#it's probably just because they fit my music and lyrical tastes so so well but i really can't think of a single track of theirs i don't lik

[licorishh]

Actually self-titled is an unimaginably underrated album and I cannot fathom why no one ever talks about it.

"Implict Demand for Proof," "Trapdoor," "A Car, a Torch, a Death," "Taxi Cab," "Before You Start Your Day," "Isle of Flightless Birds," COME ON.

The other songs on this album also go hard, but these in particular just. MMMMSKDJFHKJGFHSKGJ.

[dustofthedailylife]

i hope you dont mind a question/me ranting bc i desperately need to keep my mess of a mind busyyyyyyyy

what do you think hsr boys' music tastes are (specifically Dan Heng since we all know how i am for that man)? he'd probably listen to the more romantic side of classical music, or just super soft music in general imo

<3

Ooooh I love this question! I included pretty much all of the HSR men.

For Dan Heng, I immediately thought of Lo-Fi music. He likes to have some background noise while working but nothing that would disturbs his thoughts. So Lo-Fi music is the perfect fit for that. The dreamlike and calm sounds are the perfect atmospheric sounds for concentrated work.

I can see Jing Yuan being an Alternative Rock guy. It's music that keeps him awake when he needs it and the songs are just so catchy. I have this picture in my head of him just making breakfast (topless ofc) and singing My Chemical Romance or Fall Out Boy while scrambling eggs.

Blade listens to Metalcore. And he does so with the most straight face ever. Just some quality screams paired with some good vocals definitely get his blood pumping and he can pour his bottled-up emotions fully into the music.

Luka is also a Metalcore/Metal guy. He just seems tough and like someone who loves training. Nothing gives you quite as much of an energy kick like some good heavy guitar riffs and vocals.

Welt without a doubt listens to J/K-Pop. Now, hear me out here! You probably think I'm insane, because you look at him and think "classic". But this man was an animator who has created anime and likes everything surrounding the anime/manga culture. Definitely a J/K-Pop man.

Gepard likes Pop music. Just whatever just comes on the radio that you can casually jam to and gets stuck in your head. He'd find himself humming or quietly singing the songs he likes most every now and then when he's spacing out (incredibly embarrassing to him if anyone hears him). I think he's secretly a Swiftie.

I think Sampo would listen to EDM. Just something energetic with a melodic hook and not too many lyrics that you can groove to. The drops are exhilarating and he is someone who loves the thrill - this applies to his taste in music as well.

Luocha... now he's one I cannot really tell. I think he kind of listens to a bit of everything. Whatever is on he listens to. A mysterious man with a mysterious taste in music.

[doodle-girl]

The Monsters of Eastridge: DOAI Playlist

Description: At this point, might as well make a playlist for everything. Welcome to my own personal demon-filled hell, this is mostly based on lyrics, vibes, or both 🎃 (Edit: Due to recent fixations, this now also includes some Sitcom AU stuff.)

(Yeah this is made mostly for @spookmuth but also just anyone else who’s interested in my music taste/how my thoughts work. Will update the post whenever the playlist updates, have fun! Also footnotes will be in brackets because I like footnotes)

Edit: Now on spotify! Courtesy of @witheredallium <3

“Happy Face” by Jagwar Twin [I have had an animatic for this jangling around my brain for actual several months oh my god]

“Turn the Lights Off” by Tally Hall

“A1 - It’s just a burning memory” by The Caretaker [Yeah idk how well this actually fits since it’s based on a song from like. The 30s. But I think it’s obligatory for any analog horror ever lol]

"I Can't Decide" by The Scissor Sisters [This one I got inspo from havoc-bloom's playlist/clip of Pastra finding it. A few of these are, actually, lol] [Edit: I have now realized just how well this fits Clyde in the sitcom au and I am once again plagued by art ideas 👀]

"I'M Sane" by Axie [Me when I torture the innocent with horrid monsters and become one myself. but I'm a little silly about it teehee~ 😜]

"The Circus" by Toby Fox [This popped up on shuffle when I was drawing Clyde once and my brain refused to let go of the vibes™ ever since]

"Animal Cannibal (Possibly in Michigan)" by Buckshot Princess [I would've put the one by Karen Skladany but it's not on apple music 😔 sad. This cover's really nice tho]

"The Dismemberment Song" by Blue Kid [Same reasoning as "I'M Sane," nyehehe. Also this song really feels like it's ripped out of a musical number. If you told me it was I'd believe you.]

"The Mind Electric" by Miracle Musical

"Horror Show" by K-Modo [You ever just. Think about why Lankmann does the things he did? Like what's his game here?]

"Dance of Corpse (feat. Hatsune Miku)" by Kikuo [this might also spiral into an animatic lol. Anyway do me a solid and go look up the music video, turn on the official english subtitles and come back to me.]

"The Nowhere King" by The Centaurworld Cast

"Nothing Changes" by Jewelle Blackman, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, and Kay Trinidad [this musical makes me feel. so many things. And I just think the vibes/lyrics of "why try when you'll only end in misery" might fall into the category of vibes here idk idk]

"Murders" by Miracle Musical

"Kitchen Fork" by Jack Conte [I don't remember exactly why I put this here rn but I just know this is an Alex song. It's so beautifully haunting and passionate stg] [Edit: yeah definitely an Alex song]

"Meet Me in the Woods" by Lord Huron ['kay I know the vibes are probably off but look at the lyrics and tell me it shouldn't go here]

"A Crow's Trial" by Vane Lily [Look man I can’t explain this one exactly but just trust me on it]

"You're F****d" by Ylvis [Yeah I put this one here as a joke song. Every single character in here is SO doomed by the narrative, I'm sorry Alex but it's true. teehee~]

"UNCANNY / ft. KAFU" by kian [I actually couldn't find this one on apple music but galactinqq was right about this being an Alex song and I'm putting it on the post]

"Raising the Dead!" by Jessica Law [Styx, you madlad, this is SUCH a Lankmann song oh my god]

“Hymn for a Scarecrow” by Tally Hall [“Simon isn’t even in the series yet, though” My guy it’s called Hymn for a Scarecrow and it’s Tally Hall what else do you want me to do. I love Simon so much I miss him already <3]

“Break My Mind” by DAGames

“In the Mood” by Glenn Miller [this one was in Vol 1! So I found it and I’m putting it here <3]

“Pictures” by Kyle Allen Music [I mean technically the series is videos but whatever. This song fits sue me]

“Ruler of Everything” by Tally Hall [I saw the words “mechanical hands” on a DOAI fanart once and it jumpstarted an idea that refuses to leave me. Turns out it fits VERY well holy crap]

"I'll Be There for You (Theme from Friends)" by The Rembrandts [shoutout to froggydrawz's own sitcom AU playlist for more material for me eheheheh ✌️ I'll be putting a few of those here]

"I'm Still Standing" by Taron Egerton [sitcom exclusive because canon Alex is fucking dead /lh]

"Digital Silence" by Peter McPoland

"How Far We've Come" by Matchbox Twenty [another sitcom one nyehehehe. This AU has me by a chokehold unlike any other AU I've been into istg]

"Who is She (Reprise)" by Kimiko Glenn [I apologize for those who came here for a normie-ass DOAI playlist, I promise it started out that way but y'know that's fixations for ya. Anyways I added this one on a whim because it gave off veldigun!Alex AU vibes. Might fit with other stuff idk do with that what you will ¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

"Soft Bitch" by Rio Romeo [pretty sure it was spookmuth that made a sitcom AU art inspired by this song and I love it]

"Runaway" by AURORA [secret-spirit if you see this at all just know this was your doing (/pos). This is like, my favorite AURORA song and seeing you do an Alex art in the whiteboard to this song sparked a primal "holy shit" moment in me]

"Lose Control" by Teddy Swims [I was doodling in the DOAI whiteboard when my mamá started playing this in the other room and my brain immediately went "oh my god what if Clyde and Winfrey"]

"Soft Apocalypse" by Charming Disaster [Once again, everybody give it up for Styx's music taste, this is making my brainworms go mad with art ideas 👏👏👏 sitcom AU song, btw]

Side note, might hit a word limit here? So Imma have to continue this list in a reblog, just look through those for more if ya want✌️

[orbmanson7]

From the Air - A Logangstamatic by Orb Manson

A little more animation than last time, but probably should still be called an animatic at most...

My "logangstamatic" project consists of about 26 different short animations and animatics (and maybe a lyric video or two), in each one, I take a song that reminds me of Logan from Sanders Sides and animate a short section of it in a different way!

The idea is to give a tiny taste of the type of work I want to do, when I someday have better means and the actual time and dedication to give to such projects, haha.

For more information on the full project, go here!

This one features the song "From the Air" by Laurie Anderson, and was animated by me by drawing and creating a bunch of paper doll versions of the characters (most dressed in costumes) as well as creating a paper theater and seats and props and stage setting, then using basic stop-motion techniques to create more of a photo montage of sorts of the story progressing, and used tissue paper to simulate fire. Everything was shot on my phone and then edited in the inShot app.

This song was chosen mainly because I have been a fan of Laurie Anderson's unique music for a very long time, and I originally wanted to do something for "O Superman" from the same album, but I felt this song fit Logan and his thought process way better, especially with how things are going for him currently in the series (and are bound to keep going at this rate).

I don't know why, but when listening to this song while thinking of Logan, I vividly imagined the words being spoken not by a pilot as a plane was crashing, but rather a stage manager watching everything unravel behind the scenes of a doomed stage play and once a spark sets the curtain aflame, he begins giving instructions on what to do, taking charge to clear things out but not once bothering to fight the flames, knowing no one would listen to what he has to say anyway, and eventually even revelling in how this is one of the only ways he can regain control of this unending stage of drama...

The storyboard was drawn almost instantly, haha, it just took a lot longer to find time to make all the pieces and then get it all put together.

Like the other video, I'd love to someday animate this whole song in a similar manner, preferably with a better camera and better software so it comes out more presentable and with way more animation on display. I was very limited in what I could accomplish with this, so if given the chance, I'd love to do it again but better.

I already have a few more of these other animatics and animations in progress, so stay tuned for those coming soon. As I said, there will be 26 in total!

If you liked this, please let me know with a like or a comment! It is greatly appreciated!!

Music Credits:

"From The Air" by Laurie Anderson, from the album Big Science

Art Credits:

All art, props, and animation done by me!

Character Credits:

Logan, Virgil, Roman, Patton, Remus, Janus, and Thomas Sanders are characters from Thomas Sanders' series, Sanders Sides

Lyrics Used In This Video:

Good evening

This is your captain

We are about to attempt a crash landing

Please extinguish all cigarettes

Place your tray tables in their upright, locked position

Your captain says:

Put your head on your knees

Your captain says:

Put your head in your hands

Captain says:

Put your hands on your head

Put your hands on your hips

Heh heh

This is your captain

And we are going down

We are all going down

Together

And I said "uh oh"

This is gonna be some day

Standby

This is the time

And this is the record of the time

This is the time

And this is the record of the time

[iwillstabyou]

I have a confession.

As my delightful mutuals probably know, I am Swedish. I am a proud Swede. I live in England though, hence the language (men jag förstår lite svenska också). Therefore, naturally I was happy when my homeland triumphed in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, mostly because my Swedish relatives FaceTimed me to celebrate the win and they were well and truly LEATHERED (and trust me, that is the truest form of entertainment).

As I’ve mentioned before, us Swedes are fucking FERAL when it comes to Eurovision, so the euphoria of the success coursed through my blood like opium. But much like opium, it skewed my perception of things. It blinded me to the true injustice of it all. It rendered me unable to recognise the truth: the fact that the true winner - Käärijä - was robbed of the title he truly deserved. His act had all the things that Eurovision is about: neon outfits fit for a dr Seuss character, lyrics that seem nonsensical but actually have meaning (and bonus, it’s not a depressing meaning), techno-metal mixed with a highly contrasting genre, slutty backup dancers, singing in Finnish, weird staging, etc. I could go on forever.

The point is, Käärijä slayed. He slayed hard. He slayed harder than Loreen could ever dream of. And I may not have registered it at the time, but looking back now, I realise that from the very first time cha cha cha blessed my ears, I was rooting for Finland, despite my Swedish bloodline. In fact, now I can admit that the aforementioned ‘euphoria’ I felt as the win was announced, was shallow. Deep down, I was actually disappointed. The more I think about it, the more I realise that our ‘win’ was a meaningless feat, fuelled by a jury of so called ‘experts’ who are probably mainly boring old sods with a poor music taste (not like that’s a new revelation - this is Eurovision ffs).

And because of that, I can now fully accept that the only real true winner of Eurovision Song Contest 2023 is Finland. So Käärijä, I speak on behalf of all Swedes (yes, all of them. The ones that disagree just aren’t as self aware and haven’t come to this conclusion yet. They’ll see the truth soon enough. Except for maybe Loreen, which is fair enough) when I say that we collectively give YOU the official title of “Eurovision Song Contest 2023 winner” that you so deserve. We didn’t want it anyway. We have ABBA, it’s not like we can ever beat that.

Congrats on the win, Finland!

[sentienttoastah]

Not all of these are directly vocaloid related and this mostly reflects my own tastes but.

Ryōshū probably listens to the DMCV and Metal Gear Rising: Revengence songs just loud enough that others can hear it if they sit next to her. Agree on the ADO but would also add Butchers Vanity (chef), symaG, Kan Kan and MARETU.

Faust probably is into game OSTs, like the ones for Neir:Automata and the SMT series. Plus blackY, a lil bit of Team Grimoire, and Touhou. As well as general classical sometimes - I feel like she'd prefer instrumentals. Rhythm game ahh music taste when she isn't trying to focus on something (because she is good at them)

Heath would absolutely like vocaloid, but specifically a real sucker for the catchy ones like Mesmerizer and Luka Luka ☆ Night Fever. Listens to jubyphonic for EN covers. Oft falls prey to the 'bopping song/depressing lyrics' phenomenon (just like Sinclair)

Yi Sang likes peaceful sounding songs, like (gestures at Mili) and video game OSTs ,but I I see him liking upbeat ones like La Primavera and I Got It!. He listens to more songs with lyrics after canto 4.

Sinclair likes Tokyo Teddy Bear. Neru, PinoccioP, MARETU, DECO * 27, syudou and generally the most popular Vocaloid artists like a decade ago. Also likes the occasional classical and stuff like Take Me to Church, Partners in Crime and TLT's Discord remix. Listens to Nightcore when he thinks nobody else can hear it (they can). Eminem.

Gregor likes the songs that shops play bc they were popular 5-30 years ago.

Donqui is also a rhythm game fiend but esp likes the ones like Sswwiinnddlleerr or The Big Black where you aren't 100% sure throwing kitchenware down the stairs or putting an orchestra in a centrifuge wasnt at least a part of the process. Loves Fixer anthems/themes (they probably sound like indie horror game fansongs) and anime songs like A Cruel Angel's Thesis, Lifetime Girl Declaration and Lucky Star's Opening. Eurobeat.

Charon does not yet know what Eurobeat is. This is the reason the bus only hits things sometimes.

Wall of text jumpscare 🫵🐟 /pos

oh my gosh limbus headcanons in my inbox let’s go?? I’ll try responding to these erm hold on.

Ryōshū one I absolutely agree with, can’t believe I never considered Butchers Vanity and the MGR:R soundtrack. She would totally listen to loud blaring songs and metal, songs with raw emotions. But maybe also songs with deeper meanings because uh. Art or something.

Faust being a rhythm gamer is just yes.

You worded the Heathcliff vocaloid bit way better than I did. Imagining Heathcliff listening to mesmerizer or Young girl A completely oblivious, yeah. Jubyphonic as a go-to for english covers is very valid. I also think he might like Laufey for the love songs and such, a bit of mitski or joji in there too perhaps.

I’ve personally always imagined Yi Sang liking any song with some kind of deep meaning behind it(trademark) or some story because erm, typical poet behavior. But he definitely would feel intimidated by loud blaring music so he sticks to mellow, slow-paced songs. At times I imagine him liking the Hawaii Part ii album because of the lore(trademark), other times I imagine him listening to funkytown unironically.

Sinclair, he probably even shares a playlist with Heathcliff. Generally agree on this and I think he would be even more secretive about his music taste than Heathcliff. Sinclair being Sinclair. Probably also shares a playlist with Ryōshū due to them hanging out a lot. Take me to church fits really well considering his source material. Also Eminem oh my god…???

Gregor being a Dad oh god… Sounds accurate honestly. I think he would like Army Dreamers by Kate Bush though.

Don checks out. She’s probably really good at certain songs in rhythm games and absolutely terrible in others, no in between. I like to imagine she comes up with her own fixer songs, almost like a disney channel musical movie protagonist. Just randomly starts singing on the spot. Considering that one Don Quixote musical, if it existed somehow in the Project Moon universe she would love it.

Charon….

Yeah that sounds about right for Ishy. For me she listens to sea shanties very often, mostly for the nostalgia. But those really sad sea shanties like Bones in the Ocean, and other stuff by The Longest Johns or other shanty bands. There’s one I found that’s directly telling the story of Moby Dick (as well as the Moby Dick musical) I know it won’t mix very well considering the lore and timeline just like with the Don Quixote one but still.

No worries :D

I have never heard such a specific name for song. I searched it up just now and thank you anon for introducing me to nanahira lol.

But with Hong Lu mentioned I honestly think he wouldn’t know much about pop songs prior to joining Limbus Company, probably from his relatives keeping him sheltered from the outside world. He probably only knew about traditional songs or classical pieces. But being in Limbus Company now he definitely would share similar tastes to Don Quixote, or is probably really open to any kind of music because he’s never heard a lot of it. I think he’d like Bitter Choco Decoration.

Phew that was a lot. Thank you anon for the fun headcanons to read and think about!!

[vendetta-if]

Ros and Mc are on a road trip (*cough* evade the police or villains after them *cough*) and Ro is the lucky person to be on the passenger side so it's a dealer choice what music to play during this exciting time

(pss: my mc would play the song Red Flags from Tom Cardy for the irony, I highly recommend it)

Ooh, road trip songs! This would be fun! Also, I heard the song your MC would play, "Red Flags" by Tom Cardy, and I can just picture other ROs just looking at each other in worry (except for Ash) when hearing the lyrics 💀

Oh my God, so many different genres of music in this post... and now you guys will get a glimpse into my messy music taste.

Ash

Ash is a bit hard to find one because they like quite a wide variety of genres and a lot of them you can find on their playlist already. But in the end, I think this song would be fitting. I'd like to picture this is the song that they like to listen to while riding on their bike at night as well.

"Phantom" by Veston Vulture

Rin

Do not pass Rin the AUX. Just kidding 😆 Sure, Rin loves to listen to classical and instrumental music, but that's not all they love. They actually enjoy some synthwave music too occasionally. So, instead of putting the whole car to sleep with some Debussy or Chopin, they'll probably put this more upbeat song (and also very fitting for road trip considering the title).

"The Ride" by Kalax

Santana

Santana is another hard one since they don't really have like a specific music genre that they love. They'll listen to any songs that they like. And I feel like this song will be one of those.

"We Are The People" by Empire Of The Sun

Skylar

I think I've mentioned before that Skylar actually likes Indie Folk/Indie Pop/Indie Alternative songs and I know this song would be one they'd definitely put on on a road trip 😆

"Home" by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

BONUS:

Luka

Post Punk is one of Luka's favorite genres (other than Phonk and other electronic music), so it'd definitely be this one.

"Тоска (Toska)" by Молчат Дома (Molchat Doma)

Jackal

Loves Drift Phonk music and some other electric and hip-hop/punk rap music. But his choice for a chill night drive with Luka is this one.

"Night Drive" by Wilee

[howlsofbloodhounds]

omg thank you howl for the song rec list. i'm not really a music person (to be fair, i listen to music a lot but it's just my usual playlist of 20-30 songs until i get bored and switch it up 😅), so i really appreciate having new songs to look into!

closer x beautiful is boring is such a freaky song, but it fits killer well lol

iwytktiw/ihtya is mwah just the angsty colorkiller i need

since you give me so many song recs, i feel like i have to give some back from my paltry playlists of songs i have (exposing my tastes in music 😔)

i guess this one is some flavor of fluffy colorkiller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLevj9bdRRA

this one is either killer or murder (or both), i can't decide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOT8NEQOkbQ

this one can be applied to so many dynamics, either nightmare with any of his minions, or toxic colorkiller 👀: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bROsiHFC-2c

~ crowshipping anon

Ooh thank you crow!! I love listening to music sm. If anyone else has any songs they wanna share please send em my way 🙏

I think Wires can fit both Killer and Murder in different ways for different ways, and I think it’d be absolutely hilarious if it’s both at the same time. With the lyrics along the lines of “I tell him he need medicine” gives the vibes that they’re both judging eachother’s “crazy” (which is probably the word theyd use to describe the other’s mental health problems.)

And the last one honestly works so well with both Nightmare and his minions and toxic color & killer-especially if it’s like the vibes of Killer repeating and re-enacting that relationship with color, only this time it’s somehow “different” because killer actually cares about color and willingly “submits” to color—even though killer is the one pushing for this dynamic.

ngl toxic colorkiller/color spectrum duo makes me so so so sad but it’s honestly so interesting and id love to talk about it more if anyone wants to.

[bsaka7]

tagged to post my 9 favourite album with commentary by @mathewbaldzal !!!! we r two peas in a pod i think with having a lot to say about some tunes...

in no particular order...

different class (1995) - pulp. this is not my no1 album of all time because i don't have a favorite album of all time, but this album is in part representative of "getting into music" to me. i love 90s britpop, whatever that means for a random american and this is my fav of em all (though i do actually quite rate this is hardcore in pulp's discography). "common people" is one of the songs of ALL TIME. god jarvis's little sing-song sleazyness gets me. really, really, really great classic performance of it at glasto 1995...for some reason "pencil skirt" also always really hits.

home video (2021) - lucy dacus. the newest album on this list by a long shot, but it's had songs in my top5 year end lists since it came out. i've also seen lucy live <3. this album rises above some of the others in similar company (punisher - phoebe bridgers, the boygenius ep, etc) because i never get tired of it. "first time" "hot & heavy" "brando" and "triple dog dare" are nearly always standbys in my listening history. probably gonna be an album-i-listened-to-in-college classic forever...

songs of love and hate (1971) - leonard cohen. maybe none of my favorite leonard cohen songs are on this album, but as a single work, this album stuns me. possibly the most transfixing 44:21 i've ever heard. his lyricism in particular is -- i can't even describe it. the mix with his voice, the sparseness of the instrumentation at time, the harmonies. i'm not a big stories guy but in this, yeah, the songwriting, the stories. i don't think there's another album like this one out there, really.

if you're feeling sinister (1998) - belle & sebastian. the first time i heard this album, i thought i had never heard an album so perfect. i love songs off of it but i nearly always listen to it whole. i love, love, love b&s's early sound (twee, if you will), and stuart murdoch's lyrics really, really shine. this is one of my favorite albums to listen to when i have a headache because it's lovely to just, focus on but not grating at all. i really love "judy and the dream of horses" and "get me away from here i'm dying". really, a beautiful work

rumours (1977) - fleetwood mac. i was sort of scrolling through some of my playlists trying to decide what to put on this list (it's a bit weighted towards stuff that's in rotation now) and i couldn't leave off fleetwood mac (in part to represent the huge part of my music taste that is like. classics 1965-1980). stevie nicks was one of my earlier music obsessions (the OG was the beatles). so many wonderful songs and riffs. i know this was left off the original 12-inch but "silver springs" is one of my favorite songs forever and ever and ever...

nebraska (1982) - bruce springsteen. when it comes down to it, this is my favorite springsteen album. i do think his 1975-1987 run of albums is pretty much perfect but nebraska is a masterpiece in a way that i find hard to express in words. there's a sense of sparseness and distance in this work (in part bc of how it was recorded) that i find so utterly compelling i can't even describe. "nebraska" - especially this 1984 live version - is a perfect song to me. perfect. i also like a lot of the stuff that went into inspiring this album (notably flannery o'connor) and well. where it fits into springsteen's narritivization of his own life (dude was in the dumps).

all killer, no filler (2001) - sum41. this pick is a little bit representative of the era of my life where i basically exclusively listened to pop punk but if songs of love and hate is an album that's perfectly drawn out, this is an album that's perfectly compressed. like, the title is correct. this album is fucking TIGHT. i used to listen to it at a job i hated to make the 30-min intervals go by. and it's got such classics...."fat lip"..."motivation..." of course, "in too deep." SO good.

what did you expect from the vaccines? (2011) - the vaccines. maybe this pick is a tiny bit cheesy but it is a perfect encapsulation of the era of alt rock it came from. which i love. i really like the vaccines, i think they're super fun and i did see them in concert finally and they totally lived up to that. "wetsuit" is again...one of my favorite songs of all time. "if you wanna" is a perpetual banger.

age of consent (1983) - new order. again, an album that deserves to be listened to whole, despite how good "age of consent" hits alone ever single time. sometimes i think i like another new order album more than this, but i don't. sumner's voice just out-of-tune ringing out over that sound, that new order sound, the bass, that post-punk club vibe. they're a band that don't sound like anyone else, and this is the album most indicative of that. wow, every time.

a few narrow misses

boxer (2007) - the national. i didn't get the national until one day i did. "slow show." my god. hello.

very (1993) - pet shop boys. it's too simple to say this is an album about gay love because it's so embedded in it's context but. this is an album with so much love. psb are brilliant.

the execution of all things (2002) - rilo kiley. jenny lewis CALL ME. also like. you know "a better son/daughter". there's more.

a thousand suns (2010) - linkin park. i used to listen to this at 6th grade cross-country practice. first band i ever got into on my own. idk.

this is not only my favorite albums but a pretty decent summation of the broad strokes my overall taste. thank you again for the tag!! i enjoyed doing this a lot :). idk who has done this/on what blogs so if u have PLEASEEEEE send it to me i want to see!! i tag @lfcrobbo @upthebrackets @girlfriendline @odegoob @amandaleveille @thelittlebirdthatkeptsomanywarm @kritischetheologie @bright-and-burning @a-corn-field if any of u want to but no presh!!!

[paperlovesadness]

Miles Kane & Alex Turner as the actual definition of Twin Flames

So I read about twin flames and couldn't get these two out of my mind while doing so. Because of how the article seemed to be specifically about them. So here we are. Miles Kane and Alex Turner fitting all 11 signs of finding your "mirror soul" / twin flame (based on this arcticle. Quotes taken directly) I linked most sources within the screenshots/images themselves. This post could go on forever - so I had to stop at some point. Still, welcome to my most unhinged post yet! Enjoy!

_________________

Definition: A twin flame is an intense soul connection with someone thought to be a person's other half, sometimes called a "mirror soul." It's based on the idea that sometimes one soul gets split into two bodies.

1. When you met, there was instant recognition

When you first encounter your twin flame, Spinelli says there will be an intense sense of attraction, recognition, and longing. "Meeting a twin flame often feels like home," she notes. "They feel familiar—an undeniably intense bond as though you have known them before."

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[screenshot / translation from the lovely @i-m-a-leaf-on-the-wind's post / linked in the image] ____

____ 2. You're very similar

You and your twin flame may find that you have a lot in common as far as values, past experiences, and interests, Spinelli adds. "Both of you will find that your past story has a lot of coincidences and similar experiences."

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And of course: similar taste in music, similar interests, similar goals & dreams & approach to life (still no wives / children? [Alex as the only one in AM] -> Oriented around their own lives/dreams/hobbies), similar sense of humor, kind of similar sense of style honestly (or complimentary) & tons more.

3. You complement each other

In those areas that you aren't similar, you'll find your differences complement each other, almost like yin and yang. Their shadow, for example, will be complemented by your light, and vice versa. And because a twin flame mirrors you, you're likely very aware of how your relationship highlights your shadows, and theirs.

I know they've probably spoken about this / shown it much more. But this post is long enough on it's own. I think we all see they match / complete each other very well with their differences. Very well shown in TLSP - their music and lyrics are normally disctinctly their own style - but they come together and those differences make up something really magical (aka some of my very favorite music). And overall in personalities - where Miles is much more extraverted, outgoing. More talkative in interviews, a charmer with tons of friends. A performer first and foremost. Alex is more of a self-proclaimed introvert, on the calm, quieter side. Didn't even want to be the lead singer - wanted to write and play. Seems to enjoy process/studio more than performing.

4. Your insecurities and doubts are amplified

"The purpose of your twin flame is to support and help you with your divine mission and purpose," notes spiritual author Shannon Kaiser. "So, often this type of relationship will reflect your problems and deepest insecurities so you can work through them to heal and grow."

so obviously we don't know much about their private conversations and such. But honestly the way their differences complement one another (more on that below) - the way they've been friends for years (and close ones - constantly in contact/visiting each othert etc.) and have mentioned they can talk to each other about anything in their lives and also what I take away from some of their lyrics; with all that I just know this is true. Also quite literally they do support one another beautifully in their journeys and purpose in life (which yeah. I believe in big part is music and art). Truly believe there wouldn't be a TBHC or The Car without TLSP influences. Same with Miles' new stuff. (Also TLSP in itself is to me - their most valuable work of all). Also Imma leave some Miles Kane lyrics here. Make of them what you will.

Miscommunication Tailored altercations Sing to yourself at night So come a little closer, dear You know I find it kinda hard to hear When you are whispering like that And you're diving in the deep The world at your feet An oyster but you can't break the shell We're sitting on the carousel, bang, bang My God, I know this all too well

So let me save you from yourself because

Caroline, you're living on the edge this time But it ain't nothing personal, no, no It's something that you need to know It's problematic cosmological

Take my hand And go and lead the life that you've planned 'Cause you're gonna be just fine My Caroline My Caroline

5. They feel magnetic

From the moment you met and still to this day, you feel drawn to them physically when they're near you, as well as magnetically, when you're apart. It's as though their energy is always with you, always wanting to be closer.

UM... Do we even need me to even put any examples here? But ok, ok. Just a few little ones to not leave it empty

and then, for the being apart part, of course:

6. The relationship is tumultuous

Twin flame relationships aren't all smooth sailing, and actually, they're usually not. Being with a twin flame is like constantly being confronted by yourself, namely the parts of yourself you may not like. It can be incredibly challenging, but it's facilitating major growth for both of you.

Well there's:

which people say shows some tension between them (kind od agree) there's Miles' lyrics from his last two albums, which I am convinced are about Alex and could be taken as light diss tracks honestly. Either way - there've been theories about some tensions between the two around 2018ish? And maybe later. Seems like they've smoothed it out. But song lyrics can say a lot about potential hurt and love between the two. Also if you believe this twin flame thing is about romance - well then the fact they keep being in other relationships is the biggest thing (but still can't keep their hands off each other? potentially?) If you choose to see it as a deep platonic connection only - then just ignore the girlfriend-reference part above. For a bite-size example I'll leave you with some more Miles Kane lyrics here (I think these are most commonly & widely agreed upon to be about Alex). I'm gearing up to start doing some thorough MK lyric dissections / crazy theories soon!

You're walking around, your head in the clouds You're acting as if you're Mr. Johnny know-it-all Mister come and watch me fall

You're feeling alive, a Jekyll and Hyde You're riding the tides and everybody's just doing fine Leading that double life

I'll be right here, I'll see ya when I see ya I'll wait right here, I'll see ya when I see ya You're dancing with death in a bulletproof vest There's no other way to say it, brother Better watch your step Before all goes west

The king and the queen, the milk in your tea The partner in crime you only ever found once in life Don't let it pass you by

7. The relationship is very intense

There's a definite emotional charge between twin flames, says Spinelli, and they often develop quickly because you already feel so familiar. And as Kaiser adds, "Because you are so connected at a soul level, you feel things deeper together, which often makes for more intensity and passion."

I mean here's another one where we don't really need much material, do we? It's just there. And also previous quotes are examples for this one too. About how quickly they became the closest of friends: long conversations on the phone, sleeping at each others houses, getting to know each other's parents etc. And then they write music together (stating that if they met earlier they'd have been a band together for sure) and hop onto a plane to record an album in the French countryside, spending all their time together there. As still relatively fresh friends at that point.

I also needed to include this somewhere because I 100% also perceive Lennon/McCartney as twin flames - and think that this is where many of the comparisons between them lay (and also big part of why Miles & Alex can relate to the two on a deeper level) (we're not gonna talk about the sad ending for those two though. Okay? No).

-- And yeah. Also all that chemistry.

8. You keep coming back together

"The chase" is most definitely a part of the twin flame relationship. At some point, one of you may walk away, out of fear, anger—you name it. But you'll often come back.

"If you're in an 'on and off'-again-type relationship, it could be with your twin flame," Kaiser says. "You'll find that things just keep bringing you together in random ways. Could be months, years, even decades; you just always find your way back to one another."

+See: many of the other things already stated above - but especially under point 6. Also the fact they're in each others lives since they were pretty much kids and still after years chose/choose to spend so much time together, practically living next to one another at one point (Miles moving to LA partially for Alex) and talking about how they never do more than 2 months without seeing each other (and that's caused by big stuff, like tours). Also... I think if someone belives there's more going on bewteen the two then yeah... This seems like a description of what it seems like from the outside (with one of the bigger "on-agains" being around EYCTE era? And off- around TBHC / CDG album eras?)

9. Your connection feels divine

When you find your twin flame, there's a certain larger-than-life quality that likely feels divine or predestined.

"There is a feeling that you have been brought together by a higher power," Spinelli notes, and that creates a very strong bond between the two of you. (These can also sometimes be karmic relationships.)

See stuff from other points: esp. 1 and 2 I guess. All of them though. And just the way they read each others minds... But that's for the next point.

10. You have an almost psychic connection

You and your twin flame can likely communicate with just a glance, and you always know what the other is thinking. You may even feel each other's emotions or symptoms, Spinelli adds.

The way they finish each others sentences, connect via eye contact (like just glancing at the other and suddenly laughing knowingly?) all the mirroring and inside jokes. Yup. We all know all that, there's a lot. Too much. So just a symbolic amount of examples here.

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11. They push you to be and do better

Because twin flames act as mirrors, they challenge us to do better, and oftentimes, your purposes are aligned in a way that pushes both of you to new heights. It's a very expansive relationship that promotes a lot of growth.

“Sometimes it can be a pressure being the fella in the band who writes the songs. Getting together with Miles I’ve got someone to bounce ideas off and that is something new for me. Also, it gives me somewhere to hide because he’s up there singing with me. In the Arctic Monkeys, there’s nowhere for me to hide.” - Alex As stated in another point - Miles is the more extraverted / loud / cheerful one, while Alex seems calmer, more reserved and on the serious-or-even-sad side. Well guess what - when they're together they balance each other out - and Alex is much more happy and outgoing. Even in interviews - which he famously doesn't really enjoy/do well in. (Take this from a fellow anxious/shy/quiet person. It's a GIFT to find a peron who opens you up this way). Miles also definitely gains a lot from Alex's presence and contrasting way of being.

I know that I could put so much more in here and it's driving me a little mad. There's quotes I have in my head but couldn't place and gave up on the search and stuff I probably just forgot too. But Imma let go of my perfectionism and leave this as is - because I believe it gets the message across. Hope you enjoy my insanity with me! XO

[naussensei]

I’ve been thinking about the kind of music geto might have listened to in high school and I get the sense that he would listen to a lot of alternative music. My first thought for something of that time period is Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters, maybe even some Radiohead.

He’s an Aquarius so I think he would also listen to some bizarre stuff, perhaps something even heavier like Tool. Overall, I think he’d enjoy a wide variety of music in the general alternative rock/prog rock/metal genre, but he’d also be chill with listening to punk rock stuff too. He’d be the type of person that is more enthralled by the actual lyrics rather than only how something sounds, though a sick drum beat and guitar riff is a good initial hook for him. Idk I can go on forever about this really and obviously I’m not very familiar with any Japanese bands within these genres, but let me know your thoughts.

OMG I LOVE YOUR BRAIN! 🔥

And you took the words out of my mouth because I literally had Radiohead and Foo Fighters in my outline for Geto! But also other ones like Coldplay and Björk. Like you said, I think he would listen to a variety of music but also lean more towards the rock/alternative and even some metal/grunge. Also yeah! I’m sure he’d start listening to some rock/punk (probably courtesy of Gojo’s influence hahaha) I feel like Gojo would be into the kind of music skaters were into. More on the punk side but also maybe some hip hop and rock. Maybe some Beastie Boys even? Or something like Faith No More?

And yeah, I’m also not that well-versed in Japanese music if I’m being very honest 🙈I just remember some bands that were popular, even tho I wasn’t that much into them. But I gotta say, I’m having fun doing research on Japanese music and there really are some bangers out there, and I think a lot may fit Geto’s taste!

Thank you so much for sharing your hc! I love that we both thought of Radiohead and Foo Fighters. The shared braincell at work 😂

[flymmsy]

On Repeat Playlist Tag Game

Rules: Shuffle your repeat playlist 10 times and tag 10 people. Tagged by @say-lene! :)

I’m about to be exposed for my terrible taste in music so here goes. To make this more fun for y’all - under each song I will give my Durgetash-flavored assessment, even for songs which absolutely do not fit at all.

Tagging: @defira85 @memaidraws @asteriasfallingstarsandtears @laubritter @neko-rhapsodos @sleepykitty21 @durgeteriormotives @jellymellydraws @abyssalaerlocke (y’all might’ve already been tagged sorry if so!!)

9/10 starting strong. I actually think this fits Durgetash quite well especially with Gortash's built-myself-from-nothing narrative.

7/10 durgetash rating - this is kind of like the song that they both wish they could feel about each other. Like "yea I wanna be the dude who can kiss you all sweet but if we don't rip each other apart in bed Im gonna get lobotomized so"

Oh man I hate that this is here and I'm really not big on Shawn Mendes because he's a little too bubblegum for me but this song is catchy. 8/10 Durgetash rating due to the lyrics - a dark cover of this song would fit durgetash perfectly. Its essentially "I can't believe my murder girlfriend keeps dragging me into the sewers but damn she's hot"

11/10 Durgetash rating. 10/10 for the lyrics and +1 because Enver Gortash loves Panic! At The Disco.

So yea I'm a musical fan and yes this is a durgetash song for me. Let me sell you on the vision first. Durge gets lobotomized and Orin tells Enver and he immediately wants to blow the whole plan to shit because the love of his life is gone but then the whole ass Church of Bane is like nah just like drink her away my guy and so the Banites Party Hard (tm) and Enver is like fine I'll stick with the plan but he's dead inside. 10/10

10000/10 Durgetash rating. My sister Orin says 'Oh she's just being bhaalspawn.' (is this the most embarrassing song that could ever come up? you betcha.)

This is definitely The Vibe for them. 10/10 just Durgetash being nasty. Check yourself for whiplash from the last one.

I wanted to say like 5/10 but "I don't want to keep secrets just to keep you" got me like hmmmm. Also "he looks up grinning like a devil." hmmmmmm. So I'll give it a 9/10 under one condition: default Dragonborn Durge would have to be in the music video for this in a white frilly dress.

This could probably really fit some people's Durges but it doesn't fit my idea of Durge so I'm only gonna give it a 2/10 durgetash rating. However? Orin could rock the shit out of this vibe. 10/10 Orin song.

15/10 Durgetash song. Hot as fuck, could fit both pre and post tadpole. Even mentions a priest. Strong ending.

That's all folks!

[calethelettuce]

The Sides As ABBA Songs, Because ABBA Slays

I'm on an ABBA kick guys, bear with me- I thought this would be a cool thing to do, plus you get reasons why :3 If you disagree, lmk!

✨Roman✨

Honey, Honey

- Look, it’s as cheesy as ABBA can get. It’s totally up Roman’s alley

- Probably daydreams about Thomas’ crushes to this song specifically

- Knows almost all of the Mamma Mia! lore (Context: A lot of ABBA music was used in Mamma Mia!, a concert-style musical made specifically with ABBA in mind)

- Puts him in the mood to write some kind of romance novel

- Bro is probably obsessed with ABBA an unhealthy amount, to the point C!Thomas starts having dreams about the group members

⭐Logan⭐

The Name Of The Game

- I was originally going to put S.O.S for Lo-gay, but I feel like this one fits better

- Totally jams out to some of ABBA’s chiller songs while reading or while working

- ‘And you make me feel, and you make me show, what I’m trying to conceal’ sounds like somebody is having some funny lil issues hiding something HMMMM???? MAYBE SOME EMOTIONS?????

- Likes to research the members, just to familiarize himself with the artists to better understand

- Probably analyzes every little lyric, but likes this song just a tad more than the others because.. well, he relates in a way.

🌩️Virgil🌩️

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!

- The purp man, listening to something OTHER THAN ROCK????!?? Holy shit it’s a miracle

- The most emo song made by ABBA by far

- ‘Won’t somebody help me chase the shadows away?’ C’MON NOW

- Really likes the instrumentals, that’s for sure

- Listens to it kinda often, although it’s kinda just shoved in his 12 hour playlist

- For some reason it calms him down a little when he’s really anxious

- Probably makes up scenarios in his head based on the lyrics

- Not a huge ABBA fan, but tolerates their music a good amount

- Would totally go to a concert tho

💙Patton💙

Slipping Through My Fingers

- I ACTUALLY ALMOST CRIED THINKING ABOUT THIS ONE :(

- It’s just- *sniff* PARENT OVERLOOKING THEIR KID WHO’S FINALLY ALL GROWN UP :((((

- ‘Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture, And save it from the funny tricks of time’ I CHOKED AND DIED :(

- Pat probably listens to this song sparingly, because he might relate just a lil too much

- He does like it, it’s just he’s a very emotional guy

- Honestly, he probably listens to ABBA just because it’s ABBA

- Jams to Dancing Queen tho

⚜️Janus⚜️

Voulez-Vous

- Come on now. The phrase ‘Nothing promised, no regrets’? Literally Janus in a nutshell.

- Not really his taste, but sometimes puts it on as a boost of some sort (Probably in the morning)

- I mean, this song is just a bop

- DEFINITELY plays the Just Dance version with Remus or one of the other sides

- I lied he likes playing all the ABBA songs on JD okay he just does

- Probably quotes the french in this song (Only Roman gets it, and 85% of the time he just doesn’t remember what it means)

🟩Remus⬛

Does Your Mother Know?

- Do I need to explain? 

- This song is just- yes

- Would definitely tease someone interested in him exactly like this song does

- He’s just so silly

- Probably headbangs to ABBA’s more “explicit” songs

- This one though, he likes because of its funny lil’ indications

- Likes Mamma Mia! like Roman, but only because of the dirty jokes and the “funny” content

- Is pissed it’s not on Just Dance

- Most likely changes the lyrics sometimes to whatever weird things pop into his head that works

- Blasts ABBA music in the background when smashing things with his morningstar (need I explain? we all know he smashes things outta nowhere)

BONUS!!!

💤Sleep💤

Money, Money, Money

- You know this dude is about to spend all his money on starbucks

- It’s just- his aesthetic

- Would definitely marry a wealthy man/woman just for the money

- Hardcore ABBA fan, shut up you cannot change my freaking mind

- Knows all the words

- (Begrudgingly) Geeks out with Roman about it every once in a while

- Causes C!Thomas to lose sleep over this fact (Sleep literally just disappears)

- His personal playlist is half ABBA

- Scored Megastar on Just Dance on every ABBA song (Janus and Remus r jealous of his talent)

💗Emile💗

Chiquitita

- The song reminds me of the therapist friend, so ofc the boi himself deserves it

- Prefers to listen to cartoon soundtracks, though will make an exception every once and a while

- He’s such a sweetheart omg

- If C!Thomas and Emile met in some multiverse I feel like this song describes how a later interaction would go

- I forget that Sleep and Emile aren’t sides lolol

- Also really enjoys Super Trouper for some reason even he can’t explain, he just likes it lol

🌈C!Thomas🌈

Angeleyes

- Nico where u at bby gurl :0

- It’s one of those correlations you can’t explain in a simple way

- ‘Sometimes, when I’m lonely, I sit and think about him’ LIKE AWH ik the song is actually about a breakup BUT SHHHH LET ME BE DELUSIONAL

- Probably enjoys ABBA a moderate amount, he doesn’t really have a cohesive opinion

- Is tired of Roman’s bs tho lol

- There is a breakup mentioned in SaSi somewhere, so this song does kinda make sense in a way

- Vibes with Patton to Dancing Queen 100%

[perexcri]

there’s nothing more cruel than to be loved by everybody but you - [byler week - day 5]

yeah so i thought this fit the secret identities thing until i wrote it and realized it uhh. isn’t quite that. so enjoy whatever this is i guess - lots of miscommunication and a fun set-up for potential enemies to lovers

also it’s my personal headcanon that Will is a music snob, so if you don’t like that then uh,,,,i guess skip this one idk

title from: wilson (expensive mistakes) by fall out boy

dedicated to: the listening party for fall out boy’s new album that i went to last week in a city an hour away from me; i came up with this stupid idea on the drive there! indie record store in [city redacted], you were very nice, and thank you for having a decent selection of poetry i could pick from :]

Don’t ask Will how this ended up being his job, because he honestly doesn’t know. One day, they had a meeting for the university’s queer artists’ zine where he was complaining about everyone’s responses to the new U2 album (yes, it sounds different from other U2 albums, but obviously if you look at the lyrical and metatextual themes of Achtung Baby, it’s still very much U2), and then BAM–suddenly he’s in charge of doing the cover art for the zine and writing music reviews.

Sure, he could probably turn it down, but nobody else will take the job.

Also, he’s pretty sure they wouldn’t do it right, because, as much as he loves this group, their music tastes are…well…not everybody has an older brother like Jonathan Byers who makes sure they grow up with proper music opinions.

So, if anything, Will does this to keep the spirit of reviewing and recommending underground artists in New York City alive for the zine, and also because he doesn’t think anybody else could do it justice, no offense to them.

But Will is loathing this job for their upcoming edition. He’s sitting in that weird liminal time between class periods where people are in the chaotic throes of rushing around or throwing their notebooks open to prepare for the lecture; his elbows are pressed into the desk that’s just a little too small, and his head is in his hands. He’s staring down at the one submission he’s been putting off for precisely three semesters, because the president of the zine said it needed to be done before they moved on to new submissions, so could you please just lower your standards for one night and go listen to them play so you can write the damn review?

The Fellowship of the Ring, the submission card reads in faded pencil. Scratched under it in the slightly-fresher ink of the zine’s president’s pen, it reads: Thursday - The Purple Hall - 8 PM.

And, God, Will wishes this show was just gonna be a live reading of the Tolkein book. It would be so much better than what he knows it actually is.

The Fellowship of the Ring is a local, up-and-coming act in the underground venues of the greater New York City area that everybody loves because they sound like Nirvana and, you guessed it, throw out Tolkein references like they’re Led Zeppelin. They’re huge on college campuses, where students pass around live-recorded tapes of their supposedly-legendary performances all the time, gushing about how even the bass sounds, the peeling shrieks of guitars, the way the vocalist wavers between grumbles and ethereal, falsetto howls. They even gush about the lyrics and how they truly capture the experiences of Western youth in these first few years of the new decade: malaise, boredom, this sense that there is no great struggle for the future left for them, only an endless drowning in comfortable excess.

Will had even seen a girl with the band’s logo tattooed on her shoulder.

Which is…fine. He guesses.

If you like shitty music, that is.

See, that’s the fundamental problem here: Will likes doing these silly little reviews for live music around New York because half the time, the music is passably decent, and even if that doesn’t work, the lyrics can make up for it. There’s so much creativity in the air, and people are doing so much with it.

Not The Fellowship of the Ring, though.

Where everybody else sees innovation, Will sees reductivity; where everybody screams about the charm of the lyrics and the pop culture references they sneak in, Will sees a demeaning pandering to an audience. Every single time he has been subjected to the squawks and out-of-tune guitars of The Fellowship, he’s spent his time thinking he would be better off to save himself the time and just listen to Nirvana’s Nevermind for the millionth time, because that’s all The Fellowship’s trying to do, anyway, and at least then Will could listen to something good.

Yeah, Will hates The Fellowship of the Ring, and now he’s squeezing his temples so hard that the letters on the submission card are beginning to swim in his vision.

“Hey!”

Thankfully, Will is saved by his very friendly, incredibly good-looking neighbor in History of the American Constitution, Mike Wheeler.

“Hey!” he says, trying to gain back the energy that seeing The Fellowship’s submission card had unwittingly drained out of him.

And honestly, seeing that flash of Mike’s smile and how the fluorescents dance in his eyes, Will feels like he has enough energy to power the sun now, even if they are going to have to sit through yet another lecture about Article II–whatever the hell that means.

“What’s got you so down?” Mike asks, head tilted to the side, some of his hair tumbling into his eyes, and all Will wants to do is push it away–

But, no, he has to have a coherent conversation right now, so he shakes his head and tries his best to return Mike’s smile. “Oh, nothing…Just something for that zine I work on.”

“Oh, yeah!” Mike snaps his fingers, causing some of the buttons on his jacket to rattle together. He always wears a leather jacket no matter the weather or the rest of his attire, and today, paired with plaid pajama bottoms, held-together-by-duct-tape converse, and a baggy Care Bears shirt, it shouldn’t work, but in Will’s eyes, it does. “I think I saw one of those around! I wanted to grab a copy, but somebody else did before I could get to it.”

“I can bring you a copy of the next issue,” Will says, then, remembering the task at hand, groans and puts his head back in his hands. “That is, if I even survive it.”

“What, are they making you skip classes for it?”

“No, worse: they’re making me listen to a band I hate.”

Mike winces. “Yikes.”

“Yeah.”

“That sucks.”

“Right?”

“Can’t you just, like…push it off?”

“I did. For three semesters.” The professor wanders in with a mumbled greeting and a steaming cup of coffee in hand, and Will lowers his voice in anticipation of the lecture beginning. “That’s why I have to do it now.”

“Maybe it would help if somebody went with you?”

Despite having flirted with each other mercilessly all semester during this one shared class of theirs, they haven’t hung out much outside of it, so to be faced with the possibility of something that could potentially be labeled as a date between them is shocking. For a moment, Will can forget about the future torment awaiting him Thursday evening at The Purple Hall’s listening stage, and he thinks that maybe, just maybe, having somebody to talk to over the drone of the lazily-played guitars could make the evening slightly more bearable.

“Yeah,” Will finally says, a grin stretching across his face. “Of course. Yeah, that’d be awesome!”

Mike returns the look twofold, and one of his legs begins to bounce. “Awesome! When is it?”

As the lecture begins, Will resorts to a torn piece of notebook paper, like he’s a kid passing notes in class again to survive the boredom. He scribbles The Purple Hall - Thursday 7 PM, then hands it to Mike, who responds with a quizzical look at the paper, scratches something out, and hands it back to Will.

The Purple Hall - Thursday 7 PM 6?

Will shoots him a thumbs up, prays it wasn’t too awkward, and then folds the sheet of paper up and sticks it in his pocket.

And if he carries it around there for the rest of the week, then that’s his business alone.

---

The pros: this is one of Will’s favorite music venues, there’s several bands to look forward to tonight, and Mike seems wholly invested in the idea of this being a date, if him leaning closer and the playful hand on Will’s knee mean anything.

The cons: Will has to listen to the fucking Fellowship of the Ring in approximately ten minutes.

He’s able to put the thoughts off for the first hour. After all, The Fellowship isn’t set to perform until 8–he and Mike had met at 6 as planned, and Will has spent the first hour and a half trying to be blissfully unaware of the torturous fate awaiting him.

Even as his skin begins to crawl at the thought of having to hear those plucky, out-of-tune guitars and the lead singer screeching about the Gulf War under the guise of Star Wars references, he does feel a little settled. Mike’s fingers are surprisingly warm, and the alcohol they’ve been nursing makes his chest glow with warmth. It’s easier to laugh, to be focused solely on Mike and these wonderful, looping conversations they’ve found themselves ensnared in.

“This one’s good!” Mike half-shouts over the drum solo of the current act, consisting of just a drummer and a bassist crooning over their heady rhythms. They’re called the Jazz Squares, or something like that. Whatever.

At least they’re not The Fellowship.

“The drink or the band?” Will queries. His own head’s spinning with the beer he’s been sipping on for the better part of an hour, and he already feels lightheaded, because he’s a lightweight, and Mike’s got something to do with these pulses of courage thumping in his chest, right?

“Both!” Mike takes another long sip from his Jolly-Rancher-blue mixer. Will had asked him what was in it earlier, and all Mike had responded with was Coconut-something and a whole lot of rum!

They’ve talked about so much already–their families, their majors, their hobbies. Mike comes here a lot, he reveals, and he mentions that he plays guitar, too. He keeps it a playful secret when Will asks for more information, though: how long have you played? Do you write, too? Are you in a band, because I could put you in the zine if you wanted–

It’s a surpriseee, Mike had drawled in response, a stupid grin twisting his mouth as his fingers had vacated Will’s knee momentarily just to ruffle through Will’s hair.

As the Jazz Squares’ set finally dies down to some spotty applause (this is more of an alternative scene, after all, but a gig is a gig), Will lets out a groan, melodramatically knocking his forehead into the table, and finally drags out his notebook.

“What’s that for?” Mike asks, eyebrows high on his forehead.

“For that review I have to do,” Will grumbles.

“But isn’t that act on in, like, two hours?”

Will blinks a couple of times. He supposes he hadn’t actually told Mike which group he was here for, but he thought the fact that he originally proposed a meet-up time of 7 would have communicated enough that it was somewhere around then. “Um, no? I didn’t say anything, I guess, but I think they’re up next.”

Mike’s fingers begin to nervously tap on what remains of his electric blue potion. As his and Will’s gazes snag together for several heady seconds, he purses his lips, then throws back the rest of his drink, swallowing the last of it in just a couple of gulps.

Will slowly draws his notebook out, flipping to the page he had specifically marked The Fellowship of the Ring with a disheartened, frighteningly life-like frowny face scrawled next to it. “Is something wrong?”

Mike drags his wrist across his mouth, smearing any remaining drops of blue onto his leather jacket’s sleeve. “So this band you hate that you have to review…It’s The Fellowship of the Ring?”

“Yeah.” Will taps the top of his paper. “I didn’t say anything, but…Yeah.”

“Oh.”

“Why?”

“Um.”

Will quirks an eyebrow up. “I mean, do you like them? That’s fine, of course, I mean–people have different tastes and what-not. I’d just have to seriously question your judgment in all matters music-related, I guess.”

“Um,” Mike repeats, fingers now tapping a dangerously fast staccato against their bartop table. It makes the remaining beer in Will’s bottle slosh around. “Um…This is bad.”

“What? Are you a super fan or something?” Thanks to the alcohol, Will feels bold enough to scrunch his nose up with disgust. “I mean, fine, whatever. But seriously, if you want a second date, I’m gonna take you to a record store so you can hear some actually decent music. If you’re impressed by that fucking band’s reductive bullshit, you’ll be positively amazed by a group like The Clash or Smashing Pumpkins or–hell, even fucking U2–”

“Excuse me!” the MC calls over the mic; when the feedback whines, he takes a second to tap at the mic, then announces: “Calling everyone’s favorite up-and-coming group, The Fellowship of the Ring, for soundcheck–their set starts in five!”

The club erupts into raucous cheers. Will has to hide the involuntary groan of annoyance he lets out behind his hand.

Mike casts a nervous glance at Will, then pushes his chair out and looks like he’s going to walk away, the buttons on his jacket clicking together. He nearly trips over the saggy laces of his converse, and through the tears in his jeans, he almost looks like he’s shaking.

“Hey, wait!” Will says, reaching forward and grasping Mike’s wrist. It makes the other guy stop, a blush creeping up into his cheeks, and Will tries to push down his distaste for the band and lets out a sigh. “Listen, I’m sorry–I was being stupid. It’s just a band, after all. If you like them, that’s fine, and I will…” he swallows here, and it hurts, taking on this insurmountable task of trying to push his music-snob’s pride down. “I won’t make fun of you for it. I promise.”

Mike blinks a couple of times before a reassuring grin overtakes his features. “Uh…Nope. That’s okay, Will. It’s not for everyone. I wasn’t like…trying to run out on you or anything.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. I’m still gonna be here.”

“Then why are you getting up?”

Mike points at the stage, where a drummer and bassist are setting up their instruments, their eyes scanning the room in search of their infamous guitarist and singer. “Didn’t you hear? We have soundcheck. The set starts in five.”

Will slowly nods. “Yeah. Then the next act starts, and I have to scratch down whatever notes I can think of for them, and then we can get back to our date.”

Mike stares at him for several seconds.

And then it all catches up with Will.

“Oh, shit–”

Mike’s grin turns into something playful, his eyebrows shooting up beneath his bangs. “Can’t wait to read your official review of my fucking band’s reductive bullshit!” he says with a two-fingered salute, then spins around to make his way to the stage. He’s bathed in the dim lighting of the stage, hunching over his guitar the second he straps it around his chest, and Will wonders how somebody who was brave enough to wander around in a leather jacket and a fucking Care Bears shirt and look that good could be involved in a band that’s just–

This bad, Will finishes for himself as Mike strums his first cord, its electricity shaking the walls of the club, and he begins yet another signature Fellowship song that’s nothing more than various John Hughes and horror movie quotes juxtaposed over warring drums and guitars.

Of course Will would be stupid enough to fall for the lead singer of his most-hated band in the greater New York City area.

[nordleuchten]

Hamilton vs. History

As most people are certainly aware of, Hamilton: An American Musical is not an exact representation of history and never wanted to be one. But when a pop-culture medium is so widespread and in certain places almost as omnipresent as Hamilton is, there will always be a blend between fact and fiction. Certain aspects of fiction or pop-culture simply make such a strong impression on us, that they shape our view on reality/history. Some aspects appear so much more fun, so much brighter in fiction, that we often do not want to know weather said aspect really happened this way. Some other details are so minor, that they are hard to catch if you are not deeply interested in the topic at hand.

Since I do know a thing or two about La Fayette, I thought I take a little deep dive into his depiction in Hamilton.

As a little disclaimer, while I have read the book Hamilton by Ron Chernow and listened to the official cast recording, I have never seen an actual production and can therefore not take into account what the actors do on stage.

Appearance:

I would have hoped that I do not have to say it, but I have made the experience in the past that I indeed do have so say it; La Fayette was not dark skinned. He was as white as the rest of influential America and Europa at that time.

As to his costume, well, he wears two uniforms throughout the play (plus the white suit at the beginning and in the end and his civilian clothes at the beginning of Act I)

His first uniform is identical with Mulligan’s, Laurens’ and Hamilton’s uniform – not quite right since he was a Major-General and the others were not. A more suitable uniform would have looked something like this:

The second, and probably more prominent uniform, is this one:

La Fayette wore this uniform as a lieutenant general in 1791 towards the end of his military service during the French Revolution, so roughly a decade later, in a different country during a different revolution.

Aaron Burr, Sir

With this song we are introduced to La Fayette for the first time. As a disclaimer, La Fayette never met Hercules Mulligan, had very little contact with Aaron Burr and he also met Hamilton and Laurens at the same time.

[LAFAYETTE]

Oui oui, mon ami, je m'appelle Lafayette!

The Lancelot of the revolutionary set!

I came from afar just to say “Bonsoir!”

Tell the King “Casse toi!” Who's the best?

C'est moi!

I like that La Fayette is speaking French in his opening lyrics because by the time of his arrival in America he only had a very limited knowledge of the English language and he needed a few extra months to feel entirely comfortable. Hamilton and Laurens both spoke French and this circumstance really helped in building their friendship.

La Fayette also makes a remark regarding the legendary (often described as French) knight Lancelot du Lac. Quite fitting, given that La Fayette hailed from a line of literally knights and these were stories and (self-)characterisations that he was quite attached to.

Other than that, the song is a bit too bubbly for my taste. Yes, La Fayette could be extremely energetic and optimistic, but he could also be incredibly self-conscious. He knew that he had no practical knowledge, that he barely understood the language, that his age was working against him, he even told Washington that he came to learn and not to teach – he would have never said “Who’s the best? C’est moi!” And while we are at it, he also did not like swearing.

My Shot

[LAFAYETTE]

I dream of life without a monarchy

The unrest in France will lead to 'onarchy?

'Onarchy? How you say, how you s-oh, 'anarchy!'

When I fight, I make the other side panicky

With my—

I suspect that the first line is directed towards the French monarchy, since France was where the vast majority of his life took place. If so – no, La Fayette did not dream of life without a monarchy. Later, during the French Revolution he was critical of the monarchy but never wanted to abolish it. He was not called a Counter-Revolutionary and Royalist by his enemies for no reason.

While yes, there had been unrests long before the French Revolution, as we know it, started, these problems were at this time of his life not on La Fayette’s mind.

As to making the other side “panicky”, well, La Fayette had no practically military experience at this point so there were very few people whom he made “panicky” (and I think half of them were members of the Continental Congress and Continental Army.)

But once again, I like La Fayette’s struggle with the English language.

The Story of Tonight

[LAFAYETTE/MULLIGANS/LAURENS]

I may not live to see our glory!

This line is rather interesting because while, yes, many of La Fayette’s ancestors have died young, his own father among them, and while La Fayette himself had been wounded early on in the Battle of Brandywine and also had been severely ill several times, he wrote these lines to his Adrienne on January 6, 1777 in regards to the birth of their second daughter Anastasie:

For the rest, if one must worry about the family name, I declare that I have decided to live long enough to bear it myself for many years, before I am obliged to bequeath it to another being.

Idzerda Stanley J. et al., editors, Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution: Selected Letters and Papers, 1776–1790, Volume 1, December 7, 1776–March 30, 1778, Cornell University Press, 1977, p. 222-226.

He certainly was full of optimism to see their glory.

[LAFAYETTE]

Let's have another round tonight!

La Fayette was definitely not averse to a drink or two or fife with his friends. This line is very much in character.

The Story of Tonight (Reprise)

I would like to preface this song by saying that neither La Fayette, nor Laurens, nor Mulligan nor Burr were present at Hamilton’s wedding. The only guest on Hamilton’s side of the wedding party was Doctor James McHenry, former aide-de-camp to Washington and now an aide-de-camp to La Fayette

[LAFAYETTE]

Let's have another round tonight!

As I said previously, this is definitely something that La Fayette would have said. :-)

[LAFAYETTE]

You are the worst, Burr!

There is no reason to believe that La Fayette, even when a bit tipsy, had any ill feelings towards Burr. In fact, La Fayette had very few feelings towards Burr because he mentions the good Sir almost never. There are six letters in total, both to and from La Fayette, that mention Burr and the earliest is from 1807.

Stay Alive

[LAFAYETTE]

I ask for French aid, I pray that France has sent a ship

La Fayette lobbied extensively for the American cause, even before his first voyage home again to France.

[WASHINGTON]

Have Lafayette take the lead!

(…)

[LAFAYETTE]

As we snatch a stalemate from the jaws of defeat

The Battle of Monmouth was a wild. Washington offered the command to Lee, who was not interested so Washington went to La Fayette, who gladly accepted the command. Suddenly, Lee’s interest was renewed, and he took command after all. The battle itself was disaster but La Fayette never officially took command but instead worked with Lee to try and safe the day and he was also in command of his own little sub-division.

Guns and Ships

La Fayette's most prominent number in the musical.

[LAFAYETTE]

I’m takin this horse by the reins makin’

Redcoats redder with bloodstains

(…)

[LAFAYETTE]

And I’m never gonna stop until I make ‘em

Drop and burn ‘em up and scatter their remains, I’m

[COMPANY]

Lafayette!

[LAFAYETTE]

Watch me engagin’ em! Escapin’ em!

Enragin’ em! I’m—

(…)

[LAFAYETTE]

I go to France for more funds

(…)

[LAFAYETTE]

I come back with more

[LAFAYETTE AND ENSEMBLE]

Guns

And ships

And so the balance shifts

La Fayette went to France in 1779 and returned to America in 1780. He brought with him the promise of “guns and ships” but the French aide needed some time to arrive.

[LAFAYETTE]

We can end this war at Yorktown, cut them off at sea, but

For this to succeed, there is someone else we need:

(…)

[LAFAYETTE]

Sir, he knows what to do in a trench

Ingenuitive and fluent in French, I mean—

(…)

[LAFAYETTE]

Sir, you’re gonna have to use him eventually

What’s he gonna do on the bench? I mean—

(…)

[LAFAYETTE]

No one has more resilience

Or matches my practical tactical brilliance—

By the time of La Fayette’s return to America, Yorktown was not yet chosen, or better destined, to be the decisive battle in the Revolutionary War, especially since Washington and the French commanders had different ideas about how to proceed.

La Fayette did try to mend Washington’s and Hamilton’s relationship, not only by talking with Washington but also with Hamilton. And no, he would have never said, that he was tactically brilliant – because he was not, simple as that.

Yorktown (the World Turned Upside Down)

[LAFAYETTE]

Monsieur Hamilton

[HAMILTON]

Monsieur Lafayette

[LAFAYETTE]

In command where you belong

[HAMILTON]

How you say, no sweat

We're finally on the field. We’ve had quite a run

[LAFAYETTE]

Immigrants:

[HAMILTON/LAFAYETTE]

We get the job done

This is such a lovely scene, isn’t it? But it never happened like that, quite the opposite actually. La Fayette chose one of his former aide-de-camps, Jean-Joseph Soubadère de Gimat, to take command of the storming of redoubt number 10. Hamilton was eager to be given the command but when La Fayette refused he went straight to Washington who decided in Hamilton’s favour and overruled La Fayette’s decision. While in the end this incident did not harm La Fayette’s and Hamilton’s friendship, La Fayette was anything but happy with the situation.

[HAMILTON]

So what happens if we win?

[LAFAYETTE]

I go back to France

I bring freedom to my people if I’m given the chance

As I have now already mentioned a couple of times, at this time there was not really any freedom that La Fayette wanted to bring to France. There were certainly political and social matters that he was interested in and some laws that he would have liked to see reformed – but I feel like these lines imply a fixed agenda that simply was not there yet.

[HAMILTON]

When we finally drive the British away

Lafayette is there waiting—

[HAMILTON/LAFAYETTE]

In Chesapeake Bay!

La Fayette and his troops played a vital role in cornering and keeping the British troops in Yorktown by making a retreat by land impossible.

[LAFAYETTE]

Freedom for America, freedom for France!

Again, freedom for France was not yet on the forefront of La Fayette’s mind.

Cabinet Battle #2

[Jefferson]

Did you forget Lafayette?

[Hamilton]

What?

[Jefferson]

Have you an ounce of regret?

You accumulate debt, you accumulate power

Yet in their hour of need, you forget

[Hamilton]

Lafayette’s a smart man, he’ll be fine

And before he was your friend, he was mine

If we try to fight in every revolution in the world, we never stop

Where do we draw the line?

La Fayette’s imprisonment was a headache inducing topic for many people at the time. Neither Hamilton, nor Jefferson, nor Washington for that matter, had forgotten La Fayette, but there was very little that could be done from their positions. What could be done however, was done and Hamilton and Jefferson both helped. Interesting is here the change of roles – Jefferson accuses Hamilton of not caring while Hamilton himself is rather optimistic. In reality it was Hamilton who did way more for La Fayette, even taking his son in, while Jefferson, although concerned and helpful, sometimes had a mindset of “Well, it is a revolution, shit happens.”

This post is not intended as a critique of the musical or the people who like it and listen to it, this is simply a little note for the curious. :-)

[where-the-wind-travels]

thinking about avalon by dpr ian and how well it fits amelin especially in the blood ending. yes i do really like to associate songs i like with characters/routes as most of the time whenever i get inspiration to write it's because of songs, characters, or both at the same time.

maybe it's the fact that it's a very "midnight motorcycle ride" type song (to me) that made me think of amelin in the first place, but then i listened to the lyrics a bit more and i realized. this is their song. and not just in the sense that it gives me their vibes. i mean it as in they actually listen to the song together and consider it theirs. since ame has my music taste i also think they'd listen to dpr (mostly ian, but they also listen to live/dabin), and one day while taking the wheel on the motorcycle they play this song. cue:

ame, you listen to dpr ian?

wait. you listen to dpr ian? you know this song?

well... yeah. used to. i guess i kinda still do.

of course you listen to artists with dark, broody songs who are actually sweet on the inside. just like you.

just like me, hm? well, now i know where you got your type from.

hm. shut up, you.

and yes they communicate with just hms sometimes + i'm pretty sure the headcanon that lincoln used to listen/listens to dpr is probably the most out of place in here. but i'm out of place in general. it doesn't matter

❝ play me through the stereo

hold me on the dance floor, all night

take me to your avalon

nobody needs to come along

just come alone, oh

are we ready to risk it all?

are you ready to risk it all?

are we ready to risk it all?

i'll be ready to risk it all, risk it all for you

my hands are out, so take me now ❞

god i love this silly cunty lil fashion designer and their doting tattoo artist bf so MUCH. i'm in tears