#'disco descent' is a fucking banger

[antique-symbolism]

Playlist Tag Game

I was tagged by @luna-evans-writes!

Rules: put your music playlist on shuffle and list the first 10 songs that come up! 

This Too Shall Pass - Danny Schmidt

Nemeses - Jonathan Coulton

The Power of Love - I Fight Dragons

Marla Singer Doesn't Take Standardized Tests - Analog Rebellion

Master of Tides - Lindsey Stirling

Riding the Fourth Wave - Streetlight Manifesto

Disco Descent Shopkeeper (from "Crypt of the Necrodancer") - Danny Baranowsky

Call Off Your Ghost - Dessa

When Can I See You Again? - Owl City

Pity Party - Blockhead

I tag @mascmalfunction, @pbjplatypus, @dildo-tbaggins, @the-midwrite-oil, @wolfbook22, @kiretto-laorentze, @thearcticflame, @gayrob0t and literally anyone else who wants to do it! 

#look all of these songs are great but #'disco descent' is a fucking banger #and 'riding the fourth wave' is also incredible

[lunarblazes]

i made a desertduo playlist and then decided to be a nerd and write explanations for all the songs! like a nerd!

playlist link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ZGylutQpyTbgX7MY7Lrzz?si=t8_kBwBHSYG5kxTvZoIrTQ&dl_branch=1

QUICK DISCLAIMER: i am aware that a lot of these songs may have or imply romantic connotation! i would really really like it if these were not read as though those romantic connotations carry over to scar and grian. even if we’re just talking about the third life characters, i would prefer not to ship them or imply romance between them on this post. thank you so much and keep reading if you’d like to see the playlist analysis!

and now that that’s out of the way, PLAYLIST TIME!

•

passerine- the oh hellos

“you were the song that i’d always sing/you were the light that the fire would bring/but i can’t shake this feeling that i/was only pushing the spear into your side again”

this song really just... firstly, it’s one of my favorite songs, and the line i chose there pushes home the sort of terrified devotion i think the desert has. plus there’s a fun line about the cold wind blowing in from the north in the ending bits that i think very much fits their conflict with the red army, and a lot of legally obligated flight imagery that i need to have in every possible song because i’m a fuckin nerd.

•

no children- the mountain goats

“i hope that our few remaining friends/give up on trying to save us/i hope we come up with a failsafe plot to piss off the dumb few that forgave us”

i will admit that no children isn’t a perfect fit, but the general vibe of sort of defiant pessimism and betrayal fits very well with them! it’s very triumphant in its death, and i think that is very desertcore, because what’s more triumphantly dead than being the last duo left alive?

•

skulls- bastille

“when all of our friends are dead and just a memory/it’s always been just you and me/for all to see”

okay like this entire song is SO MUCH DESERT VIBES? LIKE SO MUCH. if i were to ever make an animatic for them i’d do it with this song. “a match is our only light, it’s day of the dead i’m indiana jones, yeah,” “i hope you can make me laugh six feet under when we’re bored of each other,” “i don’t want to rest in peace, i’d rather be the ghost that annoys you,” IT JUST KEEPS GOING. i think this song would work well with any third life duo, honestly, but these two in PARTICULAR just because of how it ended with them literally ‘buried’ next to each other, and again, the chaotic death vibes.

•

freaking out- mystery skulls

“i just keep out of my tongue/til all you want is done/and you just wanna leave me, oh yeah”

this song is a very third life grian song to me in particular! it could be my bias because of my little headcanon of grian burning on his red life, but seriously, this song is very reminiscent of the back and forth of loyalty that grian has with scar. the above line is sort of representative of the betrayal on red, and of course grian’s life debt.

•

night running- shin sakiura

(this song is in japanese! these lyrics are the rough english translation i found on google.) “someday we will stand at this place once again/for sure we will stand up again and again/we will watch it will the end/i want you to live freely”

this song is actually the ending theme for the anime bna, which i adore, and i just added it on a whim before looking at the translated lyrics. but um. holy hell the lyrics hurt me because they’re about running in search of someone, running for no reason, looking for something, and it just really hit, because the desert never really had a goal! they didn’t expect to survive, they were trying to survive, but what was their longterm goals? nothing. so that sort of endless search felt fitting for this. plus the song is a parallel for the two estranged best friends of the show so! perfect.

•

summer nights- siames

“it’s summertime/singing al green in your car/heading to a party/and the night air feels alive”

okay again, i will admit this song is mainly on here because i absolutely love it, but i also do think it fits well. it’s also about healing/estranged friendships, with a very distinct feeling of nostalgia for a happier time. maybe for a time when this was all a game, when there was no blood or betrayals on their hands. little canon divergent, but it’s fun for me, so into the playlist it goes!

allies or enemies- the crane wives

“are we allies or enemies/this will be the death of me, this will be the death of me/all’s fair in love and war but i can’t fight with you anymore”

. i just. points to that lyric. it literally led to both of their deaths. are they allies or enemies? it also fits with scar still wanting grian to be his friend even after he’s no longer indebted with the line “what happens now? do we have another go, do we bow out?” another very good animatic song that i’ve considered heavily. i listen to this playlist a lot

•

burn him down- kitsch club

“you must destroy, oh you must destroy, beyond all recognition/you gotta burn him down, you gotta burn him down, beyond all recognition”

this song just has a lot of fire and arson and high energy vibes. my little war criminals look at them go

•

rose- the oh hellos

“what's true is like a sickle/it'll cut you to the middle/your rose is without a thorn/but no, my mouth don't taste of metal/from the pot here to the kettle/i think we got a lot we gotta learn”

this one is like the exact opposite vibe of burn him down. the oh hellos are so poetic and this song just... feels like the healing potions after a battle. many of the metaphors here fit, i think

•

lone digger- caravan palace

“hey, brother, what you thinking/that good ol' sound is ringing/they don't know what they're missing/(they call it lonely diggin')”

okay this song is straight up just a dance song. i added it because i like it and also for some reason it feels ominous to me? i’ve got no idea why, it’s seriously just a club song, but it’s a banger and it’s in this playlist because i said so

•

feed the machine- poor man’s poison (suggested by my friend argonaughtkeene!)

“somethin’s goin” on, just look around/fear is on the rise, and there’s blood all over the ground/let’s all just blindfold the poor, we all know what’s in store/ we got ‘em now, just break ‘em down a little bit more”

this song is a VIBE for both desertduo members. there’s parts for both of them. it’s ruthless, gritty, very maniacal, perfect. listen to it and you’ll immediately understand why i added it.

•

sweet tooth- scott helman

“i hold hands with cosmic entities/i’ll take this two-ride if i please/i got this sweet tooth baby, yeah i got this sweet tooth baby/i exploit my opportunities/some broken hearts, some cavities”

sweet tooth is super upbeat and bright with these strangely dark lyrics? like i’m pretty sure it’s about addiction. in any case, i thought the “i hold hands with cosmic entities” very funnily fitting for both of the desert boys. it’s a banger!

•

necromancin’ dancin’- bear ghost

“when i’m necromancin’, everyone’s dancin’/nobody can stop me, i dare you to try/the dead are infused with insatiable groove and they’re coming for you, there’s nowhere to hide”

necromancin’ dancin’ just. bastard vibes. there’s not much more to say it’s just huge villain song vibes. i adore it.

•

crazy = genius- panic! at the disco

“if crazy equals genius/then i’m a fucking arsonist/i’m a rocket scientist/if crazy equals genius/you can set yourself on fire/but you’re never gonna burn, burn, burn”

i. yeah. y. yeah. more bastard vibes. also shoutout to an artist i saw (i think it was strifesolution?) who made a desertduo piece to this song because i have not stopped thinking about it ever

•

sweet bod- lemon demon

“i’m diggin’ up your coffin/and pouring out the contents/your sexy, sweet solution/is ripe for distribution”

you know how i said freaking out was a grian song? this one is a scar song. it’s my favorite lemon demon song and also it has the total macabre capitalism vibe that third life scar NAILED. more bastard vibes good for him <3

•

drunk- the living tombstone

“feel so much better than usual/i feel indisputable, oh/but now i’m feeling so beautiful/don’t wake me up from this spell i’m under, if i’m still breathing/i know that i will be ugly when i feel like myself again, oh/but right now i’m feelin’ so beautiful”

the descent of this song, starting off with a polite gathering and ending with a gasping drunk in the parking lot gazing at the stars that he can barely see? yes. yeah. mhm. i used a line from this song for a fic, actually, it fit so well.

•

oh no!- marina

“one track mind, one track heart/if i fail, i’ll fall apart/maybe it is all a test/cos i feel like i’m the worst so i always act like i’m the best”

bubbly pop track about false confidence, the ruthlessness of the pop industry, and the influence of the media? you know why this is here. it vibes. it rocks.

•

do it all the time- i don’t know how but they found me

“we’re taking over the world/a little victimless crime/and when i’m taking your innocence/i’ll be corrupting your mind/no need to cry i’m only doing everything i want to do because i do it all the time”

EVEN MORE BASTARD VIBES! SOMEHOW THERE IS MORE! this playlist is half villain songs and half heart-wrenching ballads and that’s the real desert experience i think.

•

the phoenix- fall out boy

“i’m gonna change you/like a remix/then i’ll raise you/like the phoenix”

BATTLE SONG BATTLE SONG! i’ll be honest i partially chose this song because i am a huge sucker for phoenix grian imagery in particular, but it’s also just a very good war song for them. villain song no 18372948 except this one originally had a hero vibe and now it’s changed specifically for them?? wild. their power

•

the other side- the greatest showman

“right here, right now/i’ll put the offer out/i don’t wanna chase you down, i know you see it/you run with me/and i can cut you free/out of the treachery/and all you keep in”

scar and grian’s desert monopoly conversation went exactly like this canonically because i said so fuck you <3

•

icicles- the scary jokes (suggested by my friend demizorua!)

“icicles don’t soften when they die/so why should i, why should i?/oh, icicles don’t soften when they die/they sharpen into sabers and they stab you in the eye”

this song actually has specific parts for both grian and scar! my cool epic friend mx demizorua pointed both of them out to me and i adored it so much. it’s a very spiteful song, just like the desert boys. also it feels vaguely murderous. perfect

•

problems- mother mother (suggested by my friend demizorua!)

“i’m a loser, a disgrace/you’re a beauty, a luminary, in my face”

literally this entire song fits them. particularly their relationship with the flower husbands, to me, honestly— the whole “when we meet at the pearly gates/you’ll get the green light/and i’ll get the boot in the face” reminds me a lot of them hdksjdks

•

tongues and teeth- the crane wives

“i know that you mean so well/but i am not a vessel for your good intent/i will only break your pretty things/i will only wring you dry of everything”

h. yeah. this song is literally gaslight gatekeep girlboss and i attribute it to the desert for that reason alone. songs to commit murder to!

•

you’re nobody til somebody wants you dead- saint motel

“you’re nobody til somebody wants you dead/and the list, it grows, and grows, and grows/it grows, and grows, and grows/and grows, and grows, and grows/until it’s everyone you’ve ever known”

this one is very self-explanatory. enemies pogchamp

•

curses- the crane wives

“there’s a fire in my brain and i’m burning, love/oh my, oh my/keep running to the sink, but the well is dry/oh my, oh my/every word i say is kindling/but the smoke clears when you’re around”

okay again! this one has two very specific parts for both of them. grian’s the first verse, which is above, and scar’s the second verse!! i really do like my fire imagery for these two don’t i? well, i blame them for having a fuck ton of tnt on them at all times and literally burning their enemy’s banners as a final act of defiance.

#3rdlife #grian #goodtimeswithscar #3rd life smp #3rd life smp playlist #third life smp #desertduo #simply think that they <3 #Spotify

[what-else-is-there]

This past year was one of the hardest of my life, so listening to music was a bit of a double edged sword in 2018. Its ability to find emotions I was struggling with and bring them to the front of my mental and physical consciousness was amplified, however this was balanced out by its healing properties also being extra potent. All in all, music continues to be my favorite thing. It makes the good times better, the hard times easier to handle and more productive, and no matter what is going wrong with my life, I can always count on it to be worth experiencing.

Some common themes that defined music in 2018 include some desperately essential political protest and empowerment (Parquet Courts, Janelle Monáe, Lupe Fiasco), flawlessly executed pop (Allie X, Christine And The Queens, Ariana Grande), unique, next level production (Low, Superorganism), mind bending psychedelic jamming (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Circles Around The Sun, Wooden Shjips, Desert Mountain Tribe), smooth and restorative chillout vibes (The New Mastersounds, Nightmares On Wax, Jungle), powerful and poignant mourning songs (Amen Dunes, serpentwithfeet), dancefloor bangers (Santigold, The Presets) and plenty of solid songwriting (Spiritualized, Lord Huron, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Caroline Rose, Acid Dad, Soccer Mommy).

Of course, the album format is continuing its slow descent into irrelevancy so my real focus will be on my Top 100 Songs playlist. Stay tuned as I roll it out over the course of the next few weeks. However, for those who still enjoy consuming music in album format, here are my Top 100 Albums Of 2018 lovingly and excruciatingly curated into one glorious, subjective ranking.

~ What Else Is There's Top 100 Albums Of 2018 ~

1. Parquet Courts - Wide Awake! 2. Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer 3. Allie X - Super Sunset 4. Low - Double Negative 5. Amen Dunes - Freedom 6. Lupe Fiasco - Drogas Wave 7. The New Mastersounds - Renewable Energy 8. Spiritualized - And Nothing Hurt 9. Lord Huron - Vide Noir 10. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Something Else 11. Superorganism - Superorganism 12. Nightmares On Wax - Shape The Future 13. Christine And The Queens - Chris 14. Caroline Rose - Loner 15. serpentwithfeet - Soil 16. Amber Mark - Conexão 17. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Wrong Creatures 18. Neko Case - Hell-On 19. Tropical Fuck Storm - A Laughing Death In Meatspace 20. Circles Around The Sun - Let It Wander 21. Wooden Shjips - V. 22. Acid Dad - Acid Dad 23. Soccer Mommy - Clean 24. GUM - The Underdog 25. Desert Mountain Tribe - Om Pavat Mystery 26. Shakey Graves - Can't Wake Up 27. The Family Crest - The War: Act I 28. Santigold - I Don't Want: The Gold Fire Sessions 29. Aurora - Infections Of A Different Kind (Step I) 30. K.I.D. - Tired All The Time 31. Chelsea Jade - Personal Best 32. Ty Segall & Freedom Band - Freedom's Goblin 33. Your Smith - Bad Habit 34. Miya Folick - Premonitions 35. Jungle - For Ever 36. Ariana Grande - Sweetener 37. The Presets - Hi Viz 38. Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears 39. Metric - Art Of Doubt 40. Kurt Vile - Bottle It In 41. of Montreal - White Is Relic / Irrealis Mood 42. Beach House - 7 43. The Decemberists - I'll Be Your Girl 44. Fischerspooner - SIR 45. Django Django - Marble Skies 46. Film School - Bright To Death 47. Kero Kero Bonito - Tine 'n' Place 48. Robyn - Honey 49. Orbital - Monsters Exist 50. Tune-Yards - I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life 51. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour 52. St. Lucia - Hyperion 53. Lorn - Remnant 54. Dave Matthews Band - Come Tomorrow 55. Computer Magic - Danz 56. MGMT - Little Dark Age 57. Mitski - Be The Cowboy 58. Kikagaku Moyo - Masana Temples 59. Gorillaz - The Now Now 60. U.S. Girls - In A Poem Unlimited 61. Moaning - Moaning 62. Czarface & MF Doom - Czarface Meets Metal Face 63. Speedy Ortiz - Twerp Verse 64. Khraungbin - Con Todo El Mundo 65. Sister Sparrow And The Dirty Birds - Gold 66. The Knocks - New York Narcotic 67. Louis Cole - Time 68. Courtney Barnett - Tell Me How You Really Feel 69. The Go! Team - Semicircle 70. Tash Sultana - Flow State 71. The 1975 - A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships 72. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Hope Downs 73. Matthew Dear - Bunny 74. Simian Mobile Disco - Murmurations 75. The Field - Infinite Moment 76. Hookworms - Microshift 77. Oh Sees - Smote Reverser 78. Sunflower Bean - Twentytwo In Blue 79. The Breeders - All Nerve 80. Ron Gallo - Stardust Birthday Party 81. Above & Beyond - Common Ground 82. Poppy - Am I A Girl? 83. DJ Koze - Knock Knock 84. Chloe x Halle - The Kids Are Alright 85. Peter Bjorn And John - Darker Days 86. Punch Brothers - All Ashore 87. Blues Traveler - Hurry Up & Hang Around 88. The Devil Makes Three - Chains Are Broken 89. Django Django - Winter's Beach 90. The Good, The Bad & The Queen - Merrie Land 91. Boygenius - Boygenius 92. Stephan Malkmus And The Jicks - Sparkle Hard 93. King Tuff - The Other 94. Jim James - Uniform Distortion 95. Tom Misch - Geography 96. Preoccupations - New Material 97. Kunzite - Birds Don't Fly 98. The Voidz - Virtue 99. Snow Patrol - Wildness 100. Monsieur Periné - Encanto Tropical

What were your favorite albums of the year? Did we share any picks? What was I missing? You can also use the link below to browse my list on RateYourMusic, which is a little easier than the block of text above. Let me know, I'm always looking to hear music that others are enjoying. And I'll see y'all in the coming days as I roll out 2018: The Playlist.

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/whatelseisthere/all-things-2018/

#What Else Is There's Top 100 Albums Of 2018