Game I've been making off and on the past few months

It's an Incremental game about making popcorn

Trying to motivate myself to finish it by the end of May :/

WHOA HEY GUESS WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING. I've been not making my March Top 10 list all month, that's what! Time to fix that.

1) Heave Ho by @BoomKitty & @Teminite

Pirate dubstep.

2) Homemade Lemonade by @Jacob

It takes guts to make a song about peeing. You'd have to be pretty damn certain of your music skills to make such a crass subject into a total banger, but my God, this song delivers in spades, being a legitimately entertaining song even outside the ridiculous lyrical content. It's wildly inventive, the mix is ear candy, and the rhythm is infectious. The song manages to jump around to different concepts without feeling unfocused or stale. If it weren't for Pirate Dubstep this would EASILY be my chart topper for the month.

3) Eden's Waterway by @mocobandit

I like me some DnB. I like fruitiger aero and jungle and all that good stuff. To me, it's the hamburger of music. Taste, easy and fun to make, and hits the spot without any resistance. That said, I find I am not often moved by DnB. It gets the job done, but rarely does a track ever "lead the pack" in terms of what I like or what I vibe with. This song is a worthy exception, with a wonderfully spacey atmosphere, some laser-focused energetic percussion, and some dreamlike melodies, this song manages to stick out nicely amongst the crowd, much like a pirate at a dubstep concert.

4) OTHER SIDE by @JAME24

The vocals here are simple but make for an effective opener. The drop lacks a bit on the low end, but makes up for it with electrifying synthwork and some catchy vocal harmonies. Well-paced and well-sampled. The only other improvement I can suggest to accompany the dubstep elements would be some kind of mariner's hymn about plundering and pillaging.

5) Open MinD -slow down- by @MinhoKUS

What is it about slowing down songs that gives them a completely different energy? By all means, this shouldn't work as well considering how little had to be modified from MinhoKUS's original song. The original song is good, don't get me wrong, but I greatly prefer the energy this slower, groovier version presents. The sampling feels more...cool. I want to stuff this song into some kind of homebrew Dreamcast game and just lose myself in Y2K nostalgia. This song is to the original version what dubstep is to pirates. You didn't ask for it, you don't know why it was made, but you're glad you live in a world where it exists.

6) PHASE LOCK by @ryjomusic

You remember that thing I said earlier? About mixing naval crooks with aggressive club music? No, I meant about DnB not always moving the needle past "Good" for me? This song happens to be another exception. The atmosphere here is absolutely dreamlike. As much as I like the Amen Break, I have a lot of respect for songs that do percussion their own way, as it feels less limiting and allows you to make stuff that feels more cohesive and less conflicting. There's not a lot going on in this song, but that simplicity is what makes the atmosphere so compelling. Less really is more here.

7) Whoops! All Growls by @Zoftie

This song is quite the kitchen sink, but it makes it all work in a nice way. A solid wall of sound that is aggressive without being antagonistic. The energy on display, from the buildup to the drop, is spellbinding. I feel like I could unleash ten thousand cannons on the dance floor. The keyboard and wind sections add some excellent variety without getting drowned out. This song might be too dense for some, but honestly, I like songs that push the envelope without being utterly overstimulating. The very slight tempo change in the second half hits you out of nowhere like a kinky slap in the face.

8) ᴀɴ ᴀʟɪᴇɴ ʙᴜᴛ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟɪᴀʀ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ by @Xorberax

This is such a nice little beat, I love the contrast of the sparse, slightly dissonant ambience being drowned out by a thick, soupy percussion. I can't say I picture this in an Adult Swim bumper or anything, but it still has that loveable late night vibe. Sometimes all you need is a good beat, or a few dozen able-bodied buccaneers, or a Macbook and the best knob-fingering skills since Richard D. James.

9) Chess [Purplerized] by @Dieswyx

At the center of this song is a simple yet catchy melody and progression, but it's explored and expanded in such a fun manner. I love the almost ragtime-sounding keyboards throughout, and the bright, starry lead synth. The way this song rides a line between sinister and aloof is just delicious. This song is as solid as the planks on a Colonial European sailing ship, and as dark as a dance floor in the calm before the bass drop.

10) stayin up late again by @Father-of-Death

A bit of a tonal shift from the other entries, but again, the simplicity and atmosphere here are just unmatched. The chiptune synth works well here, the chords have this wonderful liminal feel to them, and the percussion is super tight. The clarinet isn't TOO forward here, but I think this song doesn't waste any of what it is given to work with. The song matches the title perfectly. This song feels like being awake late at night, like you're burning the last few strands of the candle before you have to say goodbye to the day. It is a song to be appreciated for the space it creates, much like how I appreciate the unholy marriage of Skrillex to Blackbeard.

Honorable mention time! Being Sexy Is now Illegal by @SpecialGuacs was a little too goofy to put in a Top 10 bangers countdown, but I love the mood and the sense of humor, and honestly I'm still thinking about this song nearly 4 weeks later. Vocals could be a little louder, though. If being a banger was a crime, Heave Ho would be serving life in prison for multiple homicides.

You know the drill! Playlist is here. Rate, comment and follow the artists if you love the music! I've got even more runners-up in my Favorites!

AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE LISTEN TO HEAVE HO.

One of my dearest friends is scheduled to undergo an important medical/gender-affirming procedure later this month. The procedure is already covered, but he needs some help with the bills since he will be in recovery for several weeks. The goal is only about $1200, so anything helps, no matter how small. You can check out the page here.

I've been friends with Oliver for several years now. He has been such a good friend to me and I honestly don't think I'd be alive right now if not for his friendship and kindness. I really want him to get the help that he deserves. It would mean the world to me if you could donate or even just share this with others.

-GrapheneKid

I can't tell you how much of a task it was to compile February. The original list was like 30 songs. That said, I did manage to get it down to my 10 faves for last month!

1) JETLAGG! by @Wood3nLeaFMusic

• This is such a killer song, the second that percussion kicked in I was grabbed instantly. This artist has shown up in my lists before and I've seen them in other Featured lists and you know, I think by this point they've got just the sauce to get me hooked. This song is absolutely electrifying, the mix is so tight and clean, the pacing is perfect, and the rhythms are INFECTIOUS.

2) supernova (eni. remix) by @enipoint

• Another well-paced jam with great pacing and even greater drops. The light piano and classical elements balance very nicely with the dirty dubstep beats. The bass is absolutely mesmerizing as it dances around on the track. And that final drop near the end with the twinkling melodies being consumed by choruses and tinny-sounding filters is absolutely sublime, that drop alone absolutely rockets this song into Top 3 for me.

3) Beyond the Threshold by @MYYA

• I have a very light grasp of Geoplex's style, which was the attempt of this song, but I definitely think it captures that dense, professional yet playful spirit. The melodies are so addictive and everything is so well-mixed. There's a lot of texture here and the artist weaves their own style in a way that doesn't subtract from the song at all. Did you find the heavily-processed fart SFX? Because I can't. It's mocking me somewhere, I just know it!

4) Righteous [Purplerized] by @Dieswyx

• Just for reference, I listened to both the DnB track the artist made before this one, as well as the original trap-esque song that both beats were inspired by. This is a lovely evolution of the core melodies. While it does sacrifice some of the original song's feeling of melancholic triumph, it makes up for that with a dreamlike and energetic feel that marks a clear improvement over Dieswyx's previous track. In other words, it manages to really come into its own here.

5) Vamp by @ShirobonMusic

• The combination of dark ambience and dance music works so well here. I get vibes of M|O|O|N circa Hotline Miami. The sampling is so funky, the bass is pleasantly dirty, and the drop has a gothic tinge that I absolutely adore.

6) Into the Third Life by @TentaBeat

• While I'm not the biggest fan of Chiptune music, the artist does a great job implementing its elements into a DnB song without either genre fighting the other. The melodies flow very nicely and the song nicely carries its rhythm through the hectic moments and the softer, more contemplative ones. The electric guitar at the end is a very nice crescendo element.

7) I want you miss by @VariableGR and @ADR3-N

• With rap, I think sometimes people forget that it's not just about your rhymes or your flow, but also the way you deliver your words. There's a tender vulnerability in ADR3-N's voice that, honestly, you can't force. It feels raw and genuine, which matches PERFECTLY with the lyrical content here. It also helps that the flow is satisfying and it's backed by a very ethereal, solemn beat. Also for some reason it likes to break Newgrounds' audio player if you try to skip around. So, don't skip around. Just set it at the beginning and let it play in full. :P

8) until a second sunset by @djeb

• This is one of those songs that I'm going to remember for a long time. The percussion feels so organic and alive. The mix has so many cool little things to pick out with headphones. The vocals are superb, especially when they get pitch-shifted and cracked into such fun shapes with FX. Also, my god, the plucky synths are SO GOOD. Each movement of this song hits like a nuke. It's been a while since I've heard a song that has genuinely surprised me with how "uncommon" it sounds without sounding esoteric or deliberately obtuse. Just some delicious music.

9) Such a Pain by @Adehm

• The mix of Hip Hop and Bossanova works so well here. I definitely see the J Dilla influence. However, this song is messing with my memory a bit. I could have sworn I'd seen a request somewhere for somebody to put a rap to this track, and that sat on my head for a while. I think it could be a sick backing track for a rap, but I think the vocals might be a little too forward in the mix to accommodate a second vocalist. But it's not really a loss, as the vocals as they currently are work just fine. A very chill beat.

10) Quadruple Up by @Windstepper

• I have a soft spot for J-Funk. Not soft enough to really eat the stuff up like a connoisseur, but enough to where when I hear it, I settle into it like a nice comfy chair. This song is comfort food if you like J-Funk or played lots of Japanese video games. At once, the funky slap bass and the wah-y synthwork take me back to the days of my Dreamcast. The drumwork is very energetic but perfectly restrained in the mix, and the guitar solo adds some great variety. The jazzy, Japanese-style chord progressions dancing in and out of dissonance really tie the whole thing together into such a wonderful package.

This month's honorable mention is 5MinutesSinceISmoked (Extended Cut) by @chrisbasso. This song nails its surreal yet comforting vibe, and while it's not really in banger territory for me, I can't help but adore the creative use of synths and the sense of space the mix imparts on you. Feels like a shop theme for a JRPG. You know the ones. Where the guy who made it is also the composer and the writer and did some the spritework and also programmed it, and every room gives you such an intimate sense of being inside the creator's headspace while they were designing it.

Aaaaand that's it for February! Lots of other great songs I had to axe, so definitely check through my Favorites for more.

I have a playlist of these songs here. Check it out, follow the artists you like, and give rates and comments too! It might just make their day!

Last month was absolutely insane for me personally, which is why I haven't been able to put this out. But here we go! Top 10 songs for January.

1) Eulenlieder (Ravitex Remix) by @Ravitex

While this song does spend a bit of time on the buildup, it's absolutely worth it for how nasty that drop is, and the waltz-like tempo gives the entire thing a fresh spin, feeling just sparse enough to create tension but precise enough to convey a sense of sophistication and inspire some amount of awe. This one hits hard and hits to kill.

2) switchflip by @AZININE

This one is smooth and funky, with just the right amount of Y2K-style chords and some killer sample chopping.

3) 160_0rigami by @Bunchie

Ethereal and airy, this song excels at creating a wonderfully vivid atmosphere through bitcrushing and an open-ended mix that gives the whole thing a wonderful sense of space without losing that driving core beat.

4) oro by @mocobandit

Vaporwave-type beats will always be my kryptonite. This song is an absolutely sublime mix of retro chords and strings with some incredibly funky modern percussion. How I wish this song were longer!

5) Go Get Gregory by @ADR3-N

Driven by a solid beat and one hell of a plucky synth bass, this song builds a strong foundation to play around with its various deviations throughout the long runtime. Even though I've been using Mixcraft for over 15 years, I've mainly kept to my own little space, so it's always cool to see the stuff other people do with it. I would argue that the mark of a good composer is when they're using the same DAW as yours but you can't quite tell, because they've made the entire thing work for them.

6) Data Destruction by @BoomKitty

This song gives major GHOST DATA vibes with just a hint of Mega Drive and a dash of Perturbator, featuring a killer buildup, an electrifying drop, and an angelic choir. Of particular note is the 2-minute 35-second mark, where the bass goes on these filthy ascending ramps. If you need to get a speeding ticket and you don't have a lot of motivation, just throw this song on.

7) Ready 4 War by @LaserBrain

A wild and cocky dance beat with a synth that absolutely scampers around the track like a spider on the run. The DnB elements are a welcome addition and give the song these moments to pace itself without losing any energy at all.

8) Transitions by @HollandAlbright

Piano-only tracks are always nice little pieces regardless of how they're made, but I feel like they tend to get lost in the noise of the more bombastic electronic pieces on this site. I just remember that this song didn't immediately grab me, but each time I listened through it to evaluate it, I found myself transported to another place. The texture here feels very personal and there's such a smooth progression between the delicately soft moments and the intense, powerful ones. It feels like a very contemplative song, deeply melancholic but also intelligently reverent of the suffering and the joy needed to get to where one is now.

9) web surfing by @Charlmot

This song gives me nice fruitiger aero vibes with the optimistic chord progression and clean synthwork. The punchy percussion gives the song a sense of constraint, contrasting very nicely against the aquatic-sounding instrumentation. The whole thing is bright and tight with just the right amount of quirk. I've often felt a strange sense of sadness over the whole "fruitiger aero" aesthetic though, assuming that was the composer's intention here. I don't have the time or energy anymore to jump on trends like I used to, and as someone who emerged into adolescence around the time that FA was considered new and trendy, I have a deep sense of connection with it as more than just a cool shirt or a themed set of app icons for an iPhone. To feel connected to something that you can't possibly contribute to is a weird feeling as an adult. I guess that means the next best thing is to forge your own nostalgic path. But yeah, killer song.

10) Deth Throes by @ggsevv

Hip Hop is not a genre I'm intimate with, for very obvious reasons. I don't get the references or the design choices or anything. I like the songs; in fact, I like a lot of them. I can vibe with it, but I can never truly connect with it. That said, I really appreciate the skill on display here. Rapping without percussion puts more pressure on your vocal delivery to provide the rhythm, and this delivers. The jazzy beat is absolutely engrossing and sets the stage for such an intimate execution. The flow here is killer, too. Favorite line: "I do business that makes the competition sign no competes"

I have an honorable mention too! Invert by @Geoplex is a total banger with an unfathomable compositional depth to it. Definitely check out the walkthrough video. It's not really my kinda vibe, but there's a level of talent and experience on display here that is just unreal.

And that's it! I guess my February Top post will be pretty soon considering how long this took. I'll try to keep the turnaround quicker going forward.

As always, I've got a playlist of these songs here. If you like any of these songs, give the artists a follow and check out their other stuff!

Finally managed a 31-day streak of songs. My will to live may be dead but I've cooked up some tremendous stuff. Here's my playlist. I might drop this on Bandcamp too, because why not.

Next up on the list is my exponential game. Grab your popcorn and get ready, more info is coming soon.

Another month has come and gone! Time to pick some faves:

1) Crush by @smolrock

• This is such a tightly-made song, it's got a clean energy to it and some addictive progression. The song plays with lots of different instruments without feeling schizophrenic. I don't have too much to say here, this is just a well-made song with an addictive beat.

2) Limitless Departure [GDLT Original] by @oksuu

• Very pumping and atmospheric song. The melodies have an aura of mystery to them and the drop is just divine. Don't get caught speeding to this one.

3) Second Rate Town - Acoustic by @GoodKidBand

• This might seem like an unusual choice for my Top 10, but this is absolutely sublime pop-punk. Simple, melancholic melody, a clean acoustic mix, and great vocals. The lyrical content makes me reflect on my hometown and the state of rural decay in my own country. I think the singer does a good job capturing the bleakness of a small town that has lost its soul.

4) Guessing Games by @Candle

• My favorite songs are the ones where I immediately start imagining vocals that could go alongside the melodies. This song has such a catchy progression in its chorus, and the beat is intense without being obnoxious. Love the climbing progression.

5) D4004 by @KawaiSprite

• I've said in the past that it's hard to resist putting KawaiSprite songs on my lists, but I try to avoid going nuts with it since he seems to drop every month and has a hearty fanbase to prop him up. That said, I can't resist the pull of this beat, as someone who used to listen INTENSELY to How It's Made music as a kid. This song channels the likes of Auscultation and Foans very well, with its simple chords, bright melodies, and deep, ambient layered tracks that are drenched in effects. KS has lots of versatility as a producer, and this track is demonstrative of that.

6) lazuli by @korewakosu

• This is such a dreamy trance track. Excellent layering of synths and some nice elements from Y2K-style music. Vocal samples are frenetic but complement the song's tempo very well.

7) Stargirl by @TriangleReality

• This song has such a chill, intense drop. The percussion here is top-notch and the mix feels so spacey and dreamlike. This would be good in a game of some kind, but it's also just good music for hitting 80 on the freeway on a Saturday night.

8) NeedleDrive by @baryiscool

• This is some mean DnB. The bass hits like a chainsaw and it goes absolutely pants-on-head crazy during the drop. Definitely a pretty minimal track, but it has the right balance of ambience and dryness to give the song space to cook during the buildup, and to cool down after the drop.

9) Strawberry by @Chiru-san

• The track title here is appropriate, as this is a very saccharine song, like flying through stars made of sugar crystals. Some great vocal chopping here and a wonderful sense of ascension throughout. Great for dancing to.

10) Interstellar Hyperfunk Synthdrive by @Soultrek

• Another very appropriately-named song. The funk here is absolutely infectious, and the synths are just so groovy. Check the page for this song and you can see a small video of this artist solo-ing on the keyboard, it's so mesmerizing. In this age of sample manipulation and pre-placed MIDI notes, it's easy to forget that sometimes all a song needs to be great is an experienced human playing live improv.

There's my 10 for the last month of 2024! Check out the playlist here. Be sure to check these artists out and give them a rating and a comment if you like their stuff! I was late getting this out due to my ongoing participation in Jamuary, but next month's should turn around a little quicker.

November was a great month for bangers. A nice bit of variety, too. Here's my faves for the month:

1) VERTIGO by @Wood3nLeaFMusic

• It's such a great feeling when a song clicks for you within the first few seconds of playing. A wildly addictive chord progression, some punchy, intense mixing, lots of variety, beautiful vocals, and a viral sense of energy. You can't not bob your head to this one.

2) Hyper Link by @EX-LYD & @Sunnexo

• Another one of those "instant love" songs. An absolutely feral sense of energy is on display here, tied together with beautiful ambient melodies and some fancy synthwork all around. A wonderful chiptune ambient break makes its appearance about 2/3 into the song. The overall mix is hard and aggressive without feeling like it's weighing you down.

3) PEDAL TO THE METAL by @DPZ0

• This song is a wonderful fusion of dark/synthwave and house music. A pleasant array of samples throughout. The bass is nice and gross. Love the way the vocals are chopped and bitcrushed. Short and sweet, with lots of energy to boot.

4) GRIST by @ADR3-N, @SkankyMojo & @ShayInator

• So, confession time. I don't really like political songs. I feel like it is difficult to make a political song that is saying something profound other than the usual "hey rich people are dicks and poor people are getting screwed." That's not to say this is an unimportant or nonexistent issue, but it's kind of "low-hanging fruit" as far as subject matter. So what makes for a good political song, in my opinion? It's being a good song. Your song is the trojan horse through which you deliver your message to others. You make a good song, and your message will go far. So, to hop off my soapbox for a second, this song is incredibly catchy. The 90s new-jack esque style is executed very well here, the chorus is catchy, the lyrics have some genuinely clever hooks and the vocals are delivered with confidence and nicely-mixed.

5) Welcome To the Show (Feat. Kasane Teto) by @Kreagato

• Another high-octane song, this one is a nice mix of Eastern-style progression and Western-style aggression. Apparently the vocalist here is some kind of vocaloid program? While I don't know much about those kinds of tools, I honestly would not have guessed this was a synthetic voice. It's programmed in a way that feels fairly natural without losing its exotic, processed edge. Percussion is catchy, too.

6) Like That by @SVRGE & Cake Life

• A nice traditional-sounding House song. The buildup gets your attention, but oh man, that drop really takes you places. You know that one meme song from a few years ago that all the egirls and femboys would do hip-swaying vids to? Yeah, it hits like that, and it's viciously addictive to hear.

7) Violuric Acid by @chipsqueek

• I have a nostalgic soft spot for songs that mix traditional electronica with world instruments. If you've ever played SimCity 4 or just remember the year 2000, this song should feel right at home for you. Ridiculously catchy percussion. This song is packed to the brim with exotic samples and synths without losing focus or cohesion.

8) shopping in H&M be like by @Bunchie

• You know another thing I have a nostalgic soft spot for? That 2000s thing of jazzy house music playing against fashion-related content. Very weirdly specific, I know. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this song is a great evolution on Californian "haute couture" vibes, featuring a very strong repertoire of samples and a boppy, jazzy beat with some strong yet restrained percussion.

9) Aethergenesis by @debisco

• You know, I think I'm picking up a pattern here. We've got another song drawing nostalgically from an idyllic time in my youth, and this time its ps1-style jungle/techno. This song combines ethereal backing chords with some period-appropriate synths, pleasant orchestral hits and some solid percussion at a great tempo. A love letter to 32-bit game music.

10) taste nothing by @NEK0BABY

• I really love deep, dark ambient stuff. Something about how their melodic simplicity hides a staggering depth of complexity through the use of intricate FX stacks and mixing tricks. You really need to just play this song and sit and let it absorb you. Don't skip around on the waveform, just sit there and let yourself experience it from the beginning, because it will wash over you organically. The percussion is chill and punchy without obstructing the experience; the rails for the trip, you could say. Some nice garbled vocals throughout and a muted yet driving bassline complete the experience here.

As always, I've compiled a playlist of these songs here. Check out these artists' pages and give them ratings if you like their stuff! Looking forward to December for sure. And don't worry, I'm cooking up a veritable feast of music on my end. ;)

ALSO, I'd like to give an honorable mention to the song Synergy to Your Own Grave by @TeffyD. Not since the days of Train's song "Hey, Soul Sister" has a song so effectively convinced me to die on the inside and give up on life. <3

This month was hard! So many bangers got frontpaged. Here are my picks for best of the month:

1) Happy Holidays by @redcatmusic

• I can't even begin to put into words just how infectiously groovy and "springy" this song feels. Every part of it just feels so good. Not too long, not too short, the perfect amount of variety and a clean, balanced mix.

2) Corrupted Love by @KawaiiKittyKore

• Such a spacey, ethereal beat, held up by some sugary chopped vocals and superb percussion. Not a fan of the fadeout but man, I could easy bump this on repeat for hours.

3) [BOF:TT] BROWN SUGAR RUSH! by @Febbs

• This song gets an incredible amount of mileage out of a simple progression, leveraging a high-octane beat and some very feel-good synths to create a jam that doesn't overstay its welcome. The mix sounds solid and it's so easy to pick out the individual elements.

4) Subterrane by @turquoisedeath

• This is such a lovely atmospheric track, the mix is very well-balanced, meaning this track is versatile enough to work as a dedicated song to listen to or as background for something more intensive. Love the bitcrushed melodies and the variety in percussion elements.

5) Endless vicious cycle by @Dieswyx

• I've somehow managed to go my whole life without hearing someone do DnB with such an ominous, evil vibe to it. This song sells itself on the deliciously sinister chord progressions, but what really drives it into Top 10 status for me is the absolutely rancid bass. Seriously, you're gonna want to wash your headphones after hearing a filthy bass such as this one.

6) Crystallize by @BRYGAR

• Such a chill song. Despite having a very complex and forward mix, this song conveys an aquatic vibe and an almost melancholic mood very well through its blend of snappy percussion, atmospheric synths and catchy vocal chopping.

7) Fuel Funk by @MELVINIZED

• Like a great burrito, this song so effectively draws multiple textures and flavors together into a single, cohesive product that feels greater than the sum of its parts. The mix is so clean, the bell synths have such an intoxicating metallic tone to them. Just a groovy banger of a track overall, with lots of variety to keep itself fresh and entertaining without feeling disjointed.

8) Moving On Frustrations by @baryiscool

• Every now and then you hear some chords that just so eloquently capture some kind of feeling in your mind. This one sings to me of dealing with some kind of loss or grief, with just the right amount of angst sprinkled in. The artist says this reminds him a bit of Linkin Park, and as a huge fan of that band, I don't quite see the resemblance from a compositional perspective. Maybe you could argue that the electric guitar is very Meteora-esque. From a mood perspective, though, I totally see it. Also, this song is just begging for vocals. Maybe I'll doodle up some lyrics for him, could be a fun little exercise.

9) Final Rank - Late Homework OST by @Bassclefff

• I have a very passing interest in the Silent Hill games, of which I assume the game that this track was made for is drawing from. That said, I do enjoy the second game's music quite a bit and I understand that the early games seem to have a thing for unusually jazzy stuff mixed with unsettlingly ethereal melodies. I dunno, as soon as I get PCSX2 fixed and play through the first 4 games I'm sure I'll be able to better put this into words. Very nice Y2K-esque beat.

10) Sunny morning by @fr0gpr0

• I can't help but crack into a dumb smile when I hear this. It is so unapologetically carefree. Not a complex track or arrangement but every piece performs its role flawlessly. It also reminds me of the music GrayStillPlays would use in his Sims 4 videos, so hey, extra nostalgia points from me.

As always, I've got a playlist of the songs here. Be sure to check out each song and give the artist a rating and comment!

So ever since Newgrounds rolled out the Music category for monthly votes, I've been making a point to try and pick my favorites each time I get called up to vote. There were a lot of bangers for September, so it was really hard to narrow it down, but here's my picks:

1. electroCUTEd! by @GlitchCatMusic

• The sheer energy and headbangability of this song is absolutely insurmountable. You can't not dance in your seat. Nice variety, love the change of tempo midway in, just...love love love this song.

2. BAD NUMBER! (with disphing) by @Tangermusic

• Another good high-energy song, reminds me of some real good pop-punk songs where you have this contrast of fake-optimistic instrumentation with catchy downer lyrics. Such a good clean mix.

3. Stay Funky feat. Lotus Juice by @KawaiSprite

• I couldn't not choose a KawaiSprite song, dude really proved himself with the FNF soundtrack. The beat revels in its simplicity, evocative of old school hip hop. The vocal feature goes so relentlessly hard. A banger through and through.

4. Overclocked Chip [NGADM + NGUAC 2024] by @NatahDN

• You can tell the artist was having so much fun experimenting when they made this song. Very fun and well-paced, reminds me of prime Skrillex with the bitcrushed wobble bass and the stutter FX. A fun track to listen to for sure.

5. Conductor - NGADM Round 2 & NGUAC Finals! by @GameBoyFireworks

• This song is what I call "ear candy," mainly because of all the little clicks and various melodies and samples that float around you. The song could use a bit of a stronger climax but the progression is great at keeping you hooked and the mix feels so tight.

6. i want you near me <3 by @ValerianWitch

• Another exercise in simplicity, this song showcases the synergy between a wonderfully-programmed synth ensemble and a heartfelt guitar progression. The synths really sing here, and the guitar adds a wonderful empowering energy to the mix without tilting the scales into machismo territory. It may not share the same type of energy as the songs above it but it has a power all its own.

7. Hartebeest by @Yaelokre

• European folk music is likely a sparsely-populated genre on Newgrounds, but man, the mandolins on this song grab onto you and whisk you off into the sky. The vocals demonstrate superb range, flowing effortlessly between strong solo delivery and silky, enchanting harmonies. This song will not let you go.

8. Why We're Here by @Thingerthing

• This song is a buffet of good stuff. A little bit of fusion, a little bit of freeform, a little bit of cybercore, a little bit of chiptune, a little bit of alternative rock. It picks from so many different places yet manages to not feel weighted down during the listening experience. The percussion is a whirlwind that sweeps you off your feet without dizzying you.

9. Last in Line by @Ajtastic

• Oddly nostalgic. I never really listened to this style of rock growing up but the lyrical content is thoughtful and delivered with such elegant sincerity. The guitar work is excellent; you can feel each individual strum in your ears. A sense of existential urgency and fundamental call to action pervades the entire song.

10. Bounce Dat! by @ThatAndyGuy

• Infectious rhythm and a balanced of self-aware coolness and playfulness. This is a solid beat. The song gives itself enough room to experiment without overstaying its welcome. Like a delicious communal stew, it returns from each little "excursion" with something new to add to the core of the song.

I've put together a playlist of the songs here. Be sure to rate and comment on the songs' pages! Let the artists know what you think!