#jeff does not want to deal with punks ass at all and punk keeps showing up somehow

[blowflyfag]

this is their song guys please see my vision

[just-a-creep-babe]

Matchup!

Commissioned by the lovely @lesbianthespianqueen, thank you sm <3

~Requests are closed~

Masterlist: x

I match you with: Clockwork

Alright, so Nat’s definitely not one to hold her tongue

If she has something to say, she’ll say it, and whether or not it offends anyone, as far as she’s concerned, it’s not her prob ��\_(ツ)_/¯

So usually, if someone else is as blunt & snarky as she is, chances are they’ll butt heads—a lot

Not necessarily in a serious/visceral way, but more of a frenemy kinda way

But for some reason, with you, it’s,,,, different

Like she’s less likely to be so defensive & snappy around you

Maybe it’s the punk look you’ve got going, or the fact that you seem pretty cool & you’ve got the vibe that you know what you’re doing

Or maybe it’s just how attractive she thinks you are & she’s lowkey intimidated by you sksjdjsls

Whatever it is, it has homegirl very easily developing a soft spot for you

The others, especially Jeff, notice that she acts differently around you and they tease the ever-loving hell out of her

She ends up kicking their ass every time though, cause there’s no way she’ll ever admit they’re right skdjdhsl

And when they tease her for it in front of you?

Whew boy, she gets BIG MAD ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° )

But tbh, it’s kinda cute cause she’ll get all blushy & flustered before finally snapping & chasing/beating them tf up 😏

Which, honestly, ngl, she looks damn fine when she’s knocking a grown ass man killer to the ground like it’s nothing

And she totally lowkey tries to show off in front of you too when she does beat them down 👀

Homegirl just wants your attention a lil, can you really blame her? ;>

Also, another sign that makes it clear she likes you (besides holding back on the snark & getting flustered around you) is how protective she is of you

If anyone makes fun of you or upsets you, she does not hesitate to throw hands

She’s the embodiment of the fite me (ง'̀-'́)ง meme except she WILL fuck up her opponent lmaoo

You might not be the type to easily show when someone’s upset you, but she’ll pay real close attention to anyone that steps outta line

And if she thinks someone’s just a little too rude, she’ll be quick to shut them up one way or another

She doesn’t mind how blunt or smart-mouthed you tend to be tbh

She actually thinks it’s pretty refreshing *cough* kinda hot too *cough*

So it’s pretty clear that you’ve no need to hold back when you’re around her

Honestly, with the way she tends to stick by your side, y’all end up getting pretty close

She loves how extroverted you become when you get to know each other better—and she’s absolutely the same

Y’all end up egging each other on into doing some things you probably shouldn’t do

But hey, it makes for some real good memories 😌👌

Bit by bit, playful insults thrown every now & then eventually turn into lowkey accidental flirting

And your friendship turns into that sort of “I really like you but idk what we are and if this counts as real flirting & at this point I’m too afraid to ask” kinda deal

She typically acts like she’s cool & confident, but she’s actually pretty shy & inexperienced & flustered by affection as well

So a kind of mutual understanding ends up developing between the two of you where y’all both KNOW you like the other but REFUSE to do anything about it

The tension gets t h i c k

Someone eventually has to intervene because it becomes clear y’all won’t do it on your own smh

And it’s pretty difficult at first for the both of you to get over the intimacy hurdle

But once you both adjust, y’all make for a banging couple

*wink wink nudge nudge*

She would’ve showed you some fighting tips before y’all started dating, but she definitely helps you practice a lot more after you become an item

And honestly, pining you down while you‘re all out of breath & sweaty?

It kinda does things to her that she was NOT ready to admit before you were an item 😳😳

She’s much more comfortable doing that kind of thing when she knows the feelings are,, mutual 😏😉

In fact, she loves play fighting with you

Whether it’s playful/flirty insults or seeing who can pin the other down faster, she adores being stupid with you & not worrying about being judged & vice versa

She knows that you trust her & she trusts you just as much

Like she usually isn’t very good at letting people in, especially not after everything that’s happened to her, but she knows you’d never do anything to hurt her

She loves & appreciates you sm 🥺💗

No one in the mansion wants to mess with either of you

Y’all were kinda scary before, but you’re downright terrifying together

You aren’t really a power couple in conventional/traditional terms, but you’ve definitely got an intensity about the two of you—and y’all are intimidating af with it tbh 😰

Even BEN holds himself back from saying the wrong kinda stuff around you

Or, at least, he tries to

Also, like I’ve mentioned, Nat typically tries to look cool & uninterested, but she’s actually a total softie uwu

Knowing you like video games, she’ll set up cozy lil nooks in her room w fairy lights & ~plenty~ of pillows & blankets in front of the tv so you can cuddle up and have chill indoor dates

But she will deny it if you bring up how much of a sap she can be :”)

She isn’t one much for theatre, but she’ll develop an appreciation for it knowing it’s what you’re into

And any play she hears about will remind her of you so, she’ll get that warm feeling in her chest & it kinda ends up making her day tbh 🥰❤️

Finally, it’s kind of something she keeps secret from the others, but she actually loves book

She is a huge bookworm & will absolutely rave about horror novels with you 👏all👏the👏time👏

Honestly, y’all are just dang fucking cute together—

NSFW

Ngl, Clocky tends to be pretty dominant in the bedroom

She likes the control it grants her & how she can choose how to go about things

She also likes seeing her lil princess squirm beneath her while she teases the hell out of you c;

And it’s all the better when you get flustered & try to give her attitude—you just look so cute~

She’s not too kinky, but she’s not always vanilla, either

One of her favourite things to do is tie you up & see how much teasing you can handle before you start begging for her touch

She’d also love to drag a feather up and down your skin to watch the way it has you squirming at the ticklish sensation

Wax & temperature play are both also something she’d love to experiment with, if you’re comfortable with it, ofc

She’s pretty big on exploring different sensations, and it honestly gets pretty sensual

But unless she’s in the mood for something rougher, she typically enjoys some nice, slow vanilla sex

She wants to worship your form and murmur how soft & warm you are, lavishing you with praise & attention between gentle kisses

She will melt if you do the same to her

Typically, she enjoys being on top, like I mentioned, but if you flip things around and focus the attention on her, she’ll get super shy & embarrassed

It’s honestly so dang precious~

If you wanna take control more often & maybe even get a lil rougher with her, you’ll definitely need to talk things through beforehand

What with her past and all, y’all will prolly need a few safewords & some clearly established boundaries to make sure everything goes well & you don’t hurt her in some way

But she’ll let you take charge if you really wanna because she trusts you uwu

Still would rather have slow & sensual sex if you’re on top tho

She doesn’t exactly consider herself the most romantic person, but she’ll try the whole candle-lit thing just to show you how much she loves you & that she’s willing to put effort

Also, the first few times y’all sleep together, she knows affection can sometimes scare you, so she’ll be very patient & understanding throughout the whole thing

Truth be told, it kinda scares her a lil too

She’s used to non-committal sex, although, admittedly, even in that case, she acts like she sleeps around a lot more than she actually does

She’s got a rep to uphold and all

Point is, the soft-mushy stuff is pretty fresh territory

So it’ll take her some time to adjust to it too, but y’all can both learn together at your own pace

The aftercare is top quality too

Plenty of cuddles and soft reassurance, asking if you’re ok and if it was alright for you

She’s really just a softie :”)

Loves & trusts you with her whole heart <33

[greengay]

Just went through your swmrs tag just got into the band and you totally don’t have to answer this. But wait ALL of the band is from piedmont?!! I get joey ... why the shit r they fronting like they’re from Oakland that’s a big fuckin difference out here, like being raised in Beverly Hills and saying u from East LA jejskjsjwksks. Im kinda turned off by this lol I like them fine and seem nice but fck don’t say ur from Oakland it’s not the same lol and sorry no one FROM piedmont can ever be punk ✌️

YEAH they’re all from piedmont haha which is very…..bourgeois, BUT in their defense:

1) No one knows where/what Piedmont is, but Oakland has multiple sports teams…..like, i have friends who grew up in Manayunk, but say they’re from Philly because no one knows where tf Manayunk is (it’s right above Philly and technically connected just like Oakland/Piedmont) but like. i think they all have a close emotional connection to oakland because of billie? like technically billie is only joey’s dad, but cole (and max) call him uncle billie and they adopted seb into their group so they prob feel an affinity to it and the punk scene bc of that....it’s gotta be surreal growing up with a rock-n-roll hall of fame-r so I can’t really bust their balls too much for saying things that make them sort of closer to him? 

2) HMMMM i gotta think about the piedmont and punk thing because while i agree that swmrs had pretty much everything handed to them (connections, instruments, van, record deal etc.) thats…..nothing new in the punk scene? like green day’s original drummer john kiffmeyer (al sobrante) was well off and could afford college etc while billie and mike were squatting in warehouses and shitting in kitty litter boxes, but he was still “punk” cos he knew the scene and had the connections and booked shows, yk? like, he was so punk that he didn’t want green day to grow and expand because he didn’t need them to....he wanted them to stay DIY and to keep having fun because he had a safety net and backup plan (school), while, like, for Mike and Billie it was either Green Day makes it big or.....they spend the rest of their lives as stoned pizza delivery men, lmao 

like, to an extent punk is a political movement and a counter-culture, but it’s also a Music Scene and the past year i’ve thrown myself into the music scene and it’s really......a bunch of posers, haha, I’ve been disillusioned. it’s not necessarily a bad thing, though? you can find your People and be against The Establishment, and be “punk”, but in my experience......very, very, very, few musicians are actually punk**. Because in the music scene you have to kiss certain asses and make connections and spend hours and hours PRACTICING and perfecting your art, and, like, if you’re handed an opportunity to do what you love for money, you’re not going to turn it down. and that makes a lot of bands, regardless of whether they grew up wealthy or not, not punk? in the counter-culture aspect of it. 

musically, punk is now a genre and aesthetic that is marketed towards The Youth, and while i think there are true punk bands out there....somewhere.....most of them will forgo their diy roots to make it big 

3) totally understand being turned off though, because they’re sort of fronting like they’re anti-capitalist leftists while riding yachts on the weekend and growing up in mansions lmao which i think you were sort of getting at.....but ALSO i’m trying to be less bitter in general, and i think they’re nice boys who just grew up very privileged. they have good intentions? like......”women are people too! gay rights!” (not actual quotes) but they haven’t really experienced strife or hardship or anything difficult (although shout-out to joey for being the adult child of an alcoholic who had a public breakdown.....he doesn’t write any of the lyrics though skdjhfksdfj) which is the key to a lot of good art/music imo and maybe you’re subconsciously sensing that? but my advice is to just.....take it for what it is......4 ugly-cute rich boys who are trying to make edgy bops and don’t exploit people because they were raised right  

** the only “true” popular punk musician out there, imo, is jeff rosenstock  (originally from bomb the music industry! and now has a solo career) because he releases his records for free on his own label and does his own thing and TRULY does not give a fuck about anything corporate and even broke up one of his bands when it was getting too popular and disingenuous 

sorry for the long-winded answer 1) i am Always Like This but also 2) i took an adderall with the intention of cleaning my room but now i’m doing this, so, 

[stevecanmakeanythingnerdy]

The Runaways continued...

Like them or not, this band did a lot to show girls it’s OK to pick up an instrument and rock out too. The final number is the straight forward f@$# off song, “You’re Too Possessive”. Power leads and full blow guitar madness, it’s an homage to 70’s macho rock, but still progressive with it’s message. Totally poignant girl power song. This line up is one of the better ones in my opinion. Basically the girl Ramones. Get this records in your grubby little paws.

Go West: S/T (side B)

Go West are an English pop duo, formed in 1982 by lead vocalist Peter Cox and rhythm guitarist and backup vocalist Richard Drummie. The duo enjoyed their peak of popularity between the mid 1980s and the early 1990s and are best known for the international top 10 hits "We Close Our Eyes", "Call Me", and "King of Wishful Thinking". They were named Best British Newcomer at the 1986 Brit Awards. Go West had a publishing deal and possessed a portastudio, but lacked a band or recording company. Cox and Drummie decided, with support from John Glover, their manager, to find a musical producer, and record just two of their songs. The tracks "We Close Our Eyes" and "Call Me" found Go West landing a recording contract with Chrysalis Records. Upon confirmation of the Chrysalis deal, they recruited British guitarist Alan Murphy, whose contributions became a key ingredient in shaping the duo's musical identity. So when you think of those aforementioned tunes (and I know you know them) imagine it as just 2 dudes. Crazy, right? Studio (apparently PORTABLE studio) magic. So this is side two of their hit record. None of the international superstardom is represented here. Just the glorious “B-sides” as it were. In fact, to be completely honest, I am not sure why I own this other than it’s 80’s and it was a quarter. I really don’t like any of those songs that are hits. I kind of despise those songs actually. They are part of a Sub-group of songs I have affectionately dubbed HATEies. You know, songs that make you roll your eyes and cringe when they come on because they are so lame and dumb. Well, anyway side B doesn’t contain those, but it does have some almost equally as bad stuff. “S. O. S.” Is the first of these tunes. It’s SOOOOOO 80’s it hurts. You know those corny “boinky”noises and fake horn blasts. The wacky stuff. The only good thing about it is that it sounds like Cory Glover from Living Color on vocals. Spoiler alert, it’s not. Supreme keys and bass heavy make this a club mix master I am sure. Class of ‘85 all the way. This is what I mean by HATEies. There was a time in the early 80’s ripe with good guitar rock, and new wave...sometimes the Twain even meeting. Even the ska then was cool. But so where in the middle, right around ‘85-‘86 it took a nose dive. Production became important and dance sounds became king. And THESE GUYS became the Kings of Wishful thinking (#seewhatididthere). Basically things went to shit. Luckily Guns ‘N Roses was right around the corner to keep kicking the music industry in the nuts until Nirvana, and punk rock like Green Day could win over the masses in the 90’s. But yeah...this shit...

“Goodbye Girl “ is next and holy crap a keyboard slow jam. Call up Peabo and Vandross. Did somebody let Jeff Lorber in on this sesh? “Innocence”- which actually does contain a pretty decent keyboard riff- ups the tempo a little. Hmmm, maybe they do have some rock ethos in them after all. Very throaty on this one. I mean really, this kind of like Keith Sweat with a backing band. In fact, it’s exactly like that. “Missing Persons “ is the final track to offend your ears, and I was hopeful it would be about the amazing 80’s band of the same name, but it was not. Just about actual missing persons. The nerve! Have they even HEARD Spring Session M?!??!?! So yeah. Not the greatest slice of wax from the 80’s but representation of a time frame for sure. This was Milli Vanili, the pre-quel. Just 2 dudes and some pre-recorded percussion with keys. Mellow. As. Shit.

The Runaways came in, took, names and kicked ass. They burned 133 calories over 19 minutes and 5 songs. They burned 26.6 calories per song, and 7.0 calories per minute, earning 10 out of 15 possible stars. Go West, should have gone west...and just kept on going until they fell into the Pacific. They also took 19 minutes to burn 131 calories in 4 tunes. They burned 32.75 calories per song and 6.90 calories per minute. They earned 5 out of 12 possible stars. So, needless to say, The Runaways totally won. They were just Waitin’ For The Night to be over to collect their prize.

The Runaways : “School Days” (it’s a playback but the footage is amazing. I don’t think I have ever wanted to make out with an entire band before)

https://youtu.be/r5geczUt_oA

#Randomrecordworkoutseasonsix

#Randomrecordworkout

[mitchwritesthings-blog]

Mitch’s Music Year-in-Review

What this is?

My name is Mitch, although sometimes I say it’s Jeff, and I just wanted an outlet to discuss how my experience with listening to music was in the year 2017. Now, this is completely my taste in music, and only what I listened to. I don’t really keep up with new music all too much to be honest, so before I write this, I’m not sure how many 2017 albums will actually be in my 2017 write-up. There will be quite a few albums from the 00′s and 10′s that I had listened to the first time, as well as albums that have been my favourites for years that I still wanted to talk about.

What will be discussed?

i. 2017 album releases “After Laughter” ~ Paramore “Reputation” ~ Taylor Swift “Waiting on the Sun” ~ Jule Vera “Wolves” ~ Story of the Year

ii. 2016 albums releases that I can basically pretend are new releases “E-mo-tion: Side B” ~ Carly Rae Jepsen “Neptune” ~ Tall Heights “Yellowcard” ~ Yellowcard

iii. Albums that are nowhere new releases, but are new to me “stellastarr*” ~ stellastarr* “E-mo-tion” ~ Carly Rae Jepsen

Now before we get started

An introduction on my musical tastes. Since the early-to-mid 2000′s, I have been a pop-punk kid, whether I knew it or not. The videogame soundtracks from EA games (EA Games, EA Sports, and EA Sports BIG), heavily shaped my taste in music. Yellowcard, being my favourite band ever, were included in some of these soundtrack, and in section B I’ll be talking about their self-titled album- which was an emotional one for me. Story of the Year and stellastarr* were discoveries of mine for similar reasons to Yellowcard. The remaining artists I listened to from doing my own research (Jule Vera), them being popular enough -slash- from people I know (Paramore, Taylor, Carly), or from being blown away at a show (Tall Heights). So without further adieu, let’s get started!

2017 album releases

“After Laughter” ~ Paramore

I’m writing about these albums in alphabetical order of their category, so some of the stories and descriptions might be a bit disjointed- but fuck it- it’s just a Tumblr post. 

Being a pop-punk kid that was transitioning into a girl pop guy, what a better way to merge the interests than with Paramore. Now, this album is not pop-punk, but that doesn’t mean it’s not great! In fact, the 80′s emotional pop vibes are amazing after playing the shit out of E-mo-tion, and needing more of those vibes.

About the album itself, it starts off with the wildly-popular Hard Times, which is not something I entirely love in theory. I don’t think it’s ideal to start off with the lead single for an album, it kinds sets you up for disappointment. And while Hard Times is a much poppier song that most of the album, I don’t think it necessarily does a bad job as the opener. It gets you jumping, ready to dance to the 80′s pop, while also introducing you the darker lyrics that are to come from a post-divorce album (Hayley split with lead singer of New Found Glory Jordan Pundik prior to the album’s recording).

The rest of the album is a nice journey in vibey aesthetics (definitely using Tumblr language here), with ebs and flows of energy. It’s hard for me to pick a favourite from it; trust me, I’ve had many many of these songs stuck in my head at some point. If I had to, however, I’d pick Fake Happy. The lyrics are very honest, and it kinda fucks you up a bit; starting off pretty depressing and then turning into a hell of a bop. Following is the real depressing song, 26, so it’s quite the two-song journey they put you on there.

Overall, it’s a very strong album both musically and lyrically, and would encourage anyone to pick it up. If you like Paramore, you’ll love hearing Hayley bleed her heart out. If you’re not, it’s a good fucking album anyway. 8.8/10

“reputation” ~ Taylor Swift

If I’ve linked you to this, you know I’m a major swiftie; I’ve got tickets to both of her shows in Toronto for August. So this album is a pretty big album for me. That being said, I was not completely blown away by this album- which didn’t surprise. After Look What You Made Me Do’s release, I kinda went “Okay, I know how this is gonna go”. It’s gonna be a solid pop album, but trying a little too hard being edgy and dealing with her reputation while subsequently pretending to not care about it.

Now I say I wasn’t blown away, but upon first listen, the first three songs were pretty damn impressive, and still are. Ready For It, which by the way is an incredible album opener and I knew it would be the moment I heard it, obviously starts it off well. End Game is a very single-worthy song, and introduces you to the overall theme of the album. And I Did Something Bad has a pretty fucking great chorus. Don’t Blame Me didn’t blow me away right away, but I grew on me pretty quickly, and it’s a top track for me. 

After that, in the middle, is where the album really faulters. Delicate and So It Goes... are the weakest tracks on the album in my opinion, and they flank the lead fucking single, all but killing it’s strength from the perspective of the album. And after that, Gorgeous, which while a promotional single, is not in the upper echelon of rep songs. So you’ve got your 5 through 8 songs effectively killing any momentum your incredible starting batch created. 

Following that is a very strong song, Getaway Car, and the beginning of reputation’s resurgence. Track 9 is probably the most 1989-sounding song on the record, and that is definitely a compliment in this case. Taylor tells a clean story, and gets to show off her pipes towards the end of the song. King of my Heart is a little meh in my eyes. It’s one of those classic Taylor songs that are on album and you’re like “Did this really have to be there?”, which is something 1989 actually avoided, and could be why I prefer it over rep. Dancing With Our Hands Tied was one of my favourites right away, although it’s a little underappreciated from what I’ve seen from the fandom on IG. Dress certainly gets the point across that this a new Taylor. She’s gone from “She wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts”, to basically saying “Boy, take this dress off and fuck me”. Something I’ve failed to mention, is the very consistent themes of alcohol consumption (in a recreational way) and getting good dick from her bf littered through the lyrics of this album- just so you know. This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things is the second direct Kanye diss on the album, and absolutely deserving of a single. Call It What You Want should have been the final song, but Taylor had to go and pop cliche it up and give the last track to a boring acoustic song that makes you think “That’s it?”, when it’s done. With an album this momentous, you gotta go out with a bang!

Overall, it’s a better collection of songs than it is an album. You could put in on shuffle, and it’d hold the same value. The pacing is a bit off, and it doesn’t really take you on a sonically cohesive journey. So for that reason, I can’t give it any higher than an 8 (the equivalent of an A-minus), but the songs themselves are still pretty good. 7.8/10

“Waiting on the Sun” ~ Jule Vera

I need to tell you guys about this band before I get into the album themselves. They are amazing people. Before Warped Tour 2015, I was listening to artists that were gonna be on the tour, and Jule Vera showed up on my youtube suggestions, so I checked them out. Fucking great. They had just put out their debut EP Friendly Enemies, which you should absolutely check out by the way, and I knew all the words by the time Warped came around. Now, they just put out their debut, so not really many fans at the side stages. In fact, I was the only person who knew the words in the crowd. But their set is bumping! They incorporate a lot of different parts of the stage in their act, sometimes disassembling the drum kit itself and having multiple people playing each part- it’s great. Their lead singer, Ansley, has got some serious pipes. The band will go as far as she takes them, because as that stage presence builds- watch out! I can absolutely see them making it big with the kind of energy they have, their songwriting chops, and a good-looking incredible female lead singer. 

I talked with them after their, got a picture, and my album signed, and I was on the bandwagon. I’ll follow these guys and gal for as long as they make music- which includes coming back to Toronto in March after two-and-a-half year, and you bet your ass I’ll be there buying all the merch and hopefully getting some hangs with the band. 

Oh yeah... there’s an album to talk about. Waiting on the Sun went in a much more poppy direction than their EP which i brought up earlier which was an alternative record. Despite the stylistic change, it still bangs. Ansley shows her singing chops, and despite only having put out 18 songs total, they show they have an incredible amount of diversity with the kind of songs they can right. Something Good is the bounciest chorus I have ever heard, check that shit out right away.

In complete honesty, the album kind of pales in comparison to its alternative predecessor, at least in my opinion, but it’s not bad. I think the stylistic change was a decision made my the label. They have a lead singer who could be a solo artist once the charisma gets there, so they tried to do a poppy singer-heavy record. They’re still trying to figure out what they are, but once they do, the sky’s the limit.

I love these guys, and even if the album didn’t blow me away, I’ll support them whenever they need it! 7.6/10

“Wolves” ~ Story of the Year

This long-awaited came out this month, so I won’t be able to fully express how I feel about, considering I’ve only given it a handful of playthroughs. But let me tell you, it rocks. It post-hardcore/melodic hardcore/pop-punk rocks. These guys’ Page Avenue was a killer album, and 14 years later, they’re still putting out tracks with the same amount of energy and attitude as when they were kids. But better yet, there’s a more musicianship and polish (not in a bad way) to make it even better. I haven’t listened to this album yet with headphones on chilling on the bus- which I think is a good barometer for the quality of an album- but I know it’ll be a great trip on the 200 iXpress when I do.

Right away you’re hit with trademake SotY energy, and it doesn’t really go away, at least not until you’re left utterly satisfied. How Can We Go On is a great way to get things going, and it keeps going. Songs like Bang Bang, and Can Anybody Here Me are terrific too, and there are definitely more- I just haven’t listened enough to get the song names down pat.

Just listen to it, trust me. Since it’s a very fresh listen to it, I don’t feel comfortable giving a definite score. So instead I’ll give it a bare minimum score and an absolutely peak score: 8.2-9.4/10, likely falling somewhere in the middle upon further listening.

So what’s my favourite release of 2017?

Well, to be honest, I don’t know. Wolves falls both above and below After Laughter, so I can’t say conclusively what I like more. If I had to, I’d give the edge to Paramore, since it’s stood the test of multiple listens, whereas there still can be some uncertainty with a brand new release. 

What I did learn is that I need to listen to more new music. Only 4 albums throughout the year that I felt inclined to write about? The Used and Brand New put out new music, but they haven’t gotten enough listening to warrant anything more than honourable mention.

2016 albums releases that I can basically pretend are new releases

“E-mo-tion: Side B” ~ Carly Rae Jepsen

Carly is the GOAT, mess me with that Taylor shit. Despite having only listen to Side B for maybe two months- three tops- this is **spoiler alert**, my favourite thing I listened to this year. It’s just 8 bops. I can talk about it not being very “albumy”, but it’s a b-side release, who cares? You get 8 extra tracks that are all great, after Queen Carly gave us the gift that was E-mo-tion. 

I feel like it’s kinda split into two four-song parts, with Fever acting as the end of Act 1 and Body Language bringing in Act 2. 

First Time is a very fun start to the whole thing. It just bops. Carly’s vocal ability really shine in this release, and there are few good lyrical pieces too- so overall a very good showing from her herself.

Higher is an excellent second song... I don’t think that’s a compliment many people think about. But it starts off very quickly, no real lead-in, with an upbeat verse, than leads you into a chorus with leading and backing vocals. It says something about the album when I consider this to be one of the weaker tracks on the album- it’s still a great song! And I think that’s one of the benefits of a shorter album, there’s no filler!

The One again is a song that in comparison to the rest of the record, isn’t gaudy, but it’s still really good! All of the choruses on this album are uber catchy, you’ll have them all stuck in your head at some point. For an album I love so much, I’m kinda talking shit to start, but it’s good! This a really fun album to listen to it, and I’ve done a lot of singing in the shower to it.

The problem with the last two tracks, is that they didn’t really stand out to me. They were great, but not stand-out great. The rest of the album will stick in your mind a bit more vividly. Fever talks about stealing her man’s bike, who does that!? If this were a 4-song EP, this would be an excellent song to end it off with, but instead it leads you into another set of four bangers!

Body Language is a hell of a song. From the get go, you’re bouncing at the verse, hoping you’ll get an equally boppy chorus- and you get it! The anti-melodic ending to the chorus is kind of genius. “I just think we’re over thinking it, over thinking it” is intentionally disjointed, and it helps illustrate actually over-thinking something. Great song.

Cry really gets into the “emotional” part of emotional 80′s pop. It’s an incredibly honest song, and delivers such heartfelt lyrics, while still maintaining the level of catchyness ever-present in the album. Where most pop albums have latter-half songs that make you scratch your head about their inclusion, this album does the exact opposite. These b-sides would be singles on other artists’ best-of works. 

Store is iconic. Just go listen to it. Go! Best chorus ever. Solidifies Carly as GOAT status. Nobody else could ever write that. The choppy sentences are intentional. 

Roses is a nice chill, vibey, emotional finale to an absolutely stellar album. Strong lyrics, compelling verses, catchy yet deep chorus- everything this album is condensed into one song- reminding you why you loved what you just listened to so much.

I need CRJ4 asap. I fully expect it to be a masterpiece no matter what direction she goes in (which I heard yesterday was Disco, btw). 9.6/10

“Neptune” ~ Tall Heights

I saw these guys open for Ben Folds (who, by the way, is amazing live), and they blew me away. They’re a progressive folk duo-tuned-trio, with absolutely beautiful vocal harmonies-oh yeah, and a cello, how cool is that!?

It’s an beautiful record, the instrumentation is terrific, and the vocals are gorgeous- which isn’t something you necessarily hear a lot from male-sung bands. This is the kind of record you put on when you’re staying in on a weekend evening. and just wanna do some solo chillaxing- which is something I do quite a bit. It’s also good for falling asleep to, once you learn the melody and lyrics. I’d imagine it’d also be dope as fuck to listen to when passing a joint around. It’s super chill, sets a terrific atmosphere, and it takes you on a nice little journey. 

It’s not necessarily an album that would yield any huge radio singles, but I have no problems with that whatsoever. You can just press play on this bad boy, and you know it’s gonna do it’s job. Now given the mood it sets, you’re not always gonna want to have this playing, but when you do you’ll be so glad you have it for those moments. 8.9/10

“Yellowcard” ~ Yellowcard

youknowihadtodoittoem.png It’s the last record every to be made by my favourite band, I had to write about it. I’m gonna start from the end though. Fields and Fences is the absolute perfect way for Yellowcard to end their careers. It’s not what I expected, nor what I would have said I wanted, but it was total and complete perfection. It kind of acts of a microcosm for the Lift a Sail era and on, where the guys pretty much left the pop-punk deal behind and went for a more alternative. Fields starts off basically as a country song, and you’re kinda disappointed, much like many YC fans were with LaS, but it keeps going, and you start digging it. And then, it stops, and you think it’s over. “That’s how it ends?”. No, that’s when it starts. You get the electric guitar, you get “I don’t have much that I can give to you...”, on repeat, and then it fades out, and every single Yellowcard fan is put in an absolute state of bliss when they hear almost 2 minutes of just Sean’s violin taking them by the hand and emotionally leading them to the end of what was an incredible 20-year journey. You’re listening to it, and you’re so thankful for those 90 seconds, because it allows you to reflect on all of the great memories this band has given you. And you don’t want it to end, and you savour ever note coming from Sean, as well as the return of Rodney and Christine, and you’re so happy. But you realise, it has to end, and it does. And not even with a cry, but more of a whimper. But it’s not a bad whimper. It’s a releasing of the bow for the very last time, and you think to yourself “Holy fuck, I love this band”. Then you stare at whatever your audio source was for that last first listen for a few minutes, and you’re at peace. You’ve listened to the last Yellowcard record ever, and it’s a bittersweet feeling. You’re glad that the guys went out on such a beautiful note, but you’re sad because you realise they could keep putting out beautiful records, but that will never happen again. 

That is what this album is. This what this band is. The rest of this album could’ve been 40 minutes of farts, but if it end with that song, it’d be great. 

Now I understand that objectively, this is not a perfect album- nothing is. Some of these songs aren’t great. But I can tell that at that very moment, when I heard the very last playing of violin on a Yellowcard record, I felt perfectly at peace with myself and who I was as an Underdog- something I’m proud to be, and always will be. 

Fields and Fences, as a song, for a Yellowcard fan: 10/10.

I was going to write about more albums, as you can tell by the table of contents I made. But I think that was a good place to leave things. Thank you for reading all of this. 

Mitch