#// thomas dolby anyone? no?

[marlinspirkhall]

Tag game: URL song

“Spell your url with song titles and then tag as many people as there are letters.”

Prev thread got too long so I'm starting a new one. Thanks for the tag @frogayyyy !

Mountains O' Things (Tracy Chapman)

Angeles (Elliott Smith)

Regulars (Allie X)

Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream (Ed McCurdy)

Independence Day (Elliott Smith)

Neon Sisters (Thomas Dolby)

Sea, Swallow Me (Cocteau Twins)

Pissing In A River (Patti Smith)

Insomniatic (Aly and Aj)

Rosie (Joan Armtrading)

Killer Queen (Queen)

Happy (Mitski)

Anyone But Me (Joy Crookes)

Leave A Tender Moment Alone (Billy Joel)

Lyin' Eyes (Eagles)

No pressure tags: @blue-jello-queen @herenya-writes @convenient-plot-device @jimkirkachu @hurt-spock @renthebarbarian @ellisper @systemadministratorclu @redshiftsinger @joybates @beauty-grace-outer-space @detectivehole @gayspock @ifdragonscouldtalk @transxfiles @soft-and-certain and also, open tag to anyone who wants to do it!

#music tag #tag game #song recs #long post

[skye707]

What are the different riddlers taste in music, and what would they do if their favourite song played at a social event?

Oh geez, I love this one. You went and did it now. Now, y’all get to have samples from my Riddler playlists >:)

Unburied

Super Bass - Nicki Minaj

The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani

Umbrella - Rihanna

If one of these songs come on, he’ll look over at whoever he’s with, give a big grin, and start doing a little shimmy. He’s not all out dancing, but anyone who’s watching can see that he’s really into it.

ZY

Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind

Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) - Looking Glass

London Bridge - Fergie

“Oh, I love this song!!!” Proceeds to turn the volume up to an eleven. He’s singing along poorly and showing off that he knows every single word.

Dano

Dangerous - Big Data, Joywave

Revolt - Muse

Undone-The Sweater Song - Weezer

Moment of surprise, then his little cheeks shoot up into a lil smile. He’s bouncing up and down, not dancing and the bouncing is almost imperceptible, but he’s enjoying these three or so minutes of joy.

YJ

It’s Gonna Be Me - *NSYNC

I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys

Just The Girl - The Click Five

If he was at home, he’d be absolutely getting down. Dancing, singing, grabbing a hairbrush for a mic. However, if he is not at home, his face will go a little red as he looks around at his present company. “Oh, heh, you know this song? Me too! Wow, yeah, it’s, uh, pretty cool, right?”

Gotham

I’d Rather Go Blind - Etta James

Rock Me Amadeus - Falco

Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin

If one of these songs plays in public, he’s surprised at first. Wow, this DJ has great taste, unlike most people! If society calls for it, he’ll break out his lanky dance moves. He’s actually a pretty good dancer, believe it or not.

BTAA

Brujeria - El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico

He’s the Greatest Dancer - Sister Sledge

I'm Gonna Live Till I Die - Frank Sinatra

Oh, he’s dancing. No questions asked. This dude will get down at the drop of a hat. It would be extremely embarrassing if he wasn’t such an outstanding dancer. Like wow.

Arkham

Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran

Hyperactive! - Thomas Dolby

Invincible - Pat Benatar

To the untrained eye, it would seem that he had no reaction to hearing his favorite music in public. But if you look very carefully and don’t make a scene about it, you’ll be able to observe as one eyebrow shots up, a smirk appears on his face, and he closes his eyes in adoration of this moment.

BTAS

Only the Good Die Young - Billy Joel

I Melt with You - Modern English

Maniac - Michael Sembello

Okay, so I imagine his choice of music for dancing I something you’d find in a ballroom. But if any of these songs come on in public, he’s tapping his toes and snapping his fingers. Maybe a little hop, skip, or a jump if he’s moving around.

Telltale

You Can’t Always Get What You Want - The Rolling Stones

Can’t Take My Eyes off You - Frankie Valli

Move Over - Janis Joplin

What kind of music does Puzzle Grandpa like? Old music. Good old music. Legendary old music. Songs that echo through the halls of time. Songs that remind him of the spontaneity of his youth. He’s not gonna dance, but that’s only because he’s too lost in the memory. Years ago, what feels like another lifetime, he would have busted a move with the best of them.

#riddler #the riddler #edward nashton #edward nygma #unburied!riddler #zero year riddler #capullo riddler #paul dano riddler #dano riddler #young justice riddler #gotham riddler #btaa riddler #arkham riddler #btas riddler #telltale riddler #riddlerverse #Skye

[myriadeyed]

Legitimately really curious about the music question from that kin ask meme you just reblogged. I'd love an answer about any of your kintypes, but I'm especially interested to know if there's any music that you associate with/really resonates with your experience as an isopod.

THANK YOU

See, here's the thing, I never really associate music with any of my theriotypes. Animalistic species specifically. I get into an animalistic mindset by being in nature or acting out instincts, and music (or any other form of art) is going to take me out of that, especially if there's lyrics. There's no bird music to me, no bug music or mustelid music. I just don't associate it, positively or negatively. I guess no, to answer your question. To be in an isopod shift I'd rather be by the ocean or eat foods similar to what we eat in the wild (seaweed salad I guess), since that's what feels the most animalistic to me. Especially for isopod shifts, an animal that does not have a traditional chordate's sense of hearing, I'm not going to vibe with music. I'd share MyNoise generators that have those vibes for me before any songs.

Music-related shifts for me are all about the sapient kintypes, i.e. computer, Novakid, or fictotypes. But I liked this particular ask meme's music question because it differentiated songs, bands, and genres! And I love to talk genre so!

Individual songs are gonna be (Link) Blame by Air Traffic Controller, Never Existed by Keldian, Take 3 by Inner Wave, Lonesome Dreams by Lord Huron, (for Novakid) S.T.A.R. Child by The Orion Experience, Lightning Riders by AWOLNATION, Space Western by Rich Aucoin, Propane Nightmares by Pendulum, Nova by VNV Nation, (...other) Dreams by Joakim Karud (I cannot concisely explain why it puts me in a computer mindset)

Coincidentally, today (after reblogging that!) I just happened upon a song I didn't know about before, from a band with only 1 album and 10 listeners on Spotify, only available for streaming on a single website in the depths of the obscure music Internet, which catapulted me into a Novakid shift, so here's that, obviously

But I feel like I've listed those songs a million times and never mentioned that genres in general are what "computer kintype music" is for me. My computer kintype is an IBM 7090 so I heavily associate it with 1970s electronic music particularly, so that playlist is a lot of vintage electronica, Space Art, Mort Garson, moog synths, songs with Casio instruments, and recent stuff that takes inspiration from that era like Eyeliner, Jack Stauber, MNQN, and certain synthwave artists. I also associate it a lot with computer animation (pre-Disney-Pixar) so that's a lot of vaporwave and also every soundtrack album for all the Mind's Eye films (those are by James Reynolds, Jan Hammer and Thomas Dolby). I've never been able to find a really good version online of the song from Fabricated Rhythm, which I think is just called Fabricated Rhythm, but I like that too.

Post-punk reminds me of autumn/whatever my weird cryptic kintype is that's associated with the season, but maybe that's just because I'm happiest in fall and I love post-punk. However if anyone can help explain why Figure In the Background by Snake Pool gives me species euphoria lmk

#ask #music talk #sorry if you didn't get the answer you were hoping for! music just really does not make me feel more animal #I used to try and force it to‚ I kept a raven playlist but I eventually realized it was really all just aesthetic and wasn't actually shift #and it was almost entirely Louie Zong anyways

[from-beyond]

I was tagged by my good buddy @batmurdock

last listened to: Margaret's Eyes, King Missile

reading: A lot of Deyoun fanfiction lmao I also have Mexican Gothic out from the library rn, but I haven't had the mental energy to actually start a book

watching: Deep Space Nine and as many Thomas Dolby live performances as I can find online. I was also thinking of starting The Righteous Gemstones

current obsession: Thomas Dolby is the big one rn. Also just sort of always obsessed with Reanimator. Also Dayoun. Also also my own Vorta OC.

Tagging (but no pressure) @girlboy-danielcain @sad-gay-cowboy @verminty @mendedserpent @ryangoslng @thefuturewithoutus and anyone else who thinks this looks fun!

#tagged

[pennycat83]

I'm sorry I absolutely fucked him up in the lab guys

I just really wanna talk about my take on Bob2.0 'cause I wove him too much.

(This only makes sense in my series canon sadly so TLDR: cartoon characters can die in various ways and go to a purgatory but sometimes other forms of media sneak in unknowingly)

Since the third book ended with him floating off into space this is a variant in which he, somehow, died. He can't remember how and he's far away from both HEAVEN-1 and all the other Bobs. The only ones he can interact with are the ones that have canonically died and the first generation (who also can't remember how they died), all of which are hard wired to his IBM 5150 computer monitor he's stuck in.

They can be sent out into space by hijacking other spaceships but it's too risky to do (he's fully skint too).

🪐✨꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦🪐✨

Additional Notes and headcannons

⚙️ He's quite bitter he lost Charlie since he's now shorter than before (mainly 'cause the android model he stole was prebuilt and he doesn't know how to readjust it). He also has to recharge as well and can't do much either (he can access the IBM computer system his head belongs to but then he just turns into a regular ass computer, it does let him adjust his system which he does every night with the ROAMERS controlling stuff outside).

⚙️Since most of the other Bobs are still in slight control of his system he tends to flip between personalities and even memories (rarely shows up but sometimes he casually drops stuff that never happened to him).

⚙️ The other Bobs can intervene if they're put in the IBM system (some are more hardwired in than others but some can be transferred to floppy disks, much like Bob-1 they all lost their ships except for Milo).

⚙️LOOK ME IN THE EYE AND TELL ME THIS MAN DOESN'T HAVE AUTISM! Gestures with his hands when he talks, prefers solitude and can do it for long periods of time, hyperfixates on random subjects and sci-fi, struggles with interacting with others outside of his small group of friends and family, an inability to comfort others. I can SMELL it on him man!

⚙️ This man has a roadtrip soundtrack, no one can change it and anyone who does gets put in the ship storage hull (it's mostly a mix-trail of 80's/90's stuff, ELO, Thomas Dolby and Talking Heads).

⚙️ He's essentially completely denounced any type of romance between him since he's too out there for most others (flirting has been observed to cause him to do a mental tailspin).

⚙️ Feral as fuck. Not only does he forget he's still human to a degree at times but he tends to go into weird manic over analysis moments (also tends to devolve into a mad scientist without realising).

⚙️ Suffers with slight touch starveness due to him being unable to properly touch anyone intimately for a long time* (this is most evident with casual touch so it's unsure if he could handle anything further).

⚙️ Is "slightly" hyperfixated with both Spore and 90's alien stuff (I'm going HARD on my headcannoning here. I'm not against him being a classic sci fi nerd but I like the idea he's more into a specific sub genre rather than just being a generic nerd**).

⚙️ Adding a bit more to it I also like to think he's into the LEGO Space sets as well. Alongside Guardians of the Galaxy (man probably had enough time to binge it).

⚙️Most of his other attributes and habits from before still stand. He still likes to talk shit about religion and often gets a bit arrogant when talking about his old job and achievements. I did nuke a bit of his overt geniuses from the book since I (for some reason) think he gets slight moments where he messes up hard by over assuming stuff.

⚙️Every single Bob treats Homer like the lil brother once they found out he's still kicking. The second he comes in at a bad time the others just try 'n shoo him out so he won't see anything too graphic.

⚙️ I'll probably go into this a more later but he has like the weirdestly wholesome dynamic with P.C, like they're just two mad scientist weirdos talking about random stuff and being feral.

*I know this one sounds dumb but like... I don't think he ever tried hitting on any Deltans at any point for obvious reasons, and his only friend was Archimedes. So obviously the man's gotta be a bit on the touch starved side.

**yes I know he's fan girly over Von Neumann Probes I mean like media, he's only really into conventional sci fi stuff so I like to think his other ones are more tied to space in different ways.

#we are legion we are bob #bobiverse #sorry this is cringe #not

[calliemity]

✨When you get this ask you have to(not have to, only if you wanna) put 5 songs you listen to, post it, then send this ask to 10 of your favorite followers (positive vibes are cool)🎶

oh this is fun!!!! im not sending this anyone im kinda a chainmail hater sorry, the bloodline ends with me

here's 10 songs ive been listening to a lot and would totally reccomend! ik it said 5 but like. whatever

Ain't Nobody But Me - Supertramp

He's a Liar - Bee Gees

Metal Fatigue - Allan Holdsworth

Telepathy - Lene Lovich

Commercial Breakup - Thomas Dolby

Dancin' - The Tubes, Olivia Newton-John

A Most Disgusting Song - Rodríguez

Housework - The B-52's

Never Can Say Goodbye - Gloria Gaynor

Dangerous - Depeche Mode

#contrary to popular belief i DONT just listen to dentist for 7 hours everyday #i listen to it for like. 3 hours max #and sometimes i cycle between the three versions #“callie theres 4 versions” the 2019 cast album is unIistenable for me sorry #anyway. SUPERTRAMP MENTION

[digestionsack]

Mike’s Playlist Analysis: Part 2 (The Holy Shit Songs)

1: “When Love Breaks Down” by Prefab Sprout, Thomas Dolby

Aaaaaand even just reading, my spidey-sense went berserk. Mike has not been canonically confirmed to be in love with Will (although we all know it), so this could not possibly be about him. I’m fact, the only relationship, romantic or platonic or familial that Mike has on the show that puts such an emphasis on the word “love” is his relationship with El. So I had a feeling this might be about them, but I expected it to be slightly vague. And then I heard the lyrics. And then my head exploded.

“My love and I, we work well together/But often we're apart/Absence makes the heart lose weight, yeah/Till love breaks down, love breaks down”—Hmmm…since Mike has been deemed the heart this season, I latched onto the line with that word. “The heart [losing] weight” implies that this is on Mike’s end (of course, since this is his playlist), which leads to the next line—love breaking down. “Losing weight” to me implies that gradual loss of love. Damn. Not trying to be subtle, are we?

“When love breaks down/The things you do/To stop the truth from hurting you”—Damn. Dayum. Isn’t this what we’ve all been saying? Mike is defensive and evasive—we’ve seen that come out a lot over the past few seasons, and it’s always been a part of his character. He’s security-oriented, initially opposed to new things. He’s afraid of instability—and his relationship with El provides him with that stability. He doesn’t want to accept that maybe their relationship is not what’s best for him or her. Because maybe that would force him to accept another truth about himself…wink wink. He’s desperate to hold onto his relationship with El—not only because it provides him with that stability, but because he is afraid of losing her for good if he breaks up with her (they have been through too much together for that to happen, but it’s a valid fear). He doesn’t want to accept the fact that their romantic love and relationship are breaking down. He doesn’t want to accept the fact that he and El are fundamentally incompatible. He doesn’t want to accept the truth. Oh yeah. The math is mathing.

“When love breaks down/The lies we tell/They only serve to fool ourselves”—Oh come on. Oh come on. Do I even need to explain???? The monologue. “You never say it.” “I say it.” Yet more evidence of Mike’s evasiveness. Mike is trying to fool himself, hide from the truth and lie his way to security. We’ll see how well this works in S5…

2: “Don’t You Want Me” by The Human League

Okay, so I was hearing a lot about this song when everyone in the Byler tag was freaking out because they changed the version of the song on Mike’s playlist (the “gay pride” album cover to the original one). People seemed to lose hope, or say that the reason they changed the versions was to make the gay implications of the song less obvious. And I kind of agree with the second point. But what a lot of people seem to be dancing around is the fact that this song is on Steve’s playlist as well. Bylers noticed this long ago, but I haven’t seen anyone share their opinion on why Mike and Steve have the same song on their playlists (correct me if someone has; I just personally haven’t read any analyses on this). But after listening to the song and analyzing the lyrics, I think I’ve finally managed to articulate my take on why this is. Let’s look at the lyrics:

“You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar/When I met you/I picked you out, I shook you up/And turned you around/Turned you into someone new/Now five years later on you've got the world at your feet/Success has been so easy for you/But don't forget it's me who put you where you are now/And I can put you back down too”—Okay, so some of these lyrics are a bit more bitter than I’d like, but I think this is El from Mike’s POV. This is him directly acknowledging that she doesn’t need him anymore—not in the way she did in S1 when she was acclimating to the world outside the lab. She’s a different person than she was, and she’s growing and developing into a healthier, more independent person. I don’t think Mike is this bitter—if anything, from him speaking to Will in the van scene, I’d say he’s more afraid of El not needing him anymore than bitter about it. But the point still stands.

“Don't. Don't you want me?/You know I can't believe it when I hear that you won't see me/Don't. Don't you want me?/You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me”—Again, I don’t think the bitterness lines up completely, but I think these lyrics raise the question of “want” versus “need.” The lyrics state that, although the narrator seems sure that the person still needs them (if we’re going to line this up with Mike, I’d call it denial), they don’t know if this person wants them. I think that’s a very important distinction to make here, that difference between needing someone and wanting someone.

“It's much too late to find/When you think you've changed your mind/You'd better change it back or we will both be sorry”—I think this is definitely foreshadowing a Mordor breakup, with El initiating it. She’s going to put her foot down, but Mike’s not going to want to take it, especially after that monologue. He’s going to try to hang on a bit more, but I think El will remain firm (her strength when it comes to letting things that are hurting her go has been showcased in S4 when she leaves Brenner).

“I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar/That much is true/But even then I knew I'd find a much better place/Either with or without you/The five years we have had have been such good at times/I still love you/But now I think it's time I lived my life on my own/I guess it's just what I must do”—I think this is from El’s point of view and goddamn…this is so healthy. This is giving “amicable El-initiated breakup” vibes and I am LOVING it. She is acknowledging their history and their love for each other but saying that being in a romantic relationship is just not good for her. 100% my favorite verse in this song. LOVE IT.

…And as for why this song is on both Mike’s and Steve’s playlists. I saw a lot of people panicking and not as much recently, but for those of you who are still worried about this—don’t be. Yes, I think them changing the album cover of this song on the playlist was to make it less obvious. But when all is said and done, looking at the lyrics, this song has nothing to do with Mike’s sexuality (although I do think it’s a nice added bonus that it’s on so many gay pride playlists). This song is about people who have been together discovering that being in a romantic relationship with one another isn’t the best thing for them. One of them might try to save the relationship out of fear or desperation or a lack of stability in their life. But when I think of this song, I think the main message is “I love you. And we’ve had a good go of it. But I think we need to do what’s best for both of us and let this go so we can both move on.” And that’s why I think this is on Steve’s playlist. I wholeheartedly believe that Steve fell back on pursuing Nancy due to feeling lost in life. Season 3, he was pursuing Robin—but that didn’t end up working out romantically. And Steve does love Nancy—how that love has evolved over time is something that requires more analysis. And I really do believe that Nancy loves Steve—even if it’s never been romantic. But in the end, in my humble opinion, they simply aren’t compatible. Every time Steve was talking about his “six nuggets house with white picket fence” dreams, it was the writers trying to tell us that they aren’t compatible. Nancy is ambitious and won’t let anything stand in the way of her dreams. She’s seen how the end-of-the-cul-de-sac life has negatively impacted her mother, and she doesn’t want that for herself—even though Steve is obviously a much better person than Ted. Again, I don’t doubt that Nancy and Steve love each other. But they need different things in life, and I hope S5 will acknowledge that. And you see this reflected in Mike and El too—they love each other and care about each other deeply, but we’ve been shown again and again that they don’t work romantically. And I hope that one of the messages of S5 will be “it’s okay if it doesn’t work out romantically—that doesn’t automatically destroy your love.”

3: “Mad World” by Tears for Fears

*Trigger warning: mentions of suicide and poor mental health*

This song being on Mike’s playlist…genuinely concerns me. I know we’ve analyzed Mike’s behavior throughout the series and figured out that he shows symptoms of poor mental health, but this song really hammers that down for me. Let’s check out the lyrics (buckle up folks):

“All around me are familiar faces/Worn out places, worn out faces/Bright and early for the daily races/Going nowhere, going nowhere”—Nancy is the only one of the Wheeler kids who has outwardly acknowledged her parents’ problems and her problems with this “nuclear family” image. Mike hasn’t acknowledged it vocally or shown any indication that he understands what’s going on in his family. But this verse makes me think that he is very much aware of it—or at least he will be very soon. It calls attention to the monotony of this kind of life, and I think this might be brought up as one of Mike’s fears in S5. We know that Nancy doesn’t want this life, and I don’t think Mike does either. Maybe one of his fears that will be focused on in S5 will be repeating his parents’ mistakes and getting trapped in that life. I mean, we’ve all seen how Mike and Ted wear similar clothing…wow, this is loud.

“Their tears are filling up their glasses/No expression, no expression/Hide my head, I wanna drown my sorrow/No tomorrow, no tomorrow”—Damn, that’s…bleak. This is definitely referencing Mike’s home life, how there is that emotional distance and coldness and how everyone has up walls. This is really hammering down the whole “Mike is well practiced in hiding his feelings” message. We only get his true thoughts and emotions when he’s with Will (and even then, we’re not getting the full picture). We (or at least the general audience) have no clue what the fuck is going on in this guy’s head since S2–because S2 was really the last time we got a huge chunk of the show in his perspective. When it’s written from the perspective of someone else? We get zip. He’s literally been bottling up his feelings for two seasons—likely much longer. An emotional breakdown is in order…we’ll see if S5 does this justice.

“And I find it kind of funny/I find it kind of sad/The dreams in which I'm dying/Are the best I've ever had/I find it hard to tell you/I find it hard to take/When people run in circles it's a very, very/Mad world, mad world”—Whoa whoa whoa. See, this is why this song being on his playlist scared the living hell out of me. These lines have a crazy amount of suicidal implications. We know at this point that Mike feels useless when he’s not needed. He wants to be the protector. He wants to be needed. He at once has an inferiority complex and a savior complex. And that makes him way too willing to die. You see that especially when he jumps off a cliff into literal certain death (before El saves him) to save Dustin. And that scares me. We already know that his probability of being Vecna’d next season is crazy fucking high. If Vecna uses this inferiority complex against Mike…oh god, that’ll be hard to watch.

“Children waiting for the day they feel good/Happy birthday, happy birthday/And I feel the way that every child should/Sit and listen, sit and listen”—Yet another nod to the monotony of societal norms. The way kids are supposed to suck it up and “grow up”—to be appeasing to adults in order to get the happiness they deserve. There are a couple of songs in this playlist that are nods to Mike not wanting to grow up; to stay a kid. In another one of these song analyses, I mentioned how that confirms that Mike was projecting in that rain fight (“we’re not kids anymore.” “It’s not my fault you don’t like girls”).

“Went to school and I was very nervous/No one knew me, no one knew me/Hello, teacher! Tell me, what's my lesson?/Look right through me, look right through me”—I listened to this song a couple of weeks ago, before I started analyzing this playlist. I already knew it was on Mike’s playlist, but I didn’t start really paying attention until these lyrics popped up. Because it reminded me a lot of the shed scene in S2. To me, the first two lines seem to be a reference to Will and their meeting on the swings. “Look right through me?” Hmmm, it almost sounds like you’re hiding something…And this is maybe a nod to the fact that Mike and Will just know each other that well. Complicated feelings and miscommunication in S3-4 aside, Mike can always tell when Will is hurting or needs help. And Will always knows that he can go to Mike for help and Mike won’t treat him differently. Damn, it’s all coming together…

4: “Telephone Operator” by Pete Shelley

Bro, all this time we’ve been talking about how Mike was actually trying to call Will in California but couldn’t get through because the line was always busy and nobody brought up the fact that this song is literally on Mike’s playlist? This song basically confirms that y’all were right???!?!? Lyrics, go!

“Telephone operator/Why can't I see you later/Telephone operator/Why can't I see you later/Tell me is it wine/That makes things so fine/Or is it 'cos you're mine”—ROMANTIC AS SHIT! And we know how Mike couldn’t possibly have been using the phone to call El, since the government was tracking the phones and she’s supposed to be in hiding. He never once mentions calling her—he hasn’t called her since S3, and in that phone call, he lied to her about Nana being dead. No, instead we get the fight between Will and Mike about Mike not calling. Not El. Will. THIS SONG IS ABOUT WILL!

“Telephone operator/You're my aural stimulator/Telephone operator/Ne c'est pas la raison d'etre/Tell me is it love/That I feel because/You're all I'm thinking of”—Again: THIS IS HELLA ROMANTIC! Joyce having a new telemarketing job. “Mike won’t stop whining about it.” THE MATH IS MATHING.

“Telephone operator/Phone you up an hour later/Telephone operator/Phoned you up an hour later/Tell me is it love/That I'm in because/I'm only thinking of you”—BOOM! Confirms that Mike was in fact trying to repeatedly call will only to have to line blocked. Can’t even believe this is on Mike’s playlist. Duffers are insane for this.

5: Machine Age Voodoo” by Spk

Y’all, Mike is getting so Vecna’d next season you don’t even know. Observe:

“Put your shoulder to the wheel/Use your muscle, nerves of steel/Strike it hot, make a hit/Beat the livin' out of it”—I’m thinking giant battle against Vecna S5! Mike’s gonna be in the final battle, y’all. This will be absolutely epic and I can’t wait 😜

“Feel the power in your soul/Feel the rhythm in your bones/Raise the pulse are you ready/To let your body go”—Whoa there pal…you had me up until “let your body go.” Could that mean what I think it does? Could this hint at Mike getting Vecna’d, I wonder?

“Feel the magic of the dance/Let your mind slip in a trance/Everybody everybody get together/In ritual celebration”—Hehehehehe WHAT. Damn, Duffers, don’t be too blatant or anything…A mention of the mind slipping into a trance? Trance? TRANCE? Oh yeah. Mike is getting so hella Vecna’d next season it’s not even funny. If he doesn’t, after this song, after the buildup of us not knowing what the fresh fuck is going on in that boy’s head for over two seasons, I will be confused. I will be genuinely baffled.

“Feel the power in your soul/Feel the rhythm in your bones/Raise the pulse are you ready/To let your body go”—I wonder if this could hint to Mike hearing music (“rhythm in your bones”) and pulling on inner strength to fight off the trance (“feel the power in your soul”). Might be far-fetched, but I’m also wondering if “raising the pulse” could be another heart reference (if Mike is the heart here). Another hint to him getting out alive? I hope so…

6: “Every Day is Halloween” by Ministry

Okay, so I was initially very happy that we got not one, but two references to Halloween on Mike’s playlist. My guess is that it’s his favorite holiday, but the Byler implications…*cough crazy together cough.* That was before I looked at the lyrics—and goddamn, the implications run way deeper than just Halloween…

“'Cause to me everyday is Halloween/I have given up hiding and started to fight/I have started to fight”—Hmmm, a lot of songs on this playlist have mentioned “stop hiding/running away”and “face the truth.” And fight against what, one might ask? Societal pressures and norms? Internalized homophobia? Who’s to say…

“Oh, why can't I live a life for me?/Why should I take the abuse that's served/Why can't they see they're just like me/It's the same, it's the same in the whole wide world”—Wow, that’s…incredibly queercoded, right? I’m not the only one seeing this? Not only the queercoding, but also the “why can’t I live a life for me” line. I mentioned (when I talked about “Mad World”) that I think Mike either is or will become aware of the effects of social pressures and norms on his family, and he is afraid of falling into that trap. This line makes me think of “It’s My Life,” another song on Mike’s playlist. The lyrics kind of stumped me, but the title tells its own story.

“Well, I let their teeny minds think/That they're dealing with someone who is over the brink/And I dress this way just to keep them at bay/'Cause Halloween is everyday, hey”—I wonder if the intention of including this song was using Halloween as a metaphor for a weapon against widespread homophobia. I feel like D&D has kind of become this metaphor as well—not necessarily just against homophobia, but the whole party uses the game as a fantastical escape from the prejudices of the outside world. Also, Mike Wheeler self-acceptance arc WHEN???

“I'm not the one that's so absurd/(Why can't I live a life for me? Oh) Why hide it? Why fight it?/(No! Why should I?) Hurt feelings, best to stop feeling hurt/From denials (oh), reprisals/It's the same, it's the same in the whole wide world”—Again…hella queercoded. “Why hide it?” “Denials?” “Best to stop feeling hurt?” Definitely a nod to Mike having those emotional walls up. Wow. Just…this song. On his playlist. The guts. No more words for this. Just my applause.

7: “Make No Mistake” by Psyche

I hope y’all were looking for more proof that Mike is going to have an emotional breakdown next season, because you’ve got it. This song is also another big chunk of evidence suggesting that Mike gets Vecna’d in S5.

“Got to drop the pressure/Get on the right train/Forget the payback system/That ain’t no way to gain”—This is making me think that Mike will learn to let go of societal pressures in S5 and realize that trying to conform will not get him anywhere. Hmmm, “getting on the right train” making me think that he will end up going in the right direction, and it’s also another nod to the “running away” motif…

“Feeling out of sorts/Don’t want to let it end/I feel like I’m overloading/You got me down on my knees/I want to pull the trigger/But I can’t find the release”—Oh hell yeah, this is giving extreme “Mike Wheeler Emotional Breakdown” vibes and I’m absolutely LOVING it. I can’t believe this is actually on his playlist; y’all have been saying this for MONTHS! I notice the use of second person here (“you got me down on my knees”) and of course my biased Byler ass is going to assume it’s about Will—but don’t worry, I have proof this time. Wait until the end to find out…

“You’d better stay out of sight”—This reminds me of both Max hiding behind a gravestone in the Vecna trance in the cemetery and Will hiding from the Demogorgon (or possibly Vecna) in the UD in S1. Again the use of second person (presumably Will) making me think that this might have something to do with Vecna and Mike wanting to keep this person safe.

“When they’re knocking on your door/Look around the corner/They’re rotten to the core”—I’m thinking this is about Vecna (because of the previous verse), but it could also easily be a metaphor for heteronormativity and societal homophobia.

“Waiting in the dark/Nowhere to hide/Try to hold your hands/The fear at its side”—This kind of reminds me of the cabin scene and Mike reaching out to Will’s light from his patch of darkness. If that scene is foreshadowing (which we all strongly suspect it is), what are the implications for S5? I think this is alluding to Mike getting Vecna’d and reaching out for Will, especially with the “nowhere to hide” and “the fear at its side” lines.

“Feel it coming your way now/Riding in the light/Ain’t no escape”—Oooooh, I see another reference to light. “Riding in the light” sounding like Max’s “hiding in the light…” Will being bathed in sunlight during his heart-to-hearts with Mike…

I mean, if I’m being honest, this analysis could have gone in Part 1, if it weren’t for “Breakdown” by Tom Petty being on Will’s playlist. If the title alone wasn’t enough to make you do a double-take, observe the lyrics:

“It's alright if you love me/It's alright if you don't/I'm not afraid of you running away/Honey, I get the feeling, you won't”

“There is no sense in pretending/Your eyes give you away/Something inside you is feeling like I do/We've said all there is to say”

“Baby/Breakdown, go ahead, give it to me/Breakdown, honey take me through the night/Breakdown, now I'm standing here, can you see?/Breakdown, it's alright”

I’m sorry…WHAT THE FUCK? This is NOT giving “sad gay boy in love with his straight best friend trope” vibes. Fuck no. This is giving “beautiful requited love” vibes!!! And again I say, damn, spoil the entirety of S5 why dontcha? This song matches too well with the song on Mike’s playlist—don’t try and tell me that wasn’t intentional! Duffers are lowkey crazy for this.

8: “Smalltown Boy” by Bronski Beat

Don’t even need to explain ❤️ 🏳️‍🌈

(But if you’re new to the tag and haven’t been exposed to this song feel free to ask!)

#byler #byler analysis #mike wheeler

[dystini]

Taking @firemanseb 's open tag and tagging @dottieapple and anyone else who wants to play.

Shuffle your music and share the first ten songs that come up

I used the Pandora station that I've been curating since March of 2009.

Eyes of a Stranger - Queensryche

In a Big Country - Big Country

Music Again - Adam Lambert

One Night in Bangcock - Murray Head (From the musical CHESS )

Carry on Wayward Son - VoicePlay (Acapella)

In Another Time - Disturbed

Always - Bon Jovi

Dead Man's Party - Oingo Boingo

Heaven - Warrant

Wolf Totem - The Hu

Look, I've got eclectic tastes. I was a teen in the late 80's/early 90's and it shows.

I went giggling to my husband with my list because I couldn't possibly have hand picked such a wild mix and he immediately wanted to do his own list. His is also from Pandora but he hasn't put nearly the time I have into curating his station. Also, he is 4 years older than me.

Let's Dance - David Bowie

Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby

Beautiful World - Devo

Goody Two Shoes - Adam Ant

Stay - Oingo Boingo

One of Our Submarines - Thomas Dolby

Girl You Want - Devo

Fashion - David Bowie

Gratitude - Danny Elfman

Hyperactive - Thomas Dolby

#tag game #music #eclectic

[partly-cloudyskies]

Five songs I've had on repeat, tagged by @big-meows h yeah let's dive in

Wedding Vows in Vegas by Was (Not Was)

I love the atmosphere in this song, smoky rooms and indifference and decisions made spur of the moment and late at night in cheap motels, but that's the way it is sometimes and it's no less deserving of a song kind of vibe.

Technicolor Dreaming by Cardiknox

Jangly neon and bitter. I like sad songs that are up tempo it gives a nice manic energy. A sense of being exhausted and wired at the same time. Good.

My Brain is Like a Sieve by Thomas Dolby

Gloomy lounge divorce music energy. People locked into draining relationships and still making themselves available to it. We love to see it.

Worlds Apart by The Codetalkers

Gives tired people at a bus depot on the edge of the desert going to Vegas. Also space imagery so a winner to me.

So there's like a theme to all these and I have to admit this is a playlist for an inexplicable Las Vegas AU I've been writing for the better part of this year. I hope to... complete it! Some day!

Wombat Astronaut by Plini

A non fic-related track finally. Really the whole album but this track in particular. I found Plini like 8 years ago through Bandcamp, which is how I get most of my music now. These notes just hit right. Make me think of being in a city again all wrapped up in sounds and lights.

Any mutual should feel free to do this honestly. Or anyone who wants to share their playlist. Was fun.

#Youtube

[whatever-lola-wants]

@inyourroomalbumversion tagged me for 10 songs I'm listening to a lot lately, and...I'm gonna be honest, this is gonna be all over the place in terms of genre. 🙃

BecauseIT'S POETRY IN MOTION 🎶 SHE TURNED HER TENDER EYES TO ME🎶AS DEEP AS ANY OCEAN 🎶 AS SWEET AS ANY HARMONY

The most recent entry in my sexytimes playlist

Thanks, Spotify shuffle! This is a total gem.

This reminds me, Sax Saturday soon.

Country music can be cool, sometimes.

Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?

Nostalgia ❤

GO WATCH JOHN WICK 4. RIGHT NOW.

I will forever defend Reeves Gabrels.

Not into Eurovision but this was a cool song

In return I'm tagging from notifications - @archibaldtuttle @rochastocade @crazy-brioche @shh-itsme @water-on-glass @woodlandharts @the-cascades @ughreallywtf and anyone else who'd like to join! (tag me so I know)

#music #tag games #Spotify

[davidgriffith]

“It Takes Two” in the Sweet 16 of March Fadness

RIGHT ABOUT NOW...NOW...NOW...

Calling all old skool Hip-Hop lovers on Tumblr: I need your help. 

This Wednesday (3/22) Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock’s iconic 1988, multi-platinum hit “It Takes Two” is doing battle in the March Fadness tournament of 1980s one-hit wonders, and I need your vote.

I’m going up against Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me With Science.” While it was a big hit in its day (1982), anyone who has read this far in the post knows that “It Takes Two” is far superior.

Here’s how the voting works: On Wednesday morning at 11 am EST voting will open. You can vote on the March Fadness website AND on by Twitter poll. Don’t worry, I’ll remind you closer to the time. Note that both votes count, so if you really want to show Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock some love, vote in both places.

In case you’re wondering what March Fadness is, it’s an annual tournament of songs, kind of like the March Madness basketball tourney, but for writers who are music-lovers. Each song is repped by a writer who has to write an essay about why they think they’re song is the best.

Here’s a look at the bracket: 

You don’t have to read the essay to vote, but I promise you the essays are worth your while. My essay on “It Takes Two” is all about being 12 years old, growing up in Decatur, a city on the vast, flat prairie of central Illinois, wanting to be a DJ, and hearing the song for the first time in my buddy’s basement and how it change my life in a profound way. Oh, you should also know that we ran a fake radio station out of the basement that we called WPIG (basically we made mix-tapes and introduced the songs like we were DJs). I still have one of the tapes, which is somehow still playable 35 years later.

You can read the essay HERE. 

Here’s a little taste from the beginning of the essay, which I’ve titled “The Situation That the Bass is In.” 

For the first 47 years of my life, I believed that Mike Ginyard, aka MC Rob Base, was celibate.     In 1988, when Base and his childhood friend DJ EZ Rock’s, single “It Takes Two” dropped, I was thirteen and did not know of anyone, besides, the adults in my life, and maybe Tanya, the hot as hell sixteen-year-old daughter of my paper route client, Mr. Yarbrough, who was having sex.     And so, every time I listened to “It Takes Two” in the basement of our split-level ranch in Decatur, IL, on my father’s capable system—Pioneer receiver with 5-band graphic equalizer, JVC CD player, with a hand-built 70s HeathKit turntable, and Pioneer speakers with 15 inch woofers—the line “...don’t smoke buddha can’t stand sex [sic], yes…” struck me funny.     The only people I knew that did not have sex on principle were the priests and nuns at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, and I would come to find out years later that I was even wrong about that.

Thanks for reading, and check back here daily for new content dedicated to this iconic song.

HIT IT!! 

#hiphop #rob base and dj ez rock #dj #march fadness #biz markie #lynn collins #jabo starks #james brown #profile records #dapper dan #harlem

[nerdloser222]

Hi yes I was tagged by @jeannedarcgerard to post 5 songs I’ve been listening to and tag 10 people to do the same. Unfortunately I am dumb so I don’t know who to tag so honestly just say I tagged you in it mutuals who wanna do this.

Strawberry fields forever - the beatles

weightless - Thomas dolby

this song - George harrison

while my guitar gently weeps - the Beatles

hyperactive - Thomas Dolby

anyway yeah anyone who wants to do this feel free

#bee rambles #tag game

[misslavenderlady]

Star, Pluto, Virgo and Libra for the stars ask!!

Thank you!!

Star- What song(s) do you feel describes you?

She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby. My fiance says that song makes him think of me 😆

Pluto- If you could meet anyone, alive or dead, who would you meet?

Brooke McCarter. I would have loved to meet him. Hollywood screwed him over for wanting to protect his friend, and he just seemed like such a sweet guy...

Virgo- What do you value the most- artistic ability/creativity, musical ability, athletic ability, intellect, or work ethic?

Work Ethic. By that I mean the ability to work together or work to do something. When you're able to put aside differences and take on responsibility and actually communicate to get a job done, that truly shows dedication. Everyone has different styles, but as long as you can count on a person, that's all that matters.

Libra- If you could talk to your past self, what would you tell yourself?

I already answered this, but I would also tell my high school self to try out for a sport. I was so focused on school, but I would have loved to try out for a team as well!

#ask game #lavender lady rambles

[tesco-finest-aromantics]

For the music ask: 1, 7, 16, 22 :D

1. a song that makes me happy

three bar logos from the omori ost

where no one goes by john powell, jon thor birgissson, jónsi (yes the song from httyd 2, it's a good song)

red paper lanterns by maybeshewill

i believe in your victory by this will destroy you

heaven by amber run

if we're being honest by novo amor

vanilla sky by lights & motion

a new color by astronoid

7. a song i’ll never get tired of listening to

stormur by sigur rós

far out dust by talos

perfectly out of place by dreams we've had

a room in the crowd by maldito

i will not be shaken by dream cave

new futures by tides of man

the disease by angels & airwaves

jupiter, saturn, neptune, head, heart, three, four, five, eight, nine, touch, hearing by sleeping at last (all of these are individual songs)

are you home?, wastelands, 5AM, affection, heaven by amber run

drown, run, oh no by bring me the horizon

all i want by a day to remember

16. a song that makes me nostalgic

these are mostly just songs from our childhood

don't stop believin' by journey

all the small things by blink-182

europa and the pirate twins by thomas dolby

mansard roof by vampire weekend

sugar coated iceberg by the lightning seeds

i gotta a feeling by the black eyed peas

headache by frank black

for what it's worth by buffalo springfield

black sheep (from "scott pilgrim vs. the world") by the evil exes

shine by take that

22. a song that reminds me of a character

we don't really think about characters when listening to music but we'll give it a go /lh

we gave it a go and couldn't think of anyone even though we chose several songs /lh

thank you for the ask! :D

#ask #blurry/unknown #we're blurry so this is all from various headmates but we just don't know which ones /lh #klavierpanda #ask game

[condensedmatters]

Albums I'm currently obsessed with: in no particular order (2022-10-28)

1. Thomas Dolby - The Golden Age of Wireless

Nothing quite scratches that new wave/synthpop itch like Thomas Dolby's early stuff. Golden Age, however, has a really special place in my heart—the oddly post-apocalyptic lyrics, the absolutely stunning production, and the textures in this album all combine to make something that isn't quite new wave, but not quite synth pop a-la New Order. I'd absolutely recommend this album to anyone.

My one gripe with the album is the sequencing. The album feels a bit haphazardly paced to me—it's absolutely subjective, so it's not a big deal at all.

2. Ryuichi Sakamoto - B-2 Unit

If you're looking for YMO, don't listen to this album. If you're looking for a pretty film score, don't listen to this album. B-2 Unit is an avant-garde electronic album for the masses. Each of the songs are relatively short—no more than about seven minutes at most—but they manage to pack in loads of experimentation. B-2 was made with some of the cutting-edge techniques of the day—the song Thatness and Thereness, for example, features what I think might be the first lately bass sound ever put on to an album.

I don't really have anything negative to say about the album. B-2 Unit was ahead of its time—you could probably convince a few people Aphex Twin was on this record.

3. Kitty Craft - Breaks and Beats from the Flower Patch

I don't know how to put it, but this album sounds like an old picture album at a grandparent's house. That's both for better and for worse—the gorgeous sampling lulls you in, but over time it can fade into the background. Eventually, you've seen so many sephia-tinged pictures of dead relatives that each picture feels the same.

Of course, that doesn't mean that the album isn't special—far from that, actually. Take a break and come back to the album, and you'll find every song just as charming as last time.

4. Spacemen 3 - Taking drugs to make music to take drugs to

I feel like any time I spend editorializing about this album is wasted. All I can say is if this is what heroin does to people, by god we need to make the opioid epidemic worse.

#music #thomas dolby #ryuichi sakamoto #kitty craft #spacemen 3 #synthpop #experimental music #down tempo #neo psychedelia

[asterdeer]

ten artists x ten songs

again thank u to @winterssunday ! i'm not clear on the instructions BUT i'm just listing 10 songs that i'm currently hardcore vibing with

"'39" - queen

"i feel better" - novo amor

"out of my head" - first aid kit (NEW FIRST AID KIT SONG NEW FIRST AID KIT SONG)

"i'm not okay (i promise)" - my chemical romance

"unraveling" - the crane wives

"i love you goodbye" - thomas dolby

"a question of lust" - depeche mode (it's not what it sounds like)

"hammer and a nail" - indigo girls

"a long december" - counting crows

"time spent in los angeles" - dawes

tagging the last people who i tagged for the other ask game and anyone who wants to give it a whirl but if you don't no worries <3

#thank u again !!!! #does it show that i don't talk to many ppl on tumblr lmaooooo sorry to bug u my dear precious mutuals <3 #anyway i'm sorry that any list of music that i'll ever make again WILL include '39 and i love you goodbye #those are just ingrained in my personality now #ask game answers