#truly my music taste summed up

[the-everqueen]

spotify not even tryna rec me that white girl's new album, lmao, it's like, "you want bleachers, or say she she, or shostakovich?" aww. you know me well.

[commandtower-solring-go]

tagged by @aceofvase

relationship status: single

favorite color: Really vibing Green right now

song stuck in head: I've had The Queen of Argyll by Silly Wizard and Someone New by Hozier in my head all day

last song I listened to: Waiting For A Way by The Morning Benders

[I'll also put the audio for both of those under the cut for anyone interested]

three favorite foods: Shortbread biscuits, Stroganoff and pussy

last thing I googled: I was looking for Foxit Reader because I didn't install a pdf reader after my last windows install.

dream trip: I really wanna go out into Gippsland or the Grampians (somewhere far from the city), get stoned and just look at the stars.

anything I want right now: I would like more McDonalds, ngl

I really don't have anyone I want to tag in mind who hasn't been tagged. But if you'd like to do it, feel free to have been tagged by me.

Also, really talk. These kinds of memes aren't tracked like traditional posts are, and I want to believe they're older than we give them credit for.

[rizsu]

project: i'm going insane suna rintarō.

sum. when a project brings together two students & possible crushes. ( no part two sry !! )

a quiet room with only the sweet melody of birds singing tales as the sun kisses your skin. ah, how sweet. it's such a blessing—being lost in paradise as you gaze upon the dancing flowers. truly a magicial scenery! oh, how divine. how divine it is indeed—

“students are to pair up with their deskmate for the project.”

right, you're still in class. reality is truly a pain. you really could've been listening to the sweet melody of birds but instead you got the sweet melody of hell (school).

you haven't turned to face your partner yet. you're not gonna face suna rintaro right now—especially not after he witnessed you graciously trip on nothing this morning.

“so are you gonna talk or are you gonna continue looking at me every five seconds from the side of your eye?” suna asked, tilting his head into his palm while he knocks his pen against the desk.

“i'd rather not honestly.”

“i don't care about your excellent fall this morning, y/n.”

that got it. that sentence awards itself as the sentence that made you whip your head to suna.

“don't spread lies. anyways, what're we gonna do for that project?”

raising his eyebrow, suna thinks. what are you guys going to do actually? he's sure that he'd forget about the whole project after three days.

“i dunno,” he shrugs, typing in random numbers into his calculator before continuing, “here, save my number we can talk more about it later.”

leaning into his side of the desk, you secretly pull your phone out from your bag, trying to save his contact as fast as you can before your homeroom teacher turns back facing the class.

“why the fuck did you save me as ‘some hoe’?!”

“mind your business.”

ಇ. AT HOME

it's 7 pm. you're just coming out of the shower, patting your face with a towel before reaching for your phone.

i should text suna, you think. double tapping your screen, you eyes widen slightly in surprise. it seems as though the other party had the same plans as you did.

snickering at the spammed messages, you opened his chat.

“what a fucking loser.” giggling at his text, you place your phone down going back to finishing your nightly routine.

ಇ. NEXT DAY

if there's one word to describe your mood right now it'll be annoyed. it's far too early for anything nor do you have the time and patience to talk with anyone at 06:45 am. releasing your earbuds from its jail, you put both on at max volume and try to continue your previous slumber.

“no way you're sleeping right now.” a soft voice speaks, the owner of the voice wraps his palm around your neck squeezing it a little.

you don't respond. you know what they say, don't respond to the devil!

oh but that doesn't stop suna. not at all! who is he if not your number one bully? suna knows your aware that he's next to you so how dare you ignore him! clicking his tongue, the boy pulls out one of your buds and places it in his ear before sitting down copying the exact way you're sitting.

suna looks at you. his eyes scanning through your features with a small smile. you're pretty, really. he notes every little feature on you mentally—noting how you always have two fringes/braids framing your face, noting how you actually fell asleep, noting how good your music taste is.

lemme save these songs too, suna thinks. he reaches over for your phone before dropping his hoodie on you. it's quite cold this morning and he'd rather not hear your ten-thousand complaints when you wake up from the nap.

──

“CAN YOU NOT WALK SO FAST?!”

“can't help that i'm an athlete.”

“NO ONE CARES! SLOW DOWN A LITTLE.”

it's 5:42 pm, the beams of the evening sky color the area in its glory. it'd be a beautiful scenery if two teenagers weren't bickering down the street.

a young boy, around six feet tall, walks with one hand in his pocket and the other holding a yogurt. behind him stands a young girl, around (your height), walks with anger as she playfully throws her school bag at the boy.

“keep hitting me and see if i won't throw you down the street.” the boy says, wiggling his finger at the girl as he warns her.

“are you trying to tussle and bussle?” the girl answers back, rolling her eyes at him.

“bussle... what is your vocabulary?” the boy questions, fighting back a smile. he finds her sentence amusing.

“don't question it. anyways, can we go to a café?”

“yeah, i'll grab some snacks for my sister too.”

and so, they set off (still bickering).

ಇ. MIDNIGHT

giggling at your convo, you smile hard before coming to realization.

“did i just fucking giggle at suna?!” questioning yourself out loud, you raise one eyebrow before switching off your phone. i'm going insane, you think.

laying down in a starfish position, you look up at the ceiling wondering about your feelings towards the one and only suna rintarō.

do you like him? yes.

is he annoying? yes.

do you like his company? yes.

do you wish to bash his head in with a rock sometimes? yes.

your romantic emotions clash with your platonic emotions which then clashes with your confusion and creates a whole new headache!

i don't have time for this.

meanwhile at suna's

“ayah, do you think i'm crazy?” suna asks. he's sitting at the end of his bed staring at a wall.

“yes!” the little girl answered, playing with her toys as she ignores her older brother's reaction.

ಇ. NEXT DAY

at the school's gym holds two teenagers that sit side by side, judging other students. one student named suna rintarō aggressively chews on his gum agreeing with the words being said as the other named y/n l/n continues to judge.

“y'know the girl in the right's cheating on her boyfriend?” you say, raising your eyebrows at you look at suna.

gasping, suna looks at you, “you're lying oh my god.”

“no i swear. like, if i was her boyfriend i'd just go home right now.” you replied, shrugging your shoulders as you reach for one of suna's gums.

“that's crazy but who are we to judge honestly.” suna says, popping his gum before standing up.

“i have practice until six today—” he stops before leaning down to your ground level, “don't miss me.” he continues, slightly smirking before pinching your cheek.

“hands OFF. and no, i won't miss you.” shoving his hand away, you stand up to walk out the gym with him (even though there's no reason to).

— at suna's.

suna walks into his home, greeting his family before dragging himself up to his room. he's whipped and absolutely battered. sometimes, he thinks he's not cut out for volleyball—well at least not with mr. perfect kita who does indeed follow a properly written routine.

i'm fucking beat, suna thinks. he plops onto his bed face down but immediately turns around. he thinks about the little interaction from earlier today; you guys were close. he's not really a teasing person but he doesn't know what possessed him to get that close—close to the point he could've moved five centimetres and your lips would meet.

you know that little cartoon effect where a red blush rushes from the character's neck to the head? yeah, that's suna right now. he's done and DUSTED.

“this cannot be real.” suna whispers, he thinks he's going insane. no way he can't stop thinking about you. no way. reaching over for his phone, suna looks at the screen before thinking, should i text her or nah.

he goes with the “nah” option and decides to take a nap. maybe he'll sort his feelings out after his nap.

[freakartack]

what made orbulon one of your favorite characters?

Oh my god LOL thats a crazy question. Not because it is crazy to ask, but because it is crazy to answer. I guess i should break this down point by point

Due to my various neurological idiosyncrasies, I have a brain chunk that is specifically dedicated to fucked up little cartoon aliens. I own a frankly embarrassing amount of Marvin the Martian memorabilia and also several collectible items of the cereal called Quisp, which was discontinued in the 1970s*, because it has a little cartoon alien on it. (*it came back on-and-off later and the last time it was discontinued was actually the end of last year, which was very sad for me, the sole Quisp enjoyer in the world.) And yes i am just as insane and anal-retentive about these cartoon aliens as The Big Man Himself. So that was the hook

THEN, I realized that orbulon is not just the typical freaky little megalomaniac alien, but a DEEPLY INSECURE and SURPRISINGLY INTROSPECTIVE freaky little megalomaniac alien. This is important to me for the same reason that I am a fan of the Muppets. His endless internal struggle to not be seen as stupid on a planet full of ants is very compelling to me

Continuing that thought, the fact that despite his dubious motivations he is genuinely enamored with the beauty of both Earth and space really rounds out his character. Not only is he trying his best to connect with the creatures of the Earth after one thousand years of being here and not doing that, but one of his favorite ways to do so is to bring people onto his spaceship and show them the wonders of the cosmos. And I love it every time because on earth he is just a weird thing but when he takes them in his spaceship they are amazed and speechless at the beauty of space...it is like he is letting them into his world, and they can finally see and understand what he sees. Effervescent

Also, the fact that he is so god damn old leads to a lot of fun story opportunities (like it being possible for him to meet the four heroes from ttyd) but also opens the door for some extremely poignant and heart wrenching implications, summed up very subtly by one of my favorite Orbulon quotes:

5. On a similar note, the fact that Orbulon plays it fast and loose with the "alien traits" he has makes it EXTREMELY fun for the biology freak in me to go wild with the speculations. I won't go into it too much here because i've already covered this extensively but just know that this is a very big bullet point.

6. The fact that his luck is constantly in the shitter is very relatable. I like orbulon because things are always happening to him

7. I would be remiss to make a list like this without including his gender. The fact that he shapeshifts so freely for the purposes of both self-expression and disguise is very genderish indeed

8. He's just got a kickass design. The shades that are evocative of both the glassy eyes of a stereotypical grey alien and Men in Black, the amphibian proportions, the awesome wardrobe. The bowling pin head is both inexplicable but also feels effortlessly natural. He's truly got it all. Similarly, the fact that he is a space alien that crash lands onto earth simply because he is shit at driving is such a funny and seemingly obvious direction to take this kind of character, and yet he's the only one I've really seen cash in on that. I like orbulon because things are always happening to him pt. 2

9. We have the same music taste

[swollenbabyfat]

How did you come to draw and paint the way you do? What inspirations do you pull from? All of your art oozes with some strange, almost ethereal emotion I've not quite seen anywhere else, something similar to what I'd like to capture with my own works.

I’ve always had a bit of a hard time answering this bc like…I honestly think aesthetic/inspirational/taste stuff is a library you build up over your whole life, or maybe a closet that you try things on to see what does and doesn’t work for you. My biggest advice to this kinda stuff is to experiment a lot and take in a lot of media in a purposeful way, and try to actively apply things you like about said medias to your work. And don’t just consume stuff within your field, I take inspiration from a ton of stuff that isn’t art. I also recommend having somewhere to keep a kind of reserve of inspo, wether it be on tumblr or Pinterest or what have you.

So with that being said I’ll try to sum up what I can about myself.

I’m a horror lover, have been since I was (too) young. I’ve consumed a ton of horror movies, read a lot of books, and certainly have digested a lot of art about it. I am a bit of a haunted person haha, and I’ve always really attached myself to horror, and with some exception to just purely cute stuff I truly am always thinking about it with my work. I am not really aiming to make people feel comfortable with my stuff, in fact often the opposite, but many feel understood anyways which feels nice. I don’t think horror for horrors sake is always as fufilling to me, it always pulls from something internal that I’ve been wrestling with or are afraid of myself.

I am classically trained in fine art due to the kind of art program my highschool had (magnet program if that means anything to anyone), it was incredibly good and I always feel so lucky I got to go there. Bc of this I learned a lot of techniques in painting as well as the fundamental of art. I don’t think my art would be the way it is without this training, but I also think with how the internet is now you can probably do the same thing at your own pace, just have to be dedicating a decent amount of time and mental energy into it.

Bc of my highschool training I also learned about art history, which had a big impact on me, particularly renaissance, baroque, and rococo. Religious imagery as well had a huge impact on me, particularly catholic (probs cause we learned about it it the most). I would say doing master studies with these would be a huge help.

I would say it’s important to me that each “full” illustration tells a story of sorts, I can’t really help it, I’m a story teller at heart. I use a lot of symbolic imagery, I pull a lot from religious imagery but also within fruit, flowers, personal objects… I think “what am I trying to say with this work” and kind of go from there with what I choose. Make your own personal symbolism language.

There’s like this certainty digital painting aesthetic I really enjoy by niche furry artist lol, many of them really nsfw so I don’t feel comfortable linking to them. It’s like…highly detailed well rendered pieces that they make with literally one brush that is often without any kind of pen pressure, just layering things with opacity. It’s crazy and yeah idk they’re definitely up there in inspo for me.

I really really care about fashion. Lolita was my first love in terms of clothing, and I pull a ton of inspiration from it, but also a lot of other street styles and runways stuff. I like drama and frills.

I play with my art and stories in a way that I don’t know how to describe other than childlike. It’s important for me to do so in my process, but basically, I let my imagination run wild, I talk to my characters, I listen to music and think about them. A lot of my bigger pieces take a lot of time of me thinking about them ahead a time, I draw in my head a lot. Sketchbooks are a huge help in this.

I thiiiiiink that’s all I have to say for now…I could probably list a million things but this feels like a good core to start with. I hope it’s not too vague, but I’m always good to keep answering stuff like this if you wanna know about one part in depth.

[floralcrematorium]

fuck it, band AU time

with my mounting zine deadlines and drawings i owe friends for their b-days, idk if i'll ever get to draw the accompanying material i wanted to, so it is time to yap everyone's ear off. apologies if this is a mess! it's been a hot minute since i've properly spewed my nonsense out loud

i think i wanna talk abt Nat first... I love using Natalya in narrative works -- she's so so interesting to me and the character i've fleshed out the most

in Band AU, Natalya is a solo pop musician whose earlier music takes heavy inspiration from ethereal wave and dark cabaret. artists who frequent the playlist i've made for her are birdeatsbaby, revue noir, and then a bit of the dresden dolls and mirabilis. here's a hyperlink to her WIP playlist!

as for subject matter, her music probably deals a lot with existentialism and self identity

at the start of her career, Nat is very experimental in her sound, presentation, and image. i like to think she sees her music videos and stage performances as a version of semi-abstract performance art. she's very into symbolism

the pop part of her sound comes a bit later, after she starts dating Alfred Jones, the front man of Multifacet, an alternative(?) rock band (gonna be real, i have NOT nailed down what their sound is yet). her relationship with Alfred is mutually unhealthy - they are somewhat codependent and both feel a need to perform due to media pressure. he's using her for her preexisting fame, she uses him to feel the lonely void she feels

Nat cracks under the pressure. She was a very popular artist before dating Alfred, but she had control. When they start dating, her own achievements begin to be overshadowed. Her career becomes inescapably intertwined with Alfred's. She hits an absolute breaking point

as of right now, the sound of nat's music when she's with alfred is a bit like rina sawayama's. i find her voice gorgeous and i like the sound of urgency in the songs I have added to Nat's playlist -- it's a stark difference from her earlier slower music. I think Frankenstein embodies Nat at this point in her career the best

i know billie eilish is WAY too mainstream for Nat's taste, but I can't help but think of The Diner from billie's latest album for the AmeBel breakup...

also I much prefer platonic AmeBel - I think when in a romantic relationship, these two enable the worse parts of one another. however as just friends, they work quite well! anyway the best way I can sum up how I see AmeBel is:

someone else: what do you even see in him? Nat: he makes me laugh. he's stupid. i like that in a man.

I think the constant theme for Nat is a constant searching for a sense of identity because she continually destroys the identity she's built. I think Nat is a little insecure and to truly flourish, she needs to find some confidence. she also needs a good support system, which comes in the form of Tereza (miss Czechia), but I'll talk about them at a different time (wink wink, nudge nudge)

If I have to give you examples of Nat's different "Eras":

Debut: The Silent, The Tragic Tantrum She's having fun. Nat's a bit cryptic, she's eclectic, and enjoys putting on a show on stage. Start of the AU: Girl Anachronism, The Dresden Dolls I associate Girl Anachronism a lot with Nat in general, band AU aside Dating Alfred: Frankenstein, Rina Sawayama The lyrics of this one really hit for Nat. "All I want is to feel beautiful inside and out/You're the one who can save me from myself." This is when AmeBela are mutually codependent Breakup: Nothing Lasts, Glycerine I don't have anything to add other than this is an old personal favorite of mine. That's it. Breakup, but with plot relevance: The Diner, Billie Eilish I really want to use the lines "I'll go back to the diner/I'll write another letter/I hope you'll read it this time/You better" Nat and Al are having a very public breakup, that's all I have to say Healing: Seventeen, birdeatsbaby Nat's like. 27 at the start of this AU, but I think the themes are still relevant. I also LOVE the dramatic and grandiose intro to the song -- I feel like it's a return to form for her... Healing Nat Part Two: I Always Hang Myself With The Same Rope, birdeatsbaby

Nat will get a happy ending. I do need to figure out in more detail in what ways she damages Alfred, but I think with the general theme of the whole AU being a cautionary tale about fame and the effects it has on an individual, I've focused more on the "good ending" route with Nat's story. She has a moment of self realization and puts in the time to work on herself.

[rweoutofthewoods]

Coming here after the new owcm chap (absolute masterpiece) and something that i keep thinking about is the music. As far as i see this has been an important thing to james, finding someone that shares his music taste and i keep thinking about the inevitable future when james will find out that regulus never really liked the music for the right reasons. But then does regulus actually dislike it?? Im not sure if this is an aspect of BPD but regulus has started listening to that type of music because of james that much we know, he is convincing himself that he is lying to him and he is being manipulative and all that. What im wondering about is... is that the self-sabotaging talking. I feel like he actually likes that type of music now despite the fact that he started it bc of james and now its a genuine thing that connects them but regulus' lack of sense of self is preventing him for realising that

or maybe im totally overthinking i just wanted to see if you have something to say about it. i hope i worded it correctly i feel like its a mess of an ask but owcm makes me feel a lot

No you’ve absolutely got it!! Regulus’ thing with James is that he sees his obsession as a lot more evil and manipulative than it actually manifests as.

You’ve absolutely nailed basically the entire fic down with the “Regulus’ lack of sense of self,”that really sums up his character in this fic. Because like, Regulus says oh, he only listens to this music bc James likes it. he dislikes it, yet he doesn’t name the type of music he does actually like. It’s the music Regulus listens to in his free time, when James is around and when he isn’t. And if he truly hated it and only listened to it bc of James, it doesn’t make total sense that he’d listen to it repeatedly and when James doesn’t even know he’s doing it.

But Regulus is very confused about himself and his perception of himself. I’ve tried to show already how he struggles with other’s perceptions of himself vs. what he “knows”. And he shapes who he thinks he is around how he EXPECTS people to perceive him. He describes himself on multiple occasions as off-putting and making other people uncomfortable, yet we’ve never seen anyone else actually describe him that way. He is very prone to self-sabotage and he doesn’t think he deserves James, and that he’s somehow fooled him into their growing relationship.

Anyway, anyway, I went off on a tangent but you clocked my intentions here exactly right and it got me excited!!

Tysm and thanks for dropping your thoughts with me, it made my day Xx

[stevie-petey]

What if bugs favorite song was left by her dad? Like let's say long ago before her dad truly became a dick, he would sit with bug and Dustin and sing to them or teach them to play instruments. I personally think bug is a former daddy's girl ( but I can't be certain cause idk what he was like) so she'd love to hear her dad sing to her and it was just a very sweet moment for them. Well bugs Dad gifts her a little cassette tape of her favorite songs her dad would sing ( let's be real we heard Dustin in never ending story, bug and Dustin had to have got their musical prowess from someone). They're still her favorite despite the bittersweet feelings behind them. She hates her dad for leaving but still cherishes the memories behind the music. It reminds her of a simpler time before all the chaos she's been through. The memory behind it is just her, Dustin and her dad sitting on the porch ( giving mama Henderson a well deserved break). Dustin and bug are little then. Dustin is a toddler and can't quite keep still yet, but still listening to his dad, while bugs right there at his side. It's cool out, mellow wind, calm skies closer to sunset. It's a memory she holds very dear to her, which leads to some complicated feelings, but still it's nice.

my dear anon youre absolutely correct. bug was a daddys girl, she adored her father so much, and while she adores her mom, she recognizes that dustin is more similar to her than she is and that hes the mommas boy.

when the divorce happens, it hurt because not only did bug lose her role model and favorite person in the world, she also lost the parent who knew her best. he taught her everything she knows now, from her taste in comics to the music she likes and how to always be kind to those who may not deserve it. her dad was the reason for all of this, and its why she became so mean and spiteful when he left. how are you expected to continue kindness when the person who taught it to you leaves ?

and ive been careful to not mention any singing stuff yet, because bug CAN sing and its more lore that we will see in season 3 and 4 !!

but to sum up: yes, her favorite song is from her dad, and steve will unknowingly bring warmth back to a cold memory she was haunted by for a long, long time

[thequietesthing]

since everyone is giving their two cents about the new taylor swift album, i’ll also do the same (it’s more like ten cents cause it’s very long sorry)

first of all, this album (i’m talking about ttpd: the anthology with all 31 songs) can be truly appreciated once you hear it at least twice with the lyrics right in front of you. the reason for this, imo, is pretty simple; the first thought i had while listening to this the first time (and be mindful of the fact that my mind was huddled with sleep bc it was very early) is that it sounds like a diary, more than any other of her previous albums. which is why, i think, that the people that don’t particularly like it may never have kept a personal diary in their life. and i’m not talking about gratitude journals, i’m talking about “teenage petulance” written words, with anger, resentment, hope, love and sadness. which would very well explain the lack of “storyline” that i’ve seen people complain about, in the sense that she doesn’t create stories within her songs but only verbose imaginaries. when you write in your diary you use metaphors, analogies and periphrasis but since it’s something raw and yours you don’t need to craft a story about it because the diary it’s something you write for yourself, so you don’t need to make the effort of making something “pretty” as it’s not supposed to be read by anyone else. it often feels like an unending river flow of messy words because that it’s how writing your own feelings looks like. also the fact that she often reports pieces of dialogue she imagines hearing or that someone actually said it’s a very typical trait of diary entries.

second of all, the games of assigning which song to who can be fun for like the first two hours but then it gets very freaking boring. if you don’t understand that everything that she writes she writes about how she feels and about how other people make her feel you have not been paying attention. she is the main character; if the issue for you is whether that song is written for that person instead of another, you are giving more importance to secondary/recurring roles than to her. these are her words, her story. and i’m not saying it’s not fun ok, catching references to ex-boyfriends or other people, but you can’t, and you shouldn’t, make an entire album that she wrote about her personal intimate experiences about someone else.

to circle back to the lyrics, i think that this album may be one of her best works. they are smart on both a linguistic and metaphorical level. as someone who deeply enjoys english as a language i always have the time of my life listening to her albums and her choice of association of words, themes and rhymes.

a last point regarding the tunes. i am by far the last person that knows anything about music, you give me a pretty tune and i usually like it regardless of where is from (cue my very eclectic music tastes) so when everyone said that all the music sounded alike i was like uhmm. when i heard it a second time (guys the key it’s really in this!!!) i was like no they are different from one another. but also, and this may be a little far fetched so feel free to disagree but it’s what i perceived, is that in this album she may have put much more effort in the lyrics than in the music. not always obvs she is a musician after all, but i think that the turning point here, the thing that she wants us to pay attention to, are the lyrics (also why it’s called tortured poets department and not tortured musicians department :))

to sum everything up, i really really enjoyed this album when i listened to it the first time but i’m appreciating her skills and understanding her lyrics more the second time around. it’s an album that has to be let marinate, like a sauce, otherwise is gonna taste a bit acidic. anywho this is just my opinion, i just needed to tell it to someone and the irl people in my life are not willing to listen, so people of tumblr you are the unfortunate recipients of my two cents on ttpd :)

[penroseparticle]

Curation 2024: Flesh and Marble

Hey! You got an hour?

I love curation. I like taking the unending deluge of information, of sensations, of stuff that the world throws at us, and I just. I think one of the kindest, most gentle things you can do for another person is say "look at this. Decision paralysis is banished, information overload is dead, check out this story I've created. Look at these specific rocks out of the infinite combinations of rocks there are. Not just these rocks, but this order. See the narrative? There's a through line, if you look. Trust Me. Take my hand."

I love making playlists for that exact reason. You almost have to make them like throwing pots, with a reckless abandon that allows for a stroke of inspiration. But also, you kind of have to be allowed to let a few off the wheel lumpy and potential but not fully realized. You gotta Get Down with the concept of failure. To burn through them until you find just the right combination of songs that captures a feeling, a time, a memory. A museum of music.

I like museums because they are, more than anything, a signpost for what we find important. A landmark. The public art of city streets given form in an art museum, sometimes even through that same public art, often divorced of context, because museums don't let themselves be weird enough. To commit to the bit enough.Too few museums truly curate, truly immerse in the story. Give you a reason to follow the threads they lay. You start to almost resent it. Get in your feelings. Feel Sum Kinda Way. But once you learn to speak museum, you realize that they can only meet you halfway, and you are your own curator as you wander hallowed halls and learn about building materials, about Rothko, about postage stamps. You pick your own adventure. And you fall in love with museums all over again.

So when I find a museum or something that I enjoy, I just. Lose It. I want to share it. I want to take you along and say "LOOK AT THIS. How Does It Make You Feel." I want you to share in the wonder, and the marvel. So sometimes I even write. Sometimes I say, I can enchant you, ensnare you. I can bring you along the line, into the fold, I can capture a sunray for the length of a paragraph. Time frozen in amber, in service of you seeing just a touch of the magic.

I almost died again this year. Maybe more than once. There's Comedy in death. Even near death. We have to let ourselves laugh at it. We stay silly right? You can't greet death as an old friend if you're scared of him. But you can't chase after him either. He's coy. He's shy. He'll come when he's ready. And I'm not ready now either.

I don't think I'm as scared anymore though. I wouldn't say You're My Best Friend, Death. But you're certainly no stranger. You're not someone I would turn away, and I would share a drink with you. I would be tender, I think. You have it rough too.

I think this year of all things I'm falling in love again. I fell out of love with life, a while back. It was rough and it was scary and I didn't feel like myself. And I still don't, but we all know time pulls us forward, yadda yadda, you can't step into the same river twice, you are a construct and all constructs are ever changing, time stole my front porch; can't have shit in ship of theseus. I Want To Know Your Plans, time, but the future is that quote from Nightvale, always flinching first, leaving me only a present.

So I'm different now. In the present. In some ways worse. in some better. I think I'm gentler, at least I hope so. I want to be kinder. I want to treat people with care. And I want to share an idea to cap off this year, because I want to have curated my own experience, and maybe I can help you fall in love with life again too. Next year is going up, because I am on the Up and Up.

I can't get past the idea of choice. What makes the gardener pick flowers or weeds? The tastes of the gardener. What they cultivate, what they choose. They curate their garden and all of living is just. This same action again and again, on larger or smaller scales. When I was little I tried to get into Rollerblades. I thought they were super cool, I thought I'd be a cool kid in rollerblades. But I was drawn to biking. I still bike now. You can stand, if you dare, with the wind blowing through you, wheels turning all on their own, you king of the world on your personal palantir. You can pump your legs and get your heart singing and I can't imagine my life if I'd picked rollerblades. You know?

I started chasing an idea halfway through this, but to loop back to what I wanted to explain is- I want to curate my experience of this year. I want to be able to point to this year down the line and show just why it mattered- not for the time everyone will think, but the time that happened after. I looked at my life and said, I can Make It Better. I can rebuild it, different this time. I can be me, but a little further down the river. A few more boards replaced.

Can I do it? Can I Be Him? The me I want to be, the one who took this year and kindled something bright? I miss my surety. I miss my certainty. Everything feels like a big muddy middle right now, and I don't think I can ever reach as high or as low as I once did. But I think I can be steadily climbing up. Boot up bitch, the stairs are slippery but it turns out you have nothing but time.

My mom wants me to move home. She's scared, for me, out here "alone". She doesn't think my friends took good care of me, given what happened in March. I can't blame her. I wasn't taken good care of. I wouldn't let people, I hid it all. I was ashamed. I was embarassed. It's Hard To Live In The City, but not for the reasons my mom thinks- there's so much going on here. There's so much information and so many things to know and see and do, you can hide in plain sight. You can craft a narrative. You can shape the experience so that what you are, what you need, who you have become is hidden.

I know now that I need to be seen, to be known. I need other people to get who I am. But I'm not Fred Astaire- I can't be someone to everyone, even just a name. I have to curate (sick of me yet?) my own experience. My own image. I have to choose who my audience is now. It's tougher to decide who is worth your attention (And it is attention- that's all an audience is). It feels like gardening. Who's a flower and who's a weed. I don't like it. But you have to, to live. And I'm tired of not living.

And so I walk forward from my own Easter rebirth. Shaky legged, on stilts like Bambi, just becoming a new man. I hate it but you make yourself every day, don't you? Why would now be any different. I'm just more aware of it. It'll fade, with time. Like the scar it is. But I don't want to forget this feeling. I want to remember it. To have a story to tell that circles around it, gives it edges and definition. And so I wrote this.

It's part playlist. It's part poetry. It's prose, but it's prosaically just a list of songs as well. I sat down to write and my hands started moving, and I got here, with you. Are you still with me? I'm glad. I'm glad I'm still here, and I'm glad you're here with me. I'm even glad I'm still awake,writing this instead of sleeping. What's The Time Where You Are? Here it's late-about 1AM. And I have to finish this, I'm almost done. I wanted to leave you somewhere better than we started. This story is going up, remember?

I've picked a better audience, actually. That's a good first step. They're not the King Of My Heart, but they might be as close as it gets. I feel sweet. I feel simple. I feel at ease. But more importantly I feel like I can do. I can accomplish. I can rest. I can recover. I can just. Be.

Maybe this music isn't to your liking. But that's ok, I Don't Mind. I didn't make it for you to fall in love with. I made it to make you fall in love with the idea. I want you to curate your own life. You have to. Or you're not living. I want you to love the life that you've made. I don't love mine yet. But I want to, and I'm going to. And that's that on that.

I guess the elephant in the room is, why Flesh and Marble? Why not Clay, like old man Ozymandius? It ties better to the throwing pots above. Of getting muddy biking, of being down in the dirt before rising three days later. Even now I'm thinking that Feet of Clay is a much better title. But I like Flesh and Marble. The first song I put on here was a similar title structure. But I didn't want to give the concept air time, actually- too close to March for my liking, although the song was great. It just wasn't the vibe. But the name was close. And the artist. Armani Caesar. What a name! So I guess. The title is an oblique reference. A circumnavigation of the problem. A polite, detached nod to the impetus whilst giving it no credit.

But yeah. I hope you've listened, as you've gone. The songs matter a great deal to me this year, and they almost always do. I'm sappy and I stick to a song once I love it. I'll love it for 10 years. 20 years. 100 years. I attach so fast, and sometimes forever, if indelibly.

Curate your life. Build something of value. And by god find beauty or you'll die.

Peace.

[whoopsiesnodaisies]

my friends to lovers slowburn, soft relationships, pining, oblivious feelings, stolen glances, heart skipping a beat when they hold your hand, feel like you are whole when they are with you, going feral over them laughing and smiling, gossiping with them, seeing them doing the most random thing and watching them with a unconscious smile on your face, doing unhinged things and then you are both are rolling around on the floor laughing, listening them talk about anything and everything, listening to songs and thinking about them, 'cause all of the small things that you do are what remind me why i fell for you', 'maybe its the way you say my name', wolfstar obsessed ass... NEEDS MARYLENE!! pls...

[not forcing you to write them but this is someone's post about marylene and it just kinda sums up how i feel about them...so in case you ever decide to write them hehe pls do !! ]

[also what do you think about this ship?]

*I actually REALLY like Marylene and they've been close to being background in a few of my fics now! Somehow my love of slutty Mary and Dorlene beats them out most times. I don't think I have it in me to start another WIP or oneshot for them rn, but since you asked so nicely I will write a little something for you now!*

Mary had the worst taste in music, at least according to Marlene. Marlene hated disco, but she let Mary play her records over and over anyway, just to see Mary smile. Marlene thought maybe that was how it truly started, listening to ABBA in broad daylight with Mary as if it were some kind of secret between them. Marlene looked to Mary and felt a slow growing warmth that hadn't been there before as Mary began to dance around the floor. Mary didn't care that Marlene was watching, or maybe, she wanted Marlene to watch. Marlene thought perhaps that was when things changed from just being friends.

Mary, on the other hand, knew exactly when she fell in love with Marlene. Mary remembered it clearly, they were sitting in their bathroom. Marlene had decided to cut her hair, she had made the dreadful mistake of chopping it quickly off. The haircut was hideous, but Mary still thought that Marlene could be a goddess. Mary sat with Marlene in the bathroom, carefully trimming off the blonde locks, running her hands through her friends hair. When they were done, after the haircut was prolonged much more than it needed to be, Marlene said a simple "Thanks, Mare! You're the best." That was when Mary knew.

[anxiouspotato]

Hi! It's that time of the year again! So... if you've never seen me on this blog, let me introduce myself! I'm @onedirectiontwoways, @anxiouspotato's twin sister! And, since May is our birthday month, she always lets me pick out a song for May! (Prepare yourself for unnecessary rambling...) So, if you didn't previously know, we have VASTLY different tastes in music. Like, actually. It's truly incredible how different our tastes are. To be fully honest, I was really unsure of what song to submit to her for May. She has screenshots of the list I had sent to her of a ton of songs. To be fully honest, I was unsure all the way up until sometime early this morning. But then I kinda got to thinking about a good song that would be able to sum everything up perfectly. And the song I came up with was "Good Times" by the band All Time Low. Here's the thing. We're both at the point in our lives where it kinda looks like we're going to be seperate for a bit. Which is a strange thought to me. Here's this person that I've spent my entire life with so far, and we aren't going to be able to see each other every single day. Weird. And this song kinda wraps everything up. Last year I had chosen the song "The Messenger" (Linkin' Park), which also helped convey my thoughts. So, here's another song kinda like that. That just really says everything in a song form. Plus, I can get on her weak side, since this song was also made into an orchestral version. Enjoy!

Lyrics:

On a fault line, late night

Underneath the stars we came alive

And singing to the sky just felt right

I won't forget the good times

While the punks started picking fights

With the skater kids under city lights

Remember how we laughed 'til we cried

I won't forget the good times

I never want to leave this sunset town

But one day the time may come

And I'll take you at your word

And carry on

I'll hate the goodbye

But I won't forget the good times

I won't forget the good times

Bare-knuckled, tight lip

Middle fingers up, ego trip

Devil may care but we didn't mind

I won't forget the good times

We're the boys in black smoking cigarettes

Chasing girls who didn't know love yet

As the bonfire mood came down

I won't forget the good times

I never want to leave this sunset town

But one day the time may come

And I'll take you at your word

And carry on

I'll hate the goodbye

But I won't forget the good times

I won't forget the good times

When we laughed

When we cried

Those were the days

We owned the night

Wiped away

Lost in time

I found the nerve

To say that

I never want to leave this sunset town

But one day the time may come

And I'll take you at your word

And carry on

I'll hate the goodbye

But I won't forget the good times

I won't forget the good times

Songs/ Performances/ Music video:

[suhana21]

Turn your wedding into a seamless and elegant event: With Professional DJ Expertise

Weddings are special moments of life that celebrate the unbreakable bond between two persons. From selecting the best catering services and an enchanting venue to choosing the best audio and video services for weddings in Northern Virginia and beyond, couples do their best to make the day delightful and memorable. A professional wedding DJ does more than play sophisticated background music. Here is why wedding DJs have become an indispensable part of modern weddings.

Expertise in Music Selection Whether it is the first dance or the last good night melody, DJs curate a music selection that reflects the diverse moods of the event. Whether you want them to play mellow melodies like 'Everything' by Michael Bublé and Jason Mraz’s 'I'm Yours' or a timeless romance number by Etta Jame, or the most loved wedding numbers presenting super hit songs like Best Day of My Life or Sweet Caroline, a professional wedding can turn your wedding into something worth reflecting. High-Quality Sound Equipment Everyone wants to listen to the 'I dos', the announcements, and the heartfelt wedding speeches. This is possible when the event has top-class audio equipment. Professional DJ sound and video service providers in Northern Virginia and beyond are technically qualified to provide the best sound system that delivers clear audio throughout the wedding venue. Seamless Event Coordination Professional wedding DJs know the art of event collaboration. To do this, they offer a consultation before the wedding to know the musical taste and vision of the organizers. On the big day, they seamlessly orchestrate sound and music. From songs and lighting to making announcements, they confirm that the special moments are accentuated and well-coordinated. Smooth transition and mixes Wedding DJs are trained to smoothly transition between songs that match the flow of the event. They plan the track list well in advance and use crossfading to transition. They are pro at reading the crowd and choose songs that are similar in genre to keep the energy in harmony.

Creating the Perfect Atmosphere The DJs create an enchanted ambiance by integrating music with the power of lighting. They enchant the event using a warm glow during the vows and relatively rich hues during the cocktail hours. Their flawless music also adds to the aura that guests remember for years. Specialized Genre Expertise Each wedding is unique, and wedding DJs can elevate the celebration by playing music from different eras to keep the guests entertained. They prepare a list of musical tracks that match the wedding theme. Backup and Contingency Plans Any unforeseen problems can arise even after concrete planning. Experienced DJs can adjust and are committed to continuity. They are well-prepared with every piece of equipment and are technically well-versed to handle any technical issues. They bring an extra set of sound systems to lighting fixtures so that the event goes without any hitch. Memorable Guest Experience Wedding DJs know exactly how to make the event memorable. While some may organize games and play the choicest songs, others may coordinate special dances or even set up a karaoke session where guests can sing their favorite song and have fun. They guarantee that everyone in the event enjoys, thus making the event truly memorable. Summing Up Employing the top DJ services in Northern Virginia for a wedding can transform the special day everyone will recall for years. If you are looking for an audio and video service provider, trust StratAV Sound & Video Services to offer DJ service, ambient lighting, karaoke sessions, and live sound in Northern Virginia.

[odonmytokblogs]

How do we know that art is good?

This topic has been debated through the lens of objectivity, and subjectivity of art for centuries by philosophers such as Socrates and Plato. One can argue that personal taste, culture, and message can make art “good,” but there is also something to be said about the objective patterns that we find in the world around us. The golden ratio, symmetry, and other forms of patterns that we find in nature are naturally more appealing to the eye. It is undeniable that some of the greatest, and most acclaimed pieces of art follow these rules. 

One way of gauging if art is good, is by its popularity. Now, many people may argue that popular art, be it music, painting, or even performance that is more popular doesn't have as much merit as some of its indie counterparts. However, isn't there something about what makes these artworks so popular that must set them apart? And if so, does it make them good (or in this case, better)? Is art being more appealing to more people good? I would argue that in part, yes, it does make them good, to a certain extent of course. If thousands or millions of people are all recognizing the beauty of a piece of art then there certainly is some type of merit within that particular piece. Nobody is obliged to like popular art, but in a society where being individualistic is praised, a lot of people are hesitant to say that they can appreciate the most popular music, or the most famous painting, even if it truly is their favorite. I find myself doing this all of the time. I'm hesitant to say that I like a song that's on the radio because that is feeding into my fear of being “ basic,”  which is really just a trap. What is so wrong about being basic? Do we fear that one aspect of our personality will define us, and remove a sense of importance from ourselves and our identity? All of these questions are very complex, and would require a deeper dive into the cultural structure of today, and how these said structures have created such an individualistic, and often narcissistic world. 

Another interesting aside is the possibility that we find “bad” art appealing. I  know that I can certainly recognize that a piece of art is subpar, or objectively bad, but regardless, I can still enjoy that piece of art for what it's worth. others may not see in the same way that I do, but because of my bias and personal experience, I may deem this otherwise mediocre piece of art a masterpiece, and that is okay. In these contacts, it is important to remember that oftentimes art can be  subjective, and that not every piece that you like or enjoy has to be “good.” This concept is semi-oxymoronic, and could be summed up very well by the saying “so bad it's good.” Sometimes something goes so far in one direction that it actually goes the other. It is the same as when something is so cold that it feels like it is burning, even if it is not. 

At the end of the day, I don’t think I am qualified to provide a true say on what makes art “good,” but I can certainly say what I enjoy for now. With that being said, here are some song recommendations: 

Sixteen Saltines by Jack White 

Possession by Sarah McLachlan 

Raspberry Swirl by Tori Amos 

Taco Truck x VB by Lana Del Rey 

Ageless Beauty by Stars 

Debra by Jockstrap 

Peace!

[astralspidey]

everywhere

i see her everywhere.

i see her in paintings, not ones of vast and beautiful sceneries, but silly ones of animals. walls covered in artwork of dogs from throughout history, not a single one the same, yet all of them had us whispering in amusement, as to not disturb the others present, over the ridiculous names given to these poor creatures.

i see her in nature, not in flowers or the leaves, but through swirling, changing patterns in the bark of trees. it brings me back to the first piece of her art she ever explained to me, and the history behind its inspiration and everything that made it so truly important to her.

i see her in my playlists, not in a way of curating them for her, but in the subtle impact she had on my entire music taste forever. songs of sapphic yearning, how true they became. the one playlist that was for her, that she never got to see. a collection of melodies that summed up everything she made me feel. one that doesn’t include all those emotions from after.

i see her in crowded train platforms, not in a panicked haze, but rather a feeling of peace. even with hundreds of commuters flitting around us, all i could see was her. all i could feel was her. all i could hear, think, focus on, was her. it wasn’t so much a feeling that it was just the two of us in the area, more so all that mattered in that moment was her. she was all that mattered for many more moments after that, too.

i see her in coffee shops, not physically of course, but in little details. incorrectly spelt names on coffee cups, something which kept us entertained longer than maybe it should have. seemingly endless menus which were awful for two indecisive people to have to choose from. the non-coffee options, because she didn’t overly like caffeine but knew i had more life in my eyes after a warm cappuccino. this was the first time we’d met, and yet it felt like she truly knew me.

i see her in animals, not your typical dogs or cats, but in pigeons. she cared for them deeply it seemed, telling me about times she watched them rather than focusing on an essay, doodling them as well as she could due to their distance from the window. a creature that not many would give a second thought to, but one that captured her attention so deeply that even when sitting peacefully in a train station with thousands of passers-by to people watch, she’d spot them in seconds with a gaze full of wonder.

i see her in many things, not in obscure ways that are so unique it’s be hard not to, but in small day-to-day sights, smells, objects. it’s difficult to deal with these thoughts when they bubble up, but sometimes, selfishly, i let them linger. i let myself imagine the ‘what could’ve been’, wonder about what other details i would’ve learnt about her, what other things i would see her in.

the thing about yearning that no one really warns you about, is the after. when everything you knew about them doesn’t go away with them, it just lingers. the memories of what it once was, and what it could’ve been. and you’ll see them, you’ll see them in the little things. everything, and everywhere.

[spinstrackingsystem]

Country Newcomer Makenzie Phipps’ New Single “A Little Of Both” Is Available Now

Country music singer-songwriter Makenzie Phipps is excited to announce the release of her latest single “A Little Of Both.” Premiered by Taste of Country, “A Little Of Both” highlights life’s ups and downs while using opposites to explain that sometimes you don’t have to choose, but rather enjoy both! “Jack Daniels or Jim Beam, Mick Jagger or McCartney, I’ll have a little of both” sums up the single while “I roll with the punches, it gets me where I’m going” truly paints the portrait that you can’t control life, but you can enjoy the ride! “A Little Of Both” was written by Vanessa Olivarez, Elizabeth Elkins, and Sonia Leigh, and produced by Sal Oliveri (Chris Stapleton, Garth Brooks, Keith Urban). To view Makenzie Phipps’ premiere with American Songwriter, visit HERE. To purchase/stream “A Little Of Both,” visit HERE. “I want to thank Taste of Country for premiering my new single,” shares Phipps. “I had so much fun getting to chat about everything I have going on and I appreciate all y’all are doing for me. I know so many people out there will relate to this song in their own way and I can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks about it!” As part of a recent meeting with legendary singer-songwriter Lacy J. Dalton, Phipps recorded an acoustic video of Lacy J. Dalton’s timeless hit, “16th Avenue.” Premiered by American Songwriter, Phipps’ acoustic performance honors Dalton’s contribution to country music and coincides with the 40th Anniversary of its original release. Read the full article