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soundsof71 · 4 years

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So, considering you are a passionate fan of music released in 1971, I feel justifiably obligated to ask you what you think of Buffy Sainte-Marie's 'She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina' album. 😂 (Also, it would make me beyond happy if you could post more about Buffy, my friend! Thank you! ❣)

Buffy Sainte-Marie + Crazy Horse - what’s not to love? LOL I confess that it was the Crazy Horse connection that caught my attention first. I had a general idea who Buffy was, had seen her on TV a few times, but I was a big Crazy Horse fan. News that they were her backing band for this album was easily enough for me to scoop it up.

They weren’t doing anything much with Neil Young in 1971 (other than this album, on which Neil also appeared!), but they had released a tasty solo album in February 71, produced by Jack Nitzsche (who also produced this, and would later marry Buffy), and featuring Ry Cooder (also featured here, although did not marry Buffy).

(btw, the first place that Buffy, Ry, and Jack worked together was on the Nic Roeg film Performance, starring Mick Jagger. People obviously remember Mick in that, but musically, Buffy was the best part!)

She Used To Wanna... also features Jesse Ed Davis, a Native American guitarist and singer who was a frequent “usual suspect” at these sort of “sure, invite everyone!” jam albums of the era, and played a prominent role at 1971′s biggest concert (at least in the US), The Concert for Bangladesh on August 1.

(I know you know RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked The World, the documentary about indigenous music’s influence on rock and roll, which has chapters on both Buffy and Jesse Ed. I just watched it again recently, and love it! A reminder of Buffy’s pivotal role in classic rock history. Not mentioned in the film: she relentlessly championed the work of her fellow Canadians Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen, helping them get their first record deals.)

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I haven’t listened to She Used To Wanna Be A Ballerina for a while, so I definitely need to do that, along with posting more pictures of Buffy. (I can’t believe I’ve only posted two!)

But I’ll tell you what still stands out to me about that record years later. “Smack Water Jack” is an underrated track from Carole King’s Tapestry that got a ton of airplay at the time. Quincy Jones did an instrumental cover as the title track for his terrific 1971 album, too, but it has somehow faded to obscurity since then. Buffy takes a playful trifle, and turns it into a powerful fable of men of color who explode into violence in response to the violence visited upon them, and self-satisfaction of whites in authority who answer their demands for better living conditions by killing them on the spot.

No need for a trial when you can murder them in the streets, right? “You can't talk to a man when he don't wanna understand / And he don't wanna understand” hits different when Buffy sings it, and in 2020 for that matter.

It’s also just a terrific performance whose combination of soul and rock and roll and driving piano in a sort of Old West-sounding context would have made this sound right at home on a record like Elton John’s Tumbleweed Connection or something by The Band. I’m limited to five video embeds per post so I can’t embed it here, so I'm linking instead: anyone who hasn’t heard this definitely needs to.

Her cover of Neil’s CSNY track “Helpless” has things I like even better than Neil’s original, including Merry Clayton standing in for CSN. Buffy’s version is more muscular (thanks again to Crazy Horse), and taps even more deeply into the isolation of the song that the star power of CSNY somewhat obscured.

Buffy’s version also made a brief but memorable appearance in the 2018 film Hotel Artemis, starring Jodie Foster. A weird little movie that I loved maybe more than it deserved LOL but I recommend nonetheless:

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I know that this album gets attention because of the unusual number of covers, including one by Leonard Cohen, and a cover of a cover that Leonard had made famous on top of that, called "Song of the French Partisan” (hers is the far superior version imo, a song of French resistance to Nazi occupation from the perspective of a woman hiding a resister), but there are a couple of standout originals too.

I love the title of this record, and the title track is a delightful little stomper that playfully cautions against equating the intentions of grown women with the childhood fantasies they’ve grown out of. More Merry Clayton goodness here on backing vocals too.

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“Soldier Blue” is a powerful song first written for the 1970 film of the same name, billed at the time as “The most savage film in history” -- and maybe it was. It used the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre as a metaphor for Vietnam, and it's still shockingly brutal. It was the third-highest grossing movie in the UK in 1971, though, and the single became a top-10 hit for Buffy there.

It didn’t do as well here, either the song or the movie. Perhaps not shockingly in retrospect, Soldier Blue was pulled from American theaters after a few days, the Vietnam metaphor not at all lost on the Nixon administration.

As horrifying as it was, this is about when I was reading Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee (first published in 1970), and Soldier Blue resonated with me in a whole lot of ways. Here’s the song in the opening credits of the movie.

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I was also really struck by “Moratorium”, which is the story of “Universal Soldier” (from her 1963 debut, but a bigger hit for Donovan in 1965), coming from the opposite direction. In the earlier song, she blamed war on the soldiers who think that fighting is honorable, but here, she has empathizes with the young men, boys really in many cases, who’ve been lied to by their countries, their parents, and even their friends. They’re not vainglorious. They’ve been duped by people they trusted.

(I don't think she takes enough into account how many men sign up to fight because they want to embrace and celebrate their worst, most violent impulses, which was of course an undercurrent of “Universal Soldier”, but I appreciate her empathy here. More than one thing is true at a time.)

Buffy goes even farther, though, calling on soldiers to support and validate demands for peace as explicitly supporting them, summed up in the unforgettable cry, "Fuck the war and bring our brothers home!"

1971 was the peak of antiwar demonstrations in the US, with the biggest crowds ever seen in this country until the 2017 Women’s March. The May 1971 demonstrations pretty much shut down Washington, culminating with Vietnam Veterans Against The War throwing back their medals on the steps of the US Capitol, incredibly powerful stuff to see on TV in my formative years, and Buffy was right there in it. Anti-war songs were a cottage industry for sure, but nobody was writing with the nuance and empathy that Buffy was.

Here’s a 1972 performance of “Moratorium”, Buffy and a piano, and more emotionally bare than that:

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There’s obviously lots more to say about Buffy, far outside the realm of protest music that was actually just a small part of her musical palette -- her pioneering experiments with electronic music, her educational philanthropy starting in her 20s, Sesame Street, you name it. Her commercial peak was still in front of her, and while I can’t say that this is my favorite of her records, it does have some of my favorite songs of hers, and 1971 and She Used to Wanna Be A Ballerina is definitely where I went from knowing who Buffy Sainte-Marie was to being a fan.

I'll also note as I do now and again that while this blog started as an offshoot of a book on 1971 that I’d started but abandoned, I mostly listen to music released now. That’s always been my policy, including in 1971. When 1972 rolled up, I was mostly listening to music from 1972, music from ‘80 in ‘80, ‘91 in ‘91, 2018 in 2018, etc., to name just a few other favorites. (Plus The Beatles, okay? LOL I still listen to The Beatles every day. No apologies.) Honestly? It took me until 2011, in my fifties, when a whole bunch of 40th anniversary editions of 1971 albums got released all at once that made me think, “Wait a minute, this was maybe THE pivotal year in classic rock history!”

So yeah, the historian in me dug into 1971, but even though I happened to be alive and enthralled by music in that year, what I’m doing here has nothing to do with nostalgia, or any idea that that was the *best* year in music, even if for the narrow slice of music that is classic rock, yeah, it absolutely is. For soul/R&B too, and for the explosion of women artists outside the even narrower confines of pop as well. This is not subject to debate. No year like it, before or since. It's just that classic rock is a such a narrow slice, and I like my slices wide. LOL Which is also why my blog has less and less 1971 content as I go along.

While my general policy is that my favorite year for music is THIS year, this particular year hasn’t left me as much energy as usual for listening to music. Some of it is These Trying Times™, some of it is my bipolarity and schizophrenia getting the better of me in waves, as is the way with these, uhm, things. (Keep taking those meds, kids!) I listen to music and post about the people making it as a creative act, not a passive or reflexive one, and I just haven’t felt as creative as usual.

(This is also has everything to do with why so many Asks have been piling up unanswered. I apologize if you’re one of the many kind and indulgent souls who’s gotten in touch, but I swear I’m gonna get to ‘em all!)

To get an idea of what I’m ACTUALLY passionate about right now, my “to be edited later” running list of 2020 favorites randomly added to a playlist as I encounter them, to be properly curated later, is at Spotify, cleverly entitled “2020″ -- 94% women, which is about right. LOL

But since I do in fact listen to old stuff (by which I mean 2019 LOL), I made a list of mostly 2020 bangers from women rockers with some tasty treats from 2019 that I haven’t been able to let go of just yet, inspired by a post I saw at tumblr saying that punk music by women is just plain better (also beyond debate), called “Women Bangers: A Tumblr New Classics Jam”. I’ll be posting an essay with a YouTube playlist soon, because god forbid that I only talk briefly about anything LOL and most of these women need to be heard AND seen.

Like Buffy Sainte-Marie, whom you'll both see and hear more often on my blog soon. Thanks for the reminder! Always a pleasure to hear from you and be challenged by you. :-)

Peace, Tim

#ask #musicrunsthroughmysoul #buffy saint marie #women in rock #1971 #she used to wanna be a ballerina #1971 album #youtube #1971 single #crazy horse #essay #me

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bishreview · 3 years

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Track by Track Review - Hottest 100 2020

Wrote this article a little bit ago just for fun. Decided to post it on here with the thought of maybe getting back to the Bish Review. Also, put an asterix next to my votes (songs that made my top 10). Anyway, here we go:

100. Kool - BENEE

One of the many gems from ‘Hey u x’. Unlucky to hear her biggest hit so early on.

99. Itch - Hockey Dad

I thought ‘Brain Candy’ was a little bit of a disappointment, but Itch was one of the strongest tracks they duo have released.

98. Your Man - Joji

Surprised to hear this track in the countdown. Pretty solid tune though

97. Audacity (feat. Headie One) - Stormzy

He’s still one of the best from the UK rap scene and this track shows why.

96. Germaphobe - Hockey Dad

One of the weaker tracks, I thought, off Brain Candy, but not surprised a lot of Hockey Dad fans liked this one. Definitely plays into their audience’s taste.

95. Loose Ends (feat. G Flip) - Illy

I do not like Aussie Hip Pop. This track is not an exception.

94. Rain (feat. Tay Keith) - Aitch and AJ Tracey

The piano in this is very ‘Humble’ - Kendrick Lamar. Still a banger though.

93. Lemonade (feat. Gunna, Don Toliver and NAV) - Internet Money

Bit of a forgettable track. It’s okay, but feels like there’s a lot better like this out there.

92. These Days - Thelma Plum

First cover of the countdown. Still one of the best Hottest 100 number ones, and Thelma does it justice.

91. Charlie - Bugs

Second cover of the countdown. I do like this but I feel it doesn’t reach the same heights as the original.

90. No Time To Die - Billie Eilish

A little expected from Eilish but still a solid Bond song (the second in history to make it).

89. In Her Eyes - The Jungle Giants

I cannot wait for the new Jungle Giants album. They’ve gotten better and better with each release.

88. Heart Attack (feat. lau.ra) - BRONSON*

I fell deeply in love with this song the second I heard it. It just has this quiet yet strong emotion behind it. The production on it is something else as well.

87. Three Leaf Clover - Teenage Joans

A really solid debut single by the Unearthed High winners. Can’t wait to hear more from them.

86. Laugh Now Cry Now (feat. Lil Durk) - Drake

I still don’t get the hype for Drake. The falsetto “baby” in the chorus also never ceases to make me laugh.

85. Too Tough Terry - Dune Rats

Dunies slow descent from mature stoner pop to edgy tracks for teens has been hard to watch. This song just seems like a parody of the band.

84. Chicken Tenders - Dominic Fike

Has to be the sexiest song about the best thing in the frozen food section at the supermarket. Pity the album didn’t live up to the hype.

83. Down For You - Cosmo’s Midnight and Ruel

I was really keen for this once I heard about the collaboration between the two. Unfortunately it felt a little too much like a Ruel song and it doesn’t really feel like Cosmo’s Midnight had much of a touch on it.

82. The Clap - The Chats

It’s a bit generic for The Chats but I just like hearing them get more popular. Just hilarious dudes.

81. Weightless - Spacey Jane

One of the stronger and more unique tracks on Sunlight. The synth touches really suit the band.

80. Freaks - FISHER

Cannot wait for FISHER to just slowly fade away. His tracks all sound the same and are so basic.

79. my future - Billie Eilish

One of the best tracks Eilish has released. Love how this just turns halfway through from a really soft ballad to a bit of an electro pop song.

78. Lady Marmalade - G Flip

It’s a nice cover. The video of G Flip performing it though is really fun.

77. House Arrest - Sofi Tukker and Gorgon City

This song bangs pretty hard. I like a lot of Sofi Tukker have really been putting out some solid stuff.

76. Baby It’s You - London Grammar

This is a great track, that synth in the chorus is heavenly.

75. Photo ID - Remi Wolf

I do like this song but it reminds me of a track from the 80s or 90s and I can’t put my finger on what that track is.

74. Scream Drive Faster - LAUREL

When I first heard this I thought Ladyhawke was back in the mainstream. Little disappointed it wasn’t, but this slaps.

73. Don’t Need You - Genesis Owusu*

Possibly the best chorus of the year. Owusu has stepped up massively in the Australian Hip Hop scene.

72. Way Down - Ocean Alley

Ocean Alley have plateaued. ‘Lonely Diamond’ just felt like the band had become comfortable.

71. Obey - Bring Me The Horizon and YUNGBLUD

I just can’t take BMTH seriously anymore. They’re music has become so comically edgy.

70. Low - Chet Faker

Hey look, Nick Murphy has become Chet Faker again. Don’t know why he changes between the two when one is just slightly more soulful than the other, but he does release nice tunes.

69. Second - Hope D

I do like this female, Aussie version of Jamie T. It’s a really nice track. Also the number 69 is claimed by Hope D. haha.

68. Lie to Me - Vera Blue

I don’t know what it is exactly, but there’s something about Vera which just puts her on a different level than her counterparts. She’s just that consistently good.

67. Boss Bitch - Doja Cat

This track doesn’t get old for me. It’s so much fun, and Doja Cat owns it. Love it.

66. Fantasising - Skegss

This track really does have a very “Three Leaf Clover” vibe. I have enjoyed Skegss in the past but their new stuff hasn’t captured my attention really. Seems a bit run of the mill.

65. C’MON (feat. Travis Barker) - Amy Shark

I actually don’t mind this song, but why does it feature Travis Barker. It’s a piano ballad featuring a punk drummer, and he really doesn’t do that much. I’m confused, was he jealous of Mark Hoppus?

64. Soak Me In Bleach - The Amity Affliction

The song title reflects my thoughts when I hear that The Amity Affliction have released a new one. There are so many better Aussie metal bands out there.

63. Day & Age - Ball Park Music

BPM have a knack for writing amazing ballads. I wasn’t huge on their latest album, but tracks like this continue me having them in my good books.

62. Run - Joji

One of the best tracks Joji has released. A really mature song for the artist and a step in the right direction for him.

61. Pretty Grim - Ruby Fields

Ruby is good, but I feel she’s starting to release the same song over and over. Need something fresh.

60. Go (feat. Juice WRLD) - The Kid LAROI

Probably the strongest track by The Kid LAROI, but Juice WRLD outshines him just due to his vocal tone. He just sounds better.

59. Gimme Love - Joji

And that’s three for Joji. I really like how this song has two distinct sections and both are solid without overshadowing the other.

58. Fly Away - Tones and I

I still don’t get why Tones and I puts on that fake accent in her songs. It just detracts from what could be a nice pop song.

57. Sobercoaster - Beddy Rays

Really didn’t expect this to get so high. I’m happy though because it’s a really fun song.

56. On The Line - San Cisco

Tracks like this keep me invested in San Cisco. They can really release some brilliant stuff.

55. I Think You’re Great - Alex The Astronaut

The fine line between overly chessy and adorably optimistic is what Alex walks on with every track. I think this falls on the former side sadly.

54. Blue - Eiffel 65 (Flume Remix)

The fact that Flume puts so much of his identity into this remix is why Flume has been one of the most successful Aussie acts this past decade.

53. In Your Eyes - The Weeknd

If The Weeknd release ‘Blinding Lights’ a month later I’d believe that he would take out this countdown. He didn’t though and instead we are left with this solid track in the bottom 50.

52. The Glow - DMA’s

Why? Why did DMA’s have to get so poppy and generic. I loved their first two album, but I struggled to get through the third.

51. Your Love (Déjà Vu) - Glass Animals

Out of the three big hits the band had in 2020, this is the most underrated. There is so much going on here, yet it never feels muddled. Wavey Davey on fire here.

50. Nothing To Love About Love - Peking Duk and The Wombats

Although this is a nice song, there’s been so many 80s electro pop throwbacks recently that have been done better that this collab just fades into the background.

49. Wishing Well - Juice WRLD

This song is so beautiful and heart-breaking. Really shows why Juice WRLD became such a beloved artist so quickly.

48. Ain’t It Different (feat. AJ Tracey and Stormzy) - Headie One

This is a really cool collab. They use the Red Hot Chili Peppers sample so well and really flow so well with it that it feels almost effortless.

47. Animals - Architects

I like a lot about this track, but the chorus really hits another level. Feels cathartic to scream along to.

46. Pretty Lady - Tash Sultana

Was hoping Tash would move into a more psychedelic direction with their newer stuff, but this is still a fine track.

45. as long as you care - Ruel

A pretty by the books Ruel song, but he really does this style so well.

44. You & I - G Flip

Probably G Flips strongest release this year. The chorus has a lot of flavour.

43. together - Ziggy Alberts

Generic acoustic track by generic Byron Bay artist. He really took the cake this year for dumbest comparison, when he compared wearing a face mask to the holocaust. Thought he’d suffer a bit for it, but apparently his fanbase grew stronger.

42. WHATS POPPIN - Jack Harlow

Jack Harlow is just so much fun. He’s killing it, and WHATS POPPIN is proof of that. Keep the bangers coming Harlow.

41. I Still Dream About You - The Smith Street Band

I felt I was growing out of The Smith Street Band, their newer music just not resonating to me. Then they drop this and make me a big fan again.

40. Come & Go (with Marshmello) - Juice WRLD

Just that chorus. It is so enjoyable. He really was going places.

39. Righteous - Juice WRLD

A back to back, and from one of the more exciting songs on the album we get to one of the more sombre tracks. Everything from the guitar, the vocals, those synth notes. . . this track is just a perfect send off for the artist. R.I.P. Juice.

38. Parasite Eve - Bring Me The Horizon

This song is so unironically cringe and edgy that it somehow becomes ironically fun. It does the full circle.

37. SO DONE - The Kid LAROI

I do like The Kid LAROI, but his vocals on this, combined with the lyrics, just make him sound like a child chucking a temper tantrum. It does make me laugh though.

36. forget me too (feat. Halsey) - Machine Gun Kelly

If this song was released in the early 00s (where it belongs), it would’ve faded into oblivion. At least Halsey sounds pretty solid on her verse though.

35. Running Red Lights (feat. Rivers Cuomo & Pink Siifu) - The Avalanches*

My personal number one for the year. This song has that melancholic, nostalgic feel to it that just hits home every time. Also one of Cuomo’s strongest vocal performances.

34. Everybody Rise - Amy Shark

This song is fine. I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to it, but it’s fun to sing-a-long to.

33. Breathe Deeper - Tame Impala

One of the best tracks from The Slow Rush. I love that piano motif throughout, and the bass is so funky. That weird bridge section towards the end is also pretty slick.

32. Criminals - DMA’s

The real criminals are the ones who told DMA’s this was a good idea. I just can’t get around their new stuff. I miss ‘Hill’s End’ and ‘For Now’.

31. Reasons - San Cisco

Tracks like this keep me from becoming a full time fan of San Cisco. They can really release some average stuff.

30. Bagi-la-m Bargan (feat. Fred Leone) - Birdz

Powerful. Birdz really took it to another level here.

29. Dribble - Sycco

Although I find there’s a lot of similar stuff out there, I think Sycco does sound like an original voice in the Australian music scene. She’s killing it.

28. Straightfaced - Spacey Jane

Although there was a lot of good stuff on Spacey Jane’s debut album, I found it to be quite repetitive. This track was one of the ones that I found to fade into the background instead of standing out.

27. Under the Thunder - Skegss

I really want to like Skegss, they’ve released some great tunes in the past. But this just doesn’t do it for me. It’s just boring.

26. No Plans To Make Plans - Lime Cordiale

Everything that makes new The Rubens tracks so average is presented here on a Lime Cordiale track. Obnoxiously quirky.

25. Reality Check Please - Lime Cordiale

Hey back to back Lime Cordiale tracks. And another one of their weaker ones. ‘Addicted to the Sunshine’ did this chorus better.

24. Blue World - Mac Miller

Didn’t expect this to make it so high but so well deserved. This song slaps hard but still continues the tragic story that is presented on his posthumous album ‘Circles’.

23. Good News - Mac Miller*

Back to back Mac! To be honest, I am close to tears every time this track plays. If only the lyrics “there's a whole lot more for me waiting/I know maybe I'm too late, I could make it there some other time/Then I'll finally discover/That it ain't that bad” were told to Mac before his passing, because he did have so much more to offer. R.I.P. Mac.

22. Complicated - Eves Karydas

This song is so good. I’ve heard it that many times but it still hasn’t lost its shine. So damn good.

21. Energy - KLP and Stace Cadet

I was really hoping this would crack top 20. Probably the best Dance track of the year. Such a jam.

20. Addicted To The Sunshine - Lime Cordiale

Despite thinking that ‘14 Steps To A Better Living’ didn’t have many new tracks that were that good on it, this one is nice. It’s just a pleasantly nice song.

19. You Should Be Sad - Halsey

I really don’t like Pop Country music but I also find it hilarious that the genre cracked the top 20. ‘09 Taylor Swift would be proud.

18. Tangerine - Glass Animals

With Tik Tok exploding in 2020 I don’t get how this didn’t get adopted by someone on it. It’s so primed to get hyped on it.

17. Is It True - Tame Impala

I think Kevin Parker’s vocals on this are underwhelming, but that might just be because the instrumental slaps that hard. The rhythm section is so tight.

16. Screw Loose - Lime Cordiale

This sound is what Lime Cordiale do best. We need more dub influence and less elevator pop influence.

15. Skin - Spacey Jane

No matter what you think about Spacey Jane, they sure do make some emotional tracks. One of the most powerful songs on Sunlight.

14. Tombstone - Ocean Alley

The verses are average and pretty bland but the chorus is amazing. Just don’t think the album resonated with me too much, and Tombstone is another mixed track off it.

13. Rockstar - Mallrat

Possibly Mallrat’s best song yet. Her laid back, relaxed style mixed with the low-fi production really meshes well.

12. Get on the Beers (feat. Dan Andrews) - Mashd N Kutcher

I’m not going to pretend this is my style, but the way this has resonated with Australians during lockdown last year makes the track way smarter than it deserves to be. It’s both ironically and unironically good.

11. On Our Own - Lime Cordiale

I’m happy the three best new tracks of Lime Cordiale’s debut were the highest placing in this countdown. This really is a nice song.

10. Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish

Not my favourite songs from Billie but she continues to be consistently good. The production on this is immense as well.

9. I’m Good? - Hilltop Hoods

I wish old school Hilltop could hear this so could prevent themselves every going this direction. Aussie Hip Pop is not a good genre. This is one of their worst tracks yet.

8. Sending Me Ur Loving - The Jungle Giants*

This song has so much flavour too it. It’s so funky and fun and the production is so tight. Also the guitar work is underrated here, not doing much but adding that icing on the cake.

7. Hyperfine - G Flip

Every time I hear this track (and I’ve heard it a lot) I completely forget about it a couple minutes later. G Flip is good, but this is forgettable.

6. WAP (feat. Megan Thee Stallion) - Cardi B

I understand if this isn’t your style, but I love it. I don’t think there’s ever been a song with so many quotable moments. Every line makes a statement that will get in your head. My personal favourite? “ I let him taste it, now he diabetic”.

5. Lost In Yesterday - Tame Impala

There’s a lot of songs on ‘The Slow Rush’ I like, but Lost In Yesterday I’ve always found kinda boring. It feels a little uninspired. Surprised that this was the album’s big hit.

4. Cherub - Ball Park Music*

BPM have released some great music over the decade but I think this is their best yet. It’s beautiful, emotional and has a fantastic, cathartic breakdown at the end. I love a good build up.

3. The Difference (feat. Toro y Moi) - Flume*

Everything about this track is why Flume has been so great for so long. This track is great for any situation. If I’m partying, I play it. If I’m relaxing, I play it. If I’m getting pumped up, I play it. If I’m sad, I play it. Flexibility matters.

2. Booster Seat - Spacey Jane

OHHH-OH-OHHHHHHHH AND IT FEELS LIKE THAT AGAIN! One of the best sing-a-long tracks of the year, yet massively emotional. Like damn this song is rough.

1. Heat Waves - Glass Animals*

If I had one word to express how I feel about this winning I would say “deserved”. Not many tracks were as perfect for 2020 as this one. Glass Animals love writing absolute bangers with emotional cores and this one is one of their strongest tracks. Glass Animals just continue to outdo themselves.

That’s it for now, gonna maybe start posting again. I dunno. See how I feel. Ta-ta.

#triple j #triple j hottest 100 #2020 #triple j hottest 100 2020 #Glass Animals #spacey jane #flume #Ball Park Music #tame impala #cardi b #g flip #the jungle giants #hilltop hoods #billie eilish

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sage-nebula · 4 years

Note

Thanks for the explanation! I've been a JRPG fan since the 90s and the changes made to the Let's Go games don't sound as though they'd be my thing either. Do you have a review of Gen 8 anywhere on here? I'd be curious to see what you think of Sword and Shield.

I don’t think I ever did a formal review of Sword / Shield because I wasn’t writing up game reviews at the time, but I’d be happy to give an impromptu one here!

Overall Score: 8.5/10

The Pros:

— Gameplay was a vast improvement from the previous gen. Dynamaxing is a much more fun battle mechanic than a one-time-per-battle use Z-Move; the Wild Area is FANTASTIC, especially with the wild pokémon roaming around; the bike came back without annoying music to accompany it; the post-game Battle Tower provided actual challenge, and so on. I actually had fun playing these games, particularly with so much space to explore and things to find. I’m not someone who says that story is never important in games—I’m far from that person, actually—but gameplay will always be the most important component of a video game because it’s how the audience engages with it. The Alola games were not fun for me to play; the Galar games were, and that was automatically such a relief after a gen that felt like a chore to get through.

— The characters are all fantastic! Aside from postgame characters Shieldbert and Swordward, I didn’t dislike a single character in the games. The rivals were great, the Gym Leaders were memorable and involved for the first time since Gen V, and Sonia has one of my favorite arcs of any Pokémon character ever given how relatable her story was. (Having one of the main characters be someone in her twenties trying to figure out what she’s going to do with her life is almost like Game Freak was trying to speak to the young adult audience who grew up with these games, tbh.) I didn’t like the characters in the Kalos games aside from one, and the Alola games were a massive disappointment, but Galar really came through and shone with all of its characters. The fact that they’ve only managed to get even more spotlight and depth in things like the League Card bios and the post-game Galarian Stars Tournament only makes things even better.

— The music was excellent. While there were a few tracks that weren’t especially memorable (such as the standard trainer battle music), there were many more that were absolute bangers (the Gym Leader battle music, the Battle Tower music composed by Toby Fox himself, Marnie’s Battle Theme, etc). I especially love the music for the northern part of the wild area, with how the bagpipes come into full crescendo. Absolutely spectacular.

— There was so much to explore! One of my primary complaints with the Alola games is that they were so small; only four tiny islands, without being able to explore the sea. Galar made up for that, though, with more towns, a huge wild area, and to cap it all off, extra locations added with DLC that allowed you to fully explore the ocean and many other areas. There were so many little hidden things around and I LOVED discovering everything, ignoring the plot while I did so. That was my jam.

— Speaking of the DLC, I cannot speak highly enough about Game Freak’s decision to release DLC with new areas / content rather than just releasing a slightly modified third version with different postgame (coughUSUMcough). Yes, the DLC still cost money, but it was half the price that a third game would have been, and honestly the DLC stories adding to the postgame (though you can do them at any time and the levels scale) added to the richness, depth, and overall playtime that the Galar games offered. I really, really can’t express how much I hope that this is the business model Game Freak takes with future releases. Please give us new stories via DLC rather than making us shell out for a slightly modified third version.

— Honestly, this is an unpopular opinion, but I really liked the way the story was handled. I LOVED the model for the Gym Challenge being a regional tournament that you have to be sponsored to enter, how the “gyms” were stadiums full of people, how it’s something that really affected the region and encompassed everything you did, story-wise. I loved, too, how the adults in the game ACTUALLY DID SOMETHING FOR ONCE instead of wanting to rely on literal children to solve their problems for them. Sure, it means we missed some instances of disaster, but honestly, I’ve been cleaning up the PokéWorld’s messes since 1998. I’m tired. I want to just have fun gallivanting off into the wilderness in-between doing a fun Gym Challenge. That’s all I want. So while some didn’t like the fact that the story wasn’t super deep, I liked it, especially since if the Kalos and Alola games taught us everything, it’s that Game Freak fails spectacularly at handling tough topics, to the point I’d really rather they not try at all.

The Cons:

— I’m still disappointed about the Dex cut. I’ve accepted it at this point, we won’t get the full Dex back unless Game Freak somehow gets more time to develop the games, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t find it disappointing. I think all pokémon should be included in the games at least once the main campaign is over, and it’s disappointing that they aren’t.

— I don’t know if it’s a fault of the game or thanks to my internet connection, but I experience severe lag when wifi is turned on in the wild area, which is again disappointing since it was promoted how you could interact freely with other players this way.

— I MISS MEGA EVOLUTION. My Charizard was bred and trained specifically to mega evolve into X. I really hope we get Mega Evolution back at some point because I’m angry that it’s gone.

— While I was glad to see following pokémon back in the DLC, it really wasn’t implemented well. They can’t keep pace properly at all. Again, I wonder if this is tied to the time constraints that went into development, and if it is, I hope they can smooth it out in the future.

— I was kind of disappointed in the way Rose ended up being depicted as the game’s Big Bad, because of the role they gave him in the game. In the game, he’s the CEO of a mega corporation that controls all energy throughout the Galar region. Given that we currently live in a world where CEOs of mega corporations who control everything are actively destroying the planet and don’t care that they’re doing it, it fell a bit flat for me for the games to be like, “no, it’s fine he controls everything that everyone’s lives depend on, the real problem is he summoned a legendary pokémon he couldn’t control.” Like, my dislike of Rose is far less about what he does versus what he is, and I feel like Game Freak chickened out of criticizing what actually needed to be criticized.

But yeah, that’s all I’ve got! I really enjoyed Sword and Shield; they gave me some hope for the direction the games might be taking in the future.

#pokemon #pokemon swsh #Anonymous

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kpop-rambles · 4 years

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Goodbye 2019. Hello 2020.

To celebrate the new year - which a lot of people are celebrating right now, I’m sure, unfortunately not me yet - I decided to create this post. I don’t know how to explain it but if you like kpop, keep reading!

My Top 3 Songs of 2019

1. SKZ - Miroh

This song got me into my now ult group, Stray Kids. Those 9 boys have honestly made this year 10x better for me. Chan’s VLives definitely helped me when I was upset, and the members made me feel emotions by their side. I’m so glad that add of Miroh appeared and I chose to watch it because I may have not gotten into Stray Kids without it.

2. ATEEZ - Wave

Again, another song that got me into the group. I heard the song in a video where they played huge jenga at Kcon... I think? Anyways, this song is another banger and you completely fall in love with it first listen. You won’t regret listening to this.

3. TWICE - Fancy

I got into TWICE when they released YES OR YES, but FANCY is the song that you can’t not fall in love with. I did on my 2nd listen and man, if you’re saying you didn’t learn the dance and bopped to this song, you are LYING because- let’s be honest - everyone said FANCY SOTY.

Groups I began stanning in 2019 its felt like forever tho

Stray Kids - March 26th. You think I would forget?

ATEEZ - August 18th. Another date I remember, because I spent a good 2 hours getting to memorize the members name and faces. Was so happy when I finally did it.

iKON - Honestly, I was more of a Double B stan since January until Hanbin left. I loved their songs but I never got to know the rest of the members, except for Jinhwan.

ChungHa - Snapping dragged me in. That’s all I gotta say. Although, ngl, Gotta Go was something I always tried to dance to.

KARD - Again, Bomb Bomb just pulled me into the fandom. The rest of their discography made me stay. I sang along to Bomb Bomb everyday for a good 3 months. It was honestly EVERYTHING to me and then Dumb Litty came and stole my heart and KARD did it AGAIN.

Mamamoo - gogobebe. Do I really need to say anything else?

GOT7 - I’m pretty sure I got into them because, well everyone knows GOT7. They’re a name everyone knows if you like kpop, so I just wanted to get into them. Eclipse and You Calling My Name are songs I’ll dance and singalong to in the right mood and right part of the song. But their personalities dragged me in. I’m pretty sure BamBam also attracted me when he was on Stray Kids reality show.

Day6 - Time Of Our Life. I decided to listen to it because Seungmin of Stray Kids was a big fan of them and I was like, it shouldn’t hurt to try. Seungmin made me want to watch and Day6 made me want to stay. They don’t make ANY bad songs.

Everglow - March 18. Listened to Bon Bon Chocolat when it came out, and I was honestly scared ppl were gonna sleep on them cause ITZY debuted a month before. Fortunately, everyone noticed their talent.

BigBang - I dunno just listened to one of their songs. And, of course, I fell in love. Too late to stan them while they were active, but I’m expecting something in 2020... just saaying.

NCT - All of the subunits. Honestly there were so many of them, I spent time taking tests to tell them apart. The struggle to stan these boys. Instantly fell in with the Dreamies. And then I found out they weren’t a fixed unit... My heart shattered. It’s still breaking because 4 OF THEM ARE LEAVING. or left. I dunno.

Tomorrow by Together - They were probably the most anticipated group of this year. I remember ppl hyping them up in October of 2018! Predebut stan right here. (I just remembered that I thought the preview of each member was coming out in age order and thinking that Beomgyu was the youngest. And I was just like WHERE IS HEUNINGKAI FROM?!?!)

ITZY - remember when everyone thought that itzy’s debut was rushed because info about them was leaked. yeah, i forgot too. anyways, again I was a predebut stan.

(G)- idle - i always listened to their title tracks and I began stanning them during Queendom after their Fire cover im listening to 2ne1 2015 mama fire performance rn lol.... omg bom’s han cover just started playing. spotify is watching me guys.

Somi - Birthday was a bop. fight me. outfits sucked, gotta agree with that opinion I didn’t rlly know much about IOI but I started stanning because Jenchu were fangirling to it i mean jennie twerked for it!

Jimin Park - I’m out here still streaming STAY BEAUTIFUL. honestly she’s so loveable. her personality and her voice are everything. how can you not like her

My Top 5 Groups of the Year

1. STRAY KIDS - A lot of the reasons I luv them are the same as ATEEZ. That’s why ateez are close to being my number one, but honestly these 9 boys are everything to me. 9 or NONE FOREVER. They have been through so much this year and I hope they STAY strong for 2020. In their 2020 seasons greeting they announced a full album next year, so I’m ready to follow these boys on their journey no matter how many stay or leave. I’m a STAY for a reason.

2. ATEEZ - PERSONALITY. I’m also a sucker for groups that shove their love for each other in your face. 8 makes 1 team, y’know? Hongjoong and Mingi are amazing rappers, Jongho, Wooyoung and San’s vocals tho, Yunho and Seonghwa’s deep voices are the death of me, and Yeosang dancing. They’re talented and luvable and that’s all I need for an ult group. also all their songs are bops

3. Mamamoo - Honestly would’ve tied with Twice but these I’m a sucker for them as ppl as well, and I need that to luv a group. they ain’t fake, they slap information in your face and they are POWERFUL WOMAN. (Not saying twice aren’t ofcourse) And these girls vocals are on POINT. Moonbyul is rapper material, but have you heard the girl song? What an angel. Their songs are all slaps, especially the most recent ones.

4. TWICE - This was their year? yes or yes. Fancy soty. Feel Special was a great title track, don’t get me wrong, bUT HAVE YOU HEARD THE FULL ALBUM. Every song is my AMAZING. omg rainbow is playing

5. NCT DREAM - These boys stole my heart, I only stanned nct because of them. Honestly seeing the 00 line leave breaks my heart.

My Top 5 girl group and boy group songs

gg songs were honestly so hard to pick, they thrived and SO many good songs were made in 2019. But here is my list.

1. Fancy - soty

2. Hip - this song was everything from the choreo to the song itself to the girls energy performing it

3. Psycho - came out like last week but it’s in everyone's top 10 of this year. Beautiful song that won’t get outta my head. getwellsoonwendy.

4.Violeta - this is another song that won’t get out of my head. honestly none of these songs will. ok so the final dance part after the drop of violeta pisses me off because the dance could is so powerful and that part comes and it’s such a disappointment but it’s the only part I can do so i shouldn't complain but the song itself is very catchy. I don’t want these girls to disband even if the votes were rigged because they make a good group and sing bangers. i don't want them to leeeave.

5.Lion - the song is just so powerful. other songs they’ve made are good, but the chorus is usually a disappointment because the pre chorus is so good but EVERYTHING is great about Lion. Didn’t like it at first for some reason, i dunno why, but once you give it a few more listens you’ll fall in love.

Now onto the boy groups. They made quite a few bangers this year as well.

1. Miroh - It’s my no.1 of the year. watchu expect?

2. Wave - and this is my no.2. Again, what else would I put here?

3. Run Away - what. a. bop. still can’t get out of my head. Crown was a disappointment to me after 1000 listens but not Run Away. A bonus is the Harry Potter references. With that I just was head over heels in love. Txt didn’t fail to disappoint with their comeback even if it was pushed back.

4. Boom - This song made me fall in love with the talent that NCT DREAM holds despite being so young. Sang along for a few months. Actually, it’s still in my head.

5. Make It Right - I was doing title tracks for all these but then I realised there has to be an exception because I just really like this song, especially the one featuring Lauv. Boy with luv wasn’t it for me but every other song on Persona is a straight up masterpiece (ok an exaggeration but u get what i mean)

Now onto the soloists (they’re all female, sry not sry)

1. Chica - I was debating whether to put Snapping or this but decided with Chica. Honestly the vocals, the song, the dance, the MESSAGE, is everything. I love it, it empowers woman, it makes ME feel good, and it’s what some people really need sometimes. So, thank you ChungHa.

2. Gotta Go - another bop by our queen ChungHa, she really ruled this year. I didn’t stan her when it came out but that doesn’t mean I didn’t do the ‘deulshi’ part whenever I heard it. iconic.

3. Twit - Again another iconic bop from this year. (i thought this masterpiece came out last year, i dunno why but it just is so 2018 for some reason? I dunno) Hwasa’s solo debut really was everything. So was Moonbyul’s which unfortunately didn't make it on the list but I would say it’s in between 5th to 7th for me.

4. Stay Beautiful - Such a beautiful song, it was a shame Jamie had to leave but she left JYP saying that they lost smth PRECIOUS and they would regret it and she conveyed all that in one song without hinting at it. So many quote worthy lyrics were in the song and it just bring up my mood and my standard for vocals. Don’t sleep on this girl, y’all.

5. Birthday - the song brought out mixed reactions from everyone but i LOVED IT. It did get a bit old but it’s still something you’ll find me singing along to every now and then.

ARTISTS THAT STOOD OUT TO ME THIS YEAR

1. Bang Chan of Stray Kids. I love him. He’s such a great leader, he’s a loveable person, he’s all rounded and he fucks up sometimes but he acknowledges it and fixes it. He went through so much shit this year and he deserves so much more. I, along with many other STAYs are gonna make 2020 a better year for him and all of his group. Stay strong Chan! But besides his personality his stage presence, his rapping, his singing, his producing, his energy, his personality, it all made him someone who was always on my mind.

2. Yeonjun of Tomorrow x Together. He’s also very well rounded and he really stands out to me from all the other 4th gens. Whenever I see a performance by TXT he always grabs my attention even when he’s not the main focus. I love his dancing, it’s very eye catching to me, along with his stage presence. He never loses his energy on stage and I expect a lot from him in 2020! His rapping and singing are amazing as well, especially for a rookie. Also when they first debuted he cried a lot, which was very heartwarming to me because idols showing emotion other than happy is something I appreciate, because it lets me remember they’re human too.

3. Seulgi of Red Velvet. She’s, again, very well rounded. I’m not really a Reveluv, but Wendy and Seulgi are vocalists who really stand out to me so those to kind of make me want to listen to Red Velvet’s songs. She’s an amazing vocalist, like words can’t express how much a love this woman's voice. Her stage presence is amazing as well, she’s just a really good performer imo.

4. Jihyo and Nayeon of TWICE. First of all I really like their personality and how powerful they are. Honestly a wink from them and I’m falling of my chair. Secondly, I don’t know if anyone's noticed but I really like powerful female vocals, and these two have extremely POWERFUL vocals. Have you heard them sing? Just... POWERFUL, that’s all I can really say to describe their voices.

5. Mingi and Hongjoong of ATEEZ. They are rapper that are gonna blow away the whole industry with 3racha, I mean they already have. Did y’all see their performance in MAMA. The RAWEST vocals I heard that whole show. They were obviously not lip syncing, you could hear Mingi panting and he didn’t rap a whole line, and I LOVE that because it is RAW and we need more raw vocals or atleast breaths heard when the artists are dancing because it makes the performance more REAL. also stage presence is amazing from these two, they really know how to hype up a crowd.

ROOKIE GROUPS I EXPECT A LOT FROM NEXT YEAR

sorry my expectations are high for them, but they have stood out tome so much and i couldn’t stand to see them flop.

1. TOMORROW X TOGETHER - they’ve been on this list quite a lot, and I really appreciate their individual talents along with them as a group. I REALLY want to see them improve and grow more next year because they were really pushed this year, being BTS’s juniors. I’m sure they were really stressed but I want them to become TOMORROW BY TOGETHER not BTS’s juniors. Probably won’t happen in a year but hopefully in the next decade.

2. ITZY - another group really known for theing the juniors of TWICE this time. The title tracks they released so far have all been listen to it the first time, you don;t like it, but listen to it the 2nd time and it’s stuck in your head for the next 7 months. Honestly if they keep going like this, it would be like a ITZY thing, and I honestly wouldn’t mind.

3. EVERGLOW - i think everyone just saw bon bon chocolat, gave it a listen, and loved it. but i also heard it was produced by someone who helped produce Crown by TXT and Spring Day by BTS, so there’s another reason ppl may have liked it so much. Adios wasn’t a disappointment at all. Of course, I would also love it if Everglow kept up the “nanana” thing in each of their title tracks.

4. ATEEZ - I don’t think they’ll flop at all next year. I know they just had their 1st year anniversary, but I wouldn’t mind a full album... either way, Imma stick with them because they’ve only released that good shit so far and I’m honestly expecting a somewhat mediocre song at least once in their career next year. Not expecting it though.

5. ONEUS - I haven’t’t talked about them yet but all of oneus’s title tracks are absolute gold. I am a mess for Valkyrie, Twilight AND Lit. They’re all just AMAZING songs. I mean, what did we expect from Mamamoo’s juniors but. They are REALLY good. Just go listen to all their title tracks rn.

And finally, wishes for 2020

- Of course, Wendy to recover after her tragic incident at SBS. Again, I hope she recovers well

- Mina to come back from her hiatus, only if she’s ready to, of course

- BLACKPINK FULL ALBUM. ROSE SOLO. PLEASE.

- Of course, 4th gen to thrive along with 3rd gen and 2nd gen groups

- A full album from stray kids (which was confirmed) and again, maybe for ATEEZ? just maybe?

- More attention for Mamamoo. They are underrated queens.

- Less hate for Tomorrow By Together. People bash them just because they’re BTS’s juniors. they would be praised a less but definitely not doubted way more if they weren’t under Bighit. Yeah, they get luxuries other groups won’t but that doesn’t mean people should degrade them for it.

And with that

I wish everyone a Happy New Year. May your next decade be filled with happiness and joy! omg fancy started playing

also i didn’t have time to properly edit this. then again i am a rambling blog, so what are you expecting?

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thefreshfinds · 4 years

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THE RAW SHOWCASE

By: Natalee Gilbert

The RAW Showcase lived up to its name. Like its tagline states, everybody came to vibe. From a mile radius, friendships were formed, people were singing from the top of their lungs (the old and new bops), and everyone was anticipating to see the “R.eal A.uthentic W.itty” artists do their thing. Those who stepped onstage were S.B, Bindi Liebowitz, Sunliight, Kory Hiii, and Zeke Marlee (who, unfortunately, I missed speaking to.) The show was ran by Vision Society, Najee Lucky and J. Shider. Stepping into the atmosphere, I felt genuine connections. The lighting made the room setting intimate and many were allowed to interact with the artist performing. Those onstage shared common ground. All considered theirselves artist and had an undying passion for music. Their music stood for something, held a message and didn’t lead way to gate-drugs or violence. Some spoke on a personal level, dashing some relatability when telling what they’ve seen or heard. Overrall, everyone came from a good place. One of understanding. The music left others feeling good and at peace. The RAW Showcase came in with the new and left worries at the door. Everyone was having a good time.

S.B:

Every track from S.B doesn’t sound the same. Granted that his sound is constantly evolving, the artist makes music for any vibe, whether it be one that’s happy, confrontational, sad or nonchalant. One thing never changes, however. No matter where S.B steps foot, he happens to garner a new fan. S.B ultimately fits the depiction of a music vet. He’s got the suave stage presence down pat, and lyricism just comes easy. There’s no way to put him in a box. He’s multi-dimensional, to say the least. Since youth, S.B was one with music. At six, he learned how to play the sax and shortly after, S.B taught himself how to play the piano. Eventually, S.B began writing music. Then, everything accumulated. To date S.B has released 6 bangers. His recent, “Didn’t They” comes with gully, slick-mouthed bars that aren’t afraid to leave you with a black eye. “Fire Emoji,” on the other hand, comes with the Jersey talk. Once the alarm blares, S.B says he’s representing Garden State, but addressing the differences between himself and others. Spread over the aggressive back-drop, listeners get an earful of punchlines and entendres, that only bite back through the speakers. His feature, D.N.A matches the energy and comes hard like the natural vet, making sure that each line is not misunderstood. All-in-all both showed that nothing in life should be a gimmick. Be real. His discography also includes his enticing, fun, jungle-fever banger “Finna Get Naughty,” smooth cruising “Fly First Class,” “No Adderralls,” and highly acclaimed, “2 P.M” ft. Ziggy Zombie, This song was the most challenging because it took 2 weeks to figure out the chorus. But after that everything came easy. His word of advice for the upcoming artist and world is to keep growing. Don’t be scared to be different.

Instagram: @remembersb

Spotify:

KORY HIII:

Once Kory Hiii stepped in, the crowds got hyped up. His commanding stage presence came at attention spans with no delay. As Hiii’s words spluttered across the echoey room, it bounced back with an aggressive tone. People were feeling what he was saying. What he said held truth and it’s safe to say the crowd thought so too. Over time, Hii’s lyrics were being chanted back at him. There was even one moment when the crowd became a unit. However, this can be symbolic for many reasons. While interviewing the Union native, I came to know a line that spoke volumes, “I feel like planting the seeds and waiting for harvest/What you expect? I came from the Garden.” which essentially stands for Hiii’s city and state. The Garden, being New Jersey and the rest, “I feel like planting the seeds and waiting for harvest” being Union. Union’s mascot just so happens to be The Farmers. From just this proverb, one can see that unification is one of Hiii’s values.

Hiii considers himself a musician but moreso an artist. His music journey started with his cousin, 2 Honest, whose been rapping since he was young. 2 Honest always tried to push Hiii to rap, but he was playing basketball at the time. However, as Hiii got older and basketball was no longer a reality, he started rapping with his homies. That led to being put into his first song. Eventually, Hiii went on to work with his cousin and landed into Morgan State. Alone with a MacBook, Hiii started making music and getting more into it. Then the rest is history. Before he gets in the booth, he prays and also does so when going onstage. However, the rapper puts God before everything. His sound is nothing but organic. Hiii says he wants people to gain awareness. The message behind his sound is positivity and consciousness. In our interview, he goes to say “I’m just trying to get my sound right.” If you haven’t already bump his song, “The Get Back” everywhere! This song falls a tribute to Hiii’s grandmother and I can vouch for its star-power. Truly, a banger for the books. Hiii’s visual for “The Get Back” also made its way to World Star earlier this month, garnering traction from everyone riding through the city. Hiii also has a project out called Revenge of the Soular Sun.

Instagram: @koryhiii

Spotify:

Bindi Liebowitz:

A woman who can get pass you (especially if you don’t act right), Bindi Liebowitz is a female phenomenon full of charisma, wit and sultry energy. From the beginning of her performance, many listeners broke a sweat. Her stage presence, made jaws drop to the floor. Swaying in with high-knee boots and smokey black eyeshadow, Bindi sung soulfully and tapped into a confidence that made hearts flutter. The topic at hand was love and Bindi did diligence and giving each song a feeling. No denying it, Bindi basked in star-power. The singer/songwriter knew she loved singing since she was 6 or 8 years old. One day she was singing Aretha Franklin’s “Chain Of Fools” for her mother in the car. Once she finished, her mother caught the groove and said “Um, what? Girl, sing it again,” Then, with a vocal snap, Bindi went into a raspy, deep, soulful note range. However, Bindi didn’t know it was a talent. Naturally she felt the words and it was just a skill she mastered well. Bindi loved being onstage. This passion led her to NJPAC at 13 years old. Here, she took vocal lessons and began reading music, etc. Bindi was so into music that she even played the violin and joined chorus’. But she didn’t take it seriously until high school, “From choir, I began auditioning for the shows like American Idol and X Factor.” In 2014-2015, Bindi make her mark on American Idol. One year later, Bindi was on The Voice (Season 11), moving those across the nation. Now, Bindi continues to prosper in performing. No matter the gig, her impact spreads like wildfire. Likewise, the womanist empowers the generation and other woman. “We’re all beautiful and I’m going to let you know so. If you’re dope, the same thing. I don’t believe in giving someone the cold shoulder. I want to be the voice to let people know that we are getting things done, we do have feelings.” she says while adding “My style is based on the mood. I’m okay with that. I let it be expressed while I’m performing. I don’t want to pretend for the people that support me. I want to be real. Honestly, its edgy, bad-ass.” Bindi currently has 3 singles. “Over You” is her first single and one she gets excited performing. “Complicated” was released last year whereas “FaceTime” dropped in July.

Instagram: @thisisbindi

Spotify:

SUNLIGHT:

To describe Sunlight is this very line from his song, “Sunrise,” when they see the shine they know what’s up. His name matches the vibrant energy he possesses. To further put it, Sunlight radiates in all-around positivity. Between rapping vulnerable bars then undeniably hard ones, and singing with tranquility from the heart, Sunlight warms your soul as his voice flows through the ear streams of many. During our encounter, I could see passion shining through his eyes. His words came from a sincere place and I automatically felt at-home with this ambitious, fun-spirited musician. Sunlight started his music journey when he was 12 years old. He says “I always had a passion for it, I always enjoyed it. But I didn’t take it serious because I thought people wouldn’t take me serious. I was basing my performance off the judgement of others.” Thanks to his friends and family, Sunlight kept at it. He says they pushed him to keep going. Now, he’s here. His music’s style is undefinable. It’s something you have to get an earful of and determine. Sometimes he’ll get Chance the Rapper, others Kendrick Lamar or PARTYNEXTDOOR. Essentially, Sunlight makes feel-good music. For instance, the musician says that “Sunrise” is more of a wake-up song that demand you to have a good time whereas “Sunset” is for boo-loving. His project Too a Good Summer puts it to a tee. Alone, Sunlight’s sound gives off a cool, calm and collected vibe. The sunny-side-up artist finds influence in Childish Gambino and Jamie Foxx because they’re versatile. One New Jersey artist he’s like to collab with is Chris Patrick. And we both agree that he’s that dude. Sunlight leaves this word of advice for the upcoming artist: Be yourself. Don’t force a look or persona.

Instagram: @suunnnlight

Spotify:

#soundcloud #freshfinds #music #musicblog #listen #rap #banger #musicians #hip hop #follow #eventreview #rawshowcase #s.b #kory hiii #sunlight #bindi liebowitz

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t-urbulence · 4 years

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Best Artists of 2019

Hello and welcome to me forgetting how I do these things.

So as you may have noticed I got into kpop last year and then I continued getting into kpop this year. This year I got to know a lot of other artists in kpop and mostly spent my time listening to one specific artist (you will never guess whom) so this list is... just that ok. Also this category used to be called best newbies and only included artists I got to know in a specific year then I changed it to include any artist I listened to a lot but with a few exceptions all the music I listened to this year were new discoveries for me so...

Idk why I always overexplain these, huh.

Honourable mentions go to Monsta X, Nu’est, Chungha, Sunmi, Stray Kids, Bolbbalgan4, The Boyz, and returning artists Mamamoo ♥♥

7 - NCT (the whole of it but mostly 127)

As a baby kpoppie NCT always seemed so intimidating to me with its many many members but the few songs I liked from them upon first listen eventually lured me into getting to know them. Now I’m no expert but to me NCT is a little frustrating because I feel like the label could do so much more with them (and by more I don’t mean to make certain members work even more). I have to admit I often don’t feel like a proper fan because I don’t follow them very closely but to me their music is always the best part of the package and I care very little for their vlogs and... whatever else they’re doing, honestly.

But as a group I feel like they really could do anything as they’ve already explored so many styles and concepts there really isn’t anything that doesn’t sound like them. My personal favourites are Superhuman, Touch, and Boss but this year NCT Dream made a really good comeback I was 100% on board with with Boom, and Wayv’s debut Take Off was also 👌👌👌👌👌👌

6 - Oneus

I didn’t know a whole lot about anything when these guys debuted and I didn’t even know Valkyrie was their debut song for a long time. It was nice and I didn’t really keep them in mind any longer until they were on Weekly Idol with the other group I’ll talk about in a bit and then I mean, I just had to adopt them, I think we all did at that point. It was also around the time they had their first comeback and it was 👌👌👌👌👌👌 but they still only lived in my tiny brain as a group I’ll eventually get into. And then they released 가자 and I did!

They have two amazing rappers and a fairly versatile vocal line and a style that allows for both dynamic bangers and less radio friendly albeit still addictive tunes that defines their sound even further. I don’t know a lot about how they well-promoted they are, I know they have a shitton of schedules so I hope RWB calms the fuck down eventually and paces themselves because these boys are really promising.

I guess checking their title tracks, Valkyrie, Twilight, and *cringe* Lit should have to suffice but also Bingbing and Blue Sky.

5 - Tomorrow x Together

I never said I didn’t like them so stop staring at me.

Obviously their debut was exciting and interesting and I was really looking forward to seeing what they would be like. It wasn’t 100% my cuppa though Crown was an amazing song, I was still happy for them and excited to see how they would evolve overtime. I kinda fell off the bandwagon around May and June cause they weren’t really putting out content based around music and I’m not super interested in variety shows and reality shows unless I’m really invested in the members, but their first comeback was also 👌👌👌👌👌👌👌 The songs are really poppy and catchy and cover a variety of themes I think most people interested in getting emotional value out of music can relate to and Yeonjun and Soobin are just, simply put, my boys.

If I could have one comment on what I’d like to see change in the future it’d be the endless masking and layering of the vocals. I can just about tell their voices apart in certain songs but then they pump ‘em full of effects in other songs and I’m jus like whomstdve the fuck am I listening to?

Check out Crown and Run Away, their two title tracks so far and also my personal favourite, Magic Island and maybe Can't We Just Leave the Monster Alive? too and this one as well whatever.

4 - Taemin / Shinee

I’ll put these two together because yOU CAN’T SEPARATE THEM OKAY I mean it is true that Taemin’s solo material is vastly, vastly different from Shinee’s music but uh this is how I decided.

Shinee is very fun, very diverse, they have the most heart-wrenching songs and then the most upbeat melodies that kickstart the serotonin-production in my brain just like that. I mean they are just vocal powerhouses and they’re using it, but in the same time they have like, these low(er)-energy bops that are just so pleasant to listen to.

Shinee’s weird cause I have a Shinee playlist where I put all the songs I liked from them and I think I don’t know the title of a good half of them but I don’t think I’ve ever pressed the skip button while playing that playlist.

And then Taemin is just very different on his own. Vocally he’s way more strong than Shinee’s music would have you believe, and though he has a sexy concept going on most of the time he’s also not way over the top with it which is... weird to say because he��s very theatrical sometimes. But especially if you compare his most recent material to his solo debut stuff he just looks and sounds way more relaxed in what he’s doing (it’s almost as though he’s matured a little over the years. but only a little). Things you love to see: that.

From Shinee: Symptoms, Countless, The Reason, Drive, Don’t Let Me Go, 1 of 1 From Taemin: Stone Heart, Want, Move, Under My Skin

3 - Day6

I want you to picture this: me, crying.

I had heard about Day6 from one of my two kpop mutuals on twitter lmao but I always heard Days Gone By mentioned as the best song ever and when I checked it out I didn’t think it to be very special at the time. It was only because I thought Time of Our Life was ok and cute and Shoot Me was very catchy that I made a playlist with all their songs on it and listened to it one time when I had to walk a mile to the train station at five in the morning. And then I heard 121U and Headache and that was it.

I don’t think I say anything outlandish if I say Day6 could be from any other part of the world if you take a look at their sound. They’re very easy-listening pop rock, they’re the kind of melodic rock music I loved when I was in high school. So what makes them special?

That I love them, that’s what >[ I don’t think they have anything more than any other group in their genre but I think they just have everything to steal my friKKEN HEART. First of all I don’t know what kind of demon deal JYP made to get a hold of four vocalists like this, I mean they’re all different but instantly recognisable and their range is just ????????? I think Jae is considered the weakest vocalist (outside of Dowoon but I mean he’s drums) and even the notes that boy belts out are blowing my mind. He has a very natural, almost untrained-sounding tone, Sungjin’s very raspy and emotional, Young K’s voice is very open and full (I think he actually has the biggest range? I could be wrong), and Wonpil has that boyish, charming, kinda slippery but still stable voice that first grabs your attention.

And of course a lot of the writing credit goes to the group’s very own Young K which makes me feel a lot closer to them when I’m listening to their songs. So good job, guys, on everything.

Truly, though, getting to know Day6 has just been so special this year and it just goes to show how even mainstream pop music in korea can be so diverse and anyone could find something they like at any corner.

Holy fuckbucket, what should I even recommend? I guess listen to Shoot Me, 121U, Headache, then also my first favourite song, Somehow, my current favourite song Beautiful Feeling and my current second favourite song I Need Somebody and also their most recent comeback Sweet Chaos and my recent new discoveries Lean On Me, Goodbye Winter, I Would and but also just check out my Spotify playlist for them I literally love every single song on there. Fuck, Like That Sun, Letting Go, Sing Me, Rescue Me, 365247 i’M DYING HERE, SUNGJIN

BITCH, LIKE A FLOWING WIND

2 - Seventeen

hOkkkaAyy

For the longest time, well, for about five months I guess, I thought these guys would be first place on this list forever. They were the ones who broke the big BTS spell I was under for the second half of 2018 and I really just, fell facefirst into the diamond life. Getting Closer didn’t quite get me in the first round and even Home was a bit like, okay, cute, best of luck for them. Then something happened and both Getting Closer and Home just hit me like a fucking truck even though they’re on two opposite sides of the scale. You know. The song scale. The famous one? That one.

I made a tweet once that I still agree with, that loving Seventeen really is just cutting your own heart up into thirteen even-sized bits and every single bit is filled with so, so much love.

Like many/some(?) of the groups I love, Seventeen is self-composed and for that I am so grateful because their label Pledis is a shithole so thank fuck to Mr. Lee Jihoon for carrying the industry on his back.

The group consists of three units, all of which have their distinct strengths (except for the performance unit, those theatre nerds just had to be good at everything, didn’t they) and Seventeen makes time to explore all of those units, sometimes even making other subunits from different boy configurations (or boyfigurations for short) and somehow it manages to feel balanced and patient and not rushed.

And I especially love how admittedly they started to stop caring about what the public expects from them and they’re exploring concepts that excites them personally. They caught a lot of flak for releasing songs like Hit and Fear after the astounding success Home had back in January and a lot of fans and non-fans alike quoted the groups unwillingness to keep doing what has been proven to work as the reason of their diminishing sales and public interest.

And even though I personally enjoy their brighter concepts also, I just, I can respect that attitude, you know? At the end of the day Seventeen has an obvious and visible love for their own craft and there’s nothing more enjoyable than that.

Now I’m really in trouble as to what to recommend, they have so many different types of songs x”) Okay, Our Dawn is Hotter Than Day, Clap, Adore U, Home, Getting Closer. Also Hit. And like, a billion of their b-sides, just check my spotify playlist for them ok.

1 - Ateez

*feeling of fear*

Do I even have to go into why I love Ateez? Every time I think about them and just how big a part they played in my life this year I get this overwhelming urge to express just why and just how much I love them.

This year I really just... lost the ability to be happy about things that used to give so much happiness. It’s been a sad and scary downward spiral that I just don’t have enough strength to stop so I guess it’s no wonder that I’d latch onto the first thing that becomes an everyday positive presence in my life. Ateez and the memories connected to them this year have been the reason for the few and far between moments of happiness in my life in 2019 and for that I’ll forever be grateful.

It’s like. When it hits, it just hits, you know?

And I just can’t, can’t wait to scream my little heart out to their songs in March with Linn okkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

I guess if I could just have one wish it’d be for them to play Twilight, and Treasure, Illusion, Say My Name, Utopia, Hala Hala, Win, Mist, Wave, my whole Spotify playlist.

#best of 2019 #tia's best of 2019

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pisc1s · 5 years

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Best Albums Of 2018

Happy 2019, everyone!

Another year is officially behind us, and oh boy, what a great year it was for every music lover out there, leaving us with a shit-ton of exceptionally good records to enjoy. With that in mind, of course I had to compile a list containing my ten favourite albums that were released in 2018.

We gotta begin with an honorable mention: Living Proof - State Champs.

I don’t know if you’ll agree with me, but I think records of these sort tend to sound fairly similar between one another, which can get a bit monotone. Nevertheless, State Champs have managed to produce an enjoyable bunch of melodies. Really disappointed the band was forced to cancel their South American tour, if I’m honest, I was really looking forward to seeing them :(

Dead And Gone is my absolute fave.

Okay, now to the actual list!

10. Sunnyland - Mayday Parade

Last place goes to Mayday Parade’s sixth studio album, Sunnyland. While it may not excel at being innovative both musically and lyrically, I think it’s widely agreed, the record is good enough, presenting a select mix between “angsty” and “soft” songs. This, in my opinion, it’s one the things that makes the pop-punk genre so distinguishable, and appreciated. The best of both worlds - pop and punk.

Favourite tracks are Piece Of Your Heart and Never Sure.

9. Blue Madonna - BØRNS

Next is androgynous singer BØRNS’ sophomore record, from an entirely different type of music. I would definitely say he’s an underappreciated vocalist, and his work deserves far more attention. Blue Madonna it’s mostly uplifting and with few shortfalls present, such as the collaboration with Lana Del Rey. Other than that, the listener is captivated with the pop-influenced sound and its glam vibe, which combined with BØRNS’ beautiful falsetto produces an almost perfect result.

Most recommended songs are Faded Heart and Sweet Dreams.

8. The American Dream - Trophy Eyes

Aaaand we’re back to pop-punk! This somewhat obscure Australian band had only gained some popularity a few years back, from the release of their sophomore album, Chemical Miracle. Hence why it might’ve come as a bit of a shock to some people how solid The American Dream is.

It conveys a feeling of optimism and happiness, with so many bangers like Autumn, Something Bigger Than This, Friday Forever, You Can Count On Me, Lavender Bay… to name a few. A 10/10 album for sure!

7. Love & Loathing - With Confidence

With Confidence is a band that’s very near and dear to my heart, and since I’m very fussy (as you might’ve noticed lol) I was very worried they were not going to be able to top the m a s t e r p i e c e that was Better Weather. Sincerely I’m not sure they did, but even so, Love & Loathing is filled with so many unbelievably awesome songs. They just can’t do nothing wrong, can they?!

It’s hard to have preferences when it comes to one of your favourite bands, but I’d say Jaded and Pâquerette (Without Me) do the best job of portraying the wide range of variety, first one being more upbeat and “punky”, while the latter is more acoustic sounding and makes it easier to value Jayden’s soft and beautiful voice.

6. Little Dark Age - MGMT

It’s likely you’ve heard of this band from one of their most popular songs like Kids, or maybe Time To Pretend, and that’s what most people know them for, but to me they’re so much more than that. They’ve proven yet again, with their newest record, that they’re not just a one-hit wonder. Little Dark Age is their finest work to date, and to be honest, I’m amazed at how it pretty much flew under everyone’s radar.

Songs like TSLAMP, When You Die, and even the title track are some of my favourites. They have the distinctive MGMT sound, like they’re from a different era, and they sorta portray a psychedelic vibe. Every song in the album makes me feel like I should be at a place like Woodstock maybe, dressed in floral and consuming LSD (lol), yet somehow they still manage to sound current and as something a crowd like Coachella’s would enjoy (not like that’s something to be taken too seriously haha). Very nice, indeed!

5. Youngblood - 5 Seconds of Summer

We’ve come to number 5 on this list, where we encounter 5SOS’ third studio album: Youngblood. Funny enough, this is another band that has a special place in my heart, and I gotta say, I didn’t expect at all the direction they took with their music, it really came as a shock to me. Being more inclined to rockish and heavier sounds myself, a pop influenced album is not something I would usually enjoy. With that being said, Youngblood for me was an acquired taste. The more you listen to it, the more you’ll fall in love with it. Gotta applaud the boys for coming up with so much more of a mature sound, and still managing to stay relevant and top some charts in the process.

The record presents a perfect mixture of songs, where you have your sad and slow songs, like Lie To Me and Ghost Of You, while on the other hand there’s much more upbeat tracks like Babylon and Talk Fast. There’s something for everyone to enjoy! It seems to me like it would be such an experience in concert, so I can’t wait till I can see them! The best most underrated song is definitely Empty Wallets. 5SOS, stop paying it dust, please!

4. Composure - Real Friends

Not to brag or anything but… I’M SEEING THEM LIVE SOON! AND I HAVE MEET & GREET TICKETS! WHAT EVEN IS LIFE! Okay, let’s get back on track lol. There’s not a single song I dislike of Composure, which is so rare for me. Definitely a solid record from start to finish. Several songs touch up on the topic of mental health, which is always appreciated, as we all know, it is not talked about enough.

If I had to pick, faves are probably Me First, From The Outside, Composure and Get By.

3. Entertainment - Waterparks

It’s so funny to me, looking back at the same time last year, how I felt sooo different about this record. Somehow, here we are now, labeling it as my top 3 favourite album of 2018, what even. Definitely an acquired taste!

The best songs for me will always be Peach (Lobotomy) and Lucky People.

2. Pray For The Wicked - Panic! At The Disco

Pray For The Wicked is absolutely deserving of this spot, in my opinion. Not to be dramatic or anything (who, me?) but never in my entire life I have loved an album sooo damn much on the first listen. Probably because it’s exactly my style, exactly what I enjoy most in music: theatrical, over the top, mostly upbeat and Broadway-like. Truly, Panic! At The Disco is an amazing band and Brendon Urie is such a talented man, they’ve been around for 15 years and it seems to me as if they’re becoming more successful everyday.

I gotta stay true to the first song I loved of the album: Roaring 20s. Then of course, they’re all bangers, so it doesn’t really matter.

1. Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life - The Wombats

Finally, we’ve arrived to the cherry on top. Wow. Can we please talk about how this band and this album don’t get nearly enough recognition and appreciation?! What even are people doing if they’re not listening to The Wombats on repeat? Is so hard to find the adequate words to describe Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life, I feel like no matter what I say, it won’t do it justice. Every single song is so beautifully crafted, exceptionally composed, lyrically and instrumentally, just perfect. The music suits any occasion, I can listen to it if I’m feeling down and it cheers me up, if I’m unmotivated it gets me to do stuff, if I’m happy it makes me wanna dance, if there’s no one else with me it makes me feel less lonely. I don’t wanna get too sappy so I’ll just leave it at that haha. They need to come to South America asap, the thought of never being able to see them live makes me so miserable :(

Not to be that bitch who only appreciates the singles, but Turn is my absolute favourite. Clever lyrics accompanied by beautiful instrumentals. 10/10.

Bonus:

Ya thought we were done? Nah fam, just before I go, gotta give a quick shout to two of my absolute favourite bands and their masterpiece of EPs they released last year. Go give them a listen, I promise you won’t be sorry!

1981 Extended Play - IDKHOW

Ann - The Front Bottoms

:-)

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deadcactuswalking · 4 years

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 14/11/2020 (Ariana Grande, Little Mix)

We’re in a similar situation to last week where despite two massive albums – Little Mix’s Confetti even debuting at #2 on the album chart behind Kylie Minogue’s Disco (which was unprecedented but completely understandable since Kylie is massive here) – are both released, but there’s a very muted impact on the chart, mostly because of silly UK Singles Chart rules. In fact, you could argue there’s more impact from smaller releases from Giggs and The Kid LAROI, but that’s just how streaming goes. Since this chart doesn’t include radio, hip-hop has more of a chance in many ways to debut on the chart than the type of pop Kylie makes but its longevity is seriously impaired. Also, ageism doesn’t exist on the albums chart but on here it is in full effect. Regardless, we have 12 new arrivals, mostly from the aforementioned artists, so let’s start. Ariana Grande’s “positions” is still #1 – you can chalk that up to lack of competition – and welcome to REVIEWING THE CHARTS.

Dropouts & Returning Entries

Before we get to the songs debuting on the UK Top 75 proper this week, let’s have our brief little musical rundown, starting with the drop-outs as there were a fair few, namely “Go Crazy” by Chris Brown and Young Thug (a pretty damn big hit for the both of them), “West Ten” by AJ Tracey and Mabel (again, a very big hit, one of the biggest of the year making its exit), “Only You Freestyle” by Headie One and Drake lasting longer than I expected or it probably should have, “Loose” by S1mba and KSI leaving perhaps prematurely, “808” by Da Beatfreakz, Dutchavelli, DigDat and B Young, “5AM” by M Huncho and Nafe Smallz (Thank God) and a couple of our high debuts and returns from last week, like “motive” by Ariana Grande featuring Doja Cat – but we will see more of Ariana today – and the charity single “Four Notes – Paul’s Tune” by Paul Harvey and the BBC Philharmonic, as well as all three of the returning Halloween tracks, including “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. Oh, yeah, and as anyone could safely predict, all of the Bring Me the Horizon songs are gone, even “Teardrops”, which means we officially have 100% less metalcore on the chart, and I’m surprised to say I’m genuinely disappointed. In terms of returning entries, we have “Before You Go” by Lewis Capaldi making a return to #71, “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey re-appearing for the first time this year and remarkably early to #60 and some returns from album boosts, those being “Magic” by Kylie Minogue peaking at #53 and “Happiness” by Little Mix doing the same at #43. The biggest fall this week was “Ain’t it Different” by Headie One featuring AJ Tracey and Stormzy dropping out of the top 10 to #31, probably because it had its streaming numbers cut as many songs do after they’ve reached more than 10 weeks in the top 40. The biggest gain however was for “SO DONE” by The Kid LAROI just missing out on the top 40 at #44. I can honestly see this becoming huge. Oh, and “Whoopty” by CJ is now in the top 40 at #39. Joy... Let’s just get straight to these new songs.

NEW ARRIVALS

#75 – “WITHOUT YOU” – The Kid LAROI

Produced by Blake Slatkin and Omar Fedi

So this kid LAROI released an EP that attaches to a mixtape he released earlier this year, Frick Love, which has been reissued as a sort of deluxe edition, without there even being a debut studio album to reissue, just a mixtape. Either way, this new hybrid deluxe version, repackaged as Frick Love (Savage), has been considerably more successful than the original mixtape so far, probably off of the back of that “SO DONE” single. Awful cover art aside; I did not listen to this project because I am not interested at all in some Australian emo-rapper’s EP, especially if it’s going to Marshmello, Machine Gun Kelly and YoungBoy Never Broke Again on it. This kid LAROI said that this is his favourite song off of the release because, and I quote verbatim: “I just like it, I don’t know, it’s kind of, dude, I don’t know, it’s a little different, it’s like a little, uh, acoustic vibe, uh, I just like it.” It’s nice to see this new generation of musicians be so articulate. Well, this is a pretty trite song with rote acoustic guitar strumming that is pretty conventional of softer emo-pop, but this song doesn’t come with infectious choruses, emotional bloodletting or even more than a single verse. Instead, it’s just absolute garbage with a guitar riff I swear I’ve heard before. There’s no development to this increasingly exhausting ballad other than this kid LAROI crooning and moaning in a pathetic Auto-Tune falsetto some clearly misogynist lyrics that he only picked up from Juice and other rappers. This kid shouldn’t care about making wives out of hoes, he should be studying. I’m almost offended by this on a personal level, or at least the principle that this kid at seventeen years old could go on about heartbreak that probably didn’t happen and use it to excuse and disguise clearly lazy, sexist lyrics. At least with other emo-rap it feels genuine and angsty. This is just disposable garbage that his audience will eat up like fast food, and it comes from such an insincere place that I can’t excuse it.

#66 – “ALWAYS DO” – The Kid LAROI

Produced by Omar Fedi, Khaled Rohaim, Donn Robb and Haan

Just like that, he’s back, folks. Okay, well, he starts off this song by saying he’s drinking again, which he can’t do for another year according to Australian law. I’ll take that as a complete lie he’s hogged from his mentor Juice WRLD and clearly not understood why that led to his downfall and death; the glamorisation of drugs in Juice’s music was unintentional and misconstrued that way by record label yes-men and some of his fans, who ate up the music and maybe didn’t grasp the message Juice was clearly advocating for. So, you’re just going to blindly lie to your fans – ALL of which are children – about substance abuse with very little commentary around it other than how it affects this fake relationship for the sake of making “relatable” hits that ultimately go against everything Juice would have wanted? Delightful. When other rappers talk about a bitch, they have a casual, disposable tone that suggests they’re groupies and whilst this is such an accepted form of misogyny in music, which also annoys me for the record even if music I adore expresses as such, it at least shows that the rappers don’t care or use the women as a line-filler or flex. When this douche says the word “bitch”, he means it. It comes with such vile, toxic bitterness that I’m convinced the Kid LAROI just hates women. Not even specific women, just the concept of “woman”. Sigh... can someone take this disrespectful toad off the charts – and quick?

#64 – “Buff Baddies” – Giggs

Produced by Trooh Hippi

Speaking on not respecting women, British rapper Giggs is here with his second mixtape. He’s got a couple more tracks on the chart, this is the first and it’s all about “buff baddies”. “WAP” has led to men thinking they can be extra horny as well and I’m not going to shame any kind of sex positivity but when Giggs talks almost exclusively what the women are doing for him and doesn’t have a lick of personality to it, it feels less absurd and over-the-top than it does just gross. It doesn’t help that his delivery is almost comically blunt and completely charmless over this non-existent cloudy trap beat, and there’s no hook or chorus to speak of, so this is just completely worthless. This reminds me of Dean Blunt’s Babyfather projects, you know, the mixtapes where he actively makes fun of this type of rap and even then is miles more interesting and charismatic? God, what an awful track.

#63 – “I’ll Call You Back” – dutchavelli

Produced by Big Zeeko

Oh, and dutchavelli released an album too called Dutch from the 5th, so we have more to come from him as well. Look, I’m tired, I’m fed up, I just want this episode to be done with and maybe I’m not in the right mood to listen to snooze-worthy generic hacks in modern hip hop all have their own mini-album bombs. Just maybe. I’m not sure if that excuses the clear lack of quality and effort in any of this, or the fact that the billion-dollar company I use to listen to the product of billion-dollar companies apparently can’t have an app that works and allows me to listen to said product. To be fair to dutch, this is a more introspective track with melancholy piano loops and pretty basic trap-drill percussion, but I do like some of the lyrical content here, where he talks about how even though he feels distant from his loved ones as a big star, he really wants to keep in contact and he details some of his struggles in a really heartfelt way. His delivery is emotive and even when it’s heavily Auto-Tuned, you can tell he’s pretty frustrated with the conflict between his newfound popularity and keeping up to standards with his personal relationships. He’s not always perfectly on beat and honestly the song kind of goes nowhere, but I like the lyrics about his childhood and his mother, and I especially think his breathless, stiff cadence when he pleads with his girlfriend is pretty effective. As a song though, I don’t think I’ll be going back to this at all, which is a shame.

#59 – “Get Out My Head” – Shane Codd

Produced by Shane Codd

Shane Codd is an Irish producer, singer and DJ from Dublin who amassed a following from his playlist showcasing classic trance and house hits from the 1990s and 2000s, which he became infatuated with as a child, explaining why his first and only song is already on the chart, albeit just at #59. That “Trance Anthems 90s-00s” playlist does have some bangers (I’m not going to complain about Alice Deejay, Moby or Zombie Nation), so does Codd follow in the footsteps of these classic trance acts? Well, no. No, he doesn’t. This is a house-pop song if anything, but it’s not like I know all the ins and outs of this stuff. I have a friend that does know a lot about trance; I don’t even think she’d like this. It’s pretty lazy, bizarrely-mixed house with a lot of focus on those classic 90s pianos that do sound straight out of that diva house and Eurodance era (in fact, this is practically a Eurodance song), but without much character to speak of. For a first song, it is impressively professional but not to the extent that the percussion sounds any less cheap or tinny, or that the chopped-up vocals, from some generic female singer as always, are charming. This is exactly what I think would happen if you fed a robot tropical house music, a couple FL Studio plug-ins and a “Trance Anthems 90s-00s” playlist, and told it to produce some kind of cohesive result in return. It’s telling that this soulless dreck charted, but hey, if he’s got the following and any kind of budget, he could improve considerably and this isn’t that bad on principle. It’s just wearing influences not on the sleeve but as make-up, to cover up the lack of artistic dignity or progression the guy has, not that I expect him to (it is only his first song after all). Next.

#56 – “Say Something” – Kylie Minogue

Produced by Jon Green and Richard “Biff” Stannard

I'm not a big Kylie Minogue fan but I can admit like anyone who's not too far up their own ass that she has a lot of classics, a lot of bops and most importantly to this show in particular, a lot of bonafide smash hits to her belt. My personal favourite is "The Loco-Motion" but her 2014 album Kiss Me Once was a big factor into my appreciation of this type of inoffensive dance-pop (that indirectly made me eventually start this series), especially the lead single "Into the Blue". Speaking of lead singles, this was the lead for her 2020 effort, Disco, but it didn't actually chart until this week interestingly. Well, with that said, there must be a reason the big lead single from July didn’t chart until November, and the second single, “Magic”, did, so I’m not expecting prime Kylie here, and I’m not expecting myself to write positively about it either because I had to restart Spotify like five times before being able to actually play the song so I’m pretty annoyed with these billion-dollar companies right now... and, yeah, okay, with the synthesized choir and the staccato synth bass, I can understand how this feels less alive than other songs she’s made, particularly because this feels like a rather dumbed-down revision of 1980s pop with some really awkward vocal mixing and a chorus that never really hits. Kylie doesn’t sound great here at all either, and the guitars are just kind of garish, especially in the first verse. It doesn’t help that this is a messy song structure-wise, and that the title drop in the chorus is neither cathartic nor worth waiting for. There’s also a bridge-outro that never leads back into a chorus, so the song just floats away sadly into nowhere. Yeah, it’s safe to say this is a disappointment, especially from a lead single but it does make sense that at this point in her career Kylie and her team may be artistically stagnating. It’s been more than three decades; I’m just impressed she’s still putting out music.

#54 – “Plugged in Freestyle” – A92 and Fumez the Engineer

Produced by Charlie Mockler

It’s not often that the engineer gets lead billing, let alone an engineer whose stage name is entirely based on the fact that he is an engineer, and didn’t even produce the track. Anyway, it’s not actually unusual for YouTube and radio freestyles to chart, in fact the GRM Daily Duppy freestyles have charted before for both J Hus and Aitch. It is unusual for viral Irish drill tracks to chart however, but this did get traction as a viral video as well as the absurdity of Irish drill, which is now a rising phenomenon. A92 is an Irish drill group and all of the four members present here get three verses each, leading up to either 12 verses overall or just one big collaborative verse depending on how you count these things. You may notice at this point that I’m stalling, mostly because the Spotify app still refuses to function correctly once again. It’s not like I’m missing much in terms of unique bars or even cadence. I expected a delivery or flow that was more energetic from the Irish, just saying. There’s a lot of pointless censorship when it’s pretty clear what they’re saying, and the guys are obviously lipsyncing in the video so it’s not like this is some impressive off-the-cuff freestyle. I do like the incredibly deep voice Dbo has but it’s not interesting enough to carry his uninteresting flow and this really minimal, basic drill beat that works for its intended purpose to carry the bars but it does not make an impression further than that and by the end of the track, it’s just dull. I do admit to really liking the fourth guy Offica’s verses here because he has a lot more energy and intriguing flows than the rest of them; if any of this group get a solo career off the back of this I’d expect it to be him, or at least I’d hope so. Overall, though, I’m not a big fan although I don’t think this is bad, just unremarkable. If I thought it was bad, I think this episode would end up being posted posthumously anyway.

#52 – “Zero Zero” – dutchavelli

Produced by The Fanatix

Oh, hey, look! It’s more of the same. I imagine if you follow the US charts, you’d soon get tired of the trap garbage that somehow ends up on there in the lower reaches of the chart when it could be given to more promising mainstream-adjacent acts that end up just popping up on the Bubbling Under. Whilst I don’t really have the same problem with this chart, I am growing tired of UK drill music at this point and its indignant refusal to be interesting. It’s not like I have an issue with the music itself because I can usually ignore it, but does all of it really HAVE to chart? When it was new and relatively interesting I welcomed it but the sparse drum patterns, badly mixed 808s and “menacing” pianos are all very much getting on my nerves at this point in the year, especially when the chart is flooded with this stuff. For every weekly pathetic house-pop tune we get, we also get at least three drill “bangers”. Maybe the charts have just made me cynical. I should probably maybe rest before trying to continue this episode – I’ve given a notice on Twitter that grants me more time so I suppose I’ll get back to you when I’m not mindlessly ranting about drill music.

Alright, so I haven’t slept but Spotify has decided to function for now, and I guess I might as well use this opportunity to write about the last few arrivals. We all have our “off” days, and this was one of mine so I apologise if this episode isn’t up to scratch – even if admittedly, I’m telling myself that more than anyone else. Oh, and this song is actually kind of fun, with his really elegant strings that are backed up by some hard-hitting drill percussion that actually makes for a pretty hard beat here, especially with those extra sound effects. Seriously, props to the Fanatix for this, and dutchavelli actually brings a lot more energy than I expected, even on the ad-libs on the chorus, though of course, the content isn’t anything new. He is finding new and funny ways to talk about crack cocaine trafficking though, so I commend that. The skit is kind of pointless but I’m sure it makes sense in the album. That was quick! In fact, I’m going to try and be quick before I fall asleep.

#49 – “Spin this Coupe” – Abra Cadabra

Produced by H1K and Zenith

I’ve restarted Spotify so many times and I’ve restarted my computer at least thrice. This desktop app still refuses to function and this is a recent but bloody persistent problem. Maybe I should just re-download the Spotify app, but it does aggravate me that it does this when I’m supposed to be, you know, REVIEWING THE CHARTS. It’s not like it’s down for other people either, it just likes to freeze on me for no reason other than my own suffering. There’s a Dave song coming so I’ve kind of been raring to get to that but just to keep myself in check and on routine I suppose I need to listen to this garbage. I didn’t mind Abra Cadabra on the “BLM” song from a few weeks ago and I do like the semi-introspective tone he has lyrically here, showing some kind of self-awareness about the gang violence he discusses in his music. Lyrics like that are few and far between however and more often than not it’s just uninspired gunplay and some flexing over some drill type beat. I swear I’ve heard that exact same hi-hat sound and pattern so many times, and other than some overly-energetic ad-libs that make this shoddily-mixed track even uglier sounding, Abra Cadabra is not selling any of this, even when he does a more rapid-pace, energetic yelling flow. He’s not saying anything memorable and he’s only vaguely on beat. I mean, it’s fine but I’m sick of this already. There’s a preview of another song on the YouTube video for this song and I thought it was just another verse. Come on, lads, think of something else.

#35 – “Straight Murder (Giggs & David)” – Giggs featuring Dave

Produced by KeyzMusic

What an odd title. It’s like if I called this show REVIEWING THE CHARTS (Cactus), like we know your names, guys. Is this how they want to credit Dave as a co-lead artist or something? I’ve got no idea but this is our second and final track from Giggs’ Now or Never and thank God, it features Dave, a British rapper I really enjoy. His album PSYCHODRAMA was one of the best records I heard last year and I’ve consistently liked most of his stuff, specifically his brand of cool, relaxed flows and blunt, admittedly corny punchlines with a lot of conscious influence and cleverness that most of these drill guys wouldn’t dare to try and implement in their singles. He and J Hus form a crossroad between the mainstream British rap scene and more underground or alternative acts; he strikes me very much as a more accessible male Little Simz, a sharp lyricist with a lot of unique charm who knows how to have fun. In fact, the one thing I don’t think Dave can do convincingly is rap on a drill beat, or at least one like “Paper Cuts” where he just sounded sloppy. He also had a feature on a D-Block Europe song that was just comical, so I can’t say his recent efforts have been as good but that performance of “Black” at the BRITs really cemented him as one of the best British musicians in the charts right now for me and a lot of other people, so this acts as kind of a comeback single for him, even if it is just a throwaway feature track – there’s a reason this debuted so high. I do think this could stick around as well since Dave does have longevity. I still bump “Funky Friday” more than two years later, although to be fair that did hit #1. This won’t, but is it good? Yeah, this appeals to the part of me that just wants bars over a pretty solid, atmospheric trap beat, and Dave does sound checked-out at times but that’s always been a part of his casual, sliding delivery. There is a lot of empty space in his verse but it’s always played out for comedic effect I feel and while this is a flow he’s definitely used before, the sheer length of this verse means it would be difficult for him to have more hits and misses and yeah, his delivery makes nearly all of these lines hit. Compare the amount of Genius annotations on his verse to how many are on Giggs and you can see why I like this guy a lot more. He may be blunt but it has layers and layers of charm to it, and some of these bars are more than they look to be on the surface. Even his opening line about taking orders can be explained in various different ways: he knows about taking orders but he “doesn’t know” about taking orders, suggesting he doesn’t like taking orders, but what are these orders? They could be taking orders from a boss and now he’s a boss but they could also be about drug trafficking or sending out hits, and then he really “doesn’t know” about taking orders, if you catch my drift. Other than that, he uses his “Streatham” flow to mostly flex but there’s tons of wordplay and I appreciate that more than the boring matter-of-fact structure of verses that half of these other UK rappers have. He’s just effortlessly spitting here and I’ll take that any week but especially this week. Welcome back, Dave, I’m excited to see what you’ve got in store for your next album. Oh, and Giggs is here but who gives a –

#23 – “Confetti” – Little Mix

Produced by TM5

Surprisingly, no Little Mix songs penetrated the top 20, or at least no new ones. In fact, this is our only new song from the girls thanks to silly UK chart rules, and, really, it’s just here because it’s the title track. I can’t say much about Little Mix because I feel there’s nothing to discuss. The new album is something I have not bothered to listen to out of pure disinterest, and this title track... doesn’t seem like a title track. You’d think a title track would be a bit flashier than some dated DJ Mustard hyphy-like beat with pretty pitiful trap percussion and plastic vocal production that makes the girls sound admittedly less inhuman than usual. In fact, they sound more human here than ever, maybe because they’re surrounded by one of the stiffest R&B instrumentals I’ve ever heard, and partly because some of the background vocal melodies are actually pretty catchy, even if the chorus makes it clear that none of it matters since the non-existent pay-off is not worth any of the similarly void build-up. This is a fine, rather understated song where the girls mostly just flex – which is pretty unheard of for a dance-pop track – so I have no issue with it but this could have actually been good... and was once again watered down by manufactured factory-sealed production. Speaking of talented women being let down by production...

#22 – “pov” – Ariana Grande

Produced by Oliver Frid, TBHits and Mr. Franks

So we got the obviously planned pop smashes out of the way from Positions so now it’s time to see what the fans are really gravitating to and to my surprise, it’s the closer. This is the fan favourite from the record and is just now charting because “motive” dropped out and it’s clear why this one is the preferred track. It takes somewhat of an introspective outlook but very much through an immature, lovestruck tone running through the track and its really sweet lyrical content, where she just expresses how much her partner loves her to the point of her even feeling some bizarre envy in the chorus, as she wants to reach a level of self-love comparable to how her partner feels about her. She wants to see why her partner loves her this much despite what she perceives as tragic flaws. By the bridge, she reaches a conclusion that there isn’t any emotional baggage coming with this relationship anymore, a natural book-end to her “leaving her baggage at the door” in the opener of the album. I love the vocal melodies here, with her multi-tracked cooing really shining beautifully amongst the flourishes of strings and more subtle pianos, with trap-adjacent snapping percussion that is actually well implemented and adds a sense of casualness to the song that would otherwise perhaps seem too melodramatic for Ariana. Also, the last line in the chorus is admirable and it works as a perfect closer to the record.

Conclusion

So there is a single good song here, and that is “pov” by Ariana Grande which snags Best of the Week, and, sure, while I like Dave on “Straight Murder (Giggs & David)”, Giggs royally screws up so it can only get the Honourable Mention. For Worst of the Week it’s going to The Kid LAROI just in general for both “WITHOUT YOU” and “ALWAYS DO”, with the latter only being slightly more tolerable. I guess I can give the Dishonourable Mention to Giggs as well for whatever “Buff Baddies” is. Sigh... here’s this terrible week’s top 10.

Thank you for reading my uncharacteristically cynical and just mean ramblings on pop music this week. You can follow me @cactusinthebank on Twitter, I promise I’m not as angry on there. See you next week for hopefully something better than this.

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loveump3 · 6 years

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jams meme: best of 2017

@blotthis tagged me in a jams meme!! thank you :D since it’s the new year, i thought i’d do a little retrospective of some of my favorite songs to come out of 2017! so here we goooo

“i wish” by wjsn

this song came out literally 3 days into the new year, but as soon as i heard it i knew it would be one of my top tracks of 2017. and i was right!! i loved “happy” too, and “happy moment” was one of my favorite albums this year, but i’ll always be especially weak for wjsn’s spacey concepts. this song is so pretty and light and pink, and the mv is a lisa frank dream, and the choreography is so whimsical and charming… great on all fronts. all hail the rookie pop princesses.

“wanted! wanted!” by mrs. green apple

mga have become one of my top favorite bands after i discovered them earlier in the year. i love how sweet and fizzy and fun their music is, and i love their lead singer motoki’s voice (i’m not sure what it is about it, but it makes me so happy). i feel like this song is a great example of their particular super-hyper brand of pop. this is a good one to blast in the car :o)

“vanilla” by fickle friends

another band that’s shot to the top of my list of favorites after finding them this year! their sparkly-pool-water 80s vibe is sooo up my alley. i love the percussion and the bright guitars in this song, and i have such a crush on natassja’s voice. (i’d also highly recommend “swim,” which has been one of my top jams this year and is also my favorite fickle friends song, and which i would have included, but it it came out in 2016, lol.)

“the song” by zion.t

i loved this song the moment i heard it. zion.t has one of my favorite voices not just in kpop but in general, and it sounds sooo nice and smooth here. and the simplicity of the song is so good?? it’s nothing frilly or explosive, it’s just a pleasant little tune. i like that the lyrics reflect that too—i love the “i’m not trying to write a hit song, i just want to write you something sweet” attitude. also for whatever reason i think the line “let’s stick together all day like alley cats” is so cute? and the mv is so wonderfully bizarre (the colors are sooo good). the rest of the album is great too; got me through a lot of shifts at work.

“when you love someone” by day6

i really thought “dance dance” was gonna hold tight to the title of Emma’s Favorite Every DAY6 song, but then “when you love someone” came out and immediately took its place. this song like the aural equivalent of a warm hug and a hot drink and it makes my heart feel so at peace every time i hear it :( also the lyrics are a complete K-O. those first few every day6 releases were SO ANGSTY, and even though i loved them i was like “will poor youngk ever write a happy relationship song???” but then he started releasing shit like this and it killed me and i immediately regretted ever asking. (also not to be a bitter betty but i’m still cheesed that we never got resolution on sungjin and wonpil’s story!!!!!!!! @ jyp i still have questions)

“we find love” by daniel caesar

“freudian” has become one of my new favorite albums. it’s so perfect for the winter—daniel caesar’s woozy gospel sound is so warm and cozy. there’s not a song on the album that i don’t love, but this one is particularly soothing and comfy. with the harmonized background vocals and the gentle piano, it sounds like something you’d hear on the radio late at night when you’re tucked into bed trying to fall asleep while the snow is drifting down outside. and daniel’s voice has this… i don’t know how to explain it. he sounds so assured and smooth when he sings, like he’s been doing this forever. i can’t get enough.

“cut to the feeling” by carly rae jepsen

2017 was the year that i remedied my worst mistake of never having listened to the power-pop gem that is carly rae jepsen’s 2015 album “e•mo•tion,” and is it too hyperbolic to say that that changed me as a person?? her brand of fizzy fluttery 80s-inspired sugar is everything i didn’t realize i needed. i’m dying for a new crj album, but in the meantime, “cut to the feeling” has done a good job of holding me over—it’s all the shout-about-your-crush-from-the-rooftops euphoria that miss carly does so well. extremely good for car rides, especially when the bridge kicks in.

“praying” by kesha

kesha has been my other pop queen this year. i liked her before, but then i listened to “rainbow” and cried like three different times while doing so, and i fell in love. every single song off of “rainbow” is great (the range of style is amazing, she goes from acoustic to pop to rock to country and back, and each one is just as great as the last), but “praying” is so raw and special; it doesn’t matter how many times i hear it, it hits me just as hard every time. i love how it builds—from the simmering power of the first chorus, to the stomp of the second (those pounding piano chords really get me), to the fireworks of the last (that fucking whistle note!!!!!!!!! also the way she sings “some say in life you gonna get what you give, but some things only god can forgive” with those horns behind her in the bridge…….i get shivers every time)… every second of it hurts so good. you can feel all that anger and pain, and also the euphoria and the healing. i’m so glad that kesha is finding herself again; she deserves the best.

“mic drop” by bts

i thought “baepsae” was my favorite “kiss my ass” bts banger, but then “her” came out and “mic drop” fuckin beat “baepsae” to a bloody pulp. the original and the desiigner/steve aoki remix are both sooo good: i love the dark grungy slink of the original, which sounds like it could play during the trailer for a movie about a scrappy gang of crime syndicate underlings who are sick and tired of being underestimated just because they’re all so young, so they’re ready to go off the books and pull a heist so big, no one will ever underestimate them again; but i also love the extra shot of adrenaline in the remix—desiigner’s verse is like whiplash (seriously, how does he manage to rap that fast???), and minimizing that bouncy little riff in the verses to focus on the vocals and the beat makes the chorus hits so much harder (also the “hella thick”/“hella sick” echoes are so much FUN to sing along to (and of course yoongi’s “baby watch your mouth” is…great, to say the least)). i really couldn’t pick between the two versions; although they share a teeth-bared-knuckles-bruised attitude, they’ve got unique vibes to me and i love them differently. that said, i’m linking to a performance of the original version because 1) yoongi and hoseok’s undone bow ties are really fucking me up; 2) apparently the reason why yoongi doesn’t do the last line of his verse is to prove to people accusing them of lip-syncing that they don’t use a track when they perform, which cracks me up because that’s such a yoongi thing to do; and 3) whoever wrote the captions added some little personal notes of their own and they’re so CUTE and funny.

“beautiful” by monsta x

idek what to say about this song anymore; it’s been 9 months and those opening bars still make my heart race. “beautiful” has become not only one of my favorite songs of 2017 but one of my favorite songs period. i’m a mess for mx and i love everything they do, but this song is really something else—rap line are in top fucking form, vocal line kill it (minhyuk’s lines are a Blessing), and the choreography is still one of my favorites from this year. i’ve listened to this song so many times i really thought i was gonna get sick of it, but i haven’t yet, and i don’t think i will.

“baby” by astro

i’m surprised my teeth haven’t rotted out of my skull after how many times i’ve listened to “baby” this year, because this song is like pure sugar. i love the snappy percussion and the bouncy bass and the bright melody, and astro have such sweet vocals to boot (especially mj, oh man ;___;). and the choreography is so!! good!!! it’s got this old-fashioned swing to it that i love. ugh. it’s all perfect. i remember a few months ago i was having a bad day for whatever reason, but after i watched a few live stages of this i instantly felt better.

“new fears” by lights

“skin&earth” was hands-down one of my top favorite releases of 2017—it’s the gritty post-apocalyptic cyberpunk album of my dreams. i’ve loved lights since like middle school, and it’s so amazing to see how her music has grown and changed; this is my favorite work from her so far. “skin&earth” has SO many good tracks, but “new fears” is probably my favorite. i love the eerie beginning, and the heavy beat in the chorus, and the lyrics!!!!!! they nail that feeling of “i would give myself up to keep you safe” in such a raw and heart-wrenching and beautiful way. just reading them gives me chills. the idea of getting new fears when you start really caring about someone……i never would’ve thought of it that way but it’s so true. UGH! lights if ur reading this i love u

“do it” by masc

god am i glad i stumbled across this one night when i was catching up on mvs, because masc have become one of my new favorite groups. i love the retro vibe, their vocals are so good (heejae’s voice…i’m weak), the choreography is SO freakin cute (i’m still not over the superman move in the chorus), and the mv is so colorful and goofy (two of my favorite things!)… truly a dream. the fan service dance practice and honestly any of the live stages are also a delight.

so there’s some of my faves! happy new year everyone!!! 2017 you kinda sucked sometimes but thanks for at least bringing some sweet jams. i’ll tag @anyhao @shinwhoohoo and @onlyoongi if you’d like to share some of what you’ve been listening to lately!

#tagged in #there are so many honorable mentions but if i listed all of those we'd be here all day lol #these are the ones that stuck out to me though #also i'm sorry if this somehow tagged anyone twice slkdfj the links didn't work the first time so i'm trying to repost #pls work this time

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themousai · 4 years

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Top 10 Albums of the Decade: Amanda Hailwood

World Comes Calling Midnight Youth

[2011]

I’ll never ever forget the moment that those first few notes of The Street echoed through Claudelands Arena - I was captivated by it, full of that familiar ‘whoaa ohh ohh’ we’d come to expect from Midnight Youth, but with just enough growth to create something both entirely new, yet wholesomely familiar. A perfect opening to the set.

Personally, I think this is one album that’s ripened flawlessly. It may have been nearly 10 years since it was released, but every song still rips through just like the first time. It’s rich, showcasing their talent outside of the radio hits that are embedded inside every single kiwis brain. I’ve never quite gotten over the heartbreak of Midnight Youth breaking up - but they’re reforming to open for My Chemical Romance in March this year, and i’ve got my fingers crossed that their set opens with The Street.

This was the first band that really got me into the live music scene, and for that I am eternally grateful. Thank you Midnight Youth for existing.

Special Mentions; The Street, Too Young To Wonder

Sempiternal Bring Me The Horizon

[2013]

I miss when Bring Me The Horizon were metal. Kidding. I dig their change, like, a lot. Every release since this one has been one that’s definitely vibed with me - but Sempiternal does still hold that special place in my heart. This was my first venture into heavier music that wasn’t suggested by my sisters, and I found so many incredible artists surrounding Bring Me The Horizon.

But I think what makes this album so special to me; is that every release that follows is so different. BMTH are that token band that everyone loves to hate on, saying that they should make heavier music again/stop with the growth. But do they listen? No, instead they throw out a song with the lyrics ‘we ain’t heavy metal!’. But it’s all still so fucking good. So fucking good. AMO was a banger of an album, and if you’re the kid from the ‘gram who doesn’t agree then that’s fine because everyone’s opinion is different.

Fun flex; The first ~proper~ gig I shot was Bring Me The Horizon back in 2013. I was still in high school, I had the entire photo pit to myself, and my camera broke during the last song.

Special Mentions; Hospital For Souls, And The Snakes Start To Sing

Hope Manchester Orchestra

[2014]

Hope is an acoustic re-imagining of their other album Cope, and if Cope is the body then Hope is the soul. I don’t know if that sentence actually makes sense.

A few years back I took a wrong turn in Wellington, and ended up walking up a goat track to Brooklyn in the rain. I had this album in my ears, and although given the circumstances I should’ve felt frustrated - instead I just felt peace.

Go get lost in the rain and listen to this album.

Special Mentions; The Ocean, Choose You

Instant Gratification Dance Gavin Dance

[2015]

Okay, first admission - I never got into Dance Gavin Dance until late 2019. You can partially blame Scenepai Lily Mou for that, he's constantly (like seriously, constantly) talking about how good they are - and one morning I gave in and listened to them on the 3 day commute that it takes to journey across Auckland. It was love at first listen, and I quickly ran out of data downloading their entire discography to Spotify because I couldn't handle the wait to get home.

Instant Gratification was the first album that I fell for, and though I did cycle through the other albums, taking the time to fall deeply for each one - Instant Gratification is still the one that holds my heart. Everytime I listen to this album it just feels like a hug.

I'm also obsessed with the fact that DGD release instrumental versions of all their albums - as often I just don't wanna deal with lyrics while I zone out into the abyss - but there's something about an entire instrumental version of an album that i'm so familiar with that just really does it for me.

Special Mentions; Legend, Lost, The Cuddler

Everybody Is Going To Heaven Citizen

[2015]

I once met someone wearing a Citizen t-shirt underneath a Citizen hoodie - and that’s a perfect example of how much I love Citizen. That’s all I have to say.

Special Mentions; Stain, Yellow Love

Baby Teeth Dizzy

[2018]

Baby Teeth was the soundtrack to my last few months prior to moving to Wellington, it’s ethereal spacey tones captured perfectly how my soul felt at the thought of leaving a city that I once hated, but had finally grown to love.

It’s an immensely captivating album that’ll leave you nostalgic for moments you didn’t know you missed - listening to this album feels like drinking a cup of tea brewed with stars and sunsets.

Special Mentions; In Time, Ghost Limbs

When The End Began Silent Planet

[2018]

This album is just the heavier version of Dizzy’s Baby Teeth. Atmospheric as fxck and best enjoyed melting into the lounge floor while the walls echo everything back at you.

It’s reminiscent of an apocalyptic future where society doesn’t heal. I know it’s not technically possible to be reminiscent of the future. But somehow this album radiates that feeling.

Special Mentions; Afterdusk, Look Outside: Dream, Look Inside: Awake

Fine But Dying Liza Anne

[2018]

Hey do you know what’s cool about this current world we live in? The fact that we’re open about how we take care of our mental health! This album is how I take care of mine. Seriously, next time you’re feeling a bit down and out of sorts, throw this album on. There are songs in here that are like roadmaps for bad days.

Special Mentions; Paranoia, I Love You But I Need Another Year

Proper Dose The Story So Far

[2018]

Oh man. I love The Story So Far. I accidentally named my cat Parker because the day after their 2014 Auckland show I was at the vet and all I could think about was how good The Story So Far are. Initially this list had two The Story So Far albums on it just to emphasize how incredible they are - but I dropped What You Don’t See (even though it’s a fxcking stellar album!) after we started getting everyone else’s lists back, and I realized that over half of them already featured WYDS.

Prior to this album’s release, TSSF had kind of dived away. I hadn’t heard from them in a long time - and although they’d never officially announced a break up, in my head, they’d broken up. It was over. No more The Story So Far.

Then with no warning they dropped ‘Out Of It’ in September 2017, and for the next 10 months, that was all there was to consume. Then July 2018 came around, and they’ve gifted us ‘Let It Go’, and there are announcements of an album…

Proper Dose was the most beautiful re-birth of a band. It still holds that same hardcore/mildly pop punk sound that we’re familiar with, but shrouds it in a psychadelic haze.

I could easily write pages on how it makes me feel, and why you need to consume it, but instead.

Just listen to it.

Special Mentions; Take Me As You Please, Upside Down

Live At Auckland Town Hall Marlon Williams

[2019]

Marlon Williams hasn’t moved off my top artists stats since the day his first album was released back in 2014. Someone once compared Marlon’s music to butter on toast in the mornings, and although at first I thought that a very odd comparison - it’s fast become the easiest way to describe it. It’s incredibly safe, but it’s so satisfying.

My only problem with Marlon Williams is that once you’ve seen him live, neither of his albums quite encapsulate the magick that surrounds the live experience. Luckily that problem was solved when he released this gem.

Next time you have the house to yourself, line this one up and play it as loud as you can handle. Then go outside your house, and turn the volume up even louder. It’s a perfect soundtrack for a frosty winters commute, and equally as enjoyable during a carefree summer stroll. Listen to it when it’s your pets birthday. Listen to it on the way to see your grandma. Listen to it when you’re happy. Listen to it when you’re sad. Listen to it while your cleaning your house. Enjoy it on the balcony once you’re house is clean. It’s versatile.

Special Mentions; I Didn’t Make A Plan, Can I Call You

Listen to our decade wrapped over on Spotify!

Written by Amanda Hailwood / Hailtree

[more decade round ups here]

#bring me the horizon #the story so far #marlon williams #midnight youth #manchester orchestra #citizen #dizzy #silent planet #liza anne #hailtree #top 10 of the decade #top 10 of 2010s #dance gavin dance #top 10s of 2010s

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vskpop · 7 years

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October 2017 ⋅ Who the hell are you?

W, Here – NU’EST W

If there’s something that I have to thank Produce 101 for, is that it finally opened my eyes to Nu’est. I regret not paying any attention to them earlier, and even looking back I realise that I liked all their songs, but never really had any interest in the group itself.

Since their debut, Nu’est have been doing stuff that was basically avantgarde in terms of k-pop; now that electronic/EDM inspired pop has reached Korea, they can keep doing what they’ve always done and still sound better than everyone else.

Their title track Where You At is completely faithful to what their style has been so far; it’s EDM, but it somehow feels more refined than a lot of stuff that’s been put out recently. There’s a very trendy drop, but it’s announced by Dongho’s explosive vocals. There is a rap break, but it isn’t completely disjointed from the song.

While I wasn’t expecting that most of the album tracks would be solo songs, I do think that this is the best time for them to experiment: they were on the brink of disbanding, so anything that happens between now and contract renewal (and Minhyun’s return, hopefully) is a chance to test themselves and prepare for what they will do when they are back as 5. It’s also true that each of them can absolutely hold his own as a solo singer, which is not true of every group.

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7 for 7 – GOT7

I’m going to quote my March 2017 self:

I never felt like GOT7 had a clear identity, but listening to their singles up to Fly, there is a faint thread that was completely cut with Hard Carry (the wooooorst) and hasn’t been picked up with Never Ever.

As of October 2017, I think GOT7 are back on track: with 7 for 7 and lead single You Are, I feel like they’ve finally gone back to their “romantic universe” concept, which is what has suited them best right from the beginning.

I was hoping this would happen ever since JYP’s new boy group, temporarily called Stray Kids, was announced. They seem to have been assigned the iKON/BTS image, leaving GOT7 free to shed their Never Ever grimy concept and go back to what they do best.

While previous songs relied heavily on GOT7’s not-so-amazing rappers, You Are features their super talented singers – not a complete surprise, after JJ Project had done so well this summer. The EDM elements of their previous releases are still there, but the vocalists really make the song special; I never stop being surprised by how lovely Youngjae’s part in the chorus is.

Of course I’m happy that the singers get to shine because that’s my personal taste, but it’s worth noting that this completes the shift of Jackson and Bambam from the most prominent members of the group to background figures. The difference between their presence in the Fly and the You Are performances is stark.

This bizarre dynamic – the members who caused trouble shoved in the back and the popular members thrown at the front – in the context of an album that is literally called 7 for 7, and the rhetoric of them being a 7-member group being very much reinforced.

I’m quite wary of this language being used at a time where the group is quite fragmented – there was a point a few months ago in which the members were spread over four countries when they were supposedly preparing two comebacks. Instead of feeling reassuring, it suggests that the situation is not quite as stable as it should be.

As far as I’m concerned, GOT7 have found their sound (again) and I would be more than happy for them to continue on this path. I’m curious to see if they will manage to stick to it for two comebacks in a row, and if it’s really true that #OT7 is forever.

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Move – Taemin

If I had more time and more of a willingness to be disappointed by SM Entertainment, I would look into what was cut from the subpar video for Move, the title track of an otherwise perfect comeback. There isn’t a single bad song in this album. The aesthetics and styling are wonderful. The choreography for Move is the sexiest thing to have been performed by a man on a k-pop show this year.

K-pop either does big bangers or big ballads, but Taemin needs neither. The 80’s synth works perfectly with his breathy, sexy vocals. Move doesn’t exist in a completely different universe to last year’s Press Your Number, which had different 80’s elements, but it’s still something new and unique in the k-pop panorama.

While every single song on this album would be worth mentioning, I’m always struck by how much emotion he manages to put in his ballads. He could be talking about socks, and Rise would still make me cry for three hours.

I will be endlessly impressed with Taemin, who could have had nothing at this point if it was for SM (not the greatest at growing talents, sorry not sorry), and instead has managed to find an image for himself and to grow as a true artist. I hope he keeps it up for a long time.

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Twicetagram – TWICE

It turns out that I’d rather hate Twice’s songs: at least I can pretend they don’t exist. When I find them catchy, which is the case for Likey, I am destined to suffer because of the absolutely revolting lyrics.

“In that small screen / I want to look the prettiest”

“Getting all dolled up / Is so annoying / But I can’t just be careless”

“I’m holding in my breath so I can zip up / Pulling it over my waist once more” “There are so many / Pretty clothes in this world”

I know that pop songs aren't that deep, and that this is not their first song with terrible lyrics, but it's shameful that a group as loved by young girls as Twice would push the idea that it's women's duty to look attractive to others (men, that is). This is one of the cases in which I’m kind of happy that my Korean is not that good, because I can just pretend that they’re not being absolutely idiotic and enjoy the song on my commute.

This is one of their better comebacks as far as I’m concerned: they all get to properly dance after Momo’s break, they aren’t dressed like schoolchildren, there is some actual singing from members that never made a sound before.

On the upside, while they still have zero production credits, many of the members got to write lyrics for the album tracks, which is more than many other girl groups ever get to do. Even the Wonder Girls members only had a handful of lyrics credits until the group was on the verge of disbandment and had to write their own songs. I love 24/7, Rollin’ and Don’t Give Up.

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RAPID FIRE ROUND

Max & Match – LOONA Odd Eye Circle

I don’t know why it’s been so exhausting to follow Odd Eye Circle. I found Girl Front a bit too cute for what I was expecting, but on the other hand the choreography for repackage single Sweet Crazy Love is a bit too sexy for Choerry (who is only 16). While I love the song this time around, and I do think they look incredible in the video, I’m just looking forward to moving onto the next batch of girls and not have to question the concept of OEC anymore.

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Fantasy – JBJ

With JBJ, basically all my Produce 101 favourites who didn’t make it into Wanna One have debuted in one form or the other. The song and the costuming have a very old school k-pop flavour, which is an interesting choice in a context where the trendiest post-Produce group wins (hi and bye, Rainz). I’m especially glad to see model-turned-idol Hyunbin onstage, because now YG will be forced to put him in the next boy group (muhahahahhah). I also live for Taehyun’s dancing and Sanggyun’s face rapping, so following them has been an absolute delight.

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Knights of the Sun – SF9

I low key wanted to hate SF9’s O Sole Mio because Italy has nothing to do with the Latin sounds and “te quiero”, but my brain has been mushed by Despacito and anything by CNCO, so I was totally endeared by SF9 using their shirts as muletas and those random guitar interludes. I’m also not sure if someone thought that “Latin sounds” referred to actual Latin, because the phrase “ego dormio” is repeated several times in the song and friends, that’s the dead language, not the Enrique Iglesias genre.

It has to be said that all their albums have been excellent so far (I was obsessed with Breaking Sensation earlier in the year) and Knights of the Sun, despite not really sticking to the Latin theme, has some really good songs in it, like falsetto extravaganza Just On My Way.

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Hallelujah – Jimin (AOA)

I don’t even know how to justify this. Jimin’s voice is as grating as ever, and I love it as much as I always do. There is nothing that should bring together her squeaking, the pseudo-reggaeton, the signature “HEY HEY HEY HEY”, and the Christian hook that has nothing to do with the rest of the lyrics. This song makes no sense, but I’ve been listening to it constantly. What the hell are you, babe, hallelujah.

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MORE SONGS OF NOTE

The whole of Epik High’s We’ve Done Something Wonderful Red Lie – BTOB Callin’ – ACE Pinwheel – Seventeen (more on this next month) Good Night – DIA I Wander – HA:TFELT When You Love Someone – DAY6

STRAYS

Monsta X Shownu and Jooheon dancing to Ariana Grande’s Side to Side, because why not.

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I love, love, love, Twice’s Japanese single One More Time.

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#nuest #got7 #taemin #twice #loona #odd eye circle #jbj #jimin #aoa

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weshallneverrevolt · 7 years

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Porter Robinson - Worlds (2014)

I like EDM. There, I said it.

I think it’s a fun genre, music made for feeling alive and happy and young. Yes, it is a genre of clichés, rehashed ideas, and fans that tread the line between endearing and grating. But the sheer output of its artists results in a sort of centrifuge of ideas that, when it finally spits a new one out, is brilliance.

It’s also a very millennial genre. EDM is arguably the first genre of music we can claim as our own. Sure, electronic music has been around for years, but the especially melodic, loud, fist-pumping festival anthems of “EDM” are something new. They’re ours.

So much as records like Illmatic and The White Album pushed their genres and subgenres forward, there have been some definite trailblazers in EDM. My state’s very own Porter Robinson is one of those guys, and his album Worlds might do the same for our genre. Only time will tell if it holds up with those records above, but it’s still pretty damn good.

To explain why I think Worlds deserves more attention, I’m going to take a little detour into a very different genre of music.

I love Billy Joel. His album The Nylon Curtain (released 1982) has stirring songs about America reconciling itself with a world after Vietnam, a world where globalism was fast eclipsing the American dream. “Goodnight Saigon” tracks soldiers from training through the jungles of Asia; “Allentown” looks back home at blue collar workers.

But it stands out because the wounds were still fresh. Some had aged a bit – America left Vietnam in 1973 – and some were still ongoing, like the decline of Detroit and steel plant closures of the early 80s. It blended emotional immediacy with wisdom, expressing the fear of times still coming and gratitude for times long gone. Responsible nostalgia, if you will.

The Nylon Curtain’s songs are very authentic in that way, which is why they still resonate. Parts of “Allentown” sound like something Bernie Sanders would say:

“Every child has a pretty good shot To get at least as far as their old man got But something happened on the way to that place They threw an American flag in our place.”

As I mentioned in my entry about Kesha’s Rainbow, authenticity is extremely important for great music. Kanye put it best: when you try hard, that’s when you die hard. It’s why we cringe now at emo bands: the whole struggle feels a bit like a ruse.

I promised this would somehow connect to an EDM album from 2014. Worlds works because of who made it and the time he grew up in. Porter’s lyrics are escapist rather than introspective, and I doubt his synths will age as well as Billy Joel’s piano. But his album’s sound is one that evokes a very specific aesthetic, one that only someone from his time could represent accurately.

Above: Visuals from the “Worlds” tour by the Invisible Light Network.

Wordsworth said that poetry is a “spontaneous overflow of emotion, recollected in tranquility.” Worlds is a spontaneous overflow of 90s-00s geek nostalgia, reflected in tranquility. With bangers.

If you’re reading this, you likely had a similar childhood to Porter Robinson. He grew up in the 1990s, surrounded by video games, anime, and a world whose technology outpaced its maturity. It was an exciting and overwhelming time to be a kid.

Worlds is an album that owes a great debt to those influences, and that sensation of wonder.

The music is the most obvious part, marrying 16-bit video game synths with the brighter, clearer ones of modern dance music. Much of the album sounds like the soundtrack of a video game that never got made. ”Flicker” is a funky groove that would fit in a Final Fantasy item shop, complete with a cute Japanese counter girl. The thick textures of “Hear the Bells” would fit perfectly in a full-motion video ending, where a spiky haired hero watches an airship soar into the distance.

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Despite that, this is not a chiptune album, very much adopting the modern principles of EDM: chopped and screwed samples, sing-a-long choruses, and lyrics that evoke togetherness and the power of the moment. Though the driving melody of “Years of War” soars above a pixelated skyline, its lyrics evoke burning it down. That mix of rage and youthful energy is echoed in the festival-friendly chorus of “Lionhearted.” Even “Sad Machine” would work at a festival despite its sci-fi tropes, with its hymn-like chorus of “she depends on you.”

Porter’s nostalgic sounds do distance him from his contemporaries, as do his lyrics. Take “Polygon Dust” for instance. Many an EDM banger has mentioned the importance of “tonight,” but this song also seems to mourn something, maybe tonights that weren’t so carefully guarded. “Sad Machine” is also a very lonely song, where the only characters are a protagonist and a mysterious robot girl they’ve just awakened.

That balance places the nostalgia of this album in the same category as The Nylon Curtain. It’s not idealized: it’s wistful. It wishes nostalgia was more powerful than it actually was. There’s a longing in these scenes, from the adolescent male fantasy of “Sad Machine” to the long-distance friendship in “Fresh Static Snow.”

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A lot of period pieces feel fake because their creators never experienced their subjects. Worlds feels so authentic because, like Billy Joel, Porter lived through his influences. He escaped into those worlds just like we did.

But despite all that retro navel-gazing, Worlds is an album made today. And the world today sucks.

It’s easy to see why the predictable heroism of 90s RPGs, the bright futures of science fiction, the colors and whimsical stories of anime, the decisive victories of superheroes all comfort us as adults. They’re a tattered blanket, fragments of the world outside our windows before adulthood peeled back the curtains. They’re what we spend our nights at home doing when we’re tired of Facebook and the news and each other.

Nostalgia is the purest form of escapism because it involves a world we once knew. It’s one that requires no influence other than living, and one that lets us pretend more than any costume. Worlds, the EDM musicians it learned from and the culture that inspired it are all about pretending, about being somewhere else.

More than escapism in and of itself, Worlds is an ode to escapism. It’s a memorial for all the places that both never existed and have always existed inside of us. Perhaps that’s why Porter moved away from his first EP’s heavy dubstep influences: he missed those places.

Those places, more than any of Porter’s Worlds, are what he pines for in this lyric from “Fellow Feeling:”

“I cried, for I did not think it could be true; That you and I might have always known one another And that we could not only evoke, but conjure a place of our own That everywhere - that has ever existed Was all in service of our dream.”

Further Listening

“Sad Machine” Cover by Didrick and Ember Island – a beautiful rock version of Worlds’ most popular song with non-vocaloid vocals and real instruments.

“Shelter” – a collaboration with Madeon, another great EDM producer who shares Porter’s influences. The video is an anime short made with Japanese studio A-1 Pictures.

“Goodnight Saigon” – a hella dope EDM banger! Just kidding, it’s a piano rock ballad from The Nylon Curtain.

“Language” - a song from Porter Robinson’s pre-Worlds career that showcases the origins of some of the sounds on his debut album.

#porter robinson #shelter #sad machine #worlds #music #edm #electronic #2014 #criticism #nostalgia #90s #anime #weebs get out reeeeee #madeon #fellow feeling #dance music #billy joel

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middleeyt · 5 years

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Latin Headliners, International Billings... and Idris Elba?

The lineup is finally out in much anticipation and with a better build-up than past years. Coachella teased on the afternoon of January 2nd a handful of artists over their social media and at 8:25pm released the full list of artists heading to the Coachella Valley this April. This will be the 20th year of the festivals running (technically 19th) and so to many of us, the hype was real to find out how the heck Goldenvoice was planning to top last years roundup.

So About This Lineup:

Now first thing is first though, let’s address the elephant in the room. According to a number of sources Kanye West was actually supposed to make appearance at the Coachella venue this year, but allegedly dropped off the lineup due to disagreements with Goldenvoice over his stage setup. Kanye, according to some publications, apparently claimed the current Coachella Stage design to be “artistically restrictive”. (Beyonce added bleachers and a long ass strip... now I'm just wondering what the hell he was trying to turn the stage into?)

This year will mark my 6th attendance to the Coachella Valley (shit, just did the math… that’s a fuck ton of money) so to be quite honest, a large number of these artists I have already seen perform in past years. To any newcomers this lineup offers just the right balance and touchpoint for a variety of genres, but to me it just seems... well... “ok”. Every year Goldenvoice makes a point to grab at least one headliner that will cause some conversation, this year… they’re all just….”ok”. Although Ariana Grande has an amazing voice, and this past album has offered a number of bangers, I just don’t see her as a headliner... just yet (She did just get dubbed as the youngest person to headline Coachella though… dammit thought that was going to be me). Childish Gambino is one that I am actually kinda stoked about, he’s an artists who dedicates great thought into his craft, and this being his last runthrough with the “Childish” stage name, it might make for an epic performance. Tame Impala… well, that one once again… is just “ok”.

A number of the second tier artists were also a little predictable. It seems that year after year Coachella has swayed in the direction of radio and streaming trends, as more and more “mainstream” artists make their way into the lineup… I’m afraid soon enough the festival might turn into a 97.7 radio artist roundup (shoutout to my 760 locals...wow that came out lame as hell) People like Khalid, Ella Mai, Mac DeMarco, and Billie Eilish I am juiced to see, don’t get me wrong… but they were lowkey guaranteed to be there due to the popularity they've recently gained, and that’s the problem. The one thing that I have always enjoyed about Coachella is the opportunity it offers to catch a large number of underrated artists who you can bank will make some moves in the years to come, or who you might not have heard of and end up loving. This year it just seems like I have heard a good number of these people in some shape or form.

The one thing I will say this lineup does well, is in giving homage to a lot of indie, R&B, Latin, Asian and female artists for the first time in a long while (Ok, now I see where the hype is at!) This line up includes a couple Latin headlining artists (J Balvin, Rosalia, and Bad Bunny) and not one, not two, but THREE international Asian billings (BLACKPINK, Hyukoh, and Perfume) The lineup is also stacked with a good number of women, and I am sure this list is going to give me plenty of opportunities to get in my feels with the number of lyricists in attendance.

As a friend put it this year is going to be a “chill ass year”. I’m not mad about the lineup but neither am I super excited about it, I am... indifferent. As I have always said, the people make the music, as long as you’re vibing with a good crowd Coachella is going to be a great time come this April.

My Top Picks for 2019:

Now most of us tend to sleep on a good number of artists, like literally… a ton of y’all don’t even head to the venue until like 4pm (wtf). So to help you find some will to hit the venue bright and early, here's a list of my top (tiny name) artists to go give a listen to this year:

Friday:

Tierra Whack- She is nothing but “whack”, the Philadelphia native offers a totally unique and theatrical vibe to her contemporary rap and R&B, if you fuck with 6LACK you'll totally dig Tierra.

JPEGMAFIA- A villain or satirist who knows where he's at. JPEGMAFIA’s music is uncomfortable not going to lie, his lyrics are dark and humours at the same time, but the amount of power each of his songs carry is heavy. Give him a listen and try to figure out where you stand, it's tough and that’s kinda what’s dope about his sound.

RAT BOY- Reflecting millennial fears, Jordan Cardy better known as RAT BOY sings about what everyone my age feels, from fucking around to the prevalent political and socio-economic topics we often think about but don't speak for.

88GLAM- The newly created duo comprised of Derek Wise and 88 Camino gives me Migos and NAV birth child vibes… if you know what I mean.

Bakar- The cyclical nature of the music scene, and Bakar’s smooth sound help put indie back on the map. Straight out of Virgil Abloh’s debut runway show as Men’s Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton, Bakar brings such a dope blend of rap and indie melodies.

Dvsn, Jaden Smith, SG Lewis- I put these all in one cuz if you haven't heard of them I don't know what the fuck you’ve been doing, and if you have this is just a reminder that I’ll see you at their tent!

Los Tucanes De Tijuana- Now if you're Mexican… you know this shit is about to be lit. You’re going to be singing all the songs your mom used to make you do Saturday chores with, and y’all already know your non-mexican friends are going to vibe hella hard when “La Chona” comes on.

Saturday:

Mr. Eazi- Y’all know I love my Afrobeats, if you're ready to get down to some fucking vibes join me for some booty-swaying club smashes with Mr. Eazi.

Sabrina Claudio- R&B songstress Sabrina Claudio is why my Saturday word of choice “VIBES”. Her 2016 EP Confidently Lost released over SoundCloud gained her a ton of momentum with over 3 million plays before it was even commercially released. 2018 became the release of her 8 track album No Rain, No Flowers, and I'm just saying y'all best not sleep on her!

Smino- If 2018 was the year where you went through a lot of “adult shit” well then Smino is the guy for you. His most recent project NOIR reflects on what it means to take experiences as growth and that growth as our reward.

FKJ- Image what French Kiwi Juice (FKJ) would sound like. Now that’s not only what Vincent Fenton goes by but it legit is what he sounds like (y’all think I’m crazy hu?) With a blend of mellow electronic and R&B this is what Coachella is about right here.

SiR- Can something be soulful and mellow at the same time? It sure can. If you fuck with Frank Ocean (and I mean who doesn't) SiR is the guy to watch.

Soulection- Independent music platform, radio show, and artist collective with an incredible fucking roster, Soulection is bound to serve us a damn good show!

Sunday:

Clairo- Lo-fi singer/ songwriter Claire Cottrill gives us some intimate and dreamy vocals, if you're ready to get down to the carryover of Saturday’s vibes, come join me.

Shallou- I got to see this guy and his incredible drummer a few months ago, he is one of the few people that I am super juiced to see again. His sad lyrics combined with happy beats make for a dope sound. If you were ever in the car with me within the past 4 months you probably heard his song “Lie” a good 30 times.

Emily King - Pop-soul singer Emily King is total goals. A year ago she stepped out of her comfort zone by moving from her hometown and taking the NYC scene, that change and chance gave birth to the album that made her career: Scenery. Her story and lyrics tell it all.

Dennis Lloyd- You’ve probably heard his song “Nevermind” somewhere. This guy gives me Hozier vibes, if Hozier was a producer, singer, songwriter, and multi-intrumalist… I mean he might be, but I fuck with Dennis more.

You’ve made it to end! As a gift check out this playlist I made with all the need to know songs by the artists on this list! See ya at Coachella!

Also checkout the all encompassing Coachella 2019 collaborative playlist and add your picks for the year! https://spoti.fi/2FUWzHz (playlist cover art by @madebyjuhie)

#Coachella music festival #Coachella #coachella2019 #artists #playlist #middleeyt #lineup #coachellavalley

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supergenial · 4 years

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Top 8 Doujin Albums 2019

Hi everyone, Superthony Genialtano here the internet’s busiest doujin music nerd, and it’s time to bring out the yellow flannel for the yearly roundup that I completely forgot to do last year. Just a neat little list of my favorite doujin albums of the year.

I will include releases from last year’s winter comiket, and won’t include things from this year’s winter comiket though. As I always say: “If you want to be included in yearly rankings, then don’t release your shit in december”, much less in the very last 3 days of the year which is when winter comiket usually takes place. I will also simply list my favorite picks from the year without any kind of objective measuring or strict order, consider them to be placed at random as I do not believe in strict numeric rankings for music. Having said that, click below to continue on to the list and happy holidays to you all.

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-Gensou Crisis by IRON ATTACK! (Metal)

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As I often say, Iron Attack is very hit or miss, and this one's a complete hit. Ever since sadame yuku kamikaze they hadn’t made a song that truly wowed me but this time they went ahead and exceeded expectations not once, but 5 times. The eponymous Gensou Crisis, Nihon no Stage, Isekai Stage, Space Stage and Last Boss Stage are some of the better work they've ever done in my opinion. I also just like how the american stage is chock in the middle of Isekai Stage and Space Stage, like sure, that is a totally normal level progression, America is somehow more badass than a whole other world but not as much as space, sure. Just an awesome album, can easily recommend this one.

(Also pretty funny that they tried to re-capture the glory of Nihon no Stage in their latest album, Japonism, but the results weren’t as good)

-Metatron by DJ DEPATH&M-Project (electronic, hardcore, rave) (Bandcamp)

Yeah, I listen to non-chu2 non-denpa stuff too, don't genreshame me. This album is a banger, just sick, can’t even call it a rollercoaster because it never slows down for any reason. Throughout it's longitudinal 16 tracks it keeps me hyped up, I'm parsing really hard to try and find a song to say something negative about but I just fucking cannot, these guys really went out and made an album with no lulls in it, just a full hour of non stop climax action, though to be fair it is a compilation of their older works so it had to be at least this good. Still, awesome, 10/10.

-Crimson of the Sleeping Princess by Elymusia (Gothic Metal) (Booth)

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I was not expecting to fall so hard for this album but here we are. We've previously translated 2 songs from the album and will probably get around to doing the rest Someday. Tokeitou no majo, owari no hajimari and the eponymous song are all just absolutely amazing tracks among my favorites for the year. Sure, the eponymous does go on for a bit longer than it should, but I still listen to it entirely so that's quite a feat. Kuro no majo Athena is also a really cool track. Steam World and Tada Sore Dake no ohanashi, to be fair, are not amazing but at least they set the tone for the character Machina. The contrast of steampunk characters fighting gothic witches is a really good idea, so I dig it even if the shift from the first to second song is a bit jarring.

I also find it hilarious how in trying to go for an english name for 深紅の眠り姫(Crimson Sleeping Princess) they went and added two unnecessary words, but idk, it makes it funny so it’s cute. Overall great album, liked it from the beginning and it has only grown on me further.

-Kyousou Rinne Roosen Renetto by Ariabl'eyeS (gothic) (translations)

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The sequel to a classic. Anyone could've predicted this is one of my favorites for the year so there's really no surprise here. SUI's song is still a stand out for me, but the eponymous song is also pretty amazing. I really, really would've loved to attend the live as they told the audience beforehand to sing along with a certain part and I'm sure it would've felt so fucking powerful to be there, but we are but slaves to our own prisons in this life. Still, great album, also as far as Ariabl’eyeS goes this is actually their album with the least recycled tunes since automata, so good going for them on coming up with some new stuff every once in a while.

-SPD GAR 02 by Megarex Label (rave) (bandcamp)

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I've had my eye on Megarex Label for a while since their Fugene albums, and they have not disappointed me yet. Just really exciting, new-sounding music. I was actually really debating myself on which was their better album of the year between SPD GAR 02 or NEONSTRIDE and I ultimately went with this one but it's a pretty good sign when a group can put out two amazing records within a single year, even if to be fair it's a collaboration between several music producers and talents. Speaking of putting out too many records in one year-

-Mugen Ayakashi Yakou by Hatsuki Yura (neo-japanese) (lyrics)

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Look, Onyx Veil was an amazing album, sure, I like basically every song in it, sure. BUT I ASK: does it have Yura singing about taking lives with her demon blade? In a duet song with a cool male voice for the sword? No? Didn't think so. Therefore, Ayakashi Yakou edges out a victory if only slightly. This album goes for a japanese sound rather than sticking to the fantasy tunes Yura usually brings us and boy, it fucking works, if you enjoy the likes of Wagakki Band then you gotta give this one a try. Right from the get go Oiran Yagyou is an absolute banger and it's about a cool prostitute, then Renkai shifts things up by being fairly cheerful and when you least expect it, bang: Youtou Raikouzan. Give a nerd a song about a girl with a demon blade and he won't shut up about it. I'm the nerd. Excellent album, but then again Onyx Veil is also high up there for me even if this one edged out the victory, maybe it's just the recency effect why I prefer it, who knows. Also make sure to visit Meri's blog where she has extremely in-depth translations for these and many other albums by Yura, god bless her soul.

-Mukunaru Hoshi no Koujo Planetalica to Yutaka na Shikisai to Uta no Koujo Asterika, by el ma Riu (Fantasy) (booth)

Very conflicted on this one. The imagery to the album is pretty captivating with those two princesses on the cover and the way the title turns upside down, I'm sure Claude Von Riegan would get along with Asterika. This album has my favorite song of the year, which is undoubtedly Ancient Call「火」. Yet the rest of the album is simply good, not super fantastic and not nearly on the same level as the first track.

Naming 4 songs the exact same and having them each represent a different element, I would've expected a fairly similar rhythm to all of them but instead they're all entirely different. I do think the fire one is the real bomb in the album so maybe building up to it would've had a better effect than dropping it right out in the first track. I say all this because prior to listening to the album I remember being super impressed with the last track which is the one she uploaded on her youtube. But once I listened to the album entirely all I was thinking was wow, I want more of that first track, I need more. Not that the rest is bad, but just, the first track is so amazing dear god.

Still, it got me to follow el ma Riu more closely and her twitter presence is honestly adorable, she uses emojis all the time and even name searches herself and gets super excited whenever people praise her and basically, she rules, and her newer albums Vert and Akatoki were also pretty cool so it's an overall victory. Also check out this more recent artwork of the two girls, they’re so cute.

-Zettou no Labyrinth by Ariabl'eyes (gothic) (tumblr won’t let me embed more videos lol)

Yes I'm putting them twice, you know I have favoritism for them so might as well not dance around that fact. No announcement this year has made me as excited as knowing they'd revive chiisana majo to himitsu no hon even if only for one of the 6 worlds in it. Yes, that shit hyped me up even more than the Bravely Default 2 announcement.

It’s also just so weird, like it’s fanservice for me or like I summoned this into existence, like a monkey’s paw. “I want chiisana majo to himitsu no hon 2″ bam, this does it, a forgotten project from over half a decade ago revived for no reason. “I liked that witch better when she had no back story” bam, this has an evil witch with no backstory. “The best songs are the ones with both Luna and Rena” bam, this has like 3 of them, way more than usual. Are they reading me? I doubt it, but this means that their japanese fanbase has been thinking the same things as I so it actually feels pretty cool how we’re on the same page. Like Bunnyhop said about Death Stranding: “I know it’s pretentious to say you have a personal connection with a work but...” yeah, it does feel like that for me.

The album does take six minutes to get going (with two small narration tracks sandwhiching a decently rehashed old track), but once we get into it kokou no megami, ao no kajitsu and zettou no majo are amazing songs even if they so, SO blatantly rehash older sounds of the band like come on, the influences from automata and coffin are so blatant it's almost a parody, not to mention we also get a girl in a coffin and an evil witch trying to bring about the end because she's a dick so it's like, you're just gonna rehash coffin and romanesque like that and call it a day? Not only do you rehash sounds in every album but also stories now? Yes, that's exactly what they did and it still worked. Aaaahhh, I hate to love this band, they have me grabbed by the balls and I can't escape, awesome album I loved it.

And that is it folks, what a nice year for doujin music this has been, I truly hope the next is even better because I really do have fun checking out new bands and shit. Also in case if you want more well let’s give it up for those that almost made the cut.

Runner ups:

-Artificial Flower by Mame (gothic) (booth)

This album is a diamond in the rough, it’s truly excellent just needs a bit more polish to make it into the big leagues with me, plus maybe a more scarring vocal performance. Not that it’s bad, it almost made the cut! but the vocals are permanently subdued in their tone, just give me some fang and I’ll swoon.

- ななめが��国 by ななひら and mega (denpa) (translation)

I mean what can I say, 4 tracks are ok and the other 4 are amazing, it balances out. Plus if they do conquer the world one day I don't want to be on their gulag list, might as well praise them while it still counts.

-Vocis Helix by Sennzai (fucking epic) (booth)

This is like the epitome of "music I'd like people to believe I listen to, but that I don't actually listen to that much".

-Extra in Out by Cytekinesis (lolicore) (bandcamp)

“Lolicore? I haven’t heard that name in years...”

-Papermoon by Polysha (electronic, psytrance) (bandcamp)

A surprising latecomer, maybe with a bit more time it’d be up there with Megarex but alas, fate and synchronicity did not work in it’s favor.

And many others, we could be here all day! so let’s cut it short and call this a darn good year for doujin music. Next year I’ll probably spend less time listening to doujin music as I’ll be gushing over the inevitable new Sound Horizon album and the Bravely Default 2 soundtrack, plus it’s inevitable Linked Horizon album about it. Yes, this is the year, Rinne HAS to be this year folks. Anyway, see you all next time and remember: if you like an artist with a very small audience, tell them about it, they’ll probably be thrilled.

#review #doujin music #why 8?#because 2020 is the year of RINNE FUCKING CONFIRMED #yes I know he used a blue flannel on his top 50 shut up if you know this much flannel lore you know this one's more iconic

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girls-scenarios · 5 years

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Admins Top 18 Songs of 2018

Admin Kiwi: These are in no particular order, but they are the songs I’ve been listening to the most this year!

NCT U Taeyong & Ten - Baby Don’t Stop: This song had been on repeat since it came out. I don’t actually listen to much NCT but holy crap this SONG. It’s not even my usual type of music. It’s just so addicting.

Loona - Stylish: Okay, Hi High was a great song, but THIS song. I might have listened to it like, 300 times now? It’s so good that I’ve yet to get tired of it even though I listen to it at least once a day. A true banger. Stan Loona indeed.

April - Oh! My Mistake: When this song first came out, I wasn’t sure what to think because it’s super unique, but now it’s consistently stuck in my head and I listen to it on repeat. I was so happy to see April get more attention with this comeback too!

iKON - Killing Me: I’ll be real with you, I’m not an iKON stan. Their music is super hit or miss for me. But when I first heard this song my jaw dropped because omg it’s SO GOOD. Whenever I need to feel energized I just have to listen to the drop and boom. Energy.

EXID - I Love You: By now you probably all know that EXID owns me. Lady was such a banger too, but I’ve got to say that I Love You was my favorite (because Solji is back and I cried).

Seventeen - Oh My!: Perhaps I love Seventeen. Real talk, Seventeen never disappoints. And Oh My! is another song that is consistently playing. The mini album with this song was A+ as well. They’re the only boy group that I own an album by. They’re that good.

Twice - Shot Thru The Heart: Twice had so many comebacks this year that I can’t even keep up honestly. But this song? I’m in love with it. Also Jeongyeon gets so many lines. And I love listening to her voice so uh. It’s my favorite song.

Weki Meki - Iron Boy: Honestly Metronome was another by them that I absolutely love, but I like Iron Boy a little bit better. Such a banger and makes me super happy to listen to.

Tiffany Young - Over My Skin: Wow? I love everything about this song? Tiffany is out here putting out great music with an early 2000s feel and I’m 100% here for it. Also the lyrics to this song? I’m shaking.

EXO - Tempo: I didn’t like this song at first, but now I listen to it so much I’m pretty sure even my dog knows the words. I prefer girls, but Chanyeol in this comeback had me questioning everything. That Great Gatsby reference in his lyrics made my literary self VERY happy.

KHAN - I’m Your Girl?: I listen to this song all the time. I loved The Ark, and I was so happy to see these girls come back. I love their voices together. I just. Loved everything about this song.

fromis_9 - DKDK: This is the comeback that made me truly fall in love with them. I was OBSESSED with this song when it first came out, and I still listen to it all the time. This song defines my 2018 honestly.

Dreamcatcher - Wonderland: I’ve said before how much I love this song but like. I love to just put this song on and chill. I love pretty much everything that Dreamcatcher puts out but this song? It’s The One.

Jay Park - V: I’ll admit it, I listen to a lot of Jay Park. This song is another one that’s always stuck in my head. It’s just such a fun song to listen to, I love it. A lot.

Day6 - Shoot Me: Day6 puts out so much good music, but this song has me hooked. It’s like an angry rock ballad. And I like that.

Hyukoh - Citizen Kane: Hyukoh is another band that just puts out such great music. I love everything they do and really wish that I’d gotten the chance to see them live this year.

UNI.T - I Mean: I really wish that UNI.T would have gotten more time together. Both songs they released were amazing but this song just makes me so happy to listen to and energizes me when I need it. It’s just such a fun song!

The Rose - Baby: This song introduced me to The Rose and I’m so glad I found it because it’s so good and I listen to it both when I’m feeling angsty and when I write.

(Honorable mentions: Sohee ft BOL4 - Hurry Up, Taeyeon - Something New, HYO - Sober, Hyolyn - Dally, NU’EST W - Dejavu, Pristin V - Get It, Apink - I’m So Sick, CLC - Black Dress)

Admin Lee: Not in any certain order, but these are my top picks of 2018!

1. Pristin V - Get It: I love pristin. I kept track until this comeback was released and watched the MV again and again afterwards! The teasers and highlight medley absolutely killed me and I was completely in love with the villain concept! I hope in the future, Pristin is able to do more comebacks with this sort of concept because I think it’s really cool and refreshing!

2. Remind of You - Chungha: This is another one that I listen to when I’m falling asleep, writing, or working! It’s one of my favorites of hers!

3. Egoist - Olivia Hye (Ft. Jinsoul): Though love4eva is the song that made me discover Loona, this is definitely one of my favorite solo (?) songs before their official debut!

4. IAM - 1AM: This was one of the two concept songs that were my absolute favorite on Produce48 and all of the members on that team were some of my favorite contestants too! I love Heo Yunjin and Ahn Yujin to pieces, and I’m glad Yujin made it into IZONE!

5. Rumor - H.I.N.P: This song. I swear I listened to this and IAM on repeat for three days straight. Eunbi (and everyone else on the team ofc) killed and I find myself going back to watch their performance video from time to time because it’s THAT good.

6. Thanks - Seventeen: This is the first Seventeen song I’ve ever heard! I found out about it after Loona did a dance cover on Idol Room and really enjoyed the song, so I listened to the whole thing and liked it even more. I should probably get more into Seventeen’s music because they seem like a really cool group!

7. Forever Young - Blackpink: This is probably my favorite b-side from the mini-album, and I liked how the song kind of changed towards the end! Blackpink has been a group I’ve loved for a while and I’m really glad they’re going on a world tour this year!

8. April Fools - Jimin Park: I remember being super excited when I heard Jimin was finally getting a comeback, and I couldn’t stop listening to this song when it came out! I loved her when she was in 15&, but now that she’s out there doing solo music and having a good time I’m happy for her!

9. Good Evening - SHINee: SHINee is also another boy group that I’ve recently gotten into! I really enjoy a lot of their music, and this song just stands out to me a lot. The MV is also really cool, with nice aesthetics and cool colors!

10. Dally - Hyolyn: This is the first song I’ve heard by Hyolyn, and it suits my music taste a lot! I enjoy the bass-heavy, chill vibe the song provides. She has super nice vocals that I appreciate and I’m glad I discovered her music!

11. Oh! My Mistake - April: I recently listened to this song and I couldn’t stop lol. It’s so catchy once you hear it and at the end, you immediately want to listen to it again. April is an underrated group for sure, because if this comeback say anything about them, it’s that they’ve got major talent and potential as a successful group!

12. Jenga - Heize: Heize is an artist I also recently discovered, and I think Don’t Know You was the first song of hers I listened to. However, this one is a bop fr and I listen to it at least once a day.

13. La Vie en Rose - IZONE: Dude this debut song was probably the best I’ve heard ever (besides Wee Woo). I know I’ve said I’ve listened to a lot of these songs on repeat but this one I would play multiple times a day every day for a little more than a week. I still listen to this song all the time and its one of the most memorable debut songs I’ve heard.

14. Stylish - LOONA: This is definitely my favorite B-side from the album. The memes from it are also really good! But fr, this song is one that I listen to a lot as well, and I always seem to play it more than once whenever it comes on.

15. Bad Boy - Red Velvet: Okay, let me say that this MV is so good and I LIVE for it. Like, this comeback was insanely good and I can’t wait to see them perform this live!! Along with RBB and Peek-a-Boo, this is my favorite title song from RV!

16. RBB - Red Velvet: I literally counted down the days until this comeback. When I heard/watched the teaser for this I couldn’t wait for the song’s release. The scream kills me every time lmao I hope Irene didn’t throw out her voice too much for that

17. Heroine - Sunmi: Sunmi is literally that bitch. I loved this song so much the first time I heard it, and what’s not to love about it? It’s such a bop! She’s literally a goddess and no song she makes could ever flop.

18. What is Love? - TWICE: Twice has been a long-time favorite group of mine, and was actually the first Kpop group I’ve ever heard (got into them during TT era)! This comeback was a godsend and I loved it so much. The MV was so well put together, and all of the movie references were very well done! I couldn’t stop repeating this song for weeks after it came out.

#top 18 songs of 2018 #kpop #girl groups #kpop girl groups

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