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delirium1217 · 18 days

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There's no need to hide

Word count: 1009 words James/Regulus. First wizarding war AU (they're both stuck together in the same safe house)

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“No, this won’t do.” James stands up, “We are not spending today of all days moping.”

“We’re not moping, we’re just talking.” Regulus replies, slightly indignant.

“All we ever talk about are big, sad, mushy feelings.” James dramatically flails his hands around, almost as if shooing the sentiment away.

“Big, mushy, feelings.” Regulus repeats, he tries to sound offended but the tug on his lips says otherwise.

“Well yeah, everyone you know thinks you’re dead, terribly sorry we can’t do anything about that by the way. And me, well, where the fuck do we start, you know?”

Regulus looks back at him, slowly blinking. the sickly yellow lightbulb casting down its shadows.

He doesn’t need to think about that right now.

He just needs something to fill the noise.

The air was filled with the sense of slight delirium. Nothing felt real. Nothing had consequence. James felt like he could run away, sprint off into the fields and pretend the last twenty two years of his life were a lapse of chemicals his mind made up in a haze.

The depression that hung over him all week threatened to spill into hysterical exuberance. But James didn’t care, it’s been so long since he had someone near him, someone that wasn’t decades older than him. Someone that talked to him, not just through him. Someone that didn’t expect him to be something he wasn’t.

He’ll let himself get drunk on whatever endorphins his body, for whatever reason, was dishing out.

He just needs something to fill the noise.

“Look James, maybe we should call it a night-“

“Nonsense! It’s your birthday, we’re staying up. We’re transforming some stale bread into equally stale cake. We’re playing music your obnoxious little self wouldn’t be caught dead listening to, and we’re dancing.”

He taps his wand. The tinny radio spluttered to life. The glittery synths were scratchy and soft. It filled the room instantly.

Regulus looks back horrified, his eyes widened.

He stretches his hand out for Regulus to take.

Regulus stares down at it, then back at James’ face “Oh no, absolutely not.”

“Oh c’mon, I used to do this all the time with Peter.”

“Is that all what you four did all day? dance around with each other?”

“Mostly, amongst other things. The worst of us was Remus, man had two left feet and fingernails like talons.” he fondly remembers the way Remus’ grip dug into his shoulders and ‘Moony, can you for the love of everything try and be less rigid’ while everyone else in the common room cheered them on, well, mostly Sirius.

Regulus snorts, “I should’ve known. And to think of all the time I wondered what on earth you people did.”

“Well, we had to, the marauders couldn’t embarrass themselves in front of the ladies.”

James’ hand was still outstretched. He wiggled his fingers again, “Come on. Can’t you just humor me?”

“You know it’s my birthday, you should be humoring me.” Still, something in his expression softens - he sighs, unfolds his arms, and carefully places his hand into James’ own.

The soft music and layered vocals had filtered throughout the room. The noise of it seemingly amplified in the tiny living room.

James slowly put his hand on Regulus’ shoulder - the unexpected warmth that rushed through him made him pause. He realizes, this was the first time he’s touched another person in months.

(Eight months to be exact, the last time he saw Marlene, drenched in black hoods at an Order meeting. She gave him a full body hug and squeezed all the oxygen out of him.)

Still, he slides his other hand across Regulus’ palm. The song playing was by a muggle band he didn’t recognize - a ditzy little number, all dreamy sounds and far away vocals. The shimmering effect the night held seemed to surge as they swayed.

It was awkward at first, as it always is. Clutching to each other’s shoulders in a frigid way that even Remus would realize was painful. That was until James, in his delirious state of glee started adding twists and turns left and right, loosening both of them up.

Regulus followed his every move, surprisingly fluid and confident in a way his posture never was. They both slowly started to laugh with every unnecessary kick or turn they flourished as they moved across the kitchen floor. This wasn’t a formal dance in any sense of the word, bouncing around like fools across the linoleum tiles.

It’s been a long time since he felt like this. Young, stupid, and full of bravado. Of course, now it was tinged with the haziness of all what’s broken his heart over and over, night after night. But it was still there, a flickering light in the dark. On and off. He silently pleaded with whoever was handling it to not click it off just yet.

“Okay, you have to stop before I start to vomit,” Regulus raises his voice over the bellowing music, a woman singing about hot stuff.

“We’ve both had nothing all day, nice try though!”

“Have you ever seen a cat dry heave?”

James laughs. He slows his tempo down back to a sway.

“Alright, we’re slowing down, only because it’s your birthday. Otherwise we would’ve been spinning off the patio,”

Regulus promptly ignores him. “Wasn’t there a promise of cake during your little speech?”

“Stale cake.” James corrects. “and i can only manage sweetened white bread, with bits of frosting.”

“I’ve had worse meals,” Regulus replies

“I bet you did,” James smiles back.

They come to a stop as the last seconds of the song play, another already fading in.

They both found themselves a few moments later hunched over a piece of incredibly stale, possibly moldy bread. Both throwing every bit of transfiguration spell they had in their arsenal. The result was a dried-out, but surprisingly pretty piece of yellow sponge cake. James had taken bits of milk and transfigured it into real looking icing, which coated the sides in swirls and peaks.

#LARGELY INSPIRED BY lonely dancers by conan gray #this is an outtake of one of my fanfics that i probably won't be using 😭 i've just been going through these scenes that don't fit anywhere #james potter #regulus black #jegulus #sunseeker #starchaser #james x regulus #regulus x james #jegulus microfic #marauders microfic #jegulus fanfiction #marauders fanfiction #marauders #the marauders #marauders era #dead gay wizards #delirium writes #fic: a world alone

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randomvarious · 9 months

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Chicago House Playlist

Alright, folks, here's something that's been a long time coming: a playlist of house tunes that came from the city that gave birth to the global phenomenon in the first place, and also kickstarted the whole evolution of electronic dance music as we currently know it. When house music began, most dancefloors had moved on from disco to a mishmash of post-disco, boogie, hi-NRG, dance-pop, synthy funk, electro, freestyle, and a whole lot of other stuff, but there was something different that started to brew itself into a movement during the mid-1980s among a predominantly black, gay crowd in the city where disco had first been symbolically murdered in 1979.

And eventually, it became known as house music, named after both The Warehouse, the place that the genre's godfather, Frankie Knuckles, would have residency, and the posters that would be hung up to advertise the venue's events, which referred to 'house parties' and 'house music.' The Warehouse would open up in the late 70s and close in the early 80s, but in 1983, Frankie would open up his own club, The Power House, which would then change its name to the Power Plant, and then change its name again to The Music Box, after another legendary house DJ, Ron Hardy, would take up residency there.

So, a lot of this playlist channels the greatness of some of those halcyon Chicago house days. And so much of it is just pure, primordial dance music bliss; lighthearted, unserious, super fun, revolutionary grooves. There was an amateurishness to a lot of it back then that gave it a significant level of goofy charm, and that's something that seems to have gotten mostly left behind as the music continued to grow into the 90s. Songs like "Move Your Body," by Marshall Jefferson, which opened with this rich and clanging, jauntily unpolished piano rag of sorts, was so infectious, and his plainly bad, but passionate singing voice that would follow that iconic intro couldn't help but be adored too. And the song on this playlist that currently comes after that one, "Love Can't Turn Around," by Farley "Jackmaster" Funk & Jesse Saunders, is in much the same vein, as featured vocalist Darryl Pandy goes over-the-top berserk to start his second verse, making for another song that you really just can't resist 🥰.

Another total favorite of mine on here is one that was produced by Frankie Knuckles himself: "Let the Music Use You," by the Night Writers, which is a near-eight minute masterpiece that has a divine, string-pad-and-bell-laden beat that immediately shows you why Frankie was revered as such a master of his own craft. And that beat gets paired beautifully with Ricky Dillard's soft and tender, heartfelt vocals too.

And then there's Kevin Irving's "Children of the Night," which features his excellent, soulful voice on a beat that combines string pads with prickly electro stabs, and was made by Larry Sherman, the founder of the most important label in the history of Chicago house itself, Trax Records, which has also caught a lot of flak over the years for its shady business practices.

A couple more notes: first, be forewarned that the track that starts this playlist is another tremendous classic, "Mind Games," by Quest— which features the voice of Liz Torres and some great and dreamy freestyle-type synth work—but even though it's on Spotify, it is, unfortunately, pretty damn scratchy. Luckily, I was able to include a much cleaner version on the YouTube version of this playlist, though 😊. And second, I like to keep these playlists as chronologically ordered as possible, but I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out when Screamin' Rachael's "Bip Bop" was actually made. It has an aggressive male rap vocal on it that's reminiscent of Turbo B's on Snap!'s "The Power," so it could be from that early 90s period, but I really don't know. So I just put it at the end, where it will stay until I one day possibly figure out when it was actually created.

This playlist is ordered as chronologically as possible and links are provided below to songs that have been posted about previously in order to give them more context:

Quest - "Mind Games" Marshall Jefferson - "Move Your Body" Farley "Jackmaster" Funk & Jesse Saunders - "Love Can't Turn Around" On the House - "Pleasure Control" Housemaster Boyz - "House Nation" Ralphi Rosario - "You Used to Hold Me" Night Writers - "Let the Music Use You" Dalis - "Rock Steady" Kevin Irving - "Children of the Night" Bam Bam - "Where's Your Child?" Paul Johnson - "3rd Dimension (Remixed by Armando)" Screamin' Rachael - "Bip Bop"

And while there are some incredible moments in that Spotify playlist, I still have way more Chicago house music to show you in the YouTube version. Some tracks that stand out in this bonus crop are the first one, the silly and campy "Undercover," by Doctor Derelict, which has about 3,500 plays on YouTube across a couple uploads; another one from Frankie Knuckles, which is a rare remix of his very popular "Baby Wants to Ride" that has ~31.6K plays, and features some political opining from vocalist Jamie Principle, and even a detouring interpolation of "America the Beautiful" in its second half (😆); and then one from a later era of Chicago—'99, to be exact—called "Testing & Balancing," by Jimminy Cricket, aka James Curd, that has around 170 plays and liberally samples from Al Green's soul classic, "Love & Happiness."

Doctor Derelict - "Undercover" Jungle Wonz - "The Jungle" Steve "Silk" Hurley - "House Beat Box" On the House - "Ride the Rhythm"Libra Libra - "I Like It" Paris Grey - "Don't Make Me Jack" Liz Torres - "Can't Get Enough" Frankie Knuckles - "Baby Wants to Ride" On the House - "Let's Get Busy" Mister Lee - "Come to House" Jimminy Cricket - "Testing & Balancing"

And this playlist is also on YouTube Music.

So, with the Spotify version of this playlist, we currently have 12 songs that total an hour and 16 minutes, and with YouTube, we're at 23 songs that total 2 hours and 24 minutes. Clearly, there are a whole lot more goodies in that YouTube one.

And if you want a Chicago house playlist that's a bit shorter, I have one that's made of stuff that's solely from the 80s too.

1980s Chicago House: Spotify / YouTube / YouTube Music

Enjoy!

More to come, eventually. Stay tuned!

Like what you hear? Follow me on Spotify and YouTube for more cool playlists and uploads!

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joextonyxfam-13 · 7 months

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All of Red Velvets “Chill Kill” 3rd Full Album SM track description™

Chill Kill - combines the two words to mean 'an event or existence that breaks the silence'. It is a pop dance song that unfolds uniquely in a dramatic and ominous harmony with the bold moving of bass, string melody, colorful and dreamy synth, and bell sound. It is characterized by the ambivalence of longing for others and singing for hope even in the midst of tragedy, expressing the narrative of love that was changed due to the sudden appearance of the "Chill Kill." Vocals that change colorfully depending on the emotional line given by the "Bright Tragedy" have been added.

Underwater- slow-tempo R&B song based on a heavy, groovy base and a dreamy synth sound. Red Velvet's vocal harmony, which is perfect like one voice, was added smoothly to complete the fantastic atmosphere of the song. The lyrics compare the infinite love that only I can give to a distant and deep water.

Knock Knock (Who’s There?) - a dance song that creates chills through piercing string and mystical bell sounds on top of a heavy bass. The song depicts the moment of falling into a sweet and dizzying game of tag that begins with a knock on the door. The expression of thrilling emotions heightens the atmosphere of the song, showing the essence of 'VELVET MUSIC'.

Will I Ever See You Again? - features a formidable synth drop that harmonizes the balance between the understated vocals and the overwhelming energy of the beat.The lyrics about keeping a calm and positive attitude in any situation combines with a dreamlike melody, creating a dramatic, lingering effect.

Nightmare - is a medium tempo R&B song with heavy string orchestration and a retro swing rhythm. The story is told in a dynamic and theatrical flow with the lyrics talking about how as long as we remember the times we were together and shining, the nightmare will disappear and a bright morning will come again.

Iced Coffee - is an R&B ballad song that features a minimalist instrumental with sentimental strings and guitar along with a clear EP sound, adding to the fun of listening to the lyrics which express feeling of endlessly falling in love with the other person, comparing it to an iced coffee addict who seeks it even during winter.

One Kiss - is a dance song with alluring and provocative charms with an imposing bass, fantastical synth, and addictive, strong hook that meets a fast groove.The bold lyrics expressing "Let's snatch the hearts of unfamiliar partners and make a perfect secret with just one kiss" and Red Velvet's expressive vocals leave a strong impression.

Bulldozer - is an imposing dance song with a heavy and intense bass, and catchy sound effects and an addicting hook. The distinctiveness of the song is heightened through Red Velvet's low vocals and the humming track. They inadvertently convey the message in a cool and relaxed way that anyone who limits and blocks them, they will destroy without holding back.

Wings - is an up-tempo R&B song with a warm and refreshing piano, bell, and synth sound with jazz elements that give off a groovy sensibility. Their sweet voices compare their attitude towards life to the birth and flight of butterflies, the lyrics conveying a message of support.

Scenery - is an acoustic ballad with laid-back guitar melodies and soft vocals that give you a cozy feeling. It depicts a story of taking out and drawing precious memories we have collected over a long time, like a landscape painting containing all four seasons, and filling up each and every day together.

KSGUpdates on Twitter

#red velvet #chill kill #Irene #Wendy #Seulgi #Joy #Yeri #is been a LONG time since I made this kinda post #but I’m just so happy to have my girls back frfr #use to do this stuff all the time oh how the times have changed

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abductionradiation · 6 months

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Last week, Marci (the solo project of TOPS’ Marta Cikojevic) released her dreamy new single "Stop". The track spans just under 3.5 minutes long and it's glittery instrumentals will have listeners feeling absolutely infatuated. With Marci's velvety soft vocals and the lushness the guitars melding with the synths make "Soft" such an addictive tune. It captures the obsessive nature our minds can turn down when we're feeling the first flurries of butterflies in a new love.

On the track, Marci shares “‘Stop’ is that incessant yet addictive thought that's parked itself inside your head, will you let it take over?”

Connect with Marci:

Instagram

#marci #arbutus records #tops #indie #indie pop #Youtube

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cureforbedbugs · 1 year

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Notes on amapiano

Here's everything I've written about amapiano this year, with lots of embeds of songs I've liked so far (the first few songs are from 2022). Come for the tunes, stay for the hilarious anecdote Robert Altman shares about a conversation with Stanley Kubrick.

1/25/23

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I've been underwhelmed with the avalanche of amapiano I've heard in the past few years after falling in love with the sound in 2020. I keep feeling like I'm intruding in the middle of a party and don't understand how to join in the dance. But now and then a standalone track gets its hooks in, and there's something about the synth hook and percussion accents on "Nazoke" that gives it a live jam quality. This is practically the opposite of what I love about other amapiano, whose more synthesized sounds approximate something close and warm without fully moving into the realm of the acoustic (my standard-bearer in the genre is still Semi Tee's 2020 LP release I'm Only Tweenty One, which I don't think exists in a physical copy, but I went ahead and made a CD of it, album art and everything).

Amapiano builds on a deceptively simple template: the foundation is almost always a shaker playing sixteenth notes at about 112 BPM (though the accent of the pattern can vary, the shaker is usually steady and omnipresent), and each song then layers in its own palette of sounds and voices, everything in percussive service of the groove. That standardized base and consistent tempo lets you click different songs together like LEGOs, though amapiano is also known for relatively long song lengths.

Amapiano is in some ways the flipside of baile funk, which isolates strange rhythms and sounds and timbres and ideas and forces you to reckon with what the fuck they're doing in relation to each other in sequence -- it's Eisensteinian montage. By contrast amapiano is more like pointillism: you're not thinking closely about any single point, and from a distance everything takes on a dreamy texture that it would lose if you inspected too closely.

Amapiano artists will often take warm acoustic percussion and pretty, playful vocals -- all of them bringing a soft swing feel, somewhere between dancing and swaying -- and pit them directly against much harder four-on-the-floor house elements (synth blares, jagged squelchy bass hits) put off at a seeming distance, like the distant echo of a car alarm going off way down the street that happens to be in the same key as the song you're listening to in your headphones. The palettes artists use and the way they layer everything in vary from song to song and artist to artist, but because the foundation is so similar across the songs, changes in the genre over time can be subtle enough that it almost feels like you're watching evolution at the individual genetic mutation level.

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And there are tons of cool vocals in amapiano, hard posturing and playful posing becoming indistinguishable (as they are on this song -- or, if not indistinguishable, a kind of multiple perspective game where you can see it both ways) as it all washes out in the sound bath along with everything else. And heck, sometimes you get a no-foolin' xylophone, too, not even the thing most people think is a xylophone but is actually a glockenspiel. Or you get a synth that sounds like a vuvuzela. Why not?

2/3/23

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The first 2023 amapiano track I enjoyed, this one entirely in English, and maybe not coincidentally one of the rare amapiano vocals I've heard that threatens to grab a spotlight for itself instead of sharing equal space with, say, those synth samba whistles -- a tone that drives me crazy when my kids play it on the keyboard, here mixed to evoke birdcalls in a rainforest.

2/8/23

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Utter joy. Sho Madjozi has been on my radar for a few years: was covered rapturously at the Singles Jukebox and had shone in the People's Pop 4-Letter-Word tournament with "Huku." This jumped out immediately as a frontrunner for song of the year so far. (Maybe a bit early to call it.) The style is interesting -- seems to be finding a midpoint between the harder house beats of gqom and the limpid immersion of amapiano. A party. Should be huge.

2/15/23

Rihanna should make an amapiano album.

2/24/23

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Upbeat amapiano featuring one of the titular "2 peers" on my favorite amapiano album of 2021, Semi Tee & MDU aka TRP's Tales of the 2 Peers.

3/15/23

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Two amapiano tracks that go for a lush, blissed-out sound that I associate with Sun-El Musician—more cinematic, fewer surprises buried in the mix. Joshua Minsoo-Kim calls “Kwelinye” the amapiano song of the year so far, and Mellow & Sleazy the most important amapiano artist right now. The second part might well be true — everything I’ve heard is great — but I’ll admit I have a hard time making distinctions when the music is aiming so squarely for beauty (it’s something that keeps me at a distance from Sun-El Musician’s work, which I admire more than I love).

3/22/23

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Picking representative amapiano on a weekly basis is becoming a daunting task, as I could easily make a whole mix of the stuff each time. (Doesn’t help that I can’t seem to tell the difference between the stuff no one is listening to and the stuff everyone is listening to.)

This one stood out, both its distinctive shuffle and the singer’s mellow rasp: as the hummed hook intensified (“mm-mm, mm-mm”), from the backseat my youngest asked “what are the kinds of noises they’re making in this song, and why would someone make those noises?” I think he was taking notes; I didn’t have an answer.

3/28/23

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Lots of music scenes are almost impossible to follow on Spotify, as the current stuff is uploaded first to YouTube, so Spotify is a, er, spotty indicator of popularity. Amapiano is a big exception, as playlists with variations on the phrase “Amapiano Grooves” have almost everything I’ve found in other places online. This is my requisite amapiano of the week: some millennial R&B girl group vibes in the interplay of the singers.

The amapiano track I was most surprised by this week was Major Lazer’s attempt to get in on the sound.

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They get it wrong in telling ways. They build a spotlight for the singer, changing focus right and left to direct our attention. What you end up with is overwrought production with a melody line that sounds weak instead of diffuse; it can’t handle the spotlight.

Amapiano’s strength is in letting everything cohabitate in surprising ways. It’s like a Robert Altman film—he’ll let everyone play together in a series of long shots; your attention has to find its own resting point. It all seems intentional, but you can’t feel Altman guiding your attention. There’s a great interview where Altman describes trying to explain to Stanley Kubrick how he got an incredible shot, in the opening scene of McCabe and Mrs. Miller, of Warren Beatty lighting a cigar in the dim murk of the evening—a shot Altman had filmed personally while his cinematographer was away.

Altman: “He [Kubrick] said, ‘but how’d you know you got it?’ I said, ‘I just assumed we did.’ And he had a hard time understanding, because Stanley really liked to be very precise about everything, and he wanted to be exactly proper.”

I doubt Stanley Kubrick could ever make anything like a Robert Altman film for the same reason I doubt Major Lazer could ever make a good amapiano song. They figure you must have to do something to get it.

#amapiano #music writing #music criticism #sho madjozi #kabza de small #major lazer #robert altman #2023 music #Youtube

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luuurien · 2 years

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Jonny Tobin - Together

(Nu-Jazz, Synth Funk, Neo-Soul)

Built on groovy drum loops and fast-paced keyboard work, Jonny Tobin's latest album stunningly balances electronic bombast with warm, jazzy progressions and melodies that melt into one another beautifully. Together follows a relatively simple formula, but the results are staggeringly optimistic and emotive.

☆☆☆☆½

Fusing electronica and jazz together isn't anything new, but the way Jonny Tobin does it has rarely been seen. For him, part of the fun is getting to channel his gorgeous improvisation work and rich harmonies into dreamy, immersive electronic grooves, building off beats more indebted to house and hip-hop than the usual IDM madness and ambient experimentation. It's usually a bit more mellow and easygoing than what nu-jazz fans might be used to, but that serenity and smoothness gives Tobin the ability to do things a bit more thoughtfully than most, and his latest album Together adds an even brighter shine to it all. Embracing house, hip-hop, psychedelia and soul, Together presents Tobin as an artist that knows the right times to reflect and when to let the party start, working without any collaborators and fine-tuning every track on his own to make sure everything is to his liking. While the album's insulated production and midtempo drum loops don't go anywhere crazy, Tobin's electrifying keys work and lovely instrumentation across Together's twelve tracks never stops being a joy to listen to. The most memorable moments of Together are when Tobin marries his usual jazztronica bombast with beats that are subdued and gooey, songs that have strong grooves and memorable melodies while never getting too in-your-face about it. There's no better word to describe tracks like the glossy Awake or soft, summery synth funker Beachside Thoughts than lovely, buoyant electronic basslines and effortless solos technically impressive without feeling overly dramatic or hammy about it, these songs born from Tobin's time in isolation and deftly blending that loneliness and hopefulness into one completely package, the thrill of flashy improvisation encapsulated in a smaller environment where he can keep things moving like usual and still slows things down whenever he wishes. He uses padded hip-hop loops on What I Didn't Do to make room for elegant piano playing, and Lilacs and Lavender's fluffy synthesizer work is kept afloat by snappy percussive clicks that take up little space in the mix, providing ample room for Tobin to layer multiple keyboard layers working together to make a colorful, yet laid-back song. There's only a few times where he really lets things get wild, like on the house-infused Neon Afterglow and its careening bassline and shimmering second half highlight Vivid Dreams with chopped lead vocals and chilly electric pianos that provide both energy and stillness at once, but those moments mean even more when they're placed in a tracklist that doesn't try to make every moment a huge one. Tobin knows a little can do a lot, and Together is the epitome of that. And though it's part of Tobin's response to the grief and despair he's felt over the past two years, Together never succumbs to sadness and gloom - I'm not even sure if there's any moments of slight melancholy at all. For Tobin, the solution to dealing with all those feelings was to make ecstatic and healing music, Leonidus dedicated to his friend who suddenly passed away covered in smooth pianos and breathtaking synth arpeggios, Tobin choosing not to sit in sorrow but to capture as much of the love that he has for him in one magnificent track, and Take Your Time evolving from a Masego remix submission he made in 2020 that didn't get picked, Tobin choosing to take the song and make his own delightfully sweet tune with a walloping bassline and chirping synthesizers. It's an album built for relaxing to and not taking too seriously, soaking up his sunny keyboards and warm basslines at your own pace as Crystal Clouds slowly unfolds across four minutes and Neon Afterglow lets you join the dance party or just watch from the sidelines, but that malleability never causes Together to feel unsure of itself, either. Tobin embraces the myriad ways his music can be listened to, songs that you can listen deep into or let fill the background of your day - it's wonderful either way - and that inherent sense of connection and melodic sweetness his music has is a skill many artists wish to have as easily and charismatically as Tobin. You always know what you're in for with any of these twelve songs, but it never becomes boring to listen to because you can hear how much love goes into every melody and countermelody and bassline and drum pattern, Together an album that thrives off of how much heart and personality Tobin pours into his music. Eccentric, energetic, and full of ideas, Together never stops being a joy to listen to because Jonny Tobin's music is never anything less than heavenly, these bouncy electro-jazz tunes always upbeat and sparkly, with enough of a glow and glimmer to keep you engaged the whole time through. His songs are straightforward, but deeply creative, running off his knack for hypnotic instrumental loops and livening them up with glossy electronics that bring out his expressive improvisation and ear for big harmonies at the same time, never giving up one element of his music to accentuate something else. Every part of Together works in tandem to build lovely and lighthearted music whose balance of solemn reflection and inviting optimism lets Tobin transcend to a new artistic plane, one where his sadness is reborn into some of the most moving and euphoric electronica this year, pushing him to be more open and honest with his art than ever before. Together always knows where it's headed, but the confidence it has following down that already paved road means Jonny Tobin can focus on what he does best: making music that is dense, peppy, and always a good time.

#jonny tobin #together #self-released #dance #electronic #indietronica #jazz #neo-soul #nu-jazz #r&b #soul #synth funk #9/10 #2022 #album review #2022 albums

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newmusickarl · 3 years

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Album & EP Recommendations

My word, the music world has well and truly spoiled us this week!

The past seven days has seen a colossal avalanche of new releases, so much so I’ve barely had chance to keep up with it all. Although this is not the full list of everything from the past seven days, here are the 16 (yes, 16!) new releases I’ve enjoyed the most this week.

As there is so much to get through the rundowns are (mostly) a bit shorter than normal and there is no single Album of the Week, instead I simply recommend checking out whichever album or track sounds most appealing depending on your preferred taste.

So without further ado then, here’s what’s good:

Californian Soil by London Grammar

It’s been four years since the release of London Grammar’s last record Truth Is A Beautiful Thing - an album that I enjoyed, but I’ll admit also left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed coming off the back of their incredible breakout debut, If You Wait. As it turns out, the band themselves were also having a tough time around that period, with front woman Hannah Reid in particular battling relentless industry sexism, as well as the persistent physical pain caused by her fibromyalgia condition. With this being the case, it is amazing that the young indie-pop trio have made it to their third album at all, let alone delivering what is their best work to date.

Opening on a grand, string-drenched Intro, the record soon morphs into the sun-soaked guitars and soaring orchestration of the album’s glorious title track. It marks an early highlight as Reid catches the audience up with the tribulations of the last few years – “I left my soul on Californian soil.” From there the album doesn’t really let up as the band move through a series of career-defining tracks – the gorgeous contemporary groove of Missing, the dance-influenced How Does It Feel, the chilled-out ambience of the dreamy Baby, It’s You and the sublime, stripped-back closer America.

However, the album’s strongest moment comes when Reid confronts music industry sexism head on with defiant anthem Lord It’s A Feeling. Beginning with some twinkly xylophone, before evolving into an atmospheric synth-laced backdrop where Reid pulls no punches:

“I saw the way you made her feel, like she should be somebody else,

I know you think the stars align for you and not for her as well,

I undеrstand, I can admit that I have felt those things mysеlf”

The cutting lyrics against some blinding quiet rave instrumentation leaves quite the impression, as does this sterling record in general. After a slight misstep, London Grammar have well and truly rediscovered themselves and they have honestly never sounded better – a truly incredible album.

If You Could Have It All Again by Low Island

Oxford electo-pop outfit Low Island are another band that have defied expectations to get to this point. This, their debut album, was not recorded in a professional music studio – in fact, the vocals were recorded in a bedroom cupboard of all places. The band themselves don’t even have a manager or a record label. In every sense of the word, they are a truly independent band. For a self-financed, self-produced effort, If You Could Have It All Again is a quite remarkable first outing.

From melodic, uplifting opener Hey Man, the record quickly jumps into spoken word electro punk banger What Do You Stand For, featuring acid-drenched synths and a dancefloor-ready groove. Fans of FIFA 21 will recall Don’t Let the Light In, with the glitchy pulse of recent single Who’s Having the Greatest Time also standing out. That said, it’s the smooth, infectious sway of I Do It For You that still pulls me in the most.

Having followed the band since their early EPs, I’ve been rooting for Low Island for a while now and this is one debut album I was highly anticipating this year. Safe to say, my expectations have been met – this is a fantastic, accomplished record, which leaves me eager to see where they go next.

The Greatest Mistake Of My Life by Holding Absence

There was a time when the difficult second album used to be a thing, but listening to the sophomore effort from Welsh rock band Holding Absence this week, I’m really not sure that exists anymore. After a dramatic and impressive self-titled debut two years ago, the band have wasted little time taking things up a notch, with this new album cinematic and masterfully produced from beginning to end.

From standout singalong anthems like Afterlife and In Circles, to the album’s epic seven-minute penultimate track Mourning Song, The Greatest Mistake of My Life shows a band pushing themselves and driving forward with ambition at every opportunity. In a year packed with outstanding rock and metal albums already, this is most definitely another one you can add onto that list. Soaring, impressive and demanding of repeat listens.

We Forgot We Were Dreaming by Saint Raymond

It’s been six long years since Nottingham-born singer-songwriter Callum Burrows, AKA Saint Raymond, released his debut album. However it seems the time away has been well spent as this long-awaited follow-up finds Burrows in fine form, with this album packed to the brim with catchy, glossily produced indie-pop anthems.

From the brilliant title track that opens the record, to the bouncy riffs of Right Way Round, Talk and Solid Gold, to more subdued and heartfelt moments like Only You, this album will have you smiling, singing your heart out and dancing your troubles away.

Flu Game by AJ Tracey

AJ Tracey may have only been three years old when Michael Jordan was winning NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, but that hasn’t stopped him making a record influenced by the legendary icon and his famous 1997 Flu Game. Like many others including myself, grime superstar AJ Tracey spent lockdown watching the brilliant The Last Dance documentary, and this record weirdly works as a fantastic unofficial companion, but also just a great summer rap record.

McCartney III Imagined by Paul McCartney

Even if like me you completely missed Sir Paul McCartney’s 2020 album McCartney III, it’s well worth checking out this reimagining, where he has called on the help of some of his famous musician pals. This is a real who’s who line up of guest features including Beck, Khurangbin, St. Vincent, Blood Orange, Phoebe Bridgers, Damon Albarn, Josh Homme, Anderson .Paak and more, making for quite a fascinating mix of sounds and styles.

Moratorium (Broadcasts from The Interruption) by Enter Shikari

And finally on the albums front this week, genre-benders Enter Shikari have released a brilliant compilation of all their lockdown live performances, headlined by an incredible string-tinged acoustic version of The Dreamer’s Hotel and a beautifully stripped-back “At Home” rendition of Live Outside.

Tracks of the Week

Introvert by Little Simz

Wow, wow and wow again. Still fairly fresh off the back of her masterful, Mercury Prize nominated third album Grey Area, this week British rapper Little Simz released the first taste of her next record in the form of this epic and triumphant opening track. At six minutes in length, this majestic and operatic political anthem aims to grab the listener by the collar and shake them awake. Without a doubt, one of the best songs of the year so far, the powerful video for which you can view above.

Smile by Wolf Alice

The second taste of their forthcoming album Blue Weekend, Smile continues Wolf Alice’s pattern for alternating Loud/Soft releases, with this one featuring buzzy guitars, punky vocals and a hypnotic chorus melody.

Beautiful Beaches by James

Although written off the back of the California wildfires that impacted front man Tim Booth’s local community, the lyrics on the band’s latest anthem purposefully offer a dual meaning, giving hope to those dreaming of a post-lockdown getaway and fresh start.

He Said She Said by CHVRCHES

The Scottish trio made their much-anticipated return this week, with Lauren Mayberry also sharing her experiences of sexism on this arena-ready synth-pop banger.

Matty Healy by Georgia Twinn

Georgia Twinn delivers an infectiously catchy break-up anthem, inspired by an ex-boyfriend, who’s most interesting feature was supposedly looking like the 1975 frontman.

Kill It by Vukovi

Underground Scottish rock outfit Vukovi’s new single is so good, they even managed to get KILL IT trending over the weekend of its release. Masterfully produced with big bold riffs and trancey synths, this one just sounds huge.

Can’t Carry On by Gruff Rhys

The latest solo single from the former Super Furry Animals frontman is a stunning, super-melodic tune with an instant chorus you’ll be singing before the track has even finished its first play.

Ceremony by Deftones

One of the highlights off their last album Ohms, the nu-metal rockers have now delivered a cinematic new video directed by horror legend Leigh Whannell. Check it out!

Chasing Birds by Foo Fighters

And finally this week, Dave Grohl and company released a trippy new animated video for this Medicine At Midnight cut to help celebrate 420 in their own unique way. Again, well worth a watch!

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sinceileftyoublog · 3 years

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Pitchfork Music Festival 2021 Preview: 15 Can’t-miss Acts

black midi; Photo by YIS KID

BY JORDAN MAINZER

While yours truly won’t be attending Pitchfork Music Festival this year, SILY contributor Daniel Palella will be covering the actual fest. If I was attending, though, these would be the acts I’d make sure to see. 5 from each day, no overlaps, so you could conceivably see everyone listed.

FRIDAY

Armand Hammer, 1:00 PM, Green Stage

Earlier this year, New York hip hop duo Armand Hammer released their 5th album Haram (BackwoodzStudioz) in collaboration with on-fire producer The Alchemist. It was the duo’s (ELUCID and Billy Woods) first time working with a singular producer on a record (though Earl Sweatshirt produced a track), and likewise, The Alchemist actually tailored his beats towards the two MCs. Haram is the exact kind of hip hop that succeeds early in the day at a festival, verbose and complex rhymes over languid, cloudy, sample-heavy beats, when attendees are more likely to want to sit and listen than dance. And you’re going to want to listen to Armand Hammer, whose MCs’ experiential words frame the eerie hues of the production. “Dreams is dangerous, linger like angel dust,” Woods raps on opener “Sir Benni Miles”, never looking back as he and Elucid’s stream-of-consciousness rhymes cover everything from colonization to Black bodily autonomy and the dangers of satisfaction disguised as optimism. (“We let BLM be the new FUBU,” raps Quelle Chris on “Chicharrones”; “Iridescent blackness / Is this performative or praxis?” ponders Woods on “Black Sunlight”.) There are moments of levity on Haram, like KAYANA’s vocal turn on “Black Sunlight” and the “what the hell sound is this?” type sampling that dominates warped, looped tracks like “Peppertree” and “Indian Summer”, built around sounds of horns and twirling flute lines. For the most part, Haram is an album of empathetic realism. “Hurt people hurt people,” raps Elucid on “Falling Out of the Sky”, a stunning encapsulation of Armand Hammer’s world where humanism exists side-by-side with traumatic death and feelings of revenge.

You can also catch Armand Hammer doing a live set on the Vans Channel 66 livestream at 12 PM on Saturday.

Dogleg, 1:45 PM, Red Stage

It feels like we’ve been waiting years to see this set, and actually, we have! The four-piece punk band from Michigan was supposed to play last year’s cancelled fest in support of their searing debut Melee (Triple Crown), and a year-plus of pent up energy is sure to make songs like “Bueno”, “Fox”, and “Kawasaki Backflip” all the more raging. Remember: This is a band whose reputation was solidified live before they were signed to Triple Crown and released their breakout album. Seeing them is the closest thing to a no-brainer that this year’s lineup offers.

Revisit our interview with Dogleg from last year, and catch them at an aftershow on Saturday at Subterranean with fellow Pitchfork performer Oso Oso and Retirement Party.

Hop Along, 3:20 PM, Red Stage

Though lead singer Frances Quinlan released a very good solo album last year, it’s been three years since their incredible band Hop Along dropped an album and two years since they’ve toured. 2018′s Bark Your Head Off, Dog (Saddle Creek), one of our favorite albums of that year, should comprise the majority of their setlist, but maybe they have some new songs?

Catch them at an aftershow on Saturday at Metro with Varsity and Slow Mass.

black midi, 4:15 PM, Green Stage

The band who had the finest debut of 2019 and gave the best set of that year at Pitchfork is back. Cavalcade (Rough Trade) is black midi’s sophomore album, methodical in its approach in contrast with the improvisational absurdism of Schlagenheim. Stop-start, violin-laden lead single and album opener “John L”, a song about a cult leader whose members turn on him, is as good a summary as ever of the dark, funky eclecticism of black midi, who on Cavalcade saw band members leave and new ones enter, their ever shapeshifting sound the only consistent thing about them. A song like the jazzy “Diamond Stuff” is likely impossible to replicate live--its credits list everything from 19th century instruments to household kitchen items used for percussion--but is key to experiencing their instrumental adventurousness. On two-and-a-half-minute barn burner “Hogwash and Balderdash,” they for the first time fully lean into their fried Primus influences, telling a tale of two escaped prisoners, “two chickens from the pen.” At the same time, this band is still black midi, with moments that call back to Schlagenheim, the churning, metallic power chords via jittery, slapping funk of “Chondromalacia Patella” representative of their quintessential tempo changes. And as on songs like Schlagenheim’s “Western”, black midi find room for beauty here, too, empathizing with the pains of Marlene Dietrich on a bossa nova tune named after her, Geordie Greep’s unmistakable warble cooing sorrowful lines like, “Fills the hall tight / And pulls at our hearts / And puts in her place / The girl she once was.” Expect to hear plenty from Cavalcade but also some new songs; after all, this is a band that road tests and experiments with material before recording it.

Catch them doing a 2 PM DJ set on Vans Channel 66 on Saturday and at an aftershow on Monday at Sleeping Village.

Yaeji, 7:45 PM, Blue Stage

What We Drew (XL), the debut mixtape from Brooklyn-based DJ Yaeji, was one of many dance records that came out after lockdown that we all wished we could experience in a crowd as opposed to at home alone. Now's our chance to bask in all of its glory under a setting sun. Maybe she’ll spin her masterful remix of Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” from the Club Future Nostalgia remix album, or her 2021 single “PAC-TIVE”, her and DiAN’s collaboration with Pac-Man company Namco.

Angel Olsen; Photo by Dana Trippe

SATURDAY

Bartees Strange, 1:45 PM, Red Stage

One of our favorite albums of last year was Live Forever (Memory Music), the debut from singer-songwriter and The National fanatic Bartees Strange, one that contributor Lauren Lederman called “a declaration of an artist’s arrival.” He’s certainly past arrived when you take into account his busy 2021, releasing a new song with Lorenzo Wolff and offering his remix services to a number of artists, including illuminati hotties and fellow Pitchfork performer (and tour mate) Phoebe Bridgers. Expect to hear lots of Live Forever during his Pitchfork set, one of many sets at the fest featuring exciting young guitar-based (!) bands.

Catch him at a free (!!) aftershow on Monday at Empty Bottle with Ganser.

Faye Webster, 4:00 PM, Blue Stage

Since we previewed Faye Webster’s Noonchorus livestream in October, she’s released the long-awaited follow-up to Atlanta Millionaires Club, the cheekily titled I Know I’m Funny haha (Secretly Canadian). At that time, she had dropped “Better Distractions”, “In A Good Way”, and “Both All The Time”, and the rest of the album more than follows the promise of these three dreamy country, folk rock, and R&B-inspired tunes. Webster continues to be a master of tone and mood, lovelorn on “Sometimes”, sarcastic on the title track, and head-in-the-clouds on “A Dream with a Baseball Player”. All the while, she and her backing band provide stellar, languorous instrumentation, keys and slide guitar on the bossa nova “Kind Of”, her overdriven guitar sludge on “Cheers”, cinematic strings on the melancholic “A Stranger”, stark acoustic guitar on heartbreaking closer “Half of Me”. And the ultimate irony of Webster’s whip-smart lyricism is that a line like, “And today I get upset over this song that I heard / And I guess was just upset because why didn't I think of it first,” is that I can guarantee a million songwriters feel the same way about her music, timely in context and timeless in sound and feeling.

Catch her at an aftershow on Saturday at Sleeping Village with Danger Incorporated.

Georgia Anne Muldrow, 5:15 PM, Blue Stage

The queen of beats takes the stage during the hottest part of the day, perfect for some sweaty dancing. VWETO III (FORESEEN + Epistrophik Peach Sound), the third album in Muldrow’s beats record series, was put together with “calls to action” in mind, each single leading up to the album’s release to be paired with crowdsourced submissions via Instagram from singers, visual artists, dancers, and turntablists. Moreover, many of the album’s tracks are inspired by very specific eras of Black music, from Boom Bap and G-funk to free jazz, and through it all, Muldrow provides a platform for musical education just as much as funky earworms.

Revisit our interview with Muldrow from earlier this year.

Angel Olsen, 7:25 PM, Red Stage

It’s been a busy past two years for Angel Olsen. She revealed Whole New Mess (Jagjaguwar) in August 2020, stripped down arrangements of many of the songs on 2019′s amazing All Mirrors. In May, she came out with a box set called Song of the Lark and Other Far Memories (Jagjaguwar), which contained both All Mirrors and Whole New Mess and a bonus LP of remixes, covers, alternate takes, and bonus tracks. She shortly and out of nowhere dropped a song of the year candidate in old school country rock high and lonesome Sharon Van Etten duet “Like I Used To”. And just last month, she released Aisles, an 80′s covers EP out on her Jagjaguwar imprint somethingscosmic. She turns Laura Branigan’s disco jam “Gloria” and Men Without Hats’ “Safety Dance” into woozy, echoing, slowed-down beds of synth haze and echoing drum machine. On Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’s “If You Leave”, her voice occupies different registers between the soft high notes of the bridge and autotuned solemnity of the chorus. Sure, other covers are more recognizable in their tempo and arrangement, like Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell ballad “Eyes Without a Face” and Alphaville’s “Forever Young”, but Aisles is exemplary of Olsen’s ability to not just reinvent herself but classics.

At Pitchfork, I’d bet on a set heavy on All Mirrors and Whole New Mess, but as with the unexpectedness of Aisles, you never know!

St. Vincent, 8:30 PM, Green Stage

Annie Clark again consciously shifts personas and eras with her new St. Vincent album Daddy’s Home (Loma Vista), inspired by 70′s funk rock and guitar-driven psychedelia. While much of the album’s rollout centered around its backstory--Clark’s father’s time in prison for white collar crimes--the album is a thoughtful treatise on honesty and identity, the first St. Vincent album to really stare Clark’s life in the face.

Many of its songs saw their live debut during a Moment House stream, which we previewed last month.

The Weather Station; Photo by Jeff Bierk

SUNDAY

Tomberlin, 1:00 PM, Green Stage

While the LA-via-Louisville singer-songwriter hasn’t yet offered a proper follow-up LP to her 2018 debut At Weddings, she did last year release an EP called Projections (Saddle Creek), which expands upon At Weddings’ shadowy palate. Songs like “Hours” and “Wasted” are comparatively clattering and up-tempo. Yet, all four of the original tracks are increasingly self-reflexive, Tomberlin exploring and redefining herself on her terms, whether singing about love or queerness, all while maintaining her sense of humor. (“When you go you take the sun and all my flowers die / So I wait by the window and write some shit / And hope that you'll reply,” she shrugs over acoustic strums and wincing electric guitars.) The album ends with a stark grey cover of Casiotone for the Painfully Alone’s “Natural Light”; Tomberlin finds a kindred spirit in the maudlin musings of Owen Ashworth.

Get there early on Sunday to hear select tracks from At Weddings and Projections but also likely some new songs.

oso oso, 2:45 PM, Blue Stage

Basking in the Glow (Triple Crown), the third album from Long Beach singer-songwriter Jade Lilitri as Oso Oso, was one of our favorite records of 2019, and we’d relish the opportunity to see them performed to a crowd in the sun. Expect to hear lots of it; hopefully we’re treated to new oso oso material some time soon.

Catch them at an aftershow on Saturday at Subterranean with fellow Pitchfork performer Dogleg and Retirement Party.

The Weather Station, 4:00 PM, Blue Stage

The Toronto band led by singer-songwriter Tamara Lindeman released one of the best albums of the year back in February with Ignorance (Fat Possum), songs inspired by climate change-addled anxiety. While the record is filled with affecting, reflective lines about loss and trying to find happiness in the face of dread, in a live setting, I imagine the instrumentation will be a highlight, from the fluttering tension of “Robber” to the glistening disco of “Parking Lot”.

Revisit our preview of their Pitchfork Instagram performance from earlier this year. Catch them at an aftershow on Friday at Schubas with Ulna.

Danny Brown, 6:15 PM, Green Stage

The Detroit rapper’s last full-length record was the Q-Tip executive produced uknowhatimsayin¿ (Warp), though he’s popped up a few times since then, on remixes, a Brockhampton album, and TV62, a Bruiser Brigade Records compilation from earlier this year. (He’s also claimed in Twitch streams that his new album Quaranta is almost done.) His sets--especially Pitchfork sets--are always high-energy, as he’s got so many classic albums and tracks under his belt at this point, so expect to hear a mix of those.

Erykah Badu, 8:30 PM, Green Stage

What more can I say? This is the headliner Pitchfork has been trying to get for years, responsible for some of the greatest neo soul albums of all time. There’s not much else to say about Erykah Badu other than she’s the number one must-see at the festival.

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minjungfmd · 3 years

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butterfly / creative claims verification

writing verification for @fmdjiah‘s butterfly. an instrumental inspired by the dreaminess of a movie, and lyrics that write a love story that feels like a remnant of a dream. warnings / none wc / 1687, not including lyrics

eternal sunshine of the spotless mind.

despite how many times she’s repeated the movies in her head — set forth with the question of whether any erasure of the memory counts towards the steps of healing — she finds something new.

this time, the fixation on the cinematic score, an ethereal dream shifting the pieces of fragments of fiction versus reality prompts her fingers on the keyboard to start trickling a series of notes, one by one. trickling dainty, delicately. it mimics the tempo of classically thought-of harps, and the note leads to a drag over one and another. and when inspiration hits, she goes straight towards her home-studio, the new file of a blank screened ableton before the record starts, and she carries the notes, letting the settings hit almost to the notch of mute.

there’s no heavy emphasis, just the trickle of notes she wants to carry the dream of the track. it’s the lucid dreams, the ones that feel like when you’re drunk on little hours of sleep with heavy eyelids, and a heavy heart to match. the nostalgia that comes in waves, just like the gentle sounds to lull you to sleep, knowing full well you can’t.

she imagines the song to have a feeling, the lyrics that are sung in a way it just drags. heels in the ground, one word blending into another in a sultry emotion that counteracts the nostalgia lodged in the song — makes note of that for later, but for now, inaudible words, just phasing past her lips in small ideas of how the melody goes.

she takes the first one, the counter-progression of the initial notes as she hums the words, taking two notes forward in the same pitch before the other falls back. it all contrasts by the time she takes a stark turn, starting another line with a higher note, only to transition down. her pen jots the time stamp, a possible falsetto? she leaves that to later judgement.

but work doesn’t always come in a streamlined process, just as it’s hard to solidify ideas one by one, in a cohesive manner. instead, it comes wayward from all angles, and she falls back to the instrumental, taking in the slow bpm tempo — leading with a possible chord, heavy on the synth to start each trickle of keys. this time, the setting’s louder, spotlighting the attention to the thickness of the beginning, setting up for the entirety of the dream.

when she falls back on the track, she finds herself doused in inspiration days later. working on bits and pieces, martyring it like a puzzle still to be written. she takes her notes, one by one, still no lyrics at hand but an idea of non-coherent words and strings of random sentences — the heaviness of the chords, the synth and the trickle of keys she alters with editing, building up from the minimalism of the keys to heaviness of the synth by the time she picks where she sees the chorus.

vibrato on the voice, drag the end.

she writes that down, singing along empty words — a more powerful vocal execution, even where her own struggles. a dip before the vibrato and the drags paint the canvas whole.

the song’s not for her, least not when the power dynamics of the song — the counteraction between the softness of the dream with the voices of reality are centered around the song. the verses carry themselves alone before she takes in a different set of notes, speeding them up towards the end. a nameless track with an empty story — it’s the skeletons of something, maybe someday it’ll come into fruition.

—

the song repeats itself in her head, like a taste of irony. it bleeds into her thoughts when she’s drifting back, lost in the middle of a meeting — the dreamy synths drowning out the talks of the executives, and by the time she spares a few hours, she’s already back into the studio, notebook wide scribbling down rudimentary sketches of clouds and figures.

turns out, it’s another love song struck in her mind when dreams entice a figure of her past that comes to haunt her in sweet memories, too sweet to be drowned out by any erasure.

she writes the first few words:

drawn in a dream that i can’t wake up from i was still looking for you

it’s like sleep walking, or some wicked form of lucid dreaming. walking around in circles hoping for a figure of the past keeping up — but the reality brings to a limbo that leaves her double questioning the thoughts of what’s real and what’s fake if the thing she’s looking for all along becomes the centerpiece that all draws to him.

because she knows, optimistic thinking. wishful dreaming — it all dies the second dreams blur with reality, and what’s sitting in front of her becomes the hopes and wishes she spent her 11:11s and pennies on. her breath held still, a person of permanency to become exposed right in front of only to realize the first taste becomes like the first hit of a drug that takes over the body in full throttle. exhilaration, and addition all lying on the first whiff, putting her on a cloud nine, skies above her head. no recollection for the past nor future when the present feels so good.

now that i found you i can’t wake up i can’t escape from you

but even addicts have their downfall and the high doesn’t last long. least not when the shaky withdrawals of a person no longer being there starts to breed the downfall for a constant lingering feeling of wanting something that’s not there. she knows it, and she’s sure anyone else does too — the way he’s there and then poofs into fine air, the remnants of the cologne left on his clothes the only piece to tether her back (only, that’s a lie. it’s always been a lie when the memory becomes the final force of red string tethering her still).

in the end, he’s not a creature to be caved in nor is she a creature meant to stay still. freedom lingers like a butterfly always waiting at the end, with the only possibility of hope: maybe, someday it’ll return.

even if i struggle to hold onto you’re still like a butterfly

she wonders how she became a lovelorn addict in the first place. how she became jaded by the pinky promises and breaths shared underneath the blanket. heartbeats playing in sync, and the gleam in her eye that writes the story for a future left unwritten — little did she know, it’d be left as the future untold.

if anything, it’s pride that tells her to regret. prevent the beggar nature to fall onto her knees and plead for a sense of freedom — because the more she thinks, the more she dwindles and the pang in her gut grows.

she writes down her pleas here, because if not here — then anywhere housed in her thoughts would topple over the self-ruination in.

let go of my tired heart the deeper i get, the smaller i become the one that got away, making my heart more painful

it’s a pity song, a pitied dream. one word after the other scrawling itself across the pages. yet, the journal houses the same old song written fifteen different ways, each word, each sentence staking the same words unspoken to a boy she can’t bring herself to call. empty lines, and empty text messages — erased, then re-written over and over. and the only remedy becomes the hope that someday it’ll enter his own ears through the speakers — because in the end, she falls inside cowardice. falls too short, becomes a coward to bring herself to say it out loud: i miss you. i hate you. but i can’t regret you.

like a school girl, she carries her harddrive close to her chest. crossed again, hidden behind a mask as she finds her way, her own unwelcomed entrance coming in a peek through the doors before she steps into the studio. her hands toss the disk to her friend, sitting happily in front of the desk — he’s a free soul, unbridled by any company and a worker to all. still, friendship crosses work boundaries when she comes in for a second set of ears, and he picks up on the one-two cues already halfway plugging the drive into the computer.

“i want to add a series of chords, guitar — but i can’t get the right set, or the right set.” it’s her concession, when she hums along what she means, fingers already pointing to a screen at the set time point. “i’ve added in as much synth as you could see — heavy handed especially where the chorus blurs into the second verse, and the end of each line to exude that cloudy blur i want in this song. but here.” her nails tap once more at the screen. “i want this weird chord style, where it’s somewhere between electric and acoustic, heavier than the piano that carries the song.”

too many words, and she waits in the silence, arms crossed against her chest — awaiting an answer. but she knows, her friend works in silence, taking in the entire song the whole way through before parting his lips to give any sort of answer.

“you could add it towards the end of the song? the entire beginning sounds too heavy on the synth to add anything else.”

she weighs her choices, a song spurned on by inspiration. yet, she stands in a limbo of not knowing what to do, and what to add. instead, she tilts her head, lips unevenly pursed to the side of her face. “could we try adding chords? but the specific settings of an unplugged electric guitar”

“you don’t think it’ll clash?”

“if we keep it silenced enough it doesn’t drown out the keys, i think it could work.”

her friend motions over to the lines of guitar stockpiled in the side of the room, “take your pick.”

her hands gravitate towards the first guitar, taking a seat on the couch behind them. uncertain, she motions with a nod to play back the instrumental of the song, void of her guide vocals, strumming one take to the next. it all leads to a simple c, and she flicks her gaze up, a eureka gloating in her eyes. “it’s this.”

#famedverification #fmdverification

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kpoptimeout · 3 years

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Top 10 Most Underrated K-pop Songs of 2020 (Artist Edition)

Many wonderful songs by K-Pop artists helped us get through the shit show of 2020.

Continuing with the K-Pop Timeout Tradition (see 2019 Ver) of listing the Top 10 Most Underrated K-Pop Songs because all the other sites are just bothered with the Top 10 that pretty much everyone will have heard of/have fan wars over, below are our top 10 picks of songs that did not rank high (and with MVs just around or below 1 million views too) but deserves your attention!

This is the list for artists’ tracks, so the Top 10 underrated non-idol tracks. Click here for the Top 10 underrated idol tracks of 2020.

Some of the non-idol artists have escaped the list in recent years to stardom (for example DPR LIVE, CRUSH and MAD CLOWN) so hopefully, it happens again!

This is in alphabetic order NOT in the order of awesomeness because all of them are awesome. Also, all MVs are linked in the song titles because Tumblr won’t let me share that many videos in one post.

DAVII - Jamie Cullum

DAVII had already demonstrated his vocal and producing prowess in the collaborations with HEIZE and other indie artists and his continues to show his talent and skill in “Jamie Cullum”, an ode to the titular English jazz-pop singer songwriter. The song has a beautiful and memorable jazz piano arrangement and solo section, and DAVII complements the instrumental beautifully with his smooth RnB vocals. The simple Bauhaus-inspired MV sets further accentuates the atmosphere of this beautiful musical piece. If you are a fan of Korean RnB and also jazz, this is the song for you!

DeVita “EVITA!”

When AOMG told the internet we are going to love their new artist, we know we would but most of us did not expect THIS SOUND. Starting off with a simple 80s vintage drum loop, we are then promised something more when a jazzy saxophone solo bursts onto the scene. The instrumental is reminiscent of 80s citypop but the arrangement of the song and the background noise and ambience creates a much more cyberpunk feel to the whole affair - all this creates a song that sounds both retro and highly futuristic. This modern take on citypop is further highlighted by the stunning music video and DeVita’s edgy vocal delivery, which smoothly switches between head and chest voice in a way similar to that of Rihanna and Lexie Liu. If you are a fan of these two artists or love citypop, you should certainly check out DeVita’s “EVITA!”

Divin’ “Siren”

The MV with the least amount of views on this list (less than 3,000 views at the time of writing this), Divin’s “Siren” deserves better. This song makes great use of synthesisers and has an addictive electronic beat. Divin’s singing is also very captivating, both smooth and desperate at the same time. The moments where he dramatically breathed in Michael Jackson-style between verses worked very well with the fast-paced beats. It is sad to see such a creatively executed track that sounded like the theme song to a Netflix sci-fi adventure series go completely unnoticed. If you want to feel like you are living in the world of TRON, Divin’s “Siren” is your type of song!

GEMINI “Going”

GEMINI is definitely an artist to keep an eye on if you are a K-RnB fan. “Going” is an extremely simple song - just the use of one processed guitar loop throughout the whole song (even in parts of the bridge), with some changes in the drums here and there. The whole MV also appeared to be quite low budget, just showing GEMINI going about his day - shaving, playing basketball, skateboarding and just straight up chilling. However, the song is carried by GEMINI’s emotive voice and smooth delivery to be easily one of the most enjoyable RnB songs this year and the simple MV made it feel like we were also there hanging out with this talented and carefree youth. If you love good K-RnB, “Going” is a must-listen song from 2020!

MADDOX “Sleep”

Some of you may have heard of MADDOX for his wild interview with DIVE STUDIOS but not as many of you listen to his music because this MV does not even crack 100,000 views (at the time of writing this). “Sleep” is lofi RnB gold, showcasing MADDOX’s crisp and somewhat melancholy tone. The instrumental is a mix of electronic guitar, synths and pianos, creating the atmosphere of a high-class hotel lounge, which is fitting as MADDOX anguishly croons through the hallways of a hotel. We know the song is “Sleep” but this song is certainly way too slept on. If you love the soothing RnB tunes of Crush and Zion.T, you should check out this song!

MINSEO “No Good Girl”

MINSEO is arguably one of the most talented female vocalists of this generation, able to easy alternate between genres and styles, from romani jazz to EDM, so it is frustrating to see her still so underrated. In “No Good Girl”, MINSEO returns to her ballad roots and demonstrates her skill in showing layers of emotions through her expert singing abilities. The song itself is also beautifully arranged and could easily be a primetime K-Drama OST that plays whenever the leads interact. If you love vocal talent pure and simple and love coffee shop music, “No Good Girl” is the song for you!

Purple Rain “The King Must Die”

When one thinks of Korean rock bands, the tendency is to think of pop rock bands under FNC or other mainstream labels. Purple Rain reminds us to keep an eye on the harder, grittier rockers of South Korea. The song begins soft and controlled and slowly builds up with the entrance of the electric guitar solo. Upon reaching the chorus, the lead singer does a 180 in his delivery, belting with emotion and range and would alternate between his soft and harder vocals throughout the song. With the sound fit for an action blockbuster, “The King Must Die” is a song for those who love a powerful rock song!

Rad Museum “Wet Umbrella / This Night”

Rad Museum made the list last year its darker and emotive song “Dancing In the Rain” ft. Jusén, and returns this time with the much softer and dreamy mashup of two tracks “Wet Umbrella / This Night”. The unpredictable song progression and the light airy vocals lead to an oddly pleasant song. You feel like you are travelling with a squad of misfits in a disoriented world when listening to this song. If you are an enthusiast of music Spotify would classify as “escape room” (e.g. Daniel Caesar, Tyler the Creator, Childish Gambino etc.), you would love this song!

VINCE “EMERGENCY” ft. Zion.T

With YG’s The Black Label managing him and being the songwriter for various K-pop hits like Sunmi’s “Gashina” and BLACKPINK’s “Pretty Savage” and working on BLACKPINK Rosé’s upcoming solo releases, it is strange YG stans are not supportive of this RnB vocal king. VINCE has a smooth honey vocals that work perfectly with any RnB track and “EMERGENCY” is further elevated by its memorable chorus and the addition of the uniquely wonderful Zion.T. Yet somehow this MV has yet to crack 1 million since it was released in February 2020 (at the time of writing this). If you are a fan of K-RnB, you would love this song!

Xydo “Betting” ft. pH-1

This song is the definition of falsetto overload but in all the right ways. Xydo’s high-tone singing is perfect for this simple song driven by a snappy bass, hi-hat and clap. pH-1’s rap verse also added the fun to this already very playful song. The camera angles and set also elevate the classy and smooth vibe of the whole song. If you are a fan of Gray’s production style, you would also love this stylish RnB song by Xydo!

Which non-idol songs do you think were underrated this year? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and let the song sharing begin!!!

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kpopgerapitico · 4 years

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Song of the Week

April is almost over, which shows how time has no meaning, because that isn’t possible!

Honorable Mentions:

Let’s start with a fact: I’m rarely a huge indie fan. But, there are some really good indie channels that I follow that regularly put out really interesting music. So instead of a song recommendation, check out Seoul Music and Mirrorball Music. Both curate a nice mix of types of music, and while it is sometimes a little less polished, it is often very interesting.

I had a hard hit of memories when Hidden Flower’s Come On! first started. 8-bit soundtracks from video games, and covers from YouTube were a big deal in the groups I was a part of, and the little electronic tune that start this song, as well as the riffs interspersed throughout added some much needed fun. Also, the whole thing is a bit busy, but still stays clear and fun. It is a nice fun spring/summer track, and definitely worth checking out for the more band sound.

IMFACT’s Lie straddles a line that is very hard to stay on. It manages to have a vocal line the reads as sad, in the raps and chorus, over a beat that is expansive and exciting and takes its house roots seriously while also trying to be serious. It is a really interesting dichotomy that I’m not sure how I feel about. The vocals are great, but that’s not surprising with idol groups really, especially since I actually recognize the lead vocal from The Unit. Oh, and the build into every chorus, with the building synths that almost explode with distortion at the end of the hook is tasty.

I want to mention BVNDIT’s Children only to mention how it is a fully animated video for an idol group, which is unheard of, so I’m excited! Also, its a pretty good song, so there is that too.

Sunmi is not the only member of the Wonder Girls to go solo. And she was not my first favorite, because HA:TFELT was. Me?, in 2014 was a very good album, with multiple tracks I still listen to. So I’ve been hype for this comeback for a minute. Sweet Sensation is, in a word, sweet. It is adorable and soft and gentle. Satellite is more synthy and denser, though it still has ethereal vocals from Yeeun. I like the rap verse, partially because I like Ash Island sometimes and partially because it fits well. If you are in the mood for dreamy pop, which apparently I am, both tracks are a great choice this week.

There is a groovy guitar riff driving all of Kanto’s Favorite. And that riff was what kept me listening. The song is nothing new, but what it does, it does well. Also, Kanto is very very talented, so adding Bumkey makes a great combo.

I think I am just not the audience for Solar’s Spit it Out. Because it just doesn’t connect with me. And objectively, I can tell it is good. I just . . . I don’t know, it’s just not for me.

Okay, so Starship has this Pepsi ad thing that they do, and this week has reached peak meta for me. Or maybe peak surrealism? Because this week is the fifth one of these in a year, following up an Eunha X Ravi duet, Ong Seong Wu (because you might as well collect Produce boys(this will make sense shortly!)), Hongbin x Hyungwon, and the entirety of Monsta X. The newest is Refresh, with ZICO and KANG DANIEL. Y’all, are we in an alternative timeline? Has COIVD driven me off the edge? At this point I don’t know, because the worst part is the the hook is actually solid, and I don’t actually hate the track . . . Y’all, I don’t know what to think anymore. Like it’s not amazing, and it is not as blatant an ad, at least until you read the lyrics . . . Anyways, if you want to go crazy for a minute or two, here you go. (Also, the rest feel like a trip too, they’re linked about for your viewing)

Okay, so stick with me. There is a lot to not like about Not By The Moon. It is pretty low energy throughout, it is a box set, it doesn’t really hold a candle to any of their last couple of years of releases. BUT, The chorus is everything. The lyric “Oh swear not by the moon” manages to actually sound like an English speaker while also sounding like a love struck Shakespearean character. And I too was underwhelmed the first time I listened to it, and much more drawn to Poison (a solid b-side). My defense for Not By The Moon is the same defense I have for a lot of GOT7 in the last few years: it doesn’t sound like anyone else. There are silences, and cool synths that have sounds I recognize mixed in different ways. It is definitely a more subtle song than they have had in a while, and it doesn’t try and stand out. But do yourself a favor, and grab the nicest headphones you have and give it another chance. I can promise you will hear something you didn’t hear the first time. (Also, rip JBs amazing dark long hair, the blond is worse, the black has been ruining me for actual weeks). I’m giving it the win with a close second going to HA:TFELT.

#sotw #got7 #not by the moon

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thesuper17 · 5 years

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Nostalgia, the kind fomented unnaturally early in a generation forced to confront its imminent end, soaks Titanic Rising, Natalie Mering’s fourth and finest album as Weyes Blood. The record’s warm, luxurious 70s pop arrangements and brief glimpses into Mering’s tender and empathetic interior life serve to underscore the value of what will be lost, and the necessity of treasuring it while it lasts.

Despite its eschatological subject matter, Titanic Rising isn’t a morose, or even explicitly didactic, experience. The 31-year-old was raised in a religious household (albeit subsequently denouncing Christianity), and a fundamental search for belonging and meaning feels as close to the center of Titanic Rising as its clear-eyed recognition of the coming ecological catastrophe.

It could easily sound glib to claim, as Mering did in an interview with Pitchfork, that one should “have a smile during the apocalypse and be grateful for whatever conditions exist, because life is a beautiful thing,” but on Titanic Rising, she dispels cynicism with full-hearted commitment to all the beauty left to salvage.

Mering has pointed to religious music as a particular influence on her output, not in terms of content, but staging. Grand cathedrals, at once meticulously ornate and cavernously open, these vast, high-ceilinged chambers feel like a natural arena for the compositions on Titanic Rising.

Opener “A Lot’s Gonna Change”, for instance, begins in humble simplicity but soon blossoms into a lush orchestral arrangement, all swooping strings and long-held ascending vocal harmonies. The song is an overture to Mering’s approach on the rest of the album, demonstrating her penchant for broad, melancholic melodies and stark but tragically optimistic lyricism.

These tendencies coalesce on the stunning centrepiece, “Movies”, a stirring and poignant lament that real life could approach the deliberate meaning of cinema. On a meta-level, within the self-contained world of the record, Mering achieves her wish.

"Movies" unfolds in distinct sections, not unlike the separate acts of a film. Its stage-setting, submerged synth arpeggios move subtly as the singer enters: ‘This is how it feels/ to be in love,’ (alluding to the function of art in not only reflecting emotional dynamics but producing them). Again, there is a near-religious sense of ceremony, of slow-moving bodies gradually aligning, led by Mering’s multi-tracked voice.

After building to a sustained perfect cadence, the track is interrupted by a flurry of strings, dry and staccato in contrast to the dreamy build-up that preceded them. A single bass drum pulse corrals the flock into formation and the high-drama second act takes shape. Guided by singular desire, Mering repeats ‘I wanna be/ the star of my own movie,’ her falsetto climbing intervals in a crystalline timbre. The intensity of this movement gathers and crests with a final high ‘my own’, before sloping to a mellow denouement, peaceful but not satisfied.

The filmic quality of “Movies” is clearly indebted to composers like Brian Eno and – as astutely observed by Alex Denning for Dazed – Gavin Bryars’ minimalist opus “The Sinking of the Titanic”, from which Mering’s title is inverted. Her broader palette however, is drawn from the soft-rock and pop of artists like The Carpenters, Harry Nilsson and even The Beach Boys.

The attention to detail with which Titanic Rising reconstructs these profiles is both technically stunning and wholly aligned to the record’s thematic intent. Describing that intent, Mering carefully distinguishes her desire to make something “sorrowful” rather than depressing, illuminating the world’s majesty and leaving context to shape the atmosphere around it.

That the artists she venerates are so often given to an intimate conception of that duality of love and melancholy (as in Close To You), only contributes further to the record’s synchronicity of theme and construction.

On “Wild Time” Mering addresses ‘the rising tide’ - both a direct reference to the climate catastrophe and a more general allusion to the instability gripping our cultural, economic and technological institutions. Here, as in “A Lot’s Gonna Change”, her nostalgic yearning targets the neatness of childhood, before the world’s contradictions laid themselves bare. In this way, “Wild Time” addresses a personal loss of innocence as directly as it does the re-configuring of social structures under late Capitalism and global warming.

Constantly shifting tonality between major and minor (reminiscent of a Joni Mitchell composition), the song eludes simple categorisation, refusing to signpost the listener a one-dimensional response. Its overall sonic character is analogue and warm, with thick bass guitar confidently underpinning Mering’s modulating melodies.

A gliding and pensive wordless middle 8 section gently floats the song to its final chorus, whereupon the singer locks on to a steady note for the word ‘time’ rather than the shifting pattern she adopts prior. The note holds fast while all around her, strings, drums and keys forcefully ascend, again suggesting Mering’s hopeful resolve against total uncertainty.

More contemporary reference points for Weyes Blood like Father John Misty (lampshaded by Phil Elverum in “Now Only”, where he talks to the two of them about songwriting ‘in the backstage bungalows’) and Lana Del Rey differ from Mering in their elevation of wry cynicism over sincerity. Sincerity is one of Titanic Rising's most commendable traits, but should Mering have immersed the album in earnest sentiment entirely, it would’ve risked buckling under the weight of self-seriousness.

In discussion with Mark Kermode on Ari Aster's Hereditary, film critic Robbie Collin brings up the idea that brief winking moments of humour can act as a 'steam valve' for the audience, allowing intense experiences to avoid tipping over into overwhelming ones, where they become parody.

On Titanic Rising, "Everyday" functions in precisely this way. Accompanied in video by a whimsical send-up of vintage slasher films, the track is a relentlessly bouncy and upbeat exploration of the re-organisation of love in a digital age. Without ever explicitly breaking character, "Everyday" lets in a small current of air that actually imbues the parts of the album played straight with more power.

Instructively, Mering has said "I'm actually really sincere. But I feel like humour is a part of the great cosmic question." Rather than morbidly drilling down on a singular theme, she successfully evokes a kaleidoscope of experience and emotion. Humour, just as misery or elation, is part of what comprises a full life: 'It all just overlaps.'

"Everyday" strikes this intersection most cleanly with a line in its third verse: 'True love, is making a comeback/ for only half of us the rest of us feel bad.' The heartbreaking purity and tenacity of its first half is so immediately deflated in the second, it's almost impossible not to crack a smile. A gorgeous and kitsch electric piano flourish cascades beneath Mering's voice to drive home the absurdity.

It is these smaller, intimate moments on the record, as it is in life, that invoke real wonder. The drum fill before the second chorus of “A Lot’s Gonna Change” or the duelling slide guitar motif in "Andromeda". The deeply personal ode to a friend who passed on "Picture Me Better", where Mering offers only kindness and understanding 'We finally found a winter for your sweater/ got a brand new big suit of armour'.

Titanic Rising is replete with pockets of surprising beauty, weaved carefully through its construction, its homage, its themes, its heart. In this delicately manufactured capsule, filled both with artefacts from a collective cultural memory and thoughtful preparation for a stormy future, Mering makes her case for hope; that both the past and present contain splendour worth holding onto.

#titanic rising #weyes blood #review #father john misty #carpenters #pop #carole king #harry nilsson #music

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therecordscratch · 5 years

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Album Review!

Wallows - Nothing Happens

Released March 22, 2019

I’ve been wanting to sit down and really listen to this album and enjoy it, I’ve heard a snippet of Are You Bored Yet? and damn it’s so good! Lets go:

Track 1 : Only Friend - Right off the bat this vibe is so calming, like I want to dance in my underwear and not give a fuck about the world - Dylan Minnette’s vocals are so captivating and smooth while the drum beat is solid through the whole song - the fade out is a great choice too!

Track 2 : Treacherous Doctor - First of all, I love the title! Already a more upbeat vibe, a good follow up from the previous song. The harsh fuzz and drum beat really capture the “pessimist” ideas they cover in this song about the ups and downs of growing up. The harsh ending leaves you to really take in what you just heard as well! Band member Braeden Lemasters has said this track is his favorite from the record, and I can definitely see why.

Track 3 : Sidelines - Ugh the intro to this song is such a vibe! I like the soft but powerful beat to lead in the clear and gentle vocals. The harmonies are so solid too! The lyrics: We drove all night until you started to cry/ Because you saw a world without you and I/ Told me where your problems lie sets the stage for the theme of this addicting track of a hard kind of love journey. You could cry to this one as you dance in the soft spring air.

Track 4 : Are You Bored Yet? Ft. Clairo - Wow this track. A perfect lead single that leads the way for the rest of the deeper and more dark songs on the album. Clairo and Minnette’s voices melt together perfectly and create a gentle track to walk one the beach to with that gentle sea breeze blowing in your face. The battle of pessimism and optimism in a relationship makes for a relatable but fresh jam to zone out to - one of my favorites off this album!

Track 5 : Scrawny - Gotta say, I’m into scrawny motherfuckers with cool hair styles. This is an all around JAM - the piano bridge, the simple but catchy chorus and for a song shy of 3 minutes, the boys in Wallows get it done. So far the bounciest track on the album and it’s already stuck in my head - a great break in the album to just smile and jam to.

Track 6 : Ice Cold Pool - From the beginning, this song sets the tone. I love the shakers with the dreamy vocals. I want to say some sort of brass instrument, trumpet maybe? (I’m not sure I play string instruments okay, that’s my excuse) brings that old school vibe to this track. The bridge lyrics: The plant inside that never seemed to die/You cut it down before the leaves were brown Really stuck with me as the vocals smooth out and the dreamy sound comes back again, a theme with this album.

Track 7 : Worlds Apart - The drums lead this melancholy track to success as you drift away in the vocals. It’s something about the spacey sound of this song that makes me feel safe and like I’m free to daydream and drift away. This track is so pretty and light sounding that the lyrics speak more volumes when you read what they’re saying. Even though it’s about the end of a relationship, it brings that feeling of unknown calm. Now, the chaotic drums bring you into the next track and damn do I love lead ins.

Track 8 : What You Like - Leading in with those fuzzy drums, this track sets a tone of bouncing and zoning out. I love the pairing of Minnette’s vocals with the simple bass and drums - the rhythm section really brings it on this album! A track about holding the pieces of a a broken relationship and finally listening is a harsh but important and relatable theme in this track. The lowering of the defenses in the lyric: Please kill me before / You tell me what you like show the tug of war with putting your heart a side to look at the problems - A great, solid track for sure

Track 9 : Remember When - I could listen to the intro to this song on repeat, honestly. Another jam to rock out to and sing with all your capacity. The first chorus, constituting of some smooth “oh’s” put your mind in a place too again, day dream. I absolutely love the layered vocals on this track, do they ever pull it off!

Track 10 : I’m full - The guitars carry this track, one of the oldest written as they had previously released this song under their previous alias, The Narwhals. It seems like this vibing track really is the backbone for the whole of the Nothing Happens album. The synth is absolutely a strong recording sound and I’m loving it! Not to mention the rad echo effect on the vocals during the bridge. The ending of this song always makes me feel uneasy and I love it.

Track 11 : Do Not Wait - Another lead in from I’m Full, this song belongs in the soundtrack of my life. The dark sound and solemn lyrics hold tight as Minnette goes on to sing of existential thoughts when, in the end, Nothing Happens. A perfect ending to an album laced with dark themes ends strong and with a climactic finish. The ending acoustic chords hit the listener with that sense of a sad calmness and a spoken dialogue that tops it off. A dark end and a view into Minnette’s mind.

Album Overview - From start to finish, Wallow’s debut LP Nothing Happens takes the listener on a journey through dark relationship realties, poking fun at one’s self, melancholy synth and heavy, impressive lyrics. Dylan Minnette, Braeden Lemasters and Cole Preston all outdid themselves with this one and for a debut album? They set themselves up to take over the world - I highly recommend you listen to this one and keep it in your pocket for whenever you need it. A fantastic record through and through!

Let me know what you think of this album! If you have an album you’d like me to review, shoot me an ask! Until then, I’ll talk to you guys in the next one.

Source: Genius

#Record Scratch Album Review #Album Review #Wallows #Nothing Happens #Dylan Minnette #Braeden Lemasters #Cole Preston #Wallows Band

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daggerzine · 5 years

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Lloyd Cole- GUESSWORK (EAR MUSIC)

A pal recently told me that the new Lloyd Cole record had no guitars on it, that it was his all electronic album. My pal was wrong, there are guitars on Guesswork though not a lot. Cole was (re) joined by some old bandmates (Blair Cowan, Fred Maher and Neil Clark) and recorded at his home in Massachusetts and yes, the songs focus on melodic synth work and Cole’s classic, strong vocals. Only 8 songs here but he really makes it count as there’s not a dog in the pack. Opening cut “The Over Under” is a dreamy number, which maybe would have been better as the closing number (but who am I to tell anyone how to sequence a record) while the synths burble and really take off on the killer “Night Sweats” (opening line: “So I’m a complicated motherfucker, you knew that”)” while “Violins” could/should be a hit single and dance club smash (If it said Pet Shop Boys across the top of the record instead of Lloyd Cole maybe it would). Elsewhere, “Moments and Whatnot” is another crystalline gem as is the dreamy, head-boppin’ “When I Came Down From the Mountain” despite the contemplative lyrics (“How am I gonna make things right? Who am I gonna be?”). So again, there’s only 8 songs here but come on, we know they recorded more. Come on Lloyd, give up the goods and let’s hear some a-sides, b-sides, whatever. In the meantime the mostly soft n’ soothing Guesswork will do just fine. www.ear-music.net

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sole-cuore-amore-e-droga · 5 years

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Tel Aviv 2019: Straight outta Slovenia to Eurovision with a dreamy couple

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Oh boi, now here comes another NF I wasn’t interested in. I don’t hate EMA as a thing, it’s just that it’s infamous for not listening to what people want most of the time, often axing their faves (BQL, Raiven, Nika Zorjan, even going as far back as Saša Lendero and Nina Pušlar...). This year it seemed like Raiven finally had what it takes with her post-dubstep-era dubstep tune, “Kaos”. BUT did she go? Oh nope

Instead we got possibly the best thing that ever happened to Slovenia. That thing is this one entry sung by a cute crossover of Lorde and that trombone fetus thing from Courage the Cowardly Dog (well, at least she looks better than him, hence why ‘cute’), Zala Kralj, and she has her 2-year-long partner Gašper Šantl by her side too, to make up the musical part for the couple’s Eurovision 2019 entry for Slovenia, “Sebi”.

Let’s start reviewing this by complimenting its atmosphere. It’s cosmic. It’s pure. It’s pleasant. I feel like I’m floating among the stars... in the same way as if someone is projecting a star backdrop on a wall and I’m just against the projection, dancing silly. I feel like I’m covered in stardust. This is achieved by the composition of the song, which is very melodic, although a bit background-music-like. It incorporates a lot of those softened hi-hats, soaring synth waves and harmonious additional backing vocals (I think I heard those? whatever that was that adds more depth and gorgeousness to the song...). The lyrics are also cute, the poetry here is pretty fascinating, and I love the hints of intimacy and nature. The chorus reminds me that you have to stay true to what you are and who you stand for, and you don’t need to apologize for being different. Something along the lines of this. And Zala sounds like a person that could do a vocal ASMR therapy - and I imagine that as something that gives tingles to my neck everytime I hear it. You just need to strip the melody away and let me listen to more of those silent, soft-spoken, eerie whispers, and usually I feel creeped out and want it to stop, but at the same time it’s seducing and oddly enough I want some more.

This song has its faults though - it’s supposedly the song being repetitive (look at that chorus’ lyrics, just repeating 3 lines during it doesn’t really suffice, especially with the song being composed like THAT), Zala’s vocals being so hauntingly chill they even sound too calming or too monotonous, and this song is a simple electronic track with it just flowing all so well? Like, it’s something you’d find more on an unknown project’s Bandcamp page and that project usually has 1500 views or so on their videos. It’s a soothing ocean, it’s a galaxy, but sometimes the silence overwhelms you too much you just want to fucking scream... or fall asleep and miss the beauty of it all.

So as a whole it’s a stellar ride through galaxies and supernovas: the song. Great production, slight lo-fi vibe (idk how to explain it but everything here feels so... hmm... soft tune and quiet vocals make it to be something of the more indie-er side of a lower-cost production I suppose?) and sparks of pure bliss raining down on me whenever I remember or hear it. Truly, truly some indie goodness.

The most interesting part? The guys seem too overwhelmed about their Eurovision experience! Sure, Eurovision doesn’t require a too-laidback approach from the participants, but there always are Eurovision non-enthusiasts (seriously, don’t yell at Eurovision participants on Youtube comments when they fail to recognize a language of a song’s from a previous year! Just because they didn’t hear it and/or forgot the language, doesn’t mean they need to be put at stake), or those who just didn’t expect to win their NFs and then are like “shit um now I need to do something about that Eurovision thing I guess”. Salvador never really watched it before, AWS didn’t really hope to participate in Eurovision at the early stages of their NF, now we don’t really hear much Eurovision news and shit from these two Slovenians... well except of them releasing a shortened version of their song so it could comply to Eurovision’s lenght rules (giving it an apt sub title - “Dare to Dream Version”), declaring that one line of the song’s will be sung in English so that everyone not speaking in Slovenian could understand it better (just like Lea sang the end of “Hvala, ne!” in Portuguese because... well we all understand either of them, do we? lol) and that their staging will be similar to the one they had in EMA, and that their stage clothes won’t be the same but of a similar light color. They do have Eurovision in mind, but not quite as much as some other participants, and that’s perfectly fine. As long as they do their job right, that matters.

Approval factor: I may let you in on a little secret here - this is, in fact, my absolute favourite Slovenian entry this decade, if not overall. I have a hard time approving Slovenian entries because they end up lacking something at the end. This one... kinda fits in well with me, so Zala and Gašper did enough of THAT to warrant a big fat thumbs up for me.

Follow-up factor: Wasn't a big fan of Lea's song, BUT I can confirm that she started something good for Slovenia in Eurovision, especially after qualifying. And the couple certainly continued it, so it moves on well! ^^

Qualification factor: Now that's an interesting question... I might be wrong but a part of me fears for them to become the fan favourite duo/couple with a really pretty song that doesn’t qualify, like it already happened to Norma John and ZiBBZ before. They even have been drawn to semifinal 1, ffs. But maybe there’s still a spark of hope somewhere for the two, and I’d be inclined to believe that there is. I don’t wanna see sLOVEnia flop on the year I like their song, ffs. So I’m seeing a borderline result for thee, you the nation of usually fairly-underrated songs. Maybe this cosmic sea beauty will be in them finals.

NATIONAL FINAL BONUS

So, EMA 2019, eh? I guess that was a thing that happened. I at least admire the fact that they used dancing robots for their “not-so-postcards-but-postcards” that played before each performance (I mean, you’d get camera shots of the stage being set up for the act to perform next with their info graphic in the NF’s LED background and next to it there was a re-creation of The Creation of Adam with the other hand being one of a robot’s <3, then cut to EMA’s visual design of the year and the dancing robot person, another shot to the performing act, and then lights out). They had a good time there. And there was a duet singing Salvador Sobral’s ESC winning song, one of them performed by a person who had to be Salvador for a TV show. Ah, fun. I wasn’t all in up for the she-bang (instead I watched A Dal Semi 2 and Supernoval final on that night), but I got some other goodies that I noticed that people noticed before me, for y’all to reminisce. Here are some moments and some songs that lost to this lovely pair:

• So what’s the deal with Raiven, anyway? She’s on the show for her third time, and has already firmly grasped onto the iconic NF partaker’s status, together with.. well... other NF 3-timers (that are mostly from Sweden). This time she went all her way out to prove y’all that “dubstep’s not dead in 2019!!!1″ with her song, “Cows” “Kaos”, and a rather interesting effect show taking place on her face. I don’t know why but Raiven’s and Aly Ryan’s from Germany stagings remind me of each other, maybe because of them being so interesting? Anyway, like as usually, this multicolored songstress failed to grasp the victory of her country’s national final, and honestly, good for that to happen because in my irrelevant opinion, the dubstep in “Kaos” is ridiculously unnecessary and it doesn’t make the song flow very well. Just rework the chorus to make it more suited to the song and maybe it could have worked, as the last 30 seconds and the verses actually rock! I love me some songs that make me feel like I’m listening to sunset transcribed to actual melodies and sounds.

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• The 2015 entrant couple, Raay and Marjetka, are incredibly restless for some reason, and it’s that because they have co-written quite a few songs over the past few years even since their eventual victory as themselves in 2015. Maybe they’re the Slovenian Stig Rästa, probably as in “we loved the Eurovision green room experience so we always want some more!” kind of way. This year they did 2 songs: an electro-swing inspired number about Fridays and “spending some quality time with one’s girls” for the Slovene JESC debutee Ula Ložar and a radio-pop-esque track for a lady named Kim (not Verson). The one that I gravitated towards more will have its video down below and it is probably obvious a bit now. And if it was my will, I’d’ve replaced Raiven with the below lady in the superfinal because... frankly, yet again, I’ll restate that imo it wasn’t Raiven’s year even without the eventual winners having participated...

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• For a country of whose NF’s I didn’t seem to care about, they indeed had quite a few nice numbers. I already shed my thoughts on 2 of them, now here’s another one. Somehow, most countries out there shied away from having rock songs (well except Hungary because I don’t really see any other NF with more than 3 of those clearly audible rock/metal tracks, maybe has to do with the fact they already sent one last year), and as a result, none of the actually submitted ones won because things didn’t really go well with even the slightest rock-sounding songs last year (except one of them almost got into top 10). So one of the rock gems we happened to lose came from Slovenia. INMATE brought the 00s American alt-rock sound that was popular with uncomfortable teens that acted outrageous with their song “Atma” (which somehow means “soul”??). And man they were banging.

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• There’s not much I want to say about the rest of the NF’s gems that you missed. Well, there was one song about horses that is considerably well-received by the fandom, perhaps because of the slow and relaxing ballad sound that surrounds it (but they don’t know the lyrics enough to start hating it). And a song co-written by last year’s Svenskfloppen winner that, as he was destined to, flopped in Melodifestivalen as well. And a decent club track that was actually one of my other favourites, together with “Atma”. And some 00s teen sitcom theme song performed by a completely-careless-about-their-image-band (they call themselves Lumberjack but they dress nothing like ‘em, I assure you) with chill-surfer-attitude-bearing, long-haired lead singer. They brought in a nice vibe at least with their color-splashing LED images and slightly energetic performance. And like I said about how the lead singer looked... well just look at him and try to not see him as a troublemaker teen archetype from a high school rom com or at least irl that can’t score a date:

Damn, Manel Navarro really let himself go.

• Lea Sirk, besides performing the ESC winning song from two years ago in a duet with someone, and obviously re-appearing to be a honourable guest after having won EMA last year after like 4-5 tries, also served her part as a jury member. Y’know, one of those people that maybe visibly or not visibly tried to push Raiven to her eventual EMA win after her 3 tries so that she wouldn’t become an annoying NF hogger for years on end. Well that didn’t happen because the televoters went for the Zalšper couple! You gotta love it when the teleaudience picks that song for Eurovision that is performed by those that didn’t specifically submit it because they wanted Eurovision, right? Well apparently, Lea took the loss of Raiven as a small stab to her heart and was heard complaining about the unexpected outcome (simply not being able to believe Raiven lost), out loud, to the viewing audiences at home and in front of computer screens. Yep, THAT happened... And I couldn’t be bothered to find a clip of it anymore, so instead I’ll post some pictures of a visibly shook Lea with her new hairdye on fleek (I guess that was to reflect Raiven’s love for hair dye?):

noooo why do I have to give a trophy to those whom I did not support to win... well fine I will

With all that out of the way, I just really hope for this lovey-dovey duo all the best possible with having to carry the responsibility of representing a country in a very big European music competition on their shoulders. They aren’t seemingly stressed out themselves from the looks of it (if they were in a Brantsteele’s Hunger Games simulation, they’d be those people who’d pick flowers all the time), but you know what happens when you’re given such a big honour but you let what the honour stands for down, upsetting the others who look up to the honour somehow. Terrible, terrible things. Hope the haters don’t grind these two down if anything happens. Srečno!

#eurovision 2019 #tel aviv 2019 reviews #slovenia 2019 #zala kralj & gašper šantl #sebi #slovenia

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