#it's like... irish ballad but for epic

[adhd-merlin]

I think you would appreciate this song

https://youtu.be/6vgOV0g2WrY

Not gonna lie I was like 98% sure I was going to get Rickrolled.

Thanks, I did appreciate it! I do like maudlin songs. I quite like the lyrics. Although Arthur's "I don’t know what is out there but we need that Grail" made me think of this hilarious post. No, he wasn't so hot to get that Grail, apparently.

I haven't listened to the other songs in the album but are Lancelot, Guinevere and Arthur, like. A throuple? Because it's giving off triad.

(Lyrics and video below the cut for the interested.)

[Verse 1: Lancelot] Oh my loves, raise a glass to those we leave behind We may end up dead, with a bullet in the head But if we’re not returning from this damn fool quest Then tonight let's drown our sorrows down with whiskey

Guinevere, you’re my stars; Arthur, you’re my night And I know we’ve got to ride at the dawn's first light And I ain’t saying this preacher man’s crusade ain’t right But first let's fuel a few more sins with whiskey

[Verse 2: Arthur] Lancelot, you’re a fool to drink your bottle dry Whiskey kills your fear, and you'll want to keep that near ‘Cause I don’t know what is out there but we need that GRAIL And I love you, but you stink to hell of whiskey

Galahad is crazy but you’ve felt that heat And the only explanation comes from his damn seat And with you and Guinevere I know we won’t be beat So we might as well have one more drop of whiskey

[Verse 3: Guinevere] Drain your glass, strap your piece, for my loves, we ride Empty miles of steel fall away beneath our wheels As we leave a trail of bodies of the folks we’ve slain And the camps we raid for gasoline and whiskey

Maybe it’s the heat or maybe it’s the pain But I can’t shake the feeling we’re not coming back again We’re not pure of heart, but we’re sure of aim And our heads are full of love and blood and whiskey

[Verse 4: Arthur, Guinevere, & Lancelot] There’s a dream that I've had as we ride out west Of a golden age and this world’s wrongs all redressed But I wake to find there’s nothing here but fear and death And between the two there’s only blood and whiskey

Quit your whinging, Arthur, or your wounds won’t heal And the vultures that are circling will get their meal We can mourn our dead later until then don’t feel Just clean the wound with bloody rags and whiskey

[scotianostra]

MacPherson is mainly known as the "translator" of the Ossian cycle of poems, he was born at Ruthven in the parish of Kingussie, Badenoch, Inverness-shire and educated at King's College, Aberdeen.

Macpherson presented the Ossian poems as authentic translations of an original oral work by a legendary Gaelic bard, Ossian. They turned out to be hugely influential -inspiring artists, composers and writers. The poems evoked a coherent, mythic world, equivalent to the classical legends and characters of Homer. However, controversy soon followed, with detractors claiming that Macpherson had written the works himself. It is now believed he used existing Gaelic ballads, adding themes and references from other sources.

His first book of poems, The Highlander in 1758, was no a success but after collecting Gaelic manuscripts and having orally transmitted Gaelic poems transcribed with the encouragement of the poet John Home and the financial support of Edinburgh Minister and author he published the English-language text "Fragments of ancient poetry", collected in the Highlands of Scotland. The next year he started publishing the Ossian poems.

So who was Ossian? He was a legendary Irish Bard who is said to be the son of Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill, anglicised to Finn McCool.

Macpherson's poems were a massive success, admirers and people who took inspiration are like a who's who, Samuel Johnson, William Wordsworth, Napoleon and Diderot were great admirers, and Voltaire wrote parodies of them. Thomas Jefferson thought Ossian "the greatest Poet that has ever existed"

In his later years he bought an estate, to which he gave the name Belville or Balavil, in his native Inverness-shire, where he died at the age of 59. Macpherson's remains were carried from Scotland to Westminster Abbey.

Whether or not The Ossian poems were genuine or not we will never know but they are hailed as classics in their own right.

MacPherson's work is described as epic in more than one sense, I've said before I find longer pieces of verse hard work, even some of Burns is hard work for me and prefer short poetry, if you can handle it go read his work, I reckon it is all available for free online.

In the meantime here is a short extract from Fingal, Book one, the description of the battle between the eponymous hero sounds like a storm, notably the one going on outside last night!

"As autumn's dark storms pour from two echoing hills, toward each other approached the heroes.—As two dark streams from high rocks meet, and mix and roar on the plain; loud, rough and dark in battle met Lochlin and Innis-fail. Chief mixed his strokes with chief, and man with man; steel, clanging, sounded on steel, helmets are cleft on high. Blood bursts and smokes around. … As the troubled noise of the ocean when roll the waves on high; as the last peal of the thunder of heaven, such is the noise of battle.“

[king-a-queen]

Eurovision 2023 pt. 1

pt. 2 | pt. 3

It’s this time of the year again! To honor beginning of Eurovision week here’s my opinion on this year’s songs and my ideal qualifiers at the end. No hate, just positive vibes here, feel free to disagree.

Semi-Final 1

Croatia (Let 3 – Mama ŠČ!) – You either love it or hate it. I personally love it – it’s grotesque, weird, absolutely unique and outstanding. We’ll forget most of song from this Eurovision in few years, but not this one. It shows that there’s not just one way to convey an anti-war message.

Ireland (Wild Youth – We Are One) – Not a big fan of this one. Sounds like it comes from a Disney Channel teen movie. It has a summerish, positive vibe, but that’s about it. Also, the live performance from Irish TV leaves much to be desired.

Latvia (Sudden Lights – Aijā) – At first I wasn’t a big fan of it, but right now it’s one of my faves. The vibe of this song makes me wanna lie on the floor and just become one with this song. And they’re great live performers.

Malta (The Busker – Dance (Our Own Party)) – This song feels like it’s a mix of Daði og Gagnamagnið, The Roop and SunStroke Project. It has its own charm, the staging is eventful and the lyrics are relatable. While it’s not one of my faves, it holds a special place in my heart.

Norway (Alessandra – Queen Of Kings) – Definitely one of the strongest participant this year. The song has everything that Eurovision wants: the strong vocals, the lyrics, the staging, the vibe and the powerful message. My only concern is whether it being a viral is more of an advantage or disadvantage.

Portugal (Mimicat – Ai Coração) – Amazing, vintage, burlesque vibe. Not my favorite, but I really enjoy it.

Serbia (Luke Black – Samo Mi Se Spava) – My number 1 since I’ve heard a few seconds of it on PZE recap. I love the message and the dark, mysterious vibe. It feels like it belong in a trailer of some epic, post-apocalyptic game. I regularly listen to it on repeat.

Azerbaijan (TuralTuranX – Tell Me More) – Do they have a chance? Probably not, but they still bring a great, chill vibe.

Czech Republic (Vesna –  My Sister's Crown) – My Slavic heart loves all of it – the message, different Slavic languages and folklore elements. You don’t get bored listening to it. I just feel, Vesna need to work on their live performance for it to be perfect.

Finland (Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha) – Before Finland’s NF I didn’t get the hype for this song. I found it weird, messy and chaotic. But after seeing live performance and public going absolutely crazy for it, I started to get it. Now it’s one of my favorites. What can I say, it’s crazy, it’s party.

Israel (Noa Kirel – Unicorn) – It’s a great, well-produced song and Noa is a very talented artist. I think it may be one of the dark horses of this year’s comp.

Moldova (Pasha Parfeni – Soarele şi Luna) – I love those ethnic bops. Pasha is a great performer and it sounds absolutely amazing live.

Netherlands (Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper – Burning Daylight) – It’s hard for me to judge it, as I don’t fancy songs like that. I’m not a fan, but good luck to them.

Sweden (Loreen – Tattoo) – In my opinion it’s a bit overrated entry. And before anybody comes at me, I like the song and I know it’s really good. It’s just that it’s absolutely what I expect from Sweden and Loren at Eurovision and I prefer to be surprised. But Loreen is amazing performer and I don’t think that this song would work so well if anybody else without such charisma tried to sing it.

Switzerland (Remo Forrer – Watergun) – A great anti-war ballad. I’m not a fan of ballads, but I think it’s a good one. With great staging, he can do well and I’m sure juries will appreciate it (if he qualifies that is).

My ideal qualifiers (in no particular order): Croatia, Latvia, Malta, Norway, Serbia, Czech Republic, Finland, Israel, Moldova, Sweden

[jackredfieldwasmyjacob]

have you listened to the jesc songs? which is your favourite??

I HAVE NOT BUT I SHOULD. you know what. i'm gonna listen to them in the bus and you'll get my live opinion on them:

-Albania (Bota ime - Viola Gjyzeli): Love the harmonies! It really sounds like an esc Albanian song huh. Very epic and such.

-Armenia (Do it my way - Yan Girls): OH LOVE THE VIBES FOR THIS ONE!!! GIRLBAND GOODNESS !!! Also I love they still sing in Armenian even if there's bits of English there :) I am sure it has a sick choreography but alass i'm hearing them on spotify

-Estonia (Hoiame Kokku - ARHANNA): ooooh this one sounds so powerful!!! Love the chorus with the two voices! It's definitely a serious topic, sounds like it has a strong message

-France (Cœur - Zoé Clauzure): I am sadly not inmune to french singing. It just sounds too good I have no option but to stan 😔. Oh that little 'ay ay ay' in the chorus is so familiar to me but I couldn't tell you why. The high notes !!!!

-Georgia (Over The Sky - Anastasia & Ranina): I was sad the song started in English but now they're singing in Georgian which :) THE HARMONIES !!!!! THE LITTLE SCREAMING PARTS !!!!!

-Germany (Ohne worte - Fia): Uuu I really like her voice. It sounds kinda school? I don't know how to explain it. Not much else to say tho, the song is fairly simple. Not that it's a bad thing tho.

-Ireland (Aisling - Jessica McKean): Is that Irish I'm hearing ????? If it is big slay from Ireland in jesc exactly !!! If it's not I'm so sorry I cannot understand anything </3 Nevertheless, love her voice and how whispery it is!

-Italy (Un mondo giusto - Melissa, Ranya): OHHH THAT RASPY VOICE ONE OF THEM HAS !!!! INSANE !!!! It's sounds so epic !!! Why do they sing parts in English tho :( The chorus is insane !!!

-Malta (Stronger - Yulan): This one also sounds pretty epic, I can see this one playing in the radios. Love the voice as well. That last part !!!! And the highs !!!

-Netherlands (Holding on To You - Sep & Jasmijn): Love to hear Dutch! It sounds so good in song !!! Uuuu love the vibes with this one honestly!!! THE BEAT OH MY GOD IT'S SUCH A BOP

-North Macedonia (Kazi Mi, Kazi Mi Koj - Tamara Grujeska): We love a Balkan ballad exactly !!!! She has such a beautiful voice! Quick question is it a requirement for a percentage of the song to be in English??? Cause tons are mixing English in there and I cannot say I love it. Anyways. Classic Balkan ballad with folk elements, what's not to love honestly.

-Poland (I Just Need a Friend - Maja Krzyzewska): wait why is this one so depressing ??? a very pretty voice tho. it's just very :( the bridge is cute

-Portugal (Where I belong - Júlia Machado): her voice singing in portuguese is quite possibly the cutest thing i've ever heard omg 😭 too much English tho :( once again her portuguese is sooooo

-Spain (Loviu - Sandra Valero): okay polyglot queen I see you !! These lyrics are so cute actually 🤧 in general the song is so cute!!! You were not wrong this song is actually good :)

- Ukraine (Kvitka - Anastasia Dymyd): ooooh I do love me an ethnic song yesss!!! Love the beat for this one! THE SCREAM!!!

-UK (Back to life - STAND UNIQU3): This one is also super radio friendly. And is this another girlband??? Cause if then massive slay for them! The tune is catchy enough

OKAY CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW EVERYONE (EXCEPT I GUESS MALTA) SUNG IN THEIR LANGUAGES ???? EVEN IRELAND ???? WHY DOESN'T THIS HAPPEN IN ESC

anyways. after this first listen I think my favourite is Netherlands! of course as with esc the scenography and live vocals are quite important so this might change. but yeah. for now Netherlands is the one for me :)

[celtfather]

Magic of the Celts #568 feat. CaliCeltic

Experience the magic of the Celts on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, featuring a Celtic music story from CaliCeltic.

The Ne'er Duwels, Banshee in the Kitchen, Andy Irvine, Nava, New Shilling, Across The Pond, Dan The Bard, La Nef and Chor Leoni, Kevin McKrell, Caliceltic, Stone Row, Kris Colt, Sons of Malarkey, Enda Reilly

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THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC

0:02 - Kris Colt Intro

0:10 - The Ne'er Duwels "Reels: Mary MacMahon's/Lady's Cup of Tea/Mother & Child" from The Ne'er Duwels

4:12 - WELCOME

5:19 - Banshee in the Kitchen "Blarney Tea" from Band O' Shees

9:34 - Andy Irvine "Mary And The Soldier" from Andy Irvine & Paul Brady

13:15 - Nava "Magic Box" from Tapestry

16:53 - New Shilling "Curlew/Ballad Of Ned Roach" from Irishtown Sessions

21:13 - FEEDBACK

24:56 - Across The Pond "Rights of Man / Fisher's" from Little Beggarman

30:00 - Dan The Bard "Magic Random Fountain" from Epic Lute

34:18 - La Nef and Chor Leoni "Lowlands Away" from Shanties! LIVE

38:17 - Kevin McKrell "A Boat Named Love and Happiness" from In Quarantine

40:32 - THANKS

42:03 - CELTIC MUSIC STORY  -  CALICELTIC

49:25 - Caliceltic "The Fantastic Slapping Adventures of a Tuesday Night" from Some Kinda EP or Sumthin'

53:53 - If you want to hear more about CaliCeltic, visit their website at https://caliceltic.com/

54:00 - Stone Row "Magic in His Hands" from Alignment

57:32 - Kris Colt "Evangeline" from Arms of a Stranger

1:01:25 - Sons of Malarkey "Farewell to Nova Scotia" from Presenting Sons of Malarkey

1:04:28 - CLOSING

1:05:08 - Enda Reilly "The Foggy Dew" from Whisperings

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. The show was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather. Subscribe through your favorite podcatcher or on our website where you can become a Patron of the Podcast for as little as $1 per episode. Promote Celtic culture through music at http://celticmusicpodcast.com/.

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* Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. I am Marc Gunn. I’m a musician and podcaster. I want to introduce you to some amazing Celtic bands and musicians.

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TRAVEL WITH CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS

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I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK

What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? You can send a written comment along with a picture of what you're doing while listening.

Email a voicemail message to celticpodcast@gmail.com

Daniel Faigin replied to our Celtic Music Magazine: "Marc, Well, I'm listening to the podcast as I'm working on a document, and I heard you ask if anyone has started a podcast. I have a new one  -  -  just started in the last few months  -  -  but it has nothing to do with Celtic Music. It deals with the history of California's highways; you can find it at caroutebyroute.org . I've been careful to make sure any music I'm using is public domain (and I really only use it for opening and closing). For now, I've been using https://freemusicarchive.org/home which allows you to search by license type. Hopefully, I'll get someone to write us a theme they will let us use. As you know, when starting out (and having no advertising), you have to watch your pennies."

Phyu LuLu emailed a photo a couple years ago: "Hello Mark! I’m having a perfect Tuesday morning all thanks to you! (It’s 10:30 here!)

I was just thinking how amazing you are to let us enjoy these beautiful tunes by creating this beautiful channel! I’m now studying for my upcoming job interview which will be in next 3 hours. Actually, I’m not sure if I want the job. I’m also happy with my current one. I’ve been facing so many dilemmas these days. Anyway, one thing I’m sure is that I‘m so deeply in love with celtic and irish music! I might share my poorly sung celtic songs with you some day! Yours is my favorite channel on apple podcast and the safe place whenever I got tired of those medical podcasts! ^_^

Grai chyeju kaba sai yaw!

Stay safe and all the best!

cheers!

Phyu Phyu, From Kachin, Myanmar (the other side of the world)"

Cheryl Arvio emailed: "Mark, do you ever go to Milwaukee Irish Fest? My partner and I go every year, it's really a grand time! Four days of near - continuous music on something like a dozen stages. Everything from local traditional bands to nationally known Celtic rock acts like Scythian and the Elders. There's also a cultural village, set and ceili dance pavilion, theater, Irish language lessons, even currach boat races and Irish dogs.

I think it would be a great way for you to make contacts for getting new music, and maybe find a way to promote the podcast as well.

It's more of a trek for you than it is for us in Chicago, but it's such a major event, I feel someone like you, with your appreciation for the music and the culture, should experience it!

https://irishfest.com/Milwaukee - Irish - Fest

Slan,

Cheryl

Check out this episode!

[serenagaywaterford]

逃跑计划 - 夜空中最亮的星 我祈祷拥有一颗透明的心灵 和会流泪的眼睛    

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Lou Reed - Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, Netherlands, June 14, 2012

Holy Sister Ray, Batman! We’ve made it to the end of our epic Summer of Lou journey, which started all the way back in May 2020. Forty years of live Lou! I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling the way Reed is looking in the above pic. It’s been fun, though, right? Lou Reed — what a crazy guy, with a career that was weirder than any other career. Case in point: the dude went out on Lulu, a truly singular collaboration with Metallica. Lulu was deeper, darker, stranger and more unpleasant than anything Lou had done before. The greatest disappointment? No! I kinda like it!

Lou kinda liked it too — and he took the much-maligned Lulu on the road in the summer of 2012 for his final tour. Metallica was not with him, however. In their place: a big band consisting Tony “Thunder” Smith, Rob Wasserman, Kevin Hearn, Tony Diodore, Aram Bajakian, Ulrich Krieger, Sarth Calhoun and Joan “As Police Woman” Wasser. It’s a pretty flexible collective; they can handle the simple, pure VU material (check out the monomaniacal extended version of “I’m Waiting For The Man”) as well as the grinding, thrashy Lulu stuff (”The View” sounds uncannily like Black Sabbath). They can strip things down for the ballads and rev things up for the rockers. They even pull of what is likely the most faithful-to-the-original live arrangement of “Street Hassle.” No mean feat! 

And how about Lou himself? He sounds both fragile and defiant, raging against the dying of the light, full of passionate intensity — surely some Revelation is at hand! He also sounds like he’s enjoying himself, especially on the Lulu tracks, spitting out those incredibly nasty lyrics with glee. But the quieter moments are great, too — Magic and Loss’s “Cremation” is given an almost Irish folk feel, Lou venturing into the slipstream: “The coal black sea waits for me,” he sings, perhaps knowing that the end is near. And then there’ “Junior Dad,” Reed’s final statement. Bizarre, beautiful and undeniably moving — “And the sun came down and the moon was out, and the sea was quiet” he whispers at the end, over a rich drone. “The greatest disappointment.” Goodbye, Lou. 

Lou Says (2012): I like conflict — it’s balance.

[betweenthetimeandsound]

Three Minutes to Eternity: My ESC 250 (#58-57)

#58: Friderika Bayer -- Kinek mondjam el vétkeimet? (Hungary 1994)

“Semmi sincs, csak fénytelen éj Csak szótlan bánat, hiú remény Nincsen hûség, nincs szerelem Nincs simitó kéz nekem”

“There is nothing, just the lightless night Just speechless sorrow, just illusive hope There is no loyalty, no love There's no caressing hand for me”

Seven countries debuted in the 1994 contest (including Russia--see #149 about that), and I thought this was the best of all of them. While To nie ja showcased Edyta's vocals and put her on the road to superstardom in Poland, Kinek mondjam el vetkimet does something more than that for me, as it creates a compelling soundscape and actually makes me feel something.

The song puts Friderika in a vulnerable situation, where she seeks somebody to talk to. It gets occasionally interpreted as a teenage pregnancy, because of the line "A meg sem született gyermekemnek"/"In spite of nobody dying and no children being born" and the English version suggesting that the narrator aborted the child. I didn't get that sense while I was listening to it, but I could relate to it a lot, because of the need to relieve oneself of the burdens that haunt them in life. I felt lonely at times, and need someone to talk to about life. (also, the title translates to "To whom I may confess my sins?", and the slight religious hints intrigues me again, haha)

The minimalistic instrumentation highlights that fragility; there's the guitarist playing that melody, the occasional tambourine, and the orchestra in the background. They create a little world for three minutes, filled with longing and the need to cry. It's almost like a prayer for understanding, because of the simplicity and sincerity of it. And it is just pure gold, deservingly getting Hungary’s best entry to date (for now, I hope).

P.S. A shout-out for @eurosong and @white-eyed-girl; both really love this song, but for the former, it's their favorite Eurovision song ever!

Personal ranking: 1st/25 Actual ranking: 4th/25 in Dublin

Final Impressions on:

--1994: It's known for having seven new countries come over (four that missed out on Kvalificacija za Millstreet in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Estonia, along with Poland, Russia, and Lithuania), along with being an especially ballad-heavy year. Several times in the running order, it seemed like all the songs blurred together, though I do think that the song quality was high enough to keep it from being bad. Most notably, Riverdance blew everyone out of the water with its use of Irish dance; it became more popular than the whole starting lineup. Basically, that was epic, along with the crowd in Point Theatre cheering for Ireland when they received multiple 12 points to get their third straight title.

--Hungary: Definitely one of the more unique countries in the contest, in terms of what they send. Looking back, they were more up-and-down in terms of quality, but they never leaned towards something more "basic". When they did deliver, they really did in spades; that helped with maintaining an eight-year qualification streak between 2011 and 2018. Sadly, they withdrew because of their increasingly authoritarian government, which is made even worse because they looked like they were going to win. Hopefully, they come back soon!

#57: Minouche Barelli -- Boum Badaboum (Monaco 1967)

“Avant de faire tout sauter, boum boum Laissez-moi le temps d’aimer, badaboum Laissez-moi encore la vie, boum boum Au moins mille et une nuits, badaboum”

“Before blowing everything up, boom boom Leave me the time to love, badaboom Still leave me my life, boom boom At least a thousand and one nights, badaboom”

Another Serge Gainsbourg-penned song, I find it quite interesting. Whereas Poupée de cire, poupée de son (#179) and White and Black Blues (#74) deal with similar thoughtful issues with well-written lyrics, Boum Badaboum is a lot more straightforward.

Despite the silly title, it has a serious message about trying to enjoy what life is about before she gets killed in a nuclear explosion. The United States and the Soviet Union were just hours away from catalyzing a nuclear war five years ago, and yet amongst the negotiations and proxy wars of the Cold War, tension remains. These pleas are almost drowned out amongst the cacophony of the "bada-boums", which can be an acquired taste to some people.

Mincouche's voice is a bit shouty, which when combined with the instrumentation, makes me waver on whether or not I truly like the song. However, it does gets the message across the poppy soundscape, and she performs it with a bit of mischief amongst the despair. The orchestration for this makes it so cool and groovy, you wouldn't know that she's shouting for a little bit of peace!

Personal ranking: 1st/17 Actual ranking: 5th/17 in Vienna

[facelessxchurch]

What do you think the nasty bois favorite things are?? (foods, music, books, stuff like that)

Favourite Sweet

Nefarian: He likes mint candy so he always smells minty fresh plus the aesthetic fits him so well. I could also totally see him being the sweet-tooth of the group given his affinity to hedonism.

Mevolent: For some reason I feel like he would really like marzipan, in particular in form of Lübeck Marzipan Cake. Tho I don’t see him eating sweets often tbh.

Vile: Canon!Vile can’t eat and TwinAU!Vile is a trashcan in a human body. he doesn’t care, he eats everything, including the things on your plate if you don’t eat quick enough. Baron learned the hard way. MonsterAU!Vile is even worse in that regard bc he can detach his limbs.

Baron: He prefers hearty food over sweets, so he’d prefer a meat pie over a cake.

Music

No idea. Nefarian is the only one that made it into the 21th century alive and free, and I very much doubt they were listening to the contemporary music of the mortals during the war. 

But there were certainly some Faceless church mages with musical talent which Mevolent was putting on a pedestal, attending their concerts and/or having them play at the social events he liked to hold to keep the spirits up. To Mev music is a sign of status and he is all about culture and high life.

Nefarian loves music to dance to, either having some quick-paced fun on a ball, party or bar, or slow dancing with Baron in private while the phonograph is playing in the background. I could see Nef having a thing for waltzes tbh, especially bc the waltz was considered vulgar and sinful ‘till around 1825 due to its close-hold stance and fast turning movements.

Nef also absolutely loves Parlour music. He would often play on the piano and sing to entertain the others, think ‘Smut’ or ‘The Irish Ballad’ from Tom Lehrer or something like ‘Jokes, Jokes, Jokes’ from Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. Mev hates to admit it, but even he thought it to be rather amusing.

He also loves singing along to drinking songs at the pub. That little hedonist just wants to have a good time and to enjoy life.

Canon!Vile is too emo to care about music. TwinAU!Vile hates the high life and the uptight nobles participating in it. He much prefers Parlour music or drinking songs down at the pub to howl along to.

Baron wasn’t really into music or dancing bc he was mainly associating it with social events he was forced to attend and to network, so it was more work than pleasure. When he started dating Nef he loosened up bc of course Nef wanted to dance with his lover and Baron actually found himself enjoying the events for once.

Imagine in the second book when Baron is freed from prison and Nef is already dead, Baron takes the time to return to the castle, heart-broken to find it in the state it is, abandoned and bricked up by the sanctuary. He forces his way inside anyways and makes his way through the dusty halls to what used to be Nef’s master bedroom, putting on an old record, listening to the waltz they used to dance to in secret and helping himself to one of Nefs hidden emergency stashs of whine and whiskey as he mourns his late lover.

Books

Nefarian: Scientific papers from his peers to improve his alchemy skills. Smut. Theatre Plays. Fiction, preferring Gothicism and Dark Romanticism (it’s a literary subgenre of Romanticism, reflecting popular fascination with the irrational, the demonic and the grotesque , for mortals that would be something like Edgar Allen Poe), but I could also see him enjoying works similar to Charles Dickens.

Ngl I headcanon Nef totally loved reading Oscar Wilde’s work despite him being a mortal as a guilty pleasure and was hiding the copy’s he had from Mev least his master takes them away from him and punished him for his indulgences.

In modern days he has also grown found of science fiction.

Mevolent: History books and stuff like ‘The Art of War’, Research papers of the sciences and new discoveries as he is gathering knowledge of the elements to improve his magic.

Vile: lol no.

Baron: History books and stuff like ‘The Art of War’. Fiction. He probably borrowed some books from Nef. His own preference are books revolving around hero’s and their deeds. I could also see him liking epic poems like ‘The Illiad’.

In addition to that Mev and Nef are also busy finding and reading long forgotten and at times forbidden tomes in strange languages in an attempt to find the ritual that would return their Gods to them. But that’s less recreational and more part of their job.

[volturialice]

one and three for the fanfic questions for perdition, OBVIOUSLY

1. If you had to create a soundtrack for your story, what songs would you choose? Why?

bitch please you KNOW I only know 3 songs why would you do this to me

but if I must, we'll shamefully reveal what's on my list. here goes

first of all, the "Stretched on Your Grave" song is an actual Irish ballad from like the 1700s so that's an extreme anachronism for ya

I also have dark/epic covers of "Take Me to Church" and "Can't Help Falling in Love" because let's face it, those are the two events of the story. one or both of these would definitely be the music for the Perdition theatrical trailer

finally, at the beginning when I was trying to get into the mood to write, I listened a lot to Hozier's "Shrike" and Agnes Obel's "Riverside."

3. If you had to direct a scene from your fic, what would you choose? Why? What would it look like? What techniques would you use to convey certain emotions? What would the set look like?

oooh ok this is a tough one because I would pick a scene I haven't published yet. you know, the ***** scene, in which alice *****s.

but if I had to pick from the parts I've already written, I would do the whole tavern chunk, starting from when the party arrives and ending with some good ol' fashioned choking. that one has a lot of extreme reversals, so it would be fun to direct actors for it.

as for location, I mean. it's a little medieval tavern. pretty standard studio stuff. but for Perdition as a whole I'd wanna shoot on location as much as possible. I would want the same moors they used in the 2011 Jane Eyre. those were some sexyass moors.

as for techniques...hmm. I'd pretty much just reverse-engineer what I've written, because I think I already write pretty...cinematically? like that's my frame of reference; when I write things I'm picturing shots. in chapter 1 I tried to write out a dolly zoom. idk how successful it was 🙃

send me questions for fic writers

[musicallisto]

songs that make your heart beat (tag game)

I was tagged by @lxncelot - thank you so much for tagging me! this tag was made for me. (also, lie to me and iris are GOOD. not to spoil anything, but iris is one of my song prompts for my 1k writing challenge, so stay tuned for that maybe.)

“Hiiii so I thought of this game where you put 5 songs that just make you feel out of this world with a short explanation- It could be your comfort songs, your favorite ones, anything that makes you feel things! and then tag your friends :))” @/spideyanakin

These are some of my favorite songs of all time - and I'll try to explain as best as I can but sometimes you just... feel the vibe and can't think you know.

1. 5 seconds of summer - wrapped around your finger

while Olive hated 5sos with a burning passion in junior high, I was utterly and feverishly obsessed with them. if you knew me in 2014-2018 during my 5sos phase no you didn't. but wrapped around your finger still SLAPS as hard as it did back in the day and I have nothing but love for that song. it's so angsty!! but good!!! and like, poignant!!! and gut-wrenching!!!! and it has that ~nocturnal elegy~ feel to it. i love it. excellent vibes. (strong STRONG contender i hesitated with too: outer space/carry on by 5sos for the same reasons, tho I'd argue outer space is objectively better than wayf but I have poured too much of my soul in wayf)

2. bruno mars - young girls

why? you ask. why a bruno mars song? idk i literally DON'T KNOW these are pure vibes. vibes and only vibes!!!! when i was a kid and really into pop music (before i went through my emo phase and despised everything that was on the radio), i was really into bruno mars and lady gaga (locked out of heaven still has me shook). but i discovered this song much later and it was love at first listen. it has a very particular feel, nostalgic and melancholic, that you don't find often in pop music, and especially not in bruno mars' discography? of course he's written beautiful ballads and poignant songs (grenade SLAPS), but this one is different. in the best way. it destroys me every time.

3. hollywood undead - lion

in my voice ask when i talked about how i came to learn english, i briefly mentioned hollywood undead and how obsessed with them i was in seventh grade (which prompted my emo phase, as i said). they were super edgy and their lyrics super fucking raw. looking back now, they were sometimes too edgy, but not lion. lion still hits as hard as it did on the first day. i've never quite managed to totally grasp what it deals with (addiction, maybe?), which is a common occurrence in my favorite songs. but i'm always left breathless by the end of the song, and i don't think i'll ever outgrow that love.

4. ana belén - peces de ciudad (lit. city fish)

this is the nostalgia speaking here... but my mom used to listen to this song all the time when i was young, and it's been etched in my brain ever since. it helps that the lyrics are absolutely magnificent (courtesy of joaquín sabina, spanish songwriter and poet). there are many versions of this song, but ana belén's remains my favorite because of the memories i associate with it, and also how clear and soft her voice is. besides, it features my favorite twitches to the original lyrics (en Macondo comprendí & cuando en vuelo regular surqué el cielo de Madrid). the second verse is so ethereally beautiful, like! it's out of this world, i don't know how to explain it. it truly sends me to another dimension. if you look closely, this song is everywhere on my blog, most notably as my title (pez de ciudad), and at some point it was in my bio (as ¿y como huir cuando no quedan islas para naufragar?).

5. michel sardou - les lacs du connemara (lit. the lakes of connemara)

WAIT the tag never said that these all had to be serious and angsty and introspective and stuff!!!! it's literally called 'songs that make your heart beat', and boy if my heart doesn't beat during that song then i must be very dead. a little bit of context: it is a tacit truth among the french nation that this song must be played at every single house party, and most specifically as the last song. it's an implicit agreemennt to let everyone know that it's time to clean up and go home; so it's kind of a little bit of a meme, right? like, everyone is piss drunk when they hear it, so i bet no one remembers having ever heard the song in full. but somehow everyone knows the lyrics, and it gives way for the most beautiful moments in humanity. picture this: a crowd of fifteen or twenty people hoisting you up by the shoulders and jumping around to this epic irish beat? you've never spoken to any of these people and you'll never speak to them again but for the six minutes of this song, you're bound by the unspeakable friendship of five a.m. i love it, i love the moment so much.

but THEN! the thing IS! as i've said, this song is kind of this drunken meme in france, right? but i like it; unironically, i truly do. and i may very well be the only person on the face of earth to genuinely love it - except for the beaufs, but that's a whole another deal that i can't get into rn -, but it's as much of a banger as any other song on this list. clearly this is beyond a good time with friends. this song is a religion and i feel it carnally.

also that sardou dude plays enjolras in the original les mis adaptation and i have not been the same ever since i learned that. enjolras belting les lacs is glorious it brings me too much joy

this was such a fun tag - thank you for thinking of me! i'm tagging anyone who wants to do it! ♥

[scotianostra]

February 17th 1796 saw the death of poet James MacPherson.

MacPherson is mainly known as the “translator” of the Ossian cycle of poems, he was born at Ruthven in the parish of Kingussie, Badenoch, Inverness-shire and educated at King’s College, Aberdeen.

Macpherson presented the Ossian poems as authentic translations of an original oral work by a legendary Gaelic bard, Ossian. They turned out to be hugely influential -inspiring artists, composers and writers. The poems evoked a coherent, mythic world, equivalent to the classical legends and characters of Homer. However, controversy soon followed, with detractors claiming that Macpherson had written the works himself. It is now believed he used existing Gaelic ballads, adding themes and references from other sources.

His first book of poems, The Highlander in 1758, was no a success but after collecting Gaelic manuscripts and having orally transmitted Gaelic poems transcribed with the encouragement of the poet John Home and the financial support of Edinburgh Minister and author he published the English-language text “Fragments of ancient poetry”, collected in the Highlands of Scotland. The next year he started publishing the Ossian poems.

So who was Ossian? He was a legendary Irish Bard who is said to be the son of Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill, anglicised to Finn McCool.

Macpherson’s poems were a massive success, admirers and people who took inspiration are like a who’s who, Samuel Johnson, William Wordsworth, Napoleon and Diderot were great admirers, and Voltaire wrote parodies of them. Thomas Jefferson thought Ossian “the greatest Poet that has ever existed” In his later years he bought an estate, to which he gave the name Belville or Balavil, in his native Inverness-shire, where he died at the age of 59.

Macpherson’s remains were carried from Scotland to Westminster Abbey.

Whether or not The Ossian poems were genuine or not we will never know but they are hailed as classics in their own right.

MacPherson’s work is described as epic in more than one sense, I’ve said before I find longer pieces of verse hard work, even some of Burns is hard work for me and prefer short poetry, if you can handle it go read his work,  I reckon it is all available for free online.

In the meantime here is a short extract from Fingal, Book one, the description of the battle between the eponymous hero sounds like a storm.........

“As autumn’s dark storms pour from two echoing hills, toward each other approached the heroes.—As two dark streams from high rocks meet, and mix and roar on the plain; loud, rough and dark in battle met Lochlin and Innis-fail. Chief mixed his strokes with chief, and man with man; steel, clanging, sounded on steel, helmets are cleft on high. Blood bursts and smokes around. … As the troubled noise of the ocean when roll the waves on high; as the last peal of the thunder of heaven, such is the noise of battle.“

[awomanindeniall]

Niall Horan plays a sort-of gig for a kind-of audience. It’s a bit of a triumph

It’s not like being in the Royal Albert Hall. But, for now, it’s as close as any of us can get

Ed Power, The Irish Times (Nov 7, 2020)

'It is, of course, strange watching Niall Horan sing to a mostly empty room. So it’s comforting to know that it feels that way for Horan too. “I really do wish you were here,” he says one third of the way through this enjoyably exuberant and heartfelt 60-minute concert from the Royal Albert Hall in London. “I’ve had a nerve-wracking start.”

:readmore:

With live music in suspended animation due to coronavirus – former U2 manager Paul McGuinness fears touring will “never be the same again” – streaming for now represents the future of the industry. 

Obviously, it’s nothing like the real thing. There is no sweat, no spilled drinks, no breathless bawling along from the cheap seats (if you belt out the lyrics to This Town in your empty living room has it even happened?).

The experience is a peculiar one. You’re not attending a gig. And yet, you’re not quite not-attending a gig either. There is an uncanny valley aspect that is hard to get your head around.  

Horan, though, is good value. Some 120,000 punters in more than 100 countries have forked out the equivalent of $20 to watch the 27-year-old Mullingar star perform material from his two studio records.  

That might seem steep-ish 60 minutes of “content” beamed to your laptop via YouTube. Still, it’s less than the $30 Billie Eilish charged for her livestream show the week previously. And it is for a worthy cause with funds raised going to Horan’s crew – out of work since the pandemic started – and the #WeNeedCrew initiative.  

He puts in a solid shift, too. Epic, indulgent, moderately terrifying – and those are just the brightly-patterned pants he arrives on stage wearing. 

The music is every bit as glittering a mishmash as his trousers. Much like his old One Direction pal Harry Styles, Horan has a mildly shocking penchant for late 1970s soft rock. And that shines through on the rollicking Small Talk and Nice To Meet Ya, the latter showcasing the guitar chops of Dubliner Jake Curran (and co-written by another Dubliner, Ruth-Anne Cunningham). 

As you’d expect of an X-Factor graduate, Horan is an accomplished balladeer. This he proves on closing number Flicker – the big-hearted weepy which, were it the “old normal”, would have the audience waving cameras over their heads. He also dives into Slow Hands, which, crushingly, isn’t a cover of the Joy Division-esque 2004 hit by Interpol. 

With a running time of just an hour and Horan and band observing social distancing there isn’t much room for improvisation. But he does squeeze one surprise with a cameo by American singer Ashlyn Rae Willson, aka Ashe.

She flew across the Atlantic and quarantined for two weeks to duet with Horan on her hit Moral of The Story. It sounds more than a little like Billie Eilish – no surprise considering Ashe co-wrote it with Eillish’s producer (and brother) Finneas O’Connell.  

The bubblegum dirge is among the highlights of the evening and Horan generously shares the limelight with his guest. However, for diehards the most memorable moment probably comes immediately afterwards as he reaches for Black and White, his inescapable mid-tempo smash from earlier in the year. 

The song is slick, slightly generic and a platform for Horan’s mellow, rasping vocals. He closes his eyes during the chorus and director Paul Dugdale (who oversaw Taylor Swift’s Netflix Reputation concert film) cuts to an overhead shot of the vast and empty venue.

It’s nothing like being there. But, for now, it’s as close as any of us is going to get. By those, admittedly very odd standards, the evening is a bit of a triumph.'

[hlupdate]

So what does a young superstar spend his time thinking about? Classic rock, mostly, along with the occasional movie or TV show. Harry Styles has always been a voracious scholar of pop history — the kind of guy who obsesses over John and Yoko album covers and Fleetwood Mac deep cuts. “We’re all just fans,” he says. “I’m just a music fan who happens to make some.” These are just a few of Harry’s favorite things — some influences, some inspirations, some heroes.

Listen along to our Harry Styles playlist here.

Van Morrison The Irish blues bard was down and out in Boston when he wrote his brooding 1968 song cycle Astral Weeks. “It’s my favorite album ever,” Harry says. “Completely perfect.” Harry recently posed with his idol for a backstage photo — inspiring Van to smile, which doesn’t happen too often. The grin is so out of character for Van, Harry jokes, “I was tickling him behind his back.” (He’s kidding, obviously.) On his first tour, before going onstage, he played “Madame George” over the speakers — the epic ballad of a Belfast drag queen. “‘Madame George’ is one of my favorites — nine minutes. I’ve got some long songs but not my nine-minute one — it hasn’t quite come through yet.”

Joni Mitchell Harry got so obsessed with her 1971 classic Blue, he went on a quest. “I was in a big Joni hole,” he says. “I kept hearing the dulcimer all over Blue. So I tracked down the lady who built Joni’s dulcimers in the Sixties. She still lives around here.” He not only found her, she invited him over. “I went to her house and she gave me a little lesson — we sat around and played dulcimers.” She built the dulcimer Harry plays on his new album. “Blue and Astral Weeks, that’s just the ultimate in terms of songwriting. Melody-wise, they’re in their own lane. Joni and Van, their freedom with melodies — it’s never quite what you thought was coming, yet it’s always so great.”

Etta James The hard-living R&B legend could do it all, from raw Chess blues to pop-soul torch ballads. Harry is a devotee of her 1960 debut album At Last! “This whole album is perfect. On that record you have ‘I Just Want to Make Love to You’ going right into ‘At Last,’ which has to be one of the greatest one-twos ever. Her ad libs are so intense. It’s like, ‘Come on, Etta — tell us how you really feel.’”

Wings Paul McCartney’s 1970s band left behind a slew of shaggy art-pop oddities. Harry swears by London Town and Back to the Egg. “While I was in Tokyo I used to go to a vinyl bar, but the bartender didn’t have Wings records. So I brought him Back to the Egg. ‘Arrow Through Me,’ that was the song I had to hear every day when I was in Japan.” The 1971 suite Ram was divisive for Beatles fans at the time, but for Harry it was a psychedelic experience: while making the album, he and his band enjoyed it while lying out in the sunshine on mushrooms. “I love Ram so much — I used to think it was a mixed bag, but that’s part of its beauty. And the one that’s just called McCartney, with the cherries on the cover and ‘The Lovely Linda’ on it.”

John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky Documentary A deep dive into the world of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, during the making of Imagine. “I watched Above Us Only Sky on Netflix,” Harry says. “Seeing him play ‘Imagine’ on piano made me want to take piano lessons.” One of his favorite Lennon songs: “Jealous Guy,” especially the Donnie Hathaway cover. “Have you ever heard the original version of ‘Jealous Guy’? It was called ‘Child of Nature.’ Every time I play ‘Jealous Guy,’ I can’t help singing ‘Child of Nature.’ I really like Mind Games too. My favorite-ever album cover is the John and Yoko Live Peace in Toronto. So beautiful: it’s blue sky with one cloud, and that’s it.”

Carole King For a playback of his new music, Harry arranges to listen at Henson Studios in Hollywood, which used to be the old A&M Studios, in Studio B. Why? “It’s the room where Carole King recorded Tapestry.” Obsessive pop scholar that he is, Harry reveres King as both a singer and songwriter. His favorite: “So Far Away.” “How do people make shit like this?”

Crosby, Stills and Nash These three hippie balladeers summed up the mellow West Coast soft-rock vibe, despite their chemical wreckage. (For the full story, see the great new band bio by Rolling Stone’s David Browne.) “Those harmonies, man,” Harry says. “‘Helplessly Hoping’ is the song I would play if I had three minutes to live. It’s one of my ‘one more time before I go’–type songs.”

The Other Two TV Series He’s a big fan of the Comedy Central series. “It’s a brother and a sister — they’re the Two — and their younger brother becomes a viral YouTube sensation. He’s a Justin Bieber–type thing. He’s 13, and it’s basically those two dealing with that. It’s really funny.” (He’s got a thing for absurdist pop scenes like this — he also recommends the documentary When the Screaming Stops, about a bizarre reunion gig from the Eighties twin-brother duo Bros.)

Paul Simon “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,’ that’s the greatest verse melody ever written, in my opinion,” Harry says. “So minimal, but so good — that drum roll. ‘The Boxer’ is a perfect lyric, especially that first verse.” Paul Simon was one of his childhood soundtracks, with or without Art Garfunkel. “I grew up in a pub for a few years when I was a kid and Simon and Garfunkel were just constantly playing, always. Every time ‘Cecilia’ started, I’d be like, ‘I think I’ve heard this a hundred times today.’”

Hall and Oates “For my 21st birthday, I had a big party, and I convinced myself I really wanted Hall and Oates to play. I knew it wasn’t going to happen — I just had to ask. But just a few months before, they went into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, so whatever it was, it was now three times as much as it used to be. Their rate just tripled — ah, fuck.”

Peter Gabriel, “Sledgehammer” Video “The greatest music video ever. I also love that Eighties synth pan-whistle sound — it basically just exists in this song and ‘My Heart Will Go On.’”

Elvis Presley “The first music I ever heard was Elvis Presley. When I was little, we got a karaoke machine and I sang Elvis, because that’s what my grandparents listened to. I made my grandfather a tape of me doing Elvis songs on one side and all Eminem on the other side. Unfortunately, I accidentally played him the wrong side.”

Harry Nilsson The legendary L.A. eccentric could croon middle-of-the-road hit ballads like “Without You,” but also a crazed weirdo who caroused with John Lennon and pursued his own lunatic pop fantasies. In other words, Harry Styles’ type of guy. “I think of all the great songwriters I love — but they all had their pop songs. Joni Mitchell with ‘Help Me,’ Paul Simon with ‘You Can Call Me Al,’ Harry Nilsson with ‘Coconut.’ You have to conquer the fear of pop.”

Stevie Nicks The Gold Dust Woman and her “little muse” are everybody’s favorite rock friendship. At the Hall of Fame ceremony in March, the sight of Harry dropping to one knee as he hands the award to a radiant Stevie — one of the iconic cross-generational images of our time. They first sang together in L.A. two years ago, when she made a surprise guest appearance at one of his first solo shows. “One of my favorite-ever musical memories. We sang ‘Landslide’ as a soundcheck, and that was even cooler for me than the show — just me and her, in an empty Troubadour.”

They just sang “Landslide” at a Gucci event in Rome, with Harry hitting impossible high notes on the final “snooooow-covered hills.” “We practiced in the dressing room,” he says. He’s got the rehearsal footage on his phone — when he hits that note, guitarist Waddy Wachtel is too stunned to keep playing. “That’s my favorite bit,” Harry says. “Practicing the song together. Just the two of us.”

[themumblingmando]

Bardic Basics:

What IS a Bard?

Originally used to signify a Celtic musician or poet, coming from the Gaelic word “baird” or the Cymric “bardh”, the title Bard has expanded over the years to include singers, poets, and performers. Troubadours and Minstrels also get classified as Bards in the modern centuries despite not having the laws and regulations that were given to Bards in the Middle Ages. In the Lowlands of Scotland, Bards did not share their Irish and Welsh companions respect and were considered a class of beggars and wanderers.

In general, Bards were a class all their own in the Middle Ages. They constructed songs and poems praising kings and soldiers for their heroics, but also were tasked with keeping track of history of families and poetic genealogies, as well as national laws. A Bard would often specialize on one of these topics, giving way to a classification structure for them. Monasteries would keep a Bard on staff as a genealogist and historian while history remained unwritten. Kings and chieftains would hire them and bestow gifts in exchange for ballads and services rendered. Due to their demand, of services and respect, they often were given various levels of diplomatic freedoms, free to travel and spread news from court to court with their songs.

Because of their high level of education, and their rigorous oral traditions and the keen memory that came with it, they were considered the only reliable source of information at the time. Scribes to document events and laws were far more expensive then the services of a Bard, and had as of yet not earned the level of trust that Bards merited. High grade Bards would undergo lengthy apprenticeships to acquire various skills before striking out on their own. Often those belonging to an official Order, like the Bardd Teulu, would fall into this category.

Who is NOT a Bard?

Minstrels and Troubadours are not Bards, as they did not get the training or perks that came with the title Bard, but also did not preform all the same tasks.

Minstrels were considered a servant class, accompanying traveling musicians or traveling solo primarily. They sung songs and spun tales of distant lands, of fantasy and imaginary events, they wrote their own tales and carried their own stories. Occasionally, they would sing of history long passed. Minstrels were also known to memorize the work of others, embellishing it some and adding it to their retinue.

Troubadours however, were the medieval composers. They would preform old lyric poetry from years past, often long epics called “Chanson de Geste” which dealt with chivalry and courtly love. Troubadours would travel to various countries, including traveling with the Crusades into the Near East.

Famous Bards and Bardic Tales:

The three most commonly agreed upon, famous bards are:

Taliesin in the 6th century. A welsh bard known for the book of Taliesin

Dafydd ap Gwilym in the 14th century. Widely regarded as the greatest welsh poet of all time.

Iolo Goch in the 14th century as well, famous for “The Labourer” and master of the Cywydd.

It is thanks to the record keeping and keen minds of Bards, Minstrels, and Troubadours that we have the Tales of King Arthur, the most widely known stories from the Bardic Era to be saved and passed down as the generations continue. Bardic tradition continues, though under new names now. They are called “singer-songwriters” and “composer-lyricist” and other coupling terms from the musical disciplines. At their core, a Bard is a storyteller, someone to spin and weave and capture audiences in a land all their own. Bards have a special kind of magic, and it is far from dead.

[erinelezabeth920]

Love in the Time Of

Nostalgia. Do you remember the last trip you went on? Maybe it was a road trip, or a flight above patchwork plains? Or maybe a visit to family, the old and familiar grating with the growth of life? Do you remember that feeling of just... moving? The passing trees, the stirring as the landscape shuffles and re-arranges itself into your own soul puzzle. It’s a wanderlust- inherent, vital and deep. I remember wind on the mountains- Wyoming maybe or wildflowers in a spring breeze in Colorado. I remember a trumpet in New Orleans in the rain, walking the streets in a whisky daze, taking in melodies that wedged their way into my body like the droplets that fell from the sky. Last night I drank rose and watched an episode of Ken Burns’ documentary on country music. They were at the beginnings, origins until 1930s or so. The sound of the banjo, harmonica, fiddle, mandolin all merging from different areas of the word- the banjo out of Africa and the Caribbean into the horrors of slavery, used to uplift out of a deep and lasting persecution until even the whispered legacy was taken and mangled for white gain. The mandolin from Italy and continental Europe, and the fiddle from the English ballads, Scottish Highlands all merging for something completely new. As I watched, and the melodies faded in and out, I remembered nights in the mountains trying to strum my little guitar under a desert moon. I remembered Indiana, driving through rain listening to bluegrass. I remembered stories my mother and aunts told me of my grandfather, who died when I was in high school. He used to sit on the porch through summer nights and strum his guitar, singing all the old country ballads out of the hills and radio of the 1930s, occasionally throwing in a yodel to the fireflies dotting the upstate New York corn fields. Add that to the Irish and Scottish heritage that runs through my veins, and I’m drawn to the fiddle and picking like a moth to light. I had been listening to an episode of ‘Dolly Parton’s America’ while I cooked dinner; pasta and vegetables while the rain pounded outside. From my headphones, Jad Abumrad had been describing Dolly’s ‘Tennessee Mountain Home’ and the essence of nostalgia in country music. A longing for simpler times. ‘Country music,’ he had said as I strained the pasta into the sink, “is immigrant music.” He went into it a bit. Country music, at its core, is about a longing for something that is gone. A home that once was. A front porch. The sound of a river, or the whistle of a train to unknown places. A sense of home that can’t even be expressed except through a melody that you somehow feel you’ve known your whole life. Once the podcast ended, I sat with my glass of wine out of a can and pasta in front of the TV.  Andy was hosting a DnD sesion in the bedroom. I scrolled until I found the PBS episode. I drank my wine and slurped pasta as we went deep into black and white photos and voiced-over stories as Ken Burns does. The origins of those old folk songs we know well, (think “O Brother Where Art Thou” soundtrack), one song taken from the other until they’re blended into our conscious and unconscious history. “Music,” Jad had said, “is the soundtrack to our lives. Wherever we go, its with us. And that’s how we mixed.” Jimmie Rodgers circa 1929 travelled around “catching songs.” He’d drive sometimes 90 miles into the hills to listen to someone singing in their kitchen, gather it up in a flutter of shifting memories and dust, and put it down to record. When “Mule Skinner Blues’ began playing over some old photos, I yelped, “Holy crap that’s Dolly’s song!” I knew it was an old folk tune, but I didn’t realize it was Jimmie Rodgers, the OG of country according to most. Dolly took the original lick and turned up the volume to 10. “That song,” Jad had said at one point, “is fire.” Twenty or so minutes later, as the episode credits rolled, lo and behold Dolly’s version began playing. I let the credits roll until finished. Then I turned off the TV and sank into the couch. Silence. 

“Okay Google,” I called to the kitchen, “...play ‘Mule Skinner Blues’ by Dolly Parton.” 

Jad’s right. That song is fire. 

When it finished, too lazy to bother, the Spotify algorithm marched on with the next song. It was Dolly’s voice, but she was singing ‘The Story.’ “Isn’t this Brandi’s song?” Andy asked from the computer where he was now playing video games.

“I think so?” I googled it. Brandi Carlisle, 2007. Dolly Parton cover. “Damn,” I said, “Dolly’s covering Brandi? That’s epic.” “Okay Google, play ‘The Story’ by Brandi Carlisle.” Dolly’s version was fine, but Brandi is the new queen. I laid on the couch and listened. As her gritty, smooth voice washed over me, I remembered Chattanooga, Tennessee in early September. I remembered sitting in a lawn of a big park, festival lights strung through the heavy leaves, a wide river, humid skies, a big moon. The day had been sweltering, but by the time Brandi came out for her headliner it had cooled to an ease. The grass was full of people, standing, sitting, or somewhere in between. The air dripped and hummed and turned indigo as she sang her first note.   Google then moved on to Joni Mitchell. Good job algorithm, because I happened to remember that Tennessee night in September, Brandi telling us that Joni was her idol. She was going to have a chance in a month or so to play the album ‘Blue’ all the way through for Joni herself. ‘I’m going to royally fuck up,” she told us. “I need to practice on you.” So she did. I closed my eyes. The moon reflected in scintillations on the river. I thought she sounded like warm honey. I went to get up, to turn off the music and go to bed. It was late and I had to work in the morning. As I walked over toward the kitchen the little white screen on the counter tucked behind the coffee maker, as if in a small act of defiance, struck up some solemn piano chords. The beginning of ‘I And Love And You’ by the Avett Brothers. I sighed softly, cursed the Spotify algorithm for being too damn good, and slowly walked back to the couch. I laid down and closed my eyes.

Immediately I saw in my mind the wide Columbia River at sunset, the sweeping rocks and plains of Eastern Washington. The music filled the gorge like a bowl, rising up as if from the river itself. I’ve seen the Avett Brothers twice live, both times at the Gorge Amphitheater sitting next to friends as the sky lit on fire. The clouds turned orange to dark blue, and the lights of the stage looked like heaven twinkling. I could feel the blanket beneath me, the cold grass, the gentle swaying of the bodies of my friends beside me. “Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in... are you aware the shape I’m in. My hands they shake my head it spins. Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.” The mighty Columbia flowed dark and wide in the space beyond. 

(The Gorge, August 2019) Back in the apartment, eyes still closed as the notes lingered, trying to hold on to the wisps of memories, Google moved on to “The Joke”. Back to Brandi. If you know that song, I don’t need to explain. The music swelled. She basically shattered her emotions through the ceiling in a soaring arc of notes. I thought of her, young and unknown busking at Pike Place, the folk ringing through her voice surrounded by the grunge of the 90s in back bars and alleys. You can hear it in her songs, the moody gray sky, ocean and deep misty mountains, chunky guitar and angst. They try to put us in boxes, slap on labels but the joke’s on them. It’s ‘the rub’, as Ken Burns called it. Seattle and folk, Tennessee and jazz. Slavery and persecution, reconstruction and high rises. The rub of people and place, the mixing and sighing of ideas like notes mingling in the night air. “Imagine a ship,” says Jad. “Nineteenth century, whaling ship maybe in the Indian Ocean. Full of people from different cultures, places. What did they have with them? Likely instruments. And a lot of free time.” Do you remember the last trip you took? The sounds, the sights, the smells passing you by like dandelion seeds drifting in the wind. They latch onto your coarse sweaters, stick to your old shoes. Maybe they’re discarded, or they take root, slowly growing into something more. You know that scene at the end of Lord of the Rings, where Sam and Frodo are on the side of Mt. Doom and Frodo says, “No Sam, I can’t recall The Shire, nor the taste of strawberries?” Sometimos, especially recently, I feel like that. I know it’s dramatic, but it’s also true. The hug of a friend, a seething mass of bodies at a concert, the electricity of a new city, or moonlight floating on a river as Joni Mitchell is practiced to the Tennessee sky. It’s the rub, brushing up against life, re-inventing ourselves over and over, growing like the dandelion into our veins, a little newer each time.  I miss it. I told Google to turn off the music. The rain outside had stopped. I got up off the couch. Andy sat at the computer, headphones on. I brushed my teeth and went to bed, the silence of the apartment heavy as a blanket. And somewhere in the space between sleep and dreams, a fiddle flickered a tune, fading into the ether like moonlight falling on the dark water below.