#still a favorite track i have to yell the lyrics every time

[marstonsboy]

i think u like jack marston but idk

nooo. perish the thought! these allegations! i actually can’t stand that guy. that’s why i think about him all the time and am brought to tears by the mere mention of him. and by the way since you brought him up i’m obligated by my special interest to yap at you in an increasingly insane fashion about him. because i don’t like him so much.

there’s a bunch of campfire songs you can stumble upon at beecher’s hope after the sunset. most of the time it’ll be uncle leading the chorus, either with his banjo or without, and abigail and jack singing along. other times it’s abigail singing by herself, but jack will accompany her by playing the harmonica as a backing track.

as far as the ones i’ve seen, i’m fairly certain that none of these are songs you can also see at the various campsites during chapters 2-4. but as they have remained stuck in my head, i like to think jack remembers some of them too. he can still be found playing harmonica in 1911, and i like to think he still would in 1914, if less often. it probably makes him sad to do it, without his momma singing along to her favorite songs that he learned to play for her, but sometimes a tune he heard years ago will pop in his head, and he has to play it to start remembering the whole thing.

a couple times in mexico it’s a handful of words that triggers it. he doesn’t remember all of them, or the order they go in, and lord knows he isn’t good enough at spanish to try and execute it, but it dredges up a very fuzzy, distant memory. one of his uncles playing guitar and singing confidently, while the rest of his family shouted along to the chorus and fumbled their way through the parts they didn’t know.

some dirty joke uncle told him pops in his head, and he laughs at how it would surely disgust both of his parents to hear— and just for a couple seconds, the strings of a banjo. a group of his uncles by the fire, loudly hollering out the words to a song jack was not allowed to hear, as his momma was very quick to put her hands over his ears and yell at them, which only made them laugh harder.

just once, when he’s twelve, he’s reading in the family room at just the right time to hear momma playing something on the piano. it starts off as nothing he recognizes, when she presses the keys experimentally, but soon starts taking shape into something that, for some reason, makes him feel a little nostalgic and a little sad. he hums along unconsciously, just barely loud enough to vibrate in his ears but low enough to not be heard beneath the sounds of the piano.

but he hums a little louder for the chorus, the notes falling into almost the right order in his head as she plays them, and momma stops so abruptly that a noisy wrong note makes him wince. she turns around to look at him. jack tenses, book in hand, afraid he’s done something wrong when momma’s eyes look a little shiny, but she doesn’t look mad.

instead, she smiles. and when she sniffles a little, and when jack asks “are you feelin’ alright, momma?” she just shakes her head, half turned to face him.

“mhm. i just love you so much, you silly boy.” she tells him, and a little embarrassed, jack nods silently and buries his head back in his book.

but after a few seconds, the piano starts up again, and this time momma’s voice accompanies it. halting and hesitating every few lines, like she isn’t certain she remembers all the lyrics, but in the back of jack’s mind he hears a bunch of other familiar voices singing along with her. “jack o’ diamonds, jack o’ diamonds, i know you of old, you rob my poor pockets of silver and gold...”

[red-dyed-sarumane]

what are your rankings for hiiragi magnetite songs? ^^

sorry i said this would take several hours and then spent several days on it i care too much.

im only listing songs they've posted themself bc i'll be honest they do a lot of comm songs & i've lost track of all of them & this would get just way too extensive if i did so

kyuuyaku hankagai - the definitive magu song to me its really got everything. its heavy its dramatic the weight of the scenario gets across in every part of the composition. the part at like 3:24 where the bell tolls & u can really feel that sense of time running out. how long and high the notes are just being the perfect representation of screaming out of stress and fear and panic. how the rute furute woa & nami no ne no motifs mix into it so so well. i could go on about this song forever not even exaggerating ive never loved a song more.

oumen mokushiroku - the atmosphere of this one is so pretty yet so intense. the slower very pretty sounds like ur in a cathedral vibe into undeniably more intense edm & the way the two are mixed flawlessly together i love it i love it i love it. the way it reflects her state of mind, the shock of realizing her times almost up at the beginning shown with nothing but the rain that gradually works its way into something heavier with all her pleas, the feeling of panic & desperation it gets across, everything building up until she finally lies to herself it'll be better for everyone & ending so quietly as theres nothing more to be done no way to change the outcome she has no choice but to accept its over for her. its so good both in and out of series context for real

kugutsu ashura - the thing that sells me on this is always the last lyric section theres just something so so emotional about it. and it feels like every motif in the series should be in there and yet no matter how hard i try to find it in either the vocals or just the instrumental they arent there. after the heavy whole rest of the song the part from the ugate iine sono rensa line is just so bright and decisive and has so so much in it it makes the whole song for me. also i have mad respect for making a whole song out of words that are so mildly different sounding from each other. and magu says theyre bad at words. whats all this then. amazing to me. 

kannagi - i swear this song is permanently stuck in my head the rhythm & the melody are just so easy to listen to. i'll be going about my day not listening to it & suddenly im tapping it out or singing it without thinking. the fact that not even the jpn fans were sure if it was a made of language or old time jpn. & i think the majority of it Was deciphered but theeres still some overlooked lines i dont have the time to figure out myself (old jpn into modern jpn into eng). but even then u can feel a sort of hopeful regret in all of it. that feeling of "i meant well but it still ended up like this". i adore this song i really do. 

yamete kudasai - I LOVE THIS SONG this character could be my best friend fr. following orders bc its what u think u should do only to realize too late ur not urself anymore and get mad & complain about it. i love her we're the same. also its just a really fun song rhythm wise. bu bu bubun bu bu bubun... i also adore when the train crossing bells are used in songs its like my favorite thing ever feels like home to me

kafu-eine - KAFEINE!!!!!!!! for a while before this i was thinking someone should make a kafu themed coffee song like kafu-ccino or something imagine how i felt when my favorite producer did it better than i could ever think of. also i have a spiritual attachment to this song bc yelling kafu with the whole rest of the club & magu themself was by far the best moment of my life

aru sekai shoushitsu - i have very strong opinions on this song everyone who says its too long are missing the point. yes its 11 minutes long. if u would pay attention for 2 minutes u would realize how intentional that is & that its SHOWING the very themes the song is describing. also even being 11 minutes long this is the easy song to listen to ive ever heard the rhythm of everything is just perfect it really doesnt feel like 11 minutes at worst it feels like a 4 minute song u dont remember putting on repeat. this song gives me a headache when i think too hard about bc its SO direct and to the point it leaves out context (thats what the other songs are for so its fine) that makes it impossible to understand on its own but u get the context from other songs & ur like oh damn it really meant that directly they really just told us that. flawless first song that continues to hold up with the rest of the series songs 10/10

marshall maximizer - can i be honest with u the piano chords in this song remind me of pokemon dppt's route 216 music (which i love). anyway i love this song i dont think its overrated at all i think its perfectly rated although i do think a lot of people dont really think about what its saying so much as its fun to listen to. we love sunk cost fallacy the song!!!!! tabete! sugu nete! ushi ni naru! okite! mata nete! hito de nashi?!!! u will always be famous to me. it has a sort of unaffected vibe compared to other series songs despite her very clearly being aware of whats happening & that interests me. also shout out to the mini novel in the middle just flat out telling us what happens when someones not a "person" anymore. although this character's indifference to it means it didnt really hit me until laboratory. 

red rose - idk compass at all but THIS SONG GOES SO HARDDD.  AKAKI HOLY RAAAAAAAAAIN!!!!!!! theres a feeling of strength in this song its like impossible for me to feel bad while listening to it. its just really good really solid. its also my friend who also a Huge magu fans favorite song so it get extra points. im in the process of making a rime cover of it btw if u didnt know. 

laboratory - ive never had a song tear me apart this badly before. its so heavy and direct it took me like a whole month or more to process it when i came out and even now if i start thinking about it too hard i feel a little sick to my stomach. its exactly what maximizer was describing but from the opposite perspective. she doesnt want to die. she would do anything to take a step back and have another chance. but she ignored all the warning signs & overlooked the details and now she's passed the point of no return and all she can do is watch it happen to herself. and the dubstep drops just add to the whole feeling of when ur panicking so hard everything feels like its spinning and unstable and theres nothing to hold onto. and this is also my favorite usage of rime ive ever heard shes SOOOOOO cute and smooth thank u magu for the food im begging u to use her again. 

rasshaina - its just a really fun halloween song. it think its really funny that they tried being scary & even wrote a mini novel in it about like copious amounts of blood filling a room and its STILL no where as terrifying as laboratory is. zero complaints on this song and the word play is really really fun. 

nadenna - super cute zirai song. i was so happy when this came out & i still love it. i dont have anything profound to say its just a fun song. 

antenna39 - THIS IS SUCH A FUN SONG IM SO HAPPY THEY GOT TO DO THE MAGIMIRA THEME THATS SUCH AN HONOR..... my vocaP doing such an influential song love that for them. i unfortunately missed the ticket window for magimira itself but it was super fun in the club & i like to listen to it on the train to events really gets me in a fun excited mood i love it a lot i get a little emotionally overwhelmed listening to it sometimes but like positive emotions so its fine. 

unplanned apoptosis - i have 2 opinions on this song and the first is i understand her entirely and shes so right to be Like That. the second is wow girl why are we acting like this it seems a bit over dramatic and nonsensical. shes such a brat she awful WHY are u so mean. but also shes got the whole world ending repeatedly & her closest friend(?) just died permanently possibly bc of her & she didn't even get a chance to say anything about it or to her so like yeah i get it she deserves a meltdown or too. but u just know shes also awful in general too look at how she talks come ON girl. i think about her constantly. the instrumental too just really embodies that panic and instability of a breakdown total whirlwind of a song i think its really well handled. the fact even some of the lyrics kind of switch tone from hiding/ignoring something to accidentally letting the truth through idk its a fascinating song. i get her im her #1 apologist. i would also trip her down the stairs given the first opportunity to do so. 

kanon - this song had me worried magu was going to do maximizer but different as their usual music but that didnt happen its fine like ah it was an intentional choice [saying this they tossed a large rock from behind their back] i always think im neutral on this one until i hear it and i absolutely lose my mind over it. daremo gisei ni nanka naranai sonna risou ni sugatteshimatta in particular drives me INSANE. like YEAH. YEAH that wouldve been nice wouldnt it. wouldnt it. i like how this girl also admits to lying like in a i just wanted them to listen to me way & now she regrets it deeply. its like a totally different regret from kannagi tho. very solid song. also like the little coded text in the bg implying(?stating?) the whole things their fault in the first place and now they cant fix what they started. 

saiken romanesque - i'll be honest i just like thinking about this as a ship song for the girlies. like yes both of the girlies Are this producer's ocs no this song is not actually about them even slightly. but im insane enough to make it work. one day i'll finish the coko (+kafu & rime) cover of this that i started like 2 years ago. 

shuuen touhikou - putting a series song this low feels wrong & my opinion of it HAS improved since realizing the rute furute woa motif is like. a thing. & is most of the instrumental in this song. sorry this is just the least impactful of the series songs to me. thats not saying much however i would defend this song with my life. the.  mikitte isso nigeteshimaetara has gotten me thru so much. sometimes u really do just have to say ashi wa mada & do things scared. if i put it on by choice im neutral about it if it comes on when im not expecting it i Lose My Mind i do love it a lot. 

realize - im still waiting for kohane solo vocals on this. im SOOOOOOOO happy magu got a comm song in proseka i was begging for shuuen touhikou or maximizer to get in for the longest time and then they said magu comm song for vbs and i was like YESSSS. its a really good fun song too. i want to ap master in proseka one day but my wrists have been too fucked to practice it 😔😔

perfection - i again have no familiarity with the source material here but the song is really solid. nice full sound with miku & the piano to give it a very pretty touch

tetoris - i dont know how this exploded i think kafu-eine is the better meme song BUT it is a really fun song. bouncy rhythm. te te te teto teto te te te tetoris!! very fun. theres actually a lot in it too if u care to look (i have not yet beyond what they explained themself). they said they were having a rough time & they only ended up finishing it bc of a friends tweet & it kinda shows its very much a depression song. thats a neutral statement not a complaint. 

uni - this ones cute. nice to have a rain theme magu song thats not a series song. just some cute gumiku. i started a kafu lapis cover of this and never got anywhere with it oops. it has a sort of sparkly feeling like sun bouncing off raindrops very fitting as expected of magu

retry - i actually DID read several chapters of the source material specifically bc of this song (it was not my thing) and its really neat to see magu doing time loops outside of aru sekai series . its such a similar theme but done so entirely differently & its really fun to see them handle it as such. going from series songs where the world is dying & everyone's right to exist as a person is on the line at the same time to this where its just a boy getting in situations & making it his problem to solve is like. refreshing in a way. 

fabric flower - this one as well idk the source material but the stories really clear from this song. this feels like an experimental type of song for them its so much lighter than just about everything else theyve done before or since. were it not for the magu signature piano & chord progression i would not recognize this as a magu song if i didnt already know. i actually do like how the story in it is told i think its a really good solid song but given the choice i usually listen to their other songs instead. 

im not including comm songs they havent posted themself but honorable mention to viper they wrote for kankan. AMAZING song its my fave comm song of theirs i think it'd be like 7.5 on this list i think. mugen kyoukaisou for araki also ranks high as does dimension for isekaijoucho. 

[alivingolive]

First of all, whose idea was it for Billy Joel to be born so long before me? Now I’m stuck in a timeline where I’m frantically hoping he doesn’t call it quits before I can see him live (IT SUCKS 😣)

I’ll admit, there’s a certain charm in being late to the party—like finding a book everyone’s read and realizing it’s every bit as good as they said. That’s how his music feels to me: timeless. 

So.. this leaves me with no choice but to dive headfirst into a very enthusiastic (and probably incoherent) rant about his music.

This is probably just me and my low-level understanding of music (i'm self-aware, okay?), but I’ve never experienced anything like his discography before.

Usually, I’ll find one or two songs I love, a few I like, and the rest are... there. But with his works? Well, I’m not saying every single track is a masterpiece (calm down, super fans), but liking almost 90% of someone’s work? That’s unheard of for me.

Maybe I just don’t “get” other artists, or maybe I’m just clueless about music. Either way, he’s different. I’m over here liking entire albums. Who does that? Is this what having standards feels like? 

Now, after hours of unnecessary self-inflicted stress (and questioning whether I even understand what “favorites” mean), I’ve landed on a top three.

Is this ranking stable? Absolutely not. But for now, these are the songs I’m obsessively replaying while pretending this choice isn’t tearing my soul apart. Let’s unpack them while I still believe in my own decisions. (spoiler: i don’t)

Got to Begin Again is the first. This song doesn’t just ask you to feel; it demands it. And I’m not usually the type to be all lyric-driven, but this one? It kind of broke me.

The whole thing feels like it’s saying, “Look, life sucks, but it’s cool. You’re fine... Probably.” (notice the optimism dripping off that word) And the melody? It’s like the universe is both yelling at you and patting you on the back at the same time.

I don’t know how he managed to create the musical equivalent of a therapist with zero solutions but a really good playlist, but here we are.

And Going to Extremes? Don’t even get me started.

“And if I stand or I fall, it’s all or nothing at all.”

That line is so ridiculously good it makes me want to get up and do something dramatic—like, quit my job, burn a bridge or two, and then confidently walk into… I don’t know, the nearest cafe? Because I didn’t plan that far ahead.

For exactly four minutes and twenty-three seconds though, I’m convinced I’ve got life all figured out.

Then there’s 52nd Street. I’m not even going to try and pretend I understand what’s happening in the music (do me a favor and listen to the 1:02-1:19 part)

I don’t know why it works, I don’t know how it works, and I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel—but wow, does it work.

It’s so perfect it makes my brain short-circuit. It’s the musical equivalent of staring at a masterpiece in an art gallery and thinking, “I don’t get it, but I love it.”

And... it’s frustrating because I know just enough about music to know that I know nothing (cue existential dread) Like, how does someone even create something like this? It’s so good it feels unfair.

But here’s the thing: I’ve always loved music—it’s been a big part of my life—but now it feels different. For the first time, I feel like I want to do something with that love for music.

Like, he’s set some kind of invisible bar that I have no business trying to meet, and yet, here I am. It’s not about connecting with people or becoming the next big thing, though. Honestly, I don’t care if no one ever hears it (definitely a lie)

But.. I want to take all the messy, confusing, slightly chaotic parts of me and turn them into something that makes sense—something that sounds like me (no clue how to do that)

So yeah, he’s officially turned my interest in music into an existential crisis. I’m supposed to be figuring out how to do something with this inspiration, but instead, I’m writing yet another long-winded Tumblr post about him while procrastinating on literally everything else in my life.

[lexolfraser]

Depeche Mode Albums Ranked:

#15 Exciter (2001)

I like every album, but I will never feel the need to listen to this one. Just not my style of music. Kinda boring and not necessarily what I am looking for when I want to listen to Depeche Mode. Not a fan of Freelove. At all.

#14 Delta Machine (2013)

I don't really care too much, not disappointing or anything as it's still completely decent. I like Welcome to My World and Soothe My Soul. But not something I think I'll go back to unless I'm doing a full album runthrough.

#13 Spirit (2017)

I went to this tour 2018! I saw Andy while he was still alive! It was wonderful. This album is quite decent too. The lyrics in "Going Backwards" were insanely ahead of its time looking at America in 2025. Anyways I really like that song, I like Scum and Fail too. I haven't listened often though, the replay value isn't too high, but It's still solid.

#12 Sounds of the Universe (2009)

This album is not bad. I like the song "Fragile Tension" a lot. I like how they went back to pure synth-pop for this one after a couple alternative rock albums.

#11 Speak & Spell (1981)

I actually really like certain songs from this album. I like songs such as "Photographic" and "New Life". It's definitely a debut album with lyrics hard to listen to (in an enjoyable way) for many fans. It's interesting to hear their sound before they really mastered it, but of course the albums that closely followed show quite a bit of improvement.

#10 Playing the Angel (2005)

This is definitely an album that Depeche Mode made past their peak that a large majority of fans like. I like "A Pain That I'm Used To" among others. Some fans would place this a lot higher than I personally would though. But noticeably a return to form from Exciter.

#9 Some Great Reward (1984)

This is a generally strong album. People Are People and Blasphemous Rumours are hits among many others. This is essentially the hitmaker album. This is surprisingly lower than I expected myself to put it, but looking at the track lists this honestly seems about correct.

#8 Ultra (1997)

I like this album because this is the first album after Dave Gahan almost died, and Alan Wilder left. It's really good even with all the chaos amongst the band. "Barrel of a Gun" is very good and I think the industrial influence of this album sets up a nicely consistent album.

#7 Memento Mori (2023)

I love this album! It's the best album they made in decades! Ghosts Again is such an amazing song and I loved it when it came out! Also, Wagging Tongue, Never Let Me Go, and Speak to Me are very good too. I feel like the production is perfect. It also shows that they can even be great as a duo. I also saw this concert! There was an irritating drunk person yelling but I don't care. It was wonderful to see them live.

#6 Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993)

I think this album has very strong highlights and I would want to listen to it more. I love I Feel You, it's probably my favorite on the album. It deserves praise. Not a lot to say. It’s just good!

#5 A Broken Frame (1982)

I absolutely love this album! Leave In Silence and Nothing to Fear are both such good songs. It's also such an improvement over Speak & Spell. This album definitely deserves more love.

#4 Construction Time Again (1983)

This is probably their most underrated album in my opinion. I love the Industrial Synth influence on this album, and songs like Everything Counts, Love in Itself, and Told You So are so good. Way more consistent than some people give it credit for. One of the albums I actually come back to the most.

#3 Music for the Masses (1987)

Now we are at the three best album, which just so happens to be a trilogy. Music for the Masses actually used to be my favorite album by them, and I think that To Have and To Hold is in my top 5 Depeche Mode songs ever! Never Let Me Down Again, everyone loves that song. Also, Nothing and Behind the Wheel are great. It's such a wonderful album.

#2 Black Celebration (1986)

This is definitely the album I come back the most to. So many great songs on this one. The title track is totally my favorite, but I also love Stripped and New Dress among others. This is truly their dark-wave album, and I absolutely love it.

#1 Violator (1990)

I know it's a stereotypical choice, but this really is my favorite Depeche Mode album. It is one of the most consistent albums I have ever heard. I love every song (apart from the second song which isn't bad or anything), but Policy of Truth is my absolute favorite. I also really like Clean and Personal Jesus. I also like Enjoy the Silence and I find the two minute instrumental tagged on to the end of it rather underrated. But I just have to say, the consistency!

Share your rankings if you wish.

[khiphop-discussions]

RAP: PUBLIC Ep.9 Part 1 Thoughts

"When it's survival, tongue is a double-edged sword" - "Notorious Thugs" Notorious B.I.G ft Bone Thugs N Harmony

The deathmatch is a team performance where the 1st place block has all members survive, 2nd has 1 member survive (2 eliminated), 3rd has all 3 elimination candidates survive.

Osun seems like he's taking the loss really hard. Khundi Panda, Owen, and JP volunteer as elimination candidates.

Osun feels responsible for it but group 5 would have still lost without any of the people who came over. Group 4 was just better at that specific mission. Osun was great. The whole block was.

Kaogaii (Block 6) chose Joonie, Odomar, and Kohway as elimination candidates. I still don't 100% agree with this. Didn't all 3 candidates do well? But I also understand the need to keep Geegooin. I think he's one of the MVPs of Block 6, despite his mistake in the last mission.

Over at Block 2, Loopy is still down so everyone tries to pick him up. Shyboiitobii is also still the go to guy for hooks. OK, that makes him really important to the team then. I wonder who Khan will choose as the elimination candidates.

Loopy is out of it so Tobii wants the younger members to take responsibility. This is interesting. It's starting to seem kinda like Khan is president and Tobii is vice president. It's an interesting dynamic since Loopy and Jtong are there. I expected that they would be taking most of the charge as the oldest. It's nice to see them (well Tobii, since Khan's already the official leader) step up especially since Loopy is still upset at the moment.

OK so Khan asks if they shouldn't put Loopy as an elimination candidate. I feel like Loopy probably WANTS to be a candidate to save the younger members. If Block 2 wins, then everything is great. However, I think Loopy may feel even WORSE if the younger members (or even Jtong, I'm not sure of foggy's age but I assume younger than Loopy) gets eliminated since he still believes his mistake is a big contribution to block 2's loss. He may feel like that's his fault too by extension. At least, that's how I think I'd feel in a similar situation.

I know that Block 2 is doing this to be nice though so I understand. Also, because Loopy is an important part of the team, as far as performance and mentorship, it's really bad to lose him.

Yes, this is tobii's time to shine like he said. I've been waiting for his moment all season. I wanna see him give his best.

Khan chooses Shyboiitobii, Xwally, and Nosun or Raf Sandou? He vaguely gestured in their direction so idk who the last member was. We'll see though.

Block 6 is up. The GD&Top reference to "Don't Go Home" is so cheeky lol

Since is really that girl. She kills it every time.

Joonie also did well. Geegooin too. This team is solid overall. They even got Loopy to smile again haha. Nice!

Wait, I didn't know Geegooin could dance lol!

This is a good performance. But at the moment, I feel like the other 2 teams could top it. So let's see.

Oh also I liked the "Like Lexy, Get Up. Like Kitsyoji, Get Up!" Lyric. Love it when they reference rappers not on the show

Block 5 up next. Owen immediately messes up but gets back on track. It was so early on in the performance that people may not remember it.

Luci Gang's solid as usual. Hash Swan too. Oh man, Osun is really good. I gotta check his music out when I get a chance. I've only heard him on "GWTM (remix)" so far.

Khundi and JP did great as well.

At the moment, Block 6 definitely outdid Block 5 as I see it.

OK, now Block 2. This should be the most trendy performance based on the members in this block.

They got in formation at the beginning. Tobii came out the gate yelling at us.

Polodared says they're are the trendiest.

Jtong's rap definitely brings a more unique vibe to the block's songs.

Khan's verse is my favorite.

I like the "2 Block, We still going up" chant.

Oh shit, I forgot Nosun was gonna rip the shirt lol!

It's hard to call. I think Block 6 was still really good. But Block 2's performance is really shocking. Tobii being so loud all of a sudden probably left a big impression since so far he's been more cool, calm, and collected every performance. Then, Khan's verse. Nosun ripping the shirt. I didn't even realize that Loopy mostly sat this one out. They were still able to carry a great performance without him being too involved so I think that shows the level of talent.

I gotta be honest, I'd rather see Block 2 win. I still wanna see more Xwally, Nosun, Raf Sandou, and obviously Tobii performances. But...I ALSO know that MAJOR SPOILER: Joonie has a song on ep.10. idk if Kaogaii would have chosen to keep her over odomar or kohway... Especially since, earlier this episode, he said he'd move to keep Kohway over the other 2 if it came down to it.

Block 6: Odomar, Joonie, Kohway

Block 5: Luci Gang, Khundi Panda, Owen (I think everybody knows block 5 is getting last place so everybody is kinda shocked cause we can tell all 3 will be eliminated)

Block 2: Raf Sandou, Shyboiitobii, and Xwally

Khan is crying..fuck! *Hugs*

This is hard. Raf and Tobii are both important so far in the missions. Both are always standouts so if they don't get first place...this is bad.

Block 6 is first. Damn...

Hash Swan and Loopy are both upset.

Damn, Block 2 got second place by 2 votes. So Luci, Khundi, and Owen all leave.

Khan might end up eliminating his close friend, Tobii. Oh no, he saved him. So Xwally and Raf go. Damn, raf is lowkey but if you really look through his performances he was solid. Hard loss but Raf is still in a good position outside the show so he can keep his head up.

I said I wouldn't speak on Owen unless necessary but I feel it's necessary here. I ALSO, don't think his mistake here is the reason why they got last. It's another situation where the other blocks just had a better prepared performance. Block 5's biggest mistake from the mission and the deathmatch is not having enough emphasis on performance aspects. Everybody in this team is known for being more rap oriented than for trends, performances, and catchy songs. Well maybe Hash Swan is a bit more mixed between catchy songs and trends.

Unfortunately, hip hop survival shows are always very heavy on performance since they are live (prerecorded for us obviously), visual shows instead of being mostly based on album songs. So people who are more heavily on the rap side are actually at a disadvantage if they can't adjust quick enough or get more performance based people to balance things out. It's weird but it is what it is.

Luckily for Block 6, it seems like they've achieved the perfect balance of both.

So many people are crying. Even the winning teams that didn't compete are crying. Jeffrey White is crying, likely because Raf got eliminated.

No shade...but this still isn't as bad as when the leaders had to compete on the eliminated candidates' behalf. This one seems a bit more fair to me since everyone competed.

In my opinion, I feel like voting the strongest members as elim.candidates is too risky now. It worked out well for Haon in the beginning but since the deathmatch format changes a lot it's too risky. People should go back to choosing the "weakest" again. Even then, I know it's still hard to choose.

Since and Hippie went to comfort Luci. So sweet. Damini and Dommiu also went to check on her seperately. The female solidarity I LOVE it!

Bro, why is everybody so obsessed with assigning fault or blame? Like this is a show with some STRONG ass competition. You win some, you lose some. Nobody is at fault. The talent level is just crazy as fuck!

I know, I know, It's easy to say that as a viewer. If I was there though then I'd probably feel the same.

[dykeferatu]

Hi, River! :)

What's your favourite NIN song(s) my dude? (If I may call you my dude.)

hello! god this is like asking me to choose a favorite child except i think that would be easier. if i was a parent. it's hard to chose only a few faves but it will TRY to keep this limited... (note from future river: i failed)

fuck this is actually so difficult... ok i have to get closer out of the way

obviously..... predictable choice but it's a hit for a reason ok!! it was my top song on spotify last year and i literally only started listening to nin in october. so good... i saw u respond to my post about track transitions and the transition from closer into ruiner makes me go crazyyyyyyy. i love ruiner as well but again. trying to keep it limited..

ok nearly every song on tds is a favorite so i'm just going to highlight a few more and then i'll give other releases a chance 😭

reptileee.. UGHHH. yeah this one just does something to me. the machinery sounds. yum. that guitar bit that lines up with that one machine sample that's playing throughout (3:43 if u don't know wtf i'm talking abt)... and i like the muffled yelling in the outro

there are songs on tds i guess i technically like listening to more but there's something about this one that makes it special to me. it's comforting somehow! the intro is meditative, and the meat of the song is cathartic. i like how we get the same muffled effect as on reptile, but here even the instrumentals are muffled

BURN!! one of my first favs. so good and aggressive. grraaahhhh

ok gonna try to limit myself to one song per release from here on out bc i really do love so many.....

so fun and funky. the nursery rhyme lyrics are a little silly but i love it. also love the part where he just screams

so many good things abt this one... the first things that made my ears perk up were the synths on the chorus

there's just a weight to the sound of this one that i'm obsessed with atm. also, the crunch is real good

ok already breaking my promise but the fragile has so many songs and i haaave to highlight please. underrated as hell!!! hearing that chorus for the first time changed my brain chemistry (<- could say this about a lot of nin stuff lmao)

breaking my promise AGAIN because LA MER...... such a beautiful song. does things to me. has made me cry. whatever........

gotta love only. the beat. the rambling verses. the chorus. the reference to down in it. fun!

i ran out of embeds but THAT WON'T STOP ME...

Me, I'm Not - i woke up with this song stuck in my head once and then i listened to year zero and finally Got It

Discipline - just a banger

Various Methods of Escape - hesitation marks is CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED

The Background World - i do kinda with there was a version with a shorter outro bc i looove this one but it's hard to put on playlists. great way to end the ep tho

God Break Down the Door - PLAY THAT SAX TRENT!! i also love his voice in this one

OK i'm done. i agonized over this and i still wanted to include more 😭😭 tysm for asking and thanks to anyone who got to the end of this post <3 ily

[bigfatmusicblog]

October Drift - Blame the Young ALBUM REVIEW

Growing up as I did in the mid-2000s we were a generation past MTV, the traditionally named MUSIC TELEVISION was going away from music, opting more for messy dramatic reality tv shows. It’s a cliche now to complain about how MTV doesn’t actually play music anymore - a subject usually left for boomers on Ultimate-Guitar messageboards. But the loss of music in MTV created a few other channels trying to capitalize on what MTV originally did. The biggest one to come out of that, at least for my money, is VH1. Now VH1 wasn’t the complete opposite of MTV, they maybe even had trashier reality tv at the time, however they had a program that me and thousands other got ready to every day - Jumpstart. 

I learned a ton of new music from Jumpstart, I’m lucky to have grown up in a time when alternative/indie rock still had a place on the mainstream charts, and I remember so vividly seeing the music videos for songs like ‘Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked’ by Cage the Elephant or ‘New Low’ by Middle Class Rut. This quite literally jumpstarted my love for bands that I still have love for to this day - I saw Cage the Elephant earlier this year and it was surreal seeing this song whose music video I have been watching for the last 13 years finally performed in front of me. Another huge song/moment for me when watching Jumpstart was the first time I saw the music video for “Sometime Around Midnight” by The Airborne Toxic Event - the quiet but steadily building indie rock, with the droning of the lead singer, all that matched with a bass player playing an electric bass with a fucking violin bow - this shit was awesome! And while there have definitely been bands before Airborne to make this specific type of music, this was my introduction to this new type of anthemic alternative rock. So fuck off, I don’t feel like doing more research on this, I’m gonna act like they just invented the genre.

So I’m gonna make an educated guess, based on no real fact other than how the music sounds, that October Drift had a very similar experience to me. Musically, from the very beginning, you can hear motifs and styles thick with that Airborne Toxic feeling. Blame the Young is the perfect way to start off this album, this title track does a great job at explaining the overall thesis behind the album coupled with the driving drum/bass beat. Finishing each verse with a version of “Blame the ____” it builds up dramatically through the song before culminating multiple times to instrumental breakdowns as the lead singer wails “Your best friend, you have/ oh, denial, denial” over it. The vocal performance in this song is very engaging, going from the low drone in the first verse, to the final verse basically being yelled with the same melody - it’s dope! 

The album continues with another one of my favorites on the album Demons. From the get go there is a real Killers vibe to it, with the drums and the guitar taking a backseat allowing the synth to take a simple but effective lead over it. Verses drop out to be quieter with just drums and guitar flares behind it before going into the pre-chorus, whose lyrics I love “Dressed in your ruin/sleep on a piece of broken heart” leading into the chorus and main request from the lead singer “Lay all your demons down on me.” This song is a fantastic follow-up to Blame the Young as it keeps the energy of it, while diving more into lyrics about personal relationships. This song and the next song Nothing Makes me Feel (The Way You Do) are both about different parts of emotionally abusive relationships. Demons paints the picture of a willful victim of an emotionally neglectful partner wanting to take on the burdens of their significant other no matter the cost, whereas Nothing Makes Me Feel is about staying with this emotionally neglectful person despite them constantly making you feel like shit. It’s this fun duality that connects the two.

Speaking of lyrics -  the lyrics on this album are fantastic. While some of them may be surface level, it’s still rife with metaphors - the best of which takes place on the song immediately following Nothing Makes me Feel, Wallflower. Talking about this song in general it starts off with a very fun production trick, placing the guitar in one headphone before the drums come in on both. Little things like that do a great job at making an album more interesting especially when without it the songs run a great risk of feeling too same-y. Lyrically, however, this song is about not being an active part in your own life. The term “wallflower” being a common descriptor of someone who goes to things like dances or concerts just to stand back against the wall, arms crossed. There is a common theme of apathy due to depression, something that none of us are able to control, which reinforces the idea of not being able to be an active part of your own life. 

We then bring the energy up again with Don’t Care - the shortest song on the album, that relies less on the beauty of the vocals and instrumentation, but instead moves at a breakneck speed with the lead singer wailing incomprehensibly over the chorus, the only real words squeaking out and understandable being the most important line of the song “I know you think I don’t care.” Next is Everybody Breaks - this song has an interesting beginning as it’s just vocals over a bass playing chords with the best of tones. Honestly, this whole album has fantastic bass tones, the grungy dirty distortion mixed with a compressor that brings out the real flavor of it, there’s so much of this album that’s just bass and drums. The guitar in general seems to not be of too much importance to the band, with it mainly being used to playing rhythm except when adding a little flair here and there. This song has another fantastic pre-chorus “Not waving but drowning, not waving but drowning/ and dragging you down, holding you down” creating this imagery of flailing arms in the middle of the ocean. Grasping on to whatever you can, you inadvertently drag whoever is out there with you. This is all before the self admission at the end of the chorus “I’m never gonna get it right,” which they repeat over the bridge leading to a big version of the pre-chorus with some of the lyrics changed, then going half-time into the final chorus making it big and dramatic. Great moves on all accounts, from production to songwriting, on that last little bit.

Borderline helps get the energy up again after Everybody Breaks using that ever popular “dun, dun dun” drum beat that always reminds me of a wedding for some reason? They go faster in the verses before going back to the slower “dun, dun dun” during the choruses. Paired with epic single strums, the chorus gets very dramatic - although I will say I am so tired of this “borderline” cliche that’s been in music forever. What borderline? Are you a coyote? Is she underage? I lived right by a border my entire life and never once asked someone to meet me “over the borderline” Genuinely, what the fuck does that mean? 

Then is the cleverly titled Tyrannosaurus Wreck - one of the other singles on this album. You can tell from the get go that this was written to be a single. It has a fun driving beat, with a simple chorus (“I’m a tyyyyyyy-rannosaurus”) that’s easy to sing along to with a fun ending singing “the ends are all coming apart” as the guitar purposely goes outside of the standard chord progression to create the feeling of coming apart. This also has the closest thing to a guitar solo that I’ve heard on this whole album - so yeah, single material all around. The only unnecessary thing is the literally 30 seconds of noise that plays after the song. So ridiculous, what’s the point, eh? 

Following that is probably my favorite song on the album Hollow which once again starts off with a bass heavy riff, drums and vocals, before adding extra distortion on the guitar for the dramatic chorus, repeating “you keep falling away/but I don’t wanna get you down/just like I do.” There is syncopation with the guitar and drums on the “you keep falling away” that just adds to the drama of the chorus and makes it fun to bang your head to. There is a quiet bridge where he continues to say the previous statement “just like I do” before going LOUD LOUD into the chorus again with another “guitar solo” (an interesting one, sounded almost like a theramin?). Oftentimes this album has gone from quiet to loud in the matter of seconds, I think this song has my favorite version of this from the bridge to the huge chorus. Just the quick disorienting clip on the guitar with “YOU KEEP FALLING AWAY” to bring them back into it, ahhh, chefs kiss, I love it.

Then is Heal, to me the most boring part of the album. It starts off with an irregular drum beat that’s probably in some time signature I’m too stupid to understand. It definitely catches your ears off the bat, especially as the guitar starts to play 4/4 over it and it works but still sounds slightly off? Definitely interesting musically, but this song otherwise doesn’t do anything for me, and I wonder why the decision was made to keep it on the album. I mean the album is 11 songs whereas a common length for an indie record like this is a clean round 10 songs, so there had to be intention to put this song on it - as this was the first song I would cut if I had to make it only 10 songs. I understand it’s probably very personal to the lead singer, but I think that’s maybe the only reason it ended up on this otherwise exciting album.

Rounding it all out is the final song on the album “Not Running Anymore” - the only explicit song on the album. Starts off again with a bass heavy rhythm section, the bass player on this band is fucking good, regularly opting to play chords as opposed to lead or standard note based rhythm based, it creates a much fuller sound. The initial chorus being just bass, violin, and vocals is beautiful before getting loud on the second verse. This album greatly benefits from having a fantastic opening song and finale song, both of which take their place and does their job perfectly. You couldn’t put this anywhere else on this album other than last and truly they saved on of the best on this album for last.

Overall: A good solid alternative/indie rock record. If you were disappointed with Airborne Toxic Event’s 2024 release like I was, I would definitely give this album a spin. It reminds me so much about what I loved with their previous releases, all the while putting their own personal touches on it to make it interesting. Really happy to have found this band, can’t wait to see what else they have in store. Some good old fashioned indie rock, good for the people, good for the culture, we love to see it.

Grade: B (B+ without Heal on it truthfully) Favorite Songs: Hollow and Blame the Young

[girlreviews]

Review #198: The B-52’s, The B-52’s

There’s a good few records on this list that I know inside out, back to front, upside down, backwards, like the back of my hand, and I have since I can remember. This is one of them. It has never not been part of my life, and how fucking cool is that? I don’t know a time where I didn’t know these songs, and I love that for me.

People sleep on The B-52’s and I’m not really sure why. It became increasingly uncool to like them in the 90’s as grunge became more of a thing (as if I cared, I was like, 4). They were too silly and unserious in a cultural moment that was very moody. And they are a little, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t fucking amazing. They’re like, The Talking Heads but take away the ego and pretentiousness, keep all the talent, and just make it fun. And I adore The Talking Heads, so that’s no shade, it’s just compliments to both. Because I also love fun. And I think The B-52’s really let the women shine, because their vocals stole the show, as well as everything else about them.

So these guys were in a band and they came up with way out there concepts and lyrics that didn’t necessarily mean much but my good god was the music incredible. INCREDIBLE. Planet Claire, an ode to, I assume, The Twilight Zone, coming in hot with all these quirky beeps and boops and this building creeping bass. Maybe Claire was a weird girl. Maybe she was offputting. I don’t know, but if I were Claire I’d be proud to have inspired such a song as this, that’s all I’m saying.

We all (I hope), are familiar with Rock Lobster. Okay so Family Guy brought this even further into the mainstream and made it even more silly than it already is, but I’m not budging on this, it’s a genuinely incredible song. It’s art. They have such a particular sound and aesthetic, you always know when you’re listening to The B-52’s. Fred Schneider’s sprechgesang, and call-and-response to Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson, whose voices pair together like no others. It’s just like, a party, in my ears, every time. And it’s one with a very specific guest list. IYKYK. They yell and stamp and make sound effects with their voices like their actual lives depend on it.

The silly is juxtaposed with such serious though. If you took away the lyrics, the accompanying music isn’t as lighthearted. It’s still fun as hell, but it’s twisted and I can’t imagine playing it without a furrowed brow and gritted teeth. It sounds like space travel. No wonder so many of their songs refer to space. This whole feeling could be to do with the unusual tunings they are known for using in their earlier work.

Speaking of which, my favorite track on this album has always been and remains There’s A Moon In The Sky (It’s Called A Moon). It showcases everything about their whole thing that I think makes them special, but I have never got over their literal hollering of:

“If you’re in outer space

Don’t feel out of place

Because there are thousands of

Others like you

Others like you

Others like you

Well there’s a moon

It’s in the sky

It’s called a moon

And everybody is there

Please don’t worry

Don’t worry

Others like you

OTHERS LIKE YOU”

It always felt like by the end of it, they were kind of just insisting that not only were there others like me somewhere out there in the universe, but there were others out there in the universe… That liked me.

If you haven’t spent time with The B-52’s, they are like old friends. They’re like your favorite thrift store find. Your favorite old sweatshirt. Something irreplaceable. One of a kind. And if you really spend time with them you’ll realize how many bands after them they really influenced.

Others like you!

[petertingle-yipyip]

POOKIE now that the album has been out for a while what are your fav songs????

me personnally i cant pick they all already mean sm to me😭😭

once i saw it was a DOUBLE ALBUM i decided to wait till i had enough time to listen in full so i will listen right now and pull a you and give live ratings! (skip to the bottom for an overall feeling)

fortnight 8/10 - this is so ex coded holy “i love you and it’s ruining my life” literally of her relationships at some point, wow. i will say that post is an interesting collab for this type of song but i don’t hate it

the tortured poets department 6/10 - i liked the bridge (i think that’s what it is) the best. lyrically it’s good but not my fave and saying that ab the title track i hope doesn’t get me yelled at by anyone

my boy only breaks his favorite toys 9/10 - i claimed this one from the tracklist so i knew i was gonna like it. the best she stays with as she sings the title is perfect for an edit

down bad 7.5/10 - i didn’t expect her to come out cussing at me, okay ms swift. not a skip but not a daily listen either. crying at the gym is relatable though

so long, london 8/10 - i used this as a fic title lol but the cadence really shows how angry/tired she was by the time they split. the lyrics here are so powerful too. her imagery is always so beautiful

but daddy i love him 6/10 - idk why but this just doesn’t resonate with me the way i thought it would. still good though but i wouldn’t save it turn it on from my own phone

fresh out the slammer 9/10- having that one person who is your immediate thought, the driving force behind you, your everything is all i want and that yearning keeps me up at night

florida!! 4/10- nothing about this song drew me in 🫣

guilty as sin? 8/10 - “i choose you and me religiously” so matt murdock coded

who’s afraid of little old me? 10/10 - SO ex coded and rep coded “i was gentle, i was tame till the circus life made me mean” or “you wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me” TELL ME THAT ISNT OUR GIRL EXODUS

i can fix him (no really i can) 6.5/10 - me with every fictional man i come across the “ woah, maybe i can’t” at the end is crazy, basically agreeing that he was such a mess but i was hoping to like this one a little more

loml 9/10- joe put her through it, holy shit

i can do it with a broken heart 10/10 - immediately can tell she was writing about herself performing from another perspective and i love the juxtaposition of a pop-dance type beat with these tougher lyrics “i cry a lot but im so productive” is literally me

the smallest man who ever lived 7.8/10 - the title feels like the inverse of the “loudest woman this town has ever seen” lyric and to me, it really highlights got she was always this icon whereas he was always ducking and dodging and not willing to live in that spotlight with her

the alchemy 5/10 - i feel like the message of this song went right over my head

clara bow 6/10 - it’s a cute song that (i think) documents the growth of her career and maybe the comparisons/comments she gotten as she’s worked and how people compare new stars to her

the black dog 5/10- it doesn’t really resonate with me

imgonnagetyouback 8.5/10 - is this the one some people are saying is similar to get him back! by liv? bc the only similarity i hear is the concept of not knowing if you’re gonna rekindle or beat the shit out of your ex

the albatross 8.5/10 - it’s like she knows exodus and elektra. “she is here to destroy you” but i think this is another way of her reclaiming her image/reputation through acknowledging and challenging what men/media say about her

chloe or sam or sophia or marcus 8.8/10 - honestly idk what ab this song but it’s so beautiful. i can’t explain it but its like a ballroom dance

how did it end? 9/10 - this song gives the vibes of a movie scene where two people are on swings at the night and then suddenly, one swing is empty (but still going) and the other person is just teetering on their toes

so high school 5/10 - gives me early ts vibes and it’s cute but not really me

i hate it here 7/10- not my favorite but i do like the beat

thanK you aIMee 6/10 - this is directed at KIM or am i tripping? also the guitar reminds me of debut era for some reason

i look in peoples windows 7.5/10 - this song is yearning, wanting to see that person just one more time and its me wondering if i’ll see my ex again, just to know what’d happen if he saw me again after everything he’s said to me

the prophecy 9/10 - i really love the chorus

cassandra 5/10 - didn’t really stick out to me and became background noise 🫣

peter 7.8/10 - its really cute and ik it’s probably more of a peter pan reference but the editors need to get on it and do peter x mj

the bolter 8.7/10 - i was not reviled by anyone except my own father so (we’re better now though) but i do run from intimacy

robin 6/10 - slow, sweet, cute little song

the manuscript 9/10- instantly loved it (forgot what else i wanted to say here)

overall, is a lyrically beautiful album. there’s so much emotion in the music and her delivery. her imagery is so beautiful as always. personally, i won’t say i love it but it is so so impactful. releasing 31 songs in one project is unheard of so i tip my hat to her ability to tell these stories with such grace and eloquence through such a marathon of an album. i like that you can hear bits of her previous albums in some of the songs and it is a very mature project imo. you can tell how much this meant to her and how much of herself she’s poured out. its an overall ~7.8/10 for me but i would recommend everyone to give it a listen

[peanuts-stafford]

Radiohead - In Rainbows (2009) Album Review

This is a great album. I've listened to this, OK Computer, and Kid A, and I don't know which one's my favorite. In my next Radiohead review, I'll probably let you know. I'll also definitely have to make a top 10 albums list, and I'll make sure to post that on my blog. These three albums are definitely all in my top 10. What can I say, I love Radiohead. Now for the review.

To start, "15 Step" is an amazing opener. It gets your attention with how upbeat it is and its solo electronic drumbeat. If you've ever looked at Charlie Thompson's graph of how sad each Radiohead song is (https://www.rcharlie.com/images/blog/fitter-happier/album_chart.html), you'll know "15 Step" is considered the happiest, with a 100 on the "gloom index," the happiest possible score. The next song, "Bodysnatchers," starts and ends chaotically. It begins with this crazy distorted sound. The body of the song sounds pretty structured, but switches to chaos again while Yorke yells "I've seem it coming!" Next is "Nude," a much slower and sadder song. The instrumentation is beautiful, as well as the lyrics.

"Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" is a more upbeat song, but still very beautiful. The lyricism is great. I really enjoy the ending of this song, as Yorke is singing some low notes and I find that beautiful and very cool. "All I Need" continues the trend of beautiful songs. It features a low, droning electronic bass. "Faust Arp" is pretty lowkey instrument-wise, but Yorke's vocals make up for that. The lyrics are just one after another. It's almost like he's singing his every thought, if Yorke thinks in song lyrics. (I would not be surprised if he did.)

Speaking of nice vocal performances, "Reckoner" is no exception. It features many different percussive instruments and some epic strings. Thom's voice is VERY beautiful in this one, as he sings some long high notes. "House Of Cards" is my least favorite track (it's just not that catchy) but it excellently builds up to "Jigsaw Falling Into Place," my favorite track on the record. Starting off with an amazing acoustic guitar riff, the track builds up for 57 seconds until Thom starts singing. The lyrics give me chills every time. "The walls are bending shape, they've got a cheshire cat grin, all blurring into one, this place is on a mission." Shortly after this the first section ends, and after a quick instrumental interlude, the second section begins. Thom sings "Before you run away from me, before you're lost between the notes, the beat goes round and round, the beat goes round and round." The second time he sings "the beat goes round and round," it is an octave above the first time. Thom continues to sing like this for the rest of the section. It builds up to the outro, and it's absolutely stunning. The lyrics are amazing. Everthing about this song is amazing. This whole song gives me chills.

Next is the closer, "Videotape," and I would agree with Thompson's sadness graph that this is the saddest song on the album. Piano is at the forefront of this song along with Thom's beautiful but melancholy vocals. Towards the second half of the song, some experimental percussion kicks in, and I love it. The last third of the song is a beautiful instrumental, and eventually, the song fades out, a perfect ending to the album.

I cannot express how much I love this album. The instruments are great, as are Thom's vocals, the flow is flawless, but the lyrics have to be my favorite part. They are intricate, compelling, and beautifully written. They stand out. Lyrics usually don't do that for me. Most of the songs are very sad ("15 Step" being the exception.) I will be listening to this album until I'm dead. It is absolutely transcendent to me.

Rating: 10/10

[fantastickkay]

Album Review of the Week: That Woman - Find Joy (2024)✰✰✰✰

Oh Wonder is my favorite duo, Josephine Vander West aka That Woman is one half of that duo. Last year, she embarked on a solo project that reaches into the depths of what it is like to be a woman today. The result is the artsy, experimental, and highly vulnerable album - Find Joy. The art concept shows her wrestling with herself, as well as acting as the referee of that fight. This album is beautifully executed, both in sound and concept.

The album opens with a ballad, Space Time & Peace. This is a great intro has it sort of melts together all of the sounds you are about to hear. It is a ballad, but it utilizes more than just a piano, and it has the vulnerable self-questioning lyrics delivered while conveying purpose and emotion. And what does every woman need more of if not space time and peace?

I Was Aching brings the drama with the backing vocals, quick melody - string section! This song also has some really great harmony and vocal layering going on. Very well produced!

The Tyger is a really interesting spoken word interlude borrowing in lyric and concept from That Don't Impress Me Much (Shania Twain), leading into Change. I love the almost hip hop beat and quick paced melody. The chorus somehow reminds me of a 90s summer hit, I can't exactly figure out why but something about the vocal tone and melody hits that sweet spot of nostalgia. That particular part of the song sounds light and dreamy.

Black Dog is definitely the most experimental of them all, opening with Middle East sounding instrument. It starts out slow, then those pristine harmonies burst into the chorus. The bridge is like a declaration of freedom, exuberantly yelling she's a bad woman. Just before the 3 minute mark, the song completely changes into a piano ballad. Wild!

Lady Please is another emotional ballad, I am unclear on who the Lady is that she is pleading with. Perhaps herself, or the entire female population? Both? This doesn't have a lot of replay value for me, but I certainly appreciate it in the tapestry of the full album. We deserve a celebration - indeed.

Free To Be is pretty slow as well, this one sounds the most similar to Oh Wonder's songs. It has the same piano tone and the hollow sounding background percussion.

Next, we have Joy - one of the coolest songs to come out last year! The pre-chorus and chorus are so dramatic and cool, I love the light vocal distortion and quick melody. It builds up to the chorus which has some really great synthesizer.

Love Dies In the End has a pessimistic title, but the lyrics do end up oddly optimistic. It also has a lovely string section.

Maximalist is another spoken word interlude, she does a really good job with these. There is still instrumentation, and both this and The Tyger are quite bouncy underneath the almost aggressive statements being made.

Hymn For A Woman was the lead single and made me really nervous for the project. A 6-minute ballad is so not my jam! Luckily the rest of the album is really cool, but unfortunately this one isn't my tea.

Plasticine gives another sonic change with an acoustic guitar midtempo. Her vocals are also a bit more casual than usual which is fun to hear. This leads into the final track, Enough. This song seems like an intentional finale to the whole project. The strings are ethereal, I just love her spoken word every time we get it. She sounds gorgeous in the chorus, the whole thing is just bright and happy.

While this album isn't perfect, it is pretty darn close! Oh Wonder's other half, Anthony West, helped produce the project, but this is definitely an independent sound. Josephine dug deep and really took care with this project and it shows!

[lorz-ix]

End of the year music megapost (part 2)

Peter Gabriel - So (1986)

My enjoyment of Peter Gabriel is something I rarely talk about. My friends probably all know I'm into 80s pop and rock, it's one of the better things I took from my father. I've been listening to this guy since I was a kid, which I'm thankful for, because a lot of his music might need an acquired taste.

But if you're not a music nerd and you don't have an acquired taste, you're still lucky, because the tracklist in So is full of classic 80s pop bangers. He has some unique, kinda experimental stuff in his discography, but I'd say this album is very accessible for basically everyone. You get a good mix of some energetic jams and some slow, relaxing tunes. It's awesome.

Bad Religion - The Gray Race (1996)

It has taken me way too long to discover how much I love Bad Religion. In terms of instrumentals and vibes, I am very much into their style, but it's the writing that really gets me. Each of their songs comments on different social issues, though it's far from the stereotype of punk-rock "yelling about society" (not that I have a problem with that either). Their lyrics can be verbose, but they are level-headed, clear, concise and to the point. There is no room for getting the meaning wrong-

Actually scratch that. We know there are some people out there who work really hard to twist the meaning of things.

The Gray Race is a record with clear themes of social inequality, discrimination, and the ways we're distracted from the issues that matter the most, speaking to the listener to be more mindful. It's close to 30 years old and it hasn't exactly aged. Well, except for that song about how there would be 10 billion people by 2010, that kinda missed the mark, but the core message does still stand, I think.

Basically I'd say if you're into punk rock, it's a must-listen.

The Offspring - Ixnay on the Hombre (1997)

A bit of a polar opposite to what I said about Bad Religion, my enjoyment of Offspring does come from their straightforward songs with relatable messages like "don't fucking tell me what to do, man". Not to demean them, there is variety in the themes they sing about, but the appeal comes from how viscerally relatable of a concept "fuck the man" is. They're not as lyrically complex, and their lyrics come off more as yelling, but isn't that fun too?

I don't know how popular this album is, out of their entire discography. It's one that I like a lot, even if not every track is super memorable, the good ones are some of the band's greatest hits.

Daft Punk - Discovery (2001)

Did you also know I had a Daft Punk phase at one time? We don't talk about it. But it means I have some found feelings about this record of theirs. It's *chef kiss*. I don't understand shit when it comes to electronic music, it's well outside my usual range of interest, but whatever these two frenchmen put out never fails to get my attention. I dunno why. They must be that good.

Just sit your ass down, open whatever music app you got, and listen to Discovery. Thank me later, when your music taste has been irreparably altered.

Mykel Dunn/Jagex Audio Team - RuneScape: Battleaxes and Ballads (2024)

Damn, that really is a full album of metal covers of iconic tracks from the hit MMO Runescape. And it's really cool! Makes the game sound like some epic, modern RPG, rather than, you know... Runescape.

What we now call Old School Runescape is a game that leaves a lot to the imagination. It's a simple game in many aspects, particularly in the audiovisual department. The modern renditions of these songs feel like what you imagine the game to be. They bring to mind images of epic battles and fantastical landscapes.

The record starts impressively strong, with an incredible take on the title theme, followed by the very iconic Sea Shanty 2 and Autumn Voyage, that third one very likely being my favorite overall. They're a great opening, since the originals all have very distinct vibes, are the most well-known, and they set the mood well. If you're listening to the whole thing front-to-back, the heavy guitars may get a bit repetitive after a while, especially since a few of the songs kinda start similarly, though I think individually they're all real nice.

It might not have the same impact if you're trying to listen to it and you're not a Runescape fan and/or you don't know the songs, because recognizing them and having an emotional attachment is part of the experience, but I do think it's worth a listen, especially those first three tracks, being the most famous of the bunch.

[seagull98]

JY

First of all, is it real?

I still remember how shock I am that time, when he announced the tour. I dont know since when I look into his music, am I his loyal fans, no I'm not, i'm just person who like his music. 'Erase' ofc my love at first sigh song, after that i am into his from me to you album, i m just a listener who never imagine something like this happen in my lifeee.

First of all, is this real?. Whatever you think is too much ohh I understand lol.

am I a fan who is so loyal to him? No, I'm not. Im just a lover of jy's songs. Erase song is a love at first sight song for me, then led me to meet from me to you album, I really liked the vocal color of his voice.

i dont remember when and where I listened to first song, but i remember how that song make me falling in love again for him for the second time, again first song take me to the fountain album, and that album is sooo fucking precious, no skip album, soo legiiiit.

track 1-6 is my favorite haha.

every soundtrack he did is so fking good too. Can you hear me is my top tier.

after that im just listening his song randomly and get another favorite track like N/A, Inn, Pure happiness and love distance.

And after that i'm not really into his song until he announce abt his tour, i looked up his new album sphere. I dont even know when he realease that album. I'm still thingking should i go to the concert or no. But finally i decided to come. Here we are the craziest things in my life happen.

At first I try to like sphere album and to make it easy at least I should like one of the songs from that album . Because the genre feels different, at first I cant really enjoy the album, because maybe he soooo into that album, now I know how emotional he is, when he sing tracks from sphere album. Maybe thats why I can't feel the song at first. I trying to force my self until I saw the lyrics again trying to understand what he want to express and then I found blind lyrics make my heart enchanted. Yeah, blind is my another bridge to make me falling in love again with him.

Now I can understand and enjoy the album, the emotion he was conveying was finally conveyed, every track from a setlist I got, im trying to understand too, N/A make me goosebump now that track had a high level for my favorite song from him.

Thanks god when time is to go, the show begin i'm not just yelling or what, i can enjoy the show so much, sing along with him, feel the emotions, best experience ever.

How can my first exprience can be this special? Jooyoung and team you make it a standar for me.

The place, the time, the audience, the vocal, the songs, the teaam ofc, the price too omg, the Jooyong too hahaha and yes the service too. Jooyoung you're so kind, how can you let us getting a chance to take a selfie with you and one by one huh? There's no include for any categories, but yeah he so kind, let everyone have a same experience.

and thanks to you, i hope a new friends who likes you too.

Jooyoung, i hope i get a chance to come to the show for next tour or whatever haha.

I'm now completely obsessed with your stage performance. They called PCD, yeah now i know, this is hard.

Jooyoung, see you again. Love you.

[cinhomi]

hey rora :3 GUESS WHAT THE TA OPENED UP THE EVALUATION AGAIN!! because apparently everyone forgot to do it haha 😅 thanking whatever karma entity it is out there that decided to help me haha

the semester is finally ending tmr so I wrapped up all the projects today! the unspeakable joy I get from no more classes is unparalleled I swear. I hope yours is also ending soon and you get a break after finals!

I was listening to the live version of megaverse today and why. why is it so sexy. especially the part where Chan yells JUMP FORCE its not as obvious in the mv but something about the live version just kicks my ovaries

the reigning king of all title tracks, however, is thunderous in my opinion. it's even sexier than red lights imo because it's so effortlessly sexy. the beats, the lyrics, EVERY SINGLE PART OF THIS SONG. is so complex yet flows together so seamlessly and I'm convinced this is the most skz song to ever skz. the raw power of it...from changbin's rap at the beginning to felix's part...chan's vocals...the lyrics. I think thunderous will forever be one of my favourite skz tracks, if it's not my favourite already.

sorry for the random horny rant because I felt hot over after listening to thunderous 🥴 IDK ITS JUST LIKE SOMETIMES THE LITTLE THINGS SKZ DOES IS SO SEXY. esp when they're unconsciously doing it. I heard han jisung rapping in megaverse today and thought that with that tongue he'd be really good at eating pussy

incoming art! I feel like you'd really really like this one hehe :P a treat for our sweet rora :3

(https://www.instagram.com/p/C0PGKzCgABg/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)

- titracha nonnie (thinking about jiddies, jighs, jaist, and channie)

it was me I manifested something positive for you and it worked 😎👉👉

also, I never corrected you idk why but I'm not attending university yet! I lost a year because I stayed home for personal reasons so I'm still at my last year of high school :") don't know if the school system is different in whatever part of the world you all are so I tend to be as vague as possible when I talk about academic paths and all. sometimes I wish I could live my uni life already, other times I'm glad I got a bonus year to think about my future and let myself have not as many responsabilities... but it was good for my mental and physical health so it was the right choice.

I don't know what to quote to reply. yes????? yes. I agree. don't know if it's THE Stray Kids song tho, because they're always changing, experimenting, growing. I've been with them for five years now and let me tell you, I can't decide a favorite song because every single one is different, every album kisses my heart in a different way, and I think this is Stray Kids' essence. a song that may be at the top for me is 3rd Eye but not everyone is ready to talk about her (yeah, her, my babe).

I can't breathe. oh my god nonnie YOU WANT ME DEAD????????YOU- I- THIS IS TOO MUCH FOR YOUR POOR LITTLE AURORA IM GOING INSANE I WANT TO TREASURE THIS ARTIST'S BRAIN AND FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

[gerogerigaogaigar]

Little Richard - Here's Little Richard

I love it when when Little Richard goes WOOOHOOOhooo! That's just a fact. The piano goes BANGBANGBANGBANG and Little Richard is yelling and it's so fucking good. This album has the most energy ever. This album is all percussion, the guitar is percussion, the piano is percussion, the vocals percussion. I refuse to make sense. WOOOHOOOhooo!

Derek & The Dominoes - Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs

I knew we wouldn't get through this list without a visit from every dad's favorite racist. This album is too long. Yeah each song individually is good and the title track honestly kicks ass, but I can only tolerate listening to Eric Clapton masturbate into a microphone for so long. The vocals tend to get buried in the mix too. If it were a shorter album it would be easier to recommend, Bell Bottom Blues, Key To The Highway, and Layla are all really good, honestly I would have preferred six or seven long songs to the fourteen five to ten minuters we got.

Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

I'm gonna show my basic white girl tendencies here, but this is one of the best albums of all time. Cleverly written, tightly composed, genius production, this is one of the highest achievements in indie rock. The use of psychedelia and noise elements to fill out the soundscapes of what is otherwise a very standard country rock/alt rock sound bring songs like I Am Trying To Break Your Heart or Ashes Of American Flags to unheard of levels of brilliance. Even more traditionally commercial tracks like Jesus Etc. and Heavy Metal Drummer are driven by an absolutely perfect sense for catchy melodies and amazing lyrics. Jeff Tweedy has an amazing sense for balancing lyrics that are evocative with ones that tell a story, and lyrics that are esoteric and personal references. The album is permeated with a sense of self indulgence and longing. It feels pathetic in a way that is still deeply sympathetic. The way that songs have very melodic elements that are cut with dissonance and noise is beautiful. The opener devolves into chaos at the end and a snippet of I'm The Man Who Loves You which itself is intercut with very sharp and dissonant guitar solos that artfully chafe with the overly saccharine lyrics. This album is one of the crowning achievement of alt rock and no I will not be normal about it.

Dixie Chicks - Fly

The Chicks were probably the only good thing to come out of the late 90s country scene. They successfully mixed the pop country of the era with bluegrass fiddle and honky tonk piano to create a much more full and playful sound than their contemporaries. Plus when they wrote hits they wrote catchy ones. Ready To Run and Cowboy Take Me Away are certified ear worms. And of course there's Goodbye Earl. An upbeat murder ballad about killing a woman's abuser and then moving in with her "best friend" (they're lesbians Harold). The glee with which The Chicks describe murdering a guy is so delightfully infectious. Plus it's a really efficiently told story, a real throwback to classic country in a sense. The album is a delight start to finish. A real surprise for the era.

[ashtxrie]

thank you 2 @star-sim and @lilacnini for the tag(s)!! ily <3

just a little bit : enhypen — my #1 favorite enha song if i was absolutely forced to choose one. everything about this song is perfect and me personally i think it’s so underrated!! if someone told me they loved this song i would trust them with my life. i also accidentally looped this song all night while i slept on not one but two occasions, so it’s safe to say that it’ll dominate my spotify top lifetime tracks list forever.

nouvelle vague : wave to earth — the vibes are hitting with this one. played this song while grinding under journalism story draft deadlines; 10/10 would recommend.

what makes you beautiful (enha cover) : enhypen — repeated it for a solid 3 hours the day it came out just to relive my 2012 childhood. jungwon said “don’t need makeup to cover up” and suddenly my skin was cleared my crops were watered and i won 5 nobel prizes. lives were changed.

our summer : tomorrow x together — my fav txt song tied with wishlist and ghosting… this song is such a sunshine dopamine boost and i am so ready for summer to begin w this one (after making it out alive from ap exam season)

love fire : cravity — i heard this song while in a kpop store to buy my enha lightstick and the music video was playing on the overhead tv screen... it was near the end of the song so i didn't get to shazam it in time so i went home and went through every song with the lyrics "i like it like that" to find it. definitely worth it.

unplugged boy : tws — their music is so good trust me on this. this song and plot twist was integral on the days i had to climb up the stairs to get to my history class.

go big or go home : enhypen — oh my god so for the spring rally our school's hiphop dance group danced to gbogh in front of the entire school population... my friend in hiphop told me abt it ahead of time so i snagged first row bleacher seats just to yell every lyric during the 30-second interval they danced to the chorus. one person in my physics class told me after the rally that he "didn't know i had it in me to transform from being a nerd like that" (what does he mean by that...)

easy : le sserafim — queens dropped another banger ofc i had to listen to it over and over again... the choreo for this too omg i'm obsessed

sweet venom (english ver.) : enhypen — "i'll never be the same" yeah that's me ever since november 17 because i have to listen to this song at least 1x daily in order to have sufficient oxygen circulation in my body. i will never get over sunoo's "and if it kills me, i still want you; it's torture / your touch is chemical" like i remember my jaw dropping the first time i heard it and i had to rewind just to hear it again because YO...

lovesong : beabadoobee — i love all her music sm but "i missed the train again, i called your name / as if you'd drive it back" made me figuratively fall to my knees in the middle of mcdonalds bawling in melancholy

tagging : @enwonz @bywons @stariikis @boyfiejay + anyone else who wants to join!

! "10 on repeat shuffles" tag game !

rules: shuffle your on repeat playlist and post the first 10 tracks, then tag 10 people

tagged by: no one but started by @galaxycunt when i saw the post on my dashboard. thank u hellsite algorithm~

will include a little excerpt of explanation on why it could be in my on-repeat playlist + not include an artist repeat

obstacles - syd matters (last song from the sub homesick alien playlist + notable time wave vibe songs cause it is also in the life is strange game)

tinnitus - txt (part of my audiophiles' eargasm playlist where i wanna hear a godly-produced song with my best headphones)

duvet - boa (i think it has been in my on repeat since 2021 when i watched serial experiments lain and has never left. a notable song for terra incognita)

this is why - paramore (just heard the whole album last month and every time i listen to this song, i'm in a state of catharsis cause I CAN RELATE)

tom sawyer - rush (having been particularly obsessed with the iron claw movie, this song is stuck in my head and i swear i love prog rock even more + i'll be learning the bass line of this song hopefully)

euphor - novo amor, lowswimmer (heard this for the novo amor concert i went to last week (even though they didn't perform it). part of the beomgyu time wave's spinoff playlist)

solsbury hill - peter gabriel (another addition to my audiophiles' eargasm playlist cause it sounds so odd that it's so interesting)

weird fishes/arpeggi - radiohead (the song that embodies me as a person + have been putting it on repeat during my bday because it's the day that i just embraced my self of being a pisces which includes hearing this playing in the car and a solo date to the aquarium)

follow you follow me - genesis (the song that reminds me of soobin idk why. it's also in my sub homesick alien playlist)

do hot girls like chords? - knower (heard this from micthesnare and it's my introduction to indietronica and jazz-funk (cause i've already know acid jazz from jamiroquai)

tagging: (based on the last 10 moots that show up on my dash) @boba-beom @stardragongalaxy @lovejoshua @txt-yaomi @euphor1a @junniieesbby @itz-yerin @pyeonghongrie @dido-of-the-endless @robin-obsessed and anyone who wants to join! (new songs to listen to yes pls)