Gees I thought I listened to a lot of music
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ANOTHER
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@Shaohs -- Breaking Out -- Protomen:
This band's popped up on my Discover a couple of time but I never really went out of my way to listen to them more. I think after this one I'll have to. A wonderful blend of organic musical qualities combined with great pop style and a wonderful story.
This album is apparently inspired by a Mega Man rock opera. Amazing. Rock opera is such a unique concept and it's really tough to pull off. Whilst The Wall is considered by many to be the penultimate rock opera, most regard Tommy by The Who to be the first, but it was only the first album to be billed as a rock opera. The honor actually goes to The Story of Simon Simopath by Nirvana.
@PILLS HERE! -- All the Stars (With SZA) -- Kendrick Lamar:
I must admit I'm a little behind on the pop/rap scene. Another song I hear all the time without knowing the origins. I'm glad I'm doing this because now I can actually talk about this with my peers
The Distant synth calls this opens up are a great unique sound, as if the song itself was crying out to someone. There's a great sense of audio space, here. When I hear this, I imagine Kendrick's on the far side of a cliff with all the instruments and SZA's on our side and they're just kinda singing at each other.
@Trooper315 -- Safe and Sound -- Justice:
I had a hard time writing my thoughts on this because I just kept groovin'.
There's a great dance going on between the choir and strings in this one. The singers carry this simple melody and the strings come in with a complex descending line. Love the slow compression happening at around 4:00.
The way this track got released is pretty interesting:
Prior to the song's release, a user on social media site Reddit discovered "Safe and Sound" in a DJ set by Busy P, head of Ed Banger Records, through the Shazam mobile app.[2][3][4] On 13 July 2016, "Safe and Sound" received its first radio airplay on DJ Annie Mac's radio show on BBC Radio 1.[4] On the same day, the song was made available as a free download, in both MP3 and WAV formats, from Justice's website.[5][6] After the song's release, many magazines and news websites made expectations for a new studio album to be released soon by the band.[7][8][9][10]
Love Justice. Genesis is my favorite song by them.
@Ashtiel -- Any God of Yours -- Archy Marshall
This makes me think of the final battle in Earthbound with Giygas. I'd be surprised if he wasn't a little influenced by it. Very ethereal. Matches the title. I can see the feel he was going for with this.
Marshall's another really young musician doing a great job. He's been on everything from BBC to NPR. He went through a lot of stuff when he was younger -- mostly having a hard time with discipline and going to school. I'm glad he was able to turn that into something productive and beautiful.
@H11 -- Freaky Friday (Feat. Chris Brown) -- Lil Dicky:
Can I really say the n word??
Not much to say about this one. This song is just silly and fun. Just a couple of musicians having a laugh at each other.
Sometimes it's less about what's created and more about the journey along the way. Getting to work with other talented musicians to make something silly can be just as rewarding as winning a golden record or a grammy, if you do it right.
The best musicians don't write because they want to make a good song; they write because they love the process of writing a good song. If you can learn to enjoy the process, you can do anything in life.
@BoyMilk -- Out of Touch -- Daryl Hall & John Oates:
80's af. I'm slowly morphing into a short cut jean-wearing dad with mutton chops and a *sick doo*
Mellow and nostalgic. The kind of song you want to put on after breaking up with your ex. This is a song you need to listen to alone and driving down the I-60 while the sun sets.
@Codemaster85 -- 4r Da Squaw -- Isaiah Rashad:
To my annoyance, I feel that a lot of mainstream rap tries to hide the lyrics behind autotune filters, loud bass, and other non-sense. If rap's about what's said, then let it be heard.
This is very much the opposite of that. Isaiah has no need to hide behind anything; it's all out in the open. He's got nothing to prove here so he takes it slow and chill. This is a great ode to the rap genre and it feels really genuine.
Isaiah's had some rough times, but he seems like a warm spirit. He's had some problems with Xanax and some other things in his career, but it seems he's doing better now.
I really liked this song. Thanks for sharing it.
@Seanm07 -- Planet Raver (feat. Renee) -- S3RL
Gave me a good laugh. A silly song at its core but still composed well enough to be listened to seriously. A creative mini-doc that appeals to an entire sub genre of music. I've never been to rave before, but I bet anyone that ever has will nod in understanding at this song. This must get a lot of airtime on the drive to raves.
Your playlist wins the award for weirdest album cover ever. Congrats. I am both entertained and uncomfortable.
@404 Not Found -- Steambreather -- Mastodon:
Lot of great complexity here. Nice shifts from half-time to full-speed. Fantastic drumming. Wonderful rolls at 3:34. Very clean and even.
The mid/low boost at 4:34 gave me a goosebump.
Did you know that the drummer (Brann Dailor) made a guest appearance on Game of Thrones?
Brann Dailor, Bill Kelliher, and Brent Hinds portrayed "wildlings" on S05E08 episode of Game of Thrones, which was filmed in Belfast in Northern Ireland. As previously reported, the band's original song "White Walker" is featured on the Game of Thrones mixtape Catch the Throne Vol. 2, but in the instance of their physical appearance, a press release from Reprise Records reports that the band was personally invited to participate in the show by Game of Thrones executive producer Dan Weiss, who is a fan of the band.[9]
@Chaotic Lord -- Missionary Man -- Ghost:
I didn't know what to expect with that opening vocal part. He's got a country/folksong twang sound so I kinda expected that but then it went full metal a second later.
It's a nice contrast to a lot of rock/metal bands. You tend to expect a lot of masculine yelling and singing but this is far more subdued. A really unique sound that I enjoyed.
This band's had a lot of trouble involving their Satanic image:
Ghost's Satanic theme has proven problematic for the group, especially in the United States. While recording Infestissumam in Nashville, Tennessee, they were unable to find choral singers who would sing their lyrics, forcing them to record the parts in Hollywood.[103] The group was unable to find a record manufacturer in the US to press the album because it featured artwork showing nudity, which resulted in a delay to the album's release.[27] When one interviewer suggested that the band's music had become more "radio-friendly" and that they were being accepted into the US mainstream, a Nameless Ghoul replied that in the US their music was banned from major chain stores, most late-night television shows, and most commercial radio stations. He said, "So, yes, mainstream America is absolutely welcoming us with open legs."[104]
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Ghost_B.C._at_Estadio_Nacional_%28Chile%29_9.jpg/110px-Ghost_B.C._at_Estadio_Nacional_%28Chile%29_9.jpg
You don't say??
add bug collector by haley heynderickx pls
It's in there, it's just isn't showing up on the shortlist.
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I guess I have shitty taste
Wow sweet!
As a thank you, have a diamond!
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indie? i'm offended!
https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/37i9dQZF1Ejv1wpujR1dG6?si=VVym37luSsyf1EU_MNsbDg
woo it finally worked.
https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/224336/93ea58a9-a5c0-4351-8eaa-c8f0dd083f70/Screen Shot 2018-12-09 at 6.43.15 PM.png
RIP Mac
Also, honorable mention: The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Kanye West.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12XO38PONoI
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@Tuskin -- The Imperial Suite -- Michael Giacchino:
First orchestral piece on here. Nice.
John WIlliams is a pretty hard act to follow and Michael really rose to the task. It helps that there's an underlying musical structure to Star Wars already in place:
String/wind flourishes
Loud ass brass leads the melody.
Triple tonguing like a motherfucker.
This has the unique flavor of Rogue One whilst still holding true to the universe it takes place in. It's tough to orchestrate for film creatively. For the most part, you're a slave to what's happening on screen (IE: no playing during dialogue, drastic changes in story result in music that's incoherent to listen to on its own, etc.) Michael did a great job on this one.
@stupid07er -- Table For One -- AWOLNATION:
Pretty bombastic. The chorus/breakout section are especially memorable. Love the leading chord the guitar uses when repeating or going into the next phrase. I'd love a little more on the other verses to build up into it, though. This feels like good running music.
AWOLNATION got its start in 2009 when Aaron Bruno got an offer from Red Bull to use their recording studio for free -- which I can tell you from experience is hella nice:
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To diverge for a moment: the space you work in is as much a contributor to the music you make as your instruments. Understanding how your room not only deals with noise but also how you feel in it can make a lot of difference in what you make. Thought for food.
@smurfy -- Idle Worship -- Paramore:
Great melody. Fantastic energy by Hayley Williams. This whole track is resting on the solid vocals being laid down. Background material does a great job of not getting in the way, instead moving evenly with what's supposed to be heard.
The band made their video game debut in the Sims 2 in 2005 with a cover of Pressure. They even sang it in simlish:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxQGE9y3xkQ
@Monco -- Willy's Song -- Rayland Baxter:
The opening lick made me think of Chet Atkins' Jam Man -- y'know, that song that got bastardized by insurance commercials?
This feels like a summer porch kinda song. Simple enough that you can play it yourself but still interesting enough to warrant listening to over and over. A great place to start learning guitar. It's a fresh style of country that's small yet accessible. Rayland sings wonderfully. Very nice.
If you like this, I think you'll really like Mt. Joy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl1psdL6z0c
You've probably heard of them before but I thought I'd tell you just in case.
@bonickhausen -- New High -- Trevor Something:
This is really good.
I love soft, floating synths. A smart move to go from that to the gritty fast pump with the vocals a couple of seconds later. When I hear this, I imagine a lonely old ham radio floating in space, playing crunchy drum samples and glitch sounds. In the end the radio gets sucked in a UFO
I'm quite fascinated by the enigma that is Trevor Something. I wonder if they work in the industry or they're some guy bumbling in their garage making weird sounds. Whoever they are, they know what they're doing.
Is this in any way related to Bulletin? It might seem like a stretch, but I think this **soundscape** would mesh pretty well with the atmosphere you're going for.
@Smeetin -- My Own Shit -- Like:
A good mix. Like seems to really understand that rap involves more story than pulse. Him opting to use these organic samples is very nice. This seems akin to early NWA mixtapes and similar early rap.
It seems you opted for a really obscure piece of rap to be your favorite piece in 2018. You kinda stumped me. I really couldn't find much about Like or Myke (despite both having a couple million hits on their respective spotify pages.)
The best I could come up with is that Like is more famous as a producer than as a rapper -- most notably for Kendrick's "Sing for Me" on Good Kid.
It's easy to assume that music producers are these non-musical nazis, sitting behind the mixer barking order at the people in the room. Whilst those people definitely exist, they tend to be musicians, themselves. Most do projects like this in their spare time because they love the work and nothing more.
Whimsically clicking through their other songs I must say I like Like's Blah Loops.
@Wowza! -- Treat Me Like Fire -- LION BABE:
Handclap/snap beats are the shit. I gave a small, audible gasp when it kicked up at notch halfway through with the shaker sounds. Singer's very versatile but still keeps it cool. This is oozing with soul and myrrh.
Singer Jillian Hervey is the great-great-great granddaughter of Williams Feilds, who was one of the first African Americans to serve in the Tennessee legislature. She and Lucas Goodman started collaborating while she was attending a dance school at age 11. They've been working together ever since.
@Rockman1811 -- Robot Stop -- King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard:
Great use of fiddle sound in the middle there, followed by a tasty descending guitar line. The alternating between the two sounds is really unique and playful. Sounds like a distant cousin to BRMC which I actually found here when the mods were doing Galactopticon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn9C1vKd7Gc
This song opens up in 7/8, is my all-time favorite time signature. The way the music organically feeds into itself is so fresh and fun.
My favorite 7/8 piece is Alfonso Muskedunder, which has actually been in my Spotify wrapped for three consecutive years before this year fucked it all up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozAswe6R0ts
@meanwhile -- Ogre -- Richard Dawson:
What a medieval opening! It's a little messy and gross -- like an ogre. The interspersed parts sung by Richard surrounded by the chorus make for an interesting feeling. Definitely the most "out there' piece on this list. I can see the influence in your own music.
It can be easy to discount avant-garde musicians as hacky, academic, or just downright talent-less, but their existence signifies something really important about the society we live in. At this point in time, if you obey typical "good" music structure, it'll be nearly impossible to compose a melody that's truly 100% original, as every cord and every possible series of notes has been played at this point. Thus, in order to create something really new and unique, one has to learn to really lean into dissonance and atypical melodic devices -- things that can't easily be hummed but can be easily ridiculed.
Don't be fooled by the coarseness; Richard Dawson is a thoughtful, intelligent musician that knows what he's doing and does it very well.
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About halfway through! I'm not sure we're gonna get too many more entries at this point. Remember that the deadline to post and still be included is the 16th of December. So if for whatever reason you're hesitating, git er' in!
Tbh I'm a little poopy-faced that no one else has written anything yet. I knocked out nine reviews in half in hour, so it's not that hard. Just pop it on in the background and make a note when something catches your ear.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jpBVMJtjRazZEFgdm_xeLsll0An5dqcWl7JKuGFOp8w/edit#gid=1577214782
You know what, I'll try my hand at this. First a small disclaimer though: I know nothing about music and don't usually wander outside my preferred genres so I don't really know what to say about rap for example. But, since everyone likes showing off their music and hear other people talk about it I'll give it a shot.
Entities - The Canyon Observer
I really like the heavy guitar, especially at the start but as the song progresses it becomes too chaotic to my taste. Especially in the end the song feels more like a random mix of death metal sounds without that much thought put to it. But while I didn't like the song that much, it reminded me of the Doom 2016 soundtrack enough that I couldn't help but imagine some kind of slower paced, demonic themed FPS with this in the background.
I guess when it comes to lyrics in these types of songs the actual words don't really matter but I do wonder how you would sing this in a shower?
Hell, I'm loving this playlist. Shit's killer!
and answering your question: Trevor Something certainly serves as inspiration for me when it comes to game development. I dig the mood!
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Sunrise is the first song in 2 playlists for me, but I am confused how Pusha T got the top artist place. I may have listened to Daytona a few times but for a few days at work I had all of SOAD songs on repeat. Also I like how Top Genre is rock but 4 top songs are hiphop. I guess the main rock playlist I have is so big that songs don't repeat often.
Wow, didn't realize that I listened that much...
And I do listen to other stuff than EDM.
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Guess I'm equal parts Hippy and Hipster
Not expecting many people to like my number 1, but it means a lot to me personally. I have no idea what it would sound like to everyone else
Here's the full 100 if anyone wants to look over it and see what it sounds like inside my skull, there's a couple surprises in there
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1Ejn5cs59xIwJD?si=VzdNfUB-QWOx5zmQYL23LQ
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here's mine - here's my top 100 playlist for anyone interested but i'd rather share a playlist i made myself here
it covers all of my favourite albums from 2018 to some degree, as well as a handful of singles.
it has an intended listening order, meant to give small tastes of the albums included while still hoping to have a fluid listening experience to it
please have a listen, if you'd like
https://open.spotify.com/user/mariobro_/playlist/45F8DEc2e4GRqE3XTLBnV9?si=jAbrB_eHQTSq4ugJlaHK8A
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I play my Spotify at work, and I use it to practice playing bass too. I'm glad Motõrhead made it to the top though. I thought that Airbourne would have made it higher though.
Well fine then!
I went through the playlist today at work. I should say that I am very picky when it comes to music. Far more so than I am with movies, tv shows, etc. So I wasn't too surprised that there wasn't a whole lot there that I enjoyed. Plenty of tolerable stuff, but ones that really caught my attention were few and far between. Though it was interesting to see how varied Facepunch's tastes are. OK let's get to some notes:
The 1975 - Somebody Else
This one is pretty good. I've liked a few of their other songs over the few albums they have but I often find myself wishing they went harder at times. The Chain Gang of 1974 comes to mind (the 1970s-year-in-the-name thing is just a coincidence... I think). Similar sound but I think Chain Gang pulls it off better.
Justice - Safe and Sound
Classic Justice sound. Good bass guitar, which seems to be their signature move through most of their songs. Catchy.
PUP - DVP
"The Dream is Over" was one of my favorite albums of 2016. So this one wasn't a new discovery for me but wanted to shout it out all the same. Like the energy they bring.
Scandroid, Dance with the Dead - Neo-Tokyo
Hadn't heard of either of these groups. Not sure what to say other than I like it. Will probably check out more of them.
Tommy '86, Perturbator - Citymulation
I really like Perturbator. Hadn't ever heard this one, probably since they're just featuring. There's very few bands/songs that are just instrumental that can hold my attention but this one pulls it off. Not too repetitive, and keeps the high tempo through the whole song.
Volbeat - The Devil's Bleeding Crown
I had heard of Volbeat before but I was under the impression they did EDM of some sort. Maybe it's just the name having 'beat' in it. I know they're very popular but for whatever reason I've never listened to them before. Really liked this one, probably my favorite find of the playlist. Definitely going to listen to more of them.
Aight, guess I'm gonna try my hand at some reviews too. Fair warning though, my tastes are very specific and I really don't care much about most of the mainstream genres like pop and hip hop. Guess I'm gonna skip around the playlist and see what catches my attention.
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https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1EjsJCzeWG41Qw
I should use Spotify more, I was really surprised by most of the top songs. All along the watchtower by Träd gräs och stenar is fucking sick though
Alright, here's a few thoughts I've collected so far. I'm really not good at this, it's hard to find many words to say about a song that you're just hearing for the first time.
Bufffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth
Hey, I actually know this song and I like it. Well, I didn't know what it's called, so thanks for introducing me to it. There's not much to say about it, it's got nice smooth acoustic guitar playing and lyrics that easily get stuck in your head.
VOLA - Starburn
It's alright. I haven't been able to get much into djenty prog metal aside from Meshuggah, so I'm kind of missing some of that heaviness and aggression here.
Kent - Den döda vinkeln
Very radio friendly and not particularly adventurous rock sound, but it works well for what it is. I liked the singer's voice here.
Astral Projection - Dancing Galaxy
This one hit me right into the nostalgia, sounds like something that would fit seamlessly into the UT99 soundtrack.
Porcupine Tree - Dislocated day
That's a good one, realy nice bass sound and the distant sounding singing is interesting. The whole song has a sort of a trippy feel to it.
Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans
I mentioned I don't care much about pop, but this is surprisingly decent. She has a really good voice and the song is dynamic enough that it stands out among the crowd.
Gorillaz - On Melancholy Hill
One of those classic melodies that get stuck in your head instantly, good stuff.
Lena Raine - Reach for the Summit
Sounds like something that would work amazingly as a part of the game's soundtrack, but I don't know if I'd listen to it just by itself.
Here's some more:
Coma Cinema - Caroline, Please Kill Me
It's kind of retro sounding, reminds me of The Beatles or something. Good singing, good drum sound, I enjoyed it. Seems almost too short though, it just ends so quickly.
Tommy '86 - Citymulation (feat. Perturbator)
The Hotline Miami games did a pretty good job of conditioning me to like synthwave, so I enjoyed that. I just wish the genre was a little more inventive as a whole, it sounds very much like other stuff I'd heard before.
Fred V & Grafix - Auckland Sunrise
Drum n bass with some psychedelic vibes to it? Not bad.
Insomnium - The Harrowing Years
That's some competent melodic death metal, not much more I can say about it.
Rob Crow - Prepare to Be Mined
One of the better ones so far, really enjoyed the vocal harmonies in this one.
NOFX - Stickin In My Eye
It took a long time to finally come across some punk, that was kinda catchy. Does nobody around here listen to any harder stuff though?
Blitzkrieg - Inferno
Solid oldschool metal, good singing voice on this one.
Kreator - Enemy of God
Again one of the better songs so far. I don't know how I still haven't gotten into thrash after all this time.
Jon Hopkins - Lost in Thought
This might be the most appropriately named song on the playlist, those chill beats really help you relax and focus completely on what's on your mind.
Metallica - Fade to black
It's Metallica, I enjoyed it. Great outro with that catchy repeating riff and the soloing on the other guitar.
