Wet Weather Listening
autumn album(mer)s
There’s a stormy weather system making its way through California, especially SoCal, and my urge for autumn listening finally has a proper outlet. Leaves don’t really fall down here so the rain is the closest I’m gonna get. It’s got me pretty nostalgic honestly because I’ve always loved puddles and stuff. I’ve been listening to stuff that makes me feel and also stuff that makes me forget, or at least believe I have forgotten. Historically, autumn leads me to new discoveries and new connections musically, but this one has been more about the past so far.
I Promised the World – Fear of the Fall
I’ve listened to this album before but put it on the shelf for later because I wasn’t quite feeling it yet. Now... now I’m feeling it... maybe a little too much. “02” was the only track that stuck with me earlier this year, and now “On a Broken Edge” is hitting as well. Only a matter of time before I’m completely engrossed, hopefully just in time for their EP release in January. I genuinely don’t want to wait that long. Also I’m kinda mad they signed to Rise because now the old heads know about them. Glad I saw them before the financially stable’s money got in the mix...
Until It Kills Me – Interrogation 25’
Dead sacramento sad mosh has me feeling things in the rain, on a hike, looking over SB and Redlands. Like, come on. I’m so happy I have the CD even though I never got to see them live. It took me a while to listen to it because I got distracted for a bit (a few months) but it had me processing things I forgot even happened to me, led to some visual art.
Capstan – Restless Heart, Keep Running
This is a year long album for me, I keep coming back. Capstan is one of my contemporary favorites in post-hardcore because each aspect of their work pulls me in. The instrumentation, the production choices, the lyrics... don’t get me started on the lyrics. Inspired visual art this month for me as well. Usually I gravitate heavily to “We’ll Always Have Paris” but this time “Stars Before Sun” had me in an INSANE GRIP. “Such sweet entropy, it’s comforting... All we’ve ever built will one day rust, it’s comforting.” I’m unceasingly aware of the brevity of each moment because I’m continually thinking about what needs to be done next.
my better half – mybetterhalf.
Shoutout my better half for giving me their cassette for however much I had in my pocket even though I was a few dollars short. This thing has been on repeat in my car enough that I think I might have a little problem. “Yesterday I graduated, today I’m alone.” I BEG YOUR PARDON. Not sure why that sticks with me but once I realize, I’m for sure gonna need a few moments to process whatever it is.
Aokigahara – Aokigahara
Fall is my favorite season but it reminds me a lot of summer strangely enough. I often spend both somewhat isolated, but it hits harder in fall because I still have to get stuff done. In the summer I can just dilly dally doing whatever the heck I feel like. Anyways, I spent fourth of July alone and pissed off (like I was for most of July) so the Aokigahara release was timely for me. I was pretty creative that day though. Coursework and general life stuff have me pissed off again but this time with some ambiance, so the album’s dusted off and back in rotation.
The Acacia Strain – Step into the Light / Failure Will Follow
I covered one of the songs from this release on my synth. Not super successfully because I can’t palm mute the synth, so. I’m not sure if I really have to explain this one. Just look at the album art. Autumn is the season of decay, but it’s not useless decay (I need to listen to Slow Decay again also…). If you have seen the album art, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Anyways. Everyone needs a little apathy once in a while. With my listening I might be overdosing a bit, but I need this indifference to survive, so that the hope shines that much brighter. I should add Cultist into my rotation as well now that I think about it...
Synestia & Disembodied Tyrant – The Poetic Edda
It’s dramatic. Constant dreary storms for a whole week... kinda dramatic as well. Me? Also somewhat dramatic. End of story.
Armor for Sleep – What To Do When You Are Dead (15th Anniversary Edition)
This album encapsulates parts of my existence I otherwise ignore. Parts I often refuse to acknowledge, but they are fundamental to my experiences. That’s why I keep coming back. I’ll be having a perfectly normal day, not thinking about it, then, BOOM. I’m listening to the 15th anniversary edition front to back. This time it was warranted though. Specifically the 15th anniversary edition because the bonus tracks are some of my favorites in Armor for Sleep’s entire discography (no offense to any of their other songs, they even just came out with a new album and it’s really good. Ben, please never stop writing about dreams), but “Who’s Gonna Lie To You” though “Never Had the Chance” is intimate lyricism to me. I don’t even want to write about it here because that’s journal level stuff to me. The demos at the very tail end are nice as well, especially my love, “Slip Like Space”, for obvious reasons, but sometimes I’ll just loop it back from “Never Had the Chance” to “One Last Regret”. Sure, listening to the album like that aches a bit every time, but it hurts even more when I’m interrupted. There’s a reason both the original album and the 15th anniversary editions both appear in my top albums since I started using last.fm: enrapture. I have listened to both versions of this album collectively over two thousand times in four years... Wow, it’s been that long already... Anyways, I own a copy of it in vinyl, CD, and cassette. I’m trying to get the 15th anniversary edition on vinyl but it sold out on EVR and eBay isn’t looking too kind... Is “One Last Regret” on any of them besides the original pressings of the CD? I don’t have an original so, there’s no hidden track or bonus track (“Very Invisible”). I’ll admit, seeing the album live was great, but I don’t recall any of the additional tracks being played... I wanted to hear “Always a Wish” or even better, “Standing Alone”. Also some dude next to me was getting all up in my personal space and pushing me away from barrier... Still better than when I saw Thursday. I need that experience redeemed... Anyways. What To Do When You Are Dead is essential listening for me and it only intensifies with the rain. “It’s raining outside, there’s a storm font on my back, trying to keep me away from you.”
Future Listening & Other Rambling
I still haven’t given the new Day Hike a proper listen, I should be getting around to that in the next week or so. Seeing Ludacris this month was insane, because I realized how many songs of his I know even though I don’t really listen to him. Execution released an EP I’m pretty sure, so I’ll give that I listen as well. WOAS, Currents, The Hate Campaign, Torture... I’ve got quite a backlog... Honestly, I’ll probably get distracted by some random trancecore album as I usually do. Hopefully I don’t, because I really want to give all these releases a faithful listen.
I’ve seen some pretty cool bands recently. Spunk, Golpe, Strut, CDC, Aethereal, Checkpoint Charlie, Natalus, 1000DegreeKnife, Deadly Premonition. Overdid things a little bit though, so I have to calm down a little…
Here’s the tracklist for my most recent radio episode (aired November 15th)
