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sprinklesandshatters · 3 years ago

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A Review on NCT 127′s 3rd Album <Sticker>

So NCT 127 just came back with their 3rd Full Album <Sticker> and this is my first 127 comeback since I became a fan last year! Neozone is such a special album for me as it was their first album that I explored entirely. I've known NCT as the group who never fails any expectations so I've kept mine up although I know they'll exceed it anyway. And guess what, they did! I absolutely love their new album hence this review~

This isn't a technical music review—as I am not a musician myself—but rather a listener's honest takes, goofy notes, and interpretation on each of the tracks in the album. I admit I've also struggled to build my own opinions on some of the tracks until I listened to them over and over again.

I have also heard there are mixed opinions on the title track <Sticker> and a lot says it's another acquired taste. But I think it's not just that, as it can be a grower, just like how most of NCT's songs were for me. Maybe after a few listens and a right passage of time, it will grow on those people. The bottom line here is, I like it a lot! 😛

So I listed down the songs according to their respective track numbers and followed each with a bulleted list of my opinions and interpretations.

(Viewer/reader discretion: before you continue, minors, do not interact as there are few 18+ contents under the cut. Thank you.)

1. Sticker

THEY DIDN'T JUST PUNCH A NEW NOTCH ON THE BELT LIKE THAT

THIS SONG SLAPS, LITERALLY SLAPS… AND WHIPS

The recorder at the intro boyyyy I thought something was wrong but then I remember it’s NCT lmao

It already stuck in my head from my first listen from the Instagram audio.

With Taeyong opening the verse with his divine rapping, I knew I'm in for a new ride.

STICK-UH STICK-UGH STICK-UGHGHGH

To those complaining it sounding like noise music, imagine it sounding generic. I don't think it would fit as the title track. Not a b-track or in their repertoire, even. They are called NCT because they define the NEO in the music culture and music technology!

It honestly was an unorthodox, just like all of their title tracks, which I’m inherently here for.

Literally, no one does it like them!

The growls and the vocal flexes and adlibs! (You can tell it has Yoo Youngjin's brand.)

The crisp metronome sound that’s consistently ticking except for the pre-chorus and the dance break adds depth to the soundscape. I love how it’s used instead of the usual snaps.

The production quality blew my mind. Like how can someone think those melodies would sound so exquisite? CAN I CALL THEM GENIUS?

The piano at the back, oh my God—Yes! It adds this mystifying element to the song.

I'm not sure if it's a midi violin at the pre-chorus, but it added thrill to the song. It was a great transition from the bass line in the verses to the combination of the flawless harmony with the same instrumental.

"You treat me like a boy, like a grown-up child chasing a dream" JUNGWOO BABY NO MORE HUH

Taeil, Doyoung, and Haechan—the bridge vocal trinity!

But why the heck are they cowboys? I dig the concept, but why? LMAO

BTW GUNSLINGER MARK I’M ON MY KNEES YEEHAW

This is easily one of my favorite tracks from NCT 127's entire discography 💚

2. Lemonade

(⌐■_■)

Jaehyun starting off this song with his deep voice eee

The song opens to a verse oozing with chill confidence. They're like, yeah you're lurking because we’re cool.

This is such a huge slap to their haters. NCT's not chillin' like a villain, nah they're the main characters!

Well maybe they’re villains, but still ya not cooler than them ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Funny enough how they could have just referred haters as simply lemons whose sour/bitter to the taste, but 127 squad's success is sweeter than all the haters' spiteful remarks so yeah, SIPPY SIPPY LEMONADE 🧃

"WOOF"

I might have just barked too wOW

Yuta’s vocals hooooO his voice just sounds so glamorous mhmm

Also Mark referencing their previous title tracks such as: Firetruck, Cherry Bomb, and Regular (it's Irregular in the lyrics) in his rap part 👌💅

I just love Mark's energy when he raps. HE RESOLUTELY BITES AND STRAIGHT UP EATS EVERY TIME HE DOES.

3. Breakfast

Now breakfast time, oh jeez!

AAAHAHFU—

Summer 127's bestie!

If Summer 127 talks about dancing all night long, Breakfast is the morning after.

You know what it is.

"Even if I gulp and drink you, it's not enough for me." oho Taeyong no you ha—STOP

Sexual innuendos aside, isn't it just sweet if someone tells you they'd want to have breakfast with you every day? Okay maybe I'm melting at the thought 😩��💞

And I can see myself dancing to this song as I make breakfast (in the afternoon or at midnight bc I’m crazy)

This was an okay b-track for me at the first skim on the album, but boy it grew on me wildly.

Honestly one of my favorite tracks in this album.

4. Focus

Did I just invade a private call? LMAO

The analog voice filters make it like so.

Dude, this feels intimate in the level of eavesdropping a phone call between seasoned lovers. Then you realize you hear them whispering their kinks over the line and you're ooh, that's sexy! hfgklhfhf

My first listen to this, I almost went feral because,

"I can't wait to eat you…" when it's actually "I can't wait 'til we chill…" aahaha

"Baby call me when you want me." OKAY!

This sounds relaxing and chill. I'd love to play this on a late night drive or just before bed time along with Fly Away With Me, Sun & Moon, My Youth, and Long Flight.

Belongs to ‘make out session’ playlist ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

That was lowkey a playlist recommendation, huh?

I'd be kidding if I don't say I could touch myself while listening to this song AHAHAFGHFJFJ

I didn't know this would grow on me this much lol I love love LOVE THIS!

5. The Rainy Night

Ooh, the holy melancholy!

Piano at the intro—I knew I'd cry to this.

This song isn't just about break-up, but the heartbreak after one.

The yearning; the remnant pieces from the shattering of what was once there.

I think I crumbled from this one.

This hit so hard I felt like I fit in the shoes with the lyrics throughout the entire song.

What’s fascinating is I clearly forgot the title when I mentally said this sounds like a sad rainy day song from the first listen.

Something I’d turn up when it suddenly rains, just because I want to feel the blues.

Taeil and Haechan singing in lower register? I wanna cry :( they’re just one of the best vocalists in K-music industry right now.

Could have been also nice if they added Yuta to the vocals.

"My selfish heart who waits for you to come back," OKAY WHO HURT THEM?

And the fact that they sang it so good that it translated every ounce of the emotions well even before I looked up for English translations is the reason why I love this song too.

6. Far

Hmm… What the hell?! Do I like this? Wait...

Alright!

The jumpy vibe from the first verse to the pre-chorus set the mood for this song. It sounds merry and heavy. It was honestly too much to take until I’ve reached the chorus part.

Honestly, I think this song could fit NCT Dream better, as it gives off a vibe similar to Hello Future's b-tracks. If some credible source say this could have made HF’s track list, I might believe you too fast.

Also Dream’s Deja Vu where they go na nananananana na na na~

Playful yet confident! That’s what I mean!

As usual, the vocals are insane! Vocal flex from left to right!

I swear Jungwoo sounded a bit like Taemin at the second verse that I had to replay it hahaha

I love hearing Johnny as a vocalist! SM, how many signs do you need until you utilize his vocal talent???

Taeil's part where he sings, "go nuts, go nuts, 'til we go bust, go bust" IDEK BUT I SNORTED A LAUGH AT FIRST LISTEN HFCAHKFHK

Not my favorite, but still great though!

But wait it’s actually stuck in my head???

7. Bring The Noize

Yes, they never beat those noise music allegations

HERE'S SOME NOIZE, BITCHES

I love me some noisy percussions. AND THE BASS YO

This screams so much confidence!

The build up from the pre-chorus to the chorus—FIRE!

This song reminds me a lot of SuperM's Super Car, especially with the engine roar samples and the battle cry-like singing at the chorus.

JAEHYUN RAPPING? You mean Jaehyun the visual, the vocalist, the actor, the model, the funny dude, aka my everything?! (markie bb look pls look away for a moment)

THEY DELIVERED IT STRAIGHT FROM NEOCITY THAT'S SOME NCT MUSIC RIGHT THERE NO ONE DOES IT LIKE THEM

When I said I'd play Focus on a late night drive, and if I add this in the playlist, VROOM VROOM SPEED LIMIT WHAT

OUTTA MY WAY

“We got no shame” ouh TAEYONG’S FLOW IS JUST VERY HIM AND HE’S IN A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN

You know what's so clever about this song? It's how it ended with Mark's final rap without any instrumental, leaving you standing there with a doppler effect-like post experience.

A super car on a super speed just whooshed past you and you look its way as it zips through the road. It's gone in an instant but you're floored dumbfounded at a sidewalk. That's how I describe this song.

8. Magic Carpet Ride

This song… Wow. Oh gosh it's so beautiful.

Their harmony in the chorus—it makes me want to kiss someone so passionately that I'd cry.

This makes me want to feel love that transcends the universe. Literally, just please take me on a magic carpet ride :(

The background harmonies too oh my goodness—HEAVENLY.

Jaehyun's voice is so warm and soulful it fits perfectly with songs of this genre.

Okay alright Doyoung Grande!

And Taeil makes me feel like I'm listening to old school R&B.

The first time I heard this from the track video, I can't stop replaying because it's just that great.

This makes me want to love. I think that sums it up.

9. Road Trip

This is such a soothing song for me, especially how I easily become nostalgic thinking about the road trips I've had.

Whenever I listen to this, my brain immediately conjures up thoughts of my ideal getaways. Gazing at the sky through the car window, stirring up from a nap in the middle of the ride, and eventually reaching your destination.

Oh, to travel around anywhere... (curse you covid-19)

Okay that's it. I'M PACKING UP.

But where do I go—

I could also imagine Mark playing this on the guitar and the other members sing along together, something like that.

Just Wholesome™ vibes.

I love how it evokes such a nice emotion within me effortlessly.

This isn't my favorite, but I still love this.

10. Dreamer

Eyyyy such a refreshing song!

This song is so bright it makes me want to dance. I play this first in the shower!

It reminds me so much of Elevator (from Neozone)

The horns make it more lively I think!

Yuta and Jungwoo's voice suits lively songs like this.

The background vocal in low register in Taeyong's part in the first verse is so good ahhfhf

Taeil, the R&B vocal king you are...

There's this part where Doyoung and Johnny harmonized, that at first listen they seemed to clash, but it sounded actually fine after a few listens. Maybe it's just that I've never heard them do it before.

And I think it's Doyoung's laugh at the end of the bridge? Oh my goodness I really love this too!

11. Promise You

MY FIRST LOVE AND MOST FAVORITE SONG IN THE ALBUM!!!

The first time I heard this from their NCIT Sharehouse Sitcom, I fell in love with the song already.

It sounds like something you'd feel from a warm, welcoming hug.

The lyrics are so beautiful and endearing. It's definitely a be-there-for-you type of song that will touch your heart.

It definitely sounds like a promise.

A song about platonic intimacy.

This really fits to be the closing song of the album. It's like the end of it but holds a promise that says “see you soon.”

Because they cherish their fans like that.

It's also like I've watched a movie with a happy ending, where the camera pans up to the clear sky and this song starts playing.

Speaking of ending, I would love to hear them sing this as an encore stage in their concert. You know, that moment just before the stage lights die down at the end of the concert where they send final blows of flying kisses to NCTzens. Then you come home smiling and crying.

This wasn't supposed to be this long since I originally planned to write this with just simple phrases and emojis but I got too engrossed lol. I also meant to include my own ratings but I figured it’s pointless since I can’t really decide about them hahaha

I really enjoyed the whole album and I love how they're progressively defining what NEO means by breaking through standards. It's not NCT music if it doesn't make you say "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?" But then you realize it’s stuck in your head and you’re enjoying it already.

✨ OVERALL RATING: 127/10 💚

if you’ve reached until here, thank you for letting me share you a braincell or two 💞

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sparklingskz · 5 years ago

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the other side | kim woojin

▸ genre: fluff, neighbors au

▸ description: you heard a voice from the other side of your wall singing along to the music you were playing, which was... odd?

▸ word count: 2.2k

▸ a/n: sorry for taking a bit long to post.... i’ve just been stressed with school and life :(

The moment you stepped foot into your apartment you sighed in relief, peeling off your jacket and putting your things down on the table.

It had been a shitty day.

Between your teachers giving you way too many assignments, your co-workers screaming at each other and someone spilling their coffee on your shirt, you could definitely say you weren't in the best of moods. That's why you were just craving to get into bed, watch a movie and officially declare the day as over.

The faint smell of coffee on your clothes called for a shower, though.

You made your way to the bathroom, preparing some towels and pressing play on your showering playlist. Yes, you knew the walls were thin and you would probably get complains from some of your annoying neighbors. Did you care? Not at all, because what you needed in that precise moment was to destress, and what better way to do it than singing as if no one could hear you?

Well, turns out that last part was probably not true.

You were shampooing your hair, enthusiastically busting out the lyrics of "Shape of You" alongside Ed Sheeran, when you heard a voice joining you, coming from the other side of your wall. You immediately froze, your voice dying in your throat and your hands coming to a halt in your hair. A tiny bit of embarrassment came over you, when you realized that a complete stranger was actively listening to your party of one. You focused on the voice, which showed no signs of stopping whatsoever and just kept singing even though you had become silent.

Mystery Voice Person was really good at singing, you noted. After listening for a few seconds, you decided to just throw all of your embarrassment out the window and started singing along again, both of your voices mixing together to finish the song.

When the next song started playing, you were half expecting the stranger to abandon the improvised duet-thing you had going on, but the moment Ariana Grande's voice filled the room you heard a small gasp followed by the same voice singing along. You, of course, immediately joined, and admittedly became a bit jealous due to the fact that Mystery Voice Person could hit such high notes so effortlessly.

A few minutes later and to your dismay, you didn't really have a reason to stay in the shower anymore, as you had finished washing up. That meant that it was time to turn off the music, but a part of you wanted to continue singing with the stranger, however odd it was. You let the song that was already playing come to an end, hearing how the person sang the final notes, and then got out of the shower. You stopped the music, and didn't hear any other sound coming from the other side of your wall.

Turns out that Mystery Voice Person joining your impromptu shower singing session wasn't a one-time occurrence, as in the course of the next few weeks it became common to hear the sound of their voice coming from the apartment next to you.

It was like this game that you had created, where one of you would start playing music and, if the other knew the song (which was most of the time), the both of you would sing along to it. Your music taste was really similar, ranging from slow ballads to hype songs that made you want to start dancing in the spot.

With the course of time you figured out that you guys shared both your bathroom and your living room wall, so you started to play music every time you took a shower or when you had free time and were just lounging in the sofa, looking forward to seeing if the stranger would join or not. That was, if he wasn't the one playing the music first.

Sometimes, you would come home from work and hear the faint sound of a song getting louder as you neared your apartment, and a smile would take over your face when you thought of your neighbor listening to it, waiting for you to join.

It was a pretty fun dynamic, to say the least.

Even though you hadn't met this neighbor face to face, the fact that you shared something as simple as music felt special. Sometimes one of the two of you would laugh at some ridiculous song choices the other would make (Barbie Girl was part of your playlist once), and other times you would notice the other had a bad day when their music consisted of pretty sad tunes. When that happened, you always tried to cheer the other up by singing in the most awful tones you could muster, earning some heartfelt laughter in return.

You didn't feel the need to see each other in person (you never happened to meet when entering your apartments anyways), as you considered that singing together was enough. You did exchange names around a week after the first time you sang together, that being the longest conversation you had held with each other.

"So," you said while getting closer to the wall so you could be heard more clearly, pausing the song that had started playing after the last one. "We've been singing together for like a week now and I don't know your name, Mystery Voice Person."

You could hear the sound of a breathy laugh coming from the other side of the wall. "My name is Woojin, and yours?"

"I'm y/n," you said after smiling, pressing play on the song.

Woojin.

It was an ordinary day, same old routine. Getting home, putting away your belongings, preparing something to eat, and then heading to the shower while pressing play on your music.

However, you felt that something was missing that day.

During these past weeks, when you showered at that hour Woojin had joined your singing, which meant that he was usually home around that time.

However, that day you were met with complete silence from the other side of the wall.

You didn't think much of it as first, as it wasn't an obligation of some sort to always be there when the other one played music. People had lives, so Woojin was probably just busy and wasn't home. Or, he just wasn't in the mood to sing that day. Whatever it was, you just hoped he was okay.

You started to become a bit worried when four whole days had passed with no interaction with Woojin. The weird thing is you had actually heard sounds coming from his apartment, like him walking or moving stuff around. You weren't about to go knock on his door and ask him what was going on, because it wasn't like you had an official agreement to what you were doing and you guys definitely weren't friends. Right? You were just neighbors who happened to really like singing together.

On the fifth day of you not hearing any singing from Woojin, you happened to be released from work early and decided to use that time to relax a bit; maybe take a bath, go for a walk or watch something on Netflix while munching on some food. You ultimately decided on the latter, grabbing some snacks from the kitchen and heading towards the living room, ready to just plop down on the sofa and not move from that position for at least a few hours.

It was when you heard the muffled sound of someone crying that you stopped in your tracks, focusing your attention solely on finding out where it was from.

It sounded like it was coming from the direction of Woojin's apartment.

Food abandoned on the coffee table, you didn't lose one more second and got closer to the wall, moving over to the spot where the crying could be heard more clearly. You softly placed your hands on the surface, wondering if it would be appropriate to say something or not.

"... Woojin?" you asked, loud enough to be heard from the other side of the wall but still trying to sound gentle.

The crying seemed to stop for a moment, before Woojin answered.

"Um." It sounded like he was trying to compose himself, followed by a sniffle. "Yes?"

"Are you ok?" You obviously knew he wasn't, but what else could you ask? You weren't about to demand him to tell you what was wrong.

Another sniffle. "Yeah, don't worry about me."

Hell, how could you not be worried when he practically disappeared from your sort-of-friendship without notice, and now he was there, sounding like he was having a hard time?

"Hey, I know we don't really know each other but... If you need someone to talk to, I'm here." After a few moments, you added "Even if it's through the wall."

A few seconds passed in complete silence, and then you heard some movement on the other side.

When Woojin spoke again, his voice sounded much closer, as if he had moved right next to where you were standing. "Um..." He seemed to hesitate for a moment. "It's just that I talked with my parents and they aren't very pleased with the idea of me studying music. They think that it's an unstable career, that I'm not good enough for it, that I'm not going to earn enough money... You know the drill." He sighed.

Well shit.

"Oh... That sucks, not gonna lie." You were able to hear a small chuckle.

"Yeah, so that's why I distanced myself from music for a bit, I'm really confused and thinking if I should just change majors completely." He sounded defeated.

"Woojin, your parent's opinions aren't yours. Do you love it? Do you love music?"

"Yes." He didn't hesitate.

"There you go. That's what matters in the end, the only path you should take is the one that makes you happy. If they see how hard you work for it and how much passion you put into music, maybe they'll see how important it is to you and they'll change their minds. Or maybe they won't, but you'll still have other people supporting you for who you truly are." You stopped your motivational speech for a second, waiting to see if he would say something. He didn't, so you continued. "And you definitely have the talent to study music, trust me. You shouldn't abandon it, as it sounds like you were meant for it."

A few more seconds of silence passed, when you heard him start crying again, and you panicked.

"Wait, did I say something wrong? I'm sorry! Woojin? What's wrong?"

"No, it's just... I really needed to hear that."

You visibly relaxed, and smiled. "Tell me if I'm overstepping, but you sound like you need a tight hug right now, and I'm happy to provide."

You heard the sound of steps getting softer by the second, followed by a door opening and closing. You held your breath in anticipation, just as the sound of your door bell ringing filled your apartment.

Rapidly heading towards your front door, you opened it to reveal a red-eyed, messy haired Woojin. You instantly opened your arms in invitation, and he was quick to wrap his own around you.

It was the first time you were seeing him in person, which meant that you would be able to stop imagining how he looked like every time his beautiful voice reached your ears. You weren't able to catch many details about him as he was currently hugging you, but you noted that he was pretty tall, your face barely reaching his shoulder, and that the smell of his cologne was very pleasant.

You stayed in that position for a few more seconds, and you tried to convey as much support in that hug as you could. He then pulled away, and quickly reached to rub at his eyes with the end of his hoodie's sleeve (he had actual sweater paws).

"Wow, I can't believe this is our first time officially meeting and I'm crying my eyes out." He laughed, and you followed.

"Hey, we've listened to each other's sad playlists, I'd say there's nothing to be embarrassed of after that."

"True, true."

"Are you feeling any better?" You softly asked.

"Definitely... You're right, I need to do what makes me happy, and that's definitely music. I just need a way to deal with my parents." He grimaced.

"You can think about that later, how about we stop standing in my doorway and you come inside to watch something on the TV to distract yourself? At least for a while," you offered.

He didn't hesitate to nod. "But only if we're watching a comedy or something, I can't handle any more crying right now."

You let out a chuckle. "You're picking, then." You moved to the side to let him inside your apartment.

And that's how you found yourself sitting in the sofa with Woojin, movie forgotten in the background as you both got to know each other over a huge bowl of popcorn.

Who knew you would be able to get to know someone over the fact that you sang songs together from two different apartments, only separated by a thin wall?

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soaringsearingphoenix · 5 years ago

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7, 14, 16, 23! also ILY!

Hiiiiii alluy ily too!!!!!

7. A song that you love from a genre you don’t usually like

Gotta be Waltz about Whiskey by Mandolin Orange. It’s not exactly fair to say country is a genre i don’t like anymore; I didn’t listen to country because my parents didn’t, and I didn’t know any songs I liked, but now that I’ve made more of a point to listen it’s grown on me. Still, if you told me any component of this song it wouldn’t be the type i usually go for — if you said “it’s a slow country song about love and alcohol” i would be like wow the only part you got right for my usual tastes was “song”. But someone recommended this when i asked for melancholy songs and ive gone back and listened to it more than a few times. It’s just one of those sweet ones.

14.A song to sing to the sun

I have been thinking about this all day. It’s! It’s so specific. I love the sun. I’m trying to find a song with the right feeling. I might have to make a playlist. For now though, I mean, it has sun in the title, Golden Sun by Hotel Eden is one of those songs I feel so joyful listening to, and it’s close to the celebratory feeling I’m going for. To sing to the sun though?

In the dawn I think it is Beautiful by Christina Aguilera, and in the evening it is Warmth of the Sun by the Beach Boys.

In second grade we learned the song Bless Us All in music class (link to the Muppets Christmas Carol version) and I loved it a lot. I would sing it out on the playground, trying to catch the moments when the clouds parted with the line ‘the sun comes up’, and just watching the sky shift the way its light was cast across the field. So i guess that is a song I have sang to the sun.

Now that I’m thinking about it, I did a lot of singing on the playground. If my friends were playing a game i wasn’t interested in, or if they were home sick, I was happy to wander the blacktop on my own, weaving my way in circles around the puddles and singing little songs I made up to the rhythm of my footsteps. I hadn’t thought about it for a while, actually, but I still know the lyrics to my rainy day song. I mean, they’re pretty simple

Make the sun come out today, to play

If you don’t, it will be so gray

Make the sun come out today

I thought I might make uo more verses but I never really did. Sometimes I’d sing it back to back with other simple one-verse songs, but they were always just that, other separate songs in my mind.

I don’t think all sun songs have words, though. I think sometimes the songs you sing to the sun are the feeling that you get when you’re standing out facing it, eyes closed to its brilliance and perfectly content in the warmth. It’s when you just had an argument with your roommate the same week you’re going through a breakup, and your other roommate just went through a breakup too, and finals are next week, and your sleep schedule is a mess from pulling two all-nighters to get that 40-page research essay done, and you take a walk around the lake alone and buzzing with a frantic energy, and your song rises into the air with the first bars of color in the sky, the first sunrise you’ve seen in years. I think it’s when you’ve been in the house all day, working yourself into an overstimulated doldrum, and you set your phone down and step outside into the afternoon heat but even through the heavy press of summer, seeing the sunlight makes your head feel just a little bit clearer. It’s when little beams of light filter in through the kitchen window, catching on the glass jars you’ve washed and left to dry for some upcoming project, and as you walk by, your vision glitters with beads of refracted color.

When you sing to the sun then, you just take a deep breath and call out

Anyways, I also like Suddenly I See by K T Tunstall, I think that has a cheery loving vibe.

16.A song that you like that romanticises being a teenager

My first thought was Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard. It feels good to listen to. And i first heard it when I was 16 and it felt so right to be sleeping all day and staying up at night. Maybe it’s on my mind again because my sleep schedule is wild right now lmao

23.A song that when you listen to it you’re transported to a liminal space, time is pointless and you must sit and wallow in the void that remains

I have... a couple for this, for slightly different moods. A Self Called Nowhere by They Might Be Giants is a powerful one for me, i zone right out when it comes on. It’s one of those songs that I visualize the lyrics to more than most. Time Machine by Tally Hall came on once when i was driving home at 3am along a slightly-but-not-entirely unfamiliar route and I didn’t see anyone else on the road for almost the entire drive, and every light i hit was green, and I straight up felt like I’d made a wrong turn into another dimension and not realized it until two minutes away from my house i hit a red and a single other car passed in front of me at the very end of it. I’d known and liked the song before, but that cemented it in my mind as something I associate with the surreal. Then there’s Gopher Guts by Aesop Rock. I really like a lot of Aesop Rock songs, but while the other two songs I mentioned put me in liminal surroundings, this one in particular transports me to the liminal space I hold inside myself where the Self is something i observe as an outsider but can never escape. Plus it’s full of alliteration. It’s a good song.

#thanks for asking!#i miss u alloy we gotta hang out when this is done #get some boba with me #long post

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jae-canikeepyou · 6 years ago

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| connecting | j.jh

pairing: jaehyun x fem!reader genre: fluff a/n: i was really excited to write this since it was inspired by my fave disney movie “tangled” ! hope you enjoy reading ^^ still thinking if there should be a part two(?) for this. let me know!! :D

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

the sun rose just in time at the moment you opened your eyes. a new morning, a new day, and a new hope. shockingly though, the alarm clock did not do its job. that meant you had to place new ones if it was the batteries. the smell of bacon made you up on your toes, leading you downstairs to the garden.

on most days and most often, you stayed at the tree house your uncle had built. it kind of became your permanent room rather than the one you had at the actual house. you lived at the countryside. not exactly though. when you moved houses, it partially felt like it was a forest, fresh air and greenery.

oh the sound of the raw meat sizzling was making you drool as you saw your mother— stepmother, to be precise, smiling as she told you to sit with her. “only bacon would make you step out of that tree house.”

“ah well, it’s my little paradise after all.” you eyed her with a grin on your face. your stepmother raised you as her own since your birth parents, didn’t really know how to care for an infant. your father was blind and needed assistance; and your mother cared for you a little while but eventually left for another man. so your stepmother came into the picture at the time before you even turned one. “i get to do things i want without being disturbed.”

“that’s alright. an artist like you need space and quiet. how many canvases have you painted on?” she asked as she plated your meal, getting the meat from the grill.

you took a bite almost immediately from the serving tong. a joking but soft scoff escaped from your mother’s lips. “mom, there’s too many that i lost count. but remember the huge boxes you got for me on christmas? yeah one of those are close to be full of em’.”

“oh wow, you have to show me your masterpieces.” she clapped her hands together. she checked her watch, only to jump slightly at the time. “i’ll be late for the flight.”

“you’re leaving, mom?” you asked, a tiny complain from you made her giggle.

“it’s a business trip again, sweetie. i’ll be back in four days.” she cooed you with a tight hug.

“but you’ll miss my birthday.” you sighed, placing the plate down onto the wooden table.

“i’ll make it up to you when i get back, alright?” she pecked your forehead before leaving you. “see you in three days. love you my princess.”

hardworking as she always was, your stepmother would often go overseas for meetings since she worked with a company that required a translator. and apparently she was ranked at the top category, so the demand for her was quite high.

“love you too mom!” you yelled back.

you finished your meal and headed back to the tree house to continue with painting the canvases. the paintings you started, were something you hoped your father could be able to admire. he never got to see the world, the people, the beauty, and you.

the childhood you had was something you remembered; still so fresh, as if it was yesterday. the house that was passed on from your father’s side ultimately became a shelter of nightmare. the word cancer was foreign to the teen you, definitely out of your vocabulary. you needed explanation as to why your father had gotten it, and why he had to leave the earth early. it had been three years after all.

not long since you began to paint almost half way onto the third canvas, the radio you were listening to blasted the playlist with your favorite boy group; that alone kept you hyped up, nearly knocking down several acrylic paint bottles over. the music moved your toes, then your legs, eventually your whole body. even your hair swayed in motion, as if the wind had blown it.

“i just wish i could get to see them live.” you sighed, colors you puto onto the canvas blended with your emotions. “ugh, i’m so senti.” (sentimental). the clock showed quarter to four, it already had been hours since mother left.

the once upbeat vibe came to a halt when you heard a couple of boys yelling with bicycle bells ringing. it also seemed like one was being chased too. you scoffed as you went to take a peek off of the window. they ruined your moment of jamming. the yells were increasing when the half of your body was out of the window. you saw a couple of figures at the far distance of your front yard.

a ruffle from the bush that was near your tree house gave a sound of light crash. a bell rang from it too. was it a bicycle? as you further your body look at the bush on the just on the left side of the tree house, your sight suddenly came to a dim.

your body met with a boy with pink hair. as your eyes kept closed, bracing yourself for the impact, you knew his body slammed into yours and for sure you heard his honey-like voice. “nghh agh!” he gasped as his body was on top of yours, but your head rested on something you assumed it was his hands.

the light from the sun made you open your eyes. the pink haired boy smiled sheepishly and the first you noticed was his ears.

“can you get off me?” you asked sternly.

“oh my g- i’m so sorry!” he stood up as he dusted his clothes. the yells from the boys grew louder, making the pink haired boy flinch at their presence. you took a peek at the front yard, around four boys on their bikes, looking for someone. “ugh man, they chased me until here?” he took a peek as well and hissed at what he saw, before sitting back down by the bottom of the window.

“you know i could report you for trespassing.” you stood up, pointing your paintbrush at him.

he had his hands up in the air as if he was caught by the police. “hold up now i don’t want my shirt to be dirtied.” he said. “i’ll explain later but is it okay if i hide here for a while, maybe for tonight too?” he asked as his eyes trailed off.

you wanted to refuse but girl, his dimples showed and to be honest, you thought guys with dimples were the most sweetest. how could you resist him? especially as of right now, he was smiling at you, clearly embarrassed. but after all, he was a stranger and interrupted your jam session. “i don’t normally allow strangers here, let alone you.” you furrowed your brows.

“ah c’mon! with a face like this?” he suddenly pouted— no, was that a smoulder? gross. “look, i’m having a rough day today and i really need a breather-”

“then i think a breather for you would be outside?” you pushed him to the window, his footsteps hit the wooden floor with such impact at the force he received.

“hey hey hey! watch it!” he yelled with his palms touching the edge of the window. “do you want me to die?!”

“i don’t see why not?” your attempt to push him stopped as the radio continued to play the playlist you were listening earlier. “ooh yay!” you hopped back to your paintings.

the pink haired boy eyed you with confusion. “girls have such weird mood swings.” he walked up to you, mouthing the lyrics to the song.

“you know them??” you turned around to the boy. “man i love them!” you felt yourself heating up realising the boy still climbed your tree house. “i- i like them..” you cleared your throat.

“i can tell.” he laughed at you.

“anyway, you have to leave.” you pushed the boy to the door. not the window this time.

“please, can i stay here for tonight? i can’t have my buds chasing me like i’m a prey.” he sighed. his tone made you wonder how a pretty boy like him could utter such cute tantrums.

he sat down at the table by the door, taking a sip from your cup. you crossed your arms at how he felt so homey immediately after invading someone’s property. “why were you being chased?” you questioned with curiosity. the boy seemed desperate to hide and you had to hear him reason out.

“i skipped rehearsal yesterday.. and today. told them i wanted a break because we’ve been practicing non-stop.” he walked to your hanging cradle chair and sat on it. an long exhale escaped from him. you eyed him from head to toe. his whole body worn out with slight shakes.

“i’ll let you stay..” you said, the boy’s eyes beamed with life.

“yes! haha! thank you so much!” he placed his hands at the back of his head.

“..with one condition.” you continued.

“anything for you, miss..?” he now stood up and walked up to the window where he had entered earlier.

“y/n. my name’s y/n.” you said, blending the colors for the last time before actually stopping for the day.

“y/n.. i’m yoonoh.” his voice trailed off but with a tone of amusement. “what’s your condition then?

the amphitheatre at the distance’s horizon caught your eye as you looked at the view. you remembered your mother’s words: “only bacon would make you step out of that tree house.” funny fact though, food was the only way to make you go out of your residence’s area. as you made up your mind, your sigh caught his attention. “see that park with that shade thing flying above it?” you asked.

the boy turned to the direction you had told him. he squinted for a clearer and distinct view, where it shortly came into his sight. “yeah, the amphitheatre. what about it?”

“i want you to bring me there.” you smiled, making yoonoh do the same. his response was a tilt of a head. you exhaled before continuing. “tomorrow evening, that ampitheatre will light up in colors. it does that every year. i want to see it in person, like how it’s special.”

“it does, yeah. you haven’t been to the city?” yoonoh asked, his arms crossed.

“never. i’ve haven’t seen the city since i moved here and when i was a wee baby. more of i didn’t want to because i tend to limit myself from seeing the world.” you opened up to him as you tidied your art supplies.

“why is that? there’s more to see out there! i can tour you if you like.” his dimples showed again.

your body hesitated for a while, lips tried to find words to answer him. “my father was blind. he never got to see the world’s beauty, so i thought i’d do the same, y’know, experience things he did and understand him. now that he’s passed, maybe there’s benefit from a different point of view. my hearing got sensitive, in a good way.”

yoonoh stayed silent, respecting your words. he didn’t want you to stay caged in here any longer. “coming from someone who hasn’t seen outside beauty, you’ve got great imaginations.” he pointed to the wall of canvases. “i’ll bring you to the amphitheatre, first thing in the morning.”

to think that you would step foot to the lands of the city made your stomach churn. the whole experience would be something new. yoonoh sat back at the hanged cradle chair, taking several selfies at different angles, and there was no signs of stopping any sooner. you let him be, he looked tired anyway. his sweats slid down from the temples, and as he wiped them, he caught you looking at him. “i know i’m handsome.” he said. cheeky fella’, but he ain’t lying.

luckily though, the tree house had an extra room besides the one you both were in now. your uncle had included it in the design if you had friends over. yoonoh could stay there even if it was a little cramped. he wouldn’t complain, would he? the day seemed to end quickly; with three completed paintings and endless conversations with your ‘new-found friend’? wait you weren’t there yet. he was someone you had met accidentally.

maybe sometimes accidents can lead to something new.

#jung jaehyun #nct 127 #jung yoonoh #nct #nct jaehyun #jaehyun #jaehyun nct #jaehyun au #jaehyun writings #jaehyun scenarios #nct writings #nct scenarios #jaehyun oneshot

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heartcravings · 6 years ago

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50 Questions Tag!

@jongin-be-my-jagi tagged me for this a while ago, but I took my sweet time to answer. Here is my secret intel if you want to know me a little bit more!! Check hers as well, she’s an amazing writer and friend. 1. What takes up too much of your time? Tumblr, my stupid procrastination prone brain and my thesis.

2. What makes your day better? Friends and loved ones, music and these absolute dorks (Channie especially)

3. What’s the best thing that happened to you today? I hopped on the mat today in the early hours of the morning, rain on my window and the neighbours cat peeking at me from his window across the street.

4. What fictional place would you like to go to? Wonderland, bacause it’s “curiouser and curiouser!”

'Who are you?' said the Caterpillar. Alice replied, rather shyly, 'I — I hardly know, sir, just at present — at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.'

5. Are you good at giving advice? I think so. Not so good at following my own advice though. I do always consider where the other is standing and if I don’t know how to proceed then I’ll just be honest and say I can’t help. But i’ll always listen with my heart.

6. Do you have any mental illnesses? Not diagnosed. I do think i might be going through something now.

7. Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis? No, but i have a recurring nightmare: the world is made of black and white paper thin layers. I am a paper thin person walking along a street surrounded by paper thin buildings. I walk for a long time, looking up at the white sky. Until the street ends, there is no more building and i fall into the abyss of a blank page. I have had this dream since the age of 8 or 9 years old. Fear of not being good enough, you say?! Ding, ding, ding!! We got a winner in the back! 8. What musician inspired you the most? I get inspired by music all the time!! One of my all time favourite songs is Spanish Sahara by Foals. Its sublime!

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So I’d say I’m mainly inspired by these artists: Queen, Arctic Monkeys, Foals, Radiohead, Bowie, Daughter, Bob Dylan, Beirut, Yeah yeah yeahs, Arcade Fire, The National, Joy Division, Blur, Warpaint, Gorillaz, Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver, Chet Baker, The Cure, Courtney Barnett, The Maccabees, Car Seat Headrest, Florence + The Machine, Editors, Kasabian, Crystal Fighters, Death Cab for a cutie, The Doors, Efterklang, Explosions in the Sky, Franz Ferdinand, The Horrors, James Blake, José Gonzalez, Los Campesinos!, Metronomy, Nick Cave, Nina Simone, Patrick Watson, Phoenix, Sharon Van Etten, The Shins, Simon & Garfunkel, The Smiths, St.Vincent, The Strokes, Toro y Moi, tricot, Tune-Yards, TV on the radio, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Vaccines, Vampire Weekend, The Velvet Underground, The War on Drugs, Wild Beasts and Yo La Tengo.

And the electro, pop and hip-hop groves of my heart: EXO, 2NE1, Janelle Monáe, Big Bang, Kris Wu,LCD soundsystem, SBTRKT, Childish Gambino, Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar and Daft Punk.

And special mentions to the portuguese ones (learning from yixing and promoting when i can :P): Capicua, Joana Espadinha, The Legendary Tigerman, Linda Martini, Mayra Andrade, Noiserv, Ornatos Violeta, Paus, Samuel Uria, You Can’t Win Charlie Brown and The Silence 4. I know, tldr right? Sorry folks! 9. Have you ever fallen in love? Yes I have. I have mistaken a crush for love too. But i have definitely been very deeply in love. A wrecked kintsugi heart over here people! 10. What’s your dream date? I don’t think I have one. I’d love to do something unique with that someone special, something special for the two of us. It could be as simple as riding the subway while sharing earphones & listening to our playlist or walking the dogs out! Idk, I’m easy to please. But right now it would have to be with this handsome man :D pretty please?!

11. What do others notice about you? I am very kind and warm hearted, so I think that’s what people first notice when meeting me. Although I maintain good eye contact, I am also timid and will be quieter if there are very energetic people in the group. When alone, I usually take the first step and try to meet people, but only if i really must. 12. What’s an annoying habit you have? It’s really hard for me to ask for help. I also like to tell detailed descriptions of everything... Couldn’t you tell? 13. Do you still talk to your first love? I’ll text him on his birthday and he does the same to me. We met when we were 10 years old and that childhood friendship remains. But regarding my one and truly deep relationship, no we do not talk, unless we randomly meet.

14. How many exes do you have? I have three exes. The first love who was just an idealized crush on my childhood friend: we dated for 2 weeks during summer break xD Then my first real boyfriend, we met in my first year at university, dated for quite some time, he really loved me and made me love myself a little more. Finally the one i loved too much. I mended his wounds and made him love himself as much as I did. I always say all the love we feel makes our hearts grow bigger. I do not regret loving any of them, I am me now due to them and I would not change it if I could. 15. How many songs are in your playlist? I have way too many playlists for each and every mood... But my favourite songs list on spotify has about 1500 songs! uwu! 16. What instruments can you play? Triangles and flute?! I had mandatory music classes in school... so in reality I can’t really play a instrument...

17. Who do you have the most pictures of? Probably my cat, Sushi. With a second close of my doodles and sketches.

18. Where would you like to go before you die? EVERY WHERE!!! But I really want to go to Japan and Scotland and Iceland and South Korea and New Zealand and i’ll shut up. 19. What’s your zodiac? Capricorn. 20. Do you relate to it? Sort of.

21. What is happiness to you? You know when it’s really cold outside in the winter and you manage to find a sheltered place where no wind can hit you and you still get to feel the warm rays of the winter suns on your skin? You hear the birds outside and you are contempt in that moment, at peace. That is happiness to me. 22. Are you going through anything right now? Yes, I am a bit lost. Trying to finish my thesis and trying to find what I want to do after. It’s liberating but also pretty scary. 23. What’s the worst decision you ever made? It’s a series of small decisions really. It started with going for a phd with the same people i worked in my msc. Should have gone to a different place. Then deciding to come home after a traumatic loss in the family. Should have kept my life going but I stalled it then. (I don’t regret helping my loved ones though).

24. What’s your favourite store? Probably Wishtrend for beauty stuff. Other than that I don’t have any favourite brands/stores. 25. (HALFWAY!) What’s your opinion on abortion? I think everyone is free to decide what they want or need to do. I couldn’t possible judge. If I would it? Probably not.

27. Do you have a favourite album? I don’t think so, I have favourite tunes for different moods and moments in my life. But if threatened with my life, I’d maybe say Total Life Forever from Foals.

28. What do you want for your birthday? It’s such a long time until my birthday comes! But maybe a real EXO ot9 reunion as a goodbye to Minseok?

29. What is most people’s first impression of you? Friendly and easy to open up to, i think.

30. What age do you seem according to most people? In real life, people usually think I am way younger than I am. 31. Where do you keep your phone when you’re sleeping? In the crook of my bed, between the mattress and the bed frame.

32. What word do you say the most? No idea really! 33. What’s the oldest age you’d date? 40s? I don’t think too much about age actually.

34. What’s the youngest age you’d date? 20s? Again not very important to me. Love is love, whomever, whenever and wherever <3

35. What job / career do most people say would suit you? I don’t know! People always say i don’t totally fit in anything... so there’s that. If you have an idea please let me know! 36. What’s your favourite music genre? Go back to question 8. I listen to everything! :D 37. If you could live in any country in the world where would it be? I’d like to live around the world, every few months a different place and get to know different cultures.

38. What is your current favourite song? I’ve been obsessed with RM’s intro/teaser song, Map of the Soul: Persona. (I’m not even a bts fan, but this music and lyrics just touched me a lot.)

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39. How long have you had this blog for? I think for about 6 years? It’s my personal space, where I dump all my obsessions.

40. What are you excited for? I’m visiting some friends in Granada in a couple of weeks. Yay, tapas!

41. Are you a better talker or listener? Normally I am a better listener. But there are a few people to whom i open like a book. Either words flow right out of me without even thinking or they see throw me. Those truly are my people.

42. What is the last productive thing you did? Prepped meals and cleaned the kitchen. Open the folder and file of my thesis. Read the latest chapter I wrote. 43. What do you want for Christmas? Well, just like for my birthday, there is still such a long time to it! But let’s say i want to have already finish this part of my life and want to find my next adventure.

44. What class do you get the best grades in? No more exams! Ehehe! But I used to have good grades at everything. Physical Education was my lowest mark i think.

45. On a scale of 1-10 how do you feel right now? Right now, a 4? I have a headache.

46. What can you see yourself doing in 10 years? Smiling? :D I want to be happy in my own skin. To feel contempt in my life, doing something that gives me a sense of purpose and having time to share and enjoy with my friends and family. 47. When did you get your first heartbreak? Oh my kintsugi heart has been broken quiet a lot. By friends and lovers and even by myself. I keep patching it up with gold dreams though. 48. At what age do you wanna be married? I will only want to be married if i find the one. So until then I guess.

49. What career did you want to have as a child? I wanted to be an astronaut and a ballerina. Preferably both!

50. What do you crave right now? Just sitting somewhere and listening to Yeol play the guitar.

Well i finished it! :D I’ll tag @thedeviousdo @ohsenhun @hongseok and @paepsi. I’d love to read yours! Feel free to dismiss it though, it is quite a lot. Lots of love everyone!! <3 <3 <3

#50 questions tag #personal #sam's ramblings #mutuals #hope you enjoy reading about boring old me :)#it's very long i know! i talk too much

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musicmixtapes · 6 years ago

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September 26, 2018 Mix

This week as I was curating the playlist, I got to thinking a lot about the way that our mood at a particular moment affects the music we choose to listen to. Some people say that they pick music the opposite of their mood to counteract a bad day, some choose to delve into that feeling and get in touch with it. I, being the latter, am having a memory ridden, reflective sort of week, so I chose songs that talk about the past a little bit and how they can influence the present/future. I hope you enjoy and find something that suits your mood.

Spotify Playlist 1. Planet Hunter by Wolf Alice - This song is all about trying to recreate memories of something or with someone that happened awhile back, events which were really positive, but they cannot be rehabilitated. The artist reminds me of if Taylor Swift had not become a pop music sellout and instead taken a dark moody indie music route, and well, the results are stunning because she creates a depth of feeling to the music that most pop cannot do, in my opinion. The part I relate to the most that struck me was the repeated phrase of "I left my mind behind in 2015" which reaches a point where we, as listeners, realize that there are peaks in our lives that we wish to return to, especially at some of our valleys. I love this because it is an upbeat song about feeling out of place in the present, which is really fascinating. 2. St. Paul by Ritchy Mitch & The Coal Miners - Honestly, the piano that tinkles into a wonderful melody/rift in the beginning has to be the most alluring part of this song, which eventually becomes a much bigger feeling as it continues on. There aren't many striking piano-driven songs these days, so I was impressed with that along with the fact that this song clearly disses a saint, yet doesn't seem offensive in the slightest because it is so personal and not an attack on anything but oneself's feelings. The instrumentals and their uncertainty directly correlate with the restlessness of the lyrics and the crunchy sound of the singer's vocals; we love to see a parallel of the sound of the music to the actual meaning behind the song. All the literary techniques used to write a song is the reason why our ears are so attuned to it. 3. Window by Nana Grizol - Going along with the recurring theme of memories and the past, this song is literally a metaphor for a window looking into the past of what something once was. The defining line of this song comes when the singer refers to the window of the past and saying that "we can lift them/and focus on the moments that we lift in" which is a beautiful shift in tone from a reminiscent tune to one that look towards changing for the better and leaving the memories (whether good, bad or ugly) behind for someone else to revolve around. The artist, Nana Grizol, often covers really broad topics, such as negative feelings, the passing of time, moving on in a really succinct way that reaches an audience who needs to hear mantras in a refreshing way. I like to think of this song as a meditative yoga for the ears, please practice daily. 4. Solitary Daughter by Bedouine - I found this song in the most interesting way, so here it is: I was in the Mcnally Jackson bookstore on Prince Street in the city, rifling through the poetry section (as one does) and stumbled upon a book that transcribed songs into poems and included commentary from other writers and from the artists themselves, in a lot of cases. Reading these lyrics as a poem in a book was so thrilling because I often talk a lot about how some songs are really just poetry set to music, and in this case, other people must have thought so too. This piece is incredible in its way of speaking about a woman not needing someone to rely on or anything to sustain her, except for her own self, her home is herself, which is so liberating to both hear and read. I highly recommend reading the lyrics alongside listening. 5. Chemicals by Gregory Alan Isokov - Off of his brand new EP "Dark, Dark, Dark" which was released not but six days ago, is this peaceful and meaningful acoustic folky ballad by a personal favorite of mine. This piece is especially interesting because it plays off of the notion of the different ways in which chemicals can affect a person's body, kind of like the way a person who is really important in one's life can do the same. An image that I love to see showing up in art is the trope of hands trying to reach one another, whether it be in the "Creation of Adam" or an old film. This song plays with this lost hands imagery, in the line "how my hands can't seem to find your hands in the dark", which if I wasn't already in love with the song, sealed the deal for me 100%. Definitely check out the other two tracks off of the EP, they are wonderful as well. 6. Slipped by The National - This week's mix all began with this one sad ballad by my current favorite group and it just built off of this. I cannot express with words, on paper or in person, how much I am tethered to the lyrics of this song. Something about the raw and honest way that this was strung together speaks to a person who is done with being vulnerable to someone who has no intention in showing hidden parts of themselves back. In this narrative song, the speaker is talking to a girl who left the city to go to a more rural area in the South, thus separating the two, and telling how tragic it is to break away from something when he could not be what she wanted him to be. This is a solemn and intense vow to oneself that they will not break down and fall apart because of a love ending, this is another mantra. 7. We're So Lost by Voom - Upon first instinct, I would like to classify this song under tracks I would listen to whilst laying under the stars and thinking about our existence in such a big place or while slow dancing with someone and contemplating what is going on. But now, even in a good mood this song makes sense because no matter how you feel in terms of being in this world, everyone can agree that we have no idea what we're doing most of the times and are mere beings that are floating through time and space, trying to determine why we were placed here in the first place. In some ways, this can be thought of as a slow rock philosophical crisis song, or you can just love it because of the waltz like beauty of it. Your choice. 8. Fuck Love by Lalić - I definitely expected a cynical, bitter, anger driven song when looking at the title, but if I can say any cliché here, it's don't judge a song (book) based on its title (cover). If anything, it's more of a love song, explaining that the speaker has no real reason to be saying things like "fuck love". I think this is interesting because oftentimes, people don't like to be honest with themselves about their emotions, so instead they put up their walls immediately and turn to sarcastic, defensive comments like "i hate everyone" "love suck" or.... "fuck love". Being one of these people, this song opens up that term and exposes us hate poseurs who are very sensitive and truly love to love. The low fi rock sounds with a strong guitar line is nice to hear as well. 9. Blood Bank by Bon Iver - He is so detailed in his description of bags of blood, I have to believe that he actually had a conversation with someone he loved at a blood bank, discussing the differences between people's blood... which is... interesting. It is also vital to this song to understand that the two separate memories he tells about are very closely related because he is explaining the variability of relationships and how to decide whether it is prudent to enter into an affair or to be your own person and indulge in lonely behavior. Of course, it never hurts to be told really emotional things like this with Bon Iver's delicate crooning and layered harmonies that build throughout with such simple complexity, unmatched by other singers in his genre. 10. How It Gets In by Frightened Rabbit ft. Julien Baker - Your first question after listening may very well be "how what gets in?" as my first question was this exact thing. Maybe what gets in is this undeniably wonderful call and response song along with angelic harmonies. But maybe, what gets in, at least in terms of this song, is the literal healing of an open wound and how to properly dress it and make sure it doesn't get infected, or at least that was what was accounted by the singers in question. I interpreted the song to be a recounting and lesson on how love can come into one's life in unexpected places, and how just because there was hurt and pain in the heart for a long time, does not mean it has to stay that way forever. 11. NFWMB by Hozier - This acronym is probably the smartest thing I have experienced in a song's title in a long time: NFWMB is really Nothing Fucks With My Baby, expressed in a classy way, courtesy of the forest prince and love of my life, Andrew Hozier-Byrne. As always, there are several biblical references and apocalyptic death metaphors, which always leaves me feeling very confused and inspired at the same time. The very jazz and blues influenced low key rock song is so different from other love songs that it kind of creates its own category in that sense. It is described by others as "the love song for the end of the world" therefore going back to my feelings of apocalypse, decay and biblical tellings. 12. One In A Million by Hudson Taylor - "You gotta be cruel if you wanna be kind" ok this just hit me way too hard and true. The only way I even discovered this artist is actually because they are opening up for the Hozier concert I am attending tonight and now I am super excited to see them perform as the opening act as well. They remind me of a toned down version of The Kooks in a lot of shared vocals and chord progressions and upbeat instrumentals, except they are a duo hailing from Ireland and they classify themselves a folk band, though the punk/alternative rock influences found in this song are undeniably present. Also present is the message of knowing someone doesn't care about you the way you care about them and needing to be released from that sort of madness... cool. 13. Into The Mystic by Van Morrison - I'm probably not introducing anybody to this song for the first time right now and certainly not the last, but something about the changing of the seasons and the shift of weather from summer to autumn calls out to the mystical and slow dance vibe that this classic and iconic folky rock song inspires. There is absolutely nothing better than the buildup from quiet lull to the horn heavy chorus and interlude that just makes you want to stop and dance wherever you are in your day. Another musical aspect that is highly appreciated by yours truly is the intricate acoustic guitar rift that is taken and shifted into a lot of newer acoustic based songs that we hear all the time these days. The past influences the present and the present is heard in the past all the time, especially in music. 14. Size Of The Moon by Pinegrove - Shifting into a more heavy punk, angst themed style of music is this memory driven song which tells us about a time where the speaker is thinking on the communication issues that occurred in a relationship and how they could have easily been remedied, but there was no effort on the other half's side. From an interpretation of the song, one person smartly said, "It’s really easy to indulge in nostalgia when you’re at a rocky part of a relationship. Suddenly everything appears better than the present, no matter how imperfect those times were." I have to concur with this notion because our perception of the past changes over time and when we miss someone, at times, we look at bad memories and they even start to seem better than being alone... but they are not. 15. Kathleen by Catfish and the Bottlemen - Another song geared towards a relationship not working out the way it's supposed to is from a band that is one of my all time favorites. Their comical British style of lyrics is so appealing to my American way of thinking of things and the heartfelt honesty heard in their songs play along quite nicely with the super power rock style in which they are written. This tune in specifics, is not about the past, but the present and trying to reflect on what is going on in the "now" which is a really complicated thing to try and do, when you are infatuated with someone. The instability is heard not just in the lyrics, but also in the interchanging chords of the electric guitar and the fast paced anxiety ridden drumbeat, which is awesome.. 16. Holland, 1945 by Neutral Milk Hotel - This band is one of the weirdest, coolest ones that only the people who love grating vocals and intense lyrics can truly appreciate to the desired capacity. The whole album, from the 90s, "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea" depicts the story of Anne Frank and the tragedies behind what happened to such an innocent person, along with her youthful romance and how it all devolved in such a short time. A lot of fans of this album have also speculated that there is a second layer of meaning between the World War II references, being that is expresses the kind of tension and tragedy that occurs when you lose some so important in your life, and how the mourning of this loss can only be remedied through appreciating this person afterwards. 17. I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You by Black Kids - Okay, so I'm pretty sure that we can all understand the meaning of the song strictly through the title of this song, negating my opinion before on how you should not judge a song based on its title... well in this case, you can absolutely do that. Not only does it have the best dance tune in the world, but it is also so adorable that the singer's only common connection with the girl he is speaking about is their affinity and adeptness with dancing. Although I definitely have "two left feet" as the singer describes the boyfriend having in this song, I relate to this in terms of music. If there is a person who I really care about, the connection I automatically have is usually in a musical sense, and I am greedy about this relation. We all have something we won't teach someone else's boyfriend/girlfriend if we care about them. 18. 123 by Girlpool - I love this so much. It depicts a relationship where the speaker is asking the partner/SO to tell them everything that is wrong with them in a really sarcastic and aggressive way. It's comical and honest and vulnerable all at once which I have to give a hand for because mixing comedy with painful relationships is something that I always attempt in my writing. The song deals with an interpersonal relationship that is simultaneously “toxic and loving" as described from a contributor on Genius Lyrics, which is a website I often refer to on advice and other commentaries on music I really enjoy. The girl rock power that is disseminated with this track is so strong and empowering, for any gender, so please don't hesitate to sing this when you're feeling angsty about someone. 19. Million Years Ago by Adele - I don't think I ever really talk about my deep appreciation for Adele on here, because I try to branch out from popular artists and focus on more under-appreciated and undiscovered types; but I'm making an exception because although she is one of the most iconic voices of the modern generation, this specific song is so underrated in terms of her best songs. It sounds so french/spanish acoustic ballad inspired and makes me feel like I am transported to a black and white film from the 50s with the sadness and depth that it gives me in such a simple way. It ALSO follows along with my theme of the week, which is looking back in order to look forward, because she sings about the troubles of missing things from the past and dealing with the issues of transforming into a different person. 20. Apocalypse by Cigarettes After Sex - Finally, one of the best mixes of every song I have spoken about previously, is this moody sad love tune by the moodiest, saddest, love bands of the modern generation. There is an unspoken cheesiness of Cigs After Sex songs that for some reason, I am completely enamoured with because I feel like the notion of expressing things in a hyperbolic way has been tossed by the wayside. This group brings back the feeling of needing to tell someone how much they care and not caring about what anyone else thinks, which is important in a world that so often ridicules the ridiculous emotions that love brings about. In particular this song speaks to the feelings of needing to get someone out of a feeling they are trapped in, so to be with them fully, and telling the person they will be there in their lowest and darkest times.

Hope you enjoyed listening with me, see you next week!

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i-see-you-mendes · 7 years ago

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Shawn Mendes: The Album ~ From My Perspective

Okay guys, I’m going to need you to bare with me while I gush about this album for a second, because for me I think it’s finally sinking in.

I am extremely picky with music, and I don’t mean that in ways of genre, I grew up with three siblings, my mother and father, and both sets of grandparents who all loved music fiercely but had wildly different tastes in it.

I enjoy an oddly wide range of music, I have hundreds of favorite songs- still with all that being said a lot of them time, I will choose to play a song and dance to it, add it to my playlist, introduce it to someone else, sing it in the shower, etc. without ever really feeling connected to it.

That, for me, is what separates music that I like and music that I love.

I like a hell of a lot of music. I love, not nearly as much.

Some of you know I spent the first three months in the world of Shawn Mendes just trying to pick out one song I could feel something for beyond the, “yeah this is good, I’ll let it play.” I fell in love with Shawn’s voice and his sense of realness long before I felt anything note worthy towards his music. Which was, to say the least, interesting. I was never a kid who followed celebrities, collected albums or movies with intent, or was even remotely interested in who was behind the radio or TV screen. So I felt if I was going to take the leap into supporting someone I wanted it to be because I could be proud of their sense of self, along with what they could make me feel or remember, realize or reconsider through the things they created.

Eventually I found that one song with Shawn, which led to another, and maybe two more, but besides that I was really in it for the goofball strumming the chords who was slowly proving that you can be a Rockstar and still want to spend the day with your parents, and admit your little sister is way cooler than you.

I have only listened to this album one time through, and the entire time I was terrified because what it if I didn't like it? But it was more than that, it was “What if this time around I don’t feel anything?” Slowly over the last couple months I could feel myself starting to grow more and more apathetic towards the subject of Shawn as a whole, which is fine, people grow and change, but I knew I wasn’t ready to be done and was searching for that something to make me feel what I did the first time Ruin played with the windows open and the rain blowing in, or how the first time Hold On played I was laying in an empty dorm room, with someone I didn’t know on the bunk beneath me, away from home, realizing I had a year ahead where I would, for the most part, only be able to hear my families voice through the speaker on a phone and got the sense it would still be alright.

Anyway, I listened to it the Friday it came out, and despite being with my favorite person in the world, with glitter on my face, staring up at the glow stars on my ceiling, I couldn’t replicate those feelings. My heart dropped a little as the album ended, because was that my ceremonially goodbye to a kid whose music had been the soundtrack to my first college finals and quite a few late night shenanigans and my nephews first try at dancing as a chubby-cheeked 6month old?

I had In My Blood, which came at a time when I was breaking, and it helped to know that others hurt, but was one enough this time around?

I went to bed kind of sad, but with a sense of completion. “Well, that was a good ride Kid,” was my last thought on the matter.

“Jesus Christ, what was that lyric. That one line,” was how I woke up.

I played Like To Be You, six times just over the course of making breakfast.

And something in it found me, something that I hadn’t heard the night before, maybe because I was tired or overwhelmed or worried or simply because I’ve never been a fan of Shawn’s falsetto. Whatever I had missed, I heard this time around. For the next 24 hours I played one song. Just that one, and a new phrase, or riff, or switch in register, caught me off guard each time.

I’ve been working through the album song by song for the past week, I wake up and somehow have a lyric or a few chords stuck in my head and that’s my song for the day. I don’t know why this works for me, I don’t know why I can’t just listen to it as an album and feel the same things I do when I pull out a singular song instead, but to be honest I think I prefer it this way. Every track, even the ones I had to fight to listen through at first, are making me rethink my why I didn’t pay more attention to a certain style of music in the first place

Songs I found my self wanting to skip on the 25th I now dance to in the kitchen, I smile when I hear the opening to Particular Taste which, (no offense to any of my girls out there) I frankly could not stand 5 days ago. I catch my little brother, who has made it his mission to avoid Shawn at all costs humming melodies, and reaching for certain jumps Shawn does in chorus’ so he can better his voice. My best friend complained when I put on a Charlie song after When Your Ready yesterday to try and lighten the mood as a group of us sat and ate pizza, because she wanted to hear it again, she didn’t care if it was a more soulful song. Of course, I smiled like an idiot and told Google to play the song again

Long story short, I don’t love this album. Not yet at least, but hell if I’ve ever had an album let alone a song on the radio, keep me coming back with this type of pull. I’m feeling things I didn’t even remember I could, all inspired by a soundtrack that almost had me mistaking a reawakening for a send off.

As you can see, my heart is full. Very full. Now excuse me while I go jam to Mutual, it’s growing on me

#shawn mendes #shawn medes the album #sm3

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thingscometogether · 4 years ago

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‘ The Thing Itself ’

In college I was obsessed with the British rock band Arctic Monkeys. When I first saw them perform on Saturday Night Live in 2006 I was enchanted. My enchantment was, of course, fueled by a magnificent crush on the lead singer, Alex Turner. He was a cute, shaggy-haired boy my age with a British accent playing spikey rock music, clearly too cool to give an F about the audience he was playing to. Cupid’s arrow never struck a young heart so hard.

I listened to the band’s first album by downloading bootlegged versions of each song on Kazaa and burning my own CD. I found an EP unreleased in the US and burned that one too. I kept burning CDs until I got an iPod and then I burned out the battery in my iPod every week listening to their songs in endless loops on shuffle. Too many of my AIM ‘away’ messages were simply Turner’s cheeky lyrics copied and pasted as subtle middle fingers to a mainstream youth culture I never wanted to be a part of. I wasted lots of free time avoiding school work by reading every interview and watching every music video I could find. I went apeshit when the video for “Fluorescent Adolescent” came out and it featured a picture of Alex Turner as a boy. If he was cute at 20 years old, he was fucking adorable as a little kid.

My very first rock concert was my first Arctic Monkeys show. I stood ten feet from the stage in a now defunct rock club in Baltimore called Sonar and dreamily watched the boys course through an album’s worth of songs. To this day I swear Alex Turner made eye contact with me for about ten seconds and lost his train of thought while singing. I returned to my cousin’s apartment that night riding high on an energy and intensity I had never quite felt before.

The next morning as I drove home from Baltimore I got caught in a traffic jam, but I didn’t care. I had Arctic Monkeys blaring on the speakers of my mom’s Ford Windstar. The music was so loud the people next to me could hear it even though I had the windows rolled up. I was dancing and banging my head and singing at the top of my lungs -- I was having my own rock concert in the driver’s seat in the middle of I-70. But by the time the traffic jam loosened and I was on my way again, I was exhausted. I wanted to lie down and sleep. My brain was a rapid-firing mess of overcharged signals, and I needed to shut it off. I drove the rest of the way home in silence trying with effort to stay focused on the road.

It wasn’t until I was 28, well beyond my puppy crush years on Alex Turner and obsession with Arctic Monkeys, that I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Until that point I only thought I had Depression. My depressive symptoms were unmissable. I’d spend days at a time in bed, inert and dysfunctional, conspicuously absent from most of my life. Anybody, even those who didn’t know me well, could tell something was wrong.

Until a hospital psychiatrist explained it to me, bipolar had never been a consideration because I never knew what mania looked like. Even after I was given the diagnosis, it took me a long time to identify and recognize my particular manic symptoms. Most of them are disguised within expressions of creative things I already like: writing, visual art, fashion, music.

I like to say mania isn’t ‘the thing itself.’ Mania is the roller coaster that comes along, sweeps up the ‘thing’ and whirls it about at full speed in loop-de-loops of high energy and intensity. I already like to write, but when mania comes along, instead of writing a blog post I think I’m going to write a Pulitzer-prize winning novel overnight. I like fashion and style, but when mania comes along I don’t pay attention to the fact that I’m spending most of my paycheck on a shopping spree with the money I need to use to pay my bills at the end of the week.

I’ve always loved music. It’s been a foundation of my life since I sang songs with Sesame Street as a toddler. I listen to all genres and in different languages. I’m constantly searching for new bands to love. But if I’m listening to music and mania hits, I’m rocketed into an echelon of intense bliss. My brain speeds up, my euphoria is visceral, I’m so in the moment the music feels as if it’s my entire being. I fly high on a wind of pure excitement and elation and good feeling ...and then I crash. I’m drained of all my energy. I feel physically tired, I can’t think, I usually have a headache. My brain can’t take anymore input and I need to sit in silence.

This doesn’t just happen at rock concerts. I’ve become manic listening to a Tchaikovsky symphony before. To Hamilton. To the Remember the Titans’ soundtrack. To Rufus Wainwright’s “Beautiful Child.” Even listening to a Doobie Brothers’ record in my room on low volume can jump start a turbine in my brain that I can’t slow down on my own.

Now that I understand what my mania feels like, I know I have to pay attention to a few things in order to manage it. My physical environment is a big one, along with my mood, the time of day, what activity I’m doing. My gym playlist is full of loud horn sections, sassy Girl Power anthems, anything with a four-on-the-floor beat, and I let it all blare to full intensity. But if I’m planning on going to bed in the next few hours I stay away from high energy acts like St. Paul and the Broken Bones and put on some quiet Harry Nilsson or Tom Waits instead.

I refuse to allow my mania to take away my genuine joy in ‘the thing itself’ however. Mania didn’t create my love of music, and I won’t give it the power to erase that. I saw Arctic Monkeys live five times during my college years. (I entirely plan on being that old lady in the vintage band t-shirt at concerts when they’re still touring in their 70s à la Mick Jagger.) Even though I know I experienced mania at each concert, my mania isn’t the reason I had fun. I had fun because I was able to let loose, to liberate myself from the pressures of burgeoning adulthood by dancing and singing to loud rock songs for a few hours. I had fun because I connected to the part of genuine joy that lives within me, a part I can’t always reach when I’m mired in the sludge of depression.

I still daydream that one day Alex Turner and I will just happen to run into each other at the grocery store and we’ll lock eyes and he’ll remember me from that concert space in Baltimore all those years ago and from that moment on we will be bonded soulmates forever. You have to hold on to the dreams of your youth.

And if I could share some wise words with my 20-year-old self in an AIM away message, it would be these.

Don’t take it so personally You’re not the only one That time has got it in for, honey That’s where you’re wrong.

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books-on-the-brain · 7 years ago

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I'm reading a new book and can't find any good music to listen to while reading. Do you have any suggestions or any recommended artists?

Okay! I am so excited about answering this! I, too, am always on the hunt for the perfect reading music! I’m not sure what genres you like/if you want music with lyrics or not so I’m going to throw a ton of stuff out there - I hope there’s something that strikes your fancy, and if you have a more specific request that I don’t cover, then feel free to ask! I personally listen to a lot of rock/punk music while I read, so if that’s interesting to you I can add some of that music, but I’ll stick with mostly ambient/peaceful/not distracting stuff.

Reading Music Masterlist

Music without lyrics

If you have a spotify account, then there’s a Spotify-created playlist called “Deep Focus” and this is my absolute go-to for academic reading or when I’m trying to do personal reading in a noisy location. It’s calm and peaceful and I basically lose all sensation and forget where I am beyond the story I’m reading.

Another Spotify playlist I really liked is called “Studying with Classical Music” created by user classifyapp1. It’s updated weekly though, so sometimes I’m in love with it and can’t get enough, and sometimes I don’t like anything on it. It’s still worth checking out if you can if you like classical music whilst reading.

If you don’t use spotify/want more specific recs, here are a few (still without lyrics):

Anything by Clocks & Clouds - perfect for action/intense reads because I always feel like I’m walking away from a fight scene with a building exploding behind me when I listen to them

Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92: Allegretto by Beethoven conducted by Leonard Bernstein - This piece is super cool because scientists have discovered that the chord sequences are perfect for releasing happy and stress-relieving chemicals in your body. Like the chords literally resonate with your body, or something like that (I switched from Bio Engineering to English for a reason). Also a great piece for getting work done on a tight deadline with a lot of stress

Pavane composed by Faure - peaceful with an enchanted forest feel

Anything composed by Philip Glass - my personal favorite is Akhenaten: Prelude

Gone in Bloom and Bough by Caspian - very ambient, and out-of-body

anything by Kyle Landry, but I particularly like the Howl’s Moving Castle Theme

Gaspard de la nuit: Ondine composed by Ravel (I like Martha Argerich’s recording quite a bit)

You Are a Memory by Message to Bears (ambient)

Come Away With Me by Tracey Chattaway (ambient)

Dancing on the Light by Richard Dillon (ambient)

Quiet by This Will Destroy You (ambient)

Rheaide does a cover of the Beauty and the Beast - Prologue music without any narration, just music, and I listen to this constantly while reading but just living my daily life. It makes me feel like a girl with her nose stuck in a book :)

ANYTHING by Joe Hisaishi - “Hisaishi Meets Miyazaki Films” is one of the best things to have happened to this planet

Vitamin String Quartet

Beyond this, other instrumental things that are great for reading are movie/video game soundtracks because they’re story-oriented which means they can set the mood really well for whatever you’re reading if you get the right thing. Some of the classic movie score composers that I would recommend are Dario Marinelli, Alexandre Dumas (his Harry Potter soundtracks give me life and I most certainly listened to them when reading the series), Hans Zimmerman, and John Williams.

One of my favorite video game soundtrack composers is Jeremy Soule who does Guild Wars and the Elder Scrolls (Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s music is f a n t a s t i c for reading). Final Fantasy music is also good for mood-setting. My absolute go-to’s when reading though are the Music from Braid soundtrack by Sieber, Kammen, Fulton and Schatz and Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts (the Dearly Beloved cover by Vitamin String Quartet for reads that are wholesome and romantic or even empowering coming-of-age type stories).

Lastly, the Avatar the Last Airbender soundtrack the Voltron soundtrack for the remake of the TV show are EPIC esp if you’re reading action/space operas.

Music with lyrics

What I do a lot of the time when I want music with lyrics to get me in the right mood for the book I’m reading, is I’ll do specific playlist searches on Google. For example, I’m reading A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab rn and love Lila’s character, so I just searched “Delilah Bard character playlist” and got great results. 8tracks.com users are also stars are creating fantastic character/book-specific playlists and they’re free!! Which is the best part!!

Here’s some music I gravitate towards when I’m reading but don’t have the energy to get all artsy with mood playlists:

Bloodstream by Stateless

Halsey’s first album

Marina and the Diamonds - Numb and Robot are two of my faves

Bloodsport by Raleigh Ritchie - If you like Rainbow Rowell, she added this to Baz’s character playlist from Carry On and it is PERFECT so I listened to it on repeat while reading. Also fun because Raleigh Ritchie aka Jacob Anderson was Grey Worm in the GoT TV show if that’s up your alley

Peppermint by Lovers

Anything by Tess Parks

Cigarettes after Sex - Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby is quite peaceful and reassuring for trying to get into a safe space mindset for reading

Once again if you have Spotify, Afternoon Acoustics playlist is perfect for curling up in a window or garden on a sunny day with a light read

We Are Broken by Paramore - fits apocalyptic reads quite well I think

A Sunday Smile originally by Beirut covered by Kishi Bashi

Forest Fire by Brighton

My last suggestion: if none of this music strikes your fancy, then you could try www.ambient-mixer.com!! There’s a ton of background noise tracks and they’re so fun and perfect for geeks, with tracks like “Gryffindor Common Room,” “D/D fantasy inn/tavern,” “Belle’s Library,” and less specific ones like “Summer Forest” and “On a Ship at Sea.” Perfect for immersing yourself into whatever story you’re reading!

Sorry this is so long, as I tried to be fairly comprehensive. Once again, feel free to ask me for more specific recs if this wasn’t helpful. And anyone else is welcome to add to this if they have suggestions! I hope you enjoy your reading :)

#homosexual-bookworm #ask #asks #booklr #reading #reading music #background music #bookworm #bookworm problems #music #playlists #soundtracks #music and books #studying #homework #ambient #studyblr #write me

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occasionaladventure · 5 years ago

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6 Artists You Need to Listen to Before They Blow Up In 2020

I’m tired of texting different people what artists to listen to here is a concise list I can refer people to. These are some artists I have been loving lately who I really think are headed for mainstream stardom in the upcoming year. Call them what you want “underrated” or “on the come-up” but the point is they create great music which more people should be listening to. You can finally be the person who “knew them before they were famous.” A conveniently created Spotify playlist featuring all of these artists plus more underrated artists I think might blow up in 2020 is available here. (btw follow my spotify for more bops)

ROLE MODEL

ROLE MODEL who was born Tucker Pillsbury and hails from Portland, Maine makes the kind of music that just feels like the playlist to summer sunset drive next to the beach. He makes the kind of pop music that isn’t pop enough to be called just pop music, the kind of music I can only best describe as poetic indie pop. The kind of music that makes you want to embrace your youth, fall in love, get your heart broken but have fun and do it all over again. It has a melancholic but yet upbeat mood which produces nostalgia for memories you don’t even have. His recent EP, oh, how perfect from start to finish embodies just this. This style of music in the indie scene has been becoming more and more popular, with artists such as LANY, Troye Sivan, and Lauv creating headway for this mix of a genre.

Start With:

minimal

that’s how it goes

i don’t rly like u

play the part

Bakar

I first discovered Bakar when he opened for Dominic Fike(who you should also check out if you haven’t already) at a show in Hamburg but since then I’ve been hooked. Bakar, who was born and raised in Camden, effortlessly blends together rock, hip-hop, pop, indie, and punk elements into his 2018 album BADKID and 2019 EP(which he himself has labeled as more of just a story) Will You Be My Yellow? The tracks range from slow melodic Lo-fi songs like “Crtl Alt Del,” jazz and rock-influenced songs like “Hell N Back,” or punk tunes like “Big Dreams.” Bakar’s diverse discography ensures no one song is like the other.

Start With:

Unhealthy

Hell n Back

Stop Selling Her Drugs (ft. Dominic Fike)

Easy Life

Similar to Bakar, Easy Life is a 5 member band from Leicester, England whose music packages various genre influences into cohesive masterpieces. Most of their projects manage to blend jazzy guitar melodies with hip-hop and R&B heavy clap beats with a touch of electronic elements. Their music is the product of what a Frank Ocean, Hippo Campus, and Arctic Monkeys joint album would maybe song like.

Start With:

Sangria

Frank

Houseplants

Nightmares

Alexander 23

If loved ROLE MODEL, you’ll love Alexander 23. He falls under the poetic indie pop category but boasts a more upbeat, yet lo-fi array tracks than ROLE MODEL, but similarly, the vibe of work still makes you want to drive down a highway next to the beach with your windows down during a summer sunset. His lyrics show an intimate poetic approach to songwriting. Alexander 23, casually and often, composes songs with sad, somber lyrics with a happy cheerful backing track. His artistry has been compared to the likes of Alec Benjamin and Lauv, so you get the idea.

Start With:

Dirty AF1s

Mars

See You Later

When I Die

slowthai

While slowthai has increasingly received recognition in England, he has still to hit the world stage, and therefore why I deem him worthy of making this list. The rapper, who was born Tyron Kaymone Frampton, from Northampton, England is no stranger to controversy within his music. His 2019 album, titled Nothing Great About Britain received backlash for its title and some the lyrical content within it, notably on the track of the same name where he calls Queen Elizabeth a c***. In September he drew attention again while performing at the Mercury Prize holding a fake severed head of UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. His music is perfectly described as the grimy rap you would expect to come out of England but his erratic style mixed with political messages in his music makes him the unique artist he is. He is constantly pushing boundaries, personally and musically. His most recent track, “Deal Wiv It” which is produced by fellow Brit, Mura Masa was a result of a session in which slowthai shouted over a beat for 20 minutes which was then cut down to its final 2:57.

Start With:

Doorman

Ladies

T N Biscuits

Toaster

Verzache

Zach Farache from Toronto, who the music world knows better as Verzache, produces a variety of different sounding tracks. From acoustic melodies like “Waiting For You” to hip-hop beat heavy tracks like “Feeling That Feel” to simple lo-fi instrumentals such as “Ice Cream,” Verzache is full of diversity within his music. His music seemingly blends together electronic trap sounds with acoustic ones, creating synth-style lo-fi tracks.

Start With:

Cable

Hiccup

Feeling That Feeling

No More

#music #underrated #ones to watch #artists to watch #soundcloud #apple music #on the come up

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topfygad · 5 years ago

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Gothic Hotels (and Songs by R.E.M., Part 2) — The Agenda by Tablet Hotels

It’s Halloween, so we’re taking a look at hotels with Gothic architecture, a style synonymous with the mysterious and macabre. Why did we also include songs by R.E.M.? The answer may shock you.

Earlier this year, we wrote about some of our favorite Southern hotels, comparing them to songs from one of our favorite Southern bands, R.E.M. So why write about R.E.M. again? Well, the band actually saw the first story, liked it, and asked if we’d do a part two. Not since Coppola and The Godfather has anyone had such a good reason to make a sequel.

There’s hardly been a better time to talk about “scary” hotels, either. This is Halloween week, of course, and it’s also the week that R.E.M. releases the 25th Anniversary reissue of Monster, their terrifyingly titled ninth studio album. But instead of another list of haunted hotels, we’re focusing on the style of architecture most commonly associated with things that go bump in the night.

Gothic architecture secured its association with the spooky and supernatural in the 18th and 19th centuries, when writers like Horace Walpole, Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley, and Bram Stoker chose Gothic castles and abbeys as the backdrop for their stories of darkness and death. An entire genre of horrifying literature became known as Gothic fiction, and an entire mode of architecture was never viewed the same again.

R.E.M. has crossed paths with the Gothic label as well — especially during the first half of their career. With a sound driven up from underneath Georgia’s genteel facade, the Athens natives were considered a sort of modern musical counterpart to the Southern Gothic literature of William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor. Sonically and thematically, their music reflects the murky and eccentric spirit of the region, underscoring its postbellum tensions and investigating its idiosyncratic characters.

And so, without further ado, enjoy this selection of thirteen hotels with Gothic architectural elements, paired with some of R.E.M.’s most Southern Gothic songs.

Follow along with our R.E.M. — Southern Gothic playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.

The Qvest

Cologne, Germany

“Wendell Gee” — from Fables of the Reconstruction, 1985

The 19th century obsession with Gothic elements comes through loud and clear in The Qvest. Now a hotel, the 1897 building initially housed Cologne’s archives and a public library. In keeping with the reigning aesthetic in those days, a neo-Gothic influence touched just about every element in the construction: ribbed vaults, lancet windows, hood moulding, tracery, and an overarching verticality all remain visible today. Similarly, all the elements of R.E.M.’s Southern Gothic signature come through in “Wendell Gee,” one of the band’s most under-appreciated pieces of musical mastery, and the final track from their darkest and most overtly South-saturated album.

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1898 The Post

Ghent, Belgium

“Strange Currencies” — from Monster, 1994

“Strange Currencies” might not feel at first like a song with Southern folk roots, but imagine it without Monster’s trademark distorted guitars and you begin to hear the swagger and sway of classic country-blues. It’s the kind of plaintive-yet-hopeful ballad that R.E.M. perfected throughout their career, and it’s paired on this list with 1898 The Post, a hotel that’s equally the shining example of a genre. The old Central Post Office in Ghent was completed at the turn of the last century, and while its neo-Gothic style makes it look much older than that, a brand-new renovation has this beautifully preserved structure ready to host guests in the current century and beyond.

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Bryant Park Hotel

New York City, New York

“Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)” — from Chronic Town, 1982

Starting with the gargoyle on the cover, R.E.M.’s debut EP Chronic Town oozes a dark, peculiar, and highly literary Southern Gothic vibe. And “Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars),” with its calliope intro and images of clandestine railway activity, all but revels in the murky mood. Gargoyles don’t make an appearance on the Bryant Park Hotel, despite its home inside the American Radiator building, a strange and imposing black-gold gothic skyscraper that towers above the midtown park like something out of a comic book — or out of Ghostbusters. Penthouse guests might be safe from that movie’s statues-turned–terror dogs, but the hotel does look down on the New York Public Library, where other ghost-busting scenes were filmed.

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Kruisherenhotel Maastricht

Maastricht, Netherlands

“The One I Love” — from Document, 1987

“This one goes out to the one I love…” — the instantly recognizable first line from R.E.M.’s 1987 hit sets the stage for a song that practically drips with heat and humidity. This song, as much as any other, announced to the world that R.E.M. was a contemporary sonic interpretation of the steamy South found in the plays of Tennessee Williams. Kruisherenhotel Maastricht is another thoroughly modern interpretation, this time of a fifteenth-century Gothic monastery. Designer Henk Vos transformed the original monks’ cloisters into handsome hotel rooms that are anything but ascetic, and even the relatively undisturbed spaces are deeply altered by the introduction of sleek furnishings and bits and bobs by the likes of Le Corbusier, Philippe Starck and Marc Newson.

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Conservatorium Hotel

Amsterdam, Netherlands

“Country Feedback” — from Out of Time, 1991

The Conservatorium is a radical repurposing of Amsterdam’s Sweelinck Conservatorium building — its soaring institutional spaces and ornate century-old neo-Gothic construction transformed into a contemporary design hotel. Offering a focus on pop music alongside more traditional conservatory studies like classical and jazz, there probably was a surprising bit of guitar feedback heard in the Conservatorium during its time as a music school. There’s a bit of feedback heard in “Country Feedback” as well, wandering almost incongruently in between and around more traditional country sounds like pedal steel guitar and organ, adding the right amount of frustration and edge that the song’s cryptic lyrics cry out for.

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Ace Hotel Downtown L.A.

Los Angeles, California

“So. Central Rain” — from Reckoning, 1984

Legend has it that “South Central Rain” refers to massive downpours and flooding in R.E.M.’s home state of Georgia in 1983. The band was apparently out on tour, and wasn’t able to check in on family members because the storms had knocked out the phone lines. Specifically, the legend asserts, they were in Los Angeles, which is the reason for this hotel-song pairing, and not because of L.A.’s South Central neighborhood. For the Gothic connection, look no further than the United Artists building, a 1920s Spanish Gothic Revival tower and theater that is the current home of Ace Hotel Downtown L.A.

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SINA Centurion Palace

Venice, Italy

“Oh My Heart” — from Collapse Into Now, 2011

Michael Stipe wrote “Oh My Heart” about post-Katrina New Orleans. His lyrics can sometimes be impenetrable, but not here. This is very clearly a song about resilience in the face of tragedy and persevering into the future so we can continue to honor the past. There are no New Orleans hotels on this list, but maybe that would’ve been too cute. Instead, we turn to another timeworn city fighting back against Mother Nature and climate change: rising sea levels have led to regular flooding in Venice, the home of Centurion Palace and its postcard-perfect Venetian-Gothic exterior. The former convent is located in one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, which has survived everything from World Wars to the Black Death, and we’re confident it will survive its latest challenge.

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Chicago Athletic Association

Chicago, Illinois

“Oddfellows Local 151” — from Document, 1987

Long before a recent renovation converted it into a stunning boutique hotel, the Chicago Athletic Association was a private club for the city’s (male) movers and shakers. Dating back to the final decade of the 19th century, this Venetian Gothic landmark hosted the kinds of government and business elite that “Oddfellows Local 151” suggests are at least partially responsible for the plight of the characters in the song: the homeless population that was left behind by the political and economic machines of 1980s America. Document was an album filled with fiery passion as R.E.M. found their political footing — no more so than on this, its closing track.

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High Line Hotel

New York City, New York

“Swan Swan H” — from Life’s Rich Pageant, 1986

Chelsea’s High Line Hotel makes its home in an imposing red-brick Collegiate Gothic seminary — and its designers, the local duo Roman and Williams, managed to created an enormously fun hotel in what was an otherwise solemn environment. R.E.M. pulled the same trick, but in the opposite direction, with “Swan Swan H.” At first glance, this song about the Civil War appears to be a celebration of freedom, but as it progresses the true cost of a destructive moment in American history becomes more clear. And while the lyrics reference wooden beams of a presumably different sort, for the purposes of this list, we’ll think about the ornate ceiling of the Hoffman Hall event space, pictured above.

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Le Chateau Frontenac

Quebec City, Canada

“World Leader Pretend” — from Green, 1988

A century-old Gothic Revival castle high on a bluff over the St. Lawrence river, Le Château Frontenac is Québec City’s most famous landmark, and has hosted some of the world’s most famous guests. Musicians, movie stars, and titans of industry have walked its halls, but powerful politicians may have left the greatest influence — suites are themed after heads of state who have stayed at the hotel. According to Michael Stipe, “World Leader Pretend” was the most political song of the band’s career up to that point, and it might continue to be so today. After clashing with Donald Trump over his unauthorized (obviously) use of “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” the band followed up by contributing “World Leader Pretend” to an anti-Trump compilation.

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Chateau Marmont

Los Angeles, California

“Drive” — from Automatic for the People, 1992

The Chateau Marmont was constructed to the specifications of the Loire Chateau Amboise in France, and scattered throughout are certain reminders of the French late Gothic Flamboyant style. But though inspired by France, this particular chateau and its infamous scenes of Hollywood decadence could only exist in Los Angeles. Likewise, “Drive” is a song that could only have come from R.E.M. With an echoey atmosphere as haunted as the hallways of the Chateau, the song drives forward slowly and madly, calling out like a pirate radio station in the middle of the night, seeking to empower the youth through rock and roll.

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St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel

London, England

“Life and How to Live It” — from Fables of the Reconstruction, 1985

In R.E.M.’s hometown of Athens, Georgia, there once lived a man named Brev Mekis. Suffering from schizophrenia, Brev split his house into two totally different apartments, each with its own unique furniture, books, clothing, even pets. To suit his disparate personalities, Brev would periodically switch back and forth between his two lives. After he passed away, discovered inside the house were hundreds of identical copies of a book he had written called: “Life and How to Live It.” The great Gothic structure at St. Pancras has a split personality of its own. On the one hand, it is a lavish, luxurious hotel. On the other, an introduction to a busy, full-functioning rail station. Taken all together, it is the ideal of a grand European railway hotel.

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Borgo dei Conti Resort

Perugia, Italy

“Find the River” — from Automatic for the People, 1992

Borgo dei Conti Resort is a deeply romantic place. Originally built as a fortress in the 13th century, the estate was remade into a noble home some 500 years later. Surrounded by acres of gardens and lawns and parkland, the building is a dramatic example of 19th-century neo-Gothic architecture, still as imposing as ever today. On its sprawling grounds, you’re likely to find some of the herbs and fruits mentioned in “Find the River,” a song that celebrates life specifically because death is always present. Despite the heavy themes, “Find the River” is a gorgeous and uplifting song. It closes out an album full of radio hits, and is equal to or even better than each of those more well-known singles. All of this is coming your way.

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source http://cheaprtravels.com/gothic-hotels-and-songs-by-r-e-m-part-2-the-agenda-by-tablet-hotels/

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melttmagazine-blog · 7 years ago

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my friend Julian was so kind as to make us a playlist! he’s on twitter at @HulianDaCuban, and also we hate him.

Waddup pimps, I'm Ellie's friend Julian. Some people look at me and think "wow, that kid is cooler than Ellie", and they're not wrong. But that's besides the point. Ellie has asked me to put together a guest playlist or two for your guys because she's busy or something, I don't really remember right now. Anyways, here are some jams I've really been digging recently and why.

Featuring: Turnover Drowners flor The Story So Far Surfer Blood Grayscale Basement Day Wave Microwave COIN

"Humming" by Turnover - Life is hard. We all go through significant rough patches and emotionally draining chapters where we just feel like giving up, and we keep fighting until we're strong enough to pull ourselves out of these ruts. Sometimes, when it seems like there's no hope, you meet someone who shows you a new perspective on life, and that is what "Humming" is about. It tells the story of a man who finds that exact person, and hopes that they can help pull him out of his depression. Dream-poppy guitars help portray a new hopefulness and light that was once unheard of in Turnover's dark and depressing discography, and has become the catalyst to their newfound sound. Lyrics such as "Let me know your secret/ Tell me how you color all the empty space" display the marvel and intrigue the narrator has for this girl, and "Take me where you go/ Without you I won't make it out/ I don't think I'll make it out alive" really show the desperation behind his attempt to end up her. "Humming" only one piece of an emotional (and phenomenal) album, and I would 14/10 recommend. Turnover fucking rules, guys.

"Luv, Hold Me Down" by Drowners - This is the song I imagine playing in underground shows in the United Kingdom. Lyrics like "So hold me down and never let me go" and "Everytime you leave I wanna go" paint the picture of a man's head over heels infatuation for a special girl. Its poppy, 80's brit-punk sound and upbeat tempo just makes you want to grab a drink, a special someone, and just dance until you can't any longer. Seriously, this is like the perfect concert dance song and it's an anthem for falling for someone. Just fucking listen to it and tell me you don't hear it.

"no more time" by flor - When you're in your early twenties, it is not uncommon to go through existential crises on a somewhat daily basis. You start to realize just how brief life really is and that every moment is precious. You also realize that life isn't a movie. Yeah, things normally work out in the end, but what if they don't? What if you don't find "the one"? What if you don't end up where you worked hard to get? What if you fucking die? In life, there are too many variables to predict the outcomes, and that's what makes this transition into adulthood so terrifying. One thing that makes me feel better about this transition is not being alone. That's where "no more time" comes in. Lyrics like "If somebody came to haunt me/ Scare me simply/ Say 'just one life'" really illustrate the anxiety that not only the vocalist is experiencing, but most millennials do. Aside from the lyrical content, the song fucking grooves and is easy to sing and dance to. Oh, and the ending fucking rips too. "no more time" will surely be an anthem for our generation and hopefully will inspire us to make the best of every moment.

"How You Are" by The Story So Far - TSSF is one of my all time favorite bands, and I promise you there is no better band to listen to when you're in a resentful mood. "How You Are" is about reflecting upon a past relationship that went sour and trying to confront the feelings head on and gaining closure about it. I've been in multiple relationships and emotional flings, and I can relate to each layer of lyricism of the song. The song begins with "Gone now/ I keep my distance/ but still show persistence/ in trying to find out how you are", which reflects the beginning of the process. Trying to find out what went wrong is often painful, yet necessary to move on from a relationship. At some point you have to rip off the bandaid. And you can hear the teetering around getting it over with in the lyrics of this song. From "You're so appealing/ You can get anyone that you want somehow" and "Patience is useless/ when I'm sober and you're wasted/ and you don't want to hear it" display the disdain, yet care that the vocalist still has for this person. This quickly evolves into an understanding that he too is at fault and must keep his distance and figure himself out for his own well-being, as described by "Gotta figure out who I've been running from" and "I keep my distance now/ Forcing my jaw to smile". Instrumentally, this is one of the most interesting songs in TSSF's discography and weirdly grooves aggressively. It definitely has a unique sound, and is well worth the listen.

"Prom Song" by Surfer Blood - I first heard this song playing between sets at my first Day Wave show. It caught my ear immediately and I had to Shazam it right away. Its melancholic, yet uplifting sound and lyrics as well as an interesting guitar riff really give it a unique sound I've never really heard before. It was playing on repeat for months after I heard it, and it came to the point where I needed to know more about it, so I did some research. I found out that the song was written by the band's former guitarist, Thomas Fekete, and early in the band's tenure, and was played live for two years before it was finally recorded for their record Pythons. I also learned that Fekete had tragically passed away from cancer a couple years ago, and it broke my heart. A song like this doesn't come around often, and I think of it as an ode to his life. It really put the lyrics into perspective of how tiring it can be to move on, but it is essential in life. Whenever I feel defeated, I remember the lyric "Something else is out there for me", and it helps me put things into perspective, and I hope it helps you too.

"Let It Rain" by Grayscale - I have always been a self-proclaimed "Pop Punk piece of shit", but recently I found the genre needing something new. One can only listen to the powerhouses for so long before needing a breath of fresh air. The newer bands with generic sounding names playing generic sounding music were starting to get boring, and I felt like the genre needed a bit of a reboot. Enter Grayscale. Aggressive guitars, an uptempo beat, and noticeably emotional lyrics and vocals on "Let It Rain" really provide that tasteful step in the right direction for the genre. The song is about hoping the rain will come and wash away the bad things other people have done and provide him a fresh start (topical, eh?). Although he wants this fresh start, he acknowledges his past lessons of dealing with these people and how that will help him moving forward, a la "I'd set you straight/ I'd wear your blood like war paint". This song is also a total push pit jam. It gets me HYPE AF. Also, the album that it is from is fucking sick too. Grayscale will be a staple of the genre soon enough, mark my words. Just listen to them.

"Brother's Keeper" by Basement - This song changes pace so much, and I fucking love it. It's poetic lyrics overlap interesting chord progressions that lead to an epic ending. Admittedly, it took me multiple listens to this song before the artistry to it finally fucking hit me. The song is heavily influenced by the biblical story of Cain and Abel, which illustrates a deep regret by the vocalist, feeling as though he has let down this person he is referring to in the song, and that he owes them everything he has. The emotional payoff at the end of the song is fucking fantastic and it's hard not to admire it.

"Total Zombie" by Day Wave - I can't imagine the past two years without this song. It is without a doubt one of my all time favorites, and it will always have a significant place in my heart. First of all, I love the way the vocals and instrumentals are mixed. This saturated sound provided by the synth and vocal effects almost make you feel like you're in a dream-like state and that you're hearing the vocals in your head. But that's just a small fraction of why I love this song. Have you ever felt unworthy of someone's time who you are romantically interested in? Cause I have. I think a lot of us have. The lyrics "Only a fool would want me/ and you're gold/ Honey, I wish you would've been told" speak to that feeling masterfully. Often times, these feelings are only in our own heads, and it's hard to shake the images we have of ourselves. This song came into my life during my senior year of college, which just so happened to be the year I started appreciating myself for who I am. I met fantastic people throughout my college career who showed me that I was worth other people's time and I wasn't the monster that I always thought I was. I will never not flash back to these times when I hear this beautiful song. I hope you love it as much as I do.

"but not often," by Microwave - Ladies and gentleman, I now introduce you to the first song you blast with the windows down when if finally fucking gets warm around these parts. This song is a BOP boi. It's hard not to groove along to this fantastic example of tasteful contemporary rock music. I actually fucking dare you to not enjoy this one. If you don't, I'll give you $5 (not really though, still broke lol). Anyways, the story this song tells is interesting, going from being infatuated by a person because you can get fucked up and do the sex with them, but then realizing that's all you do and all you really liked them for. Going from "You show up to my room/ With an arm full of booze/ God, you're perfect" to "You've been spending all my time/ And you don't even know me/ We're always getting fucked up/ Why do you really need to know me?" really puts things into perspective. You have to really figure out who you really want to be in your life for the long haul. Like my friend's sister once said, "at this stage of life, you're either in it or you're not". You can't have patience for stupidity. But really though this song fucking rips and you should listen to it lmao.

"Growing Pains" by COIN - I wanted to end this on more of a positive note, cause I know my music can be somewhat angry, vengeful, and flat out depressing at times. But the message to this song is important, nonetheless. "Growing Pains" takes more of a glass half full approach to growing up. Although there is obvious doubt in the lyrics, ultimately the ending message is one of hope and excitement. Lyrics such as "I'm young and I'm dumb/ I'll live and I'll learn/ Yeah what's the hurry now?" reflect more of a relaxed approach to growing up, as the vocalist understands that mistakes are just a part of the journey and in the end they make you better. This song is poppy, fun, party friendly, and easy to sing along to. The open ended "You'll never know what kind of person I'll become when you're gone" outro to the song leaves you with an exciting outlook on where your life could go from this exact moment. Sometimes, you need to look at the brighter side of things, and I hope this song helps you do just that. (also, COIN attended my alma mater, Belmont U! -eh)

Whelp, that's it for me guys. It's been a pleasure to make a guest submission to MELTT. I'm gonna go to sleep now. Deuces.

thanks Julain!

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topfygad · 5 years ago

Text

Gothic Hotels (and Songs by R.E.M., Part 2) — The Agenda by Tablet Hotels

It’s Halloween, so we’re taking a look at hotels with Gothic architecture, a style synonymous with the mysterious and macabre. Why did we also include songs by R.E.M.? The answer may shock you.

And so, without further ado, enjoy this selection of thirteen hotels with Gothic architectural elements, paired with some of R.E.M.’s most Southern Gothic songs.

Follow along with our R.E.M. — Southern Gothic playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.

The Qvest

Cologne, Germany

“Wendell Gee” — from Fables of the Reconstruction, 1985

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1898 The Post

Ghent, Belgium

“Strange Currencies” — from Monster, 1994

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Bryant Park Hotel

New York City, New York

“Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)” — from Chronic Town, 1982

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Kruisherenhotel Maastricht

Maastricht, Netherlands

“The One I Love” — from Document, 1987

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Conservatorium Hotel

Amsterdam, Netherlands

“Country Feedback” — from Out of Time, 1991

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Ace Hotel Downtown L.A.

Los Angeles, California

“So. Central Rain” — from Reckoning, 1984

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SINA Centurion Palace

Venice, Italy

“Oh My Heart” — from Collapse Into Now, 2011

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Chicago Athletic Association

Chicago, Illinois

“Oddfellows Local 151” — from Document, 1987

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High Line Hotel

New York City, New York

“Swan Swan H” — from Life’s Rich Pageant, 1986

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Le Chateau Frontenac

Quebec City, Canada

“World Leader Pretend” — from Green, 1988

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Chateau Marmont

Los Angeles, California

“Drive” — from Automatic for the People, 1992

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St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel

London, England

“Life and How to Live It” — from Fables of the Reconstruction, 1985

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Borgo dei Conti Resort

Perugia, Italy

“Find the River” — from Automatic for the People, 1992

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from Cheapr Travels https://ift.tt/2qdR9l4 via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Cheapr Travels

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topfygad · 5 years ago

Text

Gothic Hotels (and Songs by R.E.M., Part 2) — The Agenda by Tablet Hotels

It’s Halloween, so we’re taking a look at hotels with Gothic architecture, a style synonymous with the mysterious and macabre. Why did we also include songs by R.E.M.? The answer may shock you.

And so, without further ado, enjoy this selection of thirteen hotels with Gothic architectural elements, paired with some of R.E.M.’s most Southern Gothic songs.

Follow along with our R.E.M. — Southern Gothic playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.

The Qvest

Cologne, Germany

“Wendell Gee” — from Fables of the Reconstruction, 1985

See More Photos

1898 The Post

Ghent, Belgium

“Strange Currencies” — from Monster, 1994

See More Photos

Bryant Park Hotel

New York City, New York

“Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars)” — from Chronic Town, 1982

See More Photos

Kruisherenhotel Maastricht

Maastricht, Netherlands

“The One I Love” — from Document, 1987

See More Photos

Conservatorium Hotel

Amsterdam, Netherlands

“Country Feedback” — from Out of Time, 1991

See More Photos

Ace Hotel Downtown L.A.

Los Angeles, California

“So. Central Rain” — from Reckoning, 1984

See More Photos

SINA Centurion Palace

Venice, Italy

“Oh My Heart” — from Collapse Into Now, 2011

See More Photos

Chicago Athletic Association

Chicago, Illinois

“Oddfellows Local 151” — from Document, 1987

See More Photos

High Line Hotel

New York City, New York

“Swan Swan H” — from Life’s Rich Pageant, 1986

See More Photos

Le Chateau Frontenac

Quebec City, Canada

“World Leader Pretend” — from Green, 1988

See More Photos

Chateau Marmont

Los Angeles, California

“Drive” — from Automatic for the People, 1992

See More Photos

St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel

London, England

“Life and How to Live It” — from Fables of the Reconstruction, 1985

See More Photos

Borgo dei Conti Resort

Perugia, Italy

“Find the River” — from Automatic for the People, 1992

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from Cheapr Travels https://ift.tt/2qdR9l4 via https://ift.tt/2NIqXKN

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