#crosslegged

Here's Ryan building a sandcastle, and honestly, he's doing a pretty good job of it!

aka my favorite albums of 2023 (some that came out this year, some that didn't)

1) Arlo Parks- My Soft Machine

Between the sheets of rhododendron and sky I cast my mind across the day you said you'd always be there I pushed a curl of hair away from your eye And said "It's sweet of you to lie" I know that's it's been a while since Came over It's hard to be unguarded I know I come across cold Dropping out like a stone When I'm crumblin', but I owe you the truth Wanna I melt right into you Melt right into you Let you be my glue Melt right into you, you I'm so easily wounded Glasses of pineapple juice out on the Heath My head in your lap You offer me space, wild bees and sweat I'm scared if I tell you, you'll think of me as weak I don't wanna be that friend that's always in pain So I bottle it up, it hurts when I do it We stare at the sun

(From Ghost)

Songs To Check Out

☆ Impurities

☆ I'm Sorry

2) Leith Ross- To Learn

When you say "leave," I run You said "Forgive me" I said "You did nothing wrong" 'Cause when you lie Then I lie on your back While you sleep to the sound of a gun

And I know that you know what I mean So at what point of you knowing Are you just controlling me? If I'd do anything for you, that means You know you could do anything to me You love to watch me dance Reshaping 'til you like me again But the eggshells all break and thin ice always caves And you just shake your head

(From To Me)

Songs To Check Out:

☆ To Learn

☆ Guts

3) MAITA- I Just Want To Be Wild For You

Holding my cold hands, cover up my mouth again Rising from the bed, I wish to pull you up I leave instead The carpets are new but the sheets are older than me and you I bought extra pillows, extra towels, picked a room to house two

I tried to tend you like a garden Water and a soft hand Peel you like some fruit I cannot trust Before I put you on my tongue

Holding my tongue as it holds everything and nothing steady You want to kiss me 'fore you leave I leave my hands on my knees I’m not ready Let's take us 'round the block The sun is bright and shining Oh, the timing Read to me the morning news I’ll sleep somewhere where you can't find me

I tried to tend you like a garden Warm you in your soft bed But you will burn a free man And I'll become a freezer Won't you ask me what is wrong And press me when I lie I know just how hard you try

(From You Sure Can Kill A Sunday, Part II)

Songs To Check Out:

☆ Loneliness

☆ Ex- Wife

4) Nonbinary Girlfriend- Big And Kind

No face monster Don't know who I am When I sleep at night No face monster Don't know who I am When you sleep at night (...) Could've seen some pretty girls And I wanna be like them Instead of who I am I'll take your face And I'll Glue it on mine And we'll We can pretend that You are not talking to yourself I'm nothing when I'll go to sleep At night I'm nothing when I'll go to sleep At night (...) When I'll see you You'll look like you know what to do When I'll see you I don't wanna be me anymore I'll take your face And I'll glue it on mine And we'll We can pretend that You are not talking to yourself (From No Face; transcribed it myself so pardon for any mistakes)

Songs To Check Out:

☆ Body

☆ Tender Hand

5) Macie Stewart- Mouth Full of Glass

One day I’ll find a house where we could live Shut your eyes, quiet night in weeping hands Tree of life with ripened vines that bear no fruit Turn away, feeding fire, and wasting heat Honeycomb, soft unknowing gritted teeth Canopy, covered island, warm and sweet Heaving sigh, wine and rye, that rings in tune Gone away, nervous laughter, fitted sheet One day I’ll find a house where we could live

(From Where We'll Live)

Songs To Check Out:

☆ Finally

☆ Golden (For Mark)

6) Black Belt Eagle Scout- At The Party With My Brown Friends

How you look at me In the brightness of your room Imagine The lightness of my fingers on your face Run through your hair Across your neck Light breaks across your room I never knew I’d like half colored hair so much But in the light I never knew I’d like half colored hair so much But in the light I never knew I’d like half colored hair so much But in the light I never knew I’d like half colored hair so much How you look at me In the brightness of your room Imagine What it’s like to wake up every day Here in the bay A time untouched Light breaks across your room

(...)

But I knew I’d like you I knew I’d like you I knew I’d like you So I didn’t care Cos I care for you

(From Half Colored Hair)

Songs To Check Out:

☆ Real Lovin'

☆ You're Me And I'm You

7) Thao And The Get Down Stay Down- A Man Alive

Decades to decide I need decision Decades to decide I will never be satisfied With how I have been living I must find and capture an astonished man Hold him till he knows he is forgiven You don't look for me But I will look for you Without a wish to see Anybody new You don't look for me How I will look for you Without a wish to see Anybody new (...)

I wake So worried, worried Yet I won't Hurry, hurry Fast asleep As only the careless can How far gone, how far flown How far flung could I be When all along, all along You have belonged to me How far gone, how far flown How far flung could I be When all along, all along You have belonged to me Decades to decide I need decision I must find and capture an astonished man Hold him till he knows he is forgiven (From Astonished Man)

Songs To Check Out:

☆ Nobody Dies

☆ Give Me Peace

8) Elisapie- The Ballad of the Runaway Girl

When I'm longing for you All my dreams come alive Take me down take me down south Take me down Feel the warmth Feel my blood circling Feel the warmth Feel my blood circling Don't ever make me blue Don't ever sacrifice Baby let's keep it pure Pure Asiumanniqi naniinniqi My sorrows turned me in Then you came Then you came You came for me (...)

(From Don't Make Me Blue)

Songs To Check Out:

☆ Call Of The Moose

☆ Arnaq

9) Crosslegged- Another Blue

Hey, baby, you know to see me And you've got something to complete me And only in the battlefield you get over I got you on my mind, embedded your taste Oh, you rectify my life, only the right, only right I swear you need me, okay But sincerely, embed, I nearly got him And even when I ask about your name And even when I go, I sound insane I ride on or I die with you, it's in my blood Don't want to, to go out lately And you've got something to complete me (...) Still in bed, see, I'm not contained yet But I'm a novice, I think you'll regret, so

I get up

(From Only In The)

Songs To Check Out:

☆ Heaven Is Real

☆ Automatic

10) Shana Cleveland- Manzanita

Faces in the firelight A blooming room inside the night Do you love me like I do you? You are just a little light Exploding on all sides Do you love me like I do you? My babe, 'til our time is through I'll wait for you For you You are just a little light Exploding on all sides Do you love me like I do you? And I am just a little late To where I'm going everyday But I always arrive with you My babe, 'til our time is through I'll wait for you For you For you For you (From Faces In The Firelight)

Songs To Check Out:

☆ Walking Through Morning Dew

Little owl is ready for storytime.

____

ANOTHER BLUE! Coming to the planet on January 27th.