#Asher (Voice Carries the Music)

[mewnia]

Some doodles of Ella and Asher from a while ago while I was thinking about them :P

[us3rnam3-r3dact3d]

Inspired by the latest Reductive Audio:

Lil useless facts about my fav boys/listeners. No hate if I didn’t include your fave, I was making my list off memory and am just now realizing I missed like… three entirely series worth of people.

Vincent

He prefers silver jewelry over gold, but doesn’t care if styles are meant for men or women. He likes what he likes and will wear it. He’s a particular fan of dainty necklaces and women’s wrist watches, but likes men’s rings better.

Sam

He smoked when he was human. Lucky Stripes, since they’re cheap. It was a bad habit he picked up when he was eight or so to cope with his home life. He lost the ability to be chemically addicted to nicotine when he was turned, but he still itches for a cigarette when he’s particularly stressed.

Alexis

She’s very jealous of Will’s attention. She gets twitchy when he’s paying attention to anybody else for too long. This results in spikes of her reckless and bad behavior. It started when Vincent was turned, then when he took in Porter, then when she turned Sam. The most recent was after the Inversion.

William

He cannot paint or draw to save his life. He’s followed five or six Bob Ross paintings, but they never turn out right. He can draw stick figures, but that’s about it. His penmanship is beautiful, though.

Porter

Will made him testify against his maker since Porter’s treatment was particularly brutal amongst Felix’s progeny. Porter didn’t want to, but he recounted every moment of Felix’s torture while being stared down by the man himself in front of the whole council. It was so damming that Felix invoked him to stop. That’s the moment that Porter still has nightmares about.

Lovely

Lovely is incredibly anxious around their human friends. They’re scared that they’ll lose control and hurt someone, even though they’re very well fed and haven’t shown any lack of control in the past. This results in a few months after the inversion that Freelancer thought they were dead, since they showed up on the casualty list.

Treasure

Their older brother is a humanborn freelancer. He’s an enforcer for the Department. They think that fits him well, since he was always sort of a bully growing up. Treasure themself is an investigative journalist who writes for an empowered newspaper. They were trying to get a table at the Monarchal Summit even before they met Porter, but that didn’t pan out.

Freddy

He played french horn in high school. He was pretty good, and was drum major in marching band his senior year. He threw up before every game because he was so nervous.

Bright Eyes

Singer/song writer. Y’all ever listened to the Mountain Goats??? That’s their shit. Slow moving acoustic guitar, songs about the most disturbing and distressing emotions humans are capable of surviving recorded on cassette. Singing at dead coffee shop open mics in the wee hours of the morning. Their voice is raspy and rough, but the texture just draws you into their even timber and perfect pitch. They’re a minor celebrity in Dahlia’s sad boy live music scene.

David

His hips and back hurt So Much all of the time. He figures out that it’s because he’s incredibly strong but not flexible in the slightest. An imbalance in those two factors can lead to a lot of pain. He starts doing yoga after the Inversion when it got really bad and it’s helped a ton. Plus, Angel does it with him, and he likes watching them bend into all of those poses in their tiny, skin tight shorts.

Asher

He keeps track of how much David weighs and makes sure he can comfortably lift and carry that much weight at the drop of a hat. At the end of every work out, he deadlifts David’s weight to make sure he can do it when already spent. He should have been carrying David after the Inversion, but he didn’t have the strength to do it even when not fucked up. He won’t let that happen again.

Milo

He needs reading glasses but refuses to wear them. He tried contacts but he can’t stand to put anything in his eye. So he just squints and struggles through. His phone’s text is blown up like a grandpa’s. David is so bothered that Milo won’t just… get glasses. He keeps passive aggressively offering to add Milo to their vision insurance plan.

Christian

He had a little crush on Asher in middle school that translated to teasing the shit out of him. Which, Asher being Asher, put him off and hurt his feelings. He’s well moved on but sometimes, when the sun catches Ash just right or he smiles that stupid, toothy smile, Christian mourns his own stupidity.

Arden

Desperately protective of Christian, especially after the Inversion. The first time Ash makes a light-hearted joke about Christian’s limp, Arden put his ass on the ground, despite Christian laughing at it.

Gabe

He drove a white Chevy Cameo with a red interior for most of his life. It was lovingly maintained, and since it’s such a rare model, he did all of the maintenance himself. After the crash, the truck was totaled. David still spent a few years trying to put it back together. He called it quits when he was working on the interior and found dried blood under the leather of the seats.

Angel

They have a small stuffed lamb that they’ve had since they were a baby. It’s beaten up, falling apart, and no longer the stark white it started out as. Lambie is kept in their bottom bedside drawer. They only pull him out when they can’t sleep. They were worried David would think it was weird, but he actually finds this more endearing than he can put into words.

Babe

They didn’t start talking until they were three. Their parents thought that they were nonverbal, and had started teaching them ASL as an alternative. Then one day at the breakfast table, they opened their mouth and started spouting full sentences. They taught Asher ASL and the two of them use it when they want a private moment in public/when Ash is overstimulated. (Side note; David also knows ASL, he took courses in high school. Very useful, he loves it. He does not love it when watching them flirt nastily in front of him.)

Sweetheart

They’ve had anxiety since they were a very young child, and it’s always been an internally-sourced thing rather than externally motivated. They recall the first time they ever got in trouble at school (first grade, for pushing a boy who had been tugging on their hair all through recess). They remember the first time they got a B (fifth grade, on a math test they studied for for hours). Their parents had high expectations, but Sweetheart was having panic attacks from the age of three. Definitely something ~chemical~ going on there.

Darlin

They feel pack bonds incredibly strongly. Their body reacts physically when someone in the pack is threatened or hurt, without them even having to think. They shiver when Sam calls them ‘mate.’ When David says something in his lovingly dubbed ‘alpha voice,’ they can’t help but listen. They knew Gabe was dead before they got the call. They thought Ash was dead during the Inversion because they felt David’s dread through the bond so strongly.

Avior

He’s unnerved by human’s tactile nature. Being in a body is strange for him, and he prefers Aria to Elegy (at least before meeting Starlight), so touch is an extreme sensation for him. Humans touch so much. He’s not opposed to it when it’s someone he knows, but handshakes are the bane of his existence.

Starlight

Halloween is their favorite holiday. They start decorating for it in August. They plan elaborate, complex costumes and parties. They desperately want to move into a house so that they can set up scary decorations and shit in their yard and hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. Avid lover of the Spirit Halloween animatronics. They go to Halloween Horror Nights every year.

Camelopardalis

He’s trained himself to use the human terms for things (ex: terra or earth instead of elegy) since some in the Department don’t like it when daemons use their terms. It means that he gets weird looks from other daemons when he talks to them. It’s an alienating feeling for sure.

Vega

He’s never tried human food. He never saw the appeal. What he doesn’t know is that he would absolutely Love dark chocolate if he tried it. He likely will never know.

Warden

Avid reader of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comics. Just the comics, though. They don’t have an apartment in Elegy, but they do have a small storage unit where they keep their comics. They coalesced a few years before the comics starting their run, and for some reason, they just fell in love. Vega thinks this is silly and that they should be embarrassed, but they refuse to be.

Hush

He loves Popeye’s fried chicken sandwiches. Doc fed him one once and it blew his fucking mind. He won’t make them with magic, either, he insists that they don’t taste the same. Doc has started just getting gift cards for him to keep so he can get one whenever and doesn’t have to wait for them to give him money. He’s ravenous for those things.

Doc

They’re actually a warder, not a healer. Hush’s presence has encouraged them to refresh their healing knowledge, however. Even if he himself is difficult to hurt, he sort of invites chaos.

Morgan

He uses his foresight to see what the owner of his favorite little bodega down the street is going to have for breakfast every morning. It’s his little morning ritual and practice for his magic. He feels weird all day if he doesn’t do it.

Seer listener

Their sight is more potent and more clear than Morgan’s. They can give stark details, see full landscapes, and turn 360 deg in their vision and see the whole space. They also can hear what’s happening consistently, something that goes in and out for Morgan. He figures that they’re just more powerful than he is, something that makes them just the slightest bit uncomfortable.

Damien

Gets incredibly stressed on election days, whether for local, state, or national elections. He forces everyone he knows to vote, volunteers to shuttle people without cars, and has at times volunteered to be a poll worker. But elections make him anxious. He cares so much about the results. Huxley has recently instated a post 9pm ban on watching the news on election nights so that Dames will actually sleep and not stay up all night stressing.

Huxley

Does not eat beef. Not for religious reasons, but because of the impact of beef consumption on the environment. He’s about one step away from a full vegetarian, he just likes chicken and is concerned for his protein and vitamin intake. This is difficult for Damien, who loves nothing quite so much as a rare steak.

Lasko

He was forced to take piano lessons as a child. He hated it, but took them up to the point he left home. He’s still very good, and did get peer pressured into showing off at a random guitar center once while out with the D.A.M.N. crew. He nearly died of embarrassment.

Gavin

He has a collection of very pretty rosaries that he uses as jewelry. He is not religious, and if asked, cannot describe what a Catholic is to you. He likes to wear them around his neck, dipping over his body since his shirts always cut down to his navel. It makes people gasp and blush, which is his favorite effect to have on somebody. His fav one has beads made of mother of pearl and a little, golden crucifix on the end.

Freelancer

They love cheap Chinese buffets. They claim that, the lower the health rating, the better the taste. Their desire for krab rangoons is strong enough to pull them from the comfort of their home at 2 in the morning if the fancy strikes. Damien in particular is horrified by this, and keeps offering to cook them some actual Chinese food.

Dear (Lasko’s listener)

An all star volleyball player in high school and college. They were a setter, and took their team to nationals all four years of high school. They are on the starting line up all through college. When it gets brought up in their trip that Damien plays casually, they said they did too. And then absolutely creamed him.

[izzuku]

Redacted Headcanons cause I'm lonely ─

(enjoy my little drabbles <3)

╴Lasko knows lots of coreos from kpop girl groups and can almost do a full kpop random dance

╴ The whole D.A.M.N crew is flabbergasted: Gavin enjoys the view, Freelancer is dancing next to Lasko, Huxley wants to learn too and Damien is embarrassed to admit that he DOES know some boy group coreos.

╴Gavin knows how to speak Spanish and can definitely throw it back/dance to reggae in a club.

╴ Freelancer paint as a hobby. Sometimes it's messy (paint allí over them) , other times they're happily painting under the sunlight and Gavin is watching them from the door like a hopeless romantic.

╴Gavin feeds on sexual desire of course but there are these soft moments when he can sense so much happiness inside of Freelancer that he feels a wave of energy crushing through him.

╴Avior feels whole when he sees Starlight doing something they like along with some fun music in the background. The positive emotions flowing out their body are like a full meal to him.

╴When Angel saw first handed how David genuinely laughed out loud at something they did, they knew. They were like: "yup, he's the one".

╴Despite David being a grumpy man, he wears a small necklace with a gem and small angel wings on each side, always. He doesn't care who sees it, you're his angel and you'll always be with him.

╴Everyone is jealous of David's eyelashes. He has the most gorgeous, long and natural eyelashes you could ever seen.

╴Everyone in the Shaw pack has at least one big scar from claws, whether it be from a wolf, a demon or a vampire. Where you ask? That's up to you.

╴Before the inversion and the aftershock, Vincent recorded Lovely throughout the game, back when they had their powers. They watch the entire recording when they're alone...it's a bittersweet memory.

╴Vincent and Lovely sometimes like to dress in those old vampire outfits and pretend they're enemies attending a ball just to fall in love again and again.

╴Lasko's anxiety is quickly diminished whenever you lay down with him and read some book out loud. Just the sound of your voice softly reading is enough to lull him to sleep.

╴Vega is capable of shredding someone to pieces if they dare to interrupt warden's/darling's sleep. If he even feels someone getting near to the bedroom door, his eyes are already glowing red and burning.

╴Tank/Darlin' poses in front of Sam just to brag and show off their muscles whenever they come from the gym. Much to Sam's surprise, they're able to carry him at least bridal style (he's blushing all over the place).

╴Sam, David and Vega have big titty privilege because I say so.

╴Milo and Asher had scared multiple and I say MULTIPLE times their partners and the pack in general just from them screaming at horror games/horror movies. The worst part is that the rest wasn't even paying attention to it.

╴If they met, Gavin and Vincent would do each other's eyeliner. Lovely and Deviant would enjoy the view, taking pictures and gossiping.

╴Milo learned pretty quickly how to make all types of knots. You know why.

And that's it for today. I'll be sure to come up with more >:) and hopefully to learn about the rest of the characters (unless someone wants to info dump 😏

[mouwrites]

Hi hi!! I’m starting a new series on AO3, and I just wanted to post the first chapter here in case any of you were interested!! :D

It’s a FNAF Security Breach x Reader fic :)

Word count: 1.6k

FNAF Security Breach - A Temporary Commitment

It’s just a summer job. Four months, max. Words you told yourself as you approached the tantalizing supercomplex looming at the other end of the parking lot. It was the size of a warehouse; taller, though, by your own estimate. Perhaps comparing it to a mall would be more accurate. Yes, you decided, it was quite like a mall—the decorative exterior, the noise coming from inside, the families pouring out of every exit like pus from an infected wound. You shuddered at the comparison. Okay, Y/n, enough with the analogies.

You offered a little smile to those you made accidental eye contact with as you pushed your way inside, going against the heavy flow of people. Dodging and weaving between kids and their parents, you finally made it to the entrance.

Stepping inside, you were greeted with relative quiet. The last of the families had cleared out, leaving the place void of human voices. There was music playing somewhere, the sound being carried acoustically through the entire massive space. You felt small looking up at the high ceilings, glimpsing down the gaping corridors, trying to make out the neon signs sporadically placed along the impressive lengths of the walls.

You were turning as you walked, trying to drink in every detail of this 80s-esque wonderland. It very much reminded you of an arcade, with the dark carpets and unnatural neon lighting.

You nearly jumped out of your skin when you ran straight into something—no, someone.

Whipping around with a yelp, you instantly felt your face heat up when you were met with the amused face of an employee.

“Sorry,” they said, giving a good-natured chuckle. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I’m so sorry,” you replied immediately. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

The employee looked around, taking in the environment themselves. “I don’t blame you.” There was a twinkle in their eye when their gaze returned to yours. “This place is pretty striking.”

You stepped back, realizing how close you were still standing to them. With a proper distance established, you were able to get a full look at them.

Shorter than you by a couple inches and stocky in build, they stood with a relaxed posture, though you wondered if this was the result of a long shift. Their square face had a little smile that dimpled their full cheeks but didn’t fully reach their eyes. There was amusement in those dark brown pupils, but it was clearly directed at you and not indicative of their general mood. From under their cap you could see loose brown curls poking out, darkly contrasting the skin of their forehead.

They stuck out their hand. “You must be the new hire. I’m Asher.”

“Y/n,” you gave their warm hand a hardy shake, electing to ignore the vague stickiness.

“Nice to meet you. So, you want a tour?”

“I’d love a tour.”

An arcade, a stage, laser tag, mini golf… you were mesmerized with each exhibit and its unique neon sign. You were also noticing certain characters appearing in multiple signs, giving you the impression that these characters were the place’s mascots or something.

Going from attraction to attraction, there was quite a bit of walking between. The massive appearance of the outside was not deceptive; the place was just as huge on the inside, if not bigger because of the multiple levels. You could see yourself getting lost already.

“Sometimes I work days, sometimes I work nights. Hopefully I’ll be able to quit working nights now that you’re here, though,” Asher was explaining while you walked towards a bright sign reading “Roxy Raceway.”

While you were glad to get to know your coworker, you wished they’d tell you more about the Pizzaplex (as you had just now learned to call it). The extent of their explanations was a finger jabbed in the direction of the attraction and a reading of the obvious sign above it.

“Roxy Raceway,” they said, pointing as you walked past. “You ever worked at a place like this?”

You shook your head, and Asher laughed. “Probably should’ve expected that answer. There definitely aren’t that many places out there like this. Especially not with the animatronics.”

You perked up. You’d seen countless images of the mascots on the tour, and their names were featured in many of the bright signs.

Asher noticed your interest, and they seemed eager enough to play into it. “Yeah, each one is more than six feet tall and way heavier than you and me combined. They’re supposed to be mostly independent, so they walk around on their own and stuff. And they perform, of course. Pretty impressive engineering, if you ask me.”

“They walk around?”

“Oh yeah. They talk, too. And blink.” They leaned in a little to whisper, as if one of the animatronics might hear: “It’s kind of uncanny, how human-like they can be sometimes.”

“Can I see them?”

“We’ll probably run into one sometime soon. Though they might be in their rooms already. If they are, you’ll see them when we walk down Rockstar Row.”

You weren’t sure what you expected when Asher said they have rooms, but it certainly wasn’t the celebrity-style, decked out, individual rooms you saw down Rockstar Row. One of the walls for each room was glass, turning the spaces into exhibits. By now you recognized the mascots that were supposed to be inside. You peered eagerly into each room, disappointed to find each one empty.

Asher didn’t even note this. They just kept on walking and talking about their experiences. You might have been a little more interested if they were about experiences with the animatronics, but alas, they were mainly talking about unruly customers. Which you wouldn’t have to worry about, since you’d be working the night shift.

You were nearing the end of the tour. Asher was taking you into the employee area when they suddenly slowed down. You saw their teeth flash in the light as they winced.

“Ooh—there’s something I should warn you about.” They tilted their head so that they could murmur in your ear, and you leaned in a bit to hear. But instead of a quiet secret, you heard a snappy voice erupt from behind you.

“Asher! Have you done any closing tasks?”

Asher shot you a look that seemed to say “that’s what I was trying to warn you about.”

“No, Vanessa, I was giving the newbie a tour.”

“Newbie?” Vanessa spotted you at last. Her hard expression faltered for half a second. “Go finish up closing. I’ll take it from here.”

Asher pat your arm assuringly before departing to go do whatever it was that Vanessa was so worked up about. You were now alone with this cranky blonde.

“Y/n, right?” She didn’t wait for a response, walking past you into an office that she unlocked with a key. You followed her inside, finding the plainness of the little space a stark contrast to the rest of the massive and bright Pizzaplex.

“So, you already got a tour? Good. I’ll show you to your station.”

Vanessa pushed past you, shoving a uniform she fished out of a locker into your chest as she brusquely walked out of the office and further down the little corridor.

She came to a plain metal door and, using her key again, unlocked it. “I gave you a keycard that should unlock these doors.”

Fingering the uniform, you found said keycard in the breast pocket.

“What did Asher tell you about this job?”

You stammered, struggling to keep up with Vanessa as she rapidly descended flight after flight of concrete stairs, which were somehow even more plain than the office. “Um, it seems like they deal with a lot of fiesty parents. And sticky children.”

“You won’t be doing any customer service. The job I’m giving you requires you to stay in the basement.”

You felt both relieved and disappointed when she said that. While this did mean you wouldn’t have any horror stories like Asher’s, you doubted you’d get to see much of the animatronics that you were dying to meet.

“You’ll be watching for stray animatronics. Sometimes they end up here while they wander. You’ll patrol the basement and the utility tunnels, and if you see any animatronics, you see to it that they get back to the main level. They usually respond to verbal commands, but I want you to walk with them to make sure they don’t get lost.”

So you would get to meet some animatronics! You tried to hide the sudden giddiness that invaded your chest.

“This is the nearest bathroom. Get changed in there after I show you your station.”

You were feeling too elated to be disappointed when you saw your station. The word “station” was really an exaggeration for what you saw. A folding table against the wall in a storage room. That was it. You didn’t even see it until Vanessa pointed it out.

“You can stay in here between hourly patrols.”

How generous, you thought sarcastically. You smirked at your little quip, still too happy to let the disillusionment set in.

Vanessa proceeded to recite a long list of dos and don’ts (with much more of the latter, you noted) before crossing her arms conclusively.

“Any questions?”

Your head was already spinning trying to commit her words to memory. But you just shook your head.

“Good. Now go get changed, and you can start your first patrol,” she held out a flashlight and a walkie-talkie. She made a face that you interpreted as a smile when you accepted them. She gave a small nod, turning around and ascending the stairs, leaving you alone in the cold concrete storage room.

Okay, night one. Let’s do this.

Thank you for reading!! Let me know if you guys are interested in this; I can cross-post it on here if you are :]

(divider by saradika)

[thesinglesjukebox]

WILLOW - "RUN!"

The first time we've covered Willow solo since "20th Century Girl" in 2011!

[6.82]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: A phenomenal parlor trick of a song. It begins enjoyably obnoxious from the jump and spends its entire runtime transforming its needling bassline and insistent drums into something even-keeled. The way everything interlocks at the end is the direct result of Willow’s vocals — she was always the ringleader. There’s even a moment that has the unfurling beauty of Steve Reich’s minimalism. It’s apt; there’s so much joy in hearing the real-time transformations here. [6]

Nortey Dowuona: Asher Bank, the drummer on this song, has the most difficult job: he has to recede for the vocals to take center stage, emerge in order to provide sharp transitions, settle into a smooth groove for the pre-chorus, then carefully carry the outro. More difficult yet, he leans heavily on the kick/snare/kick/kick/kick/snare pattern, largely keeping the hi-hats on a straight, flat drone with no wild tom runs or heavy drum fills to provide flavor. He stays in the pocket for drum engineer Zach Brown to keep him at a low level for Chris Greatti -- handler of piano/bass/acoustic guitar too!!? -- to record. Then Mitch McCarthy quiets the hi-hats and buries them in the mix, letting the kick and snare take starring roles next to the bass as the electric guitar and Willow's vocals drift high over them, rounded off and cocooned with reverb. Willow's voice is a helpless, frightened cry until she settles into her deeper, lower register as the drums pause, rush back toward the front of the mix, then slowly thump into the last bars of the outro, only the kicks heard. All in all, fine job by Bank. Willow sounds great too. [8]

Alfred Soto: Listening to "run!" blind I'd have assumed HAIM or somebody were responsible for the freakout-in-real-time vocal. The wonder is drummer Asher Bank, whose unpredictable patterns recall similar work on Fetch the Bolt Cutters. The star is Willow, whose performance complements the rhythm. [8]

Jonathan Bradley: Willow’s anxious shrieks and paranoid gasps demand stronger accompaniment than one and a half post-punk basslines and an admittedly satisfying clattery drum kit. [5]

Dave Moore: In the past few years Willow has quietly become the most incredible pop artist that you are begging to hear in a language you don't speak. But, much to my own surprise, I couldn't care less about the dippy poetry and therapyspeak -- the right syllables always seem stick to the right melodies and assemble themselves into the right songs. She's a genius.  [7]

Katherine St. Asaph: Willow's A-list family has, maybe paradoxically, caused their musical career to fall into relative obscurity compared to pop's A-list; casual listeners and jaded industry types have seemingly written her music off as nepo stuff that's safe to ignore. Which is a shame, because they're making more ambitious music, more deserving of being called "artpop," than many of the up-and-coming artists marketed in their stead. "Run!" is striking and angsty in a way that shares more in common with '90s singer-songwriters than '20s nu-pop-punkers. There are places in Willow's vocal where I would believe that someone spliced in a Tori Amos sample instead -- the inflections can be uncannily similar. (Well, OK, half the time who I actually hear is Charlotte Martin; close enough.) Docked a point for the outro, which is the sort of indulgent meandering that the doubters probably expected. [7]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: As with many of the great stars of alternative rock through the decades, it's hard to separate the craft from the shtick here. This annoys me in the nervy first half and still doesn't quite land itself in the repeated phrases of the spacier second half, but I can't help but be charmed by the song taken as a whole. To take big swings and fail interestingly is always more valorous than to just muddle through. [6]

Taylor Alatorre: Saves the Day had In Reverie, the Get Up Kids had On a Wire, Panic! had Pretty. Odd., and Willow has empathogen. Once you have chosen the path of the Emo Girl, there's no going back; record your self-consciously mature and classicist follow-up album, or perish. This is of course an oversimplification, since not even the sellout-iest of emo bands has a career path remotely comparable to Willow's. "I can't get out" is an appropriate grievance for someone with her profile, whether it's stemming from generalized anxiety disorder or the fact that "Whip My Hair" remains her highest-charting hit. Even while Willow is re-enacting a nervous breakdown, she's still the diligent aesthete, arranging her yelps and squawks in a painterly manner between the gaps in the skittering percussion. Then she suddenly realizes that the song's halfway over and she hasn't said the title yet, prompting a vision of escape that sounds like an extended cut of a sensitive Blink-182 bridge. It's pedestrian, it's predictable after 5 seconds, and it's still evocative enough to make me want to re-evaluate a certain therapeutic mantra. "'Wherever you go, there you are'?" Willow seems to ask. "Actually, dude, I was there, which sucked, and now I am here, which doesn't suck. Take that, mindfulness." [7]

Ian Mathers: I was one of the few positive outliers when we reviewed "Meet Me At Our Spot," and a lot of that was specifically Willow's vocals, so I'm nonplussed that for the first two-thirds here they don't do much for me at all. Might be the production, because during the last minute's worth of "runrunrunrunrun" bits the song does sound better to me. But instead of that section feeling like catharsis or fixation or something equally powerful, it just feels like they ran out of ideas. Better luck next time! [5]

Harlan Talib Ockey: One of my favorite under-discussed trends in music was the blues rock boom of the early 2010s. Alabama Shakes, Gary Clark Jr., Rival Sons, Kaleo, Hanni El Khatib, Blues Pills, Curtis Harding and Sinkane occasionally, Cage the Elephant and Royal Blood arguably. “Run!” is a near-perfect throwback to this era. Even the guitar tone sounds like it’s from The Black Keys’ Turn Blue, and Willow’s vocal delivery owes a debt to Brittany Howard and St. Vincent (who appears on this album). I’m biased toward giving “Run!” a good score simply because that was most of what I listened to as a teenager, but here’s the deciding factor: when Willow starts to drift away from the formula, she expertly dissolves the outro into dreamy exhilaration.  [8]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: Major theater kid vibes (non-pejorative).  [8]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[theoneandonlyneonleon]

I am not patient so ima answer these now

ask game

1. whats your favorite thing in your room?: my turtle wall <333

2. how tall do you wish you were?: much taller 😔

3. what color is your hair?: im a natural redhead :D

4. whats a rare fear that you have?: nit rlly rare i dont think, but I am TERRIFIED of deep water- like to the point of crying

5. are you single?: naur✨

6. has your heart ever been broken?: not really?

7. what was your favorite thing as a kid?: 2012 and Money Island SE

8. favorite coping mechanism?: Loud music and a weighted blanket 👌

9. whats your favorite love language?: defo physical touch. I am a veryyyy clingy person oncw I get comfy

10. how often do you get nervous?: really only before auditions (and ordering food)

11. if you had three wishes, would you use them?: uh- cha. Who wouldn't??

12. if you could be fluent in any language which one would it be?: asl fs. I like being non verbal, so it would be helpful

13. where do you wish to live?: I wish I lived with my aunt and uncle in Everett

14. what’s something surprising about you?: I do cheer

15. when did you last shower?: last week I think? (I am ass at taking care of myself 💀💀)

16. when did you first join tumblr?: A couple months ago (I think)

17. do you want any tattoos? if so, where, what, and why?: yerp. Probably my arms. Something meaningful. Idk it just sounds cool.

18. whats the most prominent dream youve had?: A reoccurring dream I keep having is where my mom lets me go to school for one day to try it out, but something always goes wrong (I lose my schedule, miss my classes, etc.)

19. whats your dream job?: Actor/Voice Actor

20. whats your ideal date?: just doing something easy and fun, like going to the aquarium!

21. what do you wish you could do better?: take care of myself

22. what country would you live in if you could?: idk Canada? I mean they get free healthcare-

23. whos the best person you know?: my brother Asher

24. have you ever walked into something you shouldnt have?: I didn't, but my mom once walked in on my neighbor teaching me the wap when I was like 9

25. Already answered!!

26. when have you been most embarrassed?: I accidentally blew snot in the boy I liked in 3rd grade✨✨

27. whats your favorite halloween costume?: so far, Carrie

28. what are you best at?: Acting

29. do you know how to tie your shoes?: yuh

30. do you have siblings?: three- almost four- little s shits

31. if you could know one thing about the future what do you wanna know?: if i make it to adulthood

32. whats a dealbreaker for you?: dishonesty

33. whats your favorite current class?: ELA

34. how many people have you dated?: 4

35. how often do you wash your hair?: every time I shower

36. do you daydream? what about?: living w my aunt and uncle

37. where do you go to be alone?: my room. people kinda forget I exist lol

38. which parent do you like more?: my dad. They both suck, but he's at least a little better

39. whats the one standard you hold yourself to?: not being hateful

40. whos voice do you enjoy?: BEN SCHWARTZ!!!!

41. if you could announce one thing to the world what would it be?: bingus

42. whats one thing you wanna do but havent yet?: actually learn an instrument (I am learning drums tho!)

43. what do you wish you never did?: came out to my friends in the gc where my ma could see

44. do you believe in life after death?: sort of? Im pretty open to whatever, but I do like the idea of reincarnation

45. do you prefer book over movie?: the book is definitely 100% better than the movie

46. whats your favorite season?: Autumn

47. Answered!!

48. do you have a beloved stuffed animal?: yup! Pussyslayer the turtle <333

49. whens a time you wish you acted differently?: 3rd grade when I drove a friend away by being to crazy

50. what’s something you wish that you never bought?: nothing really, I thoroughly make sure the purchase is worthwhile before proceeding

51. do you have your own room?: sadly, no

52. whats your favorite book?: white rabbit

53. who’s someone you hate?: Colleen Hoover

54. whats your best hottake?: ???

55. whats your favorite game?: I don't really play video games, but I'd say either Minecraft, Unpacking, or Sims 4

56. whens a time you felt real genuine fear?: when I went to twin falls in Hawaii, and my dad swam me across the third one, under the waterfall. I cried.

57. are you a morning person?: aaaaabsolutely not

58. do you drink enough water?: definitely not.... Im very dehydrated

59. how different are you from the little kid you used to be?: Ion know dawg- i cant even remember most my childhood 😭😭

60. do you enjoy tumblr?: yeah! I just wish people would rebLOG INSTEAD OF LIKING.

61. have you ever had a tumblr experience that made you wanna delete the app?: No(t yet)

62. whats your least favorite game?: fortnite

63. were you a markiplier fan?: still am motherfucker

64. how do you respond to compliments?: If its in person, I usually just say thanks and give a compliment in return. If its online, I usually squeal and giggle and stimm big before calmly replying 'ik✨✨' or 'ty!!'

65. whats something that would make you fall in love?: literally no idea

66. do you believe in marriage?: im kinda 50/50 here- on one hand I would love to have a wedding and get to wear a pretty dress. On the other, I don't believe in marriage as an idea- I feel like you shouldnt have to be legally bound to prive your love. But you do you boo <33

67. do you have a crush on someone?: other than Donnie? Nah.

68. do you like tumblr?: I do! So far everyone is really nice (but please for the love of Aphrodite REBLOGGGG)

69. were you a voltron stan?: naur

70. whats your favorite ship?: Leosagi

71. whats your favorite song?: atm im between Two Time by Jack Stauber and the entire Lucid Dreams album by Boywithuke

72. do you like loud crowds?: I would honestly rather be skinned alive

73. have you ever created conflict on purpose?: nah

74. how do you sleep?: very little

75. do you bite your lips?: only when they itchy

76. do you use chapstick?: frequently. I have eczema so my lips are constantly dry

77. do you have any pets?: two dogs and three cats!

78. what color are your eyes?: blue-gray

79. what’s something you wish you could change about yourself?: nothing, im perfect already✨✨

80. have you ever had surgery?: nerp

81. whats your least favorite animal?: mosquito

82. whats something that youre really bad at?: math (I had to use my fingers to count 7-3 the other day, then I had to pause and rethink my entire life)

83. do you have an sqishmellows?: just one, the lil panda

84. do you enjoy fast food?: meh. I prefer eating at home

85. do you like soda?: yup!

86. Answered!!

87. do you wear any jewelry?: mhm! I have a bunch if cute earrings, and I love wearing bracelets

88. what socials do you use?: just Insta and tumblr

89. whats your lowest grade in school right now?: social studies at 73.24%

90. whats the latest youve stayed up till?: all night

91. did you ever have bangs?: Nerp

92. what trends did you hate?: thigh high uggs because for some reason those were a thing

93. whats your favorite item of clothing?: the dress I wore today, so affectionately called the 'coffin dress'

94. Answered!!

95. whats your opinion on body hair?: if you want to shave, go ahead. If you dont, thats okay too! I don't like telling people what to do with their bodies. Personally, I don't like shaving. I like me the way I am, body hair and all!

96. whats your least favorite time?: morning

97. do you make a wish at 11:11?: its basically mandatory in my house

98. Answered!!

99. have you ever been to church?: I don't go regularly, but have been a few times. Not a terrible experience, but not for me.

100. are you lgbtq?: queer as hell baby

[asholestone]

Asher grinned, catching the glimmer of pride in Ria's voice even as she tried to downplay it. "Just the singer? Ria, you know you’re the rockstar, don’t even try to deny it.” He laughed, raising an eyebrow at her challenge. “Carlos made you a sandwich? Bold move. But trust me, I've got more than a sandwich up my sleeve.” He tapped his temple with a smirk, fully embracing the competition.

He softened a bit as she patted his cheek, that easy, familiar affection grounding him. Ria had always been his anchor, pushing and teasing him, but always in a way that showed she cared. And he loved her for it. No matter how much she bossed him around or kept him “humble,” he’d take it any day—she was his family.

"Alright, try to keep up, rockstar," he teased, supporting her in her heels as they made their way to the dance floor. Once there, he dove in without hesitation, letting the beat take over. He laughed along with her as they moved, throwing in spins, dips, and even a bit of flair to get her laughing harder. “I’m telling you, no one here stands a chance once we’re done,” he said, eyes bright. He guided her through each step, effortlessly matching her pace and keeping her steady, making sure she had the time of her life right there with him.

As the song started to wind down, Asher pulled Ria in for one final spin before dipping her low, having her heels barely touch the ground. Holding her steady, he flashed a playful grin. “See? I told you no one else could top us. Carlos might have his sandwiches, but he's got nothing on moves like these.”

As he brought her back upright, they both settled into an easy silence, the music fading in the background. Asher gave her hand a gentle squeeze, feeling that familiar warmth between them. “Thanks for tonight, Ria,” he said, his voice quieter but full of gratitude. “Even if you’re just here to keep my ego in check.”

He glanced over his shoulder toward the bar, flashing her one more smirk. “C’mon, let’s go grab a drink.” With a last wink, he led her off the dance floor, still buzzing from the night and ready to carry the fun into wherever the evening took them next.

"I'm no rockstar, I'm just the singer." Ria shrugged, though there was a slight smugness to her tone. When she was on stage, she really did feel like a rockstar, like that was the place where she belonged the most. On stage, all that mattered was performing. She didn't have to worry about her responsibilities, she could be be. And she loved that. It was her favourite feeling in the world. "Oh, I knew it. You're always working some angle, aren't you?" She laughed, shaking her head. "I'm afraid you've got some stiff competition. Carlos made me a sandwich today without me even having to ask. So, you've got to try and top that somehow."

Ria shrugged her shoulders and nodding her head knowingly. "Not a chance. Someone has to keep you humble. Who else will you listen to if not me? Huh? No one." Reaching out, she patted his cheek softly when he stopped rubbing it. Things were always easy with Asher, and that was something that Ria had always appreciated. He didn't mind her nagging, and when she was bossy. When she'd taken on the role as his big sister, he'd embraced it. He would always be family, and she loved him like he was her blood.

Between her dress and her heels, Ria was having a hard time not falling over, so she hoped that Asher was prepared to keep her on her feet as they danced. The glamour of the evening was a little out of her comfort zone, but she was always up for feeling like she had things together. "You're so right. There's nothing wrong with pretending for just one night." She agreed, nodding her head. "They're not gonna know what hit them."

She let Asher lead the way, holding onto him carefully for balance. The second he started dancing, Ria couldn't stop laughing. He'd always been in tune with music, and that showed in the way he moved. She did her best to keep up, but she couldn't come close to matching him. Still, she let him take the lead, letting him spin and dip and move as he wanted, just glad that she could be a part of this with him.

[jasminelyoko57]

[TWST OC] Ignihyde Sophomore

Asher Shapiro

Twistune chibi (Made with Picrew by savannyan):

"I'm here to make sure you don't underestimate it, no way!" 

Age: 17 Birthday: 18th February (Aquarius) Height: 181 cm Blood type: B Grade: Sophomore Dorm: Ignihyde

Club: Music Club Best subject(s): Magic History, Flight Pet peeves: Alcohol markers Hobbies: Making music, reading, chillin' on high places Favorite food: Taiyaki Least favorite food: Fried chicken Talent: Perfect pitch

Voice actor/claim: Arthur Lounsbery (Japanese)

A sophomore who is shy and introverted at the outside... until he took off his glasses where he will spat out fire raps like no other. He has a knack of music composing and songwriting.

Information:

- He lives with his paternal aunt in the Land of Dawning. 

 - A former guinea pig when he was young in a mysterious project called "A-X", but he managed to escape. The project turned him into an Esper with a power-set: manipulating electricity.

- Floyd calls him "Pygmy seahorse" due to his pink hair and "Electric eel" (JPN: 電気ウナギくん, denki unagi-kun) due to his Esper powers.

- Same class as Jade (2-E). 

- He's magicless by birth and his Esper powers was gained artificially.

Etymology: 

- Asher: an English and Germanic occupational name for an ash maker. 

- Shapiro: 'Handsome' in Aramaic.

Esper power info:

As an Esper, Asher has a high degree of power, and he also has a high degree of precise control over that power. His maximum electrical output is around 1 billion volts. By forming parallel currents on both sides of his arm with his electricity and utilizing Lorentz force, Asher can fire metal objects at three times the speed of sound. 

Water present? Oh, that's better. Asher is a formidable opponent. Because you know what happens when water and electricity meet, don't you? 

Asher is able to use electricity and the large amount of water vapor in his surroundings for flight. A splash of big water can cause large amount of water vapor present in the surrounding air, and static electricity present from interactions between the particles, in the right proportions for Asher to influence.

Asher can use electromagnetism and at a similar degree of power. He frequently utilizes it to manipulate metallic materials in his surroundings to his advantage, with great versatility. If an object is comprised of a magnetic metal or contains such metallic parts within it, he can affect that object with electromagnetism. He can manipulate a large number of objects at once, and move objects of considerable size and weight.

He can utilize black iron sand in a variety of shapes, with the individual particles vibrating at high speed, allowing them to cut through objects in a manner similar to a chainsaw. He manipulated them into a long tendril capable of anything. Besides that, Asher can also utilize his powers in conjunction with metallic structures in his surroundings in order to enhance his movement capabilities. By exploiting the metallic components inside a building's walls and ceilings, he can stick to as well as walk and run on buildings.

He can carry one or two others during his electromagnetically-assisted movement by similarly dragging a metallic object they are holding onto or are connected to.  He can cause blackouts when he wanted to with real deal lightning. By I meant 'blackout' is as in city-wide power outage.

[mewnia]

Late-night OC concept art let’s goooo

[daddyissuesingreen]

If it Wasn’t for You (Liam Dunbar x Fem! Reader)

Gif creds: @jaimeelannis-blog

Genre: Smut

Warnings: 18+, Smut, NSFW, smut with no plot

Request: @theshyprincess​ Can I have two request a Liam Dunbar smut request and if you do Asher Adams smut request from all American with a biracial reader Not feeling confident and he makes her confident

Word Count: 640

A/N: Happy Thursday! The other part of this request will be coming Sunday at 12pm CST, so be on the look out for it then! This also a shorter one, but I hope you like it!

We had just successfully beat what was causing our fear and the hunters.

Monroe got away, but that was a problem for another time, but for now, we all get to go home and relax.

“Hey, Y/N, can I stay at your place tonight?” Your boyfriend, Liam, asks you.

“Yeah, of course. When we get to my place, I can run us a nice, hot bath, if you would like.” You smile at the idea of a relaxing bath. Your muscles heart.

“You have no idea how much I would love that.” He says taking your hand and walking you to your car.

“Will you drive, I am tired.” You smile sweetly at him and bat your eyelashes.

“Sure.” He laughs at your action and takes the keys from your hand and opens your door for you and closes it once your in.

Liam jogs over to the driver’s side and gets in, he looks over at you and smiles. “I’m glad we made it out alive.”

“Me too. Being dead would suck.” You laugh and take his right hand, leaving him to steer with one hand.

You arrive at your house and go straight to your bathroom to start running a bath. You of course add epsom salts, bubbles, light some candles, and play some relaxing music in the background.

“Liam! The bath is ready!” You call throughout the house. 

You decide not to wait for your boyfriend. You strip yourself of your clothes and slip into the tub. 

LIam walks in as soon as you sit down in the tub, “you couldn’t have waited 30 more seconds?” He laughs and strips himself.

You scoot forward a bit and liam slips in behind you, you lean back on his chest.

Liam puts his hands on your boobs and squeezes them,”Liam?” you ask.

“Yes?” He leans to the side a little and looks at you.

“Why are you squeezing my boobs, we are supposed to be relaxing, you giggle.

“They are like little stress balls, so for as far as relaxing goes, I am relaxing pretty well right now.” He giggles and kisses the top of your head.

“Well, if that’s how this works. I have an idea of what else could help me relax.” You says as you move away from Liam and turn around, careful not to splash any water outside of the tub.

You grab Liam’s cock under the water, surprising him, causing Liam to jump a little but then relax into your hand.

“I could relax like this too.” He moans and stands up.

Liam steps out of the tub and picks you up, carrying to your bed.

He lays you down and gets on top of you.

Lia is quick to push himself inside of you, he lets out a breathy moan and leans his head into your neck, kissing it softly.

You run your hands up and down Liam’s back, moaning. 

You bring your knees up to his waist, trying to get him closer to you.

Liam begins to thrust a little deeper and manages to hit your magic spot. 

“Fuck, Liam!” Your breath hitches as he continues to hit it.

You bite down on his shoulder causing him to moan, Liam loves it when you bite him, though he would never admit it.

“Baby.” He moans with his voice stuck in his throat.

He doesn’t need to tell you, you know. “Cum, Liam. I’ll cum with you.” 

That’s all Liam needed because with one final thrust, you felt Liam fill you up, causing you to cum too.

Liam collapses on top of you and wraps his arm around you.

“I love you Liam, thank you for not dying tonight.” You chuckle and wrap your arms around him.

“If it wasn’t for you, I might have, I love you too, Y/N.”

[ffxivaltstars]

FFXIVWrite2022 - Prompt 18 - Extra

"Gather 'round, gather 'round!" The viera called, the musical sing-song of his patter rising over even the din of the circus patrons as they wandered and explored the brilliantly colored tents and displays. "Hello there folks, lovely to see you out and about! Welcome to Chafufa's Wandering Wonders! Ah, but you're not just anyone, no sir!"

Oleander, dressed in garb just as colorful and ostentatious as any of the surroundings or the other acts, hopped down from the table he'd been standing on. On the way down, he gave a little flourish and produced a fan of cards with just a bit of sleight of hand. "Step right up and learn your fortune! Quick and inexpensive for a glimpse at your future~!" He closed the fan of cards with a snap, and wiggled the fingers of his open hand for emphasis. A moment and another learned trick later, and the full deck appeared in his previously empty hand.

"Love, business, matters of money~ the cards see all!" Oleander promised, lowering his voice to a stage whisper that still carried. "And!" He added, back to the chipper tone. "If you find yourself curious for more, our own dear Asher, the famed mystic himself, can pull down the stars to form a roadmap to your future! For a nominal fee, of course."

Giving another flourish, this one sending the cards fluttering in a little controlled swirl around him and then seeing them neatly stack themselves on his table, Oleander grinned at his gathered crowd. "So, my lovely people. Who would like to be the first to discover their fate?"

[officialwagnerrant]

Wagnerrant Review #4 - Mishaps and Emotion

Work: Tannhäuser House: Bayerische Staatsoper Date of performance: 11.07.2021

Team Director: Romeo Castellucci Conductor: Asher Fish With: Georg Zeppenfeld, Klaus Florian Vogt, Simon Keenlyside, Dean Power, Andreas Bauer Kanabas, Ulrich Heß, Martin Snell, Lise Davidsen, Elena Pankratova, Sarah Gilford, Soloists of the Tölzer Knabenchor

Review: @dichterfuerstin

With Jonas Kaufmann’s Tristan debut right next to Anja Harteros’ Isolde debut (Watch the stream on staatsoper.tv, July 31st, 5PM CEST, it’s worth it), it’s hard to believe that the event I was looking forward to the most in the 2020/21 opera season was a performance of a four-year-old production that I’ve seen online before. But it was and so I did everything to get my hands on tickets for this season’s only performance of Tannhäuser at Bayerische Staatsoper. I cannot describe how happy I was when I got them and how sad I am now that it’s over. I hope that writing this review will help me revive those five hours at Bayerische Staatsoper – truly a special evening.

The best part of the entire production is the opening scene. Romeo Castellucci uses the fairly long overture and Venusberg music to visualise Tannhäuser being lured to Venus. A group of topless woman shoots arrows at a picture of a human eye, later the picture changes to that of a human ear, bewitching Tannhäuser’s senses until he gives in. A Tannhäuser-double walks on stage and climbs up the backdrop. This entire scene is choreographed flawlessly, every arrow compliments the music, and their placement on the backdrop is planned in a way where it works both for the picture of the eye and for the ear.

Castellucci did everything himself in this 2017 production of Tannhäuser. He directed, designed the sets, the costumes, and even the lighting. Solely the choreography by Cindy van Acker isn't his work. The result is a stunning unity of visuals on stage. It’s those that tell the story, not the characters. Elena Pankratova, who returned to the production to replace Daniela Sindram, pretty much only had to sit around as Venus, but she doesn’t have to move. It’s the mountain of flesh she’s sitting in, and the fact that both her and her lovers seem to melt away in fat and skin, that explains to the audience that Venus is a personification of both Lust and Gluttony. In act two, the singers could just stand in the wings to sing their lines. Not their acting tells us how they define love, but a single word written on a cube serving as altar and speaker’s desk at the same time. When Tannhäuser finally bursts out the confession that he’s been with Venus the words disappear and instead black colour gets spray-painted around in the cube. The black, forbidden aspect of Tannhäuser’s soul. The entire production gradually becomes blacker. While act one is even fairly colourful – fleshy pink for Venus, and bloody red for the Wartburg-knights’ costumes the deer they’re hunting, act two is white with only implied skin and nudity, though a lot of it, and act three is black until the curtain-call. This third act is the most impactful part of Castellucci’s production. It doesn’t raise nearly as much questions as act one and two – why do the knight’s costumes look like BDSM-fetish outfits? Why are there feet all over the stage during the Sängerkrieg? It shows the passage of time in the most impactful way. While more and more ridiculous numbers appear on the black screen – millions and millions and millions of year pass, the audience is shown the process of corpses rotting. And it’s not Tannhäuser’s and Elisabeth’s corpses, the names on the graves are those of the singers – Klaus and Lise. The message of this image? Tannhäuser and Elisabeth can’t be together in this timeline, but their story surpasses their lifetime. But no matter how powerful the imagery: Once again the singers do pretty much just stand and sit around while the stage speaks for them. Thus they can’t convince through their acting choices, but have to put everything into their voices.

And they do. Especially Georg Zeppenfeld convinces as Landgraf Hermann. He is probably the most reliable singer of our time, he doesn’t seem to have off-days. And as always he’s at his best in this performance. His voice carrying easily through the performance and singing a dignified, powerful Landgraf. And no matter what happens, he always remains calm.

The opposite of calm is obviously Tannhäuser. Klaus Florian Vogt debuted the role in this back in 2017 and hasn’t been replaced for even one year ever since. With good reason: His unusually light voice is a perfect fit for the sometimes too self-assured, sometimes insecure Tannhäuser. In addition to this, Vogt noticeably puts his whole soul into his performance, even though he apparently did not have the time to fully revise his, which led to a kind of sad “In ihr liegt in Maria” instead of the famous “Mein Heil liegt in Maria” and other mishaps. He makes up for his mess-ups by making his Tannhäuser especially emotional. He’s not afraid of letting a character’s emotions influence the sound and spices up the Romerzählung by singing with a different voice when quoting the pope, in comparison to when he’s just Tannhäuser. Lise Davidsen as Elisabeth is equally impressive. Having heard her as Sieglinde just some weeks before, I remembered her sometimes not being loud enough to get over a Wagnerian orchestra. This time however, she was in perfect form and every single one of her notes reached the audience, even the more quiet and scared lines in act three. I loved those especially. Davidsen dares to give her Elisabeth an insecure, questioning tone for “Sie sind’s” and “Sie kehren heim” and thus makes the audience really understand how much she fears Tannhäuser not coming back. With their voices harmonizing perfectly, with their acting skills, their creativity and emotion, Davidsen and Vogt make a great duo and we can only hope to hear them together in many more productions – next up is Die Walküre in Bayreuth.

The most impressive performance, however, delivers Simon Keenlyside as Wolfram von Eschenbach. Stepping in for another singer with just one day’s notice is hard, especially if this singer is Christian Gerhaher, munich’s favourite baritone. But Keenlyside, most well-known for his Mozart-interpretations mastered his unexpected Wagner-Challenge with ease. He acted as if he’d been rehearsing the production for weeks, and his big voice filled the Nationaltheater with ease, while always embracing Wolfram’s character. Not once he slipped into just singing his lines. Of course one could criticise that he never seemed to keep his hands still, unusual, when you’re used to Gerhaher’s interpretation of Wolfram von Eschenbach, but let’s be honest: This would be nothing more than beckmessering. Keenlyside is not the only one stepping in, though the others had about two weeks to prepare for their roles. Elena Pankratova, returning as Venus for Daniela Sindram, who was supposed to take over the role this season, and like Zeppenfeld and Vogt an original cast member in Castellucci’s production sings, as if she had planned to come back to Venus, her strong Soprano outshines the unflattering costume her director gave her.

Last but not least, Asher Fish conducted the performance for Simone Young. While it would have been nice to see a female conductor for diversity’s sake, opera is a world still very much dominated by men, one cannot complain about Fish’s conducting. He works out orchestra parts that are hardly noticeable, sometimes works them out too much, like when Tannhäuser is discovered by the Wartburg-society in act one he pronounces the more rhythmic parts so hard the music ends up sounding like traditional dance music you’d expect at German fairs. But just like Vogt seems to have finally found his libretto in act two, the conducting gets more balanced and with sensible dynamic- and tempo choices Fish gives the opera the amount of tragedy and sadness it needs, together with the mixture of euphoria and anger Tannhäuser’s descriptions of love in act two need.

Even if not everything went well – the choir could have been more balanced, the very first set change in act didn’t go as smoothly as it’s supposed to go, and not everyone knew their lines – the performance was touching, very nice to see, and fantastic to hear. I’m so glad to have been there, and cast and crew deserved all of the applause they got – certainly more than ten minutes of clapping and cheering.

[cultofbeatles]

beginners guide to the beatles

 made one of these a long time ago but i'm surprised by how short it was. so here we go again. doing it right this time lol. 

pov: you told a bad joke and now the beatles are judging you. 

john winston lennon. later in his life known as john winston ono lennon. 

born on october 9, 1940 

i believe in astrology bc how does john just happen to be a libra 

when john was four he started living with his aunt mimi who acted more as his mother figure 

his mother, julia, remarried and would visit him quite a bit.

it was julia who taught john how to play banjo and piano. and she bought his first guitar.

they both had a deep love for music and rock n roll 

he never really thought of her as his mother but more as a cool friend i suppose 

aunt mimi was more rough on him and did the disciplining 

his father was never really present growing up and his uncle passed away when he was young 

he thought he was a curse for the men in his family 

he had five half siblings. two of them, julia and jacqueline, he was pretty close to. the other three he barely knew. 

fashion icon.

hated school but loved art 

very early on he was insecure with himself 

teachers always shit on him and said he would go nowhere in life 

he met paul at a church fete on july 6, 1957 

paul taught him how to play guitar properly.

once told paul that he didnt know how paul carried on after his mother died bc he just didn't think he could do it 

john’s mother died from being hit by an off duty policemen. john was seventeen at the time. 

 he took her death really hard and became a bit of a recluse. 

first serious relationship was with cynthia (we stan her) 

once cynthia cut her hair short and he didn't talk to her for two days. 

hate men. kill all men. 

when he asked her to dance at a party she turned him down saying that she was engaged, and so he said “well i didn't ask you to fucking marry me, did i?” 

slapped her once bc he was drunk and another boy was talking to her.

only time her hit her.

read cynthia’s books about john pls. i beg. 

once a psychic told him that he would be shot in the states.

founder of the beatles and also came up with the name.

instruments he could play: guitar, harmonica, rhythm guitar, banjo, keyboard, piano, saxophone, bass guitar, and a little drums. 

main songwriter in the beatles along with paul.

was more open minded to change in the beatles music. 

was insecure in his relationship with paul after a while bc he thought he only needed him for songwriting. 

would bitch about paul all day long but the second anyone else said something about him he’d be on their ass. 

had a lot of issues and needed a good hug. 

suffered from eating disorders, drug addictions, depression, insecurities, and questioned his sexuality bc of the time. 

was super open minded and ahead of his time in many instances. 

once he was called “the fat beatle” and after that he stopped eating as much.

truly loved his first son, julian lennon, and would buy him presents all the time bc he was excited to see him play with them.

“your famous ex husband”

he enjoyed playing monopoly. 

he once claimed that he saw a ufo.

he had written three books but he always wanted to write a children's book.

 the last song he ever performed in front of a live audience was “i saw her standing there.” with elton john.

he was afraid of the dark. 

found out later in his life that he was dyslexic. 

was also legally blind without glasses.

never could catch a break huh.

said that his best lyric ever was “all you need is love” i agree.

the first time yoko and john met was not at her art exhibit but actually when she approached him about giving away songs for free.

wanted to write a musical with paul. 

once a friend dared him to masturbate ten times in one day and he managed to do it nine times.

would hold circle jerks with paul and a few other friends. 

just dudes being dudes. 

went on a holiday with brian epstein, who was gay, and told some people afterward that they did certain sexual things. but we will never know for sure.

yoko says that john was bisexual.

once in an interview he said that he would of married a rich man or woman if he wasn't in the beatles. 

hated his voice on records. would always ask for effects on his voice for final recordings. 

made a film with yoko where it was just his penis going from flaccid to erect for fifteen minutes in slow motion. 

only beatle not to of become a vegetarian while he was alive. 

murdered on december 8, 1980.

gave his autograph earlier in the day to the man who would murder him.

died at the age of 40.

“all my loving” was played while he was at the hospital.

and its spooky bc a lot of times in interviews he would say “when i'm 40..” 

and it’s sad bc he was finally becoming who he truly wanted to be. 

honorable john moments that i love:

“thanks for the purpler hearts” he says while receiving the silver heart 

“you are the first person from liverpool that i've ever seen” “great”

eric lennon on my mind today 

this come together performance where he messed up the lyrics lol

that interview where paul was sick and john keep checking on him 

john lennon speaking nothing but facts 

when he said that he could see the beatles going separate ways but that they'd always come back together.

SHUT UP 

“shut up while he’s talking..”

this interview breaks my heart sometimes 

and this interview is great as well 

sir james paul mccartney 

born on june 18, 1942

if you ever have spare time just check out this man’s natal chart. 

idk how he’s still alive with his chart tbh. 

he has a younger brother named mike and a step sister named ruth. 

his dad thought he was the ugliest baby he’d ever seen when he was born. 

when he was young paul would kill frogs in a way to prepare himself for the war if he ever was drafted. 

the first instrument he ever learned to play was the trumpet.

I don't even want to list every instrument this man can play but trust me when I say it’s a lot.

but for the beatles he mainly did bass, vocals, and piano. sometimes playing the guitar and the drums.

the beatles was just paul moving really, really fast. 

he lost his mother when he was 14 due to surgery for breast cancer.

never really learned how to cope well with loss of a loved one tbh. 

had the cutest chubby cheeks as a kid tbh 

met john and was accepted into his band 

sometimes they'd ditch school together and either work on music or would visit art galleries.

went to paris with john and john bought him all the banana milkshakes that he wanted.

connected over their love and admiration for music, and bc they had both lost their mothers. 

had a girlfriend’s mom who he would make comb his leg hairs. 

was an ass to his first girlfriend.

kill all men again. 

almost had to marry his girlfriend dot bc she was pregnant, but she ended up losing the baby.

was the one who introduced george harrison to john.

practically despised pete best and stuart stutcliffe bc they were bringing the group down. 

got arrested along with pete best bc they lit a condom on fire in hamburg.

still felt awful and a little guilty when stuart died suddenly. 

main force behind the beatles imo. 

without him we’d have not as much beatles music as we do. 

was dating jane asher throughout majority of the sixties. 

when they first met they talked about syrup and paul fell in love.

they broke things off after she walked in on him sleeping with another woman though.

directed magical mystery tour and it was amazing and I don't care what anyone says ok?

when john divorced cynthia he was the only one not scared of john and went against his wishes of not speaking to cynthia.

was a little controlling at times. 

has a good heart though. 

mal evans had to drive him home once after a beatles sessions bc he was crying so hard. 

was talking about getting the band back to touring when john said he was leaving the group. 

everyone kind of turned against him when the beatles were breaking up and i hate it.

he just wanted what was best for the band.

married linda and had a nice little farm. 

we love that story.

linda i'm free thursday if you want to hang out pls.

started up the whole “no meat monday” thing where you don't eat monday on mondays

food meat. not the other kind of meat.

children: james mccartney, stella mccartney, heather mccartney, mary mccartney, and beatrice mccartney. 

rip martha. 

WINGS!! 

he lost linda in 1998 due to cancer.

 cried for a whole year bc of it.

still has dreams about john and says they're nice.

wrote a sad song about john called “here today.”

really loved john. like..he truly, genuinely did. 

want someone to love me like paul does john. 

“think of me every now and then old friend.”

honorable paul moments:

his story about george’s dad 

“john? he was beautiful. very beautiful.”

humpty dumpty rap 

another story about him and george.

his google search video that I watch every week 

this 

george harrison 

born: February 24, 1943 

or at least we think 

bc he use to say that his birthday was february 25, but later started saying it february 24. 

why can't we change our birthdays its not like we picked it 

he was the youngest child.

baby of the family and of the beatles awwww

two older brothers named harry and peter. one older sister named louise.

when george’s mom was pregnant with him she’d play sitar music.

his mom was super supportive of his career choice 

when he was 16 he worked as an electricians apprentice.

his dad kind of hoped he would start a family business out of it.

george said nah

would ride the bus opposite way of his house just to spend time with paul 

headbutted a kid bc he didn't think they were worthy of paul’s friendship 

was brought into the band bc of paul insisting to john 

would follow john around like a lost puppy when he first met him 

once had an eight hour erection. don't ask me how idk he said it.

was 17 when he lost his virginity and the other band members were in the room watching and cheered him when he finished 

most sex craved beatle tbh 

once walked into a girls dressing room and asked if they could stand there so he could masturbate 

he was the first beatle to go to america 

got a black eye for defending ringo once 

would make john and paul take turns sharing rooms with ringo when he first joined the band so that he felt more welcomed 

when ringo left during the white album and then came back george decorated the studio with flowers for him 

during the beatles first recording session he told george martin that he didn't like his tie

became a vegetarian at 22 

favorite candy was jelly beans and purple was his favorite color 

used the phrase “grotty” in the hard days night movie, hated it, but everyone else picked up on the slang 

met his first wife, pattie boyd, on the set of a hard days night 

was turned down by her at first 

they married in 1966

wouldn't let her do modeling stuff and was kind of an ass 

a stylish couple but not the best image for a healthy relationship 

got into eastern religion around 1965 

during the Hamburg days he would eat chicken on stage 

had an affair with ringo’s first wife maureen 

got a divorce from pattie in 1977

in 1978 he married olivia who he stayed with until his death and had one son with. dhani.

was the first beatle to hit a number one single and album. 

was buddies with led zeppelin

inspired their “rain song” 

smashed a piece of cake on john bonham’s head and then was thrown into the pool by him 

he financed and produced films. had a production company.

tom petty said that george never shut up once you started talking to him 

but he was often referred to as “the quiet beatle”

formed another band called the traveling wilburys

he’d answer questions online in the 2000′s and it’s the cutest thing ever and his answers break my heart too.

“what do you miss most about john lennon?” “john lennon.”

in 1999 a schizophrenic person broke into his house and stabbed him 40 times 

thank god olivia was there bc she was the only braincell in the room 

had to get a part of his lung taken out 

died november 29, 2001 from lung cancer 

ashes were scattered into the ganges river 

honorable george moments:

this interview he did with ringo 

“i'm sad bc i can't play guitars with john anymore. but i did that...i know we’ll meet again some day.”

when he invented reaction videos 

“the wind was blowing.” “..blowing my girl?”

“what kind of girl do you like?” “john’s wife.”

sir richard starkey aka ringo starr 

born on july 7, 1940 

oldest member in the group 

has no siblings 

naturally was left handed but his grandma thought it was bad luck so he writes right handed, and plays drums with a right handed kit 

but does everything else left handed

when he was 6 he fell into a two month coma 

was a very sick child 

when he was 13 he was in the hosiptal for tuberculosis and formed a hospital band 

grew up poor 

loves and looked up to his stepfather a lot 

his step father bought him his first drum kit in 1957

wasn't that great in school bc he missed so much of it from being so sick 

he worked for a britain railway for a while 

also served drinks on a day boat for a job 

loves dancing 

Rory storm and the hurricanes 

got his nickname from all the rings he would wear

replaced pete best as the beatles drummer 

dealt with people hating him for a bit bc they liked pete more 

had to style his hair in a bowl cut to be in the band and i'm still mad at them for making him do that shit 

ringo i'm so sorry 

george martin didn't really like his drumming and had a session drummer come in for the first album 

in 1964 he had tonsillitis, pharyngitis, and high fever all at once and had to be in the hospital for a bit.

was worried the beatles would replace him for good 

he’s a cancer don't worry

was the first beatle to try weed 

drummers always go first huh 

married his first wife, maureen, in 1965 

she kissed paul, ringo, and george.

what a champ

honeymoon was ruined by reporters 

was really insecure in his relationship and needed a lot of reassurance 

had a great relationship with pretty much all the beatles 

but a great one with john 

john felt his most relaxed when he was with ringo

was once in a movie with roger daltrey 

divorced maureen in 1975 

his wife now is barbara bach who he married in 1981 

had alcohol problems 

once gotten so drunk that he beat barbara so badly that he thought he killed her 

put himself into rehab after that 

barbara lowkey looks like jan from the office 

children: zak, lee, and jason

zak is the drummer for the band the who 

peace and love 

but don't send me fan mail anymore 

peace and love 

ringo starr and the allstar band (starting 1981)

was the narrator for thomas the tank engine 

will play at paul’s concerts sometimes now for fun 

mad bc he came on stage during paul’s last concert show and it was on my birthday and I couldn't go to it 

honorable ringo moments:

“do you want me to come with you?”

stupid barbara walters 

talking about paul 

giving us a little dance 

[archive-archives]

DECEMBER 2020 RELEASES - Coming soon to Warner Archive!

TEX AVERY SCREWBALL CLASSICS - VOLUME 2 New 2020 1080p HD Masters from 4k Scans of Preservation Elements Run Time: 149:00 Subtitles: English SDH Audio Specs: DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English Aspect Ratio:  4x3, 1.37:1 Full Frame Product Color: COLOR Disc Configuration: BD 50 Special Feature: Documentary "Tex Avery: King of Cartoons"

Welcome back for another three-ring circus of animated comedy from the legendary leader of cartoon fun – director Tex Avery. In the first ring, Avery serves up some of his finest one-shot creations: cartoons featuring cats who hate people, wacky cuckoo clocks, kooky cavemen and lovelorn French fleas. We also meet up again with Avery's attractive Red Riding Hood, a pair of amorous wolves and his durable all-around fall guy, Spike. The second ring is a showcase for Avery's ironically deadpan "Happy Hound": Droopy. This time, Droopy appears in a number of guises – each one funnier than the last. As bandleader "John Pettybone," he leads his jazz-playing fleas to the heights of canine stardom. Out West, as a homesteader and a sheepherder, he has his final showdowns with the Wolf. The third ring offers a whimsical glimpse into the future – or at least a future from the POV of the mid-20th century – with a plethora of zany postwar inventions. While none of the cartoons "of tomorrow" foresaw smartphones or Blu-ray players, these far-fetched contraptions, gadgets, houses and farms, televisions, and various modes of transportation could only come from the madcap mind of Avery and his MGM crew. Uncut, restored and remastered in High Definition for the first time, Tex Avery Screwball Classics Collection Volume 2 is another must-own collection from the master of hand-drawn mayhem.

This 21 cartoon collection includes:

1 LITTLE RURAL RIDING HOOD 2 THE CUCKOO CLOCK 3 MAGICAL MAESTRO 4 ONE CAB'S FAMILY 5 CAT THAT HATED PEOPLE 6 DOGGONE TIRED 7 THE FLEA CIRCUS 8 FIELD AND SCREAM 9 THE FIRST BAD MAN 10 OUT FOXED 11 DROOPY'S DOUBLE TROUBLE 12 THREE LITTLE PUPS 13 DRAGALONG DROOPY 14 HOMESTEADER DROOPY 15 DIXIELAND DROOPY 16 COUNTERFEIT CAT 17 VENTRILOQUIST CAT 18 HOUSE OF TOMORROW 19 CAR OF TOMORROW 20 TV OF TOMORROW 21 FARM OF TOMORROW

THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957) - 2 DISC SPECIAL EDITION New 2020 1080p HD Restoration Masters from 4K Scans of Preservation Separation Elements Run Time: 83:00 Subtitles: English SDH Audio Specs: DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English Aspect Ratio: Disc One-1.85:1-16x9 Widescreen and 1.66:1-16x9 Widescreen Product Color: COLOR Disc Configuration: 2-BD 50 Special Features: New feature commentary by Screenwriter/Film Historian Steve Haberman and Filmmaker/Film Historian Constantine Nasr, Newly Remastered 1.37:1 Open Matte version of feature. New Featurettes include: The Resurrection Men: Hammer, Frankenstein and the Rebirth of the Horror Film, Hideous Progeny: The Curse of Frankenstein and the English Gothic Tradition, Torrents of Light: The Art of Jack Asher, Diabolus in Musica: James Bernard and the Sound of Hammer Horror, Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)

The first, and perhaps the best of the long-running series of horror films from the house of Hammer, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee star in this landmark interpretation based on the famous Mary Shelley story. Baron Victor Frankenstein becomes friends with one of his teachers, Paul Krempe. At first, both men are fascinated by the potential of their re-animating experiments. Eventually, though, Krempe refuses to help with Frankenstein's human experiments. However, he is drawn back into the plot when Frankenstein's creature kills a member of the house staff. For its U.S. Blu-ray debut, Warner Archive is proud to present this deluxe 2 Disc Special Edition, featuring two theatrical aspect ratio presentations, meticulously remastered and restored from preservation separations, as well as bonus disc with the restoration presented in "open-matte" format, as was seen for years on television, plus four exciting new retrospective featurettes, an expert commentary, and the original theatrical trailer.

THE HARVEY GIRLS (1946) New 2020 1080p HD Restoration from 4K Scan of the Original Nitrate Technicolor Negatives Run Time: 102:00 Subtitles: English SDH Audio Specs: DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 4x3 Full Frame Product Color: COLOR Disc Configuration: BD 50 Special Features: Feature-length audio commentary by Director George Sidney, Three Deleted Musical sequences: March of the Doagies, March of the Doagies (reprise), and My Intuition. Scoring stage sessions (audio only) featuring pre-recordings made for the film including the unused "Hayride".  "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" Remixed in Stereo (HD), Original Theatrical Trailer (HD).

Judy Garland headlines The Harvey Girls, a joyous slice of Americana celebrating the "Harvey House" restaurants that brought extra helpings of civilization to the Old West. Famed M-G-M musical producer Arthur Freed brought together an impressive cast of talents for this box-office hit which features a delightful original score by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Johnny Mercer, who earned an Oscar for their On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe as the Best Song of 1946. Garland once again shares the screen with her "Oz" co-star Ray Bolger, clowns with Virginia O'Brien, falls in love with leading man John Hodiak, and faces off against wicked saloon gal Angela Lansbury in one of the most entertaining and enduring musical classics to come from Metro's golden age, now fully restored to its original Technicolor luster for its Blu-ray debut.

HOLIDAY AFFAIR (1949) New 2020 1080p HD Master Run Time: 87:00 Subtitles: English SDH Audio Specs: DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1, 4x3 Full Frame Product Color: B&W Disc Configuration BD 25 Special Feature: Lux Radio Theater broadcast (12/18/50) with Robert Mitchum and Laraine Day, Original Theatrical Trailer

RKO's resident "bad boy" Robert Mitchum (Out of the Past) surprised audiences with his softer side in this classic Yule-themed romantic comedy. Mitchum portrays Steve Mason, a department-store clerk who loses his job, yet buys an electric train set for a child he scarcely knows. It must be Christmastime. Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh are warmly matched in Holiday Affair, a seasonal favorite scripted by Isobel Lennart (later to adapt Mitchum's The Sundowners) and directed by Hope/Crosby "road movies" veteran Don Hartman.

MISTER ROBERTS (1955) New 2020 1080p HD Remaster from 4K Scan of Original Negative Run Time: 121:00 Subtitles: English SDH Audio Specs: DTS HD-Master Audio 5.1 – English Aspect Ratio: 2.55:1-16x9 LETTERBOX Product Color: COLOR Disc Configuration: BD 50 Special Features: Commentary by Jack Lemmon, Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)

The USS Reluctant carries cargo along World War II's forgotten Pacific seaways. Beyond the horizon, the real war passes its stir-crazy crew by. Mister Roberts, directed by John Ford and Mervyn LeRoy, is the classic story of men fighting to survive – not war's dangers, but its indignities. Henry Fonda's reprise of his Tony®-winning Broadway role returned him to movies after seven years away. Jack Lemmon won his first Academy Award® as hapless, lecherous Ensign Pulver. James Cagney's petty, scrappy Captain makes a fierce adversary. In his final film, William Powell makes world-weary Doc a sage for the ages. Mister Roberts has moments of unforgettable humor. But sadness tempers the comedy. No shot is fired. No blood is spilled. Yet Mister Roberts endures as one of our most truthful war sagas.

YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN (1950) New 2020 1080p HD Remaster from 4K Scan of Original Nitrate Elements Run Time: 112:00 Subtitles: English SDH Audio Specs: DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 – English Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 4x3 Full Frame Product Color: B&W Disc Configuration: BD 50 Special Features: Lux Radio Theater broadcast (3/3/52) with Kirk Douglas and Jo Stafford; Vintage WB Cartoons: HILLBLLY HARE (HD); HOMELESS HARE (HD) and HURDY GURDY HARE (HD); Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)

With a secondhand trumpet and the loving guidance of a brilliant bluesman, a lonely boy grows into manhood as a superb musician whose talent carries him from honky-tonks to posh supper clubs. But his desperate search for an elusive high note – trapped in his mind but impossible to play – starts him on a boozy downward slide. Charged with dynamic performances by Kirk Douglas (the title role), Doris Day, Lauren Bacall and Hoagy Carmichael, and pitch-perfect direction by Michael Curtiz (Casablanca), the film is a feast of hot, cool, moody jazz. Legendary Harry James dubbed Douglas' hornwork. Day brings another fine instrument – her voice – to four standards. Movie and music lovers will be glad to meet this Man.

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940) New 2020 1080p HD Remaster Run Time: 99:00 Subtitles: English SDH Audio Specs: DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 – English Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1. 4x3 Full Frame Product Color: B&W Disc Configuration: BD 50 Special Features: Vintage MGM promotional film: "The Miracle Of Sound"; Screen Guild Theater radio broadcast (9/29/40) with Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart and Frank Morgan; Lux Radio Theater broadcast (6/23/41) with Claudette Colbert and Don Ameche.

Ernst Lubitsch adds his unique style of directorial aplomb to this timeless love story that marked the third of Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart's four film appearances together. A 1936 play by Nikolaus Laszlo called "Perfumerie" was the basis for this timeless love story set in a Budapest shop. With a witty screenplay adaptation by Samson Raphaelson, Stewart and Sullavan play bickering gift-shop workers Alfred and Klara, unaware that they have fallen in love with each other as secret pen pals who only know their respective correspondents as "Dear Friend". The charm of the stars ably supported by a sterling supporting cast headed by Frank Morgan make this timeless classic one to enjoy over and over again. The story was later filmed as "In The Good Old Summertime" with Judy Garland and Van Johnson in 1949, and as "You've Got Mail" in 1998. It was also the basis of the 1963 Broadway musical favorite "She Loves Me". Beautifully remastered from protection film elements made right from the original nitrate negative, this new Blu-ray presentation of the original 1940 classic is a joy to behold

IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE (1947) New 2020 1080p HD Remaster from 4K Scan of Best Surviving Nitrate Elements Run Time: 115:00 Subtitles: English SDH Audio Specs: DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 – English Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1. 4x3 Full Frame Product Color: B&W Disc Configuration: BD 50 Special Feature: Lux Radio Theater Broadcast (5/19/1947)

As he does every winter, hobo Aloysius T. McKeever (Victor Moore) moves in to a mansion on New York City's 5th Avenue while its owners are away for the winter and invites all his hobo friends in from the cold. But this Christmas, Mary O'Connor (Ann Harding) comes home unexpectedly after a quarrel with her boyfriend to find her house occupied by jovial street dwellers. To make matters even worse, her father (Charles Ruggles) disguises himself as a hobo to get an invitation to stay in his own home -- and keeps his identity secret in this perennial Christmas favorite about rediscovering family and the joy of being together. Don DeFore (Romance on the High Seas) and Gale Storm (My Little Margie) co-star as the young love interests in this first release from Allied Artists Productions.

THE 100: THE SEVENTH AND FINAL SEASON (2020) Run Time: 672 Minutes Subtitles: English SDH Audio Specs: TS HD-Master Audio 5.1 – English Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1. 16x9 Widescreen Product Color: COLOR Disc Configuration: 3 BD 50

The seventh and final season opens with our heroes picking up the pieces of the society they destroyed on Sanctum. Still reeling from her mother's death, Clarke (series star Eliza Taylor), perhaps more than anyone, feels the toll of years upon years of fighting and loss. The group soon finds that maintaining order among the competing factions is no easy feat, and one that has them questioning whether their commitment to doing better was worth the price. At the same time, our heroes must contend with new obstacles on a scale beyond any that they previously experienced as they unravel the mysteries of the Anomaly. What they encounter on this epic journey pushes them to their limits both physically and emotionally, challenging their long-held conceptions of family, love, and sacrifice. Ultimately, our heroes must answer for themselves what it means to truly live, and not just survive.

[fieldsofplay]

Favorite Albums of 2020

25. Dehd – Flower of Devotion

Rather than look back on the shit year that was 2020, lets keep our eye on the hope of the horizon.  Speaking of which, Dehd herald much of what’s to come on this here list.  While as previously mentioned a shit year for most everything besides presidential politics, 2020 proved to be a great year for good old fashioned guitar music.  Could I be accused of curling up with my version of musical comfort food? Perhaps.  But starting off with Dehd, we have a type of band that used to be everywhere and now seems to be almost nowhere.  Jangly lo-fi guitars, perky drums, and straightforward unadorned singing.  About five years ago you couldn’t throw a rock in Brooklyn without hitting a band like this, but now that that fad is long gone.  I’m glad that Chicago’s Dehd are still carrying the torch.  

24. Perfume Genius – Set My Heart on Fire Immediately

I’ve always liked Perfume Genius, but for whatever reason Set My Heart on Fire Immediately is the album that took him out of the realm of casual background musical encounter to something I sought out.  Chamber pop has never really been my thing (except for those couple summers where Grizzly Bear was totally my jam), but here the torch songs catch fire by the compressed force of Michael Hadreas’ longing.  This record also pulls off the impressive feat of each song gradually morphing just a bit from what proceeds it, so that the whole record sounds similar and yet each song carves out its own little generic niche, the whole thing united by the quivering power of that pleading voice.  

23. 2nd Grade – Hit to Hit

If you ever found yourself wondering what Guided by Voices would sound like if they wanted to be Big Star instead of punk rock Kinks, we now have the answer, and it’s Phily’s 2nd Grade.  In the noble tradition of Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes, Hit to Hit’s 24 tracks breeze by in a mere 41 minutes and 8 seconds.  An earworm sunny melody, a quick guitar hook, a second verse (maybe), and poof, each song is gone before you could ever miss it.  You would think variation would be difficult working within such tight musical corners, but while each song clearly shares common DNA, there is actually a lot of variance here, from weepy country ditties (“Bye Bye Texas”) to overdriven stompers (“Baby’s First Word”) though they all tend to orbit the same (big) star.  

22. Tame Impala – The Slow Rush

I’ll be the first to admit that The Slow Rush isn’t my favorite Tame Impala record, not by a long shot.  Having said that, this album still feels like it got short shrift this year (not that anyone can really complain about that in these here times).  If we never knew that Lonerism or Innerspeaker or Currents existed, I wonder how much people would be head over heels for this album.  “One More Year” “Is It True” and “Posthumous Forgiveness” are all top notch Impala jams.  Seems like this album is the soundtrack for the chilled out summer hangs that we never got to have, and thus it’s fitting that it seems condemned for the ash-heap of history rather than the late-night come downs we never got up to.

21. Against All Logic – 2017 – 2019

Ah, speaking of complicated musical relationships, I can never seem to chart a clear course with Nicolas Jaar.  The music he puts out under his own name never seems to do much for me, but I dug his collaboration with Dave Harrington as Darkside, and I really love most everything he’s put out as Against All Logic.  While admittedly not a great year for house music—normally a liberating genre of communal interconnectivity, now a cruel reminder that we all live in Footloose—a banger remains a banger, and 2017-2019 is full to the brim with them.  While I honestly can’t remember the last time I went dancing, I’ll still crank up “Fantasy” and bop around my living room, literally dancing by myself (lets be honest, something I would have done pandemic or no).  

20. Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters

Fetch the Bolt Cutters has had a lot of great things said about it this year, so I don’t really have to add that much.  What I will say is this is perhaps the most interesting percussion I’ve ever heard on a record.  There is percussion all over the place, but almost none of it in the form of full-kit drumming.  Fiona always used the left hand on the piano as the rhythmic center of her songs, but here there is drilling, tapping, rapping, patting.  The phrase DIY gets tossed around all the time (and almost never applied to big money, big label Fiona) but to me the most impressive thing about this record is how it always sounds like she is sitting at a rickety upright piano in the corner of a living room, while everyone congregating around keeps the beat by tapping on pots and pans, the walls, whatever is at hand.  I’ve truly never heard anything like it.  

19. Advertisement – American Advertisement

Godbless Seattle’s Advertisement. So long as there is cheap beer, old shitty cars driving with the windows down, and the U-SofA, there’ll be bands like Advertisement.  Straight out of the vein of Cheap Trick and the more recent White Reaper, Advertisement play power pop with the emphasis on the power.  Sometimes this type of music gets called sleazy, but honestly I don’t get it.  I think its probably because you can imagine it playing while Wooderson drives around Austin looking for redheads. While we rightfully cancelled the song of summer this year, “Upstream Boogie” would have gotten my vote, perfect for backyard bbqs and cannonballing into creeks.  

18. Nation of Language – Introduction, Presence

I didn’t set it up this way, but if Advertisement has a diametric opposite, its probably Nation of Language.  Where Advertisement is all frayed edges and foam, Nation of Language is as buttoned up as those terrible sports jackets people wore in the early ‘90s.  While its not as good as my beloved Black Marble, those bands share enough DNA to make me a big fan of this synth pop gem.  It’s not as dark as the cold-wave Black Marble, but it does share that bands fondness for stark baselines and crisp arpeggios.  If you’ve ever envisioned your life as a scene from a John Hughes movie, Nation of Language could easily be playing in the background.

17. The Soft Pink Truth – Shall we Go on Sinning so that Grace May Increase?

Indulge me in a moment of naval gazing.  Every year as I put these things together I reach a point where I’m lack “damn, this album is this low on the list?” And the point at which that thought enters my head is usually indicative of how good a year for music it was.  Now 2020 wasn’t a good year for anything, and I probably spent the least time of any year listening to music, new, old, whatever.  For the most part I just listened to the Grateful Dead and ambient albums.  However, for my idiosyncratic tastes, 2020 was actually a pretty fucking incredible year for new music, as evinced by the fact that this album is all the way down at 17.  

Earlier on in 2020 as I was bombarding my poor local music text thread with yet more of my inane musings, I think I declared this a top 3 album of the year.  And I wasn’t lying!  “Pretty” is often a dirty word in aesthetic appreciation, but this is certainly the “prettiest” album of the year in the best sense of the word.  From the Drew Daniel half of Matmos comes Shall we Go on Sinning so that Grace May Increase?  A record that is somehow simultaneously deep house and feather light, so much so that it needs its own dumb internet music writing moniker—shallow house? wide house? vacation house? (actually kinda like that last one).  With vocals from Jana Hunter, Angel Deradoorian, and Colin Self (with whom I wasn’t previously familiar) this thing will simultaneously make you want to tap your foot and drift off into the clouds.  This is album is like the prayer Madonna sang about all those years ago.  

16. Kurt Vile – Speed, Sound, Lonely KV

It’s not at all surprising that if Kurt Vile decided he wanted to go country western he’d be really fucking good at it.  First of all, he’s an exceptional acoustic guitar picker.  Secondly, his voice, while always befitting his hazed out urban rockers, has just enough twang to it that in retrospect it always sounded a little bit country.  This record also gives me room to offer up an homage to the late great John Prine, for whom the EP is essentially a tribute.  Vile covers two Prine songs, dueting with the man himself on “How Lucky.” Saying goodbye is never easy, but on Speed, Sound, Lonely (both the album, and the song more or less by that name) Vile manages a fitting tribute to a lost legend.  

15. Lomelda – Hannah

The reviews of Hannah really did Lomelda a disservice.  Sure, they were glowing, but they made it sound like this was some weepy milquetoast singer songwriter affair, when it’s actually a knotty album full off elliptical piano and fuzzed out electric guitar.  Its 14 tracks hurtle by, largely due to the fact that almost all of them are under 3 and a ½ minutes.  Things really get going with the second track, “Hannah Sun” with is squiggly synth effects and driving acoustic strums carrying on Hannah Read’s musings.  It’s an album of relentless forward musical movement even if the vibe feels like it’s always looking back over its shoulder.  Basically this album is what emo would sound like if it wasn’t made by the worst people in the universe.  

14. Shabaka and the Ancestors – We are Sent here by History

Jazz! Another great year for jazz (Asher Gamedze’s Dialectic Soul and Keefe Jackson, Jim Baker, & Julian Kirshner’s So Glossy and So Thin are with a strong group that just missed the cut).  In the midst of an excellent jazz renaissance (you gotta use super annoying words like “renaissance” when talking about jazz) Shebaka Hutchins remains my absolute fave of the bunch, and We are Sent here by History is probably my favorite thing he has put out so far.

13. Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud

While I really liked Waxahatchee’s low-fi emoish debut—American Weekend—I’ll readily admit I wasn’t much about the popier albums that followed, frequently jesting, honestly, that Allison was my preferred musical Crutchfield sister.  All that changed for me with Saint Cloud.  I’ve certainly drifted far off into country and Americana as I’ve aged, and it appears the same came be said for Katie Crutchfield.  These songs have a giddyup to them but they never break out into a gallop, allowing the strength of the melodies to carry them along across the plains, with just the right hint of twilight.  Saint Cloud is the sound of Patsy Cline if she played to roadside inns rather than the Grand Ol’ Opry.  

12. Neil Young – Homegrown

This was the hardest album to place on the list this year.  For starters, should it even count? Clearly I say yes.  While some of these songs have been available for over 30 years, as an album, Homegrown was a “new” release here in 2020, even though it was originally slated to come out in ’75 between On the Beach (my personal fave Neil record) and Zuma.  As a pure piece of music, is it better than most, if not all, of the records that follow? Of course yes.  But what does a new Neil Young record mean in 2020? As a thought experiment its fascinating.  Do we value this album within the musical context of 2020 or 1975? Fortunately, it’s an even more enjoyable listen than it is a thought experiment.  From the first strums of “Separate Ways” you’re like “oh shit, this is the vintage stuff.” Gentle amber acoustic numbers (“Try”) share space with electric stompers (“Vacancy”).  The best thing you can say about Homegrown is that if Neil had originally decided to release this instead of Tonight’s The Night, it would have fit right in amongst his unimpeachable run from Everybody Knows This is Nowhere up through Zuma.  A classic is still a classic, no matter what year it finally sees the light of day.  

11. Destroyer – Have we Met

Ah Dan Bejar, boy was I wrong about you.  I kinda got into Destroyer’s Rubies, I loved his contributions to Swan Lake and The New Pornographers, but yet when Chinatown started really making waves, I just couldn’t do it.  It was soft rock! I hate soft rock! I hate everything about it!  This preconceived notion wasn’t helped by the fact that I saw him open for the War on Drugs in Pontiac once and he was so drunk he could barely stand up and had to read his own lyrics from a sheet.  And yet, for some reason I never really gave up on it. I can’t tell you why exactly, but two summers ago Chinatown just slowly became my go-to for early morning / late afternoon strolls. I found comfort in giving myself over to its pillowy soft embrace / cheating on my own aesthetic judgments.  Now that I’m card-carrying Bejarhead, I greeted Have we Met with open arms, and I was not disappointed.  The synths glimmer, the guitars add just enough punch, and his lyrics remain sharp as ever.  Its fitting that this was the last concert I saw before the iron curtain fell.  The one thing I had always turned my back on ended up being the last memory of dionysian group enthrallment I had to carry with me out into the desert of social isolation.  Come back soon Destroyer, come back soon, everyone.

10. Deeper – Auto-Pain

Ladies and gentlemen, get ready, because post punk is back! I always say my favorite genre is ‘sad songs you can dance to’ but post punk is a close second.  When I was in college post punk underwent a bit of a renaissance in the form of Interpol (back when they were still good), Bloc Party (ditto), Franz Ferdinand, and a whole slew of British one hit wonders (Maximo Park, Futureheads, Art Brut, the Bravery).  Fortunately, as is always the case, what’s old is new again, and stark melodic bass lines, angular guitars, and moody introspective speak-singing are back in full force.  Of the three post punk bands gracing this here top ten (Deeper, Fontaines DC, and Crack Cloud) each has its own little slice of the generic pie.  Fontaines have the deep gloom of Interpol/Joy Division, Crack Cloud ripple with the staccato energy of Gang of Four, and Deeper have the wiry dancieness of, well, Wire. So long as leather jackets and black and white photography remain cool, there’ll always be bands like this, and thank god for that.  In a true sign o’ the times, I learned about this band from some random girl’s Tik Tok in my for-you feed.  She repped five bands, two of which are in my top three, so I was like, sure I’ll give this band Deeper a go.  God bless the internet.  Finally, Deeper get bonus points for naming a song “This Heat,” who I’ve been spending a lot of time revisiting this year, and whose spikey guitars are all over this record.  

9. The Flaming Lips – American Head

There are few things as satisfying in art as being genuinely surprised by a beloved artist you had given up as culturally dead.  Since putting out their last masterpiece (2009’s Embryonic) the Lips have put out a string of good, if inconsequential, albums that befitting the ethos of the band could best be described as half baked (The Terror, Oczy Moldy, and a series of collaborative experiments).  Basically, they had reached that dreaded nadir where I was no longer interested in listening to their new output (cough The National, cough cough Arcade Fire).  So what made me give American Head a chance? That reader, is the point of art criticism! I can’t remember how the blurb on pitchfork read exactly, but I knew it referenced Tom Petty and a return to a preoccupation with more Earthly concerns—namely ‘70s heartland rock.  Well, this sounded intriguing, and boy was I not disappointed.  Sure, the Flaming Lips have already reached their sell-by date twice over (first in 1992, immediately followed by their MTV reinvention on 1993’s Transmissions from the Satellite Heart; and then again in the late ‘90s with the departure of guitarist Ronald Jones, followed by their creative pinnacle, ‘99’s symphonic masterpiece The Soft Bulletin), so it shouldn’t be all that surprising that this band could rise from the dead a third time.  Only, for the most part, they didn’t.  I guess I’m not surprised that American Head failed to reach a broader audience. Most people probably aren’t even aware that they are still a going concern, and after the failures of the last decade it makes sense that most weren’t interested in more tunes from the Oklahoma freaknicks.  But for those willing to give the band another chance, American Head easily delivers their best album since Embryonic, if not all the way back to Yoshimi.  Mixing ‘70s Americana with the star gazing of Soft Bulletin’s “Sleeping on the Roof,” the Lips deliver their best album in decades by foregoing the parlor tricks and returning to what they do best, taking trips to distant galaxies while keeping their feet firmly planted in the soil and songcraft of Oklahoma.

8. Cut Worms – Nobody Lives Here Anymore

This one is pretty easy.  Do you like George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass? If yes, listen to Nobody Lives Here Anymore and revel in this double album’s upbeat acoustic rock mediations.  If no, well there’s plenty of other good stuff out there.  Not quite as metaphysical or orchestral as All Things Must Pass, Nobody Lives Here Anymore still manages to hit that rockabiliy-pop sweet spot that Harrison used to mine.  I’m not quite sure what the definition of “troubadour” is, but it feels safe to call Cut Worms a troubadour, which is certainly better than his terrible stage name.  

7. Cigarettes for Breakfast – Aphantasia

Similar to Cut Worms, Cigarettes for Breakfast also involves a simple influence equation.  Do you pray at the altar of Loveless? If so, Aphantasia is just the record for you.  Sure, it’s a bit of My Bloody Valentine paint by numbers (“Breathe” even features the same squally guitar noise [it’s really hard to try and describe My Bloody Valentine effects ha] as “Soft as Snow (But Warm Inside)”) but when you’re as into shoegaze as I am, that’s never really a bad thing.  Plus, I’m being a bit unfair.  Everyone with textured tremolo heavy wall-of-sound guitars and cooed vocals is going to inevitably be compared to MBV, and Cigarettes for Breakfast do enough to chart their own course.  Perhaps most interesting is the musical journey this record charts.  Its loudest moment is its opening, where pummeling guitars more reminiscent of Sonic Youth with a touch of Dinosaur Jr. rip across hardcore style drumming. From there each song becomes a little more ambient, until closer “If Someone Could Help Me, Please” more or less floats away on its shimmering sheets of beautiful noise clouds.  In this sense, it bears a resemblance in structure, if not in sound, to Deerhunter’s Cryptograms, another album I spent a lot of time revisiting this year.  A shutout here is owed to the fine folks at Radio K, who had me diving for my shazam as this thing ripped across their airwaves.  So long as there is college radio, there’ll be a new crop of kids discovering via Kevin Shields that the electric guitar contains endless sonic possibilities.  

6. Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death

The second entry in our top-ten post punk trio is A Hero’s Death by Fontaines D.C.  I’ll admit, on first blush it’s kind of a dumb band name (I just assumed they were some hardcore band from Washington DC chasing those Dischord Records glory days), but when you learn that the “DC” stands for Dublin City, it all clicks, as this band is sorta inescapably Irish in the way that James Joyce is.  Now this fact at first was also off-putting—if I went the rest of my life without ever hearing the Dropkick Murphy’s again I’d be quite content—but eventually it becomes integral to their sound, and not just because of the brogue in Garin Chatten’s vocals.  “Love is the Main Thing” is an incredible song in many ways, most notably because of the hypnotic quality of the drumming with its counterpoint between riding cymbal and staccato toms, but perhaps in the main (*wink*) for the way it manages to connote the weariness of a grey urban environment without ever being explicitly about it.  Just as Turn on the Bright Lights managed to perfectly capture New York in 2001, A Hero’s Death to me is the aural equivalent of a dense urban center like Dublin, especially after nightfall.  

5. Imaginary Softwoods – Annual Flowers in Color

It should come as no surprise that I listened to A LOT of ambient this year, and to me there was no better electronic record to chill the fuck out to during this insane year than Annual Flowers in Color.  I absolutely loved Emeralds’ Does it Look Like I’m Here? and was devastated they never followed that gem (*wink*) up.  In the immediate aftermath of the demise of Emeralds Mark McGuire’s solo albums got a lot of attention, but apparently the person I really loved in Emeralds was Imaginary Softwoods’ John Elliot.  Annual Flowers in Color is like if Dead City’s, Red Seas, Lost Ghosts were waiting in the departure’s lounge of Eno’s airport.  At the heart of the album lies the 10 plus minutes of “Another First/Sea Machine.” I could listen to this song forever, and on some particularly WTF 2020 lakewalks I more or less have.  Chunky synths, arpeggios that drift off to infinity, ‘80s soundtrack nostalgia.  I could live in these Softwoods for the rest of my sonic days.  

4. Pottery – Welcome to Bobby’s Motel

In another moment of nostalgia for my college years, Pottery are a welcome return to weird ass experimental Canadian bands.  They don’t sound anything like the Unicorns, but in spirit Pottery kind of remind me of them.  I’ve spilled a lot of digital ink here and elsewhere bemoaning the fact that Pitchfork (or perhaps, me) isn’t cool anymore, and to me no band embodies this more than Pottery.  They take a bunch of fun disparate elements—Talking Heads dance art rock, periodic weird pitch shifted vocal effects, hazy deep purple style guitars, and Queen style machismo disco—throw them into a witch’s cauldron, and come up with something off the wall that sounds like nothing else but is also instantly familiar.  This is the type of thing Pitchfork would have been all over in 2007, but instead now they’re too busy chasing conde nast clout clicks.  Oh well, nothing gold can last. But enough negativity, this here is a celebration of the joy of new music, and no new band embodies that unbridled joy like Pottery.  Along with Fontaines DC, this is the band I wish I most could have bopped around to with a bunch of sweaty strangers in the 7th St. Entry or Turf Club.  You can just imagine the call and response vocals and funky grooves getting the people moving.  Oh well, hopefully we’ll soon all be rocking the vaccine, they can breeze through town, and I’ll be the first person on the dance floor embarrassingly pumping my fist a half beat behind the rhythm.  

3. Pure X – Pure X

To paraphrase Same Elliott in the Big Lebowski, sometimes there’s a band, and well, sometimes there’s a band.  For me this year, that band was Pure X.  I absolutely loved their debut Pleasure way back in 2011, when lo-fi reverb heavy slow guitar music (ie, Galaxie 500) was all the rage. Their follow up Crawling up the Stairs was so bad I didn’t even bother listening to Angel, though perhaps that also owed a decent amount to just how terrible the art on that record is.  (I’ve since remedied this mistake; turns out that record rules).  Being that as it may, I can’t particularly tell you what drew me in to this year’s self-titled album, a full nine years after Pleasure first graced the stage.  In one sense it’s probably because Pleasure is one those albums that just never went out of my rotation.  Whenever the fahrenheit tips past 90 and the walk to the bodega is a few blocks longer than you’d like, that record always hits the spot.  Maybe I just knew this was the record I needed this year.  Either way, from the first bars of “Middle America” I was hooked.  The guitars crash over you, but never in a threatening way. Rather, they envelop you like a weighted blanket, comforting you in their sonic embrace.  Nowhere is this more true than on “Fantasy,” easily my favorite song of 2020 (especially since this was a year entirely devoid of dance floor bangers).  If this album came out in 1999 rather than 2020 I would have hit the repeat button on my discman and listened to this song forever.  

2. Crack Cloud – Pain Olympics

Pain Olympics is the answer to the question that no one asked: what if Arcade Fire’s (back when they were good) communal uplift was paired with Gang of Four’s stark anthem’s of industrialism’s collapse?  While on first blush this might sound like your standard album of punkish fist pumping angst, from when the female vocals (sorry there are too many people in this band for me to be able to figure out whose who) come in on opener “Post Truth (Birth of a Nation)” Pain Olympics reveals itself to be a very strange animal (likely a unicorn of some sort), especially as little orchestral swirls creep into the mix, giving it an almost Judy Garland (in hell) quality.  This subtle genre pastiche is given its best effect on stunner “The Next Fix.” That song starts out as an elastic spoken-word call and response addiction rumination, at the minute mark it starts to segue into a vocoded chill raver, then some horns crop up out of nowhere, then a spoken word passage, then at the two minute mark a chorus of voices come in, doing their best Broken Social Scene in the truest sense of the phrase.  This is perhaps one of the strangest records I’ve ever heard, but what is strangest of all is just how beautiful it is.  Crack Cloud are not for everyone, but if you really give it a chance, the returns are limitless.  

1. SAULT – Untitled (Rise) / Untitled (Black Is)

You cannot tell the story of 2020 without SAULT, which is why this pair of records is here at the top, even if under the influence of sodium pentothal (lets be honest, veritaserum) I might lean more towards Pain Olympics.  In June, the “anonymous” London project put out Untitled (Black Is), and then quickly followed that gem up with September’s Untitled (Rise).  Perhaps more amazing still is that these two albums, released so close together, have unique personalities.  Black Is is more pop/R&B whereas Rise has a dancy, electr(on)ic feel.  I lean more towards the latter, but honestly, both albums are so overstuffed with amazing moments that it’s borderline unbelievable that one outfit could put out so much amazing music in such a short span.  While these records would chart high even if sung in Hopelandic, there’s no escaping the social import of the lyrics.  One need look no further than Black Is’s “Don’t Shoot Guns Down” for the 2020 dance party at the end of the world.  As if that weren’t more than enough, it finds its analogue on Rise’s “Street Fighter,” and that’s SAULT in a nutshell: two albums in constant communication with one another, and more importantly, with the state of the world.  Guns down.  Don’t Shoot.  Let’s dance.  

[peterstanslizzie]

Reacting To: Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (Season 3 Episode 6)

Mini-rant: Honestly, these guys were Grade A villains in this episode. Though, the same can’t be said about Kipo as she was really reckless with her decisions, which led to disastrous results. 

Episode Title: It’s a Trap

Spoiler Warning: Kindly proceed if you’ve already seen the episode or are able to handle spoilers

I actually low-key dig this song 

1. In this episode, Kipo, Benson, Wolf, Dave and Mandu reunite with the Chevre sisters from season 2. They are there to get them to safety since Emilia is on her way. But before agreeing to come along, they want to do one of their cheese chants just to check things out first. They gathered from the cheese that Kipo needs to fight her loved ones in order to save the world. Come again? I’m guessing it’s the other humans and not her family/friends, right?

2. Kipo carries everyone, including the sisters’ boars, Bornak and Webber back to Timbercat Village. In order to pass through the death ivy wall, they need to say the secret password, which is “open the wall” but in bee language. I hope Kipo/Song taught everyone how to say it. 

3. Dave and Benson proceed to give the sisters, whom I completely forgot they’re blind, a tour of the village. Hence, why they’re holding each other hands whilst walking. 

It seems like Zane has been getting along well with Label (I also had forgotten her name, my bad). 

4. The Newton Wolves and the Scooter Skunks also arrive at the village to seek protection. If it were me, I would have forbidden them from entering. They have been nothing but mean and uncooperative this entire time. But that’s just me. 

5. Dr. Emilia and the other humans arrive just in front of the death ivy wall. I know the ivy is supposed to keep away the humans but shouldn’t Kipo be concerned that the ivy can kill them? I’m sure besides Dr. Emilia and maybe Greta, she doesn’t want the others to get hurt; Maybe Emilia already knows the ivy is lethal. 

6. HMUFA’s plan now is to wait it out until Emilia gets bored and stops bothering them. Like that’s going to happen. So, we then hear a cat alarm going off to notify everyone that Emilia and her army are here. Asher notices that they and Dahlia’s parents, Lily and Earl have also arrived and they become worried. Why would Kipo think that none of the other humans would come with Emilia? 

Side note: It’s cool that we got introduced to Asher and Dahlia’s parents in season 3 episode 2 without actually knowing they are their parents.

7. This is one of the few times I really feel like Kipo and the others didn’t think through their plan fully. And here goes Kipo warning everyone, including Emilia that they’re heading towards death ivy. So much for their plan. Lily and Earl realize that it’s Kipo’s voice and they tell them they’re going to save them. I wonder what Asher and Dahlia are thinking. I’m sure they’re feeling conflicted now.

8. Emilia isn’t going to let some ivy prevent her from getting in and curing the mutes and she comes up with a plan to get through the wall. Kipo and the rest of the alliance are forced to come up with a plan B because Good Billions estimates that it will take about 2 hours for the humans to break in. The mutes want to fight the humans but Kipo wants to figure out another way to solve this.

9. She notice Zane and Label interacting with each other and I thought she was gonna get Zane to try and reason with the rest of the humans to be like ,”Hey guys, the mutes aren’t bad like we thought”. But instead, she wants to set traps for the humans since seeing Zane locked up in a cage gave her that idea lol. The Chevre sisters think that what Kipo is doing is pointless because her so-called destiny is to fight her people. Well, can’t the people is this case just be Emilia and Greta? 

Dave and Benson are always getting into a bunch of mess lol

10. Despite some hesitation from the other mutes, they all agree to follow Kipo and set traps for the humans, which involves nets. 

11. Meanwhile, the humans are still at it trying to get through the wall by removing the death ivy little by little using tree branches. That seems very inefficient though. Not to mention dangerous. Where is Hoag’s daughter, Doag though? I guess the kids are left behind on the ship. 

12. Kipo is also getting Scarlemagne involved with their plan. I just hope that he’s trustworthy. I still think that there’s a slight chance for him to double cross everyone. 

13. Both Lily and Earl are starting to question Dr. Emilia’s intentions, especially after witnessing what she did to Margot and her brother in the previous episode. Ooo, I think they might ditch Emilia soon. 

14. HMUFA’s traps are already set up and it’s good timing because the humans already made it to the other side of the wall. A few of the humans fall into some of the traps laid on the ground. I’m glad Lily and Earl got trapped early so they won’t possibly get hurt later. HMUFA commences with phase 2, which is to lure them into the village’s meeting area and Scarlemagne scaring them into a trap. Scarlemagne will definitely make most of the humans squirm lol. 

15. Phase 3 has now commenced as we see those giant yarn balls swinging towards them and knocking them off the platform one by one. By the way, Greta let Zane out of his cell only for the two of them to be knocked off as well. 

16. Kipo then leads Emilia in a trap, where she gets locked in one of the mute glass cages. So, is this it? The end? What can the humans do to get out of this? Hmm, but where is Hoag anyway?

17. I guess it isn’t over. Woah, is Greta that strong? Dayumm. She manages to set herself free from her restraints and she easily walks over to Emilia’s glass cell to bail her out too? WHAT!? Why isn’t anyone guarding the cell? And why did Kipo have to leave her unattended. This doesn’t make sense. Contingencies guys! Kipo’s the worst leader ever. It’s so frustrating that she’s always leaving her guard down. 

18. Asher and Dahlia run over to their parents to get them out. Lily and Earl see Molly running towards them and they try to shoot at her but fortunately, she only came to rescue the kids from the falling death ivy. Lily and Earl sees this and because of that, they now believe the mutes are good and they drop their weapons.

I’m gonna get nightmares lol

19. Honestly, what on Earth is Kipo doing? She should be monitoring Emilia this whole time but instead, she’s now trying to make peace with the humans. Just do that later, c’mon!!! We then see the remainder of the humans getting trapped. However, Benson and the others go to Kipo and warn her that Greta is super strong and she managed to set herself free...and Emilia too:

Never underestimate them

20. We then see Hoag shooting a cure dart at Good Billions but thanks to the bravery of Bad Billions, he takes the shot for him. Oh no, the mutes are dropping like flies: Wheels then gets shot:

“I can feel my mind fading...like a dying star” :’(

Followed by Wheels

and Brad

Label nearly got shot but Zane actually saved her!!! There’s good in him after all! 

and Camille falls victim too

21. But wow, the background music is really adding to the sadness of everything that’s going on. Kipo is distraught from seeing all of this taking place right before her eyes. She gets angry and transforms into her full Mega Jaguar form. I guess that’s where the goats’ prophecy comes in because she starts attacking her people.

22. Emilia shoots a dart at her and it lands but it doesn’t seem to affect Kipo at all because Kipo’s DNA was used in making the cure and so, it doesn’t do anything to Kipo biologically. She’s basically immune. The humans then all proceed to retreat. What about you guys capture them for real this time instead of letting them run away and giving them the chance to strike back once again.

This. Is. So. Sad.

23. Kipo feels guilty about what has occurred because had she didn’t go against her fate as stated by the cheese, probably none of this would have happened. So, she’s now going to fix this. Well, you better...

24. Hope you all enjoyed my review of episode 6. Stay tuned tomorrow for when I will be posting my review of episode 7. Thanks for all your support. Bye!