#genreless music

[soapdispensersalesman]

Apple Music suggesting great artists to me lately

[azuresquirrel]

I now have something quick and concrete to say whenever I bitch about modern pop songs (which I usually hear for ten seconds on the car radio before I turn back to the college station yet again) - "the rhythm is NOT glad!!!!"

[lovinlofi]

just putting into the ether that willow's album empathogen is some of the freshest, funkiest gems ive heard in a very long time and its gonna age like fine wine holy shit

[fadingzipperdragongoop]

(𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙄𝙎 𝙏𝙀𝘾𝙃𝙉𝙊 ᴰᴶ)

[iwouldkickahorse]

hey, theres a music problem that I need a lot of people to solve

Theres a pretty underground artist named Jhariah, a black 24 year old solo musician with he/they pronouns who grew up in the bronx. He basically just finished touring and is about to release their second lp, trust ceremony.

With about 500 thousand monthly listeners and a few TikTok hits here and there, jhariah feels like one release away from hitting mainstream.

he sites their inspirations from Panic! Mcr, Paramore, and System of a Down and has music similar to will wood’s rock jazz, Jhariah even describes his music as genreless with all drama, here are just a few of his songs

All of these songs are from his next album Trust Ceremony, and this music could be music industry changing

but there is a problem

trust ceremony is being released on april 19th, which we all know a certain pop album will also drop by a certain white girl.

I think this music has the chance to be something big, but Jhariah needs the help to get this music out to the masses because of that album

so please give a bunch of attention to jhariah, and make sure his music gets big

[black-arcana]

HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Hydra – Within Temptation

Although not confirmed to be a subtle dig, the timing was suspicious: during the recording of NIGHTWISH’s Endless Forms Most Beautiful in the summer of 2014, their newest member, Troy Donockley, said in a video diary that it is “still absolutely NIGHTWISH, but there are some parts that will probably startle some people. But nothing cheesy. There’s gonna be no dreadful, pathetic stabs at trying to jump on some bandwagon, slap some shit rap on it or something, none of that nonsense.” A few months earlier, WITHIN TEMPTATION released their sixth full-length record, Hydra. 

In the run up to its January launch, much had been made of their choice of collaborators across its tracklist. Dreams came true when Tarja Turunen was announced to feature alongside Sharon Den Adel on Paradise (What About Us?), a song which has become the answer to ‘what does symphonic metal sound like?’

What raised eyebrows was And We Run (feat. Xzibit). While other guest vocalists from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and SOUL ASYLUM broadly drew from the same rock palette as WITHIN TEMPTATION, here was an artist from a genre that could seriously be considered the polar opposite of symphonic metal.

Whether And We Run entirely works is subjective, but history has vindicated the band and Xzibit as being ahead of the curve. In the ten years since Hydra, heavy music has not only become more fashionable again, but it has diversified – and the two are surely linked. In 2023, SPIRITBOX remixed MEGAN THEE STALLION’s Cobra, introducing metal’s most hyped band in years to a whole new audience by a show of respect between them and one of the world’s biggest stars. In the UK, BRING ME THE HORIZON sell out the country’s largest venues because they introduced elements of pop, electronica, and hip hop to their initially abrasive sound. The future of music is genreless, but to get there, bands have to break down barriers.

There is more to it than just the music. One of symphonic metal’s most defining tropes is the vocal talent of its lead singer, who is often female and often white. Its lyrical content is heavily fantastical, referring to literary works by European authors who have written in predominantly white cultures. The lack of diversity in the genre can be seen in the source material for many of its songs. Introducing Xzibit’s deep vocals, having him write his own verse, destroyed the notion that symphonic metal has to look or sound a certain way.

In the years since, WITHIN TEMPTATION have taken up the mantle to promote peace and love. During live performances of Raise Your Banner, Den Adel would wave the rainbow LGBTQ+ flag, and in the last few years changed it to the Ukrainian one. Their new album Bleed Out draws heavily from accounts of war, documenting its horrors in anthems of solidarity.

Hydra was when the band realised this music, their music, was for everyone. When NIGHTWISH, who had long gone unchallenged at the top of the genre, decided to double down on their usual shtick, WITHIN TEMPTATION looked outward and opened their arms. They saw no reason why a rapped verse could not exist alongside all the other elements of their arsenal. The rousing Paradise that featured Turunen was inspired by a Dutch general who emphasised seeing the world as ‘us’ instead of ‘yourself’ and ‘them’.

It makes sense then that the album is also the band’s most palatable. There is none of The Unforgiving’s prog rock-like storyline, no epics like The Truth Beneath The Rose from The Heart Of Everything. In return, the acoustic-driven Whole World Is Watching received radio airplay in the UK – and was debuted on BBC Radio 2 by the legendary Ken Bruce. While rock music is a little more welcome on the airways in 2024, this marked a significant shift in WITHIN TEMPTATION’s profile at the time. No longer a niche band, they were welcome on the most listened to radio show in the country.

The rest of the album follows in this vein, for better or worse. That it lacks a distinct personality alongside most of their other records – the technicolour of The Unforgiving, the natural wonder of Mother Earth – is a symptom of how straight-forward it is. But there is an argument for Hydra as the band’s most consistent collection of songs, all of which are built on a strong foundation of pop music and familiar structures. Silver Moonlight in particular is overflowing with hooks, built upon chunky guitars and small symphonic flourishes. It sounds massive, which might be the only gear WITHIN TEMPTATION know how to operate in, but it sounds instant and immediate too.

Hydra arrived a year after the band recorded 15 cover songs for Belgian radio station Q-Music, in celebration of the band’s 15th anniversary. Most of these tracks were pop songs, like SIA’s Titanium, BRUNO MARS’s Grenade, and LANA DEL REY’s Summertime Sadness, which featured in their live shows at the time (and on the deluxe edition of Hydra). Den Adel said they wanted each cover to sound like a WITHIN TEMPTATION song, and not just a simple stripped back arrangement. It is no surprise then, after spending months familiarising themselves with mainstream hits, that they became tighter songwriters, something which they continue to reap the benefits of to this day, but which was first heard on Hydra.

The reason WITHIN TEMPTATION are headlining Wembley Arenathis year is because of Hydra. It is the turning point in their career where they said no to limiting themselves, and realised their capabilities reached far beyond the confines of symphonic metal. They are too good at songwriting, too strong as performers to be anything less than a legitimate marquee band. Throw on any of its 10 tracks and you hear a band with a new sense of confidence at the start of a new beginning, discovering what they are truly capable of. It was the blueprint to go even bigger, even more widescreen, on what came next. Everyone was welcome on the journey. Just look at them now.

Hydra was originally released on January 22nd, 2014 via BMG.

[burlveneer-music]

Isaiah Collier - Parallel Universe - a hot direct-to-disc session for Night Dreamer, featuring Jimetta Rose on vocals

Multi-instrumentalist and composer Isaiah Collier connects with the divine ancestors on a transcendent Direct-To-Disc session, Parallel Universe. Chicago-based innovator and educator Isaiah Collier is opening up new dimensions in the jazzwise continuum. A saxophonist by trade whose multi-instrumental talents and compositional prowess have stretched the limits of the form, Parallel Universe represents a new chapter in Collier’s musical journey. Having already performed with a diverse range of musicians such as Chance The Rapper, Waddada Leo Smith, Chicago jazz royalty Angel Bat Dawid and his own band The Chosen Few, Collier’s latest work as a bandleader explores the shared musical heritage of the African diaspora with a sense of grace and assurance that belies his years. Embracing the risk and vulnerability that comes with the live process, Collier and his band tapped into the frequencies of improvisation that fired up so many of the most timeless jazz recordings. “Recording direct-to-disc gave me a really fortunate opportunity to experience what our musical predecessors almost a hundred years ago were dealing with,” he explains. Name-checking Sun Ra, Ras G, J Dilla, Fela Kuti, Miles Davis, Gil Scott-Heron, Whitney Huston, Aaliyah and Frankie Knuckles, the opening of track of Parallel Universe imagines a genreless musical lineage that resonates with the polyphony of stories his band bring to the table, from Chicago and beyond. Featuring gospel soul singer Jimetta Rose, AACM and former Art Ensemble of Chicago trumpet player Corey Wilkes, blues-rooted guitarist Michael Damani, regular collaborators Julian Davis Reid, James Russell Sims and Micah Collier, the 8-track album bristles with a sense of love and understanding between players at the top of their game. “Give me that feeling that makes me feel like I’m alive,” Collier enthuses. “People can tell when you’re taking chances. I know that’s what everybody is looking for.”  Saxophone, Flute, Vocals, Keys - Isaiah Collier Vocals - Jimetta Rose Keys - Julian Reid Bass - Micah Collier Trumpet -Corey Wilkes Drums - James Russell Sims Guitar - Michael Damani Kalimba - Ra Additional Vocals - Sonny Daze Recorded, mixed and mastered by Martijn Schouten Cut by Patrick De Looper at Artone Studio Produced by Sonny Daze Recorded at Artone Studio on Thursday 9th & Friday 10th March 2023

[vampiirex]

rex's info

hi hi! hello, welcome to my blog! <3 i'm a boy posting stanley parable themed otakatsu images!

i want to be more active here, so i might as well finally make an intro here ˆ𐃷ˆ

it'll include basics, boundaries, and fun facts under the cut! ૮꒰˶´˘`˶꒱ა

THIS IS MY NARRY DESIGN BTW:

basic information ..🪞.ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

▪︎ my names are rex, asmo, valo(rie), mikey, and fang! i don't mind any of them <3 they're just names ive picked up along the years ^_^

▪︎ i use he/him pronouns most of the time, but i occasionally use others too!

▪︎ im aroace and genderfluid ^_^ i also call myself transmasc because i present masculinely in professional spaces (e.g. work)

▪︎ i'm a minor! i'm 17 and my birthday is apr 25

▪︎ i'm still a high school student

before u follow ..🦢.ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

▪︎ i take a while to respond to dms, please ask me on discord if something is urgent! (i'll provide my user if asked)

▪︎ i am unstable but typically keep to myself, so you shouldnt have to worry about that! it's just a heads up ૮꒰˶´˘`˶꒱ა

▪︎ audhd and social anxiety affect how i interact. please PLEASE be patient and keep an open mind!

▪︎ i am a yume (tl;dr more dedicated version of a selfshipper) for the narrator from tsp. i have no issues with other ships involving him, and i often enjoy them myself! ^_^" im cringe and free

▪︎ i wont post about it, but i do enjoy eroguro kei!

do not interact ..🪦.ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

▪︎ darkshippers! im sorry, ur content makes me uncomfy T_T

▪︎ idk what else to put um.. just dont be a gross or hateful person! 🤍

fun facts ..🥩.ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

▪︎ my spinterest is fashion n subcultures!

▪︎ i dress in lolita fashion (kuro, shiro, and gothic!)

▪︎ i also dress yamikawaii, various subtypes of visual kei, morute, various types of goth, i do shironuri, aaaand more!! :3

▪︎ i LOVE gothic literature, porcelain dolls n trinkets, ball jointed dolls, victorian n rococo fashion, religious imagery n mythology, and royal history!

▪︎ i do like anime ˆ𐃷ˆ mostly shonen and moe slice of lifes! my favorite animes are tokyo revengers, visual prison, nana, nichijou, and bungo stray dogs

▪︎ i love a lotta dif music! vkei, kawaii metal, indie, genreless, pop, etc!! it's hard for me to dislike music

▪︎ i love a loooot of things ^_^" theres a HUGE likelihood we have a mutual interest! please dont be scared to reach out ૮꒰˶´˘`˶꒱ა

▪︎ as mentioned before, i am a yumedanshi! i ship the narrator with my sona (named rex grullo, who is 37 in tsp!) people refer to the pairing as narrex, and their emoji combo is 🎙🦈 ^_^ i only use it amonst friends, but im sharing it to avoid confusion

i hope everyone has a lovely day! also no tags bc i'll pin this and im nervous about it reaching randos ^_^"

[yjyt85r98r]

Aikatsu song reviews: Believe it

Song

The beginning of the song is... incoherent and weird. To go from awkward chanting → EDM interlude → normal singing with low-key instrumentals... it would take a lot of skill to do that without it sounding forced and random, and I don't think this song pulled off the transitions very well. But after that, it's smooth sailing.

I like that the rhythm changes a bit throughout the song. The also add and subtract different elements, like the snapping during the B-melody. I don't really like the sawtooth synth in the instrumental parts, but that's just a matter of personal opinion – without it, the song could be at risk of being genreless. However, I think the song could've transitioned in and out of those sections more gracefully than it did.

Like the song itself, I think the melody is a bit weird. It switches between cool, bright and emotional at random. I'm thinking that maybe the composer had a bunch of melody ideas but didn't have an order to put them in, so they just kind of ended up... wherever.

Vocals

The vocals of this song are quite nice and natural, different from the over-edited vocals of many other Aikatsu Friends songs. A lot of people really like Mirai's voice, but personally, I'm partial to Karen's. She has such a gentle and ethereal voice, like a princess. For the most part she just sounds nice, but there were a few parts in this song where I was blown away by how beautiful her voice is. But I think Mirai's voice is more suited to this genre of song; it seems more natural for her than for Karen.

It's also unique that the two characters have their own sections of the song that don't change or overlap. Typically in the full version of a song, the melody would repeat but with the line assignment switched, but in this song, Karen's melody is only Karen's, and Mirai's melody is only Mirai's. They also don't sing together during most the chorus, which is even more unusual.

Lyrics

I think this song really set the tone for Aikatsu Friends' lyrics. The use of rhymes and repetitions, as well as the more relaxed attitude, are both things that would appear many times in other AiFriends songs.

The rhyming/repeating structure also makes the lyrics quite catchy and easy to remember, which is good for a pop song like this.

Choreography

Well, we've talked about that a lot already. But yeah, basically, the dance just does not match the vibes or energy level very well. The dance is cute and cheerful while the song is more cool and chill. The choreography at the very end is particularly unfitting – the dance seems to say "this is the big finale!!", while the music more-or-less continues on the same as before, or actually becomes a bit more toned down.

Visuals

It's a bit weird to sing a techno-pop song in a ballroom while wearing princess dresses, but that's Aikatsu for you.

It's hard to remember how I initially felt about the stage design now that I've seen it too many times in too many songs. I think I found it really pretty and enchanting. It goes well with the dresses. The glittery wall effects are really nice, too.

Good points: Nice vocals, catchy lyrics, song doesn't sound the same all the way through Bad points: Weird intro with awkward transitions

Rating: 7.4/10 Personal rating: 6.9/10

[transmissionsfromthebattlefield]

Hard Living

Pussy Gillette are hands down one of the best recent groups in existence. And to think frontwoman Masani didn't first pick up a bass until her thirties and all of their music videos—favorably—look like a straight rip from a thrice-copied VHS tape you would get your grubby hands on from a cool skater buddy in either 1988 or 1998. They are as real and raw as it gets, yet the video of theirs linked above, which just came out a few days ago, has just 312 views at the time of me writing this.

A message of defiant empowerment that pairs big-smile badassery with a great and much needed sense of humor, buried against the tides of internet business as usual. I don't think people are quite ready for Pussy Gillette. They may be "recent", but they bring with them a heady aspiration for longevity that might alienate the general public. The general public is not concerned with artists with guts, just artists with all-caps GUTS. Of course, I speak of America's prodigal girlchild, Olivia Rodrigo, who I cannot believe I am mentioning in the same breath as Pussy Gillette. But I have to.

I voluntarily keep up with Olivia's music as a checking tool since she's just one year older than me yet completely the opposite of me in numerous ways. Here's the thing: when I write songs and make music, I hope to make a—for lack of a better term—ack—safe space for young female artists who prefer not to listen to Taylor Swift. Olivia's music intends to make a hostile space for young female artists who prefer not to listen to Taylor Swift. You see the problem here? We are not very compatible. I will give her most recent video credit for not being a genreless slice of slap-in-the-face curd pie like some of her others—c'mon, it's kyuuuuute.

Olivia is twenty, a baby in the grand scheme of things. Not too long ago she was nineteen, my age. I can attest to the pain and suffering that comes with being a teenage girl, as well as the satisfaction that can come from squishing and pouring those swirling emotions into song (or prose). The truth is is that I am just not as social as Olivia—no wonder she uses the butterfly throughout her branding. I don't really have songs to write about regarding Tyler from history class. I have songs to write about mass media brainwashing's effect on the populace and that scene from The Wall where Bob Geldof is yelling at everyone (which is probably the most accurate depiction of the modern day large scale concert production, by the way). Maybe if that Tyler kid said something that really fascinated/infuriated/both of those things-me I would wring it like a towel and turn the warped, pulsating droplets into a song. But my brain is too skewered and too focused on my studies to do the whole "normal teenage girl" thing that much.

Or maybe that's just the "commercially palatable" thing. Olivia's GUTS are that she is smooth, like intestines in a well-oiled Cuckoo's Nest Combine machine. Our friends Pussy Gillette, however, are rough, jagged, and edgy in a way that is all their own. And boy, do they own it. Yet they are not willy nilly—they share the same focus, awareness, and intelligence that societally powerful artists have, though PG choose cute shock value over cute exploitation of the vulnerable masses. In this I actually see a chance of engagement with a wider, captive audience—they embody defiance and self-assured-ness in a world that needs it. "Permanent Trash" is an ode to self empowerment and self pride. These traits are of great yet controversial interest and analysis to our society. Because of the internet, the self esteem of humanity sits in a perilous state in an age of simultaneous constant comparison to and instant disappointment in other people. We are forced to ask ourselves what traits we can find pride in without alienating others, springing gray hairs like poison darts as we ruminate on how we could be "better".

Never mind that the people pitting us against each other in this manner are so comfortable in their positions of corrupt power that they never even consider these concerns. They know they are bad, and they know they have their fingers on society's pulse. The "influencers" we worship and revile in unison, the milquetoast kings and queens of the schoolyard, guide us towards superficial quests for brownie points that only serve to obscure that they are the real enemy. In a desperate bid for commercial acceptance, humanity cries out, "what part of me is palatable?" Pussy Gillette offer the answer: the whole she-bang, baby. Live with yourself. Live.

But, of course, by the time you're on the "G" in their name when typing it into the YouTube search bar, the suggested results snap away out of fear of Pussy Gallavanting, Pussy Galloping, Pussy Grumbling, or any sort of adorable videos of tiny felines doing cute things, therefore obstructing the culture of cat videos that has been the foundation of the internet since its earliest days.

But all of the best recent bands—PG, cumgirl8, Round Eye, as I was writing this Spotify recommended me a band called DICKFARTBUTTSEX—have eyebrow raising names. I say we usher in a new culture of degeneracy and dignity with the music we listen to. You can't truly spill guts without a little seppuku.

P.S.: A side note: this new wave of porn bots is too good. "ReformedBlasphemy" should be MY username.

[evil-angel-41]

hello there,

my name is mars & i was born in the 90s, which means that i have been on tumblr for an abominable amount of time.

i am a musician & i would consider myself to be genreless. most of my work is influenced by being queer, growing up online, & nostalgia. my name on all streaming sites is mars as a girl.

i post things i think about a lot such as women, tattoos, blood, nostalgia, visceral vulnerability, music, and anything else really.

any unsolicited sexual messages or images from any gender will be blocked because i believe in equality. i promise you i’m not interested.

[inkofamethyst]

March 13, 2023

Late 2022/Early 2023 Bops!!

Two Knocks - aeseaes

Vandalize - One Ok Rock

That Unwanted Animal - The Amazing Devil

The Horror and the Wild - The Amazing Devil

Dream Away - KWINI

mm+i - serin oh

Bird Song - Florence + The Machine

Seven Nation Army / Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Buffalo Rose

A Beautiful Song (from Nier: Automata)

Mourning (from Nier Automata)

Sogno di Volare - Christopher Tin (from Civilization VI)

Bird Song has quite literally been my February anthem, but all of these have been on repeat for weeks.  Alongside all of Upstate tbh.  Once again, I prove myself to be pretty genreless lol.  We’ll see how many of these survive to the Spotify Wrapped.

I wonder if PhD admissions these days are biased toward extroverted (or extrovert-presenting (such as myself)) students.  I mean, I suppose most things in life show preference for extroverts, but I’ve certainly noticed during my visits that many students who make it to interviews or to the admit stage are quite (and, occasionally, aggressively) extroverted.  And while, on one hand, I feel like this disadvantages great students who just don’t have that same charisma, I also think it kind of represents a changing academia.  Prioritizing future academics who are more likely to be team players, who are more likely to reach outside of their fields and engage in that ~interdisciplinary research~ which universities adore.  Prioritizing friendly, collaborative, and fun cohorts at the graduate level.  Rewarding not just intelligence and hard skills, but also soft skills.  Maybe I’m thinking too much into it.  It’s just that I’ve been so surprised by how personable all of the prospective students I’ve met this cycle have been, and I’m wondering if that initial “reaching out phase” in the early fall is meant as a screening process to select for those personable students, not just the brilliant ones.  I mean, I suppose that can also come out through letters of recommendation and such, I don’t know.  I’m probably just overthinking; I should go to bed.

Speaking of sleep, I don’t know if it was just me (actually, I know it wasn’t because I expressed this to many people today and they agreed), but daylight savings was killer this year.  I haven’t ever slept in half an hour past my wake-up time, and getting up this morning was a horror show.  Didn’t wash my face, didn’t eat breakfast, had no energy during the 8am.  Ended up taking a long nap in the afternoon which helped, but I think I could’ve used another hour and a half tbh.  

Today I’m thankful for.. choir rehearsals.  Just in general.  Learning and perfecting music with others is such a fun time, and I feel so lucky to have stumbled into this amazing group and have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sing in a symphony orchestra as a non career musician.  I remember experiencing very similar feelings during marching band in high school, just feeling overwhelmed with joy and gratitude and a sense of belonging despite the difficulty of maintaining the standard that the ensemble required.  It’s fun to be challenged this way.  It’s beautiful to be part of building something greater than anything I could ever do on my own.

[edit, two days later: oh also happy three year anniversary to miss rona i guess]

[rainydawgradioblog]

Catharsis by proxy

Makthaverskan, Grauzone 2023

By Caroline Carr

Located 40 miles outside of Amsterdam, the festival began at sundown in Paard, an expansive venue inconspicuously tucked away on a main road in The Hague, Netherlands. Grauzone Festival, a 3-day music and arts event, was celebrating its 10th anniversary beginning on the 10th of February. Though performance art pieces, movie screenings, and live music would go on throughout the early evening, the main event, in my eyes, was not for a few more hours. 

A group of now twenty-somethings are laughing in the green room before their performance as they recount the band's origin, as teenagers who met in the schools and skateparks of Gothenburg, Sweden. Since 2009, Makthaverskan has been assembling a cohesive discography that transcends their commonly ascribed genres of post-punk and indie synthpop. Over the last decade, they have managed to maintain a relatively consistent style and distinct sound that is dreamy albeit commanding. “It’s a natural change,” said lead singer Maja Milner. “I’m not 15 anymore, I don’t have the same things to scream about". 

The 2021 release, “För Allting,” was the group’s most recent and most polished album yet. With a producer and a more narrative structure, the album was elevated without sacrificing rawness or passion. “We wanted to develop a more coherent album [rather] than a collection of songs,” said bassist Hugo Randulv. Coming in with the neat studio album top of mind, I was eager to see how the group would recreate the power and melodrama of it all onstage. 

Below ground, on Paard’s cafe stage, the group transformed the space effortlessly and immediately. An absolute powerhouse, Milner embodied the sentiment of the band’s name which loosely translates to a feminized version of someone who holds power. The performance evoked a hazy dream state, with the atmosphere driven by the synth drawing out Milner’s notes into mystical wails that stick to the walls of the listener’s mind. 

Throughout the evening, members’ gazes were fixed on their instruments and each other. Milner spent much of the set facing away from the crowd, singing to her bandmates and hitting a tambourine against her leg. An outside onlooker may have mistaken this as a lack of connection with the crowd, but from where I stood, it was patently more indicative of the bond and history the band shared. The group moved with a seamless cohesion, presumably born out of decades-long friendship, performance, and collaboration.

Though they operated as one, do not mistake their synchronicity for homogeneity. Members have explored outside projects in different styles that bring productive friction to the group’s creative process. “There has to be some tension to it otherwise it wouldn’t be interesting,” said Randulv. With each person contributing different perspectives and specialties, Makthaverskan is a genreless pastiche that synthesizes the best of each member’s musical stylings and lyricism. 

Onstage, Milner’s melancholic lyrics hide in plain sight, disguised between drawn-out, siren-like notes that pull you in with their beauty and force you to reckon with the weight of the words. “No matter what I write, it gets melancholic,” said Milner. “I can’t write happy [songs].” From “In my Dreams” to “This Time,” the set brimmed with cathartic autobiographies that lull you into bliss with their melodies and shake you awake with their lyrics. 

Even on tracks like “Maktologen” and “Tomorrow” which might strike a passive listener as optimistic with peppy intros, the lyrics are soaked in misery. Tracks like these further the plot of “För Allting” as well as predict the band's general trajectory, respectively. With “Maktologen,” the album ends on a surprisingly high note as the preceding tracks spoke of woes of black-and-white thinking, wasted time, and struggling with others and one’s own selfishness. “Tomorrow” with similar themes, and juxtapositions between lyrics and sound, foreshadows the band’s future projects. If the title did not already give it away, Randulv selected this song that he was specifically happy with that could serve as a compass for the forthcoming album that is still in an early creative stage. 

In the interim, the live performance rejuvenated earlier favorites from previous albums and left me with a new top pick: “Outshine.” Compared to the album version that echoed as if it were recorded in a vacant stadium, Milner’s vocals were at the forefront of the live rendition. Her voice, seasoned and matured over the years since the song’s release in 2013, perfectly contrasted with the youthful longing that guided the lyrics. As the evening wrapped up neatly with the yearning belting of “Leda,” a standout from “III,” the room still hummed with the leftover energy and rambunctious audience members reeling from the set. Though the show had ended, the fond memory would linger, keeping me enticed and tuned into whatever might come next for Makthaverskan. 

[fractalist]

Music asks: 11, 26, and 30 :)

Thank you so much for sending me this ask! I love answering questions and specifically love music

11. A song that you never get tired of

Before I knew that Motown was a genre, I used to think of it as genreless music--like I had no category to put it in, so it must therefore be the ur-music. While everyone knows "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" from the Naked Eyes version, there are so many good renditions; Lou Johnson's is a particular favorite.

26: A song that makes you want to fall in love

There's a specific kind of love that Dan Deacon's "Rail" makes me want to fall in. It's a type of wonder, a type of contentment. It's watching countryside pass outside a train window. Simple and ordinary and beautiful and fresh.

30: A song that reminds you of yourself

I try not to cast myself too much as a leftist, but there's no denying it. The first time I heard "The Butcher's Sher" by Daniel Kahn & the Painted Bird, it felt like he had been reading my mind. I think a lot about the sheer labor and overwhelming exploitation that goes into the ordinary parts of modern life. "Every pair of pants and grain of rice / contains a horror story in its price" is especially meaningful when I see things like a large basket handwoven in Vietnam sold at Marshall's for $7. Also klezmer slaps.