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slexenskee · 10 months

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Running List of No Scrubs Albums

Because even I can't keep up with them anymore lol. I'll update it as I go. Also yes there are 6 official albums with 6 songs each... because Gojo is lame lol. And yes the acoustic albums are 5 songs... because he's extra lame

Spotify Playlist

update as of 09/18/23 bc I'm a f** scrub with commitment issues clearly

1. Thanks, I Hate it Here:

The 2nd album by release order, but first in chronological order of when they played them live. Yes, Gojo was feeling himself in his classic FOB phase real hard on this one lol. I find the evolution of FOB's discography IRL to be really fascinating, so I wanted to emulate it in the fic. This album is almost entirely FOB because Gojo realized flopping around bands and genres was difficult for the rest of his band, so he decided to first focus on one kind of ‘sound’ until they got used to playing together.

Critics will later call it a bit unpolished and juvenile in comparison to the refined sound, themes, and quality production of later albums, with it's younger and simpler narratives. Thematically it tends to resonate more with a younger crowd, which people accredit to Ru-kun's assumed age of writing at the time (late teens). In other words, it becomes the quintessential 'middle school glory days' playlist for an entire generation of No Scrubs fans.

A Loaded God Complex - (Sugar We're Going Down) FOB

Reinventing the Wheel to Run Myself Over - FOB

In Too Deep - Sum 41

Homesick at Space Camp - FOB

A Little Less Sixteen Candles - FOB

Dance, Dance - FOB

2. Good News For People Who Love Bad News

This was No Scrubs' first album ever released on a streaming platform, but it compromises songs more from their 2nd live setlist chronologically. A cult favorite amongst the fans, this album is fun and bratty with a combination of punchy pop punk lyrics, theatrical narratives, and catchy hooks that become unanimous with the band's dramatic flair. No Scrubs always had a rep as an underground alternative band with petty delinquent vibes, but this album definitely solidified them as the patron saint of all the edgy and misunderstood goth punks.

At this point the band had been together for a few years and Gojo definitely felt satisfied with the way the band was coming together and wanted to throw in some more famous mid 2000s pop punk bands into the mix.

Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner - FOB

I'm Not Okay (I promise) - MCR

In One Ear - Cage the Elephant

But It's Better if You Do - Panic!

I Write Sins not Tragedies - Panic!

Jesus of Suburbia - Green Day

3. Death Before Decaf

After playing up the 'pop' quite a bit in the last album, No Scrubs digs deep into some gritty grunge roots with their third album, full of noisy amped up rock anthems. Thematically it was considered their strongest album at the time of release, with intense vocals and lyrics covering dark and personal topics beneath the guise of their distinctive and iconic instrumental riffs. The juxtaposition between the catchy sing-along hooks and the depressing deeper meaning to the words made this album an instant classic. It remains a fan favorite of music critics for Ru-kun's scorchingly honest handling of raw and deeply personal themes like suicide, depression, and substance abuses. After the identities of the band members became public, it became a hotly debated album amongst No Scrubs fans, who consider it a cathartic outlet for a lot of the trauma that turned Ru-kun into a villain, but also a worrying one full of suicidal ideation, alcoholism, drugs, and child abuse.

On his part, Gojo was feeling nostalgic for his youth and felt it an affront that the likes of Nirvana and Weezer had never been experienced in the MHA universe. He gets asked about these songs a lot, specifically about Today, Semi-Charmed Life, and Say it Ain't So, which all seem to allude to a dark history. He often tells people Semi-Charmed Life is one of his favorite songs ever, which doesn't help matters, and also alarms several psychologists, who worry he's romanticizing what was clearly a very unhealthy time in his life.

My Own Worst Enemy - Lit

Today is the Greatest - (Today) Smashing Pumpkins

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

Come As You Are - Nirvana

Say It Ain't So - Weezer

Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind

4. Glass Onion Heart

Aka the "Baby boy who hurt you???" album inspiring sexuality crises across the world

Glass Onion Heart feels like a wild card of metamorphosis from No Scrubs' prior albums, with the addition of more electronic, pop, and synth instrumental mixing. Combined with the explosive and flashy tour that accompanied the album's release, it felt like a radical departure from the band's classic garage-band sound, into a more streamlined, pop format.

The album was met with divisiveness from fans, not helped by the news of the band's breakup following the album release and subsequent tour. While many adored the new direction, long-time fans mourned the loss of the quintessential indie and underground 'No Scrubs' aesthetic, especially when faced with the thought of their final album. Nonetheless, it was the band's most popular album at time of release by a wide margin. It certainly helped the album's popularity that Ru-kun did the entire tour in drag.

At this point fans the world over became intrigued by No Scrubs and their burgeoning fame, prompting Gojo to name the album 'Glass Onion' after the Beatles song of the same name, because there is no deeper meaning to any of his songs, he's literally ripping them off from bands that don't exist. Fans spend way too long trying to figure out who this album was inspired by - who could have possibly broken their precious Ru-kun's heart?? - and as we enlightened No Scrubs fans know, it was no one. Literally no one. Gojo just really liked this femme fatale vibe, and decided to cross dress the entire tour because of it.

Tokyo - The Wombats

Dance Floor Anthem - Good Charlotte

Thanks for the Memories - Fall Out Boy

I'm the Leading Man - (This Ain't a Scene) Fall Out Boy

Moving to New York - The Wombats

Misery Business - Paramore

5. Infinity on High

Hailed as a return to the unfettered, unabashed, anti-establishment garage-band jam-session appeal that had people flocking to No Scrubs in their heyday, this album made an intense splash as No Scrubs' Comeback Album. Despite the return to their signature gritty rock sound, this album was in fact the most produced of any of No Scrubs' albums. This album marks both the return of No Scrubs as well as their launch into global superstardom.

Ironically, Gojo named this after his favorite FOB album (I mean it IS called Infinity lol) despite not including a single FOB track. Fans widely consider "Island in the Sun" to be specifically about Hawks, which Gojo never confirms or denies (although he definitely did think the similarities to their island mission were amusing). In reality, the song that reminds him of Hawks - and himself - the most is Mayonnaise, which might be why it's one of his favorites.

Holiday - Green Day

Cherub Rock - Smashing Pumpkins

Cool Enough - (Mayonnaise) Smashing Pumpkins

1979 - Smashing Pumpkins

Island in the Sun - Weezer

Wake Me Up - (Wake Me Up When September Ends) Green Day

Bonus: Don't You Know Who (I Think) I AM? Acoustic Album

The first of Ru-kun's unexpected - and according to Makoto, utterly unplanned - acoustic albums, this bonus LP was met with delight and excitement from fans after Ru-kun had teased its release on Twitter. The intimate and personal nature of the simplistic mixing gave this album a cult following, and brought in a new segment of music fans that No Scrubs' music normally didn't appeal to.

Nobody Puts Baby In the Corner - Fall Out Boy

Grand Theft Autumn - Fall Out Boy

My Heart is the Worst Kind of Weapon - Fall Out Boy

Notion - Rare Occasions

No Such Thing - John Mayer

Bonus: Take (Me) With a Grain of Salt

Despite the critical acclaim this acoustic album (and the full band versions eventually released afterwards) it was met with a lot of incendiary response at the time of its release. No Scrubs had finally achieved global stardom and was regularly topping hit charts across the world with the release of their album Infinity on High - and while music critics unanimously praised the EP as a worthy contender for Album of the Year, it was generally acknowledged truth that the album's popularity was owed in no small part to lead singer Ru-kun's sudden infamy that coincided at the same time.

The unfathomable depths of Ru-kun's new celebrity status in parallel to the band's brand of off-label, anti-establishment themes created friction within the fanbase. Many accused them of taking advantage of the current media coverage to promote sales, which bassist and band leader Makoto clapped back as 'just doing smart business'. In general, consensus was positive towards the sentiment; capitalizing on Ru-kun's fame and releasing an album in parallel to his identity reveal was just genius marketing.

However the timing of the release of Ru-kun's second acoustic album kicked up the discourse once again, with fans decrying the release as 'a fake sellout' aimed to exploit current gossip trends. However the album's drop was sudden and unexpected - with little to no pre-release marketing - lending credence to the narrative that Ru-kun wrote this album under the emotional duress of his personal life at the time.

Due to the staggering popularity of the acoustic album, the band eventually recorded and released a B-Side with full band versions.

Disenchanted - MCR

Stay Together For the Kids - Blink-182

Iris - Goo Goo Dolls

How's It Going To Be - Third Eye Blind

All These Things That I've Done - The Killers

#fic may death never stop you #music recs #mdnsy art

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cyber-corp · 3 months

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By the time I'm posting this, it will be January 26th, commonly known as Australia Day where I'm from. A country known for its sweeping plains, unique fauna and the PM fucking off during a nationwide crisis.

I think, despite all Australia's long-standing issues, there are some things about it worth celebrating the culture. Specifically, the music!

Here are some of (what I think) to be some of the most quintessential Australian albums to listen to:

Midnight Oil - Diesel and Dust (1987): Quite possibly the most Aussie album from quite possibly the most Aussie band. The biggest song off of this album, Beds are Burning, is about Aboriginal Australians being forcibly removed from their land, and the lead singer Peter Garrett is really outspoken about justice towards Australia's native peoples, even being in Parliament at one point. Listen if you want to hear what Rage Against the Machine would be like if they were a new wave band and regularly consumed Oak chocolate milk.

INXS - Kick (1987): If the UK had new wave, Australia had pub rock. Artists defined by their songs being so infectious you can remember while you're smashed on seven bottles of Tooheys Extra Dry (kidding. it's called pub rock because that's where they'd play their sets. in pubs). INXS is quite possibly the pub rock band, the genuine article, and this album is a nice gateway into their music; Punchy, upbeat, and memorable riffs for days. (Songs like Need You Tonight and New Sensation for a good idea). Listen if you like Duran Duran or The Cars.

Kylie Minogue - Fever (2001): GOD, how do I introduce Kylie. This country's shining grace. The superstar in our backyard. Our very own Princess of Pop. This album just extrudes that gleam and optimism that'd you find in a lot of Y2K dance-pop music, and I absolutely love it. Listen if you like Discovery-era Daft Punk or Grace Jones.

The Avalanches - Since I Left You (2000): My personal favourite off this list. It might not be the most "Aussie", but I think it makes up for it in its ethereal tone and sampling techniques. One song might just be made up of just one sample, while another might be made up of 50, (Frontier Psychiatrist was originally made up of 28 samples), but it's all tied together by this collective lofi sound. Listen if you like DJ Shadow, Portishead, or The Chemical Brothers.

Regurgitator - Unit (1997): There was this period in the 90's where Australian alt-rock went fucking berzerk, and Regurgitator was one of those bands. Everyday Formula opens with "Everyday I shit into the sea" and ! (Song Formerly Known As) is about not going out to parties and staying at home. Listen if you'd like Gary Numan mixed with the subject matter of early Weezer.

Spiderbait - Grand Slam (1999): Spiderbait was another one of the alt-rock outlets that got really popular despite being really vocal about the hypocrisy of the industry at large. This album contains a wide variety of influences, like 60's bubblegum on Glockenpop (song about the needless commodification of music. their most popular song and highest-earning single of that year. lol), pop punk on Dinner Time and hard rock on Shazam! A pretty good all-rounder made brilliant by vocalist Kram. Listen if you like Green Day or No Doubt.

Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream (2008): I put this one on because the cover is really funny, but then I listened to the album and I got a sense of bittersweet nostalgia listening to it. A mix of disco, dance-rock and funk (We Are The People is a good example) make for something that made me wish I was 7 again. Listen if you like Prince or Let's Dance-era Bowie.

TISM - Machiavelli and the Four Seasons (1995): TISM (short for This Is Serious Mum) are a fucking disgrace to this country. They are such a bunch of yobbo cunts that I can't believe they managed to get anywhere past 90 on the charts. Wankers like them deserve to be dragged out on stage and beat to a pulp viciously, to the ravenous delight of the crowd. Don't listen to this album and don't listen to Greg! The Stop Sign!! Listen if you're a masochist, maybe.

AC/DC - Let There Be Rock (1977): Ah yes, good ol Acca. The ultimate dad band. You could put any of their albums on this list because they all sound the exact same, but I put this one on because I prefer Bon Scott's vocals. The title track feels like it goes forever, but in a way where you wish it didn't end. Some nice fashioned high voltage rock'n'roll. Listen if you like Black Sabbath.

There are way more that I could have put on here (Gurrumul, Frenzal Rhomb, Powderfinger, Silverchair, The Presets, The Chats, Men At Work, Tame Impala etc.) but I think you could probably discover them in your own time. In the meantime, here is the very culmination of Australian music. Nearly 50 years has led up to this being made.

Fuckin skitz cunt.

#australia #australian music #midnight oil #inxs #kylie minogue #the avalanches #regurgitator #tism #ac/dc #the best piece of australian art is democracy manifest #just so u know #music #gecko boy #SoundCloud

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dlstmxkakwldrlarchive · 9 months

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Rolling Stones selected SHINee's Lucifer & TAEMIN'S MOVE in their TOP 100 Greatest Songs in KPOP history.

After having a monster debut with “Replay,” SHINee established themselves as one of K-pop’s most respected boy groups for their boundary-pushing production and performance concepts. Their daring aesthetics are exemplified by the punchy electro-pop hit “Lucifer,” whose insistent chorus likens an angel-faced lover to the devil herself — not to mention a co-writing credit for a then-18-year-old Bebe Rexha. While its unison-sung refrain is immediately sticky, its verses and post-chorus allow each member to showcase the individual personalities that make SHINee such a commanding act. —M.J.

Having already made an impact as the wunderkind of forward-thinking boy group SHINee, Taemin opened doors for androgynous expression in K-pop with his 2017 solo single, “Move.” Combining Eighties New Wave synths with sensual R&B melodies, the pulsating track captures delicately shifting dynamics between lovers. “Your elegant gestures/your subtle gaze,” he whisper-sings, building a sense of enigmatic seduction. These phrases were set to moves by choreographer Koharu Sugawara that are equally fluid; Taemin said his intention was to “[mix] both feminine and masculine movements together.” Though the song wasn’t a commercial smash, its genderless choreography became a sensation among idols and dancers, and it remains iconic for its alternative representation of sexuality. —M.H.K.

#230720 #daily update #articles #eng #shinee #ot5 #hard era #onew #lee jinki #jinki #kim jonghyun #jonghyun #kim kibum #kibum #key #minho #choi minho #lee taemin #taemin #shinee praise

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rip-quizilla · 11 months

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Your Leather, My Lace ~ Part 2: Better Not Touch

*This fic was co-written by curlyfry23, whom you can find on AO3 here

Pairing: Rockstar!Eddie Munson x Rockstar!fem!Reader

Summary: You see a familiar face at the next show you attend, and he makes it very difficult for you to keep your eye on the prize.

Word Count: 5.1k

Tags for Entire Fic (from AO3): Enemies to Lovers, Rival Bands, Tension While Singing, Leather, 80's Rock References, Song Lyrics, Slow Burn, Sexual Tension, Thinly Veiled Hex Girls Inspiration, Eddie Munson Lives, 1991, Porn with Feelings, Shameless Smut, Mutual Masturbation, Hate to Love, Oral Sex, Consensual Sex, Smut, Eddie Munson Has No Sense of Personal Space, Cunnilingus, Nipple Licking, Catholic Guilt, brat!reader, Dom/sub Undertones, light degradation, Car Sex, The Lord of the Rings References

Part 1

The next day was spent sorting out your setlist for your first performance, which was scheduled to take place in four days on Thursday night at a club called Steve’s. Since you would likely get kicked out of your hotel due to noise complaints if you all practiced there, you had called ahead of time to secure a place for you to rehearse. Your uncle and his family lived close, so you convinced him to allow you, Lana and Denise to practice in his garage for the duration of your stay. This is where you stood today, staring at the list of songs in your notebook and tapping a pencil to your chin.

“We should open with something familiar to get people’s attention.” Denise said. She sat at her drumset, arms crossed over her chest and eyebrows pulled together argumentatively. “That’s why starting with Bonnie is our best bet.”

You shook your head as if doing so would make the idea go away. “You want the only all-girl group competing to open our set with a pop cover? We might as well hand in our resignation right there.”

Denise sighed, rolling her eyes exasperatedly. “It doesn’t sound like pop, the way we play it! I know you think we need to play more heavy stuff if we want to be taken seriously, but I’m telling you, if we kill that song on stage the way we have been in rehearsal, they’ll forget Bonnie Tyler ever sang it.” She looked over to Lana, as if hoping she might back her up. Lana shrugged, looking at you.

“She’s right, we make that song sound fucking metal.” Denise smiled thankfully at Lana, who went back to practicing a particularly tricky chord progression on her keyboard.

You smiled at them, still not quite sure about their proposal but eager to reach a decision so that you could move on. “Okay, you guys are right about that- I never denied how great we sound, just whether that’s the right song to open with.” You gasped excitedly as an idea came to you. “What if we make that our closing number? Start with something we know the audience will love, then once we have their attention, finish with a bang?”

Denise and Lana looked at each other, both nodding their heads in agreement. “Yeah,” Denise conceded, “I think that would work pretty well, actually. So what’s our opening number, then?”

You smiled devilishly. “We could do Master of Puppets-” a loud groan immediately erupted from the girls. “We are not starting our set with a nine-minute song.” Lana whined.

You chuckled. You hadn’t been serious… okay, you had been half-serious. “Well technically it’s only eight and a half.”

Lana deadpanned. “Oh sorry, my bad.” she scoffed sarcastically. “No. No way in hell.”

Denise idly tapped out little rhythms on the shiny metal edge of her snare. “You’re the only one of us that actually enjoys that song- playing it feels like a punishment. No song should be that long!”

You were outright laughing at this point. That was the easiest way to deal with your love for Metallica being shot down by your best friends yet again- laughing it off. You should have known better than to suggest it, even if you had been (mostly) joking.

“Calm down, I wasn’t serious. What about Barracuda?” you suggested, “It’s punchy, we get to show off a little, but it isn’t too much right out the gate.”

“Oh I like that!” Denise nodded excitedly, “Barracuda always does a good job of setting up a Joan Jett song, so we could follow with one of those-”

You smiled to yourself as you scribbled your tentative setlist into your moleskine. Denise continued tossing song ideas into the air, which you and Lana took turns catching, playing with the order of songs and making rearrangements until you were all happy with your song choices.

“So how was last night?” Lana asked as you prepared to run through Barracuda a couple of times. “They get better, or did they suck from beginning to end?”

You got to work tuning your guitar after a few days in its case. You shrugged, “Yeah, they pretty much sucked from beginning to end. But if I’m ever craving a goth rock cover of I Will Survive, I’ll know who to call.”

Lana cackled. “Oh my god, did they really?” She shook her head, orange tresses shining in the sunlight flooding in through the open garage door. She undid the clasps on her bass case, abandoning her keyboard for yet another instrument that she’d mastered over the years. That was Lana- your band’s jack of all trades. “Wow. That’s a bold move- and I normally respect bold moves, but that’s just bad.” Lana’s bass guitar rang out in a low humming baritone as she joined you in tuning her own instrument. “Anything else interesting happen? Any tall, handsome strangers offer you a drink?” She accompanied her question with a wag of her eyebrows.

You avoided her eye contact, thinking of your encounter the night before- the conversation had flowed between the two of you so easily, it was hard to forget about him. “Well, I did have one guy hit on me at the bar, but obviously I turned him down.” you glanced at Lana over your shoulder, smiling placidly. “No distractions, remember?”

Lana rolled her eyes, bored that you didn’t have something more juicy to spill. “You really are perfect, Ace.” With that, she began practicing the opening chords of Barracuda, while your mind wandered back to red stage lights glistening off a pair of big, brown eyes.

***

That evening led you to yet another smoky bar in the city, the first of two venues you planned on visiting to get a feel for your competitors. The drinks were cheap, seating was sparse, and the crowd was much more amped up than last night’s. You hoped that the energy would be the same at Steve’s on Thursday.

After spending a good few minutes trying to grab the bartender’s attention, you ventured into the main space with a drink in your hand to search for a place to stand- or sit, if you were lucky. You smiled when you found a spot by a staircase where a couple of beer kegs had been stacked atop one another. You tested the kegs with a small shake of your free hand; the stack seemed sturdy enough for you to sit on. Carefully balancing your drink in your hand, you braced yourself on the top of the keg stack and gave a little hop to bring your bum high enough to take a seat. Unfortunately, the stack was not as stable as you’d thought.

The top keg slipped to the side once you shifted your weight onto it, toppling both of them and in turn, flinging you towards the ground and sending your drink sloshing over the side of your glass. You prepared to hit the ground, but luckily you never did. Instead, you collided with a person, their arms wrapping around your middle in an effort to stabilize you. Momentum launched the glass in your hand around until it too hit your savior in the chest, and you had barely registered the brown curls in front of your eyes before your drink crashed into them, turning them darker and making them shine in the blue stage lights.

Stunned and beyond mortified, you grabbed a beverage napkin from a nearby table and scrambled to dab at the stranger’s soaked shirt. “I cannot believe that just happened-” you stuttered, “I’m so sorry, thank you for catching me. Let me buy you a drink… again, I’m so sorry-”

“You had me at ‘buy you a drink’.”

The familiar voice that came from above the soaked T-shirt was enough to freeze you in your tracks. You paused your dabbing, slowly looking up into the eyes you hadn’t stopped thinking about since last night.

A wide grin stretched across your face. “If it isn’t my stalker.” you said, pleasantly surprised to see Big Eyes again, as if thinking about him all day had summoned him.

He smiled back down at you, arms still wrapped around you with every intent of staying there. “If it isn’t Rapunzel, falling from her tower.” You raised an eyebrow at the comparison, to which he cringed and glanced away. “Yeah, that was bad wasn’t it?”

You laughed, giggling down into his chest- which reminded you about his arms still wrapped around you. Awkwardly, you gave his alcohol-soaked chest a little drum with your hands. “You can let go now.” you prompted.

Arms flying off of you and finding purchase in his hair and on his hip, he stifled a laugh as you giggled at his antics. “Now, about that drink-?” he said, embarrassment clear on his face while he clearly hoped you would find his awkwardness charming.

You did.

Giving him a small smile, you nodded. “It was Eddie, right?” He gave you a broad grin upon hearing that you’d remembered his name. He remembered yours too, and the way it tumbled from his lips sounded like something reverent the way he said it. You walked with him to the bar and waved down the bartender once more, ordering yourself and him a round of whatever Eddie wanted.

Drinks ordered, Eddie turned and leaned against the edge of the bartop. “Taking more notes tonight?” he asked. You pulled your small notebook from your bag and showed him. “Guilty.” You said, “I know I should probably be hoping this next band is just as awful as yesterday’s, but honestly I’m in the mood to be entertained tonight so I have my fingers crossed for a good show.”

Eddie took your drinks from the bartender, handing you a glass and raising an eyebrow. “In the mood to be entertained, she says…” he mused, “Careful, or I might start acting out for attention.” His gaze left yours, feigning distraction as his drink touched his lips. “I can make myself quite entertaining given the right motivation.” Almost as if on cue, you noticed a dribble of beer escape his mouth and land directly onto his shirt. You snorted as he mumbled an “Aw shit” and swatted at the new wet spot, struggling to save face.

You couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up from your chest, snidely watching him pat at his shirt. “You were right, that was entertaining.” He was completely soaked now, the combination of your mixed drink and his cheap beer mingling on his band tee and making it lay over his torso like fresh paint. Eyeing him up and down, you smirked, “I think you’re a bit early for the wet t-shirt contest, I’m pretty sure that’s not supposed to happen until three drinks from now.”

“I think I’ve got a shot at the title, sweetheart” a chuckle rose out of Eddie as he looked down at his sopping shirt. “Think I’d emerge victorious?”

You ignored the urge to laugh, as well as the way your heart raced when he called you ‘sweetheart’. “Easy there, tiger.” you murmured into your cup. “You’re distracting me.”

A rueful grin tickled Eddie’s lips as he lifted his hands in a small surender. “My apologies, I can behave.”

You scoffed incredulously. “Oh really? Can you?”

Eddie splayed his free hand out over his chest, feigning grave offense at your suggestion. “Lil’ ole’ me?” Sarcasm and shock were thick in his voice, and you couldn’t tear your gaze from his giant brown eyes even as the audience began to cheer on the band taking the stage. “Sweetheart, when I make a promise to a lady, I intend to keep those promises. There will be no distracting coming from my general direction.” he thought for a moment before adding, “At least no intentional distracting.”

You squinted at Eddie through the flashing stage lights. “I don’t remember you making any promises, actually.”

A mischievous smile snuck out through the mock seriousness on his face. “Didn’t I? Hm… I could’ve sworn I promised not to be a distraction. What a shame…”

You shook your head, unable to stop yourself from laughing now. The band had started up their set, and even though you knew you should be paying attention to whatever might give you an edge when competing against them, you couldn’t think of anything worse right now than ending this conversation with Eddie.

As the crowd grew louder, you had to lean in closer than normal for Eddie to hear you. Your lips moved beside his ear, and you could smell the masculine scent of men’s soap mixed with worn leather. “Okay, well the way I see it… if you’re helping me take notes and evaluate the band, then it’s not a distraction, right?” You opened your moleskine to a fresh page and clicked your pen as Eddie’s smile bloomed across his face. “You’d just be helping me stay on task.”

Instantly, Eddie was shoulder-to-shoulder with you, denim vest brushing against the bare skin of your right arm. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned toward you conspiratorially, as if the two of you were spies gathering intel. “An excellent suggestion, I’d be happy to lend you a well-trained ear.” Even though he was close enough to speak directly into your ear, the room was ringing with the electric sound of guitars and shrieking voices that could rival Brian Johnson. Eddie’s lips hovered over the top of your cheekbone, yelling above the din in order to be heard. That was a pleasant sensation to say the least.

“Well-trained, huh?” You yelled back, keeping your eyes forward so you didn’t accidentally touch your cheek to his lips… Lord knows what that might do to you should it happen. “Okay, tell me what you think, if you’re such an expert.” You scribbled the band’s name at the top of the page- Banshee Boys.

Eyeing the drying ink on your page, you felt a puff of breath across your skin. It sent a rush of goosebumps over your shoulders. “Appropriate name.” Eddie chuckled, “I’m worried the bottles at the bar are about to explode from this guy’s damn frequency.” You nodded in agreement, wincing at the nearly imperceptible song lyrics ringing out from the stage. “Can’t argue there.” you said, scrawling Singing ≠ Shrieking on the first line of the page.

You both fell into a focused sort of trance as you watched the band play, assessing the music they made like seasoned critics. After about a minute, you offered another critique. “I think if the bass was a little heavier, it might balance out the screechiness of the vocals. Like, that might even everything out and give some drama to it?” You lifted your chin to glance over at Eddie, and your heart stuttered surprisingly when you saw that he was staring at you with an intensity that you definitely had not been expecting. You told yourself that he was only glancing down at you since you were talking to him… but something in his gaze gave you the impression that he hadn’t been watching the band for a solid chunk of time.

“I think you’re right, actually.” Eddie said, nodding slowly as he imagined your proposed changes to the way the band was playing. Your eyes were looking so unwaveringly into his that you jumped when his hand covered yours, taking the pen from you. He wore heavy silver rings on every calloused finger, and they were cold against the skin of your knuckles.

You felt Eddie chuckle again at your jumpiness. “Sorry, sweetheart, didn’t realize you had an issue giving up control… of the pen.” You looked back at him, eyebrow raised and your expression a tad more heated than before.

“Are you saying I have control issues?” you asked, plucking the pen from his hand. Eddie smirked in response. You frowned. “I’m not sure you know me well enough to make that assumption, Eddie.”

Smirk still going strong, he moved behind you and- to your horror- draped his arms over your shoulders, one hand cupping over yours that held the notebook, the other resting over the pen in your writing hand. You became acutely aware of the fact that there was more of his body touching yours than what wasn’t touching yours.

“A little experiment in letting go of control then, hm?” his lips were right next to your ear now.

Good God.

You cleared your throat. “I would… uh…” licking your lips around the nervous words, “I would consider this distracting, for the record.”

“Like you said, I made no promises.” The smile in Eddie’s voice made you feel… some type of way. You barked out a breathy laugh as he took the pen from your hand, writing Heavier bass would balance out vocals.

“See?” he yell-whispered near your temple. “You can trust me.”

You shook your head, smiling despite your instinct to hide his effect on you. “I was just concerned about a senior-year-triple-repeat thinking he was going to take better notes than me.”

The baritone of his voice buzzed from the back of your head to the nape of your neck, “Well this Repeat can be a good student with the right teacher, princess.”

Geez…if he kept this up, you might cease to function.

You exhaled, slow and heavy. “All of these nicknames…” you sighed, struggling to make sure your voice didn’t come out as a whine. “You need to stop with that sweetheart, princess shit…”

“Well then, what would you prefer?” Eddie’s retort was immediate. You felt the pad of his finger on your bare shoulder, toying with the velvet strap of your top. You were wearing one of your favorites tonight- the wine-red velvet tank top hugged your curves just perfectly, and the sweetheart neckline was lined with soft black lace that matched the onyx lacquer on your fingernails. You felt perfectly vampy- and Eddie seemed to be a fan of the buttery-soft fabric as well.

His fingertip slipped under the strap, taking it between his thumb and forefinger to stroke the soft velvet material along your shoulder blade. “I can call you ma’am, or maybe your majesty. Dressed like this, I think Elvira might be appropriate.”

You giggled at the comparison, his warm lips spoke directly behind the sensitive skin below your ear. How was it possible to simultaneously feel your temperature rising as he’s sending shivers down your spine? It was pure infuriating bliss. You started to nuzzle into the touch like a cat before snapping out of your trance as applause thundered through the room. It seemed the Banshee Boys were about to start their next song.

Get a hold of yourself, you mentally chided. With every stroke of his finger on your upper back, you felt control slipping- damn whatever control issues he might be right about; you couldn’t be letting your guard down right now. It wasn’t fair to your girls.

Taking a small step forward sent your shirt strap snapping off of his fingertip and into your skin. The soft sting sent a jolt through your system, clearing your senses as you spun to face him. “What,” you yelled over the raging applause as the guitar onstage rang out into the smoky air. “You don’t like my name or something?” Your expression betrayed nothing as you smacked a mask of cocky condescension over your eyes.

“Oh I like your name.” Eddie replied, arms crossing over his chest as he matched your confidence effortlessly. You could have sworn he even puffed out his chest a bit as his eyes darkened when he continued, “I just enjoy the way you have to take a deep breath every time I call you something else.”

Crap. You weren’t as slick as you’d hoped you were.

Huffing out a heavy breath, you grabbed his wrist and pulled him through the crowd until you reached a somewhat-quieter corner by a set of stairs. You should be focusing on the band onstage, but fuck it- this needed to be done. Ducking under the staircase, you yanked Eddie by the sleeve of his leather jacket until the two of you were both crammed into the dark closet-sized corner.

Eddie looked even more pleased than he had before. “Hey, if you wanted me all to yourself we could have just gone back to my van out back-”

“Quite the opposite, actually.” you bit back. Eddie’s smile faltered upon hearing the irritation in your voice. Suddenly, his eyes shifted from that flirtatious confidence you’d learned to expect to an expression that was so gentle it nearly broke your heart. “Hey, did I…” His voice had also changed drastically- any trace of flirty innuendo gone and replaced with delicate concern. “...I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?”

You weren’t sure exactly how to react; you felt like you had whiplash from the complete one-eighty you had just witnessed. One minute this guy was all hot breath and smirking lips, poking fun at your breathlessness each time he came up with a new pet name, and the next minute he was wide eyed, gentle, and concerned with nothing but your comfort in his presence. You were reeling… but it wasn’t necessarily in a bad way.

It was a little perfect, actually.

You shook your head, trying to clear your thoughts and tell him what you’d dragged him all the way over here to say. “No- no, I’m very comfortable. Around you, I mean.” He seemed to relax a bit, which you were glad to see but didn’t help the message you were trying to convey here. “But I told you last night that this-” you gestured between the two of you, “-is not happening. You are a nice guy, and I feel comfortable around you, but I need the flirting to stop, because it’s very frustrating when you get all flirty and I can’t do anything about it.”

You paused finally to take a breath, and when you took a moment to take in his reaction, you noticed that same intensity from last night when you’d had a conversation quite similar to this one- his eyes were wide, fixed on you and taking in every word you said with dedicated fixation. You got the feeling that there was a whole lot of thinking going on behind those big brown eyes- which was why it infuriated you when his response came in the form of a one-word answer.

“Alright.”

And with that, he turned around and began to walk back into the throng of onlookers beneath the stage. Taken aback by his terse response, you reached out without thinking, grabbing him by the elbow. “Wait, wait, wait,” you stuttered, and you felt your brow wrinkle as you tried to make sense of his behavior. “What does ‘alright’ mean?” You asked, noting the edge in your voice, but you didn’t care. “Are you going to stop it or not?”

To your surprise, Eddie turned back towards you, cocking his head ever so slightly to the side and stepping up so that he was only inches from you, looking down through his curtain of brown, wavy locks. “Do you want me to stop?” He asked.

Your lips hung open, grasping for words to construct a response with but coming up empty. Eddie didn’t wait for you to respond. He smirked open-mouthed for a moment, looking around as if he were searching for words that wouldn’t come across the wrong way- but stopped caring a moment later when he dropped his gaze to meet yours.

“You’ve told me twice now that you’re avoiding ‘distractions’,” Eddie took a step forward, backing you into the space underneath the stairway once more. “Merely interacting with you seems to be, in itself, a distraction, the way you see it, so tell me-” your name tumbled off his tongue as he addressed you and it sent lightning down your spine. “Do you want me to leave you alone? Or are you just scared of what you’ll do if I don’t?”

You gaped at his brashness, amazed that he would just come out and ask the question instead of letting it hang in the air like an unacknowledged storm in the distance like you had been perfectly content to continue doing.

Jaw hanging open incredulously, you crossed your arms over your chest and pretended not to notice the split second that his eyes flicked down to your chest when you inadvertently smushed your breasts together. “You’re being awfully presumptuous, considering that you barely know me-”

Eddie cut you off, taking one step further toward you and bringing your back in contact with the exposed brick wall behind you. “Be honest princess, every time I flirt, you flirt back.” Eddie said, hands in his pockets and looking at you as if he had caught you with your hand in a cookie jar. “And personally-” he splayed a hand across his soaked t-shirt, “-I believe that any two mature, consenting adults should be able to flirt and have fun without any expectation of things getting serious unless otherwise specified.”

His silence after finishing his sentence indicated to you that he wanted to know if your sentiments were the same. You had to think about it for a moment- were you afraid of what you might do if he kept flirting with you? Had you been flirting back this whole time? You thought about the way you couldn’t help but smile when he cracked a joke, how you’d thrown a smirk his way to match his own on several occasions, how you didn’t pull away when he’d pressed his body against you while taking notes… crap. You had been flirting back.

And you liked the way it felt to flirt back.

You didn’t want his big brown eyes to leave yours. You wanted him to keep looking at you the way he was now- curious, appraising… a little hungry. It wasn’t until he began speaking again that you realized your gaze had fallen to his barely-parted lips. Which were smirking. Because he’d noticed.

“Look, while you think of an answer-” he gestured to his still damp shirt, “-I need to change. And I have a spare shirt in my van, so...” He cocked his head a little to the side, as if he were about to share a secret. “If any… consenting adults were to follow me out,” he began backing away with his hands back in his pockets, eyes alight with meaning as he wove hidden messages into his words. “I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to whatever flirting and/or… extracurriculars were to go on out there.”

You choked out a laugh. “Extracurriculars??”

A grin mingled with a cringe on those fascinating lips as he shook an accusatory finger at you. “That.” he bit out, “That smile is why I won’t stop with the name-calling, princess.” He quirked an eyebrow and added, “It’s damn distracting.” You couldn’t help but giggle at his reference to the very thing you kept accusing him of.

And then he was gone, out the door and strolling down the sidewalk into the smoky night air until he had disappeared from your line of sight.

You stood there under the stairs for a good minute or so, still reeling from the way he had spoken to you- like he could read your goddamn mind and knew exactly how much you enjoyed the way you felt around him. He had heavily insinuated that he was going to be waiting for you out by his van. Your brain went wild as you wondered what he expected to happen out there.

Did he just want to talk? No, he had used the phrase extracurriculars and in this context, that sounded anything but innocent. If you followed him out there, you were openly admitting to him that you were not only okay with the flirting, but whatever the flirting might lead to.

Your fingers slid as you absentmindedly stroked your sweating glass with your thumb. Everything in your brain yelled- practically begged- for you to simply wait out the band’s set, take a few more notes, and catch a cab back to your hotel. To look your bandmates dead in the eye and tell them no distractions, then mess around with a stranger at a bar? It would be hypocritical.

The more you thought about it, though, Eddie had been clear that he had zero expectations of anything other than what might happen tonight. He didn’t ask for plans tomorrow, nothing next week- just a little sweetness to round out the night. That wouldn’t lead to any future distractions, right? And there was no way Lana or Denise would find out…

You should have thought about it further. You really should have waited until enough time had passed that there was no way Eddie would still be out there waiting. Unfortunately, however, your glass was quickly placed on a nearby table, your moleskine shoved into your purse, and your Doc-clad feet marched through the threshold of the bar without nearly enough thought thrown into your decision.

The cool air of the night enveloped you, and you instinctively began to rub the goosebumps away from your bare arms. Cigarette smoke from patrons lazily draped against the windows looking into the bar wafted around you as you strode with purpose down the sidewalk. Eyes snagging on a clunky-looking Chevy van peeking out from around the corner behind the bar, you noticed the familiar silhouette of a man leaning against the driver’s side door. Amber light from the street lamps glowed at the edges of his curls, playing on the plumes of his own cigarette smoke which he blew upward into the air through those lips that had somehow hypnotized you beyond rescue tonight.

He didn’t look up at you until you were leaned up against the brick wall parallel to the side of his van. Eddie kept his eyes trained on your pristine black leather boots as he smiled around his cigarette. Slowly, he brought his gaze up to meet yours, a silent question in those mesmerizing eyes.

Your breath turned to vapor in the brisk night air as you huffed out a frustrated sigh, wanting very badly to not let on just how hard your heart was pounding out of your chest.

“Alright.” you muttered, feeling awkward now that you couldn’t count on blaring guitars to fill the silence between you two.

Eddie nodded, practically smiling ear to ear. “Alright?” he queried, and you could hear the unspoken question he was really asking. Are you sure?

You stuck your hands in your pockets, and before you could chicken out you nodded back in response, flashing him a matching smile.

“Alright.”

Part 3

#eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson smut #eddie stranger things #eddie munson x reader #rockstar eddie munson #stranger things fic #stranger things au #eddie munson lives #enemies to lovers

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pop-punklouis · 3 months

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Louis got a very critical review from a Melbourne newspaper, saying his stage presence was 'tepid and lacklustre' and that his vocals were 'overpowered by his backing singers and the guitars'. All in all the journalist thinks he should be more energetic during so called pop punk songs like ooms and kmm instead of clinging to the mic and 'pointing at the crowd.'

Do you agree?

https://www.theage.com.au/culture/live-reviews/louis-tomlinson-lacks-direction-in-lacklustre-melbourne-gig-20240129-p5f0qj.html

i do think that article was a bit harsh and unwarranted. i feel like articles that judge the cadence and energy of a live show rarely ever lay biases aside (especially if you're not super familiar with an artist) because its hard to when you're writing about a show you're experiencing.

the other week when i saw the maine in phoenix (their hometown show), there were a few older people there in the crowd who i discovered were journalists covering the show, and although the energy was great and the band has never been better, they stood pretty stoic and stood out from the rest of the fans who were moving to the music. they ultimately moved to the side of the venue, and their post-review was lackluster. even though i was also in the crowd and saw the same show and felt entirely different. so its all on your perspective.

in saying that though, i've spoken about louis stage presence before. and i do think he's came a long way since the first LTWT. But, there is definitely room for improvement. I think he's opening up a lot more, and i do think he'll begin speaking more throughout his set inbetween songs. and i think it won't feel as scripted. however, i do think there does need to be more energy when it comes to his punchy-guitar-driven-powerhouse songs to match the crowd's energy. because sometimes when he isn't as synced with the energy of his songs, there feels like something is missing so i definitely understand the reviewer wanting more. but i notice these things because i'm super aware of him and have observed his shifting stage presence throughout the years. these are just me nit-picking. if i wasn't, and i judged how he was as a whole... i think he's doing a pretty decent job. and the fans do as well, because it shows every night. and as long as he's doing his job as an entertainer by giving a fan a great experience, worth the money they spent to see him... there isn't much more you can ask for. BUT, i believe he's still growing and things are only getting more personable and comfortable for him as he continues to perform.

#grey

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miashyperfixations · 7 months

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SOUTH ARCADE: The Deleted Scenes Tour

20.09.2023 @ The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham (120 Capacity)

Written Sept 2023

I was first introduced to south arcade when they opened for a tour alongside Cameron Sanderson, another artist I listen to. After listening to the singles they had released at the time, it’s safe to say I was a huge fan & at this point it was a no-brainer that I would get tickets to see them at such a small & local venue. To top it all off, after buying tickets, it was announced that another one of my favourite bands, artio, were opening alongside Monty Keates.

South arcade only formed in 2021 but have already proved that they're an amazing addition to the UK scene. Coming out of Oxford, the band perfectly blends heavy bass, guitar riffs & punchy drums underneath towering vocals to arrive at the alt-rock/pop genre. Harmony's vocals are unique in a way I've never heard before & they only strengthen the energy driven songs played that night. I'd be lying if I said no audience member didn't jump to their energetic songs. Similarly to Artio, the band had a single coming out 2 days later & we were able to hear 'Silverlight' (song in video) before its release. After the show, we were able to go up into the bar upstairs to meet everyone & buy merch. Like the last time I came to this venue, I tried to reach out to the band to get work experience, but they didn't get back to me. When I mentioned it to them, they were extremely apologetic & said I'd definitely be able to next time (and I'm going to hold them to that!) @artbyamixx also got their signatures for a zine she's working on for them. Something else that the band did was make party bags for everyone to take home with signed photos, key chains & other stuff inside. I wish every band did this now!

Overall, it was an amazing gig. I loved all 3 sets & so did everyone else by the looks of it. Dare I say it's become my favourite concert to date? Yes. I do. It was fucking amazing if I wasn't clear. I highly recommend the band & will definitely be going to see them the next time they're in town.

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grasshopperdoingdogpaddle · 3 months

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the additions to writerkat's post about Wuya's musical number were so great. I just wanted to add two particular disney songs that resonate with Wuya the most. Mainly: Yzma's deleted song titled 'Snuff Out the Light' and Ursula's 'Poor Unfortunate Souls'. I am also fond of 'friends on the other side' (Princess and the Frog) but more because of aesthetics rather than lyrics. Also, I am obsessed with new Jinx's song from the show 'the ghost and Molly Mcgee', titled 'Back to Misery'. Soooooooo Wuya! (btw there's a link below to it)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bHFpfnKy-4

The colors and smoke and general aesthetic of Friends on the Other Side is definitely what popped into my mind from the imagery of this scene!

I can see the hints of "Snuff Out the Light" as a ballad about blotting the world in darkness and cursing the light (although Wuya's immortal and unaging, so she has different reasons). The melody and energy of it even match Wuya well!

And "Poor Unfortunate Souls" reminds you of Wuya as a reference to her persuading Raimundo to sell the others out in exchange for riches, I'm guessing?

Back to Misery is a new one for me though, hadn't heard it before! Short but punchy and catchy, with comedic modern references to new things she wants to destroy as she bring back her reign! I could practically see Wuya singing this one!

#Xiaolin Showdown #Wuya

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silverfoxlou · 19 days

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Really? I think it says more about the requirements of the festival organisers. I am sure they wanted some 1D songs and his best performing singles like JHO and BTY. Louis is attractive because he has a lot of fans but they also have to think about the entire audience. I also think it says a lot about what Louis thinks is a good festival set (punchy and upbeat) and what is best going to represent his future sound. There’s no point in playing a pop song like Always You if he’s not going in that direction.

Yeah no one actually thought he was going to play Always You lmfao

BTY and JHO made perfect sense. One 1D song also made sense and was expected, maybe 2 but that was already pushing it. Three 1D songs and another cover was just a weird choice in a short set.

He's also more than capable of reworking songs (like BTY and JHO and the 1D songs) so he could have rearranged some of his own songs to be more upbeat.

#just how is he supposed to be treated fairly as a solo artist if he keeps using 1d as a crutch

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owmylasagna-blog · 9 months

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What songs, albums, or artists remind you of eene?

Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of late ‘90s- early ‘00s alt rock / power pop that fits nicely into the Eds vibe.

Most of CAKE is big eene sound waves to me, Comfort Eagle as an album especially. The use of jazzy brass instruments screams of Patric Caird’s score and the lyrics and storytelling are really playful. The song of the same title makes me wish there was a fake religion scam episode (literally would never happen). Or someone would make a reboot where as adults Eddy becomes a cult leader and Edd and Ed do damage control. Love You Madly is a fav and of course an eddeddy song to me because I have it so bad for the stupid ship.

Fountains of Wayne reign high as a band that distill some stupid essence of suburban life - I say affectionately. More specifically growing up in a NJ suburb both near and somehow too far from the city. Each song is like a mini episode following various characters and recalling places and events that feel both highly specific and weirdly relatable, which I think has been my experience watching eene. Again, whether it’s their eponymous debut album or their most well known Welcome Interstate Managers (thanks Stacy’s mom) there are plenty of punchy jokey lyrics mixed in with achey nostalgia.

Anyway that’s all I got from rubbing my two brain cells together for now. There are others but I’m leepy gn

#eene #ed edd n eddy #yap yap dribble dribble #I also just love to hear new music so curious what people say #Spotify

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pocima · 3 months

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Curating an aespa remix album because the S in SM stands for “sleeping on opportunities”

aespa are not only a group whose talents, incredible music and polished concepts I’ve appreciated for more than 2 years, but they were also a key in reviving my love for hard-hitting electronic music and discovering new kinds of it. A K-pop group fueling my love for entire EDM subgenres may sound absurd, however you’ll understand what I’m saying if you reassess how much potential they have off of the sound they’ve already built. Through both the fandom’s reach on wonderful producers and my own interest, I took proper deep dives into numerous genres such as hyperpop, UK garage, drum and bass, breakcore, trance and future bass, all genres that aespa have either done or would pull off perfectly. As I took my deep dives, one of the things I learned to appreciate tremendously more is remixes. When I was way younger, I had this misconception of remixes just being crappy badly mixed oontz oontz flips of songs due to the atrocities I would regularly hear on pop radios. Talented producers remodeling already high-quality tracks and showing their own stunning perspectives through their own approaches to music completely changed my mind, and I currently often find myself looking forward to how some of my beloved tunes will be reshaped. Now here I am, making a comprehensive list of my desired aespa remixes that also serves as a list of electronic producers that the girls’ A&R team need to get on their roster. (This list was roughly freestyled after @nayeonline came up with the idea of an aespa remix album, and of course I had to make them a victim of my extensive yapping at the mere thought.) Some of these I discovered through MYs, some of these are my own personal faves that the fandom may be overlooking. Enjoy observing my A&R syndrome, and let this serve YOU as a mini aespacore playlist.

Track 1: Welcome to MY World - Sega Bodega Remix

Sega Bodega is most likely my favorite producer of all time. Aside from his objective immense talent, versatility and inability to make a single track of his any less than superb, his musical style (especially recent songs) is otherworldly; his music lulls you into a higher setting. While the possibilities of the outcome of Sega Bodega producing/remixing aespa are endless, WTMW’s orchestration, harmonies and beauty go hand in hand with Sega’s work in that sense. His touch would take the song into another dimension, from an introduction story to aespa’s real world side to a guided trip all around it. It would be a Kwangya-ified but still earthly version of WTMW.

Below attached is his song Cicada, which gives a hint on what can be done with the guitars in WTMW and how the song could become more electronic and intricate.

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Track 2: Next Level - Masayoshi Iimori Remix

A vast majority of the tracks with Masayoshi Iimori’s involvement give me the feel of racing around in a city with neon lights, with a mission to return to my time machine to come back from the future to the present time before it’s too late. Doesn’t this description fit Next Level like a glove? Iimori could make Next Level more punchy, which is perfect for the confidence of the Kwangya rider anthem, with his “mixed and mastered on a BlackBerry in the best way possible” sound adding to the daring, cosmic atmosphere. He definitely needs to be involved in aespa’s Japan debut and quite frankly, he’s not an unrealistic pick even for SM.

Below attached is Freedom Kingdom by 4s4ki feat. Swervy, produced by him, which is my favorite example of his frequent trance incorporation and use of gritty motor-like synths. Spoiler: this will not be Miss 4s4ki’s only appearance in this post.

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Track 3: Savage - A.G. Cook Remix

In all honesty, I don’t believe this needs much elaboration. This man is considered the father of hyperpop, one of the genres aespa are the most influenced by and certainly a genre they could take more advantage of. Savage, the song that solidified aespa as experimental trendsetters in K-pop, becoming more of an outrageous banger than it already is with the A.G. Cook touch, would be a K-pop moment going down in history books.

The track attached below, produced by him, summarizes my vision for a gritty, banging dream Savage 2.0.

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Track 4: Drama - umru remix

Let’s preface this with a fun fact: umru’s splice pack was put to good use in Savage, confirmed by the song’s producers and umru himself! His involvement would transform the twinkling, forceful, electric Drama into an even more hardcore anthem. The synths in the song’s chorus already catch your attention before you’re able to catch your breath after the beauty of the intro and verses, and making all the instruments hit even harder would be a move that totally suits aespa to the core.

Below attached is umru’s take on Fire Truck by SG5, which is one of my favorite productions by him and one of the most hard-hitting of his too. I recommend comparing all the remixes in this post to their respective originals to get a better sense of how these producers can change the tracks.

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Track 5: I’ll Make You Cry - Iglooghost Remix

From the 8-bit synths to the sudden kicks and claps and the video game finale soundtrack vibes, I’ll Make You Cry and Iglooghost’s production go hand in hand. If I were to pick a word to describe the style of his work, without hesitation, it would be “cyber-sigilism”, and he converts it into sound like no other. I’ll Make You Cry could become more even more mystic and mellow, making aespa’s darker side visible once again. (Word to SM: this is how you expand aespa’s range instead of making an EDM-based group release country song demos.)

Below attached is Iglooghost’s take on Crybaby by ABRA, and if this is what he can do to the original Crybaby (love both and please listen to both versions), that IMYC remix would be something never seen in music, let alone K-pop. I also highly suggest checking out his own work to understand the sigilism bit better.

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Track 6: Yeppi Yeppi - Giga/Reol Remix

When I first listened to Reol last March, specifically starting off with the Kinjitou album, “I have to make this woman collab with aespa one way or another” was the second thought to cross my mind. Her and Giga, the producer she works with the most frequently including on Kinjitou, have kept their high spots on the list of Japanese artists I NEED to see working with aespa ever since. Giga’s production is fun, bouncy and radiant, allowing Reol’s expressive songwriting and masterly vocals to shine. I don’t need to mention who else has top-tier production and vocals, you already know who this entire post is dedicated to. The duo, who are also some of the most well-known in Vocaloid/utaite communities, creates pure pop excellence, some of which I’m still convinced were created FOR aespa, to the point I’m genuinely surprised they’ve never mentioned our beloved girls. Reol, I know you’ve been streaming aespa’s music, don’t be shy, at least give them a follow on IG or something.

Kinjitou the title track is Yeppi Yeppi’s older sister and there’s not a single soul that can convince me otherwise. Just tap on the Youtube embed and see for yourself. These two could do WONDERS on Yeppi Yeppi itself. The even crazier instrumentals, and a Reol feature on top? A dream. I also HAVE to see an aespa-ified Kinjitou, to the point where I made a whole line distribution of how they would sing it. At this point I’m begging SM to steal my ideas verbatim. I’d still like a check though.

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Track 7: Illusion - 4s4ki remix

Two scrolls through my account and you’ll immediately know I am THE aespa x 4s4ki truther. President of aes4ki nation. aes4ki priest who has converted three people so far into believers of their joint supremacy so you know it’s tried and tested. 4s4ki and aespa are musical soulmates: the mixture of cybercore and ethereal real world aesthetics and mind-blowing composition on every single song and the lyrics ranging from game/fiction themes to genuine confrontations of virtual worlds to love and sorrow and recovery and the artistry and excellent execution are some incredible traits they have in common as musicians. About Illusion specifically, well firstly I just know that 4s4ki, openly a gamer and anime nerd, would have so much fun working on a song about a virtual snake slurping up some heroines, and she’d eat up aespa’s lore in general. Second, her use of autotune somehow makes her vocals magical and she’s very unafraid to take risks when it comes to music. Illusion’s voice filters, the bass, the surreal atmosphere and that hyper-cosmic feel would be so much more elevated and outrageous with her involvement. If we can’t get a whole album produced by her (I NEED IT SO BAD) at least make this happen. Besides, it would be an incredible full-circle moment for 4s4ki herself, as she has a history of songwriting and producing for others pre-debut, and now she’d be doing it with infinitely much more confidence in her skill and vision.

Now introducing you to into the darkness, my personal fave song of hers and my most played song of 2023. Look at the album cover and listen for yourself. I swear I could praise this woman all day, but I’ll leave it at saying artists like THIS is what aespa deserve, nothing less. MYs, stop what you’re doing and listen to the Killer in Neverland album right now if you haven’t, and you will thank me later.

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Track 8: Thirsty - Donatachi Remix

There are artists who just know the recipe to fun, exciting, girly yet still intriguing pop music and Donatachi is a producer who undoubtedly mastered exactly that. Thirsty already has the bubbliness and joy you could ask from a summer jam so why not double it with this remix? This would be perfect to amplify aespa’s ‘00s spy cartoon-coded colorful real world side, and Donatachi is also a perfect choice for this if you take into account his bright cartoon-avatar 3D visuals. aespa’s real world aesthetics and soundscape should definitely be utilized and expanded to truly fit how surreal their concept is.

Below attached is b2b heartbeat feat. Cowgirl Clue, demonstrating the upbeat drum patterns and euphoric feel that could also be used in a Thirsty remix.

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Track 9: Trick or Trick - Safety Trance Remix

Trick or Trick is the trick-or-treat anthem MYs deserved, and a remix of it needs to maximize its spookiness while setting it apart from all the familiar creepy-ish K-pop songs. Safety Trance brings his grimy industrial genre-bending sound wherever he goes, which hits the target of creating a more experimental, haunting version of the track. Additionally, as reggaeton and dembow influences become increasingly wide-spread in K-pop, a techno-infused neoperreo take on the wave is the most fitting choice for aespa. With the lead of a prominent figure in the electronic neo-reggaeton scene, the execution of this would turn out flawless.

Below attached is his remix of Incredibly Annoying by VTSS. One of my favorite examples of his consistent style and shows how all-in Trick or Trick could possibly go.

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Track 10: Better Things - Florentino Remix

You might be wondering why I chose to give Better Things yet another remix when we already have like 3 of those. Of course the existing remixes are wonderful in their own ways, and the Tropkillaz one is my personal favorite due to its blending of funk, however there’s always room for a full-on Brazilian funk Better Things mix, especially if it’s produced by Florentino. Florentino works with and often seamlessly fuses many genres I have a soft spot for as you could tell, including deconstructed club, neo-reggaeton, baile funk, jungle, breakcore and grime. With such a concoction, the summer anthem could become more distinctive and timeless than it already is.

Below is Florentino’s remix of the adored Nice To Meet You by PinkPantheress, adding in glitchy UK bass, jungle and classic funk drums and grime. The vision for the Better Things remix is crystal clear.

Now, I want to end this post by talking about fans’ wishes for aespa’s future sonic direction. I find many MYs wanting aespa to release hyperpop albums or stick to hyperpop, and while I understand that it’s the bare minimum after the horse girl harmonicas and meemaw ballads that somehow make their way into their God forsaken EPs, even this is nowhere near what’s beneficial for the group in the long-term. Again, aespa have this lingering (thankies to SM 😒) potential to be a multi-faceted EDM group and have one of, if not the, most sophisticated, one-of-a-kind discographies in all of K-pop. It is crucial for them to explore all these EDM subgenres and more instead of getting swayed by shallow trends that come and go. That’s the way to becoming a truly futuristic group that will stand the test of time.

Thank you for reading some of what I got off my chest. Show some love to Drama and Trick or Trick. Being an aespa fan is not for the faint hearted though.

#keyboard.com #aespa #why did this take sm longer than planned…#anywayyyy SM WRITE THIS ENTIRE LIST DOWN.#sega bodega #masayoshi iimori #a.g. cook #umru #iglooghost #giga #reol #4s4ki #donatachi #safety trance #florentino

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agnesandhilda · 9 months

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metropolis the chase suite: a punchy concept album that's filled with good songs for such a short ep. introduces the overarching sci-fi universe and themes monáe will explore for the next decade. violet stars happy hunting!! was my favorite song for years

the archandroid: slower and more soulful, fades into the background of monáe's discography a bit, but it's still their first full-length album and has got some essential songs (oh, maker, wondaland, etc)

the electric lady: transitions between monáe's overtly afrofuturist work to pop music that you can probably play in front of your family without having to explain too much. has an iconic first half and then a lot of slow songs at the end for some reason.

dirty computer: concludes monáe's suite of metropolis albums, though it's even less explicitly sci-fi. SCREAMS "made by a liberal about the trump administration" but it's fantastic. made the line "mansplaining I fold em like origami" sound badass

age of pleasure: what if I wrote an album all about gay sex

#bolo liveblogs #janelle monáe #janelle monae #I've been a fandroid since I was sixteen I say this all lovingly #dirty computer was the first album I ever personally bought <3 <3 <

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unorcadox · 3 months

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Pill Swig Envy is punchy and catchy, like a pop song that's been blown out. I love the big synth stabs that accentuate the first half, and the second half fixates on this nauseatingly bit-crushed distortion of the main riff in a way I find really fun.

#Bandcamp #music #my music #musicians on tumblr #unorcadox #electronic music

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tayley · 1 year

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Paste Magazine prematurely posted a review for 'This Is Why', they deleted it, but someone from reddit retrieved. here it is:

# This Is Why Is a Highlight Reel for Paramore's Many Eras. by Grant Sharples [@grantsharpies](https://twitter.com/grantsharpies)

Paramore is one of the few bands of their era that has withstood the test of time. Many of their fellow Warped Tour-adjacent compatriots dealt out heavy doses of misogyny, a defect that frontwoman Hayley Williams herself has acknowledged and expunged from the band’s music. Even within their own camp, they endured a homophobic guitarist and antagonistic bassist, the latter of whom departed the band twice and was inexplicably removed from the band’s 2013 album artwork last year.

*This Is Why*, the group’s sixth album, is the first in their catalog to feature the same lineup as its predecessor. Paramore has been through a veritable shitstorm, and they’ve emerged with a stronger resolve, steeling against whatever life throws at them with a hardened exterior.

“After 15 to 20 years of fighting like a bunch of brats in front of the world, you eventually learn some coping skills and communication methods,” Williams told *The Guardian* last fall. Now, the pop-punk powerhouse comprises three people: Williams, guitarist Taylor York, and drummer Zac Farro. Despite Paramore’s shifting lineups and disparate stylings across their discography, their influence on music writ large is palpable: from the hooky panache of Meet Me @ the Altar to the earnest songwriting of Olivia Rodrigo; from the iconoclastic pop of Billie Eilish to the plaintive belt-a-longs of Julien Baker. The Tennesseeans’ blueprint reigns supreme, so much so that Williams and ex-guitarist Josh Farro got a writing credit on Rodrigo’s “good 4 u.”

There’s no doubt that Paramore’s appeal reaches far and wide; they’re playing basketball arenas now, after all. It’s that cultural ubiquity that’s yielded them stages this big, yet it’s also due to their multifarious approach to art. *This Is Why* captures that interdisciplinary spirit with cohesion and flair.

***The title track*** kicks things off on a stunning note, playing like a blend of Williams’s 2020 solo album *Petals for Armor* and the groovy rhythms of 2017’s *After Laughter*, minus that album’s neon sheen.

***“The News”*** harnesses the punchy verve that makes for some of the best *brand new eyes* cuts, albeit Carlos de la Garza’s production feels abnormally thin, diluting what could’ve been acerbic and menacing.

But that misstep is compensated for immediately after: ***“Running out of Time,”*** like the title track, strikes a balance between atmospheric textures and syncopated buoyancy that is, simply put, really fucking fun. *This Is Why*, as its first three tracks show, accomplishes a feat that connects the band’s diverging sonic pathways without succumbing to whiplash. It encapsulates Paramore’s voyages into piercing pop-punk, glossy New Wave, heartfelt ballads and anthemic paeans.

Some of the record’s best moments encompass an amalgamation of these eras. ***“C’est Comme Ca”*** could’ve been an *After Laughter* single had that record contained more of a pronounced grittiness and Strokes-esque guitar tones. Hearing Williams try her hand at spoken-word verses is a total delight, too. But the song’s most affecting moment comes toward its sung bridge, with Williams’ soprano gradually unfolding into a shout: “I hate to admit getting better is boring/But the high cost of chaos, who can afford it?”

On the penultimate track, ***“Crave,”*** York’s guitar work summons the twinkling emo of their *Twilight* songs like “Decode” and “I Caught Myself” while Williams’s voice soars above the chorus, howling the song’s title and longing for simplicity.

She keeps up the momentum on the closer, ***“Thick Skull,”*** evincing her wide vocal range, shifting from a subdued lower register in the verses until she unfurls into her signature emo burst in the final chorus à la fan favorite “All I Wanted.” This concluding one-two punch marks the strongest run on the album.

However, *This Is Why* sags ever so slightly in the middle, namely due to the mawkish whims of its centerpiece, ***“Big Man, Little Dignity.”*** Though thematically potent and containing one of the record’s best lines (“You keep your head high / Smooth operator in a shit-stained suit”), its lukewarm instrumentation, evoking alt-radio fodder like Young the Giant and Walk the Moon, hinders its potential. There’s also the fact that Paramore makes little use of one of its greatest assets as a band: pure intensity. Occasionally, the trio reins themselves in for arrangements that signal hushed tastefulness, whereas catchy catharsis is what this band is known for.

Still, it’s not like they haven’t shown they can write compelling softer material, as songs like “Misguided Ghosts” and “26” demonstrate. Yet this album’s muted breaks leave little impact compared to the immediacy that’s been a major draw for revisiting Paramore’s work. Albums like *After Laughter* and *brand new eyes* were also punctuated with infectious adrenaline rushes, which Paramore does like no one else; *This Is Why* has fewer instances of drastic sonic contrast, lending it coherence and mild inertia all the same.

But the album revives itself with ***“You First,”*** an instant highlight that merges indie-rock and pop-punk in equal measure. “Turns out I’m living in a horror film where / I’m both the killer and the final girl,” Williams sings over Farro’s pummeling percussion and York’s discordant, post-punk guitar.

Throughout each of its 10 tracks, Williams navigates fatalism and a world where war, disease and climate change run amok. Whether she’s hiding from the public eye on “This Is Why,” lamenting the pervasiveness of a 24-hour news cycle on ***“The News,”*** or roasting chauvinists on ***“Big Man, Little Dignity,”*** Williams once again proves herself a formidable writer, and York and Farro are there to lend their craftsmanship to yet another captivating record.

After the seemingly endless volatility this band has weathered, it’s a miracle that they exist, still making incredible music. Here, they sound self-assured and steady, like a group that understands what they have and makes the most of it. On *This Is Why*, Paramore have found land after a years-long trip at sea, grounding their ship and claiming all the accolades they’ve accrued in their time away. They deserve them all.

**6.5/10**

*Grant Sharples is a writer based in Kansas City. He has contributed to* MTV News\*,\* Pitchfork\*,\* Stereogum\*,\* The Ringer\*,\* SPIN *and others. Follow him on Twitter* [*@grantsharpies*](https://twitter.com/grantsharpies)*.*

#paramore #hayley williams #taylor york #zac farro #6more #this is why

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