#The guitar is in fact an ornament

[adventuresofsnake]

Here's a little song I wrote, it's called

"I blinked and lost six weeks to seasonal depression"

[notsowrites]

where every wish comes true

Summary: Alex wants everything to be perfect for his first Christmas with Michael.

A/N: my humble contribution to this year's @rnm-secret-santa for @dr-lemurr

[read it on AO3]

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Because the holidays have never been a big deal to Alex, he has a basic amount of Christmas decorations - a wreath for the front door, a fake tree that he usually puts up in front of the window in the study, and enough ornaments and decorations to make the tree look festive. It's basically the extent to which he feels is enough “holiday cheer.” He and Maria exchange gifts - a tradition between the two of them since they were kids. Even when he was overseas during the holidays, he'd always make sure she got sent something he knew she wanted but couldn't justify the expense for herself. Since he understood that money was difficult for her, particularly given Mimi’s medical bills. 

But in all their years together, their on and off again relationship with no discernible beginning or end points, Alex realizes that he and Michael have never shared the holiday together in any way.

And of course, everything is different now. Never before have they been in a committed relationship like this, one that others around them know about, and one where Alex feels like he can be public about his feelings for Michael. The pendant of alien glass around his neck, laying against his chest, feels like a promise that Alex intends to make good on one day.

The first problem he encounters this year, however, is where to put the tree. Typically he just rearranges the study, moving the couch from under the windows to against the wall, and putting the tree there instead. It's only temporary, and it makes the house feel a tiny bit more festive.

But when he drags the box out of the storage, and stands in the open doorway to the study, Alex realizes he doesn't want to keep the tree out of the way this year.

Wanting is something he's teaching himself is okay - he's allowed to be selfish. He's allowed to do things and desire things simply because they make him happy. And right now, he wants to put the Christmas tree in the living room, because he wants to be able to cuddle with Michael on the couch, with the fireplace going, and really see if all that fuss about coziness is actually true. There's simply never been the opportunity before where it was possible, and now that it is, Alex finds he wants to experience it for himself.

“There's nowhere to put it,” he whines to Maria on the phone, standing in the middle of the living room, surveying the furniture.

“And the study is not an option?”

Alex sighs, glancing down the hallway, the reasons floating through his mind. “No.”

“So we just need to figure out a different spot for you,” Maria replies, sounding much more confident than Alex feels. There's another voice in the background, and Alex can just make out Maria explaining his dilemma, realizing after a moment that she’s speaking to Rosa.

“Is that Rosa? I can call back-”

“She says you're overthinking it,” Maria pushes on, ignoring him. “And I agree with her.”

“Great,” he grumbles, falling down on the sofa and staring up at the ceiling. 

Overthinking is something that he knows he does on occasion, especially in regards to Michael. Because Alex can’t think of any time in his professional life - a decade in the Air Force, including officer school and two completed tours - where he’s had the same doubts and worries. Things just always seemed easier when he can fall back on facts and logic.

And Michael, well. Alex knows his feelings for Michael are sometimes anything but logical.

“What about in that space next to the dining table?” Maria asks, pulling him out of his thoughts. 

Alex glances over where there’s a potted plant in the corner near the doors that lead out to the patio; the decor in the wall alcoves; and the guitar he has leaning in the corner near his bedroom doorway. It might work, he thinks, but it’d be a tight fit. And he doesn’t really want the tree to be sticking out awkwardly, especially if he’s putting it somewhere he might trip over coming out of the bedroom.

“No, I don’t think so.”

There’s a bit of shuffling on the other end of the line, and then Alex hears Rosa loud and clear, realizing he’s been put on speaker.

“What about in that corner? Next to the sofa?”

Alex twists to look to his right where the end table is currently placed. It’s a large enough space in the corner if he moves the table and the plant - but isn’t the point of this to be able to see the tree while sitting on the couch? It really would just look like it was shoved into the only available spot between the couch and his keyboard bench.

“The couch would be in the way.”

Rosa sighs, rather loudly, and says something that Alex can’t quite make out, probably meant only for Maria anyway. While he listens to them chatter amongst themselves, he wonders about next to the fireplace, but figures there probably isn’t enough room and the tree would cover part of the TV - and it’d definitely make it harder to get to the record player. 

“Are you up for moving some furniture?” Rosa asks after a moment. “Because I think I have an idea, if I remember your house correctly, and Maria says I am.”

Not letting himself get too hopeful, Alex nods his head as if she can see him. “Yeah, if it’ll make this whole thing work.”

“Move your keyboard bench.”

For a moment, Alex wants to argue and ask where he’s going to put his music set-up in the meantime, but the answer is obvious. If he moves the keyboard, and his audio equipment into the study, they can go against the wall where he typically puts the couch when the tree is in there. It feels like such a simple solution, he’s annoyed at himself for not thinking of it. 

“You two are geniuses,” he replies quickly, pushing himself up off the sofa. “Love you both, but I gotta go.”

He hears the two of them giggling on the other end, and ends the call. 

None of the furniture he needs to move is actually heavy, thankfully. And he hopes he can get it done before Michael gets home - because he’d like to be able to at least have the tree up. First, he gets the bench - it’s the smallest and lightest part. Then all of the smaller items - the guitars, the sound mixing equipment, the speakers, and finally - the keyboard itself. The table, however, presents its own dilemma. It’s a little too big, and a little too awkward in size for him to lift all on his own.

Alex falls back onto the sofa, frustrated with himself and his own limitations, when he hears the front door open, close, followed then by the familiar sound of Michael’s boots on the floor.

“Rearranging?” Michael asks, and Alex turns slowly to look over at him, noticing the way he’s taking in the emptiness of the space where his instrument set up used to be.

“Trying.”

Michael nods his head, glancing around the living room and dining room, as if looking for something. “Where’d the rest of it go?”

“In the study.” 

He watches as Michael disappears out of view, his footsteps receding down the hallway, and then back towards him, as if Michael had needed to see for himself where the missing equipment had gone. 

“So we just need to move the table?” Michael finally asks, sitting down on the coffee table and sliding over until he’s across from Alex, reaching out and taking his hands in his, letting their fingers slide together. “Any particular reason for this change? You seemed pretty settled in how you had the house set up.”

Alex lifts his left hand, along with Michael’s, and motions vaguely towards the box with the Christmas tree that’s on the floor next to the dining table.

“I thought - I think it'd be nice to be able to enjoy the tree out here.” Alex doesn't know why his own reasoning feels dumb - it's his own home. A house he bought with his own money and has worked to furnish how he wants. “Since it's our first Christmas together.”

Slowly, a smile spreads across Michael's face, as he gently tugs Alex's hands towards him. Alex goes, letting himself be pulled forward until Michael is pressing their lips together - once, twice, three times. The smile never leaving his face, either.

Alex pulls one hand out of Michael's grasp, reaching out to slide it up along Michael's chest to cup his face, letting the tips of his fingers slide into the curls at the back of Michael's neck. His hair is longer - obviously in need of a trim, but Alex likes something about it like this as well. 

Especially when it means watching that one stubborn curl fall over Michael's eyes as he works. Or as he cooks. Or even as he's just talking while they're sitting on the patio chairs outside, Michael telling him about the dreams he had as a child, searching for home in the night sky.

“So where’d you put it last year?”

“Uh, the study,” he replies with a sigh, still frustrated with himself. “Christmas was never a big affair growing up. And here I just - I never saw much reason to go all out on decorating.”

Michael’s eyes go soft, and Alex feels a little less like an idiot for admitting something like this. 

“Max and Isobel always tried - especially when we were kids,” Michael says, his attention drifting back down to their hands, letting his fingers drift lightly across the skin. “Think they wanted to make sure I felt included. Never really got a real Christmas otherwise.”

Alex’s heart breaks for the childhood Michael should have been able to have growing up. That he’d been left to fend for himself so often in ways that no child should have had to do.

“That’s why I wanted to tree in here,” Alex tries again, gently tugging at Michael’s hands, pulling him towards where he’s sitting on the couch. He smiles at the easy way Michael moves, first pinning him against the back as their lips meet, sliding onto his lap and dropping his hands. Michael’s hands slide up to cup his face, kissing him over and over again as Alex drops his hands to his thighs. He doesn’t stop his hips from bucking up against Michael.

“Good thing for you,” Michael says after a moment, pulling away and Alex feels his hands drop down flat against his chest as he looks up to see a familiar smirk, “that your boyfriend is an alien who can move things with his mind.”

It’s always fascinating for Alex to watch Michael use his abilities, watching as the table slowly glides across the floor of the living room, freeing up the empty space in front of the bay window. 

Between the two of them, they carefully get the table moved into the study, and set everything to rights with his equipment, which seems to calm the remaining nerves Alex had about everything. 

Getting the tree together is easiest, the two of them laughing as they try and fluff the branches out enough to make it look somewhat like a tree before decorating it in the small collection of ornaments Alex has purchased and collected through the last several years. He sits on the coffee table to sort through the containers, Michael choosing to be the one to hang them up, taking any leads Alex chooses to give him about placement. 

And it’s then, as he watches Michael place the silver star at the top, that it hits Alex just how right all of this actually feels. How perhaps this is what has been missing for the holiday to feel like it’s more than just a date on the calendar. That perhaps next year they’ll be doing this not as boyfriends, but as husbands instead.

Husbands, Alex repeats to himself. Because he’d asked Michael to marry him, and Michael had said yes.

He watches as Michael effortlessly gets a fire going in the fireplace, fascinated by the way the flames burst from his hand, the logs lighting with minimal effort. 

“Is that why you run hot?” Alex can’t help but ask, raising an eyebrow at Michael and nodding at the fireplace. He knows enough about the alien’s biology to know the elevated temperature the alien’s have is related to their species, but it feels like a good moment to joke. He knows he’s tried in the past to make a similar remark in the past, but the timing hadn’t been right, and it hadn’t landed how he’d intended.

This time, however, he watches as a smile spreads across Michael’s face, his eyes lighting up in amusement. 

They settle onto the sofa, fingers laced together, Alex pushed into Michael’s side as they both take in the quiet moment around them. 

“What did you used to do for Christmas?” Michael asks, his voice quiet next to Alex. “Since coming back here?”

“Spend time with Maria and Mimi,” he replies, turning to look at Michael, noticing the way he’s focused on him, eyes bright and golden in the warm haze of the firelight. “Maria called me a grinch the first year I got back because I didn’t decorate.”

“But not this year.”

Alex shakes his head, leaning up to press a kiss to Michael’s lips. 

“No, not this year.”

[here-have-some-stories]

Paper Love Part 2

Part 1

Florence slowly began to gain consciousness. It was black, pitch black for a while. She tried to open her eyes but they were stuck. She didn’t know where she was, but she felt herself being lifted into the air. As soon as she got moved, she stumbled backwards. The fact that she could still move around a little herself gave her comfort. Even though she still couldn’t open her eyes, Florence began to walk around, trying to figure out her surroundings. She held her hands out in front of her to try and feel out anything. She had only moved a couple paces when she touched something soft and squishy. Florence jumped back and banged into something behind her. It felt like a table. At the same time Florence jumped back, she heard a little yelp from something in front of her. 

The thing lifting her up in the air stopped moving after one final abrupt movement. Florence stumbled forward again with the final movement and fell to her knees. Slowly, she stood up and tried to open her eyes again, this time finding that she could. 

Once her eyes adjusted she took in her surroundings again, this time doing a better job. She was in an area that looked like the inside of a hollowed out tree. There were vines and mushrooms growing out of the walls. Lights were hanging from the ceiling, with ornamented dragonflies hanging from the ceiling next to them. There was a little kitchen area that had an odd mixture of fantasy styled nature and what seemed to  be steampunk. Looking around the rest of the room she noticed that mostly everything was nature and steampunk themed. It was an oddly beautiful mix. 

Florence’s gaze continued to roam around the room but stopped as her eyes landed on the most beautiful thing in this new strange area. 

Sadie was standing on the other side of the room, making eye contact with Florence. Her lips were parted slightly and a blush had spread across her face as she started longingly and the gorgeous fairy. 

Florence had never even heard Sadie’s voice before, she had never had the chance to hear it. Florence didn’t know much about the elf, but she didn’t care. For ages she had admired Sadie, longed for the day where she could hear her speak, and now here she was, only a few feet away. 

Florence didn’t waste any time. Using her wings to proper her forward, she ran straight towards Sadie, her arms outstretched. Sadie didn’t startle back, but instead forward, her arms out in front of her as she grabbed Florence and pulled her close to her chest. 

Florence sank into Sadie’s warmth and felt her body go weak as it relaxed from the pure joy of the moment. She might have fallen straight to her knees if Sadie’s strong arms hadn’t been holding her tight.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this,” Sadie said quietly into Florence’s hair. Florence almost melted as she heard Sadie speak for the first time. Her voice was soft and sweet, something that the fairy could listen to on repeat all day. Hearing it made Florence feel that they had known each other for years, that they were just as close as two magnets. And in their own way, they were. 

“Me too,” Florence replied, gripping Sadie a little harder. 

They held each other for a couple minutes more, before Saide gripped Florence by the shoulders and pulled her back to get a better look at her face. Florence found herself falling in love with the small, sweet, genuine smile Sadie had on her face.

A quiet tune from guitar strings started to be heard. It was the same sweet melody that had been playing while Florence was relaxing on her mushroom. Sadie pulled Florence back into her arms and started swaying gently with the fairy to the music. Florence rested her head on Saide’s chest and closed her eyes, content with what was happening and loving every moment. 

I hope you enjoyed it. If you have and feedback, suggestions, comments or questions please feel free to ask them and send them to me. I am actually desperate for them at this point ngl. If you have any recomedations or requests for stories you would want written don't be afraid to send an ask. -Kenickie

[tadpolejourney]

Day 3

I found a lute. Not a great one, but it plays in tune. Good enough for me. I already miss my guitar. I found a letter between lovers (on a corpse, quite tragically) that mentioned traveling to Baldur's Gate. It must be nearby. City of my cruel upbringing, my sorrows, my ire, and my ghosts. I'd rather go back to the Hells.

I also found the apparently renowned “Gale of Waterdeep”. Yes, he introduced himself to me with a title rather than his simple name. Already encountering some serious characters, or rather characters taking themselves very seriously. He's very intelligent and charming, but likely prone to arrogance which other people would (naturally) find off-putting. Despite the fact that I discovered him, as a supposedly adept wizard, stuck inside his own portal, he still had the audacity to call his rescuer 'unlettered'. Why bother to use manners if you're just going to insult people anyway? Annoyingly, I think he's quite handsome. Of course I'd never tell him so. His ego clearly needs deflating, not inflating. He could be projecting all that bravado to mask deep insecurity though. I can't tell yet. He wasn't the least bit judgy about me picking through crates, barrels, and corpses for useful items. And out of everyone I've met thus far he seems to be the most trustworthy. We'll see.

We encountered the githyanki woman snared in a trap by a pair of tieflings. I had to convince them that she was intelligent and not some thing to be trapped and killed as you would a wild animal. They were easily swayed and I freed her. Her name is Lae'zel. She mentioned a githyanki creche would hold a cure for our infection. She's grumpy, callous, and impatient, but she's extremely dependable in a fight. She seems too literal in her speech and truly believes in what she promises, which tells me she is not being deceptive. However, convictions do not always hold actual truths. Gale seemed intrigued by her, though I suppose anyone would be in this realm. I know I am.

A pale elf named Astarion lured me into a trap and held a knife to my throat. I've heard it's a great way to make friends, but I've never tried it myself. He's gorgeous, but assuredly deadly. Eyes of a predator. What I saw when our minds collided confirmed what I suspected. He was hunting something or someone. He was predictably coy when I asked him about himself. Claimed to be a magistrate. Yeah, and I'm a fucking queen back home. He's hiding a hell of a lot. Another alliance which I shall be extraordinarily wary of. I suspect my other allies will be on their guard around him as well, at least they should be.

We happened upon an old crypt. According to Gale it used to be dedicated to Jergal, Scribe of the Dead. I found a button, which is to say I immediately pushed a button I found. Turned out to be a trap. We were ambushed by skeletons, which we promptly dispatched. They were guarding a tomb with a peaceful mummified undead inside. He seemed to have premonitions about my fate, and said he could revive me or any of my 'companions' should one of us perish. He refused to elaborate on anything. Okay, weird skelly boy.

We camped at the crypt and there was an ornamental piano, filthy but miraculously still in tune. I annoyed Lae'zel, who called my music 'hellish screeching and clanging'. Clearly uncultured. Astarion and Gale spent the evening separately brooding. I didn't feel like singing, but it was nice to play for a while. I played through bits and pieces of what I've been putting together for Act V, and it sounds just fine to me. I hope I'll get to finish it.

Get this, all of my newfound allies have their fucking stuff. Bags of holding with tents and all the creature comforts you'd want for camping. I'm the only one without. Fuck my life.

I haven't seen Shadowheart yet. I wonder if she made it. No sign of the creature called Us either.

<<< Day 2 | Index | Day 4 >>>

[dustedmagazine]

Chris Forsyth — Solar Motel (Expanded) (Algorithm Free)

Chris Forsyth marks the ten-year anniversary of his turn from towards rock with this expanded edition of Solar Motel, augmented with two previously unreleased studio tracks and a side-long live WFMU recording of “Paranoid Cat.” The two newly released tracks are a revelation, solidifying and reaffirming Forsyth’s connection to Television (he studied with Richard Lloyd) with cartwheeling guitar riffs and roiling, surging percussion in the epic vein of Marquee Moon.  

Forsyth was just off his 2011 release of Paranoid Cat when he made Solar Motel, stillstruggling for a way to incorporate a palette of influences—Television, Takoma-style fingerpicking, psych and drone—into a coherent aesthetic. Our own Bill Meyer saw him as only partly successful at this on the previous album, calling Paranoid Cat, “an album that is full of good ideas lifted from other people’s work, but he makes such good use of them that it’s easy not to care.”

Solar Motel, Forsyth’s first full-band album, was a big step towards the driving, boogie-ing, rock-leaning long grooves that we have since come to associate with the guitarist. In the notes, he says, “Solar Motel is the first record on which I overtly took rock tropes and twisted them into new shapes, incorporating so many of my interests and influences - the twin-guitar elegance of Television, the sprawl of West Coast psych, the boiled down Rock Minimalism of Rhys Chatham, the abstract tangles of free improv, an undercurrent of ecstatic jazz energy, and the studio textures of Eno/Cale/Roxy ‘70s art rock.… Solar Motel basically set the template for much of what I did for the remainder of that decade.”

The band for Solar Motel included Forsyth, drummer Mike Pride, bassist Peter Kerlin and keyboard player Shawn Edward Hansen, all musicians that Forsyth had worked with previously in various roles and configurations. It was recorded mostly live, though Forsyth put in additional guitar after the fact to build up Television-like layers of interplay. The music took shape in four numbered tracks Solar Motel I through IV.  “Part I” opens with tense, staccato guitar, at first alone, then joined by a second guitar and bass. The groove is insistent, cleanly minimal, and over it, Forsyth improvises warm, fluid arcs of solo guitar, and as it goes, the texture becomes less of a drone and more of a warm, living jam. This becomes a pattern over the next three track, as taut, disciplined motifs blossom into full-band free play. Repetition becomes a launching pad for the wildest swirls of improvisatory ornament, with sweet lyrical mid-range guitar vaulting over motorik grooves.

All that is still there, still striking in the way it marries austere experiment to lighter flaring guitar solo. If you haven’t heard it—or haven’t heard it in a while—all four original tracks remain very much worth a listen. However, it’s the new stuff that you’ll want to spin right away, because these two unreleased tracks take the basic experiment and launch them into richer, more exciting directions.

“Harmonious Dance,” at just under nine minutes, is the expanded release’s best tune. A slow chime of guitar notes hitting turbulence early on in Pride’s swelling drum roll. The notes get bigger, more resonant, more sustained as they go, taking on the burnished glow of Lloyd and Verlaine in tandem (though without the trebly yelp of vocals). “Long Warm Afternoon” starts out with warmth and sustained tones, building shimmering textures of guitar over a steady thump and roll. Both cuts feel less restrained, less tightly disciplined than the original Solar Motel cuts. It’s as if Forsyth had a concept for setting down guardrails and eventually swamping them with sensory data, and it took him a while to implement it fully.

The WFMU recording is fine, too, letting the twitchy glamor of “Paranoid Cat” stretch out, catch fire in a truly insane instrumental freakout and somehow stuff all that back into the bottle for a reprise of the original melody. But if you need a reason to check out this ten years after reissue, I’d look at the two unreleased tracks, where Forsyth and his band hit a groove they’ve been riding ever since.

Jennifer Kelly

[auxiliarydetective]

Varsha: The Potion and The Poison

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Standing next to Ishmael was a young woman with dark skin, large brown eyes, and long black hair. Her face was mesmerizing to look at, appearing almost otherworldly. There was something about her eyes and her smile that made you trust her, want to protect her at all costs, but it also gave you a feeling of safety, of hospitality. But it didn’t end at her face, of course. It was in her clothes, too, a white top showing off her midriff, covered by winding, indigo-colored fabric, a saree, of silk, with a fine pattern of silver that gleamed in the light of the lamps. A thin chain went along where her hair was parted, leading down onto her forehead to a golden ornament, a similar design shared by both her earrings and the stud gracing her left nostril. But the gold and silver didn’t clash, no, it was far from that. They harmonized in a way that should not be possible. Or, to put it into one sentence: She looked regal. As soon as she laid her eyes on the guests entering the bridge, she placed both her palms together under her chin and gave a deep bow.

Skinner whistled in astonishment. “Wow, I think I’ve just found the most beautiful thing on this ship!” he called out and had already started heading for the woman when Nemo grabbed him and held him back.

“Nobody is to touch her,” the Captain immediately declared.

“Sorry,” Skinner quipped back, “didn’t know she was your daughter.”

“That honour isn’t mine to claim.”

“Clearly, Skinner, she’s out of your league,” Gray declared and pulled him back towards the group.

“This, gentlemen,” Nemo said as he gestured towards the woman to come closer, “is Miss Varsha Devi, the jewel of this ship. She may not speak our language, but she understands every word.”

“I always thought women on a ship meant bad luck,” Quartermain regarded with a smirk.

“Not this one. In fact, since Varsha has been on board, the seas have been nothing but kind to me. - Perhaps due to her navigation.”

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Quietly, you are saving me Please, don't fade away Into the darkness of night I don't need no light to see you shine

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That was when he heard music down the hallway, though only very faintly. Any regular human probably wouldn’t have heard it but, seeing as some portion of Hyde’s superior senses carried over to him, he did. It was an exotic instrument, possibly stringed, with a very distinct timbre. Curious, Jekyll followed the sound to a door that stood just slightly ajar. Nonetheless, the opening was just barely enough to look inside.

The room was lit by a circle of candles, or rather small oil lamps, their flames flickering with the sound of the instrument. In its middle sat Varsha, playing an instrument that vaguely resembled a guitar, though with a smaller, oval- or teardrop-shaped body and a long, thick neck with many more strings than a guitar could feasibly have. It was ornamentally decorated, with designs similar to ones found in Varsha’s jewelry. Distinctly, a snake wound itself around the body of the instrument, a sleek creature crafted by a master, no doubt. Still, the instrument was no match for the beauty of the artist. In the light of the candles, Varsha’s skin took on a copper glow and her hair gleamed golden. The flames flickered in her eyes and her jewelry glimmered. With the way her sleek fingers gently plucked the instrument, a man could get jealous. But not Jekyll. Certainly not Jekyll. After all, them being in any sort of relationship was an impossibility. As he tried to convince himself of that, he barely even noticed himself taking out his pocket watch and starting to fidget with it. First of all, Varsha was divine, and she was fundamentally good-hearted, something Jekyll wished he could claim of himself but clearly couldn’t. He couldn’t possibly burden her with the looming threat that was Hyde, not someone as kind and as fragile as her. Not anyone, but definitely not her. Secondly, Nemo’s protection of her. Though he was not her father, he did shelter her like his own daughter. Skinner had told Jekyll that Nemo had forbidden anyone in the League from as much as touching Varsha, making it very obvious how sacred her purity had to be to him. Even the most elevated and proper courting of her could upset the captain and that was the last thing Jekyll wanted. Not to mention that Varsha probably wouldn’t be interested. After all, who would want a pathetic man like him? The only thing he had to offer was his doctorate. Not even his moderate wealth that he had managed to carry over from London would be a viable factor, considering that she lived in the utmost luxury aboard the Nautilus - if she even cared about riches at all. Thirdly, and most importantly of all, Jekyll knew of the fact that it was customary in India for marriages to be arranged. Surely, someone as beautiful as her already had a husband, or at the very least a fiancé. Nemo may have mentioned that she had no family to speak of, but then he probably had made the arrangement himself, in his efforts to care for her. With Nemo off the table for obvious reasons, the next possible option was Ishmael, but as he was a Westerner, he was an unlikely choice. But there were hundreds of Indian men on board this vessel and one of them was sure to be engaged to her, officially or not. But no matter how much he tried to reason, his heart still beat faster than it should, his hands shivered about the pocket watch and his breath hitched. It was like he was hypnotized. The dangerous snake to her snake charmer. For a while, it was just him and her and the music between them. That was until a voice echoed through Jekyll’s mind.

“Yes, Henry. Look, but don’t touch.” Hyde gave a chuckle. “That’s your way.”

Suddenly, Jekyll became very aware of his surroundings. Of the shadow he might be throwing into the room, of the clicking sound his pocket watch might make, of his breathing that Varsha might hear. Quickly, he put the pocket watch away and hurried around a corner, away from this peaceful image.

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Tagging: @daughter-of-melpomene and @waddlesworth aka the LXG mutual and one of the few people with good content on the movie on this platform. I thought I'd honour you this way, hope you don't mind :)

[rayroa]

Hiss Golden Messenger Q&A for Creative Loafing Tampa Bay (2024)

Photo by Graham Tolbert/All Eyes Media

I'm gonna put some ear buds in here then it'll sound a whole lot better.

OK, and let me know if it sounds bad because sometimes it does sound bad on here. I've been listening to Pecker Power today, on your recommendation. 

Oh, really? Yeah, follow that. Follow that page?

Yeah, my buddy told me to follow it. And it's great because you forget that it's you. It's just like a picture of a record in your feed. And then you just make a decision for that  moment. ‘Yeah, alright. Let me find that, man.”

I love having that weird little Instagram account that's not trying to sell people anything—nothing. I'm just talking about dorky music stuff. It's kind of like my vibe right now. 

And you have The Kitchen Speculator, too. It's cool that you have these outlets to communicate. It's like a less cynical version of social media, or iteration…

That's right, man, I'm trying to keep it kind of keep it pure.

Hey, I know that fall is your favorite season, but I can imagine that the winter is kind of beautiful in the North Carolina Piedmont. And correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember listening to a podcast or something where you talked about your mom's felt Christmas ornaments with these bells on them. I was wondering, since we're in January, is yours the kind of family that has a tree still up? And do your kids know the sentimental value of the ornaments?

Do they know the sentimental value of the ornaments? Yes, definitely. I don't know if they see it as heavily as I do, but they definitely are aware which ornaments came from my mom. And no, we don't keep the tree up because I love the pageantry of the season—there's something very nostalgic and comforting about things like Christmas lights for me—but I also really appreciate the moving on of January and the feeling of a fresh start if you need it. I kind of think deep into the season and also I'm ready to move on, so I think we had our tree out of the house like just a few days after Christmas probably.

That's an aspirational thing for a lot of families, so it's cool to hear that you have your house in order to that degree.

It's really how I'm wired though. I'm a little bit of an OCD kind of person. So it kind of is in line with that.

Yeah, you gotta check these boxes. You gotta get through the day. I mean, it's kind of a less sexy version of getting a stone up a hill, you know, let me get this tree down first, and move on to the other stuff.

Yeah, kind of.

By the way, I realize there's no way we can like adequately talk about songs in 20 minutes, and I think a lot of people have said a lot of things about Jump For Joy already, so I'm just gonna let those songs kind of speak for themselves and maybe ask some kind of other questions around the band and whatnot.

You've mentioned that the songs are kind of like a long postcard between you and a younger, maybe teenage, version of yourself. And in a way the record's also kind of recalibration of your songwriting, and you're wearing hope, in a way, on this record, and I was thinking about that word "recalibration." And then I was thinking of the band and the fact that Hiss Golden Messenger doesn't do the same show twice—that's a lesson you learned from elders. I want to ask you about this live set. I know after that initial run, you said that the band is sounding good, and the shows are pretty uplifting for everyone. Especially now. Everything considered in the world. Simple question, and I'm sorry, I don't know the answer already. But who is in the band for this spring run coming to Tampa?

Yeah, the band is and has been for several years: Chris Boerner, playing electric guitar, Sam Fribush on organ and piano, Alex Bingham plays bass, and Nick Falk plays the drum kit.

Perfect, and the Hiss Mobile recording unit will be on tour as well. I'm wondering, to stay on that recalibration, Mike. I know that you unpack a tour after a run. How has that recalibration kind of manifested itself within the context of the band? Can you tell me a little bit about how the songs from Jump For Joy have already changed as the shows stack up? And what have these songs revealed to you about themselves in this context, and this run?

It's interesting to take a new record out on the road because we had played a lot of these songs a lot during 2023 before we recorded them, but not in the way that we have been over the past two or three months. The more times you play a new song, the more you learn about how it's working in that sort of heightened or amplified, emotional, state of a live show. And you also see how it's working for the audience. There might be a song that seems like a home run for the audience, and it just isn't like connecting the way that you thought it would and, and conversely, you're gonna find a song that you might have had a question mark about just in terms of how to present it—and it becomes its own.

A song like "Jesus Is Bored " on Jump For Joy. I love that song. I have a super-deep connection to that song; in a lot of ways it kind of feels like a thesis for the record, but it's not the loudest song, it's not the fastest song. I just didn't quite know what kind of quality it would take on live, and it's taken on a really beautiful thing that kind of unfurled really slowly and in a really extended fashion. That's not something I was anticipating at all, but it went there, and I was like, 'This is how we play this song for people.' That's one example of how stuff has started to exist off that record.

That's awesome, and I like hearing your talk about feeling the audience and being aware of it. I think some people would assume that some performers kind of blackout and I guess, to some degree they do on stage, but it's cool to hear that you still get to live in that moment of the live experience that you're creating in this space. 

It's a transcendental state for me. So my experience of it is, like I said, is heightened for sure—emotionally, physically. But at the same time, I can feel the energy in the room even if I'm not looking at the audience directly in the eyes, I can feel what the energy is. I would say I'm usually pretty on the money about what an audience wants, what an audience needs, what an audience can take. This is just stuff that, when you spent enough time on stages in front of people, you start to learn how—you can read it.

In that vein, and that kind of context, transcendental memory in that state, are you able to remember anything about geographic locations? Like can you remember, how crowds in Florida have made you feel or is it not like that?

Oh my god, that's a good question. I mean, I want to be diplomatic about it.

I mean, it's OK to be forgettable man.

I don't want to be that dude in the paper that's complaining about the place that he's playing. That's not a good look at all.

Listen, there's a lot to complain about in Florida from a legislative standpoint, historically there are some things...

You don't need more from me. OK, I'll put it this way. I'm fascinated with Florida. I'm not against Florida, you know what I mean? And the last time we played in Tampa, I think, was at a festival many years ago.

It was called Gasparilla Music Festival.

Yeah. And I had a fucking great time. I thought it was really cool. And I thought, 'Tampa seems cool. I'm into this place.' So if I had to talk specifically about my experience with Tampa, that's what it would be: I had a great time in Tampa.

And Tampa has changed a lot, I think as much in the same vein as it has up there with you guys as far as people's concerns about affordability and who matters and what voices get amplified and acknowledged and conversations from a civic standpoint, and things like that. So I think our regions have experienced similar growth. 

No doubt.

I want to ask you about November 27 Kitchen Table Speculator. You opened with poems from Diane di Prima and Joy Harjo. You talked about the possibility of a sunset on an empire and whatever this collective thing is that we're witnessing, but then you also talked about holding on to joy and pain and magic and fear all at once—you know, back to getting that stone up the hill. Sorry to kind of bring it down here, but I think I heard somewhere that in spite of all this narrative about joy and this album, in some ways, you're still like the same depressed guy, but you kind of alluded to how the band is bringing some joy and happiness. I'm wondering chemically, or in the inner wiring, how and in what fashion does it change you to play these "happier less cynical songs" every night? Or does it all stay up there, then you get back to the world when it's over.

I mean, this is a multi-part question. First of all, I wouldn't say that I'm the same old depressed guy. And I don't know that I ever would have described myself like that. I definitely struggle with depression and probably always will in some fashion, but also think of myself as a very fun, funny person that can be as light and easygoing or as heavy as the situation calls for. Probably, if you were to ask my bandmates, "Is Mike as heavy as some of the songs might make them feel?," they would say like, "Not at all." So that's that part.

I think that Jump For Joy, in so many ways, is totally consistent, thematically, with the music that I've made all throughout my life as Hiss Golden Messenger. I think that I was working really rhythmically and thinking a lot about tempo for Jump For Joy, and that was very intentional. But in terms of the way the songs exist, the chords that get used, the things that were troubling me, or bringing me joy and peace—that stuff on Jump For Joy feels like it's pretty consistent with the rest of my work. I feel like what people are reacting to when they think of this record as more joyful, which I would agree with, is just the musical feel of  the record, if that makes sense. 

No, it does. I think from the get go—even on your lo-fi recordings, which I spent some time listening to in the run up to this interview, and revisiting those—there is still this devotion to groove throughout the whole thing.

That's what I'm saying, man. Even the Hiss Golden Messenger songs that are at the slowest tempo, everything always grooves. That's always been almost the most important musical quality of what I do as Hiss, I think. Everything has to feel like it's in the pocket, it's in some kind of pocket, you know? That's really important to me.

Now that you're saying that kind of that out loud, I think of my first—you know, you only get one first time listening to a band—but those first few listens, I think, is interesting how Hiss music does kind of embed itself within whatever tempo you have going on in your life and sometimes Hiss music doesn't fit with whatever's going on in your day at the time, and you realize that, "Oh, this isn't the record for me right now. I gotta find something else." So I've always appreciated that about your music, for sure.

I want to ask you about mystery. I think you've talked about kind of craving mystery and this time of digital media, and endless access and over exposure in a way. What is your mind wandering and wandering about and around today?

I'm working on a lot of projects right now that are Hiss adjacent. I feel like I am just starting a quest—and who knows how long it's gonna last—to find my way back into not knowing, if that makes sense. I'm trying to find my way back to a feeling of mystery and magic. I want that to be the first feeling that I feel when I pick up an instrument. And I'm not saying that I don't feel that already, but it just occurs to me in this moment of our time, that that feels almost like the most important part of music, both as a listener and as a creator—the mystery. So I'm really honing in on that feeling whenever and wherever I can find it. I feel like certainly, part of this year for me is going to be about encountering the mystery, the not knowing, the freshness, the experimentation—encountering it wherever I can find it.

And it's such a wonderful excuse to really work on you're listening, too, whether it's physically listening with your ears or just body listening and emotionally trying to be quiet and tune in.

That's right, man. That's right.

By the way, I liked that you mentioned that you're probably funnier than people might think you are because when I found out that Johnny Fritz was in your “Nu-Grape” video, I immediately went to it because I think he's like, the funniest and best like songwriter with a replaced hip out there.

I mean, that guy is so fucking funny.

But you met the moment in that video. I feel like you two had good, parallel, complimentary performances that were rooted in humor.

Oh, dude. He made that video. I don't even really know Johnny that well, but I'm a fan. It feels like we know each other kind of well now. But before that video, as we were conceptualizing what it was going to be, who, all that stuff, I was like, "We're gonna get Johnny Fritz. It's really like the only way that this concept works, or someone like Johnny Fritz." But I couldn't think of anyone else. I love being with him because he's so funny, and has so many different characters, but he's also a super deep, super smart dude—he's not turned on like that all the time. He's also like a real deep cat.

The songs really mess you up when you're listening to him. He's got those records that like they'll kind of hit you on like the eighth or ninth kind of listen, and you're like, "What did he just say?" You thought it was a song about riding in a tour van,  then you realize that he kind of deconstructed this emotion inside of you about abandonment and things like that and it feels intentional once you kind of see it. know?

And I'm sure it is. He's an extremely astute person.

I know we're kind of getting short on time. Mike. I want to kind of go back to happy songs, sad songs, and I want to talk about how those emotions are kind of complex in their own way. Some would believe those emotions are complementary. I know that there is an art to finding the language to write songs about happiness. You mentioned you know, "Jesus Is Bored" as a song that's kind of transformed for you in the live setting, but do you feel like there are songs on Jump For Joy that include both happiness and sadness, in a way, and using language that you're pretty proud of? As far as being a songwriter and being a person?

I think every song on the record is a combination of both at the same time because I've always wanted that to be my mission as a songwriter: to be able to convey like the fullness of being a human—as grandiose or as lofty is that sounds—to convey the fullness of being a human in a song. Part of that, for me, feels like this idea that not everything is either happy or sad. My experience of the world as I walked through it is that everything is both of those at the same time. I mean, not everything, but you know what I mean? My experience mostly is that I'm feeling both at the same time. And I've really chased that ambiguity intentionally over the years with some very specific things that I do technically, from tuning a guitar in a certain way to like leaving the chords very undefined. So yeah, it's a little bit of a cop out answer, but I really think my best songs are songs that feel happy and sad at the same time.

That's a great answer, especially for at the end of a short interview, which I know we're at the end here, and I wanted to kind of leave with this question, maybe. You mentioned you know this mission for this year about encountering that mystery, that not knowing the freshness, that experimentation, and trying to touch it wherever you can find it. Can you maybe tell me—I don't know maybe from a mechanical standpoint or practice standpoint—what does getting small and quiet look like for you? Like, how do you get there?

Well, getting small and quiet isn't the same for me as encountering the mystery because I've actually been doing a lot of work with a lot of different musicians lately. It has been kind of cacophonous in a way. But to answer your question of what it means to get small and quiet, I mean, I think it means me going back to the room that I write in, with a guitar or whatever instruments, and a notebook and, seeing what happens. Sort of surrounding myself with the creative input that still fuels me. There's tons and tons of poetry in this house, there's tons of records, and this is just my place. There's tons of guitars and amplifiers. It's just my place to be sort of quiet and meditative, I guess.

Well, Tampa will be grateful when you get out of that place and come visit us for a few and I think we would all like to join you on the Kamayo Cruise but we'll let you eat cruise food for three days on your own there.

Cruise Food. That's a good name for a band.

It is a great name for a band—that should actually be the sequel to "Nu-Grape," just call it “Cruise Food.”

Haha, that's funny. OK, dude. Well, thank you so much. Thanks for the good questions, actually, they were great.

I really enjoyed talking to you. And thank you for making the time for me and thank you for all your music. It's, been great to have in my life. So I hope you have a great week.

Thank you, brother. Thank you, I appreciate that.

Of course. Bye.

[bradleymarshall]

I dreamed I was at school at Parkdale secondary.

I couldn’t eat the cake that was prepared that my dad had in fact prepared so I asked if I could instead buy some food from the shopping complex that I could tolerate.

Then I was trying to remember my combination lock, 21 32 18

Something like that and it opened.

It had been years.

My bad was all moulded.

On the speakers, Xavier was playing the electric guitar over the PA system. They were doing some kind of musical.

There was lightning and it was dark.

I was following Jackson Campbell.

The lightning was stunning against a backdrop of coloured thigh light sky and the neon lights ornamenting the school.

But my camera was shaking and I couldn’t capture the beauty in stillness.

[sinceileftyoublog]

Riot Fest 2023 Preview: 4 Reasons to Come Early, 1 to Stay Late

Just Mustard; Photo by Olof Grind

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Is it me, or is this the biggest Riot Fest yet? The independently run festival has managed to book bands that can fill arenas (Foo Fighters, The Cure), in-demand anniversary full album plays (Transatlanticism, Give Up, Last Splash), and previous headliners as sub-headliners (Queens of the Stone Age). As always, though, there are just as many highlights in the fine print as on the first row. Here are our top 5 picks: 4 reasons to show up before sunset, 1 to stay till the very end.

FRIDAY

Quasi; Photo by John Clark

Quasi, 1:25 PM, Roots Stage

A couple years ago, if you had asked me what band I thought would have a post-pandemic reunion, Quasi would have been at the bottom of my list. The duo of Sam Coomes and ex-Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss hadn't released a full-length since 2013, and in 2019, a car crashed into Weiss's car, which broke both of her legs and collarbone. As it turns out, during her recovery and COVID lockdown, Weiss, along with Coomes, used free time to bang out new songs in Quasi's practice space. The result is their Sub Pop debut and first album in 10 years, the awesomely titled Breaking the Balls of History, released earlier this year. The album is certainly of a time and place, riddled with references to pandemic-era isolation and the anti-science Neanderthals that have dominated discourse on the political right. But what stands out more is how revitalized these two sound to play music together, and Weiss in general. If her departure from Sleater-Kinney came after an album that minimized her role as a drummer, her meaty fills absolutely dominate "Last Long Laugh", "Queen of Ears", "Riots & Jokes", and "Nowheresville". In tandem with Coomes' fuzzed-out guitar and warped keyboards, Weiss' timekeeping creates an almost retrofuturist aesthetic, 60's pop harmonies rubbing elbows with distorted keys and drums on tracks like "Shitty Is Pretty". And The one I can't wait to hear most at the festival is "Doomscrollers", a surefire anthem for those crumbling under the weight of the world--or their phones--and even "everyone else just tryna get by / To stay alive or at least not die."

Screaming Females

Screaming Females, 4:50 PM, Rebel Stage

Desire Pathway (Don Giovanni), the first album in 5 years from the New Jersey punk greats, is a an album inspired by and about breakup and heartbreak. Thankfully, it doesn't sound down in the dumps. In fact, it's quite the contrary, the hardest rocking Screaming Females album yet, less snot-nosed punk and more mammoth metal. As much as Marissa Paternoster likens herself to "a freight train in the desert dragging chains," her theatrical vocal performances and limber axe wielding show a musician at the top of her class. The album starts unexpectedly, with feedback-heavy synths on "Brass Bell", but not before Paternoster and drummer Jarrett Dougherty enter with power riffs and snares akin to your favorite sludge band. Even a summertime sadness rave-up like "Ornament" yields the same sneering, anthemic quality as the best Screaming Females songs, Paternoster menacingly chanting, "An ornament / Your head hangs heavy on it." So as much as she offers a sense of humility on "Let Me Into Your Heart" and "Titan", don't get in her way on Friday.

Foo Fighters, 8:00 PM, Riot Stage

You know the story by now. In a short amount of time, Dave Grohl experienced two devastating losses: the passing of his mother Virginia and the tragic, sudden death of Foo Fighters' longtime drummer, Taylor Hawkins. Such periods of shock often cause massive shifts in life perspective, and perhaps, as a silver lining, it caused him to rethink things musically. Songs on recent Foo Fighters albums seemingly followed the tired formula of starting out quiet and melodic and building into an instrumental avalanche and full-throated screams. But Here We Are (Roswell/RCA), on which Grohl plays all the drums, instead recalls earlier Foo Fighters albums with confident and consistent paces and even explores new territory for the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers. It starts immediately raw and in shock on "Rescued", Grohl describing learning about Hawkins' death in clear terms: "It came in a flash / It came out of nowhere." Elsewhere, the wah wah guitars of an umptempo jam like "Under You" recall the talk box thrills of an older tune like "Generator", and the strutting drum and guitar interplay of "Nothing At All" ascends with a clatter like the band's early Aughts records.

As But Here We Are goes on, the band opts for the unexpected. On the self-reflexive "Show Me How", Grohl and his daughter Violet duet over shoegaze electric guitars and dream pop strumming, singing about his mom's passing, realizing the same thing will one day happen for Violet. The penultimate "The Teacher" is like a ten-minute question, Grohl wondering how to deal with grief and anxious about life and death, wincing, "Who's at the door now?" over scraped guitars and strings. The song slows down and rebuilds gradually with a chugging drum beat and chiming, dreamy guitars, ending with static. That sets up "Rest", on which Grohl repeats, "You can rest now." Such a statement seems like it's as much a mantra for himself as it is a directive to Hawkins and his mother. "Life is just a game of luck," he declares, "All this time escaping us, until our time is through." After the biggest explosion of guitar distortion on a major label radio rock record since "Hurt", Grohl ends the song, "In the warm Virginia sun, there I will meet you." That it's the name of the state in which he grew up and of his mother is not a coincidence, as he's using the memory of his mom, Hawkins--heck, even Kurt Cobain--for comfort.

With new drummer Josh Freese in tow, stay late and catch Foo Fighters performing songs from their best album since The Colour and the Shape.

SATURDAY

100 Gecs

100 Gecs, 7:00 PM, Radical Stage

When 100 Gecs released "mememe", the first single from what would be their long-awaited second album 10,000 Gecs (Dog Show/Atlantic), the first thing you noticed was that Laura Les' vocals were notably less pitch-shifted. A trans woman who had experienced voice dysphoria, Les was now taking voice lessons and deciding to reveal her voice unaffected. That, and her experience with gender transition surgeries and HRT treatments, informs some lines on songs on 10,000 Gecs. "I did science on my face," she sings on "Dumbest Girl Alive". "Everybody shuts the fuck up when I'm passing / You can see me on the fuckin' news, and I'm laughing," she sings presciently on "The Most Wanted Person in the United States", as a few days later, the notoriously anti-LGBTQ+ Fox News would go on to play 100 gecs on air due to anchor Greg Gutfield's fandom. This is the world in which 100 gecs thrive, appealing to all by feeling free to be themselves, refreshingly sans irony no matter how bonkers their juxtapositions. Ribbits nestle between guitar strums and harmonies on the ska-infused "Frog On The Floor". "One Million Dollars" creates a dance jam out of TikTok TTS voice, samples from anti-weed government propaganda, and Primus-level wiry breakdowns. "Hollywood Baby" and "Billy Knows Jamie" are respective tributes to pop punk and nu metal. And Les sings about everything from snack foods to her removed tooth like long lost loves. Even if they sound anything but, 100 gecs might just be the most earnest band around.

SUNDAY

Just Mustard, 1:15 PM, Riot Stage

You don't normally associate minimalism and ambiguity with bands playing Riot Fest, those with riffs and messages that hit you over the head and hooks and feelings sky-high. I bet Irish post-punk quintet Just Mustard wins over some festivalgoers looking for respite, whether from the sun or the distant cry of pop punk. Last year, they released their second album Heart Under (Partisan), and the first on which Katie Ball took full-time lead vocals. Their deliberate tempos and masterful control of dynamics should serve as hypnotic as it is beguiling.

[racingtoaredlight]

HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE

UGH.

***

You know the term “all hat and no cattle?”  You know the term “all bark and no bite?”  You’re looking at it.  This is what happens when you get your education entirely from YouTube and block out anything outside your own echo chamber that might give you valuable feedback.

This chick is just another faceless entry in an entire genre filled with amorphous blobs of shit edited and dressed up to look like they’re halfway decent.  It’s all a show, a screen hiding a complete lack of substance underneath.

I’ve talked a lot about right hand technique this week...largely because right hand technique has completely dominated my brain for the past two months.  In the video at the top, I want you to go to start at 1:03 and watch her right hand when it goes to the GoPro view a couple seconds after.

There’s all this two-handed garbage and tippity-tapping take might make you think “wow, this chick’s good,” but it’s all bullshit.  Contrast her right hand with what I posted this earlier this week.

Amps and effects are wonderful things.  They cover up a whole lot of mistakes and technical shortcomings because...when you don’t have to physically project the notes from the instrument yourself...you lose touch with the bigger picture.

***

Technique is invaluable (and extremely discounted by non-musicians) because it’s what you rely on in moments of panic and internal crisis.  The point of technique is it’s repeatable.  What that chick is doing is absolute dogshit garbage that probably took her dozens of takes to get right.  So much extraneous motion, so much wasted effort and inefficient playing...

Take away the effects, the amps, the mics, the preamps, the EQ...all that shit...and there’s nothing left.  I.e. there’s no substance.

I’m picking on her because this is a great example of everything I hate about the current generation of progressive musicians.  All this effort spent on weird parlor tricks, editing, customizing the finish of a guitar, getting to this weird location, the fucking outfit...it’s all hiding the fact that she can’t play for shit.

I just want you to stop and think about the SHEER ABSURDITY of her being “plugged into” an amp when there’s no way there could be an outlet within 100 feet of where they were.  Did Slash have to plug in his guitar during the November Rain solo?

...no he did not.

More importantly, you wouldn’t have noticed either way.  But if there’s this big black line in every shot going nowhere?  Yea, that’s fucking dumb.

And it’s a great metaphor for everything else going on in here.  Her guitar playing is ornamental at best.  It’s simplistic, static and (in my opinion) extremely dated and lame.  Why not play a Chapman Stick if you’re doing shit like this?  Because Tony Levin has been doing stuff way beyond this shit since the early 1980′s on one.

The drums are the foundation of this piece.  Worse...as the piece develops, the backing track’s guitar part is more of a fundatmental, essential piece than anything she’s playing.  She’s just comping.  Yet, it’s just her on her own in the video...playing backup to a backing track with the technique of a semi-talented 3rd grader who spends too much time online...in the middle of some urban decay.

Ugh.

***

These boys...and I mean boys...are the poster children...and I mean children...of this genre.  It’s the same thing as the above piece...

When you strip away all the parlor tricks, the trap beats, the video editing and image, what are you left with?  You’re left with a song that repeats the same four bars over and over for four minutes, all played with bad tone and an uncomfortable groove.

It’s just so fucking empty and lame.  And I’m not even talking about the truly abrasive personalities of this band, which makes them even worse.

Now these guys can all play.  Not my style, but these fuckers know what they’re doing...

Which makes it all the more depressing when you go through almost 7 minutes of technical flash and bombast only for you to realize there’s no groove, no bass presence and they’re in the same key the entire time.  Imagine being in a conversation with the Police Academy sound effects guy on PCP for seven minutes straight without being able to get a word in...that’s the substance we’re left with after we strip away all the glitter.

And that’s what bums me out big time about this current movement.

We have this technical-on-the-surface music dressed up in a modern equivalent of shred couture from the 1980′s without any of the substance or understanding.  Let me give you a great example...

***

The first vid is a guy doing a very academic version of Bach as cleanly and correctly as possible.  The second video is a 1980′s metal shredder who doesn’t give a flying fuck.

Here’s the difference...the shredder, Yngwie Malmsteen, literally spent his teenage years obsessed with Bach.  It doesn’t matter that he subbed a Fender Strat through screaming stacks of Marshall amps for a violin...make no mistake, this is 100% in the Baroque era vein.  The performance has life and dynamicism because the source material is intertwined with Yngwie’s DNA at this point.  It’s not an academic exercise or showing off chops for chops sake...it’s authentic.

And that authenticity is what’s missing in today’s crop of progressive musicians.  Yes they’re young, but that’s not an excuse.  Yngwie was fully formed in his early 20′s...you listen to his first three albums and they’re as much Bach as they are Deep Purple or Hendrix (his other main infulences).

Henkelsman’s is cleaner and has more refined technique, and make no mistake he’s an incredible musician, but who gives a shit when this overall performance is so lacking?

Back to technique...my biggest gripe with the first Bach example is how the technique breaks down.  Notice as the piece goes on, the string noise and pick clicking becomes more and more obvious to the point they’re annoying at the end.

Now go to 2:20-3:00 in the Yngwie example.  He is in perfect unison, not just with the violin section in the first part, but also with the cellos and basses in the next.  I mean, this is impressive, impressive stuff by a fat guy dressed like a pirate...regardless of what you think of Yngwie (personally, I think he’s a piece of shit, but that’s besides the point).

You could take away everything in Yngwie’s performance...the Strat, the amps...and there’s nothing to indicate that he wouldn’t give just as stellar a performance.  That’s because of his technique and authenticity in regards to the substance of the music.

***

That’s exactly what’s missing from the current generation.  Progressive rock, metal, fusion, jam bands, instrumental country...take your pick.

Flashy technique that looks impressive on the surface, but breaks down easily revealing little substance underneath.  Shit I remember some video of a bunch of YouTube influencers talking about how many takes it takes them to get what they’re putting on their channels...and I was kind of shocked.  Takes in the teens was the standard answer.

Just think about that.  Over 10 takes to get some basic stuff, typically not in context, down.  That’s awful.  That’s embarrassing.

But why is that?  Again...technique and not having the source material down.  I.e. not authentic.  Watch a lot of these transcription vids and notice how things break down after 30 seconds or so.  Which is natural given typical practice runs, but still...you can’t have the source material down (or have repeatable technique) if you’re running out of gas halfway through.

Because if it’s all just for show, there’s not much point in putting in the boring, laborious work.  And it’s easy to pull the wool over the eyes of the viewers using modern tricks like editing and adding in visual elements.  Damn shame if you ask me.

[independentartistbuzz]

Indie 5-0 with Emily + Shawn: Holiday Edition

For Brooklyn-based modern folk duo Emily + Shawn, the stuff in life that makes a difference requires heavy lifting, and careful attention to detail. Varied interests and a soulful sense of purpose imbue the pair’s adventurous spin on the folk tradition.

Their music is an authentic reflection of their lives. The pair are, in fact, a couple—but don’t expect sappy love songs—Emily Welch is an immigration lawyer, and Shawn Welch works in the renewable energy field. Emily + Shawn’s songs are informed by their ethics, their myriad of experiences and interests, and their day to day interactions ,which they characterize sweetly as “healthy clashes.”

We got to speak with both Emily and Shawn about their holiday traditions, their favorite holiday music, and their upcoming projects in this special holiday Indie 5-0.

So, let’s dive in:

What is your favorite holiday song and why?

E: I love Joni Mitchell’s River. It has such a nostalgic sound and captures the melancholy of the season so beautifully.

S: I hate to be predictable, but mine is definitely “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole. He has a signature voice that really takes me back to when I was younger.

What were the traditions around the holidays in your house growing up?

E: my family takes Christmas very seriously. I am the oldest of five kids, so we do a secret Santa between all of us which we open up on Christmas Eve. I love focusing on getting a larger gift that’s specific to that sibling as opposed to getting smaller things for all of them.

S: I was always in charge of creating the miniature snow village in our living room, and all of us kids then decorated the tree together a week before Christmas. My parents were in charge of sitting there and telling us when they didn’t like where we put a given ornament.

If you could record your dream holiday duet with anyone dead or alive what would it be?

E: Mariah is very intimidating as the #queenofChristmas but i feel like I can’t pass up an opportunity to sing with her!

S: Probably a duet with Bing Crosby on “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”

What is the first holiday track you ever learned?

E: Winter Song with Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson- one of my oldest friends and I were obsessed with them and recorded a version that may or may not still exist on the MySpace ethers…

S: I used to play music for holiday parties right when I learned my first few chords on guitar. I think my first song was “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Judy Garland.

What are you currently working on? What can you tell us about it?

We just released a new single, “Mama Told Me,” which is a funky soul pop song. Currently working on another song for release in early 2023, so be sure to follow us @emilyplusshawn to stay in the loop!

[mandoalorian]

Joel Miller headcanons

I’m in mourning. If anyone wants to send in some Joel drabble requests you may. 💓 oh and please reblog so more people can read these💕 thankyou. Xxx

Joel masterlist

Every night before bed, he’ll play his guitar. His voice is soft and soothing and rasp, but he can lull you to sleep so easily.

Nightmares aren’t uncommon during the apocalypse, so if you wake up in the middle of the night, he’ll pull you close and sleepily smooth out your hair. He assures you that he will always protect you, and as long as he’s around, he’ll always take care of you. You know you can believe him.

In his older years, during his time in Jackson, his confidence grows a little and he will enjoy playing his guitar and singing for audiences around the campfire. After all, it was always his dream, to be a singer.

He loves all animals, but especially horses and dogs. He makes little wooden ornaments of horses and displays them around his house, even giving them names.

He used to be a carpenter, pre-Apocolypse, so he’s the perfect man to have around whenever you need some DIY doing or if you need something fixed. He’ll jokingly tease you if you can’t do something, saying how it’s so easy and how you should be more like him.

When he loves, he loves hard. Everyone (Tess, Bill, even Tommy) always told him to not form attachments, especially during the apocalypse. They told him that he should only be looking out for himself, otherwise he’ll just get himself killed. Joel is stubborn though, and he doesn’t listen. He puts you and Ellie first, at all costs.

He adores 80s music and always has vinyls playing quietly around the house. We know he’s very keen on the song Take On Me by A-Ha.

He’s a hummer too. He’s always humming little tunes to himself as he potters around the house.

He loves going on long hikes and he can even skateboard, after practicing with Sarah when he was younger.

The apocalypse hardened him a lot, and he became known to be a brutal “crazy man” who had no shame in torturing and murdering anyone who crossed him the wrong way. But in his later years, he has grown to be more soft and gentle, much like the man he was back when he was only a father to Sarah.

He has a lot of trauma. There are no mirrors up in his home because he can’t bear to look at himself. He hates the man he’s become. He doesn’t feel like himself anymore.

Sometimes you catch him and Ellie reading comic-books. It’s their favourite bonding activity.

Joel loves history and science, and one of his favourite memories is taking Ellie out to learn about dinosaurs. He can string off random dinosaur facts and it’s so endearing to listen to.

He tends to stay away from alcohol because it can make him spiral. He smells like woodland and black coffee.

He always displays Ellie’s artwork and drawings, and beams about how proud he is of her to everyone in Jackson.

He hates having to lie but he’ll do it if it means protecting those who he loves. It’s hard for him to live with the guilt though.

He’s a feminist.

If Pride was still a thing, he’d take Ellie and cheer her on.

He often tells dad jokes that fall completely flat. Like, really terrible jokes. But it only makes your heart grow for him.

He’s a family-man at heart and if you weren’t living in the middle of an apocalypse, he’d love to have more children.

Permanent taglist: @paintballkid711 @supernaturalgirl20 @phoenixhalliwell @xoxo-callie @stardust-galaxies @wickedfrsgrl @goth-topic @nerdypinupcrystal @kiwi-the-first @pedroepascal @castiel-barnes @honeymandos @rocketqueen @girl-obsessed-with-things @elena-myth @moth-guillotine @pedro-pascal-love @hayley-the-comet @pinkninja200 @maxiarapamaya @autumnleaves1991-blog @artsymaddie @harrys-stan @kennedywxlsh @cripplingmoon @cheekygeek05 @mrschiltoncat @rye-flower @theamuz @persie33 @sleepylunarwolf @martellthemandalor @pedro-pastel @steeevienicks @rrtxcmt @saphic-susperia @readsalot73 @softmedics @jade10077 @dodgerandevans @planetariumx @pascals-cat @ajeff855 @spideysimpossiblegirl @smoldjarin @thewayofthemandalorian

[deebeeus]

1972 #Gibson #ES325, in a flashback to almost 3 years ago. I know this was probably taken in early June of 2019 because I can see my photo pass (stuck to the front of the 1965 #VibroChamp) from the big outdoor @idamaemusic show in Toronto when they were supporting Greta Van Fleet on tour. That show was May 29th, 2019...so this was probably a day or 3 after that. Thanks for letting take pictures at your show @surfburst! . Back to the 325: Believe it or not I saw someone on Facebook Marketplace recently asking $6200 CAD for one of these! A couple of years ago you'd have had a hard time getting half as much. The world has truly lost its marbles. I mean, the 325 was originally a cheaper and less desirable model because, apart from the fact that it is less ornamented than an ES335 (no neck binding, dot fret markers), had a hole cut in the top for cheaper Fender-style plastic panel-mounted controls, I think it was also kind of cobbled together to use up surplus parts/hardware at the factory! . Anyhoo I, like many of you I imagine, am rambling because I'm just having trouble wrapping my head around how #guitars have doubled in price! I am lucky to still have a job...but my salary has been climbing at only 1 or 2% per year...so has nowhere near kept up to #guitar prices! I was only able to acquire guitars before thanks to creative use of a good credit rating and financing help from friendly guitar shops and friends selling me gear (you know who you are!). Now I'm completely priced out of the market...vintage for sure, but even new and used. My salary just hasn't kept up with guitar inflation. Maybe I need to start building partscasters again? But if I remember correctly from my past forays into that realm, it ain't actually that cheap to acquire the parts, and even with good quality parts the results of my building were mediocre at best (i. e. you actually need some skills to make a good partscaster)! 😂 . Still: these are just first world problems (or whatever they call it) and are not important. I'm super lucky to have my health and a job. Full stop. . . #vintageguitar #vintagegibson #gibsones325 #guitarphotography https://www.instagram.com/p/CZSPCOOpFrX/?utm_medium=tumblr

[allhailthewicked]

Random JATP Headcannons: Bobby and His Passion For Knitting

Bobby is what I called #STRESSED ALL THE FREAKING TIME™

I mean like all the boys are stressed for different reasons (you know with the band, or familial problems, or you know anxiety just being a bitch)

But unlike the other boys he doesn’t have that many great coping mechanisms

He hates how terrified Alex and Reggie look when he beats the shit out of one of their harassers. And he hates how he can’t play guitar after because of his busted hand

He doesn’t have any drums to wail on like Alex, and he absolutely sucks at writing music (that’s why none of his newer music isn’t any good) so he can’t bury himself in songwriting like Luke

He tried smoking but boy oh boy does his asthma flare up for smoking and once Alex found out he worriedly started to carry an extra inhaler for Bobby

Mediating SUCKS it’s too quiet. it’s too still. he hates how he is just trapped with his thoughts 

So with nothing left to him to do Mr. Bobbers turned to his lola (grandmother) for advice

She was a tiny old woman with a black and silverish bob she quickly patted on the floor next to the armchair that she was sitting in furiously knitting something that looked like it was supposed to be a sweater.

Bobby sighed plopping down next to her enchanted by the furious rhythm she had

“Goddammit apo pass me my switch-blade I need to cut the extra... the extra... the extra nakakayamot string”

“Whatever you say lola, but I still need your advice I am just so fucking stressed all the time and I don’t know what do.”

Bobby’s grandmother grabs the switchblade and quickly slices through the extra string before placing the blade back into his hand.

“Well Robert why don’t you calm down for a second. C’mon grab that ball of yarn and knit with me. I won’t teach you but just watch what I’m doing.”

“What you mean you won’t teach and how the fuck will a pile of string calm me down”

“Curse at me one more time, and I’ll show you another way this string can calm me down. Just watch and learn from me apo and keep my blade you’ll need it when you make a mistake”

“Okay Lola I’m sorry for that, I’ll shut up, but I can’t take your blade”

“Apo stop apologizing you have done nothing wrong, if anything you remind me of your father. Plus I have a spare blade in the flower pot now get your lazy ass off the ground and go and grab it for me”

And Bobby learned and learned  and fell head over heels in love with knitting

After that day Bobby left his grandmother’s house with a shiny red and black switchblade, 4 brightly colored balls of yarns, and two sets of knitting needles one bamboo and one metal

AND THE STRESS KNITTING BEGINS

One time the Alex and Luke were fighting and over what to do with Reggie when he walked into practice with a black eye. And Bobby pulled out a scarf he was working on for Reggie and started muttering: knit knit purl knit purl knit purl knit purl knit purl knit knit knit  he was working on it, completing it in 45 minutes.

Fun Fact: is favorite type of stitch and pattern is the Chevron Seed Stitch

When Luke ran away from home a week before his birthday and crashed at Bobby’s place and on his birthday he woke up to a present next to his mattress and inside the box was a slightly janked up knitted beanie that Bobby made for him, and it was obviously made with love

Luke cried a lot that day, but he definitely sobbed the hardest at Bobby’s gift

 When Bobby was teaching Alex how to drive the van he to keep knitting needles in his glove compartment

Reggie and Bobby had found a dog during one of their hikes, and they took care of it together for like a week until the owner reached out to them to get their dog back and Reggie was devastated! Until... Bobby made knitted a little stuffie of the dog

Before every show Bobby would bust out his knitting and go through a couple rows

For Christmas Bobby made the boy special ugly holiday sweaters (two Christmas sweaters and one Hanukkah sweater for Reggie)

Reggie’s sweater was a rich maroon and yellow with a menorah,dredial,horses, and pizza

Luke’s sweater was a royal blue with music notes and mini beanies on ornaments

Alex’s was a pastel pink with drumsticks an inhaler with a Christmas tree on it

IT TOOK SO FREAKING LONG FOR HIM TO FINISH LIKE LITERAL MONTHS

At any given moment you could count on Bobby carrying his knitting needles in his back pocket

One time he saw Alex sleeping in the garage and made it his mission to make him the fluffiest and comfiest blanket

But then the boys died and Bobby stopped knitting. Even holding his needles reminded him of them. It would remind him of the guys, and it would stress Bobby out and give him panic attacks

UNTIL Carrie was born, and he knitted her a three-piece set of baby booties, baby romper, and little hat in hot pink string (Even at 32 weeks old Carrie was serving the looks)

He even made matching sweaters for Carrie, Julie, and Flynn when they were like 8

When Rose started to go through chemo  Bobby started to knit her so many hats and blankets (but not the one he started for Alex)

Bobby did eventually finish that blanket, and he gave it to Carrie the day she left for college

@sunset-bobby I hope you enjoy this I realized how little I wrote about Bobby and I just wanted to thank you for your encouragement. I also hope that you enjoy my characterization of this amazing character. 

 @theobligatedklutz Here’s one of the headcannons I said I would write then like didn’t lmao. I have more coming but sometimes my brain just doesn’t want to write anymore.

Also, to anyone who is reading this if I get anything wrong about knitting or Tagalog please tell me. I have very little experience with both of these things and I would love to learn more about both topics :)

[lifeofkaze]

Happy FFWF!

I'm curious, what Christmas traditions do Lizion have, if any?

First things first, sorry for taking almost a week to answer this xD

but @the-al-chemist and I have our mulled cherry wine, bakewell tarts and we're so ready for Christmus fluff 💛💛💛

First things first, Lizzie does not let it stand if her boyfriend has no place to go on Christmas, so she brings him with her to her parents' place after they got together. Most of their traditions stem from that time, so let's talk Christmas at the Jamesons'.

If there's an exciting game on (all games are exciting) they're gonna watch the Premier League matches on TV, because you can't go to the Jamesons and not watch football. Fact.

Lizzie and her mum Helen bake together for Christmas Day, while Michael, Jake and Duncan spend some time together. At first, Orion would join Lizzie and her mum because he really enjoys cooking and Jake wasn't too fond of him, but after a while, after Jake got used to his sister not being a child anymore, Orion would join in with them. At one point, Jake even teaches Orion how to play the guitar.

After nightfall, they would all go for a walk around town to watch the Christmas lights and listen to the carols.

Lizzie's mum is from America, Lizzie's dad from England. They made a compromise in traditions by leaving cookies and a shot of Fraser's Finest Dragon's Breath out for Father Christmas to enjoy. In this case, Father Christmas might take the form of Lizzie or Jake, you never know.

They spend a pretty traditional Christmas Day together, filled with food, laughter, presents and cuddling the cat(s).

No one cares for any speech of old muggle ladies in a crown. They might be technically English, but the Scottish heritage runs deep inside the Jamesons' and later the Amaris' blood.

They will go for a long walk by the sea side later in the day. Lizzie has a profound lack of understanding for people who willingly go for a charity swim. In the sea. In December. Orion finds it entertaining and a proper challenge for the balance between strength of mind and weakness of the body.

Even though Helen is the one cooking, their Christmas dinner isn't American, but a proper English turkey. When Orion joins the family for Christmas, they add in more vegetarian options for him. Once he is in charge of the cooking, he offers to do a proper roast for Lizzie but she's too used to not eat meat at this point.

At some point during Christmas, at least one cat or another has to be plucked out of the Christmas tree. There are no fragile ornaments used once Lizzie convinces Orion that Mouse definitely needs a friend. Or two.

Lizzie and Orion take their kids to a place that means a lot to them as a couple and as a family for a little holiday between Boxing Day and NYE. Once Dylan and Reva are older, they usually go to the Parkins' in Wigtown, while Lizzie and Orion go on their trip alone.

[calciumcryptid]

This is about the character, not the content creator.

Dream SMP Headcanons:

TechnoBlade Edition

Techno was born in a Crimson Forest, and grew up eating the fungi there. Due to this, he is vegetarian and hates eating meat.

The majority of piglins aren't expected to make it to adulthood, so most of Techno's childhood was moving around and protecting himself.

Techno, like all Piglins, has a strong attachment to gold. In fact, gold armor is the equivalent of diamond for him.

Techno has a tendency to hoard gold, but due to having to move around a lot he turned the gold into jewelry for him to wear.

Techno grew attached to Philza because he mistook the man's hair for gold. He followed Philza because Techno was curious about the man's wings (he didn't float or go through blocks like a ghast, it was insane!)

It took Philza a while to convince Techno to touch grass. Techno immediately hated the sensation of grass on his hooves.

Philza just brought Techno home with him to where he and Wilbur stayed. Wilbur lost his mind at the idea of having a brother.

Techno didn't have a choice in the adoption. Wilbur, upon learning Techno's age was unknown due to no concept of time in the nether, just declared they were twins.

Techno taught himself how to speak Villager by reading books. The first book he ever completed was The Art of War.

Due to the differences in Nether and Overworld fighting styles, Techno got an upper hand during fighting competitions.

The SBI house was by the ocean. This was how Sally met Wilbur and by extension Techno met Squidkid.

Squidkid was the one who introduced Techno to potatoes as a food source and taught Techno how to grow them. Techno eventually challenged Squidkid's status as the number one potato farmer which lead to the Great Potato World.

During a mining trip, Techno ran into a ravine inhabited by Golems. There he met Skeppy, a Diamond Golem trickster.

Surprisingly, the two got along well and set up a trade system between them that got the SBI a good influx of diamonds and Skeppy plenty of food and building materials.

Techno, like Skeppy, can crunch straight through rocks. This is why Techno consumes golden carrots.

Techno was the one who introduced Skeppy to the Nether, and taught him the truck of using the roof to travel the safest. It was on the Nether Roof where Skeppy met BadBoyHalo.

Techno was the best man at BBH and Skeppy's wedding, his best man speech goes similar to the Conner and Minx one.

Techno figured out the mother of Philza's kids was Kristen, better known as Lady Death.

As a reward for his mix of strategic and fighting skills, Kristen granted him the title of Blood God. This made Techno functionally immortal alongside Philza, but since Techno wasn't the child or lover of a god the ritual sort of backfired into creating the chat.

The crown upon Techno's head, which I imagine more of a fancy gold circlet, was first given to him as a child by Philza who enchanted it so he could go to the Overworld without being zombiefied. It later was enchanted by Kristen to help Techno reign in his bloodlust.

Techno was the one who taught Tommy how to fight. Techno at first tried to teach Tommy a battle style that would fit Tommy's stature, but Tommy was insistent that he could fight like Techno and be better at it.

This lead to Tommy being "bad" at fighting.

Tommy and Techno went hunting once, which lead Tommy's first kill to be a raccoon. I draw Tommy with a raccoon hat, this is where it comes from.

Wilbur and Techno would stay up into the late hours of the night talking about psychology and philosophy.

Techno got along with Philza and Kristen better than Tommy and Wilbur which caused Techno to not see Tommy and Wilbur as brothers.

Techno actually met Ranboo before the canon events, not that either remember. Techno found a weird ghast enderman hybrid and fed it a golden apple. Ranboo teleported away from him, but they did technically meet.

Techno and Dream met in a weird way. Dream was going to have a dramatic introduction where he declares Techno as his rival when in reality Dream fell off a building and Techno was so frightened that he blacked out during their conversation.

It wasn't until the rivalry was publicized that Techno realized what exactly he agreed to. Techno also quickly realized he had a lot more to lose than Dream did so his anxiety will go absolutely insane when he is around Dream.

Now onto more canon aligned headcanons:

Techno and Niki get along so well because they both know what it is like to have the smallest voice be theirs. They also speak the platonic love language of quality time so it isn't weird to see Niki baking with Techno reading near by.

Techno refers to Ranboo as the Blood Prince in his head, but he'll never admit this.

Techno can speak Villager, Pigllager, Aquatic (Squidkid), Avian (Philza), and Engar (Ranboo).

Due to Techno's first interaction with Dream being Dream falling off a roof, Techno isn't intimidated by Dream at all.

Techno has a tendency to forget that Philza is married to Death herself, so he is always a little shocked when Philza talks to gods so casually.

Techno will still think that being handed gold means the other person wants to trade. It is awkward explaining this.

Piglins like to drape their love ones in gold, so Techno will give golden ornaments to his loved ones. He has given Wilbur a black guitar with golden lining, Tommy swords with a golden handle, Philza and Kristen plenty of golden jewelry, Ranboo golden quills, and Niki golden baking utensils. He also gives golden apples to animals around him, and dresses Carl, Steve, and Blitz in golden collars and armor.

Techno has Thanatophobia, the fear of death.