#it's one of my biggest comfort eps. literally a perfect episode

[cosmicmulder]

just rewatched Jump the Shark & i am: a mess

[irondad-not-ironsad]

WandaVision Episode 1 Reaction

Spoilers below!!

I enjoy the music over the marvel logo

But also a 43 second logo feels kinda long for a 29 minute episode- is it just for the premier or is this gonna happen before each ep?

Also I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that there is a title sequence, which will probably be similar in length. Combine that with the lengthy credits people have been complaining about, it seems that the percentage of the thirty minutes that is actually the story is lower than it should be

not that I don’t love a good title sequence! But I’ll take a well fleshed out episode over fancy logos, title sequences and credits any day

now that I’ve got that of my chest, on to the actual show

I like how they have the frame shaped like that of an old timey tv, combined with the black and white it really adds to the old timey sit come vibe

I like these bells

Ok I know I complained about to much time being wasted with logos and such, but i LOVE how cheesy this theme song is and I love them showing vision and Wanda driving tp there house in wedding attire

“A regular husband and wife” 2 seconds late *vision disappears into a cloud of sparkles*.... 1 minute 8 seconds in and I love this 

Even there acting is reminiscent of an old timey sit com this is amazing

feel like I should note he title sequence ends at the 1.36 mark approximately, which may not seem like a lot but again the show is less than thirty minutes so it adds up

Wanda talks with a fifties accent: I already love this show

Also I wish I had magic I could use to clean, I’m moving back into my dorm right now and Wanda’s powers would be SO helpful

Also I LOVE the laugh track

Also Wanda’s short curly hair is so cute

I love how neither of them knows what the heart means so they play it off by being like “yeah of course I know what it means, how could I forget? Do YOU remember what it means

Also Vision is literally part computer shouldn’t he have a photographic memory? 

Also how old is Wanda? I could have sworn someone said she was 19 in civil war, which would make her like 21 here? I think?? Idk tho, as a 19 year old I don’t think she has ever looked 19 in the movies, even back in Ultron she looked at least in her mid twenties

The face Vision makes when he makes himself human is so funny

Also Vision blowing Wanda a kiss and her reaching back to grab it is the perfect amount of corny that makes it still cute

Also I wonder what vision’s job is

The backing music is so funny

I can already tell Agnes is going to be some great comic relief in a show that’s already hilarious

“I assure you, I’m married. To a man. A HUMAN one!” I know I’ve said before that I was never the biggest fan of Wanda or Vision but I love Wanda in this show

Obv there is something clearly off here, but I feel like I need to mention that it’s clear this is some warped reality. If I had never seen any of the MCU before, I may believe it was just  witch and her robot husband living in the fifties, but the little details really make it clear to the audience (the majority of whom I am sure are familiar with the mcu) that something is off. This scene is one of those, where Wanda cannot seem to recall how long her and Vision have been together and plays it off by saying “It feels like we always have been together”

Is Agnes giving Wanda advice for the bedroom? is this really what I’m watching? Or have I wildly misinterpreted this?

Love the old timey lingo

Vision working a desk job is so funny

Love that vision doesn’t even know what they do at his job, I know it’s part of the false reality thing but also lowkey relatable

“you’re like a walking computer” “I most certainly am not! I’m a regular carbon-based employee made entirely of organic matter”

I started this like twenty minutes ago and have only gotten 7 minutes in because I keep stopping to type my reactions. I am going to try to shut up and watch, and stop screaming about every little detail for a bit 😂

Real quick though does Vision just go by Vision at work?

Ope apparently he does. 

I wonder if Vision took Wanda’s last name

Or is he Vision Stark-Banner since it was Tony and Bruce who made him??

He probably isn’t called that but I think it would be funny if he was

Love that instead of writing “dinner with boss” or “Dinner w/ Harts” or even just “Harts” he drew a freaking heart like im dying

if my lack of emojis seems weird I’m typing this on a computer which I never normally do and I’m to lazy to pull up the emoji keyboard, so basically imagine there’s a cry laughing emoji after everything funny

“No skeletons in the closet?’ “I don’t have a skeleton sir.”

Yup I was right, Agnes is giving her sexy time advice

“you should stumble when you walk in a room so he can catch you. It’s romantic!” that is the only way I will be flirting from now on

Also I got to say, I'm guessing it’s a fifties thing but those pointy bras don’t look comfortable

So she answers the phone “Vision Residence” Is Vision also their last name now? Does he go by Vision Vision??

They make the best facial expressions

This phone conversation where Wanda think they’re having a date night whereas Vision is talking about his boss coming for dinner is comedy GOLD

also I love the fact that they’re giving us stereotypical sitcom drama while keeping it clear that there are bigger problems than dinner with the boss

Fake commercial break is at 9.56 (these time stamps are for myself I want to calculate how much of the episode is actually the story)

I do love the fake commercials tho! And I suppose in a way they ARE part of the show

They missed the chance to make it the toastmate three thousand and make every ironman fan cry

The beeping toaster sounds like a ticking bomb..... also the little red light is the only color we’ve seen this episode I think

Commercial ends at 10.46

Also love that it was an SI toaster, still wish they had made it 3000 instead of 2000

How did Wanda confuse Mr. Hart with her husband? Not that I’m complaining, her coming out in a robe and covering Vis’ Boss’ eyes is HILARIOUS

“This is the traditional Sokovian greeting? Didn’t I tell you my wife is from Europe?” “How exotic!” “We don’t break bread with Bolsheviks”

Visions pants are SO high waisted

“It’s our anniversary!” “Our anniversary of WHAT?” “WELL IF YOU DON”T KNOW I”M NOT GONNA TELL YOU”

Poor Vision is trying to figure out what kind of company he works for this is sooo funny

Agnes coming in clutch with a full meal

So Wanda needs the ingredients in order to magic a meal she can’t just make one appear

Vision breaking into song was amazing

How did one chicken turn into like 30 eggs

Vision is singing old McDonald with his bosses wife this is great

“Diane!” “That must be my wife summoning me!” “She calls you Diane?” “Yes... it’s her pet name for me” “I’m coming... Fred”

So many clichés in this show but it’s done in such a purposeful way that it’s still funny

Also we have only seen three rooms: the kitchen, the living room and Vision’s workplace

“Well I think tonight’s going SWIMMINGLY”

Mrs. Hart is SO NOSY

But I love that they don’t know the answers

Wanda looks SO disturbed when Mr. Hart is demanding her and visions story, you can tell her mind is fighting itself and it’s so sad

Mr. Hart is choking, is it bad that I think he deserves it?

Mrs. Hart keeps cheerily repeating stop it, and gone is the stereotypical sitcom camera angles and and the backing music is switched for something eery

This is lowkey scary, Mr. Hart Dying while his wife keeps cheerily saying Stop It and it just feels creepier the more she repeats

Wanda looks distressed and vision is just looking to her for what to do, her old timey accent is gone and she sounds nearly robotic as she tells Vision to help

Poor Wanda, she is so clearly going through it mentally right now

Laugh track is back, and just like that the Harts are leaving, despite only having one bite of food

And somehow Mr. Hart is impressed? Was Wanda rewriting reality to make them so?

I know that this is clearly some alternate reality and nothing is right, but wanda and vision deciding to choose that day as there anniversary and this little convo here is soooooo cute

Aw her making them rings and them both saying I do is soooo cute

And vision saying “and they lived happily ever after’ is so sweet but also so sad in context

What is that little remote vision is holding meant to be?

And love the hexagon closing in on them with the cute music playing to end the episode

Are the people in these credits real? Because it lists the start as Wanda Maximoff and Vision but are the rest actual people?

So there is some sketchy dude watching the maybe fake credits so there's something going on there

The actual credits start with 7.13 left and I’ve been told there's no mid or post credits scene. I’ll let them play while I finish this up anyways

8 minutes and 49 seconds of this show is the logo, title sequence and credits. Out of 29.36 total this means only 20 minutes and 47 seconds is the show, which I suppose is standard for a sitcom but I think I felt deceived by it showing as 29 minutes

Also 50 seconds of “commercial takes the show time down to 19.57 if anyone was wondering

I swear tho I’m not all that bothered by the length, just did the math in case anyone was curious like I am. 

I thought I was going to really enjoy this going it, but it still really surpassed my expectations and I can’t wait for episode 2!

This is my raw reactions, but I’m sure that as I mull it over more I’ll be posting more about the show

This is somehow a perfect combo of lighthearted comedy and mild horror

I wanna let this episode stew for a while, so I prob won’t watch episode 2 for at least a day

Also what are your guys’ thoughts on this format of reaction? Did I write to much?

Also what did y’all think of this episode? Feel free to let me know what you think of my reaction, and whether you agree or disagree. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[evakuality]

Let’s talk about David.  Again.  Part two

Welcome to part two of ‘I had a fit of loving David and needed to share it with everyone’ - this is for my friend who asked me to do this literal months ago and who has waited very patiently for it to happen.  Part one can be found right here.

So, we pick up after our road trip, when David is returning to Berlin with Matteo.  We’ve seen him in his little bubble with Matteo a lot (they were really keen on updating their instagrams during that time), and we’ve seen just how comfortable he is now.  They’re very relaxed with each other by the time they get back.  We also see the type of pranking that characterises their relationship (and Matteo’s character) going forward.  This seems to be mostly Matteo’s thing; he’s blossomed into a real little shit after his own issues in s3.  But David is very happy to follow along, and we even see him later trying to prank the prank master.  This is interesting because we often think of David as the one who takes the initiative, and indeed in s3 they passed this back and forth between them a bit with David initiating the kiss etc.  But what we have here is someone who is comfortable with these people but not so comfortable that he’d actually plan a big prank/surprise like this one.  He’s happy to go along with it, and to film what it looks like, but he’s not the one taking the lead.  

When he does take the lead in this way (trying to prank Matteo with the sandwich), it’s with the one person who he has become totally comfortable with, and that makes a lot of sense.  His instinct over the last few months has been to run and duck away and he’s not entirely over that.  There’s still a wariness of sorts with people he’s not 100% on board with.  Of course, he’s also happy and hugging people which carries on from the Abi prank and Abi ball stuff, but there is some reticence there; he doesn’t have the level of comfort with this group that Matteo does.  In another recurring thing for this season, we also see him dragging Matteo away from doing something stupid and/or from saying something stupid and/or from being attacked for doing/saying something stupid.  David does still have some of those impulses to keeping a low profile etc, and it must be somewhat frustrating having a boyfriend whose instinct is to tease literally everyone and make everything into a prank if he possibly can and thus continually getting himself into trouble.

We next see him making out with Matteo in a hallway, and it’s still an odd choice of scene, particularly the way they stop when they hear Kiki and Carlos as if they themselves weren’t literally just as into each other mere seconds ago.  Still, it tells us some stuff about them - a lot of people have mentioned that after having spent all those weeks together on the trip, they’re still 99% with each other and draped all over each other.  I think that’s at least partly because it’s still a new relationship, but also because David has his ‘safe person’ now and in situations that are a little threatening or uncomfortable he gravitates towards him.  He does this more than once in this season even though we hardly see him.  Here in the hallway, I doubt it’s much of the second side, but they are meeting two of the least familiar/comfortable people for David and so it could be there.  But we also get more of how he is with Matteo.  They sit there teasing each other as they play music to drown out Kiki and Carlos - all very much as it was in s3 ep 10.  He’s very much in his comfort zone when he’s with Matteo.  

Still, we also get more of his old personality.  The biggest this when he’s hiding what his movie is about (and I have to say that Matteo not letting him get away with that  is peak davenzi teasing; it’s really clear that without Matteo’s prodding David wouldn’t talk about what he’s doing).  He’s a little embarrassed and ashamed maybe, of the ‘alien’ theme, and he’s trying to keep up his ‘cool’ image to Amira as he talks about it.  He thinks it needs to be ‘better’ or more ‘authentic’ or something to be worthy of notice and so he tries to make it deep.  But, again, Matteo refuses to let him do that, cheerfully throwing out the truth in to make David face up to things (this is, again, very much like the ‘I wanted to date a high school student’ stuff David did: they know exactly how to actually reach each other and get each other to push out of whatever they’re fearing, and I’d argue that in both cases this is fear from each even if they deny that).  

That’s not the face of someone who’s comfortable and easy discussing this topic, and we can clearly see Matteo getting ready to push him (also, that’s definitely the face of someone who knows his boyfriend is going to make him talk about it and is gearing up for that).  Once again, he has to hold Matteo back when he’s getting his ‘little shit’ on about how ‘exhausted’ Carlos must be.  There’s quite a lot going on here when we look under the hood, so to speak, and David is very much not as free and easy as he sometimes wants us to think he is.

By the end, unsurprisingly, he is very comfortable with Matteo and they tease while they do the filming when Hanna comes to help them out.  The interesting thing, though, is that he’s somewhat perfectionist about the film and he falls back onto his old methods: it’s not going as he envisages it, so it’s obviously trash.  We see this as Hanna arrives, and he carefully checks to be sure it’s all set up properly etc.  Matteo is teasing Hanna, and all the while David is anxiously playing around with masks etc in the background.  When he does have his little breakdown about it all, he goes to Matteo for comfort.  

The very interesting thing here is that he’s still trying to cut and run, wants to ditch his project as soon as it becomes a bit tough/doesn’t quite fit his vision.  But as has become their way since the end of s3, Matteo just reverse psychologises him.  This works and David does get back into it, but as we see later, the theme really didn’t do much for him and so he changed the entire idea.  The fact that he got back into it says he’s not willing to give up and run away again even when it’s his first instinct (though it’s mitigated by him going to Matteo for comfort and support rather than ditching it all immediately on the spot), but we now see another side to that: he’s someone who has a strong pov and will change it after a period of consideration.  He may have got support from Matteo to continue, and he didn’t let his instinct get to him in that immediate panic, but he was able to work through it and decide in a presumably less hasty way what he really wanted to be doing.

The other times we see him in s4 he seems more comfortable and we don’t really see quite the same level of vulnerability or the same instinct to run.  But he still has traces of his past self.  ‘There’s more than one red’ has strong undertones of ‘it’s called a collage’ and shows he’s getting comfortable with the boys and not just Matteo; that was a signature point in their relationship - the moment we see him dead pan teasing Matteo, and we see him doing it with the boys now too (also in the ‘just talk to her’ conversation at the end of s3).  Then again showing how in tune he and Matteo are, he’s the one who picks up on what he wants immediately when Hanna arrives (of course, he was also at the conversation about Jonas even if he was fluffing around with his masks etc and so he has more reason than most to know why Matteo would be hustling them out of his place).  I know people get a bit weird about his ‘you didn’t think you could leave without saying goodbye’ but it just shows how much he’s grown.  It’s an acknowledgement that what he used to do wasn’t healthy, and a recognition that he has developed now.  He’s had some hardships over this season, he’s felt anxious and discouraged but he hasn’t run even if he’s been tempted a couple of times.  He’s learned that there are better things to do than that.  The interesting thing here is that again he spends a lot of his time with Matteo in quieter moments.  Obviously, part of this is because Matteo also needs some quiet time out, but it’s still a strong theme with them/him: this is their ‘safe’ or ‘comfort’ person and so they gravitate to each other for those moments.

Overall, David has always been on the outgoing side (witness all the instagram content, even at the start with Sara and Leonie), but he’s been closed off and nervous because he had a secret and he had that trauma associated with it from his previous school.  But since he’s met Matteo and his friends and found their support along with his sister’s, he’s grown so much.  He still has issues and hang ups and even though he has such a small amount of screentime in s4, we see them very clearly.  They may not be quite the same (he’s not worried about being outed anymore, for example, because that’s already happened and he managed to survive it), but it’s not like we can’t trace the somewhat distanced person who preferred to keep everything hidden to avoid connection from s3 episode one through to the end of s4.  His tendency to run away doesn’t come out physically anymore, but it’s still there.  That’s still his initial ‘fight or flight’ reaction, and we see him having to push back against it.  He does, generally with Matteo’s help, and that’s a good thing.  

That he’s generally more comfortable around everyone else is testament to how well this group includes everyone.  They welcomed Stefan in, after all, even Matteo who constantly harboured a desire to break him and Hanna up so he could get Jonas and Hanna back together.  But the thing is, while David’s more comfortable with these people in general, it’s still Matteo who is his ‘one person’ - the one he turns to when things aren’t quite perfect.  It’s Matteo he turns to for comfort and advice etc, and that’s remained constant since they met.  Now that they’re together, it’s morphed obviously.  But even from day one it was Matteo who could draw him out and give him a safe space to be.  That hasn’t changed, even if the circumstances have.  We saw him over a period of months and over a very rapid cycling of situations and events, so the fact that what he does is different is no surprise, but it’s really pretty cool that we can still see the boy from early s3 by the end of s4.  His actions may change, he may be more outgoing and at ease, but his reactions and instincts remain.

[kyoryu]

i said i wasn't gonna say anything about the su eps (the finale) but me being myself i just Gotta say what i think. please know it's my own personal opinion and feelings, if you even read at all lol

(of course, steven universe future spoilers ahead) (if youre on mobile and read more doesnt work and you gotta scroll through it then sorry)

i havent been... liking suf that much. i tried very hard to like it since it started airing, but i just liked it less and less as episodes came out, to the point i wasn't even excited to tune in whenever new ones came out. i've been a fan since the day jailbreak aired which was march 2015 and this was the first time in all these years that i wasn't excited for new eps

i really wanted suf to be an actual epilogue and resolve things that were left in the air (we never did get the amethyst and mother figure rose episode at all, peridot's send off ep was just about steven, etc...) and when it began and it was just about steven i was like oh, well, i guess this'll do! i trust the crewniverse and it's true he needs his moment of aftermath!

i... "liked" the ending. i do like he leaves beach city, i think it's fitting, and i did feel emotional and etc. and all the unconclusive things can be overlooked, i mean as much as i love this cartoon it obviously isn't perfect and i have never ever glorified it and as much as it means to me (seriously, it's my biggest comfort) i've always watched it with a critical eye. that said, to just antagonize rose like this is unforgivable to me

her arc is told in reverse i get it, she's supposed to be good but everyone forgets this, and apparently not just the fandom. the moment they took down her painting the show itself just straight up finished painting her as the villain

i really, REALLY wanted the corruption to be an opportunity to somehow connect steven to his mother and talk. i desperately wanted him to reconcile with the image he has of pink/rose, and if he did, for ROSE to be there. she wasnt pink anymore when she died, and rose as rose quartz hasn't really been mentioned in forever. which is why we all forget who she really was upon having steven. steven's mother wasn't that bratty child anymore at all.

we are never reminded of the current person she was before dying. still not perfect but the most human she ever was in life. it would've been such a beautiful way to conclude this show, when she was the beginning of everything. when amethyst says "you know who'd be good at this" ("who?") "STEVEN!!!" i really thought she'd say rose instead of steven.

my twitter is on private but ive been talking about how i thought this would happen and i literally said that steven's corruption being fixed through love/family would be underwhelming because family, love and HELP are the very same things he's been rejecting since the beginning.

why does the same thing he's been saying can't help ends up helping? the only difference is that this time they realised he's always been there for them but they weren't. which...isn't true. at all. literally the episode "what's your problem" from season 5 tells us there's at least one person who says she wants to put him first for once. it's just not true that no one's ever been there for him. not even just that episode, like several ones after that, and throughout suf itself. everyone's known for A WHILE that they needed to stop putting themselves first and help him for a change

of course that help and steven ACCEPTING that help are two different things which is why he gets corrupted in the first place. but why is it that when he's corrupted he finally listens? i just can't seem to agree with the narrative here because apparently... being corrupted is what finally made him understand? why, of all things? when he was the most lost? i think it was just...for edginess points, and it breaks my heart. i think it's an interesting concept and all, especially manifesting from the half gem/half human version of ptsd but the resolution seems so lousy to me.

to me at that point the only person who could've understood him and helped him in a way no one else could was rose. she's the one he's been the most angry at. she's the one that made him a diamond. she is the CORE OF THE SHOW. if they could've only talked and he could come to terms with who he is and who his mother was, the fact he finally understands everyone's there for him would've made more sense. the way it was handled just made it seem... unreasonable?

anyways, that's mostly what i wanted to say. if you even read this whole thing, wow, thanks. again this is just my personal take as someone who holds steven universe VERY close to their heart and it just made me asdghgfdsd to see everyone glorifying the ending/show like it's flawless (and also i hate how if there's people who don't glorify it, it's just people straight up being su critical which hey, yikes, get a life)

the show still means so so much to me, but my heart is absolutely broken over the fact the ending was so underwelming and almost meaningless, or at least not as meaningful as it should be, being the CONCLUSION to a show like this. im just disappointed they forgot rose quartz was a character at all.

[femikpop]

I’d Do It All | BTS: Burn The Stage

Tittle: I’d Do It All | BTS: Burn The Stage Words: 1.5K Pairing: Sou/Everybody; 8th Member of BTS Summary: Sou in BTS: Burn the Stage ep.1  A/N: I’ll write next part as episodes go. If you have any ideas what can happen in particular episode, when messame me!

‘My name is Sou. I’m main dancer, lead rapper, sub-vocalist and visual of BTS. Sometimes I also help with the choreography and lyrics for the songs.’, she said, looking straight into the camera, as man behind it nodded.

‘You have a lot of work in the group.’, he commented.

‘Yes, but I love it. I really like to keep myself occupated.’, Sou laughed.

‘She’s also little diva of the group.’, Jungkook said from afar. He was lying on the bed with his legs on the floor. He was interviewed before Sou and decided to rest and stay as it was her turn. ‘Because she’s very small and cute.’, he explained, picking himself on elbows, making Sou roll her eyes. ‘She also drinks from bottle with a straw.’, he added, pointing at the bottle, that was standing on the table, where Sou was sitting.

‘Why are you so annoying today?’, she asked, turning her head to Jungkook, just to see his wide grin. ‘Beside, we all use it when we have lipsticks on.’

‘But you don’t have any lip-.’, he started, but didn’t ended, because Sou threw pillow at him. Jungkook just laughed at her reaction, knowing that he won.

‘Sorry. We can continue.’, she said, to the camera with fake smile, still hearing Jungkook’s laugh in the background.

2017.02.04 THE WINGS TOUR, D-14 Pre-production Rehearsal

Everybody were sitting in the dressing room, near the table filled with food and drinks. They were eating and laughing, before the start of the rehearsal. Sou was sitting between Jimin and Jungkook. She had on her laps, sitting comfortably on the couch. 

Jin and Namjoon started talking about the setlist, just to make sure, that everbody knows which song is after another song. Everybody was listening carefuly and nodding at their every word, while eating their lunch.

‘Some steam and some don’t. What is the difference?’, Hoseok asked, pointing at the steaming machine. 

‘I feel good, when it steams. It feels more humidifying.’, Namjoon asnwered, making Jimin giggle. Then all of the sudde, Jungkook stod up and put tissue on top of the steaming machine.

‘It’s like fog.’, he said and started singing Jimin’s solo song ‘Lie’, making everyone laugh. He walked around then for a minute, singing. But then he stopped immediately, like he was frozen. ‘Did you know, that camera was on?’, he asked.

‘Jungkook, they told us this, when we sat down.’, Sou said, rolling her eyes. Namjoon and Yoongi nodded and agreed with her.

‘Where I was, when they were telling this to us?’, Jungkook asked confused. His eyebrows were furrowed and lips formed in little pout, making Jimin giggle again.

‘You were sitting right next to me.’, she answered and another wave of laughter went around the room.

‘I hate rehearsing.’, Sou said to the camera. She placed elbow on the table and supported cheek on her palm. ‘It’s so fake. And I hate faking anything in any shape or form. You look at yourself in the mirror in the practise room, wearing gliterry clothes and pretend, that you’re performing. ‘, she explained everything, locking her eyes somewhere in the background, avoiding the camere lense. She let out deep breath. ‘But you have to do it. We all want the show to be perfect and the only way to do this is to rehearse. As painful as it is to see yourself singing on a stage with empty audience, you have to do it. Because in a few weeks, you’ll have thousands of people, looking at your every move and you have to entertain then and give one hundred percent.’ 

‘Do you feel any pressure, while you rehearse for something as big as this tour?’, man asked and Sou just simply nodded while he was talking.

‘This is the biggest tour we’ve ever had.’ she explained and he nodded. ‘I don’t only mean, that we will perform in bigger venues, but also that we’re gonna go to places, that were like dream for us. We’ve been in Australia, US or South America before, but to hear, that the shows in those places are sold out is crazy. And even thought of this, makes you work harder and you wanna give even more, than you can.’

‘What’s your favourtie song to perform on this tour?’, he asked another question.

‘It’ll be a selfish answer, but I really love to perform my solo song.’, Sou said and giggled. ‘It’s just really different to everything, that you see about me in other BTS songs. Or different from things you expected from me with the song. I’m a dancer and obviously I dance a lot. I may not have a lot of lines, but I’m fine with it as long as I can dance. It makes me really happy and let me show of my emotions very clearly. But when we were creating the album and were talking about my solo song, I wanted something different. I really love up beat songs, when people can dance and be happy. But I really wanted to show a little bit of my vulnerable side. That’s why ‘Battlefield’ is about that huge battle inside me. About my struggles in the past, but also on daily basis. Me, Yoongi and Namjoon were working on this for good two weeks and I couldn’t be prouder of the outcome.’

‘How did you come up with the performance? Did it change from what you wanted at the beginning?’

‘When we were writing the song and making beats in the studio, I knew what the stage will look like when I will be performing. I created this really beautiful and amazing choreography in my mind. It kind of showed my journey and story through the thing I love the most - dance. But then, I went inside the booth to start record it and I couldn’t get throught the first verse.’, Sou explained and laughed at her memory of that day. ‘I just couldn’t move forward and then Yoongi came in. He just held my hand through the whole time. And it kind of made me feel better. So when we were in the office, giving ideas for our solo stages, I immediately said, that I don’t wanna anything. I just wanna sit on the end of the stage, as close to the fans as possible and hold their hands. Because I’m doing it for them and they support me on my every step. And it’s just incredible how much they’re giving to us.’, Sou ended, looking down with a small smile, juston a thought of the Armies. ‘Also I really like to perform ‘Save Me’, because I created the choreography.’, she added giggling.

‘Isn’t is a little ironic, that our main dancer is sitting during her solo stage?’, Jungkook laughed, walking down the stairs. He just ended his rehearsal, it was very clear, because of the sweat on his forehead. 

‘Some of us are not as young as you, Jungkook. We need a little break.’, Sou said back, showing him her tongue. 

She started to climbing up the staris and sat in the middle of the stage, waiting for the music to play. Sou started to rap, closing her eyes and feeling the song. Boys were looking at her, getting ready for their own stages. Taehyung and Hoseok even raised their hands and started to wave them, as if they were on a concert. Then Jimin and Jungkook jumped on a stage and started doing a dance, that they come up with on the spot. Sou didn’t saw him at the beginning, but when she did, she just shook her head and lied down on the stage. Boys saw it and both of them ran to her and lied next to her. Jungkook placed his head on her stomach and Jimin higged her from the side. He put his leg around her body and hands around her neck. Sou was lying like this, with closed eyes, not moving and waiting when they will go away. But neither Jungkook or Jimin wanted to muve a muscle.

‘Message to future Sou?’, she asked and let out deep sigh. ‘I really hope, that you’re making smarter decisions, that you’re not so hard on yourself. And that you open to more people, because it’s not healthy.’, Sou said to the camera nodding. She wanted to end on this point, but then she remember one more thing. ‘Also I really hope, that your mixtape is out already, because your fans are gonna murder you.  Literally.’

masterlist

[bugheadjones-the-third]

I was really into RIVERDALE in the first season and i still love bughead and sprouseheart really a lot but this season was disappointed, a lot of scenarios and dialogue seems made of just to satisfy the fans but in a cringe way for me, and my love for the show is kinda not the same... Maybe is just me that is not enjoying it that much anymore or seeing it in that way? I’m curious how you see the way the producers are directing the show know (?) Love your tumblr btw ^^

I share a lot of your thoughts and I can assure you're not the only one having problems with season 2. I myself have tried to understand what the producers/ directors are doing to the show, and it was only after thinking A LOT that I managed to find an answer that comforted me.

You see, Season 1 was just perfect. It was a new show with that noir vibe we all fell in love with, and it was all too virginal. When season 1 aired, all the eps were already filmed and there was absolutely no fan influence. It was theirs before it was ours, and in my opinion, that's why the first season was so beautiful and so perfect.

Nothing was forced and nothing was rushed. They had all the time to follow that one idea and all the mystery surrounding Jason's death, and that certain simplicity and freshness made everything fit into its own place. Bughead happened in that beautiful, truthful and even simple way, and I believe that's one of the biggest reasons why the ship became so popular.

Season 1 had it all, and all those pools and awards showed everyone that what they had in hands was a mine of success that could and would be explored in a second season.

The renovation of the series came with a lot of expectations, and even if the cast and the staff said the audience would have no influence in the future of the series, it's impossible not to be affected by what we say around here and on twitter. Riverdale, apart from all the love and dedication from the entire cast and crew, is still a something that makes money because of its audience. They have to keep us interested so we keep watching and keep the numbers up for as long as it's possible. They will follow their story, of course, but they will also take every chance to explore the things we, fans, love. And don't take it as something bad, no. It's just the way it is.

So, with all that said, we now have Season 2, with 22 episodes and basically with the recipe for success already tested and approved in season 1. They just needed to find a new mystery- which they easily did, with the Black Hood- and follow from where things left out. Theoretically speaking, it should be a piece of cake for such a talented staff. They had another crime for the kids, the most popular ships were together, and they could simply left things like that while they all focused on the whole angel of death thing.

It would've been simpler and it would've probably worked out just as fine as season 1. However, that was where they kinda screwed up. Because unlike season 1, where everything ended up surrounding Jason's death, season 2 started with a bunch of plots that had no connection and that proved themselves to be way too much for a bunch of high school kids.

All those plots had a lot of potential. Jughead as a serpent, North Vs South, the Red circle, Hiram in town, Betty's fight, Toni Topaz and the list goes on... All those stories could've been tied together, but instead of focusing on the small additions to the new season, they kept adding and adding until there was just TOO MUCH for them to handle. They forgot a bunch of stuff, changed the characters they created in season 1 and it was as if a bomb was dropped in Riverdale. And still, to add up even more, we had all that unnecessary drama between the ships that, unlike season 1, now play an essential role to the main story, whatever the hell that main story is.

There's nothing tying the knots anymore. Nothing that acts like a center to all the madness around the show, and it's as if they're all just writing a bunch of plot bunnies and trying to make it work. Sometimes, it does. Sometimes, it's just a chaotic mess that pisses the fans that fell in love with Season 1 and only creates more problems for them to solve in the future ( Cam Girl Betty being the best example for this).

But now, after I basically said all those stuff that pissed me off in season 2, you would say I'm about to give up on Riverdale and go flood RAS' twitter account because of that, right? Wrong. 

2A was really a mess and no one will ever disagree with me. It was a mess and it was too rushed (even for Riverdale). There was a bunch of unnecessary drama (yes, I'm talking about the J*paz and B*rchie kisses) and a lot of other stuff I won't be listing right now. Still, I think they've finally realized their mistakes. 

I think that all that was broken in 2A can (and hopefully) will be rebuilt in 2B. We've already had some really nice eps that brought back the old Riverdale feeling, with communicative Bughead, and stuff that made the characters walk forward instead of going back to where they all started. The staff realized the mess they've made, and if anything, last episode was their way of admitting it to us, the audience (They literally took the core 4 out of Riverdale so they could just get over that whole crap between the ships, so... yeah, It felt like a way to make a new start).

I was personally having a lot of issues with season 2. I was having anxiety attacks every Wednesday and it made me feel really sad when I actually got relieved that my favorite show would be on a break for so long back in December. But now, I'm feeling more confident about the whole thing. I feel like things will go back to how they were supposed to be from the start, and we will all be able to enjoy Riverdale again. So don't quit. We have a job as supportive fans here :)

And even if I'm wrong, well, at least we can always stick around just for our beloved Bughead and our tumblr family.

[lavenderbyun]

so, i um, got tagged to do the 10 questions tag by @kotokodesu  @haaneuls  @luvcabefelu @sleepypie1212 @nabongsun @tinytrashqueen and @jok-ie  and because my talent is putting things off, that means 70 questions lmao - nonetheless thank you all for tagging me!!!

my questions are:

how would you rewrite an ending you hated?

if you could pick & mix cops from different dramas, who would be your dream team?

do you prefer watching dramas as they air, or binge watching in one go?

do you have an American show you’d be interested in seeing a kdrama remake of?

who are your favourite newbie actors?

have you ever dropped a drama within the first few minutes of the first episode?

have you ever dropped a drama because of the fandom?

the two leads for a drama are your all time fave and an actor you literally cannot watch; do you still watch it?

what anime would you be interested in seeing a remake of?

do you prefer it when a drama has no romance? 

imma tag some new people (aka people i dont think i’ve tagged before), but feel free to ignore this if you dont wanna do it :)

@leejaeshins @addictingkdrama @favekdramas @jichangswooks @notenoughdrama @kdramagif @haesco @blueeski @letsflytoasiarenata @outside-seoul @profilerrynn

  @kotokodesu

What’s the most annoying drama trope in your opinion? I lowkey love tropes (incl memory loss, noble idiocy etc lmao)

Also what trope would you love to see more of? FAKE DATING!

Fuck marry kill between your three fave characters F: i honestly have no idea??? M: LEE SANGTAE! K: Wang So, so he can reincarnate and have a better life :’)

If you had to live in one of those huge lofts/houses we see in dramas, which one would you pick? /forever drawing a blank/ um, oh Kim Tan’s US house!!!

One drama you wish you had never seen? and why?? none actually #noregrets

What’s the best product placement you had seen? lmao the car that drives itself in DotS, i didnt even realise it was product placement until people started talking about it

Okay so choose your biggest otp, now.. If you only could save one of them from whatever scenario you can imagine, which one would you save? aahhh i’d probs save Myeong Joo, Dae Young would understand~

Your favorite underrated dramas?? (so I can have more recs lol)  ms perfect, ho goo’s love, hello monster, and five enough

If you could only watch dramas starring the same actor/tress, which one would you pick? Lee Seung Gi. He’s not even my like all time fave, but I’ve literally seen everything he’s been in - so I feel like he’d be a good choice lmao

@haaneuls

what are your favorite idol actors?D.O and Suzy 

who is an actor/tress that you love that you consider underrated? i dont think i have any faves that are underrated ... (i do have overrated faves though lmao)

in your dream drama, who would you cast? Ha Ji Won & Lee Jun Ki in an action drama or D.O & Lee Sung Kyung in LoveCom

what second lead has made you the saltiest?hahahhahahahahaha... wang wook

do you have a “comfort” drama? not really, since i rarely/never rewatch dramas

what is a dish that youve always wanted to try since watching kdramas?tbh i’ve pretty much tried everything, except naengmyeon  

what is one thing you hate about your fave kdrama OTP? GooWon - they weren’t the main couple so we didn’t get to see how they got together or even a lot of them in general

whats the drama youd recommend to someone who wants to get into kdramas? defo Healer!

you get to murder one of your most hated characters ever. who would that be? thing is, i dont have one - bc  i feel like death is an escape and i’d rather their life fell to pieces, they were humiliated and rot in prison?

do you have a crackship? (or maybe just two characters from differnt dramas that youd think would make a cute couple?) oh i’ve never even thought about it .. so no 

@luvcabefelu

FAVORITE CURRENTLY RUNNING DRAMA. Technically MSR is the only drama i’m watching atm ... 

A DRAMA YOU DIDN’T EXPECT TO LOVE. oh Missing 9 - i only started it for Chanyeol & Jung Kyung Ho - but the plot didn’t interest me

A DRAMA YOU EXPECTED TO LOVE, BUT DIDN’T. Legend of the Blue Sea!!!!! 

A DRAMA YOU’D WATCH ON REPEAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I never rewatch dramas, but i feel like i’d never tire of Fated To Love You

WORST SECOND LEAD SYNDROME. oh the second couple in Secret Love !!! i hated them both to my core, and the fact that the drama ended with them in a good place romantically made me so angry!

TOP 5 DRAMA COUPLES. Myeong Joo & Dae Young, Jae Bok & Bong Goo, Ho Goo & Do Hee, Lee Gun & Mi Young and Bong Hee & Joon Oh

TOP 5 DRAMA FRIENDSHIP. Grims & Goblin, Dae Young & Si Jin, Hye Jin & Ha Ri, Baek Ah & Wang So, Si Jin & Myeong Joo

TOP 5 DRAMA VILLAINS. Lee Joon Young, Yeon Hwa, Min Suk Hoon, Choi Yoo Jin and Gwi  

FIRST DRAMA YOU BINGE WATCHED. Boys Over Flowers

LAST DRAMA YOU BINGE WATCHED. Five Enough

FAVORITE QUOTE OF A DRAMA “Without even knowing, a person goes around scattering their heart. That’s why if you’re with a smiling person, you end up smiling with them.”— Tae Yang, Bachelor’s Vegetable Store

@sleepypie1212

What three elements does a drama have to have to keep you watching through til the end?i’m so basic, a drama just needs good romance and legit plot/goal to keep me going

Trope that makes you want to bang your head against a wall? truthfully, none

Absolute favorite, comfort food drama? probs Fated to Love You, if i rewatched dramas

What’s an ending you yearn to rewrite? freakin’ Moon Lovers

(Recycling a question here because I like it so much) Top 3 drama OTPs? goowon, jaebok/bong goo, and joon oh/bonghee

Recent OST song you’ve had on repeat? Kiss or Kill - Ga In (missing 9)

What would be a dream drama plot for you? Who would star in it? A sageuk drama about female assassins would be kickass tbh - Ha Ji Won would be the leader obvs, i feel like Seo Hyun would be a good add in, Lee Sun Bin, and idk lmao

The most recent drama you dropped? Why? SWDBS bc i just got sick of the bs

How did you get into kdramas in the first place?I was obsessed with jdramas, and my fave was Hana Yori Dango, so ofc i had to watch the kdrama remake lols

Finally, how do you think they’ve impacted your life? Positively? Negatively? In what way? neutrally i think? like i dont feel like they’ve had a huge impact on my life outside tumblr lols

@nabongsun

if you could be stuck in any drama, which would it be? truthfully, none lols, kdramas have lives i enjoy watching - but would never want to be a part of lmao

favorite kmovie? The Beauty Inside !!!

drama with the best instrumental ost? I think Moon Lovers is the only drama where I’ve liked most of the OST lols

drama that made you cry the most? Yeo Un’s death in WBDS was probs the only time i full on cried for a kdrama

actor/actress pairing you would love to see Ha Ji Won & Lee Jun Ki

favorite idol actor/actress? D.O and Suzy

fave underrated trope? I feel like people don’t appreciate the memory loss trope lmao 

drama that should have been longer (or you would want to see more from it)? the 1% of Anything remake, and now My Secret Romance! 

drama you refuse to watch? Anything with an under 18/adult pairing

favorite kiss? The kiss in Healer ep 14 is probs the kiss i’ve rewatched the most lmao

drama that you will never get over? freaking Moon Lovers :/ 

@tinytrashqueen​

What’s your chicken soup drama? The one that you you’ve rewatched a million times and it’s just as good. I never rewatch dramas haha but yeah, its most likely Fated to Love You

What was your first drama?Boys Over Flowers ~

What couple had the most chemistry in your opinion? I might be biased since they’re my otp, but Dae Young & Myeong Joo (dots)

Do you normally like the first lead, or do you constantly get second lead syndrome? I always like the first lead more by default, and have never had SLS bc if i dont like the lead, i drop the drama lols

Favorite drama friendship?Grims and Goblin <3

Whats your favorite trope and why? FAKE DATING! I just love watching two people pretend to be together, and like have to do all these coupley things/live together/meet each others family, and then slowly actually fall for each other - and honestly i could watch fake dating dramas for the rest of my life but alas there aren’t that many of them :(

What’s the drama you regret watching the most and why? minus dramas i dropped, i dont actually regret any of the dramas i’ve watched lols

If you had to rec a drama to a new watcher what would it be? (extra points if it isn’t your chicken soup drama) Healer!! i literally rec it to people all the time - and a few people have loved it (but still wont pick up kdramas lmao)

What’s an upcoming drama you’re really looking forward to?  I’m really looking forward to My Sassy Girl !!

Do you post commentary (even negative commentary, extra points if you tag it) or do you mostly keep your thoughts to yourself? I literally can’t keep my mouth shut, whether its things i dont like, or things i loved haha i just like discussing dramas, and since idk anyone irl who watches as many dramas as me - posting is my only option lols

@jok-ie​

Who are your top 3 male leads? Lee Sangtae (Five Enough), Kang Bong Goo (Ms. Perfect) and Song Soo Hyuk (OMHE)

Do you have any drama that everyone loves but you think it’s overrated? The Reply Series and Dream High - i couldn’t get into either, but people love them lols

Who is your favourite bromance couple and why? Grims & Goblin idk i just feel like it was such a nicely developed friendship and esp w/ their background, and then the angst and the way they just missed each other - i feel like that kind of bromance doesn’t really get shown in kdramas?

What is your favourite kdrama genre? Name your favourite kdrama with that genre. Crime/Police Dramas - My fave is Hello Monster!

If you could live in the universe of any drama, which would it be?honestly, none of them haha, idk my life just seems so calm and enjoyable in comparison to kdramas, i dont think i’d swap it lols

What is your favourite kdrama and why?My all time fave is Healer - i just loved everything, the plot, the characters, the romance, the way it was filmed, the comedy aspect, like the only thing i’d change, would be adding more women 

Is there any drama that you refuse to watch? anything with under 18s being paired with adults !

Who is your favourite idol actor/actress?my faves are D.O and Suzy

Do you have any drama that everyone hates but you love it? Uncontrollably Fond has so much criticism but i absolutely adored it 

What drama should have a second season? usually i dont like the idea of s2′s for kdramas since everything gets wrapped up and it would just drag buuut  i’m still going crazy over the Gu Family Book ending, where Gun and the other guy show up at Kang Chi’s home in the future and i’m just like what is happening ??!!! and then he meets Yeo Wool again and i’m just like I NEED S2 RIGHT NOW!

[dustedmagazine]

Dust Vol. 3, No. 1

Robert Millis

We begin our third year of Dust with, as usual, more good music than we can hope to write about, making the difficult transition from albums we were unable to get to in 2016 to albums that we really ought to say something about in early 2017.  There’s a little of everything here -- artists as well known as Justin Broadrick and as little celebrated as Philadelphia lo-fi outsider Brandon Ayers, albums that are coming out for the first time next week and albums that have moldered undeservedly in obscurity for decades, music of many genres from free jazz to Iranian-flavored electronics to vintage Ohio fuzz.  Contributors this time include Bill Meyer, Patrick Masterson, Jennifer Kelly and Ian Mathers.  Happy new year, and onward to whatever music 2017 brings. 

Robert Millis—The Lonesome High (Abduction) 

Some people can sum up their lives on a business card; Robert Millis needs a whole deck, full sized, both faces of each playing card, and you’re still liable to miss something while he shuffles. Filmmaker, photographer, guerilla ethnographer, collector and sharer of 78 RPM records, weaver of multi-layered ambiences, improviser, annotator, jokester, traveler — and now comes The Lonesome High.

It turns out that Millis is also a sardonic troubadour, quite capable of bending verse/chorus song forms to his will. While he’s definitely played plenty of tunes with Climax Golden Twins and AFCGT (that’s the A-Frames + Climax Golden Twins), his commitment to working within that form sets this record apart from anything else he’s done. Millis sings them with a gruff and knowing delivery that effectively imparts the faithlessness, guilt, and befuddlement of his protagonists. He sounds like Howe Gelb might if he weren’t so comfortable with desert spaces. There’s something rather claustrophobic about these tunes, a sense that the characters are closed in, and even the guitar solos that punch through the songs’ walls can’t knock them down.

The record’s production plays up the entrapment described in the lyrics. Millis uses Foley artistry, musique concrete backdrops, and some good old-fashioned echo to imply that beyond his character’s myopic enactments, there’s a lot of less-bounded action going down. But the people in the songs don’t know that; they’re as trapped as some mope in a Twilight Zone episode.

Bill Meyer

Waldemar — Visions (Self-Release)

Another missive from the northern woods that produced Bon Iver, Gabe Larson’s Waldemar builds big anthemic songs around personal reveries. This four-song EP is mainly about his grandpa, and yet, its layered vocals hint at shared euphoria, its giant rock crescendos lift off towards universality. “Brotherly” stirs to life in misty threads of drone, cymbal rolls, silence and Larson’s voice cresting upward with a Jonsi-ish mix of religious chant and pop. Folksy jangle intersects with mysticism, a la fellow Wisconsites in Megafaun, and, as you may have come to expect from Eau Claire outfits, there are infusions of brass and band instruments from the jazz talent nearby. “Visions” is, maybe, the most striking of these four cuts and the one that will remind you most of Justin Vernon. It takes shape slowly and sparely, mostly mournful vocals at first, then bursts into locomotive life with drumming, guitars, counterpoints and brass. This is the biggest, most fully realized, most ready for prime time self-release I’ve heard in a while.

Jennifer Kelly   

John Lindberg Raptor Trio—Western Edges (Clean Feed) 

Despite the album’s name, this trio has deep roots in New York City. Bassist John Lindberg first encountered baritone saxophonist Pablo Calogero in the 1970s when they were both teenagers eager to break into New York’s loft jazz scene. Lindberg has gone on to accompany Billy Bang, Anthony Braxton and Wadada Leo Smith, as well as lead his own ensembles, but he hasn’t forgotten his old mate. Calogero moved to Southern California, so when he moved to San Diego to teach at CalArts he called up his old buddy and the drummer who played next office over from his. The combination of 40+ years of friendship between two members and utter newness between Calogero and drummer Joe LaBarbera likely contributed to this session’s combination of empathy and freshness. Both old buddies contribute compositions, and they cover a fair bit of ground. On “Ashoka” the trio adopts an early 60s Coltrane stance, stately and heavy; “Twixt D and E” is an intricately tied post-bop knot; and “Raptors” flies free, but with oft-glimpsed melodic intent.

Bill Meyer 

Pari San – Frozen Time (Pari San) 

“Pari San symbolize [sic] a collision of two worlds.” This is how Iranian-born, Düsseldorf-raised vocalist Pari Eskandari and Berlin synth hound Paul Brenning collectively describe the Pari San project; the worlds presumably colliding here are Eskandari’s rural singing styles and Brenning’s thoroughly urban European electro influences, though it’s also worth mentioning the contrast between Berlin and Parisan, a town that consisted of 37 people for the 2006 Iranian census. Working in the capital for their self-released Frozen Time EP – the duo’s first official release as best I can tell – Eskandari and Brenning revive a strain of mid-2000s electronic music almost singularly cornered by The Knife’s Silent Shout. This shouldn’t feel noteworthy in 2016-17 given the wide-open landscape FKA Twigs, Aïsha Devi and even The Knife’s own Shaking the Habitual have pillaged since, but Pari San succeeds in part because its two members aim for a more pop-oriented sound – each of Frozen Time’s five songs is in the three-minute neighborhood and the hooks are plainly evident, even addicting, despite the substantial electronic gimmickry. “In the Smoke” is the most brazen Silent Shout descendent and “Polyhorns” features co-production from Bpitch Control and Monkeytown Recs vet Robert Koch (aka Jahcoozi’s Robot Koch) for a spot of relative star power, but “Two Perfect Lovers” is the duet to die for here, a slow-moving serenade gracefully threading the needle between 1960s teenage love ballad and contemporary electronic abstraction. Extremely promising EP from a group mining territory you might’ve previously thought exhausted.

Patrick Masterson

Hexa — Factory Photographs (Room40)  

FACTORY PHOTOGRAPHS by HEXA

Hexa is Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart and Lawrence English, who after meeting in 2009 decided to collaborate in ways which would take them beyond their usual musical practices (which, yes, means this sounds little like Xiu Xiu or English’s drone work); Factory Photographs sees them issue a “sonic response” to David Lynch’s photographs of, well, factories. All three artists have distinct enough oeuvres that you can pretty much tell whether you’re interested just from the resumes, but Stewart and English have definitely offered a distinctive and worthwhile slate of roiling industrial noise, whether it’s the more overtly aggressive likes of “Ring Bark” or the slower building waves of “Sledge.”Factory Photographs is consistently bracing but climaxes with the best and most interesting tracks here; first the restless, anxious washes of “Over Horizontal Plains” and then “Body”, which just barely lets some sort of brighter melody peek out from behind the relentless grinding of the rest of the song. 

Ian Mathers  

Warhaus — We Fucked a Flame into Being (Self-release) 

We Fucked A Flame Into Being by Warhaus

Arch, urbane, a bit decadent, here’s an album that slithers in on the scent of foreign cigarettes, insinuates sex, betrayal, bare shoulders and drunken tangos to late-night jazz combos. It’s an album that makes you feel like a blockheaded rube who’s been let in on a joke, still hopelessly literal and stupid but for once seeing irony and ambiguity and the primacy of style over sincerity. Warhaus, you should know, is the solo project of one Maarten Devoldere whose main gig, the band Balthazar, has sold a surprising number of records in Belgium (without raising much of a ripple outside Northern Europe). Here he sings in a voice that makes everything sound like an indecent proposal (and honestly, some of it is). A younger, less whispery Leonard Cohen with a slightly wider range might be the best point of reference, and like Cohen, he’s found of spare yet varied accompaniments, a Sinatra band pared down to essentials, a choir of bored girls singing something like gospel. The single “The Good Lie” with its twitchy guitars, tense hand drums and murmured imprecations is good, sexy stuff, but my favorite remains “Against the Rich,” which both is and isn’t a rallying cry contra income inequality. Instead it finds ambiguity in a life that has acquired the trappings of success, an accountant, a nutritionist, a girlfriend with a law degree, and asks, “When my friend did I make this switch, how I tried to be against the rich.”

Jennifer Kelly

Council Estate Electronics – Arktika (Glacial Movements)  

Arktika by COUNCIL ESTATE ELECTRONICS

Riddled with implication, Godflesh and Jesu lifer Justin Broadrick teamed up with frequent collaborator and Jesu bassist Diarmuid Dalton under the Council Estate Electronics banner for the first time in four years this past October to pay tribute to the Russian nuclear-powered Arktika class of icebreaker (helpfully, the liner notes clarify that this is for the new LK-60YA Arktika class rather than the outgoing Arktika ships first launched in the 1970s). The eight songs herein are a rusting hulk of open arms for crudely constructed boats in two halves – “Urals” opens with nearly 11 minutes of minimal dub-techno throbbing and the kind of immersive (submersive?) white noise with which Jesu fans will no doubt be accustomed. It continues through songs like “567 foot 33,500 ton” and “Rosatom,” which could easily double as field recordings of the vessels’ construction from inside the hull. Reminiscent of material you’d find on Blackest Ever Black or Janushoved rather than Milan’s Glacial Movements, a label that’s served up Loscil and (most recently) the celestial sonic icescapes of Aria Rostami and Daniel Blomquist, this seems headed for a dark, industrial turn into the far reaches of the frigid north... But with “50 Let Pobody,” the vibe of the record suddenly shifts to a still-unsettling yet considerably more subdued tone. By the end of “60 megawatts,” you’re left thinking this release is most in line with the eerie, engrossing electronics of Pye Corner Audio. Chilly and chilling, Glacial Movements has hit another one out of the dry docks.

Patrick Masterson 

Tommy Jay—Tommy Jay’s Tall Tales of Trauma (Assophon) 

You can’t live down the past, so you might as well blow it up, and in the case of Tommy Jay’s Tall Tales Of Trauma, more turns out to be more. Harrisburgh OH resident Jay is a longtime mate of Mike Rep and Nudge Squidfish, and he shares with them a contradictory aesthetic. On the one hand, his homemade recording and unexpurgated song writing are serious barriers to any sort of mainstream success. But his reference points, as indicated by covers of Joni Mitchell’s “Dreamland” and Lou Reed’s “The Ocean,” are ambitious ones, and he does his best not to dishonor them. Sometimes, anyway — Jay’s muse might inspire him to make a low-rent, early Who-style epic about the Battle of Fredericksburg one moment (“I Was There”) and a cheap rhyme-stocked portrait of a “Village Idiot” the next. If early 1990s Guided By Voices tended more towards finished songs and uncomfortable truths, they might have made a record like this one, but James made it instead. In 1986 he could only get it out on tape, and it took two decades for it to make it to LP. That first pressing is long gone, so Assophon has stepped in with a 30th anniversary edition that includes thirteen more songs close enough to the first 12 that collectors sitting on an early copy will probably want  this one too.

Bill Meyer             

Brandon Can’t Dance — Graveyard of Good Times (Lucky Number) 

Graveyard of Good Times by BRANDON CAN'T DANCE

Brandon Ayers is the classic lone wolf bedroom troubadour, a Philadelphian who works nights as a security guard, cares for an elderly relative during the day and lives a rich creative life within his own head and home recording space. Brandon Can’t Dance dabbles in fuzz-rock, lo-fi disco, anti-folk, regular folk, synth pop and noise, refusing to settle anywhere, yet all reflecting a highly individual talent that has not been sanded down too much by contact with other people. Sequencing feels a little haphazard, so that the superlative shoegaze romantic blare of “Headspace” sits right alongside an excruciating dance-pop falsetto cut called “Smoke-Drive Around” (which, weirdly, is one of two downloadable singles, so it’s probably not a parody). Much of the album gives off a 1990s lo-fi aura – GBV is the obvious reference, though “Fuck Off and We’ll Get Along,” has the undercooked poetry of certain Sic Alps songs, the synthier bits recall Blank Dogs and “Freak of the Freaks,” sounds fragile and surreal like a Tobin Sprout off-track. “Angelina,” the other single, has a country swagger to it, a brash, abrasive acoustic vamp with a fuzz guitar solo bursting through it. It feels like the most finished, structured song on the disc, and so stands as a highlight. That’s not to disparage the beautiful fragments, half-pursued ventures and jotted messy impressions that surround it; these are integral to experiencing Ayers’ alienated, discontinuous but intermittently lovely world. If you flipped over Car Seat Headrest or just harbor a fondness for melodic hiss and fuzz, you’ll like this.

Jennifer Kelly 

Andrew Pekler — Tristes Tropiques (Faitiche) 

Tristes Tropiques by Andrew Pekler

Pekler’s work here feels like some deliberately uneasy mix of remix, field recording, the kind of ethnographic forgery that Can used to do, and abstract electronic music. Certainly the cultural history of white people playing/homaging/being fascinated by the music of other cultures, whether it’s called exotica or ethnography or anything else, is a tricky one. Pekler titling this album of original compositions (which just sounds like it’s maybe the products of aliens messing with and bouncing back various jungle-based music and natural sounds, although it’s really just him working with what he calls “the electronic means that I have at hand”) after Claude Levi-Strauss’s ambivalent and searching book that’s as much about the author’s own methods and engagement with the natives he’s studying as it is about the study indicates that he’s aware of that, even if the work doesn’t directly engage with that history. Pekler’s more interested in getting something interesting and evocative and he’s constructed a rich, broadly constituted stew to do so with (as a song title like “Humidity Index/Khao Sok (Chopped and Screwed)” indicates).

 Ian Mathers 

 Greg Kelley/Bill Nace —Live At Disjecta (Open Mouth)

Now here’s a name we don’t see enough these days. When trumpeter Greg Kelley (nmperign, Heathen Shame, and Cold Bleak Heat) moved from Massachusetts to Washington State a couple years ago his touring profile east of the Mississippi took a hit. But this proved to be the West coast’s gain, since this record is an artifact of an eight-date tour, which is a substantial number for any noise combo these days. His partner here is guitarist Bill Nace (Vampire Belt, Body/Head), and the zones of broad amp protest and brittle brass fatigue that they explore together will likely awaken pleasant memories of Heathen Shame’s hellish squalls. But while the sound is similar, the dynamic is very different; where even the Shame’s most free-falling moments embraced rock gesture, this set’s energy is more elemental. At some points the two men’s waves of sound attract and repel like magnetic fields, at others they arc like two bolts of lightning headed for the same weathervane. The jolts are welcome indeed.

Bill Meyer

[survivoremathia]

Ep. 3 "Like Hun....Drink Some Chamomile and Take a Chill Pill" - RTP

COLIN

RED ALERT. 

RED ALERT. [3/2/17, 8:38:33 PM] Trevor: So ummm... I'm gonna go WHAT THE HECK. DOES HE GOTTA DO THIS 22 MINUTES BEFORE THE DEADLINE. LIKE WE CAN'T EVEN REALLY TALK ABOUT IT NOW AS AN ALLIANCE. WHAT IS HE DOING. WHY IS HE DOING THIS. WHAT THE HECK. OH MY GOD I NEED TO FIGURE OUT IF I'M GONNA GO NOW. OKAY REAL TALK IM NOT AND WILL NEVER BECAUSE IM ACTUALLY LOYAL BUT STILL. WHAT THE HECK

DUNCAN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovnWp1YTRcA&feature=youtu.be To sum it up in three main points: 1. Im happy to be playing with Owen again 2. Im also just ecstatic in general to play in Ahena again, regardless of the outcome 3. On 3/2/17, at 6:25 PM, Unkie Dunkie wrote: > Fuck me up fam I’m ready to play

JD

Oh my god! What the hell's going on over there that would make them want to come here?? Three people came here, one kinda by accident sure but like... Really? We are a sweet ass tribe but like... Really? It's like someone from London moving to come ' little town ' with only 7000 people there. Something doesn't fit. I don't like it. 

RTP

Ok so we won the challenge which was awesome. I was the only one on my tribe not going to the labyrinth so fuck me eh. i feel pretty good with my ol boys alliance of matt david me and owen. hopefully we can stick it out for a while

then two people quit from odysseus and im like yasssss more ppl gone....and then there is a mutiny. i wanted to mutiny so bad just for the drama, but no one else from my tribe wanted to do it and im not gonna be the dumbass that mutinies by myself...nuh uh..... and then three people from olympus ended up on odysseus...haha omg wtf...im shocked trevor went to lydia and not to me and owen...hmm....im sus of that so now we have this reward challenge...and i make a totally normal comment like...oh hey maybe the people competing should have good survivor knowledge since the challenge is ya know...guessing survivor contestants...and duncan is like YOU DONT NEED TO KNOW SURVIVOR TO WIN THIS....like hun....drink some chamomile and take a chill pill....no technically you dont...but it sure as hell makes it easier....i guess duncan is my first target on this tribe if we lose again....whatever...bye

ROB

Yikes I doubt I made one last round. I'm basically going to rely on my Bangladesh people. I love Logan and Eddie, so they're the perfect people to work with. I like Colin too, I just need to talk to him more. Two people quit and there was a mutiny offer afterwards. Three people from my tribe mutinied when we were literally dominating challenges, sort of. We hadn't lost yet. Trevor, Sam, and Isaac were people I was wary of, so I know that I can't trust them at all since they're obviously not wanting to work with me. I know I'm not talking much, but still. Reward is basically going to rely on me since Logan and Colin aren't well-versed in Survivor and Eddie is MIA. Rip me. If we lose immunity, I feel like Colin will be the person leaving. He's literally the odd man out. Don't know if he knows it. Hopefully, at least, and in my mind. Sorry Colin. I'm screwed.

COLIN

I think I've written more confessionals for the first three rounds of this game than I did for all of PI: Malibu. Oops. But anyway.... that mutiny WHEW. Fuck those guys huh. We went from the ONLY tribe with all 7 members to......... 4 members. I knew Trevor was leaving and I lowkey had a feeling Sam and Isaac MIGHT but still for them all three to leave is such a kick in the face. That alliance between me, Logan, and Trevor lasted not even 24 hours. Not even ONE DAY yall. Hopefully we can slay these next two immunities so we don't have to go to tribal, because that would honestly suck. At least Logan and I have half the vote so that makes me feel a little bit safer, but still without majority and with the possibility of a rock draw/fire making challenge (idk how it would work if it ties) this could be devastating to my game. Anyway, thanks Trevor, you fucked over the person who trusted you the most.

ROB

Hosts are furious.

Immunity went well, bless. At least I hope so.

COLIN THIS IS MY OFFICIAL APPLICATION TO JOIN THE LOGAN FAN CLUB.

Y'all don't even know how much I love Logan. Like I am so glad I got put on a tribe with them and actually got kinda close with them. They're such a sweetheart and so easy to talk to. They are WINNING this season KNOW that. Literally my entire tribe is so cute and sweet now?? Now that the uglies and traitors have left we're all cute and adorable. God I really just hope we don't have to go to tribal at all before the swap. If I have to vote anyone on this tribe I'll cry.

ROB I think I've become the leader of the tribe. I don't want to be, but Eddie is barely here and I don't think Logan and Colin would step up to do challenges and stuff. I like everyone in the tribe and I don't want to lose these immunity challenges. The mutineers will be the first to die. Lying sucks, I'm not positive if I said yet if Sam told me he was NOT going to mutiny.

RTP

Ok so heres a pre-immunity results confessional. so my Ye Ol' Boys Club alliance is going pretty well. it doesnt seem like we are gonna be best friends but we all know its good for numbers and after that first tribal we trust each other. so that seems good for now. and knowing that we are swapping in two rounds is keeping us all from doing anything shady so that when we swap we dont have to worry about each other turning on us. that being said.... in our foursome i feel like i naturally get along with owen the best...hes the easiest for me to talk to...granted i feel pretty comfortable with all three of them....but matt just gave me some tea about the labyrinth and told me that he wasnt telling owen or david. now i have known matt for a long time and i was there for his matt fucking summers days....but i know matt has grown and thats not how he plays anymore but that reputation will never go away...there is a trick to keeping matt on your side....treat him with respect and trust what he says....if youve been friendly and honest with him he will do the same to you...and the second you question or belittle him youre as good as shit because he is already plotting your demise...hmm...treat someone with respect what a concept huh. not only that, but this makes me feel like i have a good #1 ally with matt and a good #1 ally with david. as much as i love owen i know damn well hell turn on me before trevor...and i wouldnt hold that against him...hes a good ally for numbers rn...and it helps in case i swap with trevor and can stick with him too....but i feel more secure knowing i have david and matt on my side and they are closer with me than with owen....i dont really wanna lose...but voting duncan out rn would feel pretty good...hes made some snarky comments to me a couple of times and thats really my biggest criteria for wanting people out....you sass me you get my vote

LOGAN

anyway i wanna die but yay! no loss, and im safe one more round. prayin they vote off trevor. i dont trust you.

ROB

Rob: is there an edgic? Jay: yes Rob: thanks Then I better get positive tone this episode

COLIN

OMG YES WE DID THAT. ok why am I saying we. ROB DID THAT. HE TRULY DID. MY DAD MY KING MY ICON LOVE HIM. Omg I'm so happy we don't have to go to tribal. Now we just gotta survive ONE MORE ROUND before the swap, I'm sure we can pull it off. Wish us luck <3 <3

ALI

The plan for tonight is Crow... I feel like all is going to plan, as far as I know everyone has told me they're voting Crow, bar Ryan (whose told other members of my alliance that he is) and Scott the Silent. I just lied to Crow, and feel bad, but he seems too dangerous... Also, my alliance is now me, JD, Trevor and Lydia, but I'm also close to Isaac and Sam. I feel super in control for now... I for some reason get the impression I'm about to be idoled out, but c'est la vie

TREVOR AND LYDIA

https://youtu.be/UnL6LElg4ZY

ALI

I'm super nervous for tonight. Its like 'Baby's First Blindside'- its very exciting! Anywho, I love my 'The Leal Jousewives of Atlanta' alliance (Trevor,JD,Lydia and I) and I'd hate to be idoled out, when I'm lined up so well! :(

CROW

Ugh, I have a gut feeling that it's probably me tonight, but I have been told otherwise.......lesson learned: don't try and play two games at once xD I am voting for Scott because I know he's the person most likely (behind me) to get targeted/exiled from the tribe. My strategy (although it may look like I don't have one) was to test out the "Anybody but me" strategy, but it doesn't look too good right now... Maybe I'm just paranoid and it'll be 8-1 against Scott, but I have a feeling there's scheming going on that will likely result in my elimination. If I survive this, I pray there's a tribe swap so I can effectively redo my social game LOL, if not, well.....I'll just have to scrap along!

http://survivoremathia.tumblr.com/post/158048895251/tribal-council-2