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[fluffle-writes]

Wanna make something heavily inspired by the story and gameplay style of Return of the Obra Dinn but I can't make games so at the moment I'm just blocking out ideas and shit to see if my thoughts could actually make a viable story

[violetrose-art]

Corpse Bride Headcannons, Theories, and Ideas

This is just a list of the theories, headcannons, and ideas I came up with for Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. I might add more later on, so watch out

-Victor and Victoria were born and raised in a small English village close to the Atlantic Ocean called Burtonsville

-Victor’s full name is Victor Ichabod Van Dort

-When he was about four years old, Victor found Scraps as a mixed-breed puppy in an alleyway. Nell and William refused at first, but William saw how his son quickly became attached to the dog, so he let him stay. Sadly, when Victor turned eight, Scraps was brutally mauled and tragically killed while trying to defend his beloved owner from a bigger, nastier dog

-Victor’s favorite toy as a child was a stuffed horse he called Usher. He begged his mother to let him keep Usher until he was fourteen

-Victor learned to play the piano when he was about five years old. He was a fast learner and he picked up on it very quickly, and his tutor was greatly impressed by his skill. His favorite musicians are Mozart and Beethoven

-Victor works as an artist to draw many types of butterflies for the Lepidoptera Community, as well as a professional pianist. Originally, his father wanted him to work as a fish merchant and take over the family business, but Victor politely told him “no thanks” because he wanted to follow his own dreams. William was disappointed, but deep down he wanted his son to be happy. So he usually encouraged him, especially when Nell wasn’t around

-Outside from his butterfly works, Victor does paintings during his free time at home. The color theory that he studied was written by Eugene De La Croix·         Victor has been drawing since he was a child. His favorite things to draw are animals, butterflies, and other insects. He also does landscapes and people sometimes. He also likes to write sometimes, mostly a few poems and a couple musical compositions. Nothing he took too seriously, though. He also likes to sing when he thinks he’s alone

-In his childhood, Victor used to have a somewhat regular playmate named Humphrey. They were almost friends, but when William’s business became very successful and Victor’s family became rich when Victor was about eleven, Humphrey stopped coming over and the two boys haven’t seen each other since

-When he was a boy, he learned how to speak French because his mother thought it was “high-class” to be bilingual. Victor was diligent in his studies and thus has a good knowledge of spoken and written French. He may not be perfectly fluent, but he can carry on a decent conversation

-Victor is severely allergic to walnuts and poison oak

-Victor had a cousin named Mary whom he was very fond of, but she passed away when she was seventeen and he was six. She got lost in the woods and was attacked and devoured by a pack of wolves

-Victor doesn’t drink anything more than the occasional glass of champagne or wine. The reason? Mayhew once got him drunk and it turns out Victor is a CHATTY drunk. As in, he’ll tell you his life story at the slightest provocation. Victor was so embarrassed when he sobered up that he nearly swore off all alcohol forever. It’s very unlikely he’ll ever knowingly get wasted again·         After he and Victoria were finally married, Victor gained confidence and he stood up against Victoria's parents earning him some respect

-Victor HATES smoking. He was secretly offered a cigarette from Mayhew when he was fourteen and after the first inhale, he was coughing and gagging so much that he nearly threw up

-Victor is the tallest member of the Van Dort family, making him stand out quite a bit during family reunions

-He may not be a sporty person, but Victor enjoys cycling. He also loves a good game of chess

-Victor adores reading. His favorite writers are William Blake, Charles Baudelaire, Lewis Carroll, Edgar Allan Poe, and William Shakespeare

His favorite books are “Les Miserables”, “Dracula”, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, “The Fall of the House of Usher” and other works by E.A. Poe. The play/book that he hates the most is “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” because he strongly dislikes this style of a love triangle in the plot line. He also has a fascination with penny dreadful. Yes, he knows the serial stories are really nothing but lowest common denominator trash, but he loves them anyway. He got hooked on them as a teenager thanks to Mayhew’s nephew, and he used to keep a secret stash under his mattress

-When she still rather young, Victor noticed that his daughter, Emily, became very interested in music, so he taught her how to play the piano as well as the violin

-Victoria was the one who taught her son, Edward, how to read and they bond over books and stories they both enjoy

-The worst day of Victor’s life happened about three weeks after Scraps died. Victor’s parents had some business friends over for tea, and forced a still-grieving Victor to come down and be social. Poor Victor made a bad impression, being quieter and clumsier than normal, culminating in knocking over one man, tripping his wife, and insulting said wife’s coat in apologizing. Nell, humiliated and enraged, turned on her son once the guests were off, screaming at him about what an embarrassment he was while they were still standing on the front steps. Victor was so horrified, embarrassed, and depressed that he came too close to taking his own life. He got his hands on his father’s straight-razor, snuck into the bathroom, and actually had it to his neck when a noise from outside the bathroom spooked him and he dropped the razor and ran back to his room as fast as he could. Fortunately, the distraction gave him time to realize suicide wouldn’t fix anything, and he made a promise to himself never to stoop that low again. His parents also apologized the next day, which helped a lot. Victor avoids telling anyone about it unless he feels he has to, certain they’ll think less of him for it

-Victor was born June 9th, 1867

-Victoria’s full name is Victoria Elizabeth Everglot

-When she was very little, Victoria had always wanted a pet (like a cat or a small dog) but her mother said that having a pet in the house was uncivilized and improper and that all animals were filthy and uncouth creatures

-Victoria’s favorite hobby is sewing and knitting. She often designs most of her husband’s clothes and others in her spare time

-As a child, Victoria tried to be closer to her parents, but often found the family maid Hildegarde as more of a mother figure

-Victoria loves to read in her spare time… even though most people call it scandalous for a woman to do such a thing. Her mother even said reading was too passionate for a young lady. At a young age, Hildegarde, taught Victoria how to read (something her parents never found out about)

-Her favorite books are “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, “A Christmas Carol”, and any classic fairy tale. And her favorite writers are Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Andersen, and the Brothers Grimm

-Victoria’s favorite toy as a child was a china doll she called Miss Liddie. By the time she was about eleven, she had grown out of it. Even though she knows she’s too old for toys now, she still misses Miss Liddie

-Victoria isn’t allergic to anything, but she does tend to sneeze if dust is in the air

-When she was a little girl, Victoria was nearly trampled by a horse-drawn carriage, which made her develop a slight fear of horses

-Victoria likes to sing whenever she thinks she’s alone. She doesn’t believe it, but she has a surprisingly lovely singing voice

-When she was a little girl, Victoria was entranced by the piano in her house and she immediately wanted to learn how to play but her mother had told her daughter many times that music was improper and too passionate for a young lady. But Victor always tells his wife that music is a wonderful way to express oneself and that he would be more than happy to teach her how to play

-Victoria used to have a regular playmate named Gwyneth in her girlhood. They were good friends, but when Victoria reached her pre-teen years, Gwyneth stopped coming over to play for some reason and she never heard from her since

-Victoria is the most beautiful member of the Everglot family

-When she was in her early teens, Victoria secretly dreamed of becoming a writer someday

-Victoria was born February 3rd, 1868

-Victor and Victoria had two children. Their names are Emily Alice Van Dort (age 15) and Edward Daniel Van Dort (age 10)

-When Victor and Victoria were married, they moved out of their parents houses and bought a beautiful two story house that sat at the edge of a large meadow that was right next to the forest… plus, the house was a good mile or so away from Burtonsville

-The Corpse Bride’s full name is Emily Charlotte Cartwell

-Emily was born into a wealthy family. Her parents, Lord and Lady Cartwell, couldn’t say ‘no’ to their daughter and they practically gave her everything she asked for, so she became incredibly spoiled, selfish, and incredibly naïve·         Emily was a hopeless romantic, often spending time reading romance novels and daydreaming about her wedding when she was alive

-When she was alive, Emily was blonde

-When she made it to Heaven, Emily was finally reunited with her mother and father

-When their daughter disappeared, Lord and Lady Cartwell were so sad and depressed that they wasted away and passed away in their sleep

-Before ascending, Emily considered Bonejangles to be one of her best friends. They used to sing and dance together all the time. He even taught her how to play the piano

-When she was alive, Emily knew how to ride horses. She even had a pet white mare she called Aphrodite

-Emily Cartwell died at age eighteen

-Lord Barkis’s full name is Barkis Finbar Campbell Bittern

-Emily met Lord Barkis while she was on an outing with her parents. Her parents had their backs turned while Emily was talking with Barkis. After only a few minutes of talking, she was instantly smitten with him and she accepted his immediate proposal of marriage… and her mother and father were not happy about it at all. Emily and her father had a huge fight and she decided to elope with Barkis… but for her, it didn’t go as planned

-Barkis told her that if they were going to be together, they would need money. Emily wasn’t sure, but in the end, she agreed

-On the night she was running away, Emily stole not only her mother’s wedding dress, veil, gloves, and best shoes, but she also stole the jewels from her mother’s jewelry box and a large bag of gold from her father’s office

-As Emily was waiting for her fiancé that night, Barkis snuck up behind her, stabbed her, knocked her out cold, took all of her money and jewels, and buried her alive. She woke up in a shallow grave and tried to claw her way out before suffocating to death. That's why her hand was sticking out of the ground

-Barkis was married six times in his life. He and his first wife were married out of love until he found her cheating on him and killed her. The second was an elderly widow for her money. The third one got away before he could even hurt her, but she drowned herself in a deep, rushing river. The fourth was a drunken lonely woman who “accidentally” fell out of a two story window. The fifth being Emily and the sixth being Victoria

-In the Land of The Dead, Barkis was brutally beaten and ripped apart before he was imprisoned in an iron coffin chained seven feet underground with other criminals like him for all eternity

-After he ran away, Barkis studied linguistics in French, Latin, German, and Russian in order to impress others… or use different fake accents to fool them with

-Barkis’s original first name was Bradford and he had a rough upbringing. His father was a violent alcoholic and his mother was a reckless prostitute and they both abused Bradford as a child until he ran away from home at age sixteen and changed his name to Lord Barkis

-Barkis has a twin sister who had a son named Hector. Hector greatly looked up to his uncle and when he heard about what happened to Barkis, he was taken aback, but he also felt he could use that to his advantage. When he turned 30, Hector came to Burtonsville to exact revenge on the Van Dort family… but he also developed a vile infatuation with Emily. Whenever he tries to woo the young girl (which always fails since Emily finds him repulsive and cruel), Victor gladly steps in the way every time and he always sternly tells Hector to stay away from his daughter

-Mrs. Van Dort’s full name is Eleanor Minerva Fitzackley Van Dort

-Nell came from a lower class family. She lived with her father, mother, and three sisters. However, Nell wasn’t happy with her place in society and she wanted to became something more

-Nell and William first met when she was caught in the rain one stormy day and he offered her a ride home in his fish merchant carriage. She declined at first, but quickly gave in when it started to bucket down. As they rode together, they started chatting and soon became very interested in one another

-Nell and William made their way back to the village just in time to witness Emily's soul disappear into the night as a swarm of blue butterflies

-When she learned about Mayhew’s death, Nell quietly wept in her room about it. She might be overbearing, but deep down, she truly does care for the ones closest to her. She also adores her husband and son, even if she does find them a bit irritating. She just has a hard time showing her emotions

-Mr. Van Dort’s full name is William Oscar Van Dort

-William loves talk about fish and his business, he always tries to weasel in the topic whenever possible to his wife and son's annoyance

-William used to take Victor on fishing trips when he was younger, which practically bored Victor to death

-While he tends to be the more passive one in their relationship, William does put his foot down when the situation calls for it

-It may not seem like it, but William adores Victor and he tries to do whatever he can to be there for his son

-When Victor turned sixteen, William gave him a silver pocket watch with a design of a fish on the front and his initials

-Lady Everglot’s full name is Maudeline Hortense Glottberg Everglot

-Maudeline and Finis didn’t plan on having a child in the first place and Victoria came as more of a surprise

-Maudeline had a sister named Marie who loved playing the piano. They didn’t get along in their youth and they drifted apart as they grew up. Maudeline wasn’t even invited to Marie’s wedding to Lord Frederick Cartwell

-When Marie died, she left her piano to her sister, but Maudeline never touched it. She felt it brought back too many memories and forbade Victoria from going near it was well

-Lord Eveglot’s full name is Finis Augustus Everglot

-While he was disappointed in not having a son, Finis deeply cares for his daughter. He just doesn’t know how to show it

-Even though they’re not good at sharing their feelings, Maudeline and Finis do care for each other to some extent

-Hildegarde has lots of grandchildren and she visited their home in the countryside as often as she could before she passed away

-When he was alive, Bonejangles was a freelance jazz musician from America and his original name was Dexter. He was finishing a gig in England when he died in a horrible carriage accident (he was run over), which also caused him to lose his eyeball

-General Bonesapart and General Wellington were actually General Napoleon Bonaparte and English General Wellington, two real historical figures. However, even though they hated each other at first, they became real pals eventually

-Although they don't say it out loud, people in Burtonsville make fun of Maudeline's hair cut, calling her names like "Rump Head" or "Hairmungus"

-Elder Gutknecht is one of the many Afterlife Lords, responsible for managing the dead after they pass. Among them include God, the Devil, King Vince, Hades, Hel, Osiris, Odin, Freya, and, the Hindu God Yama

-The Underworld is actually thousands of miles underground and due to the magic surrounding it. Mortals can't access it unless they die themselves

-After his death, Mayhew kicked the habit of smoking altogether and is very glad he did

-Elder Gutknecht has a fearsome Hellhound by the name of Infernius, his fierce and ever loyal pet. He guards the entrance to the Land of the Dead and can breathe fire that heats up to 900 degrees

-The fellow who was cut cleanly in half was an English gentleman by the name of Herman, who lived in Burtonsville years before. He ended up meeting his death due to an accident involving a rather large guillotine

-Generals Bonesapart and Wellington are the leaders of army of the Land of the Dead, but are only called into combat in times of great peril

-The people of Burtonsville sometimes call Lord Everglot “Everglut” behind his back

-Victoria has a cousin by the name of Dolores. Dolores is something of a freeloading con artist who moved to America when she left home. She considers herself a very attractive woman, but she just wears too much makeup and rather revealing clothes and is actually rather sleazy in reality. She also smokes, which Victoria and the rest of the Everglots are strongly against

-When he was alive, Elder Gutknecht used to be a wise sage that helped people in their time of need. He passed away when he reached the age of 102

-The Everglots were a family of nobles with a significant amount of money, but due to a bit of excessive gambling (by Dolores), they lost almost everything

-Almost every member of the Everglot family is rather ugly due to bad genetics. Victoria considers herself very, VERY lucky to have not inherited such genes (she unknowingly received her natural beauty from her late Aunt Marie)

-Pastor Galswells was raised in a strict environment. He was taught that kindness was weakness and to be stern and firm with everyone. He passed away shortly after the official wedding of Victor and Victoria and a new pastor took his place. His name is Pastor Ivan Blackthorp and he’s much kinder and friendlier than Galswells ever was

-The reason Victor named his dog Scraps was because he only ate table scraps

-The people of Burtonsville have a secret inside joke about the squatty walk Finis Everglot does where they assume that he would jump like a toad and snatch up a fly at any moment

-Burtonsville is well known for its raven population and there's an old legend saying they're messengers to the Land of the Dead

-For some weird reason, William Van Dort is known to mutter the words "Fishy, fishy, fish" in his sleep and it honestly creeps Nell out

-Paul, the decapitated head waiter, was actually a French man who served Marie Antoinette during her reign. Unfortunately, he was unjustly executed by association with the queen when the French Revolution broke out and he was never able to find his body after he died

-Several people have assumed Maudeline's hair is an actual wig and she's bald under it… only to be mistaken, resulting in a whooping

-Lord Barkis was a master of disguise in life and was never caught by the police as a result

-The Underworld has a prison known as the Iron Tomb and it holds some pretty infamous inmates who include Bluebeard, Caligula, Henry VIII, Mary I of England, and many more

-The Town of Burtonsville was actually built on an ancient burial ground, which is possibly why the Land of the Dead is connected to it

-After her death, Emily was made the official guardian angel of the Van Dort family

This is all I've got so far, but feel free to tell me what you think and tell me which one is your favorite

[jazzviewswithcjshearn]

A deeper look at: Pat Metheny: From This Place (Nonesuch/Metheny Group Productions, 2020)

Pat Metheny: guitars, keyboards; Gwilym Simcock: piano; Linda May Han Oh: bass; voice, Antonio Sanchez: drums with the Hollywood Studio Symphony conducted by Joel McNeely. Special guests: Luis Conte: percussion; Gregoire Maret: harmonica; Meshell Ndegeocello: vocals.

This review is dedicated to the memory Lyle Mays (1953-2020).  Your brilliance, and contribution to Metheny’s music, and the world of music as a whole will never be forgotten.

Pat Metheny enters a new phase of his career and era with From This Place. The guitarist has been regularly performing for the past several years be it with the stellar quartet that graces this release, Welsh pianist Gwilym Simcock, Malaysian-Australian bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer of choice, Antonio Sanchez, in addition to duos with bass legend Ron Carter, and the experimental Side Eye project prominently featuring acclaimed up and coming young musicians. However, From This Place is the guitarist's first recording in six years since Kin (↔) with the Pat Metheny Unity Group.  To round out the core group, Metheny enlisted Metheny Group alumni Luis Conte on percussion, in addition to harmonica ace Gregoire Maret who played on and toured behind The Way Up. The guitarist also welcomes back arranger Gil Goldstein to the fold who appeared on Secret Story as well as the tour that followed, and the legendary Alan Broadbent. Meshell Ndegeocello sings on the title track with lyrics written by her partner Alison Riley.

Metheny has been no stranger to touring and constant playing, although the 66 year old has scaled back his once massive nearly year round touring schedule to about 150-200 dates around the world to accommodate family life, the fact that From This Place is the first album in six years is a bit of anomaly in his release history.  The music industry has rapidly changed in recent years: the rise of streaming sites like Spotify, Amazon HD Music, and Qobuz in addition to Youtube has changed the way the public consumes music. CD sales have rapidly declined, although they still outsell vinyl, which is continuing it’s resurgence.  Metheny has been an example of an artist where physical releases are truly special, almost an event.  Going back to his days on ECM, he has always benefited from striking cover art, often being involved directly in the process itself, something rare nowadays.  He has adopted not only streaming, but usage of Bandcamp and offers up audiophile high resolution mastering of the new recording on platforms like HD Tracks and Pro Studio Masters, though the advent of Youtube almost a decade ago and frequent camera phone videos (as well as bootlegs in general) have been an impediment to the guitarist and thus resulted in the controlled studio environments that spawned The Orchestrion Project and Unity Sessions video and album releases reflective of how he approached the music live on tour.

The guitarist has also in the past decade drastically changed his approach to music.  While his recordings with the Pat Metheny Group featuring co founder, keyboardist and writing partner, the late Lyle Mays were and continue to be his most popular works balancing complex forms with memorable melodies.  Since the PMG's final recording The Way Up in 2005, the guitarist has focused on increasingly complex, harmonically dense music that has entered new arenas. This music, featured on albums like Orchestrion, Tap (where he played the music of John Zorn) and Kin(<->) while bearing his inimitable melodic stamp, if one were to peruse various internet discussions, some fans felt that these albums had a higher barrier of entry and wished for more melodic material-- while all these albums, plus Unity Band featured exemplary writing, occasionally the melodies took their time to unfold.  While many of these melodies contained Metheny’s unmistakable essence, From This Place for the most part, goes back to  where his melodies are instantly memorable and singable. Because the album features backing from the Hollywood studio symphony, in addition to the core quartet,  some listeners may automatically assume it is a direct sequel to Secret Story,  the album is anything but. Though it at times conjures moods of the earlier album, the similarities end beyond surface comparisons. The fact is Metheny has moved far beyond that period in his writing, and improvisational abilities, and his writing is the best it's ever been. The album is somewhat of a career summation, but like many others in his discography like Speaking Of Now, or Imaginary Day, the contents also show a new path forward.  This album is firmly rooted in the interplay and solos of a quartet, as Unity Band was, though the the backing of the orchestra, with arrangements centered on what the quartet played, change the complexion considerably.  It is also the first time the guitarist has had a pianist for a foil in his own bands since Lyle Mays.

The genesis for how this music came to be is fascinating.  Around December of 2017, Metheny went into the studio with Simcock, May Han Oh and Sanchez, and laid down sixteen new compositions, of which ten are on this release.  As the music began to be played, he began to hear things inside of it that had yet to be manifested.  The guitarist had logged considerable road time with bassist Ron Carter, whom he played several duo gigs.  During the travel time, Metheny asked Mr. Carter, a lifelong hero of his about the process of playing in the Miles Davis Quintet from 1963-1968-- more specifically, why did they stick to Davis' standard book in concert?  The bassist has frequently described the nightly experiences of playing with Davis as being a laboratory, and they developed a certain code on the bandstand, where through playing standards, they were able to use said code in the creation of new music in the studio.  

From that inspiration, Metheny toured the quartet on the road playing selections from his vast songbook.  They too, would use their own code, something not entirely unfamiliar.  After all, the first recording that Antonio Sanchez participated in was Speaking of Now (2002) with the Pat Metheny Group, and that album, like From This Place was an evolutionary album, which set the stage for the  larger territory tackled in  The Way Up.  The seeds sown in the compositional processes found there would be in Orchestrion and Kin (↔).  The present quartet has really inspired him, and arguably is closest in conception and flavor to the original PMG in terms of broad stylistic conception.  Longtime Metheny fans who have been at shows in that period, or in collector's circles are quite familiar that the early PMG experimented with new tunes before recording, including standards into the set list as well as playing fan favorite tracks.  Something quite similar to the current quartet. As Metheny explained vis a vis the approach to add orchestration to flesh out the playing of the quartet he notes:

As much as folks might describe the sonic language of the avant-garde movement of the sixties as falling into an identifiable generic sound, I have always regarded the general expansion of creativity of that era in a more ecumenical way.

The stylistic changes that occurred then in our community included not only the obvious examples of individual players utilizing extended techniques on their instruments in new ways, or new types of ensembles, but also the wildly new approaches that technology, particular recording technology, offered.

Multi-track recording allowed for entirely new kinds of music to be made.

It is unlikely that the recordings of the CTI label of that time would likely never be thought of as “avant-garde” by garden variety jazz critics of that (or probably any other) era. But from my seat as a young fan, the idea of an excellent and experienced arranger like Don Sebesky taking the improvised material of great musicians like Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter and weaving their lines and voicings into subsequent orchestration was not only a new kind of arranging; it resulted in a different kind of sound and music. 

It was a way of presenting music that represented the impulses of the players and the improvisers at hand through orchestration in an entirely new way. I loved those records.

This will not be the first recording of mine where that equation—record first, orchestrate later—has come up. But it is by far the most extensive one, and I would offer the most organic. From the first notes we recorded, this was the destination I had in mind.

Don Sebesky's arranging skills, found on recordings such as First Light (1971) by Freddie Hubbard, Sunflower (1972) by Milt Jackson and his own Giant Box (1974) illustrate the approach Metheny had in mind.  The track “Wide and Far” is not the first Metheny track to feature an overt homage to the CTI sound.  “So May It Secretly Begin” from the classic (Still Life) Talking (1987) was also an Sebesky homage, particularly in the rich Synclavier string arrangement, but “Wide and Far” positioned as the second cut on From This Place takes that arranging influence to a far deeper level.  The melody is simply prime Metheny, with string, reed and brass sections that in some ways are reminiscent of Freddie Hubbard's Sky Dive (1972) album.  The guitarist, spurred by Sanchez's liquid ride and May Han Oh's of the earth bass takes an inspired solo, amidst soaring orchestral harmonies.  There is a deep in the cut funkiness aspect of Metheny's playing here that not only exhibits the sheer joy of playing with this special class of musicians, but his  nods to George Benson here appear  more overt than they did on “Here To Stay” from the Metheny Group's We Live Here (1995).  It is a beautiful homage, and the handoff to Gwilym Simcock on the bridge section is seamless, where the pianist weaves, fresh lines in his very individual voice. The Welsh pianist was a late bloomer to the jazz world, as he began playing the music in his twenties. Over the course of two decades with associations such as former reedist with Chick Corea's Origin, Tim Garland and the Steve Rodby produced Impossible Gentlemen, Simcock has been one of the most in demand pianists.  During the quartet's 2017 performance at the Beacon Theater it was amply evident how much the guitarist enjoyed having a pianist against as co conspirator and solo voice. The quality is evident in spades on From This Place and one wonders the possibilities were Metheny and Simcock to become co writers.  Also in the Davis Quintet mold, Metheny had each member have input on the material and three of the four members arrange pieces, save Sanchez who acts as an arranger in real time crafting colors and textures based on what the music calls for.  While the recording has several trademark cinematic numbers, perhaps none so than “America Undefined” a defiant statement against the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President.  The piece draws on the more complex material found on Orchestrion and Kin (↔). Linda May Han Oh, a wonderful leader and composer in her own right, most recently used strings in provocative ways on her latest work Aventurine, and brings that deep orchestral awareness and attention to shading found in her own work to From This Place.

A Sanchez cymbal roll leads into May Han Oh's ascending arco bass melody, which bears some similarity and extends on a bit, the post solo interlude section of the Kin (↔) title track featuring Giulio Carmassi's ascending vocals in tandem with guitar in piano.  May Han Oh's arco melody sets a prominent melodic thread through the piece, and Metheny adds signature hollow body guitar over a rubato foundation that gives way to him once again stating the melody with orchestra behind him in a 5/8 time signature. During the melodic statement, Simcock and May Han Oh play a stunning unison counterpoint line, reminiscent of Bach.  Simcock's piano solo begins with the rubato foundation, Sanchez adding provocative rim clicks and fascinating comping underneath. From there, Simcock is vaulted into a burning 4/4 swing and samba section sans bass drum accents, the orchestra reminding listeners of the melodic cel behind them.  Simcock's solo is filled with vigorous single note ideas, he is a devotee of Metheny's entire catalog, also bearing out why he is an evolution in Metheny's concept of a pianistic foil—something the guitarist clearly relishes. Metheny follows with a soaring, inspired hollow body solo, the orchestra's harmonies providing a huge lift.  

May Han Oh returns with the initial melodic figure at the top, and then around 8 minutes into the piece, what sounds like Orchestrion vibes introduce a much darker, brooding mode.  Shades of the sound effect and musique concrete driven sections of “As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls” are here, with some of the strangeness of the soundscape section of “Are We There Yet?” from Letter From Home in terms of eerie sounds wafting in and out of the mix.  The sounds of clunking, and railroad tracks dominate as the strings remind of the melody once again, May Han Oh's thunking pedal point from earlier in the composition is yet another thematic thread.  Metheny uses slide and ebow guitar as a constant distant drone, and provides disembodied strands of further distanced electric guitar in the sound stage bouncing between speakers (or headphones).  At first listen it seems to be a call back to “Cathedral in a Suitcase” from Secret Story (1992), but upon further listens is more reminiscent of the distorted guitar deeply embedded into the mix at the start of “Psalm 121” on the soundtrack of The Falcon And The Snowman (1985). The bluesiness of these disembodied lines somehow evokes uncertainty, and the loud bells of a railroad sign, as the orchestra spins variations on the main theme, let you know something is coming. Suddenly, Sanchez' slightly gated drums, a not so subtle Phil Collins and 80's production reference, and reminder of Steve Ferrone's toms on “Cathedral in a Suitcase” thunder in, to the sound of a loud train whistle, panning through the speakers. Sanchez's driving, John Bonham inspired rock beat along with the symphonies' restatement of a portion of the melody makes things truly epic.  The five minutes of orchestral investigation is truly thrilling and shows how deep of a writer Metheny has become.  Indian flavored strings play portamento glissando with microtonal elements, like those used on “Within  You, Without You” from The Beatles are an unexpected but pleasant element in a breathtaking finale.  The piece dies down with the fluttering of castanets, like birds flying away in a flock, eerie sampled vocal sounds in the left channel, fluttering and processed abrupt flutes and strings.  It's an unexpected end to a piece using some variant of a sonata form but never resolves itself completely.  Make no mistake about it, the piece is foreboding and dark, tapping into a new area of Metheny's writing, but strangely, there is also a trace of hope.

“You Are” is one of the most striking offerings on the recording.  Since Bright Size Life (ECM, 1975) on every album, the guitarist has had a melodic idea that his pushes to the breaking point through motivic development. Simcock's piano quietly begins the track doubled by chiming orchestra bells, a tip toeing two note figure is stated in unison, with sparse brushed cymbal work from Sanchez. Metheny's dark hollow body tone announces the melody, as the two note figure is enhanced by a wall of synthesizers, and strings.  May Han Oh's soprano voice is added to the density as she and Metheny state an arresting three note idea that builds and builds to a dramatic climax, before gentle strings sing in hushed tones as the original two note motif returns to close the piece.

Flutes double May Han Oh's resonate bass for the gentle melancholic theme of “Same River”.  The acoustic sitar guitar makes it's first appearance since “Wherever You Go” from Speaking of Now, and Metheny's double tracked guitar and sitar make use of one of his favorite devices, the glissando. Simcock plays a tasteful brief piano solo before the guitarist takes a trademark flight on Roland GR300 guitar synth, gorgeous ascending french horn and string harmonies-- the CTI reference is indeed very clear in this track with strong doses that will recall listeners of the PMG at their peak and some flavors of Secret Story (1992).

“Pathmaker” represents some of Metheny's most adventurous writing on record.  The track, along with “Everything Explained” bear a strong Chick Corea influence.  Metheny is positively lyrical on his first solo, then Simcock is at once melodic and knotty.  One of the most exquisite aspects of the track is the  unison line between Metheny and Simcock following the second guitar solo as Sanchez frames a volcanic dialogue around their line.  The provocative dreamy coda, sounding something out of a French film score, utilizes choice coloration from bass clarinet amidst butterfly esque clarinet string trills and some  electronics popping in and out.  Atop all that, Metheny's heavily reverbed slide guitar offers a longing melodic aside as the composition finishes. PMG alum and frequent Phil Collins percussionist Luis Conte's omnipresent colorations are a tremendous asset to the track.

If anything will make listeners make direct comparisons to Secret Story it will be the track “The Past In Us”. PMG alumni Gregoire Maret's reflective harmonica solo may remind some of the late Toots Thielemans' unforgettable eight bar contribution to “Always and Forever”, with the swelling strings behind him. Metheny graces the track with an absolutely gorgeous nylon string guitar solo. The final tracks are also perfectly programmed.  The title track stands as one of the guitarist's prettiest ballads, gorgeous strands of Bach inspired baroque strings frame a long intro, from which hymn like harmonies emerge. Ndegeocello's rich voice in alto and soprano ranges paints a picture of despair and hopelessness with tender lyrics related to the current cultural climate-- yet like much of Metheny's music over the years stands a bright ray of hope.  He takes an exquisite nylon string solo here as well.

“Sixty-Six” is a beautiful reminder of the midwestern tinges returning to the fore in Metheny's music.  The train motif is once again stated, with Sanchez' brushes on snare, and the guitarist spins a wonderful, singable melody over the top, and mixes the lyrical with the more harmonically rich approach to improvisation that has marked his work over the past decade.  Linda Oh's initial solo is full of ripe ideas, and her double tracked bass interlude following the guitarist's solo is an affectionate wink to Eberhard Weber.  To close the album, the Sebesky arranged CTI vibe returns on “Love May Take A While”, a wonderful ballad that if one closes their eyes, one can almost imagine Metheny's nuanced hollow body solo to be a horn, in his assurance of ideas.  

Sound

From This Place was principally recorded and mixed by Pete Karam at Avatar Studios (now Power Station, Berklee) with the orchestral parts recorded by Rich Breen in Los Angeles.   Karam has inherited the very rich sonic world found on Metheny recordings that was originally created and perfected from the Geffen era on by Rob Eaton.  Metheny's guitars take front and center in the sound stage with the delay from his multiple amp set up panning between the left and right speakers-- the effect is not as pronounced as say Travels, Question and Answer or Letter From Home, but is still there and has evolved as Metheny's tone has changed through the first two decades of the 21st century.  Linda May Han Oh's basslines appropriately showcase the deep woodiness of an acoustic bass sound and is quite accurate to the real thing.  Antonio Sanchez' drums are very present and forward in the mix with the main ride cymbal in the left channel, and his multiple snare drums being placed across the sound stage.

Luis Conte's percussion is also quite forward in the mix, and Simcock's piano is rich.  Orchestra placement is subtle to the rear of the soundstage.  What is apparent though is unlike earlier Metheny albums, the mix, like Kin (↔) the previous studio album is heavier on the mids, with not as much treble sparkle up top though this may be clearly system dependent.  Also interesting, while the album will be released in high res, the promo copies that were distributed by Nonesuch are 16 bit WAV files with a 48 KhZ sample rate equivalent to DVD quality, so while not hi res, the quality is a step from CD quality.  Thankfully Ted Jensen's mastering maintains a strong sense of dynamics which is imperative for music of this scope.

Final thoughts:

In what has been a career spanning nearly a half century, and filled with gems and milestones from both solo work and the Pat Metheny Group combined, From This Place may very well be one of the best albums of Metheny's career, if not the best.  His writing is clearly on another level, and as great as recordings with orchestra accompaniment have been like The Falcon and The Snowman, Secret Story and A Map of The World have been, the combination of one of his best ensembles in years, the inspired memorable tunes, great solos and the high level of arranging prowess,  represent the guitarist at his best.  The music is as much a summary of what has been to this point as it is pointing some new directions into the future.  Those who take the time to listen, understand the music for what it is, rather than what it should be, or is not, will be greatly rewarded.

Music: 10/10

Sound: 9/10

Edit: I made an addendum to the date of the recording which I previously stated as December 2016.  After the NYC Beacon Theater show in June 2017, Antonio Sanchez told me they were going into the studio to record, that December.

[wtfy-cyzj]

*SPOILERS* CYZJ Subbed Ep. 9 reaction

Episode 9 is finally out with subs, so you know what that means: another play-by-play reaction text post! And it’s another 2-hour episode, so we’re back to the super long format.

As with previous installments, each major section of the show has a header so you can scroll if you’re looking for something specific. And, of course, spoilers and foul language kinda come with the territory.

Mission reveal and song assignments

Another two performance mission assignment – picking the third finalist pair and then establishing a ranking for the finalists – because they just gotta be ranked going into the finals *rolls eyes* - I could rant about how much I wish the producers would stop pushing the competitive aspect of the show while talking about it being about “breakthroughs”

Hao’s little goddamnit-esque laugh when the 1v1 mission is announced  :/

Anybody else get the feeling Victor’s the reason Eric & JC are worried about the other team picking their song? Like Hao might give them something out of left field because he wants them to show a new side or because he thinks it suits them, but not to torpedo them – Victor, however, seems a bit of a wild card

…! I seriously thought Eric had the card down the front of his pants for a moment there!

Aw, Hao’s smile is so sweet – I already knew Eric/JC got to do one of Eric’s songs – that little “you’re welcome” bow & Victor being totally checked out makes me think that was all Hao’s doing

So, yes & no – I expected Victor to at least playfully push to mess w/ the other team – he seems kinda disengaged though

Wait, is that Hao’s handwriting?! I was admiring it when Eric first revealed the card – I know people who only know English who don’t write that nicely – kid’s definitely an artist

“How can I not be satisfied with my own song?”  XD

Aw, that was really sweet of Victor to say he hopes they don’t mess w/ the song too much

I love that when Victor asks “by who” Eric & Xiao Wu both go “Drake” w/ a very soft “duh, who the fuck else” feel – and then Hao gets stoked when they start singing it

Yes! I’m so glad Jiacheng said that about Hao & Victor’s performances not being them together! I thought it about the last 2 performances, but since I didn’t really see anyone else talk about it, I wondered if it was just me. Plus there’s the whole cultural disconnect & not being part of the target demographic that added to it. It’s good to see someone who’s in the thick of it with them recognize that same thing

I want to talk about the warm fuzzy feelings I get from Eric & Jiacheng being so thoughtful about their choice and how this reinforces my desire for the show to stop leaning into the competition narrative, but Eric mimicking both Hao & Victor is too cute

I love that Jiacheng doesn’t know how to process Eric’s goofiness for a second – same Xiao Wu, same

Aw, the doodles!

Hao’s “don’t say anything” is great! – take a stand & make Victor dance!

“Okay fine, alright, I’ll dance. I’ll dance” – damn straight!

Second mission reveal

“Sprint Out” Attack? And that means…?

Meh… Another drawn out process to pick a collaborator? - it was cute w/ the ladies but since I haven’t seen anyone talking about the guests and the tease at the beginning of the episode was blah, I’m not really looking forward to it

Trying to ignore the elevator talk and not roll my eyes too hard

Meeting the musicians

Oh dear god, Yanan is so fucking cute watching Liron Man play! – tell me someone’s giffed that doofy expression and weird little wiggle! *heart eyes*

Ooh, Liron Man’s got a great smile – has nothing to do w/ anything but I couldn’t leave it unremarked upon

“The sound produced is very cute […] like a tortoise who lost its soul” – say what now, Yanan?! – that does not seem like a “cute” sound, sir!

Once again, being thoughtful and aware of the other contestants – brownie points to Jun

I’m so glad dude knows some Chinese! We don’t need another person stranded behind the language barrier even if it’s just one episode

Apparently, I love the pipa and didn’t even know what it was – now that I have a name, research will be done!

“My mother’s profession is also in the pipa” – poor girl stepped in it!  XD

Here I was thinking they reacted much better than with the previous lady guests, but no, still shy as fuck

I realize that as an apparently internationally-recognized musician, Wangtao probably plays the clarinet in ways that I never could imagine – unfortunately I took band from 7th through 9th grades, including marching band, so I cringed when I saw what he plays – and I immediately had to go look up this Eddie Izzard bit because my brain wouldn’t stop going “clahr-en-ahrt” and “WEzul WEzul” until I did

Watching Jun & Yanan discuss their options is a really interesting look into their personalities – “are we choosing calm or movement?”

“You decide” – brave words, Jun – I wonder where this fell on the timeline of Yanan deciding to leave the show

It’s not going to be a famous Western artist, Samuel – it’s never going to be a famous Western artist – sorry to burst your bubble, kiddo

Bahahaha! For all Zhennan’s “leave us a good one” in the elevator, Jun & Yanan picked the most obvious choice for the kiddies – …yes, I know I’m an asshole for finding that so funny

…Does Zhennan’s shirt say “same shit different day”?!

They completely lost that whole “working w/ musicians will be hard” thing real quick

“I feel like I tortured little kids”  XD

Someone’s setting himself up for a headache confusing jazz with jazzy, especially when picking a classically trained accompanist

It’s really cute seeing Eric & Xiao Wu being a little awkward with the pipa player after they seemed to calm with the previous female guests – they both barely look at her

I love arrogant!Eric, especially when he’s immediately replaced by embarrassed!Eric – I am, however, more than a little creeped out by the cartoon bull being blown around by, what, an umbilical cord?!

Aw, Jiacheng immediately defends his “arrogance” *heart eyes*

Wait, did Xiao Wu’s lyrics sound bad? Eric said it could “be a little better” so maybe the phrasing was awkward, but the translation of “lately, I’ve been scared of sleeping alone” grabbed my attention and made me wonder what prompted those words

They’re dorks and I love them

Poor Hao being left to talk to their musician alone

…! I totally blanked that this could be Minghao’s first chance to really do a traditional Chinese sound – aw, yay!

Hmm, Victor really agreed to do purely traditional? I guess “purely Chinese” doesn’t have to mean traditional instead of modern

And then we flash back and I stand corrected!

Performance day

Wait, they’re not gonna show how they chose the performance order between MH/Victor and Eric/JC?! I feel so cheated! thank god

Minghao & Victor are up first – 1v1

“I’m always ready!” *heart eyes*

Hao accidentally proposed confessing to the other contestants  XD – just because you think something is meaningless doesn’t mean it really is!

What’s cuter: Hao’s reaction when he realized putting in the other contestants’ names wasn’t the best idea or Hao’s reaction to the thought of name-dropping exes?

I love MH’s logic! Victor’s trying to downplay any romantic intention behind calling out a female artist by saying it’s about respect & admiration, so Hao throws out Jony J & Gong Ge - if it’s about respect & admiration he’s not wrong, but Victor’s face says otherwise – I laughed so hard I had to stop the video and go calm down by doing a load of laundry

I’ve gotta say, as someone who liked both JJ & GG from the beginning & still really likes them and as someone who started watching specifically for Minghao, I love that he brought them up again and in such a positive light. Fans can – and do­ – hate on them, but he’s got every right to continue to look up to them. He’s the one who was directly affected by their actions, yet he continues to admire them and voice that admiration. I don’t get how people try to drag them on his behalf when he says things like this.

Aw, it breaks my heart a little that Victor thinks making the song about the show is “limiting” their creativity – Hao’s had a lot of fun and had made connections on the show that he obviously values – how is making an ode to that a limitation?

I love when Hao speaks in English – it always surprises me how rich & deep his voice is – like I usually chalk it up to being an artifact of the language, but it’s genuinely appealing – does that make sense? Just me?

Am I the only one who thinks changing the names to their own makes it about self-doubt, not narcissism?

Victor’s so American!

I feel like Victor having to dance is a little bit of karma for being a pain in the ass  >:D

That little intro clip is adorable!

Aw, Victor did MH’s 8 hand sign!

Overall thoughts: I loved that! It wasn’t perfect, but I think, after Clap, it was Hao’s best performance by far. He definitely had fun and loosened up with Supernatural in ep.8, but this was a whole other level and I think a lot of it was from actually playing w/ Victor during the performance. I love that they switched it up and Victor had the vocal parts; he’s a talented singer so it was nice seeing him step out of the rapper role. And I was really impressed with Hao’s English. A lot of times, non-English-speakers do odd things with their emphasis on words, but he was pretty damn spot on. It makes me wonder just how fluent he actually is since we don’t see him speak it much beyond simple phrases. The one thing I wasn’t entirely feeling was Victor’s rap. It felt a little rushed? Cramped? It’s understandable since he’s working within a pre-existing song, but it did stick out to me. I don’t know why Victor was worried about dancing. That bit was less choreography and more conscious swagger, if that makes sense, and he pulled it off swimmingly. I wish they hadn’t cut to the audience during Hao’s dance break because it was my favorite one he’s done so far – less artistry and more simple fun. Can we take a moment to thank Eric & Jiacheng for making this gem happen?

“And we were constantly laughing at Victor’s attempt at dancing” – Eric! I’m glad he finally has someone else’s dancing to pick on but also smh

Eric & Jiacheng’s 1v1 prep and performance

Aw, Jiacheng gushing about the comradery on the show and wanting to help each other show their best sides  XD

The idea of them singing acapella is actually really cool – if anyone on the show could pull it off really well, it’s these two

I love that Xiao Wu seems to throw out more English the longer he’s w/ Eric – he’s gaining experience and confidence in other areas – why not English, too?

Back to Eric’s crush on Dilireba  XD

Aw, JC says they got close – of course they’re (probably) going to in a situation like this, but it’s cute that he’s talking about it – I know I’ve said it before, but I love that he’s so open with talking about stuff like that

Xiao Wu really looks like he’s about to cry reading those comments – and then Eric ruins the moment telling him not to cry

I already saw @bathtubofdonuts​’s post talking about them incorporating the fan comments in the stage but seeing them get to that point is so sweet

Wait, so why is it important to tell us the screenwriter lady is in the audience? Was it the OST for her drama?

Aw, Hao’s so touched already

I was starting to worry the editing was going to lose the comments to those close-ups

It’s not weird to comment on how pretty Jiacheng’s hands are, right?

Wah! JC’s teary-eyed!! I was already tearing up – don’t make me cry!

Ah, okay, so she helped Eric write the song

Overall thoughts: I was sniffly & teary, but I managed not to cry. That was beautiful. This is why I was worried when they were talking about making a more impressive set design in ep. 8. They do simple so, so well, and they really don’t need a bunch of extras. Just having that one element of the comments playing behind them was so gorgeous and impactful. I’m really glad that they didn’t have accompanists on stage with them because they’d just be a visual distraction. I know I’ve talked about it in previous reactions, but the combination of their voices is incredible. I doubt Eric has ever sung a sour note in his life, and I wish Jiacheng knew how gorgeous his voice really is. His little power vocal moment toward the end? Ugh! So good! I’m gonna keep saying how happy I am that they got to work together because of this show.

“I feel that this bundle here is trembling” – I’m going to be so sad not to see this sweet kid after the show ends! TnT

1v1 performance results

Nooo! I know what’s about to happen – I’m not ready for the angst!

Poor Jun looking so nervous over there w/o Yanan

I hate this fucking setup so much. I’ve said that I think the way Jony J left the show was probably at least partially prompted by the production staff. Knowing that Jun was given options after Yanan left and that, for all his extraness, Jun is super shy, I have a hard time believing the production staff didn’t go, “So you don’t want to be in the running anymore and ~play by the rules~? Okay, so how about we make it look like there’s gonna be an elimination then you come out and dramatically withdraw? Wouldn’t that be awesome!” Jun’s never been my favorite because his playfulness can come of really childish to me, but I highly doubt he would put Minghao this scenario again for funsies.

Having seen translations of this weeks ago when the episode aired, I was not prepared to tear up. It hurts to see Hao so freaked out again and try to pull Jun back bodily. And seeing the distress on Jiacheng’s face as he says “no!” at him, my breath caught in my throat. Ugh! I’m seriously starting to cry watching JC panic more as Jun compliments them all. X(

Oh god that whole bit after the interview section was… weird. It’s pretty obvious the way Eric & Jiacheng are smiling in the background that things were cleared up. But that audience reaction… It’s so cold? This weird sort of idea that idols “betray” their fans is something I’ll never understand in kpop. (This is taking into account all the chaos that happened because of Jun’s decision, not just what made the edit.) Disappointment I get, but there’s no compassion for the grace he displayed in a shitty situation or relief that he’s going to continue performing. This whole situation was made so much worse being in front of a live audience.

The interviews after Jun’s reveal are so sweet, but why does it feel like a memorial? It’s just shy of saying “in loving memory of Wen Junhui”

Top 3 ranking performances

I love when the show has to blur someone’s phone because it’s not the sponsor phone – it’s usually Samuel, but this time Eric’s the culprit

And there’s the performance order ceremony

Minghao, Victor & Lian Pieru (pipa) are up first

Interesting thoughts about the Mechanical Era – it seems like Peiru’s a good match for Hao

So the interview thing is the only lead up we get? I don’t want to episode to be 3 hours, but they’ve got such an interesting story they want to tell and Peiru seems like such a character, I was really looking forward to the preparations – now I do actually feel a little cheated

Overall thoughts: I may have actually liked this performance better than In My Feelings. It wasn’t as entertaining, but it was a cool concept that was executed really well. I’ve gotta say before I go on though, I’ve seen people complain about the editing of other performances, but this is the first one that’s been distracting to me throughout.  :/  If I didn’t know before going in that Victor was supposed to be the narrator, I don’t think I would’ve gotten that. The harsh stage whisper sort of effect in the beginning comes off kind of judgmental and, well, harsh where I was expecting more of an impartial observer style narrator. I wish his character had either done less interacting (to be an observer) or done more (to show his investment in the storyline and justify the judginess). It was a nice change of pace to see him being subdued while Hao was the higher energy partner. Hao’s rap in both performances this episode was great. They felt more natural and less stylized, which I really dig. He also showed his vocals more here than I think he really has in a while. At least it was more impactful than past performance. I would love to see a purely vocal song from him – no rap, light choreo – because he does really interesting things with his voice and we don’t get enough of it. [I just got a flash of him singing w/ Susu O.O] The choreo was impressive even if the edit made it hard to get the full effect. The end was great with the angry faces and the final little trill of the pipa.

It weirdly warms my heart to see them acknowledge they’ve been kind of at odds in their partnership up til now

Eric, Jiacheng & Lian Peiru (pipa) perform second

Uh, does Jiacheng’s overcoat have Donald Duck smack in the middle of a traditional tapestry?!

Not gonna gush about the VCR, but these two are so damn cute

We don’t even get an interview lead-in for them?!  >.<

Ooh, pop-style pipa is really cool…

Somebody put Xiao Wu in a musical please - even my theatre-hating ass would pay to see that

Aw, Liron Man reacting to them  uwu

Overall thoughts: I really enjoyed that. It was soft and sweet, and of course their voices are amazing. The set design was really pretty with all the florals. For some reason, thought, for most of the song Eric seemed strangely pulled back? Maybe it was because Xiao Wu was still on a high from the previous performance and the pipa is so distinct, but his parts just got overpowered to my ear. It was still beautiful.

Huh, Samuel really hasn’t gotten much screentime in this episode, even for reactions

Zhennan, Samuel & Wangtao (clarinet) are up third

Maybe it’s because he’s a good bit older, but I really appreciate the way Wangtao talks about Zhennan here – at least I assume he’s referring to Zhennan since Samuel seems pretty cool with being a kid – it doesn’t soften me to him, but it’s a needed reminder that his bravado may be more façade than arrogance – still find it annoying though *shrug*

Anyone else have to look up what an elaphure is? – it’s a Père David’s deer

Excuse me, mister clarinet man, don’t make me start thinking clarinets are sexy – I’ve already resigned myself to the fact that I’m probably gonna look up your music but that’s just taking it too far!

Overall thoughts: For anyone who thinks I’m just going to shit all over this because it’s Zhennan and Samuel, you’re wrong. I actually kind of dug that. It’s not really my bag, but I don’t dislike it at all. First off, the stage design is impressive with that cube setup. It’s really interesting having Wangtao on top of it (but also, get off the tall thing!). I would love to see a fixed cam of the performance to get the full effect. I really liked Zhennan’s solo in ep. 2, so seeing him go back to that sleepy, almost lazy delivery style is really nice. I’ve complained about him leaning too hard into his imagery (or did I cut that bit because I was being an ass?), but it was used beautifully here. Samuel really impressed me. His rap style still sounds a little like he’s trying to be someone else, but it didn’t sound awkward this time. It’ll be really interesting to see where his style goes as he comes into his own. And these are his best lyrics yet. Yes, I snorted at the LeBron reference in the otherwise whimsical song, but I really liked the honestly and depth. The dance break was beautiful and a nice escape from the more stock mainstream choreo Samuel’s been showing us. He does hip hop well, but I’m glad he gave us something more contemporary here and showed off his range. If I have a complaint it’s that Samuel’s voice gets lost in the “I don’t want” bits. I wish they’d at least brought him forward so you hear him more, or better yet, given him something a little more ornate to weave around Zhennan’s more drudging sound. His little vocalization before ZN’s final part was a pleasant surprise, and I would’ve liked more of that. They’ve made the best use of the accompanist so far, too. The whole thing was lovely and haunting and understated. Of all their stages, I think this performance has been the most effective in delivering the message they wanted to get across.

Jun & Liron Man (handpans) are up last

Why are the lead-ups getting shorter?! We’re going straight into the performance with no interview or VCR. I get that he’s not eligible for votes anymore, but I still want to see something, man

Total Pure Moods vibes here – fun fact: I wanted that CD so badly that both of my (divorced) parents got it for me for Christmas that year – I was a weird kid

Aw, is he singing along with Jun?! So cute! *heart eyes*

…off the tall thing, please…

Overall thoughts: If you’d told me before this that I would eagerly watch a Jun solo three times in a row, I would’ve laughed in your face. His style just isn’t for me usually. And yet, I watched this three times in a row (I zoned out and just listened to first time, watched the second, and read the lyrics the third). Thank you, Yanan, for picking the handpan. I never would’ve thought the distorted ring of a handpan would complement Jun’s very unique vocal quality as well as it does. This is the most at ease we’ve seen Jun on the show, and I don’t mean relaxed or confident. It didn’t seem at all like he was performing or was “on” but like he was singing for the sheer personal pleasure of it. After his stress in previous episodes, it was so good to see. As for the song itself, I have no fucking clue how to describe it. It reminded me of the weirdest things without really sounding like any of them. I mentioned Pure Moods, but also The Little Mermaid and “What Is Love” – as in the song from A Night at the Roxbury (listen to it, young’uns, and be confused). There were others, but I’ve blanked because that last one was a little too wtf.

“He was definitely enjoying it, really” – you know it’s true when the guest is saying it

Wait, no contestant reactions even?! Why are we getting robbed of the good stuff in this episode, goddamnit!?

Points reveal for the finals

This is for the ranking going into the finale – plus starting points which seems weirdly unnecessary?

Hao & Victor got 66 votes – why so low?

Xiao Wu & Eric got 73 – better but still really low considering the stages & past scores

Zhennan & Samuel got 72 – why so low?!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad my boys are leading, but they all gave incredibly good, polished stages and those scores really don’t seem to reflect that. I mean, they’ve given out 80s before – are the panelists given criteria or is it purely a matter of preference? – the contestants all look a little disappointed with the scores, too

After show nonsense

“passionate teens Zhou Zhennan and Samuel, gentle warriors Wu Jiacheng and Zhou Xingzhe, mood players Xu Minghao and Ma Boqian” – I don’t know why those labels amuse me so much but they do

I’m glad we get to see Samuel & ZN react to the handpans because they were so cute with the other instruments

Damn, Samuel really is a quick learner

Did he mean to play Eric’s song? He’s definitely got a bit of an artist crush on Eric, but that’s adorable if he was trying to play it. And impressive that he did it well enough on something he just learned how to get a sound from that the others recognized it!

  My personal rankings

MH & Victor

Jun

Eric & Xiao Wu

Zhennan & Samuel

Usually picking my rankings is super easy. My favorite and least favorite have been leagues away from the others, but I really liked everybody this week  :D

And now, another long wait until the subs come out for the finale...

[dakota3232-blog]

Things to do in San Diego this Weekend

North Park Thursday Market 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., North Park Way & Granada Avenue (North Park) North Park is known for its interesting small businesses and, on Thursdays year-round, local vendors and artisans are showcased at this popular farmers market located on the corner of North Park Way and 29th Street. On the shopping list: farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs, sauces, bread and even handcrafted gifts from local, small businesses. The free event also features live music. Oceanside Sunset Market 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Main Street Oceanside Each Thursday, the Oceanside Sunset Market brings about 200 local merchants together for this sunset marketplace spanning four blocks in downtown Oceanside. Shoppers can expect vendors showcasing homemade goods and tasty grub, plus live music and, of course, an incredible ocean view. The free market is located on Pier View Way; if it rains, the market usually gets canceled, so check the weather before making your plans. Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band: The Final Tour 7:30 p.m., Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl at San Diego State University Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band bring “The Final Tour” to San Diego Thursday night, playing Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl at SDSU. Tickets still available to this concert start at $75. Circus Vargas 7:30 p.m., Plaza Bonita in National City Circus Vargas – celebrating its 50th anniversary and the golden era of the circus in America – returns to San Diego bringing with it acrobats, daredevils and flying trapeze under the big top. The show started its run earlier this month at Westfield Mission Valley but on Thursday it’ll start its run at Plaza Bonita in National City, where it’ll stay through March 4. After that, the “Big One” travels to Escondido’s Westfield North County (March 7 to March 18). General admission bleacher seats start at $15, while arena seats start at $27. Kids under 2 who sit on an adult’s lap get in free. International Guitar Night 7:30 p.m., California Center for the Arts in Escondido The California Center for the Arts in Escondido hosts International Guitar Night, now in its 19th year of touring, Thursday night. This year’s guest host is Italian musician Luca Stricagnoli, who will be joined on stage by swing guitarist Antoine Boyer and Flamenco guitarist Samuelito, both of France. Turkish fretless guitarist Cenk Erdogan rounds out the lineup. Tickets to this concert start at $35. Friday, Feb. 22 Museum Month: Half-Priced Admission Museum Times and Locations Vary (Entire Month of February) Quite possibly the best part about February: the Museum Discount Pass. All month long, more than 40 museums in San Diego County – from the Birch Aquarium and the USS Midway Museum to the San Diego History Center and Whaley House – will offer half-priced admission. The Museum Discount Pass,presented by the San Diego Museum Council, is free and available for pick-up at local libraries. Bring it with you this month to select museums on this list to snag deep discounts on admission.  San Diego Whale Watching Tours 9:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m., Flagship Cruises & Events Whale watching season in San Diego typically runs from December to April, when approximately 20,000 gray whales migrate along our coast. Flagship offers daily whale watching tours to catch a glimpse of the magnificent giants of the sea, led by marine experts from Birch Aquarium, who will explain the intricacies of the ocean ecosystem. The tours are aboard the two-story yacht, the Marietta, and last about three-and-a-half hours. Weekend prices cost $48 for adults and $24 for children ages 4 to 12. Check the Flagship website for departure times, depending on the day you choose to cruise. Musica En La Plaza 7 p.m., California Center for the Arts Escondido From cumbia and huapango, to salsa and norteña, the Musica en la Plaza series at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido will get you up and dancing under the stars. The concerts have been going on for a while at the center’s Lyric Court, but this year, they are happening on the last Friday of every month. This Friday, Los Montaño lends its talents to the party, a four-man band that plays cumbia, norteña, corridos and much more. The event is free; seating at bistro tables is available for $12 per seat or $40 for a table for four. Those seats are very limited, so reserve your spot ahead of time. Food trucks and the Center Bar will be open during the concerts so attendees can purchase snacks and drinks. Hops on the Harbor: Burgeon Beer Company 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Flagship Cruises & Events Enjoy a craft beer dinner cruise around the San Diego Bay paired with suds from Carlsbad’s Burgeon Beer Company, known for its Treevena American IPA. The menu from this installment of “Hops on the Harbor” includes four 6-ounce beer tastings expertly paired with four courses. For instance, Burgeon’s Burl, a nut brown brew, will be paired with Coffee-Rubbed Beef Sirloin. Also on the beer list: Burgeon’s German pilsner, Pistil, and its hoppy pale, Canopy Tour. The dinner cruise boards at 7 p.m. from 990 North Harbor Dr. and sails past the San Diego skyline, USS Midway, Star of India and other Maritime Museum ships and the Coronado Bay Bridge. Tickets cost $79.50 for adults and $47.70 for children ages 4 to 12; kids 3 and under are free. Reservations are recommended. 4th Friday Swing Dance 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Queen Bee’s Art & Cultural Center Swing Dancing San Diego brings dance lessons to the Queen Bee Art & Cultural Center on Ohio Street with this lively event Friday night. Swing dance lessons start at 7:30 p.m.; after that, a live band and a DJ will keep the dance party going so everyone can boogie, swing or freestyle. Tickets – available at the door – cost $20 for the lesson and dance party, $15 for the lesson only, or $15 for the dance party only. 'Familiar' 8 p.m., The Old Globe “Familiar” – a family-centric comedy-drama – is on stage at The Old Globe in Balboa Park now through March 3. The production is about a couple living the American Dream since emigrating from Zimbabwe and their daughter, who is getting married. Along the way, there’s a lot going on with the blending of cultures and family members. Showtimes for “Familiar” vary weekly; Friday’s performance is at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $35 all the way up to $91 premium seats. A Celebration of Frank Sinatra 8 p.m., Copley Symphony Hall Cabaret artist Michael Feinstein and his trio celebrate the magic of Frank Sinatra in this “Seasons of Sinatra” show at Copley Symphony Hall. The concert will span several decades of the swinging American standards made famous by Ol’ Blue Eyes. Tickets range from $20 to $80. 'A Star is Born' 8 p.m. (Friday & Saturday), Cinema Under the Stars The Oscar-nominated film, “A Star is Born,” starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, plays on the big screen this weekend at Cinema Under the Stars – at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The outdoor theater on Goldfinch Street is currently hosting its winter/spring screening season and, since it can be a bit chilly out, the theater offers blankets, space heaters and other amenities to keep patrons warm and cozy. Admission is $18 at the box office, or you can reserve your seat in advance for $20. Saturday, Feb. 23 9th Annual Randy Jones Run/Walk for Independence 8:30 a.m., Crown Point Park San Diego Padres legend Randy Jones and the Home of Guiding Hands join forces for the 9th annual Randy Jones Run/Walk for Independence, an event that supports 3,200 infants, adolescents and adults living with a developmental disability. Check-in and registration for the run/walk begins at 7 a.m.; participants will hit the pavement at 8 a.m. Throughout the event, participants will have a chance to meet Jones. Registration fees cost $40 for adults and $35 for students ages 6 to 21, seniors, and military.  Legendary Tour: Hotel Del Coronado 10 a.m., Hotel Del Coronado San Diego history buffs, this one’s for you. The iconic Hotel Del Coronado is currently offering a daily tour at 10 a.m. dubbed the “Legendary Tour,” which explores the landmark’s rich 130-year-old heritage. Learn about the celebrities, royalty and beach-loving families who have gravitated toward The Del over the decades, and the hotel’s most notorious guest, Kate Morgan, who checked into the hotel in 1892 whom some believe never really checked out. The 90-minute tour costs $40 for adults; kids 5 and under can join for free. You must register ahead of time. Orchid Kokedama Workshop 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., San Diego Botanic Garden This workshop at the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas will focus on Kokedama, a traditional Japanese living art in which moss is used as a container for a plant. Students will learn the skills behind the art and make a kokedama using an orchid. The 1.5-hour class costs $62, which includes all fees for materials. San Diego Metal Yoga 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., Societe Brewing Company Offering quite the twist on yoga is San Diego Metal Yoga, a 1-hour, instructor-led class at Societe Brewing Company on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard set to music from metal icons like Slayer, Black Sabbath and Pelican. Tickets cost $15 (cash only if purchased at the door) and include a beer after the yoga session. The class is open to all levels, ages 21 and up; bring your own yoga mat. Beachtown Throwdown 2019 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Ocean Beach Brewery Five beloved San Diego craft breweries will partake in this West Coast IPA blind competition Saturday at Ocean Beach Brewery: Modern Times Beer; Amplified Ale Works; OB Brewery; Pizza Port of OB; Bay City Brewing Company. Patrons will taste 5-ounce samples from each brewery and will get a commemorative pint glass as a keepsake. Pizza Port OB is the defending champ, trying to hang on to its title from the last Beachtown Throwdown. Coasterra Tequila Fest 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Coasterra Love tequila? Well, then, this festival dedicated to tequila, mescal, tacos and paella is right up your alley. Coasterra will host its Tequila Fest on Harbor Float, where attendees can sample a variety of the good stuff, as well as partake in a blind tasting challenge and margarita-making competition. A ticket – priced at $40 in advance or $50 at the door – includes unlimited access to food stations and tequila tastings. R&B Block Party 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Quartyard Downtown’s hip hangout, Quartyard, hosts this R&B Block Party Saturday night featuring DJ sets, live entertainment and special guests. A $5 pre-sale ticket gets you guaranteed entry to the 21+ outdoor party. Stand-Up Comedy 7:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m., American Comedy Co. and The Comedy Store Looking for a good laugh? Try a stand-up comedy show at two prime San Diego venues: downtown’s American Comedy Co. or The Comedy Store in La Jolla. On Saturday night, New York City funnyman Andrew Schulz takes the mic at American Comedy Co., with 21+ shows at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets start at $22. Over at The Comedy Store, moms may really like this show: Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley of the web series, “I Mom So Hard,” will bring their standup to the stage. The comics will discuss all of the craziness of mom life – from snot to sleepless nights. They perform at 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.; tickets cost $45. Jai Ho! Bollywood Night 9 p.m., Kava Lounge Every fourth Saturday of the month, the Kava Lounge on Kettner Boulevard invites patrons to dance to Bollywood/Bhangra music. This weekend’s jams will be cranked out by Bollywood entertainer DJ Prashant, with special guest DJ Harshal. The doors open at 9 p.m.; there’s an “interactive dance lesson” at 10 p.m. If you buy your ticket ahead of time, you can score a $9 ticket good for groups of 4 or more; at the door, tickets will cost $15 per person. Sunday, Feb. 24 Guided Nature Walk 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., Mission Trails Regional Park Start your Sunday with a little nature walk at Mission Trails Regional Park. A trail guide will take visitors through one of three trails -- the Oak Grove Loop, the Visitor Center Loop or the Riverside Grinding Rocks -- while talking about the plants, animals, geology, history, and ecology of the park. These weekly guided walks are free and open to the public and begin at the Visitor Center. Wear sturdy shoes and bring water, a hat, and sunscreen. Rain cancels the walk. Gaslamp Artisan Market 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Gaslamp Quarter (Fifth Avenue) Peruse more than 30 local artisans offering carefully-curated, handmade products at this weekly outdoor market in the Gaslamp Quarter. The Gaslamp Artisan Market sets up shop every Sunday on Fifth Avenue, between Market Street and Island Avenue. Live Music: The Ideas 1 p.m., Liberty Public Market The Ideas, a high-energy, vintage rock ‘n’ roll SoCal band brings its talents to this free lunchtime concert on the patio at Liberty Public Market Sunday. To make a day of it, grab a bite from one of the vendors inside Liberty Public Market, take your food to the patio and eat while enjoying the live music. San Diego Fleet vs. San Antonio Commanders 5 p.m., SDCCU Stadium San Diego Fleet – our city’s Alliance of American Football (AAF) team – squares off against the San Antonio Commanders at this Sunday evening home game at SDCCU Stadium. With the Chargers long gone, this is one way to still enjoy football in San Diego. Tickets start at $20. An Evening With Gregory Porter 7 p.m., Balboa Theatre Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Gregory Porter brings his band – and his pipes – to the stage at Balboa Theatre to perform songs from his highly-acclaimed five albums. Tickets start at $40.     Read the full article

[voltronldfangirl]

Voltron Characters As Classical Music Majors

Hello! So, this is my AU I have of each character attending the same music conservatory in the present day. I'm currently a music major for classical piano so this was a cute little write up for me! Hope you enjoy ^^

LANCE

-primary instrument is the alto saxophone

-when there's an upcoming performance he can spend hours with full concentration practicing. After the 3 or 4 hour mark he's exhausted and likes to play jazz or ragtime music

-he's good with improvising and likes to jam with vocalists, drummers, trumpet players, anyone really, in his spare time

-he's collaborative and friendly with his peers

-he's working on a Gurewich concerto for his jury (final performance equivalent to exams)

-with most classical pieces, he tends to ignore a lot of the written markings like dynamics, articulations, and fingering but he plays with his soul

-what he lacks in technique, he makes up for in his expressivity

-he's a risk taking musician, bringing a  new interpretation to the piece

-it's because of this that he's not usually chosen to be the soloist for previous saxophone concertos like Glauzunov and Creston

-he prefers to showcase his musicianship in festivals 

-around the busy times of the year like final performances, recitals, juries, etc. many practice rooms are full and other music majors are getting antsy and impatiently waiting for the next available one. Lance lays by a wall around the practice room halls and dabbles with his ukulele

-he plays with his ukulele as a way to ease tension

-he sings with a voice so soft it melts the hearts of some girls passing by but he's too caught up in the music to notice

-when he wants to flirt he serenades them with some cheesy song on the ukulele, usually making the person giggle and/or blush

PIDGE

-viola player with unmatched rhythmic accuracy

-has won many awards nationwide but left the performance scene to pursue composition

-incredible grasp of music theory and classical history 

-began writing viola concerto pieces but has now expanded to writing for film scores, operas, and orchestras

-first few pieces were written on piles of manuscript paper in rushed, smudged pencil

-on her last birthday, her father gave her a laptop with several music notation softwares like Finale, Sibelius, Notion etc. It was his last gift before he left with her brother Matt to do research on music history in Vienna

-Pidge has been writing endlessly with the laptop since their departure and is excited for their return to showcase her compositions

-will play the viola part while the software plays back the rest of the orchestra, prefers to hear its sound organically

-will sometimes be found asleep in a practice room after writing all night

-likes to take strolls around different parts of campus, passing by and eavesdropping to conversations of the business, chemistry, art, architecture, majors, basking in the design of their buildings, getting a feel for their classes, and being inspired to create a soundtrack for the moment

-composing style is like that of Beethoven, Wagner, Stravinsky, and Rachmaninoff in terms of complexity, and its grandiose nature with a touch of Avant Garde/ experimental element such as unconventional instrumentation like Philip Glass, Edgar Varese, and John Cage

-Pidge's compositions have captured the attention of the film industry and has been asked to write the scores of action, thriller, science fiction, and fantasy films

KEITH

-a pianist with daring interpretation, technical excellence, master improvisor, and an overall powerhouse

-Exceptional with Brahms, Beethoven, Bach, Telemann, Stravinsky, Mahler, and Rachmaninoff

-in the middle of the school year there is a student showcase. Spots fill up quickly because naturally, musicians love performing and like being up on stage. His piano teacher encouraged him to try and he agreed nonchalantly. That was the first time people have ever really heard him play. Upper years were both dumbfounded and jealous by his playing

-started entering competitions when professors pushed him to try

-competitions never faze him; he goes in dead panned while the other competitors are waiting for their turn in mixtures of fear, anxiety, frustration, irritation

-ever since he made a reputation of being undefeated he has always been selected to be the soloist in piano concertos at the conservatory

-soon enough a lot of people began requesting him to play here and there and vocalists and instrumentalists asked for him to be their accompanist (because he was very much in demand it caused arguments between vocalists since they fought over him) 

HUNK

-can play several instruments fairly well: flute, tuba, percussion, and several instruments outside Western classical music like the koto, Cuban drums, sitar

-likes the flute because of its gentleness; prefers playing Mozart on flute

-likes the tuba because of its support in the orchestra; likes percussion because of how it guides everyone back to the rhythmical pulse 

-likes learning about various world instruments because he likes to meet people of other cultures. His passion for music connects him to other people and feels he can delve in deeper with others with this artistic connection

-for classical music, he likes more of the formality and structure of the musical stylings of Mozart, Haydn, and Handel and that's where he shines in performance

-appreciates Mendelssohn, Ravel, and Fauré but struggles to do justice to their music in performances; so he prefers to analyze and listen instead

SHIRO

-a conductor with versatility for all styles from opposite ends of the spectrum and everything in between

-in depth knowledge of music from various composers of every era has been an asset for guiding the orchestra and all its musician into perfected execution

-keen sense of awareness of each member of the ensemble, tackling every weakness and taking advantage of strengths to deliver phenomenal performances

-his main instrument is the cello and is also fairly advanced on piano

-naturally gifted with music plus rigorous training since he was a kid, has put him high on the ranks

-the deep rich timbre of the cello speaks to him most

-overall stunning musicality, conveying the feelings while also being accurate with techniques

-grew up with rigorous training, a strict lifestyle fit for national competitions

-in his downtime he is mostly fond of the romantic era for its colourful palette

-favourite composers are Chopin, Debussy, Liszt, Schumann, and Schubert

-he has a deep appreciation for Bach, Monteverdi, Handel, Telemann, Mahler, Rachmaninoff, Strauss, and Tchaikovsky

-highly regarded in the music community; currently a wait list on which ensemble will have him as a guest conductor

[noiseartists]

SICAYDA (CANADA): THE SHOEGAZING BUTTERFLIES OF TORONTO

Sicayda is a band from Toronto, which sound mixes the energy of Post-Punk and the Sound Palette of Shoegaze. You may detect in their music some hints of early Teenage Fanclub and other excellent influences.

The Four-Imaginary-Bugs are:

Kevin Tipan: Guitar & Vocals

Marcos Villar: Guitar & Synths

Ian Fragomeni: Drums

Zachary Clarke: Bass

SICAYDA’S MUSIC

Sicayda’s music work to date was released in 2019 and includes one EP (Sown) and 3 singles (Caught in the rain, It changes and Go on)

A lot of our music comes from our life experiences and our feelings towards a lot of issues we face being POC and just being musicians and people that lived in impoverished and lower class families in general.

With that in mind we tend to write lyrics more cryptically and try to keep it as "universal" as possible so our fans can not only understand what we're saying but since everyone has different experiences, relate to the songs, make them personal.

An example is our most popular song "Two's" which is a song about Kevin (singer/guitarist) meeting his girlfriend of seven years. The song doesn’t sound specific but specific at the same time. Their is a story being told and a person being talked to but it also sounds like any person with flaws talking about their feelings for someone and there’s a sense of real love which anyone can represent in their own way. Another very personal song is "Only Worried" which is essentially a song about having to work everyday, being tired, depressed when you know that's not where you want to be in life. There's also a bit of self-reflection in the chorus "Only you can tell, only you can say, don't worry" which is a mantra to yourself that you can get through the situation with your own will, the "you" means yourself - at the same time the "you" can be someone else that motivates you and makes you feel driven, that makes you feel that you don't have to worry, that is the "universal" idea that we usually try our best to convey in our music.

SICAYDA’S HISTORY AND INTERVIEW

Sicayda was formed by Kevin Tipan and Marcos Villar in July of 2017. They recruited Zachary Clarke (bass) and Ian fragomeni(drums) around the same time to fill out the rythm section.

Kevin and Marcos have been friends and collaborators for over a decade, playing together in other bands and duo groups writing and growing their sound. The main sound and sonic vision was crafted by the duo over many years and many influences helping create something unique in the "gaze" world. When they formed what would become Sicayda they had ads out looking for a drummer and a bassist. Ian was recruited through Facebook, he sent a message to Marcos about trying out for the band, a short time later he showed up and we asked him to play anything and he blew us away with his playing making our crummy cheap drum set left by and old member sound amazing. Zach messaged us through kajiji asking if he could record us because he was starting his engineering business. He ultimately decided why not try out and see if he likes the vibe and he did and we were surprised with how quickly he learned the songs we were rehearsing and that’s how we became Sicayda

How did you come up with the name?

Sicayda comes from a few things. One is our Hispanic background Marcos, Kevin and Ian have latino parents or parent and we wanted to some way reflect that heritage in our music so we were thinking of names in Spanish. I (Kevin) liked the idea of "We fall" turning into a phrase "if you fall" or in Spanish "Si tu caida", which is incorrect Spanish but it would be "si te cais" but it gave us an idea by looking at it. "SITUCAIDA" It reminded us about the bug Cicada and previously we'd been named humbug in another band and liked the bug theme so Sicayda stuck and we really enjoy explaining our backgrounds and the origin of the name.

What are your goals?

Our goal really is to be able to play, write and tour our music comfortably without worrying about being broke when we get back to our families. We want to create a new art and push shoegaze and alternative rock in a different direction. We want to be able to make a living through our music at the basic level. Kevin and Marcos being the main components of the band were never well off and lived just above poverty a lot of their lives and know how it is to watch your family struggle through financial problems. They want to be able to be comfortable and provide for their families if fame comes then that's a major plus and we hope that is possible in our future.

Why do you think you make this music?

Kevin and Marcos created this music through their life experiences through their hardship and struggle and need to be creative. It is environment and it inside of us. We realized shortly after high school that we were talented and very badly needed to be creative to be happy and since we are hard working we wanted to push ourselves to achieve it.

What do you do to make your music, do you experiment etc…?

We have a lot of influences stemming from the mid 80's synth, alternative, goth to today very much all in the alternative rock scene. Where we started to really change our music is when we found shoegaze. Shoegaze is an amazing genre but we felt it stagnated into more of a mood then a genre and it stubbornly didn’t want to progress. We didn’t do it inherently but we just added different elements to our writing and realized a lot of the sonics were shoegaze influenced but nothing like shoegaze. Now a days we have a very good idea of what we're trying to do especially with an LP in the works already.

Your pallet of sound?

I would say we are a few major things Alternative rock, shoegaze, noise-pop, metal, ambient, and more so now a days hardcore and punk influenced.

If you could guest on an album with who and what would you play?

Kevin - Id love to play on a Sonic youth record as a guitarist and singer because i feel most of my need to be creative and try different things comes from sonic youths tendency to push boundaries and sounds and an My Bloody Valentine’s record as the same.

What musical skills would you like to acquire or get better at?

Kevin: I’d still love to improve my guitar playing and singing to have a bigger pallet of experience. And id love to learn the drums cause I’ve always loved that idea

Marcos: get better at piano, enhance my singing and improve my guitar playing even further

Is there a band that if they didn’t exist you wouldn’t be making the music you are?

For sure, if we never found the cure, sonic youth, Radiohead or MBV we would never be playing the music we are now.

You are from Canada what are the advantages and inconveniences?

A big advantage to being in Toronto Canada is, its a major music hub so our love for music has always been quenched by a lively scene, that we are around a lot of resources and accepting and helping people and of course everything that comes from being in a prosperous western country.

The inconveniences are how small that music hub is. There are a lot of people in Toronto but the music scene is very tight lipped and exclusive, its very difficult to get any traction especially for those not able to be socially active at such a high level.

The music here favors the rich and the socially active which is a shame cause there have been a lot of good bands that break up because of disillusionment.

What are some places around the world that you want to play at?

Definitely Greece at the acropolis. Travel all across Europe really

When the next project coming out?

Our single will be out on jan 29th and our 2nd EP is set for july or august of this year

Which artist do you recommend?

Listen to Senegal Astroturf, Fourthway, Losers, Bathouse, Hesitate, Daze, Koza, Eddyevvy, Roach,

Anything else you want your fans to know?

All that we love all our fans and really appreciate all the support we have and a big thank you to anyone who streamed, bought our merch or music online, we really do appreciate everything we get and hope you all continue to support us and we have big plans this year with a lot of great music coming soon.

WHERE TO FIND THE BAND AND THEIR MUSIC

Bandcamp (you can download their music free of charge but please leave a euro/dollar of two. Every little bit helps)

Facebook

Band’s web site (with merch, tour dates, …) YouTube channel (with very good 2 live videos)

[celtfather]

Happy Halloween Songs of Death #170

Halloween is just around the corner. I'm celebrating with my 5th annual Celtic Halloween Music Special on YouTube and by sharing my album Happy Songs of Death, in its entirety.

You can watch my live streaming concert this Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 8:30 PM. Find out more on my song about Bugs Bunny and Witch Hazel.

If you enjoy this show, LIKE it, SHARE it, post in the comments, or tell a friend. Then subscribe to the podcast and my mailing list at http://pubsong.net/

WHO'S PLAYING IN THE PUB TODAY?

Today, we're playing my CD Happy Songs of Death from start to finish.

Isn't It Grand, Boys?

Won't You Come with Me? (Gunn)

Twa Corbies

Clementine Blues

Johnny Jump Up

Jug of Punch

Red, Red and Black (Gunn)

Whiskey, You're the Devil

High Jeannie High

Rosin the Bow

Foggy Dew (Kearney/O'Neill)

Waxies Dargle

I'll Drink from Dusk ‘Til Dawn (Gunn)

All songs traditional, except as noted. Instruments: Marc Gunn (autoharp, vox), Ari Koinuma (guitar, mandolin, percussion, bkg vox), Jamie Haeuser (bodhran, bkg vox), Mike Younger (bkg vox). Produced by Ari Koinuma. Graphics by Ingrid Houwers and Nikki O'Shea.

If enjoy this album, please support the musicians who support this podcast, buy the CD, follow me on Spotify, and share the show.

Pub Songs Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn. To subscribe, go to Apple Podcasts, Spotify or to our website where you can join the Gunn Runners Club for as little as $1 per month to support my music. You can get regular updates of new videos, podcasts, lyrics, stories behind the songs, plus 21 songs for free at www.pubsong.net.

  THANK YOU PATRONS

I want to thank everyone in the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon. There are 144 people who pledge a $1 or more per month so that I can keep creating new music and entertainment for you. You are amazing.

I want to thank my newest Gunn Runners: Anna N., Randy B., Jeff H., Christopher K., Cora B., Kerrie B., Rich, Erica T., Kelira, Hiram W, Muzikana, Riva l, William M., Garrett R, Kristin T., Patricia C., Craig, Chrystin P.. Also a huge thanks to Carol B., Scott & Anita G., Jessica C., Jenn W., Kimber, Rob W. who raised their pledge

I was looking recently and I realized just how incredible membership in the club is. You'll get several albums of my music, videos, exclusive podcasts, and of course you're supporting this podcast as well as Celtfather Music & Travel. But you can also get discounts on merch, sheet music, and bootleg recordings. It's packed for just dollars per month. If you enjoy what I do, please consider making a pledge.

Go to marcgunn.net to express your generous nature today!

PUB TALK

Welcome to the Pub Songs Podcast. Yes, the name changed... again. And actually, for the foreseeable future, I'm not running regular shows. I'm gonna do something scary, that I've thought about for a long time. I'm gonna share each of my albums in full, from start to finish,

Of course, you can already stream all my music on Spotify, Google Play, Amazon Music, and lots other places. But now I’m going to share the show the podcast form as well.

Back in the 70s, DJs played entire albums from start to finish. I decided to do that on the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast. It was a great success for several artists. But I'm just like all artists. I get nervous about giving everything all my music away for free... even if I know it's a smart marketing move. I learned this lesson years ago on MP3.com.

Since Halloween is just around the corner, it seemed appropriate to release my Happy Halloween Songs of Death as it could be called. Or for the ones you know my music Happy Songs of Death.

This album was first released on August 20, 2009. It  was produced by Ari Koinuma. He provided all of the background instrumentation. I did have some guest vocalists including Michael Younger, who died before the release of the album. It is dedicated to Michael.

Show #48 was a tribute show I recorded for Michael back in 2009.

Happy Songs of Death had two different album covers. One was designed by Nikki O'Shea. I called it "Death's Autoharp". It featured the Grim Reaper playing the autoharp with Nikki's popular comic book art style.

The second was designed by Celtic artist Ingrid Houwers. I called that "The Wake" because there's Celtic death theme with merriment. It actually almost has a Celtic/Mexican Day of the Dead feel to it. Really cool.

The songs are a mix of traditional Irish and Scottish songs as well as some traditional folk songs and several original songs as well. Subscribe at Celtfather.com if you want to find out more about some of the songs in the future.

And if you have any questions, email me.

Check out this episode!

[davedimartino]

NEW THIS WEEK 02.24.09

With the excitement of the Grammys now long since gone, it's time for the music business to stand or fall purely on the quality of its new product!

In short? If all of this week's new releases are top-notch, quality stuff, then I think we can count on years and years of a healthful, thriving music business! But if, on the other hand, most of this week's are dreary and stale reruns of an earlier, better time, it might be appropriate for everyone in the industry to just throw in the towel, admit defeat, and perhaps individually focus on improving their own personal lots in life--and business be damned!

Well, you can take a look for yourself--but as far as I can see, any week that features a lot of great reissues, good albums by really old artists, and a new album by the Jonas Brothers is conclusive proof that music's on an upswing like never before!

Speaking purely as a rock critic, I don't think I'm alone in comparing this year's music riches to those released in the golden year of 1969--except now everything's even better produced! I predict a long and healthy life for the music industry and indeed each and every one of us!

Guess I’m just an optimist! You too?

 Jonas Brothers: Music From The 3d Concert Experience (Hollywood)  I think a lot of people would be genuinely shocked to find that this new live Jonas Brothers album--the soundtrack from the movie of sort of the same name--contains some frighteningly accurate covers of Metallica, the Pretty Things, early '60s pop hit "Please Don't Talk To The Lifeguard," and a by-rote recitation of all 18 minutes and 42 seconds of Isaac Hayes's "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" amid all the marvelous contemporary pop hits! Luckily, that's not the case here, and I'd be willing to bet no one will care either way! Heck, these guys are kind of cute and they can really play their instruments!

 Van Morrison: Astral Weeks Live At The Hollywood Bowl (Listen To The Lion/EMI) A few years back I noted the irony that I managed to see Brian Wilson play Pet Sounds, Arthur Lee play Forever Changes, and the Zombies play Odessey And Oracle all within a few scattered months. If I'd only seen this great concert--which in fact I did manage to see--back then, and maybe seen the Velvet Underground reuniting to play their third album live, I could simply stop listening to music entirely, give serious consideration to getting that doctorate in psychology, and stop spending so much time thinking about myself instead of other people! Anyway, this is great live recording by a great artist covering one of the greatest albums of all time, and the cover's deliberate artistic nod to the notion of "Neil Diamond dressed as Zorro" only adds to its greatness! Buy it today!

 Lamb Of God: Wrath (Epic) This album reminds me of three things! First, the phrase Lord God, Lamb of God, Son Of The Father, You who take away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us! Secondly, the fact that Rath was a Waterloo, Indiana-based company that made great bacon before ultimately closing up shop a few years back! Finally, a band with name Lamb Of God features a lead singer who actually has a strange patch of hair growing on his back! Between you and me, I think that second point may carry the most weight!

 K'naan: Troubadour (Octone/A&M)  While the cultural impact of contemporary rap and hip-hop can't be overstated, I've often felt that something was missing--and I think that may have been the heretofore unheard rappers of Somalia and the Arctic Circle! Providing one-half of the answer is Somalian rapper K'naan, who's heard here with guests like Damien Marley, Mos Def, Chubb Rock, and hip-hop legend Adam Levine of Maroon 5, in a fabulous collection largely recorded in Kingston, Jamaica and packed to the gills with potent political points, primary positive perceptions, and other cool stuff! Some say this may be one of the year's biggest albums, while others say you should brake first before turning right at a red light! Hey, another store just closed!

 Chris Isaak: Mr Lucky (Wicked Game/Reprise)  It's hard to say that Chris Isaak's unique, '50s-inspired ultra-cool persona was long missed in the seven years it's taken him to produce a brand new album. Mainly because that sentence has too many modifiers! But the man himself can do no wrong, and in 2009, with guests Trisha Yearwood and Michelle Branch joining him, it's as if he never left! Evocative, moody, sexy, and, as always, strangely distant, Isaak sings in his timeless way, and when he does, an invisible hand enters your chest cavity, clutches your heart, squeezes it a little, says, "Good as new, boss," and then slams the hood down watching you as you drive off into the distance! Then it call up your English teacher and--together--they laugh at you!

Steven Wilson: Insurgentes (K-Scope)  It's a peculiar quirk of fate when a musician with a built-in cult audience--who'll buy nearly anything with his name on it--actually happens to be remarkably good, adventurous and compelling, and that's certainly the case with Mr. Wilson, who otherwise plays with his excellent, arty Brit band Porcupine Tree. This set--officially his debut solo album--comes in multiple configurations, including a gorgeous 2CD/DVD and accompanying book limited edition, and is glorious listening throughout. In the same manner that, say, Radiohead no longer need be concerned with recording a "hit single," Wilson has the leeway to make any sort of recording he wants--without any major-label commercial pressures--and as heard here, does so with startling success and energy. Plus, wearing a gas mask on your album cover is always cool! Buy it today!

 Isaac Hayes: Black Moses (Stax) When you get right down to it, there were fewer cooler people in the world of popular music than Mr. Isaac Hayes, and this double-album--originally released in 1971--features the man at the peak of his powers! The best possible example of how the man could take outside material and make it his own, this set features his "Never Can Say Goodbye" and "(They Long To Be) Close To You" and glides along soulfully in deep, deep groove. The completely fab new CD reissue features the original fold-out cover art, miniaturized, and is the sort of thing nearly everybody should have hanging in their house to prove their worth as humans! He'd probably think so, too!

 J.J. Cale: Roll On (Rounder) Speaking of impeccably cool musicians, look no further than Tulsa legend J.J. Cale, who's back with his first album since winning a Grammy with his Eric Clapton collaboration of 2006, The Road To Escondido. A little more upbeat in places than you might come to expect with Cale's previous work, Roll On is precisely played, economically arranged, and sounds like it might've been recorded any time within the past 50 years. It probably was! All told, it's no Lamb Of God, but what the hey!

 Company Of Thieves: Ordinary Riches (Wind-up) Company Of Thieves is an interesting Chicago trio featuring a powerful lead vocalist in Genevieve Schatz--who'll either end up being loved by millions or being perceived as the contemporary equivalent as that hat-wearing chick in the 4 Non Blondes' video "What's Up," it's her call! They play melodic songs with a lot of emotional oomph and I suspect if you see them in live performance you will either like them a lot or perhaps be distracted by your date's unexpected urge to drink excessively! That stuff does happen! It's an either/or world for Company Of Thieves!

 Green River Ordinance: Out Of My Hands (Virgin)  Few expected President Obama to be such a vocal fan of John Fogerty, but his recent insistence that all new bands sound like Creedence Clearwater Revival is taking some heat from unexpected quarters! Dudes, cut him some slack!