#anyways I just wanted to complain because i have been listening to Gorillaz and it's so good but also why are people like that??

[mokeonn]

I am honestly still absolutely flabbergasted that those "Gorillaz without the rap" videos exist. Like bro I just don't think you like Gorillaz at that point.

[can-ya-guess-my-curent-obsession]

Hiya! If your still doing requests Could you do Murdoc x Fem girly reader headcannons

Reader is the complete opposite of Murdoc she is sweet to everyone, wears dresses likes pastel colours stuff like that. If that’s okay with you <3

Murdoc x Very fem pastel F! S/O

WRITERS NOTE: Hi! I honestly really like this request, I personally find any pastel style to be realy cool! But I do apologize I'm not good at gendered things- but I will try my very best! I hope you like the hc and that you have a wonderful day!

[ANOTHER NOTE: This is late again, life threw a wrench in my posting schedule again. Anyways have a lovely day, sorry for the delay!]

Edited: Nope

All art in this post is mine

TW: Curssing, Murdoc drinking, Murdocs childhood, Murdoc being a grouch, implied abuse?, spoilers for cracker Island, jealousy, insecurity, probably more but can't figure it right now- so just tell me any out standing ones I missed.

(Side thing: Murdocs shity behavior is not ok, it's toxic, I am not trying to indorse the shit he does!)

Characters:

/Gorillaz/

Murdoc(yay better murdoc drawing)

How???

Sorry HuH???

Just how???

You are the embodiment of a kind person... and Murdocs..... a satanic piece of shit gremlin with anger issues

So to say everyone- including Murdoc himself was quite surprised

The band won't let him live down the fact you two are so different

They tease him a lot, but other then that that band absolutely adores S/O

2D has straight up asked you why would you 'date 'an asshole like Murdoc', it was very blut though there was no ill will behind it

Murdoc will Call you the normal nick names such a 'dove, babe, love, ect..' but he will most likly call you a bit more sweet things- in private obviously, but this often happens if he's ih a more sensitive state-

Whether that be when he's drunk, high, hung over, ect... he'll just tend to be a bit loving- his voice is almost tender

And he'll use pet names like 'babydoll, sugar, cutie, my star, sweetie, the occasional babycake's', but Murdoc could use those in a very teasing way too if S/O is the kind of person who tends to get flustered

"*hic* ya'know, I'ma start... *hic* call'en ya cavity..." Murdoc said sluring his words

"What, why?"

"*drunken giggle* Cuz' yer so cute *hic* dat'cha rot my teeth... heh.."

S/O looks so different when standing next to Murdoc that some people find it concerning

When out in public with each other at night(ie. Murdoc draged you to a bar with him), there has been at least one case of someone coming up to you in concern for S/O's wellbeing, thinking Murdoc was some creep following S/O, or the every so often waitress or waitor asking if you are ok, when you and Mudz are out on a date

Murdoc gets really pissed when this happens, so S/O will have to call him down

With pastel and bright clothes you gonna want to not leave them around Murdocs room/Winnebago because that shit will be stained to high hell(even if you need a black light to see the stains), and those stains will never come out, so be reaaally careful

He doesn't really understand why you like pastel & bright clothes or makeup- but he definitely thinks you look good in it so he won't complain- as long as you don't try and put any of that on him(at least in public)-

Listen hun, Murdoc has a reputation to uphold!- Murdoc would often repeat variants of that

"SSSZZ-SSTOOWWWPPHhhu- *hmph* I have a reputation- and YOU-" Murdocs points an accusatory finger at S/O "-Fuck'in... leav'en damn stupid... neon fuk'en PINK lipstick marks.. on MY damn FACE... BEFORE A DAMN SHOW..isn't help'in..."

"Why'dya got'a go'in be so damn cute... yer stupid 'KinDNeSs' making me look... ugh nice..."

S/O when their in the later phases and later in the relationship- S/O definitely made Murdoc more nice but only really around S/O- don't get me wrong when S/O's gone Mudz still a complete ass

But he tends to be more chilled out, Murdy once he got close to S/O, he really wanted her to like him- but this isn't uncommon with Murdoc getting scared his shitty behavior is gonna scare a person he genuinely cares about away

He's in complete denial about going any for of soft, and he just ends up acting like a piss baby-

"Wha'dya mean I'm go'in soft!?!" Murdoc said pulling away from S/O

"Babe. You're wearing the *insert random pastel themed character* shirt I got you..."

"...I-...I had nut'en else to wear.." Murdoc tutned away with a huff

"You walk around shirtless and in your underwear all the time- what changed?"

"...ShutUp-!..."

Or

"..Damn face ache..." Mudz slammed the door with a a groan, clearly agitated

"You ok dear?"

Murdoc turned to you and pouted like a bitter old man "Face Ache said I was going soft!!! Can ya believe that fuck'en nob!"

He's overall very bitter and sour about going soft, so don't tease him to much unless you want his grumpy-ness to turn into full blown anger

Murdoc like to send S/O pictures of things that remind him of her/her style

This is most often pictures of clothes, but it can maybe be a pic of a stuffy or somthing, these items are often pointed out by Noodle or even 2D

But when 2D talks about/points out things that remained him of S/O Mudz will most likely get jealous... and I think we can geuss how it usually goes from there..

Speaking of jealousy

Due to how nice and kind of a person S/O is to everyone, and how insecure Murdoc can be- he can get jealous pretty easy depending on the situation

And no it's not a 'ohh ahh, he's protective and loving' jealousy- no he's an insecure angry goblin man- only getting petty and aggressive, just sit him down and have a talk, he just needs some reassurance

To add to S/O dressing up Murdy. Murdoc refuses to match outfits, he refuses to let you do his makeup... or take pictures of it to show it to people at least..

Like my last statement implies Murdoc has let her do his makeup before, S/O just can't take pictures to show it around to people- tho this doesn't mean you can't take pictures at all

Because you can and you do, S/O has so many pictures of Murdoc in a skirt, or a full face of makeup, etc... and there all adorable even if Murdoc is pissed in all of them

Murdoc refuses to match your style or do any of the dressing up thing in public, or let any of it go out into public. He is stubborn and this is a big boundary for him, so please respect this.

This doesn't just apply to appearances, but just his stuff in general, so no cute neon stickers on things, or cutesy decorations without his permission. Murdoc stands firm on his decision so don't push to much he will get really agitated, and it might lead to a fight- like I said his stubbornness is off the chart.

Murdoc teases S/O quite a bit especially at the beginning of the relationship, and especially if its in earlier phases-

It's how he copes with nice people, Murdy isn't use to people being nice

Murdoc grew up with assholes, he was raised to be an asshole, and he was raised in a way to basically see kindness to be a form of weakness.

So him being shown kindness from this goddess, in response he freaks out a bit and just get really teasy out of defense at first

And knowing him, he might say some upseting things. So S/O has to walk very carefully around early phase Mudz or just a bit early in the relationship

Murdocs sweetheart of a girlfriend is gonna have to break down some walls, and honestly this applys to all and any relationship with Mudz- theres always a few walls to get through

But with any initial kindness there will be some extra defense put up by Murdoc

(I wanna talk about phaze 7 Mudz specifically for a second, so like spoiler warning I guess? )

Murdoc is firm on the fact what he is wearing isn't a dress- we all know what I'm referring to!

That thing he wears in the Cracker Island music video.

He referres to it by whatever it's actually name is(again I don't know, I'll edit it when I figure it out) or he calls them PJ's. He has referred to it dress like but never a girly dress like somthing S/O would wear- and he gets pissy if anyone goes around calling it that. Though in the passed Murdoc has probably worn a dress before.

(Ok weird tangent over, back to just general Murdoc)

Despite hating it when S/O does his makeup or dressing him up- Murdoc does love picking her clothes out and has more then once done S/O's makeup- and he isn't the greatest at first but he does eventually learn how to apply eyeliner without impaling your eyes

Murdoc while is proud of his work- will not stop laughing at how she looks after he's done S/O's makeup

Murdoc 100% underestimates S/O, he thinks S/O is one of the most pure things ever and he wants to mess that up ;)

JK- I'm just joking... particularly...

Anyway!-

He just kinda sees S/O as a bit of a childish innocent person who's oblivious to the world- like how else could you be so happy?

If S/O really is that innocent than good luck, becuase that sure as hell isn't gonna 100% last if she wants to stay with this Satanist

But if you arn't as innocent well then it's quite a pleasant surprise to Murdoc

It's up to you to determine how you want Murdoc to figure out S/O's lack of innocence but here are some examples

1. Murdoc used a horribly raunchy and crapy pickup line on S/O and she retorted back with her own, this left Murdoc flustered and stunned before he played it off pretty well. Mudz jokes about this later on because he finds this situation funny

2. Murdoc whilst pissed said some unsavory things, and S/O responds in a way that shows she understood what he just said, and Murdoc depending on how bad what he said was would either laugh it off or he would immediately choke on his own spit, then awkwardly defend himself

3. Very similar 1 but Murdoc made a dirty or just inappropriate joke and S/O expressed they understood and Murdoc would just burst out laughing

Just a few ideas- but it's up to you

But once Murdy finds out, him being the dirty little man he is- he's gonna tease you about it. Mudz sometimes mockingly treats you like a kid- with all good intentions of course

Either way innocent or not S/O is just as appealing- just in different ways

"Dove... your cuteness juz made me throw up'en my mouth.."

[chasing-rabbits]

Just got back from seeing Avril Lavigne live!! This is the first time I’ve ever seen here live before and it was so good!! I will admit I’ve not listened to her new stuff that came out in like 2022 I put on a song or two recently just to see but she’s just come off her greatest hits tour so I figured most of her stuff would be from her older albums which tbh is one of the reasons I booked the tickets in the first place. I should check out local stuff more often like we’re a commuter town to London and we do have a lot of events on but the only concert events I’d heard of before were like this big fake festival and some other things but idk tbf I think it’s one of those things I knew about but didn’t know know about. Like I’d heard of it but never really knew enough about it and didn’t know they got some big names coming here because usually if I want to see a band it’s always either a commute to London or Birmingham if they’re big. But also this was nice because it was held in our local park so it was an outdoor event the only other time I’ve gone to an outdoor one was years ago for fuck I can’t remember the name of the tour but it was for the gorillaz and it was held in an amusement/theme park and was pretty cool. Anyways she played so much of her old stuff and I was actually surprised that I still knew all the lyrics because bare in mind the last time I properly listened to Avril was for Goodbye Lullaby and iirc that was probably around the time I was in uni like I listened to her as a kid and then I”m sure she took a break too like I don’t think I just stopped dead I think she disappeared for a little then came back and then went on that long long break until recently-ish. But yeah I haven’t listened to her first two albums in forever ago like I’m 30 now last I listened to her i was at best in my early 20s. I loved how she did a shout out to all the over 30’s & who had ‘Let Go’ on CD. Now I need to dig out my old stuff idek if any of my old CD’s were kept but now I kinda wish they were. She waited til the end to sing SK8r Boi though I was thinking oh no is she gonna do it or not but she had too like come on lol. Also I’d seen people complaining about her lack of stage presence in her recent tour but I don’t get it because she was full of energy and wasn’t just ‘looking bored’ as some people said. I’d say it was probably mostly older people or families with kids who turned up but could have just been where I was sitting might’ve been more younger people in the purely standing area. But it was kinda cool to see a lot more older people there cos I wasn’t sure what the mix would be but on the way back I could swear I heard these younger girls shit talking Avril for playing complicated and her older stuff like bitch please get out of here if you don’t like anything that pre dates goodby lullaby what are you even here for lmao. Sorry but like really not sorry lol Definitely gave me so much nostalgia right now & I think it shows just how much I loved her growing up that I still remembered the lyrics to a lot of the older stuff not all of it but a decent amount for something I’d not heard in 10+ years.

[bwamp-bwamp]

Your writing is amazing so I think you can do nsfw well, and it is good to practice. Anyway, i was wondering if you could do 2D x reader where 2D and the reader are best friends. But 2D has a crush on them and doesn't think they like him back untill he found them masterbating to him and it ends in them sleeping together. I know thats kinda perverted, sorry, if it makes you uncomfortable you don't have to write it. Also sorry this was kinda long

2D x Reader (NSFW)

“I would like the reader to be a girl. And would it be ok if 2D was the bottom because the reader is very dominant?“ “I'm really sorry but i kinda forgot something! If your already pretty much done with the story then you don't have to do this, but can 2D at some point be done with the reader teasing and become all dominant all of a sudden. And he turns into basically an animal? You don't have to do it if it would mess something you already wrote up, just if you can. Sorry” (just to maybe clear some stuff up?)

Phase: During the “Do ya thing” video period so phase 3.5? Or just 3?

Reader: Female

Warning: poorly written NSFW ahead, tis unedited, I have no clue on how to but “read more” thing here but if you’re under age or just don’t like it then don’t read it! Also I had no clue what I was doing but I tried so I hope you enjoy!

Being Stuart’s best friend had its perks, one being that you were hired to help set up the equipment for their performances. Yep, that’s right, you were one of the roadies for the band. It wasn’t the best job but as long as you were making money and a place to live, you weren’t complaining.

Back when the first Kong Studio was around you were living by yourself and relatively close by so any time Stu got sick of Murdoc’s abuse, he’d just escape to your house and hang out with you. However, when they were on Plastic Beach, the only time you two saw each other was during tours, and even then you two barely talked.

The thought of you, your smile, laugh, gorgeous eyes, soft hair, kind heart, sweet personality, that’s what kept him going through the shit he dealt with on the damned island, locked in the room under the water and being washed by the large whale that terrorized him with its presence.

You were panicked by the lack of 2D, the band too, but mostly 2D. So when you got mail sent to your house with a return address you were unfamiliar with, you were confused. You only got more confused when you found a key inside with a note. Reading the note, you realized that......

No, it couldn’t be, could it? Was it really from Stuart? You had no idea you could feel more than two emotions at once. There was confusion, obviously, rage, joy and uncertainty. You felt rage because where the hell had he been and why hadn’t he tried contacting you before, joy because the key was to a townhouse the whole band was staying at and he wanted you to come live with them, saying something about “having so much to catch up on”, then finally uncertainty because what if this wasn’t actually 2D and it was just someone trying to prank you? And if it wasn’t your long time crush- I mean best friend, The Who was it and how did they know your address?

Shaking your head free of all but your happy thoughts, you decided you’d go find out. So you pocketed the key, wrote the return address on your hand and went to find out if the info in the note was for real.

After arriving at the address and getting out of the car, you walked to the front door, contemplating if you should test out the key and let yourself in or knock like a normal person. Shrugging your shoulders, you mumbled “fuck it” under your breath and pulled the key out of your pocket, jammed it into the lock and-

Holy shit, the key worked. Now all you need to do is see if the band lived there and not some old gross weirdo..... aside from Murdoc, of course. Slowly walking in, you gripped your keys incase you needed to stab a mofo. Unfamiliar with the building’s layout, you tried to be sneaky, and it was working up until a certain blue haired string bean came down the stairs.

You were both startled by the others presence, but after a second of staring at the man, a smile spread across your face. Stuart smiled as well, just standing there looking at you. Dropping your keys, you sprint towards the frontman of Gorillaz and practically tackle him to the stairs in a hug.

That was a month and a half ago, you had sold most of your belongings, like your furniture and the house itself, only leaving yourself with you clothes, car and other personal belongings. Your room was across the hall from Stu’s. What you didn’t know but could guess at by the way he looked at you recently and in the past was that your long time crush returned your feelings. He had no clue you liked him back, so one night when everyone was in the privacy of their own room, you thought everyone was asleep and decided to take advantage of the moment.

Your mind wandered a bit, trying to think of a scenario you could get off to. You felt your body heat up at the thought of 2D laying underneath you, his thin figure tied in a simple yet pleasing to look at shibari style. Lightly biting your bottom lip, you felt your folds getting wet and you had yet to even touch yourself.

You imagined the cute yet sexy moans and whimpers you could get out of his as you slowly, softly caressed his body, from his shoulders to his legs you sit between while leaving gentle kisses along his hardening length. Huffing quietly, you groped your breasts from under your night shirt, rubbing your thumb over a nipple, feeling it harden in excitement before lightly pinching it and pulling slightly then released.

You played with your chest a little longer as you thought about taking Stuart’s fully erect member in your mouth. Your mind jumped around a bit, bringing you to where he’s whimpering about being so close to finishing, only for you to take him out of your warm, wet mouth just before he could finish and cause him to whine in protest.

Crawling up his body, you kissed him hungrily, grinding your soaking entrance and sensitive clit against his spit coated dick. You weren’t sure when, but at some point, one of your hands slipped into your panties which lead to a quiet moan escaping your lips. It wasn’t loud enough to be heard through the door, let alone two, thankfully.

Back in your mind, your kisses moved from 2D’s lips, down his jaw, and to his neck and collarbones while the kisses evolved to gentle bites, sucks and licks. Stu begged you to “just ride me already, please!” Giving a giggled moan in response, you reached down, lined him up with you entrance and slowly lowered yourself onto his length.

In time with your imagination, you slowly entered two fingers into yourself, letting a moan out that was a little louder than the last. You continued to finger yourself in time with the mental imagery, rolling your hips against your hand as you were too focused on pleasure. Failing to pay attention to your surroundings or your volume, you didn’t realize you were repeatedly moaning the mans name loud enough for him to hear through both closed doors.

Not realizing what was happening, 2D got up from his bed in nothing but his underwear and made his way out of his room and to yours. He opened your door without knocking, rubbing the side of his face with his eyes closed as he entered. “(Y/N), what were you calling m-“ Stuart stopped mid-sentence when he opened his eyes to find you frozen in shock on your bed, one hand still under your shirt and your other hand still between your thighs, now three fingers in knuckles deep.

His mouth hung open and his eyes a bit wide. The woman he had been in love with for so many years was on her bed, fingering herself to the thought of him. If that didn’t make his cock come to life, he had no clue what would. Was he sure he wasn’t dreaming? No, he couldn’t be dreaming, he had yet to even fall asleep!

Glancing down at 2D’s hardening length after somewhat recovering from the shock, you slowly slid your fingers out of your wet opening and wiped them off onto your shirt. You moved to sit on your knees, still in bed before beckoning the bluenette closer. “Come here, Stu.” You spoke in a seductive tone, and he listened to your instruction, making his way over, only for you to pull him down onto the bed and gently kiss him.

Just like everything else that happened since he entered your room, 2D was shocked but went along with it, kissing you back after a second or two. He placed his hands on your waist, slowly running them up your back just to retrace their path down to your waist and down the sides of your thighs. The motion continued to cycle as you moved over him, cradling the sides of his face.

The sweet and gentle kisses didn’t last long, seeing as it turned into a heated makeout session. Stu moaned as you started to grind against him, causing you to sit up and smirk down at him. You grabbed the blue haired mans hands from your hips and pinned them beside his head, then kiss, licked and nipped at his neck and collarbones, making soft moans and whines leave his throat.

You continued to grind against him until you felt his member twitch slightly, to which you stopped before he could finish. Panting softly from the friction against your clit, you looked down at 2D and you’re heart melted when you two made eye contact. A light blush formed on your cheeks and you let go of Stuart’s wrists. You slowly ran your hands down his arms, over his shoulders and to his chest. As your hands continued their journey down Stu’s body to his underwear, your lips followed, leaving light kisses behind.

Slowly, so very slowly, you pulled 2D’s underwear down his legs, but stopped when they reached his calves and kissed over his thighs before stroking his shaft, leaving him to get rid of his only article of clothing. The blue haired man kicked them off as you trailed your tongue along a vein, from base to tip. He moaned as you put the tip in your mouth, thrusting slightly from the warmth.

You looked up at him the entire time, watching his reactions to see if you were at least doing okay. Seeing that all his responses were positive, you grew more confident and took more into your mouth, causing you to gag slightly when the tip hit the back of your throat, but you quickly recovered and continued to give your crush head.

When he got close to finishing, you pulled away, grinning up at him only to hear a sound of frustration leave his mouth while he looked back at you upset. You tried to hold in your laugh as you took your shirt off and tossed it to the floor, your panties soon following suit, and you weren’t quite sure, but you had a feeling that Stuart’s eyes were following your movements.

It became more obvious that your feeling was right as you moved up his body to trap his spaghetti noodle of a body under yours, watching as he tilted his head to keep his eyes on your chest. You pecked his lips before you leaned to your bedside table and reached into the drawer, pulling out a condom packet you weren’t too sure would fit him, but heres to hoping.

“Put this on...” You spoke softly while handing it to him. 2D was still looking at you when you got back over him properly, but when you held it out, his eyes snapped from you, to the condom, then back to you before taking it, tearing it open and quickly making work at covering his member with it.

You smiled as you caressed his chest. “You ready?” The question left your mouth with a hint of nervousness but you ignored it and laughed softly when your friend eagerly nodded his head. You positioned yourself above his length, feeling the head pushing against your entrance when you felt your heart skip a beat at the words that left the Englishman’s mouth.

“You’re so very beautiful, (Y/N).” You blushed from the sincerity laced in his words. He lifted his hips slightly, finally entering you and got the sweetest moan in response. He moaned as well, closing his eyes as you took him till you hips met his. You felt so much better than he could have ever imagined, and it caused him to place his hands on your waist to keep you there, just like that, for a little longer.

You had been looking at him the entire time, a small smile forming on your face before you slowly started moving. You’re pace stayed the same for a while, much to Stuart’s disliking, seeing as he was begging you to go even just a bit faster. You leaned down to lightly nip at his earlobe as you stayed constant with tithe speed, that was the tipping point.

He had two close calls tonight, walked in on you touching yourself, and had been attracted to you ever since he knew you. He was not about to have you going at a pace that was slower than molasses so he took matters into his own hands and flipped you both. You let out a surprised noise at the sudden movement, but was quickly turned to a pleasure filled moan as Stu began to thrust deep and hard into you.

You’re heart rate quickened and you wrapped your legs around his waist, his real name slipping past your lips and causing him to smile and kiss you. Even in a moment like this, he still found you to be absolutely cute. “Do I feel good, love?” He asked through pants and moans, only to get pleased whines of “yes,” and “don’t stop” in response. He was nice this time and didn’t stop, only because he too was nearing his end.

You gripped his back and pulled him close, kissing him deeply as you finished around him, the frontman not far behind on the pleasure train. As you both tried to catch your breath, he pulled out and flopped beside you on the bed, disposing of the condom, then cuddled into your tired form with his head under your chin.

“Do you need anything, like something to drink or a bath?” He asked quietly as he eventually caught his breath. You shook your head as you wrapped your arms around him. “Right now, the only thing I need is some Stu cuddles and sleep, in the morning I’ll get a shower. Do you need anything?” “Cuddles and sleep sounds nice.” He mumbled as he closed his eyes, sleep washing over him first.

You smiled and kissed the top of his head before stroking his hair until you fell asleep too. “I love you blueberry....”

[tomorrow-human]

MY THOUGHTS ON iDKHOW'S ALBUM DEBUT: RAZZMATAZZ

So I DON'T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME have just released RAZZMATAZZ today and heres what I think...

[SIDE A]

¹LEAVE ME ALONE:

A bombastic opening track. Was released in the beginning of August...? Probably? This song just SCREAMS at you with retro futuristic funkiness. It has 8-bity flourishes in the instrumentation and seems to be maybe talking to the same person as Choke (from 1981 E.P.) and the title track Razzmatazz have been (or maybe a separate entity as suggested by the vinyl booklet and Indoctoration?).

Anyway, fantastic track, great opener, and nice mood-setter.

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²INDOCTORATION:

It's... eerie. It's not a song in the same sense as Leave Me Alone, despite having a wobbly backing track. It's a spoken interlude that seems to be initiating you into Tellex maybe? It yet again mentions the White Shadows that will be overseeing your progress with Tellex. It seems oddly nostalgic for some reason. That's strange. Overall, solid little piece of lore building that really reinforces the concept aspects.

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³MAD IQs:

It's the first song from this album that wasn't released as a single and it made my jaw literally drop. It has a similar lyrical and vocal structure to the opener and New Invention, but what I like is how much they were able to do with it, though it makes you wonder about how far apart these songs were written; but In the context of the albums concept and the Tellex stuff however, it could be interpreted as a corporate decision, this repetition. The minimal instrumentation in the verses with Ryan's sturdy drumming and Dallon's bassline makes me go fucking bananas. It's so fucking great and full of this punchy energy. And the HARMONIES. YES. "Voluntary victim~" "I'm burning~ in your mad IQs" SIR STOP BEING SO VOCALLY TALENTED. Also I think i heard him shriek right before the bridge which? Snazzy. So Mad IQs, energetic track, filled with more of iDKHOWs signature darkness.

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⁴NOBODY LIKE THE OPENING BAND:

Ah yes, Opening Band. Ironic considering how often iDKHOW are the opening band, but I'm sure that's obvious, seeing how they usually sing this one at the start of their gigs. It was actually (I think) the first or second song I didn't know how but found through youtube so I might be pretty biased here. It's a sweet sounding change of pace with the instrumentation being made up of only the piano and tambourine that tells of a typical opening band, that no ones ever heard before and likely will never hear again, via a sympathetic narrator with a hint of the typical iDKHOW teasing. In all honesty, it would've worked better as the album opener, which then could've been followed by Leave Me Alone, but it's a nice change of pace overall.

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⁵NEW INVENTION:

I already reviewed this song on my other blog right here so imma keep this brief. It shares similar aspects to Leave Me Alone, with the music video concept and song structure, but It manages to darken the narrative, and the choir-esq harmonies sound like ultra bright neon lights that only push this mood further. It still is a magnificent song and by far one of my favourites in the album.

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⁶IN THE GALLOWS:

MASSIVE SHIFT IN STYLE HOLY FUCKOLY-. The track opens with a very cutesy old timey little piano intro and starts the verse with a little funny beat. If you don't listen to the lyrics, it sounds like a silly little oldie song. But as we all know, iDKHOW doesn't do silly. The lines "For you, I'd die▪︎Or kill myself▪︎which ever makes you smile," From just the first verse are a prime example of this. The narrators murderous and suicidal intentions have clouded the romantic attraction into obsession- And I kinda like that, in a poetic way. The chorus is a standout, with the calm start to the explosion in the line "I'd swing from the gallows and wave" that just swings at you with a baseball bat to the chest. Oh, and the sax solo? Magnificent. This whole song is a chefs kiss from me.

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⁷CLUSTERHUG:

I love the lyrics of this song the most of it all. It sounds like a rebellious teenager wrote it after thinking about how shit their hometown is and wanting to get out. It also incorporates how much the narrator would want to do all this with their crush, adding that slightly goofy and pretend-aloof chorus of "only if you'd like me to I could fall in love with you" as if they weren't already in love or at least that's how I see it. The vibe of this song is more pop-y than the rest of the album, but that's more likely because it was repurposed for Razzmatazz after being originally written for The Brobecks, their older band. It's a nice little tune :).

[SIDE B]

⁸SUGAR PILLS:

This. Will. Get. Stuck. In. Your. Head- and. You. Will. Like. It. Basically, just seems like a song about drugs that, for some reason, reminds me of Gorillaz (who I dont even listen to). But the BASSLINE AGAIN- Jesus help me live. It has more of that energy we saw with the first few tracks and adds even more electronic elements. It's probably my second favourite song from this album that's not a single because of how fun the chorus sounds. What else can I say? I can just imagine myself bopping to this in the car screaming 'SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR PILLS' On a hot day.

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⁹KISS GOODNIGHT:

It's so sweet 🥺. It's one of those songs I could imagine a character in a movie singing to someone from a stage. If you want pretty song vibes just listen to it. Because it is a pretty song. And that's all I have to say on it. Now allow me to take a moment and shove it into my pretty song playlist that acts like my personal lullaby machine.

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¹⁰LIGHTS GO DOWN:

Yes. F u n k y. Give me that sweet sweet disco energy, thank you. It's just filled with all these *☆~blingy and sparkly~☆* effects, and, combined with the drumming, the result is just glorious. The best part of this song is in my opinion the bridge where it goes darker lyrically and in sound that just naturally slides into another funky-ass sax solo. I can definitely see myself dancing to this at a party and then in later years growing nostalgic for those days.

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¹¹NEED YOU HERE:

It's supposed to be happy in tone and hopeful slightly but it just makes me sad. It's a song about how, because Dallon has to tour because it's his job, he has to be away from his family often. And he had nO RIGHT ADDING HIS DAUGHTERS VOCALS AND RECORDINGS INTO THE MIX ITS LIKE HE WANTS US TO CRY. It's not my favourite of the album, not going to lie here, but it's also such a sweet song with nice instrumentals and vibe 🥺 so that's all I'll say.

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¹²DOOR:

It seems like this one was written around the time sad ukulele music was really at its peak but am I complaining? Fuck no because this song is great. It just gives it to you straight, that if the narrator ever does anything that the recipient doesn't like, they can always cut them out of their life. It's nice in that regard- you don't usually get songs that don't try to deflect the pain or gain pity. We need more of these kinds of songs. The shortness of it really adds to the effect of this being more like a regularly said thing, even though I'm always a bit sad that it ends so fast. It does, however, nicely close the near end of the album before Razzmatazz.

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¹³TOMORROW PEOPLE:

Creepy Tellex thank-you note. You're welcome..? I want no part in your conspiracy tho. Go away weird American corporate man voice.

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¹³RAZZMATAZZ:

And there it is. The title track. Like new inventions, I have already reviewed it here on that same blog so this will be brief also and more just thoughts. It's a great closer and is more old timey than most of the songs here as well. And with the last instrumental and sax solo, we come to the albums inevitable end... until next time.

[GENERAL THOUGHTS]

Overall, this was a fantastic little debut for iDKHOW and I loved it. So worth the pre-order. The songs were great and the lyrics were just excellent. My only real criticism is that the song order on Side A was a bit strange. I feel a way to fix this would be to throw Nobody Likes The Opening Band into the beginning, then have Leave Me Alone as a second track, and maybe even switch one of the songs on this side with one from Side B (either Mad IQs or New Invention with something else but then that would be kind of stretching it). Or maybe even switching Clusterhug with Mad IQs or New Invention could work. So in general? Razzmatazz good album. Next question.

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Thank you for reading, anyone who happens to see this and have read this. Hope you've enjoyed some of my thoughts on the debut and agreed with at least 2 points I made. See y'all on another review (or shitpost)!

-L.J

[kalluun-patangaroa]

An Audience With… Brett Anderson

UNCUT Magazine

December 2010

Interview: John Lewis

Brett Anderson has some fans in odd places. This month, Uncut’s email boxes are positively heaving with questions from adoring fans in Peru, Serbia, Japan, New Zealand, Belgium, South Africa, Slovenia and Russia. “I’m quite popular in odd places,” he says. “Suede had No 1s in Chile and Finland. We were massive in Denmark. If asked why Denmark, my stock answer was that, well, I’m a depressed sex maniac and so are most Scandinavians. We toured China long before most Western pop groups. I remember playing Beijing, to a crowd divided by armed soldiers facing the audience. That was pretty scary.” Anderson is currently back in the Far East, speaking to Uncut as he overlooks Kowloon Harbour, preparing for solo dates. Later in the year he’ll be in London for a big O2 show with Suede (sans original guitarist Bernard Butler, although the two remain good friends). “I wanted to check out what the stage was like at the O2 Arena,” he says. “So I went to see The Moody Blues with my father-in-law. Come on, you can’t argue with ‘Nights In White Satin’. What a tune!”

I presume you’re aware of the ‘reallybanderson’ Twitter account purporting to be by you. Amused or offended? Helen, Birmingham

Twitter is one of those strange things, like Facebook, that I don’t have anything to do with. But I have to grudgingly admit that the reallybanderson Twitter updates are rather funny [starts giggling]. And the guy doing it is obviously a bit of a Suede fan, because there are some very detailed references to b-sides and bla-di-blah. I can’t exactly complain about it without coming across as a real tit. It’s just fun and no-one really thinks it’s me, it’s a cartoon version of me reflected through some fairground mirror. I don’t think anyone reads it and thinks, ‘Oh, Brett Anderson has Jas Mann from Babylon Zoo doing his washing up, or Brett punched Damon in the street.’ It is, ha ha ha, quite witty. Having shown them the picture inside the Best Of Suede CD, my kids would like to know why you refused to feed me for five years? Also – can my mum have her top back? And are you around for a trip to the Imperial War Museum? Bernard Butler

Yes, what most fans don’t realise is that we kept Bernard in a cage for five years, and fed him edamame beans and tap water. Regarding his mum’s top – he should know that it’s long been ripped up and destroyed by the front row of the Southampton Joiners, or somesuch venue. Now, the Imperial War Museum – me and Bernard were talking about getting older the other day and he said: “Are you finding yourself increasingly interested in British military history?” And I have become oddly fascinated with watching WWI docs on YouTube. It’s not just the personal tragedies, but the sense of it being a shocking transition point between the Victorian world and modernity. The idea that they were going into war on horseback, and by the end of it they were in tanks. Blimey. So tell Bernard I will be going to the museum, soon… What’s your favourite Duffy song? Kris Smith, Wembley

I thought “Rockferry” was a very beautiful, stirring track. So that’s the only one I know well, but I’m really pleased for Bernard that that was a big success [Butler co-wrote and produced much of the album]. He’s an incredibly talented person and works incredibly hard, and he’s one of those people who is just obsessed with music. People like that deserve success. Did I ask him to join the Suede show at the O2? No. I told him about it, but he’s moved on so far from Suede that it would have been odd, and we’ve had a completely different lineup since he left. I don’t think he’d want to be jumping around a stage again! He’s much happier doing what he does now, I think he’s really found his calling. Do you still have your cat, Fluffington? Claire Vanderhoven, Holland

Unfortunately, he’s ascended to cat heaven. He had 15 long years of adoration. Am I getting another cat? Well, I recently got married, and my wife brought two Italian greyhounds with her. I don’t know if anyone is aware of them, but Italian greyhounds are like little cats. Ours are eight years old but look like miniature foxes, bonsai greyhounds. But incredibly fast, like little bullets. When they’re not running they spend their whole life under the duvet. Someone once told me they were bred by the Pharaohs as bedwarmers! Brett, do you have a copy of the single I recorded with Suede: “Art” b/w “Be My God”? If so, could I have one? Mike Joyce

Mike, I think I destroyed my copy years ago. I’m not one to keep memorabilia. They’re about 100 quid on eBay. Mike was an early member of Suede. We were advertising for a drummer and listed The Smiths as an influence. Then at an audition, their drummer pokes his head through the door and says, “Hello, lads!” Ha! It was a bit Jim’ll Fix It. I don’t think anyone thought it was going to last, Mike was far too big a name for us. But he just took us under his wing, guided us through the industry, and was so charming. I still keep in contact with him. What’s the weirdest story you’ve heard about yourself? Badabingbadaboom

Someone once told me that they’d heard a story about me wanting to shit in someone’s mouth. But I also heard the same story about David Byrne, so I think it’s one of those urban myths that gets transferred from one slightly kooky pop star to another. That’s probably the most unsavoury thing I’ve heard about myself. Maybe I should give it a go. Which actors would you like to play the lead members of Suede in a biopic? James Kumar, Manchester

This is the kind of thing we talk about on tour. Matt Osman is convinced I should be played by Peter Egan, who was in Ever Decreasing Circles. I think Nic Cage should play Matt. Arsène Wenger reminds me of Bernard. That’s what Bernard will look like when he’s 60. Billy Idol could play Simon Gilbert, couldn’t he? Would you ever consider working in musical theatre? Neil Tennant

It’s funny he should ask that, because only the other day, I was listening to the album Neil and Chris did with Liza Minnelli in the late ’80s. Results, I think it’s called, with “Losing My Mind”. That sounded great, so emotive, and real. I’m a big fan of the Pet Shop Boys, they’re one of those amazing bands that almost created their own genre. But anyway, musical theatre. Yeah, I think I would. Sondheim? Rodgers and Hart? Definitely. I’m always open to new ideas. Musical theatre sounds like it’s going to have camp undertones, but I’d love to do it in an interesting way. What’s the worst song you’ve ever written? Mark Catley, Christchurch, NZ

That’s a good question. I wrote lots of terrible songs that were never recorded in the early days. But there’s a song called “Duchess” – a B-side to something from the Head Music era [actually to 1997 single “Filmstar”] – which is pretty rubbish. I’ve often regretted the production on certain songs, like “Trash” and “Animal Nitrate”, even though they’ve been pretty good songs. But you can’t go messing around with things like that. You start to interfere with what people originally liked about it. I also think people like your mistakes, as they give your work humanity. I quite like that about Prince. He seems to throw stuff out – some of it genius, some unlistenable – but all quite honest. I respect that. Do you enjoy art? Excited about Gauguin at the Tate? Katarina Janoskova, London

Absolutely. I’m a big fan of Gauguin and the post-impressionists. My favourite visual artist, if I had to narrow it down to one, would be Manet, the pre-impressionist. Not Monet, who doesn’t do it for me. But Manet had this revolutionary technique of painting on black, which gives his pictures a real depth, there’s something very sumptuous about his paintings. And further back, the kind of medieval-style stuff like Holbein and Brueghel – they’re so well observed and so real. You look at these pictures of people who lived 500, 600 years ago, you can imagine them walking down Tottenham Court Road now, the same face, they’re so real. It’s a little window into the past. I’ve quite got into art recently. It’s all part of expanding yourself and your education, appreciation of beauty in life, innit? Now that you’re no longer coming to work in Bow, how are you coping without the salad pitta? Leo Abrahams, musician and producer

Ha ha! I’ve been working on an album with Leo, in his studio, and I have an unhealthy obsession with East London’s kebab shops. You don’t get many good kebab shops in west London. It reminds me of being a student. I’m surprised Leo’s got the time to email you questions! He’s far too busy producing Eno or Grace Jones or Florence & The Machine. He also does these bizarre things where he plays entirely improvised gigs, no rehearsals. And that inspired the latest solo LP I’ve done with him. It was based on improvs. Me, Leo, Seb Rochford on drums, and Leopold Ross on bass just jammed for days, cut up them up and improvised, and did overdubs. It’s a full-on rock record. I love Leo, he’s great. He never takes the easy option. He pushes you a bit, which can be terrifying. Can you give us not-so-slim-in-2010 Suede fans some health tips? Simon Quinton, Oxford

My wife is a naturopath – she’s conscious of what she eats, so we eat a lot of sushi and seeds. I’ve got into cycling recently, particularly living in London, through the parks and the backstreets. It makes you fall back in love with the city. I cycled to Bow the other day from my house in Notting Hill. So that’s staving off the fortysomething belly. I’m sure I’ll get it when I’m fiftysomething. I’m looking forward to that. What do you think of Gorillaz? Ruiz, São Paulo, Brazil

To be honest, I don’t know much about them. I like the drawings. I guess that’s a veiled question about my relationship with Damon? Well, we don’t have a relationship to talk about. We all have things that happened years ago, rivalries and so on, and people assume that they’re still on your radar and part of your life. It’s like some musical soap opera, often one that’s been fabricated, without much substance. I have different issues in my life now. Is the art of songwriting dead? If it isn’t, who is flying the torch? Paloma Faith

Oh, it’s not dead at all. I’m constantly inspired by new music. If you look on YouTube, there’s a clip of me singing Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful”. When you’re covering stuff it’s interesting to try things that are out of your genre, which gives it a frisson. So I always try songs that aren’t, you know, British indie, stuff like Blondie, or The Pretenders. That Christina Aguilera song is amazing. I try not to look at songs as the finished product, I look at it as the chords and the melody and the words, like sheet music to be interpreted. You’ve got to keep moving with your musical appreciation. I loved the last Horrors record, I liked The National, The Drums, These New Puritans, lots of stuff. I never listen to the records I grew up with. Why bother? It’s all in my head! Brett, you’re from Haywards Heath. What’s the deal with the swimming pool there? It’s deep in the middle, not at one end. What’s your take on that? And were you ever caught out by it? P Newman, Brighton

I don’t know what they’re referring to at all, but funnily enough my dad used to work there as a swimming pool attendant. And I don’t really know how he got the job because he couldn’t swim. It’s lucky there weren’t any accidents. Every Tuesday, we had to troop down to the local pool, and everybody would be pointing at my dad saying, “Oh look there’s your dad, he’s working as a pool attendant.” And I was hoping none of them would start drowning, ’cos my dad wouldn’t be much use. Still, this was the early ’80s, and I guess we all thought the world was going to end any second with a nuclear bomb. Ha ha.

[sunnysynthsunshine]

The Young Ones Lolipops and Gumdrops Chapter 4: Years on into the vaporwave moonlight

The Young Ones in the 2010s note:this chapter is littered with Internet references.

Rick was on a parade float holding a guitar filled with "angst" he had a military type outfit on and his pigtails were undone so his semi-long hair could be shown

"When I was a young child, my dad took me into the city, to see the marching band," "he said, Richard, you'll grow up would you be the poet saviour for the people, broken, beaten and the damned

Neil would play post-grunge songs with local bands for events like weddings, pub parties etc. , Mike was in a rockabilly revival subculture and Vyvyan was a fan of White Stripes and Gorillaz

But a new decade was just starting to show

Rick said,

"Vyvyan that's the wrong tape rewind it"'

Neil moaned as he worried about the camera

"Oh guys stop being so heavy it's just a polaroid"

Vyvyan then adjusted the camera correctly and handed it back to Neil who was wearing hipster attire with a star necklace around his neck and tarot cards in his other hand

.......SHUTTER...........rec:o beep 02:10:18

Rick rested on his bed posing in an "aesthetic" way decorated in an 80s anime styled sweater with his name written in Japanese characters, a pastel coloured cardigan and his plaits out like before wearing light orange shades singing the song lyric "I want blood, guts and chocolate cake"

Vyvyan ran over to his side placing a tray of crisps, ketchup and chocolate on the dressing table dipping the crisps in the ketchup eating them as he begun to fidget with a fake rainbow coloured butterfly knife before shoving Rick's face into the chocolate cake

"VYVYAN YOU RUINED MY AESTHETIC!"

Vyvyan screamed "I WAS BORED, IT'S NOT THAT HORRENDOUS TO OFFEND OSCAR WILDE IS IT"?

on a book cover, a ghost of Oscar Wilde is folding his hands sarcastically "no I suppose not peasant"

later that night Vyvyan was sitting in front of his laptop recording with a torch, microphone and horror figurines around his room "Hey mates it's Vyvyan's spooky storytime of True Crime" "so there was this girl in Liverpool and she knew some boys of the neighbourhood who would frequently mock and harass her so...she stabbed them and hid their corpses in the local pond"

"BE QUIET IM TRYING TO LISTEN TO JAPANESE 80S MUSIC WOULD YOU STOP BEING A HYBRISTOPHILLIAC!" Rick shouted from next door

Vyvyan shouted back, "CULTURAL APPROPRIATOR"

Rick overdramatically gasped "How dare you I am no weeaboo unlike you"

the next day they were at Mcdonalds when Neil noticed something about their meal

" I don't think we should eat this, it's not vegan you don't get it I'm literally eating death"

Vyvyan shrugged

"It's no different than the rest of the manufactured garbage you get in these places"

Mike nodded and Rick smirked, "Yeah Neil, if you hate the place so much eat somewhere else"

Neil moaned "but I don't go anywhere else without you"

they all groaned while Neil kept complaining

"You see all your doing is killing and torturing these animals"

Vyvyan rolled his eyes "Yeah animals that eat their offspring"

Neil wouldn't shut up so Rick stabbed him with a fork

when he noticed Mike was telling a waiter about what happened he hid in the bathroom "I can't believe it I killed Neil, it was all over one silly argument how could I?"

Vyvyan opened the door "you, miserable sod you can come back out now Neil's still alive nothing serious"

Rick breathed a sigh of relief "Thank goodness"

a few days later Mike wanted Vyvyan to stick his head out the window again.....for the vine

"ok Vyv just do what you did before on university challenge," Mike said as he manoeuvred his phone

"Do not stick your head out the window, mmm I wonder why" Vyvyan then slammed his head against the window as the video was done being recorded

Mike smirked to himself "this will get me lots of hits" Vyvyan had a few cuts on his face, he wasn't happy "You bastard my face is gonna need stitches now because of this!"

Mike ignored him only for Vyvyan to say "It's not stopping me from wanting to kick your face in" as he chased Mike and had a slapstick fight with him

while they were in the middle of that Billy Balowski was nearby rapping badly "Hey it's Lil Balowski and this is what I'm doing today I'm kneeing this two for not giving their pay"

It was night-time and Vyvyan and Rick were watching the sunset Rick said, feeling nostalgic "remember the good old days when we would attack each other with cricket bats and call out thatcher in our satirical performances"

Vyvyan finished his cigarette and said "Yeah, those were wild times of complete madness the chasing like tom and jerry and constant mentions of bottom"

Rick laughed it off "I recall you wanted to kiss my bottom" Vyvyan smirked "I did not, you wanted to kiss my bottom, anyways we were young ones then and we aren't young anymore"

Rick looked out into the now present moonlight "technically we will always be young ones, the floating timeline keeps us this way, it's like hell but it's our personal hell an anarchic fun open hell, not a fascist one"

Vyvyan nodded "hey, what was your life before this like anyway?" Rick inhaled and said "Well it certainly wasn't all lollipops and gumdrops" "I had some elements of self-expression and I did love some parts of my life but other parts are overshadowed by trauma, loneliness, being told to believe on the right wing side of things. Where nothing but political lies were fed to you with Teresa and Trump the world seems to be repeating itself, but I never got a chance to fully spread my wings until meeting you. I was usually a quite timid, shy bloke, heh I do like the others but it was you who I felt the most connected to...you had an energy that I wanted but now I know I already had it now I have someone beautiful to share it with."

Vyvyan was surprised that all of that was hidden in those whining tantrums Rick had back in the 1980s but he felt like his eyes had been opened he felt the same way, he held Rick's hand and smiled at him "I think so too, you, annoyingly revolting, amazing sod"

Rick blushed under his glasses

Vyvyan mumbled, "P-Peoples Poet"

Rick then kissed Vyvyan he kissed back as they cuddled throughout the night

no cricket bats, no punches, no fighting

just love sickeningly revolting but wonderful...love

......Love is the answer ~ Rik Mayall (1958-2014)

[greywindys]

Gorillaz | 2017 in Review

Ayyy happy new year!!! Relative to the entire year of waiting that was 2016, 2017 was a pretty packed year for Gorillaz and consequently, for me as a fan. To sum it up in three words- They came back! (Finally, someone let them out of their cage?) And there was a surplus of content- good, quality content. But there were also some letdowns. Which release falls into which category depends on who you ask. Like, pretty much every move Gorillaz made this year was met with both applause on one side and boos on the other. If I had to pick a word of the year for them, it would be “polarizing.” However, polarizing isn’t always bad, and there were many well thought out conversations, theories and fan content that resulted. Add in some scandal and disorganization and you’ve got a pretty wild twelve months. Under the cut I list some notable and memorable momentz.mp3 of the year, mostly for my own records but anyone is welcome to read.

Hallelujah Money (1/19/17)

Gorillaz started their year off with what was probably the most polarizing move of the year. Some backstory: January 2017 we still had no idea when the album was coming out. Actually, we didn’t even know IF the album was coming out like, we basically didn’t know wtf Gorillaz was doing. Then, on the day before the US inauguration they drop the video for Hallelujah Money, a video punctuated with Orwellian imagery for a song that sounded like a funeral march. Benjamin Clementine took a prominent role while 2D took a backseat (a trend that would persist throughout the singles) and, after the initial excitement, fans began to complain. “What happened to the fast paced music Damon promised?,” “Where is 2D? This doesn’t feel like Gorillaz?,” “Why do they need to make their music so political?” This only drove other fans to passionately defend the song. There is still no consensus on this song/video other than the agreement that “it makes more sense in the context of the album.” My personal take is that whatever point this video was trying to make is obscured by their backtracking in the form of bleeping out any mention of Trump’s name on the album. Go big or go home. And at this point in the year I think we can say it- Trump fucking sucks, okay? Trump sucks.

Dylan leaks the album (Mid-March 2017)

This is like, probably my favorite story. By the time March was upon us, we knew the album was coming soon but we still didn’t know when. The album was like a cryptid, rumored but never found. And then Dylan happened. Now to clarify, he didn’t leak the entire album and he didn’t do it on purpose but he did leak more than we were ready for. After the tracklist leaked, fans began googling the songs on video sites like youtube and dailymotion. When one fan google’d “Saturnz Barz” on vimeo, they were met with a mysterious password protected video. A couple tries later (the password was “2017″), they had access to “Saturnz Barz” one month before the album came out. And they found more- “Charger,” “Busted and Blue” to name a few. All of which were uploaded by Dylan Byrne, a lighting  technician connected to Gorillaz who apparently didn’t know his private videos could still be found on search engines such as google. The fandom collectively lost its mind, some with excitement over the new music, others with indignation at fans who dare “disrespect Damon and Jamie” and that those listening to the leaks were going to be responsible for Humanz flopping. It was wild. Oh yeah, and I downloaded the leakz and Humanz didn’t flop. 

Giant content drop of 2017 (3/23/17)

I use this particular picture of 2D here because I that we, on some level, were all 2D by the end of that fourth week in March. I’m using the “Saturnz Barz” video release date because that’s when it all began. I distinctly remember waking up on that day expecting to listen to a Damon Albarn interview and some new tracks on a UK radio show but by the end of the day we not only had new music (4 tracks, specifically) and the interview but we were also blessed with the perfect “Saturnz Barz” video which featured the band in the starring roles, gave us “the bath” meme (though that’s more of a curse now) AND an upcoming announcement of a “secret show” set to take place the very next day where the live band would play the entire new album. I think this was also the period where we finally learned the album’s name and release date. It was so much. Too much, but a good too much. Everyone felt alive. Phase 4 had officially begun.

Mocaps (April 2017- present)

Gorillaz debuted many new ways to depict the band this year but by far the most hilariously amazing method was through motion capture, abbreviated “mocap.” 2017 was in many ways the year of the mocap, specifically, 2D and Murdoc mocaps. Mocap Murdoc and mocap 2D graced us with the weather, Deezer ads, app videos, multi-lingual announcements, and even walked us around the Demon Dayz tour. My personal favorite moment was 2D telling Murdoc he fed a stray cat a kinder egg. I also want to give a special shoutout to Murdoc’s wonky eye. There was a time when we were all trying to find meaning in it. Was it an artistic choice? Had Murdoc gone blind in one eye? Was he possessed? The truth is none of the above. It was just, in the true spirit of what the mocaps models came to represent, wonky. I don’t think we all truly gave the mocaps the credit they deserved. In my eyes they are on the same level as the puppets AT LEAST. And I maintain that their potential has yet to be truly realized- Mocap carpool karaoke? Mocap SNL skit? The possibilities are endless.

Murdoc and 2D answer fan questions....live (4/20/17)

This also falls under the umbrella of the previous moment but I think it deserves its own mention because this was like, peak mocap utilization. Fans were allowed to submit questions that would them be answered by Murdoc and 2D live while we all watched. Their VA’s not only improvised these answers but also finally got the change to live out their personal headcanons. This interview was the first time we ever saw wiggly Murdoc. Much essential information was learned in this half hour event- 2D knows how to make theremin noises! Murdoc said “meme” and “twerk”! 2D sold the geep! Cyborg Noodle has taken to cycling! A lot of you seem to think I’ve been critical this phase which, while totally true, it also makes me think you possibly weren’t aware of this blog at this time because I love this interview and died when it was first released. And then I continued to love each and every subsequent awkward interview they had with actual human interviewers. The first quarter of the year was great (for me).

Reddit AMAs with the entire band, Noodle, 2D (2017)

I wasn’t an active fan during previous phases but my impression is that they didn’t have as many q&a’s with the band as this phase. The characters were very accessible this phase and, as I’ve mentioned above, at first this was great! But nothing good it forever. The Reddit AMAs, while highly entertaining, soon came to contradict past events and even past answers to earlier interviews. For example, we learned during the band’s AMA that Cyborg Noodle was NOT actually cycling somewhere in England but decapitated and being used as a pot in Noodle’s room. What was the truth? Later on, 2D had his own AMA which was cute but yielded significant nit-picking and criticism from fans including myself. For me,personally, the 2D AMA was the turning point. I didn’t mourn the loss of Cass Browne with other fans until that AMA. The difference in writing was and is glaring. For that reason, I didn’t pay much attention to the Noodle AMA but from what I saw, similar debate over her characterization (or lack thereof) took place. Tbh, I can’t picture a Noodle that types out “YAASS GURL!!1″ (or w/e it was) unironically but...I’m happy it brought joy to some fans. That all being said, regardless of writing quality the AMAs did a great job of engaging the fandom and initiating some interesting conversations.

Fans miss 2D so much that he gets his own impromptu video (6/8/17)

By far the most frequent concern over Humanz was the “lack of 2D.” It was on Tumblr, Reddit, Twitter, pretty much all social media. Despite this, no one ever expected Damon and Co. do acknowledge this let alone actually respond to it. Then, out of nowhere, 2D makes an announcement on the Gorillaz app and there it is- “Sleeping Powder” an exclusively 2D music video by 2D, starring 2D and some dorky dance moves. It was 2D’s “Dare.” The song was cute and even had its place on the tour set list. And that’s the power of 2D. And everyone was happy until people started joking that “Sleeping Powder” was written in a day and was still better than all of Humanz, and others chastising everyone for “making Damon feel bad enough to write a new song.”

Strobelite (8/6/17)

I’m not going to get into “Strobelite” too much. If you were there, you know what happened and what it led to (a certain liked Youtube comment and the later, Noodle’s answer during her AMA). “Strobelite” was also hyped up as a the band’s first official mocap video (despite “Sleeping Powder’s” release a month earlier) but unfortunately, was underwhelming to a significant portion of the fandom. Reasons included but were not limited to: no Russel mocap, very little plot, very little Murdoc, rumored cut scenes that DID involve Russel, and, yes, controversial shipping fuel. I don’t think “Strobelite” charted nor do I remember it being involved in any promo. I actually don’t know what happened to “Strobelite” outside of the, um, for lack of a better word,the discussion it spawned. There were also many theories about what Murdoc was doing at the bar. To this day, we still have no answers. What’s the plot for phase four again?

Gorillaz in Media (2017)

This isn’t exactly a singular moment but I want to highlight it anyways because the length to which they went to make this phase an immersive experience deserves a lot of credit. Not one but two apps were developed, one of which gave fans access to the band’s home and hosted events such as live listening parties so that fans could potentially meet. The other provided new content, art and access to secret concert locations. BUT THEY DIDN’T STOP THERE. With one of their sponsors they were able to construct actual, real “Spirit House” models for fans to walk through. Additionally, the band is accessible through their own music mixes on Spotify, Noodle has an instagram, G Magazine etc. I’m going to fit in the amount of sponsors they had under this category as well because, as annoying as they were to some, it did give us some cool new animation and ads (”We Got the Power” comes to mind, along with the Lenz ad). They put in work, they really did (though the topic of social media  #justice4MurdocTube).

The Super Deluxe is never released...until it is (September 2017-November 2017)

I forget when the original release date was but what I do know it that it didn’t happen. Phase four slowed down in the latter half of the year, and I think this made everyone hyper-aware of what content was yet to come and that content was the Super Deluxe with *bonus tracks*. But then it never came. It was delayed until October, then October came and it STILL wasn’t there. Finally,in November, orders began arriving and songs were ripped and uploaded. Reactions ranged from elated to disappointed to simply confounded that the the entire thing cost around $400. You could say that it was very polarizing.

Honorable mentions

Humanz being released (I know, why isn’t this on the list? I decided against it because it leaked a week early  so by the time it WAS released mostly everyone had already heard it), Demon Dayz fest streamed live, “Garage Palace” surprise video drop, G Magazine, G-Foot pop up shop steal fanart, Fans strike the fear of god into the Gorillaz team for forgetting Russel’s birthday, Humanz revealed as the fourth album title, Gorillaz announce a TV show, probably more that I’m forgetting.

Anyhow, what a year. I like to stay vague about my personal life here but to keep it simple, despite everything happening the world, on a personal level, it was a good year. I did a lot of growing, got some really great feedback at my field placement, tapped into some new hobbies and recently adopted two cats, brother and sister, whose names I’m still deciding lmao (leaning towards Oberyn and Elia). So yeah...here’s to that. I hope 2018 treats us all well <3.

[noisewhore]

GORILLAZ ARE BACK, FUCK YOU

Fucking finally, it’s been six long years since their last release. Humanz, will be released on the 28th of April. With new art, a new story, and obviously new songs, us fans are very excited with Gorillaz long awaited comeback. They released 4 new songs yesterday, with a song featuring Vince Staples and other various artists. All new songs are great, and reminds us of Gorillaz habit of mixing various sounds and collaborating with various artists, creating a unique style for every song. But, I won’t be talking about their new stuff in this article.

This is not a review, just opinions and stuff.

 If you consider yourself an avid listener of Gorillaz you would notice that this band of fictional misfits does not have any specific genre to their sound. From their first full length album they have had a mixture of different sounds, even from one song to another there really isn’t one specific sound that you can pin point to. Yes, maybe most of the songs by Gorillaz are heavily influenced by Hip Hop, but that’s only a portion of it. There’s electronic music, punk, disco, whatever else you can name, you can find it in Gorillaz music. It’s this experimental attitude Damon Albarn has impelemnted in Gorillaz music that makes it such a unique experience to listen to. Collaborations with numerous artist that play different types of music adds more to Gorillaz sound. There really isn’t any limits to their music.

 It doesn’t have to be observed from one song to another, take Empire Ants for example. The first half of the song is only Damon, or 2D, singing over a slow beat accompanied by soft keyboards. But, as soon as the song reaches the middle part the whole vibe and overall sound evolves and changes into an upbeat electronic song with Little Dragon’s vocals. The difference of sound in this one song is amazing, and a great example on how Gorillaz experiments a lot in writing music. This is what makes them such a great band, they define their own sound by incorporating tons of other different sounds and “genres”. Gorillaz blur the lines between genres. There isn’t really any thing called “Gorillaz style” because they do whatever the fuck they want; every song they release will be a new addition to their “style”. Listening to Gorillaz is exciting because listeners get a whole bunch of different styles to enjoy. So fuck you for complaining, honestly fuck you.

 Fuck you for complaining on their new art, how its not polished and its not like their old art, well that’s not the point you fuck. If you are a fan, a new full length record means a new phase, which means new story lines and overall look for the band. And especially those people who keep commenting on their new songs saying, “I don’t really like it, it’s not like their old stuff”, “it doesn’t really sound like Gorillaz style”. If you don’t like the song because of your personal preference then I completely understand but if you’re disappointed on their new stuff because it isn’t quite like their old songs, well then fuck off. Sorry the new songs aren’t Feel Good Inc. enough for you. A Gorillaz fan should be an open minded individual, open to new things especially knowing the different sounds Gorillaz have from album to album, song to song, minute to minute. Don’t ever expect any band to always release new music for it to be like their old stuff, because it doesn’t work that way. Bands, musicians change and evolve, they experiment and find new things, new sounds, especially if that band is Gorillaz.

 So, yeah this article is basically a rant. I’m sorry. I got triggered by people commenting on their new shit and I just wanted to share my opinion. Maybe I’m just pissed because not everyone is liking Gorillaz new music, when they fucking should. Anyways, go listen to their new stuff because it’s golden and if you don’t think it is well go and listen to Feel Good Inc. and Clint Eastwood until your ears bleed for all I care. Fuck you.

 #HUMANZ

[tedisdillon1299-blog]

Day 25 Wisdom

I woke up feeling rested today, and a dollar for some caffeine that I made from cleaning shoes the day before. I ate my breakfast and prepared for my first day.

I left early so I could sit inside out of the sun. Jimmy John's is expensive, but people say their thicker than subway. I don’t know about that but a slim ass sandwich for 4 dollars doesn’t seem all that worth it to me, however the 16 inch sandwich? That’s priced good.

When I got clocked in they trained me on the register and for the most part it I got it down. It’s what they advertised on the Indeed site, but they start everyone there. I was informed that I’ll be on the sandwiches at some point if I want the hours. Not what I wanted, I’m not very coordinated and I’m clumsy. I listened to the conversations there and there seems to be an element of politics, on a large scale, and there are a lot of people there. I kept getting goofy looks from these kids, I am one myself but these are kids fresh out of highschool.

I was working register next to this lady who I’m sort of attracted, and reading her body language I could, glancing at me, making eye contact and then looking down and subtly scratching her arm. She looked as if either I was making her incredibly uncomfortable, or that she wanted to say something to me but was too shy. I’d go with shy. She’s a small girl who had only worked there a week. I’d like to spend my day with a female, I’m tired of talking to sausages.

I’m fairly shy as well, but as I get older it’s been easier to get over the fear of rejection. All these people who I’ve known for no more than a week or two and then never  seeing them again has made conversation easier for me, as well as getting through the introductions. It was good practice, but she definitely understood that I showed interest, because the next day as soon as I say ‘Hello’ she responds ‘Hey so my BOYFRIEND and I…’ damn.

Most of the other stuff was simple enough. My manager had a few odd jobs for me here and there, nothing too hard.

When I got back to the shelter I sat down and was greeted by my another dude. He does friendly things, he’ll offer me a smoke, or something, but he has this, jackass way of talking about him. I’m not sure if it’s a front, or not. I do know that I need to stick to my instincts and just not really screw around with anybody. Think he was tryna sell me something but I won’t get into detail about that..  *it's not important*

Gonna skip to dinner time. I sat next to this old wise type black guy, very spiritual man he is. He was a very calm guy, a peaceful man. We talked some about the Civil War, and religion, and weed. Pretty cool old guy.

I told him that weed, makes me more self-aware and sensitive to others around me. It’s an eye opener, for me. He said using weed brings us closer to God. I told him about the time I accepted Jesus BACK into my heart legititmately. He asked me if I ever felt the holy ghost. I told him after I accepted God, I had become possessed by the holy ghost. None of the crazy stuff, but I was lost on the road one day, after being around some bad people, and with really highly active anxiety and schizophrenia. The fact that it practically vanished nearly as soon as I accepted God back into my life was a miracle. I was not in shape to drive, but when I accepted God it was as if something took over me and led me back home, I drove perfectly. The way there, and the next two days, everything was beautiful and graceful. The yellow lines on the road were golden, and everything was bright.  I remember talking to myself out loud, the things I said had never come out of my mouth before, things that pertained to myself. I was preaching to myself all while driving. I was lost getting home but a voice in my head said, “Just follow the yellow brick road.” Essentially, *keep going the way you are going.*

I felt 100 for the first time. Ever since then though I’ve never experienced it again. I need a solitary place, a place where I can meditate, and be comfortable again. That feeling I had came as soon as I accepted that my war with God was over and I had lost. Also I think my brain may lack dopamine as well… I really need to have my head checked out.

That night was like receiving relief from fear for the first time.

The old guy teared up when I talked about this. He said it took him back.

Anyway. Telling him these things, he smiled. He asked me if I would continue to smoke. I said, “I can’t handle the medication around people. It just makes my anxiety worse. I can’t meditate. I can’t take advantage of what it offers. I feed off people, third eye type stuff.”

This man spoke slow, and corrected himself a lot, so he’s hard to quote, but essentially he said, “That takes practice. You aren’t utilizing it to its fullest… you will get there. You know why you can’t be comfortable? This world is crazy you know.. and while that stuff helps us to be more insightful and sharper, it also makes us sensitive, and the negative atmosphere around us would try and take advantage of you with that state of mind. I was just like you. I smoke for nothing more than the spiritual guidance and insight, but I could not be around people for the longest on a smoke. Some people say that is insanity, but let me explain something to you… this place, this world, but especially this place, is full of insanity. *Insanity fits in with insanity, if you don’t fit in, you aren’t insane.* These crazy people who know nothing about true build up of one’s self, but only how to manipulate. That’s them. You feel it don’t you? People were supposed to be spiritual, you know something isn’t right about people in this world… *tears* … remember what I tell you.”

“This place is definitely insane, but it’s become a norm.”

“Yeah, just remember that you are here because of God, and this is a transitional phase for you just like it is for me. After your through with this, leave here a wiser person.”

And it has. Insanity to me is violence, murder, and looking down on the peace lovers of this world. It’s everywhere I go. These same people claim to be religious, but take the first chance they get to hurt a sheep, or even convert it to a monster. How good you are at being a violent rebel determines how much respect you deserve these days. The attitude of domination to me is insanity, and I don’t like it. Never will. People see that about me. How I turn my head or suddenly lose interest when a dude is flexing to dominate another. Stupid. It was clear that I wasn’t alone. All I’ve really known was insanity, except for my grandparent’s, but even that attitude can still be applied without the violence. People judging others makes me sick. My family enjoys that. Other than that, growing up in poorer places and dumb schools, and a popularity contest ran by bullies, all you saw was drama and insanity. Homelife, all of it. I grew up around a man who didn’t like me because I’m good hearted. He called it weakness.

Now I think I know the reason a part of me wanted to ride that train to Canada.

“You a pussy bro.”

Whatever man. Watch you grow old. Watch you crumble. Watch you just survive. Me? I’mma thrive.

Later on, that dude who I was talking about in the last post asked me if I would clean his shoes. I’d be making money cleaning shoes for folks, usually for two dollars. For fifteen minutes, it’s not that bad. That’s just unproductive time anyway. It’s also making me popular, but I know what that brings. I’ll just have to remember to stay me.

Well this guy gives me his shoes, and I already know how his attitude toward everything is, pessimistic and confrontational. I grabbed my old toothbrush, shampoo and got to work, and listened to the Gorillaz. It’s a good satisfying twenty minutes. When I got done I took him his shoes, he said he’d have my money tomorrow, and would throw in an extra buck. Okay.

Well later that night this dude comes up to me, asking me *if I even cleaned them.*

Oh hell no.

“People saw me scrubing the shit out of your shoes. How can you NOT SEE that those shoes look hella better than they were before?”

“You didn’t even get my shoes strings bro! You said you were gonna clean my shoes.”

I guess it’d be a fair point, IF the agreed payment was higher, and those shoe strings weren’t even dirty to begin with.

He keeps going on and about me running a business, and he’s my customer complaining. And all this BS. I scrub shoes good. Not a spect of dirt on his shoes. I told him that those shoes looked brand spanking new! They weren’t too bad to begin with, but SHIT, he’s over here again exclaiming so everyone there hear him say that MY JOB WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

He said he’d cleaned shoes for years like I was doing, and said, that if I cleaned them

the inside of the shoe would be wet.

I told him my method of cleaning and why i cleaned them like I do. Because he said that I don’t buy the fact the he’d been doing it for years.

Shampoo. Use shampoo on toothbrush. Scrub. Wipe with rag. Need a rinse? Wet toothbrush and wipe with rag. *That’s why yo shoes ain’t soaked.*

He’s also screwing with my hustle.

Second time he’s done some shit like that.

I told him what he was doing was fucking up my pocket change.

“How?” How? Okay time to give him some perspective.

I thought I smelt beer on him.

“HEY DUDE YOU SMELL LIKE BEER BRUH!” No I didn’t really shout, but I said loud enough for one or two people to hear.

“No I haven’t I swear… oh wait, okay now I see what you’re saying.”

Yeah. I told him that I was sorry he didn’t like the job, but everyone else has come to me later and told me how satisfied they were with the finished product, and word gets around so I’ve steadily gotten more and more ‘customers’.

I take pride. He said he’d still pay me tomorrow… so. Yeah.

Crazy dude and the whole shelter knows it. I let him get under my skin.

I had someone else after him and he said I’d done a really good job and paid me. Hell yeah. I like the compliment.

When bedtime rolled around, that dude wanted his charger back. I thought he gave it to me but whatever. I showered, shaved, and really took care of myself before bed. Grooming. I was relaxed, and continued to meditate on what the old guy had told me. I have a dream of making a dream come true, I just don’t really have a dream yet, I just know I need to keep doing what I’m doing to make it happen.

Yeah. Time for sleep.