#banger insomnia posts

[anths-girl]

Hello, yes, HELP ME I can't fucking SLEEEEEEP!!!!

*Pics not mine, found on Pinterest... *hangs head in shame*

Seriously, though, if any of these belong to you, lemme know to give credit!

Also...PLEASE SHARE YOUR INSOMNIA MEMES! Make something good and funny out of this WALKING FUCKING NIGHTMARE that is currently my life...

[sammusbird]

I wish more modern horror stories, movies, whatever focused on mental illness as horror. NOT mentally ill people, but the illness itself. I think it would be good to add as a spice to heighten the horror in classic slasher style stuff. I want to see more sympathetic and strong characters to navigate a world where their perception and needs are different than others. not in a superpowered way. I want our final girl to survive bc they fought harder, got luckier, and ran faster than the others. I want to see characters with more ‘ugly’ mental illnesses we are meant to love and root for and cross our fingers they don’t get kersploded! I want to see how specific struggles make being in a horror movie worse

[eats-all-your-shoes]

A FEW HERMITCRAFT FIC RECS BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH FIC REC POSTS!! (mostly alternate universes because i love aus SO much)

Alternate Perspectives by Boxmaker: Etho & Beef, Etho & Bdubs & Beef, Cub & Scar. Complete, 71k

[Etho is just an exceptionally normal guy living his best life. Until he becomes one of the few people to gain superpowers and gets approached with an enticing offer…

He's in over his head, isn't he?

Or: My Etho-centric atypical take on a superpower au, which devolves into something much bigger]

(i LOVE ethos powers in this it’s so cool)

Humanity (yours makes me sob) by Anonymous Bdubs & Mumbo, Bdubs & Xisuma, Bdubs & Etho, Mumbo & Xisuma Complete, 2.2k

[What defines a human?

Bdubs used to know, he doesn't anymore.

------

Bdubs is a human who lost what made him human sometime in his life. Mumbo accidentally finds it with a few words and an illness.]

Ties That Bind and Beseech Thy Soul by Interjection Grian & Mumbo, Grian & Taurtis Complete, 6.1k

[There's a doll with no face save for two black eyes that seem to pierce your soul. A doll with a red sweater and dark jeans and an even darker stare. A doll that inspires terror and curiosity and hope.

They may have underestimated the ease of containment for this one. Certainly, a select few individuals seem to believe so.]

(SCP crossover, though i don’t think much knowledge of scp is needed for this!!)

Documents Recovered From The Hermittopia Exclusion Zone, Joe Hills-Centric Complete, 2.9k

The descendants of Empires have contained and secured a reality-breaking tower from the age of myth. One day, a message from an ancient cosmonaut appears, as though flung between dimensions. This message begins:

Howdy, y’all! Joe Hills here, writing as I always do from a doomed world.

Long experience has taught me that all worlds are ultimately doomed, so that’s not an especially cool or helpful thing to say. Do you know the saying that goes: "If all your stories end with, 'and then something bad happened for no reason', maybe you’re the problem"? It’s good to keep in mind but I’m pretty confident it’s not relevant to this particular situation.

First, I do my best to spread sunshine wherever I go, not cataclysm. Second, in this case, the doom is clear and imminent! The moon is about to crash into the earth.]

(another SCP crossover, little/no knowledge of the foundation is needed, this is SO GOOD. SUCH A BANGER.)

Human Faces (in human places) by KiwiFruitWritings, Bdubs & Etho, Etho & Xisuma Complete, 9.7k

[On season eight of Hermitcraft, the moon's slow approach means that the night isn't really all that dark, anymore.

This proves to be problematic for some people. Bdubs suffers keenly from insomnia, and Etho struggles a bit more than the average person without a proper shadow.

These struggles lead to problems, principle of which is thus: no one knows what's behind Etho's mask- except Etho.]

(cryptid etho my BELOVEDD)

So, what’s with the coat? by dry_toast Etho & Bdubs, Etho & Beef, Etho & Bdubs & Beef Complete, 2.4k

[Bdubs wonders about the winter coat that Etho always wears]

(this entire series is so good!! and everything the author does too)

attempt thirty-three by Bee_4 Joe & Cleo, Joe & Scar, Joe & Cub Complete, 13k

[A glimpse at the thirty-third time Joe Hills has woken up on Monday at 6:00 AM, and the attempt he makes to stop doing that, ideally, or at least get closer to a state where he doesn't have to live these four days ever again.]

(AAAAAA LOVE THIS!!! and everything bee writes really)

Battle Scars by Riacte False & Ren & Hbomb & Fruitberries, False & Ren, Everyone & Everyone 26/?, 169k

[They are the crafters, the designers, stuck in 3-H, in the "H as in the Hermit" class. Discriminated and bullied by all those above them just because they're bad at sports. Everybody ignores, underestimates, and laughs at them. They are easy targets, the weaklings, the jokes of this damned school that’s ruled over by Stanley “Stan” Twitt.

Until four people get sick of it all.

Minecraft Championship never saw this coming.

-

A dramatic retelling of the MCC9 Blue Bats' legendary victory in fanfiction form. Hermit centric]

(long read but WORTH IT)

[tengritexas]

Candle Light Meditation: The Peculiar Treatment for Insomnia, Irregular Sleep Patterns, and ADHD

Hi everyone! Today Im writing about a new meditation trick Ive been testing out and Ill be sharing how to do it if youre interested.

Why I chose to do it

While I may like to do old man things, sitting at home and watching candle lights werent really my idea of a good time. However in the past few weeks Ive had really big issues maintaining a healthy sleep pattern and Ive always struggled with ADHD and getting school work done. I was told by a buddy of mine about mindfulness meditation and that has helped my adhd in the past so I figured this was worth a go!

Candle Light Meditation Craze

If you go to google or youtube youll certainly find all kinds of gurus and spiritualists suggesting this meditation will "decalcify your pinal gland" which would be something impacting most of us around the age 18-30 depending on diets and things like that

Here is the issue THERE IS NO RESEARCH TO SUGGEST THIS PRACTICE DECALCIFIES YOUR PENAL GLAND. So to say if that happens or not is not my place. Im a dude who posts bangers on the internet, not a neuro scientist.

What it did do

Despite the research not being there. I can tell you in the few days of doing it I have noticed my focus has sharply improved. My fatigue isnt so bad either. My sleep schedule hasnt improved to much yet but hey! Im a college student Im busy chatting and making friends (doing essays lol).

I believe some of these symptoms are associated with the pinal gland but again, I have no idea. All I can tell you is I do eat frozen foods often and this did help. I dont have a CT scanner in my room so beyond that I have no idea lol.

How to do candle light meditation

Grab a candle, light it and turn off as many lights to get the room as dark as you can. Try to use a candle with a still flame and turn off fans aswell.

Try to focus on the most solid part of the flame for a few seconds up till 3 minutes. You ideally want to do this until you feel a fuzzy feeling in your head.

Turn away from the candle and close your eyes, you should see the imprint of the flame, stare at that for as long as you can until it goes away.

Try to do repeat process 3 times a day (in one setting) for 5 days. Usually by 5 days you should begin to feel a strange tiredness in your mind. This is what your looking for. You are overloading that part of the brain because its not really being used. Much like trying to run for the first time in a few months.

The end result

Around day 5 you should find yourself being able to focus more! Ive also heard some people report it helps them with creative writing aswell but I cant attest to that.

Let me know what you guys think! Hope it helps :>

[married-2-the-music]

K-pop Discography Deep Dives: Dreamcatcher (Part TWO)

A Disclaimer: I was planning, when I first started Tumblr, to be a lurker, but then I began an office job and needed something to listen to to keep myself occupied. And then, I started going through entire K-pop groups’ repertoires, album by album, and jotting down my thoughts. And then, I stumbled into K-pop tumblr and decided, you know what, there’s at least four people on this hell site who would read in depth rants about these discographies and at least five who wouldn’t read it and then get mad because it’s kind of our job as K-pop fans. My lukewarm takes should be taken with an entire silo of salt and the knowledge that this is completely for fun and occupying my very bored, very neurodivergent brain. All this to say, for the love of god, I’m a sleep-deprived student and I don’t have time for internet hate, so don’t kill me. With that being said, enjoy!

Here are my credentials: I’m a huge fan of Dreamcatcher, and have been an Insomnia since mid-2021 or so, just after the release of BEcause. They were actually the first concert I’ve ever been to, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience for that. They totally gave their all for those two hours and I ended up loving them even more afterward. I’m even considering going again if they have another tour.

So, we left off after the end of their nightmare arc and a few special singles. Scream begins their next work, the dystopia trilogy, focused on hate speech and cyberbullying. This was the first DC song I heard, and god what a starting point. Those flashes of angry guitar and drums that pound like a heartbeat lead into a soft pre-chorus that lulls you into a false sense of security before that chorus just destroys you. The song is just so done, fitting for a person driven evil by cruelty because they simply couldn’t take it anymore, and its expansive string section adds layers of drama, especially with the distorted (kind of demonic) voice that echoes throughout the post-choruses. Overall, one of their best, though I wish that Handong (who, as mentioned before, was on hiatus during 2020) was there too,

The Tree Of Language is their first full album, and it’s so tough to pick a hidden gem. I know a lot of people love Red Sun but it’s a bit too vibey and meandering for me; it’s never been my favorite. Sahara is a total head-banger and I hope that they take its harsher rock for a title track again sometime. Black or White has some great Michael Jackson energy with its sharp moves and equally sharp chorus, letting the rock take a backseat. Jazz Bar is softer than I expected, with the jazz being more of an undertone and a nice backdrop with the dancy piano for the “I think I love you, oh I love you.”

Paradise is the last song on the album and is a solo for Siyeon, which makes sense given that she’s their main vocalist. It’s a bit calmer of a ballad than usual for DC, who often favor power ballads, but her vocals bring some great depth and emotion to what could be an average b-side. Also, shout-outs to the distorted strings in In The Frozen and the great energy in Tension.

BOCA is part two of the trilogy, and focuses more on the cyberbullying part than the hate speech as Scream does. It’s probably their most popular song overall, breaking into a k-pop market that, in 2020, was much more willing to accept rock than it had been at their debut. BOCA starts muted with a common-for-the-time tropical house beat, which should feel out of place but doesn’t. It then begins to build, as all their best work does, to a power ballad above an insistent electric guitar. It wasn’t one of my favorites at the beginning, but there’s no denying that it’s grown on me in the years since. Coming right on the heels of two tragic suicides in the k-pop industry (Sulli and Hara), which were partially due to immense amounts of online bullying, the lines of “Why do you fill your precious time with hate?” and especially the soul-piercing belt after “Too many angels dying now, I’m gonna change your mind” never fail to get me emotional.

From Lose Myself, despite the sweetness of fan-song Can’t Get You Out Of My Mind, I can’t think of a better hidden gem than Break The Wall. In K-pop, it’s common to decry “ugh this should’ve been a single”, but this should’ve been screamed from every rooftop in the galaxy. From start to finish, it’s a full-on alt-rock anthem that riles up its audience to stand together, rise up, and break the walls of prejudice with all of their strength. Seeing this in concert and screaming the words with thousands of teenage girls and the assorted parents, partners, and siblings that they dragged along (who ended up loving it) was what I might call a transcendent experience. For a couple moments, one would be forgiven for thinking that we could’ve really saved the world.

Odd Eye is the final part of the trilogy, and the return of Handong! It’s a great song, especially in its building pre-chorus, its cathartic bridge, and its distorted background mixed with traditional rock elements, but it’s never been one of my favorites. Unlike with You & I, where I had a very specific reason for feeling meh? about it, I don’t really know why I’ve never connected with this one. Even so, I do love how it ends the series, with the phrase: “in the end, the Dreamcatchers couldn’t find the Utopia they were looking for”, a surprisingly dark finish. When asked about this, member JiU said that they were trying to communicate that a perfect world doesn’t exist, but that the imperfect one we have is still worth fighting for. So, I have to give the song massive props for that.

From Road To Utopia, my hidden gem was Wind Blows. It maintains Dreamcatcher’s essential energy, but both slows it down for a hand-clapping pre-chorus and then ratchets it forward with an EDM-driven chorus that decides to end with a chant-filled post-chorus (that I don’t hate? I know, shocking). I also liked Poison Love, although a lot of that is due to the absolute hilarity of its music video, which is basically a 4-minute soap opera. New Days returns to their early years’ anime soundtrack energy, which is always appreciated.

BEcause is a special single in between the Dystopia and Apocalypse trilogies. It’s technically a love song, but I really like how it plays into many k-pop cliches—cutesiness, love, doll-like aesthetics—but in keeping with DC’s dark concepts, it’s actually about a stalker. The verses are understated, quite upbeat, and poppy, before the pre-chorus figuratively (and literally, in the music video) turns that calm feeling completely upside-down. The vocalizing and the “Be…cause I like you” in the chorus is chilling, and the song goes from 0 to 100 so quickly but so well, as you immediately get the sense that something is very, very wrong.

This EP is, hilariously enough, called Summer Holiday, as though the title track wasn’t one of their most horrifying. It does have some very upbeat tracks that are a rarity in DC’s discography, most notably Whistle, which turns its namesake into a recurring underscore and makes a quite catchy hook. Overall, though, this isn’t one of my favorite albums of theirs.

MAISON is both the beginning of the Apocalypse trilogy and my first Dreamcatcher comeback as an Insomnia (since BEcause came out when I was just becoming a fan and I wasn’t really “aware” of it at the time). Full disclosure, this was the song that made me buy tickets to their concert, and in hindsight, I’m not surprised. Unlike many of DC’s songs, it comes out of the gate swinging. There’s no slow first verse, no ballad to be found, and no way of reading its message as anything other than it is: a vicious criticism of the leaders who stand there doing nothing while climate change ravages the earth (“Oh no, you can’t fool me anymore. It’s weirdly warm, right? The planet, and your conscience drying up”), (“Pretending not to know, you can’t make it disappear”). It ends with only a simple plea: “Please, someone fight for us.” This song remains, to this day, my mom’s favorite Dreamcatcher song. (Hi, mom).

Apocalypse: Save Us is another full album, and has a lot of great songs (some we’ll get more into in a minute). I particularly liked the fun, boppy synths of Starlight, the choppy jazz-meets-alt-rock energy of Locked Inside A Door, and the very sweet Always, which is a song written for fans that they performed near the end of the concert.

Apocalypse: Save Us also contains a solo song for each member, which each of them got to write, and I was lucky enough to see them perform a medley at the concert I attended. First is JiU with the bouncy, retro Cherry, which is a love song written for JiU’s pomeranian Cherry. Yes really. It’s utterly delightful. Second is SuA with the EDM No Dot, which totally fits her role as main dancer because she performs the hell out of it. Third is Siyeon’s traditional Entrancing, which is quite soft and lovely, and makes the best of her excellent vocals.

Fourth is Handong’s quiet Winter, which is a fairly standard k-pop ballad but gives Handong a chance to sing a short a-capella section in her native Mandarin, which, as a linguistics major, I really loved. Fifth is Yoohyeon’s smoothly jazzy love song For, which is the rare k-pop song in English that I don’t mind. Sixth is Dami’s pop-punk Beauty Full, which has some great 2000’s energy and always gets me head-banging. And seventh is Gahyeon’s upbeat and youthful Playground, which is about holding onto childhood. These are all good songs and reflect their own styles well, but my favorite would either have to be Beauty Full or Cherry. I’m a huge fan of artists writing their own tracks so I’m so glad they got to do this!

After that slight digression, next up is Vision, the second song in the Apocalypse series. This one builds on what Maison began, but is resolved to take a far more involved position and not simply wait around for someone else to save them. Instead, Dreamcatcher leads the charge, giving Vision a militaristic feel with its insistent drumline, very present electric guitars, salutes, and flags. It’s a call to action if ever there was one, and features a breaking point just as Scream does, but this time it’s for good. “For your bright tomorrow, and this beautiful place,” JiU announces on the microphone, “For ourselves, give it up tonight! March! Raise your flag and fight again!” And Siyeon’s power note at the end? Excellent.

From Vision’s EP, Follow Us, I liked the synth-pop-meets-chill-rock of Fairytale, which works way better than I thought it would. It’s a sweet love song, and honestly would have made a great single for them if their singles weren’t set on storytelling. It’s very Dreamcatcher while tying that rock to another genre, which is part of the reason why DC’s work always sounds both fresh and true to their core. Some Love is more straightforward rock and EDM, and the Outro is peaceful, steering us into the next song quite well.

Bon Voyage wraps up the Apocalypse trilogy, and begins in the exact opposite way to Maison. Its first minute sounds like a classic love song, and in a way it is one, to the Earth, but I was left slightly baffled. And then, of course, that pre-chorus takes off and we’re back to classic Dreamcatcher in its excellent guitar riffs and power ballading to the stars. The bridge strikes a middle ground, keeping up the energy as the song barrels to its conclusion in what may be Siyeon’s most incredible high note yet. It may be a love song, but it’s also a promise to keep fighting for the Earth, until the day we have to say goodbye.

From the From Us EP, I had trouble choosing between Propose & Demian. Propose at first seems to be this album’s obligatory ballad, but the background crackles with an odd sound and suddenly pulls away with the “Don’t run away, you can’t escape my love,” and I got flashed back to BEcause’s stalking concept. Propose takes that and runs with it, delivering what can either be read as a creepily obsessive song or a power ballad in the name of love. Demian, meanwhile, is very disjointed, going from a usual Dreamcatcher b-side to Dami’s scream-talk sections, sharper raps, and a full-throated run into metal with a guitar breakdown that they haven’t really reached since No More. (And, as a lover of Break The Wall, I of course appreciated the shout-out.)

Reason is a special single for DC’s 6th anniversary, and starts out delightfully sappy: “Because of Insomnia, Dreamcatcher exists”. Overlaid on adorable footage of DC’s journey throughout their years in the industry is a song that somehow manages to be both a rock-metal anthem and an incredibly sweet tribute both to each other and their fans. “I will go far away, I spread out my wings to fly, I have to go on…because you are the reason.” No, I’m totally not crying right now. What are you talking about? (Cue me blubbering into a handkerchief).

OOTD came out less than a week ago, and I admit I was a little wary with its teasers. And it turns out I was right to worry. The song starts with a good EDM smash and some great vocalizing right away, and its pre-chorus’ build reminds me of Vision. I’m intrigued by its choppier editing and its commentary on the fashion industry. Overall, though I think the song has some great ideas (the nu-metal mixed with hip-hop), it goes far too into sing-talk for me and I don’t like the chorus. Honestly, the most accurate thing I could say is it doesn’t sound like Dreamcatcher. It’s not a bad song, so perhaps it’ll grow on me, but for now…I’m afraid not. I think this is the first track of theirs (in an almost 7-year-career) that I haven’t liked to some level, and as long as the issues I had with it don’t continue into other releases, I’m willing to overlook it, like I did with Birthday by Red Velvet, as a “you can’t win them all”.

Versus Villain, the EP, is thankfully as strong as always. Rising carries that great alt rock energy and DC’s signature encouragement to keep going (“raise your arms up, with all your strength, shout!”), which is always nice to hear. I loved this one from the first chorus, and immediately wondered, why on earth was this not the title, guys? It would’ve been perfect!

This may be the most fun I’ve had in my reviews so far! Besides having an excellent discography in just sound alone, they’ve covered trauma, cyberbullying, stalking, climate change, depression, hate speech, love, and hope in under 100 tracks, all while waving pride flags on stage, writing special tracks about loving their dogs, and working their way up in the k-pop world from a tiny company. Their work reminds us all that it’s okay to have bad days but that one day, we will have the strength to accept ourselves, wake up from our nightmares, and start changing the world. And really, what’s more empowering than that?

My Top 5 songs are Break The Wall, What, Deja Vu, Bon Voyage, and Maison, with Wake Up and Fairytale as honorable mentions. Dreamcatcher gets a 10 out of 10 from me, which is no surprise. I can’t really think of anything I would change about what they’ve done, and even though I have my tiny gripes here and there, none of them are enough to make me change my mind. Maybe I’ll be eating my words in a few months, so we’ll see how this ages, but for now I don’t think that there’s any group out there whose work I would rate higher. For now, I’ll end by saying that I’m very proud to be an Insomnia.

Next time, we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming with another boy group of the week, this one one that I barely even know, so I’m looking forward to it! Tschüss!

[awkwardsapphic]

The RWBY soundtrack is not released yet, but it is already such a good one. 

Each songs in the volume gave me a different emotion and I think it’s so powerful to be able to that. 

Long post about me saying how much I love the songs :

Inside is giving me the chills dude, I had a running gag with a friend but everytime we started an episode we just told each other “Oh, the banger opening” and for reason ! The composition is so incredible and I’m just banging my head for 4min straight. If I don’t scream at the chorus consider me dead. When all the voices are on each other, oh boy, followed by the chorus again. Yeah I’m eating it.

Checkmate is such a bop, the first notes start playing and you already know you’re in for a good song, a good fight and a good moment. Try not to dance challenge : impossible. I don’t have a lot to say about I just love it very much.

Chatterbox omg, we only have 1min of it and it’s why I’m waiting for it the most. The way Casey sing the first word, I’m on my knees. I can guarantee you it’s a song going full volume, sorry for my Neighbors but it’s for the best. (Bonus point at the “I said I wasn’t done with you yet!” from Yang but that’s because I’m a lesbian).

Worthy. It’s... yeah... I feel so fine listening to it. I mean, I’m so light-hearted everytime. I could talk so long about it to say the same thing again and again because it is just a “don’t worry, everything is going to be alright” song. I can listen to it without crying now tho ! (well not when I’m seeing the scene, the confession really is my favorite moment of the volume) But yeah, Worthy is relaxing and hopefull, I love it, really do and it’s playing at my wedding idc.

And a total change of atmosphere with Trapdoor but oh man I love this song too ! It’s such a powerful song and I am getting the chills (yes again), the tempo is so great. I can’t even put into words what I feels about this song because it has such an impact on me. Yeah this is a masterclass.

I’m listening to Quiet when I’ve an insomnia. That’s it. This song relaxe me so much, I’ll just be lying down and I stop thinking about anything. Quiet is peace, nothing else, feels like an happy dream, an old blurred but nice memory. 

RED LIKE ROSES FILLS MY DREAM- Anyway, Guide my Way uh ? Yeah, I’m acting cool, it’s not like it’s something I waited a long time. No but for real, my expectations were high but holy shit it managed to be even better than my most amazing dream. I’m telling you I screamed when I heard the first notes, everything is perfect, nothing else to say. 

The Edge giving me the same feelings than Worthy and Quiet combined. It’s such a good closure, it’s hopefull, peacefull, relaxing and amazing. It work so well as a goodbye, as a “we’re seeing each other again soon” and I love that so much. The It’s just beginning/It’s just ending crying my eyes out brb.

I just wanted to rant about how I love the songs in this show and how it’s really a big part for me. If you read all that, well hope you liked this punch of positivity because I really have nothing bad to say about it. It was just really me trying to spread as many love as I can. Have a good day, or night, don’t forget to drink water, eat and take your meds if you need to. 

[pyonochrome]

my favorite kpop songs of 2023 ✨

here is a post documenting my favorite kpop songs of 2023~~ 💖 musically this year was AWESOME for me lol. my ears and my heart had so much fun.

this is just in order of release date - i can’t rank these songs, i love them all too much

…let me in is certainly my favorite song of 2023 though lol

🎶🎶🎶

perfumer - moonbin & sanha i float atop this song…it really does sound like scent drifting off incense

madness - moonbin & sanha IT GOES SO HARD!!! TOO HARD!!! i love the drop and the vocals and the choreography is COMPLETELY insane

our miracle (너를 만남이란 기적) - jinyoung the atmosphere of this song feels incredible. just my type

tinnitus (돌멩이가 되고 싶어) - txt SMOOVE AFROBEATS…it gets stuck in my head constantly. this song is so easy to put on repeat and exist to lol

skyscraper - nct 127 i bop so hard that i shouldn’t listen to this song while driving

new look - tripleS pop perfection tbh. tripleS do high-pitched vocals in a way that is very pleasing to me

sweet juice - purple kiss OKAY THIS SONG…THIS SONG IS SO PERFECT…everything about it hits every spot. and the OUTRO - i get goosebumps every time

nabi - onlyoneof the production of this song is incredible tbh. the chimes the guitars the beats. this song sounds like wind

우주의 법칙 (space science) - yukika queen. i love everything she comes out with lol. this song is particularly jazzy and comfortable.

rover - kai let's go transgender allegory. a theme song for anyone who has ever changed their name lmao. the anthem of being in charge of your own identity. this song still goes so fucken hard

slidin' - kai I LOVE THIS INSTRUMENTAL OMFG…and jongin’s voice all over it is A++++

enchanted night ~ 白夜 - billlie this. song. is. IT. this is probably my favorite non-exo song of the year lol. this song is everything i love most about billlie tbh…instrumental, vocals, rap, storytelling, this song is so funky and sleek

eunoia - billlie i do believe this is one of the best pop songs ever made. so infectious, so bubbly, so catchy. and i LOVE these lyrics

extra-ordinary - billlie this soooooong is such a groooooove it makes me want to strut around. as per usual with billlie…the vocals…insane

nevertheless - billlie SPEAKING OF BILLLIE VOCALS…okay this is another contender for soty lmao. oh my god this production??? the layering??? EVERYTHING??? this is one of the most magical kpop songs i’ve ever heard tbh

easy - key mmmmmmm so slinky i love this melancholy feeling

like crazy - jimin GAWD i love the world this song creates lol. this instrumental & production >>> it’s glittering

jelly pop - boys planet final listen i couldn’t resist ghjkfds. this is such a catchy pop song holy shit. this song is fun beginning to end.

dangerous - tempest this song is soooooo danceable…it’s like vintage kpop-y but still very fresh. i really love the instrumental in the chorus

eve, psyche, and the bluebeard's wife - le sserafim as a homo, i love everything about this song. gawd this beat.

welcome to MY world - aespa (feat. nævis) this is one of my favorite aespa songs. mmmmm the vocals…the night sounds…it’s so dreamy

crazy like that - verivery THIS INSTRUMENTAL IS SOOOOO ICY COOL...really really love this beat / synth / the fast-paced vocals that dance on top of it

item - stray kids this song turns me into the chomp chomp from super mario. just devouring everything in my path

topline - stray kids (feat. tiger JK) i just really love every single one of these verses + the chorus is tuff + tiger jk into han goes completely insane ok 😭

충돌 (collision) - stray kids i luv these horns…i luv this vibe…i luv this song

404 not found - taeyong this song resonates with my soul tbh.

attitude - fromis_9 MMMMM THE HARMONIES IN THIS SONG MMMMM THIS SONG IS FIERCE AS HELL. THE BRIDGE???? FUCK

bouncy (k-hot chili peppers) - ateez this is the banger to end all bangers. that slowed-down cronchy fucken groove in the chorus what the fuck

불면증 (insomnia) - shinee harmonies harmonies harmonies omfg…this smooooove track is my favorite on their new album

small talk - kim sung kyu the sweet catchy pop rock song of my dreams. it feels so refreshing and it's ALWAYS stuck in my head

back to zerobase - zerobaseone it's like a new universe is opening up omg. the rising synths, the fast lil beat, the TWINKLING...the HIGH-FLYING VOCALS...this song is a bath of starlight

in bloom - zerobaseone THIS SONG CHANGED MY WORLD…the way the instrumental completely incorporates the concept is SO COOL and i love the a-ha interpolation ghdsjkfds. also these lyrics…are SO beautiful…and will enchant me forever

always (zhang hao solo) - zerobaseone i say that’s my baby and i’m proud. this song is so comforting…and it sounds like a 2000s boy band song to me and i love that

let me in - exo this is already my 11th most played song of all time gshjgkfs. THE ATMOSPHERE…OF THIS SONG…is the only world i want to live in. exo’s vocals have developed to such phenomenal levels, every note & harmony in this song gives me goosebumps. this song was woven together so well. this song is like diving into the bluest waters and floating there for eternity. it’s like a perfect meeting of concept and sound. really masterful work, r&b perfection

hear me out - exo THIS SONG IS SO COZYYYYYY if let me in is introspective, hear me out is playful and friendly. this coy fuckin song with these smoove vocals omg. it’s so much fun to sing along. and the bass oh my god

cream soda - exo NASTY VOCALS ALL OVER LET’S GOOOOO. this song is like hurtling towards the sun gdshjkfds it makes me want to dance and scream. sechan’s raps are so hype and the bridge is PERFECT

regret it - exo SHAKING ASS AND TAKING NAMES. the vocals in these choruses are just??? INSANE??? THEY’RE OUT HERE SINGING. this song is so fun lol this song is SUMMER

love fool - exo speaking of fun,, i love the playful lil groove of this song all the way through!! and the chorus is SO addictive

another day - exo i. love. this. song. i love the unconventional instrumental and how it blends in with the SOARING vocals that exo lay over it. i love the lyrics…i love the way this song feels like wind against my skin

new emotions - infinite GAWD THIS SONG IS DANCEABLE i looooove the a capella-type beat and the chorus is immaculate. this song is stuck in my head at all times tbh. every song stuck in my head becomes a mashup with new emotions

je ne sais quoi - odd eye circle so slinky so smooth, the vocals are soooo heavenly atop this gorgeous instrumental

love me like - odd eye circle this song makes me feel like a real homo and i just love loona okay. this song is dance personified

poison - nct dream this song is slinky as fuck and sooooo so comfortable. this arrangement really slaps. 

cool with you - newjeans MMMM THIS SONG FEELS SO COOL…the vocals are soooo fluttery and pretty, the music is gorgeous, i totally love this song

move - treasure t5 this song takes me back to 2nd gen kpop in the best way lol, it's sooooo nostalgic sounding for me

the flash - kwon eunbi this chorus takes over my brain lol. THE SYNTH IS SO POWERFUL

girls' capitalism - tripleS lovelution this. bass. is. IT and this song is so catchy and fun and bouncy lol. a perfect pop song tbh

better things - aespa mmmm i just love his addictive this song is, all the harmonies are so tight, i love how fast-paced it is despite feeling minimalist

call d - nct u THIS NASTY ASS DIGITAL SNAKE CHARMER SONG??? GAWD all the prolonged held notes and the runs in the chorus, holy shit!! this song saunters around and seduces tf out of me

pado - nct u okay this beat is EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. lo fi groove for the stars mixed together with nct's smooth pretty vocals. AND THE BRASS IN THE CHORUS??? SHUT UP

interlude: oasis - nct u I LOVE THIS HYPNOTIC SONG…I WISH IT WAS LONGER…but it feels perfect being as fleeting as it is. i just love this strange little atmosphere + the vocals are shimmering

picture - hyo I LOVE THIS FUCKEN SONG…it is so sexy and addictive. always makes me wanna dance

뭣 같아 (but sometimes) - boynextdoor FUNK SKA??? IN MY KPOP??? THIS SONG IS INCREDIBLE OMFG…the melody in the chorus?? the harmony??? SHUT UP. i seriously love this unique fuckin song

nothing but (이것밖에는 없다) - young k as per usual young k is breaking my heart. i just love hearing him belt these complicated feelings out like this...his music is so evocative

bungee jumping - young k this song is so breezy and fun!! again i totally love these lyrics and this song is so fun to sing along to...roll the windows down and just glide

natural - young k THANK YOU COMFY SYNTHY YOUNG K SONG! love putting this song on repeat and feeling the love

babo - young k this is my favorite song on this incredible album 🤩 luv this groove luv this vibe...these confidently self-deprecating lyrics. it's so playful and coy and sweet

what is.. - young k this. song. is. HEARTBREAKING HOLY SHIT. it really does feel like a punch in the chest and the brain, simultaneously. and also a beautiful place for young k's haunting falsetto to shine

내일의 우리 (ordinary days) - d.o. first things first, this man has the most gorgeous voice in the world, so i'm so happy whenever he gets a chance to croon and tell stories like this. this song is like warm tea (or a hot toddy at a friendly bar if you're into that sort of thing). this song is like finding comfort in skinned knees. this song has me WISTFUL

the view - d.o. this song makes me nostalgic for dreams that never came true tbh. the amount of dopamine that was woven into this song is insane. and kyungsoo’s vocals are so…so…SO beautiful. HIS RUNS??? A SONG FOR KSOO'S RUNS??? OVER THIS TWINKLING GLITTERING HEART-WRENCHINGLY YEARNING GUITAR AND PIANO AND SYNTH??? the view is PERFECTION

dive - tempest THIS SONG MAKES ME SO HAPPY…i love this guitar/instrumental/boppiness coupled with the totally cute lyrics and vocals. the post-chorus is so lovely

trouble - evnne this song is sick as fuck. THE RAPS…THE TOWERING VOCALS…THE FUCKIN DROP IN THE CHORUS OH MY GOD

byob (bring your own best friend) - billlie this cute little track oh my god,, the strings along with the synth, oh man this instrumental is totally beautiful. the soft vocals pair so prettily with it. i love this twinkly song and the lyrics are perfect lol

DANG! (hocus pocus) - billlie this song is so much FUN to listen to (and watch) and the notes in the chorus are so bubbly and fun. DANG this bangs. luv the metallic sounding harmonies and the general undercurrent of ~uncertainty that runs along with the lyrics...billlie are always dropping psychological bangers

love effect - onf VERY HAPPY ONF ARE BACK...and this song is so quintessentially them, i missed it lol. nobody does horns like onf. (and that jaunty piano for the rap break omfg i'm obsessed)

space - nct 127 this is another song where the atmosphere was so well thought out...it really does sound like it's out in SPACE lol. that sax, that reverb >>>>>

invincible - tripleS evolution once again triples are out here doing the high-pitched vocals so well. this whole production is??? insane??? i LOVE this dreampop song

growing pain - txt this song came to me at the perfect time in my life lol...i am really falling through the sky with this one. helps me scream. takes me back. propels me forward

back for more - txt this song is disgusting in the best way lmao. vocals insane, groove insane, beats insane. nostalgic and fresh dance track

deep down - txt i just love how...understated this deep club track is??? it's like...shy desperate longing. the drop + the silky vocals are addicting

물수제비 (skipping stones) - txt yes this song had my jaw on the floor on the first listen and it is still bewitching. this nasty ass indie rock instrumental holy fuck. the vocals. the lyrics. all of it together is screaming out to the universe and i love it

underwater - chuu CHUU IS FREE AND SHE IS SINGING!!!! LIKE GODDAMN!!!!! beautiful beautiful voice, beautiful beautiful song, beautiful beautiful lyrics. that chorus that feels like being suspended in space, mmm

good enough - chanyeol SELF HELP SONG! i love the cute lil beats in the chorus and the coziness of the whole track

talk saxy - riize THIS SONG...IS EVERYTHING I LOVE ABOUT KPOP LMAOOOO. NASTY BEATS, HORN GOING CRAZY, RIDICULOUS FUCKING LYRICS. "rawm pawm pawm pawm when you call my name, rawm pawm pawm pawm talk saxy" is shakespeare to me. i go so hard to this song

algorithm - heejin HEEJIN IS OUT HERE SINGING FOR THE BACK ROW ON THE FIRST LINE!!! seriously i love her voice and i LOVE this perfect pop song - the melodies are all so tight and fresh, the bass is driving, the synth is twinkly and lovely. love it all

guilty - taemin a whole art piece. the vocals...on this song...are CRAZY, taemin really stormed into the booth mad as hell. every note on this song is perfection and i love how all the vocals are layered. this atmosphere is so bleak but sexy, dystopian, rotted in the best way lol

she loves me, she loves me not - taemin speaking of rotted lmao. the catharsis that the chorus EXPLOSION gives me is impossible to replicate with everything else - this song unlocked a new emotion within me. i just love how wrecked and janky this song sounds, coupled with those operatic vocals in the bridge & the end - this song sounds like a mental breakdown trying to be contained and i love it

제자리 (not over you) - taemin the production on this song is INSANE. taemin's voice is so expressive...the way the chorus develops each time, first with the electric guitar that harmonizes with the melody and then with the synths in the final chorus that go so crazy...luv it

오늘 밤 (night away) - taemin mmmmm this song shimmers like stars in the sky. it feels so lovely and taem's voice is so sweet. that run that he repeats towards the end...holy shit right to my heart

melting point - zerobaseone SO CUTE AND COZY...love a song that instantly becomes a winter classic lol. i love the adlibs, the breakdown in the bridge, and of course the catchy hook

take my hand - zerobaseone MMMMM THIS INSTRUMENTAL REACHED A PLACE DEEP WITHIN ME...this arrangement is odd and i live for that. the soaring vocals in the chorus, the lyrics, the picture this song paints are all beautiful

ootd - dreamcatcher CMON NINE INCH NAILS INFLUENCE. MMMMMH THIS NOISY GLITCHY PRODUCTION IS SO SEXY AND DARK. this song is completely sick

wait - dino i LOVE this song. this clever little electronic beat with the sexiest, smoothest drops i've ever heard omfg. this song sounds so FRESH. THE PIANO ALL OVER...THE PIANO IN THE CHORUS AHHAH

미친 폼 (crazy form) - ateez this chorus is sooooo catchy and omfg...this makes me dance like a spell has been put on me...i really love how ateez break up their song sections lol it all feels like such a production

marine turtle - nct u THIS SONG IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!! THIS MESSAGE???? the "i see my sea" part knocks me over omfg. absolutely love the scales in the chorus. this entire instrumental is gorgeous and the vocals are so rich

🎶🎶🎶

that's all!!! this was genuinely the Worst year of my life but there was so much music across many genres to comfort me, so i’m happy now. kpop releases always have a place in my heart and there was so much good stuff this year.

there are a handful of albums from artists i love that i never got a chance to listen to...i look forward to enjoying them in the new year.

here's to 2024 having lots of amazing music too 🎉

[oingomyboingos]

in the works with making a fic rec post for february and y’all I have read some bangers this month amidst my insomnia and procrastination on MA portfolio

[amechyofsorts]

Where most people pretty regularly say things like “Good morning there friend” or “Nice weather we are having”, Dark Schneider says “We must suck out the poison!” and then eats out your pussy.

[shemakesmusic-uk]

One in four Americans experience insomnia, and singer-songwriter CaliStar knows firsthand just how brutal sleepless nights can be. Her latest single 'Can’t Sleep' and its accompanying imaginatory music video show CaliStar confronting her past traumas during a restless night watching the clock. “This song is for anyone who struggles with inner battles or hidden monsters that keep them up at night. It’s also for those who feel stuck pondering past traumas, paralyzed by current struggles, or daunted by anxious thoughts of the future. The message is that you’re not alone, and that you can overcome,” she shares. After experiencing traumatic brain injuries and post-concussion syndrome, sustained as a result of a series of car accidents, CaliStar was left struggling to read, process information, cope with emotions, and maintain balance, which manifested in a bad bout of insomnia. It’s no surprise then that CaliStar designed her artist logo to be a star comprised of both a diamond and a tear because, as she put it best, “a diamond is multi-faceted and forged through pressure, and through our tears, we can help create beauty.” She takes what could have been a dark subject and drops us into a colorful, imaginary universe she affectionately refers to as “Monster Land.” In her new music video, CaliStar’s love for anime and empowering pop come together in a cheeky, youthful fashion, reminiscent of Katy Perry’s record-breaking 'Teenage Dream'. She sleeps, blanket-up, in bed with a flashlight and dances around with her purple monster in a dream-state, only to discover that the monster had been bullied in the past. Through showing it love, they both heal. “So many people struggle with mental health, and the music video shows one way of overcoming, which involves facing our monsters, pursuing inner healing, and loving others from the overflow of peace that we have,” CaliStar exclaims.

Chilean-born artist OHMYGi, Gisela Lindhorst, has dropped 'I’m Danger,' preceding her upcoming album Danger in Pink, releasing on Matter of Taste. The bilingual banger is a blend of her native Spanish and improved English with heavy basslines and ripping lyrics. Coupled with thundering drums and a melodic arrangement that adds depth, OHMYGi expresses her point of view on female oppression and holds space for awareness to have “each one [of] us play their active role” in the community while also awakening the feminine power. The music video was shot during the pandemic adding an additional complication for filming. In the fictional world of “La Perrera,” translated as the kennel, we can watch OHMYGi’s complex storytelling unfold. She chose the location “Perrera Arte,” a cultural experimental center in the heart of Santiago de Chile. Transitioned from an abandoned dog pound, the video features harsh visuals of graffiti and darkly shot scenes posing as an apocalyptic world. The actors portray captive “leaders, warriors, and heroines” whose mission is to “awaken society from darkness” within the pandemic portrayed dually as an intellectual and lethal virus. With styling reminiscent of early Lady Gaga and fantastic cinematography, OHMYGi illustrates just how far her creative vision goes. In her own words, OHMYGi describes her aim for the characters' portrayal as “away from the sun and moonlight, knowing being captive is a waste of their healing potential, frustrating their vision of justice. The darkness surrounding them manages to strengthen the reign of evil. With each day passing their powers suffer from exhaustion until they lose their own identity and hope of humanity.”

You may know of Julia Blair from her singing in the Appleton, Wisconsin country-rock group Dusk, who released their self-titled debut album on Don Giovanni Records in 2018. This February, Julia’s releasing her first official full length solo album on Crutch of Memory - entitled Better Out Than In. And Blair releases her lead single 'Relax,' a super fun 90's-esque pop song with an anti-folk flare. Featuring synth melodies, swoony country-rock guitar riffs, Sheryl Crow-esque vocals, and hyper-relatable lyrics, 'Relax' is a feminist anthem standing up to the frustrating sexism Julia has faced both in the music industry and in her personal life. On the track, Julia shares: "I started writing this song in the car when I was pissed off for being blown off by a young man our band was collaborating with who would not talk to me about the project and kept insisting on funneling all communication through one of the men in our band. Also, right around the same time, I had a weird experience with an older man who tried to start a romantic relationship with me in the most roundabout, unspoken about way."

Rebecca Black has teamed up with Slayyyter for her new single 'Read My Mind'. 'Read My Mind' is Rebecca Black's first outing as the lead artist since her Rebecca Black Was Here EP in June, and sees her unite with Slayyyter for the track that's accompanied by a Weston Allen-directed video. Black says of the collaboration, "Slayyyter has been one of my favorite artists over the past few years, and I loved every second of making this song with her!!! After perfecting this song over the course of a year, its magic, its fantastical and everything I’d hoped for to kick off this new era. Stan! Glam rage is here!" [via Line Of Best Fit]

The Weeknd and FKA Twigs have a new song: 'Tears In The Club,' which FKA teased earlier in the week. “Are u ready for capri sun takeover??” FKA teased on social media alongside a video of her face coming apart in robot-like pieces. “us capri babies be so cute and prolific but don’t cross us cause we never ever forget.” This is the second new song from FKA Twigs in quite a while. Last month, she released The King’s Man soundtrack song 'Measure Of A Man' featuring Central Cee. Plus, last year she said she’d recorded a new album during lockdown. Maybe 'Tears In The Club' is part of that? [via Stereogum]

19-year-old Barbara Argyrou is back with her new English-language single 'Ukulele', a mid-tempo pop song that combines elements of traditional sounds with electronic beats creating a very original and interesting result, with the ukulele starring in the production and orchestration of the song. In the impressive music video we enjoy a modern marriage of good and evil, with Barbara meeting for the first time the most adult version of herself and being confronted with her passions and bad love habits. The role of the "devil" in the video clip is played by Vassilis Parotidis. [via Music Press]

FLETCHER and Hayley Kiyoko’s collab 'Cherry' is just as sweet as its title suggests. Released last month, the bop is luscious, flirtatious, but fun—if not a little mischievous too—so of course the music video had to keep up that same energy. Directed by Kristen Jan Wong, the newly released visuals place the pop star pair in a love triangle: They’re both hanging out, baking, cuddling, and fooling around with the same girl, but they don’t realize it… until they show up at her doorstep at the same time. But, instead of fighting over their lover, they shrug it off and both head inside with her anyway. To emphasize the playfulness, the video is oozing with retro inspiration and bubblegum pop aesthetics. FLETCHER and Kiyoko pose on a vintage convertible, talk on flip phones, and rotate through colorful outfits that could be easily plucked from the ‘80s, ‘90s, and aughts. (There are a lot of red pieces, given the title.) “We looked good together and it was sort of vintage, rom-com-inspired. So it had this cool retro energy,” Cari Fletcher says on a Zoom call with Kiyoko and ELLE.com. Even the home they filmed in has an old-fashioned feel. [via ELLE]

On her new single 'Flowers', a heartfelt ballad, ILIRA can be heard contemplating questions dedicated towards someone who’s clearly no longer a part of her life, asking: “Would you hold me if I only had one day?” and “When the night has come and angels call my name, how many times would you leave flowers at my grave?” Starting off with beautiful piano chords and followed by her soft and melodic vocals, the track takes listeners on an emotional ride, with its lyrical depictions of hurt, jealousy, and ILIRA’s hopes for the future, as she sings about her former “favorite human”. “'Flowers' was made with Paul Whalley in London. It was our first session together. I immediately felt artistically free with Paul, since we both have a classic background and we both listen to the same Music. The idea of flowers came from my diary. After I lost one of my favorite people in the world and after not being able to speak to him anymore, the diary was my only way to stay in touch platonically.” [via Dubiks]

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

hi Grace!!! I didn't want to inundate your album post w/ me so I'm here to inundate your inbox INSTEAD!

Firstly, I know you're another inhabitant of the indie wheelhouse with me, so I've been listening to Japanese Breakfast's new album Jubilee a lot and enjoyed it a great deal! It has a very golden, slow-summer-bops kind of vibe that is darling.

Hayley Williams also has two solo albums that I love for each their own separate reasons but Petals for Armor is legitimately one of my all-time favorites; it reminds me of the themes of rep just because it is a Dante-type journey through deep darkness into glowing light.

also Caroline Polachek's album Pang is one of my favorites but!!! its genre is a bit of a weird in-between place. How I'd describe her is a bit like if Fiona Apple wrote electro-pop- she seems to hit me just as much like a truck at full speed songwriting-wise. Look At Me Now is one of my forever-favorite songs if nothing else!

and finally, Griff's new EP/mixtape One Foot in Front of the Other is something I've been listening to a lot as a source of very crisply-made pop- the title track, Shade of Yellow, and Walk are some of the sweetest songs I've heard in a long while!!

I hope you're well, dear one! praying for you always and I hope it's a good day when you read this 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

OK SO I LISTENED TO THESE ALL AND THEY'RE ALL??? SO GOOD????

Here are the random notes I took during in case you're interested.

Jubilee

Paprika: a bop, so much! means so much to me! It’s about creation! The writer/musician me is losing my mind, it’s so wonderful.

The whole album is full over very chill jams, very too-hot August, which I really loved! Be Sweet was a banger, In Hell is relentless in the very best way.  I’ll need to listen to is dozens more times to truly understand it, but I loved it.

Petals for Armour

I had tried this album a little before, but never gone through it properly.  It took some time to grow on me sonically, but it did! I loved it.

Sudden desire/watch me while I bloom/dead horse, BOPS. (pretty cool! that I'm still alive!!!!!! I care for that line so much because it’s the whole album! It’s so dry and bitter and at the same time it’s entirely about growth and healing.  She’s going to do it, but she’s also going to have her middle finger up at the people who made her suffer).

Why We Ever is so sad in such a nostalgic way, I love it.

I love the narrative of growth, it's such an album of healing, and ANGRY healing. she WILL heal if it's the last thing she does (if there's resistance MAKE IT YOUR FRIEND)

Creepin a BANGER

My Friend: low-key The Best Day vibes, made me emotional.

"You think you know me, wait till I open up to you" is so important because it's almost so confident, there's so much of her! She is So Much and they'll see it! and then Taken!!! It reminds of me of the sudden subtle joy of "my boy behind me, he's taking pictures," of Begin Again. Suddenly! There's love! You took me by surprise! and Crystal Clear, she's making the choice to be strong! not to give in! She's going to be happy she's going to be ok!!!!

Fave songs: Creepin’, Taken, Dead Horse, Sudden Desire (what can I say? I like bops).

Pang

New Normal??? Is so much??? There's just such a love in it, just such a love. I don't have good words for it, it's just so much. It made me tear up.

I Give Up my beloved, it's so heavy and deep and I love it.

It's a very white-knuckled album, like for some of it she's barely holding on, it's very tight even when it's not angry and I love that.  But then it’s also ethereal? It balances physical humanity and this great Grace and air so well, it’s so interesting.  Insomnia, for example, is heavenly, but at the same time clearly exhausted, you can hear the lack of sleep, but it’s still so elevated.

Look at me now has BROKEN me I can’t deal I have no words just emotions.  I haven’t changed! I’m still the same! I can’t run anymore Gotta stay right here and face the storm.  It’s a turning point song??!!!!??? It’s The Moment, the Moment of change.  I can’t-

It’s also such an interesting mix of genres, it’s not a coherent album but it somehow works? And the melodies are so unusual? This is amazing? I ADORE Big Eyes, it’s just so incredible and kind and gentle and good I-

Caroline shut up is such a MOOD I can’t deal this is so funny like queen yes tell the horrible voice in your head to shut up is DOES get better than right DON’T doubt. And it’s such a grounded swing, if that makes sense, I love it.

(I also love the 80s influences at times it’s my favourite thing in modern music).

Fave songs: New Normal, Look At Me Now, Hey Big Eyes, Parachute.

Fave lyrics

Come dawn, come day, come half-awake, come blue, come gray, come waves that break.

All of Look At Me Now, but especially the repeated I can’t run anymore.

And you’re cheating death buying time through the winter/ my heart it beats so hard I look for you and suddenly fall.

It didn’t use to feel this good to be all alone/doing every damn thing I can to not go home.

Sometimes I wonder do I love you too much, then I tell myself “Caroline shut up.”

I dare you to come closer, let me see you in the light (renegade vibes! renegade energy!) // If tomorrow you want me, then I don’t have a doubt that it gets even better than right now.

I’m just another girl in a sweater (girl you are self-aware of your genre and I love you for it)

Go on, take me, it will feel like going home.  Go on, take me, I’m not afraid to drown - what is this pulling me back the other way to strip malls, highways and treetops? (the idea? of thinking you surrender? but there’s a parachute which saves you anyway? I will be thinking about this for the rest of my life).

One Foot In Front Of The Other

FULL OF BOPS. Black hole? spectacular. One foot in front of the other? "And you'll probably never realise, or never even know, but when you let me talk for hours and hours like forever and after that, yeah, I let you hold me close" SPOKE to me, love really is people being willing to listen to you rant. It's so PATIENT and GOOD and full of JOY I'm so happy and excited about it.

Shade of Yellow... makes me think about my best friend. So much. I love "yeah, if it's okay my dear" because I worry about that all the time with her, that I take up too much time but it is OK! It is! This is actually making me so emotional with how sweet it is.

And she's just trying, it's a TRYING album, heart of gold she's TRYING to love properly again because she recognizes this is the place to do it! She's really smart about this, you get the feeling! She's not blinded by her past, she just needs to work for good, and she knows that! I love her, I love this.

And remembering my dreams! It's such a specifically placed song, right at a very specific moment post-losing the person, and the salt, of course you found a way, she's almost insulted and it's wonderful.

It's an album about running? She talks about running so much??? I don't know what this means but I will.

Walk is about my mum and also one of my friends who is the kindest best person you can ever think of and is convinced that she's full of flaws.

I love how this album reminded me of the people I love? I just kept making me think of them and I think it's so dear for that. Possibly my favourite overall of all of these albums.

Fave songs: ALL OF THEM.

Fave lyrics:

Like the way I used to laugh until my belly ached, well, that's all gone away now.

I stretched my arms out wide and it felt real strange.

All of Shade of Yellow, especially It makes me feel safe in the head and I swear that's rare these days and there's just something when I'm here and I'm sorry if I overstay but, baby, I'm knock-knocking at your door again.

Yeah, I might need just a second, oh, to dust off the dirt.

Because I'm slipping away by the second, so aren't you gonna save me, too? (it's so BARE, it's so OPEN. There's such frankness she's so young and clear and forward I love it).

Thank you so much for these! I hope you're having a wonderful day <3<3<3!!!!

[theyearoftheking]

Book Seventy-Six: The Institute

“Great events turn on small hinges.”

Another long day of travel (and the subsequent next day off) gave me plenty of time to fly through this banger of a book. I think I’ve mentioned that as I read each book, I keep notes on parallels between other books, Dark Tower references, nods to the state of Wisconsin, lines that crack me up... just assorted odds and ends. One of the first notes I made was, “This book is what Firestarter SHOULD have been!” My final note is, “On second thought, Firestarter is the seed that sprouted this book.”

I also couldn’t stop thinking about Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro as I was reading. For those that haven’t had the pleasure, go read this book immediately. It has a  lot of the same psychological horror, and bonding among the characters. It’s an excellent, and short book. There’s also a movie that’s equally as haunting. I just watched the trailer again... there’s a lump in my throat. It’s cool. I’m fine. 

The Institute centers around Luke Ellis, a brilliant little boy who can also move pizza pans with his mind when he’s excited. One night, his parents are murdered in their Minnesota home, and Luke is abducted and taken back to The Institute. He wakes up in a room that looks like his...except it isn’t. He’s in rural Maine.

He ventures out of his room, and makes fast friends with the other kids in the Front Half. The kids are subject to all kinds of tests, and receive tokens they can later use for snacks and mini bottles of alcohol from the vending machines. The kids living in The Institute are considered TK (telekenetic) or TP (telepathic); and life is okay on the Front Half. The Back Half is where the last of the powers are sucked out of kids and they reside in a cringy place called Gorky Park. Steve uses the term “gork” a lot in his books. Makes me cringe every damn time. 

Luke is a smart kid, and eventually manages to escape The Institute and hide out in a boxcar all the way down to DuPray, South Carolina where he meets Tim Jamieson and tells him his incredible story about The Institute. Tim works for the DuPray police department, and takes Luke in to tell his story. 

Meanwhile, The Institute baddies are trying to track Luke down. They have spies all over the country ready to look for any runaways, and sure enough- one in DuPray reports Luke. 

There’s an epic showdown, where all the townspeople of DuPray show up with guns, and -one of the greatest characters ever, Orphan Annie, announces- “You’re in the South now!” 

After spending almost a week in Florida, I couldn’t help but laugh. In case we didn’t know about the southern setting, Steve also mentions The Waffle House. I’m on day two of a diet reset, and would kill someone for a pecan waffle and Diet Coke. 

The kids at The Institute use their collective powers to basically blow the place up, and many of the kids from the Front Half are able to go live with their relatives. I wouldn’t say it’s the happiest ending, but the good guys (and their arsenal of weapons) eventually win in the end. 

While this book is different, there are a few key reminders that this is in fact a Steve novel:

The ever-present chambray work shirt

Early on, Tim is staying in a hotel room and Steve writes, “The room’s one picture- an unsettling composition depicting a sailing ship crewed entirely by grinning and possibly homicidal black men- hung crooked. Tim straightened it, but it immediately fell crooked again.” This reminds me of a line early on in The Gunslinger, when Steve writes that Roland is, “...the sort of man who would straighten pictures in strange hotel rooms.” 

Jerusalem’s Lot is mentioned

“On the beam” is used

Orphan Annie is compared to a “gunslinger”

Oh! And there’s even a Wisconsin mention! A Wisconsin highway during a blizzard. Y’all... that’s something we have a lot of experience with right now... let me tell you... we’ve had an entire winter’s worth of weather crammed into three weeks. Despite the rodent weatherman’s predictions, we’re really hoping to see spring sometime soon. 

Total Wisconsin Mentions: 47

Total Dark Tower References: 71

Book Grade: A-

Rebecca’s Definitive Ranking of Stephen King Books

Doctor Sleep: A+

The Talisman: A+

Wizard and Glass: A+

11/22/63: A+

Mr. Mercedes: A+

End of Watch: A+

Under the Dome: A+

Needful Things: A+

On Writing: A+

The Green Mile: A+

Hearts in Atlantis: A+

Full Dark, No Stars: A+

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams: A+

Just After Sunset: A+

Rose Madder: A+

Misery: A+

Different Seasons: A+

It: A+

Four Past Midnight: A+

Stephen King Goes to the Movies: A+

The Shining: A-

The Stand: A-

Finders Keepers: A-

Bag of Bones: A-

Duma Key: A-

Black House: A-

The Institute: A-

The Wastelands: A-

The Drawing of the Three: A-

The Dark Tower: A-

Dolores Claiborne: A-

Blaze: B+

Hard Listening: B+

Revival: B+

Nightmares in the Sky: B+

The Dark Half: B+

Joyland: B+

Skeleton Crew: B+

The Dead Zone: B+

Nightmares & Dreamscapes: B+

Wolves of the Calla: B+

‘Salem’s Lot: B+

Song of Susannah: B+

Carrie: B+

Creepshow: B+

From a Buick 8: B

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon: B

Sleeping Beauties: B-

The Colorado Kid: B-

Storm of the Century: B-

Everything’s Eventual: B-

Cycle of the Werewolf: B-

The Wind Through the Keyhole: B-

Danse Macabre: B-

The Running Man: C+

Cell: C+

Thinner: C+

Dark Visions: C+

The Eyes of the Dragon: C+

The Long Walk: C+

The Gunslinger: C+

Pet Sematary: C+

Firestarter: C+

Rage: C

Desperation: C-

Insomnia: C-

Cujo: C-

Nightshift: C-

Faithful: D

Gerald’s Game: D

Roadwork: D

Lisey’s Story: D

Christine: D

Dreamcatcher: D

The Regulators: D

The Tommyknockers D

Next, we travel back in time to read The Outsider. I read it once and loved it, and I hope to watch the series on HBO soon. In a perfect world, you’ll see a blog post on that someday as well. But don’t hold your breath. 

Until next time, Long Days & Pleasant Nights, Rebecca 

[steponmepinkjun]

do i know who skz is? abosolutely not. does seeing your posts about them and the joy they bring you brighten my day when i see them? absolutely!! now i lowkey wanna listen to skz just to understand the hype??? is there like a best song to listen to first????

First of all I wanna let you know that seeing this pop up in my inbox is literally the only thing holding me back from FULLY yeeting myself out my fuckin apartment window, so you really are the true mvp for that 🙏 second of all I am TELLING YOU, Stray Kids DONT MISS!!!! THEY ARE NOTHIN BUT BOPS AND BANGERS!!!!! There's not a single skip on ANY of their albums. So imma give you a lil beginners guide to skz, based on my personal preferences and moods 😏

So for a first impression, you gotta watch the music video for "God's Menu." It represents their overall style well, super high impact with rap skills on show and truly excellent vocals all around, dynamic choreo, super unique and fresh style all over. Oh and they also self-produce so it's even more impressive. Absolutely fabulous, all the way around. Straight banger. The music video for "Back Door" is a close second place for intros to their style. They have tracks for any mood tho, no fuckin lie

You wanna feel yourself a lil, turn up a lil? "Victory Song" and "Double Knot."

You feelin a lil bubblegum pop? "Haven" and "Get Cool."

You feel a lil softer? "Levanter" (one of my all time favs, the sound and the lyrics are AMAZING) and "Gone Days" (imo one of the most underrated songs)

You want incredible vocals? "TMT," "Insomnia," and "Slump"

You want groundbreaking rap skills? "I Got It," "Easy," and "Chronosaurus"

You want more techno/electro? "Going Dumb" and "Side Effects"

Literally every single one of their songs are good though—I feel like they have so much appeal no matter what kinda music you usually gravitate towards. Oh and they're also all absolutely sweethearts and loveable as fuck, they're all all-rounders, their music videos are TO DIE FOR, and their so fuckin self-made—you want someone to wax poetic about how hard they all work and how amazing they are, I'm ya girl 😂 they deadass do be bringing me HELLA joy though, I love them to death for real. I love these boys and have immense respect for their talent and skill. SO YEH BABE BECOME A STAY W ME 👏❤️ JOIN US

[artificialac1d]

aswhoa there big ol spirit phone post whoaaaaa. (I WAS ORIGINALLY DOING ALL OF THE ALBUMS BUT THAT WOULD BE TOO LONG SO I’LL DO INDIVIDUAL POSTS FOR THE ALBUMS) (NOT INCLUDING MASHUPS SORRY :[)

alright lets go sorry if theres spelling mistakes i am tired and my keyboard hates me ;[ spirit phone - ok so VERY COOL the first half i feel is supernatural and the second half is more like.... a comment on capitalism?? yeah,, idk either thats what most people say lol. thanks neil!! lifetime achievement award (ebiccc). very long (ab 6 minutes) BUT the length is worth it!! the lyrics are jammin not to mention the instrumental!! the singing is very chefs kiss let alone the effects on the singing!! very cool song. touch tone telephone!! (ttt) so ttt is VERY jammin but its a little overrated. I GET WHY, but it is definitely not the best song made by lemon demon. well i guess thats mostly up to interpretation, but its not the best. the message is cool!!! conspiracy theorist going fucking batshit crazy?? hell yeah!!  cabinet man (😳) how the fuc did this man get in cabinet???? hfgbrfj.. ANYWAYS the beep boop instrumental is one of THE BEST on the album next to the very epic instrumental of as your father i expressly forbid it. anyways, the lyrics and beat are v nice v satisfying!! i love singing this song like, only third to as your father and soft fuzzy man!! singing is hard :[ no eyed girl (where are her eyes???) neil is a monster/alien fucker and you cannot change my mind. no eyed girl is one of my favorite songs!! i mean all of the lemon demon songs are one of my favorite songs but... um,, ANYWAYS. imagine being some guy who just like, made the world get destroyed bc you were horny over an alien. when he died (holy fuck what is up with this dude) the amount of mysteries that are brought up in thius song is AMAZING. when i listen to lemon demon on alexa the only albums i have access to are nature tapes and spirit phone (because i use spotify and not apple music) and i hear this all the time!! its ALWAYS a good time very bangin very jammin 20/10 sweet bod (aha 😳 what do you mean im eating a dead body) neil?? are you sure it isnt sexual??? super synthy and cool!! the funk never ends!!! funky town!! never go down!! (im sorry) the idea of drinking dead bodies to cure cancer though not very cash money. wowie zowie capitalism!! the lyrics make me uncomfortable if im listening to it with someone else BUT if im alone i will  scream sing this song eighth wonder!! (goofy mongoose ends humanity) i heard like in the commentary that neil was proud of this song and honestly, i dont blame him. VERY jammin. i keep saying jammin but i dont have synonyms. i havent read that news article about gef but i should sometime!! the way the song just is is just mwah  ancient aliens!! (caveman go aaaaa) i dont have much to say about this one because it isnt my favorite. NOT because it doesnt jam hard but its just not as good as other ones. man i am mostly just praising neil. this is fun to sing!! instrumental is VERY cool bery epic,,, soft fuzzy man (hhhottie 😳) this is my FAVORITEEEEE i can say SO much about this song on how it JAMS. the little beep boop after the first part is GREAT I LOVE IT. the chorus lives rent free in my brain. singing this is the best source of serotonin !!! ahhh the lyrics and the message!! very cool!! i love that neil made this song as a comment on dudes who think being mysterious is cool (yucfky ew) one lyric taken out of context makes me feel weird but like idk i just link it with something not great (once you go hazy you’ll understand i’m your soft fuzzy man sounds like he roofied someone) BUT i can ignore that because that wasnt the intention of the lyric!! very ebic songgg. as your father i expressly forbid it!! (neils my dad???) whoa,, neil scrEAM,,,, honestly i cant stop thinking of neil’s daughter while listening to this (sorry) but umm THE INSTRUMENTAL IS THE B EST!! the little beeop boop>?>?? YES i love it sorry about like not being able to get ideas across my brain is old computer stalling noise rn i earn my life (he damn earned it) this is my moms favorite!! (yeah she likes it too surprisingly!!) this song is really nice,, verry cool little instrumental bits!! awesome!! singing it is a 10/10 experience!!! reaganomics!! (baby, baby. YEAHHHHHH)  whoa!!! ronald reagan?? and he wants to take you for a ride?? anyways, whoa!! instrumental!! i can tell that neil puts a lot of effort into his songs because ALL of the main tracks are bangers.  man-made object (shit i caught insomnia from looking at the moon😔) SO big ol giant tower towering over everything!!! i kinda have a bad experience with this song because when i drew fanart for it my friend misconstrued the tie i drew with... a sexual organ. (hes fucked up) does NOT mean the song is bad but i get reminded of that whenever i listen to it. very COOL SONG!! YES!! build that giant skyscraper girl you go spiral of ants (im im caught in the spiral of ants girl) whoa last song... ON THE MAIN TRACK AHAHA!! just kidding i cant do the bonus tracks. ANYWAYS whoa!! a tornado of ants? count me in! the lyrics are very epic!! and fun to sing except for the AND WE BECAME A HURRICANE because its a high note and i suck at high notes 😔i did it once but i cant anymore 😔😔this sounds very nice i love it!!  if you read this all the way,, fucking,,,, thANKS because this is hella long im sorry i hope you liked my opinions bye!! <3 i’ll be doing more album stuff in the future (possibly even tonight because i have nothing to do with my life.

[thezfc]

15 posts about TS new album since you said you were going to ignore TS new album. You're doing a banger job of it. 👍

It’s so sad, the poor reading comprehension you Swidiots have. I have not listened, although from what I read it should using the next time I have insomnia. Also the many many fans of my blog that I also fucking hate that 🐍 send me messages and that’s what I post. Do you understand? That little box that says anonymous said, that’s somebody else’s words then underneath that, that’s what I say. Do you understand that or do I need to explain it like you’re a first grader?

[marksarmel]

What I’m Consuming

Gather ‘round ye mongrels of media as we attempt to satisfy our primal urge to consume!

TV

I started watching Steven Universe and these tasty 10 -12 minute episodes are like candy for my soul. Fun and light and happy.

Warrior Nun - Three episodes in and it’s a bit slow paced and I’m not a fan at all of the narration, but the action is very well done and it seems to be getting better.  I do love how seriously they’re taking a seriously ridiculous concept.

Game of Thrones is on rewatch. Not sure if I’m doing this to try to gain a new respect for some of the show’s lowest moments or just to relive the dragon fights and bastard fights and girl fights and wight fights and Tormund making goofy lusty eyes at Brienne. Also, can we get a GOT X-Files type of spin off with these two please? The first episode can be them figuring out whatever happened to Daario Naharis.

MOVIES

Take Shelter - This is an oldie that I was recently reminded about. Directed by Jeff Nichols and starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain Take Shelter is a lazy snake that you’re not quite sure if it’s poisonous or not. Nothing in this film happens fast and everything feels cramped. Whenever Shannon’s Curtis LaForche is on screen he feels ill fit to the world around him. Like he’s wearing clothes that are too big for him and indeed in some scenes he looks that way as well. Chastain as Samantha, displays a weary tension throughout, but has a steady mid-western constitution that allows her to maintain her sanity when things get weird. Watch it, but not if you’re the least bit sleepy.

Life of Pi - In one of my bouts of insomnia I decided to rewatch this. It was as good as I remember and I even teared up. After it was over I found my blessed pillow and drifted of to a dreamland filled with tigers and boats and monkeys.

MUSIC

Crushing - Julie Jacklin (2019)- If you believe a song can have a hauntingly danceable groove look for me at the edge of the dance floor hoping Julia Jacklin will pick me. Body, the opening song to her album Crushing is like walking the hallways of your high school at 2am in the morning. Everything is stuffed with an adult melancholy that the kids only mime in broken hearted text messages. The soft plodding bass and spare drums plucked at my emo heart strings so deftly that my first listen turned into a second third and a then a fourth when I watched the video. Now I’m off to listen to the rest of the album.

Oh My God - Kevin Morby (2019)- Oh my god indeed. I recently stumbled across Kevin Morby and I’m so glad I did. There’s a yearning religiousness that runs through this album, but don’t let that burden you. The music here is haunting, beautiful and vividly illustrative of those parts of America that feel sleepy, dark and a few years behind.

To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar (2015) - When this album dropped I remember being slightly disappointed as I was expecting something more in the realm of good kid, m.A.A.d city. After several listens I realized it is very much in the same realm. It’s just that the realm is Kendrick Lamar’s and he roams large. I’ve returned to this album lately as a salve for what’s happening now. It’s a salve and also a guiding light. How can it not be with songs like, Alright and the self realization of Momma and I?

The simple fact is Kendrick is a storyteller from a different time, the future perhaps, or maybe the past. Alternate dimensions are not out of the question. In a time where we are careening wildly from fear to hopelessness to hate to the unknown, Kendrick’s lyrics are the guideposts leading us home.

Tobe Nwigwe - I mentioned him in a WIC recently and was pleasantly surprised when a friend posted a video of him on a track with a guest verse by Paul Wall. The track Juice is a banger through and through with my favorite verse being when Paul calls Tobe, “Too real. True and real. Trill.”

Love What Survives - Mount Kimbie (2017)- Sometimes an album digs deep into your ear like Dig Dig and you can’t shake it no matter what. This is a good good thing. I’d heard a couple of songs from this album (Blue Train Lines with King Krule and Marilyn with Michau), but never gave it a full listen. I finally did and it’s like a lazy drive with the windows down on a cool day that ends with a sweet makeout session at night in a parking lot. Soft, electronic music with a deep soulfulness.

COMICS/BOOKS

Silver Surfer - Parable - This old classic by Stan Lee and Moebius is an interesting ride. It moves at a brisk pace and some of the story feels a bit dated, but it’s always a joy to see work by Moebius.

I re-read Jupiter’s Legacy Part 2 recently and was just as immediately enthralled as I was in my first read. The art from Frank Quitley is as gorgeous as ever and while the story by Mark Millar rushes a bit too fast to the end it’s still a great read.

The History of the Marvel Universe - This plucks all my Marvel nerd boy heart chords. The art is beautiful and while the writing feels a bit cramped as it struggles to fit in all the bits and pieces it’s a must have for any Marvel fan. (Add artist and writer names)

GAMES - I’m still driving with Mario Kart. It’s just too good.

RANDOM NOTES

I have re-discovered candy from my childhood. Obleas Mini Wafers and Gloria’s Goats Milk! I used to get these when I was a kid when my mom went to Mexico and brought them back for me. The Obleas are like tiny tortillas, about the size of a silver dollar, with a caramel filing in the middle. The outside is this super thin wafer that always reminded me of the wafers you get when you take communion. You can eat these without having to admit your sins so that’s great!

The Glorias are like mini sausages, but have nothing to do with meat. They’re made from goats milk and often come with pecans. As a kid I used to eat these by the handful, but now I savor them and take a half a bite and then come back later for the other half. Andalé!