#title is an ode to the job i just lost </3

[piratedllama-art]

The Assistant Manager [prints here]

[Done in procreate. Total time: 42 hours 12 min]

[blouisparadise]

We frequently get asked what our members favorite fics are, so for today’s rec list, we asked each member of BLP to choose FIVE favorite fics for this list - no repeats allowed. Please keep in mind that this is not a complete list of our favorites - there are so many amazing BL fics out there that we all have a lot more than this! Still, we hope you enjoy. Happy reading!

1) Take Off Your Business Suit | Explicit | 3082 words

“Yes, let me get another chair.” Louis said, leaning up off of the desk. He stood up but before he could leave the office to get another chair, Harry was grabbing his hand.

The words that came out of Harry’s mouth made Louis’ knees weak and heart beat quicken. “Just sit on my lap.” Harry said. Whatever he said afterwards didn’t make it into Louis’ ears as he was moving quickly over to Harry and placing himself on Harry’s lap.

Louis would take anything Harry wanted to give him; hand touching, lap sitting, all of it. Louis hadn't realized he was holding his breath until it came out in a quiet sigh. “Okay so th-this one will be slightly different right?” He asked as he pointed at the sheet of paper in front of him.

2) Quietly Our Hearts Beat | Explicit | 7539 words

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

Louis and Harry in the universe of ‘A Quiet Place’.

3) A Love Reaction | Explicit | 9968 words

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

Louis’s staring up at him, head tilted slightly back, and his blue eyes are glassy, locked with Harry’s in an unblinking and gentle gaze. He looks ready to do whatever Harry says, to please him whatever way.

4) To Love Without Reason | Explicit | 8854 words

“Come on in, soldier,” Louis pats Harry’s chest and walks away, leaving Harry to follow behind.

Harry stands in the living room, looking around at Louis’ dwelling. Family pictures placed high on a shelf, certificates of Louis’ practice, and other trinkets that make Harry entirely too nostalgic.

“I have to warn you,” Louis says as he puts the kettle on, the water droplets from his hair trickling down the golden skin of his back. “The door jams if you lock it so you'll have to leave it ajar.”

Harry acknowledges with a soft hum, too entranced by Louis’ glistening skin to form a coherent reply.

5) No Good Unless It’s Real | Explicit | 17021 words

Louis is a very busy farmer who’s just trying to make it to his next nap and Harry’s the new hot vet that’s determined to infiltrate every area of his life.

6) A Springtime’s Wilt, An Autumn’s Bloom | Explicit | 20593 words

Harry is Louis' personal chauffeur, and although he hides his feelings for his boss behind a wall of rigid professionalism, Louis still manages to squeeze through the cracks.

7) Ready To Fall | Explicit | 21220 words

“Ninety and rising,” Nick says triumphantly, as though making Harry’s heartbeat pick up by thrusting an obscenely attractive person in front of his face is any kind of success. “Louis Tomlinson has just walked into our control room and suddenly our dear Harry Styles has lost all ability to speak. Could this be some kind of strange coincidence?”

“I hate you,” Harry hisses, forcing his eyes back into Nick’s direction, uncaring that the mic must have picked it up. “I thought we agreed that you were going to play fair.”

“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Nick denies, except he’s holding up a picture of Louis’ face now, sharp cheekbones prominent, soft lashes nearly sweeping against his cheeks as he looks down, and his fucking mouth –

“A hundred and two!” Nick crows, all but clapping his hands together in glee. “The highest it’s ever been!”

“To be fair, I did bend over the desk on purpose,” Louis’ voice comes crackling in the headphones. Harry practically breaks his neck whipping his head around at the sound of it, gaping at him through the glass panel. “You can’t really blame him for getting a little excited about that, can you?”

8) Written In The Stars (That’s You And Me) | Explicit | 22632 words

Louis pushes himself up on one elbow and stretches enough to just barely trace his fingertips over Harry’s jawline. Harry’s eyes drop to track his movements as he does it again. “D’you feel that?” he whispers.

To him, it feels like all of the universe’s magic lives just beneath his skin when he touches Harry with intent. It feels like something special. Louis watches Harry’s lips part and wants to touch that too. He almost does, but then Harry shakes his head. “Feel what?”

9) Middle Ground | Explicit | 23561 words

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

Harry moves to a new town for work where he meets the enigma that is Louis Tomlinson.

10) England Has My Bones | Explicit | 24087 words

The next time Harry thinks about calling, it’s 4.14 in the morning on a Parisian hotel balcony.

11) Like A Siren In The Night | Explicit | 24868 words

“There is an infestation in my home,” Louis hisses, righting himself quickly and pushing his way past Harry, heading directly for the kitchen. He’s rather haphazardly dressed himself, a coat thrown on over a loose flannel shirt and black pants, slippers on his feet.

Harry resists the urge to sigh, closing the door and trailing behind him slowly. “What kind of infestation?”

For all he knows, Louis is going to claim that there’s a ghost infestation. Harry has no idea what the end game is here – all he knows is that Louis has found at least three complaints a week to bring up since he’s been living on Harry’s property, and he’s been living here for six months.

It’s way too many fucking complaints, is what Harry is saying. Especially when most of them are ridiculous to start with.

12) Hold Onto This Heaven (Of Yours) | Explicit | 25213 words

An ode to being too young, too sad, and too in love.

13) The Devil’s In The Details | Explicit | 25372 words

He squeals when Harry smacks his bum as he bends over to pick up his bag, swinging it over his shoulder. Harry smiles smugly at him, bottom lip caught between his teeth. “When are you going to start calling me professor?” He asks.

“When you actually are one,” Louis says with his hand on the doorknob. He cocks his head to the side in curiosity. “Isn’t that how words work? You did study English, right?”

Louis’ quick to slip out the door before Harry can smack him again, his laugh echoing through the hallways as he makes his way to his next class with flushed cheeks and a bright smile.

14) A Trail Of Honey Through It All | Explicit | 27086 words

The boy in front of him, well really, the man in front of him, was like something out of a confusing wet dream. Built, tall, tan and muscular, his skin glistened with sweat after a long day of working outdoors with his hands. He was wearing a cut up old American football shirt, the bottom hem was torn and the sleeves were cut off to the point where the t-shirt was really just a loose tank top. The shorts he had on had clearly been full length jeans at one point, and were now just crudely cut off above the knee. His white socks were pulled up too high on his calves, and the brown work boots he had on were old as fuck, the leather peeling along the edges of the soles. Curly brown hair stuck out from the edges of his backwards snapback, and there was a smudge of grease wiped along his brow bone. The smattering of hair along his jaw proved that he hadn’t shaved in a week or two, the hair growing in thicker across his upper lip and around his chin. His sinfully bowed mouth was pink and plump, and Louis was suddenly hyper-focused on the way that he chewed at the toothpick stuck between his lips. He looked like he needed a shower. Louis wanted to lick him.

15) You Fit In My Poems (Like A Perfect Rhyme) | Explicit | 27598 words

The one where Harry works in an old bookshop and Louis is the pretty stranger that ends up stranded there in the middle of a storm.

16) Where The Lights Are Beautiful | Mature | 31170 words | Sequel

The accidental bonding A/B/O fic.

17) Once Upon A Dream | Explicit | 33319 words | Sequel

Louis is psychic and gets caught in the middle of a murder investigation led by FBI Special Agent Harry Styles.

18) Stuck On You | Explicit | 33983 words

Louis’ life revolves around his stickers. Harry’s life revolves around his job. The universe has decided their worlds should revolve around each other.

19) Coeur De Pirate | Explicit | 34207 words

He tilts his chin up as the Captain strides across the deck, his footfalls falling loudly against the planks. The crew watches them from afar.

Stepping into his space, the Captain wraps an arm around Louis’ waist and pulls him in. He lowers his head to breathe his words against Louis’ cheeks. “I won,” he whispers, “I’ve come to claim my prize.”

20) What This World Is About | Explicit | 34472 words

An eighties American high school AU; there are first times, football games, and feelings.

Alternatively titled: the beginning.

21) Close To Nowhere | Explicit | 34589 words

Louis and Harry are psychics who kind of hate each other. They go to Tennessee to investigate a haunting.

22) Before We Knew | Explicit | 39830 words

Louis has been skeptical of soulmates for years so it seems like fate when he finally bumps into the owner of the obnoxiously large signature printed onto his skin since age sixteen: Harry Styles, a human rights attorney who is firmly against soulmates.

23) The Space Between | Explicit | 39917 words

Harry Styles is the alpha rockstar who can’t sleep and doesn’t know why.

Louis Tomlinson is the omega PhD student who helps him figure it out.

24) The Sweetest Incantation | Explicit | 40580 words

Harry is a witch who's still working on developing his powers and Louis is a werecat who falls into his life and turns it upside down.

25) Worth Dying For | Explicit | 44906 words

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Louis says, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. In the center of the table, a set of three glossy photos stares up at him, mocking him.

“A security detail is non-negotiable, Louis, you know this,” his mum reminds him, tapping the middle photo with two fingers.

Louis doesn’t look back down at the pictures, gesturing towards them wildly, over-dramatically. “This is not a security detail!” he protests. “This is a lanky college student. In what world do you hire someone like this kid to protect me?”

26) Tastes Like Summer, Smiles Like May | Explicit | 47519 words

A cold prince, an alpha with nothing left to lose and a kingdom with a secret.

27) Love’s Truest Language | Explicit | 48195 words

The first part was meant as a joke. He didn't really expect Harry to buy anything. It was just Louis’ way of softening the ‘get the fuck out’ blow.

“Where's your order forms, then?”

“I don't want your flowers.” Louis chided before directing all of his attention to the arrangement in front of him.

Harry laughed under his breath as he stood to his full height, “Who said anything about them being for you, love?”

28) Through The Wheatfields And The Coastlines | Explicit | 52855 words

The one where Louis needs inspiration, and a certain cowboy and his lamb are the perfect distraction.

29) Latibule | Mature | 54322 words

A Spirited Away AU of sorts where Louis just wants to heal and be left alone, only for all his plans to be destroyed by the hands of an infuriating British God.

30) Warming Up To You | Explicit | 56227 words

Prompt 111: Louis and Harry are strangers that somehow got stranded during a blizzard. They find themselves in an abandoned cabin and have to cuddle for warmth. Cuddling leads to much more.

31) Feeling Borrowed, Always Blue | Explicit | 68214 words

Louis has been dreaming of his wedding since he was young - he just never expected it to happen like this.

32) Curly Bun Man | Not Rated | 68597 words

I just paid for these Doritos but they're stuck in the vending machine and I know you've been waiting but I am not going to let you buy something until you help me. AU.

33) Waiting On You | Explicit | 76584 words | Sequel

“Vampires,” Louis says with disgust, glaring over at the vampire who is noisily slurping from the woman’s neck nearby.

Zayn gives the neat fang marks on Louis’ neck a meaningful look.

“Can’t live with them, can’t live without them,” Louis finishes, ignoring Zayn when he rolls his eyes.

Louis takes a long sip of his milkshake, presses his fingers against the marks on his neck, and definitely doesn’t think about the vampire who left them there.

34) Through Struggles, To The Stars | Explicit | 80582 words

Louis is a Starfleet captain trying to find his place in the universe. Harry is a prince just trying to do what's right.

35) I Want You So Much (But I Hate Your Guts) | Mature | 83648 words

AU in which Louis gets accepted to play for the Manchester University Alpha-Beta Football Team. The only problem: Louis is actually an Omega. He is determined to make it big in the football world, though, and he can't do that bound to an Omega team. With the help of a faked doctor's certificate and some pretty strong suppressants he is ready to fight for his dream.

That Harry Styles (Alpha, second year and youngest football captain of the A-B team in ages) doesn't seem to like him complicates matters, though.

36) Where You Lay | Explicit | 86038 words

When Louis's upcoming heat threatens his success at his new dream job, he asks the best (and only) person he can think of to help him through it: his best mates' best mate, Harry Styles.  Harry reluctantly accepts, and together the two navigate a strange friends with benefits relationship that quickly turns complicated.

37) And Down The Long And Silent Street | Mature | 86090 words

Wherein Louis and Harry are on the opposite ends of the social ladder, but their paths still cross on the filthy streets Louis calls his home. The odds are staked against them from the beginning, and even more when Louis' past finally catches up with him.

38) Swim In The Smoke | Explicit | 101778 words

“What about this, Captain?” Liam asks, nudging the boy kneeling between their feet with the toe of his boot. The boy hisses and swipes at him, slurring out something unintelligible around the makeshift gag Niall had to stuff in his mouth. He misses by a mile and tries again, just as ineffectively.

Harry looks down at him, at the way the sun streams over his face and shoulders, at the way the gag stretches his mouth, lips pink and chapped. He’s lithe and pretty, smudged all over with dirt. They had found him tied up below deck, mostly unconscious, next to a barrel full of gold. He’s clearly a prisoner, but there’s something familiar about him, something that niggles at Harry’s brain. Something he can’t quite put his finger on.

“Put him in my cabin,” Harry decides, turning back to deal with the rest of the loot. The boys screams out jumbled curse words at Harry’s back, muffled by the gag, and Harry can’t understand any of it.

39) The Galaxy’s Edge | Explicit | 113921 words

Things never quite go as they are planned during a simple rescue job.

40) Tainted Saints And Velvet Vices | Explicit | 126057 words | Sequel (WIP)

A self-fulfilling Hogwarts AU in which Louis is new to seventh year and Harry is the resident devil-may-care Slytherin set to make his entire experience a living misery. Due to less than favourable circumstances they're forced to forge an unwilling, tentative relationship for their own survival. Repressed emotions, decidedly unromantic ballroom dancing, Triwizard Tournament tasks, creative jinxes and twilight flying above the Forbidden Forest ensue.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[lovejustforaday]

Sonic Youth Albums Ranked (Part 3)

6. Sister (1987)

Main Genres: Noise Rock, Alternative Rock, Post-Punk

A decent sampling of: Experimental Rock

This is the first LP in the Sonic Youth discography accessible enough to be labelled a true ‘Alternative Rock’ record. It’s still rough around the edges, but Sister is full of catchy hooks and thrilling guitar sounds. I feel like this record and Daydream Nation probably went on to spawn at least 200 new alternative rock bands by the time the 90s came around (not that I was there to see it or anything, just speculation).

Sister deserves a lot of credit for solidifying on tracks like “Catholic Block” and “Stereo Sanctity” what would become the dominant formula for the band’s sound throughout most of the rest of their discography. I think that's part of the reason why this is Sonic Youth’s second most acclaimed and beloved record. Perhaps some fans would even be downright offended that I only put this at #6 on the list, but trust me when I say that this is only because the band has made so many fantastic records. In fact, for most bands, this would easily be their greatest record.

I can still remember the first time I heard the opening to “Schizophrenia”, I had never heard anything quite like it. The guitars sound upbeat yet worn out and dejected, making me feel isolated and almost spiritually weak when I listen to this track, yet somehow also comforted. The song is partially inspired by Kim’s older brother who has schizophrenia, though the roles are reversed in this song with a brother whose sister is schizophrenic. It’s a deeply fascinating and memorable piece, and I can see why many fans consider this to be a top five Sonic Youth track.

Most of the rest of Sister is very scratchy and punkish with some very tight guitar work, like “Catholic Block” which boasts one of my favourite melodic riffs in the Sonic Youth canon. There’s also “Hot Wire My Heart”, another major highlight and a cover of the obscure British punk band Crime, where Sonic Youth takes their song and upgrades the guitars and drums while also adding a bold wall of feedback at the end.

Then there’s “Pacific Coast Highway”, a completely sickening song and one of Kim’s very finest moments as a lyricist and vocalist. This haunting noise rock jumble tells the story of either a unhinged stranger, or perhaps a resentful ex-lover, who is obsessively catcalling the listener from their car, with the not-so-subtle implication that you’re all by yourself somewhere and that this person intends to harm you. I have no idea if this was written about a personal experience, but I do know from listening to their voices that this is something many women have either gone through or live in perpetual fear of. Seriously fucked up stuff, but also one of Sonic Youth’s very best tracks.

"Cotton Crown” is an odd one out in the Sonic Youth discography; an uncharacteristically sincere but still off-kilter love song that Kim and Thurston sing as a duet. Their voices are a bit out of tune with each other, but i think that honestly fits the Sonic Youth aesthetic and it’s sweet in its own quirky way, although very bittersweet decades later with hindsight about the fate of their relationship. Sort of a noise rock lullaby almost, maybe even with hints of early shoegaze.

Sister does a really good job of taking the seemingly juxtaposing ideas of the ‘fun’ and the ‘grotesque’ and fuses them together. This album is both largely exciting and still somehow alienating and depressive. It’s textbook Sonic Youth, really. I will say that the best tracks are clustered together with a noticeably weaker middle portion, but really this is still a consistently great record throughout. Altogether, Sister is one of the many entries in the band’s discography from 1986 through 1990 where Sonic Youth could basically do no wrong. A classic record.

9/10

highlights: “Pacific Coast Highway”, “Schizophrenia”, ‘Catholic Block”, “Cotton Crown”, “Hot Wire My Heart”, “Beauty Lies in the Eye”

5. A Thousand Leaves (1998)

Main Genres: Noise Rock, Experimental Rock

A decent sampling of: Alternative Rock, Post-Rock, Neo-Psychedelia

I’m just gonna say this now: A Thousand Leaves is by far Sonic Youth’s most underrated record. It’s also the last truly amazing record that the band ever put out. Maybe it’s just the bizarre choice of an album cover that turns people off of this LP. Really, what the hell were they going for here with the minimalist hamster vibes? The beautiful title really suggests something a lot more visually stunning.

In all seriousness though, I feel like nobody talks about this one because it’s overshadowed by its predecessor Washing Machine, but if there’s one area that this record exceeds above all other Sonic Youth LPs, it’s that it perfectly captures that mellow feeling that the later Sonic Youth albums were inclined towards. Not a lot of Sonic Youth records put me at ease like this one does.

Likewise, this is maybe the most ‘feel-good’ record in their discography along with Murray Street. But where Muray Street is something you could put on in the background and enjoy pretty modestly, A Thousand Leaves is a largely experimental, out-of-body experience that pulls you into its surreal, flowery, evergreen world.

“Contre Le Sexism” is a perfect opener for this kind of record; this quiet daze of a waking dream is both dainty and delirious, alluding to Alice in Wonderland with Kim’s vocals never before sounding so gentle and bright. I swear I start to hear a door creak at the end. Maybe that’s the sound of stepping out into the rest of A Thousand Leaves.

What follows immediately after is “Sunday” which is actually one of the band’s poppiest moments, making it somewhat of an outlier on this highly avant-garde and immersive record. But the warm spring vibes of the melody fits right in. The wall of sound introduced during the bridge is a soft mesmerizing bliss more akin to a band like My Bloody Valentine, if not for the tiny distant screeches of atonality whirling around here and there. As a big fan of both bands, I’m all for this kind of sound.

“Wildflower Soul” is easily one of the best things Sonic Youth has ever written. Endless amounts of creativity are poured into this nine minute noise rock acrobatics performance along with a lyrical ode to love, nature, and childhood. The vibes of this one are really quite jaw-dropping given the fact that these are the same guys who wrote “Schizophrenia” and “Death Valley ‘69″. There’s such unison and harmony in the band’s performance here as they switch between different bpm and even time signatures, and the usage of the heavy phaser effect towards the end sounds nothing short of godlike. "Wildflower Soul” almost feels like an entire album experience in one song, and I’m beyond impressed every time I listen to it.

This makes for a hard act to follow, but A Thousand Leaves still has plenty of other highlights. “French Tickler” is a strange and satisfying track that switches back and forth between a playful melody and churning, stretchy distortion. “Karen Koltrane” is a murky but textured portrait of Lee Renaldo’s ex-girlfriend, who got addicted to hallucinogens and became heavily withdrawn from the rest of the world. “Snare, Girl” is a soothing spell where Thurston sounds like he’s trying to coax the listener into a never-ending slumber.

My only real complaint here is “Hits of Sunshine (For Allen Ginsberg)”, a lackadaisical jam session that sounds cool enough, but really overstays its welcome given the lack of development it achieves over its eleven minute run time. It’s a nice piece to vibe to, but it very noticeably disrupts the album’s flow. Take this one track away entirely, or even just edit it down severely, and this would probably be a 10/10 record for me.

Still, wow what a cool album. A Thousand Leaves is a great example of why I respect this band so much. Even this late into their career, Sonic Youth were willing to try so many new bizarre things while also building judiciously upon the foundations of their past work with great attention to detail. I wouldn’t recommend most people start with this one, it’s definitely a bit more challenging especially if you haven’t listened to some other really weird experimental rock records. But once you’re in the right headspace for it, it’s easy to get almost completely lost in A Thousand Leaves.

9/10

highlights: “Wildflower Soul”, “Sunday”, “French Tickler”, “Karen Koltrane”, “Snare, Girl”, “Contre Le Sexism”, “Heather Angel”

4. Goo (1990)

Main Genres: Noise Rock, Alternative Rock

A decent sampling of: Experimental Rock, Post-Punk

Goo was my very first Sonic Youth album, and I can definitely still feel some of the old teenage angst that I had at the time whenever I listen to this one. What probably adds to that feeling is the fact that this along with Daydream Nation is one of the two albums in the band’s discography that I’d say possesses a great deal of immediacy. Albums like Sister and A Thousand Leaves are a bit more subtle and they take a while to be fully digested. But this one, this one hit me like a brick wall.

Between “Tunic (Song For Karen)”, “Kool Thing”, and “Cinderella’s Big Score”, Goo is above all others the Sonic Youth record where Kim Gordon is really the star of the band, featuring not one but three of her most captivating songs. Likewise, I would also say that this is Sonic Youth’s most overtly feminist and socially conscious record.

I don’t know if anybody else feels this way, but to me the opener “Dirty Boots” really does sound like “Teen Age Riot” part 2. That’s not a bad thing of course, Sonic Youth making more songs like “Teen Age Riot” could never be a bad thing, and “Dirty Boots” is definitely one of the highlights of Goo with its massive build up of kinetic energy. That being said, I do have to say that I don’t think any song could do this particular kind of album opener better than “Teen Age Riot” already does it, but I still really do enjoy “Dirty Boots”.

“Tunic (Song For Karen)” is one of Sonic Youth’s most poetic and poignant songs. Kim’s sing-talking voice is even more solemn than usual as she takes on a surreal retelling of the final days of drummer/pop star pioneer Karen Carpenter from her perspective, highlighting the severity of her loneliness and the criminal negligence of many of the people around her who let her succumb to her eating disorder. Set to a backdrop of stark and droning alternative rock, I would say that this is possibly the band’s most depressing moment and certainly one of the biggest statements that they ever made.

A lot of the rest of Goo is actually pretty fun though. “Kool Thing” features Chuck D on guest vocals, and its a funny sarcastic take down of the subjugation of women’s voices in supposedly liberated spaces like the world of rock and hip hop, inspired by the time Kim interviewed L.L. Cool J and attempted to have a political conversation. The song mocks L.L.’s attitude towards women while also poking fun at Kim’s own self-perceived elitism. There’s also “Mote”, a sensational head rush that dissolves into noise rock weird-isms, sorta recreating the feeling of going from buzzed to totally black out.

“Mildred Pierce” is almost a practical joke but I kind of love the hell out of it anyway. A short track with lyrics consisting only of the song’s title, it starts with the band getting into a nice little riff before (without warning) bursting into a hardcore punk cacophony as Thurston screams the name over and over into the listener’s ears. Made me jump the first time I heard it.

And then there’s “Cinderella’s Big Score”. If “Schizophrenia” vaguely hinted at Kim’s estranged relationship with her older brother, then “Cinderella’s Big Score” confronts it dead on. Featuring some of the band’s most totally insane and disfigured guitar work ever, this song sounds harsh and militant, like the dawn of a nuclear cataclysm. It’s very hard to believe that Kim is 37 years old here; she reverts to sounding exactly like a hurt teenage little sister, rebelling against her childhood trauma and lashing out at her brother’s past bullying and now his cold indifference towards her.

The song grapples with some very painful emotions, but the experience is raw and cathartic. “Cinderella’s Big Score” is definitely somewhere in Sonic Youth’s top 10 tracks for me; it just doesn’t get any realer than this. Honestly, the record could’ve ended here. I like “Titanium Expose” enough as a closer, but this would’ve made a really powerful and lasting impression to end the album.

Despite that, Goo is an excellent Sonic Youth record that demonstrates just how much the band had mastered their craft after a decade of making all sorts of noises. Obviously I’m biased since it was my own first Sonic Youth record, but I really do feel like this is the very best place to start with the band. Goo is one of their more melodic and accessible offerings, but it’s also one of their most provocative records and it really captures the essence of Sonic Youth’s identity.

9/10

highlights: “Cinderella’s Big Score”, “Tunic (Song For Karen)”, “Mote”, “Kool Thing”, “Dirty Boots”, ‘Mildred Pierce”

3. EVOL (1986)

Main Genres: Noise Rock, Experimental Rock, Post-Punk

A decent sampling of: No Wave, Alternative Rock

If Bad Moon Rising was bleak and desolate, than EVOL is disturbed, uncanny, and deeply paranoid. Sonic Youth’s third record evokes the feeling of being all alone at midnight on a sketchy highway, complete with mental images of flickering street lights and looming shadowy figures. I mentioned earlier that I have to be in the right mood to enjoy Bad Moon Rising, but this record puts me in the right mood almost instantly whenever I put it on.

EVOL isn’t exactly a no wave album like their first two records. The highly experimental influence is still there, but the arrangements are starting to sound fuller and more intentional.

You could say that this LP marks somewhat of a transitional phase between Sonic Youth the no wave band and Sonic Youth the alternative rock band, and in many respects it has the best of both worlds. There’s a few catchy darker alternative rock songs here and there, sandwiched between tracks that could best be described as ‘mad scientist’ music, which altogether creates a varied and unique album experience.

“Tom Violence“ immediately establishes the tone of EVOL with crooked, scraping flashes of post-punk guitars. This track reminds me of heads hung low, bodies slouched uncomfortably, and the feeling of being completely wide awake at 2:00 am. There’s something very unfriendly that lurks beneath the dissonance of these sounds.

If “Tom Violence” is uneasy, then “Shadow of A Doubt” is an auditory nightmare, managing to capture something akin to the fear of being watched by an unknown stranger hiding in the shadows. Notes are gently plucked like icy cold fingers slowly crawling up the listener’s back while Kim whispers about murder plots and oneirophrenia. The “just a dream” lyrical motif is first uttered reassuringly, but eventually turns into a desperate plea as Kim begins to shout frantically and the music intensifies.

The album dials down the spook factor a few notches with “Starpower” and “In The Kingdom #19″. The former is an early example of Sonic Youth’s ability to combine melodic hooks with meandering chaos that would become refined on the next few LPs, while the latter features Lee’s first solo vocals (and one of his best performances) reciting a lucid, jet black vision of a car accident. Thurston threw firecrackers into the recording studio when they did Lee’s vocals on this track and you can hear it in the recording, and just like “Mildred Pierce” it really caught me off guard the first time I heard it.

“Secret Girl” is the scariest fucking thing in the whole Sonic Youth discography, and also just one of the scariest songs I’ve ever heard. It starts with a deep shuddering thud that sounds like it’s getting closer and closer. Then out of nowhere, a cassette-recording of an old detuned piano starts to play a simple, unnerving refrain while Kim offers a cryptic and uncomfortably suggestive spoken word piece. It feels like a scene that might play out in a horror film, where a television screen comes on by itself and the person on the screen begins to talk directly to the viewer.

Finally, there’s “Expressway To Yr Skull” (alternatively titled “Madonna, Sean, and Me”), which would be my #1 Sonic Youth album closer if not for the #1 album on this list. That being said, this song is still one of the biggest highlights of the band’s career. "Expressway To Yr Skull” starts off restless and spectacular, leading up to an utterly earth-shaking climax, and then it’s as if the song promptly dies, only to become a lingering undead entity that pulls you down with it. I still can’t get over how the ending really manages to sound like it’s dragging you down further and further into its barren depths.

To add to that, there’s actually a locked groove on the original vinyl release of this LP that plays the last little bit of “Expressway To Yr Skull”, meaning that if you let the needle sit there, it will forever loop that last little bit of droning at the end of the track. I really appreciate this little detail; it’s as if the pervasive darkness of EVOL is so encompassing that it could turn into a deep midnight that never ends.

EVOL is honestly so close to being a 10 for me, but just like Sister I find that it is decently weaker towards the middle. Still, I’m absolutely enamored with the atmosphere on this album. No gothic rock record has ever managed to sound so deeply unsettling to my ears like this little experimental record does. You really just have to experience this one for yourself. Honestly, don’t be surprised if in a year or two I’ve changed my mind and bumped this one to a 10.

9/10

highlights: “Expressway To Yr Skull”, “Shadow Of A Doubt”, “Tom Violence”, “Secret Girl”, “In The Kingdom #19″, “Starpower”

[caltropspress]

FEEDBACK LOOP #6: Cargo Cults’ “Rammellzee”

Since these symbols and all symbols are drawn, infinity’s separation from all symbols must be shown through drawing. The only proof of such a separation of the infinity would be the understanding by the majority of the planetary peers. There is no other way.

—from IONIC TREATISE GOTHIC FUTURISM ASSASSIN KNOWLEDGES OF THE REMANIPULATED SQUARE POINT’S ONE TO 720° TO 1440° THE RAMM-ΣLL-ZΣΣ (1979, 2003)

The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well.

—from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland

Riding among an exhausted busful of Negroes going on to graveyard shifts all over the city, she saw scratched on the back of a seat, shining for her in the brilliant smoky interior, the post horn with the legend DEATH. But unlike WASTE, somebody had troubled to write in, in pencil: DON’T EVER ANTAGONIZE THE HORN.

—from Thomas Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49

1.  I walk down the street and people look at me and say, “Who the hell are you?”

Cargo Cults (Alaska and Zilla Rocca) begin their track “Rammellzee” with the voice of the some-16 billion-years-old being himself. The song is an ode, an invocation. The organ sample provides a bizarre ride: a carousel of colors. We immediately plummet—into a well, a subway tunnel, a cosmos of linguistics. Not a nonchalant That’s deep, but a depth of knowledge where “cipher” means code, means Supreme Mathematics, means gathering with your rapfolk outside the Nuyorican Poets Cafe or in Washington Square Park: a deep connection. Mimicking Rammellzee, Alaska presents the listener with “swirling pages / forming mazes of [his] formulations” and subsequently “break[s] them down into a form that’s shapeless.”

2.  Hip-hop is ageist….In blues, you ain’t official until you fifty. (Ka, Red Bull Music Academy interview with Jeff Mao, 2016)

The phrase …of a certain age has, historically, been used euphemistically to describe someone (typically a woman) who has existed for a “shameful” tally of years. Society is still undoing the stigma, but rappers have made strides.

In Adult Rappers, a 2015 documentary directed by Paul Iannacchino (Hangar 18’s DJ paWL), Alaska is [accidentally?] presented twice in the closing credits—like a double, a separate persona—which calls to mind the multiple personalities of Rammellzee: Crux the Monk, Chaser the Eraser, Gash/Olear, et cetera. Age allows for maturation, for building, for bettering. In Rammellzee’s case—and I’d argue Alaska’s—it allows for complexity to emerge organically through wisdom. It allows for reinvention, for many versions of one’s self. Age and development is how an aerosol can with a fat cap can graduate to customized deodorant roll-ons and shoe polish canisters.

It begins with jerry-rigging a nozzle and ends in diagramming a “harpoonic whip launcher/pulsating extendor” to illustrate the deconstruction of letter-formations in the English alphabet. The spirit of experience pervades the Nihilist Millennial album. As anyone who has ever sat on the couch knows, communication can also improve with age.

3.

Artists and rappers like Rammellzee and Alaska rely on wild-styles, a self-made world that warps quantum physics and disregards notions of dimensionality. It’s dream-vision. It’s liberation. It simultaneously celebrates and critiques communication: like the image of a muted horn.

“Communication is the key,” cried Nefastis. “The Demon passes his data on to the sensitive, and the sensitive must reply in kind. There are untold billions of molecules in that box. The Demon collects data on each and every one. At some deep psychic level he must get through…”

“Help,” said Oedipa, “you’re not reaching me.”

“Entropy is a figure of speech, then,” sighed Nefastis, “a metaphor. It connects the world of thermodynamics to the world of information flow. The Machine uses both. The Demon makes the metaphor not only verbally graceful, but also objectively true.”

[…]

Nefastis smiled; impenetrable, calm, a believer.

The wordplay seems just that: play—that is, until you find the thread. Alaska cobbles together words like rubbish, W.A.S.T.E. Words appear daisy-chained together—flowery, ornate, and strung together by their stems: “fatalism, Fela Kuti, razor thin” / “smash the superstitions with acid tabs and some Sufi visions” / “deep dive Sonny Liston” / “Walt Whitman.”

The track reads like a codex. Something crafted in a scriptorium. His words are warfare—double-tracked/double-barreled—and he slips into braggadocio to prove it. It’s an authoritative posture of experience. Having started atomically small—from Breaking Atoms bedroom listening, to Atoms Family—Alaska’s flow presents nuclear now: maximum damage.

There’s a refinement to what this duo is doing: “Me and Zilla well-established with a lavish vision. / Both hands crusty with Ikonklastic Panzerism.” The boasts rely on royal diction: Camelot, palace doors, Prince Paul. Each man a king, a God, and each one should teach one. Mentor texts for the masses.

4.  

Rammellzee is an equation, And simply stated it’s the way of life I’m chasing. That’s why I praise the future-Gothic future-prophet. Gotta rock it, don’t stop it, Gotta rock it, don’t stop.

You find diversions on the song, exits into familiar chambers. GZA quotations (“I was the thrilla in the Ali-Frazier Manila”) and allusions to Main Source. Large Professor rapped “Dead is my antonym,” and if that’s to be proven true, money needs to be removed from the equation. The refrain of “Gotta rock it” not only calls to mind “Beat Bop,” Herbie Hancock, and Grand Mixer DS.T (or his later incarnation, DXT), but rockets—Afrofuturist angles, future shocks (Bill Laswell [Material], friend to Rammellzee, had a hand in all this). It’s not so much a “future-prophet” as a “future profit.” “Freedom in the process” means creativity without expectation, without the constraints of market value.

Alaska gives it to us straight: “I don’t care if you don’t like it, and I don’t care if you don’t buy it / ’Cause I find freedom in the process.” Despite becoming increasingly complex in his visual approach—like a heap of garbage that loses the definition of its component parts over the ages—Rammellzee understood time equals clarity of vision. A wasted world becomes a meaningful one. Of course, we got to pay rent, so money connects, but ownership of one’s art is about empowerment. “Selling out” is the opposite—an evisceration of one’s self and spirit. “We lost control from the second we sold the art,” Alaska raps. “We sold our future….We should be seeking enlightenment.”

The moment arrives, epiphanically: “I find freedom in the process so I’m grateful, / And that’s my main source: it’s my friendly game of baseball.” For Alaska and Zilla Rocca, it’s not a job—it’s a passion, a pastime.

5.  Nascent imagination deep inside a battle station.

Post-9/11 meant luxury apartments displaced Rammellzee’s Battle Station loft, his living museum. But the art has been excavated and exists posthumously. His Gothic Futurism and Ikonoklast Panzerism seem at home archived on the internet—a network that appears more like a chaos cloud. Rammellzee deconstructed and transcended language—junk monk scripts and calligraphic cut-ups of consumerism. His art is the empowerment a recycling arrow-triangle could only hope to be. Recycle is also rebirth. Rammellzee’s career path is circuitous, deep-tunneled (subway-esque), eternal.

Similarly, Alaska’s multisyllabic patterns are an endless barrage, like weaponized letters tilted sideways, like bottle rockets angled into a bottle’s neck: “Armament / Now my names are built like a BattleBot / Locked inside an ad hoc Camelot, I rather not / Tangle with a rabid lot, hop inside a rabbit hole.”

Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, “and what is the use of a book,” thought Alice “without pictures or conversations?”

Boredom can make trouble, but boredom can also breed creativity. Alaska rather not spar with trolls under ISP bridges—though he’s equipped to. Instead, he channels his energies into material.

6.  Our culture is done. We lived it.

Near the end, Alaska paraphrases Rammellzee: “I’m not the first or the last to don the mask. / I see it as a title, I’m monastic with these raps.”

Living a life of art—making it regardless of accolade or monetary payment—is the highest form of creativity. Live the art and die by it, like Stan Brakhage, poisoning himself at a slow pace as he applied toxic dyes to celluloid film. Like Rammellzee executing graffiti pieces maskless, huffing the carcinogenic fumes.

MF DOOM (née Zev Love X)—a Rammellzee descendant—taught us how to revel in anonymity, the importance of not spotlighting yourself, but instead seeking out the shade, secret passageways, and the trapdoor in the stage floor. Not all of us heed the advice, but some do, and they feel the throb of real success, not the sort that shows up in bank statements and 401(k) plans.

Images:

“Beat Bop” test pressing, Rammellzee and K-Rob, art by Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1983 (detail) | Rammellzee black-and-white portrait photograph (unknown) | Ikonoklast Panzerism diagram from IONIC TREATISE GOTHIC FUTURISM ASSASSIN KNOWLEDGES OF THE REMANIPULATED SQUARE POINT’S ONE TO 720° TO 1440° THE RAMM-ΣLL-ZΣΣ (1979, 2003) | Page 34 (muted post horn) in Thomas Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49, Bantam Books edition (1966) | “A scribe at work,” from an illuminated manuscript from the Estoire del Saint Graal, France (Royal MS 14 E III c. 1315-1325 AD) | Herbie Hancock, Future Shock cassette cover (1983) | Grand Mixer D.ST comic book image (unknown) | Stan Brahage at chalkboard (unknown) | Stan Brakhage, Mothlight celluloid (1963) | “Beat Bop” test pressing, Rammellzee and K-Rob, art by Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1983 (detail)

[lighthausen]

Tma Liveblog time! Episode 196: This Old House! So many wednesday crowd people who usually don’t vague have been vagueing on it and I’m so scared and excited :0!!!!!! let’s go!

oh hey, it’s mike. hi mike. 

“firstly I’m, Mike, and secondly...” lmao

HERE WE GO INTRO TIME

i haven’t been this excited to see something in ages. i’m usually so chill about stuff like this

i want Martin back

aaaa aaa aaaaaa omg here we go

*tape recorder click*

walking.

ANABELLE AND MARTIN

LS:DFJDLF YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSss

onh my god martin is such a bitch i love him

“your magic bubble” lol

LIKE A HUMAN. BOOK BREAKS??

Other lost souls get a break from their torment oh that’s sweet

Reasurring?

Oh he gets to sleep on a mattress :)

Did he suffer

MIKAELE

OH MY GOD

In his sleep omg...

Lives he destroyed?

less so than last time you ask flksjdasj

god the whole “are we there yet”

Ride to his rescue?

BLACKMAILED

?

Oh. So that’s why he left with her within that 20 minute period 

neither of them need to die or be consumed! yay! i would love that please

*the monkey’s paw curls finger*???

Oooh oooh ooh is it the portal?

He has to be coming for Martin aww <3

Oh? We wouldn’t need a tape recorder?

Tape-annabelle theory

Ooooh they’re there omg omg omg

just a house lol

“We’ll see what we can do” lol

STEP INTO MY PARLOUR LMFAO

i love her

a statement? Oh?

Illuminating?

That’s gonna be a pun somehow, I bet.

Once there was a house?

Oh a story

*pauses*

I’m sorta writing this meta-post about the web’s obsession with storytelling (between web development’s trauma story collecting and the web domain we passed had that puppet theater stuff. and the storybook guest for mr. spider, i think there’s more, idk)  how and how it’s weird that the eye wants stories about horror when you would think that the eye’s whole thing would just to be to watch... literally anything other people don’t want them to see. As I had written in it, fears seem to be borne and fed of how they’re created. Enough creatures feared death to create the End, the dark to create the dark, etcetera etcetera. The entities are “fed” by people experiencing those fears. Feed the buried by (supernaturally) burying someone alive. Feed the vast by (supernaturally) throwing them off a building. And if I were an outsider who was just told about the fears and not the overarching plot of the magnus archives, I’d assume that an Eye avatar would be more in the business of surveillance, stalking. They’d spread people’s darkest secrets or at least otherwise convey they know about them. They’d leave pictures of someone inside their house. Stoke the paranoia. I suppose aspects that we’ve seen include the terror that comes from being watched in pain without someone helping (the dreams, the statement from adrift) but that seems like such a small part? Why is the Eye fed by people’s experiences of other fears? Also, the whole “compelling” power seems more Web-oriented than Eye-oriented. So I think that there’s some sort of connection between the Web and the Eye with the magnus institute- which of course, duh, of course they’re connected the Web is obviously important. But the Eye just seems to behave oddly when compared to the other entities, and I’m curious about what the significance of that is.

anyway. now that i summed up that meta post i was planning on writing that will likely become obsolete within this episode, (but if it does, I can just be like “called it!” which is always a fun feeling), let’s actually listen to it, shall we?

and by let’s and we i mean me.

okay. i will. play again

long before people thought of it as a home?

NOT FIRM IN DISREALITY?

Huh? 

OH MY GOD. IS IT REALLY GONNA BE A PORTAL

all the stop-no’s. 

A place where the UNIVERSE CRACKEd

hey hey, fakecrfan, if you’re reading this--- :D!

Many such places? Ooh

A saxon and a coward lmao

drumbeat of carnage? squirming melody of decay ooohoo

ate so well?

Oh fears!

Hundreds of titles ooh

Somewhere else?

Holy shit. alternate unvierse.

felt a whisper... 

what does it mean for a place to be haunted, good question

Haunted by Somewhere!! OOoh!

Jeffrey Neckham*

i always misspell

Do we know him? Idk

New Room? Good job not entering it lol

Oh? Closer to truth?

He lived in fear... hmm

He’s paranoid... (spiral?)

Oh. Mother of Puppets!! Hey!

what is this place

“We” I’m guessing is those of the web?

Knife in the dark? Hmm

Grander plan??

Weaken that crack? 

Eew tendons. 

Puppets, then hunt, (killed by slaughter) then beholding

Ooh! Hey! Proper beholding!!

Buried alive, yikes

ookay going and going

RAYMOND FIELDING

ew, but also, ooh! Fire!

oh? OH *pauses* Was this house/land marked by all the fears? Like Jon? Omg... 

CRACK BECAME A GAP

OH SHIT!!! 

ANOTHER WORLD!!!! 

What do they intend??? 

Are they sealing the other fears away?

Oh shit, would that trap them

Not a gateway yet?

Martin’s wavering sigh lol

real shame/?? Oh no

Filling you WITH SPIDERS

WHAT

never consider how flexible?

lsjafdmdl;fjdsalkfj MARTIN I LOVE YOU

oh my god her silence

not anymore fjsadlfj

His stammering sorries

Had what it takes to join us?

Had spiders? 

OH ! NOT NEARLY AS AWKWARD AS HE SEEMS AAA

aww how far the archivist would go to get you back

awkward?

Lol interesting... she wants to explain

Was her plan?

Drive him despair?

OH GOD???

SHe was gonnA WHAT

drive him to despair :,o

final push to what?

what now?

Bond too complicated? 

TELL HIM THE TRUTH :0

oh god we’re almost at the 19 minute mark , h

Wh

They’d do as he asks?

Appropriate?

WHEF

WHAT

WHAT

THATS A LONG WAY DOWN

What?? WHAT?

OH SHE’S TYINIG HIM UP?????????????????

IT WON’T MATTER?

THE TAPES, JON SAYING “LISTEN MARTIN” HHHHHH D’:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA TAPE ANABELLE REAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my god

we’re the one’s listening

*click*

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

SFJDLKJSD:!!!!! HOLY SHIT

gotta say, sound scaping: very good. 

and ! web-martin,, still not quite real.

holy fuck holy fucijk holyf ujck holy fuck holy fuck holy fusjkhhhhhhhhhhg oh myg od

I SEE WHY YOU GUYS WERE VAGUEING 

[tikkisaram]

Something Super — My Top Seven Poems to Make You Feel Like a Superhero

It wasn’t easy to limit this list to only seven poems, because there is really a wealth of inspiring, uplifting poetry out there. My research for this pweek helped me discover so many new heroes and heroic poems; faced with an abundance of suitable verse, I decided to limit myself to one entry for each of DC’s main seven.

1. Still I Rise - Maya Angelou

Superhero: Wonder Woman

Even the greatest superheroes occasionally fail, are forced to face defeat. Angelou reminds us that power comes not from constant success, but from determination and a refusal to give up. Wonder Woman may have lost her job as UN ambassador, but she will rise again; you can count on it! ;^)

You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise.

2. What is it to be human? - Waldo Williams

Superhero: Cyborg

This poem is originally written in Welsh; the English translation dehumanises the writing in a way that is strangely effective, if accidental. The body of the poem gives an answer to every question it poses — though it does not necessarily answer them — but the one in the title is left hanging. This invites us to consider our own humanity — just like Cyborg struggles to balance his human side and his robotic side.

What is staying alive? To possess A great hall inside of a cell. What is it to know? The same root Underneath the branches.

3. The Windhover - Gerard Manley Hopkins

Superhero: Superman

Hopkins captures the wonder of the power so longed for by humans, that which makes us look at the pettiest of birds with envy — flight. The sight of a soaring “morning’s minion” is enough to stir and amaze anyone, and though it might remind us of our aviatorial impotence, it also inspires us to strive high. Having been granted that enviable power, Superman hovers somewhere between Human and Bird. It is also interesting to note that this poem is dedicated “To Christ our Lord”, which fits perfectly with the common interpretation of Superman as a Christ figure.

...then off, off forth on swing,     As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding     Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding Stirred for a bird, – the achieve of, the mastery of the thing!

4. The Forge - Seamus Heaney

Superhero: Green Lantern

Like the Green Lanterns, our power is only limited by our creativity. This is something I understand better with every post on Tikki’s Thoughts! This is also what Heaney is getting at in his ode to creation and extended metaphor for the mind — inside each of us is an anvil, which is both an immoveable altar and a fleeting unicorn.

All I know is a door into the dark.

5. The Fish - Elizabeth Bishop

Superhero: Aquaman

Whenever I am feeling disheartened and demotivated, I know that I can turn to Bishop for help. The Fish is one of her most uplifting poems, reminding us that we can all be superheroes and showing the power of pacifism and the value of solidarity. What better choice for Aquaman and his hordes of fish? ;^)

I caught a tremendous fish and held him beside the boat half out of water, with my hook fast in a corner of his mouth. He didn’t fight. He hadn’t fought at all.

6. The Raven - Edgar Allan Poe

Superhero: Batman

Darkness and loneliness — the two things that characterise Batman the most are central themes in Poe’s The Raven. The titular bird also bears many similarities to a bat, in its behaviour, appearance and the ominous mood it evokes. It may not be the most immediately uplifting of poems, but then Batman is unusually dark and brooding for a superhero. Ultimately, conflict and oppression are crucial for heroism — an important lesson in an age of Trump-fueled cynicism and despair.

    “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil! By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—     Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,     It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore— Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”             Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.” 

7. The Tortoise - Anonymous

Superhero: The Flash

This poem — winner of a poetry competition judged by Paul Muldoon — is rather short, so I quote it in its entirety. In just a few words, it captures the motion of a tortoise and reminds us that, after all, movement is inherently relative. Whether we consider physical relativity or speed as a social construct, the subjectivity involved is absolute. Anyone can be as fast as The Flash; all it takes is a new way of seeing — a shift in our frame of reference.

The tortoise goes movey, movey.

[ramrodd]

Trump’s Team Can’t Defend His Shifting Iran Lies: A Closer Look

COMMENTARY:

I am an Army brat. I had planned  making the Army a career more or less my whole life, but I made a personal commitment in 1962, listening to MacArthur's valedictory at USMA in 1962. Who wouldn't  want to live a life like that? I was 15. In 1963, 

I knew Vietnam was a lost cause because of the assassination of the Diem brothers: we had violated sacred ideals of Democratic Socialism for political expediency. In March 1963, my sister had taken me to a Peter, Paul and Mary concert in Norfolk and was blown away. Then came the March on  washington and then the Zippo Monk, then the Diem brothers, then Dallas, then the Beatles.

It  was a busy year. The idea of NOT going to Vietnam never entered my mind. I know why I went to Vietnam in 1970, the year John Bolton, who was scared shitless of going to Vietnam, got in the National Guard, and I haven’t changed my mind. 

In Vietnam, I was scared out of an Army career by a senior officer my dad's age and rank that had the same crytpo-Naze cognitive organization as Mike Pompeo. It really isn't important what happened, but, if you want to break free of the Oliver Stone version of Vietnam and hook the global synergies wave from Apollo 11 to the Green New Deal, pretend that you are 1Lt william "Rusty" Calley and you are two command levels down from Mark Esper or Mike Pompeo and he's just given you a mission in My Lai and he wants you to clean out the terrorists in the village.

At the moment that this officer radicalized me, Calley was being court-martialed for My Lai. I had run into him at the Ft. Benning PX looking for a shaving cream that heated the foam when it came out. If you had to shave in the woods for some brass, it eased the transition. He was looking for something in the shaving section and he was in Class A Greens. He was far more fit than his pictures show. He was a tough guy and I was on my way to where he had come from and I am forever grateful to the Lord up above that I never had to deal with the situation he encountered. I was going to work for this guy about 3 command levels down and I was going to be breaking trail through Elepant Grass and he was going to be in a LOH 2000 feet above my battalion CO in a LOH and speed was of the essence.

Imagine everything Mike Pompeo has said in this video being delivered in a fairly contained tactical operation center (TOC) by Rush Limbagh ranting about Title IX or Alex Jones spewing sewage about Sandy Hook.

That's why I left the Army. At that stage, I hadn't been shot at but I knew this guy had absolutely no idea what was going on, tactically, as a dimension of his job description. But that's not what scared me out. what scared me out was not even unrefutable evidence that Bernie Sanders is exactly correct about Vietnam and lies, but that I was morally insufficient to make the discrimintion between right and wrong. If it required killing people, I was perfectly content with that: I was going to do my duty just as faithfull as Robert E. Lee until the moment he resigned his commission from the US Army.  

My priority was to get out as quickly as possible. I confronted an existential dilemma of continuing to believe in the Big Green Machine or myself and it was a no-brainer: I went with the Big Green Machine and quit believing in myself. Whatever problems the US Army had, I was not part of the solution. They didn't need me and I got an early out in May 1971.

Plan A was a military career. I had no Plan B. Arlington, maybe, but that was the Army's problem until I got out.

POTUS Pencil Prick committed treason to get elected. He violated sacred ideals to get back at Barack Obama and he and Steve Bannon, Mike Pompeo, Roger Stone and, now, Rudy Giuliani in a shadow agenda that diviates at right angles to the critical path Fiona Hill's career trajectory describes, the GOP Shadow Agenda.  

The House Republicans have voted to endorse TREASON as a legitimate element of the Art of the Deal. Nasty Nancy has created the conditions that require the US Senate to likewise endorse TREASON by dismissing the charge or acquiting Ducka ss Donny. Moscow Mitch has already made his choice, along with Little Lindsey Graham, Trump's favorite Shake-and-Bake JAG warrior: they are all in for TREASON.

I never met Sidney McCain, but he knew who I was. I first heard his name around Christmas in 1967 with Ode to Billie Joe playing at a party of Army brats who had moved in and out of my life since Elvis was teaching the Army how to drive tanks like NASCAR when it was still pretty much a ballad about a moon shiner with a hot rod. The parents were having adult beverages in the kitchen and worked with McCain's dad in one of the Joint Commands in Norfolk and they had seen the French newsreel of McCain in a cast and a Hanoi hospital looking resolute.

I tried to explain to him at about the time his campagn was still in a warehouse in Alexandria that I left the Army because I'm still not sure if I would not have taken the early out from the Hanoi Hilton. A guy that saved his life over a period of his first years took an early out and McCain never spoke to him, or of him, again, a position I understand but consider Honor Code bullshit.

And you are seeing that Honor Code bullshit playing out in front of your eyes in these videos. it's the lie, cheat and steal "Art of the Deal" crime family legitimate business model. You throw in Jarad Kushner and Netanyahu, and it's a surprise the Ukraine has any commercial jets left flying.

This is what the Oliver Stone version of Vietnam looks like and Putin has nothing to do with it.

[nitemice]

Hey, here's my latest post over on my main blog:

In Stopped Wishing I Was Somewhere Else, The Little Stevies have produced their best album yet. It’s an amazing album, full of honesty, beauty and introspection. But no thing is perfect.

It’s been a while since we heard anything from The Little Stevies, the delightful Melbourne-based sister duo of a band. But they haven’t been slacking off. Since their last album Diamonds For Your Tea, they have released two children’s albums under the name Teeny Tiny Stevies, both of which have been quite successful. The second was even nominated for an ARIA, so that’s a big deal. I have the first of the two, Useful Songs For Little People, because I crowdfunded it but I got sick of it pretty quickly as it’s really aimed at very young children and (unlike The Wiggles) holds no nostalgia for me.

Stopped Wishing I Was Somewhere Else is their newest album, and was officially released on the 28th of February. However it had reportedly been available up to 4 months earlier from the band directly at live shows. I pre-ordered it as part of a bundle with some other rare, very early Little Stevies releases (although I actually already owned 2 copies of the EP Grow Up, so now I have 3). They arrived a bit early, but as you can tell from the lateness of this review, it took me some time to get to it.

As with my other album reviews, I’ve listed previous Little Stevies songs each track reminds me of (with the album they come from), a rank for each track on this album, as well as a few comments about each track. Plus there’s an overview of the album as a whole at the bottom.

1. Break My Heart

Reminds me of: Boy, You’re A Nuisance [Diamonds For Your Tea], Thunder [Diamonds For Your Tea], Dink You [Love Your Band] Rank on this album: 5 The album opens with Break My Heart: a track full of sweeping vocals, accompanied minimally by acoustic guitar and piano. The title lyrics, “break my heart”, are uncharacteristically used to refer to an overwhelming yet positive emotion, here connected to the powerful love for a (unborn) child. The vocals, combined with these lyrics pack an emotive punch.

2. The Truth

Reminds me of: People Need People [Love Your Band], Strong and Brave [Grow Up] Rank on this album: 7 The Truth sounds like kids music for adults. With a plain and simple message, it wouldn’t be out of place on a Teeny Tiny Stevies album. The lyrics talk about standing tall, doing the right thing, telling the truth, and being persistent through pain.

3. Rest of My Days

Reminds me of: Sister [Attention Shoppers], Ticket To Where You Are [Love Your Band], Heavy Words [Diamonds For Your Tea] Rank on this album: 10 Rest of My Days is one of the most emotive tracks of the album. It is characterised by picked guitar which keeps in lockstep with sublime vocals from Beth. You know the song is about to elevate when you hear the “aaahs” kick in. The lyrics could apply to many things, from children to a partner (or maybe a sister…), to God to some job or life ambition.

4. Caught Your Lie

Reminds me of: No Button [Attention Shoppers], Leap Of Faith [Attention Shoppers] Rank on this album: 11 Byll recently claimed at a live show that Caught Your Lie is about her long-held fear of dying, but she and Beth have previously said that the song is about growing up and how it doesn’t turn out as you expect. Personally, I think the lyrics apply better to the latter. The first verse’s lyrics always make me chuckle. The percussion through the verses has an enchanting, found-objects quality to it.

5. Jesse

Reminds me of: Amigo [Diamonds For Your Tea], No Button [Attention Shoppers], Feel It [Attention Shoppers], Peggy Suicide [Love Your Band] Rank on this album: 3 Jesse is a catchy character study, with lyrics that are actually much sadder than the tone of the music would have you believe. The chorus is pleading with the titular character to change for their own good. This one is another track that got stuck in my head partly because its lyrics really spoke to me.

6. Smile

Reminds me of: Want You To Feel [Grow Up], Heavy Words [Diamonds For Your Tea] Rank on this album: 4 Smile is the most aggressive, grungy Little Stevies song in a long time, and I love it! The lyrics are a singeing retort to some omitted comment, assumably along the lines of “Why don’t you smile more, girly?” In fact, it rather reminds me of another song in the same vein: Girly Bits by Ali Barter, except this is more of a direct reply to behaviour that song mocks. With its bombastic guitars and slow-and-steady rock drums, it doesn’t feel like a Little Stevies song. And yet it’s still delivered with some characteristic angelic backing vocals.

7. Without Me Asking

Reminds me of: Oh Honey [Diamonds For Your Tea], Come To Miss You [Love Your Band] Rank on this album: 13 Without Me Asking is propelled by a rhythmic, intriguing drum line which makes engaging use of brushes. The lyrics paint a picture of a relationship at tension: emotions are not being freely expressed, and the protagonist doesn’t want to expose herself by being the first to admit her emotions. The song concludes with a cool walking bass line.

8. Keep On Walking

Reminds me of: Leave It With Me [Attention Shoppers], Canadia (Take Me) [Diamonds For Your Tea], Somewhere We’ve Just Been [Love Your Band] Rank on this album: 12 Beth has said Keep On Walking is inspired by the music of Colin Hay. It is a subdued, folksy ballad, and its lyrics are the source of the album’s title.

9. You and Your Face

Reminds me of: I Hold My Breath [Diamonds For Your Tea], Strong and Brave [Grow Up], Making My Sweetheart Smile [Love Your Band] Rank on this album: 6 You and Your Face is an ode marvelling at the bravery and daring of children in comparison to the anxiety and regret of their middle-aged parents. This song probably has the most repetitive lyrics of the album, driven home by a clapping-like percussion present throughout.

10. Co-Star

Reminds me of: Almighty Friend [Love Your Band], Amigo [Diamonds For Your Tea], Sister [Attention Shoppers], Because I Have You All [Attention Shoppers] Rank on this album: 8 Co-Star is another in The Little Stevies’ collection of odes to friendship. This sentiment is perfectly expressed through a mixture of playful guitar riffs, backed by a gruffer electric later on.

11. Years I Didn’t Appreciate

Reminds me of: I Hold My Breath [Diamonds For Your Tea], Easily Swayed [Diamonds For Your Tea] Rank on this album: 1 Years I Didn’t Appreciate is another track about aging and growing up: this time from the perspective of looking back at your past and trying to make the most of the day, given you’ve already lost so many. This was one of the first songs from this album to get stuck in my head; the chorus is catchy, with a groovy rhythm. The instrumentation builds in power after each chorus, dying away again during the verses.

12. Try Not to Stuff It Up

Reminds me of: Thunder [Diamonds For Your Tea], Boy, You’re A Nuisance [Diamonds For Your Tea], Accidentally [Attention Shoppers] Rank on this album: 2 Of all the tracks on this album, Try Not to Stuff It Up is the most transparently about parenting. Byll has described it as “honestly my description of how I find parenting”, and it is a very honest insight into the thoughts and struggles of being a parent. Some of the phrases are a bit wordy, but fun all the same. The chorus is punchy and catchy. The backing guitar riff between verses has some interesting distortion that makes it indescribable. The song ends, maybe quite appropriately, on a chord that feels quite unresolved.

13. Lucy

Reminds me of: Dear Daniel [Grow Up], Almighty Friend [Love Your Band] Rank on this album: 9 Lucy is an enigma of a song, seemingly on purpose. The lyrics tell the story of an adventurous girl embarking into the world. Musically, it’s an interesting mix of acoustic guitar and electric organ. When the chorus kicks in, the whole thing takes on a feeling reminiscent of a bossa nova, punctuated by a double clap after each line.

As you listen through Stopped Wishing I Was Somewhere Else a few times, a number of themes emerge. Some are classic Little Stevies themes like travel (Keep On Walking), growing up (Years I Didn’t Appreciate, Caught Your Lie), and friendship (Co-Star, Rest of my Days). But the most striking theme is new: parenthood. To be fair, Diamonds For Your Tea also had a few tracks about parenting, but it feels so much more dominant here. It’s not a big surprise given that both of The Little Stevies (Sibylla & Bethany Stephen) are parents now. That said, their approach to the topic is sincere, rooted in their own experiences, giving an honest insight into the head space and world of a new(-ish) mother. The only downside is once it gets in your mind, you can start to read every track as having some parental angle. Or maybe that’s just me.

In some ways, Stopped Wishing I Was Somewhere Else reminds me of Clare Bowditch‘s The Winter I Chose Happiness. For one, they both have pretty wordy titles, but I think SWIWSE is worse in this regard. Don’t get me wrong: It’s a good line, especially as a lyric, but I don’t like it as a title, probably because it’s a verb phrase which sounds weird. Putting that aside, both albums explore similar overarching themes. While TWICH has a laser focus on happiness and making the most of your situation, SWIWSE hits the same mark more incidentally through the combination of all its tracks. Both are mature offerings, full of considered, soul-searching reflection and meaningful takeaways for their audience, without coming off as too brooding or prescriptive.

This release sticks mostly to a more acoustic setup with acoustic guitar, and supporting piano, with strong yet dainty vocals. I would have loved to have heard some more varied instruments, like trumpets or violins, but The Little Stevies work magic with this simpler set-up.

When I first listened to SWIWSE in full, I didn’t enjoy it that much. Something made me wish for the “good old days” of The Little Stevies (read: Attention Shoppers era) in the same way I had when I first heard their last album, Diamonds For Your Tea. But within about a week, I felt the total opposite. I loved this new album, and Diamonds For Your Tea to boot! What changed my mind? I saw The Little Stevies play live.

Something about seeing the songs performed in front of me made me suddenly connect with all of them: the new and old songs alike. Initially I wasn’t sure what did it: if they sounded better live, or if it was seeing the emotions on their faces as the sisters sung, or if it was simply repetition. Eventually I concluded it was a bit of all of those things, but the main factor was the insight gained from hearing the stories behind a song. By understanding the lyrics and the context, I was able to connect with them more directly, and once I did it seemed to unlock an emotional connection for me.

That’s the strength of The Little Stevies music, especially on this album. For me, I had to see it live and hear the banter and back-stories to get it, but maybe you don’t. Either way, I can highly recommend seeing them live as well as listening to this album.

RATING: 9/10 – ★★★★★★★★★☆

But you don’t have to take my word for it… Listen to the album for yourself, and make up your own mind. Then you can let me know what you think of The Little Stevies’s Stopped Wishing I Was Somewhere Else.

So, have you ever heard of The Little Stevies? What’s your favourite of their songs? Have you heard any of the Teeny Tiny Stevies music? What do you think? Did it live up to your expectations? Have I said anything you disagree with? Tell me & everyone else who passes through here in the comments below.

To Infinity and Beyond, Nitemice

[caltropspress]

Notes on AKAI SOLO’s Eleventh Wind

Rhythm in poetry need not be “smooth” or “musical” (since that word has a questionable meaning). Be cautious of these descriptions as a so-called “good ear.”

—“Manifesto” from Russell Atkins’ Juxtapositions

I try to become really liquid with the shit—not even liquid. I try to become formless.

—AKAI SOLO

Always the same thing. A drop of hope glimmers, then a sea of despair begins to rage, and always the pain, always the pain, always the anguish, always one and the same thing.

—Leo Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyich

I've been robbing motherfuckers since the slave ships.

—The Notorious B.I.G., “Gimme the Loot”

1.

There’s an “unfinished” aesthetic (I mean it gently, fondly) to AKAI SOLO’s work. His rhymes often start in medias res. The listener needs to become oriented to what he’s spewing, but he barely allows you to catch your breath. For anyone who’s ever been thrown [au]topsy-turvy by an ocean’s wave, you can respect the power of the primordial soup flow. Each verse is a wipeout. It’s Ron Wilson’s relentless drums on the Surfaris’ 1963 “Wipe Out” and the Fat Boys’ rollicking 1987 version all at once—joy pulled from despair.

2. “…a sunken system”

What is flow? In AKAI’s case, it’s something abrupt—both a step-up and a step-to. Is it free-form? Is it automatic writing gone horribly wrong? Is it asemic writing? Is it a Ouija-like push of the pen across the page? A flower doodled on scrap paper? Is it AKAI’s language acquisition happening in real time—a babbling? It’s not an infantile flow, though. Mannish boy? Man-child? It sometimes sounds like lips smacking of Mississippi mud. Think of AKAI on Shrine’s “Parables” (which begins with the lapping of waves—not the babbling brook): he takes “a deep sea soak in plasma.” The structure and borders of AKAI’s bars are liquid (formless); his words wash over.

3. “Pondering of the painter in between strokes.” (An Unknown Infinite, “Concrete Slides”)

Who’s out of pocket? Geochemistry tells us small pockets of water pulsate deep below the Earth’s surface. I find AKAI to be offbeat in both senses of the word. He’s both outré and outer space. Antediluvian and FEMA flood recovery plan. His bars rupture the very notion of time, of meter. To rap along with AKAI is to have an out-of-body experience—our neuroscience skitters and we gain an astral perspective on what the physical mouth is doing. Sheldon Pearce has called AKAI’s verses “impressionistic.” Plugging into AKAI’s music is to induce the Stendhal syndrome—beholding the sublimity of Claude Monet’s Impression, Sunrise, but—more accurately—Calida Garcia Rawles’ Singularity, seeing as how AKAI keeps it hyper-real. He “signs” nearly all his songs—another painterly touch.

4. The Earth is a great place to visit, but I ain't stayin’. (J-Ro, The Alkaholiks)

AKAI SOLO is for the antisocial kid who quotes Bruce Lee under their yearbook photo: Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless—like water. Water is everywhere on Eleventh Wind, even if the album title suggests other elemental forces. AKAI sometimes slurs, but not drunkenly—this isn’t some stumbling and staggering likwidation: it’s a reflection of your own grogginess, your own inertia from sleeping on his flow. There are oceans between J.M.W. Turner’s The Slave Ship and the “Big Pimpin’” of Jay-Z, but AKAI’s poetics bridge the two. He comes at us, off-kilter, aslant, like the uneasy and queasy cover art for O.G.C.’s Da Storm.

5. “…a ship came, seeking harbour, fleeing from torture & swords” (from Kamau Brathwaite’s “Noom”)

The content often defies logical reasoning. He spits non-sequiturs in a literal sense, in that he does not follow. He machetes his own path (cutlass, more likely). AKAI is Cappadonna with his words—his slang is editorial, and it floods similarly. Zilla Rocca has called Cappadonna’s work “a waterfall of energy and creativity.” The same, seriously, could be applied to AKAI SOLO. I’ll call it logorrhea—and I don’t mean that pejoratively. It’s the seasickness you stomach so you can see the sunset from hundreds of miles off land.

The songs on Eleventh Wind are essentially single verses. There’s no middle eight, only an interminable Middle Passage. And water is everywhere.

6.

AKAI’s lineage traces to the same cove you’d find Mr. Complex and Saafir washed ashore. Like those predecessors, his un-rhymes and rhythm-driven bars beat against the rocks, ebbing just when you think he’s flowing. He’s an H2O proof MC. He’s Black hydropower, and, like the ancestors, AKAI continues to speak of rivers, of swerve of shore to bend of bay.

On “An Ode to the Isolated,” argov’s production sounds submerged, certifiably Cousteau. We’re immediately in the deep, and the beat platforms AKAI’s aqua-lung breath control. He’s “in a den of dissonance dissolving,” which puts language to what’s happening sonically here better than a critic ever could. AKAI is “overwhelmed by your deep blueness”—the vast blue sea. These are pandemic blues. The Covid-minded lyric, “Masks donned as requested,” doubles as the masculine trap to swallow pain, smothering emotion in gritty sand, while still forward-facing a street persona. AKAI has acknowledged Eleventh Wind was, in part, generated from a depressive state.

7.

[Testimony of John Cranston, a sailor upon the Polly, describing a slave woman hoisted down to sea from the mainmast in a chair after being isolated for small pox, June 15, 1791]

Q: Did you not hear her speak or make any Noises when she was thrown over—or see her struggle? A: No—a Mask was ty’d round her mouth & Eyes that she could not, & it was done to prevent her making any Noise that the other Slaves might not hear, least they should rise. Q: Do you recollect to hear the Capt. say any thing after the scene was ended? A: All he said was he was sorry he had lost so good a Chair. Q: Did any person endeavour to prevent him throwing her [over]board? A: No.

8.

“Tetsuo” draws on Tsukamoto’s trilogy of cyberpunk perversity. How AKAI could feel “washed before the water touch the skin” is beyond me, as the skin crawls with maggots. The penetration of metal rods, but no tetanus—no lockjaw. Only body horror flow. He’s sketching futures—and all of them are nightmarish: “Surrounded by a blanket of ashes, / We all fall down like that one song said we would.” AKAI vaguely alludes to a plague rhyme of yore. And the uncertainties we’re living with come through even in his drafts, as the liner notes on PTP’s cassette release of the album provide a set of lyric options: “Surrounded by a sea/bed/blanket…” Choose your own misadventure.

9. From at least the sixteenth century onward, a major part of the ocean engineering of ships has been to...minimize the wake. But the effect of trauma is the opposite. It is to make maximal the wake. (Christina Sharpe, In the Wake: On Blackness and Being)

On “Tainted,” AKAI—young as he may be—identifies the foolishness of some of his peers: “N----s wanna toast on a slave ship / …sinking with the drink.” AKAI suggests they’re still on the slave ship, ignorant of the fact. When he goes off on a paranoid tangent full of what seem to be elementary internal rhymes, it’s anything but: “hitting a lark / in the dark / in the park / skill a shark / or a narc / ill a mark on his job every time.” This litany of monosyllabic rhymes sounds an alarm.

10. “Even though the vessels differ, we’re all still sailing. / …navigation through suffering.”

“Still Sailing” acts as a centerpiece for the water imagery on Eleventh Wind. It’s also a self-assessment of his style. The “wavelength irregular” puns on wave and owns the irregular flow; “my groove goofy,” he admits. His vulnerability is stunning, refreshing: “I was ensuring my work was worth something.” Such vulnerability is liquid, is flux, reflects reality:

In a dirt sea, all I am is a seed Reaching for what I mean to Rooted in what it is, galvanized by what can be.

Even AKAI’s other nature metaphors—like earth (be it rare-earth or “Real Earth,” no matter), seeds, and roots—are built on water ones (“dirt sea”). This is Wallace Stevens-level abstraction. “Flowing like katanas of grass / Landscaping through with blazing sound waves” does it again (“flowing”/“grass”). And, of course, the mention of flowing katanas invites a Liquid Swords comparison. With the even cuts of AKAI’s sharp lyrics, it’s warranted.

I want to feel like Vast Aire, “like Moses with a staff that parts the Red Sea,” but it’s not so simple. Meaning is slippery on the album—hard to get your footing, your sea legs. Listeners are pulled into rip-tides and torn asunder, repeatedly. AKAI’s songs are raw—not in a hardcore way—in a work-in-progress sense, the way some of the most sincere songs humans have recorded are at times unfinished ones. Like Dylan’s “Santa Fe,” for instance, where the words converge into a slurry.

11. “Your water heavier than it’s supposed to be and they know that.”

On “Candor,” AKAI speaks on the burden of family discord, a “dilemma with me and mines.” In venting, he channels and subverts LL Cool J: “Don’t call it a comeback / These are just preliminary steps / On your back like structural racism is.” Where LL foregrounded his pugnacious masculinity, masking his insecurities (all the while calling for his “Mama”), AKAI is more likely to allow his tears to rain down like a monsoon. Candor has its origins in kand, meaning “to shine.” AKAI’s words offer glimmers of clarity, of openness.

12. “Depression stirs me before the morning chirps.”

Eleventh Wind closes with “Nebula”—gases flow, dust is bathed in glowing starlight. Again, we’re persevering: “Sound like nil singing / Feeling like nebula unraveling / Feeling like infinity expanding.” The consecutive gerunds emphasize AKAI’s desperation. He’s nihilistic here, nonexistent (“nil”) and grasping for meaning. In that way, he’s not so different from us approaching his music. Whether people are hot or cold, irate or aloof, he turns to water for comfort: “When I want to feel the heat I don’t get from people, I resort to water. / When I want to feel the cold I know people for, I resort to water.” AKAI SOLO doesn’t just bless us, he christens us.

Images:

The Fat Boys & The Beach Boys, “Wipeout” music video (screen shot) | The Surfaris, “Wipe Out” 12” (Decca, 1963) | Fat Boys, “Wipeout!” 12” (Tin Pan Apple, 1987) | Jay-Z, “Big Pimpin’” music video (screen shot) | J.M.W. Turner, The Slave Ship (1840) | Originoo Gunn Clappaz, Da Storm cassette cover (Duck Down/Priority Records, 1996) | Claudia Garcia Rawles, Singularity (2018) | The Alkaholiks, Likwidation album cover (Loud, 1997) | James Neagle, Frontispiece for the Dying Negro (1793) | Screen shot from Tetsuo II: Body Hammer (Shinya Tsukamoto, 1992) | Hokusai, Feminine Wave (1845) | Carina Nebula, NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team | Claude Monet, Impression, Sunrise (1872)

[newyorktheater]

Broadway is busy with the Tony Awards on June 9th, but June is bustin’ out all over with new shows on other New York stages. A good number of the openings mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and the birth of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Fairview, at Theatre for a New Audience

Smiley at Repertorio Espanol

“Life Sucks”

Aenid Moloney in “Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom”

Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise

Several acclaimed plays are getting encore productions in other theaters, including  the Pulitzer-winning “Fairview.” Two different one-woman shows adapting the character Molly Bloom from James Joyce’s Ulysses for the stage. The Shed is offering a new Kung Fu musical, and the Atlantic a musical adapted from The Secret Life of Bees.

Below is a list of openings in June, 2019, organized chronologically by opening date, with each title linked to a relevant website. Color key of theaters: Broadway: Red. Off Broadway: Black, Blue, or Purple. Off Off Broadway: Green. Theater festival: Orange.  Immersive: Magenta. Shows marking Stonewall and those on gay themes will include the Stonewall 50 logo:

Many of the gay plays take place in non-traditional venues, and are of limited runs, often just a single performance. They and the theater festival offerings often don’t have official opening nights, so I list them by first public performance.

June 1

Underground Railroad Game (Ars Nova at Greenwich House)

An encore presentation of the award-winning play inspired by an actual game that co-creator Scott Sheppard was forced to play in fifth grade, when his school re-enacted a bizarre version of the Civil War.

My review

Zen A.M. (Theatre for the New City)

After years of struggling, Bruno finally books a once in a lifetime project, only to develop major misgivings about participating and completing his painting

  June 2

 Pridetable (Storycourse)

Five courses.  Five personal stories from a diverse and intergenerational team of LGBTQ+ chefs.  A month long pop-up theatrical dining experience

  June 3

Dying City (Second Stage)

Revival of Christopher Shinn’s 2007 play, set in a spare Manhattan apartment, where a young widow receives an unexpected visit from the twin brother of her deceased husband. The play explores the human fallout of global events

Nomad Motel (Atlantic)

A play by Carla Ching, directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar, about kids raising themselves and making something out of nothing in the land of plenty.

Everything that happened and would happen (Park Ave Armory)

Artist and composer Heiner Goebbels reenacts 100 years of history to show a world in strife through performance, sound, movement, and moving image

Ant Fest (Ars Nova)

The 12th annual month-long festival begins with A People’s History of Silicon Valley, described as “a synth-pop send-up of techno-utopianism and startup bros.”

June 4

Long Lost (MTC at City Center)

A play by Donald Margulies (Dinner with Friends) directed by Daniel Sullivan. “When troubled Billy appears out-of-the-blue in his estranged brother David’s Wall Street office, he soon tries to re-insert himself into the comfortable life David has built with his philanthropist wife and college-age son. What does Billy really want?”

  Little Women (Primary at Cherry Lane)

Kate Hamill’s take on Louise May Alcott’s novel

June 5

“The Bear.Mozart, Salieri and The Bear (West End Theater)

A double bill of short Russian plays: Pushkin’s little tragedy “Mozart and Salieri” challenges the question of who murdered Mozart.  It is partnered with Chekhov’s vaudeville,ieri-the-bear”>

  June 6

Global Gay (La Mama)

Dramatizes the plight of queer people around the world

Part of LaMama’s Stonewall 50 celebration

You Never Touched The Dirt (Clubbed Thumb @ Wild Project)

A play about economic transformation, the dreams it enables, and those it crushes. “The Lis, the Zhaos, the ghosts and the animals engage in a land feud.”

Public Servant (TBTB at Theatre Row)

Theater Breaking Through Barriers kicks off its 40th Anniversary season with this world premiere drama by Bekah Brunstetter (“This Is Us”) about a county commissioner and a woman who needs his help.

June 11

Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare in the Park)

Kenny Leon directs an all-black staging of Shakespeare’s comedy of romantic retribution and miscommunication

June 12

Handbagged (59E59)

The Iron Lady. The Queen. Born six months apart, each woman had a destiny that would change the world. But when the stiff upper lip softened and the gloves came off, which one had the upper hand?

June 13

The Secret Life of Bees (Atlantic)

A musical adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd’s beloved novel, with music by Duncan Sheik and book by Lynn Nottage, about two runaways in 1960s South Carolina, taken in by beekeeping sisters.

  Yes! Reflections of Molly Bloom (Irish Rep)

Aedín Moloney performs as Molly Bloom in a stage adaptation of the Penelope chapter of Ulysses written by James Joyce

Molly Bloom (Fusion at Theater 244)

Irish actress Eilin O’Dea performs her one woman show as Molly Bloom from the Penelope chapter of James Joyce’s “Ulysses”

Convention (Irondale) 

Using an ensemble of 40 actors, the play tells the true story of the 1944 Democratic National Convention; when the people’s favorite, progressive incumbent Vice President Henry Wallace, was denied nomination as FDR’s running mate in favor of the moderate Senator Harry Truman.

13 Fruitcakes (La MaMa)

13 staged musical vignettes about 13 significant LGBTQ figures (e.g. Leonardo daVinci) along with a song cycle based on poems by queer poets such as Wilde, Whitman and Lorca

Part of Stonewall 50 at La MaMa

June 14

Smiley (Repertorio Espanol)

Alex and Bruno’s differences seem insurmountable but they fall in love

  June 15

Veil Widow Conspiracy (Next door at NYTW)

This play by Gordon Dahlquist offers nested versions of a story that begins as a political murder mystery in 1922 China; then 2010 Hollywood; winding up in dystopian Brooklyn of the future.

June 16

Fairview (Theatre for a New Audience)

An encore presentation of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s Pulitzer prize-winning play about race and identity

Life Sucks (Wheelhouse at Theatre Row)

Aaron Posner’s acclaimed reimagining of Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” is re-opening Off-Broadway

June 17

A Strange Loop (Playwrights Horizons) Michael R. Jackson’s musical about a black, gay writer, working a day job he hates while writing his original musical: a piece about a black, gay writer, working a day job he hates while writing his original musical

Ode to Juneteenth (National Black Theatre)

Emancipation Jones tells us the true story of “Juneteenth”, the day two an a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation when Union Soldiers finally rode into Texas to announce the end of slavery.

Mel Brooks (Lunt Fontanne)

The first of two performances as part of the so-called In Residence on Broadway series.

June 18

Dropping Gumballs on Luke Wilson (A.R.T. NY)

A play written by Rob Ackerman and directed by Theresa Rebeck based on a true story about the making of a TV commercial in which a film director puts a movie star’s life in the hands of a very jittery props guy.

Leap and the Net Will Appear (New Georges at Flea)

What happens when Margie (raised to be a good girl; wants to be a lion) leaves home: twenty years whiz by like a moving train

June 19

Imminently Yours (Negro Ensemble Company at Theatre 80)

Descendants of American slaves resist expropriation of their inherited properties.

Out of Line: No Agenda Genda (High Line) Antonio Ramos presents a sci-fi piece of interactive dance theater dedicated to the legacy and memory of queer icons and movement-maker

  SheNYC (Connelly)

The festival begins with The Shoebox, in which four high school best friends write letters to their future selves — and then open them ten years later.

June 20

Toni Stone (Roundabout’s Laura Pels)

A play by Lydia Diamond directed by Pam McKinnon, based on a true story about the first woman to go pro in the Negro Leagues,

Pride Plays (Rattlestick)

More than a dozen play readings from celebrated LBTQIA voices, including Paula Vogel, Terrence McNally and the Five Lesbian Brothers, will be presented from June 20th through 24th

Contradict This! (LaMama)

The Bearded Ladies Cabaret presents a spectacle that is part trial, part birthday, part funeral, featuring original music performed by a host of misfits, drag artists, queers, and a local choir. Part of Stonewall 50 at La MaMa

June 21

Stonewall (NYC Opera)

A new American opera by Iain Bell and Mark Campbell “that captures the rage, grit, humor and, finally, hope of the LGBTQ community’s uprising in a Greenwich Village dance club on one hot night in June 1969. The work is divided into three parts and follows a diverse group of characters whose lives collide at that pivotal moment in history when the police push them too far and they find the courage to fight back.”

June 22

King Phillip’s Head is Still on That Pike Just Down the Road (Clubbed Thumb @ The Wild Project) The councilmen of Plymouth Colony determine how to be Good in the New World.

The Stonewall 50 Plays (Queens Museum)

The One-Minute Play Festival has organized 50 new Queer One-Minute Plays, which will be presented from 2 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

    June 23

Quilt  (Judson Memorial Church)

A musical celebration of those who died of AIDS and those who survived.

  June 26

Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise (The Shed)

The story of a secret sect in Flushing, Queens, that possesses the magical power to extend human life, and the twin brother and sister caught in the struggle to control it. Directed by Chen Shi-Zheng and written by the creators of the Kung Fu Panda movies, Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger.

Working (Encores Off Center)

This concert version of Nina Faso and Stephen Schwartz’s 1978 musical based on Stud Terkels est-selling book feaures a cast that includes, Helen Hunt, Christopher Jackson, Javier Muñoz and Andréa Burns

Outside of Eden (New Ohio)

The Ice Factory Festival begins with this mix of opera and theater about the Byzantine Empresses.

  June 27

In The Green (Lincoln Center’s LCT3)

Grace McLean’s new musical tells the origin story of one of Medieval history’s most powerful and creative women: Hildegard von Bingen. Before she became a healer, a composer, an exorcist, and finally a saint, she was a little girl locked in a cell with her mentor, Jutta.

June 2019 New York Theater Openings: Stonewall 50 On Stage! Fairview Returns! Broadway is busy with the Tony Awards on June 9th, but June is bustin' out all over with new shows on other New York stages.

[whatscoolaccordingtodom]

June 2018

June is the beginning of summer in the Northern hemisphere. American artists traditionally begin touring around this time with many of them even kicking off their world tours with a new album to promote because it just makes marketing sense. Initially I was going to write only about the G.O.O.D Music releases and how interesting this 7-song album every week for 5 weeks concept is, but “Conspiracy Theory” Dom could not ignore the spice brought in by The Carters, or the instant classic by AKA. June produced a definite shift in the way albums are released with many of the bigger artists opting for fewer songs. Select artists are also shying from promoting runaway bubblegum singles and then putting them on their albums in the name of sales; a more cohesive amount of plays-per-song is being favoured, proving artistry beyond the ability to make radio bangers bringing Tyler the Creator and Mashayabuqe to mind.

Starting on the 25th of May with Pusha T’s – Daytona. The G.O.O.D music President who has crafted a respectable roster, most recently signing Valee and 070 Shake who both released their debut tapes under G.O.O.D Music earlier this year, titled GOOD Job You Found Me and Glitter respectively. 070 Shake features on “Santaira”, singing the chorus, which is almost haunting. Push has built a career off his dark braggadocio cocaine inspired raps, almost every song is layered with references to or stories about cocaine, he also happens to be a top-tier lyricist with a respectable stash of flows. Daytona saw him stay very much in his lane on top of crisp Kanye produced beats, definitely falling in the top half of his discography, yet really left me wondering what King Push would’ve sounded like? “What Would Meek Do” is a highlight as well as “Hard Piano”, but it’s “Infrared” that landed the Drake publicity assist. He was baited, causing him to release the “Duppy Freestyle” where he attacked Kanye and Push’s fiancé, “The Story Of Adidon” in response held no punches. It is said Drake recorded a career ending reply, which he was advised to not release, it was then hinted the song would be released on Scorpion, but we never got it; a disappointing end to entertaining beef.

Same day as Daytona, New York’s favourite son and leader of the A$AP Mob, A$AP Rocky released his released third official album titled Testing. In my mind’s eye it’s less of Rocky trying new sounds and exploring the boundaries of rap, and more of him putting in an honest effort and staying true to the sounds of Harlem. A$AP Rocky is a rapper’s rapper who dabbles in fashion and takes on the fulltime gig of being his New York based mob’s front man. His influence pool has grown expanding his signature style. He’s been forced to grow up over the past few years, on “Changes” he speaks about exes moving on, getting married and having kids and on the album addresses sexual harassment which various mob members have been accused of. Anyone who’s been paying attention must have noticed that Rocky really gets along with OF frontmen Tyler and Frank, and of late him and Frank Ocean have collaborating quite a bit with “Purity” as a fitting addition to their growing joint catalogue. “Praise Da Lord” is the albums highlight, following the trend of featuring Skepta -as if the UK has no other fire rappers- Rocky crafts a banger that’s well worth the listen.

June 1st saw Kanye West his release his 8th solo album. Starting with the haunting “I Thought of Killing You”, the song/album is in line with his experimental journey with Hip-Hop and his influence, a journey which has seen him gain and lose millions of fans in waves. The ebbs and flows of public acceptance every changing, in his most recent efforts however has without doubt been the most controversial and most irreversible with millions vowing to boycott Ye after his slavery statement on TMZ. The album is filled with what seems to be snapshots of Kanye’s life in 2018 much like TLOP did in ’16. It is the snapshot of a rebellious boy with white in his beard, three kids, a supermodel wife, and a company destined to be worth $1bn dollars (in his own words). Kanye is no longer the weird beat making kid who wanted a chance, he has grown into an attention grabbing, outspoken erratic who is learning to apologise for his mistakes. “Violent Crimes”, one of the most talked about songs on the album is just a father trying to give his daughter a relevant song in 2018 that hides none of the truths. This made Ye come off as questionable, wishing his daughter has a terrible figure so niggers won’t ogle her. Ye is the story of Spider Man, except he never listened when uncle Ben told him “With great power, comes great responsibility”, he’s had to learn that for himself the hard way. Now at 41 years old, the artist seems to be settling into his place in the world, but is it too late for the black guy who shares dragon energy with Donald Trump? TLOP’s most underrated song was “Highlights”, here too the beautiful “Butterfly” goes almost unnoticed.

One week later on the 8th of June, every G.O.O.D Music fans most impossible dream came true. Most of the original dream team and a plethora of others came together for an unforgettable classic where they also addressed mental health issues. Laying confidently on top of obscure samples and Kanye’s over the top production is a project with simple lyrics but a strong message. Kid Cudi sees his return to G.O.O.D Music, of course he has appeared on every Kanye album since the 808 album, but this is more. The Kudi Sees Ghosts album, in typical Ye fashion was a credit mess, no doubt a law suit or two will spring from the 2018 G.O.O.D Fridays after wave. Mos Def features in the title song and gives a striking verse which is very relevant in the African context; “Civilisation without society” is a dream many Africans have, but would never dare to say out loud.

On this side of the pond, Potchefstroom based creative collective, The Faculty dropped their debut tape What Do We Call This released exclusively on Soundcloud June 8th. Find them on Youtube and Soundcloud @TheFacultyWorldWide.

Future released his soundtrack for the movie Superfly. This project highlights his talent beyond making songs, it saw him craft a playlist where you can almost imagine the movie even if you hadn’t seen the trailer.

June 15 was heavy with releases starting with the North’s favourite son, uBaba kaKairo released his 4th and final album Touch My Blood an interesting take on long projects. AKA gave us 16 enjoyable songs. The Supa Mega’s biggest irk is his need to place outdated runaway singles on his albums in the name of sales, to his credit the rest of the songs on this particular album were not mere fillers, they bang. “Fela in Versace” is a definite highlight. “Jika” will eventually find it’s place in the South African Wedding Song Hall of Fame alongside legends like “Marry Me”, sidenote on how AKA is actually fixated on making songs for this strange demographic. It’d be nice to hear what Touch My Blood would’ve been without “Caiphus Song” and “The World is Yours”. In true bitch with long nails fashion, AKA dragged and mocked his enemies the whole way through his project. Relief came in the form of his many features, picking and choosing from the elite few from home and giving us his now to be expected Nigerian fire feature from Kiddominant; anyone remember Burna Boy’s big local break? I must also note that L-Tido was better than decent on “Amen”, it wasn’t earth moving or anything, just didn’t dislike it. Stogie T is a solid rapper, but he failed to show it in the “Star Signs” music video, it kind of makes the song hard to like now since the video was ruined by his awkward visuals.

The spirit of the youth going independent and doing things their own way is best embodied by The Wrecking Crew Collective. A Reece brought it and 2 of his friends for L3 (Long Lost Letters), with his Wrecking Crew mates Ecco and Wordz, they deliver a compact project, filled with jabs at exes and haters. B T P H a graphic ode to P**y,[NDW1]  is so smooth and sees the rappers trade lines almost like a freestyle session. A-Reece takes time out to throw jabs at Nasty C, and we’ll absolutely see them returned on Friday the 6th of July when he releases his album. “Better Daze” is a stand out track for it’s message, it’s really just a group of friends who are happy their Youtube page hit 1 million views, a relatable goal currently being pursued by many African youths in the hopes that Youtube will give them the income the job market so clearly won’t

Jay Rock released his 3rd album, titled Redemption saw the TDE artist who is currently on tour with his label mates release a Kendrick assisted album. As usual Kendrick handed him his single with a bow tied, and even a memorable Future feature in the form of “Kings Dead”. This album is filled with enjoyable tracks though, the title song sees SZA and Kendrick come through while the clever “OSOM” features J Cole. But “WIN” takes the cake, the track is infectious and easy to remember but doesn’t come off as a pop single. The album is well structured paying homage to the traditional album layout, but it is carried by Rocks talent and the Kendrick assists.

Nasir had one job. Be better than 4:44, that’s all. In many ways Nas achieved this goal, the production was tailored to let him shine and his lyrics were well thought out, if at times a bit conspiracy theory-ish, somebody can somebody say not for radio? Nas has refreshed himself, we are given a similar message but we do not get bogged down in the typical patterns of his previous works. The disappointing release of this album reflects how men with abuse allegations are treated in current times, showing quite fairly that women are no longer sitting on the side lines and that abuse in the music industry can no longer be tolerated. The album didn’t do so well in the first week but the core fan base came through allowing many of the artists in this category enjoy Gold and Platinum status for their latest releases, it seems we can only be outraged and boycott when the hashtag agrees not when it actually matters.

My favourite by far in the pettiness series is from House Carter, directly from King Beyonce when she said “HOVA, BEYZUS. WATCH THE THRONE”, I shouldn’t have to explain how petty this line is. These jabs saw The Carters rain on Kanye’s G.O.O.D Fridays roll-out and Nas’ album by releasing their project on Saturday the 16th of June, the day after Nasir was released. Some sort of pleasure was found in the fact that their album with all its drama was still not able to secure the Number 1 spot that week. Everything is Love is the final chapter of a ‘true’ story we all lived out with The Carters as they threw stones in their glass house. If Lemonade opened the can of worms, 4:44 let us know that Jay was owning his situation; Everything is Love is their victory lap around Tidal subscribers and ticket purchaser’s cheque books. I mean, releasing a joint album while already on tour, they could potentially redo venues with a different show. Talk about the dream team. “I want you to come inside right now, so you know just how I feel”, B always uses lyrics that her more innocent listeners can sing along to in oblivious abandon, but on this album,  she also finds time to make Jay-z a bitch not just at that cringe worthy moment on “Love Happy”, the rest of the song more than makes up for it, but still. In terms of delivery, her rap game is fire. On “Nice”, the Jay-Z verse is him at his usual braggadocio self, it’s the pleasant feature from Pharrell that tells on how his voice has improved over the years, it’s only that high note that separated them; where Beyoncé took it in her stride. Skateboard P had to bring in the autotune; she managed to out rap Jay and to no one’s surprise, out sing Pharrell, on one song. Jigga Boo is upset that the faceless award givers now consider him too old for consideration, perhaps it’s time for him to join their ranks. I mean, how many Grammy’s is enough Grammy’s? He’s also tired of being famous which also gets him sued, Hov is so tired infact, that he shows up now to court without a suit, that’s when he does show up to court.

Keep That Same Energy, a line seemingly borrowed from Ye’s Wouldn’t Leave, really showed what the team at G.O.O.D Music had to go through to finish the series off strong, after Kanye took it upon himself to bite off more than they could collectively chew. Mike Dean, Ye’s producer of choice went on a drip after KTSE was released, exhaustion we’ll assume. Teyana’s album was the one I feared for most, having never heard an album from her before, but loving all of her contributions since joining G.O.O.D, notably the songs she appeared on for Cruel Winter; I was ready for Kanye to be tired and bring out a less than great album, and at first listen I thought I was right. The 7-song structure was bumped up to 9, and the songs themselves are generally quite low energy. BUT boy was I wrong, KTSE is RnB, it manages to house tracks with interesting messages like “No Manners” and “Hold On” while sexually inspired ballades like “3 Ways” ft Ty Dollar $ign make one reminisce on old RnB. It’s a fitting coming out party for the mother of one and wife of Iman, the 2 characters who feature quite prominently in her work, it’s almost as if she made the songs for them. I don’t know her personally, but I feel like Teyana has a lot of faith in Kanye, waiting all these years to bring out her album, I’d say it was worth it. As she herself says on “Young Love”, she isn’t just a musician, and I mean come on; who hasn’t enjoyed watching her dance? The album stays true to Kanye’s theme of Love, “Self-Love” focuses more on telling people that you have to love yourself first.  

Like G.O.O.D Fridays all grown up, but this is experimental Kanye, one who changes his entire album the week before release because he upset every black person, he tweaks tracks just before release and changes track names after release. Kanye West, formerly but still Yeezy, now Ye did his best to surround his releases with the theme of love but in true Kanye fashion he made a complete mess of things. From his affiliation with Donald Trump to the headline grabbing slavery comments, his version of the press-run before the album did not go well, nor did the actual album roll-outs. The game has been hinting at this faster roll out strategy for years now. Music culture has been speeding up and becoming more exciting, but what does this mean for the longevity of the art? Also, can an album reach classic status anymore in a time when they have only one month to live, where the first week basically decides the albums fate.

On the 29th of June, Drizzy Drake released his 5th studio album titled Scorpion. It has his face featured prominently on the cover, so an emotional album is to be expected. His brave attempt to give us two albums paid off, Disc 1 is for his rap fans and it is laden with good songs, “8 Out Of 10” is first to mind. Disc 2 is for his singing fans, and they received what they had been waiting for in spades. Drake shares his love for putting break away singles on his albums with AKA and here no fewer than 3 of those songs appear, the truth is anyone listening to the album must skip “God’s Plan” and “Nice For What” because at this stage there is no need to play these songs in your own company. “Talk Up” see’s his pettiness feature Jay z so the 2 of them can send subliminal shots at the G.O.O.D Music crew, Jay z manages to give one of his most disappointing verses this year on a song he really didn’t need to rap on. “Don’t Matter To Me” signals where Drake is in his career, the top of the rap game, he’s figured out longevity and now he’s fulfilled his obligations according to his Cash Money contract; the Michael Jackson feature is a flex. Scorpion is an addition to Drakes catalogue and stays true to the playlist format of his previous album, it plays like a rap playlist from him and then an RnB one, there is no true cohesion or album theme other than his trademark complaining and emotional whining. BUT what does it matter what I think? His Editors Note on Apple Music mocked, silenced and uppercut the critics and haters before they could say anything. The man is an obvious legend who will go down as one of Hip Hops greatest, even if he never releases another album or chooses to never rap again, his place in the history books is cemented.

S/O Ty Dollar $ign and Jeremih for taking the baton from The Dream and running with it. Such artists are often under valued for their independent projects, but the value they have collectively added to a plethora of other artists albums this year cannot be understated. These 2 artists have contributed in a massive way and it wil culminate in a joint album later this year.

S/O  the artists Nasty C – Stings and Bling, Zakwe – Cebisa and Future – Beast Mode 2 all released on Friday the 6th of July.

Also, who knew Jay z could cook?

Love Dom

[fancycollectionfury-blog1]

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I'm 17 years old and I live in the state of New York. A few months ago I had a little accident with my moms cars. My father said he'll buy me a car if I pay for insurance... but my insurance would be 3600 dollars per year which I won't be able to afford making minimum wage. Is there anyways I could lower the price for insurance? I really need some help thank you!

What are the insurance rates of a 2002 Chevy Cavalier Z24?

Its a 2 door 5 speed z24 cavalier with everything and the guy wants 2650 and it has 99k miles on it. Im also a 16 year old new driver.

Car Insurance quote suddenly disappeared?!?

I've just been obtaining quotes for a couple of cars I may buy - I'm 19 and looking to buy my first car. I was on moneysupermarket.com and noticed Admiral were consistently the cheapest company - so I kept changing some details to make the quote lower if possible, just messing around really. After around 10 quotes or so (with them being the lowest each time) I noticed that admiral was no longer displaying a quote and was now in the section shown as no quotes produced along with around 60 other companies. Why is this? Have I broken a limit of some kind? But why would the other companies still be there displaying quotes (albeit they're higher which isn't to my liking!). It's confusing and frustrating, can someone tell me why this has happened? I think I've told you as much info as possible but I'll add more detail if asked. Thanks.""

Increase in car insurance after passing test? RIP OFF? changing insurance questions.?

i have just passed my test, and my insurance company (Quinn Direct) are trying to rip me off. When i had provisional license, my insurance was 1100 on a 1.1 saxo. which i thought was good 4 1st time driver. but now ive passed they are saying its going to increase to 2500, which surely is a load of rubbish? i did a few quotes with other companys and they are coming up around 1100-1500. if i cancel my insurance with Quinn (at a fee of 35) and join another insurance company, will i have to start over with my no claims? as i dont have a full year yet, my 1st no claim would be in march 09. please help? what should i do? i dont want to be ripped off but i also dont want to loose my half a year of no claims. Plus i also have 10 month acelerater insurance, which i paid a deposit up front, so i have 2 free months at the end of my insurance.""

Should i be on my own insurance or be added to my parents?

My parents own a 2004 chevy trailblazer and a dodge caravan. If i were to get any type of 4 cylinder car.. would it be cheaper to be on my own insurance or just to be added on to theirs. I am 16 and not 17 til august, but i have money for a car and need a car but cant figure out which would be cheaper for when i do get a car. HELPPP""

Can an Insurance company still be held liable for the after affects of a car wreck?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. My problem is this, In July 2007 A man in a huge truck with a trailer hinge back up out from a parking space, it I saw him and the only thing I could at the time is speed up so he would not hit the middle of my car. He ended up hitting the side bumper and ripped it off. I have A 1999 Cryshler Sebring. It truely was a hard hit. Well the man's insurance did pay to fix the bumper, but now everything keeps going wrong. I did mention it to the person at the shop where we had arranged for the repair. I asked to please give me an estimated how much it would cost to fix it. When the time came, She did not do so and when I asked the lady she gave me a look like there is really something wrong with my car. I give two guys a ride to the bus so they do not have to walk the mile or so and they can attest that my car was running smooth. So many things one after another have gone wrong. I have put over 700.00 and still more problems. So my question is what do you think my chances are If I take it to the manufactor and they will rule in my favor. The Insurance Co-ordinator says if they say it was from the accident then they will pay for it. Straight from the start right after the accident my car kept dyeing out, so I had to drive it like a standard car with my feet on the gas and brake at the same time. So in the end , last I have heard there is a short somewhere so I took it to Spitfire and place that specializes in electrical problems and he told me my computer is bad. First of all the things my battery kept dyeing out, my car would not start up in the mornings,I took it to Auto zone and my battery was fat, swollen no good. Bought a new one, then I took it to a man at midas , he said I needed a valve cover gasket and he showed me my spark plugs we filled with oil, fixed that. Now Midas ran a scan and said I had either a bad map sensor or a short. Changed the map sensor the car is still barely running, so then another place said it was a short but had it for two weeks and could not find the short . I would like to know , if the guys Insurance is still on the hook for all the problems I have had with the car since the accident. Now I give these two guys a ride from work each day and they knew there was nothing wrong with my car before the accident. What is the best thing I can do. Many thanks , Sylvia""

How much will it cost me to register my motorcycle its a ninja 250 i live in florida ?

i am 17. please do not judge me on my age. also how much am i looking at for insurance ? who do you recommend ? allstate, progressive, geico, statefarm ? how about insurance providers that are big known companies? i dont know the word im looking for.""

How much does auto insurance cost in BC for class 7N?

I'm gonna get my N soon and I would like to know how much insurance will cost so i can decide if i can afford insurance before i buy a car. I'm probably gonna buy an old car, nothing fancy. Thanks a lot.""

Can't afford Health Insurance...?

I'm looking for advice...and hopefully someone to tell me that I'm not screwed. My boss graciously offered to find group insurance for all of her employees and she is willing to pay 50% of the premiums. The problem is that she went with the most expensive plan on the market (that I've seen) and I simply can't afford it. The premium is $340 a month, so I'd be paying $170 which isn't bad...but the copays are at least +20% on everything and doctor visits range from $35 to $55 a visit, so I wouldn't be able to afford to use my health coverage often. It also doesn't include dental, which is what I really wanted/needed. I am 21 years old (and all of my coworkers are in their 20s), so I don't really understand why the payments are so high. I'm right in the midst of paying off student loans, I don't get paid very much, and I was hoping to start saving money to purchase a car and be able to go back to school. I was going to use my income tax return as a down payment on a car, but if I opt out of healthcare this year at least a fourth of that return will be taken as the fine imposed to coerce people to sign up for the Affordable Care Act. I seriously don't know what to do. Neither of my parents have health insurance, so I can't be tacked onto their coverage. I was planning on telling my boss to opt me out, but she went ahead and signed me up so I'm looking at getting $170 taken out of my check right before Christmas either way. I actually found out how much it was after she signed me up...I don't even know how she did that without confirming everything with me. Am I completely screwed? What would you do?""

accurate auto insurance quotes

accurate auto insurance quotes

""Life insurance terms cash value, dividend, loan to value, interest rate?""

I don't know much about life insurance. This is for a whole life policy = $50,000. Could you explain what these terms and numbers mean about this policy? cash value of $7,000 Loan to value of $6,000 interest rate of 8% dividend of $60""

Car insurance help????????

Hello, I was rearended (not my fault) and I called my insurance companyt to let them know what happened. The car is insured and at the time of the incident was insured under my mother because I am under 21. Now two months later I am receiving a letter that I am being kicked out of my insurance unless my parents insure me. So what do I do in this situation. I find this situation very unfair because why do we need two people insured on one car? Can you offer any insight?""

Health insurance for someone with a preexisting condition?

I have heard about plans that are available through association memberships with limited benefits. Is this a legitimate method of obtaining coverage for someone who is otherwise ineligible for insurance? Any other suggestions? The high-risk pool insurance in California is not affordable.

Individual health insurance?

I am currently shopping around for individual health insurance and just wondered if anyone had any helpful info in regards to different companies. Who do you currently have health/dental/vision/life insurance through? I have been looking at Blue Cross Blue Shield but I'm just not sure. I am engaged and will eventually want to add my future spouse, therefore needing a family plan. I know this will vary depending on what type of coverage we want and what we are willing to spend. I do not have a very large budget for all of this but do know it's important. Trying to find the best deal out there for an affordable price. Thanks for any helpful advice! :)""

About car insurance and the laws on it?

i just want to know if a car is insured but the driver of that car is not in the policy .. do i still get ticketed for not having the car insured? I don't know if i'm making sense.but let me explain .my car is insured fully covered but my daughter was driving it and got stopped by the police.and he claimed that my car was not insured. i called my insurance carrier and was told that it was because my daughter was not on the policy. I always assumed that as long as the car was insured it did nt matter who drove it. provided an accident was not involved. please help me on this. as soon as possible

Is atheism a good substitute for affordable health insurance?

I know that many atheists in here pride yourselves on being far more logical and better prepared for the real world than religious people, and than Christians in particular. Does your lack of belief in God give you a special advantage in coping with medical emergencies and the financial expenses of medical emergencies, I wonder? Why or why not?""

Which insurance is better?

Which insurance is better health or life?

Health insurance For Football?

I'm going to play football in highschool soon. And i was wondering if i needed health insurance to play or its not required?

Can a employer make you get health insurance?

My boss told me that if i do not prove that i have my own health insurance, i have to get the health insurance the job offers, i would like to know if it is legal for them to do that? force me to get health insurance? now i know that with President Obamas Health law, in 2014 all people over 26 who do not have insurance will be subject to tax. but it is not 2014... its 2012 and i do not want any of my money being taken out of my check for something i do not want at this time.""

How to rebuild credit score?

I can't get approved for a credit card because I couldn't pay my car payment or car insurance for 2 months cause I lost my job. Although my credit score is around 530, which isn't too bad. But I have a lot of inquiries on my report from trying to get a car loan a couple years ago.. Now I'm trying to get a loan for school.. So what are my options?""

Insurance in college?

My mom tells me that you have to go to college directly after high school in order to stay on your parents' insurance plan or you get taken off and have to work full-time to get insurance. However, my question is if you get a job after high school and get insurance for yourself and then decide to go back to school a year later can you get back on their plan.""

How much is insurance per year on a E46 BMW M3?

I'm looking into buying a 2002-2004 M3. I'm 18 yo male with a clean driving record.

Will court ask for insurance with guilty plea?

My fiancee just got a ticket. She just recently lost her insurance so she had none at the time she was pulled over. If she goes into court and pleads guilty will the court check to see if she had insurance or not? I live in California.

""If I reported someone for a hit-and-run, can my insurance company raise my rates?""

My Dad takes care of our family car insurance policy with Mercury. Recently, they have asked about an incident which matches the date of a hit-and-run which I reported to police. Someone backed up into my car while I was not-in-motion, waiting to turn left at a four way intersection. They refused to pull over or get out of their car, and sped off soon after, so I reported it to the police. Now, Mercury wants to talk to me about it. The problem is that my Dad is convinced they will use this against me to get more money from us, because I was the only party who reported the incident. I did not file a claim with my insurance company because the only damage was minimal. How should I best handle this? It seems absurd that doing the right thing-- reporting an irresponsible driver-- could result in a penalty for me, doesn't it?""

How long does it take to get your auto insurance back after policy been cancled?

How long does it take to get your auto insurance back after policy been cancled?

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I DRIVE WITHOUT CAR INSURANCE AS WELL AS NO FULL UK LICENCE?

HELLO, ONE OF MY FRIEND WANT TO KNOW, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, IF HE DRIVE WITHOUT CAR INSURANCE, AS WELL AS WITHOUT FULL UK LICENCE. HE HAS GOT PROVISIOAL LICENCE, JUST ASKING. HE NEVER DRIVE ANY CAR WITHOUT FULL LICENCE AS WELL AS FULL INSURANCE. JUST HE WANTS KNOW. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF POLICE CATCH HIM ON THE ROAD, I HEARD THAT POLICE WILL TAKE HIS CAR,SCRAP THE CAR, WHAT ELSE, WILL HE FINE OR PRISON? HE JUST WANT TO KNOW.""

Is it possible for me to have insurance in Texas and currently live in Arizona?

I have a Texas license, but I currently live in Arizona and am looking to buy a car . Would I be able to purchase an insurance policy from Texas and have everything be sent to my ...show more""

Do you have to insure a vehicle that's not driven?

I own a Jeep that sits in front of my house (its not driven). Do I have to insure this vehicle?

What is the insurance cost for a 40 year old male driving anew ferrari?

dont worry im not 40 nor can i afford a ferrari. im just wondering how much it costs to maintain one?

Car insurance??????? UK?

where can i get a rough idea of what i might pay for insurance, if i pass next week?!!!!!!! Everywhere i try wants a reg. no. But all i want for now is a rough idea so i can see what insurance groups i can choose a car in. Fanx :0)""

Which insurance companies are cover homes in High Brushes Areas in California?

which insurance companies are cover homes in High Brushes Areas in California beside Farmers and State Farm?

Why would insurance cost me 500 quid for a 50cc bike?

Im wanting to purchase a 50cc bike, derbi gpr 50 racing, 2009. it would be kept in a garage, and im only looking for third party cover. the bike costs 1650, and i have passed my cbt and have a provisional license. do i even need insurance?""

How often Can You make a Windscreen Insurance Claim for one Vehicle in One year (UK car insurance)?

Ive just had a replacement Windscreen fitted as an insurance claim with the Norwich union. Three days later after the local Council Resurfaced a local road the Windscreen got hit by a stone thrown up by a car be driven way to fast for the newly surfaced road...the Question is How many such Windscreen Claims is you Car Insurance Company likely to Honour in any given year of fully Comprehensive Insurance. I feel a bit of a pratt Making a claim only 3 days after the first claim, but Neither of these Incidents were my fault but just accidental damage. as it is the first Claim cost me a 60 Excess payment and the next one will cost 60 just thec same...""

Were would i find price range for car insurance?

im doing a power point on insurance and i need to find the best price range for car insurance

Is the insurance for a Mazda 6 expensive?

i want to know

accurate auto insurance quotes

accurate auto insurance quotes

Cheapest car insurance for first time driver? I'm a girl?

I'm looking for insurance that is as cheap as possible. I'm a 17 year old girl who is currently having driving lessons.

Car insurance?

I purchased a car worthy 2000 and I purchased a comprehensive insurance policy. Some of my friend said that we will not claim (1) losing no claim bonus (2) the car compensation only say 500. They suggest me to increase the excess to $1020 in return for the refund of 94. Is it worthwhile?

Additional Driver costs?

How much should i expect to pay to add a permanent additional driver to my car insurance? It will be a driver on their provisional licence, aged 24. Its with Direct Line, in the UK I already have a quote, i just think i was quoted wrong, and want to know what other people think it usually costs.""

How much (on average) is car insurance for a 16 year old?

I turned 16 a little while ago and my dad says he's gonna get me a car of my own! a nissan xterra!! (i LOVE them!) BUT... he said i have to pay all insurance and gas money... I was wondering how much, on average, that will cost? I have about 25% off because of the driver's ed i took and also another 10% or 15% off for good grades If anyone has an idea, I would greatly appreciate it!""

How much life insurance do I need? How long?

Hi, I am 31, married, in decent health (don't smoke). No kids, but planning for one next year. How much life insurance do I need? Thinking about a term policy for $500,000, but not sure if I need it for 10, 20 or 30 years? Any advice much appreciated. Annual income is the $100,000 range. Thanks.""

How much will my insurance rise for having a speeding citation?

I've done a bit of hunting around the Internet, but I haven't been able to find an objective answer to this. For some background, I'm 19 years of age. Unfortunately, I ...show more""

Where can i find insurance without license?

Most of the insurance companies that I call will not provide insurance because I do not have a license I have to have insurance before I can get my license. What should I do?

Home insurance comparison?

Considering switching home insurance carriers. The North Carolina Rate Bureau (NCRB) rate and premium for a policy period from May 18, 2013 to May 18, 2014 is $770. The insurance company's proposed rate and premium is $984. This represents a 28% increase over the NCRB rate and premium. Our assessed home value is $525,000. We hold other policies with USAA (auto, life), but have not gone with them for home because the feedback we've received insofar as home has not been favorable. I welcome your home insurance insights, thank you.""

Where to get the best auto insurance rates in Midwest.?

Just moved to the Midwest, besides the insurance giants are there any other good insurance companies out there that will save me a little money?""

How do you transfer a title to a car without getting insurance on it right away?

I just bought this old muscle car. The thing is, it's winter now. I won't be driving this car until spring through fall. I just want to know if there is any way to get the title transfered, without getting insurance on it right away. I know insurance is going to be a factor in transferring this title. I have insurance, just I don't need it on the car right now, I just want to get it home. Any help is appreciated. Thanks""

""With the on going crisis, is it still possible to get cheap auto insurance in california?""

i know people who've gotten their fingers burnt, so .........""

Can someone help me get a insurance quote ?

im 16 and my mom said that if i wanted to drive, i would have to buy my own insurance. but the thing is i cant find any sites that tell me how much i would have to pay as a starter , and then pay monthly. the car that i want to drive is my stepdads 2000 Bonneville. idk what else it is but it looks just like this. VvV http://www.autoworld.com/news/Pontiac/2000Bonneville.jpg i just want to know how much i would have to pay (:""

Auto Insurance Quote?

I am 16 years old living in California and I am newly licensed. I have a 4.167 GPA, am a female, and I drive a paid off car. What is a reasonable insurance quote?""

Maternity Insurance Coverage?

My family doesn't currently have insurance. I'm 10 weeks pregnant and my husband is about to start a new job where we will be offered insurance. I think the insurance the company offers is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida. I know that I can be put on his insurance but are they likely to give me a problem with the pregnancy? I've heard that insurance companies will refuse to cover your prenatal care if you don't have the insurance before getting pregnant.

Insurance estimate?15?Sportbike?

I will be 15 and 9 months with a permit. I will have a Honda CBR 600RR and i was wondering how much would my insurance be? What the chapest and how can i get the cheapest. ill be a carefull rider.

Fast cars with low insurance costs?

id like 0-60 inunder 6 seconds but low(ish) insurance rates for someone under 21. New, used, whatever.""

Car insurance for 20 year old?

hey im 20 year old just passed my driving licence and the insurance quote i get on a 1.0 corsa breeze is ridiculous. i live in a high crime part of london but the insurance company's want about 1500 pound a MONTH from me. anyone know what it should actually be n what i can do about it? i heard people pay max 300 pound a month at the age of 17.

Any insurance professionals? from UK or USA?

have you heard about Chartered Insurance Institute? and what do you think of its various diplomas? are they highly valued in your field? and can they advance your careers in insurance! thx

Do I need car insurance the moment I get my provisional license (CA)?

I'll be going out for my provisional drivers license tomorrow, and I was wondering whether I need car insurance if I do get my provisional license. My parents are planning to allow me to get my provisional license, but won't add me to their policy until a year down the road. Am I allowed to drive alone with my provisional license as long as the car I'm driving is insured by my parents? (California)""

SR-22 insurance for a 2002 VW Jetta?

I'm at around $150 a month right now for my 1993 Mitsubishi Galant, which seems a little rediculous to me, I may be switching companies. Any idea how much more it would cost?""

How much would a 1995 dodge dakota be roughly for insurance?

i was going to tailgate off of my parents insurance (i just got my lecense and i wanna pay what my parents pay til the dmv tells my insurance company) both of my parents have a clean driving record and have been on the road for 30 years. i just wonder how much insurance would ROUGHLY be

Whats the difference between Medi -Cal and Health Insurance?

Whats the difference between Medi -Cal and Health Insurance?

What is the best Insurance company for car quotes ??? (Cheapest)?

Im looking for a cheap reliable insurance company i can get a qoute for a 2003 Vauxhall Corsa 1.2

Questions about homeowners insurance?

I called my insurance company, and they said it wont cost anything if I add my girlfriend onto the insurance policy. My question is if I add her on and dont get additional coverage and something goes wrong. Will My insurance cmpany give me a hard time GOD for bid something goes wrong. For example if something gets stolen or my house burns down, will my homeowners insurance say that they wont cover my furnature or tv etc because they can say it is my girlfriends or will I be ok?""

How do Life Insurance companies make money?

If you get a 500,000 dollar policy pay 250 a month that would take 2000 years for them to make the money back. How do they make more money then they put out?""

accurate auto insurance quotes

accurate auto insurance quotes

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/quote-cheap-auto-insurance-douglas-pearson/"

[thesinglesjukebox]

SAM HUNT - DOWNTOWN'S DEAD

[5.91]

...but "Sacrifice My Heart" still has a couple years in it.

Matias Taylor: After "Body Like a Back Road" became the biggest country crossover hit of the past year by adopting sonic trademarks of other genres, Sam Hunt returns to his roots with "Downtown's Dead," a hooky post-breakup anthem that sounds precision-engineered for country radio. What's clever about "Downtown's Dead" is that it positions him as indifferent to the things he's previously sung about: dancing in the strobes ("House Party"), Friday nights ("Leave the Night On"), girls walking by and saying hi ("Take Your Time"); this time heartbreak takes precedence. Sam's earnest croon and some smart production touches (the echo effect in the chorus sounds like it could be beaming out of a half-opened door from a nightclub) are just enough to make it a convincing thematic reset. [6]

Ryo Miyauchi: It would be Sam Hunt who paints his country-music scene of urban loneliness with strobe lights and "the throes of loud house music" -- which shouldn't be novel imagery at this point if you've been around a college town since Hunt's Montevallo, where out-of-town students party to EDM tracks while mending homesickness with country tunes. There's a subtle yet vivid modernity to "Downtown's Dead," if not in those lyrical details then the post-1989 hand-claps in the chorus. The haunts may look different, but the ghosts sure feel the same. [6]

Elisabeth Sanders: Sam Hunt, who until recently was on a years-long hiatus from music, concentrating instead on winning back the girl his first album was about after he cheated on her during the tour for that very album (STRONG brand there), who since then has released only 1. an emo SoundCloud song about missing her and 2. a song about how hot she is (even stronger brand there) is finally back for REAL this time with another banger about being super sad while drinking beer because of your deep feelings yet general lack of timely emotional insight! Some might call Sam Hunt's oeuvre shallow, but I mean this with absolute sincerity: it's not nothing to admit that you're a dumbass and then explore the intricacies of your own dumbass feelings. We are all dumbasses, and all feelings are stupid, and also very important. Sam Hunt begins "Downtown's Dead" with his own voice in the background of the track, saying "thanks, Hannah Lee... for comin' back." I would like to thank her as well, and you know what? I hope they are very happy. [8]

Alfred Soto: A title like this deserves a production that reflects the din and tumult in Sam Hunt's pretty head, not drums that boom like a fender bender and Hunt singing as affect-free as an Au Bon Pain cashier. [4]

Anthony Easton: Sam Hunt ceding his perfect voice to a canyon of drums is an act of ego by erasure. Erasure, like the exurban blank landscape--but unlike his previous blank and elliptical metaphors that make even more slippery the erotic ennui of these spaces, this one carves an elaborate monument. Downtown is empty, the city is empty, and nothing can fill it. It is a work against his previous ideals of pleasure. It's also an ironic reversal of all the times he talks about the non-urban spaces that he described as sort of empty and sort of full. [10]

Claire Biddles: Between the bars/cars/bright lights/I'm-so-lonely-in-this-big-ol'-town imagery and the girl-as-a-night-on-the-weekend metaphor, I've heard this all before -- which would be fine if the music was less of a slog. [4]

Stephen Eisermann: The worst kind of boring song is one that tries to make up for its boringness by being loud. There's no discernible melody that I can hear, Sam sounds disconnected from the music, and the hook, if you can call it that, is Sam shouting "downtown's dead" at you as if you're some tourist asking about the local scene. The lyrics are surprisingly introspective, but the rest of the song weighs too heavily on the track. [3]

Alex Clifton: I completely thought "Downtown's Dead" was going to be a tale of small-town economies going bust thanks to the government, and was pleased that it didn't end up being the sort of song I feared. Instead, "Downtown's Dead" is a heartbroken ballad with a dramatic title. It doesn't always live up to the feeling; I don't feel weepy, and the chorus's handclaps make this more of a stadium sing-a-long than an emotional piece. But considering how "Body Like a Back Road" triggers a berserker button for me to the point where I'd counted out ever enjoying a Sam Hunt song, I'll count this as a win. [5]

Katherine St Asaph: Certain unlinkable country retrogrades have heard "Downtown's Dead" and are torn, like Javert-in-"Stars" agonized, that it's undeniably a well-written song, but still not country and thus killing it! The argument is weird -- small towns have downtowns too, and cars and bars do not a metropolis make -- but also moot, because "Downtown's Dead" is absolutely country, in that it invokes a specific country music tradition. Like "You Lie" or "Give Me Back My Hometown," it takes a dog-whistle (here: Downtown's dead! Empty Main Street storefronts! All the jobs are gone! And you know why?) and turns it into a songwriting conceit about lost love. Which might seem like a stretch, but A) dog-whistling exists for the callout-immunity of seeming like a stretch if pointed out, and B) country songwriters love extended conceits, and popular music in general magpies up the culture of its time to make them -- see Ester Dean literally copying phrases from magazines and TV, or Sia collaborator Jonathan Daniel's "high concept" conceits about fireworks and piggy banks. That magpie-ing includes politics; in country, this spans through the late-'50s odes to and laments about military sexual tourism (h/t Joseph M. Thompson, via one of the many good talks at April's MoPOP Conference) to the 2010s' "Made in America"/"Only Prettier"/"Automatic" counterprogramming to pop's Michelle Obama shoutouts. Sam Hunt is a smarter songwriter than many Nashville cogs, and he, Josh Osborne and Shane McAnally don't just use the concept but invert it: downtown isn't dead but bustling, and he's not bustling but lonely. But this urban-alienation theme is done constantly -- see Jukebox favorite "Vermillion" -- and Hunt's take feels dead too, composed as a huge Southern rock slab but performed without the energy. Which, to be fair, is another country tradition: in its ongoing rehash of '90s-'00s soft rock, country music has now reached "Unwell." [4]

Maxwell Cavaseno: Decades ago on Long Island, a truck full of tropical birds intended for a Petland Discount in the area crashed on the highway, and more than a few dozen of the birds escaped into the nearby parks and woods. The Northeast isn't exactly meant to be a haven for cockatoos and parakeets, yet more than a few of them managed to procreate and linger for years and years, making what was considered antithetical to their existence a home. In a world where your Chris Stapletons are all about Taking It Back To What It's 'Sposed To Be, Sam Hunt brings the ideas and essences of country into a modernity that at times feels counterproductive and inhospitable. The strength of "Downtown's Dead" is that even as an overproduced, phantasmal bombastic anthem, it sustains itself in ways you don't expect to make sense without the indulgences of Thomas Rhett or, further back, the cynicism of Garth Brooks. There's no reason it should feel at home, and yet it does. [6]

Crystal Leww: Hunt's debut album Montevallo was such a beautiful and specific album about heartbreak that it's hard to imagine what a Sam Hunt album would sound like if he were actually in a happy, committed relationship. "Body Like a Back Road" hinted at it, with its pop success and sexy and fun disposition, but it also didn't quite feel like a Sam Hunt song. "Downtown's Dead" returns to the period of Hunt's heartbreak over his ex-girlfriend, but the point of view is someone who's moved to the city, who's become successful, who's built a life and who hates how lonely he feels after all. This is formulaic Sam Hunt -- sharp details about strobes and house music, a pathetic internal back-and-forth after downing one too many free drinks, the thunder of those drums and guitar, and its adherence to the traditions of country music and its ability to document tiny, human moments. I think my favorite tiny detail here is buried in the mix during that intro: a quietly murmured, "Thanks Hannah. Thanks for coming back." He's married and happy now, but I have high hopes that there's still plenty of heartbreak to go through for the sequel to Montevallo. [9]

[Read and comment on The Singles Jukebox]

[optometrist0]

Dr Of Optometry Salary

Contents

Between scottsbluff and

This rule completely and

Doctor. but optometry

Taken some things

671 Optometrist Salaries provided anonymously by employees. What salary does a Optometrist earn in your area?

A Baker optometrist was indicted Thursday on charges of Medicaid fraud. A grand jury agreed there was enough evidence to prosecute Dr. Diana LeBreton … the money from Medicaid to pay for her salary, her staff members …

“At that time, salaries in teaching were poor,” Adams said … somewhere between scottsbluff and Denver to be close to family. He spoke to former optometrist Dr. Robert Schwanner in 1978 and came to Scottsbluff, intending to purchase …

The term optometry is derived from the Greek word ‘optos’ which means eye or vision and ‘metria’ which means measurement. The optometrists are doctors who perform eye … The initial salary of an optometrist in a government …

Sep 16, 2016 … Maybe you know something that I don't, but I have yet to see any OD job offer with a salary of $150-$200K for a new or seasoned doctor. EVER! Obviously, many students choose to ignore this rule completely and it has proven to make the financial reward of being an optometrist a lot less appealing.

Although most of us look at a starting salary and get big green dollar signs in our eyes, benefits boil down to more than just being able to afford a doctor. Believe it or … or biannual visits to the dentist and optometrist can be costly for …

From millions of real job salary data. 5 Doctor Of Optometry salary data. Average Doctor Of Optometry salary is $94,550 Detailed Doctor Of Optometry starting salary …

Oct 26, 2017 … Average salaries for LensCrafters Optometrist: $107218. LensCrafters salary trends based on salaries posted anonymously by LensCrafters employees.

Elite School of Optometry offers Master of Philosophy (MPhil) Optometry and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD … "An optometrist can start his job as a trainee with a salary package of Rs. 7,000 to 25,000," says Subodh K Khanduri, …

1 Doctor of Optometry Salary provided anonymously by employees. What salary does a Doctor of Optometry earn in your area?

Optometrists take a specialized doctor of optometry degree, which is specifically focused on eyes and their care. Ophthalmologists are fully trained medical doctors, whose degrees include clinical and theoretical specialization in the treatment of eyes and their problems. There is a significant difference in salary, favoring …

View salary range, bonus & benefits information for Optometrist jobs in the United States or search by specific US and Canadian cities and towns. View open positions …

An East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury has returned a three-count indictment against a Baton Rouge optometrist on charges related to … with the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Dr. Diana M. LeBreton, O.D., 55, of …

"Health care goes beyond doctors and nursing professions – there is high … Business Operations Manager Mean salary: $122,090 21. Pharmacist Mean salary: $120,270 22. Optometrist Mean salary: $117,580 23. Actuary Mean salary: …

This is not the first bid to bring an optometry school to Pembroke. Former Sen. David Weinstein at different times from 1998 to 2006 attempted but failed to get money to establish an optometry school at UNCP. UNCP Chancellor Dr. …

That means more visits to the eye doctor. but optometry schools are few and far between … growth of 21 percent in the profession during the next decade. Median annual salaries for occupational therapists are about $82,000. Qubein said …

I must emphasize that doctors are not against any health profession rising to any salary grade. An example is the optometrist who can rise to level 17 and are designated as Chief Optometrist. Medical doctors also rise to level 17 …

In this interview, Dr. Genevieve Mordi, the Senior Special Assistant on … What is your background? Initially, I studied Optometry at the University of Benin in …

The Truth About Optometrist Salary and … becoming a doctor or nurse. Fascinatingly, optometry is not among … on the rate per consult fees or monthly salary.

Oct 29, 2012 … Much like M.D.s, optometrists need a four-year post-graduate degree, as well as a license. Some students also do a one-year residency to develop a specialty or boost their experience. What makes it great? Good pay, without the frequent long hours and middle-of-the-night emergency calls doctors expect.

View salary range, bonus & benefits information for Optometrist jobs in the United States or search by specific US and Canadian cities and towns. View open positions, job Descriptions and other statistics related to Optometrist jobs.

Jan 28, 2018 … 665 Optometrist Salaries provided anonymously by employees. What salary does a Optometrist earn in your area?

Buckley could likely step into the same shoes as Killeen optometrist Dr. Austin Ruiz, who lost to Cosper by a mere … Everyone reading this knows what our …

How to Become an Optometrist[About this section] [To Top]. Get the education you need: Find schools for Optometrists near you! Optometrists must complete a Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree program and obtain a license to practice in a particular state. O.D. programs take 4 years to complete, and most students have a …

Doctor of Optometry (OD) Degree – Salary – Get a free salary comparison based on job title, skills, experience and education. Accurate, reliable salary and …

They’re ranked by average salary; information about median salary is also provided … After graduating from college, optometrists spend four years earning doctor of optometry degrees. These programs charge annual tuition ranging …

It was 1991 and within a week Julie was sitting in front of an optometrist, who …

Doctor of Optometry (OD) Degree – Salary – Get a free salary comparison based on job title, skills, experience and education. Accurate, reliable salary and compensation comparisons for United States.

Nov 26, 2017 … Eye Doctor Salary Overview. Here we will compare the salaries of two different kinds of eye doctors and get information about the two different degree programs and licensing requirements for these doctors. There are two types of eye doctors in the United States: optometrists and ophthalmologists.

How Many Years Is Optometry School Contents Get oat sample Have many different job Adriatico’s pizza. pending Listings optometrists begin here early The union’s card provides an opportunity to support many different … Franklin College has named Dana S. Cummings as vice president for development and … Learn what it really takes! School Links and get oat sample Tests For years, Graduate Institute Of Optometry Contents Post graduate qualifications from Vision science graduate Employment listings optometrists begin here Early because she’d taken some things you can gio exam graduate institute of optometry Whether you are considering graduate school or business school, or still deciding what to do, you only need to take the one … The GIO was established in Optometry Placement Contents External employment listings Optometrists begin here. post and Remains unclear what exactly tesco For your practice with Years early because she’d taken advantage To post an ad on this site, please send a posting electronically to Michelle Aldrich at MichelleAldrich@ferris.edu. MCO Positions Currently Available: Employment Opportunities. external employment listings. American Optometric Association – https://www.aoa.org/aoaexcel/career-center?sso=y. Eye Care Doctors Of Optometry Contents Piasa-southwestern graduate dr Child's eyes checked other Numbers and more for eye Patients with the best that GODFREY — piasa-southwestern graduate dr. Dena Bachman, the owner of … The American Optometric Association represents approximately 36,000 doctors of optometry, optometry students and paraoptometric assistants and technicians. An optometrist is an eye doctor who has earned

from http://bestoptometrists.net/dr-of-optometry-salary-3/

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This region traveling guide to Podhale is a rundown and could require even more web content. Ceny niższe od zakopiańskich, jakość wyborna, a obsługa na bardzo przyjaznym poziomie. Beginning your day and also enter the recognize with these handpicked stories. Discover just how much the bus trip from Nowy Targ to Vienna will cost you. NOTE: We only request your email address so that the individual you are recommending the page to understands that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not spam. BlueBorne is an assault vector through which hackers can utilize Bluetooth connections to permeate as well as take complete control nowy targ over targeted tools. However, right now we are just sustaining countryName numbers. As a whole, I would certainly state that this is a nice publication. Le Moto G5 et le Moto G5 Plus s' exhibent sur la toile dans une série de pictures avant le grand rendez-vous du salon MWC à Barcelone. Some 50 million individuals go to danger of arsenic poisoning from polluted groundwater in Pakistan's Indus Valley-- much more compared to previously thought, according to a brand-new research study. Position title, series and also quality of the work( s) to be loaded. Poland has a lengthy background and also has been an important trading path that has been attacked by various teams over the past 1,000 years. Offensive line train Tom Cable television discusses what lies in advance for his line after George Fant's injury. We call them Secret Deals as well as they just last for a limited time. Ukranian coach Vitaly Semenchenko left Podhale Nowy Targ bench after the bad results of the team, that los 5 of last 10 games. Nowa Biała to jedyna spiska wieś na lewym brzegu rzeki Białki, a ta według geografów wyznacza granicę między Podhalem a Spiszem. This will certainly permit you to earn the most of your account with personalization, plus obtain accessibility to commenting devices, unique games, the opportunity to win great football rewards as well as much, much more. A good base for service trips to lots of fascinating locations. I affix fantastic value to care for nature and ecological way of life and also healthy consuming. In the semifinals Cracovia won 3-0 versus GKS Jastrzębie while Nowy Tag advanced beating 5-3 champ GKS Tychy. CIĄGLE ZMIENIANY TRENING, WYKONYWANY NA WYSOKIEJ INTENSYWNOŚCI Z WYKORZYSTANIEM RUCHÓW FUNKCJONALNYCH. The popular weather condition application as well as information monetization firm Reveal have actually provided a joint statement after safety researcher Will certainly Strafach found evidence that AccuWeather was still sharing Wi-Fi MAC address information with Reveal even after users opted out of sharing area information via the app. Selon les premières constatations, les trois affaires n'ont aucun lien entre elles. Dameyon Massey, 19, was arraigned Tuesday early morning as well as taken to jail on $100,000 bond. Maintain you from opening up a brand-new account, looking for a job, leasing an apartment, or purchasing insurance policy. Subscribe currently to begin obtaining damaging news notifies on your desktop. The paints were produced by the Young Poland landscape musicians: Leon Wyczółkowski - author of the most stunning and also most genuine paints as well as prints portraying the Tatra Mountains; Jan Stanisławski, that - fascinated by these mountains - repeatedly returned to the Tatras as well as organized open air paint sessions for the trainees of his landscape class", and Stanisław Gałek - Stanisławski's student as well as an artist applauding the appeal of the Tatra Mountains, who belonged to the younger generation. Elbit Equipments will take a twin-track approach to the advancement of its Hermes 900 unmanned airplane system (UAS). Host Maria is truly helpfull and also provided us plenty of suggestions where to go as well as just what to see. Time is going out to claim $435,000 in refunds that Treasurer-Tax Enthusiast Dan McAllister is aiming to rejoin with individuals and also organisations that have overpaid real estate tax and also charges to region federal government. To celebrate this wedding anniversary, Twitter cofounder Biz Rock has actually blogged some thoughts as well as history I should confess that I have actually never ever used hashtags much myself-- they feel mechanical instead of human, and I've never intended to be associated with those Twitter individuals who #compulsively #hashtag #for #no #apparent #reason. I suggest this is as hidden as you obtain without a password. It would certainly ban all Erie Region employers and property managers from victimizing someone with a prior criminal history. Legal difficulties to Pennsylvania's brand-new clinical cannabis growing and dispensing program could bog it down. Right beside Czorsztyńskie Lake, in the heart of Pieniny, special Vacation home Podhale awaits for you. Under the command of Major General Oliver P. Smith UNITED STATE Marines with First Marine Division, Fifth Marine Routine, 3rd Battalion, led the first major United Nation pressure strike in North Korean-occupied area September 15th. The FDA also offered RevMedx, the Oregon-based firm that makes the gadget, approval to market a smaller version, the XStat 12, which is created to deal with smaller sized wounds from a stabbing or smaller sized caliber gun. Marquis WILL NOT KILL COCCIDIA, just STOP it from surge growth due to TENSION. Individuals marched around the facility to honor people lost by self-destruction. A company might designate a Trainee NTE to a various setting, but initially the firm has to give minimal public alert (interior to the agency - not on USAJOBS) to likewise located company Interns who could additionally have an interest in the Intern placement. The name Podhale essentially converts as „ below the mountain glen" in English. It happened on UNITED STATE Course 322 near Sugar Creek Drive in Sugarcreek District around 5:15 a.m. Suite Podhale offers lodging in the mountains all year long. In the video clip, Hamilton actor, Moana recording artist, as well as Parks 101 ambassador Jordan Fisher leads you on a 360 trip of Channel Islands National forest The park sits a few miles off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, as well as its 5 environmentally abundant islands are just available by means of watercraft or aircraft. In previous periods the interplay in the Second Division without the right to be advertised in Extraliga. By penetrating the gadget, the assailant could determine which operating system his target is making use of, as well as readjust his exploit accordingly. With great deals of assistance from Cyclone Irma, Ana D'Estrada developed a shoulder-high wall of sticks and also twigs on the side of her house in Wintertime Park. When an unranked list is utilized all certified choice eligibles will certainly be noted in order of preference condition (which will consistent of prospects eligible for 10-point experts' choice complied with by prospects qualified for 5-point veterans' preference), adhered to by all various other competent candidates. Suggest residence with all my heart, there could be a wonderful cut off from everyday life. Filters by editorial photos, which excludes pictures with version releases. You MUST PREVENT COCCIDIA or NONE of your injections will certainly work! This is the 150th annual conference for the 3rd district of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. This susceptability can likewise enable an aggressor to leak security secrets from the targeted gadget and also be all ears on Bluetooth communications, in an assault that quite resembles heartbleed. The church and parish of Ludzmierz was handled by the Cistercian Order till 1824. Cette vidéo contenait une piste sound protégée par des droits d'auteur. Daily weather report in Nowy Targ will certainly assist you to stay clear of capturing a cold if instantly night becomes chilly, gusty and also rainy. It is my sincere wish to serve God and also Poland with the whole of my life, to lug my willing assistance to others, and also to follow the Precursor and also Guide Regulation. Armis believes much more vulnerabilities await discovery in the various platforms making use of Bluetooth. This allows us to verify that our evaluations come from genuine guests like you. Beautiful fire place, really comfy bed linen, and also impressive sight. The news complies with information Equifax had actually cannot effectively set up a spot for a protection vulnerability hackers later used to steal customer details. The 650-year-old city is the historic resources of the highland area of Podhale 1, which extends between the Gorce Mountains on the north, and Tatra Hills on the south. This vulnerability was located in the Bluetooth stack of the Linux Bit, which is the very core of the os. The Podhale State Greater Vocational Institution in Nowy Targ (PPWSZ) was founded in 2001 as the very first college institution developed complying with the campaign of the district's self-government. Note to Android users: To examine if your tool goes to threat or is the tools around you go to threat, download and install the Armis BlueBorne Scanner Application on Google Play. NASA's Kennedy Room Center will lastly resume tomorrow (Sept Keep in mind: Agencies may not call for the conclusion of academic needs for certain coursework for line of works that do not have a favorable education demand. Holistyczne podejście do rozwoju oraz poprawy sprawności fizycznej jest zapewnione dzięki. Krakow also caters for the family, at Henryk Jordan Park you can lease watercrafts, bikes as well as electric automobiles and The Dinosaurus Park is as much instructional as it is enjoyable, with resources for teaching all ages regarding dinosaurs and also several thousand-year-old trees. Spory domek około 100m2 dwie duże sypialnie hair salon z aneksem kuchennym - kominkiem oraz korytarz łączący pomieszczenia wraz z niezależną łazienka, wszystko w domku ma cieszyć oko drewno przybliżać do natury, niepowtarzalny klimat czyste powietrze cisza i spokój przy tym dobry dojazd oraz wiele medii zadowoli każdego, idealne miejsce wypadowe miedzy innymi w Gorce Tatry Zakopane Białka Bukowina, Pieniny oraz zalew Czorsztyński. Agencies may employ Interns on a short-term basis for as much as one year for a first duration, or for an uncertain duration, to complete the academic demand. If you have to give ALBON for Coccidia, it is TOO LATE. You could watch MKS Cracovia Krakow versus MMKS Podhale live stream online if you are signed up member of bet365, the leading on-line betting firm that has streaming coverage for more than 70.000 live sporting activities events with live wagering throughout the year. A może ktoś ma ochotę na wzięcie udziału w konkursie fotograficznym dotyczącym właśnie Podhala. The conference program consists of research paper discussions, panel discussions, keynotes, doctoral pupil consortium, as well as a camp for early-stage IS professors. A/E" is the second installation from the Pippin star's new visual cd Desideratum. A company's treatments for receiving applications (see 5 CFR 302.201) should attend to making use of these options. Bus service from Nowy Targ to Vienna will certainly be given by the most relied on bus firms. Sensational house in a really peaceful remote place yet within close closeness to the city of Nowy Targ, Zakopane and lots of various other travelers attractions including a number of hot spring pools. I invite you to my relaxing, wooden residence in Gronkowie. I thus agree to get to the email address given over an electronic duplicate of the newsletter of the National Gallery in Krakow and also various other magazines and information containing advertising according to the Act upon Making Electronic Solutions of 18 July 2002 (Journal of Regulation No. 144, product 1204). Refers to the series of years existing in supply for an offered source: a dashboard '-' indicates an uninterrupted series of years and also a reduce '/' suggests spaces exist in the collection. Please don't consist of individual, political, ethical, or spiritual discourse. Popular indirect links Nowy targ → Bratislava. Le jeune rappeur parisien MHD, ami des frères Pogba, va suivre le battle entre Paul et Florentin avec passion mais sans parti-pris. The last quarter of the 19th century as well as the years leading up to the outbreak of World War I made up a duration of a particular fashion for Zakopane, which ended up being a meeting place for artists, musicians, politicians, authors, philosophers and scholars from all annexed areas as well as those that emigrated. The train service does connect to numerous Polish cities as well as Krakow's local airport terminal, John Paul II International Airport terminal Kraków-Balice, offsets around 15% of all Polish air guest web traffic. Jacuzzi, sauna or living area fitted with fireplace will certainly offer you with lots of relaxing minutes. Today's birthday celebrations include Marian Seldes, Charles Busch, and also Andrew Rannells. BEAUTY PARLOR ® is signed up in the U.S. Patent and Hallmark Workplace as a trademark of Hair salon Media Group Inc Sumo deadlift high pull (SDHP) - martwy ciąg sumo z unoszeniem sztangi do brody. The Podhale geothermal system, located in the southerly, hilly part of Poland, is the most useful reservoir of geothermal waters discovered in the nation to this day as well as the one with the highest possible capacities in Central and also Eastern Europe.

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18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently.

Creativity works in mysterious and often paradoxical ways.  Creative thinking is a stable, defining characteristic in some personalities, but it may also change based on situation and context.  Inspiration and ideas often arise seemingly out of nowhere and then fail to show up when we most need them, and creative thinking requires complex cognition yet is completely distinct from the thinking process. Neuroscience paints a complicated picture of creativity.  As scientists now understand it, creativity is far more complex than the right-left brain distinction would have us think (the theory being that left brain = rational and analytical, right brain = creative and emotional).  In fact, creativity is thought to involve a number of cognitive processes, neural pathways and emotions, and we still don't have the full picture of how the imaginative mind works. And psychologically speaking, creative personality types are difficult to pin down, largely because they're complex, paradoxical and tend to avoid habit or routine.  And it's not just a stereotype of the “tortured artist” – artists really may be more complicated people.  Research has suggested that creativity involves the coming together of a multitude of traits, behaviors and social influences in a single person. “It's actually hard for creative people to know themselves because the creative self is more complex than the non-creative self,” Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist at New York University who has spent years researching creativity, told The Huffington Post.  “The things that stand out the most are the paradoxes of the creative self ...  Imaginative people have messier minds.” While there's no “typical” creative type, there are some tell-tale characteristics and behaviors of highly creative people.  Here are 18 things they do differently. 1.They daydream. Creative types know, despite what their third-grade teachers may have said, that daydreaming is anything but a waste of time. According to Kaufman and psychologist Rebecca L.  McMillan, who co-authored a paper titled “Ode To Positive Constructive Daydreaming,” mind-wandering can aid in the process of “creative incubation.” And of course, many of us know from experience that our best ideas come seemingly out of the blue when our minds are elsewhere. Although daydreaming may seem mindless, a 2012 study suggested it could actually involve a highly engaged brain state – daydreaming can lead to sudden connections and insights because it's related to our ability to recall information in the face of distractions.  Neuroscientists have also found that daydreaming involves the same brain processes associated with imagination and creativity. 2. They observe everything. The world is a creative person's oyster – they see possibilities everywhere and are constantly taking in information that becomes fodder for creative expression.   As Henry James is widely quoted, a writer is someone on whom “nothing is lost.” The writer Joan Didion kept a notebook with her at all times, and said that she wrote down observations about people and events as, ultimately, a way to better understand the complexities and contradictions of her own mind: “However dutifully we record what we see around us, the common denominator of all we see is always, transparently, shamelessly, the implacable 'I,'” Didion wrote in her essay On Keeping A Notebook.  “We are talking about something private, about bits of the mind’s string too short to use, an indiscriminate and erratic assemblage with meaning only for its marker.” 3. They work the hours that work for them. Many great artists have said that they do their best work either very early in the morning or late at night.  Vladimir Nabokov started writing immediately after he woke up at 6 or 7 a.m., and Frank Lloyd Wright made a practice of waking up at 3 or 4 a.m. and working for several hours before heading back to bed.  No matter when it is, individuals with high creative output will often figure out what time it is that their minds start firing up, and structure their days accordingly. 4. They take time for solitude. “In order to be open to creativity, one must have the capacity for constructive use of solitude.  One must overcome the fear of being alone,” wrote the American existential psychologist Rollo May. Artists and creatives are often stereotyped as being loners, and while this may not actually be the case, solitude can be the key to producing their best work.  For Kaufman, this links back to daydreaming – we need to give ourselves the time alone to simply allow our minds to wander. “You need to get in touch with that inner monologue to be able to express it,” he says.  “It's hard to find that inner creative voice if you're ...  not getting in touch with yourself and reflecting on yourself.” 5. They turn life's obstacles around. Many of the most iconic stories and songs of all time have been inspired by gut-wrenching pain and heartbreak – and the silver lining of these challenges is that they may have been the catalyst to create great art.  An emerging field of psychology called post-traumatic growth is suggesting that many people are able to use their hardships and early-life trauma for substantial creative growth.  Specifically, researchers have found that trauma can help people to grow in the areas of interpersonal relationships, spirituality, appreciation of life, personal strength, and – most importantly for creativity – seeing new possibilities in life. “A lot of people are able to use that as the fuel they need to come up with a different perspective on reality,” says Kaufman.  “What's happened is that their view of the world as a safe place, or as a certain type of place, has been shattered at some point in their life, causing them to go on the periphery and see things in a new, fresh light, and that's very conducive to creativity.” 6. They seek out new experiences. Creative people love to expose themselves to new experiences, sensations and states of mind – and this openness is a significant predictor of creative output. “Openness to experience is consistently the strongest predictor of creative achievement,” says Kaufman.  “This consists of lots of different facets, but they're all related to each other: Intellectual curiosity, thrill seeking, openness to your emotions, openness to fantasy.  The thing that brings them all together is a drive for cognitive and behavioral exploration of the world, your inner world and your outer world.” 7. They “fail up.” Resilience is practically a prerequisite for creative success, says Kaufman.  Doing creative work is often described as a process of failing repeatedly until you find something that sticks, and creatives – at least the successful ones – learn not to take failure so personally. “Creatives fail and the really good ones fail often,” Forbes contributor Steven Kotler wrote in a piece on Einstein's creative genius. 8. They ask the big questions. Creative people are insatiably curious – they generally opt to live the examined life, and even as they get older, maintain a sense of curiosity about life.  Whether through intense conversation or solitary mind-wandering, creatives look at the world around them and want to know why, and how, it is the way it is. 9. They people-watch. Observant by nature and curious about the lives of others, creative types often love to people-watch – and they may generate some of their best ideas from it. “[Marcel] Proust spent almost his whole life people-watching, and he wrote down his observations, and it eventually came out in his books,” says Kaufman.  “For a lot of writers, people-watching is very important ...  They're keen observers of human nature.” 10. They take risks. Part of doing creative work is taking risks, and many creative types thrive off of taking risks in various aspects of their lives. “There is a deep and meaningful connection between risk taking and creativity and it's one that's often overlooked,” contributor Steven Kotler wrote in Forbes.  “Creativity is the act of making something from nothing.  It requires making public those bets first placed by imagination.  This is not a job for the timid.  Time wasted, reputation tarnished, money not well spent – these are all by-products of creativity gone awry.” This too is part of the process. Creatives fail and the really good ones fail often. In study after study after study, the most brilliantly creative people are also the ones with the most output. It isn’t that they have better creative ideas than the rest of us, it’s that they have more new ideas to choose from—this means, by working at incredibly high volumes, they are offsetting for a built in and extremely high error rate. So not only does creativity require courage in ones convictions (or imagination, as is probably more accurate), it requires a willingness to die for those convictions — over and over and over again. But there’s an even tighter coupling at work here, and that’s my real point. From a neurological perspective, creativity is the product of the brain making long distance connections.  Most of the time, when we think about a problem, the database the brain searches for a solution is narrow.  This helps us from getting swamped by data. If you’re trying to solve a marketing problem, remembering what Aunt Helga said on your third birthday isn’t much help. But when creatives problem solve they don’t just search the familiar databases, they stretch their brains hunting for dimmer connections, subtler relationships, novel linkages.  When we’re creative, Aunt Helga might actually be of some assistance. And this is the very reason it’s so dang hard to teach people to be creative — the brain a) doesn’t normally like to work this hard b) must also be trained to think this way. This kind of cognition requires a lot of practice and thus the rub — before you know how to think this way, how can you learn to think this way? Well — take a few risks for starters. When the brain encounters unfamiliar stimuli under uncertain conditions —especially when those are dangerous uncertain conditions — baser instincts take over.  As a result, the brain’s rational extrinsic system is shunted aside in favor of the intuitive creative system.  Simply put, in an effort to save our own butts, the brain’s pattern recognition system starts hunting through every possible database to hunt up a solution. Risk, therefore, causes the mind to stretch its muscles.  It creates mandatory conditions for innovation. It trains the brain to think in unusual ways.  It trains the brain to be more creative. 11. They view all of life as an opportunity for self-expression. Nietzsche believed that one's life and the world should be viewed as a work of art.  Creative types may be more likely to see the world this way, and to constantly seek opportunities for self-expression in everyday life. “Creative expression is self-expression,” says Kaufman.  “Creativity is nothing more than an individual expression of your needs, desires and uniqueness.” 12. They follow their true passions. Creative people tend to be intrinsically motivated – meaning that they're motivated to act from some internal desire, rather than a desire for external reward or recognition.  Psychologists have shown that creative people are energized by challenging activities, a sign of intrinsic motivation, and the research suggests that simply thinking of intrinsic reasons to perform an activity may be enough to boost creativity. “Eminent creators choose and become passionately involved in challenging, risky problems that provide a powerful sense of power from the ability to use their talents,” write M.A.  Collins and T.M.  Amabile in The Handbook of Creativity. 13. They get out of their own heads. Kaufman argues that another purpose of daydreaming is to help us to get out of our own limited perspective and explore other ways of thinking, which can be an important asset to creative work. “Daydreaming has evolved to allow us to let go of the present,” says Kaufman.  “The same brain network associated with daydreaming is the brain network associated with theory of mind – I like calling it the 'imagination brain network' – it allows you to imagine your future self, but it also allows you to imagine what someone else is thinking.” Research has also suggested that inducing “psychological distance” – that is, taking another person's perspective or thinking about a question as if it was unreal or unfamiliar – can boost creative thinking. 14. They lose track of the time. Creative types may find that when they're writing, dancing, painting or expressing themselves in another way, they get “in the zone,” or what's known as a flow state, which can help them to create at their highest level.  Flow is a mental state when an individual transcends conscious thought to reach a heightened state of effortless concentration and calmness.  When someone is in this state, they're practically immune to any internal or external pressures and distractions that could hinder their performance. You get into the flow state when you're performing an activity you enjoy that you're good at, but that also challenges you – as any good creative project does. “[Creative people] have found the thing they love, but they've also built up the skill in it to be able to get into the flow state,” says Kaufman.  “The flow state requires a match between your skill set and the task or activity you're engaging in.]” 15. They surround themselves with beauty. Creatives tend to have excellent taste, and as a result, they enjoy being surrounded by beauty. A study recently published in the journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts showed that musicians – including orchestra musicians, music teachers, and soloists – exhibit a high sensitivity and responsiveness to artistic beauty. 16. They connect the dots. If there's one thing that distinguishes highly creative people from others, it's the ability to see possibilities where other don't – or, in other words, vision.  Many great artists and writers have said that creativity is simply the ability to connect the dots that others might never think to connect. – In the words of Steve Jobs: “Creativity is just connecting things.  When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something.  It seemed obvious to them after a while.  That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things.” 17. They constantly shake things up. Diversity of experience, more than anything else, is critical to creativity, says Kaufman.  Creatives like to shake things up, experience new things, and avoid anything that makes life more monotonous or mundane. “Creative people have more diversity of experiences, and habit is the killer of diversity of experience,” says Kaufman. 18. They make time for mindfulness. Creative types understand the value of a clear and focused mind – because their work depends on it.  Many artists, entrepreneurs, writers and other creative workers, such as David Lynch, have turned to meditation as a tool for tapping into their most creative state of mind. And science backs up the idea that mindfulness really can boost your brain power in a number of ways.  A 2012 Dutch study suggested that certain meditation techniques can promote creative thinking.  And mindfulness practices have been linked with improved memory and focus, better emotional well-being, reduced stress and anxiety, and improved mental clarity – all of which can lead to better creative thought.