angry music.

In the 80s, she loves Madonna, The Go Gos, Whitney Houston, Cyndi Lauper, Paula Abdul, a sea of one/two hit wonders, etc. She loves Dirty Dancing and the song "(I've Had) The Time of My Life." In the 90s, she's a huge fan of Mariah Carey. Since the mainstream music for most of the 90s was either rock/alternative, R&B, or stupid Fez-ish gimmicky songs, Mariah Carey's music becomes an obsession for her. Her obsession calms down a bit with the bubblegum pop revival in the late 90s/early 00s, and she loves Britney Spears, The Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, J-Lo, Christina Aguilera…the list is endless. And today, she'd love Adele and Ariana Grande, and uses them as an example for good music when Hyde complains about mainstream music today. Well, and she'd love Taylor Swift too (minus some of the early country stuff), but for Hyde, Taylor Swift doesn't count as good music. And for Hyde, Ariana just has a good voice. That's it.

Kelso: He likes The Doors, The Police, Pink Floyd, and David Bowie. For Kelso, he never grows out of the most obnoxious rock bands the gang listened to as teens. KISS, AC/DC (to be fair, Hyde doesn't, either), Alice Cooper, Molly Hatchet, Foghat, etc. He loves 80s hair metal, like Twisted Sister, The Scorpions, Def Leppard, Van Halen, Poison, etc. In the 90s, he loves Smash Mouth and the Barenaked Ladies. He can recite "One Week" and "It's The End of the World" by REM by heart. The Talking Heads and the B-52s are also a guilty pleasure of his (especially "Love Shack"), and "Mr. Roboto" by Styx. He also has a soft spot for Boston and The Cars (he listens to "My Best Friend's Girl" on repeat when Jackie first gets with Hyde).