A return to those magical posts about what we’re all listening to? It must be spring! Devon suggested bringing it back, and given how another person means an even wider array of genres to choose from (plus more of a chance for anyone with a bad case of shyness to sit one out–no judge, it happens), it only made sense. Excuse me while I remember how these are formatted…
borb: Amalee — “Unravel” (cover of the Tokyo Ghoul anime opening, 2014)
Listen. I know it’s an English cover of an anime opening, I can explain. When I was younger, I’d often relate the translated lyrics I’d hear in these covers to my characters Flame and Rogue. How well they suit them now looking back is debatable, but considering my recent streak of embracing my past, I feel like choosing this song just makes sense. It brings back fond memories of a younger Borb drifting off into her own imagination and gets me to do exactly what I did then. It just happens to be an anime cover…
mariteaux: Ash — “Goldfinger” (from 1977, 1997)
Music’s a funky thing. I almost went with a track I liked but didn’t really love, mostly because this winter’s been cracked hands dry for new music for me. And then…1997 fell into my lap. I finally made it through this one trying to marathon my saved Spotify albums before I no longer had a subscription (someday, Summerteeth), and I can confidently say that if the 90s were better in the UK than the US for you, or you just like catchy alt rock written by angsty teenagers, this album is your baby. If you like this song, you’ll like the whole thing. It is all exactly like this, and damn is it good.
Devon: Boards of Canada — “Chromakey Dreamcoat” (from The Campfire Headphase, 2005)
Perception of past get deformed with passage of time, a thing which was occupying my mind for a good while. Even if it was said many time, Boards of Canada could capture this thing perfectly and evoke sort of weird, nostalgic feeling for past you didn’t live through. Sound that embodies sound of fleeting memories.
mon: Toby Fox — “Moonsetter” (from Homestuck, Vol. 9, 2012)
I know, I know, it’s from Homestuck. But no matter your opinion on the comic (I know most people aren’t exactly fond of it), give this song a chance–it’s quite the earworm. After poking through an archived directory on Toby Fox’s site, I went around looking for more of his pre-Undertale tracks and found Moonsetter. It’s lighthearted, tastefully repetitive, has a pinch of reverb, and for a few days in a row, it had me feeling pretty alright. It’s the kind of song that makes me go, “hey, yeah, I’m in a pretty good spot right now.”
taywen: Eden – “Falling in Reverse” (from Vertigo, 2018)
The ending of Eden’s album Vertigo, one of the most beautifully crafted dream pop songs I’ve been listening to for years now. The entire album is about him coping over the toxicity of his previous relationship, and how he lost himself. The song itself has depressive wispy sounds to it, uses voice-overs from a certain Disney movie, and perfectly encapsulates how his relationship ended. The last bit of lyrics are my favorite, in a sentimental point of view it is about knowing what you have and loving it before it’s gone. It’s part of the reason why I’ve been so in love with my goofy girl right now. Enjoy all. “So know a good thing when you got it. I hope you know, you don’t go alone”
dcb: Wilco – “Poor Places” (from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, 2002)
I love Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Since (re)discovering it earlier in March—from, yes, an earlier recommendation from Cammy—the album has been somewhat of an obsession of mine lately. It’s been difficult to pick just one track from it and its demos, and I seem to change my mind on which every time I sit down to write. Quite feasibly I could go on with “Radio Cure”, “Ashes of American Flags”, or a more boppy personal favorite, “Heavy Metal Drummer”—it really depends on the moment. In the end, though, I figured that it’d be most fitting to share where it started for me. “Poor Places”, the album’s penultimate track, peaks and encapsulates it perfectly. The gradual buildup in confidence and determination, towards the pounding, noisy climax towards the end—akin to breaking a kind of barrier—, and, well, the pretty melody on top of it, make the song for me. It’s an epic of itself. Well recommended, as is the rest of YHF.
