#not to mention the album art is sick

[wp100]

Listening to Cultosaurus Erectus, and wow, what an amazing album.

[notmysophie]

Hozier reading list

Literary references in Hozier music

Alighieri, Dante; Inferno

The story of Francesca da Rimini as told in canto V inspired the song Francesca.

The album Unreal Unearth is arranged as a journey through nine circles of hell as they are described in the Inferno part of the Divine Comedy.

The title of the song Through Me (the flood) is a reference to the first lines of canto III.

Hozier read the translation by Robert Pinsky (https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22285692/) 

Beckett, Samuel; Endgame

The song Wasteland, Baby! Takes inspiration from this play. (5 september 2023) (https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/hozier/cover-story-hozier-unreal-unearth) 

O'Brien, Flann; the Third Policeman

The character of de Selby in the Third Policeman inspired the songs de Selby part 1 and 2.

Heaney, Seamus; At the Wellhead

The song To Noise Making (Sing) contains a8n audio fragment of Heaney reading this poem.

Heaney, Seamus; The Cure at Troy

The line "Or honey hope even on this side of the grave again?" In the song "To Noise Making (Sing) " is inspired by the line "History says, Don't hope / On this side of the grave."  in this poem.

Joyce, James; A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

The line "Shaking the wings of their terrible youths" in the song Angel of Small Death & the Codeine Scene is derived from a line in this book. As mentioned in the interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music (august 28, 2023) (https://youtu.be/y5JpgNIkOz4?si=Yg1GVewfZlHkdVm1)  

Also mentioned as general inspiration in an interview with the Daily Meal (october 28, 2014) (https://www.thedailymeal.com/irish-born-musician-hozier-slithered-here-eden-bring-us-his-gospel)

Mack, dr. Katie

Astrophysicist dr. Katie Mack is mentioned by name in the song No Plan. A quote from the song is used in her book The End of Everything (Astrophysically speaking)

Neruda, Pablo, Sonnet XVII

The songs de Selby part 1 and part 2 take some inspiration from this poem. (Mentioned when introducing the song during a concert)

Ovid, Metamorphoses

The story of Icarus is mentioned in the song Sunlight and inspired the song I, Carrion (Icarian).

The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is mentioned in the song Talk.

Plato; The Allegory of the Cave

The phrase "Adding shadows to the walls of the cave" in the song Sedated refers to this story.

Swift, Jonathan; A Modest Proposal

Inspiration for the song Eat Your Young.

Wilde, Oscar; Chanson

The line "a rope in hand for your other man to hang from a tree" in the song From Eden" is inspired by the line "And a hempen rope for your own love / To hang upon a tree." in this poem.

Yeats, W. B.; The Second Coming

The line "To Bethlehem it slouched" in the song NFWMB is almost directly copied from this poem.

Yeats, W. B.; Leda and the Swan

Inspiration for the song Swan Upon Leda

Other books recommended/mentioned by Hozier

Amis, Martin; The Zone of Interest

Recommended by Hozier in an 'Ask Me Anything' before the release of the album Wasteland, baby! on reddit in 2019

Beckett, Samuel; Not I

Hozier joked the album Unreal Unearth would contain four tracks, two of them being recordings of him reading this play with his mouth full of marshmallows.

The cover art of Unreal Unearth is said to reference this play.

Bukowski, Charles

Mentioned as a teenage favorite (https://youtu.be/e5pFwDvcIGA)

Ó Cadhain, Máirtín; Graveyard Clay (Cré Na Cille)

Mentioned as his current read in an instagram Q&A on December 1, 2021

Eliot, T. S.

https://www.thedailymeal.com/irish-born-musician-hozier-slithered-here-eden-bring-us-his-gospel 

Heaney, Marie; Over Nine Waves, a Book of Irish Legends

(Source? Mentioned on social media?)

Heaney, Seamus

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/hozier-why-seamus-heaney-s-last-words-mean-so-much-to-me-1.3797926

Herbert, Frank; Dune

Mentioned as a current read/audiobook on How Long Gone podcast episode 614. March 6, 2024

Joyce, James; Ulysses

https://youtu.be/s0Ux72N4K10 

Kierkegaard, Søren; The Sickness unto Death

(Source?)

Orwell, George; 1984

https://www.thedailymeal.com/irish-born-musician-hozier-slithered-here-eden-bring-us-his-gospel/

Rubin, Rick; The Creative Act

Mentioned as his current read in an interview for WNYC Radio, 17 March 2023

https://youtu.be/Cd2uxpD9Hc8?si=cJ8bKrfFeXk_WS2F 

Salinger, J. D.; Catcher in the Rye 

https://www.thedailymeal.com/irish-born-musician-hozier-slithered-here-eden-bring-us-his-gospel/

Wilde, Oscar

https://youtu.be/s0Ux72N4K10 

https://www.thedailymeal.com/irish-born-musician-hozier-slithered-here-eden-bring-us-his-gospel/

Williams, Niall; This Is Happiness

Mentioned as his current read at a fan meet & greet (Bristol, 6 August 2023)

Yeats, W. B.

https://www.thedailymeal.com/irish-born-musician-hozier-slithered-here-eden-bring-us-his-gospel/

Poetry/stories read by Hozier in livestreams/videos (and the books he read them from)

3 July 2020 Instagram live

Seamus Heaney; Postscript (the Spirit Level)

Seamus Heaney; A Kite for Michael and Christopher (Station Island)

W. B. Yeats; No Second Troy (W. B. Yeats Poems selected by Seamus Heaney)

W. B. Yeats; To a Friend Whose Work Has Come to Nothing (W. B. Yeats Poems selected by Seamus Heaney)

Ovid, Daedalus and Icarus (Metamorphoses, translated by David Raeburn, penguin classics)

Sinéad Morrissey; & Forgive Us Our Trespasses (Being Human edited by Neil Astley)

Also mentioned; Staying Alive edited by Neil Astley

Seen on the table; Fear Not by Stephen James Smith

10 July 2020 Instagram live

Seamus Heaney; HÖFN (District & Circle)

Seamus Heaney; District & Circle (District & Circle)

Stephen Dunn; Sadness

Stephen Dunn; Sweetness

Ovid; Orpheus and Eurydice (Metamorphoses, translated by David Raeburn, penguin classics)

T. S. Eliot; The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (Collected Poems 1909-1962)

Brendan Kennelly; Begin 

17 July 2020 Instagram live

Ezra Pound; And the Days Are Not Full Enough

Wilfred Owen; Futility

James Joyce; A Flower Given to My Daughter

Pablo Neruda; Keeping Quiet

Langston Hughes; I, Too

Imtiaz Dharker; They'll Say She Must Be From Another Country

W. B. Yeats; When You Are Old

Stephen James Smith; On the Bus (Fear Not)

Seamus Heaney; Saint Kevin and the Blackbird

Seamus Heaney; Sweeney Praises the Trees (Sweeney Astray)

Maya Angelou; Touched by an Angel

Garrison Keillor; Supper

Pablo Neruda; Sonnet XCIV (If I Die) (100 Love Sonnets, translated by Stephen Tapscott)

T. S. Eliot; Ash Wednesday (Collected Poems 1909-1962)

Ovid, the Four Ages (Metamorphoses, translated by David Raeburn, penguin classics)

Also mentioned; Ireland, My Ireland by Stephen James Smith

25 July 2020 Instagram live

Anne Stevenson; The Spirit is Too Blunt an Instrument

Katie Mack; The Slow Fade to Black (the End of Everything, Astrophysically Speaking)

Pablo Neruda; Sonnet XVII (One Hundred Love Sonnets, translated by Mark Eisner)

Kahlil Gibran; On Love (the Prophet)

Sharon Olds; True Love

Rita Ann Higgins; The Did-You-Come-Yets of the Western World

7 August 2020 Instagram live

James Joyce; Araby (Dubliners)

Also mentioned A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

17 march 2021 Tiktok live

Brendan Kennelly; Begin

Derek Mahon; Everything is Going to Be Alright

Sinéad Morrissey; & Forgive Us Our Trespasses

Faisal Mohyuddin; Prayer (The Displaced Children of Displaced Children)

Pádraig Ó Tuama; How to Be Alone

Stephen James Smith; Dublin, You Are

Paula Meehan; Seed

Various reads

Seamus Heaney; At the Wellhead

https://youtu.be/uIBpT_rqUfA

Patrick Kavanagh; Peace

https://youtu.be/Iz1OXOFua4w

W. B. Yeats; He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

https://youtu.be/e5pFwDvcIGA

W. B. Yeats; A Coat

https://youtu.be/e5pFwDvcIGA

Seamus Heaney; Miracle

https://x.com/seamusheaneyest/status/1253626839316279296?s=20 

[duplicitywrites]

Does fandom feel very different to you now than it did pre-2020? This could be a rather myopic viewpoint- I’m in college, so I’m young enough to have never really lived in times where fandom was ridiculed or whatever, but it still felt fringe-like in 2019. I’d go to school and chat about fanfic and fan art with my nerd friends, but fandom did not feel omnipresent in the mainstream- not just fan art or fanfic ( which is still 100% fringe like ) but fandom discussions too. Now swifties get mentioned on the news and crap. Perhaps that’s a bad example since Taylor swift is….Taylor swift, but I feel like a fandom that big and powerful wouldn’t have even formed pre 2020. Swifties certainly existed, but even in 2014, they would not be mentioned in the news.

i'm afraid i can only confirm your viewpoint as myopic because my friends weren't fandom nerds haha. the only other person i knew who read fanfic was this one guy in my year who i think only read what i wrote because he had a crush on me. which, well. not sure if that actually counts 😂

i first started engaging in fandom at large around... 2012? i think? or maybe sooner than that, i don't remember anymore. i used to rp on facebook LMAO but my later fandom experience mostly centers around tumblr and discord.

now that fandom is mainstream it really does feel omnipresent. people as a whole have changed. but to circle back to your other point — swifties have history that relates to this, because taylor used do private fan sessions (screenings)? of her album before release, and i think a majority of those fans were selected from social media, tumblr in particular, because she was active here. you can imagine how that made the parasocial aspect was even worse.

this stuff predated 2020s but it did drive a significant amount of fan behaviour. and ik not every celebrity is taylor swift, but you see a lot of that continues to be replicated because modern fandom is about 🚨 ATTENTION 🚨! so it's quantity over quality, anything that isn't an immediate massive hit gets dismissed, etc. then the stuff that does make the news so to speak gets exploited to death until people are sick of it, which again, you know, takes us back to taylor swift.

things are better when i can just enjoy my little guys in peace. which i do! or try to do. it's difficult because the rest of the world seems to want less and less to operate like that.

all this to say i think fandom can still be close to the way it was. it can still be fringe, with you and your friends in a group hanging out. you just have to block out the noise and really make that space for yourself. then you can still decide how much you want to engage with the rest of it.

[thisismeracing]

babe can i pls get a headcannon of Mick dating a Latina💌❣️

Here you go, honey! I hope you like it <3 *mwah*

headcanon requests are closed

MICK DATING A LATINA | MS47

Warnings: mentions of food; tooth-rotting fluff; mentions of family members; not proofread.

A/n: Just a quick reminder that there are many shades, experiences, and backgrounds when it comes to latinos and their culture, what I am writing does not resume everything, but rather brings a piece of it to the table. <3

⁕ my masterlist and my taglist

I just know this man would have the time of his life whenever you guys decide to travel to visit your family/friends/home.

We saw how Mick likes spicy/Mexican food, so he would totally try every available dish with your family and they would be like "Isn't it too spicy for you, boy?" to which Mick would grin, puffing his red face, and shake his head, "it's too good, I can take it! Just- just need a bit of water." You would find it funny, and tell him you wouldn't take care of him if he ends up sick, of course, this is a lie because you're the first person beside him when his body decides it's time to slow down for a bit.

South America is really diverse, you can find just about everything there, and Mick will love to explore all the countries with you. You'll hike in Machu Pichu, enjoy the winter in Argentina and Uruguay, visit all the beaches, and art expos in Brazil, go around Colombia, and so on. Mick will register everything with his camera, and by the end of the month, he'll put everything together in an album and gift you. You'll tear up a bit because you look so good through his lenses, and he seems to have captured most of the special moments.

Your family will love to see it.

This man will try to learn Spanish/Portuguese before meeting your family. He'll casually throw a word here and there and then finally ask you if you can help him, but it's just training with him because he strikes me as someone who'll be quick to sign up for online classes just to get everything right.

His Spanish/Portuguese has so much accent, and it's just so cute how he'll still want to order and talk to people using their native language. You'll find it endearing.

It won't be hard for him to get used to all the traditions and cultural things. Mick will just love how people are warm and friendly with him, and how he doesn't have to worry about doing things wrong and getting away with it, because people are not afraid of being honest/sincere/forward about things. It's a nice atmosphere to be in.

I can totally see him letting a word or two slip in your idiom during an interview and fans go crazy because you're together for less than a year, and this man is already perfecting his language skills to impress you and your family/friends.

He's just enchanted with your culture and even more in love with you after discovering all the layers and history behind who you are.

― ⋆🪩 VOICEMAIL: I hope you guys liked it! Let me know your thoughts, it means a lot to me <3 *mwah*

taligst: @sachaa-ff @kenanlotus0 @dalsuwaha @mellowpizzapuppy @crimeshowjunkie @mickslover @iloveyou3000morgan @mishaandthebrits @formulakay3 @fdl305 @carojasmin2204 @saintslewis @chaoticevilbakugo @wondergirl101ks @f1kota @babyiscrying @smiithys @shhhchriss @lunnnix @leclercsluv @balekane_mohafe @uuuseeerrr12 @karmabyfernando

[trans-luis-serra-navarro]

HI AGAIN ITS ME HIIII!!

so as you might tell I LOVE to add a song or a lyric or whatever to like all of my art. all of my art usually comes from a song I love or a lyric I love. SO. that led me to asking you what songs make you think of Luis / serrenedy the most or inspire you to make art or fics of Luis / serrenedy.

TYSM SORRY I HAD TO ASK IM JUST OBSESSED WITH ANALYZING CHARACTERS AND SONGS <3

HELLO I AM SO SO SORRY IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO GET TO THIS ASK I PROMISE I WASN’T IGNORING IT!! I sat down to make this post and then I remembered that I have an ENTIRE album FILLED with songs that remind me of Luis/Serennedy, and it’d probably be a liiiiiiiittle difficult to name them all obviously, so I nailed it down to my top 15 for each!!! I hope that’s OK!!

Songs under cut!!

Serennedy

1. King Of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1 & In The Aeroplane Over The Sea- Neutral Milk Hotel

2. Treehouse- Alex G

3. First Love/Late Spring- Mitski

4. O Sol E Lua- Pequeno Cidadão

5. Mary On A Cross- Ghost

6. Country Motion Sickness- Mae Valerio

7. Ready Now- Dodie

8. Love Me Like There’s No Tomorrow- Freddy Mercury

9. Christmas Kids- R.O.A.R

10. Fernando- ABBA

11. Devil Town- Cavetown

12. My Love Mine All Mine- Mitski

13. Everybody Wants To Rule The World- Tears For Fears

14. Sarah- Alex G

15. No Children- The Mountain Goats

Luis

1. Hotel California- Eagles

2. The Milk Carton- Madilyn Mei

3. Burning Pile- Mother Mother

4. Plastic Jesus- Tia Blake

5. This Year- The Mountain Goats

6. Starman- David Bowie

7. Ramblings Of A Lunatic- Bears In Trees

8. Isle Unto Thyself- Miracle Musical

9. American Pie- Don McLean

9. The Pantaloon- Twenty One Pilots

10. Dragons & Demons- The Herbs

11. Twin Size Mattress- The Front Bottoms

12. Class Of 2013- Mitski

13. Dancing Queen- ABBA

14. Video Killed The Radio Star- The Buggles

15. Saint Bernard- Lincoln

Honorable Leon Mention:

1. Welcome To The Black Parade- My Chemical Romance

2. You’re Gonna Go Far Kid- The Offspring

3. Wasted Summers- JuJu<3

4. It’s Called Freefall- Rainbow Kitten Surprise

5. Vanilla Twilight- Owl City

[aeolianblues]

🎵 SONG-TO-GO 🎵

Friday is here,and I'm back with another Song-To-Go poll!

If you're new, hello and welcome! Song-To-Go is a weekly song poll released every Friday where I present you with new, lesser-known songs to listen to while you scroll.

As always, choose songs based on the 30-second Spotify snippets if you don’t know them (and I try to make sure there’s always something you won’t know). If you like what you hear, go listen to the full songs, they’re yours to carry along on your scroll!

[latest poll, and playlist of everything so far (in order) and other/future picks]

This week, Brazilian riot grrrl punk rock, dreamy funky retro synthpop from Canada, post punk from Australia, some poetry on different systems of government that has knocked my socks off. Spoken word/musical art from London, Welsh heavy and hard rock (I’ve mentioned Alffa before but this track from their new album is great musical evolution for them and warrants mentioning them again I think) and some beloved Canadian indie.

As always, tell me what you like, way you’d want to see more of, etc. Happy new year folks, here’s to more cool new music coming your way. Happy listening!

[yoshihashismattebum]

Favourite Albums of 2024

Spotify Wrapped was fun and all, but I have one problem with it: it only focuses on individual songs! (Okay, that's not strictly true – I have many other problems with it as well. E.g. 'why is this playlist full of songs I've never listened to' and 'wtf is this AI podcast bullshit') Anyway, one of my goals for 2024 was to listen to more whole albums and I think I generally succeeded! I didn't listen to a ton, but more than previous years for sure.

So I thought it would be fun to pick and share my top 3 albums of the year! Here they are, in ascending order!

3) Yard Act - Where's My Utopia?

Post-punk jams that dig into the contradictions that come with fame as a punk band. Self-deprecating and unapologetic in equal measure, with lyrics that tread the line between 'smart' and 'smart-arse'. Oh you can dance to it too.

Highlights: We Make Hits, Dream Job,

2) St. Vincent – All Born Screaming

I'm not sure what genre this falls into. Rock? Alt-pop? Wikipedia reckons 'art rock', so let's go with that. Whatever you want to call it, it's a masterpiece of songwriting. It spans so many different genres and so many different themes: fame, identity, religion, grief. It's achingly raw and personal, but a lot of it is all too relatable. There's also another version entirely in Spanish, which is very cool!

Highlights: Reckless, Broken Man, Big Time Nothing

1) Allie X – Girl With No Face

Before this album, I'd always liked one song by Allie X (All The Rage) but could never get into anything else she'd done. Well, with the release of this album I'm pleased to say that that's no longer true. I honestly struggled to pick just 3 highlights because it's so packed with catchy alt-pop bangers. The lyrics are right up Tumblr's street too, with meditations on chronic illness, identity, gender, body dysmorphia, and one song that's all about getting top surgery. Truly exceptional imo.

Highlights: Black Eye, Off With Her Tits, Weird World

Honourable Mentions:

Sløtface – Film Buff

Sløtface are probably my favourite band of all time. Their live show this year was the best gig I've been to, let alone my favourite gig of 2024. So it's a shame that this album didn't quite crack the top three for me. Musically, it's the same joyous pop punk that I absolutely adore, but the lyrics didn't quite hit for me in the same way as their previous two albums. Still well worth a listen though!

Highlights: Quiet on Set, I Used To Be A Real Piece Of Shit, Final Gørl

Teen Mortgage ��� Teen Mortgage

I'm not entirely sure that this one qualifies as an album tbh, which is why I've excluded it from the top 3. Spotify has it down as a "compilation", so I think it's just a collection of their singles so far? Anyway, it kicks ass. It's the essence of punk: fast, loud and uncomplicated. Sometimes you don't need clever lyrics or subtle wordplay: you need 90 seconds of furious drumming, barely intelligible vocals about calling in sick to work, and a growling guitar riff that makes you want to fight God. Pure catharsis.

Highlights: Sick Day, Falling Down, Doctor

And because this is Tumblr, let's turn it into a tag game! Reblog this with your favourite albums of the year if you like! And tag some people whose recs you want to see!

I'm sure @thepenultimaterolo @thewaythroughthewoods and @unpairedbracket would have some great choices! And I'd be interested in hearing from @sycamoretrees @caranoirs and @counting-ducks as well if you're up for it! No pressure for any of you of course (and certainly no need to write as much as I have lol). Just if you feel like it :)

[stuffydollband]

Howdy to all my queers and disabled folks!

As I’m writing this, it’s my birthday, and I just released a new album that I’m super excited about! It’s called “Ganymede Gives Up The Ghost” by Stuffy Doll, and it’s got 17 tracks spanning genres from hip hop to screamy metal to punk to soulful ballads. Songs about a trans superhero, growing up, being sick, friendship, predators, the queer community, and so much more!

It even features the incredible Riley Silverman as the voice of The Narrator! (Not to mention that amazing album art by @ghostcashew)

If you like Hozier, Florence+The Machine, Slipknot, clipping., Lorde, Against Me! or honestly just any good music, I think this album has something for you.

Since it’s my birthday, I’m asking that you consider buying it on my Bandcamp, but if you can’t afford it, just stream it wherever you listen to music and please share it around. I’m putting all the money I’ve made so far into advertising this album because I really believe in it.

Thank you, love you, and stay safe, Dolls.

[belljarr3d]

honestly ethel cains discussion on how we, as a collective, on the internet have basically lost all capacity to truly appreciate art and artists has got me thinking... have we really gotten to a point where we can no longer consume media that conjures up difficult feelings and emotions in a productive way?

i dont know if its just because i, and the people i surround myself with, are able to do so, but damn when you take a step back and really LOOK at how people consume things now, it kinda makes me sick. the fast pace of social media and content has now made it so much easier to commodify art, and take it at face value. rather than actually sit with it, feel it, think about it and discuss it productively with those around you.

i remember when i listened to preachers daughter for the first time, i could not shut up about it for days. that album had me feeling emotions and thinking things i had seldom experienced before (though im now currently in the same boat with two star and the dream police by mk.gee). i simply cannot fathom how people are consuming works like this in the same way they consume 'fast food' content on tiktok. what happened to appreciating art? i suppose, and as hayden (ethel) mentioned, late stage capitalism is mostly to blame. but i'm also inclined to think that collective trauma at the hands of covid and many other world issues are to blame as well.

when we're constantly feeling feelings of dread and whatnot, our first choices of media are usually going to be the opposite, instead of media that invoke similar feelings of discomfort. is this an excuse to say things like "you ate just like isaiah ate ethel" when speaking about hayden's works? absolutely the fuck not, please read a book, but it does help to get some insight on way we approach so many difficult topics with humour nowadays.

all that being said, i think every one needs to just take a step back and learn how to approach things with sincerity again. like i've said countless times at this point, learn to appreciate the art your consuming, and overall just be mindful.

[arctic-hands]

What MP3 player? And is it still available! I hare having to muse my phone, and all modern ones require WiFi and that defeats the object of a portable music player!

So about 4 years ago I decided I too was sick of streaming, ads, and algorithms, and was running out of space on my phone for all the songs I wanted to play on the VLC app, so I got a SanDisk/Sansa Clip Jam (the little one on the left)

[Image Description: two MP3 players, next to a hand for scale. On the left is a very small blue one, with a very small and simple white-on-black screen, and a physical button pad underneath the screen. The player on the left is much, much larger, with a larger screen capable of showing color images, and touchscreen buttons underneath. Both players are open to LP albums, but the one on the right actually shows the album art for Churches. End I.D]

Now the little Clip Jam was good for a while and I was glad to have it, but it did have some drawbacks that became clear. Mine was used but I believe these are still being made/marketed. It was twenty bucks used.

Pros (aside from the big one of owning your own media without ads/algorithm

Ultra portability

MicroSD slot for more space

Audiobook-capable, Audible compatible once you register it to Audible

Physical buttons

FM radio

Shuffle capable

NO WIFI, plug in and drag-and-drop uploading

Neutral:

no Bluetooth capability

Has stopwatch

The "clip" in the name refers to the clip on its back, which lets you attach it to clothes and such

Immediately apparent drawbacks:

No external speakers, must have wired headphones to hear anything. They use your standard jack, so I'm assuming you could use compatible external speaker but I never had one to try

Sometimes chapters of audiobooks don't go in order and you have to go in with tag editor software

and sometimes the books upload as one big file, meaning you have to go in with another software to break it up

Thing that made me fully disgusted with the thing after a year or so of frustration:

The HARDware capabilities of the Clip Jam mean that it can only handle two thousand LINES. Not files, lines. Meaning the Artist counts as a line, the Album counts as a line, the songs each count as a line. This is bad enough with just putting music on, but when you add audiobooks to it, the titles of the books and every chapter counts as a line. With an SD card you can add about another two thousand lines. When you use up your line capabilities, the data will be on your device/card but the player won't show it or let you access the files at all.

SANDISK NEVER TELLS YOU ABOUT THIS. It was not in any of the listings for it, it was not in the manual. At. All. I only found out by chance by finally coming across a years-old forum post talking about it after months of frustration while I tried to figure out why half my files (mostly audiobooks by this point) weren't showing

So I started looking for a new one.

...for the life of me I don't remember how I came across the Phinistec Z6, prolly saw it mentioned on the r/DigitalAudioPlayer while trying to come up with a new one to buy for cheap. The brand seemingly came out of nowhere, but it had what I needed. I got it thirty dollars used from ebay. They were still being sold new as of a year ago, I just prefer getting li-ion battery things used.

[Image Description: the players again, the Clip Jam is showing the SD card option, the Z6 is showing a list of Music/Folder/E-book/Bluetooth/Recorder. End I.D]

I don't have an SD card in either and the option only shows up on the Z6 if you have one in.

Pros for the Phinistec Z6

No bullshit line limitation

MicroSD slot for added content

Maybe just a pro for me, but this thing is HEFTY. Not heavy, but dense enough I'm worried you'd crack a skull if you threw it at someone. Wonderful tactile weight in my case.

Long battery life. I think I've had to charge it 5 times in the year I've had it.

External speaker

Wired headphone capable, as well as Bluetooth capable

FM radio (only works when wired headphones are plugged in, the dongle acts as an antenna. This is pretty standard, it used to be that way on phones too)

Audiobook capable. This isn't advertised but it can save your story place in the middle of the chapter. I didn't use this feature too much tho, I got an e-ink reader a few months after. I don't think it's Audible compatible, but there are workarounds for converting those to MP3

NO WIFI, plug in and drag-and-drop uploading

Neutral:

Can read written books for some reason. Not sure why anyone would want to on a screen that small, but it exists

So-so voice recording capabilities

A crappy photo camera for some reason?

Touch screen buttons

Cons:

It doesn't ship with current software, and for the latest update you have to email the company for the download link. Kinda sketch, I'm prolly some Chinese corporation's data bitch now, but seeing as I'm American I'm used to being a corporate (and government) data bitch for my own country anyway

Also had the problem of songs not playing or being listed in the right order. The listing was fixed with the update, but even after tag editing the songs were PLAYING in the wrong order when accessed under MUSIC. When accessed under FOLDER songs play in order, but artists are listed in order of upload then, not alphabetically, so it can get tedious when trying to find the artist you want if you've got a lot of artists on there. Not a deal breaker, just annoying.

No shuffle, but because of the above if you want to shuffle on a specific album just access it thru the MUSIC function

While screen brightness can be turned down, the backlight behind the buttons is blinding white no matter what you do which sucks in the dark if you have sensitive eyes

Isn't as portable as the Clip Jam if you've got small pockets (looking at you, women's jeans)

The external speaker is a bit tinny and higher notes can get a bit staticky (especially a problem when you listen to LP)

Virtually no information out there about Phinistec

I vastly prefer the cons of the Z6 over the hardware limitations of the Clip Jam, all things considered.

[spiderworries]

9 Favourite Albums tag game :)

(or EPs. this is for fun.)

tagged by @mortalfollies

[ID: a 3X3 grid of 9 album covers. the albums listed, from left to right and top to bottom, are: Puberty 2 by Mitski, Little Oblivions by Julien Baker, Preacher’s Daughter by Ethel Cain, Lungs by Florence and The Machine, The Fool in Her Wedding Gown by The Crane Wives, Home Video by Lucy Dacus, Historian by Lucy Dacus, Folie á Deux by Fall Out Boy, and Be The Cowboy by Mitski. END ID.]

Puberty 2-Mitski:

“not happy or sad, just up or down- and always bad”

This is probably my favorite album of all time. 100% no skips, and the music on it is really soothing to me.

Favorite song: Fireworks

Current obsession: Thursday Girl

Little Oblivions-Julien Baker:

“‘cause if I didn’t have a mean bone in my body, I’d find some other way to cause you pain”

This is an album that took me ages to actually get into, but it hits so hard. This is an album that often needs my full attention while somehow also being a “scream in the car with your windows down” album at the same time

Favorite song: Relative Fiction

Current obsessions: Favor and Song in E

Preacher’s Daughter- Ethel Cain

“If I’m turning in your stomach and I’m making you feel sick”

Ethel Cain is single-handedly bringing back the lost art of the concept album. If you can sell me on giving your album a spoiler warning before i talk about it then you’ve won

Favorite song: Strangers

Current obsession: Hard Times

Lungs- Florence and The Machine

“there is love in your body but you can’t hold it in, it pours from your eyes and spills from your skin”

This is kind of just a stand in for how much I love Florence in general but this album is just so, so good.

Favorite song: Hardest of Hearts

Current obsession: Rabbit Heart

The Fool in Her Wedding Gown- The Crane Wives

“I will love you like the ashes in my cigarette box”

This is another album representing the whole band, but this specific album is 100% no skip for me.

Favorite song: Shallow River

Current obsession: Strangler Fig

Home Video- Lucy Dacus

“heat wave by midday, heat lightning on a summer night”

this album genuinely changed my life

Favorite song: First Time

Historian- Lucy Dacus

“You don’t deserve what you don’t respect, don’t deserve what you say you love and then neglect”

This album has me screaming along to 7+ minute songs. It’s incredible.

Favorite song: Next of Kin

Folie á Deux- Fall Out Boy

“I don’t just want to be a footnote in someone else’s happiness”

This album is on the list specifically because of how good it is as a cohesive album. It’s spectacular and has been one of my favorites for almost 10 years

I don’t have a specific favorite. every song on this album fucks pretty much equally

Be the Cowboy- Mitski

“It’s just that I fell in love with a war, and nobody told me it ended”

you all already know what’s up.

Favorite song: A Pearl

Current obsession: also A Pearl

Honorable Mention: Hozier by Hozier, Electra Heart by MARINA, SAWAYAMA by Rina Sawayama, Boygenius by Boygenius, Valentine by Snail Mail

Tagging: @justconstantly @myladyvesta @soupyzoupy @cyber-feline @classicsnerd @amusedmuralist @theurbanspaceboi @a-dux and anyone else!!

[mightystumpmachine]

Hey there

Favourite fall out boy songs?

Hey! What's up? I know you asked this a long time ago, but I've been off Tumblr for a while.

Anyway, my favorite FOB songs vary depending on my mood, tbh. But among them and forever present are:

• A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More "Touch Me"

• INFINITY ON HIGH FULL ALBUM (sorry but every song seems like a work of art that deserves to be heard)

• GOLDEN!!! (Yes, it's from IOH too, but please it's a great song!!!)

• I Miss Missing You

• Young volcanoes

• Jet Pack Blues

• Fake out

• Hold me like a grudge

There are surely more that I love with all my heart and I'm probably forgetting them now. But the truth is that there isn't a Fall Out Boy song I don't love :') (let's just say that "Make America Psycho Again" is the only album where I skip most of the songs).

And I also want to give an honorable mention to Patrick's cover of "So Sick" bc I literally listen to it EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE.

Thanks for asking me this, I would like to know your favorite songs too!! :D

[basedhighsenberg]

Alright my jeweler friend, which do you prefer the most: Age of Winters, Gods of the Earth, or Warp Riders?

Age of Winters feels the most like an indie heavy retro metal release, rough around the edges, less singing and more of a shouty thing. Lots of longer extended jam sessions. Freya, Winters Wolves, Iron Swan really nail that low fantasy barbarian in the snow vibe. Gods of the Earth is a bit more polished but feels less consistent. But the highs of that one are really hard to beat. The B-side to Fire Lances, Codex Corvidae, has one of the chuggiest distilled perfect grooves I've ever heard right after the first chorus. Fire Lances itself might be Kyle's best guitar tones. But other parts are as memorable to me as Apocryphon where they just blend together. But what about Warp Riders? My only complaint is they didnt go far enough or make a follow up to it. But it is the strongest singular vision they've ever put out and the conceptual homage to 70s and 80s fantasy/sci fi a la Heavy Metal, and especially the relentless drumming and grooves taking more of a focus, alongside the actual lyrics, could be something you prefer more or less to the earlier stuff. Almost no standout song/high points like Freya or How Heavy this Axe, but it still has a special place to me.

I'm not joking about Codex Corvidae, they hate that song because the click track during recording went 1.5x as fast or something and they wanted it to be slower. There's a single youtube video of them doing it live and if you set it at 1.25x speed, its closer to what the original is. Its on the 3-disc Chronology release they did around COVID, but not on Spotify or anywhere else. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2YaKMQM6RU) As a final note, should you collect any of their merch, the art for the single version for Fire Lances on vinyl is one of the coolest fucking things out there.

It's a difficult choice but I'd have to say Gods of The Earth. Reasons: The Black River, Lords, and Maiden Mother & Crone. How Heavy This Axe is also great but not my favorite from the album. The drums and riff in Black River and Lords make me want to beat my chest and lift vehicles in the parking lot like a gorilla. To Take The Black is also pretty good.

Age of Winters is a close second. Lament for the Aurochs is my favorite but Freya & Winters Wolves are also fantastic. Iron Swan grew on me after I heard them perform it live recently. I also am required to listen to Celestial Crown and Barael's Blade in conjunction- BB isn't as good without CC setting it up, and CC's long pause at the end needs the drop at the start of BB to hit home.

Third is Warp Riders- although I would disagree that it doesn't have any standout/high points. Chronomancer II: Nemesis, Arrows in the Dark, Lawless Lands... Lawless Lands has a fucking electric organ in it. Thats fucking sick. Doom metal electric organ? Yes please. Tres Brujas also gets a special mention because at the "inhaling deeply of the sacred smoke" part in the song the venue I was at turned into an outdoor hotbox lmao.

I like Apocryphon next- Dying Earth and Eyes of the Stormwitch are both great. Their Cheap Sunglasses cover is also pretty fun. The rest fo the album though is... pretty good-ish. Also, shout out to Hammer of Heaven which they released as a single the same year as Apocryphon- it's not on the album but I lie it better than most songs that are and I consider it spiritually linked.

Also I have almost all of their albums on vinyl and I've also been collecting the 10 year special editions they've been releasing. The only ones I don't have are High/Low Country and Used Future, for obvious reasons.

[smileymoth]

@pikslasrce tagged me to post my top albums from this year :))

senses fail - still searching // armor for sleep - what to do when you are dead // senses fail -let it enfold you hollywood undead - hotel kalifornia // boysnightout - make yourself sick // wilbur soot - your city gave me asthma alesana - the emptiness // bedwetters - meet the f@cking bedwetters // bring me the horizon - sempiternal

do not ask me how many times i've listened to these 9 albums idon't even know myself. it's way too much though. i couldn't put all 4 boysnightout albums here so i just stayed at 1 and put it in the very middle because they altered my brain chemistry <33

senses fail gets 2 albums because i didnt spend weeks only listening to those 2 albums for no reason... their lyrics mean sm to me i want to illustrate the albums or songs one day. this goes for both senses fail and boysnightout btw. AND armor for sleep. there's something about that specific album. i realised i really enjoy albums that tell a story. and the fact that i like themes of angst love blood betrayal etc etc is no surprise either. car underwater got played way too many times

i discovered bedwetters thanks to eurovision, they were one of the options for estonia and i ofc found their old and only album (they released a new one a few weeks ago tho) (i dont know why they have 2 spotify accounts. im not asking). i even got to see them live bc they gave a free concert during summer <33333333 i got a picture with the band too !!!!! so cool

the new hollywood undead album got me back into them so im back to being obsessed. i love my silly california guys :3 i've been keeping up with them since and i desperately need to draw them again, this time without their masks!!!! im very glad that i found alesana to be sooo palatable this year because ive tried to listen to them before when i was a teenager and it just... didn't click, even if i tired. so yeah i get to fix that mistake now.

in spring i had a moment where i listened to sempiternal on repeat on the cd player for multiple days straight and in the past month i've, again, been listening to bmth and specifically sempiternal again so it gets a special place, too.

wilbur is just there because i had jubilee line stuck in my head so so so so much and also it's the best study music ever. also wilbur why is i'm sorry boris so silent. i can barely hear it it makes me angry so i always skip it. and then bc its the end of the album it gives me some lmanburg flag cover-art song that i don't like

anyway here's a special mention to these 3 albums because 1) greeley estates - caveat emptor, i just discovered it this week and i am in love. also greeley estates has been in my radar for quite some time now and i find the singers voice to be very pleasant and interesting? the tone does sth for me 2) brand new - deja entendu, for being stuck in my head for a good week because the tommy gun song wouldn't leave my head since it came on shuffle from my saved mp3 list when net was down 3) just surrender - if these streets could talk, because again i was obsessing over this for like a good week before i forgot about it. good album. not available in serbia tho for some reason

can you tell i love talking about music that i like. i know nothing about music it just makes me happy. :)

anyway i am tagging uhhhh @varteeny1234 and @complicatedsurgery and uhhh @cactusringed and uhhhh anyone else who wants + i'm not gona tag you, sly, because you only listen to alex g anyway <3

[queenlua]

tagged by @vintar for “ten songs you’re vibing to right now”!

ok, i gotta tell you just how EXCITED i was when i got tagged in this, because

i saw it earlier this week, just as me and a friend were talking about our misspent youths, which for both of us involved an awful lot of “stockpiling dope midi file versions of various anime theme songs,” right

and i was like “bro i still have my WHOLE COLLECTION,” and we spent a VERY pleasant evening nostalgia’ing over the tracks i found, and now here i am, days later, sharing ten of my dopest midi files with you as well (& all my fine fine followers ofc)

here’s the dropbox link!  a guide:

abyss.mid: god wasn’t this song so sick when it was in dance dance revolution

galaxia.mid: i have NO IDEA what song is from.  hmu if you recognize it?  lil’ kid me was impressed with its majestic scope, its sick reverb, its really fun ancient-temple-y orchestration, and, ok yeah adult me agrees this one rules

giveareason.mid: i have never watched slayers in my life but i have listened to the midi of its theme song approximately one billion times

lastempl.mid: i think this is the last temple theme of one of the earlier zelda games?  i like how AGGRESSIVE it is, just, RIGHT out of the gate it’s loud and in your face

nightwait.mid: *old man voice* back in my day we didn’t have enough space to download em pee threes.  we had to collect midi files of cool pop songs.  such as jennifer lopez’s classic “waiting for tonight”

SD3_-_Innocent_Sea.mid: it’s a tune from Seiken Densetsu 3, a game soundtrack i find overall tragically underrated.  (the whole series, really; Secret of Mana has some absolute bangers too!)  anyway “Innocent Sea” and its companion “Innocent Water” have fucked me up for years; ask me to play the latter on the piano at a nerd convention sometime

sealcrazy.mid: there was this one wildlife artist who sold his art on his lovingly handcrafted website and he had a different midi file for each page.  like each piece of art for sale had its own page.  anyway this was my introduction to Seal, though i didn't realize it until i heard it on the radio when i was 25 and was like HOLY SHIT IT'S THE LIVE VERSION OF THAT MIDI FILE

song1.mid: i think this one might be from Ultima?  like the original Ultima online?  but i’m really not sure; i found it on a Geocities website for this horse roleplaying game called Black & Blue where this song played in the background during its cool Javascript intro page, where they told the story of The Falling-Out Between The Two Brothers That Has Now Cleaved Our Realm Into Two, and like, text would fade in & out in sync with the music?  such a sick effect.  loved it

song2.mid: this played once you entered the main part of the site.  might be another Ultima song.  who fuckin knows

SongoftheWolf.mid: some of you didn’t listen to an absolutely disgusting number of world music albums + Enya during your formative years and it shows

anyway, i will spin the wheel since i’m honestly looking for some new music (i have to drive a bunch during the next month, UGH): @radicarian @ourlightsinvain @jaggedwolf @soanvalcke @departo @nightpool @cyansighs @tototavros  @cyanoscarlet & anyone else who wants to join!  (did i mention. i have to drive a lot. please share some music with me. save me from listening to Bad Religion’s The Gray Grace so many times it causes an integer overflow in the fabric of the universe and sends us all straight to hell)

[eatpeesweetpea]

REVIEW: My 2nd case of COVID-19

TW: mild self destructive behavior, mentions of ED, the state of California

---

"[COVID-19] is the Vipassana retreat of viruses..."

---

Following north of two years after its debut, my immune system has encountered its sophomore case of COVID-19. Because I am up to date on my vaccines and boosters as of the time of writing, this is an impressive context for COVID-19's return.

It began as a slight and deceptive, "something's stuck in my throat" sort of feeling at the end of a five day road trip through the California. (Let this serve as foreshadowing to how I will review the state of California.) I had choked on a ramen noodle earlier in the day, so I thought nothing of it. The accompanying "off" body feeling that gradually intensified into the evening made the final leg of the drive somewhat uncomfortable. But overall, an underwhelming opener.

COVID-19 really picked up the following morning. Since my girlfriend is a furnace, she can attest that I sleep slight: one blanket, one pillow, soldier, grumpy. No cuddles. I woke up roughly two hours earlier than usual attempting to sell my music in order to exit the freeway on a motorcycle. In my delirium, I whined and snuggled up. I was shivering under two blankets in a sweater, and clammy. My yucky throat feeling had evolved into an icky dry cough that sometimes produced a satisfying wad of phlegm. I was too lazy to get up and get socks to thaw my icy toes.

Post 600 mg ibuprofen, I had reclaimed some vitality and managed to drag my sorry ass home. I dilly dallied unproductively around my room for most of the day, feeling somewhat paranoid about brain fog, long COVID, some weird swelling above my hips, etc. Come nighttime and my fever had crept back up to a surprising 102.9° F. I slumped at the dining room table and spooned hot chicken soup into my hanging mouth. There is something very fascinating and rewarding about these sorry, altered states of consciousness, and I pondered that for a few minutes before redosing. I went to bed shortly after and passed out.

I mostly slept through the night, only beginning to stir prematurely towards morning. I half-awoke very unpleasantly drenched in sweat and flipped the blankets around a couple times to evenly distribute the spoilage. Once I fully woke up, I recorded my temp at a cool 97.2° F. In fact, the rest of the day went swimmingly. I completed some chores, did some painting, and cooked for myself with minimal medication and nursing only a somewhat irritating cough. My throat was more itchy than sore. As for the body feel, I think I could have successfully ran a quarter-marathon given a sufficiently motivated bear or pack of wolves.

Overall, I have mixed feelings on COVID-19. Within the context of its contemporaries, COVID-19 did no more harm than a moderate flu, and I much prefer its dry, manageable cough to the agony of strep throat. The body load and fatigue of COVID-19 was notably brutal on its first day, but backed off much more quickly than any other condition of its caliber. The true scale-tippers here are the social effects of COVID-19; this is the only sickness where you are expected to inform all of your previous company of the potential that you got them sick. Not fun. This is also the only common illness where you can't get away with re-entering society right about when you feel better. The strict code of courtesy around COVID-19 is good and ethical, but knocks it down a couple points by the standards of my review.

That's not to say there are only negatives. On the other side of the coin, I have appreciated the impetus to refocus on art and personal reflection. I've made my maiden voyage through more albums in the last two days than the last two months. I made my first Tumblr post. As someone who is typically noncommittal about disordered eating, I considered the mild reduction in appetite a plus. And further on the topic of self-destructive glee, anybody who claims they don't want to see just how high they can get their temperature before they get scared is full of shit. Number go up funny dopamine -- so I appreciated the astounding effort on fever here.

If you are looking for a new sickness to contract and have a light ten days ahead, keep COVID-19 on your radar. It is the Vipassana retreat of viruses: painful, isolating, meditative, and occasionally gross. Tolerable. Just don't feel tempted to share the love.

6/10