#go get em emo lewis!

[chattahoochiecoochie]

[1ddiscourseoftheday]

🍞 Mon 16 March 🎫

Harry's Tiny Desk concert is up! He talks in some detail about most of the songs he plays and the writing of them which is actually quite exciting, and is totally thrown by the weird setting and kind of awkward and nervy which is charming. And Beauty Papers keeps the teasing up for the coming issue: there's a video (excuse me short film) of Harry in a lot of kinda emo make-up which seems expressly designed to make him look extra masculine, an interesting juxtaposition of the presumed femininity of makeup with the actual achieved effect, in keeping with the magazine's talk about gender bending/fluidity (a regular theme these days isn't it..!) The theme of the issue is REVOLUTION and BASIC HUMAN NEEDS! Wow, you might think, that's VERY TIMELY but friends, I have bad news. They're talking about like, fashion and can I just say that uh maybe the timing is not ideal but go off I guess. My personal favorite event of the day was learning the backstory of the SNL Sara Lee sketch- apparently it had been shelved indefinitely until Harry's gay ass came along and couldn't stop laughing and was like THIS ONE WE HAVE TO DO THIS ONE. The writer describes the sketch as a "loud dog whistle to the queer community."

Niall is out there repping for the self isolated stir crazy (and doing the only kind of promo he can now), getting the hashtag #HoranatHome going, urging people to stay home and be safe, doing lives, promo videos from before are out which is sad but hey it's fun content, plus some current phone interviews (there's a nice long one with Zack Sang.) He put some signed CDs onsale and sold em right out and posted a cute No Judgment video starring a (non judgemental) young child. He mentions in his live the doubt around the NTMY tour dates (with Lewis Capaldi) going ahead, well yeah. Everything is in doubt isn't it.

Louis' UK dates have been officially cancelled. The announcement says "we are working to make new plans as soon as possible" and Louis says, "look after yourselves." This absolutely had to happen and people are already freaking out about the possibility of Louis being infected by show goers at the shows that did happen, but it's still fucking sad to see. (If he was he will be FINE, he's young enough and can afford to buy his whole own ventilator, or hospital, it's not like he has to worry about getting care. But hopefully he is isolating to prevent any potential pre-symptomatic spread.)

[burng0d]

i luv this shit bruh!! i was tagged by @ladyancientcosmos so uh 🥺🥺ty

nickname: well uh my first and middle names are thomas jaymes so most ppl just call me tj lol, but i also get teej and jayme sometimes, and one of my best friends calls me tommy (he's the only one that gets away with it though lol)

zodiac sign: we cancer up in this bitch!! 10th july babeyyy!!!!

height: around 5'5.5" i think? (lol) i gotta remeasure myself but i've grown since i last measured myself n i was Just short of 5'5" then soo

hogwarts house: i have no clue!! i've taken the test soo many times and i get a different answer every time!! it puts me in slytherin most but i don't think i really match the slytherin traits?? tbh i think i'm a ravenclaw, but ig maybe a hufflepuff?? i'ma have to go w/ ravenclaw tbh though lol

last thing i googled: uh i was looking up the dates of stonewall for an essay for my english language class

song stuck in my head: holiday by green day (a bop!!)

following: 141

followers: 40

amount of sleep i get: generally anywhere from 2-5 hours (yikez!) but i tend to like wake up n then not move for minimum half an hour, and on thursdays (bc i start late) and weekends i generally get like 4-8hrs

lucky number: 7 or 13 lol

dream job: making music bruh!! i live for that shit!!! i'm (technically) working on a covers album rn (but i hit a lil bit of a standstill what w school n stuff rip)

wearing: pair o those art socks (the ones w/ the scream on em), grey workout shorts, a cheap lion ring i got from claires when i was like ten, n then a black shortsleeve tee over a (bright) orange (i luv halloween) hoodie (+ my friendship bracelet and necklace lol i luv my friends sm bruh)

favourite songs: fully i'ma jus drop the tracklist for my covers album here jus bc i have an excuse to now lol;

midway arcade treasures - ghostbusters vhs

townie - mitski

lithium - nirvana

drown - bring me the horizon

jesus christ - brand new

wallflower - moses campbell

half a man - dean lewis

cop graveyard - teen suicide

say something - ceschi

mama - my chemical romance

song for the sleepless - ollie mn

brite boy - (sandy) alex g

broadripple is burning - margot and the nuclear so & so's

like real people do - hozier

u.n.i. - ed sheeran (might change this one tbh but i stand by the fact that this is his Only good album imo)

we found two dead swans and filled their bodies with flowers - teen suicide (yes it's the second teen suicide song on the tracklist lmfao but it's a banger so why not)

thas not all my faves but uh yuknow lol (i need to stop sayin "uh" lmfaoo)

instruments: guitar, bass, ukulele, a lil piano, recorder(if we're counting that), whatever i remember of clarinet from yr5, the teensiest bit of drums, and i'm tryna learn violin at some point

random fact: i recently shaved my own head (down to a buzzcut) for a laugh and livestreamed it on instagram lmfaoo

aesthetics: in terms of clothes mid-to-late 2000s noel fielding lmfao, but in general i luv anything even vaguely edgy and i love mid-to-late 2000s low qual emo shit and midwest emo (especially irt music), and i was gonna say sumn else but my mind jus blanked but yh basically i luv edgy (especially ironically edgy) shit

okay so uh now i gotta tag 17ppl so uhh,, dw if you don't wanna do it n sorry if you've already been tagged or already done it hnnnggg:

@b-lurryblitzbee @izzy-24-xx @glennatohowerton @theentiregdtime @hauntedmoth @anthonycrowley @junkyardvampire @idioticnimrod @macfoundhispride @whatriverrunsdeeperthanthis @bookishbloop @crazypaddydennis @floralmac @gayfatmac @bastardmanvibes @lesbianfreyja @weirditalienplumber

[troyplaysbass]

We’ll Grow Stronger Making Room and Sharing Space: 2019 In Review

It’s the end of the year and the end of the decade (more on the latter in this post). It’s the time for me to reflect on the year and think too much about lists. Some things will never change.

Music I Worked On This Year

Jeff Schaller and the Long Way Home - “Younger Years” (guitar, recording, mixing, mastering)

Apocalypse Quest - Paradoxes (mixing, mastering)

Sloth Hands - Vacation’s Over (mastering)

Apocalypse Quest - “Mediocre Boys” (recording, mixing, mastering)

Flora Self - “Didn’t See It Coming” (bass, recording, mixing, mastering)

Pelafina - “Blue and Gold” (guitar)

Apocalypse Quest - “CEO Blood” (recording, mixing, mastering)

Apocalypse Quest - ERBA (recording, mixing, mastering)

My Favorite Albums of 2019

I’ve had a one-sentence review of my number one album, Breakup Season by Future Teens, in my head for a few months: If I had heard this when I was seventeen, I might have been a better person. That sounds hyperbolic, but I haven’t been able to shake the idea. I know I could have used this album as a teenager. It’s so honest and introspective about heartbreak and sadness and dealing with those emotions in healthy ways. I’m so happy that a band like Future Teens exists. I’m jealous of the kid that hears Breakup Season this year and connects to it like I connected to The Upsides. Future Teens will be that kid’s first favorite band, the soundtrack to their formative years, their inspirations and role models. I keep likening this album to The Upsides, probably the single most influential album on my past ten years. It feels like a torch-passing at the end of the decade, and it’s all the more apt because I saw Future Teens open for the Wonder Years in October.

The rest of my list feels as varied as my year, spanning genre and scope from emo debuts to the biggest pop artist in the world. As always, I think there’s a lot to love on this list, so pick something and give it a spin.

Future Teens - Breakup Season

Charly Bliss - Young Enough

Pedro the Lion - Phoenix

The Menzingers - Hello Exile

The Mountain Goats - In League With Dragons

Jimmy Eat World - Surviving

Taylor Swift - Lover

Origami Angel - Somewhere City

The Get Up Kids - Problems

Telethon - Hard Pop

Proper. - I Spent the Winter Writing Songs About Getting Better

Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties - Routine Maintenance

Ceres - We Are a Team

Oso Oso - Basking In the Glow

Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center

The Dangerous Summer - Mother Nature

Somos - Prison On a Hill

Dave Hause - Kick

American Football - LP3

Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars

Junius Paul - Ism

The Maine - You Are OK

Nervus - Tough Crowd

Great Grandpa - Four of Arrows

Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride

My Favorite EPs of 2019

Better Love - All I Ever Wanted Is To Be Where You Are

Mineral - One Day When We Are Young

Ruston Kelly - Dirt Emo, Volume 1

Rat Tally - When You Wake Up

Bosley Jr - No More

My Favorite Songs of 2019

Here’s a playlist on Apple Music and Spotify of songs I loved this year. It’s vaguely in order (at least the top ten or so).

My Favorite Shows of 2019

I went to 63 shows this year, 35 of which I played. Here were my favorites. These were all great, but the John K. Samson show is a contender for my all-time favorite performance. He doesn’t tour much, so make it a priority to see him if you have the chance.

John K. Samson and Christine Fellows - 11/23 at Beat Kitchen

The Wonder Years, Future Teens - 10/20 at Metro

Ruston Kelly - 11/1 at Thalia Hall

Mineral - 1/24 at Lincoln Hall

Pedro the Lion - 5/18 at The Castle Theater

Jacob Sigman, Jetty Bones - 3/29 at Beat Kitchen

The Sidekicks, Adult Mom - 7/7 at Subterranean

Spanish Love Songs - 5/19 at Cobra Lounge

Los Campesinos! - 7/6 at West Fest

We Were Promised Jetpacks - 7/13 at Bottom Lounge

My Favorite Podcasts of 2019

Two Headed Girl is the best new podcast I listened to this year. It’s a chronicle of gender dysphoria, transitioning, and marriage. Hosts Alex and Matthew Cox are unflinching in their honesty with each other about their lives, health, and feelings. It’s kind of amazing that they recorded all of this and are willing to share such a personal journey with the world.

Elsewhere in the podcast world, two of my favorite long-running podcasts hit new highs in 2019. On episode 102 of Reconcilable Differences, “Preparing the Way,” John Siracusa buys a refrigerator. The two-hour chronicle of this harrowing adventure is everything I love about the podcast format. And The Watch, Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald’s twice weekly talk about movies and TV, transitioned from purely critique to a behind the scenes look at making a TV show as Andy called in from the set and editing room of his upcoming show, Briarpatch.

Finally, I’ll recommend Michael Lewis’s Against the Rules, a meticulously researched exploration of societal rules and the people who make and enforce them. Unlike the long-running conversational shows I typically like, the tight format and high production value make Against the Rules feel more like an audio book.

My Favorite Books of 2019

As usual, I read very few new releases this year, but the few I did read were fantastic: Hanif Abdurraqib’s latest poetry collection, A Fortune For Your Disaster, Mark Z. Danielewski’s children’s book for all ages, The Little Blue Kite, and Mischa Pearlman’s One Day When We Are Young, a retrospective on the emo band Mineral and a companion piece to their first new music in over twenty years.

The best book I read this year, regardless of release date, was The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.

My Favorite Television of 2019

I started 2019 with the vague goal of “keeping up” with TV, but I quickly realized that’s impossible. There’s just too much great TV. With that in mind, I just want to highlight a few of my favorite shows of the year, all remarkable for very different reasons, which also happen to be short and digestible.

Fleabag - Season 2

A tour de force of emotion and energy, every episode left me thinking that writer / producer / star Phoebe Waller-Bridge might be the most talented person alive.

Watchmen

Every frame of this show is immaculate. I’m a longtime defender of the endings of Lost and The Leftovers so I had confidence in Damon Lindelof and his team to pull this sequel/remix, and my expectations were still far exceeded.

When They See Us

Ava Duvernay’s docu-drama about the Central Park Five is a heart-wrenching examination of injustice. The opening sequence alone is worth the price of a Netflix subscription.

Chernobyl

A different kind of bleak docu-drama, set on the opposite side of the world as When They See Us, Chernobyl is equal parts moving, gruesome, frustrating, and deeply sad.

And I can’t leave the TV section without giving a shout to Baby Yoda on The Mandalorian, constant cause of delighted squeals (both Liesi’s and mine) every time he’s on screen.

My Favorite Movies of 2019

As always, I'm very behind on movies at the end of year, but Knives Out is a masterpiece. 1. Knives Out 2. Marriage Story 3. The Irishman 4. Booksmart 5. Midsommar 6. The Report 7. Toy Story 4 8. Us 9. Dolemite Is My Name 10. High Life

Next Year

I haven’t made a formal new year’s resolution in quite a few years, but I do have some plans for 2020.

Pelafina will be releasing a new EP in the next couple months. More on that very soon.

The Long Way Home are deep in the process of recording our next album. That will hopefully be out later in the spring.

I didn’t make a single blog post this year, and I want to change that. I don’t have a clear structure in mind, but I just want to write more.

I’m going to listen to more jazz.

[clubbingattheclub]

IN HONOR OF FEB. 2019 BEING THE 3 YR ANNIVERSARY OF ME READING TFC SERIES IN ONE HARROWING WEEK (IN WHICH I CRIED INTO MY WORK DESK MULTIPLE TIMES), PLEASE ENJOY THIS:

an All For The Game playlist 

[60 songs (3hr 37min) – last updated: Feb. 2016] hosted on Spotify (click here x)

song list/brief guide on why they are assembled as such:

the team: The Art of Losing – American Hi-Fi /// Sometimes Your Friends Are Not Your Friends – De Lux /// Clique – Kanye West, Jay-Z, Big Sean /// Demons – Sleigh Bells /// Ratchet – Bloc Party /// All Or Nothing – Elliphant, Diplo, Bunji Garlin /// Muthafucka Up – Tyga, Nicki Minaj /// Phantom Pt II (Boys Noize Remix) – Justice /// Give ‘Em Hell, Kid – My Chemical Romance

neil josten: Jesus Christ – Brand New /// Helicopter – Bloc Party /// Go – blink-182 /// Goodbye – Who Is Fancy /// Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part To Save The Scene And Stop Going To Shows) – Fall Out Boy /// Poetic Tragedy – The Used /// 88 – Sum 41 /// The End. – My Chemical Romance

andrew minyard: Dead! – My Chemical Romance /// Ulysses – Franz Ferdinand /// Line & Sinker – Billy Talent /// Sorry, Dudes. My Bad. – Say Anything /// Nails For Breakfast, Tacks For Snacks – Panic! At The Disco /// Vanished – Crystal Castles /// I’m A Fake – The Used /// Give Me Novacaine – Green Day

renee walker & dan wilds & allison reynolds: //r// She’s A Rebel – Green Day //d// Swords – M.I.A. //a// Ego – Bibi Bourelly //r// Y Control – Yeah Yeah Yeahs //d// Ridin Round – Kali Uchis //a// Creator (vs. Switch and FreQ Nasty) – Santigold //r// Comeback Kid – Sleigh Bells //a// Alice Practice – Crystal Castles //d(&m)// Future Starts Slow – The Kills

matt boyd: Troubles – Imad Royal /// The Struggle (RAC Mix) – Grizfolk

kevin day: Brianstorm – Arctic Monkeys /// Whoa Whoa Whoa – Watsky /// Vlad the Impaler – Kasabian /// Solo Dolo (Nightmare) – Kid Cudi /// Sink – Brand New /// Sweetness – Jimmy Eat World /// Existentialism On Prom Night – Straylight Run

riko vs neil interlude: Who Let You Go? – The Killers //// Gives You Hell – The All-American Rejects

nicky hemmick: Drum Machine – Big Grams, Skrillex /// Wild for the Night (feat. Skrillex & Birdy Nam Nam) – A$AP Rocky /// Tiro al blanco – Kumbia Queers /// Twilight Omens – Franz Ferdinand /// Keep You On My Side – CHVRCHES

aaron minyard: Crossfire – Stephen /// Juicebox – The Strokes /// Mama – My Chemical Romance /// Loud(y) – Lewis Del Mar

the andrew/neil finale: The Truth Is, You Should Lie With Me – Say Anything /// Free Animal – Foreign Air /// BITE – Troye Sivan /// Zephyrus – Bloc Party /// Drop the Game – Flume, Chet Faker /// River – Bishop Briggs /// Worship – Years & Years

liner notes:

Half inspired by songs of the moment (which at the time was early 2016) and half motivated by the emo-punk-pop music of the early-to-mid 2000’s that teenage!me grew and thrived on, this playlist is as much of an ode to The Foxes as it is an interpretation of what I think each character/group of characters were probably (or should’ve been) listening to at the time (because I believe the general consensus is that AFTG takes place in 2005-2006, right? Well if it doesn’t, it does inside my heart and brain so that’s that on that).

I took about 3 years to share my playlist on tumblr probably because it felt like a huge undertaking to explain that the order of these songs are intended to be played in their sorted order. Which makes me sound crazy, of which I probably am. For example, the transition I made from Neil to Andrew is exemplified by the two chosen MCR songs, which shift the moods just as quickly and beautifully as they do on The Black Parade album. blah blah blah I'm a fuckin' NERD. But honestly—feel free to listen to it in order, or to just shuffle the motherfucker. Whatever you want, dudes.

In all, this playlist is selfishly catered to my own brain and musical preferences, and I’ve been hoarding it for almost 3 years now and listen to it quite frequently with no real intentions to share it. BUT then I noticed that 9 random strangers had found and followed it on Spotify, so I guess there’s a chance other people would enjoy it too. So here I am.

[destroyalovesu]

21 questions tag

tagged by @morenerdthanperson, thanks for the tag !!

Rules: Answer 21 questions (they don’t have to be the same questions) and tag 21 people who you’d like to get to know better.

1. What is your eye color?

dark enough brown that you can’t separate the iris from the pupil in dim light.

2. Who’s your favorite person in the world?

i mean @lumi-kukka stuck around through my middle school emo phase, i think she deserves some credit for that. she’s also one of the kindest, strongest, cleverest, most dependable people i’ve ever met and i would bring her the shiniest jewel from the most irritable dragon’s hoard if she asked me to, but i also know that she wouldn’t ask because she knows i hate walking long distances, you know what i’m saying? she’s that kind of cool.

sharing the number one spot with her is my brother, who is the coolest, brightest, most hard-working, creative, and compassionate kid around. we’ve both been through a lot, both separately and together, and i don’t know where i would be without him. i know he’s gonna become a world famous composer or musician or game developer or something one day, and i’m so incredibly happy i get to be there to see his journey and tell every single person i meet “in case you didn’t know, _____ is my brother”. he’s also nice enough to let me watch him beat video games for me because i’m only in ‘em for the story.

3. What is your favorite snack?

there were these really good sea salt chips they sold at my local lidl that i loved, but i think they were discontinued, so i guess fish crackers for now.

4. Following:

121 cool people.

5. Writing Motto:

as cliche as this makes me, i always really loved this c. s. lewis quote: "if they won't write the kind of books we want to read, we shall have to write them ourselves; but it is very laborious". say what you will about old clive staples (and boy is there a lot to say), he did get that much right.

something else that has really stuck with me is this quote by joan didion: “My only advantage as a reporter is that I am so physically small, so temperamentally unobtrusive, and so neurotically inarticulate that people tend to forget that my presence runs counter to their best interests. And it always does. That is one last thing to remember: writers are always selling somebody out.”

those two ideas very much influence my motivations behind writing, what i write, and how i write it.

6. (Some) Favorite TV Shows:

some of my all time favourites include: freaks and geeks, veronica mars, doctor who & torchwood, steven universe, and one day at a time. i also recently watched london spy, and really really loved it.

7. What is your favorite fairytale?

h. c. andersen’s snow queen.

8. Favorite Song?

amy aka spent gladiator 1 by mountain goats, at the moment.

9. Languages I’m Fluent In?

finnish and english.

10. Languages I can Count to 10 In?

aside from the aforementioned, italian and swedish.

11. Top 5 Mythical Creatures (in order)?

werewolves, forest trolls, merfolk, dragons, and griffins.

12. What is your favorite sport?

roller derby (go hrd !!!)

13. Favorite (Musical) Character?

either elphaba from wicked, orpheus from hadestown, or peter from bare: a pop opera.

14. Favorite (TV) Character?

veronica mars, lapis lazuli from steven universe, or gwen cooper from torchwood.

15. Favorite (Book) Character?

okay this is going to be a bit of a list, sorry in advance, i cannot choose between my loves: elphaba from wicked (again), mikael from ruttolinna & jalostamo, remus lupin, sirius black, harry potter, and ginny weasley from harry potter, jean prouvaire and grantaire from les miserables, susan pevensie from narnia, all the animorphs (but especially ax), luciano and arianna from stravaganza, bartimaeus from the bartimaeus books, and there are more but i think i’m gonna leave it at that for now.

16. Are you a dog person or cat person?

both !!! what is this bizarre artificial dichotomy between dogs and cats ?? they are both great !!! 

(but also dog person)

17. Favorite Genre?

slice-of-life, scifi, and fantasy.

18. Who is/are the best teacher(s) you’ve ever had?

my middle school art teacher. she had such a unique and brilliant sense of humor, she was encouraging and open-minded, and she let us do whatever during class as long as we were also getting our work done. she was always really chill about my mental health issues too, which meant more than i can say. she also had the best stories, which she always told us while we were working. i had a bit of a crush on her ngl.

19. Favorite Fanfiction (Authored by Someone Else)?

some fics that have really made an impact on me: transference by scuttlebutt inc (atla), moments lost in time by patheticfangirl (marvel), an unbiased review of a likewise evenhanded book by sharpestrose (hp), dirty sympathy by ideny (ace attorney), and the active reader by veeagainst (hp).

20. Favorite Original Story Idea (Authored by Me):

i’m working on a comic script about these young ghost-hunters who are kind of really bad at hunting ghosts that i really like so far.

21. Favorite Original Story (Authored by Someone Else):

moto hagio’s iguana girl.

alrighty i am not tagging 21 people, but in order to not be a complete party-pooper: @naps-before-exorcisms, you have hereby been tagged. no pressure though, obviously.

[braindamageforbeginners]

The Chemo Playlist

There’s no real news, or nothing of any great interest, other than I don’t seem to have deteriorated much, although I’m still feeling exhausted. And filled with hatred and confusion, thanks to the masses of paperwork I’ve still got to fill out. I’m applying for Medicaid (while it’s still Medicaid and not just a guy who comes to harvest your organs)(don’t pretend that’s not Paul Ryan’s ideal healthcare system). Apparently, things have changed since last time I applied (sadly, my net worth has not, which how i know I’m a candidate)(I suppose even a life as hectic and tumultuous as mine needs a little certainty, and that certainty is in that I’m dirt broke). I still have a dozen pages and a lot of research to do on that - precision counts, here. And I may have refills ready over the weekend, or perhaps by the time we have a new presidential administration (more on that momentarily). And I still have to get on the phone with CVS and negotiate an extraordinarily expensive poison be sent to my home address. Which always pisses me off; there’s cheaper poisons out there - and I don’t even mean that in my cynical way; if I drove up to Canada, I’d be able to get these drugs for a small fraction of the price (that’s not even news; it’s so well-known that old people have taken advantage of Toronto’s pharmacies since the 1990s). Of course, that is illegal, so I might be forced to pay in cash and lie on my way out. Meanwhile, even though I can, for an unfair amount of money, order poison over the phone from a stranger; there are actual waiting periods on my ambien. Let’s just pause for a moment and consider that. The next time someone brings up the second amendment, I’ll ask them if they think handguns should be as well-regulated as sleeping pills. I realize that the phrase “sleeping pills” puts it all in perspective and adds the proper fear of overdose or addiction. Meanwhile, I have cardboard boxes papered in biohazard symbols sitting on my doormat. But, sure, drug safety is an issue (not really; it’s a political hot-potato)(aspirin probably wouldn’t pass modern safety testing). But that’s just a little part of the ongoing bureaucratic madness that’s slowly swallowing my life. God forbid we had a system of universal insurance where pharmaceutical/physician coordination was as simple as a phone call. I’m going to do the periodic self-assessment here, before moving on to the main part of today’s essay: WEIGHT: 216 lb. CONCENTRATION: Not great, although it was much worse this morning. APPETITE: Okay. I’m still eating unpleasant amounts of plants and protein shakes, which tend to suppress appetite. ACTIVITY LEVEL: Good; I went to the gym and library, but I felt disturbingly tired all day. SLEEP QUALITY: Pretty good. COORDINATION/DEXTERITY: Pretty good at the moment. MEMORY: Excellent, though, I haven’t been inundated with memory-dependent tasks today. PHYSICAL: I woke up exhausted, but that’s the standard on all non-post Captain America Serum days. SIDE EFFECTS: Nothing new or particularly note-worthy.

And now, I thought I’d share the playlist I made for my chemo sessions (I realize I did that previously, but I don’t know if I’ve made that playlist public on Spotify). I had a little more time on this one than the radiation playlist (to be honest, I still have 10-11 more months to perfect this mix-tape). And, unlike the radiotherapy playlist, which was relatively limited (nuclear/radiation/nuclear war), I got to cover poison (that’s what chemo is), toxins and toxic waste (chemo drugs do not qualify, but you feel like a walking Superfund site), death (I know that sounds emo, again, it’s not like the odds on my long-term survival suddenly changed, and it meant i could sneak in “Don’t Fear the Reaper;” I’m not made of stone), pain, and/or generalized hangover sensations (which also opened up the genre of country music), and insomnia or weird dreams (those are two other big side-effects of the experimental chemo drug. I’d recommend them if you’re about to go into chemo, but, as with everything related to cancer, these songs are not for the faint-of-heart. Because I know everyone occasionally needs a morale booster, I’ve included a few of those types of songs (but nothing like Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song,” you can get that shit from Barney the Dinosaur). Like it or not, there’s a lot of hard rock and heavy metal on this list - that’s kind of an unfortunate limitation of the themes at hand. Unless Raffi ever collaborated Slayer and I didn’t find out about it.

Poison - Alice Cooper Shot of Poison - Lita Ford Lord of the Wasteland - Toxic Holocaust Down Poison - 3 Doors Down Poison Whiskey - Lynyrd Skynyrd Bad Medicine - Bon Jovi The Waiting - Tom Petty The Acid Queen (Demo) - Pete Townshend Tarantula - Wavves 4 Degrees - Anohni Subtle Poison - Screaming Trees My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, and I Don't Love Jesus - Jimmy Buffett Don’t Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult Hangover - Taio Cruz, Flo Rida Thirteen - Glen Danzig Hungover Together - Supsuckers Hungover - Kesha Love Hangover - Jason Derulo Hungover on Heartache - Cam Ride the Sky - Revolution Mother Hungover - Brandy Clark Hungover Heart - Gary Allan Hungover - 3OH!3 Many Happy Hangovers to You - Jean Sheppard Hungover Tonight - Gary Allan Chris Stapleton Hangover - Max Webster Trashed - Black Sabbath Ride On - AC/DC Cheap Sunglasses - ZZ Top Take Your Whiskey Home - Van Halen From the Inside - Alice Cooper Sunshine - Atomsphere The Night Before - Lee Hazlewood Tougher Than the Rest - Bruce Springsteen Fuck and Run - Liz Phair (Okay, this is less hangover and more the morning after, however, there are very few women on this list, and I’m sure headaches and muscle pain are involved at some point) Sunday Morning Coming Down - Johnny Cash Toxic Trace - Kreator The Poison - Alkaline Trio Room at the Top - Tom Petty Poison in Your Veins - Yngwie Malmsteen Poison in my Veins - Bayside Poison Sugar - Reba McEntire Poison Pen - Molly Hatchett What's Ya Poison - Mobb Deep Poison - George Strait Baba O'Riley - The Who Familiar Taste of Poison - Halestorm Poison Years - Bob Mould Poison Door - Sisters of Mercy Poison Oak - Bright Eyes Poison Girl - HIM The Poison - Bullet for my Valentine Poison - Nicole Scherzinger Poison was the Cure - Megadeth Before the Poison - Marianne Faithfull The Warrior's Code - Dropkick Murphys The End - The Doors Misery - Soul Asylum Streets of Philadelphia - Bruce Springsteen (Yes, I know this one's about HIV, but does describe the cancer experience quite well, also, I'm a sucker for a Springsteen song) Touch Me I'm Sick - Mudhoney Hurt - Johnny Cash Hurts so Good - John Mellencamp Life Ain't Always Beautiful - Gary Allan Let's Hurt Tonight - OneRepublic Her Diamonds - Rob Thomas Do You Really Want to hurt me - Culture Club Whiskey Lullaby - Brad Paisley Fall - Clay Walker Feel No Pain - Sade Valley of Pain - Bonnie Raitt Bad Day - Daniel Powter King of Pain - The Police Joanne - Lady Gaga Precious Pain - Melissa Etheridge The Cure for Pain - Jon Foreman Used to the Pain - Keith Urban Get Off on the Pain - Gary Allan Wonder - Emeli Sande Looking Out My Window Through the Pain - George Strait Pain Told Love - Tribe Society, Kiesza Worn - Tenth Avenue North Just Keep Breathing - We the Kings Shine - Ricky Fanta The Fighter - Gym Class Heroes Doctor Wu - Steely Dan Needles and Pins - The Searchers Detox Mansion - Warren Zevon Splendid Isolation - Warren Zevon (being the chemo ward is still very isolating) Keep Me in Your Heart - Warren Zevon Poor Poor Pitiful Me - Warren Zevon Life During Wartime - Talking Heads Scar - Def Leppard My Ride's Here - Warren Zevon (I love this song, it's especially applicable to me because the fascists at the DMV yanked my license after my seizure in November) The Flame - Cheap Trick The Rising - Bruce Springsteen Enter Sandman - Metallica Captain America March - Alan Silvestri Straight to Hell - The Clash I Go To Sleep - Pretenders Daysleeper - REM Sleep Walk - Santo and Johnny Insomnia - Faithless Anxiety Attack - Jffery Lewis, Jack Lewis Heaps of Sheeps - Robert Wyatt Black Coffee - All Saints Congratulations - Traveling Wilburys

[puckgoodfaggot]

Numbers 1 through 60 👹👺

jfc okay this is going below a cut

1. selfie

2. what would you name your future kids?

i have no idea! i used to like the name naomi a lot but at this point, i don’t even know if i want kids, so i haven’t really thought about names.

3. do you miss anyone?

my boyfriend and also my michigan friends and cami and carson

4. what are you looking forward to?

done

5. is there anyone who can always make you smile?

micha and kathryn. jaime. kyle too tbh he’s funny as hell. most of my friends, really.

6. is it hard for you to get over someone?

yeah but thankfully i havent needed to in a while

7. what was your life like last year?

basically like this but i had shorter hair and lived in a shittier apartament

8. have you ever cried because you were so annoyed?

probably lmao but not in recent memory

9. who did you last see in person?

kathryn, bc we live together

10. are you good at hiding your feelings?

sometimes but not always

11. are you listening to music right now?

no, i’m listening to my boyfriend talk to his roommate while he makes himself a hot chocolate.

12. what is something you want right now?

hmm... saucisson and goat cheese

13. how do you feel right now?

pretty content!

14. when was the last time someone of the opposite sex hugged you?

probably yesterday? kathryn and i hug frequently

15. personality description

of me? idk i’m funny but also very serious about things i care about and i’m passionate and empathetic and a big goofball who loves attention

16. have you ever wanted to tell someone something but you didn't?

i mean yeah probably but i cant think of any rn besides like, wanting to tell people to fuck off but not doing it lmao.

17. opinion on insecurities.

we all got ‘em. we can all work towards overcoming ‘em too.

18. do you miss how thing were a year ago?

nah.

19. have you ever been to New York?

yupp

20. what is your favourite song at the moment?

mika’s entire discography

21. age and birthday?

22, and i turn 23 on june 22

22. description of crush.

done

23. fear(s)

abandonment but also public speaking

24. height

5′8″

25. role model

my parents

26. idol(s)

shakespeare 

27. things i hate

tomatoes, onions, olives, oysters, etc

28. i'll love you if...

idk i guess if you’re nice to me and we have stuff in common and time to bond over that

29. favourite film(s)

lotr trilogy

30. favourite tv show(s)

adventure time, great british bakeoff, antm, project runway, etc.

31. 3 random facts

(1) tolkien and lewis once went to a party dressed as polar bears. it was not a costume party. (2) william shakespeare left his wife his second best bed in his will. (3) oscar wilde once locked himself in his house for like two weeks and refused to see anyone because he was trying to prove a theory about the male subject of shakespeare’s sonnets.

32. are your friends mainly girls or guys?

tbh i think i have a relatively even mix

33. something you want to learn

how to pole dance (just signed up for classes and i’m v hype about it)

34. most embarrassing moment

idk i’ve done so much dumb shit lmao. i once wrote a venting letter to a guy i liked that he was never supposed to see and then someone gave it to him and it was very awkward.

35. favourite subject

british lit

36. 3 dreams you want to fulfill?

get my masters at the globe, work at the globe, see mika in concert

37. favourite actor/actress

idk i don’t super keep up on this stuff anymore. i like john boyega but who doesnt?

38. favourite comedian(s)

john mulaney

39. favourite sport(s)

none lmao do i look like a masc gay???

40. favourite memory

meeting liam o’brien

41. relationship status

going on three years with micha

42. favourite book(s)

the hobbit, midsummer night’s dream, macbeth, twelfth night, the mayor of casterbridge, the enchanted life of adam hope, the whole song of the lionness quartet

43. favourite song ever

fuck i dont know. i guess maybe ....... idk one of radiosepia’s songs?

44. age you get mistaken for

like 16 lmao

45. how you found out about your idol

well he’s shakespeare, so like. just by existing in an english-speaking country.

46. what my last text message says

“I don’t think my car can handle the roads right now. I’m so sorry.”

47. turn ons

neck kissing and back scratching

48. turn offs

being unwashed i guess? (i cant really come up w/ a lot tbh cause micha never really does anything that turns me off lmao)

49. where i want to be right now

here in my bed but with my boyfriend here too

50. favourite picture of your idol

51. starsign

cancer

52. something i'm talented at

literary criticism

53. 5 things that make me happy

my friends, my family, my boyfriend, good food, d&d

54. something thats worrying me at the moment

the fact that i have homework to do but i dont want to do it so i know im gonna procrastinate

55. tumblr friends

rowan, cindy, tess, mj, jaz, sra, quill, nick, lysandre, éan, maxxie, olivia, etc. there are so many i literally cant list them all

56. favourite food(s)

saucisson, basically any indian food i have tried, fried rice, chocolate, cashews with dried cranberries, extremely rare steak. the list goes on.

57. favourite animal(s)

cats, ravens, snakes, lions.

58. description of my best friend

very tall, very pretty, very talented singer, very gay, very emo. silly and easy to make laugh. distractible. loves to play the sims. enjoys potatoes and cheese, especially together. loves makeup. loves harry potter more than anything. wears a lot of chokers.

59. why i joined tumblr

my friend at the time told me to, so i did.

60. ask me anything you want

you didn’t give me a question!

[stars-chickens-and-gay-sex]

Stardew Valley gets SNAPCHAT

one day the farmer is on their phone, taking a photo of themselves, while Mayor Lewis walks by. He asks what they are doing, and they explain snapchat to him. They assure him that the other young adults in the valley most likely have it, or have heard of it, at least. “Hey, Sam!” they call out, to the blonde skateboarding past. “You know snapchat, yeah?”

He doesn't. It has been years since anyone in the town had lived in the city, and the app had only come out since the residents of the valley had left. No one in the town has snapchat, and the Farmer takes it upon themselves to fix this!

                                           -events that follow-

-blurry photos of bugs and shit charging towards the farmer captioned “dudes bout to get fucked up”. harvey wonders out loud to them if maybe the reason they get hurt so often is because the spend the time in which it takes for an attacker to hit them taking photos instead of dodging

-shane sending sad drunk messages and the farmer immediately replying with photos of chickens to make him happy again. 

-jas or vince going “CAN I PLAY ON YOUR PHONE” and abusing all the filters and taking a shit ton of videos and being adorable

-haley doesn't have snapchat (she hates the idea of any photo she took TIME and EFFORT into taking being deleted) but if u add Alex be ready to be bombarded with her random ass selfies that she sends to everyone whenever she steals his phone (which is a lot)

-harvey has been slightly conditioned to FEAR the snapchat ringer because 9/10 times its someone doing something dangerous/something he told them explicitly not to

 -sebby is such an emo kid. Uses the black and white filter,, but is also slightly androgynous and LOVES all the makeup filters

-sam is such A FUCKING MEME it's all just close up pictures of his face or other people without them realizing or some shit

-penny is the gal who takes SO MANY PICTURES OF HER FEET!!

-em’s snapchat is poppin. Vibrant as all hell, a new theme every 24 hours, rainbow af, great photography. STREAK MASTER. The only one in town who had snapchat before the farmer showed it to them and has SO MANY FRIENDS. At least 100 days or more with everyone on her list, 200 with her best friends (including sandy)

-abby is PRANK MASTER. She only has snapchat so that she can 1 record all the times she fucking OWNS her two best friends and 2 so she can get back at sam for those close up photos DIRECTLY

-once alex found out what streaks were, he became determined to have a higher streak than em.

-alex asked abby first to help him, they got to 40 before abby accidentally sent alex a nude and the only thing he knew about how to respond was “NEVER SEND DICPICS” (some advice from farmer)

-next up was sam, but the two only got to 10 days until sam sent the SAME FUCKING NUDE PHOTO with the caption “r u seeing this shit sebby?”. alex blocked him

-next was penny, and the two got to 60, but penny missed a few days because she had a sleepover at the library with Jas and Vincent to teach them about stars

-maru found out and gave alex a program Seb had made that counted every day for your streaks no matter whether you or the other person was active. She proceeded to explain how nothing on the internet was actually real and that the boundaries and laws we think exist online can be completely nullified by literally anyone with enough of a brain to google search how to do it. Online the only reason every mere user doesnt declare themselves god is because they dont want to be aware of how little that title means in a world where the pentagon was hacked into by a 13 year old for a game of truth or dare

-alex deleted his snapchat

-haley now takes her selfies on the farmers phone so EVERYONE in the town gets to see her try EVERY new filter EVERY day

-one day alex wakes up with his phone in his room again ?? even tho he threw it out

 -when he turns it on and unlocks it it immediatly crashes and wont change from a photo saying “maru is love maru is life” (sebby, abby, sam, and maru laugh in the distance)(sibling bond time is fun time)(alex is scared of cellphones now)(and shrek memes) 

-(leah and elliot dont have cellphones :( elliot probably got rid of his when he moved to the city and leah CLEARLy only has the cord phone her ex calls her on, meaning she probably switched numbers to avoid him)

[topweeklyupdate]

TØP Weekly Update #29: Concert Withdrawal Week 1 (3/12/17)

The American leg of the Emotional Roadshow might have wrapped up last week, but that’s ok. We persevere. Thanks, Mark.

This Week’s TØPics:

US Emo Show Wraps

New “Sleepers” Video

Community Spotlight: Old Concert Pics Hit to Hit You Right in the Feels

BLIND SPECULATION About How This Concert Cycle Will End

Major News and Announcements:

Our only major release this week was the second installment in Mark’s “Sleepers” series. This episode confirmed that each installment in the series will focus around an acoustic soundcheck version of a non-single off of Blurryface, in this case “Message Man” featuring a great key escalation in the last chorus. The video was about much more than that, of course: we had more footage of the indoor football game between the TØP and Bellion crews, some great #aesthetic shots of Tyler in the red suit in the snow, and, yes, Tyler and Josh “kissing”.

Oh, and they won a Kid’s Choice Award for Best “New” Artist. Which is great. Sadly, neither of the boys were in attendance to get slimed accept the blimp in person.

Performances, Interviews, and Other Shenanigans:

The Emotional Roadshow wrapped in Louisville with a show just like any other, without any big speech about Blurryface beyond the normal promises to come back with new music some time (minus the above-pictured underwear message that caused Tyler to bust up at the end). It remains to be seen if we’ll get anything more final when they finish their last headlining show in Perth next month (possible), for their last festival show in the summer (unlikely), or if Tyler and Josh might sneak a finale show into Columbus, where they haven’t played a full show since 2015. 

A bunch of from the last week of touring all made their way online over the last week. Let’s cover ‘em and get it dun.

Michelle Lewis, Somewhere (?)

No idea when/where this interview took place (other than that it was post-Grammys).

Apparently the idea for giraffes in a show came from something Tyler overheard Josh say in his sleep (fanfic, go).

When asked if there was anyone they saw at the Grammys they might want to do a collab with, Tyler said bluntly, “Musically, no,” before adding with his stupid smile “Socially, yes.”

Tyler says that its important that they continue to involve their families in their lives because, when this moment inevitably ends, it will be more special because they shared it with others.

Josh says that they are able to stay humble because they make fun of each other so much whenever they do something dumb. Tyler absolutely loses it, laughing “You’re saying it’s like it’s my goal to make you feel like dirt.” “Two dumb dirt boys.”

Alt 94.9, Birmingham

This interview’s questions are chosen by the reliable method of cootie catchers.

When asked what they were like in high school, Josh says that he “rebelled against authority but also was interested in people caring about me”. Tyler “rebelled against people and cared about authority”. That sounds about right.

They tell a Meet Cute story involving working in Best Buy and electric toasters that I think went right over the head of the interviewer.

When asked about the underwear they wore at the Grammys, Josh claims that they were his friends’ and it ended up in his bag in Europe (ok), while Tyler goes in-depth on the exact type of underwear he wore, which again goes right over the interviewers head, poor lady.

Some Station, Charleston

One of the interviewers is very interested in Tyler’s opinion on college. Tyler states that time dedication can only cover two things- he had to do music and earn money to live, so he couldn’t keep up with his grades. Tyler states that he knew he had to drop out when he had to read the syllabus for his Spanish class and knew he had zero chance of passing and still doing everything else. He also says that he’s grateful that they had jobs that allowed them to schedule around their music interests.

They talk about Paramore and Panic’s friendship and mentorship a bit, which is fun.

106.1 The Underground, New Orleans

Nothing much to say about this one, other than that they both agree that they have no advice they’d like to give to their younger stuff, because they just got crazy lucky with everything falling into place for them.

The Q 107.5, Memphis

The band has learned in their travels to always order breakfast food at late-night diners. Sound advice.

The interviewer has one really great question about what songs they’ve made that they wish had gotten more exposure on radio after so many listeners demanded they play “Car Radio”, and even encourages Tyler to be honest. Tyler says that he understands the standard radio “formula” that makes sense for the radio, but he also says that he really enjoys how the Clique has picked their own singles that are utterly necessary for their shows in the same way the radio stuff is. The radio host quotes Childish Gambino about how his singles are always the ones he gets annoyed by first, and Tyler and Josh just chuckle knowingly.

The MAX 102.3, Louisville

This one’s a game of This or That. For brevity’s sake, I’ll post the stuff they have in common and differ on in different categories.

Same: Eggs (scrambled), bread (white), soft drink (Coke), frozen dairy (ice cream), M&Ms (plain), pizza/sushi (pizza), footware (sneakers), thrill-seeking (skydiving), vacation (beach), social media (Twitter), holiday (Christmas), sport (football), time of day (night), fun sport (both bowling and putt putt), console (Nintendo).

Different: ‘Merica food (Josh: hamburger, Tyler: hamburger or hot dog, depends on the day), transportation (Tyler: car, Josh: “I feel like there’s stuff involved”), carnival or circus (Josh: circus, Tyler: carnival “for people watching), weather (Tyler: storms, Josh: sunshine, because of course), dog/cat (Josh: cat, Tyler: humans).

99.7 DJX, Louisville

As Tyler says at the end of the interview, the guys have been promised a lot of original questions before by dozens of interviewers, but these guys actually managed the feat of asking nothing but original questions. Maybe not the most “deep” questions, but definitely original.

Asked if they’re hunters or gatherers, Tyler definitely gathers.

If a penguin walked through the door wearing a sombrero, Josh guesses he’d be searching for his vacation identity far from home.

A movie of Tyler’s life would be an action film starring Josh Dun in his film debut.

The 22nd Pilot (har-har) is Tyler’s dad.

If Tyler was a new crayon, he would be “Brand New Ballpit”, a crayon made up of every color.

Josh plays Monopoly with friends, not enemies, because he doesn’t have enemies.

Tyler prefers pirates to ninjas. “It’s a deeply personal story, and I don’t want to get into it right now.”

Josh’s autobiography title: “Tyler Joseph”.

98.9 Radio Now, Louisville

The interview starts out great, with Tyler and Josh looking over the interviewer’s shoulder and seeing that her phone wallpaper is a picture of them. This amuses them both to no end, but it bodes well for the rest of the interview.

Unlike the Birmingham interviewer, this one is all too aware that she won’t get a straight answer about how they met, so she just seizes on the opportunity to hear a great story from TyJo about interdepartmental conflict at the General Mills plant between the Rice Krispies and Rice Krispie Treat manufacturers (which is strange, because I’m pretty sure they’re made by Kellogg’s... lol).

Josh admits that the Mario Kart stuff was put into the show for two reasons- to show Tyler’s dominance at his favorite game and to give them a break after the ball run (which “kinda sucks”).

Tyler acknowledges that he probably should be grateful to the guy who stole his car radio, but just can’t bring himself to- that cost money.

Tyler and Josh get underwear gifts for their next Grammy- Tyler gets Pikachu, while Josh gets “a cat riding a unicorn in space firing a laser”.

Community Spotlight:

This week’s spotlight goes to Dana Greene, who has more claim to the title of Tru Fan than most. Dana was a concert photographer in Columbus who took tons of photos of the band at local gigs during the Self-Titled and Regional at Best eras. She took the above photo, which dedicated fans might recognize as the interior of the Regional CD case, and has been posting HD scans of a bunch of old photos that are sure to hit ya right in the feels on her Twitter. She also posted this sick video that shows us why Tyler started using that wood piano case for his keyboard... I’ll just leave it at that.

BLIND SPECULATION OF THE WEEK:

I already brought up the question of how Twenty One Pilots will put a pin on the Blurryface Era. I’m still hopeful for a surprise small show in Columbus, but they didn’t do any such thing for Vessel- the last show in 2014 was in Mexico City without any big party or anything. What they did do to cap off the album cycle, you’ll remember, is release the “Ode to Sleep” music video; if we’re getting anything to put Blurryface to sleep for awhile, I think it will come in that format. 

There were roughly three weeks between the first two installments of “Sleepers”; if that pattern continues, we’ll get acoustic covers of “Hometown”, “Not Today”, and “Goner” between now and mid-May, right before the summer festival season. Because they still have at least three more shows to play after that point, I’m betting Mark will throw together one more treat for us before we start getting stuff from the next album- here’s hoping it doesn’t have the same release date as “Ode to Sleep” and we don’t have to wait until 2018 to see it.

Power to the local dreamer.

|-/

[circlesandsoundwaves]

“We tried not to be constricted by genre”: Email Interview with Exit

Interview by Molly Louise Hudelson.

Photo by Matt Lewis.

Coming from Connecticut, Andrew Manning and Matthew Mendonca met while playing in various projects together in high school, and recently joined together again to form Exit. Exit just released their debut album Familiar Ground on February 3 via Sun Pop Music; the title track is catchy and nostalgic (check out the video here), so it’s no surprise that Manning cites bands like Green Day, Good Charlotte, and blink-182 as the bands “that really started to engage me in a songwriting / performing sense”.

But Manning also states that the band “tried not to be constricted by genre”, and though it might be possible to categorize them, their influences are widely varied.

Read on for our interview with Exit, where Manning and Mendonca talk about how the band got started, their influences, and more!

CIRCLES & SOUNDWAVES: For the record, could you please state your name, your role in Exit, and a random fact about yourself?

EXIT:

Andrew Manning: I'm Andrew, I sing and play guitar in Exit. Random Fact: I probably know more about the history of Westeros than the history of the United States.

Matthew Mendonca: I'm Matt, I also sing and play guitar. Random fact: I spent the last 3 months living in Spain.

C&S: Could you please list all of the members of your band and which instrument everyone plays?

A:M Currently Matt and I are only two members of Exit.  Our good friends Will Tenney & TJ Piccirillo filled in on bass & drums in the music video for our single Familiar Ground.

C&S: You just released your debut album Familiar Ground - how does it feel to have it out?

AM & MM: It feels great.  We've been working on this album for the past year, and it's really satisfying to see people responding well to it so far.

C&S: Exit is a brand-new band, how did the band get started?

MM: We've been really good friends since high school.  We were in a couple other music projects together, but those were forced to end when we all went off to college.  

AM: After spending a year or two away from writing music I think we both really missed it.  I got back into writing and recording with no intention of starting a new band, but when Matt and I reconnected and started writing together again it became clear that we were going to put this material out.  We felt really strongly about these songs and have never been so excited to release music.

C&S: Without using genre words, how would you describe your music?

AM: We're proud of Familiar Ground in the sense that we tried not to be constricted by genre. That's not to say we couldn't be categorized into one, but I think collectively we have so many different influences, and that really comes through in every song.

C&S: What are your biggest musical influences?

AM: As a kid, it was classic rock and metal that initially inspired me to start playing guitar - bands like Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, The Who, etc.  But it was music by bands like Green Day, Good Charlotte, and blink-182 that really started to engage me in a songwriting / performing sense.

MM: I love all kinds of music and am always finding new influences from different genres, but I think growing up, the artists that really inspired me to pick up a guitar and start working on music were bands like blink-182, Sum 41, Yellowcard, etc.

C&S: You're based out of Connecticut, what are some other New England up-and-comers people should keep an eye out for?

AM & MM: There's a bunch of great up-and-comers that we've had the pleasure of meeting. Dylan Rockoff, VALNTN, Emilia Ali, The Silver Things.  Check em out, they're all super talented musicians.

C&S: When and where is your next show?  

AM & MM: At the moment we're really focused on the record release, so we currently don't have any shows scheduled, but keep an eye out in the coming months!

C&S: In the pop-punk / emo / alternative scene, nostalgia is huge, with tenth anniversary tours for popular records happening all the time.  What record turning ten this year means the most to you - and why?

AM: There's a few, but the biggest for me is probably Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled record.  I admire that band so much, they're unbelievable musicians.  I think that album is a great example of how heavy metal music can appeal to a wider audience.  They find a way to incorporate a lot of pop melodies into those songs.  Honorable mention for A Lesson In Romantics [by Mayday Parade]. That record rules.

MM: I also love both of those albums, but there's some great material on So Wrong It's Right [by All Time Low, and] Good Morning Revival [by Good Charlotte] as well.

C&S: What else can we expect from Exit this year?

AM & MM: We're going to be spending a lot of time pushing Familiar Ground and trying to get it out there to a bigger audience.  Other than that, a second single from the record and hopefully some shows later in the year.

C&S: What's your response to haters or anyone who doubts your band?

AM & MM: Everybody has different tastes in music. We don't let it bother us.

C&S: Is there anything else you'd like to say?

AM & MM: We're really stoked on all the positive feedback we've been getting so far.  Be sure to check out Familiar Ground on Spotify if you haven't already!  Thanks for having us. Thanks Andrew and Matt! Be sure to keep up with Exit on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.