#top 70 albums of 2018

[thisaintascenereviews]

It’s The End Of The Year As We Know It (And I Don’t Feel Fine)

Wintertime is here, folks, and that means a few things: Christmastime, as well as the various things that are associated with this time of year, and what’s come to be known as “list season.” This is my favorite time of year, because I love looking at people’s lists, since everyone is guaranteed to have such a different outlook on what their favorite albums have been throughout the year. I know that my list is not going to be exactly the same as nobody else, because I listen to a lot of different music at different times, but that’s the fun of it. I love seeing what everyone listened to throughout the year, as well as what everyone hated, too. I’m not as negative as I used to be, but I still love seeing a worst of list. You’ll see mine, too, and I decided to do it this year because I listened to enough bad albums that I didn’t expect or anticipate to be just that.

This list, however, is going to be the stuff I really enjoy! I tried to keep my lists small this year, and challenge myself by highlighting the best of the best (and what really stuck with me throughout the year), so aside from a top ten, I also wanted to highlight a handful of honorable mentions. I only have another 14 albums in my honorable mentions, but when I say these are the best of the best, these truly are the best of the best, folks. I’m going to start with those, and they won’t be in any order, but they’re all still worth hearing, nonetheless.

Honorable Mentions

Rain City Drive - Things Are Different Now

Starting with an album I didn’t expect to have on this list at all, it’s the new Rain City Drive album, Things Are Different Now, and this record isn’t the most innovative or most unique sounding, but they really hit their stride with this one. They perfected their R&B meets Octanecore sound, and if I had to pick a few albums in this vein to check out, this would be one of them.

Green Day - Saviors

Speaking of another band I didn’t expect to highlight here, Green Day’s new album, Saviors, is an album I surprisingly enjoyed quite a bit. It’s also nothing special, but Saviors is Green Day doing what they do best, and coming back to their punk roots by knowing what works within their sound. Now I’m not quite a diehard fan of these guys now, but I really enjoy it, nonetheless.

The Story So Far - I Want To Disappear

Pop-punk seemingly had a bit of a turnout on my list this year, because there are weirdly a lot of pop-punk records, especially when I’ve gone on record to say that I’m not the biggest fan of the genre anymore. With that said, most of the albums on my yearend list are either from bands I already like, or in the case of The Story So Far’s I Want To Disappear, this is their best album (especially for coming out six years after their last). It’s more or less an alternative album with some pop-punk influence, but it’s a lot of fun.

Judas Priest - Invincible Shield

I hate to say this, despite being a big metal guy, but I don’t have a lot of heavy metal / heavy music on my list. One exception, however, is Judas Priest’s Invincible Shield, which is also their first in six years. This record, like 2018’s Firepower, it shows them operating on all cylinders, even if it doesn’t do anything that they haven’t done before. It’s just impressive that these guys are in their 60s and 70s, but they’re still putting out awesome stuff.

Usher - Coming Home

Usher’s back with a new album, too, and this time it’s his first in eight years (six if you don’t count an EP from 2018), but this is a great mix of classic R&B, pop, and hip-hop. It’s not quite his best album, but at the same time, Usher’s voice hasn’t gotten any less fantastic. His voice is what steals the show, and if you enjoy that, you’ll surely love this album.

Fluorescents - Scream It At Me

Another pop-punk album on the list, but this time it’s a debut album from Chicago band, Fluorescents, entitled Scream It At Me, and these guys remind me of the 00s “neon pop-punk” scene, complete with bright synths, catchy melodies, and a 2010s scene aesthetic. This is one of the most fun albums I’ve heard all year, and it just radiates joy every time I listen to it. If you love that kind of sound, you’ll absolutely love this album.

The Ghost Inside - Searching For Solace

Metalcore has had a pretty cool year, and I got a handful of those types of albums on the list, but The Ghost Inside’s second album after their six-year hiatus. Even then, this is their first album in four years as well, but this record is a fun, engaging, energetic, heavy, and catchy metalcore album. Sure, it’s got a bit of an Octanecore feel to it, but at the same time, this album is solid for what it sets out to do. I kept coming back to this album throughout the year, and it’s a great and cathartic album for metalcore fans.

SeeYouSpaceCowboy - Coup De Grace

If I had a nickel for albums released this year with the title Coup De Grace, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice. Too bad one of those albums isn’t good, and I’ll mention it on my worst of list, but the good one is the new SeeYouSpaceCowboy album. I’ve loved this band for years, but this album is the culmination of their sound. This record is an amalgamation of 00s alternative music, including elements of metalcore, post-hardcore, pop-punk, and even dance-punk. If you loved and grew up with 00s alternative music, like I did, you’ll instantly feel like you traveled back in time to that era, but in the best way.

Denzel Curry - King Of The Mischievous South, Volume 2

Rapper Denzel Curry came back this year with one of my favorite albums of his, King Of The Mischievous South, Volume 2, and this reminds me a lot of his 2019 album, ZUU. That album was a love letter to Florida, and the 90s and 00s influences that Curry has from his home state, but this record is a love letter to the south in general. Mainly serving as a bandleader, so to speak, he brings aboard a slew of southern artists, as well as southern adjacent artists, to have a lot of fun and pay homage to the 00s southern hip-hop sound.

Better Lovers - Highly Irresponsible

A metalcore supergroup featuring every member of Every Time I Die, except for Keith Buckley, and Greg Puciato of The Dillinger Escape Plan, Better Lovers’ debut album, Highly Irresponsible, was one of my most anticipated albums, but it delivers. This album is kind of predictable, because if you’ve heard either band, you’ll know what to expect, but at the same time, it’s done well, so I really can’t complain. If anything, maybe their next album will be more interesting and push boundaries, but this debut is still quite good.

Brigitte Calls Me Baby - The Future Is Our Way Out

The debut album from Brigitte Calls Me Baby probably wins for most unique album of this year, especially for its brand of rockabilly meets 80s post-punk meets modern indie rock. Their vocalist reminds me of a mix of Morrissey (without the pompous attitude and racism) and Roy Orbison. It can get a bit messy at times, especially where their sound is a mish mash of stuff, but it has a really cool foundation, so I bet their next album is going to iron out those kinks in their armor. In the meantime, this is a really solid and unique album that surprisingly works really well.

Neck Deep - S/T

One of the final honorable mentions is the latest album from Neck Deep, which is just a self-titled album. This album came out in January, weirdly enough, but it was something I kept revisiting throughout the last handful of months. I mainly came back to this when it was warmer out, and the weather was perfect for pop-punk. This is one of those albums that isn’t anything super unique, but their sound ultimately goes back to their roots, yet they have a wiser mentality this time around. For that reason, I really enjoy this album, but with pop-punk having a real good year, I didn’t want overload my top ten with nothing but pop-punk albums.

Justin Timberlake - Everything I Thought It Was

The comeback Justin Timberlake album, Everything I Thought It Was, is one of those albums that came and went without much fanfare. It wasn’t hated, but at the same time, JT’s star power has faded over time. He isn’t the big name he was a decade ago, but this new album is still a quite good. If anything, he does what he does best, which is upbeat and catchy R&B, soul, and funk. The album does drag a bit by the end, and the lyrics aren’t very good most of the time, but I’m also not listening to a JT album for its lyrics. This album has some of my favorite moments from him, and some of my new favorite tracks, but it’s a shame that people don’t quite care about him as much anymore.

Now that the honorable mentions are out of the way, it’s time for the meat of the list, but these are the best of the best from 2024. A lot of times, I like to reflect on the year as a whole, and this year is no exception. I think it’s safe to say that this year was full of ups and downs for people, but it was a rocky year full of tragedy, political uproar, and negativity that we just need to escape from (and also fight against). These are my top ten favorite albums of this year, and these are the albums that I either went back to the most, I thought about the most, or that made some significant impact on me this year. There are no prerequisites for genre, sound, style, or type of artists I have here. They range from pop-punk to rap and hip-hop, but I love all kinds of music. With that said, let’s get into this, starting with…

10: Out Of/Into - Motion I

This is the most recent addition to the list, hence why this album is at number ten, but this band is a jazz band featuring some of the brightest and most talented musicians in contemporary jazz today. Specifically on the legendary Blue Note Records, these musicians almost all recorded other albums, but came together for this one. Originally called the Blue Note Quartet to celebrate the label’s 85th anniversary, they changed their name and dropped this banger of an album. This is some of the most fun, energetic, and unique jazz I’ve heard in 2024. A really great album that I wish came out sooner, but an album I needed to mention, nonetheless.

9: Bilmuri - American Motor Sports

Country has had a good year, too, although I didn’t hear too many country albums I loved. I heard a handful that I really liked, but the only one that came close was the new Bilmuri album, American Motor Sports. Bilmuri, known for his work with Attack Attack in the mid-00s and early 2010s, went on to form this band, but this is my favorite introduction to his work. This album is a country and metalcore hybrid, and you’d think this would be a joke or parody project, but it surprisingly isn’t. Bilmuri plays it straight, especially with the lyrics being very heartfelt and quite good for what they’re doing. The breakdowns are crispy, the hooks are catchy, and the twang is great.

8: Lil Dicky - Penith

Lil Dicky dropped his first (and only) album in 2015, and while he was still around, he didn’t release any projects since. I think he should have dropped more stuff, because it would have made his star power even higher, and he would have remained relevant even longer. He isn’t irrelevant, per se, but Penith is his first album in nine years, and it’s also off the heels of his FX comedy, Dave. Starring himself as a fictionalized version of Lil Dicky, the show is a great example of how Internet culture and hip-hop culture intersect, as well as what it’s like to be a viral star trying to be taken seriously (Lil Dicky himself was a viral star when his debut came out).

The album serves as a soundtrack to the show, so the songs on the show are on the album, and that ultimately makes the album better for me, but the album is a lot more poignant and mature than his debut. The songs are also catchier, and more relatable, because they’re more about him as an artist, and who he is, not just the jokes he can make. It’s more introspective, but I can see why people wouldn’t like this; the album does make more sense in conjunction with the show. The show puts a lot of context into these songs, and they hit harder for that, but they’re also really, catchy, and poignant in a few spots.

7: State Champs - S/T

I had a lol of pop-punk albums on my honorable mentions list, but aside from one coming up later, my favorite pop-punk album of the year is the self-titled State Champs album. I loved their last album, Kings Of The New Age, because it had a youthful energy that I hadn’t heard too much in the genre lately, even if it was rather generic in spots. This new album, however, takes that youthful energy and combines it with a world weary and wiser sound, at least lyrically, while also pulling from the 00s. This thing is super tight and catchy, all the while remaining poignant and interesting.

6: Lupe Fiasco - Samurai

Lupe Fiasco’s a rapper that I hadn’t listened to in years before Samurai came out, but this album is a masterclass in making straightforward and easygoing jazz-rap with some fantastic bars and rhyme schemes. Lupe sounds amazing, per usual, but this record is really short and sweet, ultimately making for a memorable listen that I always want to go back to. This record has hooks and lyrics for days, even if it doesn’t do anything that I haven’t heard before. Sometimes that’s all you need, because it rules.

5: Knocked Loose - You Won’t Go Until You’re Supposed To

In the beginning of this list, I mentioned that albums on here will be ones that I went back to quite a bit, that I thought about, or that had some kind of impact on me. The new Knocked Loose album, You Won’t Go Until You’re Supposed To, is one of those albums that I haven’t gone back to much this year, but it falls into the latter two categories. I’ve thought about this album a lot, and when I do go back to it, I love it. This album has made an impact on me, because it’s the one heavy album I heard that really did something unique and different, versus being the same things I’ve been hearing for years. This album is their heaviest and most unrelenting, but it’s also most interesting conceptually and musically. They opt for a darker sound, as well as darker themes, but it works insanely well. This isn’t a super accessible or catchy album, but it’s a damn good one.

4: Childish Gambino - Atavista

Donald Glover, otherwise known as Childish Gambino, not only dropped two albums this year, but he also had a TV come out (Mr. & Mrs. Smith was that show, and it was one of my favorite shows of the year). I didn’t care too much for the second album he put out this past summer, Bando Stone, but I liked the first one a lot. That was Atavista, which was a finished version of a record he quietly put out in 2020, including some new songs and reworked songs, but this thing is a great journey through R&B, soul, and hip-hop. I hate to say this, but this is what Kanye West should be sounding like in 2024, not whatever he’s been doing.

3: Bayside - There Are Worse Things Than Being Alive

My favorite pop-punk album isn’t really a pop-punk album, because it has elements of hard-rock and alternative rock, but that’s the new Bayside album, There Are Worse Things Than Being Alive. I’ve been a fan of these guys for a long time, especially with 2007’s The Walking Wounded, and this album comes close to that for me. It has a diverse sound, the hooks are great, the vocals are top tier, and the guitar riffs are crunchy and heavy, so this has all the makings of a solid Bayside album. The lyrics are a bit lackluster in spots, but they’re fine. The hooks and the vocals really make up for it, especially when this band has gotten on my nerves for making the same album over and over again in recent years, but this is such a step up.

2: Kendrick Lamar - GNX

When I first put together my list a few weeks ago, Kendrick Lamar’s surprise album was only just a couple weeks old. GNX totally shocked people, myself included, but I absolutely love it. This record served as the victory lap for Kendrick, even after the amount of embarrassment he caused Drake in 2024. It’s a good thing that I waited so long to post this, too, because I’ve spent a lot of time with this album, so I’ve been able to let it simmer more. I put it lower on my list for the same reason I have Out Of/Into’s debut at ten, because I didn’t spend a lot of time with it, yet I do quite love it, but I’ve been listening to this religiously. Songs like “Luther” and “Blue Dodger” absolutely rule, and I can’t get enough of how fun this album is.

1: Linkin Park - From Zero

My favorite album of the year is something I never thought would happen. Well, two things, actually: Linkin Park getting back together with a new singer, and said comeback album being something I truly connected with. Linkin Park announced a reunion seven years after Chester Bennington passed, as well as a new album, entitled From Zero. The name represents two things: their name before they became Linkin Park, and the fact they were starting from zero. With new singer Emily Armstrong, of Dead Sara, the band dropped From Zero, and this album is a master class in how to move forward while also honoring your past, and this is the album that truly got me into Linkin Park.

I never quite got into the band growing up, and over the past decade, I’ve struggled to really get a grasp on them, but listening to this and their whole discography showed me that I quite respect and love this band (some albums more than others, but I respect their experimentation). This is the cream of the crop, though, and I absolutely love it. From the razor sharp hooks, the dual vocals that work so well together, and the lyrics that are broad yet relatable enough to get into, and the diverse sound that pulls from a lot of their albums, including Mike Shinoda’s debut solo album as himself from 2018, it just all works so well. It’s also a tight 32 minutes, so it’s such a short listen, and because of that, I want to keep listening to it over and over again.

Worst Of The Year

Something different that I wanted to do this year, and it’s something I haven’t done in maybe a decade, which is a worst of list. I like highlight the good music that came out, but bad music is out there, too. Just like with the best of list, this is personal. Out of everything I listened to this year, these albums were the worst. If you love them, great, but don’t whine to me about it. These albums aren’t good, and whining about how much you love them won’t change my mind. I got a few honorable mentions to kick things off, because I wanted to have a top ten (plus one honorable mention) but I still wanted to highlight a few other albums, starting with…

Honorable Mention: Kerry King - From Hell I Rise

Earlier this year, Kerry King put out his debut solo album, From Hell I Rise, and I enjoyed it for what it was. It was a solid, albeit generic, thrash album with some pedigree behind it. Having former and current members of Slayer, Vio-Lence, and Death Angel is impressive, but at the same time, it didn’t amount to much to when Kerry King wrote the songs. King is a decent guitar player, but this sounds like the last few Slayer albums after Jeff Hanneman passed away.

If I liked this album when it came out, why is here now? Well, in a lot of cases, I end up going back to stuff more and more, but I’ve gone back to this album less and less, although I wouldn’t say this album is bad, per se. It’s just generic and bland, especially when I can get better thrash elsewhere. I really liked it when it came out, but the more I thought about this album throughout the year, the less I was enthusiastic about it, so I wanted to put it as a late honorable mention on the list, versus actively putting it on there, because I don’t think this album is that bad, but it’s really forgettable.

Bastardane - Catatonic Symphony

Bastardane is the brainchild of James Hetfield’s son, and these guys have a pretty cool sound, but this album just isn’t it. Their debut was pretty rough around the edges, but it was an interesting mix of sludge metal and thrash metal, although it was nothing special. It was fine for what it was, but Catatonic Symphony is way too long with no sense of focus or direction, and it just doesn’t sound good. Maybe third time’s the charm, but this album left a bad taste in my mouth.

Capstan - The Mosasic

You can copy and paste the same thing with the new Capstan album, The Mosaic, because this record is a huge mess, as well as being way too long. The difference is, however, I really enjoyed their last album. It was a cool mix between pop-punk, math-rock, and post-hardcore. This album, however, really tries to force in a lot of other sounds that aren’t needed. It has a few cool moments, but there are some genuinely baffling and awful choices on this thing.

Cassadee Pope - Hereditary

Singer Cassadee Pope is a pretty good singer, all things considered, but her first rock album since her time in Hey Monday with the late 00s, Hereditary, just isn’t good. Truthfully, this album isn’t the worst of the year, but it sounds so lazily put together, haphazard, and boring, I just didn’t like it. I wish it was better, and a few songs are kind of interesting, but it sounds so uninspired, this record felt like it was put together by AI.

Okay, onto the list proper, and this is gonna get bad, so if you need to take a break or step away, be my guest. These are the worst albums I’ve heard all year, starting with…

Kittie - Fire

The biggest crime of Fire, which is the comeback Kittie album (their first in 13 years), is that it’s so boring, bland, and forgettable, it has no reason to exist. That sounds harsh, but they didn’t update or modernize their sound whatsoever. It’s straight out of 2004, but in a really bad way that makes me question why I even listened to this in the first place.

Powerflo - Gorilla Warfare

This is the newest album on the list, as it just came out within the last month, but Powerflo is a supergroup with some prominent guys from 90s and 00s rap-metal bands, including Downset, Fear Factory, and Biohazard, as well as a member of Cypress Hill. The pedigree is there, but the quality is not. This is their second album, and while listening to this, I kept wondering why this was made. This is super generic rap-metal, first off, but the lyrics and vocals are some of the worst I’ve heard all year. There are a few cool songs, which keeps it from being higher, but this album was so painful to listen to.

Katy Perry - 143

Katy Perry’s had a nosedive of a career falloff within the last handful of years, especially with her last couple of albums not doing the same numbers her first few did, but 143 is such a massive misfire. This album is another AI-generated album, but it’s so bland, forgettable, boring, and lackluster that it kind of hurt to listen to. Not to mention, there’s a painful “feminist” track on this album that sounds like it’s both ten years too late and trying so hard to pander to women. If anything, this record shows how she’s fallen out of public favor.

Jax - Dear Joe,

Remember that insufferable song with the lyric “I know Victoria’s Secret,” and it was about how men actually control the beauty industry, but it was by an artist named Jax. I forgot all about it until she dropped her debut album, and it’s some of the worst pop music I’ve ever heard. It isn’t the worst album I’ve heard all year, partially because what she talks about here is good, it’s how she talks about it that isn’t good. This is just some of the cringiest pop music I’ve ever heard, especially with how dated a lot of the songs immediately are for their Gen Z slang and meme references. If you needed an example, the album referenced the “hawk tuah” meme right when it first got popular.

Nothing More - Carnal

Nothing More is one of my most hated bands, both because they’re just not good, and because they’re a pretentious band that acts like they’re more interesting than what they are. Their new album, Carnal, exemplifies all their worst qualities, whether it’s throwing in stupid and pretentious samples of speeches that have nothing to do with the song or content, lyrics that are just as pretentious, or a sound that isn’t anything special, but they act like it’s super unique and innovative. Spoiler alert: it’s not. The first third of this album was cool, and it was slightly interesting, but the album devolved into a pretentious mess, and it completely lost me.

Skillet - Revolution

This is another one of the most recent albums on the list, but I hate Skillet. Even aside from frontman John Cooper becoming weirdly Christian and looking like a youth pastor trying to appeal to Gen Z, they’ve almost always been bad. Some of their early stuff is fine, but they’re just the epitome of bad hard rock. Revolution is the kind of album that has no reason for existing, as this thing is 35 minutes of hard rock that sounds like it’s from 2014. This thing sounds dated as all get out, complete with lyrics about revolutions and “rising up,” and generic riffs and choruses that all sound like stuff you’ve heard before. This album isn’t so much outright bad, as it is lazy, but that in turn makes it bad.

Hardy - Quit!!

Look, I liked Hardy’s last album, the overly long The Mockingbird & The Crow from 2023, but even then, I knew how ridiculous some of that was. I liked it, because it had some good hooks, and didn’t take itself too seriously, but Quit? Man, this thing is just awful, whether it’s from the title track that has Hardy complaining about how his haters told him to quit all those years ago, and he, well, won’t, to songs that are obnoxiously terrible and featuring Fred Durst, of all people. This album sucks, and I don’t know how his sound could get any worse, but here we are.

Eminem - The Death Of Slim Shady

Speaking of artists I hate, Eminem sucks, and let’s stop pretending that he’s still an influential and important rapper in 2024. He isn’t. The Death Of Slim Shady is a record that clearly wants to have his cake and eat it, too, by “killing” his most revered character but all the while revisiting and utilizing that shtick in the first place. What’s the point of killing that character when most of this album features him? There are also a lot of really awful, tone-deaf, mean-spirited, and unfunny bars that make fun of random kinds of people. Yeah, he makes fun of everyone, but he’s 50, so why? This album should have been “okay, boomer,” because Eminem’s age is really showing here.

Falling In Reverse - Popular Monster

If it isn’t Ronnie Radke, the metalcore wannabe Eminem (or Tom MacDonald, depending on who you ask), but I’m not surprised a new FIR album is on the list. Popular Monster isn’t even a proper album, because most of these songs are from the last five years, so he only put this out to appease his record label, and actually give them an album. Go figure, though, this thing sucks. It’s got everything you expect from new Falling In Reverse — awful white boy rapping, generic metalcore, lyrics about how misunderstood he is, as well as lyrics that are about “cancel culture” for some reason, because Radke has turned into a conservative mouthpiece in the last handful of years. This album is just bad, but who am I kidding? I knew that before the album even came out.

Aaron Lewis - The Hill

And Popular Monster isn’t the worst of the year, it’s Aaron Lewis’ new album, The Hill. I knew as soon as I heard this album that this would remain unchanged for the worst of the year. This album is a hilariously sad attempt at a country album from a guy that isn’t even from the south, but has been making bad country music for the past decade or so. Only now, he decided to move into the MAGA territory, and the lyrics on this record are as bigoted, racist, and xenophobic as ever. The music itself is just as bad, but it’s the lyrics that take the cake for me. This album is just pure trash in every sense of the word, especially for its blatant racist ideas and lyricism.

[rpfofficial]

ethan. i chose whatever music asks you haven’t done yet.

hi kieren im kind of obsessed with u. there are a lot that i havent done but some of them i cant be bothered to answer/genuinely cannot answer or the answer is just no so here's the ones i like <3

Do you listen to more oldies or more current stuff? A mix of both but leaning more to oldies, the majority of my favourite songs and artists are either from the 60s & 70s era, or the 90s & 00s era <3 

Would you wear a t-shirt of a band you're not into? Probably not, even if the design is cool i only wear band tshirts if i care abt the band. But if someone gave me an artist tshirt as a gift, i’d wear it AND listen to the artist it depicts 👍

Is there an artist or song that you like, despite being of a genre you don't usually like? I like all genres i don't discriminate. i’m bisexual 

A song or album from the 50s or earlier: this compilation album of old japanese pop 1950-1951… discovered through mash playlists

A song or album from the 60s: 1-800-are-you-experienced by jimi hendrix 1967 :) 

A song or album from the 70s: Born to run by BRUCIE 1975 raaaagghhhhhh 

A song or album from the 80s: King of rock by run-dmc 1985 💪💥

A song or album from the 90s Call the doctor by sleater-kinney 1996

A song or album from the 2000s: Cheap pop for the elite by kore. ydro., 2006

 A song or album from the 2010s: TRANSANGELIC EXODUS BY EZRA FURMAN 2018. GOAT

Do you and your partner/best friend share a special song? One you’d call “our song”? unfortunately for my boyfriend and i it is the predatory wasp of the palisades is out to get us by sufjan stevens which is indicative of how normal we both are 

Do you play any instruments? I’ve been “learning” the bass for about 2 years but havent made much progress but i can do basic riffs and improvise a little 

Who’s your favorite fictional band or artist? Marceline The Vampire 

When was the last time you cried when listening to a song, if ever? I couldn’t tell you the last time a song made me properly cry but i sort of cried listening to come on in yesterday because i was having a category 5 peter tork moment 

Your favorite artist from your city/state/country? At the moment its marina spanou and based on her lyrics i think she is literally from the same area of athens as me <3

A song you like in a language you don’t speak:

A song you like with lyrics in two or more languages:

songs that are symbolic of a time when i was literally and without exaggeration in the trenches. korean & english

Do you enjoy musicals? If so, what’s your favorite? Top 5: fiddler on the roof, jesus christ superstar, newsies, les miserables, hadestown.

Have you watched any musician’s biopics? Do you have a favorite? I’M NOT THERE DIRECTED BY TODD HAYNES MY NUMBER 1 ☝️ even if i am not the biggest bob dylan girl out there i fucking love that movie so much 

Do you listen to music when it's raining or do you stop to hear the sound of the rain? Im answerin this question cos i like it. If its raining really hard i take out my headphones and turn my music up so i can hear it out loud blended with the sound of the rain <3

Do you prefer live recordings or studio recordings? LIVE RECORDINGS ARE MY BEST FRIENDS. I dont know if i prefer them but theres something so comcorting and beautiful of hearing live stuff so yeah <3

Okay these were the questions i cared about. thank you i love you . heheheheh

[canonicallyanxious]

Favorite Non-2024 Album Finds

This is my first year making a proper list for albums that were not released in 2024 but i wanted to do it because, as i mentioned in my 2024 albums post, this year i started using a spreadsheet to track my album listening and logged a total of 200 (!!!!!!!) albums for 2024, 130 of which were NOT released in 2024. So it only felt right to make a new list!

My other reason for making a special post: about a year ago i became a co-mod for the album poll blog @haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll and it's seriously been a great time getting to know the other mods, researching user-submitted albums, and getting exposed to music i've never even heard of before. ya boi helps maintain the playlist which is how i found the vast majority of the albums that made it onto this list - not all of them, but you can find polls for all of them over there if you want!

And thus in commemoration of my time as a co-mod for a blog that has become very special to me, pls enjoy! full list and notes/ramblings under the cut:

10. Wabi-Sabi - Cross Record (2013) / snippet from my spreadsheet of doom: "This album caters so aggressively to my personal tastes and preferences idek what else to say about it"

9. Process - Sampha (2017) / rec from a non-tumblr friend that i loved so much sampha cracked my top 5 artists list on my spotify wrapped

8. Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? - Mckinley Dixon (2023) / rec from the beloved @boxesfullofthoughts with incredible flow and lyricism, lush and layered instrumentation, and layers of literary references that all make this a very rewarding listen

7. <I°_°I> [Robot Face] - Caravan Palace (2015) / Caravan Palace is probably one of my favorite artist discoveries from hyltta and this is my favorite album of the three i listened to from them (really saying something, they're all incredibly fun and unique in their own ways)

6. Phantom Rhythm 幽靈節奏 - 工工工 (Gong Gong Gong) (2019) / we love an iconic af partnership between acoustic guitar and bass that creates some seriously interesting and textured rhythms and melodies, punctuated perfectly by distant vocals and atmospherically moody vibes, in this house

5. Blue Weekend - Wolf Alice (2021) / I knew a couple of wolf alice songs before this, but this was their first full album i listened to and probably my personal fave of the line-up (again really saying something bc i think their whole discography is stellar!), there's just the right amount of polish to really make the vocals and lyrics shine but still maintain the raw grittiness of their sound that makes them so appealing

4. Fountain Baby - Amaarae (2023) / had i found this when it first dropped last year it would have absolutely without a doubt made my albums list, the thing i'm most impressed about this record is how it never loses momentum, Amaarae is so lyrically and musically dexterous, i love how effortlessly she switches between vibes song by song and her voice is seriously unreal

3. 加爾基 精液 栗ノ花 [Karuki Zahmen Kuri No Hana -Kalk Samen Chestnut Flower-] - 椎名林檎 [Sheena Ringo] (2003) / really and genuinely i think this album is a work of art

2. Seychelles - Masayoshi Takanaka (1976) / honestly amazed an album from the 70s made it onto this list and this high up to boot, not bc 70s music isn't great but bc my personal tastes tend toward the more recent, but what can i say, the vibes of this album are simply immaculate

1. Demon Days - Gorillaz (2005) / i know i'm disgustingly late to this but like this is one of the best albums of the 21st century and you can't change my mind

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess - Chappell Roan (2023) / people are going to come for me for not putting this on my proper list and i don't even know that they would be wrong for it but all i can say is i listened to a lot of albums and this record which is pop perfection is basically why the honorable mentions section of this list exists at all okay??

Transangelic Exodus - Ezra Furman (2018)

Madvillainy - Madvillain (2004)

Vows - Kimbra (2011)

[unrelaxing]

an incomplete media list from 26.03.2024 to literally today (25.05.2024)

I kind of fell off keeping track of my media consumption for a little while, so this is not going to be like my previous lists, and is more of a 'these are the ones I remember' list.

I watched a lot of documentaries until Netflix (the villain) kicked me out for not being the main account holder. Downfall: The Case Against Boeing is a 2022 documentary that caught my eye due to the whistleblower that supposedly killed himself while testifying against Boeing. The documentary is about two airplanes that crashed on late 2018 and early 2019, caused by an update that Boeing deliberately attempted to hide in order to sell their new 737 MAX to airlines.

MH370 The Plane That Disappeared is another plane crash documentary - this time trying to solve the mystery of what could have happened to a Malaysian Airlines flight that disappeared in 2014. It mostly goes into theories, because even today we don't really have any answers. YMMV in terms of said theories and whether or not it goes into crackpot conspiracy territory, but I think it's important to also state that some families of the deceased themselves think that things have been hidden from them and that it's not just people trying to make a big deal out of it.

Last Stop Larrimah. This one had me hooked. It's about a 70-year-old man that goes missing in a town with only 11 other people, all of whom hate each other. I feel like if that doesn't intrigue you, the documentary is not for you, because there is no other way to explain how quickly I clicked on this when I saw that synopsis. INCREDIBLY well made, as well, and managed to follow the subjects over a number of years.

Into The Deep: The Submarine Murder Case. I thought this was so unique for a true crime documentary because when the murder happens, a documentary was actually already being made on the murderer, due to the fact that he's an entrepreneur trying to build a rocket. The documentary has been called is an inadvertent "portrait of a killer", and it is super haunting.

Outside of documentaries, I watched the Spy x Family movie Spy x Family Code: White twice in cinemas, a solid 8/10. I listened to The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift (which I actually reviewed, 1/10). I also listened to Bewitched by Laufey, which was a really nice 50's Cinderella vibes album (7.5/10) and The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan, which took a while to grow on me, but did (6.5/10).

Also, I binge watched PBS Eons on YouTube, because pre-history has always had me on a chokehold.

Hopefully the upcoming month will have me reading more - I dove back into BBC Merlin fandom and Hetalia and as a result stopped reading for a hot minute. Luckily, I have weirdly strict top/bottom preferences for both fandoms that go against the popular fandom trend (it's likely my preferences are BECAUSE of the strong fandom trend, I can get petty like that... though it's more likely to do with who my favourite is not matching who fandom's favourite is because UNSPOKEN FANDOM RULE TENDS TO BE THAT PEOPLE'S FAVES = THE ONE WHO BOTTOMS WHICH PEOPLE SHOULD REALLY TALK ABOUT MORE) and I therefore am likely to run out fic super quickly or get impatient looking for fic that suits me, so! More books. PLUS, Hetalia fandom always gets me re-invigorated to read history stuff, and I actually bought some books from the vintage market today which I'm so excited about.

[louisupdates]

The physical article via soyannemona [1.10.2023]

[article translated via Google Translate.]

Louis Tomlinson, a world idol in Miribilla

The former member of One Direction starts this Sunday at the Bilbao Arena the peninsular section of his 'Faith in the Future' tour

Josu Olarte | Sunday, October 1, 2023, 08:39

The individual emancipation of a successful group is always a complicated issue, especially when that process is gestated in the sparkling and feverish universe of the 'boybands', which only rarely lead to long-distance solo races. Of course, every rule has exceptions as well— notorious, as those starring global stars such as the former N'Sync, Justin Timberlake; Robbie Williams (Take That); or more recently, Harry Styles, with whom Louis Tomlinson (Doncaster, 1991) coincided in One Direction, the quintet that emerged from the television contest 'X Factor', which happens to be the most successful boyband in history, after having sold more than 70 million copies of the five albums they released between 2010 and 2015.

With his band gestated from television, Louis Troy Austin (he took the last name Tomlinson from his stepfather) learned about the hysteria of the fans and the challenges of fame (he was even speculated to have a relationship with Styles), and had six years of dazzling success, which reportedly earned about 50 million euros to each of its members.

Tomlinson— who on Sunday night will give one of only three concerts of his tour in Spain at the Bilbao Arena (21.00 hours)— may have always been seen as the most disposable boy in the band, but like his companions (Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Liam Payne), he has tried to continue his career on his own since 2016. "With One Direction, I gained confidence on stage and vocally. Now I have to find my style and my place in the industry," he acknowledged, shortly after chaining a series of solo singles that although he says he is proud of them now, does not consider them musically representative.

Overcoming the death of his mother and an 18-year-old sister, Tomlinson continued to fight for emancipation as a singer and composer who, apart from Styles who is already at the top-level pop league, seems to be consolidating more solidly than his colleagues. Despite this, with "Walls", his debut in 2020 in which he included new songs and solo singles such as 'Just Hold On' [ed. This is untrue. Just Hold On was not included in Walls.], he seemed to explore all possible directions with choral production, from electronic music to sensitive ballads or Oasis-esque pop guitar, whom he covered in his first student band, from which he would be expelled.

Emulate The Indie Sound

With the ground paid by his television screening (linked to the 'X Factor' program [ed. 2018] as a mentor for new talents), Tomlinson embarked in 2020 on his first global tour of 80 concerts to promote his debut, 'Walls'. It was a massive and very profitable tour, given a pandemic situation and the forced stoppage caused by the virus. Louis took advantage of this time to offer a concert via livestreaming from London, becoming the soloist with the most virtual tickets sold (more than 160,000), a record ratified by the 'Guinness Book of World Records'.

After the tour and the break with Syco, the label of Simon Cowell, the head of 'X Factor', Tomlinson focused on the gestation of his next job with the support of the multinational BMG. Preceded by the single 'Bigger Than Me', the album 'Faith In The Future' was harshly criticized by the British press, but topped the sales charts in the United Kingdom in November last year. If his debut 'Walls', considered 'irrelevant', was criticized for his lack of musical definition, his new work has also been the subject of criticism for unreservedly emulating the sound of the British indie of the millennial era, pointing towards festival pop rock.

Perhaps in response to this recurring criticism in his solo career, Louis has included in the Deluxe edition of his latest album an ironic song entitled 'Copy Of A Copy Of A Copy'. In his concerts, Tomlinson presents himself with an organic and guitar-style band that evokes indie pop. In addition, it offers a great display of lights and sound, along with an unbridled enthusiasm of its followers.

Exceptional measures to avoid camping

The expectation raised by Louis Tomlinson has led the organization to take exceptional measures for access to the concert venue, and thus avoid the camping that, in recent days, dozens of fans from different parts of Europe had formed in the vicinity of the Bilbao Arena. Thus, the tour promoter has warned that attendees will be able to start queuing from nine in the morning this Sunday, but never "before." Those who arrive earlier will not only not receive the bracelets, but will also be moved to the end of the queue. Security members will place "sequentially numbered" wristbands on the wrists of the spectators "on a first-come, first-served basis." Fans must return to the queue at three in the afternoon and go to the access of the track located at gate A. "Security will respect the wristbands for one hour - from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. From four o'clock, the followers will line up as they arrive.

[apureniallsource]

Ahead of new album, The Show, Niall Horan on how he 'lives' for touring, his desire to connect with fans through his songs, and the challenge of going out for chips in his Irish hometown

It’s almost a cliché to call Niall Horan a “super-nice guy��, but really, there’s no getting away from it. He may have named his new album The Show, but Horan feels no need to put one on for a journalist. In fact, the Irish singer-songwriter is so laid-back and likeable when we meet at a smart London hotel – fresh flowers everywhere, bottled water waiting on the table – that I ask how he’s stayed so well-adjusted. “It’s probably a combination of the upbringing I had and the fact I already had enough character at 16 [to deal with it],” he says. “It might have been a different story if I’d started doing this when I was 10.”

Now 29, he has been scarily famous for almost half his life. After auditioning for The X Factor in 2010 as a solo artist, 16-year-old Horan was eliminated at the boot camp stage, then given a spectacular second chance as one fifth of a hastily assembled group called One Direction. He and his new bandmates – Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson – didn’t win that year’s show, but still used it as a springboard to become a chart-topping global phenomenon. By the time One Direction announced an indefinite hiatus in January 2016, they had sold 70 million records and debuted at number one in the US with their first four albums – something not even The Beatles achieved. When asked what he would say to his pre-1D, 16-year-old self, Horan replies: “Get ready. Your life’s about to change on a level that most of the world can’t even quantify.”

Horan says he still speaks to “the lads” on a regular basis, but like all of them, he has worked hard to carve out an identity as a solo artist. If Horan’s individual achievements still feel slightly underrated, that’s probably only because his flashier bandmate Styles is now a stadium-filling superstar. Released in 2017, Horan’s debut album Flicker was a deft blend of soft rock, folk and country that debuted at number one in the US and Ireland. His 2020 follow-up Heartbreak Weather added a dash of swagger to the mix – particularly on the Brit-poppy single ‘Nice to Meet Ya’ – and became his first UK chart-topper. Because it dropped in March 2020, just as Covid-19 was taking hold, Horan never got to take the album on the road. “I haven’t toured since 2018 – that’s wild,” he says. “I love live music and I love touring – I live for it. So, it’s sad that I haven’t done that.”

Happily, a few weeks after this interview, Horan announced The Show: Live on Tour, a 50-date trek across Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand that will keep him busy from February to July of next year. When Horan last toured five years ago, he mainly played large theatres, but now he is aiming to pack out arenas from Birmingham to Brisbane. During our conversation, he hinted that he was ready for the step up. “In my eyes, the bigger the venue, the better, because I fucking love looking out at an ocean of people,” he says. “For me, it feels like the bigger the venue, the better the show is gonna be.”

Horan also makes no bones about wanting The Show to become another UK number one after it drops on 9 June. “There’s nothing better than getting that little statue sent to your house,” he says with an impish grin. At the time of writing, he seems well on course for another express delivery from the Official Charts Company. The album’s breezy lead single ‘Heaven’ cracked the UK Top 20 in February, and its sprightly follow-up ‘Meltdown’ is now climbing the charts. A few hours before this interview, I watch him perform both songs in the Radio 1 Live Lounge. Horan is just as relaxed with his band during rehearsals, but when he spots that his vocals are getting buried in the mix, he quickly and calmly gets it corrected.

Horan began working on ‘The Show’ while holed up at home during the summer of 2020. The album title had come to him earlier in the year, but he “didn’t really know what it meant until the pandemic”. When he sat down at the piano that August, the lyrics that came out seemed to capture the confusion of the Covid era: “If everything was easy, nothing ever broke / If everything was simple, how would we know? / How to fix your tears? How to fake a show?” At this point, Horan says he realised ‘The Show’ was both “a metaphor for life” and an overarching concept he could run with. “When there’s no heartbreak [to write about], you have to come up with a different concept,” he says. “I realised quite quickly that what I wanted to talk about was the ups and downs and good and bad of life. That’s ‘The Show’.”

Having “no heartbreak” is about as much as Horan will say about his personal life. “Keeping that stuff quiet”, he believes, is one reason he remains so grounded. Since 2020, he has been dating Amelia Woolley, a designer shoe buyer who never appears on his work-focused Instagram. But when we discuss ‘You Could Start a Cult’, an idiosyncratic folk ballad from the album, Horan does offer a teasing glimpse into their home life. He says the song’s eye-catching title was inspired by the true-crime series they like watching. “I always try and write weird stuff like that, then see if I can flip it on its head and make the song [itself] not as dark as the title,” he says. In this case, Horan flipped it into a “love song, effectively”, albeit an intense one. “It’s about… not the desperation feeling, but the ‘I think you’re the best fucking thing in the world’ feeling,” he explains. “And if you started a cult, I’d follow you into the fire. You know, that kind of angst, though I don’t know if ‘angst’ is the word I’m looking for!”

Horan spends a lot of time in LA because his record label and producers are based there. His main collaborators on The Show were Joel Little, who he brought in because he liked his work with Taylor Swift, indie artist Noah Kahan, and long-time co-writer John Ryan, a veteran of four One Direction albums. “I think it’s really important first of all to be loyal,” he says of his enduring partnership with Ryan. “And you know, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” Still, working with Little felt just as comfortable, partly because they could pick things up at a moment’s notice. “If I get the green light at the top of my street [in LA], I can be at Joel’s house in less than a minute,” Horan says. “It’s a fucking dream!”

But during the pandemic, Horan was grounded at his main base in southwest London. “I’ve never been fitter in my life because I was cycling 80 or 90 miles around Richmond Park every week – it’s gorgeous out there,” he recalls. Like many of us, Horan has conflicting feelings about the way Covid placed our lives on hold. “I don’t want to say I enjoyed it because I didn’t – it was such a horrible time,” he says. “But I got to a point about two or three months in, where I was like: ‘This is the longest I’ve ever had off.’ He particularly appreciated having to stay in one place for a sustained period of time. “Normally, I’m packing a suitcase every three or four days,” he says. “At Heathrow Airport, the guards at the [security] desk just laugh when they see me coming. They’re like, ‘How do you do this?’”

Having lived in London since he was 16, Horan says “it’s definitely the best city on the planet”. But at the same time, he still regards Mullingar, the Irish market town where he was born and raised, as home. His debut solo single ‘This Town’, a UK top 10 hit in 2016, was incredibly charming because it harnessed his ineffable longing for the place. Horan reckons he returns to Mullingar “seven or eight times a year”, although walking down the high street is pretty tricky. “I can’t just pull up outside the chip shop, run in and get the chips, then run back to the car,” he says. “Everything has to be thought through. Like, where am I going to park? How many streets am I going to have to cross? What am I going to wear?” Horan says all this with no hint of frustration: by now, he knows what is expected of a homecoming hero.

Horan knew he wanted to be a musician from a young age and says he “tried to make this as clear as possible” to his parents. They were “supportive up to a point”, but because the family didn’t have much money and Mullingar wasn’t a creative hub like Dublin, his mother urged him to “get some sort of qualification”. “I still don’t have any,” Horan says with a laugh, “I didn’t do GCSEs or anything like that because I didn’t finish school.” At 16, Horan made the 50-mile journey to Dublin to audition for The X Factor and grabbed hold of the One Direction rocket with both hands.

Did his parents come up with any ideas for a Plan B? “We didn’t get that far. Honestly, I just packed my bag and never came back – that’s the way they look at it,” says Horan. “My father worked in Tesco for 35 years and my mother worked at a pewter genesis company making little bits and pieces – clocks and things like that. They both had very regular jobs.” Horan notes astutely that some kids from a working-class background “like to spread their wings and leave the nest�� – as he did, quite spectacularly – whereas others “like to stay in their hometown, or maybe can’t get out”. Horan pauses for a second, perhaps to ponder what might have been. “I don’t know what they would have wanted me to do, but I’m sure it would have been a good life,” he continues. “Like, my parents are having a good time.”

Thirteen years after he left to become a pop star, Horan’s own ambition remains undimmed. “I’ve achieved a lot in my young life, but I’m still fired up to do as much as I can,” he says. “My career has felt so good because it reminds me of everything I thought the music industry would be when I was a kid. I got the good end of the stick [in terms of] travelling the world and playing to millions. And I still want more of that.”

For this reason, the audience is always at the forefront of his mind. “When I’m writing, I ask myself, ‘Have I gone too specific to the point where it only makes sense to me?’” he says. “And then I try and broaden the thought to make it as relatable as possible.” ‘Never Grow Up’ from Horan’s new album was partly inspired by his girlfriend’s parents, who are “still madly in love”, but its lyrics will chime with One Direction fans who, like him, are close to turning 30. “Hope we still drink like we’re back in the pub,” Horan sings. “Hope we grow old, but we never grow up.”

In Horan’s eyes, the songs that fully stand the test of time – from Simon and Garfunkel to Whitney Houston and Adele – are “the ones that really mean a lot to the people”. It’s this kind of universal connection that he is always striving for. “These are the things that go on in my head when I’m writing,�� he says. “I don’t want to alienate anyone, and I don’t want to be introspective to the point where I ruin it for everyone. So, if they can connect to it too, then we all get what we want out of this.”

[numetaljackdog]

Top 100 favorite albums as of March 2023 (full list under cut)

1. Radiohead - Amnesiac

2. Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory (Bonus Edition)

3. Rina Sawayama - Sawayama (Deluxe Edition)

4. Black Dresses - Forget Your Own Face

5. 100 gecs - 10000 gecs

6. Laura Les - i just dont wanna name it anything with "beach" in the title

7. 100 gecs - 1000 gecs

8. Bring Me the Horizon - Sempiternal (Deluxe Edition)

9. Linkin Park - Meteora

10. Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns

11. System of a Down - Toxicity

12. Radiohead - Kid A

13. Toby Fox - UNDERTALE Soundtrack

14. Linkin Park - Reanimation

15. My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade / Living with Ghosts (The 10th Anniversary Edition)

16. Radiohead - OK Computer

17. Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues

18. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight (Deluxe Version)

19. 100 gecs - 100 gecs

20. My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge

21. Laura Les - hello kitty skates to the fuckin CEMETARY

22. Torres - Silver Tongue

23. Left At London - t.i.a.p.f.y.h.

24. Nirvana - Nevermind (Deluxe Edition)

25. food house, Gupi & Fraxiom - Food House

26. Chevelle - Wonder What's Next (Expanded Edition)

27. Tallah - Matriphagy

28. Breaking Benjamin - Dear Agony

29. Motionless in White - Creatures (Deluxe Edition)

30. Limp Bizkit - Significant Other (Explicit Version)

31. Limp Bizkit - Three Dollar Bill, Y'all $

32. Ada Rook - UGLY DEATH NO REDEMPTION ANGEL CURSE I LOVE YOU

33. Laura Jane Grace - Stay Alive

34. Jethro Tull - Aqualung

35. Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia

36. BACKxWASH - HIS HAPPINESS SHALL COME FIRST EVEN THOUGH WE ARE SUFFERING

37. Bayside - Interrobang

38. Black Dresses - Forever In Your Heart

39. Three Days Grace - One-X

40. Sophie - Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides

41. 100 gecs - Snake Eyes

42. Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory EP

43. Kittie - Spit

44. BACKxWASH - I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES

45. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

46. Toby Fox - Deltarune Chapter 2 (Original Game Soundtrack)

47. Chongo - Mad Rat Monday

48. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

49. Motionless in White - Infamous (Deluxe Edition)

50. Indigo Girls - Indigo Girls (Expanded Edition)

51. Talking Heads - Remain In Light (Deluxe Version)

52. My Chemical Romance - I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love

53. Spineshank - The Height of Callousness [Special Edition]

54. The Used - The Used

55. Linkin Park - Live in Texas

56. Baroness - Yellow & Green

57. Death Grips - The Money Store

58. Nirvana - In Utero - 20th Anniversary Remaster

59. Hozier - Wasteland, Baby!

60. Radiohead - In Rainbows

61. Bring Me the Horizon - There Is a Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let's Keep It a Secret

62. Three Days Grace - Human

63. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly

64. Limp Bizkit - The Unquestionable Truth (Pt. 1)

65. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love (2018 Remaster)

66. Bring Me the Horizon - POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR

67. Bring Me the Horizon - That's The Spirit

68. Go! Child - Coffee And Ramen

69. Limp Bizkit - Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water

70. We Are The Union - Ordinary Life

71. Chevelle - This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In)

72. Evanescence - Fallen

73. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

74. Jamie Paige - Bittersweet

75. Hayley Williams - Petals For Armor

76. Nirvana - Bleach

77. For the Likes of You - Withered

78. Bring Me the Horizon - Suicide Season Cut Up!

79. Lena Raine - Celeste (Original Soundtrack)

80. Holy Grail - Ride The Void

81. Tenacious D - The Pick of Destiny

82. a-ha - Scoundrel Days

83. Demon Hunter - Storm the Gates of Hell

84. Black Flag - Damaged

85. Masakazu Sugimori - Phoenix Wright - Ace Attorney OST

86. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

87. Alexisonfire - Crisis

88. Various Artists - Queen of the Damned

89. Limp Bizkit - Still Sucks

90. Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill

91. Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits

92. Architects - Holy Hell

93. Laura Les - REMIXES 2017

94. Linkin Park - Living Things

95. brian david gilbert - songs with videos without videos

96. Frost Children - SPIRAL

97. Parkway Drive - Horizons

98. Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra (Deluxe)

99. Various Artists - Phineas and Ferb

100. Vanilla Ice - Hard To Swallow

[happyzyx]

zhang yixing for basic stardom magazine, 21st issue 2023 – interview transcription

THE DREAMER FROM CHANGSHA: An Interview with Chinese Rapper and Performer Lay Zhang

Tagged the “King of China” by his fans in Asia, the highly-praised musician, dancer, actor, and author, Lay Zhang, is rising to glory as he continues to hone his craft and inspire the world with infinite ambition. Headlining MetaMoon last year, the inaugural New York-based music festival, as part of his first-ever solo global tour “Grand Line 2: Infinite Lands” and releasing into 2023 with a remarkable agenda.

While getting his start from the well known K-Pop boy group EXO, Zhang furthered his growth as an individual artist, accumulating over 70 million followers across all social media platforms and magnifying his career through evocative performances and stellar roles in both television and film. His captivating journey has not only forged him into an international superstar, but has also led him to become the highest-ranked Mando-pop star on the Billboard 200 chart in 2018, and the first Chinese artist to enter the iTunes Top 60 in the U.S. with his third solo album Namanana.

Q. You dove headfirst into the music industry after enrolling in the Star Academy talent show in 2005, where you unexpectedly became a finalist in the series. While you never thought you’d ever become an artist, what changed for you during this time in your life?

ZYX. While Star Academy, I was critiqued a few times on stage for not being professional enough. Hearing that gave me the motivation to prove them wrong and become better in all aspects. I like proving people wrong. It’s a good challenge. At the time, I wanted to prove to the judges and fans that I could be better. Becoming the artist I am today wasn’t what I originally had in mind. Looking back, I think I became an artist as I started to improve on my weaknesses. It was not a conscious choice, but rather the desire to prove that I could be better and show everyone that I could be professional.

Q. In 2008, you trained as a performer in South Korea, eventually debuting as a part of the K-pop group EXO. Talk to us about your journey and how you ended up here and now.

ZYX. Going to Korea and leaving both my hometown Changsha and my mother was scary. There were hours and hours of training in a completely foreign environment. Sometimes, after training, I would go downstairs to the practice room and learn how to produce music. It was unusual for a trainee to be that interested in producing music and I was not very good at it. Becoming a dancer for SHINee was a huge milestone for me. It showed me that I was on the right path. Then, when I made it into EXO, I was overjoyed. In the early days, we traveled a lot between China, Japan, and South Korea. There were a lot of happy memories going into the studio and practicing new songs with my members, but nothing could compare to performing with them live. I felt, and still feel, so proud to be an EXO member and to see everything that we accomplished together. When I started doing more solo activities, I found it challenging. All of a sudden I had to do things alone and without my members by my side. It was hard, but it made me grow and helped me to become the person I am today. Now, my schedule is always filled with commercial shoots, television shows, variety shows, recording music, and trying to be an entrepreneur.

Q. After 10 years with EXO, you finally decided to focus on your solo career. How did your experiences with EXO and in South Korea influence the artist, dancer, and businessman you are today?

ZYX. My brothers in EXO gave me so much strength and motivation to become the best artist and person I could be. I did a lot of training in Korea. While it was tough, it gave me the skills I needed to become an artist and dancer that I am today. I reflect on those days often when I help train my trainees. I want to make sure I give them everything I had and more. I met a lot of talented people who took the time to explain things and trained me. I have deep gratitude for that time in my life.

Q. How did you discover your individual sound and personal brand since venturing out on your own? Who and/or what have been some of your most prominent influences?

ZYX. I’m not sure that I have found my sound yet. I like making music and performing. I would love to spend all of my time on stage and in the studio, but I think it’s the same with my brand, where I’m still experimenting and in the process of discovering it. Now that I’m over 30, I have to figure out who I want to be in the next decade. In the past, I’ve taken inspiration from people who have been able to dance, sing, and perform. I also appreciate people who are kind and hardworking.

Q. Sharing your culture with the world is incredibly important to you. Talk to us about the process of merging languages, as well as Eastern and Western influences into your music.

ZYX. I am blessed to have many talented musician friends around the world. Normally, I’ll work with a producer and songwriter in Los Angeles. I’ll have about a week of song camp sessions where we are locked in the studio from noon to midnight. We’ll spend time making music, vibing and dancing nonstop. I also learn a lot of English and we eat a lot of cookies during these sessions. Once we’re done, I’ll take the recording back to China and talk to my team and other creative friends about how we can incorporate Chinese instruments and stories into the music.

Q. How does it feel to be named the “King of China” by your fans and community?

ZYX. I don’t know if I’m the “King of China”. That’s a strong statement. I am just Lay Zhang from Changsha, China. I am a man who loves the people of his country and making music. For me, music is my arena where I get to challenge myself and others. I want to experiment and make better music. Sometimes, I’m down to “battle” people when it comes to music, but it’s always in good spirits and fun.

Q. You are in the process of making new music to be released this year. Talk to us about your creative process. Is there something you do to get into a creative state of mind?

ZYX. Music gets me excited and making music gets me even more excited. I’m always looking for a reason to get into the studio. I don’t really need to put myself in a creative state of mind. I wait all day, sometimes weeks, to get into the studio and explore my ideas. and if I can’t wait any longer, I’ll just pull out my laptop and start making beats whenever I am. I always enjoy testing out my ideas and making music feels like the most natural medium for me to express them right now.

Q. How do you think your music is being experienced by others?

ZYX. I hope people are happy when they listen to my music. When they play songs like “Veil”, I hope they are dancing in a room with their friends and having a good time. I live seeing people so covers and reacting to my music in different ways.

Q. What kind of impact do you hope to achieve through your artistry and career as a whole?

ZYX. I hope that I can inspire to not only go after their dreams, but to also give it their all as they pursue them. Dreams are precious and beautiful. I want people to treat their dreams with the most respect. Respecting your own dreams will make them come true.

Q. In what ways do you ensure you are continuously evolving, both as an artist and the person you are away from the public eye?

ZYX. I have many teachers, mentors, and staff who give me a lot of advice. They’ll tell me the ways in which they think I should work on my vocals or how to handle certain meetings. I always want the people around me to be honest—all facts, no cap. If I’m not good, let me know so that I can get better.

Q. What message would you like to send to the world about who you are and what you stand for?

ZYX. Hi, it’s Lay. I’m a dreamer who hopes that everyone can achieve their dreams in this lifetime.

Q. Can you tell us about a project or piece of work that you’re particularly proud of?

ZYX. I live all my projects like they are my children. No child is better than the other and they all came at important stages of my life. My most recent project was West, and this was fun to release because “Veil”, the title song of the EP, was made almost five years ago, back in 2018. I normally make my records at least a year in advance, so it was great to hear “Veil” again. When I discussed it with my team, we all knew it needed to finally come out. With West, I even made “3 Wishes” on Zoom. We were in little boxes waving to each other and just hoping the internet was good enough so that we could hear all the sounds being made. Then, we’d go offline, do our own parts, and send them. There were times when someone would get knocked offline and then we’d have to wait even longer. The making of West was very fun and different project.

Q. How do you handle creative blocks or moments of self-doubt?

ZYX. To be honest, I don’t have many creative blocks, but that is probably because I’m constantly learning and doing something different. Self-doubt is tough, but I’m always reminded of all the people I have around me who depend on me. I also think about my fans who have supported me this entire time. It gives me the power to know I can’t let them down.

Q&A

Q. Who is your favorite designer?

ZYX. Pier Paolo Piccioli. He has been just a dear friend to me.

Q. What are the last three songs you played?

ZYX. “3 Wishes” by LAY, an unreleased demo I’ve been working on, and “God’s Plan” by Drake.

Q. How would you describe yourself in five words or less?

ZYX. Artistic, determined, passionate, a dreamer, and serious.

Q. What is the most challenging aspects of being and artist of your stature?

ZYX. There is a lot to do. My schedule has always been packed and full of activities. It’s a good thing because it means people still like me and want to see me. As I get older, I know I’ll get less popular, and fewer people will care about my music and career. It’s a big scary to be totally honest. It’s something that I will have to learn to deal with.

Q. What would be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?

ZYX. If I wasn’t an artist today, I would probably be a music teacher. I would definitely still be doing something related to music.

Q. Who would you most like to collaborate with?

ZYX. I want to work with people who are innovating and pushing themselves creatively. I feel so inspired by people who are able to produce, write and sing. I really aspire to work with open-minded people.

Words by KIMBERLY HADDAD

©小羊扛起霸王龙就跑

[metyouattherighttime]

my favorite taylor swift songs over the years / me as a swiftie over the years

~2015: literally never listened to music LMAO didnt even know about the existence of taylor swift

2016: my dad had the red album on apple music so i knew “i knew you were trouble” “22” “we are never ever getting back together” yk. the popular ones.

2017: not knowing wtf was going on with taylor, blasting “shake it off” in the car and singing along because it was on a “thats what i call music” cd

2018: went to the rep tour literally glendale night 1… i basically only knew her popular songs then and i was in the nosebleeds but i wish i had known the songs.. “gorgeous” became my fav. got a spotify account around this time and watched the rep mvs

2019: listened to some of taylors music on spotify (back when u didnt need premium) “welcome to new york” was my fav. i did see that lover came out and i saw part of the man mv on tv

2020: ashamed to admit but this was my gacha phase peak. “i knew u were trouble” is back on the charts but “wtny” stays on top. saw part of the cardigan mv on tv but other than that I HAD NO IDEA FOLKLORE AND EVERMORE EXISTED

2021: FEARLESS TV CAME OUT ON MY BDAY AND I HAD NO IDEA. BIGGEST REGRET OF MY LIFE

red tv comes out. this is my tiktok music era so i hear all too well 10min ver and its stuck in my head. i think wtny was still my fav LOL

2022: ive had her on my radar since red tv so i was excited for midnights! i started listening to her music little by little. i listened to midnights the moment i got home from school that day (i had exams or sm) and i immediately fell in love (especially yoyok, the great war, and dear reader/ literally the holy trio) then i started listening to a bunch of taylor songs and her music was all i listened to LOL yoyok was my fav! (honorable mentions: yail and wildest dreams)

2023: spent 70% of my time listening to music on taylor and the other 30% on gracie abrams… yoyok still remains my fav but i listened to all her albums front to back, loved all of them. and in the summer i got tickets to the eras tour! (listened to speak now tv and 1989 tv the day it came out obvi)

2024: absolutely flabbergasted when she announce ttpd like two days before my show. had the time of my life at the eras tour and died dead when she sang dear reader and holy ground (which im embarrassed to say i didnt know much of the lyrics to) my fav remains yoyok! (honorable mentions; yail, whos afraid of little old me?, long live)

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

Old School 1993 Funk / Hip Hop / Electro

I think what's most striking about this very dope collection of mostly 80s party jams is that, when this album was originally released in 1993, people were *already* referring to this music as being representative of the "old school." I mean, the latest song on this thing is Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock's 1988 classic, "It Takes Two," and while that's universally regarded as a hands-down old school party-rap standard today, it's wild to think that people were willing to call it "old school" *just five years after* it first came out. Like, imagine considering literally any song from 2018 old school right now?! Crazy, right?

But this fantastic release seems to have already known the deal: three years after the 80s had ended, and still to this day, we were going to refer to a lot of that decade's output as definitively old school. And the brass at Thump Records were clearly proven right by this notion, because, even in these current 2020s, we still refer to this album's overall sound—that electro-synthy-fat keyboard bassline-post-disco-boogie-funk stuff—as 100% old school; not much of the material that preceded it, and no agreed-upon opinion about anything that came after it, either; but one thing that we all seem to know for certain is that the 80s were definitely a part of the old school era.

So, if you're looking for some of those vintage clap-and-stomp old school block party grooves, then this CD is simply essential listening. We've got total classic good-time party-rockers all throughout this thing, like Parliament's "Flashlight," George Clinton's "Atomic Dog," and the Rick James-produced "All Night Long," by the Mary Jane Girls. Also another big hit that topped Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart in 1981 with Frankie Smith's "Double Dutch Bus," which famously featured a bunch of Ebonic lyrics that would later go on to be sampled by Missy Elliott in her own 2002 rap smash, "Gossip Folks":

Teena Marie comes through with her #3 R&B hit, "Square Biz" as well, and pioneering Brooklyn rap crew, Whodini, deliver two cuts off of their 1984 platinum-selling LP, Escape, with one of their biggest singles, "Friends"—whose spine-tingling electro keys would find their way into Nas' "If I Ruled the World," and whose chorus would also get interpolated by Everlast during his rootsy folk-blues phase on "Ends"—and its B-side, "Five Minutes of Funk."

And, really, I could've picked pretty much any other random handful of songs from this album and written as glowingly about them as I did the ones above, but I don't wanna overload this post. So just know that just because I didn't end up devoting a few words to most of these songs, that doesn't mean that they don't deserve an equal amount of praise, because they definitely do.

A terrific CD, from top to bottom, that makes for an awesome way to channel 70 minutes of some of those beloved and bygone 80s old school party vibes.

And if you want *3 and a half more hours* of 80s goodness like this, I also have my very own Spotify playlist that's of a slightly different stripe, which includes more dance-pop and freestyle on it, along with classic electro, hip hop, and a little bit of new wave too 😊.

Highlights:

Frankie Smith - "Double Dutch Bus" D-Train - "You're the One for Me" Tom Browne - "Funkin for Jamaica" Parliament - "Flashlight" Whodini - "Five Minutes of Funk" George Clinton - "Atomic Dog" Mary Jane Girls - "All Night Long" One Way - "Cutie Pie" Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock - "It Takes Two" Teena Marie - "Square Biz" Whodini - "Friends" The Gap Band - "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" Spyder-D - "Smerphies Dance"

[greensparty]

This Month in History - December

There are quite a few landmark anniversaries I'm celebrating this month:

Dec. 2, 1988: The Naked Gun opens

In Dec. 1988, the first of Zucker-Abraham-Zucker's cop spoof was released. Here is my piece I got in 2018. Happy 35 NG!

Dec. 5, 1973: Band on the Run released

In Dec. 1973, Paul McCartney and Wings best album (possibly the best Non-Beatle album he did) was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2018. Happy 50th BOTR!

Dec. 6, 1968: Beggars Banquet released

In Dec. 1968, the 9th U.S. album from The Rolling Stones. Earlier this year I got to review the Record Store Day reissue of the album. I'd definitely put this up there with Let It Bleed and Exile on Main Street in the pantheon of Classic Stones albums. Happy 55th BB!

Dec. 6, 2013: Inside Llewyn Davis opens

In Dec. 2013, the Coen Brothers' criminally underrated folk musician epic was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2018. Happy 10 ILD!

Dec. 10, 1993: Wayne's World 2 opens

In Dec. 1993, the sequel to Wayne's World was released! It might not be as loved as the original, but it is better than people think. I wrote about this in 2018 and director Stephen Surjik wrote me back with some thoughts. In 2022, I saw it on the big screen at Nice, a Fest. Happy 30th WW2!

Dec. 10, 2003: Big Fish opens

In Dec. 2003, one of Tim Burton's most underrated movies was released. Taking Burton's visual style and combining it with a family drama with fantasy elements was a gamble that paid off. It's something that feels new each time I've seen it since. Happy 20th Big Fish!

Dec. 11, 1998: Rushmore and A Simple Plan both open

In Dec. 1998, two of my favorite movies from that year opened on the same day. Here is my piece I wrote about Wes Anderson's film and Sam Raimi's film. Happy 25th Rushmore an ASP!

Dec. 12, 1973: The Last Detail opens

In Dec. 1973, Hal Ashby (who was on a roll at the time) had one of his best released. It was one of the great movies of the 70s. It was also one of my Top 5 Boston Movies of All Time! Jack Nicholson was in rare form as he and Otis Young played Navy men transporting younger sailor Randy Quaid to the NH Navy prison and showing him a good time along the way. Happy 50th TLD!

Dec. 14, 1988: I'm Gonna Git You Sucka opens

In Dec. 1988, Keenan Ivory Wayans' 70s LOL comedy opened. Here is my piece I wrote in 2018. Happy 35th IGGYS!

Dec. 14, 2018: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse opens

In Dec. 2018 one of the best Spider-Man movies was released. I actually named it my #7 Movie of 2018! By diving into the Miles Morales storyline, they took the Spider-Man story we all know so well and made it seem new again. Just last Summer they released the awesome sequel: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was released. Happy 5 S-M:ITS-V!

Dec. 15, 1978: Superman opens

Speaking of super hero movies: In Dec. 1978 one of my favorite big screen Superman movies was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2018. Happy 45th Superman!

Dec. 15, 1993: Schindler's List opens

In Dec. 1993, one of Steven Spielberg's finest works was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2018. Happy 30th SL!

Dec. 16, 1988: Rain Man opens

In Dec. 1988, the Oscar-winning Best Picture and biggest grossing film of 1988 was released. With the exception of parodies (i.e. The Hangover's Vegas gambling scene), nobody talks about this as much. The road movie of long lost brothers one autistic (Dustin Hoffman) and the other selfish used-car guy (Tom Cruise) was actually quite touching. Sure it was the 80s feel-good movie era and whatnot, but the performances were among both actors' best. Happy 35 RM!

Dec. 17, 1973: Sleeper opens

In Dec. 1973, one of the funniest movies ever made about the future was released. Woody Allen was in his prime when he played a man who is cryogenically frozen in 1973 and is defrosted 200 years later. This is definitely one of his funniest ones. Happy 50th Sleeper!

Dec. 17, 1993: The State premieres

In Dec. 1993, the now-legendary sketch comedy series of NYC comedy group The State premiered on MTV. Here is my piece I wrote in 2018. Earlier this Fall, I actually got to see The State reunion tour when it was in Boston. Happy 30th TS!

Dec. 17, 2008: The Wrestler opens

In Dec. 2008 Darren Aaronofsky's greatest movie was released. Here is my piece I wrote in 2018. Happy 15 TW!

Dec. 18, 2013: Her opens

In Dec. 2013, Spike Jonze greatest movie was released! Here is my piece I wrote in 2018. Happy 10 Her!

[krispyweiss]

Yasmin Williams and Tarta Relena at Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, Ohio, March 28, 2023

Yasmin Williams is the reason why the term see a concert - rather than hear a concert - remains in use.

For while it’s temping to close one’s eyes and float down the cascading river of Williams’ solo-instrumental music, to do so puts one at peril of missing the fascinating visuals of the 26-year-old musician at work.

Williams made her Columbus, Ohio, debut before some 70 hard-listening fans March 28 at Ohio State University’s Wexner Center for the Arts - “It’s weird - why do they call it THE Ohio State?,” she asked - on a double bill with Catalan vocal duo Tarta Relena, whose choral voices washed over a church-mouse audience.

On their first U.S. tour, Helena Ros and Marta Torrella were mesmerizing, filling the small Wexner space with an admixture of Gregorian, new-age and operatic, often a cappella, music accompanied by ambient, computer-generated sounds; a mic’d metal urn; clapping hands and stomping feet; and phasers on their microphones. Their 55-minute set in Catalan, Spanish and English drew from the sixth-century B.C. through to Bjork, eliciting a standing ovation and a sense of wonder among the listeners who were left as intrigued as entertained.

Then came Williams, who spent 65 dizzying minutes hypnotizing the audience with still-untitled songs from her forthcoming third album - including one that will feature the “angelic” Aoife O’Donovan on wordless vocals - plus samplings from 2018’s Unwind and 2021’s Urban Driftwood across a 10-song playlist that found “I Wonder” dedicated to the victims of the March 27 school shooting in Nashville.

Like her predecessors, Williams earned a standing-O and played no encore.

Akin to Leo Kottke and Tommy Emmanuel in that she sounds like several musicians at once, Williams is an entirely singular musician.

Deep in concentration, with her guitar across her lap and a mic pointed at her tap-shoed feet as they clicked and clacked on a piece of wood on her guitar case, Williams employed a capo, a guitar hammer, thumb and finger picks and a kalimba Velcro’d to the top of her axe to create the soundscapes that range from the contemplative “On a Friday Night” to the more rambunctious “Guitka.”

She knocked on the guitar’s body and used her index fingers on its neck to create rhythm and melody inside unorthodox, open tunings.

Engaging and talkative, Williams introduced each song with a story about its origins; explained how her musical path had taken her from “Guitar Hero” to Nirvana (“easy to learn”) to Jimi Hendrix (“not easy to learn”) to where she is now.

And where she is now is a musical space inhabited by one. When a fan asked how Williams manages to do what she does, the musician happily revealed her technique.

“I don’t know,” Williams said as everyone shared a laugh.

Grade card: Yasmin Williams and Tarta Relena at Wexner Center for the Arts - 3/28/23 - A/B+

3/29/23

[butcharyastark]

Speaking of jcs, can I have a rating of the musicals/ different versions?

HOWDY, IM SO GLAD YOU ASKED.

keep in mind ive only watched a handful of recordings or productions compared to other ppl but i do have Opinions on the ones ive watched. [cracks knuckles] so:

1. biased maybe because i just watched it but the 50th anniversary arena tour (circa early 2023, there have been other castings last year ik but this year's one is the one i love). i had the chance to go see it bc it was in my state this month and its the latest one i've watched but it instantly blew away all the other versions i've seen. just... the great singing of 1996 london cast and great acting of 1973 movie and creative staging like the 2018 live in concert.... it had everything and there was not a single ball dropped or a single bad or even meh actor or song or artistic decision. i am usually not one to rec ppl to go buy a ticket to an event but seeing it was the best intro to musical theater or live performances i could have ever had and AHHHHHH. sm details of this will stay in my mind forever re: jcs i can't pick one thing to deacribe bc it's Everything and i'd be here for two hours if i tried. it has my FAVORITE ending of any jcs production and idk if any other production will compare to the high intensity emotions and poetics and symbolism combined with amazing singing like this one.

2. have to go with 1996 london cast recording. i havent seen it and idk if there are even any bootleg recordings of it, but the album is The jcs album i relisten to. fucking A+++. again, maybe i'm biased bc this was my first full jcs album (as opposed to random songs), but idk if anything else but the 1973 movie studio recording album can compare purely musically to me. i love how you can HEAR the acting in the emotional singing while also not sacrificing the singing itself (looking at you 2000 movie judas), and idk i feel like it so clearly tells the story in the tone even without being able to see it, and that's fantastic. every other jcs production in terms of singing and audible acting gets compared to this one, for me. this is the one i hear in my head when i remember or mentally sing the lyrics.

3. 1973 movie. carl anderson. first official filmed jcs production. 70's outfits. meta narrative. do i need to say anything else? this was my second jcs version i consumed when i Got Into It and man im glad it was. when i first watched it, it seemed kinda just alright (probably bc im not a huge fan of movies from the 70's or 80's), but the further time goes on the more i realize this is kinda just The jcs. the classic jcs. i said 1996 london cast recording is what i compare everything else to musically, but i feel like this version is the one that every other version has to live up to. simple question: is your jcs production better than carl anderson painfully crying out "he won't listen to me!" on a mountain in the desert in a fringe outfit as jesus steps out of a tour bus, yes or no? and most of the time the answer is no.

i'm not a huge fan of older movies but the acting and music in this is top tier, the costuming is fun most of the time, the sets are neat, and the underlying metanarrative about an acting group performing jcs inuniverse for a film or smth is rlly interesting. it's the only other jcs album i have saved in my music folder besides the 1996 london cast recording. 9/10

also as a judas fan this is also the judas i compare every other judas to bc... goddamn carl anderson covers every base. desperation and anger and righteousness and tenderness and pain and bitterness and longing.... he has the range. and honestly it's got my favorite version of Superstar so far. i don't think anyone else has topped carl anderson's version yet.

4. swedish arena tour (idr the year). amazing casting, AMAZING acting, fucking incredible costumes, great singing. the only reason it's this far down this list is bc i prefer other character interpretations, but like, the appeal of bisexual vampy switch jesus who flirts with most of the apostles inbetween his main love interests of biker milf mary magdalene and legolas-in-a-mesh-shirt judas... simply cannot be understated. pretty much every artistic decision is 7 or higher out of 10. it's a very consistently good production, and a very gay one. i like the swedish translated lyrics also.

5. 2000 movie. i think everyone knows by now how bad this one is but it's so campy and jcs is inherently ridiculous as both the appeal and the concept that it loops back around to being good. it's not my fave version but it was my third jcs version and it was honestlly rlly fun to watch. what it lacks in singing, it makes up for in acting. i think Heaven On Their Minds, Everything's Alright, This Jesus Must Die, The Last Supper, and Superstar are the numbers that shine here. i think this movie is actually my favorite versions of everything's alright and this jesus must die. i really like the symbolism they try to use in this one. ik i said i genuinely think the acting makes up for the singing, but this might be higher if judas actually SANG. or if pilate was less sympathetic bc i actually hate this pilate djdjfj this version gets points for being much less antisemitic than other jcs productions with the priests, and then immediately loses them by being noticibly more racist than others in the temple. also my favorite peter is in this one. his acting in the last supper is like 25% of my enjoyment of this version.

6. 2018 live concert. full disclosure, i haven't finished this one yet, but i love it so far. i love the outfits and the staging and the energy and casting. this singing is not my favorite and i'm genuinely not sure if john legend knows how to act or if they just cast him bc he's john legend (i'll find out in the second half ig bc i also didn't like the acting of the 50th anniversary tour jesus in the first half and THEN--) but judas does a good enough version of heaven on their minds which is my main criteria for judging a jcs production in personal likes and i do Love the meta themes of casting a real superstar singer as jesus christ given the themes of the musical. i like the dynamics between judas and mary in this one. i think judas is in the closet in this one which is very sad but his outfits absolutely make up for it. it is a spectacle and a half and i'm enjoying it so far. it might get bumped up to #5 depending on how the second half goes.

7. original concept album. i know it's very weird putting the origin of the whole thing at the bottom, but that's not because it's bad, it's just not smth i'm in love with as a whole. i do need to relisten to it--actually i will do that today--but it was really good the first time i heard it, i'm just not a fan of the sound of early rock and prefer the way various versions adapt the music in progressively more modern times. objectively talented singing tho and heaven on their minds goes OFF. i may have more takes after relistening, but that's it rn.

8. i've listened to a bunch of other tidbits of assorted performances, mostly judas solos, bc as i said, i judge a jcs production by its heaven on their minds performance and i went scouring through classic and modern versions of that at one point. this is not part of the proper ranking bc i haven't listened to them in full, but i wanted to mention them here at the end. if anyone wants a list of my fave recs of that to look into:

original mexican cast (1975)

original japanese cast (1976)

mexican revival cast (1984)

original russian cast (1992)

original czech cast (1994)

jesus christ surferstar (2003)

all female jcs recording (2022)

most of these albums can be found just uploaded on youtube or even spotify which is very cool, please check them out, i had fun skipping thru them.

and uhhhh there's all the versions i've watched in full, or mostly watched, and a few of the ones i've done neither! ik this is very long (longer than i intended) but i hope this is what u were looking for and was entertaining or helpful!!

[theultimatefan]

Huey Lewis Adds ‘Power’ To Fan Expo New Orleans Lineup

FAN EXPO New Orleans fans are ready to go “Back in Time” with the largest gathering ever of Back to the Future stars. And the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the film that started it all wouldn’t be complete without Huey Lewis, who wrote and performed the famed “The Power of Love” number one hit that led off the soundtrack and helped define the franchise.

Lewis isn’t the only addition to the pop culture extravaganza, set for January 10-12 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as FAN EXPO today announced that “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” star Dean Cain, Superman Returns star Brandon Routh, “Grimm” headliner David Giuntoli, Shazam! headliner Zachary Levi; “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” voice actor Ashley Eckstein and creator of the animated shows “Hazbin Hotel” and “Helluva Boss” Vivienne Medrano will also be on hand.

The BTTF reunion at FAN EXPO New Orleans includes Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson and Tom Wilson, seven other actors from the trilogy, and now Lewis, who wrote “The Power of Love,” which became a No. 1 hit, and “Back in Time” as part of the official soundtrack for the original film. His band Huey Lewis and the News first went platinum with its studio Album “Sports” in 1983 and has gone on to produce 19 top 10 singles and platinum albums “Fore!” and “Small World.” He also has a cameo appearance in BTTF as the band audition judge, among about 50 acting credits.

Cain, who brought the Man of Steel back to TV screens in the hit series "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," has appeared in more than 200 movies and television series. He has had recurring roles on popular shows like “Supergirl,” “Las Vegas” and “Hope and Faith” and also produced and hosted the revival of "Ripley's Believe it or Not!" Cain has also been a regular on family and holiday TV films and faith-based productions.

Routh portrayed “Superman” and Clark Kent” in the 2006 Superman Returns movie and is also well-known for popular roles in “Arrow,” “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” “The Flash,” “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off” and many others. This year he starred opposite Mena Suvari in the feature sci-fi film Ick.

Most recently the star of “A Million Little Things,” a series which wrapped up a five-year run last year, Giuntoli was cast as the lead "Nick Burkhardt” across the six years of the NBC fantasy drama “Grimm.” He's also made guest appearances in popular series like "Without a Trace," "Cold Case," "Hot in Cleveland," "Private Practice" and many others, as well as an episode of “Superman & Lois” this year, opposite his wife Bitsie Tulloch, also attending FAN EXPO New Orleans.

Levi took a superhero turn in the title role of 2019’s Shazam! among a busy resume that features more than 70 roles in such popular series as “Chuck,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Less than Perfect.” He lent his voice talents to the full run of “Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure” and has more than a dozen other voice credits supplementing his body of work.

In addition to voicing “Ahsoka Tano” in numerous iterations of the “Star Wars” franchise, beginning with 2018’s “The Clone Wars,” Eckstein founded the fashion label Her Universe, dedicated to providing stylish, fashion-forward merchandise for female sci-fi fans.

Medrano is best known as the creator of the popular “Hazbin Hotel” and spinoff series “Helluva Boss,” both of which are well-represented with numerous voice actors at FAN EXPO New Orleans. Medrano first gained notice for the webcomic series “ZooPhobia” in 2012 and later was an animator for much of the run of the series “Too Loud.” This year, she directed and animated a segment on Weird Al Yankovic’s “Polkamania” music video.

Lewis may be at the “Heart and Soul” of the additions, but FAN EXPO New Orleans is bursting with a diverse mix of stars from across the pop culture world. The BTTF set is joined by William Shatner (“Star Trek,” “Boston Legal”); Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, Planet of the Apes); “Doctor Who” standout Catherine Tate; the “Smallville” fivesome of Michael Rosenbaum, Tom Welling, Kristin Kreuk, Erica Durance and Laura Vandervoort; original Star Wars standout Anthony Daniels; “Superman & Lois” headliners Tyler Hoechlin and Bitsie Tulloch; “The Mandalorian” star Giancarlo Esposito; “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” star James Marsters; teen romance “High School Musical” regulars Corbin Bleu and Lucas Grabeel; Shatner’s fellow “T.J. Hooker” star and Hollywood icon Heather Locklear; Twilight standouts Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone and Peter Facinelli; and more.

FAN EXPO New Orleans features the biggest and best in pop culture: movies, TV, music, artists, writers, exhibitors, cosplay, with three full days of themed programming to satisfy every fandom. New Orleans is the first event on the 2025 FAN EXPO HQ calendar; the full schedule is available at fanexpohq.com/home/events/.

[musicarenagh]

New Jersey’s Finest: The Local 12 Shines on ‘Abandon’ You know how it is with debut albums - there's just this buzz of excitement around them. And when it's an alt-rock album, that anticipation kicks into overdrive. That's exactly the vibe with "Abandon" by these guys called The Local 12 from New Jersey. From the minute it kicks off, this record just plunges you straight into their unique, multi-layered rock sound. "Abandon" just nails that alt-rock essence while still feeling fresh and distinctive. It opens up with "Wave At The Window" which sets this really upbeat, melodic tone with the lyrics telling a little story. But then the smooth piano solo and electrifying guitar riff come in and add all these cool layers. Hooks you in right away. The next track "Godforsaken" shows off how seamlessly these guys can blend genres. The lyrics are very cinematic and the music has the bar just completely vibing between jazz, film score vibes, and trippy sound design. The vocals are on point and the sound production is top-notch. Through the whole album, The Local 12 keeps their sound super diverse. Tracks like "King of Small Time" bring in this funky groove while "Hitchhiker's Guide" takes you into this mellow, psych-rock space that's giving major '70s prog-rock nostalgia. Every song brings something a little different to the table so you stay engaged and surprised. They give off this nostalgic feeling that'll remind you of iconic bands like Blur, Nirvana, and Steely Dan. But they're distinctly their own vibe too which is what makes their potential so exciting. As the album keeps going, they don't let up on impressing you with how versatile they are. The closing track "Stranded" starts as this poignant ballad but then evolves into this massive, uplifting anthem pulling together piano, guitar, strings - all while the lyrics hit you right in the feels. One thing that really struck me about this album is how cohesive the theme of abandonment ties everything together. Whether it's a relationship ending, feeling isolated, or a personal transformation - The Local 12 explores all these different shades of that experience. Adds so much extra depth and resonance. The Local 12 is Dave Iannucci, Dan Ream, Pat Ream, and Eric Bailey - they formed in 2018 but you can hear their tight chemistry and passion for music all over "Abandon". The rich arrangements and emotive vocal delivery show how dedicated they are to their craft. Long story short, The Local 12's debut "Abandon" is an outstanding alt-rock album that showcases their eclectic style and serious musical talent. With its contrasting haunting melodies and driving rock anthems plus the thoughtful lyrics, it's a must-listen for any rock fan. They set that bar high with "Abandon" which just makes me psyched to hear what they'll do next. Listen to Abandon https://open.spotify.com/album/7JnhICf1Ed66JoEEpSaIgZ Follow The Local 12 on Facebook Spotify Youtube Instagram

[tornadoauction]

My lore as requested by the cardinal spirit of Laurel Canyon.

Early Childhood I grew up in Texas. At 8, I was singing, playing Rock Band, with my friends and my friend’s dad said I sounded really good. This was one of the first times I thought I could be good at music. At 9, I received a walkman and really enjoyed changing the stations on the little device.

Training I started taking piano lessons in 2011. At my recital, I played Firework by Katy Perry. Later, I studied percussion with Akie Takada. She introduced me to the idea that music is more than just the instrument that you play. Music is a spirit that you have a relationship with that can be positive or negative. This has influenced my songwriting practice greatly.

Early Influences - 2000s rock - 60s/70s rnb - Music videos on AOL and Yahoo from the early 2000s - US radio hits circa 2016-2018 - Vh1 top 20 music video countdown

New York This time made me a more poetic and intellectual lyricist.

Los Angeles This time pulled me into a richer and more open production style.

Previous Albums - Color of You (2018) - Drum + Voice (2023)

Upcoming Albums - Heart in Cancer (2024) - TBA (2025)