#while the en definitely feels more like generic pop lyrics

[birbsong]

I will say, once again, the lyrics to the cn and en op are VERY different

[success-and-corruption]

Macabre Album Review

DEG's second album! Oh yeah!

Track 1: Deity

This first track is definitely very interesting. It starts with a sleigh bell and then quickly turns into ominous chanting of some sort. Very spooky but also very different from their previous work which shows how versatile these five musicians are. The chanting eventually stops and we're met with heavy guitars and bass with Shinya playing a steady beat and Kyo vocalizing with a woman’s voice eerily making sounds. It sounds like he's gasping for breath (see what I did there)? That section ends and a clean guitar is played for a few seconds before the song goes back to the heavy riff after the chanting but this time Kyo sings in Russian to the tune of Johannes Brahms' "Fifth Hungarian Dance." This song definitely feels very religious to me which I suppose fits because the case for Macabre has prayer (?) beads in it.

I think Deity showcases DEG’s experimental side and sets the foundation for the rest of the album and it shows that DEG took a very different turn and became a bit darker.

Track 2: Myaku

Is this track in 3/4? 4/4? 5/4? 6/4?

Yes to all of the above. In the booklet it's indicated that this song was written by DIR EN GREY so no individual member wrote it specifically but the band definitely had some fun with time signatures in this one. Myaku was released as a single which is a bit different from the album version but I'm not reviewing the single. This song definitely departs from their late 90s VK sound which in my opinion is a good thing as it showed that DEG wanted to become more serious musicians. Plus, this track has one of my favorite basslines but I never got around to learning how to play it. Myaku is a chaotic song but it fits very well with Macabre.

Track 3: Wake/Riyuu

My boy Die does it again. This song is one of my favorites on the album and despite it being written by a guitarist, Toshiya’s bass really drives this track but we can’t forget the soaring guitars in the beginning and in the chorus. Kyo’s vocals are also great. Fantastic rhythm, instruments that all work very well together, and Kyo’s clean vocals? What’s not to like? This song really gets me moving for some reason. Not nearly as chaotic as Myaku, but Wake/Riyuu provides a nice structure and a consistent time signature (4/4) which is good contrast in my opinion. 

Track 4: Egnirys Cimredopyh +) An Injection

Everyone probably knows this by now by  Egnirys Cimredopyh = hypodermic syringe backwards. Despite that, this song isn’t about intravenous drug use. Kyo references a “white powder” a lot in this song and in one part of the song he sings “I started to speak to the wall with my lower half” (of course he sings that in Japanese) so I think this song is about abusing a drug called kakuseizai and... ejaculating onto a wall? To my knowledge cocaine isn’t very popular in Japan and kakuseizai (roughly translated to “stimulant” in English) is a type of methamphetamine that is used to improve pleasure during sex. Anyway as the lyrics progress it’s clear that the person in the song is battling between his good and bad side. They’re aware that their drug use is stripping them of their sanity but can’t stop and eventually gives in and “kills” the good side. In regards to the musicality of the song, again I really like the bassline (probably because I play bass) but the solos in the song, both bass and guitar, are seriously lacking in substance for me. However the rest of the song is fun to move around to i.e. it has a nice rhythm. 

Track 5: Hydra

“I wanna be an anarchist”

“Dead born”

“Sid Vicious, suspicious”

What are those lyrics??? This song is another experimental one with electronic sounds throughout. It’s also fast-paced and has another chant near the end of the song that breaks it up nicely. Lyrically there’s not much I have to say but this song is definitely one of DEG’s most interesting sounding. I’m sorry that I don’t have more to say. 

Track 6: Hotarubi

Hotarubi... what a beautiful song. It was very clearly written by Shinya. This track is, in my opinion, one of DEG’s best ballads but I think it goes on for too long but that’s just a very minor complaint. The strings complement the rest of the instruments and the part from 2:40-3:42 is stunning, with a surprising violin solo and a woman breathily vocalizing. Everything in this song works so well together except for the loud buzzing halfway through and Hotarubi never fails to evoke an emotional response within me. If it weren’t too long for my liking I would listen to it on repeat. At a certain point I just get bored. Also I think this song would be better suited towards the end of the album where the songs become more melodic.

Track 7: 【KR】cube

I’m not sure what【KR】cube means but what a fun song. Toshiya starts it out with that funky bass that we all know and love and then it transforms into a fast-paced song with a very nice rhythm on the guitars and Kyo’s clean vocals come in which is always nice to hear. I like the speed and rhythm of this song as it offers a pleasant difference from Hotarubi which is a very slow song. The chorus is very catchy as well 

Kururi, furari, fuwari, kurari

Kururi, furari, fuwari, kurakurari

and so on. The music video is fun for this one. We love Hitman Die. 

Track 8: Berry

This song is easy to figure out from the beginning dialogue of an English girl apologizing but then promising to blow her parents’ head off like raspberry jam (spoiler: she does at the end of the song). This one has more of a punk vibe and it’s kind of a fun song. What I can say is that I’ve never heard a song that features parents yelling at a child as part of a breakdown. It’s a good song but in my opinion it doesn’t really fit with the Macabre sound.

Track 9: Macabre -Sanagi no Yume wa Ageha no Hane-  

WOW what a song this is. I believe that this eleven minute prog rock masterpiece was the first song I learned on the bass (go big or go home). I love Shinya’s drums in the beginning and as soon as the other instruments come in you just know you’re in for a journey. This song has a great composition with all of the instruments and vocal layers but I suppose I should get into the specifics. The beginning (after the drums) starts with guitars that, in my opinion, portray a certain sadness while the bass drives the the song. Kyo’s voice is great in this one and also portrays that same sadness. After the first two verses clean guitars come in which is a nice contrast from the beginning but this song truly comes alive during the instrumental breakdown where there’s a guitar playing a repeating riff while insects buzz and a church organ plays in the background. It then switches to Kaoru and Die playing the same notes but alternating between electric and acoustic guitars. The breakdown ends with a very beautiful solo and Kyo singing in a higher register and making slurping sounds which makes sense if you follow the lyrics. There’s a bass solo which is always nice to hear. 

I think I’ve written too much about this song so I’m going to go on to...

Track 10: Audrey

What exactly were they trying to accomplish here? Country rock? It doesn’t fit with the album and it doesn’t even fit with DEG’s sound in general. I never listen to this song so I don’t have much to say about it. 

Track 11: Rasetsukoku

This song fits much better with Macabre, but only marginally. It’s definitely more speed metal which at this point in DEG’s music career hasn’t really done. It’s fun to listen to but the composition is quite simple and it tends to be sort of repetitive. I do like the bass in the beginning but the guitars in this song are kind of boring to me.  Maybe I should give it more credit. 

Track 12: Zakuro

I have mixed feelings about this song. It’s very emotional but maybe too emotional. It starts out kind of slow but I like Kaoru and Die’s parts in the beginning because they harmonize very well. I think this song has one of the most beautiful guitar solos they’ve ever written and it conveys the sadness that is the central focus of this song. My problem with it (and it’s a minor one) is that it’s definitely better live. 

Track 13: Taiyou no Ao

Another favorite on this album. Once again there’s a great bassline and while the song itself sounds sort of like a pop song the lyrics are rather sad. The prominent bass complements the guitars and if Shinya wanted a workout routine he could play this song a few times and he would get pretty buff. Can you imagine a buff Shinya? Neither can I. It just seems like his drums never stop for almost the entire song. It’s a nice way to close the album because it contrasts with the very dark-sounding Deity and it leaves me feeling good, albeit a bit sad because of the lyrics.

So that’s it. Can you tell I got a bit tired near the end? All in all I give this album 7/10. It’s a great album but there are some real duds in my opinion but it’s not my least favorite by any stretch. I’ll be reviewing all ten albums so you’ll find out which one I like the least...

As always feel free to comment your thoughts! I would like to connect with my followers a bit more.

[putschki1969]

「KEIKO Live K002 ＊＊Lantana＊咲いたよ＊＊」Live Report

■KEIKO Live K002 ＊＊Lantana＊咲いたよ＊＊ Day & Time：2020/12/16　Doors open: 18:00／Start: 19:00 Venue：Zepp DiverCity TOKYO Live Stream Option: https://stagecrowd.live/4182631157/ Streaming Ticket Sale: 12/1 12:00～12/23 13:00 Ticket Price: 3,000円 Archive: 12/16～12/23

Everyone, SUPPORT Keiko and GO BUY a ticket if you haven’t yet!! (TUTORIAL) It was a REALLY cool live! Keiko was adorable! Koichi Korenaga and Hitoshi Konno added so much to so many songs with their guitar and violin. Also, we got May’n and KEIKO singing to the beginning, a May’n song AND a Christmas song together, all those collabs were AMAZING!!!

KEIKO in a leather jacket on stage. YESSSS!!! What more does a fangirl want? :P And she is wearing what seems to be a red skirt an embellished Christmas-y black top.

Find my first impression below the cut 〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

1.Be Yourself: Still doesn’t sound good live. Not at all. Her version from the first live performance might actually have been better than this. I think she shouldn’t start her lives with this song. I feel like she needs to be more warmed-up to go this high. 

2.ミチテハカケル (?): New song. She did tease us on Twitter that there would be some new songs performed at the live but I wasn’t expecting this. Meh...Another more or less forgettable up-tempo song that is not really up my alley. Kinda like Change the World’s Color. Her vocals improved a bit though compared to Be Yourself.

MC: She promises to interact with her online audience once May’n comes on stage. YAY!

3. Hajimari wa: Finally we are getting somewhere. The start of the concert was a bit bumpy but this is a solid performance. 

4. 溜め息の消える街 (Tameiki no Kieru Machi): Another solid performance. By now you know this is not my cup of tea but the live version is enjoyable enough (especially since she is not singing super high).

MC: Hitoshi Konno comes on stage. Keiko remembers their first meeting back in the day. It was for a recording for the Sound Horizon live in 2008. Keiko was super excited to have live strings at the studio and she really idolised Konno back then for his gorgeous playing. She was dying to meet him because so far she had only heard his playing. She was imagining a figure like Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon coming out of the recording booth. But then only Konno came out XD Needless to say, Keiko was quite disappointed. Konno doesn’t seem to remember or he was barely listening to Keiko it seems XD He really has no idea why Keiko is telling us all of this. Keiko says she just wanted to try talking freely about something random.

5. Ray: Ohhhh, the first song I REALLY love from the performance. Ray benefits a lot from the added violin. And Keiko sounds great.

6. 夕顔 (Yugao): YESSSSSSSSS! I was hoping they would use Konno’s violin for this. The intro and bridge were so gorgeous. And the end literally killed me. I LOVED Keiko’s live rendition so much, her expressive vocals hit me right in the feels. 

7. 茜 (Akane): Live violin FTW. Will forever love the verses. The chorus sounds better than in her first live (still not good though - that nobashite mo and kawakasu are just a little too painful for my poor ears). 

MC: Let’s say hello to May’n. May’n is happy to have been asked to appear as guest in Keiko’s live. She is nervous and excited because it has been a while for her to do a live with an audience (+ a live stream). Keiko is going to sing Kalafina together with May’n! BANZAI. On a side note, they are so freaking cute together. May’n is complaining because Keiko so nonchalantly announced that they would be singing a Kalafina song. She thinks this is very special for all of us so it sould be announced accordinly :P Keiko is in a hurry to start singing :P

8. to the beginning: WOW, WOW, WOW! Keiko SLAYS!!! *sobs* The feels!!! And I don’t even like ttb all that much. Keiko got so emotional towards the end. And she sounded better than ever and was obviously so excited to sing a Kalafina song again. Didn’t reallypay much attention to May’n’s vocals. Obviously she is not Wakana.

MC: The excitement is real. May’n loves ttb and has listened to it MANY MANY times so to get to sing it together with Keiko was awesome. Keiko seems to share the sentiment. She is impressed by May’n stage presence and steadiness. Keiko then congratulates May’n on her 15th Anniversary. They finally take a look at the chat for a little while. Keiko is greeting everyone with “yahoo” which everyone in the chat seems to find hilarious because we have never really heard her say this. Someone watches from Korea so Keiko shares some Korean words she knows :P Lots of Macho-senpai talk XD Keiko explains the origin of macho-senpai. It’s from a program Kalafina atteneded and May’n hosted back in the day. Both of them like muscle training so May’n came up with the nickname of macho-senpai for Keiko even though Keiko isn’t even macho or anythin. May’n was shocked to realise that the nickname gained so much popularity and now it is even on Keiko’s Wikipedia page! May’n looks up to Keiko and wants to become macho like her which is why Keiko is “macho-senpai” for her. Keiko denies being macho but May’n is like, “you do so much sports, you are so cool, you love to eat meat, you generally eat a lot (and still stay so thin), you are definitely macho!!!” LOL Keiko thinks about calling May’n Maycho but May’n isn’t into it and she thinks the audience doesn’t like that nickname either even though they can’t see anyone’s face but she sees it in their eyes XD Her HOLA to Mexico is so cute. The tablet is getting heavy so they decide to return it. They are so touchy-feely with each other. And now they are singing a May’n song.

9. graphite / diamond: Never heard it but they rocked the stage together. SO COOL. 

MC: Time for Koichi Korenaga. Lots of cat talk (fyi Kore-chan owns a cat). It’s called JOJO (Jocchan) and Kore-chan often posts pictures on Twitter. Keiko could talk forever about JOJO with Kore-chan.

10. 笑ってやる (Waratte Yaru): Another new song! With lots of English lyrics! Liking this A LOT more than ミチテハカケル I think. So badass. I am into it.

11. エンドロール (End Roll): Is still freaking cool. A mic-stand makes everything better!! Great transition from Waratte Yaru. 

12. Change the World’s Color: While I am not a big fan of the studio live I do quite enjoy her live performances due to her being so enthusiastic. But End Roll and Waratte Yaru are much superior!

MC: Korenaga is about to leave when Keiko reminds him there is one more song to sing XD But before that: Band member introduction. She forgot the guitarist’s full name :P

13: 七色のフィナーレ (Nanairo no Finale):  With both Koichi Korenaga and Hitoshi Konno. BANZAI. Sounds even more like a YK song now. Konno adds so much to the arrangement. Although I think they should have gotten rid of some of the super pop-ish elements of the arrangement to fit the violin more but oh well, it didn’t take away from my listening pleasure. Her final lalala part and the last bit hit differently. So emotional. She obviously felt at home with Konno and Korenaga at her side. So beautiful. Her vocals were a tiny bit better during K001 though and she did make a mistake at one point where her voice literally broke but I am not sure if it was because she was emotional or if she was just exhausted from singing so many up-tempo and high-key songs in a row.

ENCORE: An instrumental of Jingle Bells. May’n is back on stage with Keiko. They want to eat yakiniku for Christmas, not chicken but beef! YAY. MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Keiko loves May’n’s pants and is close to stripping her XD Keiko points out that the slit is very high. I think what she is doing counts as molestation :P Anyways, May’n is super excited to see a new side of Keiko in the future. She has known her for so long but there are still so many new things to discover and that makes her very curious and she feels like it will be the same for all of her fans. Keiko is touched by May’n’s heartfelt little message. Since it’s almost Christmas they need to sing a Christmas song

EN 1. 荒野の果てに (Angels We Have Heard on High): AHHHHHHHHH, one of my favourite Christmas songs. The beginning was FLAWLESS!! Actually loved the pop arrangement even though I usually prefer a more classical one. How I wish I had gotten to hear Kalafina sing this T_T But either way, their collab was great!! I will never like May’n’s voice and it doesn’t go too well with Keiko’s imo but hey, she still did fine.[What I would give to hear Wakana sing this with Keiko. We got a mini version during Kalafina Club once and even that sounded amazing]

EN2. 命の花 (Inochi no Hana): Really loved it.

MC: Keiko says she has many fun things planned for next year so we should look forward to it.

[betweenthetimeandsound]

Three Minutes to Eternity: My ESC 250 (#180-171)

#180: Fernando Tordo -- Tourada (Portugal 1973)

“Entram guizos, chocas e capotes, E mantilhas pretas, Entram espadas, chifres e derrotes, E alguns poetas, Entram bravos, cravos e dichotes, Porque tudo mais são tretas,”

“Bells, cowbells and capes are coming in, And black mantillas Swords, big horns and defeats are coming in And some poets Brave people, carnations and swear words are coming in Because it's a wheeze at most”

Despite the title ("tourada" translates to bullfight in Portuguese), it's actually a portrait of a revolution in the making. The lyrics were so clever that the censors at the RTP didn’t notice these lyrics were reflecting the current regime.

That’s enough for a 250 appearance for me, but there’s more that makes the song so memorable.

The build with the brass and percussion sets the stage for something important to happen. Sometimes, I do forget I like this song, but listening to it like right now is an experience, like one entering the battlefield.

The last line, "And the intelligent man says that songs are over..." still amuses me, though it's quite cynical in that the intellectuals would eventually not believe in the movement.

Personal ranking: 5th/17 Actual ranking: 10th/17 in Luxembourg

#179: France Gall -- Poupée de cire, poupée de son (Luxembourg 1965)

“Suis-je meilleure, suis-je pire qu’une poupée de salon? Je vois la vie en rose bonbon Poupée de cire, poupée de son”

“Am I better, am I worse than a fashion doll? I see life through bright rosy-tinted glasses Wax doll, sawdust doll”

One of the game-changing songs of Eurovision, in that the general mood shifts from slow-tempo songs to a little bit of pop. The first ten contests had their share of good songs, but seem to blur into each other at points. Afterwards, the song quality rose, and they were better suited to the times.

Beyond the happy orchestral sound is something quite sad—a pretty girl who sings songs without experiencing what they mean. Gainsbourg was quite the songwriter, but it led to a falling out between him and France later on, because of the double meanings of the songs he wrote for her.

The drama related to France Gall and the contest didn't stop there. Kathy Kirby, the runner-up that year, slapped France when she won. Then her boyfriend broke up with her shortly after, and wrote a song that would be the basis of "My Way".

Quite interesting I must say, though I don’t come back to this song often.

Personal and actual ranking: 1st/18 in Naples

#178: Ajda Pekkan -- Petr'oil (Turkey 1980)

"Öyle gururlusun gidemem yanına Girmişsin kim bilir kaç aşığın kanına Dolardan, marktan başka laf çıkmaz dilinden Neler, neler çekiyorum senin elinden"

"You are so proud, I can’t come close to you I wonder who else suffers from your love You speak of nothing but dollars and marks I am so suffering because of you"

My 1980 winner is not only quite groovy and seductive, but also clever.

The 1970s had two major oil crises--one in 1973, and another in 1979. The first one was when OPEC withheld their oil from countries who supported Israel during the Yom Kippur, and the second one when oil production stopped during the Iranian Revolution, resulting in higher prices per barrel. Both resulted in low supply and increased gas prices in the United States; those who grew up during the era were less likely to drive as a result.

Petr'oil takes this issue and anthromorphizes it, as Ajda sings about the troubles of relying oil as a resource and as a partner. The belly-dance music also emphasizes the tension. combined with the percussion and strings on this piece.

While Ajda has since distanced herself from the song, I embrace it in all its charms. Plus it was heavily underrated in its year.

Personal ranking: 1st/19 Actual ranking: 15th/19 in Den Haag

Final Impressions on 1980: This year stands out a bit, for it had a number of songs dealing with a huge number of topics (including Belgium's "Euro-Vision", which made the contest go meta, haha). Alongside it, the production was a bit bare-bones, because of the Netherlands hosting it four years earlier, but it featured quirks such as a representative announcing their country's song, Morocco competing for the only time, and a steel band for the interval!

#177: The Allisons -- Are you sure? (United Kingdom 1961)

“Are you sure you won’t be sorry? Comes tomorrow, you won’t want me Back again to hold you tightly?”

The lyrics are quite smug, in that the Allisons warn the girl who plans to break up with them she might be sorry and alone. Not unlike with "If I Were Sorry", though there's a bit more charm and teasing towards their soon-to-be ex-, whereas the latter feels a bit more arrogant.

That said, it’s upbeat and almost lines up to the musical scene at the time (comparisons to Buddy Holly are not uncommon), and the musical run time just goes by so quickly (in comparison to other entries of the same era)! It's just a breeze.

Personal ranking: 1st/16 Actual ranking: 2nd/16 in Cannes

#176: Vicky Leandros: L'amour est bleu (Luxembourg 1967)

“Bleu, bleu, l'amour est bleu, Berce mon cœur, mon cœur amoureux, Bleu, bleu, l'amour est bleu, Bleu comme le ciel qui joue dans tes yeux.”

“Blue, blue, love is blue, Cradle my heart, my loving heart Blue, blue, love is blue Blue like the sky which play in your eyes."”

I think I first heard this in the intro to Eurovision 2006's semi-final. While the harp motif stood out, I didn't know where it came from. It was until when I watched the contest this song was in, which is strange because it was notable for having a Paul Mauriat cover which became a hit.

One of many classics which featured in 1960s contests, I like the innocence shown through the lyrics, which uses color and imagery to tell about the different cycles of love. The orchestration along the bridge was especially spectacular, as it provided a cinematic feel towards . Vicky’s accent sometimes gets in the way, but she sings this well and should’ve gotten a podium position.

Personal ranking: 2nd/17 Actual ranking: 4th/17 in Vienna

#175: Kaija -- Ullu joy Hullu yö (Finland 1991)

"En edes halunnut sua omistaa En edes leikisti rakastaa Kaksi kulkijaa yhteen osuttiin Yksi yhteinen hetki jaettiin"

"I didn’t even want to own you I didn’t even want to love you We two travellers came across each other Shared one common moment together"

While I was watching Eurovision 1991, I liked the mysterious verses of Hullu yo, but I found the chorus a bit off, because it was punchier and more energetic. It also had that "minor-verse/major chorus" thing going on, which also made me uneasy with the song. With a few listens, I grew to like a bit more, because of its unique sound. It definitely sounds better with the studio cut versus the live, which shows off the failures of RAI's orchestra.

Another thing about the song, beyond its lyrics about a one-night-stand turned into longing feelings, was the choice choreography. Playing out the turmoiled relationship, it's funny to see how provocative it is, and that's after Toto's hilarious pronunciation of the song.

Elements of the live performance aside, it's still a jam which deserved better. Maybe it would've done so in the televote era.

Personal ranking: 7th/22 Actual ranking: 20th/22 in Rome

#174: Francoise Hardy -- L'amour s'en va (Monaco 1963)

“Si ce n’est toi Ce sera moi qui m’en irai L’amour s’en va Et nous n’y pourrons rien changer"

"If it isn’t you It will be me who will go away Love goes away And we can’t change anything about that"

I was happily surprised hearing this for the first time. It was very melancholic, with an interesting structure between the verses and the chorus. The percussion also helps with the latter, and adds a bit of character to the song.

The fact Francoise wrote this classic gem also warmed me up more to the song, especially because she was from the ye-ye generation of singers (which are known for being young and upbeat). Yet she stands and sings her own composition in a serious, almost bored tone, without taking the substance of the song away

(That being said, I really need to listen to more of her songs; I've found a couple a month ago, though there's obviously more...)

Personal ranking: 2nd/16 Actual ranking: 5th/16 in London

#173: ABBA -- Waterloo (Sweden 1974)

“The history book on the shelf is always repeating itself...”

You don’t need me to tell about this, do you? It’s fun and timeless pop, with some cool costumes to boot.

For more interesting stuff for both, the song Waterloo was an actual risk for the contest--they actually had another song for consideration, the folk-influenced Hasta Manana, but turned to this instead. And it worked, of course!

For the clothes, ABBA apparently chose these glam-rock inspired costumes because in Sweden, one wouldn't have to pay additional fees if the costumes won't be used for normal wear. Both Anni-frid and Agnetha look great, nevertheless.

And as of the moment, my favorite ABBA song is "Knowing Me, Knowing You". Despite the poppy tone, it has a moody vibe throughout, and one knows the relationship is going to end on a bad note.

Personal ranking: 2nd/17 Actual ranking: 1st/17 in Brighton

#172: Gigliola Cinquetti -- Si (Italy 1974)

“Sì, dolcemente dissi sì, Per provare un'emozione, Che non ho avuto mai,”

“Yes, I softly said yes, To feel an emotion That I've never had before”

My friend told me an interesting story about the lyrics—whereas the song Gigliola won with tells of a girl waiting to grow older to find true love, Si talks of the girl growing up and taking the plunge. So she interprets Si as a sequel of sorts.

So why does this beat Waterloo, in my opinion?

I like how the song starts—quietly, but with an interesting guitar part. The instrumentation builds well towards the "Si...", at which it gently but certainly blooms towards Gigliola's certainty on going with the man she loves.

The interesting part of it was how the song was censored in Italy because it was seen as "subliminal messaging" for a campaign on a divorce referendum that May. "Si" sounds like an endorsement for the "no" campaign, as it embraces being in love, even if it requires the death of another relationship.

Personal ranking: 1st/17 Actual ranking: 2nd/17 in Brighton

Final Impressions on 1974: Definitely one of the most memorable years in the contest, if only for who won. The rest was a tale of two halves, with the first half being particularly good, and the other half bad (except for Si, as you can tell). And there were Wombles in the interval act, hehe.

#171: Eugent Bushpepa -- Mall (Albania 2018)

“Lot i patharë ndriçojë këtë natë Sonte kumbo prej shpirtit pa fjalë Vetëm një çast dhimbja të më ndalë”

“Lingering tear, light up this night Find your way out, to soothe my soul Just for one day make this pain subside”

Aren’t the lyrics to this so beautiful? They convey Eugent’s desire to be with his loved one so well, in both its pain and beauty.

The music really helps too--while the pre-vamped version was a whole minute longer, it also has a rockier edge to it. The revamped version cuts it down and cleans up the production, but it's still maintains the overall feel throughout.

Eugent is also a talented talented singer, which proved initial odds wrong and got Albania one of its best results! The bridge between the second verse and chorus has a great chord progression (which was given more space in the revamp), and he deserved qualification for that alone. And those high notes.

(Also, he's probably the best dressed guy of his year...good job Eugent, good job.)

Personal ranking: 7th/43 Actual ranking: 11th/26 GF in Lisbon

[onestowatch]

AQUIHAYAQUIHAY Is Bringing M-Pop to the World [Q&A]

Childhood friends AQUIHAYAQUIHAY are pioneering the M-Pop (Mexican pop) genre. The five member group handles all songwriting, production, and creative direction. They describe themselves as an anti-boy band with the goal of getting their listeners to feel comfortable being themselves. Their debut EP is set to release later this year and we can’t wait to hear it. 

We were lucky to catch up with them via Zoom to talk about  some of their influences, obstacles on their journey, and their album DROPOUT. Full interview in English and Spanish below. 

Ones to Watch: Before becoming AQUIHAYAQUIHAY, you each had independent projects you were working on. In what moment did y’all realize you should come together and form a collective?  What’s your creative process?  How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to it?

AQUIHAYAQUIHAY: The full vision came to us the day we all met, we all had separate dreams, but the goal we created together as a band turned into something huge - even today. We've matured and our creative processes have never been an issue because we don’t have a formula or strict way of creating music. We make music for fun, but the creative process always starts off differently whether it's starting with a beat by Phynx or lyrics by Zizzy, everything starts to take form and the process is really quick from there. We describe our sound as “M-POP,” what our generation wants to listen to is finally reflecting musically, and how the fusion of R&B, Hip-hop, Rock and Corridos can evolve in Mexico.

Who are some artists, rappers, or producers that influence the unique sound that you’ve created?

We all have different influences but the common denominators between the members of the band are Pharrell, Kanye West, Missy Elliott, Travis Scott, SZA, Yung Beef, & Pxxr Gvng.

If you could pick one artist to collaborate with on a future project who would it be?

It would be an honor to be in a booth and work with anyone who has influenced us.

You’ve previously talked about how your debut album, DROPOUT, is about self-love. Why was it important for you to have that as a theme of the album and what was it like creating a larger body of music?

Honestly, the process of making Dropout took us on a journey of self-discovery and it helped us change our perspective in a number of different ways, one being self-love which became a focal point when we detached ourselves from everyday life and became in tune with nothing but ourselves and our dreams. It helped us connect with so many people and it was the best take-away, the fact that we created an album that could be with our fans in moments of need.  

What experiences helped inspire other themes within your music? How has your childhood and family influenced your career?

The day to day inspires us. Loving freely and our battle to stay away from romantic love, the streets, finding and losing friends, honesty, money…all of that has inspired everything the band has done. The most interesting thing about us is that we’ve been friends for 8 years and all of us come from different places and our relationships with our families made us go through different situations that helped us become who we are. Without getting into detail, we all had to sacrifice a lot of moments and things in order to move forward with our dreams.

What are some obstacles you’ve encountered as a collective and how did you overcome them?

There haven't been big obstacles that have deterred us. We broke every barrier any new artist has to break. Everything that has happened to us has been very movie-like. The kids who left home to travel to the big city, who worked in restaurants while recording songs and videos, who experienced people trying to take advantage of them and offer them bad deals who became indie, and had the opportunity to sign to Steve Aoki.  We would definitely watch that movie! Together we’re stronger than anything bad that has or will happen to us.

Despite COVID changing plans for many, you’ve managed to stay very busy. Recently AQUIHAYAQUIHAY was announced as the first artist signed to Steve Aoki’s new music label, Dim Mak en Fuego. How did you come in contact with your music? How has this partnership with DIM MAK en Fuego changed the way you work?

The signing to DIM MAK EN FUEGO was something that came at the perfect time for both us and the label. It was incredibly natural, we got an email with a great proposal that evolved into a solid plan for the future of both parties. It didn't change the way we work at all, if anything it just added gas to this motor. The incredible support from DIM MAK EN FUEGO is opening so many doors for new projects like ours in Latin America. Thanks to that we are already working on our next video and planning the next album which we’re so happy and excited about.

Any advice for fans who are hoping to start their own musical careers?

Remember that talent is everywhere and it’s a really long path, but consistency, discipline, and love for whatever it is that you do, not just music, will bring rewards. Nothing happens instantly but everything is possible.

End it off on positive note Lastly, what’s been the most unforgettable/ rewarding moment in your career so far?

Our first tour was definitely a huge step for us, knowing that we connected with so many people in so many different places in Mexico has been insane. It filled us with so much hope and gave us so much more drive to continue working every day. Nothing can ever change the feeling right before you hop on the stage at a new place every weekend.

__

Antes de convertirse en AQUIHAYAQUIHAY, ustedes tenían proyectos independientes en los que estaban trabajando. ¿En qué momento se dieron cuenta que deberían juntarse y formar una banda? ¿Cuál es su proceso creativo? ¿Cómo describirían su música a alguien que nunca la ha escuchado?

Creo que la visión a gran escala llegó el día en que nos juntamos los 5, todos teníamos sueños por separado pero la meta que formamos con la banda se ha hecho gigantesca hasta el día de hoy. Creo que maduramos más, sin embargo, nuestro proceso creativo nunca ha sido un problema ya que no tenemos una fórmula o una manera estricta de trabajar, hacemos música para divertirnos, pero siempre inicia de maneras distintas, con un beat de Phynx o una letra de Zizzy todo comienza a tomar mayor forma hasta que armamos una canción, para lo cual somos muy veloces. Describiría nuestro sonido como “M POP,” creo que al fin se está reflejando musicalmente lo que nuestra generación quiere escuchar y cómo puede evolucionar en nuestro país esta fusión de géneros como el R&B, Hip Hop, Rock, Corridos, etc.

¿Qué artistas, raperos o productores han influenciado el sonido único que han creado?

Todos tenemos distintas influencias, pero creo que los comunes denominadores entre los miembros de la banda son Pharrell, Kanye West, Missie Elliot, Travis Scott, SZA, Yung Beef y Pxxr Gvng. ¿Si pudieran escoger un artista para colaborar en un proyecto futuro, quién sería?

Con cualquiera de nuestra lista de influencias. Sería un honor estar en el booth de grabación con cualquiera de estos artistas.

Antes mencionaron que su primer álbum, DROPOUT, se trata del amor propio. ¿Por qué es importante para ustedes que ese sea el tema del álbum, y como fue crear un proyecto musical más largo?

Realmente el proceso de ‘Dropout’ fue un autodescubrimiento y nos ayudó a cambiar nuestra perspectiva en un sin fin de maneras. Una de ellas fue el amor propio que se volvió el tema principal ya que el despojarnos de nuestras vidas cotidianas sin nada más que nosotros mismos por nuestros sueños, nos ayudó a conectar con más gente y es lo mejor que nos podemos llevar, que el álbum los acompañe en los momentos que lo necesiten.

¿Qué experiencias sirvieron de inspiración para otros temas dentro de su proyecto musical? ¿Cómo se ha visto influenciada su carrera por su niñez y su vida familiar?

El día a día desde siempre nos ha inspirado. El amor libre y nuestra batalla de alejarnos del amor romántico, la calle, encontrar y perder amigos, la honestidad y el dinero, todo eso ha inspirado cada movimiento de la banda. Lo interesante de nosotros a pesar de ser amigos desde hace 8 años es que todos salimos de distintos lugares y las relaciones con nuestras familias nos hicieron pasar por diversas situaciones que nos volvieron quienes somos. Sin especificar, todos tuvimos que sacrificar momentos y cosas para poder seguir adelante con nuestro sueño.

¿Cuáles son algunos obstáculos a los que se han enfrentado como grupo y cómo los superaron?

Creo que no ha habido obstáculo que nos frene, rompimos cada una de las barreras que te puedas imaginar que se le presenten a un artista nuevo. Nos ha sucedido de todo, como de película. Los niños que salen de su calle para viajar a la gran ciudad, trabajar en restaurantes mientras grabamos canciones y videos, luego alguien trata de aprovecharse de ellos, nos hacemos independientes y logramos algo genial como firmar con Steve Aoki. Definitivamente yo vería esa película. Nosotros juntos somos más fuertes que cualquier cosa mala que nos llegue a suceder.

A pesar de que el  COVID ha cambiado los planes de muchos, ustedes han logrado mantenerse bastante ocupados. Recientemente AQUIHAYAQUIHAY  fue anunciado como el primer grupo firmado por la nueva disquera de Steve Aoki, Dim Mak en Fuego. ¿Cómo conocieron su música? ¿Cómo ha cambiado la manera en que trabajan?

El acercamiento de DIM MAK EN FUEGO fue algo que llegó en el momento indicado para nosotros y para ellos, sucedió muy natural. Nos llegó un mail con una buena propuesta que se convirtió en un plan a futuro para ambas partes y no creo que para nada nos cambió la forma de trabajar, sólo le pusimos más gasolina a nuestro motor. Es un apoyo increíble que está creando una puerta para nuevos proyectos en Latinoamérica como nosotros, gracias a eso estamos ya trabajando en nuestro siguiente video y la planeación del siguiente álbum, por lo cual estamos muy contentos y emocionados.

¿Algún consejo para sus fans que esperan poder empezar su propia carrera musical?

Recuerden que el talento está en todas partes y que es un camino largo pero la constancia, la disciplina y el amor a lo que sea que hagas, no solo a la música, te va a traer recompensas. Nada es instantáneo, pero todo es posible.

Vamos a terminar en una nota positiva. ¿Cuál ha sido el momento más inolvidable de su carrera hasta ahora?

Nuestro primer tour definitivamente nos marcó, saber que conectamos con tanta gente en tantos lados de nuestro país ha sido una locura, nos ha llenado de esperanza y de ganas para continuar cada día, nada cambia la sensación antes de subirse a cantar en un lugar distinto cada fin de semana.

[starlene]

It's been brought to my attention that for a person who loves En del av mitt hjärta (2019) so much, I sure do a lousy job explaining what it's actually about.

Fair enough, so here's a nutshell version!

It's a jukebox musical movie based on pop songs by the Swedish singer/songwriter Tomas Ledin. The main character's Isabella, a 35-year-old businesswoman from Stockholm, and the plot kicks in when she travels to her quaint childhood home town to celebrate her dad's birthday.

While in town, Isabella meets some former classmates: hunky Simon who used to write her super romantic text messages (all Tomas Ledin lyrics, of course) and even saved her life in a fire; bubbly Molly who is going to marry Simon in a couple of weeks; and nice but unremarkable Edwin. Sure enough, Isabella soon realises she still has feelings for Simon...

I love the movie for three reasons.

First: the music, choreography & direction. The director, Edward af Sillén, just gets it - in a way, say, Tom Hooper absolutely does not. It's a good movie musical, and you guys should know those are like unicorns. It's got a slight tongue-in-cheek tone, just enough so you don't take it too seriously, but at the same time, the music & dancing are done very sharply. The big musical numbers are a joy to watch.

Second: it's pure escapism. It doesn't have a moral or a message, it doesn't try to make you think or teach you any lessons. The characters are all stereotypes, but not mean ones, you feel for all of them and cheer them on. It's super predictable, too, and simply perfect as such - no need to stress about what's going to happen since you know what's coming an hour before it happens.

The director said somewhere that he thinks a movie like this is what the world needs right now. I don't know about that, but it's definitely what I need just now. I feel so completely stuck with my life (been visiting a career psychologist for three months soon and we haven't even discussed any careers yet, heaven help me) and the world feels pretty scary in general rn, but when I watch this, I'm unable to think about any of that - because I'm too busy feeling happy.

Third: Jonas Karlsson as Edwin. Where's this man been all my life, why did I only find out about him now!! Love the character, love the actor.

Bonus: Malin Åkerman's (Isabella) smile!

So there! I wish I could take all of you along to watch it with me. It's not screening in my home town anymore, but luckily, it's popular in Sweden and I'm going to visit Stockholm next month. I'm going there to see Så som i himmelen, but just now, I'm actually more excited about trying to catch a daytime screening of this...

[tisthenightofthewitch]

Until recently – and, as most great metal controversies are, at the hands of some deliciously messy legal troubles – the identity of Ghost’s polarising, larger-than-life frontman remained the foundation-caked fever dream of conspiracy theorists everywhere. There were rumours that Tobias Forge (of Subvision and MagnaCarta Cartel fame) was behind the robe, but anonymity was sacred within the band, and they’d stop at nothing to protect theirs. But alas, March 2017 saw his former bandmates declare a mutiny, and Forge was unearthed as the puppet-master behind the garish and ghastly Papa Emeritus (in all his increasingly more sinister incarnations).

Not before Ghost had established themselves as the most important narrative-driven metal titans on the planet, however.

Some decried them as an industry plant – though Forge had been toying with the project since ’06, their 2010 breakthrough was sudden and substantial, racking up festival slots like skittles and more five-star reviews than you could shake a crucifix at. For a band so unremittingly enshrined in secrecy, there’s no way that could’ve been natural… Right?

Maybe. Except unlike most bands shot to stardom on the mighty heels of a major label’s budget, Ghost had the skills, work ethic and, perhaps most importantly, songs to do it on their own. Critics were floored by the thick and fiery rock’n’roll grit of the independently released Opus Eponymous. That their backstory was virtually nonexistent forced listeners to establish their own narratives (and they did, so often with grandiose character arcs that outweighed the context on which they were based). And their live shows – buoyant, brash, and marked by towering sets and lavish costumes – were instant sell-outs from the onset. Without so much as a name to their talents, Ghost had the metal scene en masse completely and utterly whipped.

Which brings us to the question many have tried (and failed) to answer: how the hell did they do it!?

Well… They didn’t.

You did.

We did.

Allow us to explain. Bands like KISS, Slipknot and Gwar have always turned heads on aesthetic alone. Anything that takes the listener out of their real world and drops them into an alternate one where mysticism and opulence are the norm is something that crowds will naturally gravitate towards. Because let’s face it, the world is fucked right now – we’ll take anything that can help us ignore it for a while.

But where Ghost set themselves apart is in that other world. It’s a twisted and twitch-inducing mass for the malevolent, led by a skull-faced pope in blood red papal mitre and a troupe of nameless, faceless deviants known only as the Nameless Ghouls (fun fact: Dave Grohl has been one). Each album era would see a new manifestation of Papa Emeritus emerge; on 2018’s Prequelle – their first since Forge’s identity leaked – the character was nixed, only to be replaced by the far more corrupt, far less merciful Cardinal Copia. By consistently evolving what little architecture Ghost had pieced together for their narrative, they’re able to keep the story feeling fresh. Nobody can get sick of the shtick when it’s flipped on its head every two years.

And though authentic to a tee (not once have their ritualistic live shows seen them break character), Ghost have never taken themselves all that seriously. They’ve covered songs by The Beatles and ABBA. There are glittering glam-rock synths all over Prequelle. Hell, they have a record named Popestar, for Satan’s sake! The niche is at once unnervingly harrowing and charmingly vaudevillian. Speaking exclusively to Download, Forge describes his character as “a little bit of Fred Astaire mixed with Jacques Clouseau.”

Much of the character’s base also plays into a common fantasy for most average punters: power. Nobody wants to be a Nameless Ghoul, but we all want to be that imperial deity up front. Never a band to spell their lyricisms out to the listener, Ghost offers them a chance to funnel themselves into Copia through the listening experience. Forge knows and embraces that – after all, he’s in the same boat.

“I think in many ways, Cardinal Copia is a lot like what I wish I could’ve been, or wish I was. Unfortunately, there are rules and regulations in the world that stop you from being like that… But you can be that character for two hours every night, and I guess that’s enough. A lot of what I’m doing with Ghost is what I always wanted to do as a kid – I wanted to be in a theatrical, larger-than-life band with a horror image and some cool mac daddy leading the drill.”

That link to childhood is also imperative, especially when you consider the climate in which Ghost arose. For most of us, when we think about other bands in the legion of Ghost, we think of our youth. KISS were likely the first shock-rock band we were introduced to as lil’ tikes, and a Slipknot addiction was a rite of passage for edgy tweens in the mid-aughts. Ghost are the natural next step on that path: they’re comic enough for the imagery to pop, but mature enough to keep us sticking around for the music afterwards. KISS’ influence on Forge was vital in establishing the aesthetic narrative of Ghost, but sonically, it was black metal troupes like Blasphemy that roped him in. He revels in the subconscious nostalgia that’s hardwired in all of us, and not just visually – it's in Ghost’s core of mystery.

“I grew up as a black and death metal fan in a time before the internet. Back then, you had very little to go on – especially with the darker sort of bands. I’d look back at bands like Venom and Mayhem and Blasphemy – bands where you’d only seen maybe one or two pictures of them, because there wasn’t any more than that. You’d see one or two interviews in print, and maybe a video, and you had to fill in all the blanks. All you knew about them were the little quotes in magazines, and lore. There were a lot of rumours.

“Obviously, all of that changed with the internet. Now, you can just click on anything and know everything about anything you want. And I wanted Ghost to be different. I wanted Ghost to be more in line with the sort of bands that I liked before the internet, where you had to use your imagination and you had to wonder a little.”

So that’s where we come in. We can dig ourselves into a Reddit rabbithole and binge all the conspiracy theories we want, but in essence, every Ghost fan will have a different interpretation of Ghost’s lore. It’s a living, breathing Choose Your Own Adventure book for millennial metalheads. And that lack of content, paradoxically, has us starving for more. Because we’re living in a generation of addiction; instant gratification as the norm. By fervently denigrating it, Ghost feed off society’s innate desperation for #content.

“In the ABC school of rock,” Forge chuckles, “It’s part of the natural go-to for an artist to have a very active Instagram account and a very active Twitter account; you have to be super available and updating at all times about everything at all. It’s in the mental lingo of people to do that nowadays, and it’s very hard to get someone to do it less, because that means they’ll get less people interacting with them. On the contrary, I see it as though part of our success has been because we gave people less!

“Part of why we liked all the bands that we liked was because they actually had a private life, y’know? If you’re constantly doing things to interact with the outside world, you’re going to end up very, very drained after a while. That was definitely something that goes with the whole concept of Ghost, in terms of how I wanted this to be presented to the world and how we were going to communicate with the world. I mean obviously, we have an Instagram account and we do post things from time to time, but y’know, it’s not a personal thing. I won’t tell you where I’m having dinner tonight.”

All the trickery and serpentine storytelling aside, the biggest factor in Ghost’s catapult to the top of the food chain is that they’re just a great band, both to listen to on record and catch from the pit. Because at the end of the day, Forge and co. actively rebel against their very concept. Their aesthetic is strewn in eeriness, satanic imagery and crypticism, but their end goal isn’t to suck you into some hellish cult – it’s to leave you with a big ol’ smile on your dial.

“I always wish for people seeing us to experience some sort of euphoria,” Forge declares. “I always wish for people seeing us to experience some sort of euphoria. Euphoria as in the, y’know, I want them to be enlightened and pleased with what they’re seeing, and going away with a smile on their face. I guess that’s also one of the differences between us and a lot of bands that have operated in a similar framing; with a lot of horror bands and a lot of black metal bands with a similar image, the show is usually all sort of centred around the idea of very aggressive music and a negative sort of outlook. I just want people to leave the show with a smile on their face!”

DownloadFestival.au

[kachulein]

Mind giving me K-pop recommendations? Like, what got you into K-pop, who's your favorite, things like that? I want to try listening to it and I wanted to ask you, Kachu! Congrats on 800!! 💖💙

Aww thank you so much dear!!

First of all, Kpop is not just simply pop music, as the name suggests. Within the genre kpop are actually many different genres of music mingled and there’s something nice for (almost) everyone to find. I’ll give you some information about my favourite groups that might help you find what you could like. I will also link mostly title songs as they are the more popular songs and usually have a music video (kpop music videos are always very aesthetic btw).

Starting off with my ultimate favourite group Stray Kids. They are still rookies as they debuted in March 2018 but I’ve fallen in love with them and their music so much that I highly recommend you checking them out. They are a 9 member boy group with three of those members, Bang Chan, Changbin and Han (knowns as 3RACHA) writing and composing all of their songs. 3RACHA has been releasing pre-debut mixtapes on Souncloud throughout 2017 and if you like hip hop/rap music, you should definitely give them a listen. Some recs are:

Hellevator

District 9

Grow Up (try to listen & read lyrics without crying; you can put on eng sub on the mv)

Voices

My Pace

Awkward Silence

I am YOU

Get Cool

M.I.A

Mixtape#3 ‘For You’

Mixtape#1 ‘Placebo’ (my favourite songs of theirs)

Mixtape#2 ‘Even a shadow needs light to exist’

note: The songs with a ‘mixtape’ in front of them mean that they were originally  track 3RACHA released in one of their mixtapes but they’ve been alternated and remastered into a ot9 Stray Kids version

Some 3RACHA songs:

ZONE

Start Line

Matryoshka

Broken Compass

NXT 2 U

Tik Tok

P.A.C.E

Placebo (I love the original version as well)

For You (^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^)

Runners High

MONSTA X is another one of my favourites and it was actually thanks to their song Hero that I got into kpop. It’s a great song with a beautiful music video and I highly recommend it. Their songs are usually very powerful bangers to get hyped to. Some song I recommend are:

Hero

All in

Stuck

Shine Forever

Beautiful

Fighter

Jealousy

Dramarama

Newton

Shoot Out

Another favourite of mine is BTS. I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of them already. They’ve been around for a while and gained worldwide a lot of popularity in 2017. They’ve changed their music style over the years but it shows that their music has grown with them. Some recs are:

I NEED U

Dope

Run

Fire

Save Me

Blood, Sweat & Tears

Spring Day

Not Today

DNA (their most famous song I believe but not their best imo)

MIC Drop

FAKE LOVE

IDOL

I’m Fine

Don’t Leave Me

Another group I definitely cannot miss is Seventeen. Their name is misleading since they are actually only 13 members not 17 (it’s still a lot though). The group is split into 3 sub-units, Hip Hop Team, Vocal Team, and Performance Team with each of those teams having a leader. The three leaders also created a SVT Leaders unit for their song Change Up. They mainly release ot13 songs with one of their members, called Woozi, being the main composer but they also released songs in their respective units. Some recs are:

Boom Boom

Check-In (Hip Hop Team)

Highlight (Performance Team)

Don’t Wanna Cry

Change Up (SVT Leaders)

Pinwheel (Vocal Team)

Clap

THANKS

Oh My!

Call Call Call

Getting Closer

bonus: Just Do It (by BSS a new sub-unit consisting of three members, however they only released this song so far)

Got7 is a groups under JYP entertainment just like Stray Kids and they are their seniors since Got7 has been around since 2014. They also have great music I highly recommend checking out:

Hard Carry

Never Ever

You Are

Look

Lullaby

Miracle

Day6 is under JYP entertainment as well but they are a bit different from the usual Kpop group since they are actually a band and play their own instruments. If you like rock music, I highly recommend them!!

Shoot Me

Beautiful Feeling

Somehow

DANCE DANCE

I Wait

How Can I Say

Congratulations

and since we’re already talking about about rock music, here’s some more groups whose music goes into the direction of rock to check out:

The Rose - BABY, Sorry

FT ISLAND - Take Me Now, Pray, Out Of Love, Lose, Hello Hello, Wind

Dreamcatcher - Chase Me, Good Night, Fly High, YOU AND I, What

EXO is a group that has been around since 2012 and even though they haven’t been very active lately, they still got a lot of bops that you could check out. They are under SM entertainment just like the next three groups I’m about to mention:

Overdose

Call Me Baby

Love Me Right

Lightsaber

Monster

Lotto

Ko Ko Bop

The Eve

Tempo

Love Shot

NCT are another group under SM. Their concept is a bit difficult because they are said to have an unlimited member count and they will be debuting more and more sub-units. NCT (as a whole) consist of 21 members as of now with 3 already existing units called NCT U, NCT 127, and NCT Dream and a fourth unit called WayV that is said to debut this month. Some recs are:

NCT U:

The 7th Sense

BOSS

Baby Don’t Stop

NCT 127:

Limitless

Cherry Bomb

Chain

TOUCH

Regular

Simon Says

NCT Dream:

We Young

GO

We Go Up

Red Velvet and Oh!GG are two girl groups under SM Entertainment. They are both really nice and worth checking out. OH!GG is actually a sub-unit from the girl group Girl’s Generation, one of the most popular girl groups of the 2nd Generation. I hope I’m not messing up rn with the info lol. And Red Velvet is currently one of the big three girl groups.

Red Velvet:

Dumb Dumb

Ice Cream Cake

Russian Roulette

Red Flavor

Peek-A-Boo

Bad Boy (love this so much)

Really Bad Boy (what a bop)

OH!GG:

Lil’ Touch

Twice and Blackpink are the last two girl groups I’ll be introducing to you. They are the other two of the big three girl groups alongside Red Velvet and are very successful and definitely worth checking out:

Twice, an example of a cute girl group:

Likey

TT

What Is Love?

Dance The Night Away

YES or YES

BlackPink, an example of a badass girl group:

Boombayah

Whistle

Playing With Fire

Stay

As If It’s Your Last

DDU-DU DDU-DU

The last group I’ll be mentioning is Big Bang, they are the Kings of the 2nd Generation of Kpop (if I didn’t misunderstand the whole generation stuff) and they released A LOT of great songs since they’ve been around since 2006. here are some recs I really like:

Bang Bang Bang

FXXK IT

Sober

Last Dance

Fantastic Baby

Let’s Not Fall In Love

GOOD BOY (GD x Taeyang)

Last but not least, I’ll list you some more songs from girl/boy groups and solo artists that I really like and find worth checking out. However, I try to keep it on the down-low since I could recommend and huge amount of songs.^^

Boy Groups:

iKON - Love Scenario, Killing Me, Bling Bling, B-Day

WINNER - REALLY REALLY, EVERYDAY

VAV - Senorita

TRCNG - UTOPIA (one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard)

VIXX - Fantasy

Pentagon - Shine, Runaway

SF9 - Fanfare, ROAR, Now Or Never

Girl Groups:

Pristin V - Get it

CLC - Hobgoblin, Black Dress

Weki Meki - Crush, La La La, I don’t like your Girlfriend

Gugudan - Not That Type

IZ*ONE - La Vie En Rose

(G)I-DLE - LATATA, Hann (alone)

Mamamoo - Egotistic, Starry Night

9MUSES - Remember, Love City

Solo Artists:

Sunmi - Gashina, Heroine, Siren

Chungha - Roller Coaster

Taeyeon (member of Girls Generation/Oh!GG) - I, Why

Hyuna - Roll Deep, BABE, Lip & Hip

IU - Twenty-three

Jay Park - Me Like You

G-Dragon (leader of Big Bang) - Untitled, 2014, COUP D’ETAT, Crooked

Jennie (member of BlackPink) - SOLO

Taemin (member of SHINee) - MOVE, Thirsty, Sayonara Hitori

This probably sounds confusing and like a whole lot, but don’t worry!! The main thing right now is that you find some songs to check out and the rest is some additional info to help you decide what to check out since it’s a lot.^^

[dustedmagazine]

Voting with our ears: Dusted spends the rent on Bandcamp.com’s Voter Registration day

On September 25, Bandcamp.com held a fundraiser for the Voting Rights Project, seeking to raise both money and awareness around voter registration. For the day, all profits on everything you bought on Bandcamp.com went to this worthy cause. Dusted writers saw the opportunity to a) buy stuff and b) promote democracy and said, “Hell yes, we’re in.” Participating writers included Ian Mathers (who is Canadian!!), Justin Cober-Lake, Jennifer Kelly, Bill Meyer, Isaac Olson (who definitely wins) and Ethan Covey. Check out what we bought and then, for the love of god, vote. We’re depending on you.

Ian Mathers

IDLES

For various reasons I wasn’t able to shop quite as avidly as I did last time we got together for one of these, but I managed to make one impulse purchase of a record I hadn’t heard yet (but had transfixed me with its singles) and combine that with two long-awaited additions of old favorites to my Bandcamp collection (and my hard drive, after having lost track of the files in one move or another). 

IDLES — Joy As an Act of Resistance 

Joy as an Act of Resistance. by IDLES

As you might guess from the fact that it just came out at the end of this August, Bristol’s IDLES is the impulse buy of the three, one that so far has worked out just wonderfully. Having been recommended the mockingly anti-Brexit(/xenophobia) “Great” on YouTube and being drawn from the immediately bracing, invigorating likes of that to this album’s more openhearted ode to the greatness of not hating people you don’t already know, “Danny Nedelko,” and the more Protomartyr-ish opening track “Colossus” (the latter of which also probably has my favorite music video of 2018), I couldn’t imagine any band capable of those three songs would somehow whiff the rest of a reasonably-lengthed LP, and the often political, always heartfelt Joy As an Act of Resistance. proved me right. There are certainly places where it gets darker (particularly “June,” where singer Joe Talbot relates in heart-wrenching fashion his wife losing a child to a miscarriage), but the overall feel of the album can be summed up by Talbot barking repeatedly at the listener to “love yourself” over a careening, punkish anthem. The album title isn’t a piss take, which is a relief in itself.  

 The Silent League — But You've Always Been the Caretaker...

But You've Always Been The Caretaker... by The Silent League

Back in 2004 I first heard of the Silent League, as I think most people did, because frontman Justin Russo had been in Mercury Rev (for 2001’s All Is Dream, the last Rev record I can say I fully loved), and their debut, The Orchestra, Sadly, Has Refused was interesting, lysergic chamber pop with some proggy and/or post-rock elements. I lost track of them for a bit after that album and was surprised that when I heard about them again it was because of an entirely different musician I was a fan of. Shannon Fields, then of Stars Like Fleas and since of Family Dynamics and Leverage Models (the last of which made my favorite record of 2013 and which is, incidentally, about to return), maker of a ton of records I both love and think have been overlooked, let me know that he’d also been a contributor to the Silent League for quite a while and that with their then-current album, 2010’s But You’ve Always Been the Caretaker… he thought they’d made something that represented a bit of a leap forward for the band. Not only do I agree, but the Silent League’s swan song (to date) now represents one of the most frustratingly overlooked records I know of, 15 sprawling songs in any number of registers, styles and tones tightly packed into less than 49 minutes that, fitting the circular and slightly foreboding title, packs a bunch of richly interwoven thematic and sonic depth into what feels like a whole universe of popular music. There’s proggy/ELO overture “When Stars Attack!!!,” the sound of a glam rock band practicing a particular soulful jam down the hall and four walls away on “Sleeper,” at least one just perfect string-led “perfect pop” song in “Resignation Studies,” and literally a dozen other things here. And yet But You’ve Always… never feels scattered or showoff-y. It’s a whole world, dense and rich and worthy of being studied in detail for its brilliance. I was thrilled to see it on Bandcamp, not least because this is exactly the kind of record that could easily slip through the cracks. 

 Tamas Wells — A Plea en Vendredi

(PB024) Tamas Wells: A Plea En Vendredi by Popboomerang

It’s been over a decade, but when I was in university I am pretty sure I first heard Australian singer-songwriter Tamas Wells because I saw the song “I’m Sorry That the Kitchen Is on Fire” somewhere and thought the title was hilarious. To my surprise the song itself was gorgeous, a gently folky little waltz with Wells’ high, gentle voice, carefully picked acoustic guitar, a lightly hypnotic piano refrain, and sparing hand claps. I fell hard enough for it that even back when the internet wasn’t at all what it is now I tracked down Wells’ 2006 album A Plea en Vendredi and found a shimmering little suite of song, some as gnomic and vaguely unsettling in their implications as “I’m Sorry That the Kitchen is on Fire” (like “Valder Fields,” which is apparently a place where our narrator and others mysteriously regain consciousness, or whatever you can make of “Lichen & Bees”), some much more plainspoken (including the slight political bent running through “The Opportunity Fair,” “The Telemarketer Resignation,” and the gorgeous little instrumental “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Ruling Class”), all just as twee-ly beautiful and enrapturing as my initial exposure had been. At the time Wells was working in Burma on a community development project, and from what I’ve been able to find his moving around and focus on non-music work has occasionally kept his album on the back burner, although he’s found an audience at home and in Japan and China (and of course, sometimes as far as Canada where I ran into his work). He’s kept releasing records since, most recently 2017’s The Plantation on a small Japanese label, but even if A Plea en Vendredi was all I’d ever been able to find it’d still find a regular place in my rotation; even when things get a bit darker, on “Valour” and the closing “Open the Blinds” there’s something so soothing about Wells’ music and this particular set of gem-like miniatures has been a go-to album for me during difficult times ever since.

Justin Cober-Lake 

David Ramirez

Ashley Walters — Sweet Anxiety (Populist)

Ashley Walters // Sweet Anxiety by Ashley Walters

I’d been wanting to hear this one for a while. I first noticed cellist Ashley Walters on Wadada Leo Smith's America's National Parks, a remarkable album that I spent considerable time with while writing a couple features on it and Smith (including interviewing Walters). I was even more impressed after understanding what went into the work and seeing that ensemble perform it live. Walters writes of this album, “I seek to challenge your perception of what the cello, a stereotypically gentle instrument, is capable of,” and it's fair to say she succeeds. It's a demanding listen, more aggressive than expected, but Walters and her composers blend technical challenges with theoretical ones. At times, Walters cuts loose, and at times she works with tonality, often using nonstandard tuning to odd effect. Smith composed one of the brightest numbers here, making a nice shift in sound without lowering the difficulty level. Luciano Berio's “Sequenza XIV” provides the most interesting piece, not only for the actual performance but for the reconstruction work on the score that Walters highlights in the liner notes. This one's well worth a focused listen, and I'll need to give it quite a few more to properly process it.  

 The Beths — Warm Blood (Carpark)

Warm Blood by The Beths

In August, the Beths released one of my favorite albums of the year, Future Me Hates Me, a blast of pop-rock easily good enough to warrant going back, more or less, to the beginning, with 2016's Warm Blood EP. Both lyrically and musically, the group hasn't quite found its footing, but that says more about the focused energy of the full-length than it does about these five songs (including “Whatever,” which reappears on the album). The hooks are there now; the guitar on “Idea/Intent” represents the band as well as anything. The vitriol of that track fits in less well with the attitude the band generally puts forward, one that's self-reflective and confident without claiming to know all the answers. Some of the joy of the music is in Elizabeth Stokes' searching, but that's turned around on a track like “Rush Hour 3,” a comedic bit of come-on (and the rare track not written by Stokes). Warm Blood works as a nice look back at a band, but it's not just a history lesson — it's an enjoyable set that adds to the playlist of a group with only one album out. 

 David Ramirez — The Rooster (Sweetworld)

The Rooster EP by David Ramirez

I've been working my way backwards with David Ramirez, too, starting with last year's We're Not Going Anywhere (which didn't adhere to his previous folk-ish sound but did make me wonder why I hadn't found my way to the songwriter earlier). After spending time with the fantastic Fables, there was the live show that utterly sold me on him, in part because he has a bigger voice than you might notice at first, even in his sparser productions. The Rooster EP, a fitting complement to that album, feels like an ascent. His vocals are assured, even as he searches for clarity, or at least anchor points amid turbulence. Tracks like “The Bad Days” and “Glory” offer unrequested hope, and “The Forgiven” provides a meditation on performance, art, and faith that's central to his work. The five cuts on this EP have the gravitas of something bigger and strengthen my sense that Ramirez should be a songwriter that everyone listens to.

 Grand Banks – Live 8-25-2018

Grand Banks live 8-25-2018 by Grand Banks

Any sort of bonus shopping day provides a good excuse to support local music. This time I went with the latest release (such as it is) from Grand Banks, their live recording from August 25. The duo don't shy away from volume, but their focus on minimalist ideas and sonic experimentation makes for unusual experiences. Over this single 30-minute track, the pair builds with patience, even when developing a haunted-house sort of melody on the keys. The second half of the piece increases the challenge, with guitarist Davis Salisbury pulling an odd series of sounds out of his instrument (for the curious, you can try it at home with an electric guitar, a tuning fork, and a fuzz pedal, and probably some sort of sonic laboratory). The effects build on Tyler Magill's creepy keyboard work – maybe this one's an unintended seasonal release. The study in space and harmonics gives way to a chirpy conversation and surprisingly (in this context) guitar-like guitar moment before placidly drifting away, an apt conclusion for the performance.

Jennifer Kelly

The Scientists 

I bought five different records this time, mostly, but not all, falling somewhere in the punk/garage continuum. I liked them all in different ways, but the one that absolutely killed me was…

IDLES—Joy as an Act of Resistance (Partisan)

Joy as an Act of Resistance. by IDLES

This is Ian’s fault, really. He talked me into it. Plus, it turned up on the Bandcamp recommendation engine. Which, by the way, is just so much better than Amazon’s recommendation engine. (I see you like the Pixies. Wanna buy every Pixies album ever?) But turns out, they’re both dead on. Idles is vitriolic and literate like the Sleaford Mods but backed by a ripped-to-the-teeth full band a la Protomartyr. Yes, two of my favorite current bands in one, plus a whole other thing of jagged, jitter-drunk percussion and wind tunnel howl. There is a song called “Never Fight a Man with a Perm.” So glad I got to hear this. Score one for voter registration.

 The Sueves—R.I.P. Clearance Event (Hozac)

R.I.P. Clearance Event by The Sueves

Butt-simple garage rock from Chicago, punctuated by weird little intervals of found sounds. Beautifully unhinged and uncomplicated, it reminds me the most of Demon’s Claw and after that maybe the Hunches and then the Monks. I bought it partly because I wanted to get those “we have a new record” notices from Hozac, but they know what I like.

 The Scientists—Blood Red River 1982-1984 (Numero)

Blood Red River 1982 - 1984 by Scientists

Guess who got to see the Scientists last week? They were awesome. They played “Frantic Romantic” in the encore (which is not on this disc, by the way). I knew some of the early stuff from the Do the Pop compilation of Australian punk, but immersing myself in these clanking, droning, post-punk juggernauts was the best and most enjoyable concert prep ever. “Solid Gold Hell” and “Swampland” were my two faves, and they played them both.

 Mike Pace and the Child Actors—Smooth Sailing (Self Starter Foundation)

Smooth Sailing by Mike Pace and the Child Actors

This one, from the former Oxford Collapse frontman, was a little more Raspberry-ish power pop than I was expecting, but it’s growing on me. “Escape the Noize” is my go-to track, a lush jangle of melancholy, a tetchy bristle of palm-muting, then a sweeping swooning chorus. It’s about leaving the music behind, which Pace clearly hasn’t, and good thing.  

Onoto—Dead Ghost (Taiyo)

DEAD GHOST by ONOTO

Let me the first to admit that I haven’t gotten to the bottom of this one, a swirling, enveloping miasma of guitar tone, wrapped around confoundingly weird vocal samples. “Shake Well for the Eye,” is droned-out chaos that parts like fog for bits of mid-20th century menstrual advice (avoid vigorous exercise, horse-riding, skating, cold showers, hah!). Other cuts eschew narrative for slow moving landscapes of instrumental tone. The title track lets guitar notes hang for unmovable eons, with only sharp shards of harmonics to break up the endless vistas. As a straight through listen, the disc makes more sense as you go along, meaning, you have to adapt to its oddity and it changes you.

Bill Meyer

 Canary records

Kemany Minas and Garabet Merjanian — When I See You: From the November 1917 Recordings, NYC (Canary) 

When I See You: From the November 1917 Recordings, NYC by Kemany Minas & Garabet Merjanian

Various Artists — And Two Partridges II: From the Earliest Turkish-, Arabic- Armenian-& Kurdish-Language Recordings in America, Feb-Aug, 1916 (Canary)

And Two Partridges II: From the Earliest Turkish-, Arabic- Armenian-& Kurdish-Language Recordings in America, Feb-Aug, 1916 by Canary Records

Various Artists — Oh My Soul: Armenian-American Independent Releases, vol. 1: ca. 1920-25 (Canary)  

Oh My Soul: Armenian-American Independent Releases, vol. 1: ca. 1920-25 by Canary Records

Various Artists — Why I Came to America: More Folk Music of the Ottoman-American Diaspora, ca. 1917-47 (Canary)

Why I Came to America: More Folk Music of the Ottoman-American Diaspora, ca. 1917-47 by Canary Records

I buy stuff via Bandcamp fairly often, and my purchases are nearly always hard copies. Downloads may be convenient, but a record you can’t hold in your hands seems to me to be one of those bad 21st century ideas like a Trump presidency or an unrepentant frat-creep on the supreme court. But when Bandcamp puts its income behind a cause, I relent, and when I do, I buy downloads from Canary Records. These albums are all compiled from recordings made by Anatolian exiles who fled genocide, war and poverty to take their chances in the USA. Many of these recordings predate the first blues records, and collectively they make a case that our notions of what constitutes American music are needlessly exclusive. After all, why should the music of people who came here from the Ottoman Empire be any less American than people who came here from the British Empire?  

 Billy Gomberg — Live Sets 2016-18

live sets 2016-18 by Billy Gomberg

Well, there go the rules. This DL-only compilation of concert performances by one of my favorite ambient recording artists of recent years shows that the carefully wrought, ultra-deep atmosphere of his recent cassettes is no fluke.

 Various Artists — Two Niles To Sing A Melody: The Violins & Synths Of Sudan (Ostinato)  

Two Niles to Sing a Melody: The Violins & Synths of Sudan by Various Artists

Back on solid ground at last! This hardcover book + 2 CDs (there are also vinyl and DL versions) shows how sounds blur from one culture to the next when people live along the same rivers and coasts. These recordings from the Sudan blend the nimble rhythms and ardent longing of Arabic pop with just a hint of the sinuous melodic quality of Ethiopian popular music. 

 Tashi Wada with Yoshi Wada and Friends — FRKWYS Vol. 14—Nue (RVNG)

FRKWYS Vol. 14 - Nue by Tashi Wada with Yoshi Wada and Friends

If you’ve caught Tashi and Yoshi Wada in concert, you know that there’s no louder or more mind-melting drone that a drone that incorporates multiple bagpipes and alarm bells. This record puts Wada fils in the composer / arranger’s seat, and while it uses the same materials as those live performances, the music is much gentler. Sometimes you want to boil your blood, sometimes you just want to kick back and zone out. A portion of the proceeds from this record will go to the National Immigration Law Center.

Isaac Olson

Ustad Abdul Karim Khan

Toshiya Tsunoda/Taku Unami — Wovenland (Erstwhile)

Wovenland by Toshiya Tsunoda/Taku Unami

I bought this collection of chopped and screwed  field recordings on the strength of Marc Medwin’s review and the fact that Erstwhile dedicated their profits for the day to the Voting Rights Project. Pieces like “Park cleaning / Crickets chirping,” “In The Park”,  “From the rooftop, railway terminal station” are both ear-tickling and intellectually stimulating. The rest are more stimulating intellectually than auditorially.

 The Weather Station—S/T (Paradise of Bachelors)

The Weather Station by The Weather Station

I slept on The Weather Station in 2017 because the music didn’t grab me enough I wasn’t interested enough in the music to tune into the lyrics.  I’m not sure what compelled me to give it another try, but I’m glad I did. Songwriter Tamara Lindeman has crafted a compelling take on early adulthood in an anxious age, one that, once I started paying attention, resonated with me in a highly personal manner I haven’t felt or sought in years. The b-side is almost too subtle, but Lindeman is a sharp enough writer to bring it off.

 Red River Dialect—Broken Stay Open Sky (Paradise of Bachelors)  

Broken Stay Open Sky by Red River Dialect

This is another record where the words carry the music, which means, like The Weather Station, I initially passed it over only to connect with it in unexpectedly personal ways after honing in on the lyrics. While I loved the fiddling from the jump, it took time for the rest of Broken Stay Open Sky to grow on me, but grow it did. (Check out Eric McDowell’s review here).

 Ustad Abdul Karim Khan—Ustad Abdul Karim Khan (Canary Records)

Ustad Abdul Karim Khan: 1934-1935 by Abdul Karim Khan

Classical Indian vocal music is a complex, highly systematized artform that I can’t pretend to understand, so rather than take my recommendation that you should listen to these recordings, take LaMonte Young’s: “When I first heard the recordings of Abdul Karim Khan I thought that perhaps it would be best if I gave up singing, got a cabin up in the mountains, stocked it with a record player and recordings of Abdul Karim Khan, and just listened for the rest of my life”.

 VA—100 Moons: Hindustani Vocal Art, 1930​-​55 (Canary Records)

100 Moons: Hindustani Vocal Art, 1930-55 by Canary Records

A traditional performance of a raga can last hours. A 78 can hold about three minutes of music.

As such, the performances on this collection lack the the breadth and depth of a traditional raga performance, but they more than make up for it in intensity.

 Ross Hammond and Jon Balfus— Masonic Lawn (Self Released)

Masonic Lawn by Ross Hammond and Jon Bafus

Sacramento guitarist and improviser Ross Hammond (whose record with Hindustani vocalist Jay Nair  is also worth your time) teams up with percussionist Jon Balfus for a set of blues and folk inspired  improvisations that manage to feel spacious despite the dense polyrhythmic approach. Masonic Lawn’s improvisations are optimistic, wide-eyed meditations on Americana.

 Melvin Wine—Cold Frosty Morning (Roane Records)

Cold Frosty Morning by Melvin Wine

Old-time music, like most folk traditions that arose in relative isolation and pre-date the record industry, isn’t particularly well suited for album-length listening. That said, if you’re in the mood for scratchy, crooked, dance and trance tunes, West Virginia fiddler Melvin Wine is a great introduction to the distinctly non-bluegrassy mysteries of this music.  

Note: This recording features a minstrel tune titled “Jump Jim Crow”.  How we’re to deal with this in the modern, right-wing nightmare age we inhabit is a complicated question, so if you’re digging this music but that title bothers you (and it should), check out these articles by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Mechanic. 

 V/A—Usiende Ukalale: Omutibo From Rural Kenya (Olvido Records)

Usiende Ukalale: Omutibo From Rural Kenya by Various Artists

Like the Melvin Wine recording above, Usiende Ukalale exhibits a local folk style that evolved in relative isolation and is, for the non-local and non-expert, enchanting in small doses and merely pleasant over the course of a full album.

 VA—I’m Not Here to Hunt Rabbits: Guitar and Folk Styles from Botswana (Piranha Records) 

I'm Not Here To Hunt Rabbits by Various Artists

I reviewed this one back in May and I’ve listened to it so many times since that it was high time to buy it. Highest recommendation.

 Jess Sah Bi & Peter One—Our Garden Needs Its Flowers (Awesome Tapes from Africa)

Our Garden Needs Its Flowers by Jess Sah Bi & Peter One

This unusual gem combines the loping rhythms, slide guitar and harmonica of American country music with traditional Ivory Coast village songs. Its breezy Bakersfield meets Yamoussoukro vibe belies its anti-apartheid lyrics. Mp3s of this one have been floating around the internet for a few years, so it’s great to see it get an official re-release.

 Ola Belle Reed—FRC 203 - Ola Belle Reed: Recordings from the collection of Ray Alden and the Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music

FRC 203 - Ola Belle Reed: Recordings from the collection of Ray Alden and the Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music by Ola Belle Reed

From the indispensable Field Recorders Collective, this release documents a 1973 performance by Ola Belle Reed. Reed’s music exists at the nexus of old-time, bluegrass, early country, and gospel, but it feels wrong to box in the wisdom, humor, and generosity of spirit that shines through this release with anachronistic genre tags. Best of all is the Reed original, “Tear Down the Fences”: “Then we could tear down the fences that fence us all in/Fences created by such evil men/Oh we could tear down the fences that fence us all in /Then we could walk together again.”  Amen.

 Ragana— You Take Nothing 

YOU TAKE NOTHING by RAGANA

I don’t listen to as much metal as I used to, but while this fundraiser was happening, Brett Kavanaugh — case study in patriarchal resentment and mediocrity — got one step closer to a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court. Ragana’s raw, sludgy, anarcha-feminist take on black metal really hit the spot that day.

Ethan Covey

Weak Signal

Omit — Enclosures 2011-2016 (Pica Disk/End of the Alphabet)

Enclosures 2011-2016 by Omit

Clinton Williams, the New Zealander known as Omit, has been quietly releasing nocturnal electronic compositions of uncompromising quality for the past couple of decades. Enclosures 2011-2016, released jointly by Lasse Marhaug’s Pica Disk and Noel Meek’s End of the Alphabet labels, provides an overview of five years of Williams’ output in a 30-track, six-hour package, available digitally and as a limited 5-CD set. Omit has previously been anthologized on two compilations courtesy of the Helen Scarsdale label, Tracer and Interceptor. And past releases have popped up via Corpus Hermeticum and PseudoArcana, as well as — most prominently — Williams’ own Deepskin Conceptual Mindmusic imprint. Great listening, all, if you can find ‘em. For those curious to dive in without too much digging, Enclosures is ideal. Much of Williams’ genius lies in composing tracks that are edgy, yet beautiful, creepy and experimental, yet profoundly listenable. It’s forward-thinking electronic composition that checks a lot of avant-garde boxes without feeling like a task. There’s a subtle, krautrock propulsion to the best tracks — the opening “Turner,” the “Echo Dot” pieces — where the listener gets locked into the rhythm and time slows to an elegant crawl — like a soundtrack for night driving on an Autobahn upended.

 Weak Signal — LP1 (self-released)

LP1 by WEAK SIGNAL

Weak Signal are NYC’s Sasha Vine, Tran Huynh and Mike Bones. Bones has previously released a pair of strong albums of indie songwriting courtesy of The Social Registry. As a guitarist, he’s done time with Endless Boogie, Matt Sweeney’s Soldiers of Fortune and Prison. This album was a tip from Danny Arakaki of Garcia Peoples, and it’s a swell one, 30-minutes of slack fuzz pop bashed out with energy and swagger. The majority of the tracks strut by on solid riffs, backed by boy/girl vox that slide into chant-along choruses. Like new wave bled dry, leaving a beautiful bummer. The eight-minute “Miami/Miami Part 2” stretches out into a haze of increasingly rapturous guitar soloing, string screeches and a spoken word coda. Lotta promise here, for sure. Here’s hoping they stick around for an LP2.

 Raising Holy Sparks — Search For The Vanished Heaven (Eiderdown Records)

Search For The Vanished Heaven by Raising Holy Sparks

Seattle’s Eiderdown Records has been releasing some of the best contemporary psychedelia around, and the latest by Raising Holy Sparks is no exception. The project is the work of uber-prolific Irishman David Colohan, and is offered in double and triple cassette, as well as digital, versions. The “short” cut of the album is an hour and a half long, and the triple cassette and download versions stretch that to well over two hours. Per the credits, the album was recorded in somewhere around 40 different locations over four years. Colohan is credited with over 30 instruments and is joined by baker’s dozen of likeminded collaborators. What they deliver is, like most of Colohan’s music, long, slow and often eerily beautiful. “I Am In The Mountains While You Are In My Dreams” passes in its 23-minutes through Popol Vuh-style ambience, spoken word incantations that sound like Coil if they’d truly embraced the countryside and a whole lot of birdsong. It’s a good overview of the general proceedings — accented occasionally by louder blasts of synths, random percussion that sounds like drum machine presets and banjo-plucking krautrock. On paper, that sounds like a head-scratching combo, but it works. One gets the impression Colohan’s dedication and attention to detail is such that the grab bag of sounds weaves together into a surprisingly fascinating whole. Listen with attention and you’ll want to follow along as each stretch and segue unfolds. Oh, and as is typical with Eiderdown, bonus points for exceptional artwork, this time courtesy of Aubrey Nehring.

[thebandcampdiaries]

Jake From The Timeline has just dropped a fun and insightful track: "5G"

November 2021 - Jake From The Timeline is an artist and songwriter with a very kaleidoscopic outlook on his creativity. He is not your average singer-songwriter, and in fact, he is also a comedian, known for his witty and fun observation of what it is like to live in the modern world. One of the most exciting things about his work is that it feels very open-minded and direct, enabling Jake From The Timeline to capture a wide range of influences more seamlessly while retaining his one-of-a-kind lyrical wit. For instance, his most recent studio work, "5G", feels like a perfect blend of synth-driven modern pop, among other styles. The production is very crisp, giving the song a very modern sound that's as good as anything you'd expect to find on the top-40 today. "5G" features a catchy and engaging vocal performance, as well as highlighting Jake From The Timeline's willingness to make high-quality music that feels like a very genuine expression of his personality as a musical artist and comedian alike.

The song was also released with a matching music video, which is unique since it was filmed vertically to accommodate Jake's medium of choice, the Instagram timeline! The vibe of the visuals fits the music perfectly, and it connects to our relationship with technology.

Social media have some bizarre dynamics. On the one hand, we depend on them, and we experience a rush from getting a "like" or a new follower. On the other, this is also something that might generate some anxiety and even depression. While Jake From The Timeline's approach is quite humorous and lighthearted, there is also a more insightful side, loaded with sharp social commentary. The best comedic material always has the power of making people think, and this definitely happens to be the case here. Jake commented: "For better and for worse, our relationships are largely mediated by the internet," but also added that he wants to look at things from a more positive spin, "to make something constructive that expresses the value of playfulness and humor in a dangerously unsubtle environment."

Find out more about Jake From The Timeline, and listen to "5G", which is currently available on some of the best digital music streaming services out there.

https://www.instagram.com/fromthetimeline/?hl=en

[felicityb-reviews]

Review Roundup - Week 2 January 2018

Hello loves!! My name is Jace (aka Felicity B), and this is your Review Roundup for the second week of January 2018!! I can't really tell if I liked this week in music better than I did last week. There's a better variety songs, at least.

Beware (Stray Kids)

I really wanna like these kids, because it's obvious af that JYP does not.

But.

Nothing they've released has really been up my alley. Beware (I realize that the actual name of the song is GRRR Total Law of Madness, but sis...) sounds like a better produced version of Wolf, and you'd think that was a good thing because Wolf was a poorly produced mess. But this song takes itself so fucking seriously. It's not terrible, but it's not something I really want to listen to again.

I don't get JYP's angle with this group. First, there was the survival show that wasn't really a survival show (which I'm glad, because I fucking hate actual survival shows). And before that was Hellevator, another overly serious song that makes me roll my eyes. And now this. I really don't wanna be a dick because this is their second release and they're teenagers, but I'm not a fan of being growled at by a bunch of high schoolers and then having my ears assaulted by nasal singing (because, of course, their vocalists sound like they're trained by the same people who trained JB). It's not a fun experience.

Do betta, JYP.

Rating - 1/5

Going Going (Jang Wooyoung)

Oh look, it's another JYP act with a bad song!!

Okay, the song isn't that bad, but there's not enough positives for me to overlook the negatives. Of which there are many.

Firstly, this an uptempo that drags; I literally could not wait for the new section to begin, because I was ready for the last one to end. And this is New Jack Swing, baby. My black ass fucking loves New Jack Swing (yes, even The Boys). But I could give you an entire playlist of K-Pop songs in the style of NJS that are W A Y better than this.

Secondly, Wooyoung doesn't sound particularly good singing on top of it. The rap bits were the best parts of the song, for me. Which is about 90% not his fault, because whoever was on vocal production duties was slacking. His voice sounds like dude dropped them on the beat, adjusted the levels a lil bit, added some reverb to sound like he actually did his job, and went tf home.

Tragique.

Thirdly, the arrangement of this song is weird af. What do I mean by that?!?! There are two choruses. Yes honey, you read that correctly - two choruses. The song starts out with a section you'd assume is the chorus, but when you get to the second chorus, it's something completely different. In fact, you don't hear this first "chorus" till the end of the song again (which, in hindsight, I'm glad you only hear it twice, because the lyrics make me roll my eyes so hard and the vocal melody has the weirdest rhythm pattern). I guess that's not too weird when I write it out, but it majorly throws you off when you hear it play out in the song. For me, anyway. Which is surprising, because Red Light and I Got A Boy are All Time Faves™ of mine (with Oh! being a runner up). But I guess I just don't like it here.

#PickyBitch

And since we're on the subject of the arrangement... WHY ARE THESE TRANSITIONS SO FUCKING LONG?!?!?!!?! SIS, THE TRANSITIONS BETWEEN SECTIONS DON'T NEED TO BE 10 FUCKING SECONDS LONG!!! THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE!!

Once again - Do betta, JYP.

Rating - 2/5

Don't Leaves (Block B)

And here come the ballads!! We're not mad at it, tho.

We all knew what kind of ballad Don't Leave Me was gonna be. More of a midtempo than an actual ballad, Don't Leave Me sounds a bit like a B1A4 or Seventeen song, but with Block B's track record as of late, we're not gonna dock points for that. Don't Leave Me starts out with a filtered percussion section that they unfilter for about 2.75 seconds before getting into the verse, almost as if they're reassuring us that they haven't gonna completely left of center with this ballad. Which is nice, because it creates a nice transition (not the word I'm working for, but you get what I mean) into the verse. And from there, they layer in more elements to create a nice backdrop for Block B's vocalists to actually show us what they can do.

Because God knows Shall We Dance was literally Zico and the boys. It was fucking ridiculous.

From the teasers, I thought I was gonna hate this (or be extremely apathetic to it ) but I should've known better. These B1A4 style/YG template ballads always get me, sooner or later (*WINN4R cackling as Fool plays in the background*). This isn't something I'm gonna put into Heavy Rotation (because God only knows my hyperempathetic ass doesn't need another reason to randomly be thrust into a depressive episode), but I wouldn't relegate this to Shuffle Bait.

Especially with Zico and P.O sounding as good as they do here. Granted, Zico sings half his verse and P.O doesn't rap at all, but you gotta take those small victories where you can find them. And they have really nice singing voices, too.

Rating - 4/5

The girl from back then (LONG:D)

This, however, is a ballad that's going right into Shuffle Bait. If I even download it, at all.

Where is the LONG:D that gave me All Night, sis?!?!?! The intro literally sounds like the Sad Piano Music™ that Youtubers download en masse from those royalty free music sites. Like, I was literally tempted to skip this release all together, but I rather like the way LONG:D's vocalist sounds (if Baekhyun was a properly trained and a baritone who actually needed all that chestiness in his mix, with a dash of Kang Seung Yoon's rasp).

The girl from back then sounds like a more generic version of Seventeen's Campfire. It's not what I'd consider a classical ballad (has too much going on), but it's just as boring as one. On repeat listens, the Gospel influences (however faint they are) did grow on me, but I can't even see myself wanting to listen to this when I'm in the mood for downtempo ballads. LONG:D's voice puts this into Shuffle Bait, but just barely.

It's too anybody of a ballad, sis.

Rating - 2.5/5

Tell Me (INFINITE)

Dongwoo's demonic ass starting this song with a whispered "Anywhere, Anytime" should have prepared me for how catchy this fucking song was gonna be.

Tell Me, like Wooyoung's Going Going, starts off with the chorus. But instead of giving us two different choruses when no one needed that in their life, it makes a very typical pop song sound a lot more interesting than it actually is.

Now... What Tell Me's composers/producers did isn't original by any stretch of the imagination. I know it seems a little counterproductive to mention this before I explain what they did (and why it's so cool), but I just know someone is going to try me on this.

So.

Tell Me (after Dongwoo terrorizes us with the raspiness in his voice) starts with the chorus, but a very stripped back and simplistic version of it. If you're not paying attention (which I might not have been the first time I listened), you could easily mistake it for the verse. That surprised me, because composers/producers don't usually start out their songs with the chorus being sung, if they have the chorus first; they usually play the chorus melody using some kind of instrument that sounds important (like Orange Caremel's Magic Girl, for example). Tthey'll also usually have it going at full intensity, so when it switches to the verse it's very obvious that what you just experienced was the chorus (since that's usually the most important aspect of the song in pop music).

So yeah, nothing too left field, just an interesting twist on an oft used formula.

Outside of that, this song is a very typical INFINITE title track. Very intensity, much dramas. Which I don't hate, because they're one of three groups in K-Pop who can do a song like this, and not bore me to death.

Rating - 4.5/5

Secret Garden (Oh My Girl)

Secret Garden is Orchestral Pop. It's not just typical, it's cliche af. Even IU, circa 2010, wouldn't have touched this with a 10ft pole.

But God save us all, I really like this song. And it's not even that I'm OMG trash (their anti-South Asian foolery during Windy Day era, combined with my general disinterest with anything they've done since then, stopped that right in it's track), but that chorus melody, sis. It's just so G O O D!! That, combined with the sweet, almost milk chocolatey texture of the instrumentation makes me feel like I'm floating. And you know what, 2018 is all about me livin my best Gife™ (Gay Life), but it's also about me being self-indulgant and liking what I like, no guilt attached.

I will say that I wish that this song had more live instrumentation in it. Those strings are definitely synth generated, and it's kind of distractingly obvious. The percussion is also too heavy for this type of song. It feels like I'm listening to a demo that OMG's company decided to send to a mastering house and release, cause they couldn't be fucked to work on the song anymore. It doesn't ruin it for me, but I can't help but notice these things.

Rating - 3/5

Glow (Choi Jaemin featuring EZ KIM)

Glow is a Sad™ song for Sad Days™. This is a song that throws down a blanket of it's angst and just revels in it. And while that isn't something I'm trying to listen to On The Daily™, I can save this for for those really bad days I just need to cry out those ugly emotions.

Contrary to what I said about Secret Garden, Glow is a song I felt like could have been beefed up by some electronic elements. The bass could have been thickened up in post, because it feels too limp for a song like this. Hell, they could added a low af ass sine bass to sumplement the bassist, and I wouldn't have minded. Overall, the production of this song is very loose. And I get that super tight production in an emotive song like this would have bleached out all the emotion, but more could have been done to tighten up how the elements don't really blend together. Especially the vocalists. They don't really fit together like they should, and I guess that kind of enhances the experience since this song feels like one long ass disonant chord, but still.

Teenage me would have played this song to death. Which makes me glad that I'm not that person anymore.

Rating - 3/5

Lonely (Jo Kwon)

See... I wanted to be petty, and just post his dance videos with Lia Kim, but we're trying to be a better person in 2018.

This is a really nice ballad. Not something I'd put on Heavy Rotation (i feel like a fucking broken record), but if he H A D to do a classical ballad, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I'd have preferred a ballad like his duet with Gain, Q&A, but it was nice of Mr Kwon to remind us plebians that while he is a Dancing Diva™, he did get his start as a ballad singer.

I'm gonna need him to throw it back to his Animal days for the next release, tho. This was nice and all, but I need to see him featuring in Hyuna's next comeback with those shiny red boots and a trope of male dancers.

Also in red heels.

Rating - 3/5

Candy Pop! (TWICE)

Firstly, can I just say that TWICE's Japanese team are R E AL L Y giving these girls the push to be huge, because this video is ridiculously high budget. That is the best animation I've seen in a J-Pop music video. And I used to be a huge J-Pop stan before I got into K-Pop.

Secondly, whoever put that pink monstrosity on my girl, Sana, needs to be fired. I just can't, sis.

Do betta, JYP.

Lots of people are not a fan of Candy Pop, and I can't lie - that's partially why I like it so much. I will admit that I'm a sucker for cutesy pop tracks like these, but I'm also a petty bitch who's no stranger to loudly stanning TWICE because people want to talk shit out the side of their mouths about their supposed lack of talent.

News flash Marleigh/Zeno - the concept of talent in K-Pop literally doesn't fucking matter, because your level of talent does not dictate the kind of music you produce. Groups like SPICA and Mamawhomst Mamamoo have songs that vary wildly in quality, because some of the people they've worked with get lazy af when they work with vocal groups.

Anyway, Candy Pop will do just fine in Japan, because TWICE already have a sizable following there and it fits within the sonic landscape. It also has some pretty cool musical twists, like a halftime break for a post-chorus refrain. I definitely like One More Time better (Candy Pop can get aurally tiring pretty quickly because of that chorus, which is why that post-chorus breakdown is appreciated), but Candy Pop is pretty great, too.

Rating - 4/5

Spotlight (MONSTA X)

Monsta X may have revisited their debut sound, but I don't want to stab them all for it. It's a Christmas miracle!!

Spotlight is Monsta X doin' what Monsta X does best - intense trapstep uptempos with choreography to match. The difference between something like this and Trespass (*shudder*) is that they're taking themselves W A Y less seriously. They look like they're having fun ruining our lives with how hot they are, and even though Spotlight isn't something I'd describe as ~fun~, that still translates to the music.

Spotlight was quite the surprise for me when Universal Japan dropped the video on us. Mostly because it was a Japanese release with a full MV on Youtube (don't look at me like that, Japanese companies are allergic to digital releases actually making sense), but also because I had no idea MX was in Japan.

Spotlight is a banger. It brings me joy to see MX showing their sons how to make music like this and not be absolutely boring or pretentious af. This song is definitely going on Heavy Rotation.

Rating - 4.5/5

Stagger (Cheetah)

This song makes me extremely uncomfortable.

And I get that that was the point, with the video featuring Cheetah in various states of intoxication, but... God, I just feel so fucking unsettled anytime I listen to this song. It feels Wrong™. I get the concept (it's actually pretty cool), but you can't just be outchea makin' songs that no one wants to listen to more than once. That makes no sense, sis.

How does one even describe this song?!?!?! First, there's that horn (I think) sample that has been manipulated to all fuck. There's no way in hell they just copy n pasted that from somewhere with it sounding like that. That's like the base of the song. And then you've got that stilted drum machine patterns, combined with parts of the song playing in reverse. Cheetah almost doesn't fit in this song with how sharp her rapping is, but it works (I guess), because it adds to the disonant atmosphere of the track.

I'm here for artistry and experimentation in popular music circles, but can we make songs that people can actually, you know... LISTEN TO?!?!?!?!?!?

I will say that I'm here for the preview she showed at the end of the video, tho. Ma'am outchea givin us High Fashion Butch™ with a tropical beat, and my wig was instantly in tatters.

Rating - 1/5

20th Century (V.E.I.L)

Idk who V.E.I.L is, but I love this song.

The quickest way to get me into your band is to give me New Wave. Or NuDisco. Or Deep House. Or Lo Fi Electronica (like 20th Century). To be honest, you could give me any number of throwbacks to the '80s or '90s, and I'd fucking love you.

But that's neither here nor there.

20th Century is a fun af song, and I wonder when this became such an oddity in K-Pop. Companies these days (as well as stans) are obsessed with perfection in their groups, at the cost of personality. And granted, it's always kind of been this way, but it's at an all time high these days. Every group performs like a well oiled machine. Which is great. But they look like robots. And with the music these agencies give their groups, it's not a pleasant experience. Very rarely is a terrible one, but at least when it's bad, it registers a reaction.

Anyway, 20th Century sounds like something I'd expect from the Polysics (now that's a throwback to my weeb days, if I've ever seen one), but more on the electronic side. It's got that same Lo Fi/'90s feel to it, but it's dressed up in '80s synthpop. Which is never a bad thing. A part of me almost wonders what this song would be like if an idol group promoted it, but she quickly hushes up when my logical side reminds her an idol group would never promote anything with production this Lo Fi.

I mean, there's TAHITI's Tonight, but sis... Let's not kick 9muses 2.0 while they're down.

Rating - 4/5

Butterfly (Weki Meki)

Fascinating how Weki Meki had to have their comeback delayed because of trouble with a shareholder, but they were able to push out this song for the Winter Olympics.

But I'm sleep, tho.

Weki Meki's Butterfly is a cover of the 2009 OST for the film Take Off, originally by Loveholics. Weki Meki's cover was released in honour of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

Um... I like Weki Meki's cover more than the original.

Weki Meki's cover is in the style of synthpop, and that fits the chord progressions and song structure a lot more than the pop/rock arrangement of the original. It also brings out the nostalgic vibes of the song, because these types of chord progressions were used very heavily in the '80s/'90s. After listening to Weki Meki's cover, the original just sounds flat and poorly produced. Which I mean, K-Pop didn't really have good production till about 2013/2014.

So.

The video linked above doesn't feature the full song, so here's a lyrics video that does.

Rating - 4/5

Electric Kiss (EXO)

Yes, I do realize this song has been floating around the EXOnet since around November, but I haven't seen an official release featuring the full song till this dance practice. And I've been wanting to cover this forever.

You guys, tell me why I thought EXO was really about to throw some 5th Harmony/BO$$ type shit down with that intro?!!?! I really thought I was about to get EXO outchea, flexin' on these heauxs, but maybe we aren't ready for alladat. Lordt knows the way EXO L reacted to Lotto shows it.

But that's neither here nor there, sis. What matters is how amazing Electric Kiss is. She starts out strong with heavy brass stabs and an even heavier drum beat, and only builds from there. Miss Kiss is not playin' games with us, ladies. She might not have been the BO$$ style flex that I thought she was gonna be, but that doesn't mean she's a slouch, neither.

When teasers for a Japanese EXO album turned up on SM's YT channel (which makes no fucking sense, but okay, girl), I was iffy. With singles out like Love Me Right ~romantic universe~ (as if adding a subtitle would make that song any better) and Coming Home, I was not hopeful. But Electric Kiss bangs harder than anything EXO has released since Call Me Baby. I never would have expected a Japanese EXO campaign to net me music this good with how bad their Japanese singles have are, but I really should've known better. EXO has always thrown down when it comes to the music, and Electric Kiss is a certified B A N G E R!!

I was tempted to put this in the Fabulous Five, but the songs there deserve to be, so...

Rating - 4.5/5

Refresh (TSUN featuring YUMADA)

So I see y'all just gon' hit me with the a sexier version of Blah!??!?!?! We really doin' that, sis?!?!?!

Alright, sis... Don't be mad when you see these rough ass body rolls.

Refresh, like I mentioned above, is a sexier version of Planetarium's Blah. It's the same kind Tropic/RnB hybrid arrangement, but the instrumentation is more Tropical than RnB. Miss TSUN's singing definitely gives Refresh an RnB vibe, tho. The production here is a little loose, but it's not too glaring obvious.

Rating - 3.5/5

The Fabulous Five

5. Timeless (Jaehyun, Doyoung, and Taeil of NCT U)

Firstly, I need someone to tell me what song this sounds like, because it's been bothering me since release. These chords sound vaguely familar to me, I just can't tell what song Timeless shares them with.

Moving on.

When SM annouced that the NCT U Trio were making a comeback with a ballad for SM Station, I was not pleased. Station ballads are notorious for being lackluster af, and I was annoyed that SM really wanted this to be the song that followed Lower.

This is me eating my words.

I'm a little blown away at how amazing this turned out. NCT is a "group" (if you can even call them that) that has always come as more machine than man, so a ballad release (especially a Station ballad release) is the opposite of what I wanted from them. But they sound so raw and vulnerable here, it's a little heartbreaking.

Doyoung, Taeil, and Jaehyun are all very nice vocalists, but it is clear that Taeil is the main vocal of this unit, sis. Like... A bitch really started tearing up during his parts!! Doyoung and Jaehyun have the technical skill, but Taeil was really outchea singin' for his life!! And his belts are so nice?!?!? Fuck... He's really giving Taeyong a run for his money as my NCT bias, and I don't need this.

I can see why they wanted to do a live video here - K-Pop producers have a tendency to overdo the vocal production when doing studio recordings. And while that results in perfect vocals, it comes at the cost of any emotion or integrity in the vocal performance. And for an artform like K-Pop where the ability to emote isn't high up on the list of requirements for idols, that's a big fucking deal. Especially when ballads are usually used as more of a way to show off vocal ability than what they're supposed to. Which is kind of ironic, considering most main/lead vocalists have shit technique, and are usually picked for their ability to belt really powerfully (read - holler real loud).

I definitely would not have liked this if it was studio recorded. Yes, they're recording this *in* a studio (them vocals is too clean, sis), but... Y'all know what the fuck I mean!!

Rating - 5/5

4. Full Moon (Dreamcatcher)

Dreamcatcher said in a recent interview that they do enjoy their sound, and most of the members (literally everyone except one; and even then, she just wanted to branch out a lil) would like if they could go darker. So I guess this is their agency honoring that.

Full Moon is a very typical Dreamcatcher song (which makes sense, since this is their anniversary release) with symphonic elements mixed within a heavy rock backdrop, which gives off the vibe of heavier J-rock and VISUAL KEI songs. And you wouldn't think that would make for a very pop friendly song, but their composers/producers use very pop-friendly chord progressions and song arrangements. Add in the members of Dreamcatcher (who have voices that are very suited to pop music), and you have a formula that shouldn't work. But it does.

It works, oh so well.

The video linked above doesn't feature the full song (I'm guessing they're gonna release the full video with their March comeback, because the song is already out in full), so here's their performance at their fan meeting that does.

Rating - 5/5

3. I'm all ears (Kim Taeyeon)

I'm all ears is a song from Taeyeon's Christmas album (which I might have downloaded, but never listened to). I'm guessing the video release is a gift to the fans type dealio, because she's not promoting it.

I find it interesting that I'm all ears was included on a Christmas themed album, because it feels springy. In fact, this song almost feels like Taeyeon heard Jessica's Because It's Spring, and decided that she wanted to make her own version. Which I'm cool with, because I like I'm all ears better. I like when Taeyeon gives us light and airy. Beltyeon is annoying, because her belts sound pinched and nasal. And Taeyeon relies on them far too much to cover up the fact that she can't emote very well with her voice.

But this is good.

I'm definitely putting this song on Heavy Rotation. I know, #Shocking. But if anyone peeped how I was fawned over Twenty Something from last week's list, it really shouldn't be that surprising.

Rating - 5/5

2. Love You (Eom Ji Hee)

Now this is a real throwback to my youth days (don't ask, I'm not about to become That Kind™ of blog).

There's something so... Nice™ about hearing something this raw and unmastered, especially since we're so used to hearing such high production values in K-Pop. And I know I've clocked other songs on these lists for having loose production, but the difference is that this is SUPPOSED to be low production; this is literally a girl singing with her backing band with a camera on. I could point out all the things "wrong" here, but they don't really take away from the performance. The songs I've clocked for being low production, however, were studio recorded affairs that missed the mark. And granted, not everyone can afford to send their shit to a professional mastering house, but it's not hard to get harmonies to sit nicely in the mix.

Anyway, this is another song that sounds real familiar (I'm pretty sure this is a cover, because even the vocal melody sounded familar, and that's a big fuckin no no), but it sounded real nice. This is musics I'm trynna listen to on good days when I can't sleep. The video is even perfect for it, with it's starry projection on the band!!

Rating - 5/5

1. Diamond Girl (MxM BRANDNEWBOYS)

Remember how I said you could give me any kind of throwback to the '80s and/or '90s, and I'd be happy?!?!?!

Diamond Girl is exactly what I'm talking about.

Diamond Girl is a funky n (most importantly) fun throwback to the '90s (with a little bit of '80s synth work thrown on top for good measure). The bass work is a highlight for me, and that damn "my diamond girl" hook won't leave me the fuck alone. That, and the "treat you like a gentlemen, like a gentlemen" (which is literally the same rhythmic pattern and interval as Chuu's "you attack my heart, you attack my heart" in Heart Attack) refrain are certified ear worms. Even the biggest pop haters couldn't resist those lines getting stuck in their head.

Like... I really don't know how to describe what I like about this song. Sure, I picked some stuff out, but that's just the tip of the iceburg. This song is balls to the walls A M A Z I N G!!!

2018 is the year of groups with lackluster debuts making amazing comebacks, I guess.

Rating - 5/5

Alright, babies, that's it for this week!! Don't forget to tune in on Friday for the next installment in my Jonghyun tribute with the first SHINee Feature Spotlight at 6pm EST, and next week at 6pm EST for this week's Review Roundup. Love you, guys!!

[bbybaphomet]

COLA | cory.

If there has been one thing to stand out about Cory Osada, best known by the moniker Cola, it’s his tenacity. From the beginning of his roller-coaster career, Cola has met controversy, hate and hyperscrutiny largely with witty retorts and a self-assured insistence on keeping forward. Cola has grown up in the public eye, evolved from a precocious teenager mumble-rapping love songs in his bedroom to an international pop star, with over a hundred song-writing credits to his name and a kingdom of his own in form of Chapel Records, a label collecting the misfits of the Korean pop industry and giving them their deserved platforms. Many love Cola, many hate him; but one can not imply he hasn’t put the work in- from his debut album in 2015, he’s put out a full-length record every year since- until 2020. 

“2019 was the best year of my life until it wasn’t.” Cola said in an interview earlier in the year. And it certainly did seem like everything had finally come up Cola. He Has been nominated for Best Male Soloist at MAMA 2019- his first ever nomination, and his pre-singles for his fifth full album were skyrocketing up the charts. The fifth record, ‘Richer Than God & Twice As Pretty,’ was all set to be his third in a row to score a number one on the charts- Until, almost immediately after it’s release, 10 out of 12 tracks eligible for single release were banned from radio and broadcast with no option for alteration- and for reasons largely considered vapid by fans and the general public alike. And unlike previous instances of controversy, Cola had no smirk for the cameras, no wink nor nudge. Cola’s TV appearances to promote the record were brief and his spirits appeared broken, and he publicly wrote a message online to state that he was on the verge of giving up completely. His angry performance at MAMA later in the year was only punctuated by his loss of the award. Cola looked, and would later describe feeling, like he had finally been defeated by the industry that seemed so against letting his hard work and undeniable talent be rewarded.  

And so, come July 2020, after dedicating the first half of the year to the star’s push into acting and directly following his performance of a bombastic 33-song setlist at Lost Land 9 times over three weekends, Cola has once more pushed against convention as he drops his sixth record and first ever mini-album, simply titled ‘cory.’

‘cory.’ contains five songs, including the track ‘La Vie En Rose’ which had been made available on streaming services ahead of his festival tenancy, and ‘So That’s Where Your Face Went,’ which was performed as untitled throughout his set list. However, despite the EP dropping in the wake of the most public dark patch in the young singer’s career, ‘cory.’ carries a largely hopeful overtone; ‘I Got Hope (Cause Yesterday Is All Over)’ dares to look at the future as it celebrates what is perhaps Cola’s biggest personal strength- his ability to stand up, dust himself off, and keep going. 

Cola will not be promoting ‘cory.’, and no single from it have been sent to radio. “I wrote it for myself,” said Cola. “Because I needed to remember that this entire career I have started cause I just love to write music. It’s really, really fun. And it’s gotten me through a lot tougher things than what I’m going through right now. And I wasn’t going to put this record out, cause it was just... therapy? But performing at Lost Land, I saw kids in the crowd crying as they sang along to my songs. And I think, more than any award or number one single, that validated me. And then, I dunno. I guess I remembered who the fuck I am.” 

tracklist

i. La Vie en Rose ii. So That’s Where Your Face Went iii. Dreamlove iv. Waltz v. I Got Hope (Cause Yesterday Is All Over)

EXCLUSIVE: Cola gives a track-by-track explanation of cory.

LA VIE EN ROSE

La Vie En Rose was the first song I wrote out of the five on this EP, and I knew straight away that it had to be the sort of... intro to the record? I’ve recently had a huge episode of poor mental health, and that was worsened by both the way that my last record, Richer Than God, was... kind of sabotaged by people with more power than me. But on top of that, I also saw the end of my first real serious relationship. The negative side of experiencing the type of, like... intense, meaningful, love- the kind of love where you’re like “Okay, I thought I had but I’ve definitely never been in love before this” is when it all comes to an end, and then you have to realise “okay, I thought I had but I’ve definitely never fucking had my heart broken like this.” And so I was in a really dark place, where every day I’d wake up and before I opened my eyes, my first thought was that my heart was broken. And so I think I wrote La Vie En Rose in response to how low I was feeling, because it’s such a peaceful song. La Vie En Rose translates to The Life In Pink, which is a very Me phrase, but it’s also a saying similar to “looking through Rose-coloured glasses.” The lyrics reference that idiom, because I think above anything else, La Vie En Rose is a song about choosing to look on the bright side. It’s not as easy as just choosing to be happy, but wanting to recover is the only way you can start recovering. In the bridge, there’s a line about “crafting my new armour.” Ive grown up in the media, and so I definitely built up a tolerance to negativity. But for some reason, the Bans from last year really, really hurt me. They wounded my spirit, and for a while I was ready to just throw the towel in, especially as it sparked up all the old accusations of noise-marketing and doing things for shock value. It’s only been seven months. I needed some time to breathe and let myself feel what I was feeling and figure out how I deal with it this time.

SO THAT’S WHERE YOUR FACE WENT

This is a difficult one. So That’s Where Your Face Went just kind of happened, as a song. I think I came up with the melody of the hook in the car, and I just started singing “It’ll pass, chill. Stay alive, it kills.” This was the last song I wrote for the record, and it almost wasn’t going to be on it because I didn’t think I’d finish it in time. I think I was very influenced by the character I played in the drama True Beauty. I saw a lot of myself in that character, which is a really difficult thing to feel considering how his storyline ended. And so I think a lot of this song is complicated emotions. I’m definitely singing to myself up until the last little outro. But I think like... to sum it up, the song is strange and weird and I don’t really know how to explain it succinctly, but it’s ultimately about being in a shitty and scary situation and dealing with that in unhealthy ways.

DREAMLOVE

Dreamlove is definitely one of the sweetest melodies I’ve ever written. More than anything, it’s about the honeymoon phase of a new relationship. I’m not in a new relationship, and actually, I’m currently getting over a breakup of a long term one. But it’s more of a metaphor of where I’m at in life now. I think Richer Than God and everything that came from that, for better or worse, marked a turning point in my life for me. It’s been a really rough few months ever since, but I’m at at the start of a new chapter and I’m excited, which is why I wanted to write a honeymoon phase song. I had my first heartbreak but it’s healing now, and I’m pretty excited about the future. Even if things inevitably get hard again, I’m enjoying feeling hopeful.

WALTZ

Waltz is an escapism song. It’s kind of similar in sentiment to my song “Barbie Jeep Getaway.” It’s about just wanting to run away and separate myself from everything going on around me. I think I’ve been craving that more than ever. I promised myself a break after what happened with my last album, but then while I guess I gave myself a break from music, I totally worked the entire time. Waltz was kind of this... wish fulfilment that I could just run away and not look back for a while, because I don’t feel good enough and want to be relieved of that pressure, at least for a little while. “I just wanna waltz around it, then it never hurts” is kind of the attitude I’ve had to all the negativity I’ve had to face in my career. I haven’t really given myself a breathe to deal with it, and last year a straw broke the back on that camel. Laughing it all off and basing my image around how much I don’t care about what people think of me may make me look really cool, but it doesn’t do much for my mental health.

I GOT HOPE (CAUSE YESTERDAY IS ALL OVER)

I think the title of this song is pretty self-explanatory. I think that this song is the one that kind of best delivers the thesis of the album in the same way En Rose does. Which is why I knew as soon as I wrote it that it had to be the last song on the record. This EP is about a rough patch, and a broken heart and a sabotaged album that I poured my soul into, but it’s not negative because I think I started writing this as a means to cheer myself up. Performing at Lost Land the past weekend really showed me that no matter what, I do have worth as an artist. That’s what I was struggling with. I was considering never releasing another song again because I didn’t think there was space for me in this industry anymore, and when all those songs from Richer Than God were banned, I felt like I’d been essentially told to just give up. Lost Land really reminded me why I love this, and having all those people sing along to all the songs I wrote, to see faces in the crowd crying because I had made them feel happy, that meant more to me than any number one or any award I might have gotten had I been allowed to promote my album properly. I think the theme of this EP is just... I’m still hurt. I still have a lot to work through, I still need time to heal, but as things stand right now? I feel a little bit better. And I’m willing to count that as a win.

[cjostrander]

Versailles: Self titled

: Hello everyone; i was thinking for today’s anniversary review i wanted to do something Japanese that i hadn’t really focused much on. I still have D’espairsray’s Mirror album to do but when you take the time to write a whole review and have it delete on you; finding the motivation to do it again is hard. Dir en Grey, Mucc, and The Gazette have reviews for anniversary status but they were either ridiculously long or not really intriguing enough to scratch off yet. Angelo’s Retina is on the list and will likely be done soon even if it’s a toss in album but I noticed Versailles has one up for review that is five years old. It is currently their latest by them; so it is actually a promo review as well; which is a nice treat. The band broke up for awhile after this release so that the singer Kamijo could embark on a solo career; but for some reason they decided to come back a few years later. I haven’t heard about anything new besides a greatest hits album; so it may just be for touring; but who knows. I’ve done their debut album Noble by the way and found it to actually be a very nice surprise for a symphonic metal band. If you like 80′s style thrash with the cultural taste of European symphonic metal; then this band will be a very good pick for you. I do suggest checking out their album Noble since that was a very solid album from them. Everything else i’m still fresh too. Let’s get started and see how this album stacks up!

Prelude: So we begin this album off with a brief minute and  a half instrumental opener; which is a bit uncommon for this band if you judge by the typical length of their tracks. Coming across a ten minute song wouldn’t be a surprise as you venture through their work. When you look at this one; unfortunately it is literally the same opener that they used on their debut album noble. It still retains that thematic and moving instrumental tension which will be solid for a first time listener; but if you pick up on its copy and paste format; then it shows off as very lazy on their behalf. It perhaps shows off either a sense of tension of lack of general interest on the band’s part during this recording; which could help explain why they took a few years off. That’s not totally understandable since their work is very complex and ambitious with yearly releases at the time. This luckily will not be scored due to its role as an interlude type piece; but that clear lazy touch doesn’t start things off on a positive note for long term fans. If you are new by all means still give it a shot since its still a very nice instrumental and classically fresh as well. 0/0

Rose (Single): The album will hit you with both singles early on and Kamijo enters with some tense sounding English verses; while the guitars provide a steady support. They then shift into a rather moving instrumental segment which will do a nice job of helping you to forget the early prelude track exists. The vocals take on a rather cheerful tone and return to their Japanese lyrics which will help to give his voice a rather soothing texture while still retaining the momentum that the instrumentals deliver. The drums provide more of a support role while the guitars hold the spotlight in terms of instrumental awe. The choir effects and subtle choir verse will do well to spice things up a little further before the solos arrive to really get things going. Those choir vocals definitely add further complexity as well while the solo adds in a strong sense of technicality with ease. Overall a pretty good piece that may be a bit familiar to their fanbase but still contains a decent show of strength for a new listener to get into. 8/10

Rhapshody of the Darkness (Single): This second and final single begins with a French aristocrat like organ/key segment which will play to their cosmetic themes quite nicely. Kamijo enters with a layered vocal delivery which displays a rather strong sense of power to get the ball moving. The strings do very well at emphasizing the classical traits in the song and Kamijo infuses emotional ballad elements that will do very well at getting the listener up an moving; while taking the time to really think about what’s going on in the song. The bass makes subtle appearance underneath the aggressive drum beats and quick guitar riffs. The backing vocals infuse a few growl vocals before the instrumentals take on a more aggressive tone for a bit. It fits nicely with the song title and helps to paint a rather ambitious picture before the instrumentals develop a back and forth approach between tense darkness and beautiful melodies where hope is the main element that breaks through the darkness in it. This one is actually a really good single piece and would be a good live piece to come across. It also brings more a stronger sense of substance than the previous song did even though its a half minute shorter. Definitely suggest checking out a music video if they have one! 9/10

Edge of the World: This one begins with very aggressive guitar riffs and powerful drum bashing; which has more of an industrial metal tinge to it. The vocals change themselves up quite nicely and actually remind me a bit of D’espairsray’s style. The guitars deliver some rather engaging breakdown segments that help to gear this song up quite effectively for a mosh pit to break out. This will help the band to appeal better to a standard metal fanbase while still remembering to infuse it with symphonic elements during the chorus. The chorus is rather beautiful and brings strings in for added support; that enables Kamijo to deliver a fitting combination of beautiful melodies and firm power for the listener to rather engaged by. The solo manages to come across rather nicely as well which leads into a rather thematic string segment; which would make for a rather nice music video as well. They definitely still have their ambitious elements in their songwriting still and didn’t let that lazy copy/paste moment during the prelude cause the album’s other songs to suffer. 9/10

Illusion: Keys and synth beats begin this song with a soothing pop like atmosphere. The guitars arrive to give it a rather pleasing atmosphere that may remind you of early Dir en Grey before they went further into their metal direction. The vocals arrive smooth and firm with a rather calming melody; which will do a decent job of keeping some freshness in the album; so that it doesn’t become too bloated for the listener to continue on. The guitars continue to do a good job of keeping a solid degree of energy and the bass rumbles along rather soothingly with a subtle jazz flair. This little flair works nicely with the keys and helps to ensure that the regular pace verses come across smoothly without losing any flow. Towards the end strings arrive to liven things up a little further and Kamijo uses them to further push his vocal power a bit more before returning to that peaceful chorus to conclude this song. This definitely has a slightly more straightforward feeling than the previous songs; but that is going to help out a lot as the album continues on; since their ambition can sometimes run the risk of going overboard at times. 8.5/10

Ayakashi: The bass and oriental riffs begin this one with a very cultured and religious vibe which resonates nicely with a firm rhythm guitar foundation. The drums join in and elevate things quite nicely before Kamijo arrives. He takes on a familiar delivery but when combined with backing vocal harmonies they give him the complexity that he needs to make this song really stand out on the album. They cleverly space out the oriental instrumentals to give the song a nice texture and keep the instrumentals feeling meaningful and free of repetition. This would be a rather nice piece to see being done live due to its fresher and more unique elements. This all helps to give it a more religious feeling that resonates rather complexly with their more drawn out material while being careful not to come off as their easygoing offering by far. Next song is going to be a long listen though so be prepared. 9/10

Created Beauty: This is the longest song by far surprisingly at 10 minutes long. It beats all the other five and six minutes songs easily i run time and will definitely be one that sticks out lengthwise; by time you finish this album. It starts off a bit soft with a melodic vocal presence; low bass rumbles; soothing keys and then ventures into a more climatic guitar build up. The strings stand out rather firmly and will be very pleasant to focus on as the guitars gradually wind themselves up with melodic power chords. It then shifts to a blissful piano segment where Kamijo really delivers his voice in a very beautiful way. It creates a very thought provoking sense of emotion and will shift the song towards a ballad direction the beginning may of lead you to believe. The slowness of it seems very purposeful and doesn’t appear to have the listener checking to see how far along this song actually is. It does well to know when to spice things up further slightly more commanding yet careful guitar riffs and prominent string melodies. This one flows by smoothly and while it maintains a fair level of consistency it is a good piece to sit and relax to during your listen. It refreshes the listener a nice bit and hopefully will allow the next four songs to pass by enjoyably. 9/10

Holy Grail Amoroso: Strings begin the song with a very romantic oriental flair. It is very complex and beautiful to the ear. I find this being a very smart follow up to the previous song because it builds on it very nicely without over killing the tone. The guitars and drums enter it after awhile infuse it with a further dose of romantic bliss; but with a little power hidden behind it. The keys float nicely in the background with the strings and the bass riffs rumble along rather soothingly for the listener to unwind to. This appears to be an instrumental track and it is actually a very nicely surprise with how solid of a listen it is. The timing passes by at a decent pace and you don’t find yourself wondering when it’s going to end. Really curious what the next couple songs bring. 9/10

Brave: Guitars and string bring back the teeth and ferocity on this one. The drums infuse a high dose of bashing that is a bit hidden by the prominent raw rhythm from the guitars. The vocals come across with melodic verses that find themselves overdone by the raw presence of the guitars at times. It keeps things moving at a quick and fluid pace; so hopefully the listener will be able to appreciate those elements in this song as it progresses. Personally i find this to be one of the weaker toss-in tracks; but hopefully its goal is to simply speed things up before stronger tracks arrive to close the album. The solos are still very nice highlights on this one so make sure to pay attention to them when they appear. 8/10

Truth: Guitars begin with a standard thrash format while the keys infuse it with a nice sense of melodic charm. It still feels a little repetitive in comparison to previous fast tempo work; but Kamijo arrives quickly and his vocals succeed in giving it a fresher texture over time. The drums keep a steady bash beat while the guitars as always; continue to dominate the instrumental field; only sharing when the classical instruments arrive. On this one the strings and keys spend a fair deal of their time in the background; so it seems to served an acceptable role of gradually winding down this album before the finale track arrives. The solos are nice as well so make sure to pay attention to it when it arrives. The softer vocal melodies do a good job of infusing emotion into the song which actually helps to freshen it up a bit for a rather pleasant closing. 8/10

Sympathia: This closing track is actually a reworked track off of their debut ep Lyrical Symphony and it actually served as the closer on that one too. I would suggest calling that another copy and past effect but maybe they were already planning to go on break (assuming for good at the time) and wanted to close their final album with something from their beginning work. Actually gives it a nice context when looked at in the manner and will hopefully strike a deep sense of inner meaning on the listener’s part. Keys begin it softly with a very enchanting sense of beauty and i’m sure the listener will approach it with a nice sense of enjoyment. The keys then give way to a climatic guitar and drum instrumental. The drums actually stick out a bit with their prominent cymbal bashing. Kamijo enters with a slow yet powerful vocal delivery and works hard to infuse it with a strong sense of beauty. The guitars gradually shift towards a more tense rhythm format as Kamijo ventures on. He eases up whenever the strings arrive to add in a classical softness and romantic sense of beauty. It contains a decent feeling of farewell that could make for a potential concert closer and certainly does that job closing this album. I haven’t heard the original version; so i can’t really compare but i’m sure this version has only added to the strength in it. 8.5/10

Overall album rating: 8.6/10

Damn almost scored a B+. This was a nice surprise to sit through today since i was expecting it to feel a lot more drawn out and bloated than Noble was. I suggest checking this one out and seeing how it works for you because it contains a high sense of substance and complexity. Luckily now that band will have a little more of a presence on my blog; so it makes this extra worthwhile today. This will probably be the last review for the month; so next month is going to be it for anniversary reviews on this year’s list. I will still try and scratch off as much as possible so don’t worry if i miss any or get lazy on you. Plenty of time to get them down the road.

*Reviewer’s Pick*

[sinceileftyoublog]

Joni Void Interview: Wordless Stories

Photo by Thomas Boucher & Sonya Stefan 

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Mise en abyme refers to putting a copy of an image within itself, but for the Joni Void album of the same name, it’s more like a story within a story. So it normally goes for Montreal-based producer Jean Cousin. Like his debut under the Joni Void moniker (he previously went by johnny_ripper), 2017′s Selfless, Mise En Abyme includes vocal samples of Cousin’s various friends and collaborators in music, though their output is wordless, their voices chopped and screwed and pitch-shifted out of recognition. What he truly experiments with on the second half of the album is including his own voice, also highly processed and at one point funneled through a text-to-speech generator. In a Skype conversation last month from his home in Montreal, Cousin referred to the album as, simply, his “most personal,” and while you may have a hard time believing that an album without a human-sounding voice is “personal,” that’s not the point of Mise En Abyme. “It’s an album about spaces and places in your life, which is why the songs have room sounds and an atmosphere,” Cousin told me. “They were in specific rooms, and some of them have a deep meaning for me. It was more that I was trying to go for: the meaning of space and time enclosed in one room.”

Yet, Cousin knows that as listeners, our associations transcend a physical area. On Mise En Abyme, he uses elements that are recognizable, generic, and borderline stock to an advantage, allowing the audience to make their own new or memory-based associations with the music while fully knowing he’s expressing his own. “Non-Dit”’s primary percussion is spoken clicks, sounding like they’re coming from a human. “No Reply”, which according to Cousin acts as a transition between the two sides of the album--“communication by phone, isolating yourself”--includes those ever-anxiety inducing DSL connection and busy signals, plus the utilitarian “You have no messages” voice. The voices on “Voix Sans Issue” sound like sirens; over a shuffling, sneezing beat, you just want to dance, the song turning into wild techno.

Even further, the self-referential aspect of Mise En Abyme makes it not only a story within a story but a sort of self-sustaining environment. Catherine Debard’s voice on “Lov-ender” sounds a lot like Ayuko Goto’s (aka Noah) wordless melody on “Dysfunctional Helper”. Closer “Resolve” samples bits of previous songs; Cousin attributes that pattern, which appears in many of his releases, to the influence of film on his work. “It was always important to me for the closing track to have a self-referential, end credits feel,” he said. Overall, it makes for a more democratic listening process. “I always want my music to be accessible in some form,” he said. “I am definitely against academic notions of music.”

Still, it’s not like doing research takes away from enjoying Mise En Abyme; knowing nuggets of context, from unexpected samples to strange composition processes certainly makes you appreciate its idiosyncrasies more. It turns out Cousin’s a pop punk fan; “Safe House” samples an unrecognizable version of the title track from Lagwagon’s 2005 album Resolve. “That album was really one of the most important albums for me,” said Cousin. “One of the rare pop punk albums from my childhood that I still listen to. I actually have a vinyl copy. They wrote it after their drummer committed suicide. It’s this pop punk band writing pop punk songs about girls writing a very mature album, and experimental sound-wise.” “Persistence”, meanwhile, features a minimal, melancholy Rhodes line taken from an in progress johnny_ripper track that ended up being the only survivor of a corrupted hard drive. “Deep Impression”, the bleakest track on the album, where Cousin raps his anxieties and self-doubt through a text-to-speech generator, was originally supposed to feature his voice unedited. “I wanted to make sure there were enough syllables to fit with the beat, so I exported the text to voice and placed it on the meter and realized it sounds much better than if I tried to record it by myself,” he laughed. “There was also the aspect of having the computer voice say the lyrics--it represents this digital abstract entity that is my music,” he said. “It’s not technically this human voice, but it is one.”

Many of the songs on Mise en Abyme do have a beat, though to Cousin, it’s his most ambient album. He comes from a line of hard beat making influenced by instrumental hip hop and Boards of Canada but enjoys using beats that are progressive, emanating from field recordings or live drums rather than a loop. “Ambient music is perceived as being passive, but almost the absence of having that beat, you’re imagining your own feeling to it,” he said. He’s been doing much more live performance and improvisation and exploring deconstructed songs. He’s not totally abandoning beats--his next album is apparently going to be an experimental rap album--but “no BPM” songs is something now firmly in his arsenal. He’s continuing to perform live, coming up specifically at home and in Japan, collaborating with N Nao opening for Mary Jane Leach at Église Saint-Édouard in Montreal next month, which will include a performance of their Mise En Abyme collaborative track “Non-Dit”. As Cousin continues to add to his story, so too does he expand his universe, open enough to let everybody in while still remaining tightly knit and intimate.

8.5/10

Mise En Abyme by joni void

[kaleidoscopegirlx]

Bad things... about to happen

These 3 girls have released a new song recently and its definitely not what I expected.

At very first listen I was like; ookay, so much more towards girly pop without her previous kinda dark, grunge noisy side... (I described her sound on a previous post as kinda dark, grunge, kinda noisy girly pop) Honestly, I wasn’t totally getting the song, I mean,I know bands change and experiment new sounds but even with that in my mind I felt there was something missing. As I also wasn’t paying total attention to the lyrics i read them... and now everything fixed!

It’s like in 1984 except that s#*t$ not fictional. They’ve got us under mind control. Warnings are loud and clear but you don’t listen and you don’t see, this wasn’t how it’s meant to be. Bad things, bad things about to happen.

What kind of sound could you imagine matching these lyrics?

Maybe something like punk rock, for example? (maybe it isn’t I don't know you!)

I think that the message of the lyrics wouldn’t have the same power with a stronger melody or a “depressive” one but that’s what we’re used to! In here the stronger part is the chorus but the rest I think is kinda soft and if you don’t pay attention to the lyrics at all you might even think they’re singing something sweet.

I can be wrong since I haven't written the song but I took it as a critic to society nowadays.

The point society has gone were so many things seem so fake, mostly all population is under control, almost everything and everybody is internet connected which can be good and useful most of the time but that’s also another form of having everything in hands of someone else. Part of the reality we’re living now might sound like a science-fi novel or film back then or even now. Not just the technological part, but the open-mindedness. It’s illogical how there’s still so much hate and discrimination for being from another race, sexuality or even gender. No, it isn’t how it was supposed to be! It was supposed that by 2019 there would be more equally and in fact, there is, some progress in certainly made of course but on the other hand, we’re getting back to issues that not long ago seemed that they were fading and it’s like we’re getting back to past bad things. And, sadly, some people don´t care, don't see it. No hahaha I don’t have in mind 24/7 oooh our society problems omg the world is going craaazy (like that SP song) no, I’m not that way by far! but I just think is good to get informed sometimes and most important, have our own opinion about the things we see or read. Please, think, don't just go with the flow and create your own opinion about the topics, don’t be a robot.

On another point; I wasn’t getting the same exact message in the chorus. Always telling us that we’re wrong, we’re sick of it, I just want to feel I belong. Following the topic of the rest of the song (more or less) I could interpret it as the kind of disapproval and idea some more grown-up or elder people have of younger generations, of lets called it “millenials” or even younger. And well, it’s pretty sad when people think you are x way just because it’s like the image they have or the image society projects of a certain group of people although reality is that everyone would be different and; while some people might stick to said stereotype, some others might have another mindset and they (we?) would like to be accepted as an equal, not feeling excluded for the simple fact of being young and, therefore, as some might think, less wiser or even disrespectful!

What do you think of the song? Do you like it? Let me know!

Oh! The lyric video I let there is not the official one as I though at first but a fan made! Its super cool don’t you think? Go give him some views! ^^

– Love from Kaleidoscope Girl. ▶🌸🖤

Hey!

Estas tres chicas (Hey Charlie) han sacado una nueva canción hace poco y definitivamente no es lo que esperaba.

La primera vez que la fui a oirla estaba yo como:ookay, mucho más hacía girly pop sin su anterior lado más grunge, oscuro, fuerte... (describí el estilo de Hey Charlie en un post anterior como kinda dark,grunge, kinda noisy girlie pop). Sinceramente no estaba entendidodel todo la canción osea, se que los gruposcambian y exploradn nuevos sonidos pero incluso coneso en mente había algo que me faltaba. Como tampoco estaba ponieno mucha atención en escuchar la letra fui a leerla... ¡y ahora todo encajaba!

It’s like in 1984 except that s#*t$ not fictional. They’ve got us under mind control. Warnings are loud and clear but you don’t listen and you don’t see, this wasn’t how it’s meant to be. Bad things, bad things about to happen.

Es como en 1984 solo que esta mierda no es ficción. Nos tienen bajo control mental.Las señales de alarma están altas y claras pero no escuchas y no lo ves, esto no es como se suponía que iba a ser. Están apunto de ocurrir cosas malas.

¿Qué tipo de sonido imaginas que irá con esta letra?

Quizá algo punk rock, por ejemplo? (alomejor no es esa tu respuesta, no te conozco!)

Creo que el mensaje de la letra de esta canción no tendría el mismo efecto con una melodía más fuerte o con una melodía “depresiva”, eso es a lo que ya estamos aconstumbrados! Aquí el estribillo si que es más fuerte pero el resto es suave y si no prestas atencón a la letra puede incluso parecer que esté cantando algo dulce, bonito.

Puedo equivocarme ya que yo no he escrito la canción pero la he entendido como una especie de crítica a la sociedad de hoy en día.

El punto al que ha llegado la sociedad en el que tantas cosas parecen falsas, la mayoría de la población está como bajo control ya que casi todo y todos estamos conectados a través de Internet; cosa que puede ser buena y útil en la mayoría de los casos pero es también otra forma de que todo esté bajo las manos de alguien más. Parte de la realidad que estamos viviendo ahora podría sonar hace años (o incluso ahora) como sacado de una novela de ciencia ficción o una película. No solo por la parte de la tecnología sino también por la mentalidad de las personas. Es ilógico como puede seguir habiendo tanto odio y discriminación por ser de otra raza, sexualidad o incluso género (y por otras tantas cosas). No, así no es como se supone que iba a ser! Se suponía que para 2019 habría más igualidad y de hecho la hay claro, bastante progreso se ha hecho pero por otra parte estamos un poco volviendo a tener presentes problemas que hace no tanto tiempo atrás estaban desapareciendo y es omo si estuvesemos volviendo a las cosas malas del pasado. Y, tristemente, a alguna gente le da todo igual, no ven nada. No, jajaja mi mente no está a toda horas diciendo -oooh los problemas de la socidad el mundo se está volviendo loco- no, no soy para nada así! solamente pienso que es bueno informarse de ve en cuadno y más importante, tener nuestra propia opinión respecto a las osas que vemos o leemos. Por favor, pensad, no os dejeis sencillamente llevar con la multitud y cread vuestra propia opinión de las cosas, no seais robots.

Por otra parte; el estribillo no me trasnmitía del todo el mismo mensaje que el resto de la canción. Always telling us that we’re wrong, we’re sick of it, I just want to feel I belong. Siempre diciéndonos que estamos equivocadas, estamos hartas, solo quiero sentir que pertenezco. Siguiendo un poco el tema del resto de la canción (más o menos) se podría interpretar como la desaprobación y la idea (errónea) que algunos adultos o personas más mayores tienen de las generaciones más jóvenes (por ejemplo de los “millenials” u otras generaciones aún más jóvenes). Y, en fin, es algo triste cuando cierta gente te tacha de ser de x manera solo porque es la imagen que tienen o la imagen (estereotipo) que la sociedad proyecta sobre ciertos grupos de gente aunque la realidad sea que cada uno es diferente y; mientras unos puede que encajen un poco más dentro del estereotipo a veces creado, otros tendrán otra mentalidad y les (nos?) gustaría ser aceptados como iguales, no sentirse excluídos por el simple heho de ser más jóvenes y por lo tanto; como algunos pensarían, menos sabios, o incluso irrespetuosos, por ejemplo.

¡Y hasta aquí mi reflexión!

¿Qué pensais vosotros de la canción? ¿Os ha gustado?

Contadme si quereis!

Por cierto! El video no es el lyric video oficial! Lo ha hecho un fan! Es genial, yo pensé que era el oficial de hecho! Dadle visitas si os gusta! ^^

– Love from Kaleidoscope Girl. ▶🌸🖤

[emmadeforests]

My Melfest Rankings Or Discourse Or Whatever

this goes in order from least liked to most liked, also i can’t do cuts from my phone so this is gonna be long and i’m sorry — Road Trip – Ok. While it would be nice to see Sweden either sing in Swedish or send a novelty act…I don’t want it to be this one. It’s annoying and the live vocals aren’t great, and the car gimmick fails to draw me in. Also, why is this “DJ Hunk” just standing there? This overall confuses me and is one of the Melfest entries I can’t stand.

Vart Har Du Vart – I can see why this placed last. It’s nice that Sweden is trying something new, but this genre is not one I enjoy. That, plus Allyawan’s somewhat questionable live vocals, adds up to a not-nice rank both for me and in Melfest.

Du Får Inte Ӓndra På Mig – It’s certainly a sweet song, and they’re perfectly fine singers. But to be honest? This is dated and boring, and would have given Sweden its second non-qualifier.

Mitt Liv – It’s a perfectly good song, but with the contest already dominated by female ballads, this is the last thing Sweden wants to send (except maybe De Vet Du). It doesn’t have much build, either, and while I’m sure this would have done great in earlier Eurovisions, it simply doesn’t have the staying power to succeed in 2017. I appreciate the sparkly guitar though.

Boogieman Blues –I would love for this to go to Eurovision purely for the meme value. And while I love this kind of retro music and Owe seems like a cool dude, it seems a little off. I don’t know if something went wrong or what in the performance but it just didn’t seem to make a ton of sense.

I Don’t Give A – I have three main critiques about this one. First, what is she wearing? Second, seeing her face projected behind her is a little unnerving. Third, and most critically, the verse and the chorus sound like two different songs. I can tell why this got Andra Chansen - I think that Lisa is a very good vocalist and a good performer who is very likely to win Melfest in the near future but I strongly doubt this is her year. This is not a good song for her.

Amare – Oh Adrijana. What is a little Albanian girl doing singing in Swedish? I love her ballerinas and her stage presence - she’s really having a good time there - but this isn’t really a good… song. This sounds like something that my choir friends would listen to. That isn’t necessarily bad but it’s honestly not for me. I’d love to see Adrijana return with a different song, maybe one that sits a little higher in her range.

Good Lovin’ – Disclaimer: I had to watch the music video for this one and not the live performance. Like many of the finalists, this sounds almost like something I’d hear on the radio or at an acapella party. This kind of music is no fun at Eurovision. Not quite sure how I feel about the song itself. I feel like I expected a bit more and it didn’t give what I thought I’d get. (Edit: it’s also not memorable AT ALL. I can’t for the life of me remember even the chorus.)

Gotta Thing About You – I’m not quite sure why I hate this so much. Decent vocals and very good dancing…I should like it, right? Maybe it’s lyrics like “you make me wanna wag my tail” and “you got the goods I’ll be getting” that puts me off. Maybe it’s the genre. I don’t know. (Edit: this has kind of grown on me, but I still don’t like it very much.)

I Can’t Go On – Generic, radio friendly pop song. Nothing really special about this. I don’t think I like his whole singing backstage thing. Seems a little like trying too hard… but it went direkt til final so I guess it worked. Also, Robin comes across as kind of douchey to me.

Bound To Fall – Sheppard meets The Lumineers. It doesn’t quite work but this is something I’d want in my iTunes library nonetheless.

One More Night – It sounds like someone spliced Amanecer with To The Sky. It sounds nice though. I think one thing that didn’t really work in Dinah’s favor is that she kind of gives me a cool mom vibe? Which is great, but it doesn’t work for her as a performer right now, and makes this youthful pop song and especially the rapping seem kind of off. She seems a little too old for her own music if that makes any sense.

Hearts Align – I would have liked this song about two years ago. While the chorus is still pretty good, it’s not a standout and I’m pretty sure this won’t come out of Andra Chansen.

Up – One of the genres I wouldn’t ever think of competing in Melfest. Not the best vocals but a fun song itself. The roller skates were an unexpectedly nice touch.

Statements – First thing: love love love the dancing. The running bit in the second verse was a bit weird but beyond that the staging was my favorite part of the song. You really felt like you were in the world, you know? That having been said, I think there was a little too much going on in this song instrumentally. There are weird, random noises that take away from the song and honestly? I can see why this got Andra Chansen. Were it any other singer singing it, it wouldn’t have qualified. Loreen is an astounding vocalists but I think her fame is what really carried her through.

Kiss You Goodbye – Someone called this the Swedish answer to Shawn Mendes? I would agree, I think. I feel bad that he’s facing Loreen in Andra Chansen - against, say, FO&O or De Vet Du he’d definitely make it to the final. As it is, he has particularly low odds to win because he has the most difficult Andra Chansen duel. Poor man. Deserves better. I like his song. (Post-AC edit: I TOTALLY WASNT EXPECTING THAT. YOU GO ANTON HAGMAN)

Snurra Min Jord – Krista looks so great in that outfit and of course I remember her delightfully trashy number from 2013. She’s just an amazing performer. I love everything about this… except for the kaleidoscope effect, which REALLY puts me off the song. The song is a little too electro for my taste but overall I do like it a lot.

Himmel Och Hav – I unironically love this. As a musician, this is one of my favorite compositions in Melfest. It sounds epic - and this, I think, is his downfall, because it doesn’t sound like a Eurovision song, it sounds like it should be in a fantasy movie. I am also a little confused as to what he is wearing. I don’t think it’s traditional Sami, although I know Roger is part Sami, so that would be an explanation, but it sort of looks like China and Scandinavia got drunk and had a baby.

Gravity – She has a great voice, great presence, I love the red. I can’t find much fault with this beyond that the other songs are just better. One of the debutants I’d love to see return.

Running With Lions – Gosh I love her. She has to come back, ok??? Ok??? Her voice isn’t really my favorite ever but she is a good singer - just not to my taste. She seems super cute and if she ever wins Melfest you can catch me making a fanstagram.

När Ingen Ser – I’m not sure why everyone hates this - likely because it’s what knocked Alice out of the running, which I don’t think is super fair. This is pretty good. I’m especially impressed by the dancing. Another reason I like this so much is because Axel is one of those debutants who looks like he’s just having the time of his life up there, like Adrijana. I hope this beats Lisa Ajax in Andra Chansen. (Post-AC edit: i am SO SALTY that this didn’t qualify!!! He deserves the final way more than Lisa Snakejax. Peppapönk got treated to a whole rant earlier today.)

A Million Years – Another song where I couldn’t find the performance (odd, because I found Owe’s just fine), but I know this is the one where the dancers are kind of hanging from the ceiling. She has a good, very pure voice but the song is a little underwhelming. Nevertheless it’s well done and doesn’t sound too mainstream for Eurovision as is the problem with many Melfest entries.

Wild Child – I just love this woman. She emulates sass and her song this year is, characteristically, anthemic. Unlike with Dinah Nah, I have no trouble believing this song is the right song for her. I have no idea whether she’d do well or fail in Kiev because this song is just so unlike what you usually hear. I’m curious to see how the international audience would respond to this and I’d love to see her go to ESC soon.

As I Lay Me Down – WIKTORIA! She’s such a good performer and I love her style. My only thing with her is her voice. While she has energy and power, and is technically accurate, her voice is pushy and shouty and overall too aggressive for my taste. But she’s amazing enough at everything else that I sort of give her a pass for that.

En Värld Full Av Strider – This song sounds epic if you only listen to the chorus. There isn’t a real verse, or at least not so far as I can tell. Another one of those songs that sounds like it ought to be in a movie soundtrack.

Crucified – I love this. I made a vow to love Bella and Filippa when the artists were first revealed and they had the lowest odds…and they did NOT disappoint. Chorus is kinda repetitive and I honestly expected more harmonies but I love this shit. They are my precious children. Even though they’re like a year older than me. They’re still my daughters.

Her Kiss – Ok, what is it with me and ex-footballers? First Axel and now Boris, and I love them both. This song is just SO catchy, I love his voice, and I’m loving the performance too. I know this isn’t his year to win but I’m going to hope for it anyway.

Hold On – Yes, look at me being basic with my fave once again. But of the main contenders - Ace, Mariette, Wiktoria, and this - I definitely like Nano the best. His vocals are better than Ace’s or Wiktoria’s, at least in the studio version. And I connect to it, you know? In my head I connect the lyrics to anxiety and stuff so that makes me like it more.