Hard times is a devastating song, it’s filled completely with heart ache and pain, I feel like every time I listen to hard times, it breaks my heart over again. Hayden has such a gentle approach to her music that even with the dark subject matter it comes across as a gentle lullaby almost- something to ease the pain. Despite Hayden not experiencing these specific traumas in her own life, she has such a good approach to describing them in her storyline- and has created beautiful artwork that many people can relate to. If not for its intended meaning; listeners can take their own ideas from Hayden’s music,and that music can mean to them something very intimate and special, for me personally I can interpret hard times as it works into the storyline of preachers daughter, but I also have my own outlook and perspective of that song, and what it means to me. It’s easy to get lost in the lyrics and melodies, it seems like at times there are endless options and interpretations. While that may seem overwhelming at first, I believe that is one of the most wonderful things about music. Just really having something so meaningful you just HAVE to think about it. In hard times near the end of the song you can hear her back ground vocals singing “I just wanna sleep, I just wanna sleep, please let me sleep” the soft desperation and hurt in her voice is absolutely devastating— and knowing the meaning behind hard times makes it even more painful. With the lyrics “too tired to move too tired to leave” you can see she is losing hope- barely holding on. She’s tired of it all- what she’s been through, even though it’s over now it sticks to her, it clings like a parasite, hence the lyrics “I’m tired of you still tied to me “ even after his death Ethel cains father still has hold of her, and his abuse remained in her mind- “tied to her”. The lyrics “9 going on 18” “In the corner on my birthday you watched me dancing right there in the grass, I was too young to notice that some types of love could be bad” are so so so sad :( she was just a baby. :(

WARNING: I talk a lot.
Quick background: 2021 was the year I first listened to BNL. All I heard were their big singles from Gordon, Stunt and Maroon (One Week, Pinch Me, It's All Been Done, etc.). But in 2022, I listened to Gordon in full, and it impressed me. Then I checked out Stunt, and let me tell you, from the bottom of my heart, I ADORE that album. I also listened to Maroon, and while good, I'd honestly rather pick the other two over it.
Last year I listened to MYSD, BoaPS and Rock Spectacle to feed the itch. And this month, I listened to EtE and BLAM (can we call this a double album?).
Here's my basic rundown on all of them:
context: this is from the perspective of a Gen-Z'er. Can confirm the quality crosses generations.
Hopefully I don't piss too many people off with my opinions.
1). Gordon: very good
-Best tracks: Grade 9, Brian Wilson (duh), Wrap Your Arms Around Me, What a Good Boy, Box Set, I Love You, The Flag, Million Dollars (classic)
-Weakest track: probably New Kid (on the Block). It's the one song I rarely revisit for some reason. Probably because it sounds too much like Enid and Box Set.
=More jazzier than I thought
=Very uncommon to see a band take off running on their debut record. Each of these songs can stand firmly on their own with few exceptions, which is something I always value in albums. This is required listening if you want to know what BNL are all about (at least, in their earlier days, sonically speaking).
2). Maybe You Should Drive: not bad. Pretty good.
-Best tracks: Jane (feels like a song this Spanish artist my dad loves named Jose Luis Perales would make), These Apples, A (I love the drum outro), Am I the Only One?, Life in a Nutshell
-Least favorite track: I will be Waiting (too twee for me. I feel like I'm listening to Hey There Delilah, and I actually like that song).
=probably the one I come back to the least. Not because it's bad by any means, but their other albums feel more memorable. Sitting next to Gordon, this doesn't really compare. There's also more electric guitars, compared to Gordon being very acoustic-based.
=There's some other songs I remember loving like Great Provider, but idk, this feels like a middle-of-the-road type of album. Still a good 7 or light 8, however. It does also have some of Tyler's best drum tones.
3). Born on a Pile of Pirate Ship: damn good
-Best tracks: This is where it ends (Jesus, Steve), When I Fall (Jesus Ed, I didn't expect this to be about a suicidal window-washer), I Live with it Every Day (Jesus, Steve.......), Break your Heart (Jesus Christ, Steve.....), Same Thing (really somber for a song that references the Fantastic Four), Shoebox
-Weakest tracks: Straw Hat and Old Dirty Hank, and I Know. Both are alright, but they scream "B-Side" tbh. Definitely could've been cut out.
=Overall, as you could probably pick up from my favorite tracks, I think I love this album because of how somber and introspective it gets. Some of their most crushing songs are on here. Though Shoebox does close it out on a more light-hearted note (at least sonically).
4). Stunt: my favorite
-Best tracks (so many!): Call and Answer (one of the greatest songs I've ever heard, which is something I don't say lightly), It's all been Done (my favorite BNL guitar solo), In the Car, Who Needs Sleep (that chorus is the most earwormy thing they've done), Some Fantastic, When you Dream
-Weakest track: if we're including the bonus tracks, definitely She's on Time. Feels very samey and borderline uninteresting.
If going by the normal track listing, Alcohol. And even then, it's only really because I haven't revisited it as much as the others. That, and I don't think it works that well as the song that precedes Call and Answer.
=Like I said, I dunno man, there's something magical about this record that makes me swoon over it. Probably not their overall best, but definitely my favorite. It's an album I can describe as one I'd like to take with me on a desert island.
=It's bright, loud, but also tender.
=That said, my one peeve is the track listing isn't perfect. Mostly speaking, It's all been done honestly could work amazingly as one of the closing tracks. And Call and Answer I feel would work better if it was placed after Who Needs Sleep or something, instead of being the smack-dab middle song. There's a reason this was a live staple and show-closer.
=Still, as a whole/unit, I love Stunt.
=I think I have 80-90% of the verses to One Week memorized.
5). Maroon: Good, but I prefer some of their other albums.
-Best tracks: Pinch Me (this BNL song means a lot to me, lyrically. I tend to spin it whenever I'm going through a tough time mentally. It's also a good guitar warm-up), Never do Anything, Falling for the First Time, Off the Hook, Helicopters, Tonight is the Night......, Hidden Sun (Kevin knows how to do lullabies)
-Weakest tracks: Too Little Too Late, Go Home, Humor of the Situation (catchy as it is)
=Like Pirate Ship, the strongest moments lie in the serious tracks.
=This is my "hot" take: I don't love Maroon as much as everyone else does. Big reason is because Steve sings lead on most of the album. And look, I love the man as much as the next guy, and his voice is undeniably godlike, but ngl, there's something about Steve and Ed sharing vocals (or having an equal number of songs they sing lead on) that I really love. Another reason I love Stunt, they each get a good number of songs to shine in. I know the trade-in is Steve & Ed had a whole Lennon-McCartney/Collingwood-Schlesinger writing credit thing to my knowledge, but still, maybe Ed could've sung lead on at least 1 or 2 other songs (Steve still absolutely slays the performances on all his songs, no doubt).
=Even then, I can't call Maroon a "Steve Page solo" album either, as that sort of BNL signature quirkiness and cleverness that comes from the Page-Robertson duo is still found (Never do Anything, Sell Sell Sell).
=I also sometimes think it's not as interesting sonically. I liked Stunt because of how distinct nearly every track was, but Off the Hook and Helicopters, great songs as they are, can feel samey. I feel Maroon lacks some of that extra energy and punch.
=But still, a really solid record. And I definitely don't blame anyone for saying it's their favorite/BNL's best. Pinch Me is still one of the most intimate and personal BNL songs for me, as someone who struggles with anxiety and occasionally, self-harm (hope that wasn't too TMI, but I'm very well right now).
Alright, these next three I barely listened to for the first time this past weekend, so these are my quicker, fresh thoughts. We'll see how they change by next year.
6). Everything to Everyone:
-best tracks: Another Postcard (Ed's verses are too damn catchy), Testing 123 (a fantastic meta track that leaves me smiling. It's weirdly uplifting, if introspective), Next Time, Shopping, War on Drugs (I feel I'm only going to love this more with time), Aluminum (pretty somber), the last three songs
-least favorite: Unfinished. And it's literally only because I can't remember how it goes again. Again, I just listened to this album on Saturday. Give me time.
=I hyped myself up for this album a bit. It feels pretty ambitious
=I'd listen to this over Maroon because of the more varied sounds. Shopping has some nifty electronica, For You is more softer and acoustic-laced, and Maybe Katie leans more on Old Apartment style guitar power.
7). Barenaked Ladies are Me: very simple, but in a perfected way.
-best tracks: Easy, Home (this is I will be waiting, but infinitely better), Peterborough and the Kawarthas, Maybe you're right (the emotional climax of the record in the key of C), the last 4 tracks (a lot of the track listing is a home run).
-weakest track: Everything had Changed
=I can't remember when, but at what point, I couldn't help but smile and think "God I love this band!"
8). Barenaked Ladies are Men: still good, but Are Me was undeniably better
-best tracks: Serendipity, Down to Earth, Beautiful (I love those whispered lines Steve does), Half a Heart, Maybe not, I Can I Will I Do, What a Letdown, Fun and Games (really neat tone that treads on black humor)
-weakest tracks: Something you'll never find (it ends great, but overall, the song goes for longer than it should), Angry People
=Definitely not as great as Are Me. Biggest reason is it's too long. Cut out a few songs, maybe rearrange the track listing, and it would work better. But even then, are Me had a better streak of top notch songs. Are Men feels at times like a bonus album, as opposed to being an equal to are Me.
=Still worth listening to, but again, it didn't need to be 16 songs.
=Of course, with almost 30 songs recorded, I'm not going to remember all of them. Come back to me maybe next year when they've all sunken in for me.
So yeah! That's my two cents on all of the main Steven Page BNL releases! There's something great in each of these records, and I wouldn't take back any of it. My new favorite band.
My ranking from best to weakest

1. Stunt
2. BNL are Me (admittedly, mostly due to recency bias)
3. Born on a Pirate Ship
4. Gordon
5. Everything to Everyone
6. Maroon
7. BNL are Men
8. Maybe you should drive

All that's left is to listen to Snacktime and As you Like it.
I'll listen to the Post-Steven albums next year. I'm more than certain they're not as great, but I liked Daydreaming, Odds Are, and Get Back.
I listened to the Vanity Project last year, and I thought it was alright. Page One tho......OH MY GOD IT'S SO GOOD YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!! Clifton Springs is another "tough times" song I come back to.
Random side-note: I will always associate BNL with Evangelion. Don't ask (or do, idk).

my reaction to most songs so far has basically been "it's pretty good, but not necessarily something I'd seek out to listen to". and then I got to the end of episode 4 and it just... shook me I guess, lol. the first time I heard it, I thought "wow, this is the best song so far." when I got to episode 5, I couldn't even focus because I was thinking about The Nowhere King lullaby. then I found the song on Spotify, and I've been listening to it on repeat for well over an hour. I love the harmonizing, the whispering, the melody, the lyrics, all of it.
obviously haven't seen too much of the show but I feel like it really sets the tone well. I went into this show not really knowing what to expect, besides "this isn't as childlike and silly as it seems it might be". but like... I dunno, this episode in general is so good. it starts off kinda silly, with Durpleton and his daddy issue farts, but quickly takes a turn. I was annoyed by Wammawink's incessant babying of her herd, but then the flashback(?) scene happened, and... ouch. the poor baby. :( I can empathize with her smothering the others now
also I feel like Horse is literally turning blue??? in the first two episodes, her greyness stood out so much. but on the 3rd episode, she started looking bluer. I dunno, it might just be lighting, but I feel like she might just be slowly becoming more colorful because of how colorful Centaurworld itself is, vs. how depressing her "original" world is. though Centaurworld itself doesn't seem as cheerful as it was in episode 1.
also also, I didn't really like Glendale much at first. I'm not always the biggest fan of anxious characters, because I myself have really bad anxiety lol. but she's obviously so much more than that, and she just seems really funny. I feel like she'll be one of my favorite characters, if not my favorite. I love how she went from "oh god here's another panic attack pls give me my paper bag" to "I will steal/kidnap this thing, also I know what it sounds like when someone gets murdered teehee," like, huh??? she's so casual about it that it makes me think she might have committed murder, rather than just witnessing it.
I am so excited to get into this show, and so sad that it's only 18 episodes :( the show kind of reminds me of Kipo and She-Ra, possibly due to them being Netflix originals. but both of those shows were longer and I hate knowing that Centaurworld is so short in comparison

Hey y'all, I'm pretty new to this whole reddit thing. I was super stoked when I saw that Sky had her own sub. I've been obsessed with her since I was 13 and discovered You're Not the One. I still listen to Night Time, My Time pretty much weekly, and at least one Sky song daily. I love all of her material from the Crybaby days right up to the Masochism leaks.
I've seen her live twice - at Primevara 2022, and in Glasgow last month, and personally I loved her both times. Seeing her belt All My Lovers Die in the Barcealona sticky yet exciting haze is something I'll treasure forever. Basically, I have ADHD (and a bunch of other mental health issues lmao) but I found that Sky's music just connected with me in a way other's didn't. Songs like I Can't Say No To Myself, Nobody Asked Me, I Will, I Blame Myself, Downhill Lullaby, Ghost, Ain't Your Right, Innocent Kind, Don't Forget and Night Time, My Time especially just make me feel so seen and understood in a way no other music has. It's like they were written about my own life. It's like I feel her fury and her grit and yet her pride and rage on tracks like those. I know they were written about different experiences but god DAMN do they hit. Like the production style and Sky's lyrics and her powerful voice just make the perfect storm for me. It's like she creates a world I fully understand, and I don't really understand this world or the one inside my head, so it's such a blessing. Her music was both a comfort blanket and a battle cry for me. It still is. Here's hoping we get more one day.
I was just wondering if Sky's music touched any other ADHD/ND folk like this? Or if anyone else has a similar intense connection to her music? I think because her music feels so personal - almost uncomfortably so at times - it makes her such a relatable figure.

https://preview.redd.it/1qcg2yadzzzc1.png?width=737&format=png&auto=webp&s=bb01d68f9941e9c0cf06889bb2b833935eac4cc6
Twenty years ago, Canadian pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne released her second album, Under My Skin. (It came out in Japan on May 12, 2004, then Europe on May 21, and worldwide on May 24. For sanity's sake, I'm just using the first of those dates.) Let's celebrate this millennial staple.
Listen on Spotify
Listen on YouTube
Listen on Apple Music

Background

Avril's 2002 debut Let Go had been a smash success, spawning multiple top 10 hit singles in several countries and eventually being certified 7x platinum in sales. However, for her follow-up, Avril decided not to work with big name producers. Instead, she wrote much of the album with singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk. The then 19-year-old Avril told People that she was much more involved with the process of making Under My Skin because she was able to apply everything she had learned from her debut.
Compared to Let Go, which had its fair share of cutesy acoustic numbers, Under My Skin went for a darker, heavier style. Most of it is thick electric guitars, with a piano here and there. You can hear influence from the rock hitmakers of the day, like Three Days Grace and Evanescence. Ben Moody, former Evanescence guitarist, even helped co-write a song. Avril evolved her image to match the music, with more eyeliner, black streaks in her hair, and goth-influenced fashions.

Notable Tracks

1. Take Me Away
The opening track is a sweeping rock song very much like "Losing Grip," the opener of Let Go. It's got a huge, wounded chorus that you can scream along to.
6. My Happy Ending
The most successful single from the album, this is a classic angry break-up song that even non-Avril fans can bop to. (Source: my older sister, who usually thought Avril was childish but still played this song on repeat for literal weeks.) I think this may also be the first time Avril said a swear word on a song, or at least a swear strong enough to need a radio edit. It seems small, but it was a step for someone who had been seen as a teeny-bopper artist.
7. Nobody's Home
As if the last track didn't go hard enough, here it goes again. Based on a friend she knew who was going through a tough time, this song features a monster chorus and huge guitars. It also gets, in my opinion, one of Avril's most iconic music videos where she plays a young runaway.
10. Fall To Pieces
This was the final single released, and while it did nothing on the charts, I do want to talk about it a bit because it's my personal favorite in her whole catalog. This is a simple, gentle, mid-tempo love song that wouldn't have felt out of place if it were on Let Go. You can hear the sweet tone in her voice. I understand why it didn't become a huge hit, because it's not very high energy as Avril songs go, but I've always loved it as a sort of hidden gem.
11. Freak Out
This is another deep cut that may not be familiar to a lot of people. It's a bright, mid-tempo rocker, but what I want to focus on are the lyrics. This is a song about being unafraid to be yourself, even when your true self is messy or awkward. It's a very Avril message, and it spoke to me as a rather unhappy preteen. I can imagine this song struck a chord for a lot of young kids who felt different or misunderstood in some way.
12. Slipped Away
The closing track is a song Avril wrote about her grandfather who passed away. This tender ballad comes straight from the heart, and may hit home for anybody who has lost a loved one.

Legacy & Impact

Under My Skin was a commercial success for Avril, though not on the level of Let Go. It went 5x platinum in Canada, triple platinum in the US, and double platinum in the UK. In her homeland, singles "Don't Tell Me" and "Nobody's Home" performed the best, cracking the top 5; in the US, "My Happy Ending" peaked at #9 on the Hot 100.
While this album hasn't had quite the same staying power as Let Go, many fans who grew up with Avril still look back on it fondly. Some critics even credit it with influencing the theatrical emo wave that began in 2005 with bands like Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, and Paramore. That's a pretty impressive feat for someone who used to get dismissed as a "poser." Luckily, she now gets the recognition she deserves and is cited as an influence by many artists including Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Willow, Ashnikko, and Rina Sawayama.

Discussion Questions

1. What are your favorite songs on this album and why?
   
2. Where does this album rank for you in Avril's discography?
   
3. Do you prefer more personal, serious Avril songs (such as on this album and Goodbye Lullaby) or the more cute pop Avril (such as on The Best Damn Thing)?
   
4. Avril will commence her Greatest Hits Tour starting in a couple weeks. Will you be attending the tour? What songs do you hope to see on the set list?
   

My great grandmother (Polish) and grandmother both sang me a lullaby in Yiddish. I know the melody and most of the words but they get sort of muddy in more complex lines since I only heard it as a child.
I will try and transliterate the lines I remember
A Schlu schlu schlu babbeluh A schlu schlu schlu shepsulah Schlu schlu a gonsonah Abeline keppelah…
And the rest is sort of jumbled by I can mumble it. Maybe I can record myself singing the tune if it’s necessary.
Do you know the rest of the lyrics? Or what the song is called? Thank you in advance!

A Daily chronicle of AI Innovations May 10th 2024:

💥 OpenAI to unveil Google competitor on Monday

🎵 ElevenLabs unveils new AI music generator

🇺🇸 US lawmakers unveil bill to make it easier to restrict exports of AI models 📈 AI demand soars in the workplace

📈 AI demand soars in the workplace

🤖 Stability AI introduces AI bot for Discord users

🎤 ElevenLabs debuts AI model for generating lyrics

AI JOBS May 10th 2024:

Adaptive ML - Developer Advocate

Scale AI - Solutions Engineer

Anthropic - Research Engineer, Human Computer Interfaces

OpenAI - Insider Risk Investigator

Enjoying these daily updates? Become a Subscriber

OpenAI to unveil Google competitor on Monday

• OpenAI is reportedly set to launch an AI-powered search product on Monday, strategically timed just before Google's annual I/O conference.
• This new AI search tool from OpenAI may be integrated with its ChatGPT chatbot and feature enhancements such as internet search capabilities and possibly Bing integration, building on the foundation laid by previous versions of ChatGPT.
• Amidst Google’s ongoing challenges, including an antitrust case and competition from other AI startups like Perplexity, OpenAI's move is seen as a significant threat to Google's longstanding dominance in the search industry.
• Source

ElevenLabs unveils new AI music generator

• ElevenLabs, a voice AI startup, has debuted a new model that creates songs from user prompts, leveraging its expertise in voice cloning and synthesis.
• The company is showcasing this new capability by transforming user-generated ideas into music, akin to Microsoft's strategy with its AI chatbot Copilot, and is exploring its application in areas like lullabies, jingles, and podcast intros.
• While the AI music generation sector is growing, with ElevenLabs planning a marketplace for AI-generated songs, there are rising concerns about copyright infringement and the impact on artists' jobs.
• Source

US lawmakers unveil bill to make it easier to restrict exports of AI models

• US lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at making it easier for the Biden administration to impose export controls on AI models to protect against foreign threats.
• The proposed legislation would allow the Commerce Department to prevent Americans from collaborating with foreign entities on AI developments that could endanger U.S. national security.
• The bill seeks to overcome legal obstacles that currently make it difficult to regulate the export of open source AI models, amidst concerns over their misuse for cyber attacks or creating biological weapons.
• Source

AI demand soars in the workplace

Microsoft and LinkedIn have published their ‘2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report’, revealing the rapid adoption of AI tools by employees, with 75% of knowledge workers using AI and nearly half starting within the last six months.
Here are the key points:

• 78% of AI users are bringing their own AI tools to work, with 52% reluctant to use them for their important tasks.
• 66% of leaders say they wouldn't hire someone without AI skills, and 71% prefer less experienced candidates with AI skills over more experienced ones without.
• Power users who use AI extensively are reaping benefits in productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction.
• Skills are projected to change by 68% by 2030, accelerated by generative AI.

Why does this matter?
The study serves as a wake-up call for organizations to move beyond experimentation and develop comprehensive strategies for AI implementation. As AI permeates all sectors, generations, and skill sets, early adopters will likely emerge as the leaders, while those hesitant to explore could risk falling behind.
Source

Stability AI introduces AI bot for Discord users

Stability AI has launched Stable Artisan, a multimodal-gen AI Discord bot that enables users to create images and videos using the Stable Diffusion 3 (SD3) and Stable Video Diffusion (SVD) models.
https://youtu.be/MWfb30kWqTM?si=_TePwQX1A8xEj3hU
Stable Artisan incorporates several editing and customization features, including Search and Replace, Remove Background, Creative Upscale, Outpaint, Control Sketch, and Control Structure. The service is available through a paid subscription, with monthly plans ranging from $9 to $99, and a 3-day free trial.
Stability AI is also working on a larger conversational chatbot called Stable Assistant, which will incorporate the company's text-to-image and LLM technologies to assist users with various tasks through natural language conversations. While Stable Artisan currently does not include access to Stable Audio, Stable Code, or Stable LM, these features may be added in the future as the service continues to evolve.
Why does this matter?
Stable Artisan could empower creators lacking experience with complex AI models to generate high-quality content directly within their familiar Discord environment.
However, the paid subscription model could limit access, and the missing features hint at a future with a complete AI creative suite.
https://stability.ai/news/stable-artisan

ElevenLabs debuts AI model for generating lyrics

ElevenLabs, a company that specializes in AI-powered voice cloning and synthesis, has revealed a new model that creates song lyrics based on user prompts.
With this new model, ElevenLabs aims to impact the music industry by allowing users to generate custom lullabies, jingles, podcast intros, and potentially even popular songs. The company also plans to launch a marketplace where users can sell their AI-generated music.
While ElevenLabs has not yet shared details about the maximum length of songs the AI can generate, an example posted by the company's Head of Design suggests that it will likely produce lyrics for a standard three-minute song.
Why does this matter?
This AI tool has the potential to democratize songwriting, allowing even those without musical expertise to craft lyrics. This could be particularly impactful for budget-conscious creators or those with specific lyrical needs. However, it remains to be seen if it will integrate with composing melodies like Udio or Suno, which offer a more complete song creation experience.
Also, the AI lyrics' originality and the tool's training data on copyrighted music might raise uncertainties.
Source

What Else Is Happening in AI on May 10th 2024

TikTok introduces "AI-generated" labels for third-party content
TikTok will automatically label AI-generated content on its platform and on third-party platforms, becoming the first social media platform to support Content Credentials metadata for AI transparency. (Link)
Anthropic CEO defends dual funding from Google and Amazon
Anthropic's CEO says partnering with Google and Amazon ensures more independence than OpenAI's Microsoft reliance. However, regulators are examining the impact on AI competition as Anthropic's future training costs could reach $100 billion. (Link)
Krea AI introduces video generation for paid subscribers
Krea AI, a generative AI startup, has launched video generation capabilities for its highest-tier subscribers. The new feature allows users to create videos using a combination of key frame images and text prompts, with a timeline-based interface reminiscent of traditional video editing software. (Link)
Synthflow launches AI voice agent teams for streamlined customer support
Synthflow launches “Conversational AI Teams,” a feature that allows businesses to create multiple AI voice assistants to interact with customers and each other, all through a single phone number. These intelligent agents can handle tasks like scheduling, updating CRMs, and more, providing a seamless and efficient customer support experience. (Link)

AI TRAINING: Add shortcuts using ChatGPT’s Memory

A lesser-known feature of ChatGPT’s new Memory feature is that it can be programmed to store shortcuts, which can save you a lot of time in chat conversations when used effectively.

1. Go to ChatGPT’s website. You’ll need to have a Plus subscription to access Memory.
2. Click on your account name (bottom-left), select ‘Settings’, ‘Personalization’, and enable ‘Memory’.
3. Teach ChatGPT a list of shortcuts by adding: “Store in your memory that when I start a prompt using: ‘!si’ means that I want you to search on the Internet; ‘!ci’ means that I want you to create an image; and !da’ means that I want you to use your Advanced Data Analysis feature”
4. That’s it! Try the shortcuts in your conversations and let us know how much time you save

AI RESEARCH: Llama-3 goes head-to-head with GPT-4

Lmsys just published a new deep dive into its Chatbot Arena data, comparing Meta’s open-source Llama 3 70B model against top models like GPT-4 — revealing surprising strengths in the open-source leader.

• Llama-3 is the top open-source model on the Lmsys Leaderboard, featuring over 70,000 votes from users in Arena Battle testing.
• Meta’s model shines in battles involving brainstorming and writing prompts, falling short in math, coding, and translation compared to top competitors.
• Lmsys noted Llama-3’s tone is friendlier and more conversational than rivals, which the model exhibits in its victorious battles in the Arena.

Llama-3’s ability to compete with top-tier models in certain areas is a testament to the rapid progress of open-source — and that’s with Meta’s largest model still pending. The more granular comparison also provides useful details often lost in more general model benchmarking.

New AI Job Opportunities on May 10th 2024

• Adaptive ML - Developer Advocate
• Scale AI - Solutions Engineer
• Anthropic - Research Engineer, Human Computer Interfaces
• OpenAI - Insider Risk Investigator

Enjoying these daily updates? Become a Subscriber

Apologies if this has already been discussed, but I’m so curious to hear what you guys think these lyrics are referring to.
If I were to guess I would venture that it’s either general— keeping the darkness of the world a “secret”, but it sounds like it might be a specific reference?
Alternatively, I wonder if this is related to Aaron wanting to give his child a normal upbringing— perhaps the “secret” is their professions? Not that this would matter to a child initially, but if Aaron was to describe their professions as simply “writers”, that could protect Robin in the future from fair-weather friends/parents of friends who might be looking for an inside scoop on the TSCU.
What do you think? I just love this sweet little lullaby

1. Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen (1968) A [3 listens B/A-/A] not really a "Rock" album, but it's one of those albums that constantly caught my eye, plus 60s albums are getting hard to come by. His writing is otherworldly. Fully lived experiences and age with every character in these songs. I would hate to live in his mind, as it seems so damn complex and very overanalytical on every single human interaction. If Bob Dylan is a storyteller, he is a painter; the level of complexity in all of these characters and people are so detailed. Similar to Blood on the Tracks, a lot of the songs are about romance and past relationships, however unlike that album, it isn't as heartbroken and shows a lot of value towards those experiences; even if they're all difficult to move past. Great album and that is enhanced by close, focused deep dives into these lyrics.
2. Yes: i. The Yes Album (1971) A++ [6 listens A+/A++/A+/A+/A++/A++] Close to the Edge is still one of the most Epic-like songs in Rock history, so I was thinking it was going to be pretty hard to top that, and it turns out, they already did lol. CttE is a great song, but the rest of the album is merely ok, whereas Venture is the only weak song. Everything else is MAGNIFICENT!! Move over harmonica, the organ is officially the most underrated instrument now. EVERY climax of each song is immaculate, the guitar and keyboards are always on point, the singing has never been better! Nothing could ever match what CttE is, but they started off with making a more consistent album throughout instead of only in one song. All timer. ii. Fragile (1971) A- [3 listens A-/A-/A-] first time I actually felt like I got Rick Roll'd by an album, as I didn't realize that the song from that meme was from Roundabout lol. The song is great and is even better the longer it develops. However, it does fall apart as the album gets deeper, particularly in the second side. I read on the recording of this album and saw that the individual members worked on separate tracks as they were being rushed and it really shows, as there are very understated and disconnected from everything else next to them. It becomes very noticeable when a song like Roundabout literally kicks off the tracklist and you have to follow it. Now, I can see the path on their way to how CttE is formatted, as it's just 3 "Roundabouts" in a row. Good listen, but very unbalanced.
3. ZZ Top - Tres Hombres (1973) A++ [6 listens B/B++/A-/A+/A+/A++] I listened to Eliminator and thought it was kinda meh and someone suggested to listen to this, as this is their "signature sound". Thank God I did, because this is probably my favorite Blues Rock album I've heard so far. The choruses are solid and aren't straying too far from the standard Blues layout, but it's the drumming, guitar licks and the solos that won me. That drum lick on the opening of La Grange is so damn sweet. Hell Raiser's solo is so amazing. The guitar riff on Master of Sparks is so catchy. The guitar & bass interplay on Shiek and Precious and Grace are amazing. Honestly, even though the song structures aren't that unique, they did the absolute best with what they had. But if I'm being honest, the 3 additional live tracks at the end put it over the edge for me. The energy is palpable.
4. Joni Mitchell: i. Court and Spark (1974) A [3 listens A/A/A] been awhile since I listened to Joni Mitchell's Blue, but I still catch myself randomly humming verses from My Old Man and Carey, so she's managed to find a place to hide out in the corners of my brain. It's a more jovial Mitchell and a forward looking project, instead of her sulking in her life experiences. A "recollection" of memories with her stories, with how scattered the writing flows. My favorite songs are Help Me, Free Man in Paris, Just Like This Train, Raised On Robbery. Nice album, she's starting to flirt with Jazz, but not as risky as what would come after. Also, Twisted needs to be cut from this album tho; such an odd fit. ii. The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975) A [3 listens A/A+/A] she's completely single and ready to mingle now with this one; in terms of the music. Playing off the cover art, its sound likes she's taking a stroll through the park, meeting strangers with different instruments and styles, stopping to sit in the grass or dance around with someone and moving on to the next person. This feels more unplanned compared to the others, which helps it create a separate identity from the rest of her work. I do think the songs struggle in the first half, but the second side are much stronger. Shades of Scarlett, Harry's House, The Boho Dance and the title track are my favorites. Also, the music and the combination of instruments on display is way more enthralling than the lyrics and her signature storytelling. It's very good, but there's definitely more complete albums she's made. iii. Hejira (1976) A+ [3 listens B/B++/A+/A+] For some reason, early on this is the album that hit the wall for me, as I i kinda got tired of her not really changing her vocal cadence that much in the first 2 listens. After getting pass that, it's hard not to respect her. I still don't think this album does much too advance her music on a stylistic level, as the previous two have, but fuck, she's so damn great at writing. Furry Sings the Blues, Refuge of the Road, A Strange Boy... just such amazing storytelling in those alone. Also, Song for Sharon is possibly my favorite Joni Mitchell song now; just perfection. Had that slow, casual feel reminiscent of Blue that is rare to come across. I honestly hate albums like this, "growers", as even now, I feel like if I listen to this a few more times, I'd come to admire it more.
5. Iggy Pop: i. The Idiot (1977) A+ [5 listens A-/A/A/A+/A+] I've gone through all of the Stooges albums and now it's time for Iggy Pop's solo material. Both of these were made along side Bowie's Berlin Trilogy and as the producer, his fingerprints are all over it. The desolate guitars ringing, while a very uncommonly low energy Iggy sings over it all. If the first half of Low could be called a trial run for New Wave music, then this album is the trial run for Post Punk. Also, the album art perfectly matches the tone of the album: a blue/black picture in the cold, mysterious darkness of night... with a clueless Iggy just along for the ride lol. This has his signature deadpan style, but none of the Garage Rock energy he's knows for, which imo makes this effort a more respectable leap then he may think. I read he really doesn't "claim" this album, as he sees it as more for a Bowie project, but this album is definitely made better with his inclusion. Yes, the music is the biggest part, but idk if you could just replace Bowie on any of these songs and it'd be instantly better. ii. Lust of Life (1977) B [3 listens B-/B+/B] Wow, the album where he put his "foot down" and went in on making an album that HE wanted, is of course the one I left unimpressed by. Not that it's bad, but it's just a Stooges album with, again, not of that high octane energy. Success and The Passenger are phenomenal songs, but everything else is just your by "the numbers" Rock n Roll standards with an updated Garage spirit than anything as inventive at The Idiot.
6. Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy (1978) B+ [2 listens B+/B+] Genuinely can't remember how he got on my list or even remember if anyone even recommended him. But this is considered his "best album" and plus, outside of Elton John, I haven't really explored many Rock that centers around the Piano. It's a fun album, albeit very crude and satirical at times, it managed to balance it out well. Outside the double take lyrics, none of these songs are too special. I like the nice piano jingle of Werewolves of London and the title track is an interesting song. However, the last few songs tanked it. Okay listen; not everybody is an "album artist", as the singles were the best parts.
7. Wire: i. Chairs Missing (1978) A [4 listens B++/A/A/A] Wire! Pink Flag has managed to become an all time favorite since discovering it and honestly wasn't aware that they actually had other albums just as critically praised as it. As a 2nd album, it comes off very odd, but with hindsight of what follows it, it's easy to see that it's just stuck between two worlds: the world of "Proto"-Post Punk and the extended end of the "concept" of Post Punk. None of their music really feels like "Post Punk" as they never seem to conform to any genre sound. Where Pink Flag feels like a group of teens making Punk with a solid background in music, they weren't out to be "experimental" with the music. Here the Hardcore edge is removed, which allows their artistry to become more visible, but they're moving away from this subversion. Mercy, Practice Makes Perfect, I Am the Fly, Marooned, Outdoor Minor are the good ones. It's still very ahead of its time and still ahead of the curb. ii. 154 (1979) A++ [6 listens A-/A+/A++/A++/A++/A++] sometimes you have to let the thing you want go in order to fully accept the possibility that something can be better. I still desire a Pink Flag 2, but I'll be a fool to dismiss how amazing this is. The extremely eeriely brooding and atmospheric environment is pushing the limits of what Post Punk should even be. A song like Other Window creepy as fuck, due to Graham Lewis' increased vocal role, adding SO much to this tone. Touching Display is how every droning guitar should be used; deep, whole notes and if it was made in the 90s, it'll be my favorite Post Rock song outside of Slint. This is Avant-Post Punk essentially; carving out a deep future path for Gothic Rock to eventually go down. Also, SYNCOPATED RHYTHMS!! There are many bands to do it (often Pop bands), but none do it better with a heavy and Punk sound as they do. Also, compared to Pink Flag, there's SO little fat on here; so yes, it's definitely their best album. The ONLY flaw is the ending sequencing of it... Map should've been the closer and it would be PERFECT. / Colin Newman - A-Z (1980) A [4 listens B++/B/A+/A] Colin Newman's solo project and the "unofficial 4th Wire album" as many of the songs were written while the band was together. And it is obvious the time frame when, as it's more of a 154 Part 2 with how very unattached it is to being "Post Punk". However, similar to Chairs Missing, it's an unfocused album with so many great ideas. This is probably where I'd say it's too experimental, as some of these songs are just too intentionally eccentric. To be frank, I think he's trying too hard to be "weird" to match that energy of 154, but the weirdness was from the tone and how desolate the energy was. Whereas here, the energy is completely up and down and the oddness is in the erratic style than it's ambiance. This one probably has more moments and songs that I love more, but this makes Chairs Missing appear more concise lol. Still very good if you're a Wire fan, even if you can still sense that it's not really a true "Wire" project.
8. Siouxsie and the Banshees: i. Kaleidoscope (1980) B+ [3 listens A/A-/B+] with a different lineup this time around, interested to see how they will develop their sound going into the 80s. And it's kinda as I expected: more diverse instruments, more grooves with in the basslines and leaning on the singing to lead the direction. As the songs go on, they (specifically Siouxsie Sioux) lose their energy. Side 2 has all the best songs, while the first is lacking. Solid listen, but feels they overdid it when they should've kept it simple like on Scream. I respect the attempt and was probably a needed change due to how fast Post Punk was developing, but it could've been done more succinctly. ii. Juju (1981) A+ [2 listens A/A+] Well shit, it's like they already knew my criticisms lol. Finally dynamic songs! Partially why Bauhaus has become my favorite Post Punk/Gothic band, is that the song's layout and rhythms changes throughout a single song and doesn't remain static. Sioux is an all timer in presence, but not so much with singing imo, so she's used so much better as she's highlighted spottingly, particularly in crescendoing over the music. Also, this is heavy as hell; Monitor sounds like a SOAD track... Damn! Honestly, I thought this was going to be a repeat of Kaleidoscope, but man did they knock it out of the park. Fine tuned what they did and allowed themselves to amplify it without losing their identity completely.
9. Bathory: i. Self-Titled (1984) B++ [3 listens B++/B++/B++] the first "official" Black Metal album or EP given its length. Not only are the song structures primitive, but the mixing is as well. I think it works for what it is; something completely new. Even they didn't know what they were doing and it feels that way. The bassline is what seals the deal, as it keeps things very grounded. And the guitar is... well, it lays down the foundation of what Black Metal will become; for better or for worse. The production is really holding this back; it's very poorly mixed. The frayed sound of the guitars looses a lot of edge, which admittedly does make it an easier listen, but so much of its power is lost. Reaper, Raise the Dead, Necromancy, guitar solo on Sacrifice are the highlights. ii. Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987) A+ [4 listens A+/A/A+/A+] I really love this album. Woman of Dark Desires, Massacre, 13 Candles, Enter the Eternal Fire, with that AWESOME guitar solo in the middle! This is the perfect step up, sound quality included. More songs with distinct identities, loved the pacing throughout and a very "easy" listen (i.e. no overly chaotic guitar solos). That's usually my main critique with most Extreme Metal albums is that songs tend to run into one another and there's very little differences between them all. The riffs are different, the tempo is different and the drumming is changed up on every song. Great album! But similar to all of their other stuff, I just wish it was longer. iii. Blood Fire Death (1988) A [3 listens A/A+/A] Another great album, but it's not a consistent as UtSotBM. I enjoyed the acoustic sections (that would later influence viking metal) which raises it up some points. It was an unexpected skill I didn't think they were capable of. However, this album is one that's trying to be two things: it does one really well and just "sorta" touches on the other one. It would've been great to see a better balance between these terrific Black Metal sections and these Viking Metal acoustic ones, giving equal time to each. I hope they would find a better balance in a future album, but I'm only listening to these 3. All were good listens and held up much better for pioneers of a genre.
10. The Pogues - Rum, Sodomy & the Lash (1985) A [4 listens A+/A/A/A] a long awaited listen after seeing so much about this. It doesn't really come off as "Punk" but as legit, Irish/Celtic shanties. The novelty wears off after a few listens though. It's very genuine in its execution and doesn't come off as gimmicky at all. It's very 2 note: uptempo or slow wailing songs. Waltzing Matilda and I'm a Man You Don't Meet Everyday are by far the best songs here, with Dirty Old Town, Wild Cats and Sally MacLennane in that 2nd tier below. Really good and takes itself very serious.
11. Butthole Surfers - Locust Abortion Technician (1987) C+ [2 listens B-/C+] speaking of talking itself seriously.... here's the complete opposite. It's very VERY hard to actually get into this as it's just absurdist for absurdism sake as most of it is just so empty. There are a few sparks of musical inspirations that show they are capable of something more serious, but they seem to enjoy being nonsensical over making compelling music. It doesn't necessarily have to be serious satire or just cut and dry (I love Ween), but there has to be a point to this madness or else it just comes off as simply... madness.
12. Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988) A+ [2 listens A/A+] Sounds like a "Heavy" Hair Metal band. The story is simply "okay" and that's being nice, as this was way over hyped, that I expected something like a To Pimp a Butterfly of themes and stories intersecting. This is like a Hair Metal version of the Wall. It feels more like a musical than a concept album with a linear story, which loses stream after Breaking the Silence. It is very melodramatic especially in the second half, but it was the 80s... However, it has Spreading the Disease so all of that is a wash; we don't got guys hitting high notes like that anymore, which you gotta admit Hair Metal nailed that with perfection. A++ music but A concept, so right in the middle.
13. Coroner: i. No More Color (1989) A- [3 listens A+/A/A-] first non big 4 Thrash. I don't know how popular they were beyond Europe, but they were pioneers in the Technical Thrash Metal (sometimes called Prog Thrash). The main issue is that all the songs run into one another, without any significant parts to either of them. They set their songs around the guitar solos (which can be unmemorable at best and very messy at worse), which furthers mushes everything together. This is why I tend to value pacing in music, especially in Heavy Metal. There's plenty of good riffs to be found, but you have to sludge your way to find them. ii. Mental Vortex (1991) A+ [2 listens A+/A+] great follow-up. The guitar is still leading every song, but it's not fully taking control over the identity of every one. The drumming and the shifts in the music (similar to Metallica's 80s work) better distinguishes each track, making every phrase more dynamic. It's pretty good, but admittedly the She's So Heavy cover puts it just over to be an A+; better than the original because its fully realized metal and ends 30 seconds sooner :p
14. Swervedriver - Mezcal Head (1993) A++ [4 listens A++/A++/A++/A++] a Grunge album in Shoegaze clothing. The music is very unassuming with its generic 90s vocals, but that's how that Shoegaze sound sneaks up on you. The reverb on every guitar note constantly adds texture to every moment, almost drowning you with its heaviness. And THEN, that's when the vocals start to shine; like warm light of a log cabin in the middle of a heavy, blinding blizzard. Also, Duress is up there along side Venus in Furs as those all timers I know I'll forever be listening to for decades to come. Phenomenal album, highly recommend! ii. Raise (1991) A- [2 listens A/A-] literally decided to listen to this days before finishing up as I didn't know this album was also a landmark in Shoegaze (maybe moreso than MH). This is the album shows that less discussed bridge from Noise Rock to Shoegaze, as so many places only consider Shoegaze as a direct evolution of Dream Pop. This is a true Alternate Rock sound, with heavy guitar distortion; but not to the extent to what Shoegaze is really known as. This is closer to Dinosaur Jr or Sonic Youth than MBV or Slowdive. That aside, its pretty good for a debut. The melodies aren't as great as MH, but a few songs like Son of Mustang Ford, Sandblasted and Sunset were great foundation points of what would follow. Wouldn't say it's a must listen, but it's a good entry.
15. Kyruss - Welcome to Sky Valley (1994) A [3 listens A-/A/A] Josh Homme from his original band and the "birth" of the Desert Rock genre. Solid album, I like the atmosphere it creates as a laid back, background album. Complete opposite of QQTSA in where it's like wandering down a barren "desert", instead of a isolated highway listening to a radio station. It works. Nothing here will jump out at you, but it's very clear that that's not the intent with it. Idk if I'd say it's a must listen, as I can see it being called uneventful. But it's a good listen if you want some background music with some grit to it.
16. Swans - Soundtracks for the Blind (1996) A+ [2 listens A+/A+] the last Swans I'm going to listen to as I didn't care much for To Be Kind, so I imagine I'm not gonna like any of their other stuff. This is in a different direction, where it doesn't even seem to be "music" at times. This makes GY!BE appear accessible in comparison. This is like flicking through the channels on a TV in this weird, strange motel in the middle of nowhere. A lot of dull, drawn out moments that actually work this time around, as it helps paint a better scene of this eldritch-like world it's in. If it had more of those spontaneous, random fully formed tracks, I'll love it more, however their sporadic appearances make them more special when they're coming out of nowhere. This is rare project where I feel that more listens would lower my love for it, as that unpredictability of it is its greatest strength.
17. Duster - Stratosphere (1998) A [3 listens A/A/A] VERY lofi with its low quality mixing. It's the pacing of Shoegaze without the distortion and the blasé attitude of Slacker Rock without the traditional song structure, to a point where it's closest to Post Rock but still has that character of your favorite 90s Indie Rock band (I'm also lost as well). RYM calls it Slowcore, which I find kinda cool. This is like if depression was an album; all the ebbs and flows of your mood slowly dropping, staying at a low point, that occasional optimism and right back into that shallow pit of somber, where you managed to make a somewhat cozy cottage due to you being there for so many times. Slowest part of a Built to Spill album, with a budget of $18 for production, bring a singer with possible self-esteem issues and tell them to make a 50 min lullaby to get a shoegaze-loving kid to sleep. I'm all out of metaphors.
18. Gustavo Cerati - Bocanada (1999) A+ [3 listens A+/A+/A+] another album I can't quite remember how it got on my list, but Trip Hop is another one of those genres that outside of Massive Attack and Portishead that I have very little experience with. Even though the lyrics are in a foreign language, it didn't hurt the overall experience of the album (it have may limited it being better though). Melancholy in his voice and the music, contrasting with the Trip Hop style. Tabu, Rio Babel, and Pasco Immoral are the ones that I recommend checking out if the runtime can be off-putting to some; but it's well worth the journey. Wonderful album that I'm glad I came across.
19. Immolation - Close to a World Below (2000) A [4 listens A+/A/A/A] Better than most Death Metal. Love that the vocalist is slow with his pace (he was great!), along with a solid and steady guitar riffs. I really dislike that drum sound (banging on the toms), but that's a hurdle it feels like you have to overcome to really get into the genre itself. Any of the first 4 songs and Lost Passion are worth checking out.
20. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells (2001) B+ [3 listens B++/B++/B+] I get why they're labeled Blues Rock. Maybe I didn't notice it before, but he sings like John Lennon, where he constantly on that upper octave (which is well out of their ranges) and they crack notes a lot. It's charming to a certain degree, but I don't think it really works with this heavy style. My biggest issue with it is that it's doing multiple things at once, instead of separately. The loud songs are too understated, as Union or Offend should be a bigger, hard, fast paced songs but instead have slow sections. They have this heavy guitar for no reason. We're going to Be Friends and This Protector being tender songs, when it's full acoustic and has a consistent theme, further adds to the lack of uniformity. Also, songs rarely change/switch up, which normally isn't that big of a issue, but when they're all 3+ minutes long, they all drag on. I know what a "perfect version" sounds like from them, so a lot of missteps feel more obvious than if it was blind to me, but I'm not super invested in this album, even with the number of listens.
21. Muse: i. Absolution (2003) A++ [5 listens A++/A+/A++/A++/A++] what if Radiohead chose to stay in 1997? What is it with these Post BritPop bands with incredible sophomore releases? Similarly to Coldplay, I didn't care much for Origin of Symmetry and had low expectations going into this. I don't know if I'm being too generous as only about 3 or 4 of these songs are really strong, however none are what I'd consider skips. This album is so damn tight in its tracklist. Some of the best collections of hooks and bridges ever. The singing isn't always on point, but the way they nail down the perfect formula for every song overshadows most of their faults in not being too special in any particular category. ii. Black Holes and Revelations (2006) A++ [3 listens A/A++/A++] Back to back bangers?! This one is probably my favorite, especially with how strong the second half of the album is. All the songs are great, but aren't straight retreads of what Absolution brought with the varied added instruments. Again, nothing they're doing is otherworldly, but they execute the structures of all of the songs so perfectly, that you tend to ignore the mediocrity of the band members' skills individually. They're the sum of their parts; heavily carried by their collaboration with the songwriting. These two albums are BARLEY A++ though... so if I give these two A++s, then I'm going to retroactively make Ok Computer a "Masterpiece", because it doesn't sit right with me with them being on the same level. Great pair of albums; y'all sleeping on Muse?
22. My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge (2004) B+ [3 listens B+/B++/B+] okay, this is emo, like legit emo pop. TBP had a bigger theatrical element infused in its identity, whereas this has all of its personality in its lyrics. And the lyrics are very... tbh cringe. Songs go in too long; great choruses and lyrics, but having the same structure over and over is too repetitive for me to really get into it. It's very melodramatic, particularly in the singing, which at least does make it a compelling listen. I just wish the music followed suit as well. He is also too frantic in his performance, where on TBP it is limited to a few songs. Maybe this is the line where it is too raw.
23. Joanna Newsom: i. YS (2006) B- [2 listen A-/B-] DENSE AS FUCK. Makes Bob Dylan look like an haiku writer. Each song is a storybook, that requires heavy attention. Music itself is not too impressive outside its complexity in the instrumentation. This non-stop, continuous nature of her singing is the major turn off. To a point where it's very hard to follow any story she's trying to paint and the entire thing feels tiring. I do like the harp playing and the orchestral spurts that brighten phrases, but that's the only positive I can come up with. Big disappointment and kinda soured me on her going forward. However, I decided on a whim to give her one more try and.... ii. The Milk Eyed Mender (2004) Masterpiece [3 listens A++/MP/MP] being majorly disappointed with YS, I decided to try her more stripped down Debut before completely writing her off, as the albums following YS are very long listens. And it turns out I actually enjoy this much more; matter of fact, I can't find any flaws within it: ZERO. Yes, her voice is even more of a sore thumb when most of the attention is on it (those harmonies on Peach Plum and Pear sound like Nightmare Fuel tbh). But if I can call Blonde on Blonde a perfect album, I can give a pass to her voice. Her flow in the songs are SOOO much better, that it makes YS looks even worse in that department. The harp playing isn't grand, but subdued in line with her wandering through each song; ebbing and flowing along with her energy in each track. Her cadence and timbre in how she sings is second to none her.
24. The Beach Boys: Brian Wilson Presents Smile (2005) A- [2 listens A/A-] most of my thoughts on in the Sessions review, as his worned voice hampered the album. I will say this imo would've bombed in 1967; baroque ballads, no rock lol. It would've kicked started Progressive Rock about 5 years sooner, but it wouldn't have made such a huge splash considering the trend all of music was already headed in at that point. This feels more like a live album / The Smile Sessions (2011) A++ [5 listens A/A/A+/A+/A++] BWPS felt like a monkey Brian needed to finally get off his back. A personal album made by Brian himself, whereas BWPS kinda feels like the "gift" to the world that SMiLE was promised as. This still has that youthful, tender energy of creation, where it's unabashedly open with its oddities. Kind of like how Beach Boys Today! was a left turn in their careers, this would've been that for Pet Sounds. BWPS was trying to meet SMiLE's high expectations; this is more honest. The harmonies are so warm, with the perfect blend of pathos. There's more playful instruments in the background that make the whole thing feel more playful. A few of the mixes aren't done well - "Wistful" is the best way to describe this project. Good vibrations finally "fits" inside an album; we can all die in peace now. It's too baroque to be really accessible and too Prog to have real standout hit singles. But as a confined experience, BY FAR the best the Beach Boys have made... or uhm would've made.
25. Sweet Trip - You Will Never Know Why (2009) A++ [4 listens A-/A++/MP/A++] ...I wish I didn't look up the background of this band before I listened to this. I went into Velocity Design and Comfort fully blind and while it's not the exact style I'm personally into, it's still so unique in what it brought, that I still think of it fondly. That is until I learned about one of the band members. The thing people don't understand about the "separate the art from the artist" thing is that is isn't because of a sense of "morally superiority", it's that every time I listen or consume the art.... I can't NOT think of them and what happened. I enjoyed this album a lot, but most of my time listening, my mind was clearly distracted. I was dying for them to go fully into the Electronic-Jangle Pop space they only would briefly explore on VDC. Valerie Cooper's singing is still SO awe inspiring and freezes you in time, easily the greatest part of the music. The only flaw is that it has only a handful of jingles that really grip me. Also, no entire song pulls me in the whole run, it's only really the chorus and occasionally the transitions between tracks (which are outstanding btw) which was also an issue with the VDC. If it was also a tad bit heavier in certain moments, that would've helped me overlook a lot of this minor flaws. Phenomenal album and perfect follow up, but it's gonna take some time before I can revisit this, as it's hard to mentally disassociate the individual from the music while it's so fresh in my mind.
Bonus Albums: (shorter reviews)
• Yellow Magic Orchestra - Solid State Survivor (1979) A [3 listens B/A/A] colorful and joyful. Sounds like this was the singular inspiration of every Nintendo soundtrack from the 80s and 90s lol. Liked the slow parts, but the bouncy songs are very fun to listen to. Low stakes but still aged wonderfully.
• Gary Numen - The Pleasure Principal (1979) B [2 listens B+/B] futuristic, yet undefined. Weird vocal style is kinda weird, not everyone can pull it off like David Byrne or Devo. Isn't jovial enough like YMO nor is breaking any new ground with the layout like Kraftwerk to compensate for its simplicity. Cars was a nice surprise tho.
• Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Architecture and Morality (1981) A- [3 listens B++/A-/A-] finally a legit "Pop" singer. Synths are used as an aesthetic and not a crutch, now starting to feel like a more modern (or 80s I guess) style. Joan of Arc and Souvenir are my favorites. Good, but nothing too incredible.
• Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair (1985) A++ [2 listens A++/A++] holy hell, way way better than I expected it would be. I knew the two popular songs, but they were more denser and bigger than I assumed they were. The production here is so lush and wide, immediately obvious they were very "familiar" with the technology by then. I will be adding more of their albums for more detailed reviews on a future list. (Prob the Hurting and Seeds)

What’s up guys. So like a lot of y’all I’ve had Loss of Life on repeat since it came out. One thing is for sure: it’s an album about maturing and adulthood. But every time I listen I hear more and more evidence that the album has a cohesive narrative, telling the story of a life and representing an endless cycle of birth and rebirth. So I’ve just been jotting down notes, it’s kind of a lot so feel free to skip around.
The basic idea is each song represents one stage/significant event in the protagonist’s life, starting with birth (Mother Nature) and ending with death (Loss of Life). We’ll get to Loss of Life Pt. 2 later.
Even if it’s a little abstract, I think there’s a clear linear narrative carried over between songs anchored by a shifting attitude towards the world. The album starts with youthful optimism, transitions to the pessimism of young adulthood, then ends with the gained wisdom of true maturity.
Let me break down each song, what they represent, and my reasoning:

• Mother Nature - Birth/Childhood
  • Obvious points: the first person you see when you’re born is, of course, your mother and birth is probably the most “natural” part of life, only tied with death
  • There’s a suburbia motif running throughout
    • “I put the groceries down on the front lawn/And think maybe the children just want recognition”
    • “Come take a walk with me down billionaire's row”
  • Fairytale/dream motif
    • “To open castle gates and let me go inside” etc
    • Fairytales evoke the vibe of a bedtime story while also representing the idea that being a child is sort of like being in a dream. And dreams have to end, that’s a recurring theme of the album: “Before the fantasy is cast into the fire”
  • The music video with the animated characters is reminiscent of saturday morning cartoons
• Dancing in Babylon - Teenage Years/Young Love
  • This might be subjective, but the 80s powerpop vibes give it a sort of youthful energy
  • Less subjective: it is at the very least definitely about love
  • It’s also about vice, as Babylon symbolizes evil in Christianity
  • Overall it evokes a vibe of youthful rebellion, being young and in love
• People in the Streets - Young Adult/Growing Self-Aware
  • This song is about self-reflection and discovering your place in the world. In the last song, the “real heads” were “out on the street… trying to keep it low,” and there wasn’t much regard given to them. Now, our narrator is reflecting on his relation to those people
    • “when you're living the dream/And your ears are bad/The people in the streets aren't part of the fun”
    • He’s “starting to doubt where [he] once stood”
  • Whether the people in the streets are struggling financially (“going over receipts with a magnifier”) or they’re protestors fighting for a better world (the chants at the end), our narrator feels he’s separate from them
    • Overall this song has a lot of anxiety about the current state of the world: “someone complained that the fire was out/So they shut off the rain and let the flames return”
  • He’s not even sure if he can trust his own intuitions: “The inside's still glowing/Telling the heart what it wants to heaBut what if it's only lies/Twisted apart by fear?”
• Bubblegum Dog - Adulthood/Anxiety
  • I’ve always thought this song was about anxiety. The “bubblegum dog” sounds like a fantasy creature, much like how a lot of anxieties are just made up in your head. But running from them makes them very real.
    • Reminiscent of the fairytale theme from Mother Nature, indicating even if he’s older he still hasn’t fully matured/ woken up from the dream
  • His unrest carries over from People in the Streets, specifically his anxiety about the state of the world
    • “I saw tenement homes built upon a fault line”
    • He hates this earthly world, he hates this bubblegum world
  • In the end he gives into his anxiety: he’ll “hide until it’s gone”
    • He’s embracing the bubblegum dog lifestyle: he’ll “tinkle on the lawn”
• Nothing to Declare - Depression/Divorce?
  • He’s depressed, man. He’s got nothing to declare, nothing to say about the world anymore, he’s given up. He’s let himself be consumed by his anxiety and he’s still living in a dream rather then in reality
    • The world is his “Spanish castle in the sky,” a French phrase for something impossible or unachievable
    • A dream might seem like a good vibe, but even though he sees the world as his “Fine de Claire” (oyster), he “can tell the pearl’s there/and still there’s nothing [he] can find”
  • “Until I wake up like a baby in the womb”
    • Reincarnation, another recurring theme
  • I include the possibility of this song being about divorce or breaking up with a lover because there’s a lot of lyrical evidence for it. It doesn’t fit as neatly in the narrative since he’s gonna have a kid in two songs, but he could remarry. Perhaps he’s still dating/married the girl from Dancing in Babylon? But overall I also think it shows how this character is disconnected from the world and it’s causing him to lose people around him
    • Think about it: he’s a drunkard who stumbles home to a person with bags under their eyes. He’s got nothing to say to them. They’ve got documents and something to decide. If they let him go, he’ll fall far and wonder who they’ve become.
• Nothing Changes - Breaking Free/Maturity
  • This song starts low but ends high, musically and lyrically. The title has a bit of a double meaning: the idea that nothing changes can sound both depressing and hopeful.
    • At first he still sounds depressed: he “wishes all the stars could save” him.
    • But the final lines are triumphant: thrust the dagger into the night and throw aside your Sisypheun boulder! Living may just be flailing but it’s a valiant struggle!
  • He’s broken free of the dream of childhood and the illusions of his adult anxieties and has learned to take life as it is. Nothing changes ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  • Reincarnation theme: nothing changes, and the gods know it
• Phradie’s Song - Parenthood
  • Andrew’s Daughter is named Phradie and he said in an interview it is a song for her
  • Lullaby vibes
  • “Did I dream before?/It felt like I couldn’t love anymore”
    • There’s that recurring motif of dreams/dreams ending
    • The dream of youth is over, and in this dream he deluded himself that he could never love again, but now having a kid has completely changed that perspective
  • “And I will sing for you/Every night if you want me to”
    • He’s found contentment in singing to his child every night
• I Wish I Was Joking - Getting Old
  • Paying six dollars for a coffee, municipal parking, and taking the kids to Disney on Ice: all the “joys” of getting old
  • Reflecting on youth
    • “Here’s the thing about drugs…” perhaps remembering his days of vice dancing in Babylon
    • Now he’s “kinda into being home”
  • “Nobody calls me the gangster of love”
    • Referencing the classic Steve Miller song to get at the idea he isn’t as hip as he once was
• Loss of Life - Death?
  • Nothing prepares you for loss of life, simple as.
  • BUT: “it’s neither created or destroyed.” Now that he's accepted nothing changes, he's at peace with dying. He knows the end of one life is just the start of another. It hits both the reincarnation theme and the maturity theme
  • It parallels how when the dream of his youth ended, the life of his child started. I saw someone say they interpreted this song as losing the life you had before you had a child, which you might call a ‘good’ loss of life. I think that's a totally valid reading, and if you read it that way you could interpret LoL pt 2 and the rest of the album as representing the life of the narrator's child. Still an endless cycle of birth and rebirth.
• Loss of Life (pt 2) - Reincarnation/Womb/Baby?
  • Lot of ways you could interpret this one, which is why I left it for the end. You could do a whole deep dive on the poem, but a surface level read is just the existential poem with the ambient, spacey music makes it sound like you’re one with the cosmos, waiting to be reborn.
  • I also think the recurring melody sounds like something you’d hear from a child’s mobile. So there’s this sort of baby vibe with distant adult voices speaking in poems you can’t understand, or if you want to go really crazy, it’s a sort of in-the-womb ambience. Is that going too crazy?
  • All-in-all I just think going from this to Mother Nature gives an “entering into the world” type of vibe

Now, before I close I’d like to throw out there that there are a lot of cracks in this interpretation. It’s a pretty literal reading, there are recurring themes I’ve skipped over, and some points rely on flimsy evidence. But the purpose of this post is not to say it’s the only possible reading or that the album is some sort of puzzle MGMT wanted us to solve, rather it’s a vibe that I keep picking up on that I think may constitute just a small part of what the guys were cookin’ up in the studio. And it’s also just an excuse to keep listening to the album.
So yeah I’d love to know what you guys think. Are you picking up the same vibe I am or do you think I’m totally off base?

Hey there!
I'm looking for a site or a way to hire a singer. It's just a simple little lullaby for a DND-Campaign, but I'm totally down to pay for it. I already wrote the lyrics and have a melody. I would need it in german though.
So ... how do I find someone who can sing and would be down for a comission?

I was just re-listening to the Stranded lullaby demo written by joe for his then girlfriend and its honestly so beautiful. Stranded lullaby and Dream sweet in Sea major have always been my favorite songs on Hawaii part 2. After listening to the demo its honestly one of the beautiful songs I've heard and words cannot express how I feel towards it. I love both versions of stranded lullaby but the lyrics in this version struck a particular cord with me, idk. Joe's vocals are honestly just amazing.
Here is the demo version if you haven't heard it:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQUl1TdCwFk
Sorry about the random post but I just had to express how beautiful this song is.

(Second attempt. Tried this 5min ago, and the post hasn't appeared on reddit.) (Aha, for a "link" type post, no message body field is displayed.) This is the bodyThis is the body text. I'm manually pasting the lyrics here, testing whether the linebreaks will be preserved.
Close your eyes, little ones, night is here, day is done By the moon's gentle glow, to the land of dreams, you'll go Tiny hearts beat so slow, as the evening breezes blow Hush, the world is at rest, in your cozy, warm nest [Pre-Chorus] Cuddled up, feel the night, softly say, 'All is right' As the stars gently gleam, in your sweet, slumber dream When all the playful bunnies hop in meadows wide and free There is a song of comfort, let it be And as the puppies tumble, joyful as they can be, oh There is a peace in twilight, let it be [Chorus] Let them play, let them be, let them jump, let them see In the heart of nature, let it be Underneath the willow's whisper, watch the nestlings rest, so sweet Through the leaves, the sun is peeping, let it be While the kittens paw 'round softly, in a world so kind and meek Stars above begin their watching, let it be [Chorus] Softly purr, gently hop, in the meadows, let them stop Underneath the sky so grand, let it be While the world is calm and quiet, and the night has come to meet There's a lullaby that whispers, softly, sweet And the fireflies, they flicker, painting gold among the trees In the stillness there's a comfort, let it be [Chorus] Tiny paws, fluffy tails, in the night, nature's tales With the moon to keep them company, let it be In the hush of evening, when the stars are all agleam Tales of gentle forest friends, like whispers in a dream Cradled in the moonlight, nestled safely 'neath the sky In a world of softest shadows, let it be, oh, my [Chorus] Whisper still, night's embrace, in the quiet find your place On this Earth so mild and free, let it be

This is the second B-side from the 12” release of The Cure’s “Lovesong” single. How do you feel this song? What are some of your favorite lyrics? How would you rank it among the rest of the band’s discography? How would you rate it out of 10 (decimals allowed)?
Studio version
SUGGESTED SCALE: 1-4: Not good. Regularly skip. 5: It’s okay, but I might have to be in the right mood to listen to it. 6: Slightly better than average. I won’t skip it, but I wouldn’t choose to put it on. 7: This is a good song. I enjoy it quite a bit. 8-9: Really enjoyable songs. I rank them pretty high overall. 10: Masterpiece, magnum opus, or similar terminology.
Rating Results 1. Plainsong: 9.85/10 2. Pictures of You: 9.89/10 3. Closedown: 9.37/10 4. Lovesong: 8.77/10 5. Last Dance: 8.98/10 6. Lullaby: 8.98/10 7. Fascination Street: 9.69/10 8. Prayers for Rain: 9.5/10 9. The Same Deep Water as You: 9.76/10 10. Disintegration: 9.9/10 11. Homesick: 9.41/10 12. Untitled: 9.65/10 — 13. Babble: 7.78/10 14. Out of Mind: 7.5/10 15. 2 Late: 9.5/10 16. Fear of Ghosts: 9.02/10

I don't know if it was released in the 2010s, but I first listened to it in 2011. I've tried searching for every possible combination of descriptions or song titles and frustratingly found nothing.
The one song I remember the best was maybe titled "Bath Time Beats". The entire vibe of the music were songs written from the musicians to their child. The lyrics were all semi hushed and whispered as if they were lullabies or calming songs. This song in particular was sampled entirely from splashing in a tub of water, and the (presumably) parents sing/whispering their tune ""something something bath time BEATS"" in a sort of cutesy voice.
I want to think they were Japanese, but I'm not certain. It's been something I wanted to share with my 8 month old daughter, please help!

This is the first B-side from the 12” release of The Cure’s “Lovesong” single. How do you feel this song? What are some of your favorite lyrics? How would you rank it among the rest of the band’s discography? How would you rate it out of 10 (decimals allowed)?
Studio version
SUGGESTED SCALE: 1-4: Not good. Regularly skip. 5: It’s okay, but I might have to be in the right mood to listen to it. 6: Slightly better than average. I won’t skip it, but I wouldn’t choose to put it on. 7: This is a good song. I enjoy it quite a bit. 8-9: Really enjoyable songs. I rank them pretty high overall. 10: Masterpiece, magnum opus, or similar terminology.
Rating Results 1. Plainsong: 9.85/10 2. Pictures of You: 9.89/10 3. Closedown: 9.37/10 4. Lovesong: 8.77/10 5. Last Dance: 8.98/10 6. Lullaby: 8.98/10 7. Fascination Street: 9.69/10 8. Prayers for Rain: 9.5/10 9. The Same Deep Water as You: 9.76/10 10. Disintegration: 9.9/10 11. Homesick: 9.41/10 12. Untitled: 9.65/10 — 13. Babble: 7.78/10 14. Out of Mind: 7.5/10 15. 2 Late: 9.5/10

So I was listening to Lo Boier when I thought about how nice it would be to relive our Gnostic chants and be able to listen to them.
So I searched this subreddit for some lyrics and I came across the poem by No_Comfortable6730, I liked it, so I put the lyrics in Suno AI (a tool to make songs and melodies of any genre, with AI that is becoming popular lately), as gregorian chant lullaby song!
So here are the first results, and don't worry, it's non-profit, I don't make any money from this :)
Version 1: https://suno.com/song/332882ee-649d-46df-8502-8faccb22ee4c
Version 2: https://suno.com/song/2e248eae-4027-411b-9be3-7712ae2011d8
I think the results could be better using better prompts and words like " [Instrumental Intro] [Verse 1] 2..3.. " and so on. But I don't know how to use this thing yet. If someone knows how to make better attempts, please do so :) I'd love to hear your own versions.
The original post made by the user u/No_Comfortable6730: https://www.reddit.com/Gnostic/comments/x6t7dy/my_attempt_at_a_gnostic_lullaby_i_call_may_the/
His poem: https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/may_the_light_guard_your_sleep_1486296
https://preview.redd.it/wcye0smt4xxc1.png?width=570&format=png&auto=webp&s=0f433ef84adc80d96d52e233f2401a229de18f58