#so if you've ever wanted to recommend music to someone who will actually listen

[c-130jsuperhercules]

okay so i made a google forms for you guys to give me album recommendations. this is going to be for me next year bc I want to try to listen and process and artistically appreciate music on purpose next year. so i'm going to sort albums by year, listen to them repeatedly over the course of a week, and then write down my thoughts on them at the end of the week. There will be multiple albums listened to per week. I'm sorting by year so that I don't get too much of a tonal dissonance between albums lol.

tl:dr recommend me some albums!

[chrrychills]

i know it's just a phase, you're not in love with me .

main six « alternative s/o!

ashlyn banner:

•she'll probably borrow a lot of your clothes, especially if they're baggy and loose. she doesn't consider herself alternative, but she likes baggy, thrifted clothes and affliction.

•doesn't like loud music, so she probably won't listen to any loud rock/alternative music with you. she does like shoegaze, though.

•probably listens to nirvana, but she listens to the quieter songs like polly and man who sold the world.

•if you're someone who dyes your hair frequently, she'll sit in the bathroom with you to keep you company while you do it.

•she's against giving yourself piercings (which i may or may not be guilty of) because it's unsanitary and they're more likely to get infected. she'd rather you go to an actual piercer.

•she'll ask you for music recommendations sometimes. she's liked most of the artists you put her on.

•secretly thinks you're really cool, but she'll never tell you because she doesn't want to inflate your ego.

•she starts to get more into the alternative scene the longer you two have been dating.

aiden clark:

•he's into so many alternative subcultures, it's crazy. he was lowkey really into the punk scene for a while, but he branched off into the grunge subculture after moving to georgia.

•you two can (and will) spend hours at various thrift stores, and he pays every time. you have so much vintage clothes/ crazy thrift finds because of him.

•he'll help you dye your hair, give yourself piercings, whatever. as long as you're not frying your hair off or letting the piercing get infected, he doesn't care.

•probably listens to radiohead.

• like ashlyn, he thinks you're really cool but he's super vocal about it.

•you two share jewelry. rings, necklaces, bracelets. he owns a lot of those chunky, silver rings and has a good amount of necklaces and chains, too.

•he likes to call you a poser to piss you off. it's his favorite bit and he thinks it's the funniest thing ever.

ben clark:

•it's literally impossible to put him onto any type of music, because he listens to everything. from pixies to rob zombie to cash flagg, his playlist is absolutely stacked. if anything, he's put you onto more music than you have him.

•his jeans are baggy on you, so you've stolen a couple pairs. he noticed but didn't say anything because the outfit looked good.

•he's not a huge fan of needles so he thinks piercings are kinda gross. he'll help you take care of any new ones you get, though.

•he's honestly more alternative than you are, he just doesn't show it because he doesn't care enough to put in the effort.

•he has an entire section of his closet for baggy tees and band shirts for you to borrow (steal) and ends up just buying you a bunch for your birthday.

•while he does listen to a lot of music, he refuses to listen to radiohead and he won't tell you why.

•he thought you were kind of intimidating a first, especially if you have a resting bitch face.

•he thinks you're cool and has debated on stealing your clothes/jewelry before but decided against it.

tyler hernandez:

•his teammates 100% rip on him for dating you. he snaps at them every single time they make a comment without fail.

•again, you steal his jeans because they're big on you and they look good. he will say something, though. he doesn't care but he thinks it's funny to call you out on it.

•tyler doesn't really like the music you listen to, but he doesn't mind it. he definitely wouldn't listen to it on his own, but if it's playing when he's with you he doesn't mind.

•if you're listening to a popular band (nirvana, deftones, etc.) he's so quick to go "name 5 songs." because it pisses you off and he thinks it's funny.

•he likes to mess with your (healed) piercings when he's bored, or when you two are cuddling. he'll lightly tug on them or try to take them out. you'll have to smack his hand away to get him to stop.

•he loves sitting and watching you do your makeup. he could watch you for hours and not get bored, especially because you usually ask him to do your hair after and he loves doing your hair.

•you and taylor are the only reasons he doesn't dress like a highlighter...

taylor hernandez:

•she steals a lot of your oversized shirts and sleeps in them.

•she makes jewelry, so she's constantly making you necklaces and bracelets. your accessory game is top tier because of her.

•actually really likes the music you recommend her! taylor probably listens to pop. chappell roan, gracie abrams, taylor swift, and other similar artists so you're surprised when you find her playlist of all the rock/grunge music you've sent her.

•loves thrifting. like aiden, you two can spend hours in different stores and leave with trash bags of clothing. she's an absolute machine at the goodwill bins.

•when (if) she returns the shirts she stole from you, there's a good chance she cut the neckline off of them. they always look really good, so you don't complain.

•100% will do your makeup if you ask her to. she's amazing at it and it usually looks better than when you do it yourself.

•taylor's a great artist, so she likes to doodle on your jeans with sharpie and it makes them look really cool so you let her do it.

logan fields:

•yall are the definition of opposites attract. your aesthetics clash like crazy, but you two make it work.

•like ashlyn, he's not a huge fan of loud rock/grunge/metal music because it gives him headaches. he likes calmer songs and instrumentals.

•honestly, he steals a lot of your jewelry. his hands are filled with your rings and he has a couple of your bracelets on each of his wrists.

•he helps you decide what color to dye your hair, and goes on a mission to help you find the color. he'll sit in the bathroom with you while you dye it, but he won't help because he doesn't wanna mess it up.

•lowkey a weezer fan.

•he wears the comfiest clothes ever, so you steal his shirts/sweaters and wear them to bed a lot. he goes red every time he sees you in his clothes, no matter how many times it's happened.

•another one who thinks you're super cool. he'll tell you this, but he's gonna get embarrassed because he doesn't wanna sound corny.

lacey's notes:

hi can u guys tell i didn't edit this😁

also i'm gonna start putting the songs i use for my titles in my posts so ppl can listen to them if they want

if you've requested i promise i got it i just have no motivation to write requests

title inspired by:

[uhgood-girl]

why jikook?

i've been asking myself this a lot recently bc well, why them? why not tkook? or ynmin? hell, jihope even, they're underrated as hell honestly, have you seen that hot tub video? hobi was ready to unhinge his jaw to swallow jimin whole (and who (jk) could blame him.)

but jikook, in a not joking way, hits different. they always have. it's been years at this point that i've been deep in this rabbit hole (within the larger bts rabbit hole, my god, how deep does it go) but i don't recall making the conscious decision to fall in.

maybe a little background?

i'm a fake love army. actually, if we're getting technical, i'm an outro tear army bc it was in the comments of the freshly released fake love music video that i saw someone recommend outro tear if i enjoyed fake love and then it was over for me. extremely not fake love at first listen, who's voice is second on this track? i NEED to know. i'm a yoongi/rapline bias to this day. fake love still fucks though, don't get me wrong, it's a never skip for me.

for that first year and then some, i consumed backlogged content like it was my day job. i am a prone to hyper-fixations hermit, basically, who was going to stop me? my therapist? nah, she picks her battles.

i watched everything i could get my grubby little hands on like someone would be testing me on it later. (shoutout qdeoks, you were so real) i didn't open stan twitter for the first time till probably the end of 2018, really just in time to be slapped in the face full force with the shitshow that was a hate campaign against these boys i was deeply invested in by then, the likes of which i had never experienced in an online space up to that point. it was a truly, truly wild era, don't ever let anyone tell you differently.

all that to say, i've been here for a hot minute and i developed my own first impressions on bts and the members as individuals in a vacuum. no one had to point jikook out to me, they stuck out on their own.

potentially relevant disclaimer before we continue: i am really really queer. i grew up in the united states conservative deep south and had to change high schools my sophomore year bc i was outed and then violently ostracized for being in a relationship with my same sex best friend at the time. it is safe to say i have a lot of feelings about and experience even when it comes to having to be low key (understatement lol) about who you love. i am not here just to make my barbies kiss.

actually, on that note, jikook wouldnt even be my chosen barbies out of bts. if we're in true fantasy delulu hours here, i would want yoonjin to be real. god, that would be the stuff, they're so old married as it is. peak romance.

i think the first place jikook ever truly caught my attention were the memories dvds. jimin has always been a sweet, bby angel taking care of all his members but i remember thinking that he seemed to pay a little extra, special attention to jungkook. and of course, why not, jk's the maknae after all. all of them have always been doting on him and deservedly so. but in those briefly shown really serious, quiet moments, jimin was often first in line. a spot very easy for him to obtain tbh as jk never seemed to be very far from him anyway. maybe if you've never in real time lived the satellite jeon accusations (hi pandemic army, bless you, i hope you make it to 2025 when we have them all back without restrictions) you might find them easier to dismiss but it was so consistent back then in all of the content being released. and once noticed, i don't know how anyone ever un-notices it. but i was in deep before i even realized the water was boiling.

should i talk about why not tkook? or ynmin, for me? i'm just pulling those as examples bc i know they're the popular contenders here but all joking in the beginning of this post aside, none of the other members interpersonal relationships, in any configuration (sadly, RIP yoonjin romance), have ever struck me as anything other than puppy crush/deep friendship/family. and that's not bc i don't think over half of those men aren't queer in some form or fashion because WHEW, that is an entirely different post and we simply do not have the time to unpack rn but it's not for lack of looking.

i started in a vacuum, but i have by no means stayed there, i walked in all of those front doors and sat down and said "convince me." i've got the time and lack of life, i am ready to be won over. what have i missed?

to this day i still regularly try and check my own confirmation bias, i'm obviously looking for jikook at this stage but i'm still ready on my toes if any of the others want to get crazy. (yoonjin i am rooting for you, we're all rooting for you)

and i'm not here to really persuade or sway anyone one way or another either. there are a 1000 other blogs on this site that can probably offer you better explanations, specific clips, and detailed break downs of moments throughout the years and even then people are going to see what they want to see. i just wanted to write some of my own thoughts down finally.

though...i guess if i had to point to any one single piece of "evidence" it would definitely be tried and true gcf tokyo? but if watching that the first time didn't ring through you like a gunshot, i def don't think there's anything i could say beyond that.

honestly, i think so much of "why jikook" for me boils down to the pit in the bottom of my stomach that i used to get when i first began to notice them. when i got past the initial warm fuzzies inspired by the sincerity of their interactions, my immediate second emotion was concern.

i remember the first time i heard some of the other boys make an offhand joke about them being a couple and i got anxious, fast. i thought hide, hide better, please be safe. i began to pay extra attention to the other members in general too when jikook would do things and felt like i could sometimes see a similar anxiety to my own in their expressions. for a long time, i just worried about them and where i saw other people rejoice in their more obvious moments, i was slow to celebrate.

despite my initial hesitation, it's now been about 5 years since the first time they ever made me double take. they're a few years younger than me but i feel like we've been growing up together. (parasocial? idk her.) they're less conspicuous these days, and for lots of obvious reasons, but i feel like overall, their confidence in themselves and each other is quite high. i know that's probably a funny thing to say in light of this last week especially, but i stand by it. i've seen this song and dance before. i have managed my own expectations in the past, taken full steps back only to be beaten anew over the head so many times with enough "coincidences" i felt borderline foolish to try and deny anything. jikook are truly some sort of neuro-spicy pattern recognition drug, i swear.

and i've never really gotten to talk about any of this with anyone before! i'm shy irl, and shy online apparently bc i have just been lurking around the outer lines of this circle this whole time like some creepy creep but i've decided i'm over it. fuck it. growth.gif. idk that i have anything important or new to contribute to the conversation but my god, no one else seems to let that stop them so i might as well take my turn on the soapbox, no?

so 📢 JIKOOK REAL (?) jikook sus. jikook make bandaged queer little heart go boom boom.

[aayakashii]

Wrote this after getting inspired by Bluecid, by Sevdaliza, which I 100% recommend listening to because it's a beautiful song!

If you've seen this earlier today no you didn't

bluecid

Warning: angst, sh implied, hurt/no comfort, reader is not PC

The white doors stood tall and open on that rainy night – an invitation to the ballroom where the Frostheim crest hung from every pillar, in dark blue velvet embroidered with white gold thread.

You stepped into the wide hall; the sound of chatter and glasses clinking filled the ambient as a timid orchestra played classical music, tucked away to the side of the long stairway at the other side of the room.

It all looked like it had come out of a fairytale. Unimaginable riches were displayed onto wrists and ears and necks and clothes weaved with the finest cloths and threads.

You exhaled slowly, trying to calm yourself down. Walking to the sides of the ballroom, away from any prying eyes, you tried to be as invisible as possible – you knew how much the average Frostheim student absolutely loved their petty gossip.

As a second year, you had already been the target of some talk, due to your sticking out like a sore thumb among the rich students – you were just a commoner after all. Someone who had wasted all their luck with a scholarship to Darkwick. 

After a while, however, they silenced – apparently it’s not fun to pick on someone that doesn't react at all.

You grabbed a small glass of champagne and leaned against one of the huge pillars that stood tall and proud all around the ballroom. On the other side of the room were the second year ghouls, and you felt your heart squeeze tightly.

Last year wasn't a good year. 

The Clash ruined the lives of countless students and you realized that being alone during a time of crisis simply cannot do. You needed support, you needed someone to lean onto. So, once you moved into the second year, you had convinced yourself to talk to the other outcast of your dorm – Fuji Kaito. 

It was, maybe, an underhanded method of making an actual friend. But you promised yourself that, if he ever gave you the opening, despite your less than stellar reason to befriend him, you'd do your best to be a great friend for him, no matter what.

However, the opening never came.

Your eyelids drooped as you saw the one person that rendered your plan a failure: the honor student.

You didn't hate them, no. In fact, you felt for them, deeply. Being thrusted into a world that was unknown to them and having to deal with the most difficult students of the Academy… It was something you'd never want to face and you wish they could be safe throughout this mess.

Yet, you couldn't help but feel a little bitter once they became Kaito's full center of attention. There was simply no opening for you to try and join in their conversations, ever. Too many secrets, too many shared dangers and too many inside jokes.

You would get some good mornings and good afternoons from them, from Kaito and from the transfer student, Lucas. And it was obvious they did appreciate you not treating them differently due to their condition as ghouls, but it wasn't enough.

You were never enough for anyone in that place. Not rich enough, not important enough, not right enough to have your existence acknowledged.

If there was one thing that made you truly bitter when it came to the honor student, however, was the one thing you've always dreamed of when you were lying on your bed, shivering when not even 3 blankets could shield you from the perennial cold of the dorm.

A loud bang echoed in the ballroom and the sound of chatter silenced. You turned your eyes to the stairway and watched as Ishibashi Tohma descended the steps gracefully, throwing out his arms with a flourish as his booming voice reached everyone to announce something unbelievable – something unthinkable after all these months.

Your heart drummed loudly against your ribcage and your mouth went dry as someone else descended the steps, right after Tohma's dramatic cue.

There he was, after so long. Frostheim's king.

Your king.

You felt dizzy, not quite sure whether it came from the third glass of champagne, or from the sight of the most ethereal man finally showing himself after months of enclosure, and how it still took your breath away after all that time.

“Kamurai Jin” you mouthed his name at the same time Tohma loudly announced the house’s Captain.

The beautiful icy-blue haired man kept walking down the stairs, a regal look upon his face as he downed the House's formal uniform and the students received him with hesitant applause.

His sword glinted dangerously on his hip, like a sharp jewelry he used to attest his superior ranking among everyone in that room.

You observed how he quickly patted his pocket, feeling how his loyal cigarette case was tucked safely. Your eyes twitched as you realized how you still managed to catch every single movement and habit he had always displayed in public, even after all those months you hadn't even caught a glimpse of him.

He was still as handsome as ever.

And you still hated him as much as ever.

Jin was the personification of everything you weren’t and could never be. He was gorgeous, filthy rich, admired, feared, extremely powerful and, oh the list could go on endlessly.

You hated him for everything he represented.

And you hated how you still couldn't shake off that sick one-sided love you had for him ever since you laid eyes upon his figure.

You chuckled darkly to yourself, your lips touching the champagne glass to hide the bitter smile.

Of course it wasn't enough for you to be excluded amongst your peers due to your social standing, of course the isolation wasn't enough. You just had to lock yourself into a cycle of pining for someone you could never ever have.

It was almost a habit of yours, honestly. Maybe you were slightly self-destructive, but every single romantic interest of yours has been doomed to nothing. 

During your teenage years, you fantasized about how it made you feel like a tragic heroine who was just waiting for the Right Person to sweep you off your feet.

As you got older, however, you realized that maybe you just needed therapy to get out of that cycle.

Falling for a king, however? That was on a whole new level of self-harm.

Gripping the glass tightly, you began to walk away after Jin and the honor student began waltzing on the ballroom floor, as the other students gasped and watched them, entranced by how charming (and unthinkable) it was to see their ghoulish king dance with that clumsy little lost human.

Just like in a fairytale.

While you seeked refuge in one of the isolated balconies that went by unnoticed by most students, the back of your eyes began to hurt and you felt tears well up.

What was wrong with you?

How could you possibly allow yourself to feel so deeply for someone so out of your reach?

How could you let yourself make such a mess of yourself, when the person you pined for didn't even know you existed?

You threw yourself against the railing of a small balcony, just a few feet over the snowy field that surrounded Frostheim's castle.

To your right, you could see the other balconies, higher above, and you scoffed – even the refuge you unconsciously chose seemed to be in lower places.

The rain was merely a drizzle, and for a second you wonder if that was an unnatural occurrence, since you only ever saw snowy weather in that cold place.

Maybe nature took a little pity on you and decided to be empathetic. Maybe it saw how your loneliness was maddening.

You reached out your hand, a few drops falling on your palm like little needles piercing your skin, and you breathed deeply, feeling the crisp scent of petrichor invade your lungs. It felt good to feel something that wasn't related to your godawful emotions, you thought.

Letting both of your palms welcome the piercing drizzle, you focused on the water freezing your skin painfully. Chasing a new pain to take the old pain away was a dangerous, dangerous move – you knew. But, for that moment, you just wanted to escape from that dull ache on your chest.

You let your head fall back, and your eyes snapped towards two figures above, on the balcony to your right.

Tohma motioned towards a cigarette stick and leaned forward, towards him, towards Jin, lighting its end with the end of Jin's own cigarette – a kiss shared between those awful cancer sticks.

You saw the smoke billow out of the mouths of both men, and you felt a sick rage bubble in your core.

How did he manage to always be around to threaten your sanity like that when he didn't even know of you?

How could your pitiful and stupid heart beat faster for someone that was oceans of distance away from you?

You would never be useful like the honor student, you would never be trustworthy like Tohma, you would never be a friend, nor a foe.

You would never exist in his eyes.

So why? Why did you still harbor that rotten love for him?

Why couldn't you just turn your obsession into actual hate for once?

Because you knew that, as long as you still thought of him when you laid down on your bed, you couldn't possibly hate him. At least not truly.

Trapped inside of the turmoil of your own heart, you leaned forward, onto the railing of the balcony and let the gentle rain hit the back of your head and slowly soak the back of your clothes.

A cruel thought lit up in your mind like a sad and old incandescent lamp that you refused to turn on too often, in fear it could explode and its shards could cut you deeply.

It seems you truly could only ever be loved in your dreams.

Full masterlist

[uhbasicallyjustmilex]

5 fics i've enjoyed this month

stealing this idea from @alexturne because i absolutely love the idea of promoting all the amazing talented authors in this fandom more! 💜

missed your bones on me by @glorious-blackout summary: In the aftermath of their blissful reunion at Emirates Stadium, Miles wakes alone in Alex's bed to the sound of a gentle piano melody. Set following Miles' reunion with Arctic Monkeys on 18th June 2023. notes: this fic is absolutely beautiful. full of sadness for the past and hope for the future and just suffused throughout with the kind of bone-deep love that feels so utterly in character for milex. it tugged on my heartstrings in all the best ways, and has my favourite ever portrayal of alex lost in his creative headspace.

some velvet morning by @musette22/@subtle-as-an-earthquake summary: It happens at the OIympia in Paris, just after the show. Their hundredth show. A memorable one for more than just that reason, as it turns out. (Or, the fic in which Alex's body starts talking before his mind does, forcing him to finally realise a thing or two about his relationship with his best friend Miles). notes: oh my lord, this fic 😍 it's like someone (and by someone i mean @subtle-as-an-earthquake) took all my favourite tropes and poured them into a gorgeously written, tension-laden 14k fic that is so stupidly good i've already read it at least three times already 😅 it captures the dynamic between alex and miles SO well - the sense of contrasting complete ease/simmering tension with each other is one of the best portrayals i've ever read of them, and alex's thought process throughout unfolds in a way that feels so utterly (and infuriatingly) in character. the slow build is absolutely delicious, and the culmination of it delivers above and beyond! ✨

sometime in the future by @blacktrickle summary: In a world quite similar to this one, Miles Kane is an international supermodel and Alex Turner is the rockstar who has broken his heart one too many times. Now, two years after their most vicious break up, Alex is asking for one more shot, but this time, Miles won’t make it easy. notes: oh my goddddd THIS FIC 😭😭 i put off reading it for ages because i had this sneaking little suspicion it was going to destroy me - and i was right. destroy me it has, in the BEST possible way. i literally cannot recommend it enough. the writing and depth of character portrayal is just stunning, and i am completely and utterly hooked. i'm actually only halfway through rn, but already i know that this fic is one that's going to stay with me in my heart for the longest time - and can't wait to see where it's heading.

you've got control of everyone's eyes (including mine) by @alexturne summary: It's 2005 and the Arctic Monkeys are about to set out on their first proper tour. Alex is quite happy with that, until a certain someone gets in the way and spoils it all. A story about facing hardships, insecurities and stage fright, about friendships, dreams, music and smoking too many fucking cigarettes in dark back alleys. About keeping your friends close, and perhaps your enemies even closer. notes: i'm only three chapters in, but already this fic has hooked me in completely. it's beautifully readable, and just feels like such a vivid slice of early era am life. alex and miles are absolutely INSUFFERABLE in the best possible way - clearly obsessed with each other, but hiding behind the idea that they hate each other. the constantly simmering ust is wonderfully written, and the way they relate with each other feels so authentic (even if it also makes me want to knock their heads together). i can't wait to see where this fic goes 😍

ain't got anything to lick without you baby by @elorianna summary: At some point during their usual stage antics, Alex and Miles start playing an innocent game of one-upmanship – but with neither one of them willing to back down, things eventually get a little bit out of hand… notes: listen, i've read this one before. and i'll read it a bunch of times again too because it's just a CLASSIC. one of the first ever milex fics i read and i find myself returning to it over and over because it's just such a fun little read, and of course so well written too because it's elorianna. it captures all the ridiculousness and ust of eycte era milex messing around with each other, and the smut is well - *fans self*

okay, that's all for this month, but i think i'm going to try and do this every month and make it a regular thing! if anyone has any fic recs for me then please feel free to drop them in the comments/my asks/dms - i'm always on the lookout for more milex fics 💗

[princejustwinced]

Taylor Swift is the fucking worst - my official essay

By the way if I ever say I fucking hate someone that makes music I'm saying I hate their music. Most of the time I don't know anything about them as a person, which is the case in Taylor Swift like I've heard something something carbon emissions or whatever I'm sure she's nice or whatever though that's not really the point of this. Every point in this essay where you see "Taylor Swift" imagine "(as a musical artist)" is put right after it.

Taylor Swift is the fucking worst. And the problem isn't that all of her songs are about love, I listen to plenty of people who's whole thing is that and it's perfectly enjoyable. No, the thing is literally like every single part of her songs as a whole and added up together. It's not really the topics that are the problem, that's actually probably what I least hate in her songs. Do whatever you want Taylor, I don't care how many boyfriends you've had that's really not the issue. The issue is the absolute SLOG it is to listen to the fucking song. It's like, I can literally come up with a lyric that could fool most people into thinking it's by Taylor Swift within about 10 seconds. I know for sure because I just did that with my sister for fun. I came up with:

I walk through autumn skies, I see your faces in their lies

I see your red sweater on the countertop, it doesn't make me stop anymore

Literally it's so fucking easy. The formula for a Taylor Swift lyric is literally just something slightly sad about love/an ex boyfriend + optional add-in: a slightly more advanced adjective that most people don't know + optional add-in (highly recommended): something about a color because istg this bitch takes ALL the colors for some reason + optional add-in (highly recommended): something about autumn because WHAT IS IT WITH HER AND AUTUMN? WHY DOES SHE LOVE IT SO MUCH? WHY IS IT NEVER ANOTHER SEASON IT'S ALWAYS FUCKING AUTUMN?

Another problem I have with her lyrics is that she always has like an inside joke in them?? As seen in my red sweater on the countertop line. There's always a reference to some random story she shares with her ex boyfriend in the song that's like okay cool yeah but you didn't make the song for you and your ex boyfriend. You made it for all the millions of swifties that are here to listen, and not a single one of them knows the story because they're not you or your ex boyfriend so why did you write that in. And then you (assuming you are not a swiftie) ask your friend about the lyric and they have to explain to you the whole ass random really boring story behind the lyric that they searched for on 4 chan for hours for an entire day so they could feel closer to Taylor. Like I even came up with a story behind the red sweater thing (Taylor and her ex boyfriend were hanging out at the park when a little girl accidentally vomited on his red sweater and they started laughing about it. Then the ex boyfriend realized he had nowhere to wash it because his laundromat was closed so he gave it to Taylor because she was like oh my washing machine works I'll wash it and give it back. But before she could give it back he broke up with her and forgot about the sweater so now she keeps it in her room and it reminds her of him every time she sees it. But now she's in her revenge era so that's why it doesn't make her stop anymore. This is straight off the dome by the way). DO YOU SEE HOW FUCKING EASY IT IS TO MAKE A CONVINCING TAYLOR SWIFT SONG?? LITERALLY ANYONE COULD DO THIS WHY DO WE CARE SO MUCH WHEN SHE DOES IT??

Another problem I have is the boring ass chords she uses. I don't know how to explain it. I don't know shit about music theory or notes or anything, I just know when I play a Taylor song that shit is NOT engaging. The speed isn't bad (that's my problem with Chappel Roan), most of the time at least, but it's just SO boring. It's like, I want to be invested in the story of how your ex boyfriend was an asshole but IT'S NOT INTERESTING. She thinks her life is so fucking interesting and so does all her fans but it's really not. If she was saying oh my god my boyfriend did this gut wrenching thing to me (ex: was left alone in my house and stole all my shit but left a note breaking up with me, his parents didn't approve of me but he still loved me but in the end he sided with his parents, etc) but I still love him because stockholm syndrome (insert a sequence of really sad sounding notes) I would be INTERESTED. BUT HE FUCKING DIDN'T IS THE THING. This is not to say I am not sorry for anything bad that happened to her (idk exactly what because I don't really know much about exactly what has happened to her) because yeah no that shit shouldnt happen whatever it is but it is NOT interesting to listen to her talk about in a song.

HER SONGS ARE NOT INTERESTING AND THEY ARE NOT SOOTHING, THEY ARE JUST BORING. WHAT IS THE ENTERTAINMENT VALUE

My last beef with her is why the fuck do swifties care so much??? Let's imagine she, for example, regularly wears a white bow. This is just part of Taylor Swift, this is just something regular about her everyone knows. (by the way why does she not have any sort of defining feature about her??? she is literally just a person. like she is genuinely one of the most boring un-eye catching people i've ever seen. and i'm not talking about attractiveness I'm just talking like...she's a musical artist. she's kind of supposed to have defining traits about her.) And then at a concert one day, she switches out the bow for a black one. ISTG INSANITY. THE CROWD GOES WILD. EVERYONE IN SIGHT IS SAYING "OH MY GOD TAYLOR GOT BETRAYED!!! THIS IS SEEN IN THAT THE BOW IS BLACK NOW BECAUSE BLACK IS HER HEART BECAUSE SHE'S SAD BECAUSE SHE GOT BETRAYED!!!". And then later everyone finds out no, she just wanted to wear a black bow today. Do you see what I mean?? She changes the smallest, most insignificant shit about herself, it could even be not on purpose, and swifties act like she just created an iconic moment in history and she's such a girlboss for that. SHE DIDN'T DO SHIT.

It's like, there are fanbases that think of the person they like as a badass girlboss or whatever, but that's because they have a reason to. THERE IS NO REASON TO THINK OF TAYLOR SWIFT AS SO. Like let's take Aliyah's Interlude for example? Aliyah's personality is marketed as she's just a girl, she doesn't care, she's super cool and fashionable and totally a girl's girl. So the fanbase treats her like so, and her songs communicate that message. WHAT THE FUCK IS TAYLOR SWIFT'S PERSONALITY MARKETED AS?? I DON'T UNDERSTAND. IS SHE SUPPOSED TO BE NICE? MISUNDERSTOOD? COOL AND UNFEELING? LITERALLY WHAT THE FUCK IS SHE?? THERE IS GENUINELY NOTHING YOU CAN SAY ABOUT HER. I think she's supposed to be a feminist girlboss now but like is she?? I'm sorry, maybe I just don't know enough about her, but I have no idea of any feminist action she has taken, ever. Or girlboss thing that was important enough to make it into pop culture news. Do you know why??? Because the "girlboss" things she does are fucking insignificant is why! Swifties act like it's a new fucking world and everything is flipped upside down when Taylor be doing the least. Taylor will have a dot of dirt on her face by accident and swifties will go INSANE preaching about "this is Taylor's rebellion!! she's showing the world that women don't have to be perfect, they don't have to be clean and thin and shit to be respected!!" LIKE WHAT?? do you know how fucking crazy you sound right now

i am genuinely convinced someone working for Taylor Swift injected heroin into each swiftie and the only way for them to get more is to pretend they're a Taylor Swift fan. these mfs HAVE to be getting paid to be doing this much

[ticklishraspberries]

hi razz! i'm sorry to hear that you're sick, feel better soon! any music you've been listening to lately that you'd recommend? :D

hii!! thank you so much!! ohhh i love to yap so here are some less-popular artists (at least i think these ppl are kinda niche to me but maybe i'm just out of touch)

ethel cain is officially one of my all time favorite artists of all time. i saw her live, front-row, and got to hold her hand and sing sun-bleached flies with her. ethel is a stage name and her real name is hayden, she is an absolutely beautiful trans female artist. her album, preacher's daughter, is a concept album that i think everyone should listen to, all the way through, in order. it is quite a disturbing story, so exercise caution. i like all her music, not just that album. she writes about the american south, cycles of abuse, having a strained relationship with god, and dating shitty men.

sorry mom is one of the greatest upcoming punk bands around. i am fully biased because i may or may not be friends with someone in the band...shh though because i don't want anyone to be like omg sorry mom is associated with this fucking tickle fic blog oh my god i'd be so embarrassed shut up. anyway, their debut album babyface is actually one of my favorite albums ever as well. their lyrics are fucking unmatched. the main theme of babyface is the pain and struggle of growing up, feeling younger than you are, feeling behind all of your peers...a feeling that i strongly relate to and i think a lot of people do. their first ep is also great but the girl who is no longer in the band cannot fucking sing so listen to those with caution lmfao. i rlly hope they re-record those songs bc i love them, it's just...her. specific songs you should check out are: molly sells molly by the seashore / getting sick / town clown / enema / teeth / stoop kid.

peach prc is a tiktoker turned popstar who is just so fucking talented and writes incredible lyrics. she's a lesbian and her newest song, secret, is about dating a closeted girl. she writes about being gay, her struggles with mental illness and addiction, as well as fun, upbeat, songs about sex and hating her exes. i think her genre is maybe considered hyper-pop?? idk i'm not good with subgenres lol but she is sooo talented and her tiktoks are fucking hilarious and she is so funny and cool and an amazing writer and singer. my favorite songs are heavy / forever drunk / josh / favorite person / like a girl does.

those are the ones i feel the need to scream about and indoctrinate people into liking. taylor swift, olivia rodrigo, chappell roan, sabrina carpenter, and megan thee stallion are all big favs lately. i'm also getting really into metal and subgenres of metal because of my partner. slipknot, ice nine kills, spiritbox, and dance gavin dance are the main ones i've latched onto.

[penroseparticle]

Penrose Song of the Day Day 41: Feel Good by Gibbz ft. Russ Liquid

I'm having trouble writing because I'm having trouble deciding what's worth saying. What is there to say that hasn't been said already. I'm but one monkey with a typewriter, cut me some slack.

I've been thinking about taste, and recommendations, and what the music we like says about us. I've been thinking about arrogance, and cruelty, and a little bit about No True Scotsman fallacies, too. I just. I don't know. What is "good" music and why are so many people fans of "bad" music.

I don't think bad music even exists, at least not really. I think music like any medium has so many competing and often contradictory delivery methods, goals, audiences, and interpretations that a categorical verdict like that is, frankly, Quixotic. I think about things like Throbbing Gristle and Clown Core, like Taylor Swift and Imagine Dragons, like Jungkook and 21 Savage and JVKE and Drake and AJR and all of the people who would say you're not listening to "real music" or "good music". There's a pity that's normalized with the superiority of your music tastes.

On the other hand, the more you learn and deeper you dive into anything, the more repetition you hear. The more you see things as hackneyed or trite. You've seen it before, heard it before, etc. You learn when someone was stolen from, when an artist is just rehashing something or taking from an entire genre/subculture that they weren't part of. Wider eyes see the ugly truths right?

I don't know. It's tough. I wonder if there's an answer that's satisfactory.

I saw Gibbz live, actually. Back in... 2017? I was seeing... I think A SIlent Film? With my good friend Katie. This was back when she would suggest we go see a band and I would just say yes. I think Gibbz opened. I don't remember. Shout Out Rock and Roll Hotel, I miss that venue.

Gibbz wasn't what I was expecting. A little smooth, a little mischievous. Like a wink between good friends. Electronic but soulful. A Silent Film was more classic, traditional rock. Gibbz was one guy at the front with a synth and a crooner's deathgrip on the microphone.

I went up and spoke to him after his set. It was a small venue, he was an opening artist, I just told him I loved his stuff and I really loved I Really Love You (which is still my favorite Gibbz song, for the record). He was kind. He said thanks, and how it was humbling to be playing live. It was a nice interaction.

I think, given the time and money to do so, I want to get back to doing this. Just going to shows blind, of artists I've never heard of, in genre's I've never imagined.

What does all this have to do with taste. I meander, I know. I'll bring it back.

I think I have pretty basic, milquetoast tastes. I like pretty average music. I have a passing interest in things with more obscurity- I like melodic forms of metal, I keep a finger on the pulse of industrial for Lauren. I'm finding myself drawn more to house, classical, and jazz. I like Math Rock.

But cards on the table, my favorite type of music with a bullet is Hot Pop Girlies Having Fun (tm). The Sabrina Carpenters. The Dua Lipas. My second favorite type of music is apparently Men Being Sad (the Hoziers of the world). I don't think that's ever going to change. And I'm trying to be more ok with that. I'm trying to stop letting audience or surveilance or observation change what I like and what I enjoy. I'm trying to unlearn shame.

I don't know. I just want to listen to something I love. You know?

I've stopped sharing music with a lot of people in my life (I'm aware of the irony of having that rumination on this kind of post, thanks). There's like 3 people I share music with IRL and I basically only listen to music with headphones these days. I want to make music one day but I'm struggling to see what the point is. I gotta remember the effusive joy that comes from creation, but I also need to remember, somehow, some way, that sharing music is good, actually.

Anyways, enjoy this song. I hope you feel how this song feels, at least to me. Chill, soulful, grateful to be alive, and above all, I hope that you feel good.

You could be dead right now. Go listen to something you love.

[kacievvbbbb]

Who are your top 5 favorite ships ever (can be canon or non canon) from any media? Why love them?

I found your blog because of your One Piece posts (love them). Can I ask, is OP in your top 7 favorite media ever (until now)? What made those 7 media (can be anime/manga, books, movies, tv series, etc) special to you? Thanks if you want to answer.....🌻

Hello!

My top five ships currently, in no particular order, are;

Mishanks

Eruri

Erasermic

Akiangel

kuroken

I don't really have canon ship cause I don't really like to see full on romance in the media I consume 🫣. I actually only actively engage with the romance genre in fanfics or fandom. I like to watch people I ship interact and for them to have deep ties to each other but I have no interest in actually seeing them become canon. I mainly like ships because I think they have a really fun or interesting dynamic.

as for my favorite media across board thats a little tricky caus eI have a hard time conflating things like that and so I'm just gonna give my top 2 in the categories you listed.

Books:

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - It's just a great look into what it means to be middle-class Nigerian in a time of great country-wide and personal upheaval and it's such an interesting look at christianity in Nigeria and out a lot of things I didn't even realize I was feeling into words. It also has one of my favorite mentor characters of all time so yeah. I seriously recommend to anybody. It deals with a lot of heavy stuff so keep that in mind tho.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - This was the book that got me into reading and so therefore will always hold a special place in my heart, because reading; books and fanfiction is such a huge part of my life it's hard to imagine who I'd be without it. I recommend to anyone whos interested in learning about one of the main cultures in Nigeria, Igbo its fascinating and tragic.

Anime/Manga:

Mob Psycho 100 - My feeling on Mob Psycho are best explained in this post. But long story short I love it so much.

Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood - God what's not to love? This has some of the best written female characters I have seen in any piece of media period not to talk of shonen anime. It's just so good and I'd seriously recommend.

TV Show:

Reservation dogs - I love this show so much and would stake my life on it. As someone aspiring to be a filmmaker this is the kind of stuff I pray to make. It's soooo good and it's technically a comedy but it's not held back by genre. The cast is great the show is great I recommend watching

Breaking bad - Every single good thing you've ever heard about breaking bad is true. I truly understand why this show is regarded as one of the best of all time.

Movie:

Into the Spiderverse - It makes me want to believe in something bigger than myself. You do truly leave feeling like you could be spiderman and no superhero movie has ever made me feel that way. Also, I love animation and this is about as animation as it gets.

Everything Everywhere All At Once - Hands down the best multiverse movie to ever exist and I don't care. Amazing

Bonus: Your Name - My favorite anime film. The twist literally blew my mind. Its so warm and cozy and fun, and then shit really goes down.

As for music I generally will listen to anything as long as I like it but I gravitate to Folk music and my favorite artist is Hozier.

As for One Piece it's actually not one of my favorite animes. It's definitely my favorite of the big three and classic shonen but yeah. It has and will always have a really special place in my heart cause it was my introduction to anything anime or manga. But yeah I don't keep up with it in what anyone could call a normal way. I just have a little to many problems with how the female characters are treated to really consistently keep up with it. It's kinda better now with Bonny but yeah. I appreciate the story and as anyone on my blog can tell I love the characters. but yeah, ironically, not one of my favorites. Will forever be in my heart though.

[adviceformefromme]

Hi hon, I've always loved your blog and advice—and I'd love to have your guidance and thoughts on my issue.

I carry a lot of guilt and shame over making a terrible mistake 5 years ago, which led to the fall of my longest childhood friendship (16yrs at that point). I thought I was able to accept it, but I still have dreams about my friend that reopens the grief I have for our friendship. Today's dream was probably the worst; it featured them being willing to mend our relationship, us interacting like normal, planning to get matching piercings together, and it felt so real, I was so happy.

I came across their social media acc while taking off followers from a personal art account I hope to invest in this year. I was rly tempted to check on their ig reels and YouTube, but knew I shouldn't and decided not to in the end. If me no longer being in their life makes them able to live their happiest and most fulfilling life, I want that for them, I want to be happy for them. Even if it does hurt/make me sad. It wasn't a perfect friendship, but they were my best friend. I want to heal from this as much as possible, since healing completely is prob unrealistic.

I have a group of close friends, ppl who are much more communicative w me, but we all live far from each other so we only interact digitally. I've moved so many times in my life, that digitally is also the best way for me to keep in touch w any irl old friends—it's hard to keep irl friendships strong when you don't see them in person as much as you could in the past.

Tbh I'm kind of a loser. I'm jobless w/ no degree & don't have a driver's license. I know my lack of motivation to get my life together contributes to the lack of opportunities in seeing my friends in person. I am so comfortable in my home environment, even if emotionally/mentally abusive and fear change even if I know it's good for me. I have dreams and yet I'm scared to make steps towards them. That's a whole other thing tho.

I don't know what I need to move past this mourning. I want to stop carrying this sadness with me. I feel it bear such a heavy weight in my chest. I'm at fault and to blame and i feel terrible for being a bad person/friend to that person, even if I know I'm a better/good friend to the ppl currently in my life. Please help me.

Hey sweetie, I sense so much sadness in your message from how you describe your life, to your loss with your friend. I would recommend journalling or releasing your emotions through some form of expression. It needs to be expressed. Write, cry, paint do what ever you need to do to release these emotions because it seems they are completely weighing you down and hacking away at your self esteem. Writing your friend a letter did come to mind if you really want to let them know how you feel and if it would shift some of the pain you've been feeling. I can't recommend forgiveness healing enough! I've wrote about the process here. The journey to loving yourself and being kind to yourself is a process, especially if you are going from a place of feeling low confidence and self belief. But please don't give up on your hopes and dreams. They are within you for a reason. You are not a bad person, you are human and we all do things we wish we didn't, all we can do is show up better. Do our best each day. Listen to those positive affirmations instead of the music that brings you down. Choose the foods that give you energy, instead of foods that give you the food comma so you actually feel motivated to do your best. Read a book that inspires you, watch a documentary about struggle to success. Go help someone. Do a random act of kindness. Plan your tomorrow. Choose to wear something that makes you feel special. Brush your teeth before bed. Light an incense stick. There are so many little things you can do each day to add some light and love into your existence. Lean into the goodness and I promise the heavy weights of the world will start to shift. You'll start to feel a little lighter day by day. But it will be worth it. The light is within you, keep tending to your fire.

xoxox

[texasdreamer01]

Getting to Know You Meme

Tagged by @spurious!

01) Are you currently in a serious relationship? Nah

02) What was your dream growing up? I liked a lot of things, but hadn't particularly settled on any idea

03) What talent do you wish you had? Baking

04) If someone bought you a drink what would it be? Hot chocolate with whipped cream

05) Favorite vegetable? ... Cabbage?

06) What was the last book you read? Oh, finished reading - that was a while ago, but currently I'm reading some diary from WWI off-and-on

07) What zodiac sign are you? Aquarius sun

08) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Just the ear piercings

09) Worst Habit? I don't even know what classifies as a bad habit uhhh I guess needing to write in the same ink colour for my notes?

10) What is your favorite sport? Archery

11) Do you have a Pessimistic or Optimistic attitude? I'm life will sort itself out, but it needs a few good kicks to start it - dunno if that's optimistic or pessimistic

12) Tell me one weird fact about you. ?? I'm on tumblr, what qualifies as weird, here?

13) Do you have any pets? Nope

14) Do you think clowns are cute or scary? I think it depends on the clown tbh

15) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be? Nicer nails, I guess?

16) What color eyes do you have? Brown

17) Ever been arrested? Nope

18) Bottle or can soda? Bottle

19) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it? How much is left after taxes?

20) What's your favorite place to hang out at? home tbh

21) Do you believe in ghosts? I've lived in a lot of haunted places, so, yes, definitely

22) Favorite thing to do in your spare time? Reading, writing, listening to music

23) Do you swear a lot? Nnnnoooo?

24) Biggest pet peeve? People attributing one thing for another thing because they think doing so makes them look good/smart/moral/whatever

25) In one word, how would you describe yourself? ummmmmmmm. odd

26) Do you believe/appreciate romance? yes! i'm weird at it but i like it.

27) Favourite and least favourite food? Fave: bread, least fave: cauliflower

28) Do you believe in God? If god is real, I'm owed rent money

29) What makes you happy: Not being stressed

30) Currently listening/the last thing you listened to: Moonlight Sonata

31) Favourite place to spend time: i like! to be! at home!

32) Favourite lyric:

Sometimes before it gets better, the darkness gets bigger/ The person that you'd take a bullet for is behind the trigger/ Oh, we're fading fast, I miss missing you now and then

33) Recommend a film: The Wandering Earth 2

34) Recommend a book: The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide by Thomas Easley & Steven Horne

35) Recommend a band, a song, or album: So Much (For) Stardust by Fall Out Boy

36) Recommend a TV show: Stargate SG-1

37) Where are you from, and do you still live there? Where have you lived? I've been all over the US, so no, don't live where I came from

38) Do you have any pets or animals in your life? How did you find/get them? Nope

39) What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? Whatever gets thrown into the pan right before I go grocery shopping.

40) How did you 'find' fandom? MySpace! I was actually recommended to check out FFN, and I poked around from there.

41) Make a list of 5 things that you see without getting up. Book, book, another book, hand sanitizer, lotion. Pens?

42) How do you style your hair? Pinned up.

No pressure tags: @pandora15, @ygodmyy20, @variablejabberwocky, @stinalotte, @strangelygleeful, @obscurefrost, @dedkake, and anyone else who wants to do this!

[lovemesomesurveys]

What's the most worthwhile thing you've done in the last year? Time spent with family, doing things I enjoy, and taking care of health related issues.

What foods make you want to gag? One is Canadian bacon. It's a texture thing.

Do you consider yourself to be organized? Not so much these days, but I used to be. I'd still like to be, but it's hard right now.

Have you ever made out with someone? Yeah.

What time do you get sleepy? I'm sleepy all day.

What music do you listen to? I like variety.

How old were you when you started to walk? I never got to that stage, I was a victim of a drive-by shooting at just 7 months old.

Which member of your family do you get along with the best? I get along with all my family, but I'm not close with all of them. I'm closest to my mom and younger brother.

What cheers you up when you're sad? I just kinda have to go through it. I'm kinda just a sad person.

What do you sleep in? An oversized tee.

Have you ever tanned topless? Nooo. I would absolutely not feel comfortable doing that. I don't even go tanning at all, really. I mean, if I'm at the beach I'll get some sun cause I spend several hours out there, but that's not what I'm there to do. I don't set out to tan, it's just a bonus. I just love the beach.

Wear jewelry? Yeah, but I had to take it off prior to surgery recently and I haven't put it back on, yet.

What's something you've been told you're good at? I've been told I'm a good writer.

How much can you eat? Not a lot, but it's enough for me. Like, I just had 4 rolled chicken tacos from Taco Bell and I'm full. I will say I've had more of an appetite lately and have been doing a lot more snacking.

What's the furthest away you've ever traveled? From California to Georgia.

Are you a cat or dog person? I'm a dog person.

Have you ever done drugs? Just weed.

What does your room look like? It's small and cluttered. I had to get a special hospital like bed that you can make sit up or lie down and it takes up more space than my old bed did. I also have a lot of medical supplies everywhere. Plus, there's an office chair we keep in here for my mom or whoever is chillin with me in my room. I also just have a lot of other stuff and my room is just too small.

Recommend a really amazing book. Depends what you like.

Recommend a really amazing song.

Recommend a really amazing movie. Not saying it's the most amazing movie ever, but I've been rewatching The Hunger Games movies before seeing the new one and I still think they're just as good as when I first saw them. I haven't rewatched them in a long time and I'm still a fan. It's not cringe at all like when I rewatched Twilight lmaoooo.

Who's your favorite actor/actress? Alexander Skarsgard.

Have you ever run away from home? No.

Do you exercise ever? I haven't done my arm exercises in awhile, I need to get back to that. I just recently spent 3 weeks in the hospital, so I lost some of my strength.

Do you like your hair, the way it is and the colour? No, I actually hate it. It's super short and choppy and has no style to it. It's all my natural color, too, which I'm not a fan of. I miss my long red hair D:

Do you have any friends named Baloo? Or is he just in the Junglebook? Uh, I've only ever heard that name in The Junglebook.

Are you a Disney movie fan? I love Disney.

Do you eat seafood? Noooo.

When was the last time you cried? Earlier today. I have those days/moments where I cry cause I mourn my old life and how some things used to be and I'm afraid because of my health it'll never be that way again.

Do you have good working habits? I don't work and I have no desire to work to be honest, but if I did I know I'd do my best and want to do well. I would definitely try.

So where the hell do you want to go in life? I don't know exactly, but I'm going the wrong direction right now that's for sure.

What are your boundaries? This is too deep right now.

What are some of the funniest things you can think of? >> predictably, I immediately forgot every funny thing I've ever encountered

What are two quirky little things about you? I don't know. I feel like that's something you'd have to ask someone who knows me well.

Are you claustrophobic? I can say with absolute certainty that I am. My MRI scans during my hospital stay recently confirmed yet again. It is HORRIBLE and I had to be sedated.

Do you like getting wasted? Blech, noooo. I stopped doing that 10 years ago and don't miss drinking at all. I don't even want to just have a drink or two, I want nothing to do with alcohol at all.

List three things that you look for in a friend. Someone I have stuff in common with, good sense of humor, and we just vibe, ya know?

Do you prefer Angels and Airwaves or Rhianna? .Rihanna.

What religion are you, if any? Christian.

If your house was on fire (and your family escaped), what would you save? .My family includes my doggo, so they're all safe and in that case I'd try to save whatever things of mine I could. I'd definitely have to get my meds, I'd want my phone, laptop, purse with my wallet, a hoodie... ugh it would be so hard cause obviously I'd want to save all my things but I just have too much.

Do you have any sash belts? No.

What do you have on right now? Include everything, nail polish, makeup, etc Undergarments, an oversized Barbie tee, a choker necklace.

Does caffeine make you hyper? Nope. It helps take some edge off, but otherwise it does nothing anymore. I just genuinely like coffee so I still drink it.

[kimchokejin]

tag game ✨️

i was tagged by the notorious natalia (@jiminsproof) to share 5 songs i *actually* listen to and tag 10 people! thank you for giving me a music tag game where i get to pick things because my on repeat/receiptify are dominated by a korean group called bangtan sonyeondan. not sure if you've heard of them, they're pretty underground, definitely recommend checking them out :)

i haven't been obsessing over very many songs this year but here are some i've been listening to over the past few months! sometimes i have formatting issues when i try to insert audio in my posts so let's see how this goes lol

i have cravings for this song, it's super catchy and i can really relate to kevin atwater 1.) desperately, hopelessly yearning to be someone's #1 and 2.) never getting over anything ever

it's cool, it's sexy, it's wet :)

big fan of steel drum melodies and anderson .paak

it's a bop. a voibe. an emotional catharsis (it's an 80s style synth pop song)

i think this is a cover but it's just so fun! highly recommend lip syncing to it with nods and finger wags

i'm not feeling brave today so i'm just gonna tag anyone who sees this and wants to share music!

[sigynpenniman]

My winning band recommendations from my 72 hour power metal fixation adventure

Plus other opinions I don’t have near the knowledge to have, various other thoughts and a link to Spicy Metal Takes: the google sheet; or, Girl who has only ever listened to Trans-Siberian Orchestra listens to other metal for the first time: Getting a lot of "Trans-Siberian Orchestra" vibes from this

I've never really listened to metal before. But Kenny got me listening to Versailles, and suddenly I'm considering for the first time in my life that I might like metal, or at least some metal. Then a couple days ago I got introduced to Gloryhammer (by a random suggested reddit post I think?), and then Alestorm. Very amused by the existence of incredibly seriously presented dwarf legend and pirate music, I combed threads of related bands, and someone recommended Rhapsody of Fire.

Here's the other thing you need to know about me: I love Trans-Siberian orchestra. Like, really love. I listen to TSO on repeat from September to January of every year. Few things on earth inspire the joy in me that Wizards in Winter does. So when I hit play on that first Rhapsody of Fire album and got hit with...well, Rhapsody of Fire, my whole world shifted on its axis. You're telling me this whole time there's been more Trans-Siberian Orchestra out there, without the Christmas, and I just didn't know about it because I don't listen to metal?

(this is why I am forever seeking out new music - statistically, the thing you are going to love most in the world is something you've never heard of yet)

Completionism, autism, and an academic fascination with music in general, and hungry for more of this magic, and the next thing I know I'm on Encyclopedia Metallum, Reddit, and Apple Music, scrolling related artist lists and suggestion threads collecting the very best of power metal. It ended up being so many bands I had to make a spreadsheet.

I've spent the last couple of days working my way through the spreadsheet and taste-testing all of the recommended bands. I figure out that the term for what I enjoy is Symphonic Power Metal, so that was my focus. My criteria was fairly simple: do I enjoy listening to this, would I listen to it on purpose, and does it make me start stimming happily the way TSO does.

So here's my fixation-fueled list of recommendations. I'll include a link to my actual google sheet at the bottom so you can all read my spicy metal takes and maybe laugh at me if you like metal and think my taste sucks (which it probably does, and I absolutely do not care if you think so).

RHAPSODY OF FIRE - If you like books with maps in them, can I interest you in a band who put maps in their CD BOOKLETS?

And their approximately 27 related, spinoff, and reboot bands. If you want to get into Rhapsody, check out this illustrated guide to the ROFECU (Rhapsody of Fire Extended Cinematic Universe) that a kind soul made on Reddit here. There is a huge controversy and drama among fans of the band about which is the "real" Rhapsody but I absolutely could not care less. They're all good, don't worry about it.

A film score orchestra handed several electric guitars. TSO on steroids. I don't even know how to do ROF justice in description alone.

Compositionally stunning, complex, gorgeous, orchestral and symphonic masterpieces overlaid with power metal, prog rock, and sometimes medieval music.

Here's the icing on the cake: ROF live for the concept album, and their dozen-plus album discography comprises at the moment 2 complete (and a 3rd still being actively recorded) Lord-Of-The-Rings level fantasy sagas told over 3-5 albums each, complete with MAPS IN THE CD CASES. These guys are NOT FUCKING AROUND. There are multiple long reddit threads and google docs detailing the plot outlines and timelines of each saga, including this 201 page behemoth. I've only scratched the surface here and I genuinely can't remember the last time I was so excited to have so much of something still ahead of me.

TWILIGHT FORCE - Can I copy your homework?

We're not Rhapsody of Fire, we promise! (and I mean this as a compliment.)

Twilight Force is a newer band, and therefore have a bit of a newer sound, but it's the closest thing to ROF out there - probably not by accident, since one of the band members was in one of the ROF spinoff bands. I haven't dug into their lore yet, but the music is spectacular, epic and sweeping and gorgeously composed.

VERSAILLES - Immortal vampire neoclassical VKei with a twist of Gender

If you haven’t ever heard of Versallies…now you have.

A really incredible, absolutely delightful visual kei band with a commitment to their very self-aware bit that takes them to the next level, Versallies make incredible, headbanging, neoclassical metal. Lead vocalist Kamijo has one of the most incredible voices you’ll ever hear, and the whole thing is enhanced greatly by their visuals - sumptuous costumes, full on anime hair, an a general Victorian-meets-rococo aesthetic that takes gender performance to a space of high art. There’s lore for the band too, but I don’t speak Japanese at all, so I haven’t gotten to all of it yet.

MALICE MIZER - high art VKei pioneers

90s Visual Kei band Malice Mizer are the foundational text of much which came after. You can really feel the effect of Dead or Alive’s Pete Burns here (who, legendarily, had an influence on the emergence of VKei due to his popularity in Japan) and everything happening is just beautiful. The least “metal” of everything on this list, Malice Mizer have more of a metal-flavored new wave sound. I highly recommend checking out these guys’ filmed concerts - the visual is half of the fun with VKei, and the number & broadness of the influences here is incredible - you can feel the push and pull of classical music, new wave, prog rock, metal, rococo aesthetics, goth, mime - it goes on and on. I haven’t gotten to spend as much time with this band as I want, and I feel like there’s more to understand, appreciate, and analyze than I’ll ever have enough hours for.

ALESTORM - Pirates. Yaar.

What do I even say about the kitsch pirate band other than that they’re a pirate band. And they’re…really, really good. Sea Shanties in metal form, metal music full of accordions, aggressively Scottish, and delightfully committed to theme. It's hard not to smile listening to this.

AVANTASIA - Opera Time

More rock operas than albums.

The other close-to-a-TSO clone on this list, Avantasia make symphonic rock operas. Another band I need more time with, there's some REALLY good stuff here if you like rock operas (which, clearly, I very much do).

KAMELOT - Pure Power Metal

Slightly less symphonic than the other choices (though there's still some violins in here), Kamelot is a more metallic and classic rock/epic rock sound with some killer vocals. There's something a little dated about their sound, but I mean that as a compliment.

POWERWOLF - Dad music

There's something delightfully 80s about this sound. Feels lifted directly from classic rock. This is your dad's music, and I mean that as a compliment.

STRATOVARIUS - Barely not Journey.

These guys go back and forth between being metal and sounding like Journey, but it's good. I approve.

AYREON - The English language is insufficient.

It feels like no matter which song I put here, it's going to be wrong - because no single song you listen to is going to give you a good picture of whatever the hell Ayreon is. The songs have a metal influence, but every song feels like a different genre - I would describe the overarching genre as closer to Prog Rock, but oh man, it is all over the place. The strangeness and all-over-the-place nature of it is fascinating. I was gratified to find that my inability to describe or even decide how I feel about this band is reflected in the band's actual Wikipedia article, which includes this incredible comment from a music reviewer:

"Idk man this shit defies description."

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Epica - Incredible operatic vocals combined with black metal growls over a heavily orchestral metal background.

Opera Magna - these guys really only have the one album but it's heavily classical and really good.

Fairyland, Deridian, Dragony, Dark Moor - All very similar sounding "symphonic power metal but not quite as good as ROF"

Sabaton - some really good power metal around historical war themes. Well made, but I am not super interested in the thematic content so it doesn't hit.

MY ACTUAL SPREADSHEET:

Tier: classic tier list tier - S, A, B, C, D, E, F

Library Tier - a simpler, more subjective system I added for myself - would I save this into my music library, would I only put it on a playlist for a specific mood, or do I just not plan to listen to it again?

A complete list of the bands I taste tested with my ratings and notes. I have literally no previous knowledge of this genre. My taste and opinions might be bad, they might be awful, I do not care. I hope you all enjoy them anyway.

[kenobster]

Tag 9 people you want to get to know better. I was tagged by @librarianladyx and @hellotemporaryuniverse like.... probably a month ago. Sorry for the delay XD Thank you for the tag!! ❤

Three ships: Ship is such a weird term to me because I don't use it the same way lots of ppl do haha. To me, shipping means me enjoying the dynamic between characters (which, depending on tolerance level, can allow romantic/sexual depiction, but usually stays completely platonic). So like my "ships" are Obi-Wan & Anakin, Obi-Wan & Cody, and lately, also because of @kcrabb88, Obi-Wan & Quinlan. But like, I also have to acknowledge that I'm not really smut-averse either.... But I don't really call the smutty things I like "ships" because the way I enjoy it is so fucked up and pretty much noncon. But like, if we were to talk about my smutty noncon ships, they'd be Anakin/Miraj, Vader/Obi-Wan (excluding ones where Obikin, even one-sided, is a thing prior to Anakin becoming Vader), and Anakin-Vader/Palpatine.

First ever ship: Hmm, I don't remember, but probably Aragorn & Legolas (though this was pre fandom life). Funnily enough, I think my first exposure to fandom (early teenage years) was actually Star Wars, too. I really liked Obi-Wan & Anakin then as well (also Obi-Wan & Siri)

Last song: I haven't been listening to music lately, but the last song I played on Spotify was "Don't Save Me" by Chxrlotte which @kcrabb88 recommended haha (and that was like... idk, a week ago? so yeah a little music-averse lately)

Last movie: My mom was hanging out with me while I did job applications recently and she played Airplane! (1980) on my tv. The movie was so fucking funny that I actually stopped my job applications to watch it with her.

Currently reading: ugh, I need to get back into reading, but I'm deep in Star Wars brainrot right now and can't read anything else. Currently rereading Dark Disciple whenever I can manage reading published books. A fic that I'm screaming about right now while I wait for chapter 2 is The Land of my Father (super unusual choice for me but it's so good, damn). And whenever my brain can handle a brief separation from Star Wars, I'm reading Sailing by Orion's Star by @kcrabb88 which is Very Good (lmao she has apparently affected my answers for like 3 of these questions, damn)

Currently watching: Star Wars: Rebels!! I just started season 4.

Currently consuming: String cheese

Currently craving: Validation omg, please comment on Every Shadow if you've read it and liked it. I had to post it a few days before the collection was revealed which means it got pushed several pages back on the search results (which is my primary source of readers). So I knew I wasn't going to get much validation until I post chapter 2, but I'm sad and greedy lmao.

I'm always anxious tagging ppl for things like this, omg, bc I'm worried someone will feel left out. So please please please, if you are reading this and you follow me, idc who u are, u are tagged. Yes, that means you. You. There is literally no exception to this rule and it counts as a real tag. So if you want to do it, there's no "technically" about it, I have tagged you. :) <3

[captain-kit-adventuress]

I wanted to add some info about the ones with question marks. And maybe some fun facts about others.

"Surprise" Symphony - This is probably very apocryphal, but supposedly, Haydn wrote it the way he did because he was fed up with people falling asleep in his concerts. Which I get, because his music, to me, is boring AF. What's fun is to hear how very clearly he influenced Beethoven, who was his student. It's like Beethoven took the best of Haydn and put it into his own work and made something totally fantastic out of it.

That Chopin Nocturne™ (Op. 9 No. 2) - I will die a happy woman if I never, ever have to hear this nocturne again. There are so many better ones that deserve the love this one gets. Sigh. Seek out the posthumous Nocturne in E Minor, Op. 72, No. 1. SO much better.

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - This is a wonderful song, but it should never be played on an acoustic guitar–though it often is. You hear it a lot at weddings (before the ceremony starts) and it's a peaceful sort of thing that people can enjoy whilst they're waiting. Go with Sheep May Safely Graze instead. In fact, that's just good life advice.

Funeral March - Honestly, this one's pretty self-explanatory. You'll hear it a lot in cartoons if someone's about to die. It's actually quite haunting, and lovely if done well. Chopin tends to capture sadness better than most.

The Next Six Songs - Pretty sure each of these has appeared at least once in a cartoon starring Bugs Bunny. Also, seek out Elgar that isn't Pomp and Circumstance. He wrote some really cool stuff, like The Enigma Variations.

Für Elise - This one drives me batty because all people know is the first repeated notes. (Hmm, sounds like not one, not two, but at least three famous Beethoven pieces. Learn the whole thing, guys.) But it's actually pretty good, and has varying sections to it. I highly recommend listening to all of it.

Night on Bald Mountain - If you've seen the original Fantasia (1940), you've heard this piece.

The Fucik Piece (aka the 24 f guy) - I would love to see this guy in a head-to-head competition with Sousa (nicknamed The March King, because he wrote a shit-ton of marches), both for composition style and moustache-having. It'd be wild.

The Flower Duet - Also used lots of times over graphically horrifying things to add a sense of jarring whimsy.

The New World Symphony, 4th mvt especially, sometimes called "Largo" - I've heard a lot of classical music in my day, but honestly, there are very few pieces that can compete with it in my heart. Y'all think you know the main melody of this movement, but you don't. And I promise it doesn't hit as hard if you don't listen to the whole thing. The gorgeous, lush string part at the end needs the previous 8-10 minutes. It's the catharsis to the beginning's tumult. Imagine, if you will: it's been storming for weeks, maybe longer, and you've been stuck on a rickety wooden ship, tossed about by waves that crest the ship's sides and threaten to capsize everything. You've narrowly escaped death several times. And then, just as you think this was the most foolish voyage you've ever undertaken, you see land. You see the edge of the beach, and you can't quite hold down the rush of emotion from spotting a line of sand in the distance. It's not a trick, it really is what you've been dreaming of for months and nearly died to reach. The boat hoists anchor, and you're taken in a small rowboat to the shore. All you want to do is kiss the ground beneath your feet and thank all that is holy that you have survived. That's why you need the whole thing, not just the pretty melody at the end.

Ave Maria - There are lots of Ave Marias. This one is by Schubert, and one of my favourites. Another popular one is the arrangement by Gounod, set to Bach's Prelude No. 1 in C Major.

Canon in D - You mostly hear this at weddings and there's a million and one interpretations of it. If you don't like one, seek out another, I'm sure there's one out there for all. The TSO's version is really cool.

Adagio for Strings, Samuel Barber - I'm surprised this hasn't made any lists. It's most famously from Platoon (1986), but it's another one of those slow, sad songs that gets played over horrific scenes of violence. One of the best melancholy pieces of music ever written. Agnus Dei is the vocal version.

Sorry this got long, hope you enjoyed!

Classical Pieces You've Probably Heard but Might Not Remember the Name

William Tell Overture- Rossini (Most famous part at 8:45, but why not listen to the whole thing?) I’m adding hints, at least to the ones I recognized culturally. This one is “go, horsey, go!”

Also Sprach Zarathustra- Strauss Slow, dramatic entry scene, IN SPAAACE.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik- Mozart People running out of a fancy wedding or something. Also known as DUN, dun DUN, dun DUN dun DUN dun DUUUUN.

Symphony 94, Mvt. 2 “Surprise Symphony”- Haydn ?

Toccata and Fugue in d Minor-Bach Halloween organ!

Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2- Chopin Picture a tiny old woman playing piano in a sunlit room with lots of flower vases, about the spill the tragic secrets of her past to some timid young visitor.

Rondo alla Turca- Mozart the babysitter from The Incredibles: “Time for some COGNITIVE ENRICHMENT!”

Sinfonie de Fanfares: Rondeau- Jean-Joseph Mouret Royalty is coming. Or someone is getting married. Or royalty is getting married. Also the PBS Masterpieces theme.

The Four Seasons: Spring- Vivaldi (I just linked to the whole thing because it’s great) Again, someone is getting married, but this one is strings instead and a lot less frumpy.

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring- Bach That one that amateur guitarists love where the notes are all up and down but all the same length. Also used in movie weddings.

O Fortuna (from Carmina Burana)- Carl Orff SONG OF DOOM. Also song of “baby on fire!” in The Incredibles.

Funeral March- Chopin ?

Orpheus in the Underworld: Infernal Galop (A.K.A. Can Can)- Offenbach Well, “aka can-can” says it all.

Pomp and Circumstance (You probably graduated to this)- Elgar Oh yes, Baaaa dun dun dun duun duuuuun… Also if you were a bandie you had to play it for 3 years before graduating to it.

Gayane: Sabre Dance- Aram Khachaturian Comically hectic productivity, a circus clown juggling while standing on a ball, or perhaps a rapidly-approaching termite infestation. Could go any way, really.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Wedding March- Mendelssohn The song movies play right AFTER they both say “I do.”

Carmen: Les Toreadors- Bizet I can’t be the only one who remembers when ‘Hey Arnold’ did this. “Bullfights and swordfights, rolling in manuuure!”

The Ride of the Valkyries- Wagner Good song for a naval battle I guess? I can only think of the mini golf course I went to as a kid with the creepy castle on Hole 18 that played this.

Für Elise- Beethoven That one every amateur piano player loves to play because the beginning is just E and E-flat over and over. Also ballet and piano recital scenes in movies.

Dance of the Hours- Ponchielli Hello mudda, hello fadda, here I am at, Camp Granada…

Rigotello: La Donna e Mobile- Verdi More than a few sophisticated movie villains (or snobby good guys) have this playing on a Victrola. Also, tell me you don’t picture Pavaroti no matter who’s actually singing.

Night on Bald Mountain- Mussorgsky ?

Romeo and Juliet: Love Theme- Tchaikovsky More movie-love, usually building up to admitting they live each other.

Entry of the Gladiators- Julius Fucik I have one word for you: CIRCUS.

Lakmé: Flower Duet- Delibes OMG ALIAS. Nadia’s spy  backstory in Film Noir!

Peer Gynt: In the Hall of the Mountain King- Greig Mischievous Tiptoeing in Movies song. Also something growing out of control, slowly at first and then quickly, and (comically) exploding.

Rodeo: Hoedown- Copland The title says it all tbh.

Peer Gynt: Morning Mood- Greig Sunrise/waking up Movie Song du jour.

New World Symphony Mov. [2][4]- Dvorak Well now I’m thinking of “An American Tail” and I’m crying…

Ave Maria (You knew this, but did you know that it was by Schubert?) Nothing to add. I’m not a music snob, really, but if you didn’t know this, YOU SHOULD.

Canon in D- Pachelbel This is the one that the pretty Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas song comes from. :-)

Add others if you want! Have fun!