Violet

No, because their musical styles are completely different...

Welcome, Ariel! We'll be more than happy to have you. :nice:

$700? Screw that. I don't have that sort of money, anyway. I'll definitely shoot for Dallas or Houston. Preferably Houston. ...The dark side. That figures, coming from you. :tongue: It's not my fault, anyway. It's Matt's.

...But Matt breathes like that in studio also. It's pretty noticeable. Having said that, I can understand why your mom feels that way. He can be pretty noisy, and it can sometimes be a bit of a distraction.

March. Just in time for my birthday. Brilliant. I shall try to be patient and see what happens. Dallas/Houston would be better, seeing as SXSW is around Austin (isn't it?), and Austin is still a 6-hour drive, as opposed to 3 for Dallas/Houston. (Actually, Houston is probably more 2-2 1/2 hours. Hmmm.) Anyway, I caught the boys on SNL last night. I have a confession to make. (This is where some of you can probably say, "I told you so.") On another note, I've officially decided that "Panic Station" is the most annoying Muse song ever. I've tried getting into it. I just can't. :bomb:

No Texas dates. NO TEXAS DATES. :bigcry: :bigcry: :bigcry: Of course, there's the possibility of Tulsa, but that's not practical, given that even if I use the shorter of the two routes MapQuest gave me, it's a 6-hour drive. SIX HOURS. Do you know how much money that would be in gas alone? My gosh. Muse, I'm not happy with you right now. Not happy at all.

^ Awww. :blush: I still have your tape, too. I have all of them that were made for me, actually. I have a special folder on my desktop for them. :wacky:

That's good, though. I don't think we've had this many in a good while.

Surprisingly, I've heard of a lot of these people. I'm just not familiar with their music. It's nice to know how much of a taster this really is. I feel stupid for not recognizing David Byrne. (I'm excusing myself, only because I only know him through his collab with St. Vincent.) Some of this was surprising to me. I've heard a track or two of Metronomy that I liked, and it's a shame that the whining bit annoyed me so much. I'm definitely going to look into more Kashmir after hearing that song. It was truly my favorite of the mix. :heart: I also think some Eno, Zu, and MSP is in order, if not a few other things as well. Thank you so much! I'm sure your tape for MTE 13 will be just fine. :hug:

"Question!"-System of a Down

"2 Luv Birds"-Robin Thicke

1. "A Short Reprise for Mary Todd, Who Went Insane, But For Very Good Reasons"-Sufjan Stevens 2. "Time Stands Still"-Cut Copy 3. "Killer Kaczynski"-Mando Diao 4. "Love Is Stronger than Pride"-The King's Singers 5. "Joy to the World"-Mannheim Steamroller 6. "The Pick-Up"-Sufjan Stevens 7. "Snowy Atlas Mountains"-Fionn Regan 8. "Wassail, Wassail (Christmas Symphony version)"-Mannheim Steamroller 9. "Moon and Moon"-Bat for Lashes 10. "Analyse"-Thom Yorke

I wish I had checked this thread earlier. I might have participated. :/ Good to know there will be more of these, though.

Do your parents monitor your Internet behavior? If not, I honestly don't see how making an account for any site is that much of an issue. If you were talking about visiting a site like 4Chan, I would strongly discourage you from doing anything, but if all you're worried about is Tumblr, that shouldn't be a problem. You're already doing stuff behind your parents' back, anyway, so it's not like that in itself is a problem. (Not that I'm condoning that sort of behavior, but at the same time, I'm not going to tell you not to do that, as I have done it before with certain things also.)

Mrk, I'm so so so sorry that I took this long to post a review of your tape. I'm usually much more prompt when it comes to these things, but it unexpectedly got put on the backburner somehow. If there is a next time, I'll do better. Anyway, I know you've waited long enough to get a review, so I'll cut the chat and get straight into it. 1. The song has a nice groove mirrored by a bass line and a bit of piano, both of which I rather like. "She said, 'You're still just a boy. You've still got a lot to learn.' He said, 'You ain't no Helen of Troy, even if there wasn't another woman to burn.'" This is one of those songs that I can't help but bob my head to because it's that catchy. Nice choice for an opener. 2. This is a quiet electronic number. It reminds me of Jon Hopkins. After the intro, it sort of swells into this lush atmosphere that I enjoyed. This is one of those songs that continues to add layers as it goes on, which is something I value in a piece of music. This is particularly true for electronic music, as it can sometimes get repetitive to the point of me getting bored and/or annoyed. This song serves as a nice contrast to the one before it. 3. This song opens with guitar and some other outside noise, which I described as "whooshing" because I couldn't think of a better term. The "whooshing" is in there quite a bit, and it reminds me slightly of Animal Collective. "The dimming of the light makes the picture clearer. It's just an old picture." The singer's voice is slightly whiny, but it's not enough to annoy me to where I can't enjoy the song. The song is sort of an electronic/folk hybrid, or something like it. I liked the previous two tracks more, but this isn't too bad, either. 4. The very beginning reminded me of video game music. Then it goes into this keyboard stuff (most of which I believe to be synthetic). This song is quite cute, really. The vocals help a lot with that, as well the little doodly bit in the chorus. :blush: The song still retains that sort of arcade vibe to it. It's not like chiptune or anything, though, and I prefer music that way. I think I detected an accent in the vocals; is this a British artist? 5. OOOH YAY PIANO. :heart: OK, not gonna lie, I thought I was going to get a classical/jazz piano piece at first, but then the guitar and drums came in and sort of killed that dream. (Not your fault. I prematurely got my hopes up.) "Shine, shine, shine." I like the guitars, and I like the vibe of the song, but I feel that the background music overpowers the vocals. The vocalist's line is also a bit monotonous for me, especially given the cool music he has backing him. It's not a bad song by any means, but I think that it could be made better, given that certain adjustments are made. 6. I don't know what this is, but iTunes is telling me it's metal. (Not a problem.) I'm digging the inclusion of a bari sax, even if its part isn't exactly in the forefront. There's a LOT of guitar in this. (That's a given in metal, and like I said, that's not a problem at all.) It's an instrumental, too, which is even better. Given that, I'm thinking of this song as what And So I Watch You From Afar or *shels would sound if they decided to become a bit harder. There's a harmonic minor bit in certain places later in the song that I really like. The song reaches a climax within the last minute, then slowly but surely dies down. Yeah, I'm definitely a fan of this. 7. Interesting beginning, transitioning from pizzicato strings to bowed strings to something else completely different. The guitars in this instantly makes me think Kasabian. The vocals are rather screamy (not screaming, mind you) which, in a way, also remind me of Kasabian. It's not Kasabian, though, which is why I guess I'm a bit intrigued by this. Admittedly, I only listen to Kasabian when the mood strikes me, and I feel like I might treat the artist who does this song in a similar light. The vocals seem to get more screamy as the song goes on, and I'm not really a huge fan of that. It doesn't help that this song that I don't like all that much is over 7 minutes long. It's my least favorite thus far. 8. It begins with guitar (both acoustic and electronic) and settles into a beat. I think I heard the word "Fascists" in this song. This sounds like another one of those happy-go-lucky songs that you can't help but get into as you're listening. "Gravity keeps my head down, or is it maybe shame at being so young and being so vain?" I think the lyrics (from what bits I pick up) are a huge part of why I like this song. This is one of those songs that has (somewhat) depressing lyrics backed with happy music, so it's almost ironic. This is a nice ear cleanser after hearing the previous track. 9. This was the one song that still had its title and artist on it. It's a song called "Com Touch" by Clark, who I'm assuming is one person. This is more of a pure electronic track. It goes into this bit after the first minute where there's a clear melody, which is when I started to get really involved with the song. It sort of stalls for a bit, then goes into more electronic sound around the 2-minute mark, shorty followed by the addition of a beat (which, given by the sound of the rimshots, I'm going to guess is synthetic). This is then followed by the introduction of some vocal bits, which seem to be more of a textural element than anything else. This is one of those songs that gets better as it goes on, and I think the song in general will grow on a person with more listens. I like it. 10. "On the day the wall came down, they threw the lock onto the ground, and with glases high, we raised a cry that freedom had arrived." Alright then. It's a strong enough beginning, with those opening lyrics backed by piano, pretty much like a power ballad like would sound. The verses and the chorus sound vastly different, and admittedly, it's a bit confusing. I'm definitely a bigger fan of the verses. The guitar solo sounds very '80s power ballad to me as well, which I guess would now raise the question as to whether this is in fact an '80s power ballad. 11. Another track which opens with piano. Splendid. "Time is a fever, a crystal breeze, an iron flame. Time is a deceiver you think you own, and it turns away." This song is structurally simple, but lyrically, it's wonderful. It's made even better with the introduction of a full orchestra of strings in the second chorus, which add so much more to it. The vocals fit the song perfectly, too. I just...Mrk, I love this song. I need to know who this is. Now. Please. 12. Another electronic number. I figured I was due at least one more of these. :tongue: The synths in the background playing chords sort of remind of a jazz organ, for some odd reason. Speaking of synths, I'm not a huge fan of their tone in this song, for whatever reasong. This song is an example of what I meant earlier by some electronic music droning on to the point of boring me. By the halfway mark, I was just sitting there, waiting for something to grab my attention again. There's just nothing exciting about this to me. It's not the song's fault, so much as mine for my taste in music. 13. You chose an upbeat track for the closer. Good deal. This song nicely builds, adding bass and guitar at different intervals, among other things. This is more of what I like here, when people keep adding different elements. Nice vocal introduction with solid harmonies. OK, what is that whining thing in the song? "WHOOO WHEEE OOOOO WHEEE OOOOO WHOOOEE OOOOO." Honestly, that part is annoying. I'd like this song so much more without it. In fact, I didn't find much wrong with it until that came up. UGH GET IT AWAY. Dx That killed the song for me, literally to the point of me being unable to finish it. Sorry. Generally speaking, I think your tape is a great reflection of what your tastes are, and you showcased them while also giving me the liberty of having variety as I listened. I think you took great care in alternating different styles and tempos, which is great. There were a couple of songs I didn't like, but you know, that's OK. Despite that, I heard a lot of things that I enjoyed. I know this tape wasn't meant for me, but thank you for participating in the exchange, making it, and allowing me to listen to it. :nice:

Yeah, that's true. Also, this is off-topic, but can I just say how happy I am Rick Perry DIDN'T get the nomination? I'm still mad about the budget cuts to education that he has made as my state's governor, despite the fact that Texas is 44th out of the 50 states in that regard (or was, according to the article that I read). As a person who has come from that education system and who has done work in various schools in my area, I can say that we're still highly lacking in this area. I remember how, when Obama first took office, he said all the troops would be out of Afghanistan by 2012. Well, it's 2012 now, and we're still there. So much for that. That's the part I'm really annoyed about when it comes to ObamaCare. My family doesn't have health insurance. We can't afford it. According to ObamaCare, we either have to get the insurance that we can't afford, or we're forced to pay money as punishment for being too poor to afford health insurance. As my mom often says, "you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't." That is just WRONG. As far as the ecomony...I'm not very smart when it comes to economics. All I know is what I have personally experienced. Having said that, I do know that what Obama said about small businesses paying less in taxes is an outright lie. My dad runs a small business, and my dad's taxes have gone through the roof. He has his paperwork to confirm this. I also know that his claim about lowering tuition is preposterous because, in the 4 years that I went to college, my tuition was raised every year. Having said all this stuff about Obama, I can't vote for Romney, either, and a lot of that has to do with his stance on certain social issues.

Comparing Rush to Genesis is like comparing apples to oranges.

Oh yes, "Lady Chatterley's Lover" is grand. I think you'll rather like that one. As far as recommendations, to fit in another banned book, I'd definitely read "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey. My brother had to read it for one of his English classes, and he said it was better than the movie (which both he and I are quite familiar with). Given that he detests reading, that was saying a lot. I went and read it, and I agree with him. The movie is great, but the book is even better. Well, the only reason I even found out was due to a friend's post on Facebook, so if anyone should be thanked, it's her. Anyway, it's good to know you'll get the info. Even being informed on what books were banned for what reason helps. :smiley:

Yeah, I agree. My parents had decided they were voting for Romney long before this debate even came on. The same was more than likely true of the many people on Facebook choosing sides last night. Honestly, my opinion hasn't changed by watching this debate. Of course, I'm not a fan of politics at all, anyway, but all I saw last night was two men interrupting and insulting each other while repeating themselves, trying their hardest to tell us what we want to hear. I don't agree with either of them on certain things, and I can't say I feel comfortable voting for either of them. At the very least, I'll watch the other presidential debate and see what happens. Speaking of debates, the vice-presidential debate comes on a week from today, in case anyone's interested. (Also, as a side note, can someone please explain to me why the moderator was even there?)

I definitely think Rush and Deep Purple should be in there. Especially Rush.

This also. :D

Jon Hopkins is one of the few artists I can put on when I need help trying to go to sleep. That in itself means something.

This somewhat reflects my view on the topic. As Mrk said, if we're getting technical, there are two main umbrellas of music: classical and popular. Popular music was created to go against the grain of what classical music is. If we're going to use that term, then everything that isn't classical is popular, or "pop," music. However, there's also the term "pop," meaning a certain subsection of popular music that sounds a certain way. Genres are quite open to interpretation, though, so I suppose you could put anything under that, depending on what your views of "pop" are. Either way, it doesn't really matter that much to me. As long as it sounds pleasant to my ears, any music, classical or popular, pop or not, is welcome on my iTunes.

^^ I figured that was why you have your current custom title. (I dig it, BTW. :D) Anyway, I don't know how many of you are aware, but this week is Banned Books Week. It condemns censorship and celebrates the rights given to us in the First Amendment. So many books over the years have been censored, challenged, and banned. We can't settle for that. Do whatever you can to support free press. Spread the word. Participate in events. Stay informed. Read a banned book at some point this week. (I hope you don't mind the public service announcement, but seeing this is a reading thread, I'd rather put it here than create a new thread, just to have no one read it.) Happy reading, everyone! :nice:

Yes, Wyrd, that's right. You can put their name on it. Just don't tell them that it's you who made it, and don't go around telling other people on the forum who your partner is. :nice: This, basically.