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foundationsofdecay · 5 months

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Alright, so. Waves, by The Dear Hunter, is one of my favorite songs of all time, which obviously means I'm obligated to talk about it as often as possible, so here's another song crossover post for Sleep Token. I really did try to keep it brief, but brief is very relative when it comes to these posts apparently, especially since it's still about ST at the end of the day. I'm not going to get into the lore behind this song too much, as it's part of the 4th album in a series of concept albums with a very clear-cut story progression.

This post will make significantly more sense if you've heard the song, as I'm only pulling out chunks of it here, so it isn't required but I highly recommend giving it a listen first!

To preface, there's been three Sleep Token lyrics that have been stuck in my head lately: "you don't really love, you just hate to be alone", "we'd rather be six feet under than be lonely", and "I might break and bend to my basic need to be loved and close to somebody". Those form the basis of a candidate for a thesis statement of the story of ST's discography and especially this trilogy overall, and I'll touch on that very briefly here, in tandem with this first portion of lyrics.

You knew the way things were You knew the way they would be We knew exactly how it'd end

It's that idea of the doomed lovers going all in, despite the knowledge that the end can never be in their favor, because neither wants to be alone, would do anything to avoid it, even if that love is false, tainted, toxic, inconsistent, obsessive, or destructive.

Then, the chorus:

Now I'm preparing for a burial at sea But I can see the lighthouse Yeah I'm praying that these waters don't take me 'Cause I can see the lighthouse

Okay, I lied earlier, a bit of context is needed here about this song to make my point... by the time Waves appears in this story, our protagonist has realized that the aforementioned philosophy is reaching its logical conclusion and no longer wants to be trapped on this metaphorical sinking ship, can see the promise of possible safety but he doesn't know how he could possibly get there, so he's resigned himself to a "burial at sea". Despite the inner turmoil, he's still tying himself to this fate that he sees as inevitable. Later, we even have a flipped version of the first quoted lines, where he blames solely himself for what's happened, particular for the harm he's caused.

Vessel oscillates much more drastically between this and other ideologies than the protagonist of the Acts does, and with the imagery of TPWBYT there is a great deal more sinking going on, but as you'll see in a moment, this is still seen in Waves to a degree. Furthermore, the philosophy of "This Place Will Become Your Tomb" as a statement, assurance, and threat is the same here as it is there. (If you're familiar with the Acts, it fits well with the Oracle's speech at the beginning of Act 5, does it not?)

And, spoiler alert for Acts 4 and 5: he does, in fact, end up coming back to the person he's singing about here.

I'll start wrapping up this already overly-long post with these four lines, which are probably my favorite of the entire song.

I was screaming that the ship was sinking But you were telling me to just keep drinking Quartered into parts again Arms and legs at the bottom of the ocean

The imagery of everything falling apart around you (a relationship or your general life) and the other party not engaging seriously, enabling and encouraging self-destructive behavior instead, is potent. Typically when I see discussion of addiction or alcohol abuse specifically in ST's discography, it's in the context of Vessel's partner, but any kind of distraction or self-destructive alternative being pushed towards him would be in line with readings I've seen, if we were to look broadly and not literally. Though, with the way I do personally read into some songs, I'd argue that a literal comparison of that wouldn't be out of the question.

Then you have the final two lines there, which prompt obvious visual comparisons to Missing Limbs, but honestly I'm just including them because I adore them. There's certainly lines from Missing Limbs that would fit with the Acts, though, particularly in tandem with Where the Road Parts in Act 2, and the combination of helplessness and anguish in those two lyrics can match pretty cleanly with the overall emotional tone of Missing Limbs, depending on your reading of it.

Either way, whether it's for the protagonist of the Acts or for Vessel, there is a very common idea that gets brought up time and time again, summarized very cleanly with the opening and ending lines of the song.

I thought that I knew love but it was just a wave crashing over us

This, however, challenges and is challenged by what love even means to them, at any given moment in time. Was the protagonist of the Acts in love, or loved in return? Did Sleep/Vessel's partner ever truly love him either? How does the definition of love change over time, at which parts of ST's trilogy would one consider either of them to be in love with the other? What does it look like? Is it just that crashing wave, the passionate violent laceration, an entanglement of the impulse to love and the instinct to kill so you can finally express it? Is any of it love? I thought I knew your love, but I'm not so sure anymore. Can you show me? Do you wish that you could?

#lmfao @ me thinking this could ever be short.#also the point of this post ran away from me entirely sorry. hands took over and started typing on their own #sleep token #to be clear: any song crossover posts i make aren't arguing intentionality. it's a springboard to talk more about the lore/ideas/etc

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trixinred · 2 years

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Okay, so let's go. In honor of Taylor's new album announcement, I'm gonna try to do my first headcanon of the sapphic senate.

What are the girls favorite songs, albums and eras + some other nice things I imagine.

Starting out with Chissy, I have a feeling she would love the witchy vibes evermore and folklore bring, but her favorite would be evermore. And she would scream the lyrics of champagne problems along with Robin while Nancy and Chrissy would be like "you are in a healthy relationship, what's your problem?". She would also be a big fan of Speak Now and blast Enchanted all the time. Her favorite song of all time though would be New Romantics from 1989, it just speaks to her and she has an eclectic music style.

Vickie wouldn't be absolutely obsessed with all of Taylor's albums, but when Fearless TV came out she stayed up all night waiting for it to drop and spent the next two weeks crying to The Way I Loved You. She would also dedicate all of You Belong With Me to Chrissy, especially the "she's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers" part. Chrissy would roll her eyes and just sip her tea while smiling internally. She blasts Love Story with Robin during road trips and she loves cardigan and most of the songs of folklore, much like Nancy "seven" Wheeler and they bond over that.

Talking about miss Nancy. I have conflicting feeling because I feel like she would absolutely love Reputation and every time she had a bad day with assholes at work she would watch the Reputation Stadium Tour while performing her own rendition of I did something bad. Robin would get in her room and find Nancy full on rock performing Don't Blame Me. On the other hand, she is absolutely whipped for Robin and would dedicate all of Lover's songs to her, especially It's nice to have a friend and Paper Rings.

Robin knows Nancy's favorite songs by heart and has even made her her own paper ring (Nancy almost cried when receiving it while Robin rambled about how she just tought it would be nice and it's not a big deal at all). She would love Red TV because of all the themes involving doomed love and heartbreak which took her back to the times when she didn't have Nancy. But she would definetly be a 1989 girlie and deny it till her death. Then Vickie would find her in her room singing all the lyrics to out of the woods, she would definetly leave nancy little notes with You Are In Love lyrics around the house. She also told Nancy after they started dating that she would listen to Gorgeous in her room and cry her eyes out despite it being a happy songs because Nancy was still dating Jonathan. Nancy then tells robin that she listened to The way I loved you a lot when she was thinking of breaking up with Jonathan

Robin also listens to I bet you think about me thinking about Nancy when they fight, but as soon as they are okay again she will tell her she didn't mean any of that.

When the all too well music video was released, all the girls stayed up and made popcorn cause according to Chrissy, "this is a mark in all of cinematic history" and they listened to it over and over while trying to get the new lyrics, by 6 listens they were all shouting "FUCK THE PATRIARCHY" and they got a few complaints from the neighbors.

Nancy and chrissy dedicate gold rush to the other two girls, making robin blush so much and vickie just rolls her eyes and teases nancy while also looking like a tomato.

On ronance's first date they got back home and Robin put everything has changed on speaker. It was the first song they slow danced to and it will forever be in their hearts.

Nancy has once tried to make a good mood for a "date night" with Robin if you know what I mean with the song Dress but Chrissy and Vickie interrupted them and will forever start laughing their asses off when their hear that song, while Robin blushes furiously and Nancy just smacks their heads.

Now for songs the girls listen when they are down...

Nancy's go to cry song is The Archer and Robin always holds her when she starts to hyperventilate cause of anxiety attacks, she also listens to Delicate when she feels insecure in their relationship and like she's not worth it.

Vickie listens to Cornelia Street and then gets overwhelmed over the thought of losing the person she loves but Chrissy is always there to reasure her she won't leave.

Chrissy listens to Forever Winter and always sheds a tear because she feels like Vickie, Nancy and Robin pulled her out of a very dark phase with their friendship and she is happy now thanks to them. She is also a mirrorball girlie and will put one in her bedroom.

Robin is a this is me trying person for sure and she also listens to Renegade when thinking about the early stages of her relationship with Nancy. Another one that speaks to her is peace, because she sometimes feel insecure for not being able to give Nancy everything she deserves because of homophobic society.

And that's it lol, thank you for reading. And sorry for any mistakes or inconsistencies. This is my first big post and I got kind of excited hahaha. English is also not my first language, so be kind. Thanks again :D

#the sapphic senate #nancy wheeler #ronance #robin buckley #robin x nancy #nancy stranger things #vickie stranger things #sapphic #sapphic senate #chrissy cunningham #swifties #taylor swift

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emometalhead · 10 months

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Ashley!! Curious to know what you think of Electric Touch and also what the wider FOB fandom thinks of it :)

I am entirely obsessed!! I've been trying to equally listen to the entire album, and I've failed spectacularly lol. Electric Touch is easily my most listened to on the whole album.

I think Taylor and Patrick's voices really suit each other! The bridge drives me crazy!! They complement each other so well!! Plus even beyond the vocals I like the lyrics!! "All I know is this could either break my heart or bring me back to life" is a feeling I can totally understand despite never being in a relationship.

Obviously I'm biased toward both parties, but I can safely say this song did not disappoint me! It's making me want a full collaboration between Fall Out Boy (the whole band) and Taylor even more than I already did. In the meantime, I'm happy to enjoy Electric Touch!!

I've lowkey been avoiding seeking out opinions from the wider FOB fandom. The Swemos (Swiftie emos) seem really excited about it! Like some people want it to play at Emo Nite events even. I've seen a couple older FOB fans say they like it. Some FOB fans are upset that Electric Touch is FOB's top song on Spotify rn, but I think they should have anticipated this. Also I know some people complained that the song is too pop, but again I don't know why they would expect otherwise. So long story short, I'm not sure what the consensus is or if there is a consensus! It would hurt my heart a little bit too much to see FOB fans trashing Taylor or vice versa.

Thank you so much for asking, and I'm sorry in advance about the lengthy tags!!!!! Taylor and Fall Out Boy are not subjects I'm capable of being concise about!!!!!

#also I just love that Patrick got to do the ohohohoh thing. he always nails it. that man's vocals will never cease to impress me #on the fan reaction thing I haven't seen any new negative takes on Taylor from FOB fans but I've seen some pretty rude stuff about Patrick #needless to say I blocked those people #honestly I feel like I've seen harsher reactions about Taylor from Paramore/Hayley fans which is a whole other thing #I really love the song with all of my heart. it won't leave my head. it's truly everything I wanted it to be.#I can let you know if I see more FOB fan opinions but like I said I'm pretty much avoiding them beyond Swemos #oh also with the pop thing I think some FOB fans want to forget that FOB is a POP punk band and Patrick is a pop music fan #most of the outrage I saw from FOB fans was about the whole band being named when only Patrick was involved #my take on that is it's a lot of exposure for FOB and I think Patrick would rather give them all that exposure rather than himself #especially given inital reactions to his own solo music #the rest of the band has been super supportive of the song though so I think some people are just trying to find a reason to be mad #sorry these tags are so long LOL #I thought I was done talking in the post but I was VERY wrong #idk this might be where you're fine ending the conversation but if you want my pettier thoughts about the fandoms text me lol #long long long story short! I love the song! I'm mostly avoiding fan reactions but I've seen some interesting (bad) takes on both ends #asks #fiona

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reflections-in-a-critical-eye · 3 years

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Hi! So, why BTS? And why now? I want to follow your blog, but may I speak openly?

Writing about BTS through the lens of various critical theory is amazing. You are so smart. I am going to be honest about my own biases here, so feel free to trash me for it. I am anonymous after all so trash away as is your right. I understand.

There is often a supposition from critics, both professional and amateur, that the fandom- frequently presented as an immature, undifferentiated mob of cultists- is unable to think critically and must have basic things explained to us so that we don't throw stones at the free speech warriors of truth and standards (not saying that this is your attitude). I find that a little alienating. This fandom has existed for eight years. We have seen blogs and empires rise and fall.

I also don't think that it is an accident that the desire to project these more critical ideas into the public sphere usually comes after a year of being a full on ARMY (judging from my friends experiences). I have read peices about BTS's work referencing Lacan, neo-marxism, post-structuralism and other such stuffs. (My friend used to have an analytic blog that she chose to shut down a few years ago). I am going to be a bit blunt again, so trash if you must, but I think what was being exposed in those pieces was not only "critical thinking" but an excess of emotional investment in BTS, and the desire to intellectualize or justify it.

BTS got a lot of people through 2020. Those long content dives kept people sane. But now, based on a lot of the dissapointed PTD criticism, it feels like some people are waking up hung over and kind of bitter. Emphasizing the three English singles and ignoring BE, an album they worked on for months, seems like a symptom of this. Removing BE from the narrative seems to advance theories of BTS's 'Americanization', lack of creative agency and homogenization into some inferior or less Korean form of pop. BE should not be dismissed as irrelevant to this discourse. Many western artists take an average of 2 years between albums. BTS put out a lot of work. Maybe some of the distrust of criticism that we plebes have comes from the suspicion that critics may use art and events to construct a story. As a person of Asian heritage, LGO going #1 on Billboard meant a lot, emotionally.

I hope none of this caused offense. If it did please just ignore. Thanks for your great thoughts. Wishing you success in your goals.

Hi! Your ask did not cause offense, I'm more than fine to talk about this.

There's a lot to unpack here, so I'm taking it one by one.

Why BTS and why now? I chose to write about BTS because it's been an interest of mine for quite long. I mean, I didn't expect more than a year later to be here. My past obsessions usually lasted between 2 to 3 months, max, and everything felt so intense, but then it faded for a few years. (The last band I really focused on was Pearl Jam back in my first year of college while I was going through a bit of a difficult period in my life).

Yes, I have become a fan during the pandemic. It was sort of inevitable for it to become such a huge focus (escapism from the world outside and from writing a thesis). If I had started this blog a year ago, then you're right in one way: it would have been emotional investment and my desire to intellectualize and justify it. Basically that's what I did in the first few months (when I was on my own, in no community whatsoever). In order to explain myself and others why I'm spending time on this, I used to read research articles. But that's not the full truth and that's because to me such practice comes naturally, just as when I was 16 I couldn't just watch and enjoy movies, I had to read about them every day, or how I'm surrounded by pop culture just as everyone else, but I want to read books about it so I'm willing to do that for months. It's how I'm wired, so in a way, of course it had to happen with BTS as well.

The reason why I decided to make a blog now it's not necessarily because I ''woke up'' or that suddenly I see ''the truth''. Perhaps you may have had that impression because of my first post where I talked about PTD and the recent talks about ''Americanization''. I touched on that subject because I was closely following it, but that is not to say it was my only purpose on making a blog. I feel that, a year later, I'm more secure with my general knowledge and that of BTS. I couldn't have done it before that. I also plan to talk about other topics as well, not just what's ''hot'' at the moment. If I didn't have any other ideas, I wouldn't have made a blog.

And I'm certainly not here to teach anyone or ''plebes'' as you said, anything. And I also know that I'm not going to be the last to have a blog, write a think piece or publish something about BTS. People are allowed to engage in all types of discourse, depending on what they like and what they feel comfortable with. There are countless blogs with countless topics and perspectives. Some last, some don't, that's just how it is. I don't have huge important plans to teach the fandom, my ego is not that big and this is just a hobby for me. It's also not the first time I'm publishing something, but it is the first time on my own blog, despite being on tumblr for 10 years now.

But you are right when you talk about people forgetting about BE and I may add, Film Out which is more recent. I too thought that LGO going #1 on Billboard was incredible. It was a song in Korean that really reflected how people felt during the pandemic. Not just LGO, but the entire album is a true reflection of current times on top of being just simply good music. The album was promoted as well, different versions of the MV, the logs that preceded it focusing on production, it really made me look forward to it and it did not disappoint. The last few months of 2020 have been really good for what BTS has delivered. To go back to your argument, I don't think it's about constructing a story. Yes, in a way people could be accused of ignoring BE, but what's the problem with focusing on what's been going on at present? We shouldn't be surprised about that, PTD was released not too long after Butter. It was full of promotional material ever since May.

I stated in my blog introduction that I'm in film studies, so I will end up making a lot of references because I can naturally make my point across. Let's say I'm a fan of Xavier Dolan. I've watched his first films, fell in love with his aesthetics and his stories. Then he releases something that I don't really like, doesn't work for me. Then another. And then another. I'm thinking, ok, this is the direction he's going with, it's not as daring as what he used to do before, but so what? He gets the awards at Cannes, but I'm still writing a negative review of his film Mommy. Doesn't mean I'm wrong, doesn't mean the Jury at Cannes is wrong, it certainly doesn't mean that I don't like Xavier Dolan anymore. We're just looking for different things.

We write about things that are happening at the moment and how see them now. We make judgments of value based on our current knowledge. Who's to say that in 10 years people won't look back and think: those critics had no idea what they were saying about BTS (Antonioni's L'Avventura was booed at Cannes when it was released in 1960 and now it's considered a masterpiece and even taught in schools). But that's just a possibility right now and if in 10 years I'll remember that I used to write about this, perhaps my opinions could/would change. Maybe less than10 years :)

#asks

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jihoonpandaeyes · 3 years

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the week of ragnorok

posting this because so many kpop comebacks/debuts have happened from the 15th to the 21st it's so crazy that I've called this week "the week of ragnorok" lmao. what's companies' obsession w/this week we'll never know

anyways, let me begin!

1. ponzona - purple kiss

purple kiss are a seven member girl group under rbw entertainment, the same company that has mamamoo, oneus and onewe. they debuted two days ago with a such a STELLAR song called ponzona. this song is them flexing their vocals and raps and i'm OBSESSED.

their ep called into violet is no skips, including pre-release singles can we talk again and my heart skip a beat. the ep mostly consists of slower songs such as can we talk again and period that showcase their vocals really well. also some upbeat, hype songs such as my heart skip a beat and skip skip are also in the ep.

these girls are so talented, so let's root for them! i see such a bright future for them.

2. killa - mirae

mirae are a seven member boy group under dsp media, the same company that kard and april are under. they debuted on the 17th with the song killa which has a sound reminiscent of nct 127's superhuman. the concept is intriguing as it's a combination of futuristic sci-fi and traditional. i'm really curious to see how they develop it in the future.

the mood of the song is something that would be included in a superhero montage the vocals are solid along with the rap, making this overall a very strong debut in my opinion.

i haven't formed solid opinions of the ep killa yet, but it is a good step forward for a rookie group and has standout tracks such as swagger which was written by bm of kard, and higher, the instrumental being used as the theme song for mirae's youtube reality show.

pls perform one stage of higher mirae i am begging

these boys exude such an awkward but charming atmosphere when they're together, like that's the main reason i like them. but they're also mega talented, so check them out! they really do have the full package.

3. after school - weeekly

weeekly is a seven member (what's up w/the number 7?) girl group under playm entertainment, the same company that houses victon and apink. they debuted on june 30 2020 with the song tag me, gaining attention for being a cute song amongst all the girl crush-esque concepts debuting at the time.

after school is their third comeback on the 17th and let me say that I ADORE THE STYLING. when i saw the first concept photos, it was love at first sight. i kept up with the updates just to see more of the styling and hopefully find a bop while i'm at it. AND FOUND A BOP I DID.

the mv is so bright and vibrant and has a variety of sets, making it feel like a breath of fresh air. i loved the scene where the girls were skateboarding on the rooftop 'cause it felt like i hadn't been outside in ages due to how boxed in kpop mvs feel nowadays.

the song's hook is so smooth and catchy like it lives in my head rent-free. also that reference to tag me is so cute.

the stages for this song are on point from the styling to the stage presence and the brief use of a skateboard was a nice thing to see. they're honestly such a serotonin boost, so go watch one if you haven't already. this one is my favourite.

the ep, we play, is pretty solid judging from the few times i've heard it. i haven't fully listened to it yet, but instant standout tracks are yummy, which was written by one of the members. also lucky whose instrumental reminds me of panaroma by iz*one.

yeah, so check out weeekly!

3. do or not - pentagon

pentagon are a seven member boy group under cube entertainment and they're back with do or not which dropped on the 15th this song is has some rock elements much like their 2020 comeback, daisy. despite the bright visuals, do or not's lyrics are the exact opposite. they're about wanting to get over a breakup by pretending not to care, but still feeling hurt.

the lyric explanations are not my own, they are from a reddit post explaining all the aspects of this comeback linked here. all credit to them.

lyrics include:

"i don't care if you do or not. it doesn't matter, no matter what you say."

the chorus:

so what, i don't care

so far it seems like pentagon have gotten over the heartbreak and are vocal about it not controlling them anymore.

but the bridge tells a different story to the rest of the song:

leave me, let's see if you'll be alright

i'm going to try my best to forget you

i'll easily forget about you, and will hate you a little

the fact that they're trying to forget the heartbreak means that the song was a whole trick. that's what people do when they don't want to acknowledge their true feelings.

the contrast of pentagon's sound and visuals to their lyrics is interesting and a reminder to not take content at face value, to always look if there's a deeper meaning.

i love the overarching sound throughout this ep, like i could hear each of these songs being featured in a coming-of-age movie (one of my favourite subsection of music lmao).

standout tracks for me are that's me, baby i love you and boy in time. the album is a satisfying listen due to its cohesion, so i recommend you check it out.

whew, now i'm done. i didn't dive into every comeback that happened this week or this would never be released lmao. so here's my honorable mentions!

feel like - woodz

i like you - ciipher

young blood - drippin'

house party - super junior

breaking dawn - the boyz 1st japanese album

#purple kiss #mirae #weeekly #pentagon #ponzona #killa #after school #do or not #ciipher #i like you #super junior #house party #young blood #drippin'#the boyz #breaking dawn #feel like #woodz #kpop comeback review

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taryntothistaylor · 6 years

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Dear Taylor, Love Taryn

Taylor,

I don't know where to begin. This could be a novel to be honest if I let it (I won’t). One huge thing I love about your concerts is no matter how huge they are, you introduce yourself “Hi I’m Taylor and welcome to the ___ tour” and it cracks me up, because 60,000 people obviously bought tickets to see you, so maybe I should do that first. Hi! I’m Taryn! Thank you for (hopefully) reading this. I’m from Brisbane, Australia and I have been a fan of yours for 10 years now. With my love of music, I have tried to see as many bands and musicians over the years, but yours are honestly the best moments of my life. The way you interact with the crowd is so intimate, despite being a sold out stadium or arena. Every single person is screaming the lyrics in their costumes they have spent months making. No other artist or band has the presence you do, you literally light up an entire stadium. The speeches you make are incredibly intimate, as if we are just talking to you over coffee, and they are relevant to every age group that is there. I just turned 30 and I feel like you are writing about my life half the time. You have this ability to make every single person feel special and thats what makes you different from everyone else out there.

I have had a particularly bad two years. I worked incredibly hard towards what I thought was my dream career and trusted people I shouldn’t have, put people’s feelings above myself because thats the type of person I am. I was bullied endlessly because I was promoted above someone else, and due to that persons jealously I ended having to give up my career because she falsified evidence against me. People believed her and despite having lawyers involved, I lost everything. I am not proud of this but the day I found out I had lost my career, that I spent 5 years studying and 4 years working in, I felt like wanted to die. I sat in my car, completely lost, crying for 5 hours because I was scared of what I was going to do. So I listened to your music. Like I do every day and have every day for the last ten years. I lost friends because they don’t want to hear “I’m not doing so well” for the third time that year. You got me through the hardest time in my life. I literally “rose up from the dead”. I could pick out a lyric from each song and relate it to an experience that I have had, and it’s crazy cause I feel like you wrote them for me and after reading so many other fans experiences, its seems like that is such a common thing and that is incredible. When you sang Change as a surprise b stage song I lost it, that song means everything to me “it’s hard to fight when the fight ain’t fair” “but there’s something in your eyes says we can beat this” is what I cried to for days after putting on a brave face while getting grilled by officials for hours for things I didn’t do.

Now on to happier things. I couldn’t wait for Reputation to come out. It came at the perfect time, I had been dealing with this awful situation and with everything you had dealt with, to come back with this incredible album, to basically f*** everyone else and do this for us, it gave me so much confidence and strength back. I am eternally grateful. It is so empowering. You are a huge role model, especially for woman, to stand up for themselves. Your trial will go down in history. It was SO important and I don’t think you get enough credit. Lyrically Reputation is amazing. It’s my favourite album for many reasons but personally, I now know I really needed it. So did my now husband. 1989 on repeat for three years was a bit much for him, he was even asking when the new Taylor album would be out. We actually got married on the 13th (!) Of May this year, our first dance song was ‘You Are in Love’, and one of the craziest things was I wrote notes for a year and a half for my vows and I had in there “I woke up just in time” because we were best friends for a year and a half and he waited for me even though I said no when he told me he liked me. I lost it when I heard dress for the first time. So in my vows I had that in there and it was my little secret. I also added in “I remember what you wore on the first day” from the song you co wrote ‘Two is Better Than One’ because I did remember and I think thats so romantic. We are all hopeless romantics right? (Also I wrote you a song, well a rhyme, to the tune of Love story 😂, see below). I have also met incredible friends through your music, once again like no other artist out there, you bring people together from all over the world, and I’m more than grateful ❤️

It was my dream to meet you this era, I feel like this era is the one I relate to you the best, cause I am fighting to get my reputation back and rising up from the dead (for the 4th time) in my small world, while you are out there being bad-ass Taylor showing everyone you don’t take peoples shit anymore. And I couldn’t be more PROUD. But I know that I will meet you soon and TS7 is going to blow everyone’s minds. You have been my constant over the last TEN years, always there for me and I will always be there, supporting you, I STAY.

Love Taryn

P.S Pictures of my tattoo have been floating round Tumblr and I hope you have seen it but I’m going to put another picture in anyway. Enchanted, was my first, played 30 times a day song, I just played it over and over, I was obsessed. I still am. Combining it with a flower from my wedding bouquet seemed fit. Update: I now have “this love is a permanent mark” cause I think that is one of the most stunning lyrics of all time.

@taylorswift @taylornation

#taylorswift #taylor swift #taylornation #taylurking #reputation #reputaylurking

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cormyreviewsmixtapes-blog · 7 years

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Question Anything...And Some People Just Don't

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Eoin is one of my oldest friends in the world; we met 21 years ago, in secondary school, at the age of 13 after I'd just moved to Roscommon. Despite being in the same class, our first interaction was during lunchbreak, when, as was the regular custom of us young fellas, I had caught the football being pelted at me and pelted it back into the bikeshed, where it struck Eoin's twin brother in the arm, thereby bashing his wrist against the wall and smashing his watch. Reasonably enough, he ran up and boxed me in the head, so I responded in kind, and Eoin hopped in and punched me in the side of the face and we all had a big scrap. Soon afterwards we realised we had a shared love for computer games, Warhammer 40K, making homemade explosives and listening to inappropriate gangster rap. When I moved to Copenhagen at the age of 22 we missed each other a lot and he made me this fabulous mixtape - still unrivaled to this day.

[*disclaimer...this one came without a tracklist so until today I haven't had a clue what some of the songs were. From 12 Monkeys Theme on I started cheating with Shazam...]

SIDE A:

Oi Polloi - Take Back The Land

Controversial decision to open the mixtape with Scotland's premier anarcho-punk comedy act. Taken from their 1999 Fuaim Catha album, it's not one I'm keen on. Unlike the earlier aggressive oi/hardcore crossover genius of the Guilty 7" and Let The Boots Do The Talking 7", by this stage the rage had faded and it was all a bit too smirky. Probably the strongest song off a weak album but extra points for the terrible ska part in the middle and posh accent "I support Scotland when they play rugger" bit.

The Dwarves - Drugstore

Sneery and bizarre - what's he going to do at the drugstore that's going to entail having himself some fun!? Fantastic song.

The Melvins - Berthas

A sick off-kilter riff, softly stompy drums and a debonair vocal approach sets this apart. For some reason The Melvins never really clicked with me; I've given them various goes and lived with people who were semi-obsessed with the band, and despite enjoying them to maybe a 6/10 degree, it's not for me. That said, this is a deadly track.

John Zorn - ?

Dunno what this is called but I'm pretty sure it's from Naked City and it's great.

Dwarves - Wish That I Was Dead

A risky mixtape move - two songs by the same band within the first five songs, and not even back-to-back? Well, if there's one thing you can say about Eoin it's that he makes mincement of the conventional and he makes it feel good while doing so. Another perfect sneery classic.

Rudimentary Peni - Nothing But A Nightmare

I'm still in awe of the structure, lyrics and hooks of this song 18 years after first hearing it. Probably the best Rudimentary Peni song and even one of the best punk songs of all time?

Nick Cave - The Curse Of Millhaven

Much like The Melvins, Nick Cave is one of those lads who a sizable proportion of my good-tasted friends love but has just never clicked for me. Nevertheless, this classic track acted as a foot-in-the-door for the immortal Murder Ballads album I came to love after squatting with a couple of Aussies in London.

An interesting aside; one of those Australians was my then-girlfriend-now-wife and in the summer of 2006 we were hitching through the gutters of Europe attending punk festivals and abusing substances all the way from Copenhagen down to Barcelona. Somewhere in France we got picked up by a Serbian Orthodox Christian truck driver who kept looking at my missus' bare legs and then grinning and cackling at me. We tried to get out after about half an hour but he wouldn't let us, feigning miscomprehension. He was going in the right direction so we decided "fuck it", let's continue. Weirdo Serb and I both spoke German at an okay level so it was up to me to communicate for the six hours he drove us through the south of France as he regaled me with war stories of killing Muslims in the genocide of roughly a decade earlier. I hadn't slept the night before so I kept nearly drifting off to sleep while hissing at my wife to not sleep no matter what. At some point I drifted off, waking up to him pulling in to a deserted truck stop while my wife was asleep. I said "what the fuck?" in German and he cackled and pulled back out onto the motorway. After he'd played the same Serbian Country'n'Western CD three times back-to-back I asked if he had any other CDs. He said no and asked if I had any. It was a choice between Pisschrist and Murder Ballads, so Murder Ballads it was. I mistakenly assumed it would be okay because it was vaguely countryesque. How wrong I was. 30 seconds into the first track he fixes me with a chilling death stare and says "...teufel musik" - German for "devil music". After that everything got very scary. Close to dusk things had progressed to a stage where we created a huge scene in the cab and escaped into a random field in the middle of nowhere just across the Spanish border, where we proceeded to set up our tent in a cornfield which rustled in the wind and scared the absolute fucking bejaysus out of us all night, especially when an unidentitifed but quite large seeming wild animal started sniffing around. Good album though!

12 Monkeys Theme

DEADLY piece of music.

Tales From The Crypt Theme

Obviously things are getting quite weird now. This is a class song though. Eoin you nutter.

Geinoh Yamashirogumi - Tetsuo

Incredible music from the Akira soundtrack. I was a childhood manga freak [I've written about that previously here, in a tour diary from the first time one of my bands went to Japan] and bought the video of Akira in the Virgin Megastore in London on a family holiday there when I was 11 or 12, but had never really focused on how much of an impact the soundtrack had on me. After endless listens to this mixtape I bought the soundtrack CD off Amazon and listened to it religiously. It was already semi-burnt into my consciousness from dozens-if-not-hundreds of viewings of the movie, but after I got the CD I didn't stop until I was well and truly sick of it. A masterpiece of musical evolution and something I'd have to credit with giving me an early interest in wild and weird evocative music.

Pink Anvil - Desert

I literally didn't have a clue what this song was for the past 12 years. I assumed it was from a computer game soundtrack but the wonderful world of technology (i.e. Shazam) has just informed me who it is, and Google has piped up that it's two of the lads from Ministry. This is awesome, weird psych that's creepy and evocative of distant jungle planets peopled by cloaked interdimensional shamblers you might find hanging around the Innsmouth docks in the 1920s. Tension simmers as melodrama unfolds, fucking hell, I'm downloading this album right away. [note - the rest of the album turned out to be more industrial and decent enough but not on par with this track]

John Zorn - The Sicillian Clan

A gorgeous piece of sleazy tropical lounge to bring us back to Earth after all that epic scariness.

Fantomas - something off Delìrium Còrdia

Eoin was obviously on something of an Ipecac Records kick back then, this being the fantastically bonkers conclusion to Side A.

SIDE B:

Zombies Ate My Neighbour Theme

If you thought Side A was weird, this is where it REALLY kicks off. How better to start than with one of the greatest themes from one of the greatest '90s games? Inspired.

Advantage - Ducktails, Moonstage

Continuing the computer games theme, this is a wonderful little ditty from the 8-bit math rockers. Another band I've sadly neglected...I'm going to have to spend some more time with these legends.

Donal & Conor - He-Man

Blending ska, fantasy metal influences and a He-Man childrens story book I believe this song was recorded on Windows 98 using those crap handheld microphones you got for free with desktop computer packages back then? Recorded by Eoin's twin brother Donal and Conor, respectively the bassist and guitarist for our teenage pop-punk band Nerdlinger (Eoin was the drummer and I was the singer/guitarist), this is a wonderfully nuanced piece of tomfoolery.

The Knife - Heartbeats

Fabulous track and one which I was already familiar with thanks to my queer ex-girlfriend who was a big fan. She'd played the album constantly in summer 2005 while we were living in a trailerpark in the docklands of Copenhagen. We'd subsequently been evicted which is why I'd moved into the massive punk house where I lived when Eoin sent me this tape. One of the greatest things about music is how it acts as a time-machine, bringing you back to who you were when you first got know a certain song or album. In retrospect I'd credit The Knife as a prime mover in the resurgence of respectable and relevant electro-pop which has only developed year-by-year since then.

Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love

Incredibly, I was unaware of Kate Bush and her genius back then. I think I was still quite concerned with being punk-as-fuck and therefore tried to deny my love for pop...the folly of youth. An incredibly evocative song and one that, along with the artist, has since carved out a special place in my heart.

Sparks - This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us

What a song! I'm assuming that this song and band entered our consciousness through a mutual love for Faith No More, who would go on to do a reboot of this song alongside Sparks, though this is the original. Given Eoin's massive love for Queen it's no suprise that this became a personal favourite of his.

Cyndi Lauper - I'll Kiss You

The pop onslaught continues. Again, this was before I'd truly accepted how fantastic Cyndi Lauper was, a situation which has since been truly rectified. She's now one of my favourite popsters of all time...I even met her once when she played Dublin's Redbox in 2009 and she told my friend Elly that she loved her hair, in a squeaky Brooklyn accent. What a song...all the better since it sounds like she sings "Come on Cormy I'll not let you go".

Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon

Just heavenly. A frontrunner for my favourite band of all time and a perfectly placed highlight on this mixtape. Gorgeous.

Röyksopp - So Easy

Another one that I didn't even know who it was until Shazam just told me. A bizarre but, again, perfectly placed song for the flow of this mixtape, perfectly setting up...

Nightmares On Wax - The Journey (Man)

Another mystery song for me until literally two seconds ago; I remember Eoin going on about how much he liked Nightmares On Wax back in the day. A great mix of world music, chilled beats and esoteric sounds, it functions as the ideal intro to...

Cowboy Bebop OST - Space Lion

It's hard to do justice to the impact this song has had on me. It led to the first short story I had published and has had long-term significance on me for over a third of my life. I've never heard a more evocative piece of music; it conjures up incredible images of the African Savannah, of loss, of hope and dreams, to an existential level. In many ways the whole mixtape is a journey to this song.

Faith No More - The Cowboy Song

A joint love of ours, FNM are, always have been and always will be The Shit. After Space Lion, the rest of this mixtape is sort of like the end part of an acid trip, when you're through the peak and coming back down to the creamy soft end part. This feels like you've absorbed the power and now it's time for...

Murder City Devils - I Drink The Wine

The strong confident end to the journey - you're coming out the other side, there's been some dark times, some brighter times, but life goes on. A great band with the original proto-hipster aesthetic, there hasn't been another who sound like this. I haven't listened to the album it comes from for over a decade but it's due a spin to see if it's stood the test of time.

Zeke - Ever Onward

Zeke was another shared point of inspiration and this is one of their hardest rockin' midpaced numbers from the final album. To be honest it doesn't have the same buzz as their earlier stuff, presumably because frontman Blind Marky Felchtone got sober, which wrecked everything. An innocuous ending to a classic mixtape, it finishes up in fine style by cutting out mid-song

VERDICT:

A fabulous example of what a mixtape can be - this one has it all. Truthfully, it's my favourite mixtape of all time and that's why it's the one to kick off this blog. New songs, classic hits, and, most importantly of all: FLOW - the most important aspect of all great mixtapes. This inherently possesses that semi-intangible quality of the great mixtape - a selection of tunes which deepens both your love for a friend and your respect for their musical taste. A time-capsule of enduring fondness for one of the best friends I'll ever have.

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