#there’s a reason it was my most streamed album of 2023 for real and the way I stay going back to it it’s about to my most streamed for 2024

[puthyflapps]

A new low for swifties. https://new.reddit.com/r/facepalm/comments/1cbwvf3/victim_complex/

Neither shocked nor surprised

[heartofbusan]

The sun's radiant vibe.

Rebirth and the declaration of Park Jimin.

DPPAKCVBMMNNN HES SO PRETTY. HELP. FOCUS.

Over on Twix, a quietly renowned translator named Colin delivers his version of lyric translations for nearly all BTS songs. He just posted his translations of MUSE and boy..🫠...be sure to read them as they are well thought out and nuanced. It's just beautiful the way he seeks to find the most fitting word to convey a feeling. His translation made me realize that people been sleeping on Rebirth. Not only streaming wise, it's kinda lagging behind, but lyrics wise as well.

It's been my clear favorite since I first heard it. It reminds me of church music, say I the atheist. But it's the way that choirs can move your soul with those soaring compositions and exalted professions of love for the glorious in a harmonious coming together of voices. It's just so beautiful. I can hear you screaming: THERE’S AN ACTUAL CHOIR SINGING ALONG, OH, so that might just be it, Sherlock 🧐 ok ok. Noted.

It's also that line: "With you. I will be your reason, reason." He's singing his promise, his praise.

Rebirth is Jimin laying his love at the altar, ready to be either burned or scorned or blessed. In any case, he's no longer hiding. He's professing. He's been through utter despair, and there was his love, arm outstretched. He wants to be as one.

Furthermore, i think Rebirth is kind of a coda to the closing song of FACE: Letter.

If Letter is a quiet confession, whispered from one lover's lips to the other's ear, warm breath tickling his hair, then Rebirth is Brat.

Rebirth is one hell of an opening song. Bold and bravely confident, utterly romantic in the meeting your lover at dawn kinda way. But the irony lies in that it would be an amazing closing song of an album. The way the choir lingers and the music resonates long after the song has ended. The clapping! It screams, ending concert song, and the audience is absolutely weeping, hugging their seat mates, mascara running, chimmy headband drooping.

There's probably a technical explanation for why, but I'm telling you, a closing song. Because once Showtime (interlude) hits, we're in a totally new environment audibly and emotionally. Yet it had to be the intro because it's the seed that was planted in FACE.

Rebirth is this Jimin:

"Both he and the object of his affection have feelings for each other." It's mutual. Equal. I am you, you are me much?!

"So that I can sing as we lock eyes." Insert TTU 'But I still want you.' gif here

"...implying that the other person won't let him remain hidden."

'In my despair, you act as light. Like the sun's radiant vibe, You pass by me tenderly.'

The sun is tenderly beckoning him with its warmth, to finally step into the light. We all know who has been there for Jimin throughout 2022/2023, encouraging him both publicly with his simping and privately.

Jimin told Namjoon in MMM that JK diligently helped him, assisting him when he spent two months re-training his voice for longevity.

I don't want to read more into the lines of a song that could also be totally make-believe, but it's Jimin were talking about. A man who is willing to break down himself, piece by piece, to rebuild himself back stronger, more confident, and with his eye firmly set towards the future. Do we think he wouldn't speak in these exalted terms about his good love? Have you heard Letter!?!

*DEEEP SIGH*

No wonder Jimin wants to give pay back in bedtime cuddles. 🙂‍↕️

Rebirth is so confident, and it's not only the lyrics mind you. It's also the way he sings notes we haven't heard him sing this brazenly before. I will scream into the void once he performs this live someday. CAN YOU IMAGINE?!

Stream Muse and Rebirth for Real Love.

TLDR: Jimin is GOAT, author a simp.

[itsmattchou]

all day, i'm thinking about you !

starring: zb1 & some zumblrcord members warnings: jiwoong gets ageshamed (misa core), mentions of eating children, turkish alpha wolf, hanbin is a 'hater', taerae is delulu, cutie yujin, english isn't my first language!!! genre: uhm i have legit no idea. misc? synopsis: in a parallel universe where zb1 are the fans of zumblr… how do they act as fanboys? notes: zumblrcord people love this idea. are you a zb1 too? shoutout to moni @taerrrrrae for the elif evil editing idea! mentioned: elif @jinkiseason ; venom @zerobaseonefics ; irene @itaerae ; tea @teaxeee ; eris @keita-luv ; misa @terazono-keita

ZUMBLR (점브러) is a 9-member project group formed by MNET‘s survival show DELULU PLANET 999. They made their debut on July 4, 2023 with the mini album 'OLD AGE IN THE LIGHT' and the song 'Out Wilted'.

Fandom Name: ZB1 (ZeroBaseOne) Official Merch: a Zumblr mug🤓

kim jiwoong he's not as open about being a zb1 as the other boys. it's more like his secret identity. kim jiwoong at day, zb1 at night, he's basically like batman. he writes a lot of fanfictions but nobody knows about it, he uses a different name on the internet. he's part of the zb1 discord and gets roasted for his age regularly. he likes buying the zumblr albums and loves listening to their music, especially when he's jogging or cleaning his apartment. he's waiting for the day that one of members acts in a kdrama. his bias is elif.

zhang hao he's always uploading covers of zumblr songs. if singing covers, dance covers or violin covers doesn't matter. he uploads them and is fairly popular in the fandom. listens to every song the second a new album drops and is also big on streaming. he's also really into 'drama' surrounding zumblr. he still laughs about the way mnet tried evil editing "RAWRR turkish alpha wolf" elif into making it seem like she eats kids because they didn't want a furry in the line up. elif still made it as P04. hao can't decide for a bias.

sung hanbin he's the most well known zb1. he went viral for 'hating' on zumblr member venom (everybody knows he's utterly in love with her). he also writes fanfictions but he's more open about it. probably cries every night thinking about zumblrs future disbandment. he works in a coffeeshop and makes sure to regularly play zumblr songs in order to promote them further. he has like hundreds of fellow zb1 friends and moots online. he claims that he biases somebody else, but everybody knows that his bias is venom.

seok matthew he's the sweetest fan for real. he streams and votes a lot, he would feel guilty if not. he likes buying the albums and always makes sure to preorder them so he could receive extra benefits. he always has a photocard in his phone case and changes it regularly. he cried while watching the dp999 finale, even though his pick made it. he likes to upload funny videos about zumblr onto youtube (zumblr out of context eg) and has a big following too. his zumblr lightstick is his most beloved possession. his bias is chou, obviously.

kim taerae he's literally the most delulu out of all of them. he might not seem like it, but he definitely is. while hanbin and jiwoong are the ones writing the fanfictions, he's the one who's constantly reading them. he loves covering zumblr songs and uploading his singing onto youtube and tiktok. taerae rewatches delulu planet 999 often and is constantly sad about all the eliminated trainees. he really likes to trade his photocards for no specific reason. he's incredibly bad at voting and streaming though. he is an ot9.

shen ricky he's the kinda stan that owns EVERYTHING. he rich fr. albums? owns every single version of every album. seasons greeting? he has it. merch? best believe he buys every piece possible. concert tickets? he's spoiling himself with vip tickets. he has won multiple phone calls too and every other broke stan is incredibly jealous of him. he's talked to every member so far and literally went viral on multiple platforms for his obsession with zumblr because he posted about it. his bias is irene, as she's just as rich as him.

kim gyuvin he only speaks in zumblr references and has annoyed friends into becoming zb1s too. he runs a meme page / very popular fan page for zumblr. every other zb1 knows him. zumblr has even mentioned him in lives before. he buys every album (but only one version. he's kinda broke.) and decorates his room with some fan articles. he likes learning the dances. he goes to karaoke bars regularly and always puts zumblr songs on, his favorite being 'never', the solo song from chou. gyuvin changes his bias like every single day.

park gunwook he's the friend gyuvin annoyed into becoming a zb1. he started watching delulu planet 999 when it was already too late and almost ending and he really regretted not tuning in earlier. he's a big zb1 now even though his #1 pick (tea) didn't make it. but he's still a bit more chill compared to some other members. he doesn't buy albums because he wants to save up to go to one of their concerts instead. he streams zumblrs music kind of unintentionally as it's always playing on loop while he's his doing homework. he doesn't bias anyone in the group. (missing tea hours)

han yujin he watches all youtube videos about them while he's doing his homework. he once scribbled the zumblr logo on a test sheet and got an extra point because the teacher is also a zb1 (biased). he cries often because the maknae- eris- is younger than him. he likes to do dancing covers and uploads them on tiktok. he always saves up money in order to buy some albums or merch. he reads zumblr fluff whenever he's sad. has won a phone call once and made the member 'fall in love' with him as he's just too cute. his bias is eris.

bonus:

terazono keita really doesn't give a fuck about zumblr. he only cares about misa who sadly didn't make the cut and only placed P12 in the dp999 finals.

lee seunghwan is unemployed. he spends his free time listening to zumblr music.

[sweetbottletops]

A music leaning review of the series that Agu did a shout out to recently. Read here

Or check out horrible MTL behind the cut.

Manga “The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All” Review: A Modern and Nostalgic Story

The first volume was released on April 19, 2023, and the second volume was released on February 27, 2024. A manga by Sumiko Arai, ``The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All'' This work instantly became a hot topic when it was published on the author's X (Twitter), and when the book was released, it received the most notable manga awards and rankings in the Japanese manga world. This manga, which features real artists and songs, was reviewed by writer Shino Kokawa. It has also been announced that carefully selected songs from the playlist will be released on CD as a comic soundtrack on May 29, 2024, and on color vinyl on July 31. The official manga playlist is available here.

The Finest Youth Story

I was recommended by several acquaintances, saying, ``I think you'll definitely like it, so you should check it out,'' and I started reading it, and I was hooked, ``The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All.'' The manga, which went viral on author Sumiko Arai's social media and became a huge hit with over 400,000 copies sold after it was published as a book, has a number of great points, especially if you like Western rock music like the author. For those who spent their adolescence together, this work is truly emotional as it depicts their experiences and feelings one after another! That's one word. It's an exquisite coming-of-age story where you can project your past self and shake off the emo meter, and you can also reminisce about how you wish you had spent your high school days like this.

Aya, a high school girl, can't help but be curious about the "old guy" who works at a CD shop. However, when the true identity of the "brother" is actually Mitsuki, a classmate from high school, the story of the two's "love" begins to unfold. Aya, who is more of a gal, and Mitsuki, who is more of a down-to-earth character, have one thing in common: they love Western music, especially alternative rock. In this work, music plays a role in the relationship between the two, from Nirvana, where they met, to the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert they were planning to go to for the first time, to Radiohead, which Mitsuki sings to express her feelings to Aya. The main point is that it is used as an important tool to connect and deeply understand each other.

Aya and Mitsuki are modern-day high school students, but they seem to be particularly fond of 90s alternative music, and in the movie they mention Beck, Blur, Foo Fighters, Deftones, Guns N' Roses, etc. in their conversations and albums's jacket, which frequently appears on smartphone screens. The reason why they dig these artists may be due to the influence of Mitsuki's uncle (former band member), who works as a manager at a CD shop. From there to post-2000s artists like The Strokes, The Shins, Willow, and Turnstile, to more classic rock bands like Aerosmith and Black Sabbath, these girls freely traverse eras and find their favorites in the manner typical of the streaming generation. The two of them decided to share it.

Western Music Rock Listeners Who are a Minority in School and Society

By the way, the reason why overseas alternative rock has such a strong connection with Aya and Mitsuki is because there are very few friends around who can talk about Nirvana and Willow, and Western rock listeners have always been a minority in schools and society. There is no difference. I'm probably the same generation as Mitsuki's uncle, who was baptized as an alternative in the 1990s in my teens, and I've had exactly the same experiences as both of them.

Since I attended an all-girls school for middle school and high school, none of my classmates listened to US alternative or UK indie music, and after school, my daily routine was wandering around record shops in Shibuya by myself. As Aya monologues at the beginning of the film, saying, ``Music can only be listened to alone,'' I didn't feel particularly lonely, and like Aya, I was able to get along normally with friends from ``different genres'' at school. there was. Still, I had a lot of fun following bands that came to Japan with friends I met from outside of school at concerts, talking endlessly about albums over the phone, and going to events together, and we just liked the same music. There is no doubt that it was an irreplaceable experience for me to be able to understand others (and myself again), and to want to understand them even more.

Metaphor for Growth and Salvation

However, if you ask me, ``So, is ``The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All'' a coming-of-age story that only appeals to music and alternative fans? That's not the case at all. The music that connects Aya and Mitsuki is just a metaphor for growth and salvation for all teenagers who are in the midst of the vicissitudes of adolescence. This work repeatedly depicts things like ``not being able to match the rhythm of those around you'' and ``not being able to make friends if you're from a different genre,'' but the musical terms ``rhythm'' and ``genre'' are used here. However, it is a problem that everyone experiences at least once during their teenage years.

As I wrote earlier, "The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All'' is a story that allows you to project your past self and immerse yourself in a nostalgic mood as a 90's alternative real timer. At the same time, I feel that this work is an extremely modern story that could not have been born in our time. For example, Aya and Mitsuki's feelings of "interest" and "love" toward each other are portrayed in a very neutral manner. The two clumsy characters pass each other many times, but gender is hardly a consideration among the things they have to overcome. There is no doubt that they love each other and are important to each other, but the type of love is not specified, and the interpretation is left to the reader. In the first place, these women themselves probably do not define their feelings strictly.

What's also nice about this work is that both ``CD = physical'' and ``streaming'' are effectively used for music as a tool to mediate between two people. In the 1990s, when I was listening to alternative music in real time, physical music was the only option available. The main way I communicate with my friends is by lending and borrowing CDs and making original tapes to give them to them (although that was a lot of fun), and like Aya and Mitsuki, I immediately share songs that catch my attention with them. I feel so jealous of the immediacy of being able to exchange the songs I want to hear at any time with my smartphone. However, without the object of a CD, they would not have been able to meet or connect directly, and the reason why such old school communication is being put to good use is because ``The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All.'' This is why it is a modern and nostalgic story.

Exclusivity That Does Not Confine Itself Inside

And finally, one thing I especially like about the modernity of this work is that the relationship between the two, which deepens through alternative rock, becomes an exclusive one that is confined to just the two of them. The point is that it is not. Rock is a genre that sometimes strikes at naive sensibilities and excite the outlaw feelings of adolescence. Sometimes we want to indulge in the classic rebellion of ``Adults don't understand'' or create a structure of self versus society. You could even say that Nirvana and Radiohead in the '90s were music for outlaws who had no choice but to go through adolescence in the dark.

However, Aya and Mitsuki in the 2020s is not bound by that old-fashioned rock mentality. The music that flows between the two, who are searching for the ideal sense of distance in interpersonal relationships, actually helps them connect with others, expands their circle of friends, and creates a lively beat for those who don't "match the rhythm." It's refreshing to see it help people accept society.

The story has now changed from Aya and Mitsuki listening to their favorite music side by side, to Mitsuki discovering that she wants to make music, and Aya watching over and supporting her. There is a big difference between ``creating'' music and ``listening'' to it. The new relationship between the two is likely to continue to have its ups and downs, as there is a line in the movie that says, ``Even though we're supposed to be listening to the same song, it feels far away.'' Even so, I would like to watch over Aya and Mitsuki, who will be drawn together as fate would have it, along with the playlist of this story.

Written by 粉川しの

[introvertgoat]

was listening to IN LIFE and im crying ,,, skz made Real Good Music back then u guys 😢😢😢😢 like obv the old stuff (tm) isn’t easily beatable and noeasy is crazy delicious cohesive album but in life js works soo well in a way the most recent albums js Don’t for me 🫤 granted, i have yet to listen to 5 Star in its entirety, buttt idk from the clips and snippets i’ve heard online it’s looking uncertain

if i had to rank all 2020-2023 korean albums, excluding GO LIVE bcs we’re trying to not be TEWW biased here, in my frankly Correct opinion it’d go smth like this (things might switch up if i went into more detail and ranked the pros and cons, but not by much LOL) :

1. IN LIFE ( i don’t even listen to this 1 often but u have a banging title track and banging unit and b side tracks like cmon wtf !)

2. NOEASY ( listen it’s not js bcs this is probably the only Good title track they released since ( for legal reasons this is a joke 😪) but because it’s so sonically enjoyable like u have to see the entire picture ! even the order is important it takes u thru a slightly nostalgic journey and also i might js be a tad but emotional and biased bcs hyunjin made his return w this album and it was the most Perfect era EVER in kpop for skz to skz like

3. MAXIDENT ( ok it was a little boring for me at first i’m ngl but there’s a reason it was one of my most played albums of 2022 by my calculations ! like it lacked a lot in some places, did so much in others ( queens chill GMYTMI and superboard we thank u for ur hard work ) but it was Fun i liked it i vibed i chilled and case143 wasn’t really awful js wacky

[brick wall]

4. ODDINARY ( i never say this on main but i absolutely abhored this mini JEJDJDJ to this day i still have a huge hate boner for it LMAO like it js felt like a copycat of the prev albums and not in a Good way i rarely play it except for when i wanna listen to lonely st and waiting for us like it’s that serious for me. also, the concept hair everything EW EW we did not give there at all i find maniac era to be a scourge on my life and everyone else should too ! it’ll kill u trust

there u have it everyone this is why u should all go stream top 3 and ignore ordinary w ur very dying breath 😢🙏

btw replay value is good for everything EXCEPT ordinary like i’m ngl that shit was not good

[juusankai]

A little something about the seiyuu, Umehara Yuuichirou that I want to get off my chest.

As the Fall Anime Season approached me, I looked for different series I could watch in my spare time. Besides the ones I already wanted to watch I thought to myself I should check out MAL for an official listing of all the anime confirmed for the season. I thought to myself: "Hm...why not?". My curiosity was at it's peak.

As I scrolled the long list of anime, some of them that reached my interest, I immediately noted them down. One of them happened to be this long-titled isekai romance with a title I couldn't even understand. The poster of the anime didn't really peak my interest but I noted it down anyway.

The first episode aired and then the second one, the third one.

I was hooked.

"I'm the Villainess so I'm Taming the Final Boss" or Akulas for short hooked me from the first episode. The opening, the ending, the story, the MC and of course Claude, the Demon King, played by no one else than Umehara Yuuichirou.

What I'm trying to say is that Akulas introduced me to Umehara-san and I couldn't be more grateful. The tone of his voice? The raspy and velvety sound of his voice? Hearing him talking about how he wants to spoil his then fiancee to the rotten, just made me shiver. I had to look him up.

And that's where it all started...and now I feel like a teenager again, who fell in love with the boy who offered her his pencil because she forgot hers in the other backpack.

And when I looked him up it truly felt like home..somehow. I loved everything about him, his face, his style and his movements. His mannerisms and the way he talks in interviews. His calm demeanor and the way he says "Oi" when things get awkward around him. The way he forces out a laugh because he is out of energy and just wants to synchronize with the others. His weird humor and vulgar words that has 0 correlation with his personality. But I love that honesty.

I tried to clean up this photo of him since it's one of my favourites so far. I know it's the 1000th time I'm mentioning his beauty, but can I do it again? And again?

In the back of my mind I hope that one day I will meet him.

And in the deeper corners of my mind, a part of me wishes that "me" would never existed and another "me" would emerge, one who is closer to him.

I'm pretty sure we all love our idols, or seiyuus in this case, but didn't you ever wish you can be friends with them? See them everyday? Talk to them about their daily life. Or just be there to see their career take off?

I will always have Umehara-san in my mind and heart because he truly makes he happy. He offered me so much peace in a time where i felt angry, sad and lonely. I loved the sound of his voice, it made my heart tremble with happiness.

I want to meet him and I want to see him in real life.

But most I can do now is to support his career and watch it as it blooms. So far he has a few roles confirmed for 2023 which is great! I will name a few that come at the top of my mind.

Spy Classroom (main character)

Revenger (main cast)

Ayaka (main character)

The Reason why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke's Mansion (main character)

More of them to be confirmed. We will be very luck if we get him in Jigokuraku or Jujutsu Kaisen. He could do a great Toji. Or we get even luckier and get him as the main character in My Happy Marriage.

No matter what kind of character he will play, I will be there to support it, watch his lives, save his pictures, think about him when a love song starts playing and talk about him just like I did now.

And as I'm entering the conclusion for this little essay, I want to bring attention to the fact that he is also in a band!

It's called Sir Vanity and they have an album out! Go check it out and stream it. Their genre is rock and a very good one. Some of the tracks have been written by Umehara himself and surprise, surprise he writes about break ups. He can sing really well and guitar too. The other 3 members are talented as well so please support them! They will have a new song out so please follow their social media! They have an official Twitter account.

So, as I'm typing my final words I'm hoping that you, my dearest reader, had the patience to at least read a bit about Umehara. Maybe you will end up loving him as much as I do.

I will link now some of the social media that might help you learn about Umehara-san a bit better.

Yuuichirou Umehara official Twitter account: https://twitter.com/UmeuMeumE_Y?t=9QDkhFiESomsDnCogENQkg&s=09

Sir Vanity Official Twitter Account:

https://twitter.com/SirVanity?t=gv29iHmsGz3LUZ5_UcuKqw&s=09

Sir Vanity official YouTube channel:

Sir Vanity official Spotify account so you can officially stream their album and other songs:

His "Behind the Voice Actors" page so you can see more of his roles:

His radio show "Hyrotto Danshi" with Nishimya Koutarou:

"Saturday Machiavellism Night", Umehara's radio show:

And you can follow @/umeupdates for daily posts, news about Umehara on Instagram:

https://instagram.com/umeupdates?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

That was all! Thank you for reading.

[howdytherepardner]

end of 2023 music round-up

read this in docs | most listened 2023 | the Mountain Goats Digest

Order of contents:

Artists with major releases not from this year that I've really been enjoying

Albums worth noting

An extended aside on Sufjan Stevens' artistic output this year

Favorite Songs

Favorite EPs

Favorite Albums

It should be noted that entries in each category are not listed in order per se, but typically the things that show up later are the things I felt stronger about. Also, there is basically no overlap between categories (fav songs are not on fav albums, e.g.) for the sake of keeping discussion about a given project contained to one section. I tease more about my feelings on songs in Albums, albums in Songs where I have something to say about them in depth.

Also: there's so much good stuff from this year I haven't listened to. So sorry about that.

~

Artists Without Huge 2023 Releases, Nonetheless Apart of My Year

Ken Pomeroy

After watching the penultimate episode of Reservation Dogs, I was furiously googling what song was playing during the credits, and only realized a few weeks later that the artist had posted noting that "Cicadas" was not yet released. When it does come out, it stands to be my favorite song of that year, but in the mean time, 2021's Christmas Lights in April is a truly beautiful work. Whatever folk-acoustic-country genre you want to put on it, it's a phenomenal display of songwriting and performance that really shows that Pomeroy is worth watching and supporting. This year, she released the single "Pareidolia" (also featured on Rez Dogs) which I liked.

Louis Cole

It might be a bit of a boring take to say that a Grammy-nominated album (this year) and song (last year) are good, but that description clouds the experience of 2022's Quality Over Opinion. Cole is not concerned with a particular consistency across the 20 tracks other than quality - with the tender acoustics of "Not Needed Anymore" to the harsh spoken word of the introduction, the straight forward dance-jam of "I'm Tight" to the searing shreds of "Bitches." Indeed, the only vision for the record is Quality, and I think Cole exceeds that standard. I might always have a soft spot to put tracks from Time ahead, hitting me when I had maybe a tad more neuroplasticity. But my first time hearing "Let it Happen" blew me to absolute pieces - I can't recommend enough.

Emmy The Great

Emma-Lee Moss retired the project earlier this year, in her words "a costume [she] put on at the age of 21." (x) It's hard to really describe the way this makes me feel, especially as a late-comer to the party, but good God, it evokes something strong. I listened to April senior year of college and it has remained uniquely attuned to my experiences navigating newly "real" adult life, especially in the cities I've lived. The sound of Virtue takes me back to the aesthetics of naughts, and the lyrics bring me to the worries of lives that I have yet to live. And Second Love, well, it just really crystallizes the wanting that I seem to place myself within, "Constantly."

So I feel conflicted about its end. Were it more popular, were streaming services not stripping income from artists, would there be greater reason for it to persist? Perhaps, but I do suppose nothing can go on forever. Moss seems focused on moving forward, and I'm excited to see where she goes. In the meantime (ie my 20s), I will be spending a lot of time with all that she's shared over the years as Emmy.

~

Albums Honorably Mentioned

Radial Gate - Sluice

I didn't know anything about Justin Morris's project until I saw them as an opening act back in May. Even with a chattering crowd between the stage and me in the back of the venue, their songs still reached my mind and hit in a strange and beautiful way. Radial Gate resonates, in my experience, with the long moments that come in contemporary young life in rural places. A pinch of emo gives just enough edge to the folk foundations of the project to bring a lot of intrigue.

Aperture - Hannah Jadagu

Jadagu is synced with the beating heart of 'bedroom pop,' but to extend the metaphor she is really working as lungs for the genre - taking in fresh air to give new life, and exhaling strong gales of intention in each track. Even if the album as a whole didn't resonate with me too deeply, I don't think it misses a beat, and on the whole is a really nice listen.

The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess - Chappell Roan

This album is great. Bop after bop, with a couple of real tearjerkers in there for good measure. I don't think it resonated with me super deeply, but I think the project does have real staying power and I think it brings pop to all the right fringes, with different characters (especially apt in the vein of the drag styling) displaying attitudes on shared struggles. If you like pop and people doing interesting things with it, you will (and likely already do) love this album.

Sit Down for Dinner - Blonde Redhead

I get trapped in the soundscape of this one - how a welcoming ambience also carries with it this great unease.

Genevieve Artadi - Forever Forever

It goes beyond just what might be summarized as jazz-informed resplendentness. My first listen to this one was a nice long wander through a city I had yet to live in. Even if I can't call it a favorite, I still delight in giving this album a spin. There is some overlapping aura between all the songs, but each one is so distinct in ways that is sometimes hard to come by. It's so alive, and meditating on what it means to be that, and I love trying to find some new footing in each track as I listen to it.

Sampha - Lahai

By some set of standards, this is probably the best sounding album of the year. Sampha is no stranger to pushing boundaries and bringing a really evocative, percussive feel to his work, and Lahai is no exception. Anyone unfamiliar should absolutely give this album a spin. My first listen of "Dancing Circles" was mindblowing. It falls short of my favorite in part because I think it is interested in trying a lot of different stuff, more than it comes together as a cohesive experience. I love love love his debut, and it sets a high bar, with the many distinct ways it moves the listener over its runtime. Based on the reception Lahai has received, I'm sure that people are feeling it a lot stronger than me, and I'm okay with that. It's a great work and even if it feels a little busy, I still really enjoy the listen and look forward to seeing how it might grow on me in the future.

~

Now, an extended aside about Sufjan Stevens's output this year and my experiences with it.

Reflections

Starting off straightforward enough, I enjoyed this release. I'm not a big cultivator of classical or specifically piano in my regular music rotation, but I found the songs here to bring a good bit of intrigue. Timo Andres and Connor Hanick's performance do well to inflect the strongest points of Stevens's composition. Of all the tracks, I think "Reflexions" creates the most memorable, haunting aura that serves as a space for a listener to, indeed, reflect. Worth a spin for that one alone in my book, but the people seem to enjoy "And I Shall Come To You Like A Stormtrooper In Drag Serving Imperial Realness." Naturally so.

Javelin

I need to start this section by saying that for many months this year, I would put on Carrie and Lowell about every other night to fall asleep. Conceptually this is a somewhat surreal, if one is to accept the album as just its go-to description - a meditation on grief for his mother's death and their troubled relationship - as something that reliably puts me gently to rest. This image is certainly understandable, as "Death With Dignity," "Fourth of July," and "The Only Thing" cementing this as the key thread of the record. This is something I was locked into for a while, and for some sense of reverence, I think I really tried to hold off from listening to the album all that much.

But this year I kept coming back and back, in a way that I've done with his other albums before, finding new grounds to stand on in each track, and really asking what the album does beyond its summary. It's crafted to have such a solidly consistent soundscape, but just how differently each track can function is really intimidating - and breaking through the blanket impression of what the album "is" has been really rewarding, especially with how resonant I find so many lines I feel able to place in each track. Finding this new personal significance has been one of the most important music experiences for me this year, in a time where I haven't felt the resonance with a lot of new music.

With that thought expressed, the figurative blankets over Javelin has been thick and convoluted. I have generally tried to keep up with news about Stevens and his projects, and this year it meant being aware of Evans Richardson IV's passing and rumors of their relationship months before the album was announced, thus months longer before he publicly shared the news about both. With this general shroud of information, it was a lot to see 1) rumors back in May from Sufjan fans about an album releasing 2) people speculate on relationship troubles in his life after "So You Are Tired" dropped 3) it being billed as a follow-up to Carrie and Lowell 4) critical praise immediately before the announcement 5) praise after the announcement, and a lot of content being centered on the album just "being sad" 6) Sufjan fans specifically focusing in on the vinyl release cycle and speculating about the exact ways his relationship informed the record 7) people asking if Stevens will ever tour again.

This is not to say that any of these sentiments were widespread, nor am I trying to avow that there is only one particular way that one can or should experience the album or Stevens's work. But the flippancy between different assumptions about his life or what this work implies about it that I have seen has done enough to fuck with my mental. That cloud is keeping me from engaging with the album to a deeper extent; I enjoy the songs, and I do think it is beautiful - but I think there's so much more behind it that I need time to reach. And in that light, and with all that has informed the album, I can't place Javelin or its tracks against any other music. Attempts to rank it would fall short of the devastating miracle that Stevens released an album this year at all.

Does that make sense? Maybe not. Sorry. Anyway, I think the art book on the physical release is a really interesting accompaniment, especially the 10 essays. And I'm still rooting for it in all the other year end lists out there.

Let's move on to the music which stood above the rest for me.

~

Favorite Songs

"Thousand March" - Mr. Sauceman

I haven't kept up with a lot of games since leaving high school, but becoming aware of Pizza Tower and its soundtrack was nice. What the game is doing is great, and I think it more than earns the praise it has received. The rest of the soundtrack is pretty good too, but this one transcends to me. It creates such an intense aura and makes a statement on its own, working well in thematically in the level that it comes from, but still standing alone to create an incredible narrative.

"No More Lies" - Thundercat and Tame Impala

I feel like people forgot about this one - maybe it's impact at time of release was the novelty of a now-obvious crossover? But I think the track speaks for itself and speaks strongly, with the pair playing off each other in a way that nods to their influences and is playfully self-aware respective songwriting personas. The instrumentation is very pleasing and I feel like I could throw this on any year and it'll find a place in the music landscape; way more than just the sum of its constituent artists.

"The World's Biggest Paving Slab" - English Teacher

It might be the unassuming start that gets me. It could have stayed in the vein of a bass driven head-nodder, but something about that shimmering chorus captures me and really elevates it to a sincere statement. It makes sense to me in a world of little sense.

"Love As A Weapon" - Alan Chang

The lead single from Chang's solo debut, Check Please. The algorithm gave me the music video, and I think that's one component of its charm, but hardly the whole. All the indie/jazz instrumentation is an instant hook for me and great to dance around in, but the vocal performance is the earnest thread worth following throughout.

"Playing Dead" - Glenna Jane

I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think there's a precise kind of fullness from the 00s/10s emo that gets captured in this track that's somewhat absent from a lot of other recent work informed by that scene. Certainly, it makes sense that people who were young during that era are trying to honor those sounds. But where others might play more ambiguously, allowing for more broad appeal, Glenna is cutting straight to the bone about her own experiences. It puts one on edge, the verses being a bit tough to stomach in casual listening, but it really gives the chorus such a strong and impactful weight. "Have you left yet? Are you playing dead?" Though I'll miss the intimate singer-songwriting she used so well in Vestige, I'm excited to see where this path leads.

"Fingertips" - Lana Del Rey

Let it be said, "A&W" is a great song and worthy of all the year-end recognition its getting, pushing a particular envelope and tickling ears in all the right ways. But this one just gets to me. Del Rey writes such a stark landscape and slowly, desperately dances within it, with the track structured in a way to barely allow a moment's reprieve. It's sincerely moving and really worth savoring. I couldn't tell you quite why, but specifically "I gave myself two seconds to cry/ It's a shame that we die" brings me to my knees.

"black mirror" - Noname

I struggle a bit with Sundial. Certainly, a lot of great art requires effortful engagement to really be rewarded by what lies within, but in many respects, I feel that much of the songs of the album are saying the same things on the same themes. Even ignoring the notorious feature (which I don't think completely soils any artistic merit, but does create a lot more for a listener to reckon with) I think the album fails to live up to what this song, its introduction sets up. Immaculately produced, her lyricism and rhythm are the most compelling and engaging at this point - addressing the myriad takes that people have about her impact and politics by pronouncing fully her humanity. In an effort that takes the discussion to a level (in my opinion) past the rest of the album, she displays her imperfections without surrendering the sincere beliefs that motivate her to strive for a better world.

"Crash The Car" - KNOWER

I think I needed to explain Cole and Artadi before we got to here, the last track on their collab's latest album, KNOWER FOREVER. I could do more to explain my feelings on KNOWER, and explain how I find myself leaning more towards the songs which sound very separate from their solo work. ("Do Hot Girls Like Chords?" e.g.) But this song... really feels like a true fusion of both. Artadi's tendency for abstract but strongly sentimental lyrics, a tight jazz outfit braided with orchestral flair more common in Cole's newer works. It is both grandiose and contained, a testament and tribute to all the work they've done together, emphasized strongly by the message it sends out. What a journey, what a fucking chorus. Rejoice, and crash the car.

runner up: "Same as Cash" - the Mountain Goats

Not all the time, but some of the time, I Only Listen To The Mountain Goats. And this one kind of snuck up on me, as I was saving Jenny from Thebes until after I finished all prior tMG albums - which put a lot of very immediate weight on the record. But this song cut through all of that, my own expectations. John Darnielle is as attuned to writing the grimes of Americana as always, similarly true for the rest of the record. But something about how the scene is painted within majestic strings and strums (to my ear, almost straight out of an RPG soundtrack) sets this song above the rest. It lends a certain kind of romantic optimism to a moment of anxious, stressed despair - not in a way that makes that optimism dishonest, but enough for one to believe that there is indeed some future after this struggle to persist. One where one can ride their motorcycle under blue Texas skies, to bask in a life free from fear.

best song of 2023: "The Water" - Indigo de Souza

Speaking of riding a bike. I'd like to say that the best parts of my year were spent riding around, with little other aim than to explore a little and get home... eventually. It is true of New York and all the ways in which her rivers express themselves. But good God, there are miracles to be found in Lake Michigan. And I imagine it's at least partially a miracle that in the face of all kinds of incentives to develop property right along the third coast, most of Chicago's eastern edge is just for the public to use and experience. Maybe there's room to improve, but it was everything that I needed. Just to ride, or to run, or to sit. To look on forever, irrespective of it being a smaller forever than oceans. To be lost in thoughts. To be alone. But not alone, because it is always there.

I've loved all of de Souza's albums so far, and even if I couldn't call All Of This Will End my favorite of the bunch, it is still an incredible set of incredible songs. It is by no fault of the rest that "The Water" transcended, jumping ship and ingraining itself into the past year and my memory of it. All the secret little alcoves I've found and placed in my heart. The moments of serenity, and belief in good things.

Poetic if true. But maybe it's just the simplest answer:

I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love I really love the water. the water. the water.

the water.

~

Favorite Extended Plays

going...going...GONE! - hemlocke springs

I don't think there's too much to be said for this, other than it being just a really high quality set of pop bops. There are a bunch of instrumental and vocal quirks that really push it to go beyond its 80s-synth influences (Psychedelic Furs, Duran Duran, et al.) and overall it works hard to set itself apart as a strong effort to make something that feels completely fresh but still lingers as hauntingly familiar.

runner up: Sandhills - Toro y Moi

With his virtuosic tenor for the spacy, the funky, the synth-y, I think a country folk project is probably the last thing I would have expected from Chaz Bear. But his efforts here remind one of how fruitless setting a particular field of expectations on an artist, in a way that is largely unassuming. I can't say that MAHAL blew me away, but how plainly it wore some of its production was a natural precursor to this release, where he is about as plain as you could expect: some guitars and talking about home. The way he plays with twangy notes shows a cautious, but passionate interest in how archetypical country sounds might fit within his songwriting chops. That kind of exploration is so wonderfully apt for an EP, and even more magic that it is so well done in under 14 minutes. For anytime I might also be thinking of that weird rural part of my soul, I'm happy to let Bear take me for a resonant spin.

best EP of 2023: Circle of Signs - Mariee Siou

I would love to shout from the rooftops about this release, because it is a project to mark the century so far. The past couple of years, I've been obsessing over her past releases as some of my favorite folk albums ever. But here, she is on a whole new level. While as firmly invested in the natural world and the legacies people inherit, a sense of urgency in heightened on this record, with Siou holding a focus on the climate crisis, and specifically its impacts on her home region as well as how it manifests on a personal level.

She meets urgency not solely through masterful lyricism and careful vocal performance, but by escalating the depth of instrumentation from a more acoustic focus in her earlier entries to something approaching rock ballads and orchestral pieces. But these pieces do not lose any of Siou's delicate precision. They are so complex and rich, but with 4 songs lasting about 25 minutes, she gives listeners a chance to sit more fully in meditation with each track, and really absorb the method, message, and feeling of her work. I could pick any song as song of the year with confidence, and I have no doubt that Circle of Signs will remain a sincere point of reflection for decades to come.

~

Favorite Albums

Water Made Us - Jamila Woods

I don't know where to start in a way that would not be summarizing what has already been said, or is self-evident from the album itself. What I want to say is that after previous records more focused on life's intersections with the political, Woods is diving pretty headstrong into the personal. What I want to say is that it shows an abstract, but intense arc on the growth and decline of a romance, and that Woods is so intently combing through moments in search of truth. What I want to say is that Woods is a legend of the craft, and I think that even in all its subtler moments, she has created an incredible experience from start to finish. But I don't know if that enunciates enough how exactly I feel about it.

KARPEH - Cautious Clay

Like I imagine many, I was only acquainted with Joshua Karpeh's project from the song "Cold War," which takes themes of trying find footing after a falling out over an incredibly produced track. The trickiness of that negotiation is common for songs about individual relationships, but on this album, Karpeh takes the lens to his family overall. In an almost ethnographic effort, it is a tender and honest approach, trying to acknowledge fraught histories and how they have shaped himself and his loved ones. But it lends a compassion that allows one to more fully process these relationships, and reflect on the stages of his life with full consideration of the world yet to come. Impassioned jazz performances with apt collaborations make this a meditative landscape (I love "Glass Face" and "Blue Lips") like a sauna. There are moments of scorching heat and clouded visions, but a place in which one is present with purpose: to understand and release tension. Really beautiful.

Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? - McKinley Dixon

It's a sublime composition for an inspired musical concept. How Dixon has brought together collaborators for such a phenomenal sound is not completely unprecedented, yet it is so uniquely interested in not only synthesizing sounds from across genres and generations, but also finding the best in each and making them sing together. It is a symphony and sincere triumph in honoring all that came before, and plants seeds for the world yet to come. The title track is probably one of the most wonderful, celebratory closings to an album ever. So fucking good.

Lucha - Y La Bamba

To start, it should be said that I neither speak nor understand Spanish at present, which hinders me from engaging in a significant share of the album on a lyrical front. With that said, this album blows past any barriers I might have. What a phenomenal fucking sound they've cultivated here. Just dripping with intention in each hit of the percussion, in the voices behind the words. Every effect to bring the guitars towards a new psychedelic edge, the layers making the horns a separate but whole aspect of each song. I don't know how to put everything into words, specifically why this lands so much for me personally.

Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? - Kara Jackson

When re-listening on a short flight in a small plane during the holidays, forgoing a book for this leg, I was blown away by how subtly unrelenting the album is. I think it is the darling indie debut of this year, and rightly deserving of that recognition, but I feel that it is vital to experience first hand. Jackson's voice is the driving force of the entire record, and her performance and lyricism does not on the surface seem grandiose, but how steadily she paces her words to (un/re)ravel stories of former lovers is just so slowly devastating: rhymes lead into exactly what you expect, and you are powerless to change that. How intentionally the accompanying instrumentals are layered with this, ranging from crisp orchestrals to plunks from an old stereo, really gives a texture to each step in the album. Every song comes together to give real weight to the question of the album's title - on what cause has the earth conspired for us to know our lives and loves? Is the pain that these things bring also natural?

runner up: The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We - Mitski

You already know. When it came out in mid September, I think it was prescient of how the rest of the year would unfold I think. I can't tell you why, but I could tell you that it progresses in this strange way, like it's crawling up the back of me, scratching up legs and getting blood next to stretch marks. It's clear when it's at the nape of the neck, but right as that first strum comes from "My Love Mine All Mine," it jumps right for the jugular and ruins the rest of my face and mind. The rest is kinda just lying and watching the sky blow by, clouds drifting alongside my remaining thoughts. Again, you already know. Mitski is a veteran but hardly jaded (perhaps, only a pinch in a way that really deepens this album), and I am very grateful for the work that she continues to share.

finally, my album of the year.

To start, I need to start later in the 2023 with a project release almost a decade earlier - the self-titled Black Belt Eagle Scout EP. I think I stumbled on this way earlier, but only got around to listening to it in the end of the fall. It's a very collected, steady, and beautiful rumination (lasting 43 minutes, which the EP designation might not have you assume). Different but not totally distinct from the heavier rock elements that have defined KP's most known work in the project, playing a lot more in spacious and lo-fi soundscapes. Though, it really stands out to me as something so grounded at the same inter/personal foundation that really prevails in At The Party With My Brown Friends. It was a welcome discovery for days that began to get colder, and the onset of a winter of discontent, for the sitting in my apartment and all the thinking that comes with that.

Cut to 9 months earlier from then, or about 9 years later in the catalogue. It is February, and I am walking through a park in Chicago and listening to The Land, The Water, The Sky, and I am pretty sure that it is my album of the year. It comes in waves at first, crashing against shores with "My Blood Runs Through This Land," later slowly ebbing tides in "Salmon Stinta." "Nobody" is the wind in my hair, "Fancy Dance" the sweat on my back. "Sčičudᶻ (a narrow place)" is a cold spot on the earth that I can feel with my face. So many moments lush with the grit feeling of being alive, with still the tenderness of living. Any of those songs, for the record, could also easily be my song of the year.

I don't know how to convey it. It really feels like a light at the end of the tunnel. I keep coming back to it. It is the only thing that makes sense to me. How KP reckons with this life and the world so directly, speaking the truth as they feel and know it. Lush guitar riffs (that I've had the pleasure of dancing to live) that just light up the soul. There is an urge to scream it loud, as it is shared in the record's final moments: The Land, The Water, The Sky (best album of 2023)

thanks. see ya later.

[theviewfromthebooth]

The Mighty Mojo tracks of 2023: The Bubble List

Being ahead of schedule is a rare treat in any aspect of my life, and for that reason I am embracing my decision to release the Bubble List so soon into December, and so far ahead of the Top 50 that will still be released on New Year’s Eve. Some traditions die hard.

In past years I’ve taken my obsession with capturing the year in its entirety to unnecessary lengths. The speed of other actual publications to crown the year’s best everything was always looked on with disdain, as I scoured my regular channels for new music like a desperate man scanning his phone for dealers at 4am. The thought of missing a banger by going too early disturbed me, in large part to ‘The El Camino incident’, in which my favourite album of 2011 dropped in the first week of December. When RTJ3 appeared on Christmas Eve 5 years later with no warning, it seemed to confirm that I was right and everyone else was wrong. Well, this year, the darndest thing happened. 

I realised that NO ONE ELSE CARES. I have yet to have someone call me up for a song appearing on my list in the wrong year, in the 13 years I’ve been putting this thing together. I need to chill the fuck out. And so I have.

The other handy element to releasing the Bubble list now, is that it comes hot on the heels of Spotify Wrapped, and the annual debate around streaming royalties. I say annual because that’s when everyone gets involved, but there’s been a steady undercurrent throughout the year of artists rebelling against the system to speak out. I have always been supportive of their stance - it’s disgusting to see the disparity in profits between the people who own the platform (and due to many undiscussed deals, this includes most of the major labels) and those who literally power it with their artistic endeavours.

And yet, I’ve always remained within this crooked system, simply because I believed it to be the only place to find the depth of music I was looking for. Last I heard, Tidal was still quite specific, and a lot of the others were only marginally better. And then there was the library of playlists that I’ve built up over the years, an encyclopaedia that I lean on heavily on a day-to-day basis. There’s a playlist for nearly every scenario my mind could possibly imagine, and that has a worth beyond currency.

I can’t ignore the fact that Spotify’s algorithms have also been responsible for exposing me to many of the people on this list. The sheer amount of Aussies that feature is testament to that, and again that’s only possible due to the buy-in of the music community. There are ways that Spotify is helping young artists. But it’s just not enough.

It’s still a bit of an eye-roller to announce your departure from something, but in this instance I’m going to indulge myself. I’m looking at other options, and I suggest you all do too. If you want more detailed info on the reasons why and the best action to take, follow United Musicians and Allied Workers on socials https://linktr.ee/umaw 

*Steps down from soapbox* So, the music then. I really went deep into it this year, racking up over 120 songs in the long list by September. The best part of that is that it meant that I had a long time to live with these songs, sort them in my heart and allow the cream to rise naturally to the top.  Aside from the Aussie invasion there’s no real trends - except more of a push to the extremes of comfort in sound. There’s some mad bits in here, and some initially jarring sounds that eventually connect, and when they do it’s all the more thrilling having taken you to the edge. With so much to choose from it was easy to stay within the hardest boundary of the bubble list - outside the odd superstar feature, these are underground/new artists that aren’t widely known or available. In the wake of the streaming debate it feels more important than ever to shine this little light in their direction.

The full Twitter (Some traditions die hard) thread with links to socials and places to buy music/merch will come next week, and you’ll have the benefit of the whole of December to absorb it all before the next hit. 

See you in a few weeks.