#started from the bottom and all that. this roller coaster ep.

[ikjun]

All suspicions surrounding Secretary Cha are unfounded. Dae-nim will end up running for President.

DESIGNATED SURVIVOR: 60 DAYS / 60일, 지정생존자 (2019) Ep. 12: Answer, dir. Yoo Jong-Sun

[monkey-network]

Every Tyler the Creator Album Ranked

It was last year where I started listening to music more, eventually every album from the predictably unpredictable Tyler, The Creator. This was before Chromakopia was ever uttered, so you know the hype was real for both that and making this countdown. "Mesmerizing" is my word to describe Tyler's music; the combined messiness and gracefulness that gets better with every relisten. Don't take this as a "worst to best" ranking, I will confidently say he has no bad records even at his worst. But, gotta discuss one thing though before we get to the official list and that is...

0. The Grinch Album

Back in 2018, Tyler was commissioned to make a couple songs for Illumination's Grinch movie. They were fine, even though they wasted his version of "You're a Mean One" on the film's opening minutes. That same year he made an EP with songs inspired by the movie that weren't used in said movie, just something Tyler was into doing. It's only six songs, ten minutes and change total, but it's breezy while not being annoying about the holidays. I'd overall say, since it came beforehand, the EP's great in getting a feel of IGOR's instrumentals but with a more upbeat tone.

You can really tell Pharrell Williams was a big influence, coincidentally since Pharrell made songs for Illumination and a couple of these Grinch songs resemble his works in a way. If I were to rank it, it'd be 6th place. Way too short to fairly ranked among the others but admittedly memorable compared to the bottom 2. With that said, onto the ranking...

8. Goblin

Yeah, even I can't deny this is the weakest of the Wolf trilogy. It has a consistency, but that leads into my biggest problem. Goblin feels too same-y, like a drawn out deluxe pack to Bastard. 'Yonkers' I'm amazed got the praise it did when I could tell Tyler made it as a joke. Still, when it hits it hits, and we got 'She', 'Tron Cat', "Nightmare', 'Windows'. It's indeed an enjoyably dark roller coaster I've never heard before outside punk stuff like Death Grips. Even after several listens though, you will feel those +70 minutes especially when it's his longest album (if you don't count the Estate Sale with CMIYGL). Goblin overall feels like the album that fit with the time it was released but has absolutely not aged as well as its siblings.

7. Scum F_ck Flower Boy

This is undoubtedly blaspheme and unfair of me but this is that case where it IS great but the albums later on the list are stronger to me by comparison. The vibes are more chill but retains those underlying somber feelings like previous records. Tyler got to loosen up lyrically, sound more sober, & it's all a mood. The features are beautifully stacked and I can grasp the vulnerability of these tracks. Between this and the latter half of Cherry Bomb's production, I understand how Pharrell really made an impact on who Tyler wants to be as an artist.

On the other hand, the vibes don't capture me here the way his considered worst and better records do. It doesn't feel fair to call Flower Boy the middle child of his career but while you get the messages and feelings of it, and some songs stick with you, I'd rather put on his previous and proceeding albums that resonated with me more even if they're messier or cleaner.

6. Bastard

I tend to switch between Bastard and Wolf as to which is higher. For Wolf, it's with the storytelling and the composition that's done better. For Bastard, it's the unfiltered energy with it being Tyler's first mixtape. This feels like the album Tyler would always want to make starting out, that no fucks given confidence being the foundation of him exploring his troubles and developing a name for himself. People will act like this and Goblin was all too vile to exist, especially when Chromakopia came out, when I say if you can't accept someone at their worst you don't deserve them at their best. The grojband appeal of Tyler unleashing his intrusive thoughts in foreboding, clever flows feels genuine compared to if he just aped off other braggadocious LA rappers of the time. Basically the "Fatherless Behavior album", as my friend pointed out, got better to me when I actually gave it another chance.

5. Cherry Bomb

I seriously thought this would forever be his worst album after my first listen. "It was ALL messy, titular track was awful, a complete turn off despite the couple good ones." I jumped the gun. I say this was a very important one for Tyler's career; this was his In Search Of and it grew on me. After the Wolf Trilogy, this was him popping off one last time like the old days before coming to terms with where he wanted to go next. You get how his direction w/ music shifted while not feeling ashamed of what used to be his initial flavors; Flower Boy wouldn't have worked without this and I can see why it was Tyler's personal favorite.

I learned to embrace the messiness he offers here while it being more enjoyable as a full package than having select stand out tracks. I'm iffy on the main story behind this album, if you know, but I thank god it's stayed as purely fictional. 'The Brown Stains of Darkeese Latifah Part 6–12' (jfc) is the only song I skip often because the beat is really bad, but every song became a banger the more I listened. To dismiss this album would feel wrong as it exists no differently to Tyler's growth and power as a artist. Change ain't easy, y'know. And for god sake, if you're reading this, give Kali Uchis a listen too.

4. Wolf

This to me has the best storytelling in Tyler's discography. I like that it kinda tricks you in terms of what the perspective is for the album's concept. You could say this is about Wolf Haley himself finding some peace after Goblin, getting in a love triangle with Samuel & Salem. You could say this was more Samuel's album while Wolf is mostly out the picture. You could say this is Tyler's juggle between the two personas. Either way works with his growth considering this is far less shocking than Goblin and Bastard combined. You can tell while Samuel exists as the remaining edginess of the past, he's cooled down with the graphical lyrics for a different approach to his music; 'Answer' and 'PartyIsntOver' shows his softer tune that fits the album's summer camp aesthetic. Again, this and Bastard I will flip ranks on certain days, but I can see why it's the fan favorite among the initial three.

3. CHROMAKOPIA

Being #3 is similar to youtuber Schaffrillas's known ranking videos where no it's not the best, and I won't let recency bias dictate, but it's become a personal favorite and has earned itself being this high. The remaining albums are his unmatched strongest, but this instantly shot up as no less a powerful record from St. Chroma alone. It's the most personal Tyler gets and when it hits, it soars. My hottest take is that 'Sticky' is the track I enjoy the least; fits with the album but doesn't do it for me unlike 'Rah Tah Tah' or 'Thought I Was Dead'. No doubt highly influenced by Kendrick Lamar's Mr Morale, this album feels deceptively simple but the lyrics can relate with deep cuts. This man's in his early 30s and feels that conflicted about it. Fuck a Grammy, give this man a hug and a therapeutic break. My biggest takeaway is that my mother's love and care I will never take for granted. Man is not only fully in his element but having a solid sense of openness that puts the original Wolf trilogy into a better perspective.

2. Call Me If You Get Lost

From what I've seen before listening, I figured that this would be a flex album and Tyler did not disappoint. Baudelaire felt like a real persona, the evolution of Wolf Haley with DJ Drama being the cherry on top. Not only for being a great jab at DJ Khalid after the one sided beef in 2018 but an enjoyable narrator that I couldn't imagine any other for the spot. CMIYGL is just the epitome of earnest swagger, the time where Tyler can finally go guns out with his rap skills while it's not soulessly chest beating. A great consistent mix between his heart and ego, with the consistency making the album that strong every time I listen. The Estate Sale was basically a victory lap upon the existing victory lap that was the base album, giving us a contender for his best closure track with 'SORRY, NOT SORRY'. Then again, this album wouldn't have been possible, wouldn't have earned its existence, without number one.

1. IGOR

I'm very predictable in calling it his magnum opus, I'll admit. I've brought up a few times now that his music can be messy and that applie here, now more on a emotional level than technical. That's what makes it perfect though; embodying the love you had being strung along and eventually crushed, and it sugarcoats nothing. To me IGOR exists as his own character, not just another persona. He embodies how we all can feel when it comes to heartbreak and how ugly the emotions can actually be.

Tyler, The Creator has always been about taking the ugly with the beauty you find from it and this is that perfected. This album's ergonomic where I can hardly listen to one song on its own and was the record I've listened to the most because it got better every time. This isn't even accounting for 'Are We Still Friends', his most unfiltered song that genuinely has me in tears by the end EVERY time; the all-time greatest closer for any album I heard in my life. This felt like more than just Tyler proving himself, but him respecting the oldheads of music with this masterpiece.

Conclusion

The Sargent of OF's music was the first instance I truly grasped what he meant by each album pinpointing the certain periods of his life. He's always looking to show himself and you feel it. Having got into the hype as it happened, the popularity of Chromakopia didn't feel out of nowhere now and I love getting to see it unfold as the moment Tyler has proved once more that he IS that guy. An artist who I say earned his flowers and then some purely because he loves making music. Shit, to me he earned his GOAT status and I can only hope he'll continue for the next era whenever that lives. I won't deny it...

There will Never Ever be another Creator like him

[sinnabonka]

It’s spec time: Love always wins

(Okay, I promised it, I’m doing it, there’s no stopping me now.) 

For the last three days I’ve been all over the place emotionally, clinging to every post saying Cas is not dead dead, saying his story is not done, but then someone wrote the “but” post and, there I go again, down the bottomless pit of angst. 

I’ve been a Schrödinger believer for so long with this show, one can get used to it. 

I know I’m not the only one feeling this way, regarding whether Cas is coming back or not. We won’t know till we know ©

Ep 19 speculations here

But let's speculate!

Apparently, there's nothing better for me to do way past midnight on Saturday and on Sunday morning (when I’m writing this). 

What makes us think 15*18 might indeed be the end of Castiel’s story:

Everything the crew and Misha told us, officially, is pressing toward Cas dying permanently in this scene. “Proud ending”, indeed. 

Castiel’s story has the perfect symmetry this way, with the handprint, the “Hello, Dean” - “Goodbye, Dean”, and the whole “Dean Winchester is saved” theme.

He is smiling, while Empty takes him, he’s content with his sacrifice. 

Something about Castiel’s monologue didn’t sit right with me for some time. The whole point of happiness being not in having, but in being and saying, gave me an idea of it being the way writers say we can’t have Destiel, but we should be happy to know it’s real and to hear it said aloud after all those years. 

Supernatural had to be the story of two brothers and their journey, and Winchesters driving in the sunset is the most probable endgame we are gonna get. 

Even though all those points seem valid, we can’t trust any of it. 

Let me fix it for you:

It wouldn't be the first time the crew lied about someone being on set. 

The handprint was not scripted. I repeat, the handprint was not scripted.

Castiel’s monologue could be just about loving Dean, and it’s just my poor wounded heart looking too deep into it and seeing my angstloving reflection on the bottom of the well. 

And Supernatural might indeed be about family, but, as we know, family doesn’t end with blood, and doesn’t start with it either. Cas is family, after all. 

I’m glad be are clear on this one.

What tells us Cas is coming back and we are getting Destiel endgame:

(Brace yourself, it’s gonna be wordy)

1. The most obvious, without rewriting his memory or going OOC, there’s no happy ending for Dean (not the crappy bittersweet substitute) without Cas. 

Even without the love confession in place, we’ve seen what Cas’ death did to him before, it shuttered him to pieces. Imagine the damage it's gonna cause now! 

“I love you, I always did, bye bye now, have a long and happy life knowing my feelings for you have killed me dead.” Really? No win can make up for it.

2. My fave point, aka the natural dynamics of storytelling. The big loss predicts the big win. The deeper the wound, the brighter the prize. Following the roller coaster this season has been, we should be up for a pretty high damn up pretty soon. 

So, there’s The Big Loss (losing Eileen, all of their friends, all the people on Earth and Cas). 

Next - The Big Win (defeating God, getting their free will back, getting humanity back). 

Then, we should have The Big Regret and Reflect moment (Sam and Dean talking a lot at this point, realization of things which are important, what they want with Chuck gone). 

And at the end, there’s The Ultimate Happy ending waiting for us (see point 1 again in case you are not sure what that means).

3. You know what, forget it, this one is my favorite. The parallels. Throughout this season we’ve been spoon-fed with context (Geez, it feels nice to finally know we are not crazy, we are not seeing things, we got it all right!) and writers chose to do so via parallels, via reflections, subtle hints. 

It would be some lazy storytelling to shove everything to our faces, so, instead, we’ve got: Charlie and Stevie, Sam and Eileen, the world and humanity, Dean and Cas. 

Everyone separated. Forever? No, not really. And I don’t buy everyone getting their loved ones back, except Dean. C’mon.

4. Unresolved love confession. Yes, Cas might have died with a smile, meaning it’s enough for him to speak his truth and be gone. But Dean? Him sobbing in the dungeon, ignoring Sam’s calls (he literally never chose anything above Sam before), the “Don’t do this, Cas” part - it’s the lowest he’s ever been. 

To sum up, Dean didn’t get his closure. He might have needed five to six business days to process, but he still has his truth he has to find out and then give a voice to. 

And yeah, I know, he could confess via prayer or something, but we all know that’s something needed to be said face to face.  (Btw, he already confessed to Cas in purgatory via prayer once, you can try and prove me wrong, but good luck with that, sunshine.)

5. The perfect symmetry. If I were in SPN writers room, I would literally cry my eyes out of joy at the symbolism this ending gives. I would literally fight everyone against it. 

The broken man not deserving to be saved is dragged from Hell by the most loyal and righteous angel Heaven ever seen. 

VS

The fallen angel not deserving to be loved is dragged from Empty by the most loving and caring man the sun shone on.

I mean, c’mon, people. Poetry.

(We are nearing a very important thing here, fasten your seatbelts, please.)

6. The message the show wants to give the world has changed. From “it’s all about the journey, about saving people, killing things, no one ever gets what they deserve”, the philosophy has changed drastically toward the “good things do happen, you deserve to be saved, to be loved”. 

Come and see what lane we are walking right now: allowing yourself to love again, to experience things again / losing the love of your life a moment later / fighting for your love / winning your love back. 

I believe the final message is: love always wins. 

Love is not one’s weakness, love is power, love is strength, it’s a perfect fuel. 

Humans declare war in the name of love, kill and get killed in the name of love, but, most importantly, humans live and win those wars in the name of love, too. 

7. Go big or go home is on the table, and no one goes home this time. 

Supernatural was a bunch of broken glass for soooo long, I think this time writers are gonna give us something good, for a change. Not bittersweet good, but actually cotton-candy-almost-diabetes-sweet good.  

Why? 

Because *loud and clear* we deserve having good things happening to us! 

Also, it’s The End, the creators have nothing to lose, but, on the other hand, the ultimate happy ending would allow them to leave an enormous mark on the world and Supernatural to be known as the only show that actually could.

To sum up:  

Dean can’t be happy with Cas gone and, following the logic of prebuilt parallels, he won’t have to - everyone gets their loved ones back at the end, because love always wins. 

Cas might be at peace with speaking his truth, saving Dean and being gone, but it is not fair, Dean also deserves a chance to be heard. 

Few seasons ago I would laugh in my own face for these arguments, but the philosophy of the show has been transformed. During the last few years we were being prepared for this moment, slowly, gently being led toward this moment. 

Supernatural has to give us the Destiel endgame to prove their point.

click x click for more

[sonatanotwo]

Well... I barely slept. 😂 Least I’ve got coffee... Gonna try to fumble out some words... (Spoilers ahoy!)

I didn’t quite expect the emotional roller coaster this has turned into... and not entirely cause of the episode itself. 😂 It’s feeling ever so bitter sweet... mostly in that experiencing something so emotional without a lot of the people that made up this sorta... fandom home? that it was to me. All the friends I love and care about. It’s... been feeling kinda lonely... Even though I’m not alone of course, but... yeah. It’s hard to explain. 😂 And then with this looking like the end (...though I kinda doubt ITV is gonna shelve the franchise for another 10+ years... least I sure hope not. That’d seem VERY dumb to me. But what will they do with it? That’s the real big question, ain’t it? XD I was a bit agape after attaching ‘Season’ to every time they spoke of ending that today they finally changed their tune and was like THE END. What the ever loving heck, ITV. Seriously. 😂 BUT I digress...) ...IDK if any of that feeling will ever come back now. Shit changes... god, do I ever know it does... but I guess... I just wasn’t ready for it yet. ;A;

...And boy is my body telling me that. 😂 Anxiety is such an asshole.

ANYHOO.

SO.

This ep.

As I mentioned when I gif’d it (opening my gif making stuff was first thing I did XD) that HUG man. That old hug art I did, the original version (the one you see commonly around now is the tweaked one) was one of my first finished (ish) TAG piece (only few rough doodles and half coloured things were before that lol) that I posted June 10th 2015.... so long ago. (My first post that was some sketches was June 2nd XD Yeah, I’ve been around a long while now, blimey. Not quite the VERY very start, but nearly!)

BUT YEAH. I was wanting this hug for a VERY, VERY long time. XDDD Just, back then, didn’t think it’d involve their Dad too. lol

And then, gosh... Scott in this ep... Last ep was def more Scott heavy... to balance he was stepped back a bit, but... it did make sense? Scott just seems quietly basking in the feeling of having his Dad back. Him hanging back from the hug for a moment having that exchange with his Dad feels a bit like a... passing back the torch? Here they are Dad. I took good care of them. :Db Does that make sense??? IDK. I’m so tired you guys. 😂 But it didn’t feel like Scott needed to say anything. It was written all over his face. He must have been so happy... and relieved. It’s pretty overwhelming in all the best way to hear from someone you haven’t in awhile... so... in this case, it must be turned up to like... an 11. ^^a

Man, I don’t think I can go through this in order so, bear with me if I bounce around.

There’s been so much wondering what this version of Jeff would be like all these years... and in such a short time, we definitely got a LOT to go off of. He’s a Dad who definitely doesn’t hesitate to hug his sons. :3 Fears Grandma as much as the boys, lolololol HUGS HIS ENGINEER. I actually really just... LOVED that scene with Brains. That casual, ‘Hi Brains.’ And then just calling him PARTNER and going right in for a hug... and lol Brains’ lil happy sound. Jeff and Brains were certainly friends in TOS, but there was still a kinda distance between them in that Brains is working for Jeff, but that was definitely laid out to be much different in TAG. I’m not surprised by it, cause Brains is def part of the family, but it was lovely they took the time to show it.

ALSO just how he picked up Virgil was dwelling on something... we don’t really get a window into what exactly... but after all those years, he just... picks right up on Virgil’s in some turmoil. (As said in a tag... MAYBE MOM RELATED? He seems to think Virgil’s worried if he’ll really be okay, which is why I wonder... GONNA DEF WRITE SOME FIC THOUGH. XDb) Like. GOSH. I’m sad we aren’t likely to see more of this Jeff, cause with this single ep, he was absolutely sold on me. And I love he was a total presence... but he did sit back quietly and other than dealing with ‘Brains’ and largely just *watched*. Scott was still in charge here.

So as for the end and what role Jeff is gonna play... WELL... I mean. To be fair here at the end, John is probably changing and heading to the elevator... and I mean, we’ve seen Grandma fill in several times for John... he can’t be awake CONSTANTLY, so I’d always felt a bit like maybe they’d gradually gel into a team with just... one more member. And that seems more likely now that we’ve seen he didn’t just... jump to take command. He sat back and let them do their thing.  

And now we can see Jeff is def a bit younger... and as kinda already implied, is definitely one to get his hands dirty, so sometimes (once he’s recovered a bunch) maybe he’ll even go out with the boys. That’d be my guess. ^^a I mean, might be a little kinda jostling at first to settle into a new routine... but while he certainly has a strong presence... he’s also did kinda feel... a bit gentle too? He’s not nearly as stern as TOS!Jeff. It felt like a good balance??? IDK. I’m rambling up a storm. XDDD (...and making walls of text... I should... break these up more lol...)

OKAY ALSO...

WAIIIIT wait. WAIT. This looks familiar. V E R Y familiar... Bridge... rockety thing at bottom... explody warning? Two people inside... *squints* DAY OF DISASTER? IS THAT YOU?

I HAVE A FEELING... If so... //CHEF KISS//  VERY NICE. A+ XD

OKAY. WHAT ELSE. Uh. Glad they did end up using Fuse’s (or I guess I could say Clarence’s :D) mixed feelings, which was good and gave Grandma a heck of a moment of awesome. They also served to give some action for Kayo, Penelope and Parker which was good else I suppose they’d have been standing around worriedly. lol Which isn’t really suited to their characters. XD YEAH just lotta nice moments, especially with Kayo and Grandma. ANd just. YEAH. GRANDMA MAN. YOU TELL HIM. and also OMG she was a doctor?! THAT sure explains some things. XD And that’s awesome, gosh.

ALSO the number of HUGS in this ep were A+ Getting a moment with Jeff and Grandma was lovely. :D

LIKE REALLY. LOOK HOW HUG HAPPY THIS DAD IS. I AM PLEASED. A+

And just lol... ‘I don’t even have a car yet.’  ‘You have a rocket.’ ‘...oh yeah. That’s true.’ LOLOL SUCH ALAN. He is too cute.

...AND yeah. IDK. I feel like I’m forgetting things. I’ll ramble them into another post if I think of things. I gotta pop out for a bit. 😂

BUT YEAH. Yeah, there’s few things they didn’t get to addressing, but there were hugs and emotions which was what was really the important thing, right? :Da I don’t really feel like nit picking when had all that. XDDD

(It is kinda interesting how in a way the ending reminded me of Legacy’s a bit with a ...Oh we got an emergency. It’s a good note to leave off of... but goes to show when maybe S1 was written, it was largely on the assumption that it could be the only season... but then were able to hint of S2 in an additional scene. But if S2 hadn’t been commissioned, it was sorta ready to be a finale if it had to. In a way S2 was the same, though with bit more hints of S3 were there so... Just kinda interesting. =Oa But also nice that Rob has left it in a way that NEVER SAY NEVER (to quote Rob) is definitely open. ^^)

ANYHOO. That’s all my rambling for now. ^^

[rockinchicagomag]

Erik Oldman’s Top 10 of 2017

Erik Oldman is the founder of Rock in Chicago and guitarist for instrumental progressive fusion trio, Sons of Ra.

1) Without Waves - Lunar

This release is was a long time in the making, by arguably one of my favorite bands from Chicago. I've been following Without Waves since I first heard them back in 2011 at the Bottom Lounge.

I don't hear many bands that are able to cover the diverse sonic territories of doom, progressive metal, space/post-rock AND jazz fusion. Yes, all of that! That's something that is a direct hit with me. I love diversity. I love bands that are comfortable in expressing themselves in multiple styles and have well-written songs with dynamics that turn on a dime. That's the sort of stuff that gives me the chills.

Lunar is the first release by the band on Prosthetic Records. It's quite a diverse set of material. Each song really stands on its own. The pacing of the material on the album is a little jarring at times, but overall its an enjoyable listen and like most well-constructed art, each listen reveals something new.

The persistent threads within the material, in how each song relates to each other, are craftsmanship of each tune, multi-layered with a balance of texture, dynamics, and hooks while being able to push arrangments into differing time signatures, blistering dynamics and weaving contrasting moments of controlled chaos and orchestral bliss.

The brutal songs, from the opener "Sewing Together the Limbs", "Victorian Punishment", and "Memento Mori" in particular roll out some amazing modern technical/progressive death metal with some nice mathy and noisy touches.

The more chilled out songs, particularly "Us Against", "Never Know Quite Why", and "Fractals". Are steeped in 90's alternative and space rock, yet still feel fresh, and modern instead of derivative. The last song of three could pass as a single on a modern rock station.

Recommended Track: "Us Against"

2) Voice of Addiction - The Lost Art of Empathy

Fantastic full-length from politically charged and socially conscious Chicago based punk-rockers. The album kicks off, immediately hitting the listener with the anthem, "Rust Belt" and taking them on a roller-coaster ride through different variations of their sound and take of the current world we live in. I absolutely love the production and pacing of the album here. It really works, keeps the listener going with a number of solid hook anthem style choruses.

Other highlights on the album include "Unity", "Petty Schemes", "I Can't Breathe" and "Eviction Notice"

Recommended Track: "Petty Schemes"

3) Black Sites - In Monochrome

This is another local release I was really looking forward to for 2017. Black Sites comes out of the tradition of late 70's/early 80's hard rock and heavy metal. With this new project, Mark Sugar's writing is as intense as what he wrote with his previous project in Trials, however the material on In Monochrome has a more mature aspect in the writing and lyrical content. Its refreshing to hear hard rock and heavy metal with these references, not dated or derivative but more of a sonic lineage in the arrangments and emphasis on hooks.

Recommended Track: "Dead Languages"

4) Bent Knee - Land Animal

With this release its like watching the rose that is Bent Knee blossom into something special. The arrangements seem a bit more polished and sophisticated. The album focuses on more accessible pieces, and still heavy, but not overbearing. I really love the production values, its a good balance of polish and immediacy/rawness. There's still the quirky pop sensibilities that come through with Courtney Swain's vocals and keys that counterbalance the crunchy guitars and rhythms.

This is a band where you put on an album and listen to the entire album, instead of a particular track. Each one is a journey, mesmerizing, hypnotic. Land Animal is no different and is another journey in the band's saga.

Recommended Track: "These Hands"

5) Nonzoo - Wazoo

I saw the band name in passing on Facebook with a video link. My mind was immediately blown. I can't really explain what they do. You just have to take it in. Here's a band that exists in a space that I've been looking for over the last 25 years. It's a space where Bjork, Oingo Boingo, Bungle, and Sonic Youth, a little Slint and some prepared instrumentation ala John Cage all work.

Recommended Track: "Great American Trough"

6) In the Presence of Wolves - Of Two Minds, Stages 1 - 2: The Ape And The Cage

Solid modern, melodic, progressive, post-hardcore with some strong jazz and math flavors. Parts Coheed and Cambria, Between the Buried and Me, The Mars Volta, and Porcupine Tree with a bit of Dillinger Escape Plan’s sensibilities.

The EP is part of a conceptual album based on the story of twin brothers, one a paranoid schizophrenic and the other normal. The schizoprhenic twin takes his life while the other tries to piece together the cause of the suicide during his grieving process.

The flow of the EP really draws the listener into the story line. An album that plays from start to finish, I don't ever feel the need to skip around.

Looking forward to the next part.

Recommended Track: “As We Speak”

7) Only the Bones - Death and His Brother Sleep

They bill themselves as a post-Fugazi band. I fuckin' love Fugazi. They do some really interesting odd-meter post-punk.

Recommended Track: "Trophy Room"

8) Tigran Hamasayan - An Ancient Observer

Some really gorgeous modern jazz piano. This offering isn't as adventurous as 2015's "Mockroot" in terms of composition and ensemble approach. It's a solo piano record. Compositionally its incredibly polished. The execution is airtight, and really showcases Hamasayan's classical chops and modal sensibilities in his arrangements.

Recommended Track: "The Cave of Rebirth"

9) Akku Quintet - Aeon

Hypnotic polymetric modern minimalist jazz with progressive and noisy flourishes.

Another album I listen to from start to finish and has been on my daily playlist over the last few months.

Recommended Track: Flying Low

10) Coyote Man

I've played shows with these guys a good number of times over the last year, and they are really tight and intense live.

The album is another animal altogether, the groove and tightness are there, but the progressive side of the band comes out along with the skill and arrangement of guitarist Augie Portugal's piano and keyboard playing. Another album that's in my daily rotation.

Recommended Track: Majestic Vixens

[experimental-music-reviews]

Review of Lava Land - Piglet (EP) 2005

Piglet was the band who introduced me to experimental music, so it’s only natural that they be the first band I review.

Piglet is, or was, a Chicago based math rock band that was so short lived they only released this EP before breaking up. Despite being so short lived, they're well known in the post-rock and instrumental rock communities for their very clean and melodic guitars which are complemented by dense and complicated playing styles (using common math rock techniques like tapping and asymmetrical time signatures.) If you ever find a video of these guys playing live, the guitarist and bassist (Asher and Ezra are their names respectively) are playing so fast and accurately it almost seems like magic. And, again like most math rock, the drums are very prominent and punchy (which were provided by a Mr. Matt P.) The fact that there are no vocals on this EP may be a turnoff to some people, and while it is true that you have to pay attention a lot more while listening to this I think it’s worth the investment as this EP is extremely melodic and peaceful. If anything put this album on as you fall asleep as it is very peaceful and definitely has helped me get to sleep on more than one occasion.

Alright now let’s look at each track one at a time. I’m gonna give a brief description of each song and then sum up my overall feelings at the end.

1. Bugstomp: This song starts off with an explosion of fuzzy bass wjth the guitar meandering above it, before they break into a quick and repetitive hook. This song showcases a lot of classic math rock tropes like the sudden pauses and repetitive guitar licks, making this song a great start for anyone who has never heard any math rock before and wants to get into the genre. After the very frantic and crazy intro the song slows down a bit and becomes more melodic. The Bass starts to play frantically as it goes on and takes the spotlight as the guitar begins to take its time. Near the end of the track the song quiets down significantly and the drums take center stage with a lot of cymbals crashing, before dying down for the guitar to begin building up again. As the guitar builds up it almost swings around as if climbing up a spiral staircase before abruptly stopping once again. (Also, unrelated, but the name Bugstomp is somehow freakin’ adorable.) 

2. Caramel: This next track is noticeably softer than the previous song, and more straight forward. The bass kinda hangs in the back and the guitar sways from side to side in a nonchalant fashion (like someone walking down the sidewalk in a carefree way.) Then suddenly all at once the song explodes with a series of quick chord strums followed by a distorted lead guitar lick. After doing this a few times the song gets quiet again (funny story, I was experimenting with my guitar once and discovered a cool tapping lick that I thought was so original, until I heard it at this part of the song.) The song continues to stay kinda sway-ey until near the end it begins getting frantic and as they play the same lick over and over it gets faster every time until the song stops abruptly and the same explosion from earlier happens. Then it all ends abruptly and it moves on to the next track.

3.  Little Bubble, Where Are You Going?: This song begins with a count off (which caught me off guard) before moving into a very swinging and lounge-like melody. There aren’t many dynamics on this track, as it stays consistently quiet and peaceful without stopping very often. Not much else to say, I love how the drums sort of roll on this track, and the guitar is very peaceful. With the name of the song, I imagine that they’re trying to remain quiet as not to accidentally pop their bubble friend who has begun floating away.

4.  Anthropology Anthology: This track is the most carefree and laid back on this record, as it gives off a consistent and sure vibe of riding the wave. This song is almost trying to tell a story, and given the name it seems to be saying that while you can group together human experience and culture (as anthropology is the study of human societies), this subject may be to broad or loose to be grouped together (as an anthology is a collection or group of something.) The many different societies of the world are so different that maybe they need specific fields for each (which there are.) But that’s just my interpretation, there are a million ways to see this song whether you think it’s telling a story or not. Instrumentally this song is nothing new it’s kinda carrying the same quiet vibe of the previous song. 

 5.  Pangea Reunion: On this track we have the a kind of dreamy repetition that sort of lulls you like a stop watch hypnotizing you. The bands artistic and technical skills are really shown here as the guitarist works up the neck and returns right back to the bottom in an instant. Near the end of the track I get a bit of a bouncy, funky vibe. As the drums begin building up and after ascending for a bit that funk and bounce returns. Also as a side note I really love the name of this track, very interesting and eye catching.

6.  Plastic Stars, Cotton Highways: The name of this track paints an interesting picture in my head. The track fades in with a series of percussion (mainly bongos) that feel like the song is waking up and slowly stretching, before the regular drum set jumps in and the song really starts going. As if they’re showing off, the bassist and guitarist take turns playing very complication riffs one at a time, back and forth with each other. This song also has a quiet loud quiet loud dynamic. I love how as the song starts to end all three instruments kinda go off in separate directions but still sound beautiful together, before they all sorta jump back in the middle and finish off the EP with another sudden stop.

All together I really enjoy the sound and the complexity of the EP, but I do wish it had more variety. None of the tracks really stray far from the same sound, which in some ways is a good thing as the record remains consistent, but I do wish they experimented more.

The album art is stellar, and matches the theme of the EP. The music goes up and down like a roller coaster, but luckily unlike the cover art the music isn’t dangerous and breaking down like this roller coaster obviously is. And for the record a volcano is not prime real estate for a theme park where thousands of people are going to want to go. Sounds dangerous.

If you wanna give this EP a listen it’s on Youtube and Bandcamp, and I believe it’s on CD too. They had a limited pressing of 1000 vinyls, so you may have to search a bit if you wanna find one. And lastly if you wanna listen to their other work (which there isn’t much off) you can find some post-lavaland material on their bandcamp as well.

If you read this entire review thank you, and hopefully you give this EP a listen. Have a great day.

[survivor-kalymnos]

Ep. 10 - “I need ice cream. I need a quesadilla. I need a hug.” - Lenny

Frank

I swear I have a heart. I end up getting caught in so many fights in orgs nowadays and honestly it’s not something I enjoy but I’m also not just going to sit back while I’m being attacked. What hurts the most is reading about not holding a conversation. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard it in orgs and not even the first time I’ve heard it in life and it hurts and sucks. I’m like on the verge of tears because of shit like that, I’m a person I have feelings and I try to be good at speaking to people but I fall short so many times. It’s one of my biggest fears, losing people because of my social ineptness (don’t think that’s a word but here we are). What I can do is move on and move forward with the people who seem to enjoy talking to me and have actually not just left me on read and put effort into getting to know a person and how they communicate. And them worm is just sitting here doing absolutely nothing but nobody is calling them out on it so fuck me i guess. I’m gonna be sad about it for a little bit but it’s not like I feel like it was a personal attack since truly it wasn’t. 

lenny

eliza went home. SO MUCH DRAMA! I am just watching rn. new alliance chat formed called "invisibles". makes me feel very superhero like. 

lenny

People are yelling. People are fighting. People are calling each other snakes and rats. I just want to munch. I need ice cream. I need a quesadilla. I need a hug. 

Frank

Me to Franco: that's why i just said ok, at least i read messages, wanted to let you know you've been heard....not listened to, but heard Michele Learned to see the game from an outside. No longer taking everything personally. Excited to leap back into this, but might try to hide around for a few rounds and let them take out bigger threats.

Frank

So it’s like 2am and I have some thoughts. It’s been a roller coaster tonight in this game and I’m actually really proud of how I handled things. I’m in an actual alliance now which is calming and amazing since it’s a majority and I feel I can trust some of these people. That tribal definitely drew some lines in the sand but I’m pretty happy about it. Like I said in my last confessionals, I don’t always like to fight, but it happened. I think I defended myself well. Nothing really got solved but I saw how Rain feels about me. I didn’t even know they had a problem with me because they just never responded to my messages. Why they decided to join the fight is anyone’s guess since it didn’t involve them nor did it need to. I didn’t have a problem with Rain, but I guess I do now. I guess moving forward I need to become a better speaker in one on one conversations but that’s a bigger issue. Who knew dusty would be my closest ally now but here we are. Dusty and Sasha, but like I doubt I can take dusty to f3 but who knows what will happen in the future, f3 is so far away.

Michele

I’m mostly certain that my brother is Frank and wow I could have taken him out for bragging rights but tbh starting to trust him so he might need to stay. Really starting to watch out for Dusty tho���

Franco

Day 1 of missing Eliza. I'm SO PISSED. I knew eliza giving her idol would bite us in the ass, I wish I could have done something to stop it. If I had known eliza was the target i would have played my idol on her in a HEARTBEAT. Im kicking myself because theres so much we could've done. We shouldn't have tried to split last minute. If I kept my vote on Frank, he would have left. Michele is a rat. Dusty is a snake. Frank is basically a nonentity in this game but somehow also is the biggest annoyance in the game. I want them all gone. I need to reevaluate my game. Hopefully they move onto other targets now that my number 1 is gone, but I dont trust that enough. Dusty is now in control of 2 idols, and I wasted my own. I don't know how to come back from this, but there is a fire under my ass and renewed rage, and I am going to do EVERYTHING i can to win this fucking game

Michele

After talking to other people I don’t think I’m going to win immunity. It’s probably better for my game anyway given the fact that I won the last 2 public comps. I hope I can fly under the radar at tribal and send franco packing but the tables have turned and once again there might be bigger fish to fry. Unfortunately that fish might be me...

Franco

Day 2 of missing Eliza God this is actually.... So depressing.  5 out of the 7 people left in this game left me on read yesterday when I was trying to talk game to them.  Multiple people flat out told me I was on the bottom and Im probably going next.   Yesterday I said I had a fire under my ass and I was ready to take back this game but today that is... Gone. Like I feel so defeated. I feel like I'm putting in so much effort to talk to everyone and figure out what to do but I'm just hitting brick walls. This challenge is easy and I can easily win with effort, but that is effort I dont have the capacity to put in right now. And even though I have hundreds of pictures, I have a feeling someone is just going to come in and blow that out of the water. I don't see a path to the end. Im going to put in as much work as I can for the rest of this round, hoping I find one. But right now theres nothing. I really hope that changes. 

lenny

I am so exhausted from this challenge. I worked really hard at it and my mom got upset with me for dojng it because I should be doing work for class lol. I'd really like to win this challenge. For me, winning is more than immunity. It shows that I am a strong competitor and deserve to be here. I know I am not the loudest person in the tribe or the sneakiest, but, I am still here and that means something right?

Sasha

uhhhh I'm going to make this as comprehensive as possible  but also my brain is fried so I'm gonna see how it goes last round: bunch of us voted out eliza, which really only worked because she and franco were had turned on some people to blindside cranjes before. also the 5 of us who did that have a chat now, called "the invisibles" (it's dusty, lenny, michele, frank, and I) we're planning on going for franco this round, assuming he doesn't in this challenge (I don't think he will) speaking of franco, he approached me yesterday to have a convo about the game so far. he basically explained his involvement in a bunch of stuff to me and was saying that even though people perceived him to be running the game, he felt as though he'd been floundering these past few rounds. he also said that he respected my game and I was like "lol what game" then he asked how likely it was that he'd go this round and I said fairly. he also asked if I'd consider not voting for him. I said maybe. I probably will; I'm actually in an alliance and I'd like to stick with it asdfgknj also this challenge? I have a good feeling about. I've taken so many pictures that my brain hurts. also I knew I'd have a good edge since I own about 300 books so that's a good chunk of pictures right there.

Rain

I’m defeated. I’m angry. Literally nobody but franco and Lenny is putting in the effort to speak to me. It’s fucking painful. I’d rather go home this round than see Franco leave. Franco deserves to be here. You know who doesn’t? Frank. Frank continues to be on borrowed time hiding underneath allies that play better than him. My cat has a better social game than frank and she hisses at anyone who comes close to her. I’m pissed. We could have the numbers to stay but Lenny won’t keep franco. What the fuck. Take me to jury. I’m done with these “only speak to my allies” shit players. 

Franco

I don't know what to do. 

Michele

When I first started this game I did it for the sole purpose of beating my brother. My mindset has changed as I’ve gotten so far. I *really* want to win now!! It’s going to be really rough but I think I can do it?

Sashah

i im still bitter 3 hours later that I went ham on this challenge, fried my brain, and got second

Franco

Day 3 of missing Eliza I AM ABSOLUTELY SHITTING MYSELF. GOD MY DEVELOPMENT ARC FOR THIS ROUND IS SO CRAZY. I know I'm probably the target tonight, yesterday I was so sad all day and literally just felt like giving up. But TODAY. I found???? Idol????? AGAIN???? That fire has been RE LIT SIS. My ass ain't going anywhere tonight

Michele

Getting the invisibles to come to a decision is almost as frustrating as when I tried with og nera. Lack of communication is why I am almost a free agent. Trying to BB17 Steve my way to the top.

Frank

I’m hoping it’s an easy round and we just get rid of Franco. This alliance was made after the vote last time so it would be really dumb and sad if we can’t even vote together once.

Michele

I think of all tribals in the game so far tonights will be the most impactful to my game personally. As far as I know it seems like my vote is the deciding factor. I’m down between rain and frank, but I don’t personally want frank gone. I’m weighing the pros and cons going forward and its so even.

MicheleJ

ust a rat looking for her Linguini

Dusty

Alright!!!!! Now this vote would appear simple, take out Franco, who's all alone and blown up his game. Worm and Rain were working with him before but they’ve both expressed to me that they would vote of Franco if it were to help further there game. And of course this is a smart decision but my my brain gets on caffeine I just get to thinking!! If I were to give my idol to Franco, then he uses the idol and gets to decide who goes home. Now ultimately this is a mess because he could decide to vote of someone that I don’t want to go home. So as much as it sounds fun and dramatic I don’t really think that’s a smart move. Now back to Rain and Worm...they’ve both presented me with an opportunity. At this point in he game I think whoever goes into final 7 tribal with the power will really have influence over the rest of the game. If I stick with this alliance of 5 (Sasha, Frank, Lenny, Michele, and myself) then we go into 7 with majority, but it also creates a situation where Sasha and Frank are a duo and then Lenny, Michele, and I are more than individuals but less than a trio and at this point in the game that’s not a solid ground to stand on. Talking to Worm they saw Michele and I were a tight duo, and while talking to Rain they saw Lenny and I as a tight duo. Now this was NEWS to me because I always thought Michele was close to Worm, and same with Lenny and Rain. This gives me the opportunity next round to decide who i want to work with and hopefully stick with that group until the end. Obviously things could happen very differently, I’m unsure if I will go to Michele or Lenny to propose sticking together until the end, but who knows what could happen in this game. 

Worm

This game is with out a doubt the wildest ride I have ever been on in an org. I have changed my path to the end so many times, and I feel like a majority of that is because of how chaotic some of the other people are playing. So with everything going on I just need to keep my head down and make sure  that no matter how many people I betray, I need to make sure I still have that bridge built to work with them. I'm putting a lot of faith this round in Michele because its all up to her to vote for Frank. I don't why Im trusting Franco to take the reins with this vote, especially after HE TOLD MICHELLE ABOUT HIS IDOL. Like I'm flabbergasted. What is this cast problem with not telling every living soul about them having an idol. i'm just hoping everything work out because if it doesn't, then I'm not too sure of my chances of staying are. I wounder if people would go after larger targets or someone else. There is too many questions right now that I can't answer. So until then I will focus on what I can try and control. So the plan for the rest of this game will hopefully go as follows: this round we flush dusty's idol and get rid of frank. After that i would like to either get rid of Rain. I think out of everyone left they are the most likely to win. They are well-spoken, smart, and has a great relationship with everyone. I think if they make it to the end then they would have the best chances of winning. I think my best bet would be to work with Michele, Dusty, and maybe Lenny. That third person is kind of a mystery to me but if I can get Michele and Dusty on board then I think we can pull in a third. Maybe if Franco doesn't find another idol and he thinks that his back is against the wall then maybe he would flip. Only time would tell. After that at final 6 I would like to target Sasha. She seems like a wild card and I'm not sure where her head sits in this game. I also know that her and Franco are getting closer so that could leave Franco with no allies. I think after that, Dusty would be the best person to target. I think he also as a very high chance of winning and having someone so close with such a good chance of winning is a big threat. At final 4 I would want either Michele or Lenny out. Preferably Lenny because I think she has better social bonds and with Michele becoming more and more quiet it seems that will be my choice. I think Franco is one person I want in the end because even though he is making "big moves", many of  them seem erratic and without logic to me. I don't think he has the foresight to see what consequences have occurred from his decisions. I know this isn't how the game is gonna go but I sure hope it does lol

Franco

OKAY so i spent a LOT of today mulling over options and plans and votes and allies. This might be the last chance i have to make a HUGE move with an idol so I have to make it work. Not gonna lie, I got messy. I slipped and told Michele, Rain, and Worm about my idol. But i don't think it blew up in my face, surprisingly. I'm lying to almost everyone. There are four different plans going on but only one is true. The plan is to get Dusty to use an idol AND ensure someone I don't trust goes home. I know Dusty, Lenny, and Frank are voting me, but my idol will ensure it does not matter. Rain, Worm and I are voting Dusty. He needs to have the most votes so he's forced to use the super idol and we don't have to worry about it anymore. I really trust Sasha. Like Rain and Sasha are my biggest allies right now, but unfortunately I had to lie to Sasha to ensure there weren't any leaks. I told her that the vote was going to Michele. So that's who she should be voting for. Michele knows about the plan to use my idol and flush Dustys, so she is going to vote Frank. SO if all goes according to plan, it will be a tie between Michele and Frank and it will go to a revote. Michele is an absolute rat and a snake and I can't trust her anymore. I want her GONE. After the first vote im going to campaign my ass off in those couple minutes to get her to go. SO YEAH. Me and all of my allies should be safe. FrancoAlso. Can i just say how SHOOK I am at this game? This round has been a rollercoaster, and this vote is so intense. There are so many intricacies and internal connections and ideas going on that is all cohesive in the grand scheme of whats actually going on. This is why I love Survivor and I love this game. Truly i think this is the most I've ever played from a strategic standpoint. 

Sasha

in a twist of events, I'm voting with franco rather than for him why? well, bold of you to assume /I/ understand my own actions serious answer: because I realized that I talk the most to him and I'm closer to him than anyone else as a result. not even just game talk. just vibing and chatting about stuff, like shouting about the witcher for instance also I'm just vibing and not caring about Game(tm) so what do I have to lose by turning on the invisibles anyway rain was telling me that they were thinking of voting for franco and I was like "ok but first consider this new information: I'm not voting for him" and so they said that they won't vote for him franco decided to target michele instead, because she keeps flipping around to whatever benefits her, which makes sense. I guess I'm just chilling until the vote since, in theory, the invisibles decided to vote franco (I didn't try to convince them to vote for someone else just in case, because it would look highkey sus if I started to try to get the vote off franco after trying to vote for him three goddamn times)

Frank

It’s very quite and that makes me concerned for some reason bc I just don’t do well with quiet anymore I guess. I know survivor is on and I’m watching it too but like it’s been quiet for most of the day. I just hope that’s because it’s an easy round, but obviously I’m never going to feel comfortable.

Sasha

This is the second time I'm voting with someone who's engaging in a last ditch effort to save themselves. Hopefully it goes better this time

Sasha

WAIT FRANCO JUST USED AN IDOL SDFGHJK

Sasha

this tribal, man franco and I assume worm and rain, voted dusty to flush his super idol so then it was a tie between michele and frank I got 3 dms, one from michele just saying "please!!!" which is the only thing that kept me from confirming my vote for her immediately one from franco elaborating on the plan to flush the idol and one from dusty asking if I wanted to keep frank. I said yes and he confirmed. That was a surprise

Sasha

FUCK IT'S ROCKS BETWEEN ME, WORM, AND RAIN

Sasha

well shit

[survivor-kalymnos]

Ep. 4 - “What big legs you have! Well the better to carry my tribe with darling.” - Tristin

Sasha

When you get tribe swapped but never made significant bonds with anyone on your tribe so it’s whatever 

Tristin

Fuck

cranjes

so i get put on a tribe with the person i want to blindside and the person who was gonna be gone if we lost again....great

Tristin

So a swap happened and I ended up swapping in the MINORITY with Franco who I LOVE

Rain

I’m fucked. I didn’t even get someone from my OG tribe that I particularly like. 

Franco

JAY STOP PUTTING ME ON A ROLLER COASTER OF EMOTIONS I was just so happy about Eliza and I's plan to split votes being executed FLAWLESSLY, and then you do this to me. Swaps are scary enough, but THEN I GET PUT ON A TRIBE OF 5!! and Tristin and I are the only og Nera!! I'm not ready to be in the minority. I don't know how any of these people, and I feel like I'm starting at square one. I had such good relationships with everyone on nera now I gotta build that, at a disadvantage because of being in the tribal minority. I'm gonna have to put in some serious work sooner rather than later

FrancI already miss Michele and Eliza and Rain. The new Nera members are so quiet and I feel like I'm being annoying because they just! aren't giving me any tea! Ugh I hate this

lenny

I feel blindsided and anxious. This past tribal, two people voted for me and Gregg left me a message that made me feel really icky. I am sort of defeated right now and don't know how to deal with this swap or get my stamina up. :( :/ I want to cry. Not to be dramatic but I trusted people on my tribe and I feel naive for doing so. 

lenny

trying to converse post swap. Not feeling like I am going to vibe with these people. they are not interested in getting to know me.

Elle

I really like the results of the tribe swap! Fae and Maxyne are with me which are two solid allies that I know I can count on. That means I am not in the minority at the moment! For now, though, I am scared about idols the other two may or may not have. Rain and Lenny are unknown factors which make them dangerous to my game. I need to use my social skills to get them under my thumb. I do not care if it makes me seem shady. I will take them out if I have to with a smile on my face. However, I know with this challenge that my tribe will certainly not be going to tribal council. I am very strong in this challenge so I have faith. My google account is trying to expose me. I forgot to logout of them so it showed my name when I logged into the google sheets. One other person was there. If they were smart then they could look up who I am. I hope it does not turn out that way. I hope they just ignored it and I can continue my alias identity. 

Rain

Oy (and I cannot stress this enough) vey. Okay, new tribe. Me and Lenny are immediately a minority, so we need to win immunity because while voting her out is an option, if I do that I am CERTAINLY next to go. Except, what’s immunity? My least favorite challenge ever (aside from MAYBE lip syncs. Maybe). So basically... I’m fucked. Long term or short term. Who knows! So far, I think I like Elle the most of everyone on my tribe. Elle thinks I’m iconic for having mice. I also think I’m iconic for having mice. From what I’ve been told, Fae got separated from the people they bonded with as well, so that’s potentially helpful. But for now, once again, Oy (and I cannot stress this enough) vey. 

Michele

Glad my new tribe is majority members of my old tribe. Eliza is my number 1 right now!

Franco

Okay so I'm gonna give a quick update about new Nera. I really like Cranjes, I think I like him more than most of og Nera?? Surprisingly? Like I really want to work with him on a close level, I just hope tribal lines doesn't act as an obstacle for that. We both already expressed to each other a desire to work together. Van seems kinda..... not all there. Like doesn't seem to take the game super seriously. I also think I notice some tension between Van and Cranjes, so i definitely wanna exploit that. Sasha is okay. They're super easy to talk to and have a very genuine personality. I love our conversations, but they even said themselves that they're not super active or invested in the game. At the very least they could serve as a number if I can get closer Tristin is still amazing. Besides Eliza and Michele I think I was closest to them on og Nera. And they're literally winning this challenge for us so I'm super grateful!! We both realize that we have to stick together now more than ever so we're doing that!

Maxyne

Well... it's over... i don't see why i should continue in this gane or fight to survive even when my heart lowkey isn't in this anymore and i don't think it would be fair for me to snuff the Nera minority just cause they're 2, there literally no reason why i should stay over them

Sasha

This challenge was just “I meant to contribute more to the group project but they did a bunch before I really got to it” but in an org for me tonight. At least we won so I wouldn’t have to face the consequences of that AND tribal. 

Franco

we WON!!

by a LOT!! like a LANDSLIDE TBH!! i'm so excited. I'm one round closer to merge and being reunited with my allies. I really am starting to feel powerless, and it sUCKS because I was in a good position pre swap. but now I have at least a few more days!! and I intend to use them to my full advantage 

cranjes

so we like kicked ass on that challenge, and i really like franco. that’s that. idk. i’m out of it. yay final 14.

Tristin

Me and Franco were in hot water after we swapped in the minority but I was determined to not to go tribal. After a frustrating attempt at the challenge, Tristin overcame as they masterminded  a strategy to win, securing they and Franco’s safety. Oh I also told my tribe about an advantage for the challenge so next time we can win!! Hopefully I’m making strong impressions here. I also would like to say that I like Cranjes and think that they’re the strongest out of the 3 from Og Plati. Sasha is ok I guess and van seems useless as of now but coolish to talk to I guess???

Elle

It sucks that we have to go to tribal and that I had to do all the work for this challenge. However, I feel confident that I will not be getting voted out in this round. I have Maxyne and Fae on my side, and I have been making good connections with Rain and Lenny. In my eyes, no one should be plotting against me. In all honesty, I hope that, if its not either of the other two, that Fae goes because I have such a hard time connecting with them. They are someone I am willing to let go. Maxyne is my ride-or-die and I really feel connected with them, so I do not want them to go. Overall, I feel comfortable, but that is when I am most vulnerable. Let us hope that no one is plotting against me!

Tristin

So I am glad that Plati lost because the only people there from our tribe are Rain and um *checks blog* Lenny (forgot ab them cuz yk... irrelevancy.) Either one of them can go and I wouldn’t care. Hopefully they get out Elle which I doubt.

Tristin

Oh TRISTIN what big legs you have! Well the better to carry my tribe with darling.

Michele

I was really worried for that comp because I have never seen survivor but thanks to dumb answers and the alphabet I was able to help my team not lose!

Rain

It bears repeating. Oy vey. We lost. We lost and I’m in the fucking bottom a la random.org and I’m pleading my case and Elle has told me I won’t go home next round but if we go to tribal again and I vote out Lenny this round it’s way easier to go for me than their own tribe members!!! Oy fucking vey!!! 

Michele

I really like Erick and Dusty! They really helped a lot in the challenge today. Sucks that theyre the top 2 on my current tribe hit list😈😈😈

Tristin

Y’all need to Trustin Tristin so we can Tristwin

Franco

okay so completely unexpectedly, Van just added Cranjes and I into an alliance chat. I wasn't anticipating this at all?? because I thought they didn't like each other, but I'm rollin w it!! It seems really fun, and at the very least I can ride it for a couple rounds and use it as a safety net

Lenny

Rain and I are scrambling to try and get majority. This is a mess and I know they are going to vote me out. I want to cry and I guess this karma for gregg osddndnncifud. I don’t know what to do. I need a hug. 

Fae

[bernie sanders meme voice] i am once again asking you to change your pfp

Fae

So we swapped. I’m with Maxyne, Elle, Lenny and Rain. Sooo... I have an alliance with Elle and Maxyne, but I told Rain and Lenny I would gladly work with them. I have happily forced myself into the middle with an idol in my pocket. I’m sitting pretty, and not acting like myself. 

Elle

I started an OG Plati alliance with Fae and Maxyne only because I feel that it is inevitable that we work together, at least for this one vote. We came to a consensus to get rid of Lenny rather than Rain. I attempted to pin the decision on Maxyne to keep my hands away from the situation. Plus, if I make other people feel in charge, then they will drag me along. I think I helped in this situation by lightly suggesting to Maxyne in PMs that Rain feels like they have a genuine connection with us. I also said that to calm Maxyne down. They are very nervous going into this tribal, and they know that the idol is gone from the Plati idol hunt. This signals to me that they do not have the idol. I am scared moving forward with this vote because I can feel a blindside in my bones. I just hope it is not me who is will be sacrificed in that scenario. 

Lenny

Fae just suggested an alliance with them and Rain! This is big news. Last night, I approached Elle and Fae about why they should keep me. Elle said to not “count myself out yet” and now Fae did this. Of course I am still in jeopardy and don’t want to get my hopes up but who know what could happen now.

lenny

I've been reflecting on my friendship with Rain. During the first week, I was suspicious of them but now I am truly grateful to have an ally and someone to chat with. They are a really smart player and I hope they go far in the game if we can make this tribal work in our favor.

Dusty

So our tribes swapped and I could not have been luckier!!! I stuck with Erick, and even tho we were in the minority in terms of original tribe, I felt a lot better being with my closest ally. Not only that! But Eliza approached Erick saying she has the other half of the super idol! Now what the hell kind of good luck is that! Whew okay so now Erick, Eliza, and myself have formed an alliance, and i feel great about it!! I’m also really happy with the other members Worm and Michele, and we got a lot of bonding in through the challenge. Now this brings in the question who will i be working with moving forward. Will I stick with my original tribe come merge, or will i stick with my new tribe! All I know is that I will be working with Erick and Eliza until the end, well that’s my plan at least. I think that the tribal tonight will determine a lot. If original Plati sticks with the original tribe majority and takes out a Nera member, then sure that’s fine. But I would love to see smart players come together and maybe make an interesting play! I could see myself working with Fae come merge, and Elle I would be happy too as well for a bit, but losing Maxyne now could be more beneficial for me down the line. But hey! Theres so many possibilities and outcomes so I’ll just sit and wait and see what happens!

Eliza

Dear diary...

Jay asked me who I’d vote out if I had to so here y’all go I obviously don’t want to vote out Michele, A. I’m not interested in losing nera numbers right now and elfranchele is a group of people I want to work with at merge so keeping that intact is vital for my game right now. I don’t want to vote for worm because Michele wouldn’t agree and once again, numbers. I also love worm and find conversations come very easy when talking to them so someone I can bounce ideas around with is someone I want to keep. Dusty is someone who would come to my mind as a first vote but seeing as they have to other have of the super idol I can really do that, I decided to tell Michele about the super idol so that in case we lose she knows why we can’t afford to vote dusty out.

So numbers and idols wise that would leave Erick, only issue is, I really like Erick a lot and don’t want him to go. I could definitely see myself working with him in the future, but more importantly, I’d lose dusty’s trust if I voted out Erick, I losing dusty’s trust means losing any chance at having that super idol. So then we’re stuck in a position where no vote will benefit me and every single outcome would bite me in the ass, vote worm or Michele? Traitor, vote Erick or dusty? Losing a super idol. My best bet would be trying to have a heart to heart with dusty about why Erick has to go, but if dusty doesn’t agree with me and refuses to let Erick go? I’m royally fucked and would probably have to vote worm a good ally of mine out. Or I could trick dusty into giving me their half of the super idol although it’s unlikely it could happen but it’s not something that I think would happen realistically. So I’m simple terms, fuck

Eliza

Ndndbdbfbfh 

Eliza

I forgot to say I have a steal a vote, that was meant to go WITH the key smash, oopsie 

Fae

Sooo, I have successfully shoved myself into the middle. I am in the alliance with Elle and Maxyne, and the Kostas Alliance was just made. With Lenny and Rain. I also have the idol so I’m sitting pretty. Now I could completely get blind sided here. But I have chosen to work with Lenny and Rain. I trust them way more than I do the OG Plati. 

“Erick”

So, tribe swap. I ended up on Vathis with Dusty, which was the luckiest coincidence of all time, thanks random.org for ur good will. Worm immediately said hey, followed by Michele and Eliza, and after Eliza and I talked for about one minute, she said she was happy to get the opportunity to talk to me because, one lucky coincidence after another, Franco was the person who got the reward from the other tribe and he shared it with her. She said upfront that she and Franco wanted to work with me and whoever I gave it to, which, Lucky Coincidence, is Dusty, also my most trusted ally here. But Eliza seemed sweet right off the bat, and I made an alliance with the three of us. I went looking for the idol and was afraid of the monkeys for a moment, so I didn’t approach, but I went back the next day and gave them an orange and they gave me a package with an idol in it!!!!!! I’m so blessed!! Lucky Fuckin Coincidence.

We started slow on the challenge, but made a killer comeback and took second when the third place tribe gave up two hours before results. It was an excellent tribe bonding experience where we roasted each other constantly for our idiotic mistakes. Michele is nice but was not contributing much, and what she did contribute was nominal. Worm is also nice but sometimes I’m at a loss of what to say to them. A lot of the time I talk they just respond “oooh nice” lol. But Dusty approached me today and said they found the place where the idol was, so I revealed it to them because I felt good about the situation, and because I think Dusty is too smart to have not considered that I may have been the one to find it. We have a nice little secret between the two of us now, and a bigger secret of the super idol between four of us. For the moment, I feel like we’re in a good place.

Worm

This tribe swap wasn't such a bad thing. I am very lucky that I am the only tribe that has a majority Nera members on it. This does have me worried because with us winning means that we are putting the rest of our old tribe members in danger so it does make me wonder that if it would every be a good idea to throw a challenge to keep some of them safe. Coming into Vathis with Eliza and Michele has me excited and slightly worried. I got pretty close with Eliza during the early rounds but I do still believe that her and Michele are very close based on how they interact in the tribe chat and how they mention each other in pms. But I do think that the still trust me enough to work with me over any of the new people. I'm also very happy that I have more time to strengthen relations with them, especially Michele. The two of us have been talking since day one but we never truly gotten over that hump of small talk so hopefully with us being trapped on a tribe together for a few more days will help ensure that we have a better working together. Now onto Dusty and Erick. So far I like them both and I do hope that they are good at challenges just for the sake of keeping our tribe safe. Honestly right now I have no opinion of one over the other of who I trust more. This kind of makes me nervous cause if I was swapped into a tribe as a minority I would be trying my hardest to connect with everyone as best I can to keep my ass safe. This has me wondering a little bit about if the other four are working together and if we lose then I'll be the one that gets voted out. Hopefully I'm just overthinking all this but only time will tell

Rain

So... Here we go. Vote is due in 1.5 hours and here’s how it’s going. According to everyone speaking to me. Elle and Maxyne are going to vote Lenny. Lenny and Fae are going to vote Maxyne. I love all of the people on this tribe. But I know If I vote out Lenny, I will be absolutely in the minority and near certainly the next to go. They can say it’s Fae all they want, but it won’t be. This early, tribes stick together. I’m leaning toward voting for Maxyne. I love Elle, but I think as long as I don’t vote her out, I can manage the damage (ooh that rhymes). And then we just don’t lose again. 

Maxyne you iconic homie, you’re fun to talk to and I hope you succeed in redemption, but you won’t succeed for now. 

Elle

I feel nervous all of a sudden going into tribal. I feel like people are lying to me, but there is nothing I can do about it now. I checked in with Maxyne and Fae. LEt's hope this goes well.

Maxyne

Okay, so this round could either end me or ummm end me later. I've been confessing to people that i barely did anything for the challenge which in hindsight is a TERRIBLE idea but i can't stay silent. I would hate for someone to take the heat for a mistake i made. It's the morals i guess, makes me stupid. So i've been telling the truth to people about how i'm feeling and what i've done. Basically to everyone except Lenny. Lenny is who we're planning to vote out. Or at least who I said should go. The OG Plati queens, Me, Fae, and Elle are sticking together. Obviously it irks me that The OG tribe is basically gonna Pagong the minority but my morals are only active to a point. I want Lenny out cause I feel like I could rally people to get him out. However, if the vote flips on me, I wouldn't be surprised. I feel like shit but if i can survive this round, I might start feeling better again. Tribal is about to start... wish me luck. MaxyneWASKFESACHFSCESHNCAWUSCKSJCASCFHUEHFCWYGIFWHY8OICIEJICESDCOI SHNUV BSYCB YSABC YHSAC YSHAJS Well that happened! I can finally take a nap. Sorry Jay. You know I can't win these games.

van

Yes this is late, but here we are. God this game is a whirlwind. WE WON THE CHALLENGE THOUGH. Actually fucking stomped the other tribes. I’m avoiding going to tribal with these tribes of 5 because honestly small tribes scare me. You never know what tf is happening. But it doesn’t looks like we’ll be playing the tribe line games on this one. Cranjes and I stuck together after the Big Alliance got fucking eviscerated by Jay’s expansion. We then recruited Franco because he is v scared of tribal lines and Cranjes and I think we can get him to vote our way to save his own ass. Yeehaw