#these spotify playlists titles look like wish product listings

[dustedmagazine]

Listed: Guardian Singles

Guardian Singles converged in Auckland in 2015, around a core of guitarist/vocalist Thom Burton and drummer (and ex-Vivian Girl) Fiona Campbell, building a reputation through live shows for raucous, melodic punk rock. Jennifer Kelly heard nods to the Clean, Mission of Burma, the Feelies and Wire on the band’s debut self-titled album released internationally on the Trouble In Mind Label in July. However, she concluded, “This is a band that sounds like the best parts of lots of other bands, but crucially, it also sounds like itself. There’s a core of Guardian Singles-ness that makes these songs impossible to dismiss as homage and able to stand up on their own.” Here Thom Burton lists some of his favorite music for Dusted.

Kia ora, my name is Thom, I play guitar and sing in the band Guardian Singles. Here’s a list of ten songs I've been moderately obsessed with recently — in no particular order. Not by any stretch “all-time favourites” thing... that would just be a bunch of Tik Toks of me crying and listening to Slint. Anyway, this is what I’m currently “straight vibin’ to.” As the kids say.

Actress — “Leaves Against the Sky”

From the Karma and Desire album that came out last year. My favourite release of his for a few years, even though they’re all pretty amazing. My friend saw him play with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and said it was almost a religious experience.

Andy Stott — “Never the Right Time”

Andy Stott’s music is kind of out there on its own for me… the same way that I think that some people listen to classical music because it can make you feel like anything you’re doing is important? I’m not though, I’m just sitting here thinking about soup. It’s strangely familiar and alien at the same time (the music not the soup). But yeah, this record (and song) is gorgeous. I think Andy Stott could make the sound of someone doing handbrake drifts on a forklift in an aircraft-carrier hangar sound like a choir of angels.

박혜진 Park Hye Jin — “Y DON’T U (feat. Clams Casino & Take A Daytrip)”

In my mind I’m sexy dancing to this by myself in some “futuristic” club somewhere. By futuristic I mean that the wait staff wear rollerblades and there’s a mezzanine floor. Anyway, I asked my Kiwi/Korean friend if she would kindly translate the lyrics for me and she said (and I quote) “What is this? I HATE THIS. It doesn't even make sense.” And I’m like “that’s cool, I’ll just let you get back to listening to My Bloody Valentine and Cocteau Twins, all good, sorry to bother you,” (lol sorry Maria).

Sweeping Promises — “Out Again”

Hunger for a Way Out by Sweeping Promises

From their fantastic album Hunger For a Way Out — I found out about them via Gonerfest last year, and I can't stop listening to this record. Really, it’s becoming a bit of a problem. The production is crispy and filthy, the songs are catchy AF. I wouldn’t be surprised if these guys blow up huge. Wish I could catch them live at this year’s Gonerfest. Go see them if you can.

P-Model — “Holland element”

A good friend of mine makes these great playlists called “The Tinny Mission” on Spotify (“tinny” is NZ slang for 20 bucks worth of weed, often covered in fly spray). The idea is that you borrow your Mum’s Honda Civic, drive around Hamilton (the greatest city in NZ) all night looking for somewhere or someone to score one off, but you never do. In the meantime, you’ve listened to hours of genre-less awesome tunes. This song was on the last mix he made. It sounds like it could have come out last week, but it didn’t. Just casually dropped 37 years ago.

Belong — “Perfect Life”

Common Era by Belong

This from the album Common Era by a brilliant New Orleans band that I think broke up in 2011, around about the time this came out. There doesn’t seem to be too much info about them online. If you don’t get all the feels from this then you are dead on the inside (sorry I hate it when people say shit like that, but you are). There’s probably about as much chance of Kranky records reissuing this as there is of me starting an Onlyfans, but it doesn’t mean you can’t listen to this in the car at the beach on a stormy day and wonder where it all went wrong.

Yves Tumor — “Crushed Velvet”

When they’re not getting bit on the neck by crazed fans or levelling venues in Shanghai with extreme noise terror [no link for that one, my friend was there and just told me it was scary as…] Yves Tumor sometimes makes romantic motoric-tinged tunes like this one. This song is my favourite of what I’ve heard of the new-new stuff, but I still reckon Serpent Music is boss.

Cindy — “Justin”

I'm Cindy by Cindy

If I DID have a “shrine” or “wall of appreciation of photos of people I like” in my basement, I would probably be listening to this song while I added glitter and locks of hair to it. I’m not saying I do, I just… I mean that’s the first thing that popped into my head. You can find more info on the artist here.

Yu Su — “Xiu”

I’ve already talked random so far, so I’ll just say this is a very, very pretty, wavy banger that has a really beautiful subtle guitar going through it. Love heart emoji eyes etc.

Night Lunch — “House full of Shit”

Jeez — got this far with nothing from Aotearoa! We’ve played a couple of shows with these guys, hopefully we get to do more. They are very nice young men, and they sound evil. Also, the video is priceless.

[cadecaptain]

The Post Everyone Has Been Waiting For: Cade’s Top 10 Albums of All Time

Honorable Mentions:

The Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique (1989)

A few years ago this album would have definitely cracked my top 10, and it is still so solid. The production on this thing is out of this world, and if you ever have a day to kill, listening to this Spotify playlist that has all of the samples Paul’s Boutique holds is an adventure, and truly shows what a labor of love this album is. 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/59FdNgdN0lHFNdr3ZsTTPa

Best Song: High Plains Drifter

The Rolling Stones Exile on Main St. (1972) 

As a general rule of thumb, I don’t like long albums. Blame it on my short attention span, but it is hard for me to believe any album over 11-12 songs couldn’t have anything cut. This album is one I can easily have on repeat, despite its 18 song tracklist. Truly the best of the Stones. 

Best Song: Tumbling Dice

10. The Black Crowes The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (1992)

Bringing 70′s rock back to the 90′s, this is one of the first albums I remember loving as a kid. It is the epitome of Dad Rock, and each song has the entire band firing on all cylinders. Chris Robinson’s vocals on each and every track gives me chills, as he wears his heart on his sleeve with an emotional and powerful delivery with each lyric. Every time I listen to this record I come away with a new favorite track. 

Best Song: Thorn in My Pride

9. Only Real Jerk at the End of the Line (2015) 

Every time I tell someone about this album I always say “This is what Ed Sheeran would sound like if he was actually good”. He has the British, fast speaking, break-up sound down to a science, with each track feeling like it was meticulously crafted both lyrically and production-wise. This album had such an impact on me in high school that it is hard not to have it higher. If Only Real dropped a new album, y’all wouldn’t hear from me for a few days. 

Best Song: Cadillac Girl 

8. Alvvays Self Titled (2014) 

So up until about a year and a half ago, I swore up and down that the newest Alvvays record, Antisocialities, was better than this one, their first, self-titled LP. I have been fully converted by my girlfriend (@peppermoths​) that this is the superior album. This album feels like a gloomy summer night in the best way possible, and has a diverse tracklist of songs that make me feel sad, happy, and like riding a bike.

Best Song: Next of Kin 

7. Billy Idol Rebel Yell (1983)

This is the album I have based my personality on this summer. This, to me, is the quintessential album of the 80′s, with every track feeling like it could be playing in the background of The Lost Boys. I love everything about it. Every time I listen to this album, I realize how similar it is to David Bowie’s Let’s Dance both in length and general 80′s feel. 

Best Song: Eyes Without a Face

6. Camp Lo Uptown Saturday Night (1997)

It is impossible to not have fun listening to this record. One of (if not THE) most slept on 90′s hip-hop albums. It is a shame there aren’t more 90′s Camp Lo projects, but at the same time, this album is so flawless to me that I would be worried it would make their image less cool. USN has every kind of song you need off a 90′s album, and it always makes me want to boogie. 

Best Song: Tied: Sparkle & Killin’ Em Softly 

5. Parliament Mothership Connection (1975)

What is there to say about any George Clinton project that doesn’t include: AHEAD OF ITS TIME. Mothership Connection is the epitome of this. I have always claimed that this is the album that got me out of my emo music phase, as my cousin played it for me once and I fell in love and ditched Fall Out Boy. This album is short but it doesn’t feel like it, and every song will make you get up out of your chair. (Also, if this was a list of best album covers of all time, this would probably be #1). 

Best Song: Handcuffs 

4. David Bowie Young Americans (1975)

I’ll die on the hill that this is objectively the best Bowie project. This album is stacked without a single skip, and is the perfect length at a meaty 8 songs. From beginning to end, Bowie is able to construct an album that is as diverse as it can get while still feeling the most consistent out of any of his albums. You can tell that Young Americans had a lot of work put into it, and it paid off. 

Best Song: Right 

3. Grapetooth Self Titled (2018)

Do you ever hear a song and think...wow...I wish I had wrote that? That’s how I feel with every track on the Grapetooth self titled. If you are a Twin Peaks fan, you should hear a familiar voice gracing the tracklist, and the iconic sound of Clay Frankel’s voice is put on full display on an album straight out of 1985. There isn’t a song on this LP that ever stops growing on you.

Best Song: Tied: Violent & Hangover Sq. 

2. Bruce Springsteen The Wild, The Innocent, & the E Street Shuffle (1973)

This is an album that requires about 10-20 listens to fully appreciate. The tracklist is short, at only 7 songs, but the average length of a song on Springsteen’s sophomore LP is around 6-7 minutes, so it is still about a 50 minute listen. I heard in a Bruce documentary that this album was considered a flop because of this exact reason; they couldn’t play these weird, long songs on the radio. However, I genuinely think this is Bruce at his finest, spinning a complex lyrical web that makes you feel like you are 17 and on the boardwalk. This was the album right before Born to Run, so it is often overshadowed, but don’t tell me listening to Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) doesn’t make you want to speed down the highway. Also, Bruce looks very sexy on the cover. 

Best Song: Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) 

1. The Sundays Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic (1990)

I don’t even know how to do this album justice with words. I have never found an album with as much lyrical depth, ear-worm, jangly, timeless instrumentals, and repeat value as this one. Everything that this album is is sold by lead singer Harriet Wheeler leaving nothing to be desired with a perfect vocal performance on every single track. I could listen to this album for a week straight and never get tired of it. I have pretty much done that all summer, and I’m still not sick of it. Please go listen to this album if you haven’t yet.

Best Song: I could not choose one if I tried. Literally all of them. 

[ink-or-blood]

Musicals Ranked On What Percent of the Cast Album is On My Spotify Top 100

So fun fact about me: I pretty much only listen to musicals. And as a result, my entire Spotify Top 100 is musicals. I also tend to listen to musicals on repeat, so there are only 13 shows on this list. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to see how much of each show was on my playlist, so I compared the number of songs from each show on the list and compared it against the number of songs on the cast albums, then I found the percent. Here’s the results.

13. Matilda (1/26, 4%)

I’m kind of shocked that there aren’t more Matilda songs on this playlist, considering that I would have been in it in April. And yet, only one song ended up on my playlist.

12. Something Rotten (1/18, 6%)

I love Something Rotten a lot, but I don’t listen to it all that often. I actually have a poster signed by the touring cast hanging up in my room at my mom’s house.

11. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (1/14, 7%)

This is one that people on Tumblr might not have heard of as much. It’s an absolutely fantastic show that’s staged as a concert and it’s incredible and I love it. Shockingly, my favorite song from this show was not on this playlist. 

10. Frankenstein (2/26, 8%)

I think most people don’t know that there’s a Frankenstein musical. This one is shockingly accurate to the book, which I loved. Something you may not know about me is that I really love the book, it’s just so interesting. This musical even included the letters, which was super cool to see.

9. Groundhog Day (2/19, 21%)

Groundhog Day is one of my favorite shows that ended too soon. It closed on Broadway too early, and then the national tour was cancelled. Even without the pandemic, I don’t think you’d be able to find a production of Groundhog Day that you could watch live.

8. The Lightning Thief (5/24, 21%)

I actually only listened to this for the first time a few months ago, but I think Spotify might put more weight on the later months. I’m pretty surprised that so many songs ended up on here, considering I only listened to the full album a few times.

7. Billy Elliot (4/15, 27%)

I watched the proshot of this back in April or May, and I did not expect to like it as much as I did. When I saw Angry Dance I knew that I had to see this in person at some point. Obviously, I haven’t gotten a chance to see it yet, but hopefully one day I can. Anyway, every time I listen to Once We Were Kings I tear up a bit.

6. Trail to Oregon (5/17, 29%)

And here’s Starkid everybody! I haven’t actually listen to TtO in awhile, but for a while I would listen to it as I fell asleep. I didn’t listen to the full soundtrack during that time, I actually made a playlist with only the songs that I enjoyed listening to.

5. Starship (4/9, 44%)

Okay, so maybe this show is so high on the list because there’s only nine songs, but I still really like this show. I wish there was sheet music for it because I’d love to learn how to sing Life or Status Quo.

4. Apocalyptour (13/22, 59%)

Okay, so technically not a musical. But, it is entirely composed of musical songs, so I say that it counts. I really like listening to the medleys on this album, and it’s fun to hear some different people sing Starkid songs.

3. Hadestown (28/40, 70%)

Yeah. Over 25% of the playlist was Hadestown. All five of my top songs were from Hadestown. My five top artists were all people from Hadestown. According to Spotify I listened to this for a total of 933 minutes. No, I don’t know how I did that. I guess I listened to it on repeat a lot.

2. Tuck Everlasting (18/24, 75%)

Another show that closed far too soon. It’s so good, and I love it, and it’s extremely underrated and underappreciated. I love the album so much. I listen to Time and I cry. I listen to Time Quartet and I cry. I listen to The Wheel and I cry. 

1. Moulin Rouge (16/19, 84%)

So I know this one can be kind of controversial because some people thought that it got too modern when they put it on stage. I, however, love it. Shut Up and Raise Your Glass slaps. Crazy Rolling also slaps. I love Come What May so much. Plus, Karen Olivo is Satine, and she’s my favorite actress, so I was doomed to fall in love with this show.

So I also wanted to share exactly what songs are on the playlist, so I’m putting it under the cut. Get ready for a lot of Hadestown. For everyone who doesn’t know Starkid, I apologize for the titles of the songs in Apocalyptour. I did not name them. 

Moulin Rouge:

Come What May

El Tango De Roxanne

Welcome To The Moulin Rouge!

The Sparkling Diamond

Nature Boy

Truth Beauty Freedom Love

Finale (Come What May)

Elephant Love Medley

Crazy Rolling

Backstage Romance

Chandelier

Your Song

Only Girl In A Material World

Firework

Shut Up And Raise Your Glass

Your Song (reprise)

Tuck Everlasting:

Live Like This

Hugo’s First Case - Pt. 1

The Wheel

Hugo’s First Case - Pt. 2

Good Girl Winnie Foster

Good Girl Winnie Foster (reprise)

Top of the World

My Most Beautiful Day

Partner in Crime

The Story of the Tucks

Seventeen

Prologue

Join the Parade

Time

You Can’t Trust a Man

Everything’s Golden

Everlasting

The Story of the Man in the Yellow Suit

Hadestown:

Livin’ it Up on Top

Road to Hell

Any Way the Wind Blows

All I’ve Ever Known

Wedding Song

Wait for Me

Gone, I’m Gone

Epic I

Epic II

Come Home with Me

All I’ve Ever Known (Intro)

Chant

Chant (reprise)

Promises

A Gathering Storm

Wait for Me (Intro)

Papers - Instrumental

Nothing Changes

We Raise Our Cups

Epic III

Our Lady of the Underground

If it’s True

Flowers

Hey, Little Songbird

When the Chips Are Down

Word to the Wise

Come Home with Me (reprise)

Wait for Me (reprise)

Apocalyptour:

Not Alone

Guys Like Potter

Me and My Dick/Ready to Go

Rogues Medley

This Is Where the Trolley Ends

Going Back to Heaven During Those Days of Hogwarts On Earth

This Really Sucks for Me

Dark, Sad, Lonely Knight

Little White Lie Medley

The Way I Do

Listen to Your Heart

Sami/Harry

Granger Danger

Starship:

Kick It Up A Notch

Life

I Wanna Be

Get Back Up

Trail to Oregon:

Lost Without You

Wagon on Fire

When the World’s at Stake

Speedrun

When the World’s at Stake (reprise)

Billy Elliot:

The Stars Look Down

Shine

Solidarity

Grandma’s Song

The Lightning Thief:

Prologue / The Day I Got Expelled

Lost!

My Grand Plan

Drive

Good Kid

Groundhog Day:

Day One

There Will Be Sun

Frankenstein:

Birth to My Creation

The Hands of Time

Hedwig and the Angry Inch:

Sugar Daddy

Something Rotten:

God, I Hate Shakespeare

Matilda:

Revolting Children

[smilestudy]

Hello! Now that most of us are home with not much to do, I thought I’d share a process that might help you stay productive and organised.

What is a digital cleanse? A digital cleanse (to me anyway) is the digital version of spring cleaning. This is the time to make sure your devices are tidy and organised. I have separated this post into four different areas to tackle while completing a digital cleanse.

I will most likely make a more in-depth post on this aspect very soon as I believe it is super important to keep your computer clean, especially as a student.

Folders are your best friend!

Organise all the items on your computer desktop into appropriate folders.

I suggest at least creating a general folder for school and then creating subfolders for each class.

Do I really need this?

You’ve probably dragged and dropped a lot of random images or downloads onto your desktop that you just never opened.

Go through every item on your desktop and either delete it or finding it a spot in a folder.

If you’re indecisive on where it goes or if you want to delete it, create a “misc” folder to throw all the random items.

Trash and Finder Applications

Sort through the trash bin icon and ensure that everything in there is okay to be deleted and then click “empty!”

I am not sure what the equivalent to this is on non-Mac computers but go through the Finder application, especially the applications and downloads, and delete anything you no longer need or use

Your computer browser is frequently overlooked when cleaning up your computer. Which is a shame because it’s where most of us spend most of our time while on our computer!

Bookmarks Bar:

If you’re like me, you constantly bookmark sites and then never go back to them again

First, go to your bookmark manager and immediately delete links that you have zero interest in returning to.

Then, separate the remaining links into different categories and create folders for each.

Some folder ideas: “sources” (for when you’re writing academic essays), “google drive” (for those that use docs, slides, sheets, etc), “articles to read”, “wishlist” (i have my wishlist folder separated into further subfolders for “books” and “clothes”), “recipes”, “things to do” (for any museums, shows, experiences you want to check out in your city)

Make sure to have your email and any school websites on your bookmarks bar. I also like to have Wikipedia saved there too as I’m always reading about something there.

Little tip: Avoid keeping social media websites on your bookmarks bar to avoid distractions. Instead, create a folder titled “Social Media” to keep on your bookmarks bar just so those sneaky Tumblr and YouTube logos aren’t tempting you but you still have easy access!

Extensions:

Uninstall any extensions that you no longer use

While you’re at it, install some helpful extensions!

My favourite extensions (for Chrome) are:

Honey: Automatically applies coupons when you shop online

Grammarly: Helps fix any spelling or grammar mistakes

YouTube Blocker: Allows you to block any creators or keywords from showing up on your homepage or the recommended sidebar

This one is fairly self-explanatory and I’m pretty sure most of us clean out our social media profiles periodically. I will list some additional places to tidy up in addition to the obvious ones.

Unfollow people on all platforms that no longer make you happy or that you are just no longer interested in

Clean out Tumblr and Twitter drafts + saved posts on Instagram and Facebook

Delete posts that you are no longer happy with or proud of having on your social media accounts

Check out your muted lists on various platforms and go ahead and unfollow them

Clean out, edit, or delete Pinterest boards, YouTube lists (especially the Watch Later list), and Spotify playlists. 

Delete any books you are no longer interested in reading on Goodreads

Delete any shows or movies you are no longer interested in on Netflix

Edit, add to, or delete wish lists on shopping websites

This is another self-explanatory one and a place that many of us already clean up occasionally as well. Here are my suggestions on how to tidy up and organise your phone:

Delete any apps you no longer use, distract you too much, or that you never even opened

Tip: Use the screen time feature on your phone to see what apps you spend the most time on to help you with this

I do recommend keeping some games on your phone that can be played on airplane mode to keep you busy while commuting, such as Sudoku, any word games, Tiny Wings, etc.

Clean out your Safari tabs

I personally tend to have a million tabs open on Safari that I literally never go back to

Exit out of anything you no longer need and consider transferring any links to your bookmarks bar on your computer

Clean out your Photos app

Idea: create folders for individual people in your life. For example, have a folder titled your friend’s or significant other’s name and put all your photos with/of them in there.

I am clearly a big fan of folders so here are some more folder recommendations: separate folders for each city you’ve visited, folders for specific dates or events, folders for your pets, or how about a meme folder? 

Make sure to “heart” or favourite photos you look at often for easy access. I keep a photo of my timetable, a bus schedule, and the campus map in my favourites album.

Clean out your Notes app:

I know most people’s notes app is filled with the most random things ever.

Delete anything that just makes no sense or that you no longer need.

Consider merging different notes if you’re like me and keep a lot of login information, passcodes, security questions, etc in there. Just put them all in one note.

Other tips:

If you really have the time, delete any contacts for people that you really don’t think you’ll ever contact again. 

Try out a different organisation system for your apps for a change

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Thank you for reading my post and I hope you took something from it. If you have any questions, feel free to send me an ask! You are more than welcome to add any additional tips or suggestions when reblogging or in the replies.

| Send me an ask | My original content | 

[smolie]

in december i wrote a 2020 year music review for myself that i intended to post here BUT...because i was infamously restricted twice last year, i didn’t bother since you wouldn’t be able to read it anyway because it was not possible to view my blog hjfdhfd

now that my restricted era is (hopefully forever) over i just want to post it here for the sake of completion since i want to do the same thing this year

this is really long so if you actually read it ... idk you are insane in the membrane and i love you... but i genuinely don’t expect anyone to read this hjfdhjf i just like reflecting on the music i have listened to and be able to look back on what i enjoyed in certain stages of my life! okiiii bye 💗

january

mac miller - circles (album) it’s a bit funny that i worried putting my thoughts down about this album and now it turns out to be first on the list, chronologically of course … oh bittersweet irony </3 listening to this album is such a double edged sword, either way i am always hit with a truckload of feelings when i turn to this release.

this album came to me in a time of my life where i was slowly but surely sliding down towards rock bottom again just after i got out of it and thought i was okay. the times i’ve listened to this crying in the bathtub with a glass of wine….girl let’s not lol…. it’s almost strange how much i can relate to the thoughts another person brought to paper. the comfort this album brings me is otherworldly, i feel so understood by mac’s words and it’s my go-to “wallow in self-pity for a bit then come out stronger than before” album. then again, i feel a little sting when any of mac’s songs come on shuffle. a friend of mine said she cannot listen to artists who have passed because it feels too strange and most of the time i agree but this time, it’s so so different. this album would have been mac’s salvation, i can feel it. everything would have been a bit brighter and lighter for him after this, it would have had to be. i feel like i would do him a disservice if i did not listen to this album, so i will cherish this final gift from him as his legacy and my comfort. i miss him incredibly and am all the more thankful he shared his heart with us.

album favs: circles, good news, surf

tiny meat gang - broke bitch (single) MAN I TELL THAT BROKE BITCH IF YOU WANNA GET IN TUNE BETTER CHANGE YOUR WHOLE PITCH LIKE WOAH !!!!!!!!!! did that give you whiplash? hehe funny to say this about a song called broke bitch by a duo called tiny meat gang but this song actually means a lot to me! it came out shortly before their show in berlin and i almost exclusively listened to it on my 7+ hours train ride from one side of the country to the other to see my meat boys. this played out of the fat ass speakers at the venue when they stepped on the stage and i will never forget meeting them :’) also the song fucking slaps obviously

february

loona - [#] (mini album) ah yes, the most controversial loona release to date! i’m not gonna lie and say this sounded anything like i expected it to. but also, i have come to terms with the fact that loona release noise music now and personally i am here for it. why not did not have the endless energy of hi high or otherworldly vibe of butterfly, but it’s a hype song and i am always there for hype. i also have to say the b-sides were not as strong for me as on previous releases but i think i have to come to peace with the fact that loona will never top their debut mini for me. though if i can wish for one thing…… let loona have title tracks with a chorus in 2021? pls? crumbs?

album favs: so what, oh (yes i am)

tame impala - the slow rush (album) *lights cigarette* i’m listening to pretty underground music….i don’t think you’ve heard of this band….they are called tame impala *intro of the less i know the better starts playing* yes i am a basic white bitch and listen to like 3 alternative bands but damn i listen to them religiously. like any other basic bitch on this planet i found out about tame impala through the less i know the better and checked out their music. i wasn’t too much into this album as i was into currents but towards the end of the year, i was in a moody alternative music slump that took me back to this album and i like it a lot more now! most importantly, tame impala fulfills my primitive urge to listen to songs that exceed the 4 minute mark. something clicks in my brain when i see a song that is like 6:34 and chances that it ends up as one of my faves on a album are high. i enjoy tiktok like everyone else but this trend of 2:50 long songs needs to be stopped immediately.

album favs: borderline, lost in yesterday, it might be time, is it true, posthumous forgiveness

honorary mentions: onlyoneof - dOra maar, everglow - dundun

march

nct 127 - neo zone (album) ah, yes. the album that fundamentally changed me as a person <3 i’ve been listening to nct for a while, matter of fact i checked my top tracks 2019 playlist on spotify and cherry bomb was on there lol. i remember trying to get into them in 2018 when they released their regular-irregular album but the endless member & unit concept scared me off, so i only listened to a handful of songs without looking into them march 2020, the fateful month in which they released kick it and screencaps of jaehyun’s sexy ass tiddies in the kick it mv landed on my tumblr or twitter and i HAD to look up who this man is…...remember when i thought jaehyun was my ult for like, 2 weeks? me neither, johnny suh only in this house <3

anyway, i checked out this album and by god, is this pure kpop perfection. last time i listened to a god tier no skip album like this was … maybe the perfect red velvet? hype songs, well crafted ballads, love songs that make me wanna learn the lyrics, genuinely fun and interesting pop songs, this album has it all. somehow, the way this album is crafted greatly reminds me of brown eyed girls’ sound-g, it has the same vibe, concept and mix of genres to me, i’m not entirely sure how to explain. anyway, this album is one of my favorites of all time and even though i’ve obsessively listened to it (lastfm says 1.4k scrobbles as of today, december 7th…) i am still not tired of this. i recommend this to anyone who loves kpop tbh, you will have a good time with this!

other than being just a musically solid album, the emotional ties i have with this are …. isabel stop making albums your emotional support 2021 challenge. i’ve listened to this release all spring lockdown, this basically played at every waking hour for all of march and april. the promotion time of this era and lockdown are deeply intertwined for me and so i am always remembered of all the nct content i consumed during that time which inevitably cheered me up so much. this album really means a lot to me :’)

album favs: kick it, mad dog, love song, boom

honorary mentions: itzy - wannabe,

the weeknd - after hours (album) my dear melchanoly, was one of my favorite releases of 2018, so i had been desperate for a new release by abel and boy did he not disappoint. the perfect thotty, dirty emo 80s, making it clap while crying in the club album! this is a no skip from top to bottom and all i can say is that the grammys can go to hell <3 abel aoty! there is really not much i can say about this album, the flawless production, lyrics and sound speak for themself. my only criticism is that i feel overwhelmed by 14 songs, especially when some of them are really long. a few songs greatly overshadow the weaker tracks on the album for me but i still love this to death.

album favs: escape from LA, blinding lights, after hours, faith

dua lipa - future nostalgia (album) after the weeknd’s masterpiece of an 80s inspired pop album i was really looking forward to this. i greatly enjoyed the pre-releases, i played don’t start now and physical up and down, they are still some of my favorite songs released this year! when i first listened to the album i really liked it, songs like boys will be boys or pretty please sound like fillers to be but the rest is solid. yet a month after release you couldn’t catch me listening to this and i cannot even really tell you why. i think it was a combination of the following: 1) i greatly overplayed dsn and physical to the point where i didn’t want more of the pop 80s sound that the album has 2) there were other releases at the time that caught my attention and interest more like neo zone or after hours 3) dua herself….girl….she really gave it her all this year to make herself as unlikeable as possible. nationalist propaganda and the constant traveling during a fucking pandemic were really the kicker. i can barely stand seeing her on my instagram feed anymore, much less listen to her album. her having the nerve to go “we’re in a pandemic lol” when people asked about an animated music video …. if you don’t shut the hell up lmao … also, she takes the crown for the corniest album opener of all time. i nearly closed spotify when i heard future nostalgia (the song) lmao

album favs: don’t start now, physical, levitating, hallucinate

honorary mentions: megan thee stallion - savage

april

apink - dumhdurum (song)

listen, i’m not gonna sit here and pretend like this mini album interested me in the slightest but god, the title is such a banger.i’m so sick, eung eung and dumhdurum are a holy trilogy that i will defend until the end of time! i really hope apink stick to this mature, elegant concept, it suits them so well and goes well with their new sound. come back soon queens <3

rina sawayama - xs (song) i feel like i’m gonna catch some hands here … xs is an absolute banger, the guitar riffs and disruptive sounds really get me going every damn time! but the rest of the album … tell me why it doesn’t catch me?! i literally cannot explain. i need to take an hour, sit down and do nothing but listen to the album from top to bottom once again and see if my thoughts change but right now i only care about xs.

chungha - stay tonight (song) drama! vocals! dance break! choreography! this release served it all. i listened to this obsessively during the time of the release and it still holds up today. can we talk about the run chungha had with gotta go > snapping > stay tonight? lord have mercy.

honorary mentions: april - lalalilala, nct dream - ridin’

may

lady gaga - chromatica (album) the immense disappointment i have in this album is tough to put into words lol. any other artist might have gotten away with this release but gaga having the discography that she has, well … she doesn’t get away with it. this has underwhelming all over it. i enjoyed the pre-releases and my hope was high but the rest just doesn’t live up what i expected, i can’t even say why. it’s just underwhelming pop for someone of gaga’s calibre. i listened to this album during release week and then never again till december to write this list and i can see why.

album favs: rain on me, sour candy ft. blackpink, stupid love

baekhyun - delight (mini album) it’s confession time … this is a name i never would have expected on any of my music lists to end up. exo has always been one of those boy groups i casually listened to. i greatly enjoy their title tracks and a handful of side tracks, i have a few members that i keep an eye on more than others but that’s about it. baekhyun was never one of those members i had any interest in, matter of fact i always thought he was kinda vanilla and boring 😭 i didn’t even plan on listening to this release if it wasn’t for his association with superm and thus nct, so i gave it a shot and we have no choice but to stan. his voice is like butter and can cut sharp at the same time, his versatility is insane. i dived a bit more into baekhyun related content and he is so likeable, it’s almost ridiculous. this production is absolute god tier, not a single skip on this mini. late spring/early summer i had this weird urge to listen to songs with mellow voices but still a banger instrumental and i wholeheartedly blame this release. matter of fact, this album is so good, i had to buy a physical copy. Y’ALL. THIS IS A BIG DEAL. i haven’t bought a kpop album of anyone that’s not holy top 3 (brown eyed girls, loona, nct) in like … idk, 5 years?! baekhyun’s impact. i’m a fan now <3

album favs: candy, r u ridin’?, love again

ak aussenkontrolle - in meinem benz (song) this … is very unrelated to this entirely list but i had to put it on here. i miss my ex boss and our 3 hour drives to meetings in the south of the country where we would blast trashy german rap music </3

nct 127 - neo zone: the final round (repackage) *airhorns* REEEPACKAGE TIIIIIME!!! my first nct era that i experienced from start to finish! i remember watching nct 127’s beyond live with luna where these mfs performed punch and we finished the concert having no idea what this song sounded like. the structure is so unusual and the intro catches me off-guard every time just to hype me up beyond compare. not gonna lie, the fact that johnny has exactly one (1) line hurts but! it’s my favorite line of the entire song! possibly related to the fact that it’s his line but let’s ignore that ….

album favs: punch, make your day

kim woo seok - red moon (song) i’m not even gonna lie to you. i have not a single idea who this man is. you could put him right in front of me and i wouldn’t know … all i know is that he has a banger song. i saw him perform this on a music show that i watched for nct and i ended up loving the song … thanks for your service sir, whoever you are ...

june

stray kids - go live (album) 2020 was kind of the year of boy groups for me, i’m so sorry … stray kids promoted simultaneously with nct 127 so i ended up hearing their title track and holy hell, is that a song. god’s menu is hype from start to finish. it reminds me of good ol’ 2nd gen noise boy group song a lá b*g b*ng fantastic baby. just pure hype and fun noise. i am forever grateful to witness the birth of the line cooking like a chef, i’m a five star michelin. the title track impressed me so much that i ended up checking out the entire album which i rarely ever do with boy groups and what is even rarer is that i enjoyed the b sides lmao!!! it’s not an album that i would put on and just enjoy from start to finish but it has some really solid tracks! this release made me want to keep an eye on stray kids, they seem like a really fun bunch.

album favs: god’s menu, TA, airplane

seventeen - left & right (song) the boy group run continues … same thing with stray kids, seventeen promoted during punch era so i heard their song while watching some music station show for nct and i heard this and was sold. solid, fun pop with the catchiest pre-chorus in history and a banger chorus. i listened to the entire mini and can’t say it really caught my interest so this is a title track only release for me.

dishonorary mentions: twice - more & more (i hate this song so much lol)

honorary mentions: ryu sejeong - tiger eyes, monsta x - fantasia, chloe x halle - do it

july

irene & seulgi - monster (mini) this is a weird release because it’s good. the title track is fun enough, the b sides are dope. but my issue with this is that it’s nothing new. this sounds exactly like a red velvet release. i get that they didn’t want to a  joy, seulgi, irene, yeri release only and went for the sub-unit route instead, but why not be experimental and stray away from the usual sound of the group? also, whoever made monster and not naughty the title track deserves to be spat on. at least the choreography here is more interesting and “experimental” for kpop standards. also, why only a seulgi solo and no irene? i have no idea how reveluvs reacted to this release but this has rushed written all over it.

album favs: monster, naughty (i’m counting this to the mini idc), uncover

exo-sc - 1 billion views (mini) doing my part as a filthy casual exo listener. this release goes in the same category as baekhyun’s delight where i like the album so much that i HAD to get a physical copy. i don’t know what they put in the title track for it to be so diddly darn addictive but it clearly worked. the only bad thing about this release is how criminally mismanaged it was by sm, when i get you lee sooman ...

album favs: 1 billion views, on me, say it

baekhyun - garden in the air (song) i told you i’m a loyal baekhyun fan now <3 king releases and i listen, that’s just how it goes now! this is a cover of a boa song and i really love his version. there is not much to say except that it’s a really smooth song and his voice absolutely carries the track. i enjoyed this much more than i thought i would!

hyoyeon - dessert (song) YOU KNOW WHAT I DESERVE??? DESSERT!!!!!!! *insert tik tok challenge here* imagine if miryo featured on this instead of the ethnic hip girl … why can’t we have nice things. anyway, a banger!

johnny - sunny side up episode 1 set (spotify playlist, actual set) johnny being the skilled, talented, multi-faceted king that he is has been dj-ing since before debut (not me acting like i was around at that time lmao) and thus he decided to bless our quarantined, lockdowned asses with an online dj set! that was the most turned up sunday morning i ever had in my entire life. this set kicked off an edm/house/techno affinity that i had for the following couple of weeks. this set is an absolute banger, i would go insane to this in the club. he has an amazing ear for transitions and drops and i still just put on this set on the regular when i have cleaning to do or so. he could fill the void that rona and thus no clubbing in 2020 left in my heart and i’m so happy he decided to share this with us <3 now … john … sunny side up episode 2 pspspspspsps

honorary mentions: gfriend - apple, jessi - nunu nana

august

cardi b ft. megan thee stallion - wap (song) late summer 2021. we are vaccinated, icu beds are free, barely any new cases, clubs are open, this song plays and i can finally make it fucking clap.

troye sivan - in a dream (mini album) a cute mini album! nothing life-changing or as exciting as previous releases but easy (haha!) to enjoy. i really, really enjoy easy, can always count on troye for a dreamy sound.

album favs: easy

honorary mentions: itzy - not shy

september

wonho - love synonym pt. 1: right for me (mini album) honestly? i know like, 3 monsta x songs. i never bothered to get into them and maybe i never will, but it was difficult to ignore the whole wonho & monsta x mess that went on. i have absolutely no memory of why i decided to check out this release, i guess i was curious what he was going to do and … i was positively surprised lol. open mind is the exact time of song i had been so desperate all summer (remember mellow vocals with banger instrumentals? yeah) and uhm … can’t ignore the obvious … mr wonho is fucking fine. sir, you just gained a fan … now, where is love synonym part 2?? huh?????

album favs: open mind, i just, losing you

joji - nectar (album) this one is on tiktok. i heard gimme love in a bunch of tiktoks and had to look up the song and here we are. what an album! it came right as seasonal depression started to hit and accompanied me for a good chunk of autumn. at this point one has to ask if joji can ever really miss? the entire album is a no skip, it’s almost difficult to narrow down my favorites if my favorites weren’t so damn god tier!!!

album favs: gimme love, ew, tick tock, pretty boy, your man

super m - tiger inside / 100 / drip (songs) okay, listen. technically tiger inside & 100 were already released in august. instead of those three songs i was gonna write about the entire album until i realized i really don’t give a fuck about it 😭 i really only care about those three songs. and YES, i unironically like 100. is it a good song? no. but neither is jopping and that fucking bangs. i don’t turn to superm for life-changing, profound music, i turn to them for a good time LOL and that’s what they deliver every time! that being said, taeyong’s VROOM VROOM, UHMM UHMM, GRRRAHHHH verse is life-changing and profound! speak your truth king! also i wish drip was a b side for nct 127 that song is so damn sexy

taemin - never gonna dance again act 1 (album) this isn’t kpop, this is taemin pop. taemin never misses and the fact that hw*s* won dance performance over taemin is a literal hate crime. i will never forget the industry for this daylight robbery … anyway, nice album!!!!

album favs: criminal, black rose, waiting for

stray kids - in life (repackage) *airhorns* REPACKAGE TIIIIME 2.0!!!! i was on the edge of my seat waiting what stray kids were going to deliver after i greatly enjoyed god’s menu. i was still not over listening god’s menu when the repackage came out so i didn’t listen to it right away and now i greatly regret the few days i could have listened to back door earlier </3

album favs: back door, any

jackson wang - pretty please (song) i’m not gonna pretend like i ever listened to a song by jackson ever before. he is short king from got7 in my head and that’s all! i don’t even remember why i listened to this song but all i know is that it slaps severely. i love the wong kar wai inspired music video and the choreography is fun too! i’m gonna check out more of his music <3

honorary mentions: fromis9 - feel good, knk - ride

october

blackpink - the album (album, duh) i don’t even know what to say about this … this might be the weirdest release on the list for me. there are song i absolutely fucking hate (ice cream …) and songs i get my life to (pretty savage) on here and the discrepancy just gives me massive whiplash. i would never put this album on and listen to the whole body of work, i just cannot with the brain damage it gives me. i am still stuck in 2016, begging for bp to release music like whistle/boombayah/stay/playing with fire but i think i need to give up on that wishful thinking … i am just grateful we a got a title track with actual lyrics in the chrous for once.

album favs: pretty savage, lovesick girls

nct - nct 2020 resonance pt. 1 (album) this era was … a ride. nct 2020 happening was near inevitable but with covid it got pushed back so far, i started to believe it wasn’t even going to happen. i was semi-terrified of what was going to happen during a comeback with 21 (now 23!!) member group since i only experienced nct 127 comebacks so far and uhh … a LOT happened lmfao but let’s keep this about the album … i had no idea what was going to hit me. johnny having effectively 3 lines in nct 2018 did not give me much hope and after he got denoted to no line treatment in punch again, i was ready to not even have any expectation but this release changed everything. make no mistake that most of my favorite songs are units with johnny, we knew that was gonna happen lmaooo they dropped the teaser video for misfit and i thought i had my favorite song in the bag and then faded in my last song happened. y’all. JOHNNY SINGS? LIKE? ACTUALLY SINGS? DOESN’T GET FORCED TO RAP OR TALK-SING? MY MAN’S VOCALS??? OH MY GAAAAHD! this song is dramatic, theatrical, emo, it serves vocals and rap, it has catchy english and korean lyrics, this is THE song, the ULTIMATE song. i love this song so much, i want to belt it on top of my lungs in the pouring rain. apart from fimls, i also loveeee misfit, that was to be expected after i was going completely insane over the track video. johnny has like 3 lines but again they are iconic (WARNIN’! NCT WE MOBBIN’!) and i just enjoy the track too much to be upset over that. nectar. holy fuck. nectar!!!! wayv never disappoints with their thotty songs, they now have an absolute god tier hoe-ly song trinity with love talk > bad alive > nectar. the first chorus and hendery’s first verse (CHOP CHOP CHOP!) get me every time, this song is so insanely good i am severely upset i cannot sing along to it :( music, dance has nct 127 written all over it in bold letters, it’s so inherently 127’s sound!!!! i love this song so much, it’s so fun, upset and has massive dance-ability, i wish we had gotten a stage for it but i guess you can’t have everything in life </3 make a wish……………………………..the cursed unit. i don’t want to say anything about this except that, unfortunately, the song is fun and i enjoy it. the end. overall, this album is so insanely solid. i know i talk about my favorites A LOT but i genuinely do not dislike a single song on here, this is an absolute no skip album! that’s it. see you for resonance part 2!!!!!

album favs: FADED IN MY LAST SONG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, misfit, nectar, music dance, make a wish

loona - 12:00 (mini album) controversial loona release 2.0! i don’t know what it is, but somehow they managed to lace the words di da dam di dam di dam dam dam dam di dam (yeah) with pure crack. i fucking love why not, i would even go as far to say it’s my 2nd favorite title track. that is right, i think it’s better than butterfly (btw: hi high > why not > butterfly > so what). so much was strange this comeback, from the inexplicable concept + teasers, the outfits, the styling (yves….i mourn your hot girl era) but the title track is just SO good, SO fun, SO catchy that i am willing to ignore it all. i also enjoy the b sides much more than on #, they are much more memorable to me. and now … HASEUL RETURN…………….i purely live to see the next loona comeback at this point

album favs: why not, voice, universe

twice - i can’t stop me (song) thank fuck twice released a good song this year. if more & more had been the only 2020 release, that would have been the real tragedy. not gonna lie, i still haven’t listened to the full album, it just keeps slipping my mind. but! i’m going to! until then i’m gonna bop to i can’t stop me.

ariana grande - positions (album) the way this album has people upset is so funny. i am a huge dangerous woman fan myself, it’s my fave ariana album to date but she has said repeatedly that this is not the sound she is striving for. now she has her coin and can do whatever she wants in music and if that is r’n’b then fuck! we have to live with it! lmao! i can live with the sex theme of the album because it’s delivered in a fun way? but it’s getting a bit old...if the next album is about riding dick only too idk how much i would enjoy that. i would probably always come back to ari because i like her voice so much but girl, there are other topics to sing about, i promise! anyway! i like this album, it’s one of those where i can hit shuffle and enjoy it in the background while doing other stuff.

album favs: positions, 34 + 35, love language, my hair, pov

tiny meat gang - sofia (song) ayyy, it’s my meat boys :’) ending the year the same way they started it, with a banger! i absolutely love the guitar instrumental, the melancholic love song type sound paired with the theme of singing about loving a robot … yup, that’s creativity and talent right here! this makes me so freaking desperate for a new ep and i genuinely have no idea how far or close we are to one but!!! i am always waiting!!!

noel - push (ep) this is something i absolutely did not expect. noel (of tiny meat gang!) released his first ep ever and i was absolutely wowed. noel has it all, the voice, the talent, the creativity and all it took him was the confidence to finally put something out and i’m so happy he did. he gets real personal on bus back, more than ever before and i always get a bit emo listening to this track </3 this man is gonna go places and i’m so happy to witness his journey.

album favs: crow, head sunk, bus back

honorary mentions: sam smith - diamonds

november

taemin - never gonna dance again act 2 (album) i’m gonna say it. idea is better than criminal. the chorus drop???? when he goes MY AH AH  MY AH AH MY AH MY IDEA MY MY IDEAAAAAA A-A-A A-A-A???? bitch … tell me you can sit still, i won’t believe you. i like part 2’s title track more, but part 1’s b sides are more interesting to me. either way, taemin delivered as expected!!

album favs: idea, impressionable, exclusive

nct - nct 2020 resonance pt. 2 (album) part two, baby! we made it! part 2 had more mellow, ballad-y songs with my everything, i.o.u. and all about you, overall less drama than part 1 but i still enjoyed it. work it is one of those controversial songs where you despise it with your entire being or you defend this top tier noise till the end and i am absolutely the latter. the agony of not being able to listen to it and seeing the timeline so divided nearly killed me, but i have concluded that people who hate work it have never felt joy in their life <3 honestly my opinion cannot be counted because i eat up anything johnny participates in … biased ass… what i’m not gonna talk about is resonance (the song), this absolute mess of a “remix”. the audacity sm had to release this as a single is insane. anyway!! this era was a rollercoaster ride. all the interactions truly made me interested in members of other units more. hendery (the rise and fall …), yangyang my beautiful son, jeno aka blue hair guy, chenle the chaos kid and xiaojun after he made make a wish his bitch in particular! all the interactions between the units were so fun to witness and it was fun while it lasted but i am … so glad it’s over lol. i miss nct 127, i miss some peace, i hope the boys get to rest for a bit and so does my bank account.

album favs: work it, 90s love, i.o.u., raise the roof

miley cyrus - plastic hearts (album) not in a thousand years would i have expected a miley release to be on here. this girl does everything to be absolutely unlikeable in my eyes but after severely banging out to her heart of glass cover, i was really excited for this and it did not disappoint. what is disappointing is that it took her so long to find a sound that fits her like a glove. i believe many people miss out on this release after her previous history and i nearly would have done the same. this alt/rock influenced pop does her voice so many favors and i really hope she sticks to this direction, i love this album greatly!!

album favs: heart of glass, midnight sky, night crawling ft. billy joel, wtf do i know

kai - kai (mini album) just. imagine debuting with an album like that. lol. what a god tier big dick move. we all knew whatever this release was gonna be, above all it was going to be sexy and boy were we RIGHT!!!! mmmh is exactly as thotty as i needed it to be and the b sides give me everything from r’n’b to trap. i love this release and i love that it’s only the beginning of kai! like!! he is only gonna gain even more experience and become even more powerful!! what the fuck!!!!!

album favs: mmmh, ride or die, hello stranger, nothing on me

honorary mentions. gfriend - mago

december

nothing? wtf?? 😭 no interesting release happened,,,,half the time i listened to christmas songs anyway lol

pre 2020 releases i only found this year

mgmt - little dark age (album, 2018) & oracular spectactular (album, 2007) another tiktok serve. i found little dark age through a tiktok trend and ended up really liking mgmt. they fit perfectly into my autumn/winter moody alt/rock mood that i had going on and i’m happy they have so much more music that i can check out!

artist favs: little dark age, electric feel, time to pretend

tame impala - currents (album, 2015) everyone’s favorite basic alt bitch album! i enjoyed this more than the slow rush for a good chunk of time, it also fit right into my alt rock autumn mood. i really love this album, like previously mentioned it has my favorite long ass tracks on there but also a good amount of short or medium long tracks. i’m still busy enjoying currents and the slow rush but i can’t wait till i finally take the leap to dive into their other releases because i’m loving everything i’ve heard so far.

album favs: the less i know the better, let it happen, new person same old mistakes

joji - ballads 1 (2018) after liking nectar so much, checking joji out was a given and i just love this album. only when i listened to this i realized i heard slowly dancing in the dark a few times on tiktok lmao that cursed app man … i would say i love nectar a bit more but this is still a fantastic album!!

album favs: slowly dancing in the dark, attention, test drive, yeah right

jus2 - focus (mini album, 2019) in my “mellow moody bangers” phase i was scouring playlists for more songs and i think i found focus on me first which fitted right into the niche i was looking to fill and i ended up enjoy this whole release! only later i realized this is a sub-unit from got7 lmao how come i enjoy solo or unit releases by got7 members but their group discography never interested me? anyway, very sexy ep!

album favs: drunk on you, focus on me, love talk

knk - sunset (song, 2019) part of my mellow bangers playlist. very sexy, i can imagine this as a runway song! i have no idea who knk are but given the fact i enjoyed two of their songs so far maybe i should look into them lol

baekhyun - city lights (mini album, 2019) i am repenting for my sins of missing out on baekhyun releases by consuming his music at an exorbitant rate. un village is one hell of a title track that i didn’t appreciate before, but i feel like in 2020 my music interests started to vary and i love the groovy r’n’b and string sound of this song so much. i also love stay up to death, the vocals baekhyun serves here are unreal. his BABY WE CAN STAY UP!!!!!!! gets me every single time!!!! what a mini!

album favs: un village, stay up

mac miller - swimming (album, 2018) i’ve listened to this album before 2020 but i had the urge to put this on here. this is going to sound so corny, but if i had to pick one song to be my life’s title track, it would be ladders. the hope this song gives me is unreal, it feels like a light at the end of the tunnel. this album is so fantastic, i love the upbeat instrumentals paired with sometimes gloomy lyrics are so incredible, mac was truly one of the greatest artists of our time. this album is  so outstanding and i miss him every day.

album favs: ladders, jet fuel, 2009, self care, perfecto

doja cat - hot pink (album, 2019) i can never decide if i like doja or not but the album slaps lol that’s it come on tiktok queen

album favs: say so, juicy, like that, streets

my fav 2020 playlists

slapping mellow

neo culture technology

malcolm

why go to therapy when this playlist exists?

top songs 2020

(by spotify)

[absynthe--minded]

Blessed Hands Will Break Me: The Official Playlist

listen on spotify // listen on youtube

cover art by @princess-faelivrin

Okay. So. I’m gonna try and walk you all through this playlist? It’s a combination of “songs I listened to while writing” and “songs that just have A Vibe”; it’s a little over an hour in length. It’s vaguely meant to evoke the flow of the story, but there’s a little back and forth to facilitate a better listening experience and make it less jarring.

Survivor - Oceans: (And I can’t help but wonder out loud ‘If only we could go back to square one, if finally we could pinpoint where we lost touch, I’d stand alone reaching out my hand to you’) This is where we start the story, more or less, with Findekáno confused and lost and a little angry. It’s a song about separation, about not knowing which way is up or down, about wishing you could rekindle a lost relationship and being a little desperate to do whatever is necessary to fulfill that wish. Also the music and the production create this wonderfully mournful tone; I do get the impression of speeding across a dark ocean with nothing but pain behind and uncertainty ahead.

Emilie Autumn - Castle Down: (Trying to balance all that I had left with what I didn’t have anymore) Findekáno finding out about Maitimo’s capture, and being lost, and trying to rebuild his psyche after such a devastating blow, and wrestling with the fact that his husband is both his savior and his destroyer in one.

Shinedown - If You Only Knew: (I don’t regret any days I spent, nights we shared, or letters that I sent) More reeling from loss - this is very much a story about what you do for love, and musing on what you had before tragedy, and Findekáno’s mental state through much of chapter two matches this kind of frustrated brooding. Not to mention that he’s tormented by Maitimo’s situation and absence enough for his sleep to be disrupted - it’s all he can think on, and it consumes him. The fact that this is sung to an absent lover who presumably can’t hear the singer’s thoughts and isn’t aware of them only makes it more poignant.

Adelitas Way - Last Stand: (And I can’t make it without you, I need a second chance ‘cause I wanna make it about you - I’m making my last stand) Of course, he ultimately does decide that, for better or for worse, he’s going after Maitimo, regardless of the impact on his life and the lives of his people. This is a song about trying to do right by your partner after some kind of separation, and it’s just frustrated and desperate enough to tug at my heart.

Kamelot - Lost and Damned: (Leave me behind, don’t look back) When Maitimo becomes aware of the fact that Findekáno is sharing his consciousness and is seeing what he’s seeing and feeling what he’s feeling, he responds by shoving Finno out of his head and shredding all he can of their marriage-bond to keep his captors from noticing. This song has a specific story function in a greater rock opera, but it really works here.

Journey - Separate Ways (Worlds Apart): (Someday love will find you, break those chains that bind you) If you’re writing a story about Thangorodrim and you don’t put this song on there, what are you even doing? In all seriousness, though, this was my first song that I ever heard that made me go “oh this is about Russingon”. An eternal classic and full of yearning and desperation and pain, and perfect to describe Finno setting out under cover of darkness, I think.

Icon For Hire - Hope of Morning: (When the hope of morning starts to fade in me, I don’t dare let darkness have its way with me) This song, honestly, more than any other I’ve ever heard, is Findekáno. For one thing I’m hooked on associating him with the dawn, and with the hope that comes with the sunrise; normally in Tolkien the Sun is associated with Men and I think it’s a really interesting thing that Finno also has some of that same imagery and energy tied into him, particularly surrounding his death. But beyond that? This is a song about being worried about your legacy, struggling to balance hope and duty and mental health, worrying always that you’re not doing enough and resolving to cling to the dawn and keep looking forward. I can’t think of a better summation of my favorite elvish prince.

Devour the Day - Oath: (One way or another, I’m coming home to you) This song’s title alone would have earned it a spot on the list, but the fact that it’s called ‘Oath’ but is about endurance beyond all else in the name of returning to a loved one’s side? Yeah, that’s Blessed Hands in a nutshell, especially this first part.

Fireflight - You Gave Me A Promise: (I will hold onto this hope that I have, you gave me a promise, you gave me a promise) This is the part of Finno’s journey north that isn’t him being miserable all the time - he’s doing this for love and for the sake of his marriage and the commitments they made to one another, and the hope he has is the hope that he can do right by the nér who promised to share his life.

Linkin Park - The Catalyst: (We’re a broken people living on a loaded gun) The other half of Finno’s journey north is him worrying and fixating on the possibility that he’s left behind his people to freeze to death, even having an encounter with some sort of ghost that feeds off of that fear. What’s more, this song just has an auditory aesthetic of loneliness and cold solitary journeying through desperate situations, and of uncertainty towards the future; that fits well here.

Bastille - Icarus: (Look out to the future, but it tells you nothing, so take another breath) Mountain climbing song! No, really - the way this balances an urgent, frightened beat and fast-paced instrumentation with lyrics about not knowing what’s coming? There’s nothing better for the moments when Findekáno is terrified out of his wits and afraid he’s going to have to shoot Maitimo, only to be saved by an eagle.

Atreyu - Lose It: (This is it, I’m falling - my wings need to grow, I lose my hold, I will let go) This is a song about being afraid of falling, and doing something terrible and frightening. It’s a perfect accompaniment to amputation, and the sick horror of being forced to make a decision that might end in death for all involved.

Sara Bareilles - Gravity: (I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love) Honestly I like this song less for the lyrics than the overall aesthetic. It’s a peaceful, gentle, regretful tune with so much emotion in it, and its themes of wondering what to do and wondering whether or not to continue on a set path with someone else are fitting. I tend to apply the idea of wanting to leave someone here to mean Finno wrestling with his royal duty - once Sorontar saves him and Maitimo from the cliff, they have the chance to go elsewhere, be other people, leave the Noldor and the Oath and the war behind them. And he chooses not to do this, for both of them, because while he wants to run he knows he shouldn’t.

Skylar Grey - Coming Home - Part II: (I know my kingdom awaits, and they’ve forgiven my mistakes) A soft, sad, mournful reflection on a less than ideal return home, that’s somehow warm and uplifting at the same time. It encapsulates Finno’s feelings on his resumption of duty and social role perfectly.

Meg Myers - Running Up That Hill: (If I only could, I’d make a deal with God, and I’d get Him to swap our places) And now we come to the heart of Blessed Hands, the song that encapsulates the whole of part I in a single tune. I chose this cover by Meg Myers because I like the instrumentation’s aesthetic more than Kate Bush’s original when it comes to this subject, but any version, really, would work. This is a song about wishing things could be different, about trying to make them different, about wishing after changes and alterations. One other line that speaks to me is ‘Is there so much hate for the ones we love?’ which, in the context of this relationship and these families, cuts right to the heart of the whole matter. Blessed Hands Will Break Me is a story about loyalty, more than all else, and about choosing love over hate, and about trying to defy cruel fate and sometimes winning, and this song covers all of that and more.

[curious-minx]

October 2010s Music Deep Dive!

A mock up poster for the only possible music festival line-up I would be willing to risk my life attending. Tony Allen’s passing has caused the entire Octoberfest to be cancelled indefinitely, but all proceeds from ticks will be given back to the community. 

Hope all of you special nobodies and overblown somebodies reading this right now are having a smashing start your first o November. All last month I had taken it upon myself to listen to as many albums and fragments of albums released sometime during the month of October spanning the entire 10’s decade, 2010 through 2019. This is all probably a result of drinking too much dead water, Quarantine brain, undiagnosed Autism, magical thinking and the death of boredom. I have created a Spotify playlist sporting 25 hours and 4 minutes worth of music with an arbitrary amount of albums getting multiple songs, but largely one song/album. This project did create a sense of madness because of the volume of music that gets cranked out. How can we expect anyone to properly criticize music when it is nearly impossible to keep up with it all? I largely culled these albums from Allmusic’s Editorial Choice section, but I did have to use Rateyourmusic to fill out the hip-hop and R&B gaps. In gathering up all of this music I am attempting to see if spooky music was relegated to the October season and any other possible trends. Even though October has been laid to rest her swelling calendar breast still contains a treasure trove of music worth discussing. Grab your broom, sharpen your heels and get the cobwebs out of your ears because we’re going on a Deep Dive! 

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The 2010s Old Souls and Musical Auteurs 

I consider any musician or band that endures more than a decade worthy of this veteran label. Music biz lifers seem found solace in the October release schedule. A trend that has carried onto the new decade with October 2020 offering revitalized releases by Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen reunited with the E Street Band. All three main members of Sonic Youth, Moore, Gordon and Renaldo are still harnessing that spooky Bad Moon Rising energy and carrying it over into their solo releases. 

KIM GORDON’s NO RECORD HOME

The first truly proper solo album by Kim Gordon following up her pretty good noise rock releases under the Body/Head moniker with Bill Nace. No Record Home towers over Thurston Moore and Lee Renaldo’s mostly okay solo releases because of how truly experimental and refreshingly modern sounding No Record Home is. This album sounds like it could easily have come out from a young Pacific Northwest Trip-Angle (RIP) label upstart. Instead, Gordon is defiantly aging gracefully and remains an all around important feminist voice in experimental rock music. No Record Home did not pop up on a lot of “Best of the Year” lists in 2019, nor did Gordon embark on any kind of touring for the release. I am hoping that more people will eventually discover this great album and realize that Gordon was truly the best, most truly experimental aspect of Sonic Youth. Her vocals on this album are the best she’s ever sounded because she built these songs and sounds with the intergral collaborator, producer Justin Raisen. A glimpse at Raisen’s Wikipedia page is a who’s who of great artists of the past decade: Yves Tumor, Charli XCX, and Sky Ferreira. The collaboration occurred at an AirBnB shared between Gordon and Raisen and birthed the first single of the project “Air BnB.” A song that completely sets the tone of the album and features one of those amazing music videos in the same line us Young Thug’s “Wyclef Jean. “

Björk - Biophilia

Can you name the last album the rolled out with its own app? Nine years have come and gone and I certainly can’t think of another album with such wholesome ambitions. Björk was getting passionate about ecological concerns in her native Icelandic home with Sigur Ros and using her sphere of influence to try to good. 2014 the app has found a permanent home in the MOMA, but outside of this curio status the album itself is still a worthwhile addition to the Björk canon. Biophilia finds Björk in musical scientist mode using sounds captured from a Tesla coil and making a whole musical universe onto herself. The rest of the 2010s found Björk going for bigger and more ambitious projects that continue to frustrate those who wish she would go back to her poppier roots. She remains one of those most consistent solo artists around and someone no one will be able to predict what she does next. The only thing is certain is that it will be visionary and will probably include a wildly ambitious rollout and a new piece of physical art like Biophilia’s $800 tuning forks.

NENEH CHERRY - BROKEN POLITICS

Featuring production duties for the second time from Four Tet (who also pops up in the October playlist with his 2013 album Beautiful Rewind). Broken Politics in Cherry’s words, “is about feeling broken, disappointed, and sad, but having perseverance. It’s a fight against the extinction of free thought and spirit.” The music video for single “Natural Skin Deep” was filmed in Beirut, a backdrop made even more painful given 2020’s Explosion. Cherry is an artist with deep spiritual and blood connections with artists central to jazz’s history. Broken Politics also features songs built around Ornette Coleman samples. This is all to say that Neneh Cherry is always going to be someone tapping into a creative cosmic vein that spans generations, and with that comes a hard wisdom. Two years later we’re still dealing with the same god damn guts and guns of history. 

OTHER NOTABLES:

(Cat Power - The Wanderer; John Cale - Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood; Tony Allen - Film of Life ; Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Psychedelic Pill ;Bryan Ferry - Olympia; Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen ;Yoko Ono - Warzone; Vashti Bunyan - Heartleap; Elvis Costello & The Imposters - Look Now; The Chills - Silver Bullets; Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright In The End;Laurie Anderson - Heart of A Dog;Janet Jackson - Unbrekable;The Mercury Rev - Light In You;  Rocketship - Thanks To You; Van Dyke Parks & Gaby Moreno - Spangled; Donald Fagen - Sunken Condos; Prefab Sprout - Crimson Red; Pere Ubu - 20 Years in a Montana Missile Silo; Negativland - True False )

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TRILOGY OF BLACKSTARS

Three last albums released by three titans of 20th century songwriting. Two of them follow the trajectory of an older artist getting rejuvenated by a younger backing band. Lulu is beyond a meme at this point and is considered one of the most confounding flops since Metallic Music. Like Metallic Music, Lulu will get a reappraisal and find its audience. Mr. Blackstar himself Bowie considered  Lulu one of his favorite releases. “Junior Dad” alone makes this album a worthy addition in Lou Reed’s discography. Scott Walker invited some similarly hairy and intense younger rock studs into his private castle and pulls off a far more natural combination. Soused fits like a velvet glove on a elegant corpse hand swirling thick slabs of guitar and demonic percussion. Scott Walker effortlessly orchestrates between elegance and moribundity whereas Lulu wallows and thrashes against  the ugly riffage. 

No riffs or oozing wall of sound are  anywhere to be found on the sparse and pointedly elegiac You Want it Darker. Leonard Cohen never went full on sleazy I’m Your Man ever again but he didn’t become adult contemporary either. You Want It Darker finds Leonard and his son Adam Cohen. When Leonard passed away he was the only one to get a full David Bowie like museum tribute, Lou Reed only got a corner of a library. Cohen is far and away the most accessible mystical Jewish Buddhist monk with a penchant for fedoras and having a masked man with a leather belt beat him in the recording booth [citation needed]. You Want It Darker is the only one of these mortality laden kiss offs to win a Grammy. I do wonder if Cohen would have ever allowed a more adventurous production to touch his staid and timeless old fashioned sound. Tom Scharpling divides Leonard Cohen into his Pre-Fedora and Post-Fedora days. If you are being literal about that demarcation that still gives you a pretty vast body of music I just want sad bloated blurry black and white Leonard Cohen with a banana or the smiling cad on Songs of Love and Hate. Even the floppy fedora era has worthwhile albums and he sounds like if Serge Gainsbourgh was a muppet Gargoyle, he’s reliable. I will always beat myself for not buying that official Leonard Cohen raincoat at the Jewish Museum Leonard Cohen exhibit, but I hope someone has and they are finding comfort with Cohen’s music. A lot of his latter day period is comforting in a sardonic sexy mind bending nursing home sort of way. 

I am glad that these men were ultimately spared from having to deal with Covid times and even someone as tasteless as Brian Wilson’s Ghost can acknowledge that it’s more important than ever to keep your elderly loved ones locked away in a well ventilated pod. 

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(INSERT ARTIST HERE) SEASON

For a few sticky sweet select few artists the month of October proved to be a suitable release launch pad for more than one album. The Mountain Goats and clipping. have just joined the October two-timer club this year. The reigning queen of October releases is Taylor Swift and Adrianne Lenker. In chronological order swift released Speak Now, Red and 1989 probably Swift’s biggest run in terms of critical and commercial success. None of these albums have a particularly big place in my heart, in fact speaking on behalf of Brian Wilson’s Ghost Ltd. I’m not the biggest fan of America’s Sweetheart, Sweet Tea Poet Laureate.  All three of these albums all came out in the latter part of October and based on the Target brand synergy roll-out felt as inevitable as pumpkin spice. Haunted. Sad Beautiful Tragic. Out of the Woods. These are either song titles taken from these three albums are the names of the under utilized Romantic Halloween Horror Comedy genre. Lady Gaga might have been spooking it up on American Horror Story, but Swift gives a far more chilling performance in Tom Hooper’s midnight madness of Cats and I could envision Swift excelling really well as a horror film actor. Especially in a role like Scarlett Johansson’s Under the Skin. 

You cannot get more polar opposite from Swift than Adrianne Lenker. Who released her first solo album abysskiss   and the second Big Thief album of 2019 Two Hands. Lenker will have also gone on to make her third October release this year with her second solo album songs & instrumentals. Striking that such a ghostly autumnal band would have only released one album in October, but autumnal feeling albums are not beholden to release calendars. The song “Not” from the Big Thief album Two Hands is a watershed breakthrough moment for the band and put Lenker and her band on the map. In 2019 Big Thief became a band that could get booked onto a Goodmorning American performance slot and more or less made Big Thief one of the rare 2010s indie bands to become more or less a household name. 

Other notable artists to have released more than one album on October 2010s:

Less notable artists to have multiple October releases: James Blunt Korn

Calvin Harris 

Kings of Leon

Pentatonix 

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FORMER HARBINGERS OF HYPE

These are October releases from artists that once felt like whenever they put out an album a wider array of outlets and publications seemed to care more and would spill more digital ink over them. The big three artists that had the biggest drop off in attention and acclaim that stick out to me the most are Titus Andronicus,  Justice and Why? All three artists debuted with strong starts back in the aughts, but according to critical reception more or less crashed and burned. Titus Andronicus’ Local Business was one of the last times Titus Andronicus would get positive marks from Pitchfork. Local Business a fun and shaggy follow-up to one of the most self-serious concept albums of the 2010s. 

Justice’s Audio, Video, Disco similarly is a follow up to a highly acclaimed album that set the bar high enough to doom Justice into never living up to the hype. Justice’s 2007 s/t heralded them as the next Daft Punk, but unlike those soulful and thoughtful robots Justice mainly wanted to make big ridiculous unfashionable synth prog rock. Audio, Video, Disco is simply cheesy fun and even though we live in a world better off without parties and gatherings this album helps you feel like you are in high-def IMAX monster mash on the moon. 

The leaves us with Why?’s Mump’s Etc. an album that already had the job of following up an already divisive follow up record Eskimo Snow. Why’s Alopecia is a really important 2008 indie blog rap album that helped thrust the online indie blogs into the hip-hop genre hybrid experimentalism. Why? would never make another universally beloved album again and with Mump’s Etc. ended up permanently in Pitchfork’s hate pit. In the original release review the Pitchfork writer essentially deems this album an act of “career suicide.” The whole review is essentially an assignation of Why?’s figurehead Yoni Wolf and taking him to task for all of his awkward lyrical blunders and the fact he is narcissistic enough to be a musician writing about his career in a meta fashion. Yet when I listen to Mump’s Etc. I am more or less enjoying Yoni Wolf’s personality and find the whole thing to be pretty charming. A perfectly serviceable 3.5/5 release that a media outlet like Pitchfork turns into a flexing opportunity to show how that they have the power to make or break a career. 

A.C. Newman, an artist who appears on this playlist with his terrific 2012 Shut Down The Streets took to Twitter to scoff at the idea that a good Pitchfork review has done anything for his career. Shut Down The Streets currently remains the last solo album Newman has released under his name choosing to focus on his main gig with the New Pornographers. The Internet based hype machine is even more ADHD addled and twitchier by the day. The joy of doing this deep dive allowed me to revisit a lot of these artists and acts that I had fallen out of touch with. I had completely forgotten about King of Convenience’s Erlend Øye who released the album Legao in 2014. I rediscovered a good deal of bands like the Editors, The Dodos, Kisses, Black Milk, Crocodiles, Empire of the Sun, Juana Molina, Jagwar Ma, Here We Go Magic, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., YACHT, Peaking Lights, The Twilight Sad, Elf Power, Swet Shop Boys, Radio Dept, Allo’ Darlin, Foxes In Fiction, and HOMESHAKE are all bands not trying to change the world or challenge listeners with avant garde experimentation. Instead I feel like I maintaining relationships with old friends on the edge of obscurity. 

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A HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER 

A tradition stretching back as far as 2014 not October’s Idina Menzel’s Holiday Wishes, but Seth McFarland’s Holiday For Swing sweatily released on CD, digital, and vinyl on September 30, 2014.  2015 then brings us a Chris Tomlin and Ru Paul Christmas albums because every force of Neo-liberal good must be balanced with evangelical contemporary Christian music *shutters.* 2016 finds the Christmas in October era reaching a complete and utter nadir with R. Kelly’s final official LP 12 Nights of Christmas and A Pentatonix Christmas, but also buffered by Kacey Musgrave’s Christmas. 2017 only had time for Gwen Stefani’s You Make It Feel Like Christmas and no one else could evoke this feeling in October. On 2018, Michelle and Barack Obama’s combined one and only Christmas wish comes true, no not cancelling those drone strikes, but getting John Legend to join the October release jamboree; Eric Clapton claps open his guitar’s butt cheeks and hatefully squats out a half assed Xmas album defiantly opening the album with “White Christmas” [eyeroll emoji]; and finally 2018 found the Pentatonix announcing in October that Christmas Is Here. I apologize for all of that crude butt talk about the hateful racist Eric Clapton, but(t) I have festive gluteus Maximus on the mind, because in 2019 Norah Jones got her alternative country gal trio back together to remind us to shake our Christmas butts. Eat shit commercial shit, today’s Santa’s birthday! That’s the magic of the October release schedule! 

The hallowed Christmas in October tradition continues on in 2020 with Dolly I-Beg-Thee-Pardon  releasing A Holly Dolly Christmas right on time on October 2, 2020 (Carrie Underwood missed the memo and unwraps her unwanted My Gift in September 2020). Meghan Trainor, Goo Goo Dolls, and Tori Kelly released Christmas albums. Can you believe Seth MacFarlane comes up twice in this article, because his sleazy J. Michigan Frog croon is processed and grated like Parmesan cheese snow flakes all over a rendition of White Christmas.  What a time to be alive! 

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WHERE DID THEY GO?

A Brief Case For Class Actress’s Rapproacher

Among my October music travels I encountered one artist that really impressed me with her proper LP debut Rapprocher. The trio fronted by Elizabeth Vanessa Harper is essentially peddling the kind of competent moody 80’s inspired synth pop that belongs on a lost Donnie Darko sequel. Harper’s vocals are striking and expressive and they are melded with constantly propulsive bed of shiny synths and glossy barely-there gated percussion. Outside of an 2015  EP called Movies featuring exciting production contributions from Italo-disco icon Giorgio Moroder there has been nothing else from Class Actress. Highly recommend you check them out especially if you want to find the sweet spot between Chromatics and Kylie Minogue. 

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THE OCTOBER 2010s MASTERPIECES 

(Robyn - Honey, Big K.R.I.T. - 4eva is a Mighty Long Time  ,Miguel -  Kaleidoscope Dream, Crying - Beyond The Fleeting Gale , M83 Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming ,SRSQ - Unreality, Sufjan Stevens - age of adz, Joanna Newsom - divers, VV Brown Samson and Delilah, Kelela - tear me apart , Neon Indian - VEGA Intl., Fever Ray - Plunge , Antony and The Johnsons - Swanlights (goodbye album) , Caroline Polachek - Pang , Sky Ferreira - Night Time, My Time . Bat For Lashes  Haunted Man, James Ferraro - Far Side Virtual , Grouper -  Ruins , Kero Kero Bonito -Bonito Generation , DJ Rashad - Double Cup)

Maybe if I surround this VV Brown album with more well known artists she’ll finally get some more clicks? I should also mention that Joanna Newsom’s Divers is nowhere on my Spotify October Music playlist because Joanna Newsom thinks Spotify is bananas, and she hates bananas. I know I should also mention Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city and Tame Impala’s Lonerism. That’s the maddening thing about October music that just when you think you covered all your ground you find another hidden hump underneath the carpet.  I feel remiss without mentioning striking debut and instant hidden gem Tinashe’s Aquarius, which did you know has a new album art on Spotify. Death Grip’s No Love Deep Web. T_T I didn’t even get around to making a big verbal mosaic to Thom Yorke’s witchy Suspiria soundtrack.Corpus Christi! I forgot to highlight The Orb album in the collage with my other veteran artists!  As you can see this project nearly ruined me. I did not necessarily listen to all of these albums from front to back, but I did listen all of the songs on the playlist and chose them from the immense collection of October releases. I am pretty sure this is the kind of content for no one in particular but I really needed to get it out of my system. Let’s meet back up October 2030!!!!!

(Thank you to my beloved partner, best friend and Spotify provider Maddie Johnson XD)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7sdLaNNaqWpKEKXRZ3jNqY?si=SLZxUwLMQYOQ5wA1xuZc7w

[lovewavesxx]

Love Waves – EP 9 – Pink Pillows

October 16, 2017

“A few thoughts from Pink Pillows. –E xx.”

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/ericajones10/playlist/6iBQ8u16X0qim0ypl7Yb48

Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/playlist/love-waves-ep-9-pink-pillows/idpl.u-55D6lDlHx9Xkmj

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwEZgDEorNRRItkk7C4ZD6enbIpcYm-Iz

This week’s playlist flow is ridic (ulous, if you must be lame and make me spell the whole word instead of attempting to be hip). Leave yo shuffle off bb.

1. mansionz – Wicked (feat. G-Eazy)

2. The 1975 – Girls

3. Rihanna – You da One

4. Kiiara – Wishlist

5. Travis Scott – Butterfly Effect

6.  Ghosted – Get Some (feat. Kamille)

7. Neon Trees – Sleeping With a Friend

8. Marty Grimes – Make It Back

9. Marc E. Bassy – Plot Twist (feat. Kyle)

10. Lauv – Reforget

11. Humble the Poet – H.A.I.R.

12. Daniel Caesar – Take Me Away (feat. Syd)

13. Halsey – Bad at Love

14. Julia Michaels – Issues (Alan Walker Remix)

15. Prince Fox – I Don’t Wanna Love You (feat. Melody Noel) [Adam York Remix]

16. Khalil – No Coincidence

17. Jhené Aiko – OLLA (Only Lovers Left Alive) [feat. TWENTY88]

******I NEED YOUR HELP WITH LOVE WAVES EP 10!!! AS A WAY TO CELEBRATE MAKING IT THIS FAR I WANT THE 10TH EPISODE TO BE ONLY MUSIC FROM OTHER PEOPLE. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SEND ME THE NAME OF A SONG OR SONGS WITH THE ARTIST’S NAME VIA ANYWAY POSSIBLE, OR BY CLICKING THIS PARAGRAPH, AND SUBMITTING YOUR SONG. I WILL TAKE ALL THE MUSIC I COLLECT FROM PEOPLE TO CREATE EP 10’S FLOW. IF YOU’D LIKE, YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR NAME WITH YOUR SUBMISSION, AND I WILL PUT YOUR NAME IN EP 10’S POST AS WELL SO YOU GET CREDIT! THIS IS JUST MY WAY OF SAYING THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING LOVE WAVES AND HOPEFULLY GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED IN SHARING SOME GOOD SHT! xx.******

https://ericajones10.sarahah.com/

Click here for my twitter @ericajones1010

Also, if you have a Spotify or Apple Music account I would love to follow you and most likely creep on your playlists. Somehow get me your profile link, send me a playlist, or let me know your username. Click here for my Spotify profile Click here for my Apple Music profile

Playlist Description:

Some of my best thoughts come while my head is lying on my pink pillow. Some of my worst thoughts come while my head is lying on my pink pillow. Everything in between is noise, but to be honest, it’s all just noise.

I never really thought much about how an inanimate object could be privy to some of the most important moments in my reality or just in my mind—those moments alone or sometimes with another person.

While in college some of my favorite times were when my closest friends and I were just laying in my room talking about everything, and nothing, while listening to music. They’d be on my bed and I’d be lying on the ground staring at my ceiling fan or on my futon. At times these positions varied, but you get the point.

There were nights I’d shove my face in that pink pillow to cry. There were times I’d hug that pink pillow wishing it was a human body, but it was 1:34 in the morning, and a pillow is what was closest to me. There were days I would pull myself out of bed to go to work and class and when I would return to my room that pink pillow was the first thing I’d see upon arrival.

Some of my best words have been inspired at times my head was on that pink pillow. Some of the best scenarios my head has created were while it was on that pink pillow. I see myself in different situations and places, sometimes alone and sometimes not, while lying on that pink pillow. (I don’t really know what to call the things I write because in my head they sound like songs and I don’t know if they’re considered poetry so I usually just call them words.)

This playlist stems from all of the hours I’ve spent thinking about what I have done, would’ve done differently, hope to do, and will actually do. I think a lot about my own future and where or what I’d like to do, and I also tend to think a lot about who I have or want to be by my side during those moments.

I think a lot about the people I care for and love. I think about the moments that have passed by and tasted so sweet, but I didn’t realize how precious they were. I think about the lines on my friends’ and family’s faces as their eyes lit up while they smiled or laughed too hard at something dumb I said or did. I think about what it felt like while we hugged. Where were your hands? Were your eyes closed like mine were? I didn’t want to let go, but I did. Did I hold on too long? Oh well, it’s over now. I hope I get to hold you again, but I just don’t know anymore. At times, I wonder if my effort or feelings will ever be returned, but it’s been long enough I think. People usually move on by now. “He didn’t seem excited to see you.” What’s wrong with me? Do you love me? Will you ever grow to love me? Am I wasting my time? Are you wasting your time? I think you forgot about me again. I fucked up. Have you fucked up? Would you tell me again if you did? Should I tell you I did? Would it hurt you? Would you even care? Probably not. Will we ever really talk again? I mean really talk again. Like we did on FaceTime that one day I didn’t know you were going to say anything. I thought about telling you I loved you about 80 billion times, but I didn’t. I’ve known since December, but it can wait. It’ll fade. I’m sure of it. You’ll fade. I’m sure of it. That was still a great moment with you. I don’t know. I just don’t know anymore. I’m kind of scared right now. This sht wasn’t supposed to happen, and what if I fall in love with him? I’m so scared right now. I don’t know how to be cool. To play this cool. I just need to find a distraction from this distraction. I need to stop thinking about this right now. Next paragraph.

My pink pillow has been the resting place for much of the good and bad that is in my life. That’s crazy to think about, right?! It’s just a freakin’ pillow. Yet, at the same time it is a constant in the evolution of who I have been, currently am, and strive to become.

Yoo this is was some overthinking sht at it’s finest. :)

Song Explanations:

Wicked by Mansionz featuring G was actually not one of my favorite songs from their album for the longest time. There’s this line G says and it just would make me feel upset and so I dismissed the whole song. I didn’t want to listen to it. Recently, I’ve really started liking this song. I also feel kind of bad because in some ways I am very much like that girl they are singing about. I’m sorry in advance. I hate me too. :)

THE 1975 IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE BAND. It takes a lot of effort for me to not put them in most Love Waves playlists. I think Girls fits perfectly with the theme and flow of this week’s comp sooooo in it went. SUCH a tune.

Wishlist is a song Kiiara literally just released a few days ago. My favorite line is, “I’ll pour the gasoline on your halo.” I’d say I am an angel or positive with good behavior about 98% of the time, but that 2% can be dangerous. It gets more dangerous when I’m with someone equally mischievous. It’s like we feed off of each other’s energy and actions.

Get Some by Ghosted featuring Kamille is a song my friend Adam sent me weeks ago. It sounds all innocent and dancy until you actually listen to the words and you’re like, “Wut tha actual phuq?” It cracks me up, but it also fits the theme. I also highly recommend the music video because you would think it’s going to be a certain way BUT the entire video is not at all what I expected.

Click here to watch the official music video for Get Some by Ghosted

Ayyyy Marty Grimes with the new release titled Cold Pizza. Make It Back is my favorite song right now off of that album. “Seeing things without you ain’t the same.” There are times in my life I wish I had you by my side. Your presence would make this song better, it would make the lighting look better, it would make these breaths I’m taking taste better, it would make me feel better, but sometimes that’s life. You learn to deal with all the moments that will never be.

Plot Twist by Marc E. Bassy featuring Kyle came out a few months ago, but Marc just released his new album Gossip Columns. Go listen to that sht. Anyways, this song is in here because things happen and all of a sudden there’s a completely unexpected plot twist that happens in your life. Like, right now I can’t tell if mine is good or bad yet and that uncertainty is scaring the living sht out of me at the moment.

“I go out just so I can reforget.” I think Lauv’s song is fairly universal for anyone going through a type of separation from someone in life. I see it all the time when people break up. Newly single people are either too heartbroken to do anything OR they go out and do everything. I completely understand what it’s like to feel and act both ways unfortunately.

Click here to read the lyrics for Reforget by Lauv

I stumbled..across Humble *pause so for intended rhyme to be acknowledged* the poet accidently a few weeks ago, but his song H.A.I.R. is extremely dope and the production feels really original to me. I like his lyrics too.

Brooooooo Take Me Away makes me feel like I’m a feather gently gliding down through the atmosphere and landing on a really brightly scenic area near a beach or maybe in a valley full of different flowers padding the space between two hills during sunset. I really like Syd’s sound too. It’s so feely and jazzy and wonderful. Lyrics and vibe on point bb.

Bad at Love. Retweet.

No Coincidence is nowhere to be found on Spotify and that kind of irked me because it makes the flow on that platform slightly different. This song makes me think about the differences between something or someone being a part of your life by coincidence or by putting effort towards something. You used to be a coincidence, and something that was just there by fate, but now you’re just effort. It’s not easy going anymore. That fact makes me really really think about whether all of that effort is taking away the possibility of something better and less forced being a part of my life. I don’t know. Then again we’re the masters sticking it out during our phases. That’s just something I thought about while writing this.

Click here to listen to No Coincidence by Khalil on YouTube

OLLA by Jhené is off of her album Trip. That project is a lot to digest because it’s a double album, but I do highly suggest you give it a listen and also watch the twenty minute film she made to go along with the album. It’s such a unique plotline and executed so well. I like that this song makes me feel like I’m in a disco surrounded by light brown bellbottoms, and pastel tie-dyed clothing, and lights flashing everywhere gently, and everyone seems really at peace, and in the moment together. I see smoke in the air, but I think we both know it’s probably not a fog machine. That’s what I see and feel in my head when I hear this song.

Right now I feel really tapped out from writing and thinking about all of this. Imma just end it now.

Love,

-E xx.

p.s. Don’t forget to participate in EP 10 by clicking here to leave me some music! :)

[technologywearables]

TomTom Spark review (Cardio + Music) - A great fitness-focused watch

When the TomTom Runner as well as TomTom Multi-Sport GPS enjoys gotten there over two years earlier, they didn't specifically trigger a Beatle fan-girl reaction among technology or fitness fanatics. As decent as they were, a lack of fresh or cutting-edge features held them back as well as they cannot make a solid enough situation on their own against the already reputable competition.

That all transformed with the arrival of the TomTom Jogger Cardio in 2014. Thanks to some unique physical fitness features, TomTom entered into its very own and verified it could do the 'smartwatch thing' along with the 'rested nav thing'. The Jogger Cardio was just one of the initial smartwatches to present continuous optical heart rate tracking (HRM), not merely spot dimensions like a number of its rivals. This made it an even more engaging tool for any homeowner significant concerning fitness.

Fast onward 18 months as well as TomTom has actually upped its video game again with the TomTom Glow, a friendlier-looking and slimmer model that improves the very same features that made the Cardio Runner great.

Design

First off, let's speak about looks. The TomTom Glow has a much more subtle style when compared to the company's previous offerings, particularly the garish red and white of the TomTom Cardio that preceded it. Apart from being much easier on the eye, the Glow is also much slimmer than its confusing precursor, so you're a lot more likely to use it all the time, and also not just when you're battering the tarmac.

As well as being smaller, the Glow's restrained design implies you're most likely to wear it throughout the day, and night. Its rubber strap implies its super comfortable to wear for extended periods and also the dual prong clasp guarantees it never ever diminishes mid-sprint, or swim, or pattern, or ... the listing goes on.

Main features

if your concept of exercise prolongs to greater than just a playinged around the block, you'll be pleased to hear that the Spark boasts multi-sport tracking functions. Cycling, swimming, treadmill running, general health club task, or 'freestyle' activities could be tape-recorded, then synced to a smartphone or COMPUTER for evaluating and even archiving through TomTom's MySports internet site (a lot more on this later). The workout options are relatively easy to navigate through and also select, and in my encounter, recordings seemed very exact and even regular with previous readings.

Before we go any type of more: the thing you should know right here is that there are in fact four various variations of the Glow available, with somewhat various attribute collections. All models feature the multi-sport tracking listed over plus GPS monitoring, which's it for the least expensive Glow version, which sets you back ₤ 109. For ₤ 149 you can have a Glow Cardio variation which adds heart rate tracking, or for the same rate the Spark Songs - a design with Bluetooth music playback. For ₤ 189 you can have the entire great deal with the snappily titles Spark Cardio + Songs. Phew.

As is coming to be incresingly prominent, there's no alternative to sync smartphone notifications to the Spark. The Spark isn't really contending in the Android Put on market then, it's targeting physical fitness enthusiasts who wish to leave their phone behind as well as focus on melting some significant calories

There's a great deal of option when it pertains to customisation for the Glow, too. There's two feasible strap dimensions in a plethora of colours. The bigger band re-uses the two-pronged openings from the Jogger Cardio, which aids develop a more also secure on your wrist for far better heart rate monitoring from the optical HRM sensor in the bottom of the watch. Pulse tracking was still fast to find a reading with the smaller, one prong band, however, surpassing the older Jogger Cardio by numerous seconds.

Music playback

One of the Glow's major marketing factors (if you have the Songs variation) is its ability to shop and even play songs directly to a pair of Bluetooth headsets so you don't have to take your phone or MP3 gamer along with you on your run.

In just what is an advantage for runners in specific, the music playback system is backed by 3GB of on-board flash storage space, which ought to suffice for around 500 tracks. Tracks should be submitted using TomTom's COMPUTER software application via iTunes or Windows Media Player as well as those who are particular regarding exactly what tracks they want blowing up down their ears and even in what order will enjoy to hear that playlists are supported.

Bluetooth connection was erratic at times, and also really did not constantly link on initial attempt, so you might should be a little patient when attempting to set devices originally. Unfortunately assistance for Spotify isn't visiting take place any kind of time soon, as TomTom claimed there was some technological problems when aiming to develop in offline playlist licensing algorithms. There is 30 mins of curated Ministry of Movie album pre-loaded onto each watch if that's any great to you.

Display

With a huge mono LCD present as well as TomTom's trademark One Switch four-way push-button control beneath it, the Spark is slimmer on the wrist when as compared to the firm's previous gadgets, meaning it won't stand out like a sore thumb if you use it to work.

With the expanding number of touch display smartwatches presently on the market, you'll locate on your own attempting to pick food selections with your finger on the screen, and also hence it could be instead discouraging needing to utilize the confusing four lower remote. In my experience, it can show unstable at times, not consistently registering a switch press. It can definitely gain from a less complex style, as an example repositioning the directional buttons.

Battery

Battery life on the Glow can last around a week if you utilize it during workout only. On daily 1-hour sees to the gym, the Glow lasted usually 5-7 days in between costs for me. Nonetheless, this was with the Bluetooth music attribute powered off, and even anticipate the battery life to be halved if you utilize this feature.

Users will also see the Glow has no power-off alternative. This is because when it remains in standby, it turns off the radios and also regardless of showing the moment, uses a trace element of battery power, so there is no demand for a complete shutdown.

TomTom Jogger Cardio internet portal

When TomTom released its GPS views last year, its web site was a major weak point. It was something of a job in progression, as well as could not really contend with services from rivals such as Garmin or Polar. Today the TomTom MySports portal is a much far better product.

The finest feature of TomTom MySports is that you don't need to utilize it. You see TomTom makes it truly simple to export your data to 3rd event solutions. Actually, TomTom MySports is based upon the Map My Health and fitness website, with both sites also discussing the same login.

If you already have a favored fitness logging service, such as NikePlus or Jawbone, you don't even searching for to consider TomTom MySports unless you actually want to.

TomTom Spark conclusion

With a slimmer style, even more exact and faster heart-rate tracking than previous versions, and the enhancement of Bluetooth audio playback if you want it, the TomTom Spark is a sporting activities watch offering an all-around feature set that you won't mind wearing once you're finished with your workout.

At ₤ 189, the complete blown, all singing as well as all dance version of the Glow isn't really too pricey given its attributes, and is an extremely experienced physical fitness look for those wanting to maintain on top of their numerous workouts and also health and fitness goals.

However, if you're desiring a fancy-looking smartwatch that could handle all your notifications and match the Apple Watch, for example, you're not visiting discover it here. The TomTom Spark is a great challenger in the wearable market for those that intend to concentrate on physical fitness as well as disappoint off what impressive things they could do with their watch.

[kayteonline]

Tug and Pull - #s 3, 9, 11, or all the questions. I love that one so much. @butiaintgonnaloveem 😍

Tiff!

3. What's your favorite line of narration?

Answered here ;) (incorrectly haha ima dork)

9. Were there any alternate versions of this fic?

There was! I was trying to think of different ways to make a hand job worth while and still sexy as hell (I love them, but ya know, most guys want something more usually...) so it almost went reader staying put in the backseat while giving him a hand, because I love that scenario, whispering dirty things into his ear... but the thought of being in his lap during was hot af and won that round especially being in the car, so that was the finished product :D 

11. What do you like best about this fic?

Answered here ;)

Because I love you dearly @butiaintgonnaloveem.... you get your wish under the cut

This is fun!

Come ask me stuff!

Tug and Pull

1. What inspired you to write the fic this way?

The thought of different ways to spice up a hand job when that was all you were able to do at the moment. Also how to make it worth while like my answer for #9 above ;) ALSO of course the great desire to run ones hands through Sams hair for a long period of time and how that would make one feel

2. What scene did you first put down?

The beginning as reader and Sam are talking. This line specifically that the fic grew around:

“Well it looks like Mr. Jenkins either has a heavy kink for things that go bump in the night, or he’s another victim of mind control.”

4, What's your favorite line of dialogue?

My list is here ;)

5. What part was hardest to write?

Right here for ya!

6. What makes this fic special or different from all your other fics?

What makes it special to me is it’s Sam, and that its being intimate with Sam especially being only a hand job. Its different for the same reasons

7. Where did the title come from?

The involvement of Sams hair and the head massage, and the hand job of course :) All thanks to my gorgeous bff @leatherwhiskeycoffeeplaid because shes awesome and smart and I adore her, and it fit perfect as she said back then

8. Did any real people or events inspire any part of it?

A little bit. I’ve been in similar situations in a backseat or two, but there was no hair involved or lap sitting or returned favors :( 

10. Why did you choose this pairing for this particular story?

I wanted to take it step further with Sam

12. What do you like least about this fic?

Not one thing. I loved how this turned out! And I feel like my execution of it all was awesome. The dialog, the working up to it, all of it flowed and became something I didn’t expect to be so hot in the end, so when it was finished I was super proud. And I finally took it a step further with Sam! LOL ;D

13. What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn't listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

While reading, I didn’t have anything planned for this fic specifically. My smutty times usually flow depending on the song I have going, I’m always listening to something. There are a few that have governed the paths of the sexy times like: Voodoo by Nick Jonas, Wrong by Zayn, Say It by Tory Lanez, Can I by Alina Baraz... I have a whole playlist on Spotify if you’re interested :D

14. Is there anything you wanted readers to learn from reading this fic?

Head massages are magical? LOL Don’t give dry hand jobs? LOL Lube/wet is super important for a successful and pleasurable hand job :D But really nothing in general, this was basically porn without much plot

15. What did you learn from writing this fic?

That I can take it a step further with Sam! LOL I keep saying this but thinking it and writing it with him are two different things for me I guess. And I learned that I am apparently that die hard of a Dean girl that actually writing about committing the act with his brother turns me into a virginal shy school girl to which Sam doesn’t help the situation, and waits for me to make the first moves. Like a let me in first kind of thing is how I look at it. I think once that happens it may cause a Sam flood. Who knows!

[grubisarukavina]

Spring New Releases Album Review Round Up

Once again, we’ve had a cavalcade of fresh new releases flooding in this Spring, which is going to make for some epic Spotify playlists and other enjoyable listening this summer. Here’s a recap of some of the cream of the recent crop.

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks – Sparkle Hard

Stephen Malkmus has been indie rock royalty for decades, going back to his critically lauded work with Pavement back in the 90s. Since their break up in 1999, Malkmus has released a string of well received solo albums with his backing band The Jicks. For my money, his masterpiece as a solo artist remains 2008’s Real Emotional Trash, where Malkmus let his freak flag fly with a full four tracks breaching the six minute mark and the title cut even stretching out over ten jammy minutes. His newest album, Sparkle Hard, represents his strongest work since that high water mark. The lyrics are as offhandedly witty as ever, with Malkmus critiquing everything from the proliferation of bike lanes to social media, while taking a few swipes at confirmation bias on the earworm highlight “Brethren”. Musically things are still pretty casual, although there a couple instances of rocking out, like the big fuzzy guitars of “Cast Off” and “Shiggy”. But most impressively, there’s also a willingness to experiment a little, such as the sophisticated string section on “Solid Silk” and the country swing of “Refute” where guest Kim Gordon delivers a winking verse about infidelity and dysfunctional families. Not all of it gels, I’m still not completely sold on the autotune vocals of the chugging “Rattler”, but you have to hand it to Malkmus for at least trying out some different approaches. Which ultimately is one of the great pleasures of the album, it’s a portrait of an artist comfortable enough to deliver the goods effortlessly, but also with the confidence to take a few risks and throw in a few well placed curveballs.

Skee Mask – Compro

German producer Bryan Müller has been generating some serious heat with his second full length under the Skee Mask moniker, Compro. Not only did it snag the coveted Best New Music seal of approval from Pitchfork, but the initial vinyl pressing sold out in just a couple of days. With good reason though, not only is Compro now a front runner for best electronic album of the year, but it may just be a new classic. Throwing out the classic tag is not just hyperbole here, this is a strikingly mature effort that has an oddly timeless quality to it. Occasionally it even calls to mind the early work of the great Aphex Twin, especially on the brooding “Via Sub Mids“. Even though Compro sounds like it could have come out in the 90s, it doesn’t come off as dated or recursive. The album also embraces a wide variety of moods and tempos, from the enveloping ambience of “VLI” to the muscular breaks of “Dial 274” and the skittering drumnbass of “Soundboy Ext.“. But what’s extraordinary is that despite the array of subgenres that Skee Mask tackles, he nails each with equal aplomb. Additionally, he manages to weave these styles into a cohesive whole that flows naturally from track to track. Technically this is a masterfully work, the mix is crystal clear with each sound occupying just the right amount of space, even when elements become stacked high upon each other. But it’s the callbacks to earlier classics that give the tracks emotional heft. By tapping into the sense memories of the giants upon which Skee Mask is standing upon, a new dimension of depth is added to his music and it opens up the possibility of him joining the pantheon of electronic music greats one day.

Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel 

When Courtney Barnett broke through to a wide audience with her full length debut, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, it was a breath of fresh air, injecting a much needed authenticity and rawness back into rock. She followed that up with last year’s collabo with Kurt Vile, Lotta Sea Lice, which was decidedly more laid back and breezy. That project’s aesthetic, at least in terms of the music, has seeped into her latest effort Tell Me How You Really Feel, which for the most part is a slow burning affair of ballads and midtempo material. There’s certainly nothing as punchy here as the snarl Barnett unleashed on Sometime’s big single, “Pedestrian at Best“. Lyrically, the opener’s “Hopefulessness” advice of “Take your broken heart/ Turn it into art” seems to be the album’s manifesto, as much of the album deals with relationships problems and disillusion. There are a couple more energetic numbers, including “Crippling Self Doubt and a General Lack of Self Confidence“, but the oversharing title really says it all in terms of the song’s meaning. Elsewhere, Barnett ruminates on the isolation and monotony of touring on “City Looks Pretty” and just when it seems things might get too grim, she busts out an unabashed love song with the closing “Sunday Roast” which builds to an uplifting coda and ends things on a positive note. There’s been some negative buzz around this release, but that may be disappointment on the part of those who were looking for a raucous summertime album to play while partying in the sun. While this isn’t that, the songwriting is still strong and Barnett’s loose guitar leads have a shaggy dog charm. Plus, summer isn’t always all bbqs and beach days, this album will be a good one to spin on those cloudy mornings while waiting for the sun to break through.

Jon Hopkins – Singularity

Jon Hopkins has been making intellectual leaning electronic music for a while, but previously he was best known for his production work for Brian Eno and Coldplay. However, that changed in 2013 when he knocked it out of the park with his fourth full length release Immunity, an album superlative enough to land on my own top ten list of that year. One particular standout from that set was the pulsating “Open Eye Signal” that featured a modulating bass synth that sounded like electricity coursing through corroded circuits over a house beat. Unfortunately Hopkins’ new album opens with a trio of tunes that practically sound like reworks of that track, with the same dirty tones and similar chord progressions appearing throughout. To be fair, these are still well made compositions with an admirable attention to detail. One of Hopkins’ most remarkable feats is that he makes music that is both expansive and yet also somehow feels like a window to the molecular. If there were a soundtrack to the relatively enormous swaths of empty space between an atom’s nucleus and electrons, this could be it. But having said that, it’s hard not to hear Singularity as merely treading the same ground Hopkins broke open so creatively with Immunity. The second half of the album skews more toward the ambient and cinematic, and it’s here that there’s a little more room for the music to push forward. But by then we’ve already spent nearly a half hour traversing Immunity 2.0. Hopkins remains a world class audio sculptor, these tunes will sound simply miraculous on your speakers, but it’s hard not to wish that there was a bit more in terms of ideas to fully flesh those elements out into something that builds upon his earlier work.

Spring New Releases Album Review Round Up published first on https://medium.com/@123movieshub

[freshdealsbiz-blog]

Fire HD 8 Tablet with Alexa

The all-new Fire HD 8 is the next generation of our best-reviewed Fire tablet ever--with up to 12 hours of battery life, a vibrant 8" HD display, and Dolby Audio--made for all day entertainment.

Engineered by Amazon

Fast and responsive Enjoy your entertainment with a fast 1.3 GHz quad-core processor. Fire HD 8 offers 50% more RAM than Fire 7 for faster performance. Vibrant HD display Fire HD 8 features a 1280 x 800 high-definition display with over a million pixels (189 ppi) and a bright, vivid picture. Enjoy movies and games in a crisp, clear HD resolution, with less glare and more brightness thanks to a stunning IPS (in-plane-switching) LCD display. No more worrying about storage space With 2X more internal storage than Fire 7, Fire HD 8 comes standard with 16 GB. Expand your tablet’s storage by up to 256 GB using a microSD card, and keep photos, movies, and compatible games and apps with you. Plus enjoy free unlimited cloud storage for all your Amazon content and photos taken with your Fire tablet. Power when you wish to have it Now with up to 12 hours of mixed-use battery life, Fire HD 8 gives you the flexibility to go where the day takes you. Capture life's moments Fire HD 8 features a 2 MP rear-facing camera for taking photos or shooting 720p video. The front-facing VGA camera is perfect for Skype calls with friends and family. Stands up to everyday life Amazon engineers Fire tablets to hold up against everyday life. As measured in tumble tests, Fire HD 8 is more durable than the latest iPad and 2x more durable than iPad mini 4 (and costs a lot less too).

Designed for Entertainment

Read Choose from millions of Kindle eBook and magazine titles that you will not be able to find anywhere else. Over 1 million titles are priced at $2.99 or less. Or read as much as you wish to have with a Kindle Unlimited subscription for just $9.99 a month. Connect with the largest online community of book lovers on Goodreads. Read comfortably at night with Blue Shade, an exclusive Fire OS feature that automatically adjusts and optimizes the backlight for a more comfortable nighttime reading experience. Watch Enjoy all your favorite movies and TV shows on Amazon Video, Netflix, HBO NOW, Sling TV, and more. Discover hundreds of thousands of TV episodes and movies, plus fling Amazon Video content to your TV using Second Screen. Enhance your video experience with features you only get from Amazon, including On Deck for watching videos anywhere, ASAP for fast video streaming, and X-Ray to go behind the scenes of your favorite movies and TV shows at the same time as you watch. Watch downloaded videos anywhere with a Prime membership, Netflix plan, or Showtime subscription —on a plane, on vacation, in the car, or wherever you don't have a wireless connection. Play Fire tablets feature instant access to over 600,000 of the preferred free and best-selling games, social media, premium TV and movie provider apps, and so much more. Make a choice from top titles including Candy Crush Saga, Township, Mobile Strike, and more. Listen With millions of songs from thousands of artists, the Amazon Digital Music Store brings all your favorite music to your fingertips. Music you buy on your Fire tablet is saved to Your Music Library for free, and You'll be able to play or download it anytime. Unlock more music with Amazon Music Unlimited, just $7.99 per month for Prime members ($9.99 per month for non-Prime members). Audible offers more than 180,000 titles in audiobooks, including best sellers, romances, thrillers, and much more.

Meet Alexa

Alexa on Fire tablets Alexa provides quick access to the entertainment you wish to have, including music, games, audiobooks, and more. You'll be able to also ask Alexa questions, check your calendar, get news, find sports scores, and even control your smart home. All you have to do is press and ask. One press. Millions of possibilities. When connected to Wi-Fi simply press the home button for one second then ask. Alexa will respond to you and will even show visual responses to certain questions. Everyday made easier Alexa on Fire tablets helps make everyday easier. Just press and ask to set alarms and timers, check traffic, your calendar, to-do or shopping lists, and more. You'll be able to order millions of items with your voice, such as household and personal care products. Be entertained Whether you’re looking for your favorite playlist or need a quick joke, You'll be able to ask Alexa. Just press and ask for a song, artist or genre, and stream directly over Wi-Fi. Alexa also provides voice control for Amazon Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and more. Stay informed Now You'll be able to ask Alexa a question and get a direct voice response. When you press and ask, Alexa can pull up your Flash Briefing, Wikipedia articles, news, sports scores, and more. Voice control your smart home Alexa works with devices such as lights, switches, thermostats, and more from SmartThings, Insteon, Nest, ecobee, and Wink. Switch on the lamp before getting out of bed, turn on the fan or change the temperature on your thermostat at the same time as reading in your favorite chair, or dim the lights from the couch to watch a movie—just press and ask.

The best of Prime

Try Prime free for a month If you haven't tried Amazon Prime in the past, we'll give you a 30-day free trial. Experience what millions of members already enjoy—unlimited streaming of thousands of hit movies and TV episodes, ad-free access to over a million songs, over a thousand Kindle books, and Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items Unlimited reading on any device Prime Reading gives you unlimited access to over a thousand books, current magazines, comics, Kindle Singles, and more. With any device – including your phone, tablet, or Kindle – You'll be able to read then again you wish to have, whenever you wish to have. Stream thousands of movies and TV episodes with Prime Video With Amazon Prime, members enjoy unlimited streaming of thousands of movies and TV episodes at no additional cost, including award-winning Amazon Original series Transparent, top HBO shows like True Blood, Girls, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. No Wi-Fi, no problem—Prime Video downloads Exclusive to Prime members, download thousands of Prime Video movies and TV episodes. Watch downloaded videos anywhere—on a plane, on vacation, in the car, or wherever you don't have a wireless connection. Prime Video offers offline viewing at no additional cost. Over 2 million songs free with Amazon Music Prime Music is a benefit of your Amazon Prime Membership, featuring a growing selection of 2 million songs, all the time ad-free and on-demand. Unlock more music with Amazon Music Unlimited, just $7.99 per month for Prime members. Add HBO, SHOWTIME and more to Prime With Amazon Channels, Prime members can also subscribe to over 100 premium and specialty channels like HBO and SHOWTIME to add and stream—no cable or satellite subscription necessary. Prime members can subscribe to any or all of these channels with a free trial. The next generation of our best-reviewed Fire tablet, with up to 12 hours of battery life, a vibrant 8" HD display, a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor, 1.5 GB of RAM, and Dolby Audio. More durable than the latest iPad. 16 or 32 GB of internal storage and a microSD slot for up to 256 GB of expandable storage Now with Alexa, for quick access to the information and entertainment you wish to have. Ask questions, play music, check your calendar, get the news, weather, and more - just press the home button and ask. Enjoy millions of movies, TV shows, songs, Kindle eBooks, apps and games - including Netflix, Facebook, HBO, Spotify, and more Prime members get unlimited access to over a thousand books and magazines, more than a million songs, and thousands of movies and TV episodes - at no additional cost Watch downloaded videos anywhere with a Prime membership, Netflix plan, or Showtime subscription Enhance your entertainment experience with features you only get from Amazon, including ASAP, X-Ray, On Deck, Blue Shade, and FreeTime Parental Controls Click to Post

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Fire 7 Tablet with Alexa

The all-new Fire 7 tablet is the next generation of our best-selling Fire tablet ever - now thinner, lighter, with longer battery life and an improved 7" IPS display.

Tiny price. Big fun.

Fast and responsive The fast quad-core processor consists of four high-performance 1.3 GHz cores for quick app launches, smooth games and videos, and great overall performance. Plus, Fire 7 now offers dual-band Wi-Fi with support for more Wi-Fi networks and better network performance. Crisp and vivid 7” IPS display Fire 7 features a 1024 x 600 IPS display with 171 ppi for a bright display with vivid colors and whiter whites for a great viewing experience from all angles. Compared to the previous generation, Fire 7 features an improved display that provides higher contrast and sharper text. No more worrying about storage space Expand your tablet’s storage by up to 256 GB using a microSD card to keep your photos, movies, and compatible apps and games with you. Plus enjoy free unlimited cloud storage for all your Amazon content and photos taken with your Fire tablet. Power when you wish to have it With up to 8 hours of mixed use battery life, Fire tablet gives you the flexibility to go wherever the day takes you. Capture life's moments Fire 7 features a 2 MP rear-facing camera for taking photos or recording 720p HD video. The front-facing VGA camera is perfect for Skype calls with friends and family. Stands up to everyday life Amazon engineers Fire tablets to hold up against everyday life. As measured in tumble tests, Fire 7 is more durable than the latest iPad and 2x more durable than iPad mini 4 (and costs a lot less too).

Designed for Entertainment

Read Choose from millions of Kindle eBook and magazine titles that you will not be able to find anywhere else. Over 1 million titles are priced at $2.99 or less. Or read as much as you need with a Kindle Unlimited subscription for just $9.99 a month. Connect with the largest online community of book lovers on Goodreads. Read comfortably at night with Blue Shade, an exclusive Fire OS feature that automatically adjusts and optimizes the backlight for a more comfortable nighttime reading experience. Watch Enjoy all your favorite movies and TV shows on Amazon Video, Netflix, HBO NOW, Sling TV, and more. Discover hundreds of thousands of TV episodes and movies, plus fling Amazon Video content to your TV using Second Screen. Enhance your video experience with features you only get from Amazon, including On Deck for watching videos anywhere, ASAP for fast video streaming, and X-Ray to go behind the scenes of your favorite movies and TV shows at the same time as you watch. Watch downloaded videos anywhere with a Prime membership, Netflix plan, or Showtime subscription —on a plane, on vacation, in the car, or wherever you don't have a wireless connection. Play Fire tablets feature instant access to over 600,000 of the most well liked free and best-selling games, social media, premium TV and movie provider apps, and so much more. Choose between top titles including Candy Crush Saga, Township, Mobile Strike, and more. Listen With millions of songs from thousands of artists, the Amazon Digital Music Store brings all your favorite music to your fingertips. Music you buy on your Fire tablet is saved to Your Music Library for free, and You'll play or download it anytime. Unlock more music with Amazon Music Unlimited, just $7.99 per month for Prime members ($9.99 per month for non-Prime members). Audible offers more than 180,000 titles in audiobooks, including best sellers, romances, thrillers, and much more.

Meet Alexa

Alexa on Fire tablets Alexa provides quick access to the entertainment you need, including music, games, audiobooks, and more. You'll also ask Alexa questions, check your calendar, get news, find sports scores, and even control your smart home. All you have to do is press and ask. One press. Millions of possibilities. When connected to Wi-Fi simply press the home button for one second then ask. Alexa will respond to you and will even show visual responses to certain questions. Everyday made easier Alexa on Fire tablets helps make everyday easier. Just press and ask to set alarms and timers, check traffic, your calendar, to-do or shopping lists, and more. You'll order millions of items with your voice, such as household and personal care products. Be entertained Whether you’re looking for your favorite playlist or need a quick joke, You'll ask Alexa. Just press and ask for a song, artist or genre, and stream directly over Wi-Fi. Alexa also provides voice control for Amazon Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and more. Stay informed Now You'll ask Alexa a question and get a right away voice response. When you press and ask, Alexa can pull up your Flash Briefing, Wikipedia articles, news, sports scores, and more. Voice control your smart home Alexa works with devices such as lights, switches, thermostats, and more from SmartThings, Insteon, Nest, ecobee, and Wink. Switch on the lamp before getting out of bed, turn on the fan or change the temperature on your thermostat at the same time as reading in your favorite chair, or dim the lights from the couch to watch a movie—just press and ask.

The best of Prime

Try Prime free for a month If you haven't tried Amazon Prime in the past, we'll give you a 30-day free trial. Experience what millions of members already enjoy—unlimited streaming of thousands of hit movies and TV episodes, ad-free access to over a million songs, over a thousand Kindle books, and Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items Unlimited reading on any device Prime Reading gives you unlimited access to over a thousand books, current magazines, comics, Kindle Singles, and more. With any device – including your phone, tablet, or Kindle – You'll read alternatively you need, whenever you need. Stream thousands of movies and TV episodes with Prime Video With Amazon Prime, members enjoy unlimited streaming of thousands of movies and TV episodes at no additional cost, including award-winning Amazon Original series Transparent, top HBO shows like True Blood, Girls, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. No Wi-Fi, no problem—Prime Video downloads Exclusive to Prime members, download thousands of Prime Video movies and TV episodes. Watch downloaded videos anywhere—on a plane, on vacation, in the car, or wherever you don't have a wireless connection. Prime Video offers offline viewing at no additional cost. Over 2 million songs free with Amazon Music Prime Music is a benefit of your Amazon Prime Membership, featuring a growing selection of 2 million songs, all the time ad-free and on-demand. Unlock more music with Amazon Music Unlimited, just $7.99 per month for Prime members. Add HBO, SHOWTIME and more to Prime With Amazon Channels, Prime members can also subscribe to over 100 premium and specialty channels like HBO and SHOWTIME to add and stream—no cable or satellite subscription necessary. Prime members can subscribe to any or all of these channels with a free trial. The next generation of our best-selling Fire tablet ever-now thinner, lighter, and with longer battery life and an improved display. More durable than the latest iPad. Beautiful 7" IPS display with higher contrast and sharper text, a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor, and up to 8 hours of battery life. 8 or 16 GB of internal storage and a microSD slot for up to 256 GB of expandable storage Now with Alexa, for quick access to the information and entertainment you need. Ask questions, play music, check your calendar, get the news, weather, and more-just press the home button and ask. Enjoy millions of movies, TV shows, songs, Kindle eBooks, apps and games-including Netflix, Facebook, HBO, Spotify, and more Prime members get unlimited access to over a thousand books and magazines, more than a million songs, and thousands of movies and TV episodes - at no additional cost Watch downloaded videos anywhere with a Prime membership, Netflix plan, or Showtime subscription Enhance your entertainment experience with features you only get from Amazon, including ASAP, X-Ray, On Deck, Blue Shade, and FreeTime Parental Controls. Click to Post