#Cruisin' Records

[bandcampsnoop]

1/10/24.

Scott Yoder is a Seattle, Washington songwriter who clearly loves David Bowie and Ray Davies. Listening to 2022 release "Wither on Hollywood & Vine" you can't help but feel a 1960s/1970s nostalgia.

But, this doesn't sound at all like someone who's trying to recreate a sound. Rather, like The Tyde or The Lemon Twigs, he's using his skills and influences to help add to the genre of glam/rock/garage.

Yoder has releases on Annibale Records, Burger Records and a new release due on Cruisin' Records.

[buttholebuttonhole]

Hehehemuauahahahhaheeehee

[bearfoottruck]

I don't know if anyone here is a fan of the Boys Town Gang (I get the feeling I'm the only one), but I wanted to share this early 80s disco classic that merged two Diana Ross hits.

[cdchyld]

Added to the Vintage shop!

~ Village People Cruisin’ LP Vinyl Record (1978)

[rosettasgraveyard]

My cats also opens my door

But also you can open it with just pulling, you dont need to use the handle

Also what if nightmare had a daughter/daughters

I just want killers phone to ring, him picking up and just hearing this:

"Hiii, you're dads right hand man right? Or whatever its called-" "is that your dads friend? HI (insert whatever name i'll give the daughter)'s DADS FRIEND!" "girl shut the fuck up for like one second im trying to talk here! do you mind telling him i'll be at a friends house tonight?"

In the background just "BOY GIVE ME BACK MY HAIRCLIP BEFORE I BEAT YOUR ASS WITH MY HAIRDRYER" "WYM YOUR HAIRCLIP? THIS IS MINE!" "girl get off my lap for like one second i need to call my dad too i just remembered." "Tell him i said hi" "NO IT ISNT- oh wait yeah it is"

Half of my nightmare thingamabog lore is just whatever i think is funny, i have no thoughts <3 there is a rat instead of a brain in my skull

I got another but this is purely nightmares lover from their perspective to nightmare

Everything you do, I'm obsessed with you

I don't mean to scare, but you're just so cute

Every move you make, you're fucking sweeter than a cake

I wanna cut you up and put you in my oven just to bake

And everything you say is like poetry

Wanna drop you in boiling water drink, you like chamomile tea

I'd love to wipe these other bitches out, so it's just you and me

I wanna hug you like a bunny, wanna sting you like a bee

Also today i learned my older brother once pushed me out the bed because he wanted more room, since he didnt think there would be consequences.

Thanks dude i was 2 😔 go fuck yourself

Have a cat picture

Nice. I once watched my brother chase around a childhood friend with a knife.

And NM’s love is a massive simp. They probably like that he smells awful. /pos

{ @brokenramunebottle }

[loremaster]

CHAPTER 1 - Man Door Hand Nail Fur Door (Comic)

...aka the Zilara manifesto.

(tw: strangulation, suggestive themes) BOBA AU MASTERPOST: [link]

Yakou tells Yuma to go to the hotel and corral all the other detectives who have been sleeping soundly in the nice fancy rooms over there. Yuma, who got 3 hours of sleep on Yakou's creaky couch, says "Okay, sure thing, Dad." ((side note - wouldn't the train detectives have had rooms reserved at the hotel? Couldn't Yuma have had one of those?))

Instead of agreeing to meet up, they all send poor little Kokohead around the city doing side quests.

Pucci wants to know if Kanai Ward has any good symphonies; recordings of classical music are all well and good, but it's no substitute for the acoustics of a live concert hall. Closest thing Yuma can find is Aetheria Academy's chamber orchestra program. Musicians in Kanai Ward used to be part of a larger regional symphonic orchestra, but since Amaterasu locked off the city, they've had to resort to busking. Pucci seems disappointed, but resigns herself to checking out the high school girls' next concert anyway.

Aphex is cruisin' for a bruisin'. He spotted some suspicious movement in one of the districts on his radar (drug deals?), but every time he goes to check it out, he can't find out which people in the crowd are the suspicious ones. They must be afraid of Aphex's intimidating appearance, so Yuma goes in his stead to grill the people hanging around the square. Turns out they weren't dealing drugs, they were passing around anti-Amaterasu propaganda. They beg Yuma not to tell Aphex. Yuma goes back to the hotel to tell Aphex... who thinks anti-fascist action is cool, actually, so no need to do anything about those guys.

Melami wants to know about the local fashion scene, and is very curious about the dronebrellas she's seen around Kanai Ward. She sends Yuma to see what the big deal about them is, and once there, he gets roped into a long winding sales pitch for technology he can't afford. He relays as much of this as he can remember back to Melami, but once she hears they only come in one color, she decides she's not interested. What's the point if you can't customize it? Just get a regular umbrella. Or a rain coat. That's a much better way to show off your personality! Yuma tries not to scream about how much time he just wasted.

Zange shows Yuma a picture he took (with his mind) of a specific location in Kanai Ward, but can't quite remember where it was. Yuma has to go on a scavenger hunt to find the place that matches the picture and tell Zange how to get there. Zange assigns Yuma a numerical score based on how long it took him complete the quest (which is always too slow). This will be a repeatable quest/minigame with different locations every time.

As Yuma is about to leave the hotel, Zilch stops him. He offers a more formal introduction (since, you know, they didn't actually meet aboard the train) and volunteers (insists) to accompany the poor useless trainee as a senior detective, to show him how it's done.

Zilch has four animal companions with him at the moment: three caged mice and a dog named Bosch.

He doesn't seem to treat them very kindly, though. He isn't careful handling the mice's cage, and he orders Bosch around like one would speak to Alexa.

Anyway, Zilch and Yuma go look for the last remaining detective, Halara Nightmare. Canon ensues.

They run into The Boy and accept the quest to investigate the Nail Man murders. Halara needs some convincing.

At the church, Zilch makes a new friend, or so he thinks.

Zilch tactlessly asks the nun if her ears are natural or not, and starts bragging about how well his own surgery went. For the ears and tail, that is. The Nun doesn't like Zilch's attitude one bit. She watches him use his mice for spying and gets freaked out. The nun threatens to kill Zilch but he doesn't think she's serious.

Zilch says that he didn’t expect there to be a Metal Fox Church here, of all places. Yuma asks him to elaborate, and he says they’re a denomination that exists elsewhere in the world. The church near where he grew up was much larger and more spectacular than this one. The Metal Fox is a deity known for its fortitude and cunning, that offers protection from “hunters,” or persecution of any kind. Zilch doesn’t seem to believe in its teachings at all. #atheistpride

Meanwhile, the dog, Bosch, sniffs around and seems agitated by something. He can place the smells of all the church NPCs around the scene, but there's something else, too. Zilch barks the order - literally - for Bosch to track whichever scent doesn't belong, and the dog goes off on a solo mission.

Zilch has a plan to catch the Nail Man red-handed, but he won't tell what it is yet. He needs to prepare some stuff. So in the meantime, Yuma and Halara hold hands at several different crime scenes.

While Shinigami keeps blabbing about stripping detectives, Halara fucks off to who knows where and Yuma returns to the church to meet with Zilch. Zilch leads Yuma to the nearby woods and reveals his master plan to lure out the Nail Man by taking a doll with a slip of paper on it to the forest, and writing the name of someone for the Nail Man to kill...

"Yuma Kokohead," of course.

Yuma is terrified of being used as bait, but Zilch promises he'll intervene before the Nail Man can actually kill him, it'll be fine. So Yuma the pushover gets tied to a tree...

Halara unmasks the cloaked figure to reveal the priest of the Metal Fox Church, as they suspected. The priest begs for mercy - he was only trying to protect the people of Kanai Ward by purging it of corruption (and letting an innocent man take the fall for it)...!

Yuma thinks he might not have to rely on Shinigami's powers this time, but then...

Bosch leads them back to the church where Seth and his Peacekeepers are threatening Yakou.

And with that… it’s Mystery Labyrinth time!

Zilch’s voice is back to normal inside the Labyrinth. He seems oddly relaxed around Shinigami - because he insists this is not real and actually a dream. #atheist4lyfe

Yuma deduces that Zilch's name was written in the woods by the nun. She witnessed Zilch’s mistreatment of his animal companions and tactless assholery - but the thing that pushed it into murder territory was actually her recognizing the crest of the Alexander family on his fur coat. The full truth comes to light - the Alexanders have been known for generations as prolific trophy hunters. They “live alongside nature,” sure, but it’s a heavily controlled and subdued “nature.” This is antithetical to everything the Metal Fox Church stands for, so the nun, devout to her faith, believed Zilch to be an invasive threat to their way of life, and the peace of Kanai Ward.

And, since this revelation is taking place in the Mystery Labyrinth, of COURSE she gets a cool Mystery Phantom.

The gang also, like, solves the actual mystery.

Then once they find all the evidence they unmask the true culprit and his copycat, and the Priest's and Worshipper's souls are reaped.

Zilch is horrified. Somehow he didn't expect this was actually going to affect reality. Shinigami assures him that he won't remember any of the Mystery Labyrinth anyway, so...

Aaaaand eventually they do leave the Labyrinth. Halara is back to their usual steely exterior.

The masked priest in front of them drops to the floor dead. A scream from the church can be heard, presumably because the worshipper has just done the same. They go to check it out.

Then… Yomi shows up. He intimidates the group and doesn’t seem to deem any of the detectives worth his attention… until he notices Zilch.

Shinigami wonders if he recognized the Alexander family crest... but Yuma makes the connection and realizes Yomi might have had some sort of connection to the impostor on the train. That's pretty scary to think about. Was this the guy who tried to kill off all the Master Detectives coming into Kanai Ward? He seems dangerous...

Good thing Yomi has a devoted right hand to play around with. In front of everyone.

But anyway, regarding the Nail Man situation, Yomi decides to throw Seth under the bus, and punish him accordingly.

Bye Seth! Or should I say... Steve. :noes:

After his near-death experience, Zilch has a change of heart and decides he doesn't need a fur coat after all (seeing as it almost got him killed). Halara accepts it as payment for their services solving the case.... at least Zilch's half of it - Yuma still owes them a small fortune.

And with that the day is saved. Yuma plays a bit of baseball. Halara has a comfy new bed for their beloved strays. And Zilch... has a lot to think about.

-----

HELLO BOBA FANS!!! Thanks for your patience waiting for this update! I hope you can tell I've been working on this very hard (in between assignments for cartoon college)! The post didn't even fit all the images I made for this chapter - I'll be sure to post the other ones separately. At some point.

This chapter was an interesting challenge to write, trying to hammer down Zilch's character - how to make him distinct from his impersonator, but similar enough to lend credit to the impersonator. It took a while but I think I've finally landed on a solid backstory. I'll be posting more about him in the next installment of Boba AU - Zilch's Gumshoe Gabs. Then after that will be Chapter 2! Super excited to rub my gay little hands all over that one.

If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading! If you liked this, then please... I beg of you... draw me some Zilara ;_;

BOBA AU MASTERPOST: [link]

[cartermagazine]

Today In History

Born in Detroit, Michigan, on February 19, 1940, William “Smokey” Robinson is a prolific songwriter credited with 4,000 songs and 37 Top 40 hits.

Robinson founded The Miracles while still in high school. The group was Berry Gordy’s first vocal group, and it was at Robinson’s suggestion that Gordy started the Motown Record dynasty. Their single of Robinson’s “Shop Around” became Motown’s first #1 hit on the R&B singles chart. In the years following, Robinson continued to pen hits for the group including “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me,” “Ooo Baby Baby,” “The Tracks of My Tears,” “Going to a Go-Go,” “More Love,” “Tears of a Clown” (co-written with Stevie Wonder), and “I Second That Emotion.”

The Miracles dominated the R&B scene throughout the 1960’s and early 70’s and Robinson became Vice President of Motown Records serving as in-house producer, talent scout and songwriter.

In addition to writing hits for the Miracles, Robinson wrote and produced hits for other Motown greats including The Temptations, Mary Wells, Brenda Holloway, Marvin Gaye and others. “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” “My Girl,” “Get Ready,” “You Beat Me to the Punch,” “Don’t Mess with Bill,” “Ain’t That Peculiar,” and “My Guy” are just a few of his songwriting triumphs during those years.

After Robinson left the Miracles, fellow member Marv Tarplin joined him on tour in 1973, and presented him a tune he had composed on his guitar. Robinson later wrote the lyrics that became his first solo top ten Pop single, “Cruisin’”. The song hit number one in Cash Box and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. It also became his first solo number one in New Zealand.

CARTER™ Magazine

[ramshackle-ramblings]

Cater's gonna Cay

In which Alise parodies a song, and Cater overhears

This post contains words that may be objectionable to some readers. They are used in accordance to modern slang, and not to insult or belittle anyone.

"That's so pretty!" Cater exclaimed when Alise slid onto the bench across from him, setting the cupcake on the table in front of her. It was decorated with delicate sugar flowers and a tiny marzipan bluebird. "Wait, don't eat it yet! Let me get a picture."

He picked up his phone, and she moved to get out of the shot, humming "Cater's gonna Cay, Cay, Cay, Cay, Cay … " quietly as she did.

Cater paused and glanced at her confused. "Did you … " He took the picture quickly. "Did you just make up a song about me?"

"Ah, no," Alise answered quickly.

"You did," he grinned at her. "You totally did!"

"I definitely did not!"

"You have a song about Cater?" Mouse asked curiously.

"Noooo!" Alise buried her face in her hands.

"Is there more?" Cater asked, leaning his head on his hand and grinning in delight.

"I didn't write one," she mumbled into her hands. "I just took a song I already know, and changed the words a little. Someone else did the hard part." "I'd really like to hear it," Cater prompted, fidgeting with his phone. "You'd really like to record it," Mouse corrected him.

"That, too," he agreed.

"Fine," Alise moaned, lifting her head. "You ready?"

"I'm ready!" Cater centered Alise in the frame and pressed record.

She started to sing quietly;

He stays out too late Got nothing in his brain

"Hey!" Cater exclaimed, laughing.

Mouse set their fork down. The tune sounded so familiar. What was the song?

Alise shrugged innocently, and sang the next line;

That's what people say, mm-mm

It clicked for Mouse, and they picked up the line after;

That's what people say, mm-mm

He goes on too many dates

Cater grinned a little, and glanced at Trey. Trey raised an eyebrow at him.

But he can't make 'em stay

"What??" Cater yelped.

Alise just shrugged again.

At least that's what people say, mm-mm

And Mouse agreed'

That's what people say, mm-mm

They looked at each other across the table, and sang the bridge together;

But he keeps cruisin' Can't stop, won't stop movin' It's like he's got this music in his mind Sayin' it's gonna be alright

Alise hopped up onto the table, scanning the cafeteria for people;

'Cause Idia's gonna play, play, play, play, play And Cater's gonna Cay, Cay, Cay, Cay, Cay Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake I shake it off, I shake it off

Alise pointed at Leona and mimed napping;

'Cause Leona's not awake, wake, wake, wake, wake

Leona rolled his eyes and proceeded to ignore her. Alise pointed at Trey;

And Trey just wants to bake, bake, bake, bake, bake

"Oh no," he shook his head. "I don't want to be a part of this."

Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake I shake it off, I shake it off He'll never miss a beat He's lightnin' on his feet

Mouse took the next line, adding reassuringly to Cater;

And that's what they don't see, mm-mm

Alise nodded in agreement;

That's what they don't see, mm-mm

He's dancin' on his own

Mouse took backup vocals;

(dancin' on his own) He makes the moves up as he goes (moves up as he goes) And that's what they don't know, mm-mm That's what they don't know, mm-mm

They poth picked up the bridge again

But he keeps cruisin' Can't stop, won't stop movin' It's like he's got this music in his mind Sayin' it's gonna be alright Lilia's gonna fly, fly, fly, fly, fly

Lilia popped in next to Cater, equal parts curious about what was going on and delighted to be included in the nonsense.

And Cater's gonna Cay, Cay, Cay, Cay, Cay Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake I shake it off, I shake it off Vil is serving cunt, cunt, cunt, cunt, cunt

Vil, hearing his name, looked up to protest, but it was too late, and not wrong.

And Rook is on the hunt, hunt, hunt, hunt, hunt

"Mon Dieu," Rook chuckled. "She has a line for everyone!"

Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake I shake it off, I shake it off

"Can we please get off the table, now?" Riddle asked, his voice as strained as his patience.

[hauntinghillbilly]

hmm, so now that you've been here for a while, how do you feel about Agartha?

(which, for the record, looks a bit like this:

(In character)

it’s fun. Not much work t’do fer a hired gun like me. But Ah make it work. Besides, never know when the next monster’ll be knockin’ on my door, cruisin’ for a bruisin’.”

[cosmicjoke]

Banana Fish Drabble Request

This was a writing request that I recently completed for someone, and I thought I'd share it here:

The pigs had him.

He’d tried runnin’.  That’d been a mistake. 

Been a bigger mistake, gettin’ violent, tryin’ to break loose.  He’d caught one ‘a the bastards across the face, and gotten one ‘a the pigs billy’s across his knees for the trouble; gotten a bloody mouth.

“You nasty little whore,” the cop’d said, scruffin’ him by the collar like he was an angry cat, cuffin’ his hands at his back and shovin’ him into the back seat of the squad car.

Ash’s heart had hammered hard against his ribs, fear in his gut, even as he’d kicked at the seat in front of him and screamed profanities.

Papa Dino was gonna’ find out he’d been picked up for solicitin’.  He was gonna’ be pissed.  He was gonna’…

“Ash, kid… you alright?”

Ash’s eyes cut up to Captain Jenkins, seein’ the sorry look on his face, like he’s feelin’ bad for him.  Feelin’ guilty.

Ash sneers at him, leaning away.

“The fuck do you care, pig?” He spits, “You keep… keep haulin’ me in.  I ain’t hurt nobody.  It’s fucked, you pickin’ us whores up off the streets, like that’s the fuckin’ crime.  Don’t do nothin’ ‘bout the perves cruisin’ for us.  That’s some classic victim blamin’ there, Cap.  You probably think, hell, if it weren’t for us whores out there on the corners, wouldn’t be no pervs.  Like we create the temptation and they just can’t help their poor selves.  You and this whole department’s a fuckin’ joke, you know that?”

Jenkins’ got that sorry look still, lips pullin’ down at the corners.

Looks at him like he feel pity and Ash don’t want it.  He don’t want nothin’ from no pig.

“The fuck you want from me, Cap?” He finally demands, “You ain’t processed me yet, so I know you want somethin’.  Just spit it the fuck out already,”

Jenkins shakes his head.  He’s sweatin’.  Got a line of it tricklin’ down his temple.  What’s he got to be nervous for, Ash wonders. 

He was the one in the hot seat.

“You’re too smart for me, kid,” the captain tells him, and Ash feels sick.

Yeah, he was too smart.

Too smart for everybody.

All bein’ smart ever got him was hatred and unwanted attention.

All bein’ smart ever got him was men’s greed and lust.

“We need your help, Ash,” Jenkins finally admits.

“No,” Ash tells him immediately.

He ain’t doin’ this again.

He ain’t puttin’ himself in that position.

“Please, Ash,” Jenkins pleads, “this guy… he’s been pickin’ kids off.  He doesn’t even clean up, doesn’t try to hide it.  He just leave the bodies where he kill’s em.  Kids like you.  Street kids that nobody’ll miss…”

The captain seems to realize too late what he’s just said, his face goin’ pale.

“I didn’t mean that,” he starts and Ash laughs.

“Yeah you did, Cap,” Ash tells him, “and fuck, it’s true.  Don’t nobody want me, ‘cept pervs on power trips and pigs who think I’m good bait for a trap,”

Jenkins lips thin, and Ash can see the guilt rollin’ off him.  He wishes he’d save it.  He don’t want no ones pity or hard feelings.

“Please, Ash,” he begs again.

“I almost got killed last time I helped you bastards,” Ash says, voice flat, “so what are you gonna’ give me if I help you this time to make it worth it?”

He can already tell by the look on Jenkins face that he won’t be able to give him nothin’. And Ash hates himself. He hates himself, ‘cause he knows already he’s gonna’ accept, ‘cause he can’t… can’t just let some perv fuck keep killin’ kids out there. Not if there’s somethin’ he can do to stop it.

“… I’ll make sure you aren’t charged with solicitation,” Jenkins tells him now, as if that’s some sort’a consolation.

Ash scoffs, folding his arms.

“Could’a just left me alone for that,” he spits, “instead you wanna’ dress it up like you’re doin’ me a favor by not puttin’ another mark on my record,”

Jenkins looks away, shoulders slumping.

“… I’m sorry, Ash,” he says, sounding suddenly ashamed, “… I just… we can’t catch this guy… we don’t know what else to do,”

“… Yeah, you pigs don’t ever know what to do. You let kids like me pay for your fuck-ups, and then expect me to fix it for ya,” he shakes his head, “but fine, I’ll be your fuckin’ bait, Cap, so long as you let me go after. No… no callin’ up Dino to bail me out. You let me go, Scot-free,”

Jenkins looks relieved, a heavy breath punchin’ outta’ his lungs.

“Of course,” he promises, “whatever you need. And… and thank you, Ash,”

He holds his hand out, like he wants to shake on it or some shit, but Ash ain’t interested, ignoring it.

I’m a fuckin’ idiot, he thinks dismally.

Maybe he was always gettin’ screwed-over by life ‘cause the big brain between his ears wasn’t good for nothin’ that actually mattered.

//

It goes south.

He finds the man… or more like, the man finds him.  Big brute of a bastard, gets the jump on him, dragging him, kickin’ and screamin’, into a back alley.  Gets Ash pinned up against the rain-slicked brick wall.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, Ash thinks as he struggles in the man’s hold.  Fuckin’ fallin’ asleep like that.  Wasn’t no excuse.  Didn’t matter if he hadn’t slept none the last three days.  Wasn’t no excuse, and now he was gonna’ pay the price.

The guys hand around his throat is like a vice, chokin’ the life from him, and panic takes Ash by the heart, a horror show of lights blinkin’ and poppin’ in his eyes as he struggles to breathe.

He can feel his legs, kickin’ frantic and desperate, tryin’ to get any kind of purchase, any kind of leverage.

But he’s no match for the brute strength of this freak, and Ash knows, if he don’t do somethin’ quick, he’s gonna’ die here, in some stinkin’ back alley hell hole, where nobody’ll ever find him.

He remember then, sudden and sharp, the knife tucked away inside his coat pocket.  Just a small switchblade, but it should be enough, if he aims right.

He goes for it, slippin’ his hand inside his jacket, fingers fumbling and spasming around the handle.  It slips from his grasp more than once, and Ash grits his teeth.  He can feel himself tippin’ toward unconsciousness.  He knows if he blacks out, it’s over.

Finally, he manages to get a good grip on the thing, pullin’ it free. 

He depresses the button, the blade springing free, and Ash don’t hesitate.

He slashes the thing, right across the fuck’s face, catchin’ him in the eye.

The man drops him and Ash falls, hard, to his hands and knees.

He convulses, body sucking desperately for air, strangled gasps and wretched coughs in between, the air burning like fire in his lungs.

He don’t got time for it.

His brain screams at him to get up.  Get up now!

He forces himself to, the man’s pained moans coming sudden to his ears.

Ash sees him, stumbled back against the opposite wall, grasping at his face.

Blood seeps between his thick fingers.

For a moment, Ash stares at him, frozen in place, his heart hammering against his ribs, blood in his eats.

Black spots dance across his vision, everything blurred into an indistinct haze.  Somewhere, he’s aware of the already aching pain of his crushed throat.

“… kill you,” the man is muttering, “I’ll fuckin’ kill you!”

Ash’s heart slams harder, and he realizes with a start he’s dropped his knife.

He don’t know where it went.

His eyes search the ground frantically, but he can’t see shit in this light, can’t get his vision to clear enough to see anything.

“I’LL FUCKIN’ KILL YOU!” The man screams, and suddenly he’s lunging at Ash, hands outreached, fingers curling like claws to grab him.

Ash catches sight of his horrible, twisted face, his left eye slashed wide down the middle, a congealed sludge, mangled in the socket, a mask of red over everything. 

He barely manages to duck underneath the man’s reaching hands, and then he’s gone, feet slamming, turning over fast he can make ‘em against the wet pavement, his breath like thunder in his ears.

He breaks from the alley and sprints down the street.

He hears the man behind him, running after him, and Ash’s heart is in his throat, a numb horror through his guts.

He can’t let this guy catch him.  Can’t.  He doesn’t wanna’ know what’ll happen if he does.

But he’s got no place.

No place to hide.

The cops weren’t in sight.  He’d ditched his ear-piece a couple nights back, not interested in havin’ a tail. 

He wishes now he’d kept it.

It flashes then, in his mind, the one place he can go.  The one place he’ll be safe.

‘Least, from this fucker, he will.  Safe from the pigs, too.

Dino.

He don’t want to.  Last place he wants to go.  But ain’t no way this fuck’ll ever find him there.

He breaks for the nearest subway station, then.  Can still hear the bastard at his heels, refusing to give up.

Ash’s knees are like rubber as he barrels down the stone steps leading underground, prayin’ to a god he don’t even believe in that there’s a train waitin’.

He almost chokes with relief when he sees there is, passengers milling slowly in and out.

Ash crashes into them as he pushes his way through the crowd, ignoring the cursed insults flying his way as he just barely makes it through the closing doors of the train.

He falls forward, collapsing into one of the seats, mouth hung open in gasping breaths, heart threatening to push itself from his chest.

His hands are numb as he buries them in his hair, leaning forward onto his knees.

He only realizes, minutes later, how violently they shake.

//

“Ash,” Dino greets him, the sick satisfaction in his eyes making Ash’s skin crawl, “how unlike you, to come without being called.  To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Ash swallows back the bile in his throat, shovin’ down the voice, tellin’ him this was a mistake.

“I just… needed to get off the streets for a while,” he lies weakly, and knows Dino don’t buy it.

He stands from his chair, eyes narrowing as he stares down at him, chewing absently on the end of his cigar.

“Did you, now?” He asks, stepping nearer, and Ash resists the urge to step back.

“Y-yeah, I just… things were getting hard,”

“Come now, Ash, you expect me to believe that?  You’re an old hand at surviving the streets these days, are you not?”

Dino stands right in front of him, now, towering over him, and Ash turns his face down, swallowing past his tightening throat.

Dino’s hand on his chin forces his face back up.

“Tell me the truth, boy, or you’ll be sorry.  You know I don’t appreciate your lies,”

Ash’s eyes burn, and he wills the tears away.

“… Someone was… was after me,” he confesses weakly, “he… he wanted to kill me,”

“Oh, and who might this man be?  One of your clients?”

Ash knows, if he lies now, and Dino finds out he was lyin’, he’ll be fucked.  Whatever punishment Dino was gonna’ hand out to him for gettin’ pinched by the cops, for agreein’ to work with ‘em, it wouldn’t be as bad as him finding out Ash’d lied to him about it all.

So he admits it.  One, long stream of word vomit, a sick nausea in his gut as he watches Dino’s eyes grow black with displeasure.

“I see,” he says, once Ash has finished, voice deceptively calm, “that is unfortunate, boy,”

Ash only sees Dino’s hand raise.

He doesn’t have time beyond that for anything before the back of it comes crashing down on him, the blow whiting his vision and sending his mind to black.

//

When he wakes, he’s in his room.

The room Dino makes him stay in whenever he’s here, Ash reminds himself.

He doesn’t need to check the door to know it’s locked from the outside.

His face is a rage of pain, the taste of blood in the back of his throat, and he reaches up tentative fingers to feel at his swollen cheek and eye, flares of agony through the tender skin as he presses against it.

Dino musta’ kicked him again after he’d passed out.

That means he was mad.  Whenever he hit Ash that hard… he was really fuckin’ pissed.

A headache throbs through his temples.

Shit…

He’d made a mistake, he thinks, comin’ here. 

He shouldn’t of… 

Should’ve taken his chances out there on the streets, even with that psycho after him, he…

He’d panicked. 

Wasn’t no way around that.

Comin’ to Dino, he’d let the fear get him.

And now he was here, and he wouldn’t be allowed to leave ‘till Dino allowed it. 

He already knows what’ll happen.  What Dino’ll expect of him tonight.

For a moment, there’s an agonized despair, crushing the breath from him.

And then… nothing.

It’s his life, he tells himself.

This is his life.

Dino will rape him, and that’s the way it is.

No use in cryin’ about it.

No use in complainin’.

He did it to himself this time, coming here when he shoulda’ known better.

He did it to himself.

Whatever comes now, he’s got no one but himself to blame.

[deadrlngers]

6 albums i've been listening to (+1 standout track)

tagged by @devilbrakers thank you sooo much ezra <3

nei letti degli altri - mahmood. nel tuo mare: this one is difficult because i'm putting on repeat a bunch of songs from this album A LOT and picking just one is crazy difficult so i picked the one i find myself going back to a lot. honorable mention to stella cadente. these two are the songs i relate the most so i'll cheat and mention both

the age of consent - bronski beat. smalltown boy: i've been in the mood for this album a lot lately..smalltown boy is a classic and it will forever be THE song to me

pizza kebab vol.1 - ghali (begging ghali to come up with normal album names fr). safi safi: i'm too weak for the songs where he mixes italian and arabic together so this is an easy pick fhdkfkjd

black celebration - depeche mode. stripped: of course i've been listening to my fave album ever of depeche mode..chosing one single track is like psychological torture but yeah. LET ME SEE YOU STRIPPED DOWN TO THE BONE!!!! LET ME HEAR YOU MAKE DECISIONS WITHOUT YOUR TELEVISION!!! LET ME HEAR YOU SPEAKING JUST FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!

pony express record - shudder to think. 9 fingers on you: how to pick just one song from this album literallyyyyy!!!!!!!! i've discovered them a few months ago and i still need to do a deep dive in their discography but this album is an obsession fr. bonus pick bc i can: own me

midnight cruisin' - kingo hamada. 抱かれに来た女: one thing you guys need to know about me is that i go CRAZY for city pop. when i need to do smth and i want music to vibe to, i put on a city pop album. lately i've gone back to this one bc i'm obsessed with this song specifically. i've been listening a lot to different albums by toshiki kadomatsu too but since my fave ones aren't even on spotify and i have to use youtube like i'm in 2010 again to listen to him i gave the sixth spot to smth else fjdfkjdfkjd

tagging: @primonizzutto @quickhacked @reaperkiller @pawnguild @risingsh0t

@sorceresslodge @eternalchant @ncytiri @saintalessia

@hibernationsuit @gothimp @tekehu and whoever else wants to do this!!

[projazznet]

Bobby Hutcherson – Cruisin’ the ‘Bird

Cruisin’ the ‘Bird is an album by vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson featuring performances recorded in 1988 and released on Orrin Keepnews’ Landmark label.

Bobby Hutcherson – vibraphone, marimba Ralph Moore – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone Buddy Montgomery – piano Rufus Reid – bass Victor Lewis – drums

[jules-has-notes]

2016 VoicePlay summer fun — campers, cruises, costumes, charity, and… cops?

The excitement of the spring months rolled right into the summer. After he'd had a few weeks of concentrated new-dad time, the other guys gathered up Layne and headed to Ohio.

They first returned to Port Clinton for a show at the Lakeside Chautauqua Auditorium, and spent the night at a vintage (possibly haunted) hotel. From there, they scooted down to Dayton to be the featured artists at Camp A Cappella.

.

Ahoy, mateys

A week later, while the others took care of things at home, Geoff and Earl teamed up with three of their buddies from Echo — Erik Winger, Antonio Fernandez, and Deejay Young — for a quick cruise on the Royal Caribbean Allure to the Virgin Islands. During their time at sea, they crossed paths with Us the Duo, who had just finished opening for the North American and European legs of Pentatonix's world tour.

.

No rest for the ambitious

They arrived home to an exciting milestone: 100K likes on Facebook! In the meantime, Eli did some session recording work, while Layne and Tony prepped for their next PattyCake video, and Layne worked on an additional side project. (Paternity leave was supposed to be less busy, dude!)

.

Runnin', runnin'

Once the guys were all together again, they got into production on projects for both PattyCake and VoicePlay for most of August. In between location shoots for "Will.of.Oz", they reunited with Emoni Wilkins to film their video for "I Love Me".

.

Cruisin'

At the end of the month, the guys grabbed Winger again, and boarded the Royal Caribbean Oasis for yet another voyage. Since they set sail on Geoff's birthday, they had a toast on board.

.

Almost as soon as they got home, they traded one guest for another, snagging Antonio for the middle leg of an eastbound Panama Canal trip on the Disney Wonder. (Though it seems that they were possibly getting weary from so much travel.) They also seem to have run afoul of the Mexican police on their way home, but I'm pretty sure the getting arrested part was just a joke.

.

Hop, skip, and a jump

After a few days of rest, they embarked on a series of quick trips. First they flew up to New Hampshire for the UNH A Cappella Fest. Next came a show in Iowa, and then a charity fundraiser in Chicago.

.

All about those babes

During their next stint at home, they made time for a little hanging without working. Most of the guys let someone else do the singing for once when they attended a local Meghan Trainor concert. The group included Layne, Cyndi, and their older girls; Cyndi's sister Steph and her elder daughter; Earl and Nick; and Tony.

Meanwhile, Eli spent some time with his own family to celebrate his sister's birthday, and Geoff got his domesticity on at home with Kathy.

.

Back to woOOOork

As summer wound down, VoicePlay prepared for their favorite time of year by finally filming a music video for their arrangement of "Grim Grinning Ghosts" off of their 2012 album "Once Upon an Ever After".

.

All eh-board

They closed out September with a cruise on the Disney Magic from Nova Scotia to NYC and back. Since Tony and Layne were deep in production for their next PattyCake project (and Layne understandably wanted some more time at home with the baby), the rest of the guys called on both Winger and Antonio to fill in again.

[my-chaos-radio]

Release: October 1, 1992

Lyrics:

Ladies and gentlemen

As you know we have something special down here at Birdland this evening

A recording for Blue Note Records

Yeah, yeah, yeah

What's that? Yeah, yeah, yeah

Funky, funky

How 'bout a big hand now

Wait, wait a minute

Groovy, groovy, jazzy, funky

Pounce, bounce, dance as we

Dip in the melodic sea

The rhythm keeps flowin' and drips to MC

Sweet sugar pop, sugar pop, rocks it, pop

You don't stop 'til the sweet beat drops

I sure improve as I stick and move

Vivid poems recited on top of the groove

Smooth my floatin' like a butterfly

Notes set afloat, sung like a lullaby

Brace yourself as the beat hits ya

Dip trip, flip Fantasia

Biddy biddy bop (yeah)

Biddy biddy bop (funky, funky)

Feel the beat drop, jazz and hip hop

Drippin' in your dome, makes you zone and bop

Funk and fusion, a fly illusion

Keeps ya coastin' on the rhythm you're cruisin'

Up, down, round and round, rhymes profound

But nevertheless, you gots to get down

Fantasy freak through the beat so unique

You move your feet, the sweat from the heat

Back to the fact, I'm the mac and I know that

The way I kick the rhymes, some would call me a poet

Poems steady flowin', growin', showin' sights and sound

Caught in the groove in Fantasia, I'm found

Many trip the tour upon the rhymes they soar

To an infinite height to the realm of the hardcore

Here we go, off I take ya

Dip trip, flip Fantasia

Biddy biddy bop (yeah)

Biddy biddy bop (funky, funky)

Biddy biddy bop (yeah)

Biddy biddy bop (funky, funky)

Jump to the jam, boogie woogie jam slam

Bust the dialect, I'm the man in command

Come flow with the sounds of the mighty mic master

Rhyming on the mic, I'm bringing suckers their disaster

Beaucoup ducs but I still rock Nike

With the razzle dazzle, a star I might be

Scribble, drabble, scrabble on the microphone I babble

As I flip the funky words into a puzzle

Yes, yes, yes, on and on as I flex

Get with the flow, words manifest

Feel the vibe from here to Asia

Dip trip, flip Fantasia

Ow, you don't stop

Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on

Give me more of that funky horn

What's that? Yeah, funky, funky

Biddy biddy bop

Biddy biddy bop, funky, funky

Yeah, yeah, yeah, what's that?

Biddy biddy bop, yeah

Biddy biddy bop, funky, funky

Yeah, yeah, yeah, what's that?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, funky, funky

Yeah, yeah, yeah, what's that?

Biddy biddy bop, yeah

Biddy biddy bop, funky, funky

Songwriter:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, what's that?

Biddy biddy bop, yeah

Herbie Hancock / Jerry Wilkenson / Mal Simpson / Rahsaan Kelly

SongFacts:

👉📖

Homepage:

Us3

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

Bad Boys of Rock 1986 Hard Rock / New Wave / Power Pop / Pop-Rock / Blues-Rock

A few different thoughts about this silly record are running through my head right now, but I guess the most dominant one is that I feel like once the honorific of 'bad boy of rock' gets conferred upon you, you can no longer actually be a 'bad boy of rock,' because I think that's, like, one of the single-lamest things that anyone can ever consider you as. It's sort of like when a politician tries to use a piece of teen slang to seem hip or aware or 'down'—once they decide to put it out there, they themselves have pretty much ruined it for everyone else 👎.

Could you please just shut the fuck up?! 😵

But OK, let's say that I don't actually have a problem with this 'bad boy of rock' label and that I instead take it at face value. Fine. Are you folks ready for the first song that opens this fucker up then? It's gonna be some real 'bad boy' material, right? Nope. How about David Lee Roth doing a solo stint as a road-weary lounge singer and covering a fucking 1940s swing medley instead? And he even scats too! Like, what are we even doing here, man? This rendition of "Just a Gigolo" / "I Ain't Got Nobody" is legitimately one of the worst hits that I think I've ever heard in my life, so in that sense of the word, this song is *really* BAD, but I don't think that's the kind of 'bad' that Priority Records was trying to sell here, because, um, why would they?

And that's ultimately what I think makes this release so ridiculous. It's not really the music itself—because outside of that one DLR song, I do enjoy a bunch of the selection here—it's the idea that almost any of these people or their music would ever cause them to be referred to as 'bad boys of rock' in the first place. I mean, two-hit wonder power pop band Tommy Tutone who did "867-5309"? George Thorogood's dorky and gravelly blues-rock persona? Rockabilly revivalists Stray Cats, whose frontman Brian Setzer would later go on to lead his own swing orchestra and cover the same guy that David Lee Roth coincidentally covers on this record too? J. Geils Band's catchy "Centerfold"? Rod Stewart? You mean, *SIR* Rod Stewart? And MEAT LOAF?!?

We have plenty of hindsight now, of course, but I feel like, even when this record came out in 1986, there's just no way that people actually thought that those responsible for the music on here were rebellious at that point. *Maybe* Billy Idol, but find a different theme to group all these songs under, because this concrete-and-chain-link fence aesthetic that you've got on the cover here ain't workin', guys. If anything, this is more or less 'Bad Boys of Rock' for sleepy-suburban dads who've spent tens of thousands of dollars on a Harley and keep it in their linoleum floor garage so that they can take it out on Sunday afternoons in order to feel a tinge of freedom before being made to go back to their 9-to-5 the next day. Like, so freaking badass, you guys.

And, I mean, if we *really* wanted the baddest boys of rock on here, we need to go in a different direction altogether. We need, like, G.G. Allin on this thing, because, really, is there anything badder that someone can do as a performer than eat their very own poop on stage? Outside of an act of violence, I really don't think so!

So, let's see...yesterday was Women & Songs 4, today was Bad Boys of Rock...I guess that means tomorrow is going to be something like Good-Natured Enbies Who Prefer Silence Instead? 😅 Naw, it'll probably be, like, mid-90s techno or Wisconsinite 80s alternative or something or other.

✌️

Highlights:

Tommy Tutone - "867-5309 (Jenny)" Rod Stewart - "(I Know) I'm Losing You" Billy Idol - "Rebel Yell" Sammy Hagar - "Cruisin' & Boozin'" Stray Cats - "Rock This Town" J. Geils Band - "Centerfold"

[citypopdaily]

抱かれに来た女 (Dakare ni Kita Onna) by Kingo Hamada / 浜田金吾

Album: Midnight Cruisin' Year: 1982 Label: Moon Records Lyrics: Chinfa Kan / 康珍化 Music: Kingo Hamada / 浜田金吾