Tea Time

genre: post-hardcore, metalcore Hey, what a surprise. I swear Our Last Night  must have released this song today, because I haven't heard anything from them in a long time, let alone originals. As far as I know, it's an original.  I tend to dislike this genre, owing to the men who sound like angsty boys in their tight af jeans. Our Last Night  is a weird exception; their talent is evident. Their singing prowess is twofold, and their drummer is a monster. Unfortunately, I am most fond of their work when it concerns covers of popular pop songs. They add such a distinct attitude and aggressive passion into the song that might not otherwise have been explored. Their originals don't seem to do it for me though. The lyrics kind of just fall flat, verging on the edge of cheesy. The instrumental work is impressive though, and the singing itself is stellar as usual. I just wish their lyrics had a better cadence or complexity to them. Rating: 6/10

genre: slow rock Branching off of yesterday's post comes a song that grew on me. I was really feeling the mood that All Yours/All Mine  was giving off. The song encapsulates the atmosphere of their band name. Listening to this just makes me want to lounge about, lethargic, relaxed, and at peace. The sun-drenched guitar leads, the composition of the drums, and the particular attitude of the singer all blend to form a picturesque vision of complacency. Although this song may seem outdated (almost anachronistic), it is nevertheless well-written and performed. I think this song fits well into my day-to-day, especially with how calm it is compared to the other songs I've been writing about. I'm interested to find more from them, because they seem to be on the up and coming. Although there's nothing groundbreaking with the particular song, it hits its strong points with finesse and honesty. That's the kind of music I'd like to see more of nowadays. Rating: 8/10

genre: grief punk Wow, we're hitting the 50 day mark! By now it's kind of a habit, even though the quality wavers immensely .  One of the more obscure finds of recent, I really dig the tone of the instruments, and just how elevated the riffs are. I'm a fan of these arpeggios, especially how they're highlighted in the song. They don't always fit within the predetermined scale either, with accidentals being thrown in every now and then. The guitars walk about with a groveling underbelly. Each note has just a bit more oomph  to it, owing to the mirrored bass and lead electric guitar. I don't know even know if you can call it a typical lead guitar. The tone is distorted in a pleasing way, with a tinge of lo-fi and acoustic to it. The singer is such a good fit for the song, considering the style and the material. It brings me vibes of the underground rock from the 90's, with blends of other genres in there too. It's kind of a mishmash of many things, and I

genre: instrumental, ambient snack: gardettos Taking a step back, we look at something more calm and serendipitous. I want to take a look at this song from the context of what it is trying to achieve. It's not meant to develop all too much throughout the song, much less embrace a melody or larger song structure. Personally, I think some songs can do it well. Late Night Voyages in my mind conveys a luminescent, coherent soundscape. It never traverses strays too far from the working formula, and adds tinges of instrumental artistry to further the vision. Honestly, it's just a background song. I shouldn't be diving too deep into it. For lack of a comparison, it gives strong vibes of Pink Floyd's  Dark Side of the Moon. Knowing me, that's a good thing.  Rating: 6.5

genre : metal snack: pistachio nuts Meshuggah pushes the boundaries of its genre by twisting our conventions and perceptions of musical structure. Layered on a foundation of guttural, beastly guitars and vocals, they strike at a primal urge within us. The musician in me fervently seeks to unlock the structure of their music. More often than not, their time signatures are in a common and easily understood metric. Where they get wild is their interpretation of the spaces between those sensible bars. I think this is where Meshuggah shines. That technique is on full display in "Born Into Dissonance", where the grounded beat for the main riff never seems to stay in place. Thank god for the drums for holding it together for us listeners. As always, they build upon their songs quite a bit compared to most, adding new developing sections, callbacks to the main themes, and even new rhythm sections. It's just classic Meshuggah. Rating: 7.5/10

genre: metal, deathcore In another addition to the repertoire of one of the funniest bands, I present to you Tuff Love. Honestly, I don't know enough about the idiosyncrasies of this type of music, but the lyrics make it all worthwhile. The sheer juxtaposition between the implied content, and the actual lyrics is whimsical and quirky. They are at the same time a serious deathcore band, and a comedy group. Unfortunately, I can't really listen to this type of music on repeat. Even then, I need a video to haphazardly understand the muddled vocals, but it comes with the trade. Give them a try. Rating: 7/10

genre: pop I've listened to a bit of Billie Eilish before, but it's been hit or miss for me. Some of her songs are incredibly interesting, but this one seems to be the latter for me. I admire her vice, and how she uses it in the song, but it doesn't ever change much from the hushed, sinister voice that appears across her songs. Don't get me wrong. I love her aesthetic, but it's dried out a little too quick for me. I don't even have that much to say about this song, because it doesn't develop much at all. It's just kinda there... Rating: 5/10

genre: classical Here we have a piece that has touched my heart, owing to its transcendent expression of the spectrum of emotions familiar to Italian opera. The tragic love it evokes strikes me to my very core. To be honest, I've heard this song before, but I didn't recognize it until halfway through. I've watched Raging Bull  before, starring Robert de Niro, and it features this piece in one of the most illustrious, captivating openings to a movie ever. I absolutely adore this opening, and this song unlocked a memory hidden away in the back of my mind. You should really watch it. I don't think this piece could have been orchestrated and instrumented any better. The strings perfectly complement the melody. I can't even describe how moving the melody is. At the same time, it is sorrowful but embracing and passionate; dramatic but subtle. Those damn pizza spinners have done it again. It's perfect. For those traditional romantics out there, this one's for y

genre: folk Well, I didn't intend to write about S&G three times in the span of week, but here we are. I listened to more of their songs, how could I not  write about them.  Based on a traditional folk song from the Andes in South America, right off the bat you can tell this is not an ordinary S&G song. The instrumentation is kept intact, which I believe is the right choice. I love the mandolin that they include. Overall, it's really fun to hear their rendition, giving us a peek of a different culture. I can't say much about the accuracy of the lyrics but the melodies and translated lyrics hold a very powerful message. The timbre of the music is equally profound and almost haunting. The melody, I think, is timeless. I hope you find it the same. If you couldn't tell already, S&G are absolutely one of my favorite bands.  Rating: 9/10

genre: new wave drink: water If this isn't one of the most 80's songs ever, I don't know what I'd do. The tangy, funky guitar, the bombastic drum beat, the synth, and Daryl Hall for that matter, sum up to make this song an 80's hit.  It's so cheesy how stereotypical it sounds, and I'm a sucker for these kinds of songs. It's almost hilarious how accurate and closely it personifies the sounds of the decade. If the song was a bit more uptempo, I can totally see this as the de facto 80's representative. But alas, there are better options if you're looking for something like that. Rating: 5/10

genre: folk snack: strawberry popsicle Continuing down the album, you got a quintessential folk song, with soulful guitar fingerpicking, a bellowing bass drum, and a tippy-tappy mood to boot. You've got a few quirks in there too with the saxophones, and what sounds like a gunshot taking the place a traditional snare.  It's cleverly composed, with a properly written buildup. As with any S&G song, the lyrics are layered with profound meaning on top of the stories they tell. It's songs like these that I can really appreciate. Simply poetry in motion.  Rating: 8/10

genre: lo-fi This just in, more lo-fi which I have historically been apathetic towards.  As indicative of lo-fi, the repetitive piano riff and electric beats develop very little over the course of the song. At least, it all sounds a bit more organic than your typical song, which I can enjoy. The length of the song speaks for itself, in that it serves more as an artistic painting than a background song. Props to that.  Rating: 7.5/10

genre: melodic death metal drink: water This song checks the boxes for what I think are my favorite features in a metal song. The melodic guitar, the guttural voices, the somewhat understandable and catchy, gripping lyrics, the distinct drumming style, and just the right amount of range. I don't particularly enjoy songs with a lower range that lends itself to muddy distortion, but this song hits the middle ground for me.  The intro riff is just so catchy. The chord progression, simple and empowering. For lack of a better description, I can definitely power frown to this. There's really not much more to this song except the fact that it excels at what it seeks to do. Plus, it's about Thor!  Rating: 9/10

genre: pop food: strawberry popsicle Even having listened to them before, I'm still so conflicted about how I feel about this band. Their aesthetic is unique I guess, but something in me can't get over the unironic, unapologetic weeb culture. It's not that I hate it, I just don't relate with being on that level. Definitely check out their other song, I Don't Care Where I Belong. I wish they made more stuff like that.  This newest song takes hints from it, but strays a little too far from God's light. I enjoy almost exactly half of the song, specifically the chorus (if you could even call it that). Something about their music that I can only faintly describe is the way their lyrics flow. It feels like the melody was written before lyrics were added (probably explains the song title to be honest). And no to the rap. It doesn't take away from the song, but really doesn't add much to it.  Rating: 5.5/10

genre: psychedelic, experimental food: pita chips and hummus  Apparently Spotify recommended this to me? I'm not quite which songs I liked spurred on this recommendation, but whatever. It's nice to see what the algorithms  think I like.  I've dabbled into experimental before, and I tend to like it (without a good explanation why). This is on the verge  of not being experimental, because it's definitely structured neatly. It sounds a lot more like background music than anything. Although cheesy, I do like the Arabesque sample. In general, the song feels like floating an empty sea of white noise. It doesn't do it for me. It's not quite thought-provoking enough to me at least. Really, it doesn't fit well into any of my  moods. Rating: 5/10

genre: hip hop, rap food: T-bone steak I've listened to some of Jaden's stuff before, but I really should've taken a closer look at the entire album. I was really into "Icon", but stumbled upon this piece on a binge. I didn't realize a bunch of music videos got put out. It also seems like all his music videos' footage was filmed in one day. I have no strong feelings either way about this, but it's whimsical.  Anyway, the best part about his albums are his beats. His lyrics, not so much. They don't go beyond simple dissing and self-absorbed flaunting (flexing). It's a lot of r/im14andthisisdeep. It's shame really, because his beats are exquisite and paint a fluorescent picture with its production. Usually my favorite rappers have multiple voices and tones for conveying their message. But on this song, and like most of Jaden's songs really, he has a uniform, one-note character. But, the one twist in this song is the soulful piano bit

genre: folk drink: hershey's bar with ALMONDS Wow, through a bit of research, there's a lot of petty history behind this song. Although the lyrics can be interpreted on many levels, on the surface it seems like a song that just praises and praises the famed American architect. But upon further investigation, apparently the piece was almost like a goodbye between the two. This was not mutual though, it was mostly Art Garfunkel saying goodbye to his buddy Paul Simon. Anyway, on to the actual song. I always enjoyed the diversity of their songs, and this song is a validation of that. The soft strings, the latin percussion, the flute solo, the chromatic changes between scales, it's all so playful, yet so somber. Considering the lyrical content, the song evokes memories of a peaceful breakup. I'm glad I stumbled upon this little gem.  Rating: 7.5/10

genre: lo-fi hip hop drink: water Through perusing the internet in my own volition, I decided to acquiesce a bit of lo-fi into my repertoire. Readers beware, because although I like lo-fi every now and then, it really just isn't for me unless it is subverts the current blended, dusty sounds that often numb the minds of its listeners. That being said, here we go.  With this being Jinsang's most popular song on Spotify, I was hoping for something different. But hey, what did I expect? It's decent in terms of lo-fi, but I guess it may be unfair. Perhaps this is what lo-fi wants to achieve. Maybe I'm taking it for more than it should be. Oh well. I want to at least give a little bit of reasoning as to why I feel the way I do. Characteristic of the genre, lo-fi achieves its eponymous aesthetic through its meticulous, intentional production. The song remains the same though. You find looping beats and melodies, with the occasional irrelevant sample interjecting. The ins

genre: death metal drink: strawberry banana smoothie This band is weird af. BUT, I like a little bit of quirky every now and then. Disclaimer: you kind of have  to watch the music video that accompanies this song. It doesn't mean the song itself is bad, but the context makes so much more sense.  I haven't listened to metal like this in a long time. Closest band I can recall is 3 Inches of Blood. Nonetheless, Nekrogoblikon takes those concepts and adds a twist. The story takes place in a modern world (excluding the goblin of course), and speaks of deeper, personal struggles. The jarring juxtaposition is hilarious to me. It's relatable, yet ludicrous. And I love the song so much for it. Rating: 8.5/10

genre: folk metal, progressive drink: water Now this is more like what I'm talking about. Although not quite a progressive song, this one was a needed change in pace for the album. Taking all the traditional elements in a metal band, I was always fond of Agalloch's style, especially the cleans. I got to give my props to the darker, grungy voice as well. It's quite tasteful, and not too overbearing. Fortunately, there's a lot of variation and play on the themes throughout the song, enough to keep it interesting.  At one point, they use chimes to accentuate their sonic profile. I only wish they used more of it. The songs are starting to blend together. Either I should listen to these songs back to back, or maybe their style is not quite the one for me.  Rating: 6.5/10

genre: rock drink: watermelon vodka It doesn't really seem like it's been a month since I've been doing this. But for just a bit of reflection, I think it's been worth it. It's been a lot of fun to listen to new stuff every single day, because it only opens up new doors to what else is out there.  Today I'm going to be taking a look at a band I've regretfully given little attention to.  Really, the only song I knew by Dave Matthews before this was Ants Marching, and that's arguably their biggest hit. What I assumed to be a shallow pond turns out to be a vast ocean. I had totally taken them at face value based on just Ants Marching. "The Stone" really takes it to a new dimension in terms of complexity, nuance, and maturity. The strings add a rather frantic personality to the piece. The very start of the piece sounds incredibly tense and kept me on the edge of my seat from then on. The rhythms in the guitar are so energetic and syncopated

genre: slow rock, latin rock drink: spaghetti Who would have thought that Santana would still be putting things out in 2019? That name has opened up a treasure trove  of memories from when I was first learning guitar, and my dad had a bunch of classic Santana records lying around. I haven't listened to any  of his recent work, so I have no context where his musical journey has taken him. The first thing off the bat that I notice is that this is piece is almost begrudgingly slow. Usually when songs are paced like this, you'd expect some kind of build up. However, there is little to none of that. It sounds like Santana is just having a little conversation with his inner self. No doubt, I do enjoy his solos and such. I just wish he built the song better around it. It feels like the percussion and bass just drone on and repeat endlessly. This whole song could really do with an energetic samba section or something, but who am I to say? It's a shame, because a shorter versi

genre: folk metal, progressive Song 5 on the album I'm slowly working through. It's been a while because I've found so many songs to fill the gaps in between. But today will be the intermittent exception.  From what I've learned about Agalloch, they like to play with a bunch of different instruments to get a wide range of tones and timbres, colors, whatever terminology you prefer. A few things remain the same (i.e. the rich acoustic guitar, and usually an accompanying distorted electric). Like most of their songs, they open with a mysterious and ominous pattern in the acoustic, with accenting flairs from the electric.  Something's different here though. I can hear a double bass instead of a typical electric bass. It doesn't do anything particular interesting except to add a rustic, rugged flavor to their folk sound. I'm always curious as to what that percussive instrument that plays almost like a metronome in the background (it sounds like a weird hol

genre: classical Coming at you hot with another classical piece I came upon the other day that I wanted to write about. It might be pushing the rules a bit, but I didn't really  sit down and listen to this song until today, if you will.  Now, it's not like I picked a random artist/composer out of a box and googled them. Where's the logic in that? In actuality, I played a piece written by Shostakovich back in college, and his pieces emanate with such vibrant energy. The story remains the same with current piece. I don't know what he normally writes, but his pieces are amusing and quirky from what I've listened to so far.  First of all, I love waltz's (can somebody teach me?). The somber and melancholic tone makes it that much more addicting to me at least. The strings at around :50 evoke an awfully sorrowful tone that is just delicious. My personal  favorite part out of anything in the entire piece is the swelling of the strings exactly a minute. It's

genre: rock Although I never really paid much attention to the Smiths, I regret not taking the time to really listen to them sooner. I don't really have a good reason either, which is a shame because I can definitely see The Smiths being one of my favorite bands, especially with this song. I'll have to do more research obviously, but this song makes the strong case.  I have a soft spot for slow rock like this (looking at you Earth Angel ). It reaches a deeper part of me that seeks the melodrama and hopeless romance. Obviously, if you know me, I'm in a happy place.  I don't have very much time nowadays with my work piling up, but I will say that this is what I needed in my time of need. Reaching a personal, local minima, it's nice to have a song that resonates and almost shares the emotional burden with you. That's what teenagers are all about I guess. Ugh, I'll be less sappy next time. Rating: 9/10

genre: classical drink: beeeer It's Super Bowl Sunday and what I'm writing about today evokes a vibe on the complete opposite spectrum. We're chilling out today to some classical. Fun fact: I took some time to learn to this on guitar, which inherently means that I really like the piece. It's beautifully composed and simple in its construction. The chord progression isn't anything groundbreaking, but it does its job in conveying the theme. I guess I forgot to mention, the song itself means "Love Dream", and it definitely hits that mark. The middle section keeps the momentum going by building and varying on the original thematic melody. It does a good job of leading to the climax, which is definitely my favorite part. I'll keep this little ditty in the back of my pocket when I'm trying to serenade my girlfriend.  Rating: 7.5/10

  genre: pop drink: smoooothie Now if you really didn't get the last post, maybe now you will. This song was introduced relatively early compared to the actual release of the game. I was a bit taken aback knowing that Skrillex was a major part of the making of this song. But you know, it really isn't all that bad. After all, it's not the headlining song for the game anyway.  Anyway, it's a good thing it's not a typical Skrillex song, but I can see why the music producers wanted this. It's quite catchy when juxtaposed with the Utada Hikaru's softer vocals. Again, this'll be short. I've got BIGGER priorities.  Rating: 7/10

genre: pop drink:   water If you know, you know... I hate to preface it like that, but the I'm going to cop out for this post because of how important KH is to me. My time has to be prioritized somewhere in particular . It's the finale of what has been an almost 17-year saga.  Rating: 8/10