#this song has been stuck in my head for days its so catchy

[brisskwinds]

Sham lover! (cw: flashing lights for video in link)

[grogusmum]

Please Mister Please

JOEL MILLER X F!READER (nicknamed)

SUMMARY: You can't seem to escape that one song even after the apocalypse. Joel and Ellies friendship brings you some comfort, and maybe Joel is interested in more.

WORD COUNT: 1700ish

WARNINGS: None to speak of. Unless you need one for soft Joel. As always, if you see something I've missed, let me know in my DMs, and I'll add it.

A/N: Just a little something inspired by the Olivia Newton-John's song of the same name. (She was in her country music era) It's hardly edited, written on my phone, and Imma just yeetin' it out there. Oops. It's just the usual fluffy hurt comfort. But it IS my first go round with Joel. I hope you enjoy it! 💚

The jukebox was found on a supply run at some honky tonk out Fort Collins way called Sundance something or other. You laughed at your first thought, which was it's wasn't one of those new ones with CDs, realizing "those new ones" were now 40 years old... but this one was truly an antique, with vinyl in it and everything.

A Wurlitzer in all its chrome, brightly colored bakelite, and satisfying push button glory.

You shake your head now, thinking you should have known the moment you heard. Everyone was so excited. Because, of course, they were! How fun is an old timey jukebox full of country-western ballads, anthems, and line dance classics?

It brought an energy into Jackson, the likes you hadn't seen before it. You'd gotten in early on, and watched its evolution from place where people were merely surviving to an industrious hive of busy bees, creating abundance but there wasn't much room for joy and then out of the clear blue sky - line dancing. At first they couldnt keep it plugged in all the time, it was turned on for a half an hour at the end of the day, until they had a good handle on the dam and the power plant was working consistently. You're sure it was the inspiration for Maria's attention to holidays and socials after seeing the excitement and morale lift from it. Suddenly, y'all were living, not just staying alive. So it seems silly, with so much real life and death shit to deal with, to get so hung up on one song, but it carried so much weight for you, you just couldn't shake it. If only it wasn't so sweet, if only it wasn't so catchy… Maybe people wouldn't have noticed it among all the other tracks. But it was sweet and it was catchy, and about making it after all the shit they'd been through...

So naturally, at five songs for a quarter, it ends up in the mix at some point. (It's the only reason the town has any coins. Paying it could have been bypassed, but dropping the 25¢ seemed to be part of the fun.) So when you least expected it, it would start to play, and so far, it continued to flip your stomach and make your eyes glass. And think about how he and you didn't actually make it.

Joel and Ellie have been in Jackson several months now. Ellie dove right in, school, taking care of the horses afterward, trying to socialize. She's a little guarded sure but mostly funny and eager. Joel started helping Tommy right away, but it seemed to you more to keep busy than to join the community. He's wary and taciturn. When they weren't in those organized work times, they stuck close. When Ellie ventured into social activities, Joel let her go, but he was ever watchful, with Ellie checking in often even just a look over her shoulder, just to see if he was still there. He always was. They reminded you of a bonded pair of strays.

You liked your place, Catnip's Apothecary. They'd come in twice so far, once when Joel brought Ellie in for a poison ivy rash and once when Ellie brought a very grumpy Joel for inflammation in his knees Ellie found all your jars of tinctures, teas, herbs, and powders fascinating. Asking what everything did, looking at drying plants hanging from rafters in wonder, pspspsing the cats.

“Are you a witch?”

“Ellie!” Joel admonished, but looking at you for a tell. Were you? You could see him wondering.

You only laughed. Sure you were, but what they were seeing here was hardly witchcraft, just herbalism, mostly. Joel and Ellie are both bright and observant - you're pretty sure they both noticed you didn't answer.

Tonight, Ellie is at the rec center, a movie theater for the evening, awaiting the start of none other than Star Wars.

Where did they find all these 70s flicks? Nevertheless, A New Hope's a great find. You can't resist going, even though you know it by heart, and you'll have to force yourself not to recite all the dialogue. Sitting smack dab in the middle, surrounded by all these kids and young adults, seeing it for the first time, you munch your popcorn and smile.

You don't see Joel, but it's not like you are actively looking for him… just curious, given their penchant to stay together and you figured he will know the movie too, maybe he's more of a Trekkie. When you catch Ellie's eye, she waves animatedly and moves to sit beside you.

“Sssoooo, you're like one of the only grown ups here.” there is a gremlin glint in Ellie’s eye.

“Yeah, I thought there'd be more nostalgia watchers-” you say a little sheepishly. “ But it's okay, I'll see it with a soon-to-be New Generation of Star Wars Fans. Bear Witness!”

“And what if it sucks?”

The noise you make is somewhere between an indignant scoff and a gasp of purest offense. But you rally.

“Oh just you wait padawan-”

"What's a pada-"

As quickly as the lights go down the attention commanding drums of the 20th Century Fox fanfare begin.

“Oop here we go! Buckle up, buttercup!!”

You live vicariously through the new audience for the next two hours, and it is a pure joy.

The young people of Jackson laugh at the Laurel and Hardy comedy stylings of Threepio and Artoo, they eat up the “though she be little she is fierce” snarky spirit of Princess Leia, gasp at Alderaan's fate and Obi Wan's sacrifice, cheer at Hans return, hold their collective breath when Luke turns off his targeting device to use the force, and burst into applause when he makes the one in a million shot, womp rats in Beggars Canyon take heed.

“Aw man I really hope we can see Empire some day,” you say as the credits roll.

Ellie is elated, peppering you with questions about the sequel and then Return of the Jedi as you walk out of the rec center, and everyone begins to head home. You do you best answering, not wanting to spoil too much if she actually gets to watch it.

“I'm this way,” she says suddenly, as she peels off from the town center, “see ya!”

You head toward the Tipsy Bison, to join the adults, most of which took advantage of the kids being off at the movie to do a little drinking and dancing.

The spring has brought high spirits, and with it bright chatter and the stomp of line dancing in progress. Grabbing a spot to watch, you order yourself a drink. When the song ends, there's hoots and applause, and the next one is slow and sweet, and it only takes the first note for you to feel the drop in your belly.

Joel saw you come in, he had seen you from the street actually, when the community center emptied after the film, he had his eye out for Ellie and saw her come out with you, talking animatedly and laughing. He smiled. You were his age, or close enough, he guesses, not only from both the smile and worry lines but your points of reference when talking, only missing references that are local to growing up in Texas. It's comforting, you remember Before. You also have a light he can't get enough of. You didn't confirm nor deny it, but he is sure you've enchanted him witch or not. He's just been too, 'shy' isn't the right word... he just hasn't been able to make any sort of move.

Then he does his best to saunter over to your little table, drink in hand. He's pretty sure his sauntering days are over.

Now you sit alone, a moment ago smiling, tapping to the music. He had been taking in some liquid courage, in the form of whiskey, to ask you to dance. But the light in your eyes is replaced with a shine, not in the way he loves. He's seen this a couple times, he realizes. Times when your eyes go far away and a sadness descends on you.

He gets up and checks the jukebox, taking note of the song. He's pretty sure he's right. He can't bypass a song on a jukebox, nor can he tell a DJ to change it. But he's gonna talk to Walt the barkeeper, first chance he gets.

“Hey Catnip, can I sit?”

You look up wiping your wide eyes.

“Oh, sure, Joel, please,” your smile tries to reach your eyes, but it flickers and can't stay.

“So," Joel starts, he's not good at this. He's gotten better but, “You're Still the One, huh? For me, it's Vince Gill- When I Call Your Name ”

You just look at him, and he starts to think maybe he hasn't improved at all.

“I don't know that one, it was kind of a fluke that our song, his song was a country song. It's not my usual genre.”

“Well it wasn't my lady and my song, it was the song that I listened to after she left. Sarah was so little. I felt so lost in those early days. Now I can't even hear the open-”

“Opening chords,” you finish with a chuckle, “yeah, I can't- and now of course it all wrapped up in the Before Times, too. But here it is, in a jukebox of less than 200 songs, the one song that represents my husband walking out on me before the shit hit the fan.”

“I can't even picture anyone leaving you with nothing but a song.”

“Yeah, well, I can picture it quite clearly. I can't imagine someone leaving you with a little baby girl to raise.”

“We are in the same boat, darlin’ until it happened I would have been with you on that. We were very young, 22, she panicked.”

“Aren't we a pair?”

“Why don't this pair go for a walk then?”

Joel holds his breath, looking into your lovely face.

“I'd like that.”

Standing, Joel holds out a hand to guide you up and out of the bar, it settles comfortably on your lower back, the song long over. His hand tingles and theres a flutter in his chest at being allowed to touch you this way.

It smells like petrichor, though the skies are clear. Joel's hand leaves your back to your chagrin, but he gently holds out his elbow, and with a crooked smile you slip your hand in the crux of it.

“Such a gentleman.”

He smiles and brings you to the newly constructed, yet to be painted, gazebo.

You climb the handful of steps and look at the town from this new vantage point.

Behind you, Joel comes close, his hand casually on your hip, like you did this everyday. His mouth close to the shell of your ear and a quiet hum floats in, the controlled breath tickling, you smile knowing the very apt song choice,

“Are you making fun of me Joel Miller?”

He chuckles, then the words over take the hum -

“Please mister, please, don't play B-17

It was our song, it was his song but it's over

Please Mr. please, if you know what I mean

I don't ever wanna hear that song again…”

Joel turns you, arm around your waist, his other hand sliding into yours -

" I'd sound a bit better with my guitar, but when we couldnt dance, so-"

He starts a simple box step, as he sings quiet and low, just for you, while turning you around the gazebo.

You join in singing, whispering in his ear the chorus when it comes again. It feels cathartic. Then you step back - who is this man? Not the guy who came in with a little girl, a gut wound that should have killed him, poorly healed knuckles, and the wary eye of someone who is always waiting for the other shoe to come down on him like it's made of lead. But looking at him now, those brown eyes wide but the little crease between his eyes holding his concern. His jaw soft, making you take more note of his natural pout and the salt and pepper scruff, the little spot that just won't fill in, it looks like a heart… you wonder if it's as soft and smooth as it looks and if he'd let you touch it to find out.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING 💚

Please consider commenting and reblogging. If you are interested in reading more of my writing, you can find my masterlist here. If you would like to be notified when i post more work, you can find my taglist form here.

[notyouraryang0dd3ss]

I find it so bizarre that I’ve seen some of your anons say they remember when she got super famous around 2008… as an international ex-swiftie I can tell you right now that is so far from the reality at least on a global scale. Maybe in the USA she was super famous then but she was still relatively unknown until the whole Kanye VMA situation, and even then only a small number of people knew her for her music itself. I was a fan since her first album but she wasn’t like an overnight global success (tbh I think she hates that she wasn’t cause it definitely feels like she tries to make it seem like she was). And when she did start to become “Taylor Swift” the brand it was NOT COOL to like her. In fact I remember being picked on for liking her. Like why would I like that lame country singer. Country music is lame. It wasn’t till 1989 that she became cool to like her (I could argue I Knew You Were Trouble but for the sake of it I’ll say 1989). Then the whole Kanye 2.0 situation and she went into “hiding” (aka didn’t call paparazzi on herself). Then Reputation is where I think people were back on the Taylor train. She’s not really fallen from grace since well until now. I just find it interesting the perception she was a mega star in 2008 when I don’t think globally she was till 2014/2016. And even then most of the success for her music followed personal drama that increased her fame not the other way around. Don’t get me wrong she has always been in the public eye but definitely more of an American Celebrity than a global one for the most part of the start of her career. Even now I see a lot of other international people saying she’s not got a large global pull like she does in the USA. She’s no Michael / Madonna / Janet / Britney / Beyoncé.

this ask is so funny “(tbh i think she hates that she wasn’t)” is so true. she is the queen of taylor swift historical revisionism and i feel like her rerelease campaign is part of revising the history of her personal brand too

thank you for this ask this is so insightful. im american if it isnt super obvious already enough but she’s always been big here. idk if other americans are aware of this but we’re an incredibly self centered country and assume whatever the american opinion is is the default global opinion which is fundamentally not true. she’s always been big here and her blowing up around 1989 (or her full shift to pop) makes sense. she makes really catchy pop music (if i accidentally hear a song it will get stuck in my head for days) and isn’t vocally challenging to sing along with.

“she went into hiding (aka didnt call the paparazzi on herself)” LMFAO SO TRUE! her reputation era was hilarious cause she framed herself as being universally hated yet had the highest grossing tour of 2017…like let’s be real.

i feel like the eras tour is her establishing herself as a global force on par with michael/madonna/beyoncé/britney etc. but it isn’t really sticking. like it is financially but also…its not? idk i just feel like she doesn’t have that IT factor no matter how much she tries to fabricate it through other means. her brand is not her music (despite being her being the first billionaire solely off her music) its being Taylor Swift™️

idk. only time will tell her actual legacy but she will go down as a musician whose 4 AOTYs did not deserve their awards. and i got so sidetracked but yes swifties do overhype the timeline of her intl fame to fuel their delusion over her

[okkalo]

hellooooo. could you pls do a scenario of reader unintentionally hearing bllk boys singing for the first time and finding it cute? ft. rin, kaiser, isagi, reo, nagi pls. TYSM LOVELOTSSSS

hi anon! thank u for the request and i hope u enjoy

characters: rin, kaiser, isagi, reo, nagi

rin

- i want to go dad rin for this one but i won’t 😣

- jk i changed my mind.

- i feel like this is one of the only scenarios you could catch him singing

- ok so you’ve had a lot on your plate recently and rin noticed and told you to take the night to yourself and let him handle yua (ifykyk;))

- and so that’s exactly what happened

- once you had enough you-time you immediately wanted to check on yua

- rin was a great dad and all but it just felt weird leaving yua for so long

- quietly, you snuck to her room, knowing she was probably already asleep

- it came as a surprise when you instead saw rin holding her while sitting on the rocking chair, singing her a small song

- your heart? MELTED

- you tried your best to not gasp so you could enjoy the moment for a little longer

- rin, however, noticed quickly </3

- he set the now asleep yua back in her crib before walking over to you, acting like he didn’t do anything out of the ordinary

“welcome back, how was it?” rin greeted with a kiss on your forehead. he pushed you both away from yua’s room so she didn’t accidentally wake up due to your whispers.

“rin, you have the prettiest singing voice and you only use it for yua,” you looked up to him with a pout on your face. you watched the different stages of rin’s realization show on his face. at the end he was covered in blush, looking away while speeding up his pace to go to your shared bedroom.

“rin! you should start singing to me sometime! and slow down!”

“shut up or you’ll wake up yua,” rin warned from basically a mile away from you. yeah, he didn’t slow down nor did he look at you for the rest of the night.

kaiser

- i feel like he sings a lot when doing tasks

- like chores? there’s a good chance that he’s singing

- he always sings low though, so it can be hard to tell

- it’s always absentmindedly too!

- so you noticed it pretty quickly into your relationship with him

- he was opening a few boxes he got from some companies he partnered with and some fan mail that had made its way into the pile when he was once again singing

- meanwhile, you had wanted to sneak up on him

- which, was going well until you abruptly stopped in your tracks at his low smooth voice

- that’s when he noticed you, completely oblivious to your earlier actions

“what’s wrong, liebe?” he questioned, his attention all on you now. a small frown made it’s way to your lips at the lack of his singing.

“were you just singing?” you asked even though it was obvious he was, just hoping he would go into more detail about it. a smirk appeared on his lips at the question, now turning his body to you.

“yes, aren’t i a good singer? do you want me to sing to you, my little bird?” he got closer with each word until his lips were next to your ear, letting out his seductive whispers. as much as you didn’t want to, you went red at his teasing, giving him a pout before pushing him away.

“you can’t say that when you have someone’s love letter to you in your hand!” you fought, both you and kaiser’s gaze dropping to the card with a heart on it. maybe it was bad timing.

- btw he’s not a good singer. he’s just full of himself.

isagi

- any song that has a catchy tune will get stuck in his head and he sometimes sings it out loud

- he has sang body by megan the stallion once because aryu played it as a joke

- but anyways you guys had the idea of creating a shared playlist the other day

- and isagi had been cleaning the dishes with a song stuck in his head

- and lucky for you, you caught him in the act

“isagi, are you singing a song from our playlist?” you recognized the love lyrics the song had. his eyes widened in shock, not even realizing his earlier singing, before turning to you with a red face.

“yeah, it was one of the songs you added,” he admitted sheepishly, hand going up to his nape, “it’s been stuck in my head recently.”

you only smiled at his shy confession, turning off the water to the sink before wrapping your arms around his neck. you both met for a gentle kiss, before going in for one more.

“you have a good voice,” you told, a smile now forming on his lips as his cheeks turned into a darker shade of red. instead of another sappy sentence, he met you for another kiss, this one longer than the rest.

reo

- he’s not much of a singer at all

- meaning it’s VERY rare to see him sing

- but when a song has been stuck in his head for awhile he slips and lets his singing voice out

- this time the song had been a slow one, really accentuating his nice vocals

- it had happened when he was filling out “boring” paperwork, naïve to his own singing

you snuck up on the purple-haired male, making yourself known by snaking a gentle hand up his back, resting your head on his shoulders. you had even gotten a startled jump out of him in the act.

“what’s wrong?” he questioned, head turning so that his still widened eyes met yours. you only have a chuckle at his reaction, your smile easing his tensed body.

“you should sing to me some more, you have a good voice,” his eyes widened once more before a smile made its way on his face. his arm slithered around your figure, pulling you to sit on his lap.

“so you heard, your wish is my command,” he whispered before planting a kiss on your nape, eyes going back to his paperwork while his singing voice started up again.

nagi

- he would hum a lot of game background music

- it was rare to hear him singing actual lyrics, seeing he was not the best music enjoyer

- however, if the song is from a game it’s more likely to happen

- you both had been laying together on your shared bed, doing your own things

- nagi had opened his game and it reminded him of the one song he heard from them

- so naturally, he started singing absentmindedly

- while you were like ????

- you probably thought it was his game at first because you never expected nagi to be singing??

“nagi, is that you?” you questioned, confused if he was just lip syncing or actually singing. once he processed your question and his lips stopped moving, you had your answer.

“yeah,” he answered, not knowing what else to say. his focus stayed on his game, showing his lack of care at your new discovery.

“keep singing, you sound good,” you snuggled up to him, head resting on his shoulder as your eyes fell to his game. his body gave you easy access, a natural response of his for his love of cuddling.

“too much of a hassle,” he sighs, a light stroke of pink coating his cheeks. he secretly loved that you were impressed. so much so, that he might just start singing again later.

unedited thanks for reading!

[6okuto]

ANYTHING FOR YOU

akaashi x gn!reader | ~1.2k words of getting ready + brushing your teeth for @sunaslay 's heart at home collab ^___^

the second entry i accidentally deleted a while ago and couldn’t bring myself to rewrite bc :') ??? sobs. u would not believe the scream i scrumt that night. WAHH

the bathroom counter isn’t split in half between you and your boyfriend. your things get paired—keiji’s toothbrush sits next to yours in the cute matching holders he bought, your hair products are assorted next to his (he notices the new oil he got was missing from its spot, but says nothing), and the fluffy spa headbands hang next to each other on the wall.

you flip flop between believing it makes things faster or slower each morning, but while you sit on the counter, covering your mouth as you yawn, keiji says amused, “this makes it easier for me to take care of the both of us, huh?”

you shoot him a look. “it’s not my fault. no one should be up this early.”

“well, bokuto wanted everyone to have breakfast together so come on, i’ll help if you need me to,” he coaxes you softly, holding out your headband. you pout, movements groggy after you rub your eyes for the umpteenth time in the last 20 minutes.

you hop off the counter, and he turns the faucet on for you. it’s a quiet morning; the neighbour’s kids aren’t out in the backyard, nor is the neighbour across from you mowing their lawn. the only sounds are running water while you splash your face, and keiji humming the tune he’s complained has been stuck in his head for the past 2 days. a smile finds its way to you when he quietly sings the chorus. “thought you didn’t like that song?”

he pauses. “i mean it isn’t bad, it’s just annoying to think of the same 30 seconds over and over. i kind of accepted it’ll just be stuck in my head until the next one.”

there’s a tap on your arm while you wipe your eyes, and with them closed you reach for the towel keiji holds for you. “i can play you an equally annoyingly catchy one?”

“oh please don’t.”

“it’s the one stuck in my head. we could match.”

he scoffs and pinches your side, grinning when you try to elbow him back. “i’m fine suffering over here, thanks.”

there’s a lull when you put the towel away, the two of you looking at each other in the mirror. even after putting the water to cold, sleep still lingers and you almost yawn again. instead, you take the half a step between him and you, resting your head against his shoulder.

an arm easily wraps around your waist and a chaste kiss is pressed to your forehead. you can feel keiji's fingers rubbing circles against you as his lips linger on your skin. he teasingly murmurs, “you okay, or do you need me to brush your teeth for you?”

“mm, maybe i do.”

“yeah? okay.” your head falls slightly when he moves to pick up your toothbrush and toothpaste. “what? keiji, i was kidding.”

keiji ignores you, getting the brush ready before facing you. “say aahh,” he sing-songs, hovering the toothbrush near your face, not even trying to hide his smile. “keiji no—”

“no, keiji aahh.”

you can’t help laughing, and he takes the opportunity to sneak the toothbrush in. a choked sound of betrayal escapes you, but there’s nowhere to go with his hand where it is, the other positioned to catch anything that drips. so you stand there as he carefully brushes your teeth, your own hands awkwardly hovering as if you’d be able to help. keiji starts to hum his song again after praising you, “good job, baby.”

you know he really doesn’t mind even though it’s a silly thing to do, he probably finds it amusing, and you wouldn’t be surprised if he finished. so for a while you let him believe he’s going to, before you suddenly close your mouth and reach for his wrist. the action takes him by surprise, and just as quickly as you move, you get jabbed at the back of your mouth. “ah, ow.”

“shit, sorry, sorry.” keiji lets go of the brush for you to take, frowning even when you laugh. you wave him off but he's unconvinced, and you try to reassure him. the words come out oddly as you try to brush and not accidentally drool, “it’s okay. at least i didn’t choke or something. do you know how embarrassing it’d be if i died because you tried brushing my teeth?”

keiji huffs before shaking his head, the joke relaxing him a little. “you’re the one who moved. i was fully prepared to stand here for 2 minutes,”—he reaches for his own brush and the toothpaste—“also i think they’d find it silly and romantic.”

as soon as he’s moved back to standing up, you move to turn the faucet back on. “oh yeah? please tell that to my funeral audience.”

“‘kay, i’ll even photoshop your funeral photo so there’s a little toothbrush in the corner.” the image flashes in your head, and you manage to spit out your toothpaste before laughing, “i'd break up with you in the after life if i saw a toothbrush at my funeral.”

putting your toothbrush back in its spot, the counter calls for you again. you hop back on top and begin to swing your legs as you wait for keiji to finish. he shoots you a questioning look, but doesn't complain about your company. “so you really don’t want a little toothbrush friend?” he asks after a while.

you snort. “you’d put my murderer in my image?”

“the toothbrush is innocent, i think we’d be considered the murderers.”

“fuck,” you mutter, earning a huffed laugh in response. “homicide at 7 in the morning is a great way to go, i guess. still keep the toothbrush out, though.”

“okay,”—he spits out his toothpaste—”no funeral toothbrush photo.” and as soon as he's cleaned up, keiji leans against the wall, gesturing for you to join him. he asks softly, “ready to actually get ready now?”

for a second, the question confuses you; you forget you actually had plans today. keiji looks at you expectantly, a ghost of a smile on his lips. you see an opportunity and, jokingly, put on puppy dog eyes and pout, leaning against him again. “...help me get dressed?”

keiji takes the time to blink twice, processing your question. and then he laughs again, the sound filling the air and lightening your mood even more. maneuvering so he can intertwine his fingers with yours, he kisses your temple then turns to walk you back to the bedroom. “anything for you.”

[roisheep]

Lost Steely Dan Saturday

I've decided that I'm going to start a weekly thing where I post about various cut & obscure Steely Dan songs. My intention is mainly to post about an album's worth of outtakes, demos, and other oddities per installment. This list will be non-exhaustive, as the list of Steely Dan and Steely Dan adjacent outtakes is enormous. I'll be sharing links to what songs I can, and I'll be prioritizing unadulterated demos (though I will be recommending fan remasters when applicable.) Starting chronologically, we'll be looking at their first album, Can't Buy a Thrill, and a little bit of what came before it. Heads up, this will be a long post.

Dallas (Single)

This single is Steely Dan's first release, it and its b-side were only ever released officially on a 1978 japan only compilation

One of the first things you might notice with this one is that Donald Fagen is not singing lead vocals, instead being performed by drummer Jim Hodder. Hodder also performs lead vocals for "Midnite Cruiser" on can't buy a thrill. Personally, I'm pretty keen on this one. Despite Becker & Fagen later describing it as "stinko," I think it holds up pretty well. The use of steel guitar makes it mesh really well into the sound of Can't Buy a Thrill, and I'd definitely recommend giving it a listen. JiveMiguel1980 has an excellent remaster which you can find on YouTube, and the band Poco covered this song in 1975.

Sail the Waterway

I'm not going to have too much to say about a lot of these songs, and this is definitely one of those. It's nice enough. The instrumentation once again feels very in line with the sound of CBAT, and this song features a pretty nice guitar solo, as well as some nice backing vocals. Sail the Waterway also has another great remaster by JiveMiguel1980 on YouTube that is worth checking out if you enjoy the song.

Can't Buy a Thrill Demos and Outtakes

Moving now from songs released before Can't Buy a Thrill and on to the Demos and Outtakes of the albums themselves. Steely Dan fans have been compiling this into their own little bootlegs since before the internet, so I'll be able to share most of them with one link, and we'll briefly run down through the songs in order as they appear:

Gullywater: This one's just plain fun! The lyrics are very of their time but I find the song's heavy reliance on just kind of stating metaphors to be endearing. The guitar on this one is also just killer. Check out the JiveMiguel1980 remaster, and It's at this point that I'd also like to note that yes, I am going to recommend JiveMiguel1980 remasters a lot, they make a lot of them and they're very good

Sakka Joweda: This one is probably my favorite CBAT outtake, it's really catchy and very high energy for Steely Dan. The chorus on this one gets stuck in my head for the rest of the day every time I hear it, and the closing organ bit is very distinct for them. Check out the JiveMiguel1980 remaster if you like this one as always. I'd have to agree with the studio chatter at the end of this one, Sakka Joweda is "real good."

Any World (That I'm Welcome To): You might recognize this one from their 1975 album "Katie Lied," Any World is one of a couple of Steely Dan demos to find new life on subsequent albums. This version of it is very good on its own, having the sparser piano and drum sound of a lot of Steely Dan demos, but it doesn't quite hold up as well when compared to its later officially released iteration (you just can't compete with Michael McDonald.)

Running Child: This one to me is another solid-but-not-exceptional demo, which is probably why infamous perfectionist Donald Fagen prevented it from being included on the album. This one also has a JiveMiguel1980 remaster if it sticks out to you.

Megashine City: This song is alright, like Sakka Joweda I think its strongest part is its chorus. This one has a very 60s country-ish americana sound that I don't personally care for, and I think wouldn't sound out of place with a lot of other bands of the era, but it still has enough of that Dan feel going for it that I'll listen to it on occasion.

Stay There: This is just studio chatter and instrument futzing I think. If you're listening to Can't Buy a Thrill Demos and Outtakes as though it were a real album, it's a fun little transitional piece.

Midnite Cruiser (Alternate Mix): This is an alternate mix of Midnite Cruiser, the track from Can't Buy a Thrill. Not too too much is different, but it is pretty neat.

This was my first Lost Steely Dan Saturday, I've been wanting to blog about this stuff for a little bit, and finally settled on this as the format. Next week I'll most likely be covering Katy Lied & The Royal Scam, as Countdown to Ecstasy and Pretzel Logic outtakes either don't exist or remain lost media at present. Not sure how this style of post is going to perform, but I am mostly just making these for my own enjoyment. However, if anyone has questions or notes they can feel free to reach out to me about them.

[caluski]

@moldavite tagged me to post my current music faves (thank u kalli a big fucking MWAH goes out to u in this gloomy april evening) so yay!!! i love posting spotify links of course... more belowww. trying so hard for everyone to only post things i havent shared before... trying!!

obviously justice is on repeat - both incognito and saturnine, but im putting here incognito bc it does have the coolest intro and outro everrr like ouuughhhh like justice goes so fucking hard when they choose to have some retro synths................ actually have you listened to planisphere today? you should (talking to everyone)

i havent actually talked about my thoughts on khruangbins new album... which is obviously good but i simply didnt have the time to get into it :/ ive been hoping to give it a good listen, no skips no nothing, on a day off but work has been kicking my ass a bittt... anyway! Pon pón is fun. it came out as a single few weeks back and ive gotten really into it.... sooooo groovy

vampire by sholto is what some of you might recognize from love and food playlist? but ohhhhhh fuckkkkkkk its so good. i dont even know this guy and i didnt think much of it other than "yeah its cool" when i added it to my library. such a great and sinister feeling jazzy number.... AND WHEN THE SAX HITS!!!!!!!!! thats so good. please listen to vampire.

more radio pop!!!!! MORE MAINSTREAM KEVIN PARKER!!!!!!!! i do love tame impala's older/more niche sound just as much as i love him "selling out" (whatever, i will defend his minions and elvis tracks until i die and i will MEAN it) so i am STILL excited for this album even though the roll-out of singles has been consistently awful. but i guess dua lipa is a slow riser always (however long did it take her to peak on charts with 'dont start now'???). plus obviously DANNY!!!!!! YAY FOR DANNY!!!!!

its been a really good spring so far, with so many of my faves releasing music, and obviously that includes sebastian. i remember watching the runway show this was made for, but for some reason i didnt hear the whole track - maybe it was just highlights or something? i really love the synths in this one. its unusual for him to bring the choral singing in the start instead of the climax of the track, but its really well done (as always)! i wish, i wiiiiiiiiish there was something happening about the new album, too.

charli's really being weird recently about everything but goddddddd this slaps so good. im usually not that big on gesaffelstein but i do love ag cook so much. its going to be such a good clubbing record like literally.... its crazy she STILL gets labeled hyperpop. i also like club classics, but b2b is TRULY superior out of this double drop....

the beat of this one is just stuck in my head at all times. its cute! fun! perfect for spring. theyre soon to release their debut album, i need to remember to check it out. while its not SOTY material so far, its just cool and pleasant.

more dance sounds - i like this one a lot! really catchy. ive never really been into 1tbsp but yeahhhhh with this one, i get it.

ok i for sure posted this one before, but its ok bc it got like 0 or 1 likes or something. starwolf is a band im really hopeful for!!!! their 2020 album was pretty interesting, but its their three last singles that got my ears all perked up. some daytime disco vibes in them, and its really cool considering i was somewhat.... underwhelmed by poolside's last album. so, i feel good about starwolf now! fingers crossed for summer, as it would be a perrrrrrrfect record to replay over and over during hot sunny days.

and SUUUUUUUUUUUCHHHHHHHHH a spring favorite for the end. kind of getting lost in this one.... number one song i keep thinking of during sweet sunny walks recently. unbelievably cute. 10000% recommend.

[yjyt85r98r]

Aikatsu song reviews: Kira・pata・shining

Possibly the most "wait, this is from Aikatsu?" song of them all. And also the most questionable.

Song

It's a very, very unusual song for Aikatsu. It still loosely follows the most basic anime song conventions, but it ignores a lot of them, instead using a rhythm, scale, and instruments inspired by Indian music. I love when a song breaks the boundaries and does something different. But...

It's been becoming more and more clear to me that I can't stand songs that have one loud instrument making the same sounds over and over throughout the entire song. In the case of Kira・pata・shining, this instrument is the sitar. I think its sound is just too powerful to be at the forefront for the entire song, especially in a song with vocals. It loudly plays the same notes over and over again for the whole song and it sort of drives me crazy. It's fine to have a recurring motif that carries the rest of the song, but ideally, other instrumentals should sometimes overshadow that motif so that it's not dominant for the entire song. When the same thing stays at the forefront for an entire song, without changing at all, then it becomes really boring and annoying. But I don't know, other people seem to like this song, so whatever.

As much as I don't like the main instrumentals, I like the rhythm, and the way it adds in hand drums and occasionally clapping as the song goes on. I think more Aikatsu songs should have used this rhythm and percussion style.

One thing I can say for sure is that this song is incredibly catchy. After hearing it just one time, the chorus kept getting stuck in my head.

Vocals

Sora's voice is the best part of the song to me. There are some parts of the song where I don't know whether her vocals make them more annoying, or if they're just annoying to begin with.

I think they could've done some double tracking to go along with the multiplied visual effects. That would've increased the 'trippy' feeling.

Lyrics

So these lyrics, huh...

I don't really know where to put this, but eventually I was gonna have to talk about early(ish) Aikatsu's whole thing with sexy-type performances and different cultures. Kira・pata・shining is definitely the most glaring example.

Most of the other Aikatsu songs inspired by music from other cultures (e.g. Trap of Love, Chica×Chica) have highly personal lyrics that help the songs feel grounded and genuine. But Kira・pata・shining's lyrics are about magic spells, impermanence, and being mysterious. They're full of deliberately opaque metaphors. They feel somehow distant, as if the whole appeal lies in keeping it foreign. It also doesn't help that they're some of the most suggestive lyrics to appear in Aikatsu. The whole "foreign = sexy" thing is a problem.

It was a whole decade ago at this point, and they don't do this kind of thing anymore so it's no longer a problem. But it's also kind of sad that newer Aikatsu series didn't explore different music styles from different parts of the world. Maybe one day they will have a perfect balance, especially now that anime is becoming a more worldwide, multicultural thing.

Choreography

It has a nice swirling quality. I sort of like the choreography, but combined with everything else about this song, you could say it goes too far into "sexy" territory. Still, it's not the worst that Aikatsu's ever put out.

Visuals

I forget how much I like the stage until I see it in motion. The flaming torches, the sky that turns darker, the fireworks, the way the palace disappears for a split second... very mysterious. It's also unique how Sora begins the song with her wings folded like a fan, and they only unfold after the first verse. The whole thing is full of spiritual imagery and vague visual metaphors.

It sort of reminds me of a 70s/80s music video, what with the orientalist setup and surreal visual effects. If you've seen any early MTV videos, you probably know what I'm talking about.

I still feel like this whole performance is sort of just a cultural mishmash. The stage design is obviously influenced by the Taj Mahal, so it fits the music's theme, but the brand Bohemian Sky is allegedly based on Sora's time in Morocco, and the designs don't look like they're based on anything in particular. As Long As It Sounds Foreign!

Good points: Unique song, nice rhythm Bad points: Main instrumental is too repetitive and overbearing

Rating: 5/10 Personal rating: 1/10

[cherrygirlystuff]

Brat Rankings – All the Bops We’re Living For Right Now!

Hey, babe! 🌸 Okay, so you know how obsessed we all are with Brat, right? Well, get ready because I’ve been listening to the new tracks on repeat, and I just had to sit down and rank them for you. Of course, this is just my personal take, and honestly, I love every single one of these songs, but some just hit different, you know? So, let’s get into it and see where your faves land on the list! 🎧✨

1. Sympathy is a Knife 🗡️

Girl, let me just say – this song cuts deep. The lyrics, the beat, the raw emotion – it’s all so intense and so Brat. It’s the kind of song you can’t just listen to once. It’s dark, it’s moody, and it’s giving us all the feels. Definitely a standout track that sets the bar so high.

2. Everything is Romantic 🌹

This one is just chef’s kiss. The vibes are immaculate, with that dreamy sound that makes you want to slow dance in your room at midnight. Everything about this track feels like a love letter wrapped in a melody, and I’m obsessed.

3. So I… 💭

This track is pure magic – it’s introspective, deep, and just so beautifully crafted. The lyrics hit home, and it’s one of those songs that you just feel in your soul. Perfect for those quiet moments when you’re just reflecting on life.

4. The Girl, So Confusing (Version with Lorde) 🌫️

OMG, can we talk about how amazing this version is? Lorde’s feature takes the song to another level. The mix of their voices is everything, and the haunting melody just stays with you long after the song ends. Definitely a fave for me.

5. 365 📅

This track is all about that steady beat and catchy hook that you can’t get out of your head. It’s the kind of song that you can vibe to any day of the year (pun intended), and it just has this effortless coolness that’s so Brat.

6. 360 🔄

Spinning us right round with this one! “360” is a total bop, full of energy and those catchy rhythms that make you want to get up and dance. It’s fun, it’s upbeat, and it’s totally infectious.

7. B2B 🔁

“B2B” is giving us all those nostalgic vibes with a modern twist. It’s a track that just flows so smoothly, with lyrics that are both clever and relatable. Plus, that beat is everything!

8. Club Classics 🎶

If you’re looking for a track to get you hyped for a night out, this is it. “Club Classics” is exactly what it says on the tin – a classic! It’s got that perfect mix of nostalgia and fresh beats, making it the ultimate party anthem.

9. Guess (featuring Billie Eilish) 💚

Billie Eilish on a Brat track? Yes, please! “Guess” with Billie is just so good. Their voices blend so well together, and the vibe is hauntingly beautiful. It’s one of those tracks that you can listen to on repeat and never get tired of.

10. Guess 🎤

The solo version of “Guess” is just as iconic. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s got that Brat energy we all love. Whether it’s with Billie or on its own, this track is a total winner.

11. Mean Girls 🎀

“Mean Girls” is that track you listen to when you’re feeling a little extra sassy. It’s got attitude, it’s got bite, and it’s the perfect anthem for when you’re not here to play nice.

12. Apple 🍏

Sweet, crisp, and a little bit tart – “Apple” is just so refreshing. It’s got this playful vibe that makes it stand out, and it’s definitely one of those tracks that gets stuck in your head (in the best way possible).

13. Von Dutch 💎

“Von Dutch” is a total vibe. It’s got that early 2000s nostalgia mixed with modern beats, and it’s just so cool and effortless. It’s like the musical equivalent of your favorite vintage tee.

14. Talk Talk 🗣️

“Talk Talk” is one of those tracks that just keeps you hooked from start to finish. The lyrics are on point, and the rhythm is super catchy. It’s perfect for when you’re feeling chatty and just want to vibe.

15. I Think About It All the Time 🕰️

This one is more laid-back, but in the best way. It’s introspective and soothing, with lyrics that really make you think. It’s perfect for those moments when you just need to chill and reflect.

16. Spring Breakers 🌴

“Spring Breakers” is a total anthem for those wild, carefree moments. It’s got that rebellious energy that makes you want to throw caution to the wind and just have fun. Definitely one to blast with the windows down.

17. Girl, So Confusing 🌫️

Even without Lorde, “Girl, So Confusing” is still a masterpiece. It’s got that dreamy, ethereal quality that pulls you in and keeps you there. The lyrics are hauntingly beautiful, and it’s one of those tracks that just sticks with you.

18. Hello Goodbye 👋

This track is like a sweet farewell wrapped in a melody. It’s a little bittersweet, a little hopeful, and just all-around beautiful. It’s the perfect track for those moments when you’re feeling a little nostalgic.

19. I Might Say Something Stupid 💬

This song is all about those moments when you’re caught up in your feelings and might say something you don’t mean. It’s relatable, it’s catchy, and it’s got that signature Brat charm.

20. Rewind ⏪

“Rewind” takes us back with a nostalgic vibe that’s impossible to resist. It’s laid-back and chill, with lyrics that make you want to hit the rewind button on life’s best moments.

21. Von Dutch (featuring Addison Rae) 💎✨

Adding Addison Rae to the mix just gives “Von Dutch” that extra sparkle. It’s still got that iconic vibe, but with a little more pop and shine. A fun remix that brings something new to the table.

And there you have it, babe! My personal ranking of Brat’s latest tracks. But honestly, every single one of these songs is a total vibe, and I’m living for them all. What do you think? Do you agree with my ranking, or do you have your own faves? Let’s chat in the comments – I’m dying to know your thoughts! 💕🎧

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

Top 10 songs of 2023, reviewed by yours truly

As per tradition when Spotify Wrapped comes out I write short reviews of the best songs of the year so here we go:

10. One More Time by blink-182

The biggest reveal from the world of pop punk last year was that blink-182 is back... again. First I was a little sceptical especially after hearing Edging but this song, and its video made me listen. The lyrics are about the long lost friendship between Travis, Mark and Tom, and to be completely honest I shed a couple teardrops the first few times I gave it a listen. Amazing song from an amazing record.

9. Homicide by Magnolia Park

I'm completely new to this band, I found this song randomly in an Instagram reel that caught my attention. It's super catchy, almost Linkin Park-ish vibes that is a little "Octanecore" little pop punk, but nevertheless an absolute banger.

8. Jaded by Spiritbox

Spiritbox is the new shit in the scene, everyone and their mom knows about it. But just a little less than a month ago they put out an EP consisting of 6 melodic and heavy bangers called The Fear of Fear. This song stands out from the EP because of the insanely catchy chorus, the breakdown with the clean guitar melody and just the overall feeling of the song. Courtney has always been open about her influences (even and especially the pop ones) and this song is a great example to it.

7. Lost by Linkin Park

On the 20th anniversary of Meteora, Linkin Park released a bunch of unreleased material from the recording session of the legendary album and this was the first single off of it. What more can I say about it? If you haven't heard it despite liking Linkin Park then shame of you.

6. Without A Whisper by Invent, Animate

Another surprise as I've never been a big fan of the band. Not being so into the Deftones-y spacey vibes before, this band always has been a hit or miss. Until Heavener. It's blended so seemlessly that first I didn't even notice that there's now screaming instead of singing with a bunch of reverb. I still almost never skip this song despite Heavener being released earlier this year.

5. Fake Out by Fall Out Boy

This one is probably the only song on the list that is not a single, not even the top 3 from their album So Much (for) Stardust. The boys are officially back and this song proves it, The falsetto hook in the chorus got stuck in my head after the first few listens. I'm really really glad they are back to playing instrumental music because that's what they do best.

4. Might Love Myself by Beartooth

For me this year was about healing. Healing from a past breakup, losing my previous job, and just in general the depressing reality of adulthood. After hearing the first singles from the latest Beartooth album it was obvious that Caleb, the singer for the band had been through a similar journey prior to writing this record. This song stands out for me because of the overwhelmingly positive self-loving lyrics that are a must-listen when you have been through a lot of shit. I also like the little "whoo" before the second chorus, it really makes it sound like Caleb had a lot of fun recording it.

3. Haunted by Spanish Love Songs

The most underrated band on the list by a landmile. Also probably the most depressing band I've ever listened to, which says something. The whole new record No Joy has some really interesting musical changes from the previous ones, there's less screaming, less distorted guitars, it has more of a The Killers vibe than something off tumblr's 2015 pop punk hardcore best of (looking at you The Story So Far). Haunted is a bittersweet tune about being nostalgically sad about the old days, and for an old fart that is closer to 30 than to 20 it's a comforting thing that I'm not alone with this feeling.

2. LosT by Bring Me The Horizon

What do you get when you mix 'I'm not Okay' and current era Bring Me The Horizon? That's right, this fucking banger. I think throughout the year this song was the only one that I've never skipped. The pop punk-emo feeling is in every note, the breakdown is easily my most favorite of the year, the callout for it is even. "I think i'm gonna break down". Fucking genius by the most dynamic songwriting duo of the music scene, Oli and Jordan. The powerpop elements are also fun to listen to, it just blends really well. 10/10 banger, looking forward to the EP.

Ascensionism/Take Me Back To Eden by Sleep Token

The biggest band of the year was 100% Sleep Token. My Spotify was POSSESSED by their music this year, so obviously it was a tough choice to pick a song from their latest album so I cheated a little with the longest, most progressive songs of the record. Their music feels like a religious experience for me and the best example to this is Ascensionism, the "YOU MAKE ME WISH I COULD DISAPPEAR" line hits, the rap part fits perfectly, the guitars are heavy as balls, the piano intro is the perfect introduction, it's a 12/10 song, it's that good

And honestly I have the same feelings about Take Me Back to Eden. The titular song and its callbacks to Chokehold made me feel like I'm in a chokehold myself. The epitome of great songwriting was when from the nature sounds through rapping we got to the heaviest, low tuned breakdown of the last couple years

So there you have it, my personal top 10+1 list. If you read my review this far, thank you.

[kittycathat]

Shuffle on repeat trend, but not

except its my AURORA only playlist, which is pretty much my on repeat playlist atp

except not tagging people / wasn't tagged because i dont have friends /hj

except im doing more than 10 because its tumblr, i get to ramble

open under cut bc its a long post, lots of images lol

1.

"I know I'm just a girl, but can I change lives?" literally big inspo right here,, i love this song sm

2.

such a catchy song,, but its not a bad thing bc i love it (plays in my head on repeat while running. partially against my will. but its ok)

3.

recently discovered this song is about being queer so i love it even more ahaha also the music video is fire

4.

i like this song but not as much as the others yk? but its still rlly cool and spooky. i have no idea what the lyrics are or waht they mean and want to look them up but also i think its fun to interpret stuff ur own way

5.

recent addition, I don't know this song very well yet tbh. but its rlly pretty <33

6.

i love the live versions of this on yt,, would highly recommend! also have no idea the lyrics/meaning for this one but thats. ok

7.

"Im tired of the rules and your corrections" "if i'm not pure, i guess that i'm too much" "the television lies and now my mind hurts" bro this song has so many lyrics that are just gems

8.

<333 IM AROMANTIC BUT THIS SONG IS GONNA MAKE ME ALLO I SWEAR /j

9.

"are you awake or are you sleeping?" i have listened to this song while falling asleep. so i guess i was both?

10.

"you are the victim, the victim of my love" this song is fire <33 and the music video?? its so cool asjdhflaskd

11.

"it fills my heart up and it breaks me at the very same time" IS EXACTLY HOW I FEEL LISTENING TO THIS SONG <333 its so pretty im dying (also its crazy its been 3+ weeks since it came out?? bc like how did time go that fast)

12.

just added this song to my playlist i dont know it well at all tbh

13.

same with this, saw it while watching a concert recording so i just. threw it into my playlist.

14.

"father, dont blame us for trying to live" very cool religious references very very cool song

15.

Pretty good song, a lil bit overused (imo) but thats ok.

16.

"let love conquer your mind" as a person who believes in kindness myself, i love this aaa

17.

<3333 the live recordings of this song are soo pretty! pls go look it up on yt right now akldsjfhal the "cinematic dream" and "simulated dream" lyrics itch my brain so good aa

18.

"And i was running far away, would I run off the world some day?" this song is RIGHTFULLY aurora's most popular song. like come on ofc everyone likes it /gen

19.

has helped me multiple times getting through math class, from being stuck in my head. ily aurora for writing this lol (also the music video <33)

20.

"do you miss the sadness when it's gone?" i used to think this song was ehh but it's grown on me sm lol

anyways tysm for reading my rambling have a good day

[spiritsong]

Rules: name 3 songs that have been stuck in your head for the past few days

Thank you for tagging me, @dolceaspidenera! any opportunity to ramble about music is very appreciated 😊I also got tagged by @bhaalsdeepbat (thank you!) for a 'name 5 of your current favorite songs' thing, which isn't the exact same as this, but I'll combine them here anyway 😂

Wildflower and Barley by Hozier feat Allison Russell

The sun hesitates more on each evening's darkenin' Would all things God allows remain above ground Like grief and sweet memory, wildflower and barley

Okay so basically this whole EP has been making a constant rotation in my head since it came out, but the song that's currently occupying my head is Wildflower and Barley. It's just so good, I love the lyrics and the visuals they conjure, it's fun to sing. My favorite part is Allison's backing vocals in the chorus ("The healers, Are healing", etc.)

2. Only When I by Alice Phoebe Lou

Sometimes it feels like I could give it all up to be held by you But that's not all the time No, not all the time Only when I can't breathe Only when I wanna believe Only when it's late at night Only when I don't feel right Only when I touch my body Only when I'm feeling naughty Only when you're far away Far away Far away

I love so many songs off this album and this one is no exception! It's sad, pitiable, and sexy lol what's not to like!! (also it's so durgetash to me...)

3. synthesizer by De'Wayne

She's a synthesizer Orchestrates the band She's got the whole world wrapped around her finger She's a synthesizer Baby, don't you understand? She's my Heaven, she's my Earth She's my woman, she's my man

I randomly came across this one. It's not lyrically complex but it is very catchy and fun. A mood lifter and a great song to dance to. The reason it really got me is the part in the chorus that goes "You're my woman, you're my man". I heard that and my lil queer heart was like, oh? 👀

4. Agoraphobia by Autoheart

But I am dented by the scars* They keep me up at night And it's not agoraphobia It's just a lack of air supply That keeps me up at night

*Genius says the correct word here is "skies" but "scars" makes more sense to me so I'm leaving it 😂

THIS SONG UGHHHH I have it on my Gale playlist so the psychic damage I receive from it is multiplied tenfold lol but I CAN'T STOP

5. Witches by Alice Phoebe Lou

Me, I've got my own little magic And I'm not tryna wreak havoc It's just that sometimes I see something and I just need to have it Let's share a few dirty habits

oop, another one by Alice Phoebe Lou! I've had this saved for ages, but for some reason it's wormed its way into my head as though I've never heard it before!!

tagging @dragon--sage @anderstrevelyan @justabiteofspite @birb--birb @witch-from-a-block-of-flats and whoever else wants to do this!!

[elvenbeard]

The OC Playlist Tag

Game Rules: Choose one of your characters and list song(s) that fit them.

I was tagged by @katsigian and @imaginarycyberpunk2023 thank you so much!! :D

I love making OC playlists, and Vs is steadily growing xD Most of the songs on there I think he'd also enjoy listening to, others just remind me of him or give off the vibes that would make you want to speed through Night City's streets in a rainy night.

Kill the Messenger || Rezodrone (The Cartesian Duelists) -> I feel like I have to include this as his in-universe favourite song. The Cartesian Duelists are one of his favourite bands, theirs was the first concert he ever went to (in a small act of rebellion against his strict mother). Whenever it comes on the radio he's thrown back to that night, which was an absolute rollercoaster, but also the first night he ever felt really free.

You Should See Me in a Crown || Emil Bulls -> This was one of the first songs I added to his playlist on a whim, far from having finished the game or even knowing how it would all end. It simply fit V's vibes, his ambition, and his reputation. Then I got to the Sun ending and yeah... it just fits.

Gimme That Boom || Skindred -> This is just a song he would party to :D It's loud, has a good rhythm, electric guitars, what else could you ask for?

Fight it Out || MADKID -> V loves punkrock, industrial metal, and everything in that general direction. But even he can't resist a catchy J-Pop tune, even better when it's mixed with one of the above.

Kingslayer || Bring me the Horizon feat. BABYMETAL -> Same principle as with the song above: the mix of Metal and J-Pop just works :D I also think this song in general would have fit the Cyberpunk soundtrack quite well with its themes and mood, but that's my personal opinion and taste speaking

A few more that all just fit his story with their themes, lyrics, or genereal vibes:

Last Chance || Skindred (<- absolute V song for me, would that make his title song in a movie xD)

Kill the Noise || Papa Roach

Never Surrender || Any Given Day

Close to the Sun || Porcelain Pill (<- actual from another game soundtrack but this is such a V and Johnny song for me now)

Monochrome || BABYMETAL (if CP2077 needed an Anime opening, this would be my song suggestion for it)

Self vs Self || Pendulum, In Flames (<- also a very V and Johnny song for me XD)

Rockstar || Blue Stahli (<- this one has a really good mix of electronic vibes and rock that V would quite enjoy)

Mine || Sleep Token (<- is lately stuck in my head and through association has become a very V and Kerry song to me personally xD)

This tag game has been making the rounds a lot on my dash lately, and some of you might have done this already, but I'd like to tag @rindemption, @genocidalfetus @wanderingaldecaldo @arczism @pinkydude @dreamskug aaaaaand everyone else who sees this and would like to give it a go! Yes, including you!

As always no pressure with these things! Thanks for reading, maybe there's a tune here you'll end up enjoying as much as I do xD

[p-receh]

For an April fool's game, they have no right to make this good...but they still did it.

IT'S SOOOO UNBELIEVABLY GOOD LIKE HOLY HECK?!

Where do I start? Okay, history-ish lesson time.

This is not the first time that Sonic's PR team make a game specifically for an april fool's joke. During Aaron's era, there was an infamous website game titled 'Big's Big Adventure 3'. And as the name suggests, it tells a story of how Big showed up in random places like you might/might not see him as a cameo during the SA2 event.

Same format as TMoSTH, a visual novel style game with uh....flappy bird-inspired game, and of course the fishing segment as sub content.

And that's it. I like the story not gonna lie. I enjoy playing it. Full of meme content. But the existence of the game itself was huge in 2016. It may not be the best thing to re-live it in this era in my opinion.

I bet the website is down now but you can still watch some playthroughs from youtube though.

And after seven years, the new Sonic PR team create a game for another april fool's joke. But this time....I don't think this is not full of memes to be laughing by the community. It's...unexpectedly something else.

Sure the highlight of the trailer first and foremost: "Sonic is dead" was a real deal. It was all over the internet even though you were not active on sonic at that time.

I personally didn't watch the trailer yet I knew that highlight. So I play it blindly without any knowledge of what the hell happened before this existed.

But as I open the game, I was shocked. It starts with deep and slow music like typical mystery games you played, great art designs, and a nice choice of colors that encapsulated the title itself. Simple, yet the qualities that represent are almost like it was not made for such a free game, even as a joke for that day.

I have yet to start the game but it left me with such an impression.

I love everything about this game. They nailed every. single. one! Even with each traits that were being misrepresented by fandom, somehow corrected to their very core! What is this? What in the world am living right now??

And this is one of the stories that I want to read in fan fiction. Just a group comes together creating unexpected events or just doing their normal life. Whether Eggman got in the way or not is up to you. It has silly and quirky moments freely.

The jokes landed perfectly without making them OOC. In fact, I got a bunch of new headcanon from that game. It has so many memorable scenes that you might already see most of them on the internet.

For the protagonist, yes I can confidently say I related to Barry that much. Even at some point, I felt I was inside the train surrounded by these extravagant abnormal people. I truly thought every response that Barry had was exactly like mine if I was in that scenario. (looking at you Tails)

For a mystery game, I kinda think how they summarize the whole case cooouuld have been better. The sub-ones did a great job to wrapped up the messes. I don't hate the whole problem tho. I actually adore it. Hmm, I might need to replay it again soon and see if it could change my mind about it.

Mini-games! It might be my personal bias so apologize for my taste. If I want to, they should add an additional setting to adjust Sonic's position. I struggled A LOT during mini-games. God why Tails had to toss every thinking section to me, please stop T_T.

For Music... wow I didn't prepare how well thought out this music has. The ost of this game is uniquely true to its theme and It still stuck in my head for days. The theme song and the interrogation section are my favorites. Some mini-game section is also catchy and upbeat!

Artstyle! Oh I loooove the design throughout the game. Each character got well design clothes that are creative and also stay true to their character with a bonus to the lore of the story! Deegeemin has my list as one of fav sonic artists.

Conclusion?

please play the game

[xaaxaa-translations]

Interview with ザアザア - Love Letter

Diary with drawings - An-chan

100th month - 30 days

Weather: hot

Group: ザアザア

Name: An

It's An-chan.

There was a recording today.

Everyone was talking a lot.

Today was a good day too.

Thank you.

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How ザアザア hold chopsticks.

______________________________________________________________

A game of telepathy (understanding each other without words).

This will test the level of synchronisation of the band members.

This time it will test the telepathic abilities of the vocalist and the receiving abilities of the band members.

Let's begin!

The vocalist will wish for the thing he wants to get now.

Answers:

Reiya drew "a door leading anywhere" (Anime Doraemon).

Looking at the amazing creature in An's drawing, Kazuki said "I thought it was something from Dragonball". But it was an eel, that's what Kazuki has been eating a lot lately.

Kazuki drew a gift card and Haruga answered correctly!

______________________________________________________________

Come up with snowboard designs for winter 2018.

(snowboarding inscription)

An: Too early for snowboarding, let's start with the sleigh.

Haruga: Careful. The path can be slippery, so be careful.

______________________________________________________________

Kendama championship - a test of physical ability

Now we are going to test the physical abilities of the musicians.

This time using the game of kendama.

It's an ancient Japanese game.

Whoever handles the ball best will score the most points.

An: 0 points

Reiya, Haruga, Kazuki: 15 points

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Interview about the lyrics of Love Letter

New single Love Letter released on 5 December.

Hear the soulful story of 4 people expressed in this album with the theme of letters.

Int: This year is the 4th anniversary of ザアザア and the single "Love Letter" is released on December 5. In the age of smartphones and social media, "love letters" seems rather old-fashioned.

Kazuki: It is. Truth be told, that song was written in the image of a character from a game. I've been playing Monster Strike a lot lately, and I really like Shurinkara's character design. It's what inspired me. I thought "I want to create a song like that". Plus, the costumes are based on Shurinkar's design too.

Reiya: A monster, it is a monster (laughs).

Kazuki: A monster that symbolises love.

Really, because its design is based on heart shapes. After you got the idea, how did Love Leter become complete?

Kazuki: Yeah, like always. First, we came up with the album title and cover, and then we created the melody.

Haruga: We started with the guitar. With the riffs that were in my head.

Int: And really, the guitar riffs in the intro are really catchy.

Haruga: I thought I wanted to play what was going on in my head, but even though I tried, it didn't come out the right way. As it happens sometimes, the more you think about it, the more things you don't understand.The riffs of that tune were played intuitively and I just wrote it down the way it was.

An: This tune is quite subtle. We thought about making the guitar part live and it came out very natural.

Reiya: When we all recorded it together in the studio, everything slowly fell into place.

Haruga: That's true. I was recording without any thoughts in my head and when I woke up, it already took that form. (laughs)

Int: Before that, ザアザア always stuck to a session style in music, but now so many bands make music by discussing every little thing, and the fact that this song was made by exchanging sketches really means a lot.

Kazuki: It does. We don't discuss everything in detail when we make music. That's the norm for us.

Reiya: We were asking ourselves if it would be interesting if we tried that "slippery, unpleasant, sticky" sound? Something like that.

Int: Ahh, that slippery unpleasant feeling… It's really felt in the words and the melody. Even though you originally got the inspiration from the game's character, the song itself feels like a separate story. Is it a story about an idol girl fan?

Kazuki: Although the love letter theme came from the image of Shurinkara, the lyric itself is something I've wanted to write about for a long time. This character is an idol fan, and at the same time he tends to secretly think "isn't she, the idol, interested in me?" As for me, I've studied this fragile fan psychology and wrote this song from a "if I were them" perspective.

Int: In other words, Kazuki himself didn't have any experience of "fanhood" in the past?

Kazuki: That's right. I haven't had that kind of experience. Because even though I was someone's fan, I had no desire to be associated with or drawn to someone. How shall I put it… I understand what it means to be a person who lives in that world. Although it may sound strange, but even if I had a chance to get my favourite artiste's number, I wouldn't call her.

Int: Why is that?

Kazuki: I'm not interested. I don't have any thoughts of getting close.

Int: Is that so?! (smiling). Love Letter-hero is different in that way.

An: He has a very strong desire to get closer, and at some point it gets to the point of madness. (laugh).

Reiya: Even so, I think I'm a little bit familiar with that feeling. Once upon a time, I used to like idols. (laughs).

Haruga: I may have felt that people who can understand this song are suddenly closer than I thought.

Int: Also, the single Love Letter includes the songs "どこかのあなたへ" and "人間界からの手紙", and they too are linked by the theme of writing. It's an incredible way to look at the world!

Kazuki: "どこかのあなたへ" is a song written by Haruga's intention, who wanted to make a song using acoustic guitar.

Int: What about the lyrics?

Kazuki: It was originally a letter addressed to the parents who left the world. Before, because of the awkwardness, there was no opportunity to talk to each other face to face. That's what it's about.

Int: By writing this lyric, did Kazuki put some of his soul in order?

Kazuki: Yes, I think so. I'm glad I was finally able to write about it.

Int: Next, "人間界からの手紙". I was thinking that the sound here is also chaotic and the meaning of the lyrics is quite "heavy" too.

Kazuki: "Running away "* has become a big problem lately. I had an idea that it would be good if this song would make you think. So I wrote the lyrics. The trick was to add a slightly half-joking angelic look, but unlike the result, in fact we used that space to convey fear.

(* About the "running away" thing, it was more likely to mean suicide. Although, from the text, I think more meaning is invested in the fact that "out of this world go the innocent")

Int: Speaking of which, on December 25th Shibuya WWW you will hold a oneman called "The Day It Rains" to commemorate the 4th anniversary. How do you imagine it to be?

Reiya: Although it's the biggest ever live show for us (by number of people), we want to do it the usual way.

Kazuki: I think it'll be an important first step for growth.

An episode related to fan letters.

Int: Have you had such experiences?

An: I have. I wrote once. About 10 years ago I was an otaku (laughs). At that period, I sent a fanwriting to a seiyu who sang songs.

Int: What was the content of that letter?

An: Uh, the content…? You mean what I wrote? Just some kind of impression of the CD. "I like it so much I listen to it every day!" - Something like that. (laughs). "I've been listening to this most of my life" - I wrote about two letters like that. Also, after I joined ザアザア, I got a better chance of getting heartfelt letters from the fans. I once said that I loved watermelon, and along with fan letters I started getting gift cards that could be exchanged for fruit. It actually made more sense than sending a watermelon, and I was like, "Wow, there's a system like that!" In every sense, I'm glad I joined ザアザア. (laughs)

Reiya: If you look from the receiving side of a fan letter, it usually says things you don't know or don't remember. For example there is a careful description of what was in the Live: "It was like this" or "It was like this. It was really cool. I loved it." When I see how carefully it's recorded, it makes me really happy. "It feels like a happy accident" I often think of it that way. Thank you.

Haruga: Recently, I got a message on a card that makes a sound when you open it. For a moment I was amazed. It was in the dressing room and everyone around me was turning around in amazement, so I closed it instantly, and read what it said when I got home.

Kazuki: Particularly impressive are the letters, from start to finish, full of remarks. Detailed, like "That song didn't sound good at the last show". These remarks are pouring out like a stream, and at the end it says something like, "Kazuki-san, I love you." (laughs) Immediately it's clear that it's written from the heart, to make me a little better.

[checkers-dance]

hi oomf. i come to talk abt The Music. usually i would have sent something the moment i got done listening to it but i was fighting for my life (migraine 😔) but its another day and i've had more time to rlly digest the songs so at least my thoughts can be more coherent.

as a whole, i enjoyed myself a lot! it was very fun to listen to. there's something INSANE about hearing sh*wnu again. like wowwww i forgot how much i liked his voice??? it was such a joy, i think i ended up rlly latching to his lines. but hy*ngwon did rlly good too, i actually think his breathy tone (dunno how to describe it) was a rlly great fit for some of these songs, it was very neat. i feel like the entire ep sounded exactly like what i would expect from a unit with these two... idk but something about it just felt so natural. so i had a lot of fun! if i have any complaints, is that i wish it was a little longer... i RLLY could use a couple more songs, especially from hy*ngwon. as for more specific thoughts love me a little was reaaaally good, and i think it was the objective best choice as a title track so i'm glad they went with it. the chorus was SOOO good, its been stuck in my head all day. and the last part of the song was also sooo great, it had a rlly strong conclusion i feel. its rlly rlly cool to see hy*ngwon making title tracks, i reaaally hope he gets a chance to do it again. love therapy was not a fave but it had some rlly strong parts... i love love love the part where it's just hy*ngwon talk singing, it scratches such an itch for me. and that one high note by sh*wnu.... shaking throwing up /pos. roll with me was SO.... i think its my favorite. listen.... its the fucking piano... I KNOW IM SO PREDICTABLE BUT WELL.... it had a really fun darker vibe to it that i actually wasnt expecting, so i was very pleasantly surprised. and GODDD THAT PRECHORUS... TRULY A BANGER. play me was very cute, but i dont have too much to say about it. it was very fun but not a fav yknow. and lastly slow dance was SO fun and cute, its rlly romantic sounding and another personal fav. there's just something abt it. SO YES I HAD FUN... which is to be expected, i feel like its been a while since i've truly had anything negative to say abt anything mx releases which is sooo brainwashed of me but yknow 😔 ALSO i actually rlly dig the vibe of the cover. album covers in kpop are literally just text and a background, its getting so boring sjsbdbsbd yes this is still rlly simple but it has style to it yknow

outside of the music, the music video had some really cool shots, esp during the later half. but i was honestly kinda underwhelmed idkkkkk... I KNOW I SHOULDNT TRUST THEIR CONCEPT PHOTOS BUT LISTEN... THAT ONE VID THEY RELEASED WITH THE WEIRD ASS CREEPYPASTA VIBE?? they are literally just fucking with me at this point 😭

THERE MIGHT BE SOME TYPOS HERE BUT IM SLEEPY... I CANT BE BOTHERED TO CHECK IM SORRY

NO BUT IT'S ACTUALLY SO SAD THAT THEY HAD NONE OF THE VIBES FROM THE CREEPYPASTA MV......I was ready to sit here theorizing the meaning behind the tree and the lab thing and the beaker AND NONE OF IT SHOWED UP.....this is truly so sad. And yeah, the mv was cool but it didn't scratch the itch the preview video gave me 😭😭😭

Ik what u mean abt the breathy tone tho, hy*ngwon rlly does pull it off so well. And is it a coincidence roll w me is a fave of urs bc his breathy tone rlly is showed off there 🧐🧐. I liked roll w me, and yeah it def has a darker vibe

I agree w u abt play w me and slow dance so there's not much to say there

I actually rlly liked love therapy, minus the chorus which was just alright (BUT IT GETS STUCK IN MY HEAD OK...). The synth was simply too sexy. Also the fact that the song starts out w "I need some therapy" is so funny. This could've been the mx version of vixx's "lalala I need therapy" song. If the chorus was stronger I think this song would be a fave

Omg hy*ngwon composed the title track? Good for him. And yeah, the chorus is super catchy, and the build up to it is so good. Also the guitar at the end was SO good (<- extremely predictable for me). I was just listening to it again and I caught the subtle saxophone and IT SLAPPED......