#gotta listen to the other two albums in that trilogy

[varian-ross-horror-author]

This is a genuine question; did something happen in the music world that's sparking all the posts about White People not listening to rap, or is it an ongoing discussion that's only hitting my dash now?

[randomvarious]

Today's mix:

Movement - Perpetual Drum & Bass Motion by Bryan Gee / Ray Keith 2000 Drum n Bass / Jungle

Whooo boy, this one here was absolute fire, folks! Back in 2000, Movement, one of the best club nights in the world for both drum n bass and jungle, decided that they were going to expand beyond the confines of their regular Bar Rumba venue in London and take their show out on the road. And in order to do that, they set up their own small label so they could release mixes, and used this super dope double-disc debut in particular to promote their upcoming inaugural tour.

So what we have here with this pretty slept-on release that I can't even find decent album art for (😩) are a pair of sets from consummate dnb legends: one from Bryan Gee, who along with Jumpin Jack Frost founded the stalwart V Recordings, and the other from Ray Keith, an early pioneer in the jungle and dnb scene too. Together, the two of them provide us with a glimpse of what a night at Movement sounded like, with Ray Keith laying down a more nostalgia-tinged 'classics' set, and Bryan Gee mixing up a slate of 'currents.'

But what might be confusing here is that, if you didn't know any better, you might get these two discs confused, because while Bryan Gee's mix is chronologically the more contemporary one, it really doesn't sound like it! My man strings together a whole bunch of deliciously chaotic jungle jams from a then-present day, but being that jungle was a predecessor to drum n bass in the first place, his selections make his set feel a whole lot more vintage than it actually is. And what's more is that you might think that the 'classics' disc would be the better of the two as well—because, well, they're classics!—but the newer disc that sounds older is definitely the better one here, because while Ray Keith does a good job of keeping things steadily chugging with a slew of similarly constructed dnb selections until his final, far more intense leg, it's Bryan Gee who goes full-on bananas with his session by leaning far more heavily into that raw, atom-splitting, junglist bliss 🫨.

There are a total of 19 tracks in Bryan Gee's mix, and from its fifth one—Krust's "Kloakin Device"—to its fifteenth—The Pedge's "Whats Up Now Partner"—he manages to unleash an absolute, brain-battering barrage of mostly y2k jungle fury, sublimely putting on full display why Movement was one of the greatest club nights in all of dance music at the time. Ray Keith's contribution here is pretty damn good, but Bryan Gee is just on a whole different level with his disc; and part of the run that makes his set so incredible includes a banger from Ray Keith himself too! Gotta love that!

And for those who might be unfamiliar with the sonic differences between jungle and drum n bass—a topic that is perpetually up for debate in and of itself—here's a 90s jungle playlist post I did sometime ago where I tried to explain it as best I could 😅.

Listen to CD1 here. Listen to CD2 here.

Highlights:

CD1:

Breakbeat Era - "Ultra Obscene" Shy FX - "Bambaata" Reprazent - "Brown Paper Bag" Marcus Intalex & ST Files - "How You Make Me Feel" Reprazent - "Watching Windows (DJ Die Mix)" Swift - "The One" Bad Company - "The Nine" Souljah - "Fade 2 Black" John B - "Salsa Remix" SS - "Lighter VIP 2000 AD" Renegade - "Terrorist (Dom & Roland Remix)" Digital & Spirit - "Phantom Force"

CD2:

Dragon - "Noodles" Q Project - "Champion Sound (Total Science Mix)" DJ Krust - "Kloakin Devices" Ray Keith - "LFO" Twisted Anger - "Dread Come 2 Conquer" Digital - "Ease Off" Phantom Audio - "Remote Control" Digital - "One Ton" Wots My Code - "Dub Plate (Total Science Mix)" Ram Trilogy - "Titan" Bad Company & DJ Trace - "Tumpa (Flashback)" The Pedge - "What's Up Now Partner" Supply & Demand - "Love the One You're With" J Majik Feat Kathy Brown - "Love Is Not a Game (Original Mix)" Solid State - "Just a Vision (Marcus Intalex & ST Files Mix)" Peshay - "Nu Jack Swing"

[junecast-moonfast]

helloooo this is your santa!!! i hope you had a great weekend :)))

i'm happy you like johnny cash's album! to bo perfectly honest, i don't think i'd like this album as much as i do if it weren't live, as you said, it adds so so much to it.

i recommend count basie, he's my favorite big band director i think!! you should listen to his album prime time, and especially the music "bundle o'funk" which is, as said in the title, very funk with still old school jazz elements (it's my favorite music from the album) ; also "lady be good" by mel tormé (my fav jazz singer, he sure knows how to scat). if you want to listen to pre-60s jazz, i recommend count basie (again), duke ellington ; i love benny carter, zoot sims, wynton kelly, curtis fuller, to name a few :^)

that's also how i discovered rhps!! there are not many movies that run at a shadow cast i believe, at least i've never seen or heard about any other movie that way. oooh very 70s queer-coded movies i see ahah! my favorite movies are mainly the back to the future trilogy, we used to watch them on vhs with my brothers every summer, the three in a row. i guess i love them so much bc of nostalgia but also bc i think it's very well written and fun

how did you get into """old""" music? what/who was your first favorite band/musician?

see you later!

Hii! I hope you had a good weekend as well :D It really seemed to fly by lol

I listened to Prime Time and I really enjoyed it! Bundle O’Funk, The Great Debate, and Ya Gotta Try were all so fun, and I really loved Featherweight. I can definitely see me adding this album, and more of Count Basie’s work, into my regular rotation of jazz music :D I’ll also be sure to listen to Mel Tormé at work tomorrow!

My local cast actually put on a Shadow Cast performance of Shock Treatment, and it was amazing! I’ve heard of Repo! The Genetic Opera, Reefer Madness, and Dr. Horrible being shadow casted, but unfortunately they’re very uncommon. I’ve only heard of them being done at conventions, RKO Con specifically I think.

I’ve only seen the first Back to The Future movie, but I remember really liking it, so might have to binge watch the other two over winter break. :D

My parents played a lot of classic rock growing up, so I picked up a lot of music from them. I remember really liking the Beatles as a kid.

Once I got into middle school I kinda strayed away from older music. I mostly listened to emo, indie, vaporwave, and folk, but I did still have a soft spot for Pink Floyd.

It was only until early high school that I got back into older music. During lockdown I got really into Guitar Hero, and it got me back into a lot of 80’s bands like Talking Heads, DEVO, Squeeze. I also ended up getting back into The Beatles, mainly their late 60’s stuff like Sgt. Pepper’s and Abbey Road.

The way I got into 70’s music is kinda funny. I was looking up Roxy Lalonde on Pinterest (I hate to admit it, but I was a Homestuck fan), and a picture of Roxy Music came 14 year old me was like, “Woah!! Those guys look so cool!!!” so I started listening to them lol. From there I listened to whatever people in the YT comment sections recommended, and that led me down the prog rabbit hole.

How about you? How’d you get into older music? Also, I remember that you brought up Pink Floyd and the Beatles yesterday, what would you say are your favorite songs/albums by them? I hope you have a good night! :D

[straykidsupdate]

Stray Kids Aim to Reach A Global Audience with Relatable Take on K-pop: 'Stray is Okay'

“Not all those who wander are lost,” is a quote from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring, but it may as well be a slogan for K-pop boy band Stray Kids.

The act has spent the last few years carving out a niche for themselves in the K-pop world, gathering and inspiring their fans, known collectively as Stay. With several producers in the team, Stray Kids have released a multitude of albums since then that feature songs that are both riotous and introspective, energetic and motivational. The eight-member act, which started out in 2018 as a nonet but saw one member depart last year, recently completed their Clé album trilogy, and debuted their first-ever all-English songs earlier this year amid a world tour that will see them hit up dozens of cities across Asia, North America, and Europe.

While in New York City for the first show of their 2020 District 9: Unlock World Tour, the members of Stray Kids sat down with Billboard backstage ahead of their concert at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden to discuss their career, the Clé album series, and their artistic vision.

How’s New York treating you guys?

Bang Chan: It’s like our third time in New York, but every time we find something new. Hyunjin and Seungmin went to Times Square and they took a lot of photos and stuff. Every time we come, it’s always great.

How do you feel about 2020 so far?

[Members gasp exaggeratedly.]

Felix: Excited. What else? Not only excited, but we look forward to 2020 because it is our first world tour. Bang Chan: True. Felix: We really want to show our much improved sides. We haven’t really shown much of what we’ve prepared so we’re really looking forward to showing that at the concert.

How do you feel you’ve grown since you performed in the U.S. last year?

Bang Chan: Well, I got a little taller. [Members laugh] I’m joking… Throughout the years, without even us knowing, we’ve improved skill wise and just getting used to the stage. Just the fact that we’re able to do a world tour with our own concert is an improvement itself, so I guess 2020 is another year for a lot of improvement so we’re getting ready for that.

What are you looking forward to the most on this tour?

Felix: Meeting our fans, it’s been such a long time since we met them. We do look forward to meeting them and seeing how cheerful they are. It’s very memorable. Bang Chan: It’s been around seven months since we last came to the U.S. Seven, eight months.

I.N: It’s really exciting because we’re going to a lot of different, new cities.

You just released “Double Knot” and “Levanter” in English. Why did you opt to release these two songs as your first English-language releases?

Bang Chan: I suppose it was an opportunity for us, because we’ve never released a full English track. But to have this opportunity to do that -- especially because there’s a lot of international Stays as well -- getting closer to them through these full English songs was really a great opportunity and chance for us.

Was there a reason you picked these songs in particular? 

Bang Chan: Well, they are our most recent releases. But because, especially with “Double Knot,” sound wise it’s really strong and confident, and we wanted to share that with Stay. And “Levanter,” it’s kind of got a different vibe to “Double Knot” so it’s the perfect one-plus-one package. 

Was it a different experience for Stray Kids as a team to approach creating songs in English? Some members speak English and there is an ample mount of English in your songs, but linguistic differences always affect things, so was it at all difficult?  

Hyunjin: Because my rap was all in English and it had a lot of speed to it, it was a little bit challenging. After recording it and listening to it, it felt really refreshing. It sounded like something new even though it was challenging to get through the recording at first. But after doing that, and doing the whole song in English, it felt like we were taking a step closer to our global fans. Felix: Getting to perform in English [on Kelly & Ryan and Good Day New York] was pretty cool. Very new. Very, “Oh wow, I’m not singing in Korean. Now I’m doing it in English.” It seems pretty cool. It was interesting. Bang Chan: I wrote the lyrics for “Double Knot,” cause the Korean version these two boys [points to Changbin and Han, who are credited with Bang Chan as co-lyricists on that version] wrote such good lyrics and I wanted to keep the meaning. So I was really trying my best to save the meanings they originally had, and try to translate it as close as possible without ruining the rap flow or the melody and stuff. It was a bit hard at first but luckily the song came out well, the boys recorded it really well. I was kind of proud of that. Thanks everyone.

In many of your songs, you sing motivationally about being yourself, expressing yourself, and share the intent to go towards goals and dreams. Why are these themes that you revisit time and time again?

Changbin: We tend to write about songs with that type of theme because a lot of people in the world, just like us, have goals and dreams that they’re running towards. So by writing songs that can relate to these people, we hope to give them strength and support through that, as well as give that to ourselves too.

Are there any lyrics from your songs that you’re thinking about a lot lately?

Changbin: I didn’t write this part in “Miroh,” but I think about it a lot. “It’s not hard, in this rough jungle/ It was me who ran into it, I’m okay.” Han: In “Grow Up,” that hook part where we say “you’re doing fine,” that’s something that I think about a lot because it gives me a lot of strength. I.N: I didn’t write this, but in “My Side” there’s a lyric- Bang Chan: [translating}: “I hope these lyrics touch your ears.” I.N: I think about that a lot.

Based on that lyric... How do you feel about the fact that maybe the lyrics aren’t reaching your listeners ears, since many don’t understand Korean or, with the new songs, English without a translation? 

Bang Chan: For me, it’s pretty funny. And they [the members] may not know this as well. But sometimes I listen to Indian music, sometimes I listen to Spanish music as well, usually from Spain. Honestly, I have no idea what they’re saying. But I dunno, just the vibe of the song and how the person actually sings it, I get a lot of different feelings as well. That kind of makes me want to find out what the lyrics actually mean, and what the singer really wants to say through the song. I do understand that there may be Stays that may just listen to our songs but not understand the lyrics, and I completely understand how that feels as well. So just want to put that out there. [Laughs] Han: People may not understand the message completely but, while there’s strength obviously in lyrics there is also strength in the melody and just the song in general as well. We do think about that as we perform and sing these songs because there are different ways you can gain strength through music, the lyrics are just one element.

In the Clé album series, you went kind of grittier, darker, sometimes industrial, and just generally more experimental than some of your prior releases. Where did you draw inspiration from?

Bang Chan: I think you’re probably talking about “Side Effects,” and also “Maze of Memories” which is really gritty as well. For “Maze of Memories,” it was pretty fast. We wrote it pretty fast. The lyrics go really deep. But we wanted to try a really raw -- If you listen to the song, the rhythm changes, the BPM changes, the vibes of the song changes, the instruments change as well. I dunno. We just felt like through this Clé series, especially Clé 1 where “Miroh” talks about just going for a new challenge with a lot of confidence. With that being said, we wanted to make a song like “Maze of Memories” really experimental.

You said it took a short period of time to write the song, but what does that mean exactly? How long is your songwriting process usually like that that was considered fast? 

Han: It’s always different, every song. On average maybe 4-5 hours. Bang Chan: If everything flows smoothly. And we have to do the guide as well. With a guide, like six-plus hours.

You talked a bit about what you wanted for Clé 1, but now that you’ve finished the entire series, what do you want listeners to take away from the sonic era as a whole? 

Changbin: We told a lot of stories through the Clé series. There were a lot of moments where we had a lot of confidence, and ones where there’s a lot of confusion, a lot of thoughts running through our head. A lot of people are going through that same thing as well, when they’re going through a lot of confusing thoughts in their heads. So we wanted to relate to other people going through that. I was kind of hoping that when people listen to this series, they can overcome those moments together [with us] by relating to each other. 

Are these feelings that you’re feeling as well?

Changbin: Of course. I feel like everybody goes through that at some point. 

You released a lot of music videos throughout the Clé series. How do you feel the visual elements help relay your lyrical messages, if at all?

Bang Chan: Last year, we had so many music videos. But if I had to pick some, for example “Side Effects” itself has a lot of... Seungmin: ...Easter eggs. Bang Chan: Yea, easter eggs. Especially for “Levanter,” it has a lot of easter eggs. Everything has its own meaning. I guess we know what it’s really about, and it is kind of difficult but it’s always fun to know what Stays think about it as well, because Stays do have a hard time trying to really solve what the music video is actually talking about. Even at a fansign event, they’ll be like, “So what does this video mean?” Like, “No, you gotta find out for yourself.” It’s kind of really fun to just know that Stays are trying to solve what the music videos are actually talking about. Changbin: It’s like, “You should guess.” Felix: It’s a challenge. Bang Chan: It’s like Inception. Cause there may be a meaning that we want to put into the music video as well, but for some people they could take it in a totally different way, but that could be their own answer if you know what I mean.

You shared your “Mixtape: Gone Days” at the end of last year, what did you want people to reflect on when listening to the song?

Bang Chan: It was a word play on “Gone Days,” as in days that have passed by and “kkondae(꼰대).” Seungmin: A little joke in Korean. Bang Chan: Yea, it’s a joke in Korean saying like, “old people.” But what I wanted to say was just, you know, the whole thing, really shortened, is, “The past is the past and, you know don’t really worry on the past too much and just focus on now. The future will come based on what you do now.” I think that’s what I wanted to say.

Was that a message you wanted to give your Stays at the end of 2019?

Bang Chan: I suppose so, because even if a lot of things have happened... Especially in 2019 there were quite a lot of things that happened. But in the end, they will be memories to us and we might learn a lot from them. Those days aren’t going to come back. Because we’ve learned so much from what has happened, we can focus on how to improve a better feature. I think that’s what I wanted to tell Stays. 

We’re moving into 2020, and you mentioned that quite a lot happened in 2019, and changes often lead to stress and anxiety so how do you face any hardships that come your way? Any advice for fans?

 Felix: I do feel that there will always be hardships, and it’s not always easy at first for everyone to overcome a situation. But, then again, once you have the help and support from someone, or even if you try yourself, eventually there will be a time when you can overcome that loop or that hope, that wall. I always think that there’s positivity, and there’s always a chance to break through. Always have a good ending. I don’t worry too much. I always think that it’s a challenge and I’ll be able to overcome it. 

You have released a lot of “Mixtape” tracks, both on and off albums, so is there any difference between “Mixtape” songs versus non-“Mixtape” songs? Is there an obvious thing that I’m just missing? 

Bang Chan: Uhhh…. It’s not obvious. I think the slight difference that it is, is that we can be a bit more experimental with mixtapes. More comfortable, freer. I think that’s it. 

You don’t think your other music is experimental?

Bang Chan: Oh, no! Like “Side Effects” was crazy experimental. I think, augh. What is the difference?? It’s hard to explain. I guess it depends on how you package it, I think. Give me a moment... 

You finished the Clé series, so what are you working on now? 

Bang Chan: There’s a lot. Changbin: We are making a lot of new stuff, and we can’t go into too much detail but we will say that it’s going to be another chance for us to show people, Stays, a lot of different sides to us so you can expect a lot from that.

Your name is “Stray Kids,” and in English “stray” means extra, lost, wandering, things like that. So a few years into your career, touring the world, do you feel that you’re still “Stray” Kids?

Hyunjin: Because we’re “Stray” there are so many roads that we can take, there are many options. Because we’re kind of lost. Because of that, we can also create our own paths, making roads that have not been taken yet thing. Being “stray” isn’t a bad thing. Bang Chan: I want to continue off of Hyunjin. People may think that “stray” isn’t a very positive word, but through being Stray Kids we’d like to make that being stray is okay.

To end off on something kind of fun, what is each Stray Kids member’s song pick for a Stray Kids playlist?

I.N: I’m going to say two. “My Side” and “Victory Song.” Bang Chan: Oh no, they’ll take everything away. Ah… [Felix laughs evilly.] Lee Know: “Sunshine” and “19.” Seungmin: For me, I’m going to pick “You Can STAY.” Felix: I’m going to say “Levanter.” Han: “Levanter” and “Stop.” Bang Chan: I got it, I got it! “Miroh!” Felix: I left you that one. Changbin: “Gone Days.” Hyunjin: I like “Voices.”

This interview was conducted in both Korean and English, and edited for clarity.

[devil-kindred]

Get to Know Me - raisinghellinotherworlds

Saw @pd3 do this and though I’d give it a go!

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1. Name : Siren (it’s a pseudonym!)

2. Nationality: American

3. Age: 27

4. Birthday: January 29th

5. Zodiac sign (or your primal zodiac sign): Aquarius

6. Gender: Female

7. Sexuality: Heterosexual

More below the cut

[[MORE]]

8. Your looks (add a picture or describe yourself)

For the record this is the only recent picture of myself I like and this is about as much of my face as you’ll ever see bc I know my angles.

9. What do you/did you study?: I went to school for a Bachelors in Arts with and emphasis on Sciences but never finished it bc 1) college is expensive and 2) I don’t know what I want to do career-wise so there’s not a point in going back anymore.

10. What’s your current job like?/What job would you like to have?: I’m a service desk associate at a department store. Something where I could deal with less people bc boy does this job push my patience sometimes.

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11. What is your birth order?: Firstborn/Oldest.

12. How many siblings do you have?: Technically four, but only two living.

13. Do you have good relations with your family?: My immediate family. My siblings are closer to each other (but they’re only two years apart) but we get along. I also have a good relationship with my parents though I’m not as close to my mom as I could be it’s hard to forget the not nice things your parent say to you as a kid.

14. How many friends do you have?: Lots though only a few I see/talk to on a regular basis.

15. Your relationship status: Single.

16. What do you look for in a SO?: Intelligent, kind, has a sense of humor.

17. Do you have a crush?: I guess.

18. When was your first kiss?: WHY *sighs* I was... 25.

19. Do you prefer serious and meaningful relationships or casual dating/one night stands?: I’ve... never been in an actual relationship? I’d like to say serious.

20. What are your deal breakers? Being rude, cheating, and treating me like a child/you know what’s best for me/someone in need of saving (new flash, i am not your princess peach/some damsel in distress. If you need to rescue someone I am not your girl).

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21. How was your day?: It’s still early into the day and I go to work in about an hour and a half and I get to close so we’ll see!

22. Favourite food & drink: French Fries. Or anything with potatoes. I’m a fiend. And Dr. Pepper or Coffee.

23. What position do you sleep in?: On my side/stomach on the part of the bed that’s against the wall.

24. What was your last dream about?: It was... highly NSFT and no, I will not go into detail.

25. Your fears: I’m not a fan of spiders or bugs of any kind really, I hate clowns, and I don’t like thunderstorms. Or tornados.

26. Your dreams: Move, either out of state or out of the country.

27. Your goals: See above.

28. Any pets?: A bird, Momo.

29. What are your hobbies?: Writing, playing video games, and reading (fanfic or books)

30. Any cool places in your area?: I’m sure there are but I live in a town surrounded by corn and other farmland so... it’s anyone’s best guess.

31. What was your last awkward situation?: The other day when a customer stared at me for a solid three minutes when I explained that due to the pandemic we’re no longer offering one of our services in an effort to reduce contact.

32. What is your last regret?: That I didn’t realize the true nature of some people who I no longer speak to sooner.

33. Language/s you can speak: English, Spanish (I’m so rusty though), a little bit of French, and a teeny tiny bit of Japanese.

34. Do you believe in astrological stuff? (Zodiac, tarot, etc.): I believe in my many things so yes.

35. Have any quirks?: Uh... I mess with my hair when I’m nervous? & the more nervous I get my (already high) voice gets higher and will go up several octaves the more nervous I get?

36. Your pet peeves: People in my apartment building slamming the front door all the damn time.

37. Ideal vacation: Somewhere with nice scenery and where it’s calm.

38. Any scars?: Quite a few small ones on my head from a car accident when I was just a baby (I went through a window- got a few scrapes but other than that was unharmed) and one on my hand (it’s on both sides of my hand too) from when I was toddler and got bit by a dog.

39. What does your last text message say?: “I’ll let you know when I get some gameplay posted!” I have a sideblog for casual TS4 gameplay. Was telling a friend that I was going to post new stuff soon.

40. Last 5 things from your search history: No thanks! It’s all just checking if a word is really a word and spelling anyways.

41. What’s your [Device] background?: Lockscreen is a wallpaper from FFXV ft. The Chocobros; Hope Screen is Sam & Evie.

42. What do you daydream about?: Writing mostly.

43. Describe your dream home: Decent amount of space, a library room to hold all my books... good lighting, comfy.... preferably NOT in the middle of nowhere.

44. What’s your religion/Your thought about religion: I am not a fan. Particularly of Christianity but everyone has their own beliefs and in that regard, to each their own. Just don’t try to convert me bc the answer is f*ck no.

45. Your personality type: INFP.

46. The most dangerous thing you’ve done?: Climbed onto the roof of the shed when I was little because I got something stuck up there.

47. Are you happy with your current life?: For the most part!

48. Some things you’ve tried in your life: Gymnastics, Ballet, etc.

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49. What does your wardrobe consist of?: Lots of t-shirts, jeans, shorts, flats, boots, etc.

50. Favourite colour to wear?: Black or Blue.

51. How would you describe your style?: Extremely casual.

52. Are you happy with your current looks?: Kinda? I really need to cut my hair because it’s gotten so long it’s annoying. But I can put up with it until it’s safe again bc pandemic. My hair is not that important I assure you.

53. If you could change/add something to your appearance - impossible or not - what would it be?: Oh God, could I be taller? Like at least 5’3”? Which is still teeny but better than my 4’9” ass.

Do you have any piercings or tattoos?: I have 3 piercings and three tattoos (two finished, one in progress)

55. Do you get complimented often?: Maybe? I’m oblivious to the point that you could have a flashing neon sign with the compliment written on it and it would probably still go over my head.

56. Favourite aesthetic?: Biker Chic!

57. A popular trend that you dislike: Neon.

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58. Songs you’re currently obsessed with?: Blessed Be - Spiritbox.

59. Song you normally wouldn’t admit you like: If I like a song, I like it. But if I have to pick one, I know everyone hates Despacitio. I know, ok but I really like the original version bc I like the sound. Latin music always has a fun groove to it.

60. Favourite genre?: Rock & Metal.

61. Favourite artist/band/genre?: Type O Negative, Pallbearer, Ice Nine Kills. Give me all the goth rock/metal and just fun metal in general.

62. Hated popular songs/artists?: Oh boy... don’t hate me but I um... don’t care too much for T Swift? And I’m not a fan of country.

63. Put your music on shuffle and list first 5: Devil’s // Door - VCTMS, Karasu - The GazettE, Path - Apocalyptica, I Walk the Line - Halsey, Drumming Song - Florence + the Machine

64. Can you sing or play any instruments?: I can kinda play bass but I’m still learning so it’s just like... the very bare basics.

65. Do you like karaoke?: I’m very self-conscious so no.

66. Own any albums?: Yes, though majority are digital.

67. Do you listen to radio? What stations?: Yes. I have it on for background noise in my room in which case I don’t pay attention to it, but I have XM radio in my car where I listen to Octane/Liquid Metal/Turbo.

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68. Favourite movie/series?: The Dark Knight trilogy or Hellraiser or Nightbreed.

69. Favourite genre of movies/books/etc: Horror, Sci-fi, and fantasy.

70. Your fictional crush/es: Too many. Look at my OCs and their SO’s and you’ll find a bunch of them.

71. Which fictional character is you?: My friends would say Mira Jane from Fairy Tail. My bestie says Mercedes from Fire Emblem Three Houses (minus the devout part bc... I do not have nice feelings re-religion. You do you though!).

72. Are you a shipper? List your otps, if so: Yes, and once again you’ll be reading for eternity. So I’ll sum it up as too many to list.

73. Favourite greek god?: Apollo.

74. A legend from where you live that you like: It’s said that before big disasters happen in the town I live in + the surrounding areas, that you’ll see a panther. Supposedly one has been seen before at least 4 different bad things that have happened over the years. I’m in the midwest though so take that as you will.

75. Do you like art?: I do but I don’t really have a favorite. ... I am kinda partial to Van Gogh though.

76. Can you share your other social media?: I have a Pinterest but since my other social media has my name (which I also share with an OC whoops. That’s what I get for being indecisive and going the first name the name generator gave me) I’d rather not. If you ask and we’re friends I’ll probably give it to you but...

77. Favourite youtubers?: I don’t really watch too many anymore but I’ve been watching a lot of jacksepticeye’s gameplay. Aside that I tend to just watch channels like PlayStation Access or Outsidexbox.

78. Favourite platform?: Instagram

79. How much time do you spend on the internet?: More than I should, I’m sure.

80. What video games have you played? Which one’s your favourite? Uh, if I had to list them all you’d literally be reading this for eternity. To sum it up, I mostly play RPGs/JRPGs, open-world, survival horror (my fave), and a few (emphasis on few) FPS. Favorites are (once again with a limit): Bioshock, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Until Dawn, Silent Hill 2, and Fatal Frame.

81. Your favourite books (manga also counts): do you know how f*cking hard this question is as someone who’s a bookworm? Ok, ok um... Gotta have a limit or I’ll never shut up... um... Three favorites: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Horns by Joe Hill, and American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

82. Do you play board/card games?: On occasion! They’re best with bigger groups but alas, my apartment is rather small and I don’t have a lot of space for multiple people so I don’t play them often.

83. Have you ever been to a night marathon in cinema? No, but it sounds fun.

84. Favourite holiday: Halloween!

85. Are you into dramas?: As in, tv dramas? Kinda? I have a friend on lived in SK for a time and got into K-dramas so I watch them with her from time-to-time when she visits.

Would you use a Death Note if you had one?: No.

87. What changes would you make in the world, no matter how impossible, if you had the power to?: Oh boy... make everyone get along, ensure everyone could live their life to the best possible, etc.

88. Could you survive a zombie apocalypse?: Possibly.

89. If you had to be turned into a paranormal being, what would it be?: I’m going with mythical instead of strictly paranormal but... a vampire!

90. What would you want to happen to you after your death?: As in to my body? Cremate me. To my stuff, give my books to a good home and take care of my bird.

91. If you had to change your name, what would be your pick?: Most people call me by my middle name already since I got tired of people calling me the wrong name (& I like my middle name better) and insisting my first name was actually a nickname (it’s not, it’s the same as the musician I’m named after) so if I were to eventually be bothered enough, I’d have it legally changed to my middle name.

92. Who would you switch your life with for a week?: I don’t know to be honest. I’m fairly happy with my life so I think I’d just not switch.

93. Pick an emoji to be your tattoo: 🌊

94. Write 3 things about yourself - only one of them must be true: I took karate classes for several years, I’ve never dyed my hair, I’ve had two jobs thus far.

-

95. Cold or hot?: Cold I guess? If we’re talking in reference to seasons give me cool (aka Fall).

96. Be a hero or be a villain?: Hero because being a villain would mean I’d have to be mean to people and I can’t even pick the mean options in video games without feeling guilty so...

97. Sing everything you want to say or rhyme?: um... no? I’m not quite certain what this means but I’m going to go with no?

98. Shapeshifting or controlling time?: Shapeshifting!

99. Be immortal or be immune to everything aside from natural death?: Immortal.

[mcrmadness]

Oooo, how about two from each of them? Fanfic asks: J and P, film asks: 15 and 16, music asks: 20 and 26.

OMG thanks!!! :DDD

Ask games: Fanfic asks, Film asks and Music asks. (People you can still send me asks if you want, asks are fun to answer to!)

***

FANFIC ASKS:

A little background before we get to the questions: I haven’t written too many, actually only 6 quite short ones (and one of them is a bit longer than usual) about Die Ärzte (Bela/Farin FTW) and all of these I have written between the years 2009 and 2012, so I was 18-21 which means they are not that good. And there’s lots of things I wouldn’t write anymore. I also have a WIP on my computer, I started it in 2012 but stopped writing altogether only to start writing again in the end 2018, it has bit over 28k words currently and tbh I have written 90% of that when I started writing again two years ago. I still have my old ones up on LiveJournal (ask for a link), but I haven’t published anything fron this later one as I’ve just been writing down all kinds of snippets whenever I have had an inspiration. I think those are also a lot better in quality than what I wrote before, the old ones are quite cringey.

J. What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

I guess we talk about those fics I have also finished, now. It’s actually hard to decide but I would say my favourite is either Why not even once? or The Boring Book Freak. I think the latter is actually The favourite.

The first one (was actually my second dä ff overall) is set to happen in 2003 and in that one Farin is leaving for another vacation somewhere and Bela wants to go with him, but Farin wants to travel alone and Bela is struggling with that, as well as with Farin finally leaving and having to somehow survive his time at home without Farin there. The writing itself is bit stupid and I feel that the end got bit too far but otherwise I like the idea.

The second one (came actually after the previous one) is set to happen in the early/mid 90s (my fave Bela/Farin era btw) and on that they just are at some random summer cottage. Now, fuck cottagecores and such, I wrote it because summer cottages are a thing in Finland and I wrote it when cottagecore was not even cool yet. Somehow I imagined that it would be very Farin-like to rent a cottage from the middle of nowhere, in a forest and then spend a weekend or so there with Bela. Who then is not entertained at all and is bored because Farin won’t put away his book and won’t give him any attention, so he tries everything to get Farin’s attention. I especially like the visual images this fanfic gives to me, I can see their hairs and outfits so well and those are also aesthetically very pleasing. (They look the same as in that Absolut Live interview from the 90s, I don’t control their looks with my fics usually, I just have an idea and then my brain creates how they look in that particular scene :D)

I have also written a short songfic around the lyrics of their song “Ich weiß nicht (ob es Liebe ist)” and it was fun to imagine that as Bela/Farin. That was fun to write.

This got a bit long so I put the rest under a cut:

P. What are your favorite tropes to write?

(Had to google what a trope is lol. I’m old-school and no longer know most of the terms unless they’re old terms.)

Angst - I put my own angst, sadness and angriness into my writing often. It’s when I feel like in real life I would need other people but I don’t know how to reach out or don’t just feel comfortable about opening up, I open up a file and start writing. This is also where we get to the next trope...

Hurt/Comfort - But not so that X hurts Y, but that Y feels hurt for other reasons and then X comforts them. I kinda got obsessed with this theme after being bullied at school so I was always hurt but never comforted, so I often go back to those feels and emotions with my text to look for that comfort (hug, nice words, whatever) I never got in real life.

Fluff - This is bit complicated because I like writing fluff but I also hate reading fluff I have written. Because it does not sound like me. And sometimes when I write, I feel like standing behind my own back and vomiting a little on the inside because of how cheesy and disgusting that is but still I can’t stop writing. And then I feel like a different person when I read them because I can’t believe it’s ME who wrote them. The same way when I watch movies and people kiss, I always look away. And I want to look away when I read my fanfiction. But I can’t, especially because I know I looked at that scene in my head when I wrote it.

Humour - I love humour so much and I like to include this to my writing. Normally I put the humour in my comics but some of that fits also in the regular texts too.

***

FILM ASKS:

These are super tough but also fun - I have been trying to think of what to answer to these for days.

15. A film everyone loves but you hate?

The Avengers (-12). Sorry but not sorry. Well I don’t hate it but I don’t understand why everyone says it’s the best Marvel movie ever. It’s not. It’s full of clichés and stupid forced heteroromances and whatnot and the plot was just so, so predictive I don’t understand why it’s often talked about as some sort of cinematic master piece. I literally was able to tell everything that was gonna happen next when I watched it for the first time. Only cool things in that movie are Loki and Iron Man, whose character I already liked as I had seen the Iron Man movie and liked it. But I hated both Thor movies (the third one is awesome tho). 

I like Marvel and I have seen I guess most of the movies - before MCU all good Marvel movies to come out were The X-Men movies and Spider-Man movies, and because I saw so many terrible Marvel movies, I was avoiding the whole MCU and I got into these movies much later and still, after seeing them all, I say The Avengers is one of the worst ones. Thor and Thor 2 are pretty much even worse (and I haven’t even seen the Hulk movie because it looks terrible), mainly because I just can’t stand the fact they’re mainly just built around Thor and his love interest...

16. A film you love but everyone else hates?

Spider-Man 3 (or the whole trilogy with Tobey Maguire). I see we continue with Marvel here but seriously I don’t understand why everyone is always picking on Tobey’s version of Spider-Man? And people especially hate the third movie and how Venom was portrayed in it (I’m obsessed with Venom’s human teeth pls I want his teeth), when it’s actually the best one for me. The second one is bit boring because it was again all about whining and Mary-Jane... Anyway, the reason why I am so attached to these movies is that I saw the first Spider-Man movie from TV when I was a teenager and in junior high myself, and I was bullied and a bit of a nerd so I could relate to Peter Parker a lot, and it gave me just so much strength to see him become Spider-Man and to stand up against the bullies and other assholes.

I also saw the third movie in the movie theater and there was one scene during which I started hysterically laughing with my friend because of an expression Tobey made as he was sitting on a bed, I don’t know why but somehow I just totally lost it at that :D It still makes me laugh so much when I see it! And when the movie ended, I heard a The Killers song “Move Away” for the first time during the end credits and TK was one of my favorite bands at the time (and still is).

***

MUSIC ASKS:

20. a song that empowers you

It gotta be Dead! by My Chemical Romance:

This album was what got me through all the shit that happened when I was 15+ and especially this song always made (and still makes) me feel so good. I often listened to my old mp3 player while walking to school and back home and every time this song came by, I just felt like nothing can harm and that life FINALLY was so great! It’s so energetic and still makes me feel that living is actually super awesome.

26. a song that taught you a lesson

Hmmm. I think I will answer to this with Dusche by Farin Urlaub.

That thumbnail is terrible but... And why did I choose this song? Well, I’m all for the sound what comes to music and I’d say at least 80% of all lyrics go way over my head. I just don’t have the skills for understanding poetry and also very poetic lyrics make me go crazy. I hate not knowing and when I have to assume, guess and interpret something. I don’t want to guess but I wanna know what someone has actually thought.

Dusche was the first song that had lyrics that for the first time ever actually spoke for me. I probably saw some video with English subtitles a fan had made and it just blew me away because holy shit, people are capable of writing lyrics even I can understand??? And that way I realized I can like lyrics but only if they make absolutely no sense (aka are funny or somewhat crazy, like Dusche) or when they are written in a story form or sung from the 1st person view or to “you” or in passive - but only if I can get behind the idea there.

After Dusche, Farin’s song Porzellan followed. And one of my absolute favourites is Karten. So, Farin is one of the only few people whose lyrics I have been able to understand. I still don’t hear lyrics and don’t understand a majority of the lyrics my fave bands write, and I have understood only a couple of Bela’s lyrics and I’m not sure if I’ve understood any of Rod’s lyrics. It’s not even about the language barrier anymore really, it’s just the topics or wordings I cannot comprehend.

Thank you again for the ask! This was very interesting to ponder and answer to :)

[sawyersick]

1 through 69 because you gotta twin with me

OMG ASDFGHJKL

aight here goes bitchez

1. are you religious?

nahh but my parents sent me to church camp when I was in elementary school??? For the cheap childcare I guess???

2. what animal do you think you’re most like?

I haven’t thought about this much but I think a field mouse!!

3. how do you take your coffee?

never……………………… I hate coffee

4. how old were you when you had your first kiss?

my mom’s bosses son forced himself on me when we were 6 lol so I don’t count that……….. so 15 i guess (according to my friend, if there’s no hormones it doesn’t count lol)

5. museum date or aquarium date?

AQUARIUM AQUARIUM AQUARIUM

6. do you have any tattoos or piercings? do you want more?

Just my ears are pierced and I have a whale (badly) tattooed on my hip I’ll post pix if you want but its pretty uggo

I want another whale on the other side so I’ll be symmetrical and a triangle hand tat….. maybe an eyeball tat (a tattoo of an eyeball…. not one on my eye lol)? I’m not really interested in anymore piercings tho

7. favorite fruits?

strawberries!!!

8. favorite vegetables?

when I was 12 I ate so many carrots my skin turned orange and my mom thought I had jaundice

also I heckin love mushrooms

9. i’ll only date you if _____. (fill in the blank)

I’ll only date you if you treat me with respect :(

10. do you cry a lot?

yeah lol at least twice a month minimum

11. who are your closest friends?

I don’t really have any? I’ve felt distant from my irl friends lately so idk probably just demo

12. have you ever been a part of a protest or a march?

I did the walk out for gun violence

13. do you play any video games?

helllllls yeah but I usually only play 3/ds

14. did you ever have an emo or scene phase?

yes and I think I’m still in it rip

15. what color is most of your wardrobe?

I think I wear a lot of blue! and black and white too i guess…… I’m trying to add more reds tho

16. what do you like to do for fun?

I bake and sew and draw! and listen to music

17. what is your biggest fear?

body horror tw for this one rip

being abandoned, being forced to do horrifically gross/unclean stuff, getting my eyes gouged out, getting the bones in my hands broken, getting acid poured on my face, the people around me dying, being forced to eat live slugs, getting my skin peeled off with a knife

18. name a subject you know a lot about.

whales/the ocean in general and baking!! and the band Liily

19. favorite fictional characters?

hm idk? Link and Zelda from LoZ, Clover and Snake and Aoi from 999, rhyme from TWEWY, Maka and Soul from Soul Eater, Storm from the Xmen, Ariel from the Little Mermaid, Chun Li, the Kagamines, Rilakkuma

idk I just thought about characters I have merch for

20. do you read a lot? what are your favorite books?

I used to??? Haven’t had the time for it in a while though and I’ve been reading a lot of how-to books as of late….. I really liked the Legend trilogy though

21. how would you describe your style?

art style and fashion style would both be classified as “cute but tries to be edgy” I think

22. did you have a favorite stuffed animal when you were little? do you still own it?

Yes!! a pastel elephant with a rattle in it named Elephant (very creative I know) He’s in my stuff somewhere now and this question reminded me to go find him again

23. what’s something most people love that you hate?

hmmm…. sports? mustard? airpods???? idk

24. do you think you’re a good singer?

actually yes? I wanna be in a band but I’m lowkey afraid of singing in front of people I know but have no problem doing it in front of an audience of strangers hmu if you’re in the SF bay area I’ve written 6 punk songs

25. who do you live with?

my parents and cat

26. favorite desserts?

ice cream, anything with chocolate or whipped cream, creme brulee, lemon tarts

I’m not too picky though lol

27. what is the best decision you’ve made in your life so far?

realizing that I can actually do mostly whatever I want and most things have fewer consequences than I think

also cutting people out of my life that emotionally exhaust me

28. favorite makeup brands?

uhhhh whatever’s cheap and doesn’t make my eyes burn ig urban decay is good when I can afford it

29. favorite clothing stores/brands?

Goodwill??? I used to shop at f21 but I try not to anymore

30. what was your first job?

working at a lake teaching windsurfing and sailing and I still work there

31. do you take a lot of naps?

n o  I absolutely  h a t e  taking naps and try to avoid them

32. what is your favorite part about your body?

hmm I have pretty good hair i think and sometimes my eyes? I have huge (genetic) eyebags tho which gets me down

33. are you more dominant or more submissive?

In day to day life I guess I’m more dominant??? like I make decisions when nobody else wants to :0 also idk intimately since iM aN aDuLt vIrGiN and pretty sex repulsed but probably sub 

34. are you more outgoing or more shy?

outgoing but sometimes it makes me annoying

35. how tall are you?

short…………………………. 4′8/143 cm

36. what is your body type?

uhh hourglass????? maybe pear I got them Thunder Thighs according to the guy who got kicked out of drama club for peeping in the girls changing room

37. favorite flower?

calendula, sunflowers, lavender and dianthus!!

38. favorite planet?

Neptune??????????????????

39. what do you want to dress up as for halloween this year?

I wanna be the bride of frankentstein but in a shiro lolita coordinate to make her look ~fancy~ or the Nancy part of Sid and Nancy if I’m in a relationship by that time

40. do you prefer to date people the same age as you, younger, or older?

Ideally the same age and I’m wary of dating anyone more than 2 years younger or older than me but I’m more willing to date older than younger

41. describe the person you’re in love with/have a crush on in great detail.

yall know who it is already but

in a band, dark hair, kinda tall, very fashionable, coincidentally happens to be the same racial mix as me, good at art, very humble, really sweet, lives in SoCal, has a hand tattoo of milk and “aye yah” on his arm, paints his nails orange, wears a lot of rings, gets freckles in the summer, prefers vanilla over chocolate, ties his shoes the cool way

42. who is your biggest inspiration?

idk at the moment? I like to draw from many inspirations

43. do you have any kinks?

???????????????????????????????????

44. do you own any pets?

one (1) very loving cat

45. which celebrity do people say you look the most like?

……………………….. myself

I literally had to google mixed race celebrities and STILL none look like me lol

46. do you like sports?

not really except I weirdly like baseball

47. have you ever seen a broadway musical?

Yes!! I won tickets to On Your Feet and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory

I also won Hamilton tickets but saw it in SF yall should download the app

48. what is your favorite kind of food?

noodles!!

49. would you rather be a fairy or a mermaid?

MERMAID actually I have a mermaid tail too so

50. what is your instagram?

@wishwhale :)

51. glossy lips or matte lips?

glossy by default because I have chronically dry skin/lips so matte lips are sooooooooooooooo uncomfy but it looks good on other people lol

52. do you like cherry, grape, blue raspberry, watermelon, or green apple jolly ranchers the best?

grape because im weird

53. what are your best personality traits?

I’d like to think that I’m kind and sometimes funny

54. what is your ethnicity?

asian/white

55. what different hair colors have you had?

brown and brown with pink that was supposed to be purple

56. favorite disney princess?

Ariel! bc mermaid

57. favorite album of 2017?

Humanz by Gorillaz  or Deep Dream by Daddy Issues I guess

I was weirdly obsessed with Feel Your Feelings Fool when it came out but I’m not really into it anymore though

58. have you ever had braces?

nah

59. favorite holiday?

Halloween! Because dressing up is fun

60. post a selfie.

how do I make this smaller anyways I don’t normally wear this much makeup but I’m going to a small show tonight

61. are you a good swimmer?

Yes!! I swim once a week at my local pool

62. do you wear jewelry?

I used to wear a lot………. like multiple necklaces and bracelets and rings daily but now I wear my ring every day and a necklace/earrings if I remember

63. can you play any instruments?

I’m learning guitar!!

64. do you have any siblings?

short answer is no but you can dm me for the long answer

65. are your grandparents still alive? how old are they?

just my maternal grandmother and she is almost 90! My paternal grandmother lived to 102 so I’m hoping for those good genes though (I think she would have lived longer because my family suspects elder abuse by my weird aunt)

66. who knows the most about you?

hmm probably Demo or Emily

67. are you a more quiet person or do you talk a lot?

I! Never! Shut! Up!

68. what advice would you give to your 13 year old self?

shut the fuck up you stupid bitch you arent cool

69. how many pillows do you sleep on?

two

[makeyourownmyth]

Favorite Heard in 2018.

Same caveats, but even fewer.

There really weren’t any songs that everyone loved that I thought badly enough of to list as antis here. I will say that the Drake-ification of rap has had even worse effects that we thought it would, with mumblerap dominating everything. And there’s some notable absences on the lists, but those are definitely purposeful. 

Honorable Mentions:

Troye Sivan - Blue Neighbourhood. Bloom was OK, but it took me to Blue Neighbourhood, which I had somehow missed. He’s amazing, I’m in love.

Black Panther Soundtrack. The Kendrick influence and brand is strong, but it’s really the more outlier-y style songs (like “Redemption”) that make this album as good as it is.

Alex Lahey - I Love You Like A Brother. This album actually came out last year, and it should have been on my list then and it wasn’t and I’ve spent a year embarrassed by that fact.

Billie Eilish - She didn’t actually release a new album this year, but all the singles were great and she’s a phenomenal talent.

Travis Scott - Astroworld. If this list would have been completed the month Astroworld came out, it might have been #1. But it lacks the sticking power to make something part of the truly good list. But he definitely made me a believer after spending time being at least partway a hater.

The Internet - Hive Mind. This album is good with a side of weirdness. Earl’s album is weird with (maybe?) a slice of goodness. And yet his album is ending up on a bunch of best of lists and Syd’s band isn’t. That’s wack. This one’s the winner if we’re comparing the two. But we don’t even need to do that. This one stands up all on its own.

Meek Mill - Championships. From the banging intro to the collab with Drake to “What’s Free” with Jay and Ross, this one goes hard. It’s a great Meek Mill album. You know exactly what you’re getting.

Pusha T - Daytona. Better than all the other rap albums on this list, almost made the real list. He’s so good at what he does, and “If You Know You Know” is one of the best openers of all time.

Tierra Whack - Whack World. If you haven’t heard this album, you should be ashamed. It’s only 15 minutes. Go listen! Then appreciate it and listen to it again. It’s great. She’s gonna do amazing things. 

Jeff Tweedy - Warm. I’ve been thinking about Jeff Tweedy and Wilco a lot this year, maybe because I read the book Learning How to Die. And I know this isn’t a Wilco album, so I know it’s apples to oranges. But I can’t shake this thought, regardless. I’m not sure there’s another band we have whose “universally acclaimed ‘best’ album” is almost certainly NOT their “best” album? I mean, post-YHF Wilco is super different. They stopped trying to be that band, but between Sky Blue Sky and A Ghost is Born and now this solo record, I’m pretty sure those albums (and this one, which I know isn’t a Wilco album) are actually better? It’s just really, really, really good. 

boygenius - boygenius. The best thing about this EP is that all the songs are solid and some are lifetime best material. The worst thing is that we’ll probably never get this collaboration again. 

Beach House - 7. Shockingly good after their odd turns on the last couple. I’m not ready to have complete faith in them just yet, but I’m glad they’re coming back around. 

Snail Mail - Lush. Solidly good, almost to great territory. Soccer Mommy got all the love, but I think this album is actually better? 

Charli XCX - Pop 2. It’s good. She deserves more credit than she gets, and she already gets a lot. 

Soccer Mommy - Clean. Not as good as the near-universal critical acclaim, but still a very strong album.

Cat Power - Wanderer. That cover of “Stay” is incredible all on its own, but the album really holds up on its own merits too. I can’t believe she’s still making music this good. 

Chvrches - Love is Dead. It took me a couple listens to actually think it was good, but it is. It’s a side step from their last 2, which I don’t love, but I’m happy they’re doing what they want to do. 

Buddy - Harlon & Alondra. Remember when he was next up and had an awesome voice? It seemed like his potential was gonna go untapped, but this album shows it’s not dead yet. It’s not quite Best material, but it was unfairly slept on. 

Best Songs:

"Backpack” - Alex Lahey. Same comment as her album. I know this came out last year. But I’ve spent a year being embarrassed by forgetting it, and she deserves a spot. 

"Thank U, Next” - Ariana Grande. Sweetener wasn’t bad, but this was way better. It took Mac dying, her concert tragedy, and breaking up with Pete to get the best Ariana we’ve ever had. 

“DJs Gotta Dance More” - A Trak. This is the type of song that I could listen to non-stop for the rest of my life and be perfectly content. 

“Missing U” - Robyn. She’s a queen. What do we expect? It’s solid gold. 

Dirty Computer Quartet - From the start of “Screwed” until the end of “Make Me Feel” Janelle Monae has my heart for all time. It doesn’t get much better. 

9. “Nice For What” - Drake. He’s fine. The best thing about this song is the Lauryn Hill. But it’s catchy as hell.

8. “Apeshit” - The Carters. It’s been a long time since my jaw dropped on a consistent basis listening to Jay. I’m happy it’s happening more, and even more with his wife outrapping him.

7. “Havana” - Camila Cabello. Earworm.

6. “Lemonade” - NERD. The Vampire King returns, recruits Rihanna to rap, and it sounds so good.

5. “Shallow” - Lady Gaga. I honestly haven’t even seen the movie yet, but this song is almost perfectly crafted. It sounds like it could have come out of any classic era. It does exactly what it aims to do. 

4. “Look Alive” - Blocboy JB. I don’t really even want to talk about how good this song is. It bugs me how good it is. 

3. “I Like It” - Cardi B. The album wasn’t bad, but she literally could have released just this song, and it probably would have sold just as many copies as the album did. The perfect song for driving during summer with your windows down. 

2. “The Story of Adidon” - Pusha T. My favorite song of the year. It taught the kids about real rap beef. From the cover art to the line about 40, it was shocking. Did he go too far? Yes. Do I think he shouldn’t have? No. Too bad the kids all ignored it and still rock with the Canadian. 

1. “Girls Like You” - Maroon 5. The most perfect pop song of the year. It sounds like it was cooked up in a magical song laboratory, and I don’t mind that at all. 

Best Albums:

7. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour. This album goooooeeeesssss in. She sings about all the typical things you’d expect from a country album, and then changes directions, too. 

6. Mac Miller - Swimming. We can’t ignore the fact that his death almost certainly affected the placement of this album. But even if he was still with us, Mac was progressing and growing, just like he has with every single album, and this would have been a serious contender. I still can’t listen to it without crying.  

5. The Carters - Love is Everything. Continuing the trend of old people being able to rap and do it well is an important reason this album gets to be this high. Also, it puts on fitting cap on the Lemonade/4:44/Love Trilogy. 

4. YG - Still Dangerous. It’s crazy how shit falls off when you don’t have a press-baiting single like “FDT” but YG is still making crazy good music. This album is not as good as the last 2, but it’s still super important to have an older perspective out there, representing for Cali G Funk in 2018. 

3. Vince Staples - FM! I will never forget where I was when I heard this album for the first time, and that’s an increasingly rare thing. In a time when there’s plenty of weirdo kids who are really good rappers, with the amount of praise that Vince gets, it’s still a possibility that he’s UNDERrated. He’s a voice we need, and this album is a perfect little piece that he created to share that voice. Everything he’s done has been great, and this is no exception. 

2. Janelle Monae - Dirty Computer. Give me all Janelle everything. This album could easily have been #1. Every part of it feels purposefully thought out and well executed. The video version was great, the singles are all bangers, the lyrics are necessary, and the themes are pushing all the right buttons. 

1. Camp Cope - How to Socialise & Make Friends. I knew from the moment that I listened to this album that it was going to be my #1 in December. The fact that I’m still writing that in December, when the album dropped in March, is a testament to its staying power. From “The Opener” to the very last track, there’s not a moment of let up. These kids are super promising, and they have already done something phenomenal. I cannot wait to see what comes next for them. 

[hallelujuh]

shay’s favorite albums of 2018

10. Hivemind by The Internet - TI are insanely underrated and definitely helped me remember how much I adore R&B music. I literally love the bass lines so much - I’ve learned about half of the ones off this record, honestly. Syd’s vocals are amazing as ever, seamless and sexy and gorgeous, and I just, I love R&B music so much, gotta get into more soul shit. Favorite track: Bravo.

9. Sweetener by Ariana Grande - Somehow Ari flew under my radar for years; I simply did not care about her, and rarely heard her music on the radio, let alone sought it out. But some friends succeeded in getting me into it, and now I respect her as a singer and a person. She’s been through hell, and I admire her strength. Not to mention she’s incredibly talented as a singer. I have a hard time with pop records, because of the lack of substance and depth, but this record is a look into a person I think we’d come to forget was a person at all; it’s all her feelings, her heart on her sleeve, and it’s awesome. Not to mention her voice is literally so damn pleasant to listen to, I could fall asleep to it, haha. Favorite track: Successful. 

8. Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae - Miss Monae literally has so much going for her. She’s so immensely talented at everything, and after her success in the film industry, it was nice to witness her return to music. Dirty Computer is fun, personal, and reminds you that Janelle deserves a lot more attention and admiration as a musician, because she does some really innovative and unique stuff that is always something special to behold. She’s a damn good rapper, too, and the accompanying short film to this record was really cool. Favorite track: Screwed. 

7. Pray for the Wicked by Panic! At The Disco - After being a fan for literal ages, I finally saw Panic this year, so that was pretty damn cool. Pretty much DoaB Part Two, but that’s not a bad thing. The music is fun, Brendon’s vocals are as awesome as ever, the production is smooth as hell, and the songs were a damn blast live. A little too uppity for me, but several of the songs have been on replay at times. Favorite track: One of the Drunks. 

6. Trench by Twenty One Pilots - I have a love-hate relationship with 21p, and I’m not emo anymore, so I nearly didn’t even listen to this record, but I did, and I, grudgingly, liked it very much. It doesn’t deviate significantly from the sound of Blurryface, but incorporates a lot more bass in (which I appreciate, as a bassist). It’s also notable this album was lighter in tone, at least sonically. That’s nice. Had a bit of punk, in there, a New Wave sound, almost. Pretty interesting. And deep subject matter. I wish this band hadn’t been spoiled for me. Damn. Favorite track: Bandito. 

5. Queen by Nicki Minaj - A truly fitting title. Nicki’s always exuded a majestic sort of power, a confidence, strength, and sexiness we all can admire, and she’s never faltered in that, but she’s definitely at her top form here.  Favorite track: Barbie Dreams. The Biggie-sampled beat makes an already awesome song even better. This is essentially Nicki’s Control; honest, biting, but also wonderfully comedic and light-hearted. I will literally never forget listening to this for the first time, absolutely awed at every rapper she managed to playfully go at, and how clever each sneak-diss was. 

4. KOD by J. Cole - Cole’s been my favorite for years, and each of his recent albums have resonated with me deeply because of how genuine he comes across, even when he’s rapping about the typical things a rapper might rap about. Somehow Cole does it in a unique way and always makes it his own, so I never tire of the same topics. And he’s real, real as fuck; unapologetic and confident, but not assholish or excessively cocky. I really applaud him for that. Favorite track: 1985. Cole’s proudly embracing the fact that he’s not a youngin in the rap game anymore, and taking the role of a older figure, a wise one who advises his younger peers to reconsider their careers and their admittedly slim chances of remaining relevant. It’s brutally honest, harsh but not cruel, and absolutely admirable. Not the mention the beat is chill as fuck. Whole thing gives me goosebumps; easily one of the highlights of Cole’s career. 

3. Kamikaze by Eminem - Okay, I’m a former hardcore stan who’s turned critical in recent years, but this record fully blew me away. Marsh got relevant again! With the dope flows! Damn! One of my favorite parts of this record was the reactions - watching people remember that Em is not one to be fucked with. Not to mention the now-iconic MGK beef. What a bunch of horseshit. Killshot totally roasted the dude, though. Favorite track: The Ringer. What a way to open a record! Holy shit. I re-listened to this one repeatedly because it was so unexpectedly incredible, with the way the flow is changed up frequently, and the wordplay never falters, clever as ever. Renewed a lot of people’s faith in Em’s abilities, I think; myself included.

2. Iridescence by Brockhampton - In last year’s post I said how excited I was for what the future had in store for BH; and boy, was this year a good one for them. On this record, despite the absence of Ameer, they hold their own without him; Matt, Joba, and Dom even seem to step up to the plate, in fact, and each member spits fire, so that the manic energy from the Saturation Trilogy remains. Said trilogy helped them establish their winning song-writing and production formula, and this record polishes it.  Favorite track: Weight. Absolute goosebumps. The whole track has an otherworldly energy, but the transition from Joba’s verse into Dom’s is especially visceral. Joba’s holds an enthusiastic nihilism of sorts, and optimistic perception of life’s pain, while Dom’s is deeply depressive and harrowing, his voice full of a hurt and his words holding a wisdom beyond his years. It’s a beautiful track, through and through. 

1. Post Traumatic by Mike Shinoda - This album pretty much saved me this year. I’m very thankful to Mike for putting his feelings to music, because these tracks helped me sort out mine, and I connected to each individual song in a way I haven’t in a long time. I would actually kill to go to a show of his; it’d probably be somewhat of a spiritual thing for me, considering how deeply even the studio versions resonate. Favorite track: Hold It Together. I literally love every song on this album (except IOU...), and each is uniquely special, deeply personal, and beautifully resonates, but this one stands out for some reason. I think that breakdown towards the end adds a lot. Some other favorites are About You, Ghosts, Make It Up As I Go, and Running From My Shadow. And there’s not even words for Brooding.

honorable mentions

Expectations by Hayley Kiyoko - This one very nearly made my list, but Hivemind ending up dethroning it. It’s a great debut, full of gay bops that really kicked off 20gayteen well, I’d say. (Favorite track: Wanna Be Missed. Fun fact: My most listened song for all of 2018.)

Mania by Fall Out Boy - It’s unfortunate that my long-time favorite band didn’t make the list, but I just couldn’t get into the sound of this record. (Favorite track: Sunshine Riptide)

Bloom by Troye Sivan - He’s so big now! A big boy! I’m so proud of how far he’s come. I wasn’t as big on this album as I was on Blue Neighbourhood, but it’s still a solid sophomore record. (Favorite track: Dance to This)

Be the Cowboy by Mitski - Mitski’s sound is an aquired taste... I’m still not entirely in love with it, it’s so otherwordly in a jarring way? But I applaud her innovation. (Favorite track: Nobody)

extended plays

they’re too short to be included in my top albums, but i wanted to mention them anyway.

Lake Effect Kid by Fall Out Boy - The Chicago fuckers strike again! While the themes took away from the, uh, relatability, of the music, they’re still solid tracks that deviate from their earlier 2018 effort in a pleasant way. (Favorite track: Super Fade)

My Dear Melancholy by The Weeknd - Abel is one of my favorite musicians of all time (and was my most listened to for two years in a row) and he’d never disappoint me. MDM is sad, harrowing, and visceral, proof that Abel continues to be one of the best artists of this decade. (Favorite track: Call Out My Name)

[youngboy-oldmind]

ALBUM REVIEW: Coloring Book

“Found warmth in a Black queen for when I get cold like Nat King/ I'm doing the dad thing/ I speak of wondrous unfamiliar lessons from childhood/ Make you remember how to smile good/ I'm pre-currency, post-language, anti-label, Pro-famous/ I'm Broadway Joe Namath/ Kanye's best prodigy. He ain't signed me but he proud of me/ I got some ideas that you gotta see”

2016, hosted one of the best mixtapes to ever hit the hip hop industry. After his previous tapes 10 Day and Acid Rap, Coloring Book concludes the trilogy with an artistic height that neither him nor many other rappers have reached. With close to no short comings, Coloring Book cements it’s name as one of the best hip hop projects of the decade, and one of the best mixtapes ever.

This is a project that needs no introduction. Known for its near perfect unique blend of jazz, gospel, and hip hop, Coloring Book effortlessly combines genres to create a listening experience like no other. A third of the tracks sound like they belong on a Kirk Franklin album, another third sound like hit singles from a late 2010s Billboard 100 list, and another third sound like more mature sequels to Acid Rap. The different styles mesh extremely well. Chance is considered a Kanye protege; but here he’s significantly diverged from his inspirer. Utilizing mostly made-from-scratch beats and instrumentals, Chance truly crafts his own unique style.

I said in a previous review that Chance’s lyricism has never fallen off. After Coloring Book, he released a ton of singles and features indicating he was still on top of his game. Besides “Sunday Candy”, “Ultralight Beam” and “Bad Idea”, Coloring Book contains the peak of his lyricism. Highlights include “Summer Friends”, “How Great”, and “Blessings (Reprise)”. Coloring Book also has his best singing. It was often hit or miss on his previous two records, and was near awful on The Big Day. Chance comes through with his best singing on choruses like “No Problem”, “Angels”, and “Smoke Break”. He’s not really amazing, he doesn’t have a large range. But the scratchy, almost child-like singing styles plays well into is artistic style. And he’s using his skills to a degree he can handle. This increases the versatility and dynamic sound of this project, making it that much better.

Chance also does a great job of balancing between serious and fun tracks, often switching styles so sad/negative songs are upbeat (”All Night”, “Summer Friends”) and more hopeful/positive songs are more mellow (”Blessings”). This creates a cyclical experience, showing his expression of good and bad situations with different tones. Instead of it being very 1 dimensional (bouncy tracks = good and slow tracks = bad) we get a deeper look at how different situations impact him emotionally.

The features on this project are notable as well. Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Lil Yachty, Future, and Jay Electronica all improve the hip hop feel of this project, bringing great verses to their respective songs, my favorite being Jay Electronica. Jeremih on “Summer Friends” was soulfully brilliant.Justin Bieber’s on “Juke Jam” was great too (also if you haven’t heard “Holy”, this is another good song from this duo). Chance brought a solid selection of featured artists.

So overall, you’d think I thought Coloring Book was flawless. BUT, there is one thing about this project that I have to discuss.

I realllllllly don’t like “All Night”.

Its painfully loud, the verses are basic and repetitive, which may be the point cus it sounds like a bouncy dance track. But it feels out of place. Between two calm songs, “Juke Jam” and “How Great”, it feels like a weird intermission that took me out of the zone. All that for a weaker vocal performances. It doesn’t have enough weight to be a single, and it doesn’t fit any other projects, so I would’ve either scrapped it or put it between “DRAM Sings Special” and “Blessings”. Now, while its still between two calm songs, Blessings is bare-boned: instrumentally super simplistic. So the transition wouldn’t have been as bad because we’re not switching from a bouncy beat to a calm beat. We’re switching from a bouncy beat to almost no beat. Then, the instrumental progression from “Blessings” to “Same Drugs” wouldn’t be affected.

That’s my only criticism of this project. Everything else I loved. Even though he haven’t even hit five years old yet, this mixtape still feels classic. With such an iconic sound, memorable tracks, and epic fusion of genres, Coloring Book deserves to be recognized as one of the best, if not the best, mixtapes ever.

Top 3 Tracks:

1) Finish Line / Drown

2) Summer Friends

3) Angels

Overall Grade: A

[krispyweiss]

Book Review: “Trouble in Mind - Bob Dylan’s Gospel Years: What Really Happened” by Clinton Heylin

Slow Train Coming notwithstanding, Bob Dylan’s so-called gospel period is an often-overlooked phase in a long career of ups and downs.

Running from the 1979 release of Slow Train through Saved, and, finally, 1981’s Shot of Love, Dylan’s religious output has received renewed focus since this year’s release of Trouble No More - The Bootleg Series Vol. 13: 1979-1981, a massive box set featuring 100 mostly previously unavailable recordings, including the long-rumored but never-until-now-confirmed “Making a Liar Out of Me.” To complete the picture, author Clinton Heylin - whom Rolling Stone has called “perhaps the world’s authority on all things Dylan” - has written an equally hefty book, “Trouble in Mind - Bob Dylan’s Gospel Years: What Really Happened,” that, at 320 pages, does with words what Trouble No More does with music.

Though Slow Train, featuring a young, up-and-comer by the name of Mark Knopfler, is fairly revered in Dylan’s discography, the final two albums of the religious trilogy didn’t fare as well at the time, nor have they been favorably remembered by history.

And although many fans were puzzled - and almost as many completely turned off - by the tours that followed, in which Dylan preached his new-found, fundamentalist, Christian faith from the stage and, until the final trek, refused to play the songs that came before, those performances have become treasured relics in retrospect, thanks to unofficial bootlegs that have circulated in the intervening decades.

Using those tapes, studio logs, archival and contemporary interviews with Dylan and with his bandmates, who included guitarist Fred Tackett (Little Feat), drummer Jim Keltner, bassist Tim Drummond and keyboardist Spooner Oldham among others, Heylin’s put together a book so in-depth that its depth is its biggest drawback.

The author relies heavily - to the point of pointless repetition - on transcriptions of Dylan’s between-song raps of the period. While these are enlightening on their face, one can read that Bruce Springsteen is born to run, Jackson Browne is running on empty and Bob Seger is running against the wind only so many times before glazing over.

“Sometime, sooner or later, you gotta come home,” Dylan says of his contemporaries.

Similarly, Heylin repeatedly quotes Dylan talking about the Devil, the Cross and Jesus’ ability to exorcise demons.

These on-stage sermons would be more interesting if each of them didn’t say essentially the same thing in essentially the same words in essentially the same order as Heylin goes to great pains to compare Dylan’s quotes with their corresponding Bible verses via footnotes. Working through them is like listening to multiple demos of the same song, when each outtake features only incremental changes.

A good editor working to trim about 75 to 100 pages could have made a more palatable read of “Trouble in Mind.”

Still, the insights from Dylan’s band members, quotations from contemporaneous concert reviews and interviews and from the knowledge Heylin’s gleaned from decades of studying and writing about Dylan result in the clearest understanding yet of Dylan’s most-misunderstood period. And it adds clarity to songs such as “Ring Them Bells,” “Duquesne Whistle,” “Tryin’ to Get to Heaven” and other post-religious-period, religious-themed songs that prove although Dylan quit making gospel albums in 1981, he never really quit singing about spirituality.

As is often the case with Dylan, what religion the Jewish-born singer embraces - if any - remains as unclear as virtually everything else about Bob Dylan, even after more than five decades of music making. And no author and no book, however good they might be, could ever change that.

Grade card: “Trouble in Mind - Bob Dylan’s Gospel Years: What Really Happened” by Clinton Heylin - C+

12/27/17

[hellocanticle]

The amazing Stuart Dempster at a house 2015 house concert at Philip Gelb’s Sound and Savor.  

In many ways this has been a year of reckoning.  I kept my promise to myself to double down on writing this blog and have already reached more viewers than any previous year.  I am now averaging a little more than 1000 hits a month from (at last count) 192 countries and have written 74 pieces (compared to 48 last year).  I need to keep this up just to be able to stay in touch with similarly minded folks (thanks to all my readers).  Add to that the fact that a piece of music I wrote 15 years ago was tracked down by the enterprising Thorson and Thurber Duo.  They will provide me with my very first public performance this coming July in Denmark.  Please stop by if you can.  After having lost all my scores (since 1975) in a fire and subsequently the rest of my work on a stolen digital hard drive I had pretty much let go of that aspect of my life but now…well, maybe not.

Well one of my tasks (little nudges via email have been steadily coming in) is to create a year end “best of” list.  Keep in mind that my personal list is tempered by the fact that I have a day job which at times impinges on my ability to do much else such as my ability to attend concerts.  However I am pleased to say that I did get to 2 of the three Other Minds concerts this past year.  The first one featured all the music for string quartet and string trio by Ivan Wyschnegradsky (1893-1979).  The second one featured music by the same composer written for four pianos (with two tuned a quarter tone down).  Both of these concerts exceeded my expectations and brought to light an amazing cache of music which really deserves a wider audience.  These are major musical highlights for this listener this year.

The Arditti Quartet acknowledging the applause at the Wyschnegradsky Concert.

Read the blog reviews for details but I must say that Other Minds continues to be a artistic and musical treasure.  Under the leadership of composer/producer/broadcaster Charles Amirkhanian (who turns 75 in January) the organization is about to produce their 25th anniversary concert with a 4 day series beginning in April, 2020.  For my money its one of the reasons to be in the Bay Area if you love new music.  He is scheduled for a live interview on the actual day of his birthday, January 19th as a guest on his own series, The Nature of Music.  This series of live interviews (sometimes with performance material) with composers and sound artists he has hosted since 2016.

Amirkhanian performing at OM 23 (2018)

Next I will share with you my most obvious metric, how many views my various blog posts got.  I have decided to share all those which received more than 100 views.

The winner for 2019 is:

Linda Twine (unknown copyright)

Linda Twine, a Musician You Should Know

A rather brief post written and published in February, 2018 for Black History Month.  It was entirely based on internet research and it got 59 views that year.  As of this writing in 2019 it has been seen 592 times.  I have no idea why this “went viral” as they say.  I just hope it serves only to her benefit.  Amazing musician.

Fatu Duo

Charming little album of lesser known romantic violin and piano pieces played by a husband and wife duo.  This self produced album seems to have had little distribution but for some reason people are enjoying reading about it.  I only hope that the exposure will boost their sales.  This is a fun album.

G. Thomas Allen

Darryl Taylor

John Holiday

The Three Black Countertenors

I’m guessing this is one of my “viral” posts.  I wrote it in 2014 and it continues to get escalating hits, 180 this year.  The title pretty much says it all.  First time three black countertenors appeared on the same stage.

Jenny Q Chai

This concert was an all too brief presentation of some very interesting work.  Quite a pianist too.  File this artist’s name in your “pay attention” category.

Heavenly Violin and Piano Music by Giya Kancheli 

Giya Kancheli (1935-2019), one of the artists we lost this year (I refuse to do that list).  If you don’t know his work you should. He wrote I think 7 Symphonies and various concertos, film scores, and other works.  He was sort of elected to the “Holy Minimalists” category but that only describes a portion of the man’s work.  Very pretty album actually.

Because Isaac Schankler

This composer new to me, works with electronics, and maintains an entertaining presence on Twitter.  Frankly, I’m not sure exactly what to make of this music except to say I keep coming back to it.  Very leading edge material.

    Wolfgang von Schweinitz’s “Klang”

A very different music from that of Schankler listed just above.  But another recording to which I find myself returning.  Thanks to Mr. Eamonn Quinn for turning me on to this one.

A New Voice for the Accordion

I pretty sure that Gene Pritsker can shoulder at least part of the blame for connecting me with this great new musician  The accordion has come a long way and this guy leads it gently forward.

    Bernstein’s Age of Anxiety in a new recording

Loved this one.  I had only listened to this work three or four times and probably not with adequate attention.  Hearing this performance was revelatory.  It’s a great work deserving of a place in the standard repertoire/

      Charles Dean Dixon (1915-1976)

Carl Van Vechten’s 1961 portrait of Marilyn Horne with her husband Henry Lewis.

Thomas Wilkins (1956- )

Michael Morgan (1957- )

Paul Freeman

James Anderson De Preist (1936-2013)

Black Classical Conductors

Written in 2013, just an occasional piece about black conductors for Black History Month.  It’s now been read over 2000 times.  It is my most read article.  It’s embarrassingly incomplete and in need of a great deal of recent history but that’s a whole ‘nother project.

Blue Violet Records

Blue Violet Duo

So glad this disc got a little exposure.  Its gorgeous.  This disc of jazz influenced classical Americana unearths some real musical gems.

                Shakuhachi Ecstasy 

OK, I meet this guy at a vegan underground restaurant (whose proprietor is noted Shakuhachi player, Philip Gelb).  A little casual conversation, a few vegan courses (Phil can seriously cook), and whaddya know?  About a month or so later he sends me this gorgeous self produced set of him playing shakuhachi…but the upshot is that this is the distillation of the artist’s sensibilities filtering his very personal take on the world via his instrument.  It has collectible written all over it and that is as much due to the music itself as to the integrated graphics and packaging.  You really have to see and hear this trilogy.  It got over 100 hits.  Thanks to Cornelius Boots and Philip Gelb (musical and culinary concierge).

That’s it.  Everything else (300 plus articles total with 74 from this year) got less than 100 views.

  Personal Favorites

It was a great year for recordings and I listened to more than I did last year.  Some may have noticed some experimentation with writing style and length of review here.  The problem is that the very nature of my interest is the new and unknown so I have to do the research and have to share at least some of that to hopefully provide some context to potential consumers that will ignite the idea, “gotta check that out” without then boring them to death.

For this last section I will provide the reader with a list in reverse order of the publication of my reviews of CD and streaming releases that prompt this listener to seek out another listen and hopefully draw birds of a feather to listen as well.

    Keep yer ears peeled.  This young accordion virtuoso is an artist to watch.  This was also one of my most read review articles.  This guy is making the future of the instrument.  Stay tuned.

  This artist continues to draw my attention in wonderful ways.  Her scope of repertoire ranges hundreds of years and she brings heretofore unknown or lesser known gems to a grateful listening audience.  Blues Dialogues is a fine example.  It is also reflective of the larger vision of the Chicago based Cedille label.

I found myself really taken by this solo debut album by American Contemporary Ensemble (ACME) director Clarice Jensen.  In particular her collaboration with La Monte Young student Michael Harrison puts this solo cello (with electronics) debut in a class all its own, This independent release is worth your time.

This album of string chamber music arrangements of Mahler is utterly charming.  No Time for Chamber Music is a seriously conceived and played homage.

Canadian composer Frank Horvat’s major string quartet opus is a modern classic of political classical music.  It is a tribute to 35 Thai activists who lost their lives in the execution of their work.  His method of translating their names into a purely musical language has created a haunting and beautiful musical work which is a monument to human rights.

Donut Robot is a playful but seriously executed album.  The kitschy cover art belies a really entertaining set of short pieces commissioned for this duet of saxophone and bassoon.  Really wonderful album.

It has been my contention that anything released on the Starkland label requires the intelligent listener’s attention.  This release is a fine example which supports that contention.  Unlike most such releases this one was performed and recorded in Lithuania by the composer.  Leave it to the new music bloodhound, producer Tom Steenland to find it.  In Search of Lost Beauty is a major new work by a composer who deserves our attention.

My favorite big label release.  This new Cello Concerto from conductor/composer Esa-Peka Salonen restores my faith that all the great music has been written and that all new music is only getting attention from independent labels.  Granted, Sony is mostly mainstream and “safe” but banking on the superstar talent of soloist Yo-Yo Ma they have done great service to new music with this release.  Not easy listening but deeply substantive.

This release typifies the best of Chicago based Cedille records’ vision. Under the guidance of producer James Ginsburg, this local label blazes important paths in the documentation of great music.  “W” is a disc of classical orchestra pieces written by women and conducted by the newly appointed woman conductor, Mei-Ann Chen.  She succeeds the late great Paul Freeman who founded Chicago’s great “second orchestra”, the Chicago Sinfonietta.  Ginsburg taps into Chicago’s progressive political spirit (I guess its still there) to promote quality music, far beyond the old philosophy of “dead white men” as the only acceptable arbiters of culture.  Bravo to Mr Ginsburg who launched Cedille Records 30 years ago while he was a student at the University of Chicago.

Become Desert will forever be in my memory as the disc that finally got me hooked on John Luther Adams.  Yes, I had been aware of his work and even purchased and listened to albums like Dream in White on White and Songbirdsongs.  I heard the broadcast of the premiere of the Pulitzer Prize winning Become Ocean.  I liked his music, but this recording was a quantum change experience that leads me to seek out (eventually) pretty much anything he has done.  Gorgeous music beautifully performed and recorded.

OK, I’m a sucker for political classical.  But Freedom and Faith just does such a great job of advancing progressive political ideas in both social and musical ways.  This is a clever reimagining of the performance possibilities of the string quartet and a showcase for music in support of progressive political ideas.

Michala Petri is the reigning virtuoso on the recorder.  Combine that with the always substantial production chops of Lars Hannibal and American Recorder Concertos becomes a landmark recording.  Very listenable and substantive music.

I have admired and sought the music of Harry Partch since I first heard that excerpt from Castor and Pollux on the little 7 inch promotional LP that came packaged with my copy of Switched on Bach.  Now this third volume in the encyclopedic survey of the composer’s work on Bridge Records not only documents but updates, clarifies and, in this case, unearths a previously unknown work by the master.  Sonata Dementia is a profoundly important entry into the late composer’s discography.  I owe PARTCH director, the composer/guitarist John Schneider a sort of apology.  I had the pleasure of interviewing him about this album and the planned future recordings of Partch’s music but that has not yet been completed.  You will see it in 2020 well before the elections.

The aforementioned Shakuhachi Trilogy is a revelatory collection which continues to occupy my thoughts and my CD player.

Gil Rose, David Krakauer, klezmer and the inventive compositional talent of Mathew Rosenblum have made this album a personal favorite.  Lament/Witches Sabbath is a must hear album.

Another Cedille disc makes the cut here, Souvenirs of Spain and Italy.  The only actual Chicago connection is that the fine Pacifica Quartet had been in residence at the University of Chicago.  But what a fine disc this is!  The musicianship and scholarship are astounding.  Guitar soloist Sharon Isbin celebrates the 30th anniversary of her founding the department of guitar studies at Julliard, a feat that stands in parallel with the 30th anniversary of the founding of Cedille records.  This great disc resurrects a major chamber work by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco and presents a definitive program of chamber music for guitar and string quartet.  This one has Grammy written all over it.

This New Focus recording was my personal introduction to the music of Du Yun and I’m still reeling.  What substance!  What force! Dinosaur Scar is quite an experience.

Another Starkland release, this album of music by the great new music pianist is a personal vision of the pianist and the creators of this forward looking repertoire.  Eye to Ivory is a release containing music by several composers and championed most ably by Kathleen Supové.

Chicago born Jennifer Koh is one of the finest and most forward looking performers working today.  Limitless is a collaboration between a curious but fascinating bunch of composers who have written music that demands and receives serious collaboration from this open minded ambassador for good music no matter how new it is.  And Cedille scores another must hear.

Many recordings remain to be reviewed and some will bleed over into the new year so don’t imagine for a second that this list is comprehensive.  It is just a personal list I wished to share. Happy listening and reading to all.

My 2019 in the Arts In many ways this has been a year of reckoning.  I kept my promise to myself to double down on writing this blog and have already reached more viewers than any previous year. 

[violet--minds-blog]

Hello void! Have some music!

Piper Gibson | March 17, 2017

Hey, everyone (aka, void of internet that I’m talking into currently)! I thought for the first post here on violetminds I’d make a little collection of my favorite music from LGBTQ+ artists! I’ll be adding my own work-- and hopefully other people will start to submit work-- within the next few days, but in the meantime, here’s some good queer tunes for your ears. 

1. Keerthi Sridharan

Keerthi is a personal friend of mine, and y’all, she is so. Damn. Good. Her voice is one of the best I’ve heard in years and her lyrics are really creative and unique, not to mention the awesome harmonies or jam-able ukulele playing. (Can you tell I’m jealous of how talented she is?) She has an iTunes and a Spotify that you should definitely check out and support, and to get you started here’s my favorite song from her, "blur” from her Slow Hands EP.

2. Julien Baker

I discovered Julien Baker during one of those NPR Tiny Desk Concert holes I get into sometimes, and I instantly became obsessed. Everything she sings is raw and real, her voice is lovely and different, and you can’t help but say “ouch” after listening to her music because it’ll make your damn heart ache. Her album Sprained Ankle is on Spotify and Bandcamp among other places, and here’s my favorite from it, the titular “Sprained Ankle.” 

3. Dodie Clark

I’ve been following Dodie on YouTube for a few years and I’ve never disliked a song of hers. Her music is so soft and honest and either makes you nostalgic for the good times or remember the bad ones. Either way, it’s real, it’s lovely, and I want to absorb everything she creates like a sponge. Her recent EP Intertwined is on Spotify and iTunes, and my favorite song by her isn’t on there (”She” is beautiful and you should definitely go listen to it), so here’s “Sick of Losing Soulmates.” The music video is gorgeous and if it doesn’t make you emotional, I don’t know what will. 

4. Passion Pit

I didn’t know lead singer Michael Angelakos was gay until recently and it made me so happy because I’ve been following the band for years and I can now add them to my gay alt pop playlist!! Gossamer and Manners were part of the collection of albums that got me through high school-- it was music I could turn up really loud and dance to unapologetically, something sorely needed while suffering through teenagehood. They have a ton of music on Spotify and the other usual places, including an album I didn’t know about and haven’t listened to yet, so I’m gonna do that right this second. One of my favorites by them has always been “Constant Conversations,” so here it is now for your listening pleasure.

5. Hayley Kiyoko

Everyone knows her, the queen of producing queer girl anthems and the creator of amazing music videos like “Girls Like Girls” and “One Bad Night,” and I’m especially pumped to put her on this list because I saw her Portland show with my girlfriend recently and it completely rocked my world. She’s an incredible performer, honest and creative and talented to her bones, and listening to explicitly gay songs makes my heart sing, so I just love her to pieces. Her latest EP Citrine is on Spotify and iTunes, and I can’t pick a favorite from it so I’ll just go with “Ease My Mind” because what a chorus.

6. Ben J. Pierce

He only has two songs out at this point (under the pseudonym Benny) but both are incredible and discuss the harmful effects of toxic masculinity and gender roles. Both music videos are intense and gorgeous, his lyrics fresh and on the edge of slightly creepy. But hey, the patriarchy is creepy. Here’s my favorite of the two singles, “Boys Will Be Boys.”

7. Troye Sivan

Okay, maybe everyone’s over Blue Neighbourhood, but I definitely am not. Troye was one of the first queer artists I really got into because he was one of the first queer YouTubers I really got into, and I’ve listened to his album probably a hundred million times by now. I love the dreamy, nostalgic, honest vibes, and the Blue Neighbourhood Trilogy of music videos are poignant and beautiful so you should definitely go watch those-- I’d recommend the director’s cut because it puts them all in one. He also has a Spotify so you can listen to “WILD” feat. Alessia Cara on repeat forever (I’ve definitely done this). But if you’re unlike me and tired of that album, here’s a song from his first EP TRXYE, one that in my opinion doesn’t get enough attention, called “Touch.”

8. Tegan and Sara

What would any good collection of queer musicians be without Tegan and Sara? It took me embarrassingly long to get into them, but in my defense, I was pretty deep under internalized homophobia as a teen so I was avoiding all of the “lesbian music.” I love both the older, acoustic indie vibes and the newer poppy vibes, but I gotta say, I’m a sucker for music I can dance to. Their most recent album Love You to Death of course has a Spotify and iTunes, and one of my personal favorites from it is “Stop Desire.”

9. Halsey

We all know Halsey at this point, and to some she may be overrated, but I still listen to Badlands a lot and got a little too excited at the announcement of her sophomore album coming out in June. I love her frank and unapologetic discussions of her intersecting identities, something that is often missing from mainstream feminism. Plus, her music’s just really fucking good. Her last album Badlands is on Spotify and iTunes, and here’s a more underrated (imo) song from it, called “Roman Holiday.”

10. Kehlani

I probably have listened to Kehlani’s latest album, SweetSexySavage, about 20 million times. I discovered her pretty recently and haven’t been able to get certain songs out of my head-- the easy, danceable beats, the amazing vocals, the honest lyrics-- all of it makes for an amazing, comprehensive album. If you haven’t heard her yet, 1. what are you doing, and 2. go look up her Spotify and iTunes and educate your damn self. Here’s one of my favorites from the album, “Piece of Mind.”

[safyresky]

Identity ask time! 1, 8, 11, 15, 17, 23, 24, 29, 30 :D Sorry it's so much!

Me, staring at the numbers, a large smile spreading on my face: hehehehe NO IT’S PERFECT LIKE YOU

ALSO THIS GOT VERY LONG. SORRY NOT SORRY? I LIKE LEARNING ABOUT MYSELF

1. if someone wanted to really understand you, what would they read, watch, and listen to?

To read, probably my diary tbh. A lot of the books people would have to read to really understand me would be the books that really shaped my writing (basically the answers to number 15). 

To watch: The Santa Clause trilogy, not because they’re my fave movies cause they’re so SILLY but because of the message of family in them. I think that’s why I love the movies so much–in the end when everything works out, and the family they make throughout the trilogy comes together, it just really resonates with me and gives me a measure of tranquility inside. It’s just sO HEART WARMING! Steven Universe, absolutely…Danny Phantom as well because that was my childhood cartoon and I love it and it’s probably where my shitty pun love originated from tbh

To listen to, oh man where to start. MCR probably b/c they are my favourite band of all time. WALK THE MOON’s album Talking Is Hard because I love it, and all the songs are just so fun and bouncy and give me GET SHIT DONE vibes and I feel like, if I was an album, I’d be that one (or Conventional Weapons, by MCR)

8. what musical artists have you most felt connected to over your lifetime?

I couldn’t really tell you if I ever felt a connection with my favourite musical artists, but there were some I loved a LOT that I SUPPOSE you could say made me feel connected. There’s Bowling For Soup, My Chemical Romance, and as of late The Strumbellas and WALK THE MOON (I love them). Grouplove has really resonated lately, too! I love Welcome to Your Life, what a song, such a good.

11.  describe your ideal day.

It’s sunny, but not boiling hot. The lake is nice and calm. This is relevant for later. It starts with a 9am wake-up. I do my washroom things and crawl back into bed to get cuddles from the fluffy one for a good long cuddle. Then I would get up, have pancakes that are SUPER FLUFFY for breaki while sitting on my back porch enjoying the sun. 

I’d go for a nice long walk by the lake, and just sit there and watch the water for a time. Then for lunch, I would eat some form of chicken in sauce, yum! I would spend the afternoon somewhere picturesque, writing, and then head home and make mashed potatoes and porkchops for dinner! 

Then I’d watch the sunset with Richard, and then I would set up a projector in the back yard, invite all of my friends over no matter where they were, and end the day watching an animated film that makes me warm on the inside (there’s many and I can’t pick one). I’d go to bed stress free and smiling.

15. five most influential books over your lifetime

1. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder. The whole trilogy really shaped my views on fantasy and helped me figure out a lot of my own fantasy stuff! Such a good series they are my favourite books of ALL TIME2. The World of Hetar. It is a series. And, full disclosure, a fantasy erotica series. But the plot was SO GOOD. The world was built so well and the lore was splendid and It was a really great series that helped me shape my own fantasy world and thoughts on magic in fantasy lands!3. The Emperor’s New Clothes. It was the first book I ever read, like ever. And so it’s got a special place in my heart!4. The Cedar Cove series by Debbie Macomber. It’s a series of just normal people, living normal lives and being hit with problems that just y’’know, happen. They’re very romance but the characters are all so wonderful and I love the way she tells the stories of each character in Cedar Cove. It really helped me shape Swan Valley and Claire Bear and co.5. Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber. It…wow, it gave me a lot of feelings and I loved it so much and it was such a good book in my opinion. I REALLY LIKE HOW DEBBIE MACOMBER BRINGS HER CHARACTERS TOGETHER OKAY IT WORKS VERY WELL

I know like 3/5 of these are series but it’s the books as a whole that made me who I am today! They helped me shape my own writing and showed me how you can make a family anywhere, really. Idk I’m a v family person b/c my family was gr8 but then there was this HUGE FIGHT and now I wish that things were Easy again and as fun as they were without back-talking other fam members or fighting or dissatisfaction or not being able to see specific family members because of what your other family members think I just don’t like it and call me nostalgic, but I always wish for those days of big family get togethers back and is the reason why those books shaped me and helped me realize that hey, I can make my own family with my friends and cousins, I don’t actually need to unconditionally love my own family members. Like these books (yes even the fantasy erotica ones) all have groups of people that come together and make a rad family dynamic and that resonates so deeply with me for…so many reasons.

Heh, this got rambly and outta hand (also please read Poison Study it has Mature Themes and illusions to sexual abuse but FUCK Yelena is BADASS and they’re just. such. good BOOKS)

17. would you say your tumblr is a fair representation of the “real you”?

tumblr is a trash site but it’s where I can find things I like and yell about them, so yes, I think my tumblr represents me well enough. It’s a good mix of cartoons, shows, movies, shitposting and asthetic that I think represents me really well.

23. how often would you want to see your family every year?

If I could see them only for major holidays, I’d be happy with that. I’d want to see my sister more though and my relatives downtown more. It’s…a hard question to answer b/c it depends on the family member but honestly, like once every three months for a long stay would make me happy enough so they don;t over stress me and put me down and so I can live my life and not worry about how shitty my parents and brother can be.

24. have you ever felt like you had a “mind-meld” with someone?

Full disclosure, I had to google this. Fun fact: there is a horse named Mini Meld, he sounds lovely. Anywho, after reading the proper definition of meld, I think one of the first times a mini-meld happened was when I was in Grade 6. STORY TIME!

There was this girl we didn’t like b/c she was v annoying and bragged a lot and lied a lot in order to out-brag people (have you ever met one of those people? They just have to constantly be better than you, you know? One of those people. I think she just wanted to be liked but A) I’m not gonna attempt to figure her out this many years later and B) It was hard to like her…like, really hard. I tried and tried but I COULD NOT not even in High School). Me, her, my current bast frand and this other girl use to work in a group together all the time. I wasn’t fond of my current bast frand at the time because I was a shitty child but one day, one day a horrible thing happened: we had to work in groups of 2. So the four of us sat down and were like, okay, so how do we want to do this. And I very loudly said I’LL WORK WITH BAST FRAND which startled everyone INCLUDING HER because again, I was a shitty child.

So we get into the groups of two, and bast frand and I try to ignore the third girl who as stuck working with braggy, as she gave us wistful looks of PLEASE HELP ME that we dutifully tried to ignore. I can’t remember how we got on the subject but, I looked at her at one point and said “Man I really did not want to work with May” and she said “I KNOW, RIGHT?” and we melded and thus a friendship was born. 

The other time would be w/ you in first year when we both started singing and then insta-friendship *finger guns*

29. three songs that you connect with right now.

We Don’s Know - The StrumbellasRiver - Bishop BriggsPortugal - WALK THE MOON

30. pick one of your favourite quotes.

A cheesy, but a goody: “Shoot for the Moon. even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars”. everyone makes fun of it but I like it a lot. It reminds me that even if I miss my mark, I’ll do something else that may even be better, who knows.

Alternatively: “Working hard is important, but feeling good is important, too” (Steven Universe)

And then my High School yearbook quote, courtesy of King Bumi: “Instead of seeing what they want you to see, you gotta open your brains to the possibilities!” A mad genius indeed.

[noiseartists]

PRIMITIVE HEART: interview around their new album, 'No Fear in Love'

Primitive Heart are releasing their new album, ‘No fear in love’ today. You can find the music on the artists Bandcamp page or on their label Shoredive Records We met with Dani Maru and Rosana Cabán, the two artists behind the music, and they tell us more on the new album and the songwriting process.

Could you tell me how some of the songs were written and their meaning?

Most of the music I write is very personal. This particular record is the rawest record I have ever made. I wrote it after a breakup that led to a lot of obstacles and big changes in my life.

Was the writing an easy process or difficult?

The writing process with Rosana Cabán was very natural and easy. I didn't prepare the songs before we started in the studio. I came to the studio with only a few song styles and lyric ideas. Rosana was able to translate the sounds I had in mind and combined them with many of her own music styles and ideas.

Who were the musicians and artists you collaborated with for the music and the artwork?

All of the music on the album was performed by Rosana Cabán and myself.

Jess Fenton mastered the album.

My dearest and talented friend Elizabeth Thorpe took the photo at her residence in Port Townsend, WA. I added the extra effects for the final version.

'Fear in Love' has mesmerizing lyrics. Can you tell us more of what's behind them?

The idea of 'No Fear In Love' came from the desire to live and love fearlessly. It is my belief that fear of the unknown can slowly deteriorate any relationship. The time you lost is locked in your head I was a ticking clock floating in your bed You’re a sheep clothed in a wolf I’m a bird with a lion’s heart Easy to walk away when you’re almost dead There’s no fear in love There’s no fear in love And I’m afraid Shadows follow they’re not the shape of me Fame becomes a place that sets you free Monsters locked in glass jars Release your mind from broken scars Melt your thoughts to help you find your key There’s no fear in love There’s no fear in love And I’m afraid

The sound of the album is excellent, Can you tell us more on how it was recorded and all the post recording work?

Rosana Cabán A lot of the production was done with Dani in the room while she tinkered with other parts or wrote lyrics, so in some cases the writing process was in tandem with recording and production which gave us room to make changes and experiment as we went. Post then became just about mixing.

I have my go-to delays and reverbs, but the mixing process was pretty typical. With tracking- sometimes we used the vocal booth, sometimes we didn’t.

We went back and forth between a vintech audio 1272 mic pre, a universal audio 4-710, and just direct into an Antelope Orion for the vocals and synths.

Sometimes I worked on drums on my own in my apartment with a maschine and headphones, then I would bring the parts back into the studio with Dani and we would put it all together.

How did you meet the artists that helped you on the album?

I came across Psychic Twin's song "Strangers" on Spotify and was immediately hooked. I noticed that they were playing at the Northside Festival in Brooklyn. I was mesmerized by their performance, stage setup and Rosana's drumming style.

I asked the band to teach a workshop for an organization I co-founded called Female Frequency. (Female Frequency started by creating an album made entirely by women and now we host workshops about music production).

They showed us the equipment they chose for their live show, how they executed it live, the recording process and ended the workshop with a live performance. They even let us try out some of their equipment! A few months later I approached Rosana about working with me on my solo album for Primitive Heart.

I'm a huge fan of her beats and production and she is a great human! It has truly been a dream come true working with her.

Can you explain your songwriting process?

My songwriting varies from project to project. I typically hear a word or lyrical phrase that inspires me to write a song leaning towards the theme of those words. Then I will sit down with an acoustic guitar and work out the chords and structure.

For Primitive Heart, I worked out the chords and structure with Rosana in the studio. In other cases such as collaborations with Violentene, Beatastic, Xeresa, and Omega Vague I have added vocals and vocal melodies that fit with the instrumentals that they send me.

In the folk world, Reverend TJ McGlinchey and I collaborate on a project called Lovers League. We sing each other's songs as duets, so the writing is more influenced by how the harmonies work together.

In the horror world, Johnny Butler and I collaborate on a short film and music project called Cruel Beauty Productions. We write songs inspired by horror films that inspire us and then make short films related to the music. The lyrics hint at the films we are writing about. Johnny combines saxophone and other woodwind instrument melodies with my vocals.

Our last two short film trilogies were inspired by Dario Argento's movies about witches (Suspiria, Inferno and Mother of Tears) and Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes, Last House on the Left and Nightmare on Elm Street.

If you could guest on someone else’s album, who would it be and why? What would you play?

Rosana Cabán Bjork all day. I would play some weird hybrid electronic/acoustic drum setup and use sampled field recordings as the patches for the electronic drums, or sample those choral singers she uses and play them back like an instrument. Anything like that I guess. Why? Because I like that she encourages a bit of dissonance for the greater good of a dynamic composition, and she takes the art of performance so seriously. I admire it.

Primitive Heart I would love to collaborate with Chelsea Wolfe. I'm a huge fan of her songwriting and vocal style. I also appreciate that she has played folk and experimental goth music.

I cut my teeth as a songwriter in the Philadelphia music scene and have been working on electronic and experimental music in Brooklyn. I was initially hesitant to make the leap from performing and writing folk music to electronic music, even though I listen to electronic music more than folk music.

I'd love to learn about her experience making the transition from folk to what she is performing now.

I'd also love to learn more about her effects pedal setup and how she uses them for her voice and guitar. It would be a dream to sing with her. Her voice is magic.

You have a Vinyl coming out. Can you explain the hurdles around getting this format done?

I love vinyl and always wanted to have my own album pressed on vinyl. I was able to achieve this through the support of friends and family and Nico of Shore Dive Records and Meghann Wright of GrindEthos.

Vinyl can be costly and shipping can also add an additional unexpected cost. I worked with Jett Galindo at Bakery Mastering and Gotta Groove Records and they helped me through the process. The vinyl looks great and is available in blue or red. It's also available at Rough Trade in the UK and NYC and at shorediverecords.bandcamp.com .

We have had vinyl orders all of the United States and in the UK, Denmark, Canada, Luxembourg, Ireland, Switzerland, Scotland, Israel, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Brazil, and the Netherlands! I'm grateful for all the support!

What are your next artistic plans, any other music already?

Rosana Cabán and I are finishing up an EP for Primitive Heart that will be released next year. I've also been performing with Angela Tornello and we are working on writing songs together. There will also be a few remix EPs of No Fear In Love released in the next few months.

Roland Marckwort and I have been writing new music for our project Violentene and expect to release it sometime next year. I'll also be working on the next horror short film trilogy with Johnny Butler for Cruel Beauty Productions and music with Omega Vague for a new project. Josh Steingard and I also have a dance-pop EP coming soon for our project Dwight Remington.

Can the fan expect concerts and if so where will you go?

My album release is this Sunday in Brooklyn. I'll also be performing at a festival in Brooklyn on November 2nd. I have more show announcements coming soon for Philly and the West Coast and will be back in the UK and Germany soon.

[reflektormag]

Why You Should Listen To: Prince's 'Dirty Mind'

Daniel Lester

October 17, 2018

Welcome to the weekly-series “Why You Should Listen to”, where we will discuss great albums worth every music lover’s attention. In today’s society, while we do have all the possible access to everything and anything on the Internet, it can often happen for us to miss some music we would love to hear. That’s why we will try to help you discover some awesome music in this series of articles. The focus will mostly be on studio albums, be it classics or underrated gems and records that have been forgotten by time. Our focus will also stretch out across the world, from the USA and UK to the African continent, Latin America and even the Balkans. Today, we are covering Prince's legendary "Dirty Mind" album. Enjoy! The transition from the 1970's to the 1980's was a truly interesting time for music. The 70's were quite revolutionary in terms of how music was made and how it would sound years down the road. David Bowie recorded the legendary Berlin trilogy with Brian Eno, punk rock surfaced, Bob Marley popularized reggae overseas, Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder released the futuristic "I Feel Love and shook the music world to its core, while disco took over and ended up being harshly dismissed by the end of the decade. Rock bands went into interesting territory with the emerging "New Wave" sound, replacing hard rock anthems and psychedelia with sharp and jangly guitars that were played in a ska-style, static beats, dry and driving basslines, haunting synth lines and eccentric frontmen. Some of the most iconic albums came out in that transitional year of 1980, some of them being Talking Heads' "Remain in Light", The Cure's "Seventeen Seconds" and Peter Gabriel's fourth self-titled record, which set the standard for the 80's drum sound with the song "Intruder". However, 1980 was the year another star entity was born, that new persona being Prince.

Prince started his career in 1978 at about 18 years of age in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was a small African-American teenager with an afro hairstyle and an affinity for making music. He caught the eye of the industry by showing off his incredible multi-instrumentalist skills. They allowed him full creative control and he ended up recording his debut record "For You" where he was the sole artist, allegedly recording 27 instruments on his own!

Despite all this, Prince's debut did not catch on as was expected. Sure, he might have been impressive, but his songwriting did not give off anything unique. The only two remembered songs were the funky "Soft and Wet" and the Santana-inspired "I'm Yours". Prince decided he needed a hit, and he recorded a self-titled record the following year. While he did score a hit with "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and a few other songs, it was still not quite where he wanted to be artistically. The songs sounded stuck in the disco era, and it was already 1979. Prince knew something had to change.

The next year, his third album dropped. This one, was quite different. It featured the ever-flamboyant Prince with shorter, permed hair wearing make-up. His only two clothing items were panties and a trenchcoat. It was unlike anything he had previously done, in terms of sound and presentation. There was something unique, provocative and sexy about this "new" Prince. What was even more intriguing besides the androgyny and excessive sexuality was the music on the album. "Dirty Mind" was the true birth of the legendary Prince we know and love today. The album kept Prince's funk and soul influences, but merged them with the new wave and synthpop of "white" bands, therefore uniting two unlikely factions and creating a killer sound that was quite singular for the time. This sound would quickly become known as the "Minneapolis sound", with Prince as its progenitor and movement leader. The songs were far more sexual and raunchy, featuring lyrics about giving head, threesomes and even incest in the punk-influenced "Sister".

The title track served as the opener, and it begins with a thumping kick drum and incredibly infectious synth riff. Prince delivers his signature falsetto in full force on the incredibly sexual theme of the song, singing lines such as "In my daddy's car/It's you I really wanna drive." It featured a video of Prince performing with his band, featuring the likes of Dr. Fink and Dez Dickerson. This song is incredibly catchy due to its synth lines and vocal delivery. Prince introduces something new on this album also in terms of minimalism. While his previous albums featured his incredible instrumental prowess, this one turned it down from an 11 to a 5 and featured sparse guitar lines and occasional but short synth solos. This time, the sound, the song, and the concept took first priority.

The following track, which became a fan favorite, is the incredibly bittersweet "When You Were Mine". It features such an infectious melody and Prince singing about his lover being with someone else. The lyrics talk about the oddity of this person and how Prince put up with them, even when they let another person join them in the bedroom. It's quite a quirky song, that somehow makes you feel for him, despite maybe not ever finding yourself in a similar situation. "Head" is also another memorable track, featuring funkier instrumentation and quite a strange, yet typically Prince, lyrical theme. According to the story of this song, he meets a virgin who was on her way to be wed but finds herself attracted to him. This "bride" is voiced by Lisa Coleman in the song and apparently wants to give Prince head, despite the fact that she was about to get married. Over the course of the track, she falls in love and runs away with him, marrying him instead. Another key track is the song "Uptown", that deals with some ever-present social issues. It's a very melodic and funky track, with Prince singing about meeting a girl who asks him if he's gay. He wittily replies "No, are you ?" and takes her uptown, where she will encounter the social outcasts and minorities, partying and having a good time despite the hate. It shows that he was well aware of what people thought of the LGBT and African-American populations and that all that hatred can only be deterred if one decides to join the party and have a good time with myriads of different people.

"Gotta Broken Heart Again" is a short 2-minute ballad about Prince being left by his girl in favor of his best friend and him being powerless and unable to heal his broken heart. "Do It All Night" and "Partyup" are two groove-filled tracks about, obviously, partying and making love all night. The former has nice, bouncy instrumentation and ties in perfectly with the theme of the entire record. The latter song, "Partyup" is a bit more on the interesting side. It's chorus is mostly Prince chanting "Partyup/Got to partyup" and then ending it with the "You're going to have to fight your own damn war/Because we don't want to fight no more"-lines, showing that he was more than a horny young person, but that he was also aware of the prejudices and hatred between people in America. This track is also the closer of the album, which showed in which direction Prince would go a year later with his more politically-charged follow-up album. Clocking in at about 30 minutes of runtime, Prince managed to bring a completely new sound, identity and aesthetic, merging male and female, rock and funk, white and black, gay and straight and everything else in between. While everyone mostly praises his fantastic "Purple Rain" album or "Sign O' The Times", it must not be forgotten where Prince's singular style and charisma first originated in his discography and which of his albums set the standard for his future releases in that decade. A truly iconic and important album that everyone should definitely give a shot too.