#Buffalo Renaissance

[xtruss]

At Long Last, The American Buffalo Has Come Home

A conservation effort has returned bison to Blackfeet Nation tribal lands more than a century after the animal was nearly slaughtered to extinction.

— Photographs By Louise Johns | By Lailani Upham | Sunday July 09, 2023

“Nititawahsi” is the Blackfeet name for our land—the land where the iinnii (buffalo) live. Our people are Niitawahsin-nanni: the people of the land where the iinnii live.

As colonizers moved west, millions of buffalo were killed and brought to the edge of extinction. Millions more Native peoples were murdered, displaced, and forced to assimilate. By the end of the 19th century, only 300 buffalo were left in the wild and Native populations dropped to less than 300,000.

Now, after more than 150 years, iinnii have finally returned to their homeland, the Amskapi Pikuni (Blackfeet Nation) tribal lands, to roam free.

Forty-nine buffalo run out of their temporary enclosure towards Chief Mountain on the Blackfeet Reservation. The rest of the herd (about 70 buffalo) will join them at the end of the summer. Chief Mountain is not only prime buffalo habitat, but also a sacred place for Native people in both the U.S. and Canada.

“I can’t hardly describe the feeling that I have. I have this jittery feeling, goosebumps,” says Ervin Carlson, director of the Blackfeet Nation Buffalo Program. “It just feels so good to finally see them here in this place where we want them to be.”

On June 26, 49 iinnii were released into the wild at the base of our sacred Ninaistako (Chief Mountain), a Strong Miistaaki (Mountain) that stands tall like the warbonnets of Blackfeet warriors. This miistaaki towers along the border of the Blackfeet Nation, Glacier National Park in Montana, and Waterton National Park in Canada.

Our people, the Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy) always believed the land we came from was a gift of the Creator, Ihtsi-pai-tapi-yopa. Our stories tell us that iinnii was created as a gift for our people as our life source. The iinnii were and still are our staff of life.

The iinnii coming back and being free on Blackfoot lands again is the beginning of reconciliation, says Cristina Mormorunni, director of Indigenous Led, the organization that leads cultural restoration and conservation of buffalo on Blackfoot lands. “This is the beginning of the truth being told about what happened, and they’re the best ambassadors,” she says.

Helen Augare, a Blackfeet knowledge keeper and director of the Blackfeet Community College Native Science Field Center, has been an integral voice in the return of buffalo to Chief Mountain for the past 15 years.

Now that the buffalo are free, she says “there’s so much still to reconnect to and learn from them.”

“What does that future look like and what [do] our children and grandchildren need to know to be able to help iinnii live a full and prosperous life with us again?” Augare says. “It entailed everything from healthy people, healthy land, healthy water, and most of all healthy relationships. That in itself requires a lot of healing, growth.”

Buffalo are corralled and sorted (calves from adults, and males from females) at the tribal-owned Buffalo Spirit Hills Ranch on June 25, 2023. The herd, originally from Canada’s Elk Island National Park, have been living on the ranch since 2016. The herd descends from the last remaining wild buffalo before they were nearly extirpated.

Blackfeet tribal member Wyett Wippert takes a photo of his daughter, Ruby, in front of the buffalo in their soft release pen at Chief Mountain. “We put so much of our hearts into getting them here,” he says. “It’s a very good feeling knowing that they are under Chief Mountain. People know what they’re going to be doing for their environment and for us as Blackfeet people.” The buffalo are held here for several hours to settle into their surroundings before being released into the wild.

Racine, Monroe, and director Ervin Carlson of the Blackfeet Buffalo Program, on June 25, 2023, after a long day of preparing buffalo to be released at Chief Mountain. “It’s a lot of work to get these animals to this point… they are wild buffalo,” Racine says. “Nobody can do it by themselves. It’s a real honor to be able to have the Iinnii here and to be doing this.”

Blackfeet tribal members Wyett Wippert and Christen Falcon work together to stretch their bison hide onto their handmade wooden frame, the first step in tanning the hide by hand at their home in East Glacier, Montana. on April 9, 2023.

“Bison are a keystone species, they are ecosystem drivers and engineers. They were here for thousands of years,” says Brandon Kittson, wildlife biologist for Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife. “Now having them back on this landscape is a good thing. It’s going to help revitalize some systems and help drive diversity among the different vegetation and communities found in this area.”

Children collect and examine clumps of buffalo fur from the corral at Buffalo Spirit Hills Ranch on June 25, 2023. The fur is integral to the health of the grassland ecosystem, as certain species of birds use it to line and insulate their nests.

— Photojournalist Louise Johns is a National Geographic Explorer. Her National Geographic Society-funded Project, "Buffalo Renaissance," is about Native American efforts to restore Bison to build cultural resiliency and ecological integrity.

[angelicdookiebear]

I am the lamb and the wolves are my haters (I have no haters) 🎀

[transmutationisms]

i think economic depression is so ideologically incompatible with most usamericans' self-conception that they cannot recognise it even when they have been living through it for several consecutive decades. this is why people from buffalo new york are always telling you there's about to be a buffalo new york renaissance any day now

[alphynix]

April Fools 2024: The Curious Case Of The Chunky-Necked Ceratopsians

Much like the aquatic Compsognathus featured here a couple of years ago, not every novel idea that came out of the Dinosaur Renaissance was a winner.

And one of the oddest examples came from author/illustrator John C. McLoughlin.

His 1979 book Archosauria: A New Look at the Old Dinosaur featured an unusual interpretation of ceratopsian dinosaurs' characteristic bony frills, proposing that they were actually muscle attachment sites for both powerful jaw muscles and enormous back muscles to help hold up their large heavy heads. This would have completely buried the frill under soft tissue, giving the animals massive thick necks and humped shoulders, and resulted in an especially weird reconstruction of Triceratops with a grotesque sort of wrinkly sewn-together appearance.

This concept didn't entirely originate from McLoughlin – three years earlier in 1976 he'd illustrated Ronald Paul Ratkevich's book Dinosaurs of the Southwest, which seems to have been the inspiration for Archosauria's fleshy-frilled ceratopsians. A few paleontologists had also proposed jaw muscles attaching onto the frills during the 1930s and 1950s, and there's even a book from as far back as 1915 that also shows the top of a Triceratops' frill connected to its back! But McLoughlin's Archosauria image is still by far the most extreme and infamous version of the idea.

There were a lot of things in Archosauria that were actually very forward-thinking for the time period, such as putting fuzz and feathers on small theropods and depicting non-avian dinosaurs as active fast-moving animals. The unique ceratopsian reconstructions, however, never caught on for several big reasons:

Firstly, all that hefty muscle tissue would have locked ceratopsians' heads firmly in place, unable to move at all, which just doesn't make sense biomechanically. Then there was the lack of skeletal evidence – muscles that big should have left huge visible attachment scars all over the frill bones, and there was no sign of anything like that on any fossil specimens. Finally, it turns out the ceratopsian head-neck joint was actually highly mobile, suggesting their heads were free to make a wide range of motions in life.

As wrong as they were even at the time, McLoughlin's ceratopsians were still an interesting speculative idea, and notable for advocating for fleshier dinosaur reconstructions at a time when paleoart was trending towards shrinkwrapping.

Further reading under the cut:

A Very Alternative View of Horned Dinosaur Anatomy, Revisited – https://tetzoo.com/blog/2020/11/22/alternative-view-of-horned-dinosaur-anatomy

Trope of the Buffalo-Backed Dinosaur – https://tetzoo.com/blog/2020/11/27/trope-of-the-buffalo-backed-dinosaur

Vintage Dinosaur Art: Archosauria - Part 3 – https://chasmosaurs.blogspot.com/2013/10/vintage-dinosaur-art-archosauria-part-3.html

Vintage Dinosaur Art: Dinosaurs of the Southwest – https://chasmosaurs.blogspot.com/2016/11/vintage-dinosaur-art-dinosaurs-of.html

The Forgotten John C. McLoughlin Book – https://www.manospondylus.com/2021/03/the-forgotten-john-c-mcloughlin-book.html

[arlechinav-blog]

Starting Materials for Mediterranean Trancework

If you are wondering what you will need to get started on this as a group, I have put together a list of materials. This is basically what I use when I am teaching others how to do this and when I host trance rituals.

I keep a fully stocked trance kit with extras of all the below items so that those who need them can have something to use until they can get their own. If you intend to lead your own group, be prepared to provide at least a few things for the effort.

Frame Drums: 14”-16” frame drums with synthetic heads are best for beginners. Recommending Remo’s Thinline, Renaissance, Fiberskyn, or Tar series’. Synthetic heads help students build up skills and needed hand calluses at the same time. Goat or fish skin drum heads will tear up your skin and go flat without proper care very easily. Each person involved should know how to play a drum and learn the beats your group uses. Avoid buffalo drums and bodhrans, they are too heavy for Mediterranean style drumming. 

Whiteboard and Easel: A wooden repurposed child’s art easel will work perfectly fine. Use it to balance a whiteboard where you can put up weekly notes. Large clips or magnets can be used to hold up a poster-board too, depending on what kind of easel you get. These are great for keeping up your trance chant lyric notes. Only use a whiteboard for notes that you will need once. 

Poster Boards: Record trance chants and rhythms that you use with your group onto large poster boards so that everyone can read them during practice sessions. Use a poster-board for notes that you will need multiple times to spare yourself from writing it again and again every time you need it. 

Trance Rhythms: I start folks out with 10 trance rhythms that can be used for pretty much everything. They work for just about any Mediterranean song you can find. I will have to film some samples for this so that you can hear them.

Trance Chants: To get through a basic trance ritual, you will need roughly 4-5 trance chants. Start your group with their first 5 and work on getting them down together. Some groups will prefer to work with songs in English, some will prefer songs in other languages, and some will prefer a mix of both. Feel out your group before you decide on your chants. 

Online Database of Communication: Start up a group where you can share resources, communicate about upcoming trance dates, and load up videos privately. Keep it secure. 

Incense: Incense is a trance trigger so pick one scent and stick to it every time you do practice or ritual. Keeping the same scent for all things trance will help participants go under. Use a soft floral scent like jasmine. Later, you can work in different scent triggers for different rituals. 

Rug: You can use rubber gym mats that link and/or an actual rug. Rugs will give rug burns so plan accordingly. Whatever you use has to be easily perceived by touch rather than sight--so tape on the floor will not work. This well defined border will be where the entranced are free to move. They will confine themselves to it so make sure it is the right size for the job you want it to do. 

White Flat Sheets: You will need at least 2 to start and +1 for each additional person who will trance. You can have your participants bring their own or you can pick some up from a second-hand store for fairly cheap. Everybody should have their own if possible.  

Colored Scarves: All things are color coded in trance for hypnotic suggestion and we use colored scarves to communicate with each other during trance rituals. People who wear a red scarf are monitors who look after trance dancers, people who wear white scarves are trance dancers who are there to trance, people who wear light blue scarves are musicians, and people who wear dark blue scarves are ready and capable of leading a trance session. You can have people bring their own or supply the group yourself. 

Your “Whites”: Each person will need an all white outfit to wear during trance rituals. For class, they can wear whatever they like. White is a spiritually neutral color used by all Mediterranean trance cults. Participants should supply their own trance clothes but you can keep a small supply of extra items to help supplement. 

Altar Kit: A trance altar needs to have a water jug and rinsing bowl with scented water for participants to wash their hands and face at (Cortas brand rose or orange blossom water are easy to find at Mediterranean groceries). It will need incense for participants to smudge themselves, their clothes, their hair and their instruments with. It will need a plate for monetary donations (it should never be empty). It is lucky to put an odd number on the altar ($1, $3, $5, $7 or $9). It will also need essential oils for use on skin that participants can rub on themselves (floral, fruit, or herbal scents preferred). Scent is very important to trance so the key is to be consistent and use it liberally so the scent can work as a non-visual trigger.

Wake-up Kit: A pitcher or fancy spritz bottle of cool water to spray or sprinkle on the arms and forehead of the entranced when they are done trancing. A blended oil of strong purgative scents that is dabbed on the fingers of the guide or monitor and wiped on the nose of the entranced when they are done trancing. I prefer a blend of rosemary, cedar and clove oil--that’ll wake you up! Make sure that no one in the space has an allergy to a product you use. 

Food: Always keep at least a loaf of fresh bread and some hummus for dipping on hand for post-trance snacks. Eating food helps those who have been trancing to come down and sober up. Water to drink is also helpful afterward. Be aware of dietary restrictions before you bring in foods that members of your group cannot eat.

Symbols: Think very carefully about the symbols you use and when you use them. Protect their meanings by bringing them out only when they are relevant. Continually reinforce their meanings in all that you do. This is a hypnotic suggestion and your symbols will become more and more important the more trancing you do. 

[spacelazarwolf]

i have no reason to send this ask other than i felt like you'd enjoy this picture i took today of a puppy kissing a water buffalo at an italian cheese farm

have a good one and i luv ur blog <3

renaissance painting

[beyondthemic]

ACT II

I spent a lot of time with Beyonce's new album. I think it's just, .. it's impressive, in a way that only someone like Beyonce could possibly try and reach for (and then could actually achieve). You have takes on Buffalo Springfield, you have Beach Boys, Tina Turner, some R&B, I hear Prince, you obviously have Dolly and Willie.. but then it also throws in actual rap, and riverdance (!?) in a country sense, but then can still tie it all together? You get yours.. Slay Queen.

While the first track truly did GRAB ME (just love starting an album with such a proclamation: 'THEM BIG IDEAS BURIED HERE' - and my word, yes there are), really my attention was peaked when I hit YA YA and then I doubled back through the rest of it and began to truly appreciate what I think she was trying to do. And repeatability, you can continue to listen again and again and again and find more and more to appreciate - something I just didn't get on Renaissance.

My friend and I argued a lot about the 27 songs (Laughly, then, Taylor's new one..come on - 31 tracks!?). My original view/opinion was that it's because she really was just throwing everything against the wall and wanting to see what stuck… But.. i've changed my mind now. It's the 27 songs she needed to stretch this 'country act' genre to the fullest extent of her ability and and what she wanted this sound to be and what it COULD sound like. And like, I said, it's .. impressive. She does it.

Also, I personally hate covers of Blackbird. An old story.. Blackbird was the first fingerpicking song I learned on the guitar, and it's just so stunningly beautiful just that guitar alone that when I first heard lyrics over the top of it, I was flat out OFFENDED. And frankly, still kinda am to this day, even when I hear the original. I mean, I've grown… I get it, I like the whole thing now of course, and it's one the great songs of all time (side note: man, the Beatles were just truly prolific, weren't they?) OKAY sorry - so when I heard the decision to make an untouchable (at least to me) cover of Blackbird track 2 right after her claim THEM BIG IDEAS BURIED HERE, it's just.. the boldness. It's impressive. And it wasn't until I learned that John/Paul had originally intended for a black woman to sing that song in the first that you mind just melts a bit. Every choice on this album was just stupid intentional. It works. It's impressive. Slay Queen.

AND where do you go from here? Man, I have literally no idea, but it's clear she's got some insane skills, and insane range, and sign me up for Act III.

[themuseumwithoutwalls]

MWW Artwork of the Day (3/29/24) Paul Gauguin (French, 1848–1903) The Yellow Christ (1889) Oil on canvas, 92.1 x 73.3 cm. Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo NY

Under the influence of folk art and Japanese prints, Gauguin evolved towards Cloisonnism. In "The Yellow Christ" (1889), often cited as a quintessential Cloisonnist work, the image was reduced to areas of pure colour separated by heavy black outlines. In such works Gauguin paid little attention to classical perspective and boldly eliminated subtle gradations of color, thereby dispensing with the two most characteristic principles of post-Renaissance painting. His painting later evolved towards Synthetism in which neither form nor color predominate but each has an equal role.

[bzedan]

[ID: An edit of the Parmigianino painting Cupid Making His Bow, showing a figure from the back, mid-buttcrack up, leaning over, braced against an unfinished bow. They are looking over their shoulder and have the head and tail of Garfield in cartoony contrast to the late Renaissance painting style of the body and wings. The figure is also Garfield orange. A script tattoo on one buttcheeck reads "February 2024." /end ID]

Listen, last year I did two hours and twenty-eight minutes and when I hit two hours and fourteen minutes this year I was like "whatever, print it." Also I liked how they hung together and some life stuff kind of meant that what I needed was a very loopable couple hours, not a curated several hours. I think every time I hear a Donavan song I go "this is my favourite" but it's more like "this is my favourite right now." More love and relationship type songs because you can't get away from that in music tbh, but also it's a fun thing to theme around.

Related media to some of the songs:

"Oh Snap" has some muddy origins, like any phrase. Wild in this article to see that as of this 2009 article it had worn its ironic welcome.

'Heartbeat' by Riggs is from Heavy Metal (1981), well not *from* the movie, but was in the movie, which is so specifically of its genre and era and also so specifically for me, who ended up with a sizable Loc-Nar tattoo. I think you can gauge pretty quick if a deeply '80s metal animated movie is for you and it conveniently is available on Archive.

It was a wet month here, hence all the rain songs, I hate linking to Insta, but latimes.404 had a nice little rundown of stats. The 1933 record mentioned is why we have such monster flood abatement where we live. I can’t remember which Raymond Chandler story it is but one scene takes place in a house that had been swept down a hill by a community ruining flood and THATS the record mentioned in the video. That’s why every four way stop is crossed with gutters that bottom out your car.

Bump of Chicken! 'Sleep Walking Orchestra' slaps. I am a Delicious In Dungeon/Dungeon Meshi fan (vol 13 and 14 on preorder, bb!), it's as specific as Heavy Metal, so I guess decide if you want a cooking manga/anime that is also very intense, and monster-nerdy. (and also kind of horny). Anyway, the official video is a more all-ages delight.

Anyway here's a link to February's playlist on Spotify, with the track list below the cut.

And embedded, if you like that:

'Sometimes' - Nick Lutsko

'There's No Love in February' - The Orion Experience

'Riki Tiki Tavi' - Donovan

'For What It's Worth' - Buffalo Springfield

'Downtown' - Petula Clark

'Braveheart - Original Mix' - DJ Sammy

'Magnify' - Real McCoy

'Everybodies Girl' - Dwarves

'Wildflowers' - Tom Petty

'Lost Souls/Eelings' - TR/ST

'Nightmare' - Dead On A Sunday

'Boy Problems' - Carly Rae Jepsen

'Gotta Get Up' - Harry Nilsson

'One Night/All Night' - Justice

'Brand New Key' - Melanie

'Crockett's Theme' - Jan Hammer

'Baby I'm Burnin' - Disco Mix' - Dolly Parton

'No One Dies From Love' - Tove Lo

'Just a Friend' - Biz Markie

'Cupid' - Sam Cooke

'Angela's Theme ("You're Just What I've Been Looking For")' - ET TU'

'So This Is Love - From "Cinderella"' - Ilene Woods

'If You Should Try To Kiss Her' - Dressy Bessy

'Horizon' - 1991

'Selfish Soul' - Sudan Archives

'What's Love (feat. MUNA)' - Empress Of

'The Beat Goes On' - Sonny & Cher

'Slow Ride' - Foghat

'Walking In The Rain' - Grace Jones

'Heartbeat - Soundtrack Version' - Riggs

'No Matter What - Remastered 2010' - Badfinger

'Raindrop' - Tripping Daisy

'It Never Rains in Southern California' - Albert Hammond

'Your Heart Is A Muscle' - Carly Rae Jepsen

'A Central Rain Melody' - Bart Graft

'Sleep Walking Orchestra' - BUMP OF CHICKEN

'Novocaine For The Soul' - Eels

'Parasites' - Ugly Casanova

'Haunted House' - Sir Babygirl

[carolinemariekane]

A young student learns how to depict the human form in Renaissance Florence to hone her craft as an Artist.

 "La Maestra" is a short film written and directed by Caroline Kane for her 2019 BFA in Animation for Daemen College. Caroline is currently a Background Designer working in Animation. "La Maestra" was a Finalist for the Immagina Florence International Film Festival, a Semi-Finalist for the International Cosmopolitan Film Festival of Tokyo, an Honorable Mention for the Los Angeles Animation Film Festival, and selected for the Buffalo International Film Festival. 

 If you want to follow Caroline Kane on Social Media, her socials are below. 

 PORTFOLIO: https://carolinemariekane.weebly.com/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/kane_kiki 

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/carolinemariekane/

[vulturevanity]

Like, it was bad, y'all

I've been revisiting FiM because a friend decided to check it out (after she realized it was a significant part of my personality and wanted in on it), and by god, did they do a racism. And then another one. And then another one. And then-- you get the idea.

And I'm not talking about the weird ways in which they tackled the subject of racism itself, most notably on the later seasons. Setting aside awkward lessons in "be nice to those who look and act different from you", gen 4 is loaded with racist caricatures, cultural appropriation, tone-deaf storylines of conflict between natives and colonizers and a heap of other elements that, later on, the writers seemed to realize were, hmm!, not so great!, and therefore quietly phased out of the show without ever addressing them in a sensible way. Things that go as far back as episode 5.

It's late and I don't have the brain power to tackle all of these right now but I just want to list some of the things I'm deeply umcomfortable with in the show that I can recall right now:

Zecora as a character AND as the only zebra we see in the show for all of 9 seasons. Simultaneously the Token Black side character, the Magical N**** stereotype and the fact that she's described in the show as an "exotic" outsider. (You know, later on they had an Egyptian-coded character appear in the show. She was a pony. I never got why they didn't use that opportunity to fix The Zecora Problem)

The Buffalo episode. Specifically the fact that settlers took their sacred land and they were told to just "learn to share" and it was ok because the settlers gave them pies about it

That scene where Pinkie Pie dresses as a stereotype of Rroma people (which spawned a very popular arc in a parody that had her saying and singing the G-slur in multiple songs.)

The imperialism in The Crystal Empire (not king Sombra, the fact that after they defeated them, rather than letting a Crystal Pony rule the empire, they put Cadence, who is from Equestria, on the throne)

After deposing Chrysalis, the one changeling put in charge was the one the ponies had a good relation with (something that happens with startling frequency between the US and cartain parts of the Middle East)

The uncomfortable power dynamics between the pony races (especially the Hearthswarming Eve backstory)

The W*NDIGOS

And that's just off the top of my head. That's just what I can remember at 1 am while frantically typing in the dark.

The fandom's white supremacy problem suddenly isn't all that surprising when you realize how BAD things were in the show. It's not like it was doing much against that kind of bigotry.

And for the record, I'm not trying to "cancel" FiM. I still love this show with all my heart; it's really important to me, and it's still a good show that, in a way, kick-started the 2010s cartoon renaissance. We owe a lot to it. But that's exactly why I'm so upset by it's failings as a show that defined itself by its morals on friendship and standing together against hardship. To see the glaring blind spots on a show created by a white woman, with a writing room full of mostly white people, who despite having good intentions really did not know what they were doing sometimes. It hurts me as a fan of colour, and it hurts black and indigenous fans most of all but not exclusively.

Hopefully, now speaking a as someone aiming to be in the animation industry, we can use this as a learning experience, so we grow to be more critical of our own work, and maybe our own shortcomings won't be offensive or hurtful towards any demographic we may want to represent.

[determinate-negation]

Enough About Human Rights - Moondog

"A striking presence on the streets of New York City between the late 1940s and the early 1970s, the composer, poet and street performer known as Moondog would become as iconic a part of the city’s cultural architecture as the Brooklyn Bridge. Taking up his almost daily position on the corner of 54th Street and the Avenue of the Americas (known to cops and cabbies as “Moondog’s Corner”), the man whom passers-by would eventually call the “Viking of Sixth Avenue” was an imposing yet mesmerising oasis of calm on the busy streets of the Big Apple.

The son of an Episcopal minister, and a distant cousin of the infamous Old West outlaw John Wesley Hardin, his musical influences were cemented early on—initially by the sounds of ragtime and military brass bands. These left a pervasive swing influence in his work, as well as a penchant for brass instruments.

The second influence was one that he likened to a metaphysical experience—as a child visiting a nearby Arapaho tribe with his father, he witnessed a traditional Sun Dance ceremony, later sitting in the lap of their chief Yellow Calf whilst playing a tom-tom made of buffalo hide. This revelatory moment was arguably the spark that gave birth to Moondog’s unique sense of rhythm, which he nicknamed “snaketime”—a slippery, pulsing rhythm often using five or seven beats to a measure, that a ballerina friend first referred to as “snaky”. x

"[...] as his career progressed, his music encompassed influences from bebop, swing, rumba, modernism and Renaissance music. It was characterized by what he called "snaketime" and described as "a slithery rhythm, in times that are not ordinary [...] I'm not gonna die in 4/4 time". x

[tranquilitybasehotelcasino]

hi so i'm going to a fall out boy concert soon and i'm ashamed to say i've only listened to about half their discography. are there any particular albums or songs that i NEED to check out before i go, or are they one of those bands that will just play whatever the fuck songs at the concert and don't favor more popular stuff

HI SORRYYYY I ONLY JUST SAW THIS. i don't know which half of their discography you've listened to but their setlists for this tour seem to be comprised of a lot of the hits + some lesser knowns and the occasional true deep cut, so even if you've only heard the stuff that got radio play you should be fine. i wouldn't worry too much about, like, people thinking you're lame or a poser or whatever for not knowing all the words to every song

"da hits" you'd probably need to know would most likely be chicago is so two years ago + saturday + calm before the storm (take this to your grave), dance, dance + sugar, we're goin' down + a little less sixteen candles, a little more "touch me" (from under the cork tree), this ain't a scene, it's an arms race + thnks fr th mmrs + the take over, the breaks over (infinity on high), disloyal order of water buffaloes + headfirst slide into cooperstown on a bad bet + i don't care (folie a deux), the phoenix + my songs know what you did in the dark + save rock and roll (save rock and roll), centuries + uma thurman + irresistible (american beauty/american psycho), the last of the real ones + young and menace (mania), and love from the other side + hold me like a grudge (so much for stardust)

in terms of what i think you NEED to check out, that's really subjective! my very favorite fall out boy album is folie a deux, which didn't do too amazingly upon release but has been getting a bit of a renaissance, so if you want to get more into the band even outside of your concert experience i'm gonna have to gas it. their newest album that they're on tour to promote (so much for stardust) is really, really good, and the band has been pulling a lot of deep cuts from infinity on high recently (g.i.n.a.s.f.s., the afterlife of the party, golden, bang the doldrums, etc) as well. i think not knowing exactly what they're going to play on any given night is part of the fun; some of the stuff they've played on this tour so far already is stuff that's never been played live at all before, so honestly anything could happen

really i don't think there's any thing you "have" to listen to. jam to what you know, give what you don't a chance, and just enjoy the show! i hope you have fun!

[nematanthus]

Album Review: Folie à Deux- Fall Out Boy

Release Date:

December 10 2008

Tracklist:

Disloyal Order Of Water Buffaloes:

I Don't Care

She's My Winona

America's Suitehearts

Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown On A Bad Bet

The (Shipped) Gold Standard

(Coffee's For Closers)

What A Catch, Donnie

27

Tiffany Blews

w.a.m.s.

20 Dollar Nose Bleed

West Coast Smoker

Favorite Track:

West Coast Smoker

Least favorite track:

w.a.m.s.

Album art opinions:

This is an album clearly about mental illness and the effects that fame can have on your mental health, and the character in the bear costume shows this very well. Holding back what seems to be a very angry bear, the character is shown physically holding a heavy weight that could be a metaphor for either the weight of knowing everyone's eyes are on you (fame) or the weight of trying to act normal while struggling with mental illness, though for the purposes of this, I'm going to say it is both, which is in the true spirit of the album, the name of which means a shared delusion/other mental illness,but literally translated is "trouble for two" and the album focuses quite heavily on the dilemma of being famous v taking care of yourself.

The bright red background is immediately eye catching and compliments the colors of the two figures on the cover without drawing attention away from them, which makes this cover one that is very visually pleasing to look at

Color: 9/10

Recognizability: 7/10

Vibes: 9/10

Total: 8/10

Music opinions/notes:

This is a no skip album for me. Each track feels like it's in its own little world while simultaneously seamlessly fitting into the overarching theme of the album. It was hard for me to pick a least favorite, as I like this album quite a lot. This album is a great listen, and as a musician that has learned to play songs on this album with different instruments, its also rather fun. There's enough changes in pace that it doesn't feel monotonous, and who could forget Patricks rich vocals, ranging from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs all with such a clear tone that it is rather impressive, and shows how much one can change in 5 short years. While it was not a success when it was first released, causing the band to ignore the albums' existence up until their most recent tour, it has made a Renaissance and it seems that the band has healed from its initial failure. Most fans have come to the consensus that the record was simply before its time, and it is now a top 3 album for most Fall Out Boy fans out there.

Vibes: 9/10

Mix: 9/10

Lyrics: 7/10

Instruments: 8/10

Total: 8/10

Total Score: 8/10

[inkofamethyst]

Nina's 2023 Bops

kind of in a rough order this year~

Artists

Upstate

Albums

Healing - Upstate

A Remedy - Upstate

Renaissance - Beyonce

Xscape - Michael Jackson

Sky Volumes 1, 2, 3 - Vincent Diamante

Traveler, a Journey Symphony - Austin Wintory

Songs

On a Journey - Theresa Ambat (my song of the year, from wtnv)

The Horror and the Wild - The Amazing Devil (runner up song of the year, from puzzle-friend)

Be Glad That I'm Not God - Vadia (second runner up song of the year, from tiktok)

You Sure Are Something - Theresa Ambat

Rotten - Missouri Surf Club (from wtnv)

That Unwanted Animal - The Amazing Devil (from puzzle-friend)

Bird Song - Florence + The Machine (from puzzle-friend)

Running Out of Time - Paramore

I Am My Own Muse; Heaven, Iowa; Love From The Other Side - Fall Out Boy (from cello-friend I think? or puzzle-friend? both?)

Seven Nation Army / Sweet Dreams - Buffalo Rose (from tiktok)

The Witch - Indra Rose (from wtnv)

Road of Trials - Austin Wintory (the one from Traveler!!)

Mars - Gustav Holst

Tiger Mountain Peasant Song - Fleet Foxes (from Disparition's Glass TIger)

Status Report - Star Trek SNW Cast

When The Sun Goes Down - Ezra Glatt (from tiktok)

Today I'm thankful for safe travels, a mother's love, and fourteen individually-wrapped slices of pound cake in the freezer.

I have a three days free before I start back up in the lab. Planning to map out some exploratory routes tonight. Already have some cool places of interest on my list, just need to connect them.

[honeysucklepink]

I was tagged by @coffeegleek

3 ships: Kurt/Blaine, Glee; Roy/Keeley, Ted Lasso; TK/Carlos, 9-1-1 Lone Star

First ever ship: Probably Bo/Hope on Days Of Our Lives, or if we’re limiting to primetime, David/Maddie on Moonlighting. 

Last song: “Thique” by Beyoncé; my Spotify Wrapped has been so screwed up the last couple of years (because I use Spotify for very specific and inconsistent reasons) that I’m trying to “game” the system. starting with putting the Renaissance album on repeat.

Currently reading: I’ve decided to try to read books again. I’m starting with a re-read, Holly Madison’s Down the Rabbit Hole, in prep for her follow-up The Vegas Diaries, and then I have a whole list, including Carsick by John Waters, Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson, and a couple of Neil Gaiman books.

Currently consuming: a lime LaCroix.

Currently watching: sadly, the suspended Monday Night Football coverage of the Buffalo Bills player that collapsed on the field after a tackle. Damar Hamlin had to have CPR for 9 minutes and is now in critical condition. If y’all are the praying type please pray.

Currently craving: sleep.

Low-key, no pressure tagging: @quizasvivamos @slayediest @ckerouac @redheadgleek @klaineharmony @crissmastrees-and-candyklaines