#snail mail revival

[quinloki]

character limits stop me from answering this in the replies XD I hope this is an okay way to answer you @razzledazzleelderberry

With the extra resources for islands over the last twenty or so years, plus less restrictions on science and advancement without the dragons around, snail phones are starting to phase out a little bit. It's more like Snail Phone Towers, and tech's not quite up to "Smartphones" but people can text and call on personal phones at the point of the story.

Main transport aside from ships - Trains are becoming prevalent, especially on larger islands. There's cars, but you're more likely to see trolleys than anything else. Only Nobles or rich folks would have cars - Kid does, because he built his, but 3-5 passenger cars are rare, travel is still mostly high-capacity.

Hm... there's not any noteworthy special equipment I can think of. Shanks does have a kind of auto-mail arm - Franky and Kid both worked on it, and Usopp helped with the build too. It was a kind of Club Endeavor and Shanks is still adjusting to it.

I covered this a bit in another ask - in general terms islands are self-governed. With no Dragons anymore there's no centralized "world government". It's left the Marines in a little bit of a disarray, but they have effectively created a sort of UN, which can call them into action in a focused way for any world-level incidents.

There are certainly factions vying for control, things are stable, but not to the point that things couldn't change. Most people who have "plans" are mafia or nobles who think they can revive the Celestial Dragon titles.

Hm... considering the uniqueness of plants and animals already showcased in the manga and anime I'm not going to try and add anything like that XD I don't think I'll be adding any unique Devil Fruits to this AU either, but we'll see.

Help me world build

[morningrainmusic]

Peak Indie Rock: 2004

A Google search for “best indie rock albums ever” produces some of the following results, sourced from across the web: Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998) Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights (2002) Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted (1992) Pixies - Surfer Rosa (1988) Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West (1997) The Strokes - Is This It (2001) Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (1997) There are 42 more listed, most of them from the 90s. The 1990s was without a doubt the most important period for indie rock and the decade produced some of the best indie albums of all time. But for this exercise, determining which five year period had the MOST great indie rock albums, I have identified a clear winner in 2004-2009. This is of course entirely subjective. Had I been born in 1981 and not 1991, I would most likely be writing about the titans of 90s rock, all the bands immortalized by documentaries like 1991: The Year Punk Broke. The youngest Boomers and elder Gen Xers will likely cite the mid to late 80s as indie rock’s most fruitful period as they shove a copy of Our Band Could Be Your Life in your face, and they’d be right to. It would be foolish and disrespectful to ignore the seismic impact of these artists, who essentially founded the genre. Artistically and commercially, there is a sacred lineage—without The Velvet Underground there is no Pixies, without the Pixies there is no Nirvana, without Nirvana there is no Hoobastank. Joking aside it’s hard to imagine “The Reason” nearly topping the charts (it hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100) without Nevermind and how it transformed the music landscape. Point being, your mileage may vary with this list and the selected time period itself. But there is definitely a compelling case to be made for this admittedly, very specific question of “Which 5 years was the best run for indie rock albums?” In an article for Vulture, Larry Fitzmaurice attempted to define indie music in the 2010s, and provided a nice primer on how the early 2000s “garage rock revival” created fertile ground for the rise of great, and increasingly genre-blending indie rock bands. Into the 2010s and today, “indie rock” has become less of a cultural focus, replaced by simply “indie music,” a catchall that includes a much more diverse and wide-ranging set of artists, sounds, and styles (which is a good thing). If The O.C. was airing today, concerts at the Bait Shop might feature artists like Snail Mail, Young Fathers, and Arlo Parks rather than The Walkmen, The Killers, and Modest Mouse. But in the 2000s indie rock was king.

Before jumping into the list, here are some completely arbitrary “ground rules” I created. First, one album per artist. This made for some tough choices, as bands like Spoon, Death Cab for Cutie, and TV on the Radio put out multiple great records between 2004-2009. Second rule—indie ROCK only, meaning electro-leaning groups like Cut Copy, The Knife, Crystal Castles, and Junior Boys as well as indie-adjacent hip hop artists like M.I.A. and Madvillain are not featured. And that’s it! Without further ado, let’s go back in time to 2004:

Bows + Arrows by The Walkmen February 2, 2004 / Record Collection The Walkmen has one of the best and most distinct vocalists of the 21st century, six mostly very good albums, and strong critical support and yet they never reached the commercial heights of most of the other bands in this list. Initial passes of the band’s second album, Bows + Arrows, may reveal why this is the case. “The Rat” was an instant classic that probably overshadowed everything else here. While the rest of the record is undeniably solid indie rock, it lacks the immediacy of albums by similar wheelhouse groups like The National or Spoon. So why is Bows + Arrows here? Because slowly over time, it becomes increasingly clear to me that it is just as strong as the majority of those revered Meet Me in the Bathroom-era albums, even stronger than a lot. It is the drunken, impeccably produced, slightly downbeat and melancholy cousin to The Strokes’ debut. All these years later, it’s time the culture move on from “is this it” and start asking “What’s in it for me?” Side note: Plenty of 20th anniversary pieces will be written about each of these albums in the coming months and years. Here’s one on Bows + Arrows for Stereogum. Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand February 9, 2004 / Domino Here’s an album I loved when it was released but have rarely revisited since my youth. In all honesty, I did not expect it to hold up. Boy was I wrong. This debut album by a Glasgow band with a ridiculous name is loaded with punchy dance-punk riffs and infectious melodies. There is of course the big inescapable hit “Take Me Out” which graced Playstation and Mitsubishi commercials and remains Franz Ferdinand’s calling card. But nearly everything else here is just as captivating. A joy to rediscover all these years later. Fun fact: Kanye West, who released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, liked Franz Ferdinand. He described their sound as “white crunk.” Source: Stereogum 20th anniversary piece.

Hot Fuss by The Killers June 7, 2004 / Island

I remember being twelve years old, listening to “Somebody Told Me” on a burnt CD in my childhood bedroom. A website called The Facebook had launched a few months prior, though I had no awareness of it. George W. Bush was on his reelection campaign vs John Kerry. The war in Iraq raged on. American teens and pre-teens were a couple months away from being inundated with Napoleon Dynamite quotes. And here, this captivating song about “a boyfriend who looked like a girlfriend,” replete with strange (to my young ears at least) synthesizer flourishes came pumping out of my plastic stereo, a karaoke machine from some Christmas past that had been coopted for the sole function of playing burnt CDs in my room. Before this devolves into an exercise in nostalgia or some over-the-top mythologizing of The Killers’ debut, I should acknowledge something: Hot Fuss is an absurdly front-loaded album. Tracks 1-5 are good (“Smile Like You Mean It”) to exceptionally great (“Jenny Was a Friend of Mine,” “Mr. Brightside,” “Somebody Told Me,” “All These Things That I’ve Done”). Tracks 6-11 are a wash of plodding, forgettable, and half-decent tunes. Following the explosive first five songs, one of which (“Brightside”) has become something of a millennial folk anthem, puts the second half at a big disadvantage. But the power and impact of the hits cannot be understated. Bands like The Strokes, The White Stripes, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs had already gotten the ball rolling in vanquishing nu-metal, culturally if not commercially. The Killers and Hot Fuss however, were the final nail in the coffin, possibly the closest thing to actual “saviors of rock” in the 21st century. And yes, Hot Fuss was released on a major label, Island, but in sound, aesthetic, and approach the early Killers were very much an indie band. You hear about as much New Order on the album as you do U2. Guitarist Dave Keuning recorded some of his parts from his Las Vegas apartment. There’s a hipster-maligning bonus track called “Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll,” which is underrated. This is an indie rock album.

A Ghost is Born by Wilco June 22, 2004 / Nonesuch

At the time of its release Pitchfork’s Rob Mitchum called A Ghost Is Born “wildly uneven” and “less cohesive than any other Wilco album.” Dean of American rock critics Robert Christgau called it “a privileged self-indulgence.” I call it Wilco’s second best and quite possibly most interesting album. My favorite, as you may have guessed, is Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the high watermark for 2000s indie art rock, label disputes, and black and white making-of documentary filmmaking. How to follow up such a gargantuan artistic achievement? Well they brought back Jim O’Rourke, who mixed Foxtrot, to produce and cranked out some slow-burners punctuated by skronky Television-influenced guitar solos. For good measure, Jeff Tweedy and co threw in a few sweet, melodic tunes like “Hummingbird” and “The Late Greats” that show off some of that AM radio pop finesse from Summerteeth. This might have created some musical whiplash on initial listens, sure, but “wildly uneven,” this album is not. There’s a reason all of these songs (with the exception of “Less Than You Think”) are beloved by Wilco diehards and casual fans alike. Each one either rips or quietly wriggles its way into your subconscious and stays there for life.

More Adventurous by Rilo Kiley August 17, 2004 / Brute/Beaute Rio Kiley’s Jenny Lewis is a master of one-liners and quietly devastating character portraits, all neatly wrapped in shimmering indie pop—the candy-covered coating to a not-so-secretly wounded interior. She’s also adept at writing clever, poppy love songs that you end up humming to yourself for weeks. Both are here on More Adventurous, a high point in Rilo Kiley’s discography. Further reading: NPR | Rilo Kiley And The Alt-Pop Force Of More Adventurous

Rubber Factory by The Black Keys September 7, 2004 / Fat Possum

Rubber Factory was in fact recorded in a rubber factory. Dan Auerbach (guitar, vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums) rented out the second floor of a long closed General Tire factory that Carney described as "not really ideal in any way.” He continued, “It's too far away. It's on the second story. It's hot as hell. You can't open the windows. The acoustics are horrible." The mixing console they used was purchased on eBay and frequently malfunctioned. They recorded on recycled tape from their label Fat Possum. When they were finished, they left the damned machine behind and six years later the building was demolished, very possibly with the console still inside. These are the kinds of details from which rock legends are born. Before the music of The Black Keys was ubiquitous on rock radio and in car commercials, the band was just a couple of dudes in Akron, Ohio playing unpolished blues rock tunes in Carney’s basement, and then amongst the rubber. It was on this album, not their 2010 commercial breakthrough Brothers as some might have you believe, that they first proved they could craft a cohesive and consistently excellent record.

Funeral by Arcade Fire September 14, 2004 / Merge

So much ink has been spilled about Funeral, nearly all of it laudatory, it’s hard to know what’s left to say or where to begin. When thinking about 2000s indie music this, for many, is the album that comes to mind. Funeral was a game-changer. Which is kind of amazing, considering there is nothing cool about Arcade Fire. They wore ties and vests and dresses. They favored elaborate instrumentation and big earnest shouting over streamlined guitars and detached/passive/brooding frontman singing. They sing about their parents. There are about nine people in the band, and one of them plays an accordion. Arcade Fire and Funeral had something far more powerful than the cool factor though. They had resonant, powerful, life-affirming, transportive music. And basically overnight, the next 10+ years of indie rock was set on a new course that, for better or worse, included the rise of groups like Of Monsters and Men, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Florence + The Machine, Mumford & Sons, and The Lumineers. Fans still celebrate songs like “Wake Up” and “Rebellion (Lies)” with an almost religious fervor in part because they cut right past the bullshit posturing of so much rock music and go straight to the heart. The album is an elegy, recorded in the aftermath of several deaths in band members’ families. But it’s also a reflection on how disillusioned many young people felt at the turn of the century. Look no further than the lyrics Win Butler sings on “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)”: Ice has covered up my parents’ hands Don’t have any dreams, don’t have any plans Growing up in some strange storm Nobody’s cold, nobody’s warm The band has made more great albums in the 20 years since Funeral (The Suburbs is probably their best), but none have had the same impact as their debut. They’ve also been plagued by sexual assault allegations against Butler in recent years, which certainly taints the music a bit and will negatively impact Arcade Fire’s legacy. Still, Funeral changed indie rock forever and remains an undeniable classic. Shake the Sheets by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists October 19, 2004 / Lookout!

There’s this clip of Ted Leo performing “Me and Mia” in 2007 on MTV’s 24-hour Human Giant takeover. If you are under the age of 25 that sentence is likely completely unintelligible. But anyways, about a minute into the performance Leo’s amp goes out and, like the seasoned pro that he is, he asks someone to bang a pedal to revive it, still singing along to the melody on live television. It is fixed, and Leo finishes the song. I am likely reading way too much into this small moment, but I see it as an allegory for Ted Leo’s entire career. Ted Leo is a punk rock lifer and devotee of power pop, classic rock, and politically-charged songwriting. Despite widespread critical acclaim, years of breakneck touring, and a collaboration with Aimee Mann, Leo’s music still feels like a well-kept secret. You may not know his work, but someone you know does and that person is likely a diehard fan. The fact that Leo jumped around five record labels for seven studio albums (plus one he crowd-funded and released himself, 2017’s The Hanged-Man) is astonishing, as every record is good to great. So to me, that MTV clip represents Leo as the steadfast survivor, able to adapt to a fickle, constantly changing, in many ways broken industry and put forth exactly the kind of art he wants to in spite of it. Shake the Sheets is one of the great albums. Though not as widely beloved as The Tyranny of Distance (2001) or Hearts of Oak (2003), Sheets finds Leo firing on all the familiar cylinders and asking some urgent questions that are just as relevant today as they were 20 plus years ago. On Oak, it was “where have all the rude boys gone?” On Sheets, it’s “when will we find a chord as resonant as to shake the sheets and make us move?” Leo believes in the power of punk rock to inspire individuals to organize to bring about positive change, and he’s one of the few modern voices who can thread a politically incisive lyric into his songwriting without coming off as preachy. Look no further than “Bleeding Powers,” an evergreen protest song, and one catchy enough to remain stuck in my head for the better part of the past year: And you still see people waiting for the next excuse for war And the road leads somewhere, but it's not yet to your door

[wantongoodsoup]

@ston-rampler thank you for the tag! I'm sorry for such a delay! The 10 first songs that came up on my artsy fartsy Playlist are:

1. Second Hand News - Fleetwood Mac

2. Revival - Deerhunter

3. The Climb - Flying Lotus & Thundercat

4. Say to You - STRFKR

5. Seaweed Song- Passion Pit

6. Valentine - Snail Mail

7. Good as Hell - Lizxo

8. Paradise - Coldplay

9. Yes I'm Changing - Tame Impala

10. One Thing Left to Try - MGMT

@smute @mmolia @outdatedbanana @castle-abs if you want :P

[directmailforretail]

Direct Mail Marketing Statistics

In an era where digital campaigns take the spotlight, it’s easy to lose sight of how effective Direct Mail Marketing Statistics can be. While it may be tempting to dismiss “snail mail” in favor of more contemporary strategies, the reality is that this tactic is just as potent as ever and holds the potential to drive significant returns for businesses willing to invest in its power.

If you’re in the process of reviving your business’s marketing strategy, here are some of the most compelling direct mail statistics to consider.

According to a study conducted by USPS, around 42.2% of direct mail recipients either read or scan the material they receive. This figure is far higher than the average open rate of email, indicating that marketers can use traditional materials to grab customers’ attention and inspire action. The same study also revealed that consumers are more likely to visit a company’s website after receiving catalogs in the mail, proving that this type of marketing has the potential to generate results.

SITES WE SUPPORT

Direct Mail for Retail & E-Commerce – Wordpress

SOCIAL LINKS

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[nishp]

💌✉️ Happy World Post Day! ✍️📬

On October 9, let's take a delightful trip down memory lane and celebrate the art of old-fashioned communication through handwritten letters. 📜✒️

In this digital age, where emails and texts dominate, there's something magical about receiving a heartfelt letter in the mail. It's a tangible connection that transcends screens and leaves a lasting impression. 🌟

So, dust off that pen and paper, and let's revive the joy of writing letters to friends and loved ones. Share your thoughts, stories, and feelings in a way that's personal and meaningful. 🥰

Tag someone you'd like to send a letter to and let's bring back the charm of snail mail on World Post Day! 📮🌍

[originallandlockedmariner]

Let’s do this :)

[eggbunni]

happily throwing myself into anything and everything creative. ♥️ i’ve really been enjoying penpaling lately and using all of my stationery! it helps me use my fountain pens and inks, socialize at a slow pace, and be artsy all at once. and the best part is making my pen pals smile. 🥺♥️ this letter is black and white themed! with a painting i made for her thrown in.

[ellebujo]

The snail mailing continues 🐌 Got a new wax seal and I’m in loooooove

[ reblog don’t repost please ❤️ ]

[penpal-frosting]

Hello! How is everyone doing today?

My name is Frosting, I am 15, and I live in Arkansas. I am also Pan and Demisexual, along with being a Feminine Nb!!

I like Cooking/Baking, Cartoons, Drawing, Crafting, Kawaii and cute stuff, Girly toys (like shopkins, mlp, etc), Collecting digital recipes and plushies, Making PenPal Letters and sending happy mail, Shopping, Blogging, and aesthetics!!! I also am in the kinnie community, as of kinning Pops from regular show, Spongebob, and My Melody from Sanrio. I’m also getting into a tv show on adult swim called “The Eric Andre Show”, because it’s so stupidly hilarious,,

If we do penpaling, we can swap recipes, stickers, doodles, and maybe some cute stationary?

Examples:

I also reccomend that we do some sort of verification to see if the other side is a robot or not. If you want to be penpals, go to my account on here (@penpal-frosting) and dm me! Here are my requirements:

•Must be supportive of autistics

•Must support the Kinnie community

•Must be paitent, I have a lot of school work!!

•Does not bully

•Supports LGBTQ+ and BLM (In not Black American, but I hate people who are racist!!!)

Thank you for reading!! 💕🧋

[lovely-rita-letters]

One of my recent letters to my penpal Zakiah (USA)! I should have a reply from her coming soon :)

The grey looking washi is actually this really nice metallic silver but it wouldn’t show up in the photo :(

Hope everyone is doing well this Monday 💗

[lettersfromfrida-blog]

Incoming from Pru in the UK, Lucia in Slovakia and Hannah, @thesmellofbooksandchai, in New Zealand. 💜

[lunathefae-blog]

Hello! I’m Luna. I am a 22 yo college student (currently on summer break). I draw, pet sit, and make resin jewelry. 

I’m not religious, it is fine if you are, just don’t be judgmental (I'm a lesbian and I will not tolerate homophobia) I collect postal stamps, stickers, stationary, stuffed animals, and tea. I draw 24/7 and I do art commissions frequently. (So I will also post some artwork). I love the renaissance/Victorian ages and I hope to go to a festival soon! I read manga, books, and watch anime. I love animal crossing and I play it often. I adore makeup that’s cruelty free! I am also Vegan <3 I am very open and friendly so don’t be shy to send me a message!

I’m looking for penpals: 18+, love to craft, love long letters, and will send the first letter

I hope to meet some new people soon! I currently have about 15 penpals and I'd be happy to take on more. It’s a passion of mine and I love to make new friends when I can. 

[pr3tty8oy]

Penpal Wanted

I watched a million snail mail videos on YouTube and now I really want to get into it myself and exchange letters with a penpal!

I'm super nerdy. I like cartoons, anime, video games, comics, and cosplay. I have a passion for Star Wars. I also like modern rock/indie rock/punk rock music a lot. I'm interested in fashion, make up, and love to talk about politics as long as it can stay respectful. I speak English, but I want to get better at speaking Spanish. I'm 21 and from the USA. I'd like to exchange with someone close to my age. Message me if you're interested!

[wesanderzine]

HEY unrelated to wes anderson but this is a new zine i made. it's called OPEN LETTERS & is 5 letters by 5 writers, plus ephemera, in a single envelope. you can get it at opnletters.net along with totes & pin badges ✌️ ok that's it thnx! back to wes anderson from here on.

[moonandpear]

[originallandlockedmariner]

Once upon a time… a small collective of super rad human beings spread hand written awesomeness… the time has come again to take up the pen (or pencil) and revive the snail mail … as well as get back a wee bit of the human elements of correspondence… DMs and texts and emails can suck it