dissociative pop OR the panacea of musical thoughts that austin might have had

"RANDOM STUFF GAA IS LISTENING TO AND THE THOUGHTS... SO MANY THOUGHTS"

——man, i love sharing music. one of my favorite questions to ask random people is, "don't think about it, just say what's in your heart: what's your favorite song RIGHT NOW?" the most unassuming, maybe kind of plain folks will just bust out depeche mode or the temptations and all i can think of is how wonderful everything is. sometimes they say the eagles or something, and that's okay too BUT the real payoff is when i ask and they say something i've never even heard of before. very classic question, highly recommended.

——remember those plastic cd trays from the 90s that had that little clippy door thing and the cover art opened kind of like a gatefold? i have no idea what they were called, but they mostly got used for singles. a friend recently sent some old brandy remixes and the mp3s were tagged with this cover art:
https://i.imgur.com/s1AGSgI.jpg
OMG YA'LL I'M TURNING INTO A BOOMER BECAUSE I SAW THAT AND GEEKED OUT! bring that schitt to the official artwork on streaming platforms! those cases were so easily damaged but they made so much sense; way better than those chintzy other ones that were just a plastic tray that you slid in and out a thin-ass cardboard sleeve (sry couldn't find any photos, but jeez they were crap. is chintzy an offensive word? i don't mean it in that way, if so. those cases were just total crap).

[tangent: did brandy invent the "bae" thing? y'know "BAE-yay-yay-yay" and so on]

——twee fans are dumb. i should know: i am one. we can't agree on anything but are probably too timid to hash anything out. we all end up either hypocrites or quitters, or both. case in point: mates of state suck, but they have some really good songs. i've yet to hear an entire album and i love this song, even if it's about a fucking modest mouse thing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fnf8_qsPbs
mates of state — "think long" (2006)
really good harmonies! and that coda that's straight out of the theater kid scene. damn cheesy, but get on or get out, friends.

——dude, how did i never notice khujo from goodie mob was just babbling random incoherent metaphysical bullshit most of the time? he's really good on outkast's "mainstream" and that song is an alltimer, but as the group continued on, it became harder and harder to understand wtf he was trying to say. i mean, i love him but dude... uhm, wtf u tawnbout bro? lol he doesn't even rhyme most of the time!

——one of the alltime most poignant show memories i have is of kim gordon. it was the rather ripped tour and she was, of course, immaculately dressed in a white sheath and blue heels. there was a lull between songs as she was setting her bass down. her and thurston exchanged an intense glance that seemed to last for about five fucking minutes and she finally approached the mic. "THIS SONG IS CALLED JAMS RUN FREE." then the lights went out and about two minutes later during the noise portion, she was flailing around in a strobe light. i was sat back a bit from the pit and all i could think about was how much i wanted to be her in that moment. absolute queen. anyway, "jams run free" is mislabeled on spotify as "jams runs free." and there's two versions of rather ripped on there and both have the mistake. fuckin` hell.

——lastly (for now) i'm looking for happy songs. here's a youtube playlist of stuff that fits the mode (i recommend shuffle). i'm needing more classic r+b and more 90s rock. anything and everything is eligible, just has to give you that major key feeling. also, i'm kinda trying to avoid assholes, so even though i was really tempted to put some smiths/moz stuff on there, alas no. oh, sigh. do you have any suggestions? i would very much like to hear them.

we'll try to keep things brief and light in here. sometimes i just have to be out with the chicanery in my brain and this feels like a comfy space. what's your favorite song RIGHT NOW?

RIGHT NOW it is Beep by Pylon. All we have is 4 minutes…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8e-vw4G7_c

this is a wonderful thread

right now i can't get enough of this incredible album by pom poko. that guitar! those vocals! that clean, warm, sparkling production!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF1v01JEKS0

dude i checked out a good chunk of that pom poko schitt-- wild, but very NOT BAD! thank you for the word.

anyway, my name is dee jaye l.i.f.e. of the lengendary sign language crew and my favorite song right now is "det läcker" by swedish indie soul heroes dina ögon-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-4I7MqD_S4
-and, you guys, i have to send this one out with my highest recommendation because holy hot pink pigshit. fucken a, just press play.

[ED NOTE: we appreciate your patience and grace, as dina ögon is an ilm discovery. this newest jam is indeed quite remarkable. thanks again, friends. see you when i see you.]

coda xpost 2 post-
pylon roolz, obvs. if someone said pylon to that question irl, i might ask them for a hug.

. . .oh who am i kidding, no i wouldn't. but i'd have a damn deeo think about it, tell you what.

hi again. dj life back at your service with another jam highly approved for all audiences+one of my favorite songs from 2023 that i didn't hear until 2024-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crdAudZOnbY
middle kids - "dramamine" (2023)

and do be advised, if you are susceptible to excessive sweets, you have no chance in the battle against this chorus, friend. relent. acquiesce. get in loser, we're going singing along at the top of our lungs. does that sound okay to you?

andy describes "det läcker"-

the best soft rock disco ballad in a while

and "dramamine"-

how could anyone take such amazing sounds the wrong way?

also on why everyone should listen to music as loud as possible as much as possible-

it washes the germs out of your brain

considering a name change: dj henry jams wdyt?

My all time favorite happy song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYwndYSA6-U

yes octo, just took the chance to vote blazing arrow in michael b's 2002 poll. that's a great one fir the playlist as well, ty.

i want to ask a general question to all--
what do you think of this song?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BvRgwUisSg
maggie rogers - 'alaska' (2017)

(if i'm posting here, it's implied that i like it, which i do. did a search + came up with a few brief mentions of her. wondering what any hindsight thoughts are, if any.)

the first three issues of dj life's hiphop ephemera are now out-
issue no.1: rass kass+coolio
issue no.2: the electric circus vinyl
issue no.3: 'the truth'

short unscripted memories on the footnotes of hiphop.

season two... er, i mean the next issues or hiphop ephemera are out now-

issue no.4: t-love
issue no.5: women in hiphop special issue (take 3, everything is scripted)
issue no.5: liner notes

the calm before the storm: preliminary thoughts on the functionality of mixtapes and the dj as artist.

****SHAMELESS PLUG****

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

what is astralpop?
it's environmental music made by a person who's probably been smoking too long. and, not to be, like, snobby or weird or anything -quite the opposite, in fact, it's a rather friendly gesture- but if you know what i mean by “environmental music”, that person probably likes a lot of the same music as you. you may understand the vibe is what i'm sayin’.

yes, but what IS astralpop?
well, idk. depends on who you ask.

it could be transmissions from a nomadic interstellar entity that lives in the tidepools of this cavern we call “THE UNIVERSE.” +who may have played -+continue to play- a major role in the creation of earth+other worlds like it …

… or it could be the grooviest music at the 99¢ store?

uhm, but what's “astralpop”?
i'm sorry to be rude+answer your question with a question, but do you remember that one REALLY BAD nightmare from your childhood? if not, nbd (but tbh idk if this'll make any sense, thx for listening anyway). if yes, i'm sorry you had to go through that. +i'm terrible but i have to ask: would you like to polish up that memory+possibly reclassify it as a happy, nice thing? the image is burned into your mind forever -+is subsequently unforgettable- but what if the soundtrack kicks ass? to put it more plainly: would you like to have _nostalgia_ for nightmares?

okay, but what's “ASTRALPOP”?
it's the cheesy song by the washed up band that plays an overbearing pop song during the end credits of your favorite terrible children's movie.

it's your favorite song of all time being ruined by inner-groove distortion. +that album has never been reissued, friend.

it's the demo tape of complete asshole joke songs you+your homies made in college. not REALLY meant for anyone else's ears.

it's the ignorable rush hour dj mix playing on your car's fm dial during the drive home from another long day at work.

+it's, like, novelty vaudeville public domain music. i mean yeah, you COULD try to resell it or something, but why? it's free. anybody can have it. it doesn't really go anywhere because all it's supposed to be is your companion while yer doin’ yr stuff.

oh btw, that person i was talking about earlier goes by the username austinato. if you want to hear what astralpop sounds like, please follow the directions found in this youtube playlist. headphone listening is recommended, though not required; sometimes it sounds legitimately better on shitty speakers.

are YOU austinato?
not it!

[ED NOTE: you forgot the © in the "ASTRALPOP" variant. good thing we didn't immediately release anything.]

music discussion etiquette question time!

so if i say to folks on here -or places with a similar vibe- "ya, it has an afrobeat kind of feel" you guys all know what i mean. in other (most) situations, i'll be talking to someone who i know has absolutely no idea about "AFROBEAT MUSIC" and i'm hesitant to even use the word because i don't want to sound condescending or snobby. most times, if something like that even comes up, i'll just say something like "oh yeah, kind of sounds like some nigerian music i've heard."

which is the better way to handle it when your end objective is to share music appreciation? go full music nerd + possibly intimidate or play coy?

i'd like to take a moment + appreciate amel larrieux, while introducing you all to the idea of "clark kenting."

first things first: amel larrieux is exemplary. even i'm guilty of partially writing her solo stuff off initially as "too mor." have you revisited ice cream everyday lately? the inward looking good vibes in that music are so numerous + thorough, i simply don't have the language. is "i do take" corny?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKsTY66ofsU
amel larrieux - "i do take" (2013)

the production + themes explored are layered af. she's silly + playful one second, profound + life affirming the next. it's arty + weird, childlike + snappy. deep emotions crash straight into pure jubilation. the blend of "weird" production choices + introspection via pop song makes me think of this as kind of a distant modern r+b relative of hounds of love.

the single was "afraid" + it's a hard one to resist. super dreamy beat + extra cirricular fun with the little pause in the chorus. (shoutout to "want you to press against me like if you don't you'll die". okay just don't tell clark kent, right? sry, gettin ahead of m'self!)

the album is maybe overlong, but i can't be too upset by now, as it's been not a lot of activity ever since. her catalogue is solid af + ice cream everyday is the so-far grand finale.

+even superman has to put the cape away sometimes. i've had this jokey idea since i was in my late teens about musicians who are clearly superheroes, but some struggle with keeping their hero identity covert. i call this act of keeping things secret "clark kenting." +like in the superman stories, sometimes he's so good at fooling everyone + other times, it's just ridiculous to believe that he isn't found out.

i look at photos of people like andre3000 from outkast, even back in like 95, +he was, uhh... not very good at clark kenting. +he just got worse as the 90s went on. he's still trying, but he has an electronic flute now + well... (sigh) we know, bro. it's okay.

anyway, one of the greatest clark kenters oat is amel larrieux. i mean, superhero status never in question -just listen to "tell me" to be reminded of her vocal prowess- but what an absolute master of fooling everyone into believing she's "just a pop singer."

https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/07/14364588973827-e1436458790667.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&w=1680&h=960&crop=1&resize=1680%2C960
lol rrrriiight

♡amel♡

[ED. NOTE: there's a song on the album called "trapped being human." uhh, not clark kenting so well in that instance.]

I GET PREGNANT WHEN I SEE YOU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtg6KzRmGpE

bonnie banane - "muscles" (2012)

dear friends,

fuck you. call me names. tell me i don't know anything. i don't care. i want to make music that swirls like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPDl62vDxOY
tesia - "overflow" (2021)

dear friends,

if you're ever in need of a good time, go on your favorite massive social media platform, find a topic where a subject you love is being discussed and respond to the oldest comment you can find. bonus game: you can only respond to comments that are at least five years old. tell these anonyfriends from the past how much you also love "sir duke" by stevie wonder in youtube comments! thank your friends for being here! it's fun - and what if they see it someday!! it's a digital message in a bottle!

hi,

idk who's reading this but if you're not me and you are, stop everything and go listen to the band soft location. they have three albums, but they're all really short. i like fools the most and again, if you're reading this, you probably will too.

what do they sound like? idk, they have a woman singer and it's really dreamy soft rock i guess? my main thing is: try picking a highlight from any of their albums. you can't do it - the albums are too consistent!

anyway, VERY highly recommended. wow!

soft location is good. thank you

for bringing them to my attention

hi bj,
aren't they great!? have you ever noticed that "lofi hiphop" isn't actually very low in its fidelity?

thanks for stopping by!

hello to my friends enjoying the nine inch nails poll! i'm sorry to say that's a band i've yet to truly connect with. but i am lurking on the thread! i was reading and skimming some nin stuff, but well, dissociative disorder, so here's a dreamy dub reggae cover of "hand that feeds" by bay area indie rockers abracadabra-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs3ZPRSY5Y4

it's neat!

a thought occurs:
growing up, going to the school dances/assembly/extracurricular parasocial gatherings, i always wanted to hang outside because that's where the music sounds best coming through a PA. that's where you get the best echoes and natural delay (which is made extra super fun when most of the music being played over said soundsystem is late 80s/early 90s pop music with big gated snare drums). i was having so much over there by myself because the music sounded fucking awesome. and like, not 2 b rude, but i can hang with you guys anytime. i can't hear "escapade" like this just whenever i want.

so anyway, the thought:
this may? have contributed to people thinking of me as antisocial.

[ED. NOTE: this translates to the music they make, too-- reverb+delay don't do most of the work, they do all of it. never felt so complimented as when i was told my music sounded like it was recorded underwater. like ally sheedy at the end of breakfast club, i felt so pretty+noticed.]

this post was inspired by clemenza's recent shoutout to nana mouskouri. thank you for posting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Uu3Gekws6g
olgamaria touzet guillot - "ámame" (1981)

the female pop crooners of my generation were folks like juice newton, linda ronstadt (sp?), etc. meh from me mostly. as ever, i've been set on researching what was happening elsewhere and that's brought me to some early 80s latin soft rock. olga is fairly in charge on this one and it feels like it may just sit in with some open-minded lovers rock sets. really good jam. this one's a hit, boys.

(awkwardly and delicately walks into thread)

Um. Hi.

(looks back and forth nervously)

Jangly Japanese girl groups are awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8uJbqCwFeI
SaToA - "bitter coffee" (2018)

So are Russian shoegaze bands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEBwl-8nJuA
Сияние - "Во сне" (2020)

Thank you for listening.💙

(continues looking around while walking away with even more apprehension)

Thumbs up emoji

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CsfeRbEm7c
june mcdoom - "babe you light me up" (2022)

i like this so much that i don't even want to talk about it.

instead i'll ask a question to you: what does "babe you light me up" by june mcdoom sound like to ya'll?

i have an answer but i really don't wanna talk about it.

(the june mcdoom ep is def recommended btw)