#i've been obsessed with this album since i found out about it in january

[sweetxvertigo]

2022 was… a year.

Putting this under a Read More because I wrote quite a bit haha.

I don't know if it was a good one or not. It definitely had a lot of ups and downs.

January 1st I went back to streaming 1st after taking about 6 months off due to burnout.

In February I had definitely the best birthday I've ever had though. I played an acoustic stream on twitch and a bunch of my close friends showed up at my house mid-stream with gifts + taco bell and it was just the absolute best. I don't know if any future birthday will surpass that. I'm so thankful that I have such incredible friends.

In March I quit my band of over 10 years. It was one of the hardest things I've had to do, but I did it for many reasons. I did it because I was frustrated with things within the band that I knew would never change. I did it because I wasn't totally feeling the direction we were going musically. And the big thing, was I wanted to try and really focus on getting my shit together this year. I really fumbled the ball on that last one. My last show was a really good time however. So many of my friends came out from different states and that I'd met playing music over the years which meant so fucking much to me. I was fully expecting to not be able to play the set without bawling my eyes out. Music has been my passion since I was 16, and giving up on it, even temporarily, was not an easy choice. I ended up being more angry during our set however because the sound person didn't route like any of my guitar through my in-ear monitors so I pretty much had to wing it. I wish I could have a do-over of that last show but oh well. A few days after that show a friend of like 7 years randomly messaged me telling me that we were no longer compatible as friends and then blocked me on all social media and to not contact them again. Definitely a kick in the teeth after an emotional weekend, but whatever.

In April I got to meet the singer of one of my favorite bands, The Wonder Years and show him my typography project based on their song Oldest Daughter which he thought was really cool. Ended up getting covid at that show, but thankfully it only felt like having a cold. I had a mild panic attack for a few days when I found out I had it AFTER making out with somebody and worrying that I gave it to them / their family, which it turned out I didn't somehow?

In May I went to my first concert since the pandemic started and it was to see The Menzingers, who are like a top 3 all time favorite band for me now. What a cathartic show it was to be able to scream along to their songs for over an hour.

The first day in June I woke up to the news that a friend, not one I was particularly close to but one that I enjoyed being around and got to bond over Coheed with a few years prior had passed away. It's so weird losing someone around the same age as you. I saw one of my best friends get married to the love of her life and got to celebrate it with all of my close friends. I went to a few more shows, mainly to see You Me And Everyone We Know.

I don't remember much about July. I remember being extremely stressed out about a lot of things. I did get to hang out with my friend from CT a few times which was cool though.

August was the last time I streamed until a one-off in September. I don't think I'll ever be the streamer I once was again, and that's fine. I broke things off with the person I was seeing. Oh and at the end of the month was when I made that bootleg MCR shirt that sold over 1100 copies? Wild.

In September I went up to NYC with a couple friends to visit one of my best friends from highschool that I haven't hung out with much in about 10 years. I went to my first burlesque show and got to see a really hot goth clown staple pages of the bible to her body. Went to at least another YMAEWK show, and obsessed over the new Wonder Years album.

Speaking of The Wonder Years, in October I got to see them and Fireworks twice. Some of the best shows I've ever been to, hands down. One of my favorite local musicians started releasing new music after like 7 years which was really awesome. I also got to take some cool engagement photos for a friend. At the end of the month I got to meet a bunch of cool online friends in person that I've grown closer to over the last year.

In November I got drunk for the first time at a friend's halloween party which was fun. The next day I got to see The Menzingers for the 2nd time this year, this time playing the album that got me into them in full and I got to be like 3rd row the entire set. I got to see a few of my friends play at the First Unitarian Church in Philly for the first which is so cool after seeing so many of my favorite bands there before. I ended the month seeing The Spill Canvas playing "No Really, I'm Fine" in its entirety which was such a wildly inspirational album to me back in the day.

And now we're in December. I started off the month by going up to CT for the weekend with my friend from NYC to visit another friend of ours we knew through twitch. We had a lot of soups that weekend. It was a good time. Had a friends Christmas get-together last week with was a lot of fun. I do feel bad that I couldn't get everyone gifts / didn't spend a lot but I'm glad that I got to see my friends and give most of them something. Honestly besides those things, this month flew by.

But here we are, less than 24 hours from 2023 and I don't feel any more accomplished than I did at the beginning of the year. I thought I was going to make moves this year and yet I couldn't get my brain to cooperate with me long enough to take the motivation I had to make any sort of strides towards reaching my goals. I've been super in my head this past week over stuff like that as well as other stupid things that have been sending my anxiety to wild levels. I did have a lot of good experiences this year though, along with the bad. I lost some friends, but I also gained some others. Maybe next year will be better over all.

#long post is long #2022 #cw: alcohol #tw: mention of death

[my-chemical-wheaties]

Albums That I Listened to in February 2024

I noticed that in the past few months that I've done this challenge, that certain albums have been overrepresented in my listening habits. For one, an overwhelming majority of the albums that I listened to in December and January combined were rock albums, and the majority of them were also albums released in the 2010s. Since part of my reasoning for undertaking this is to diversify the music that I listen to, I decided to challenge myself this month to not listen to any rock albums this month and to limit the number of 2010s albums that I checked out.

These were the albums that I listened to:

Norman Fucking Rockwell! - Lana Del Rey (2019)

Modern Times - IU (2013)

Holy Diver - Dio (1983)

Since I Left You - The Avalanches (2000)

Dummy - Portishead (1994)

Joy'All - Jenny Lewis (2023)

Samara Joy - Samara Joy (2021)

Just Another Diamond Day - Vashti Bunyan (1970)

Windswept Adan - Ichiko Aoba (2020)

That! Feels Good! - Jessie Ware (2023)

Dusty in Memphis - Dusty Springfield (1969)

At Last! - Etta James (1960)

Here's how I would rank these albums:

Norman Fucking Rockwell!: This album clicked with me way faster than Lana's most recent album Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard? did (Although I'm still salty about Taylor winning AOTY at the Grammys instead. Talk about being snubbed). The compositions on this album feel older, like they were written in the 1960s or 1970s, but the production is clearly modern and it creates this peculiar sound that Lana had been crafting for pretty much her entire career up to that point. In fact, I think this album is where she has mastered said sound and sort of perfected it. I once heard music YouTuber Mic the Snare describe this album as (Paraphrasing) constantly expanding into this larger, grander atmosphere and to me, that it is perfect description of what this album sounds like. On top of that, the lyrics delving into these vignettes of Lana's relationships with different people read like short stories, and I love when lyricists do that. I could go on about this album, but I will just end this by saying that all of the praise that this album has received is deserved and I truly believe this is among her best work. 9/10

2. That! Feels Good!: Ugh, this album is just immaculate. Jessie Ware is the queen of contemporary house and disco music and you cannot tell me otherwise. Every single track goes extremely hard and is something that I would 100% put on at a party. If you decide to check out any one track from this album though, it has to be "Pearls." That song is perfect and I have been obsessed with it ever since I first heard it. I strongly recommend checking this one out. 9/10

3. Since I Left You: This is definitely one of the most unique albums I've listened to so far, alongside Modern Times. I thought that the usage of samples of dialogue from movies and TV shows combined with samples from older music was creative, especially on tracks like Frontier Psychiatrist where The Avalanches almost use these clips to create these new, elaborate stories. Additionally, I loved how smoothly all of the tracks transition into each other, too, almost as if the album was just one long mashup. This album is definitely an experience to listen to, and if anyone wants to check it out, I recommend listening to it in its entirety from start to finish, because I've found that that's how it sounds best due to the aforementioned transitions. I will definitely be coming back to this one. 8/10

4. Dusty in Memphis: This was the first sixties album that I listened to for this challenge and I actually really liked it. The production is great for an album made during this time and Dusty has a lovely singing voice. The lyrical subject matter is a little simplistic, but not everything has to be deep and profound. Simple can be good, too. I will probably revisit this album at some point. 8/10

5. Windswept Adan: This is such a gorgeous folk album. The instrumentation is light, yet lush, and Ichiko Aoba's vocals are beautiful, and complement said instrumentation well. Listening to this album feels like traveling through the countryside or the mountains, looking out at what feels like miles of greenery and nature as you inhale the fresh air. If any of you enjoy artists like Joanna Newsom or Vashti Bunyan, I highly recommend checking this album out. If you like the Minecraft soundtrack, I also recommend checking this out, too, because some points do remind me a little of that aforementioned soundtrack as well. 9/10

6. Modern Times: This is by far one of the most unique albums I've listened to so far. It's technically a K-pop album, but it mainly blends together jazz, bossa nova, and swing music with modern pop songwriting to create this distinctive blend that's hard to categorize into just one genre. I also think that it's cool that IU writes her own songs and has songwriting credits on this album, given how restrictive and controlling a lot of K-pop labels can be, especially towards their female artists. I'm not much of a K-pop fan, but this album was a pleasant surprise and I'm curious to hear more of IU's discography. 8/10

7. Samara Joy: I don't listen to a whole lot of jazz, so I figured that my mini challenge within a challenge was a good opportunity for me to explore the genre more. I heard a lot of good things about Samara Joy, so I decided to give her self-titled debut album a listen. The tracks all sound good - the instrumentation is rich and Samara has a beautiful alto voice. However, I feel like this is going to be one of those albums that only really clicks for me if I'm in the mood for it. There were some points where it was difficult for me to get through a song as I listened to it because the album generally has some pretty slow pacing. This might work better for me as an album to put on when I'm studying or making dinner. 7/10

8. Just Another Diamond Day: This is a perfectly pleasant seventies folk album. I was curious to listen to it after hearing the story behind Vashti Bunyan's career as a whole and how this album exploded in popularity all of a sudden in the early 2000s after decades of going largely unnoticed. As mentioned earlier, it's a pleasant album to listen to and definitely gives strong cottagecore vibes. I will be putting this on next time I go fishing at a rainbow river or something. 8/10

9. At Last!: This is only the second sixties album that I listened to, both this month and within the challenge as a whole. The brass section and occasional strings on this album are both good, and Etta is a sublime singer, although her vocals can get a little too shouty at points. The lyrics are a bit hit or miss (I am begging, no - pleading with her to stop calling her partner "daddy" on a couple of these tracks), and while I think her voice works well with Harvey Fuqua's, I find it odd that all of their duets are shoved to the end of the album. Although in fairness, that's probably just a time period thing. 6/10

10. Holy Diver: This is the first eighties album I've listened to for this challenge and only the second metal album after King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard's Infest the Rat's Nest and it was pretty solid. The guitar melodies are catchy and really well-written, and Ronnie James Dio is a great singer. The lyrics leave a lot to be desired, though, and definitely need some work. Hopefully if I listen to anything else in Dio's discography, there will be some improvement in that department. 7/10

11. Joy'All: For whatever reason, I have a really hard time getting into Jenny Lewis, both through her solo work and through her band, Rilo Kiley. I feel like I should like most of her work because of how much I like indie music and a little bit of ✨country flare✨, but for some reason, a lot of it isn't clicking for me. Psychos and Puppy and a Truck were good, and while the title track was hard for me to get into instrumentally, I did like the overall message. The rest of it, however, kind of fell off for me. I might go back to this album and give it a second chance, but for now I'm going to say that it was pretty meh. 5/10

12. Dummy: This is another situation akin to when I listened to Heaven or Las Vegas last month where I really don't get why this album is considered a classic and gets so much praise. It's not a bad album per se, but it all of the tracks sound kind of same-y over time and I got bored with it at certain points. I feel like I'd probably have to be in a certain mental state in order to enjoy this and as someone who has dealt with mental health issues in the past and is working to overcome them and be happier in life... yeah, no thanks. 6/10

I'm going to go back to listening to some rock albums next month, so I'm not cutting out the genre entirely. And as always, if any of you have any suggestions for me, feel free to comment them below. 🙂

#music #album review #february #lana del rey #iu kpop #dio #ronnie james dio #the avalanches #portishead #kpop #jenny lewis #samara joy #vashti bunyan #ichiko aoba #jessie ware #dusty springfield #etta james #80s music #60s music

[cosettepontmercys]

Hi Cossette! Merry Christmas and I hope you have an amazing 2024 ahead of you 🎅

The past few months was quite eventful, but I'm very excited that I've got tickets to see Laufey at her Bewitched Tour next year & I've also got a few weeks of Christmas holidays to relax!

I felt the frustration of the reading slump: I've been reading more books electronically this year and I have came to the conclusion that it's more challenging to read fantasy ebooks (many fantasy novels come with footnotes / glossary terms). So I'm considering just buying more fantasy hardcopies or read them while I have the chance to go to bookstores!

Speaking of Maisie's discography, this is my current ranking of her music: YSUFT -> It's Your Bed, Babe -> TGW (after deluxe version came out) -> Dressed Too Nice For A Jacket - > Trying

I was initially a bit hesitant with the overall flow of the standard version of The Good Witch, but after listening to the deluxe version I found the storytelling more complete! My favourite deluxe track is def. Yoko! What about you?

As of Olivia Rodrigo, I prefer Guts over Sour: both overall & individual songs! My favourites are love is embarrassing & get him back! And for Laufey's Bewitched, I think that's one of my favourite new albums in 2023: my favourites are Haunted & Letter To My 13 Year Old Self!

Holly Humberstone's Paint My Bedroom Black is highly enjoyable! I need to relisten to it more but I love the title track 💖

P.S. I've got around listening to Del Water Gap's album and have been obsessed with NFU! I think 2023 is one of the most exciting years in terms of music releases 😃

hi jennifer!!! hope you had a wonderful holiday + wishing you all the best for 2024 🤍 i hope you've been having the loveliest time traveling too!

i'm so so jealous you got tickets to see laufey live! i missed her last tour because she was here on my mom's birthday, and then her next seattle stop coincides with when i'm out of town :( i can't wait to hear about your concert! is there anything in particular you'd like to hear her sing live? i really love letter to my 13 year old self too!!

the fantasy ebook dilemma is REAL!! i remember reading an arc of ... i want to say little thieves (which i loved, btw! would recommend if you haven't read it) and got to the end and then realized there was a glossary and was like ... well this would've been helpful! i have a lot of fantasy books that have piled up on my shelves over the last few years that i really need to get to but all i want to do is reread the starless sea (which i think i'll do in january)! i like starting off the year with a reread — i feel like it takes less pressure off deciding a perfect first 2024 read.

i love love love yoko — i was listening to it earlier and was like "wait ... this needs to be on my normal people playlist"! i think yoko is probably my favorite of the deluxe songs, but truth is and the last one are also ones i really love! and i think the song and holy revival are so fun to sing in the car! it's been a hot minute since i've listened to dressed too nice for a jacket, but i think i'd rank trying higher than it + it's your bed...!

i also prefer guts over sour — i got guts tour tickets, and i'm super excited to hear olivia live! i think my favorites are pretty isn't pretty, making the bed and lacy, but i think it's just such a good album! i do really like sour; i think i just listened to it so much when it first came out that i needed a break from it and now i just rarely reach for it for some reason?

i'm glad you like holly and the new del water gap!! i think my favorites from paint my bedroom black are: cocoon, room service and elvis impersonators, and i think my most played on i miss you already + i haven't left yet are all we ever do is talk, and losing you, so i'd wager those two are my favorites!

are there any albums you're looking forward to in 2024? i'm really excited for the new bleachers (and super curious to see how signing with dirty hit affects them, if it does at all)! speaking of dirty hit artists, benjamin francis leftwich is an artist who i really love and he has a new album coming out in february that i'm stoked for. and then i saw rumors about a new sabrina carpenter album in 2024? which i would absolutely love!

#post: answered #mutual: jennifer #sorry this is so late!! <3

[inourhistories]

slipping through dreamland like a tourist

#going to use this blog for multifandom edits #i've been obsessed with this album since i found out about it in january #userrcmanticpoetry #glass animals #dreamland #glassanimalsedit #heat waves #i have no idea how to tag this #the quality is suddenly scuffed

[youths-mag]

JANUARY 2020 PLAYLIST

Listen to the playlist on Spotify here.

Hey! Here is some new music or songs I've been listening in the past month. Hope you enjoy and be sure to check out these artists!

“Talking to Myself” by Gatlin

Gatlin is a new artist that I found this month. She's pretty small but super talented! She really deserves the hype. “Talking to Myself” is one of my favorite songs from her. This song is about a breakup and that, as the name suggests, she's talking to herself as a way of coping. 

“Begin”, “Hotel Room” & “But I Like It” by Lauren Sanderson

Lauren Sanderson released her debut album “Midwest Kids Can Make It Big” this month. All of these songs are from that album. Can you tell I’m obsessed? “Begin” is one of the slower songs from this album but just as good nonetheless.

“Hotel Room” was released as a single back in September but made a reappearance on her new album. 

“But I Like It” is probably my favorite from this album. It’s an upbeat song about a girl. She talks about wanting her so bad she could die. I wish someone would have the same energy towards me... haha.

“me & ur ghost” by blackbear

“me & ur ghost” was a single released this month by blackbear. Honestly I've had this song on repeat since it came out. It’s been stuck in my head! I highly recommend listening to this song. Despite the melancholic lyrics this song is still upbeat and you can definitely jam out to it. 

“isohel” by EDEN

“isohel” was also a single that was released this month. Words cannot give this song justice. It’s such a beautiful song. It gives me a feeling of nostalgia, I don't really know why. All of his music does this to me. He really deserves the hype as well.

“Good News” by Mac Miller

“Good news” was released as the only single from Mac’s first posthumous album “Circles.” This album was released this month and is a continuation of his fifth studio album “Swimming.” This song talks about his struggles with depression and substance abuse, but gives a hopeful insight that maybe he knew how to get out of it.

“she” by Hayley Kiyoko

Hayley Kiyoko released her fourth EP “I’m Too Sensitive For This Shit” this month. “she” is the last song off this five song EP. Kiyoko revealed on Instagram that this song was inspired by a book titled “She” by Kate Spade. She also said that this song is a love letter to her younger self.

“clementine”, “3am” & “929″ by Halsey

Halsey, or also known as Ashley, is another artist that released an album this month. I’ve been a bit obsessed with this album too. “clementine” is the second song off of “Manic.” This song was released as the third single off her new album back in October. She talks about how she doesn't “need anyone” but simultaneously needs “everyone and then some.” She said in a Rolling Stone interview that “clementine” was inspired a film called “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” in which the main characters name was clementine. 

“3am” is a more upbeat, electro-pop, song from her album. In the beginning, she talks about leaving a bar at 3 a.m., hence the name. She reveals that she craves physical intimacy because she feels alone. She says she's “calling everyone I [she] knows” but no one will answer, depriving her of what she really wants. This song is another you can jam out to despite the not-so-happy lyrics.

“929″ is the last song from her album. This song focuses on her identity. It starts out with “I really was born at 9:29 a.m. on 9/29. You think I'm lying, but I'm, I'm being dead serious.” That is where the title comes from. This song is a lot to unpack as it has to do with her entire life and the unglamorous parts of fame. My favorite part is when she talks about how she met a girl in Detroit, and she said to her “Ashley, you gotta promise us that you won't die ‘cause we need you” but how she didn't believe her. 

“kate’s not here” & “bad idea!” by girl in red

“kate’s not here” is a new single released this month by girl in red for the new horror movie “The Turning.” This was something I wasn't expecting but the song definitely has an eerie vibe that goes along with the movie. She asks the main character, Kate, a series of questions all of which are very creepy. “Tell me, what do you see in the mirror on the wall? / Are you sure that it's me? Is it my turn to fall? / If these walls can talk and read all my thoughts am I already lost?” The song ends by a spooky repetition of telling Kate to not disappear. 

“bad idea!” was released back in September but recently I've been listening to it on repeat. It’s a song about an off and on relationship, and how you go after things without thinking about the consequences. She talks about how it was a bad idea to hook up with this girl but how she can’t get enough, despite knowing how bad the repercussions are.

“RENTAL” by BROCKHAMPTON

“RENTAL” was released back in 2017 but I recently rediscovered it and now it’s also been on repeat. I don't normally listen to BROCKHAMPTON but this is a song I really enjoy by them. This song is about how relationship never feel permanent and how eventually the other person will leave, making them feel like a rental. 

“July” by Noah Cyrus

“July” by Noah Cyrus was released on July 31, 2019 but recently gained popularity on Tik Tok (lol). This folk-inspired song talks about a breakup and trust issues she has with her partner. She says, “You remind me every day I’m not enough but I still stay.” Cyrus talks about how she's done a lot of things wrong and loving her partner was one. This is probably the saddest song on this list but has recently become one of my favorites.

“everything i wanted” by Billie Eilish

Last but not least, Billie Eilish. “everything i wanted” was released in November but this month she also released a self-directed music video. I wrote a review on this, you can view it here. I also delve into the song in that review.

Be sure to listen to the playlist on Spotify and give all these artists the love they deserve! <3

Photos & words by Liberty Green. January 26, 2020.

#review