#discovered this band yesterday and i’ve been listening to this song on repeat ever since

[becausethathappens]

i love the way you write. can you tell me something nice to calm my nerves? my day has been awful and the way you write takes me out of it, instantly. *currently rereading everything you've written on ao3 ignore the kudos that might give this away 👀*

anonnnnnnnnn. 🤚💓

something nice: rhett and link have been together longer than i’ve been alive. (i’m more than three decades old. 😩)

and something short for you, because this made me blush:

-———————-

needs no conversation

1k - Rhett and Link duet for the first time.

songs referenced: yesterday’s wine / islands in the stream

-

Over a year passes after Rhett's voice dropped before he starts using it as regularly as he used to. More than once, trying to sing along to whatever's on the radio and having his voice crack and squeak has led to teasing from friends and family alike. He's gun-shy to hold a tune until he's sure the baritone that his register has changed to is permanent.

Poor Link's voice has only gotten higher, since around the same time, but the elasticity and charm of it suits his personality.

It's years into being grumpy, monosyllabic teenagers before they feel happy enough to sing aloud, let alone together.

One night, while they’re stuffed with pizza and sketching tree forts (they're sick of lugging all their things to the river, every time they swim and want a place to store belongings in the woods, closer by), Rhett finds himself singing along to Yesterday's Wine with a full-throated joy that makes Link's insides swirl. It's certainly the most he's used his voice, confidently, since it's settled on this octave.

Rhett's voice sounds good. Objectively good and better than it's maybe ever sounded.

Link, shyly, joins in because he's sure the longer he sits and listens, it'll become a problem for his head or his heart or both. It unsettles him.

He's not more than three seconds into the chorus, singing along with George Jones' section, when he notices that Rhett's set aside his writing instruments, as well, and is looking over at him.

In near the same way that Link was looking at him.

It's then, right that second, Link hears it.

The natural harmony they've stumbled across.

The song's over too soon. 

With busy eyes and unsteady hands, Link scrambles over to the tape deck to switch out to another song. The next up was a solo b-side from Merle's early work that won’t showcase what he’s just heard.

He picks the first tape with a duet he can find.

Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.

It's just to prove a theory, the song choice. Selected because Link knows it has two distinct singers. Not much thought going into it beyond that.

He pops the tape into the player and hits play. He feigns looking down at his drawings for a moment, like he's merely changing the background music and returning to them.

But after a few seconds, he can't withhold his interest and looks up. 

Rhett's still staring right at him.

And he doesn’t seem to have stopped this whole time.

As the music fades in softly, his eyes are soft and doe-y. 

To Link’s surprise, he starts to sing, clearly begging Link, wordlessly, to do the same in the next verse.

"Baby, when I met you there was peace unknown I set out to get you with a fine tooth comb," Rhett begins.

Link stares at him, takes it in. He lets his ears adjust and come to grips with the fact that Rhett's voice really sounds that smooth and adult, overpowering Kenny's easily in the quiet room with the volume purposefully low.

They both know the lyrics.

"I was soft inside There was something going on," Rhett sings.

Link’s smile breaks wide, an outburst of shocked elation that Rhett sound only improves. He really sounds this good. Professionally good.

An idea bubbles into his mind, one he'd never dare to think if not so immersed in the candied daydream of hearing his friend's beautiful voice echo around the small bedroom for what feels like the first time. He's picturing Rhett singing this for an audience, his unused hand holding a microphone, as Link watches Rhett drum a steady one-two rhythm along with the beat into his thigh.

Link does the same and then immediately jumps in on the first harmony.

"You do something to me that I can't explain Hold me closer and I feel no pain Every beat of my heart We got something going on," they sing together.

Link's eyes dart back and forth, feeling zapped by the electricity of how their voices sound paired together. 

It’s not just Rhett.

He takes in that, to his ears, his voice sounds much deeper than it has in years. When he sings with Rhett, trying to match the key change, it feels like Rhett is sharing some of his baritone. His own lifts up, as though to meet Link halfway.

Their words tumble out over each other in a kind of velvety sophistication that makes Link picture them both on a stage performing. It makes Link's heart leap, how natural it would seem, were it to be like this.

"Tender love is blind It requires a dedication," Rhett belts out, getting into it.

Link grins and nods. They could lead the choir at church.

They both sing, "All this love we feel needs no conversation We ride it together, ah ha."

Rhett wiggles back and forth to the beat, Link joins in.

"Making love with each other, ah ha," they sing, blushing. 

Rhett laughs, inaudibly, in respect to the music, at how silly that line sounds, when sung by the two of them. 

"Islands in the stream That is what we are No one in between How can we be wrong Sail away with me To another world And we rely on each other, ah ha From one lover to another, ah ha," they harmonize.

Link's eyes shine. They could start a band.

Link sings, "I can't live without you if the love was gone Everything is nothing if you got no one And you did walk in the night Slowly losing sight of the real thing."

Rhett's eyes are also shining back. Link is already sure that he'll agree to the idea. He hardly ever says no, in Link's experience. 

They sing, "But that won't happen to us and we got no doubt Too deep in love and we got no way out And the message is clear This could be the year for the real thing."

He pictures their names on a marquee.

Link closes his eyes and sings, "No more will you cry Baby, I will hurt you never."

He imagines their album cover, posed like Lionel or Merle.

Rhett joins him, "We start and end as one In love forever We can ride it together, ah ha Making love with each other, ah ha."

Link nods along, lost in fantasy.

"Islands in the stream That is what we are No one in between How can we be wrong Sail away with me To another world And we rely on each other, ah ha From one lover to another, ah ha," they recite in tandem.

Link opens his eyes again and is struck by the fact that Rhett's eyes are also open or have still never closed. 

Once again the ZING of amazement bolts through him at how strongly the affection and pride on Rhett's face beams at him.

They sing, "Sail away Oh come sail away with me."

The chorus repeats twice, both of them staring like that the whole time, and Link fights the urge to reach out and join their hands as if in prayer. He's seen duets do that before, like Sonny and Cher. He understands the impulse, now. He wants nothing more than to chase this connected, harmonious feeling, now and perhaps the rest of his life.

Entertain himself and others, alongside Rhett.

As the song finishes, they sing, "Islands in the stream That is what we are No one in between."

This is their ticket out.

A solo track ticks on next and the spell is somewhat broken. 

Link leans back and laughs, covering his mouth with both palms at once. 

Rhett settles, blushing, and hides his mouth with the back of his right hand. It also masks the smile growing fast at Link’s reaction. 

It feels like they've just discovered a secret too great for them to know.

"That was so good," Link tells him, honest.

"I 's just thinkin' that," Rhett agrees, chuckling. "Don't think I've ever been able to hold an melody like that. You hit the high notes dead-on."

"And that was some professional-grade crooning," Link assures him.

"Oh, don't know about that," Rhett dismisses.

"No, I'm serious. We should start a band," Link says, earnestly.

Rhett watches him for a few seconds, trying to judge whether or not he's serious. When he sees no hesitation, finally, he smirks.

"Okay," Rhett agrees, looking thrilled.

Link grins back at him.

"It's like it was written about us, too. We've got an island in a stream. If you could count the river as one. How’s that for song choice?" Link asks, playfully.

Rhett frowns. "That's... not what the song - it's about - " Rhett looks at Link funny, then continues, "It's not about that. D'you even listen to the lyrics?"

"No," Link answers, easy and truthful.

"You really wanna start a band with me?” Rhett’s eyes fall and he scratches the back of his head. “If you got distracted while I was singing?"

"Rhett, I got distracted by your singing," Link explains.

Rhett looks down. "Oh."

There's a long pause.

"Well, I got distracted by you, too."

Link's eyes widen.

"By your singing," Rhett adds, hastily.

Link rolls his eyes and shakes his head. Unsure how else Rhett would've expected him to take that.

The blush that warms his chest also brings with it a smile.

He rewinds the tape so they can begin again.

[devilatmydoor]

i was tagged by the sweet @himbocalum​​ ,  @talkfastcal​​  @wastelandcth​​ to share my top 7 albums using this website

tagging- @lilacsos​​ @pxrxmoore​​ @flowers-on-the-graves​​ @redrattlers​​ @lukeysdimples​​ (if you haven’t done it already babes!)

exposing myself and my chaotic music taste under the cut (stealing your idea nat)

The High Road // JoJo - this album introduced me to hip hop/rnb and my music taste changed after listening to this album! this was really hard to pick because I love every album JoJo has ever released as a avid JoJo stan. I’ve been listening to this album since 2006 - 14- which is WILD to me

Youngblood // 5SOS - god this album is masterpiece from start to finish. this album got me through one of the hardest years of my life and I owe the boys my life for releasing this album when they did. the aesthetic for this album is top tier content 

Electra Heart // Marina -  okay listen, this album is truly iconic. i discovered her when i graduated high school and its so influential and helped me get through my adulthood (and continues to do so). she was the first artist i listened to that wrote about things most artists were scared to sing about

The Black Parade // MCR - i cannot say enough words to express my adoration for this album, i’ve been obsessed with this album ever since i discovered MCR and it changed my life. 

The Open Door // Evanescence - oof this album, i’ve been revisiting this album all of quarantine and remembering how much i love it and the band as a whole. i would listen to this on repeat in middle school in the hallway - this album truly did save my life when i was at my lowest. 

Twilight Soundtrack // i LOVE this soundtrack so much; paramore, linkin park, robert pattinson siNGING & muse in ONE ALBUM? truly iconic and i still listen to this album like it came out yesterday and not 12 years ago 

The Best of Fleetwood Mac // i love love LOVE fleetwood mac and this album has all of my favorite songs on one album! 

Honorable mentions - New Moon Soundtrack, Phantom of the Opera Soundtrack (movie not live) , Legacy - David Bowie Edition, Blue Slide Park - Mac Miller, Meteora - Linkin Park, RIOT - Paramore, Can’t Be Tamed - Miley Cyrus & For Emma, Forever Ago- Bon Iver 

[noahmanskar]

The Best Albums of 2020 (and from the Before Times)

I read a lot of year-end music roundups, and several this year have come with a resonant caveat: It’s been harder to discover new music this year, both because of physical limitations (no shows, no record-store browsing, no chats with friends about your latest finds), and because the way we used music fundamentally changed. It certainly did for me. Rather than serving as the backdrop for a commute or a night out, it created moments of solace from cabin fever while doing dishes, or showering, or running semi-weekly errands. So I often turned to what was comfortable and familiar, songs that conjured memories and feelings to get me through the day. Even on the rare occasions of social listening, the groups I was with drifted into nostalgia — middle school dance tracks, mid-2000s emo, inherited dad rock, even songs from just a year or two ago, when everything was simpler, relatively speaking.

That’s not to say nothing new moved me. There was a handful of albums and songs that were crucial to getting through the doldrums. They soundtracked bike rides, long walks, longer drives and lots of small moments mentioned above. But I don’t think I can think about my favorite music of this year without thinking about the albums of the past that got me through it. Besides, one of the many lessons 2020 taught is that time is a bizarre illusion anyway. (This exercise also lets me write about some recent albums that I didn’t get to write about when they were actually released.

So here are the albums, past and present, that made 2020 bearable. I hope you found yours, too.

Tame Impala, “The Slow Rush”

Tame Impala’s fourth LP came out on Valentine’s Day. That afternoon, Claire and I had a lunch date to mark the occasion before we got on a plane to visit my parents. The night before, we had gone out to dinner with friends visiting from San Francisco and then to a bar, where we huddled next to strangers on a water bed. Roughly a month later, all of this would be unimaginable, and Kevin Parker’s lyrics to “One More Year” would be eerily prescient as we settled into this new normal:

But now I worry our horizon's been nothing new 'Cause I get this feeling and maybe you get it too We're on a rollercoaster stuck on its loop-de-loop 'Cause what we did one day on a whim Has slowly become all we do

The song is really about surrendering to time, and not worrying about it passing in spite of your ambivalence. The opening chants of Parker’s “Gregorian Robot Choir” make it easy to surrender. They carry you into a world where, as the cover art suggests, all that time you were worrying about has already passed, so you might as well dance. At the same time, the songs that follow, like “Borderline,” “Breathe Deeper” and “Lost In Yesterday” make it easy to remember what it was like to dance in a sweaty room with people you love, and to look forward to doing it again, after a little more time passes.

Fleet Foxes, “Shore”

There’s something comforting about the fact that Fleet Foxes released this record on the exact moment of the autumnal equinox. It’s a reminder that nature has its own rhythms that carry on regardless of what occurs in our human lives. They give us a measure of certainty in uncertain times. One of these rhythms — death — looms large in “Sunblind,” an ode to Robin Pecknold’s departed musical forebears: David Berman, Bill Withers, John Prine and others. This song exuding calm acceptance shifts into “Can I Believe You,” which wrestles frankly with doubt and fear.

These tracks contain profound contradictions, but sonically, they're both bright, hopeful and sure. That’s what made this album such a balm in the sixth month of this pandemic, a time of both growing darkness and hope for what might be on the other side. It reminds us that there’s power and beauty in feeling all these things at once.

Lil Uzi Vert, “Eternal Atake”

This one spent two years in label purgatory, but it finally arrived in March to prove Lil Uzi Vert can do it all. He’s at his most versatile here, spitting and crooning, boasting and balladeering. “You Better Move” is an early standout packed with playful nostalgia, including a beat that samples that classic PC pinball game and delightful jabs like these:

Yeah, step on competition, changin' my shoes Green shirt, bitch, I'm Steve, where is Blue? Every chain on, I pity a fool I'm an iPod, man, you more like a Zune Made her eat on my dick with a spoon, ew Versace drawers, bitch, you Fruit of the Loom

Then there are the melodic tracks like “Urgency,” which compel you to hum along even on the first listen. The excellent diversity made it worth the wait for this hourlong journey to another planet.

Sturgill Simpson, “Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1: The Butcher Shoppe Sessions”

I haven’t spent much time with Sturgill Simpson outside of 2014′s “Metamodern Sounds in Country Music,” and I can’t say I’ve ever listened to another bluegrass album all the way through. But these new cuts of songs picked from Simpson’s catalog are wonderfully enticing. Simpson puts the talents of his backing band front and center, and their harmonies and rhythms illuminate his vivd songwriting in new ways. It was a great introduction to the genre for me.

Fiona Apple, “Fetch The Bolt Cutters”

I got here after the hype, after the perfect 10, after all the year-end number-ones. Fiona Apple lives up to all of it. Her compositions are complex and evocative, the lyrics tender and biting at once. Her artistry is unsparing. The chorus to the title track is already getting stuck in my head, and I can’t wait to spend more time with this one.

Bea Troxel, “The Way That It Feels” (2017)

Almost a decade has passed since I first saw Bea Troxel play. She was in an incredibly talented trio with two of my high school classmates: Maeve Thorne (who has an entrancing solo EP of her own), and Rita Pfeiffer (the violinist on this record). They ended up winning my school’s battle of the bands, and I got to interview them for the student newspaper. Shortly after our senior year, they recorded an album that still outshines most of today’s indie folk. So I jumped at the chance to all three of them again in Brooklyn. 

Troxel’s performance in particular was a revelation. I won’t ever forget how I fell into a trance as she picked away at “Talc,” which exemplifies her gift for natural metaphor. I haven’t stopped playing her record since, and it’s been a constant comfort throughout this year. Her voice is one of a kind, her songwriting is rich, and the compositions flow together beautifully. I can’t wait for more; in the meantime, “The Way That It Feels” will be on repeat.

Travis Scott, “Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight” (2016)

There’s been much ado about the brilliance of “Astroworld,” Travis Scott’s magnum opus, but I have a soft spot for his sophomore LP, where he reached the peak of the spare and heavy sound that started to take shape on “Owl Pharaoh.” There are plenty of sonic layers here, and the ordering of the tracks is a craft in itself — a series of peaks and valleys that glides from the haze of “beibs in the trap” to the climax of “goosebumps” and then into the cool waters of “pick up the phone.” It feels like Scott is guiding you to and from these destinations. The journey is, as The Weeknd might put it, “wonderful.”

Harmonium, “Harmonium” (1974)

One of my pandemic binges was “Letterkenny,” the sharp Ontario-set sitcom with top-notch banter and a great soundtrack full of indie hits and Canadian deep cuts. The fight scenes are elegantly choreographed, but so are the handful of sequences at the end of key episodes that reveal the show’s emotional bedrock. One such scene is set to Harmonium’s “Un musicien parmi tant d'autres” — the main characters are reveling in a bar with their Québécois pals, whom they’ve just helped beat up a rival group. As the song builds to its climactic chorus, leading man Wayne, surrounded by couples, realizes his longing for companionship. Another fight breaks out, but instead of joining in, Wayne makes his way through the slow-motion fray toward the woman he’ll propose to in the next season. (Their relationship later falls apart, but that doesn’t undercut this scene’s beauty.)

This is probably the first foreign-language album I’ve listened to in full, but all of it evokes that feeling for me — the joy of walking through the chaos to reach what’s really important. Not a bad sentiment for these times.

Bon Iver, “22, A Million”

To talk about this weird, dark and brilliant album, I need to talk about “715 - CR∑∑KS.” Everyone I’ve talked to about the third track on “22, A Million” either loves it or can’t stand it. I’m devoted to it to the extent that it was my most-played song on Spotify this year. It oscillates between tenderness and fear, between silence and explosions of sound. The lyrics are an epitome of Justin Vernon’s cryptic poetry. It’s isolated and spare and enthralling and beautiful in its own bizarre way — just like the rest of the album, which is rich with themes of persevering through the darkness in spite of the uncertainty about when the light will appear. Vernon is alone on “CR∑∑KS,” but he’s accompanied by a cacophony of his own voice. As alone as we might feel right now, there’s always someone else shouting through the darkness with us, even if we can’t see them.

[floofiestboy]

Haruhara Question Corners #11-20

Translations of past question corners:

- Question Corners #1-10

Haruhara used to answer questions on his channel - these are translations of the questions and answers.

Question Corner #11

Q. From Samemaru-san:

I’ve been spending too much money lately, which has been rather problematic for me. Do you know of any solutions?

A. 

Buy all volumes of Senyuu again and again. Then you’ll no longer have any money to spend, and you’ll stop spending too much money! Your money will be neatly stored in the form of Senyuu volumes.

Q. From Mt. Hakkai-san:

When you do your streams, you always have some music playing in the background, but do you have any big bands you like? If you have any bands you don’t really know much about but still like a particular song from them, please tell us about those as well!

A.

The music playing during my streams is all music that Niconico has been licensed to use. Among those, I’ve liked the pillows since my high school years.

Though I only really started listening to music during high school - I was listening to artists like Yuzu, 19, BUMP OF CHICKEN, and Porno Graffiti. 

Lately, I’m not really into any particular artist - I just buy any songs I think are nice. I’ve been listening to Human Video by the dresscodes the most lately. Yesterday I bought Peace Sign by Kenshi Yonezu.

Question Corner #12

Q. From Kotokono-san:

It looks like Shushu’s dad worked at the Monster King’s castle when he was still working, but is he the type that’s actually pretty skilled when he puts his mind to it? Or did he get his job through connections?

A.

He was great at making himself look skilled at first glance (for example, by loitering about behind an actually skilled monster.) He did things like that to be assigned to the Monster King’s castle. He wanted to work there because the salary was good.

Q. From Kuniki-san:

What do you think would be a job that suits Alba, aside from being a hero?

A.

A part-time job as a shift leader at some café.

Question Corner #13

Q. From I Stubbed My Toe Into the Drawers-san:

Are there demons that age according to their age, or don’t?

A.

It’s just like how there’s humans that don’t look their age (like there’s teenagers who look like they’re thirty, and I get told I don’t look like I’m 31 a lot.) Because demons have such long lifespans, the difference is just more staggering.

Q. From: Reeruto-san:

What happened to the pottery plate from Crea that Creasion hung around his neck?

A.

During the battle a thousand years ago where Creasion sealed away Rchimedes, it shattered. 

Question Corner #14

Q. From I Like Rice-san:

Since Marl-chan has black hair, does Foyfoy just dye his hair? Is he naturally black-haired?

A.

Blond is his natural hair colour. He just doesn’t treat it well so it’s very dried out and rough. From Season 3 onwards it’s not very dried out and rough.

Q. From Zipper-san:

How did you come up with your pen name?

A.

It just came to me. When I needed to input a name when I was registering for NicoNico, I just put in a random name like “s” at first, but then I figured I should put in an actual name, so I randomly put in this pen name.

Question Corner #15

Q. From Mt. Hakkai-san:

It’s been quite hot lately so I haven’t had much appetite. Sensei, what do you eat when you have no appetite due to the heat? I think there’s a lot of options out there - spicy food like curry, light and cold food like somen, food like eel that would give you stamina... 

If you don’t like eating anything when you have no appetite, please tell me what you had for dinner last night.

A.

In the past, I’ve never not had any appetite - I’ve eaten an entire pork cutlet rice bowl while having a fever of over 39°C. 

But now that I’m over thirty, I’ve started to lose my appetite when I have a fever that bad. I realized that ah- so this is what “not having an appetite” is. During times like that, I eat okayu. Since my lack of appetite must be because my stomach is weakened due to the fever, I eat food that seems good on the stomach.

However, I never experience lack of appetite apart from times like that. I scarf food down even in the middle of summer. I scarf food down even when I feel listless. Since I feel like not eating because I feel listless will just make me feel more listless, I go out of my way to scarf things down.

This is unrelated to the topic of “lacking appetite”, but when I feel like I’m about to catch a cold, I fry up eggs, chives, pork, and garlic together to eat. It’s a little spell to help me win against a cold.

[T/N: This is okayu - it’s basically rice soup.]

Question Corner #16

Q. From The Person Standing at the Very Back-san:

I’d like to hear about music you often listen to while drawing manga. Also, do you have any songs you feel fit your characters well? If you tell me, I’ll work my hardest on my exams!

A.

When I draw, I watch movies, like on Amazon Prime.

When I draft up storyboards, I listen to music I’ve listened to so many times I’ve gotten bored of it, or background noise like the sound of rain, or movies I’ve watched so many times I’ve gotten bored of them. Sounds that won’t make me distracted.

I don’t really have any songs that I’d match up with my characters. I bought a CD for the first time when I was in high school, and until then, I had absolutely no interest in music. So maybe it’s because of that, but I can’t really think of anything that fits perfectly.

If anyone knows of any songs they think would fit with my characters well, please tell me. Email the question corner email with the subject line “Songs that Fit.”

Q. From Straw-Thatched Roof-san:

Did Dezember have six personalities from birth? Or did he gradually split apart from the one-eye?

A. 

They were originally born as six different demons, but since they had an instinct inside of them that told them that they were one person as six (since they were born from dice), they did their best to combine into one being.

I don’t think I succeeded in explaining properly, but if I think of a better explanation, I’ll draw a manga for it. I haven’t managed to think of anything so I’ve been just letting it be for years.

Q. From At Sign-san:

I’d like to write for a living in the future, but I’d like to know what you watched out for most back when you wrote novels. Is there anything that differs from drawing manga?

A.

I… I didn’t watch out for a thing… 

Well I did make sure I didn’t repeat connecting words like “therefore” too much. But I think that’s the kind of thing even people who don’t write for a living watch out for. Yeah, there wasn’t really anything I watched out for particular just because I worked as a writer.

But I think the most important thing for a creator to have is the courage to say that you can do it. I wrote novels for a living, but the very first novel I ever wrote was my living, after all. It’s important to have the courage! To say you can do it! Even though you’ve never written a novel before in your life!

If you want to know what to do when you can’t do it, I also worked as an anime production manager so I know exactly what to do. It’s the job of production managers and editors to make you finish your job.

So, if you can’t do it, all you need to do is say- “It’s your fault for giving me work that I obviously couldn’t do!” and- “It’s your fault for not getting the job done just because I couldn’t finish it!”

It’s the job of a production manager to take back your work the moment they think you can’t do it, and to prepare two or three backup helpers just in case.

But obviously your reputation will go down when you can’t do something, so when it happens, do your best moving forwards, or just change jobs.

Question Corner #17

Q. From Good-for-Nothing-kun-san:

I thought of this while watching the anime the other day, but what’s that blue round thing that Rchimedes the First was using as a mattress while he was sealed? It looked very bouncy and comfortable.

A.

You see, that’s a reference to Houshin Engi by Fujisaki Ryuu. A character called Daijourou in that series slept on a sphere like that, and since I liked that scene, I drew Rchimedes on that sphere as a homage.

Though well, that was my intention - but when I re-read Houshin Engi, I discovered that Daijourou-kun never actually slept on a sphere like that. I made a homage to my own memories.

I was making a homage to memories of something that didn’t exist…

Maybe I mixed it up with the pearl that Fugenshinjin had?

If you don’t know what Houshin Engi is, please read it!

Question Corner #18

Q. From Tatami-san:

Foyfoy-san says, “This is why soldiers from countries that don’t know war…” once, but does Foyfoy himself have war experience?

A.

Foyfoy was born in a country that was quite unstable, and was separated from his parents. He was employed as a soldier, and deserted for his sister - I thought up a whole bunch of backstory for him.

But that would make the story too heavy. And plus I’m not too familiar with desertion anyways. So I’ve never used this concept and I’ve just been leaving it be.

Question Corner #19

Q. From I Stubbed My Toe Into the Drawers-san:

In Season 2, Zwei says “I’ll live like a true man!” then disappears off somewhere, but what was she doing while she was gone?

A.

Until the effect of the manly beam wore off, she was doing things like working out and saving people for about two weeks.

Question Corner #19

[T/N: Yes, there’s two Question Corner #19s. I don’t know why.]

Q. From Pocket-san:

When that dagger stabbed Rchi’s head, Alba looked around for someone who could use magic, but how common was magic in Season 1?

A.

When I wrote that, I was thinking that there should be a few people who could use magic among every hundred soldiers.

But now that I think back, magic shouldn’t have spread among the masses at all at that point. Please just pretend that Alba was super shaken up.

Q. From À La Carte-san:

You mentioned in a previous question corner that you often watch movies while working, but what genres do you like?

A.

I can’t really watch the screen while working, so I prefer human dramas with a lot of conversion over action movies. For example, Trumbo.

When I watch movies normally, I like ones with nice music and pretty visuals. For example, Kikujiro.

Question Corner #20

Q. From Tokugawa-san:

How did Cecily-san and Rchimedes first fall in love? Was it love at first sight?

A.

They were childhood friends.

Q. From I Like Rice-san:

Is Marl-chan stuck asleep in SQ as well?

A.

She’s healthy in SQ. 

I thought up the following just now:

She’s working in the fashion industry. Her hobbies are reading and watching plays. She doesn’t hang out with her coworkers much on her break days, so everyone thinks she has a boyfriend, but she doesn’t have one.

[sohmariku]

Just a thing...

Found this thing at @mandilo​‘s page and decided to fill it out, because I’m useless today and need something to entertain myself.

Rules: tag 9 people you’d like to know better. BOLD those statements that are true for you.

APPEARANCE

I am 5′7″ or taller

I am actually 5′5′’... or 165 cm tall. That’s around 5 cm below average where I’m from! So, I’m tiny! Don’t tell me otherwise!

I wear glasses

Only in the morning. I wear contact lenses during the day.

I have at least one tattoo

No, I fear I’d regret it. Even if only for the fact I wouldn’t be able to enter every hot spring/bathhouse I want in Japan!

I have blond hair 

It’s more blond than light brown in my opinion.

I have brown eyes 

My eyes are green.

I have short hair 

I’ve cut it short a couple times throughout my life, but I really prefer it long.

My abs are at least somewhat defined

I always joke I have no abs...

I have or have had braces.

Thankfully not! All my siblings did have them and they only complained. 

PERSONALITY

I love meeting people

...only if they have the same interests as me, otherwise I rather hide in my room.

People tell me that I’m funny

Maybe sometimes...?

Helping others with their problems is a big priority for me

I’m always prepared to lend an ear to people to listen when they need to clear their mind & give my opinion, but I’m not really a person who’ll take action to solve another person’s problem.

I enjoy physical challenges

...I enjoy a good hike/walk, but that’s about it. The only sport I ever enjoyed was hockey, but the last game I played is over 10 years ago already.

I enjoy mental challenges

I have head too many mental challenge in my life. I would love some peace and quiet already!

I’m playfully rude with people I know well

I love sarcasm! ^o^

I started saying something ironically and now I can’t stop saying it

I can’t remember why anymore, but I at some point in my life I began telling people I was an Alien from Pluto. I don’t do it as often anymore, hardly ever actually, but the memory still sticks.

There’s something I’d change about my personality

There are plenty of things I’d like to change.

ABILITY

I can sing well

I don’t think I sing well, but since I was told I sing well last Saturday, I guess I can claim to sing well? Fine, sometimes I sing well. ^o^//

I can play an instrument

I can play the piano. My skills are a little rusty though.

I can do over 30 push-ups without stopping

I doubt I can do even one push up!

I’m a fast runner

I can be an incredibly fast runner if I really have to. But under normal circumstance I am not.

I can draw well

Compared to some people, I can draw well. Compared to other people my skills are nothing.

I have a good memory

My brain only remembers how much money I still owe other people, and every embarrassing situation I ever found myself in. It sucks at remembering anything else!

I’m good at doing math in my head

As long as you don’t put me under pressure, I can actually do pretty well.

I can’t hold my breath underwater for over a minute

I’m not entirely sure, but I don’t think I ever held my breath for more than a minute. If there ever would be a reason to, I probably could though.

I have beaten at least 2 people on arm wrestling 

I can’t remember, honestly.

I know how to cook at least 3 meals from scratch

I can cook an unlimited amount of meals from scratch. My definition of a “meal” may be different than yours though. xD No, but I can cook pretty well actually. Just give me a recipe and I can make anything!

I know how to throw a proper punch

I know how to in theory, but I can’t do it... I’m too weak to properly punch someone.

HOBBIES

I enjoy playing sports 

As I said before, the only sport I ever enjoyed was hockey and that’s a long time ago. I always hated gym class.

I’m on a sports team at my school or somewhere else

I used to play hockey...

I’m in an orchestra or choir at my school or somewhere else

I’m still part of the (youth) choir of our church.

I’ve learned a new song in the past week

I only re-learned to sing a whole lot of songs I am supposed to know already... but my memory sucks apparently.

I work out at least once a week

Define work out...

I’ve gone for runs at least once a week in the warmer months

No runs, I did go out for walks almost daily... until I hurt my ankle due to overexertion and now I’m forcing myself to sit still.

I have drawn something in the past month

I haven’t drawn anything in ages!

I enjoy writing

It’s been some time since I wrote anything though.

FANDOMS ARE MY #1 PASSION

Considering I spend most of my spare time on fandom related activities, I suppose this is true.

I do or have done martial arts

No, oddly enough I didn’t, while all my siblings have...

EXPERIENCE

I have had my first kiss

Sadly no... >_<;;

I have had alcohol

A long, long time ago. I hardly ever drink alcohol. Last time was probably March (Hanami!), since I hadn’t eaten properly I actually ended up a little tipsy, as in dizzy.

I have scored the winning goal in a sports game

I think I scored 7 out of 8 goals... I thoroughly enjoyed that game of indoor hockey. Our opponent not so much...

I have watched an entire season of a TV show in one sitting

I’m fairly sure I have sometime... 

I have been at an overnight event

Sleepover birthday parties! Does that count? Um, well... maybe not? I went on these overnight camp trips when I was part of the girl’s scouts...

I have been in a taxi

Not very often though, because those fuckers are expensive!

I have been in the hospital or ER in the past years

Unfortunately... I actually thoroughly hate hospitals and try to avoid them as much as I can!  

I have beaten a video game in one day

I have a life...

I have visited another country

If we only count proper visits: Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg & Japan. (None proper visit (layover) would be Italy (in 2014), and Swiss next week!)

I have been to one of my favorite band’s concerts

Not a band really, but favorite artist, yes.

RELATIONSHIPS

I’m in a relationship

No. Never actually have been either.

I have a crush on a celebrity 

I hate to admit this, but yes, probably... multiple at the same time, possibly...

I have a crush on someone I know

Does that person have to know me too...?

I have been in at least 3 relationships

Yes, of course... I’ve had plenty of friends! Oh, wait, you meant THAT kind of relationship? No...

I have never been in a relationship

I’m a sad human being...

I have asked someone out or admitted my feelings to them

I never answered the one boy who ever wrote he loved me in a letter. Mind you, I was seven years old at the time.

I get crushes easily

Um, yes... I guess.

I have had a crush on someone for over a year

Possibly...? If I’m allowed to count crushes on 2D characters...

I have had feelings for a friend

Never had any “guy” friends since I was 8 years old, so... and I’m not much into girls really.

MY LIFE

I have at least one person I consider a best friend

Who cares if it’s my only friend! ^o^ No, I do have more friend’s, but everyone lives so far away!

I live close to my school

Elementary/Middle/High school were all 5-10 minutes by bike.

My parents are still together

And happily married I guess...

I have at least one sibling

I have 4 actually. One older brother, two younger brothers and a younger sister.

I lived in the United States

Thankfully not! xD I’m from the Netherlands.

There’s snow right now where I live

I love snow!

I have hung out with a friend in the past month

Um, wait, maybe... Dammit, last time I hang out with friends was 9 September, that’s more than a month ago...!

I have a smartphone

I have two actually. Both are hand-me-downs though. One I only use to check my emails...

I have at least 15 CDs

Since I discovered Japanese artists, my collection started growing!

I share my room with someone

With my cat! No, long, long ago I used to share a room with my brother... Right now I share the house with my parents. Well,... it’s their house, so... I’m basically a NEET at the moment.

RANDOM SHIT

I have breakdanced

I am a terrible dancer! I would break something if I tried to dance!

I know a person named Jamie

I’m pretty sure one of my classmates in high school had that name... He was a nice guy... 

I have had a teacher with a last name that’s hard to pronounce

For international standards, I’ve had a lot of teacher with names that are hard to pronounce. 

I have dyed my hair

Twice red, once purple, once partially blue.

I’m listening to a song on repeat right now

No music on at all right now, even though I’m wearing my headphones...

I have punched someone in the last week

Of course not! I’m a kind person!

I know someone who has gone to jail

My dad went to a jail... something for his work... He lost his papers at some point though, so he almost wasn’t allowed to leave. xD

I have broken a bone

Yup, I broke my collarbone when I was 8 years old (I think) by rolling out of the bunk bed and dropping about 1.5 meters to the floor.

I know what I want to do with my life

No, not at all! Well, actually... I just want to get married, have children and be happy. But being a housewife is hard when you don’t have a house and aren’t anyone’s wife... ^^;;

I have eaten a waffle today

I did eat one yesterday!

I speak at least 2 languages

Dutch, English & Japanese. In better times I also knew French and German.

I have made a new friend in the past year

Never met them, but I’ve been speaking to a lot of new people (online) in the past year and I consider all of them to be my friends!

[larryrickard]

lets get personal.

i know this is supposed to be an ask meme but i’m fucking bored & no one ever sends me them, so.  also i’m kinda pissy rn unfortunately so forgive pls some of my answers lol

01: 6 of the songs you listen to most?:  idk.  mostly i listen to everything on random anymore, and only in my car.  the only song i’ve listened to on repeat recently has been ‘stupid love’ by lady gaga. 02: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?:  speaking of which, lady gaga. 03: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.:  the only book near me would be all the books, as in my bookshelf.  unless you count my kindle, in which case there would be no line 17 because of the font size.  sorry. 04: What do you think about most?:  idk.  whatever my current obsession is i guess. 05: What does your latest text message from someone else say?:  “And you don't have to cook it”. 06: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?:  with.  i don’t like being naked and don’t understand those who do.  also i get cold. 07: What’s your strangest talent?:  i don’t have talents. 08: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence):  are soft and beautiful.  meh, have to earn my trust. 09: Ever had a poem or song written about you?:  a song, yes. 10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?:  a very long time.  it’s not a thing i ever do lol. 11: Do you have any strange phobias?:  i don’t think so.  my phobias are pretty standard. 12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?:  when i was a kid, yeah.  plenty.  once my parents had to hold me down and tweeze a chewed up wad of juicy fruit out of my nose.  i fucking love the smell of that gum.  three year old me may have been stupid but, hey.  i was being economical.  also i blame it on my parents for, you know, giving a fucking toddler some gum. 13: What’s your religion?:  don’t have one.  former christian, which is gross.  don’t indoctrinate children, please and thanks. 14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?:  walking to or from my car.  that’s about it.  :/ 15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?:  behind.  no one deserves to see my face.  rip to everyone who sees me in person on a regular basis. 16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?:  jars of clay, jimmy eat world, the elms. 17: What was the last lie you told?:  that i’m not in debt lmao.  the only time i’ve lied to my psychiatrist :/ 18: Do you believe in karma?:  no but sometimes i wish i did.  so many people deserve their comeuppance. 19: What does your URL mean?:  doesn’t really mean anything, he’s a character from the flash. 20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?:  all sorts of things?  and idk. 21: Who is your celebrity crush?:  lady gaga, angelina jolie, carlos valdes, idk if shane madej is a ‘celebrity’ but him, brie larson, michael sheen... idk, i don’t really have “crushes” but those are the first ppl to come to mind. 22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?:  nope.  and no thank you. 23: How do you vent your anger?:  lol. 24: Do you have a collection of anything?:  funko pops?  but not seriously.  i mean.  i have a lot of them bc i love a lot of characters and there are some pretty fuckin dope funkos.  but it’s not my goal in life to have a huge collection or anything.  at least i can say i have less than a hundred of them lol.  (less than 75.) 25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?:  ew, neither.  but if i had to choose, phone.  bc, you know.  my face. 26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?:  lmfao no.  i mean, i’m better than the person i used to be, that’s for sure.  (see:  indoctrinated as a child, including your typical conservative bullshit like racism for starters.) 27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?:  so many.  i have misophonia.  and people chewing + mouth sounds is definitely a big one.  love?  idk???  music?  rain?  my cat’s cute lil meow? 28: What’s your biggest “what if”?:  what if my thyroid issues were discovered earlier on instead of a year or more after they started.  my childhood doctor was Not Great.  it took her two weeks to figure out i had a sinus infection.  i was in the fourth grade.  still bitter about both of those. 29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?:  no, ghosts aren’t real.  aliens yes.  not the stereotypical ones, but in a “given the size of the universe it’s literally impossible that we’re the only life out there” way. 30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.:  right, the cat.  left, air. 31: Smell the air. What do you smell?:  nothing?  it’s my house/room, so to me it smells like nothing. 32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?:  uh... i’ve no idea? 33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?:  west, obviously. 34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?:  no such thing as ‘opposite’ gender.  of a different gender, though?  lady gaga. 35: To you, what is the meaning of life?:  who the fucking fuck knows.  literally know one knows, though tbh.  they just think they do. 36: Define Art.:  lmfao how would i know.  i don’t have a creative bone in my body so i should be the last person to comment on the subject. 37: Do you believe in luck?:  nope.  i hope it’s obvious by now that i don’t believe in fictional things. 38: What’s the weather like right now?:  cool.  cloudy.  typical oregon winter weather.  i want rain tho :( 39: What time is it?:  3:04am. 40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?:  yes.  and yes, several times.  three.  two totaled cars.  the last one is the only one that was actually my fault, though.  driving too close after it rained.  don’t do it, folks. 41: What was the last book you read?:  the diviners by libba bray.  currently reading a short history of nuclear folly by rudolph herzog.  fascinating, but kind of  depressing af. 42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?:  no. 43: Do you have any nicknames?:  hal (to a very select few bc 99% of the time i hate it, so fuck you if you call me this without permission), hals, hallie bird, hallie strawberry. 44: What was the last film you saw?:  i honestly don’t know.  haven’t done a whole lot of movie watching lately.  maybe the fall (2006).  (please watch this movie, it’s so gorgeous and lovely.) 45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?:  i’ve never had a serious injury.  well.  i take that back, i guess.  in my first car accident i was stopped and rear-ended at like, 40mph.  so i’ve had back issues since i was 18.  usually it’s fine but sometimes it’s bad and sometimes i can set it off really easily.  idk if that counts as “serious”, though.  lots of people have back problems. 46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?:  i don’t think so? 47: Do you have any obsessions right now?:  i guess buzzfeed unsolved and watcher.  and ‘stupid love’ by lady gaga lol.  good omens, as usual. 48: What’s your sexual orientation?:  asexual. 49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?:  yes.  thankfully only a few (that i know of, anyway). 50: Do you believe in magic?:  no. 51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?:  yuuup.  they deserve it. 52: What is your astrological sign?:  taurus. 53: Do you save money or spend it?:  spend it :||  every paycheck i tell myself i’ll be better at saving it, but............ 54: What’s the last thing you purchased?:  preordered chromatica by lady gaga. 55: Love or lust?:  if i had to choose, love.  lust and all that stuff is gross. 56: In a relationship?:  nope.  shocker, i know.  (this is sarcasm.  it is no shocker to anyone as to why i’m single.) 57: How many relationships have you had?:  just the one. 58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?:  nope. 59: Where were you yesterday?:  work on my day off for a staff meeting, and then my psychiatrists’ office. 60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?:  a few things, yes. 61: Are you wearing socks right now?:  yes.  almost always. 62: What’s your favourite animal?:  cats, then birds.  mice are p adorable, too.  i miss having them.  i haven’t had mice since middle school or early high school i think :(  i’d love more but my current cat would definitely try to eat them... same with a bird.  i’ll probably never have a bird :( 63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?:  be sarcastic and love stupid puns and bad jokes? 64: Where is your best friend?:  one is in ohio and the other is in massachusetts. 65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.:  no idea lol.  i haven’t been on here much recently, and i’m never caught up anyway.  and i don’t usually pay attention to who is posting/reblogging. 66: What is your heritage?:  mostly german.  the rest is other typical white stuff that i can’t remember.  some irish?  either way idc. 67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?:  uh, rewatching some buzzfeed unsolved for the 100th time?  and playing with my tamagotchi? 68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?:  he doesn’t exist so idc. 69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?:  nope.  also, Nice™. 70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?:  incredibly doubtful. 71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?:  go to work.  i love my job way too much.  i’d probably try to get someone’s attention if there was anyone around, and/or call animal services.  (there are no canals around here anyway and i don’t walk to work and ain’t gonna.) 72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?:  who tf knows, i hate this shit.  i’d really rather not think about it bc it stresses me out.  i probably wouldn’t tell very many people tho.  try to find someone to take my cat :(  i sure as shit wouldn’t leave her to my parents :(  and i wouldn’t want to leave her in a shelter.  she’s already done that once and it makes me too sad. 73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.:  trust.  you can’t have love without trust, though... 74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?:  ‘sweetness’ by jimmy eat world, ‘fade to grey’ by jars of clay, ‘thunderhead’ by the elms, ‘bad romance’ and ‘g*psy’ by lady gaga (latter is... i hate the name but the song is so fucking catchy, ugh), ‘torn’ by natalie imbruglia, ‘bring it all back’ by s club 7, ‘... baby one more time’ by britney spears, ‘where’s the love’ by hanson, ‘who do you think you are’ by the spice girls, ‘as long as you love me’ and ‘everybody (backstreet’s back)’ by the backstreet boys, ‘black balloon’ by goo goo dolls, ‘spark’ by tori amos, ‘last beautiful girl’ by matchbox twenty, ‘push it’ by garbage, ‘i want you’ by savage garden, ‘minority’ and ‘she’ and ‘basket case’ and ‘macy’s day parade’ by green day... how’s that lol. 75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?:  not giving out that kind of personal information lmao. 76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?:  i wouldn’t know. 77: How can I win your heart?:  you probably can’t.  idk anyway. 78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?:  sure, but lack of insanity is a better way to go.  don’t perpetuate the bullshit notion that you need to be suffering to create Great Art™. 79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?:  idk.  i haven’t made very many. 80: What size shoes do you wear?:  10 in women’s. 81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?:  i’m going to be cremated and you probably should be, too.  just don’t get embalmed, k? 82: What is your favourite word?:  fuck. 83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.:  ‘alone’ by heart. 84: What is a saying you say a lot?:  idk.  someone who spends time around me irl would have to tell me. 85: What’s the last song you listened to?:  ‘stupid love’ by lady gaga on repeat. 86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours?:  blue.  then green, and in no particular order, black, grey, purple. 87: What is your current desktop picture?:  it’s boring, just the default mac catalina background lol.  i was having issues choosing a background and was getting way too fucking picky, so i just said ‘fuck it’ and have been using this one for months. 88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?:  donald trump. 89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?:  idk?  how much in debt i am?  lmao. 90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?:  assume i’m having a night terror or am hallucinating.  and be scared. 91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?:  hopefully teleportation. 92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?:  maybe when i met carlos valdes & got a picture with him.  he’s super sweet, is living sunshine, and gives amazing hugs. 93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?:  so many :/  idek where to start tbh. 94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?:  i’m sex-repulsed so no thank you.  also, gross question.  get a life. 95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?:  new zealand. 96: Do you have any relatives in jail?:  yes, my cousin bc he murdered my dad ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?:  no. 98: Ever been on a plane?:  many times. 99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?:  indigenous people aren’t history, they still exist.  shut the fuck up and listen to them.  build a time machine to go back in time and prevent colonisers.  just straight-up kill them, we deserve it.

[patricksilvrrozartistry]

Current Music Obsessions: July 1  - 16, 2017

This is probably gonna be the last long list for a minute since I've been purging my watch later playlist. But hey, that only means I have more music for you guys to check out! Also I've been doing weekly Current Music Obsessions on my IG stories on Tuesdays, so definitely check those out to hear a quick snippet of about six songs a week! Anyways, let's get into the honorable mentions.

Gravesend - Bleed Me and Ocean Adna - Closure Mass Sky Raid - Closer Dim7 - Adorned (Insidiously) feat. Chela Rhea Harper Anastacia - Left Outside Alone Skies Collide - Glasshouse Stream of Passion & Amanda Somerville - Run Away (live) Ego Fall - Wind the Horn Adagio - The Ladder Vyces - Nocturnal Sorronia - Tear You Down Anthriel - Siren's Song The Spider Accomplice - Atmosphere The Hardkiss - Dance with Me We are the Catalyst - One More Day Tesseract - Eclipse Insatia - Memory of a Sapphire Orpheus Omega - Echoes Through Infinity The Charm the Fury - Weaponized Myrkur - Maneblot Snow White Blood - Shadows of Our Yesterdays Archspire - Involuntary Doppelganger Lions Den - Rise from Nothing Isis - Ghost Key Cellar Darling - The Hermit Bent Knee - Terror Bird

Not too too many of them this time. So here on the many obsessions.

1) Vetrar Draugurinn - Into the Black Light (Ghost Brigade cover)

This is one of those songs that is so simple, but for some reason you obsess over it. It's so hard for me to think of something to write about it besides the fact that I love it. I also listened to the original version by Ghost Brigade to compare them and I prefer this version, mainly because I love Marjan's voice so much.

2) Leprous - From the Flame

This is some proggy goodness right here. It's such a great song to chill to, but it's also pretty catchy. I kept finding myself singing the chorus randomly throughout the day. It's such a great track and the singer has such a pretty voice. I really need to listen to more from them.

3) Cellar Darling - Avalanche

This song is so simple, but is so catchy and makes such a huge impression on you with how it's executed. Such an amazing, beautiful and catchy track. I'm beyond hyped to listen to more from their debut album.

4) Orden Ogan - Fields of Sorrow

This is the first song that I've ever heard from them and I am in love. Such an amazing and beautiful power metal track. The chorus is so good and leaves such a huge impression. So good. I'm definitely gonna check out more from them.

5) Epica - The Solace System

This song is absolutely epic. It's a continuation of the story that is told in Universal Death Squad and I'm thinking that The Solace System EP is going to be just that and I can't wait. I know A LOT of people hate the video, but I really like it. I've always enjoyed videos that have gone in this sort of direction.

6) Cyclocosmia - Street Spirit (Radiohead cover)

This cover is absolutely gorgeous. It starts out rather simple, but then it starts to escalate and gets so dramatic and beautiful and just yes. So doomy and dark and lovely. I still prefer Stream of Passion's version, but this one is definitely a great take on it.

7) The Hardkiss - Organ

I recently got their new album, Perfection is a Lie, and this is the opening track and it rekindled my love for it. It's such a gorgeous and moving song. I kept finding myself gravitating to this song for whatever reason. It's so good.

8) Snow White Blood - Sheherazade

This band recently released their debut EP onto YouTube and it made me so happy. It's such an amazing EP and one of my favorites released last year. But this song is definitely my favorite off it. Gorgeous symphonic power metal with an arabian influence to it. So much yes.

Lullaby for the Dead

This is my second favorite song off Once Upon a Fearytale. It's such a gorgeous and dramatic track. The verses are so simple, then the chorus kicks in and just attacks your senses with how dramatic it is. In other words, it goes from 0 to 100 real quick and I absolutely love it.

9) Sevi - The Call

This band keeps releasing one amazing track after another. This one is a bit different from the others they've released, but in such a great way. It definitely sticks out and is absolutely lovely. Also it's about sirens, so that's another huge plus for me.

10) Nostalghia - Plastic Heart

I recently saw both the John Wick films, but when I heard this song in the second one, I instantly fell in love with it and had to know what it was. Come to find out that it's Nostalghia. This is so different from her usual dark ambient stuff. This track is so catchy and wonderful.

Coronation

This track is so beautiful. Them high notes. That's all that it took to get me hooked on it. That and the haunting atmosphere of this track. It's so lovely and wonderful. Definitely give it a listen.

11) Soltras - Empatheia

This was a project that Micky of End of the Dream fronted at one point. She shared this track on her YouTube channel and I immediately fell in love. It's so good and much heavier and proggy than End of the Dream and is so good. It's such a bummer that the project is longer active, but at least Micky is still active in the music scene.

12) Empyrean Throne - And None Shall Rise

Randomly discovered this band one day and I became obsessed with this track. The baritones sound absolutely amazing and haunting. If you're looking into finding a new death/black metal band, definitely give these guys a try.

13) Verite - Somewhere in Between

I discovered this artist through Facebook one day and decided to give the title track of their debut album a listen and I'm so glad I did. This track is so beautiful and catchy. I'm noticing that Facebook is recommending a lot of artists like this lately and I am very much on board with it.

14) Virus of Ideals - Into the Flames

I discovered this band through Twitter randomly one day and decided to give them a listen. I wasn't that impressed at first, but then their female singer popped in and immediately sent the song in a different direction. It took such a beautiful turn and I love it so much.

15) Cadence Calling - Post Mortem

I discovered these guys through Instagram thanks to them and/or one of their members liking a few of my posts and possibly even following me. I'm finding myself getting into metalcore again all thanks to bands like these guys. Such a great track and I'm definitely going to check out more from them.

16) Unleash the Archers - Cleanse the Bloodlines

This is a song that I rekindled my love for. It randomly popped up on my recommended videos on YouTube one day so I decided to listen to it since it had been a hot minute since I last did. It's so epic and is one of those songs that so easy to jam to. Definitely am excited to listen to Apex. THIS is how they are supposed to sound!

17) Exit Eden - Unfaithful (Rihanna cover)

This was my favorite song for about a week straight. I listened to it on repeat hours on end for nearly a week. I was already excited when I found out they were a symphonic metal super girl group fronted by Amanda Somerville, Clementine Delauney, Marina La Torraca and Anna Brunner, but I was not prepared for the epicness that was this cover. They're gonna be releasing a new single and video tomorrow and I cannot wait for it!

That's it for the first half of July! I wonder how many epic tracks are gonna make it in the next installment.

[taylorswiftacoustic]

So i’m going to do one of those obnoxious why i love Taylor so much posts, even though I hate putting myself on blast and feel cringey, but it’s almost 2am and she’s still meeting fans in Nashville (at like 5am) so it’s not like she’s going to see it ever.

Anyways I’ve been listening to Taylor’s music since Fearless.  I actually even made a facebook post about it back when I still made obnoxious facebook posts all the time back in 2008 when I first got a Facebook cause I was a freshman in high school.  Because Taylor is 4 years older than me she usually releases music that I need right when it’s relevant to my life.  I was 15 when Fifteen came out and there was a boy I had a crush on who’s name was Drew and honestly her entire work just fit so well into my life.  It was on my ipod and i listened to her song religiously and whenever I would go on walks with my dog she was one of the artists playing.  Fearless is an excellent song to walk out at night and look up at the stars to just in case you were wondering.

Speak Now came out my junior year of high school back when Taylor and the SF Giants coincided with making people in the Bay Area happy in October.  (But tbh i don’t really care about baseball and found the giants hype obnoxious), but the Taylor hype I was all for.  Speak Now was that album it had Dear John which honestly if I was going to pick a favorite it’s def in the top 10 cause as Alana Haim says “Just listened to taylor swifts song “dear john”… That bitch has huge balls.  FUCK YOU JOHN MAYER”.  The part where she says shining like fireworks over your sad empty town does something to my soul and honestly the music and the emotion and ughhhhhh she’s trying to kill me.  The songwriting on the whole album just kills me and the fact that she wrote the whole album by herself just proves that she can do literally anything.  It’s empowering to know how much work she put into that album.  Also junior year of high school was when my older sister left for college and I couldn’t drive myself to school cause I didn’t have my license (tbh i can never spell that word) and I walked home from school a lot and you can tell this was blasting.  Also junior year was when I kind of had a life crisis of what to do for college and life and I just threw myself into the drama department and was a part of 3 plays in one year partially so I would stay after school and my parents could pick me up at the end and partially cause i was so confused by school and my anxiety that being a part of a theater production made me feel like a part of something.  And I literally always and forever want to be a part of any group.

Now for everyone’s favorite album Red.  God people are really not kidding when they say this album is the best.  I mean every single track is that track.  It came out during my first year of college.  I went away to SoCal for college and nobody from my hometown went to my school and I had gone to school with the same people from k-12 and honestly I was so lonely.  My campus was a commuter campus and everyone went home on the weekends and I couldn’t fly home and I didn’t have a car so I joined a sorority cause they did things on weekends, I heart being part of a group and instant friends.  And man was that the best life decision ever.  I joined the most chill group of people and I got my Big in October and on the car ride from Big/Lil reveal over to our dinner my GBig played Everything Has Changed and the whole album and it was just so wonderful and amazing and fit so freaking perfectly with my life.  I had no romantic things happening like ever, but I did go through a major life change and it was just so good.  And then when I went home over thanksgiving and christmas break my best friend also loved the album so we just listened to Red on repeat until i knew every single word and we sat in the car and talked like we had just seen each other yesterday even though it was almost 3 months and it was like I had seen her yesterday.  She’s been my best friend since kindergarten and even if we don’t talk in like 6 months, I see her in person and it’s like she was just in my car the day before talking about whatever.  Anyways this whole album was the key to my first few years of college to get away from the loneliness and the aching of trying to figure out how to live with no parents and it being miserable and magical at the same time.

Then we get to 1989 and my 3rd year of college.  This is when I had finally moved in with my best friends instead of living with randoms and my whole life became so much better because they took care of me and I had a car so i had more freedom and they took me out and I was officially part of their little group and I felt like I actually knew what I was doing with my life for once (did not last long, but it was there for a bit).  And it was just the pop hits album that I needed.  The change from country to pop fit into my life so well and I was so much happier and the album was happy, but you could tell came from a place of knowing about that anxiety and fear, but kept pushing through.  Like all of Taylor’s albums it just fit into my life.  It was the soundtrack of drives to LA and to parties and pregaming and formals and hikes and walks around campus and to class.  It was joined with Haim’s album on a playlist on my phone called HaimSwift and it was played on my 8 hour drive from NorCal to SoCal at least 3 times that year when I drove to school, when I drove back for break and then back to school again.  There’s also a Noah + The Swift for Noah + the Whale and Taylor Swift.  They are both wonderful playlists of my favorite artists.  This is when I found out that Haim the band that I had discovered and fell in love with at Outside Lands the summer prior was going to be touring with Taylor, but unfortunately on in LA when I wasn’t going to be there and not in NorCal at an expensive stadium after I had spent all of my money on pasts and wine in Italy on my study abroad trip.

And then Taylor went on a break, well a longer than 2 year break and in that time I graduated and moved back home and my grandpa passed away and I found a job (not the one I wanted, but you know it paid and I got to stay at home with my parents and my family during a rough time).  And then I applied to the Disney College program and I got accepted in Anaheim and life was better because I got to move back to SoCal where I wanted to be and work at the literal dream location and have housing and see where life would take me.  And so I moved back to SoCal and I started this program and I fell more in love with Disneyland and the people I was in the program with (love being part of a group) and then stayed on after it ended and finally got an apartment and started being a “real adult”.  It was a strange time, but a fun time.  I got to explore the parks, I visited my friends in Chicago, I worked a lot and then from the silence Taylor Swift came back.  I was thrilled about the new album and the experience.  See I have been on tumblr with my blog @megansalphabet(actually the name was meganislameness but that is a little controversial so it got changed) since 2010 my junior year of high school and also when Speak Now came out.  But during the “drought” I actually started following a lot of Taylor Swift blogs cause I was missing her music and her presence and so once the news about rep dropped I was hooked.  From the early days of people fighting about if it was a dragon or a snake and then what kind of snake and through the whole build up and music videos and easter egg hunting and the experience of being in that group and having other people freak out about the same things that I was, was so thrilling and exciting.

And finally on a day when I worked until 2:45 in the morning the album came out.  And so even though I had already pre-ordered a CD, it was not at my apartment yet so I went to Target and bought my magazines and read the lyrics while listening to the album and spent the whole day listening to the album 3 times.  Then once the tour announcement came I decided no more waiting about ya girl is finally gonna see my idol and so I told my mom what i wanted for an early christmas present and I watched the music video and I bought some sweatpants and a sweatshirt and a bag and a keychain and I said this is the era that I’m going to see Taylor Swift live I don’t care who’s going with me, but I am going no matter what.  And I did.  I got a second job, I went to Seattle and I had been working at 2 jobs for almost 2 weeks on the most perfect May day I got off work and drove to Pasadena, picked up my friend and some tacos from the train station and parked at the Rosebowl parking.  We walked a trek to the stadium and got some drinks and found our seats.  We watched Charli XCX and watched the ASL translator translate Boys and we learned how to sign Boys and then we met up with my sister who was also at the concert and got some more drinks and some pretzels because I had a craving and my friend is the best.  And then we went back to our seats and had the most incredible concert experience ever as Taylor Swift serenaded us the whole evening.  Also Selena Gomez and Troye Sivan showed up?!?!??!!?!  Also she sang All To Well acoustic in front of us like we were so close to the B stage and Dancing With Our Hands Tied on the guitar and I just about died like 20 times even though I had already seen a instalive of a girl from the first night of the concert in Glendale and pretty much knew what was going to happen.  But it didn’t matter because this was the concert that i was at next to Taylor and my best friend and oh wow.

And now Lover is fast approaching and I no longer work 2 jobs or at Disneyland and I still don’t really know what I want to do with my life and I’m still probably working too much (say hello to the past 3 sundays that I was supposed to be off and then got a call at 6am asking if I could come in, yay overtime pay? boo 6 days).  But I’m getting closer to figuring out what I want and who knows maybe I’ll go back to school and become a teacher because that’s always kind of been a secret dream of mine, but they get paid so little and grad school is expensive.  But shaping young minds seems so fulfilling and worthwhile.  Join me in my next existential crisis for that debate.

Anyways the point of this is that Taylor has always been there for me through all of the questioning and the confusion and the late night walks with my dog at the creek looking up at the stars and the happy times and the sad times and honestly there is a song for every single mood that i’ve had.  And even though I’m 25 and have never had a romantic relationship (not sure I want one or if i’m just afraid of pursuing one) I’ve always had her songs to stay with me through it all.  And this post is a mess and now it’s 3am and thank goodness I don’t have work tomorrow, but that nap did mess up my sleep schedule and my computer is at 18% and it’s probably time for bed.  Also Taylor if you ever do read this sorry it’s a mess, but I really do appreciate all that you’ve done even if I never get to meet you and tell you that.

[davedimartino]

NEW THIS WEEK 10.28.08

Holy smokes! Usually when I spotlight new album releases each week, there are three or four major albums of interest, a few more that seem promising, and one or two with nice covers!

But this week there's simply too much great stuff!

And of course if I were to simply say that every new album was great, what sort of critic would I be?

Give up?

Tall!

P!nk: Funhouse (La Face/Zomba) It's hard not to admire P!nk for her sheer ability, sense of fun and daring, and literal ownership of a part of the color spectrum! Her new album features the single "So What" and includes a heady batch of collaborators including Max Martin, Butch Walker and Billy Mann, among others. It's kind of neat! As always, P!nk skirts the outer limits of danger here--but perhaps wisely has avoided the tempting trap of following her previous album I'm Not Dead with one called Oops, Now I Am for kicks! In sum, any woman who knows full well that by calling herself "P!nk" she will force any potential male fan to utter the words "I like Pink" is OK by me!

Toby Keith: That Don't Make Me A Bad Guy (Show Dog Nashville) Getting a new album by Toby Keith is always cause for celebration in my house, especially when we all try to interpret the meanings of his great songs! In this case, I’m kind of bowled over by the title track, which as far as I can tell was the result of his getting an overdue notice from his local library for keeping If I Ran The Zoo and Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus well past their due date! Dude, I'm sure all of us agree that you've got a lot on your plate, and having an overdue library book is much less of a big deal than, say, not telling your cable company that you're getting extra channels you're not paying for! They're all winners, but "You Already Love Me" may be the most gripping track!

 Queen + Paul Rodgers: The Cosmos Rocks (Hollywood) It's difficult to argue with the title of this, the first new album to bear the Queen name since Freddie Mercury's death, since by all indications, the Cosmos does rock! But though "Queen" comes first, it's the vocal talent of Paul Rodgers--formerly of Free, Bad Company and the Firm--that's up-front and center on most of these recordings! Fans of Rodgers' singular talent will be overjoyed by what they hear here, but those who admired the multi-tracked excesses of Queen at their best might find much of this more basic than they'd hoped for. But as many have noted, had the band called themselves "King," "Prince" or even "Rex"--as some were hoping--more than a few German Shepherds might have taken offense!

  John Legend: Evolver (G.O.O.D. Music/Columbia) I’m a big fan of John Legend and think he's one of the most talented musicians playing music at the moment, and I'm pleased to report that this album yet another step upward for the man. Featuring such talents as the marvelous Estelle, Andre 3000, and Kanye West--whom I'm told is quite good--this is polished, well-played music that bears the stamp of sophistication in the figurative sense and approaches the perfection of the Beatles' Revolver in the alphabetical sense! Plus, you've got to figure a guy named "Legend" who makes records for a label called "Good Music" can't be bad or there'd be a lawsuit!

Snow Patrol: A Hundred Million Suns (Polydor/Fiction) Though one-hit wonders come and go, bands like Snow Patrol--who've really been at it for some time now--continue to show increased strength with each and every new record they make. This, their fifth--which doesn't even count singer Gary Lightbody's work with the Reindeer Section--is packed to the brim with wonderfully textured, melodic songs that carry with them a sort of understated sense of drive that truly makes them unique. Plus, after hearing about this album for several months, many longtime fans are pleased to discover that "Suns" is actually spelled with a "U." They may be more famous than ever, but using an "O" would've been unseemly!

 Lady Gaga: The Fame (Interscope) I’m a bit taken with Lady Gaga, whose blend of pop, dance and R&B carries with it a high level of sophistication both in terms of influence and application. Plus, she's hot! Though her bio mentions such names as Peggy Bundy and Donatella Versace--whose albums, I must admit, I've never heard--and her album contains tracks like "Boys Boys Boys"--which, candidly, you should be careful listening to when driving around with your windows open--she's accessible in the very best sense and often wears sunglasses! Marry her!

 The Cure: 4:13 Dream (Suretone) Having been a fan of the Cure from the get-go, I was a bit puzzled when I found no need to listen to the many singles that preceded the release of this album! Had I grown tired of this great band after all this time? Had in fact the mixture of melody and subtlety that marked all of their early, best work up to, say, The Head On The Door slowly and inexorably faded, leaving nothing but a meager, thrashing husk of what once was? Nope, I was just fixated on the first three Hawkwind albums! I’m over it now and plan to get into this new album as soon as this movie's over!

 Kaiser Chiefs: Off With Their Heads (Universal) Though I've always given the Kaiser Chiefs credit for being a brash and catchy, popular newish Brit band, I've never quite made the leap to total fandom, But this new disc gets top marks for the enormously catchy track "Addicted To Drugs," which boasts the compelling lyrical couplet "You might as well face it / You're addicted to drugs" and repeats it gloriously, interminably, and, in all, quite admirably. It's catchy!

Various Artists: A Technicolor Dream (DVD)  Anyone hip to the UK underground scene of the '60s will enjoy this documentary, which details the events leading up the near-legendary "musical happening" which took place at London's Alexandra Palace on April 29, 1967. Contemporary interviews with Pink Floyd's Roger Waters and Nick Mason, the Soft Machine's Kevin Ayers and the Pretty Things' Phil May and several influential Brit writer types mix with historic footage and lay down a history that's admirably thorough--especially for Americans, who were more enmeshed with the San Francisco music scene at the time, for the most part. Though there's a scarcity of live footage from the concert itself--which had one of the most incredible lineups in pop history--there's plenty of interesting early Pink Floyd performances and a significant emphasis on former Floyd leader Syd Barrett. Highly recommended.

 Ryan Adams & The Cardinals: Cardinology (Lost Highway) Today's new Adams album seems a bit better than yesterday's, but not as good as last Friday's! Word is, though, that this Thursday's is really going to be hot! This is getting great!