#(bcs when i tuned in it was dark out there so yep it fits)

[skitskatdacat63]

I think if I could make an F1 edit to any song, it would have to be "The Distance" by Cake, like cmonnnn (But which driver 🤔, I say as if I have any editing skills LMAO)

[thelastspeecher]

Mission: White Picket Fence - Welcome to Suburbia

I’m taking a short break from grading assignments to post some more Spy AU nonsense.  Bc I clearly cannot control myself.  I can’t stop thinking about this ridiculous AU and premise, and when I can’t stop thinking about something, that’s usually a sign that I’ll just keep writing.  Anyways, here, have Stan, Ford, and Fiddleford meeting some of their neighbors while undercover as part of Mission: White Picket Fence.

              Ford climbed onto his bed and laid down, staring up at the ceiling.  It had been a while since he was so thoroughly dwarfed by a twin bed.  He could see glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to the ceiling, fitting in with the “space” theme of Nicholas’ bedroom.  Everything that could be patterned was, with stars, planets, astronauts, comets, and nebulae.  This was the room of a young boy with a profound interest in astronomy.  There was a knock on the door.

              “Come in,” Ford said.  He winced, still getting used to high pitch of his voice.  The door opened and Fiddleford peered into the room.  Ford sat up.  “Hello, Fiddleford.”

              “Howdy, Ford.”  Fiddleford padded over to Ford’s bed.  “Space, huh?”

              “Yeah.”  Ford looked around his room.  “Apparently Nicholas wants to be an astronomer.  Or an astronaut.  He hasn’t decided yet.”  Fiddleford joined Ford on the bed, climbing up with clear difficulty.  “What about Ryan?  What’s he like?”

              “Ryan likes dinosaurs,” Fiddleford answered.  “His room is covered in them.  Apparently, he wants to be a ‘dinosaur scientist’.”

              “You mean a paleontologist, correct?”

              “Well, yes.  But Ryan doesn’t know that term.”  Fiddleford idly kicked his short legs against the side of the bed.  “Bein’ a six-year-old is goin’ to be rough.”

              “Being nine won’t be a walk in the park, either.  Luckily, Nicholas and Ryan are very precocious and will be attending a school with similarly intelligent children.”  Fiddleford nodded.  “We start school on Monday.  Two days. Are you ready for that?”

              “Pfft, no,” Fiddleford said derisively.  Ford chuckled.

              “Fidds, Ford!” Stan shouted from downstairs.  “Get down here!”

              “Great, what does he want?” Ford muttered, sliding off the bed.  On his way to the door, he heard a small thump.  He turned around.  Fiddleford was sitting on the ground.

              “Son of a-” Fiddleford muttered.

              “What’s wrong?”

              “I tried to get down, but I misjudged the distance a bit ‘n fell,” Fiddleford mumbled.  He rubbed his eyes.  “Got to get used to bein’ so small.”  He got up. “Let’s go see what Stan is yellin’ at us fer.”  Ford and Fiddleford exited Ford’s room, walked past the small empty room Conner and Laura were reserving for a nursery for their planned third child, and went downstairs.  Stan was sitting on the couch in the living room, watching the National Geographic Channel.

              “Yes, Stanley?” Ford asked tiredly.  Stan looked at Ford and Fiddleford.

              “Angie’s gonna make dinner.  We thought that while she did that, you two might wanna join me on a walk around the neighborhood.  Y’know, familiarize ourselves with the area.”  

              “You said that Angie’s cooking dinner?” Ford said.  Stan nodded.  “I should probably stay, then.  Nicholas helps Laura with dinner each night.”  Stan grinned.

              “That was a test to see if you read the file.  Good work.”  Ford shrugged.  “What about you, Fidds?”

              “Ryan’s too young to be trusted around knives and hot surfaces,” Fiddleford said.  “So, I s’ppose I’ll come with.”

              “Great!”  Stan got up from the couch.  “Ford, you don’t have to help Angie cook, but it might be nice if you sit in the kitchen and read a book or somethin’.  That way you can act like you were helping, if any neighbors drop by unannounced.” Ford nodded and wandered over to the kitchen.

              “Howdy, Stanford.  Plannin’ on helpin’ me?” Angie asked.  

              “I haven’t decided yet.”

              “Either way, it’s just nice to have the company.”  Stan and Fiddleford made their way to the front door.  

              “All right, Fidds and I will be back in half an hour, at the latest,” Stan called.

              “See ya then, hon!” Angie said.  Stan opened the door.  He and Fiddleford exited the house.  Fiddleford looked up at Stan.  Stan’s demeanor had changed immediately upon stepping outside.  His back was straighter, he had a relaxed, warm smile on his face, and there was an air of excitement about him.  Stan caught him staring.

              “What is it, Ryan?” Stan asked.  Fiddleford was again startled by the change from Stan’s voice to Conner’s.  Fiddleford opened and closed his mouth silently.  “Do you want a piggyback ride?”  Fiddleford paled.  He thought back to Ryan’s biography.  Ryan Young loved piggyback rides from his dad.

              “Y-yes,” Fiddleford said reluctantly.  Stan crouched down.

              “Hop on board, then.”  Fiddleford climbed onto Stan’s shoulders and wrapped his arms around Stan’s neck. Stan gripped Fiddleford’s legs firmly. “Let’s go check out the new place, eh?” Stan stood up.  “Which way do you want to go first?”

              “That way,” Fiddleford said, pointing down the street.

              “All right!”  Stan took off, whistling a jaunty tune.  Fiddleford surveyed the houses they passed.  It was a nice, upper middle class neighborhood.  The lawns were well-kept, he could smell someone grilling, and there were children playing outside, enjoying the nice weather.

              “Hang on,” a voice called after them.  Stan stopped.  “Sir, I haven’t seen you around here before.”  Stan turned around.  The person speaking to them was a woman supervising her two children as they colored their driveway with chalk.

              “Just moved,” Stan said.  The woman’s eyes lit up.

              “Oh!  Into that nice house at the end of the block?”

              “That’s the one.”

              “We were wondering when you’d show up.”               “Who’s ‘we’?”

              “The rest of the neighborhood, of course.”  The woman approached them.  She held out her hand.  “I’m Lisa Bachman.  My husband Rich is grilling up some turkey burgers in the backyard right now, otherwise he’d like to meet you, too.”  Stan shook the offered hand.

              “Dr. Conner Young.  This here’s my youngest son, Ryan.  We thought we’d take a walk and get to know the area a bit while my wife and oldest son work on dinner.  Can’t stay inside watching National Geographic in this weather.  Right, son?”

              “Mm-hmm,” Fiddleford said, nodding.  Lisa beamed at him.

              “Ryan, how old are you?”

              “Six,” Fiddleford said quietly.

              “My daughter, Itasca, is six, too.  I bet the two of you would get along great.  Maybe we should set up a playdate.”  Fiddleford froze.  Stan rubbed Fiddleford’s leg in a comforting manner.

              “Eventually, sure.  But right now, Laura and I are focused on making sure our boys get settled in. They’ve never lived in the US before. It’s a pretty big change for them, especially since they both can be a bit shy.”

              “You don’t look like a foreigner,” Lisa said warily.  Stan chuckled.

              “I’m not.  I was born in Monmouth, Illinois, and my wife’s from Boston.  But we met in El Salvador, where we were both doing postdoctoral work.”

              “Your wife has a doctorate, too?”

              “Yep.  In entomology.”

              “So you’ve lived in El Salvador since then?”

              “Nah.  We bounced around Central America a lot.  Ryan here was born in Costa Rica, and his big brother Nicholas was born in Panama.  But Laura and I decided it was about time we went back to the States and settled down so our boys could have a steady home.”

              “Ryan, what do you think of America so far?” Lisa asked Fiddleford. Fiddleford buried his face in Stan’s hair, acting the part of a shy child.

              “It’s okay, buddy,” Stan cajoled.

              “It’s nice,” Fiddleford mumbled.  “I like the house.”

              “And you were telling us something else on the way here,” Stan said.  “About school?”

              “I’m excited to go to school.”

              “We homeschooled our boys, ‘cause we didn’t stay in one place for long,” Stan explained to Lisa.  Lisa nodded. “Ryan and his brother are excited to experience an American school.  Even if it’s a private one, not a public one.”

              “Your sons got accepted into a private school?  Which one?”

              “St. Luke’s.”

              “Well, isn’t that a lovely coincidence!” Lisa enthused.  “Itasca goes there, too!  Maybe she and Ryan will be classmates.”

              “Hear that, buddy?  You might be in class with one of the neighbor kids,” Stan said to Fiddleford. Fiddleford nodded.  “The wife and I were so proud of them when we got the acceptance letter.”

              “Makes sense!  St. Luke’s is a tough school to get into.  We’ve been sending in applications for Huron since he was five, but he hasn’t gotten in yet.”

              “And how old is he now?”

              “Ten.”

              “Ah, well, it’s not the worst thing to not get into St. Luke’s,” Stan said.  “There are plenty of public schools around that are great.  What matters is that kids enjoy learning.”  Lisa shrugged.

              “We won’t stop trying to get Huron into St. Luke’s.  But, I suppose you’re right.  He’s still getting good grades at the public school.  That’s what’s important,” Lisa said.  Stan’s expression became carefully guarded.

              “Uh-huh.”

              “Dad!”  Stan turned around.  Ford walked up to him.

              “Hey, Nicky.  Is dinner ready?”

              “Yep.  Mom sent me out to go find you and Ryan,” Ford said.

              “Nicky, this is Mrs. Bachman, one of our neighbors,” Stan said.  Ford nodded.

              “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Bachman.”

              “It’s nice to meet you too, Nicky,” Lisa said with a smile.

              “She’s got a daughter that’s Ryan’s age, and a son that’s about your age,” Stan continued.

              “Oh, how old are you, Nicky?”

              “Nine.”

              “Your dad’s right.  My son, Huron, is ten.”  Lisa beamed at Ford.  “I bet you’d be a good influence on him.  Your dad tells me you’re a world traveler.”

              “I dunno if some countries in Central America count as the world,” Ford mumbled.

              “It’s more countries than Huron’s been to.”  Lisa tapped her chin.  “Hmm, maybe we should go somewhere over the summer.  Some experience outside the country might finally persuade St. Luke’s to accept him.”

              “It was nice meeting you, Lisa,” Stan said.  “But the boys and I should get going.”

              “Of course.  It was nice meeting you, too.  All three of you.  We’ll have to have you come over sometime.”

              “We’ll take you up on that offer,” Stan said.  “Say goodbye, boys.”

              “Bye, Mrs. Bachman,” Ford said.  Fiddleford waved at Lisa.  She waved back and returned to the chair she had been watching her children from. Stan, Ford, and Fiddleford began to head back to the house.  “She was…” Ford started.

              “What I expected, to be honest,” Fiddleford said softly.  Stan scowled.

              “I didn’t like her,” Stan said firmly.

              “You hid those feelin’s well,” Fiddleford said.

              “Thanks.”

              “Why didn’t you like her?” Ford asked.

              “First off, she named her kids after lakes.  What kinda person does that?”

              “Well-off white suburban parents,” Ford mumbled.

              “…Whatever.  Second, the way she kept talking about her son not getting into some snobby rich kid private school.  Like it was the end of the world!  That kid’s gonna grow up thinking school is the only thing that matters.  His priorities are gonna be all screwed.”

              “You’re fired up about this,” Ford remarked.  “Why do you care so much?  I’ve never seen you get this worked up over that kind of parent before.” Stan sighed.

              “Ever since Angie and I started talking about having a kid, I’ve been thinking about what good parents do.  Mostly I just think about what Pops did.  I figure the opposite of that is the right thing.  And what Lisa was talking about, saying that the only thing that mattered was that her son got good grades, that’s closer what Pops would say than…well, the opposite of what Pops would say.”

              “You’ll be a good dad,” Fiddleford said quietly.

              “I agree,” Ford said.  Stan froze.

              “Do- do you mean that?” Stan asked.

              “You’re thinking about how to be a good father before Angie’s even pregnant,” Ford said.  “That’s the hallmark of someone who cares deeply.”

              “He’s right, Stan,” Fiddleford said.

              “Thanks,” Stan said softly.  A grin fought its way onto his face as he started walking again.  “And now I’m getting some practice, too.  With pretending to be your dad.”  Stan ruffled Ford’s hair.  Ford shoved Stan’s hand away.

              “‘Pretending’ is the key word there, Stan,” Ford said.

              “Pretending is the key word, Dad.”

[fuckyeahevanrwood]

Rebel and a Basket Case

Evan Rachel Wood, known for her leading role as a heroine and oldest host in the HBO Original series Westworld, as well as her roles in films Thirteen, The Wrestler, TV series True Blood and the mini series Mildred Pearce.  Her covetable award-winning catalog of acting roles barely highlights her deep rooted musical background she evolved at a very young age.

We get a squint of her prolific vocal talent as the star of the 2007 musical film ‘Across the Universe‘ as she covers 1960’s  Beatles songs.  

Fast forward to 2017; Evan and Zach chat with novelist Laura Albert about the inspiration for their debut album and the journey of writing songs whilst juggling an intense acting career.

Rebel and a Basket Case an edgy, 80’s inspired electro –pop duo who are reclaiming inspirational moments from their teenage music icons, The Breakfast club, Karaoke and verve for all that is a unicorn world.

Interview by Laura Albert

Laura: I very much love Westworld. Has the unfurling story which seems a constant peeling back of identity, seeped into your musical world?

Evan: Zach and I wrote a lot of the album while I was in production and while we were on a short hiatus. Playing that character definitely gave me a new found strength that trickled over into our music I’m sure. So many themes on the record have to do with overcoming oppressive situations and West World is very much the same.

Laura: Your music has an uplifting message — it understands suffering but offers support to lift others out of darkness. It brings to mind a quote from my mentor David Milch, “You know, people say that my writing is dark. And for me it’s quite the opposite. It sees light in darkness and it doesn’t try to distort darkness. The essential thing is that the seeing itself is joyful.” It seems like you share this philosophy – would be great to hear both your thoughts.

Zach: Yep. I’m all about being present in the journey. One of the greatest life lessons I’ve ever learned is that you “can learn just as much from a ‘bad’ experience, as you can a ‘good’ experience.” So either way, you are balancing the scales and moving “forward” more than anything. That is cumulative. That’s unstoppable. And growth is independent of how enjoyable a particular life challenge or experience is. So, I think we capture that in our music. There is always pain and hardship that comes along (eventually) in tandem with the greatest joy. That’s the spice of life. We all want to be happy. But those moments when we are not or challenged is when we learn the most about ourselves…and carry that knowledge forward allowing us to enjoy our happy moments all more the deeply.

Evan: A lot of the lyrics that I pulled out of my arsenal came from a time when I was suffering, heartbroken, oppressed, misunderstood, and generally teetering on madness. The fact that I made it out and feel like a better person for it taught me a lot. Especially because my work in film is usually really heavy and dramatic I felt I would drain myself if the music I made was similar. I wanted our songs and lyrics to acknowledge the struggle but also say, “Hey, you aren’t alone and it’s going to be ok. You will survive.” Making uplifting and empowering music can sometimes be more challenging. Just like it’s easier to take an insult rather than a compliment. I think especially where we are in the world right now, people know things are hard, people know things are bad, I feel like we need to be reminded that we can overcome.

Laura: You were brought together collaborating on music, can you tell us more about that, and how you both felt it was a fit worth exploring.

Zach: Originally, this tune I had written sounded pretty lame with my vocals in the lead…enter Evan. She has an amazing gift both as a vocalist, and as a writer, which I discovered later. Her talent was apparent, but when it seemed like our collaboration gave her a stage to fully explore the writer inside of her, I happy obliged. That she feels comfortable with me in that regard is an honor, and a pleasure. Her turn of word never ceases to amaze me, and opened me up musically to explore different territory. It’s incredible to work with her, see how her mind works, and see the connections she makes to music emotionally. And her explosiveness and dynamic ability as a performer is hard to rival. Which is lovely, because I have looked a long time for someone who can give me a run for my money in the performative arena. I think we push each other, and complement each other equally. That’s why it works.

Evan: Music was always my first love. I held it in such high regard and it was so precious to me I couldn’t even bring myself to put my own out in the world because I wanted it to be perfect. Linda Perry heard me sing, reached out to me and became a sort of mentor. She gave me that little push I needed and the confidence to just start, it didn’t have to be perfect. Once that door was open I started working with Zach on this play we did together and we started talking about music. We not only had great chemistry but it seemed like we had the same vision for what we wanted to achieve, not just musically but the general concept. We both loved androgyny, glam rock, and were born in the 80’s raised in the 90’s so we have a lot of the same influences stylistically. Zach was the first person I felt comfortable enough with to be vulnerable and share my writing and melodies. He was really patient and nurturing and it felt safe. Once those barriers were down it was like we couldn’t stop making music, it flowed so freely and naturally. Zach is incredible with the little details and he can hear things I just don’t. He is also the hook master!

Laura: I dig how your band name is taken from the stereotype-labels from John Hughes’ Breakfast Club — there is a power in taking on a label and owning it. When I was a kid, my mom taught be about the Chinese finger puzzle, a straw tube you put your fingers into. If you try to pull your fingers out, it tightens around your fingers. The only way out is in: when you press your finger deeper inside, then it magically opens. As  public figures, so many tags or typecasting can get thrust on you. But you are both freely exploring a variety genres, but ultimately it feels like you are inviting the audience to go deeper than the label or category — and by doing so, you can follow any rule want. Do you feel free to explore any genre of music with Rebel?

Evan: I feel like we have so many influences and what I love about our first record is that it all fits together but it shows a vast range. We were exploring and finding different parts of ourselves musically as a band and I think that reflects in a cool way on this album. I also think you need to keep reinventing yourself as an artist because as people we don’t stay the same, we grow and evolve so that can’t help but be mirrored in what you create. I am hoping we are able to show many sides of who we are as artists while keeping the integrity of our vibe and mission.

Zach: With Ev on this one. As a writer, I am fairly disrespectful of any kind of genre restrictions. Of course things need to sound cohesive, and we definitely have an aesthetic as RB&C but, rules are made to be broken. And music in this era we are in is so fluid. Which mirrors what we are seeing movement wise as a culture. With structure comes freedom. No fear to explore.

Laura: Zach, it’s awesome how varied your creative outlets have been, did anyone every try to dissuade you from being so expansive in your artistic endeavors or outlets? Zach did you always know you wanted to make music?

Zach: Yes. Pretty much a LOT of people tried to dissuade me. They all had the best intentions, thinking that they were doing me a favor in their advice to streamline my energies… that I would be more focused on one thing, give move to just acting or dancing etc, and clear the field and my calendar. Unfortunately, that often backfires in modern society, and gone are the days of the Greeks, Romans, and MGM Pictures when we encouraged artists (and people) to be well-rounded ; confident that the X-training in experience would yield more interesting and varied results. So, in short I told those individuals thanks but no thanks. I wouldn’t be the musician I am today without the extensive background I have in dance, acting etc. They all feed one another.

Laura: How do you form your fashion sensibilities? They seem very playful.

Zach: I like clothes that elevate an aesthetic. That allows me to feel like I can transcend the norm and connect to something ethereal. Like lights and glitter. Evan?

Evan: I always view my alter ego ‘Basket case’ as just a heightened version of myself. Like when you go to burning man and you are allowed to create whatever character you want that would normally raise a few eyebrows on the streets. Thats why music and rock n roll have always been so alluring to me, it represented full expression and freedom. We also want it to reflect our message which is ‘be loud and proud and who you are and have fun doing it!

Laura: What are your tour plans? Your music has a cinematic edge to it, would you be interested in  creating soundtracks for films together?

Zach: We are playing regionally as much as possible and focusing on our unicorns on the West Coast. We are playing a Pride fest in Chicago and Oslo in June. Soundtracks for films? Absolutely….. lock me in a room with synth pads and a picture with lots of coffee any day.

Evan: I am actually directing my first film this spring so you might hear a couple of new tunes from R&BC in there.

Laura: Evan, when I became a parent, a fierce new kind of advocacy blossomed in me – I needed to protect and advocate for this child, and I would do what ever that required. With the art I created right after my son was born, I felt a not-dissimilar form of advocacy that was new in me. Not just for my art, but the idea of this child going through any of what I had experienced — sexual and physical abuse — chilled me to my core. I knew I could not shield him from suffering, but I felt that, by giving a voice to what had happened, by telling and raising awareness, I could perhaps make the world safer for him.  Did you experience anything like that?

Evan: Absolutely. I feel like it is my duty as a person and as a mother to be honest about my journey to help people on theirs. I hope I can set a good example for my son in that way. There is no shame.

Laura: Film acting reminds me of writing, in that there is no direct contact with the audience at the moment of creation. What I loved about making music was feeling locked in with an outside energy and not being alone, feeling that there could be a transmigration of spirit. When you sing, there is a sense that you are going to the depth of your being to bring connected emotion into being. Do you feel that music allows for more of felt or immediate shared sense of experience than your acting does?

Evan: Yes, it’s like doing theatre you get an immediate response from the audience. No matter how many times you rehearse, the second you are confronted by your audience everything changes, you feed off of their energy and go to another place. You lift each other up and the connection is palpable and immediate. Seeing people dance and sing to something that came from your soul which in many ways is your soul, there are no words to describe it. Feeling like you are raising people’s spirits and turning something painful into something joyous is why I do it.

Laura: From your tweets to your interviews, it seems you are inviting others to move out of where they might be stuck, to come alive in their compassion, to move past an illusion of isolation of self. Do you think of directing and writing as other tools for you to take problems of our soul and spirit and transform them into issues of craft, so that others might care about what they did not care about before?

Evan: All the art I make is to release my feelings and express myself in ways I can’t otherwise. It’s why I call myself an artist because it’s just something I have to do in some way or another to survive. It’s like air to me. I don’t know what I would without it. If by doing that and being honest wakes people up and makes them view themselves and the world in a way they hadn’t before, if breaks down walls and opens up doors then I have done my job well.