Related Recs

💿

Listening to the same song(s) repeatedly (until you don’t)

While I love lots of music and have created way too many playlists, I always get fixated on the same five songs during a period of time, before inevitably finding new ones to be attached to (and “retiring” the previous ones into the void of my Spotify liked list). I used to think it was a strange way to listen to music, especially since I can be so obsessed with a select # of songs and then just forget they exist, or only revisit years later. But when I do go back, or hear the songs play out in the wild, it’s so cathartic and bittersweet. I can remember the exact chapter of my life, how I was feeling at the time/what I was going through, and it reminds me how much time has passed and all the experiences I’ve had/the various people I’ve met (temporary or not). I can remember and feel the feelings, and then just allow it to fade back into the background. I doubt I’m the only one listening to music this way, but if that’s not you, it’s a sentimental outlook to lean into!

@beansilbob

Sep 17, 2024

🎸

listening to whole albums

This is how music was meant to be listened to. I miss life before Spotify with my iPod that had my fav artist‘s discographies categorized by album all waiting to be consumed as a whole piece of art. Our attention spans are getting so bad—an album requires time and patience and allows for a deeper satisfaction. Try listening to one whole album a week! It’s great.

@betsyhehe

Feb 29, 2024

🔕

enjoy the silence

not a rec for depeche mode, but a rallying call for the beauty of silent mode. i am a headphones in, world out girl. rise and shine, i dial into a little classical or jazz. hop in the shower, and i'm crooning to 80s ballads. the kitchen beckons me for dinner, and blood orange sets the scene. time for bed? i dial it down with studio ghibli film soundtracks or some brown noise. Yet today, i decided to go on a run without headphones (!) As daunting as that felt, once i was in the swing of my run, i was having the best time! i was paying more attention to my surroundings, present in my body, oogling at all the blossoms in bloom and partaking in some much needed thoughts and feelings admin! listening to music is an intentional act, yet with widened access to music via streaming services, and music discovery assigned to algorithm rather than humans (ai dj, "curated mixes"), it is so easy to consume what's fed to us, or put something on for "background noise", rather than taking in the artistry of so many musicians! but yeah, tl;dr the next time you connect that bluetooth speaker, or plug in that aux, know that your soundtrack can also be your own existance ! how enthralling !

@caffy

Apr 17, 2025

Top Recs from @chilly_olive_heron

🌞

Subtle intimacies

— untangling a necklace with a needle for someone (my dad used to do this for me when I was younger, felt like such a delicate ritual) — sitting on a couch with someone (aka your current crush) and both caressing a cat that’s between you and the other person …a silent „we’re both here, coexisting, vibing„ moment — braiding someone’s hair (the gentle tug, the trust, the rhythm) — tuning a violin or a guitar (recently watched my friend do this and she was so intimate with her instrument, fine-tuning every string, taking her time… it was kinda mesmerizing) — asking someone about their perfume (I noticed you, I want to remember how you smell) — people in busy public places that close their eyes and hold still for a moment just to soak in some precious sunrays Loved this question!

@chilly_olive_heron

Jan 19, 2025

🎞

Stalker

Is a Soviet sci-fi film (by Andrew Tarkowski) that follows three guys who head into this mysterious area called "The Zone." There’s supposedly a room there that grants your deepest wish, but it’s a weird, eerie place that messes with your mind. The whole thing feels surreal and philosophical, making you think about life, desires, and what we’re all really after. It’s haunting, beautifully shot, and sticks with you long after it’s over

@chilly_olive_heron

Oct 26, 2024

🥀

Weltschmerz

In German, Weltschmerz-literally “world-pain”-is that melancholic realization that the world, with all its flaws, suffering, and brokenness, falls painfully short of how we feel it should be. It’s not just personal sadness, it’s more like an intellectual reckoning with the gap between reality and its potential beauty. Right now, the world’s on fire (literally and figuratively), and Weltschmerz captures the vibe perfectly. Think of it as a big, collective sigh-beautifully sad, hopelessly existential, but also oddly comforting, like listening to a Lana Del Rey song. Or the 2012 tumblr era. When I was a teenager, I’d feel down out of nowhere-like a weird, weighty sadness without a clear cause. My mom would look at me and say, “Ahhh, Weltschmerz,” like it explained everything. And honestly? It kind of did. It wasn’t about a bad grade or drama with friends. It was just there, this intangible ache tied to something bigger, like feeling the weight of the world without knowing why. the twist is: Weltschmerz, rooted in Romanticism, isn’t entirely hopeless. Yeah, it aches, but it’s the kind of ache that inspires. Great art, big ideas, it all comes from that mix of sadness and longing for something better. So yeah, Weltschmerz might be beautifully tragic, but it’s also a quiet relief, like sighing out everything heavy and feeling a little more connected, a little more human!

@chilly_olive_heron

Jan 12, 2025