In case you wondered about all the girl-deer pics. >.>

Not that there's too many people paying attention anymore to care, but here's the new me: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/50967624/

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48989057/

It's weird, I thought this one had been posted? And that I blogged about it? I dunno lol?

Artist is  bunnywhiskerz :)

Got another commission finished, this time from  myloveless!

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48838671/

I just kinda gave him a few ideas and let him run with it, I love how it turned out. XD

This one's Pokemon related!

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48571917/

The outfit is Melony's, from Pokemon generation 8 (which I never played, so that all I know lol).

And there's still more coming! :) Just really enjoying this.

Yeah, I'm getting lots of drawings of Belle. <.< It's a thing.

Anyway, here's another. This one's sexy: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48519806/

It's a YCH by  Lilakimoka . Never done one of those before, but I liked the look of this, and I ended up really liking how it came out. :D She looks younger, it's probably a picture from like 10-15 years ago. Crazy girl, she was. XD

New fursona, time for rule 63. XD

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48087199/

 kitsunewaffles-chan draws some sexy deers :)

And hey, it's the first time the name "Belwith" has appeared on FA! :D

It's been three years since I posted here last, so I doubt anyone cares, but I've got a new fursona! Been over 20 years since I last changed anything, and this time, well, it's a complete redo!

You can find the picture here, by  JaneyAnansi.

Oh god, I don't remember how to do any FA markup anymore x.x

I'm on Twitter now.

This is the next evolution of I Love Music! and my online presence.

I'm not exactly sure how easy this is gonna be, but we'll see.

Follow me there if you want to see more reviews, music or otherwise.

And heck, it looks like I need to scrape a few posts off FA as well while I'm at it. :B

The big question is, will I do this again tomorrow? <.<

Forest Rain- My Little Pop-Punk Pony: As much as the title excites me, this album starts off with something I cannot stand: filk. It's like parody, except it's not funny, and the genre runs the gamut from "song about ponies based off someone else's song" to "replace words with 'pony'". This one is more like the former at least, but I still hate it. However, I'm including this album in my reviews because, filk aside, Forest Rain is an amazing guy. There are three covers on this album, but a lot of those are excellent, and his original work is even better. Check out "Family Ways", "Memory Lane", "The Party Hasn't Ended Yet" and "Trixie". 6.5/10

Claire Anne Carr
My Little PonY RocK!: Found this through the sequel, but figured I'd listen to it first. It's set up as ten tracks and the instrumental versions of only 8 of those tracks, for some reason. Also, Claire here seems to be remixing the show songs by making them rock. I'm okay with this. If the opener, "Giggle at the Ghostly", is any indicator, both the instrumentation and the original vocals are used well. Maybe a little too much cowbell. He injects some Stairway into "Winter Wrap Up", which is kind of ingenious, even if it doesn't work quite perfectly. Unfortunately, he also uses his own vocals over the chorus, which don't sound as good as the original. And then there's "Call Upon the Sea Ponies", which comes completely out of left field and is maybe the rockinest track on this album, though I'm disappointed he didn't make the same use of the original vocals. Most likely, they're not as readily available as those for the current-gen songs. I so hope he does the Applejack song. Not to completely malign his singing ability, it works far better on the CMC theme rework, which soars on awesome keyboards. And then he surprises with a cover of "Flutterwonder", but I'm not sure it was really meant to be rock, though I love the 8bit 'choruses'. His appending of the word "Rock!" onto the end of every song title (well, except for "Parasprite Cumbia") leads to "Find a Pet Rock" near the end, which I find hilarious. Sadly. the last track doesn't seem to work. This isn't a great album by any means, but it does make me interested for the second. 5/10
My Little PonY RocK! II: He opens with "So Many Wonders", demonstrating both a significant improvement in ability since the previous album, and also that this works way better as rock than "Flutterwonder". His version of "Becoming Popular" is good, though it's followed by a cover of a song I've never heard and find I don't particularly like. The one based on Shed.MOV is... amusing, if likewise offbase. I do like the punkiness of his "Cupcakes" cover, even when it turns into "Killer Queen" halfway through. "Pinkie Pie Medley" is great. While this is definitely an improvement over the previous one, the missteps are also much greater in scope. Still, definitely check this one out if you want to hear one of them. 6/10

F3nning- Gala: Now this is interesting. It's essentially six remixes of the same song, but each is centered on a different character's part. But given that they are all based on the same song, each track shares similarities, despite the varying approaches. Applejack's, for instance, has more of a funky disco feel, while Fluttershy's is pure dance. Rainbow Dash's is of course the standout because her part is so different. F3nning makes it into a harsh electro track, almost dubstep. This album also features three remixes of the Fluttershy track, and a remastered version of it as well. This isn't the best album I've heard by far, but I won't fault the artist for following through on a very intriguing concept, if with mixed results. 6/10

Tarby
Uncooked: This guy presents a seven-track acoustic album with some pretty intense vocals. "Burnout", the first real track, took a bit to grow on me, but it's those vocals that caught my attention. I notice a few bobbles here and there, which is kind of surprising; the solo in "Burnout" has a slipup, and his voice seems to give out halfway through "The Ballad of Autumn Dreams", which is otherwise fantastic. "The Wings You've Earned", however, is excellent, and a track I've heard previously. I've not heard another brony artist with this soft and exacting a touch on the acoustic, and there's a lot of great music to be heard on this. It's really an excellent album despite the occasional slip. 8/10
E.S.C.A.P.E.: Looks like this is not in fact a pony-related album. It opens with a marvelous industrial metal track called "Rejected" that I've enjoyed by itself for a while now. There's a definite NIN influence here, unsurprising since one of the songs, "Sunspots", features vocals by Trent Reznor. Unfortunately, after that fantastic opener, the rest of the album doesn't really hold up. It's just lacking something, and I'm not sure what, but given that it's more or less a solo effort, it's still pretty worthwhile. Other standouts include "Sentimental". 5.5/10
Everfree: I'm surprised to find out that this only Tarby's second album. (Wait, but it's his third...) This shows off a wide variety of genres, from the ambience of the intro to hard rock and some seriously heavy metal, to softer rock. This is some really good progressive shit, and we should expect no less from Tarby. This gets a little screamy in places, but honestly doesn't detract from the overall presentation. This is about the Everfree Forest, after all. Fans of all forms of rock should give this a listen, and pay attention to "What You Hoped to Find", "One Wish", "Nothing", "Silent Still", "Everchanging", and "The Other Side". 8.5/10

Matthew Ebel- The Lives of Dexter Peterson: I put off listening to this album for six months. Probably had something to do with me getting a job the week after receiving the album in the mail. Possibly also because I'd heard all of one song off of it prior to buying it. But, I have faith in  hali, so here we go. The first track is really strong, as an opener should be. "The Last Pirate" is a hilarious romp dealing with Anonymous and music piracy. "A Question of Sanity" is a great drifting instrumental with a nice buzzy guitar in the background. "I Wish I Were" is kind of just a big geek fanwank, which I am all right with in some ways. I think it really exemplifies the central idea of this album and its accompanying comic, though. Lots of the lyrics are about identity, feeling lost, finding oneself, and so forth. Honestly, a lot of people should be able to identify with the songs on this album, and it's definitely Matthew's most solid album to date. I rather liked "These Wars We Fight", "Frozen Oasis", "I Met a Girl", "Wait Here", and "Normal Is Not for Me". 8.5/10

Anybody out there? :B I kinda dropped the ball on these hardcore. I dunno why, but have a whole shitton of stuff to make up for it!

Albion- Signal from the Sky: Everyone's favorite Amiga rocker,  davidn, has released an album under the name Albion. It's what I come to expect from him, though I find that in album format, his music doesn't stand up as well as I'd hoped. It tends to flow together, undifferentiated. Granted, there's still some great stuff on here, especially "Enter the Labyrinth" and "Elements". If you're unfamiliar with his brand of Amiga metal, this is a great way to get acquainted with it. 6.5/10

Psychedelic Brony- Clippity-Clop: True to the names of the artist and the album, this opens with the sound of a horse trot. That sets the tone for "a bunch of weird shit is about to happen". The Flim Flam Brothers remix, for instance, has reversed vocals and a carousel background. "Moonstuck" is actually pretty cool, with a serious Hendrix vibe to it. Overall, this isn't my kind of thing, though. People more into psychedelic rock should check it out, though there's a bit more to it than just that. I actually rather like "There Were Two Twins Named Flim and Flam" and "Never Never Never". 5.5/10

Aviators
A Dream Revisited: It's time to review EVERYTHING AVIATORS HAS EVER DONE, starting with an 8-track EP. And of course, because this is Aviators, the first track is amazing. It doesn't set up the album very well though, sounding more like "Never Back Down" while the rest is mostly instrumentals. "Reflections of a Dream Part 2" is an excellent slow, emotional track, but it makes the dubstep tracks stand out even more. What this lacks in cohesion it makes up for in talent; frankly, anything by Aviators is worth listening to, so give it a listen. 6.5/10
Equestrian Revolution 2.0: This begins with the excellent "I've Got to Find a Way", followed by an actual decent remix of "Rainbow Factory", a song I have ignored forever but kind of really need to get a copy of for myself. This may suffice. His remix of "Discord" is intriguingly hip-hoppy, reminiscent of early Gorillaz crossed with the keyboard player from the Doors. Prince Whateverer's "The Fight Within" is an interesting addition, and Aviators gives it a harsh noise edge creeping up on dubstep. There's a great drum and bass remix of "Leto" by Archie, a soothing version of "Heartmender", and a long progressive mix of Elspongie's "Helium" that really grew on me as it went. He keeps "Good Girl" sounding rock and offers up one of the best remixes of "Until the Sun". It ends with a nice remix of "The Crystal Fair" and a 22-minute mixtape. For being a collection, this is a great album, presenting a consistent vision without being samey, which is really all I ask for in an album. 8.5/10
Aeterno: According to the blurb, this is a soundtrack to a fictional video game. There's a lot of variety on this, from atmospheric orchestral pieces to things that would sound at home in the latest Tron movie. Granted, were this all in an actual video game, it would feel very musically disjointed. I find it hard to imagine what sorts of scenes or stages would fit all of these sounds. But, as an album, it's quite enjoyable, especially if you like records with a lot of variety, and there's even a nice vocal track near the end. Standouts include "Labyrinthine", "Haunted", "Iron Horizon", "Cloud Ocean" and "Path Home". 7/10
From All Sides: This promises to be epic, especially given the fairly epic rock instrumental that starts us off. The first vocal track is great, and then it is immediately eclipsed by the title track and its pulse-pounding frenzy. From All Sides features some Aviators classics, like "Lights", "Heroes" and "Constellations", as well as a ton of remixes in the deluxe version. But far and away, it's a collection of powerful songs that are destined to become new favorites. Aviators does not disappoint, and he knocks another one out of the park. Other standouts include "Shadows", "Far from Me", "Voices of the Crowd" and the VIP mix thereof. 8.5/10
Mirrors (Deluxe version): The title track is actually one of the best on the album, a pile of bombast with an 80's-inspired synth line. There's also a fantastic collab with Feather, something that sounds like "Radioactive" except it doesn't suck (Note from the future: "Radioactive" doesn't suck, pleb), and generally just a lot of the fantastic electronic rock that I've come to expect from Aviators. The first ten tracks make up a near-perfect album. The first bonus track, "Brain Damage", is the first spot where I think things might be getting a little shaky, but honestly the rest of the bonus tracks are good to great, especially the APO remix of "Where I Belong". This is a must-have for people who like music. 9/10
Ghost in the Code: This starts out with the excellent and powerful "Red", but I can't help but feel Aviators is falling into a rut. He's got some great stuff on this, no mistake, but through and through, all I can think to say about this is "It's an Aviators album." That's not really a good thing, and I don't know what else he could do to grow as a musician without abandoning what makes him great to listen to. Now don't get me wrong, if you've never listened to Aviators, this is an excellent collection of his work and a good introduction to what he does. But, having heard quite a few of his releases now, I'm just not feeling it. Standouts include "Red", "Set Me Free", "Revenge", the title track, "Slice of Life", "Fool's Gold", and "Reach (All Along)", which is a particular standout. No surprise there, since he brought on the equally talented 4everfree Brony for it. 7/10 Also, I will note that the limited physical run sold out while I was listening to the album, within twelve hours, if that!
Haunted House and Other Stories: A Halloween album is nothing I ever expected to hear from Aviators. His usual style is too bright and upbeat for something really spooky, and the first track upholds this. Then we get to the chugging guitars of "Undead" and that all goes out the window. He's really kicked it out to make some solid dark tracks, and this'll be a good addition to anyone's Halloween playlist. I liked the title track, "Shadows" with Glaze and "Me, My Phobias, and I". 6.5/10
Building Better Worlds: 2014 had me thinking that Aviators' pony output had been lackluster, and this is coming across the same way. Maybe the honeymoon's over, I don't know. This is still the very identifiable Aviators brand of rock, though he switches things up a bit with some chiptune and even swing jazz on "Secret Identity". One problem, though, is that this rock is just too languid. Normally, he would switch things up, going from slow and thought-provoking to bombastic, if also still slow. But when you've got a lot of slow, soulful songs in a row, the album becomes a slog. And I'm sorry to say bringing GatoPaint on board for "The Surface" was not a good idea. I like him generally, but his vocals pale in comparison to Aviators'. Unfortunately, this is a very disappointing album, but standouts include "Angels Falls the Farthest" and "Secret Identity". The remixes are pretty good, too. 5.5/10
Fever EP: This is a bit more than an EP, I'd say! Despite the 'brony' tag on Bandcamp, this is more Five Nights at Freddy's inspired than anything; note the references to "five nights" in "Our Little Horror Story". (Though the "Evil" mix of "The Villain" features the bassline from "Rainbow Factory".) As Aviators releases go, this is one of his most cohesive in a while, both musically and thematically. It still feels like his best work is sadly behind him, but I was pretty into "Spectres" and "Fever and Bones" as well. Definitely a worthwhile listen. 7.5/10
From Oceans to Skies: This album marks the end of, geez, almost a year-long hiatus from Aviators. He's really not done anything lately, certainly little of note outside his FNAF work, and it got to the point where I was starting to wonder if his Youtube channel was just for livestream announcements. Anyway, this turns out to be a really solid release, though it is rife with filler tracks. It's at its best when soaring and epic (the title track) or dark and brooding, like "The Monsters Under My Bed". There's obvious influence here, from Muse to Van Halen. Overall, it's a good listen, if not necessarily a return to form. Standouts include the title track, "Dragonheart", "Writing on the Walls", "Promises" and the remix of "We Are Not Machines". 6.5/10

The Lesser Knowns
The Lesser Knowns: This is a great idea: a 20-track album featuring brony artists who haven't gotten a lot of exposure in the fandom. Looking at the list, I recognize exactly three of these names, and none of them terribly well. Let's see if they can hold up to the big names. It starts off with a remix of a fairly well-known song that I ironically cannot remember the original artist for. It's decent remix, but starting off an album looking to give lesser knowns some exposure by riding on the coattails of another, better known artist seems like a poor idea. Legion, one of the three I've heard of, brings dubstep to Discord with "Discord's Game". (I do believe this is the song that pointed me to this album in the first place.) There's a decent if fairly long remix of "Becoming Popular" by Matthew N. Meletric's "Blank Flank" is a jaunty acoustic song with really cool time signature changeups. A lot of what comes after that is either droning ambient or unremarkable techno. This streak is broken by 4th Impulse's "Canterlot Clubs" and its highly distorated original vocals. Interestingly, there's a bunch of rock and metal, and I mean HEAVY metal, rounding out the album. Not all of these tracks are destined for greatness, but I really have to hand it to the artists for putting this collection together. It's good way to get a look at some of our up and coming talent. 6/10
The Lesser Knowns, Vol 2 (Part 1) (Part 2): I hadn't actually realized that there were two parts to this album until just now. I'm very excited that they've gone ahead with a second, though, and I think the sheer volume of music necessitating the split speaks to just how many musicians there are in this fandom. I've heard of precisely three featured in the first part, though the last one is, ironically, Matthew Mosier, who I thought was fairly well known. Aerial View's "Speed Cave" is a pretty good opener, fast and with some fun vocal samples. Frivolousmonkey presents some pretty nice drum and bass with "1969". There are some issues in it, but Pencil Eraser's "Break" is awesome pop punk, with some post-punk vocal excess, and a definite standout. "No Sunshine Allowed Ever" by Vladnuke is a loping, epic remix of "Ain't No Sunshine", interestingly enough. Sonic Breakbeat's "Ascension" is one of the best tracks on the album, just an energetic breakbeat piece with a great melody and Rainbow Dash providing the classic "go go go!" Sonikkureinbumu's "She's Evil" is, I believe, breakcore, some kind of hard d'nb style that you don't hear much of since the rise of dubstep. Taking a look at the second volume, I've again heard of three of these artists, one of those just today. Dr. Sorkenstein's "Club Crasher" is a pretty neat little club track. Pon-E Sharp has a pretty cool offering in "Unknown Exterminator", a very dark track that reminds me of something from Castlevania. I'd say volume 1 is the stronger outing, but again, these are not really good albums per se, but introductions to little-known artists in the fandom, not to mention really varied in terms of style offerings. There should be something for everyone on either of these. 6/10 (And it's worth noting that Sonic Rainboom and especially Pencil Eraser have climbed the ladder since this was released!)
The Lesser Knowns Vol. 3:[/b] I'm gonna stop reviewing these as coherent albums and just talk about the songs I like. Bartekko starts us off with a cool electro-orchestral track called "The Runaway". Tuner Symphon's "Broken Mirror Pond" and the remix by NytMayr are both pretty good. There's actually a lot of pretty good music on this. I think that's a testament to the overall improvements that the fandom's music production has gone through over the years. I must have gotten distracted, because that's all there is to the review and there's no rating. :B
Beyond Our Reach: Only 7 tracks on this, but I'll give them a review because I really support the Lesser Knowns approach to brony music. This time around, I've only heard of three of the artists (he said, as if that hadn't been the case every single time), so let's see what we've got. The first track is a combination of rousing game synths and finger snaps. The quieter sections are just crying out for vocals, though. This is followed by a couple of smooth piano tracks. Our halfway point is marked by something a little darker and harsher. The vocal sample is not used terribly well. Track 6 is a bizarre, lengthy drone. We finish up with something a tad industrial. In all, a nice little collection. Not mind-blowing, nor is it terribly expansive, but there's only so much you can do in 7 tracks. Standouts include Legion's "Whiterun Bay" and "Rehabilitation" by Indigo Spectrum. 6/10
The Lesser Knowns Vol. 4: I've only heard of three artists this time around (holy shit why is it always three), though I suppose Belgerum doesn't count since he's the one organizing these. But that means this project is doing a good job in bringing lesser-known musicians into the spotlight. Again, it's a mix of electronic and rock, though I think overall not as strong a crop this time around as previous installments. There's a fairly decent, if slightly chill remix of "Beyond Her Garden". I seem to like most of the songs at the end, specifically "Dreamstride" by Mesogears, which is actually more toward the middle, and "Beautiful Places" by Underkeel, "Squeaky Toy" by Viricide Filly, "Obsolence" by Wanderpony & Nutty Strife, and "The Rush" by Wips & Ryse. 6/10
The Lesser Knowns Vol. 5: New Beginnings: I am very pleased to note that I've reviewed every album the Lesser Knowns have put out. This is their sixth collection, which starts off with some pretty decent dance music from an artist named Twiz and... Hey, wait a minute! What are Jeff Burgess and the Bad Mares doing here? Do people honestly not know Jeff Burgess? If not, then shame on them, seriously. Also featured are Element6, Vinxis, SteelHammer and Mahsiocaj, Exis, Acsiident, MisterHailfire, Dawnfire, Mathematicus, 3ternal, Injustrial (a favorite of mine), Kleyna and jökull, who I believe I have actually heard of! Once again, they've given us a nice variety of songs, mostly electronic but with some rock and of course industrial in the mix, and at varying levels of skill. I liked "By the Book", "Night Breeze and Summer Air", "The Devil in Me", and "sugoi". 6.5/10

All Levels at Once
The Pony Way: And let's do a few from a very important artist who's not been around much lately. The intro is weird, and feels slightly offsync. The second track is, if I'm not mistaken, an English translation of the Italian intro theme. He's doing remixes of the show songs in an odd way, though, as his vocals are pronounced but seem to be harmony. Also, it's creme *de* la creme, not "da". His remix of "Winter Wrap-Up" is nifty though, one that I've known for a while. "Fluttershy's Lament" is kind of amazing, using chopped Fluttershy vocals about wanting to be a tree and so forth. "Celestia's Faithful" is likewise pretty neat with what he did with the vocals, and both songs also use original vocals in the middle, which I like. His "Smile Smile Smile" remix feels kind of off, though. His remake of "The Perfect Stallion" however is totally awesome and perhaps the best song on this album. "Changeling" is likewise kind of awesome, a partial remix of "This Day Aria" that adds in a lot of extra and original content. That said, I'm allover disappointed in this album. There are just too many tracks that feel off, and it doesn't work as an album, honestly. 5.5/10
Tessellate: It's January 2013, and this album has finally dropped. It's existed for the better part of a year as three tracks. I am very excited. It opens with "Kupo", a bright and poppy song about... actually, I have no idea. Moogles, I would expect. Scampering, definitely. There's a very playful feel to the music, which switches up every now and then, and the lyrics themselves have a solid indie feel. "Axolotl" is intriguingly dark, though bright and cheerful definitely describe most of the songs on this album. It loses a bit of steam in the middle, unfortunately, picking back up around "Icebreaker". The final track, "Lament", is actually a lyrical version of his amazing "Fluttershy's Lament", using the melody originally reserved for clips of Fluttershy talking and squeaking. Well, despite the dip in energy in the middle, I would call this a very consistent album, and the work All Levels has put into it shows. Definitely worth checking out. 7/10
Tessellate Remixes: Though definitely a less solid album overall, if you like anything at all off of Tessellate, or All Levels' music in general, you should definitely check out this remix album. So Great and Powerful's remix of "Kupo" is amazing. Others I like are daks' remix of "Icebreaker", Wolf of Sadness' remix of "Leviathan", and Subtract's remix of "Whitelie". But really, you shouldn't listen to Tessellate without also listening to this. 6/10
No More Eight Bit: This is a very weird album. Certainly, it doesn't have a lot of eight bit, but the synths are all over the place. I think the point is mimicking 8bit music with higher order instruments, that would explain a lot of this sound. Sometimes it sounds like Owl City, sometimes it's just random bleeps and bloops. If this is ALAO trying to broaden his musical spectrum, I'm all for it, but as I always say, not all experiments are successful. Standouts include "Plain Sight" and "Ghost in the Attic". 5.5/10

If you guys can get hold of Pacific Hotline's EP, do so. It's a project featuring  colson and Raralare, and they put out four really killer songs. I got it by supporting their Indiegogo campaign, and you can get it from their Bandcamp page! Check it out! https://pacifichotline.bandcamp.com/releases

Do yourself a favor and check out Televisor's Venture EP. It's only four tracks, but they're all great electropop with some good vocalists. http://music.monstercat.com/album/venture-ep

#: I've heard of this guy but don't know too much about him. Obviously he's a crazy badass motherfucker because the opening track is the My Little Pony theme played in the style of Rush's "YYZ". I mean, that right there scores some major points. Then we get a punk rock cover of "Find a Pet" with crazy-fast vocals. It's probably the best cover I've heard of a song that's really hard to cover. Then there's a song that's not actually Andrew WK's "Ready to Die" or a parody thereof, but really brings it to mind. The connection of course is to that irreverent Cupcakes flash, which used the song as the background. No, the actual parody is of Weird Al song "Close but No Cigar". Who would even... And it's actually funny, not just a filk! I really have to give this guy points for doing all kinds of weird shit. This isn't the best sung or recorded or produced album ever, but it is definitely the craziest. Continuing on, "More Discord" is like a cross between "Pink Elephants on Parade" and Butthole Surfers. Oh yeah, and this is the guy who did the "What Would Brian Boitano Do" filk about Twilight Sparkle. I say filk because he's singing like the Hulk and I can't understand anything, but it's at least hilarious and has a great punk bridge. He wrote a one-minute song about John DeLancie being awesome. There's a "Lumberjack Song" parody that's actually pretty bad because "apple farmer" doesn't fit the cadence properly. It's still pretty funny. Oh my god, he's doing a Weird Al style polka medley of songs from the show. I am throwing all of my money at the screen right now. "Join the Herd" is one of the best songs on this, fandom-centric as it is. We end with another Monty Python parody, of the Philosopher's Song. This is not a perfect album. The vocals aren't as high a quality as the rest of the instruments, and the guy has a fairly impenetrable accent. But it works so well. I want a car so that I can blast this at high volume everywhere I go. I don't care if you like ponies or not, go get this album, it's incredible. 9/10

Balloon Party
100% No Feeble Cheering: If it's not obvious from the title, this collection is based around Knife Party's 100% No Modern Talking EP, which I listened to yesterday and was not overly impressed with. Hopefully these 45 tracks -- count them -- will be far better. From the outset, the vibe I'm getting from this is frenetic dub and bass with lots of genre crossing. It's that second part that's making it hard to enjoy individual tracks. A song will build up into something neat and then do a 180, or at least a 120, and break the flow entirely. The fourth track, "Arrivederci", is the first one that really grabs me; unsurprisingly, it's also the first with vocals. Makkon's "The Little Toy Shop" is like a really neat mashup of music box and Kannon's Klaim from DKC2. That is sadly followed by death metal. Assertive Fluttershy's "Boooring!" has great Fluttershy vocals in it; things seem to be smoothing out just a bit more from the openers. "Sleep" by Echelon is almost too much: the vocals are REALLY glitched up and the drop is full of drills, but I'm sitting and bobbing back and forth to it, so it must be doing something right. No, I take it back, this is amazing. Jackle App's "Cawtion" is one that uses the genre flipping pretty well, going into buzzy spacey kinda-trance from a more hardcore intro. It's not so much that they go together as they transition well and complement one another. Tarby's "Rejected" is the first good straight rock song. Kind of surprising, really, given what everything else has been. Well, except for the death metal, I guess. Aussie Asher's "Spinner" is more my speed when it comes to dubwork. I like "Kataklysm" by Neu Katalyst, but I can't really say why. I think it's just solid drum and bass. Silva Hound's "Everypony's Bangin'" is a nice ensemble glitch vocal piece of I'm really not sure what. H8 Seed's "Lung Buster" is awesome. "Prominence" by Michael A. and Whitetail is a great bouncy dance track. ArtAttack and Silva Hound come together for a great trance piece, "How Far We've Come". ISMBOF's on the penultimate track, "Friendship in Tartarus", which is of course awesome metal, with lots of bagpipes this time. There's so much music on this thing, it's hard to sum up. While it trends toward the electronic, and dubstep in particular, I think there's a lot for everyone in this. Do at least check it out. 7/10
After Party: Good gravy, the Balloon Party doesn't stop! This is a 29-track album of songs that didn't quite make the cut, released a month or two after the original. Onipony's "Desert Walker" is a great way to start, as is PhillyPu's "The Secret of Tarius". "1000 Wingpower" by Fakepony and Bassbrony is some goddamn amazing heavy metal. There's a VIP remix of "One Last Letter", which is dubstep as all get-out, but while good, I think I prefer the original. Pirhanaplant's "Pulse Leak" is an unexpected bit of sunshine in the middle of the album. NeuKatalyst's "Determination" is a nutty bit of dubstep, and has great vocals to boot. For what it's the worth, this album features the first remix of the .mov videos I've heard. "How Far We've Come" by SilvaHound, ArtAttack and Miu sounds like a cross between Enigma-era New Age and DJ Jurgen-era trance. In other words, it's a fantastic mix of 90's electronica and completely rocks the house. I am chagrinned that I like a song called "Wingboner", but it's got this weird little repeating sound that like a laughing goblin, and overall is just really nice and trancey. That's followed by "Celestial Fireworks" by Counterwise, which is maybe the best dubstep track I've heard on this. "Fluttertastic" puts a darkwave spin on Fluttershy's gala scene. Exploding Heart Technique's "Stance" is a great way to round off the album. What we've got here is another eclectic mix, this one probably a bit more eclectic than the first Balloon Party. If you checked out the first album, give this one a listen too. 7/10

Drew Eddy Jones- Before the Dawn Comes:  drewfustehfox is at it again! I don't outright remember his last album, but I want to say from the get-go, this has a more professional production quality, evoking singer-songwriters of the 70's. The opener is absolutely fantastic. These songs take their time, setting out emotion little by little rather than squeezing it out all at once. Never boring, never rushed, this is a fantastic album, and it's just one guy and a guitar. And a mandolin sometimes. Drew is a truly excellent artist. Standouts include "Sometimes, Maybe", "Girl With No Name", "Selfish Love", "Love Is a Funny Thing", and "Blue". 8.5/10

Noluv- Electronic Sounds Vol. 1: First album by an electronic brony artist I've recently discovered. The songs "Cubic Rays", "Here Comes Tom", "A Dash of Rainbows" and "Parasprites" are the ones I've heard off this and enjoyed previously. It starts with a very minimalist and ambient remix of "The Smile Song". The first three tracks paint a lazy picture of languid soundscapes, which are then cut short by track four, "The Lair" and its harsh beepy quasi-dubstep. The song "Hello Zepp remix" is another that's far harsher, but I like it a good deal more. The main problem with this album is its inconsistency, just switching from one style to the next with no transition. And while Noluv is a talented artist, I don't think the dubstep is really his forte, at least not on this album. I'd still recommend checking it out at least, since the four songs I mentioned are quite excellent. 6.5/10

The 4th Album Fan Project: I don't really know the story behind this, but it does feature daks, a brony artist I'm familiar with, which is no doubt how it got on my radar. These first few tracks actually don't remind me of Daft Punk so much as a lot of French house I've been listening to lately, Annodam and the like, but then "French house" is a tag on this album, so there you go. I'm not sure how it works as a Daft Punk tribute, but as an album, it's pretty darn good. Standouts include "Adage" by Ananth Ram, "Bliss" and "Effervescence" by daks, "Like a Child" by Electromatic and "With You" by Sir Ridley. 7/10

Going back through really ooooold stuff now!

Casey LaLonde
Beware!: Casey is actually FA's own  corbinbusker, a highly talented indie artist who isn't afraid to go all over the spectrum when it comes to style. He released these two albums for free a little while ago, so I couldn't pass up an opportunity to see what he could do. Beware! opens with "Memoirs of a Jogger's Ghost", an instrumental I've never much cared for, but then moves into "A Knife and a Heart", which I do like, and the very similar "Izmir". He then transitions from light electronic with ghostly vocals to the Gorillaz-esque electro-rap of "Beat Salesman". "Dave and Allison" is another instrumental, a beeping, booming semi-industrial piece. This starts a series of instrumentals which are all fairly interesting, enjoyable and with some highly intriguing artistic modes. The bottom line is, this album is a good introduction to Casey's music, his ethereal voice compliments the soothing music, the songs flow well and different sections of the album carry very different emotions, without clashing against one another. 7.5/10
Hope Against Hope: This was actually released first, I think, but I really can't be sure. It lacks a lot of the smoothness of Beware! The music is very similar to that album's, though somewhat more ambient towards the end. Standout tracks include "Made Up Lies and Stupid Day Dreams" and "Ghost". Beware! is definitely the stronger of the two. 6/10

Soundtrack- Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog: I got the video for Christmas, watched it, downloaded the soundtrack and found out I already had it downloaded. I don't know how I'd feel about this if I hadn't watched it first, but I love Dr. Horrible and I love the music. Seriously, if you haven't seen it, you need to, because it's awesome (I missed it online the first time around, of course). The songs are catchy, they work perfectly in the plot and let the characters come alive, not to mention Neil Patrick Harris has a fantastic voice. This really just cements the idea that he's an awesome person. My only complaint would be that the soundtrack is really short, under half an hour, and most of the songs don't even pass two and a half minutes. It's totally worth having nevertheless. My favorite songs are "My Freeze Ray", "My Eyes", "Brand New Day" and "Everything You Ever". 9/10

MandoPony- The Ultimate MandoPony Collection: Mando went and released a stupidly huge collection of some of his music. We're talking 50 tracks and a half-hour exclusive acoustic live performance video, for ten bucks. TEN DOLLARS. That makes it worth getting all by itself. The video's great, just a rendition of five of his songs, with some discussion about them and lots of riffing. There's a bunch of karaoke tracks in this, in case you wanted to record yourself singing along, a bunch of V-Scratch Sessions tracks, and all his 8bit stuff, which he started off with in the fandom. I think he even included two original songs, because they use his real name as the artist. If we take the first 11 tracks as a single album, it's pretty damn solid, and features some of his best tracks, like the opener "Shining Armor", "Sweet Apple Acres", "So Much Left to Know" and "With a Sister". Of course, it does shift around a bit between rock, his usual acoustic stuff, and actual techno like "100 and Counting". So I'll give that an 8/10, because rating the whole thing is kind of impossible. That said, speaking as someone who's been following  mandoandy since before he started doing brony stuff... There's nothing new here. I've heard all these songs before, and enjoyed most of them. The download was worth it to be able to make myself a copy though. Do check this out if you haven't had the opportunity to listen to his music of late; it's a lot of tracks for not a lot of money.

HeyLasFas- Nightfall:
This starts off with an overture, very nicely orchestrated with a light xylophone that turns into rock halfway through. I like where this is going, well, aside from the narration. I don't particularly like this guy's voice, but he writes a mean guitar riff. It's a concept album, a rock opera about the rise of Nightmare Moon. That explains the narration anyway. Really it all comes down to his voice, though; it's not very good, very quiet and weak in spots, which is a shame, because, for instance, the first full track is ten minutes long and has actual movements, and the instrumentation is great. When he's not holding back on the vocals, he doesn't sound too bad, but overall I can't get into this, and it's a shame because there's so much good in here, like the heartfelt lyrics of "Lament". If you're less hung up on vocal quality than I am and you like lengthy prog rock concept albums, you should definitely check this out. 5.5/10

Foozogz
Vibrant: This is just an EP. The first full track is really energetic happy hardcore and very good. "A Sunny Day" is like nothing I've heard before, just clear and, well, vibrant, and thoroughly upbeat. That and the final track are great. This is just one of those albums you'll be hard pressed to listen to and not feel good afterward. 7.5/10
Tree Vision: An actual album to add and make that review worthwhile. Tree Vision apparently came out in August of 2011, and from the looks of it, it's sort of a continual work in progress as he adds new tracks. So it's less of an album than a collection of stuff, but let's see how it holds up. I'm reviewing this as an album as of July 2012, for the record. It starts off in great style with "Fluttershy Likes Being Nice", an upbeat piece of 8-bit dance. This is followed by "Forever Dreaming", a collab with Omnivore and some of Foozogz' best work. And this is quickly turning into a best-of as the next track is "Sparkle", one of the most beautiful Twilight-centric tracks I've ever heard. There's his awesome remix of Find a Pet, a remix of Japple Ack's poignant "I Love Everything", a crazier remix of the already insane "Rarity Attempts 400 Dresses", and the peppy "Sweetheart". Of course, the song that led me here is the final one, "Love Bloom", but it turns out this is just a fantastic album. If you like upbeat electronica, do check it out. 8.5/10

Remember that time I said I'd do a thing and then didn't do the thing hahahaha me neither

Bronies for Good
Faithful and Strong: Bronies for Good are at it again, with a 36-track album dedicated to helping build an orphanage in Uganda. I watch a lot of these artists now, and I have been DYING to get my hands on this and finally I have! So let's see what we've got. Warbalist opens this up with a pretty solid rock tune and Joplinesque vocals. ISMBOF's entry, Painting Pegasi, is some of his best work to date. Dr. Dissonance's Ice Tribes is placed very oddly, a strange orchestral piece after a bunch of rock songs. I like Kryptage's Breakthrough as light, poppy electronica. Woodwind by Joshua Mononoetoe is a nice meandering instrumental track with a really great backing banjo. And then at track 15, we get to the stuff I've been waiting for: Forest Rain's driving march Raise the Sun, a military song with really damned powerful vocals. Again, it's probably his best effort to date. There's a good So Great and Powerful Track on here,
about The Last Roundup. This is followed by a cool chiptune called Arcade Attitude by Senjan. There's a track by Matthew Mosier, which is always a good thing. I very much like Aoshi's indie acoustic Warning Sign. In all, another great collection of music, worth checking out and of course it's for charity! 6.5/10
Ministry of Brony: Think Ministry of Sound, not religion. This is the newest project from Bronies for Good, taking donations to a Ugandan medical clinic in exchange for 12 bits of electronic pony music. It starts off with something akin to Cave Story music, honestly, but I'm quickly dismayed to find that this is the fandom's first mix disc, by which I mean all the songs run into each other. I hate that. Also, these aren't mixed terribly well; it's more like whoever did this just blended the songs together instead of pulling out the beats like normal DJ mixes do, not to mention a lot of lead-ins are extremely long given the song's length. It ends up with a lot of song endings sounding really bad. That's not to say there aren't any good songs on here, because there are. I like the tracks by DJ TACTM, DitzyRhythm, Azerty and Baradoros, and Sonic Rainboom's track is fantastic and actually the one that led me to the album. But whoever mixed this did a terrible job and I wish there was an unmixed version. Once again, I find myself panning a charity album, so I have to stress: the charity is really the focus here, not the music. You can follow that link, donate a few Euros, and then completely ignore the download link if you wanted. In fact, doing so will make you more altruistic than myself. So do that, and maybe check out the artists' Youtube channels if you want to hear the music without the mixing. (Though only some of them are on Youtube.) 4.5/10
A Beautiful Heart: Funding numerous charity projects in Africa, Bronies for Good are at it again with their newest mega-collaborative album, featuring 38 songs and some of the biggest names in brony music, A Beautiful Heart! It starts off with a short classical instrumental, then becomes instantly awesome with an 80s hair metal song by Warbalist. Like, this is straight off a Van Halen album, that's how perfectly he's got the style down. It's a really amazing way to start this album off. Another early track to take note of is by Tecolotl, a collaboration between And the Rainfall and Le Soldat Pony, a very smooth indie post-rock tune that I really like. Track 7 is a collab between six artists, including Feather, Forest Rain and Cyril the Wolf, and the cool thing is they're doing ska! There's a good deal of electronica on this, some classical, more or less the usual assortment for this fandom. Michael Pallante's got a very Phil Collins-esque track called Shining Armor that is not a cover of MandoPony's song, not that I would have minded that. I like Josh Mononoetoe, or Josh Mono's, track, which is really great acoustic folk. I dare say this is the best album out of the three, though of course the music isn't the entire point. If you skipped any of the other Seeds of Kindness albums, definitely check this one out.

Seeking Solace Volume 1: This is apparently a charity album to help out a brony musician. I don't know the story behind it, but I can't say no to that. Let's see what there is to offer. It starts out with a three-way collab between artists I've never heard of, a soft intro with a spoken word bit about birth or something that cuts right into sort of a harsh drum and bass track with a bizarre counterpoint of the same light ambience that backs the spoken word intro. Next is And the Rainfall with a soft rock piece that has a nice rainy intro, then an 8-bit cover of somesongIcan'trememberwhat by a guy named Alycs. Freewave brings a really wonderful acoustic instrumental track, followed by a bit of experimental something or other with a really harsh ending by topitmunkeydog. This is followed by a really striking instrumental piece from Lying Pink, who was part of the first track. It's one part rock ballad, one part somber R&B. And despite this album being for their benefit, Acsiident contributes track 7, a light techno piece with heavily filtered vocals. Lastly, we end with an entry from Ponyvisation, who's always a joy to listen to. This isn't the best collection of music I've heard, and again I don't know what the story is here, but there are at least a couple of tracks worth checking out. I liked Fixing Futashy and And Every Fist an Open Hand. 5.5/10

Derpy's Wings
II: Not Derpy Swings, sadly, but worthwhile as a charity album donating to autism research. Like a lot of compilations, it's not exactly a grand showcasing of the best of the best. In fact, aside from a fairly lackluster remix of Awoken, it took 9 tracks to really catch my attention. Seventh Element's contribution is pretty decent and trips all my psytrance alerts, though it isn't quite. Honestly, whether you spend money on this comes down to whether you feel willing to give to charity in return for some fairly blah music. 5.5/10
III: This is the third installment of a charity album series that seems focused on experimental music and features some well-known artists like Aoshi, Among the Herd, Flaofei and Viricide Filly. Being experimental, it's full of a lot of stuff I can't classify, though truth be told, most of it just sounds amateurish and not very well made, though there are a lot of different styles represented. The first standout is Dekzalus's Vociferous Pursuit, a really rousing orchestral soundtrack piece that mixes in some electronic parts. I also like Scrapyard by Neurophonic, a nice industrial piece, and Viricide Filly's track which is another orchestral/electronic comination. Honestly, I wish there was a way to find out how these songs were made, because the description suggests they were prompted somehow and I can only imagine the particulars are fascinating. Anyway, again, this is a charity album, so the quality of the music isn't what's in question. I do wish these were just a little more enjoyable than they tend to be. 5.5/10

Now I'm going to talk about one of the fandom's most important musicians:

Jeff Burgess!
Born to Trot/The Jeff Burgess Master Collection: This album opens with a very lovely piano instrumental, something I've not heard him do before now, and goes into a parody of "Set Fire to the Rain", about the great Bronycon fire of 2012. This is the first parody-style song in this fandom that has actually made me laugh. Good job, Mr. Burgess. This is followed by a filk, of "Rocky Mountain Way" by Joe Walsh, which I have never heard in my life, and thus bores me to tears, because it's not funny. But that doesn't matter much, because the next song, "Where My Bronies At", is completely ridiculous and hilarious. He's really got a penchant for the wacky and ridiculous. See also "To the Moon" and "Big-Ass Hat". Not that that's all he does, mind. "Manehattan Nights" has a very "One Night in Bangkok" sound. "With Only a Glance", a love song to Fluttershy, is heartfelt and a real standout. "Aphelion" is absolutely amazing, however. I really have no words for it. I'm kind of disappointed that the link he gives for physical copies doesn't work anymore, because I would definitely get one. And in fact, I can't even download this from Bandcamp. What the hell? Argh! Not fair. This is more a compilation than a full album, but it's a great compilation nonetheless and really shows off what Burgess can do.
And it turns out, after talking with the artist, that he's remastered everything and released it on the Jeff Burgess Master Collection, along with a whole bunch of other stuff: new songs, karaoke tracks, promo spots, the total works. So! The remastering is immediately obvious. Honestly, a few of the songs from Born to Trot could have used a touchup, so I'm feeling positive about this. New songs include "Beyond the Rainbow", which I think is about Scootaloo, and "Berry Punch", which is actually pretty awesome. "I'd Wait a Lifetime for You" is kind of a loping ballad with a very particular late 70's sound, while "Roselucky" is a bubbling tune with beautifully lilting vocal work. He's rearranged the order of tracks on this album as well; instead of having all the funny stuff together, it's spread out, and I think it works better altogether. "The Shrine to the Two Sisters" is another great instrumental like "A Funeral at Twilight", the opener from Born to Trot. I think, all things considered, this is a tremendous improvement over an already great album, and absolutely worth the 7 dollar asking price. No physical copies, but I'll be downloading this one, at least! 8.5/10
Jeff Burgess and the Bad Mares- Autumn Nights: I did something with this album that I've never done before: prior to listening to it, I primed myself by reading the lyrics. I got chills. This is INTENSE. It's a look at Vinyl Scratch's life: her quest for fame, success, relationship with Octavia, and fall. The lyrics are emotional and sometimes brutal, like a slice across the wrist. Occasionally, they're surprising, like in the song "Spiderbite" where she laments that she envies the fame Fluttershy found, and also that Fluttershy was able to walk away from it. Or in "Makeout Spots", which is jaunty and high-spirited in tune despite being entirely about regrets. Most of the album is like that, in fact, high energy tunes with fairly depressing lyrics. Burgess's vocals are sometimes oddly off key, but that has the effect of adding a raw edge that complements the mood more than the melody. He's assembled quite the all-star roster of collaborators, too: Griffinilla, Steven AD, Feather, MEMJ, Rina-chan and more. Through it all, Burgess proves he's one of the fandom's most dedicated rockers. This is a true odyssey, conjuring up shades of Janis Joplin and Elton John while continually reinventing itself; note the 8-bit background of "Everything's Staged". If this isn't the brony fandom's best album to date, it is without a doubt the most ambitious, and every one of those ambitions is met. This is a raw, bold and uncompromising vision and absolutely worth the time to listen to. (It was one of my top three albums of 2014.) 9/10
The Cats Millionaire Million Dollar Mixtape!: This starts off with a slow, bayou jazzy piece from Le Soldat Pony and then moves into the Mountains Mares version of "Exclusive Royal Canterlot Wedding Playset", a favorite of mine. Adam the Walker does a neat piece that sounds like it's about Twilight at her low point, or maybe Fluttershy. It's got a really weird indie feel that I dig. This is followed by a couple tracks of weird post-rock and Cherax Destructor's awesome remix of "Black Snooty". Unfortunately, and this is gonna sound bad, I've never been that interested in Cats Millionaire's music, and the songs that are closest to her originals are the ones I like the least. Still, there's a lot of variety here, from rock to electronic to indie to really experimental, and it's a good tribute. Along with the songs I mentioned, I liked "Next Level Gripe" by RainSnowHail and Adam the Walker, "No Wi-Fi" by Yellow Bile, and the acoustic version of "Yellow Horse". 6.5/10
General Tso's Chicken- Forever Friendzoned: You can't find this anymore, but I got confirmation somewhere down the line that it was actually be Jeff Burgess, so HERE WE ARE. Yeah. The first track is the MLP theme song played on the word "Some" which starts off "All Star" by Smash Mouth. Then we have "All Star" set to Eurobeat Brony's song "Discord", and I'm dying. This whole album is hysterical. "All Star" gets a little old after a while, but seeing the range of songs it can be mashed up with, just... I can't. I can't even. Also some of this is excellent commentary on how fucking awful pony parody songs can be. 7/10

And finally we're going to finish with a really big, non-pony release:

zircon- Identity Sequence: There's a very rich sound to this, not overproduced but full, and of course the lovely voice of Jillian Aversa only adds to that. Oddly, it's the third track, with a male vocalist, that really kicks this album up a notch. It's pure vocal trance of a quality I've only ever heard from big-name published artists. Like, Zedd "Spectrum" quality. This is amazing! The title track is unspeakably amazing. I can't even put it into words. I can't even identify the styles being used in it! According to the blurb, this is the culmination of five years of work. I think it shows. I have listened to a lot of albums this year, and frankly, I can't remember the last time I heard a trance record, or even electronica in general, that was this perfect. Album of the year 2012. 10/10, and probably only the sixth or so 10 I have given out in over six years of music reviewing.

I've been around, but not too talkative over the last... 6 months, according to my sidebar. Time to change that. I'm actually posting this one here! You can find it on my tumblr, of course, along with the explanation of what I'm doing. Since this involves furry music, I figure it's only right to post here. Enjoy what's to come! Or ignore it, I'm sure no one expects anything from me anymore. :B If you want links to the albums, go find 'em in that tumblr post.

 megawolf77- Let's Be H*ppy!!
This one was released on FA in September 2011, and you can still find it on his account. He's combined numerous styles -- dance, trance, chiptune, even gabber -- into a very solid presentation built around a theme of happiness. Speaking as a fan familiar with megawolf's body of work, I was expecting something overall a little more energetic, but the energy levels do pick up over time and true to the title, it WILL leave you feeling upbeat by the end. Standouts include "RainbowSky Power-Up", "Saccharine and Bitterness", "Spread Your Wings", "2 B With U 4 Ever", "8BIT1983", "An Emotion of Sound", "Horizon" and "Sunburst". 8/10

Laboratory5 - R35URR3C7 & R3C0NN3C7
This is a dark electropop collaboration between longterm FA musician  technomancer. and relative newcomer Max Static, aka  navitastracer. It was release October 2011 on bandcamp. It's an EP consisting of 8 tracks and 6 remixes. It's got a good opener, but things quickly become confused and disjointed. Thin synths leave much to be desired, and the only vocal track, Sub Level 07, shows off a desperate need for vocal richness, for it has a far fuller sound than most. The remixes are generally better overall, though the DJ Micha remix of Code Red is a very poor ending to the album. Despite being a collaboration between two successful industrial artists, one of them very prolific, this offering is less than the sum of its parts. Falling flat in places, it presents nothing for the ear to grab hold of, instead meandering through a mishmash of sounds that never form any cohesive whole. Standouts include "Awake in the Dark", "Existence" and the Technomancer remix of Sub Level 07. 5.5/10

Look Left- Master of Tiny Shoes
Look Left's third outing was released for sale on their website and Bandcamp. I was very confused by this album at first, until I noticed an undercurrent of bizarreness which strangely enough holds this otherwise disparate collection of songs together as an album. It brings to mind the original sense of the word carnival: a time of upheaval of the status quo where the lower classes and downtrodden could rejoice in openly mocking their superiors. It is that connotation of the word I ask you to keep in mind when I say that Master of Tiny Shoes is a true auditory carnival experience. The tracks are goofy if not downright funny, and there's lots of fooling around on the muscians' parts in between songs. To see what I'm getting at, check out the off-key rendition of Ach du Lieber, Augustine after "If You're Not Worried" and the raucous closing rendition of "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt" followed by lots of screaming, a perfect way to end this record. I especially loved "Goin' to Maine", as Maine is such an amazing place, being like Canada and all. I had a lot of fun with this, and I recommend checking it out; it's like nothing Left Look have done previously. 7.5/10

Pounce Aid
This is a really important album. Pouncival is a Brony voice actor who suffered a stroke in January of this year, at the age of 26. It left him paralyzed on his left side and unable to speak. Therapy has been restoring his movement and speech, and last I heard, he's doing pretty all right, but he's also uninsured and has racked up a sizeable medical bill, without any income to cover it. The fandom has been pulling together in numerous ways to help him out, and this was the event I was most waiting for. It features 25 tracks from a whole bunch of artists, including names like Reverbrony, Mush, GatoPaint, Screams from Equestria, and even Eurobeat Brony. He starts things off in high spirits with Spinning in Circles. This is followed by a rocking instrumental from Reverbrony, and a jazzy thing from Patrick Poe and GatoPaint. The first Screams from Equestria track is actually far softer than what I expected from them, an acoustic light metal ballad. Swedely, who I know mostly as another voice actor, brings a short audio play about Rainbow Dash crashing followed by a surprising rap. It's quite dark. MilTEC Audio's "Digital World" is a loping industrial piece with a cool hard sci-fi intro. The second Screams from Equestria track, fyi, is more what I expected, harsh vocals and whatnot. There's an inexplicable Paradise remix here, the Coldplay song. It's unfortunately just okay. Track 23 is so quiet I can't hear it. There's a whole lot of different stuff on this, from metal to soft piano, and it's only two dollars. Hopefully, you'll find a reason to give more to this cause. 7/10

The Friendship Album
This is a charity album put together to help a dude in Greece. The original kickstarter-type charity drive is long over, but you can still get the album on Bandcamp. So, how does it hold up? The opener needs more Aviators, for one. I kind of disliked General Mumble's Suite E at first, but it grew on me. Crash Distortion's Party Riot is pretty sweet, dirty dubstep, and I can say the same for Lectro Dub's Amygdala. Matthew Mosier's Wings of the Pegasi is wonderful and makes me miss him even more. Haymaker sounds great in the slow yet powerful Power Slipping. Tei the Pony's Alone in My Kingdom has a similar opening to Stickerbrush Symphony. It's overall not a great album and suffers from a certain amount of disjointedness inherent in compilations, but hey, it's for charity! 6/10

https://www.patreon.com/presentperfect

And it's geared towards what I do on Fimfiction, but if you ever thought I was someone worth supporting, here's your chance. The stretch goals will help improve my videos, including future episodes of I Love Music!

Top 20 and 20 more!

I'm so out of touch with this website anymore.

I suddenly have money! And I'm looking to commission a 10-15 second intro theme for my podcast! And I have no idea where to ask about this so I'm hoping someone who hasn't completely given up on me sees this and knows the answer. ._.

I'm only posting this because I'm going to be removing... probably all the writers I watch. Fact is, I don't do any writer stuff on this site anymore, and I haven't read any writing for a good four years. I'm trying to trim down the time I spend browsing online, and if I have fewer things coming into my inbox (well, until I add more artists later), the better.

Mostly gonna get rid of anyone who hasn't posted in six months/has nothing on the first page of their gallery I actually like. Will probably lose people who I used to consider friends and have fallen out of touch with. Nothing personal. :B

EDIT: Oh my god, I dumped 450 people. @_@ Many of those were dead or closed accounts. There weren't nearly as many whose styles I reevaluated as less interesting, though.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/.....ep-a-smash-hit

Travis Ratledge, aka  colson Grainger, aka The Everpresent Melancholy, aka Polite Fiction, etc., etc., has teamed up with another dude to produce an EP. You can find all the pertinent info on their page what I linked above, but suffice to say I was convinced by just the first few seconds of their preview track. I know Colson's always been a fantastic musician, so I have no doubt that this will be a train worth boarding. Go listen for yourself and see if you agree!

...Will be available on tumblr! You can check out my reviews of Lorde's album Pure Heroine, Random Access Memories by Daft Punk, Imagine Dragons' Night Visions and more!

You can subscribe to me or just follow the #i love music tag for more. Reception hasn't been too strong here lately, and I really don't enjoy formatting the things twice. I'll be moving ILM away from FA as time goes on, and this is just the first step, so stay tuned.

This is all I can think of:

Architects- Daybreaker: What starts as a weird mix of progressive dreaminess and indie lackadaisicality turns disappointingly into post-hardcore. And after the first track, everything but the post-hardcore screaminess goes to the wayside and there's just no way I'll like this. 4/10

Blue Foundation
Blue Foundation: I have no idea who this group is and I downloaded six albums from them because I do things like that sometimes. The first one was a single or something, so let's start with this instead. This is a very chillout sound, so much so that I'm sort of blanking on any details. I'm not feeling this at all, I hope they aren't all like this. 4/10
Sweep of Days: They seem to have picked up a bit more of an Engima sound here, involving actual percussion to carry the admittedly slow melodies but still keep things interesting. This is actually surprisingly good, new agey and soothing with some very subtle power to it. 6.5/10
Life of a Ghost: Changing again, this time a bit more indiepop than anything. That said, it's got more of a penchant for being listless than the previous record. Some of the tracks are downright dreary; it's back to their debut again. There are some good tracks here, but they're few and far between. It does end on a high note, at least. 5.5/10
In My Mind I Am Free: This is more like the last album. If you like that one, you'll like it, but I'm finding myself stuck on #2, so this is somewhat disappointing. It doesn't have any standouts. 5/10

Blood on the Dance Floor- Evolution: I keep hearing about this group, usually in the context of "bands everyone hates", but I can't say I've ever actually heard any of their music, so I decided to see what all the fuss was about. And it takes me about a minute to find the answer: these guys are crunkcore. They're hiding it behind some decent pre-dub beats, but after one minute, the guy starts gargling into the microphone. And this is on top of really simplistic lyrics, simple enough that it feels like they either weren't trying or have no talent. And let's not even talk about the horrendous choice in "inspirational" quoted dialogue. Oh my god I can't believe I'm listening to this, this is awful. The only thing I can say for them is they're better than Brokencyde by virtue of having better backing tracks, but that is the faintest praise that I think has ever been mustered. 3/10

Periphery
Periphery: I love how madcap some of these song titles are. "Jetpacks Was Yes!"? "Buttersnips"? "Totala Mad"? "Zyglrox"??? Sadly, it turns out they're mathy prog metal with lots of harsh vocals. The clean vocals are pretty decent, so this isn't the worst thing I've ever heard, but I'm having a hard time enjoying it. I'm pleased to say I do actually like "Jetpacks Was Yes!" And I have to stand in awe of the outro of "Icarus Lives!", another tune I like, in which someone hawks the album in an old-timey sideshow voice. I've never heard the like, not in this context anyway. 4.5/10
Periphery II: At least they make it easy to know which order the albums go in, and at least I know what to expect this time. Sadly, the track names aren't quite as goofy, "Froggin' Bullfish" notwithstanding. I'm actually liking this album less, somehow, though it seems slightly more polished than the first one. When you're dealing with this kind of music, it can be hard to tell. There's less of a balance between harsh and clean vocals, at any rate. It gets somewhat better as it goes, featuring what is their best song (in my opinion), "Erised", not to mention the only instrumental track on either album. 5.5/10

The Contortionist- Intrinsic: More harsh-vocal djent. It's like I haven't changed artists at all, except that I liked Periphery more, and that's not saying much. 4/10

10 Years- Minus the Machine: These guys remind me of nothing so much as Earshot, maybe a Breaking Benjamin or Saosin without the amazing singers. I'm pretty sure I've listened to them before, but apparently nothing stuck. And, well, it's not doing much for me now. The songs are very cookie-cutter hard rock with unmemorable hooks. 4.5/10

Yeasayer- Fragrant World: The first song in this album features a sound that I can only characterize as a punctured bagpipe. I knew these guys were indie, but c'mon, that's a little out there. Aside from being weird, this doesn't have much to offer, which is unfortunate, as I like Yeasayer. Or, well, at least one song of theirs. So maybe I should've kept my hopes low; time and time again, I find that one good song does not translate into good albums. 4.5/10

Conor Maynard- Contrast: Who the hell is this guy? I must've half-liked a single on the radio or something and grabbed the album. This is so base pop it hurts. Trying to figure out what song I might've liked; maybe I just pulled this out of the "new albums" list. It's pretty bad, all things considered. Also, his name is stupid. 4/10

Peter White- Here We Go: Oh, speaking of things I found on the radio, here's a new thing for me: smooth jazz. See, we've got this station at the top of the dial that's all smooth jazz and some other really easy-listening stuff, and it turns out it makes a nice escape from the top 40 bullshit. So I've started hunting down the occasional artist, and this is the first result of that effort. I may in fact not have the words to properly review this, because I've generally avoided this style of music my whole life. I believe the first track, "Night After Night" was what brought me here. It's got a really great classical guitar, which is something I've a severe sucker for. It's a big reason why I've been enjoying this stuff lately. I think the trick here too is to be soothing while still having a good beat. There's a lot going on in these songs, so they don't get boring. Admittedly, I'm starting to flash back to the elevator music of my childhood; it's amazing how much this genre hasn't changed. I think it's the saxophone. But yes, this really slows down when it gets slow. While I don't think I'll pick this up, I am very impressed, and it bodes well for future jazz excursions. Because believe me, they are out there. 7/10

Wilson Phillips
Wilson Phillips: Wilson Phillips is an all-female pop group comprised of two of Brian Wilson's daughters (Carnie and Wendy), and the daughter of two members of The Mamas & The Papas, Chynna Phillips. Quite a powerhouse lineage there! Their self-titled debut came in 1990, and I can't help but notice how early 90's it is: soft synths, electronic drums, saxophone, it's all there. I suppose it shouldn't be too surprising, considering who the singers are, that I'm finding myself reminded of Heart's softer works now and again. But despite their talent, this is really fluffy and not going to appeal to anyone who isn't really into early 90's pop. 4.5/10
Shadows and Light: This is a bit more sprightly, but again it's just pop, and not terribly deep or memorable. 5/10
California: Flash forward twelve whole years and we get a cover album! It features classics like "You're No Good", "Go Your Own Way", "Turn Turn Turn" and "Monday Monday". They bluesed up "You're No Good", which really adds something to an already good song. "Go Your Own Way" is transformed into a breathy love ballad. They turned the rock way up for this and it really stands apart from their previous efforts. 6.5/10
Dedicated: This is also a cover album, mostly Beach Boys and Mamas & Papas songs. Nothing like following directly in your parents' footsteps, I guess. That said, this is a good collection, and if you like female pop and/or 60's surf tunes, there's a lot to enjoy. But it definitely doesn't hold a candle to California, being far more easily pop. 5.5/10

Hot Water Music- Exister: Bombastic hard rock with a grit-voiced male singer. This is really energetic and fun, but not terribly memorable. 6/10

Beach House- Bloom: Really weird kinda-dream. Despite how much I like dream though, this isn't terribly interesting, for reasons I can't quite pin down. A couple standouts, but nothing beyond that. 5/10

Amadou & Mariam
Sou ni Tilé: These folks come out of Mali, bringing heartfelt French lyrics to some rather soothing music. Like Tinariwen, they blend modern and traditional styles into something really awesome. This does get a little drab toward the end, but for a first(ish) album, it's not bad. 5.5/10
Dimanche a Bamako: This is immediately more energetic than Sou, featuring more rock-like instrumentation. There's a definite branching out, but then there are also quite a few years between the two. Despite this, it feels like more of the same, growing tiring toward the end. 5.5/10
Welcome to Mali: This starts off with some soft-synth dance music, quite the departure from the last one. Needless to say, this album shows off a lot more versatility, not to mention pop styling. It even features collaborations, including one with K'Naan. This is really great, if not totally cohesive, and I think I might pick it up. 7.5/10
Folila: Their newest album features even more collabs, with the likes of Santigold and members of TV on the Radio and the Scissor Sisters. That said, this is lacking something. I think maybe they've gone too far from the purity of where they began, diluted it with more standard pop leanings. And I forgot to finish this review. 6/10

The Temper Trap- The Temper Trap: I listened to Conditions first and had literally nothing to say about it, so let's try this one, from 2012. This is immediately more interesting, less dreary indie rock than, well, good indie rock. That's not to say there aren't some really, really weird parts to this, but yeah, it's better, and at least worth talking about. "The Sea Is Calling" reminds me of the Doves somewhat. The niftiness definitely runs out toward the end, which is disappointing but never surprising. Still, you could do worse. 5.5/10

Ladyhawke- Anxiety: This is really awesome indie rock with buzzing synths around the corners and a powerhouse track in "Black, White & Blue". This is all around a pretty interesting album, with a decent amount of variation to keep things from getting dull, not to mention lots of energy and a good singer. Fans of groups like CHVRCHES will be interested in these folks. 6.5/10

Avantasia- The Mystery of Time: Avantasia is a name I’ve known for a while as non-prolific but otherwise excellent fantasy metal, and this album is no exception. The first four tracks of this album comprise one of the most perfect openings I have ever heard. Thankfully, the rest of it stands up to that, even if it isn’t quite as amazing. Still, when each song makes me stop at the end and go “wow”, I know I’ve stumbled onto greatness. And that’s a very good thing, considering some of the songs are over ten minutes long. 8.5/10

Zedd- Clarity: I still love “Clarity”: the original, the remixes, I don’t care, I love hearing it everywhere. Yet, despite what a good job Odyssey did remixing it, I’m actually not a big fan of the original “Spectrum”. Luckily, I think the version of it on this album is completely new, and has the strong beats that were so lacking in the version I heard initially. And while the vocal tracks veer back and forth between these two not-so-extremes in terms of quality, I have to say that I found the non-vocal tracks to be overall entirely more compelling. I’ve never heard any of Zedd’s instrumental stuff before, but it’s all really good. This also features good collaborations with Bright Lights, Hayley Williams, Miriam Bryant and Empire of the Sun. This is a great album for dance and house fans. If you’ve heard any of Zedd’s stuff before and liked it, you’ll likely enjoy the whole thing. 8/10

Great Lake Swimmers
Great Lake Swimmers: These guys immediately remind me of Fleet Foxes, with their laconic, dreamy indie folk-rock. It’s perhaps a little too laconic and dreamy, as it’s putting me to sleep, but I have definitely heard far worse in this style. Which is to say, it’s good, but not something I’d want to listen to on a regular basis. I fear for the rest of this discography. 6.5/10
Bodies and Minds: More of the same. There’s literally nothing else to say about it. Fear intensifies. 6/10
Ongiara: Okay, the one thing I can say about Bodies and Minds is that they do some neat things with a choir. This lacks that, which is a shame, because I’m starting to get tired of them and could use something interesting for a change. I’m most growing tired of songs like “I Am Part of a Large Family” with single-sentence choruses that are repeated ad nauseam. 5/10
New Wild Everywhere: This starts off somehow even more dreary than what came before it. That said, this actually has some attempts at energetic songs for once. unfortunately, they all sound like country. Despite that, I would probably place this as their best album since the first, as it offers something more than slow banjo tunes. 6/10

Andy Taylor
Dangerous: No idea which order these go in, so let’s go with “alphabetical”. Andy Taylor, if you’re not aware, is the guitarist from classic 80’s pop group Duran Duran. That said, this has pretty much nothing to do with Duran, being more a straight rock album, and a cover album at that. It includes classics like “Feel Like Making Love”, “Lola”, “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Mustang Sally”. It’s a decent collection, and fans of classic rock may like something, but it’s nothing spectacular. 5.5/10
Thunder: This one’s all originals, and I’m pretty sure I’ve actually heard the opener, “I Might Lie” before. Maybe as a dance song? This is definitely a more 80’s rock sound, though, so keep that in mind if the other album sounds more appealing. This is pretty decent, all things considered, and has a handful of good songs, but again, it’s nothing anyone’s going to rave over. 6/10

Scooter- Music for a Big Night Out: In case you're unfamiliar with them, Scooter have been THE name for rave and hard club tracks for close to two decades now, and now I feel old. They start this one off in weird form, with a rave version of Beck's "Loser". But after that, they're back in form... until track 7, which is maybe one of the strangest things I have ever heard out them. It's like 8-bit carnival music and it unfortunately breaks the album in half. So, not their best record, but they've got so many, it almost doesn't matter. Also, they do a mean cover of "Black Betty". 6.5/10

Local H- Hallelujah! I'm a Bum: Here's a name I haven't seen in forever. These guys had a really really minor alt rock hit back in the mid-90's, and that's about all I can say for them. Well, they've definitely grown up a lot since "Bound for the Floor", which I suppose shouldn't be too surprising. Unfortunately, they just sort of sound like every alt-rock band ever, mildly stripped-down and generally angry. There are a couple intriguing songs, but I'm definitely not feeling this overall. It's too unpolished. 5.5/10

Deftones- Koi no Yokan: The Deftones are another "I've never liked them but they did one song I like so I have to follow them" band. This is not what I expected the Deftones to sound like, however. The closest comparison I'm coming up with is "Coheed and Cambria crossed with Godsmack", a heavy nu-metal sound with distinct progressive movements. The harsh vocals I expected show up in the third track, but everything before that is surprising. Ultimately, that first impression doesn't define the album, though, and I end up not liking this. 6/10

Soundgarden- King Animal: I feel like it's been a while since I heard Chris Cornell in his original band. Everything he's done lately has been solo or Audioslave. I do appreciate that the first track is called "Been Away Too Long". But while this starts out good, everything blends together after a while. I was never really a huge Soundgarden fan, and beyond the fact that I like Chris Cornell's voice, well, this just sounds like a Soundgarden album. 5.5/10

Lifehouse- Almeria: At the start, I'd thought they were trying to capture the current indie-folk sound pervading radio rock, but it turns out this album is all over the place, covering that, their more familiar sound, stadium rock, and even blues. I really have no idea what they're thinking, other than throwing everything they can to see what sticks. Their next album might be surprising, but this one's a mess. 5/10

Green Day
¡Uno!: In the second half of 2012, Green Day released a trio of albums, starting (unsurprisingly) with this one. And from the opening chords of "Nuclear Family", it's like stepping back in time to the Green Day of last century. In fact, after hard-hitting, big-issue albums American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, this can easily be called "lighthearted". But, despite the return to their hooky pop punk roots, I'm not finding myself swept up in this. Of course, Green Day is one of the bands who've never put out an album I liked beyond their greatest hits, so that's really nothing too surprising. I do find myself enjoying songs like "Let Yourself Go" despite the simple, repetitive chorus and slightly less than enthralling verses. But, a return to form is always nice, especially when it's so well executed. 6.5/10
¡Dos!: This is apparently highly influenced by their work as Foxboro Hot Tubs, so I'm not expecting the same old thing. From the get-go, it sounds more stripped-down, less energetic, and all-around less punk. Compared to the last album, it one has a much more mature sound. This is a very different Green Day from what most people will be used to hearing, with lots of garage rock and a little, dare I say it, rap. Not quite as cohesive as Uno, it's nevertheless far more interesting. 6.5/10
¡Tre!: I do love the joke with the title here. This album is something even more different from the other two, and yet the same. It starts off slow, which is unspeakably weird for Green Day. From there, it kind of goes all over the place. "X-Kid" really sounds like classic Green Day, I'm talking pre-Dookie. This ends with a piano ballad, when does that ever happen? It's something of a smooth ride from new and weird to tried and true, at least, but this is definitely the least cohesive of the three albums, and overall my least favorite. I will commend them for trying new stuff, though. 5.5/10

Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar In: Marrying the Gunner's Daughter: The comeback no one saw coming. This starts off strangely Dylan-esque, by which I mean it sounds like Adam Ant is doing his best Dylan impression. I don't know, I haven't listened to him in a while. I really only know him from "Goody Two-Shoes", which admittedly is a pretty fun 80's song, and I guess "Stand and Deliver", which is what I was expecting from this. The title-ish track delivers some of that, but this is very not good, to the point of some of the vocals being off-beat. This is dull and plodding. It lacks any kind of energy outside of "Marrying the Gunner's Daughter" and feels tired, like he just couldn't muster the effort to do any better. Some of these songs sound like they were composed on a Casio and posted on Youtube. I think we can call this "the comeback no one needed". 3/10 (Amusingly, the one song I liked is called "Bullshit".)

The Music Is You: A Tribute to John Denver: I was so incredibly stoked when I heard about this, you have no idea. Unfortunately, it starts with My Morning Jacket butchering "Leaving on a Jet Plane". I'm not kidding, this is a really awful cover and it totally killed my excitement for the rest of the album. Dave Matthews thankfully comes in with a cover of a song I'm not familiar with, but boy, there sure do seem to be a lot of really slow, mournful songs at the start of this. Train does a good job with "Sunshine on My Shoulders". And I suppose I shouldn't complain about country artists covering songs by an artist who was, technically, also country, but I am. Between that and the dreary indie rockers, there just isn't a lot to like about this. I mean, you've got Allen Stone doing a lovely version of "Rocky Mountain High" followed by a horrendous rendition of "Annie's Song", one of my favorite John Denver songs, by Brett Dennen and Milow. If the music is me, then I must be suffering from clinical depression, because this is a real downer of an album and it's absolutely not the John Denver tribute I was hoping for. 4.5/10