#(not me of course i am not in the top 15 singers)

[shredsandpatches]

Every once in a while I think about the final movement of the Poulenc Stabat Mater and just have to sort of sit there and gibber, mentally, at the sheer levels of yearning expressed in it

[martyrsex]

Jason Todd x Singer reader (fem)

Author's note: I received such a surprisingly positive reply from this! I haven't posted in months, so this caught me off guard completely. (Yes 15 notes is good for me lmao 🥹) In this version, Jason knows who reader are since the beginning. I thought it'd be more fun.

So, basically this a longer version of the first part + a second part. I intend to write this in chapters. Enjoy and please give me your thoughts ❤️

Part two:

----------------------------------------------------------------

Jason Todd knew one thing or two about twitter. Or X, whatever. The thing is: he's at least three times a month in the trending topics. Not him exactly, but Red Hood. Red Hood is always there.

It goes from people hating on him, to young girls (psycho's in his opinion) calling him babygirl or daddy. He doesn't understands and he doesn't want to. He's not much one from social media, so when he is on the trending topics, normally someone from the family teases him about it.

This time is no different. Dick Grayson and Tim Drake are laughing way too hard. Looking from Tim's phone directly towards Jason. He sighs, closing the book he is reading. Currently they are all comfortably sitting on the library, eating Alfred's cookies and tea.

"What is it?" Jason asks, already regretting the question.

"Open twitter." Tim says, a huge smile on his face. Jason feels a chill down his spine because he knows it's going to be bad. Not that he cares. He doesn't give a shit about public's opinion.

But sometimes the comments about him, the mean comments wishing him to die... Those get to him. So he's prepared for that. For people hating, or for his fangirls fighting deciding who'd be his next imaginary girlfriend.

But he never expected to be shipped with someone else. He knows who you are. Everybody knows who you are. A talented young singer, that ascended till the top in less than three years. Doing some works on modeling from time to time for McQueen or Vogue or Versace, because you're that beautiful.

He wouldn't call himself a fan, but he does think you are musically talented. Anyway, everyone is shipping him with you.

And he doesn't know why.

"Why am I being shipped with her?" He asks, out loud. Before Dick or Tim can answer, Steph bursts into the library's door laughing.

"Jason-"

"I know."

She laughs again. He starts to scroll down the comments, until he finds a video of a live interview you did on Kurt's show, that prick. The journalist is famous for doing weird questions.

"So, everybody knows you have a bit of thing for vigilantism. How did that start?" Kurt asks, crossing his arms and giving the public a charming smile.

"Oh, it started with Batman, of course. I was a little kid when I heard the stories about the man that haunted the nights in Gotham. I am a L.A girl, but either way I absolutely felt enchanted. It's just so cool that is there someone out there that takes justice in their own hands."

Yeah, right. She's a fan of the Batass. Jason scoffs while watching the video, but continues anyway.

"And who is your favorite vigilante?" Kurt asked, leaning closer to her. He was a charming man, young and successful, just like her.

"Oh, Red Hood, definitely." She says that without a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Just a plain, simple answer.

"Red Hood? Isn't he a bit... extreme?" Kurt said, tilting his head.

"I think he is doing good in his own ways, and that is so freaking cool, you know? And I think his motorcycle is super... uh, how can I say? Hot." She says, and gives the public a little giggle. She continues:

"Which doesn't mean I agree with everything he does. But I find his persona interesting and refreshing. He's different from the rest, different approaches and all. It makes me curious about who is the man behind the mask."

"If you could say anything to him, what would you say?" Kurt asks, smiling.

"Oh! I'd probably ask him to take me on a ride with his bike. And to get a girlfriend. I think he needs a feminine touch in his life." She answers, with an amused grin.

The video ends and Jason doesn't really know what to think. You just said he needed a girlfriend. A feminine touch.

The truth is, he can't really disagree. When was the last time he felt a woman's body close to his? More time than he wants to admit. Months. Maybe more than a year. In his defense, it's not that he doesn't have the game. He just don't have the energy to play it.

Steph laughs takes him out of his wandering thoughts. He looks up at his siblings, an irritated expression in his face.

"Read the tweets, the tweets are the best part!" She says, chuckling again. Jason goes straight to the shipping hashtag. People saying they want to be Jason, people saying they want to be you, people saying they want to be the bed where you both - forget it.

He sighs and throws his cellphone on the couch, sitting back and beginning to read his book.

"That's it? That's your reaction?" Dick asks, tilting his head like a curious dog.

"It's just a bunch of tweets. People will forget eventually. Nothing I should worry about." Jason replies, not taking his eyes off The Catcher in the Rye.

Little did he know.

__________________________________________________

Okay. Maybe you shouldn't have said that. Maybe you were dumb and reckless. And now your agent and her team are almost killing you.

It's not your fault. You were always told to be honest, because your fun and outgoing (at least on stage) personality were one of your best traits.

"Are you crazy! This could have led to terrible repercussions. What if everyone focused on the fact that you support a murderer?!" Claya, your agent says, almost shouting.

"Well, they didn't. Now they are just shipping him with me." You say, trying to defend yourself. The truth is, behind the cameras and the stage and all the "popstar" persona you have to pull out, you are an introvert. You have two lifes.

"Yeah, and you should be grateful for it. This can even be a good sign. It seems people are interested in your love life. We can use that for our advantage." Claya says.

You adore her, really. And it's her job to figure it out how to make your career ascend. And she does it very well. But sometimes you just wish it wouldn't be about money or status. It would be just about how to do good music.

Anyway, you don't want to be ungrateful. You're living your childhood dream. So you take those thoughts out of your mind.

"Well, what do you have in mind?" You ask, blinking in confusion.

"We're going to Gotham. You're going to do a show there." Claya says, confidently and typing on her computer.

"Are you out of your mind? Shows in Gotham always go wrong. The Chase Atlantic show from last month was attacked by Pyg!" You say, trying to contain your agent's wicked ideas.

"Honey, don't worry. Maybe Red Hood appears in to save the whole ordeal. It couldn't be better." Claya says, standing up and closing her computer.

Claya and the team leave you alone to think. It's not like you have a lot of choice in the matter, anyway. If she says you're doing the show, you gotta do it.

But it's just a show, right? Nothing to worry about.

Little did you know.

[thislovintime]

In the studio, 1960s.

Q: “Peter, I've always considered you the most natural musician of the bunch. Is that accurate?” Peter Tork: “No. The best natural musician in the bunch was Davy. He never hit a bad note. My pitch is not as certain, Micky's isn't as secure. Mike's is, but he doesn't have the emotional range Davy had. Davy could sing Broadway, ballads and rock. He could do anything. What I am, among these guys, is the best trained, the only one who could read and write music. Michael wrote the horn and cello part to ‘Shades of Gray.’ He wrote it in his head, he sang it to me, and I notated it, and I notated it for the French horn. I'm the only one of the four of us who was in possession of that body of information. I took piano for six years and French horn for a couple, plus music theory in college. And Micky is one of the better pop singers of all time. Not too long ago, I told him, 'You must be one of the top 20 pop singers of all time.' He said, '20?' I said, 'OK, 15.' He said, '15?' I said, 'OK, 10, but that's my best offer.' And Mike Nesmith is extraordinarily rigorous in pitch and time. And he's got imagination, and he's a very hard worker. I'm not. The only thing I have going for me is that I'm trained.” Micky Dolenz: “Peter also plays more instruments. I only play guitar and, of course, drums when I'm doing a Monkees show. Peter would be the most proficient or knowledgeable about music and playing. He plays guitar, piano, French horn. He plays just about any instrument he picks up. But I'd say Mike is probably the most prolific, in terms of song writing. He is very proficient on guitar, especially that big 12-string he plays all the time.” - Guitar World, July 26, 2013

[jokeroutsubs]

Interview with Joker Out's member Nace Jordan, from Slovenian magazine Kranjčanka!

"Enriched by a special experience"

We caught up with Nace Jordan, bassist of Joker Out, a week or so after the Eurovision show in Liverpool, a few days after the show in Zagreb, and just before they left for the show in Dublin, where they sold out their first show in twenty minutes… On stage, they kept company to the Irish performers.

The fact that this guy, who is otherwise from Mlaka (T.N: small village near Kranj), is fully booked, can be confirmed by telling you that he moved into a new flat in March of this year - he has been living in Ljubljana for some time now - but he has spent less than 14 days there until it was time for the Eurovision Song Contest. He still returns to Kranj at least twice a week to visit his mother and to stay true to himself: he decided to get a personal trainer a while ago, so now he also goes to Kranj to train there.

Nace Jordan came into contact with music in primary school. He first played the guitar, which he soon replaced with the bass guitar. "Around the fifth grade of primary school (T.N: 10-11 years old), I became interested in instruments and a classmate and I decided to start a music group. He bought a drum set and I bought an electric guitar. Then we quickly saw that there were no bass players. So I sold the guitar and bought a bass guitar," he explains. He has no formal musical training, but says he has been lucky that wherever he has gone in life, there has always been a good mentor who has been able to guide him.

I: How long did this primary school group last?

N: In those days it was a well-known Kranj band called Success. We did a lot of gigs. It's interesting that all the band members from that time are now living off music. They are, for example, the guitarist Nejc Ušlakar, Tajda Jovanović - also from Mlaka - who is a top classical singer and used to sing at the famous Scala in Milan; if I am not mistaken, she is now teaching classical singing in Dubai. We just created an environment for ourselves and stayed in music. The drummer and keyboard player, Aljaž Bernik and Miha Petrovič, have, for example, a very successful wedding band, called Pop Deluxe.

I: What came after primary school? (* (T.N: In Slovenia, primary school lasts for 9 years, from ages 6-15)

N: I enrolled at the then Iskra University, majoring in mechatronics, but just before graduation I started working - actually playing on a cruiser. By some chance I found myself at a jam session open mind in Kranj, where the Kranj drummer Rok Rozman was looking for someone to go on the boat with him. He was impressed with me, I auditioned and of course they weren't very happy at home when I confronted them with the fact that I was going to take my final exams the following year. I was just 18 years old.

I: Was that a cruise ship?

N: Yes. We were travelling in the Baltic Ocean. I remember that we started in Germany, in a port north of Hamburg, then continued on to Gdansk, St Petersburg and to the Scandinavian countries.

l: That was probably the only time you've been on a cruise ship of that kind, a tourist cruise ship?

I've had a lot of people ask me if I would ever go on holiday on a cruise ship. Probably not. But I would go and have another look at the one I played on.

I: When you came back to Slovenia, did you graduate from high school? N: I didn't and I still regret it a little bit. When I came back from the ship, I started working with the singer Katarina Malo. During that time, I was also taken under the wing of two musicians from Primorska (T.N.: a region in the South-Western part of Slovenia) - that's what I mentioned: I found myself somewhere and then a mentor came along. I learned a lot from them. They were David Morgan and Denis Beganovic - Kiki. The first one is a top jazz drummer from the coastal area, he organises a lot of stuff, and he also plays with Avtomobili (T.N. slovenian band), I think he even played with Plestenjak (T.N. Jan Plestenjak, a famous Slovenian pop singer) at one point. Whereas Kiki is a multi-instrumentalist. He's an extraordinary talent. He has worked with Kanzyani and other famous DJs and musicians from abroad. He has made a lot of music, and he also led the Big Band from the coastal region. That was a really nice period for me. I even moved to the coastal region for a short period.

I: Why music, why not football?

N: Certainly not football (laughs). It's the sport I'm least talented in, or rather, all ball sports fall into that context - be it table tennis or football; and, even though my surname is Jordan, I'm the worst basketball player in the world (laughs). Just two days ago, I met my first grade teacher, and of course the topic of music and Eurovision came up. She told me that she knew even back then that school was not for me, but that I would definitely do something creative in my life. It brought back memories of how bored I was at school and how I would rather draw under my desk than listen, even though I was not a bad student.

I: You haven't been a member of Joker Out for long.

N: Since last year. Martin Jurkovič, the original bass player, felt at some point that music was not his main path. He is also an extremely talented programmer and is studying in that direction. He wants to study abroad and decided to finish that chapter. I knew the lead singer of the band, Bojan, from some mutual friend groups before, and the guys were looking for someone who was around their age, professional, good at what they do, and they thought of me. And Martin was in favour of me coming into the group instead of him.

I: And did you imagine that the band would continue the way it did?

N: From the beginning I went into the band with a bit of hesitation. I even suggested a test period. I had learnt that there has to be chemistry between the members. And if we didn't get along with each other the way we do, we wouldn't have performed on the Eurovision stage. We would have had a fight otherwise.

I: Do you spend a lot of time together?

N: First there were the Eurovision showcase concerts, and now there is the summer concert tour in Slovenia. We also have quite a few problems, because we get a lot of calls from abroad. It's logistically difficult, so we're looking for a solution to link some of the concerts to the tour. After the Eurovision Song Contest, we really started to get noticed abroad.

I: Was this your first Eurovision Song Contest?

N: Yes. But I have been to EMA (slovenian national selection for ESC) several times before.

I: Was it as you imagined it would be?

N: Even better. I can say that everyone who has been through this kind of experience has told us that it will be really tough: there will be a lot of work, but that we should also expect crazy parties. But in the end, it was much less exhausting than we expected. In fact, we had such a busy schedule beforehand that Eurovision itself was almost easier for us afterwards. We were practically in the Arena for five days, the rest was socialising, interviews and other commitments. In principle, we like that.

I: You seemed to be well received.

N: We were lucky enough to have connected with practically all the performers. We were always in a good mood, which was seen and felt both in the performances and in the interviews, during the statements. We came home really enriched by a special experience. And it was really nice to see how the people at home supported us. After the first semi-final, we got some footage of how they were watching us and we were just amazed how behind Bežigrad (Ljubljana district), let's say, they watched the first semi-final show in an organised way. The energy was crazy, like at a match.

I: What about Liverpool? Was there any time to "play tourists"?

N: During Eurovision, not really. We were in Liverpool before, because we were shooting a video. I think it was after Barcelona, and we did a lot of walking around the city then. For those who like the Beatles, Liverpool is great.

I : How did it come about that you went to Eurovision in the first place?

N : When I came into the group, the guys and I immediately started talking about whether we would go to this year's EMAs. We decided to go. We knew we would definitely be one of the favourites because we have a really big and extremely loyal audience. Well, then the EMA didn't happen. The jury decided to make their own choice, from the five entries who had the most songs of the week during that year. And I think only two of us ended up applying. There was no EMA, and they sent us to Liverpool.

I: You mostly use Slovenian in your songs.

N: Of course. We have a few songs in English, but we mostly sing in Slovenian. We were talking about how we would work going forwards, and we agreed not to bother with the language. We are proud of our Slovenian language. It's really something beautiful when you see an adult Peruvian man or a five-year-old Spanish girl singing our song in Slovenian. In that moment you understand the athletes and you are proud to be Slovenian.

I: How is it on the street? Do people recognise you? You often hear: is that the bass player of Joker Out?

N: Yes, quite. Most of the time it's people who say something nice to you, or want a selfie. Of course, there are also some "admirers" who stick gum all over my car or leave messages. There's a good side and a bad side to being a public personality. Sometimes it requires of you to spend three hours taking photos - but if you enjoy doing something, that's not a problem either.

I: Do you think that it is actually the fact that you get along well in a group that "pulls" in the audience?

N: The energy between us is definitely something that is contagious. I don't know if it's what makes the audience really like us, but it's something that puts even someone who is in a bad mood in a good mood.

Translation by @kurooscoffee (jokeroutsubs). DO NOT REPOST!

[matttgirlies]

Matt & Me🎀

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

a story heavily based on Priscilla Presley’s Book “Elvis & Me” based in the 1950’s - 1970’s.

fem! reader x singer! matt

disclaimer!! - in no way am i saying matt would ever support or do these kind of things, for the sake of the book certain unethical things do happen at times.

warnings - mentions of dead people,, arguing

y/nn = your nickname for any confusion🩷

Chapter 14

I’d now been living with Matt about two years and traveling with him regularly. My parents, having returned from Germany, were now staying temporarily with my Uncle Ray in Connecticut, on their way to Travis Air force Base near Sacramento. I was anxious to see them, yet I hated leaving Graceland. Outside those gates, the cord was cut. I was afraid that the one moment I was away from his world would be the one moment when another could slip in.

Yet I needed to see my parents. I did miss them. I was well aware that my appearance—in a tight, form-fitting dress, spiked high heels, heavy makeup, and with my hair dyed jet black and piled high on top of my head in a beehive hairdo—would elicit, as usual, a less than delighted response from them, but I was determined not to change a single part of the total look that Matt had painstakingly created. I flew to Connecticut and my expectations were correct. My parents were again so shocked when they saw me that they could barely speak. Later, my father told me that under all that makeup, my eyes looked like “two holes in the snow.”

The rest of the weekend brought no improvement. I wasn’t being honest about my relationship and style of life. Anticipating uncomfortable questions about my future, I spent most of the time in my room. However, the questions came.

“What’s it like, living at Graceland?”

“Is it true that Matt never goes anywhere?”

I felt their probing was an invasion of my privacy, my personal life, and I gave them guarded answers.

My parents didn’t appreciate my attitude or my defensiveness. They were just showing a natural interest in me, and a concern for my well-being, when they asked how I’d done in school, what kinds of grades I’d gotten, and if I’d brought my report card. They also wanted to know if I was planning to attend college. Even though my only plan was to go wherever Matt was going, I said that I intended to enroll. I tried to tell them what they wanted to hear, and to say as little as possible, convinced that if I said one thing wrong, they’d order me home.

After that weekend, I tried to avoid my parents. But they knew I joined Matt in Los Angeles while he was filming, and they wanted me to spend weekends with them in Sacramento. This created a problem. I couldn’t think of sharing my time with anyone but Matt, especially weekends when he wasn’t working. Still, I’d make occasional trips to Sacramento, because if I didn’t visit my parents, they’d visit us. I knew Matt was very touchy, and I was never sure what might set him off.

I was particularly nervous when my parents decided to bring my sister and brothers down to Disneyland for the weekend—and to stop and see us in Bel Air. I persuaded them that Bel Air was much too far out of their way and it’d be easier for me to meet them at Disneyland. I spent the weekend with them there, but on Sunday my parents insisted on bringing me home. Of course I had to invite them all to dinner.

They dropped me off and drove on to a nearby hotel to check in and get changed. I ran into the house in a panic because I knew I’d have to show them around. I certainly couldn’t tell my parents that I slept with Matt, and I decided to try to fool them into believing that I had my own room.

I asked Charlie Hodge, one of the employees, if I could borrow his room. I rushed up and down the hall, taking things from Matt’s room and putting them in Charlie’s. I placed my little perfume bottles around the tables, hung some of my clothes in the closet, which I strategically left partly open, and finally put all of the stuffed dogs and teddy bears that I loved to collect on the bed.

That evening when we had dinner, Matt was charming and wonderful, but I was too petrified to eat. I was always anxious whenever Matt and my father got together, since I never knew what Dad was going to ask him. Matt used to get very annoyed because so many people were curious about the “regulars,” always asking what this one did, or that one did, and why Matt needed to have so many of them around him. When I would try and tell Dad to be less curious, that only made him more curious.

“Why can’t I ask questions?” he’d demand. “What’s there to hide?”

After dinner, I gave my family a tour of the house. I tried to show them “my” room as casually as I had the others. “See how it overlooks the patio,” I said calmly. “Come on, I’ll show you Matt’s room.”

I opened the door to his room, praying that no one would want to see any of his huge walk-in closets because if they opened a closet door, all of my things would be revealed. One of my shoes, I noticed in horror, had been left next to the bed. I managed to kick it out of sight.

Amazingly, the entire evening came off without mishap. Although my parents never questioned the story about my own room, I’m sure they never believed it either.

That night, when Matt looked in Charlie’s room and saw all of the stuffed animals, he burst out laughing.

I continued to guard my life-style. I was always afraid they’d look too closely at my relationship with Matt. As it was, they inquired about our future together.

“How much longer is this going to go on like this?” they wanted to know. “What are his intentions? Are there any plans for anything? If not, why don’t you just pack your bags and come home? We think it’s about time.”

Hearing this was my greatest fear. I always told them, “We’re doing great. I’m sure everything will work out fine.” I’d give them vanilla ice cream with candy and whipped cream and a cherry on top—so that everything sounded really promising.

Everything wasn’t nearly as promising as I led my parents to believe. Matt and I couldn’t really be happy together because he was so unhappy with his career. At first glance, he had it made: He was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood with a three-picture-a-year contract, at a phenomenal salary, plus fifty percent of the profits. But in reality, his brilliant career had lost its luster. By 1965 the public had access to Matt solely through his films and records. He hadn’t appeared on television since his special with Frank Sinatra in 1960, and he hadn’t performed in a live concert since the spring of 1961.

The sales of his records indicated that his massive popularity was slipping. His singles were no longer automatically Top Ten hits, and he hadn’t enjoyed a Number One record since the spring of 1962.

He blamed his fading popularity on his humdrum movies. He loathed their stock plots and short shooting schedules, but whenever he complained to the Colonel, Colonel reminded him that they were making millions, that the fact that his last two serious films, Flaming Star and Wild in the Country, were box-office failures proved that his fans wanted to see him only in musicals.

He could have demanded better, more substantial scripts but he didn’t. Part of the reason was the lavish life-style he had established and become accustomed to. The main reason, however, was his inability to stand up to the Colonel. In Matt’s personal life, there were no stops in letting anyone know how or what he felt. But when it came time to stand up to Colonel William, he backed off. Matt detested the business side of his career. He would sign a contract without even reading it.

For years Matt had stayed on top of the record charts because he had been given a good selection of songs to choose from, and he’d had free rein to record them in his own style, his own way, and had not yet become disillusioned with the music industry.

When he was excited about the material, he loved recording sessions. He liked to work as a team—with his voice, the backup singers, and the instruments all recorded at the same volume. He didn’t want his voice out front alone. He liked the impact of the whole group. It was his sound, and it was a fabulous sound until one day Colonel said there were complaints from fans and from RCA that they couldn’t hear Matt well enough. Whether or not this was true, he suggested Matt’s voice be brought out more.

This is one of the few times Matt bucked heads with him, stating, “I’ve been singing that way all of my life. What do a few heads in RCA know about music? I’ll sing the songs the way I hear them.”

Matt could handle only so much and then he’d lose heart. He’d put up with the horrendous movies, but now they were tampering with his songs.

Colonel did not intentionally plot to make Matt sound bad, or to get artistic control. His only interest was in getting out the product so the money could keep coming in. But when he started crossing over the line from business negotiations into Matt’s artistry, Matt slowly began going downhill.

I wanted desperately to help him, but I wasn’t sure how. In my innocence, I kept trying to convince him to argue with the Colonel. But he would only get angry, saying I didn’t know what I was talking about.

I didn’t understand his difficulty in revealing his weaknesses to me. Only later did I realize how important it was to Matt to always appear in control in front of me. Whenever I stated my own opinions too strongly, especially if they differed from his, he’d remind me that his was the stronger sex, and as a woman, I had my place. He liked to say that it was intended for woman to be on the left side of man, close to his heart, where she gives him strength through her support.

His role with me was that of lover and father, and with neither could he let down his guard and become fallible or truly intimate. I longed for that, and as a woman, I needed it.

There were nights when he slept restlessly, beset by worries and fears. I lay silently beside him, anxious about what he might be thinking and whether there was a place in his life for me. Lost in our separate miseries, we were unable to give each other strength or support. He was controlled by his inability to take responsibility for his own life and for compromising his own standards—and I was controlled by him, compromising mine.

When things were bad, Matt called James and they talked for hours about their problems. He told his dad he was lonely and depressed and no one understood him. When I overheard these words, I continued to take it personally, again thinking that I was failing him.

I would put on my brightest smile, my prettiest dress—and my phoniest personality and try to rouse his spirits. When I couldn’t get him out of the dumps, he would shut himself up all day in his room. This left me devastated. Afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing, I suppressed my real feelings and eventually developed an ulcer.

The more frustrations increased, the more pressure he felt and this resulted in his manifesting physical illnesses. Specifically to handle depression, he was now prescribed antidepressants. His enormously creative gifts were being squandered and he couldn’t face it.

Although Colonel William knew about his state of mind, he had a long-standing agreement with Matt that he’d stay out of his personal life. Instead of confronting Matt, he tried to get the guys to report to him. It was a very touchy situation, and the boys were skeptical. Colonel used to have Sonny West and Jerry Schilling drive him back and forth to Palm Springs on weekends. During the long drive he casually tried to pump them for information. They had to be very careful. If they said the wrong thing, they would be put in a position of having betrayed Matt.

It was especially hard on Nate Doe who, as foreman of the group, spent a lot of time with the Colonel. When Matt began canceling meetings, or acting strangely on the set, Colonel would say, “What’s going on with Matt, Nate? He looks like he’s in bad shape. We can’t let him be seen like this.”

Nate was torn between his loyalties to Colonel and to Matt. He cared about Matt and respected his wishes, but he understood that the Colonel made the deals and had to deliver “the product”: Matt.

When Colonel made Nate responsible for reporting to him on Matt’s “mental and emotional state,” a euphemistic phrase for drug use, Matt found out and said, “I don’t want any sons of bitches here telling Colonel what I do or what goes on in this household.” He fired Nate on the spot. Six months later he forgave him and took him back. It was typical of Matt to blow off steam and then forgive all.

From the time I first arrived at Graceland I began to notice a gradual change in Matt’s personality. In the early days of our relationship he seemed to be more in command of his emotions.

He was a man capable of enjoying life to the fullest, especially during our own special times. We loved to stroll about in the early evenings just before dark. Usually we’d end up at his father’s home and stay and watch television, father and son relaxing, puffing on cigars, discussing the state of the world.

Walking back home with Matt, we’d speak of fate—how it had brought us together, how we were meant for each other, how God worked in strange ways, uniting two people from different parts of the world.

I loved it when he’d talk like this. He’d plan our lives, saying how he was destined to be with me and could never be with anyone else. In this loving atmosphere I found I could open up and express my opinions freely.

Once we were going through a stack of demo records for an RCA soundtrack album and his distaste for each song grew increasingly apparent. Before a record was halfway through, he was on to the next, getting more and more discouraged. Finally he found one that held his attention and asked me what I thought. Remembering that first incident in Vegas, I truly felt our relationship had developed to where he would want my honest opinion. “I don’t really like it,” I said.

“What do you mean, you don’t like it?”

“I don’t know—there’s just something about it, a catchiness that’s missing.”

To my horror, a chair came hurtling toward me.

I moved out of the way just in time, but there were stacks of records piled on it and one flew off and hit me in the face.

Within seconds he had me in his arms, apologizing frantically. It was said that he inherited his temper from his parents. I’d heard stories about how, when Mary Lou was furious, she’d grab a frying pan and fling it at James, and I’d already observed James’s harsh words firsthand. This genetic trait was inherent in Matt’s temperament.

You could sense the vibration when he was angry. The tension in the room mounted to flash point, and no one wanted to be around for the explosion. Yet, if anyone decided to leave, they automatically became the target for his rage, me included. Like the time he came storming downstairs because his black suit which he had worn only the day beforehadn’t been returned from the cleaners.

“Why isn’t it back yet, y/nn?” he screamed. “Where the hell is my goddamn suit?”

He had two other suits identical to the one at the cleaners, but he wanted that one.

When he was angry, it was like the roar of thunder. No one could challenge his biting words; we could only wait until the storm passed. When he calmed down, he made excuses—he hadn’t had enough sleep, he’d had too much sleep, or he hadn’t had his morning coffee yet.

Sometimes he lashed out just to drive home a point. If he thought it would teach us a lesson, he’d blow some minor grievance out of all proportion, and even as he was yelling he might wink at someone nearby. Then, ten minutes later, he’d be fine, leaving us bewildered and emotionally depleted. There were also times he would leave us emotionally uplifted. He was truly a master at manipulating people.

Matt was filled with complexities and contradictions. We would spend an evening discussing the spiritual life and then watch horror films.

One evening while watching the classic horror movie Diabolique, Matt leaned over and asked if I was in a daring mood.

“Sure.” I didn’t know what he was up to, but adventure excited me.

“I’m going to take you somewhere that will scare the fire out of you—it did me the first time I went there.”

After the film he took my hand and we all piled into the limo. Matt instructed the driver, “Take us to the Boston morgue.”

“What!”

I didn’t believe what I had just heard.

“Yeah, there’s this guy who oversees the place. I went there once before. I was roaming around the rooms, looking at bodies, and we ran into each other. It scared the shit out of us both.”

“You mean we’re going inside?”

“Well, we’re not supposed to, but I got ways.”

“Okay, I’m game.”

His fame was his passkey. It was eerie walking through the halls and viewing each room. They were still, solemn, dimly lit. I clutched at Matt’s hand. At first I didn’t want to look, but he assured me the bodies were at peace and that once I looked, it wouldn’t be so bad.

We wandered from room to room. I was amazed at how easy it was to become accustomed to this unusual sight. It was serene, almost as if we were in church.

We were doing fine until I looked on a table and saw an infant who appeared to be two or three months old. We both gazed in silence.

“Oh Matt,” I said, “he’s so little, so innocent. What could have happened? There’s no scars.” Tears were streaming down my face.

“I don’t know,” he said softly. “Sometimes God works in strange ways. I guess it was just meant for the little fellow to be with Him.”

We both took the infant’s hand and Matt said a prayer. A few minutes later, we stood over a middle-aged woman who had just been embalmed. I looked away.

“This is good for you,” he said. “You have to see things like this sometimes. This is the hard cold fact—reality. When you look at a body, you realize how temporary it all is, how it could end in a matter of minutes.”

The spiritual side of Matt was a dominant part of his nature. As a small boy growing up in Boston, Massachusetts, he and his family attended church regularly at the First Assembly of God. He was raised on hellfire-and-brimstone preaching that put the fear of God in you and music that led to the Pearly Gates. Matt, James, and Mary Lou would join in with the congregation and choir, and it was then that music first rocked Matt’s soul. He was capable of spiritual healing; one touch of his hands to my temples and the most painful headaches disappeared.

He always kept the Bible on his bedside table and read it often. Now, faced with an ever-deepening despair, he began looking to other philosophical books for answers and guidance. He read the works of Kahlil Gibran. One book in particular, The Prophet, inspired him. He also read Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse and The Impersonal Life by Joseph Benner. He became so enamored of these books that he passed them out to friends, fellow actors, and fans. They appealed to his religious nature and he loved bringing people together “in the spirit of one underlying force Almighty God.”

When his mother, Mary Lou, was alive, Matt had one person to answer to, whom he respected and who constantly reminded him of his values and his roots. It was Mary Lou who kept Matt aware of the difference between right and wrong, of the evils of temptation, and of the danger of life in the fast lane.

“Mom,” he’d say. “I want you and Dad in Hollywood with me. There’s a lot of fast talkin’ businessmen there, makin’ a lot of decisions, fancy talk I don’t understand.”

In the early days, James and Mary Lou accompanied Matt on most of his major appearances around the South and visits to Hollywood when he made his first films. It was Mary Lou’s common sense that counteracted Matt’s insecurities in his youth.

Since Mary Lou’s death, there were no boundaries for Matt. She was the force that kept him in line. Now that she was gone, he was continually in conflict between his own personal ethics and the temptations that surrounded him.

Excerpt from: "Elvis and Me" by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley. Scribd. This material may be protected by copyright.

a/n - this chapter is so sad 🎀

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

NIGHTWISH Singer And SABATON Drummer Welcome Their Second Child

NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen and SABATON drummer Hannes Van Dahl have welcomed their second child, a daughter named Lucy.

Jansen and Van Dahl already have a six-year-old daughter named Freja, who was born on March 15, 2017.

The Dutch-born vocalist revealed the news in a social media post earlier today (Friday, October 20). She shared a photo of her, Hannes, Freja and Lucy holding hands, and she wrote: "There she is! With great happiness we can announce the birth of our second daughter Lucy! Big sister Freja is delighted with our dark haired little girl too!

"Health is not a given fact, and so it's humbling to report that both our baby girl as mom are in a great one! We are enjoying these special moments to the fullest and ask for understanding of our privacy in this intimate time! Big thanks for all the love and support we received during the pregnancy! We have now welcomed our dear Lucy into this beautiful world".

Shortly before Freja was born, Hannes was asked by Spain's Metal Journal whether his family situation would have an impact on his ability to tour with SABATON. Hannes said: "Well, you know, as far as I'm concerned, nothing will really change, 'cause this is what I do, an this is… this is what I do to make a living. People have had kids before in this business. So, to stop any worries — 'cause I know a lot of people are worried [about me] quitting the band — I will stay in the band. And as far as I can say, when it's time, I need to go and be there with my family. But when I've done that, I'm going back to touring. So I won't leave. I will be there."

Jansen herself had spoken about the challenges of raising a child while being in a touring band like NIGHTWISH. She told Finland's Radio Rock in 2016: "Of course, it's a very challenging combination, and I was very happy that the way [NIGHTWISH is] today — or, actually, have always been — it's a very open group; we can talk about things. And the guys, actually, were curious. A few months ago, we started talking about it, like, 'So, 2017… How about kids? Yeah?' So it's great to think about things together: how can we combine it? Also 'cause my partner is in a successful band, touring a lot. Yeah, then you need the cooperation of the people that you are family with also. So I am not afraid that won't work. It will be a challenge, for sure, but, yeah, a little SABATON or NIGHTWISH daycare program sounds lovely, doesn't it? [Laughs]"

Jansen also dismissed rumors that she would leave the band after welcoming her first child. She told Mariskal Rock TV: "No, I won't [quit NIGHTWISH]. I love this way too much; don't worry. You don't even have negative speculations one way or another. Things are great, and let's keep on doing this forever."

NIGHTWISH played its last concert before its current break from touring on June 17 at Lemonsoft Stadion in Vaasa.

In November 2022, Floor revealed that she was "cancer free" after undergoing surgery to have a tumor removed following a breast cancer diagnosis.

In April, NIGHTWISH surprised fans by announcing that the band was not going to be playing any live shows for the foreseeable future and would be not be touring in support of the group's next studio album, which is tentatively due in 2024.

Floor's debut solo album "Paragon", arrived in March.

As part of NIGHTWISH, Jansen has landed two number one albums in Finland, and Top Five albums in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

Born in the Netherlands, Jansen joined her first band, one of the world's first symphonic metal bands, AFTER FOREVER, when she was only 16 years old. The group went on to release five albums from 2000 to 2007, before they broke up in 2009.

Jansen's next band, REVAMP, released two albums in 2010 and 2013, before she joined NIGHTWISH as a full-time member. NIGHTWISH's first album with Jansen as the lead singer was 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", which landed in Top 10s around the world. This was followed by 2020's "Human. :II: Nature." , which was also an international success.

Jansen has toured extensively with the band and appeared on three of NIGHTWISH's live albums "Showtime, Storytime", "Vehicle Of Spirit" and "Decades: Live In Buenos Aires".

In 2019, Jansen participated in the popular Dutch TV show "Beste Zangers" where she scored a big hit with "Phantom Of The Opera" together with Henk Poort. She was recognized with a Dutch Popprijs award — a prestigious accolade for artists that has made important contributions to Dutch music. In the same year, her first solo tour sold out in less than 24 hours.

Jansen performed live with NIGHTWISH for the first time on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon. Jansen officially joined NIGHTWISH in 2013.

[lenighorl]

I Missed You, George!

A Joji fanfic because there’s not a lot on tumblr, it makes me sad.

Here I am celebrating the release of Joji’s New Album.

Themes: Smut ; LDR ; Break Up ; 18+

—————-

This is how our relationship ended.

“This is not working anymore. I’m sorry, Y/N. This is too much for me.” He said, hurtful yet filled with sorrow.

His thumb gently touching my arm as if to comfort me with this news. Shocked is one way to put it. I tried my best not to let my jaw hang along with the tears that started to stream down my face. It was so sudden. I was so confused. We were doing so good but ever since i shared my thoughts about wanting to go back to my home country, he seemed so bothered by it although he did try to hide it. But it was just a thought, I definitely would push that thought aside if he asked me to.

“Why are you being like this? Did I do something wrong? Am I not enough?”

“Of course, you’re enough! But I just can’t right now.”

Feeling my eyes burn from this, I pushed his hand away from my arms lightly and immediately wiped my tears away.

“Y-yeah, no, you wouldn’t even tell me why? I-I don’t deserve this, George.” I stood up and left his apartment.

Few messages were sent asking how I was, after answering coldly a few times, the messages eventually stopped coming in.

I figured, of course, he’s this world renowned musician, he had probably moved on. Besides, with his status, he could easily get whoever he wanted. I don’t even know how he liked me in the beginning. Im not the model type. I look like an average girl. I am an average girl. I am a nobody. Why did he make me feel this way only to break up with me without an explanation? My body is far from perfect but the way he touched and kissed and looked at me felt like I was the most beautiful thing in the world. But I guess, I was just a chapter in his life, and he was ready to turn to the next page.

————— one year and three months pass

“—the Japanese-Australian singer, Joji is finally coming here this coming Monday for his much awaited concert! Oh, I’m so excited for this!” says the local celebrity news caster on the tv.

I gasped. Joji knew where my home country was. We’ve talked so much about my culture and my family and he knew how much I missed them when I was in the US. The concert’s in a few days and although I have no intention of watching, I did think about how it would be like to be with him again. To touch him and kiss him. To cuddle and smell him again.

I miss you so much, George. You have no idea.

I miss you so much that it tears me up every time I would think about the pretty moments we shared. I remember everything. Even sitting on your lap and helping you shave, taking hot baths together when you’d come home to me tired from making music. Making you try a new recipe i made and you loving every dish because you’re such a foodie. Coming home and immediately laying almost on top of me in the couch, resting your chin on my chest, looking up at me with a pout and me kissing the pout away. I just wanna lay right by your side again, Joj.

*ding*

I checked my phone as I escape my thoughts of Joji. And— wait! Oh my God! No way!

Hey, Y/N! I heard you’re in (Y/country), come say hi to an old friend. I miss you.

A whole 15 minutes go by just thinking of a cool way to answer this. Of course, there’s nothing else I want in this world but to see you again, Joji but I must be cool and not look like a complete idiot puppy.

We set up the specifics and decided to meet at the hotel he’s staying at for dinner. The dinner will be served inside his hotel room to avoid getting seen by other people. He can’t have bad press or rumors now, he says. It made me sad but I know how fragile his mental health gets and I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. I had no right to.

—————

The pressure of choosing what to wear and how to present myself after over a year of not seeing Joji is intense. I put on a comfortable A-line dress, Sandals and some light make up. I don’t wanna seem like I put too much effort. Besides, things are over between us, right?

—————

1702. I knocked at his hotel room door and it didn’t take long until he opened the door. As the door opens, I put on a smile to maybe mask the nervousness I feel inside.

“Hey, Y/N!” He immediately envelops me in a tight hug, pulling me up slightly. I missed your scent, my georgie.

“I missed you too, Y/N. Even if you don’t want to say it.” Joji says smiling at me. He looked happy. It broke me a little seeing his smile because it’s probably not because of me.

“I missed you, Georgie!” I said passing him the bottle of wine I brought with me.

“Oooh, wine! You’re a changed woman now, Y/N. This used to be a bottle of tequila and cheap weed.”

I laughed as I sat in his bed.

“I love your new music, Joj. I’m so proud of you.” I stood up connecting my phone to the Bose Bluetooth Speaker in front of the TV.

I played “Ew” off of his new album.

“This is my personal favorite.” I look back at him, he nods as he sits on the end of the bed. He looked different, his face more serious.

Ooh, teach me to love just to let me go..

I sit beside Joji.

“How have you been, y/n?”

I froze a little seeing how serious he was and just like how I deal with stressful circumstances, I decide to act playful.

“Miserable without you!” I laughed slightly punching his shoulder. Well, this is awkward. But Joji, It was the truth.

While looking at the floor, a smile creeps up his face and says “Same.” He looks at me straight in the eyes, i avoided his stare and looked at the floor. My smile almost disappearing.

“Wanna order some food?” I said,

“What I want is to kiss you, Y/N.”

I feel my cheeks start to burn as I look back at him. Are we in a movie? I’m pretty sure this happens only in movies. Yes, George. I want to kiss you. I want more than just to kiss you.

I met his eyes and seeing his face look so tired and sad and lonely all of a sudden, I leaned in and kissed him.

Joji’s kisses were always deep, there’s a pull to them. Hard but gentle. Sensual and sweet. The kiss was slow. I held his face and his hands were on my waists.

He starts to go down on my neck. He felt so hungry. And like before, he didn’t care about what people would say if he marks his territory. His hands slipped inside my dress and he’s groping my thighs. My hands entangled in his hair. He gives a low groan as he pulls me to sit on his lap.

Oh, how I’ve missed this.

As Im Starting to feel myself well up and I feel George’s hands start to pull on my dress, I let him take it off of me. This leaves me in my bra and underwear. I stood up, and took his hands to motion him to stand too. I undressed him. And I kiss him again as I trace all of my favorite tattoos on him. I push him lightly to sit on the bed and knelt down in front of him.

I felt the hunger. This is really happening.

I stroked his hard member slowly and looked up at him. He’s looking down at me with those sleepy looking eyes. He grabbed my hair and pushed me on his throbbing cock.

I sucked on his cock like it was the end of the world. Between his moans and groans, i feel his hips move up and his hand on my head push me down until I could no longer handle his length. Seeing his legs twitch a little, I stopped.

I stood up. His eyes following my every movement. I looked at him too, just wanting him inside me. I took off my bra, took his hands and made him pull my panties down. I straddled him, kissing his lips and neck. Gently biting his ear when he’s busy with my breasts, feeling the tip of his hard cock poking my belly button.

“I’m so fucking wet, Joji.”

“Mmhm..” He says.

“I want you inside me, now.”

He stops licking and kissing my breasts and flips me on the bed until he’s on top of me.

“I missed you so much, baby.” he says as he trails kisses on my body. I let out a moan as his tongue reaches my clit. I grabbed the sheet with my left hand and put my hand on his head while he eats me.

“Oh fuck, you’re so good, baby!” I let out as i am running out of breath. My hips rotate along with his tongue on my clit. Pushing his head down as if there were still space to fill. He fingers me as he continuously ears me. He growls at my wetness. I moan louder and breathe heavier. I start to reach my climax, shaking as he licks me. He suddenly stops and that made me open my eyes and say “What the fuck, bitch?” He laughs. I notice his mouth and nose glistening from my wetness. He bends down and kisses me.

I break the kiss to say, “Please, Joji. Put your dick in me!” I plead.

“Yes, your majesty.” He chuckles then positions his dick at my entrance. He looks at me and kisses me as he enters me. I moan in between the kisses as he plays with my nipples with his fingers. He growls as his pace quickens.

“Yes, baby!” I let out. He grabs my arm and makes me turn around and be on my knees. My upper body and face on the sheets. Moans and groans fill the air. His grip on my hips are hard, the type where it might leave a bruise after but it’s fine because his dick was divine. It was worth the wait.

He grabs both of my arms as he fucks me senseless. I am now kneeling but my body is against his. I hear his growls. “Fuck, Y/N.” His pace starts to get sloppy. I moan out of pure satisfaction. “I’m so close, baby.” And As i said that, i started shaking. My hand on his nape as he palms by breast. As I moan, he starts groaning and with this I felt his hot cum shoot up inside me and start to drip down my inner thighs.

I turn around, we’re both out of breath. I give him a peck on the lips. His hands on my butt.

“I still love you, Joji.” I said breathlessly.

He didn’t reply. He looked at me deeply, but sad. I figured, Maybe he really doesn’t want me the way I wanted him. Saddened, I got up and cleaned myself in the bathroom. I came out and I see him laying under the sheets and just before I grab the first item of clothing, he says,

“Come here, Y/N.”

I went to the bed and hugged him. I rested my head on his chest.

“I’m sorry I broke up with you. Its just that when you said you wanted to go back home, I didn’t want to be the reason for you to stay. I know how much it killed you being away from your family.”

So that was the reason.

“But you were my family too, Joji. Still is. And maybe, you’re right. I would’ve stayed there with you but at least I wouldn’t suffer losing you.” I look at Joji with tears in my eyes.

“I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you more, George.”

“Can we try again?

I laugh at his words. He wipes my tears away. I kiss him again.

“As long as you give me tickets to your show tomorrow.” I giggle.

“Fuck you!” He says in between his laughter as he gets up and lights a cigarette.

——————

Hope you like my first fic!

Ps. I used “Ew” for the storyline, alright?

Feel free to let me know about your thoughts.

❤️

[so-this-is-my-blog-i-guess]

I posted 1,609 times in 2022

190 posts created (12%)

1,419 posts reblogged (88%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@spinningininfinity

@archtop-lover

@alwaysdearie

@steelbeltedradio

@missmirim

I tagged 1,300 of my posts in 2022

Only 19% of my posts had no tags

#ramblings - 194 posts

#my pics - 150 posts

#cats - 133 posts

#coffee - 105 posts

#coffee! - 80 posts

#home - 70 posts

#truth - 60 posts

#former ferals - 59 posts

#favourite singers - 59 posts

#former backyard cats - 59 posts

Longest Tag: 80 characters

#don't worry about me is the debut album released by joey ramone as a solo artist

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Batcat is ridiculous.

See the full post

52 notes - Posted November 15, 2022

#4

See the full post

53 notes - Posted November 8, 2022

#3

Happy Caturday from Daddy and Mama.

If I’d had any worries about these two spending their nights out in the enclosed patio / 3-season room (this being the obvious season it doesn’t work well for), my fears have been allayed. This is what I awoke to this morning. Once they realized I was awake, they scampered away, because of course they did.

These two, well, their love for each other seriously warms my heart. 💜

Apologies for the mess at the bottom of the picture. I’d left a shopping bag full of stuff on the other side of the couch from where I am. They would’ve ran had I tried to move it then.

Side note: I love this chair. I have two (the other is on the opposite side of the table), which were in my parents’ first apartment when they got married in 1940. When I had my (first) house fire in 1977, my parents were able to salvage them by having them reupholstered. They’d been a knobby tan color before. I like them better in this blue.

64 notes - Posted February 5, 2022

#2

Happy Caturday! (Only a little bit late.)

Above: Mama, Daddy, and one of their offspring, Smarty. 💜

Below: I am very excited about this new behavior that has only been spotted today! Daddy was making biscuits!!! I’ve never seen him do it before. That’s my buddy! 💜

Batcat was totally elusive today. 🤷🏼‍♀️

68 notes - Posted February 20, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

4:31 am.

5:06 am.

This morning. It was much darker at those times, so I brightened them. 🤷🏼‍♀️

110 notes - Posted April 16, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[my-ancient-marss]

my music top 20

inspired by my own ask to @daniel-profeta​ (i did get around to listening to your list. i have a few new additions to my playlist) which got me thinking about the songs that mean the most to me. i decided to do a top 20 with 5 honorable mentions because i originally aimed for doing 10 but that was wayy too hard. warning: lengthy explanations incoming. TOP 5 1. Ancient Mars - The Zolas > this song changed my life forever in just 3 verses of the most heavenly, cosmically wonderous, comforting yet haunting instrumentals and vocals i have ever heard in my entire life. this will forever be @the-genderfluid-antichrist​ and i's stargazing song and i have the most wonderful memories attatched to it. this is peak music to me, it's a floating, out of body experience that i can't recommend enough. if you serenade me with this i will marry you on the spot. 2. Time Machine - Autoheart > that chorus makes my brain burst with the most amazing colors. just no words, amazing music. autoheart's lead singer has the most beautiful voice. i just wanna interpretive dance. 3. Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men > my earliest favorite song, i haven't heard anything else that comes close to it. if anyone wants to dance around the light of a campfire in the woods and go on daring adventures with me in a magical land to this song, hit me up. 4. Scare Me - Ludo > the most fun song in the whole world, halloween rock edition. like it's hard not to enjoy yourself while listening to this. 5. Do Me Like That - Penguin Prison > THE song of good vibes. kind of 80's vibes.

middle 15

6. I Swear To God The Devil Made Me Do It - The Front Bottoms 7. It Was A Sin - The Revivalists > oughh. oughhghh. how he slowly unravels over the course of the song into the crescendo....... .. m:) 8. Personal Space Invader - AJJ > i love love love the instrumentals and the wholesome message of the last verse telling you to be a kind human then BOOM funky trumpet bwom bwom 9. RUNAWAY - half alive > i hold my life out in front of me / dreams of who i want to be / i'm seeing every empty page / i find that everything i am is / everything i should be / i don't need to run away 10. Restless Legs - Keuning 11. Fog - The Ophelias > if people had theme songs, this would be mine 12. All the Time - The Kooks 13. L'aérotrain - Exsonvaldes 14. Thunder Clatter - Wild Cub 15. Starting Again - Day Wave 16. What Do You Say When I'm Not There - Baio 17. People and Their Bits - Shoe > i love the passionate guitar like i haven't heard anything like it 18. Tummy in the Blood - The Yellow Dress 19. Let's Stay High Forever - YOLK > fun fact about this song, it only has 1650 listens on spotify which is a literal crime. it's the coziest, most peaceful piece i have ever heard and is insanely underrated. 20. Molecules - Atlas Genius honorable mentions: 21. Constellation - Molto Bene > another 'if you serenade me with this song i marry you no questions' 22. Ophelia - The Lumineers 23. Chasing Twisters - Delta Rae 24. Goodbye - Who Is Fancy 25. Is There Somewhere - Halsey bonus: 26. Ding Dong Scrambled Eggs - Cataldo this is all very up in the air and nebulous, i bet this will change in the next few months but this is where my taste is right now :) i'm not gonna pretend to know anything about music, i just love talking about/sharing songs with people who are also passionate about music, so if you listen to my list, please tell me! and tell me which was ur fav ;)

[evermidnights]

Where is Taylor Swift heading?

I need to talk about what the hell I think is happening in Taylor Swift's head right now. Complete speculation by the way. Obviously. 

Personally, as a Taylor fan, I feel like her career leading up until and during 1989 was a solid natural progression. After she lost Album of The Year for Red, it seemed that she set her sights on making an album that was “sonically cohesive” and full of hits. She was really reaching for a grammy at this time and she did get one, so good on her. If you are a fan of Taylor then you will know that she loves an award, she lives for validation (as most celebrities do), and she likes to know that people give her music the critical acclaim that it deserves. This has served as some frustration to fans because they believe that when Swift doesn’t get any prestigious award nominations for a record, she completely disregards the album and labels it as a failure. Maybe she does focus too much on the grammys, but she is a singer at the end of the day, and they all do. 

However, after 2016 and the cancellation of Taylor Swift, or “Snakegate,” as it was called,  she seemed to veer off course. Maybe she wanted to be out of the spotlight, as she was all over the internet during the 1989 era, but it appeared she wasn’t after the same goals as she was in 2015. The album's reputation and lover, whilst being great albums, didn’t hit in the same way that 1989 did. This may be because 1989 was a cultural moment, it was her first full pop album and it completely transferred her from a country music sweetheart to a pop icon. I wasn’t sure if Taylor would ever be able to recreate 1989 because it was a huge shift in genre for her and resulted in so much more immediate fame and attention. 

After rep and lover she entered into a different style of music for two albums, folklore and evermore, winning Album of The Year for folklore. Personally, I believe that fans enjoyed this new genre of music but welcomed the return of her autobiographical writing style in Midnights. I feel like for a while she was basically floating. She didn’t have as much direction in her life, and she was pretty much writing about how much she loved her (then) boyfriend. However, when Midnights came out and Taylor started The Eras tour, I felt like we were returning to 2014/15. 

This will be the biggest tour, so far, in her career and is going to turn her a pretty hefty profit. She is selling out stadiums all over the world night after night and she is also currently putting out re-recordings of her old songs after they got sold out from under her. Taylor Swift is on a hot streak and is everywhere in the media right now. 

Hmmm, remind anyone of anything?

These developments beg the question: Is Taylor Swift on a quest for world domination? She tried it once before but unfortunately stumbled when she was so close to the top, but now I can sense that she is climbing back up that hill. I mean, she is already one of the most famous artists in the world, that’s not the problem. It just seems that Taylor wants to constantly top herself, which must be difficult to do. So this leads me to believe that the real problem is not that she isn’t as famous as she was in the 1989 era, because she is definitely more well known now than she was back then. It is instead the fact that she has been reaching for the success and timelessness of the 1989 record ever since she put it out and she hasn’t quite gotten there yet. 

However, with her recent breakup and massive tour she shows no indication of stopping for a rest on her way up the mountain. She currently has no distractions and is seeming to be very career driven, yet again another reminder of the 1989 era. 

I am excited for what Taylor is going to pull out of her bag of tricks and I fully believe that with her current mindset and where she is placed in the public eye, she can and will achieve a level of success that will stretch higher than the 1989 era, and probably higher than any other artist has ever done. 

[considerablecolors]

I posted 7,034 times in 2022

That's 5,000 more posts than 2021!

286 posts created (4%)

6,748 posts reblogged (96%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@szollibisz

@andrey-daddano

@ itsrapsodia

@an-awkward-bi

@ sabertoothwalrus

I tagged 5,965 of my posts in 2022

Only 15% of my posts had no tags

#art - 2,158 posts

#spies are forever - 941 posts

#our flag means death - 852 posts

#funny - 606 posts

#spytuals - 481 posts

#the owl house - 403 posts

#cc speaks - 333 posts

#hatchetfield universe - 330 posts

#the witcher - 291 posts

#my little pony - 258 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#i'll also warn that i'm not the strongest singer but im fairly proud of the lyrics themselves so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ i figured i'd make a post anyway

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

See the full post

266 notes - Posted July 12, 2022

#4

a single post to remind my followers i am primarily a SAF blog despite the 24 hour November 5th lockdown my blog is about to undergo

266 notes - Posted November 5, 2022

#3

If I had a nickel for everytime a character played by Curt Mega had to mourn his lover, only to find out they weren't actually dead and briefly reunite before inevitably losing them again, I'd have two nickels- which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right?

314 notes - Posted June 4, 2022

#2

never ever ever read a fic for a ship ironically. you will quickly become addicted to the ship.

326 notes - Posted June 25, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Rereading the EAH books and getting upset over the fact that the show didn't explore some of the (imo) more interesting themes of the story

(More musings below lmao)

The show had plenty of elements I adore too, and developed some characters that the book didn't so much [like Darling, Daring, and Cupid]- I just wish the show had more time to really dive in to more complex plots, rather than joking vignettes. Like you could TELL the show was starting to head in that direction with stuff like Dragon Games, and of course that's when it got cancelled :(.

And don't get me started on the HUMOR differences. The Ever After High show made me laugh for sure, but the type of comedy was very different from the book's. The show's humor tended to feel sort of "how do you do fellow kids do you like cell phones well this character also likes cell phones and they're called SPELL phones get it", whereas the books had a lot of clever, more satirical jokes.

There's just a lot of little, quick things, like Apple always feeding bird seed to birds outside her window and accidentally over-feeding them, or Briar escaping a tower by falling asleep and eavesdropping.

I think part of it boils down to the books being aimed at a slightly older audience than the show tbh, but if there's anything kids cartoons have shown it's that TV-Y can get surprisingly mature at times. Idk, I just miss this series so much. Justice for Ever After High, gone too soon. 😭

778 notes - Posted July 29, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 19/08/2023 (Olivia Rodrigo, Fred again../Obongjayar, casso/RAYE/D-Block Europe)

Content warning: In-depth discussion of mostly right-wing US politics, including references to Epstein, anti-Semitism, suicide, etc. and brief mention of prostitution

ACR hits, taking Dave and Cench off their throne as Billie grabs her first week with her second #1 on the UK Singles Chart, “What Was I Made For?” from the Barbie soundtrack. I am absolutely not complaining with this one - probably one of my favourite songs on the chart altogether, if not my absolute favourite - but regardless, welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

“Sprinter” is at #10… by the way, but what we always start off with are our notable dropouts, which are songs exiting from the UK Top 75 after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, we say farewell to yet another premature ZAYN single with “Love Like This” - I told you when it debuted that the cycle would repeat - as well as “Nothing Compares 2 U” by the late Sinéad O’Connor, “Super Shy” by NewJeans, “Toxic Trait” by Stormzy and Fredo, “Don’t Say Love” by Leigh-Anne, “Tattoo” by Loreen, “Boy’s a liar” by PinkPantheress and “Escapism.” by RAYE featuring 070 Shake.

As for our returns, I guess we see a second viral resurgence of “Dog Days are Over” by Florence + the Machine at #67, but what are infinitely more interesting are our few gains, those being “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac at #65, Luke Combs’ cover of “Fast Car” at #39, “Bittersweet Goodbye” by Issey Cross at #38, “Asking” by Sonny Fodera and MK featuring Clementine Douglas at #31 and off of the debut, “Paint the Town Red” by Doja Cat at #15. Yeah, I’m glad this seems like it’s going to stick around.

Our top five on the UK Singles Chart this week consists of “(It Goes Like) Nanana” by Peggy Gou at #5, “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift at #4, “vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo at #3, “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa at #2 and finally, of course, “What Was I Made For?” at the very top. Now for our assorted range of new songs, and they, uh, sure are something.

NEW ARRIVALS

#66 - “Feel It” - Jazzy

Produced by D.O.D and Hannah Laing

You could not possibly comprehend how excited I was to see that Irish singer Jazzy had finally ditched Belters Only. “Giving Me” had grown on me in a hypnosis kind of way, but mostly because of Jazzy’s vocals, so I was very glad to see her team up with D.O.D and Hannah Laing, two much more talented and interesting producers. I’m assuming there’s an extended version of this song that the general public does not yet have access to, because on Spotify, the only version available is a “club edit”, and on Genius, the lyrics are described as snippets. Regardless, this is obviously a marked improvement. Jazzy actually has some room to get expressive - well, she had the room but never the reason to - whilst the hardcore kicks and punchier, almost factory-esque percussion from our much-preferred production duo lead to a very busy two minutes. It almost doesn’t function that well as a club track honestly as a result, instead just feeling like a complete mantra, but not at all a mindless one, and the final drop absolutely would go hard at a party with that infectious cheap, bouncy lead synth. This is not exactly all that innovative, and lyrically, there’s almost literally nothing to it, but with those two on production, it’s at least guaranteed to be a greatly-composed tune and for the two minutes it has to impress me, it sounds good. Call me a fan of this one, I’m interested to see where Jazzy goes next.

#64 - “Rich Men North of Richmond” - Oliver Anthony Music

Produced by Oliver Anthony

It’s not too hard to understand how we got here. Firstly, it was viral marketing - YouTube, for the most part, isn’t region-locked. If we can understand the language, chances are we’ll check it out. Secondly, the stars align trend-wise. We’re in a cost-of-living crisis under a government full of scandalised MPs, the level of political polarisation as well as general “I’m fed up with this crap” sentiment is on a similar level here as in the US, and hey, country’s on the rise, Combs is in the top 40. This entering our charts, and presumably not for long, makes sense. For a moment, let’s ignore just about everything else we know about this song apart from the song itself. Let’s ignore that it’s been propped up if not directly funded by alt- and far-right figures in America, let’s ignore that John Rich has latched onto this grift, let’s presume Anthony’s entire persona and backstory is true, and we can even dismiss that he’s a fan of videos claiming Israelis did 9/11. Let’s just listen to the song, and honestly, it’s pretty good. Now I don’t agree with everything in the song, and to be completely honest, the professional vocal recording and repetitive writing does not make this seem authentic. Let’s start with the positives though - the performance is fantastic, as Anthony still has that youthful crack to him, leading to some really frustrated and powerful vocal takes, whilst also taking some smokier, wiser inflections that really accentuate the idea of “living in the New World with an old soul”. The guitar work is fantastic in terms of its jumbled twang, and the stripped-back format makes Anthony’s paranoia regarding government elites seem very palpable as honestly, it is, because a good-faith interpretation of this could very much see this as a more centrist commentary, wherein Anthony shares opinions that a lot of rural American men have currently, as they reasonably feel left in the dust by the political system as it currently functions. It can leave you thinking that you don’t have many individual freedoms, and I’d very much argue he’s right about that. There are some “dogwhistle”-esque lyrics, sure, that imply a right-wing perspective, but unlike Jason Aldean, wherein due to the incredibly inauthentic presentation, it isn’t difficult to stamp those as such, I would argue that Anthony could very well be much more genuine than a lot of people are willing to believe. He’s anti-taxation, he mocks the welfare queen stereotype, although not in a way that I think is outright aggressive towards that type of person instead of the type of government that produces it, and “north of Richmond” has its... connotations. Sure, but I’m pretty sure we can agree that elite politicians, including those who love this song, are out-of-touch, right? People work too much for low pay, the average man is taxed unfairly when you consider how much large corporations are taxed, there is increased surveillance of individual freedoms that can make people feel unsafe, politicians should be looking out for low-income and hazardous jobs including mining, it’s sad that young men are killing themselves because they can’t find work or good self-esteem, and I’m pretty sure we can all agree that our public figures, regardless of party or country, should not be cozying up with Epstein, oh, and you know, homelessness is bad! These are pretty non-partisan, general ideas that aren’t exactly signs of a plant propped up by the alt-right, even if it were song long-time 4D-chess-game grifter. Hey, maybe I’ll be proved wrong eventually, but for once, put away your bad-faith interpretations. See what you can agree with on “the other side” when it comes to average people expressing their frustrations, and I’m still holding out for hope that this is what that is, and maybe you’ll realise we’re all on the same side in the first place.

#61 - “Quarter Past 3” - Fredo featuring Eric IV

Produced by Show n Prove

Well, we have two UK rap songs in a row here, starting with a track from Fredo’s newest album, Unfinished Business, which debuted at #9 on this week’s albums chart. I haven’t really been all that impressed by Fredo in a while, and it’s unlikely a guitar-led lovey-dovey track, wherein the guitar sounds more meancing than romantic, is likely to improve that. Rappers can obviously write love songs, but Fredo’s airy, sometimes on-the-nose delivery sounds really jammed-in when placed against content about girls, especially given the nasal, low-effort hook from Eric IV and a beat that doesn’t sound romantic at all. Maybe that’s the point, I mean, he says in the second verse possibly the saddest line I’ve heard him deliver: “I don’t even think I know what love involves.” Jesus, man. Otherwise, there really isn’t much to this.

#55 - “Facade” - Digga D and Potter Payper

Produced by ???

Digga D, come on, man. It takes five seconds to say who produced your beat. Oh, and also, don’t stab prostitutes, but that’s a tad late for that advice now it’s already in the first verse. This beat is even less remarkable than Fredo’s, with a choppy sample that plays for way too long uninterrupted in the intro, even if it’s at least a bit worth it for the intensity of the scurrying drums that eventually drop onto it and a pretty good verse from Digga D finally, even if his content is rote and his delivery is obnoxious as always, nothing against the guy but I can’t really find much enjoyment in his on-the-nose toxicity, it doesn’t feel all that transgressive when he’s just rapping like any British rapper. Potter Payper was only recently freed from detainment, which may explain in part the mixing on his vocals, but as expected, he’s much more unhinged flow-wise, whilst giving more detail in his content and sounding… genuinely menacing. I think I actually like this guy nowadays, just because he goes so relentlessly hard regardless of anything around him or what lyrics he’s delivering. A third verse from Digga wasn’t really necessary though, it just elongates what is otherwise a pretty okay track. At least there’s more energy to it.

#32 - “Prada” - casso, RAYE and D-Block Europe

Produced by casso

No umlauts allowed. Alright, so you remember “Ferrari Horses”? I’m not sure if I maintain that it’s DBE’s best song, but it definitely was my favourite at the point of its release, and a lot of that is due to RAYE’s involvement, with her ghostly riffing and backing harmonies that would turn your average DBE song into a pretty spooky affair, but given the hypnotising, transforming beat accentuated with a gloomy strings section and reverb-drenched vocals from Adz, as well as Dirtbike Lb delivering his signature despair as always, in a way that actually plays off RAYE a lot better than you’d expect. My favourite moment is still Adz’s falsetto branching into RAYE’s silky pre-chorus. Now who would hear that and think they should make a trance remix? Genuinely, why would that ever occur to you? You have to speed up the song, so you rid it of its atmosphere, and then casso just places it against an otherwise perfectly serviceable jerky and fun trance beat, that I probably would like in any other situation, but it’s way too bubbly for anything about this song. Just… why would you ruin a perfectly good trance beat and a perfectly good trap song? It makes hypothetical sense as a mashup, like I could see this uploaded by a 50-subscriber YouTube account, but a streaming release? Why? Just baffling.

#12 - “adore u” - Fred again.. and Obongjayar

Produced by Fred again.., Four Tet, PARISI and Tobias Wincorn

This is a pretty high debut for Fred again.. as he links up with his typical co-producers, including Four Tet who I feel adds a lot to their recent collaborative material, as well as Obongjayar, a Nigerian musician I know mostly from their work with Danny Brown and Little Simz. Of course, like many of Fred’s tracks, this is actually a rework of an existing song by his guest star, this case being Obongjayar’s 2022 song “I Wish it Was Me”, which is a genuinely adorable song that explores how proud he is of his brother’s success on stage, whilst also acknowledging the negative thoughts of low self-esteem and envy that come with having someone so talented in your family. Its minimal, wonky synth composition and the intimate vocals really help sell it so once again, I have a lot of questions about how this will end up in an EDM context, alongside a sample of 80s comedy rap trio the Fat Boys. No, really. The answer is… pretty awkwardly as once again, we have these atmospheric vocals being isolated and sped up onto a goofy house beat with bubbly synths. Why is that something that happened consecutively? Why would you speed his vocals up like that? The lyrics don’t really get any changed context with this extra backing, and the 90s house pianos sound less stock than usual, but still don’t justify their existence. And why are the Fat Boys here, in a muffled refrain - or bridge? What’s going on? Freddo Frog here ends up placing the Fat Boys sample in the front of the mix against some synthwave bass before strings and a stray vocal sample come in for no reasonable reason, just kind of throwing stuff at the mix with little atmospheric justification. This is bizarre… and it doesn’t even go off! I do think that the “I adore you” refrain and even the Fat Boys sample have a lot of potential, and I’d actually oddly like to say that I’d love to see what the Chainsmokers could do with this material, but I think I’ll stick to the original, once again..

#6 - “bad idea right?” - Olivia Rodrigo

Produced by Dan Nigro

Sigh… you have the door opening sound effect, the whispered hey that finds itself into the composition, the very typical post-punk revival riff, the faux-rapping, the teen-pop harmonies in the refrain placed over an instrumental that wants nothing to do with them, the predictable development of the intensity in the pre-chorus… it’s all just, expected, isn’t it? Even when we get to the “blast” in the chorus, the cathartic release, it’s just a bratty staccato refrain. To be completely fair, I like elements of this song - the writing is much more interesting than “vampire” and she’s developed a great narrative voice, and the chopping of the “ah” vocal in the second refrain is pretty genius, actually, and I’m not going to complain about a solo or this level of feedback being in the top 10. Yet for a song that should be this full-of-regret mosh, everything just falls too cleanly into place, to the point that the song even fades out instead of bothering to formulate an emotionally effective outro. It hits all the right chords, for the most part, but so neatly that it fails to serve the purpose of its sound or its messy post-breakup content. Also, it cannot be a coincidence that Paramore released a post-punk revival just a few months before this. It’s not a direct interpolation like “good 4 u” and it’s a different approach but, come on - the connection’s already inherently there, it doesn’t need emphasising.

Conclusion

Well, that was, uh… a week, though not one I feel is actually worth much analysis in the short-term - some of this I do think will stick around for longer, and some of these - for better or for worse - will be indicative of trends to come, at least I’d predict so. As for the Best of the Week… alright, call me far-right, whatever, but ultimately I do this because I’m a fan of music, and I mean, the man has music in his stagename. Oliver Anthony Music grabs the Best of the Week for “Rich Men North of Richmond”, with Jazzy of all people snabbing the Honourable Mention with “Feel It”. That is a bizarre choice considering what my taste typically is in this series, but I mean, the rest of our songs aren’t exactly a lovely little basket of apples to pick from. Olivia Rodrigo just gets Worst of the Week for “bad idea right?” - I really hope there’s more to like on GUTS than what the singles are indicating - and the Dishonourable Mention could really go to anyone, but Fredo and Eric IV are the most boring so it goes to “Quarter Past 3”. That “Ferrari Horses” remix still perplexes me though. As for what’s on the horizon, who cares? Thanks for reading, rest in peace to DJ Casper and Magoo, and I’ll see you next week.

[celtfather]

Fire In The Glen #611

Piper and singer with Fire In The Glen, Rod Nevin takes over this episode of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #611

Fire in the Glen, Corey Purcell, Arise & Go, Sean Heely & Colin McGlynn, Hamish and Fin Moore, Chris Gray, Kalos, Old Blind Dogs, Brass Lassie, Sylvia Platypus, Tim Cummings, Iain MacHarg, and Elias Alexander

GET CELTIC MUSIC NEWS IN YOUR INBOX

The Celtic Music Magazine is a quick and easy way to plug yourself into more great Celtic culture. Subscribe and get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free.

VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 FOR 2023

This is our way of finding the best songs and artists each year. You can vote for as many songs and tunes that inspire you in each episode. Your vote helps me create next year's Best Celtic music of 2023 episode.  Vote Now!

Two weeks after the episode is launched, I compile your votes to update a playlist on Spotify and YouTube. These are the results of your voting. You can help these artists out by following the playlists and adding tracks you love to your playlists. Follow us on Facebook to find out who is added each week.

Listen on Spotify and YouTube.

THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC

0:06 - Fire In The Glen "Whup Jamboree" from Cutting Bracken

3:42 - WELCOME

6:00 - Corey Purcell "Jock Stuart” from Undaunted

10:43 - Arise and Go “The Sound of Sleat: Wee Michael’s March / Lord MacDonald’s / The Sound of Sleat” from Meeting Place

16:37 - Sean Heely & Colin McGlynn "Shetland: Christmas Day I'da Mornin' / Sleep soond I'da mornin' / Da New Rigged Ship / Donald Blue" from Homeport ~ Port na Dachaigh

20:47 - Hamish and Fin "Fin Moore & Sarah Hoy  -  Jimmy 'n' Jigs" from The Piper and the Maker II ~ Celebrating C

25:52 - FEEDBACK

30:32 - Chris Gray "She's Sweetest / Castle Kelly / Back to Belfast" from Fuist!

34:27 - Kalos “The Brakeman’s Daughter” from Headland

38:15 - Tim Cummings “MacAulay’s” from The Bird’s Flight

41:42 - Old Blind Dogs “Highland Lassie Part 2” from Knucklehead Circus

44:56 - THANKS

49:12 - Fire In The Glen “From Amish to Irish“ from Cutting Bracken

52:39 - Iain MacHarg “Chi Mi Na M​ò​rbheanna” from Ce​ò​l Na Beinne ~ Music of the Mountain

56:35 - Brass Lassie "Grianach" from Brass Lassie

1:03:03 - Sylvia Platypus "Last Hurrah" from Last Hurrah

1:05:14 - CLOSING

1:09:48 - Elias Alexander “Filleted Fxsh (feat. Anna Colliton)” from single

1:13:07 - CREDITS

This episode of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Rod Nevin,  Marc Gunn, The Celtfather and our Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to subscribe to the show. You’ll find links to all of the artists played in this episode.

Todd Wiley is the editor of the Celtic Music Magazine. Subscribe to get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. Plus, you’ll get 7 weekly news items about what’s happening with Celtic music and culture online. Best of all, you will connect with your Celtic heritage.

Finally, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor.

Promote Celtic culture through music at http://celticmusicpodcast.com/.

WELCOME CELTOPHILE TO CELTIC MUSIC

* Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. I am  - not -  Marc Gunn! Marc is a musician and podcaster out of Atlanta, Georgia.  I’m Rod Nevin and I’m a bagpiper and singer in Reading, Pennsylvania.  Marc asked me if I’d like to host an episode while he’s having his wonderful excursion to the emerald isle, and of course I said Yes!  I’ve handpicked today’s lineup of wonderful musicians  -  all of my favorites, and I hope they’ll be your favorites too.

This Podcast is here to build our diverse Celtic community and help the incredible artists who so generously share their music with you. If you hear music you love, please email artists to let them know you heard them on the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast.

You can find a link to all of the artists in the shownotes, along with show times, when you visit our website at celticmusicpodcast.com.

Hey Celtic Bands, I’m looking for new music and stories in 2023. To submit your band, just complete the permission form at 4celts.com. You’ll also find information on how to submit a story behind one of your songs or tunes.

Get a free Celtic Musicians Guide to Digital Music eBook. email gift@bestcelticmusic.net

THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST!

Because of Your kind and generous support, this show comes out at least four times a month. Your generosity funds the creation, promotion and production of the show. It allows us to attract new listeners and to help our community grow.

As a patron, you get music - only episodes before regular listeners, vote in the Celtic Top 20, and you get a private feed to listen to the show.  All that for as little as $1 per episode.

HERE IS YOUR THREE STEP PLAN TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Go to our Patreon page.

Decide how much you want to pledge every week, $1, $5, $10. Make sure to cap how much you want to spend per month.

Keep listening to the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast to celebrate Celtic culture through music.

You can become a generous Patron of the Podcast on Patreon at SongHenge.com.

TRAVEL WITH CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS

Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We don't see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos.

In 2023, we’re going on a Celtic Invasion of County Mayo in Ireland. We’re gonna explore the area and get to know Grace O’Malley, the Pirate Queen. Learn more about the invasion at http://celticinvasion.com/

#celticmusic #irishmusic #celticmusicpodcast

I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? You can send a written comment along with a picture of what you're doing while listening. Or how about a picture you took of a band that you saw.

Email me at celticpodcast@gmail, message me on Facebook, or contact me through Mastodon @celtfather@c.im.

SHARE ANY PICTURES FROM YOUR BAND

​​Luke Miller said: "Hi Marc, For St. Patrick's day Kathleen and I are both taking the day off work. We are going to spend most of the day at a local Irish Pub that is having live music all day including the band Beltaine which has been on the podcast. That night we are seeing The Gothard Sisters in concert."

Bart Creedon emailed: "Hello Marc  -  1. Living the life of Reilly, since I was fortunate enough to be able to retire last July. 2. I'll sport a little green, consume a little Guinness and look to stay out of too much trouble.  3. I've been listening to Delia Murphy's recordings.  My curiosity was piqued having encountered a fictionalized version of her in Joseph O'Connor's "My Father's House", a novel primarily about Hugh O'Flaherty's exploits during WWII in Nazi - occupied Rome.  I also discovered that Joseph O'Connor is brother to Sinead O'Connor, one of my favorite Irish singers. Thanks for asking."

DawnMarie Sharit replied: "I listen while I am doing tedious work, because it gets done so much faster, and I typically have a huge smile on my face, if not a wistful tear in my eye!"

Kelly Frenette replied to my email: "Let's see.... Of course I'd love a bonus episode! What are you doing while listening? Wood turning, resin casting or driving. I'm keeping my ancestry alive and remembering the celtic history. I always have it playing in the background while I work."

  Check out this episode!

[nar-nia]

You already know I'm gonna ask you too answer them all

Hehe <3

~M 🐝

and now i have time to do so 🤩 let's go! (I don't know how long ago that was and i'm so sorry, i just found that at the bottom of the editor list)

1. What are your top 2 favourite types of weather? Why?

summer rain and a light spring wind 🤩 both are just comfortable and peaceful

2. What are some youtube video you have watched multiple times and would go back and watch again?

i've already answered that but mostly music mvs!

3. Who have you see live at a concert?

most importantly of course enhypen 🤩 everyone who was at kpop flex (enhypen, ive, g-idle, mamamoo, ab6ix, nct dream and kai) and tiziano ferro, an italian singer

4. Who is ur go to Mario character?

either toad or yoshi!

5. Who is ur comfort streamer(s)?

gronkh! he's a german youtuber and from time to time i come back to watch his old let's plays.

6. How many ppl/gcs have you currently got left unread

4... i'll answer them now.

7. What languages do you listen to music in?

mostly english, german and korean, but occasionally italian, swedish /norwegian, dutch and french too

8. What is one music performance you always go back and watch?

puh... i'd say the mama performances from itzy and enhypen!

9. Whats one WIP (any kind: song, story, art, ect.) you dont know if you will ever finish? Give us a sneak peak or tell us the concept/idea?

i had an idea for a mamma mia retelling with enhypen characters, but i'm not sure if i can pull it off. and yesterday i found the beginning of a story involving jake and a reader who works in a cafe, that i might continue if i get new ideas.

10. Whats ur MBTI?

ISFJ

11. Big spoon? Little spoon? Both?

both, depending on the day and the circumstances 😊

12. Go onto Pinterest (or google or picsart or smth) rn! and put together some sort of outfit you would wear and show us

13. Have you made anything by hand recently? Show it off!

does this count?

14. What is the 107th most recent photo in your gallery?

15. What is your toxic trait? (Non-serious answers only)

gatekeeping heeseung and failing 😔

16. What are you procrastinating rn?

... my bachelors thesis 🤐 (rn it's writing applications for internships)

17. Do you have any plants? What are their names and do they have a personality/any notable traits?

i do! but i also have a history of them dying, so i don't really give them names. i had one called bob but he sadly died at the beginning of this year. i do have two plants on discord which have names! one i can't say because i'd probably have to censor it, but the other one is called wonie 💀

18. Show me another picrew (or 2) you really like!

i don't have any on my phone rn 🥲

19. Whats the most recent reaction meme/image in your camera roll?

.. yeah

20. Have you got any random concepts/plans/ideas sketched or scribbled out on paper somewhere that you want to share?

just some story ideas but those are kept secret 🤫

21. What are 3 songs that are definitely on your road trip playlist. Why them?

Ooh.. good question. I think i'm too indecisive for that

22. Can you drive?

i can but i won't ever do it again

23. Who's the most famous person you have met? How, why, when, where?

i have a picture with three very famous voice actors from germany! and my boss is a famous singer for kids songs.

24. Is there a famous someone you are only a few people away from?

does my boss count?

25. Do you have good time management or are you failing as badly as I am? 💀 Credits to the love @nar-nia for q.25

i am clearly failing

26. Have you got anything (other than this blog) that you want to plug?

not really

27. Do you enjoy giving or receiving things more?

giving!!

28. Show me something you've drawn.

see above 🤭

29. What app/website/game is underrated and you think more people should use/play? Why?

idk but please drop some game recommendations!

30. What is the next social event you have planned? Are you looking forward to it?

a holiday with my parents, and yes!! also an ice skating show.

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

OTEP Covers SLIPKNOT, EMINEM, LIL PEEP And OLIVIA RODRIGO On New Album 'The God Slayer'

OTEP, the band led by singer, poet, illustrator, author and activist Otep Shamaya, will release a new studio album, "The God Slayer", on September 15 via Cleopatra. The follow-up to 2018's "Kult 45" offers up a mix of inspired original tracks as well as covers of Eminem, Billie Eilish, SLIPKNOT, Lil Peep, Olivia Rodrigo and more.

The LP's first single, the cover of Eilish's "You Should See Me In A Crown", was release during OTEP's U.S. tour earlier this year and has been generating massive buzz as well as landing in top 10 most popular tracks on Spotify.

"The God Slayer" track listing:

01. My Violent Appetites 02. Ostracized 03. Good 4 U 04. Exit Wounds 05. You Should See Me In A Crown 06. The Way I Am 07. California Girls 08. Pet 09. Territorial Pissings 10. Star Shopping 11. Purity 12. God Slayer

Not only is Shamaya a revered musical figure, known for her intrepid blending of metal genres and hip-hop, as exemplified on her notorious 2002 debut album "Sevas Tra", but she's also amassed an enormous following based on her fearless performances and confrontational, spiritually tinged lyrics. It's that combination of radical artistry and galvanizing message that the world desperately needs now more than ever, and OTEP is ready to answer the call.

"You Should See Me In A Crown" was the lead single from the 2018 debut album of another controversial female figure who cut across musical and social norms to carve out an identity all her own. That artist is, of course, Billie Eilish, and OTEP's cover version is no mere homage to a young acolyte but rather a radical reimagining of the song that mines all of its dark sonic complexity as well as its bold lyrical message, transforming it into the kind of modern metal epic that nobody does better than OTEP.

As Shamaya herself puts it: "To me the song is a warning against cultural reduction, biased underestimation and the volatile anti-Newtonian reaction of judging someone before you know their true power."

[words-4u]

little rockstar (pt. 2) - d.r

➩ read part 1: here

pairing: daniel ricciardo x reader

wc: 2.8k

formula 1 masterlist

it was 7 months in the making but your first full-length album was finally out. after the reception your EP received when you went on tour, you felt more inspired than ever and had so many melodies just waiting to be turned into proper songs.

when your manager told you that jimmy fallon wanted to book you as a guest to promote your new album and the musical performance for the day, you let out the most high-pitched squeal of your life.

everyone dreams of going on talk shows like that and here you were about to do one and the best part was that you were doing it with the love of your life. not jimmy fallon (although he is one of your fav people) but your elite racing driver boyfriend, daniel ricciardo. he was the first person you told the news to and you were so happy when he told you that jimmy also booked him on the same day for a joint interview.

your relationship has been public for several months and you've gotten so much support from all his f1 friends and your artist friends, of course, there were a few trolls but the two of you never pay them no mind.

it was finally the day of your interview on jimmy and since you and daniel haven't seen each other in 3 weeks due to his race schedules, he wanted to get ready in the same hotel suite. he even flew out your glam team from los angeles to help with your big day.

you chose two outfits from the stylist, one of them daniel had a say in because you loved his opinion when it came to fashion. for the interview portion on jimmy fallon, you decided to go with a navy blue strapless pinstripe dress that had a white band around the top.

daniel stuck with the blue and white theme as well going for a blue jacket, and a white t-shirt pairing it with some black slacks. he donned a silver chain because he knew the effect it has on you.

the two of you shared a very long embrace and a few short kisses before you were both rushed to go tape the show.

when you arrived, you and daniel were sent to different green rooms for the show. yours had all the snacks that you requested, some chocolate bars and popcorn. just as you opened a bag there were knock on your door. you were pleased to fin that it was jimmy coming to introduce himself before the show.

"y/n freaking y/l/n!!"

"jimmy fucking fallon!" you matched his enthusiasm.

he laughed and you both leaned in for a hug.

"thank you for coming. i am a big fan of your music and i can't wait to hear you live and just talk you and daniel, the new it couple."

"please i can speak for nth of us when i say that we are more than happy to be here,"

"she's right," an aussie voice rang.

daniel was making his way down the hall to your green room.

"the man himself, daniel ricciardo."

"jimmy man it's so good to meet you."

they did a little bro hug which was cute and then pulled away from each other.

"i was making my way down the hall introducing myself to everyone like i normally but you just saved me a trip, thanks," he joked.

"it's cause i couldn't keep away from this one," he leaned an arm against your door and kissed the top of your head.

"you guys are so cute it's disgusting," jimmy said which made the two to you laugh.

"well i have to go but i can't wait to talk to you guys more out there!'

you and daniel waved him goodbye before he lead you back into your room and on the couch where you cuddled while watching jimmy fallon do the opening monologue. after 15 minutes, there were knocks from the PA's telling you that you guys were on right after a commercial break.

"let's do this," daniel said as he quickly kissed your lips not wanting to ruin any of your makeup too much.

"we got this," you held on to his hand as he led the way outside and behind the big blue curtains where you could hear jimmy queuing you guys up.

"first up, we have the incredibly talented singer/songwriter whose newest single is currently number 1 on the billboard hot 100 chart and with her we have one of the hottest on and off track racing driver in formula 1 and my new favourite it couple, give it up for y/n y/l/n and daniel ricciardo!"

the curtain lifted and the roots began to play a jazzy melody welcoming the two of you to the stage. jimmy stood u clapping and went over to daniel to give him a hug and helped you up the stairs giving you a hug as well before he returned to his desk and you took the seat closest to him.

"wow, wow, wow, i am so happy that you two are here!"

"some are more excited than others," daniel grinned eluding to the fact that you had a harmless crush on jimmy because of his movie 'taxi'.

"what?" jimmy laughed.

"oh, i told you not to bring that up," you hid your face behind your hand.

"what do you mean? now is the prime time to bring up the fact that you have a crush on our dear friend jimmy."

"wait what? you have a crush on me? when you have that greek god as a boyfriend?"

"to be fair, you have been a long-standing crush because i love your movie taxi so much," jimmy threw his head back with laughter once he heard that. "i am being so serious like it's one of my comfort movies!"

"it's true! she mentioned it on our first date and we were on my couch watching by the fourth," daniel added.

"oh wow, it's such an honour to be your longest-running crush. that's amazing but i wanna talk about you really quickly. your new single, angel baby, is absolutely beautiful. people are loving it. i am loving it please tell us what it's all about."

"aw thank you. well, angel baby is actually a song that i wrote in about 3 hours while i was deep in my feelings. i showed it to my music engineer and kinda told him the melody i was going for and we worked around it pretty quickly. within two days i wrote and recorded the song and i'm very happy with how it's being received because it's my favourite thing i've ever written."

"and do you usually record songs that fast?" jimmy asked.

"if i'm really inspired and know exactly the direction i want to take it but most of the time i follow a process and just give myself more time to figure out what i want to do. daniel usually tags along with me to the studio when he's around so that's also fun."

"aww that's cute... is he useful or does he distract you?"

"i will always be a distraction to her, i mean c'mon look at me."

that response earned him a whoo from the women in the audience and you laughed shrugging your shoulders in agreeance.

"daniel ricciardo, humble as ever," you joked. "no, but really he's always so excited to be there like if anyone knows him knows how much he loves music so taking him to my studio for the first time was like taking a kid to the candy shop. it was-it was very cute."

"well, angel baby is so touching and very lovey so i'm gonna ask the obvious question: is the song about daniel?"

you blushed as the audience cheered for you to answer. daniel grinned as he stroked your knee lovingly.

"is my new song about being in love about the person i am in love with? yes." you laughed as daniel pumped his fist to the crowd. "i mean looking to real life is the easiest way to find inspiration so yeah it's definitely about him."

"and how does he feel about it?"

you turned to your boyfriend who looked so good under the stage light. "i don't know. danny, how do you feel about my new song?"

"eh, i have heard better." he joked which earned him a whack on the chest. "i'm kidding, no i actually really love it. it's was kind of emotional the first time i heard it cause at that point the only person to have listened to it was y/n/n and her producer. when she played it for me, i was stunned. the lyrics are just so touching and personal to her and the 90s vibe that it has like it's incredible."

"one of your pre-race rituals as a formula one driver is listening to music. do y/n's songs make the playlist?"

"maybe like one or two songs cause i love her voice but before a race, i actually get into rap or heavy metal or edm, something with a strong bass that really gets me pumped."

"drive to survive. it's huge. it's the reason i got into the sport and made me such a fun of yours. what were the reactions like and when did you go 'yeah this is big'?"

daniel slightly readjusted himself in the seat and casually draped a hand on your knee. you learned quickly that his love language is touch and he's very touchy-feely with you and you love it.

"i mean in europe it's obviously a well-known sport but it's lost on the majority of north america so i think drive to survive was the wake-up call that some people needed and also i think it's a great way to get young fans into it. it breaks down the sport and has the good ole netflix drama that everyone loves."

"i saw something from the miami grand prix that i just need to comment on," jimmy pulled out a picture posted on a small blackboard. it was a picture of daniel in the mclaren glittery crop top with his abs on full display. "this picture is... wow. i'm even turned on by it."

the audience whistles and the women scream while you watch daniel soak it all in. your boyfriend was hot, he knows it, you know it and anyone who has eyes knows it too.

"that top has actually become my pyjama," he jokes.

"i can't stop looking," jimmy says.

you took the picture out of jimmy's hands. "yeah me either..."

after gaining laughter from the audience and daniel, you gave the picture back and the host put it under his desk.

"y/n, have you ever been to a grand prix?"

"i have! it was the season opener in bahrain and i'm never gonna forget the feeling of my first time stepping into the paddock, i fangirled so hard."

"no! you're dating an f1 driver, what else could you be fangirling over?"

"absolutely everything," you giggled. "it was my first time! i was geeked."

"and how was meeting other drivers?"

"oh, it was amazing. there was a party that someone threw on the thursday before the weekend and it was so much fun. i got to meet all the drivers and some of their girlfriends/wives who are all stunning. but my favourite part of the night was finding out that some of the drivers were actually fans of my music," you beamed.

"wait who are the drivers? can you tell us?" the in-studio audience cheered and you laughed into daniel's chest.

"yeah! why not? the drivers that actually approached me first were lando norris, esteban ocon and pierre gasly,"

"wow! and what did you say back?"

"i mean i was shocked they even knew who i was and funny enough i was watching previous races from the last season the night before so i was like 'what? no! i am a huge fan of you guys' it was just a fangirl moment all around," you told the story for the audience.

"now, daniel, these grand prix weekends must be filled with so much pressure. from performing well, to making points and podiums. how do you turn it all off? do you balance it well?"

"oh mate it's all about balance. i'd go crazy if i didn't balance the training and intense schedule of formula one with downtime and time for myself, you know? on my days off, i love spending it with y/n like she recently moved to london and because she's in europe it's so much easier to see her and vice versa. we've been doing loads of cooking. she likes to say that she's the better chef but she's a naughty little liar cause i take that title."

you leaned forward from laughter along with jimmy and the audience of studio 6b.

"that's not true, i am the better chef," you protested.

"see?" daniel pointed at you. "liar!"

jimmy chuckled. "okay, i have to let you guys go soon but before i do that i have to ask: y/n, has daniel ever made you try a shoey?"

"i can happily say that i've never had a shoey and there's no part of me that ever wants to try it."

"but we do have a bet that the next time i place a podium, she's gotta chuck one back."

"well, daniel knowing you that will definitely happen and you have to bring back that video of y/n drinking champagne out of your sweaty race shoe," jimmy stood up. "daniel ricciardo and y/n y/l/n, everyone. we will be right back with y/n's first ever tv performance!"

the feed goes to commercial and as soon as you got up daniel had his arm on your shoulders. jimmy approached you guys and said his thank yous for being on the show before you were dragged away by the PA because you had to change for your performance.

during the commercial break, you changed into an outfit that suited the song you were about to perform, a white long sleeve crop top with a matching skirt that had rouched at the top. it was daniel's idea to wear the all-white fit after he found out which song you were going to perform and seeing yourself in it, you realized your man had taste.

you were ushered to the stage and the countdown started from 3 as jimmy introduced you.

"making her tv debut performing angel baby from her first-ever full-length album LUVR, give it up for y/n y/l/n!"

the crowd cheered as the cameras panned to you and right before you started the first verse you glanced at daniel who was sporting the biggest smile on his face.

as the bright white lights come up, you start to sing:

I need a lover to keep me sane

Pull me from hell, bring me back again

Play me the classics, something romantic

Give him my all when I don't even have it

I always dreamed of a solemn face

Someone who feels like a holiday

But now I'm in pieces, barely believing

Starting to think that I've lost all feeling

you started to move towards the camera wanting to connect with your fans who would be watching at home.

You came out the blue on a rainy night, no lie

I'll tell you how I almost died

While you're bringing me back to life

I just wanna live in this moment forever

'Cause I'm afraid that living couldn't get any better

Started giving up on the word "forever"

Until you gave up heaven so we could be together

You're my angel

Angel baby, angel

You're my angel, baby

Baby, you're my angel

Angel baby

I fall in love with the little things

Counting the tattoos on your skin

as you sang that line you drew the number 3 into the air picturing the little number tattooed on daniel's pinkie.

Tell me a secret, and baby, I'll keep it

And maybe we could play house for the weekend...

you finished the song and amongst the cheers from the crowd, you were able to make out daniel's voice whooping the loudest.

"yeah," he yelled. "that's my girl!"

you smiled and put your two hands together bowing in gratitude for the studio's reaction.

jimmy appeared next to you to do to the show's outro. "that's all we have today, folks. that was the talented, y/n y/l/n with angel baby from her album LUVR dropping next week. thank you to our guests y/n and f1 driver daniel ricciardo, goodnight!"

daniel immediately ran up to you and twirled you in a hug. the cameras were still on you with credits rolling and the crowd was very much paying attention but at that moment no one existed to him but you.

"you killed that," he whispered in your ear. "god, i'm so proud."

holding his face in your hands while his were wrapped around your torso, you leaned in. "i love you,"

"love you too my little rockstar," daniel swiftly caught your lips with his making his mark on you in front of studio 6b and the world.