shy🍬🦇

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Hatsune HUSSEIN Miku

Sending out my periodic reminder that if you like my writing and you wanna support me, I have a Ko-fi page for donations/subscriptions. Freelance work really dries up around this time of year, and the stuff on my newsletter is never paywalled. Thanks for reading, as always! 💜 ko-fi.com/mewcaroon

Hello. I reviewed the new compilation from Habibi Funk surveying Lebanon's '70s and '80s private-press tape scene. It raises some interesting questions about genre signifiers. Can something from Beirut be called "city pop" just because it's got similar influences? pitchfork.com/reviews/albu...

If you like the Beirut City Pop compilation and want further listening, here are some civil war era Lebanese albums I like. Fairuz and Ziad Rahbani are the skeleton key; check who they've collaborated with and you can find lots of great stuff.

it's kind of irritating that I spent two years in a slump where I was barely able to write anything, and all of a sudden I'm goated again and have been getting all kinds of things done. why can't my brain work this well all the time lol

extremely important item now in my possession

festive outfit change. do you like my hat

Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase (SHAFT, 2004)

I've really gotta remind myself not to read the youtube comments on any music from the '80s or older. they're always full of the saddest life stories of people struggling with loss and loneliness. like man I'm just trying to vibe out to Day Tripper

Reading the Pokémon shoujo manga, Chamo-Chamo ☆ Pretty, and I'm delighted by the density of Spinda in these panels.

this is the best pokemon card art ever. he's too fucking big for that surfboard

Really good decision by me to put these vintage Doukyuusei posters by my bed so they're the first thing I see when I wake up.

clearly she owns an air fryer

now that labubus are out of fashion I kind of want one for my bag. I want to do my part to help protect an endangered species

Japanese classical records frequently have much cooler art than equivalent western albums. This Erik Satie series by Aki Takahashi has such insanely good art.

was recently at a party where one guy drank a 2 liter bottle of fresca over the course of the night all by himself. he made it look so good that I bought a 2 liter bottle of fresca last night. I don't think I like fresca lol

I tried participating in that exercise of distilling my taste in games to nine picks, but I just couldn't do it. Instead, here's a list of 85 things that are variously important to me. backloggd.com/u/shy/list/s...

Stevie Wonder has made countless imprints on the texture of my life, but one of the most recurring: I hold my cat in my arms and sing "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" to her at least once weekly

I keep getting tempted to listen to "Choosin' Texas," but once I hit play I will lose the moral superiority of not having heard a single note of it. This is probably the least aware I've been of a Billboard #1 in my entire life lol

Those four new Songs in the Key of Life-era Stevie Wonder demos are life changing. It seems shocking that for such a long and celebrated career, relatively little stuff has been released from the "vault." I know Stevie is a perfectionist, but he really ought to let us study more of his process.

at the credit union causing problems because the only pen in the building is dry

it's so healing for my neural pathways to listen to music all day. i can feel my brain creating new nodes

I have been listening to Akiko Yano nonstop since seeing her live last week. Her '80s albums are so much fun and she is stunningly beautiful on every album cover.

publishing a cute little piece on my blog tomorrow. get excited. :->

started calling all my guy friends pharaoh and it's going platinum. it's like the highest honorific you can bestow upon a white boy

alright, you've all worn me down. I will play the entire Trails in the Sky series. I hope you're happy.

I don't like being the coolest person in my city. I'd rather be an unremarkable person in a cool city

collecting good photos of fire escapes

I saw my mother, Akiko Yano, last night at Japan Society. She played folk songs with a shamisen and banjo player. I got her to sign my copy of To Ki Me Ki and she wrote "love" on it. I'm winning big time.

Holy grail document acquired

Haruomi Hosono had a documentary crew following him around and they interviewed a bunch of people outside of the venue about why they were fans. They spoke to me and I'm nervous they'll use it. I think my answer was good but I looked so wet and sweaty from walking around in the NYC heat 😭

Saw my favorite living musician play the best set of live music I've ever seen last night. Felt really special after spending weeks with Hosono's new record while I was reviewing it. When he played "Sincerely" I couldn't hold back the tears.

Good morning. I wrote a little love letter about Haruomi Hosono's 23rd solo record. The old legend is still bursting with great ideas as he creeps up on octogenarian status. Thanks for all the music. Sincerely, 💌 pitchfork.com/reviews/albu...

having fun writing again. it's over for you hoes

logged into FFXIV on my switch 2 and felt a rush of emotions seeing my beautiful character that I have nurtured for over 2000 hours. I probably can't get back into this game, but like. it's good to see her lol