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dollarbin · 11 months

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Dollar Bin #17:

Ian Matthews' If You Saw Thro' My Eyes

I had big plans for this weekend's post. My famous brother has been jawing of late about how I will kneel in perpetual penance before Stephen Stills' altar of jock rock greatness the moment I listen to a Manassas record and I will then declare Stills a rock and roll god. One would think my brother is famous for devilry and nonsense.

Indeed, so confident am I that Stills will forever suck that earlier this week I got down on the weathered floor of my local dollar bin (they know what they're doing in my local shop: all of Stills' records are relegated to a neglected, ground level cardboard box, while The Incredible String Band section towers at chest height over Stephen's treasure chest of trash) and hauled out their cheapest copy of Manassas's debut double album (there were plenty of copies to choose from; no one wants to own Stephen Stills records).

My grand plan was to spend a glorious Friday afternoon playing a drinking game of my own invention wherein I'd drink every time I heard a note that did not suck in Manassas's monster ode to mediocrity and I'd admit to each chug in print. I had no fears about a hangover heading into this adventure; I knew I'd emerge stone cold sober.

Fair Reader, I extend to you my sincerest apologies. You'll simply have to wait, with baited breath, for that future entry. The truth is that moments after gleefully cracking open a cold one and dropping the needle on Side 1 of Stills' pretentious piece of pomposity I heard Stephen open his crack (I honestly could not tell which it was, face or ass) and realized I did not have the spirit for it.

Simply put, the very real terror being inflicted upon our fellow humans in Gaza and Israel makes the musical terror Stills inflicts upon us both unfunny and utterly incidental. Please join me in praying for the safety of all innocent people now living in war zones, most especially the children in harm's way.

So, at least for now, I propose that we put off any further pulverization of the guy who thought it was a great idea to name his new band after the Confederacy's first and greatest victory in the Civil War.

Instead, let's consider some fragile and largely unappreciated beauty by spending time on Ian Matthews' first and greatest solo record, If You Saw Thro' My Eyes.

Nick Drake and Sandy Denny both hold and deserve sainted status in the history of popular song. Almost 50 years after their tragic deaths they remain the yin and yang of cosmic British folk music, their all too brief careers forever marking them as the only true peers we have to Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. Of course all four artists owe a heavy debt to Dylan, but each was also consistently capable of creating something Dylan, for all his greatness, has often chased after fruitlessly: beauty.

A consummate recognizer of genius, Joe Boyd saw Sandy Denny sharing the stage with Matthews in Fairport Convention in 69 and understood all of this. So he decided that Ian Matthews needed to take a hike. Denny and her almost equally talented bandmate, Richard Thompson, both loved Matthews but agreed with Boyd; so Matthews got his walking papers, leaving Sandy gloriously alone before the microphone.

Everybody knows the more famous version of this story: George Harrison similarly traded in his forever bronze medal in The Beatles then went on to make the truly Olympian All Things Must Pass.

But Matthews story is a bit more complicated. Rather than settling down and producing a masterpiece, Matthews acted like a restless, slightly panicked (but still quite handsome!) toad, jumping from scheme to scheme. Between 69 and 74 he founded two entirely separate bands (Matthews Southern Comfort and Plainsong) and put out 7 (!) albums. All are Dollar Bin winners, but only one, 71's curiously spelled If You Saw Thro' My Eyes, is transcendent art.

So let's talk about it!

A good introduction is the album's second track, Hearts.

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Matthews is not considered a songwriting genius; after this record he increasingly turned to covering other artists. But here he shows early equal promise to Young; indeed it's great to listen to Hearts alongside Young's equally tender track Birds, which was recorded just a year earlier. Both songs portray young men setting aside the bruising and dumb elements of their assigned and culturally dominent gender; indeed it's hilarious to compare these songs' equally androginus yearnings with the way an artist like Young was marketed at the time. Just look at the image below.

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All he needs is a bullwhip, a fedora and a groveling look of worship from the babe on his hip to complete the image. But there's no macho macho man to be found in either of these lovely songs, and the gesture is missing from every note of If You Saw Thro' My Eyes.

Even so, there are plenty of men making music on this record and they all shred. That's none other than Richard Thompson you hear bubbling and bending on lead guitar all the way through Hearts, and he is a full contributor throughout the record, lending his unmistakable tone and gesture in ways that are frankly more successful than his contributions to Drake's first two records. Richard may have given Matthews the boot, but the two guys still literally lived together in the same house and clearly understood one another's gifts.

And then there's Keith Tippett. My famous brother will now crawl out from under his Stills' shaped rock of shame to shake his fist at me in exasperation when I admit that I know nothing about this guy. But he's clearly some kind of genius. Listen to his quavering, elemental piano work alongside Thompson's guitar on Never Ending.

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Seriously, why did the 74 zillion people buy Tea For the Tillerman then skip on this record?

And that's none other than Sandy Denny playing the harmonium behind Thompson and Tippett. While in Fairport together, Denny and Matthews either traded off vocals masterfully, as in the band's version of Suzanne, harmonized conventionally around one another or stood to one side altogether while the other sang.

But on this album's title track, If You Saw Thro' My Eyes, they finally learn to lean in together. Like lovers, friends or even enemies, they perch on the opposite banks of some terrible chasm, reaching out palm to palm over the breach to hold one another up. High above turbulent seas we listen as they leave the land and soar away, taking us with them.

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I hope all of you are safe, and I hope you can find some way to reach out in love and peace to someone else this weekend. Even if it's Stephen Stills.

#ian matthews #sandy denny #richard thompson #stephen stills still sucks #Youtube #https://doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com/

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peachtyun · 2 years

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𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗠𝗘 . . . !

𝗩 ! pronounced vē or vee

he/him. jewish ࣪ ִֶָ ENFP eng speaker ٬٬

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i'm mainly a moodboard / layout acc ; updates are random ٬٬ eastern standard time # asks & msgs are open !

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if you fit basic DNI criteria ( racist, sexist, lgbtqphobic, etc ) ꠵ solo stans, sasaengs, if you anti any of my favs ٬٬ if you're an ot9 stay, if you're an nsfw acc or shipper . . . !

𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦 ★

스트레이 키즈 STRAY KIDS yang jeongin

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(＾◡＾) 🌀 rain, music, spicy food, lethal amounts of cologne, zZz, bulgogi, coke zero, guitar, death note, hoodies, alice in borderland, cyberpunk 2077, & more.

#v's navi ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ

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awardseasonblog · 2 years

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Quest’anno la categoria #Migliorsceneggiaturanonoriginale ha sempre avuto un frontrunner. Si tratta dell’adattamento di Sarah Polley, #WomenTalking, che non solo ha conquistato i key awards di questa gara (dall’USC Scripter Award al Writers Guild of America Award) ma ha vinto anche numerosi premi assegnati dalle Associazioni dei critici americani fino ad ottenere il Critics Choice Award, l’HCA Film Award e il Satellite Award. In questo scenario l’unico che potrebbe rovesciare questo atteso verdetto è il film tedesco All Quiet on the Western Front che ha dalla sua parte non solo l’NBR Award ma anche il BAFTA. Inoltre non ha potuto gareggiare ai WGA Awards perché considerato “non idoneo” per le loro “linee guida” e quindi una vera sfida non c’è stata ancora, anche se poi è stato snobbato dagli USC Scripter Award. In tal senso non ha brillato particolarmente in termini di candidature rispetto ad altri film che sono stati esclusi dalla cinquina e che invece avrebbero meritato un posto (da Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery a Pinocchio, da The Whale a She Said fino a Bones and All e After Yang). (LINK NELLA STORIA) NOMINATION OSCAR 2023 Best Adapted Screenplay -“All Quiet on the Western Front,” Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell -“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” Rian Johnson -“Living,” Kazuo Ishiguro -“Top Gun: Maverick,” Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie, story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks -“Women Talking,” Sarah Polley #AwardsSeason #AwardsRace #OscarsRace #RoadtotheOscar #Movies #AwardsRace #BestAdaptedScreenplay #Oscars2023 #OscarsPredictions #FinalPredictions #StagionedeiPremi #Oscar2023 #PrevisioniOscar https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpk9NNmM7Fr/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#migliorsceneggiaturanonoriginale #womentalking #awardsseason #awardsrace #oscarsrace #roadtotheoscar #movies #bestadaptedscreenplay #oscars2023 #oscarspredictions #finalpredictions #stagionedeipremi #oscar2023 #previsionioscar

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livingwithmyimaginaryfriend · 2 years

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Ngebahas Seputar Brendon Urie, hanya satu member Panic! at the Disco yang dulunya dipuja dan kini menjadi munafik, istilahnya Brendon is cancelled

Brendon Urie merupakan salah satu vokalis dari band rock Panic! at the Disco yang dibentuk pada tahun 2004. Band ini dahulu terdiri dari empat member, yaitu Ryan Ross (gitaris dan vokalis), Jon Walker (bassist) dan Spencer Smith (drummer). Sayangnya, setelah pengumuman di tahun 2009, Ryan dan Jon dikabarkan telah meninggalkan bandnya lalu pindah ke band baru yaitu The Young Veins, sisanya hanya dua orang saja.

Kemudian, ada penggantinya Ryan dan Jon yaitu Dallon Weekes dan Ian Crawford. Dallon pemain bass sedangkan Ian pemain gitar dan backing vocals yang tugasnya tampil di panggung sampai Dallon dianggap sebagai band resminya tahun 2012 yang diumumkan lewat akun resminya di Twitter, tetapi Ian tidak. Akhirnya, Ian memutuskan keluar dari band tahun yang sama seperti Dallon dinyatakan resmi jadi band Panic! dengan alasan ingin mencari ide musik yang baru.

Selanjutnya, pada bulan Agustus 2013, pemain drum, Spencer dikabarkan ingin meninggalkan band karena masalah kecanduan alkohol dan obat-obatan, dan dua tahun kemudian, dia resmi keluar dari band Panic!. Sementara, di tahun yang sama, Dallas resmi juga meninggalkan band Panic! karena fokus membuat band baru yaitu I Don't Know How But They Found Me pada 2016. Sisasnya, Brendon yang menjadi tanggung jawab pada band Panic!. Menurut dia, Panic! at the disco dianggap sebagai solo proyeknya, karena dia merasa belum ada kepikiran untuk membuat solo baru proyeknya sendiri selain Panic!.

Band Panic! at the disco sudah comeback tahun ini merilis single baru yang berjudul Viva Las Vengeance pada 1 Juni lalu, tetapi netizen malah ingin ngeblock akun medsosnya Brendon Urie dengan alasan apapun. Tak hanya itu, band akunnya juga termasuk yang harus diblock oleh fans. Yang jadi dipertanyakan mengapa Brendon kerap menjadi sorotan oleh para netizen yang dulunya fans yang kini berubah menjadi anti-fans. Permasalahannya yaitu kejadian Brendon sudah lama yang dituduh rasis, pelecehan seksual dan transphobia.

Beginilah reaksi cuitan netizen lewat Twitter:

"My Chemical Romance belum merilis album tahun ini, jadi gue memutuskan untuk ngeblock Brendon."

Lanjut, ada juga reaksi cuitan netizen tersebut:

"Tanpa mengingat secara spesifik, gue ngeblock Brendon demi kesehatan mental diri gue"

Netizen menganalisis video flashback Brendon yang sedang bicara di depan penonton yang mayoritas perempuan remaja menggunakan kalimat yang rape jokes seperti, “If I see you after the show, I’m gonna f**k you. And I don’t care if you want it. I more care if you don’t want it because then I really want it.”

Setelah itu, Brendon juga bercanda di depan fans dengan bernada rasis seperti "I wish I was born Black, so I could wear the clothes I wear without getting made fun of." Sekaligus, dia sengaja sedang ngerap sambil mengucapkan n***a yang menyinggung orang kulit hitam di videonya.

Adapun fans yang ngetweet tentang meet and greet Brendon Urie di Twitter ketika tour di tahun 2015. Dia pernah bercerita bahwa Brendon menyentuh bokongnya membuat dia terkejut waktu umur 18 tahun. Ternyata fans sadar bahwa dia alami itu termasuk bentuk pelecehan seksual, lantas membuat dia tersinggung.

Sudah saatnya ngebahas fans, istri dari mantan bassis Dallon Weekes, Breezy mengekspos tentang mantan bodyguard Panic! at the disco, Zack Hall yang diduga pernah melakukan pelecehan seksual secara verbal lewat akun pribadinya di Twitter. "Kelakuan abusif semacam itu seringkali dianggap bercanda itu mesti aku abaikan. Jika aku menyutujuinya, ini bakalan lebih buruk," curhat Breezy.

Hashtag #BrendonUrieshouldspeakup menjadi trending dua tahun lalu meskipun itu sudah lama. Fans Panic! at the Disco ingin Brendon Urie harus mengakuinya bahwa dia merasa bersalah karena dia rasisme, homophobia dan pelecehan seksual. Namun, Brendon belum ada respon sama sekali pun. Apakah dia sekarang tingkah lakunya masih sama atau sengaja vakum dari media sosial dan fokus untuk mengerjakan album selanjutnya sejak pandemi?

Sumber: wikipedia, paper mag, sports keeda, distractify

#brendon urie #panic! at the disco #cancel culture

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1962dude420-blog · 3 years

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Today we remember the passing of Mick Ronson who Died: April 29, 1993, London, England

Michael Ronson (26 May 1946 – 29 April 1993) was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer. He achieved critical and commercial success working with David Bowie as one of the Spiders from Mars. He was a session musician who recorded five studio albums with Bowie followed by four with Ian Hunter, and also worked as a sideman in touring bands with Van Morrison and Bob Dylan.

Ronson and Bowie also produced Lou Reed's Transformer with Ronson playing lead guitar and piano and writing string arrangements, and brought mainstream recognition. The album is considered an influential landmark of the glam rock genre, anchored by Reed's most successful single, "Walk on the Wild Side".

Ronson also recorded five solo studio albums, the most popular being Slaughter on 10th Avenue, which reached No. 9 on the UK Albums Chart. He played with various bands after his time with Bowie. A classically trained musician, Ronson was known for his melodic approach to guitar playing. He was named the 64th-greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone in 2003 and 41st in 2012 by the same magazine.

Early in 1970, John Cambridge came back to Hull in search of Ronson, intent upon recruiting him for a new David Bowie backing band called The Hype. He found Ronson marking out a rugby pitch, one of his duties as a Parks Department gardener for Hull City Council. Having failed in his earlier attempts in London, Ronson was reluctant, but eventually agreed to accompany Cambridge to a meeting with Bowie. Two days later, on 5 February, Ronson made his debut with Bowie on John Peel's national BBC Radio 1 show.

The Hype played their first gig at The Roundhouse on 22 February with a line-up that included Bowie, Ronson, Cambridge, and producer/bassist Tony Visconti. The group dressed up in superhero costumes, with Bowie as Rainbowman, Visconti as Hypeman, Ronson as Gangsterman, and Cambridge as Cowboyman. Also on the bill that day were Bachdenkel, The Groundhogs and Caravan. The following day they performed at the Streatham Arms in London under the pseudonym of 'Harry The Butcher'. They also performed on 28 February at the Basildon Arts Lab experimental music club at the Basildon Arts Centre in Essex, billed as 'David Bowie's New Electric Band'. Also on the bill were High Tide, Overson and Iron Butterfly. Strawbs were due to perform but were replaced by Bowie's New Electric Band. John Cambridge left in March, again replaced by Woody Woodmansey. In April 1970, Ronson, Woodmansey, and Visconti started recording Bowie's The Man Who Sold the World album.

During the sessions for The Man Who Sold the World, the trio of Ronson, Visconti, and Woodmansey – still under The Hype moniker – signed to Vertigo Records. The group recruited Benny Marshall from The Rats as vocalist, and entered the studio to record an album. By the time a single appeared, The Hype had been renamed Ronno. "4th Hour of My Sleep" was released on Vertigo to an indifferent reception in January 1971. The song was written by Tucker Zimmerman. The B-side was a Ronson/Marshall composition called "Powers of Darkness". The Ronno album was never completed.

Bowie's backing ensemble, which now included Trevor Bolder, who had replaced Visconti on bass guitar, and keyboardist Rick Wakeman, were used in the recording of Hunky Dory. The departure of Visconti also meant that Ronson, with Bowie, took over the arrangements, while Ken Scott co-produced with Bowie. Hunky Dory featured Ronson's string arrangements on several tracks, including "Life On Mars?".

It was this band, minus Wakeman, that became known as The Spiders from Mars from the title of the next Bowie album. Again, Ronson was a key part of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, providing string arrangements and various instrumentation, as well as playing lead guitar. Ronson and Bowie achieved some popularity over the concerts promoting this album, when Bowie would simulate fellatio on Ronson's guitar as he played. Ronson's guitar and arranging during the Spiders from Mars era provided much of the underpinning for later punk rock musicians. In 1972 Ronson provided a strings-and-brass arrangement for the song "Sea Diver" on the Bowie-produced All the Young Dudes album for Mott the Hoople. Ronson co-produced Lou Reed's album Transformer with Bowie, playing lead guitar and piano on the songs "Perfect Day" and "Satellite of Love". Again with Bowie, he re-recorded and produced the track "The Man Who Sold the World" for Lulu, released as a single in the UK, and played on a few tracks on the Dana Gillespie album Weren't Born a Man. Ronson appeared on the 1972 country rock album Bustin' Out by Pure Prairie League, where he undertook string ensemble arrangements. Ronson recorded "Angel #9" for his second solo LP Play Don't Worry), and string arrangements on "Boulder Skies" and "Call Me, Tell Me" .

His guitar work was next heard on Bowie's Aladdin Sane and 1973 covers album Pin Ups. However, he was absent from the subsequent Diamond Dogs album. In September 1983 he was a special guest at the Toronto leg of the Serious Moonlight Tour, playing lead guitar during the performance of "The Jean Genie". He had only been asked to play the day before.

Bowie said in a 1994 interview that "Mick was the perfect foil for the Ziggy character. He was very much a salt-of-the-earth type, the blunt northerner with a defiantly masculine personality, so that what you got was the old-fashioned Yin and Yang thing. As a rock duo, I thought we were every bit as good as Mick and Keith or Axl and Slash. Ziggy and Mick were the personification of that rock n roll dualism.

After leaving Bowie's entourage after the "Farewell Concert" in 1973, Ronson released three solo albums. His solo debut Slaughter on 10th Avenue, featured a version of Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender", as well as Ronson's most famous solo track, "Only After Dark". In addition, his sister, Margaret (Maggi) Ronson, provided the backing vocals for the set. Between this and the 1975 follow-up, Ronson had a short-lived stint with Mott the Hoople.

He then became a long-time collaborator with Mott's former leader Ian Hunter, commencing with the album Ian Hunter and featuring the UK Singles Chart No. 14 hit "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", including a spell touring as the Hunter Ronson Band. In 1980, the live album Welcome to the Club was released, including a couple of Ronson contributions, although it also contained a few studio-based tracks – one of which was a Hunter/Ronson composition. In 1974, Ronson secured the No. 2 spot from a reader's poll in Creem magazine as the best guitarist that year (with Jimmy Page taking first place), and Eric Clapton in third place after Ronson.

Ronson contributed guitar to the title track of the 1976 David Cassidy release Getting It in the Street. On 11 February 1977 the single "Billy Porter" (b/w "Seven Days") was released on RCA Victor Records, but did not chart. Roger Daltrey employed Ronson's guitar on his 1977 solo release One of the Boys. In 1979, Ronson and Hunter produced and played on the Ellen Foley debut album, Night Out, with "We Belong to the Night" and the hit single "What's a Matter Baby".

He also played guitar on Roger C Reale’s “Reptiles in Motion” album recorded in 1979 and only released in 2019 after the master tapes were acquired from the family of the original rights owners. The label Big Sound, based in Connecticut, had gone bust and the album remained unreleased for forty years.

In 1982, Ronson worked with John Mellencamp on his American Fool album, and in particular the song "Jack & Diane". Both "Jack & Diane" and American Fool topped their respective US Billboard charts.

In 1990, Ronson again collaborated with Hunter on the album YUI Orta, this time getting joint credit, as "Hunter/Ronson". One of the backing singers on the album was Carola Westerlund. While in Sweden Ronson wrote and produced three new songs with Estelle Millburne and Westerlund as EC2: "I'm So Sorry"/"Kiss Me" (1990), then a second single as ECII: "Passion" with a B-side cover of J. Kilette and K. Brown's "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles".

In 1993, he again appeared on a Bowie album, Black Tie White Noise, playing on the track "I Feel Free", originally recorded by Cream. Ronson and Bowie had already covered this track live 20 years earlier, whilst touring as Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. He also played lead guitar on the Morrissey-penned "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday".

His second and third solo albums were Play Don't Worry in 1975, and Heaven and Hull in 1994. The latter set was only partly completed at the time of Ronson's death, and was released posthumously. Artists involved with the album included Bowie, John Mellencamp, Joe Elliott, Ian Hunter, Chrissie Hynde, and Martin Chambers.

Besides Bowie and Hunter, Ronson went on to work as a musician, songwriter and record producer with many other acts. He did not restrict his influence behind the recording desk to just established acts. His production work appears on albums by more obscure artists, such as Payolas, Phil Rambow and Los Illegals, The Mundanes and Italian band Moda. Ronson produced The Visible Targets, a Seattle, Washington-based group, on their 1983 five track EP, "Autistic Savant". In 1985 he produced and played on the four song EP "Stillwell Avenue" with the NYC based band XDAVIS.

Ronson was also a member of Bob Dylan's "Rolling Thunder Revue" live band, and can be seen both on and off-stage in the film of the tour. He made a connection with Roger McGuinn during this time, which led to his producing and contributing guitar and arrangements to McGuinn's 1976 solo album Cardiff Rose.

In 1982, he participated on lead guitar in a short-lived band with Hilly Michaels on drums and Les Fradkin on bass guitar. One of their recordings from this group, "Spare Change", appeared on the Fradkin's 2006 album, Goin' Back. In 1987, Ronson made an appearance on a record by The Toll. Ronson played lead on the band's song, "Stand in Winter", from the album The Price of Progression.

In 1991, Ronson produced the Swedish cult band The Leather Nun's album, Nun Permanent, adding backing vocals and guitar overdubs on several tracks. At the end of the production, during a short visit to his sister in London, Ronson was diagnosed with cancer. In 1992 he produced Morrissey's album, Your Arsenal. The same year, Ronson's final high-profile live performance was his appearance at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. He played on "All the Young Dudes" with Bowie and Hunter; and "Heroes" with Bowie. Ronson's final recorded session was as a guest on the 1993 Wildhearts album Earth vs the Wildhearts, where he played the guitar solo on the song "My Baby is a Headfuck". Liner notes for the Earth vs The Wildhearts album give credit to Mick Ronson for guitar on the track "My Baby Is A Headfuck" and the "album is dedicated to Mick Ronson".

Ronson died of liver cancer on April 29, 1993 at age 46.

#april 29 #1993 #r.i.p.#mick ronson

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twins2994 · 3 years

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Rangers Edge Twins 3-1.

Rangers 3 Twins 1 W-King (3-1) L-Thorpe (0-1) SV-Kennedy (9)

The Minnesota Twins have been an inconsistent team throughout the first month plus of the season. The offense has been hit or miss and the bullpen has been awful at times. Both those aspects came into play tonight at Target Field. The Twins bats got a jolt in the second inning when Mitch Garver slammed a Hyeon-Jong Yang fastball out to left for a solo homer. His sixth homer of the year put the Twins up 1-0 after two innings of play. The Rangers finally figured out Lewis Thorpe in the fourth. Nick Solak and Nate Lowe started the inning with singles. Joey Gallo hit into a fielder’s choice, which scored Solak and tied the game up at one. The Rangers got back to work in the sixth as Nick Solak led-off with a walk. Nate Lowe singled to right and Cody Stashak came onto pitch. He uncorked a wild pitch that scored a run and Texas took a one-run lead. Adolis Garcia walked and Andy Ibanez hit a sacrifice fly to center, which put the Rangers up by a pair of runs after six frames. The Rangers bullpen was untouchable as John King, Brett Martin, and Joely Rodriguez combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings. This set-up Ian Kennedy, who struck out the side in the ninth to secure the win. The Rangers won their second game in a row against the Twins tonight.

-Final Thoughts- Lewis Thorpe looked good tonight. He went five-plus innings and allowed three runs on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Cody Stashak allowed two inherited runners to score in the sixth. Alex Colome figured some things out in two scoreless innings and Jorge Alcala had a clean ninth. The Twins didn’t want Taylor Rogers or Hansel Robles to throw tonight. Nelson Cruz and Kyle Garlick led the team with two hits each. The Twins hit 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. I expect Lewis Thorpe to get sent down and Devin Smeltzer to get called up, so the Twins have an extra arm for tomorrow’s game. Michael Pineda was cleared to pitch, but you need an extra man with the bullpen taxed and without a long man. Jordan Lyles will start for the Rangers tomorrow afternoon.

-Chris Kreibich-

#Twins #MnTwins

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musewrangler · 1 year

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Happy May the Fourth!!

This was intended to be a fun one shot to celebrate the day. My muse took over.

So instead I give you the beginning of part 10 in Empire Reimagined.

Hope you enjoy!

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ejharawk · 4 years

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Nu-Metal jadi senandung masa puber

Kondisi industri musik mendekati akhir dekade 90-an, khususnya di genre musik cadas, sebenarnya tidak terlalu cemerlang. Setidaknya itu yang saya rasakan di Palu. Kala itu akses internet belum lagi jadi barang lazim dan murah.

Sumber utama saya mengetahui adanya rilisan album atau lagu terbaru datang dari stasiun radio, televisi --terutama MTV, dan majalah remaja atau tabloid musik. Untuk perkara terakhir ini bacaan saya adalah Majalah Hai dan Mumu yang rutin saya beli setiap pekan.

Geliat thrash metal saat itu sedang lesu seperti kondisi perekonomian Indonesia yang habis kena hantaman krisis moneter. Kumpulan The Big Four yang terdiri dari Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, dan Anthrax pada periode ini merilis album yang kurang nendang. Kejayaan grunge yang sukses menggusur hair metal juga sudah lama berlalu seiring keputusan Kurt Cobain, pentolan Nirvana, mengakhiri hidupnya di ujung bedil.

Kesukaan orang-orang mendengarkan musik rock yang dibawakan band-band dalam negeri semacam Voodoo, Whizzkid, Sket, Powerslaves, dan Ucamp juga perlahan memudar. Pendeknya belum ada lagi pahlawan-pahlawan baru dari skena musik keras.

Sorotan utama kala itu adalah rombongan boyband dan girlband dengan ramuan bubblegum pop-nya. Mereka bermunculan ibarat jamur di musim hujan. Boyzone, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, Hanson, 911, The Moffatts, *NSync, Code Red, Westlife, atau 98 Degrees, hanyalah segelintir nama.

Belum surut gelombang tersebut, bermunculan pula solis nan rupawan dalam bentuk Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpsons, Billie Piper, dan Mandy Moore. Daftarnya masih panjang banget ini kalau mau disebutkan semua.

Pengakuan; saya ikut membeli sebagian kaset album mereka. Bahkan ikut menempel poster dan pin up-nya di dinding kamar. Namanya juga remaja yang baru menginjak masa akil balig. Hihihihi.

Dari sirkuit yang berbeda, laju para penggawa hiphop dan R&B tak tertahankan. Bergantian mereka menguasai tangga lagu dan album terlaris. Kemunculan aneka single terbaru mereka menjadi porsi utama pembahasan dalam berbagai media massa.

Majalah Hai yang banyak membahas musik bahkan menahbiskan grup-grup alternatif semacam Matchbox Twenty, The Wallflowers, Fastball, hingga Semisonic sebagai para penyelamat rock. Sementara itu, para pencari talenta baru dari berbagai perusahaan rekaman terus berupaya menemukan kumpulan-kumpulan permata yang masih tertimbun dalam lumpur.

Perlahan titik terang pencarian mulai tampak. Musim panas 1993 di salah satu bar yang ada di Huntington Beach. Paul Pontius yang menjabat sebagai A&R di Immortal Records, sebuah label rekaman independen berbasis di Los Angeles, California, duduk menyaksikan penampilan Jonathan Davis (vokalis), James "Munky" Shaffer (gitaris), Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu (bassis), Brian "Head" Welch (gitaris), dan David Silveria (drummer).

Pontius terkesima dengan apa yang baru saja didengarkannya. “Suguhan baru dalam musik rock,” ujarnya. Penasaran ia memutuskan untuk datang menyaksikan beberapa penampilan Korn berikutnya. Dari tangan para personel Korn diserahkanlah demo kaset berjudul Neidermayer's Mind yang berisi empat lagu, salah satunya berjudul “Blind” yang kelak menjadi hit pertama band ini.

Terpincut dengan musikalitas yang disajikan lima pemuda tersebut, Pontius langsung menawarkan kontrak rekaman sembari menggaransi kebebasan penuh pada band dalam penggarapan album. Tidak ketinggalan sodoran uang kontrak sebesar USD250 ribu. Kelanjutan dari peristiwa yang terjadi ini adalah sejarah.

Perlahan Korn semakin populer. Nu-metal juga mulai menancapkan pengaruh di Amerika Serikat. Hal yang diakui oleh Scott Ian, gitaris Anthrax. "1998 is the year nu metal took over but we were definitely not a part of that scene. If anything we were old metal, so getting anyone to support us was proving difficult," tulisnya dalam buku otobiografi I'm the Man: The Story of that Guy from Anthrax (2014).

Nu Metal atau Hip Metal? Entahlah

Jika kita mengorek asal-usul nu metal, maka akan muncul banyak nama yang menjadi embrio atau sumber inspirasi lahirnya subgenre ini. Beberapa yang dianggap pionir adalah kolaborasi antara rap dengan rock yang dihadirkan Run DMC bersama Aerosmith lewat single “Walk This Way”, kemudian fusi metal dengan hip hop dalam “Bring the Noize” yang dibawakan Anthrax bersama Public Enemy.

Kemudian para personel band nu metal juga menggabungkan karakteristik musik dari sederet band, semisal Faith No More, Helmet, Pantera, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sepultura, Rage Against the Machine, Alice in Chains, Biohazard, Rollins Band, hingga Nine Inch Nails. Penjabaran lengkapnya sila nonton film dokumenter Metal Evolution episode “Nu Metal” yang disutradarai Sam Dunn.

Perihal penamaan, saya kurang tahu persis siapa yang pertama kali bertanggung jawab menyematkan kata nu metal. Laiknya label grunge yang dialamatkan kepada para pengusung Seattle Sound, besar kemungkinan ini juga kerjaannya pers.

Majalah Hai ketika awal-awal subgenre ini merambah Indonesia lebih senang memakai istilah hip metal ketimbang nu metal. Menyematkan frasa hip (asal kata hiphop) bagi saya waktu itu terasa masuk akal. Pasalnya band seperti Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, atau Kid Rock memang menggunakan bebunyian dari peranti turntable dan nge-rap dalam beberapa bagian saat bernyanyi.

Tetapi menyematkan istilah hip metal untuk musik yang diusung Korn bagi saya terasa mengganjal. Mereka kan tidak punya DJ yang beraksi di balik turntable. Jonathan Davies sekilas memang sering merepet saat menyanyi. Bagi saya itu bukan sesuatu yang spesial. Anthony Kiedis dan Mike Patton sering melakukannya kok. Toh RHCP dan Faith No More tak lantas digolongkan sebagai band hip metal.

Makanya David Draiman, vokalis Disturbed, dalam sebuah wawancara merasa bingung kok bandnya tergolong dalam pengusung subgenre ini. “Kami tidak menggunakan turntable. Saya juga tidak pernah nge-rap. Kalau identifikasinya cuma dari musik, menurut saya kami lebih cocok dikategorikan sebagai band reggae metal,” kata Draiman.

Mungkin karena alasan itu juga istilah hip metal perlahan mulai ditinggalkan. Lebih banyak yang menggunakan sebutan nu metal. Bukan cuma agar pelabelan jadi lebih lentur, tapi karena secara musikal nu metal bukan hanya sekadar menggabungkan unsur metal dan hiphop dalam sebuah ramuan musik.

Sejumlah pengamat musik dan jurnalis menyebut ada beberapa ciri khas musikal untuk mendefinisikan sebuah band masuk dalam jajaran nu metal. Pertama penggunaan gitar tujuh senar dengan menyetem dawai-dawainya lebih rendah (tuning down) dari nada standar. Tujuannya jelas agar riff gitar terdengar lebih berat.

Berbeda dengan pengusung subgenre lain dalam musik metal, tidak ada yang namanya solo gitar dalam nu metal. Hal kontras lain yang melekat adalah ritme musiknya yang lebih nge-groove alih-alih terdengar njelimet. Nah, di sinilah Korn fit sebagai dedengkot nu metal.

Adapun kehadiran DJ sebagai personel sebenarnya adalah pilihan musikal semata. Tak wajib ada. Bahkan band seperti Powerman 5000, Orgy, dan Static-X yang lebih kental sisi industrialnya juga masuk dalam teritori yang sama dengan pengusung nu metal lainnya. Makanya sekarang istilah hip metal praktis sudah tidak pernah digunakan lagi. Nu metal, itu sudah.

Bermula dari KoЯn

Awal kesukaan saya terhadap subgenre ini muncul setelah menyaksikan videoklip lagu "Freak on a Leash" milik kelompok Korn. Waktu itu mendekati penghujung 1999. Ketika sebagian warga dunia tak sabar lagi menyambut pergantian milenium. Stasiun MTV yang siarannya ditangkap melalui antena parabola sering betul memutarkan vidklip lagu ini. Istilahnya “heavy rotation” lah.

Bagi anak sekolahan seperti saya yang kala itu sedang memasuki masa puber, corak musik yang ditawarkan kuintet asal Bakersfield, California, itu sungguh berbeda dari yang sebelumnya pernah saya dengarkan.

Karena sudah “teracuni” lagu tersebut, mulailah saya menghemat uang jajan. Target saya ingin membeli album Follow the Leader yang memuat lagu “Freak on a Leash”. Ketika uang berhasil terkumpul, saya langsung menggenjot sepeda menuju toko kaset.

Semua toko kaset di Palu yang jumlahnya bisa dihitung dengan jari saya datangi, tapi hasilnya sama nihil. Ada dua jawaban yang keluar dari mulut para penjaga toko; “Kasetnya sudah habis” dan “Kasetnya belum datang.”

Merasa sudah terlanjur capek mengayuh sepeda dan tidak ingin pulang dengan tangan kosong, akhirnya saya terbujuk rayuannya Ali. Pria satu ini pegawai loyalnya Studio 2, sebuah toko kaset di Jl. Hasanuddin. Letaknya dulu di ujung Jembatan Kuning --kalau dari arah Jl. Gajah Mada-- persis di seberang Toko Sepatu Bata. Sekarang tokonya sudah berganti jadi optik. Lantaran sering beli kaset di sana saya jadi kenal dengan Ali. Faktor tambahannya dia kawan paman saya.

Ali menyodorkan album kedua Korn yang berjudul Life is Peachy (1996). Sampulnya dominan berwarna hitam dengan foto seorang bocah laki-laki sedang bercermin. “Sudah, kau beli saja dulu album ini. Bagus juga,” bujuknya.

Ini salah satu kebiasaan para pemilik toko kaset di Palu, jika ada band atau musikus yang albumnya laris, mereka akan menyetok album-album terdahulu milik band atau musikus tersebut. Kebetulan Korn mulai angkat nama setelah merilis album Follow the Leader yang notabene album ketiga. Jadilah kemudian mereka mendatangkan album pertama dan kedua Korn.

Contoh lainnya terjadi ketika album Significant Other (1999) milik Limp Bizkit laris di pasaran. Berbondong pemilik toko kaset di Palu memboyong Three Dollar Bill, Y'all (1997) masuk etalase mereka. Harapannya debut album Limp Bizkit yang memang tidak sempat mereka edarkan di Palu itu ikutan laku.

Balik lagi ke dalam fragmen saya bersama Ali di Studio 2. Setelah mengetes album tersebut dan mendengarkan beberapa lagu awal di Side A, akhirnya saya setuju membeli Life is Peachy. Favorit saya dari album tersebut adalah lagu “Good God”, “No Place to Hide”, dan tentu saja “A.D.I.D.A.S.”.

Suguhan musik Korn yang berasal dari perpaduan beragam genre musik adalah sesuatu yang segar kala itu. Makanya sejak saat itu saya tak pernah absen membeli rilisan baru mereka. Album terakhir mereka yang saya beli adalah See You On the Other Side (2005). Ini periode ketika saya mulai jenuh dengan nu metal dan beralih mendengarkan suguhan musik band lain.

Korn bisa dibilang pintu yang membuka perkenalan saya dengan rombongan pengusung nu metal lainnya. Tidak berselang lama, saya juga terpincut single “Bawitdaba” yang kerap jadi playlist dalam program acara rock di Radio Nebula. Penyanyinya bernama Kid Rock.

Lalu hadir pula videoklip “Nookie” dari Limp Bizkit yang wira-wiri menghiasi program Clear Top 10. Acara tangga lagu dalam dan luar negeri yang dipandu oleh Dewi Sandra dan Bertrand Antolin tersebut tayang saban Sabtu petang menjelang azan salat maghrib.

Pengakuan terhadap musikalitas trio ini membawa mereka ke panggung Woodstock 1999, sebuah festival musik yang sangat legendaris di Amerika Serikat.

Masa ranum dan layunya Nu Metal

Hadirnya Korn, Kid Rock, dan Limp Bizkit membuat daftar putar di tape mini compo dua pintu saya bervariasi. Pun menyuntikkan racikan musik baru. Alhasil pengalaman menikmati musik juga semakin menyenangkan. Sebab pada masa puber ini saya mulai bosan dengan suguhan bubblegum pop dari boyband atau girlband. Jenuh.

Peralihan dari itu semua adalah mendengarkan musik-musik keras yang lebih memacu adrenalin. Membangkitkan semangat. Lagi pula mendengarkan musik keras juga bukan hal tabu bagi kuping saya.

Beberapa tahun sebelum berkenalan dengan nu metal, saya telah sering mendengarkan playlist berisi lagu-lagu cadas melalui koleksi kaset kakak sepupu saya. Dari mereka saya kerap mendengarkan album Nimrod milik Green Day ataupun Smash-nya The Offspring.

Pengalaman mendengarkan betapa garangnya lagu-lagu thrash metal juga saya dapatkan dari mereka. Termasuk betapa terpukaunya saya ketika kali pertama mendengarkan sound gitar Eet Syahrani dalam album The Beast.

Khazanah musik saya jadi semakin tak terbendung setelah di atap rumah nangkring parabola. MTV sungguh merecoki saya dengan puspa ragam jenis musik dan grup-grup baru.

Adalah MTV pula yang mengatrol popularitas nu metal hingga ke puncak dunia. Belum lagi dukungan dari media cetak. Porsi pemberitaan untuk para pengusung subgenre ini bukan hanya berasal dari media musik, tapi juga media hiburan umum dan media khusus anak muda.

Saya ingat betapa menemukan bonus pin up maupun poster Korn, Limp Bizkit, juga Kid Rock bukan hal yang susah kala itu. Jika tidak nongol di Majalah Hai, pasti dimuat oleh Kawanku, Gadis, ataupun Aneka Yess! Pokoknya nu metal saat itu ibarat buah yang sedang ranum. Jadi buruan atau komoditas unggulan deh.

Pada titik ini berlaku hukum bisnis, berbagai perusahaan rekaman dan label musik berlomba menghasilkan band-band baru dari ranah ini. Indonesia pada masa itu juga punya sederet band-band yang mengusung nu metal. Beberapa yang saya ingat adalah Scope, 7 Kurcaci, Kripik Peudeus, Rebek, dan Saint Loco yang masih eksis hingga sekarang. Bahkan label Top Records pernah merilis album kompilasi berjudul Indonesian Hip Metal. Isinya 10 grup membawakan masing-masing satu lagu. Alumni dari album ini, antara lain Phazer, R.A.T.A, Prototype, Batu Batre, Fist Full, Checkthisout, dan Snookie.

Bagaimana kondisi nu metal di skena independen lokal Kota Palu? Ada satu band yang mencuat. Nama grupnya Rasputin. Band asal Perumnas, Balaroa, yang setiap tampil mengenakan kostum dan bertopeng. Influence mereka jelas Slipknot.

Mereka sempat merilis album berjudul Super Falzs (2003) dan mengadakan mini konser di Taman GOR yang sempat diwarnai kericuhan. Tak lama kemudian saya berkesempatan mewawancarai mereka di studio siaran yang ukurannya sekitar 2x2 meter. Waktu itu saya masih jadi penyiar di RASS FM. Ada satu band lagi bernama No Ende yang juga kental unsur nu metalnya.

Intinya tumbuh kembang nu metal di Indonesia kala itu hanya bisa disaingi oleh tren musik ska. Laiknya Wimcycle, dua kutub musik ini sama hebohnya.

Masih asyik dalam periode panen tersebut, muncul band baru dari Agoura Hills, California. Nama mereka Linkin Park. Berbeda dengan para pendahulunya, nama band ini langsung mencuat sejak merilis debut album Hybrid Theory (2000). Lagu "One Step Closer", "In the End", "Crawling", dan "Papercut" dari album tersebut kontan jadi hits.

Stasiun TPI yang sekarang berganti nama jadi MNCTV seingatku sering memutar videoklip lagu hits band ini. Mereka dulu punya program musik yang tayang saban Senin-Jumat pukul 14.00 WITA. Nama acaranya “Lunch Time Music”. Tidak pakai host, melulu putar videoklip. Pokoknya setiap kelar jam sekolah saya memacu sepeda lebih kencang supaya dapat menonton acara ini.

Lalu pada suatu malam, DJ Ata dalam acara musik mingguan yang dipandunya (saya lupa nama acaranya apa) juga mengulas tuntas album Hybrid Theory dan sejarah Linkin Park. Sementara Majalah Hai lumayan sering menerbitkan kabar tentang sepak terjang band ini, dan pergerakan nu metal secara keseluruhan.

Hadirnya Linkin Park ibarat menyuntikkan NOS. Tenaga tambahan. Jadi walaupun kala itu ramuan pop punk ala Blink-182 juga sedang merangkak naik, subgenre nu metal bisa tetap kokoh bertahan di deretan paling depan dalam industri musik dunia.

Berselang setahun, muncul dua kekuatan baru yang memberikan tambahan daya dobrak luar biasa. Pertama gerombolan bertopeng menyeramkan dari Iowa yang menamakan diri Slipknot. Lalu blasteran Armenia-Amerika dalam bentuk System of A Down juga menyeruak dengan Toxicity. Lebih bertenaga lagilah barisan nu metal ini.

Kesuksesan demi kesuksesan mereka raih, mulai dari larisnya penjualan album, langganan mengisi panggung utama berbagai festival musik bergengsi, hingga sorotan pemberitaan yang tak kunjung surut.

Dari situ mulai bermunculan banyak sekali band yang dikategorikan sebagai pengusung nu metal. Ada beberapa yang memang berkualitas jempolan dan jadi album favorit saya, tapi banyak juga yang terkesan medioker untuk tidak menyebutnya sekadar pembebek semata. Aji mumpung. Alhasil kolam bernama nu metal jadi penuh sesak.

Sejarah pun berulang. Pasar yang terlalu dijejali barang yang sama (hanya beda kemasan) mulai jenuh. Mereka mengalihkan perhatian pada barang lain. Terlebih remaja yang jadi pangsa pasar utama dagangan ini. Perlu ada tantangan atau sesuatu yang baru.

Medio 2000-an subgenre emo mulai memasuki masa panen. Menyusul kemudian muncul subgenre metalcore. Para penggawa nu metal juga satu per satu mengalami perpecahan yang berakibat ketidakharmonisan dalam tubuh band. Adaptasi mereka dengan perkembangan zaman, antara lain dengan melakukan eksperimen warna musik, juga mendapat sambutan dingin dari masyarakat. Alhasil penjualan album terbaru mereka jadi merosot drastis. Saya pun mengucapkan sayonara kepada nu metal. Pun demikian, demi mengenang senandung masa puber, saya sesekali masih memutar playlist “Nu Metal” di Spotify.

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dustedmagazine · 5 years

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Dust Volume Five, Number 10

The Hammered Hulls

Time again for a load of short, mostly positive reviews of records that caught our attention at least for a little while. This edition is typically wide ranging with free jazz, teen garage pop, piano experiments, acoustic guitar picking and goth-y post punk all jockeying for your ear. It’s not just obscurities this time around either, as Ian Mathers looks for the solid core of the National’s over-long latest, while Jen Kelly makes peace with the Futureheads. Participants besides these two include Bill Meyer, Andrew Forell, Nate Knaebel and Justin Cober-Lake.

CP Unit—Riding Photon Time (Eleatic Records)

Riding Photon Time by CP Unit

CP Unit, an evolving ensemble formed around saxophonist Chris Pitsiokis, exhilarates live, the sound anchored by antic, twitching, faster-than-advisable-but-nailed-anyway bass, complicated patterns of percussion and abstract slashes of guitar. Live, the music is colored rather than dominated, by the urgent, chaotic energy of the proprietor on horn. A late summer set at the Root Cellar in Greenfield, MA left me gasping. Riding Photon Time captures the same band I saw—Pitsiokis, Sam Lisabeth on guitar, Henry Fraser on bass and Jason Nazary on drums (which is different from the line-up Derek Taylor reviewed here )— in two fiery 2018 live settings. The first half of the disc was recorded at the Moers Festival in Germany in May, the second at the Unlimited Music Festival in November. “Once Upon a Time Called Now,” from the earlier set, captures the spare, rippling tension between Pitsiokis’ free-ranging inquiries and Nazary’s intricate but grounded rhythms; they duel for a couple of minutes before the rest of the band enters. The cut also foregrounds Fraser’s restless, rampaging bass work, carving a headlong through line in the squall and storm. “Seasick,” from the November show, gives space to Lisabeth’s guitar, lyrical in a tilted, offkilter way, the tones bouncing off Pitsiokis’ sax melody in loose conjunction and counterpoint. My only complaint is that the mix favors melody, zooming in on the sax and obscuring, somewhat, the fascinating interplay between drum and bass. In most bands, that’d be fine, but in this case, the rhythm is just too good to hide.

Jennifer Kelly

Eluvium — Pianoworks (Temporary Residence Ltd)

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Matthew Cooper has done enough things under his Eluvium moniker that even those only mildly acquainted with his work might not be surprised that he’s put out an album of solo piano compositions; they might, however, be surprised to find out that Pianoworks is the second such Eluvium album, after 2004’s An Accidental Memory in Case of Death. That record, coming after the striking (and often noisy) debut effort Lambent Material served to establish that Cooper wasn’t going to be restrained by genre, form or instrument. Here, having accomplished an awful lot over the past 15+ years it’s fitting that Cooper appears to be in a more contemplative, even melancholy mood. Whether it’s the gently rippling “Underwater Dream” or the brightly rounded runs of “Carrier 32”, Pianoworks serves as a reminder that Cooper can stop you in your tracks with the simplest of setups, if he chooses. (And for those really a fan of his piano work, the deluxe version features an extra disc of new versions of practically all the previous Eluvium piano pieces as well.)

Ian Mathers

Frieda’s Roses — Jessica Triangle (Mika)

The three women of Frieda’s Roses—that’s Greta Fannin, Ava Miller and Poppy Lang—aren’t even in high school yet; their ages range from 13 to 15. And yet, this debut album, Jessica Triangle, is a marvel of minor key garage pop, raucous and wistful at the same time. Its bristly onslaught of guitars guards a tender center. You also realize, about halfway through the album, that teen girl pop has changed since the last time you looked, and the subject matter here is rather empowered. In a very strong middle section, “Isadora Giving” chides a girl for being too accommodative (“She’s kind in the way of giving things away”), while the stand-out “Lucy Poe” celebrates the complexity and intelligence of a young woman (“She’s happy and not/at the same time.”) “Forever Defend Her Story” recounts the ordinariness of sexual assault and the way women are blamed for it. The songs are bright and dark simultaneously laying in the pretty vocals of, say, Grass Widow, atop a raucous, acerbic foundation. There’s no way you’d know, without reading the coverage, how young this band is. They sound like they’ve been doing it forever.

Jennifer Kelly

The Futureheads — Powers (Nul)

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Back at the old Dusted, I wrote perhaps my most vicious review ever about the Futureheads’ second album, News and Tributes. It was disappointment speaking — I’d genuinely liked their taut, fizzy debut — when I said, “Now, with News and Tributes, the sad truth emerges. The Futureheads were lean from hunger, not discipline. With opportunity, they tend toward the flabbiest sort of excess.” Well, 13 years have passed, and I no longer expect anything from the Futureheads. I’d forgotten they existed, to be honest, but their latest album, Powers, is kind of fun. Much of what made the debut such a pleasure—the tightly wound guitars, the unexpectedly complicated vocal counterparts, the exuberant avowal of depressing ideas—is here, too. “Electric Shock” trips all the wires (ahem) by itself, with its zingy guitar and drum cadence, its densely harmonized vocals and its celebration of an extreme form of mental health therapy (“When I got my electric shock/it knocked me off my feet”). “Jekyll” punches, stings and tantalizes, its hoarse, wracked northern lead pillowed by giddy oohs and ohs. “Can you control your transformations?” asks the singer Barry Hyde, and then the song itself transforms itself, turning into a popcorning cacophony of closely aligned vocals. Even the willfully positive, good time anthem, “Good Night Out” ripples with existential angst; it’s only a feel good song if you don’t listen too closely. And yet, there’s a great deal of joy in these tight, complicated songs. They burst into flames as you listen, leaving spots in your eyes from the brightness and the bitter taste of ash.

Jennifer Kelly

Hammered Hulls — S/T (Dischord)

S/T by Hammered Hulls

Perhaps it's a bit lazy to toss out the old "super group" appellation; but, come on, if you're even a moderate follower of that thing we call indie rock, you have to recognize the extraordinary line-up of Hammered Hulls for what it is. With DC hardcore royalty Alec MacKaye on vocals, newly minted arena rocker Mary Timony on bass, Chris Wilson of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists fame (among other outfits) on drums, and Des Demona/Pink Monkey Bird Chris Cisneros on guitar, Hammered Hulls represents an undeniably impressive assemblage of rockers. If any individual band member's musical history comes to the fore here, though, it's probably MacKaye's, as the band trades in a brawny yet cunningly complex punk that recalls the musical revelations delivered by Dischord's first blasts of post-hardcore creativity. And while this is clearly a team effort, each sonic component is worthy of the listeners attention as much as the superlative whole. Though two of the three tracks clock in at just over a minute, indicating that at least in spirit the band isn't denying its past, the practically byzantine by comparison (coming in at almost four minutes) "Written Words" hints at the potential Hammered Hulls has to be more than just a spirited one-off by some friends with impressive resumes. This single should leave everyone desperate for more.

Nate Knaebel

HTRK — Venus In Leo (Ghostly International)

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Australian duo HTRK’s latest Venus In Leo is a collection of electro-acoustic minimalism characterized by a woozy shimmer reminiscent of Mark Nelson’s work as Pan American. Jonnine Standish and Nigel Yang have stripped their music to the bare bones. A heartbeat throb, sparse percussion, occasional washes of synth and Yang’s simple guitar strums underpin Standish’s voice mixed to the fore on nine songs redolent with damaged longing. There is a rawness of emotion and acute observation of small domestic moments recorded with an intimacy that draws the listener close. Influenced by dub’s use of space, echo and silence Yang and Standish achieve a feeling of momentum to evoke quiet turmoil. Their miniaturization of Missy Elliott’s “Hit ‘Em Wit Da Hee” takes repeated lyrical snippets from the original and turns the song into a ghostly waltz. “What's up star? /We know who you are/Shit, no shit I thought you hadn't noticed.” Venus In Leo’s unadorned modesty is at times devastating.

Andrew Forell

Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster — Take Heart, Take Care (Big Legal Mess)

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Songwriter Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster frames his new album Take Heart, Take Care as the result of an artistic problem. He'd become used to writing dark songs, until he found he was content and had mostly good things to say. It's a false dilemma, of course. Any number of artists have built not only albums but careers on encouragement (see the War and Treaty as an example of a current act doing it really, really well). The real trap for Kinkel-Schuster was to avoid get treacly in his new mood, and he successfully avoids that snare.

His performances rely on his patience — he's content, remember, but not exuberant. He builds his songs comfortably within his context, but he doesn't jump on them. When he sings, “There's plenty of wonder in this world still to be found,” on the opener, his ease prevents it from sounding like a naïve epiphany. Kinkel-Schuster's Americana-influenced indie-rock comes carefully constructed, but only to make space for that heart to come through. It's a songwriter's record, easy melodies supported by well-balanced guitars. It's the singer not the guitars who have done their processing. The record and its bright sound create a warm space and sit down in it. Kinkel-Schuster may have found his ease, but his desire to share it quickly becomes apparent.

Justin Cober-Lake

Longriver—Of Seasons (Hullaballou)

Of Seasons by Longriver

David Longoria of Longriver picks nimbly at his guitar, plucking out porch blues-y tunes that are steeped in tradition but freshly imagined. Not quite spare, his tunes are abetted by a crew of Texas regulars, songwriters Sarah LaPuerta of Strange Paradise and Lindsey Verrill of Little Mazarn, Evan Joyce and Colin Gilmore, as well as composer/percussionist Thor Harris. Though mostly acoustic guitar and voice, his sound is filled out with harmonica, soft percussion and twining communal harmonies. His songs run at a mid-temperature folky pace, so soft spoken and unassuming enough to elide one into the other, and honestly, don’t quite catch fire until late in the album when ghostly, lovely “Texas Doesn’t Care” comes along. This one uses all the tools, an aching pedal steel guitar, some silvery electric keyboards, punchy drums and fiddle. It also contains the prettiest melody of the disc, fluttered out in a high, not quite falsetto quaver. A few more like this and Texas might sit up and take notice.

Jennifer Kelly

Lunaires — If All the Ice Melted (Shades of Sound/Wave Records)

IF ALL THE ICE MELTED by Lunaires

If All the Ice Melted is a highly polished blend of cold wave, goth and stadium synthpop. This first outing from Milan post-punk Jeunesse d’Ivoire veterans Patrizia Tranchina (vocals) and Danilo Carnevale (guitars, programming, synths) evokes the heyday of 4AD bands such as The Cocteau Twins, Xmal Deutschland and Dead Can Dance. Here, Tranchina ruminates on loss, mortality and nature’s power as Carnevale constructs dreamy electronic soundscapes with sparklingly clean guitar lines twinkling above. The results are lovely but polite. The edges have been sandpapered to nothing and the dust swept away. “Mirror Trancefix” stands out precisely because it has that grit — the drum programming a little ragged, the bass dirty, the guitars cutting. Otherwise the gloss creates an emotional distance, which may be the point but discourages complete engagement with Tranchina’s often affecting vocals. If All the Ice Melts sounds good, and if it never quite breaks out there’s enough here to enjoy and look forward to what Lunaires could do with a little less restraint.

Andrew Forell

Bill Nace & Chik White—Eel (all parts) / Wild Wire (Open Mouth)

The news that Bill Nace (Body / Head, Vampire Belt) has picked up an acoustic guitar and sat down to jam with a jaw harpist might give some cause for pause. Is he going American Primitive, or maybe going skiffle? Spoiler alert — the ghosts of John Fahey and Lonnie Donegan will not hear their names called when you play this record. But play it you will, and for only the best of reasons. First of all, it’s a seven-inch, black vinyl single, and no one buys such things anymore unless they really, really love them. But this one does more to earn your affection than merely exist. On the a-side, White’s orally organized vibrations and Nace’s persistent smacks on prepared strings stir up a constellation of buzzing sounds that’ll reliably destabilize your equilibrium without getting you fired when the Feds drop by to drop everyone on the work floor. The flip combines broad feedback ribbons with intermittent glottal eruptions to create a sonic sweat lodge experience so deep that you’ll be unloading all your Scientology machines on e-bay, all issues resolved.

Bill Meyer

The National — I Am Easy to Find (4AD)

youtube

The National have been getting expansive recently (with the instrumentation and their runtimes, among other things), and who can blame them? Having attained the kind of big-venue prominence that means either you start lapsing into the version of yourself the hecklers always claimed you were (an especially slippery potential slope for a band like this one, so precisely emotionally calibrated and so close to being the bad kind of dad rock) or you start just going for it. The latter approach served them mostly well on Sleep Well Beast a few years ago, but this time finally feels like the kind of record that the National needed to make for their own progress more than one that’s necessarily fully successful. One absolutely successful move is the series of accompanying singers (“backing” seems almost disrespectful for what Gail Ann Dorsey and Lisa Hannigan, among others, bring to these songs), and the expanded studio palette first highlighted on Beast is still mostly working for them. There’s even a quick comparison in the form of old fan favorite “Rylan,” which still sounds great here. Ultimately what doesn’t quite settle right is just the sheer length, bulk, and discursiveness of the album, complete with accompanying film, brief interludes by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, interpolating a Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 song into a track that was already too long and feeling that somewhere within these 63 minutes is a really killer 40 minute or so album just waiting to be carved out. Eight albums in, things could be a lot worse.

Ian Mathers

Reduction Plan — (Ae)Maeth (Redscroll Records / Dune Altar)

(Ae) Maeth by Reduction Plan

Reduction Plan swells to epic size in this sixth full-length, turning the darkwave, synth-heavy aesthetic laid out in the five previous albums into an enveloping, shimmering, near-post-metal overload. Daniel Manning, the band’s single member, worked with Swans/Walkman producer Kevin McMahon this time, a move which transformed his Cure-circa-Disintegration gloom into a weighted, gleaming edifice. “An Act of Self Immolation” sets the tone with giant masses of guitar sound that tower and lumber. Unencumbered by vocals, it’s more like Pelican than gothy-post-punk. “The River” hews closer to new wave, with its clean, chiming synth tones, gate-reverbed drums and echoey vocals — there’s a nice smouldery sax solo in this one, too — but still looms and glowers with a palpable heaviness. “Ae Maeth,” at the end, brings on Jae Matthews from Boy Harsher for added vocals, a kindred spirit in reviving music at the intersection of dance, goth and industrial; the album’s longest cut slows the thump of dance floor into a desolate cadence that can’t and won’t stave off destruction.

Jennifer Kelly

Rosenau & Sanborn — Bluebird (Psychic Hotline)

Bluebird by Rosenau & Sanborn

The house on the cover of this LP is surrounded by fallen leaves. But even though it depicts the location of this recording, and that recording took place in October, and they recorded with the windows open, the sounds inside are not particularly autumnal. Chris Rosenau’s (Collections of Colonies of Bees, Volcano Choir) is too quick and eager, Nick Sanborn’s (Sylvan Esso, Megafaun) electronics too effervescent. This music feels like the sun hitting your brow, refracted by heavy air. It feels like the first awareness of escape when you turn off the work phone and start a vacation. Or maybe it just feels like Indian summer. Put it on, put the speakers out the window, and go kick some leaves.

Bill Meyer

We Melt Chocolate — We Melt Chocolate (Annibale Records)

we melt chocolate by we melt chocolate

The reanimation of shoegaze pioneers My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Ride has brought renewed attention to the genre’s flourishing across Europe, the US, and Japan during their absence. Italian band We Melt Chocolate — that’s Vanessa Billi (voice and synth), Lorenzo Sbisa (guitar), Enrico Baroncelli (guitar), Marco Crowley Corvitto (bass) and Francesco Lopes (drums) — hit all the classic marks on their latest, excellently produced self-titled album. Ethereal vocals, banks of effects laden neo-psychedelic guitar, washes of synth, and a thick bottom end are all present and correct. Taking Loveless as their template, We Melt Chocolate strive for the epic and on tracks like “wishful” and “orange sky” reach it with elegance rather than sheer volume, although turning it up never hurts. We Melt Chocolate probably won’t convert non-believers, but fans of shoegaze and dream pop will find a lot to like here.

Andrew Forell

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dyanjong · 2 years

Video

vimeo

Miyavi - Hush Hush ft. Kang Daniel MV from Dyan Jong on Vimeo.

artists MIYAVI & Kang Daniel

director Dyan Jong

executive producer & producer Mariah Morgenstern

executive producers Daisuke Iwase Jeff Miyahara Fabiano Soriani

production company New Royalty

post production company Pyramid3

storyboard artist Avery ota

us miyavi shoot

1st ad Maria Astorga

2nd ad Maddie Lewis

director of photography Matt Plaxco

1st ac Ai Dang

2nd ac Kevin Lin

steadicam Dalton Price

bts photographer Joshua One Nine Productions

key grip Jason Younger

grip Johan Garcia

bbg Joseph Sokmen

gaffer Wess Alley

electric Junfu Wei

bbe Ian Carre-Barritt

hmu artist Yukina Mitsuhashi Liu

wardrobe stylist Tiffani Moreno

covid compliance officer/medic Morris Brown

production assistant (set) Alex Green

production assistant (set) Jesse Newman

production assistant (truck) Jeffrey Ramos

korea kang daniel shoot

director Jae-Hyun Lee (Core.A Creative)

producers Sarah Kim, Vicky Gim

production designer Alex Ryu

production company Core.A Creative

dop Jin-Hyuk Lee (13rolls)

gaffer Jung-Hwan Heo

executive producer Saerom Bong

a&r Charles Yoon Yongjin Jo

management Gyohyeok Kang Duho Han Dongyun Jeong

content planning Youngjun Seo

recording producer Chancellor

recording engineer KayOne Lee

recording studio Fluent

hair Haebin Kim

make-up Anna Lee

wardrobe stylist BeungKyu Kim SeulHee Yoon

post

editor Anthony Chirco

rotoscope & composite SoloVFX

3d design team Xiaobo “Daniel” Ma Xi “Jake” Wang

2D animation artist Kexin Yang

kd beauty vfx Tonia

color producer Sam Cesan

colorist Dante Giani

visual effects SOLO VFX

vfx supervisor Soheil Asghari

cg Amirreza Moghadam

compositors Thongchai KhorsungnoenAli Jebeli

Thang Bin Aida Ghazi Cao Thanh Tin

rotoscoping Luong Thai Nguyen Ngo Vo Hoang Quan Hau Quang Vinh Vo Dinh Hai Luong Thong Nhat Le Thi Kim Lien Nguyen Minh Tin

matchmove Luong Thanh Thang Le Huu Minh Cao Thanh Tin Pham Thi Hien Dao Khanh Duy

made in unreal engine

miyavi staff

miyavi mgmt (j-glam) Richard Frias Hisashi eryu kento nakagawa miyavi mgmt (ldh) Ichiro Shimizu Mari Nomura

miyavi publicist Ari Kilian

universal music Hiroshi Kakizawa Kazuhiko Tatebe

kang daniel staff

kang daniel mgmt Konnect Entertainment

presented by klktn

chief executive officer Daisuke Iwase

chief creative officer Jeff Miyahara

chief technology officer Fabiano Soriani

chief business officer Hannah Cho

executive producer Julien Beaupré Ste-Marie

producer Deanna Woo

creative director at large Hank Park

creative director in residence Kevin Woo

vp of operations Ryan Naayem

director of marketing Ping Lam

director of business development Naoki Matsuo

associate, business development Takayuki Tsuji

public relations japan Sayo Okajima

digital strategy head Priya Kapoor

assistant manager, digital content marketing Jacqueline Chiu

creative project lead Sungwon Jeong

community manager Eric Budd

product designer Masa Watanabe

product designer/engineer Tori Zhao

product designer Victor Jianto

product manager Andrew Lee

senior software engineer Brian Ho

senior software engineer Alfred Liu

software engineer Ervin Mamutov

software engineer Jad Haidar

software engineer Daniel Ishigaki

seo specialist Cezary

legal advisor Yayoi Shionoiri

director of strategy & operations, korea Shinae Kim

song credits

written by MIYAVI, Lenard Skolnik, Seann Bowe, Jeff Miyahara, Kang Daniel, JUN

vocal MIYAVI Kang Daniel

guitar MIYAVI

0 notes

katakatalis · 3 years

Text

Allah tuh suka kasih tanda lewat berbagai macam cara dan orang. Dari pengalaman aku diawal tahun ini ketemu sama temen-temen magang yang hebat dan keren. Ada yang udah punya usaha sendiri, ada yang punya komunitas sosial, ada yang jadi pemimpin di berbagai organisasi, ada yang pendidikannya tinggi dann banyak lagi. Allah kasih jalan dan kesempatan buat aku belajar dari orang-orang itu. Alhamdulillah Masya Allah..

Lalu bulan lalu ditemuin secara ga sengaja sama Teh Anya, salah satu mimpi aku dari dulu pengen jadi fotografer atau berkecimpung di dunia kreatif. Sebenernya udah dari lama pengen banget ngobrol sama Teh Anya. Qadarullah ketemu, bisa ngobrol banyak dan belajar banyak.

Beberapa minggu lalu pengen belajar lebih dalem dan serius tentang healing supaya bisa bantu diri sendiri dan banyak orang. Dan muncul lah kelas healing secara islam di iklan IG. Bismillah mutusin buat ikutan, ya semoga prosesnya bisa aku jalani dengan baik sampai akhir selama 1 bulan ini.

Tadi malem, telponan sama Dede sekalian kasih do'a ulang tahun dan update kabar karna udah lama banget ga kontakan. Alhamdulillah dapet banyak kabar baik dimulai dari lagi ikut program selama 4 bulan di Solo dan lagi siapin mimpinya buat lanjut kuliah beasiswa di Australia atau Inggris. Beberapa hari lalu lagi kepoin Bang Ian kakaknya Jerome yang lulusan ITB terus bisa jadi Manager para influencer dan sekarang jadi CEO dengan punya usaha minuman yang cabangnya udah dimana-mana. Satu lagi yang bikin keren adalah dia lagi lanjut kuliah di MIT. Masya Allah dari dulu kepengen bisa tinggal di luar negeri entah itu liburan, exchange, kerja atau bahkan kuliah. Tapi mimpinya nyala redup terus, dan qadarullah terus Allah ingetin dan kasih sinyal buat yakinin aku mau berjuang buat gapai mimpi itu atau nyerah. Sedikit banyak dapet tanda di saat telponan sama Dede, Masya Allah semangatnya dia nular ke aku. Bismillah semoga aku bisa memutuskan dengan baik gimana akhirnya dan berjuang kembali untuk bisa capai mimpi-mimpiku. Asal aku ga pernah lupa kalo tujuan dari mimpi yang aku punya harus bisa bermanfaat.

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stelwel-blog · 3 years

Text

(un)Faithful Chapter#1

Chapter #1

Pagi itu…

“Dee, ini surat nikah, KK, KTP sama akte lahir nya anak-anak udah gue fotokopi dan dilegalisir semua. Ini tinggal lo bawa aja ke Pengadilan Negeri buat syarat-syarat pendaftaran” Marie membuyarkan lamunan Dean dan menyerahkan satu map transparan berisi berkas-berkas yang tadi disebutkan.

“Oh… eh, okay. Thanks ya.” Jawab Dean.

Suasana kembali hening. Dean menatap kosong ke halaman belakang rumah, sambil memegang segelas kopi dan map transparan yang diberikan oleh Marie. Pikiran Dean berkelana mencari jawaban dari kegundahan hatinya. Dan ia tidak menemukan jawabannya…

“is it really over…? Kenapa…? Kenapa Rhein…?”

….

“Dee… let me ask you again… lo udah yakin…? Like… 100% sure…?” Marie kembali memecah keheningan dan memaksa Dean untuk kembali dari lamunannya.

“Hmm… I think… No… I’m sure this is the best, Rie. It is.” Jawab Dean sambil melemparkan senyum tipis. Senyum yang diselimuti sejuta keraguan.

“Well, oke. Gue akan selalu ada buat lo dan for sure you can count on me.”

“I know, Rie… I know… thank you.”

“Ya udah… finish with your coffee? Yuk jalan sekarang. Oh ya, jangan lupa telepon Tante Suli, Dee. Brie sama Xelo nanti diater jam berapa ke Frame? Atau mau kita aja yang jemput di toko nya Tante Suli?”

“Oke. Nanti di kamar gue telepon Tante Suli. Ponsel gue di kamar soalnya. Gue ambil tas dulu di kamar ya. Nanti gue susul ke mobil.”

“Alright. Gak pake lama ya. Ambil tas aja! Itu map nya jangan sampe lo tinggal”

“iya iya… bawel ihk!”

Keduanya meninggalkan dapur dan mulai bersiap menuju Pengadilan Negeri. Hari ini, Dean akan mendaftarkan gugatan cerainya atas Rhein, laki-laki yang telah menjadi belahan jiwanya selama dua puluh tahun lamanya. Laki-laki yang menikahinya sepuluh tahun yang lalu. Ayah dari kedua anak mereka, Anacleta Brie Farezi dan Axelo Jonathan Farezi. Laki-laki pertama dalam hidup Dean. Her first love.

“Udah semua, Dee? Berkas ngak ketinggalan kan? Tante Suli udah di telepon” Tanya Marie ke Dean saat mereka berdua sudah berada di dalam mobil.

“Udah. Ini berkasnya gue masukin ke dalem tas biar gak lupa. Tante Suli bilang nanti Brie sama Xelo mau dianterin langsung ke Frame. Tante Suli juga pengen ngopi-ngopi katanya” Jawan Dean sambil menunjukan isi tasnya ke Marie.

“Oke kalau gitu. Kita jalan ya”

…..

Lay a whisper… On my pillow Leave the winter… On the ground I wake up lonely… There's air of silence …. In the bedroom And all around… Touch me now… I close my eyes And dream away…

It must have been love But it's over now It must have been good But I lost it somehow….(*)

Tanpa disadari, air mata mengalir di sudut mata Dean saat mendengar lagu ini di dalam mobil. Ia menangis dalam keheningan. Tak bersuara. Hanya air mata yang terus mengalir tanpa bisa ditahan. Lagu milik Roxette ini adalah lagu kenangan Dean bersama dengan Rhein. Lagu pertama yang dinyanyikan oleh Rhein untuk Dean. Lagu ini membawa kembali kenangan indah sekaligus menyakitkan bagi Dean.

Marie menyadari kalau sahabatnya menangis dalam kehenginan karena lagu yang diputar. Dengan segera Marie mengganti lagunya. Ia tidak kuasa melihat sahabatnya tenggelam dalam kenangan yang menghancurkan hatinya.

“Dee… come on… lo bilang kalau ini yang terbaik kan? Just forget about him. Dia udah lama pergi ninggalin lo. Gak Cuma ninggalin lo, tapi juga Brie dan Xelo. Please, girl… stop crying! He don’t deserve your tears!”

Dee menyeka air matanya dan mencoba untuk tersenyum ke arah Marie.

“Oke oke… Sorry gue agak kebawa sama suasana. Lo juga sih! Kenapa harus Roxette sih?” Dean mencoba untuk mencairkan suasana dengan berpura-pura marah ke Marie

“Lah! Kok jadi gue!? Itu playlist lagu kan dari ponsel lo, Dee… ini Bluetooth kan nyambung ke ponsel lo! Dasar!” Marie pun meladeni ucapan Dean dengan ikut berpura-pura kesal.

“Hahaha… iya nih, kudu gue hapus-hapusin playlist lagu gue. Isinya lagu-lagu kenangan indah nan pahit.”

Keduanya kembali dalam hening. Dan Dean kembali menatap kosong ke arah jalan di sebelah kirinya. Marie hanya bisa sesekali mencuri pandang ke arah Dean sambil menghela nafas.

---

Pengadilan Negeri kota Depok...

Dean dan Marie tiba di kantor Pengadilan Negeri kota Depok. Keduanya melangkahkan kaki menuju lobi utama dan mengambil nomor antrian untuk mendaftarkan kasus perdata.

“Jadi, Ibu Dean saat ini tidak mengetahui di mana keberadaan tergugat?” Tanya petugas Pengadilan Negeri di meja B

“Betul, Pak. Sudah tujuh tahun ini saya tidak lagi tinggal bersama dengan suami.” Jawab Dean

“Baik. Kalau begitu panggilan kepada tergugat akan dilakukan melalui panggilan umum. Panggilan umum maksudnya dilakukan melalui siaran radio dan iklan pengumuman di surat kabar. Apabila nantinya tidak ada tanggapan dari tergugat, Ibu tidak akan melalui tahap mediasi. Sidang perkara bisa langsung dijadwalkan sesuai dengan ketersediaan waktu dari Hakim Ketua nanti.”

“Baik, Pak.” Dean hanya bisa mengangguk sambil mendengarkan dan mencerna penjelasan dari petugas tersebut

“Setelah ini Ibu silakan melakukan pembayaran panjar perkara melalui transfer bank ya. Nomor rekening tertera di sini” Ucap Petugas Pengadilan Negeri sembari memberikan sebuah kertas kepada Dean

“Setelah melakukan pembayaran, Ibu akan mendapatkan notifikasi melalui alamat surel yang tercantum dalam data yang sudah Ibu isi tadi.” Lanjut petugasnya

“Baik, Pak. Saya akan melakukan pembayarannya setelah ini.” Jawab Dean

“Baik. Pendaftaran sudah selesai, Ibu Dean. Jangan lupa untuk cek surel Ibu ya setelah selesai melakukan pembayaran panjar perkara nanti.”

“Baik, Pak. Terima kasih” Ucap Dean sembari menjabat tangan petugas tersebut.

Sementara itu, Marie yang menunggu Dean di kursi pengunjung langsung beranjak berdiri dan menghampiri Dean setelah melihatnya usai melakukan pendaftaran di meja B.

“Udah…?” Tanya Marie singkat

“Ehm… Udah. Tinggal bayar panjar perkara lalu nanti akan ada notifikasi di surel untuk jadwal sidang pertamanya.” Jawab Dean menjelaskan

“Oke. Lo transfernya pakai M-Banking atau mau gue anter ke ATM?”

“M-Banking aja lah. Kita langsung ke Frame aja. Lo ada janjian sama Nona juga kan?”

“Oke. Langsung ke Frame ya.”

Keduanya lalu meninggalkan Pengadilan Negeri kota Depok dan menuju ke Frame.

---

FRAME...

Setibanya di Frame, Dean dan Marie disambut senyum hangat Nona. Nona adalah rekan bisnis Marie. Marie dan Nona memiliki sebuah butik batik yang lokasinya bersebelahan dengan Frame. Marie memang menyukai batik dan melakukan kerjasama dengan pengrajin batik di Pekalongan, Solo, Semarang, Yogyakarta dan Surabaya. Sedangkan Nona sangat menyukai bisnis, terutama bisnis dibidang mode. Jadi keduanya memutuskan untuk berkolaborasi dan mengajak serta salah satu teman lainnya yaitu Marcell. Dua tahun lalu mereka mulai membuka sebuah butik batik kecil berdampingan dengan kedai kopi yang diberi nama Frame.

“Hi Non…” Sapa Dean sembari memberi kecupan di pipi Nona

“Hi Dee… Are you ok…? Udah lega sekarang…?” Nona menyambut Dean dengan memberi pelukan hangat

“Well… yeah…” Dean memberikan jawaban dengan nada yang kurang yakin kepada Nona

“Udah udah… gak perlu dibahas. Just give her some space, Non. Udah bagus dia bisa sampe ke Pengadilan Negeri dan daftarin tuh gugatan. Gue udah ngeri aja kalo tiba-tiba dia berubah pikiran terus mundur lagi. It’s been 7 years already! Ya mungkin di tahun-tahun awal Rhein pergi sih gue masih akan meyakinkan Dee untuk hang in there dan berharap pada keajaiban ya… but now, after 7 years… nope! No more waiting!” Marie menyela pembicaraan Dean dan Nona dengan nada kesal

“Ok ok, Rie… I’ll back off… gak nanya-nanya lagi deh. Eh, anyway, Dee… Tadi Tante Suli udah ke sini sama Brie en Xelo, tapi mereka pergi lagi. Katanya Brie mau minta ke toko buku, ada seri komik baru yang dia pengen beli katanya.” Nona langsung menyudahi pembahasan seputar Dean dan mengalihkan ke topik yang lain

“Oh ok, Non.” Jawab Dean singkat.

Dean melangkahkan kakinya menuju ke meja paling pojok dekat dengan tangga menuju ke lantai 2. Letak meja ini memang agak tersembunyi dan ada sofa kecil yang menjadi spot favoritnya Dean. Di sini, Dean bisa menghabiskan waktunya selama berjam-jam tenggelam bersama novel-novel favoritnya. Biasanya, Dean akan ditemani bergelas-gelas kopi latte hangat atau dingin.

Putri sulung Dean, Brie, memiliki kebiasaan yang sama dengan Dean, yaitu membaca. Bedanya, Dean menyukai novel dan Brie menyukai komik. Brie saat ini duduk di kelas 2 sekolah dasar, umur 7 tahun. Putri kecil Dean ini juga menyukai kopi, terutama caramel macchiato.

Berbeda dengan sang kakak, Putra bungsu Dean, Xelo, tidak menyukai kopi dan tidak hobi membaca. Xelo yang saat ini berusia 5 tahun, lebih menyukai olahraga renang daripada duduk diam dan membaca. Xelo juga tidak menyukai kopi seperti Dean dan Brie. Ia lebih menyukai Es teh daripada kopi dan susu. Menurut Dean, Xelo adalah fotokopi dari Rhein. Persis. Semua kebiasaan Xelo adalah kebiasaannya Rhein. Semua yang disukai Xelo adalah yang disukai Rhein.

---

“Mba Dee, ini kopi latte dinginnya. Tanpa gula seperti biasanya ya, Mba Dee” Ucap Ian, salah seorang barista yang datang membawakan kopi untuk Dean

“Terima kasih, Ian” Balas Dean

“Sama-sama, Mba. Pesanan Mba Rie dan Mba Nona mau diantarkan ke sini juga atau ke butik aja, Mba Dee?” Tanya Ian

Dean baru menyadari kalau sejak datang tadi ia masuk ke dalam Frame tanpa diikuti oleh Marie dan Nona. Pikiran Dean sedang tidak berada di tempat ia berpijak sekarang.

“Oh, ditaruh di sini aja. Mungkin mereka lagi nengok ke butik sebentar. Biar aku telepon mereka nanti. Thanks, Ian” ucap Dean

“Oke, Mba Dee. Sebentar ya.” Pungkas Ian sebelum meninggalkan Dean sendiri.

….

Mengetik…

‘Lo di mana Rie…? Butik…? Kopi lo sama Nona gue minta sama Ian buat dianter ke meja sini aja ya…’

Terkirim …

Dibaca…

….

‘Oke, Dee. Bentar, gue lagi di Butik ngecek stok batik yang baru datang tadi pagi. 15 menit lagi gue balik ke situ’

---

Tidak lama Marie dan Nona bergabung bersama Dean.

“Kopi lo udah dingin tuh” Ledek Dean

“Malah enak kan… bisa langsung minum. Gak perlu niup-niup dulu.” Balas Marie

Nona hanya bisa tertawa melihat tingkah Dean dan Marie.

Sementara itu, dari kejauhan Dean mendengar suara Xelo memanggilnya.

“Mama….” Teriak Xelo dari arah pintu masuk Frame

Dean melambaikan tangan ke arah Xelo, Brie dan Tante Suli. Ketiganya berjalan menghampiri Dean, Marie dan Nona dengan membawa beberapa kantong belanjaan di tangan masing-masing.

“Hi sayang! Wah, abis belanja nih? Kalian nodong Mamih ya?” Dean menyambut kedua anaknya dengan pelukan.

“Aku Cuma minta dibeliin komik kok, Ma… Xelo tuh yang minta macem-macem ke Mamih. Udah tau tujuannya Cuma ke toko buku, eh dia malah belok ke toko alat olahraga dan nodong mamih buat beliin kacamata renang baru!” Brie menjawab pertanyaan Dean dengan nada bersungut kesal. Tante Suli hanya bisa tertawa melihat tingkah laku Brie dan Xelo.

“Kacamata renang Xelo kan rusak, Kak. Tadi juga kan ada diskon kok kata Mamih.” Xelo berusaha membela diri di depan Dean.

“Iya iya sudah… Gak apa-apa Brie. Tadi harga kacamatanya juga murah kok. Bener kata Xelo, ada diskonnya kok.” Tante Suli akhirnya menengahi Brie dan Xelo sebelum keduanya lanjut adu mulut.

“Terima kasih ya Tante Suli. Jadi ngerepotin kan nih.” Ucap Dean

“Ahk, gak repot kok, Dee.” Balas Tante Suli.

“Ma, nanti kita pulang bareng Mamih atau sama Tante Rie?” Tanya Brie

“Kita bareng sama Tante Rie aja ya. Mama masih ada urusan sebentar sama Tante Rie, mungkin sekitar satu jam lagi baru selesai. Mamih Suli biar pulang duluan ya. Besok kan ke rumah Mamih Suli lagi.” Jawab Dean.

“Kalau gitu Tante langsung aja ya, Dee. Besok anak-anak langsung ke rumah Tante kan sepulang sekolah? Rencananya besok mau Tante ajak pergi ambil pesenan kembang di Cinere.” Pamit Tante Suli

“Oh, Iya Tante. Gak apa-apa, Tante pulang duluan aja. Besok seperti biasa anak-anak dianter langsung ke rumah Tante kok. Supir Antar-jemputnya sudah Dee pesenin kalau sementara waktu ini anak-anak pulang sekolahnya ke rumah tante.”

---

Tante Suli atau biasa dipanggil Mamih oleh Brie dan Xelo adalah Adik sepupu dari Papanya Dean. Kedua orang tua Dean saat ini memilih untuk kembali ke kampung halaman mereka di Remboken. Sejak Rhein meninggalkan Dean dan kedua anak mereka tujuh tahun yang lalu, Tante Suli memutuskan untuk menemani Dean dan membantu membesarkan Brie serta Xelo. Rhein meninggalkan Dean saat Dean sedang mengandung Xelo. Sejak usia kandungan lima bulan, Dean sudah tidak didampingi oleh Rhein. Tante Suli lah yang mendampingi Dean hingga Xelo lahir. Selama lima tahun Xelo hidup di dunia, ia hanya bertemu dengan Papanya satu kali pada saat usianya satu tahun. Bagi Xelo, ia hanya memiliki Mama dan Mamih, tidak ada Papa. Hal ini tidak hanya dirasakan oleh Xelo, tetapi juga oleh Brie. Walaupun Brie lebih beruntung dibandingkan Xelo, tetapi bagi Brie sosok Rhein tidak pernah benar-benar ada. Bagi Brie, ia dan Xelo hanya memiliki Mama dan Mamih.

---

Rumah...

Sekembalinya ke rumah, Dean langsung menyuruh Brie dan Xelo untuk mandi dan bersiap makan malam.

“Rie, lo nginep sini kan? Temenin gue ya…” rajuk Dean kepada Marie

“Hmm… Besok pagi-pagi gue harus pergi ke Pekalongan, Dee. Gue gak bawa pakaian ganti nih” Elak Marie

“Ya elah, tinggal pakai baju gue kan bisa, Rie” jawab Dean

“Aduh… ya masa gue mau keluar kota bawanya baju-baju lo, Dee. Suka ngaco nih!” Marie masih mencoba untuk menolak permintaan Dean

“Hhh… ya udah… tapi nanti balik dari Pekalongan langsung ke sini ya…!? Ini bukan request, tapi perintah!” Ucap Dean dengan sedikit memberikan penekanan ke Marie

“Hahahaha…. Siap bu boss!” Balas Marie sembari tertawa

“Ya udah, gue pulang ya. Lo istirahat deh sama anak-anak ya. Besok mereka juga harus bangun pagi dan sekolah. Oh ya, jangan lupa cek surel lo. Siapa tau udah ada notifikasi dari Pengadilan Negeri” Marie berpamitan kepada Dean

“Iya, nanti kalau udah beres mandi dan makan gue coba cek surel gue. Hati-hati di jalan ya, Rie” ucap Dean sembari mengantar Marie menuju ke mobil

“Oke, bye… have a rest ya, Dee. Pamitin sama anak-anak ya.” pamit Marie

“Bye, Rie…”

---

Di kamar…

Dean baru saja selesai mandi dan hendak menuju ke ruang makan. Brie dan Xelo sepertinya sudah terlebih dulu menunggu Dean di ruang makan. Sebelum melangkahkan kaki keluar dari kamar, Dean mencari ponselnya yang ia letakkan di dalam tas. Ia membuka layar ponsel dan melihat ada beberapa pesan singkat masuk.

Dean tertegun. Ia tidak bisa melepaskan pandangan matanya dari layar ponsel yang ia genggam.

-suamiku- (+6281377770000)

‘Ma… apa kabar…?’

Pesan singkat yang terpampang pada layar ponsel adalah dari…

Rhein…!

Note :

(*) It Must Have Been Love by Roxette

#novel freenovel romance marriage notelstelwel stelwel roxette itmusthavebeenlove unfaithful

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