#my guy I listen to Carly Rae Jepsen and THIS is the song you choose as an example of happy music I listen to???

[tsuchinokoroyale]

This is so fucking funny

Famously happy song that begins with:

🎵I have a mandolin, I play it all night long,

It makes me want to kill myself 🎶

[lightningmickqueen]

formula 1 drivers as karaoke songs

yuki tsunoda: don’t go breaking my heart except he’s doing both parts because pierre didn’t want to stand up

alex albon: a thousand miles

george russell: i’m gonna be (500 miles) because idk if you guys know this but george russell is british (gasp!)

fernando alonso: fernando by abba but specifically this one edm version of it i’ve been obsessed with for the last 2 years. if the karaoke place doesn’t have it he will provide his own backing

lewis hamilton: total eclipse of the heart. he’s also actively turning around every time he sings “turn around” but it works because he is sir lewis hamilton 

esteban ocon: my heart will go on by celine dion. he sings it staring at pierre 

pierre gasly: bad blood by taylor swift. he is slut dropping and glaring at esteban who is staring smugly back 

max verstappen: good time by owl city and carly rae jepsen because he wants to get it over with so he chooses a song that’s not TOO awful but is bland enough that by the time it’s over people forgot he sang at all 

charles leclerc: i want it that way. he loves it. i bet he listens to this song constantly. during race weekends you’ll hear a quiet “NOW NUMBER FIVE” coming from his drivers room. he chooses the song during karaoke so he can scream it

lance stroll: don’t stop believing. this man thinks he is finn hudson and also i think he’s fully powered by the belief of one man (lawrence)

carlos sainz: hair by little mix. he’s got a choreographed dance too but dw it’s SUPER no homo he just thinks his hair is amazing and interprets the song as supporting that

lando norris: angels by robbie williams. everyone begs him not to but by the time he’s feeling weak and his pain walks down a one way street everybody is feeling it and groovy and loving angels instead ❤️  

nico hülkenberg: sweet caroline. this man has no personality other than being tall and german and he wants to make sure you know that

zhou guanyu: turn the beat around. he can hit those notes and he looks good doing it prove me wrong.

sergio perez: before he cheats by carrie underwood because he very emphatically wants people to know he did NOT cheat on his wife because clearly she didn’t do any of these things so it didn’t happen! also a banger

kevin magnussen: hit me with your best shot (kmag edition) aka he takes it so personally anyway it’s the best performance of the night 

logan sargeant: jolene. idk anything about this man but i believe in my heart he would belt out dolly 

valtteri bottas: love shack by the b-52s. he also listens to this song unironically on his own

honorary grid members (third drivers and recent pensioners):

daniel ricciardo: wannabe by the spice girls. it’s the only song he has memorized and he knows all the parts. he’s going for that second red bull seat he’s got incentive and he’s gotta get with christian’s friends (wife)

mick schumacher: fuck you by lily allen because he’s got so much rage but he’s still so polite! 

sebastian vettel: hey jude and it’s not even the single version it’s the full 7 minute 11 second one but no one minds because 1) it’s seb 2) it means they don’t have to listen to latifi sing 

nicholas latifi: absolutely anything by britney but it’s always a car crash (ha) so it’s queued at the end and there’s just not enough time to get to it so the world lives to see another day

romain grosjean: i will survive

[seungcheolsboyfriend]

i was tagged by the wonderful @1of1woo ^^ list 10 songs you're currently listening to & tag 10 people!

1. change up - seventeen. honestly i'm Always listening to this it's just so. Good. ♡

2. pray for me - the weeknd ft kendrick lamar. real talk i'm real gay for abel & his voice in this is.. ah 💓💘 anyway this song makes me wanna see black panther even more tbh.

3. my my my! - troye sivan. a certified Gay Bop(tm).

4. my flower - jbj. i'm still super in love with this song. the edm parts make my heart so happy~

5. secrets - the weeknd. this is my Fave song of his tbh. everything about it is good? plus the chorus borrows a line from one of my fave 80s tunes which just makes me love it more?

6. cypher pt 3: killer - bts. lbr you don't get more iconic than rapping about your flowjobs cajoling other rappers & your tongue "sending men & women to hong kong". thank you to my lord & saviour yoongi. namjoon & hoseok also kill it dgmw.

7. run away with me - carly rae jepsen. name a more legendary tune. i dare you.

8. born this way (the entire album) - lady gaga. this answer is cheating but!! i literally can't choose just one song off this album. it's my fave album of all time. so many bops. truly Iconique. 11/10.

9. thinkin about you - seventeen. this song just makes me smile? & bop in my seat? Thank You seventeen for blessing us with such good sounds all the time.

10. hey mama! - exo-cbx. so the first time i listened to this song i was like "the guy that does the 'aw yeah - are you ready?' part sounds hot" & it turns out it was baekhyun & i was already crushing on him from watching their vids so yeah. truly a bias meant to be. anyway this song has maroon 5 vibes & i really dig it.

i tag @hayleykiyokoo @seokhannie @soonsboy @wonhooon @dinosboyfriend @chanhuii @sunmiandtaeminsavedthemamas @vernoniechwe @sapphicjoonie & @gayrapline !!

[theinbisibleman]

“I thought I was white”

When I was a kid, I thought I was white. I woke up and ate the sugary white people cereal for breakfast, I watched the idyllic families on white people TV, listened to the nonsense lyrics of white people music (this one is @Hanson for MMMBop and @LFO for their entire discography), and then went to school with my white friends. It never occurred to me that I was different. Sure, my name was not as easy to pronounce as “Chase” or “Rob” or another name that is also just a verb. My name is Jerwin Gabriel Santiago, which roughly translates to my parents are lazy, Catholic, and racially confusing to white people. We can break this down a little further.

First, lazy. Let me qualify that my parents are the hardest working, most ambitious and determined people I’ve met in my whole life and that would hold true even if I met either Serena or Venus Williams. However, my father’s name is Erwin and my older brother’s name is Erwin Jr. My parents, like a college student who started their twelve-page midterm paper on civil disobedience at 11:30pm when it’s due at midnight (@me during my first year of college), hopelessly scrambled for a name. Out of literally infinite amounts of names, they decided to tactfully pluck the “J” from “Jr.” and delicately place it onto “Erwin”. My brother inherited the legacy of my father’s name almost monarchically and I was left with the off-brand version of it. You know when Aldi is trying to come up with a name for Fruit Loops so they just change it to Fruit Rounds and hope no one notices? Yeah, that’s what my entire existence felt like. I was so embarrassed by the obscurity of my name until I started shopping at Aldi and realized that, just like me, Fruit Rounds were more reasonably priced, more accessible, and (I’ll say it!) WAY TASTIER than Fruit Loops (mostly due to the reasons listed before)!

Next, Catholic: my parents are Christmas-and-Easter Catholics who will occasionally lecture me about how God is the most important force in our lives a propos of nothing. We could silently be eating at a Cheesecake Factory and my mom will set aside ten minutes to remind me that God blessed us with overpriced cheesecake and fake Italian food. The name Gabriel is derived from the angel Gabriel who served as God’s messenger, relaying important and formative pieces of information to various biblical characters. Now, I am not very religious because at the early ages of me attempting to memorize prayers, I had already filled my entire brain with Kelly Clarkson lyrics. However, I feel like I carry on Gabriel the Angel’s legacy after one glass of wine and a quick listen to any song off Carly Rae Jepsen’s Emotion album. I often find myself delivering almost Shakespearian monologues to people (close friends and complete strangers alike) whenever I am within 5 feet of a bottle of cheap wine (Aldi’s Winking Owl Bordeaux is my go-to) (and yes, this is me begging for an Aldi sponsorship). Often times I will deliver a 20-minute monologue with these phrases strung together in a random order: “you are a powerful force that deserves love”, “you inspire me with your joy”, and “you’re gonna go so far”. So, despite my lack of saliency to my Catholic upbringing, I believe the name Gabriel is entirely fitting (and, honestly, kind of hot).

Finally, racially confusing to white people. Countless white people read my last name and become visibly confused upon their first look at my face. I’ve got a Spanish last name, several “Asian” facial characteristics, and a skin color I could only describe as “Liberal Studies College Pamphlet-Brown” (i.e. a sort of panethnic skin tone meant to encompass all people of color to convince you a college “cares about diversity”) which is synonymous with “Would Be Asked to Portray Any Ethnic Person in Pop Culture on SNL-Brown”. I had a grade school friend of five years once say to me “Wait, you’re not Mexican?” so shocked that I heard a record scratch like in a 90’s rap music video. This was just one of the many times of my early adolescence that I had to confront my racial identity. I am Filipino; meaning, I mark “Asian” on all my forms, my entire family is 100% Filipino, and am thrust into all the sociopolitical standards and implications of my Asian identity.

At home, I was constantly reminded of my Asian-ness and, as a byproduct of my predominantly white surroundings, my overwhelming Other-ness. My mom is a powerful woman who carries herself with admirable strength and poise. My dad is a loud-talking, lively man full of passion and authority. The strong guidance of these two taught me work ethic, perseverance, and hope. On paper, these qualities sound perfect. There was one flaw though: we weren’t white. We weren’t what I saw in practically every direction I turned. So, I tried running from that.

Every opportunity I had, I would beg my parents to buy Lunchables at the supermarket or pack me a ham and cheese sandwich instead of rice and some traditional Filipino dish out of fear of being made fun of in the cafeteria. I hated being asked if I “ate dog” when I pulled out chicken adobo and rice. I hated looking to my left and right and not seeing a single Ziploc Tupperware container that looked like mine. Even worse, I hated looking to my left and right and not seeing a person that looked like me.

I thought I was white. Grade school Jerwin was crushed the day that his mother sat him down, looked him right in the eyes, and said, “Mommy gets paid less than white men who do less work at her job. We are different. We have to work twice as hard to get half as far.” I felt like a mutant in the X-Men cartoons I would watch every day. I felt like a blue little monster that just wanted to teleport away or change how I looked or do whatever Beast did. Smash things and grow chest hair? Besides the point. I felt defeated and now there was no running from it. No matter how much Lucky Charms I ate, or how many episodes of Full House I watched, or how many Rivers I Cried (sweet Justin Timberlake reference, you don’t even have to tell me), I was still Asian.

As I’ve grown up, I’ve received and will continue to receive several rude awakenings. I read about psychological experiments done that prove names are sometimes the key factor in who employers choose for a position, mostly at the detriment of the more ethnic sounding name. I learn about the toxicity of the “Model Minority” standard that many Asians are forced into and how its presence in Western culture is destructive to all people of color. I am “pretty funny for a brown guy”. I get labeled “the brown friend” like I’m some kind of one dimensional supporting role in a mid-2000’s romantic comedy. I get asked if I “tark rike dis”. I get confused for other brown people. I get called “Mocha” or “Japanese-Chinese-Caramel-Man” (both actual things I was called by actual humans). I am referenced as “the crazy little Asian boy�� or “the oriental one” at work. I get talked over by white people in academic or professional spaces. I am minimized and silenced in predominantly white comedy venues.

However, as I’ve grown up, I’ve also grown stronger. No longer am I the seven-year-old weeping in the aisle of a Jewel-Osco, asking for a pizza Lunchables, which were horrible anyways. Does it still hurt to get microaggressed? Absolutely. Will I and all other people of color continue to face discrimination? Absolutely. But now I stand taller, ready to put in the work my mother warned me about.

I am not white. I am proudly Filipino. I am proud of my skin. I am proud of my Tupperware full of Sinigang and rice. I am proud of my Asian-ness – my Other-ness. I am Jerwin Gabriel Santiago, and I am not white.

[xxmichaelmyersxx]

I was tagged by @jonathansbaratiddies

rules: answer 30 questions and tag 20 blogs you wanna get to know better

gender: I’m a guy

star sign: Capricorn

height: 5″8 last time I checked

time: 10:07 AM

fav bands: Queen, Lemon Demon (i don’t listen to much music I’m boring lmao)

fav solo artists: Griffin McElroy, Carly Rae Jepsen

song stuck in my head: Don’t Fear The Reaper

last movie i watched: Captain America: Civil War

last show i watched: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (I rewatched some of Part 1)

when did i create my blog: 2015?

what do i post: on this account: Post about whatever show or game I’m currently into (and by post, I mean reblog)

last thing i googled: Best DS Rpg’s

do i have other blogs: No

do i get asks: Not often

why did i choose my url: Hamon was fucking gold and I miss it

following: Anyone who shares interests with me

followers: like 12 real people

fav colours: Darker shades of Purple, Golden Yellows and Forest Greens!

average sleeping hours: Like 4-6

what am i wearing: Pajamas (T-Shirt and Sweatpants)

dream job: Voice Acting or any type of acting

dream trip: Space, being the first person on Mars would be a dream

favourite food: I am very white so it’s probably garlic bread

nationality: German, Indian, English, and Irish (From what I’ve been told, I need a DNA test)

fave song right now: Cabinet Man (Lemon Demon)  I don’t really follow many blogs so I would like to know a little more about @cloryinthehouse and that’s it

[agentxiii]

❛  GET  TO  KNOW  ABC’S :  MUN  EDITION .

a .  age :  [ tay swizzle voice: ] twenny-twooooooo b .  birthplace :  sydney, straya m8 c .  current  time : 2pm-ish aedt ( q’d. ) d .  drink  you  had  last :  frose ( slushee rose ) e .  easiest  person(s)  to  talk  to :  uhhhh defs emmy, fatima and carlos ( on my personal, aka my lucky three ), otherwise li ( @dislikespeople​ ), kc ( @cxpt​ ), chey ( @thcenemy​ ), and alex ( @elzabths​ ) aka my squad-but-they-don’t-rlly-know-they-are-my-squad ily (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ f .  favorite  song(s) :  as sb who is so deeply connected to music I can’t choose ???? but uh i love: not me, not i by delta goodrem, breaking your own heart by kelly clarkson, fever by carly rae jepsen, crush by jennifer paige, but uh… most definitely, probably forever and for always by shania twain, my #weddingsong ! h .  horror  yes  or  horror  no :   horror maybe. depends on what it is, i can take p much anything. i .  in  love ? :   married to sb who steals my gummy bears and sour straps. :/ j .  jealous  of  people :   not much.  k .  killed  someone :  which way ? ( ofc 9589257825724 times……….. in my head ) l .  love  at  first  sight  or  should  i  walk  by  again ? :  you seen that ring on my left 4th finger ? m .  middle  name :  … not gonna say here. n .  number  of  siblings :   3 o .  one  wish :  cure for cancer or for a sharon carter standalone tv series. q .  question  you’re  always  asked :  … when i’m going to have kids ( answer: no… I have a fur baby already) r .  reason(s)  to  smile :   waking up early to watch the sunrise on the beach. puppies, penguins and raccoons. knowing trump is gonna be out of office in 1151 days.  s .  song  you  sang  last :  bloodstone by guy sebastian ( listen to it - you’re welcome ! ) t .  top  3  fictional  characters :  Bellamy Blake ( the 100 ), root ( person of interest ), nyssa al ghul ( dc ) u .  underwear  &  color :     regular black boyleg briefs ( think they’re called ? ) v .  vacation :   went to new caledonia earlier in the year ? w .  when’s  your  birthday :   nov 5th x .  x - rays :   knee, face and ankle y .  your  favorite  food :   burgers or pasta z .  zodiac  sign :  scorpio

tagged  by :  @varsityred aka an actual angel ! tagging : @leagueremade, @atlantisqueen, @manaborn, @outlawiism, @readyforyours x

[hugahalf-elf]

tagged by @scifilesbians

1) Nicknames – rin, by very few ppl, don’t call me rin unless pre-approved ty

2.) Gender – ???????????? nb, agender, demi-boy, genderfluid who tf knows my guy 

3.) Star sign – virgo 

4.) Height – 5'5/5′6

5.) Time – 1:48pm

6.) Birthday – august 28

7.) Favourite band – travis, hanson

8.) Favourite solo artist – our queen carly rae jepsen, madeon, porter robinson

9.) Song stuck in my head – emotion by crj

10.) Last movie you watched – uhhhhhhh idk

11.) Last show you watched – dancing with the stars

12.) When did I create my blog – listen i don’t want to know. 2011 prob

13.) What do I post – memes

14) Last thing I googled – jordan fisher

15.) Do you have other blogs – nah

17.) Why did you choose your url – it’s an old handle

18.) Following – 324

19.) Followers – 343

20.) Favourite colours – blues and greens, neons, pastels

21.) Average hours of sleep – my sleep tracker says 7 hours and 17 minutes 

22.) Lucky number – 8

23.) Instruments I played - violin, piano, drums + various percussive instruments, the slightest bit of guitar & bass

24.) What am I wearing – olive green mesh shorts, white shirt from 88 tees in waikiki 

25.) How many blankets I sleep with – depends on the temp but usually 2

26.) Dream job – somewhere i can make my own hours and have a flexible schedule. i’d love to do something w my pipe dream of composing music for video games, or conversely doing some ocean archaeology going after sunken historic shipwrecks

27.) Dream trip – nothing specific, i want to go lots of places 

28.) Favourite food – pho 

29.) Nationality – american, unfortunately

30.) Favourite song – uhhhhhhh currently: tin cup chalice by jimmy buffet, emotion by crj, run away with me by crj, shelter by porter robinson + madeon, been there before by hanson, georgia by hanson, 

[fematchups]

[1/2] Hi there~ (・ω・)ノcould I maybe get a romantic matchup? (All three games would be nice! but you can do whatevers the easiest~) I’m a girl who romantically prefers guys. I’d consider myself more on the cowardly side sadly and I tend to get emotional about way more things than I probably should. I cry all the time, no matter what emotion I’m feeling, if I feel it strongly enough I’ll cry for sure ahaa, but I try my best to let nobody see.

[2/2] I hate sympathy in those kinds of situations, so I try to avoid it. I’m also a terrible impulse buyer, I’ll go into a store looking for something and come out broke with everything bUT what I came there for aha, yet I rarely regret it. I tend to also space out a lot. I very much love drawing, and its how I spend most of my free time. I’ve been told that I treat strangers very respectfully and friendly, and that I act more relaxed around friends. (I’m sorry this was so long! Thank youu!)

Nohr: Laslow

Laslow thought *he* was the most charming person around, but he realizes he’s really not once he has the pleasure of meeting you. He’s smitten by your kindness, but doesn’t believe someone like you could ever choose someone like him. Once you get together Laslow treats you like a princess though—he can’t help greeting you with a kiss on the hand or frequently presenting you with a bouquet of flowers. He knows you can get emotional easily, and it’s hard for him to keep a distance and not try to comfort you. On your free time Laslow loves teaching you how to dance; these private dance sessions usually turn into cuddling (somehow) and whispering sweet nothings to each other.

Hoshido: Saizo

Saizo finds you curious at first, seeing how you treat complete strangers with such kindness and respect. When you meet him Saizo appears standoffish and rather cold; on his end, though, he’s questioning if you have ulterior motives for being so nice to him. He ends up falling for you, but you’ll never know he’s got feelings for you until he finally, awkwardly confesses to you. It isn’t long before he notices that you can be quite emotional, and that you dislike sympathy in such situations. He doesn’t like seeing you cry, so he’ll silently drape his cloak over your shoulders as a small gesture to let you know he cares.

Awakening: Chrom

You and Chrom are both naturally friendly, so when you meet you really hit it off. You’re best friends before you decide to take things to the next level. Chrom knows all your quirks by the time you get together, and so he knows to give you your space when you’re getting emotional. He will never neglect to check up on you later to make sure you’re doing alright; he simply can’t rest until he knows how you’re feeling. Chrom also makes a point to go along with you on your shopping trips, since her nows you have a tendency to buy more than you’re there for; he’s someone you can trust to get a second opinion on whether or not you should buy this or that.

Songs listened to:

Ready For You // HaimIndecision // ShuraProm // SzaNineteen // Tegan and SaraRoses // Carly Rae Jepsen

[chrysalis-writes]

super cool headcanon meme for remus !!

omggg yes thank you

2-4 songs that are probably on their iPod

picking some that weren’t on my playlist for him:      this year -- the mountain goats     I really like you -- carly rae jepsen     samson -- regina spektor     crash -- against me!

the one place they sometimes end  up falling asleep -- where they’re not supposed to

he’s got the uncanny ability to fall asleep essentially anywhere; sirius’ bed, james’ couch, peter’s kitchen table, lily’s living room floor, but most frequently he falls asleep on the tube or any other train -- something about the steady movement of it lulls him right to sleep and he has many a time been late for something because he slept right on through his tube stop

the game they’d destroy everyone else at

honestly?? you know that game show where people have to keep their hand on the truck and whoever takes their hand off last wins the truck? Remus would fucking own that game, he is stubborn as shit and determined to a fault and he would keep his hand on that damn truck out of sheer spite just to prove he could

the emoticon they’d use most often

😬

what they act like when they haven’t had enough sleep

when has Remus Lupin ever had enough sleep? he’s nearly always running on empty, and on a normal level of tired he’s a pretty mellow guy, but when he gets exceptionally tired he has a tendency to get cranky and clingy and jealous and extra sarcastic

their preferred hot beverage on really cold nights. or mornings. or whenever.

while his most common drink is a mocha from costa coffee, his favorite is strong black tea with a pinch of sugar and bit of whiskey in it, especially in the evening and when it’s cold (the poor boy, caffeine has almost no effect on him)

how they like to comfort/care for themselves when they’re in a slump

he’s really good at caring for and comforting others but not great at doing it for himself; he likes to surround himself in blankets and watch stand up comedy vine compilations when he doesn’t have the energy to do something, but if he has any energy, he usually comforts himself by convincing one or many of his friends to go out and have a few drinks, maybe go dancing for a while; his friends are the best cure-all, so when he’s in a slump he tries to make sure he’s not spending too much time alone

what they wanted to be when they grew up

he went through phases, when it came to his dreams; when he was a little little kid he wanted to be a weather man; in primary school he decided that he would like to be an archeologist; as he got older it became less about what he wanted and more about what he thought he should do, and the doctors he dealt with when he was starting his transition were so helpful he thought that might be nice; of course, after realizing he had no desire to practice medicine he eventually stumbled upon the unique and unexpected idea that maybe he could do something he liked for a living (shocker !!) and never looked back from choosing to make art

their favorite kind of weather

storms! not just normal London drizzle, but full out torrential downpours, with thunder, with lightning lighting up the clouds; if you can stand outside in the rain and not be instantly soaked, it’s not raining enough, and he has definitely on more than one occasion gotten sick because he wanted to stand outside in the rain and enjoy the storm and got himself soaking wet

thoughts on their singing voice (decent? terrible? soprano? alto?)

he hated his voice when it was younger because it was fairly high, and he especially hated it during puberty when it continued to be high and didn’t get any lower; he was a soprano as a kid and never really sang. now that he’s on T, his voice is lower, a decent tenor, but it has a tendency to crack, still, at inopportune times, and unless he’s quite drunk (not uncommon) he doesn’t really sing except to very quietly sing along with whatever music he’s listening to

how/what they like to draw or doodle

lots of repetitive patterns and shapes, not really much in the way of representative art; he’ll draw lots of little triangles all tessellating or a bunch of lines; if you’ve seen zentangles, it’s that kind of stuff, mostly geometric and angular

[mochisgrl-archive]

10 songs tag!!

@aegyovendingmachine tagged me in this!! thank you so much kennedy!!! <3 <3

RULES: We’re snooping on your playlist. Set your entire music library to shuffle and report the first 10 tracks that pop up. Then choose 10 additional friends.

1 - blue velvet // lana del rey

2 - run away with me // carly rae jepsen

3 - yayo // lana del rey

4 - supercut // lorde

5 - lush life // zara larsson

6 - sober // lorde

7 - first love // bts

8 - art deco // lana del rey

9 - hallelujah money // gorillaz

10 - blood sweat and tears // bts

OK i have almost every lana album + singles so that’s why she popped up a lot lol... and the only kpop i have in my library is bts but ANYWAY this is the type of music i listen to!!!

i tag: @parkesjimin @jiminspice @jiminsmaingirl @blondepjm @flower-guk @sheloveskook @springdayhobi @justonedaymv @jellyfishes and @4jimn!! you guys don’t have to do this if you don’t want to of course!!! i hope your day is treating you well! :)

[sassyhazelowl]

1-99 obv (1-6 - I am not THAT cruel)

IDK you have your moments of being problematic ;)

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?

mp3 player exercise playlist!

“Stolen Dance” by Milky Chance“Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time” by Panic at the Disco“Cake by the Ocean” by DNCE“Monster” by Skillet“Good Time” by Carly Rae Jepsen & Owl City“HandClap” by Fitz and the Tantrums

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

Oh boy, there’s so many people, but I’m assuming this is people you haven’t met yet... oh boy, there’s so many people! I can think of half a dozen off the top of my head from tumblr I’d love to meet. I’m not a huge fan of idols or celebs but if I had to choose one I’d say Rihanna.

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.

But it’s so far away... the Kenshin manga was actually closer but not numbered so from the book to the left with a paragraph for context... 

”Skipping meals, food restricting, low-calorie dieting, fasting, excessive exercise, and diet pills use have become the norm among American females of all ages. It’s not a big step from thee “casual” dieting practices to bulimia and anorexia. More and more girls, woman, and increasingly, men are crossing this line every day.” -- The Diet Cure

4: What do you think about most?

I spent a lot of time thinking about food, oddly enough, considering I can’t eat it half the time. But I suppose that’s why I think about it so much. When you’re possibly going to throw it all up, you consider very hard what and how much and when to eat. Although when things are functioning at a normal level I think about why humans are so weird and inefficient.

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?

Haven’t owned a phone for over a year and a half. The last facebook message I got was “I mean....She literally cries constantly and runs from the bad guys in the first episode” and a nsfw link... ahem so yes.

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?

Winter time I sleep in heavy PJs. Summer time I generally sleep in as little as possible. I’d sleep without if I could.

Let’s Get Personal

[tweetermixtapeclub]

Greetings! Matt here! After doing some thinking on how to structure my first playlist for the group, I thought it’d be fun to provide a sort of snapshot of my musical tastes. An introduction! Me in song form? Not exactly, but close.

The mix is titled THE MEAN because it shows where I’ve seemed to settle as a music fan - everything that’s been exciting me most in the last few years is reflected here in some way even if not all my favorite songs made the cut. But like I can’t use up all my fav songs in the first go-round, ya know?

Los Campesinos! - “By Your Hand”

I think the world would be better off if every mixtape opened with a Los Campesinos! song (they mean a lot to me, just like that Phonogram comic said). Choosing one for this here mixtape wasn’t super easy, but “By Your Hand” made the cut because it was my semi-reintroduction to the band after they kinda dissolved into the musical ether while I was transitioning from torrenting/purchasing to streaming. I hadn’t checked in on them in a while, and this track - which opens their fourth record - blew me away.

By the way, they just put out their new record and it’s really, really good.

WHY? - “Fatalist Palmistry”

WHY’s lead singer Yoni Wolf, like Gareth Campesinos!, has a way with words that affects me at a core level. The way they frame simple relationship issues as world-imploding, body-disfiguring incidences like cats clawing out eyeballs. This is one of Why’s more straightforward, melodic tunes, but I first gravitated towards them because of how well they mix genres. If you like this one, try some more!

Pompeii - “Numbers”

Next up is a really gorgeous song about eating disorders. This sort of melodic rock music was especially important when I lived at home and attended my religious alma mater, because it was easy to digest by those around me. Limited opposition by parents and less complaints by roommates, that sort of thing. This is from Pompeii’s first album, Assembly, which is one of the more underrated / underexposed records I’ve latched onto. Beautiful compositions, some great string work, strong lyrics.

Dear And The Headlights - “Run In The Front”

Dear And The Headlights’ “Run In The Front” is a fun, explosive shift from Pompeii’s somberness. This is my favorite of their songs, but if you hear this you’ll understand their schtick immediately - shouty vocals over acoustic guitars that explode into VERY GOOD CHORUSES THAT ARE MADE FOR SCREAMING ALONG TO WHILE DRIVING. They only ever put out two records (‘07 & ‘08) which is a damn shame.

Bad Bad Hats - “Psychic Reader”

WHOAH who woulda thought that Bad Bad Hats would be the first band to be featured twice on this blog? This is off of their debut full length (I believe they’re still offering it for free) which was one of my favorite albums of 2015. There’s a simplicity to their song structure that still manages to feel full and propulsive.

Frou Frou - “Must Be Dreaming”

Quick jump back in time here to 2002 when Imogen Heap joined with Guy Sigsworth for the short lived group Frou Frou. GARDEN STATE introduced the world to “Let Go,” but “Must Be Dreaming” was always my favorite track from the record. One of my fondest memories is blasting this album on a particularly rainy day while driving around my home town.

The Blue Nile - “Tinseltown In The Rain”

Despite being the oldest song on this mix, “Tinseltown” is actually the song that’s newest to me. The lead singer of Los Campesinos! put out a playlist the featured this track and it’s been present on nearly every mix I’ve made since. It’s an absolutely gorgeous Bowie-esque soundscape that fits any situation.

Carly Rae Jepsen - “Your Type”

I honestly could have pulled tracks from Carly Rae’s E•MO•TION (and the album’s Side B) out of a hat to see which one to include here, but “Your Type” wins the day...for no other reason than it’s the track I’ve listened to the most this week. I’ve always loved pop music, and Carly is producing the best around right now. Excellent collaborators, the voice of an angel, a fascination with the cycles of Love...can’t get enough.

Destroyer - “Downtown”

I’ll never forget the first time I heard a Destroyer song. The disconnect between what I was hearing and the actual artist name totally blew me away, and I love introducing people to Dan Bejar’s work to see if it shocks them as much. This track is off Destroyer’s excellent album KAPUTT which came out the year I got married and provided the soundtrack to that entire wonderful and stressful time. Sick bass lines, an emphasis on saxophones...it’s absolutely stunning, and that’s not just the nostalgia speaking.

Motion City Soundtrack - “LG FUAD”

I grew up in a religious household and one of my first personal vices was putting in headphones and listening to music that wasn’t shy about using curse words. So naturally this is the Motion City Soundtrack that ends up here. It’s playful, crass, and taps into an emotional insecurity that I find to be pretty universal.

Wild Beasts - “Reach A Bit Further”

Wild Beasts (another of my favorite bands) are consistently putting out strange, esoteric albums. I first encountered them when I was making the shift from more traditional pop-punk to what I guess would be categorized as the indie-rock, Pitchfork-y crowd and they really puzzled me. The awkwardness of their vocals. The emotional honesty. This track prominently features their two vocalists and I find it suuuuuper romantic.

Broken Social Scene - “7/4 Shoreline”

Following up Wild Beasts with another of my all time favorite bands, Broken Social Scene. Here’s a great example of one of their more straightforward, rockin tracks that still highlights their perfect blend of catchy melody and lo-fi, cluttered approach. It’s an awesome wall of sound.

Bloc Party - “This Modern Love”

Is this the best song ever written? I guess I’ll let you be the judge, but it’s definitely up there.

Say Anything - “Alive With The Glory of Love”

I considered Max Bemis my personal Jesus for a not insignificant portion of my life, and I’ve continued to follow him as he maneuvers the Say Anything brand towards stranger and more independent destinations. This song was their breakout single, and it still holds up as a perfect example of Max’s signature vocal delivery and the amazing musicianship that was part of a band at their prime.

As a sidenote, why does Spotify only have the edited version of the album????????

Frightened Rabbit - “My Backwards Walk”

This song ends with the immortal refrain “You’re the shit and I’m knee deep in it” which I once said to an ex girlfriend assuming she’d find it endearing. My love of this sentiment encapsulates my attachment to Frightened Rabbit - even though I’m happily married, I’ve always reveled in their broad, often heartbreaking romantic themes. This song in particular is able to portray emotion in such a specific, truthful way - not wanting to leave a physical space because it means leaving a person.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - “In This Home On Ice”

I first heard Clap Your Hands Say Yeah in a beachy book store while on my first real day trip with a new group of friends. Similar to Wild Beasts there’s an abrasiveness to the vocals that fascinated me and remains a huge part of the appeal. This was always my favorite track off this, their first and most popular album.

Twin Shadow - “Run My Heart”

Every mix needs to end with a piano outro (I guess), and what better way to go out than this strange, fiercely independent track from Twin Shadow. The dude has put out three fantastic records that posture the singer-songwriter as a guy who is both too cool for love and absolutely obsessed with it. I can’t help but think that this particular track summarizes the contradictory, posturing attitude I see in his music - no one who isn’t emotionally vulnerable could craft so many songs about emotional vulnerability. Plus, it features another fantastically explosive chorus.

[huachengsimp]

just a small snippet of something I’m working on. 

Daniel straightened the collar of his tuxedo in the mirror, then turned around to face Shay. “What’dya think?”

Shay raked his eyes up and down Daniel’s body. His hair was still wet from the shower and hung down around his eyes in tangles. He could smell the aftershave he’d used all the way from his bed. That question was so loaded and a million possible answers rose to Shay’s lips. He wanted to tell him that his heart was racing just looking at the dimples popping out on his cheeks. Or that he was getting hard on just the way the suit fit him in all the right places.

“Those ruffles make you look like an old British man,” was what he settled on.

Daniel flipped him off. “Shows what you know. I texted a pic to Cheryl and she said I looked hot. I think that increases my chances for later.”

He waggled his eyebrows and Shay threw the covers over his head. “I don’t want to hear about how you want to get laid.”

Shay, for the hundredth time this past week, pictured himself in Cheryl’s place. In the next few hours, those two would be doing God knows what in the back of Daniel’s pick up truck while he wasted away here vomiting into his trash can.

Daniel sat down beside him and ran his hand up Shay’s leg. Shivers wracked his body and he jerked away. His body needed to chill the fuck out.

“Sorry you got sick, dude. But you can always go to prom next year.”

Shay snorted. “Like I wanted to go in the first place. Can you even imagine me in a stupid tuxedo slow dancing with some girl to Carly Rae Jepsen? I don’t think so.”

Daniel pinched his side. “So pretentious. You’ll look back on this in a few years and regret it. And I for one think you would look extremely handsome in a tux. Girls dig long hair you know?”

Yeah, but he wasn’t interested in what girls thought of him. His mind hung on Daniel’s choice of wording. He had the extraordinary ability to say things that could make Shay’s heart race and then break into pieces simultaneously.

“Shut up or I’ll vomit on you.”

He heard the door open and his mom’s squeals as she came in the room. Shay stuck his fingers in his ears.

“Oh, Daniel you look so handsome! Stand up and let me take some pictures.”

Daniel ran a hand through his hair. “Thanks, Mrs. Ishikawa, but my mom already took like a million of em already.”

She flapped her hand. “Just a couple. I’ll be quick.”

Daniel cut his eyes at Shay as he giggled under the covers. When she had gone, Daniel’s phone buzzed. He snatched it up and swiped his finger across the screen. He grinned.

“Cheryl’s ready, so I’m headed out. You need anything before I go?”

Shay held up his Ps4 controller. “Nah, I’m good. Have fun on your date. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“But you wouldn’t do anything.”

“Hey, you don’t know that. I could be a kinky cam boy for all you know.”

Shay tried not to read too much into Daniel furiously typing his name into google on his phone.

“I was joking, stupid. Don’t catch any STD’s. I’m not driving your ass to some clinic.”  

Daniel grinned and stuck his phone in his pockets. And then he was gone and Shay was left with the blinding blue light of his playstation for company.

~~

His mom had came in and told him that Dad had called and wanted her to come to his office, so Shay was completely alone in the house for the next few hours. He tried to drown his misery in Borderlands but the growing pain in his abdomen made even that impossible. Shay knew something was wrong when the pain worsened no matter how many times he dry heaved.

He choked down some Pepto Bismol and popped a sleeping pill. Surely, when he woke up he would feel a bit better. But by the next hour, the pain was so intense and he was curled into a fetal position while shivers wracked his body.

What the hell was wrong with him? He’d never had a stomach virus make him feel this shitty. Shay reached for his phone and typed in his symptoms on WebMD. Immediately things began to pop up from stomach cancer to appendicitis. Shay’s stomach seized with anxiety.

Great. So according to that, he was dying. He threw his phone down and tried to take a few deep breaths. It was probably nothing and he was being a big baby.

Another pain pierced his side so intense he choked out a sob. Ok, this wasn’t nothing. Something was definitely wrong with him. He dialed his mom’s number but it went straight to voicemail.

Shit. She had most likely forgotten to charge it. Again. He tried his dad’s office number but it was late and most of the employees had went home already.

Sweat started pouring down his body as the pain worsened. What was he going to do? His brother, Kevin, was too far away and he didn’t even want to think about why his parents were alone at the office so late.

Phoning for an ambulance was the most logical choice but what if he called them and it turned out to be gas or something. He would never be able to deal with that embarrassment. Plus hospitals frightened him ever since an asthma attack at age nine had sent him to the ER. He remembered being pushed on a gurney right next to a guy who had gotten his arm caught in a sawmill. Even now the image of all that blood made him want to pass out.

With the pain worsening every second, he was left with only one other option.

~~

Daniel slid his hand lower as Cheryl giggled into his neck. She smelled amazing and the dress she wore highlighted every inch of her curves. They had been going out for a couple of months now and by the way her face was flushed, he knew the night would be the one when she finally let him go all the way.

His pants tightened just thinking about it.

The song was perfect, too. He didn’t recognize the singer but it was making Cheryl melt as they swayed along to the rhythm.

“I didn’t know you were such a good dancer,” she said into his ear.

“I’m good at a lot of things. I could show you later. If you want, that is.”

She was about to answer when a teacher came by and cleared her throat. “Hands where I can see them, please. And don’t forget the arm length rule.”

Daniel sighed and stepped away. Cheryl’s lip pointed out into a pout. “So lame,” she said.

“How about I go get us something to drink. Then we can head out.”

Cheryl giggled. “Ok.”

Daniel grinned. This was going better than he expected. As he approached the punch bowl, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He whipped it out and was shocked to find Shay’s number flash on the screen.

That was odd. Shay would never call him without reason. He glanced back at Cheryl. Her back was turned so he ducked into the bathroom and answered.

“Shay?” A raspy breath rattled into his ear. His heart sped up. “Shay? What’s wrong.”

A muffled crying sound. “It hurts. It hurts so bad.”

“What hurts? Shay, are you ok? You’re scaring me.” His voice heightened earned him a few weird looks from the guys around him.

“My stomach.” Another sniffle. “I don’t know what’s wrong. It feels like something’s about to burst.”

“Have you called your parents?”

“They’re not answering.” He started sobbing. “I’m so scared. I’ve never felt this type of pain before. It hurts so bad, Danny.”

Shay hadn’t called him that since they were in elementary school. He hadn’t heard him cry like that since then, either. Suddenly all thoughts of his plans for tonight vanished from his mind. “Shay, listen to me. Hang up and call 911.”

“NO!” His voice rattled the speakers. “Please, no! I don’t want to go alone.”

“Alright. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

Another sniffle. “What about your date.”

Daniel smiled even though the other boy couldn’t see it. “Right now, she doesn’t matter. You’re more important.”

After he had calmed him down, Daniel hung up and made a beeline for the auditorium doors. Fresh air hit him as he frantically pulled his keys from his pocket. Suddenly a strong arm grabbed him.

“Where the hell are you going?” Cheryl’s face was scrunched up in confusion. “You just going to leave without me?”

He sighed. “Look, I’m sorry but something urgent has come up and I have to go.”

“What? Why? What’s the emergency?”

“It’s Shay. Something’s wrong and I have to--”

She cut him off with a sharp slice of her hand. “Wait, stop. You’re ditching our date because of him? You always do this shit, Daniel. Every time we make plans, you drop everything the moment he wags his finger. He’s obsessed with you!”

Her voice echoed across the parking lot and other people turned to stare. Right now, he didn’t give a flying fuck. His best friend needed him.

“I’m sorry but I gotta go take him to the Er.” He found his car and flung open the door. Cheryl gripped the handle and prevented him from closing it. “Let go,” he said.

“Why should I? Shay’s faking it, obviously. He’s just jealous. I mean let’s face it, the dude’s a weirdo.”

Daniel’s blood turned icy. He pried Cheryl’s fingers from the handle and flung them away from him. Her glittered eyes widened as he slammed the door shut. “Don’t you ever say anything like that about him ever again.”

She sucked air in through her teeth. “If you leave, then we’re done. It’s either him or me, Daniel. You can’t have both.”

Daniel turned the keys in the ignition. “Fine. Then I choose him.”

He could still hear her swearing as he sped out of the parking lot.

~~

Shay barely registered the next few hours. He had crawled into the kitchen and was a shivering mess on the floor as he spat out bile. The pain grew worse by the second and he didn’t even hear the lock click as Daniel ran into the room.

He remembered being picked up and loaded into the truck. Daniel fished around in the glove box and pulled out some napkins to wipe the sweat and bile from his face. The drive to the hospital seemed like hours. Daniel had carried him into the room while he cried and clung to his shirt. He was getting snot all over his nice suit. They wouldn’t let him return it now.

“My friend needs help! He’s in extreme pain.”

A bright light shone in his eyes as a nurse came up to them. “What’s wrong with him?”

“If I knew that, I would have done something about it already.” Shay had never heard Daniel so angry before.

“Calm down, sir. I’m only trying to help. Let’s get him some Xrays.”

The nurse wheeled in a gurney and he felt Daniel lay him on it gingerly. “Don’t leave me,” he whispered.

Daniel shushed him and grabbed his hand. “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.”

The last thing he remembered was a nurse inserting an IV into his arm before he passed out.

~~

The first thing Shay registered when he woke up was that he felt like absolute shit. His throat was so dry that it felt like someone had dumped sand down his gullet. The right side of his abdomen was tender but nowhere near the pain that he had felt earlier. He heard the beep of a heart monitor nearby.

Ah, so he was in a hospital then.

A loud snore startled him. He looked over to see Daniel pressed into his side. So that’s why he was so warm. Daniel’s leg was slung over his own and one of his arms was pressed into his side. Drool was running down his mouth and pooling on the pillow they were currently sharing. Shay reached out and wiped his mouth with his thumb. He poked the deep pocket of his dimple and Daniel’s eyes flew open.

He smiled sleepily when he saw who it was. “Hey, you.” He took a deep breath and scooted closer. “They need to make these beds bigger.”

“It’s not the bed’s fault you’re so enormous.”

He laughed. “If you’re insulting me, I guess that means you feel better.”

“Not really. What happened? I barely remember anything.”

“Your appendix burst. I carried you here as fast as I could, but the doctor said if I had been any slower, you wouldn’t have made it.” Daniel’s eyes started watering. “They wouldn’t let me in the operating room. It took me hours to contact your parents and by the time they got here, there still wasn’t any news.”

Shay ran a hand up his face and Daniel covered it with his own. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your date with my lousy organs.”

“Dude, shut up. I could care less about that. The only thing that matters is you’re ok.”

Shay filed that away to obsess over later. But right now he was tired and all he wanted to do was revel in the feeling of Daniel curled up next to him. It had taken him almost dying for him to get what he had been craving all his life. He wanted to pretend, even if it was just for a few moments, that Daniel was his and that there would be no more Cheryls.

But that was just a pipedream. Daniel would never in a million years be his--no matter how much he was in love with him.