#i listened to bookends on repeat

[spacefuneral]

ngl i know nothing about art garfunkel aside from having the best name imaginable and also i had a huge simon and garfunkel phase as a teen

[the-cards-she-wont-show]

TTPD Twin Storylines weaved together & double meanings throughout! ✌️👯‍♀️💕

Attention ALL Swifties (particularly Gaylors) and associates of the Tortured Poets department

PLEASE READ!! (and read with an open mind!!)🤍

Listening to the amazing TTPD on repeat this past week, I am certain that I have made an important discovery that I haven't seen talked about anywhere else yet and would like to get the coversation going, in hopes that Taylor will see that we are all finally listening to her! I'm still piecing everything together, as there is so much to unravel and am far from calling myself an expert on her exact timelines and dates, so am looking forward to hearing thoughts from others that are more knowledgable in her history.

I have been of the belief for a while now that Mastermind and Dear Reader were foretelling of her future, and also that the album title had a double meaning (evidenced by the lack of apostrophe in 'poets'). That the tortured poet would be departing. Note that I am also a believer that she has been closeted by those closest to her and is preparing to ruin her name and perceived reputation, give up the false public version of herself and come into her own true self. Everything as we know it will be destroyed and it is all playing out now, coming together as part of her plan.

Falling in line with all of the two's - the double album, the double meaning in the album name, the two sides of taylor etc, I have found that there are two intertwining stories told throughout her tracklist, AND that all songs also have a double meaning!! None of which are about the perceived muses of Travis, Matty or Joe. The 'evidence' for those relationships are all red herrings (for example 'putting narcotics into all of my songs' - but only in the songs with obvious reference to her beards), to make it seem ambiguous and open to interpretation of who the songs may be about, which is seen often throughout her discography. She uses an incredible amount of metaphors and we must look beyond those to decipher her lyrics - do not take anything at face level with Taylor. Most should realise that she is so much smarter than making obvious songs about whichever male muse she is 'dating' at the time. She has always played into that public view to cover her true self. Many songs have themes of secret and hidden love, which juxtaposes with the public 'relationships' she is seen as having.

She tells us in 'The Manuscript' that "lookin' backwards might be the only way to move forward". Therefore we must listen to TTPD in reverse, from track 31 (13 reversed!) to track 1. I believe The Manuscript also acts as a bookend for both of her stories and should be listened to as a closer after the last song of the story 'Fortnight' ends, to get a complete picture. Once we have listened to the album in reverse order, can we see so plainly that each song tells a different story of a period/situation/muse/love/heartbreak in her life - beginning at her parents meeting in The Manuscript, to current day. I think the songs may also actually have a sister song from the corresponding album/period in time, with similar sound, lyrics or theme that connects them. I believe that each song also has a double meaning and can be interpreted as messages to her fans about things that have happened to her over the years or that are about to happen, and she is trying to communicate her feelings of being trapped, which is honestly so heartbreaking. Many relate to her being caged and forced to hide her true self, in particular by one person closest to her - her father. It is devastating to listen to.

The really brilliant part I discovered next, is that The Anthology tracks also have another hidden storyline being told which intertwines and intersects in the exact right place to fit in with her life story. It includes all of the "THE" songs and is in reverse order from the parallel life story and vinyl variants order of issue (but chronological track list order).

The Tortured Poets Department

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

The Alchemy

The Black Dog

The Albatross

The Prophecy

The Bolter

The Manuscript

Rather than presenting my interpretation of the timeline and each story told in every song, I urge everyone to listen to both stories, in these exact orders, with an open mind as to what she could possibly be describing! My mind was completely blown when I figured this out!! Her mind is incredible, there is no other way to describe the album, other than a masterpiece! I feel so much for the pain she has gone through. This album explains her feelings and reasons for hiding her true self over the years for any fans that will inevitably be feeling upset and deceived. We all need to show compassion for everything Taylor has sacrificed and give her what she needs. She truly deserves love, honesty, happiness and peace. ✌️💜

I'm in the process of creating a document trying to piece all of the hidden connections together just to wrap my head around this amazing body of work, so may possibly link this when I have it completed, otherwise I will add it to this post for anyone that might be interested.

I have a couple of extra personal thoughts, theories and hopes for anyone still reading…

The manuscript of her life story may possibly be the manuscript for a future book/film.

I think one meaning of "Fortnight" is a foretelling message to the fans that havent been noticing any of her many hair pin drops - she has been trying to get the message across but they aren't listening. For the fans she loses when she comes out - she touched them with this album for only a fortnight, before she lost them. She loves the fans but staying in the closet is ruining her life. I think something big could be happening a fortnight after release? Friday 3rd May is International Sun Day. ☀️ Karlie Kloss was always 'sunshine' to Taylor. According to Karlie, their first meeting was at the 2011 Met Gala on May 2, however, there is a possibility that they could have met at the afterparty - after midnight, making the anniversary May 3! 2024 Met Gala is a few days later, could they both make an appearance? If nothing big occurs, perhaps some seeds of doubt will be planted on the 3rd? Or.. It could also be a surprise rep TV (with or without Karma and Debut - surprise triple drop?) with wlw vault tracks?! Who really knows.. I honestly have no idea, but whatever happens, I know Taylor has it all meticulously planned out and everything will happen when it is supposed to.

Taylor is chairman of the Tortured Poets department - the leader of the mass coming out we are about to see. As Chely Wright put - 'we need someone at the top' to come out and pave the way for others to do the same, and to stop the forced closeting in the celebrity world. I think Travis and the majority of her former beards are also queer and there will be many more 'tortured poets' that will join 'the department'.

Karma will be album 1 (TS12) in the 3,2,1 countdown, TS13 is 0 - the album in which she gets all of her full colour back, reclaims her glitter gel pens and finally can sing her truth proudly! She has destroyed her own name and reputation, burnt down the lover house and all her former selves.

Last of all, PLEASE BE KIND! If anyone has made it to the end of this and doesnt agree, I'd love for you to have a listen to the songs in the orders above before commenting. If not, lets just agree to disagree! We all have our own personal takes on Taylor's lyricism and I would never dream of being unkind to another just for having a difference of opinion. 🫶

For Taylor - if you somehow happen to see this - please know you are truly a mastermind, you are loved and we've got you!

🌈💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛🌈

❤️ gerimegs

[aduckwithears]

Ok I've been listening to the GOs2 album on repeat (as you do) and...

The music in the Job minisode at the beginning of the scene on the beach where Aziraphale thinks he has fallen (Fallen Angel on the s2 soundtrack) is the same theme as from the end of the bandstand scene in s1. Where Aziraphale is invoking his holiness, asking Crowley to do Heaven's dirty work, and Crowley is refusing to kill a kid (We're Not Killing Anybody on the s1 soundtrack). And then the music continues into the go off together/I don't even like you fight.

It's a wonderful/awful bookend to them being on the same side for the first time over not killing kids... and then denying this... I am having feelings.

[parsley-sage-rosemary-n-thyme]

April 3, 1968 • Bookends

On this special occasion, the birthday of this beauty of an album, I'm not only thinking about how great it is. I’m also thinking about my Grandma, and I’ll tell you why via an episode that has stayed with me all this time.

I came to know S&G via my Daddy's audiocassette of Central Park playing in my parents’ car. They knocked me head over feet immediately and I wanted to listen to everything they ever recorded - but we’re talking Italy around 1999/2000, before the internet really was a thing. You had to buy CDs or cassettes, and if you didn’t like ‘em, then what? Lots of money thrown away, so it was basically not gonna happen.

Luckily for me, my Uncle had all the studio albums on vinyl! So I often visited to religiously listen to them on repeat, a goofy 12 yo trying not to scratch them and stuff. I had no idea what the songs were about, I was just starting to learn English, but I was in awe. Those voices! Those sounds!

And the covers of the albums, how unusual they were to my eyes! Not in a bad way, mind you, but so different from what I was used to - I was familiar with Queen, with the Beatles, with lots of other international artists and their pictures, but S&G’s just had their own kind of flavor, if you know what I mean. There were two people and not a whole group, nor a single artist, for a start. They looked so young, so bonded… I didn’t know a thing, I had no idea who they were, but those album covers spoke to me. 

The music told me all I needed to know, really. I tried to follow the lyrics on the back of the albums that had them, but of course I barely understood them - too young to get the whole meaning, but I didn’t mind, because I got the vibes.

So anyway there I was, marveling at the beauty of the harmonies and music and curious about who created such a magic. My Granny walked in one day and something upon these lines happened:

"Who are they? What is it they're singing?" 

"I have no idea Granny - they're American though, from NYC!"

"Oh yeah? What are they like?”

I picked the albums and we started looking at Bookends because you know, it’s the one where you can see their faces better.

“Do you remember seeing them on TV some time, Granny?”

“Not at all.” She paused to listen, I guess Wednesday Morning was on and Go, Tell It on the Mountain was playing. “They sound meh. But they're very handsome."

"I think they sound great and look meh, Granny."

"Hm. Lemme hear something else.” I have no memory of what I chose, but whatever it was, it won her over. “Well, shame they sing in such a strange language, I can’t understand a word. But you're right, they do sound nice. And you'll appreciate the rest when you grow up.”

And I do believe quite a lot of my problems started that day, lol. Anyway, it’s some sweet memory I felt like sharing. Happy Bookends birthday, my fellow S&G lovers!

By the way, I later discovered my Granny knew both The Sound Of Silence and Mrs Robinson because they were both sang in Italian by Italian artists in the 60s. SOS was turned into a love song, Mrs Robinson kinda maintained a pale bit of the original meaning. Anyway, Granny didn’t care about the lyrics, she was hooked by the music. I particularly remember when she heard S&G’s Mrs Robinson: she looked at me with such happiness in her eyes and agreed that it sounded just great - though she was still annoyed at the language, “Why two handsome boys with such handsome voices must sing in such an unintelligible language!”

[francesderwent]

updated guts review

all american bitch. I screamed to this in the car the other day and you know what? it did help. it’s a great song babes

bad idea right? I have not listened to this song since it came out. I skip it every time. it is the very definition of evil. catchy evil. glorification of bad decisions evil. evil.

vampire. I could take or leave this one. it’s not terrible, but it’s a little buzzwordy for me.

lacy. I usually skip this one. I don’t like the melody and I don’t care for the theme. I think jealousy is one of those things that putting words to it doesn’t actually help. you give it a voice and it won’t stop saying the same thing over and over.

ballad of a homeschooled girl. a lot of good lyrics in this one!!!

making the bed. one of the most honest songs on the album.

logical. I feel very strongly about this song in multiple directions! on the one hand it’s even buzzwordier than vampire, on the other hand when the bridge starts the clouds part and there’s clarity!!

get him back! it’s a pop hit babes

love is embarrassing. there just isn’t any substance to this one. 🤷🏻‍♀️

the grudge. I genuinely think this is one of the top three songs she’s written.

pretty isn’t pretty. I generally skip this one. it doesn’t have anything profound to say, and the melody is meh.

teenage dream. one of the best songs on the album! it’s sincere it’s real it’s specific and still relatable.

obsessed. I like this one better than lacy because it has at least a little self-deprecation in it.

girl I’ve always been. it’s fine?

scared of my guitar. the repeated “I pretend that it’s love” is so painful. it wrings the life out of me

strangers. eh. this one is trying to hold together some stuff but it doesn’t quite tie a neat bow around it for me

so american. I appreciate the bookends that “perfect all american” is the impossible standard she’s expected to meet and “he says I’m so american” is the mark of being in love. but the significance of it isn’t in the song taken alone, and so the hook “he says I’m so american” comes off as a non sequitur

[ofstoriesandstardust]

day 1 - seven o’clock news/silent night - rebel mitchell

a/n: it’s not me if we don’t start off strong with some angst hehe. this is going to bookend day 12 and i’m very excited for it. phoebe bridges did an amazing cover of simon and garfunkel’s “seven o’clock news/silent night” with a modern twist and this inspired me so enjoy. :)

summary: The worst Christmas of Rebel’s life.

12 days of ficmas | main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist | same mistakes-verse

warnings: angst, homesickness, a military parent who is determined MIA, fear of death of a parent, mentions of religion, my general Navy inaccuracies 

word count: 1,470

The crunch of the snow echoes against your ears as the bite of the freshly fallen snow stings your cheek. Your lips are chapped and you’re sure the bare skin of your face is red and raw from taking the brunt of the wind. Distantly, your brain registers the carolers across the way, the only streetlight dimly lighting the area below. 

You blink back the tears threatening to cascade down your face, knowing they’d just become salt icicles in the cold of the night. Numbly, you sit down on a bench, not bothering to wipe the snow away as your brain replays an endless loop of the news you’d spent hours listening to.

Thousands of miles away from home, across international waters, you’re not even sure where in the world you’re stationed right now. You know the town is small, snowy and remote, with only two news channels and a local channel that has been playing White Christmas, dubbed in German, over and over again for the last three days, according to your new wingman. 

When the weather had predicted snow, your new wingman had been disappointed, frowning at just her luck, returning to Florida for the holidays. You had merely sniffed and sat down on your new bed, turning towards the window to look for a storm that had not yet formed. 

If only you had known what kind of storm would be waiting for you. 

You’d just gotten to the quiet town that day when she left for her leave. Your heart ached to turn around and go with her, upset you’d gotten new orders just days before Christmas. She had only been gone for a few hours when the phone rang, clear in the night. 

You’d been watching the news when the call came. Your head had been laying on the spare pillow for the couch, images and voices of faraway conflicts and politics on repeat as your eyes drooped close. You had turned all the lights off, preferring to allow yourself to wallow in the dark, just for this moment, just for this one night. If you strained hard enough, you could hear the carolers in town, the faraway jingling of bells. Otherwise, it was quiet. Almost peaceful. 

Peaceful as all Christmas Eves should be.

The phone had vibrated above your head and you had started, blinking as you reached out for the object. You’re not sure what strings Ice had pulled for you to even have this luxury all the way out here, but you’re grateful nonetheless. He might not have been able to delay the orders but he’d been able to grant you this at the very least. You blink, immediately recognizing the number flashing across the screen. 

Ice. 

You swallow. Probably calling to wish you a happy holidays, to cheer you up despite everything. You answer the call as your eyes refocus on the TV screen as you answer, realizing the screen is showing images of some building on fire, a base far away having been attacked. Pilots missing. Planes down. Nothing left. 

“Hey kiddo.” 

“Hi Ice.” You answer softly, moving to turn the volume down on the TV, to drown out the sounds of someone else’s nightmare. 

Your godfather takes a shuddering breath. “Kid, something’s wrong.” Your eyes flicker back to the screen as you swallow. 

Couldn’t be-

“Something happened where your Dad was stationed. We- I can’t tell you much but he- his plane got shot down. They’re out looking for him now, but we’re not sure what we’re going to find.” 

In that moment, everything feels like it freezes as your heart stops in your chest. 

“Ice, please-” You beg, squeezing your eyes shut as the tears burn. You’re not sure what you’re asking from him, pleading to some God who will ignore the silent prayer in the word.

“I need you to prepare yourself for the worst.”

You don’t say anything for a few minutes as you sit there, hand not holding the phone digging into your thigh, fingernails sure to leave a mark. “How long?”

He sighs, shifting on the other end of the line. “He was declared MIA this morning. I was holding off on calling you until we knew for sure but-”

A whimper escapes your throat as your hand comes up to silence it as you realize what this means. Being declared MIA was never a good thing but at least there was hope. But this, if Ice was calling you, it meant there was no hope left. 

“Kid, don’t give up just yet. We’re going to keep looking, I promise. I’ll call you again as I know more.”

“Okay.” You whisper as your bottom lip catches in your teeth, unsure what else to say to him. 

“I love you.”

“Love you too.” You whisper, your voice cracking in the middle. 

“Merry Christmas.” The call clicks off as you numbly pull the phone away from your ear. Something flashes across the screen, bringing your attention back to the footage of the building on fire. Your hand reaches out for the remote, clicking it off. The screen goes dark, leaving you in complete and total darkness. 

You’re not sure how long you sit there in the cold and dark of the house but at some point you do pull yourself up, thinking to grab your jacket and shoes as you slip out the front door, hoping to find some peace as you walked into the town. 

Being this far from home and the people you loved for the holidays had been hard enough but this... everything you’d ever known in your life could change in the next 24 hours and there was nothing more you could do but wait. 

You pushed your hand in your pockets as you let out a shaky exhale, coming back to the present. You watch the puff of air appear in the air from your breath as a shiver goes down your spine, one you’re hoping has all to do with the child. 

First time seeing snow and this is how it’s going. 

Your chest feels tight as the tears surface once more as the carolers begin singing a quiet rendition of Silent Night. You allow yourself to let go, allowing yourself to think about what this means. The tears are warm against your skin, tasting of salt as they run down your face. 

Everything could change. No more Dad to go home to. No more joint leaves and dinners with Ice and Sarah. You’d have to bury your father and you would be alone. Ice would be there, so would Sarah and Slider, and a million others who’d stepped up throughout your life because it takes a village but- it wasn’t the same. 

A sob rips from your throat as you realize you may have said I love you to your Dad for the last time your Dad would ever be alive. 

Another hand comes up to your chest as the tears increases, shoulders heaving you think about who would make that call to Bradley. 

For the first time in years, you gave yourself a moment to think of him, to allow yourself to think of all you lost when he’d left. Because for all that things had been ruined, he still deserved to know. Deserved the chance to be there for Maverick if this was his only chance to say goodbye. 

You’d never admit it outloud how much you hoped he’d still care. How much you hoped he’d show, if not for your Dad, then for you. Ice would never reach out to try and rebuild that bridge, still angry with what Bradley had said to your father (information you weren’t privy too), for what walking out had done to his goddaughter. 

And you’re angry too. But sometimes you still missed him so much it hurt. You wondered what he’d say to you right now, if things hadn’t happened the way they did. You thought about the way it would feel to be pulled close to his chest in a hug as he soothed you, assuring you everything would be okay. To return what you’d done for him so long ago. 

You reach up, desperately trying to wipe the tears from your face. There was nothing more you could do now but wait. 

Eventually, even the carolers dispersed as the street finally does fall truly silent. The street light, dim as it was, begins to flicker and then goes out, casting the street into a quiet glow, only light coming from the stars, reflecting off the freshly fallen snow. The town is finally quiet as you lean back against the bench, taking in what otherwise would’ve been a beautiful sight. 

There was nothing more you could do but wait. 

silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright

[palomahasenteredthechat]

My attraction to Joe is also dwindling. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still very handsome, but since the rose tinted glasses have come off I wasn’t even excited to see that new Vogue photo. I don’t automatically disbelieve anyone who comes forward claiming they have or knew someone who has hooked up with Joe.

I really feel the nonny who said it’s liberating yet sad. I can’t even listen to the music I had on repeat back in Summer ‘22 because I get a heavy feeling in my stomach.

Yep.

Bookended summers.

Memorial Day 2022 - so much promise!

Labor Day 2024 - so much heaviness.

[magicalgirlmascot]

So uh. I've been moving all my playlists off Spotify and onto YouTube (and downloading the songs ~totally legally~ to have on my computer as well), and largely they're private because they're all OC playlists. HOWEVER. I do have a playlist for KNPS which I felt like people might get a kick out of. So here it is. Several of these were added when I moved the playlist off Spotify since a lot of them aren't available on Spotify, particularly video game soundtracks.

Track list (and reasoning) below the cut.

Move Along by the All-American Rejects I don't think I need to explain this one, actually.

School by Toby Fox (from Deltarune) Also kind of self-explanatory. This is music that I associate with Gali and Lewa's class, specifically.

A New Hero by Nathan Furst (from Mask of Light) I love the MoL soundtrack best of all the Bionicle movie soundtracks, so I had to include some of the songs from it here.

Old Friends (Bookends Theme) by Simon and Garfunkel Technically a harp/violin cover but shhh. Old Friends is a Turaga Metru song if ever there was one. This version is just very pretty :3

Wonderland Round 3 by Griffin McElroy (from The Adventure Zone) I'm gonna be honest I don't have an excuse for this one it just slaps.

As Above, So Below by Essenger and Cryoshell A very recent addition to the playlist. I don't think I need to explain this one either, actually.

Birdhouse in Your Soul by They Might Be Giants Takua song. Could not explain why if I tried.

Dreamer by Supertramp Vakama song, also Takua song. It's about someone with their head in the clouds, which applies to both of them in different (and similar) ways.

Friday I'm in Love by The Cure Matau song. Less in that it represents who he is as a character and more in that he's a classic rock guy who loves wandering into the office singing and whistling incredibly on the nose rock tunes.

Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel Nokama song. Also a Gali song. I mean listen to it, come on.

Rivers in the Desert by Lyn (from Persona 5) Boss music baby!!

Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush Music that Gali listens to when she's sad.

Toa Reunited and Death of Jaller by Nathan Furst (from Mask of Light) This is on here because of the "Toa Reunited" part I swear. Anyway one of my favourite songs on the MoL OST.

Samurai Heart (Some Like it Hot!!) by SPYAIR (from Gintama) Full disclosure I've never watched Gintama. However. Kohatu song.

Starlight Brigade by TWRP I mean. It's a song about saving the world. "I'd gladly give my life for one night as a justice acolyte" is also a banger line ngl

Supernatural Superserious by R.E.M. I associate this with Kopaka for some reason. Couldn't tell you why.

The Prophet's Song by Queen The most Vakama song ever. Written specifically for him everyone say thank you Freddie <3

The Touch by Stan Bush LISTEN.

The Last Desperate Struggle by Masakazu Sugimori (from Ghost Trick) This is the song I had on repeat while writing the "Lewa gets possessed" chapter.

Running in the 90s by Max Coveri Pohatu unironically listens almost exclusively to this kind of music. The man loves him some Eurobeat.

Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce Whenuju song. Was their first dance at their wedding. The lyrics are literally perfect for them. "I've looked around enough to know/you're the one I want to go through time with" IT'S THEM.

Unite (Redux) by Ron Wasserman (from Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers) YEAH A POWER RANGERS SONG WHAT ABOUT IT. First of all it's literally called Unite. Secondly Power Rangers and Bionicle are like brothers to me. Third and most important it fucks.

A Town Called Hometown by Toby Fox (from Deltarune) Sweet, quaint small town vibes (which is the point lmao). Fitting given that KNPS takes place in a sweet, quaint small town.

Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There by Lyn (from Persona 5) I associate this with school because it used to be on the playlist I used when I got ready for work in the mornings. It's also a sentiment I can see Gali and Pohatu getting behind.

Wonder by Naughty Boy ft. Emelie Sande I think I first found this song on a Wonder Woman playlist lmao. It's basically about like, personal strength and stuff. Good song.

Working for the Weekend by Loverboy Another song Matau likes to whistle on Fridays.

Beach Chant by Justin Luchter (from MNOLG) Iconic early Bionicle music. Had to include it.

Lost One's Weeping by Afterglow Yes this is a cover of a Vocaloid song and yes it's from a fucking. Band anime or whatever. I like it. Also it's the school trauma song so on the school playlist it goes.

Lucretia by Griffin McElroy (from The Adventure Zone) Look, Lucretia and Nokama are very different people, but there's enough overlap (older female characters who struggle with keeping heavy secrets from the protagonists) that I feel pretty good putting her theme on here. Also Nokama would be the world's biggest Lucretia defender, we all know this in our hearts

SAVE the World by Toby Fox (from Undertale) YES another Toby Fox song. Anyway boss fight music hell yeah

The End by Justin Luchter (from MNOLG) Again, iconic early Bionicle music, really captures the feeling that some great victory has been achieved, at least for now.

Everytime We Touch by Cascada Tahu/Gali song. LOOK. It's a Tahu/Gali song okay

Village Bridge (with buildup) by Junichi Masuda (from Pokemon Black and White) Hands down one of the best tracks from the best Pokemon game. Again very small town vibes.

May add more to it, who knows.

[punished-lincolnshire-poacher]

Nine albums. Thank 4 tag, @nico-di-angelfish

1.) View Monster by Lemon Demon. It's not easy for me to pick a Lemon Demon album, so this is the one that statistically has the highest number of my favorite tracks on it. Honorable mentions to Damn Skippy, Hip to the Javabean, and Dinosaurchestra.

2.) Treats by Sleigh Bells. Yeah, Poach likes Treats. Who knew? Zero skips in this album but Rill Rill is actually probably my least favorite. It's a good song, but this album does not need that breather in the middle of it.

3.) I Was A Teenage Washout by The Washouts. The only album by The Washouts. This album consists of music recorded by Jeff "Rip" Carson from between the ages of 11 and 16. Most songs were written by him as well. Discovered this artist/album while researching covers of Last Caress. Near as I can tell, Last Caress is the only non-original track on the album, but I could be wrong. Either way, this one grinds the line between "highly underrated" and "acquired taste."

4.) Paul's Boutique by The Beastie Boys. This album serves cunt hard. Again, no skips here except maybe the intro and outtro. Nothing wrong with them, but if you listen to the album often enough they can become tedious.

5.) Astro Lounge by Smash Mouth. Yes, the album with All Star on it. Turns out every track on this album fucks super hard, and there's quite a bit of variety to their sound. Another rock solid zero-skips album.

6.) The Conet Project. This isn't really an album. In fact it isn't really music at all. It's a five-disc collection of shortwave radio oddity recordings. Basically there are certain mandatory rules when broadcasting on shortwave frequencies. Recordings in this collection showcase stations that break these rules consistently over a long period of time, leading many to believe they are government sanctioned in some capacity, although they have never been publicly acknowledged or explained by any governing body. I listen to them on the reg.

7.) Cross by Justice. No skips. You've probably heard a song or two from this album even if you don't realize it. I seem to recall the "the party don't start til I walk in" line from THE PARTY being a popular meme some years ago. There's just no weak links in here at all. Perfectly cohesive album.

8.) f# a# ∞ by Godspeed You! Black Emporer. Another fairly famous album in music circles. There's not much I feel a need to say about it. It's beautiful, it's very dear to my heart.

9.) Puberty 2 by Mitski. This list is bookended by albums that were difficult for me to pick out from the rest of their artist's catalogue. Bury Me at Makeout Creek and Be The Cowboy are close contenders, but in the interest of not repeating an artist on this list I chose Puberty 2. Fireworks and My Body's Made Of Crushed Little Stars are almost guaranteed to bring me to tears anytime I hear them.

I don't feel compelled to tag anybody. My mutuals know who they are. Anyone should feel welcome to make a similar post.

[parfumieren]

Zagorsk (Comme des Garçons)

Zagorsk opens with a frank, fresh, true-to-life birch-bud note bookended on either side by green cypress and fruity cayenne. In the heat of summer, it's as crisp and energizing as a lash from a vihta, the ritual bundle of water-dipped birch boughs with which Finnish sauna-goers lightly flog themselves to achieve health and purity. I found it invigorating from the get-go.

It doesn't last long after that first startling moment; there's a flicker of lemony frankincense, but (despite the cayenne) not enough heat to melt it. Still, it's an interesting essay: incense unburnt; an ancient cedar box full of loose and dusty nuggets of pale yellow resin. I have held such riches heaped in the palm of my hand, breathed in its placid scent, and been reminded of its unreleased potential...

Despite its lack of staying power, Zagorsk still intrigued me more than Ouarzazate. What good is persistence, however impressive, if all one has to voice is a platitude repeated a thousand times before? Zagorsk may be a monosyllable, but it at least it is a highly original one.

I'm listening.

Scent Elements: Birch, pine, frankincense, cayenne, violet, cedar, iris, cypress

[umsoheyaurora]

I had fun last night. My tears were a bit melancholic but more sweetness than sadness…I’m sure you already knew but sometimes the context may be ambiguous. Forgive me if I repeat myself, I’m only a mana-kin after all right?

I know you are hurting because as Axel Rose sang and/or wrote a whole song about ‘how much “🎵love Hurts”…..’🎵ya know he did ya, i kno u kno he did ya kno he did🎵’…hahaha………whether or not that’s the title or not you’d have to look up but its a good one and one I would put on any breakup megamix fo sho

Anywho….

I meant it when the tears welled upnin my eyes and said I didnt understand why but that I cared….for you of course….and God only knows why but I do…..but you kno that too…..’cheater’ (directly communicating with the Holy Smudgeprint Spirit Themselves…..) maybe someday I’ll get that eyePhone chip so I can too or whatever the hell else the cool kids are doing these days….Futurama had it first so technically I knew aboutnit before most of them (I think????) and we all know that is the beet kind of correct…. Laure loved being right….one time at our awesome wine and cheese journal clubs she yelled out “YESSSSSSS!!!! I knew it!!” in response to one of our pieces of Data (Dominique, Jenn, or Sam might remember something similar). Then she said “I love being, right! (she meant being proven right). She said “It’s better than SEX!!😳🫣🥹😆😂🤣😅🙃….personally I liked proving her wrong….heheh…which I did at least twice bookending my time in the lab there and my Thesis for that matter as she didn’t think deltaPK would kill melanoma cells before I did the experiment….the day after I treated them to her exacting specificstions with the appropriate controls I saw those dead fucking cells and was soooooo excited I went right to her office and told her “I think it worked.” She got up quickly from her desk in disbelief and said, “show me,” but she was already walking out the door towards the lab….behind me eager to show her of course….

So as I’m getting the cells out I’m explaining the experiment to her just as she had prescribed me to do it….I followed every last detail except maybe I did a serial dilution of the virus or she had told me that too….I cant remember….anyway she looked in the treated well first, of course, I always would too because I would always ‘ruin the surprise’ well thats where all the fun happens in an experiment in the treated well or the ‘business end of an experiment’….I think she gasped in disbelieve a bit, maybe even chuffed….”huh…or I’ll be damned (lol)…..that is most definitely classic CPE (Cytopathic Effect) right there…where are the controls…..[the next and equally as important part of any experiment as you know….[I’m saying this for the benefit of the peanut gallery side listeners and watchers tuning in ‘🎵Live and Direct…rect…rect�� yes yes y’all I do hear the faint reverberations of whispers in your minds or out loud as you listen to my thought’s I’m listening back….just so u all kno I kno u kno u kno I kno u kno….u kno??….amirite on that one? Check the text or not whatever you all have officially been pimped🙊🙉🙈🐵🐒🦉<insert you’ve officialy been pimped gif here later…if I ever remember…prolly not…Aurora just any xhibit you’ve officially been pimped gif…prefferably of a hot chica or to ur own preference…lol]

[fullregalia]

i don’t know about you.

Another year, another round up that I felt obligated to write since I basically abandoned this whole thing in 2020. As we are on the cusp of ‘23--I wanted to share some of the things that made ‘22 worth living. Personally speaking, I’m saving about 90% of this year for my memoir; it was a weird one filled with a lot of firsts! Culturally speaking, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, I finally watched Heat, and we all learned the word polycule.

Let’s get down to business, what did I read, listen to, watch, and generally consume that was noteworthy this year. 

Books

I didn’t read as much as I wanted to this year, but two noteworthy novels I finally got to were Mating by Normal Rush and Happiness, As Such by Natalia Ginzburg. Of contemporary fiction, I was happy for the return of Selin in Either/Or and bookended my year of Emily St. John Mandel with Sea of Tranquility. 

Music

Do I even need to say that my most listened to artists of 2023 were Paul Simon, Niia, John Coltrane, Prokofiev, and Steely Dan? However I did also enjoy the new Beach House, of course I listened to Benito and Steve Lacy, there’s too much Antanoff out there but The 1975 seemed to tamp down his worst impulses, and after REAISSANCE came out I stopped playing Break My Soul on repeat and now am a Virgo’s Groove bitch. 

Movies

As I noted up top, I plugged a lot of holes in my viewing history this year. Shout out to Blank Check and the Big Pic pods for keeping me in the loop. Movie content and analysis for 2022 is abundant (just see: Fran Mag’s 2022 wrap up), so all I am going to say is, “Hi, I’m Petra’s father.” Oh also: Jenny is the MVP of Banshees or Inisherin, and Eyes Wide Shut. 

Podcasts

How Long Gone... How Long Gone? How Long Gone. It turns out I’m exactly that insufferable. I didn’t buy any merch, and I didn’t see them live--but I thought about it, which is bad enough. Besides that I started listening to Celebrity Book Club and I did go to a live taping of Odd Lots. I shed a ton of crooked podcasts (and it feels great). Sorry, but I need smooth brain. 

TV

Speaking of smooth brain, White Lotus season two was the perfect mix of stupid and interesting to keep me totally absorbed. Shout out to my GOAT F. Murray Abraham and perfect Italian American Man Michael Imperioli. Both were underutilized. Industry season two was the fish t-shirt representation I needed. The Bear was exactly how I cook, so that’s cool. I finally caught up on Barry; my friend and I binged The Dropout during a bomb cyclone while we were in North Adams; and just like that... we got an SATC sequel (remember that?! It was terrible). 

Odds & Ends

By far the most notable point of the year in culture for me was Opulent Tips, Rachel Tashjin Wise’s invite-only newsletter (*flips hair*). Her perspective on style and library of references are neither snobby nor abstruse. She loves self-expression and is generous with her advice. Blackbird Spyplane finally helped me to understand WHY EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE PUTTY NOW. If you’re not getting your croissants at Brauð & Co in Reykjavik, what are you even doing there? I made a few art acquisitions (quite possibly a cheap Picasso lithograph and a limited edition poster from The Paris Review) my exposed brick looks so Brooklyn it hurts. Out for 2023? West Elm everything ... In for 2023? Taper candles, mercury glass vases, continuing to pile up the LRBs.

That was honestly just a small fraction of the year... but like every year, it’s impossible to pinpoint when the vibe shift happens. It was a weird year! I hope the one to come is filled with even more adventures (I’m going to Switzerland!), fantastic meals (did I mention I got to buy out Laser Wolf for a work event?!), and grailed acquisitions (I FINALLY got a Mimi Vang Olsen x NY Humane Society t-shirt!!!!) for all. I’ll leave with one final note for 2023, we’ll see if any of it comes true.

[moonage-dancer]

its that time of year where i listen to bookends on repeat

[thisworldisablackhole]

Elias Rønnenfelt Heavy Glory

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

FFO: ICEAGE, ACOUSTIC GUITARS & ORCHESTRAL ARRANGEMENTS / LISTEN

Longtime Iceage fans may be reasonably fed up with Elias Rønnenfelt’s perpetual (some may even say insufferable) theatre kid melodrama at this point in his career. The way he allows his voice to crack, bend and drawl over musings like a drunken poet is arguably the defining factor of his talent, and his translations from Danish often give birth to a trove of unconventionally clever phrasings, but listening to him throughout the years has not been unlike watching your most charming friend ceaselessly and unwittingly repeat patterns of destruction. A lot can be said about the way we romanticize this turbulence, but there is something alluring about individuals who carry a sense of raw and unpolished ugliness with them. It’s real, and it’s hard not to feel their gravitational pull. Heavy Glory’s desire to shine a spotlight on this ugliness makes itself abundantly clear, you don’t even have to look further than the album cover, yet there is something oddly hypnotizing about it if you look close enough. I think Rønnenfelt states it best in the opening song;

“Plenty sweetness midst the turmoil was a fact, I’d say. Love and kind gestures in the disarray”

The last time we saw Rønnenfelt branch out from Iceage was almost a decade ago with the final Marching Church album, but whereas 2016’s Telling It Like It Is was still heavily ornamented by a full band laying down dark and dramatic grooves from the school of Nick Cave, Heavy Glory finds Rønnenfelt reaching for his acoustic guitar to focus more on grounded story telling. Electric guitars do make an appearance as well, but only when necessary to beef up the bravado. “Like Lovers Do” opens the album with simple acoustic chords and a sing-along melody that feels deeply rooted in folk traditions. It’s perhaps the most stripped back and bare version of Elias we’ve ever seen, and it results in some of his catchiest and most heartfelt lyrical hooks to date as he croons over a rhythm section that bobs to and fro like it was made for cowboy boots on hardwood floors. Fifth track “No One Else” follows suit with this motif and ends up being my favourite song on the whole album due to it’s wistful vulnerability and ability to convey regret. When Elias sings “I guess I could come knocking too but here I am not welcome anymore”, I feel it in the pit of my stomach, and it's not the only gut punch in the pipeline.

While there are some relatively upbeat and swayable rhythms on the album, a lot of Heavy Glory is coated in a disquieting muck of despair and desperation, however cryptic and sweet it is presented. “Stalker” especially stands out as one of the most uncomfortable songs on the album, as beneath it’s disguise as a melancholic piano ballad lies a disturbing story about a juvenile grocery boy who becomes obsessed with a pregnant girl, stages an injury to become involved in her life (platonically), and when the baby’s absent father returns to repeat patterns of abuse, the boy murders him and goes to prison. It’s the type of story where nobody gets a happy ending, and all along these dissonant violins linger in the air like an organic substitute for squealing feedback just to compound the unease. This is the only song on the album that approaches this type of superbly off-putting storytelling, but I felt it needed a bit of a disclaimer, as it might rub people the wrong way if they don't pay close enough attention (and even still). Regardless, the theme of our internal ugliness being reflected outward persists.

As per the artist, Heavy Glory was recorded in separate chapters across various locations over the span of a year, and it’s not hard to tell. Heavy Glory is definitely a mixed bag of production and songwriting techniques that may prove to be a point of divisiveness, but even with the Spaceman 3 and Townes Van Zandt covers that bookend the album, or tracks like “Another Round” and “Worm Grew A Spine” which stick out like a sore thumb with their casio-esque mechanical drum beats, the mix and track sequencing does a great job at tying everything together into what feels like a storybook of ideas—none too disparate. Continuing to work with producer Nis Bysted over the years definitely helps to make this album feel like it's part of the same sonic universe as Marching Church, albeit softer. Rønnenfelt reaches back into a familiar bag of orchestral instruments, but they are utilized in a much more subtle way this time around, adding atmosphere instead of taking center stage. Double bass, piano, harmonica, violin, cello, and other oddities come and go throughout the album, making each song feel distinct with its own rich undercoat of baroque textures. I especially love the way the cello and double bass transforms "Unarmed" into a huge back half highlight.

I’ve always felt like Elias sounds his best when he is in full creative control, and Heavy Glory feels like a shining declaration of independence that showcases the best of his abilities. I don’t care if we never get another Iceage album as long as Elias keeps plucking away on his own, it might even be better that way. There are a lot of subtle tone shifts and interesting lyrics to chew on here, and it takes more than a few listens to fully digest everything, but that’s the mark of a great album to me—one which is immediately enthralling, but without revealing all of it’s cards too soon. Luckily enough, almost all of these songs have a memorable hook and a deeply moving arrangement that makes the pill easy to swallow. Casual Iceage fans might not find enough raucous energy here to draw them over, but if you loved the last Marching Church album as much as I did, then this is just another excellent spotlight in Rønnenfelt’s bizarre theatre of loneliness. Come on in and take a seat.

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 25 March 1954

Something a little unusual this week - two of exactly the same song! Normally there seems to be a week's delay, but not here. It'll be useful for comparison, I guess.

Changing Partners - Kay Starr (peaked at No. 4)

Well, this song starts, and I'm happy to hear that it's a waltz. I do like a good waltz, so this bodes well. A lot of slower songs that would be dreary in 4/4 manage to just about pull it off, when you put them into waltz time. I also do generally like Kay Starr, so this is a promising start.

There's a solid country vibe from the backing singers who set us off - I like it, though they're a little too much for my taste. I don't mind some backing singers, but these ones are just quite fussy and overdramatic?

The song's concept is solidly cute, though. It's about some kind of old-timey dance that gets called. As a relatively regular ceilidh attendee, I get the concept, but it does still feel like a relic of the 1950s, when dances would have been a more staple, familiar thing that prospective couples did together.

Anyway, the idea here is that Kay danced with a man as part of this, shared a moment, then had to split - but she's looking forward to him returning: "So I'll keep changing partners / Till you're in my arms and then / Oh, my darling, I'll never / Change partners again". It's a metaphor, see?! Subtle as a hammer, but still quite sweet.

And then these male backing singers come in who are just the dopiest, slowest part of this. Their voices are so deep and stupid-sounding! They give it all this soporific sort of effect - the middle of their part literally had me yawning out loud. Not obnoxiously bad, but I'm not sure how memorable this will make the song, overall.

Another version, perhaps?

Changing Partners - Bing Crosby (9)

Bing's version of this song didn't do as well as Kay's, but I really do like it. It's got quite a different vibe, you're definitely listening to a different song. That was a worry of mine, when I saw that I had a repeat, so I'm glad I can say a few different things about this!

Even from the introduction, it's different - a bit slower, with a gentle sort of violin replacing Kay's backing singers, and then some strummy guitar, that gives way to some smoother steel guitar sounds, once Bing starts singing.

The main difference is probably in Bing's take on it, though - while you got the vibe that Kay was fundamentally feeling romantic and kind of happy to have found her man, Bing's performance is a little sadder. You get more of a sense of the melancholy of it all, and how he's looking for his old partner but hasn't found her yet. The fleetingness of it stands out in a way it didn't for Kay.

It's a much more delicate, understated way of singing, with less obvious emotion in it. It's not that Bing's not singing in an emotional style, but he holds it back a bit more.

The instruments are chosen to highlight that well, too, with some muted trumpet coming in later on, and some minimal, quiet glockenspiel. It's very pretty, and while it's still a bit sleepy, I think it sounds more deliberate than Kay's did.

And then we slow down into the last line, and that's that! Some good stuff here!

Bell Bottom Blues - Alma Cogan (4)

And then the final song is completely new, though it does cover similar ground to the previous two, all about being separated from your partner, and missing them.

That said, the tone is immediately much jauntier, with a cheeky ship's bell bookending the song, and a jazzy introduction letting is know that we're in for a pacy and fairly cheery ride.

Actually, the whole song is really cheery - Alma Cogan's voice sounds so happy and likable. Google tells me she was known as "The Girl with the Giggle in her Voice", and I can actually hear that in this one - a bit like Dean Martin sometimes does, she sounds like she's about to start laughing, but in a good-natured, affectionate sort of way. It's very endearing.

All this does a good job of offsetting the lyrics, which could easily be a bit slower and mopier in the hands of a different singer. They're about how Alma has the "bell bottom blues" because her beau is a sailor, and is away sailing "somewhere on the sea", leaving her waiting for a letter and feeling lonely "till my sailor boy comes sailing home to me". It puts this song into a category along with songs like Jo Stafford's You Belong to Me, all about women whose men are somehow enlisted, and away fighting / sailing / seeing the world, while they're stuck back at home missing them.

I have a lot of sympathy for it in this case, though - not least because it makes me think of my grandparents. My grandad, in particular, was in the navy, and my grandma talks about him being away for long spells of time, and I always did think about how tricky it sounded! In particular, in the pre-mobile phone days, you really would have been stuck waiting for letters, I guess.

It's at this point that I realise I'm actually bopping back and forth a bit, that's how jaunty this tune is. Even as I think about the logistics of being in the navy in the 1950s, Alma's making me dance a bit, which I suppose is the goal here?

I think the line that cinches it for me, and stops the song veering off into pathos, is the one where Alma's describing how she has to turn down all the other guys who want to ask her out: "I shake my head and refuse / When the fellas come a-callin' / And they want to take me on a date". It's such a funny little detail to include, almost like a little humble brag - I have so many guys asking me out, and I'm not even interested - and then it turns into a more general complaint about all the things she's missing out on "while the other girls are balling". It's funny, and realistic, and I love it.

Well, I hadn't listened to any of those songs before, and I have to say, they weren't bad! On, in particular, stood out, and I'm really looking forward to hearing more of her very distinctive voice. Which of course means...

Favourite song of the bunch: Bell Bottom Blues

[rilshock]

The Golden Cups Album/ザ・ゴールデン・カップス・アルバム（1968 Review)

Much like rock and roll music in 1950s United States, Japanese Rock music in the 1960s, then called Group Sounds(グループサウンズ), was mostly a singles market, and because of that the albums that were released were mostly filled with covers and barely any original material. The Golden Cups album is a good example of this. Formed in 1966 and disbanding in 1972, the psychedelic sounds of The Golden Cups would make them one of the more popular bands during the Group Sounds boom in late 60s Japan, and they would record their first album in 1968, which is what this review is gonna be on. For one the Original tracks, if barely there are, are some of the best highlights on this album. The tracks that bookend the album, Jezebel and Hiwa Mata Noboru(which was also released as a single), do a great job at beginning and ending the album with their contrasting styles; the ladder especially is a contender for Japanese Proto-Punk. The other Original Tracks, Love is my Live and LSD Blues, are good and above average respectively. As for the covers, they're all pretty forgettable with the exception of their cover of Hey Joe, a 5 minute fast epic that gets really slow in the middle, plus ear-piercing war sounding guitars. That being said, props to the singer's pronunciation of the English Lyrics sounding more Passable than just Engrish Will I listen to this album on repeat, no other than the tracks I like 7.4/10

Listen to the album here