#the ending kinda faulters but what an amazing first half

[ladamarossa]

The Spider Labyrinth (1988)

[cirrus-lily]

mocha frappuccino - m. armstrong

author : @cirrus-lily

pairing : marcus armstrong x fem!reader

other character(s) : none

genre : fluff ; one-shot ; barista!marcus

fandom : formula two - motorsport

warning(s) : none

word count : 1.1k

summary : maybe having the constant of a mocha frappuccino would lead to new beginnings.

a/n : i actually loved this au so much it gave me so many ideas geez stop me

today was your first day of university, and to say you were afraid was an understatement. you had moved to christchurch, new zealand to pursue your studies - and now you were 5 million miles away from everything you had ever known (okay, maybe 5 million miles was an exaggeration, but it was still far).

why did you even decide to come here all on your own? sometimes you seriously questioned your life decisions.

while walking around the city last week, you noticed that there was a starbucks present along the route to the university, feeling some comfort in the fact that your daily coffee would remain a constant.

walking into starbucks, you approached the counter, where a guy around your age stood.

"can i have a mocha frappuccino with no whipped cream to go please?" you ask, and he takes down your order.

"your name?"

"y/n."

"pretty name for a pretty girl like you," he says, scribbling down your name on the cup, a smirk forming on his features, a pink tint colouring yours.

maybe studying here wasn't the worst decision you'd made.

—

as the weeks pass, he memorises your order, not even needing to ask before he takes a cup and writes your name down.

you couldn't lie to yourself - you were kinda crushing on him. he was cute, and the assured manner with which he flirted with you every morning sent your stomach into flutters.

today, even before you reach the counter, he picks up a cup, scribbling down your name and passing it to his co-worker.

as you take out your credit card to pay, he begins to speak.

"you're not from around here, are you?" he questions, eyebrow raised as he scans your card and does what is required. it seemed your accent had given you away again.

"yea, i'm from ||hometown||, but i moved here to attend university," you reply honestly, seeing no reason to lie to him.

a smirk spreads over his features - a look you were used to, yet it made your heart flutter just a little.

"so, you're not just a pretty face - i like that," he replied, and you could hear the sincerity in his voice beyond his flirtatious nature, making you smile - yet the colour rushes to your face, and you can't look him straight in the eye.

suddenly, a small burst of courage surges through you, causing a question to unintentionally fall off your lips.

"i don't think it's fair that you know my name and i don't know yours, is it?"

he smiles as he hands your credit card back to you, your fingertips brushing his for longer than they should.

"marcus, marcus armstrong - your local starbucks barista," his smile turns into a smirk, before he calls for the next customer and you have to leave the queue.

as you pick up your mocha frappuccino that day, there's a heart signed next to your name, that is on every single cup from that day on.

—

today was the final day of the first semester, and you were glad half the year was over. you'd enjoyed studying her - new zealand truly was an amazing place.

it also marked half a year crushing on your local starbucks barista.

even through short snippets of conversation at the counter, he made you fall for his relaxed nature, his smile, his signature smirk.

you had begun to keep some of the cups he'd give you each morning, some with little notes when you came in with piles of notes in hand ('good luck for your test' was written on those days), some with absolutely stupid things (one said 'are you sure you want a mocha frappuccino every bloody morning?'), and some with sweet little compliments ('you have pretty eyes' showed up on your cup one morning).

the little notes on the cups often gave you something to discuss while paying for your drink the next day, keeping the conversation going, and it seemed to do just that.

until today.

this morning, he'd already prepared your cup before you entered the shop - he knew what time you walked into the store at this point.

it was the usual - you began talking about yesterday's cup note - it was some pun that wasn't even funny, which you had to point out - while paying at the counter, and him wishing you a good day before calling the next customer over.

however, when picking up the cup for the day, you were shocked.

below your name - with it's accompanying heart - was a phone number, along with the words 'call me maybe?' written in marcus' messy scrawl.

firstly, you were kinda shocked that it took him a whole semester, but above all else, you were shocked that he'd passed his number on to you.

but since the message said to call him, that's exactly what you chose to do.

"hello? this is marcus, who is this?"

you giggle over the phone when you realise he had no idea it was you.

"it's me, y/n, the starbucks girl, remember? your number was on the cup this morning, so i took you up on the offer to call you."

he laughs, and you smile. his laugh was something you could get used to hearing.

"glad you took my offer up. left my number for ya because i wanted to take you out for a day, maybe make you my girlfriend by the end of it?"

you felt as if you could hear his smirk through the call, and decide for the first time, maybe it was time for you to keep your ego from inflating further.

"making me your girlfriend after the first date?" you question, and yet you know his smirk does not faulter.

"i need just one date to make you fall for me, love," he responds, making your heart flutter at the nickname, but you won't let it go so easily.

"you think you can woo me with just one date?" you shoot back, but at this point both of you were just messing with the other, the smile on your face widening.

"absolutely," he replies, confidence oozing from his voice.

not wanting him to get the satisfaction just yet, you teased, "we'll see about that."

he laughs on the other end, and you swear your smile becomes brighter than it has ever been.

"we'll settle the details over text, yea?" he asks, and you nod, forgetting he cannot see you, before replying.

"yea, we'll do that. see you tomorrow morning?"

"see you tomorrow, darlin'," he replies back, before hanging up.

and oh, was he right about you falling after just one date.

[crysj88]

Phylax Ch. 5 Scare me Avengers x oc

Bennett woke to the familiar feeling of pins and needles, right hand completely asleep. She tried to soothe the nerves so she could sleep a little longer but something else was off. Her pulse felt off. Too many beats or the wrong cadence, something. Her right arm seemed to be pinned to the bed from the shoulder down. That would explain the “pins and needles”.  A quick inspection gave the reason. Natalie was sound asleep snuggled into her side, using her shoulder for a pillow. The redhead seemed to fit there. The blonde didn’t really care to move but Tony would be knocking down her door any minute, so she needed to get ready to start the day. Unless he actually slept in although that was highly unlikely. 

So began the debate: lay there until Natalie wakes up or try and slip out without waking her? As Bennett lay there debating Natalie snuggled closer. Red hair tickling her nose. Every cell in her body decided right then that it had no desire to move, so her mind was made up. She was getting up. 

Sliding out of bed was harder than she thought. She tucked a pillow under the other woman’s head where her shoulder had been and forced herself to walk away. She grabbed a pair of track pants and tank top and headed down to the hotel gym to get in a morning run. Leaving a note for Tony so he wouldn’t wake up Natalie. 

A quick stretch and she jumped on one of the treadmills. Plugging in a pair of headphones she started a playlist of instrumental music. Mainly rock covers done with violins and cellos but there were a few variations on classics and some epic movie themes. She started the machine slow to warm up her stiff muscles, the room was empty due to it being a few minutes before 5. She lost herself in the rhythm of her steps as the treadmill increased it’s pace. Taking in the music and trying to bleed off the last of the nightmare that still clung. This morning it wasn’t near as bad as normal. She could still remember and felt the guilt but curiosity outweighed all of that. Why didn't she slip into oblivion this time? What had pulled her back from that edge? 

Then waking up with Rushman that close. Not that it was unpleasant. Just unexpected. She couldn’t entertain the thought of any relationship right now. Not even a crush. Not after Emily. Maybe not ever. She had told Jax she was taking a year to focus solely on herself and her career. No exceptions. No matter how exceptional Natalie Rushman was. Right?

Thicker pajamas tonight so she wouldn’t die of frostbite. That was the only solid decision she had made in the millions of thoughts bouncing around her head during her run, most involving her current roommate. But there were benefits to her sleeping with the room that cold so maybe just live with the shorts and t-shirt one more night. 

When she made it back to the room the first thing Benn saw was Natalie’s sleepy smile. She must have woken up when Bennett opened the door. “Morning,” Natalie sounded as if she was still half asleep.

Bennett gave a soft laugh as Natalie burrowed back into the covers. She walked to the edge of the bed. “Good morning, Nat.” Bennett tugged the edge of the blanket back slightly and Natalie gave an irritated groan. “I hate to be the one to break it to you but we need to get up. Tony will be looking for me.” Natalie pulled the covers back over her head. “Alright, I am going to go shower and head down stairs to eat, if you want to join me.” Natalie peaked out from under the covers and Bennett blushed. “For breakfast. Down stairs. In the cafe.”

The redhead gave a mischievous smirk before ducking back under the sheets. “I will be ready by the time you get out,” her voice was muffled by the copious amount of blankets. 

Bennett couldn’t help but smile. She went to her bag and grabbed the clothes she needed for the day along with the belt and thigh holster. A quick shower and a swipe of gel and she was ready to go. 

When she stepped out the door she had to focus on not letting her jaw hit the floor.  Natalie had changed as well. She now wore a form fitting dress that would be considered business attire and looked amazing. Bennett realized her jeans and fitted blazers would never stand up to the woman’s fashion. She would need better clothes if she ever got the chance to take Natalie out, but first she would have to get the guts to ask.  Today she had opted for a Stark Industries t-shirt and flannel, knowing she would be heading to the track with Tony. Bennett noticed a fond smile grace the redheads lips. “What?”

“Nothing you just reminded me of a friend,” she shook her head. “Looks like something he would wear.”

“This isn’t my normal choice.” she tried to defend, lying through her teeth. “Tony said we were going to the track today, so I figured I didn’t wanna wear anything that I wouldn't wanna get grease on.” Stupid freakin accent.

“Relax,” she stepped in closer, “never said it was a bad look. You wear it much better than he does.” She reached up, straightening the collar of Benn’s shirt. “Come on, let’s go eat. I’m starving.” She smiled leading the blonde to the door. 

Bennett grabbed her leather jacket on the way out. Trying to regulate her breathing again. 

Bennett pulled out Natalie’s chair at the table before taking her own seat. Their orders were taken and put on Stark’s tab.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” Natalie gave a sheepish smile. She read the confusion on Bennett’s face and decided to explain further. “When I woke up this morning I realized I hadn’t kept to my side of the bed. I was afraid I ran you off.”

“No, I got up early to go for a run. You didn’t bother me.”

“I prefer to sleep with lots of blankets and the room super cold, I guess I underestimated how cold it was going to get.” A soft blush dusted her cheeks as she admitted this. 

“The big bad Russian got cold,” Bennett smiled. 

“I wasn’t the only one, you were shaking too.” She saw Bennett’s expression faulter for just a second before resuming it’s normal grin. 

“Yeah well next time we have to share you aren’t allowed to touch the thermostat.” Bennett thanked the waiter as he left their meals. 

Natalie took the joke as a good sign. “You think we will have to room together again?”

“It wouldn’t surprise me.” She shrugged. 

They continued talking through breakfast, that is until Tony walked around the corner. “Ladies, I trust you slept well.” He shot Bennett a wink. 

“Just fine, Mr. Stark” Natalie responded for the both of them. 

“Good to hear. Ms. Rushman I am going to have to steal Bennett for a while if you don’t mind.” He ruffled her hair. Bennett glared at him for the childish gesture. Making the gel hold was hard enough without his help. 

“Of course, Mr. Stark. I have a few things to go over before Ms. Potts arrives. Where would you like me to set reservations for lunch?” She knew her job well. 

“Anywhere in the resort you want, my treat.” He smiled at her. He dropped two gym bags in Bennet’s lap, “come on kid I reserved us a nearby boxing studio for the next couple of mornings.”

Reserved not a boxing ring but the whole school, of course. Bennett threw back the last of her orange juice, rolling her eyes at Tony. Natalie let out a soft chuckle. “See ya later, Nat” she said softly enough that she could hear but not Tony.

“Watch out for his sweep,” the redhead teased.

“That was a one time thing,” Bennett said, hurrying to catch up to Tony hearing her laugh again. 

“So how was your night with your redhead?” Tony asked.

“Boss, you do realize it is my job to keep everyone safe. I can’t do that if I don’t even know who all is here” her voice was laced with irritation.

“Let me rephrase. How was she? You were all cuddly at breakfast, something had to happen.” She made no response. “Come on. She is the first woman you have looked at since Emily and I have literally had you in a room full of naked women and you never glanced at one of them.” Happy opened the car door for Tony.

“Ms. Rushman and I may become friends over time,” she replied coolly as she climbed in the other side of the car. 

“Come on, Kid, we both know your redhead is hot as hell. You didn’t even try to make a move?” He questioned.

“Tony, she’s not my anything. She isn’t anything more than possibly a friend. I’m not ready for anything else. Nothing is going to happen between me and Nat.” Bennett felt the heat creep up the back of her neck and tamped it down, correcting herself. “Ms. Rushman.”

“Why not? You’re charming and charismatic, I would like to think I have been a good influence in that department. Besides she needs a reason to stay around, my assistants never seem to hang around very long.” Tony pulled the car up to an old brick building with a pair of boxing gloves painted on the side. 

“I’m not ready for anything like that. As far as your assistants go maybe if you didn’t sleep with them and then forget them they would hang around. How did you manage to not run Pepper off?”

He seemed to think for a moment. “She never fell for my charm.”

“So she has brains and morals,” Bennett opened the door to the gym and followed Tony in.

“Or she’s gay but I highly doubt that.” 

Bennett dropped their bags down on one of the benches and they began to stretch for the morning’s workout. 

Bennett winced, she might have gone a little too hard on Tony. She noticed him slightly favoring his right leg. He made one too many "your redhead" comments and she kinda lost it. Which in the end only encouraged him that much more. So maybe she didn't feel too bad about his limp. They made sure to leave with enough time to shower and change before meeting Pepper. 

Stepping off the elevators Tony and Bennett were immediately greeted by the sight of Pepper and Happy coming through the lobby doors. 

Tensions seemed to rise more every time Pepper and Tony were in the same room. “Ms. Potts, good flight?” Bennett smiled at her friend.

“As always,” she greeted the girl warmly. Her face dropped suddenly. 

“Mr. Stark, we have a few photographers here, if you and Ms. Potts wouldn’t mind.” Natalie entered the room turning the couple toward the few members of the press present. 

Press appeased and the schedule set, Bennett followed Tony and Pepper around the corner. To keep away wandering eyes. “What is she doing here?” Pepper snapped.

“Assisting me. That’s what a personal assistant does correct?” Tony answered.

“Where did she stay?” Pepper was fuming.

“Here at the hotel with the rest of us. I had her book three rooms.” Tony’s nonchalance only made things worse.

“Yes I saw a double and two singles. If you had a single and I have a single and Bennett and Happy are sharing the double, where did Ms. Rushman sleep?” Her tone was accusatory and she stepped closer to Tony with every sentence.

Bennett had to stop a few people before they reached the hallway. Tony and Pepper fighting was the last publicity they needed. 

“Actually,” Tony’s voice took on a self-righteous tone, “Happy and I split the double Natalie and Bennett shared one of the singles.”

Pepper didn’t have an immediate answer so Tony pushed past Benn headed toward the bar. Pepper followed only steps behind. Today was already more stressful than yesterday and it wasn’t even 10 o’clock yet. To make matters worse Justin Hammer  sat only a few seats from Tony. Hammer ran a “rival” company. In the limited interaction Bennett had had with the man; he was just another Tony-Stark-wanna-be. They bantered back and forth for a time before Natalie came to let everyone know the table was ready.

Pepper started toward the table, Tony tapped Bennett’s shoulder saying he would be right back.  He headed toward the restroom. 

She watched Natalie as she and Pepper talked. Pepper made no secret what she thought of Natalie but as she watched them they appeared to be best friends. Either Pepper was a damn good actress or Natalie was charismatic as hell. The corners of Natalie’s lips quirked up in a smile and the blonde couldn’t stop hers from following the same path. Their eyes caught across the room, brown meeting green. Pepper followed her gaze and the two women shared a secret smile and a few whispers, before turning back to their work for the day. 

Tony grabbed her bicep as he re-entered the restaurant. “Come on, Kid. Let’s go to the track.”

She nodded glancing over her shoulder at Natalie one more time as they left. 

At the track Bennett's blood immediately started to race. The sound of the engines and the smell of the exhaust fumes was enough to kick her adrenaline into high gear. A race like this was a completely new experience and it was awesome. Standing with the pit crew she got a good look at the car before the race. It was a work of art, but then again Tony bought it. So that wasn't surprising. Tony walking onto the track in a racing suit was her first clue that something was off.

 “What’s the use of having and owning a race car if you don’t drive it?” He tapped her shoulder with his helmet and climbed in the seat. “Boss, are you sure about this?” she grabbed the wheel.

“Absolutely not,” he called as he pulled into traffic with the other cars.

The first several turns of the race went great. After relaxing it was actually exhilarating watching Tony. She almost envied him. 

 The crowd cheered the racers on. Excitement grew as they neared the start of the second lap. That was when Bennett noticed one of the track officials walk onto the track. His suit began to burn and sizzle melting off him down to his waist. An arc reactor was strapped to his chest and he held two whips of pure energy. He sliced through the first car that crossed the line. Then made his way walking into traffic with purpose. It didn’t take long to figure out what that purpose was; Tony. He sliced through the front of Tony’s car and stalked after the car as it flipped across the road. 

Tony managed to climb out of the car but he didn’t stand a chance against this man on his own. Not without Ironman. The man slapped the whips across the ground sending sparks flying. Knowing trouble was coming Bennett ducked behind a pillar and sent Happy a text “Tony needs the case.” 

The space was secluded enough. Happy needed time. Tony needed a distraction. She ran a hand through her hair knowing she was going to regret this. Bennett took a deep breath and tapped the cuffs first to the pendent then to each other. When she saw the cuffs extended up her arms forming the  bracers, she knew it was game time.  

“You know,” her voice came out contorted. It didn't sound right, it was smoother with an almost musical quality. Tony could fix that later. “I thought dominatrix and archeology professors were the only ones that used whips anymore”

“This no concern you. Leave now.” Without even turning he flicked one of the whips in her direction. Side stepping she threw her left arm out in a block. The whip was longer than it appeared or she had misjudged the distance between her and the man as the end caught her in the chest. She inhaled sharply, eyes watering. This was gonna hurt a lot. “Sorry, but I can’t do that.”

He lashed one whip out followed immediately by the other. Bennett ducked one but the next hit wrapped up her arm burning wherever the bracer didn’t protect. He released her, kicking her across the track and stalking towards Tony.  “Not much of a conversationalist, got it.”

She had another idea. He continued to slash at Tony. It was probably not a great idea but still an idea. 

“Hey Grease Lightning, I said leave him alone.” Crap it was hard to make this voice sound intimidating. But it worked to a degree. The man turned his head and slung his whip towards her neck. She ducked, leaning back and let it reach its full extent before grabbing the tail with her gloved hand and jerking forward as hard as possible. As the man was pulled forward with the force, she chambered a kick in tight. As he flew forward she drove her heel into his stomach as deep as she could. Then spun out into another fighting stance. By this point Tony was back up. 

The two kept the man busy. Bennett took as many hits for Tony as she could and prayed Happy would get here soon. “Aim everything at the straps,” Tony instructed. 

From that point on every kick and every punch had one goal to loosen the straps holding the arc reactor in place. A well placed push kick had Tony tumbling across the ground. 

Bennett rushed in. Whips are a ranged weapon. They are hard to attack with from point blank range. She got in tight and refused to let up. Wearing out his body or trying to. She managed to hit a few pressure points and thought she might have been getting the upper hand until she felt the whip wrap around her ankle. Her feet were ripped from underneath her and her head hit the asphalt. She felt the gash and knew there was blood. 

The man grabbed her, lifting her from the ground by her neck and began to squeeze. He pulled her to his face. The smell of his putrid breath overwhelming her senses. “I told you to stay out of it little girl.” His grip tightened suddenly and she felt her trachea collapse. Followed by a few vertebrae sliding out of alignment. Her body went limp and he dropped her lifeless form.

Knowing you will survive doesn't take away all the fear. For a moment she considered death  as she waited for her windpipe to fix itself. 

At the sound of a car explosion she jumped and crawled back to her feet anxious to see a sign that Tony was alive. They were both against the fence, Tony and the man. She followed Tony’s gaze to see Happy speeding up the track towards them in the luxury car they were using while in Monaco. Happy must have gotten the text. 

The Rolls slammed the man into the fence Tony leaping out of the way at the last moment. Bennett's ears were still ringing and she was a little out of it as she made her way to the others. She didn’t remember much other than getting Pepper from the car, to safety and telling Happy to follow as the two men fought. 

Once she got several yards and several more concrete barriers between them and the fight, she had her first coherent thought. “Where’s Natalie?” They both looked confused. So she repeated the question. “Where is Natalie? She was with you two when I left.”

“I don’t know. She didn’t come with us. I’m not sure where she went. How do you even…” Pepper’s confusion seemed to clear slightly, and morph into anger, “Bennett?”

Bennett looked down seeing the bracers and remembering the rest of the costume that although invisible to her was still active. “Hey, Pep.” The authorities arrived to take the man away and Tony walked towards the others. 

Pepper fixed him with a glare. "We are going home now." Vacation was over.

The police kept Tony at hand until he could speak to his attacker. Bennett waited at the station with him. When they came to lead him back he told Bennett to stay in the lobby. She reluctantly obeyed. 

She paced the length of the room more times than she cared to count as she waited for Tony to return. As she turned to begin another lap, the door to the cells and offices was pulled open hitting the wall with a sharp crack. 

Tony stalked by her and signalled for her to follow him to his car. Once buckled in they left for the airport where Pepper and the others would be waiting. 

“Boss, who was that guy?”

“His name is Ivan Vanko. He claimed that the arc reactor was his father’s idea.” 

Tony looked as confused as Bennett felt. “But it’s not.”

“No.”

“So what did he want? Notoriety?”

“He said...He wanted to take me down but he missed. We are fine, kid, don’t worry.” He gave her a smile.

There was more to the story she knew but she let it slide. “Is he going to be a threat anymore?”

“Nah, we are home free.” He revved the engine and sped the rest of the way to the air strip. 

[mitchwritesthings-blog]

Mitch’s Music Year-in-Review

What this is?

My name is Mitch, although sometimes I say it’s Jeff, and I just wanted an outlet to discuss how my experience with listening to music was in the year 2017. Now, this is completely my taste in music, and only what I listened to. I don’t really keep up with new music all too much to be honest, so before I write this, I’m not sure how many 2017 albums will actually be in my 2017 write-up. There will be quite a few albums from the 00′s and 10′s that I had listened to the first time, as well as albums that have been my favourites for years that I still wanted to talk about.

What will be discussed?

i. 2017 album releases “After Laughter” ~ Paramore “Reputation” ~ Taylor Swift “Waiting on the Sun” ~ Jule Vera “Wolves” ~ Story of the Year

ii. 2016 albums releases that I can basically pretend are new releases “E-mo-tion: Side B” ~ Carly Rae Jepsen “Neptune” ~ Tall Heights “Yellowcard” ~ Yellowcard

iii. Albums that are nowhere new releases, but are new to me “stellastarr*” ~ stellastarr* “E-mo-tion” ~ Carly Rae Jepsen

Now before we get started

An introduction on my musical tastes. Since the early-to-mid 2000′s, I have been a pop-punk kid, whether I knew it or not. The videogame soundtracks from EA games (EA Games, EA Sports, and EA Sports BIG), heavily shaped my taste in music. Yellowcard, being my favourite band ever, were included in some of these soundtrack, and in section B I’ll be talking about their self-titled album- which was an emotional one for me. Story of the Year and stellastarr* were discoveries of mine for similar reasons to Yellowcard. The remaining artists I listened to from doing my own research (Jule Vera), them being popular enough -slash- from people I know (Paramore, Taylor, Carly), or from being blown away at a show (Tall Heights). So without further adieu, let’s get started!

2017 album releases

“After Laughter” ~ Paramore

I’m writing about these albums in alphabetical order of their category, so some of the stories and descriptions might be a bit disjointed- but fuck it- it’s just a Tumblr post. 

Being a pop-punk kid that was transitioning into a girl pop guy, what a better way to merge the interests than with Paramore. Now, this album is not pop-punk, but that doesn’t mean it’s not great! In fact, the 80′s emotional pop vibes are amazing after playing the shit out of E-mo-tion, and needing more of those vibes.

About the album itself, it starts off with the wildly-popular Hard Times, which is not something I entirely love in theory. I don’t think it’s ideal to start off with the lead single for an album, it kinds sets you up for disappointment. And while Hard Times is a much poppier song that most of the album, I don’t think it necessarily does a bad job as the opener. It gets you jumping, ready to dance to the 80′s pop, while also introducing you the darker lyrics that are to come from a post-divorce album (Hayley split with lead singer of New Found Glory Jordan Pundik prior to the album’s recording).

The rest of the album is a nice journey in vibey aesthetics (definitely using Tumblr language here), with ebs and flows of energy. It’s hard for me to pick a favourite from it; trust me, I’ve had many many of these songs stuck in my head at some point. If I had to, however, I’d pick Fake Happy. The lyrics are very honest, and it kinda fucks you up a bit; starting off pretty depressing and then turning into a hell of a bop. Following is the real depressing song, 26, so it’s quite the two-song journey they put you on there.

Overall, it’s a very strong album both musically and lyrically, and would encourage anyone to pick it up. If you like Paramore, you’ll love hearing Hayley bleed her heart out. If you’re not, it’s a good fucking album anyway. 8.8/10

“reputation” ~ Taylor Swift

If I’ve linked you to this, you know I’m a major swiftie; I’ve got tickets to both of her shows in Toronto for August. So this album is a pretty big album for me. That being said, I was not completely blown away by this album- which didn’t surprise. After Look What You Made Me Do’s release, I kinda went “Okay, I know how this is gonna go”. It’s gonna be a solid pop album, but trying a little too hard being edgy and dealing with her reputation while subsequently pretending to not care about it.

Now I say I wasn’t blown away, but upon first listen, the first three songs were pretty damn impressive, and still are. Ready For It, which by the way is an incredible album opener and I knew it would be the moment I heard it, obviously starts it off well. End Game is a very single-worthy song, and introduces you to the overall theme of the album. And I Did Something Bad has a pretty fucking great chorus. Don’t Blame Me didn’t blow me away right away, but I grew on me pretty quickly, and it’s a top track for me. 

After that, in the middle, is where the album really faulters. Delicate and So It Goes... are the weakest tracks on the album in my opinion, and they flank the lead fucking single, all but killing it’s strength from the perspective of the album. And after that, Gorgeous, which while a promotional single, is not in the upper echelon of rep songs. So you’ve got your 5 through 8 songs effectively killing any momentum your incredible starting batch created. 

Following that is a very strong song, Getaway Car, and the beginning of reputation’s resurgence. Track 9 is probably the most 1989-sounding song on the record, and that is definitely a compliment in this case. Taylor tells a clean story, and gets to show off her pipes towards the end of the song. King of my Heart is a little meh in my eyes. It’s one of those classic Taylor songs that are on album and you’re like “Did this really have to be there?”, which is something 1989 actually avoided, and could be why I prefer it over rep. Dancing With Our Hands Tied was one of my favourites right away, although it’s a little underappreciated from what I’ve seen from the fandom on IG. Dress certainly gets the point across that this a new Taylor. She’s gone from “She wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts”, to basically saying “Boy, take this dress off and fuck me”. Something I’ve failed to mention, is the very consistent themes of alcohol consumption (in a recreational way) and getting good dick from her bf littered through the lyrics of this album- just so you know. This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things is the second direct Kanye diss on the album, and absolutely deserving of a single. Call It What You Want should have been the final song, but Taylor had to go and pop cliche it up and give the last track to a boring acoustic song that makes you think “That’s it?”, when it’s done. With an album this momentous, you gotta go out with a bang!

Overall, it’s a better collection of songs than it is an album. You could put in on shuffle, and it’d hold the same value. The pacing is a bit off, and it doesn’t really take you on a sonically cohesive journey. So for that reason, I can’t give it any higher than an 8 (the equivalent of an A-minus), but the songs themselves are still pretty good. 7.8/10

“Waiting on the Sun” ~ Jule Vera

I need to tell you guys about this band before I get into the album themselves. They are amazing people. Before Warped Tour 2015, I was listening to artists that were gonna be on the tour, and Jule Vera showed up on my youtube suggestions, so I checked them out. Fucking great. They had just put out their debut EP Friendly Enemies, which you should absolutely check out by the way, and I knew all the words by the time Warped came around. Now, they just put out their debut, so not really many fans at the side stages. In fact, I was the only person who knew the words in the crowd. But their set is bumping! They incorporate a lot of different parts of the stage in their act, sometimes disassembling the drum kit itself and having multiple people playing each part- it’s great. Their lead singer, Ansley, has got some serious pipes. The band will go as far as she takes them, because as that stage presence builds- watch out! I can absolutely see them making it big with the kind of energy they have, their songwriting chops, and a good-looking incredible female lead singer. 

I talked with them after their, got a picture, and my album signed, and I was on the bandwagon. I’ll follow these guys and gal for as long as they make music- which includes coming back to Toronto in March after two-and-a-half year, and you bet your ass I’ll be there buying all the merch and hopefully getting some hangs with the band. 

Oh yeah... there’s an album to talk about. Waiting on the Sun went in a much more poppy direction than their EP which i brought up earlier which was an alternative record. Despite the stylistic change, it still bangs. Ansley shows her singing chops, and despite only having put out 18 songs total, they show they have an incredible amount of diversity with the kind of songs they can right. Something Good is the bounciest chorus I have ever heard, check that shit out right away.

In complete honesty, the album kind of pales in comparison to its alternative predecessor, at least in my opinion, but it’s not bad. I think the stylistic change was a decision made my the label. They have a lead singer who could be a solo artist once the charisma gets there, so they tried to do a poppy singer-heavy record. They’re still trying to figure out what they are, but once they do, the sky’s the limit.

I love these guys, and even if the album didn’t blow me away, I’ll support them whenever they need it! 7.6/10

“Wolves” ~ Story of the Year

This long-awaited came out this month, so I won’t be able to fully express how I feel about, considering I’ve only given it a handful of playthroughs. But let me tell you, it rocks. It post-hardcore/melodic hardcore/pop-punk rocks. These guys’ Page Avenue was a killer album, and 14 years later, they’re still putting out tracks with the same amount of energy and attitude as when they were kids. But better yet, there’s a more musicianship and polish (not in a bad way) to make it even better. I haven’t listened to this album yet with headphones on chilling on the bus- which I think is a good barometer for the quality of an album- but I know it’ll be a great trip on the 200 iXpress when I do.

Right away you’re hit with trademake SotY energy, and it doesn’t really go away, at least not until you’re left utterly satisfied. How Can We Go On is a great way to get things going, and it keeps going. Songs like Bang Bang, and Can Anybody Here Me are terrific too, and there are definitely more- I just haven’t listened enough to get the song names down pat.

Just listen to it, trust me. Since it’s a very fresh listen to it, I don’t feel comfortable giving a definite score. So instead I’ll give it a bare minimum score and an absolutely peak score: 8.2-9.4/10, likely falling somewhere in the middle upon further listening.

So what’s my favourite release of 2017?

Well, to be honest, I don’t know. Wolves falls both above and below After Laughter, so I can’t say conclusively what I like more. If I had to, I’d give the edge to Paramore, since it’s stood the test of multiple listens, whereas there still can be some uncertainty with a brand new release. 

What I did learn is that I need to listen to more new music. Only 4 albums throughout the year that I felt inclined to write about? The Used and Brand New put out new music, but they haven’t gotten enough listening to warrant anything more than honourable mention.

2016 albums releases that I can basically pretend are new releases

“E-mo-tion: Side B” ~ Carly Rae Jepsen

Carly is the GOAT, mess me with that Taylor shit. Despite having only listen to Side B for maybe two months- three tops- this is **spoiler alert**, my favourite thing I listened to this year. It’s just 8 bops. I can talk about it not being very “albumy”, but it’s a b-side release, who cares? You get 8 extra tracks that are all great, after Queen Carly gave us the gift that was E-mo-tion. 

I feel like it’s kinda split into two four-song parts, with Fever acting as the end of Act 1 and Body Language bringing in Act 2. 

First Time is a very fun start to the whole thing. It just bops. Carly’s vocal ability really shine in this release, and there are few good lyrical pieces too- so overall a very good showing from her herself.

Higher is an excellent second song... I don’t think that’s a compliment many people think about. But it starts off very quickly, no real lead-in, with an upbeat verse, than leads you into a chorus with leading and backing vocals. It says something about the album when I consider this to be one of the weaker tracks on the album- it’s still a great song! And I think that’s one of the benefits of a shorter album, there’s no filler!

The One again is a song that in comparison to the rest of the record, isn’t gaudy, but it’s still really good! All of the choruses on this album are uber catchy, you’ll have them all stuck in your head at some point. For an album I love so much, I’m kinda talking shit to start, but it’s good! This a really fun album to listen to it, and I’ve done a lot of singing in the shower to it.

The problem with the last two tracks, is that they didn’t really stand out to me. They were great, but not stand-out great. The rest of the album will stick in your mind a bit more vividly. Fever talks about stealing her man’s bike, who does that!? If this were a 4-song EP, this would be an excellent song to end it off with, but instead it leads you into another set of four bangers!

Body Language is a hell of a song. From the get go, you’re bouncing at the verse, hoping you’ll get an equally boppy chorus- and you get it! The anti-melodic ending to the chorus is kind of genius. “I just think we’re over thinking it, over thinking it” is intentionally disjointed, and it helps illustrate actually over-thinking something. Great song.

Cry really gets into the “emotional” part of emotional 80′s pop. It’s an incredibly honest song, and delivers such heartfelt lyrics, while still maintaining the level of catchyness ever-present in the album. Where most pop albums have latter-half songs that make you scratch your head about their inclusion, this album does the exact opposite. These b-sides would be singles on other artists’ best-of works. 

Store is iconic. Just go listen to it. Go! Best chorus ever. Solidifies Carly as GOAT status. Nobody else could ever write that. The choppy sentences are intentional. 

Roses is a nice chill, vibey, emotional finale to an absolutely stellar album. Strong lyrics, compelling verses, catchy yet deep chorus- everything this album is condensed into one song- reminding you why you loved what you just listened to so much.

I need CRJ4 asap. I fully expect it to be a masterpiece no matter what direction she goes in (which I heard yesterday was Disco, btw). 9.6/10

“Neptune” ~ Tall Heights

I saw these guys open for Ben Folds (who, by the way, is amazing live), and they blew me away. They’re a progressive folk duo-tuned-trio, with absolutely beautiful vocal harmonies-oh yeah, and a cello, how cool is that!?

It’s an beautiful record, the instrumentation is terrific, and the vocals are gorgeous- which isn’t something you necessarily hear a lot from male-sung bands. This is the kind of record you put on when you’re staying in on a weekend evening. and just wanna do some solo chillaxing- which is something I do quite a bit. It’s also good for falling asleep to, once you learn the melody and lyrics. I’d imagine it’d also be dope as fuck to listen to when passing a joint around. It’s super chill, sets a terrific atmosphere, and it takes you on a nice little journey. 

It’s not necessarily an album that would yield any huge radio singles, but I have no problems with that whatsoever. You can just press play on this bad boy, and you know it’s gonna do it’s job. Now given the mood it sets, you’re not always gonna want to have this playing, but when you do you’ll be so glad you have it for those moments. 8.9/10

“Yellowcard” ~ Yellowcard

youknowihadtodoittoem.png It’s the last record every to be made by my favourite band, I had to write about it. I’m gonna start from the end though. Fields and Fences is the absolute perfect way for Yellowcard to end their careers. It’s not what I expected, nor what I would have said I wanted, but it was total and complete perfection. It kind of acts of a microcosm for the Lift a Sail era and on, where the guys pretty much left the pop-punk deal behind and went for a more alternative. Fields starts off basically as a country song, and you’re kinda disappointed, much like many YC fans were with LaS, but it keeps going, and you start digging it. And then, it stops, and you think it’s over. “That’s how it ends?”. No, that’s when it starts. You get the electric guitar, you get “I don’t have much that I can give to you...”, on repeat, and then it fades out, and every single Yellowcard fan is put in an absolute state of bliss when they hear almost 2 minutes of just Sean’s violin taking them by the hand and emotionally leading them to the end of what was an incredible 20-year journey. You’re listening to it, and you’re so thankful for those 90 seconds, because it allows you to reflect on all of the great memories this band has given you. And you don’t want it to end, and you savour ever note coming from Sean, as well as the return of Rodney and Christine, and you’re so happy. But you realise, it has to end, and it does. And not even with a cry, but more of a whimper. But it’s not a bad whimper. It’s a releasing of the bow for the very last time, and you think to yourself “Holy fuck, I love this band”. Then you stare at whatever your audio source was for that last first listen for a few minutes, and you’re at peace. You’ve listened to the last Yellowcard record ever, and it’s a bittersweet feeling. You’re glad that the guys went out on such a beautiful note, but you’re sad because you realise they could keep putting out beautiful records, but that will never happen again. 

That is what this album is. This what this band is. The rest of this album could’ve been 40 minutes of farts, but if it end with that song, it’d be great. 

Now I understand that objectively, this is not a perfect album- nothing is. Some of these songs aren’t great. But I can tell that at that very moment, when I heard the very last playing of violin on a Yellowcard record, I felt perfectly at peace with myself and who I was as an Underdog- something I’m proud to be, and always will be. 

Fields and Fences, as a song, for a Yellowcard fan: 10/10.

I was going to write about more albums, as you can tell by the table of contents I made. But I think that was a good place to leave things. Thank you for reading all of this. 

Mitch