#like. going off the pop punk genre and just. making it better with everything they can do now. that's all that i ask

[edge-oftheworld]

i don't care about everything else I've said about it so far. I need a pop punk 5sos6

[bigfatmusicblog]

WTF is Jangle Pop?

If you’ve read any of my little write-ups you know I have a longstanding love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with subgenres. I understand the need to more specifically classify music, especially when genres like indie rock are so vague, still it doesn’t make it any less arbitrary than gender. As a kid/teen I was obsessed with subgenres and while they’re a lot more specific nowadays, god could I tell you the difference between Garage Punk and Slacker Punk, much to the chagrin of anyone who happened to be in earshot. Because of this predilection, wired into my brain from years of surfing the tags on Bandcamp, whenever I catch wind of a subgenre new to me I have to dive deeper into it. An attempt to understand what makes that subgenre different from other closely related ones, as I said before, is an arbitrary one - after all literally none of this matters in the grand scheme of things, but also just like… let people enjoy things asshole.

I first heard about Jangle Pop earlier this year looking at the RYM reviews of Ducks Ltd. fantastic sophomore record Harm’s Way. Mistakenly I originally thought of it as an indie rock record, one that I was fairly excited about because of its guitar based nature and lack of unnecessary electronic aspects so many in the indie rock umbrella have turned to recently. But oh how simple I can be…

This moment reminds me of a time I was on a trip with just my brother and my dad - my dad was in the shower listening to a Creed radio station he had made on Pandora. Upon getting out of the shower he asked us “what genre would you consider Creed to be?” “Uhh, Grunge I guess?” we replied. It took a second but finally he said, “Well, if this is what that is, I guess I like grunge then.” If Harm’s Way by Ducks Ltd. is a jangle pop album, well fuck I guess I like jangle pop. 

One of the biggest things I noticed in those RYM reviews were a lot of claims about this album being “no nonsense, old school jangle pop” or “some of the best jangle pop [they’ve] heard in years.” This lead me to the assumption that, despite no subgenre being a monolith, I could use this album as a better way to understand this new (to me) idea of what jangle pop truly is and what its parts are. 

Instrumentation-wise this album utilizes single notes on clean guitars as opposed to playing full chords. That doesn’t mean the lead guitar is just shredding the whole time, they’re simply playing rhythm guitar with single notes, giving them the ability to add little flourishes whenever they can. The tone of the guitar is clean, only going into distortion at the beginning of On Our Way to the Rave. This is coupled with a heavily present bass sound, working just about the same as the guitar, except being a bit more lead-heavy. Usually the two don’t take the lead at the same time, sharing the spotlight by playing simple rhythms behind more impressive parts on the bass/guitar. I think this trade-off is what gives the genre the first part of its name, the jangle part. Less math-rock than the closely related (name-wise) genre of twinkle-emo, it may sound insane but you can tell the difference between twinkle and jangle. I don’t know how to further explain this point but trust me, if you listen to the two side by side, you will be able to tell.

The drums play a big role in this as well, as with most genres it’s the driving force behind everything. A lot of times it takes that job seriously, with no better way to describe the sound than driving. There aren’t any waltzes in here, with no slowing down really until the very end, it sounds exhaustive for the person on the skins. I think without this steady drum beat the jangle of the stringed instruments would be less noticeable, truly taking on a supporting role. Every so often it’s sprinkled with little fills, borrowing sounds and influences from bands like The Cure and R.E.M, who some consider to be earlier examples of jangle. 

So now that I musically know the themes of this genre, being given, from my research, the quintessential jangle album of the year. I start to think tangentially, what has influenced this, where have I heard these sounds before, who started Jangle Pop???? I’m answering that question myself, with no real outside research because who really cares, and in my opinion the current state of Jangle Pop started in 2008 when Vampire Weekend recreated the genre with their self titled album, Vampire Weekend. 

While this album is a bit more heavily produced, and there are potentially a lot more jangle themes in their sophomore follow-up Contra, I think the twee aesthetics and juvenile lyrics of college life, plus the heavily present bass and less so present lead guitar, sets up the future of this genre perfectly. Songs like Oxford Comma and Campus feature the guitar tones and smarter "educated person" lyrics that continue to make up the genre today. Percussion-wise it is different, VW has always been more syncopated or twinkly with their drums, but in future songs like Cousins and Worship You it’s easier to see the relation. On that previous topic I do feel like their perfect syncopation plays a big part musically, inspiring the future of the subgenre. While there is a good trade-off of bass and guitar on Harm’s Way, the moments where the two come together with the drums has real power behind it.  

All of this leads up to the previous Friday, October 18th, with the release of Boyscott’s first record in almost a decade, Spellbound. What’s special about this album is that it’s the first new album I’ve heard that’s made me go “oh… that’s jangle pop, I understand what jangle pop is.” It plays on the driving aspects of the drums found in Harm’s Way while also incorporating ideas that are very clearly influenced by early Vampire Weekend. Songs like Moosehead that uses the ever popular organ sound found in A-Punk and even at the beginning of Ducks Ltd.’s rocker of a track Train Full of Gasoline. 

To be honest this album seems to mainly be Vampire Weekend influenced, which makes sense, afterall Ducks Ltd. is moreso their peers as opposed to one of the most influential indie bands of the late 00’s early 10’s. Ducks is clearly more influenced by real classic jangle pop bands whereas Boyscott, at least on this album, helps support my hypothesis that Vampire Weekend recreated the genre, we love to see it. The real cross-section between Harm’s Way and Spellbound is in their vocal performance. Not to assume influences, like I have been this entire article, but you can definitely hear some Black Francis of the Pixies or, the more modern, Christian Zucconi of Grouplove influence behind both of their understated, raspy yet calming voices. 

Beyond that this album really just feels like a DIY produced Vampire Weekend album. Arthur Kill to Lima is a fantastic run of songs that promote this clear influence on the release. Boyscott is still able to make it their own, mind you, and they do focus more on the less chord influenced side of jangle pop that Vampire Weekend has never really tapped into. They also use their surfer rock influence to make the songs almost more relatable, as opposed to the crisp clean impossible to replicate general aesthetics of Vampire Weekend’s early work. This gives them a little more grime, a little more edge, a little more ripped jeans than a pair of pressed tan slacks. Being able to go from the lovely syncopation to these robust warm choruses puts a true sense of comfort behind this release, perfect for the upcoming cold air. 

Overall: Jangle Pop, and I’m so glad I don’t have to type out that phrase again for such a long time, is a genre best taken in musically. If you aren’t paying attention a lot of it can sound the same, a general warm blanket of noise, but once you start looking at the parts individually is when the magic shines through. Clever guitars, present lead bass, breakneck drum fills that drive the genre, all of these work in sync helping create the feeling of jingle jangle - under the guise of pop music - that evokes the name of the genre.

Album Grades: 

Harm’s Way by Ducks, Ltd. - A

Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend - B+

Spellbound by Boyscott - B+

[thisaintascenereviews]

Stand Atlantic - Was Here

Two years ago, Stand Atlantic dropped one of my favorite albums of that year, and maybe even of the 2020s as a whole — f.e.a.r. Standing for “fuck everything and run,” that record really blew me away when I heard it in 2022. It was a refreshing dose of pop-flavored pop-punk with some pop-rock, hip-hop, and hardcore thrown in. It was a unique album, especially for a genre that doesn’t like to be unique. I absolutely loved it, and I couldn’t wait for the follow-up. Now we got it in the form of Was Here, and I had no idea this was coming out soon, unless I just wasn’t paying attention. I was instantly excited about this, because if their last album was any indication, this thing was going to be just as good, if not better.

I’ve given this album a bunch of listens throughout the last week, and I’ve got some mixed feelings on this album, but I do love it a lot. It’s a fantastic album, but not without its issues. Their last album, for as much as I loved it, had a couple of small issues, too, but I’ve been going back and forth on whether or not Was Here is better than f.e.a.r. I came to the conclusion that it’s not better overall, but they’ve improved quite a bit on other stuff. I would definitely listen to this if you enjoyed f.e.a.r, but I would also go into this album with an open mind and realistic expectations, especially if you loved their last album as much as I did.

Let’s start with what they’ve improved on, and it comes down to two key things: their sound and their guest features. There wasn’t much you could really do to their sound, but this album ups the ante with how unique and eclectic they could get. This album features metalcore, pop-punk, pop-rock, straight up pop, some R&B, trap, and many more styles of music that really shows the band taking on unique and interesting influences. Each song has its own feel, whereas their last album had a few songs that fit one style, you can’t say that here. No two songs sound alike, and that’s not something I can say for a lot of albums this year.

They also make use of the guests on here, but there aren’t a whole lot. Singer Sueco is on “Nose Bleed,” which is a fun pop-punk banger, and the song “GIRL$” features PVRIS and Bruses. The latter artist I know nothing about, but PVRIS is a solid pop band, and this song is basically a pop-rock cut. The last guest is progressive metalcore band, and fellow Aussies, Polaris on “Criminal,” and that’s a really cool and inventive pop-punk meets metalcore track. Most of the song is an upbeat pop-punk track with a cool riff running through it, but it suddenly erupts to a metalcore bruiser in the bridge with some harsh vocals and an awesome breakdown. They didn’t quite utilize the few guest spots on f.e.a.r, but they don’t miss out this time.

Now, like with their body of work, they’ve got some stuff that’s always works, such as their vocalist being one of the best in the scene (and she sounds even better throughout this album), or the band being in top form throughout the album. They’re chameleons of the pop-punk scene, being able to change their sound at a moment’s notice, most of the time in the same song at a later point. It’s absolutely impressive, but that also leads me to the issues I have with this album, and there are two big ones: its eccentricities and its lyrics.

As much as I love how unique and off the wall this album is, that also comes to bite itself in the ass, because this album is a little too eccentric for its own good. It would work a bit better if the album was a bit shorter, but it’s around 42 minutes, which is a good length on its own, it’s just a bit long for an album with a lot jammed packed into it. With more unique albums, you almost need a shorter runtime to help with how overwhelming it can be. The album’s sounds don’t feel so jarring, but it’s when each song is so different, it can be a bit of musical whiplash. I love the unpredictable sound it has, but at that same time, this album has its clear highlights and some lowlights.

I don’t think anything is bad here, make no mistake, but the highs and lows are more noticeable when everything is so unique and different. I can see this album being a lot for some people, especially people that just wanted a catchy pop-punk album, but for what it’s worth, this album is a lot of fun. Its unique sound is a great aspect, but it also brings it down slightly because it’s a little too eccentric at times.

The other main issue I have with the album are its lyrics, and while I enjoyed the band’s weird and twisted sense of humor on their last album, I don’t quite like the lyrics as much here. The lyrics are played less for laughs and they’re less cheeky, but they’re played straight here and they just aren’t that good. A handful of songs have some solid lyrics, but a good example is a song like “GIRL$,” which has a good message but reads like a “girlboss” anthem and it’s a bit cringy. Some tracks work wonderfully, like “Love U Anyway,” and “17,” but a lot of others just don’t stick the landing for me. They don’t hinder the album enough that I hate the album, or even dislike it, but it makes me not want to go back to it that much.

I still love this album, and while it does improve on some things, it also takes a couple steps back, so it’s not quite on the same level as their last album, although it’s close. The vocals, hooks, and instrumentation is awesome, being some of the most inventive of their career, as well as this record being the most unique of their career so far. Unfortunately, it’s uniqueness is a little much at times, because of how each song is completely different, and the lyrics aren’t anything special, despite not being horrible. They don’t have that cheeky sense of humor they did on their last album that made them so fun. This is still a really good and unique album, so if you want a unique pop-punk album, I definitely would listen to this one.

[xx-emowarz-xx]

You know what. Let's make an attempt to define Emo. I think that maybe we should try to do that on this blog. TO THE DICTIONARY!

From Oxford: Noun: a style of rock music resembling punk but having more complex arrangements and lyrics that deal with more emotional subjects./Adj: denoting or relating to emo and its associated subculture.

I disagree with this definition in multiple ways but I agree with it in others personally. My own personal definition of Emo is:

The post punk subculture that defined the post punk movement in the early 2000s, heavily associated with pop punk, screamo, Crunkcore, hard rock, and nu metal music genres. (I could get more in depth but we're keeping it short and sweet)

I'm not even gonna deign to deal with the "more complex than punk" assertion from the dictionary, that's stupid, but the other way I disagree with the dictionary is that Emo as a music genre is not helpful because that's everything from Deathcab For Cutie to 3oh!3 to My Chem to Papa Roach to Pierce the Veil. Those 5 bands have genre overlap but they're not the same genre by any stretch. The adjective defining it as a post punk subculture however, we start to get somewhere.

Because history lesson, Punk arose in the 70s with bands like the Ramones, Blondie, The Sex Pistols, ect. This is when people started dying their hair black or unnatural colors, wearing safety pins as accessories rather than out of necessity, having lots of piercings and tattoos, (for better or for worse (for worse mostly)) seeing things like self harm and sticking yourself with a safety pin or whatever as hard core and cool, wearing a lot of black especially leather, putting studs and spikes on their clothing, screaming in their music, shredding on their guitars in a way we associate with punk and metal and hard rock genres, using makeup to look more unnerving rather than more conventionally attractive ect.

Then in the 80s the goth scene arose, and it had a lot of overlap with the punk scene but it had some different fashion choices and some different music. Then in the 90s the grunge scene arose and it had a lot of overlap with the previous two scenes but it had some different fashion choices (or lack there of shout out to grunge) and some different music. Then in the 2000s the Emo scene arose, and it had a lot of overlap with the previous two scenes but it had some different fashion choices and some different music. And I'm repeating myself.

I'm not proposing that it's all secretly the punk scene from the 70s, but I kind of am. Obviously they're different. The world changed so the subcultures changed too. Example, part of the reason that Emo is seen as more cringe than those previous three scenes I just listed is because Emo came up in the era of early internet cringe posting. Part of the reason that Emo is kinda defanged from punk is because radical movements have a lot of pressure on them to assimilate or die off. The reason that Emo is associated with self destruction where as punk is associated with outward destruction is because political radicalism sort of got taken off the table in some ways in the early 2000s. MCR started as a response to 9/11, for example. Punk is our fuckin grandpa, and goth is our mom, and grunge is our lay about older sibling.

And that's not to say that punk or goth or grunge is dead or even dying, I'm not saying that at all (although we're going through kind of a rough moment right now). There are Punks who do not consider themselves and who I would not consider part of any of the other subcultures mentioned, so too with goths and emos. They're different but they're connected. Your humble mod is emo by default because I was born in 2001 and therefore the emo genre is what was most relevant when I was discovering my music taste, but I consider myself something of a nondenominational goth. I'm not really into grunge, but I listen to old school punk like the misfits and the dead kennedys, and goth rock like sisters of mercy and siouxsie and the banshees. I lean more scene queen in my hairstyles and more punk in my jacket choices and goth when I'm doing my eyeliner but those aren't hard and fast rules for me.

All of these are primarily musical subcultures, but I think they're subcultures first, which means that what is or isn't an emo anthem is whatever the emo and scene kids liked, and brother you are the emo and scene kids now and that is why you are voting in my polls to decide what the best emo anthem is.

[gerogerigaogaigar]

Yeah Yeah Yeah - Fever To Tell

A perfect trio. Karen O's fuck me or go fuck yourself attitude, Brian Chase's frenetic drumming, and Nick Zimmer's nasty riffs make for the exact album that the burgeoning post punk revival scene of the 00s needed to stay fresh. If only other bands had followed their lead 😑 I digress though. The willingness to delve into the territory of noise rock only to always pull it back into more palatable garage rock/post punk territory is masterful. Like musical edging they keep it tastelessly sexual for almost too long. Up until the last few tracks which allows for an emotional release that helps pull the whole album together thematically.

Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

If it were me, hear me out now. See, if it were me, I would keep my Anne Frank sex dream to myself. I wouldn't write one of the most cryptic and beautiful albums of all time about it. I would not have combined indie folk and alt rock into a psychedelic melange of dreamlike wandering. I would have just kept that to myself. But I've made exactly zero of the greatest albums of all time so what the fuck do I know? This album is so completely sincere so please treat it gently. And ignore it's status as hipster holy grail. Listen to it on its own merits, for me, please?

Green Day - Dookie

Pop punk is maybe not the most well respected genre, and I get why. I don't think a lot of adults want to hear nasally privileged teens singing about jacking off. If Dookie, or any album like it, was a part of your childhood then you probably already know if you'll like this album. And if it wasn't then you probably already know you won't. But if you are at all curious where the 90s pop punk scene started then you have to listen to this, at least for the historical significance.

Robert Johnson - King Of The Delta Blues Singers

Robert Johnson, by god how am I supposed to review Robert Johnson! There were other earlier bluesmen but they didn't have the exact influence on rock music that Robert Johnson did. Not only did his blues stylings influence the original.batch of rock n rollers of the 50s but this very compilation reintroduced him to the artists of the 60s. It's not hard to see why he was so influential. Despite, or most likely due to, the stripped down performances Johnson's guitar work never overshadows his haunting vocals and vice versa. And that guitar work! Johnson may not have been the first blues musician to have supposedly sold his soul in exchange for musical talent (he isn't even the only blues musician with the last name Johnson to have that rumor attached to him) but it's easy to see why it stuck to him. He bounces around the fretboard effortlessly and lays down harmony and counterpoint all in one take while singing to boot!

Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul

In the wake of Otis Redding's untimely death Stax Records had to do something quick. They pushed for a slew of new albums to be completed quick including a follow up to an unsuccessful debut by up and coming session musician Isaac Hayes. Hayes demanded full creative control over and the Stax execs were in no place to argue. The result is a four sing album with three out of four track passing the ten minute mark. It's also really horny. Hayes has one of those voices where everything he sings just becomes sensual. I mean that was the entire joke of him being in South Park. On this masterpiece of a record though, oh man do the instrumentals know how to match his energy. Sloppy, funky bass and lush orchestral arrangements perfectly match Hayes's soulful, lonesome longing. This is such a perfect fuck album that I think it would be too on the nose to actually put on during sex.

Big Brother & The Holding Company - Cheap Thrills

Janis Joplin's voice is probably the most irreplaceable loss that the music world ever suffered. Wait nah I'll save this bit for when I review Pearl. They better put Pearl in this fucking list.

Janis Joplin was active for four years put out four studio albums had three bands and two distinct phases to her career and then dropped dead at the age of 27. She currently holds the 100% completion speedrun for being a rock star. And Cheap Thrills is definitely the most 'rock star' of all her albums.

The Temptations - Anthology

Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971 is exactly what it says in the tin. A collection of every single released by Motown during their golden era. And looking at the track listing it's easy to see why the studio was nicknamed Hitsville USA. Five hours of runtime and nearly every song on here is an instantly recognizable classic. Even some of the deeper cuts are still just amazing. You would think that sitting through five hours of this might get tiring but I've seriously put this on and by the time it ends I'm like "wtf that wasn't five hours?" If you only have room for one comp in your collection make it this one. And if you want recs for a fucking Temptations record then listen to The Temptations Sing Smokey, Cloud Nine, or All Directions instead of another unnecessary compilation.

[akwardlyuncool]

Spotify Wrapped 2023

So I'm here to talk about my hella basic year in music lol. If you're new here I got 2 Spotifys, which means I compare them every year to see which one I think is more accurate.

Basically I got my daily driver,  what I use most often and what’s signed in on my phone and then the Spotify I use for/while I’m working on projects on Akwardly Uncool. Anyway the LEFT side is the Daily Driver and the RIGHT is AkwardlyUncool.

So I'mma Start By Proudly Waving My Basic Card:

I might be wrong, but I feel like everybody who was even slightly in the Pop-Punk, Midwest Emo, Post Emo space had Hot Mulligan in their top 5, either artists or songs for 2023. It was just bound to happen and I ain't mad at it, cause have you listened to them?! Just had to acknowledge that real quick lol.

Minutes and Hours and Just Time:

15,850 minutes. About 264 hours. 11 Days.

Not gonna lie, based on some personal calculations, this was a shorter year for consuming music for me. (If you stick around for ACF 2024 I might divulge some of that reasoning, but for now I'll just say, It is what it is and I know why.) That being said I'll try to beef up my numbers again next year.

Top Artists:

Now don't get me wrong I love The Wonder Years down, however I made a collaborative playlist of The Wonder Years and Hot Mulligan with a friend and basically didn't turn it off lol (it was definitely a shower mix for sure) and that's how they ultimately won the award on my main account.

As for the "side" account, which felt like the main this year, Winnetka Bowling League is just one of those groups that's so good to put on and let run. Now of course I have my repeats, that I've been talking about for the last few years and then I added more and so whether it was going to their page and hitting play or seeking out my repeats, I totally get why they won there. They're coming out with a full album next year, so get used to me talking about them 90% of the time. And if you hop on their train, remember I'm the conductor.

As for the other artists who touched the top 5, I saw 3 of them in concert this year, so naturally their numbers are going to be higher. Also Watsky made it cause Intention is not on CD, hopefully yet.

Genre Sandwiches and Top Tracks:

It's Pop-Punk season mixed with Winnetka Bowling League and Watsky, so both sides reflect that. That being said, the main diver is where I play the majority of the R&B, Neo-Soul and the likes, so they're rarely reflected on my second. But KNOW, I am a mix of Pop-Punk and Neo-Soul, always!

Again it's Pop-Punk season or rather Hot Mulligan season and I spent a lot of time learning every word to those two tracks that won, but are too long for me to desire to type out now. "Draw and quarter a stranger to feel some blood on your fingers. You take away, robbery follow trends as a hobby, find flaws in everything else because you don't like yourself. Woe is me!"

Collector vs Alchemist:

They both say essentially the same thing which is that I make and listen to my own playlists more than anything else, but anyone who works with me could have told you that lol. Geniuses.

Winner? Winner? Chicken Dinner?

Again they basically say the same thing this year, which is that we listened to a lot of Hot Mulligan, Relient K is still my favorite band and if i see you in concert you tend to show up on my Wrapped for the year. I will say though that I'm hella surprised that this is the first year Lyfe Jennings didn't show up on my Wrapped and although that makes way for other folks, it's still a little sad lol.

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Hey we made it through Spotify Wrapped Time and now must move on to the more nuanced and obviously better Akward Class Favorites 2023. If you don't know, it where I just go through my year in movies, music, online content consumption and other things of the like, so better lol. Don't have an ETA on when that will go up, but I've taken the notes, so hopefully before the end of December.

[petrichorvoices]

what is ur OCs favorite music genre or band?- 🔮🌙

OK SO the gang member her name is Angela she's the only one we know who the answer for this is right off the top of our head. anyway she thrives on defying expectations, she's got a very casual punk look going on, but she scares conservative middle-aged women at the grocery store etc, all of her playlists mix classical music with punk rock. she has different playlists all of the same thing, just mixing different subgenres of classical with different subgenres of punk. she falls asleep to these and nobody knows how

Opal is a huge Broadway fan, so she listens to musical soundtracks a lot. she also likes early 2010s pop, and anything that's catchy and upbeat

Martin is a music major, and listens to anything he thinks his professors would hate. he doesn't like his major, he's doing it to make his mom happy {because as we mentioned, Phyllis was the favourite, and Martin internalized that}. he listens to movie soundtracks too, a bit of everything in terms of what movies. he also enjoys rap music a lot {he's a lot better at rapping than Zachary is, which Zachary despises}

Zachary listens to anything he think will make people think well of him. he's not really a huge music guy though. his dad didn't like music very much, and so Zachary just didn't really grow up with it. he's got a pretty decent singing voice when you can coax him to sing, but he doesn't pay any mind to it

Phyllis.. utterly no idea. we know that she's good at rapping though which she practiced specifically to one-up Martin. she's definitely a party person, so whatever would be on those playlists she's probably good with. we don't go to many parties, we don't know what people listen to during those

[lovejustforaday]

2023 Year End List - #17

17. Chaos For The Fly - Grian Chatten

Main genres: Indie Folk

A decent sampling of: Chamber Pop, Folk Rock

Grian Chatten is better known as lead singer of the Irish modern goth rock band Fontaines D.C., a group that's made significant waves in the British Isles ever since they came on to the indie/alternative scene.

Last year’s Skinty Fia appeared in a lot of publications' year end lists and only just barely got snubbed from my own by the #15 record I ended up going for, though it easily could’ve ended up anywhere between 15-13 since most of the stuff on the lower end of my lists are usually interchangeable in ranking. And frankly, I think I’ve probably since ended up spinning that one more times than Honeybee Table at The Butterfly Feast. The last two tracks "I Love You" and "Nabokov" were both particularly brilliant. But I digress.

Grian Chatten's natural charm as a figure in the world of indie music is hard to ignore. He's a brooding poet with a voice that is deep, homey, and rich, singing in an accent every bit as heavy as his regular talking voice. He embodies much of the same mythical cool factor and sensibilities of early 90s indie titans from the isles like The Stone Roses and My Bloody Valentine.

Likewise, the charisma is certainly there for him to venture out successfully as a solo artist, not to mention his strengths as a lyricist.

And this latest album is proof of concept. With his debut solo record Chaos For The Fly, Chatten paints new nocturnal worlds out of rickety old-timey and pastoral aesthetics, with a fair dose of cynicism and grim melancholy. He doesn't so much reinvent himself as a soloist, but rather takes elements of what already worked with his post-punk/goth rock band and distills them into a more intimate and folksy, singer/songwriter sound that retains some of his gothic roots.

I'm actually reminded a lot of folksier PJ Harvey records like White Chalk, Let England Shake, as well as this year’s I Inside The Old Year Dying which frankly, as a long time PJ fan, I fell this record outdid considerably. So props to him.

"The Score" was an excellent choice to ease in to the album's atmosphere, as the song ensnares listeners to a state of rest with an oddly seductive but wholly suspenseful folk guitar serenade. Chatten's whispers are gentle but firm and arresting, manifesting love as a contradictory force of benevolence and implied doom, all the while the plucking of the melody bends and resists resolution. Lots of subtle dualities happening here, which I'm a big fan of.

I knew that “Fairlies” was going to be one of my top tracks of the year the very moment I heard the chorus for the first time. It's a colourful feast for the ears; a fiery folk rock frenzy with all the mystique of a morbid fairytale, like a story of a werewolf hermit who bemoans and curses all of humanity. The whole piece feels like it should be accompanied by a really twisted old-fashioned wooden puppet show that combusts into dancing flames during the grand finale. That screeching fiddle towards the end in particular does everything it needs to in order to make this one hell of a memorable trip. A real stroke of genius.

"East Coast Bed" is a mild departure sonically, opting for a brighter, breezy sound still laced with melancholy and based heavily around a steady beat accompanied by warm chamber instruments, a flowery synth line, and a slight warbly dulcimer (or perhaps a sitar?). Fitting to its name, I feel as though I could lay back and start to float endlessly on the gusts of an oceanic wind.

The tender "Salt Throwers off a Truck" is the most traditionally 'folk' in composition piece on the album. This track really showcases Chatten's ability to conjure images that are deeply romantic and familiar yet forlorn. Not much else to say on this one - it speaks for itself. Makes me want to grab a pint and think about my life 10 years ago.

My one gripe with this album is "All Of The People", a somewhat under-cooked, spitefully misanthropic piano ballad. While it thematically fits within the record's general cynicism and poetics, the delivery in the lyrics is much too on the nose and (dare I say) almost banal, at least in comparison to what Chatten regularly demonstrates he's capable of. It ends up feeling really out of pace and disturbs the record's flow. I would've omitted this from the final version and relegated it to a bonus track. Hell, this LP probably would've made it a lot higher on my list if not for this hiccup.

But aside from the one considerable bump in the road, Chaos For The Fly was a standout project in 2023 for its clever songwriting and setting great atmosphere, and I for one am very excited for Grian Chatten to continue making solo projects. I would love to see an even more ambitious project in a similar vein to to this record. As it stands now, the man's already got me seeing will-o'-the-wisps over here whenever I listen to this bad boy at night.

So definitely check this one out, especially if Halloween-y is really your vibe.

8/10

Highlights: "Fairlies", "The Score", "Salt Throwers off a Truck", "East Coast Bed"

[f1nalboys]

Backstage - Bday fic for Danny

HAPPY (very late im sorry) BDAY TO @knifewh0re !! I really hope you like this and i hope your birthday went well AND i hope today is even better!!! 

Poly!Ghostface x Danny

WORD COUNT: 1978

WARNINGS: they/them pronouns afab reader (which is danny), oral (amab and afab recieving), vaginal fingering, implication of more sex, semi-public sex, closet sex, time crunch, the boys aren’t mean in this one besides like two off-hand comments from billy

Billy and Stu stood backstage before the show searching for you. Stu was bouncing on the balls of his feet, practically vibrating with excitement. “Stu, man, relax. You’re getting on my nerves.” Stu pouts and opens his mouth to say something but stops himself. He elbows Billy in the side harshly, pointing down the crowded hallway. Billy cranes his neck and breaks out into a grin.

It was you. You were surrounded by your band, decked out in your stage outfit and laughing and god you looked beautiful. Billy didn’t wait for Stu and took off down the hallway, his heart beating. You went to college with them, actually had a class with Billy, but you didn’t know them. They knew you, obviously.

Your band was getting popular in the punk scene and Stu had seen you play live a few months ago and immediately fell in love with your voice. He forced Billy to listen and, even though punk wasn’t his most loved genre, he had to admit that you were fucking amazing. And now they were here. Stu had bought backstage passes for the show and told Billy that they had to talk to you.

“Danny!” You turn around at the sound of your name with your eyebrows furrowed. Stu had caught up to Billy and had a big smile on his face, waving you over. Even though you didn’t know the two of them you went over, their smiles and the blush creeping up the neck of the brown haired boy made you curious.

“Uhm, hey. You two know me?”

“Yeah! We actually go to school with you, Billy here’s in your Intro to Film History class with you,” Stu says, nudging Billy towards you with his elbow. Billy forces a smile, his heart beating fast when you smile back. “And we happen to be huge fans of yours.”

You grin, turning around and waving off your band member, asking them to give you a few minutes. “Sorry about that. We have like half an hour before the show starts. So, you go to school with me? How come I’ve never seen you two around before? Think I would’ve noticed two cute guys.”

Stu lets out a high pitched nervous laugh, punching Billy on the shoulder hard. He was fucking star struck at this point. “Cute? You think we’re cute?” He says with a grin that only grows when you nod. They were cute! Stu was wearing a button up shirt and a denim jacket - which Billy had bought him specially for this - and Billy wore a tight black t-shirt and ripped jeans. 

“I’m Billy, that’s Stu. And you’re Danny, right?” 

“Sure am. So, any reason you two came out here to see us play?” Billy’s eyebrow raises. He could have sworn you were flirting with them. Stu seems to think the same thing because he makes a small choked noise which makes you laugh, hard. 

Stu shrugs, deciding now is the perfect time to start acting more suave. “We wanted to wish you luck before the show. With words or actions, whichever you’d prefer.” If Billy weren’t hoping you’d say yes he would have turned around and punched Stu as hard as he possibly could for being so god damn forward. 

“I mean, I could definitely go for some physical encouragement. You two think you could make it quick?”

“Wait, really?” Stu was actually pretty shocked you were agreeing. He was happy, like, REALLY happy, but he was still shocked. You nod and Billy takes a hold of your hand and drags you down the hallway. He wanted to find somewhere that the three of you wouldn’t be interrupted.

You stop him halfway down the hallway and pull him into a dark room, flipping the light on when Stu comes in behind you both. It was a supply closet, a fairly large one, and Stu locks the door behind him as Billy pulls you in for a kiss. 

“Wait, wait, no,” You say, pushing away from him. He gives you a confused look, worried he had gone too fast too soon. “Can’t kiss; can’t fuck my stage makeup up.” He snorts, deciding to kiss your neck instead. Stu’s behind you, the two men trapping you in between their bodies.

Stu replaces Billy’s lips on your neck, nipping at your pulse and grinning against your skin when you moan. Billy is on his knees, working on getting your pants off. His nails dig into the skin of your thighs as he yanks your jeans down and you hiss, goosebumps raising down your legs.

Your head rolls back against Stu’s shoulder as his hands slip up your shirt and past your bra, his fingers finding your nipples with ease. Billy groans as his finger dips past your underwear, gliding down your folds. “Fuck, Stu, man, they’re soaked.”

“Are they now? You into us or something, baby?” He coos into your ear, pinching at your nipple hard and you whimper loudly. Stu laughs, his breath hot against your skin, as Billy’s fingers begin to rub circles on your clit. You’re bucking into his fingers and you let out a particularly loud moan when he moves his hand off of you.

Your eyes pop open and Billy is right in your face, shoving his fingers, wet with your arousal, in your mouth. Stu grabs the bottom of your shirt and yanks it up, slipping it off of your body with ease. “Think you could use your mouth for something else?” Stu asks with a wicked grin. Rolling your eyes, you don’t take long to debate, sinking down onto your knees.

“Can’t do it for long, boys. Got twenty minutes before I need to be out there, so you better get to it.” Stu’s pants and underwear are long gone now and he’s fisting his cock right in front of you with an eager look in his eyes. You smile, replacing his hand with your own, and licking a long stripe up the underside of his dick.

His head rolls back and he lets out a low moan as your tongue swirls over his tip. “Fuuuck, Danny…” He goes to put his hand on the back of your head, wanting to force you to take him to the hilt, but he stops himself by grabbing ahold of Billy’s shoulder. “Their mouth, man. Shit, could make me cum already.”

Billy’s hand was on his own cock and he was focused on your face. You never took Stu in your mouth fully, never moving past wrapping your lips around the tip of him, and somehow he could tell it was the best blowjob Stu’s probably ever gotten. Save for him, of course. “Wanna feel that mouth of yours,” He says and you pop off of Stu, a glob of spit connecting you to him. “Can we fuck you?”

You hesitate before your hand wraps around his cock, pumping him slowly. “God, I wish. Like, you have no fucking idea how badly I want you two, but we have less than 15 minutes and if we do it I want it to last longer than that. How bout I help you two out and you help me?” Without waiting for an answer you repeat what you had just done to Stu.

“Holy shit,” He groans. He can’t take his eyes off of you or your hands or your lips. Everything about you was intoxicating. You swirl your tongue around his tip a few times, hollowing your lips when you take him into your mouth. “Christ, Danny, your mouth feels so fucking good. Such a good whore for us.”

You moan around him and he gasps, barely stopping himself from slamming his hips further down your throat. Stu was jerking off next to him, eyes trained on you, and he threw his head back, calling your name. “Danny, fuck, gonna cum. Where, shit! Where can I?”

Pulling off of Billy you flash the two of them a wide smile and respond simply. “On each other.”

“Huh?” Stu’s eyebrows furrowed together slightly, his hand pausing in it’s movements. You lick your lips and they watch with wide eyes as your hand reaches down and slips past your underwear. Your eyes flutter closed, soft moans leaving your lips. Music to their ears.

“I, mmh. I said cum on each other, god, and then you can taste me.” That’s all the encouragement they needed. They turned towards each other but kept their eyes on you, the sounds of your pleasure mixing with their own. Billy was chasing his high, the thought of being able to delve into your cunt sending shockwaves through his body. 

Stu is the first one to cum, both your name and Billy’s falling from his lips as he thrusts into his hand. His cum coats Billy’s thighs and hands, adding to the slick of his own cock. Billy cums soon after and Stu takes a second to get on his knees and takes his dick into his mouth, taking him to the base. What can he say, he loved Billy’s dick.

“Fuck, that was hot,” You whimper, your eyes moving in time with the bob of Stu’s head. “Hurry up and eat me out, you got ten minutes. If you do good, maybe I’ll consider making this a regular thing.” Billy’s on his knees in a second, throwing your hand off of yourself and pushing you back onto your ass. You yelp as the concrete digs into your skin but the pain is quickly washed away, taken over by the pleasure of his tongue dipping through your folds.

He’s moaning at the taste of you, his hands grabbing your thighs and spreading you wider, opening you up for him. His tongue focuses on your clit, switching between circling it to flicking it with the tip of his tongue, sucking on it every few seconds. Your hand tangles in his hair and you’re grinding down on his face when Stu’s fingers enter you.

He starts up a fast pace with two fingers, filling you so suddenly all you can do is cry out his name and roll your eyes to the back of your head. “Fuck! Please, shit, you both feel so good. Please, I’m close, please let me, please make me,” Your pleas’ urge them onwards, Stu’s fingers and Billy’s tongue speeding up. 

You cum hard, harder than you have in the past from just oral, and your body is convulsing with pleasure as they continue. They don’t stop until you practically collapse against the floor and even then Stu takes his chance to lick up your cunt, tasting you. “Mmm, you taste fucking delicious, babe.”

“You alright, Danny? We didn’t kill you, did we?” Billy asks and even with your eyes closed you know he’s smiling. You nod, take a deep breath, and stand up, your knees weak. Stu wraps his arms around your waist, kissing your neck while Billy helps you pull your pants back up, buttoning them up before kissing you on the lips. “Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.”

Stu opens the door and peeks out, looking both ways before ushering the two of you outside. Billy runs a hand down your cheek, down your neck, and he tsks at the dark marks that were forming. “Stu! Asshole, you left hickies like a 15 year old.”

“They look hot with them!” He replies, giving you another sloppy kiss on the neck, and you laugh. You shove him off of you, brushing your clothes off and looking at them with a grin. 

“So… you guys staying after the show? I’d love to show you the green room.”

Billy grins, wetting his bottom lip with his tongue, eyes dragging down your body. “For you? Hell yeah, we are. Can’t wait to see how hot you look with that makeup of yours running.”

[party-lemon]

This is gonna be a long post, y'all, mostly cause I like sharing things I like on the internet. So here is

A List of my Top Ten Favorite Albums (So Far) and Why (In No Particular Order)

#1: I Love You Like a Brother - Alex Lahey

Released: October 6, 2017

Genre: Alternative Indie/ Rock

Ahhh, I recently discovered this album (after knowing only the titular track for, like, a year) and it is so good. A running theme will be alternative, rock-ish albums and this is the perfect example of an alternative rock album. I won't get too hung up on genres but this album is fantastic. There's, honestly, nothing overly spectacular and wowing about it but that's what I like about it. It's so simple and I love it for that. It sounds like the soundtrack to a cool, indie movie.

#2: Razzmatazz - I Dont Know How But They Found Me

Released: October 23, 2020

Genre: Indie pop/synth-pop/pop rock

I adore this album. This is in the top 3, if I were to narrow down this list. I went through a period where I listened to this album on repeat for two weeks. Don't get me wrong, 1981 Extended Play was fantastic, I love all of IDKHow's work. But this. Razzmatazz is so unafraid to be weird. There's all sorts of instruments in here that you wouldn't expect but they just work. Saxophone solos? In 2020? It works better than you think. And don't even get me started on Clusterhug.

#3: Hesitant Alien - Gerard Way

Released: September 29, 2014

Genres: Alternative rock/Britpop

Also another album I have listened to for two weeks straight. Where do I start? Like almost every song on here is so unique and different from the other. The Britpop feel is immaculate. Action Cat and How It's Going to Be are some of my favorite songs ever. Brother...speaks for itself. I could go on and on about what I love about Hesitant Alien but it would be so long so I will refrain.

#4: Revolution Radio - Green Day

Released: October 7, 2016

Genres: Punk rock/alternative rock

This album shaped my entire junior high career. I listened to this album (and all of Green Day's discography) non stop. I don't listen to it as much anymore but anytime a song off of it plays, I remember how much I love this album. I don't particularly think it's Green Day's best album (that title will always go to American Idiot) but Revolution Radio just holds a special place in my heart. It was the soundtrack to my life during 7th and 8th grade and introduced me to so many other bands (like My Chemical Romance).

#5: Blurryface - Twenty One Pilots

Released: May 17, 2015

Genres: Rock/Pop/Pop rap

I know, I know, Twenty One Pilots. I'm sorry. But Blurryface is really good. Like, with every other TOP album, I skip a track or two but there is not a bad song on this album. It's so intense sometimes and then, boom, Tear in my Heart and We Don't Believe What's on TV. So good.

#6: The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance

Released: October 20, 2006

Genres: Rock/Punk rock/Alternative Rock

I had the hardest time choosing between The Black Parade and Danger Days. Don't get me wrong, I adore Danger Days. The storyline, the energy, the different sound. But The Black Parade is poetic. It is theatrical and heartbreaking and angry. Dare I say, one of the greatest concept albums ever. There are no lulls. It does not miss a beat, even with Teenagers. Danger Days may contain my favorite song ever but The Black Parade is immeasurably stunning. An absolute masterpiece, if you will. Such a fabulous album.

#7: Melophobia - Cage the Elephant

Released: October 3, 2013

Genres: Alternative rock/Indie rock

I have really grown to love Cage the Elephant and Melophobia is absolutely amazing. This album feels kind of different from the all of the other ones on this list and I can't quite put my finger on why. Hell, I can't really explain why I like it so much. Melophobia is just different and I like it. Every track is so good, the rough sound on some of the songs gives a garage band vibe. The poetry at the end of Teeth is so cool and Cigarette Daydreams is the epitome of every rom-com indie movie soundtrack.

#8: The Click - AJR

Released: June 9, 2017

Genres: Alternative indie/Pop

Apparently people don't like AJR or think they're cringy or something...? I don't care, I love this album. It tackles so many topics about growing up, wanting to just skip to the good part of life, and feeling so lost in adulthood (and sort of life, in general). Plus, AJR's sound is strange but I really like it. They use a lot of trumpets, which is great. And they do this in a living room! The Click just handles itself so well and tries to make you feel okay about being grown and it doesn't care if it fails.

#9: Hawaii: Part II - ミラクルミュージカル (Miracle Musical)

Released: December 12, 2012

Genres: Pop/Ballads/Electronic/Just kind of everything

Literally the weirdest music I listen to and man, is it great. Hawaii: Part II is interesting, to say the least. I think you're bound to like at least one song on here just because it has a bit of everything on it. It is just sort of a trip to listen to. A good one, mind you. Nothing can really describe this album, you just kind of have to listen to it.

#10: Rumours - Fleetwood Mac

Released: February 4, 1977

Genres: Pop rock/soft rock

What a classic, honestly. I wish I had been listening to this sooner (I only recently started listening to Fleetwood Mac) because Rumours is a masterpiece. The entire album feels like the soundtrack to an indie movie (if you couldn't tell, I'm really into indie movies). Never Going Back Again is such a flawless song. The Chain is badass. Second Hand News? Dreams? Just every song is great. And Fleetwood Mac is such a badass band, too. I could rave about Rumours for a while so I'll stop now.

Honorable Mentions:

Danger Days - My Chemical Romance

Back to Black - Amy Winehouse

When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? - Billie Eilish

Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace - Foo Fighters

Save Rock and Roll - Fall Out Boy

(This doesn't even include musicals cause there would be a few of those making the list)

Um, if you made it down to here, thanks for reading. 10/10, would recommend all of these albums, give 'em a listen.

[nastyburger]

its mourner time

before the accident, sam, tucker, and danny were in a band called “Dead Cat and the Haunted”! tucker played bass, danny played drums, and sam was vocalist and guitar (tucker could also play piano on the side and did sound mixing). the band had been officially around for about a year and a half, but the dream of starting one has certainly existed between the trio for years beforehand.

the band’s genre was basically alt rock. sam and tucker adopted the punk goth look for the band but ended up liking the image enough to go full time with it! danny himself never quite adopted this, but still gets their own lighter makeover for shows (usually just the simple black shirt and paint on his cheeks really). the band wasnt popular per say, but they definitely had a couple of hits in niche circles.

danny usually provided a lot of fenton tech for performances (a failed “ghost smoker” that makes a pretty good fog machine, some homemade laser lights made from spare parts, ect), so the ghost portal was a project of interest when it was completed (but unable to work). similar to canon, sam persuades danny to check the portal out. with danny being the robotics nerd that he was and growing up with this sort of ghost tech all around them, having danny go in to find the problem seemed like the natural thing to do, sam though nothing of it when she made the suggestion.

danny was a bit nervous to venture in alone though, so they ask sam to go in with them which she agrees to do. tucker decides to stay behind during all this. they both put on their hazmat suits and went into the portal. danny accidentally hits the switch as usual and........fully dies from the electrocution.

for one reason or another, the variables were just not lined up for danny this time around and he doesnt make it out of the portal in any form of consciousness. not alive, not a ghost, not half, just dead. sam, on the other hand, did gain ghost powers but the guilt of what happened to danny eats her alive.

she adopts this “i couldnt save my friend so i save everyone else” philosophy and begins to have a somewhat strained relationship with tucker. she starts to push him away both out of guilt and a “its safer this way” mentality. the first couple months following danny’s death was a difficult time for everyone and sam left herself to figure out most of this ghost stuff on her own.

tucker was relentless though and did everything he could to support sam and stick by her side despite her efforts to keep him away. after a particularly nasty scourge with a ghost that leads to tucker saving sam, she finally relents and allows tucker back into her life. things are still a little difficult between them, but they’re slowly getting better.

the fentons believe that danny went into the portal alone. the little fact that sam was in there with them was quietly left out of the story and thats all jack and maddie really knew about the incident. they never pried anymore information from the kids still mourning (haha funny joke) and traumatized. jazz, on the other hand, was furious. she knew they were with danny was right to suspect some sort of persuasion happened to get him to go into the portal. sam admits that she was the one to tell them to go in out of guilt, she and jazz don’t talk to each other for a long time.

the ember “episode” plays out differently with mourner and far later in her ghost career, it was a rather important point in her healing process. the fight against ember ends up taking place as a “battle of the bands” type deal, the idea was to essentially steal the spotlight and attention off of her. the idea of playing as a band was obviously a sore spot for sam and tucker, and the lack of a drummer was a problem on its own. there was someone they could ask, but neither of them really liked the idea.

stuff happens, tensions rise, until finally sam and tucker do what they need to do: they ask jazz to play drums for them. jazz was able to play drums as well, and often subbed in for danny while he was alive from time to time. after the incident, the idea of jazz replacing danny permanently popped up but was quickly shut down. it was just too soon at the time, so asking jazz to play now was a significant gesture of moving on. they play as a band, beat the ghost, and sam and jazz also mend their relationship.

after the ember incident, this was also the point where sam tells jazz about her ghost powers and the full story of what happened that day, she later does the same for jack and maddie. she felt she owed them the truth, and while jazz has finally forgiven sam, jack and mads have a harder time. they dont hate or hold the incident against her, they just find it hard to grapple with. sam does her best to stay distant from the parents for their sake.

as of now, sam, tucker, and jazz play together as “The Mourners”. jazz is now also part of the team and helps with sam’s ghost fighting, the three become more close knit with both the band and the hunting.

are sam and tucker dating in this au? the answer to that is.........its complicated. they definitely do like each other, even before the incident, but its hard to think about dating when your best friend died. they’ll get there eventually, but itll be a long while until then.

[thisaintascenereviews]

Kyle Gordon - Kyle Gordon Is Great

Comedy music is often a fickle beast, because either it’s really good or really bad, it’s never in between. That’s because comedy is subjective, but so is music, and you might find the jokes funny but the music bad, or vice versa. Comedy music has the problem of not being both of those things, and that’s sort of how I feel about this debut album from comedian Kyle Gordon, entitled Kyle Gordon Is Great, which is a funny title, but you might know him from TikTok. He started out by making funny videos but he’s blown up over the last couple of years, especially when he began releasing parody songs of different genres. You might have heard “Planet Of The Bass” that’s a parody of 90s Eurodance songs, but he released an album with seven more songs of different genres. I’ve heard a few of them, including a pop-country song that parodies 90s and 00s female empowerment anthems from that time, a 00s pop-punk song that parodies how melodramatic the genre is, or a folk / outlaw country song that parodies how drug addicted the genre can be, and I was curious when I saw a full album, but I was apprehensive.

I’m not super crazy about comedy music, because even if the music itself is really good, the jokes themselves are the main draw and if the jokes don’t have lasting value, there isn’t much to go back to. Unfortunately, Kyle Gordon’s debut album is kind of like that, but it has its moments of brilliance. This album is either really funny and clever or really stupid and braindead, and it’s weird how this album jumps from one extreme to the other at the drop of a hat. One thing that’s really annoying about this album right off the bat is how this is 15 songs long, but it’s only 27 minutes. Why is that? Well, that’s because half of this album (or seemingly so) are just fake radio station DJ spots that introduce the following song of a different genre, which would be fine if there were multiple songs that fit under that genre, but each one has only a single song. It gets old hearing a fake radio spot after each song, and they’re not even funny, although Gordon does what he thinks is a funny voice on each one. The DJ spots would be fine if they weren’t every other song, but it just feels like unnecessary fluff, especially when it doesn’t work. Hell, he could have used a framing device for the whole record, and use the radio DJs at a few point, not after every song.

When it comes to the songs themselves, this album is a lot of fun, and I wanted to start with the songs themselves because they’re actually solid representations of everything he’s parodying. “Planet Of The Bass” is a catchy and bouncy dance / pop tune, whereas “Girls Are The Best” is a great little pop-country song that sounds like Martina McBride circa 2004, and the list goes on. The songs sound like they belong in their respective eras, so I have to give him that.

Where the album goes awry for me are its lyrics, and this is where the album just doesn’t work for me, because a lot of the album’s lyricism just isn’t that funny. All the songs rely on a single joke that pans out for a few minutes. A good example of that is “Girls Are The Best” where Gordon says just that — the joke is that women are better than men, at least in a toxic feminist kind of way, and as the song goes on, Gordon gets angrier and angrier and it’s more exaggerated, but it isn’t any funnier. Every other track does that, too, like a bossa nova song is about how this creepy guy wants to be with the “ugliest girl on the beach,” or the pop-song is just about how much the singer’s life sucks and how melodramatic he is, but it just falls short when you know what the one joke is. The one whose lyrics actually work for me is “Planet Of The Bass,” even though that has one joke, too, and that joke is that the lyrics don’t make any sense. There is also a fake ad for a children’s album that shows up, too, and the clips of songs are pretty funny, because the one joke this song / ad has is that the kids’ songs have bad advice, and what Gordon says is actually quite funny.

Overall, I don’t mind how short this album is, despite how many tracks it has, and a few songs are actually quite humorous. Unfortunately, every song relies on a single joke, and while the jokes (at least for the most part) start off strong, they just revolve around the same joke and it just gets old. The music itself is pretty good, and Gordon has a good voice, but the constant radio spots didn’t work for me. Some of these songs also don’t feel finished, at least compared to others, almost like he wrote this album around a few really solid songs and just quickly wrote the rest. I wish this album was a bit longer, especially having more actual songs, but the songs should also be finished and feel more fleshed out. For a debut, especially comedy music, this isn’t half bad, but hopefully his next record is a little more interesting.

[xmyshya]

Shoved it: chapter I - Grind

summary: You don’t like skaters. They’re unruly, misbehaved and rude. But this one encounter just might change your view. genre: fluff warnings: tooth-rotting fluff (seriously, make a dentist appointment), slow burn, mutual pining betas: @vanille–kiss​ as always I'm eternally grateful to you, I love you lots a/n: Written for ANILYSIUM (former HQHQ) Server Collab with the prompt “Meet Ugly”. Check the event’s masterlist here! series navi: masterlist | next wc: 1.4k

Books. You love everything about them - the scent of the ink, the feeling and texture of paper under the pads of your fingers, the sound of pages being turned, the way how 26 letters bloom as a whole new world in your mind.

It’s a beautiful spring day, one that carries the warmth of sunshine and scent of freshly revived greenery in the air. Birds are chirping sweet love songs, you’re wearing your favourite flowy dress, gentle breeze makes the short stray strands that slipped from your bun tickle your nape.

On a day like this, it’s extra hard not to bury your nose in the tome you carry around these days. Technically, you know you should pay attention to your surroundings, especially when you’re walking and not sitting on the bench, but it’s just getting to the good part, where the thief prince is about to steal a kiss (and a heart) of the princess and -

Huh?

It’s a beautiful spring day, the sun is finally out, no sight of rain clouds, no school today, absolute freedom. Which is why Suna Rintarou is rushing to the park, using his worn skateboard for the first time this year. He surely hopes he hasn’t gotten rusty with the break, but damn does it feel good.

The wind is ruffling his bangs that stick out from underneath his beanie, and it makes him want to go faster, faster, and maybe, just maybe, he might be able to fly. Or at least jump really well. So he pushes again and again, despite moving at a decent speed already.

There are stairs nearby, and Rin feels today is the day he beats his record at how far he can land. He’s approaching it fast, the top is right there, he can see it, so he pops the board and then shoves it, his ankle at a perfect angle, and shit, if it ain’t the perfect pop shuvit, and fuck, he’s middle air and knows he’s gonna fuck it up.

Because at the bottom, right where he predicts he’ll land, there’s you. A cute girl, with her hair and dress flowing with the wind, eyes trained on a book in her hands, and she doesn’t even see him.

Which is why he crashes with you, having enough mind clarity to push his board in another direction and cover the back of your head with his hand, before he falls on top of you on the pavement. You blink at him with a confusion clear in your gaze, almost as if you don’t know where you are. He smirks at you lazily, and in his most seductive voice lets out a,

“Hi.”

You still look at him with those huge doe eyes, like a little lost lamb, and he would love to sink his teeth in your flesh like a big bad fox. The boy opts for helping you up, instead. He can do that other thing some other time. As you shake off the dirt from your dress, he opens his mouth to say something more, but he’s met with

“What the hell?! That was dangerous! You could have hurt somebody! Have you thought about it? This is a public place, you… you… you punk!”

He’s staring at you dumbfounded, surprised at your sudden outburst. Definitely not what he expected after protecting you from the impact, and definitely not after presenting you his best smirk, the one that has every girl swooning. Suna shakes off his haze when you reach the top of the stairs, and mumbles at the sudden realisation.

“But… I’m not a punk?”

-----------------------------------

You’re running. Your feet hurt, lungs burn, and you don’t really see where you are or where you’re headed, but it’s better than getting caught by palace watchmen. The hand around your wrist has a tight grip, as you’re dragged through narrow dark alleys. Suddenly, the man in front pulls you behind a corner, his arm wrapped around your waist, both your chests heaving against each other.

“Are you okay, Princess?” He asks, voice still a little breathy from the exercise, and you nod. “I think the guards are gone now.”

“Are you the Prince of the Thieves?” His smirk grows wide in the shadows.

“I did steal you from the palace, did I not?” His face is coming dangerously close, olive eyes boring into yours. “If you’re not careful, I might steal your heart as well.”

His breath is fanning over your lips as he whispers the last sentence, you part your mouth…

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Shit.

Wait, why did the Prince have the face of that punk?

***

Luckily the bus you take to school isn’t crowded. You squeezed yourself into a window seat with earphones completely sealing you off from the surroundings. Hopefully upbeat music will be enough of the distraction from the weird dream. Hopefully.

Relaxed, you close your eyes and sing along in your mind, tapping the rhythm on your thigh. You let your mind wander, as you imagine yourself dancing to the song, feeling the endorphins pump through your veins.

Until an image of those greyish-yellow eyes glinting in the darkness flash in your head.

Well, shit.

***

If there was any hope of relief from being haunted by that intense gaze at school, it’s gone now. As a top student you were always focused on lessons, always ready with an answer for any question; but today it’s completely the opposite.

First, you somehow managed to forget a basic algebraic formula. While solving a problem on the board. The class was shocked, the teacher was not impressed, you were embarrassed… Still feeling the heat of shame hours later.

Then you completely spaced out, forcing the English teacher to repeat your name over and over, telling you to continue reading a text. And you didn’t even know which part you should continue from.

After that came chemistry, and you nearly blew up the lab after messing up the proportions of ingredients. Why were you so affected by some punk you didn’t even know? Why were you seeing those damn eyes everywhere? Even in the cafeteria, at the table across from yours, that boy also has those eyes.

Wait, no. Oh no.

You’re staring at him unabashedly, silently praying to be wrong, waiting for something, anything, to prove that it’s not the person from the park. It doesn’t come, but the heavens curse you instead.

In a slow motion you observe how his eyes meet yours, and as if it wasn’t bad enough, he smirks. You make off the cafeteria so quickly, that you nearly trip over your own two feet. Seriously, what did you even do to deserve this punishment?

It’s Monday again, and Suna would rather stay at home and sleep. But he has to show up to class, so he reluctantly crawls out of the bed, throws on his uniform, and after brushing his teeth leaves the house. It’s such a drag, honestly. Nothing interesting ever happens.

Rintarou nearly dozes off on the bus, the steady hum of the engine and gentle rocking serving as a lullaby. But he can’t sleep, he can’t miss the stop and be late again. So he forces himself to watch the monotonous scenery on the other side of the window.

As predicted, the day goes by slowly. There’s nothing amusing about listening to those old peoples’ rambling on subjects nobody even cares for. Like hell he’s gonna need inorganic chemistry or classical Japanese. So Rin is sitting at his desk, chin in the palm, thinking how it’s a waste of perfectly fine weather for skating.

Finally, the lunch break comes and he drags his feet behind Miya twins to the cafeteria. It’s not his favourite place, it’s crowded and loud, but his buddies fighting over food makes it worth the hassle. They’re doing this right now, Osamu trying to steal his brother’s onigiri, while Atsumu attempts to poke the other boy’s hands with chopsticks.

Suddenly Rin feels somebody’s intense gaze. It’s not like he’s not used to it, girls usually stare at them lovingly, but this feels different. Curious, he glances in the direction he thinks it comes from and sees… you; barely aware of the smirk curling his lips. But then you run off, probably flushed. That must be it, right?

Suna feels like he hit a jackpot.

[ricksanchez-z420-moved]

for the music asks, can you answer either all of them or at least 5 of your choosing? I'm very curious 💜

queen bee wants em all she gets em all 💜🤙

(putting this all under the cut cuz its a lot 😅)

1. Song that always makes you happy

ocean man by ween for sure, its hard to be upset listening to that one

2. Song you listen to when you're sad

forget it by getter is def one of my go to feelsy songs

3. Top 5 songs of an artist of your choosing

island in the sun, say it ain't so, my name is jonas, beverly hills, sweater song

4. 3 most played songs on iTunes or Last.fm etc.

doin time by sublime, by the way by rhcp, i wanna get better by bleachers (on spotify cuz i dont have that other shit lol)

5. Favourite song right now

ive been weirdly obsessed with buried alive by terror reid lately

6. Favourite album of all time

probably sublimes self titled album if i have to pick

7. Favourite song of all time

santeriaaa

8. Favourite artist of all time

subliiime

9. A memory associated to an artist of your choosing

my dad really liked selena...he used to say she had an angelic voice. i was only 8 when she died but i remember my dad being devastated

10. Song that you feel you must always dance to

i literally dance to everything lmaooo must be a drummer thing but as long as it has a beat im groovin to it

11. First album you bought

my first album was dookie, unintentionally pissed my mom off but it was totally worth it

12. A song that reminds you of someone you love

😒

13. A song from your childhood

gonna have to put this here for reasons

14. A song that reflects your personality

def gonna have to go with alien boy by oliver tree

15. Most hated song of all time

honestly anything by tool i cannot stand tool

16. Most overrated song

oblivion by grimes

17. Most underrated song

18. Most overrated artist

grimes 😏

19. Most underrated artist

everyone should go check out peach prc shes great her music is great

20. Favourite vocal performance

i just have to share a video for this one lol the whole thing is a ride from start to finish

21. Favourite guitar solo

i mean this 100% jack blacks solo in school of rock at the end where they perform in battle of the bands is fuckin choice dude

22. A song no one would expect you to love

i love terror jr ive been kind of following her for a while, this is a fave by her

23. A song you get stick for liking

i have a couple of lana del rey songs on my smoke playlist and i get mad shit from c137 AND morty 😒

24. A song you'd like at your funeral

i want im a believer by smash mouth blasting at my funeral (definitely joking)

pls play i miss you by blink 192 at my funeral (very much not joking)

25. Karaoke song

likely anything by sublime or weezer 😅 talking heads is fun to do too

26. Favourite summertime song

summertime by sublime 😏

27. Favourite Christmas song

oh my goood ive been waiting my whole life to share this because no one believes me but SIMPLE PLAN PUT OUT A CHRISTMAS SONG

28. An artist you used to love but don't really listen to now

im actually embarrassed to admit this but i had a very short lived obsession with limp bizkit when i was a kid 😅 lets just say i was an angry child lol

29. A cover that's better than the original

ive really been digging doja's cover of celebrity skin

30. A song that you have to crank the volume up for

i always crank my girl doja up

31. What song was top of the charts when you were born

ok so i had to look this up and the first thing i saw was everybody have fun tonight by wang chung lol

32. C.D. that's always in the car

i havent really done cds since like...2009 maybe 2010 lol

33. Which genre of music features most heavily in your collection

grunge and pop punk mostly but id say i have a pretty good mix of everything

34. Which genre(s) do you try to avoid

im not the biggest fan of most metal tbh (mort and i clash a lot when it comes to this 😅)

35. A song that is always stuck in your head

ngl this is on loop constantly in my head

[army-author]

sour rose | jhs

❝ jung hoseok is the only guitarist whom you consider to be a threat. no one else is good enough to rival you. yet, when honest feelings slip to the surface before a competition, you realise there’s more to hoseok than you realised... ❞

➝ pairing: hoseok x reader

➝ prompt: character a and character b have been rivals for as long as their friends can remember. one day, someone catches them holding hands.

➝ genre: fluff; very mild angst; rivals to lovers; punk band au

➝ word count: 1.5k

➝ warnings: profanity; mentions of illness

➝ playlist: ever fallen in love (with someone you shouldn’t’ve?) - buzzcocks   ;  know your enemy - green day   ;   basement noise - all time low   ;   fall - neck deep   ;   criminal - state champs (yes, i know, i never moved past my emo phase)

You only know one thing this evening, as you stand in the humid street, waiting for your concert venue to open: Jung Hoseok is the enemy.

He’s the only one standing between you and victory.

In an hour, you’ll be up on stage, riffing on your surf green Stratocaster and screaming your heart out, all for the glory of a cash prize, proffered to the best punk band. All the other groups have no chance against you, and your bandmates from Sour Rose. All other groups, apart from Jung Hoseok and his band, Just Dessert.

No one else matches your skills. No one else matches your charisma. No one else matches your attention to detail. Apart from Hoseok. That’s why he’s your enemy. Because you need that cash prize. More than anything else.

“Hey,” you turn hearing a familiar voice, to see Jungkook, Sour Rose’s drummer approaching.

“Hey yourself,” you grin, “How’re ya feeling?”

“Nauseous,” Jungkook admits

You clap a hand on his shoulder, “You’ll be fine. Nothing to worry about. I’ve seen you at practice. You’re an absolute beast.”

Jungkook smiles at your compliment. It often surprises you how shy he is. Place him behind a drum set, with some sticks in his hands, and he transforms, thrashing confidently through complex rhythms.

As you chat, other bands begin to gather outside the music club, all waiting to get their equipment ready before the competition commences.

Your expression sours as you spot the familiar faces of the Just Dessert members. Your gaze automatically snaps to Hoseok – the man who stands between you and your winnings. His black hair is styled, spiked off his forehead, and he sports a colourful t-shirt with his band’s corny logo in gaudy shades of pink. At least he had the decency to pull a black leather jacket over his shirt to spare your eyes, complete with pins and patches.

As he walks up to the door, his eyes catch yours, and he gives you a nod of acknowledgement. He knows – just like you – that you’re the only competition he has. Despite your resolve, you feel a thrill spread through your stomach.

Before you can exchange any words, the bouncer opens the door to the musicians, and you flood into the venue, loosing Hoseok in the throng.

- ✽ ✽ ✽ -

The following minutes are a blur as you catch up with the rest of your band while you check sound levels, ensuring that your amp is setup correctly, and blasting through a few scales to warm up.

Before you know it, the first band is getting on stage, and starting to thump through their song. The drum beat is simplistic; their guitar tone is too generic. You know their performance will not stand a chance beside the song Sour Rose has prepared. It’s only Just Dessert that you are worried about. Another thrill runs through you.

Needing a glass of water to wet your dry throat and steady your nerves, you tell your bandmates that you need to go, before scurrying to the back room where the music club has prepared drinks and snacks for the musicians.

Picking up a plastic cup of water, you take a sip. The liquid has already heated up from the warmth of hundreds of bodies packed into a small venue. It has the metallic taste of tap water.

“Oh, hey.” Hearing a voice behind you, you spin around to find Jung Hoseok sauntering into the back room.

You immediately clam up, fingers tightening on the flimsy clear plastic of your cup. “Hi, Hoseok,” you reply tersely.

“You seem on edge tonight,” he notices as he reaches around you to grab a drink, “Is everything okay?”

“Yep,” you snap, “I’m peachy.” Good job convincing him. Now he knows something is up for sure. You and Hoseok have been performing at the same venues for years – from school productions to charity events at local bars. He knows what your normal is, and this is not it. You sigh, running a hand through your hair. “Actually, yeah, no, I’m not so good. I need this win tonight. More than I’ve ever needed a win before.”

Hoseok’s brows pull down into a frown. “Why’s that?”

You hesitate, unsure of admitting weakness to your rival. Yet, as his eyes observe you – eyes so familiar because they’ve been watching you for so long, set on a familiar face in the crowd when you perform on every stage – you find the words spilling easily from your mouth. “My mum fell sick earlier this month, and I really need the cash prize to pay for her medical bills.”

Hoseok considers your words, unusually quiet, then offers you a bright grin. “Well then, you’re lucky that the money’s guaranteed to end up in your hands.”

“What? How can you know that?” you ask.

Hoseok takes a sip from his cup, before setting it down on the table, “Well, from what I can see, our bands are the only ones capable of winning. So if you win, you get the money. And if I win, I’ll give you the money.”

Your mouth falls open at this, and embarrassed, you quickly clamp it shut again. “Really? Are you sure?”

“Sounds like you need the money more than I do,” he nods, “I mean, Just Dessert is planning to spend it on new equipment, which we can always buy at a later point.” He reaches across, and his hand brushes against your fingers, warm against your cool skin. “Your mum’s health comes first.”

Suddenly, you find tears welling in your eyes. You barely cry in front of anyone, and yet, here you are, breaking down in front of the one man you had seen as an enemy. “Thank you, Hoseok,” you wobble out, past your tears.

“Don’t worry about it,” he reaches over, pulling you into a hug that you had not realised that you needed until now. His arms offer craved-for comfort. Your body moulds to fit his as he pulls you closer, rubbing soothing circles on your taut back. He smells of pine and leather. Despite all your misgivings, you find yourself relaxing against him.

“It’s going to be okay,” Hoseok assures you as you pull away from his warmth, wiping your cheeks for any remaining traces of tears. You’re sure that your eyeliner must be smudged to hell by now.

“Fuck, I must look a right mess,” you grumble, trying to carefully wipe at your eyes.

Hoseok inches closer, his hand still on yours, and with his free fingers, he gently wipes at the eyeliner that had escaped your lash line. “There, all better.”

You offer him a watery smile, hoping no more tears will fall. How could you have been so stupid to think that Hoseok was your enemy, when here is is offering you the kindest smile? Another thrill runs through you. Hoseok’s fingers are comforting in your hand; his fingertips are hard and calloused, just like yours after years jammed against hard guitar strings. You squeeze his hand, and hope he understands all the gratitude you intend in the small gesture.

The door opens, ripping you from this quiet moment, and Hoseok’s bandmate Jimin stands in the hall outside. “Hoseok, we’re on in five.” Jimin’s eyes fall to your fingers threaded through Hoseok’s. You quickly drop Hoseok’s hand, as if his skin burnt you.

Jimin doesn’t comment, but you see his eyes widen. Hoseok offers you a reassuring grin, before he walks over, pushing Jimin down the hall. “Let’s go, Jiminie!” You’re left alone to ponder the warmth that Hoseok left on your hand.

- ✽ ✽ ✽ -

“Well, here’s the money as promised,” Hoseok hands you his winnings with a smile. In the end, Sour Rose had missed out on the prize, only a few metaphorical inches behind Just Dessert.

You’re in the back room once more, surrounded by musicians, relaxing after the competition. The water has been replaced by beers and spirits.

You smile, “Thank you, Hoseok. I don’t know how to repay you.”

Hoseok returns your grin, “You don’t have to repay me. I wanted to help. Although… if you’re offering, you could take me out for coffee later?”

“What, like a date?”

He winks at you, and your cheeks turn red as another thrill scurries through your body. You finally understand.

“Wouldn’t people start gossiping if two rivals started dating?” you ask.

“Kind of too late to worry about that,” Hoseok shrugs, “Jimin’s already convinced we’re a couple.”

You flush, “I suppose we’ll just have to make his hearsay a reality.”

Hoseok presses his lips together, dimples popping up on his cheeks as he suppresses a triumphant smile. “I thought you’d never agree.”

- THE END -

[peaches-writes]

don’t you worry, baby

member: chan 

wc: 1.4k

genre: fluff, summer au, childhood friends to lovers au, beach day au

warning: explicit language

note: third installment to the skz cheese agenda (skcheese? lmao) + eun is the name of the mc from doll in this fic!

The occasional tourist would give you strange looks as they pass by, wondering why you and Chan would plant your tie dye mat and beach umbrella set so close to the waves crawling back and forth. The two of you have learned to ignore them over the summer years, however, too busy giggling over the way the water would tickle your bare feet on the hot sand and occasionally bring in the most random of objects. 

Especially now that an entire academic year of the two of you separated in different colleges has passed by, this being the first summer that the two of you could spend together leisurely without the worry of school requirements or part-time jobs in the city. 

As per your long-standing childhood beach tradition, the two of you compete in collecting 8 of the same things that you find under the sands or the waves bring in—this time with a carefree conversation on just about anything and everything that you’ve missed in each other’s life the past 10 months. It’s a tight battle this sunny Friday afternoon, with you guarding 6 olive shells in the space under your folded legs while Chan has a nice line of 5 cerith shells he’s worked hard in digging while ranting about one of his younger siblings hanging out with Seo Changbin. 

“Why are you being like this all of a sudden, anyway?” You chuckle in amusement as your conversation on tonight’s beach bonfire party suddenly finds its way back to Chan expressing his disapproval of the younger boy from your neighbourhood. “This is the first time I’ve heard you remotely close to being mad at someone and he’s not even some random stranger your sibling suddenly started hanging out with. It’s Seo Changbin. We literally raised that punk when we were kids.” 

“Exactly, it’s not ‘cause he’s some guy.” Chan pouts, angrily poking a random twig he found on the way to the beach into the sand and occasionally poking out a harmless crab crawling out of the little hole he’s made while picking up shells. “It’s because he’s Seo Changbin.” 

“So?” You shrug, feigning an innocent tone over your mischievous smirk as you watch him sulk next to you. Arms crossed over his bare chest and folded legs and chin resting on top of his folded free arm like a child, everything about him right now just simply looks so endearing and funny at the same time. “Isn’t that a bit better than just, say, a guy who suddenly popped up when we went to college? You know Changbin well enough and Eun definitely knows Changbin super well since they’re classmates. If he screws up, then you know where to find him. If he takes care of them, then you know how to thank them.” 

“Since I know him, I’d be more disappointed when he screws up.” Chan rolls his eyes, lazily tilting his head to the side to glance up at you waiting for the waves to come back. “Anyway, are we even talking about the same Changbin, Y/N? Even if we grew up with that punk, he also smokes, drinks, has a lot of tattoos and piercings, and scares a lot of his classmates.” 

This time, it’s you rolling your eyes as you try nudging him off-balance with your arm to his thigh. “It’s not like you didn’t smoke, drink, or got piercings with me without auntie’s permission when we were in high school. If anything, I’d like to think he got that from us.” You point out with a scoff of disbelief, eyeing the helix piercing on his right ear that now sports a safety pin earring different from your matching golden stud one. “Plus, you know Changbin only gets a bad rep in his batch because their classmates aren’t exactly the nicest people out there. He’s nice, has good grades, and he showed me his acceptance letter to my uni the other day. You’re just picking out ‘bad traits’ now because he’s dating your sibling.” 

“Ya—” 

You cut him off with a palm in front of his face immediately, sensing his pout grow bigger even with the back of your hand blocking his face. “Admit it or not, Eun’s an adult now who can date whoever they want, even a childhood friend. And Changbin’s a friend so I’m sure it’s all going to be fine.” With a giggle, you then use your other hand to pick up another olive seashell that washes up on shore as if on cue. “You have good intentions, I understand where you’re coming from, but you gotta stop worrying, you big baby. Just worry when Changbin does screw up—though if you’re asking me, I doubt he will.” 

Chan scrunches up his nose, just as another cerith shell surfaces from his mini excavation site on the sand. “Hm, I don’t know. I still can’t shake it off.” He practically whines like a child, his hold on the poor and almost broken twig loosening the more he thinks his thoughts and rants through. “How did this even happen? We literally raised Changbin and Eun ourselves when we were kids...”

You snicker at this, swiping an olive shell from his excavation site as you see it. “Now, you’re picking on him being a childhood friend? What’s your problem with that now?” 

Chan waves both of his hands up defensively in front of him, shaking his head. “It’s not like that! I don’t have problems with childhood friends dating or whatever, not at all! I’m just saying that, all of a sudden, Changbin’s taken an interest on my sibling! Doesn’t that sound a little random to you? Why now, when they’re about to leave for college?”

“Nope, it still sounds like you have a problem with childhood friends dating.” You teasingly accuse with a disapproving shake of your head before shrugging. “You know, sometimes stuff like that just happens! With people you’ve known for so long, sometimes you just fall for them out of nowhere because you start seeing them in a different light! I mean I, for one, like someone I’ve known for a really long time like Changbin but it’s only rece—”

“What?!—” 

“It’s only recent because I thought they were cute when I saw them again.” You finish your thought despite the abrupt shift in Chan’s expression. Eyes wide, posture suddenly straight and alert, and the twig branch in his hand held up like a threatening knife, you bite down your lips in between certain phrases and sentences as you hold back your laughs. “Maybe if we were like 16 again or something, I’d find it gross. But since we’ve been away from each other for a long time and have only been talking on call until lately, I miss hanging out with him and he’s super duper cuter now than before so—yeah, it just happens! It’s normal and totally not weird!” 

“Wha—you...you like someone?!” 

“That all you picked up from my long ass speech? That’s not even my point. My point was to defend Changbin and your sibling dating.” You furrow your brows and feign a frown. “I’m disappointed. You really are a big baby, barely comprehending anything in that pea brain. Oh dear...” 

But as if Chan’s thoughts are still transfixed on your previous statements, he ignores your mocking comment and repeats, “You like someone?! Do I know this guy? Also, what do you mean you’ve known him as long as Changbin and I and why don’t I know this gossip?! Ya, not you too, Y/N!” 

You tease him further with a shrug before picking up an olive shell that the wave brings in, exclaiming in victory. “Ha! I win!” You stick your tongue out at him, picking up your 8 little shells in your cupped hands. “I should make a bracelet out of this, ‘no? For cute guy I’ve known for a long time.” 

“Who is it?!” Chan pesters you even further, poking your rash guard with the twig branch. “Who’ve you been hanging out with since we were kids besides me and Changbin?!” 

“Don’t you worry about him, you big baby, he’s harmless.” You put your collected shells on the side and wave your sandy hand dismissively. “Now, I don’t think 8 shells are gonna cover your entire wrist so would you mind help me picking up more? We could walk a little and check the lagoon.” 

m.list

@skzwriternet