#Burnt Tapes

[the-burnt-tapes]

Omaga Hetch.

I need.

To squish you.

-🫀

SYSTEM ERROR. MESSAGE UNRECIEVED. PLEASE TRY AGAIN.

[punkrockmixtapes]

Burnt Tapes - Little Sister (feat. Hannah Hermione Greenwood)

[saymoretv]

TW - Suicide

- I’m not sure how I stumbled across Burnt Tapes but I assume it was trawling for some new pop-punk / melodic punk bands on Bandcamp. I do remember  being surprised at a) how good their songs sounded (there’s often a pretty low strike rate searching for pop-punk in particular) b) they were based in London and c) still an active band. Their album, ‘Never Better’, stayed on my wishlist for about a year before I finally got round to buying it on a recent Bandcamp Friday splurge, and I’m very glad I got round to splurging. 

- I tend to find it challenging to write anything coherent and concise when it comes to reflecting on albums, that’s why this thing is about music videos, so I won’t digress into a full-blown, wafflely review of Never Better, however, I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the songwriting throughout. There’s no slack across the record with each song as powerful as a standalone and different enough presentation of their melancholic, gruff-lite, melodic punk sound without ever sounding overly repetitive, samey or too long. And despite being an album chock full of good tunes, Yuzi still manages to stand a head taller than the rest (although I’d argue Dirt Champ ‘16, is only a shade less good).

- What I think I like about Yuzi is that it seems like a perfect 2.32 minute distillation of the album and, in general, the band’s ‘Regretcore’ (their terminology) sound. The chorus although not classically anthemic in structure runs thick with the regret-punk(?) passion. It’s real ‘arms outstretched, eyes shut and head to sky / pub ceiling’ singalong stuff. 

- The video feels very slick, like they’ve got someone in who knows a bit or two about lens’, colour grading and narrative structure; the latter part being particularly important given they’ve done a good job of essentially filming a short film about a father re-tracing his sons last, seemingly very depressed, last steps in just over 2 and half minutes (whilst interspersed with the shots of the band).

- Whilst superficially I feel like the video is well a constructed short, cinematic story, I’m not sure I love the association of the pain of a break-up / end of a relationship with suicide, which is where I think the video takes the lyrical illusion to. I’m not so priggish as to say we shouldn’t talk or show suicide for fear that it could encourage it in others, but I think the conceit of the pain of a break up feeling so painful as to warrant the ending one’s life is somewhat immature and outdated. This is the sort of narrative content that mainstream emo bands were pumping out in the 2000′s which even then felt a bit hyperbolic and hokey. But now in a time of greater mental health awareness and advocacy it feels almost a bit irresponsible to be playing back these same simplistic narratives around depression and suicide, especially for younger people.

-  Maybe this is me speaking from the vantage point of near middle age and a perhaps a point of greater emotionally stable and maturity, picking holes in an otherwise great song and video. I’m just a bit more sensitive to this stuff in my old age. Listen to Burnt Tapes and talk to your friends (or me) if you’re having a hard time. You are not alone.

[the-broken-pen]

“You’re going to blow out your arms,” the villain observed. They watched as the hero merely grit their teeth, shoving themself through another pull-up. It looked painful, and if the sweat slicking the hero’s brow was any indication, it was.

They waited for the hero to let themself drop from the bar and accept the villain was stronger. But they didn’t.

Three more pull-ups, and the villain stepped in.

“Hero,” they said slowly. “You’re about to tear the ligaments in your arms. You need to stop.”

The hero blew out a shuddering breath. Struggled for purchase, fighting gravity—and let themself drop.

The hero’s hands were bleeding, calluses torn open by the bar. The hero didn’t seem bothered when their own hands shook so much that their blood began to splatter on the gym floor.

For a moment, the villain could only stare at them.

Shit.

They didn’t know how to handle this. They knew the hero was dedicated. They knew the hero was strong, and perpetually trying to be stronger, but they hadn’t thought…

They hadn’t thought the hero would be so willing to tear apart their own body for success.

It was supposed to be fun, the villain thought. They felt a little sick as the hero pressed their palms together to soothe the bleeding, an action that was practiced and familiar. As if they had done this before.

The hero reached for something in their bag, smearing blood on the side, and pulled out a roll of blue electrical tape. The villain didn’t understand why, until the hero tore a strip off and made to wrap their hands with it.

The hero would be the death of them.

They crouched in front of the hero, plucking the electrical tape out of their hands.

“What are you doing with this?”

The hero blinked at the villain like they were the strange one in this situation.

“Wrapping my hands?”

The villain hissed in a breath.

“With electrical tape?”

The hero flushed slightly, looking down at their bloody hands. They looked close to tears.

“It…sticks to skin, really well. And it doesn’t move, either, when you move your hands or wherever else, even if you’re fighting. Plus, blood doesn’t make it come off, at least, not for a while.”

The villain blinked at them.”

“Blood doesn’t make it come off,” the villain repeated, processing. The hero nodded, reaching for the electrical tape. The villain settled it out of reach.

“Not if you wrap it right.”

Dimly, the villain realized that meant the hero had done this enough times to have it down to a science.

“And you couldn’t use a bandaid?” The villain asked incredulously. The hero shrugged a shoulder, then winced at the motion.

Yeah, the hero had absolutely blown out their arms.

“Bandaids move—“

The villain hushed them.

���Be quiet for a second.”

The hero, wisely, went quiet.

The villain rubbed a hand over their face, then studied the hero for a moment. They took one of the hero’s hands into their own, studying the damage.

“Why did you do this to yourself,” the villain murmured.

“What do you mean, why,” the hero snapped. “It’s my job.”

“Your job is to save people,” the villain corrected. “Not destroy yourself.”

“I’m not destroying myself—“

“You are.”

“Shut up—“

“Hero.”

“I need to be better,” the hero snapped. Their voice rang out across the gym, echoing into the rafters, and they both froze. After a moment, the hero spoke again, voice soft. “I need to be better.”

They said it like they needed the villain to understand. The villain wondered who they were really saying it to—the villain, or themself.

“Better than who?”

“Everyone.” It was hushed, like a secret.

The villain watched them, waiting.

The hero took a shaky breath

“My whole thing is being the best. I have always been the best. That’s the only reason I matter. If I’m not strong enough, then I am nothing, so I need. to be. better.”

The hero had started crying, very quietly, like they were afraid to take up too much space.

The villain was not equipped to handle gifted kid burnout.

“There’s more to you than just being a good athlete,” the villain said hesitantly, and the hero shook their head.

“No. There isn’t.”

“Hero.”

“Can you give me back my electrical tape?” They hiccuped to contain a sob.

“No,” the villain said firmly, and then the hero really was sobbing.

“You don’t understand—“

The villain didn’t. Not really. They had never been the kind of talented that the hero was.

They wondered now if maybe that was a blessing.

“I don’t,” the villain agreed. “But I do understand that you’ve saved half the city, and you give everything you have to give, and you always do your best.”

“But I-“

“No.” The villain stopped them. “You are doing your best.” They tipped the hero’s chin up until they met the villain’s eyes. “And it is enough.”

The hero froze, eyes darting over the villain’s face. They wondered if anyone had ever said that to the hero, if whatever mentor they had was giving them anything other than orders to be stronger. Be better. Be more.

The villain had some new targets to take care of, it would seem.

For now, though, they had to take care of hero.

“We’re going to go wrap your hands,” they said softly. “And then we’re going to take care of your arms, and you’re going to take a nap.”

The hero nodded, watching them like they were some kind of good, selfless person.

“And if I ever catch you using electrical tape again, so help me, I will put you six feet under.”

That startled a laugh out of the hero, and they let the villain guide them to their feet.

“Fine.”

The villain turned to them. “Okay?”

Are you going to be alright?

The hero seemed to understand.

“Okay,” the hero agreed.

Yes.

And so, it was.

[my-thoughts-and-junk]

thinking about fallout 4 against my will

[primordialwhale]

man i used some kt tape for my knee this morning bc it was hurting rly bad (its my problem knee) and decided fuck it why not try it! i have some! (i tape my jaw bc of pain/stability issues)

and i came across a video from an OT with hEDS talking abt how they tape their knees earlier in the day so i thought id go and dig that video up and try it. and it helped a bunch yay!!!

but i did not think i was gonna notice such a difference between my taped knee and my untaped one even tho my other one was not in pain!! like just the massive difference in stability was staggering. I super noticed it when we went out grocery shopping and therefore was walking a bunch.

I ended up also taping my knee that wasnt in pain just to have the stability.

Will be experimenting with other joints in the future.

[doublegoblin]

OC in 3

Big thankies to @forthesanityofstorytellers for the tag!

I think I will taaaaag @asterhaze (duh lol) @gummybugg @mysticstarlightduck @angie-j-kay and anyone else

You know I gotta do Alex y'all lol

Little silly

[downtherabbitholewithlucy]

When you mix THIS

With THIS

You end up with THIS

[jellazticious]

pockey game but with cigarettes

[number-one-hog-hater]

So Mac just got stolen gifts for Christmas so answer me this where are the young Polaroids of him and his friends? Mac Loves his friends and family and you telling me he never got a Polaroid? Impossible. Where's the Poppins pup pic? He has them stashed somewhere I know he does. Modern gay mac would love scrap booking. FUCK where is his Current poloaroids I Know he'd be into that in recent years. Tell me he does have the target lilac Polaroid camera.

[the-burnt-tapes]

Hetch, thoughts on murder?

-🥔

ᴹᵘʳᵈᵉʳ? ᴸⁱᵏᵉ... ᵃˢ ᵃ ᵖˡᵒᵗ? ᴹᵘʳᵈᵉʳ ⁱᵗˢᵉˡᶠ ⁱⁿ ˢᵒᶜⁱᵉᵗʸ ⁱˢ ᵖʳᵒᵇᵃᵇˡᵉ ᵇᵘᵗ ᵗᵉᶜʰⁿⁱᶜᵃˡˡʸ ⁱⁿ ᵖˡᵒᵗ. ᴵ ˡⁱᵏᵉ ᵐᵘʳᵈᵉʳ ᵐʸˢᵗᵉʳⁱᵉˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ˢᵘᶜʰ ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᵐᵉᵈⁱᵃ, ʳᵉᵃˡ ᵒʳ ᶠᵃᵏᵉ... ⁱᶠ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ⁱˢ ʷʰᵃᵗ ʸᵒᵘ ʷᵉʳᵉ ᵃˢᵏⁱⁿᵍ, ᵒᶠ ᶜᵒᵘʳˢᵉ.

⁻ᴴᵉᵗᶜʰ

[1980ssunflower]

jesus christ

[shadowglens]

sat here thinking about fiona (rock and roll, jumping around the stage, encouraging the band to be louder, louder fiona) performing a fully acoustic and slowed down version of the bands biggest song, with nothing but her acoustic guitar🧍‍♀️

[cryptidkey]

I watched some guy try to fit a 24 pack of Gatorade into his locker instead of paying attention in physics and now I have no clue what’s going on

[funkylittledemon]

@arrowlock the masking tape in question, as you can tell by the scorch marks on the wardrobe the flame is VERY big and satisfying for minimal damage to the actual tape

[leedongwook]

*sees all the Spotify talk on tumblr* I don’t have Spotify 😅 *haley your age is showing 🙈*