#with Blink 182’s I Miss You

[awkwardandeccentric]

RIP Stolas you would have loved “Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Blink-182 - I Miss You

[mitamicah]

Sorry I didn't get along to boop people - I was busy trying to get myself to finish this in time for Halloween (and failed :'D xD)

[fae-morrigan]

a fresh start, where we take nothing for granted og panel under the cut

[cyberebel]

don’t waste your time on me you’re already the voice inside my yed

[tnbc-thoughtsandheadcanons]

Do you have any songs that reminds of any tnbc characters if so what are they?? Or what song/artist would tnbc characters listen to??

I'm sorry, anon, but I seem to have some auditory processing issues, because I can't really understand the lyrics to most songs I listen to and just vibe with the instrumentals. I struggle with assigning playlists to characters and imagining what they would listen to...:(

If anyone has any songs or music headcanons for the characters, feel free to reblog/comment with them!

[maniacalmole]

The good news is I'm listening to emo music again!

[cynical-crypt]

adding onto this. what if someone doesn't have a phone or doesn't have data. i didn't have a smartphone until like 2 weeks ago and i couldn't go to like half of the stores in my town. fucking stop with this bullshit. we've been doing just fine with cash. we've been doing fine with cash AND card. there are so many fucking problems with going exclusively digital. (the phone thing goes mostly for show/bus/train etc tickets. card is fine for the most part but we still need physical money. fully digital is the fucking problem) 99% of the self checkout spots at one of our groceries is digital only. that means no cash no card you have to do it on your phone. there are maybe 3 self checkout spots that take cash/card and that used to be one of our busiest stores but not after they pulled that shit. what are you even thinking. who told you that was a good idea. either do all 3 or dont do digital at all. fucks sake

FUCK CASHLESS STORES. actually. if you don't accept cash i'm not going to your fucking store you suck. i hate you and i hate venues that don't give us tickets. sure i don't like chopping down trees but do you realize how fucking fragile building the economy off of electronics and making receipts and tickets and shit digital is. if your phone dies you can't get in. there are trains around that only accept digital. guess i'm stuck in the middle of nowhere. if you have cash but no card sucks to fucking suck i guess. fuck you cashless future go to hell. sure i have a card but i don't trust a bunch of numbers on a website. what if someone hacks into your stupid website *cough* paypal cashapp venmo major banking corporations *cough* and steals all your money. what the hell do you thinks gonna happen. god

[clydesavage-thefox147]

Calling all Prinxiety Shippers, this analysis is for you!💜❤️

So, I have had my eyes set on Virgil's Spotify Playlist for a while now. And a few songs have caught my attention that I'd like to talk about.

The one in particular that I will discuss here is "Sally's Song" covered by Amy Lee from Evanescence, originally by Catherine O-Hara. A classic song from the even more classic movie The Nightmare before Christmas. Now, it's understandable why Virgil would have this song on there. It's from one of his favorite movies, it's a designated emo staple with lines like "We can live like Jack and Sally if we want" in Blink-182's "I Miss You", and overall it's Tim Burton which he's shown interest in as well. But, I wonder why this song in particular. He could've picked "This is Halloween" or "Jack's Lament" but..he picks "Sally's Song"? This isn't the only time he's been affiliated with this song either. In the 2020 Holiday Show, Thomas covered it in reference to Virgil's celebration of the holidays.

It's been stated that the songs on each playlist are on there for a reason. Some songs on each are directed specifically at another Side. I think I know who's being directed at here from Virgil's POV. Think about it, Sally is very similar to that of Virgil. Both are restless and want freedom despite the risks, they are both caution and concerned for others especially those they love, and just their overall aesthetics aline with a stitch work-ragdoll like appearance. The song in question is about Sally showing her concern for Jack. It briefly touches on her need for freedom and inclusion, but it's mostly about her love and consideration for Jack. Hell, she sang it right after Jack took off on his Christmas exploits that she knew would fail and tried to warn him. She thinks the love is one-sided, she gives up in believing it'll happen. However, it was reprised in the end with both of them admitting their love for each other.

Who is Jack in this situation? You could say Jack is a bit like Virgil in wanting to move away from scaring people all the time..but Jack's demeanor and personality isn't very Virgil like. He's ambitious, overly I might add. He's desperate, he's dedicated, he suffered an identity crisis, he's associated with royal standing as the Pumpkin King, and his voice is rather regal. Who does that sound like to you? Roman.

Sally's concern for Jack's actions failing or getting him hurt ties in with Virgil's behavior as anxiety. One major thing is concern for Roman being too forceful in his desperation for a boyfriend for Thomas could've got him rejected or hurt. This was shown in FWSA..the same episode where a sticker of Jack and Sally peaked both of their interest. They both have shown a love for this movie, so much so that Roman wanted Virgil's posters of it back in Accepting Anxiety part 2.

Sure, you could say that this could be directed at Nico but Virgil's playlist was debut in April of 2020, FWSA wasn't released until October. Sure, it could have been foreshadowing but I highly doubt it since the song itself shows that the person the narrator wanted in question, was already known to them and their concern for them was justified. You could say it's directed at Thomas, but this song is too romantic in its undertones to be that, even if it said "friend" in the lyrics...Roman called Virgil "Friendo" (so did Janus as Patton but that's besides the point).With lines like "What will become of my dear friend, where will his actions lead us then" could be reference to how Roman's overambitious behavior and reckless actions could be a problem. Stating a question Virgil was asked back in 2018 at live Vidcon QnA, Virgil did say he liked Roman's ambition..but wasn't sure he wanted that in his life. Maybe he's willing to take the chance now?

So, it's fair to say that "Sally's Song" is directed at Roman. They both are carbon copies of the characters, they both love the film, and the overall hints of this song and film in regards to them are too obvious to miss. ❤️💜

Seems like Virgil wants to live like Jack and Sally with Roman. 💜❤️

P.S: we so need an official Virgil cover of Sally's Song..like come on 😁

[awkwardandeccentric]

RIP Blitzø, you would have loved playing “I Miss You” by Blink 182 outside Stolas’ palace in a desperate attempt to copy the 80’s romcoms to get him to give you a second chance.

[varanest]

call me on the line, call me any, any time (julián álvarez)

a/n: hi peeps, my writer´s block is finally gone and i don´t wanna jinx it but i hope i post at least once a week. any feedback, suggestions, or comments will be gladly appreciated. 

“Don’t call me when you’re drunk.”

“I’m not drunk.”

“Okay. Spell: handkerchief.”

“Shit, I can’t even spell that when sober.”

“So you are drunk?”

Pause. “Fuck.”

Julián turns over in the bathtub. The porcelain is cool against his warm cheek. He stares at the bottles lined along the edge. Shampoo. Hair conditioner. Three empty beer cans. Face-wash. A miniature red wine. Shave cream. Soap. Soda. He cradles a bottle of fernet. It’s half-empty. He can taste it on his lips. Bitter, sweet, herbaceous, and spicy. Perfect, like sticky barbecue ribs on a summer day. He remembers it:

Smell of sun lotion. Taste of beer. Her tangled hair sticking to her lip-gloss. The way she laughed at everything he said.

“Are you asleep?”

“What?” Julián jerks up. His eyelids feel heavy, like someone has taped them shut. He blinks several times. The world is still blurry. “Am I what?”

“I could hear you snore.”

“No.” Maybe. “It’s music. I’m at a party.” He holds his phone into the air, hoping to catch the beat. It echoes through the house. Dun-dun-dundun-duh. The DJ is making the floor vibrate. Even the bathtub quivers. It makes him feel sick. He suppresses the need to vomit. “Hear that?”

“I can hear you groaning.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Not in a sexy way, Julián. Like you’re dying.”

“I do feel like I’m-” Dying, yes, like I’m about to choke on my own spit. The world is spinning. Maybe if I moved it would counteract it. Oops, no, that definitely made it worse. Shit, am I about to be sick? I can’t be sick. Not on the phone to Sierra. She’ll block my number. She’ll block my number if I tell her how bad I feel. I can’t say I’m dying. But I’ve already started talking. I do feel like I’m what? Like I’m what? Flying. Dying sounds like flying. Genius. “-flying.” No, now I definitely sound drunk.

“Flying?”

“Never mind.” Julián lies flat on his back and stares at the ceiling. It´s white, just like the ceiling back at the flat they used to share. He remembers it:

Sierra washing his back, shampooing his hair. Him shaving her legs, Sierra giggling because he missed a spot. Whispers of: you’re the one that I want. Whispers of:

“I miss you.”

The silence is loud. Julián swallows. It’s like his words echo in the bathroom: I miss you I miss you I miss you I miss you. But it’s just Blink 182 playing below. The DJ has gone rogue. Tom Delonge’s voice serenade his miserable existence:

Where are you? And I’m so sorry. I cannot sleep-

“Wow,” she sounds amused, “some soundtrack you’ve got going there.”

“Ha. Yeah.” Pause. “Did I actually-”

“Say that you miss me? Sure did.”

Fuck. “Right.” Fuckhead. “Cool.” Twat. Dick. Idiot. Julián has another gulp of the fernet. It settles in his chin like a coating of oil. Or maybe the showerhead is dripping. His whole body feels like liquid, like he can’t fully control it, just like he can’t fully control the question: “Do you miss me too?” Fuck. Fuckhead. Twat. Dick. Idiot.

“Julián-”

“Sorry. Don’t answer.”

“You know-”

“Unless it’s affirmative in which case: definitely answer.”

Pause. “Julián, you know that we-”

Sque-e-eak. Footsteps. Giggling and kissing. The door clicks shut. Someone says:

“I want to fuck you in over the sink.” Shuffling of fabrics. A moan, and then -

Julián battles himself up to peer over the edge of the tub. A young couple - girl partially undressed, man’s hand under her skirt - peers back at him. She screams, and he apologizes, and Julián says:

“Sorry, this one is taken,” as they’re already halfway out of the bathroom. The door slams shut.

Sierra asks: “What was that?”

“Someone walked in on me.”

“Where are you?”

“In a bathroom.”

“You’re calling me from the toilet?”

“No, bathtub, actually.”

Pause. “Why are you calling me, Julián?”

There are too many reasons. They swirl around Julián’s head, merge into one, then separate again. Hundreds of reasons. Thousands of reasons. Because I just wanted to hear your voice? Too soppy. Because I wanted to apologize? Too serious. Because I saw your recent Instagram photo and it made me really horny and I remembered when we used to - Too much - full stop.

Or maybe it’s because:

He misses the way they would dance, uncoordinated feet and all. Julian´s not a great dancer, and Sierra making fun of him because you´re Argentine, Juli, how don´t you know how to dance cumbia? Feet hurting, but not any more than their bellies hurt from laughing too much. Drunk kisses, hot touches, Sierra looking at him like he was the sun.  

He misses the way they would travel, in the car, no map and no sense of direction. They would eat breakfast in Manchester and dinner in Plymouth. They would set up camp on the beach and find their sleeping bags soaked by the tide in the morning. They counted the days by the sunrises - and they never missed one. Her eyes would glow so bright and full of optimism. He wonders if they still glimmer.

He misses the way they would love, sometimes roughly and sometimes slowly. Always together - always in tune. Her body was warm and wet and welcoming. He could worship her curves every day and never have enough. He feasted on her sex, on her breasts, on her lips, on her moans and on her pleasure. They glowed in the afterlight. So full of satisfaction, and so full of love.

He misses the way they would -  

“Julián.”

Julián goes quiet. He realizes he’s been speaking. There are pictures on his phone. From Buenos Aires, and from Manchester. And from his private album, of them, snuggled up in bed, duvet under their chins, cheeky grins on their faces. They’ve just made love, no doubt about it. But why did I have to say it out loud?

Julián swallows. He puts the phone back to his ear. He goes to take a swig of the bottle. It’s empty. He’s sticky with liquor. “Sierra,” he croaks. He wants to say more. Repeat everything that’s on his mind in eloquent, poetic ways. But it all comes down to the same: He misses the way they would dance, sing, travel, kiss, love, be.

He misses her.

I miss her.

“I miss you.”

Pause. “I miss you too.”

Julián sits upright. He’s too quick - the world spins and spins around him. He grabs a hold of the edge of the tub. Shampoo bottles and beer cans scatter across the floor. The DJ is playing Bad Bunny, Coco. The lyrics seem to penetrate his brain:

No puedo escuchar cancione' dе romance (I can't listen to love songs) Me cansé que dе pensar en ti no me canse (I'm tired of not getting tired of thinking of you) El último pétalo me dijo que aún hay chance (The last petal told me that there's still a chance) No sé si e'verdad, pero si va' a volver, avance (I don't know if it's true, but if you’re coming back, come forward)

“You do?”

“Of course I do.”

“Wow.” Julián stares at the wall tiles. They have not been done well. Some are askew. Two of them have been placed the wrong way, disturbing the pattern. He can’t seem to look away from them. “Wow,” he mutters again, “Sierra, I never-”

“-knew? Why would you. We never talk. Unless you’re drunk.”

“I’m not-” Julián takes a deep breath. He can taste his breakfast. He slowly settles back down into the bathtub. The ceiling looms above. A fly is crawling across it, quivering in the flickering orange light from the lamp. “Maybe I am a bit drunk.”

“Oh!” Sierra laughs. “Oh, you admitted it.”

“A bit,” Julián empathizes. He’ll have a banging headache in the morning. He will feel crippled for days. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter. Her voice soothes him.

“I’m also a bit drunk.”

Julián barks a laugh. “You are?”

“I guess we’ll both regret this in the morning.”

No, Julián thinks, but he doesn’t say it. He lets the silence wash in over them for a bit. Drip-drip-drip. The showerhead is leaking. He blinks water out of his eyes. He croaks: “Why did we split?”

“You know why.”

“I don’t. The arguments? It doesn’t matter really, does it?”

“We’re just too… dissimilar.”

“No, we’re similar. We are very similar.”

“Sometimes that’s worse.”

“Sometimes that’s better.”

Sigh. “See? We are arguing again.”

“No, Sierra, we are communicating.”

“When did you become such a therapist?”

“After my second shot of tequila.”

She laughs. It’s a beautiful sound. It seems to echo through the room. As if it travels with the music downstairs. It’s slow now. Slow, and romantic. He remembers:

“Do you remember when we went to Anto and Leo´s wedding? They were playing that song. Ah, what’s it called… listen-” he waves the phone, tries to catch the music, “hear that? It’s- Adele, that’s her name, yeah, Adele. There’s nothing that I wouldn’t do, to make you feel my love. They were playing that, do you remember? And they were dancing. And we sneaked outside, and we were going to fu- make love behind the barn, but then you saw that falling star, and we ended up just sitting in the field making wishes.” Pause. “Do you remember?”

There’s a long wait. For a moment, Julián thinks she’s hung up. When she speaks: “I remember,” her voice sounds wet.

“Do you know what I wished for?” Julián asks.

There’s an even longer wait. “What?”

“You.”

“Don’t be daft.”

“Why?”

“We were already together then.”

“Aye, and I wanted to keep it that way.”

She laughs. “Well, that didn’t work out.”

“No,” Julián admits, “it didn’t.” It’s kind of funny, he supposes, it’s kind of not funny. He wants to laugh and be casual about it, but if he tries to smile, he’ll start sobbing, and if he starts sobbing, he’ll start crying, and if he starts crying, then she’ll definitely hang up on me. He buries his face in his arm. The darkness soothes him. He could sleep - forever, and forever, and tomorrow will be a new sunrise. But it won’t be with her.

Sierra asks: “Do you know what I wished for?”

He mutters: “What?”

“For you to fuck me.”

He laughs, and it makes him sob. Just fucking typical - very sexy of me. “You wished for me to fuck you?” He can’t believe it.

“You were just so fascinated with the stars. Like, you wouldn’t look away from them, and so we just sat there as you talked about the constellations and some Greek guy-”

“Ptolemy,” Julián remembers.

“-and all I wanted was to get bent over the haystack.” She pauses. “See, dissimilar.”

“Dissimilar,” Julián admits.

“All those cheap dates in Manchester, when I just wanted you to let me pay for cinema tickets. But you were too proud. And all those car-rides, oh God, Julián, the car rides. I just wanted to jump on a train so we could both enjoy the journey and not constantly get stuck in traffic.”

“Huh. I remember it rather differently.”

“Of course you do.” Sigh. “That’s what I like about you, you know? You always remember the fun.”

“It doesn’t sound like you had fun.”

“I did.” Pause. “But it would’ve been nice to do things my way sometimes, you know?”

“I know,” Julián realizes. I know. Fuck. Fuckhead. Twat. Dick. Idiot. Of course I know.

“Could we try that?”

“Try what?”

“Doing things my way.”

It sounds like a proposition. His heart leaps in his chest. “You mean-”

Sque-e-eak. Footsteps. The door opens and shuts. Julián battles himself up to peer over the edge of the tub. He stares at Sierra - wet cheeks, small smile on her lips, mobile pressed to her ear - and she stares at him as she says:

“I mean: no more calling me when you’re drunk.”

Pause. “Roger that.” Julián hangs up. He slowly puts his mobile away in the pocket of his trousers. He’s still peering at her, apprehensive. His body is liquid. Or maybe just his eyes. They seem to drip-drip-drip like the showerhead. “What are you…?”

“What are you doing,” she returns the question. She kneels next to the tub, picks up the miniature wine, shakes it in her hand. “Empty.” She pulls the bottle of fernet out of the tub. “Empty.”

“It’s mostly in my chin.”

“Charming.” She rests against the tub, her cheek squeezed, perfectly round and peachy in her hand. She looks at him, an expression of exhaustion and content. “What am I doing here?” she asks the question for him. “Didn’t think I’d miss the world cup celebration, did you?”

“World cup…” Pieces start coming together. His mind wanders of, what DJ at a party would play Blink 182? “Some shitty DJ they hired”.

Sierra laughs. There it is again: the perfect sound. It soothes his aching head.

Julián manages to reach over and grab her hand between his own. “I’m sorry,” he says.

“What for?”

Pause. “Everything.”

Sierra nods. “Me too. I’m also sorry. About everything.” She looks at his hand. She looks at him. And her eyes send him back to the sunrises: glimmering violet, full of warmth and optimism. A new day. A new chance.  

A new kiss.  

It is gentle, almost a peck, but it is there. On his lips. He tastes of fernet. She tastes of wine. The air is thick with perfume and aftershave and memories. When she climbs into the tub, she fits perfectly into the crook of his arm. As if they were always there, together, resting in a bathtub, watching the white ceiling, listening to the DJ announce:

“Everybody hit the dance floor!”  

Aquella feroz sesión de testosterona en que las hormonas formaron parte del bello arte del beso al cuello, le puso el sello que aquella noche, después del coche, todo iba a ser fenomenal

“Fucking hell - how romantic!”

Sierra laughs. She wraps her arm around him and closes her eyes. “Let’s head down in a second,” she suggests.

Julián too closes his eyes. “Yes,” he agrees, “in a second.” It seems like seconds. Seconds of memories:

- First kiss as the fireworks set off at midnight, and

- Skinny-dipping in the lake behind the house, and

- Arguing about what TV show to watch, and

- “Delete that photo, I look awful!”, and

- Long, long walks up and down the pier, and

- “I’m sorry, this isn’t working,” and

- Solo dinners in front of the TV with nothing to watch, and

- Drunk texts, drunk calls, drunk everything, and

- I wish I could do things over, and

the party has long finished by the time he wakes up, bleary-eyed, thirsty, in the need of a piss and breakfast.

But first things first, he dials a number.

Sierra stirs next to him. She’s frazzled - hair sticking out everywhere, sleep in her eyes, dress crinkled and marked with spots of wine. She picks up her phone. She mutters: “‘ello?”

“I’m sober,” Julián says.

Sierra looks up at him. “Spell: handkerchief.”

“H-A-N-D-K-E-R-C-H-I-E-F.” Pause. “Am I right?”

“I don’t know, I’m not a dictionary.”

They laugh. They laugh so much it hurts, and Julián’s head swims, and his knees ache, but he feels good. So, so good. Like he could take on the world. After a good, greasy breakfast. He smiles at her, and she smiles back at him, and when she asks:

“Do you want to try again?” and offers him her hand, he takes it and says:

“With you? Always.”

a/n: i´m begginggggg you guys to not be ghost readers! please let me know what you think here and read the rest of my works here. 

[grape-v1nes]

here is my 100% accurate and absolutely canon opinion of the marauders and co.’s top artists on spotify

i will not be elaborating nor will i take any criticism

james (not super into music; likes party music/what’s popular): taylor swift (because lily loves ts and he loves lily), post malone, kendrick, j. cole, mitski (he cries to I Bet on Losing Dogs bc it makes him think of regulus)

sirius (guys you can be mad at me for this one but you cannot convince me he wouldn’t be this guy if he was born in the early 2000s): 100 gecs (remus cannot fucking stand it but sirius moshes to stupid horse in the dorm), bladee, yung lean, beastie boys, MF DOOM, and bowie obv

remus (he likes midwest emo and 80s alternative but plays lo-fi when he studies): pinegrove, title fight, david bowie, talking heads, car seat headrest (Body’s is his favorite song), lo-fi beats

pete (ik you all think pete’s taste would be very vanilla but i think he’s a sucker for indie rock and 90s hip hop): the drums, the strokes, radiohead, alex g, the pharcyde, MF DOOM (sirius introduced mfdoom to him and he didn’t stop listening to rap snitch knishes for weeks)

lily (bi girl with bi boyfriend that listens to bi girl music): suki waterhouse, phoebe bridgers, lana, taylor swift, king princess

mary (she’s just really fucking cool and so is her music taste): pinkpantheress, ethel cain, hemlocke springs, doja, ice spice (kicked peter very hard in the shin when he called her mid)

marlene (she reminds me of my best friend so i’m assigning her their music taste): alex g, MGMT, the garden, deftones, the neighbourhood

dorcas (lesbian with lesbian gf that listens to lesbian music): fiona apple, japanese breakfast, faye webster, the cranberries, idigo de souza

reg (hard on the outside soft on the inside; he likes his music to be slow and sad): duster, mac demarco, salvia palth, current joys, tchaikovsky, blink-182 (only because he listens to I Miss You constantly for painfully obvious reasons)

-disclaimer ; my knowledge of evan and barty is very limited this is just the vibes-

evan (enjoys trad-goth/ post-punk/ shoegaze. gets mad if you call him goth. he’s punk!): the cure, bauhaus, depeche mode, my bloody valentine, slowdive

barty (is punk and enjoys punk but completely mis-understands the politics): sum 41, blink-182, the smashing pumpkins, hollywood undead, sex pistols (was very obsessed with the death of sid viscous and thought he was just the coolest)

[celestialcrowley]

I’m alive! Fashionably late, but alive! I’ve been an exceptionally busy murder hornet bee lately.

Thank you for the tag @katspause 💚

Pick a song for each letter of your URL, and then tag that many people!

All of these were pulled from my disaster playlist!

C — can you believe it - ultra sunn

e — everybody (backstreet’s back) - backstreet boys

l — luck - american authors

e — every teardrop is a waterfall - coldplay

s — spell it out - embrace

t — the way you make me feel - michael jackson

i — i miss you - blink-182

a — a little’s enough - angels & airwaves

l — lost - linkin park

c — crazy train - ozzy osbourne

r — rock and roll never forgets - bob sever

o — one more for love - five for fighting

w — what is love - haddaway

l — love song - right said fred

e — enter sandman - ghost

y — yeah - usher

and raven @raven-the-nephilim just because

r — revenga - system of a down

a — anna sun - walk the moon

v — viva la vida - coldplay

e — everywhere i go - hollywood undead

n — night is mine - ultra sunn

t — take a walk - judah & the lion

h — here we go - kb, pkoneday

e — electric avenue - eddy grant

n — no one lives forever - oingo boingo

e — everybody hurts - r.e.m

p — preacher - onerepublic

h — human - the killers

i — it’s time - imagine dragons

l — letters to god pt 2 - angels and airwaves

i — i want to break free - queen

m — moving on (so long) - blue october

Zero obligation tags: @sad-chaos-goblin @ineffabildaddy @tragic-cosmic-magic @peachworthy @argylepiratewd @belladonna413 @crowleysgoat @eevee436 @goldenirishpotato @ineffable-piracy @janeway-lover @justtofollowgaiman @makemyshipscanon @oliiiiiiiiive @paperclipbean @rainbowpopeworld

[tomsmusictaste]

Tom’s Top Ten | ALBUMS OF 2023

It's (belatedly) that time of year again, let's get into it.

10. Hotel Bleu - Broadside

I’ve made peace with the fact that Broadside record is likely to top Old Bones for me but Hotel Bleu is choc full of plenty of upbeat catchy tunes, a refreshing dose of positivity after their more sombre previous record Into The Raging Sea.

Favourite song: Dazed & Confused

9. Past // Present // Future - Meet Me @ The Altar

MM@TA have delivered a very solid debut record. One downside is the lack of easycore-style riffs and breakdowns (one of the main things that drew me to this band’s previous EPs) in favour of a more generic pop-punk sound - that said, all songs are plenty catchy and do a great job of showing off Edith’s vocal range, which is front and centre of this record.

Favourite song/s: Say It (To My Face) / It’s Over For Me

8. Childhood Eyes - Yellowcard

A big year for Yellowcard putting out their first new music since breaking up in 2016, and it delivers. It may just an EP but it's earned it's spot on the list and made me incredibly excited to see what else is on the way from this new era of Yellowcard. Also a collab with Dashboard Confessional? A Spider-Man 2 soundtrack reunion, you love to see it.

Favourite song: Childhood Eyes

7. Slow Burn - Conquer Divide

One of the later albums from the year but I'm glad that I didn't miss this one - Conquer Divide have been something of a 'background band' for me up until now, but this is a record I found myself listening to front to back over and over.

Favourite song: N E W H E A V E N

6. One More Time - Blink-182

I have to confess I have mixed feelings on Blink-182's big comeback album - great to see Tom back in the band and the band back to their classic lineup, lots of great emotion on the title track. Maybe contro but I do think some of the non-single tracks feel a bit pale or watered down compared to the singles, but the singles themselves do have a lot of what I love from that classic Blink sound.

Favourite song: Dance With Me

5. Postcard From A Living Hell - RedHook

RedHook were a new discovery for me this year, and a welcome one at that. This is one of those albums that soon as it came out I had on constant repeat, just banger after banger, not to mention a collab with Mik from Yours Truly; that gets a hell yeah from me.

Favourite song: Inarticulate ft. THE FAIM

4. Join The Club - As December Falls

One of my hottest anticipated releases of the year, As December Falls have come soaring this year, with this their third album and constantly selling out their tours (before i can get a ticket >:( ). Every single song on the tracklist is single worthy and the record makes no shortage of showing off Bethany's vocals, in particular on the emotionally driven 'Home.'

Favourite song: Mayday

3. A Call To The Void - Hot Milk

After knocking out of the park time after time with their EPs, Hot Milk finally released their debut full-length and brought everything that's good about them to the table. From the very first listen I knew this was gonna be a strong contender for AOTY, and indeed was only beaten out by two others.

Favourite song: Alice Cooper's Pool House

2. The Surface - Beartooth

It should be no surprise to my followers seeing Toof pop up on the list, there truly never has been a Beartooth album that hasn't made my top ten and The Surface is no exception. Going against the grain of their MO up until now and releasing an entire metalcore album full of love and positivity was an incredible move, and wonderful to see Caleb find himself in a place where he can write this kind of lyrical content and celebrate his own journey overcoming mental health struggles. The Surface is a welcome addition to the Beartooth catalogue.

Favourite song: I Was Alive

Before we get to the Number One, I'd like to shoutout some honourable mentions that didn't quite make the cut - those being 'Til The Wheels Fall Off - WSTR, Tear Me To Pieces - Story Of The Year, Power To Play - McFly, Untitled Mixtape - Carousel Kings and Linkin Park's 20th Anniverary Edition of Meteora

Also a special shoutout to Sum 41, Neck Deep and Green Day, for their singles off albums that will be released in '24. Good stuff.

With that all out of the way, let's get into my NUMBER ONE ALBUM OF 2023...

1. So Much (For) Stardust - Fall Out Boy

It was tough to crack down on the order of the top three here, but ultimately the number one album couldn't be anything else. I've made no secret that I'm not the biggest fan of the three FOB records prior to this, but here the boys return with a bang combining all that's good about both their pre-hiatus and post-hiatus sounds, resulting in an incredible record that has been definitive for my 2023. What more can I say? Fold Out Bed bloody did it.

Favourite song: Love From The Other Side

And there you have it! Those are my top albums of 2023. We're already a fair way into '24 at the time I'm posting this and this year too is shaping up to have some strong contenders... bring it on.

[chidorisjournal]

FFXIV Write 2024 - Day 17 - Sally

For some reason, Blink 182's "I miss you" is all that I could think of with today's prompt, so there are several lines inspired by or quoting the lyrics there-of included. Hope you enjoy.

Asti could hear them, of course. It simply wouldn't do to show that, though. The hushed whispers, the insinuations, the oh so clever darts and slings and arrows. Oh, they were all heard. Understood. And carefully catalogued away for another day. 'Nightmare' and 'Angel' were a few of favorites, especially back to back. They didn't know anything, did they? Whispering and worrying about what a single scion of the house thought, when the world itself was poised on the brink of conflagration. As though what they wore today mattered when tomorrow the whole thing might crumble to dust or be ground under the heavy tread of the Garlean magitek. It was all so shallow and vapid and Asti exhaled a soft breath across the surface of the tea currently hovering, waiting to be sipped, relaxing fingers that clutched porcelain just a fraction to tight. And waited, because soon, soon the whole reason they had come out to this silly little tea house would arrive and then things could happen.

And there she was, a vision in absolutely proper dress, pristine white gloves, corset laced just so to the right degree of cinching of her waist. Asti sighed, softly, and expected one or two of the ladies in attendance might have as well, perhaps even for the same reason as Asti did. If Ochelle noticed the attention, she gave no indication, simply sought Asti's gaze out and smiled, that warm smile that would brighten even a spring morning. Asti couldn't help the return smile any more than rising from seated to bow and pull out a chair for Elle could be helped. Making sure they were comfortable and had tea before resuming their own seat, Asti waited until Elle had had a sip and a nibble of biscuit, as was only proper, before speaking.

"Come with us." A small smile, acknowledgement that it wasn't the most compelling argument. "Live away from all this, like Jack and Sally, with me." It had to be attempted, even as Elle's small head shake started. Asti had known from the start that this was the end, really. No matter how much longing for it to be different they both had, Ochelle's family was to important to her to gamble on the venture planned by Asti and their siblings. Even as that perfect mouth opened, Asti held up a hand.

"Don't, Elle. Don't waste your time. You're already the voice inside my head. I know the thousand reasons why this is the worst idea in a long life of terrible ideas. Just… pretend for a moment you considered it."

Elle smiled, softly, as she did everything, taking a small sip of tea. "You know that story doesn't exactly have a happy ending, Tish." She smiled, and even though there was sorrow in it, Asti smiled back, ignoring the chewing sensation in the pit of their belly. It had always been going to end. At least they could part this way as friends.

And if Asti never made it back from the war, well. Elle would be taken care of, and know that Asti had loved her enough to try. It was the closest thing to forever they had to give.