#it's my fave album from them btw

[acebytaemin]

my beautiful friends recommending songs.. There’s literally nothing better on this earth.

[myvirtuesuncounted]

my full review of ttpd (a month late, shhh)

tw opinions. if you like a song that i don't or vice versa or you don't agree with a comment i made, good for you! get it off your chest, get it off my desk!

fortnight

One of Taylor’s weaker openers, it’s a nice song, not much going on though

the production is boppy, not much going on once again

Interesting how Taylor sees her muse as living a good life without her and a nice domestic scene with his wife watering flowers but for her, her husband is cheating on her, implying she thinks she will never be happy, maybe because of how this relationship went or her general perception of relationships and her experiences with them. That is my interpretation of the song.

The outro with post and taylor's harmonies SLAPS

Like I said, this song feels a bit lacking of substance both thematically and technically, it doesn't do it for me, i don't hate listening to it, i just don't love it.

i think it might be a song that grows on me over time but it won't ever be a fave for me.

i also think in light of the music video, it's lost some of its spark for me, as that music video made no sense to me. i don't think it deserved to be a single.

the tortured poets department

“You left your typerwriter at my apartment, straight from the tortured poets department” implying that this thing of which she is now part had been introduced to her by the muse

The muse has probably compared them to poets like Dylan Thomas and Patti Smith and probably romanticised their relationship into the work of a tortured poet, but that’s not real life.

Taylor brings back to reality that now because of his self sabotage that brought both of them down in this relationship, he has lost the one who will decode him, hold him, know him

the above are just little analyses i like making as i listen to the song, they have nothing to do about whether i like the song or not, it's just me trying to make sense of it. you'll see that a lot.

i do not like the charlie puth line. at all. why is it there?

also don't like the tattooed golden retriever line, the image of a tattooed golden retriever is terrifying.

i was so off-guard about the namedropping in this song, sorry i had no idea who dylan thomas or patti smith were.

this song is trying too hard to be poetic, i think (which one could argue is the whole point of this song), but it doesn't stand out much to me. the themes are interesting though.

this is a pretty weak title track, personally. i feel like it doesn't encapsulate the essence of the album (which i am confused about tbh, ttpd has a lot of aesthetics going on for itself). it has nothing on little fearless and evermore.

my boy only breaks his favourite toys

so we all thought this song would be pretty petty, but i honestly don't think it is extremely so. there's a sort of pity for the muse, that the breaking of his 'favourite toys' is a form of self sabotage and that they could've had it all.

i love how it starts so defeated, "oh here we go again", which i think is in reference to the muse's self sabotage ruining her life

it also feels a bit reflective and nostalgic of the fact that it wasn't all bad, which i quite liked. i liked the contrast of feelings.

"once i fix me, he's gonna miss me" is a devastating line btw

so is "he saw forever so he smashed it up"

song is a bop, i like the lyricism, overall i enjoy this song :)

down bad

i enjoy the cunty synth here ahaha. for all the jokes the fandom makes about jack fucking around with the synth while taylor sings the most soulcrushing lyrics, it is so real especially for this song.

taylor has never sounded so good while swearing. "fuck it if i can't have us" is such an earworm.

i feel like this is the most petty song in the album, mainly because of the "teenage petulance" in the lyrics

the callback to new romantics in the bridge is so insane, i noticed it immediately.

the production is so mystical and giving space alien vibes, i enjoy it.

so long, london

the intro is giving big ben bells and/or wedding bells

the fast beat vs the slow melodies is such an interesting juxtaposition (to my lit teacher, i hope i used this word right XD). i think it really highlights the conflicting feelings this song explores ("i'm just mad as hell 'cause i loved this place") and also how taylor isn't able to keep up with how quickly the relationship is dying (the production) and she's still sifting through her feelings to find acceptance (the melody)

"how much sad did you think i had" something something "how long can we be a sad song" something something "don't want no other shade of blue but you"

the bridge is just the most devastating strike to my heart

"you sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest days" is one of my favourite lyrics on this album

track 5 is track 5ing

this song is a masterpiece, i genuinely love it so much

but daddy i love him

get this song out of my face, i hate it so much. blocked on spotify.

why did taylor have to waste good lyricism and production on such an awful premise and "fuck you" to her fans dishing valid criticism of her association with matty?

the baby line is hilarious though, because i did indeed fall for it the first time

like you can talk about taylor's agency all you want but everyone knows what the implications of this song are and i feel hurt and offended that this is the attitude both taylor and some swifties are taking.

"the most judgemental creeps" um, is this fucking play about us?

fresh out the slammer

her voice sounds beautiful in this

love the country twang in the production

it's giving getaway car thematically

i think it's interesting to see this song so soon after so long, london, where she says she was "going down with [the ship]" but she was literally dreaming about running into the arms of another man and was "[doing her] time". like ok girl!

vibey song but not for me. i don't have much to say on this.

florida!!!

IMMEDIATE FAVE, i had claimed this since day 1 and i was so right

cunty production, i can tell florence had a lot of influence. no more synths! bring out the drums!

at first, i had no idea what was happening in this song, but when taylor talked about it being about reinventing yourself, it made a lot more sense to me and i love that interpretation, it rings so true.

can i be honest and say that i thought it said "arms" not "home", like that doesn't even make sense 😭

florence's verse fucking slays, my only gripe is that her voice in the verse is kinda quiet compared to the instrumental. could've used some better mixing here.

"me and my ghosts had a hell of a time" is a banger of a line

the bridge is immaculate, has been in my head since i first listened to it.

this song is amazing, there is nothing like it, pure perfection. top song on the album.

guilty as sin?

obsessed with the beat

hedge maze = labyrinth = the mind, idk i just loved that connection

we have reached the ovulation song lmao

did you know it took me so long to realise the chorus was talking about masturbation? like i knew the song was horny, but i didn't realise it was THAT horny.

i think i called this a mature, sadder false god in my notes. that uncertain, sensual, desiring tone is probably what motivated that connection in my head.

WHAT IF HE'S WRITTEN MINE ON MY UPPER THIGH ONLY IN MY MIIIIIND

the bridge is so beautiful, i am a sucker for religious imagery.

overall i'm obsessed, beat good, lyricism good, i love it

who's afraid of little old me?

now i know this is the fan favourite, and i understand why. it gives an eery, angry vibe, and i also enjoy it. to some extent.

namely, the part i enjoy most is the circus imagery, i liked how she leaned into the circus animal metaphor to depict her struggles in fame and her relationships. it's like a badly behaved circus animal about to be put down absolutely losing it and raging about its plight, which i enjoy as a means of storytelling and expressing emotion. i also enjoy it as a callback to mirrorball and what happens when the mirrorball finally has had enough of shattering in a million pieces and performing for a largely uncaring crowd.

... which is why i don't like the asylum lyric. to me, it doesn't add in anything significant thematically when the rest of the song hardly has similar strains of discussion. not to mention the ableist overtones and trivialisation of the asylum experience but i just don't like this lyric. it weakens the premise of the song.

the production is also off in some places, it feels muted and underwhelming compared to the premise of the song.

it's an okay song, i 100% like the acoustic demo better that she came out with recently. some changes in production and the omission of that asylum lyric would put it higher up for me.

i can fix him (no really i can)

good thing this song is short because she couldn't fix him at all and i don't like this song.

"the jokes that he told across the bar were revolting and far too loud" euphemism for bigoted, taylor?

production is boring, the melody is also pretty boring. the lyrics are good, but not enough to save the song, in my humble opinion (it is after all my review here)

"good boy, that's right" taylor GET UP

the 'woah maybe i can't' is funny though, i'll give her that

loml

slayed, devoured, left no crumbs, left me emotionally devastated

the lyricism is absolutely beautiful, the sadness is tangible

the first time i listened to this, i was on the train, and i was so emotional, it was the perfect music to stare out the window to.

the impressionist painting line is also absolutely brilliant, took me out when i heard it. one of the best lyrics on the album.

the bridge and outro are the reasons i need therapy, destroyed me

loss of my life theorists won but at what cost.

i think some of taylor's simplest songs melodically have some of the most beautiful prose and emotional connection, i think she needs to tap into that more.

10/10 no notes.

i can do it with a broken heart

extreme whiplash hearing this after loml. similar whiplash to what taylor felt, i think, going on tour after such a heartbreak

someone pointed out that the almost metronomic beat and the faint counting in the background is like what taylor hears in her in-ear monitor on tour and i think that's really cool.

obsessed with this song so much

it has been stuck in my head since i first heard it

i never expected this to be the cuntiest song on the album but i am not disappointed at all.

"i cry a lot but i am so productive" is so mecore if i was actually productive

the ad libs at the end are also perfect

is it just me or can i hear crowd noises in the background?? am i imagining this??

i'm afraid the fandom is gravely misunderstanding this song. some are saying that taylor hates us because we were "shouting 'more!' " when she was feeling like this. some are saying that she doesn't resent us at all and that this song absolves us completely. those are both two extremes and my interpretation lies somewhere in the middle. this is not a callout to fans but also some factions of the fandom were (or are) being assholes demanding reputation tv and double albums all the time. acknowledge the nuance.

10/10 obsessed, fave song after florida!!!

the smallest man who ever lived

this song is good.

bridge of all time, indeed, she went OFF

the verses feel a bit meh to me but i love the chorus.

"you didn't measure up in any measure of a man" HAHA TAYLOR IT TOOK ME A SECOND TO GET THE DOUBLE ENTENDRE

this song is indeed petty, but it also feels defeated to me? like taylor just sounds tired of it all and quite hurt, that's what i got from it.

i also love the performance of this song on the eras tour. she is marching with an army and they keep taking hits throughout the song, until she eventually falls at the end. something something "the great war" something something "fighting with only your army, frontlines, don't you ignore me", etc.

the alchemy

i feel a little let down by this song? because from the name, i assumed this song would be using the concept of alchemy being a medieval science of turning things into gold or finding a universal cure as a metaphor for a broken/dying relationship.

also i don't understand how this is meant to be a love song, sounds really sad to me? like almost defeatist in terms of how the relationship.

why am i being bombarded by football metaphors?

i mean, it sort of plays on the idea of alchemy being a sort of magical transformation, but to me, it just feels like a synonym for chemistry.

" 'cause the sign on your heart says it's still reserved for me" is a cute lyric though.

it's quite formulaic as a song and there's not much going on for me. anyway.

clara bow

i really enjoy the concept of this song being the torch of fame being passed onto different women, from clara bow to stevie nicks to taylor swift to whoever's next.

once again, it's quite simple melodically, but this is where she shines! the typewriter while she was writing this must have been on fire!!

i also love how it plays on the concept of being put onto a pedestal as a famous woman and how you're only appealing until people decide you're not

"it's hell on earth to be heavenly" is such a perfect lyric.

the namedrop of herself GAGGED me on first listen, i was amazed.

it's a perfect closer to the first half, putting everything into the perspective of her fame and passing the torch onto something else because society has decided out with old, in with the new.

the black dog

the thing about the location settings makes me so ill, he didn't even think to turn it off for her. they probably shared locations to make sure they could check up on each other, and it was still on. it is such a tiny thing but so devastating.

the buildup on "old habits die screaming" ohhhhh this is amazing

the best laid plans... hoax...

"i still miss the smoke" people are making parallels to daylight but my first thought was lavender haze, like missing the lavender haze, you know?

the priest lyric is so devastating if you think about the fact that taylor thought she'd be meeting a priest about this relationship for a different, happier reason...

obsessed with this song, it's so beautiful.

the quietness of the verses and the loudness of the chorus, i am genuinely entranced, it is cinema.

imgonnagetyouback

do not ask me to compare this song with olivia rodrigo's "get him back", they're both on different levels thematically and tonally even though they use the same double entendre.

what narcotics did she put in this bridge XD

so boppy, and sensual, i adore it

i remember going on a long search for the literary device that is present in "i hear the whispers in your eyes", decided it was antithesis with the help of my followers. not at all relevant, but wanted to add it.

the albatross

i can make a lot of parallels to peace with this song.

it's so eery and mythical, i love it, treats taylor like a fable, an urban legend.

aaron dessner is a fucking legend, i am loving the production on the anthology

my folkmore girlie self is loving the anthology for real

i love the bait and switch to "fake news", exposing these rumours for simply that, and saying that she's not the dangerous one, the "jackals rais[ing] their hackles" are.

i am always a sucker for when taylor changes from third person to first person narration, it's so important to me. bait-and-switch, you are everything to me.

10/10 no notes.

chloe or sam or sophia or marcus

heartbreakingly beautiful. just a general melancholy around the breaking down of a relationship and is so so perfect.

the hologram lyric is not about cheating at all. the relationship is long gone, this is taylor envisioning her muse in a new relationship but she isn't there, hence the hologram. i've seen some people say it was about cheating, that interpretation doesn't make sense to me.

"you turned me into an idea of sorts" -> "the idea you had of me, who was she?"

random thought, but the lyricism on the anthology is so much better and natural as compared to the first half. i enjoy the bops on the first half but it also suffers from trying too much to be poetic (i think i said this about the title track especially). there are so many overloaded lyrical runs and random references that leave me confused and overwhelmed. the anthology however feels so much more quintessentially taylor.

don't have much to say on the song itself, i quite like it.

how did it end?

the intro literally makes me ascend!!

i really love how this song investigates and criticises the inherent curiosity people have around big news like a breakup, constantly probing for details.

once again, the simpler songs contain the best lyricism and melodies!!

this song both explains and expresses confusion about the end of the relationship, so i love the paradoxical nature of that.

"we learn the right steps to different dances" is such a devastating line and i think sums up the end of many relationships so succinctly.

the second chorus is giving right where you left me: "did you ever hear about the girl who got frozen?" etc.

THE BRIDGE, TAYLOR HOW DO YOU DO IT

the d-y-i-n-g part is just so devastating. taylor uses the themes of death and haunting so well on this album.

i know i've said this like 10 times, but this is just so so beautiful.

so high school

the guitar in the background is giving hits different, it hits different when it's you!!

despite the happy tone and lyrics, i do feel the sad, anxious undertone, the key example being the marry, kiss, or kill me part (the echoed "kill me", "it's just a game but really")

the aristotle and grand theft auto line has been used countlessly to shit on taylor's songwriting, and personally, i don't like this line. just doesn't hit right for me. however, i think it's unfair to pick cringe lyrics and ignore all the beautiful, meaningful ones to shit on taylor.

i do love the imagery with high school games like truth or dare and spin the bottle, really cements the "so high school" of it all.

this song is okay to me, it feels too american for me to enjoy it more lmao.

i hate it here

i love the poet and finance guy line at the beginning, it expresses a sort of desperation to get to know this person, to uncover their insecurities, deepest secrets, and love them anyway. it may also be introspective of taylor herself, idk.

calling comfort a construct is so quietly sad. convincing yourself since you've never had it, it can't be real because it's better than being cursed or doomed to never have it (see the prophecy)

this song is so escapist, but also so cynical about the escapism, it clearly isn't a preferred option, like it's not just escaping into childhood and nostalgia for the sake of it, it's because the real world fucking sucks.

the chorus slays, and is quite relatable.

the use of the word "precocious" is so interesting to me. she used it also in "but daddy i love him" if i remember correctly. like she resonates a lot with the feeling of being stunted in childhood or having seemed to never grow up -> "i have this thing where i get older but just never wiser" -> "i never grew up, it's getting so old" -> "i hit my peak at seven", idk i find it an interesting recurring theme in taylor's discography.

the 1830s line, and just that entire first half of the verse. i know why it's there, i know what it's doing, i know it's not meant to be taken seriously. still i don't like it. it also feels weird that she is calling out racism as a staple of the 1830s or whatever when she has shown us she is perfectly fine with dating a racist. you can say i'm being overdramatic. you can say i don't get it. idc. i try to ignore this part because this is a very good song and i love its themes and production.

"nostalgia is a mind's trick" i really love this because the entire song is so nostalgic for childhood and escapism but then she's like "actually nostalgia sucks" or it's not what it seems. no, the past would not have been better.

production feels like seven. themes quite different however (thematically, it would be robin, i think.)

the bridge combats the cynicism of the second verse which is so interesting to me. i love how opposing views on nostalgia and escapism are presented, the nuance is there.

the bridge is so mecore, i feel it in my bones.

thanK you aIMee

i really enjoy the small town as a microcosm for the giant music industry and reducing kim to a bully in this analogy.

this song is so cathartic for me, i really enjoy it in the lens of a friendship breakup.

she's so funny in this song "and so i changed your name and any real defining clues" while clearly spelling out her name in the song title.

the bridge fucking slays, likely thing for taylor to do.

it's such a breath of fresh air to have such a cathartic moment in an album that's largely dealing with huge emotions in huge ways, it's so interesting here as an addition to the anthology.

i look in people's windows

it's such a beautiful song and it's criminal how short it is

her voice sounds heavenly, i love how breathy it is.

it's giving "the outside" which is why i love it so much, i think

i think this not only works as a song grieving the end of a relationship but expressing the feeling of being left out in a current one; i definitely relate to it in that sense.

"does it feel alright not to know me?" is so so heartwrenching, i cannot do this

the prophecy

i am a sucker for mythology references so i'm already drawn in with the title.

once again, the song itself sounds so beautiful.

"i got cursed like eve got bitten" except she didn't get bitten?? the curse came after she ate the forbidden fruit?? i'm a bit confused here

WAIT NVM IT'S THE FACT THAT SHE DIDN'T GET BITTEN THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF THE SIMILE, HEAR ME OUT

saying something so factually incorrect and comparing it to her own experience implies that the latter is ALSO incorrect. she didn't "get cursed", she cursed herself!! which also defies the notion of "the prophecy", ohhhhhh i find this so interesting.

i think the notion of "a greater woman" or "a lesser woman" speaks to the expectations placed around women in relationships, they mustn't appear too desperate for love because that's undesirable but if they are nonchalant, they are also undesirable, it is worth exploring in terms of this song.

this song is so so sad and sadly so so relatable, i definitely find some comfort and resonance in this and it makes me really sad :(

i love the references to mythology and folklore made here, "the pricked hand" very obviously referencing sleeping beauty.

i always love it when taylor repeats the first verse at the end of a song, i think it speaks to the cyclical, circular nature of this specific feeling, that no matter how much she begs and pleads, "the prophecy" will never change.

cassandra

another mythology reference!!!

this being after "the prophecy" is so so deliberate, godssss

the piano is giving "mad woman", which i think is so fitting

"so they killed cassandra first 'cause she feared the worst" that's not actually why cassandra was killed in mythology but go off queen

"they say what doesn't kill you makes you aware" is an unreal run

that being said, i love it when taylor takes common sayings and aphorisms and gives them a twist. she does it a lot in this album, one of my favourite examples being "old habits die screaming" as a twist on "old habits die hard"

"blood's thick but nothin' like a payroll" i am hooked completely oml

10/10 no notes

peter

more folklore references, let's go!!!!

this song is so hauntingly beautiful, the lyricism is so poetic and flows perfectly, genuinely this is what i love about taylor

as a folklore girlie, i am WINNING with the anthology

i can't get over the "jet stream" line here vs "jet stream" in "call it what you want" 🫠

once again, a bridge that fucking slays, how does she keep doing it

it's so interesting how taylor grapples with the concept of childhood and precociousness in this album with so many mentions and callbacks to childhood and feeling stunted as a child and now, it really is an ode to "you're stuck at the age you became famous" (which is sad in many aspects but also problematic in others)

the chorus is also just so perfect, everything about this song is perfect.

the bolter

obsessed does not even cover it

what a banger start to a song

the chorus reminds me a lot of "illicit affairs", i think, interesting connections can be made there

"as she was leaving, it felt like breathing" as in a sigh of relief that it's over, but also she does it so often it is quite literally as quotidian and simple as "breathing"

i love taylor's tendencies to make songs in the third person narrative voice, i think her best storytelling comes out like this.

"there's escape in escaping"- i think this is sort of a commentary on how the identity of "the bolter" is like a coping/defense mechanism to ensure that she doesn't get hurt in a relationship, in that there is an escape from her insecurities, her worries, and the eminent pain she will face in the relationship by quite literally escaping.

but there's also often the bait and switch ("then it was bought by me", "i'm the albatross, i swept in at the rescue") but i find it so interesting that this song does not do that, if only i can make a meaningful analysis there, but my running theory is that she deliberately chooses to distance herself from the identity of "the bolter", bc while she does dote on this character and is rather affectionate in how she tells the story, she doesn't feel like attaching herself to it, in that maybe it's an identity she no longer wants to hold or that, like she frequently says, she doesn't believe these songs or stories are about her anymore and that they take on new meaning..

anyway i am loving this song, 10/10

robin

WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THIS SONG, IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL

it's so sweet how she is consoling the child, ensuring them that they should enjoy this time they have now, and that they will be kept safe from their future.

but it's so sad in that regard, like, "we don't wanna hurt you so we're not telling you how this will pan out to protect your childhood innocence".

this once again cements my preoccupation with taylor's discussions around childhood and youth, she mentions frequently how that was taken away from her too soon and how she has felt "precocious" because of it. it's so important to understand and this song should NOT be overlooked.

i really like it.

the manuscript

this song is so heartbreaking, i want to punch the wall

i never thought about the fact how doing the atw short film would have rekindled these old memories and feelings, and this song is surely a direct result of that. not surprising, in hindsight, but it still compelled me when i first heard it.

once again, youth being taken too soon!! precociousness!!

someone needs to take the word "precocious" away from me

"but the story isn't mine anymore" HHHHHHHHH THIS IS THE WHOLE POINT

very nice song, beautiful closer to the anthology and the entire album as a whole, "these stories used to be about me but now they're about you".

overall thoughts

i hate to say it, but i think this album is in a desperate need of editing; there's so much going on, most of which is compelling and worth exploring, but everything is disjunct with each other and i know this work is meant to feel messy, don't start with me there, but it shouldn't be messy to the point where it's confusing and overwhelming. there are so many concepts and metaphors that are so intriguing and clearly important in taylor's music but the final products of those become half-baked in mediocre production or mixing. this album feels rushed and is soaked with questionable decisions. for example, i think "i can do it with a broken heart" should have been a single and title track because i think it's such a central part of her experiences recently and clearly something permeating the rest of this collection, and how she learns to move on and cope in light of heartbreak. there are several moments where the lyricism of the album feels overwhelming and overcompensating, as in trying too hard to contain meaning. the best lyrical moments on this album are seamless and subtle, and very prosodic as well. taylor tried to deviate from that formula quite a bit and it didn't always work out for the best in this album. she is not as adept at throwing in conversational lyrics as her peers, her strength is in prose and storytelling. the production is also getting a bit old, it's very sonically cohesive, almost to the point of it being boring, and i think taylor needs to get a bit more experimental sonically, and also ensure that the melody and production work together in more different ways, and that maybe the melody is not relying on the production but vice versa. the album is certainly not all lows, but the lows are particularly lower than in other instances of her discography.

that being said, the highs on this album are absolutely breathtaking. the majority of the anthology and quite a few songs on this album captured me instantly. this album is quite mellow, and could have benefitted from another bop or two, but the ones we received were astounding!! this album also had some really strong lyricism, especially in the anthology, and it was so intriguing seeing the many metaphors and situations she used to express her feelings. her storytelling in particular really shone in this album in songs like "the albatross", "the bolter", "clara bow", "cassandra", "the manuscript" among others. i love the themes and ideas that taylor explored in this album, and overall the premises really compelled me.

in terms of rankings, i've separated the two halves. the first half (ttpd) is second-last and the second half (the anthology) is 8th out of 12 (not 11 because ttpd is split in two).

if you've read this far, congratulations, have a treat of your choice. please be mindful and respect my opinion, thanks!

[jaybirdhitman]

Have some fnaf au DCA guys to break up my original content hehe. I've been sitting on these guys for a long while and wasn't comfortable with drawing the dca for quite some time( if you see my old au no you don't, i tried to make it in a time when I hated how I drew and ended up falling flat on that project) but my Ghost in the Machine by @/venomousqwille (go read that fic btw it's so fucking good and has fundamentally changed my life) rocketed me into hyperfixating and learning how to draw them, so have my own AU guys. More info under the cut!

They were from a fazbears in canada, not actually daycare attendants but performers in the theatre for kids music. Like the music in really young kids shows that teach them simple lessons. They were only in the daycare itself (which had human staff) when bringing kids to and from the theatre.

A virus swept through the whole plex and effected all of the bots, and since these guys weren't on their own nothing extreme happened (though a couple kids did get traumatized from scary performances and a couple parents did get hurt). After that virus was fixed it left the bots, the DCA's especially different, more aware of themselves in a way. Which kinda sucks because they realize dhow shit their existence was, and not long after that Fazco went under. The bots were auctioned off for money and a small record label managed to get their hand on all three of the DCAs in a plan to grow their label and have recognizable, not human performers. They got modifications and fixed up, made new and dropping the clown and child star looks to instead be more rockstar (the piercings and more punk look are entirely on the bots themselves btw,) And a few test songs and albums were made. With the growing synth rights happening they got a but more freedom in what they could do, tho were still owned by the record, and with the massive success of their music decided to change up their style and look to be more punk rock and hard rock. It was a hit, and the bots got a tour gig. With that style change also came the name changes, they chose their own names and fans loved it even more to see their fave synths giving themself identity.

[philsdrivinglicence]

Killing the white supremacist inside you. Easy mode. From one whitey to another.

Disclaimer: I am not an academic or an expert. Just a white person who's life was changed for the radically better during the BLM protests of 2020 who wants to share what worked for them.

Below is a non-comprehensive list of first steps you can take to begin the hard work of unpicking the layers upon layers of white supremacist bullshit baked into you from birth by the culture we live in (even if you grew up progressive or in a big city you are not exempt from this).

I made this list because POC in the phandom have been doing a lot of heavy lifting the past few days. I figured the least I could do is share what worked for me to understand what racism is and how its more subtle forms can manifest.

I hope we can all use the below as a starting point to help make the phandom a less racist and more welcoming place.

(btw I do think we are generally more self ware than many fandoms but as we are a mostly white space we have to keep ourselves accountable as white supremacy is an insidious bastard that will catch you unawares if you let it.)

So. Without further ado.

- read this article

- Read "Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race" by Reni Eddo Lodge (how you choose to source this book I will not judge but consider supporting a local book store)

- Stop being so afraid of being called racist. - Hopefully, if you are engaging in good faith then you already accept that racism is baked into our society. Racist is not a dogwhistle for "evil person". It is a descriptor of very specific behavior that we can all fall into if we don't keep ourselves sharp. So part 2 of this step is -

- Look back on your life and identify a time when you have participated in racism. My go to example is my 14 year old "never met a black person in real life" self, yelling along to N****s in Paris (uncensored, duh) at a house party with a bunch of other white 14 year olds. If you're getting really introspective you'll probably have multiple of these such moments. Sit with them, feel the cringe, think about what you might say to that version of yourself now, how you might have acted differently had you been aware the behavior was problematic. And then forgive yourself. Self flagellation does nothing good, the thing to do now is learn and progress. But you can't know what to change/avoid if you don't have examples to work off of. (This one is lowkey hard mode but worth doing early on so you can see your own progress over time. Also, if the examples you are thinking of were directly harmful you may also want to consider making amends in some way).

- Look at your playlists/album collection. If you don't see many/any POC musicians make a conscious effort to change that. Seek out interviews with your favourite artists and see which black artists have influenced them. Add them to your rotation.

- Do this with youtubers, authors, actors, screenwriters etc, etc. In all forms or art and entertainment, look at what you consume and if you find it overerall skewing white, make an effort to fill it with colour.

(Kill the voice inside you that says "I just prefer - blank-", or "the stuff they make just isn't for me, I prefer stuff I can relate to". This is the white supremacy talking, POC are not a monolith, look harder, you will find artists you connect with)

- Every time a POC points something out to you that seems off to them (I often refer to this as "this doesn't pass the sniff test") before jumping in to defend your fave/point of view/TV show etc. really sit with what they have said and try to consider why what they are pointing out, while not a big deal to you, could be a big deal to them.

Like I said up top, this is a non comprehensive list and is only intended as a starting point.

I usually wouldn't post something like this as I prefer to stay out of discourse but the conversation going on this past few days has really disappointed me. So many people are being dismissive toward POC fans and completely missing the points they are trying to make. So here's my two cents. Hope it's helpful.

[spearxwind]

heyyy im making a pirate character. got any pirate music recs

OH ABSOLUTELY

Alestorm (band) these guys make exclusively pirate themed music. Here's a rly charming music vid of one lmao (p.a.r.t.y. by alestorm) I'm also partial to fucked with an anchor cause i think its hilarious. But they have many bangers :)

Old Maui - Brave the Sea (its a metal cover of a known sea shanty. if you like the lyrics but not the genre you can find many different covers of it! Brave the Sea also does pirate themed music)

Thunder - pegboard nerds (Pirate themed bc of the soundbites but its electronic. btw!! this song is from the outlaw ocean project where music artists make jams with a sound library thats composed of solely audiobits from actual for real documentaries on modern pirates. You can find the project here its one of my fave things :3)

Unleashed (album) - two steps from hell (VERY GOOD ALBUM IM OBSESSED WITH. Neptune and mars is my fave track i have it on talas' playlist. Run free, impossible, and molto piratissimo are very good too)

The sea of thieves soundtrack fr. Many different jams all of them good, you can pick and choose which vibe you like. Some of my faves: Sea fort medley, becalmed (instrumental) and becalmed (sung), who shall not be returning and rise of the reapers

Salty seadog's tavern - Antti Martikainen

Eye of the storm - johnathan young (metal cover)

Barrett's privateers - johnathan young (metal cover collab)

Hoist the colours - peyton parrish (another metal cover. im obsessed with this mans covers tbh)

In case its not obvious the pirates of the caribbean soundtracks are a must. I dont think there's anyone on earth who hasnt seen those movies but on the off chance you havent: please do

ALSO I am tagging aer my beloved friend aer @silvaerial who is a pirate enthusiast in case they wanna add on any recs that i might have missed

[lakesandquarries]

i’m so autistic about hop along btw i love them SO much. if you’ve never heard them please please check them out espif you’re a fan of really visceral, kinda esoteric, almost story driven lyrics. tbh i think mountain goats enjoyers would probably like them! frances quinlan has such a raw energy to their voice and they’re not afraid to let their voice crack or go rough.

personally i think “waitress” might be my favourite song for the way frances sings this part

because on paper they just seem kinda. ???? but hearing them and the emotion in frances’s voice is absolutely breathtaking

or another fave is bruno is orange and this piece

which i’ve actually heard used on tiktok which makes me glad because hop along deserves recognition and this part is so!!! the whole song is about the singer trying to protect their lover from being punished for the two of them being together—i’ve seen some people read it as a young girl with an older man but i personally think the idea that its an interracial couple makes more sense specifically because of lines like this. the mother warns her daughter that the world is unsafe—but the mother is the one causing harm.

i could write essays about hop along okay they’re just. its so goddamn good. like okay another thought is the repeated motif of “strange to be shaped by such strange men” in bark your head off, dog, as a lyric that appears in multiple songs—i think it’s just not abel and what the writer meant but i might be wrong. but the fuxking THEMES and hold on i just thought of aomething

(first screenshot is from “sally II” from their album get disowned, second is from “not abel” from bark your head off, dog)

the repeated motif of talking to G-d and the question of why this person. in sally II, a random nobody who lives alone, who no one notices is dead until two days have passed; in not abel the very first murderer.

i’m rattling the bars of my cage i’m feral i love hop along so much 😭

this is so disjointed and i’m sorry i just need more people to hear them!!!! will rb this and add links to some of their music

[anambermusicbox]

okay so anyone following me can just politely scroll past this but the release of this album is genuinely so monumental, i just want to record some of my initial thoughts

every song sounds so incredibly good!!!! like first of all the production is absolutely god-tier, but with a cast of 钱雷, 尹约, 唐恬, 沃特艾文儿, 徐威, and 周天澈, how could it not be. but also, all of them have worked so closely with zhou shen over the years, so all the songs of this album just feel… so zhou shen. like it’s so him. it’s so perfect. in every single song you get to peer more into his worldview and that in itself is so 🥹

Track 3: “Restart” 重启 made me cry on the second listen. i felt emotional the first listen, but ig i didn’t pay as much attention to the lyrics (bc i have the chinese literacy of a grade schooler lol), but when he sang 太多次迷路 太多次失误 (“lost my way too many times, made mistakes too many times”) i started tearing up. especially with the lyrics related to trying to do his parents right, it just hit really close to home for me. and the line 重来几次才能清楚 (“it’s only clear after a few redos”)—personally it was a really healing song overall

Track 4: “The Memory Store” 记忆商店 is, if you forced me to choose, probably my fave from the album so far. it’s just straight up haunting. it’s so dystopian and so poetic. it makes me feel like, i can’t describe it properly, but do you know in the studio version of “Doomsday Spaceship” 末日飞船, in the bridge portion where zhou shen hums Clair De Lune, and its so haunting and full of wistfulness for a bygone time? that’s the closest description i can give you of how it feels.

when he sings 不虚拟的拥吻 想不想买 没噩梦的睡眠 耳边goodnight (“a non-fictitious kiss—do you want to buy? a sleep without nightmares, a goodnight in your ear”) is SO CHILLING AND SO SATISFYING AND SOUNDS SO GOOD its gonna be stuck in my head for the next few years. 他说想再荡个秋千 妈妈我想飞的高点 星球以光束穿越 妈妈我想落到地面 (“he says he wants to swing on the swings again—mom i want to go higher. the planet is travelling at the speed of light—mom i want to get off now”) okay brb i’m just gonna go into the woods and scream. 岛屿还未消失这个世界还曾下著雪 亲爱的我很抱歉 不朽的 没有了 没人记得 (“before the island disappeared, this world even used to snow. my dear, i’m so sorry—there’s nothing not decayed, no one remembers it”) SHENSHEN GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW BEFORE I GO CRAZY

Track 5: “Alarm” 警报 is uhhh. alarming. apparently the english name is The Giver which also fits really well. it’s such a direct and kind of chilling way for shenshen to remind us to take care of ourselves, but also this song is gonna haunt me in a whole different way. every single line goes so hard and has so many implications. i might try to translate it later but for now, if you know you know 😵‍💫

Track 6: “Mind Your Manners” 少管我 OUR BELOVED. SO CATCHY SO ADDICTIVE. apparently in his interview with cosmopolitan magazine (which i still haven’t read yet), shenshen says this song (WHICH BTW HE IS PARTIALLY CREDITED FOR IN THE COMPOSITION AND LYRICS) is written for shengmi. ”希望歌迷们对自己说的：当我决定好做自己的时候,谁也别管，也管不了” (loose translation: “its my hope that everyone will say to themselves: what i decide for myself, no one else should dictate it, nor can they dictate it.”)

[harrys-only-angel333]

Songs that remind me of my DR

Idfk I’m really bored rn and my music obsessed arse must write something about this…

I associate these songs for both good reasons and bad btw, cuz life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows ig

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y’all the OG came out the year I became famous but I’m respecting the fact that she owns this version :(

Anywayss, if you know this song, you’ll probably understand why I relate this song to my DR cuz it’s a fame one and that says it all :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Had to sing this with my band when we were on X Factor. We honestly ate ngl, though I do say so myself. Plus, my mum loves this song so that’s bonus points :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is probs my fave song (in both my CR and my DR) but I don’t really have one. It’s a fucking bop and idk why it’s on the b-side of that album istg

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I absolutely HATE this song with every fibre of my being. Which is why I’m putting it on here. My bandmates know I fucking hate this song and so they randomly send me the mv at 3am cuz they’re annoying little shits but I love them. They’re like my brothers - except my s/o cuz yeah

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To distract myself from the monstrosity above me, I shall move onto this song. I have like, 50 songs I associate with my DR s/o but imma put this one because it’s been stuck in my head all day. Anyways, I love my man <3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I sang this song for my X Factor audition. I slayed it, I know I did because DR me is amazing. I love me sm. If I sang this song in my CR, I would not be living and breathing today. But that’s unrelated, and I got yeses from all the judges so I ain’t complaining…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anywayyy that’s it ig :) 111 222 333 444 555 666

[pacdevil]

celeb au spite EP

there's a lot and i'll give a mini summary that gives u the jist of the au..... heh...

---

note: this is NOT the au i've been teasing and writing about, this is completely different unfortunately...... KSDFJKSFJSDKJF

so, amy is a popstar, believe it or not (smirks), and she's in a complicated situationship with sonic, who's a celebrity in his own right (mostly just for fighting eggman all the time)., and it's not visibly healthy in the slightest. They're together, then sonic breaks up with her, then they're together, etc etc. It's bad.

but one time, sonic gets caught cheating, once again, but not with a random person but another popstar (smile) and amy breaks up with him for the first time. and she finds herself getting away from the press and her emotions by finding metal sonic at a rave one night (a famous dj in the underground scene, not known well outside of those circles). they hit it off, and metal sonic thinks it's the real deal, even if they're keeping their relationship a secret, and even if amy seems to act oddly most days....

and in the worst way, metal sonic finds out one day that amy and sonic got back together, and amy ghosts her. even going to the point of not acknowledging metal sonic in public when she tries to see amy again. and this devastates her for a while, breaking her metaphorical heart, until her anger reaches a boiling point and she creates a spite EP collab with three other artists... one of which being the popstar sonic cheated on amy with.... smirks..

(these events are subject to change, but its the general idea i have for now<2)

---

The EP song list

i drew the whole concept on one page, which is why a lot of the scenes overlap in the shots. this is mostly for giving the characters outfits and the scenes for the music video<2 and yes, all four songs are in one music video.. imagine with me.....<222

Band Members:

DJ Speedway (Metal Sonic): vocals, mixer & lyricist; stunt double for once scene.

MinaMina (Mina Mongoose): vocals, lyricist, guitar & bass. she's the other popstar sonic was with smirks

E. RavenWave (Wave the Swallow): drums; she's known as a popular and talented drummer online and appears in collabs with other artists

DJ Absolution (Silver the Hedgehog): keyboard, synth & mixer; less popular dj in the same scene as Metal Sonic. friends with both her and RavenWave

we got the various put together or disheveled suit look for the outfits of this EP; wave doesn't have a tie, mina has a tied up handkerchief, silver has a imperfect bowtie, and metal sonic has a loose-fitting tie

Song Tracks:

im gonna explain very generally here, but always assume the worst<2 also all these songs are by set it off and from the same album 'duality' if you don't use spotify

(Listen along if you want, btw<2)

Bad Guy

A duet duel meanings and shared feelings. its very backstreet boys in the rain but they're still having fun. mina and metal sonic dance and are having a good time despite their heart-breakers making them look bad on tv

N.M.E.

yet metal sonic isn't satisfied, and all four of them go back in time to stop his past self from getting involved with amy in the first place. smirks... imagine p!tad sins not tragedies...

WISC

(dw about coral!silver in the corner skdsksk)

now its amys turn to be put in a bad light, as she's thrown out of the church and into the downtown bustle. the tvs lighting up the night with talk shows, podcasts, comment. yt., etc; and they're all talking about her. with metal sonic making her out to be the toxic, manipualtive person she really is

The Haunting

my fave of the four- there's too much to explain here, i highly recommend just listening to the song. it explains itself dkdfkskskd but very generally: metal sonic is haunting amy in her own home, and she wakes up at the end of the song in her bed from her nightmare

---

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

friend i listened to “spring thief” by yorushika and it’s been on repeat for the past hour… please give other song recs by yorushika that you like 🫡 ALSO YOUR FIC WAS SO PRECIOUS AND THE SONG WORKED SO BEAUTIFULLY WITH YOUR WRITING/REALLY ENHANCED THE VIBE OMFG oh 2 live in an apartment w sashisu and get breakfast made daily by suguru <3 - @dollsuguru

KAIROOO MY ANGEL i still haven’t read ur rb of the fic (saving it as a treat for later today :3 hehe) BUT TYSM FOR READING AND FOR UR KIND WORDS ILYSM 🥺🥺🥺 with that being said ……..

WAHHHHH I’M SOOO OVERJOYED THAT U LISTENED TO THE SONG???? ISN’T IT AMAZING????? yorushika makes me fully insane they’re my favorite band Ever hhhhh i’m so glad u thought it added to the fic 😭😭 their songs are all super nostalgic and bittersweet and summery so they’re just . perfect for sashisu & stsg.. u asked for more recs so ofc i will deliver >:3

i genuinely don’t think there’s a single yorushika song that doesn’t hit so i have like 25873 favorites BUT here are some standouts….. some have mvs and others don’t but yorushika’s lyrics are genuinely so so beautiful and incredible so i’ll make sure the links take u somewhere u can read them <3

blooming in that summer

my absolute favorite <333 like, absolute favorite. it changed my life. i want to live in it. the lyrics are insane the instrumental is out of this world and the final chorus always always gets to me. i’ve cried listening to it bc it’s just so so good AND it’s also the most stsg song ever so i cry when i listen to it and think of them (someone made an animatic of stsg with this song that quite literally lives in my brain rent free u can find it here) <33

hachigatsu, bou, tsukiakari

another of my absolute absolute faves!! lyrics are so good i cried, instrumental is so good i cried, and the final chorus . makes me cry. notice how i’m already repeating myself bc literally all of these songs are incredible in every possible way aaa ALSO the singing 😵‍💫😵‍💫 esp at the end. there’s so much emotion in it and it makes me sick actually whewww

replicant

another absolute favorite :33 (i’m gonna be saying this for all of them i think but i mean it sincerely ok…) kairo this one makes me ill. it’s so gojo coded. it’s Him. the lyrics just remind me of him sm (they’re incredible btw the final line makes me batshit insane) AND THE INSTRUMENTAL??? might be my fave yorushika instrumental ngl don’t quote me on that tho 🙏🙏 just such a lovely summery song it smells like seasalt and tastes like clouds :3

kamisama no dance

AAAA ANOTHER ABSOLUTE FAVORITE kairo this one is getocoded. i knowwww you’ll understand. some of my favorite yorushika lyrics Ever and that’s saying a lot. it also has crazy lore bc it’s connected to this whole story being told in some of yorushika’s albums and :((( yeahhh. this one feels kairocoded to me but that might just be bc it’s so getocoded LMAO i have a feeling you’ll like it though!!

robber and bouquet

THIS ONE IS SOOO LOVELY the instrumental…. 😵‍💫😵‍💫 i love it sm. i’d say this one is kinda different from classic yorushika stuff but in a very good way!! also i’m legally obliged to inform u that this one is tojicoded as HELL i associate him w the lyrics so much…. also i adoreee the way suis sings in this one her voice is so gorgeous wowowow… the sense of fatigue…… so good

just a sunny day for you

A CLASSIC but for very good reasons . the mv is just gorgeous, the lyrics are stunning and the instrumental is sooo nostalgic and summery n bittersweet :((( just the best. sashisu coded also!!!

aaaand finally here’s their yt channel!! there are so many other songs i adore that i wanted to mention but i think these r enough for now 😭 oh but here’s also a yt channel that makes lyric videos for their songs in case u wanna find some more!! :3

[sageistri]

There's a section of boycotters - and this isn't all of them but a definite section of them - that have just completely started hating on BTS because of their silence on the issue. And honestly if this is a red line, just unstan? I'm not sure why they're waiting for BTS to break the laws associated with their enlistment. Like how is this your only focus? Unstan and focus on Palestine full-time.

Sincerely I'm not trying to be a dick but the effort they're putting talking about it constantly online and trying to, I don't know...make BTS speak on this issue versus the reward in this case is what? Complete dream scenario every member comes out and condemns it, donates and Hybe magically removes scooter Braun. Apart from the money, I just don't see how any of that helps actual Palestinians to the extent that this is the entire focus of this section of pro-boycott armys. Also the extent of their action plan to make BTS speak on it (not Hybe btw but BTS), seems to be to spam members or their family members Insta and make snarky remarks online. My brother in Christ there has to be a better use for your time than bitching about Park Jimin donating to underprivileged children...

I will say some of them are trying to just utilize the community of "army" to amplify things related to Palestine which is fine. Even targeting scooter makes sense to me since he uses his platform as a zionist tool. But for some armys, looking at their feed, it's definitely feels performative to me. If the extent of your activism is retweeting and worrying about when BTS is going to speak on this, then I fear your priorities are totally messed up.

I don't really like the idea of using their enlistment as the reason why they haven't spoken up even if it most likely is because they could end up saying something or donating and everyone who claimed they couldn't say anything because of their service would be accused of all kinds of things.

But yes while I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting BTS to show their support, I do not get why that's the sole focus like BTS saying something would suddenly make everything ok, it seems to be more for themselves than Palestine at this point, also I do not like how these people have given kpop stans an avenue to call BTS out while ignoring their own faves. I'm seeing multi stans who barely talk about BTS and kpop stans join in asking for BTS to be boycotted but you scroll through their tweets and you're sure to find something showing that they've been supporting some other kpop groups new album.

Why is the conversation always centered around BTS and not everyone else? Another example of how all kpop groups have always ridden on their backs, they get the hate and criticism in lieu of everyone else. The same thing happened in 2020 because why was the whole of Twitter including western stans all asking BTS to speak up but asked no other kpop group not even bp who were their competitors and had just as much social media reach as them. And the minute BTS spoke up I never saw other kpop groups being asked to speak up. It just doesn't make sense to me.

[knickynoo]

Music to Write to Master List

I rely very heavily on music when I'm writing and have curated a handful of playlists over the years and discovered several albums that really help me get into Writing Mode and set the scene. I thought I'd put together a post sharing some of my favorite instrumentals. (These sources are also fantastic for wandering around aimlessly while intensely daydreaming, btw. I know this from personal experience)

Everything under a cut, since this will be long. All included links will redirect to Spotify, but I'll include titles and artists so they can be found elsewhere.

I AM CRAFTING AN ENTIRE CINEMATIC MASTERPIECE IN MY HEAD, AND I NEED THE SOUNDTRACK TO BE...

Full of beauty/emotion/hope

• The Musical Journey by Jonas B. Ingebretsen: cannot stress enough how much I love this one. It's the entire hero's journey in a single album. It is PERFECT for sending your little Mind Blorbos on a quest. Highly recommend listening to it in order and all the way through. His recent album, The Musical Journey Pt 2 is also great.

• Pinnacle by Steven Coltart and Marcus Warner: Some gorgeous music in here. In particular, "Stories of Hope" and "Earth" are two of my favorites.

• Coming Home by Soundcritters

• The First Five Years by Denny Schneidemesser

• Emotion by Keith Merrill

• Unfolding Beauty by Stephen Tait & Tom Tideway

• Letters From Earth by Colossal Trailer Music

Tinged with sadness and full of longing

• A Way Home and The Traveler by Omar Raafat

• Disaster is Restless by The Defiant Heart

• Better by Now and Somewhere Else by From Somewhere Quiet

• Drift Ten by The Echelon Effect

• The Stories We Forgot by Andreas Kubler

• Believe by James Paget

Jam-packed with action

• Epic Action: Fight to the Last Ship, Distorted: Rock and a Hard Place, Strength to Believe, and Blaze of Glory by Epic Score: these are just 4 of the over 40 albums they have, so seriously, check them out for all your action and adventure needs. The Rock and a Hard Place one is a top fave of mine.

• Grimoire by Soundcritters

• Time Traveller by Peter Roe

• Future Heroes III by Future Heroes

Rife with crimes/mysteries/secret missions

• Crimescene by Soundcritters

• The Truth Has Been Redacted and Conviction by Luke Richards

• Crime Thriller Score by Dylan Love

• Mission Tension 1 and Mission Tension 2 by Stephen Tait

• Mystery Solved: Film Noir Detective Jazz by Various Artists

Filled with pirates/generally take place on the water

• Drowning Abyss by Colossal Trailer Music

• Set Sail for the Golden Age by Anti Martikainen

• Oceans by Marcus Warner

Whimsical/weird

• Pizz and Pieces 2 and Pizz and Pieces 3 by Thomas Howe, Stephen Tait, and Tom Tideway: Please listen to these, please please they are so delightful and bouncy and perfect for characters Partaking in Shenanigans

• Awkward Comedy Beds also by Stephen Tait and Thomas Howe: I have no idea what that title means but the music is amazing and silly plz listen

• Pomp and Whimsy and Pomp and Whimsy 2 by Howe/Tait (from above) and Alexander Rudd: for when you want silly antics but like...more proper. "Mischief at the Manor" and "A Royal Kerfuffle" delight me.

• You know what? This whole list is from these same artists, so just check it all out. Special shout out to How Very British and Cheeky Beats

Yeehaw! Giddyup! and so on

• High Noon: Vintage Cowboy Music of the Old West by Various Artists

• Vagabond by Gary O'Slide

• Americana Blues and Rock by Thomas Howe and Stephen Tait

Back in Time Babeyyy

• Vintage Jazz Instrumental by Vintage Cafe

• 40s Instrumental Music by 40s Instrumental Music (lol)

• Instrumental Love Songs of the 50s by Various Artists

• 50s and 60s Wild Guitar Instrumentals by Various Artists

• 60s Instrumentals for Dances and Groovers by Various Artists

• 70s Instrumental Greatest Hits by Various Artists

• 80s Instrumental Greatest Hits by Various Artists

Sorry, no 90s because I didn't like any of the instrumental collections

BONUS!

• Music That Hurts by Me: a collection of some of my favorite instrumental pieces that make me feel like I've been punched in the gut and am being turned inside out. But you know. In a good way. Favorites include "Sometimes" by Goldmund, "Places I Remember" by Kristoffer Wallin, and "Stop Everything! It's Snowing" by Good Weather for an Airstrike (that last one in particular is good at making me sob for some reason)

• Writing by Me: This is my gigantic writing playlist that contains a huge mix of some of my favorite "mellow" instrumentals. Many of the above listed artists are on it, but it contains, um...a whole lot more. It's 102 hours long, and has assisted me through many a writing session over the years.

And there you go. I hope that other writers & daydreamers find some things they can take from here and add to their own playlists :)

[elkkiel]

okay so i listened to the summoning and take me back to eden (it autoplayed so i figured i might as well listen it to it) and. wow. not what i expected at all! i'm a big fan of songs shifting genres and it looks like they do that for all of their songs so thats really cool!!

i would love to listen to any more reccomendations you have, since typically i enjoy music that's faster paced. i really really liked the summoning though, and the lyrics for take me back to eden. wow. like. WOW. i did research into their lore and it bangs so damn hard

thanks for the rec :)

(also, sorry about the a/b/o stuff with other fandoms :( i love talking about it for pwp reasons and socioeconomic theorizing reasons so my blog is a safe place for that stuff if you want :))

I am absolutely elated that you like what you've heard so far!!!! And also so so sorry for the rabbit hole you're going to fall down with these guys

I would honestly recommend the whole Take Me Back to Eden album as a new listener—I looped it for practically a month straight when I first found them haha. It's a great sampler of their range and by far the most refined, cohesive release of their main 3 LPs.  

Beyond just getting you to listen to a whole album in one sitting, here's some of their popular songs/singles:

(Btw, there's a TON of good live recordings for some of these as well; they sound just as good, if not better, on stage as they do in-studio)

Alkaline

This is the one with the sexy banner/mic stand stroking lol. It's a sensual, synth-y intro leading into a hell of a headbanger with chuggy guitars

The Summoning

Mentioning this for the live performances in particular. Vessel goes CRAZY with his live vocals, there's a huge drum solo in that atmospheric part, and a LOT of on-stage shenanigans to be had. It's the song that made them blow up HARD, and for a good reason.

Rain (ty @tonguetyd for the rec lol, here's a last-minute addition)

This is another great sample of Vessel's vocals, especially in the intro. It starts slower with the solo piano but gets really powerful in the second half. A personal and fan-favourite for sure!

Hypnosis

If you vibe with Alkaline, you'll vibe with Hypnosis. It's like ultra-concentrated, pathetic sopping wet paper towel levels of yearning with groovy, heavy breakdowns

The Offering

A setlist staple that'll make you want to dive headfirst into the nearest mosh pit. This is a good example of the music tying into the lore/story behind the band as well, if you're interested in that kind of lore analysis

Jaws

An oldie but a fan favourite! It might just be me but it kinda gives me Bring Me the Horizon vibes, so if you like them then you'll probably like Jaws as well

Vore

Yes, it's called Vore. Welcome to Sleep Token lol. It's one of their heaviest songs with lots of harsh vocals (Vessel really shows off his higher range here) and super groovy, dynamic instrumentals. Personal fave tbh, it's at the top of my Spotify repeats playlist

And finally, the lore 🥰🥰 I've only been here a short time and still have yet to discover a lot of their story, but here's an overview of the band history and lore, as well as an in-depth interview with Vessel from 2017. They like to add a lot of Easter eggs to their releases (they created a whole ass alphabet/cypher to go along with Take Me Back to Eden), and the fans go WILD with theories and analysis!

Anyways I'm gonna cut off the infodump there haha. Please let me know what you think and if you run across anything else (songs, lore, etc.) that you liked!!

(Also ty for the omega solidarity 😌 the sleep token fandom is so much fun and still exists in the same weirdo-freak realm as dtblr omegaverse-enthusiasts lol. There's just far less *actual* omegaverse here.

I've been spoiled by the sheer amount of a/b/o content and normalization in the dteam fandom that normal amounts of fandom a/b/o feel like total deprivation. If you ever feel like sharing I'm always down for theories and headcanons too btw. It's such a fun, complex trope and I love to see what others think)

[reindeer-spotting]

abt your pinned post.

btw what CDs do you like? any fave albums you wanna share?

i am so glad you asked :^D

heres a photo i took of some of my favourites! ill list them &why i like them so much below the cut :^3

i voted for kodos - close enough for ska; an album a like a lot from a relatively unknown ska band

him - razorblade romance; cool album, cool cd, plus bonus disc which is why i really like it :^3

cassette - emo/nothing to do; i got this for a dollar at a second hand record store and its really quite good. very little about them online also. the online versions ive seen of this album/e.p. on discogs &last fm are called "nothing to do" but mine is branded as "emo", not sure why

baumer - were it not for you; album of all time. another unknown band that i feel very lucky to have a licensed physical album by. really love this one

kiss kiss - reality vs the optimist; another album i love very much from an unknown band.

your best friend - your best friend; one of if not my favourite emo album of all time. unknown band again... love this album

the stiletto formal - ¡fiesta, fiesta, fiesta, fiesta!; nother unknown band ... love this album so bad...

reel big fish - why do they rock so hard?; i love reel big fish a lot and this was the first cd by them i ever got :^3 special place in my heart. no front insert bcs its a poster on my wall at the moment B^)

korn - make me bad; cool little single! feel very korny owning it ... some remixes on here that i actually havent yet heard, im a slacker lol i should be ripping all my cds but just havent gotten around to it

[volaile]

tagged by my brother @beesnutz :P

last song you listened to: descent by fear factory

last movie you watched: the new hunger games!! went to see it at the cinema with two friends :) it was good, unsettling exactly where it needed to be (which was. most of the time LOL) and its managed to pull off the 'act as a standalone but still have room for a sequel if someone wanted to' balance v well. and id watch a sequel! but overall i cant lie i prefer the original trilogy...

currently watching: house md on my own, im on season 7 rn and [spoilers] have finally left huddy hell. i love masters btw my friend masters ❤️she just had her first main pov ep and it was a good un. im also watching doctor who when mine gustes and peris schedules line up, and also taskmaster with guste :)

other things you’ve watched this year: ummmm lots but some of my faves are still across the spiderverse, also limitless and alien, and also american psycho but thats sort of from last year, i watched it nye with nami and it hit 2023 like halfway through for me LOL

currently reading: money by martin amis!! its good ive read time's arrow by him before too. he's got a fun way of writing but idk how i feel about him putting himself as a character in this one lol???!!! also i guess i technically have a few other books on the go too but tbh im not actively reading them... btw if anyone wants my goodreads send me a dm !!! i would love more friends on there

currently listening to: my albums 2023 playlist which is um. 1500 songs strong still. i swear ive listened to plenty its just that i keep adding more oopsy doopsy

currently working on: editing my longish nrmts fic so that i can finally start the last three out of ten chappys.... problem is is that im doing this mostly at work when the bars quiet LOL. im also trying to draw more frequently!! ive made it as easy and low stakes as possible for myself (using a biro in some small lined notebook, means i dont get fixated on making things look perfect and also means i dont need to fill up too much space to finish a full page) but its still a habit in progress ....

current obsession: honestly probably the gym. im following what i guess based on exercises and number of sets and reps would be considered a powerbuilding program?? october saw me doing proper strength building work for the first time Ever rather than just hypertrophy/muscle building and ive finally started doing bench press using an actual barbell rack set up!!! and i really like it :P

ok thats it thank u. all the crans my lovely crans have been tagged i believe so i'll also tag @sevenyeargap @bardicspiration and @adultfiendfinder ❤️ and anyone else who wants to do it go hog wild ok byeeee

[bthump]

Since another asker is talking about Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo, I want to recc a few GriffGuts songs by them too! "The grudge", "lacy" and "get him back!" fit them super well, and they're all from Olivia's GUTS album lol. Taylor's 1989 vault tracks "now that we don't talk," "say don't go", "is it over now?" (and even "suburban legends" for a modern au) are pretty perfect for them too! I love thinking abt them in the context of teen breakup albums, bc it puts into context how young (cont.)

(cont.) they were when all the shit went down oof. (And Ribs by Lorde is another White Girl Song™ that's super GriffGuts coded lmao, especially the last part). Btw, out of curiosity~ I know you have a gigantic drive with GriffGuts songs, but if you had to select a top 15, what would they be? (Based on the criterias of how much you like the songs and how much they fit the dynamic). My top 1 for those dramatic dumbasses will always be No Children by The Mountain Goats, bc that shit slaps hard

Sorry this response took a while lol, I like to listen to every song people suggest, and I've been busy with Christmas stuff for a bit.

Oh yeah totally agree with your picks, especially The Grudge and Say Don't Go! Honestly teen breakup songs are often pretty fitting for them lol, it suits the drama and yeah, the fact that they are technically teens in the Golden Age, which can be easy to forget. Also yeah lol No Children is one of my faves too, it's one of those songs where like, if I can apply it to a ship you know it's a great ship lol.

As for my own faves, I actually don't have my Berserk playlist available right now because I moved laptops and my music playlists got left behind so I have to find where they are on the last laptop and I'm lazy, so I'm going off memory lol.

So yeah, idk if these are always gonna be my top 15 Griffguts songs, but this is what I'm feeling right now, in no particular order:

Once Upon a Dream - Lana Del Rey The Moth - Aimee Mann Take Me - Sisyphus You'll Follow Me Down - Skunk Anansie Drag - Placebo You Had Me - Hannah Fury Devotion - Tracy Chapman Without You I'm Nothing - Placebo ft Bowie I Don't Have Anything - VAST Like a Friend - Pulp Ruin - The Pierces Black Heart - Hey Rosetta! You're the Storm - The Cardigans I Against I - Mos Def + Massive Attack Because of You - Skunk Anansie

I'm also gonna link these two playlists I made. Some of the songs are repeats, but lots aren't.

Thanks for the ask, and your patience!