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theresattrpgforthat · 11 months

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how many ttrpgs do you know of that came with soundtracks?

THEME: TTRPGs With Soundtracks

Hello friend! I knew of a few off the top of my head, and went searching for some more. Many of these soundtracks are playlists of already-created songs, hosted on streaming apps like Spotify, but a few are designed specifically for a certain roleplaying game. Either way I hope you find something up your alley!

Monster Care Squad, by Sandy Pug Games and The Fox in the Flowers.

Long after the crowns have fallen, long after greed has had it's day, long after war, poverty, hunger, and tyranny passed into memory, Ald-Amura's peace is broken by The False Gold, a terrible sickness spreading through its greatest guardians and most beautiful Monsters.

Unified by community and driven by a love for the planet and each other, The Monster Care Squad rises. Do you heed their call?

A game about caring for monsters in a fantastical world is already probably enough to sell a lot of folks on the pitch, but the love for this game shines through in the third-party work available, including Sounds of Ald-Amura, by The Fox in The Flowers. Sandy Pug Games is a creative collective that prioritizes support for the entire team behind any given project, which is probably why their games are so beautiful and so well-crafted.

Long Haul 1983, by SPC. (Spotify Soundtrack)

It’s 1983, and the world feels hollowed out.

LONG HAUL 1983 tells the story of a dangerous journey through an empty world.

You play a long-haul truck driver trying to make their way home. Every day, you’ll hit the road, navigating treacherous highways, fleeing from menacing threats, and dealing with the psychological impacts of isolation.

And at the end of each day, you’ll find a payphone, make a call, and leave a message for the most important person in your life.

They never pick up. You never stop calling.

This is a solo game, where the soundtrack is designed to enhance the experience of loneliness and isolation, using ambient sounds and hits from the time period this game is set in. The game comes with a list of songs meant to be played during certain moments, as well as a list of songs that are designed to be background atmospheric pieces. If you want something that elevates your solo journaling experience, this game might be for you.

Orbital Blues, by Soul Muppet Games. (Soundtrack)

It is an intergalactic age of cowboys, outlaws and bandits playing on an interstellar stage. It is a time of hyper-capitalism and a cut-throat gig economy. Unreliable trash-heaps carry scrappy underdogs to their next gig, and corporation freighters lumber across the horizon laden with an empire’s bounty.

These are the music-fuelled, moon-age daydreams of a rebel space age.

These are your ORBITAL BLUES.

Games inspired by tv shows and movies have a great starting point in finding music that really fits the tone - you can start with the soundtrack of the things that inspired you. But Chris Bissette was not happy to simply show you the soundtracks for Cowboy Bebop and Firefly and call it a day. They created a custom album to play alongside the game that’s a little soulful, and a little rock n’ roll. A soulful space-western kind of game lends itself really well to music to evoke melancholy and loss, so I definitely recommend listening to some of this if you want to play Orbital Blues or any other game inspired by the same sorts of media.

The Wildsea, by Felix Isaacs, and Songs of the Lignin Tide, by Liam Peregrine Vaughan.

Your character is a wildsailor, part of a crew cutting their way across the island-studded wilderness of the treetop sea on a vessel of your very own. You’ll clash with survivor cultures and wild beasts, scavenge and salvage for wreckage and trade-goods, chase rumours, and uncover secrets. The focus of this game is on exploration, progress, and change - you’ll define the world of the Wildsea as you sail it.

I’ve talked about The Wildsea extensively in the past, so I’m just going to talk a little bit about Songs of the Lignin Tide. The Wildsea community is dedicated, inspired, and creative, and that leads to some amazing work created by players, for other players. Songs of the Lignin Tide is one of those examples. It uses a wealth of different sounds to add richness and texture to this unique and verdant setting, and it feels like the creator drew heavily from their own experiences of playing the game. I highly recommend you check it out if you want more Wildsea in your life.

Quietus, by Sinister Beard Games. (Spotify Playlist)

QUIETUS is a one shot, prep-less RPG of melancholy horror. It’s a game for a GM and one or two players, and emulates tragic horror movies like Oculus, The Strangers, The Babadook, Inside and the Netflix version of The Haunting of Hill House. If a piece of fiction can make you cry and scream, then it’s a great model for the sort of stories that you can tell with QUIETUS.

The music for Quietus is also a Spotify playlist, with a collection of songs that fit the tone of a tragic horror game. It’s an hour and forty-three minutes long, and since Quietus is meant to be a one-shot, I have a feeling you might have to play through it more than once, or let Spotify generate similar songs after the playlist finishes up.

GoblinMixtape’s Soundtracks, by Sam Leigh.

While creating a soundtrack on your own might be a daunting task, using established songs to fit the vibe of your ttrpg is much easier, and GoblinMixtape (aka Sam Leigh) has connected many designers to playlists designed to emulate the feeling of their games. There’s quite a few playlists already created by them, so I’d recommend checking out this list of playlists if you want to see the games she’s worked on before.

#dnd #game recommendations #indie ttrpgs #soundtracks #music #asks #tabletop games

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r7iverett · 8 months

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Silly Introduction Post!!

HELLO, HELLO!! I’d appreciate if you read this before interacting with me! It contains a lot of info about me, including names, my DNI list, interests, important info and more!

But before that, OC asks!! (Make sure to say it’s an OC ask btw, and to which OC the ask is for!!! ^_^)

* Fay — Open * Cayleb — Open * Chip — Open * Devin — Open * Hex / Hexa — Open

OC personalities (or just a chunk of info about em) here!!

[ Last updated: Sept 22 ]

All info provided under the cut!

My name is Mist, but there’s plenty of nicknames you can call me! Some of these nicknames are:

MP3

MP3 Player

JPEG

PNG

Mist.JPEG (as well as .PNG & .MP3)

(This is bound to be updated at some point!!)

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Important Information / Some Keep-in-minds!

I am a MINOR! Please take note of this when interacting with me!

I think I have ADHD and anger / emotion management issues, but I can’t be sure.

I get a lot angrier a lot faster than others (which is why I think I have some form of anger management issues.).

Please respect my boundaries. Don’t call me by my irl name online, don’t call me things like “mommy” or “mom”, joke or not, and just be respectful in the first place.

I listen to a lot of songs / music that aren’t in English, in which some have disturbing meanings. If I’m recommending music to you, please tell me if you don’t want any disturbing songs.

I curse!!!

This isn’t actually my first account. My old (and currently inactive) account’s user is @m1st-ig. Any info there is most likely outdated. I can’t log back into that account because the email got suspended.

I change my account theme and pfp very often, as I cannot settle on one theme / pfp Imao.

I use tone tags (/j, /hj, /srs, /pos, etc)

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DNI / DO NOT INTERACT LIST

Please DNI / Do Not Interact if you:

Are under basic DNI / Do Not Interact lists (Homo/transphobia, racist, pedophilic, com/proshipper, xenophobic, sexist, etc)

Are a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist)

Support a problematic person / people ((Examples of this are Groink (Made a racist face and supported Taylor’s apology despite being white / not a person of color [correct me if I’m wrong on this please.]), Gery (Pedophile), or literally any other problematic creator.))

Are ableist (discriminate people for mental or physical disabilities) or support ableists

Are a NSFW (Not safe for work) blog

Enforce / project your religion strongly on others

(I will update my DNI / Do Not Interact list if I feel the need to.)

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Interests / Hyper-fixations!

I am interested in various things! These things, not in any particular order, are:

Object Shows

Just Shapes & Beats

The Pink Corruption

Vocaloid Music (In more specific terms, I love song producers like R.I.P. (Really Introverted Producer, Ghost N’ Pals, Vane Lily, MARETU and more!)

PikuNiku

Music in General

And probably more, but I can’t think of them right now :P

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Tags

Mist’s Art [For my art posts]

Mist’s Ask Responses [Responses to asks]

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Fan-art and Ask Boundaries

Now, I don’t mind if you make some fan-art of any published sona / oc I make or give me an ask, but I have boundaries.

Fan-art Boundaries

Do not, by any circumstances, make nsfw art of my sonas. I am a minor. My sonas represent me.

I’d rather you not make nsfw (not safe for work) of my ocs, but if you do, do NOT by ANY MEANS send it to me / tag me in it. It’s a good way to get blocked.

If you make sfw (safe for work) art, please please PLEASE tag me in it!!! I would love to see your fan-art! If you don’t tag me in it or anything, just credit me for the oc / sona, please!!

Ask Boundaries

Do not ask me anything dealing with nsfw.

Please feel free to ask me about my ocs or art.

Be civil, please.

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Random, Extra or Otherwise Unrelated Information

My favorite colors as of now are green, blue and pink!

PikuNiku (as seen in my interests) is my favorite game other than Roblox!

My Roblox user is “TheGreenMist2021”, and my display may change a little every once in a while.

I’m a big ol Suitcase (II) and, to be honest, Iris (TPC) fan!!! :3

I have a lot of ocs, unused, side ocs, concepts or used. There’s a lot of em.

extra silly stuffs (userboxes!!! Feel free to take for your own account and credits to all who made these!!! [also ignore the fact that they’re so big, I copy pasted em :P]) :3

Aaaand that should be it! Thanks for reading!

#introductory post #Intro post

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insanebirddog · 3 months

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Just a silly little introduction post

Hi! I'll start this off by saying ive got quite the confusing identity and im willing to answer questions if you dont ask like a dick. I dont wanna feel like im on tiktok so No "what the fuck is ___" ask like your civilized, please instead go just "hey what does ___ mean" or something. thank you :3

I have 17 names, and prefer for people to use more then just one, but i understand its confusing.

[Crow/Jezter/Inzanity/Icaruz/Caztiel/Celestial/Devil/Soul/Hound/Bombz/Bomby/Aero/Rampage/Carddeck/Dice]

I have 16 pronouns, and do prefer for you to use more then just one set but again understand its confusing

[He/Him/It/its/Crow/Bird/Scorpion/Glitch/Soft/Hyper/Z/Ze/Zem/Zoul/Zoulself]

And heres a couple examples on how to use those pronouns for any confused

"he went to the store, did you see him?"

"I think it went to the park? not the ash grove one, it hates that one. I think it went to the toddler park, thats its favorite"

"crow is 5'4, are you taller than bird?"

"Scorpion cant do math?"

"Soft missed two years of school, so hyper cant do math well"

"Z has 5 fs in school, can you help zem study?"

"Zoul cant eat tomatoes, and zoul is allerigic to grass. I wonder how zoulself found that out or if someone else told zoul"

My genders include [but prolly arent limited to]:

Male ftm, Glitchgender, robotgender, staticgender, and possibly agender but im still questioning that one.

My sexuality:

Im Omnisexual, homoromatic which i just call blendmasc. And aroacespike!

Boundary list:

Dont touch me without asking

Dont flirt with me

Use tone tags, if you dont understand tonetags thats alright

do not send me underwater vids/pictures without a tw, including video game water

Dont vent without asking

Dont flirt with me, even jokingly unless your 17-18 as i am 17 :)

Fandoms/Groups I'm in:

Steven Universe

The Owl House

Amanda and the Adventurer

Welcome Home

The amazing digital circus

Furry fandom

Therianthopy/otherkinship/reincarnation

My religious beliefs:

Im a practicing witch, a satanist, and i believe every religion is real but i dont follow any specific one.

My favorite styles/genres:

I love cybergoth/goth/whimsigoth/punk/emo/scene and basically any and every alt style ive found so far [including beliefs in the ones listed above, like punk]

I listen to metal, screemo, and whatever the fuck will wood/soddiken is. Im BIG into art, like any artistic hobby i have.

Thats all i can think to add for now, just some random stuff abt me.

If you wanna interact elsewheres, heres the place[s] chatters:

Discord server

Twitch

Youtube

TikTok

Bye bye bye!

Heres a song i feel fits me best:

youtube

#xenogender #gay #omni #digital artist #twitch streamer #youtuber #discord server #therianthropy #otherkin #reincarnation #neopronouns #artist #I think thats enough tags but hey i felt silly hello #cringe culture is dead #Youtube

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stevenonschool7257 · 8 months

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The Wonder of the hidden genre of Music

Hello People !

This is my first blog :D well this is supposed to be a school project.

Originally this blog is supposed to be about hobbies, but one of my hobbies is listening to music so, In this blog i will be talking about Music, more specifically the less known genre of music.

First of all, we all probably wonder, what is music ? well music is a combination of tones that if combine make a rhythm, melody, and harmony. Music have a lot of genre some example are pop, rock, jazz, hip hop, country, rap, lo fi, EDM, K&J pop, etc. But if we go to the anti mainstream genre there are a lot, some example, Electro swing, Breakcore, Dariacore, Dubstep, Hardcore, Speedcore, Hyper pop, Riddim, Chiptune, Jersey Club, Vocaloid (if you even count that as a anti mainstream genre, or even a genre) etc.

As a guy that plays games a lot, i play a lot of games that use music as a core gameplay, specifically Rhythm games, well the song i just listed as the "anti mainstream" genre, it have a big community for it, but for the people that is more into the well known genre like K-POP, J-POP, POP, Rap, and other more genre, you may have never heard of these genre, and for some of you people that have heard of these genre, and even know lesser known genre, well tbh i'm just listing some less known genre, not like Math rock , or Black MIDI music.

I'm gonna talk about 3 genre which is Dariacore, Hyper pop, and Speedcore.

Dariacore Dariacore was originally started by the artist Jane Remover (leroy/c0ncernn), Jane accidentally made the genre "dariacore" because using her online persona "c0ncernn" which is named after the TV show "Daria" , this genre a lot of people says its a chaotic genre, using influenced by genre like Breakcore, EDM, etc. Dariacore refrence alot of meme sounds, and pop music from other artist, Dariacore use the combination of bass, and synths. The snares used in dariacore music are usually modified to make it a very different sound then what a snare usually sound like. Artist that use dariacore are c0ncernn, xaev, gingus, ta1lsd0ll, etc. Some example of Dariacore music by c0ncernn are, "...During pride month?", "ricky bobby", "will work for food", "virginity rockstar", "copyright my fucking nuts", etc.

Hyper pop Hyperpop is a similar genre to Electronic music, it was originated in the UK at 2010, the first artist that used hyperpop is A. G. Cook. Hyperpop wasn't a real genre it wad supposed to be called PC music, but spotify invented the name of the genre. you may know the genre hyperpop from SugarCrash! By ElyOtto, it was a popular song at 2020 as i remember getting the attention from tiktok. Hyperpop usually sounded like brash synth melody, autotune earworm vocals, and distortion, the first song using PC music (Hyperpop) genre is BIPP in 2013. Hyperpop is a unique type of genre, some artist that use hyperpop are A. G. Cook, Glaive, Ericdoa, 100 gecs, ElyOtto, Charli XCX, Kero Kero Bonito, etc. Songs example from hyperpop are Prism by monty.pk, heather by glaive & ericdoa, hand crushed by a mallet by 100 gecs, SugarCrash! By Ely Otto, Beautiful (2023 edit) by A. G. Cook, Haunted by Laura Les, whiplash by 2hollis, etc.

Speedcore Speedcore is a genre similar like the Hardcore genre, its an electronic music but with a twist which is high tempo and forceful theme, the first ever speedcore song that explored to the higher BPM was "Thousand" by Moby with 1,015 BPM it was created in 1992. Usually speedcore songs uses 200+ BPM, speedcore sound like a mixture of fast tempo, aggresive beat, uses samples and vocals, and distorted sound. Speedcore are usually found on Rhythm games like osu, beatmania IIDX, Beat Saber, etc. some well known speedcore artist are Camellia/Cametek, Kobaryo, kurokotei, DJ Sharpnel, The Quick Brown Fox (Emma Essex), DJ Myosuke, m1dy, Goreshit, LAUR, etc. Speedcore songs usually barley have any vocal you could say its like an ost for a game or something else. Some of speedcore songs i enjoy are, Exit This Earth's Atomosphere by Camellia, POLYBIUS GB SPEEDRUN -Glitchless 100% WR in 0:03:57 by Camellia, Serious Shit by The Quick Brown Fox, Scattered Faith by Kurokotei, Freedom Dive by xi, Sendan Life (katagiri Bootleg) remixed by katagiri, etc.

Well that's all I want to share from my knowledge of music genre, sorry if there is confusing stuff, or a miss spelling from me. Thanks for reading :D

#music

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troutfishinginmusic · 5 years

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Interview: John Galm (Bad Heaven Ltd.) talks Twin Peaks

John Galm (Bad Heaven Ltd., Snowing, SLOW WARM DEATH, Street Smart Cyclist) loves Twin Peaks. I love Twin Peaks. He has a new Bad Heaven Ltd. record out called Strength. He did a good interview about the album here. Instead of going over the standard questions about the album, I wanted to get his thoughts on the new season of Twin Peaks.

But first I wanted to include the text from an Instagram post Galm made about the album that gives some insight into his deeply affecting new album.

Over the past few years, I've been writing a lot more from these series of disparate memories, where I take images from my past and create these new scenarios based around them. For Strength, I kept coming back to this one image, of evening on pine street in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, the town where I went to college and spent four difficult years. After high school, a lot of my friends went off to cities and were enjoying the culture and experiences they provide for folks fresh out on their own for the first time. I was stuck in the middle of farmland, still reeling from the death of my dad a year prior and struggling to relate to anything and anyone around me. I felt alien; isolated, and it's a feeling that’s stuck with me for many years. When these songs started coming to me, I'd see Pine Street, and the old house where some of my only friends lived draped in orange streetlights, and I’d imagine a world where I had someone, that type of friend you have an irrefutable connection with, to sift through the darkness with. For years, I felt like my years in Kutztown took something from me. I took my inability to feel OK there as a personal defeat; as something fundamentally wrong with myself. I know now, almost a decade removed from it, that that's bullshit. In a way, Strength was a way for me to reconcile with this thing that I haven't known how to: A time of great confusion where I couldn't find the comfort and support I needed in the place I was stuck in. To go back and re-see these streets knowing that what I needed wasn't there and to re-imagine how it'd feel if it had been, in its own odd way, helped me heal.

Now here’s my awkward attempt at talking about season 3 of Twin Peaks and being out-nerded by John Galm. I’ve changed the format to go with my style for the blog. Other than that, I left things mostly as they were in our conversation via Facebook Messenger.

What did you think of the split of the Dale Cooper character?

I took the split Dales a lot like how I took the rest of the season. I remember staying up until 2 finishing the first four episodes the night they premiered and being so utterly confused by the tone of the show. The vibe had obviously changed, which I don't think anyone was expecting, but that's David Lynch. He's an artist that trusts his vision and follows where it takes him, which I respect. Once I realized that, I just let the show sweep over me and rolled with the punches.

Having the split Coops was a necessary thing with how season two ends, and Kyle Maclachlan did a masterful job. I have no idea how he wasn't even nominated for an Emmy. All three roles (four if we count the tonal shift from Coop to Richard) really touched on these almost ingrained, primal human qualities that made each so unique, and again, Kyle MacLachlan played them so perfectly. To watch him as Mr. C and a scene later see Dougie Jones didn't even seem like the same actor. Was it all good? No. Dougie was a lot to handle, but I think with a lesser actor, it would've been unbearable.

I found myself typing out all the stuff I thought about it too but realized that'd probably make for a shit interview. I totally agree with those assessments though. Anyway, what did you make of the room with the portal? That whole thing was interesting to me. A lot of pieces of the season feel like they could be short David Lynch films. Episode 8 with the bomb definitely could have been.

Which portal room are you referring to, specifically? There were a lot of portals to be honest.

Yeah I didn’t even think of that but yeah there are. I was thinking of the part where the guy was just paid to sit and watch the glass box.

Ah right. It's hard to say. I think the later implication is that Mr. C was the mystery financier of that room, but I could be wrong. I know Lynch left a lot of those sort of details hidden, probably so that we could have conversations like this one. And honestly, it's been a bit of time since I've re-watched season three, which is on my to do list for the next few weeks.

I think it makes sense that if Mr. C was financing the room, he was either trying to capture Cooper to keep him from returning to our world, or he was trying to capture the creature that arrived (known as the experiment in Twin Peaks lore). Either way, it makes sense: Mr. C was literally evil incarnate; the complete inverse of our Cooper. Harnessing literal, pure evil seems like pretty reasonable task, and one that would've provided an already powerful creature with even more power.

Also, my god, I fucking love this show.

Well that certainly makes sense if it's true. It's definitely going to give me some new perspective when I watch it again. What was your take on Audrey's storyline?

Audrey’s storyline was a tough one. I know it disappointed a lot of people, including Sherilyn Fenn. There are some really interesting elements to it, though. There’s that now famous scene, the Monica Bellucci dream, where she talks about living inside a dream. I think that is a larger element to the overarching narrative of the season, and I think it plays out largely in what we see of Audrey. I mean, it’s hard to talk about all the elements, but Audrey led a traumatic life after season two, and I think the scenes we see of her are she’s created to escape it. Where it gets interesting for me, though, is thinking about, well, if Audrey is living within a different plane of thought, what else is taking place there? What other scenes from the show are also a product of this reality in which Audrey finds herself in? I know a lot of people were confused by these Roadhouse scenes where characters discussed people and events we hadn’t heard of before. Maybe they’re all in Audrey’s head? maybe we were seeing a lot more of Audrey before we knew we were.

Also, the end of episode 16 where she snaps out of one reality and into another was one of the most terrifying and intriguing moments of the whole show for me. I absolutely loved that.

What was your take on the score and the more song-based soundtrack?

I think the more song-based soundtrack was kind of a neat touch. the original soundtrack had such an impact on so many musicians, and you could really see that in a lot of the bands they chose to work with.

I actually listen to the season three soundtrack quite a bit, as well as the companion piece that Dean Hurley released. What I find most fascinating about the season is how sound really plays a role in the events. Oftentimes, you'll get these long expanses without background composition, which, for television, is very rare. It elevates those moments when suddenly a song hits, or there's whispers of static, that break you from this almost monotonous pacing and thrust your mind into hyper drive.

Did the new season work its way into influencing the new Bad Heaven Ltd. stuff in any way?

It's hard to say. David Lynch is one of my favorite artists across any medium, so his influence is always prevalent in what I do. I think that, in general, being a fan of his allows you to think outside the box and try things that may not be so conventional, which I employed on this record for sure.

Do you think season 3 put a good cap on the whole series since it doesn’t seem like there will be more seasons?

A good cap may not be the right way of putting it, but season 3 gave us so much more of a world that a lot of people spent the last few decades speculating about. And while it provided some answers, it gave us so much more to ponder and dream about. For that, I think we should be forever grateful.

You can download Bad Heaven Limited’s new album Strength here

#Twin Peaks #bad heaven ltd.#john galm #snowing #street smart cyclist #slow warm death

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promisesvt · 7 years

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The Missing Piece

|| College! Jihoon AU

|| fluff, angst ???

|| Jihoon x Reader

|| Word Count: 1794

||Chapter One || Chapter Two || Chapter Three

Summary: You are an art major in college and you’ve always gotten along well with others and worked as hard as you could which rewarded you with a streak of Straight A’s. Jihoon is by far the best music major in the school, which unfortunately you attended with him. You spent your years without ever running into him, but what happens when you finally meet the hot-tempered producer after an unlucky encounter? Even worse, what happens when you get paired up with this irascible person?

You haven’t even been awake for that long and your day had already felt ruined. You lingered where that hot-tempered boy had left you for a few seconds longer before dragging yourself to your first class, but not before angrily throwing away the half empty cup of coffee, that you held in your hand, in the nearest trash can.

Your mind was polluted with the thoughts of that guy from earlier that you had completely forgotten that you were in a rush to your class which you were now almost 45 minutes late to.

“If I ever see his face again I swear I’ll,”

A honey like yet familiar, exasperating voice cut you off.

“You’ll what?” you turned around to see the rude coffee boy with that obnoxious smirk sitting on his face as he looked you straight in the eyes and let out a small chuckle.

You had started thinking of what to say back to him but your anger beat you to it and words started flowing out of your mouth with no permission from you.

“Great! This is just great! You’re following me to class now? Don’t you have a place to get to? Like I don’t know, far away from here?”

“Can’t be that far from here. We’re on the same college campus.” His voice held a sarcastic tone. You couldn’t believe it, he actually seemed to be enjoying this. He had just met you and he already enjoyed making you angry.

“So why are you here? Did you come to pour more coffee on me?”

“Actually, I came to take you to the classroom.” he pushed open the door of your regular class to reveal a bunch of empty seats. “The music and the art teacher are planning something and sent me to get you.”

“H-how..?”

“They were calling attendance and were wondering where you were since apparently you had never missed a day of school before. One of the art majors said they saw me with you this morning so they told me to find you and bring you to the correct classroom.”

He didn’t spend any more time standing there after explaining and started walking to class. He may be short but boy can he walk fast. You were practically running to keep up with him.

You filled your thoughts with the information you’ve gathered about coffee guy.

“So, he’s a music major. He seems pretty cocky so he’s probably good at it. Guessing from his looks and the way he dresses he’s around my age. And one thing I know for sure, he’s irritating and obnoxious.”

A hand was being waved in front of you which brought you back to reality. “Hello? Earth to ugly, coffee spilling, phone girl.”

“Excuse me? Did you just call me ugly?” He brushed off your question and pushed open the door, “We’re here.”

“Ah, Jihoon, you seemed to have found our lost puppy. Thank you for leading them to class.” he simply nodded his head and moved towards an empty seat in the back of the room.

“So… his name is Jihoon.” you added that to the few things you knew about this boy, and although you already despise him, it added to your curiosity. You wondered what else there was to know about him. However, you would much rather stay curious then have to stick by the vexatious person.

You scanned the room before finding your best friend Areum and making your way to her.

“Oh my god, dude! You were with Jihoon? When did this become a thing? Why didn’t you tell me? Why aren’t you sitting with him? When did you guys meet? How many dates have you gone? You know he’s the hottest of the hot and he’s a great musician, right?” Areum was always a hyper and energetic person and she loved gossip and such so you weren’t surprised that she bombed you with questions as soon as you sat down.

“Woah, woah, Areum. Slow down. We’re not a thing. We met this morning when he spilled coffee all over me,” you stretched out your jacket to show her the stain as proof that you weren’t lying, “He’s a crazy jerk. I rather die before I ever go on a date with him. And please, hot? Definitely not.” You told her everything honestly. Well, almost honestly. You had to admit, he was pretty attractive.

“What do you mean he’s not hot? Have you gone to the eye doctor recently?” You laughed but before you could answer one of the professors started talking.

“So, although it’s an hour late and we only have about half an hour left of class,” Professor Kim looked at you in a teasing manner as you smiled guiltily and mouthed the word sorry to him, “We’d like to explain why both of our classes are here. Don’t stress too much today since we’ll only be explaining and won’t be starting our project until next week.”

You and Areum both looked at each other and smiled widely. Since you were both art majors your projects were usually very fun and you always anticipated them.

“So, since only half the class knows us we’ll introduce ourselves. I’ll start first since I’m already talking,” Professor Kim and some other students let out a small laugh, “I’m Professor Kim and I’m the professor for the advanced art majors, which tend to be upperclassmen with a few exceptions.”

“And I’m Professor Park. I’m in charge of the music department. More specifically the advanced music production class.”

“So are you gonna tell us why we’re all here or what?” Areum’s abrupt comment gained the class’ laughter including the professors’.

“Yes, Areum. We were getting to that.” Professor Kim answered, still chuckling.

“We took our top classes and decided to do a collab project,” Professor Park started explaining. There were a few “Oooo’s” escaping the mouths of excited students from both classes.

“The art students will create a painting and the music students will produce their own songs,”

“Isn’t that what we normally do?” Areum blurted out once more which caused a second round of laughter.

“Hold on, Areum. There’s a catch. The painting and the music must be able to flow together and tell some kind of story. However, you cannot draw anything too specific and the music majors cannot put lyrics into the songs.”

Areum had her head buried in her notebook as she wrote the directions down word for word and started writing ideas on the side of her paper. As she started finishing up her writing Professor Kim lifted up his hand, holding up the number three and started counting down with his fingers. Just as his hand became a fist Areum looked back up at the professors and asked another question.

“So how are we picking the partners?” Professor Kim and Professor Park both smiled at each other as a reaction to Professor Kim’s accurate countdown.

“Glad you asked,” Professor Park smiled brightly at Areum, “You’re not. We are.”

The classroom filled with a disappointed “Aw”, as all the students looked at their friends in the opposite class from theirs. By the look in their eyes you would think that they had just broken up with their significant other on their 100th day anniversary.

“Now, pay close attention because we’re only naming the partners once.” The room quieted down as the students eagerly awaited to hear who they were assigned with.

You looked to your side to see Areum with her hands pressed together and her eyes closed tightly.

You giggled quietly and leaned towards her, “What are you doing, Areum?” you whispered.

Keeping her eyes closed and her hands together she whispered back, “I’m praying to be paired with that gorgeous angel in the back of the room.”

You had almost forgotten that Jihoon was there. You looked back to observe him. He seemed like he couldn’t care less about this project. He was writing something down in the notebook in front of him.

“Maybe he’s writing down ways he could be a better person and not such an a-” Your thoughts were interrupted again by Areum’s teasing as she poked you repeatedly on the arm.

“I thought you said he was a crazy, unattractive jerk.”

You smiled and rolled your eyes at her, “He is. I was just thinking about how unlucky the person who he’s paired with is gonna be.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” she giggled. You shook your head at her and lightly pushed her.

“Let’s just listen for our names, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. But lemme tell ya, whoever he gets partnered with is so lucky. He’s a great producer. Probably best this school has ever had. I’ve even heard that he’s helped write and produce songs for idol groups!”

You chortled and returned your attention to the professors.

“Song Areum and Kim Minhyuk,” Professor Park called out.

“Ooooo,” Areum shimmied slightly, “I got a cute boy!”

You loved your best friend but sometimes she was a little too crazy for you. Boy crazy to be precise.

“Mr. Jeon Wonwoo and Miss Laurel,” Professor Park named another pair.

You looked over to see a group of rowdy boys whistling and cheering on their friend. “Yo, Wonwoo! You got the cute foreign girl!”

Laurel looked over at the boys, blushing slightly and Wonwoo quickly shut his friends up and even hit a few on the arm and leg. You could see a twinkle in his eyes as he shyly smiled at Laurel.

“Them,” Areum pointed at Laurel and Wonwoo, “their love is blooming. They’re gonna be such a cute couple.”

You didn’t doubt it. Areum was psychic when it came to love and relationships. She could always guess who was going to be a couple and what type of couple they would be and sometimes even how they would break up.

“Kim Soohyun and Park Jaehyun. Lee Bora and Jeon Nari.” you listened to the rest of the partners being listed. The other students started getting up and introducing themselves to one another if necessary and the others were so excited they had already begun planning their projects.

“Last but not least, (L/N)(F/N), and Lee Jihoon.”

You froze in your spot.

“Oh god no, this can’t be happening.” Areum looked at you, her eyes as wide as baseballs. She shook your shoulders excitedly “Oh my god, (Y/N)! You’re so lucky! Oh my gosh!” She was out of her seat jumping up and down squealing now.

You turned around in your seat to face your newly made nemesis. He had that stupid, undeniably attractive smirk on his face. He got up and walked over towards where you were sitting, neither of you breaking eye contact.

“Hey… partner.”

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amanharwara · 4 years

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Aman's Top 10 Albums of the Year 2019

2019 saw the release of many a music projects, many of which I gave a listen to. Of all the releases I was able to give a listen to, there were some that I liked, some that I didn’t. Here are 10 of those projects from the year which I enjoyed a lot.

Do note that the ordering of the list is not rock-solid. What record I’m enjoying more than the others, changes often depending on my mood. Also, you might notice that most of the albums here are hip-hop albums, and that’s because hip-hop is the genre that I mostly listen to. That, by the way, does not mean I don’t listen to any other genre. I try and listen to music of any genre I’m presented with. If I like it, then I like it, and if I don’t, I don’t.

I’ve created this list based on what new projects from 2019 I enjoyed the most. This is just my opinion. I haven’t ordered the list by any quantifiable measures; it’s just based on enjoyment. That’s because I don’t think it’s fair to rate music objectively. Everybody’s taste in music differs, and not everybody will agree with each other’s picks. Anyways, I hope you find something here that you might like.

https://amanharwara.xyz/blog/2019/12/25/Aman-s-Top-Albums-of-the-Year-2019/

uknowhatimsayin¿

Next up is the latest record from acclaimed Detroit rapper Danny Brown. uknowhatimsayin is a much more lenient record than Danny's previous works. The contents of this album aren't as extreme and dark as his previous record, Atrocity Exhibition. The run-time of the album is just 34 minutes running throughout 11 songs. Danny has taken a much more laid-back approach rather than having the album be concept-driven. Songs on the album aren't as punchy and hard-hitting like his previous works, either. However, that should not deter you from listening to this album at all. This is still a pretty solid hip-hop album to listen to, with production from some legendary producers like Q-Tip and Flying Lotus, and features from the likes of JPEGMAFIA and Run The Jewels.

Fav Songs: Change Up, 3 Tearz, Savage Nomad, Negro Spiritual

Schlagenheim

Schlagenheim is the debut album by London-based experimental rock band black midi. It's hard to put this album into specific boxes because the album manages to create an amazing mixture of multiple styles of music. Listening to the album, you really can't expect what are you going to experience next in terms of the style. The album doesn't conform to ordinary and traditional song structures. It is jam-packed with different grooves and a lot of tempo changes, constantly throwing you off the hook of what you'll expect the music to be. It is very dense and well-composed. Very much recommend to give this album a listen. Especially if you like genres like math rock and noise rock, you will definitely get a kick out of this album.

Fav Songs: 953, "Near DT, MI", Years Ago, Ducter

Hiding Places

billy woods and producer Kenny Segal join to bring the first album of woods' since the 2017 release, Known Unknowns. billy woods' style of rapping is pretty unique to him; his tone is kind of monotonous, and his delivery walks a fine line between rap and spoken word poetry. His lyrics have a coat of grittiness and are very cryptic, often layered with a dark sense of humour and heavy cynicism. He doesn't hesitate to commentate cynically on our society, pointing out to us that we live in sick, twisted world. This record is much more close and personal to Billy. On it, he manages to reveal a lot of interesting stories, while somehow still being very private and hidden in the shadows. Give it a listen if heavy-hitting, dark, depressive cynicism doesn't scare you. Amazing album.

Fav Songs: Spongebob, Houthi, A Day in a Week in a Year, Crawlspace

Caligula

Caligula is the latest album by Kristin Hayter, also known by her stage name, Lingua Ignota. The album is an unsettling, ominous amalgam of genres and musical styles like noise, industrial, opera and classical music. Listening to this album is an uncommon experience that you will most not likely encounter listening to something else. To call this experience tormenting would be understating it. However, that is not a downside of the album. The album has a very dark, tortured atmosphere; it crawls under your skin. It expresses anguish and agony in full power from the heart of an abuse survivor, tackling the life as an survivor. It is by no means an easy listen, quite the opposite actually. If you can get through the album, it won't disappoint you.

Fav Songs: DO YOU DOUBT ME TRAITOR, MAY FAILURE BE YOUR NOOSE, DAYS OF TEARS AND MOURNING, SPITE ALONE HOLDS ME ALOFT

Infest The Rats' Nest

Infest The Rats' Nest is King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s 15th studio album. The album is heavier and more intense than anything else the band has done in the past, with the band citing influences from artists such as Metallica, Slayer, and Rammstein. On Infest the Rat's Nest, the band go full metal. The first half of the album is set in the near future and is about the current situation of humanity, especially ecological disaster. The B-side is a mini-concept album telling the story of a group of rebels who are forced to leave Planet Earth and try to settle on Venus. On the album, the band criticizes human society for the destruction of civilization and the environment. While the album is good enough even just to rock out, it has a very nice concept behind it that will definitely enhance your listen if pay attention.

Fav Songs: Perihelion, Mars For The Rich, Planet B, Superbug

Guns

Detroit rapper Quelle Chris released his latest solo project this year, Guns. On the album, Chris explores gun usage in black communities and how it affects them. He also examines how skin color is weaponized, and how communities can govern their relationships to firearms. On songs like "Spray and Pray" he depicts how people can get trapped in the cycle of gun use and it is impossible to get out of such a lifestyle. Chris is an incredibly proficient lyricist. So, if you're a fan of lyrical hip-hop, then this album is definitely a must-listen for you. The album takes musical influences from various styles of rap from different areas. These include West Coast rap on songs like "Mind Ya Bidness", early-90's RZA-style production on "It's the Law", "Wild Minks" and more. A very good album and I would definitely recommend this to hip-hop heads.

Fav Songs: Guns, Mind Ya Bidness, Straight Shot, Obamacare

H.A.Q.Q.

H.A.Q.Q. is the fourth studio album by American black metal band, Liturgy. One way to describe this album easily would be to call it simply, as the band themselves do, "transcendental black metal". The band themselves also describe this album as the "most vulnerable record for Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, addressing anger and struggles around mental health, sexuality, and religion." I don't have much to say about the record other than the fact that I enjoyed it very much. This album might not be for everyone, but do give it a try.

Fav Songs: VIRGINITY, PASAQALIA, GOD OF LOVE, HAQQ

Bandana

Bandana is the second album by the Madgibbs duo, with Freddie handling the rap side and Madlib handling the production like always. Fans are divided between both albums, with some saying that Pinata is better and some saying that the newer one is better. I, personally, prefer this one. Madlib's beats still have the flavour of his signature production - off-kilter, eclectic beats, with skillful use of samples. Freddie's penmanship is still top-notch, with his signature street attitude. The chemistry between these two flourishes very much on this album. This is the best hip-hop album of this year, in my opinion.

Fav Songs: Palmolive, Crime Pays, Fake Names, Giannis

There Existed An Addiction To Blood

There Existed an Addiction to Blood is the third studio album by American hip hop group clipping. Clipping described There Existed an Addiction to Blood in a press release as a "transmutation of horrorcore," continuing that it "absorbs the hyper-violent horror tropes of the Murder Dog era, but re-imagines them in a new light: still darkly-tinted and somber, but in a weirder and more vivid hue." There Existed an Addiction to Blood absorbs the hyper-violent horror tropes of the Murder Dog era, but re-imagines them in a new light: still darkly-tinted and somber, but in a weirder and more vivid hue. The album is quite gruesome at points. I enjoyed the album a lot and you might, too.

Fav Songs: Nothing is Safe, Story 7, Run for Your Life, La Mala Ordina

All My Heroes Are Cornballs

And finally, the best album of the year according to me, is "All My Heroes Are Cornballs" by the one-and-only JPEGMAFIA. All My Heroes Are Cornballs, is Peggy’s third studio album, following up his critically-acclaimed 2018 sophomore album, Veteran. After the release of the aforementioned Veteran, Peggy recorded around 93 songs for the next project which he whittled to about 18 songs, adding up to the runtime of 45 minutes. There's a lot more singing on this record than his previous record, which I don't think is necessarily a bad thing. But, the quality of singing is really lacking on some of the songs which end up sounding really annoying. Most of the record contains Peggy's signature glitch-hop beats which are very fun to listen to. However, due to their glitchy nature, this record might not really be a listen for hip-hop traditionalists. I, for one, enjoyed this album a lot and even though I don't think that this is the best hip-hop album of the year, it definitely is the best album of the year for me.

Fav Songs: "Jesus Forgive Me, I'm A Thot", Beta Male Strategies, Free the Frail, BasicBitchTearGas, Thot Tactics

#music #lists #top10 #jpegmafia #clipping #freddie gibbs #madlib #quelle chris

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tjd-art · 5 years

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My Top 10 Albums of 2018

Here are my top albums of 2018! This was a tough year. Here are my honorable mentions: Light Years - Afterlife, mewithoutYou - [Untitled], Like Pacific - In Spite of Me)

10. Basement - Beside Myself (favorite tracks: Slip Away, Nothing Left, Reason for Breathing) A lot of artists in Basement's style have gone a little too bland and spaced out for my taste, but Basement might've even gotten a bit more energized on this one. It's the same grungy sound with some softer cuts thrown in, as it tends to go with every Basement record. While not every song sticks with me on this record, it makes #10 on my list for having some of the most exciting and tuneful rock songs of the year on this record. Slip Away, Nothing Left, and Reason for Breathing are Basement with the energy turned to their maximum, and I'd love to hear more like that from them in the future. A shout-out in particular to Reason for Breathing's 5/4 verses that work incredibly, and Slip Away's monster of a chorus.

9. Gouge Away - Burnt Sugar (faves: Subtle Thrill, Dis s o c i a t i o n, Ghost) The album cover for this has got to be one of my favorites of the year alone, with its wonderfully disturbing center image surrounded by bright pastel. Perhaps it describes the album enough, but I'll also say that the music here really makes you feel the anxiety creeping around the corner that its lyrics seem to get at. More than that, the album really was a breath of fresh air to me, as someone who's always looking for some noisy music, this satisfied that and more by being also incredible songwriting, and trying to do more than just be something to 2-step in the pit to. I also found out for writing this that this record was recorded on analog tape and wow, I think it really benefited from it, adding to that rawness of this record.

8. Jeff Rosenstock - POST- (faves: USA, Let Them Win, Yr Throat) Jeff Rosenstock really makes some of the best pop punk music right now. WORRY (his last record) was a masterpiece I found out about too late to place in my top 10 that year, but it would've placed high to say the least. Now I'm a closely-following fan for what he does next. But it was a surprise to me, and to all I assume when he dropped "POST-" on January 1st, 2018 out of nowhere. I woke up that morning to this news and it really felt like a good sign for the year to come. "USA" is still the best song off of this record to me, and one of the best songs I've heard all year, and it was literally the first song I heard in 2018. (Excluding "Mornin'" I guess?) Anyway, I like what I hear on POST-, it might not quite be WORRY, but it's great.

7. Hot Mulligan - Pilot (faves: Wes Dault Can't Find The Madison Falcon, How Do You Know It's Not Armadillo Shells?, There Was A Semi Fight On I-69) These boys from my home-state came out with a great record. I had never heard of them until I saw them open for Knuckle Puck in Lansing, and when they played "How Do You Know It's Not Armadillo Shells?" I was sold. (Before the record was out, no less, I had to wait to hear the studio version). So I bought the record, and was in no way disappointed. As a fan of your basic by the numbers emo-y pop punk, it didn't take much, but it exceeded my expectations and I loved it. For fans of the style of music, it's one to check out for sure.

6. Real Friends - Composure (faves: Composure, Unconditional Love, Get By) I always felt like Real Friends had a pretty good sound, but the songwriting just wasn't there. They seemed to be trying for a somewhat poppy, catchy sound like a lot of pop punk/emo acts go for, but the phrasing of their lyrics often felt awkward. I've loved them in spite of this, and often found it endearing. But with that said, I still find this album to be an improvement on all fronts. The lyrics flow better, the songs still have a lot of drive and emotion. They're the catchiest they've been, and at times the poppiest. But the songwriting is on point for them. Some could be upset when anything goes a bit poppier, but for me, it helped them, and as a result this album comes together nicely.

5. Daughters - You Won't Get What You Want (faves: Guest House, Long Road No Turns, The Flammable Man) This album is horrifying and disgusting and disturbing and agonizing. Those are all good things in this case. Very good things. For the longest time I've been wishing there was more music as harrowing as the best psychological horror films, music that messes with your head, makes you afraid to sleep. It's harder to do in audio form, maybe that's why there's less of it. Or maybe it's that most people might want music that doesn't induce panic attacks. All of this comes across as masterful to me, the way Daughters have carefully crafted a pathway through what the worst of human feelings feels like, but auditory. Some of the lyrics on here alone create an uncanny sense of uncertainty, cryptic in such a way that it's even more terrifying. I'm not positive what a lot of these tracks are about, but they terrify me all the same. Lyrics like "I've been knocking and knocking... let me in!" and one of my favorites: "Is something burning here or is it me?" Which I take to be purposefully sounding both like a simple question someone might ask if something was toasted too long, is something burning in here, or... is it just me? But also, perhaps morbidly, is something burning here, or is it literally me, burning? It's these kinds of uncertainties that add to all of the anxiety throughout the record. This is without mentioning the haunting dissonance throughout the whole record. It's good.

4. Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance (faves: I'm Scum, Danny Nedelko, Samaritans) I really feel like I've been missing out on some true, politically charged punk in my life. And the topics covered on this album feel like things that absolutely need to be heard, and topics that aren't covered enough and are incredible to hear in such an energized context. Idles really know how to say what they want to say, and in an often humorous was at that. It's refreshing to hear topics like toxic masculinity, immigration, xenophobia covered, and it's to some truly amazing music at that. And it's more than political, for example with the heartbreaking cut "June." This album took a few listens to hit me as hard as it did, but when it hit it hit hard.

3. The Story So Far - Proper Dose (faves: Proper Dose, Keep This Up, Out of It, If I Fall) The softer tracks don't totally sell me here, perhaps besides Upside Down. But if this entire album were as good as songs like "Keep This Up" this would be even higher. TSSF has always put out what, to my tastes, is some of the catchiest and most energizing pop punk music out there. They have these super exciting vocal melodies, great guitar tone, and occasionally unique time signatures and song structures. Any worries I had for this album went away when I heard all of those things return. There are irresistable and catchy vocal melodies like the chorus of "Proper Dose," just plain sick guitar tones like at the end of "Need to Know," and some of the unconventional time signatures like the 6/4 chorus of "Light Year." With their previous album I began to feel that TSSF wasn't evolving enough in their sound. With this record they finally did that, plus any spots where it sounds basically similar to their old sound, it's usually an improvement. And lyrically is where the album's sold to me even more. It started to get stale to hear nothing but anger and bitterness, and finally hearing some self-reflection and regret for actions is so refreshing for this band. The first 2 tracks on this album are fantastic examples of this, and are probably my 2 most listened-to songs of 2018.

2. The Wonder Years - Sister Cities (faves: It Must Get Lonely, Heaven's Gate, The Ghosts of Right Now, Pyramids of Salt) While, like the last album on this list, the softer cuts don't hit me as hard as some older TWY soft songs, the album as a whole flows well. Where No Closer to Heaven (which I love dearly) in my opinion had a skippable intro and an anticlimactic closer, Sister Cities has such a driving opener and a completely climactic close. I feel TWY has gone further down the reverby guitar laden and atmospheric stuff they started with on NCTH, and expanded on that sound nicely. The Wonder Years is one of my favorite artists of all time, so although it isn't my favorite album of theirs, it still succeeds in doing so much of what they've set out to do currently. Their music is incredibly dynamic, going from delicate softs to roaring louds. Their lyrics, while not as hyper-specific as they used to be, still show so much writing prowess with powerful imagery. The albums seems to want the listener to travel to these different cities with them, and I feel it succeeds, whether you're in Kyoto in the rain, or watching clementines fall into the street in England. I'm happy Sister Cities is a part of my favorite band's discography, and I'm excited to hear more and more from them, as always.

1. Tiny Moving Parts - Swell (faves: Wildfire, Caution, Smooth it Out, Whale Watching, Warm Hand Splash) It was January 2018, the beginning of the year, sitting in my room listening to Swell that I was continuously stopped, my attention grabbed, flabbergasted at how consistently good this album was. TMP was not at the time one of my favorite artists. I liked them enough to pay attention, and the lead single "Caution" was good enough to check the album out, but I never expected this to hit me so hard. I kept thinking that this had to be album of the year, with still 11 full months to go, what could top it? And it turns out nothing did. There's a mood that permeates through this whole album, where even when the lyrics are expressing some deep anxiety or sadness, there's a beauty in life itself. I guess it album cover (that I now hang on my wall) says enough, a hand with some stitches, its pinky chopped off, still giving a cheesy hang-loose sign, to me saying "looks like I've been through a lot huh? Still think life's kinda swell." And I like that. The cover makes me feel nice. The music makes me feel nice. There's a lot here I could see being not for everyone, and it doesn't exactly reinvent the emo wheel, but it's some well crafted tunes in the genre. There's this energy that never quits, there's not a total dud song on the album, and that mood that it reeks of makes it over to me too. I think it's pretty swell.

That's it.

#top 10 #2018 #mine #top 10s #me

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swimintothesound · 6 years

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I Liked Them Before They Were Cool: A Portugal. The Man Discography Ranking

Within the last decade we’ve witnessed the rise of a new saying. A disgusting, insulting, and nasty set of words that are designed to provoke and disturb. Almost instantly, the phrase caught fire and took on a life of its own, infiltrating the popular lexicon within a matter of months. It’s a sentence I almost hesitate to write here, even as an example.

I liked them before they were cool.

Simultaneously a criticism, a concern, and a commentary, the loaded phrase triggers parties on both sides of itself. It’s one of the grossest, most overused, and hopelessly cliched sentiments to surface within the past decade of music fandom… Even still, I understand the mentality behind the cred-seeking statement.

While it’s commonly associated with hipsters and the indie elite, you can see the same attitude emerge any time a once-small underground artist hits critical mass and gains enough popularity to make a “mainstream transition.” In some cases (like Nirvana) this transition is out of even the artist’s hands. For fans though, liking an artist “before they were cool” is a concern that the artist will “sell-out” but also an attention-seeking claim in which the speaker is probing for recognition that they are “with it.” It’s simultaneously self-validation and a worry that money will eclipse purity in the heart of the artist.

It’s a double-edged sword because, yeah, any band’s goal is to gain more fans, sell more records, and play bigger shows. It is a career after all, and a hard one at that. Fans should want a band’s success and relish being a part of their rise, but at the same time, it’s also hard not to feel a little bit of ownership. After all, you’re part of the reason they’ve come this far. Your merch is a testament to your commitment. The ratty t-shirts from bygone tours proving unequivocally that you’re no fairweather fan.

Meanwhile, the band that you once felt an intimate relationship with is now on the radio every hour, perched dominantly atop the charts, being lip-synched on Jimmy Fallon, and a staple of every Millennial's “Chill Vibes” Spotify playlist. It’s easy to see how this dichotomy can evoke contradictory emotions within even the most devoted fan.

A bit of a pivot, but (if I were a sports guy) I would guess that this is what it feels like to see your team make it to the playoffs. You’re happy for their success, and you’re absolutely rooting for them, but there’s also a suspicious number of “diehard” fans that seem to have come out of the woodwork. Where were you all last year when we were the underdogs getting our asses kicked? Suddenly the fanbase that you once identified with (or even built your personality around) is now comprised of people that you don’t recognize or actively dislike. If they aren’t as religiously devoted as you, so how can you even relate?

If it wasn’t evident by the title of this article or the Miley Cyrus-laden lip synching clip, I’m talking specifically about Portugal. The Man. The Alaskan-born, Portland-based rock band has reached absolutely astronomical heights this year following the crossover success of Woodstock their eighth LP.

Detailed in this post, Portugal. The Man has been in my life for nearly a decade at this point. Their first release served as one of a half-dozen albums that opened me up to the world of indie music back in high school, and the band has been a fundamental force in both my musical and artistic taste ever since. At the time of writing, various Portugal. The Man albums have been the soundtrack to nearly half of my life, which seems grandiose, but I say without hesitation.

I consider myself lucky to have been a fan of Portugal. The Man from the beginning, and watching their rise in 2017 has been nothing short of extraordinary. Their breakout hit “Feel It Still” has gone platinum, charted in every country under the sun, and most recently made history as rock’s biggest crossover hit in five years. On top of this commercial success, the song has also seen literal commercial success (multiple times), soundtracked trailers, and been remixed to high-heaven. At this point, “sensation” is almost under-selling it.

It’s easy to see why “Feel it Still” has seen such success; the song is groovy, unique, and dancy as all get-out. At a certain point, I began to wonder why it’s taken P.TM this long to chart because “Feel It Still” is far from their best or most catchy song. Yet since it’s release in early 2017, the single has become a cultural landmark that’s sent the band on a path to the pop music stratosphere and forever cemented them as alternative rock mainstays.

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For six years straight Portugal. The Man worked diligently, releasing one album a year from their inception in the mid-2000’s. As if that output wasn't impressive enough, they also managed to challenge fans and themselves alike by switching up their style significantly from one record to the next. While the band flew under the mainstream radar for the most part, P.TM still managed to garner a devoted following over time. Year after year, album after album, the band slowly began expanding their fan base, touring, and cutting their teeth with a seemingly endless stream of creativity.

As a result, the Portugal. The Man’s discography is rich, complex, and rewarding to dive into. The band’s newfound success and proliferation has found me reflecting on their decade-plus history and (now) deep discography. For years you could find me online championing the band as having one of the “best discographies in indie rock, ” and I still stand by that statement to some degree. If anything, “indie rock” is probably the most questionable part of that claim, but we’ll get to that soon.

The band’s most recent press tour has found them questioning the same thing. Cemented by a hyper-self-aware t-shirt, Portugal. The Man has found themselves at a crossroads, now the center of debates about success, selling out, and the “pureness” of artistry. This isn’t a post about that. I may have already talked about it too much, but I’m not here to debate whether or not the band has sold out because either way, I liked them before they were cool. Just kidding.

No, this is a celebration. A chance to put this band’s fantastic work on a pedestal and explain why each record is wonderful on its own merits. There’s an argument to be made for each album’s greatness, and ranking them all was a legitimate challenge. At any rate, this is my definitive, official ranking of Portugal. The Man’s releases. Feel free to hash things out with me on (our brand new) Twitter, or just tell me which album your favorite is. Here’s to another decade of selling out!

9 - American Ghetto (2010)

For their fifth LP Portugal. The Man opted for an “Old Testament Approach” deciding to record American Ghetto in just ten days. Unfortunately, the brevity shows and ended up resulting in one of the band’s most forgettable albums. At this point in 2010 the band was still releasing one album a year, and (maybe I’m just projecting, but) American Ghetto ends up feeling more like rushed experimentation in order to meet a self-imposed deadline than a well-crafted album.

Even with this time crunch, the band still manages to strike some occasional gold. The glitchy hip-hop-infused opener “The Dead Dog” sets the tone of the album flawlessly, indicating that this album (like the ones before it) represented yet another pivot in the band’s sound. Mid-album cut “Do What We Do” is a luxuriant beat-driven track with a catchy group chant that inspires the listener to join in. Even better the album’s closer, “When The War Ends” is a simply undeniable song that remains one of the best in the band’s discography. The track’s joyful chorus will find you reverting to a childlike state of bliss as you belt out “I've got soulful days” without a care in the world. It ends up feeling more like a life-affirming mission statement than just another lyric. It’s a way to live life.

Despite these high points, the biggest sin that American Ghetto commits is familiarity. The middle of the album blends into one giant blur of drum and bass that ends up coming off as by-the-numbers. Looking back, the album served as a necessary stepping stone to their later more hip-hop-influenced work, and while it may not be the best in their discography, if AG’s shortened recording process gave the band more time for later albums on the list, then it was worth it. The record’s half-hour running time and spectacular closing track more than make up for its slightly-saggier middle.

8 - Woodstock (2017)

True to its name, Woodstock starts off with a sample of Richie Havens’ “Freedom,” the very first song to be played at Woodstock in 1969. Soon a booming (distinctly modern) bass and set of drums enter the mix, and John Gourley swaggers into frame with a set of dreary and world-weary lyrics. By the time the song’s outro rolls around the band seems to be back in high spirits, a perspective from which they’ll be singing for the remainder of the record.

Emerging after a four-year period of Soundcloud loosies, soundtrack contributions, and trickled singles, Woodstock is the product of the longest album gap in the band’s history. Although the group was far from silent during this four year period hype began to mount late in 2014. Initially teasing the name of their 8th LP as Gloomin’ + Doomin’, the group recorded most of an album under the supervision of the Beastie Boy’s Mike D, but eventually decided to scrap G+D and go back to the drawing board. What they came back with was Woodstock, an album featuring some of the most clean, crisp, and well-produced songs in the band’s repertoire.

Woodstock is far from the band’s most profound or obscure record in fact if we continue the “each album adopts a different genre” train of thought, Woodstock is the band’s straight-up pop effort. Bolstered by commercial-ready songs like “Live in the Moment” and the aforementioned “Feel It Still,” the album has elevated the band to new heights, inspired a thousand memes, and increased the band’s audience by ten-fold through sheer earwormy approachability.

There are a few moments that fall flat like an out-of-place verse from Fat Lip, some intentionally dumb songwriting, and a couple of roast-worthy lyrics on “Rich Friends,” but as a whole Woodstock hangs together as a strong pop outing from the boys in blue. If nothing else, this album is commendable for how well the group was able to craft an approachable smash hit like “Feel it Still” and still managed to scratch older fan’s need for something deeper and more psychedelic. It’s radio-ready but also artistically fulfilling. It’s a phenomenon. Full stop.

7 - Censored Colors (2008)

This is where things get interesting. I’ll admit I’m not the biggest fan of American Ghetto or Woodstock, but rather than blame it on the quality of those albums, I’d instead chalk it up to the absolutely staggering quality of the remainder of the band’s discography.

Censored Colors, Portugal. The Man’s third full-length marks the most effortless and full transition in the band’s entire discography. Building on the bluesy sound of their previous record, the group injected gobs of jazzy psychedelic instrumentation and first-person narratives, making for one of the most personal and impactful narrative pieces in their history.

The record’s jaw-dropping opening three track stretch showcases a newly-matured band that’s now honed to a fine point. Things kick off with the (surprisingly cheery) death meditation “Lay Me Back Down” and wind from the choral “Colors” towards the tender, smoldering “And I.” Censored Color’s opening 15 minutes serve as the perfect encapsulation of the expansive and kaleidoscopic odyssey that the listener is about to embark upon.

Later album cuts like “All Mine” and “1989” all bleed into each other seamlessly for a spellbinding medley that rivals the back half of Abbey Road. It’s a soulful expedition that ends up being a showcase for Gourley’s vocals and the band’s more jam-based experimental rock. It’s a record full of sound, life, and heart. Like a warm bowl of soup on a cold day, Censored Colors is guaranteed to light your fire and heat your soul.

6 - It's Complicated Being a Wizard (2007)

In case the cover didn’t tip you off, It’s Complicated Being a Wizard is Portugal. The Man’s tripped-out attempt at their own Kid A. Recorded in the wake of the band’s first record, this self-described “mini album” began as Gourley tinkering with vocals laid over electronic beats. Eventually, the project snowballed and ballooned to a 23-minute running time (a sly reference to Michael Jordan’s tenure with the Washington Wizards), and the songs evolved from scraps and sketches into an official EP.

While Gourley’s distinct vocals remain prominent throughout, Wizard stands alone as the only P.TM record that’s largely devoid of any traditional instrumentation. As if the curveball of a primarily-electronic release wasn’t enough, Wizard also came with an additional conceptual wrinkle: the record was designed to be listened to twice in a row. The track listing is comprised of ten songs, featuring one single 23-minute song followed by an identical stretch of 9 smaller tracks that are just the first one broken up.

Just as the cover would suggest, Wizard is an album comprised of peaks and valleys. There are long, dissonant stretches where the beat sounds like the number pad of an old phone. There are other parts where clicking glitchy claps are paired with a single desolate bass groove for minutes on end. Occasionally these lumbering experimental stretches explode into beautiful moments where the instrumentation, vocals, and ambient background noise all swell together, creating one singular moment of catchy well-polished beauty. And then, as soon as that moment emerged, the “band” falls away again and lets the electronic soundscape consume them.

It’s a lovely, short, and experimental EP that shows a band who’s not afraid to get weird, try new things, and “test” their fanbase. Though now knowing their propensity to shake things up, Wizard ends up coming off as the band’s “electronic” release. Little did we know it at the time, but this EP was just the first curveball in a series of never-ending unexpected pitches. A captivating, wandering, and endlessly-looping computerized treasure.

5 - Waiter: "You Vultures!" (2006)

Following the dissolution of Portugal. The Man’s post-hardcore predecessor Anatomy of a Ghost, John Gourley and Zachary Carothers left to start their own band. After a slew of demos and EPs the group we now know and love announced themselves to the world in 2006 with the release of their first album, the punctuation-abusing Waiter: "You Vultures!"

Still bearing many of the post-hardcore characteristics of the duo’s previous band, Waiter contains the most extensive array of sounds ever captured on any of P.TM‘s records. The sounds range from jazzy downbeat late-night tracks like “AKA M80 The Wolf”, to Mars Volta-esque prog rock on “Horse Warming Party”, and even some mosh-worthy Blood Brothers-like instrumentation on “Chicago.”

It’s a sight to behold, and the end result is a debut album that’s more fleshed-out and varied than anyone could have ever expected. It’s clear from the beginning that the band is already a well-oiled machine with a defined vision and an insatiable desire to achieve it. In a way, Waiter makes their later “pop” albums that much more impressive just because the band evolved from something this experimental and vast. As mentioned above, on top of the feat that is this album, Waiter was one of my gateway indie albums, and it will always have a special place in my heart just for that.

4 - Evil Friends (2013)

Back in 2013 hipsters and indieheads alike were sent reeling as Portugal. The Man announced that Danger Mouse would be producing their upcoming seventh studio album. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with Danger Mouse’s production style, it carries a very distinct sound that impresses itself on (or in some cases, eclipses) the band that’s being filtered through it.

Additionally, back in 2013 music fans found themselves wading through a sea of Danger Mouse-helmed records. Between Broken Bells and The Black Keys alone, many fans (myself included) found themselves experiencing “Danger Mouse Fatigue” around this time. Worried his production would homogenize, defang, or sap the life out of the typically-soulful Portugal. The Man, the worst outcome would be for the band to morph into “just another” radio act in a glut of similar-sounding late-2010’s alt-rock.

More importantly, (and pertinent to this article’s intro) Evil Friends marked the first time that a majority of fans worried the band was selling out. Danger Mouse production could only mean one thing: a grab for that sweet alternative radio money. While “Purple Yellow Red and Blue” did receive moderate success on the charts (and presumably queued the band up for their later success) it’s now clear that fan’s fears were unfounded for the most part.

While we were busy worrying that Portugal. The Man was trying to manufacture an overly-accessible album, the band busied themselves with birthing one of the best, tightest, and catchiest records of their entire career.

Released in June of 2013, just in time for summer, Evil Friends is front-to-back brilliance. In retrospect, the album undoubtedly represents a shift towards a more accessible sound, but it’s also a near-perfect marriage of the band’s more recent pop style and their earlier psychedelic leanings.

I’ll admit I went in with my guard up, but slowly, track by track, the album disarmed me. Eventually, my initial disappointment gave way to complete awe and utter reverence. With each listen I found myself savoring the record’s catchy tunes and sunny balladry. Every track is a stone-cold classic, but songs like “Holy Roller,” “Hip Hop Kids,” and the aforementioned “Purple Yellow Red and Blue” remain lively and infinitely singable, even after hundreds of listens.

Especially after the release of Woodstock, it’s clear that Evil Friends wasn’t the band’s “pop” album, but their “Danger Mouse” album. That is to say, it’s a (mostly) radio-friendly alternative rock album with an unmistakable production style that’s very tied to 2013. However, the most critical and most admirable thing is that the band managed to retain their identity. It’s easy to sell your soul for a radio hit, and it’s even easier when someone with a proven track record like Danger Mouse is behind the wheel, but on Evil Friends, Portugal. The Man harnessed DM’s powers and used them for good instead of evil.

Luckily for both parties, the band’s 2013 album ended up one of their best and most accessible albums with an immaculate 100% hit ratio. Every chorus is perfection. Every guitar strum is well-placed. Every word is singable. The whole record feels lived-in. While their early work felt natural and distinct like a hand-crafted piece of woodwork, Evil Friends feels like the polar opposite in the best way: it’s clean and sharp and sleek like a MacBook or a brand new car. It’s a marvel of a later-career work, and the band (and Danger Mouse) really made me and the other doubters eat crow. I really should have known better by this point.

3 - Church Mouth (2007)

Jumping from the band’s second most recent album back to their second ever album, Church Mouth is the band’s bluesy sophomore effort. Released just a year and a half after their debut, Church Mouth represents the first time Portugal. The Man worked their genre-pivoting magic on their fans. Going from the prog-fueled indie rock that we saw on Waiter to the jangly hard rock we hear on Church was quite a surprise to behold back in 2007.

The album opens with a single trebly guitar strum accompanied by one of the best opening lyrics to any record that I’ve ever heard: “Sell me, I'm a skeptical boy.” The following line comes with a cacophonous crash of cymbals, and then, just as Gourley blurts out the name of the record, every instrument whirs to top speed resulting in a groovy roar of fuzzed-out blues rock.

Things only get better from there with the bouncy “Sugar Cinnamon, ” and the summery “Telling Tellers Tell Me,” all of which make for an impossibly-great stretch of three songs at the top of the album that rivals that of Censored Colors.

Throughout this album the bass is cranked all the way up, the guitar is at its most jangly, Gourley is more distorted than we’ve ever heard him, and the drums sound absolutely Bonham-esque. The whole thing comes together to affect a bright, warm, summertime glow that imprints on the listener like an amber-coated childhood memory. The entire record is like a wide-open wheat field with a sun setting behind it. There’s a slight swaying motion to the whole thing that gently rocks the listener downstream for a blissful 43 minutes.

Midway through the back half of the record lies a song called “Children.” Slipped in unassuming as the Church Mouth’s 9th track, this song is, for my money, the best in the band’s discography and one of my favorites of all time. Featuring blistering guitars, a monumental riff, and some of Gourley’s most snarling and swagger-worthy lines, “Children” is the heaviest song Portugal. The Man has ever recorded. A borderline stoner rock with multiple heart-stopping fakeouts, “Children” is one of the band’s absolute best, and the rest of the record isn’t far behind.

2 - In The Mountain In the Cloud (2011)

I’ll admit after American Ghetto I was worried that I had grown out of Portugal. The Man. I’m glad that I gave In The Mountain In the Cloud a fair shake, because the album was, and probably still is the band’s most inventive, and innovative record to date. Brimming with sound and color, the album lures the listener in with “So American” a slowly-unwinding ballad of warmth, inclusivity, and happiness.

From there the band pulls out all the stops, utilizing every trick and every idea that they’ve ever conceived. Nearly every other song on In the Mountain features two halves, as if the band had so many different ideas that they couldn’t decide on one. As a result, we get an album that’s jam-packed with brilliant, bright, memorable ideas and standout moments. No second on this album is wasted. There’s never a stretch that repeats itself long enough to bore the listener because as soon as the band builds out one idea, they’re already off on the next. Each song has multiple distinct choruses, all of which are impeccable, and each of which I can call to mind just by reading the titles. That is a feat of songwriting and craftsmanship.

In The Mountain In The Cloud is a massive, swirling, trip that boasts wall-to-wall originality. As a whole it’s simply one of their most listenable, and easily-enjoyable records. It hangs together beautifully as an album, and there’s never a dull moment in its 44-minute running time. The cherry on top comes at the end with “Sleep Forever” Portugal’s gorgeous, heart-aching, existential magnum opus. It’s a synthesis, incorporation, and realization of every sound, topic, and style that the band has ever touched on. A slowly-building masterpiece that explodes with life. It’s flawless.

1 - The Satanic Satanist (2009)

Here we are at number one. I mean what can be better than ‘flawless’? Obviously I have a love in my heart for each of these records, and for the longest time In The Mountain actually was my favorite Portugal. The Man release, but within the past few years I’ve come back around to an album that I never thought I would: the group’s fourth LP The Satanic Satanist.

While In The Mountain represents an undeniable creative peak for the band, Satanist represents a near-inverse. It’s a record that manages to be incredibly original, wholesome, and wonderful, all within a traditional and understated way. There are no tricks on this album, no fancy electronic passages, no masturbatory solos, no grandiosity, and no gimmicks, only straightforward songs of love and life. It borrows heavily from the narrative approach of Censored Colors, takes a pinch of Church Mouth’s grooviness, and uses a just little bit of Waiter’s electronic elements. And more importantly, it also adds just enough originality to stand on its own.

The songs oscillate between explosive colorful sprints of joy and delicate personal intricacies. The final result is something that feels much like the album’s cover: a morphed representation of humanity that bleeds emotion and feeling like watercolor over an eggshell page.

Even better, the album was released alongside The Majestic Majesty, an acoustic accompaniment that reworks the entire LP in a more intimate, stripped-down setup. When performed acoustically, these songs only further reveal how well-written they are. They stand bare in front of the listener, stripped down to the essential components, and somehow, still manage to work just as well (if not better) than on the full album.

The fact that the band manages to pack all this into an airy 30-minute record is a testament to how far (and how fast) their songwriting has evolved. It’s a showcase for every member, every instrument, and every word. The messages shine through, the production is clean, and there’s a perfect balance of early psychedelia and grounded realism. Each song stands on its own, but also adds to the greater context of the album. It depicts a world fleshed out by the band over the course of years. A mythos in the making.

Every beat is a lush tapestry that pangs forward directly from the hearts of its performers. The Satanic Satanist is heartfelt and violent. Simultaneously weary and cheerful. An oceanic presentation of the human condition and what it means to grow up. It’s a mastercraft and achievement of the genre. It’s the culmination of everything that Portugal. The Man had learned, and everything they were about to learn.

Any way you split it, Portugal. The Man has an absolutely incredible discography. With albums that touch on every genre from electronic and post-hardcore to blues and pop, there’s something here for everyone. After seeing them live twice this year, my belief that they’re one of the best indie bands has only been solidified. Their approach to music is humbling and life-affirming. I can’t help but adore what they’ve created. These albums are nothing short of a gift to the world. The band has earned every ounce of their success, and we should consider ourselves lucky as a society to have such a spectacular music force in our midst.

Everyone is golden.

Thank you for everything.

#portugal. the man #Feel it still #indie rock #discography #ranking #waiter you vultures #it's complicated being a wizard #church mouth #censored colors #The Majestic Majesty #The Satanic Satanist #american ghetto #evil friends #woodstock #portland #alaska #music #john gourley #in the mountain in the cloud

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