#yes i did listen to world domination on loop for 3 hours while making this

[wolfkitty42]

* Ho Ho

* You May Have Defeated Me So Far

* But

* I Have A Trick Up My Sleeve

* My Final Attack

* AKA

* Detatchable Hands

[livesincerely]

it’s beginning to look a lot like... ch. 4 (END)

Also on Ao3. Chapter three here.

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The Twelfth Christmas

“You’re shaking the table!”

“No, I’m not!” 

“Yes you are, you dirty cheater!”

“You’re just mad ‘cause I’m winning⁠—”

“You wouldn’t be winning if you weren’t shaking the table⁠—”

“Hey, chill the fuck out,” Jack interjects, wandering over to investigate before things can get out of hand. “We’re gonna get another noise complaint.”

“Charlie’s cheating!” Tony insists. “He’s shaking the table!”

“No, I’m not!” Charlie denies. “Tony’s just a sore loser.”

“I’m not a sore loser!”

“Well, you’re definitely not a sore winner!”

“I said, chill out,” Jack says firmly. “Or I’m gonna be the one sweeping the pot.”

“Aw, Jack!” they whine in unison.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Jack says. “Choo-Choo, stop shaking the table,” —Charlie ducks his head, pouting⁠— “and Racer, stop stealing from Charlie’s pile when he ain’t lookin’,” —Tony’s eyes go wide⁠— “yeah, Tones, I saw that.”

There’s a few grumbles, but no real arguments. 

Satisfied that he’s halted World War Dreidel, at least for now, Jack goes back to the living room and crawls into the Pillow Fort. 

“Everything okay?” Davey asks, lifting his arm so that Jack can snuggle back into his side. 

“Just another throw down,” Jack says, resting his head against Davey’s chest. “You know how they get.”

“There’s no mercy in dreidel,” Davey says, a hint of a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “Only annihilation and bragging rights.”

Jack laughs softly. “Yeah, I think they’ve really taken that rule to heart, querido. They’re planning total domination and they ain’t afraid to go through each other to get it.”

He takes another moment to get good and comfortable—arms tucked around Davey’s waist, one hand slipping up under Davey’s shirt to sit against the curve of his stomach. Davey throws his legs over Jack’s, his arm a warm weight across Jack’s shoulders, and he tugs a blanket up to cover them.

Davey asks, “Good?”

“Go for it,” Jack murmurs.

Davey unearths the remote from their nest of pillows and hits play; the dvd picks up right where they left it before Jack got up, with Hiccup finding Toothless in the quarry.

They’re watching the movie and not watching the movie. They’ve probably seen it about a hundred times, it’s not like they don’t know what’s gonna happen, so it’s sort of just on for background noise and because it wouldn’t be Christmas without it. Mostly they’re just sitting together, enjoying each others’ company as the last few hours of the day wind down. 

It’s been an impossibly hectic holiday season: Davey’s semester didn’t end until the 20th, leaving only a couple of days for frantic Hanukkah shopping and barely more than that for last-minute Christmas shopping. There’s still a handful of nights of Hanukkah left⁠—they’re spending the rest of the week at the Jacobs’ to finish out the holiday, then ringing in the New Year the night after, leaving tonight as the only lull in the madness. 

Well, considering the muffled arguing he can still hear coming from the kitchen table, there’s never really a lull in the madness. But lying here, settled in with Davey’s fingers combing through his hair and his heartbeat beneath his ear, the boys happy and whole just a few feet away… Jack can’t imagine anything better.

He shifts slightly, tipping his head up just enough to see⁠: Davey’s looking towards the TV, his expression soft with relaxation and a hint of sleepiness, the fairly lights casting a gentle glow across his features and leaving specks of color dancing in his eyes.

Jack’s heart does a little loop-de-loop around his chest. He never gets tired of looking at Davey. He’s pretty sure he could spend the rest of his life looking at Davey.

“What’re you thinking about so hard, Jackie, love?” Davey asks after a while.

Jack curls around him that much more, his hands sliding up to splay wide over Davey’s ribcage. 

“Nothin’,” he says, quietly content. “Still jus’ thinkin’ about tomorrow.”

Davey hums in acknowledgement, his nails scratching lightly at the nape of Jack’s neck. “Mama’s been hinting that she wants us down there as soon as physically possible⁠. She sounded pretty frazzled⁠—I think Les must be driving them all a bit crazy, waiting.”

“What, and she thinks adding us into the mix is gonna grant her some peace?” Jack asks with a snort. “Charlie, Tony, and Les might distract each other for a while, maybe, but there’s no way whatever Les is puttin’ her through now is worse than whatever the three of ‘em together will cook up and unleash. But either way, I’m not goin’ anywhere until we get at least two loads of laundry done because that sucked ass last year, coming home to a shit-ton of dirty sheets and blankets.”

“Yeah, I figured we wouldn’t be getting there until early afternoon-ish,” Davey says. “I told her maybe 2pm or 3? And, at this point I think she’d take the chaos if it meant she could get a few hours in the kitchen, uninterrupted, without Les trying to talk her into a round of dreidel. Apparently he’s taking the tournament very seriously this year.”

“There’s somethin more serious than whatever the fuck went down last year? I didn’t think that was possible,” Jack says. He pauses for a moment, considering. ”Oh, hell, what am I sayin’? This is Les, Charlie, and Tony we’re talkin’ about.”

“Yeah, Mama said the same thing,” Davey agrees. “She specifically mentioned that they’re setting aside a separate table just for dreidel⁠—somewhere safely away from any food or drinks or breakable glassware, presumably.”

“That’s probably for the best,” Jack says. “Though, I’m tellin’ ya now, if anyone ends up with sufganiyot in their hair again, I’m groundin’ both of ‘em ‘til Easter.”

“God, can you even imagine?” Davey says, laughing. “I thought Sarah was gonna murder all three of them.”

“I thought Racer was gonna shatter a window, with how loud he screamed when she started chasin’ him,'' Jack adds. “Then, remember? We found him hidin’ under your old bed?”

“Oh my god,” Davey says, his laughter bubbling up into a full on giggle. “I totally forgot about that!”

Maybe it’s the holiday getting to him. Maybe it’s the bit of eggnog he had earlier or the smell of pine and the hint of candle smoke in the air or maybe it’s just the way that Davey’s looking at him, expression bright and his eyes crinkled up at the corners, but suddenly Jack’s heart feels too big in his chest⁠—like his entire self might burst open.

“What?” Davey asks, still smiling, when he notices Jack staring at him. “What is it?”

“Do you remember when we were at your parents house?” Jack asks. “Not last Hanukkah, but the one before that? When you first started your grad program?”

“What about it?” 

“It was, like, a week before Christmas, a coupl’a days into Hanukkah'' Jack starts, thinking back. “I picked you up from campus right after your last test, already had the car packed and the boys bickering in the backseat, and between the snow and the holiday traffic, it took us, like, four hours just to get to your parents house, and I loved every fucking minute of it. ‘Cause you’d moved out, an’ you had classes an’ finals an’ a whole fucking graduate dorm an’ it felt like I hadn’t seen you in weeks, weeks, after four years of livin’ in each other’s back pockets an’ I missed you so fucking much. You weren’t even twenty minutes away but it felt like you were gone⁠, all’a the time—”

Jack’s rambling, he knows he’s rambling, and he’s not sure if he’s even making any sense. But Davey makes no move to interrupt him, listening with that quiet intensity of his, eyes wide and warm.

“⁠—and I’d spent all of fall looking forward to the end of your semester because then I’d have you for a whole month. A whole month, where things could be like they were, like they were s’pposed to be. I’d get to make ya coffee in the morning and hear ya singin’ in the shower and see ya reading on the couch when I got home from work. I was so excited, but I hadn’t realized yet, you know? I didn’t know.”

He pauses for a breath, heart fluttering a little in his chest, then continues.

“But then, that evening at your parents… you never sleep the night before you have a big test, always stay up too late studying and worrying, and sure enough, you were passed out before Jeopardy even came on, absolutely exhausted. I hadta carry ya upstairs later⁠; your Ma had made up your old room for us so I just tucked you in, then slipped into bed beside you. I didn’t think anythin’ of it ‘cause we always share and you didn’t even wake up, just kept on sleepin’. But then, the next morning…”

Jack raises a hand and drags his thumb gently over the ridge of Davey’s forehead.

“You always get a little wrinkle right here, when you ain’t been sleepin’ enough,” he murmurs, rubbing away an imaginary crease between Davey’s brows. “Tension, I guess. It’s how I can always tell that you ain’t been taking care of yourself. But that next morning, I woke up and you’d sort of curled around me in your sleep, half on top of me. My whole fucking arm was numb ‘cause of how you were lying on it but I didn’t dare move ‘cause you looked so comfortable. No wrinkle, no crease, no frown… and I just kept lookin’ atcha an’ lookin’ atcha…”

His hand slides down, cupping around the side of Davey’s face. Jack looks him right in the eyes and says, “And suddenly I thought to myself, ‘Holy shit, I am apocalyptically in love with this man.’”

There’s the tiniest sound of an inhaled breath, Davey’s throat working beneath his palm. 

“‘Cause I hadn’t known, ya know? But once I did—once I realized⁠—then I knew. I figured out right then and there that all I wanted was you, that all I’d ever wanted was you, and the boys, and all of us together for as long as I could keep ya. That I’d wanted you since ya brought me that hat and scarf ‘cause you wanted me to be warm, an’ the phone card ‘cause you wanted us to be able to talk, an’ the sketchbook ‘cause you wanted me to have something just for having, and it hurt so bad because it was too late, you’d already moved out, you were pullin’ away, an’ I had a whole month of fucking torture because I had you right where I wanted you but I didn’t actually have you⁠—”

Davey leans that barest bit closer and kisses him, long and slow. 

“You’ve always had me,” he promises. “Jackie, you’ve always⁠—”

“But I didn’t know,” Jack says. “And you didn’t know that you had me. But really, the whole time we could’ve been⁠—”

“We were idiots,” Davey agrees, pressing his forehead to Jack’s. “But what else is new?”

“I love you,” Jack says, reaching out to lace their fingers together. “I love you so much, Davey. You don’t even realize how much I love you.”

“Sure I do,” Davey says, his voice a little wet, giving Jack’s hand a squeeze. “It’s about as much as I love you. Now stop it before you make me cry.”

“Love of my life,” Jack says. “‘M so lucky to have you.”

“Jack.”

Jack smiles, lifting their clasped hands up to his mouth and pressing a kiss to Davey’s knuckles.

“Happy Hanukkah, Dave.”

“Merry Christmas, Jackie.”

00000

Tags: @yahfancyclamwiththepurlinside, @corbinthecowboy

[littleworldbigdreamsblog]

Forgive Me-Chloe x Halle (A Review)

Introduction 

I cannot describe how much I love this song and the entire Ungodly Hour album. I have replayed it countless times. So now that I have calmed down I could take this apart and appreciate it for what it is....ART. This song and video really plays on nostalgia, control and our generations idea of what a break up looks like.  

The Artist(s) 

So the first time I have ever heard or seen these beautiful girls was from Grown-ish. My friend actually described them as “little Beyonces”. At the time based on their content I agreed but after seeing what their music is like now I would say they are very different because of how much they have evolved.

So to the basics Chloe x Halle is a sister duo who have been singing since they were little kids and their range really proves that. Chloe the older of the two has a more soulful voice while Halle has an eerie, almost haunting voice. This is why their harmonies are so fire because of how different and unique their voices are. It just works! 

The song 

Listen to it here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc9Y58TeZk0

So the lyrics are so to the point where I feel everything was on your face. There weren’t much allusions and or symbolism but it was still very effective in conveying every single emotion. So the song explains being betrayed by an ex. As seen in most popular songs about exs they tend to be depressing ie see any Taylor Swift song (no shade) but this one had me feeling empowered. Like yes you lied but I can and will do better for myself. 

The whole concept of “Forgive Me” is I am hurt as it is like you wasted my time and energy but I am not going to drown in it and you are going to be mad because I don’t want you back. For instance in the chorus Halle sings “ So forgive me, forgive me/I've been going too hard in your city/So forgive me, 'cause I'm not teary/Best believe I move onto better things” So in all it is this idea of the best revenge is showing someone that hurt you or left you behind that you are happy and doing well. 

And y’all that just the chorus. 

These verses and the pre-chorus is the build up. It shows what went wrong in this relationship. I assume there was some cheating and he lied to cover it up according to the lyrics when Chloe says “You ain't gotta tell me what it is/ 'Cause I saw the messages/ You must got me fucked up”. The guy seems completely silenced by being confronted about it because he attempts to “plead the fifth” but that doesn’t even work. She is already gone! 

From the second verse also we see that it seems she knew about the affair and just watching the relationship fade. I am reminded of some people both male and female who stay in the relationship so when they break it off...they are somewhat emotionally detached. This is a means to protect yourself because it is a common thing in our generation to “win” the breakup. And maaaaan I think she won because we see evidence of him regretting what he did like in the lines “ Baby, don't you see, what you done threw away/Know it's hitting you, on the loop, on replay”. 

I can appreciate this song a lot on a personal level because after a break up while it is easier to solely slander and criticize your ex, I think it takes so much more effort to put yourself first and try to be without. I mean getting back to who you were before being in love and then being betrayed is hard but it is healthier  and more productive than bad-mouthing that ex who isn’t worth your time. 

He or she is your ex for a reason right?  

I don’t think I need to talk about how flawless the vocals and arrangement are but I still am going to. As I noted previously, their voices are very different and uniquely so. The very subtle harmonies with Chloe holding that melody and Halle doing the adlibs/ background vocals is perfect for this song and its arrangement. Now I ain’t no music major but the chords, the bass and the harmonies were so reminiscent of late 90′s and early 2000′s R&B Pop music with heavy hitters like Aaliyah, Tony Braxton and even TLC. I grew up on that music and it really brought me back to the feeling I had when discovering that music as a kid. I can’t begin to describe the type of nostalgia I felt.   

The video 

Visuals. Visuals. Visuals. My guy, the shots from this music video totally floored me. I mentioned earlier about the arrangement reminding me of Aaliyah and so did the visuals. I literally had like 3 Aaliyah videos in my head: Try Again, We need a Resolution and Are you that Somebody. This isn’t to discredit Chole x Halle’s creation, it serves to say it is so good it can stand next to Aaliyah’s aesthetic and say “hey sis” in the most loving way. I am not sure if that was their intention but it genuinely made us 90′s babies happy. 

On another note I felt like the visuals aided the lyrics. I think this is where the big brain thoughts are going to make their appearance.

DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER this is strictly my opinion/ 3 am thoughts based on some research.

 In the video there is a consistent theme of Chloe x Halle being these sexy dominatrices ie strong dominant women (mostly in a sexual way). Being a dominatrix is mainly about having control and calling the shots during sex both mentally and physically with the submissive’s permission and kink in mind. The reason I bring up sex is their wardrobe, lots of black leather, chains and those skin tight pants. If you see a picture of a generic dominatrix outfit it is similar to their outfits.How does this tie back to the song? By moving on and being happy that leaves them in control and that is symbolized by their clothing choice. But why would they make it sexual? Because firstly sex sells and they look amazing in leather and this general aesthetic works for them. Secondly in a break up there is a huge power struggle or dynamic and the clearest way that depicts that power struggle was from the choice of clothing and props. Does it stay very true to BDSM culture? Based on some research I did yes it does aesthetically. Relating to the lyrics of the song also yes as it focuses on having that control and existing in a newly developed power dynamic. Do you see the parallels?

Aside from the wardrobe, the overall theme was dark. Like are they really digging this man’s grave? Yes ma’am!. This shows how dead that relationship is and as much as he wants her back, she has to think about herself and her well being. That is so incredibly powerful.  

Also even from the pictures I chose, there is an underlying religious tone. What I understand from it from looking at the dance and certain visuals, it is maybe a play on going to confession. Like being happy after a break up is a sin and she should repent her sins but she won’t. She won’t say sorry for moving on. She will however say “forgive me for putting me first and not crying over you”. 

So we have come to the end and I can’t explain to you my loves how amazing this song is to me. Amidst all the chaos in the world there was a certain calm when this video and album dropped. It is inspiring to see these young beautiful black female artists communicate their experiences through art. To be honest, it kind of got me writing again and this is the product. Hope you enjoy it :). If there is anything you think should be added, let’s have a conversation, I am open to hear your thoughts. 

And please go listen to their album Ungodly Hour...it is amazing. 

References: 

Lyrics : https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/chloexhalle/forgiveme.html

BDSM info: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/working-as-a-dominatrix_n_5c66ea02e4b033a799423973

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/mar/30/dominatrix-classes-be-more-assertive-work-and-life

https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/sex-and-love/what-is-a-dominatrix

[kuciradio]

Personal Pitch’s Top Albums of 2017

By Stephan Masnyj

As a DJ at a radio station and a self-professed lover of music, discovering new music is a necessary part of my daily routine. I couldn’t even begin to tell you the countless hours that have been spent scouring the internet for new music to listen to, or the innumerable amount of drives to work that have been spent intently listening to a new record front to back. Throughout this year there were a startling number of albums that stood out. In what is always a welcome challenge, I’ve narrowed down my list to ten albums that I’ve found to be the most essential, or the ones that have simply affected me the most on an either emotional or artistic level. Here they are, fitted with my own, relatively young-aged ramblings.

10. Father John Misty: Pure Comedy

When Father John Misty garnered widespread critical and commercial acclaim for his previous record, “I Love You, Honeybear,” nearly every mention of the record involved the searing sarcasm in Tillman’s writing throughout. It was simply impossible to ignore; the record was a brilliant, simultaneous embrace and takedown of the very foundations and flaws of love that we’ve come to know in society — all delivered through the lens of his own personal experiences with his wife. In contrast, “Pure Comedy” feels decidedly different in tone. Tillman’s voice, both in physical strength and as a writer, are the same, yet these songs profess an earnestness and straight-faced delivery that hasn’t been seen on previous records. However, this newfound approach doesn’t sacrifice anything in the way of songwriting quality; Pure Comedy is filled with beautiful orchestral arrangements and searing commentary on the foundations of society that humanity exists upon. “I hate to say it, but each other’s all we got” Tillman murmurs towards the end of the title track. In Tillman’s eyes, humanity’s problems aren’t a laughing matter anymore.

9. Sampha: Process

For years, Sampha was the Stanley Tucci of R&B. That isn’t meant to be a negative comment — it’s actually a compliment in some sense. He was always a scene stealer in his features, with his unique voice conveying a loneliness and hurt that a singer like Drake could only dream of. So it was refreshing to finally see Sampha come into his own this year with his debut record, “Process.” The record could have easily leaned on his gorgeous voice and kept it simple in it’s arrangements, but the album is littered with inventive samples (Under), looping synths (Reverse Faults), and dynamic percussion (Kora Sings, Blood on Me). The final song, “What Shouldn’t I Be?” is a meditation on how long it took for him to reach this point. While Sampha asks himself the question multiple times throughout the track, the answer to the question is clear; nothing.

8. Broken Social Scene: Hug of Thunder

There was a period of time where people thought that a new Broken Social Scene record wouldn’t happen. Feist had gone on to sell thousands of records on her own, Kevin Drew had made a solo record and began producing other people’s records, and the rest of the group had largely settled into their own projects. So when “Hug of Thunder” was announced, there was a mix of relief and trepidation; could BSS produce another record that stood with their previous efforts? The answer was a resounding yes; Broken Social Scene continue to do what they do best and produce thrilling, shout-along anthems that could only be fully fleshed out by a 16-person (!!!) band. The lyrics are often inscrutable or inconsequential, but who cares? When these songs are blasting through your car speakers as you speed down the highway, they sound like the only thing that matters.

7. King Krule: The Ooz

In the lead up to King Krule’s debut record, “6 Feet Beneath the Moon,” his website was adorned with city camera of London late at night. Through the eerie black and white lens, the city felt seedy and dangerous; as if a monster was lurking just beneath the camera’s line of sight. This uneasy, dark world is where Archy Marshall takes us throughout his second album. More than any other record I listened to in 2017, it felt like entering an entirely different universe. The 19 songs function more as mood pieces rather than any identifiable radio single. The instrumentation adopts a mix of hip hop beats that sound as if they’ve been submerged underwater, cocktail jazz saxophone, and discordant guitars that sound purposefully out of tune. In the center of it all is Marshall’s distinct voice; a baritone that can be seductive one minute and downright primal the next. The record’s emotional core is the turmoil Marshall felt in the previous 4 years, through an ill fated relationship and the mental burden of following up a stellar debut. It’s a visceral, uncomfortable listen. But to paraphrase Archy himself, it’s fascinating to hear this young man describe his emotional state as he slips into filth, lonely but surrounded.

6. Tyler, the Creator: Flower Boy

Whenever Tyler, the Creator would release a record following his breakthrough “Goblin” in 2011, the question always remained the same: When will he finally grow up? His talent was always palpable, the dizzying raps in “Yonkers” and the emotional story in “48” showed his talents as a writer, and his growing production credits on “Wolf” and “Cherry Bomb” showed that he had a distinct style within his musical repertoire. Yet he always fell back on his worst tendencies; frequently using homophobic slurs or creating worthless posse cuts that did nothing but ruin the flow of his records. All of that changed with “Flower Boy,” easily his most cohesive and mature record to date. Much has been said about his alleged coming out in the record (a subject that Tyler has remained mum on since the album’s release), but it isn’t stated enough just how wonderful this record sounds. The strings and horns that dot highlight “See You Again” are stunning, and the queasy synths that Tyler has used in the past take on a new urgency on “I Ain’t Got Time.” Every single rap, beat, and instrument inform each other throughout the record, and not a single thing sounds out of place throughout. “Tell these black kids they can be who they are,” raps Tyler on the highlight “Where the Flower Blooms.” For the first time in his career, Tyler sounds like he’s living those words to the fullest.

5. (Sandy) Alex G: Rocket

More than any other record this year, I think I experienced the most joy and wonder by repeatedly listening to Alex G’s “Rocket.” The songs, while simple, sound absolutely timeless to me. “Proud” sounds like a drive out on the open countryside. “Big Fish” sounds like a quiet confession of strength to a father. “Powerful Man” sounds like a tearjerking show of emotional maturity to a skeptical family. While Alex has always been lauded for his songwriting chops (even earning a Frank Ocean co-write in the process), this is the first record that feels like it has emotional heft to it. It doesn’t hurt that stylistically it’s his most diverse; the songs move from string-fueled country (Bobby) to cocktail jazz (County) and brutal hardcore (Brick) all in the span of ten minutes. It’s a jarring and exhilarating listen, and the sound of a young songwriter stretching his limits and realizing that he has none.

4. Lorde: Melodrama

It’s often said your teenage years are some of the most formative you’ll experience in your life. It’s the period of time where nothing quite makes sense; you begin to find your own personal identity while fumbling through school, relationships, and friendships. Throughout it all drugs and alcohol are likely introduced for the first time, leading to nights to remember and often nights you wished never happened. This tenuous time period is the playground for Lorde’s “Melodrama,” an absolute stunner of a pop album in both composition and execution. The main narrative surrounding Lorde’s rise to prominence has been her authority for her age (as of now, she is 21), and that has never been more apparent than her clear-eyed analysis of teenage years on this record. “Homemade Dynamite” dissects the social dynamics and self destructive tendencies people often have during a party with surgical precision, while “Supercut” takes a relationship in retrospect and understand that memories of a lost lover usually have a rose-colored tint to them. The most stunning cut on the record is “Writer in the Dark,” a song that embodies the hate, regret, and mourning that often comes directly after the end of the relationship. The way Lorde is able to thread the needle between all the separate emotions throughout the verses and chorus is nothing short of stunning, and her vocal delivery delivers an emotional depth Adele would kill to have. With “Melodrama,” Lorde asserts herself at the top of pop’s ever-changing landscape, and I can’t think of a more exciting, capable person to be at the top of it right now.

3. Kendrick Lamar: DAMN.

Did any other record this year dominate quite like DAMN.? It felt absolutely inescapable. “Humble” dominated the radio airwaves, “DNA” dominated any sports highlight reel, and “Loyalty” felt like it blasted out of every car speaker this summer. From my perspective, it’s weird to think of Kendrick at the top of the pop charts; I always saw him as a supremely talented artist who’s ambitions ran deeper than pop radio. However, it turns out Kendrick can release pop hits while still maintaining the endless depth his raps often do. “Humble” is both a boast and a self-aggrandizement in the form of a three minute pop song. “DNA” is a firestorm of a rap that examines the good, bad, and ugly that exist within all of us. Elsewhere, “Pride” is a dreamy meditation on how our stubbornness can get the best of us. The human condition is at the center of all of the songs on DAMN., and Kendrick analyzes every component with an almost incomprehensible talent. In a surprising turn of events, by becoming larger than life, Kendrick Lamar feels more human than ever.

2. The National: Sleep Well Beast

I can’t think of a band that embodies the low, sinking feeling of sadness quite like The National. It’s embedded so deep within their DNA that it’s almost impossible to shake. Not to say that this is a bad thing; The National have consistently produced some of the most emotionally affecting records of my lifetime. Yet there was a question of whether their formula would eventually run stale after their previous record, “Trouble Will Find Me.” However, “Sleep Well Beast” has the band at the absolute top of their game both lyrically and instrumentally. Simply put, the band hasn’t sounded this energized in years. More than any other record in their discography, Sleep Well Beast hews closest to their under the radar masterpiece, Boxer, in both consistency and quality. Boxer’s most alluring trait was the ability to capture the low buzzing anxiety and depression that takes hold once people realize how their adult lives are beginning to take shape in themselves and everyone around them. There’s a thread of insularity that connects Sleep Well Beast to the 2007 record; a sense of internal acceptance that the feelings of discomfort expressed ten years ago don’t really go away, but rather evolve and manifest themselves in different ways as we age. “I’ll still destroy you someday/Sleep well beast, you as well beast” are the last words Berninger intones on the record. While it may be easy to write the comment off as a signal of resignation, in context it feels like a quiet, confident victory. We’d be remiss to think of the album as anything different.

1. LCD Soundsystem: American Dream

The notion of the “American Dream” is a loaded concept. What does it mean? Is it the same thing for everyone? Is it possible to achieve it? James Murphy’s latest masterpiece answers all and none of these questions, at least not directly. If anything, the record talks about something that we all do nearly everyday of our lives; sleep. Sleep exists everywhere on this record, and within different forms. It’s presented in the form of bad dreams (Oh Baby), a product of crippling anxiety (I Used To, Change Yr Mind), death (Black Screen), and even it’s very existence taken as an offense (How Do You Sleep?). I would imagine sleep would not be at the center of many people’s American dream, but maybe that’s the key conceit in Murphy’s theme here. We all want the success that we crave in our wildest dreams, the ability to conquer our fears, and to reach the highest peaks of our respective careers. But what we don’t realize is what it often takes for us to get there. The crippling anxiety that’s littered throughout the process. The sleepless nights. The dissolved friendships that initially seemed unbreakable. The hangovers. The deaths of loved ones. Murphy for all intensive purposes may have achieved his dreams. He’s had a #1 album, sold out Madison Square Garden, and has been a critical darling and cultural tastemaker for the better part of the last 15 years. But he knows more than anyone all the baggage that comes with it, and it’s all presented here in a gloriously funny, heartbreaking, stunning record. There was a long period of time where I never thought I’d here another new LCD Soundsystem album. Turns out dreams really do come true.

Personal Pitch is on every Thursday from 12-2pm on kuci.org and 88.9FM in Irvine, CA

[pegasusdragontiger]

Writer Interview Tag!

I was tagged by @always-an-evans-addict and there could be someone else not sure? I love you to bits hugs!!

1) What made you start writing for the first time?

I’ve always been imaginative. Why I read a ton of books it seems like, what got me started was the first Chris Evans CBeebies episode. I had these thoughts and I actually went to the gorgeous @mycapt-ohcapt, she said to me why don’t I do it? Told me I had it all planned out in my head and to try. Not sure if it was 1-3 days? Or a week? (She is very convincing when she wants to be, which is why I love her too bits) eventually I started to write it out, and I shared it with her and she did all the best things a friend does all encouraging and I think inner squealing at the fic, Had her and @theycallmebecca edit it. And so it has gone from there. Actually @littleplebe had been begging me to write something a week before @mycapt-ohcapt, but @littleplebe and I are still plotting world domination via our stories! And our plotting of Steve and Darcy fics!

2) If you could only write about the ocean, the forest, or the desert for the rest of your life, which one would you pick?

This is a no brainer forest!! Although I live like 1 hour or 2 depending which Sydney beach to go too, or I could say lol all three, my heart and mind have always been drawn to forests, the wonderful amazing things that could be found in forests! Like castles, ruins, dragon caves, elfs, fairies, witches, evil people? The list and possibilities is endless. Sighs I’m a mystical/mythology nerd at heart. If I could do a Avengers/Castles and Dragon fic I would but sigh I’m no expert on that stuff so who knows.

3) Would you ever write a memoir?

Hahahahaaaa no. The things that have happened to me, that are still happening to me. The heartbreaking, tearjerker of my life no. I could never write it down, even when half the stuff that has gone on was like 3-20 years ago it will forever be to raw for me to mention or write about. I struggle to even talk about it to people who know and have known for 11 years, even know I go through days where I can sit down and talk about it fine, then I do it again months later and have a massive breakdown. So  no, no one would ever be interested in reading my life’s story.

4) Do you like writing by hand, or writing with a computer ?

I love writing by hand, how I was taught from Primary school to High School, but because I don’t write by hand much as I used to. If I write for 20 mins hand cramps! That and my writing get’s atrocious after a while, so now I write with a computer, but nothing beats writing something down and ahh the ink smudges on my right hand as I write.  

5) Would you rather be popular among many readers, or unpopular, but loved by critics?

Popular, as a reader and I dabble in writing I love to get the awwww’s, and ohhhs and the cooo, and the lol’s! Also being told that they read my drable and spat out their coffee from laughing so much! That right there makes my day!! (But a note to all, you can’t go through life trying to please people. As they won’t change, but it also get’s you nowhere. Whether people will dislike you and people will love your work. Think of it as you’re painting a wall with a roller or brush, you have done a straight line! but you still miss a few spots. But will that stop you from painting? No you keep going because you have to paint that wall and the three others in the room, Never give up! Never give in! And keep doing what you love!! And p.s I love you all!)

6) Do you listen to music while you write? What is the best writing music?

Oh this one is a good question! Yes and No. Sometimes I write and it is quite or other times I have my ipod on and Fleetwood/Beatles/Rolling Stones/Adele/U2/Jet/Imagine Dragons/Dragon/Cold Chisel/Jimmy Barnes/Doors/Pink Floyd/ Pretenders/Prince  and others are on loop depending on my mood. If it’s in a dark place or in a happy frame of mind.

7) Do people you’ve met find their way into your writing?

I’m not sure? As I don’t consider myself to be a writer, I think of myself as someone who dabbles in writing every now and then. Not as talented as some others I’ve seen on Tumblr and Ao3 my good those ladies and Men can write. The talent that shines through is so amazing!!

Tagging: @magellan-88 @littleplebe @bolontiku @ryverpenrad @kirstie-lotr @sebstanfanma You don’t have to do this if you don’t want too!!