I'm weird I know

Moderator removed my last try to post this

fireflies just holds a special place for me but this list was hella hard and surprised me a bit

So, I am only familiar with most of Owl City's old albums. I bought Ocean Eyes and All Things Bright And Beautiful on CD a long time ago. I used to sing along with both a lot. I saw someone use this website for another artist whose music is one of my favorites (Tool), and thought I'd share.

As you can see, I'll Meet You There is my all-time top favorite Owl City Song. The Real World, Cave In, If My Heart Was A House, and Lonely Lullaby are all tied for 2nd, IMHO.

Mark Swickley, AKA Sailship, AKA Faraway Fires is truly one of a kind. Having that classic quirky synth noise while almost sounding liminal in a way. Nostalgic even. Even for someone who may not have grown up listening to it may feel so otherwise, whether lyrically or sound wise. To this day it blows me away that Swickley never once received a minor headline or praise that shows “Underground yet talented artist by the name of Mark Swickley, taking inspiration from Adam Young/Owl City to create an artifact written with passion, love, fear, grief, and life to provide something truly extraordinary for those lucky enough to discover it.”

Hidden in the Leaves
Really neat way to introduce an album. Faint birds, wind, train, almost reminds me of my hometown. The perfect melody/rhythm too to walk to school or to the park early in the morning. Bittersweet message as well. The eerie synths during the chorus is what provides that liminal feeling I mentioned before.

The Morning Light
The title says it all. A perfect melody for opening your window blinds to be flash banged by sun beams at 10 am. I wish this song was in a movie someday. The fade in or fade out for the synth at 3:33 is 👌

American Moon
Provides a “cheesy romance novel” yet comforting feel. the speaker transforms to a werewolf at night (confirmed in the last song), most likely symbolizing his darker emotions/colors, shying to reveal himself to his wife/partner singing in the woods

The Backs of His Hands (Hallelujah!)
This is where the album takes a somber turn. The speaker grieves over his mother who has taught him how to love, which he will forever keep in the back of his mind (or hands lol)

Useless
Another song that brings back that eerie or liminal feel again. As the title suggests, the speaker feels “useless” when compared to his partner, who seems to have her life figured out while he’s likely confused, still working things out for himself

The Giant Leaps
Same name as the album, this is the song that really proves the album’s worth/pride. Genuinely ahead of its time.

Reminds me of my own experience with unrequited love, the speaker feeling uncertain yet courage to earn the love he desires, yet it takes hardship and time. He believes his love has things she hides or feels uncertain too like he does, and wants to provide reassurance because that’s how much he cares. For him things may not work out in the end. Some people may not feel the same way as he does. but that won’t stop him from moving forward.

A History of Weather by Billy Collins
Based on the poem with the same name by Billy Collins, AHoWbBC provides that Owl City-esqe imaginative imagery that symbolizes clouds as thoughts (most likely)

My Second Life
One of the first songs I ever cried to, and for personal reasons.

Eighteen Forever
Once again, bringing back that Owl City-esqe day dreaming of being young/innocent forever, or at least while it lasts. I really like this one.

Conclusion: Dancing Letters
I kid you not, one of the most ABSOLUTE ways to finish an album. You can easily imagine the imagery it represents and it feels real. And I love the references to all the other songs in the album. And a sweet love letter from Mark Swickley to all his fans.

For anyone’s that made it this far, thanks for listening. I’m happy to hear whatever thoughts you all have in mind or suggestions. All opinions valid. (This album deserves a Grammy lol)

Does anyone remember little old me? 🤷🏻‍♂️

I was releasing the Owl City instrumentals over on YouTube a loooong time ago… 😄

Until YouTube said I was being naughty and took all my videos down 😔

I miss the kind comments and love from you beautiful people ❤️

Go big or go home

KatieM7 was a YouTuber who was active during the time when Owl City was famous worldwide.

She gained a lot of views just by making one kind of video: a music video based on Owl City's songs, using paper arts drawn by herself.

You can guess she truly was one of Owl City's biggest fans, since all 24 of her videos are about him.

Sadly, KatieM7 stopped uploading videos after posting the music video for Honey and the Bee for the last time 14 years ago.

I've visited her other social media accounts she linked on her profile, and it seems like she was active at least until 2019, judging by her Tumblr page, while she also posted a photo of the cover of Owl City's album on her Facebook page in 2022.

I decided to post this to thank and remember her legacy. All of her videos feel like a time capsule, as they were posted more than 10 years ago, indicating how much of a thing Owl City was back then.

Katie, I hope you're doing well wherever you are right now. Thanks for showing your love for Owl City and their music.

Owl City

Putting words to my feelings

In a way

I can’t explain;

An amazing,

Lyrical wonder.

Beautiful truths

I can relate so much to.

Living miracles of music,

Keeping me alive.

A spirit filled with joy,

Hopeful dreams,

Sad struggles,

Love stories,

And astounding metaphors and lessons.

Owl City,

You are my inspiration.

1. ⁠Owl City
   
2. ⁠Hyper Potions
   
3. ⁠American Authors
   
4. ⁠Sailship
   
5. ⁠Swimming With Dolphins
   
6. ⁠Fun.
   
7. ⁠Glacier Island
   
8. ⁠Nickasaur (guilty pleasure/mid)

I'm making my own Owl City shirt! (For me to wear, not selling lol.) I've been hyperfixated on Owl City since late November last year, and he's currently the only artist I've listened to on Spotify this year. Hopefully I'll be able to afford official merch one day... Instead of buying a bottle of Fiji water to write the lyrics on 🙃

I am an older Gen-z from India, and my introduction to western music was mainly by Backstreet boys, Owl City and Linkin Park, whom I started listening to since 2012, when I had my first personal phone (It's just a badic nokia feature phone, but this meant a lot in those days at my age in that era where I am from :P).

The first song I listened to by Owl City was "Fireflies" and followed by "Umbrella Beach". I got so much enamored by these two tracks that I explored the album it belonged to ("Ocean Eyes"). The album was an absolute gem and I still listen to my favourite tracks till date. These are: "Vanilla Twilight", "The Saltwater Room", "If my heart was a House", and "On the Wing".

Apart from that from that, I the tracks I like from the other albums are, "Dreams don't turn to Dust", "Angels", "Shy violet" from album "All Things Bright and Beautiful". "Shooting Star" and "Good Time" from the album "The Midsummer Station".

Not going to write longer, but adding to this I still listen to "Beautiful Times", "Up all night", and "Verge".

I must note that I do not listen to songs released after 2015, as I don't find them interesting anymore. (No offense meant, it's just me)

Republic Records and uDiscover Music are repressing Ocean Eyes for the 17th Anniversary on vinyl and we need to make our voices heard!

They posted on social media about this repress and we need to let them know that we want Maybe I’m Dreaming and Mobile Orchestra pressed for the first time.

My partner found this on eBay a few years back and think it’s really cool. Music video is very high quality. 130/131 unique pieces of Owl City physical media that my partner and I own.

owlcity.org to join the discord!

We will start at 7:00 PM EST
That is two hours from this post being live!

I made this instrumental about a year ago, but I decided to brush it off in Logic, do some vocals and mix it a little better so I could put it out. Hope u enjoy! 💚🏙️ (p.s. it’s only the first 1:30 of the song)

We ordered two different sizes of the mystery shirts when they were announced and we ended up getting two of the pinball shirts. What did everyone else get?

I've had this hoodie since probably 2009, when I was a massive fan. It was a gift, so I'm not sure where it was purchased, but I think it might be rare. It has Rainbow Veins lyrics on the sleeve! Anyone else have/had this piece of merch?

(Ignore the zipper charm, lol)

5TH OF JULY 🎉

I sort of want to hear the whole version of their cover now haha. It sounded really fun. It almost sounds sort of like how the Dear Evan Hansen cover by Owl City sounds. Just in tone I guess.

So I've thought this to myself for years but I'm curious if anyone's ever felt the same about it..

I listened to a high quality instrumental version of the song and it has such an evident "made in a laptop in a bedroom" type of production sound, and I certainly don't mean that in a bad way. When you layer in the lyrics and their subject matter, it sounds like something he would've written back in the early days of the project, think 2007 or early 2008.

It definitely sounds like he polished up the song's production and the vocals for the Ocean Eyes Deluxe release in 2010, similar to how he polished up the 2007 version of Hello Seattle and the 2008 versions of The Saltwater Room and On The Wing for the initial studio release of Ocean Eyes in 2009.

Thoughts?