#some of the like soft indie music i listen to a LOT less

[cowboysmp3]

tagged by @carlsdraws (ty for the tag!! <3)

10 songs 10 people

Rules: Put your music on shuffle and list the first ten songs that come up, then tag ten people.

this is like genuinely quite representative of music i listen to regularly somehow

Razzmatazz - IDKHOW

London Beckoned Songs About Money Written by Machines - P!ATD

Backflip - The Front Bottoms

Falling for U - Peachy!, mxmtoon

Kids - Orville Peck

Millions - Gerard Way

G.I.N.A.S.F.S - Fall Out Boy

Me and My Husband - Mitski

Any Turn - Orville Peck

Smoke Signals - Pheobe Bridgers

tagging: anyone!! mutuals esp feel free :D!!

[br4inr0tx]

Hey! Sorry for taking so long. I recently did a show of Brigadoon (I was an ensemble villager, so I had a shit tone of dance routines to remember) so I had little to no time to write this out. 😓

Nonetheless! Here’s your matchup, @xxchthonicreaturexx !

tw - discussion of mental disorders, discussion of unhealthy coping mechanisms, and toxic relationships (kinda, it’s vampires idk man)

Your Diabolik Lovers matchup is… SHU SAKAMAKI !!

• I love Shu, and I’m glad you fit with a character I think is a silly guy.

• I think with his cool demeanor, and your slightly more upbeat and hyper one, you’d make a perfect contrast that sticks out like a sore thumb.

• Shu isn’t a picky guy, especially when it comes to the human body. As long as you’re healthy and provide good blood, that’s all that matters. Thus, it will most likely lead him to do favors for you that you may feel unmotivated to do.

• Or not. Other times he’s tired and just bullies you until you do it yourself.

• Though he’s especially not picky with clothes. He could give less of a shit. In fact, I think he actually enjoys your cutesy style.

• The alternative twist makes it even better. I believe he’s very much into that style.

• Shu would frequently call your interests weird, but please, don’t mind him. He’s a little mean, even if he doesn’t mean it all the time. Even if he doesn’t have a care for it, he’ll end up feeding into your obsession by either buying you dolls or manga.. just because he has such a soft spot for you.

• As we all know, Shu loves listening to music. Most likely some rock and indie. You should definitely recommend him some songs!

• Do be careful when you get sassy and snappy with Shu. He’ll get you right back, usually with even harsher words. Be careful.

• He takes advantage over your shyness and conditions frequently, either trying to fluster you (like the bathtub scene) or by moving stuff around your room without you knowing, just to mess with you.

• Shu wants what he wants, and he’s going to get it. When he really needs something, he doesn’t have time for any sort of compassion. Though if you really beg him to stop, he’ll stop.

• If you try to mother him, I don’t think it’ll work too well. That goes for all of the boys. He will shut you down immediately, and do whatever it is for himself. There’s a possible slim chance you could get him to break when you’re officially together, but as I said it’s very rare.

• He disappears a lot, so you’ll get a lot of alone time. If he does want your attention, whether you reciprocate or not, he’s gunna get it.

• He’s been a lot of crazy and abandoned places just to be alone, so if you ever want to get back into urbexing he’s got plenty of places to show you. Don’t plan on running away though, it’s inevitable that either him or the other boys will find you.

• Obviously, he thinks your fears are weak. However I don’t think he’ll go any further than just telling you that though. He doesn’t make it his life goal to torment you with that.

• All the boys have issues, so you can connect there. I don’t think he’ll really care about that aspect though? Not that he doesn’t care about you, he just tunes it out a lot of the time. He’s a strange guy.

• Your runner up is Reiji!

• Admittedly this one’s a bit short. I’ve only watched the Anime, so if there’s more on him in the game then feel free to make your own little headcanons.

Your Friday Night Funkin’ matchup is… GARCELLO !!

• I think Garcello would be perfect for you! This is the one match I’m not super hesitant about!

• He fits your vibe perfectly. As cheesy as it sounds, you’re each others anchor. You’re everything he’s ever wanted, and hopefully he’s what you want too.

• You’re much shorter then him. Some nicknames he’d give you are “tiny woman” or “little baby”. Garcello loves giving nicknames, and I’m sure he’d come up with more.

• He LOVES alternative styles, like, really digs it. For him personally, he prefers comfort over style, but I still think he’s fashionable in his own way. He openly compliments you all the time, and is always taken aback by your beauty.

• He finds the doll thing pretty cool too! Although he might joke around and say they’re possessed, lil goofball.

• You simply have such an amazing style he can get behind. He’s very interested in your hobbies, since he doesn’t have many himself.

• Like I mentioned, he doesn’t have many hobbies. If anything he might hop around to different hobbies sometimes just to do something. He does really enjoy singing he finds! Hopefully you two can bond over that?

• He also gives indie and rock vibes, so you’ll definitely be listening to the same music a lot!

• I’m pretty sure Garcello is extroverted, but also a lone wolf? Perhaps it depends on the day. I think he only talks to people he gets a good vibe from, or is interested in. For instance he most likely complimented your style and jokes, and a friendship blossomed, which turned to romance.

• He loves all the banter and soft bullying. It’s something he has for you to keep him on his toes, and so the both of you don’t get lost in your own heads.

• He’s quite the pessimist, so please knock some sense into him sometimes. In return he’ll act as somewhat of a guard dog, protecting you from anyone who wants to hurt you both mentally and physically.

• He’s a very intuitive guy, and can tell when you’re not at your best. You both have the same issue of not expressing yourselves until it’s too late, and even being a little hypocritical when talking about feelings. Perhaps the two of you together can start noticing each other’s actions more quickly.

• Everyone has some bad habit. His is being addicted to the colorful smoke. He may or may not overthink when you go on your hiatuses though, so please try to shoot him a text at the very least.

• He loves urbexing, and would definitely like to go on one of your late night adventures. He strikes me as a nocturnal guy anyway. (Not actually, just meaning someone who’s more active at night.)

• That being said, he’ll stay up however long you want him to, and do whatever you want as well.

• He’s another one that’s not scared hog much at all. He soothes and helps with a lot of your fears unlike the other boys, with no judgement at all. Everyone has different sorts of fears, it’s only natural he wouldn’t get all of them.

• Garcello has a handful of disorders himself, or at least in my headcanon, so I’m sure you guys can share experiences and just be in each others presence. After all, misery loves company.

• Garcello needs alarms for everything tbh, because he can be forgetful and basic human needs sometimes. He can totally relate!

• He’s very finicky with touching. He hates the idea of ever making someone uncomfortable and will never touch you unless you touch or ask him to first.

• He’s usually the driver for things, so having someone else drive is a good change in his book! He’ll talk the wheel whenever you need a break too.

• A very close runner up would be Annie! Either way, I can see the three of you having fun in your own little group.

• Garcello is a great boyfriend, and in the end, he’d do anything to see that happy look on your cute face.

Your Outsiders matchup is… KEITH “TWO-BIT” MATHEWS !!

• I never really engaged with The Outsiders fandom, so if there’s any popular headcanons that I didn’t include, please don’t be too mad. I’m going off of what I remember as best as I can.

• I chose Two-Bit since he’s funny and adventurous, but not too mean..like Dally. Also not too skittish like Pony, Johnny, or Darry. Though saying Darry is more in a mama bear sense. He’s a perfect balance for you, same as your runner up.

• In my opinion, Two-Bit seems to be the type of guy to like curvy girls. He likes to hype you up if you ever start to question yourself.

• You both have a little bit of child like wonder. I don’t think he fits in kids clothes, but he does wear clothes more fit for kids sometimes. He’s the type of guy to come out with to most wack and embarrassing outfit, and you just have to roll with it lmao.

• Two-Bit is a little cheesy. One of his favorite things to do is kiss each one of your freckles all over your body, if you’d let him.

• So alt fashion wasn’t at its prime until the 80s, and even then it was still consider out of the norm. You’d easily become an outsider (wink). Two-Bit takes you in almost immediately!

• After learning about your doll obsession he’ll learn or give all of your dolls names depending if they have them already or not. He thinks they’re such unique collectables!

• Hearing you gush is super cute too, and often times he’ll just rile you up even more to see your reaction.

• He loves to dance with you! Whether it’s a style he’s good at or not, he likes to just jam with you!

• You’re like a cute puppy to him, though might be one in your eyes too. He gives a little bit of Golden Retriever energy.

• He’s a bit of a talker, and will happily talk for you if you needed someone else to do it for you. He very protective, and if he had it his way he’d just want to do almost everything for you.

• His whole friend group consists of friendly bullying and banter, so It’s another point where I think you’d fit right in.

• I don’t think he gets sad easily? He does appreciate your kindness though when those times do come, and will do the same for you tenfold when it’s your turn.

• He strikes me as mostly a realist, with some bigger dreams here and there. Perhaps you could ground him in some moments, and at other times he’ll convince you to be more optimistic about certain things.

• He doesn’t notice your emotions at first and how you mask, but he’ll start to pay more attention after you first broke. He felt so bad..and from that day forward sworn to pay more attention.

• He can be a little pushy sometimes, and even forget how you feel about touch if he gets excited. If you guys ever get into a fight about it, he’s surely the first one to apologize. He’s that kind of guy.

• Most times he’s mindful of your space though, and will often speak for you if people do things you’re uncomfortable with.

• He loves urbexing! He definitely wants to kickstart that old hobby of yours! (Just don’t kill anyone so you don’t need to chill in an abandoned church lol.)

• I don’t remember if he has any canon fears, but for me I don’t think there’s a lot that scares him. At first he pokes fun at your fears, but he definitely has protective boyfriend vibes.

• He’s very supportive of you, just don’t take all of his advice. Most of it consists of punching and fighting people.

• Your disorders aren’t a hinderance at all, and doesn’t usually bring them up throughout the day. After learning about them, he treats it as a normal occurrence to be treated, as it should be. He’s never mean about it.

• Two-Bit also seems like the guy to not have a strict sleep schedule, I’m sure he just goes to bed whenever he feels like it. So, You’d have someone to stay up with!

• Your runner up is Sodapop!

• Overall he’s a free flying guy that’s not too mean, and not too strict. The perfect happy middle for you.

Your Homestuck matchup is… TAVROS NITRAM !!

Your Shark Bait matchup is… RHIN !!

[merge-conflict]

Tag Game: Top 10 Albums

tagged by @corpocyborg :3 tagging @fly-amanitaa @streetkid-named-desire, @totentnz and @theviridianbunny (no pressure of course)

Rules: List your top 10 favorite albums, and (if you want) include a brief description for why each one made it onto the list. Then, tag 10 (or however many you want, really) others to do the same.

#1 - Sunset Tree: The Mountain Goats

The album that got me through the part of college where I lived in dark places- home to the well-known This Year which gets many people through the dark days of January, and the less-appreciated Broom People which never fails to catch me by the throat. Try hard to do your best- the Magpie comes at noon. Heartbreak and defiance all the way through.

#2 - Salt for Salt: Brown Bird

The next in a line of bitter, rebellious albums. Folk is at its best when it flirts with blasphemy, anger, and cynical acceptance. The middle-eastern influence on their music always draws me back to Brown Bird in general but this album is my favorite by far from the languid bleak Chairkickers to the hypnotic instrumental of Shiloh which is etched into my brain. RIP Dave Lamb.

#3 - A Southern Gothic: Adia Victoria

Found this album on a random Bandcamp Friday and have been reaping the rewards since. Adia has a voice that is both powerful and deliciously soft, and I never get tired of listening to her. Mean-Hearted Woman is my favorite for giving me the shivers when she sings so prettily of revenge but My Oh My is close behind for the haunting loss.

#4 - Rock Bottom Rhapsody: Pokey LaFarge

Pathetic masculine romantic is a weakness of mine and this album delivers. Swingy, jazzy, blues-y all the way through, with that bit of self-aware but sincere longing. End of My Rope was my introduction to the cheerful celebration of being Utterly Fucked, but Fuck Me Up has a soft place in my heart whenever I lose the ability to give a shit and also to remember fondly of that time I went drinking in Chicago.

#5 - Helplessness Blues: Fleet Foxes

The Fleet Foxes have a special place in my heart for introducing me to indie folk and influencing my tastes for the next decade. Helplessness Blues is one of my comfort albums that I like to play on repeat when I feel like shit. Battery Kinzie is my favorite but the eponymous Helplessness Blues is also one I sing frequently to myself. Also hilariously, the second funniest song I have ever heard on a pre-tourney playlist. Mad-Dog ya weirdo that is the opposite of a warm-up song.

#6 - The Art of Drowning: AFI

One of three albums on this list I learned of from my sister, and dear to me for the time in which she burned it for me. This album is inextricably linked to Metroid Prime to me, which I would play while this was playing on my translucent blue boombox. I used to quote the lyrics from these songs to my friends on Yahoo Messenger and put in my Gaia signature, just to date the period. If I need to sell AFI to you I won't try.

#7 - The Relationship of Command - At the Drive-In

The second album my sister burned for me when she went to college. One of those nostalgic albums that's stuck with me, and okay not to get pretentious or weird but the first time I realized art could be hard and weird and good because of that. Invalid Litter Dept. remains the best and most heartbreaking song on the album.

#8 - Polka's Not Dead: The Dreadnoughts

My third sister album. The Dreadnought's energy always fills me with delight, and I am normally an autistic hater of loud live music and venues but I'd love to hear this guys playing in a bar some day even though it'll probably never happen. Most of their songs are fun to sing along with (especially when tipsy) but I personally enjoy Poutine and Sleep is for the Weak.

#9 - With Teeth: NIN

Got a soft spot for NIN in general, but With Teeth is probably my favorite album with a lot of strong songs in general, but most importantly with my favorite pair of soft NIN songs at the end: Beside You in Time and Right Where it Belongs, which as with all NIN songs are perfect for silverv.

#10 - It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All A Dream! It's Alright!: mewithoutyou

If you've made it this far, congrats, here is where I say that I actually liked some of the music my christian church band leader shared with me when I was in highschool. mewithoutyou definitely has religious tones but does not suffer from the praise jesus fever so I love them for their eclectic tone and songs about parables. The Angel of Death Came to David's Room and The King Beetle On a Coconut Estate are my personal favorites, although it feels wrong to not then round that out with The Fox, The Crow, and the Cookie.

[ask-captain-anya]

anya!

things are getting…a little tense down here. you know, cabin fever and all that! fortunately, no one’s gone crazy yet like in the movies :} we’re all just a little bored and some of the …less patient and understanding soldiers have been at my throat !

honestly, I’d be a little afraid of a mutiny if I thought that was possible on a sub! I guess the alternative to making me walk the plank would just be whacking me over the head with a crowbar or something silly like that. thankfully, neither of the people who seriously dislike me are strong enough to overpower me!

I’ve been working, though, because hard working gals don’t let stress get to them! we’ve been collecting some of the material we’re looking for, go us! nothing picking up on our scanners yet but we have hope we’ll find the debris the navy was talking about. 

aside from that, I’ve just been reading a lot. bria gifted me the whole collection of sylvia plaths writing right before we took off (my 21st birthday was our launch day!) and I’ve been quite enjoying them, she wrote so well but her mind was so tortured…I guess that’s where all good art comes from! 

oh, speaking of enjoyable things ! I’ve been listening to a lot of music lately, we have a communal stereo and we all contribute a CD on occasion :) two songs that made me think of you are called Isadore and Me and My Husband, I feel like you like that indie sort of music! (Those CDs came from bria…she has such good taste…)

I’ve always been partial to rock myself (I know, how original!) and Bria has been endlessly complaining about how much I play Radiohead ! their music isn’t that bad, she’s so dramatic sometimes…

anyways, that’s how I’m doing! how are things for you, gorgeous? :> (sorry if that was a weird nickname, I’ll think of a better one if you don’t like that!)

love,

Kelly! <3

Hey Kelly!

It seems like we have a knack for getting into trouble at the same time, don't we? At least I'm not at risk of a mutiny?? Girl, you have me all kinds of worried haha. At least you're making progress on the mission though, right?

I decided to listen to those songs you recommended and yeah! I thought they were really good! I love music so much, but indie has always had a soft spot in my heart. I'll admit, I've heard of this Mitski artist before but I never actually had the opportunity to listen to her music before. I think I want to listen to some more, do you have any recommendations for that?

And you and this Bria... I must admit, you have me feeling some type of jealous! I wish I had someone that I could be that.. At ease with, close to. I did, but things changed. I'll admit, I think I am overestablishing a professional boundary. Maybe I'm trying to make up for my other faults. But I digress! I think it's very cute that you all are so close!

Right now.. Everything just feels so messy. I found out that I'm pregnant, so there's... So much I have to do. But don't worry, I've got it... Mostly handled. I just have to figure out who knows what without.. Revealing anything. It'll be stressful, but it'll work out.

With Love, Anya

[severalpossiblemusiks]

HELLO i am asking about music but more generally i am asking what sorts of music you really enjoy :}

Oh my goodness you've opened the floodgates.

I'll keep this under the cut cause I suspect this will be a VERY LONG post.

I got started on generic Christian radio music (growing up Christian and all), hymns, and classical music. Since both my parents were children of the 80s, they had a slight affinity for less mainstream artists, and had a fairly extensive vinyl, cassette, and CD collection of numerous Christian, country, and classical music. From this start I developed a deep and unerringly passionate love of your standard classical music greats like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, etc. I also still hold a soft spot for some of the Christian artists I was introduced to as well, such as Michael Card, Larry Norman, John Michael Talbot, David Meece, Michael W. Smith, and some others.

Thanks to my mom being a fan of the glam and hair bands of the day, I was made aware of the hard rock and heavy metal worlds through the Christian bands that figured out they could reach out to people through "the devil's music". Bands like Petra, Stryper, and WhiteHeart. From there I continued to find and discover other Christian rock and metal bands such as Disciple, Theocracy, POD, and Demon Hunter.

It was about this time I started guitar lessons and also found a fascination with the incredibly virtuosic playing of many jazz, flamenco, and classical guitarists such as Django Reinhardt, Paco de Lucia, Al Di Meola, Pepe Romero, Jesse Cook, Narsisco Yepes, and more. This jazz/classical/flamenco connection really fuelled my desire to study music further, bolstered by gradually trying to apply what I learned to other music I was discovering thanks to a near 24/7 addiction to my national public radio station that played music, obviously, 24/7.

From this station I discovered opera, deepened my classical knowledge, found out what indie music was, heard the occasional pop smash hit, started making a list of jazz artists I liked, and heard classic oldies rock and blues.

So it's safe to say I was listening to almost every music style you could name. My guitar teacher was savvy to this, and gave me a push towards prog rock with learning a few songs by Yes and Rush, which lent themselves to my multi-faceted interests as the prog guitarists also drew from numerous musical sources.

Returning to my hard rock/metal interests, my love of bands like Stryper and Theocracy led me down the "who met who" rabbit hole. I browsed the labels of both bands, finding out which artists shared their labels, gave those bands a listen, found guest musicians and singers they collaborated with, and listened to those bands. Theocracy led me down two steps to Avantasia through a band called Impellitteri (the common connection is the singer Rob Rock), which led me to Ayreon through Tobi's guest work on "the Source" album. Of course both those bands being guest musician powerhouses led me to find no end of other bands.

Also I discovered Christian metal bands of more extreme styles, including Mortification, Antestor, Slechtvalk, Tourniquet, Deliverance, Vengeance, and others.

At this point my only way to find a lot of these bands was YouTube, as I had no Spotify and no way in hell half the bands I listened to got any radio airplay over here, so my home page was littered with metal bands from all over, and I was fully immersed in music.

Heading to college, I found very few of my dorm mates shared my musical interests save classical and maybe jazz, and definitely not to the degree I was invested in it. That slowed me down some, but I found a few friends who were open to my weirder interests. One I hooked firmly onto Avantasia and power metal (we initially bonded over a shared appreciation for Alice Cooper), and another just vibed really well with me and we shared band recs. He got me into more stoner metal and heavy blues.

As a music student, my classes were heavily geared towards classical music, and I continued to find new artists to obsess over every class. One teach was quite helpful in giving recs and suggestions, and he also taught the music history class, which was right up my alley, so I over listened to every artists we had to listen to for that class.

Over the course of my degree I also was regularly collecting CDs and finding new artists, so naturally I was always listening to something at any given time.

I took an electronic music course, which was a very formative class for me, as previous to this class I was very much in the opinion that electronic music was not real music (my only exposure to the genre was brostep), and learning the extensive history and culture of electronic music with bands like Kraftwerk and individual artists like Wendy Carlos really gave me an opening into that world.

By the end of my music degree I was still struggling to write music, which remains a goal in my mind, but I had increased my CD collection from a shoebox of maybe 50 in my first year to well over 500, spanning all the genres I have mentioned above and more.

I strongly hold the opinion that "you have a favourite artist in every genre of music, you just have to listen for them". This helps me try to keep an open mind to all music styles and artists, while also allowing myself to dislike artists that seem right up my alley (for example, I heartily dislike tool). So far the only major genre that has eluded me for a favourite artists is rap/hip-hop, but the memetic power of Snoop Dogg is slowly working against that.

Soooooo....

Yeah that's kinda my music life, hopefully it's coherent, and this is why I love dropping music recs, cause it helps keep me discovering and listening to new stuff.

[housefinches]

besides the obvious facistic implications one of the biggest bummers about the tik tok ban to me is losing a really big source of indie muscians. so in (anticipatory) remembrance here are some i found on there that i think you should listen to!

my qualifications are that i once had a 94% rating on obsurify and i listened to 54k minutes of music last year.

all links lead to spotify.

pop

shallow alcove: they had the most beautiful, aesthetic content on tik tok i've ever seen. i will miss all their covers forever. a mix of bedroom pop and folk. (song about nostalgia) (people pleaser anthem) 117k monthly listeners on spotify

nemahsis: very dreamy pop music, i dont know if this is true but there are harp vibes. (good first song) (another) 300k monthly listeners on spotify

khatumu: for everyone whose ever wanted a song about being taken out back and put down like old yeller (another good song, more folky) 43k monthly listeners on spotify

madisinn: more dreamy bedroom pop with some grungey undertones (my favorite)

folky/acoustic

school house: a classic plunky folk band. they also have some more typical indie pop stuff. (a folk radiohead cover) 17k monthly listeners on spotify

rebecca rea: she wrote a beautiful love letter to appalachia 8000 monthly listeners on spotify

june henry: very pigeon pit esque, which is one of my favs. they make a lot of very short songs if that's something you're into. (queer) (sad) 41k monthly spotify listeners

ducksmithson: calls themself "folk-ish", found them from an unreleased song they made about challengers that i'll miss forever. very diy (good first song) 438 monthly listeners on spotify

a bit more pop and sadder

hannah mundine: soft, beakup songs with "roots in folk, indie, and contemporary pop" (my favorite) 10k montly listeners on spotify

wesley preis: think phoebe bridgers here, she makes similarly somber music with the same post adolescence themes (good first song) (my favorite) 4000 monthly listeners on spotify.

country

clementine was right: if you like country and you listen to one thing on here make it clementine was right!! i love their stuff so much (good first song, very country) (less country alternative) (my favorite) 697 monthly spotify listeners

lana nauphal: hippie music with a bit more of a background twang 394 monthly spotify listeners

mae valerio: a stereotypically country cover of motion sickness by phoebe bridgers, it works though 3000 monthly listeners on spotify

alternative/misc

nussy andrews: i dont know how to describe her music but i love it a lot, lots of violin and piano and very viseral lyrics and vocals (good first song) (my favorite) 4000 monthly listeners on spotify

insert title policy: a review called him "retro, a cross-transplanted hybrid of 80's indie rock and Goth pop". (good first song) (my favorite this whole album is beautifully tactile, you should listen to it) 164 monthly listeners on spotify

rookie mistake: a classic, ive gotta get out of my home town type song that i like a lot. starts very acoustic but switches up halfway 737 monthly listeners on spotify

disclaimer: i don't know music genres like that so if it's not in their spotify description they are cateorgized mostly with vibes.

[astriar]

Would you like to ramble about your DCA headcanons to us, the audience ?

!! My first ask! Thank you so much! And DUHHH OF COURSE I love talking about the sillies!!!

okay so I have a lot of headcanons that stem from me either willfully ignoring canon or misunderstanding it, but hey fnaf lore is my kinetic sand and I am a child of the early 2000s so let’s go:

—Sun and Moon were good at their job before the virus infected them! I know this is now somewhat backed up by Ruin, with Cassie saying that she always had a good time in the daycare, but I feel like it’s nice to mention!

—Sun was as overwhelming as he was in SB because he was infected with the Virus along with Moon! Normally, he acts a lot more like you would expect a childcare animatronic to act like (again, somewhat backed up by HW2 as Sun speaks a lot more calmly! My little asshole <33)

—On the train of thought as above, here is my own personal interpretation of events that led up to SB: Moon was the first in the Pizzaplex to be infected, and after he realized as such, he blocked himself entirely out of the system and put firewalls up to hell and back, cutting off his communication with Sun!

—Sun started going a little crazy with the stress of keeping up the daycare entirely by himself, and didn’t notice the virus had infected him too until too late! (Basically right before the events of security breach)

—Moon would listen to and enjoy old Panic at the Disco if he had access to non fazbear-approved music

—…night shift employees also happen to find their devices go missing on occasion, only to be returned with some interesting Spotify history

—a lot of people I feel like think Sun would listen to soft indie stuff but I think he would either listen to hard rock or the most deplorable, insufferable hyper-pop on the damn market

—Moon and the DJ are besties!

—Sun can’t leave the daycare, but Chica will come and visit him every once in awhile! Sun gives her his latest knitting project, and Chica usually delivers gossip from across the Pizzaplex Moon happened to miss.

—The rest of the band members steer clear of the daycare, except for Freddy every one in awhile. And Bonnie, of course— Moon was friends with Bonnie.

—Also, non-virus infected Moon is a menace who is generally rude and disrespectful to Pizzaplex employees (smh moon) UNLESS you give him a reason to not be rude and disrespectful

—he operates on an guilty until proven innocent basis and Sun is absolutely the same way with Pizzaplex employees

—Moon is the more public menace, but everyone really should be afraid of Sun, who 100% has less morals

—I don’t even know what to make of canon Eclipse but I love them!! And I genuinely wonder if Sun and Moon were ever rebooted into safe mode before Ruin? If so, what kind of role did Eclipse play?

-I also don’t know what to make of Moon’s apparent lore relevance in HW2, and this may be denial speaking, but I feel like maybe Moon wasn’t infected during HW2? Maybe he’s just being his normal, menace-y self? That’s what I think at least but that’s just a theory (a GAME THEORY)

-Jack-O-Moon :D <3

….kay this feels like way too many words BUT I appreciate the chance to ramble!! I definitely try and keep their personalities based in canon (especially in my writing) but I also love everyone who hc’s them heavily!! The fandom is what makes liking these two so enjoyable, so I love seeing any and all takes :D

I sincerely apologize if the formatting is weird (mobile baybee) but! Thank you very much for asking :D

[yesimwriting]

directors cut sort of?

if final girl was a tv show and you had to pick a song for the opening theme song what would it be?

i’m genuinely very curious if you think there’s a song out there that really wraps not just the readers, billy’s, and stu’s dynamic together but also the vibe of the series

or if you have songs that you think represent characters individually?

anyway would loooove to know what your talented self listens to 💕

i got the notfiication for this and IMMEDIATELY stopped doing homework,, a lot of my writing inspo/motivation comes from music so i have a lot of thoughts

okay i have to preface this by saying that i am unfortunately not a cool, original indie music girly, i would LOVE to be, but i'm aware that it's not true to who i am at the moment 😭

as far as theme song, i think it's hard to nail one that i think is perfect bc i want the traditional slasher vibes and the heart of the story to be captured so i have 5 choices (that i can defend i promise 😭):

Verse 3 of I Know the End, Phoebe Bridgers - ik this song got tiktok-ified but i loved it before that 😭 i think these lyrics and the overall production provide both the kind of ominous urgency of a life and death situation situation while still packing a gut punch that doesn't seem to have a definite source, like when you hear that verse you know there's something tragic going on and you know you're hurt over it, but you can't figure out why

Verse 1 and Chorus of Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl, Olivia Rodrigo - that entire song is just so Y/n and I think the production is kind of "active"/energetic(?) enough to encompass more of the theme

Refrain 1 and (mainly) Pre-chorus of Happiness is a Butterfly, Lana Del Rey - a DRASTIC change in direction ik, and it might seem too soft, but the "if he's a serial killer then what's the worst..." verse is too literal, too good for me to not at least mention as an option,, like it's too real

First verse (or maybe the bridge) of The Love Club, Lorde - I'm on the fence about this one bc the cheerful/more pop sound doesn't fully fit the way I see the final girl fic aesthetic/vibe, but I love Lorde so it got some extra points lol. I think pairing this "clique" that should be a good with the bloody/violent visuals created by the lyrics has potential for a final girl vibe though, especially the first verse.

The Chorus of Nymphology by Melanie Martinez - this one shifts the framing a little but it’s great at summarizing what it’s like to be manic pixie dream girl-ified and implies something bad happening/being forced onto said manic pixie dream girl, so i think it works a little

So music that reminds me of the individual characters are different than what i think they'd listen to, that's a very important clarification!

This is a little less concrete to me, I've mentioned it before that Billy reminds me of Mastermind by Taylor Swift, he also reminds me of Writer in the Dark by Lorde (“I am my mother’s child, i love you till my breathing stops, i love you till you call the cops on me” is PERFECT for him idc)

i feel very strongly that Stu is Mirrorball (by Taylor Swift),, like he premeditates his actions based on getting attention (good or bad) and would literally kill someone before letting anyone find out

i wanted to give Y/n a taylor swift song so that it'd all match up, but i think it's so much more fitting to make her the odd one out in the trio and say that she's in her Olivia Rodrigo Era, she reminds me so much of Guts, she reminds me of Ballad of a Homeschool Girl (which is why it's one of the theme songs lol), and she will be relating to Making the Bed and vampire before the story ends 😭

omg if any of you have any thoughts on songs that would work as a final girl theme song or songs that remind you of the characters individually pls let me know!!

[northwest-cryptid]

oh mann. squeaking of music. you got any artists with slow relaxy type music you like? and what's your favorite instrument? and what are your top 3 video game ost's? ...three questions at once, the terrible tripler... but as a beast who loves music, i am always ravenous for music opinions...

Not gonna lie this is kind of a hard ask not only because it's a lot to answer about a topic I tend not to talk about much but because I don't really know artists so much as I know songs, and to top it all off I don't really do "top" stuff, or "favorite" stuff; it's hard for me to pick or rank a lot of the things I like, I use the term "one of my favorite" or "among the best of" when I talk about things I really like because more often than not I'd say that about ANYTHING I really like, I don't really have a favorite artist or a top OST or anything.

Most of my music consumption is random, I'll listen to playlists on youtube or soundcloud or bandcamp and such. A lot of the time an artist is less of a concern to me because majority of my experience has been that they have one song I really like, followed by about 12 more in the album that are kinda just okay but lack the style that I enjoyed so much.

That being said I'll do my best to answer since I do enjoy getting asks and you actually took the time to send me this so I will respect that by taking the time to answer it :D

Let's start with the chill relaxing stuff!

As far as Artists go if you don't mind some more kinda weird tones in your relaxing music I think Monster Rally is a great artist.

A few core examples of their vibe can be heard in Lovely You:

as well as one I really enjoy, Color Sky:

They have a very unique sound in my opinion and I have a lot of interest in this kind of music since it hits a weird spot for me somewhere between acoustic jam session and weird vaporwave-y daydream music.

Almost all their music is between 1 and 2 minutes and contains these short loops and layered instrumentals with occasional lyrical influences. It's pretty fun and keeps my ADHD at bay with no song being too long.

For something a little more pop-ish I also enjoy TV Girl though I don't know if their music counts entirely as "Relaxed" since it can be a little faster. I've listened to them for years, a lot of their music reminds me a lot of my time in an indie band. They play a lot of the "soft punk sad boy" type music I'd see a lot in the indie scene. I often find myself singing or humming along to these whenever I'm cleaning the house or cooking dinner.

A few tracks I like a lot are Birds Don't Sing:

Lovers Rock:

and The Blonde:

Though to be honest I like a good bit of TV Girl's music so I'm trying to not list entire albums here lol. I try not to get hipster about it because for whatever reason it became oddly popular as of the last couple of years and I heard someone refer to it as "weirdcore" once and nearly died on the spot. I don't even dislike Weirdcore I just have a lot of thoughts on the idea of what the hell a genre is at this point.

Important note I am also 100% the sort of person who chills out and relaxes to Happy Hardcore and Eurobeat. So please consider the fact that my idea of relaxed varies wildly from like lounge jazz to club hardcore depending on the day. (There's literally a song that came out 7 years ago called Chillcore and it summarizes my thoughts on the subject perfectly I'd have been 21 when that song came out and I still occasionally hear it and go "yea" to this day.)

As far as favorite instrument goes I'm very partial to drums, drums of any kind. I think they're overlooked so much but then I'm bias because I'm a drummer so like of course I love drums. Any song that makes good use of drums is okay in my book. I will never forget how hard I cringed when the Bassist in my band once said "Bass is more important than Drums any day of the week, I mean literally who has ever heard of a drum solo?" I just sat there like "dude why are we even in the same band if you don't value my contribution" though she was something else in terms of like... superiority complexes. Regardless!

I may not have a top 3 Video Game OSTs since there's so many good ones out there and so many good options depending on your mood, but I will list a ton of good ones depending on the kind of mood you're in.

To keep with the theme of chill tunes let's start with a banger and one of my favorite game OSTs as to also kind of answer top 3.

VA-11 Hall-A has an amazing OST and I'm going to do the really basic bitch thing of saying you gotta listen to Every Day Is Night:

I used to listen to this a lot whenever I worked my night shift, it gave the title a very literal meaning to me. The synth jazz was the perfect companion for long nights on the job when I needed to chill out and vibe for a bit.

Keeping in line with the relaxed but perhaps a bit more anxiety inducing; I've spoken about it a lot, you know it; you love it, it's Lobotomy Corporation's very own No Warning:

Lob Corps whole OST has some absolutely beautiful tracks, everything from techy synths and chimes to entirely orchestral sweeping performances. I have a soft spot for this game and it's OST, as well as the OST of Library of Ruina, it's sequel, for which I'd like to highlight Malkuth's Battle Theme:

Specifically the third tier emotion level of this song, never before have I heard "battle jazz" done so well, not only is it classy; but it KICKS ASS. There's so much I could say about this game and it's OST in terms of themes and such but I digress, for now we'll move on because I got a lot to go through.

Next up we're looking at a more fantastical setting with Mabinogi's OST, which has a ton of genuinely amazing music, but one I want to highlight is the major main theme of the game which will always give me chills and make me cry a bit from nostalgia. More specifically the version performed by the FILMharmonic Orchestra:

This song means more to me than I can properly explain, there's so much emotion behind it for me as someone who has played this game for half my life, who met my partner through this game; and who's life has no joke been absolutely changed by this game. The OST has always been a part of my life, we even play music from this game while decorating the house for various seasons. The entire OST is so varied and expansive and there's almost always something to fit my mood.

However when I'm looking for something more upbeat, and I need to get my blood pumping I turn to a bit more action oriented music, which is where games like ULTRAKILL absolutely fit the bill. I cannot warn you enough this song is the musical equivalent of shoving shrapnel in your ears, and I mean that in the most admirable way possible.

Heavy techno and metal vibes, you got electric guitar that's basically fighting the synth lead for the spotlight despite the two working in perfect harmony to encapsulate this absolutely disgusting rhythm.

However sometimes I want to be upbeat without the sensory overload which is when I turn to Xenoblade (takes place on Earth) to fill the niche. I've been really vibing to the jazzy upbeat nature of XC3's OST lately, and the game has been pretty fun too :D

Now see this is why I dislike answering all this in one ask, I can only post 10 videos per post. So now I just gotta link things like this:

Xenoblade 3 OST - Brilliant Wings AKA This Jazz Band Is Fighting For Their Life

I'll cut this short since Tumblr is an ass and won't let me keep posting videos, but I cannot stress enough that when it comes to music with me there are no "top 3" OSTs, or favorites. Music is a mood setter, it's a tone; it's a vibe. I gotta listen to the right music at the right time, if I'm not feeling up for it then I won't like it.

To me there's so much out there I love, and to limit myself to a top 3 is hard because it depends entirely on the day. If I'm going through a chill phase then I'm going to favor tracks with more relaxed and chilled out influences, if I've been mowing down hoards of demons in ULTRAKILL for the last 5 days straight you better believe I'm not listening to anything other than like DOOM OST and extremely thrashy techno.

I hope this answer is satisfactory regardless!

[a-moth-to-the-light]

Songs of the Summer, 2023: Intro & Rules

check out #my fave songs for my (admittedly inconsistent) past best-of lists! consistency is NOT my strength, but i have so much fun writing these & i want to practice finishing what i start, so i hope you'll have fun along with me :)

Intro: A Summer-y (haha)

My listening this summer has been embarrassingly chill. It’s not that I normally dislike really soft tracks—I’m a BOL4 fan, after all—but I definitely wasn’t expecting this many of them on my favorites list, and certainly not in the top spots. I like melodrama; I like shimmery, glitzy things; I like to dance. But this list’s color palette is beige, like a day where the sun is so bright, the heat so heavy, that it just kind of washes everything out. Even most of the dance tracks here are pretty toned-down—the kind you can leave on repeat while studying. 

So, I don’t know, it just feels kind of weird. It’s not that there weren’t any big, exciting statement-songs this summer: Stray Kids and Ateez and Itzy had big, noisy releases, and I just… I don’t know, I couldn’t make myself care about them? My favorite song from the Itzy album isn’t even the cool, fast-paced rock track, which is what I usually like from them—it’s the muted, simple, repetitive “None of My Business”.  And Dreamcatcher’s album, which I think is absolutely stellar, didn’t consume my listening nearly as much as it should have this summer. Instead, I found myself drawn to sleepy indie and end-of-album ballads. Do you see why it’s kind of embarrassing?

And I don’t think it’s that I didn’t have any fun this summer. This summer was actually pretty great, especially considering my how past few summers went. Comparatively, oh my GOD this summer was absolute heaven. Hell, maybe that’s why this list is less angsty. Maybe I’m sick of the angst, and I just wanted a nice, sleepy summer to balance out the others.

Or maybe it’s NewJeans fever. I still can’t stand “Attention” (I'm SORRY), but their laid-back style did finally get to me with “Ditto”, and so my obsession with barely-there, TikTok-ready music this summer might just be a reflection of the NewJeans trend hitting me a bit late. And anyway, strange as my list turned out, I like the songs I chose a whole lot, so I do stand by it!

There was another defining trend of this summer’s music for me: Barbie movie anthems. And not just songs from the Barbie soundtrack—the movie’s super-popular, super-iconic advertising seemed to kick off a trend of unapologetically mean-girl music, arrogantly teenage in a way that I find quite fun (& good for my confidence, too, as an obnoxious, girly teenage being-thing). I loved these releases, from Aespa’s “Spicy” in the spring, to G-IDLE’s “Queencard”, to Kiss of Life’s “Shhh” (though none of these are on the list, the mean-girl vibes will definitely show up). I’ve always loved when Flo Milli took on this kind of aesthetic, so it’s really fun to see 2023 become the year of hot pink, both inside and outside of kpop. Still haven’t seen the movie, but thanks, Barbie! 

Rules

Songs on this list are from singles or albums released between May 12, my last day of spring semester, and August 21, my first day of fall semester. I hope to work in education for the rest of my life, so I figure it makes sense to let the school year determine my list! Though, because it takes so long for songs to grow on me, I’m willing to fudge the rules a bit to encompass some songs that, despite being released a bit before ‘summer’ started, were truly my Songs of the Summer anyway. 

In keeping with my tradition, I’m allowing myself 14 list entries this year (plus some honorable mentions), one for every year of school I’ve completed since kindergarten! 

Blame it on the creative writing class I’m taking this semester, but I decided to, alongside my usual description of why each entry made my list, write a little poem-thing trying to capture what each song feels like to me—not similarity in subject, but instead in atmosphere and sound, was what I was going for. So hopefully you’ll enjoy those as much as I enjoyed writing them, and hopefully they’ll be a good intro to the songs you haven’t heard of before! 

[glamjoys]

the name is alodie blaire! wish referred as odie, or didie. but, i can go with any possible nicknames based on my name, i’d love to keep them! i’ve reached of consent age, yet my account is safe for work and safe place for everyone as i love to socialize! i prefer to addressed with feminine terms. an xnfj girlie, and happen to being born under earth sign.

ᅠ♥︎. things that i adore

i put my interests on ghibli studio, barbie films, crayon shin–chan, bunnies, cats, ice cream {heart_eyes}, and foods a lot! i enjoy reading novel and manga/hwa. labelling myself as a weeb since i’ve watched and explored a lot of animes. my current watch anime is the yuzuki family’s four sons! i like to spending my spare time to watch 2000s teenlit and romcom movies or series, cartoons, k–dramas, and some youtube channels as well.

let’s talk about music, shall we? my taste in music knows no bounds, but i really enjoy listen to rock–metal, indie, and r&b genres!

a top casual listener of grentperez, taylor swift, why don’t we, valley, niki, lauv, mac demarco, sabrina carpenter, keshi, olivia rodrigo, bts, wave to earth, dept, one direction, the smiths, one ok rock, pixies, my chemical romance, bad omens, wallows, coin, beabadoobee, day6, d.o, yoasobi, maliq & d’essentials, hivi!, tulus, lyodra, mahalini, jkt48, hindia, dewa19, reality club, etc.

i adore k–pop in general as well! my playlist are mostly filled with newjeans, enhypen, le sserafim, ive’s songs, but also listen to the boyz, aespa, txt, stayc, red velvet, itzy, seventeen, nmixx, everglow, boynextdoor, fromis_9 and twice.

ᅠ ♥︎. additional information

i do post various things, it could be my interest, my day, my fav, and pic of quote or kindness reminder. i like to chattin’ with my mutuals, i find it joy in interacting about random things in my personal space. so, if you’re not planning to, it might be best for us not to be mutual at all. also, i share link of my current go–to song. please take a note that i get drained easily too, i go ghost mode every once in a while. my account type is counted as non–labeled.

i don’t tolerate anyone that is disrespect or rude, any phobic, support zionist, and enjoy spreading hate. those who often engages in unnecessary drama or fanwar, and posts too many not safe for work stuff or any explicit contents should not be around on my timeline. my account is follow, unfollow, block, or mute free since i do soft–hard blocking to those whom i feel uncomfy or barely talk with, no hard feelings!

thank you for spending your time to get to know me! please let me know if, by any chance i do something wrong or there’s any matter to solved through my dm since it’s widely opened for everyone. there’s nothing more and nothing less, let’s get along and be a good friend, lovely_soul beings!

[icravemusicx0x0]

rating music pls dont hate me #34 | CHỈ CÓ THỂ LÀ ANH - TRANG

TRANG'S 2022 album CHỈ CÓ THỂ LÀ ANH is easy going, but plays the idea of SIMPLE LOVE and MOVING ON very well.

i had a INDIE phase a while ago. like primarily INDIE ROCK BANDS or BJÖRK, well BJÖRK is not indie but you can just assume it so. along with that, i would listen to V-INDIE.

TRANG, also known as NHAC CUA TRANG, is one of my favorite SINGER-SONGWRITER of the V-INDIE scene. you may know her for her hit song NGÃ TƯ KHÔNG ĐÈN. this popular song comes from her 2022 album, CHỈ CÓ THỂ LÀ ANH.

(now you may be wondering: why would i write about an album from 2022, shouldn't i be writing about music in the present? i may be gay, but 2022 is not too late. plus i have no other music to review, not that it is to blame.)

CHỈ CÓ THỂ LÀ ANH by TRANG not only talks about being in LOVE, but about SELF-ACCEPTANCE and MOVING ON from a BREAK UP. TRANG wants to accommodate SIMPLE LVOE into her life to forget the LOVESICKNESS she had dealt with. in a L'OFFICEL VIETNAM article, TRANG explained that the "HE" in the lyrics can be someone, or it could represent LOVE for ONESELF. that's the idea of this album: "accept your every inner thoughts, keep on writing about your feelings. don't ever think too much." the album start's with the track ĐỪNG ĐỂ EM MỘT MÌNH, a SOFT, ACOUSTIC SHORT tune that really fits playing in a quiet CAFÉ. we got the saddest song VÀ XEM NHƯ CHÚNG TA CHỈ CÒN out first for the listener to understand what TRANG is talking about. overall, the album has a lot of JAZZ COMPOSITIONS. we got tracks like MỘT NGƯỜI NHẸ NHÀNG HƠN which has SWING rhythms, CHẠY TRỐN VỚI NHAU and NGÃ TƯ KHÔNG ĐÈN has BOSSA NOVA. these JAZZ SUBGENRES has a more POSITIVE energy, so the album feels more UPLIFT and HOPEFUL, contrary to her DEBUT, TỈNH GIẤC KHI ÔNG TRỜI ĐANG NGỦ. what i don't like about this album is the track list's order. most of the songs in the album are not too BOLD in ENERGY, except for MỘT NGƯỜI NHẸ NHÀNG HƠN và ĐÀN BÀ. ĐÀN BÀ is a great song, but it just feels off when you put it at the end. the album could be better if it the outro was EM SẼ KHÔNG ĐỂ ANH PHẢI CÔ ĐƠN, as the rest of the songs after MỘT NGƯỜI NHẸ NHÀNG HƠN follows the chilled energy. i would put ĐÀN BÀ to either after VÀ XEM NHƯ CHÚNG TA CHỈ CÒN or MỘT NGƯỜI NHẸ NHÀNG HƠN for more CONSISTENSY as the two tracks are more similar to ĐÀN BÀ.

underrated gem(s): CHẠY TRỐN VỚI NHAU, EM RẤT MUỐN ĐƯỢC NGỦ CẠNH ANH, NẾU BIẾT TRƯỚC NGÀY MAI, ĐÀN BÀ.

tracks that i rec listening:��INTRO ĐỪNG ĐỂ EM MỘT MÌNH, VÀ XEM NHƯ CHÚNG TA CHỈ CÒN, MỘT NGƯỜI NHẸ NHÀNG HƠN, NGà TƯ KHÔNG ĐÈN, CHƯA ĐƯỢC YÊU NHƯ THẾ, EM SẼ KHÔNG ĐỂ ANH PHẢI CÔ ĐƠN.

worst track: CHỈ CÓ THỂ LÀ ANH - it feels bit less IMPACTFUL than the others and it could have some more ENERGY but it does not deserve the ALBUM TITLE NAME.

overall score 8/10 - this is all opinion so pls no hate

[existentialmagazine]

Review: Izzy Pingrey ‘roots’

At just seventeen, the rising indie artist Izzy Pingrey has been slowly but surely taking over her current residence of New York City, delivering music that always resonates with her young adult audience. With a sound that feels a little like Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Olivia Rodrigo but wrapped into slow, acoustic based indie-pop, she’s already carved out a completely identifiable sound of her own - and with every new release, she only seems to get better.

Her newest release ‘roots’ is the perfect embodiment of soft but catchy, slotting right into her discography like it’s always been a glowing part of it. Through a more laid-back bedroom-pop ease and indie-pop vibrancy, Izzy transports you to a place that’s filled with taking your time, letting yourself live in the moment that often finds itself slipping away too quickly to appreciate. The dreamy electric guitar riff is the reason it’s allowed such tranquility, gentle echoey notes that create such a little experience of dreamlike escapism. Steady drums flow through the verse too, simple but intentional, keeping you hooked on the smoothness of the sound. Izzy’s vocals are just as integral to the sound with such a limited palette of instruments, clean and airily gliding through a light range, a performance that’s enchanting and comforting all in one.

The chorus only picks up a slightly, shifting the staple guitar riff into something a little less slow, all the while the tumbling beats also change their course. Both rise in volume too, a more impactful moment filled with volume and a more consuming sound, still just as ethereal as ever but a little more noticeable. Izzy’s vocals are a bit more bold too, carried by haunting backing vocals on her every line and she is unafraid to cascade into higher ranged little runs and low-toned, rich admissions. It falls somewhere between aching and easy, a mix of emotions hard to pool into one but Izzy has nailed it perfectly, delivering that sense of nostalgia and appreciation that often slips through our fingers when we focus too hard.

It’s no surprise that the sound evokes such feelings either, when ‘roots’ itself plays out as a bittersweet love letter to Izzy’s younger self, working through the changes that adulthood brings. From the opening line ‘you wrote me a letter… delivered to me when I was seventeen’, Izzy places some distance between the person she was and is now, referring to herself as ‘you’ in perhaps a revealing nod to the fact she’s someone completely changed. Some things stay the same though, running through past and future as she admits ‘I still bite my nails’ , as well as ‘got a new dog and a new boyfriend, but my nose looks just like it did when I was twelve.’ Every line seems to flicker between what was and what is, but Izzy always keeps herself grounded in those details that can never be changed, honouring her younger self and in many ways yearning for that childhood experience once again. The chorus is interesting, delivering the hooks that ‘my hair used to be so long, cut it off’ and ‘I went blonde, but you’re coming in with my roots’ , showing that the ‘roots’ in this nature are a little double-edged. From the roots of her hair that connote change, to the real-life roots she’s placed throughout her existence, ‘roots’ shines for its authenticity.

There’s a lot to love and unpack through ‘roots’ , and it’s well worth doing it for yourself, along with everything Izzy’s shared. If you’re finding yourself relating to Izzy’s reflections or perhaps just soothed by her sweet sound, don’t forget to keep listening here.

Written by: Tatiana Whybrow

Photo Credits: Unknown

// This coverage was supported and created via Musosoup, #SustainableCurator.

[itsstraykids]

hello! hope ur doing well! i love reading ur answers and getting to know more abt u sm! its just amazing how days go by so quickly and busily like u blink and suddenly its 4 of them passed already! apologies! unlike u, im still infant-level fan to kpop (got pulled by skz) and being as hyperfocused on skz as i was, dont know any other kpop groups like i do skz sadly, but i do love music! i love shinee's stuff sm!!! and my best friend really likes xdinary heroes so im getting into them too! and txt just have some of the funnest bsides so their discography gets scoured too lmao. i just dont know any grps members or anything well, but yeah! like u said, lots of good music raining down. i will never understand ppl's bias against non native language songs-esp when they like english stuff and its not their mother tongue!-bcs kpop has such a range. so many interesting sounds, artists and genres!! from past year ive really found myself drawn to soft-ish(?) k-indie/rock a lot! u asked for newer artists (ik so less abt bands. this is a personal failure</3) some of my favorites i think are: lee go do, mingginyu, nerd connection! akmu, heo hoy kyung, se seo neon, etc etc just lots of solo lowkey artists and songs lmao. there's smth abt the lapping continuity of soft sounds and forming of language like that which enthralls me a lot. i really adore loud and wonderful girl group songs as well!! i listen to girl groups a whole lot more than bgs which is surprising bcs i love skz, but their immaculate energy and style! really love aespa, rv, loona! stayc, twice, billie, izone and others! do u listen to lucy the band? their stuff's really fun as well! i rambled sm lmao but yeah. music is so exciting in so many aspects its amazing. i love listening to a lot of languages and genres too! mostly bcs my brain's engagement is a pinball game and i am keeping it amused with fifty different things at the same time. which is why i just have a lot of recs for songs but none for artists bcs i collect and find interesting stuff but get obsessed easily, which makes it difficult to get into every artist particularly. would love to trade playlists or songs once this secret santa is over if ud be comfortable with that! (no pressure genuinely!) thank u for reading and indulging me! its funny how everything is still so busy even tho we here dont celebrate christmas that extensively like the west at all (asian!) holidays are holidays tho i guess lmao. hope u have lots of fun sweets and gifts well wishes and rest and reprieve!! stay safe!!

ps- top 3 artists?? that i found and fell in love with so bad this year?? would be youra! yukika and ahn ye eun! and now i dont know how much any of the artists song would be up your alley but im vibrating to recommend them to everybody so bad but id recommend mimi, raww from youra; neon 1989, soul lady, pit-a-pet (or any! she's amazing) from yukika; and burn like a star, full bloom, night flower, moon during the day or any! (im just. obsessed with her voice and how she likes doing her music smm) from ahn ye eun! u dont even have to listen to these if u dont want to, i just wanted to share lmao. do u have some particular artists whose sound u adore to unseeming degrees? also! fav japanese artists(if any)? ! im always on lookout for new music!! have a good day!!!

hi!! sorry again for answering this so late, like you said, the days go by in a flash lmao. thank you so much for those recommendations, i'm excited to check them out!! once i have the time 😅 i think after christmas i’ll be doing a lot of chilling and art + new music will be perfect. i totally feel you on collecting songs over artists usually, i do the same because i find good songs randomly from cafes, movies, spotify recommended, etc. and just put them all into a playlist, lol. i would LOVE to trade playlists with you. anything you recommend will be much appreciated. i really need more indie recs and good gg songs, i only really know mamamoo but i think they’re great. i’ve heard some singles from the other groups you mentioned that i like a lot too but i don’t know any of their b-sides.

oh wow you’re located in asia? that’s very cool, is it hot there right now or are you more in the north? i’m in california so we don’t get very “wintery” vibes even in december, but it has been raining a bit which is really nice and refreshing. also, today is my birthday! so we had a really great banana cake my family made, and they also made an incredible brunch. we’re going ice skating in a little bit and then having a bonfire on the beach in the evening. hope you’re having a good day as well! merry christmas if you celebrate 🎅🎄✨💝

[lordmayokcorner]

OurR 『HaaAakkKKK!!!』 - Single Review

Image: Kpopping

I recently stumbled upon an underground Korean alternative-indie gem of a band, OurR, while looking through my Spotify. I immediately fell in love with their vocalist and guitarist Hong Dahye’s vocal tone, and as I listened further, began to fall in love with everything about the band’s style. The trio is signed to Happy Robots Records, a small British electronic music label. The group is based in Seoul, and have been active since 2018, a year prior to the single I’ll review today. Without further ado, let’s get into this A/B single, HaaAakkKKK!!!

HaaAakkKKK!!! - 7

This track would be better described as an A-side track than a title track seeing as it doesn’t really fit the general K-pop idea of a title track. It’s much softer and more subdued, following the character of OurR. It has a chill groove akin to a candle flame, occasionally flaring up as Dahye’s rasp comes out or a bass fill is carried up the mix. It continues in this way through an instrumental breakdown before Dahye comes back in and the Jinkyu on the bass does an incredibly placed downward arpeggio with the synth adding a syncopated groove. Dahye’s voice builds in pitch volume and most importantly strain, giving this part of the song a desperate tension. A high note followed by a bass pickup drops the tension to bring it down to a third chorus with more flavour and some vocable notes. My interpretation of the lyrics is a depiction of an interesting story from the perspective of an insecure and hostile person who wishes that the rest of the world wouldn’t write them off because of their tough exterior and instead take the time to try to see inside. An interesting theme that matches the soft and slightly melancholy feel to the song. I love the end of the track, but I feel like the first half is a bit redundant. I would love to see more energy throughout. It is a very well made song though, I’ll give it that.

Alone With You - 10

This song seems slow as it is in half-time but pulls along quite swiftly. Dahye’s vocals are beautifully on display here, with just some dreamy guitars and soft rhythm behind her. When she hits the top note right before the end of the chorus her voice breaks displaying that same sense of desperation in the most beautiful way. The way that the warm guitar and her silvery backup vocals cradle the main line is texturally incredible. The use of timbre throughout is nothing less than masterful. In the last chorus more dreamlike guitar lines enter and we’re blessed with a cycle of her hoarse high notes and beautiful smooth low notes. The build of this song is magical to say the least, using natural tension to carry it forward. The lyrics seem to describe someone who fears death as it approaches them yet is grounded in the knowledge that they will forever be together with their loved one as they drift away from the rest of the world. There is a lot of sadness and tension in that narrative yet also love and relief, reflecting the structure of the song perfectly. A truly incredible song.

Final Thoughts

I’m just going to go ahead and embarrass myself and say that I’ve shed more than a few tears in the process of writing this. I truly am blown away by the expertise of this group. I am rarely touched by lyrics, but the way that they weave the emotion perfectly into every aspect of each song makes it impossible not to feel something. Each member has a unique quality to their musical style that all work together excellently, though I’m most stunned by Dahye’s vocal technique. I’ll give the single an 8.5 as a whole, but Alone With You is definitely a 10/10 for me. I see it as their masterpiece, their magnum opus, however you want to say it. It perfectly encapsulates everything that I love about them. Their limited popularity is frankly shocking, though I guess I can see how it takes someone who’s really listening to be able to truly see everything amazing about them. That’ll be all for this one, thanks so much for reading.

- Maya

[chaosincurate]

My month in music - June 2023

Björk - Homogenic

Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp

Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion (relisten)

MUNA - About U

Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy (relisten)

Snail Mail - Valentine (relisten)

Car Seat Headrest - Making A Door Less Open

Model/Actriz - Dogsbody (relisten)

Squid - O Monolith (new)

The 1975 - Being Funny in a Foreign Language (relisten)

David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (relisten)

The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead (relisten)

McKinley Dixon - Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? (new)

Radiohead - In Rainbows (relisten)

black midi - Schlagenheim (relisten)

King Krule - Space Heavy (new)

Prince & The Revolution - Purple Rain (relisten)

The 1975 - i like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it (relisten)

Beyoncé - RENAISSANCE (relisten)

Write-ups below

Björk - Homogenic

On Homogenic, Björk makes use of an experimental electronic orchestra as backdrop to her strange and heady lyricism to great effect. Its an album that is extremely antagonistic towards casual listening, but thrives under a microscope in a very similar way to Kid A by Radiohead. It's a great listen if that sounds up your alley, adn I personally enjoyed it, even if I'm struggling to communicate exactly why.

Apple Music link

Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp

Considering how much I love Jubilee in particular and Soft Sounds from Another Planet as well, I must admit this was a disappointing listen for me. Still a solid album, to be clear, but Japanese Breakfast has clearly grown as an artist since. That emotionally sincere core is still there, as is a rougher version of the sound on the later albums, but all of the execution is unfortunately a little below her artistic par. Still worth a listen, by all means, but it doesn't really hold up to comparisons with her later work at all for me.

Recommended song: Jane Cum

Apple Music link

Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion

I've already written at length about the opener here, so I'll keep my praise of Run Away With Me brief, but suffice it to say that it is one of my favourite pop songs ever, and possibly my favourite of the last few decades, and if you don't fall in love with it in the first ten seconds, there may be something wrong with you.

The rest of the album though, while understandably a considerable step down from those lofty heights, is still a fun ol' time. I don't think I quite click with it the way most people do as a whole project, but even still I found some hooks popping into my head randomly for weeks after listening to it again this month, and they were always welcome.

Apple Music link

MUNA - About U

This album's 80s-inspired, synthy indie sound definitely hit me hard and impressed me on first listen, but I honestly found that half the album was unwelcome on shuffle after about a week. Is that just because I became interested in a different sound at an unfortunate time? Honestly, I think it's possible. There's plenty a 1975 song that sounds like this that I have a lot of fun with, and it's definitely not an insincere rendition of that sound, and the usually disingenuous or half-hearted themes of perseverance and small pockets of relief being found in a cruel world hit home with equal believability. Whether that's the reason or not though, I can't make out I was playing this for weeks and it never got stale. I was appreciative of the album on first listen, and will probably revisit in the future, but at the moment it's a Schrödinger situation for me until I feel like relistening.

Recommended song: I Know A Place

Apple Music link

Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy

If you're at all familiar with Car Seat Headrest, this won't be alien to you. If you are, then excuse me while I stumble through my explanation of what makes them so special. I'll start off by saying that, while my favourite part of Car Seat Headrest is the lyrics, the music itself does not disappoint at all, with there being several songs over 5 minutes long that, not only keep up with the momentum of shorter songs, but would be all the worse for not being those lengths. There is so much in these massive anthems to chew on, that a standard song wouldn't feel like enough space to spread it across.

Moving onto the lyrics though, there is a sense that whatever is being said has been thought about thoroughly, which is usually in the form of self-critical introspection, but is occasionally just a fact that you wouldn't know without some sort of obsession, such as the lines (from a different album) "They got a portrait of Van Gogh on the Wikipedia page for clinical depression // Well, it helps you describe it". That overthought lyrical style helps you to understand or relate to the mindset of an anxious person so well and also results, itself, in thoughtful, interesting, and occasionally funny lyrics.

I still feel like I'm not quite portraying the magic of Car Seat Headrest properly, but if you're a fan of indie rock, I highly recommend you listen for yourself.

Apple Music link

Snail Mail - Valentine

I'm not quite sure how to describe the sound of this one in a way that does justice to it's personality without overstating it's experimentation. If I were to try, I'd probably go for something like "it sounds like the dark-tinged underbelly of something beautiful, like it couldn't exist without beauty, but is itself close to devoid of it in any pure sense". To clarify the comment of purity, I mean there is absolutely plenty of hint of happiness, or at least contentment, but there is always some level of distortion or some slight twist.

Of course, that fits perfectly with the spiteful, sarcastically lovesick lyrical and aesthetic style of the album, as if looking back and trying to convince yourself that you always hated someone that you love so deeply. It's some cool indie rock that absolutely nails the atmosphere it's going for, for me.

Recommended song: Valentine

Apple Music link

Car Seat Headrest - Making A Door Less Open

I took way too long to listen to this, I'll be honest. I heard that it went in a more electronic direction and was worried that it wouldn't capture the magic of the other two albums that I love so much, so I left it on the backburner for years. I'm glad I got around to it since though, because I was wrong. There is still every single bit of charm in this album as there was in the other two. Even the electronic stylings were, yes present, but overblown from what I saw, as I was lead to believe that this was almost entirely electronic- driven, but often there is at least one "natural" instrument, such as a guitar or bass, in the mix. In fact, my main criticism of the album is that the other vocalist that appears occasionally just doesn't have a comparable presence on the mic as Will Toledo. Other than that though, which only applies to one song, if I'm remembering correctly, I can't recommend this enough.

Apple Music link

Model/Actriz - Dogsbody

I think I've mentioned this on the majority of posts I've made here since it's release so I'll keep this one short. This album is basically gay BDSM in music form. It's sexy, it's aggressive, it's thrilling, and it's absolutely filthy. It's a great listen and I've been enamored with it all year.

Recommended song : Donkey Show

Apple Music link

Squid - O Monolith

I really loved this. On this album, Squid feels like a reincarnation of Radiohead, creating rock music that is capable of being equal parts urgent and compelling, which makes it as satisfying to listen to casually on the go as it is listened to actively and with intent.

My personal favourite from the album, though far from the only highlight, is The Blades; a song about a protagonist who gets a power trip from delusions of enacting justice and keeping people safe, which applies to both police and the military, with both interpretations seeming perfectly valid to me. It's got a very visceral, punkish bite to it which I really appreciate. It makes it all the more cathartic to listen to.

Apple Music link

The 1975 - Being Funny in a Foreign Language

I compared The 1975 to The Smiths a little while back, I don't remember when, for both band's respective ability to represent the culture of their times in a timeless way. Turns out there are also similarities between their frontmen, but we're not getting into that.

This past album from the band explores more subtle genres with more natural sonic palettes, and it lends a maturity to the album in terms of how it sounds. Lyrically, though, Matty Healy remains as wonderfully immature, yet narrowly insightful, as ever.

If it weren't for that stumble in the second half where, Wintering and maybe About You aside, there is a noticeable dip in my enjoyment, I'd consider this The 1975's first masterpiece.

Recommended song: I'm In Love With You

Apple Music link

David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust

It goes without saying this is an absolute classic. Half the album is phenomenal glam rock that shaped the genre whilst remaining some of the best songs to ever come out of it, and the other half is damn good too. I do think that the story of the album is more meandering than people present it as, but at that point we're talking about what could have been rather than what should have been. This album is revered for good reason, it's damn near flawless.

Recommended song: Starman

Apple Music link

The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead

This album is a classic for good reason. It essentially functions as a greatest hits album for one of the most influential indie bands of all time, but with all the benefits that a uniform piece of art, such as an album, grants. Experimentation is sparse and subtle, but entirely unnecessary in the face of pure perfection of execution. Thematically interesting, lyrically enthralling, and musically satisfying, I'd struggle to point out even the pettiest of flaws in this thing. It's a must listen for any indie fan in my book.

Recommended song: There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

Apple Music link

McKinley Dixon - Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?

I'm still not very good at talking about hip-hop, but I'll do my best.

I liked McKinley Dixon's last album on first listen, but long-term only a song or two really stuck with me. Maybe it's my lack of experience with the genre making it hard for me to appreciate all but the most diverse hip-hop albums, but they all just registered to me as "one of the songs from For My Mama and Anybody Who Look Like Her" after a few weeks. Well, as of writing it's been a few weeks, and I'm happy to say this album isn't suffering from that same issue.

I love the eponymous heavy jazz influence on this, and I think that is the main reason I find that this album has a clearer identity, but even beyond that, the way it blends into a more contemporary rap style is seamless and impressive to say the least. I'm seeing a lot of hype for McKinley Dixon, and if he carries on on this trajectory, that hype should be fully earned.

Apple Music link

Radiohead - In Rainbows

I love OK Computer as much as the next virgin, but for my money this is Radiohead's magnum opus. The sense of space on this album is incredible, and occasionally gives the album a jazz club feel, which goes surprisingly well with the experimental art rock on display here.

One thing I really appreciate about this album is it's versatility in mood. The band explore much of this sound in ten tracks by channeling all sorts of emotions. There's anger, resignation, even scrambling for drunken memories after a one-night stand. It's all exceptionally done and packaged together to make a high-point in a long discography with few lows.

If you haven't heard this album yet, I'll link the opener for you here. If you like that, the album should take your hand and guide you from there.

Apple Music link

black midi - Schlagenheim

I love black midi. The first time I listened to Hellfire, I transcended like never before. My reaction were as if I were thrust into heaven and my atheist mind had to comprehend the face of god. I love a bit of melodrama, but that is not what this is. It was a very intense experience.

My experience with Schlagenheim was similar, but to a lesser extent. It was more of an orbital experience than an ironically heavenly one, but individual all the same. In fact, the slightly more terrestrial experience meant I was able to appreciate this more as music because I was able to think critically about it.

Recommended song: Of Schlagenheim

Apple Music link

King Krule - Space Heavy

This one is at once spacey and naturalistic in a way that sounds as if humanity crossed paths with an alien race and communicated through an intergalactic jam sesh. Everything resembles Earth with a slight cosmic distortion. It's an album I'd where I'd be lying if I said I understood it fully, but what I do understand is unique and encourages further exploration.

Recommended song: Flimsier

Apple Music link

Prince & The Revolution - Purple Rain

I think I'm in my Prince appreciation era. I always struggled to see the appeal beyond the hits, and even listened to Purple Rain confused by its status. I can confidently say now that I was a dumb fuck. I don't know why it didn't click for me. It's often invigorating, its occasionally sexy, and its always interesting. It's an exception piece of pop-funk and I don't know what I didn't see in it. I intend to relisten to the other Prince albums I've heard going forward at a minimum to attempt to atone for my sins.

Apple Music link

The 1975 - i like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it

This past listen, I learned to respect the way this album flows. Up until then, the staggered flow frustrated me, but this time round it clicked as an almost episodic experience, like an album split into chapters, and I'm still not crazy about it by any means, but the biggest issue I had with the album isn't a big deal any more, which has allowed me to better appreciate the incredible, versatile artistry on display and the (given the controversy, perplexingly) deep social commentary.

Apple Music link

Beyoncé - RENAISSANCE

I love the gall on display of this album. When you have the confidence to essentially give yourself a round of applause at the end of your album and end up earning that, not only is it a sign that the album is great, it makes the album that much better for the harmony between the artist's view of themselves and your view of the artist.

I get why Beyoncé fans are so obnoxious now, because this is absolutely queen shit and Beyoncé is, it turns out, an international treasure. I'm not much of a dance music aficionado, but I'm still willing to commit to saying this is the best damn dance album I'm likely to be exposed to.

Apple Music link