#everyone go listen to Blue Rev by Alvvays

[the-teddy-bear-butch]

Hiiii Lo!

It is so okay dude! October kicked your butt now November is kicking mine c'est la vie! The inbox is a cursed place I just spent forever going through all the ones the piled up lol.

y'know what? You had the right answer on the pickles, they are really not my favourite things 😂

oh no! that sucks :( I gotta re-read so many series. I got a whole box of old books from my aunt the other year and they are everything to me.

we also love intelligent badass women in this household! I still haven't seen legally blonde but I did see scream for Halloween and it was really good!

I'm not too bad with horror though I will pick a comedy over horror any day. I've never seen ginger snaps but I looked it up (it's Canadian!) and now I gotta watch it. I'm not sure if I really have a favourite horror movie I think it's tied between scream and IT but probably scream since IT isn't really scary...

Okay so Sports Car is wonderful, I go feral every time you can hear a clip of someone talking in a song even if it's just for a second. I'm getting a couple colour/vibes from the song it's kinda tricky to describe but when it gets REALLY cold and the sky goes a very pale blue that colour and also rose pink magenta which I didn't think was an actual colour but when I looked it up it had some good pictures that matched what was thinking of! It also reminds me of dry cracked asphalt road in the summer and walking by the river on the beach in late afternoon with the sun not quite setting yet.

Infinitely Ordinary is definitely a blue you get right before the sky is pitch black when you can only half see things and it starts getting colder with nightfall and also doing stupid stuff with your friend when you were kids late at night.

I listened to the entire sick seasons and Northern Attitude is probably still my favourite lol. The View Between Villages is sage green and cream white, it's waking up in the morning to find everything covered in snow and while it's beautiful it also feels wrong with how quiet and undisturbed everything is and doesn't feel right until birds and people and other animals go and live in it.

I don't mind the long winters tbh but when it snows in the first week of November well... it sucks but I do love snow!

RIGHT??? why is it so hard to flirt or even just make friend when not behind a screen I swear.

Nice pronouns you got there! very cool of you!

If i'm the cool as fuck Canadian friend then you're the cool as fuck American friend!

Nooo! [jumps in front of bullet] tell me basic facts! I can remember the weird ones but the normal ones completely escape my mind.

I love baking even though i'm not very good at it, I have 1 very good bread recipe down pat but everything else is kinda hit or miss lol.

I do have one thing to say about the album before I hear anything you have to say about it but Pomeranian Spinster is hot pink and revenge (would totally work in Do Revenge I think)

if you do end up listening to it I wanna know your favourite song out of them!

Я надеюсь, что ноябрь будет для вас хорошим.

- Эль

(which technically translates to something about November being a good ale to you but for my intended purposes acts as a 'I hope this letter finds you in good health' lol)

Hellooooo to my favorite stranger!! <33

Oh dear! I hope in the time it took me to get back to this, November decided to give you a break and you’re able to get some rest!! I’m finally going through the inbox again, at least this time I only waited 13 days instead of a whole ass month 😅

Oh bless, I thought you were going to shame me for being a pickle hater. Solidarity! 🤝 They’re nasty and slimy

That sounds fun!! Keep me updated on what you’re reading, I’m always keeping an eye out for recommendations 👀 I think next on my list is Priory of the Orange Tree which has only sat unread in my backpack for like,, the whole semester 🤪 I’m sure I’ll be annoying about it on here when I get to it

I definitely recommend it! Truly an iconic movie 😌 I STILL need to watch Scream, but I may have potential plans for that in the future at some point, we shall see!

Oooooh please let me know what you think! Absolutely a wild ride of a movie, but Ginger Fitzgerald my beloved. Unhinged women ftw. I haven’t seen IT and I’m unsure if I’m adding it to the list or not. I am a big scaredy cat ajskdkkdkd

I’m eating this imagery all right up omfg. Sports Car has been one of my favorites since a particular mutual recommended it for a Ronance fic, so that one will be coming up eventually 😌 And SO TRUE, the whole talking portion in songs is something that will get me every time

I was going to say we don’t get snow that early, but last year we had a weird fluke where we had a really bad ice storm at the end of October and then basically nothing else. Stranger year. Now it’s still occasionally hitting 70°F in November. Gotta love Oklahoma weather’s unpredictability 😐

Thank you so much! I’m loving the pronouns very much.

Oh god I have so many, I’d be truly obnoxious. The ones that immediately come to mind are: a large portion of the riders of Rohan are women in beards because they couldn’t find enough male riders. Also, Viggo Mortensen, Aragorn, broke his toe kicking the helmet in the scene where he’s tracking Merry and Pippin to the orc camp. They kept that scene because the scream was hella convincing. He also bought two of the horses he rode in filming because he loved them. He also bought Arwen’s stunt double’s horse for her. (I adore Viggo Mortensen). Christopher Lee, Sauruman, wanted to be Gandalf. I could be so obnoxious, but most of these are “common knowledge” against die hard fans and quoting them during movies will quickly get you uninvited to movie night LMFAO. Have I mentioned I love LOTR?

Baking is fun! I’ve never tried bread, but I make kickass brownies. I prefer cooking tho, easier to experiment and play with spices (which my family did NOT do when I was a kid).

Listening immediately! (Listening to the whole album as I’m writing this actually). I gotta say, this album kind of has similar vibes to like,,, The Cranberries and The Bangles I think?? I LOVE it, in short. I’m about halfway through and Easy On Your Own? is my favorite so far. Pomeranian Spinster and Do Revenge, oh my god your MIND. After the Earthquake is also a BOP. I wanna learn these guitar riffs if I ever get a guitar

Will update if favorite song changes, ofc 🫡 But I didn’t want to leave you hanging any longer <33

Hope you are having a lovely day!!

Sorry for leaving this unanswered for so long again 💔 Should be able to respond quicker as school is coming to an end and I’m down a class 😌

- that one massive fucking nerd, Lo/Max

[stephenmalkmusofficial]

Top Albums of 2023

Hello everyone!

It's that time of year again! For me personally, it's been a hectic year, but an exciting one too. I did my best to keep up with new music, and listened to new albums with pretty good regularity, however I didn't find myself revisiting a lot of new records, at least not yet. In the list to come, I definitely see most of them as growers, records I'll fall in love with in the years to come, that already have left a strong impression on me. Just this year alone I spent a lot of time with 2022 releases I adored like Alvvays' Blue Rev and Panda Bear & Sonic Boom's Reset, and another record I'll give special mention to in a minute. I'm hoping to fall more in love with these records, and all the records I missed this year! Let's dive in

My Favorite Record from 2022 That I Listened to For the First Time in 2023: MJ Lenderman - Boat Songs

Ripping off this gimmick from Steven Hyden, who actually put this record tied for the #1 spot last year (with Big Thief's fantastic double album that was in my own top 10). I really became enamored with the alt-country sound this year, and this record was just the perfect scratch for that itch. The songs veer from aching to rocking, sometimes in the same track. My absolute favorite song of the year was "You Are Every Girl to Me" on this album, which evokes such strong feelings in me it's hard to describe. MJ had a big year being part of Wednesday, but I'm excited to see where he goes next as a solo artist!

Honorable Mentions: The Replacements - Tim (Let It Bleed Edition) M83 - Fantasy Alan Palomo - World of Hassle Greg Mendez - Greg Mendez Olivia Rodrigo - GUTS

10. Sufjan Stevens - Javelin

I've been a Sufjan fan for a long time now, probably around 8 years or so. I've always admired his ability to capture such intimate feelings with such sweeping and varied instrumentations. His last full length under his own name, The Ascension, came out in 2020, when a lot of new music wasn't really sticking with me. The Ascension had the same vastness that I came to know in Sufjan's work, but it felt slightly distant. Javelin closes that gap. From social media posts, it seems like Sufjan has had a tough year, and this record is about grappling with pain and loss. Removed from that narrative, the songs here build and grow with such beauty that although I've only listened in full once, I'm almost saving myself from the full wallop I know this record will give me once I really dive in. Thank you Sufjan, for everything.

Crucial track: "Shit Talk"

9. Squid - O Monolith

Squid are an exciting band to come out of the vibrant post-post(-post?)-punk scene in England. I really liked their 2021 debut, Bright Green Field, but it was sprawling and epic, and it could feel tough to revisit. O Monolith takes everything that was great about BGF and builds on it, while also focusing in a bit more. With 8 songs at about 40 minutes, this record experiments with post-rock-esque tension builds, vocoders, and engaged, involved guitar work. I feel like these songs will work well live as well. Excited to see how this band continues to grow!

Crucial track: "Siphon Song"

8. Wednesday - Rat Saw God

I know, I know, how surprising. I am not immune to Wednesday's Rat Saw God being on my year end list. Despite not having listened to this record a ton, I can definitely already feel like this is going to go down as a critical cornerstone of where alternative/guitar-oriented rock music will go for maybe the rest of the decade. As I fell in love with MJ Lenderman's Boat Songs, I grew to appreciate this record more and more. With huge, crushing fuzzed-out electric guitars mixed with beautiful pedal steel, it's really hard to resist this record's charms. Even revisiting their 2021 record, Twin Plagues, was a delight. Can't wait to listen to it more!

Crucial track: "Chosen to Deserve"

7. JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown - SCARING THE HOES

Another hyped up album I couldn't help but put on my list. While not being super long to begin with, this record flies by, and it can be hard to miss everything. I've been a fan of Danny Brown for awhile, and have skirted around JPEGMAFIA's work, so this was a good introduction to hear them work so well together. JPEG's production here is insane, and both are firing at full mischievous speed. Just check out that sample at the end of "Fentanyl Tester".

Crucial track: "Fentanyl Tester"

6. Mitski - The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We

Yay! Mitski! After the kind of underwhelming Laurel Hell from last year, this record finds Mitski back at nearly full strength. Again, my weakness for pedal steel bleeds through, and I love Mitski experimenting with a new, more acoustic and natural sound. This is another record I haven't listened to more than once or twice yet, but I'm still excited to fall more in love with it. She's back!!

Crucial Track: "Bug Like an Angel"

5. The Tubs - Dead Meat

As a huge fan of bands such as Los Campesinos! and Martha, I've always had a soft spot for British rock bands with heart. The Tubs are no different, and in my year-end revisit, this record really stood out to me. It has the jangle of old British folk and early R.E.M. with the propulsion of Joyce Manor, not forsaking sweet melodies and harmonies along the way. At 28 minutes long, I insist you give this a spin!

Crucial track: "That's Fine"

4. Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World

For a long time, Yo La Tengo admittedly did not click with me that much. I'm not sure what changed, but their ability to vary between raucous, distorted shoegaze to calm, reflective instrumentals really stuck with me. On This Stupid World, they've once again found that sweet balance. Bolstered by arguably one of the best concerts I went to this year, I've really come to love this record a lot.

Crucial Track: "This Stupid World"

3. Avey Tare - 7s

Avey Tare has always been my favorite member of Animal Collective. His 2019 record, Cows on Hourglass Pond, is my favorite solo release from anyone in the group. Avey has apparently been sitting on 7s for a little bit now, and I'm so glad it's in the world. Avey continues his unique blend of experimentation with profound moments of beauty, melody and depth. He's also been working more with the bass guitar on his and AnCo's latest albums, and it really works well on tracks like "Invisible Darlings" and "The Musical". Hey Bog is an epic in a year full of Animal Collective epics. Very happy with this one!

Crucial Track: "Lips at Night"

2. Animal Collective - Isn't It Now?

Animal Collective have always inspired a dedicated, eager fanbase. After a few years doing their own things, the four core members of the group have reunited to make an ultimate "for the heads" record, with Isn't It Now. Last year's Time Skiffs built on a lot of things the band as a four-piece did well, and made it more melodic and accessible (again, Avey's bass playing and Panda Bear sitting behind a proper drum kit have changed their sound in a way you wouldn't expect), however this record takes it one step deeper. As typical with Animal Collective records, the band often plays songs that will appear on the *next* record on tour for the one they just put out. As a result, when I saw Animal Collective twice last year, they played most of the songs that ended up on this record. However, I did not fall victim to demoitis, and these songs sound magnificent. Definitely their densest record, but full of rich sounds, melodies and just the right amount of melancholy. Really really love this one.

Crucial Track: "Genie's Open"

1.Jeff Rosenstock - HELLMODE

Jeff Rosenstock is my favorite musical artist. For nearly 20 years, everything he has put out, whether under his own name with his backing "Death Rosenstock" group, Bomb the Music Industry!, or Antarctigo Vespucci, has been great to amazing punk music. On HELLMODE, his first full-length since moving to California in early 2020, has Jeff more level-headed and reflective than ever, but also bursting with the sheer kinetic energy that has made his work a joy to listen to and experience since i became a fan in early college (seriously, go see Jeff live if you can!). There's a maturation here that doesn't sacrifice his passion in the slightest. This feels like a big budget record, but in all the right ways. Songs like I WANNA BE WRONG, 3 SUMMERS, and LIFE ADMIN capture the feelings of trying to work through your own life with so much crashing down around us. This has been the most in-love I've been with a new record in a long time, where I could really not get enough of it in the first month when it was released.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far! Here's hoping to a peaceful, loving and fulfilling 2024. Much love to all!

[garbagequeer]

6, 7 and 8 for the spotify wrapped thing 😁😁🫶🫶

6 on spotify was after the earthquake by alvvays and on last fm it's pressed by alvvays. im getting knuckle tattoos that say BLUE REV!

7 was describe by perfume genius everyone go listen to describe right now

and on last fm it was no city nor cornfield by disparition due to i listen to it when i have trouble sleeping and it just loops all night long

and 8 was this is the last time on spotify (hashtag 40 days of the national lent. which i sis invent this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of trouble will find me) and belinda says by alvvays on last fm. blue rev save me

send me a number 1-100 and I’ll tell you the song it corresponds with on my top 100 playlist

thank you for asking! 🌻

[samanthaaaachan]

2022 Albums of the year!!

1 - Deep in View by Cola

My favorite album of the year. This is what I wish all post punk was like. Theres a clear pop influence here that drives every song and just makes it a joy to listen to. I'm tired of the sad, ominous dirge of post punk (looking at you UK) and this is the completely opposite direction. The instrumentation is fantastic especially the drums. These songs just move you forward and to dance. I really hope we hear more from Cola and more music in this vein in general. Plus I saw them this year and they were great.

Nothing on here quite reaches the peaks of Beautiful Blue Sky by their former band Ought but wow its so so fun.

Favorites: Blank Curtain, At Pace, Gossamer, Water Table

2 - Blue Rev by Alvvays

Idk what else needs to or can be said about this album and Alvvays in general. Impeccable is the first word that comes to mind. The songs are tight, fun, rocky, power-pop bangers. I mean what more can you want from Alvvays? They're falling into that Beach House category where they don't really branch out much because why would they? They're perfect at what they do. That being said I do love some of the newer directions they've gone like the shoegaze influences and especially how psychedelic they get on songs like Very Online Guy (which sounds like if Kevin Parker somehow ended up playing bass in Alvvays).

Just listen to this album 100 times its perfect, its great, I don't know what more you can ask of Alvvays at this point.

3 - Expert in a Dying Field by The Beths

Power Pop! Power! Pop!! Its so back. A lot of what I said for Alvvays applies here too. I love The Beths the guitar work is awesome and Elizabeth Stokes is one of my favorite song writers nowadays. Every song is so fun to listen and sing to. I really preached to everyone about this album because its so good. 2am is one of my favorite album closers ever. What a beautiful, beautiful song and my favorite song this year. It still gives me chills after listening to this album probably a dozen times this year.

Do you feel it? Feel it like you did back then? 2 a.m., we were pounding the pavement And I wonder could we be that way again? Still awake, talking late in the kitchen

4 - Cave World by Viagra Boys

This album was such a surprise! I like Viagra Boys (I mean who doesnt love Sports?) but I didnt expect this kind of album from them. They've always been good but this album is unique and has such a voice. Its the most topical of all the albums on here with all its references to vaccines and adhd and everything. Its all all tongue in cheek (I'm 99% sure lol) but it puts the album in a really fun place. All of the electric and poppy and rocky influences make this such a joy to listen to. I kind of thought Viagra Boys would fall into the sea of post punk bands and put out solid albums every 3 years but this is one I'm going to keep going back to again and again. I'm really excited to see what they make next. Also I neeeeeed to see this live. I haven't seen them yet and they canceled their show near me.

5 - God Save the Animals by Alex G

Is Alex G emo? Why not? This album is a new direction for Alex G after his kind of maximalist House of Sugar and Rocket it returns to more stripped down guitar and keyboard sound. I love the way he writes songs they're sad but hopeful? The lyrics are almost all dark but the instrumentation is so optimistic and you know the people in the song are trying despite their failures. Its very real plus its fun to listen to. Runner is somehow the best country song released in years while emo at the same time. I'm really happy that Alex G put this one together as he's a very important artist for me and means so much. He's so talented and really puts it all together on God Save the Animals.

6 - Nicks and Grazes by Palm

7 - Horeshit on Route 66 by The Garden

8 - Stumpwork by Dry Cleaning

9 - Super Champion by Otoboke Beaver

10 - Stalled Flutes, Means by Asian Glow

Honorable Mentions: Forget Your Own Face, Wet Leg, Dreams (by Elephant Gym), PRE PLEASURE, Big Time, and Emotional Eternal

[the-teddy-bear-butch]

hey Пчёлка! (sorry for the unoriginality but it's literally 3am 😅)

IT SNOWED TODAY!!!! not a lot but i'm still excited :D

I gotta answer the favourite ice cream flavour question from the ask game first because I've found out something very interesting.

Ok so i'm about to say something very weird and apparently very Canadian, but my favourite ice cream flavour is tiger tail(tiger tiger, tiger, tiger stripe. I've seen many variations) ANYway this is gonna sound like a weird combo if you haven't tried it but it's basically orange ice cream with black licorice ice cream swirled throughout it (weird ik) but while I was looking up the actual proper name of the ice cream I found out it's a Canadian only thing, not only that but it's a regional flavour so only certain parts of Canada has it???

anyway I fell down a loop hole and now need to know what you call the metal shopping carts at the store, knitted caps that you wear during winter, and also what do you call you 1 dollar coins? (buggy, tuque, and loonie for me)

November kinda sucked but it's the last week (were'd all the time go?) I started a new job this week which is really exciting

DUDE I WAS JUST ABOUT TO START PRIORY OT THE ORANGE TREE! it's been sitting on my bookshelf for way too long

I finally seen legally blonde and it was sooooo good, I watched in with a group so i'll probably need to re-watch it later, oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

IT isn't actually that scary unless you don't like clowns, in which case it might not be your piece of cake

man weather is so weird. one time at the end of august I remember it started to snow while we were driving home not for very long but still strange. I had you use the converter thingy to understand 70°F but 21°C IS UNREASONABLE FOR FALL! THAT SOUNDS TERRIBLE. Right now its -1°C with the low for tomorrow(today now) at -13°C which i'm kinda dreading.

it's not really important but I did want to say when I started talking to you I was using she/they(i think i was?) but now i'm using they/them so that's cool I guess 👍

regale me with your random LOTR facts I only knew 2 of the last facts so if you have more i'd love to hear them!

I also liked to mix up spices when cooking as a kid. Most of the time it didn't work well but one time I found out that if you're making a sweet carrot cake (or cakes like that) and you're making cream cheese frosting, adding a bit of garam masala to the frosting adds a bit of a kick and cuts the sweetness in a non overpowering way!

i'm so glad I can further continue my 'everyone I talk to must listen to alvvays' agenda. I don't think I have a favourite song on the album but I do love Pressed and Belinda Says. Also turns out that Blue Rev is a Canadian only drink made Ontario.

y'know what's homophobic to me specifically? Both my favourite bands have only 1 show here and it's in Toronto (very far from me) IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER. Toronto winters aren't particularly nice.

Music thoughts from the last couple of days are really old french songs (the classics from like Lucienne Boyer and Edith Piaf, that kind of music) they all kinda remind me of the comforting orange of street lamps in the dark and drawing before going to bed

signed someone who's literally so close to falling asleep

-el

IM SO SORRY MY INBOX INTIMIDATES ME AND SOMETIMES I JUST IGNORE IT

Hello my darlin’ El!! My favorite Canadian! My favorite anon!

Nothing to apologize for, my dear. That nickname is probably my favorite ever, I’ll never get tired of it

SNOW, that’s so cool!!! We actually got a little bit here in the last couple weeks too! Barely any, but something!! Just a ✨dusting✨

Okay so that sounds so strange and I HAVE to try it. If I ever visit Canada, I am searching this out 👀 Idk if it’s regional, but we have a snow cone flavor called tiger’s blood! It’s kind of like a fruit punch sort of flavor. I was more of a cotton candy kid. Or the weirdo who got banana flavor

Regional dialects are so fucking cool!!! For us, it’s shopping cart, beanie, and penny!idk what it is but tuque is just such a fun word. Very pleasing to say, feels nice, idk. Maybe I’m just a weirdo LMAO. I’m trying to think of some of the weirder regional words, but my brain is so empty right now.

Oh congrats on the new job!!! How is it going?? I’m sorry your November was rough, I hope December treated you more kindly! It’s been a rollercoaster for me, but I have a feeling 2023 will be a good year for me. I’m being stubbornly optimistic 🫡

Speaking of!!! Happy new year! Do you have any resolutions??

Did you start Priory? If you have, what do you think?? It’s high on my list, but I recently got One Last Stop and Gideon the Ninth, so I bumped it down. I’ve GOT to read OLS so I can read the Ronance au, and Gideon the Ninth is just,,, lesbian necromancers in space and I’ve been obsessed with it despite not reading it ever

Oklahoma weather my beloathed! She’s a wicked she-devil!! We’ve gone from a pleasant 21°C to -29°C wind chills in the span of a week!! I love it soooooooo much!!! (Kill me please.) I hope your weather has been tamer and you’re staying warm up north!!

Oh that’s so cool dude!! Good to know!! I’ll make sure I remember <33 They/them pronouns kinda hit different man. I’ve swapped mine officially from she/they to they/she. Not a huge difference but something in my chest feels so much lighter with they 🥰 Gender fuckery is fun

More silly LOTR facts, eh? Well, J*ke G*llenhall auditioned for the role of Frodo Baggins! Supposedly it was one of the worst auditions! Christopher Lee, Saruman, is the only actor to have met JRR Tolkien himself! Believe it or not, Nicolas Cage was the original pick to play Aragorn! I still think Viggo Mortensen is one of the best casting choices of all time tho, sorry Nick

Oh I’ve never heard of that! I’m writing it down for future baking purposes 🫡 I have recently discovered that garlic powder and onion powder are my best friends and I will put that shit on everything

Incredible choices! I need to give the album another listen. Maybe I can Ronanceify a song in your honor <33

That’s terrible!!! I am so very sorry <33 I get the feeling man, even a lot of US tours just,,, skip over Oklahoma. I’m sooooooooo bitter about Noah Kahan not stopping by somewhere I can see him. The closest show is a state away, 4 hour drive with current gas and hotel prices? YIKES. But! I got Paramore tickets and I WILL lose my entire shit that day

Definitely will check those out! Personal music thoughts for me,, still obsessing over the entire Stick Season album, but The View Between Villages especially. Been really into the hot gay girl shit/lesbian villain arc kind of genre. Devil Is A Woman by Cloudy June? Incredible

With warmth and sincere apologies for the weight,

- Max/Lo