#from what i remember none of the features on that album were good

[pliablehead]

Heyo, what do you consider the top 5 must-watch EE interviews???

I AM SORRY I TOOK SO LONG TO ANSWER THIS and I think it's because I really don't have a proper answer!! So much of my deep dive into EE was done in one long hyperfixation spiral back when I was first getting fangirl-level into them, a good 6 or 7 years ago, and so I'm running into the problem of most of the interview content I've consumed all sort of homogenizing into one sort of blur of Lore that I've internalized and I am not doing a great job at separating out into its individual components! So, that said, the following list is probably not in line with what I'd actually ultimately believe to be the best, most crucial ones--it's just the ones my brain can call to mind at the moment. lol. BUT HERE ARE SOME:

serious/insightful: • Jon and Alex for Tape Notes podcast. (so not a must-watch so much as a much-listen, but there are a few individual clips from this on youtube in video form as well I believe.) RDF is my favorite EE album and I thought this was a hugely interesting look into their writing process and also had a bunch of cool personal stuff in it! Plus, I think it's a very good look at who the band are, like, "now" -- there's a lot of great content around from MA up through GTH, but by the time they were on album 4 and all like, 30+, and especially once covid hit and sort of changed the trajectory of like.. bands, in general, I feel like it's just been a different animal re: regular interviews etc. • this 2013 3-parter with Jonathan. It's been ages since I watched it but I remembered it almost immediately, and for some reason I'm remembering it as an oddly vulnerable Jon moment. just talking about things. (more good band lore! etc.)

funny/meme-y: • Mike and Jez at Isle of Wight. Unlike many others, I could not possibly count how many times I have rewatched this, and it is funny every time. The interviewer is a buffoon asking totally clueless questions and Jez is having absolutely none of it, he's just chomping his chewing gum the entire time, Mike's doing his best, it destroys me. • Mike and Jez look at memes. Less interview-y and more just #content but whoever edited this video did a TOP NOTCH JOB and it's one I often show to not-in-this-fanbase friends that can still be a fun look at the band and a good laff. • This very sweet one with Alex and Mike being interviewed by a literal child. Contains the infamous "Jeremy, and yes," which is one of my most quoted EE-related sentences ever • this Man Alive track-by-track, also audio only.. the BITS that Jon and Alex are doing. truly incredible stuff

just lads having a nice time :) : • the CAPSLOCK ON talkback - lots of pleasant band and lyric insight, and a great Jez cheese moment at the end • this livestream dot com session is some performing but some Q&Aing, so not really an interview proper, but the energy in the room is delightful alskdghj

other noteworthy bodies of work: • anything with Andy Backhouse. I'll be the first to admit that Andy can grate my nerves sometimes, he often feels annoyingly a little too simp-y or something, but the other side of that coin is that as a huge fan of the band he actually does always ask them questions that are like, Real, he Gets them, so it's guaranteed to be a notch up from just random music journos who are engaging with them on a more surface industry level. Nothing is more frustrating than watching an EE interview where the interviewer just so blatantly doesn't "get" EE's whole deal and doesn't know how to interface. Andy never has that problem ! • any episode of Chips of Chorlton that features them (I think Jon's been on twice and Jeremy once). Dutch Uncles are their friends and hearing them all shoot the shit in an extremely comfortable environment is suuuuch a pleasant and wholly different experience than when the lads are being Professional Music Band guys, even when the latter still consists of them doing fairly goofy things

A VERY LONGWINDED AND NOT ESPECIALLY COMPREHENSIVE ANSWER ?? !!!!! Ultimately I think I was the wrong man for the job. @hellkitepriest has way more of an archivist's nature sort of just intrinsically than I do, he can probably do a better and less ridiculous job akjdshglak

[februaryflowers]

photographs when we were young

order up: a coconut bubble tea with pudding for wonwoo and anon!

established relationship exes to lovers fluff

check out the (now closed) carat writers club summer fair event!

warnings: none

fluff, 576 words, wonwoo x reader

The apartment is quiet, save for Wonwoo’s speaker playing a gentle playlist to fill your ears as you go about packing. He’s taken it upon himself to put away all the belongings in your bedroom while you load all your dishes and cookware into cardboard boxes. Even if it’s not at full volume, you can still hear the soft tunes given the small size of your place. 

It was about time you two moved in together anyway. The quaint townhouse on the other side of town is the perfect size for you to grow your lives together compared to this cramped one bedroom apartment. 

As the song changes, you grab another stack of plates from the shelf, placing them carefully in the box of bubble wrap and packing peanuts. Reaching for another, you pause when you hear Wonwoo’s gasp.

“Y/n, come here!” he calls.

“Coming!”

After you place the dishes together with their brethren, you make your way to the bedroom. Most of your things are packed neatly into the cardboard boxes littering the floor, some taped shut and some still open and halfway filled with your decorations and personal belongings. But Wonwoo sits on the bed, a book in his hands.

“What’s that?” you ask, coming over to sit next to him.

“Photo album,” he replies, his gaze still on the faded pictures from years ago. His lips quirk as he turns the page. “I didn’t know you kept these.”

Letting your eyes wander to the book, you chuckle softly. “We look so young.”

With the images in front of you, you remember those days well. You and Wonwoo were wide eyed college students when you started dating. And maybe (definitely) you were too naive and immature, as the honeymoon phase quickly wore off and you quickly decided you were better off as friends before drifting to your separate friend groups.

“You’re still just as beautiful,” he murmurs. “Actually, even more so.”

You sling an arm around his shoulder, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I think you’re the most beautiful though.”

A shy grin comes over his face, his cheeks turning a warmish pink that matches the sunset outside. After a moment of quiet, his gaze returns back down to the pictures on his lap.

“Do you regret dating then?” he murmurs, his fingers glossing over your bright, teenage smile. 

You pause, meeting eyes with the adolescent Wonwoo below. His face is sharper now, and you know he’s more mature, a little wiser. “No,” you decide. “We had a good time overall, right? And we’re together now; no harm done.” Glancing to your boyfriend, you cock your head. “Do you?”

“No,” he replies quickly, shaking his head. “I think knowing you like that then, I think that helped me learn about you. I think it taught me how to love you better now.” 

He flips the page, finding some slightly more recent pictures, around the time you met again at work a couple years ago. Smiling, he brushes the cheek of your past self with his thumb. 

“Y’know, you still flick your pen when you’re thinking.”

“You-you remember that?” You turn to face him, his eyes now on you with his warm, steady gaze.

“‘Course…” He glances back down to his lap before finding your features once more. “I think it was good for us to grow, discover more about ourselves…and I know better now. There’s no way I’m letting you go again.”

[iamnotawomanimagod]

Do you like any Britney songs and albums? any videos you remember fondly?

Oh for sure!! I wouldn't consider myself a diehard Britney stan, but I grew up in the aughties and she was the QUEEN of pop music, as we all know.

I mainly followed her as a kid - then I became a moody teenager and decided pop music wasn't cool. What a fool I was! But I listened to ...Baby One More Time on a loop when it first came out, and loooved all the associated music videos. I think "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" was my favorite video from that first record. I seem to remember Britney's videos being "on demand" on my cable box (the 90s were quaint) and I know I watched all the videos from this era multiple times.

Oops...I Did It Again had "Stronger" which I especially loved because I had on this little karaoke toy microphone that I could connect to my TV. I sang it SO much. Good times.

I skipped over Britney, but became obsessed with "Toxic" from In the Zone, like everyone else did. I still think "Toxic" is her most iconic song AND video, it was truly her peak pop princess moment.

And I still love "Everytime," it features on my sad playlists a lot. I think it was our first big hint that not all was well with Britney (especially the music video,) so it's bittersweet, but it's such a lovely song.

I bounced off Britney for awhile after that. Obviously I love most of her singles, "If U Seek Amy" is a classic, along with "Hold it Against Me" and "Till The World Ends." (Kesha actually wrote that one!)

But I think one song from her more "recent" (relatively speaking) work that I really love is "Perfume." It has fun, beachy vibes and her voice sounds really amazing. I'll always be sad we didn't get more of Britney in her lower tones, her more natural voice is so gorgeous.

She's just the icon of icons. None of the pop girlies we know and love today would have anything without Britney. She's the blueprint. I'm very excited that Halsey is honoring that and sampling the chorus for "Lucky" in her own song of the same name!!

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 26/10/2023

The SiIvaGunner Halloween Special

Season 1 Featured on: GilvaSunner's Highest Quality Video Game Rips: Volume 3 & Knigra Also on: The SilvaGunner Spooktacular Halloween Horror Special: Volume 8​-​Bit Beast

Ripped by MtH

Part of Spooktacular Week!

It's really funny how, due to Season 1 ending just nine months into the year, its the only Season that never actually got to have a halloween event! I mean, where Halloween and Christmas of 2016 actually falls is still sort of up for debate - the term "Season 2" in relation to SiIvaGunner wasn't coined until after the monochrome pause in the beginning of 2017, and so the holidays of the prior year were just kind of retroactively called the beginning of Season 2. So Season 2 got two halloweens, and Season 1 got none. But if nothing else we got a prelude to the Halloween times, with Season 1's The SiIvaGunner Halloween Special released earlier in the year.

Mystic Mansion is such a perfect Halloween theme, so on-the-nose spooky in all the most fun ways, a great demonstration of just how many vibes Sonic Heroes has throughout its stages and accompanying music. The rip itself is, especially for Season 1, a really well done melody swap medley of some of Season 1's big hitters, notably Grand Dad and of course Snow Halation - what I remember sticking out to me as special even as the rip dropped was just how seamless it all felt despite playing on a song performed with mostly live instruments. Though the melody is lead with a synthesized instrument, the backing and much of what carries the song is Jun Senoue's work on electric guitar, and back when this was one of the rips that truly taught me how much the SiIva team was capable of.

Its sort of small potatoes now, but it really feels like an escalation in power with each step in the rip. It starts out with just replacing the opening doorbell chime with doorbells playing The Flintstones - easy enough! - before also changing the core synth melody to the same tune. Again, a lot more feasible given the instrument's synthesized nature, still really trippy just how well it slots in with the rest of the song. Then the guitar riff hits and its - its playing a COMPLETELY different riff, yet the rest of the song continues undisturbed! Again, it's to be expected from SiIva nowadays, yet I remember finding this to be really impressive back in the day.

Althesame, the rip still has a really good pace to it by today's standards - nothing's out of key or out of tune, and there's a really fun twist played at the very end of it that always catches me off guard when I get to it in my playlist. It was the first time SiIva hinted at more to come during the spooky season, and it was a really neat surprise seeing it show up on Season 2's halloween-themed album. The rip would later directly influence a sort of sequel - Double D's Grand (Epic) Doorbell - which amassed twice the amount of views and drew tons of eyes just for its creative use of visuals at the start. I love the two rips dearly, and they show just how much rippers like MtH improved over just a few months time, yet the first has some true nostalgic value to me that I can't seperate myself from. Check both of them out - they're two peas in a pod.

[fuckyeahvanhalen86-95]

In 2009, former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony reunited for a brand new band, Chickenfoot, also featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and guitarist Joe Satriani. As the band explained to Classic Rock that year, they were ready to bring back the party vibes with their self-titled debut album.

“I’m jazzed to be playing with these guys. I’ve recorded an album with Andy Johns, who’s produced my favourite ever bands. I’m playing with guitar god Joe Satriani and Hall Of Famers Mike Anthony and Sammy Hagar. And I’m just a schmo from Detroit who makes a racket.”

The ‘schmo’ in question is none other than Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith who makes up one quarter (or should that be a drumstick?) of Chickenfoot, the supergroup du jour who are already creating a lot of excitement with the announcement of an album in April and a European tour this summer.

With so much promise and such a stellar cast, do they actually live up to the hype? The name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue with ease or conjure up visions of a union between some of rock’s mightiest behemoths.

“Chickenfoot was just supposed to be a bullshit name that we used for a while,” reveals former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony. “And then rumours spread about the band and we thought, fuck it. Let’s just call it Chickenfoot. It all comes down to the music anyway.”

“That’s right,” concurs Will Ferrell lookalike Smith. “And let’s get one thing straight: we’re not a supergroup.We like hanging out together, and the music is a bonus. We just happen to be in other groups.”

CR caught up with the band ‘hanging out together’ at Sammy Hagar’s recording studio (which seems to double up as a garage for his vast collection of vintage sports cars) located on an anonymous industrial estate just outside San Francisco. While Hagar, Anthony and Satriani live close by, Smith has flown in from LA and is a day late, having very recently become a father.

“You were fired yesterday,” jokes Satriani.

“You can just take a walk around the block and get fired from this band!” Smith complains.

“We should exclusively play the Chad Smith catalogue!” retorts Satriani.

Smith: “I was going to bring that up. Question: Why did the drummer get sacked from the band? Answer: He said: ‘Hey, guys, I’ve got a few songs I want to try out.”

This is kind of banter carries on relentlessly throughout the day as the band members flit in and out of photo shoots and management conferences while CR tries to collar them. Which is what you’d expect from a collective with such high-profile party animal credentials; even the usually more introspective Satriani has been seized by the levity of the occasion.

“Make sure you run this by Gene Simmons,” he tells his manager when he’s given a copy of Chickenfoot’s new logo. “Remember: Kiss own everything.”

Chickenfoot’s origins came about when Hagar left Van Halen for the last time in 2005 and formed his own band The Waboritas, whose shows featured a segment where Hagar and Anthony would play under the guise of The Other Half (as in the other half of VH) featuring special guests. This eventually developed into regular jam sessions at Hagar’s Cabo Wabo club in Mexico, where Smith owns a holiday home.

“Sammy invited me to play at the club on New Year’s Eve,” the drummer explained. “I told him that I didn’t know much Van Halen but I knew and loved the first Montrose album. He said: ‘Great! We’ll do the whole album!’”

Instantly bonded by their love of classic rock music (Smith is also a huge fan of this esteemed magazine) and besieged by requests from fans wanting to know when the band were going to tour and record, Hagar decided that if they were going to take this venture seriously then they would have to expand the line-up.

“I can just about carry off playing guitar in a jam band scenario,” the frontman and tequila entrepreneur explains, “but to do it properly we needed a guitarist. And as far as I’m concerned Joe Satriani is the best guitar player in the world.”

The band made their official debut just over a year ago in Las Vegas at a Hagar concert, where they played a short set of covers (including Led Zeppelin’s Rock And Roll and Traffic’s Dear Mr. Fantasy).

Satriani had played with Hagar in a project called Planet US in 2003, and when the two men got together in the studio there was an immediate rapport. “We wrote eight songs in two days,” Hagar recalls. “And then when we all got together and wrote more songs it turned into a band.”

They hired producer Andy Johns (whose illustrious CV includes Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Free and Jimi Hendrix) for the album, but he got seriously ill halfway through recording process and Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Metallica, Aerosmith) took over. The final result is as confident, energetic and musical as one would expect from such an elite corps of players. And you won’t be surprised to learn that Hagar agrees.

“This is the best record I’ve ever done in my life,” he enthuses. “I feel like everything I did – working in Montrose, Van Halen and then going solo – happened so I could be who I am right now with this band.”

We’re given an exclusive preview of three tracks from the band’s self-titled debut. Soap On A Rope and Sexy Little Thing have the humour and loose, spontaneous feel of prime VH, with the unashamed unbridled energy of Montrose. Avenida Revolucion is an epic anthem about a dividing road on the Mexican/American border – a contentious subject close to Hagar’s heart.

“That’s a very political song. But I live on the Californian border and in Mexico as well, and I’m telling you, it’s a problem. You drive down Avenida Revolucion: for miles and miles it’s wall-to-wall flowers, crosses and messages for people who’ve been killed. It’s a mess.”

So fired up with this new project, Hagar has already managed to stir some controversy when during an interview in Toronto he reportedly said that Chickenfoot could – ahem – rival Led Zeppelin. The very mention of this makes him groan loudly and bury his face in his hands: “I’m backing off that statement right now, it was the stupidest thing I ever said,” he admits, and then explains what actually happened.

“As you know, I own a tequila company. And I was spreading the word in Canada. I got real fucked up, and then this guy brings up Chickenfoot. I said: ‘We’re better than Zeppelin,’ or something. What I was trying to say is that this band is like early Zeppelin – it’s got a hard-rock edge to it that’s special. I would never compare anything to Led Zeppelin, they were the greatest band ever.”

In the meantime the band aretalking to record labels and putting together a tour of Europe’s festivals this summer which will include some shows in the UK. This will mark a long-overdue return for Anthony and Hagar. “I feel so guilty I haven’t played there in years,” Hagar confesses. “When I was in Van Halen we’d do 130 dates in the US, and the management would say: ‘Are you ready to do Europe?’ And we’d say: ‘Fuck you. We’re done.’ And when we finally got there we thought we were the biggest band in the world and we ended up supporting Bon Jovi. That broke the band up.”

So, Chickenfoot: musical saviours, or a bunch of old rockers indulging in a mid-life-crisis vanity project? Hagar firmly believes it’s the former, and that the age card works to their advantage.

“I agree it’s hard for old bands to get together and write new material,” he admits. “When I was in Van Halen at the 2004 reunion, I wanted to do a new album but we couldn’t, because we were past it. But I think if you still have it in your heart and mean it, then the more seasoning you have, the better you get. Let’s face it: are you going to pay the same price for some band you’ve never heard of as you would to see the Stones or Zeppelin?”

Originally published in Classic Rock 132

[blazehedgehog]

What sonic merch do you have? I kinda wish I could get a statue but there's less of those than you think. Megamans been a lot easier to get good merch for for some reason

It's really not much. So as previously mentioned, I have that Sonic candy dispenser...

The Caltoy Sonic and Tails plushes...

I used to have a full set of the Sonic 3 McDonalds toys, but who knows where half of those are anymore

And the two Sonic Underground plushes from Denny's.

This compromised basically 80% of Sonic's entire american merch catalog in the 90's, outside of some books, clothing and assorted odds and ends.

Since then, things haven't grown massively, but I have picked up a few items here and there. For the above images, none of those were my photos, but we're going to start getting into pictures I have personally taken of my newer stuff.

A friend gifted me the "basic" version of the Sonic nendoroid. The basic version comes with fewer accessories, so I don't have the checkpoint posts or item capsule, and I don't think I even got separate hands. I am not complaining.

I bought the Sonic amiibo for myself when it came out.

I got a special poster from the Sonic Mania reveal event courtesy of TSSZ having someone there as the event was happening. I framed it since it's such a nice, heavy duty poster.

I have the 11" Metal Sonic figure that I picked up at the thrift store I used to work at. He was like, maybe a dollar? Kind of a steal.

I grabbed one of those Pixel Pals lights back when it seemed like they were getting discontinued. They had a bunch on pretty deep discount (like $4 when normally they were like $15), so I grabbed Sonic.

I don't have a super good photo of this, but I was gifted the Orbot and Cubot figures I think for a Christmas or a birthday by the same friend that got me the Sonic nendo.

This is a mixed photo of a bunch of different figures I got at different times. Sonic, Tails and Knuckles are from the 25th Anniversary collection by Tomy, and I bought them when we arrived in Nevada as we were moving out of Colorado. Eggman and Mecha Sonic are, once again, from the same friend that got me Orbot, Cubot, and the Nendo Sonic. I cannot express how much I love them, and I love that the Tomy figures are almost in the correct scale.

Now we're gonna get into things I REALLY don't have good photos of...

This horrifically blurry photo is probably from 2007? 2008? It's my Sonic 06 preorder statue, my Sonic Adventure 2 "10th Anniversary" pin, and my "Thanks for all your support!" pin from Sonic Team. I'm sure I have a clearer photo of these somewhere, but I can't find them. I could also, like, take new photos of some of this stuff, but where's the fun in that?

While digging through my imgur looking for photos, I found this photo of a Sonic 20th Anniversary plush. I couldn't remember where I got it, but given he's in a photo with some books I picked up at the thrift store I used to work at, I'm assuming he came from this same haul.

Getting increasingly difficult to find photos now... digging through twitter...

This is the... 15th? 20th? Anniversary Sonic 1 + 2 Album that famously features Masato Nakamura's demo tracks. I think this was Christmas 2011 or 2012. Not pictured, but I also have the soundtrack to the original Sonic Adventure.

This was Christmas 2021. Eggman and Metal Sonic are part of a KidRobot collection and came from my sister-in-law's parents. The Sonic coffee mug was the last Christmas present I ever got from my Mom, and unfortunately it was one of those super cheapo ones where the print washed off the first time it went through the dishwasher. I think this was the same Christmas those in-laws got me that short little Werehog action figure.

This is a Hallmark keepsake ornament that I think was intended for Christmas 2022, but didn't arrive until April 2023. They are beautiful. Also got Sega Genesis and SNES ornaments with them, which have little switches on them to play VERY loud music.

For Christmas 2023, my brother got me this limited edition flocked Knuckles Funko Pop. Some of the only Funko Pops I have are from my brother because it's kind of his thing, and I think this guy looks alright.

This hardly counts because it's definitely not official, but a friend pointed out one of those "daily pop culture t-shirt" sites was selling a shirt that was Sonic crossed with Mega Man. Literally the first fangame I ever worked on was something called "Sonic Infinity" that was Sonic + Mega Man X and it looked extremely similar, so I couldn't pass it up.

And then finally, most recently, a few months ago I was out running some errands and I saw some Sonic blind bag backpack charms, so I grabbed one and got this guy out of it. He's surprisingly big, solid, and well made! Paint is a little wobbly but I'm impressed regardless.

I think that's about it, though maybe I'm forgetting one or two things. There ended up being more than I expected.

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

After the Hurricane 1989 Pop-Rock / New Wave / Pop / Soca / Calypso / Hard Rock / Progressive Rock

Yikes, folks; this one was *pretty* bad. Back in 1989, a devastating hurricane named Hugo had managed to strike the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat, and one of its foremost ambassadors, UK super producer and legendary 'fifth Beatle' George Martin, decided that he would try to raise funds in order to help rebuild it, in part by having a benefit comp put together that consisted of songs that had been recorded in his own famed recording studio there, AIR Studios. A whole lot of starpower had passed by AIR in the decade prior, and so here we get a comp that's chock-full of immensely popular names.

But these selections end up leaving a whole lot to be desired. So much of this album, despite the undeniable talent that's featured all throughout it, seems to suffer from an excruciating level of listless and generically disposable, radio-friendly 80s malaise 😒. I mean, I personally love a lot of 80s music, but I'll be damned if most of this doesn't just somehow strike me as "songs to close the garage door and turn your engine on to." So many of these tracks just feel so devoid of any soul or meaning. It's brutal.

And while most benefit comps come packed with previously unreleased, hard to find, and exclusive material, nothing on this comp was actually anything close to being rare, with only one of its songs having not appeared on any studio album: The Rolling Stones' "Fancy Man Blues," which was on the B-side of their 1989 single, "Mixed Emotions." So, while most people know in advance that when they're purchasing a benefit comp, they're probably not getting something that's very good—because why would an artist contribute some of their best material to a release that's not even their own?—this comp can't use that defense, because every single song on this thing had already been previously released by its respective artist, and all of these songs were pretty easy to access by the time this comp had come out too.

But what's more is that some of the white acts on here really took the whole island vibe of Montserrat to heart, and then they either tried to incorporate it into their own sound (😕),  or they just straight-up tried to play Caribbean music (😩). And let's just say that white people, for the most part, should've really, at the very least, stopped doing the latter in the early 70s, after Harry Nilsson's "Coconut." The law firm-sounding prog rock outfit of Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, who were an offshoot of Yes, deliver "Teakbois (The Life and Times of Dread)" on this album, and I *really* don't think that that song has aged too well. And sure, there was plenty of embarrassing music to go around in the 80s, but one of the cringiest fads of that entire era had to be the deluge of tunes that came courtesy of pop and rock acts who decided to temporarily adopt a Caribbean style. Remember how non-disco acts tried to cash in? Well, people did it with Caribbean stuff too! And almost none of it was good in hindsight! 🥴

Still though, credit where it's due: although AIR Studios served as a destination for a who's who of UK and American 80s pop, George Martin still afforded its space to Montserrat's own biggest native star too, Arrow. And in 1982, Arrow would record the album, Hot Hot Hot, whose eponymous title track would end up serving as his own magnum opus, and quite possibly the most famous soca/calypso song ever made. But don't confuse that actual very good original version with the far more famous cover by former New York Dolls frontman David Johansen's tongue-in-cheek lounge-singing alter-ego, Buster Poindexter, because that version, even though it was all the rage at plenty of weddings, was made with a huge dose of silly irony. And Johansen himself has come to hate it too!

So, overall, I think something that's wholly reinforced by this album here is that while there was a ton of great music in the 80s, there was also a lot of it that's completely regrettable as well; moreso than there was in either the 70s or 90s. Musically, the 80s were a fantastic decade for a lot of reasons—as all decades are—but I also think that, as of right now, in our history of contemporary music, it also tended to churn out some of the most insufferable stuff that we've ever heard. And even a whole lot of the most popular acts of those very years, who we'd all nearly unanimously agree were undoubtedly talented, weren't spared from some of its worst indulgences either 👎.

Highlights:

Cheap Trick - "Just Got Back" The Police - "Invisible Sun" Arrow - "Hot Hot Hot"

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

Please don't apologise for the rant!

It was an interesting read and everything you said made a lot of sense!

I feel really disappointed with the direction jungkook's taking tbh. His album and solo projects were the ones I was looking forward to the most since the second bts announced their hiatus and the fact that they were all going to release solo projects.

But now it's less than a month before his album debut and I'm hardly looking forward to it at all, because none of it seems to be the kind of music I could vibe with (even though his solo songs under the bts label were my favourites lol. I recognise that's a me problem but it does feel like outside of twitter a lot of people feel this way, more so than with the other members' solo works).

That might change once we receive the name of the tracks and the features and stuff, but we'll see.

Also, I think releasing 3D was honestly a bad idea because of the timing. Seven was (and is still) doing REALLY well. Super catchy, most people loved it, and it WAS new and unexpected. but the focus shifted a bit to 3D, except not everyone focused on the main version, and you can tell it's not gonna be as big of a hit.

You also mentioned on another post how the concept photos for golden appear to be very similar to seven and 3D and I can't agree more.

When you do the same thing more than once in a short period of time in a row, the hype becomes a little less because the surprise/anticipation factor is less, y'know?

Idk, I'm aware Jungkook was chilling and enjoying his break (and good for him) but that did mean he got less time to release a lot of content, so the whole idea of trying to release 2 big singles and then an album in 5 months doesn't seem like a good idea.

they could've kept it at one single with a lesser known artist (everything you pointed out about Latto is true)

and then released his album 5 months later with a slightly different vibe. Because now by the time 3D will become more accepted and more known by the general public, his album will release and the focus will be on the title track.

The timing and really everything surrounding 3D was bad all round (except for the alternate version and the performance for that because I agree it was 100 times much better)

Sorry I feel like I'm being far too negative and that frustrates me as well, I just...Jk has so much potential and is such a great singer but some of these decisions I feel won't properly help him in the long run, you know?

And especially knowing the album will likely follow the same formula as well. But he's accomplishing what he said he wanted so I guess that's something.

No, you aren't being too negative! If you are, I am too, and you're being more positive than me! The timing with 3D did suck. If you just think of it as a "gift" for the fans who were waiting for more music, then it didn't suck. From a business perspective, it wasn't the best move. The main issue was really the feature imo (though 3D's sound was never going to make a splash). Had 3D been announced as a solo, there would've been some of that shock/surprise factor and a lot more anticipation since we're all waiting for a real solo release. That would've been something to look forward to and to generate hype. A better MV would've helped too. At least 3D is kinda helping Seven in the charts...? It's gone number 1 on Spotify Global twice ever since 3D came out haha.

I'm really hoping that the album will surprise me! Tbh, boring concept photos are a BTS thing. It probably doesn't just happen to them, but I think Dynamite and Butter were the last eras to have exciting promo pics that had everyone talking about them. The concept/promo pics for Proof, for example, were super boring imo. I didn't even care for Jimin's Face promo pics and I remember a lot of people liking them. I don't think Big Hit is the best when it comes to that.

Let's see what happens, anon!

Thanks for the ask!

[akwardlyuncool]

Are Back Here Again?!

So in the most rude way possible When Were Young Fest has decided to announce the lineup for their 2023 date. And I’m not being facetious when I say rude, because the 2022 dates haven’t even happened yet and they’re already about to start the pre-sale for the next one. We don’t know how well or rather how absolutely terrible this year’s is going to be, but hey why not just ride off on the cloud of imaginary good vibes. I have no doubt in my mind that my and other folk’s anxiety will soon pop off if it hasn’t already, this is just the beginning. We’ve seen what outdoor festivals with big names like this have looked like this year (look up MCR at Riot Fest!) and tell me this isn’t asking for more trouble, that is if When We Young Year 1 lives to even tell the tale.

Now I don’t want to spend this whole post yelling with my WARNING SIGN, mainly because you can read my 2022 WWWY Fest post that I did back in January if you want more in depth reasons why I think this is a terrible idea. No, today I’m going to cry.

If you’ve followed me for a decent amount of time or had a musical conversation with me, you know that my two favorite bands are Green Day and Relient K. My dream tour is a double headline featuring both of them and I get to pick the setlist. (Remember it’s dreamland and in my fantasy I get two kinda opposite bands on the same stage and I get to pick the setlist.) If you’ve listened to those two bands, you’d know that they might wind up on the same “elder emo/pop-punk” playlist, but the idea of them being on the same tour isn’t likely. Warped Tour made some lineups like that happen, however even Warped Tour had it’s modern limitations. When We Were Young decided to make that happen. The catch is however, that it’s still flying in dreamland for me.

If this was happening in my state that be one thing, however convincing other 30 somethings who have kids and jobs and other important day to day stuff going on, would be hella rough and that’s not including the expense of it all. Basically the chances of me getting to be able to go (I’m not doing The Vegas by myself) are very slim to none and I just want to be sad about that for a while lol. Actual personal dream tours are a very rare sighting and part of me just wishes I could be happy that this is even taking place at all, but it’s posing difficult. I eventually got over this years festival because it all seemed to good to be true and a bodily hazard, but this new one is gonna take a minute.

That being said and not to knock the current lineup, but the 2023 roster is substantially better. I say that because there’s too much of my super core here to say I’d take Set It Off, who I absolutely love, over the original line up of Something Corporate. There are I believe 6 bands on that lineup that have made some of my favorite albums of all time, which is un-heard of, even for the most dedicated of Pop-Punk fans, to see in any given tour.  Again there’s red flag and shock here. Will come back after 2022′s festival is over and see if dreams came true or if all of our suspicions were grossly correct.

So Once Again I’m Gonna List Off The Top 10 Bands I’d See If Magic Were To Happen and I Get To Go:

Green Day

They are my favorite band and I have yet to see them live, so a priority they will be.

Relient k

I will do whatever it takes to make seeing them and Green Day in one day happen.

Something Corporate

Good Charlotte

Gym Class Heroes

YellowCard

They would be higher, however I’ve gotten to see them at Warped Tour, so I can prioritize a few other bands first. (Even if I was in the back for that show.)

Simple Plan

Again all my favorite bands from 2004 in one day would be a dream.

Bowling For Soup

Sum 41

The Academy Is...

I don’t talk about how much I enjoy The Academy Is... enough and would very much like to see them live.

PS: Just reading that list is making my brain explode. Like it can’t compute that anyone would get to see even a fraction of those bands live, in a single day. Maddness.

.

.

Also to fight here instead of Twitter, here are 2 “hot takes:”

One, not to knock anyone’s music tastes, but if you saw this lineup and were most excited for 5SOS, the ticket you don’t have should be revoked. You can not sit at the adult table this evening as you are obviously not an adult.

Two, if you’re comparing 2022′s headliners to bands simply on the 2023 lineup and not headlining you need to sit all the way down. ATL and NFG are not the headliners, they have not downgraded.

[pick-em-pool]

WEEK 2

Well a belated WELCOME to you lads and lasses out there for season FOUR of the NFL pick-em pool challenge! 👏👏👏👏👏 It's good to be back in the states where they play REAL football 🏈 None of those silly Europeans flopping around the 'pitch' any time their opponent touches them! 🐟 This year we've got $385 on the line for the most DARING, the BRIGHTEST, the CUTEST (<-This only applies to Gabby) and the WINNINGEST players out there 🤑🤑🤑 So without any further ado, lets. get. ready. to. rumble. 🥊🥊🥊

LISA - 27 POINTS

OK she eatin'. OK... she eatin'.... OK... She ate the whole meal and the plate 🍽 Lisa comes out the gates on fire 🔥 with the first ever PERFECT WEEK. 16 options, 16 correct picks. The odds of that happening off of random guesses is 0.0001% 😰 Please Lisa, I'm begging you, get on a flight to Vegas right now ✈ And remember after you hit the jackpot that your most handsome, intelligent, dashing son does take tips for his commissioner work 🙏

VAL - 22 POINTS

Val has already hit the boosters in week 2 🚀 scoring back-to-back ELEVENs 🌟🤩 She's sprinting out to second place, the best she's EVER DONE. Val has never heard the phrase "It's the journey, not the destination". 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️ Except for in her marathon training 😬 where's she's currently pacing somewhere between a corgi and a wiener dog 🤷‍♀️ Hey, she's in better running shape than me!

ABBY - 20 POINTS

Alright people what's with all the girls taking up space in the top 3? 😒 Can one of the boys (That's right, I'm revoking the title of MEN for now) PLEASE step it up? Abby has managed to pick 20 correct teams, outscoring all the guys, immediately after sending me this very well edited and thoughtful series of texts:

JULIETTE - 19 POINTS

Well, well, well, it seems everyone's favorite freestyler has caught the eye of some universities! I'm not biased or anything, but she may want to consider VILLANOVA:

V - Very good business school

I - I think it rocks!

L - Lots of fun to be had!

L - Lunch at any time!

A - A!

N - No bedtimes!

O - Oh my what a good school!

V - What starts with V?

A - Amazing!

PEYTON - 19 POINTS

Alright, finally one of the guys pops up on the score chart 💪 as Peyton grabs 5th place two weeks into the season. Our Tall, Dark Pale, and Handsome player is probably the only thing keeping Val from scoring as much a Lisa this week: Distracting opponents by wearing those tight baseball pants, good move! ⚾🧢

GABBY - 18 POINTS

The DEFENDING CHAMP IS OUT HERE DOING pretty mid actually 😐 as Gabby settles into 6th place with 18 points. Will she be able to regain her mojo once we're in Philly? I'm guessing her football picking skills must be packed away in one her 43 clothing boxes 📦

RUSTY & JJ - 17 POINTS

The Boyz in the Back are picking up right were they left off with a follow-up to last years debut album: "The Caboose is Loose". This time featuring their sophomore effort: "Dadz in Da Bottom". Will these two have what it takes to get out of the basement this year?! Only time will tell ⏰

JANIE - 16 POINTS

Say WHAT now? the 2-time champion is bringing up the rear??? 🚂🚂🚂 Look, I know it's only week two but color me surprised! I feel like the Asian father after his kid gets an A-Minus on their test: DISSAPOINTED 💢

Alrighty folks it's GREAT to be back into football season 🏈🏈🏈 I'm looking forward to another fun year with y'all 😁 but don't you forget for ONE second the real reason we're all here - THE MONEY 🤑🤑🤑 See y'all next time!

[billk128]

If Summer Has to End...

...why not spend a sundrenched day in a stadium parking lot? If you can then go see Bruce Springsteen and the E St Band rock the house, well, there could be worse fates. It was certainly better than the 2 weeks prior when friends and I gathered in the Philly area for a show only to learn Bruce called in sick, right when we were gearing up for that pre-show tailgate. I was a bit soured by that one, and the time it took to announce the new August 2024 make up dates. But with a larger crew of friends heading in for the 3rd nite of 3 in NJ's MetLife Stadium, I decided to pull the trigger on the cheapest ($45, though $64.50 after criminal Ticketmaster charges) seat available and take in another show.

Earlier this year during the US arena leg, a DJ on the great NYC Metro area WFMU (https://wfmu.org) noted that people were complaining about the static setlists of the shows, and he was a bit flummoxed by that noise, wondering how an artist you love playing songs you love, and some of the great rock songs to boot, could ever be a bad thing. As a setlist watcher (not just Bruce) myself, I took that advice into what was a great show in at the Rock in Newark, NJ in April (see: https://www.tumblr.com/billk128/714870079502925824/its-boss-time-once-again?source=share), and told any that asked to spare the flawed judgment of a show on its setlist alone.

Of course, New Jersey gets some hometown favor, particularly across multiple nights, but I was a little taken aback by song selections particularly in the more flexible first half of the show. The encore section had its own surprises, but the earliest treat for me was my seat: while at the very side of the stage (and mainly, the video screens), it had a very nice overhead view and plenty of visual depth, plus I had room to right and left of me, so I decided to stick it out there, even if I might have slipped down to join my friend Terry and crew a couple of sections below. The breakneck pacing doesn't allow for much travel anyway.

The sound, while not as full rhythmically as it could be at that height and on the side, was still quite good: the vocals could be almost too up front at times, and the solos were as crystal clear as I could remember in a stadium. I don't know how it all carried to the other end of the stadium, but damn, it sounded mostly great to me.

The 3 hour show has lost none of it power or intensity (and perhaps added some), while trimming down some of the self-depreciating humor and time passage themes that were more featured in the arena shows. There is very little bloat to the songs that get played every night and every attempt to keep things light, even as darker thoughts pervade the music. And though I don't believe it was truly intentional, the alternate songs played on this night carried a lot of that weight.

All of which might have been lost on the crowd, of course, which was rightfully jubilant throughout. Each of the 3 nights in NJ opened with a Lonesome Day/Night couplet itself a departure from the standard No Surrender show opener (though I think indicative of shows to come), but the first real surprise was a driving Two Hearts, in its tour debut. One could ask why rockers from The River album have never gotten their fair share in Springsteen performances, and I might point to this rendition as a reason they should have, punctuated by the sublime and note-perfect rendering of the guitar fill between chorus lines by Nils Lofgren.

And those simple but wide open and chillingly relevant lyrics - if young people need some guidance, how about: Once I spent my time playing tough guy scenes/But I was living in a world of childish dreams/Someday these childish dreams must end/To become a man and grow up to dream again.

I got a bit lost in that one, nostalgic for my own youth perhaps, but was jolted back by another ravaging Prove It All Night, where Bruce's guitar solos danced on top of the sound and left you on your own to decide. Whereas Bruce's playing has always been visceral, it used to be part of the very direct "I got to prove it to you all night" ethos, also from a distant youth, while his playing now, even if similar, has a more sinuous feel that leaves the destination less clear. That is, until Max starts pounding those drums and it all comes cascading down into a cataclysmic finish...

And then a left turn was taken into Something in the Night, the first of the major vocal challenges Bruce presented himself, and if he was not as spot on vocally as the show I saw in April, he managed to bring the goods at the right times, as in the ending howls of this tortured, smoldering rocker. While never a favorite of mine over the years, the song has grown on me through strong live renderings during those same years, a sneak live treat that appears and penetrates; meanwhile, somehow these apocalyptic words are still as potent (and/or prescient?) as ever: When we found the things we loved/Were crushed and dying in the dirt/We tried to pick up the pieces/And get away without getting hurt/But they caught us at the state line/Burned our cars in one last fight/And left us running, burned and blind/Chasing something in the night.

Spirit in the Night appeared a couple of songs later but the last meaningful surprise was Atlantic City, coming after the well-played, with a nice (and new, I believe) Curtis King vocal moment, Nightshift, but why this remnant from the forgotten soul covers record is still included every night is kind of a mystery. Atlantic City (which eliminated the Max/Anthony Almonte percussion duel space in the set) was played with a horn-powered approach vs. the harder edged take sometimes employed, and if playing it in NJ might seem logical, it also perhaps vaguely alluded to yet another inept Bozo failure now torn down and forgotten in that city. But more directly again the lyrics painted another ominous and viably current picture: Now I been looking for a job, but it's hard to find/Down here, it's just winners and losers and "Don't get caught on the wrong side of that line"/Well, I'm tired of coming out on the losing end/So, honey, last night, I met this guy, and I'm gonna do a little favor for him...

From there we moved into the 2nd half of the show that changes very little each night, but rolls like a freight train and offers many highlights. I can't consider Mary's Place ever a high point, but people got up to dance immediately, so Bruce wins that battle once again. Backstreets was majestic, Bruce again finding the range on that last wordless vocal, bringing the emotions to a peak. And forget Tom Morello's spacey solo effects, the sound and patterns Nils devises on his Because the Night solo, again so crisply rendered on top of the overall sound, how can they be from this planet?

At the end of Thunder Road, I noticed the sax fills from Jake Clemons were off the charts - I mean, total Big Man level power. And I'll never know if this played a role, but it sure seemed like a good enough indicator to Bruce to start the encores with Jungleland. Talk about emotion - the violin/piano intro and opening crash led into Steve Van Zandt's riveting guitar solo, which stayed true to the original but shredded its perfection with guttural tones and rumbled all over its ending with string-bending clamor. Then of course the sax solo, which wavered only in a spot or 2 as Jake stepped it up quite nicely, and Bruce wrapped it up with one final, momentous (and smartly modulated) moan. He then hugged Jake, and it was clearly heartfelt and I do not doubt misty eyed. Between Jake, the nephew of Clarence, channeling his uncle, and Bruce, who sang every note of that solo to Clarence when recording, one can only imagine the feelings, and that made it even more of treat for me.

Hijinks proceeded from there - led by Steve, particularly in Rosalita, where the mobile band members gathered down the catwalk on a mini stage out front, and got to interact closely with each for a change away from that big stage. Steve kept it up during another setlist turn into Detroit Medley, adding a counter melody to Bruce's vocal I think in the Jenny Jenny part, keeping it going with a smile until Bruce turned and gave him a chuckling WTF look, which was quite amusing (and yes, I could see all of this from the upper deck, it was right in front of me otherwise).

A wonderful and spirited show came to a close not with the typical Bruce solo version of I'll See You in My Dreams but with Jersey Girl - sure, another shout out to the locals, but not one I needed to hear again. "Dreams" is a much more fitting and resonating tune, and missed here, but there will be no quibbling with setlist changes from this source. And though the show proper retains its power and glory without them, I think the future bodes well for subtle curves and sublime surprises in shows down the road...

(And though Jimmy Buffett died, I predicted no cover song would be played, and there was none - why would there be? There is no connection.)

Setlist - 9/3/23:

Lonesome Day Night No Surrender Two Hearts (Tour debut, first time with the E Street Band since 2017) Prove It All Night Something in the Night Letter to You The Promised Land Spirit in the Night Kitty's Back Nightshift (Commodores cover) Atlantic City Mary's Place Last Man Standing (Acoustic with Barry Danielian on trumpet) Backstreets Because the Night She's the One Wrecking Ball The Rising Badlands Thunder Road Encore: Jungleland Born to Run Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) Detroit Medley Dancing in the Dark Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out Jersey Girl

[kpop-faver]

Lost in Translation: How I stumbled upon BLACKPINK and became a Lovestick Gril

BLACKPINK is my absolute favorite group, they are the group that I follow the most actively.

But how did I find them? Actually, quite early on, I would say. I think it was either between their debut album and Kill This Love or after Kill This Love.

I discovered them back then because I was a fan of the TV series Lucifer and enjoyed watching edits related to it. And in one of those edits featuring the character Mazekeen, their debut song BOOMBAYAH was used in the background.

I liked that song, and thus, I had found a group that would accompany me in the years to come, even though I didn't know it at the time.

Since then, I have eagerly awaited each new release and enjoyed their music very much. For a long, long time, they were the only K-pop group I listened to, as I primarily listened to Western music, especially German music.

I did try with other groups, and although I found some good songs among them, none of them truly captivated me.

From that point on, I was always actively involved, from Loveisick Girls to How You Like That, to Pink Venom and Shut Down, I stayed up to date and looked forward to each release.

Now that we're talking about all these song titles, let's address some silly mistakes I made due to my barely existing ability to understand and translate the English language properly, without even questioning it.

Let's start with "Whistle," which, for some reason, I pronounced as "Whitelist" back then, and now, for a very long time, I've been asking myself why? Especially when you think about it, it doesn't make any sense and doesn't match the song. And next, we have "Lovesick Girls," which I called "Lovestick Grils," and honestly, for a long time, I wondered what that title actually meant until I realized that I was the silly one in this whole situation. Where did such things come from? As I said, my nonexistent English skills and maybe because I don't have K-pop enthusiast friends who could have corrected me on that. But well, now I know better.

Now, let's talk a bit about the members. For example, it took me ages to remember who is who. I got their names relatively quickly. After all, 3 out of 4 are names that are very common in the West. So, it was easy to remember Jisoo with the only Korean stage name, although in Jennie's case, it's also her real name, which made it easy to remember her in the group.

Jisoo was also the first member I referred to as my bias simply because I could relate to her the most at that time. Mainly because she seemed to have a bunch of Pikachu stuff, and I'm a big Pokemon fan. Secondly, she was also not good at English, and somehow that comforted me a little back then.

Eventually, I finally got the names right, I could match them to the members. There was a time when I was surprised to find out that Jennie's name was not a stage name but her real name. But I was still new to the whole Korean theme back then and had to familiarize myself to understand that Western names also exist in South Korea.

Since we're already talking about Jennie, let's talk about the rap in BLACKPINK, or rather, who does the rapping in BLACKPINK. I'm well aware that it's Lisa and Jennie, but for quite a while, I thought it was only Lisa. And even today, when I hear BLACKPINK and the word "rap," Lisa still comes to mind first, and then Jennie.

[wyattvsmusic]

Freddie Gibbs - $oul $old $eparately ALBUM REVIEW

At the end of his 2019 song Education, Freddie Gibbs raps “I changed it up, pray the streets don’t take what’s left of me / Drugs for the free, soul sold separately.” Though we didn’t know it at the time, this lyric from his 2019 collab album with Madlib, Bandana set fans up for what was to come 3 years later. His latest album is actually only his 5th solo album and is the first album of his to not be entirely produced by a single producer since 2018′s Freddie album. Early on, the album was supposed to feature Pharrell production, which is actually nowhere to be heard on $$$. There is an assortment of producers on the album, including ones he has done entire albums with such as Madlib and The Alchemist but Jake One, James Blake, DJ Dahi, JUSTICE League, DJ Paul, Kaytranada and others contribute as well. Though none of them appear on it, $$$ sounds very much in line with the batch of loose singles that were released the year prior (Gang Signs, Black Illuminati, Big Boss Rabbit, Ice Cream). There’s a lot more trap influence from previous albums like Freddie, You Only Live 2wice and Shadow Of A Doubt where Freddie gets into his braggadocios rap style but also reflects in some of those songs too. For those expecting Alfredo or Pinata, you are going to be disappointed as Freddie’s style is much more expansive even though that may be what you prefer from him. Despite what the style is, the bars are still there and he shows that he has one of the best flows in hip hop, which is perfectly exemplified in the bouncy Too Much with Moneybagg Yo where Freddie raps as if he doesn’t need to take a breath. I’ve said this in other reviews of mine before, but I feel like when an artist has put out a lot of albums that sound very distinct from each other, they end up putting one out that sounds like a combination of all of them and I think this one is Freddie’s. You can hear the Alfredo style on the Alchemist-produced Blackest In The Room and the Bandana sound on Grandma’s Stove. The very catchy PYS could’ve fit very comfortably on Shadow Of A Doubt. Lyrically, Freddie is always on point but the best songs on this album are the ones where Freddie gets introspective and shows some personal growth. On the incredible CIA, Freddie raps “Remember them nights when I was broke, I cried on Erica's shoulder and now my tears frozen / Man, I'm just bein' open / When I made ‘Fuckin' Up the Count,’ ain't had no Audemars yet, I was rappin' and hopin'.” On this song, he also reflects on making the XXL Freshman cover when he was still in the streets and about how he wasn’t expecting to get a Grammy nomination for Alfredo. Rabbit Vision is another one of my favorite songs on the album as he finally makes peace with Jeezy, who was one of the earliest rappers to give Freddie a major look and eventually signed him but they fell out many years ago. Since he made the one of the greatest diss tracks of all time, Real, which was aimed towards Jeezy in 2014, he had continued to take shots at him including on Crime Pays so this is definitely a big step and it is great to see Freddie and Jeezy finally make peace. He raps, “Me and Jeezy still ain't spoke in years, but I got love for him / Could've talked it out, but I spoke out, I let it get to me / Showed me I could be a fuckin' boss, best thing he did for me.” The production is pretty great and he’s gotten some good reliable features. that he’s worked with like Rick Ross, Anderson .Paak, Pusha T, and Scarface who Freddie always brings the best out of. Raekwon, Offset, and Musiq Soulchild also contribute some pretty great features as well. While $oul $old $eparately isn’t even close to touching some of his best albums, it is a great album on its own and shows just how far Freddie has come and that he can really do anything.

Fav Tracks: Couldn’t Be Done, Blackest In The Room, Zipper Bagz, Too Much, Rabbit Vision, PYS, CIA, Decoded

[podcastdrita]

Ringo starr today

Q: Oh, good! No weird side effects or anything? Starr: I've got both jabs and I'm feeling groovy. That (concert) is seven or eight minutes long in the original (film) – it's now 43 minutes. It's beautiful and it's joyful and we play live on the roof. So I love Peter and I love what he's doing. And every time he came to LA, he'd come over with his iPad and say, "Look at this." And I'd say, "Yes! There's laughter and there's joy," and (footage) of the band being the band: digging each other, fooling around. And we found 56 hours of unused film, so we gave (Jackson) that. I remember lots of humor, lots of laughter. We had lots of those moments, but we had a lot of loving, too, and that was never shown. It was based on a couple of seconds of what two guys (McCartney and George Harrison) went through. Starr: Yeah, I'm always moaning that the Michael Lindsay-Hogg (documentary) was miserable and it was. 27) is a recut of the 1970 film "Let It Be" about the making of the band's final album. Q: Peter Jackson's new documentary "The Beatles: Get Back" (in theaters Aug. 'Let It Be' at 50: Why the Beatles' last album is a 'mess,' but still spawned a masterpiece But I never know where they're coming from. I can't sit there like, "I'm going to write now." I write a lot of lines down that I feel could be good songs later. Rex frontman) Marc Bolan came over for dinner one night and that's how he talked: "Hey, back off! Ah, boogaloo!" Then I go to bed at night and I can hear (the chorus), "Back off boogaloo." I ran downstairs trying to put it on tape but none of my machines worked, so I was stealing batteries from my children's toys. It came out of the blue like "Back Off Boogaloo." (T. I thought I was writing a big blues number. Q: "Don't Pass Me By" is a personal favorite of mine. It was great because they were all joining in. Starr: Well, "With A Little Help from My Friends," that gave me a whole career, really. Q: Do you have a favorite Beatles song you sang lead on? I was a rock star and they made me a balladeer! (Laughs.) Then they started writing for me and ruined my whole career. They're records I love, so we did my versions. Starr: No, they'd always say, "We've got a song for you." When they couldn't be bothered writing for me, I started by doing Carl Perkins ( "Honey Don't," which the Beatles covered in 1964) or "Boys" (by The Shirelles, recorded by the Beatles in 1963). Did you ask Paul McCartney to write you a song or how did you wind up singing "Yellow Submarine?" Q: The Beatles' "Revolver" album turns 55 later this year. I mix it myself with salad and fruits and put it all in the spinner. Every morning it's berries, no matter what else is on the plate. It's always with berries. I have a protein drink (during) the day and a protein bar. The two B's, baby! I don't know if it's good for everybody, but I set my palate on what I want. Starr: Yeah, I'm telling you: blueberries and broccoli. Is it really just the broccoli, blueberries and vegetarian diet that keep you so young? I had two tours I had to let go of, and I've already canceled the May/June one this year because I don't think it'll be safe. six times? You've got to help protect yourself if you can, but I was really pissed off. I have a beautiful box here (on Zoom), but I've been in it a lot. So there's "zooming in" in that way, and I think we are all zooming in a little emotionally. When you see the (cover of) the EP, it's a big camera lens behind me. Question: Your EP is titled "Zoom In," which is a very apt title for right now. Review: Paul McCartney's experimental 'McCartney III' is a welcome return The jovial Starr, 80, who just released the new book "Ringo Rocks: 30 Years of the All Starrs," recently caught up with USA TODAY for a wide-ranging chat over – what else? – Zoom: Starr recorded the five-track effort over Zoom with famous pals including Paul McCartney and Dave Grohl, who feature on the wistful "Here's to the Nights." He also invited some musicians into his Los Angeles home studio, which "was a lifesaver for me, to be able to hang out with another musician with a mask on, at least 10 feet or 6 feet away." "There's not a lot of hugging and I'm a big hugger, but you've got to stop all that lately," says the legendary Beatles drummer, whose new solo EP, "Zoom In," is out Friday. If there's one thing Ringo Starr misses most about pre-pandemic life, it's probably the hugs.

[mazes-and-the-madness]

FAMILIA: A Camren Analysis

Hey everyone, I’m back with another Camren lyrical analysis. I didn’t expect my PRELUDE post to take off the way that it did, so why not also write one for Familia? First off, I just want to say a few things about the album.

I LOVE Familia. It has zero skips- not a single one. It’s by far the most listenable of Camila’s albums in the sense that I can put it on and just vibe to the music. The majority of Camila is sad breakup songs, and Romance is such an emotional roller coaster of “I hate you, I love you, I hate you again, also let’s get married.” For this reason, I’ve only listened to it twice all the way through from start to finish in the 2+ years it’s been out. Don’t get me wrong, I love songs that get me in my feelings, but can’t listen to a whole album of them on repeat. Overall, my ranking of Camila’s albums is 1. Romance 2. Camila 3. Familia, though I really do love them all.

Compared to Camila’s other albums, Familia possesses certain standout qualities. As always, Camila impresses with her vocal talent, and in my opinion, Familia has the best production of all her albums. But I feel like lyrically, this was her weakest album. That’s not to say the lyrics were bad by any means, just that there were no songs on Familia that could compare to Living Proof, Used to This, and of course, Consequences.

Still, Familia is Camila’s most mature album yet. Just like several other artists, she predominantly writes about love and romance, but now dares to explore edgier topics on Familia, such as politics and gender equality (Lola) and her mental health and anxiety (psychofreak). Camila’s music has previously incorporated Latin influences, but in Familia she fully embraces the Spanish language and Latin pop, a genre which suits her quite well. Take notes, Yogurt King: this is how to evolve as an artist instead of just doing the same thing over and over. 

Speaking of the circus, I knew it would feature throughout this album. I feel like for Romance, Camila wrote her truth and her team tried to make the songs about “Shawn,” but due to narrative and timeline inconsistencies, this explanation was like trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Unfortunately, this time around it looks like Camila had to write some songs specifically FOR the PR. On Familia, we get some stunt lyrics on songs like Boys Don’t Cry and everyone at this party, and full-on stunt songs like Bam Bam and (maybe) Celia. I didn’t love the PR aspect of the album, but you can’t deny they’re good songs. 

I also think that Familia is her straightest album yet. Even if you had no idea who the hell Lauren Jauregui was, you could tell that a lot of songs on Camila and Romance were extremely queer-coded (Shameless, Liar, Señorita). Since there’s none of that on Familia, we have to rely on our own knowledge as Camila’s fans to do a queer analysis of this album because sadly, not everything can be as obvious as “mmm green eyes,” “black leather jacket,” or “La Cienega, where I remember you.” I’m not saying that these songs are definitely 100% ~no doubt~ about Lauren- just that if they are, here’s how I see them fitting into the Camren saga. 

1. La Buena Vida/Don’t Go Yet

The weird thing about Camila’s explanation for Don’t Go Yet is that in a Genius interview, she said that the song was mostly from SHAWN’S perspective. This doesn’t make sense for a couple of reasons. One, he had a different girlfriend at the time. Two, Camila and Shawn were never in a real relationship. Even if we assume that they were, would she have us believe that Shawn was the one who “wore this dress for a lil’ drama?” I mean, maybe if it was giving Cher… Anyway, just hear me out. *puts on clown costume* *applies clown makeup* *laces up clown shoes* What if… she wrote the song from Lauren’s perspective? 

Think about it. Lauren said Expectations was about a partner having zero time for her because of work. In La Buena Vida and Don’t Go Yet, Camila sings from the perspective of someone who’s facing this exact same problem. Between Cinderella, Familia, and carrying Yogurt King’s career, Camila’s schedule has been booked and busy for the past 2+ years, and it’s only natural for Lauren to feel neglected. If this theory is right, Camila writing Don’t Go Yet and La Buena Vida shows us that Camren has grown up and can now have a mature conversation about their problems. Camila going from struggling with serious communication issues to writing a song from Lauren’s perspective to truly show that she understands her emotions? Now that’s what I call character development.

Lyrical Parallels: 

“I’m alone on my sofa bed” (LBV, Camila) // “up in bed, all alone, wondering where you’ve been” (Expectations, Lauren)

“why am I home alone with your glass of wine?” (LBV, Camila) // “I’ve been waiting here all night for you to warm me up and you haven’t once thought of me” (Expectations, Lauren)

“finally we’re here, so why sayin’ you got a flight, need an early night? no, don’t go yet” // (DGY, Camila) // “you should be here, should be with me tonight, ‘stead you’re working, you’re working all the time” (LBV, Camila) // “knowing very well that you told me you’d come home, and it happens every time” (Expectations, Lauren)

“I don’t wanna be the one making plans all the time, asking you what’s on your mind” (LBV, Camila) // “all I need from your side is for you to communicate” (Expectations, Lauren) // “you got a lot on your mind that you wanna say, but you haven’t made the time to communicate” (Let Me Know, Lauren)

Come on, such blatant parallels are essentially plagiarism on Camila’s part.

2. Quiet

Because of the production and the lyrics, I view this song as a more upbeat version of Dream of You and All These Years combined. While waiting for Lauren to come over, Camila’s mind is racing with nerves, anxiety, and insecurity, but all these negative thoughts and feelings disappear once they’re finally together. Sure, she said “boy,” but that doesn’t bother me at all. Camila has used male pronouns in the past, but the lyrics somehow always fit Lauren better than any of Camila’s public boyfriends. Quiet closely parallels All These Years,  a song which is impossible to connect to Shawn (again, for narrative and timeline reasons). And I know I’m not the only one who instantly connected “back of the car” to the London car kiss. Finally, let’s be real: no straight woman is this obsessed with their partner’s hands, and the word “gorgeous” suits a woman much more than a man.

Lyrical Parallels: 

“did you get taller? your hair is longer, couple tattoos since I saw ya” (Quiet, Camila) // “your hair’s grown a little longer, your arms look a little stronger” (All These Years, Camila) 

“my mind’s made so much noise for so long and it’s gone ‘cause when you kiss me, it’s quiet” (Quiet, Camila) // “you take the psycho out of my brain” (No Doubt, Camila) // “feeling like a psychofreak sometimes” (psychofreak, Camila) 

3. Boys Don’t Cry

As @emisonme so wisely said, just remove the male pronouns and the overall song is about desperately wanting your partner to open up to you. Like I said in my PRELUDE analysis, Camila has written multiple songs begging Lauren to open up (Inside Out, In the Dark, Shameless), and BDC is no different. When Lauren is struggling, she has a tendency to shut Camila out, but all Camila wants is for Lauren to just tell her what’s wrong so she can help, just as Lauren has done so many times for her. For fuck’s sake, Lauren’s the firstborn daughter in an immigrant family. If I had to guess, she was most likely conditioned for years to shove aside or deny her own feelings altogether so as not to be a “burden” to anyone. Although Familia is largely about Lauren helping Camila heal from her own trauma, Camila finally has the chance to return the favor in BDC. Regardless of who the song is about, the message of BDC is highly important, and I’m glad Camila included it on the album.

Lyrical Parallels: 

“I know you got demons from the past slowin’ you down-down-down” (BDC, Camila) // “show me your demons, and I’ll show you mine” (Living Proof, Camila) // “tear-stained face, I can’t face these demons all alone, they don’t like me” (Scattered, Lauren)

“when I’m afraid of the world, when every part of me hurts, you don’t know how many times you’ve saved me” (BDC, Camila) // “where did you come from, baby? and were you sent to save me?” (Living Proof, Camila)

“you’re just human right now” (BDC, Camila) // “ ‘cause I’m only human” (Falling, Lauren)

“so why you hidin’ from me, it’s only makin’ it worse” (BDC, Camila) // “and I don’t know why I always try to hide it, oh I can’t fight it any more than you can” (Falling, Lauren)

“When I’m afraid of the world, when every part of me hurts, you don’t know how many times you’ve saved me” is exactly how I feel about the Camren girls, and I’m sure many of you can say the same.

4. Hasta Los Dientes/No Doubt

These two songs could be about the Laucy situation in 2015-2016. In Hasta Los Dientes, Camila is crazy about Lauren, but can’t stop thinking about her with Lucy even though she knows the PR stunt is fake. We all know that both Camren girls are the jealous type, and Camila has zero desire to share Lauren. Not with any of her PR boyfriends, and definitely not with Lucy, who because of this song I now believe had some sort of romantic history with Lauren. Although Camila understands that Laucy is the best way to bring Lauren out of the closet without exposing Camren and tanking Camila’s soon-to-be solo career, it hurts her to know that Lauren is hanging out with her ex. At the end of the day, Camila knows that Lauren is still hers, and has every intention of ensuring that Lucy knows the same.

No Doubt has Camila obsessing over the possibility of Lauren genuinely falling for Lucy, especially given their history and how Lucy probably had a crush on Lauren at the time of the song (I mean, who wouldn’t?). But just as in Quiet, all these doubts, fears, and insecurities disappear the second Lauren touches Camila, with Lauren making sure Camila knows just how loved she is. Compared to how Camila has sung about Lauren’s commitment issues in the past (Should’ve Said It, Feel It Twice, This Love, Señorita), No Doubt marks a clear turning point in their relationship with Lauren proving that she is fully committed to Camila and only Camila. 

Lyrical Parallels:

“hasta dormida te imagino con ella” / “even when I’m asleep, I imagine you with her” (HLD, Camila) // “seeing visions on the ceiling, drunken kisses, heavy breathing, you’re up against the wall, she’s unbuttoning your jeans and you tell her that you want it all” (No Doubt, Camila)

“no es tu culpa lo que me hace sentir” / “it’s not your fault what you make me feel” (HLD, Camila) // “you’re not guilty, I’m hyper vigilant” (No Doubt, Camila)

“you take the psycho out of my brain” (No Doubt, Camila) //  “feeling like a psychofreak sometimes” (psychofreak, Camila) // “my mind’s made so much noise for so long and it’s gone ‘cause when you kiss me, it’s quiet” (Quiet, Camila) 

“and I can see it in your eyes when you slow down” (No Doubt, Camila) // “dale lento, tócamela más lento” / “go slow, touch me more slowly” (Lento, Lauren)

“I’m getting bad again, ‘cause when shit is getting good I just spiral into bad again” (No Doubt, Camila) // “you tell me that I overthink ‘til I ruin a good thing” (Easy, Camila)

5. Lola

I believe Camila’s explanation that this song is about a woman unable to follow her dreams due to the oppressive country she’s from, but that won’t stop me from drawing all the parallels to Lauren. First off, Lauren’s family and close friends sometimes refer to her as “Lolo.” Camila, you really think you’re slick by changing just one letter? Now let’s get into the actual lyrics.

1. “Lola was the smartest in the school, she was a supernova”

Lauren not only attended the elite private high school Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart on an academic scholarship, but she also maintained a 5.2 GPA, played on the varsity softball team, and wowed everyone with her musical talent. Damn, some people really are God’s favorite.

2. “she had a mind beyond her time, it was a thrill to know her”

How many times has Camila said the thing she loves most about Lauren is her mind (and vice versa)?

3. “she coulda walked on the moon, yeah, she coulda found us a cure // but family didn’t have no food and she had to leave school to work”

While Lauren’s family was by no means destitute, she and the other 5H girls largely came from working-class backgrounds. Lauren and Camila have even said that for them, college was out of the question without a scholarship. This is a big reason why Simon Cowell was able to exploit the girls so easily and get them to sign those unjust, restrictive, inhumane recording contracts, since he knew it was practically their only chance at a better life.

4. “Lola, she believed the world they promised her, now she’s older… nothing changes, this ain’t the dream they sold us” 

Here’s a Lauren quote from Billboard’s interview of 5H in May 2016: 

“They sell you this ­present of rainbows and butterflies, and as a 16-year-old that’s what I bought. It’s why I did X Factor and why I ended up in a group. But then you’re working so hard, so young. [Meanwhile] my friends are in college, ­telling me about their days and what they’re studying. You’re having to put on a smile on a red carpet. It’s like, ‘Who am I? Am I for myself or for this?’ ” 

Naive, optimistic sixteen-year-old Lauren happily signed that X Factor contract dreaming of fame, success, and superstardom, but had no idea about the long hours, insane schedules, nonstop recording/promo/touring, anxiety, depression, online hate, drug abuse, PR nonsense, forced closeting, and so much more that she was in for.

5. “nobody’s listening, so she won’t speak, won’t speak // all of those dreams are fading slowly, slowly… it’s just the way it is, so don’t speak, don’t speak”

Remember that leaked audio from December 2016 where Lauren says, "They're making decisions on a regular basis to fuck us over! To make us literal slaves! Literally slaves, Ally. We're doing fucking labor every day and we see nothing!" Because the industry doesn’t see Lauren as anything other than a money-making machine, she has no one to turn to when she’s struggling. Even if she tries to call out the ruthless industry executives, what can she do? They have all the power and she’s just some kid. So Lauren begins to doubt her talent as an artist and her self-worth as a person, questioning why she ever wanted this life in the first place.

The beauty of art is that it can be about multiple things at once. I wouldn’t be surprised if Camila’s explanation for the song was true, but she also drew inspiration from Lauren and her experiences.

6. everyone at this party

This song could have taken place after the Camren breakup in late 2016 or early 2017, shortly after Camila left 5H. I believe Camila initiated this breakup herself, partly because of the whole “I love you, but I love me more” scene in the Havana music video. Still, she can’t help but worry that Lauren has already moved on and no longer needs Camila in her life. “Did we waste two years?” could be referring to 2015-2016, Camren’s first attempt at an actual relationship after Lauren had finally accepted her sexuality and was willing to be with Camila for real. By all indications, this was still a dark time for them, inspiring songs like Expectations, Sorry, Consequences, and Something’s Gotta Give. In eatp, Camila searches for Lauren at every party, but ultimately knows that no one else will ever compare. 

Lyrical Parallels:

“and I just had this vision of you looking at me different when you saw this dress” (eatp, Camila) // “baby, don’t go yet, ‘cause I wore this dress for a lil’ drama” (Don’t Go Yet, Camila)

“and I’m having these thoughts, did we fuck it up or not, did we waste two years?” (eatp, Camila) // “it's already been two years, and I don't feel that you trust me like you should” (Sorry, Lauren) 

“and did you get the space you needed?” (eatp, Camila) // “respect for my time, respect for my space, respect for my energy” (Expectations, Lauren)

Final Rating: 7.5/10

Final Ranking*

11. Don’t Go Yet 

10. Bam Bam

9. La Buena Vida

8. Hasta Los Dientes

7. Lola

6. Celia

5. everyone at this party

4. Boys Don’t Cry

3. Quiet

2. No Doubt

1. psychofreak

*I excluded the intro, Familia, since that was just an instrumental track.

[wildbornsiren]

sfw alphabet | r.f.

SFW Alphabet R.F. author’s notes: I will literally salt and burn the earth to protect Bob. Thank you so much for the likes/reblogs. It really means the most.  what: an alphabetical list of safe for work headcanons featuring Robert “Bob” Floyd.  Gender neutral reader.  warnings: none. 

A: Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?) Bob is an introvert, so if he willingly spends time with you, you are important to him. Quality time is extremely important to him, as well as acts of service. He picks up your favorite magazine, remembers when your favorite band has a new album coming out and will pick it up for you. He knows your coffee order and will bring it to you when he comes over. He leaves love notes on the bathroom mirror, post it notes in your lunch, good morning/good night text messages.

B: Best Friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?) Bob is an introvert. He can count his real friends on both his hands. You need work and be patient if you want to get onto that exclusive list of close friends. A lot of the barriers are those who are already on that list. They’re protective of him and want to keep him safe. While he may not be the best of friends with everyone on his squad, but he is fiercely protective of them and will have their back. C: Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?) He’s not a cuddler. He’s the one to sit next to you on the couch, pull your legs over his. When he rests his head in your lap, if you play with his hair, he’s completely relaxed. He’ll sit with his arm over your shoulders during a movie, or if you’re sitting in a booth at the bar. If you need cuddling, all you have to do is ask. He’ll wrap his arms around you, tuck you against him and hold you until all the bad melts away. He’ll rub your back, kiss the top of your head. He does sneak his fingertips under the hem of your shirt, lightly rubbing at the small of your back, enjoying the skin-to-skin contact. D: Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?) Bob is comfortable if he’s single. He doesn’t seek out one-night stands, and he’s not someone who -needs- to be in a relationship. He does, however, want to settle down. He’d like domesticity and someone to greet him when he walks through the door. He's a good cook but doesn’t really do it all that often. He’ll call for take-out or bring something home. Weekends are for cooking and grilling and trying new things. His place is comfortable. Cluttered, he’s got a pile of unopened mail on the kitchen table, there’s a few dishes in the sink. Dirty laundry is typically in a pile in front of the washer, and there’s a pile of clean clothes in the bedroom— though his uniforms are pressed and hung properly. His fridge is covered with photos, graduation announcements, programs from school concerts, ticket stubs ect. He’s got the newest tech and gaming systems and that’s where most of his money goes after his financial responsibilities are taken care of.   E: Ending (If they had to break up with their partner how would they do it?) He doesn’t take the decision to end relationships lightly. He tries to make it work, and will put in work, but if it just isn’t going anywhere? He ends it gently. He doesn’t cast blame on himself or his partner but says that they’re not working and it’s time to go their separate ways. He has ended a few relationships via text, but he can do it in person. F: Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?) Once you’ve gone dates for a few months Bob will ask to make it official. By then he’s got a decent grasp of your personality and how you treat people. He doesn’t rush into things. Like most military guys once commitment and enmeshing of your lives together he’ll propose. He’s one that will meet your family, and you’ll be a regular at his family’s homes, and get text messages and postcards from them. He’d propose when the two of you were alone together on vacation. (And he would have asked your parents for permission beforehand). G: Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?) Bob will treat you right. He’s gentle, affectionate, physical and likes to make you smile. He wants to make sure that you shine and will do everything he can to put you first and out there. You’re special to him, and he wants the world to see it—though he may not have the words to say so. He's got a good hold on his emotions, and deals with them in a healthy way. He talks with members of his squad, old timers, and eventually he’ll share what he can with you. A lot of his missions he can’t talk about, but he doesn’t hold things in. H: Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?) He likes hugs. He’s a full contact hugger, your body pulled tight against his. You can feel the strength in his arms, the way he holds you for a few moments before letting go. He’s one of those that his touch lingers, his hands will slide up and down your arms, and almost pull you in for another before he’s stepping away. I: I love you (how fast do they say the L-word) It started with “I love when we get the chance to hang out”, or when you’re signing out of a multiplayer game at night a quick ‘love ya’ before the mic goes dead and his icon goes dark. You chalk it up to friendship. He’s comfortable with those select few that see past the introvert habits—you’ve heard him say it to Phoenix and the others when you all leave the bar for the night. He says it to his friends, it’s a way to express his affections. You decide to test the theory one day. It’s late, he’s sprawled out on your couch, x-box controller in hand, too tired to drive back to the barracks. You shut the system off, get to your feet, and drape a blanket over him. Your heart is beating so fast you feel like it’s going to burst from your chest. “Love you.”  He says. His hand closes around your wrist, and you feel the press of his lips against your palm. “It’s okay if you don’t want to say it back, but I need to say it every chance I get. Just so you know.” That night you find out that the two of you can sleep comfortably on the couch, and the sound of his heartbeat in your ear is the sweetest lullaby. J: Jealousy (how jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?) He doesn’t. Sure, he’ll express envy at certain times, but he doesn’t get jealous. Yes, he’s quiet and introverted, but he knows what he’s doing. He has you, doesn’t he? He doesn’t mind if you dance with other men, or chat with them at the bar. He’s not a dancer, and if its something you want to do, he’s not going to deny you that happiness. K: Kisses (what are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?) Give this man a forehead kiss and watch him melt. On the other hand, he is down for a sloppy make out session that leaves you both panting and unable to think of anything but the feel of each other’s mouth. He’ll pull you close, one hand at the small of your back challenging you to keep up. He likes to leave his mark on that soft skin at the hollow of your throat. L: Little ones (how are they around children?) He's got a literal shit load of nephews and nieces. His siblings reproduce like bunnies, and he dotes on them all. Realistically he can’t be there for every ball game, recital, birthday etc., but he calls or video chats. He sends cards and has many group chats with the older kiddos. When he manages to make it home for holidays he’s often tackled and pounced upon by a hoard of excited kids. He's the youngest of a large family, and he wants kids of his own. He’s got a couple single female friends with kids, and he’s a good male stand in.

M: Mornings (How are mornings spent with them?) On his days off getting this man out of bed is an act of God to be honest. There’s actual protest, pleas of ‘ten more minutes’ or even ignoring your efforts outright. He has been known to shuffle into the kitchen in his boxers and t-shirt grab a box of cereal and go back to the bedroom eating it dry by the handful in the safety and warmth of the covers. When he’s on duty he’s up an hour or so before report time. He showers, shaves, eats breakfast and reads the paper. He’ll set the coffee pot to brew for when you need to be up. He’ll leave you a note on the wipe off board on the fridge, kiss you on the cheek or forehead before he leaves. N: Night (How are nights spent with them?) When he’s feeling particularly social, or the squad wants him to come out, he’ll go out and drink. He doesn’t drink a lot; he’ll nurse a couple of beers. Play pool, darts, and watch everything that’s going on around him. If he stays in and again is feeling social, games. Board games, video games, tabletop games in person or on discord. His favorite way to spend the evening is curled up next to you on the couch, playing something on x-box with you playing with him, or you doing your own thing. He wants to be near you. O: Open (when would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?) There’s layers to Bob. To get through them takes patience and time. He’s an introvert, private person and fiercely protective of the people he keeps close to him. Once you’re through, he talks about everything and anything. He likes to talk when you’re doing something else, playing games together, cooking, doing the dishes, late night drives or walks. The way he talks about the people in his life, you feel like you know them, long before you get to meet them. P: Patience (How easily angered are they?) Frustrated, often. Angry, not that often. He’s got a lot of patience and is slow to anger. His irritation generally stays at frustration, and he’ll snap at the subject of his irritation. He does have a nasty habit of getting even though once he’s reached the anger threshold. Q: Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing or do they kind of forget everything?) His career is high stakes and detail oriented. This spills into his day-to-day life. He remembers birthdays, anniversaries, firsts that you share together. He’ll send you little text messages reminding you of your first kiss, the first time you stayed the night. The first time he went to work with hickies on his neck and forgot about it. (You paid for that one, not that you’re complaining). He’s the one that will send a “Don’t forget you’re meeting xx after work today. Love you” if you leave the house in the morning in a hurry. R: Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?) “Are you ready for this?” It’s just the two of you in the elevator. You study his reflection in the mirrored doors, taking in the brilliant white of his uniform, splashes of color from service ribbons and medals. He’s standing at his full height, a quiet confidence there. He smiles, reaching for your hand, fingers interlocking with yours. “Are you? They can be…” He pauses, “A lot.” “It’s a bunch of fighter pilots and their supervisors. I expected it to be a lot.” He brings your linked hands up, kissing the back of your hand. “They’re going to be all over you.” “I’d rather have you all over me.” You’re rewarded by the flash of color high on his cheeks as he shakes his head softly. “I promise you that will happen later.” The elevator comes to a stop, the doors opening with a soft ping. The sounds of a string quartet blending with the din of conversation hits you first. Bob keeps a hold of your hand as you step out of the elevator. Navy service men in their formal finery, their partners equally beautiful are chatting in small groups. Round tables with white linens, flowers, place cards and table settings are toward the back of the room. Waitstaff move amongst the crowd holding trays of champagne and appetizers. The elegance takes your breath away, giving you pause. Bob squeezes your hand, leaning over to kiss your temple. “You look amazing.” He whispers. “I’m proud to have you by my side, thank you.” Over the sound of a violin, you hear a woman’s voice call out “Bob!” She’s also in her white uniform smiling widely, waving the two of you over. There’s an answering chorus of “Bob!” from the uniformed men next to her. You’re introduced to his flight partner, a woman named Natasha, or Phoenix, who hugs you tightly before grinning up at Bob and hugging him as well. A clean-shaven man with a wicked smirk drapes his arm over Bob’s shoulders and mutters something to him, causing your boyfriend to flush and roll his eyes. A flash of money passing between Phoenix and the mustached pilot, Rooster as Bob ducks out of the hold. Their call signs are familiar, and its almost as if you already knew them from the stories Bob had told you. S: Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?) He is very protective. He watches you in public, keeping an eye on where you are in the crowd. He knows who you’re talking to, or who is going with you when you go out with your friends. When you’re walking together in town, he’s a step or two behind you, letting you shine, but he’s keeping an eye on the surroundings. When you go to restaurants, his chair is against the wall, and you’re on the inside when you sit in booths. You often find yourself stepping in when people get too close to him or overwhelm him with conversation/presence/physical closeness. You don’t have to speak for him, but you’ll interrupt so he can get a word in edgewise, or if there’s something wrong with an order at a restaurant. T: Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?) He's a romantic. He leaves post-it notes of sweet things, sends you photos of cute animals, or things that you’d like. He’s a gift giver and there’s so much thought behind whatever he brings you. Dates, he puts some effort in, especially if it’s a night out. He’ll take you somewhere nice, or to the theater if there’s a movie or play you’ve been wanting to see. He does things for you without asking, and if you do ask him to do something, it’s done. U: Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?) If you wrong him, he gets back at you. Somehow. He’s also got the urge that most introverts have, to just up and disappear for a few days, cutting off all contact with the outside world. Typically, you can see this coming, and you brace yourself. He doesn’t mean to cut you off, it’s just that he literally cannot do anything with anyone for a little while. The first time this happens, you’re convinced that your relationship is over. You did something wrong, and rather than ending it, Bob ghosted you. When you ask mutual friends about it, they don’t have any insight, his phone going straight to voice mail, your text messages left unread. It was the source of your only full-blown argument when he wandered in three days later as if nothing happened. V: Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?) His hair is a little longer than regulation, but he keeps it slicked back enough that he doesn’t get flack for it. He’s one of those people that bodies are bodies, and he’s happy with his. He’s not entirely comfortable baring it all, so the glimpses you get of him when he’s fresh out of the shower, before he’s got his boxers on, are a rare treat. He takes care of himself. He’s got a couple tattoos on his back and torso. W: Whole (would they feel incomplete without you?) If you are his person, you are his person. It would take him a long time to get over you, and he’ll always love you, whether he’s in love with you or not. Y: Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?) Unwarranted malevolence. He is one who pays attention to how his partner or dates treat service workers. People being unkind—he understands that people don’t have to be nice but being unkind is something he doesn’t like. He doesn’t handle change well and needs an adjustment period. Partner wise, he can’t be with someone who doesn’t understand that at times he needs to be by himself without anything else. He needs someone who will allow him to escape when social situations get to be too much, or the day or two he needs to decompress when he comes home from a deployment before he can be yours. Z: Zzz (what is a sleep habit of theirs?) He sleeps in a t-shirt and boxers, fan going, normally on top of the blankets. He sleeps on his belly, face buried in the pillow and good lord does he snore. His bedroom is plain, queen-sized bed, blinds on the window which are always open, and halfway pulled up. He’s got his side of the bed, and it’s the one closest to the door. On a table next to the bed is his cell phone, watch, alarm clock, glasses and a water bottle. Most of the time when if he goes to ‘bed’ before you, you have to move a x-box controller out of the way or comic book or four. He likes it when you tell him that you sleep on his side of the bed when he's gone.