#While jessy is the Dawn King

[courtjesterrr]

Oh! One arrives. Far it walks to find me.

Did it seek my aid? Or did the path carry it by chance to so pertinant a place?

Character Belongs To @the-moth-from-elsewhere / @the-quiet-light

[cielrouge]

YA SFF Books by Asian Authors

Ash by Malinda Lo: In this variation on the Cinderella story, Ash grows up believing in the fairy realm that the king and his philosophers have sought to suppress, until one day she must choose between a handsome fairy cursed to love her and the King’s Huntress whom she loves.

Along the Indigo by Elsie Chapman: Marsden yearns to take her sister and escape Glory, a town famous for seedy businesses, but her friendship with Jude yields secrets that may chain them to the Indigo River forever.

Alpha Goddess by Amalie Howard:  In this sci-fi retelling of Ramayana, Sera is a Hindu goddess incarnate and must battle between her good and evil sides in order to save the world from becoming hell on earth.

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee: It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her 17-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel, Raffe. 

The Archer at Dawn (The Tiger at Midnight #2) by Swati Teerdhala: Set in an Indian & Hindu-inspired world, long-held secrets will force Kunal and Esha to reconsider their loyalties—to their country and to each other.

The Athena Protocol by Shamim Sarif: After being fired from the Athena Protocol, an organization of female spies who enact vigilante justice, Jessie Archer investigates a human trafficking case in Belgrade, while her former teammates have been tasked with bringing her down.

Blood of a Thousand Stars (Empress of a Thousand Skies #2) by Rhoda Belleza: Rhee risks her crown to negotiate peace terms with villainous media star Nero, while framed assassin Aly plots revenge and Kara seeks technology that will erase her royal past.

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco: Tea’s gift for death magic means that she is a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community, but when an older bone witch trains her to become an asha - one who can wield elemental magic - Tea will have to overcome her obstacles and make a powerful choice in the face of danger as dark forces approach.

The Bronzed Beasts (The Gilded Wolves #3) by Roshani Chokshi: With only ten days until Laila expires, the crew will face plague pits and deadly masquerades, unearthly songs, and the shining steps of a temple whose powers might offer divinity itself, but at a price they may not be willing to pay.

The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi: An epic YA fantasy about a girl with a special power to communicate with magical beasts and the warring kingdom only she can save.

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh: In 19th century New Orleans where vampires hide in plain sight, half-Asian Celine Rosseau, a dressmaker from Paris, becomes embroiled in a murder mystery, connected to the glamorous supernatural cohort, known as the Court of Lions, and catching the eye of their mysterious, charismatic leader, Sèbastien Saint Germain.

Broken Web (Shamanborn #2) by Lori M. Lee: With Queen Meilyr bent on destroying the magical kingdoms, Sirscha becomes caught between a war in the east and the Soulless in the west.

The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad: Set in the city of Noor, along the Silk Road which has become a refuge for those of all faiths, Fatima becomes embroiled in a war between two clans of powerful djinn who threaten to destroy her peace in different ways, forcing her to make unlikely alliances to survive.

Caster by Elsie Chapman: In this Chinese-inspired, magical Fight Club, Earth is already at the brink of environmental disaster due to the magic overuse. And 16-year-old spell caster Aza Wu must navigate through an illegal, underground battle magic tournament, while evading local gangs and police scouts to save her family from ruin.

Catalyst by Lydia Kang: Zelia Benten has lost her father, the love of her life, and any future she might have imagined for herself. Now she, her sister, and the band of illegal genetic outcasts they’ve come to call their family are forced to run when the safety of their foster home is compromised.

A Clash of Steel (A Treasure Island Remix) by C.B. Lee: Set in 1820s China, Xiah joins Anh and her motley crew in pursuit of the hidden treasure of the legendary Dragon Fleet.

Chainbreaker (Timekeeper #2) by Tara Sim: In 1876, someone is destroying the clock towers that control India’s time. Teenage mechanics Danny Hart and half-white, half-Indian Daphne Richards as they travel to Agra to investigate a series of clock tower bombings.

The Chariot at Dusk (Tiger at Midnight #3) by Swati Teerdhala: In the final book of this epic fantasy trilogy, the lands’ fate, their people’s livelihoods, and the bond that sustains their world all depend on what Kunal and Esha can offer—to the gods and to each other.

Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu: June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic--and each other--and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic's border cities.

Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye: Love, spies, and adventure abound as apprentice warriors Sora and Daemon unravel a complex web of magic and secrets that might tear them—and the entire kingdom—apart forever.

Control by Lydia Kang: In 2150, when genetic manipulation has been outlawed, seventeen-year-old Zelia must rescue her kidnapped sister with the help of a band of outcasts with mutated genes.

Court of Lions (Mirage #2) by Somaiya Daud: After being swept up into the brutal Vathek court, Amani, the ordinary girl forced to serve as the half-Vathek princess Maram’s body double, is desperate to continue helping the rebellion But can she bear to remain separated, forever, from Maram's fiancé, Idris? 

Cross Fire (Exo #2) by Fonda Lee: When the peaceful alien-run government withdraws from Earth, it seems that the terrorist group Sapience is going to get the "free" Earth it wanted; but Donovan Reyes, member of the security forces, and once a prisoner of Sapience, realizes that freedom comes with a price. 

The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye: Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia. The Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death. 

The Crown’s Fate (The Crown’s Game #2) by Evelyn Skye: Vika struggles with dangers in her new role as the Imperial Enchanter while Pasha faces disputes about his legitimacy and Nikolai considers how far he is willing to go to return to the world.

A Crown of Wishes (Star-Touched Queen #2) by Roshani Chokshi:  Gauri, princess of Bharata, has been captured by her kingdom's enemies and faces a future of exile and scorn--she has nothing left to lose. But Vikram, the notoriously cunning prince of a neighboring land, promises her freedom in exchange for her partnership on his team to win the Tournament of Wishes.

The Damned (The Beautiful #2) by Renée Ahdieh: Sébastien Saint Germain is now cursed and forever changed. The price of loving Celine Rousseau was costly. But as Bastien and Celine begin to uncover the danger around them, they learn their love could tear them apart.

Dark Goddess (Alpha Goddess #2) by Amalie Howard:  In this Indian-inspired fantasy, a girl who is the avatar of the goddess Lakshmi must work to prevent the apocalypse at the hands of demons. 

Dark Goddess (Templar Chronicles #2) by Sarwat Chadda: Billi SanGreal, a teenaged member of the Knights Templar, must prevent a young girl, who is being hunted by werewolves because of the dangerous powers she possesses, from falling into the hands of the ancient Russian witch, Baba Yaga.

Daughter of Dusk (Midnight Thief #2) by Livia Blackburne: After learning the truth about her bloodlines, Kyra can’t help but feel like a monster. As tensions rise within Forge’s Council, and a vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. 

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He: In this Chinese-inspired fantasy, Princess Hesina of Yan is thrust into power when her beloved father is murdered, and she’s determined to find his killer–whatever the cost.

The Devil’s Kiss (Templar Chronicles #1) by Sarwat Chadda: 15-year-old Billi SanGreal has grown up knowing that being a member of the Knights Templar puts her in danger, but if she is to save London from catastrophe she must make sacrifices greater than she imagined.

The Devil’s Thief (The Last Magician #2) by Lisa Maxwell: Esta and Harte set off on a cross-country chase through time to steal back the elemental stones they need to save the future of magic.

Divided (Dualed #2) by Elsie Chapman:  When the Board goes after West Grayer for refusing to kill her next target, West must uncover the truth of the past to survive.

Dove Arising by Karen Bao: On a lunar colony, 15-old Phaet Theta does the unthinkable and joins the Militia when her mother is imprisoned by the Moon's oppressive government. 

Dove Exiled (Dove Chronicles #2) by Karen Bao: Phaet’s past catches up with her when the Lunar Bases attack the community and reveal that Phaet is a fugitive. She’s torn between staying on Earth with Wes—whom she’s just discovered her feelings for—and stowing away on a Moon-bound ship to rescue her siblings.

Dove Alight (Dove Chronicles #3) by Karen Bao: Shy, introverted Phaet Theta has gone from being a top student to an interplanetary fugitive to the reluctant but fierce leader of a revolution. But as the death tolls rise, the cost of the war weighs heavily on Phaet. Phaet started this war because she lost someone she loved. Will she have to lose another to end it?

Eclipse the Stars by Maura Milan: Criminal mastermind and unrivaled pilot Ia Ccha and her allies make unpredictable choices as they fight to keep darkness from eclipsing the skies.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir: Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan, Laia, fighting for her family and a soldier, Elias, fighting for his freedom.

Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean: During a once-in-a-generation competition to find the new empress, Mari, who hides a terrible secret, Taro, the prince who would denounce the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human outcast, will decide the fate of Honoku.

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza: Two sisters, Rhee and Kara—sole survivors of a murdered royal lineage - must reunite from opposite ends of the galaxy to salvage what’s left of their family dynasty and save the universe from a greater threat.

End of Days (Penryn & The End of Days #3) by Susan Ee: After a daring escape, Penryn and Raffe are on the run, but a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all. When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee: 15-year-old Genie Lo wonders if she’s qualified enough to gain admission to an Ivy League school, then becomes powerful enough to break through the gates of Heaven with her fists.

The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa: Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allison Sekemoto will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever--and possibly end human and vampire existence.

The Ever Cruel Kingdom (The Never Tilting World #2) by Rin Chupeco: To break the cycle of sacrifice, twins Haidee and Odessa need answers that lie beyond the seven gates of the underworld, within the Cruel Kingdom itself. The shadows of the underworld may hunger to tear them apart, but these two sisters are determined to heal their world—together.

Exo by Fonda Lee: For a century now, Earth has been a peaceful colony of an alien race, and Donovan Reyes is a loyal member of the security forces, while his father is the Prime Liaison–but when a routine search and seizure goes bad Donovan finds himself a captive of the human revolutionary group, Sapience, terrorists who seem to prefer war to alien rule, and killing Donovan just might be the incident they are looking for.

Fair Coin by E.C. Myers: When evil versions of himself and best friend Nate appear one day, teenaged Ephraim embarks on a dangerous odyssey through parallel worlds to make things right.

Firestarter (Timekeeper #3) by Tara Sim: Colton, Daphne, and the others must choose between those striving to take down the world’s clock towers so that time can run freely, and terrorists trying to bring back the lost god of time.

Five Dark Fates (Three Dark Crowns #4) by Kendare Blake: In this conclusion to the Three Dark Crowns series, three dark sisters will rise to fight as the secrets of Fennbirn’s history are laid bare. Allegiances will shift. Bonds will be tested, and some broken forever.

Flame in the Mist by Renee Adhieh: The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by the Black Clan. Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of this gang. But she’s quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel ronin Takeda Ranmaru. 

For A Muse of Fire by Heidi Heilig: 16-year-old shadow puppeteer Jetta Chantray performs with her family’s traveling troupe, the Ros Nai. But as rebellion seethes and as Jetta meets a young smuggler, she will face truths and decisions that she never imagined—and safety will never seem so far away.

Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee: Sirscha Ashwyn, while training to become the queen’s next royal spy, discovers she’s a rare and powerful lightwender and is summoned to the realm of the Spider King, where her newly awakened abilities are needed to cull the bloodthirsty Dead Wood.

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao: A reimagining of the evil queen from Snow White based on Asian mythology in which 18-year-old Xifeng must unleash a jealous god on the world and set free the viciousness of her own soul in order to become Empress.

The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3) by Julie Kagawa: Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren. But Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions as his trail leads straight to the one place they must protect at any cost -- the last vampire-free zone on Earth.

Fury of the Phoenix (Kingdom of Xia #2) by Cindy Pon: When Ai Ling leaves her home and family to accompany Chen Yong on his quest to find his father, haunted by the ancient evil she thought she had banished to the underworld, she must use her growing supernatural powers to save Chen Yong from the curses that follow her.

Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee: A teenage girl must keep her ability to manipulate the threads of time a secret, but when her brother goes missing, she risks getting caught up in a revolution in order to save him.

Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta: Eris Shindanai and Sona Steelcrest, two girls on opposite sides of a war fought with Windups, giant mechanizes weapons, discover they’re fighting for a common purpose–and falling for each other.

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi: Paris, 1889: Treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie gets the chance of a lifetime when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help in exchange for a priceless treasure: his true inheritance.

The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig: From modern-day New York City to nineteenth-century Hawaii to places of myth and legend, 16-year-old Nix has sailed across the globe and through centuries aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. But when he gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end.

The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco: Okiku has wandered the world for centuries, but when she meets Tark she knows the moody teen with the series of intricate tattoos is not a monster and needs to be freed from the demonic malevolence that clings to him.

The Girl King by Mimi Yu: Sisters Lu and Min become unwitting rivals in a war to claim the title of Emperor.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust: As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Princess Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time.

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan: When Lei, seventeen, is stolen from her home to become one of nine Paper Girls, the Demon King's concubines, she proves to be more fire than paper.

Girls of Storm and Shadow (Girls of Paper and Fire #2) by Natasha Ngan: After escaping the Hidden Palace, Lei and her warrior love Wren must travel the kingdom to gain support from the far-flung rebel clans.

Girls of Fate and Fury (Girls of Paper and Fire #3) by Natasha Ngan: The last Lei saw of the girl she loved, Wren, was fighting an army of soldiers in a furious battle to the death. With the two girls torn apart and each in terrorizing peril, will they find each other again or have their destinies diverged forever.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh: A feminist retelling of the Korean folktale The Tale of Shim Cheong, set in a town where every year a girl is sacrificed to the sea to stop torrential rains, but when a brave teen girl dives in herself to protect a loved one, she discovers a spirit kingdom in need of saving.

The Great Destroyers by Caroline Tung Richmond: set in alt-history, 1960s America where WWI & WII were fought with giant mechs, biracial Chinese American teen Jo Linden is Team USA’s most unlikely pick in the annual Pax Games, an Olympic-style competition that pits mecha pilots against each other.

The Heartforger (Bone Witch #2) by Rin Chupeco: With a thirst for vengeance, a band of terrifying daeva at her command, and her resurrected lover Kalen by her side, dark asha Tea is ready to face her adversaries.

A House of Rage and Sorrow (Celestial Trilogy #2) by Sangu Mandanna: As gods, beasts, and kingdoms choose sides, Alexi seeks out a weapon more devastating than even Titania. The House of Rey is at war. And the entire galaxy will bleed before the end.

Huntress by Malinda Lo: 17-year-olds Kaede and Taisin are called to go on a dangerous and unprecedented journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen, in an effort to restore the balance of nature in the human world.

Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan: When outlaw Ia Ccha is captured by the Olympus Commonwealth and revealed to be a 16-year-old girl, they force her to serve them by joining the Commonwealth's military academy where new acquaintances cause Ia to question her own alliances.

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa: Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city, until she too becomes an immortal vampire. Forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls, she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend -- a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

Inferno (Talon #5) by Julie Kagawa: Ember Hill has learned a shocking truth about herself: she is the blood of the Elder Wyrm, the ancient dragon who leads Talon and who is on the verge of world domination. With the stakes rising and the Elder Wyrm declaring war, time is running out for the rogues and any dragon not allied with Talon. The final battle approaches. And if Talon is victorious, the world will burn.

The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman: Japanese American teen Nami Miyamoto finds herself in a limitless world where the human consciousness goes after death, where she battles an AI entity posing as a queen that has hacked its way into the afterlife.

Isle of Blood and Stone by Makiia Lucier: Mysterious maps from opposite ends of the sea cast doubt on the whereabouts of two princes, presumed dead.

Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan: A debut fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology, in which peasant girl Anh, cursed with the power to steal souls enters a tenuous alliance with exiled prince Altan, bent on taking back the dragon throne, and save the empire from a cult of dangerous priests.

Journey to the Heart of the Abyss (Light in the Abyss #2) by London Shah: Leyla McQueen has finally reunited with her father after breaking him out of Broadmoor, the illegal government prison—but his freedom comes at a terrible cost. As Leyla celebrates his return, she must grapple with the pain of losing Ari. Now labeled the nation’s number one enemy, Leyla must risk illegal travel through unchartered waters for the truth behind her father’s arrest.

Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena: Set in a world inspired by medieval India, the story tells of a girl, Gul, with a star-shaped birthmark who is prophesied to be the downfall of a tyrant king, the warrior women who come to her aid, and the boy she falls in love with.

The Keeper of the Night by Kylie Lee Baker: set in 1890s Japan, half-British reaper, half-Japanese Shinigami Ren Scarborough flees London and enters the Japanese underworld under the service of Izanami, the goddess of death.

King (Dragon King Chronicles #3) by Ellen Oh: Girl warrior, demon slayer, Tiger spirit of the Yellow Eyes - Kira is ready for her final quest! She must save her cousin, the boy fated to be the future king, uncover the third lost treasure, and face innumerable enemies in order to fulfill the famed prophecy.

A Kingdom for the Stage (For A Muse of Fire #2) by Heidi Heilig: The rebels are eager to use Le Trépas’s and necromancer Jetta’s combined magic against the invading colonists. Soon Jetta will face the choice between saving all of Chakrana or becoming like her father, and she isn’t sure which she’ll choose.

Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix (Rise of the Empress #2) by Julie C. Dao: Princess Jade has grown up in exile while her stepmother, the ruthless Xifeng, rules Feng Lu. Ready to reclaim her place, Jade embarks on a quest to raise the Dragon Lords and defeat Xifeng and the Serpent God once and for all.

Legend by Marie Lu: In a dark future, when North America has split into two warring nations, 15-year-olds Day, a famous criminal, and prodigy June, the brilliant soldier hired to capture him, discover that they have a common enemy.

Legion (Talon #4) by Julie Kagawa: The legions are about to be unleashed, and no human, rogue dragon or former dragon slayer can stand against the coming horde in book 4 out of the Talon series.

The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana: Amrita must unravel the mysteries of her past to save her kingdom, but in doing so, she herself might come unraveled.

The Light At the Bottom of the World by London Shah: Set in a future where the Earth is underwater, Leyla McQueen must navigate the treacherous abyss to find her missing father, but discovers a world drowning in lies.

Live in Infamy by Caroline Tung Richmond: 80 years since the Axis won World War II, and America was divided between the victors: the Nazis in the East and Imperial Japan in the West; but now resistance is growing in the Eastern territories and 16-year-old Chinese American Ren Cabot finds himself drawn into a resistance group. 

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna: 15-year-old Eva is the clone of a girl living far, far away on another continent--and when this 'other' dies, Eva must step in and take over her life.

The Infinite (Gates of Thread and Stone #2) by Lori M. Lee: Kai always believed the only danger to the city came from within. Now, with a rebel force threatening the fragile government, the walls have become more of a prison than ever. To make matters worse, as Avan explores his new identity as an Infinite, Kai struggles to remind him what it means to be human. 

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao: blending Chinese history and mecha science, Wu Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. Features a poly F/M/M main romance.

The Iron Will of Genie Lo (Epic Crush of Genie Lo #2) by F.C. Yee: Along with a few other contenders for the throne,  heaven-appointed guardian Genie and her friends embark on a Heavenly quest to an in-between world.

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen: An intergenerational story of a mother and son struggling to relate to each other—the mother an immigrant to America who wants to make a home for her family in an unfamiliar country; the son Tiế  trying to figure out the best way to come out to his parents. Through telling each other fairy tales, they’re able to find common ground.

The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan by Sherry Thomas: When her ailing father is conscripted to fight invaders from the north, Mulan dresses as a man to take his place in the army, but an old enemy and an attraction for her troop's commander complicate her mission.

The Memory Keepers by Natasha Ngan: Seven is a thief with a difference - he steals downloadable memories from banks and memoriums to sell onto London’s black market. But one night, as Seven is breaking into a private memorium in a wealthy part of London, he is caught in the act by one of its residents; Alba, the teenage daughter of London’s most famous criminal prosecutor. 

The Memory Key by Liana Liu: In the not-so-distant future, everyone is implanted with a memory key to stave off a virulent form of Alzeimer's. Lora Mint fears her memories of her deceased mother are fading, but when her memory key is damaged she has perfect recall--of everything-- which brings her mother's memory vividly back--but may also drive Lora mad. 

The Mermaid, The Witch, and The Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall: A desperate orphan turned pirate, Flora, and a rebellious imperial daughter, Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, find a connection on the high seas abroad the Dove, in a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic.

The Midnight Star (Young Elites #3) by Marie Lu:  Adelina is forced to revisit old wounds when a new danger appears, putting not only Adelina at risk, but every Elite. In order to save herself and preserve her empire, Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest—though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger.

The Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne: Kyra, a highly skilled 17-year-old thief, joins a guild of assassins with questionable motives. Tristam, a young knight, fights against the vicious Demon Riders that are ravaging the city. 

Mirage by Somaiya Daud: In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, 18-year-old Amani is forced to work as a body double for the princess who is hated by her conquered people.

The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco: In  a world ruled by goddesses that has been split in two—one half existing in perpetual scorching Day, the other in freezing Night—twins separated at birth Odessa and Haidee embark on a quest across the great divide and rule a reunited world.

Mooncakes by Wendy Xu & Suzanne Walker: Teen witch Nova Huang runs into her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. 

Moribito, Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi: The wandering warrior Balsa is hired to protect Prince Chagum from both a mysterious monster and the prince's father, the Mikado.

Moribito II, Guardian of the Darkness by Nahoko Uehashi: The wandering female bodyguard Balsa returns to her native country of Kanbal, where she uncovers a conspiracy to frame her mentor and herself.

Night of the Dragon (Shadow of the Fox #3) by Julie Kagawa: As darkness rises and chaos reigns,  fierce kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko and her shadowy protector Kage Tatsumi, will face down the greatest evil of all.

Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee: Resigned to a life without superpowers in a world full of them, Jess takes a paid internship where she helps a heinous supervillain and works with her longtime crush Abby, but stumbles on a massive plot.

Not Your Villain (Sidekick Squad #2) by C.B. Lee: After discovering a massive cover-up by the Heroes’ League of Heroes, shapeshifter Bells Broussard and his friends Jess, Emma, and Abby set off on a secret mission to find the Resistance.

Not Your Backup by C.B. Lee (Sidekick Squad #3): As the Resistance moves to challenge the corrupt League of Heroes, Emma Robledo realizes where her place is in this fight: at the front.

On This Unworthy Scaffold (Shadow Players #3) by Heidi Heilig: Jetta’s home is spiraling into civil war.Le Trépas—the deadly necromancer—has used his blood magic to wrest control of the country. Meanwhile, Jetta’s love interest, brother, and friend are intent on infiltrating the palace to stop the Boy King and find Le Trépas to put an end to the unleashed chaos.

The Only Thing to Fear by Caroline Tung Richmond: After 70 years since Hitler's armies won the war, 16-year-old Zara St. James lives in the Shenandoah hills, part of the Eastern American Territories, under the rule of the Nazis--but a resistance movement is growing. 

The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He: In a near future when life is harsh outside of Earth’s last unpolluted place, Cee tries to leave an abandoned island while her sister, STEM prodigy Kasey Mizuhara, seeks escape from the science and home she once trusted.

One Dark Throne (Three Dark Crowns #2) by Kendare Blake: Preparing for the queens' sixteenth birthday celebration and navigating the fallout of the Quickening, sisters Arsinoe, Katharine, and Mirabella reassess their strategic paths to the throne using new understandings of their powers and destinies.

Our Violent Ends (These Violent Delights #2) by Chloe Gong: In 1927, Shanghai tethers on the edge of revolution. After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on the warpath. Then a new monstrous danger emerges in the city, and while secrets keep them apart, Juliette must secure Roma’s cooperation if they are to end this threat.

Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu: June and Day make their way to Las Vegas where they join the rebel Patriot group and become involved in an assassination plot against the Elector in hopes of saving the Republic.

Quantum Coin (Fair Coin #2) by E.C. Myers: Ephraim, Jena, and Zoe embark on a mission across multiple worlds to learn what's going wrong and how to stop it. They will have to draw on every resource available and trust in alternate versions of themselves and their friends, before it's too late for all of them.

Ravage the Dark (Scavenge the Stars #2) by Tara Sim: After escaping the city of Moray, Amaya and Cayo head to the port city of Baleine to find the mysterious Benefactor and put a stop to the counterfeit currency that is spreading Ash Fever throughout the kingdoms.

The Reader by Traci Chee:  Set in a world where reading is unheard-of, Sefia makes use of a mysterious object to track down who kidnapped her aunt Nin and what really happened the night her father was murdered.

A Reaper At the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3) by Sabaa Tahir: Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger as the Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, Laia of Serra, and Elias Veturius all face increasing dangers.

Rebel (Legend #4) by Marie Lu: Brothers Eden and Daniel Wing struggle to accept who they’ve each become since their time in the Republic, but a new danger creeps into the distance that’s grown between them. Eden soon finds himself drawn so far into Ross City’s dark side, even his legendary brother can’t save him. At least not on his own.

Rebelwing by Andrea Tang: At a prestigious prep school, scholastic student Prudence Wu, who smuggles censored media in a futuristic North America divided by culture wars and becomes an unlikely revolutionary, after being imprinted by Rebelwing, a sentient cybernetic dragon.

Renegade Flight (Rebelwing #2) by Andrea Tang: Pilot-in-training Viola Park, a probationary student at GAN Academy, enters a mech combat tournament that becomes a fight for the future of Peacekeepers everywhere.

Rising Like a Storm (The Wrath of Ambar #2) by Tanaz Bhathena: Gul and Cavas must unite their magical forces―and hold onto their growing romance―to save their kingdom from tyranny.

The Righteous (The Beautiful #3) by Renée Ahdieh: Pippa Montrose is tired of losing everything she loves. When her best friend Celine disappears under mysterious circumstances, Pippa resolves to find her, even if the journey takes her into the dangerous world of the fae, where she might find more than she bargained for in the charismatic Arjun Desai.

The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee: The never-before-told backstory of Avatar Kyoshi, from a girl of humble origins to the merciless pursuer of justice who is still feared and admired centuries after she became the Avatar.

Rogue (Talon #2) by Julie Kagawa: Unable to forget the human boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, Ember is determined to save him from execution with the help of rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues.

Rogue Heart (Rebel Seoul #2) by Axie Oh: Two years after the Battle of Neo Seoul, telepath Ama must use her telepathic abilities to infiltrate the base of the Alliance’s new war commander, Alex Kim, her first love who betrayed her.

The Rose and the Dagger (Wrath and the Dawn #2) by Renee Adhieh: Unsure who to trust, Shahrzad takes matters into her own hands to try and break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

The Rose Society (Young Elites #2) by Marie Lu: Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she and her sister flee Kenettra to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis.

Ruse (Want #2) by Cindy Pon: In near-future Shanghai where society is divided between the fabulously wealthy business elite and the masses they exploit, Jason Zhou must play a dangerous cat and mouse game with the ruthless CEO of an all powerful corporation which has an ever-growing choke hold on the polluted metropolis.

Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim: In the city-state of Moray, Amaya, orphaned by a powerful merchant’s greed and condemned to seven years aboard a debtor’s ship, returns to seek revenge only to encounter the merchant’s son in this gender-swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo.

Serpentine by Cindy Pon: Although 16-year-old Skybright feels lucky to be the handmaid and companion to the daughter of a wealthy family, she is hiding a secret that threatens to destroy her position and her closest relationships.

Sacrifice (Serpertine #2) by Cindy Pon: When Zhen Ni discovers that her new husband, the strange and brutish Master Hou, may not be all he seems, Skybright and Stone must travel through the terrifying underworld to save her.

Seven Deadly Shadows by Courtney Alameda & Valynne Maetani: Set in contemporary Japan, Shinto temple priestess Kira Fujikawa, must seek the aid of seven ruthless shinigami, in order to protect Kyoto from an ancient evil.

Shatter the Sky by Rebecca Kim Wells: Maren, desperate to save her kidnapped girlfriend Kaia, plans to steal one of the emperor’s dragons and storm the Aurati stronghold, but her success depends on becoming an apprentice to the mysterious dragon trainer, which proves to be a dangerous venture.

Talon by Julie Kagawa: In a world in which near-extinct dragons pass as humans to grow their numbers secretly, siblings Ember and Dante Hill prepare for destined positions in the world of Talon only to be hunted by a dragon-slaying soldier.

The Ship Beyond Time (Girl From Everywhere #2) by Heidi Heilig: Nix has escaped her past, but when the person she loves most is at risk, even the daughter of a time traveler may not be able to outrun her fate—no matter where she goes.

The Shadow Mission (The Athena Protocol #2) by Shamim Sharif: Jessie Archer faced down death to prove her dedication to Athena, the elite organization of female spies she works for. Now she’s back on the team, in time to head to Pakistan to take down the man whose actions spurred Athena’s founders to create the secretive squad. 

The Shadow of Kyoshi (Kyoshi #2) by F.C. Yee: Kyoshi’s place as the true Avatar has finally been cemented. With her mentors gone, Kyoshi voyages across the Four Nations, struggling to keep the peace. But while her reputation grows, a mysterious threat emerges from the Spirit World. To stop it, Kyoshi, Rangi, and their reluctant allies must join forces.

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa: Demons have burned the temple Yumeko was raised in to the ground, killing everyone within, including the master who trained her to both use and hide her kitsune shapeshifting powers. Yumeko escapes with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll. Fate thrusts her into the path of a mysterious samurai, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan. Yumeko knows he seeks what she has…and is under orders to kill anything and anyone who stands between him and the scroll.

Shadow Girl by Liana Liu: When Mei arrives at the beautiful home on Arrow Island, she can't help feeling relieved. She's happy to spend the summer tutoring a rich man's daughter if it means a break from her normal life. Yet she can't shake her fear that there is danger lurking in the shadows of this beautiful house, a darkness that could destroy the family inside and out...and Mei along with them. 

Shadowsong (Wintersong #2) by S. Jae-Jones: Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother’s and her own musical careers. But when troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death, and the Goblin King—who he was, who he is, and who he will be.

Smoke in the Sun (A Flame in the Mist #2) by Renee Ahdieh: After Okami is captured in the Jukai forest, Mariko has no choice—to rescue him, she tricks her brother, Kenshin, and betrothed, Raiden, into thinking she was being held by the Black Clan against her will. But each secret Mariko unfurls gives way to the next, ensnaring her and Okami in a political scheme that threatens their honor, their love and very the safety of the empire.

Sisters of the Snake by Sasha & Sarena Nanua: an Indian-inspired fantasy where twins separated at birth—one now a princess, the other a street thief— must switch places in a bid to stop a catastrophic war that threatens to tear their kingdom apart.

Silver Phoenix (Kingdom of Xia #1) by Cindy Pon: With her father long overdue from his journey and a lecherous merchant blackmailing her into marriage, 17-year-old Ai Ling becomes aware of a strange power within her as she goes in search of her parent.

The Silvered Serpents (The Gilded Wolves #2) by Roshani Chokshi: Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but at a terrible cost. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumored to grant its possessor the power of God. Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into icy heart of Russia.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim: The Wild Swans meets East Asian fantasy where an exiled princess, Shiori, must unweave the curse that turned her brothers into cranes, assisted by her spurned betrothed, a mercurial dragon, and a paper bird brought to life by her own magic.

A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) by Sabaa Tahir: Laia of Serra is now allied with the Blood Shrike, Helen Aquilla. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory–or to an unimaginable doom.

Skyhunter by Marie Lu: Robbed of her voice and home, Talin Kanami knows firsthand the brutality of the Federation. Their cruelty forced her and her mother to seek asylum in Mara. When a mysterious prisoner is brought from the front, Talin senses there’s more to him than meets the eye. 

The Shadow Glass (Bone Witch #3) by Rin Chupeco: Bone witch Tea’s dark magic eats away at her, but she must save the one she loves most, even while her life—and the kingdoms—are on the brink of destruction.

Song of the Abyss (Towers of Wind #2) by Makiia Lucier: When menacing raiders attack her ship, navigator Reyna must use every resource at her disposal, including placing her trust in a handsome prince from a rival kingdom.

Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao: After cruelly rejecting Bao, the poor physician’s apprentice who loves her, Lan, a wealthy nobleman’s daughter, regrets her actions. After learning that Bao’s soul has been trapped inside a flute by a witch, Lan vows to make amends and help break the spell.

Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) by Julie Kagawa: As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross once again, the entire empire will be thrown into chaos.

A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna: In this sci-fi retelling of the  Mahabrahata, Esmae learns that the King of Wychstar is offering the unbeatable warship Titania to the winner of his competition and she sees her chance to return home and help her brother win back his kingdom.

The Speaker (Sea of Ink and Gold #2) by Traci Chee: Having barely escaped the clutches of the Guard, Sefia and Archer are back on the run, slipping into the safety of the forest to tend to their wounds and plan their next move.

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim: 17-year-old Maia Tamarin poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor, and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars, with help from the mysterious court magician, Edan.

Spell Starter (Caster #2) by Elsie Chapman: Yes, Aza Wu now has magic back, but now she’s in the employ of the gang leader, St. Willow. Who soon decides that having Aza as a fighter is much more lucrative than as a fixer.

Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar: Inspired by Hindu mythology, half-mortal, half-star Sheetal enters a celestial competition to save her human father’s life.

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi:  Treated with scorn and fear in her father's kingdom because of a formidable horoscope, 16-year-old Maya commits herself to her education only to land in an arranged marriage that culminates in her sudden elevation to the throne, a situation that is threatened by dark secrets and Otherworldly magic.

Star-Touched Stories by Roshani Choski:Three lush and adventurous stories in the Star-Touched world.

Steelstriker (Skyhunter #2) by Marie Lu: After the fall of Mara, and with the fate of a broken world hanging in the balance, Talin and Red must reunite the Strikers and find their way back to one another.

Storm the Earth (Shatter the Sky #2) by Rebecca Kim Wells: Maren and her girlfriend Kaia set out to rescue Sev  in Zafed, and free the dragons from the corrupt emperor.

The Storyteller (Sea of Ink and Gold #3) by Traci Chee: Sefia is determined to keep Archer out of the Guard’s clutches and their plans for war between the Five Kingdoms. As Sefia and Archer watch Kelanna start to crumble to the Guard’s will, they will have to choose between their love and joining a war that just might tear them apart.

Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan: In this steampunk fantasy set in Qing dynasty-inspired China, warrior girl Anlei teams up with a thief to save her village from shadow spirits, but after arriving at the Courts of Hell, a discovery challenges everything they know about who the real enemy is.

The Suffering (Girl From the Well #2) by Rin Chupeco: When an old friend disappears in Aokigahara, Japan's infamous 'suicide forest,' Tark and the ghostly Okiku must resolve their differences and return to find her. In a strange village inside Aokigahara, old ghosts and an ancient evil lie waiting. 

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong: In 1920s Shanghai, starcrossed heirs to rival gangs, Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, must work together to face a monster that hunts the city streets before the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War.

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake: A fantasy about triplet sisters separated at birth, where one of the sisters will grow up to be queen of their magical island, but in order to ascend to the throne she must hone her magic for a dark purpose: assassinating her other two sisters before they kill her first.

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings edited by Ellen Oh & Elsie Chapman: 15 bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.

A Thousand Fires by Shannon Price: In modern-day San Francisco where three gangs rule the city streets, half-Filipina teen Valerie Simons enters the Red Bridge Wars to seek vengeance for her younger brother’s death, but soon finds herself torn between old love and new loyalty.

The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala: In ancient India, soldier Kunal hunts the “Viper,” rebel girl Esha accused of killing his General, embarking on a dangerous cat and mouse game and where both must decide—loyalty to their old lives or to a love that’s made them dream of new ones.

Timekeeper by Tara Sim: set in an alternate Victorian era where clock towers control time, about a teen clock mechanic who is assigned to repair a damaged tower and finds himself falling in forbidden love with the boy he mistakes for his apprentice, but is actually the tower’s clock spirit, and whose life is threatened by a mysterious attacker planting bombs in clock towers across England.

A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) by Sabaa Tahir: Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia’s brother from the horrors of Kauf Prison. Hunted by Empire soldiers, manipulated by the Commandant, and haunted by their pasts, Laia and Elias must outfox their enemies and confront the treacherousness of their own hearts.

Two Dark Reigns (Three Dark Crowns #3) by Kendare Blake: A victorious Katharine sits on the throne, Mirabella and Arsinoe are in hiding, and an unexpected renegade is about to wage a war of her own. The crown has been won, but these queens are far from done.

Unravel the Dusk (The Blood of Stars #2) by Elizabeth Lim: With a war brewing, master tailor Maia Tamarin will stop at nothing to find her love Edan, protect her family, and bring lasting peace to her country.

Vicious Spirits (Gumiho #2) by Kat Cho: With the support of Somin and Junu, Miyoung and Jihoon might just have a shot at normalcy. But Miyoung is getting sicker by the day and her friends don’t know how to save her. With few options remaining, Junu has an idea but it might require the ultimate sacrifice and, let’s be honest, Junu isn’t known for his “generosity.”

Want by Cindy Pon: Set in a teeming, pollution choked Taipei which follows a group of teens living on the seedy fringes of a highly divided society that works only for the elite as they decide to risk everything to take down the powerful company which controls the city. 

Warcross by Marie Lu: When teenage coder Emika Chen hacks her way into the opening tournament of the Warcross Championships, she glitches herself into the game as well as a sinister plot with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire. 

Warrior (Dragon King Chronicles #2) by Ellen Oh: Kira, the yellow-eyed demon slayer of Hansong, continues her quest to find the lost treasures of the dragon king's prophecy, save her cousin, the prince, unite her kingdom, and defeat the demon lord

We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya #1) by Hafsah Faizal: In a world inspired by ancient Arabia, 17-year-old huntress Zafira must disguise herself as a man to seek a lost artifact that could return magic to her cursed world.

We Free the Stars (Sands of Arawiya #2) by Hafsah Faizal: When Zafria, the Hunter, and Nasir, the Prince of Death both embark on a quest to uncover a lost magic artifact, they encounter an ancient evil long thought destroyed - and discover that the prize they seek may be even more dangerous this time.

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles: Showgirl Kallia, haunted by a dark past, must compete in a magician’s competition in order to secure her ambition and freedom from the handsome, enigmatic keeper of the club, Jack, even as mysterious accidents seem to plague her every move, while crossing paths with another talented magician, Demarco.

When Night Breaks (Kingdom of Hearts #2) by Janella Angeles: The competition has come to a disastrous end, and Daron Demarco’s fall from grace is now front page news. But little matters to him beyond Kallia, the contestant he fell for. With time running out, Kallia must embrace her role in a darker destiny.

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho: After 18-year-old Miyoung Gu, a nine-tailed fox surviving in modern-day Seoul by eating the souls of evil men, kills a murderous goblin to save Jihoon, she is forced to choose between her immortal life and his.

Wildcard (Warcross #2) by Marie Lu: Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Knowing the truth behind Hideo's new NeuroLink algorithm, she is determined to put a stop to his plans. 

The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad: A a multi-perspective feminist narrative about a fierce band of magic-wielding girls—the Wild Ones—who have collectively survived unspeakable things, and together are determined to save other girls from the cruelties and tragedies they’ve had to endure in their own past lives.

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones: After her sister is kidnapped by the Goblin King, Liesl journeys to the Underground and is faced with an impossible decision when she finds herself captivated by the strange world and its mysterious ruler.

Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco: A girl descended from Filipina mythological heroine Maria Makiling, finds herself caught up in a war between two fairy tale kingdoms, where the fate of Avalon is at stake.

Windborn by Mary Fan: With magicians hot on their trail, air nymph Kiri and magician’s apprentice Darien embark on a treacherous journey through dangerous lands to freedom.

World After (Penryn & The End of Days #2) by Susan Ee: Penryn's search for her kidnapped sister, Paige, leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans, while Raffe must choose between reclaiming his wings--and his role as the angels' leader--or helping Penryn survive.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Adhieh: In this reimagining of The Arabian Nights, Shahrzad plans to avenge the death of her dearest friend by volunteering to marry the murderous boy-king of Khorasan but discovers not all is as it seems within the palace.

Zeroboxer by Fonda Lee: As 17-year-old Carr 'the Raptor' Luka rises to fame in the weightless combat sport of zeroboxing, he learns a devastating secret that jeopardizes not only his future in the sport, but interplanetary relations.

[rogues-r-we]

MY TOP THREE MOMENTS FROM EVERY CENTAURWORLD EPISODE

S1E1: Hello, Rainbow Road

1. all of rider's lullaby bcuz i love jessie mueller's voice

2. wammawink's introduction (not the title song, but when she first appears on screen)

3. the way horse says "if only i had it" in hello rainbow road

S1E2: Fragile Things

1. all of fragile things, i love the counterpoint of the two melodies

2. "hints of *sniff sniff* fig and *sniff sniff* yep. murder."

3. the harmonies on taurnado as well as the art for it

S1E3: The Key

1. Glendale snipping a little bit of Waterbaby's red (maroon? purple?) carpet

2. "and sometimes my facial features get kinda meltyyyyy"

3. frustration tears! its a whole vibe

S1E4: What You Need

1. Wammawink's tiny meme face

2. the tree shamans being snarky bitches

3. glendale stealing a tree child

S1E5: It's Hiding Time

1. Glendale with a boot on her head

2. wammawink fighting the beartaur while simultaneously being asleep

3. MORE LEA SALONGA AS THE MYSTERIOUS WOMAN

S1E6: Holes: Part 2

1. our introduction to comfortable doug

2. "i traded. with gary." "what did you trade.....wait. did you trade me? AGAIN?"

3. judge jacket's song bcuz i love santigold's voice (i must listen to more of her)

S1E7: Johnny Teatime's Be Best Competition: A Quest For the Sash

1. the fact that this entire flonking episode is a parody of Cats (bcuz it is literally that) (i could assign each actual cat from cats a cattaur)

2. all of i don't know him bcuz its a BOP and splendib is wonderful (yes if he was in cats he'd be rum tum tugger)

3. "do you always talk at the same time?" "yes." "yes." "we do."

S1E8: Ride the Whaletaur Shaman!

1. Wammawink being into eggpregg

2. Horse being a realistic example of the suicidal thought process

3. Wammawink's fragile things reprise

S1E9: The Rift Part 1

1. the whaletaur shaman going down the steps

2. THE STORY OF COMFORTABLE DOUG

3. wammawink dealing with attachment issues bcuz same

S1E10: The Rift Part 2

1. rider and horse together!!!! it's jenna and dawn!!!!!

2. LEA SALONGA. SINGS A SONG. I LOVE LEA SALONGA. SO MUCH.

3. brian stokes mitchell my beloved, also nowhere king you absolute bitch (i don't hate him but i dont love him either)

S2E1: Horsatia Wighair Beansz?

1. "can we make s'mores?" "not that kind of fire"

2. "mmmmm boulder shoulders"

3. the look of the horsetaurs

S2E2: All Herd All the Terd

1. the fact that it's a parody of 2014-2016 tumblr fandom culture (which i can talk about, i was there, just on a different account)

2. "i am the nowhere king babababumbumbumbabababum and i have come to do jerky things babababumbumbumbabababum"

3. zulius and his stage manager persona

S2E3: My Tummy, Your Hurts

1. the puffintaurs talking like 1940s gangsters

2. durpledrop! it's fun!

3. all of glendale's talk and song

S2E4: Holes: Part 3

1. becky apples song!!!!!!!!!!

2. more underground centaur types!

3. holes swag. that's all.

S2E5: Bunch 'O Scrunch

1. gurple durpleton being voiced by eda from the owl house

2. whyyyy does wammawink have a helicopter

3. gebbrey my beloved

S2E6: The Ballad of Becky Apples

1. waterbaby's minotaur looking more like a stuffed animal

2. becky apples killing far too many minotaurs

3. rider being rider

S2E7: The Hootenanny

1. guskin the gophertaur, look at him gooo

2. i feel so bad for the mysterious woman

3. when they all come together being wonderful :3

S2E8: The Last Lullaby

1. all

2. of

3. it

[aion-rsa]

How Tina Turner and Frank Zappa Whipped Up Some Dirty Love

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Tina Turner joins the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2021 in Cleveland this October, along with Jay-Z, Gil Scott-Heron, Todd Rundgren, Carole King, Foo Fighters, and The Go-Gos. Tina is already an honoree as a member of Ike and Tina Turner, and she is also once again distinguishing herself from the group. Even before she went solo, Turner had star billing, such as her turn as the Acid Queen in Ken Russell’s film adaptation of The Who’s Tommy.  But Tina had to skip the credits for her work with Frank Zappa, who was posthumously inducted into the Rock Hall in 1995.

Turner recently made a gracious exit from the stage in HBO’s feature documentary Tina. She is also highlighted in Apple TV+’s upcoming 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything. This was the year Ike and Tina’s cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” hit No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot 100, becoming their biggest hit. Tina had already established herself as the draw of the musical couple when they signed to Phil Spector’s Philles label. The legendary producer paid extra to highlight Tina’s dynamic range on the single “River Deep – Mountain High,” which was released in May 1966.

Both documentaries skip one of Tina’s artistic highlights. 

Ike and Tina Turner opened the Bolic Sound studios complex at 1310 N La Brea Avenue in Inglewood, California, in 1970. It boasted incomparable state-of-the-art audio equipment for the time. “Bolic was one of the greatest studios I’ve ever seen,” Little Richard wrote in his introduction to Ike Turner’s 1999 autobiography Takin’ Back My Name. “He had everything in this studio. He had his own booking agency, and he was showing people how to produce.” Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Duane Allman recorded at Bolic Sound.

Frank Zappa recorded and produced two of his most recognizable albums at the studio: his ironically titled 17th album Over-Nite Sensation, which came out in 1973, and Apostrophe from 1974. Zappa was at the forefront of the avant-garde musical movement at the time. During his sessions, Ike and Tina Turner and the Ikettes were recording in the same studio complex. Zappa took advantage of the proximity to expand on his sonic landscape.

“I wanted to put some back-up singers on the thing, and the road manager who was with us at the time checked into it and said, ‘well, why don’t you just use the Ikettes?’ I said, ‘I can get the Ikettes?’ and he said ‘Sure,’” Zappa is quoted as saying in Barry Miles’ 1993 book, Zappa: A Biography.

The vocal trio The Ikettes were already iconic. They were one of the first recognized “Girl Groups” in rock and roll history. The ensemble was formed as the backing group of Art Lassiter and were originally called The Artettes. Ike saw the success Ray Charles had with his backing vocal trio The Raelettes. The original Ikettes included Robbie Montgomery, Venetta Fields and Jessie Smith. They became the Ikettes after Ike and Tina Turner’s first single “Fool In Love” became a hit in 1960, and the Ike and Tina Turner Revue wanted to play it live. Onstage, The Ikettes pushed soul music dance choreography into the stratosphere.

For Over-Nite Sensation, Tina Turner, Linda Sims, and Debbie Wilson appear on the songs “I’m The Slime,” “Dirty Love,” “Zomby Woof,” “Dinah-Moe Humm,” and “Montana.” You can hear them on Apostrophe on the songs “Cosmik Debris” and “Uncle Remus.”

Ike agreed to rent out his signature sounding vocal stylists while still stamping the project with his authority. “But you know what the gimmick was? We had to agree, Ike Turner insisted, that we pay these girls no more than $25 per song, because that’s what he paid them,” Frank says in Miles’ book. “And no matter how many hours it took, I could not pay them any more than $25 per song per girl, including Tina.”

That turns out to be a bit of an exaggeration. The singers were actually paid $25 per hour, according to the session’s invoice, which shows they got $187.50 each for 7 1/2 hours of service. But the singers worked for that money. The song “Montana” not only has constantly evolving time signatures, but also passages which change of speeds. The middle section is especially challenging. Besides the time changes, the harmonic progressions and the way they play against the bass counterpoint is unusual for rock, and challenging to perform.

“It was so difficult, that one part in the middle of the song ‘Montana,’ that the three girls rehearsed it for a couple of days,” Zappa recounted. “Just that one section. You know the part that goes ‘I’m pluckin’ the ol’ dennil floss’? Right in the middle there. I can’t remember her name, but one of the harmony singers, she got it first. She came out and sang her part and the other girls had to follow her track. Tina was so pleased that she was able to sing this thing that she went into the next studio where Ike was working and dragged him into the studio to hear the result of her labor. He listened to the tape and he goes, ‘What is this shit?’ and walked out.”

After hearing some of the recordings, Ike Turner insisted the Ikettes not be credited on the released albums. According to CD reissues, it appears he did not approve of the content. “Dirty Love” and “Dinah-Moe Humm” were among the most overtly sexual songs in Zappa’s catalog. These two songs may be the reason Ike wouldn’t sign off on letting his singing stable put their name on the record sleeves.

Of the other songs, “Zomby Woof” takes a bite out of lycanthropic fare, while “Cosmic Debris” turns the tables on a spiritual guru. “I’m The Slime” is about the brainwashing of everyday television. “Uncle Remus,” which takes its name from Joel Chandler Harris’ Br’er Rabbit stories, is an indictment on the then-current state of the civil rights movement compared with the time of Zappa’s 1966 song “Trouble Every Day.” That song looked at the Watts riots when Black folks were burning down buildings as well as the old status quo. In “Uncle Remus,” the most damage being done is “knocking the little jockeys off the rich people’s lawns.”

Ikettes Linda Sims and Debbie Wilson also recorded “Cheepnis,” Zappa’s classic ode to B-movies at Bolic Sound studio on December 12, 1973. This song was the “elsewhere” on the otherwise live album Roxy & Elsewhere (1974). The rest of the album was recorded at The Roxy Theatre.

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You can see that exceedingly fun footage here at The World of Ike & Tina YouTube Channel:

Both the Tina documentary and 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything include segments covering the wounds Turner suffered as an artist, married to her boss, at the dawn of any kind of gender equality. The oppression she suffered under Ike’s tyrannical reign did not escape Zappa’s eye.

“I don’t know how she managed to stick with that guy for so long,” Zappa said in the Miles book. “He treated her terribly and she’s a really nice lady. We were recording down there on a Sunday. She wasn’t involved with the session, but she came in on Sunday with a whole pot of stew that she brought for everyone working in the studio. Like out of nowhere, here’s Tina Turner coming in with a rag on her head bringing a pot of stew. It was really nice.”

1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything premieres May 21 on Apple TV+.

The post How Tina Turner and Frank Zappa Whipped Up Some Dirty Love appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3uZtrWs

[justjessame]

The Deal Chapter 49

I was with Ezekiel when the cost of war came home. We heard the sound of the front gates being smashed through by what sounded like a tank, but we found out was actually just a truck. I was shocked by how fast he moved, rushing from the throne room and telling me to find a place to hide. To keep me from what was coming, to save myself, I heard him urge without words.

I couldn’t blame him for expecting me to want to hide. And the idea was tempting. It just wasn’t something I could do. I rushed in the opposite direction from the Kingdom’s leader, keeping to the shadows, trying to find out what the Saviors had been sent to do. I knew it had to be the Saviors, Dad would have no reason to attack the Kingdom. They were allies.

I can see Gavin, the man who helped me leave the Sanctuary, standing over the gathered residents of my new home. He was informing everyone of the true cost of crossing Negan. Of causing untold damage. Of daring to rise up against the status quo. From this point forward everything from the food they produced to their very lives and bodies would belong to Negan. The buildings, this vantage point, would become Gavin’s new outpost. And I closed my eyes waiting for the next salvo.

It comes in the form of a demand for the location of Ezekiel. No one, I’m proud to see, speaks up. Gavin grows frustrated. He warns that while he doesn’t want the situation to devolve into violence, if no one gives up the king they’ll force his hand. He mentions that hostages will be killed in “Negan’s way” and my heart beats harder. Maybe, if I step out, if he sees me it will buy time. Or, my more rational side warns, he’ll pick me as the target of the rage Negan clearly has with these people. He gives them five minutes.

I see, in the slight distance, a flash of silver. Not metal, but dreadlocks, and staying in the shadows I rush to meet Ezekiel to talk him down from giving himself up, in case he’s entertaining the idea. He holds up a finger to his lips when I approach, as though I need a warning to stay silent. Gesturing I realize that he plans on a diversion.

A fire, then a bus, and the people are fleeing. I’m with Ezekiel, and I see that I haven’t learned his entire plan. Locking the gates from the inside, not noticing until a moment too late that I’m still beside him, he’s planning to offer himself up. And now we’re both Gavin’s willing captives. Thanks, Zeke. Thanks a LOT.

I have to listen to Gavin monologue, and I start to wonder if being a Savior means that you have to enjoy the sound of your own voice? Perhaps they all want to emulate Negan? His eyes fall to mine and as he’s telling Ezekiel how he wished it hadn’t come to this. I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes. And then he mentions that he won’t have to endure for long, since they plan on putting his corpse on the fence of the Sanctuary, a warning to anyone else who even thinks of another rebellion. My stomach churns. More deaths, he’s reminding us, all because of Ezekiel’s need to fight against Negan.

His eyes land on mine again. “And you? Well, I’m damn sure that you’re going to be JUST the right gift for Negan after the shit show we just went through.” Bile is rising in my throat at the thought of what he’s imagining for me at Negan’s hands. Regardless of the reality of the image, regardless of what Negan would even contemplate doing to me if I was returned to him, the thought that Gavin could consider me at Negan’s mercy was unbearable.

Ezekiel, making me smile at his renewed show of confidence tries to urge Gavin to switch sides. He tries to tempt him with descriptions of my dad’s leadership. It falls on deaf ears, as Gavin looks at me clearly insinuating that even his own daughter wasn’t all that keen on Dad’s show. Gavin shouts out orders as we wait for the next move. Ezekiel is trying to undermine his authority, but that too falls flat.

I’m trying to keep my eyes on everything at once. I want to know where the next surprise is going to come from, where the rescue team will show up. Where the attack will start from. I nearly miss Gavin’s attempts failing when he tries to contact his people via walkie talkie. That’s when we all hear gunfire. And I know, help has arrived.

He shuffles us, and his men inside the theater. And then Carol and Morgan are there, chaos ensues, and I lose track of people. Ezekiel stays at my side, but the Saviors are running or dead, and Morgan is rushing after Gavin. We make our way outside, and find Morgan with Gavin clearly deciding the latter man’s fate.

Both Ezekiel and Carol ask Morgan not to kill Gavin. I add my own voice to it. “Morgan, you’ve fought so hard against THIS. Please don’t.” And as we all watch, a fighting staff pierces Gavin’s throat from behind and standing there is Henry, the little boy that Ezekiel has practically adopted.

I fight against fainting. I fight against the static ringing in my ears. I have to stay present. I can’t escape, no matter how horrifying it is to see ANOTHER child give in to the darkness. I watch as Ezekiel and Carol have completely different reactions to what Henry has done. One tells him to look away from the death he’s dealt, while another admonishes him for disobeying. One assures him that everything will be fine, another is berating him for daring to go against orders.

I look around. The fire from the distraction that Ezekiel caused still burns. The bus is still blocking the path. The gate is still locked. And no one is still standing among the buildings, but the five of us.

I wait until sunrise, but I have a bag packed and ready. Carol doesn’t seem surprised. Not that I’m leaving at least. The others are going to Hilltop. I won’t be joining them.

“Where will you go?” She asks, as I pull the backpack over my shoulders. “Alexandria isn’t livable, you won’t join us at Hilltop-” And it dawns on her. “Jessi, don’t.”

“I have a debt to fulfill, Carol.” I answer, pulling her to me for the first hug I’ve ever initiated. “Maybe, maybe if I go back-” I don’t know how to finish it. What hope could I have for returning to Negan? Not an end, but at least, hopefully a better welcome than I could expect at Hilltop.

She pulls back and casually brushes my errant hair from my face. “Stay safe, do you hear me?” She demands, searching my eyes for the same urge to die that was no doubt clear from the moment I admitted it to her. She wouldn’t find it. Helping Ezekiel find himself, talking about Pandora and hope, helped a great deal.

“I will.” I promised. “And you, keep them safe.” She knew, as I was sure she would, that I meant my family. All of them.

“Come back to us, Jessi.” I smiled sadly and walked away. Back to where the car had been left. Back to where I started this chapter. Back to my way back to Negan.

Finding the Sanctuary, or the way back to it, was easier than trying to find a place I’d never been. I was greeted by the horrifying sight of damage that I knew had happened, but I wasn’t prepared to see in person. Daryl did this. Dad did this.

The guards see me approaching on foot and they rush forward to meet me. Seeing that it’s me, they take my backpack, pat me down with less regard for my person than the men on horseback had, and then march me inside. A knock on a door I had only seen once before and a growl allowing us to enter, and there he was.

Negan. Seated at the head of the conference table. Lucille, that damn bat on top of the table and not nearly clean enough for my tastes. And his eyes flashing at the sight of me. My chin rose. His eyes searched me from head to toe.

“Take her to my apartment.” Not a single word to me. “I’ll deal with her later.” Deal with me? That was ominous, but what did I expect?

One guard took me upstairs, opened the door and pushed me inside. No backpack. No distractions, other than what I could find in his rooms. His bed was unmade. The sheets tangled, the pillows askew. I wondered if he’d had a wife visit while I was gone. I shouldn’t care, I told myself, I left. But I had a pang of pain and irritation at the idea of it.

The sofa. His spot. The gloves on the table. And there, beside them, sitting where I’d tossed it the night I slept on the couch, was the book I’d been reading. And tucked into the cover was the note I’d left.

I knew that meant he’d read it. I’d left it in the bathroom, propped up against the mirror. I hadn’t wanted him to find it immediately when the alarm was raised that I’d left. I wanted him to find it, but I wanted time. Time to get free. And look how well that had turned out, I thought, but stopped myself. This was inevitable, regardless of where I was when it happened.

I sat in my chair, and pulled the book toward me. My note, I took out and sat on the table, and I opened the book and tried to lose myself in it again. I heard the door open, but expecting lunch or some other benign interruption I didn’t raise my head from the book.

“Jessica.” I closed my eyes. His voice, so very deep and so very dark. He sat down in his spot and waited for me to put the book down. I opened my eyes and pushed it away.

“Negan.” I studied him. He looked tired, but also frustrated and angry.

I watched him put the bat down beside my book on the table, over top of my note. He leaned back in his seat. And he studied me. What was he seeing? Did he finally see that I’d found my way fully to the surface? Did he see that I was the me he’d kept saying he wanted to meet? Or did he see a traitor?

“Why did you come back?” Right to the point. Good, I hate idle chit chat.

My hands clasped together in my lap and I kept my eyes on his. “Where else would I go?” A question for a question.

His hand ran down his face and I smiled. So familiar to me. Such a Negan gesture. “Just because you’ve got nowhere else to go?” He wanted more. And he deserved it. “Why should I let you back in?” That hurt. It was expected, but it still hurt. The thought that he’d send me away.

“Because I have nowhere I’d rather be.” I answered, and I meant it. Being here with him was a far more pleasant experience than anywhere else I could go. “Let me in because I want to be here, with you.” He heard it, finally. That I wanted to be with him. Here.

“I’m going to kill your dad, Jessica.” He says it as though he’s telling me that the sky is blue. It’s clear he means it. “I’m going to bring your people to heel.”

I take a deep breath. I knew as much. Hearing it was difficult, but I also knew that it had been pushed to this. “I know.” I offer, and his eyes flash. “I told you before, Negan. I follow the leader I choose, I don’t choose to lead.”

“What happened while you were gone?” He’s still watching me, and I know he’s finally seeing the differences.

“I found myself.” I answer, and he smiles.

[dherzogblog]

songs/20

Happy Holidays Everyone! I started making these yearly playlists in 2001 as an attempt to connect with friends in the wake of 911. It was just before the dawn of ITunes, and way before social media. We were not in touch like we are today. I burned dozens of individual cd’s one at a time, printed up customized jewel case covers and snail mailed them all out. It was an annual month-long labor of love. Over the past few years, streaming music has made it much easier and faster to compile and distribute, and frankly much more fun. I still look forward to putting the playlist and blog together and sharing it with all of you. Particularly this year as it gives me a chance to connect with so many friends I haven’t seen in quite some time. It was a tremendously challenging year for all of us. I was grateful to have had my family here in LA the entire time, we remain healthy and well. The west coast Herzogs know just how lucky we have been. The next year will not be without its own challenges, but I'm hopeful we are able to move past this pandemic and the exhausting events of the past 4. More than that, I look forward to seeing each and every one of you in 2021. Until then, be safe, be well, and be good to one another. Enjoy the music.

ox peace, dh

Los Angeles CA. December 2020

Khruangbin - Time (You And I) Don’t ask me to pronounce the name of this eclectic trio from Texas, but this dubby disco tune had me returning to its chilled out groove often during the last few decidedly “un-chill” months. Dreamy and funky, the groove takes me back to NYC’s early 80′s club scene and Ze Records releases from the likes of Kid Creole and Coati Mundi.

Anderson .Paak- Lockdown Scenes from the front, June 2020

.

Bill Withers (1938-2020)- Use Me The legendary Bill Withers left the playing field at the top of his game in the early 80′s, hardly heard from again. And while he didn't pass from Covid, his healing pop hymn Lean On Me seemed to be everywhere as people found music to help them cope with the challenges of the pandemic. Withers left behind a legendary and enduring group of hit songs that moved easily from soul to folk to pop, not to mention the subtle rolling funk of this one.

Black Pumas- Fire Strong debut from an unlikely Austin duo that garnerd both buzz and grammy nods. The critics are calling it “psychedelic soul”. Not quite sure that nails it, but like the artists coming up next, they’re carving out new ground while drawing inspiration from classic sources.

Gabe Lee- Babylon

Marcus King- Wildflowers and Wine

Charley Crockett- Welcome to Hard Times

Three artists that are literally changing the face of Country and Americana music. Soulful, authentic and diverse, reaching back for inspiration but always looking forward. If you like this sort of stuff they are all worth checking out. Each album is filled with quality songs.

Low Cut Connie_ Private Lives Philly’s Low Cut Connie are back at it with a double album that plays like the soundtrack to a boozy night at your favorite bar. Sweaty, funky and not a little bit messy. If Peter Wolf and Bruce had a kid it would be this blue eyed soul boy. Adam Weiner grew up in the shadow of the Jersey shore and can't help but have a bit of that E Street hustle.

Willie Nile- New York at Night One of New York’s beloved adopted  son’s dropped this love letter right into the jaws of a battered metropolis driven to its knees by the pandemic. It was heartbreaking to listen as the “city that never sleeps” came to a full stop. Somehow I still found myself coming back to it, imagining night’s ahead, when NYC is back on its feet and I’m roaming its streets. Looking for music, a beer, or maybe just a slice, and fueled by the irreplaceable energy and promise of the greatest city on earth.

The Long Ryders- Down to The Well Americana pioneers the Long Ryders reunited last year for a surprisingly solid album. This single sounds like it could have been recorded during their 80′s heyday featuring their trademark Byrds like jangle and harmonies, but the lyrics mark this song as unmistakably 2020.

The Speedways- Kisses Are History UK power pop outfit reach back to the the 60′s on this sweet slice of retro pop perfection.

Billie Joe Armstrong- That Thing You Do

In the early days of the pandemic we had all our kids (+ a significant other) at our house for a few months. It worked out great and we were luckier than most. The biggest issue was keeping enough food, weed and wine around.  There were some great nights with amazing meals, followed by gathering around the TV together. We re-watched The Sopranos, binged Billy On The Street, and revisited some of our favorite movies. One night we went back to a old family favorite, Tom Hanks’ underrated love letter to the one hit wonders of the post Beatles era, That Thing You Do!  I’ve seen the movie several times and it never fails to please. A true feel good film and a perfect Kodak snapshot capturing a simpler time in American pop culture. 

While we watch the unlikely chart topper’s The Oneders  fizzle as fast as they rose to fame, its not really the point. The movie is really an old fashioned love story. Playing like a perfect hit song you can listen to over and over, full of both hooks and heart. I always thought the title track, written by Fountains Of Wayne leader Adam Schlesinger  (who we lost to Covid), brilliantly captured the British Invasion sound every group wanted after The Beatles stormed America. Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong must agree. During the pandemic he cut an album’s worth of cool covers including a faithful version of this one.

Gerard Way (W/Judith Hill - Here Comes the End A tale of discovering music in 2020:  Heard this on a Netflix trailer for the series The Umbrella Factory. Turns out it is performed by Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance) who also writes the comic book the series is based on. (got all that?) He’s joined on this searing garage/psych rave up by the talented and versatile Judith Hill doing her best Merry Clayton.

Hinds- Spanish Bombs I’ve been following this Madrid based, all female outfit of punky garage rockers for a few years now. I think they are pretty great. This track, recorded for a Joe Strummer tribute bursts with an unbridled joy the stone faced and politically minded Clash could never muster. I bet Joe would love it though

The Secret Sisters- Hand Over My Heart Have enjoyed their harmonies for some time now. This one gives me vague Wilson Phillips vibes and I don’t really mind. 

Tame Impala- Breathe Deeper I know I’m supposed to like this guy, all the cool kids do, I’ve even seen the band at Coachella. Over the years very little of the music has stuck to me, but the pandemic offered a bit more free time to dig into this funky dubby, chilled out jam, and it stuck with me. Not to mention that 2020 was all about deep breaths.

Ledisi (feat.Corey Henry)- What Kind of Love Is That Ledisi is back with some slinky, sultry R&B and jazzy vocals

Dinner Party- FreezeTag An R&B/Jazz collective featuring Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder and Kamasi Washington use sweet soul on heartbreaking and all too familiar tale..

Toots and The Maytals- Time Tough  I’ve written an awful lot about my love for Reggae over the years. Right after Bob Marley kicked the door down for me, Toots showed me around the house. Ska, rock steady, and roots. He was true reggae royalty and sadly we lost him to Covid, just after he released what would be his last album. Check my Toots tribute blog and playlist.

Mungo’s Hi Fi- The Beat Goes SKA! These clever UK roots reggae collective never fail to surprise. This kitschy Sonny & Cher cover managed to make me smile every time I heard it. No mean feat in 2020

Stone Foundation (feat. Durand Jones)- Hold on To Love Frequent collaborators with Paul Weller  (he appears on a track on the album), Stone Foundation are back with another batch of their UK soul revival stylings. This one features Durand Jones ( of Durand Jones & The Indications) on vocals and some great reggae style horns at the top.

The Pretenders- You Can’t Hurt A Fool Can’t resist a good torch song, especially sung by the smokey voiced Chrissie Hynde. Was kind of shocked at how many good songs were on this album.

Shelby Lynne_ Don’t Even Believe in Love Sultry country soul and one of her strongest albums in awhile.

Jaime Wyatt- Neon Cross Outlaw country has a new bad girl. And in case you didn’t think she was serious, she enlisted producer Shooter Jennings (and his mom Jessi Colter on one track) to help make her point. 

Daniel Donato- Justice 25 year old guitar prodigy call his music “cosmic country”.  Ok, now I’m listening. You should be too.

The Jayhawks- This Forgotten Town 30 plus + after their debut this Twin Cities alt country group led by founding member Gary Louris continue to deliver. They find their inner Neil Young on this one.

Lucero- Time To Go Home God I wish I was in a bar right now listening to this, even if I might be crying in my beer.

John Prine (1946 -2020)- Lake Marie We lost so many this year, but this one really stung. A true American songwriting treasure, who was still making great music against all odds right up to his untimely passing. His songs are known for their simplicity, and economy of words. but this one goes against the grain. I’m still not exactly certain what it’s about. Sorrowful and haunting, yet somehow uplifting and redemptive. I heard him perform it live here in Los Angeles a just over a year ago and it has stuck in my head ever since. There is surely a place in heaven for the great John Prine.  He sang about it on his final studio album in 2018. Ironically it became the last song on his last record.

Thanks for making it this far....

***Play the entire songs/20 Spotify playlist HERE!***

[eyebeastposts]

Fan Fiction Road: The Altar of EyeBeast

SUGGESTION PHASE CLOSED

   Driving down Fan Fiction Road in the dark of night, your car suddenly  breaks down as you pass through a thickly wooded area. Devoid of phone  service, you find yourself drawn to a strange light in the tree line.  Pushing through the bushes you find yourself standing in front of an old  church. The pictures and strange runes along the walls do not appear to  come from any known religion. Peeking up at the stained glass window,  you see a glimmer of the light that first drew you in. Steeling your  nerves, you push open the imposing set of doors and step inside.

    Your nose is assaulted with the scent of heavy incense. You find  yourself in in the center chamber where dozens of hooded figures dressed  in black robes are gathered. They don’t appear to pay much attention to  you, even as the door shuts loudly behind you. The reason becomes  evident as you look at the thing atop the grey, stone altar.

    Its shape mimics that of a singular, human eye blown up to the size of a  hot air balloon. Its grey sclera counteracts the void of black making  up its glowing pupil and iris. The eye shifts gradually, to both observe  its followers and maintain a glimmering cloud in the center. Mesmerized  by the thing’s strange aura, you take another step forward to look into  the anomaly.  

    Upon a closer look, you see dozens of images pass through the cloud.  The images depict characters from various, popular franchises going  through strange and unusual sequences. As off-putting as some of the  scenes are, you can’t help watching out of either curiosity or genuine  enjoyment. A tap on your shoulder brings you back to reality.

     Turning your head, you are met with the soft gaze of a woman with a  shaved head. The eye creature is drawn on her forehead in ink,  surrounded by the same symbols from outside. “Hello traveler,” she says  in a low voice. “I see you’ve stumbled upon our little gathering.”

     Without a word, she leads you deeper into the crowd. “We are the  followers of the All Seeing One, the deity you see before you. Their  power is immense, able to alter space, time, and various realities to  create pocket dimensions for its own amusement. From time to time, it  gives us certain request. In return for providing a list of acceptable  candidates, it demonstrates its powers to us by recreating the scene  using the choices agreed upon by its followers.”

     As soon as she stops talking the image at the altar disappears, making  the rest of the hooded figures turn towards you. “If your mind is open  and your desires forthcoming, feel free to join our group of worship  under the eye of the All Seeing One. However, if you reject our offer we  will have no choice…but to politely ask you to leave.”

     Someone in the crowd purposefully clears their throat. “After you’ve  helped yourself to the food table of course,” she adds. “Especially  Stephen’s snicker-doodles, they are just divine.”

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

    For the past few years now, I’ve made it a tradition to have people  vote on what kind of fan fiction story I write next. Typically, I would  pick a subject (weight gain, transformations, etc.) and have people  suggest various characters and scenarios that fit the subject. While I  have enjoyed the previous sessions, I want to shake things up a bit in  terms of how things are done and what kind of stories I get to write.

  If you’ve read the above story, it sets the stage for what I want to do.  I’m going to provide five different scenarios, each of which is a  different request from the All Seeing One. For two weeks, your task will  be to suggest offerings (characters) that will fit the criteria for  each scenario. Once the suggestions are in, there will be a survey that  will determine which stories you want me to write and with which  characters. And yes, I said stories.

  My plan with this session is to suggest ideas that can be told in  relatively short stories. Using this method, I should be able to do  multiple stories going in order of popularity. I can’t promise that I’ll  do every single one, but I’ll try to do most of them. If you want to  get involved and become a member of the Church of EyeBeast, take a look  below at the guidelines and scenarios. Please read carefully.  

Guidelines:  

To suggest a character/characters, send the name of the character,  what franchise they’re from, and which scenario you want them in. You  can either use my ask box or message me directly

Regardless of method you use to suggest a character, no names will be  attached to the candidates.

You can submit as many suggestions as you wish until I close the submission phase.

You are free to suggest any characters you want, but if you want to   suggest one from something I know, you can refer to my media sheet: https://www.deviantart.com/eyebeast.....heet-819010665  

NO CHILDREN  

I will be looking just for characters, not scenarios.  

The same character can be suggested for difference scenarios as long as they fit the criteria.  

During the suggestion phase there will be no cap on how many  characters can be suggested for a scenario. However, once the polls are  made I will be narrowing down the character pools to no more than 10  entries each.  

The suggestion phase will last for two weeks, ending on JULY 15TH.  At that time, I will open up the survey for people to vote. After   another week, I will close the survey and announce the results.  

Scenarios:  

A) Couple’s Feast- We have an issue of too many leftovers from our last  meeting. The All Seeing One wishes to give them to one lucky couple. For  this one in particular, they will be looking for one male and one  female.

-General Idea: Male and female mutual weight gain.  

-Criteria: Any male and female couple.  

1. Joker (Persona 5) and one of the girls based on a poll

2. Breath of the Wild Link and Zelda  

3. Andy and Mai (KOF)

4. Hiro and 02 (Darling in the Franxxx)

5. Chris and Jill (Resident Evil)

6. Tharja and Male Robin (Fire Emblem)

7. Shuichi and Kaede (Danganronpa)

8. Mulan and Shang (Disney)

9. Vincent (Catherine) and either Catherine or Katherine based on a poll

10. Kimihito (Monster Musume) and a Monster girl based on a poll

11. Ryu and Chun-li (Street Fighter)

12. Izuku and Ochako (My Hero Academia)

13. Ed and Winry (Fullmetal Alchemist)

14. Makise Kurisu and Houoin Kyouma (Steins;Gate)

15. Male Reader and Doki Doki Literature Club Girl based on a poll

16. Male Reader and Huniepop Girl based on a poll

17. Hisao Nakai and Katawa Shoujo Girl based on a poll

18. Joey and Mai (Yu-Gi-Oh)

19. Inuyasha and Kagome (Inuyasha)

B) Princess Makeover-The All Seeing One wishes to gift someone who is of  lower class or rough around the edges a taste of the high life,  specifically what it’s like to be a princess. They will be given an  extreme makeover, giving them the curves, bountiful hair, and regality  befitting someone of royalty. Gender of tribute does not matter.  

-General Idea: Extreme hourglass expansion, hair growth, princessification, and, if applicable, gender swap.  

-Criteria: Any character that could be described as being against  traditionally girly things. Things like a tomboy, a warrior, etc.  

1. Samus (Metroid)  

2. Ryuko (Kill La Kill)  

3. Sakura (Street Fighter)

4. Chie (Persona)

5. Korra (Avatar)

6. Aladdin (Disney)

7.  Lady (Devil May Cry)

8. Tracer (Overwatch)

9. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) poll to decide between classic and reboot

10. Kazuma (Konosuba)

11. R. Mika (Street Fighter)

12. Rotty Tops (Shantae)

13. Ganondorf (Zelda)

14. Amara (Borderlands)

15. Asuka (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

16. Shinobu Jacobs (No More Heroes)

C) Royal Reversal- The All Seeing One wishes to teach humility to the  upper class. The offering shall be given a complete reversal for their  life. Skinny to fat, clean to dirty, intelligent to idiotic, male to  female and vice versa. Obviously the offerings we are looking for must  come from royalty or are suitably upper class.  

-General Ideas: Weight gain, IQ loss, slob, and gender swap.  

-Criteria: Royalty or upper class. Things like kings, queens, princes, princesses, and the fabulously wealthy.  

1. Karin (Street Fighter)  

2. Wonder Woman (DC)  

3. Satsuki (Kill La Kill)  

4. Sonia (Danganronpa)

5.  Lucina (Fire Emblem)

6. Midna (Zelda) poll to decide which version

7. Hilde (Soulcalibur)

8. Peach (Mario)

9. Parasoul (Skullgirls)

10. Mary Saotome (Kakegurui)

11. Malty Melromarc (Rising of the Shield Hero)

12. Catarina Claes (My Next Life as a Villainess)

13. Emelia (Re:Zero)

14. Risky Boots (Shantae)

15. Starfire (Teen Titans)

16. Jasmine (Disney)

D) Pig Deity-The All Seeing One wishes for an ego boost. Provide to them  the name of a god or holy person to wallow in the mud and become the  patron saint of hogs.  

-General Ideas: Weight gain and anthro pig transformation.  

-Criteria: A holy person, either a deity or someone very religious.  

1. Palutena (Kid Icarus)  

2. Aqua (Konosuba)  

3. Crim (Interspecies Reviewers)  

4.  Tiki (Fire Emblem)

5. Panty (Panty and Stocking)

6. Rosalina (Mario)

7. Azazel (Helltaker)

8. Venus (Huniepop)

9. Sophitia (Soulcalibur)

10. Haruhi Suzumiya (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)

11. Hestia (Is it Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?)

12. Holo (Spice and Wolf)

E) Pokemon Fusion- The All Seeing One has become aware of a world  inhabited by creatures called Pokémon. Its interest has piqued  concerning the everlasting bond made between the creatures and their  trainers. A test must be performed to see if we can further this  connection by combining the two beings.  

-General Ideas: Transformation and other effects based on the Pokémon chosen.  

-Criteria: A trainer and a Pokémon, preferably one that they have some kind of connection with.  

1. Roxie/Koffing  

2. Whitney/Miltank  

3. Bea/Hariyama

4. Flannery/Magcargo

5. Melony/Lapras

6. Sabrina/Slowbro

7. Nurse Joy/Chansey

8. Pokemon Breeder/Ditto

9. Fantina/Driftblim

10. Hilda/Scolipede

11. May/Slaking

12. Cynthia/Garchomp

13. Dawn/Spiritomb

14. Kiawe/Salazzle

15. Jessie/Arbok

16. Hex Maniac/Gourgeist

17. Officer Jenny/Arcanine

18. Lusamine/Buzzwole

19. Iris/Zekrom

[something-in-the-seas]

Some Mitzi head canons because I love this baby child.

- Given that she’s born on December 31st, 1969 at 11:59, she’s basically born at 1970, so she’s a teenager in the 80′s while her older siblings and the Ryan girls are far into adulthood. 

- She wears something like this when she’s a teenager with rollerblades (she is very much an 80′s kid):

- She has the classic big 80′s hair and goes through tons of hairspray. It drives Grace up a wall going into her room and having a cloud of hairspray burn her nostrils. Mitzi’s completely immune to it. 

- She jams out to Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Prince in her room and dreams of being a pop star. She also had a huge crush on Harrison Ford and Patrick Swayze. Johnny takes her to go see Indiana Jones and she’s swooning the whole time, he’s just trying to watch the damn movie. But, she’s been in love with him since the first Star Wars when she was seven. 

- She’s the closest with Sinclair and she’s got him wrapped around her finger, especially after the other girls move out. She’s his baby. 

- She is a sweet kid, though. After the now adult children move out and start doing their own things, she keeps everybody company. Hell, she’ll even tolerate listening to Ryan’s Great Chain rants because he doesn’t really have anyone else to talk to, help Porter out with the Thinker, and sit with Grace and watch terrible soap operas together. 

- She’s also the only one who’s nice to Stanley and they have this weird friendship going on. They’ll go to the arcade together and try to win the best prizes with their combined tickets. They also get into crazy ass adventures. 

- She loved Sesame Street as a baby. Every morning, she’d toddle over to the couch and sit on Johnny’s/Sinclair’s lap and watch it. Before she was born, Eleanor got her a Big Bird plushie that she carried around with her everywhere. Even when she’s an adult, she still has to sleep with it. 

- When she’s eighteen, her and her girlfriends go out to see The Little Mermaid and her dream of being an A list actress changes. She’s always been good at art and drew cartoons as a little girl, but it finally dawns on her she wants to be an animator and work at Disney. She loved Disney when she was young, and she fell in love again in the theatre. 

- When she watched Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty as a little girl, she’d always point out to her sister how beautiful the animation was. No one’s really surprised by it. Johnny and Sinclair are super supportive. 

- She’s able to get an scholarship for an art college and works her ass off for years before she’s finally able to say she’s animating for the Lion King and other Disney renaissance movies. Her family’s so proud. Legit, Sinclair just brags about it all the time.  They’re all cheering and hollering when they see her name in the credits. 

- Sally and Lucy both point out to their children that Mitzi’s name in the credits when they go see it. Even Ryan’s impressed. She bases a lot of the female expressions on Elizabeth and her sisters, especially Eleanor. 

- Porter’s her godfather and he’d always sneak her ice cream before dinner, but made her promise she wouldn’t tell her parents. They were always super close. 

- She’s near-sighted, which she got from Sinclair, so she does wear glasses. She doesn’t like wearing them as a teenager, but as an adult, she eventually just ditches contacts. 

- She wears pig-tails when she’s a child, a high pony-tail as a teenager, and eventually keeps a braid as an adult. 

- Jessie tries getting her into sports, but she’s not athletic at all. She does make the softball team, though. 

- She was such a chubby baby, practically all rolls. She weighed eight pounds seven ounces when she was born, and just gained more weight. She loses it and is pretty petite as a child and on, but Sinclair really misses giving her little, chubby cheeks kisses. 

- Eleanor takes her everywhere when she’s a baby. She’s got the mom hip-hold down. All her friends love holding her, and Mitzi loves the attention. 

- Given how loud it is in the house, when the kids are home, she’ll nap in Sinclair’s office in her little cradle. It’s the quietest room. All he does is turn on the mobile, white noise, and she’s out. Sometimes, though, he can’t help himself and will hold her and rock her to sleep while he works. Johnny sometimes comes in and finds them both passed out. 

[liveindiatimes]

Notes from the Berlin Film Festival: Four nights at the movies - brunch feature

https://www.liveindiatimes.com/notes-from-the-berlin-film-festival-four-nights-at-the-movies-brunch-feature/

Before the Coronavirus pandemic, the 70th Berlinale opened its below-freezing point doors to the city of Berlin on February 19. The EFM, or the European Film Market, is held in this exciting city every February. This film market is slow and lacks the exuberance and parties associated with the glamorous Cannes film festival. Add to that the gloomy, sub-zero temperature, and you are glad it’s just a four-day event. In fact, most people talk about their return on day one itself!

Tales of the city

This is not to say that this isn’t a significant market for films and that Berlin as a city isn’t vibrant enough to host it. Divided during the cold war after World War II and then reunified with the fall of the Iron Curtain, you still come across remnants of the broken Berlin wall at various places around the city, now covered with colourful graffiti.

Checkpoint Charlie is the name given to the best-known Berlin Wall crossing between East and West during the cold war

Just a few minutes’ walk from the center of Potsdamer Platz, you can visit the Holocaust Memorial, a melancholy reminder of the city’s tumultuous past. The famous Brandenburg Gate, built in the 18th century by the Prussian king Fredrick William II, is one of the best known and most visited landmarks in Berlin. And no trip to Berlin is complete without a quick stop at Checkpoint Charlie, the name given by the Western powers to the best known Berlin Wall crossing between East and West during the cold war.

The logo for the Berlin International Film Festival 2020 is cute bear

Berlin is also home to three Unesco World Heritage sites: The Museum Island, Sanssoussci Palace, and the Modernism Housing Estates. And if you get tired of visiting these sites and absorbing history, Berlin has 23 Michelin star restaurants to stimulate your gustatory receptors.

Past in the present

But let’s talk about films. The format for the Berlin film festival is the same as any other film market. Lots of scripts to read before the market, meetings, and screenings fixed over four days, and pitches by famous actors and directors. One of our first pitches this time was by acclaimed actress Maggie Gyllenhal for her directorial debut, The Lost Daughter. Based on the book by Elena Ferrante, it tells the story of a middle-aged divorcee who while trying to rediscover herself is instead confronted by her turbulent past. Maggie, famous for her roles in films such as Mona Lisa Smile (2003) and The Dark Knight (2008), engaged us with her vision for the film, in which she has cast the supremely talented Oscar winner Olivia Colman. This will be a film to watch out for, and will possibly receive a lot of attention during awards season.

(From left) Misbehaviour is about a group of women who disrupted the 1970 Miss World competition in London; Johnny Depp plays a photojournalist in Minamata, which highlights the greed of many corporations, relevant even today

Amongst the many other films I got to screen, the one that made an instant impact, which meant I had to acquire it immediately was Philippa Lowthorpe’s Misbehaviour. Based on actual events, it tells the story of a group of women who planned and succeeded in disrupting the 1970 Miss World competition in London that was hosted by the iconic American actor and comedian Bob Hope. These women entered the auditorium and shouted slogans condemning the very sexist nature of the pageant that objectified women. It was appalling to watch the participants being labelled as perfect 36-24-36. With actresses Kiera Knightley and Jessie Buckley in the lead, the film that will inevitably be delayed due to the pandemic raises very significant questions and makes you wonder if much has changed in the last 50 years.

Waiting for the dawn

Our red carpet invitation this year was at the Friedrichstadt-Palast, and my red carpet date for the evening was my niece Nayana. We were invited to the premiere screening of Andrew Levitas’ Minamata. Johnny Depp plays a photojournalist who travels to Minamata, Japan, where toxic waste and mercury poisoning have had devastating effects on the communities there. It highlights the greed of many corporations, relevant even today, without any regard for the environment, human, and animal life. The seemingly interminable narrative, however, is rescued by Depp’s brilliant performance.

Sanjeev Bijli (right) and his niece Nayana Bijli (left) with actor and director Maggie Gyllenhall at the Berlinale

In addition to watching all these thought-provoking films, I also got my dose of popcorn fare at the screening of Greenland. This action thriller, a collaboration by the director-actor duo from Angel has Fallen, Ric Roman Waugh and Gerald Butler, is a roller coaster ride about a family trying to survive a natural disaster. I watched this in February and little did I know then that the world would be faced with a pandemic so enormous in weeks to come that our world would be shut down, and many would lose their lives.

As uncertainty looms large in our lives, movie release dates are delayed and reshuffled for the year, and the Cannes film festival has been officially postponed for the first time in 74 years. Daniel Craig will invoke his Licence to Kill on November 25, Wonder Woman will wield her Lasso of Truth in August, and December will see the return of Maverick and Iceman in Top Gun. We all eagerly look forward to the return of normalcy and our invigorating dates with the movies. As Harvey Dent says in The Dark Knight, “The night is darkest just before the dawn, and I promise you, the dawn is coming.”

Author bio: Sanjeev Bijli is Joint Managing Director of PVR cinemas, and a much loved face on Delhi’s social scene

From HT Brunch, April 26, 2020

Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch

Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch

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[prosecrastinator]

Top 50 Favorite Songs of 2019

(Spotify Playlist)

.

#050. “Incapable” by Róisín Murphy (single / from forthcoming LP...?)

#049. “Twerk” by City Girls featuring Cardi B from Girl Code

#048. “Sugar Honey Iced Tea (S.H.I.T.)” by Princess Nokia (single / from forthcoming LP...?)

#047. “STRANGE DAYS (1999)” by HEALTH from VOL. 4 :: SLAVES OF FEAR

#046. “Superbike” by Jay Som from Anak Ko

#045. “Scripted” by Zayn from Icarus Falls

#044. “Freelance” by Toro y Moi from Outer Peace

#043. “Landslide” by Beirut from Gallipoli

#042. “Flood” by Vagabon from Vagabon

#041. “Do You Love Her Now” by Jai Paul (single / from forthcoming LP...?)

#040. “Nights Like This” by Kehlani featuring Ty Dolla $ign from While We Wait

#039. “You and I” by Caribou from Suddenly (2020)

#038. “ZORA” by Jamila Woods from LEGACY! LEGACY!

#037. “13th Century Metal” by Brittany Howard from Jaime

#036. “When I’m With Him” [Empress Of cover] by Perfume Genius & Jim-E Stack (b-side)

#035. “Movies” by Weyes Blood from Titanic Rising

#034. “All Mirrors” by Angel Olsen from All Mirrors

#033. “spaces” by Dawn Richard from new breed

#032. “STFU!” by Rina Sawayama (single / from forthcoming LP...?)

#031. “Mixer” by Amber Mark (single / from forthcoming LP...?)

#030. “Jungle Juice” by Ganja White Night x Liquid Stranger (single/b-side)

#029. “In Your Head” by Nilüfer Yanya from Miss Universe

#028. “Patience” by Tame Impala from The Slow Rush (2020)

#027. “The Night King” by Ramin Djawadi from Game of Throne: Season 8 (Music from the HBO Series)

#026. “True Blue” by Mark Ronson featuring Angel Olsen from Late Night Feelings

#025. “MEGATRON” by Nicki Minaj (single / from forthcoming LP...?)

#024. “Not” by Big Thief from Two Hands

#023. “Unshaken” by D’Angelo from The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2 (Original Soundtrack)

#022. “Confessions” by Sudan Archives from Athena

#021. “Roof” by Rico Nasty x Kenny Beats (single / from forthcoming LP...?)

#020. “Way to the Show” by Solange from When I Get Home

#019. “Virile” by Moses Sumney from græ (2020)

#018. “Bags” by Clairo from Immunity

#017. “EARFQUAKE” by Tyler, the Creator featuring Playboi Carti, Charlie Wilson, and Jessy Wilson from IGOR

#016. “Motivation” by Normani (single / from forthcoming LP...?)

#015. “Juice” by Lizzo from Cuz I Love You

#014. “NASA” by Ariana Grande from thank you, next

#013. “I’m Not In Love” [10cc cover] by Kelsey Lu from Blood

#012. “Violence” by Grimes featuring i_o from Miss_Anthrop0cene (2020)

#011. “bad guy” by Billie Eilish from WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

#010. “Woman” by Karen O x Danger Mouse from Lux Prima

#009. “Can’t Believe The Way We Flow” by James Blake from Assume Form

#008. “Juicy” by Doja Cat featuring Tyga from Hot Pink

#007. “The greatest” by Lana Del Rey from Norman Fucking Rockwell!

#006. “Seventeen” by Sharon Van Etten from Remind Me Tomorrow

#005. “Gone” by Charli XCX featuring Christine and the Queens from Charli

#004. “Unemployed” by Tierra Whack (single/from forthcoming LP...?)

#003. “We’ve Got To Try” by The Chemical Brothers from No Geography

#002. “Running Up Freestyle” by Megan Thee Stallion from Fever

#001. “cellophane” by FKA twigs from MAGDALENE

.

[katie-the-killer-blog2]

A Dark Dawn - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The figure went to the abandoned hospital he called home. It was overgrown and nearly every window was broken in. He brought the rainwater to the lab and put them in safer containers. He sat down and took off his mask, gloves, and a hoodie. He had stunning blue eyes and thick, shaggy grey hair. He was tall and skinny. His hands were covered in burns. He cleaned the acid off of the buckets and put them aside before going to his room. It was one of the nicer hospital rooms. He had boarded up the window and had a collection of personal items. He was about the same age as Levy. He couldn’t stop thinking about Jessie and whether it was a good idea or not to talk to her. 

He stretched out and cracked his back, staring at the ceiling for a bit before going to the roof of the hospital. It was on top of a hill. Vines and thorns covered the whole building making it virtually impossible to find unless you were looking for it. It was deep in the forest. It shut down maybe 70 years earlier after government funding ran out, and without the means to destroy it safely, they just decided to try and hide it. Most of the medical supplies were still inside and used frequently by this mysterious man. 

He watched the city from his vantage point. It was getting dark and people were heading home. He could occasionally hear some of the nearer and louder voices, but he couldn’t hear what they were saying, just comforting murmurs. 

Once it quieted down the man put on his disguise again and brought the buckets back down to the city. He was on high alert this time, almost expecting to be ambushed as he put the buckets under people's gutters. 

He looked over his shoulder as he heard footsteps. It wasn’t Jessie this time but instead Clyde with a notebook and pen in hand. Clyde smiled and bowed his head slightly “‘evening.” The mysterious man just nodded. “Is there anything I can do to help you out?” The man shook his head no and shrugged, putting his final bucket into place. There was a slightly awkward silence before Clyde cleared his throat and spoke again. “Almost forgot.” He pulled a bag out of his backpack and handed it to him. The mysterious man hesitantly grabbed it and looked inside. Inside was a soda, a sandwich, and some candy, some crackers, money, and a pastry. 

“We didn’t know what you’d like so we all got you something. The money is from me. It’s not much but hopefully, it’ll help with whatever you do. Jessie made the sandwich. A woman named Levy put in the crackers, A guy named Max put in the soda and his sister, Sydney, added the candy. The pastry was made by a gal named Abigail.” 

The mysterious man was shocked and kept looking in the bag and then back at Clyde. He took the money out and handed it back to Clyde. 

“Common, I insist. Please take it.” Clyde almost begged, but the mysterious man just shook his head no and shoved it back into his hands almost aggressively, taking the notebook and pen from his hand and scribbling quickly, Clyde looked over his shoulder. 

“THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I’LL TAKE THE FOOD BUT I HAVE NO USE FOR THE MONEY. THANK YOUR FRIENDS FOR ME :)” The man finished writing and handed the notebook back. Clyde read it and laughed a bit. 

“You’re thanking us? This is a thank you gift. To you. Everyone here has been affected by your medicine runs, at least indirectly. This whole city owes you a lot. You don’t need to hide your face. We all want to thank you, not just your facade.” 

The man just shook his head once more and gave the sign language for “Thank You” before heading off back home at a quick pace. Clyde was respectful enough not to follow. 

Clyde walked into Abigail’s house where everyone was waiting. Her house was the biggest and often their main hangout place. It wasn’t huge, more like a condo. The furniture was old and there was always this smell of dust. The couch had been sat in so many times and was so old that the cushions nearly touched the floor. The table was wobbly and the whole room was lit with a dying LED light. Most houses looked like this. In bigger cities, they were nicer, but the further one lived from the capital, the more run down the houses became. It wasn’t a horrible life to live, just difficult at times. Food and other services weren’t hard to find, but anything government-funded like medical services and police were hard to find. Citizens often tried to take on those jobs but lacked the pay and training they needed. Crime was common in big cities but overall was surprisingly low. Criminals just disappeared without a trace. Clyde believes it’s the citizens getting their revenge with murder, but there is no proof anywhere. 

At first, the citizens thought that the mysterious man was killing the criminals, but no one was sure and was afraid to investigate. After the man proved himself as being the one giving people the medicine they needed, everyone just seemed to leave him alone for the most part. Afraid to talk to him in case he wasn’t who he seemed to be, yet grateful at the same time. People fear what they do not know and this man is no exception. 

Clyde set the notebook on the table. “He didn’t speak but he did thank us for the food. He didn’t take my money though.” He explained. 

Max grabbed the notebook and examined it. “Sloppy handwriting, but legible,” Max observed aloud. 

Levy took it from his hand and read it too. “Awe, he added a smiley face.”

Clyde nodded with a slight smile. “He leaves so quick. I swear it’s a superpower. He’s even more mysterious up close.”

Jessie nodded in agreement. “Do you think he’s that worried about being discovered or do you think he’s just super busy and in a hurry?”

“Maybe he’s just shy.” Sydney offered, popping a piece of candy in her mouth. 

“Nah. He strikes me as the fearless type.” Max retorted, mainly just to argue with his sister. 

“Anonymity can let people become bolder. Maybe it’s for his own courage that he hide?” Clyde offered, looking at his notebook again. 

“It’ll be easiest if we just ask,” Abigail spoke at last. 

“I want to ask him so many questions!” Jessie whined immaturely, fidgeting in her seat. “I want him to trust us!” 

“We all do, now please stop yelling. I share a wall with my neighbors.” Abigail warned.

Jessie just pouted, her fidgeting getting worse. 

There was a silence that lasted about a minute as they all looked at each other in contemplation. A gentle rain could be heard on the window. 

“Guess you guys are staying here tonight then. I’ll get blankets.” Abigail left the room with a soft sigh. Sydney went to the window and watched the purple water pour down. As it splashed on the concrete some of it turned into a stream and disappeared while part of it started to form puddles.

“It’s darker than yesterday. I’d hate to get caught in that.” She yawned slightly. 

The next morning Sydney was the first to wake up. She stared out the window once more. The rain had slowed down to a light sprinkle. Despite this, no one would go outside today. It was an eerie mist with low visibility. 

“Oh. This sucks.” Max sat at the window beside his sister, rubbing his eyes, still half asleep.

“I guess we’re spending the day here.” Sydney sighed. “Got any playing cards?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course, I do.” Max scoffed and pulled his well-used deck out of his backpack. 

They played cards until everyone else woke up and they munched on snacks for their breakfast. 

Abigail looked out the window and smiled a little. “For being so painful to touch, it is pretty. Weird how things like that work, huh?” 

Levy nodded in agreement “I guess.”

“Is this your card?” Max asked triumphantly to Jessie and Clyde, holding up the king of hearts. 

“No,” Clyde said simply. 

“Dammit… How about this?” He held up the ace of diamonds.

“Nope,” Jessie laughed. “It was the queen of hearts.”

Max smiled proudly. “I was close for the first time!”

“Yeah, but you didn’t get it. Being close isn’t getting it.” Clyde scoffed. 

Max just put his cards away, grumbling to himself slightly. 

The others had heard this and were giggling at Max’s expense. 

“Impressed or not, I got closer than any of you guys could, and I’m allowed to be proud of that,” Max argued.

“Whatever floats your boat,” Sydney added, playfully hitting his arm.

[journeythrough-impossiblethings]

Journal of Impossible Things Unbound:

John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt

Fandomless OC Versions:

Prince Jonas – #WerePrince – Nick Jonas – Werewolf Dream Prince Universe

Jonas is a prince who is secretly a werewolf and in love with a mermaid he found in a lake in the woods near his castle. This verse is based on a dream Anna had one time.

John Smith – Damien McGinty – AU

Under Construction

John Smith – James Veitch – AU

Under Construction

Fandom-verses - OC Versions:

John Smith – #Being-Husband – Eddie Redmayne – Being Human AU

John Smith was a history teacher and was married to a woman named Anna Smith (originally Anna Winden, @manenimittliv). When John died, his soul stayed tethered to his house, although his wife did not know that since he did not manifest until a while after his death, so his wife sold the house without knowing her husband would become a ghost. The new owner of the house started renting it out, with it eventually going to two men named Vlad and Quincey, and Vlad's younger brother Barry. It turns out, Vlad (@chosenonedracula) is a vampire, Quincey (@quinceymorris-southerngentleman) is a werewolf, and Barry, called "Wolfie", is half-vampire/half-werewolf, who've also been married to John's reincarnating fae widow Anna.

_____________________________________________________________

Some Fandoms I can see John having a Verse in - OC Versions (Mostly)

- Dollhouse - Charlie (an Active/Doll)

- Kyle XY - 781231 XY (a clone like Kyle and Jessi)

- Terminator / Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - A good Terminator

- Once Upon a Time - I mean, my Disney verses are Milo from Journey to Atlantis and Giselle from Enchanted and neither of those ever showed up on OUaT, but I mean, they could...

- Battlestar Galactica - A Cylon - Mostly the Reboot because I don't know the original that well

- Jurassic Park - A scientist working with the dinosaurs

- Sliders - Just because

- Quantum Leap - Okay but like a Quantum Leap thing would be so fun

- WestWorld - A Host

- Blade Runner / Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - A Replicant/An Android

I think you can get the theme here. Most Sci-Fi (and Fantasy, for that matter) things can work but especially if they have robots/AIs, clones, personality "imprints", or things like that. Also symbiotic relationships. I love those.

_____________________________________________________________

Fandom-verses - Canon Character AU Versions:

Worm John – #I’m-Just-A-Worm – Worm – Labyrinth

The Worm loves his Queen (@manenimittliv). The King (@youreyesxcanbesocruel) scares him a bit but the King has been friendlier to him for a while now. He's not entirely sure why.

He also exists in the verse with Anna's Jareth (@itscnlyfcrever), where John IV (WereJohn Synth) accidentally fell into Jareth's labyrinth.

Spider-Ham/Peter Porker – John Mulaney – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Peter Porker was originally a spider just named Peter until he was bitten by a radioactive pig, which resulted in him transforming into a pig but retaining his spider abilities.

Giselle – #True-Love's-Kiss – Amy Adams – Enchanted

Giselle is a typical Disney not-quite-princess. She sings, animals love her, and she believes in Happily Ever After and the power of True Love's Kiss. She learns about harsher realities when she gets thrown out of Andalasia, her fairytale land, and into our New York City. Despite troubles she faces in the harsh land of New York, she remains optimistic and curious, although she does do quite a bit of growing and never quite marries her prince she had been engaged to in Andalasia (I'll also just reblog and use pictures and gifs of Amy Adams in general, and specifically of her as Amelia Earhart from Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian because she's super cute in that).

Cam Harrison – William Moseley – The Little Mermaid (2018)

Cam Harrison is a young reporter who, while looking for a good story, goes to a circus with his niece where he meets a mermaid (@manenimittliv) who he later rescues and falls in love with.

Dawn Smith – Dawn Summers – Michelle Trachtenberg – Buffyverse AU

Really just Dawn Summers, Buffy's little sister from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Dawn was originally a glowing ball of energy that served as a key between dimensions. Monks made the key into a human girl, making her the little sister of the Slayer (Chosen One female super vampire slayer/demon hunter, originally one every generation, the next one is called when the last one is killed, who protects innocents against "vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness"), Buffy Summers, so she would be protected from the angry goddess Glorificus (often just called "Glory"), who wanted to use the key to get back to her home dimension, where she was kicked out of, but doing so would result in the walls of all dimensions collapsing and causing choas and destruction to all dimensions. Dawn was given false memories of living an entire life being Dawn Summers, and anyone who should know who Dawn is would get the fake memories of her having always been there when they see her for the first time.

Frank Wishbone – John Smith? – #Monster-Family – Eddie Redmayne? (Nick Frost was the voice) – Monster Family

Frank Wishbone is awkward, non-confrontational (originally to a fault, being something he had to overcome a bit), and over-worked. He is the father of Fay and Max and husband of Emma. Count Dracula becomes infatuated with Emma and attempts to court her, and in the process causes the entire family to become their costumes when they went to a costume party, when he was only trying to get Emma (dressed as a vampiress Bride of Dracula) to become her costume. Frank was turned into Frankenstein's Monster, Max was turned into a (very cute) Wolf Man/werewolf and Fay was turned into a mummy. Fay was briefly courted by Imhotep until Frank chased him away after it was clear she did not want him. Fay dates a guy named Jayden from her school.

We have an AU of this that has John as Frank, Anna (@manenimittliv) as Emma, Fay as a daughter of Jareth (@youreyesxcanbesocruel) and Anna who gets stuck in a different reality and lives with that universe's version of her mother and her stepfather, John, and TB (@tavinwho) as Max, with Erik (@princeofconjurers / @theabandonedroo) as Dracula.

Amber Smith – #Christmas-Prince – Rose McIver? Melissa Benoist? – A Christmas Prince AU

Amber Moore, a young journalist, is sent to Aldovia to cover a press conference with the crown prince Richard. She accidentally gets mistaken for the tutor of Princess Emily, the prince's younger sister. She uses this mistake to her advantage, posing as Emily's tutor to get a good story on the prince, who she eventually falls in love with.

(In our version, @manenimittliv plays Richard. We might have Melissa Benoist (my most common female version of John called Kara, or maybe Amy Adams or another female FC I use) as Amber and one of Anna's male versions of Anna called Sean (either Ed Sheeran or David Bowie) as Prince Richard.

Cornelius "Lewis" Robinson – #Keep-Moving-Forward – Meet the Robinsons Universe

John is Lewis/Cornelius, Anna (@manenimittliv) is Franny and TB (@tavinwho) is Wilbur. Bud and his wife Lucille adopted Lewis, who changed his name to Cornelius. Bud's brother Fritz, his sister-in-law Petunia, their kids Tallulah and Laszlo, and his other brother and sister-in-law Joe and Billie live with them, as well as Cornelius's wife Franny, their son Wilbur, and Franny's brothers Gaston and Art, and twin brothers Spike and Dimitri (no one knows who they're related to), their butler Lefty and their robot Carl, made by Cornelius, as well as many of Cornelius's inventions, Franny's jazz-singing frogs, and their new pet T-Rex.

[blackkudos]

Billy Paul

Paul Williams (December 1, 1934 – April 24, 2016), known professionally as Billy Paul, was a Grammy Award-winning American soul singer, known for his 1972 #1 single, "Me and Mrs. Jones", as well as the 1973 album and single "War of the Gods" which blends his more conventional pop, soul, and funk styles with electronic and psychedelic influences.

He was one of the many artists associated with the Philadelphia soul sound created by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell. Paul was identified by his diverse vocal style which ranged from mellow and soulful to low and raspy. Questlove of the Roots equated Paul to Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, calling him "one of the criminally unmentioned proprietors of socially conscious post-revolution '60s civil rights music."

Life and career

Early years

Paul was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and raised in North Philadelphia. His love of music began at a young age, listening at home to his family's music collection. He recalled: "That's how I really got indoctrinated into music. My mother was always...collecting records and she would buy everything from Jazz at Philharmonic Hall to Nat King Cole." He began singing along and tried to emulate the records he heard: "I always liked Nat King Cole. I always wanted to go my own way, but I always favored other singers like Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald – I loved Ella Fitzgerald. There are so many of them. Nina Simone was one of my favorites – Johnny Mathis, They all had a style, a silkiness about them.... I wanted to sing silky, like butter – mellow. I wanted to sing mellow you know what I mean. One of my favorites is Jessie Velvet – they used to call him Mr. Easy. A lot of people forgot about him you know – Sam Cooke is another one of my favorites."

Paul explained why he was particularly influenced by female jazz singers: "I think the reason behind that is because of my high range. The male singers who had the same range I did, when I was growing up, didn't do much for me. But put on Nina Simone, Carmen McRae or Nancy Wilson, and I'd be in seventh heaven. Female vocalists just did more with their voices, and that's why I paid more attention to them." Perhaps the female vocalist who had the most impact on him was Billie Holiday whom he called "a BIG influence." He began developing a vocal style that would eventually incorporate traces of jazz, R&B, and pop.

He began his singing career at eleven, appearing on local radio station WPEN, then owned by the local Philadelphia Bulletinnewspaper. He attended the West Philadelphia Music School and the Granoff School of Music for formal vocal training. He recalled: "Well you know, it was something that my mum would say I needed, holding my notes you know, and delivering my notes. It gave me assurity, cos my mother was 100% behind me and it created the style and uniqueness of Billy Paul. All my life I wanted to sound like myself, I never wanted to sound like anybody else. How that occurred was cause I always wanted to be a saxophone player....I took my uniqueness and treated it like a horn, which created a good style for me."

Paul's popularity grew and led to appearances in clubs and at college campuses nationally, which led to further opportunities: appearing in concert with Charlie Parker, Dinah Washington, Nina Simone, Miles Davis, the Impressions, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Roberta Flack. He also changed his name from Paul Williams to Billy Paul so as to avoid any confusion with other artists such as songwriter Paul Williams and saxophonist Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams. He explained: "I had Jules Malvin, who was like my play father. He was my manager at the time. He took me up to the Apollo and I warmed the Apollo for six weeks and that’s where he gave me the name Billy Paul. I didn't question it."

First recordings

In 1952 he traveled to New York City and entered the recording studio for Jubilee Records. Backed by Tadd Dameron on piano and Jackie Davis on the Hammond organ, the first single Paul released that April was "Why Am I" with "That's Why I Dream" as the B-side (Jubilee Records 5081, both written by Bernard Sacks and B. Sidney Zeff). Billboard reviewed the tracks favorably saying of "Why Am I" – "Expressive warbling of a moody ballad, by the label's new 16-year-old chanter" and of "That's Why I Dream" – "Organ and piano lend the singer a hand in this slow-paced etching of a romantic number".

A few months later in June 1952, Paul released his second single – this time collaborating with the Buddy Lucas Orchestra – "You Didn't Know" backed with "The Stars Are Mine" (Jubilee Records 5086). Billboard was again positive saying about "You Didn't Know" – "Billy Paul, new young singer, makes an impressive bow on the label with a strong performance of a weeper ballad which should pick up spins and plays. The Lucas ork furnishes okay backing. A good disk" and about "The Stars Are Mine" – "Paul sings this new tune more quietly, over a smooth ork reading. Side is not as exciting as flip and tune is not as strong." A few weeks later, Jubilee took out an ad in Billboard to promote their artists in anticipation of the annual NAMM Show – the music industry trade convention put on by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). Jubilee plugged Paul's latest single and noted: "He's New – He's Hot!" Despite Jubilee's efforts, none of the tracks by the young singer made the charts.

Army years and resumption of professional career

Paul's career took an unexpected turn when he was drafted into the Armed Services. He recalled:

"I went in, in 1957, and I was stationed with Elvis Presley and Gary Crosby – Bing Crosby's son. We were in Germany and we said we're going to start a band, so we didn’t have to do any hard work in the service. We tried to get Elvis to join but he wanted to be a jeep driver. So me and Gary Crosby, we started it and called ourselves the Jazz Blues Symphony Band. Some famous people came out of that band; Cedar Walton, Eddie Harris and we toured all over Germany. Elvis didn’t wanna join us. I used to see him every day but he drove the jeep for the Colonel. He didn’t want to join our band. He wanted to get away from music for a while, while he was in the service you know.

Paul and the other members of the 7th Army Band including Don Ellis, Leo Wright, and Ron Anthony used the service to further their musical careers as best they could—ones they knew would continue once they returned to civilian life. Paul said: "I sang in the service, I sang with a jazz band. So when I came out I sang Jazz, going to clubs and so forth."

Paul also did some boxing in the Army – a sport he had grown up with as he explained in a 2012 interview: "Yeah we had a gym and all my friends from my neighborhood were boxers. Even during my army days I boxed as well as singing. Actually I still go to the gym; both me and my wife have trainers... Miles Davis would always say: 'Come to the gym! I'm gonna beat your ass!' Then one time I got hit too hard and I said no I'm going to sing!... That made my mind up."

After his discharge, Paul formed a jazz trio with hard bop pianist Sam Dockery and bassist Buster Williams. In 1959 he joined the New Dawn record label and released the single "Ebony Woman" backed with "You'll Go to Hell" (New Dawn 1001) both written by Morris Bailey Jr. In 1960, Paul recorded "There's a Small Hotel" (Finch 1005, written by Rodgers and Hart) backed with "I’m Always A Brother" (Finch 1006, written by Leon Mitchell and Charles Gaston). None of these songs charted but Paul would resurrect and re-record both "Ebony Woman" and "There's a Small Hotel" in later years.

Paul was a brief stand-in for one of the ailing Blue Notes with Harold Melvin. Paul remembered: "Well, I didn’t want to dance so Harold Melvin fired me (laughs). I had a six month stay with the Flamingos – I was with The Flamingos for a while." It was around this time that Paul established a lifelong friendship with Marvin Gaye—both singers filling in with other groups. Paul recalled: "I was one of the Blue Notes at one time and Marvin Gaye was in the Moonglows.... We were such good friends. We never did a record together and that would have been one of my dreams. And you know what one of my fascinations is? What we would be doing if he were here today. I think about Marvin every day. The love I have for this man is unbelievable. We were close, we were like brothers. When I would go on the road out in California, he would go round to the house – he and Blanche (Billy's wife) [would] make sure Blanche’s mother would take her insulin because she was a diabetic. I would heavily depend on him to make sure she ate and took her insulin. That’s how close we were. You know sometimes, even today. I wake up and hope it was a dream, but it’s real – it’s real you know."

Philadelphia soul years

In 2012, Paul was asked how important the city of Philadelphia is to him and what the Philly sound is: "It's very very important to me. I was born here and so many great and influential artists come from here as well. Its a city of its own and has its own sound. I think what makes it different is the drama; you know how they say everyone marches to their own beat? Well i think Philly has its own beat as well, and it's distinctive. It sounds easy, but it's hard to play."

Neptune and Gamble releases

Paul and his wife and manager Blanche Williams were in the process of recording his debut album when they met Kenny Gamble. Paul recalled:

"I was singing in a jazz club called the Sahara. He had a record shop on South St & Philly – right round the corner and I was singing with a trio at the Sahara club on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. He came over and said 'I am starting a record company and I would like to sign you.' Low and behold I took all the material I sung every weekend and I did an album in three and a half hours – a whole album. I had this album, and I produced it – me and my wife. And we gave him this album called Feelin' Good at the Cadillac Club to help start the record company and that was the album that helped start it up. I was singing totally Jazz then, but when I heard the Beatles and heard the gospel influence and everything I just said: 'I can make jazz with R&B.' That transition came when The Beatles came out to America. When I heard The Beatles that was my turning point. They were like my mentors. You know the funny thing about that, when I heard (Billy sings) 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand', at first I said these guys are like a flash in the pan. But the second album when they started doing all this, I had to like take all that back. John Lennon – one of the greatest writers in the world."

Paul's debut album Feelin' Good at the Cadillac Club was released in 1968 on the Gamble label. Largely a collection of jazz covers of songs popularized by others, it was a studio album that attempted to recreate the feel of Paul's live club performances. Neither the single "Bluesette" nor the album reached the charts. The album was re-released in 1973.

Paul's second LP Ebony Woman (1970), was a more commercial release on Gamble & Huff's Neptune label. Paul cut a new version of his 1959 single and made it the title track. Gamble & Huff were firmly in control of the production. Merging jazz and soul, the LP achieved some modest success reaching #12 on the Billboard soul chart and #183 on the pop chart.

Philadelphia International releases

After Neptune folded, Gamble and Huff started their third label – Philadelphia International Records (PIR) – and brought Paul with them. Gamble and Huff signed a distribution deal with Clive Davis and CBS Records.

Going East (1971) was the first Billy Paul album released on the Philadelphia International Records label, making full use of the label's regular group of ace musicians MFSB at Sigma Sound Studios. As they had done on the previous LP, Gamble and Huff sought to find the balance between Paul's jazz roots and the funky soul that they hoped would bring mainstream success. Paul nearly reached the charts with the single "Magic Carpet Ride" (a different song than the 1968 Steppenwolf hit) and the album climbed to #42 on the Billboard soul chart and #197 on the pop chart.

"Me and Mrs. Jones" and international fame

With each album, Gamble and Huff were moving closer to realizing the sound they envisioned for Billy Paul, and they achieved it with the 1972 album 360 Degrees of Billy Paul and the single "Me and Mrs. Jones". Both the album and song received commercial and critical acclaim.

"Me and Mrs. Jones" was a #1 hit for the last three weeks of 1972, selling two million copies (platinum single status), and went on to win Paul a Grammy Award. The gold album and platinum single broke the artist on world charts, including the United Kingdom where the single entered the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart reaching number 12 in early 1973. In the years since then, the song has been covered numerous times, most notably by the Dramatics in 1974, Freddie Jackson in 1992 and Michael Bublé in 2007. Paul recalled the Grammy win and the song's overall success: "Oh man! I was up against Ray Charles, I was up against Curtis Mayfield, I was up against Isaac Hayes. I was in the Wilberforce University in Ohio, I had to go do a homecoming – my wife and her mother went. And when I see Ringo Starr call my name, I said Ohhh... Yeah... The most sobering thing is to have a number one record across the whole entire world in all languages. It’s a masterpiece, it’s a classic."

The song was PIR's first No. 1. In addition, the label was enjoying considerable success with their other artists including the O'Jays and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Paul remembered the atmosphere at the label: "It was like a family full of music. It was like music round the clock, you know."

"Am I Black Enough" controversy

But Paul's massive success was short-lived. The follow-up single – "Am I Black Enough for You?" – failed to reach the heights of "Mrs. Jones", with the song's Black Power political message proving too much for mainstream radio's taste. There was and continues to be much controversy surrounding the choice to release this track as the follow-up to a cross-over smash hit.

In a 1977 interview, Paul made plain that he opposed the choice from the beginning:

"I think though that a lot of mistakes were made at the time. The biggest one was releasing 'Am I Black Enough For You' straight after 'Mrs. Jones'. People weren't ready for that kind of a song after the pop success of 'Mrs. Jones'. They were looking for a sequel or at least something that wasn't provocative. You'll remember at the time that I told you I was 100% against it and history has proven me right. But though it was a company mistake, I'm still satisfied with both CBS and Philadelphia International."

Decades later, Paul was more philosophical about the song: "That was what I had with 'Am I Black Enough.' I wanted – I'm gonna make it this time and come out. I think it's true to the audience, cos they look for something to come out compared to Mrs. Jones and that was Clive Davis' idea to do that. I think it was Kenny and Clive Davis, but I think it was mostly Clive Davis." For his part, Davis has said that he opposed releasing the song as a single. Still, Davis called it an "all time great record, all time great performance". Gamble, the co-writer and producer of the track, said the song "was great and Billy sounded great doing it". Paul reflected: "Well you know... For a long time I was angry about it, I had a bit of a letdown. Now the song is ahead of its time. I feel as though I let the song down when I went into my darkness. I feel like I abandoned the song. And I'm still going to get to the bottom of 'Am I Black Enough'".

Ultimately, 360 Degrees of Billy Paul reached #1 on the Billboard soul chart and #17 on the pop chart. Despite the disappointment over the chart performance of "Am I Black Enough", there was no reason to believe that he could not replicate the album's success or reach even greater heights. In May 1973, while still promoting 360 Degrees of Billy Paul, he was asked about a follow-up LP: "I'm afraid that there will be something of a delay. As of right now, there are two sides actually completed. I have to tell you about one of them — Kenny and Leon wrote it especially and it's a definite single at some point. It's called "I Was Married" and I honestly think it will be bigger than "Me and Mrs. Jones". But for me, there are still two singles from the 360 Degrees album — "Brown Baby" and "I'm Just a Prisoner". But, we are starting to work on the album more seriously from May 15." Despite Paul's enthusiasm, neither "Brown Baby" or "I'm Just a Prisoner" were released in U.S., although "Brown Baby" was issued in the UK but failed to chart.

"Me and Mrs. Jones" was such a huge hit that Gamble and Huff decided to re-release Paul's first two albums Feelin' Good at the Cadillac Club and Ebony Woman. Reissued in 1973, both albums featured new cover art and were a boon to new fans hungry for Billy Paul product who had already purchased his first two PIR LPs. Still, neither reissue was terribly successful with only Ebony Woman re-entering the album charts at #186 Pop and #43 Soul.

Paul's next album, War of the Gods, was the follow-up to 360 Degrees of Billy Paul and was issued in November 1973. Unique in Paul's catalog, it contains lengthy psychedelic soul, song suites and marked a conceptual and musical advance for Paul that did not go unrecognized by critics and fans. And while the LP and its singles enjoyed some success, Paul was unable to repeat the kind of wide impact he had with his previous album and "Mrs. Jones". The War of the Gods single "Thanks for Saving My Life", backed with "I Was Married" as the B-side, was a top 40 hit, reaching #37 on the pop chart and a top-ten soul record reaching #9. It also reached #33 in the UK.

Paul's 1973 European tour with the O'Jays and the Intruders spawned his first true live album: Live in Europe. Recorded in London and released in 1974, it reached #10 on the Billboard Soul Album chart and #187 on the pop chart.

Got My Head on Straight was released in 1975 and was an attempt to return to the successful formula of 360 Degrees of Billy Paul. A collection of jazzy, soulful, funky, pop songs, it reached #140 on the Billboard Pop Album chart and #20 on the Soul chart. It included the singles "Be Truthful to Me" (#37 R&B); "Billy's Back Home" (#52 R&B); and "July, July, July, July", which did not chart. Despite the attempted return to form, the lack of mainstream success was a major disappointment to Paul, Gamble and Huff, and everyone at PIR.

Jesse Jackson controversy

When Love is New followed in the same vein as its predecessor and had a similar fate. Released in December 1975, it reached #139 on the Billboard Pop Album chart and #17 on the Soul chart. It included the singles "Let's Make a Baby" which hit #83 on the Pop singles chart (the last record of Paul's to make that chart), #18 on the Soul chart, and #30 in the UK and "People Power" which reached #82 on the Soul chart and #14 on the U.S. Dance chart.

"Let's Make a Baby" proved controversial and there were calls to ban or alter the track because of its supposed obscene or negative message. Jesse Jackson and Operation PUSH led the movement against this song and others such as Hall & Oates's "Rich Girl" and the Four Tops' "Catfish". The campaign was waged locally with individual stations making their own choices about how to handle the matter. For example, leading R&B station WWRL in New York City played "Let's Make a Baby" but decided not to announce its title. Other stations went so far as to alter the lyrics. Privately, several black disc jockeys described the controversy as "Jessie's phony crusade against sex on the air." The disc jockeys – who refused to allow their names to be used for fear of reprisals – accused Jackson of being "absolutely dishonest" about the campaign with one popular radio personality making reference to Richard Pryor's 1975 appearance at one of Jackson's events:

"This man suddenly discovered sexy recordings when several of our black recording artists began to stop performing for nothing at his annual Black Expos. Remember, this is the same Jackson who presented at one of his Black Expos the filthiest recording comedian in show business. And that comedian was filthy that night at the Amphitheater. It got so bad that parents and their children could be seen leaving the place."

The disc jockeys further pointed out that Jackson was not critical of other artists like Roberta Flack and the Brothers Johnson who had similarly suggestive songs like "Jesse" and "Get the Funk Out of My Face" but who were supporters of Operation PUSH. Several radio veterans were convinced that Jackson's actions were little more than a publicity stunt calling it "just another of his gimmicks, which he will soon drop for another, just to stay in the news."

For his part, Jackson responded:

We have not...leveled 'blasts at Billy Paul.' We have carefully and consciously avoided 'blasts' at specific entertainers and instead have focused on specific records – of which Billy Paul's 'Let's Make a Baby' is only one in a whole series, increasingly explicit and dominant in a market almost exclusively directed at children....Love and romance are part of life and we are not suggesting that these subjects should be 'censored' in record lyrics. Our appeal has been directed toward pornographic lyrics that degrade human sexuality rather than uplifting the human spirit. The lyrics change in Billy Paul's record was decided upon independently by WVON radio. Mr. Paul has not protested to WVON about the change. The allegation that we have 'suddenly discovered sexy records' because artists have stopped performing for nothing at PUSH EXPO is patently false....The fact that several artists performed at EXPO who have songs we find objectionable is further evidence that our concerns are directed not at the artist but at the record.

Surprisingly, the controversy only escalated with the release of Paul's next album Let 'Em In in late 1976. The title track was a funky soul version of Paul McCartney's #3 U.S. hit from earlier that summer. While McCartney's version was heavy on personal references and comparatively light on political figures, Billy Paul's version turned the formula on its head to become a kind of civil rights anthem – albeit one with a personal touch due to the mention of his recently deceased twin sister Pauline Williams. As where McCartney only obliquely refers to "Brother John" (John Lennon or brother-in-law John Eastman or John F. Kennedy) and "Martin Luther" (the martyred civil rights leader or the 16th Century theologian), Billy Paul's version is far more explicit in reciting a list of deceased civil rights leaders (Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Medgar Evers, and Louis Armstrong). Furthermore, interspersed with Billy Paul's verses are memorable passages of speeches by Malcolm X and King.

Yet just as they had done with "Let's Make a Baby", WVON – Chicago's oldest black-oriented radio station – altered the song. This time an engineer at the station spliced in a parts of a speech by Jesse Jackson as a substitute for parts of King's speech. Chicago Tribune columnist Gary Deeb said the station "mutilated" the song, doing so in order to solidify ties with Jackson, and called the whole episode "simply ridiculous." Paul was furious and said that he had the "shock of my life" when he learned of the alteration.

Reverend George Clements, the crusading pastor of Holy Angels Catholic Church on the South Side of Chicago presented Paul with an award for the song on Billy Paul Day, May 23, 1977 that included a ceremony at the church with the church's school choir performing the song. When informed of the honor by Father Clements, Paul reportedly cried tears of joy. Clements said:

"In an age of cynicism, suspicion and outright despair, it's uplifting to hear the kind of message that Billy Paul is giving all of us over the radio. Billy Paul is telling us that the dreamers, like Dr. Martin Luther King, are dead now, but it is time to let their dreams begin to come into our souls and begin to make an impact on our society. Congratulations to Billy Paul. Truly he has made a hit, not just with the general public, but also with Almighty God!"

In all, Let 'Em In was Paul's first LP to crack the top 100 pop album chart since 1972's 360 Degrees of Billy Paul, reaching #88. Paul also had his usual success on the Soul charts with the album hitting #27 and the singles "How Good is Your Game," "I Trust You," and "Let 'Em In" reaching #50, #79, and #91 respectively. Paul's version of the Elton John hit "Your Song" cracked the top 40 in the U.K reaching #38.

Final PIR recordings

Paul released Only the Strong Survive in 1977 and it proved to be his final charting album reaching #152 on the Pop chart and #36 Soul. The LP's title track was the first single reaching #68 on the Soul chart and #33 in the UK. The next time Paul's voice would be heard during the summer of 1977 was on the track "Let's Clean Up the Ghetto" featuring the "Philadelphia International All-Stars": Billy Paul, Lou Rawls, Archie Bell, Teddy Pendergrass, Dee Dee Sharp Gamble, and Eddie Levert and Walter Williams of The O'Jays. The song reached #91 on the Pop chart and #4 on the Soul chart. The Let's Clean Up the Ghetto album also included the Billy Paul tracks (both written by Gamble & Huff) "New Day" and "New World Comin'." All proceeds from the album and single went toward a program to benefit inner-cities throughout the U.S. Paul followed up the success of both his "Only the Strong Survive" single and "Let's Clean Up the Ghetto" with "Sooner or Later" – another track from his latest LP. Yet the track failed to chart as did "Don't Give Up on Us" and "Everybody's Breaking Up" which was officially released in the U.K. but only issued to radio in the U.S.

Paul's final studio album for Philadelphia International was First Class, released in 1979. It was the first album since his 1968 debut Feelin' Good at the Cadillac Club that did not make either the Pop or Soul charts. The LP's first single "Bring the Family Back" failed to chart but a 12" disco version did reach #90 on the Soul chart and #51 on the Dance chart. "False Faces" was also released in both single and 12" disco versions but neither charted.

Paul's run at Philadelphia International officially ended with the 1980 release Best of Billy Paul. This double-album compilation included four previously unreleased tracks: "You're My Sweetness," "Next to Nature," "What Are We Going to Do Now That He's Back," and "My Old Flame." The UK version was a single LP titled Billy Paul's Greatest Hits with a different track listing and only one of the "new" songs: "You're My Sweetness". That song was released as a single and reached #69 on the Soul chart. Paul's final single for Philadelphia International was an edited version of a song from his first Philadelphia International album Going East: "Jesus Boy (You Only Look Like a Man)" which failed to chart.

Numerous "best of" compilations of Paul's Philadelphia International work have been released over the years, though critics have made plain that most have failed to capture the right balance of singles and album tracks to fully represent the depth and breadth of his PIR output. For example, AllMusic's Andrew Hamilton said of the 2002 collection Super Hits: "If you didn't live and die with Billy Paul's albums when he cranked them out on Philadelphia International Records, you won't have a clue as to what his fans want to hear. To compile a CD from Paul's singles is to compile a mediocre collection; you have to supplement the singles with choice LP cuts. And with a brief ten-track collection like this, some of the singles should have been replaced with a few of Paul's icy album joints." By contrast, Jason Ankeny said that the 1999 compilation Me & Mrs. Jones: Best of Billy Paul "goes far beyond the classic title track in restoring the singer to prominence, showcasing his versatility via superb covers of pop favorites.... [and] the inclusion of R&B chart hits.... it all adds up to a definitive portrait of Paul in his prime."

Paul was on the Philadelphia International label, in all, for nine years and while he enjoyed considerable success – especially with "Me and Mrs. Jones" – critics generally agree that he deserved better. Andrew Hamilton put it bluntly: "Gamble and Huff did a horrible job picking Paul's singles. Some better choices, and his career might have been Hall-of-Famish." Similarly, Jason Ankeny wrote: "Too easily dismissed as little more than a one-hit wonder, Billy Paul was, in fact, one of the most gifted and affecting talents to grace the Philadelphia International stable – the recipient of some of the Gamble and Huff team's most lush and sophisticated productions. His deeply soulful voice bridged the gap between jazz and soul, textured in equal measure by street-smart swagger and touching vulnerability."

Post-PIR studio recordings

Paul made two studio albums in the 1980s. The first Lately was released in 1985 and was a dramatic musical departure from the lush Philadelphia Soul of his previous efforts. Recorded for Lonnie Simmons' Total Experience Records, the album's synthesizer and keyboard-driven tracks (typical of music production at the time) were closer to Simmons' work with the Gap Band and Yarbrough and Peoples than they were to Paul's 70's orchestrated wall of sound. The album's title track, a ballad, was released as a single in the U.K. but did not chart. The follow-up single – a slow jam called "Sexual Therapy" – fared better climbing to #80 on the U.K. charts.

Paul's final studio album was 1988's Wide Open for the Ichiban label. Similar in production style to his previous release, though perhaps a bit smoother, it reached #61 on the Soul chart. However, the singles "We Could Have Been" and "I Just Love You So Much" failed to chart.

"Retirement" years

Paul announced his retirement in 1989 on stage in London. But like so many artists before him, he could not resist the temptation to continue to play live shows and record. In 2009 he was asked how he was enjoying his retirement in South Jersey: "Retired? Are you serious?"

Post-"retirement," Paul regularly toured in the U.S. and abroad playing small clubs, hotel ballrooms, Las Vegas showrooms, Jazz festivals, and theaters. Asked in 2012 whether playing in Philadelphia held special meaning to him: "I try to feel comfortable wherever I play, but they call it being a native son and I do get a lot of respect there so it is special. The reaction internationally is great as well, so even in Paris or Brazil we have great audiences. Songs like Mrs. Jones are huge everywhere so I do perform a lot overseas."

In 2000 he released a CD – Live World Tour 1999–2000 – on his own label, PhillySounds. Recorded in São Paulo, Brazil; Paris, France; Bermuda, and Philadelphia, it contained the following tracks: "Billy's Back Home," "Love Buddies," "When Love is New," "This is Your Life," "Thanks for Saving My Life," "Let's Get It On/What's Going On," "War of the Gods," "I Believe I Can Fly," "Your Song," "Without You," and "Mr & Mrs. Jones." Two years later, a complete show from that tour was released outside the U.S. on the PID label. Titled Your Songs: Live in Paris, it was recorded in December 2000 at a private event for the RFM TV Channel at Studio 287 in Paris, France. It includes the songs "July, July, July, July," "Only the Strong Survive," "It's Too Late," "Brown Baby," "Let 'Em In," "It's Critical," "False Faces," and "Let's Clean Up the Ghetto" among others.

As these live albums illustrate, Paul's concert set lists have been varied, containing both his own songs as well as cover versions of jazz, soul, rock, and pop tunes. For example, his September 16, 2001 Sunday afternoon show at Gloria's Seafood in Philadelphia featured: "Billy Boy," "Billy's Back Home," "Just in Time," "Old Folks," "Sleeping Bee," "Ebony Woman," "Thanks for Saving My Life," "Love Buddies," "April in Paris/I Love Paris," and "Me and Mrs. Jones."

His show of June 12, 2011 in São Paulo, Brazil consisted of: "Thanks for Saving My Life," "I Will Survive" (performed by backing vocalist Anna Jordan), "Hello," "Purple Rain," "Smile," "Mrs. Robinson," "Your Song," "Me and Mrs. Jones," and "You Are So Beautiful."

"Me and Mrs. Jones" lawsuits

In 2000, Nike began airing a commercial featuring track and field star Marion Jones – the face of Team USA for the 2000 Summer Olympics. The campaign, entitled "Mrs. Jones", depicted the athlete as a half-hidden DJ talking about issues such as education and better pay for female athletes. The ad also featured Paul's studio recording of "Me and Mrs. Jones". Paul saw the commercial and contacted an attorney who filed suit in a federal district court in Los Angeles against both the sportswear company and its advertising agency, Wieden & Kennedy. Paul sought $1 million in lost licensing fees, arguing that the company had not obtained his permission to use the song. A spokesperson for the ad agency called the decision to air the song without permission "a very stupid mistake."

On the heels of the Nike suit, Paul targeted his former record company for unpaid royalties on his signature song. He claimed that he had not received an accounting statement from Philadelphia International Records in 27 years and sued Assorted Music, its owners Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and Sony Music Entertainment for nearly half a million dollars. At the 2003 trial in a federal district court in Los Angeles, Joseph E. Porter, the attorney for Assorted Music, argued that Paul was only owed about $27,000, explaining that while the company had mistakenly failed to collect proper foreign royalties on the record, Paul actually owed the company about $314,000 for the costs of recording and producing the 10 albums he made for Philadelphia International from 1971–80.

In the end, the jury deliberated for less than an hour and found that Paul did not owe the company anything. Instead, they awarded him half a million dollars in unpaid royalties for his recording of "Me and Mrs. Jones." Paul said through a statement issued by his attorney: "I'm so glad my path to justice has finally come to an end. I've been waiting years to be paid for my recordings." Seymour Straus, who testified at trial on Paul's behalf commented: "There is no question that Billy Paul's royalties had been improperly calculated for many years." Jay Berger of the Artists Rights Enforcement Corporation said: "This case firmly establishes the rights of singers signed to small production companies to receive 50% of the money earned by the major labels that distribute the records." Chuck Rubin the president of Artists Rights said: "The producers will no longer walk off with any of the artist's royalties." Paul's lawyer Steven Ames Brown commented: "It was a stunning victory for Billy. The jury awarded him $12,000 more than we requested. The years of deception and excuses are over and Billy Paul will from now on enjoy the fruits of his talents. Los Angeles juries have no patience for deadbeat record companies." Brown added: "And Billy Paul was Kenny Gamble's best friend. Can you imagine what might have happened to the others?"

Paul's wife and manager Blanche Williams called the decision a "moral victory" and had especially harsh words for Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff: "The jury was...pissed off at the arrogance of G&H, the 'creative bookkeeping' done by Sony, and at discovering how blatantly and systematically Sony and PIR under-reported Billy's earnings.... In addition G&H will have to pay us interest on that money going back to '94 (statute of limitations). Oh yes, 'the chickens came home to roost.' Winning this case opens the door for all of those other artists whose royalties were withheld or under-accounted to go to court and seek justice, and to know that they have a good chance of winning their case. This is just the beginning of G&H's worst nightmare. The avalanche cometh."

Gamble & Huff's attorney Porter said after the verdict: "It was nothing but an accounting (issue). No one said 'you cheated me.'" Still, Paul's case was an important precedent for other artists including Archie Bell of Archie Bell & the Drells and the O'Jays who also sued Gamble & Huff for unpaid royalties.

Feature film

In 2009, the biographical feature film Am I Black Enough for You?, directed by Swedish director Göran Hugo Olsson was released. Awarding the film three stars, Uncut magazine said "Olsson modelled his film on Let’s Get Lost, Bruce Weber’s 1989 portrait of Chet Baker, saying: "Paul is certainly no fallen demi-genius to set alongside Baker, but he proves an engaging, articulate subject, with a story that stretches back to playing alongside Charlie Parker, and peppered with the usual racial prejudice. His career is, in its way, emblematic of black America’s struggles over the last half century, including a descent into cocaine addiction and recovery, both shared with his wife, who remains a quirky, willful presence throughout the movie. The pair come across as a jazzy Derby and Joan."

Paul explained why he agreed to work with the filmmakers: "Well I'm not getting any younger and I wanted to express some things that might have been hidden. I wanted to release my heart and tell people about my highs and lows and I think you get that from this documentary.... It wasn't difficult to make. We were followed all over the world by this film crew from Europe and I got to be very good friends with the filmmakers. I would say things and do things as if the camera wasn't even there. They approached me about doing this film, and they are real fans. "Am I Black Enough for You?" is very popular in Sweden and these guys really knew their music. They were serious about it, they flew over and followed me and it got real personal...and I trusted them. It's very important like the relationship I have with my wife is based on trust. I wish everyone could have that level in their lives.... I am now at peace with myself, I think this movie has done a lot for me because it's helped me get rid of a lot of demons.

Later activity

In 2011, Paul participated in an album by French singer Chimène Badi, recording a duet with her on the Motown song, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".

To mark the 40th anniversary of Philadelphia International Records, in 2011 Big Break Records in the UK began remastering and reissuing many of the albums released on PIR including Paul's works. They included new liner notes, interviews, and bonus tracks. In the U.S., Legacy Recordings issued Golden Gate Groove: The Sound of Philadelphia Live in San Francisco 1973 – a record company event recorded on June 27, 1973 at the Fairmont Hotel. Paul and other PIR acts were backed by MFSB which featured 35 musicians including Leon Huff on organ. Paul's performances of "East" (10:21) and "Me and Mrs. Jones" (8:34) appear on the album. AllMusic's Andy Kellman gave the release 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Awards and honors

In addition to receiving the Grammy for "Me and Mrs. Jones", Paul won several Ebby awards given by the readers of Ebony magazine; was a recipient of an American Music Award, the NAACP Image Award and numerous proclamations and keys to cities across the United States. Paul received the 2015 AMG Favorite Retro Artist of the Year award as well as being given the Sandy Hosey Lifetime Achievement Award during the Artists Music Guild's 2015 AMG Heritage Awards broadcast held on November 14, 2015 in Monroe, North Carolina.

Death

Paul died on the afternoon of April 24, 2016, at his home in the Blackwood section of Gloucester Township, New Jersey, from pancreatic cancer at the age of 81.

Wikipedia

[kartiavelino]

Regina Hall isn’t fazed by the nasty dudes in ‘Black Monday’

Black Monday | Sunday, 9 p.m., Showtime Mo Monroe (Don Cheadle) is a renegade Wall Street broker at the Jammer Group who’s intent on shaking up the status quo at the New York Stock Exchange. He has assembled a merry band of misfits to help him sell bad stocks quickly. Among the motley crew are Blair Pfaff (Andrew Rannells), an innocent taking his first job in the financial jungle, and Dawn Darcy (Regina Hall), an ambitious woman trying to hold her own in a sewer of toxic masculinity. As the only female in a bro-heavy office, Hall, 48, who recently won the Best Actress award from the New York Film Critics Circle for her performance in “Support the Girls,” spoke to The Post about Dawn’s history with her boss, the survival skills that helped her work on a show with all these dudes and what it’s like to be confused with the other Regina — King, that is. How would you describe Dawn’s relationship with Mo?They dated and they had a relationship for years. Dawn is married now. Although he does love Dawn, I think Mo’s arrested development makes him struggle to see how valuable she is to him, professionally and personally. That’s why they are no longer together. Why is he so stingy about giving her a promotion when she deserves one?Mo doesn’t like to give anyone anything. As the season rolls on you’ll see, when he asks her, ‘Did you see me give anybody anything? You have to take it.’ But the thing that makes you amazing can also cause your demise. He has to be careful. he has to walk that fine line. ‘I grew up with three brothers and no sisters, so a lot of things they said on the show were not shocking.’ Dawn is the only woman in a room full of very rude men. As a woman, how did you react to that?Lucky for me, I grew up with three brothers and no sisters, so a lot of things they said on the show were not shocking. It’s kind of scary to think [the 1980s] were not that long ago. In the movie “Support the Girls,” you play Lisa, the manager of a Hooters-style sports bar. Who has the harder job, Lisa or Dawn?Oh my goodness. The only reason I’m going to say Lisa is because Dawn makes a lot of money. Lisa doesn’t have all the perks. Or the financial comforts with a small salary and that’s tough. Some people confuse you with Regina King. Are you running into each other a lot during the current awards season?We have. I just saw her at the New York Film Critics where she won best supporting actress for “Beale Street.” Regina’s having such an incredible year and she deserves it. We’re the same age, but she’s been acting for so long. It’s incredibly inspirational. After filming “Black Monday,” did you invest in the stock market or did you take your money out?[Laughs.] Well, I know I wouldn’t be investing at Jammer Group. If I had to, Dawn would be the one I would invest with. She feels like the safest bet there. What’s your next project?“Little” with Marsai Martin and Issa Rae comes out in April and the [remake of] “Shaft” comes in June with Samuel L. Jackson, Richard Roundtree and Jessie T. Usher. [embedded content] And here’s what else to watch this week: True Detective | Sunday, 9 p.m., HBO Ten years after the Purcell crimes, new evidence gives Hays (Mahershala Ali) a second chance to vindicate himself and the investigation. With Stephen Dorff. Riverdale | Wednesday, 8 p.m., The CW With the SATs approaching, Alice (Madchen Amick) and FP (Skeet Ulrich) urge Jughead (Cole Sprouse) to start focusing on the test. Betty comes face-to-face with someone from her past. Very unpleasant. Co-starring Camila Mendes as Veronica. Camila Mendes co-stars as Veronica in “Riverdale.”Shane Harvey/The CW The Good Doctor | Monday, 10 p.m., ABC In the aftermath of the quarantine, the staff of San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital tries to return to their normal routines while awaiting a Board of Health inspection. Meanwhile, as Dr. Audrey Lim (Christina Chang) recovers from a dreadful virus, she and Dr. Neil Melendez (Nicholas Gonzalez) navigate their new personal and working relationship, The Many Sides of Jane | Tuesday, 10 p.m., A&E Series premiere. What is life like for Jane a woman living with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder? The cameras that follow Jane’s day-to-day existence detail how she handles motherhood to two young boys and how she deals with her mother. Jane is the subject of a new series on A&E.Emily Berl The Rookie | Tuesday, 10 p.m., ABC A visit by the US vice president puts the station on high alert. The Secret Service tasks Officer Nolan (Nathan Fillion) with checking out a possible threat while the rest of the officers try to keep the streets clear and safe for his visit. Conversations With Ted Bundy | Thursday, Netflix Series premiere. Thirty years have passed since Ted Bundy was executed for killing 36 women between the years 1974 and 1978. A new documentary takes us inside his disturbed mind. [embedded content] Big Brother: Celebrity Edition | 8 p.m., CBS Season premiere. What a cast! Most notable: Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci. We also have Dina Lohan and OJ Simpson guest-house resident Kato Kaelin. Kinda scary. Share this: https://nypost.com/2019/01/18/regina-hall-isnt-fazed-by-the-nasty-dudes-in-black-monday/ The post Regina Hall isn’t fazed by the nasty dudes in ‘Black Monday’ appeared first on My style by Kartia. https://www.kartiavelino.com/2019/01/regina-hall-isnt-fazed-by-the-nasty-dudes-in-black-monday.html

[brittanyyoungblog]

Songs About Jealousy: 60 Jealous Love Songs

Fear. Anger. Mistrust. Envy. Apprehension. It’s not one of the nicer sides of love, but jealousy is a part of it. When you’re with someone you care deeply about it can drive you a little crazy, have you doubting yourself and your relationship, and make you wonder What does this person even see in me? Is it any wonder there are so many songs about jealousy?

Whether you’re watching the one you love with someone else across a room full of faces, lusting after your best friend’s girl, or just wondering what you’d do if you were her man, there’s a jealous song that might not make you feel any better but maybe a little less alone. Check out the list below or listen to it on Spotify.

1. Jealous Bone, Patty Loveless And I know I’m gonna run you off, if I don’t learn to let you go. But ooh oh you make me lose control.

2. Jealousy, Natalie Merchant Is she the sort you’ve always thought, could make you what you’re not?

3. My Best Friend’s Girl, The Cars You’re always dancing down the street with your suede blue eye-eyes. And every new boy that you meet doesn’t know the real surprise.

4. Lounge Act, Nirvana I’ll arrest myself and wear a shield. I’ll go out of my way to prove I still smell her on you.

5. Hey Jealousy, Gin Blossoms The past is gone but something might be found to take its place… Hey jealousy.

6. Mr. Brightside, The Killers Jealousy, turning saints into the sea, swimming through sick lullabies, choking on your alibis.

7. No One Else, Weezer I want a girl who will laugh for no one else. When I’m away she puts her makeup on the shelf.

8. When It Was Me, Paula Oh, oh, and I’m not jealous, no, I’m not. Oh, oh, I just want everything she’s got.

9. Revenge, P!nk Featuring Eminem I’m daydreamin’, let me count the ways how I’ll get you or how I’ll make you pay.

10. You Can’t Do That, The Beatles I got something to say that might cause you pain. If I catch you talking to that boy again, I’m gonna let you down and leave you flat. Because I told you before, oh you can’t do that.

11. Every Breath You Take, The Police Oh can’t you see, you belong to me. How my poor heart breaks, with every breath you take.

12. When I Was Your Man, Bruno Mars Should have gave you all my hours when I had the chance. Take you to every party ’cause all you wanted to do was dance. Now my baby’s dancing but she’s dancing with another man.

13. You Belong with Me, Taylor Swift If you can see I’m the one who understands you. Been here all along so why can’t you see, you belong with me.

14. That’s Him Over There, Nina Simone I guess that you know what extremes I have gone to, to prove that I didn’t care. You were so anxious to meet the dream that I’ve hung onto. Well, that’s him, that’s my Jim, over there.

15. She’s Got You, Patsy Cline I’ve got your class ring that proved you cared. And it still looks the same as when you gave it, dear. The only thing different, the only thing new, I’ve got these little things, she’s got you.

16. Gallery, Mario Vazquez And girl you’re just way too fine. Gotta be treated as one of a kind. Girl use your mind. Don’t be just another dime.

17. Girl Crush, Little Big Town I want to taste her lips. Yeah, ’cause they taste like you.

18. Green is the Colour, Pink Floyd Envy is the bond between the hopeful and the damned.

19. Jealous Guy, John Lennon I’m sorry that I made you cry. Oh my I didn’t want to hurt you. I’m just a jealous guy.

20. Jessie’s Girl, Rick Springfield I feel so dirty when they start talking cute. I wanna tell her that I love her but the point is probably moot.

21. Satellite of Love, Lou Reed I’ve been told that you’ve been bold with Harry, Mark, and John. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday to Thursday. With Harry, Mark, and John.

22. Who Is He (And What Is He to You?), Bill Withers Now when I add the sum of you and me, I get confused when I keep coming up with three. You’re too much for one man, but not enough for two.

23. If I Lost You, Garbage There are times when I see you talking to other girls, I feel insecure. And every time I see you walking out, I wonder if you’re coming back to me.

24. Jealous (I Ain’t With It) So is it really my fault, I get a shiver when I see you with those other guys.

25. Jealous Again, The Black Crows Stop, understand me. I ain’t afraid of losing face. Stop, understand me. I ain’t afraid of ever losing faith in you.

26. Tell Her No, The Zombies And if she should tell you come closer, and if she tempts you with her charms, tell her no no no no no-no-no-no.

27. Ring the Alarm, Beyoncé Ring the alarm, I been through this too long, but I’ll be damned if I see another chick on your arm.

28. I (Who Have Nothing), Ben E. King I, I who have no one, must watch you go dancing by, wrapped in the arms of somebody else when, darling, it’s I who loves you.

29. Jealous Hearted Blues, Ma Rainey Going to buy me a bulldog, to watch him while I sleep. Just to keep my man from making his midnight creep. Yes I’m jealous, jealous. Jealous hearted me.

30. Jealousy, Queen Oh jealousy you tripped me up. Jealousy you brought me down. You bring me sorrow you cause me pain. Jealousy when will you let go?

31. Treat You Better, Shawn Mendes I won’t lie to you, I know he’s just not right for you.

32. The Jealous Kind, Joe Cocker It’s just that I’m so afraid someone might steal you away, I’d lose my mind. So please forgive me for the way I act sometimes. I’m the jealous kind.

33. I Want Your Girlfriend to Be My Girlfriend Too, Reel Big Fish There’s a little girl I know, you might know her too. She looks so good, she looks so cute, standin’ next to you. And I don’t know what to do.

34. Silver Springs, Fleetwood Mac Don’t say that she’s pretty, and did you say that she loved you. Baby I don’t want to know.

35. Jealous, Nick Jonas It’s not your fault that they hover, I mean no disrespect. It’s my right to be hellish. I still get jealous.

36. Before He Cheats, Carrie Underwood Right now, she’s probably up singing some white-trash version of Shania karaoke. Right now, she’s probably saying “I’m drunk” and he’s a-thinking that he’s gonna get lucky.

37. Jealous Lover, Rainbow Shades of red, eyes of green, sees black and white, and there’s no in between.

38. Forgive My Jealousy, Chuck Jackson Forgive this foolish fear that rages inside of me. Oh, I love you so much love has blinded me.

39. Beautiful Liar, Shakira and Beyoncé I walked in on your love scene, slow dancing. You stole everything, how can you say I did you wrong.

40. Pickup Truck, Kings of Leon And in the moonlight I throwed him down, a kicking, screaming, a rolling around. A little piece of a bloody tooth. Just so you know I was thinking of you.

41. Want U Back, Cher Lloyd Remember all the things that you and I did first? And now you’re doing them with her. Remember all the things that you and I did first? You got me, got me like this.

42. Bust Your Windows, Jazmine Sullivan I bust the windows out ya car and no it didn’t mend my broken heart.

43. You Oughta Know, Alanis Morissette Is she perverted like me? Would she go down on you in a theater? Does she speak eloquently? And would she have your baby? I’m sure she’d make a really excellent mother.

44. Girlfriend, Avril Lavigne She’s like so whatever. You could do so much better. I think we should get together now.

45. Dysentery Gary, Blink 182 Life just sucks, I lost the one. I’m giving up. She found someone. There’s plenty more. Girls are such a drag.

46. Jealousy, Spoon Jealousy, you have never done a thing for me.

47. Endlessly Jealous, Lou Reed Endlessly jealous of you, being endlessly jealous of me. The man that you thought I could be turning red with jealousy.

48. Jealousy, Iggy Pop I feel it comin’ it’s flushin’ my face. I feel it comin’ jealousy baby. I feel it comin’ boilin my blood . I feel it comin’ jealousy baby.

49. Jealousy, Billy Fury I loved you too well. For I doubted you in my heart. My life was hell every moment we were apart. Why did I make that big mistake? I wronged you right from the start.

50. False Accusations, Robert Cray I was so wrong. She’s gone tonight. I was so wrong. I can see her now. And jealousy had twisted me somehow.

51. Suspicious Minds, Elvis Presley We’re caught in a trap. I can’t walk out, because I love you too much, baby.

52. Dark Lady, Cher So I sneaked back and caught her with my man, laughing and kissing till they saw the gun in my hand. The next thing I knew they were dead on the floor. Dark lady would never turn a card up anymore.

53. I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart We were so close but we should’ve been closer and it’s making me feel so sad. But I tell myself I didn’t lose her ’cause you can’t lose a friend you never had.

54. Run for Your Life, The Beatles Well I’d rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man.

55. My Girl Bill, Jim Stafford Bill, you know we just left her place, and we both know what she said. She doesn’t want to see your face, and she wishes you were dead!

56. He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You), Tony Orlando and Dawn The handsome guy that you’ve been dating, whoa, I got a feelin’ he’s gonna put you down.

57. The Girl is Mine, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney I don’t understand the way you think, saying that she’s yours not mine. Sending roses and your silly dreams, really just a waste of time.

58. No Reply, The Beatles I nearly died, I nearly died. ‘Cause you walked hand in hand with another man in my place.

59. Him or Me – What’s It Gonna Be, Paul Revere & The Raiders I can still recall when you told me I was all everything you looked for in a man. But I know that it’s not true, I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and I think you’re gonna hang me up again.

60. Jealous, Robert Palmer When I see you with that guy and he catches your pretty eye, yYou know it makes we want to die.

The post Songs About Jealousy: 60 Jealous Love Songs appeared first on The Date Mix.

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[soundsofrichmahogany]

Playlist 9/14/17

Big thanks to DJ Puree for subbing this show for me while I was away. It’s a mix of groovy and rock, check out our collab playlist below!

- Lilsdo

*** new release

(artist - song - album)

Jessie Ware - Selfish Love - Glasshouse ***

Tennyson - Cry Bird - Uh Oh!

Davie - Love Sick Fool - Single ***

Chet Baker - Love for Sale (live) (Butter Remix) - Love For Sale

Litany - Flaws - Single

Pierre Kwenders - Sexus Plexus Nexus - MAKANDA at the End of Space, the Beginning of Time ***

Electric Guest - Oh Devil (Different Sleep Remix) - Oh Devil Remixes ***

Rhye - Summer Days (Roosevelt Remix) - Single ***

Sabrina Claudio - Belong To You - About Time ***

Tennyson - Thursday ft. Mr. Carmack - Tuesday Wednesday Thursday ***

Dawn Richard - Hurricane - Redemption ***

H.E.R. - Gone Away - H.E.R. Volume 2 ***

Romare - Hey Now (When I Give You All My Lovin’) - Love Songs Pt. 1

Night Tempo - Usagi Funk - Single

Rodriguez - Crucify Your Mind - Searching For Sugar Man

Wire - Eastern Standard (Electric Ballroom) - Document & Eyewitness 1979-1980

The Fall - L.A. - This Nation’s Saving Grace

Guided By Voices - My Valuable Hunting Knife - Alien Lanes

King Krule - 363N63 - King Krule

Wire - Outdoor Miner - Chairs Missing

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - FFunny FFriends - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Wipers - Mystery - Is This Real?

The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms - Crazy Rhythms

Gang Of Four - What We All Want - Solid Gold

What you should listen to:

What else you should listen to: