#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

[bracketsoffear]

Slaughter Music Playlist

The full list of submissions for the Slaughter Music bracket. Bold titles are ones which were accepted to appear in the bracket.

1812 Overture, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 20 Dollar Nose Bleed, Fall Out Boy

A Million Ways to Die, Dark Matter American Skin (41 Shots), Bruce Springsteen Angry People, Lemon Demon Another One Bites the Dust, Queen Apollo' (For What It's Worth), Think Up Anger Army Dreamers, Kate Bush Assassinations, Stateless Atrocity, Inkubus Sukkubus

Ballroom Blitz, Sweet Beauty of Annihilation, Elena Siegman Black and White, The Dreadnoughts Black Ops, They Might Be Giants Bodies, Drowning Pool Bonehead, Naked City "Boots" Epic Trailer Version Music, Taylor Holmes (28 YEARS LATER Version) Boots, Christopher Ake Born in the U.S.A., Bruce Springsteen Break Stuff, Limp Bizkit Bullets, Archive Bulls on Parade, Rage Against the Machine Bust Your Kneecaps, Pomplamoose

Cliffs of Gallipoli, Sabaton Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums, A Perfect Circle Courage Knows No Bounds, Heather Alexander Culling of the Fold, The Decemberists

Desert Song, Kissing the Pink Dirty Harry, Gorillaz feat. Bootie Brown

Electric Los Angeles Sunset, Al Stewart Epiphany, Josh Groban

Feast or Famine, Team Starkid Fisticuffs, Primus For What It's Worth, Buffalo Springfield For Whom The Bell Tolls, Metallica

Goodnight Saigon, Billy Joel Gunpowder Tim vs. The Moon Kaiser, The Mechanisms Guns and Drums/Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye, Traditional, performed by Santiano

Hammerhead, The Offspring Hanging on the Old Barbed Wire, Traditional, performed by Chumbawamba Hatchet Town, Starkid Hayloft II, Mother Mother Heads will roll, Yeah yeah yeahs Hell Broke Luce, Tom Waits

I am gonna claw (out your eyes then drown you to death), Scylla and the Sirens I Can't Decide, Scissor Sisters I Come With Knives, IAMX I Don't Like Mondays, The Boomtown Rats I'm Impressed, They Might Be Giants In the House, In a Heartbeat, John Murphy It Makes A Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier, Tom Lehrer

Kids with Guns, Gorillaz Kill Everyone, Hollywood Undead

Life During Wartime, Talking Heads little girl gone, Chinchilla

Mama, My Chemical Romance Mars, the Bringer of War, Gustav Holst Murder on the dancefloor, Sophie Ellis-bextor Murder, Murder!, American Murder Song My Son John, Traditional, performed by Smokey Bastard

Peacemaker, The Mechanisms Pencil Rain, They Might Be Giants Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, Tom Lehrer Psycho, Muse Psycho Killer, Talking Heads Pumped Up Kicks, Foster The People Ready to Die, Andrew WK Reapers, Muse Recruiting Sergeant, Great Big Sea Riot, Three Days Grace

Sarcasm, Get Scared Seven Nation Army, The White Stripes Shankill Butchers, The Decemberists Slaughterhouse, A. P. Clarke Soldier's Poem, Muse Songs of Kipling: Boots, Leonard Warren Splatter Splatter, Moxy Früvous Stagger Lee, Ike and Tina Turner Swords of a Thousand Men, Tenpole Tudor

Tantrum, Spin Doctors Tarkus, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer The Ballad of Sara Berry, Ryan Scott Oliver The Cruel Wars, The Dreadnoughts The Funerary Dirge Of A Violinist, Carach Angren The Irish Ballad, Tom Lehrer The Trooper, Iron Maiden This Is America, Childish Gambino This Is Why We Fight, The Decemberists Three-Five-Zero-Zero, Hair Toy Soldiers, Martika Trigger Happy, Weird Al Yankovic

Up the Wolves, The Mountain Goats

Violent Games, POLIÇA Viva Discordia, That Handsome Devil War Crimes (The Crime Remains the Same), The Specials War Pigs, Black Sabbath War Without Reason Heaven Pierce Her, (ULTRAKILL Soundtrack) We Want War, These New Puritans We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions, Queen Welcome to Horrorwood, Ice Nine Kills Werewolf Gimmick, The Mountain Goats Would Be Killer, Gnarls Barkley

You Can't Be Born a Soldier, (Солдатами не рождаются) Гражданская оборона

Zombie, The Cranberries

[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.“

[vinylspinning]

Thin Lizzy: Life (1983)

Because it was among the first Thin Lizzy albums I ever bought, the band's second double live release holds immense personal and nostalgic value for me -- quite disproportionate with its generally (bad) reputation.

And today I come here to bury Caesar, not to praise him, but before you simply fall in line with lazy and just plain ancient critical dismissals of this 40-year-old set, consider this ...

While 1983's Life (a.k.a. Life Live) was undoubtedly subjected to considerable studio edits and overdubs after the fact, we've recently learned that so was 1978's hallowed Live and Dangerous, and the same is true of 99% of all live albums out there.

Don't get me wrong, Live and Dangerous is still the invincible: the ultimate, essential Thin Lizzy in-concert document; but a lot of that comes down to track-listing, since twelve of Life's nineteen cuts were drawn from the slowly crumbling band's uneven final four LPs.

Indeed, Life was recorded to memorialize Lizzy's farewell tour in '83, so former guitarists Eric Bell (1969–'73), Brian Robertson ('74–'78), and Gary Moore ('74, '77-'79) were invited to perform at a historic show at London's Hammersmith Odeon.

But the album's first three sides saw the group's final line-up of Philip Lynott (vocals, bass), Scott Gorham (guitar), John Sykes (guitar), Brian Downey (drums), and Darren Wharton (keyboards) blasting through both new and older favorites.

Newbies like the metallic triplets (hey, this was the '80s) "Thunder & Lightning" (Sykes' solo is still one of the most astonishing I've ever heard), "Baby Please Don't Go," and "Cold Sweat," the emotional, atmospheric "Sun Goes Down," and the topical "Holy War" (a subject that weighed heavy on the Irish-born Lynott) all hailed from Lizzy's critically acclaimed final LP, released earlier that same year.

Sprinkled amongst these were a few '70s classics, including the evergreen "Jailbreak," "Are Your Ready," "The Boys are Back in Town," the ballad arrangement of "Don't Believe a Word," plus Black Rose favorites like "Waiting for an Alibi" and "Got to Give it Up."

The latter deserves special attention because it prefaces the musical cry for help that Lynott never verbalized unto his dying day with a lighthearted introduction camouflaging the song's dire message behind the same ol' sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll.

Another clutch of recent Lizzy offerings, including "Renegade", "Angel of Death," "Hollywood," and "Killer On the Loose," actually dated from their 1981 tour, and thus they feature performances from the departed Snowy White, who tellingly declined to attend the Hammersmith festivities.

About which: this once-in-a-lifetime, all-star jam was chronicled on Life's fourth vinyl side, showcasing 'Robbo' on "Emerald," Moore on the epic "Roisin Dubh (Black Rose)," both men plus Sykes on "Still in Love with You," Bell and everyone else for a climactic "The Rocker."

Again, it's impossible to gauge what percentage of these tracks are actually live, before final touches were put in the studio, but that's the way it goes: deal with it or don't bother in the first place, but if you do, just be grateful for what fading greatness remained.

And the real tragedy of this LP is that there was still so much to love about Thin Lizzy's final stand; ticket sales were so brisk, fan response so loving, and the shows themselves so strong (see for yourself) that by tour's end Lynott was having serious second thoughts about his decision to disband.

But by then it was too late ... Lynott was uncomfortable making a lie out of Lizzy's farewell promise (shame on you, dishonest bands of today!) and when compounded with his mounting drug-related health issues, it was simply impossible to carry on.

Philip's inexorable descent proceeded behind the scenes, amid sporadic collaborations with Gary Moore (see "Out in the Fields") and his stillborn next band, Grand Slam, until he passed away on January 4, 1986, at the age of 36.

But of course there's eternal Life in Thin Lizzy's incredible catalog, and even in this oft-maligned double live LP.

More Thin Lizzy: Thin Lizzy, Shades of a Blue Orphanage, “Whisky in the Jar,” Vagabonds of the Western World, "Little Darlin'," Nightlife, Fighting, Jailbreak, Johnny the Fox, Bad Reputation, Live and Dangerous, "Waiting for an Alibi," Black Rose, Chinatown, “Trouble Boys,” Renegade, “Cold Sweat,” Thunder and Lightning, “Dedication.”

[al-mayriti]

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 :)

[imaginefinneganswake]

His scutchum fessed with archers, strung, helio, of the second, Hootch is for husbandman handling his hoe, Hohohoho, Mister Finn, you're going to be Mister Finnegan!

Finnegan’s Wake - James Joyce

ChatGPT40 literary report:

This line from Finnegans Wake is rich with the puns, polysemic references, and historical echoes that characterize much of the text. Let’s break it down and explore some critical interpretations of its layers of meaning:

"His scutchum fessed with archers, strung, helio, of the second"

"scutchum": The word scutchum might derive from scutcheon (as in escutcheon, a shield or coat of arms), but it also echoes scutch, which refers to a tool for beating flax or hemp. In this sense, the phrase calls forth both martial and agricultural imagery. Finnegans Wake frequently blends these two themes, particularly in how it ties the domestic with the grandiose.

"fessed with archers": Fess refers to a band on a heraldic shield, but this phrase suggests not only the visual image of a coat of arms but also evokes battle and defense (archers), implying some kind of readiness or martial stature. In heraldic terms, "fess" is also a horizontal stripe, linking back to the idea of the shield or scutcheon.

"strung, helio, of the second":

Strung could refer to a bow being prepared for battle, but in the context of Finnegans Wake’s cyclical structure, it may also imply tension, connectivity, or even music (as in stringed instruments).

Helio is a reference to the sun (helios), a key motif throughout the work symbolizing light, time, and enlightenment.

Of the second could suggest the second rank or generation, implying something iterative or cyclical—very much in line with the novel’s themes of eternal return and history repeating itself.

Overall, this first part of the passage weaves together militaristic and agricultural imagery while hinting at a cosmic scale (with the reference to Helio). Joyce often interlaces the everyday (tools of the field) with the epic (warfare, celestial bodies), suggesting an interplay between microcosm and macrocosm.

"Hootch is for husbandman handling his hoe"

"Hootch":

Hootch is a slang term for alcohol, particularly illicit liquor. This fits with the Wake’s many nods to inebriation, in keeping with the titular Finnegans (after Tim Finnegan, the Irish folk character famous for his whiskey-fueled rise from the dead).

It also resonates with the idea of hoot, as in laughter or a cry, adding a playful tone to this line. The Wake often uses humor as a kind of release from its density.

"husbandman handling his hoe":

A husbandman is a farmer, so this phrase literalizes the connection to labor, but also plays with the dual role of “husband” as both the agricultural worker and the marital figure.

The repetition of h sounds in “handling his hoe” provides a rhythmic quality, as well as a sexual undertone—typical of Joyce’s playful use of language. Joyce’s Wake is filled with these earthy, everyday figures like the farmer or the laborer, but here, the image of the farmer with his hoe might recall mythological associations—especially given how agriculture is tied to cycles of death and rebirth, themes central to the novel.

"Hohohoho, Mister Finn, you're going to be Mister Finnegan!"

"Hohohoho":

The laugh here suggests both mockery and celebration. It mirrors the refrain-like quality of much of Finnegans Wake, with its repetitions and musicality.

Laughter is also a nod to the Wake's eternal "comic" nature—the grand joke of history, the cyclical farce of death and resurrection (as in the folk ballad of Tim Finnegan's Wake).

"Mister Finn, you're going to be Mister Finnegan!":

Finn refers to Finn MacCool (Fionn mac Cumhaill), the legendary Irish giant and hero whose spirit infuses Finnegans Wake. Throughout the novel, there is a recurrent play between historical/mythical figures like Finn and ordinary people like Tim Finnegan.

The phrase suggests transformation or elevation: Mister Finn (perhaps an everyman figure) is becoming Mister Finnegan, aligning with the Wake's cyclical theme of death and resurrection. In the folk song "Finnegan's Wake," Tim Finnegan dies, but he rises again during his wake when whiskey is spilled on him—this myth of resurrection is a central motif of the novel.

This line plays into the Wake's deep obsession with transformation and identity—how individuals are not static but flow into and out of different roles, often grander or more mythical than their original selves.

Critical Interpretations

Transformation and Mythical Identity: Critics often read this passage as a moment where Joyce blends the ordinary and the mythical. The transformation from Mister Finn to Mister Finnegan encapsulates the Wake’s recurring theme that history and legend are cyclical, that the everyday person can also be a mythic figure. Finn MacCool’s mythology is transposed onto the figure of Finnegan, the everyman, merging Ireland’s ancient heroism with modern-day working-class life.

Death and Resurrection: The transition from Finn to Finnegan echoes the novel’s pervasive death-and-rebirth motif. Finnegan, in the folk tale, is resurrected after his wake, just as Joyce’s language and characters continually shift and transform in circular, regenerative ways. This ties into broader readings of the Wake as a text about the cycles of history, human experience, and language itself.

The Blending of Cosmic and Earthly Themes: The passage deftly mixes the agricultural and the cosmic, the local and the universal. Critics like Joseph Campbell and Henry Morton Robinson have pointed to how Finnegans Wake collapses the boundaries between these scales of experience, showing how even mundane tasks (like handling a hoe) are intertwined with the grand cycles of life and death, myth, and history.

Laughter and Language: The playful tone here—punctuated by the repeated “Hohohoho”—has been analyzed as a form of linguistic comedy, with laughter serving as a release from the density of the text. Laughter in the Wake often functions as a means of acknowledging the absurdity of the human condition, especially in the face of monumental cycles like birth and death.

In sum, this passage captures the intricate blending of the mundane and the mythic, the playful and the profound that typifies Joyce’s Finnegans Wake. Critics tend to view it as a pivotal example of the novel’s central preoccupations with identity, history, and the cosmic cycles of life.

[designaday]

Ultimate Playlist: Men’s Names, E

Scenes From An Italian Restaurant by Billy Joel Three songs in one, this fan favorite features The Ballad of Brenda and Eddie, popular high school sweethearts who married but had financial troubles and eventually divorced.

Eddie’s Coming Out Tonight by Night Ranger Eddie likes to rock and roll. He lives better than he can afford to, has a crazy girlfriend, has it in for you, and is coming out tonight.

Eddie’s Concubine by Eddie From Ohio Sung by the woman Eddie has an ongoing affair with, the song describes a middle-aged, overweight, sleazy nightclub owner. He keeps promising he’ll leave his wife for her, but never does, so she pulls a gun on him.

The Ballad of Eddie Praeger by Paul and Storm An Irish epic in the style of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald about a drunk in a pub bathroom who does battle with a urinal cake.

My Baby’s In Love With Eddie Vedder by “Weird Al” Yankovic The singer is jealous because his girl is infatuated with the lead singer of Pearl Jam.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot Another epic ballad, this one chronicles the tragic, final voyage of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald, named after the president and chairman of the board of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the company that contracted Great Lakes Engineering Works to design and build the longest ship on the Great Lakes.

Elijah’s Song by Neil Diamond A lullaby for his grandson, the song references Neil’s son Jessie, who has his own music career, and Elijah’s mother, actress Sheryl Lee,.

Saint Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion) by Joh Par This song is the main theme from the 1985 film by the same name. Saint Elmo’s Bar is where the characters in the movie hang out, but Saint Elmo’s Fire is a weather phenomenon where a corona discharge from a ship’s mast creates luminous plasma, resulting in a blue or violet glow. This effect is named after St. Erasmus of Formia (also known as St. Elmo), the patron saint of sailors.

Elvis is Everywhere by Mojo Nixon This psychobilly song deifies Elvis Presley while labeling Michael J. Fox as the Anti-Elvis. Elvis is the one who built the pyramids and stonehenge, and he’s taking boats from the Bermuda Triangle.

Velvet Elvis by “Weird Al” Yankovic A style parody of The Police, this song glorifies the tacky art trend as much as it does the singer.

Sincerely, Me by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul This is the song from which the 2015 musical Dear Evan Hansen takes its name. The main character, Evan, creates a series of fake emails in an attempt to convince Connor Murphy’s parents that he and Connor had been friends before Connor committed suicide.

Dr. Evil by They Might Be Giants Written for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. When your name is Evil, that is good, or so you think, but you’re so very wrong.

[zahri-melitor]

Okay I just did a rapid pencils survey for Charles Vess.

Some of the non-tainted options include:

The Book of Ballads and Sagas #2-4 (Green Man Press): I really want to track this down, it’s a collection of classic English, Scottish and Irish ballad adaptions by a who’s who of fantasy. Jane Yolen and Charles de Lint included! (#1 is unfortunately Gaiman)

Promethea #4 (DC/America’s Best Comics), where he shares art with J.H. Williams

Hook: The Official Movie Adaption (Marvel) – okay my brain is coming out my ears but this could be so funny

Marvel Fanfare #6, #13, #34-37 (Marvel), in which he’s sharing art duties but appears to be mostly doing Warriors Three art

Epic Illustrated #5, #8-10, #16, #21-22, #24, #27 (Marvel), which on a quick glance is an anthology book with lots of shorts

Rose (Cartoon Books): this looks adorable to my eye. It’s a Bone prequel

The Book of Night (Dark Horse Comics): another collection of Epic Magazine work, but this is just Vess

Marvel Graphic Novel #15 (Marvel): more Asgard stuff

Oh and the Illustrated Wizard of Earthsea of course

There are a LOT more covers, of course, he’s a classic late 80s and 90s cover artist, but it does look like there are options. Nothing but Promethea though are in any way PROMINENT options.

Goddamnit.

I just realised that one of my favourite comic artists, Charles Vess, is now a lot harder to talk about and rec stories to admire his work in.

He's at least got a Swamp Thing run (#129-139) and he's got some other Vertigo runs that are Books of Magic universe but not written by Gaiman in terms of covers, but my go to well known examples of his work (The Books of Magic #3, The Sandman #19 & #75, Stardust) are now going to be hard sells.

[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    

[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

[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.

[persephonaae]

I’m still taking music recs I think, I’ll look into stuff later when I get home from work, also I’ll stick my original tags on this reblog bc they have like, specific stuff I guess

oh also i know ive been talkin a lot today but like im going thru it and i need folk/traditional music recs

[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

[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.“

[vinylspinning]

Gary Moore: Dirty Fingers (1983) [Recorded 1980]

Although he would probably have begged to disagree, Gary Moore’s worst enemy over his long career may have been his musical versatility, which saw him shifting restlessly from hard rock and metal, to the blues, to jazz fusion, to Irish folk music, to pop rock, and everything in between.

Yes, the ‘80s generally found him shredding with the decade’s best hard rock guitar heroes on best-selling albums like Victims of the Future and Run for Cover, but the ‘lost’ album known as Dirty Fingers illustrates the perils of Gary’s versatility as well as anything else in his discography.

Originally recorded in 1980 but shelved in favor of Gary’s radio-oriented parallel project, G-Force, not to see daylight until ‘83, this material includes natural bridges connecting ‘78’s Back on the Streets and ‘82’s Corridors of Power, a few missed opportunities, and even a few tracks and licks that were later recycled.

For example, “Really Gonna Rock” sounds like an early version of “Rockin’ Every Night,” and the one-minute title track was merely a sketch for the electrifying intro solo to future epic “End of the World,” which also partly cannibalized “Bad News.”

Among the expected hard rockers (all of which were of course slathered in blistering six-string fireworks), “Hiroshima” was an undistinguished anti-nukes diatribe and “Kidnapped” was just plain silly, but “Run to Your Mama” made for a potent single and “Lonely Nights” was a pleasant surprise -- a forgotten gem in Moore’s catalog, to be sure.

There was also a worthy cover of The Animals’ “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” a truly tasteless ballad called “Rest in Peace” (with a tribute like this, she’s better off dead!), and yet another apocalyptic warning in the memorable “Nuclear Attack,” where a counterpoint synthesizer part may be a precursor to Europe’s olympic cheese-fest, “The Final Countdown.” 

But what makes Dirty Fingers seem even less of a true Gary Moore LP is his decision to hand off most lead vocals to former Ted Nugent sideman Charlie Huhn, for what would be the first and final time -- all backed by the eminent Don Airey on keyboards, Jimmy Bain on bass, and Tommy Aldridge on drums.

So that’s the scoop on Dirty Fingers, my friends -- an interesting but nowhere near essential Gary Moore album that, as any serious fan of his will tell you, is still better off available than not ... but just barely!

p.s. -- Some of these songs, along with select G-Force and Back on the Streets cuts, appeared on another delayed release, Live at the Marquee, which was recorded in late 1980 but likewise held back until ‘83, when it emerged to capitalize on Gary’s growing success.

More Gary Moore: Grinding Stone, Back On the Streets, “Parisienne Walkways," Live at the Marquee, Corridors of Power, Rockin’ Every Night, Victims of the Future, ”Shapes of Things,“ We Want Moore!, Run for Cover, Wild Frontier, Parisienne Walkways, After the War; plus Skid Row’s Skid & 34 Hours, Colosseum II’s Wardance, G-Force’s G-Force, Thin Lizzy’s Black Rose.

[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.