#the ocean by Manchester Orchestra

[peachesofteal]

The Ocean

Anthology Dad!John Price/female reader A stranger arrives in Price's life.

The girl The bar The residents The booth The wolves The favor The call

[mavigator]

i need new music or i’ll die. incomplete list of some artists i like if you want to help a poor starving maverick

IDLES, nine inch nails, frank ocean, tyler the creator, radiohead, marika hackman, the killers, glass animals (their first two albums), los campesinos!, deftones, manchester orchestra, the mountain goats, ajj, WHY?, muse, vera sola, mitski, cage the elephant, montell fish, TV on the radio

[hellfollowed]

TAG PEOPLE YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW BETTER!

favorite color(s): black, all shades of red, all shades of blue, gray, pastel colors, lime green, purple, gold, silver and any faded orange.

favorite flavor(s): pineapple, strawberry, cherry, coconut, hot fries, spicy stuff period, dill pickle chips, salt and vingear chips, ALBANESE GUMMY BEARS, and all kinds of sour shit.

favorite music: I honestly listen to everything, frank ocean, le sserafim, manchester orchestra, from indian lakes, the killers, stray kids, stromae, sza, ateez, mamamoo, classics like frank sinatra and frankie lymon, the smiths, uh everything everything everything. so much more not even listed, music is my liiiiiiife.

favorite movie(s): mr. right, the witch: part 1 - the subversion, life of pi, get out, moonlight, the ritual and so many more i can't think of right now.

favorite series: fellow travelers, inu-yasha, fruits basket, the twilight zone, tales from the crypt, arcane

last song: gottasadae - BewhY

last series: fellow travelers and swarm.

last movie: talk to me.

currently reading: like seven different mangas on tachiyomi.

currently watching: i'm about to start echo on hulu.

currently working on: a painting of this blue chick, i'm in phase three of it. i'll show ya if ya wanna see

tagged by: the wonderful, the amazing @worthless-weight-in-gold

tagging: @ravmalakh, @painmon, @rennisaturate, @welcometothevale, @thewolfruns, @irrwicht, @escapedartgeek, @chlorinesiren, @caracarnn and of course my wife, @eversolo and anybody else who wants to do it justtell 'em i sent ya!

[problemduetest4life]

Forget me not playlist

(playlist for @unohanabbygirl 's fic Forget me not on ao3)

Bitch - Allie X

Bang Bang Bang Bang - Sohodolls

Paper Planes - M.I.A.

Black Treacle - Arctic Monkeys

Criminal - Fiona Apple

Seventeen - MARINA

Goth - Sidewalks and Skeletons

Oblivion - Grimes

Blue Monday - New Order

Bad Things - Cults

*

No Surprises - Radio Head

The Gold - Manchester Orchestra, Phoebe Bridgers

Mama's Boy - Dominic Fike

**

Roommates - Malcolm Todd

Daddy Issues - The Neighbourhood

I Wanna Be Yours - Arctic Monkeys

About You - The 1975

The Bomb - Florence + The Machine

Cinnamon Girl - Lana del Rey

Fuck and Run - Liz Phair

***

Vampire - Dominic Fike

False Alarm - The Weeknd

Delicious (demo) - Ayesha Erotica

Erotic Electronic - Slayyyter

After Hours - The Weeknd

****

Agnes - Glass Animals

Self Control - Frank Ocean

Disappear - Beyonce

*****

Remember My Name - Mitski

Ptolemaea - Ethel Cain

Swim Good - Frank Ocean

Liability- Lorde

Crack Baby - Mitski

******

Spotify Link

explanation under the cut ;)

I made this playlist because I noticed I was listening to similar songs whenever reading FMN, so I started to make it all into one playlist. I also wanted to get better at fitting themes to songs etc... for other playlists and this was good practice.

I was mostly inspired by music mentioned in the fic, stuff I already listen to that was angsty teen esc, or kind of dark and funky tunes.

It does follow the story chronologically (for the most part) and I divided it into sections to explain my thinking. The first section is the start of the story, just stuff that fits Luke's vibe and character in foster care and prison.

Section two is short and just his starting relationship his "family" and all the confusing feelings that come from that.

Section three is pretty much him and Aemond's relationship. It starts with yearning, gets kind of sweet and fluffy before it takes a darker turn. Luke's past trauma starts peeking through more in this section.

Section four I defintly think I'm going to add more too. It's basically just the "club chapters." Ayesha Erotica was mentioned so I obviously had to include her and all of Slayyyter's music also fits that style so I added that. Their music needs to be blasted with bass so loud it shakes your rib cage. I wanted to find music that had a more sinister sound for this section as well, but I'm still on the hunt. You can imagine this section ends with the hookup during After Hours.

SECTION FIVE! Aemond's POV. Angsty, concerned, confused, frustrated, guilty, all of the above.

Section six is the aftermath of everything. It's desperate and sad, but perhaps with sprinkles of hope underneath??

Anyways, I will keep updating when I find more music that fits because 30 songs isn't a whole lot. I just wanted to post this now because I'm on a break and I have time to extra stuff like this :))

[batgirlsay]

Unspeakable Love

A Playlist for Obiyuki Do-Si-Do 2023 by @snowwhite-andtheknight

This playlist went through many edits over the year as I discovered new bands (The Beths) and remembered old ones (Mae) but the theme of hiding feelings stayed consistent. The title lyric comes from "The Maze," and I’ve been waiting all year to share these perfect Obiyuki songs! Also looking forward to reading the final companion piece by @jhalya!

Unspeakable Love

Knees Deep- The Beths My Answer- The Natural Lines The Maze- Manchester Orchestra A Scene That Will Never Die- The Natural Lines Giving It Away- Mae Do You Want Me Now- The Beths Alex Bell- The Natural Lines Telepath- Manchester Orchestra True Blue- Boygenius

Summary lyrics are posted under the cut:

Knees Deep- The Beths

Watching light through water I want to bend the way it bends You slice like a knife through the surface But what a thrill to see it mend With no scar, no memory I'm envious, why pretend I'm not

Wading in up to the ankles The cold speaks straight to my bones Whole body and soul hesitation I am a coward turned to stone I stay there for centuries So all of history knows about it

The shame, I wish that I was Bravе enough to dive in But I nevеr have been and never will be I'm coming in hot then freezing completely

The shame, I wish that I could Say what I've been thinking But I never have done and never will do Still only knees deep, I'll never be brave like you

My Answer- The Natural Lines

My answer to the night is maybe A little danger on the side of a mountain

The flame lit face reveals what’s obvious

We will be strange We will be perfectly out of place

Maybe we’ll lock eyes Maybe we’ll meet Nothing has to happen Creatures inconceivable

The Maze- Manchester Orchestra

I notice you when you're noticing me Breaking the habit, you're watching me sleep, oh Give me some time, let me learn how to speak I'm a maze to you

First of a thousand to write on the wall It's only beginning, it's swallowing us Somebody said it's unspeakable love It's amazing You lift that burden off of me

A Scene That Will Never Die- The Natural Lines

Starting at the summer’s end When the nights get loud

We were searching for the words The lines that don’t feel like they’ve ever been said before

Sometimes we lose it Sometimes we don’t end where we meet

The ghosts keep flying overhead Changes are permanent Because the chemistry connects Because you sit in the passenger side A scene that will never die

Sometimes we lose it Sometimes we don’t land where we mean

Giving It Away- Mae

By the way you brought me here It makes me believe that the best is yet to come and I don't want to leave

Forgive my hesitation but I'm learning to trust in you Help me to dream these dreams because I don't have a clue

If you'd be honest and say what you mean You know I would promise I'd do anything Because I know that without you I'm giving it away

You've introduced me to the moment But I'm looking to stay for good

Do You Want Me Now- The Beths

Just a question that keeps me fast awake In the dead of night I'm a condemned site with light on Tell me what you decide on

Do you want me now? Or do you wanna leave it out We can talk about it I wanna tell you something but I don't know how

Being patient's never been my forte And your waiting room is hard on my esteem

Alex Bell- The Natural Lines

You were here, you always seem so far away You’ve become someone out of reach

The seasons keep me running away with myself I want to get an answer from Alex Bell tonight

I loved your laughter when life seemed impossible

No one wants to hear my silent speech I’ve become someone out of reach

Telepath- Manchester Orchestra

Told her I don't have a lot, babe, but you can have my soul Baby, do you want me? No, no, no

Everyone I know is slowly falling in the ocean I don't want to be the next to row, I never learned to swim Baby, do you love me? No, no, no

In my mind, you are the road I chose to travel Might as well have been the very last thing I decide Half the time I'm lost, afraid that you're just borrowed It don't matter much to me, man, I'm not afraid to die You're the one I wanted, want now, want when I am old When I'm falling

True Blue- Boygenius

You say you're a winter bitch, but summer's in your blood You can't help but become the sun

When you don't know who you are, you fuck around and find out When you called me from the train, water freezing in your eyes You were happy and I wasn't surprised

You already hurt my feelings three times In the way only you could

But it feels good to be known so well I can't hide from you like I hide from myself I remember who I am when I'm with you Your love is tough, your love is tried and true blue

[slowwshoww]

my most beloved @colorisbyshe tagged me in a music-related tag game, which is my all-time favorite way to talk about myself

here is my tumblr and twitter urls spelled out in song titles (w links!)

S - still into you by paramore L - let me back in my rilo kiley O - oh no! by marina and the diamonds W - wait a minute! by willow W - when am i gonna lose you - local natives S - seventeen by sjowgren (one of my favorite songs of all time) H - hum by tigers jaw O - ocean by the front bottoms W - want to want me - jason derulo (karaoke hopeful) W - where have you been by manchester orchestra

and

L - lights out by santigold I - intro by the xx (song of all time) Z - zero by yeah yeah yeahs Z - zero to hero from the hercules (1997) soundtrack I - it hurts by bad bad hats T - true affection - the blow O - on your porch by the format

turns out the Zs were way harder to find than the Ws... ANYWAY i'm tagging:

@ariestip @salt-burning @catboynecromancy @fraudulentzodiac @joekeerys @maurypovichofficial2 @bonus-action @carefullfearr @kellermans @hanarchy

xoxo lizz 💛

[findusinaweek]

Tag game, put on Spotify On Repeat playlist and post 10 shuffled songs. Tagged by @luvjiro! 🥳

Ok, sorry if this formats weird, I'm on my phone and super tired. Also, I'm not tagging people for the same reasons, but if ya wanna do it, go ahead. 🌼👍👏

Pennsylvania Furnace -Lingua Ignota. Why have I been listening to this so much? ✨️Trauma✨️

F****t - Same Vance-Law. Original not censored. I wish I'd had this song at 18.

Come- Adrianne Lenker. Psychic damage, self-inflicted. I listened to it on repeat while writing "Come, ___,my daughter". I based the fic in the song with the premise of "what kind of mother asks for her daughter to kill her?" And the only mother I could think of who had the audacity and a daughter who would comply is Myrinne. I'm so salty about Myrinne. I'd like to know why I associate death with the ocean so deeply in ACO fics/playlists. I do not do this in my own life?

Pressure to Party- Julia Jacklin. This is just my ongoing mental state.

Bad Things to Such Good People- Manchester Orchestra, Julien Baker. So inspiring, but I keep deleting anything I write about this. It's such a good song. It gives me chills. Julien Baker's harmony hurts me.

cherubim- serpentwithfeet. On my Alexidas playlist/basis for some fanart I wanna do. The odd key used with the devotion of the lyrics just really gets me.

Requiem, K.626 Lacrimosa dies illa -London Philharmonic Orchestra. I listened to this on repeat while watching a chaotic conversation go down on discord. It really added to the moment. I think it's on my Deimos playlist. 🤷Mozart didn't have to go that hard (but I would too if I thought I were composing my funeral music).

Feeling Fruit- palehound. Did that little sketchy zine-y thing. You know that moment where you leave a depressive episode? Or you leave a bad mental space in general? And you have to relearn how to be a human? Yeah. Also, I like grocery stores. And fruit. 🍋🍊🍏🍐

St. Ides Heaven - Bright Eyes. Companion version( I think its Phoebe Bridgers in the background??). Surprised by this, I didn't think I listened to this much? Idk the drums make me feel something I'd like to chase.

You Missed My Heart- Mark Kozelek. My most played song for 2 years. Why? Because Mark singing about stabbing a guy and then getting killed in prison puts me to sleep. I like the Phoebe Bridgers version too, but Mark has not missed my heart. I also listen to train noises to pass out. I don't know why I'm like this. I wish I knew. 🔪🚂😴

[v7lgar]

thanks for the tag @culdogs

rules: pick a song for each letter of your url and tag that many people

f - francesca by hozier

r - rigged by the plot in you

o - ocean drive by duke dumont

m - maybe on the moon by aaron

a - apprehension by manchester orchestra

g - gibson girl by ethel cain

o - old wounds by pvris

n - nobody else by low roar

y - you know me too well by nothing by thieves

no pressure tag: @withtheoldstars @godsofwoes @crippledgoddess @drowningenthusiast @malakiwis

[sexcromancy]

m @yesiamanerd tagged me in ten songs on shuffle !! I did all my downloaded songs on shuffle and it turned out an interesting spread

1) my backwards walk/manchester orchestra. well this was a lot to get hit with at 10am! this is one of my favorite songs by frightened rabbit, covered by another band I love. I've loved this song a long time. this cover is very special to me. rest in peace scott hutchinson your memory lives on 🖤

2) opening from company. such a fantastic setup for Bobby's character. raul esparza sexy voice. and who doesn't love a nice harmony

3) superpower by beyoncé ft. frank ocean. godddd still one of my favorite beyoncé tracks ever. sooo sexy and romantic and the lyrics are so delicately wrought.

4) 10,000 year earworm to discourage settlement near nuclear waste repositories by emperor x. extremely cool song that does exactly what it says on the tin. very very catchy + appeals to my interest in future proof signs.

5) Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles. a classic! I used to act out a music video to this with my Barbies it was very tragic and strange

6) empty spaces by pink floyd. one of those tracks off the wall that I don't really think about too much bc it's more of a transition. but it's got great atmosphere.

7) black velvet band by the dropkick murphys. I love to listen to dm and connect with my Irish roots my culture 🫶 and yell and scream in the car. great for that. favorite version of this is still definitely grace from peaky blinders but this one is good too. it'll break your heart. already broken!

8) shining (thank you) by beyoncé. this is the last official track off homecoming where she's thanking the dancers and musicians. it's unremarkable by itself but I just want to say. I love the homecoming album so fucking much. it is so good. I listen to it all the time. especially the first half is like. nonstop shake your ass music. love u queen

9) hypertension by nicolas britell. if Beale street could talk soundtrack my beloved... if I'm remembering correctly this plays during the confrontation with the white guy ? it's a distortion of the main theme. I don't feel strongly about this track but that main theme. oh it kills.

10) crushcrushcrush by paramore. a classic and a banger. big dancing in the kitchen song.

I tag @obeetlebeetle @sophelstien @phosphorusandpetra @olreid !!

[blacktopmemories]

Playlist for Saturday, March 25, 2023

Death Valley Girls - “All that is Not of Me” Darksoft - “Whatever it Takes” Anna B Savage - “The Ghost” Fixtures - “21/1” The Beths - “When You Know You Know” Ted Leo And The Pharmacists - “Even Heroes Have to Die” Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - “Ambulance Chaser” Spoon - “Don’t Let it Get You Down” Bleach Lab - “I Could Be Your Safe Place” Ships to Roam - “End Transmission” Eyelids - “Swinging in the Circus” The Rural Alberta Advantage - “Brother” Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, and Gillian Welch - “Didn't Leave Nobody but the Baby“ Houndstooth - “Witching Hour” Wild Sweet Orange - “Crickets” Spaceport - “Someone at Radio Shack Looks Exactly Like Me” Air Traffic Controller - “Living Room” Jim Alxndr - “Live in Pretend” Yeah Yeah Yeahs - “Burning” Manchester Orchestra - “Pensacola” The Appleseed Cast - “Great Lake Derelict” David Bazan - “Level with Yourself” Sun Room - “Outta Their Minds” Tennis - “Glorietta” Tchotchke - “You’ll Remember Me” Local Natives - “Breakers” Hey Ocean! - “Steady” xo - b. To download or stream the show, click here!

[dialphone-archived]

I'm Eden, I'm 18 (02.17), white, polyam, a fictive & fictionkin.

I've got a lot of interests & you'll find that I tag all if not most of them. The interests you'll currently see the most of are: Team Fortress 2, Fallout New Vegas, Three Days Grace, & Manchester Orchestra.

But I also enjoy these:

Disco Elysium, Minecraft, Portal (1, 2, PS:M, AP.TAG), Postal (1/REDUX, 2, 3, 4, BD, CR), Psychonauts (1, Rhombus of Ruin, & 2), Smile for Me, Splatoon (1, 2, & 3),Stardew Valley, AJR, Avatar, The Birthday Massacre, COIN, Daft Punk, Depeche Mode, Electric Light Orchestra, Five Finger Death Punch, Fleetwood Mac, Ghost, Glass Animals, IDKHow, Jhariah, Lemon Demon, Lil Nas X, Lupin, Marina, Mother Mother, Mumford & Sons, NIN, Oingo Boingo, Orville Peck, Owl City, System of a Down, Queen, ETC

do not follow me if you are a fan of any of these i am so serious: pewdiepie, matpat, melanie martinez, cavetown, markiplier, dsmp, vivziepop, jacksepticeye, jschlatt, friday night funkin, detroit become human, billie eilish, bo burnham, spooky month, pizza tower

Side blogs:

��� @captainposting - Ocean / Captain Blog

✰ @cowboypostin - Cowboy Blog

✰ @jacketstrings - Stim Blog

✰ @discofaggot - Self Ship Blog

[lastwordpodcast]

‘Please take care of yourself’ was the last thing I said.

[broc-kh-ampton]

alright aye - soo i gained like 500+ new followers and i need new bh content on my dash so

like or reblog if you stan:

brockhampton and all members

her's

innerwave

moses sumney

serpentwithfeet

frank ocean

tyler the creator

nehkane toure

the neighbourhood

shinee

manchester orchestra

dance gavin dance

and those are just my fave artists but you get the gist really.

i need new mutuals or whatevs.

[widovv]

i shouldn’t even be thinking it, much less writing it down

a playlist for the thirteen letters + the long way around or, bucky’s writing in not easily conquered, by dropdeaddream and whatarefears

{ 8tracks | spotify }

Anyway, Jesus — I shouldn’t even be thinking it, much less writing it down. I used to love you so sweet, the way kids love, the way I was supposed to. Then it turned greedy and true.

1. this is the last time / the national

when i lift you up you feel / like a hundred times yourself / i wish everybody knew / what's so great about you

Now everyone — the whole world, I guess — can see just what it is you’re made of.

2. a drop in the ocean / ron pope

i’m holding you closer than most / ‘cause you are my heaven

You’re especially heaven for a sinner like me.

3. smother / daughter

in the darkness i will meet my creators / and they will all agree / i’m a suffocator

They fucked me up, but I don’t ever wanna tell you just how bad. I won’t even now, don’t even want to think those things in your direction.

4. grand canyon / drive by truckers

it’s this life that we chose / that made it all worth living / through the horrors that life throws

So if we ever get out of this frozen wet hell we’re going out to the Grand Canyon. I tell you, I dream of the Grand Canyon.

5. is there somewhere / halsey

i try to refrain / but you’re stuck in my brain / all i do is cry and complain / because second’s not the same

She’s your true north. I know what that means, because you’re mine.

6. 10 am, gare du nord / keaton hensen

please do not break my heart / i think it’s had enough / pain to last the rest of my life

Stay for me. If you leave me alone in this world I’ll turn into something terrible.

7. robbers / the 1975

i’ll shoot him if that’s what you ask / but if you just take off your mask / you’d find out everything has gone wrong

Turns out that you’re still my favorite hiding place. Funny, too: turns out there are scarier things in the dark than vampires.

8. breezeblocks / alt-j

please don’t go / i’ll eat you whole / i love you so, i love you so

You make me hungry. You understand? You make me hungry.

9. heavy head / elder brother

don’t threaten me with better times / you ask me what our future holds / i’ll dig a hole and i’ll say let’s go

I should die out here. I’m the kind of guy who’s not meant to go back. I try to imagine a life after this and it just won’t come.

10. for me this is heaven / jimmy eat world

you can lose yourself in your courage / when the time we have now ends / when the big hand goes round again / can you still feel the butterflies? / can you still hear the last goodnight?

Right then I didn’t tell myself any stories. I was dying, and I was glad it was happening while I was next to you.

11. big black car / gregory alan isakov

love to just get into some of your stories / me in all my plain jane glory

I’m the story that’ll never get told, but that doesn’t bother me much. They’ll remember you, which is as it should be.

12. safe / the airborne toxic event

we can’t slow down now / this road’s not safe for driving

Some people are good at math and some people are good at art, but me, I’m good at shooting, and it scares me right to the bone the things I’d do for you.

13. i can feel your pain / manchester orchestra

‘cause i can feel your pain / in my bones, in my bones / and i can feel your pain / deep in my bones, deep in my bones

You look at me with those blue eyes all hot and electric in your face, blood on your cheek, soot smudged over your nose. Bone of my bones.

14. jesus christ / brand new

well jesus christ i’m not scared to die / i’m a little bit scared of what comes after

Hell is right here, and I’ve been damned for a long time.

15. the engine driver / the decemberists

and i am a writer, writer of fictions / i am the heart that you call home / and i’ve written pages upon pages / trying to rid you from my bones

You don’t need me. Doesn’t mean I’m not still afraid for you, not scared shitless that this world is gonna eat you alive.

16. samson / regina spektor

you are my sweetest downfall / i loved you first

But I loved you first.

17. second chances / needtobreathe

if time can break us, can it make us strong? / ‘cause seldom second chances come along

This story has been unbelievable and strange, but maybe this is the most unbelievable and strange part of all: I never forgot him, not really.

18. be the young (acoustic) / yellowcard

and i can’t believe my eyes / you are still here next to me / all i need, you’re all i see / in this life we hope to find

Even though I lost his specifics, his nose, his brow, I somehow knew that he lived safe and far away, and that knowledge alone was my comfort.

19. work song / hozier

no grave can hold my body down / i’ll crawl home to her

It’s why the grave couldn’t keep me in, sweetheart.

20. a way to you again / peter bradley adams

and every moment i thought of you / is written right there in my eyes / over and over / i got lost in my head / and i found the way to you again

I’ll always come back from the dead for you.

[andrewberkowitz]

2017 - A Year In Review

I’m not a pessimist, but it sure is hard to find the positives in 2017.  We’ve lived through almost a full year of a sexual predator as our President, seen thousands lose their lives to senseless gun violence, and have had our racial tensions soar to impossibly new heights. Changes are happening every day and sometimes it’s hard to tell if we’re even heading in the right direction. The world is scary for everyone right now, and while it’s important to stay vigilant, everyone also deserves a distraction every now and again. Some people sweat out their stress by running marathons, others through hot-yoga, and others through leaving our country all together and traveling the world. My decompression, as it always has been, is through totally immersing myself in the endless abundance that is New Music and dissecting it until the late hours of the night. This year, I was slightly disappointed by the lack of consistency from bands and songwriters. There was no Lemonade to inspire us, no Blonde to lullaby us, and no Life of Pablo to wake us the fuck up. In fact, 2017 feels like the year mainstream rap and pop just took a year off. DAMN. was alright, but overall, I wasn’t compelled by anything that made its way to the Top 50 Charts. So, where does that leave us? With an obscure collection of mostly sad, but beautiful songs that I don’t recommend playing at parties. Grab some tissues, and enjoy. Best Songs of 2017 25. “In Chains” – The War on Drugs Truly almost any song from The War on Drug’s fourth and best album A Deeper Understanding could’ve made the Top 25 list of the year, and I chose “In Chains,” sort of arbitrarily. “Chains” is classic The War on Drugs. A repetitive piano line, grazing synth, and straight-forward percussion chugs the song along until screeching guitars whip us into an incredible chorus that would make Bruce Springsteen diehards sprint down the nearest turnpike at blistering speed. Also, on the topic of The Boss, if the piano solo at the very end is not a blatant ode to “Jungleland,” than I don’t know what is.

24. “The Grocery” – Manchester Orchestra

It’s really hard to include this song by itself because it really belongs as a companion piece to the two-minute “The Sunshine” that proceeds it. In fact, the entire album of A Black Mile To the Surface is such a cohesive album from front to back that it’s hard to appreciate the parts of its sum and not just the whole itself. Alas, if Black Mile is a cohesive narrative, than the “The Grocery” is its epic chapter. After a near death (“you squeeze on the trigger / but all it does is click”), the song builds into an impossibly gorgeous wall of sound, a mix of multiple layers of pitched up vocals, guitars, pianos, and drums. It’s everything, all at once, and it’s freaking awesome.

23. “Through The Roses” – Future Islands Arguably the hardest working person in the business, Sam Herring, frontman of Future Island brings all the emotions to the front on “Through The Roses,” a deep-cut off the AOTY contender The Far Field. Somehow Future Islands always finds a way to make singing about pain so danceable and this is no different. “Through The Roses,” is one of the most emotionally affecting (“it’s not easy being human”) and lyrically vivid (“the cut is waiting / the cut is waxing and it’s cold) songs in his entire catalog, but it will also the one that will get stuck in your head the longest.

22. “Tonite” – LCD Soundsytem

When I first heard this song, I really wanted to hate it. From the jump, we are greeted with a cheesy 80s house beat, SNL-inspired cowbell, and the hyper-processed vocals we're used to hearing in Daft Punk songs. "Tonite" chugs along for four minutes, gradually adding tension with the help of a gorgeous synth line, anxious guitar plucking, and a choir of echo-ing vocal harmonies. In the song's final two minutes, Murphy substitutes his talking for singing and the pay-off is incredible. With lines like “you hate the idea that you’re wasting your youth" and "terrible people know better than you / the use and abuse of the wants of dear listener," you'll be mad at yourself for questioning this incredible song in the first place.

21. “Losing All Sense” – Grizzly Bear

A standout single of the new record, Painted Ruins, “Losing All Sense,” is one of Grizzly Bear’s most accessible songs ever recorded. A bouncy guitar riff pushes along the up-tempo song until a kaleidoscopic chorus takes over, slowing the song down to a crawl as Ed Droste anchors the moment with the thoughtful lyric, “could I ask of you / not to cut into me?” It’s such a great juxtaposition of jingling, upbeat instrumentation and dark lyricism. Not since “Two Weeks” have we seen a Grizzly Bear song this replayable, which is such a nice reprieve from the dense tracks that cover the rest of the album.

20. “Proud” - (Sandy) Alex G

Alex Giannascoli, the prolific Philadelphia singer-songwriter refuses to put himself in a box. In the past half decade, Alex has shown us a multitude of different sides to him, from straightforward lo-fi bedroom folk-rock (Tricks, DSU), to dark, weird indie-rock (Beach Music). On his latest though, Rocket, Alex takes all of his influences, and then some, and throws them into an album that has as many abrasive, screaming experimental-rock songs as it does simple, cozy, alt-country songs. It’s a terrifically weird juxtaposition to hear, but one song that really stands out on the latter side of that spectrum is “Proud,” an incredibly warm, Americana-style song that has Alex strumming cleanly on an acoustic guitar overtop a dancing piano line and a tambourine. It’s such a simple and classic tune you’re going to swear you’ve heard it before. It’s definitely not even close to the most interesting song on Rocket (Check out “Horse” or “Brick” for that), but it’s definitely the most beautiful and replayable, and those are the ones that tend to find their way into my year-end lists.

19. “Supermodel” – SZA

SZA, who absolutely deserves the award for Breakout Artist of the Year, is a co-writer for Rihanna, and on first listen to “Supermodel,” not to mention the rest of the stellar Ctrl, it’s easy to see why. “Supermodel” kicks the album off with a bang, as her vocals carry the song throughout the entire track, twisting and turning in gorgeous fashion, not unlike the cadence one comes to expect with the flows of Young Thug or Frank Ocean. SZA’s lyrics are at the forefront as she sings, clear as day, “I’ve been secretly banging your homeboy,” atop nothing but a few pillow-y guitar chords. Well, shit.

18. “May I Have This Dance” (Remix) – Francis and the Lights ft. Chance The Rapper

Before Chance added a verse to Francis Starlight's, “May I Have This Dance,” it just sounded liked a 80s cheese-pop ode to Peter Gabriel. On the remix, it still sounds like that, but with a much-needed upgrade to freshen it up. Easily one of the most (and only) danceable songs on this list, Francis’s lyrics of “can I say something crazy? / I love you” actually feel authentic and not overly saccharine, which make this song cut deep, if you let it. Chance ends the song with a characteristically fun (ex: “I love you more than you mother”) verse as we’ve come to expect, before the explosive final chorus brings the song to the end. Make sure you check this song out live – Chance and Francis have an adorable dance that goes with it.

17. “Waving Through A Window” - Ben Platt

I’m just gonna say it. If you are not a fan of corny musicals, then go ahead and skip this song. Now that we have the haters gone, I can swoon over the standout hit from 2017’s biggest Broadway musical Dear, Evan Hanson, an incredibly powerful coming-of-age show about bullying, anxiety, suicide, and unrequited love. “Waving Through A Window,” is an immediate hit that may sound like a Top-20 Christian-Pop song (I know) on first listen, but when you really let go of your judgements you can enjoy the song for what is is - one of the catchiest songs of 2017. Just wait until the major-key change at the end – so amazing.

16. “Follow My Voice” – Julie Byrne

There were a lot of solemn, introspective albums released by fearless women this year (Vagabon, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, Big Thief, Palehound), and Not Even Happiness by singer-songwriter Julie Byrne is one of the best of the year. “Follow My Voice” is the opening track on the album and also the strongest. An absolutely gorgeous acoustic guitar flutters along as Julie shares what seems to be a moment of tension for her in a relationship (“to me this city is hell / but I know you call it home”). Around halfway through the song, strings are introduced and that’s when the waterworks begin. It’s an absolutely real song about personal sacrifice, insecurity, and love, and you can feel every emotion thanks to Julie’s soaring vocal range.

15. “Cold Apartment” – Vagabon

There’s really no silver lining to this song. “Cold Apartment” is a song about the painful end of relationships and how nothing ever goes as planned. I love how vulnerable Laetitia Tamko is on this track, as she starts the song off with “I know it’s my fault. I gave up on everything.” From there, you are in for a ride of dark and brooding instrumentation and lyrics. While this song elicits the same emotions as Julie Byrne’s “Follow By Voice,” the roaring percussion of “Cold Apartment” at least allows you to take out your anger by punching a wall rather than crying softly into your pillow.

14. “Haley” - Big Thief

“Haley,” a standout track from the Brooklyn quartet Big Thief, is a beautifully, intricate folk-rock song with enough tension and resolution to please the average classical music listener. Overlapping twinkling guitars carry the song as the song’s tempo swells and contracts back and forth, reminiscent of a 1970s Joni Mitchell.

13. “Hunters Gun” – Palehound

“Hunters Gun,” the opening track from Ellen Palehound’s newest album, A Place I’ll Always Go stuck with me the second I heard it. While under two-minutes, “Gun,” packs quite the punch, as a lo-fi crunchy drum mix and simple electric guitar accompany Ellen Kempner’s desperate and painful vocals. As Kempner breath-sings “Don’t come near me, I don’t wanna see your face,” you can literally feel the goosebumps from the horrid scene she’s describing.

12. “Ballad Of A Dying Man” - Father John Misty

Enough has been written on Father John Misty that I don’t feel like I need to give this man more credit than he already gets, but I’d be remiss to leave off a cut from Pure Comedy, the latest output from J. Tillman’s impressive catalog. Like many songs on Pure Comedy, “Ballad Of A Dying Man,” is a sardonic social commentary on modern-day culture, but this time from the perspective of someone who is about to die. “Eventually the dying man takes his final breath / but first checks his news feed to see what he’s about to miss” is classic Tillman, as he sings over a track that is brought together by acoustic guitar, piano and some background gospel singers. It may be easy to roll your eyes at this song but it’s even easier to admire its beauty and genius.

11. “Chanel” - Frank Ocean

“My guy pretty like a girl / and he got fight stories to tell” may be my favorite lyric of the year, and it’s the opening line to Frank Ocean’s stand-alone single “Chanel,” released in March. One of the more braggadocious Frank tracks in recent memory, Ocean’s boasts about sex, money, and fame with a vocal performance that constantly shifts and turns with each new line, from tenor singing to a lower-register rap flow, sometimes even within the same bar. This is Frank at his best, flexing both his singing and rapping muscles while somehow still finding a way to make us to shed a tear while he sings about maxing out his Amex.

10. “Mallwalkers - Fred Thomas

Fred Thomas writes stories and then creates music around them. The Michigan native has written over 20 albums under several different alias’s and all of them are just as raw and impressive as the next. “Mallwakers” is the final song of his latest record Closer and it’s vintage Fred Thomas. A distorted guitar riff and crashing drum beat carry us through a mostly spoken-word narrative that builds and builds as the instrumentation intensifies and progresses. Listening to this song, it appears Fred is not singing for anyone but himself, as he reflects on the boredom and torture of a younger, past life, questing and criticizing something new in every line. Almost every line is simultaneously genius, funny, and heartbreaking all at once, particularly when he calls his high-school peers “horrid hushed hall talkers” and “judge-gabled gawkers.” Fred’s art has always been just as enjoyable to read as it is to listen to it, and “Mallwalkers” is no different.

9. “City of Roses” - Sufjan Stevens

In 2015, Sufjan released Carrie & Lowell, arguably my favorite album of all time. Since then, Sufjan has catapulted himself into a rare space of artists I believe can literally do no wrong (joining Justin Vernon and that’s about it). In 2017, he released the Planetarium LP, a Carrie & Lowell live album, contributed two songs to the fantastic Call Me By Your Name movie, and most recently, released The Greatest Gift, a Carrie & Lowell B-Side alum. Within the latest releases, we have been blessed with dozens of new Sufjan tracks that belong on this list, but the one I’m choosing to include is “City of Roses,” a short, addictive ode to one of Sufjan’s favorite cities, Portland. Unlike most of the sad, autobiographical tunes from Carrie, “City of Roses” is a refreshing reprieves of positivity, yet one that doesn’t sacrifice any beauty along the way. Reminiscent of Illinois-style folk rock, Sufjan admits, “I’ve had it enough with the east coast,” as he begins his trek to the beautiful Pacific Northwest. This song is short and sweet enough it will quickly reach it’s way to your most-played list before you know it.

8. “Real Death” - Mount Eerie

On July 9, 2016, Phil Elvirum’s wife died from pancreatic cancer. On March 24, 2017, A Crow Looked At Me was released, an album that pretty much chronicles in real time the aftermath, mourning and pain that Phil went through and continues to go through following her death. There has truly never been an album quite like this. It’s a rare, rare inside look to the unspeakable truth of what it feels like to lose the one you love and be left alone to raise your two-year old daughter on your own. “Real Death” is the first song off Mount Eerie’s arguably unlistenable, yet Album of the Year A Crow Looked At Me. All metaphor is stripped away, as Phil leads the song with the immortal words, “Death is real / Someone’s there and then they’re not / And it’s not for singing about / It’s not for making into art. When real death enters the house all poetry is dumb.” The language alone to describe his loss (“crusted with tears / catatonic and raw”) is enough to make you cringe and threaten to press the skip button. There really is no reward to listening to this song. But it’s real and it makes me feel things. And it’s the 8th best song of the year.

7. “Hey K” - Passion Pit

If you didn’t know, Passion Pit secretly self-released an album this year in March called Tremendous Sea of Love and it’s actually one of my favorite albums of the year. Despite my enjoyment of being in the minority of people who have been exposed to this album, I think it’s worth sharing a piece of the magic from the album in the form of “Hey K,” the most beautiful arrangement Michael Angelakos has composed to date. Warm, dreamy ambient synthscapes that we’re used to hearing from Passion Pit glisten and swell with twinkly pianos as Angelako’s familiar, yet slightly processed tenor glides us through the track.  While the track is directly aimed toward Michael’s ex Kristina Mucci, it is actually an exquisite love-song; a song of appreciation for what they had and will always have.

6. “Pageant” - PWR BTTM

I know I shouldn’t be writing about PWR BTTM because of the allegations against frontman Ben Hopkins, but I can’t help myself and include “Pageant,” --- the centerpiece of the same-titled 2017 record that never even saw the light of the day --- on my list. This is one of those songs that just stuck with me the second I heard it. The way in which Ben’s voice awkwardly bends along with the off-tempo melody of the acoustic guitar, the way in which their voice feels like it’s on the verge of breaking apart at any moment, and the way in which it does break apart at the end, all before an electric guitar takes the song to its natural conclusion. To me, it’s a perfect song and it’s a shame the song never actually got to see the light of day. In fact, good luck even finding this song on the internet.

5. “The System Only Sleeps in Total Darkness” – The National

How long have National fans been waiting for a song like this? After just about two decades of subtle, textured, mellow, down-tempo rock songs, the National reward its fans with “The System Only Sleeps in Total Darkness,” an urgent, thunderous, accessible stand-alone single that fucking rips. “I can’t explain it any other way,” says Berninger, and I have to agree. This song --- along with Aaron Dessner’s gross guitar solo in the middle of the song --- is simply one of the most fun, aggressive, cathartic National songs ever recorded. It’s up there with “Mr. November” as one of the all-time best too, and that’s saying a lot.

4. “Intrepid” – Pinegrove

Pinegrove know how to tangle your heart into a ball, play with it, and then give it back at the exact moment you’re about to curl over and die. “Intrepid,” the single off the supposedly titled Skylight supposedly out in March, is a call-back to the lo-fi days from Everything So Far. On the first couple listens to this song, it’s actually quite unassuming. Evan’s vocals are tucked neatly into the back of the mix, as clean guitars ring out over a tense percussive back. At times, Evan’s voice becomes more pronounced as he screams, “well the way I spent my winter / I wonder” but then almost immediately, he and the music pulls back, and leaves us wanting so much more. What feels like a frustrating tug and pull of tension with no real resolution during the lengthy and repetitive middle section soon makes sense when it transitions to its fateful conclusion. The tempo slows, then quickens, then slows, and then quickens again. Finally, the intensifying vocals and guitars swelter until they can’t take it anymore and we are greeted with a climatic, harmonious resolution all packed within a single chord. It’s a song that really takes a while to sink in, but once it does, you will not be able to stop hitting repeat.

3. “Orange Colored Queen” - Ty Segall

Ty Segall is a legend. If you don’t know him, he’s a singer-songwriter who has released 10 albums in the past 10 years, and that’s just counting the ones under his own name. He is a naturally gifted songsmith, who, at his best, has a really classic sound whose influences range across The Beatles, The Kinks, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, to Queen. At his most interesting though, you can find Ty Segall crossdressing, wearing a mask and screaming nonsense into a microphone for five-minutes. “Orange Colored Queen” though, of literally the 200+ Ty Segall songs is probably the most straightforward and down-to-earth he has ever sounded. Starting with a beautiful and lazy guitar line, Ty eases us into the song before soon enough at the :50 second mark the track doubles in time, the drums kick in, and we are in paradise. I have a hard time describing this song because it’s such a simple and basic pop song that it really just needs to be heard, similar to any Beatles song you’d find on One. When a song is this good and this simple, you don’t ask questions – you just listen.

2. Appointments” - Julien Baker

Ok, so first, if you know me, I tend to be attracted to certain songs that have a specific formula to them. One of my favorite formulas is this: Quiet, atmospheric piano-driven ballad with introspective lyrics slowly builds to an anthemic, explosive, and deeply cathartic (key word) climax and that leaves you stuck in your chair for a bit after it’s over. Some of my favorite songs of all time employ this formula of slow start → rising action → climax. “Exit Music (For A Film)” does this well, “Ultralight Beam” does this well,” “I Dreamed A Dream” does this well. “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” does this well. Well, Julien Baker, welcome to the club.

“Appointments” is that formula perfectly executed, with a twinkling guitar repeating throughout the song atop a timid piano line. As Julien reflects on a destructive relationship, the song slowly but surely starts to pick up pace, until eventually the music drops out altogether. After echoing and overlapping vocals fill up the instrumental void, the piano and guitar suddenly come back, this time with Julien belting the final refrain like it’s her final moments on earth, screaming, “maybe it’s all gonna turn out all right / oh, I know that it’s not, but I have to believe that it is.” It’s a powerful ending to a song that seems to bring as much healing to the listener as it does for Julien herself.

1. “Blanket Me” – Hundred Waters

Like I said in the Julie Byrne review, this year was rich in providing deeply powerful introspective indie-ballads from extremely talented frontwomen. “Blanket Me” was a song I discovered this year at a time when I really needed comfort and it really provided me the warmth I longed for. Just like its name, “Blanket Me,” is the feeling of locking yourself in a room, lying on the floor, wrapping yourself like a burrito in blankets, and blasting your favorite song until you sink deep into the floor. And if you think I’m being dramatic, go ahead and press play. The lyrics literally read “gone under, capsized and sinking” before she screams, “blanket me” literally 81 times (I counted). On top of the repeating lyrics, you get absolutely smothered by noise, as you are met with waves of vibrating synths, explosive drum fills, and a choir of pitched-up electronic vocals. There is so much going on at once that it’s hard to separate one sound from the other. It’s totally immersive, visceral, and above all, comforting. “Blanket Me” is the best song of two thousand and seventeen.

Full List:

1. “Blanket Me” - Hundred Waters 2. “Appointments” - Julien Baker 3. “Orange Colored Queen” - Ty Segall 4. “Intrepid” - Pinegrove 5. “The System Only Sleeps in Total Darkness" - The National 6. “Pageant” - PWR BTTM 7. “Hey K” - Passion Pit 8. “Real Death” - Mount Eerie 9. “City of Roses” - Sufjan Stevens 10. “Mallwalkers - Fred Thomas 11. “Chanel” - Frank Ocean 12. “Ballad Of A Dying Man” - Father John Misty 13. “Hunters Gun” - Palehound 14. “Haley” - Big Thief 15. “Cold Apartment” - Vagabon 16. “Follow My Voice” - Julie Byrne 17. “Waving Through A Window” - Ben Platt 18. “May I Have This Dance” - Francis and the Lights ft. Chance The Rapper 19. “Supermodel” - SZA 20. “Proud” - (Sandy) Alex G 21. “Tonite” - LCD Soundsystem 22. “Losing All Sense” - Grizzly Bear 23. “Through The Roses” - Future Islands 24. “The Grocery” - Manchester Orchestra 25. “In Chains” - The War on Drugs 26. “Motion Sickness” - Phoebe Bridgers 27. “Man of War” - Radiohead 28. “Guilty Party” - The National 29. “You Have The Right” - Passion Pit 30. “LOL” - PWR BTTM 31. “DNA” - Kendrick Lamar 32. “Evening Prayer” - Jens Lekman 33. “Charlie” - Alison Crutchfield 34. “Half A Million” - The Shins 35. “Reactionary” - Fred Thomas 36. “A Slow, Slow Death” - Los Campesinos 37. “Ran in Soho” - The Mountain Goats 38. “George Washington” - Why? 39. “Over Everything” - Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile 40. “Mercury” - Sufjan Stevens, James Mcallister, Aaron Dessner, Nico Muhley 41. “The Greatest Gift” - Sufjan Stevens 42. “Blood On Me” - Sampha 43. “Darkened Rings” - Cloud Nothings 44. “Third of May / Odaigahara" - Fleet Foxes 45. “Total Entertainment Forever” - Father John Misty 46. “Kill Jill” - Big Boy, Killer Mike, Jeezy 47. “What I Want” - Cende 48. “Radio” - Sylvan Esso 49. “American Dream” - LCD Soundsystem 50. “Take Care (To Comb Your Hair)” - Ty Segall 51. “Keep Your Name” - The Dirty Projectors 52. “Dogs” - Pile 53. “Say Something Loving” - The XX 54. “Gone Beyond” - Peter Silberman 55. “Creature Comfort” - The Arcade Fire 56. “How Do You Sleep?” - LCD Soundsystem 57. “Look At Your Hands” - tUnE-yArDs 58. “Tonya Harding (in Eb major)” - Sufjan Stevens 59. “Taste” – Rhye 60. “Sugar For The Pill” – Slowdive Best Albums of 2017 1. Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked At Me 2. Julien Baker - Turn Out the Lights 3. The National - Sleep Well Beast 4. The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding 5. Passion Pit - Tremendous Sea of Love 6. Future Islands - The Far Field 7. Manchester Orchestra - A Black Mile To The Sun 8. Father John Misty - Pure Comedy 9. Sylvan Esso - What Now 10. Grizzly Bear - Painted Ruins 11. Los Campesinos - Sick Scenes 12. Fred Thomas - Changer 13. The Mountain Goats - Goths 14. James McAlister, Bryce Dessen, Sufjan Stevens, Nico Muhly - Planetarium 15. WHY? - Moh Lhean

If you've made it this far, thank you for reading. I hope you at least learned one new song or album that can bring deep emotion into your life. Below is a Spotify Playlist of every song except for PWR BTTM and Ty Segall. 2018, bring it on. Playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/user/andrewberkowitz/playlist/1v9fNU9V2foTnGu7LOjspO