#and it has one of my favorite guitar solos ever written

[thoughtsonlou]

Here are some quick thoughts on the setlist at Louis' O2 show: The color codes mean AMAZING, GREAT, and BE GONE

The Greatest: One of my favorites. Loved hearing it with a string section considering that is one of my favorites aspects of this song on the album.

Kill My Mind: The lights looked sick!!

Bigger Than Me: Another favorite. This almost made me cry, and I do not get emotional at concerts ever.

Holding on to Heartache: Thank god this was on the setlist. Such a warm atmosphere.

Face the Music: Why do I feel like the only one who goes hype for this song live? Like, do you hear those drums people

We Made It: Another favorite. I don't know if it's controversial to say I'm glad this stayed on the setlist from last tour, it's just such a well crafted song.

Drag Me Down: Whatever... at least it's better than Night Changes

Chicago: "I STILL. KNOW. YOUR. NUM-BER!!!!"

High in California: Better in the states tbh

All This Time: Don't get me started 10/10

She is Beauty: Missed the regular lights a little on this one, but the transition from ATT is so delicious, and I will always defend this song with my life. Everyone was swaying their hands during this and it was so sweet to watch from the balcony.

Copy of a Copy: He seriously needs to put this on streaming, it makes me mad.

Walls: Another favorite. Again, this almost made me cry. Sometimes it's hard for me to hear other people singing over my own, very loud singing and all of the instruments, but oh did I hear "you were my because" and the more tender "nothing wakes you up like waking up alone" ending.

Written All Over Your Face: OOOOhhhh yeah. Major highlight of the show. I love the blue/red split stage lighting, and the band sounded so cool and funky and Louis voice was incredible... I'll stop.

505: I know all of the lyrics now, yay!

Back To You: Has been a favorite of mine all tour. It's just fun!

Angels Fly: I think this is where Michael had a really good guitar solo I liked, maybe? Also, the people behind me were living for this song, shout out to them.

Out of My System: Another favorite. I don't know, OOMS really had the special sauce at the O2. This song had never sounded bigger. I was jumping so much I was worried I was going to fall over the railing (hyperbole).

Saturdays: Although the light project wasn't what I was expecting, Louis sounded great, and I love how it goes from such a striped back tender moment, to this epic chanting thing... I just love the contrast between the beginning and end and how sprawling it is. I can see why Louis loves it so much.

Where Do Broken Hearts Go: I would love to ask Louis his thought process behind putting this on the setlist was.

Silver Tongues: The perfect ending. Couldn't ask for anything more.

[heartsoulrocknroll]

Streetlife Serenade Ranked

Since this album is apparently vastly underrated, allow me to start this by saying that I absolutely love every song on this album. There isn't one that doesn't do it for me.

1) The Entertainer

I don't think I can adequately describe how much I love this song. I have always been so blown away by it. The instrumentation is so masterfully done, and each verse gradually builds on the last. There is the opening acoustic guitar, then that iconic synth riff that later repeats between verses throughout the song. The acoustic guitar continues on its own for the first verse, then the drums and bass come in on the second verse, then the steel guitar comes in on the third verse, then the banjo on the fourth verse, then the fantastic piano on the fifth verse. Then they all come together for the big crescendo of the sixth and seventh verses, while Billy absolutely goes nuts vocally. The cynical lyrics are some of the best that Bill has ever written, and I have always been obsessed with the rhyme scheme he used. It's poetic in a way that is reminiscent of Piano Man, but more impressive. Also shout out to the lost verse, which I love so much.

2) Weekend Song

This is an absolutely fantastic rock 'n' roll song, and I just love it more and more with time. I love that guitar riff, as well as the organ toward the end. I am obsessed with the gospely, bluesy piano riffs that are reminiscent of Ain't No Crime. And I think this is one of the best vocal performances Bill ever gave. I mean wtf!!!!!! He is so good, it makes me angry. I have seen this song compared to Take Me to the Pilot, but I won't go there other than to say eat your heart out, Elton. All those comparisons, but one thing Elton and Leon could definitely never do is sing like the great Billy Joel.

3) The Great Suburban Showdown

This is one of my favorite Billy Joel vocal melodies. It's one of those songs that just gets me right in my soul. The combination of the beautiful synth solos, the fantastic piano, the wistful pedal steel guitar, and the nostalgic lyrics alone would make me a little emotional, but add Billy's gorgeous vocal, and this song can easily bring me to the verge of tears.

4) Root Beer Rag

This is an incredible ragtime piano piece that sticks in my head for days after hearing it. I love everything about it, but I particularly love the part containing the dissonant, alternating major and minor seconds that comes out of nowhere and contrasts fantastically with the rest of the song. And I really love listening to live performances of this song and hearing Bill play it as fast as humanly possible, challenging the band to keep up.

5) Last of the Big Time Spenders

This is a song that I never hear anyone talk about, and I'm not sure why. I am obsessed with the piano on this song. It has a great, sort of jazz/blues flavor that provides an interesting juxtaposition to the country undertones of the pedal steel guitar. Bill has some incredible, soulful vocals here. And I think the lyrics are so clever, with the comparison of spending money and spending time. It's just a great song all around, and I think it leads really nicely into Weekend Song, which comes next on the album and has a similar feel.

6) Los Angelenos

This is an awesome rock song that goes harder than a lot of the songs on Glass Houses, with a great combination of electric piano, electric guitar, bass, excellent vocals by Billy, and some vintage, sardonic Billy Joel lyrics.

7) Roberta

I love the prominence of the piano on this song. The piano throughout the whole song is beautiful, but I especially love the intro and the piano break before the last verse. This seems to be a theme of this album, but there are more particularly great vocals from Billy here as well.

8) Streetlife Serenader

I absolutely love the classical sound of the piano in this song. The intro is just gorgeous. Billy's vocal here is great, and the rare appearance of his falsetto is delightful to me.

9) Souvenir

This song is short and sweet, but it is so good. The melody is gorgeous, the piano intro/outro is beautiful, and the wistful lyrics can really make me emotional.

10) The Mexican Connection

This is a beautiful, relaxing piece of music. I love all the piano work here and how it is complemented by the guitar, the congas, the organ, and, later on, the marimba. I especially love the big crescendo of piano chords at 2:03.

[bizarre-blorbo-bracket]

Round 2 poll 8: Submitter's guitar vs Davis (Juror 8) from Twelve Angry Men

Propaganda under the cut:

Cherry (guitar)

Her name is cherry and she is a cherry red epiphone sg . i got her used for cheap. i like to personify objects, and like to have conversations with her. in my mind she has a personality, age, gender, favorite things ect. sometimes i mention her as "my friend cherry" to people i know i wont meet again.

Davis (Juror 8) (these are all from the single submitter)

a quick lil list babes, and I apologise for all of this in advance:

He's from the fucking film 12 angry men. like, aside from letterbox bootlickers and middle school hass students NO ONE has watched this film let alone care about it, it was made in 1957, is shot almost exclusively in one room and the entire film is just middle aged white men yelling at each other over whether some not white poor kid should be sent to the electric chair. what the fuck.

Henry Fonda, the actor, was 52 years old at the time of filming

Henry Fonda is the father of Jane Fonda, the woman who would revolutionise the 80's with her home workouts and her blindingly neon leg warmers.

His name wasn't revealed until the very end of the film and even then it's just "Davis."

I could honestly give him a lil smooch

He's absolutely not girlypop but he's the ally-iest ally who's ever allied

He's categorised as a "Benevolent Leader" on the Heroes Wiki

instead of the overwhelming urge for me to coddle him like most all other blorbos, i would appreciate it switched

I have a photo of him inside my saxophone case and sometimes i forget he's in there, then he creeps into my saxophone bell and when I play it he shoots out like a ballistic missile

Dude, on ao3 there's more fanfiction about the real life 80's British punk band The Clash than the entire film of 12 angry men, let alone Davis (80 fics come up under the clash, while 10 come up for 12 angry men)

I have a counter, and I've watched 12 Angry men a total of 145 times. The figure is up on my wall in tallies. whenever the number goes up, I like to watch it in 5's so then I can put another full group of tallies on my wall.

I have incredibly detailed stories about how Davis would boogie down to ringo starr's solo career, and they're written within the margins of a book called Tobruk written by Peter Fitzsimons. The only reason I reread that book is to wonder at my elaborate works of fiction

My HASS teacher was the one to introduce me to 12 Angry Men as he played it for the entire class. He gave us a set of questions to complete on the film and a few Law based questions as a little treat, and he expected it to be handed in the next day. What he didn't expect was an 11 page monster of a response that included social commentary, 4 paragraphs dissecting the character of Davis alone, deeply discussed comparisons between the landscapes of politics and law in the 50's to the present, and basically an entire point-for-point summarisation of the film, completed with obscure quotes from Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon and Presley (Elvis). He presented the printed masterpiece in front of the entire class to shame me.

After class he explained how his favourite Juror would either be 6 or 5, because 6 seems like a big dumb teddybear and he just liked 5. I explained how I liked Davis because he didn't want to send a kid to die, then he told me how Davis would make a good cowboy (at this point in time I was unaware of Henry Fonda's role in Once Upon A Time in The West) and I proceeded to go home and write a 3 part orchestral composition that I could pretend would play as the soundtrack to Juror 8: A Cowboy's Tale or something like that

I had started to make an animation meme starring Davis but only gave up when photoshop literally deleted itself from my laptop

I didn't even hear that Juror 8's name was Davis when I first watched it in class, somehow I only heard it on my 6th rewatch but when I did I literally got so excited I literally got winded and cried a little bit, I had to take a panadol because I got so lightheaded

I have learned the musical motif that plays throughout the film on saxophone, clarinet, recorder, guitar, bass, ukulele, piano and trumpet

I have visions of him

One of Davis' 3 children HAS to be gay and nothing can convince me otherwise

honest to god I'd be a home wrecker if it came to him

I quote not only Davis but the film a lot, and sometimes in the dead silence of all my friends I go on about how the old man couldn't have possibly made it to the door in such a short amount of time to see the kid running down the stairs (because the old man has a limp, and Davis proved it my limping around the room, which I have to say was incredibly attractive of him)

He's literally an architect

I once had a dream where Davis was in my bass guitar case when I opened it, and i literally just picked him up and started picking him like a bass guitar until I tried to play a full chord and he bit the hand that was meant to be on the fretboard. I dropped him and he fell on his ass, and when I said "what the hell dude what was that for" he said bass chords are lowkey ugly to listen to, and since then i don't like playing bass chords because now they're lowkey ugly to listen to. before this ordeal, i enjoyed them, but alas

i once got my romantic partner to write me a davis x reader fanfiction as a birthday present

my parents believe that Davis is my first celebrity crush, and while they're actually wrong it's still actually so embarrassing they believe that because OH MY GOD it's literally JUROR 8 FROM 12 ANGRY MEN

I've attempted slam poetry about him

I've eaten a paper printed full a4 size photo of his hand

I would also not mind him to be literally my father, but given the rest of the things I've just said about him that's really weird and I recognise that

[skz-june]

[ facts about june ]

[ abilities and skills ]

[ songwriting ]

her songwriting talent went relatively unknown for a long time. she’s written poetry here and there for most of her life but has kept it to herself as she didn’t really think of it as anything special. it was just her way of working through her emotions. 

changbin was the first person she went to when she wanted to make her own song and he was ecstatic. he could not stop gushing over her lyrics and is her number one hype man every time. 

[ acting ]

has been acting ever since she was little and she used to dream of being on broadway someday. 

always tries to come up with a ‘character’ for each comeback/song to embody. some of her most distinctive ones fans have even given names to. 

june has mentioned before she would love to be in a show or drama someday but she also doesn’t know how that would work because stray kids schedule is so busy and “stray kids and stay will always come first”

(fans are still waiting for her acting debut)

[ singing ]

june has musical theatre singing training. aka she can belt like nobody’s business. 

stay often joke saying she doesn’t even need a mic because she can be heard without it. and they’re correct. 

[ instruments ]

june is most known for being able to play the trumpet, guitar, and piano.

but she constantly is learning a new instrument. most recently the drums, clarinet, and has also said she wants to work on playing the bass 

[ interests and hobbies ]

[ musical theater ]

the most notable productions she has been in were “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown” (she played Lucy), “Annie” (she was in the ensemble but has a number of notable solos), and “The Addams Family” (she played Wednesday, obviously). 

June has said she’s always dreamed of being in “Les Mis,” her dream role is Eponine. 

Her all time favorite musical is “Hadestown” and Eva Noblezada is her role model. 

[ anime ]

it is impossible to not watch anime in this household. the first anime she ever watched was my hero (someone please help her get better taste) but is now watching chainsaw man with the boys and loves it. talks often about how she wants to dress up as power or makima for halloween some year.

han and june always watch studio ghibli together. han’s favorite is “howl’s moving castle” while june’s favorite is “princess mononoke”.

[ misc ]

[ famous moments ]

a fancam went viral during their back door era where she was goofing around with the members and all smiley and interacting with fans and then it cuts to the performance where she was in character, her smile and stage presence a complete 180 from before. 

after rumors started up (again) of lip syncing, in a performance june moved her mic away and stopped singing for a moment before her killer part of the song where she sang even higher than she usually does, still without using her mic. the entire hall heard her easily without the mic

[ her titles ]

“Kingdom’s Princess” from when they were on Kingdom: Legendary War. all of the boy groups were doting on her, especially BTOB. And of course she was part of the vocal mayfly unit and killed it. During the sports day she was given a little plastic tiara that she wore for the whole day, making ‘decrees’ with her royal status (ordered for Changbin to be thrown in the dungeons at one point)

“Real Visual” was given this name for how incredible her bare face is. Most lives and vlogs she does are without make-up and she always gets complimented for how good her skin looks. 

[ what she’s known for ]

many people assume that based on her appearance and how polite she is that she’s a very quiet and shy person, but oh boy these first impressions are deceiving. people are always surprised by how loud she can be and hyper, bouncing off the walls. and when she sings too. many expect her to have a soft voice so then when she’s belting like her life depends on it they are blown away.

seen as one of (if not the) best 4th gen performers and for her insane stage presence. known to wreck many people’s biases once they see stray kids perform in person. 

[nodirectionhome-ao3]

Number 7 and 17 for the song ask :)

Ahhh, thanks for playing! :)

7. Song that I’ll never get tired of listening to

There are SO many songs I could say for this. But I guess if I had to pick a favorite it would probably be "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney. (1970)

I have a playlist called "Perfect Songs" and this is the first song in it!

I saw Paul McCartney in concert in 2022 and I swear to god, when he played this I TRANSCENDED. Just altered my brain chemistry forever❤️

And also, Paul wrote this as a tribute to his late wife Linda right after the Beatles had broken up and he was going through a grief of sorts about that. So the emotion is so raw and powerful. And it's also a jaw dropping musical feat in the sense that Paul wrote and produced the song and also played every instrument on it (lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, piano, organ, drums) in addition to singing. The song (and the rest of the album too) is entirely the result of him just shutting himself in a studio and making magic!!

But I digress, I think. Sorry. I could ramble on about this song (and Paul McCartney in general) for days😅

17. Song that makes me want to fall in love

Ohhh, it HAS to be this.

"Something" by The Beatles (1969)

I believe Frank Sinatra called this one "the greatest love song ever written," and though I'm not the biggest Sinatra fan, I'd have to agree! (even though he falsely attributed it to Lennon-McCartney when it was written by George Harrison lol).

It's just so ethereal and magical, and something about the guitar solo — coupled with George's sense of wonder in the lyrics — just GUTS me. I don't know how to phrase it in a way that makes sense, but this song definitely makes me yearn to be in love!😅

Thanks for the ask!

Song ask game

[athetos]

The 10 songs I’ve been listening to the most this week:

Glass beach - the cia (no idea how to describe this band, they’re indie and electro and emo and jazz and punk all at once, but they’re fantastic. The ending to this shreds.)

Deafheaven - dream house (the 10 year anniversary remaster of sunbather is phenomenal, a mix of black metal and shoegaze that will blow your mind)

Ben quad - would you tell Picasso to sell his guitars? (A new emo band, highly recommend for fans of hot Mulligan and free throw, keep an eye on them)

Marina and the diamonds - sinful (one of the most overlooked Marina songs, resonates with me on a deep level)

My chemical romance - zero percent (one of my fav mcr songs, a b-side that flies under the radar and is just a ton of aggressive fun)

Save face + the callous daoboys - favorite lullaby (anything with daoboys is a must play for me, but this is bouncy mathy hardcore fun with a delicious chorus)

Queens of the Stone Age - go with the flow (this ‘desert rock’ band has immaculate vibes and grooves, I can’t forgive myself for writing them off years ago)

Muse - hysteria (another iconic rock anthem, I truly believe the bass line and guitar solo are two of the sexiest things ever written, and it’s so fun to play on bass)

The used - sound effects and overdramatics (my fav song off in love and death, featuring throat-ripping screams from Sean Ingram from Coalesce. Manic post-hardcore that takes you to a whole other plane)

Senses fail - lungs like gallows (tasty metallic hardcore riffs with a catchy emo refrain, some of Buddy’s best clean and unclean vocals, and all the angst you’d expect from them)

[inner--islands]

Interview with Golden Brown (December 2023)

Golden Brown is the work of Stefan Beck. This year, on Inner Islands, he released Weird Choices back in February and Wide Ranging Rider in September. Here we get to hear more about his creative practice and other musical endeavors from this year.

1. What are some recent inspirations?

I was lucky enough recently to see Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Zakir Hussain, and Rakesh Chaurasia play live. It was an absolutely mind blowing performance that I'll carry with me for a long time. Their album As We Speak has been a favorite of mine this year and it was such a treat to see this music live. Four brilliant musicians playing acoustic instruments, they create this amazing sound that is somehow greater than the sum of its parts, even though they are all absolute masters of their instruments. Zakir Hussain is a mad genius of rhythm and the most melody forward percussionist I have ever seen live.

2. You have been playing live a fair bit this year. How has it been translating your pieces into the live realm? Do you take a different approach from the studio versions?

It's been fun trying different approaches with live versions of songs. They do usually take on a different character than the recorded versions. With some of the Wide Ranging Rider songs, this has involved changing from acoustic to electric guitar and incorporating some effects. A few times I've experimented with weaving a few songs into a flowing suite if they are all in the same key/tuning. I try to do things a little differently each time, improvising and changing arrangements. One of my favorite gigs this year was opening for the River Arkansas at the Fox Theater in Boulder. I was lucky enough to have my friends Macon and Robin from the River Arkansas play bass and drums with me on a few songs. They are super talented, intuitive musicians and brought such a fun and different vibe to the music.

3. How composed vs. improvised are the pieces on Wide Ranging Rider? There are obviously strong melodic motifs in every piece, but are there also sections that are more freeform?

Wide Ranging Rider is the first Golden Brown album to be fully written throughout prior to recording. I usually rely on some of the serendipity of layering improvisations when making music, so this felt really different. Improvisation played into some of the arrangements with the additional textural elements of electric guitar and keyboards on songs like Ambergris and Dusty, but the fingerpicked acoustic guitar for each piece was fully realized prior to recording. 

4. How do you write a piece like Wide Ranging Ride I or II? Is it following a feeling or trying to capture an image? How does it go for you?

I didn't have a specific image or feeling in mind when writing, but there is a certain energy that flows throughout. It's kind of tough for me to put into words, but there definitely is shared DNA between those two pieces as well as Little Rider and Withywindle. Similarly, Cobwebs and Sage and Scurvy have some melodic elements and vibe in common.

Wide Ranging Rider I has been something I have been playing for about 20 years, but didn't feel complete until WRR II came about. I was writing a lot in open G tuning (DGDGBD), and at some point realized that several of the themes I was working on were connected. Originally, WRR I & II were arranged into a single long suite, with WRR II sandwiched in the middle of WRR I. Eventually, I decided I preferred them split into separate pieces to open each side of the LP. But I may try and play the full suite live at some point.

Wide Ranging Rider I and II as well as Kirghiz Light are linear compositions. The form is something closer to ABCDEFGA rather than a more typical progression of like ABABCB or ABA.

5. Do you feel like your work with the guys in Prairiewolf has influenced your solo work at all?

I do! It's been really wonderful making music collaboratively in addition to my solo pursuits. And I am lucky to have Tyler and Jeremy as bandmates who I can bounce ideas off of. The most apparent influence is on some music I'm working on for release in 2024 hopefully - it's kind of my version of a Bill Laswell style ambient dub album. I used a drum machine for a few of the songs, a first for me as Golden Brown. I had a lot of fun running the drum machine through my effects and kind of live dubbing the rhythm track as I recorded it. And Jeremy was kind of enough to play some synth and keyboards on one of the songs. It's pretty different in sound from most of what I've done before, though High Tide at Gold Beach (2012) is probably closest. The end result I think will be the most Prairiewolfish I've made music under the name Golden Brown.

6. How did the Prairiewolf group come together? The three of you fit together in such a nice and seamless way.

It was serendipitous for sure. We had all sort of met online and gathered to try it out in early 2022. It wasn't perfect from the get go but there was definitely some synergy there. It's been really fun to watch it develop. Jeremy and Tyler both are really good listeners as well as excellent musicians, and we share a lot of common musical ground. I try not to take it for granted that it works as well as it does. We are working on our second album together and it's pretty exciting. We have a good batch of songs, more than we can fit on one album, and it seems like we are continually coming up with more. We've also leaned into playing live this year and have gotten into some good zones as a result. 

7. Who might a dream collaborator be with someone from an older generation?

Bill Frisell for sure. I can't think of anyone who's had a bigger impact on my music. My dream would be to have a musical voice as emotive, singular, and recognizable as Bill Frisell. My dad first played Good Dog, Happy Man for me over twenty years ago and that music has become integral to me as a musician. I love almost everything Frisell has done but that album, Ghost Town, Nashville, and the Intercontinentals are very special.

8. Do you have any rituals to get you in the zone to work on music?

Not really, often it's just a matter of playing and trying different things until the conscious part of the mind turns off and I am relying more on my instincts. Sometimes that can happen quickly, sometimes it can take a long time. And sometimes in the moment, I have no idea whether what I'm working on is good or not and just need to set it aside for a listen with fresh ears later on. But the one thing that does really help is having my little music room downstairs - to be able to play whenever I feel like it without having to set up/take down makes a big difference in terms of getting in the flow.

9. You had mentioned that The Actual Star was an influence on your Weird Choices album. Were there any literary inspirations on Wide Ranging Rider?

The Lord of the Rings trilogy was definitely an influence. Withywindle is named for the river valley in the old forest where the hobbits encounter Tom Bombadil. I felt like the melody/picking pattern kind of reminded me of Tom Bombadil bopping along through the forest. Jeff Vandermeer was also an influence, more on Ambergris than anything else (maybe with the juxtaposition of the natural/organic element of the acoustic guitar with the modified, delayed sounds of electric guitar and keyboard.) But I was also reading his Southern Reach Trilogy when a lot of the music on Wide Ranging Rider was being written and arranged, so there is probably more influence there under the surface as well.

10. Words of wisdom you like to recall in times of need?

Robert Hunter's and John Perry Barlow's lyrics from the Grateful Dead songbook have deeply soaked into the core of my being. I have a list of affirmations from Dead lyrics that is an endless wellspring of solace and inspiration. Apologies in advance, this is extra nerdy.

Every time that wheel turn round, bound to cover just a little more ground

Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile

I love you more than words can tell

Love is real, not fade away

We can discover the wonders of nature

Inspiration, move me brightly

Light the song with sense and color, hold away despair

Without love in a dream it’ll never come true

If you get confused just listen to the music play

Shall we go, you and I while we can?

The future’s here, we are it, we are on our own

Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world 

Wake up to find out that you are the song that the morning brings 

Sometimes we live no particular way but our own 

Sometimes the songs that we hear are just songs of our own 

I will find my own way home

I’m a stone jack baller and my heart is true

More than just ashes when your dreams come true

Once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right 

One way or another, this darkness got to give 

Let there be songs to fill the air 

A box of rain will ease the pain and love will see you through 

I’ll get up and fly away 

Don’t give it up; you’ve got an empty cup only love can fill

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

NITA STRAUSS Announces Second Solo Album, 'The Call Of The Void'

ALICE COOPER guitarist Nita Strauss will release her sophomore solo album, "The Call Of The Void", on July 7 via Sumerian Records. The LP's latest single, "The Golden Trail", featuring a guest appearance by IN FLAMES vocalist Anders Fridén, can be streamed below.

Regarding the album's title, Strauss shared: "Have you ever been at the top of a high building and had the fleeting thought, '… I could jump right now?' This feeling is sometimes called 'The Call Of The Void,' also known as 'high place phenomenon.' It's not a suicidal impulse, rather the exact opposite — a subconscious decision to live your life, to step back from the ledge, and take control. As researcher April Smith aptly put it: 'An urge to jump affirms the urge to live.'

"I wanted the follow-up to 'Controlled Chaos' to be exciting, new, and fresh, to take listeners to a new place and take myself somewhere new as an artist too. We have some amazing collaborations on this album with incredible musicians, as well as the instrumental guitar music that first inspired me to play.

"Some pieces of music come into the world gracefully and easily. This album is not one of them! 'The Call Of The Void' was born kicking and screaming, a labor of love for sure, but also of blood, sweat and plenty of tears. I couldn't be more proud of the end result. Making this album helped me learn and grow so much as a musician and songwriter and I'm excited to finally unleash it on the world."

On the collaboration with Fridén, Strauss said: "When I was first learning how to play guitar, IN FLAMES were my BEATLES, my first favorite band. Anders's iconic vocal style is burned into my mind! To write a song like this and have him sing on it, as a kid who grew up with IN FLAMES posters on my walls, is an absolute dream come true."

"It was a lot of fun to collaborate with Nita on 'The Golden Trail'," added Fridén. "She's an amazing guitar player and I can hear the history of metal flowing through her fingers."

"The Golden Trail" is the fourth song Nita has released featuring a star guest vocalist, the first being the enormously successful "Dead Inside" which featured guest vocals from DISTURBED's David Draiman and saw Nita become the first-ever solo female to have a No. 1 hit at Active Rock radio. She also returned to her instrumental roots last year with the release of single "Summer Storm", a fast-paced, emotive shred-fest. In October 2022, Nita dropped "The Wolf You Feed", an epic headbanger of a track featuring the insane vocal talent of Alissa White-Gluz of ARCH ENEMY. This past March, Strauss released "Winner Takes All", featuring a guest appearance by Alice Cooper.

Back in February 2022, Nita told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about her upcoming LP: "It's gonna be half and half — six tracks with vocalists and six tracks of instrumental [music]. We've been doing ['Dead Inside'] live on the solo tour and it's been getting a super-good reaction from our crowds."

In early December 2022, Nita told "The Mistress Carrie Podcast" about her decision to make the upcoming LP half vocal songs and half instrumental: "I did feel, and the label and everybody agreed, it's still important for me to keep my identity as a guitar player and not just branch off too much and go, 'Okay, well, now it's just guests.' Let me still have a little of what makes me me, which is the instrumental shred stuff. And the instrumental pieces that I've written on this record are, I think, better than anything I did on the first one — definitely more… I don't know if it could be more emotional but they're very emotional pieces of music and I think a little better crafted this time around. So I think all the songs in general are more well thought out, better put together this time around. And I do have some of my absolute favorite [singers guesting on it]. I have three amazing powerhouse female vocalists on this album so far."

Nita released 2018's "Controlled Chaos" to mass acclaim from fans and media alike, with Metal Injection calling it "a great debut that — as its creator intended — leaves no doubt", and Guitar World stating "'Controlled Chaos' is a panoramic view of Nita Strauss's many strengths".

In March, it was announced that Nita would return to Alice's band for his 2023 tour.

The Alice Cooper North American tour, with an all-new show dubbed "Too Close For Comfort", kicked off in late April in Michigan and will continue through late September, including a handful of August stadium shows with DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY CRÜE, followed by a co-headlining late summer "Freaks On Parade" tour with Rob Zombie.

Nita spent eight years playing with Alice before joining Demi Lovato's band last summer,

Strauss played her first full live show with Demi in August 2022 at the Grandstand at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Illinois.

Nita made her live debut with Demi in July 2022 with a performance of "Substance" on ABC's Emmy Award-winning late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!".

Strauss had been playing with Cooper since 2014 when she replaced Australian musician and former Michael Jackson player Orianthi. She joined Alice in time for a mammoth MÖTLEY CRÜE tour. She was recommended to Cooper by the legendary rocker's former bass player and WINGER frontman Kip Winger.

[gerogerigaogaigar]

Radiohead - Kid A

How to piss off your fanbase in one easy step: follow up you most successful album with something bizarre and experimental and use almost nothing but synthesizers and basically be incomprehensible. Bonus points if the album is a masterpiece that will go on to be regarded as one of the best albums ever written. The anxious frailty common to Radiohead's previous albums is still there but there's more intensity, more of an ominous apocalyptic energy. The lyrics are mainly nonsense, cut up phrases with no clear meaning. The vagueness coupled with the intense abstract instrumentals lead to a fearful atmosphere. The album feels like it is failing to imitate a human. It's eerie.

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick has doubled down on being a poet and with these songwriting skills he is tackling some difficult ideas. The first half.of the album deals a lot with Kendrick's own place in society and in the rap game and whether or not he can return to his roots in any sincere way. Whether his success prevents him from representing his neighborhood in Compton anymore. As the album continues he expands the subject matter and it becomes a struggle between sincerity and machismo and how much of black culture is constructed as a response to oppression and ultimately lands on being proud of the many composite things that make up blackness in America. It's an incredible journey and I struggle to even summarize the themes. Musically it is also so much more than good kid m.A.A.d city was in every regard. There's more funk including an appearance by George Clinton and frequent production by Thundercat. There's also so much jazz and soul and features such a wide variety of guest musicians including SZA, Kamasi Washington, Flying Lotus, and many others. This is also a well paced album, it is long but it is full of bangers and right up to the last track it is catchy and engaging. To Pimp A Butterfly is a powerful enigmatic statement. One of those albums that becomes an instant classic and will be guaranteed to be remembered as one of the best albums of all time for decades to come.

Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited

Yeah no shit they put this one up so high Rolling Stone magazine is literally named after the song Like A Rolling Stone. But also a totally valid choice for best Dylan album. Every single song is Dylan at his peak. I can barely pick out high points for how good everytthing is. Obviously Like A Rolling Stone is legendary, the eleven minute closer Desolation Row is a standout, but I think that Ballad Of A Thin Man might be my favorite Dylan song. After so many Dylan albums on this list I barely have anything new to say. I guess if you have liked any of it at all then you will definitely like Highway 61 Revisited.

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

https://youtu.be/wvgehVhF9D4

https://youtu.be/e7e5BFJa-Ug

Yup I knew this was coming. Kanye West's magnum opus. Twisted Fantasy is a maximalist progressive hip hop labyrinth. Kanye pulls in influences from prog rock, most obviously in his sampling of King Crimson on power, but also in playing around with song structure. Frankly it is hard to pin any one thing down because every song is so much. You have everything from the piano intro of Runaway which becomes a hip hop soul epic, the intensity of Monster's back to back guest verses, the completely unexpected Bon Iver feature, the occasional guitar solo. Oh man speaking of Monster tho I feel like we really need to appreciate that we get both Jay-Z's worst verse (Sasquatch, Godzilla, King Kong, Loch Ness, Goblin, ghoul, a zombie with no conscience) and "ahhhhhhhh put the pussy in a scarmophogoghs" from this song. Also Nicki Minaj's best verse ever to close out the song, seriously she is stunning on here. Anyway yeah Kanye seems to be making a statement about the hip hop kayfabe on here. He seems to be semi-ironically embracing the callous superstar aesthetic. How much this album is a criticism of the excess of celebrity culture or just the start of Ye's villain arc is up for debate, but even if I don't wanna be charitable it's still a huge bombastic, addictive masterpiece.

The Clash - London Calling

For being remembered as one of the most iconic punk albums London Calling is a much more complex blend of punk, rock n roll, new wave, ska, dub, and post punk. Their sound reflected the diverse musical culture of 70s London. Frankly it's hard to pin down exactly where the punk is on this album. Guns Of Brixton is just a reggae song, Wrong Em Boyo is a ska song and it interpolates American folk song Stagger Lee. Lost In The Supermarket is a distinctly post punk song with it's disco beat, Spanish Bombs is as power pop as they come, and Train In Vain is basically a piece of heartland rock. Where the album is most cohesive is lyrically and thematically. Most of the tracks on London Calling describe some aspect of inner city London living or a character therein. The plight of the working poor and immigrants. While punk definitely continued into the 80s as a rough and volatile genre full of teens with raw emotions, The Clash brought the more art rock side of the genre into the mainstream with London Calling.

Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

Public Enemy were a perfect storm. The interplay between the militant black nationalist politics of Chuck D and the much more laid back point man Flava Flav created a dynamic flow that wasn't matched by any contemporaries. On the other side is production crew The Bomb Squad and turntablist Terminator X creating densely sample based instrumentals that match the intensity of the rapping. On It Takes A Nation Of Millions the intensity is ramped up from their debut and they double down on the political angle. To compare the politics of this album vs Fear Of A Black Planet, there is a grander scope on It Takes A Nation Of Millions. It revels in mythologizing of the band a bit more. Either way this album also brings most of Public Enemy's biggest hits Bring The Noise, Don't Believe The Hype, and Prophets Of Rage especially.

The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St.

Exile On Main St. is raw rough and rowdy right up the Rolling Stone's alley. This album has some of their best production successfully balancing the need to sound rough around the edges with the level of professionalism that a band as big as the Stones could afford. It starts and ends on some of their best songs, Rocks Off and Rip This Joint open the album while Shine A Light and Soul Survivor close it out, but in between, idk. There isn't a bad song on here, far from it, but as a whole album Exile On Main St. has never spoken to me the way that their previous three albums did. Am I saying Exile is overrated? Yes obviously I am literally saying that. But would I side eye someone who rated this their favorite Stones album? Not at all. It's a fine choice just not mine.

Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man The Way I Loved You

This album begins with Aretha Franklin's meteoric hit Respect and it isn't even my favorite song on the album. This may be Franklin's tenth album, but it might as well be her debut. From the moment I Never Loved A Man dropped her career was reinvented and she was instantly the queen of soul. There are very, very few albums better than this one. Franklin sings with such power and conviction that she basically stole these songs from their original performers. Respect will never be an Otis Redding song ever again and same for Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come.

Michael Jackson - Thriller

Ok do I really have to review Thriller? It's the highest selling album of all time, I bet you know a thing or two about it. Michael Jackson was the king of pop for a reason. The blueprint for success that was Off The Wall is finally realized here in a pop, disco, soul, and funk masterpiece. Seven out of the album's nine tracks were charting singles. The songs Thriller, Beat It, and Billie Jean all come one after another making up what must be the most commercially successful three song runs on any album. You prolly already know how you feel about this album so I guess this is just a reminder to give it another listen if it's been a while. If you didn't like it before maybe come at it with fresh ears, if it is already a favorite then remind yourself how good this shit is.

The Beatles - Revolver

This was kinda the first cd I ever owned so you are not getting my usual super duper objective reviewing here lmao. Revolver really is one of my favorites. The Beatles have genuinely crafted some very catchy delightful tunes. All of the exploring they did on Rubber Soul paid off in a big way with the fuzzy guitars of She Said, She Said and Taxman, the baroque strings of Eleanor Rigby, of course the psychedelic experimentation of Tomorrow Never Knows. The thing that makes this not just one of the best Beatles records but one worthy of being on this list is the production. George Martin mixes every song in this hazy way that feels warm, but also distant. Like a pleasant memory. Martin also has fun on Tomorrow Never Knows by cutting up the tape and reconstructing it into the backwards guitar solos that can be heard throughout. Basically I think this is one of The Beatles best records, but it is definitely George Martin's best record, he really earns the 'fifth Beatle' moniker here.

[scrion7]

rwby v9 soundtrack real?

rwby v9 soundtrack real good that's what

individual first listen reactions below

Checkmate did not go where I thought it would go but i'm head bopping anyway. electro swing jazz good. rwby should have more jazz songs. (insert noun here) should have more jazz songs. also casey rap???

Chatterbox's contrast between the soft and hard parts really pops out. possibly a little too much tbh, but that's personal preference. also those dirty, DIRTY guitar riffs at 1:50 and 3:38. god.

Worthy being a pure vocal song for a full minute before transforming into a lovely ballad is. yes. fun fact I'm pretty sure Casey rerecorded the secondary vocals of the part that played in show. speaking of which I can't fucking believe that Casey is the voice behind both parts. fucking legend. *EDIT: Casey isn't the vocalist for both parts, this got changed from the part in the show*

Trapdoor did not start the way I thought it would, but those rhythmic pauses under Casey's vocals are SO tasty. Then it changes to the syncopated staccato vocals and then the RIFFS. the ENDING. man. Probably my favorite.

Quiet starting with a ticking clock to show it's Jaune's song (actually his first solo one, somehow) is great storytelling. It also lives up to the name, being the softer song this volume. I'd bet if Casey ever made a lofi remix of an existing song it would be amazing. *this was written before I noticed Lofi Wings*

Guide My Way kinda gives off the same vibes as Inside, and I wouldn't be surprised if there's a leitmotif in there somewhere *spoiler alert. there was.* speaking of leitmotifs, that fucking transition to Red Like Roses 1 is fucking amazing. the transition to the rest of the song too. the rhythms, the guitars... then the bridge. "I'm what inspired the fairy tale" is such a raw line in the context of RWBY "everything is an allusion" then you get hit over the head by GUITARRRRRRR SOLOOOOOOO ft. a little tidbit of Inside. trapdoor has been dethroned as the best song of the volume.

*gets smacked by a divine dodgeball* Lofi Wings is a great remix. groovy and somft.

[vickiabelson]

Today Live! Can’t wait to sit down with old pal, Steve Conte, who's got one of the greatest rock voices I’ve ever heard (he was Paul Simon's vocal stand-in for years). Steve’s played with just about everyone throughout his career, has a classic Chuck Berry story, for one, and countless other great rock tales. 

Steve’s first road gig was touring with Blood Sweat & Tears in the mid-80s, right around the time I began booking him at The Rock ’N Roll Cafe on Bleecker Street in New York. From there, Steve played with J. Geils Band frontman Peter Wolf, the before-mentioned Chuck Berry, toured with Billy Squier, Willy Deville, Eric Burdon, was a member of reformed New York Dolls and has shared the stage with an innumerable number of his heroes from Sam Moore to Springsteen. Steve’s been writing for, recording, and touring with former Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe for the past 10ish years, supporting Guns & Roses, The Foo Fighters, and Motorhead.

Steve's solo debut, The Steve Conte NYC Album, included a tune, OK DJ, which earned him the #2 Coolest Song of the Year, behind Bruce Springsteen, on Little Steven's Underground Garage... members of the Foo Fighters, Alice Cooper, Mott The Hoople, The Wallflowers, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, to name a few, joined Steve on the album. 

Steve’s "covers" album, International Cover-Up, enjoys much airplay on Little Steven's Underground Garage. The opening track, "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight" was voted #5 Coolest Song Of The Year, behind The Monkees and Ian Hunter, and his Gimme Gimme Rockaway was another Coolest Song of The Week and signaled the solo recognition he’s long deserved. 

Steve’s new single, Fourth Of July, co-written with Andy Partridge of XTC, serves as a preview to his upcoming LP, due in 2024, as a follow-up to his acclaimed solo album, Bronx Cheer, released on Little Steven’s label, Wicked Cool Records in 2021, which featured the single, Recovery Doll, which also enjoyed a week as the Coolest Song In The World, on The Underground Garage. 

Check out the latest coolness of Conte

Fourth of July

Steve played regularly at every club I booked, was part of my weekly house jam band, and has done pretty much every project since. So look forward to sitting down with this guy, one of my all-time favorite rockers, catching up, and hearing that voice! And, that guitar!

Steve Conte Live on Game Changers with Vicki Abelson

Wednesday, Sept 6th, 5 pm PT, 8 pm ET

Streaming Live on my Facebook

Daily by Toni Vincent & @peter_and_paul_ Cartoons

[heartsoulrocknroll]

Piano Man Ranked

This was so hard for me, because I love every song on this album. These rankings are based primarily on the album versions, but if I was unsure, the position was ultimately determined by my favorite live version. I firmly believe that you can't truly appreciate how great the songs on this album are without hearing them played live by the 1976-1982 Billy Joel band.

1) The Ballad of Billy the Kid

I am so obsessed with this song. I think it's one of the greatest songs Billy has ever written, from the excellent instrumentation and arrangement to the fanastic storytelling lyrics. I love the album recording. The clip-clop of the horse hooves. The campfire harmonica. But the back and forth between the band (especially when the strings come in) and those ICONIC piano riffs does something to my brain. I freak out every time I hear it even though I've heard it repeatedly for 12 years. And the piano work throughout the entire song is just phenomenal. The live versions obviously don't have the strings, but the post-1975 live versions with the core Billy Joel band have a whole different energy that make the strings unnecessary. I have to mention the 1976 University of Connecticut live performance of this song, because that particular combination of Billy's vocals, Billy's kickass piano playing, and the band's pure energy literally makes me the audibly-yellin', hand-wavin', object-throwin' kind of insane.

2) Somewhere Along the Line

This song reminds me a bit of James Taylor in parts, but then those big backing vocals and piano riffs come in and take the song in another direction. The melody is great, the lyrics are some of the best on the album, and Billy just goes nuts on the piano, especially on the break after the third verse, during the fourth verse, and on the break that closes the song. I love the album recording, but this is another song that really comes to life in the live setting with the slightly higher tempo, the more prominent guitar riffs, Liberty on the drums, and Billy singing and playing like the world-class singer and piano player that he is.

3) Worse Comes to Worst

This song rocks so hard and blends so many musical styles. The signature guitar riff is super funky. The pedal steel guitar makes another appearance for more country undertones. The background vocals provide a gospel flavor, while the steel drums come in later on for a bit of a Caribbean feel. But even still, this remains distinctly a rock 'n' roll song. The album version is great for the aforementioned reasons, but the live versions rock so much harder. I love the 1977 CW Post live version more than life itself. I know I never shut up about it, but my god, Liberty's drumming adds so much drive to these early songs, and Billy sings the hell out of this song live.

4) Travelin' Prayer

I love absolutely everything about this song. The brushes on the drums, the bass, the opening piano, the banjo, the fiddle, the lyrics, Billy's vocal, the psychotic tempo. This is just a fantastic country/bluegrass song that takes what is great about those genres and improves it with the incorporation of Billy's brilliant piano breaks, especially the piano solo during the first instrumental break, which just rocks. This song doesn't have as strong of a country feel without the banjo and fiddle, but the live performances with Liberty's energetic drums, Richie's sax additions, Doug's driving bass, and Billy's piano improvs are incredible in an entirely different way.

5) Ain't No Crime

The soulful, gospelly vibes of this song really do it for me. I LOVE the use of the organ, and the piano riffs slap so hard it ain't funny. This is another song that needs to be heard live to be truly appreciated, with Liberty on the drums and Richie adding some sax. Billy goes crazy on the piano and does such a fantastic, soulful vocal on this song live.

6) Captain Jack

This is just an epic song. Billy's piano parts in the intro and the verses are beautifully done. The combination of Billy's organ and that legendary guitar riff in the chorus is so dramatic and really gives the song its epic feel. The lyrics are a great commentary on how people can have everything and still be overcome by the aimlessness and hopelessness of life. I like the album version, but this is another song that really takes on a whole new life in the live setting with Billy improvising on the piano and singing so incredibly well, while Liberty adds the dramatic opening cymbals and the ridiculous driving drum transitions from the third and fourth verses into the third and fourth choruses. 😭😭

7) Piano Man

No matter how many times I hear this song, I will never stop loving it. It's popular for a reason: it's great. That iconic opening piano riff gets me every time. The harmonica parts are great. The piano break after the third verse rocks on the album, and rocks even harder live. These are some of the best lyrics on the album. They are excellent, immersive, storytelling lyrics with a great rhyme scheme.

8) If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You)

This is a gorgeous melody with a distinctly beautiful opening piano riff, more beautiful piano work throughout the song, and some nice strings toward the end. This is also one of those songs that really makes me go, "Damn, that guy can sing." I am a freak about singing, and there is a live version of this (supposedly from Carnegie Hall in 1974) in which Billy gives a vocal performance that brings me to tears if I focus on it too hard. Billy may not like the sound of his own voice, but I'd give anything to sing like that.

9) You're My Home

This is a great, country-sounding song. It's one of those classic, beautiful Billy Joel melodies. The album version isn't very piano-heavy, but there are a few nice piano bits in there. And the instrumentation is great nonethless, from the finger picking on the acoustic guitar to the pedal steel guitar. Billy's vocal here is really beautiful as well.

10) Stop in Nevada

This is a beautiful song with a great melody and a great build from the quiet piano and pedal steel in the verses to the big, full choruses with the backing choir and the strings

[rosyfingereddawnn]

I don't need Ghost recs because I already listen to them, but I'm curious what your favorite songs are!! Feel free to explain why!! I'd love to know!!

ashley my darling!! <33 thank you so so much for the ask and for enabling me !!! it has been a task listening to anybody who is not ghost lately actually which……. idk how to feel about that. anyways i have a lot of favourites so this needs to be under the cut. also i am listening to ghost as i write this. sorry <3

spillways - this one. is so so so good and cathartic honestly??? it is so so catchy and the instrumentals make me insane <3 god the vocals/harmonies too???? also it’s just so good for the religious trauma i am screaming it constantly

cirice - sexy sexy sexy sexy need i go on. honestly the INTRO makes me freak out. the intro. and look. i have watched many a video of terzo singing this both acoustic and otherwise and oh god it’s become such a favourite. also religious trauma healed (a common theme here actually !!!)

watcher in the sky - BASS BASS BASS BASS BASS. oughhhhhhgggghggh and the solo near the end. where the two guitars join in together literally it makes me batshit just listening.

crucified - okay i know this one’s a cover but tbh (i’m biased) i like it better than the original??? the whisper-singing is Sooooo good thank you papa 2. honestly the instrumentals also just make me insane i feel like this is a good song for a horror movie somehow??? vampire core tbh. it’s just such a vibe all the way through.

darkness at the heart of my love - NO WORDS. ABSOLUTELY NONE. NO SYLLABLES ESCAPE FROM ME. god this one is an emotional rollercoaster it feels like a hug it feels like a slap in the face i can’t BELIEVE ghost’s ability to just. slay every fucking genre/subgenre. god it makes me ascend

monstrance clock - this one makes the list because i keep thinking of what it would be like live???? i think i would simply explode???? i mean let’s see sex appeal insane instrumentals vibey vocals thank you papa for my rights <3

kaisarion - VIBIEST SONG EVER GOD it is truly so amazing. it’s so upbeat and powerful it’s like i just drank 32 monster energy drinks. god the GUITAR is just inexplicably so good in this one. i can’t.

waiting for the night - cover #2 to make the list and it is so much better than the original sorry eat my ass depeche mode. god. god. peak breakdown song tbh. i mean the first parts a lil spooky and then your heart gets ripped out and then you shake ass !!!!!!! god.

from the pinnacle to the pit - AHHHHHHHGGGGGGHHHHHGHHHG. okay first of all the lyrics just feel like pop rocks in the ol head tube. okay. once again so varied and also like. the drums and guitars………. i’m fine. also terzo :((((((

see the light - ULTIMATE hate song. like i don’t think many of their songs make me as Cathartically angry as this one (except faith. but that’s another post) but it’s also so pretty at times??? like they’re so good at switching the narrative here. once again the Talent that this band has.

nocturnal me - SEXY. ALL AROUND SEXY. GUITARS SEXY BASS SEXY DRUMS SEXY VOCALS SEXY PAPA SEXY. UGGHHHGGHHGGH

deus in absentia - ASCENDING BRB. i don’t even have the words in my vocabulary to describe this one it’s just so good??? the lyrics are so so well-written and the images you get from it are soooo potent and interesting and then the instrumentals as always fuck hard.

bible - cover #3. SO SO SO SO FUCKING UNDERRATED I WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY BIBLE SLANDER. people say it’s too slow??? ARE YOU LISTENING?????? ARE YOU ASCENDING TOO????????????? tbh it kinda makes my religious trauma worse but also it heals it ???? because who WILL pray for babylon 😔 anyways wow just. sobbing crying yelling

he is - papa lullaby thank you <3 once again potent imagery beautiful lyrics (bisexual music video) it’s just so beautiful and lovely i want the soundwaves tattooed on my face.

griftwood - AHHHHHHH. OKAY. okay. first of all this song has like 3 distinct sections that are all interesting and genuinely very good and actually the last part with the choir????? whispering GOOD?????? also layered harmonies okay i’ll shut up. ughhhhgghhggh :((( so nice so lovely. also guitar. good song for guitar. yeah. i can’t say anything but nice things about griftwood <3

imperium - purely an instrumental song and it’s so unfair cause it gives me chills the second it comes on without fail. the climax of it ????? where the guitars pile on and it’s just ??????????? ugh. fuck

i believe - a slower song but still i um. am Fine about it and not obsessed at all. first of all tobias’ vocals in this song specifically i want to Chew and Eat and Munch. ugh i can’t even say enough about it it’s just so so lovely. very pretty <3 the way everything swells and just. OUGH

respite on the spitalfields - OKAY. OKAY THIS. THIS IS ONE OF (IF NOT) MY FAVOURITE SONGS POINT BLANK RIGHT NOW. first of all. distinct parts broken up by such a BANGING SOLO I NEED IT IN MY MOUTH N O W. it’s just……… i don’t even know what it makes me feel but i know i like it. GOOD good song for bass. oughhgghgg. harmonies throughout like. all of it are just so good. lyrics????? literally impeccable. “nothing ever lasts forever we will go softly into the night” gets me specifically for some reason idk. RIFF FROM IMPERIUM AT THE END ??????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! also the way it Grows into the choruses and the repeating verses. goooood :(( there’s plenty more to say but this is already too long goodnight <333

GOD IM SO SORRY THAT WAS EXCRUCIATINGLY LONG. and i wanted to add more but i didn’t want to keep torturing you still <3333 here’s a cookie and a cup of tea (🍪☕️) for anyone that actually made it to the end of this i should give you financial compensation but i’m broke <3 anyways i love ghost and i love you ashley 😌 truly you do not know how much it means to me that you even sent this ask 🥺

[concerthopperblog]

Carolina Story Journeys Through Pain and Redemption with 'Colors of My Mind'

Colors of My Mind, the new album by husband and wife duo Carolina Story, isn't a concept album. But in many ways it feels like one, with the track selection moving the listener on a journey through hopelessness and pain, through glimpsed optimism, and finally to acceptance and, in places, even joy. While somewhat accidental, that's no coincidence as the duo was unwittingly at the time tracking the path their own life was about to take, with vocalist and instrumentalist Ben Roberts checking into rehab just days after the album was finished recording.

The pain of present is evident in the album's opening track, and first single, “Animal.” “What would you have me to do?” Ben asks, “What would you have me to say? Domesticated either way.” Driven by a slow and steady drum beat, the song seethes with barely restrained fury, the guitar, piano, and the crashing cymbals that enter late in the song underlining lyrics like “I'm just an animal roaming the hills/I look for blood, looking to kill”, later lamenting “Never going to satisfy these hunger pains.” If there was ever a line that told the truth of an addict in the last stages of denial before getting help, that line is it.

“Animal” is followed up by another album highlight, “It's a Drag.” A mid-tempo rocker, there's a feel of the early British Invasion in the instrumentation and phrasing, not the last time on Colors of My Mind that Carolina Story seems to channel the Fab Four. The tempo belies a song full of despair, noting “All this time/ lives run by/ and pay no mind/ to you and I/ The world spins round/ and stars burn out.”

By mid-album, and particularly “Don't Look Down on Your Dreams”, there's a glimpse of sun in the darkness. “Don't give in like they want you to/every day brings a brand new you” Roberts begins over a slowly strummed acoustic guitar. It's a song written in the deepest darkness of their career (Ben wrote and recorded the initial demo as a voice memo with no recollection of doing so). By the end of the song, the simple acoustic melody is replaced by an electric guitar solo that sounds like a soul being freed from a prison.

But it's “Painted Lady” that offers the album's best effort. This time it's Emily's turn to take the vocal reins, weaving a tale of a woman finding herself for the first time. “Painted lady/ there's no more need to wait/ your time here is done/ a cocoon is no cage/ The world for the taking/ with raindrops on your wings/ No woes, no master/ go on and go free.”

The adage “I've suffered for my art” is all too often a true one. Like everyone, artists suffer the pitfalls of life, sometimes bigger than others, sometimes just the normal pains of life. The secret to really good art is not in suffering more often or more deeply than others but in being able to find the commonalities that tie all the human sufferings, joys, and sorrows that make humans be human, and to put those things into relatable words. With Colors of My Mind, Carolina Story has found that common thread of humanity that we can all relate to.

Colors of my Mind releases on April 7. Get it at your favorite indie record shop.

[sugarpopss]

Tag Game!! <3

Thank you so much for the tag @rosemaryandarsenic !

Favorite color: Red! It’s been red for years, it’s a great color for pinup/rockabilly looks and I look really good in it. Cherry red is nice, but I prefer a richer, almost bloody red. 

Currently watching: Multiverse of Madness! My father wanted to watch it with me before I go back to university. I’m kind of out of my Marvel phase, but I do still love Wanda (queen of my heart). I also love to rewatch All Creatures Great and Small and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (I’m a sucker for a mid 20th century lighthearted drama). 

Currently reading: I’m rereading Dracula because I haven’t read it since I was 17, and I’ve just started Baptism of Fire. 

Currently listening to: As always with me, Taylor Swift and Beach Boys. I’ve also been really feeling Not The Main Characters and Cloudy June. 

Last series: Stranger Things (I’m still recovering). 

Last movie: Everything Everywhere All At Once. My best friend and I went to see it at a little local theater and I had a GREAT time. It was one of my best movie viewing experiences ever. 

Sweet/spicy/savory: Spicy, though honestly I’d prefer sour. 

Currently working on: I have an Eddie fic bouncing around my Google Docs that’s been there for like a month, and there’s also some Witcher ideas I’m playing with. And of course Gareth, my light my love, has some stuff in the works. I also have some Robin ideas that I want to try out because I’ve never written for her but I LOVE her so much. 

Tagging: @master-of-munsons my darling, and @sexy-guitar-solo

[go-go-devil]

what's your favorite album (prog rock edition) amd what's your favorite album (any other genre edition)?

Very smart of you to separate my favorite prog record from those of any other genre, otherwise my answer would be too obvious ✨

Normally I try not to list one singular album as my "favorite" (prog or otherwise), but if I were to narrow down which prog rock record had the greatest influence on my development and which I still enjoy listening to just as much today as I did as a teen, it would no doubt be The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway by Genesis

Very weird yet entertaining storyline about a NYC punk falling into a dark fantasy world and trying to escape while also finding his brother (which was also apparently loosely inspired by The Little Prince?), fantastic complex melodies with songs containing some of my favorite Steve Hackett guitar solos ever, and the inner sleeves of the vinyl even have a story written out by Peter Gabriel that basically reads like Hylics dialogue (that being obscure prose usage to the point of being nearly nonsensical lol)

Did I sell you on this or repel you I wonder...

Anyway!

I had to think long and hard about what my other favorite album would be. To decide this, I thought back on which albums I had listened to start-to-finish the most in the past few years, and I found to my surprise that it might honestly be a tie between View Monster and Spirit Phone by Lemon Demon (sorry they're both so good I hate picking between them!)

These two albums are legit some of the best synth-pop I've ever heard. Neil Cicierega has such a keen ear for creating infectious melodies that aren't in the least bit obnoxious to listen to over and over, though honestly the lyrical writing on those albums are what really propel them up to the top for me. Each song is basically a whole storyline that's either really funny or really compelling

I mean there's a damn good reason why these albums' songs make such perfect "internal AMV" material!