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Song Titles 12-15-24 I always looked at song titles weirdly. They stare back at me in contest, like when a word repeated too much sounds fake (I mean… titles are words). What are you supposed to be? I don't think people double-think about song titles, or even artists themselves, but to me, what makes you decide to name a song? Maybe naming a song is way to finally write off your piece as finished, but artists can come to a name for a song early, and even release/perform unfinished songs with a name. True Love Waits by Radiohead comes to mind when I think of this. A song that had been through many iterations for decades until it's studio release in 2016. I guess the 2001 live recording isn't "really" True Love Waits. Well, obviously it is, but we have the band's approved version now. And if something is remastered, is the "- Remastered" really a part of the name? Is it a different thing entirely? Well, it's not the same mastering, but still the same songs at its core. There are songs that are completely unpronounceable too. Yes DJ, turn up that IV VV IV VV VII! Oh yes, I love ʕ•̫͡•ʔzZZZ1. Are you crazy, man? Ask for some David Guetta like a normal person. (joking!!!!) Then I get to "Untitled" songs. A whole can of snakes there. What constitutes an untitled song? Is it an unfinished product? Is it a lack of creativity at the moment? An artistic choice? Who knows if Interpol's Turn On the Bright Lights opener was supposed to have another name. Can't go back now! Elliott Smith's Roman Candle is littered with "No Name" songs, but it was a released, official album. Jai Paul's bootleg'd tape of course had unnamed tracks when it was pirated, but when it came to the official release, they got new names, but it was the same songs back in 2013. Aphex Twin's SAWII had untitled songs, but fans have given them fan-names that became synonymous with the work. Do we still work with #19, or is "Stone in Focus" easier for us? Are some titles just a battle for us to figure out forever? I think of humans striving to label things how they see fit to comprehend things better. Things like culture, time periods, plants and animals, and the sorts. Music is no different. We have genres, record labels, and obviously song names. Someone can easily attribute "Espresso" to Sabrina Carpenter, but "Untitled"? Who are we talking here; The Cure, D'Angelo, some Snoop Dogg skits? The people can recognize songs better with "proper" titles, but we shouldn't be chained to names. Autechre and Aphex Twin have personality in their titles. "Song 2" is kind of a untitled track, but Blur decided on it, and it's uber-popular. There is still artistry to be found in unconventional names, and you too should think hard about them like me.

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Tabi's 2024 Spotify Wrapped

It's that time of year again. The cold falls, the decorations are up, and millions of internet freaks are up and ready for this year's Spotify Wrapped. Wrapped, where Swifties share the same 50,000 minutes listened, and people who have definitely listened to Cave Town for 17,000 minutes will say "Nuh uh". Whoever and wherever you fall on the music spectrum, I come to you with my top statistics for 2024.

Top Songs

My top songs this year! Yeah, checks out. - The big number one being Offcell is honestly pretty confusing but also I do not deny that it ranked so high. It's a song that I always fit the mood I was in. It's not a very emotional or connected song for me, it just sort of rocks. - I really like I Would Hurt a Fly here. Amazing track, album, and band. So intricate and delicate, yet booming with power. Been listening to Out of Site more recently, but this Built to Spill pick is an indie classic. - Hello Hawk is a main-stay song for a couple years now, but this is the first time it ranked in the top five. Gorgeous indie rock tune that feels like listening to petals of a flower. I put the album on as I write this; Superchunk is just a great band. - Double hit! Death by Fire and Some are Lakes by Land of Talk! Been obsessed with them for a while, and I definitely spin these CONSTANTLY. Both songs are amazingly composed works that mess with dynamics and textures. I might listen to them afterwards, and maybe buy this album on CD too…

Top Artists

They Might Be Giants?! I don't recall listening to them that much, but I can see how. TMBG are everywhere in my life; my playlists, in my car, when I'm feeling a certain song from them, etc. Been loving them for years, but I guess this year was the peak of my love! As usual, my year always have some new listens. I finally listened to every studio album by Superchunk, and I finally got around to peeking at Modest Mouse. Both indie darlings that I now understand their praises. I have spoke about my praises on Pinback a lot on this site already, so I don't feel to explain more than that they're a special band to me, and Radiohead are always gonna be here for as long as I live!

Overview Another great year for music for me. There isn't a way to convey, but I was busy with music discovery all year 'round. My music listening is more than Wrapped, and I wish I could compactly show all the great music I came around to. Hope you enjoyed your Wraps this year too.

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some albums i enjoyed! 11-16-24 honestly, last few months has been a very weird period of music for me. i have been listening to an unprecedented amount of music lately. it has to be an album per day at this point. despite so much music entering my stream of consciousness, i have not given any of them time to develop and linger with me for more than four days at most. definitely feels like an empty period despite how much i'm engaging with, but some albums do cut through. i guess this post will help me realize to slow down and enjoy my time. anyways…

System of a Down - System of a Down (1998)

been going through the discography of comtemporary metal legends System of a Down. it's been such a wild and insanely fun listen through their short run of current albums. i think all these albums are still very important to today's politics and culture. while the band has much stronger album experiences later in their career, i find the self titled to be of immense replayability. i think it's because of my affinity to debut albums; they always tend to present a band ripe with ideas and juvenility. i think this album also has a bunch of quotable lyrics too. "EVERYONE NEEDS A MOTHERFUCKER"

Paranoid - Black Sabbath (1970)

going back in time is Sabbath's classic Paranoid. you can see i'm having a genre phase here. guess which one! i had listened to this album years ago— passed it off. that doesn't matter anymore, cause this album is so damn forward thinking. i've listened around Sabbath's other albums during the Ozzy era, and this one just sticks out too much. i don't know what makes this album seem so different from all the other rock albums released during this time. the songwriting, production, and themes seem so out of this plane. i could have Hand of Doom repeat that bass line forever too.

The View From This Tower - Faraquet (2000)

this amazing lp from short-lived math/hardcore band Faraquet has also been in my ears a lot. doesn't keep the metal theme here— maybe if i showed this to my mom she would say its metal. the production, songwriting, and structures are so beautifully put for a hardcore record. the album is off-kilter, hypnotic, yet pleasing. this album keeps you interested all the time, and i want to dissect every rhythm played. i highly recommend this one to any music fan.

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Kikuoland-Go-Round and Six Long Years 9-3-24

"Thank you very much stormy Houston, Texas!!!" i'm still shaken by what i experienced last night. i don't know. i look back on it like i just imagined it; like it never happened. i didn't feel it at that moment, but i believe i experienced the purest form of joy i will ever experience. i look back on the very few photos and videos i took (i'm not the phone out type), and i remember it all like a decade old memory. covered in rainwater, face red from all the adrenaline, the way the crowd was excited and music blaring. i wish to go back, like legitimately, RIGHT NOW! i got to the venue at 5PM, where doors opened for VIP at 6;30PM and rest an hour later. i paid for the VIP and meet and greet; $100 was not bad i believe!my family paid ~$250 for general admission each for Coldplay! anyways, i got in, got my merch, and claimed my spot next to the railing (lol). very quickly did it become evident that it was gonna be raining during the actual show. i feel bad for those who didn't bring a bag for their merch shirts and other goods. i took cover for a short while before i had to submit to the rain to secure my first row spot. we got hilariously videotaped of us in the rain, and countless other recordings of us on the railing, which i know i will be CLEARLY visible if they do surface. embarrassing! but also exciting! not much happened between waiting and the show start at 8 o'clock other than regretting not taking a picture with the life-sized Hoshi-kun (or -live, mascot history goes a lil crazy).

honestly, i would like to keep details about the show very minimal as i let it marinate in my memory. lots of jumping i'll say. Lots Of It. and for being at the railing, did it mess with the acoustics overall since i'm so close to the subwoofers? yes, but... but...

but i feel very strong about getting the best view, and i wasn't taking "decent" for Kikuo. For Coldplay, i got a pretty good spot in front of center stage, getting to see the band up close, but there were two other stages they performed on. anytime they moved to a stage away from mine, i hated it. i hate having to tiptoe and move my head constantly to catch just quick glimpses. i want the full picture, so it clings easier to my memory. during Kikuo's performance, being able to see him move around on stage and fiddle with his deck was like hitting the jackpot. i'm crazy. i've been crazy for this since the announcement. i'm glad everything all worked out, and i got the best possible experience i was looking for.

and for the meet and greet, i took the guitar pick i had been using for a couple years as a way to send it off and retire it. it felt special to have that item signed. i showed it and he audibly gasped assuming he was surprised to see a pick or something that small be signed.

funny ryo. this concert, to me, was a culmination of six years of kikuo. late 2018, maybe from september-december, i had found and upload of Red Ridinghood's Wolf. after that, it's black. how did i end up here, really? from unassuming song to manic fan? god only knows. but i reflect on years of listening, and Kikuo to me, is just the most unique sort of imagination. his songwriting and lyrics all give off the feeling that he's reminiscing on a past and future that doesn't exist. his influences of trance, edm, pop, and traditional folk music are very obvious, but he crafts an entirely new identity separated from those. each song is a different world, and i get sucked in every time.

thanks to Kikuo for all the memories, and the unforgettable concert i had the first of september. i seriously wish i can go back.

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some albums i enjoyed! 7-22-24

welcome back, tumblr! i bring you my segment where i highlight three albums i got my mind on. with the chat font on lock and a year between my last entry, let me talk about music!

Come Pick Me Up - Superchunk (1999)

a story behind this! so i've been listening to the track Hello Hawk for a couple years as it had come to me on my discover weekly. cut forward to involving myself with my college's film club, i had went to the advisor's office. bunch of indie band posters on the wall! Built to Spill, Pixies, and of course Superchunk. and he tells me he's the biggest Superchunk fan! i believe it. i tell him about my knowledge of the band, along with other indie bands from his time. such a nice talk and i wish i could catch him more about music. i've been slowly going through the band's discography when i reached this one finally. amazing record. i love the sound direction on this one than the more punchy and blasting previous albums. and i continue on with the band! the advisor's favorite is Here's to Shutting Up; let's see!

Whatever and Ever Amen - Ben Folds Five (1997)

another get-around from my discover weekly; the track Selfless, Cold and Composed is such a great pop composition. the whole album is so beautifully put together on other tracks like Fair, Brick, and Kate. the kind of music i am heavily inspired by. i wanna give myself more time with the record, because it's just so addicting! this one was also inspired by people in my life; more-so just my friends pushing me to listen to one since i knew the song i knew. Ben Folds Five might be a new favorite around here (my room)!

The Trials of Van Occupanther - Midlake (2006)

current song playing is Chasing After Deer. i basically listened to this whole album while writing this. a very nice and delicate album. Tim Smith's voice is so mesmerizing to me. i had recently again been obsessed with Head Home again, so this one's back in rotation. wouldn't know what else to expand on. i just really like Midlake is all. and they are great to counter my listener-block i've had for a while. more albums on the way from me! (and Midlake too? Bethel Woods was not a half-bad comeback...)

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Tabi's 2023 Spotify Wrapped

It's been a while since I been on here. I forgot I had this thing. May need to kick it to get the gears going again... Anyways, I come back with a long form post about my 2023 Spotify Wrapped. I did not expect this to come out at all. I forgot this thing existed despite it being a big deal for music listeners worldwide. Though today, I review my year of listening to tons of new artists and albums.

Top Songs

My top songs! Let's go from ascending order. - Sender has been an addictive and hypnotizing track for me for a while. I love the bass arpeggio that plays throughout the track, and the layers of instrumentation that play with each other on this track. I have wrote a deeper review of Pinback's Summer in Abaddon here. Great track on an album with equally amazing and catchy tunes too. - A deeply personal track for me is I'm Still Your F** (censor bcz idk tumblr rules). Broken Social Scene as a whole feels very personal to me. Their pretty and juvenile indie rock cuts through my heart. I'm Still Your F** cuts deeply. It's a painful track to bare, but it truly makes me understand who I am as a person. Broken Social Scene is for the people! saoooee - King Fish Pies is a phenomenal song. I get so mesmerized by the 2 chord progression, the instruments that come in and out, and Tim Smith's great vocals. It's so cathartic. And it all comes together in this beautiful, loud climax. If I ever needed to fill my head, I used this song. - Pot Kettle Black is such a great rock tune. It's a track I consider "fun". A beautifully written rock tune with hints of country. I used this track when I needed a up-lifting, hype song, though the lyrics may not be so much that. - I became so obsessed with Trainer. I garnered 41 plays on this song since April. Every minuscule detail about this song is beautiful. Beginning, middle, end; especially the end. This track was everything to me. It still feels like the first time every time I listen to it. So good. Thank You Pinback.

Top Artists

Wow, Pinback! Plus some extra infos for y'all. Sort of a surprise and not for me. If I did the math correctly, I was in the top 175 listeners of Pinback; nice. I have talked about my praises about them and the feelings they give me. Let's go for #1! Amazing duo I am grateful to listen to. I have always been a Radiohead and Kikuo enjoyer since 2019-2020. Both very special artists to me that will never leave my conscious of music. Wilco and Midlake are new listens for me. I was obsessed with Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Midlake's Bamnan and Silvercork. Every year's gotta have a phase which I'm not happy shows up, but this time I am happy with how the top 5 came out.

Overview I am happy with how my year came out. No matter who you are, if you care slightly about Wrapped, then you care A LOT about how your top 5's look. I think this year came out perfectly, showing my favorites, habits, and what I found this year. Let's go on for another year!

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some albums i enjoyed! 7-19-23

i want to highlight some albums from the past few weeks I have listened to and enjoyed. these releases will be both new and old; i just want to speak my thoughts and praises on these albums. looking forward to doing future installments of this when i get the chances!

The Beggar - Swans (2023)

new Swans! and it may be Gira's last effort. this is a big step-up from their last effort. this album is a lot more focused, bringing a slow, folk sound. we're bringing back the 30min+ songs back! The Beggar Lover (Three) is a cool and long nod to the trilogy; i love it! tracks like The Beggar and Paradise is Mine are great tracks too. it's an overall great record to leave on, if this is Gira's last effort with Swans. who knows!

The Glow Pt. 2 - The Microphones (2001)

ugh, this may be a big one for me if i'm not careful. an album that's always been on my radar for it's cult following. The Glow Pt. 2 is beautiful, raw, and fragile. the lo-fi production can turn these soft, quiet songs into deep, emotional, and visceral experiences of music. The Moon is my favorite track on here; a track full of energy and rawness that encapsulates the listener in a driving organ, energetic drums, and beautiful saxophone licks. I Felt Your Shape is a track i've been sharing with someone close, hehe! i can see this record only growing closer with me as i give it more time.

For the First Time - Black Country, New Road (2021)

i put on this album too much. it's too good. i love the anxiety this album emits. the chamber influences on this post-punk/hardcore sound is unmatched. tracks like Science Fair and Sunglasses make me FERAL. everything about this record is so addictive. i'm working on a full length review, so i'm limiting myself for this short review. i just can't get enough of this album!

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「片方だけはね生えたけどまだ飛べないので星の赤ちゃんだいてねます⭐️」

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A Certain Smile, a Certain Sadness - Rocketship (1996)

Those Nights

Don't deny it: you have those nights too. You probably had one a few days ago. Who hasn't? Or maybe you have already gotten over yourself and are living a happy and loving life. Pfft, yeah. It's those nights you lay on your back and stare at the ceiling, contemplating life and reevaluating everything about yourself; when life isn't what you want it to be. Sometimes, you accompany yourself with a soundtrack. For me, it's A Certain Smile, a Certain Sadness.

Rocketship is the brainchild of Dustin Reske, formed in California in 1993. With a few singles and EPs, to eventually this debut album, Rocketship is a band that is pure twee. Simple songwriting and pop structures, catchy melodies, and sugar-sweet lovey-dovey kissy-kissy love songs that will be sure to make you vomit. With A Certain Smile, a Certain Sadness, it's a 33 minute package of just that. Quick pop songs to fulfill your daily sucrose intake, male-female duets to further give you a romantic overdose, and organs that are enough to pierce through the mix— and your ears! I Love You Like the Way That I Used to Do opens the album, a song pumping with energy and introduces you to the sound of this record. The album is mixed with more straightforward songs, like Kisses Are Always Promises and We're Both Alone. Alongside, there are more slowcore cuts, such as Heather, Tell Me Why and Let's Go Away, with the latter ending with a three minute instrumental outro that will encapsulate you in its repetitiveness and high-pitched and noisy synth. When all is done, you end off with Friendships and Love, a slow and subtle song that leaves a somber and bittersweet ringing in your ears. While this record does have an edge to it, with multiple songs having ambient interludes and noisy buildups that tail-off certain songs, you end this record feeling as though you left a corny romance. This album is so lovey-dovey and juvenile that my stomach should be churning from the cringe.

Yet, I find myself coming back to this record. A lot. I think this album has caught me at very vulnerable moments in my life, and will continue to do so. Everything I just said is a compliment. The juvenile and thoughtful songwriting encompassed under a pure twee-pop sound will continue to speak to me. It's a very cathartic record overall, and I'm overwhelmed with all the feelings this album has given me. I fully embrace I'm a hopeless romantic. Dustin Reske, nearly three decades later, has caught my heart multiple times, and in the future, I hope I'm sharing this record with someone I love dearly.

9/10

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Summer in Abaddon - Pinback (2004)

._. Faux-Nostalgia .-.

I'm a new adult in the world. I had my 18th not too long ago last year. This album is close to my birth month. I'm older, but still young. To younger me, Pinback would've been my band. Little Tabi would eat Pinback's entire catalogue up, satiating a specific feeling and angst that no other band could. It's like millions of others who grew up with the emo-pop and indie rock bands defining their teenage years. Little Tabi would be a little different and soak up this band; I know you would, squirt. And as time passes by, you maybe forget about this band, moving on to do more adult stuff other than listening to music. So what about now? To older me, nothing any different. It's like rediscovering that old band you loved. Only now, you have a newfound appreciation and understanding of why you loved that band. Pinback is just that. I rediscovered my teenage band, and got hit with a wave of nostalgia. But I'm a fraud. I only discovered Pinback late 2022, senior year of high school. Yet, Pinback hit the feelings spanning a decade that never existed. Faux-Nostalgia.

Though, Summer in Abaddon isn't my favorite Pinback. It's just that, listening to this album in bed at the late hours of the night, I got hit with the wave of emotions I had laid out. I had finally realized what made Pinback... Pinback. What Rob and Zach have done here is truly amazing. At a glance, these songs can present themselves simple and playful, with a few clever musical ear-candies. It's easy to replay the hell of of these tracks. Beyond that, with deeper insight, you can recognize the rich and complex music played on this record. The instruments that intertwine and synchronize with each other like a dance, Pinback's captivating and strong songwriting they have displayed on past records, all played on such a technical level. The production is tightly-knitted, yet has room to breathe, leaving you washed up in the sounds that this record produces. For 42 minutes, I have experienced a musical bliss.

[Self-titled] and Blue Screen Life are much more captivating records for me, but Summer in Abaddon helped me realize the answer to what makes Pinback what they are. If I can convince everyone to listen to Pinback, I would, in hopes they experience the same angst and faux-nostalgia I have.

8/10

[tabinavi]

TabiNavi here! I have recently decided to make an account under this website. As of July 2023, who knows how I feel about this site in half a year. I hope the crowd hasn't tied me up on an electrical pole seeing new blood. I'm striving to do more blog-esque postings on my account here, instead of quick and limiting posts on other sites. Here, I'm thinking of longer— thought-out reviews of media and detailed description's of what's going on in my mind and day. You may see an album review from the hottest British post-punk band today and a day of a life of someone who eats only beans. If you see anything you like, follow! And remember, I am Koyomi Mizuhara in real life. Don't forget that!

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Break time

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today's youth have been brainwashed by radical media u_u

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Yom

Honestly not too satisfied with this one (wish I went with a different pose/angle) but I already put this much work into it so might as well post it

Here's the timelapse if anyone is still interested

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Yomi practice