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thedistrictroleplay · 3 years ago

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TRIGGER WARNINGS: none?

TIMELINE:

1950s- The Acosta family migrates from Puerto Rico to Miami.

1970s- The Acosta family forms the Acosta Group, a realty firm with holdings all across the Americas.

1989- Michael Acosta (Aly’s older brother) is born.

1991- Alycia Acosta “Aly” is born to Manny and Amy Acosta in Miami Florida.

2007- Aly wins her first Women's WSL World Tour at only 15.

2008- Aly and Nick’s relationship begins at Camp Walt Whitman (summer), Aly and Nick visit D.C. for Nick’s mock UN event (October), Aly visits Nick in NY for Christmas / NYE.

2009- Nick visits Aly in Miami for prom, Aly visits Nick in NY for prom, Nick and Aly break up at the end of their senior year. Aly starts college at The University of Miami. Aly meets Ben in English class and they begin dating.

2011- Aly and Ben break up because Aly finds out Ben is married with a baby. She probably tries to murder his lying, cheating ass.

2014- Aly moves to NY to attend Columbia.

2015- Aly and Nick blackout and wake up married.

2016- Aly graduates from Columbia and begins working for the Acosta Group. Her work takes her all over the Americas as she opens regional offices for the firm. When she isn’t obligated to travel for work she splits her time between Miami and wherever Nick is.

2020- Aly’s abuela dies. There is a power shift within the Acosta Group. Her brother Michael assumes more responsibility and influence. Aly collects a lofty inheritance.

2021- Aly opens the Acosta Group’s office in D.C. and decides to stay as the regional director for the North Eastern United States.

BIOGRAPHY:

During the Great Migration of the 1950′s, the Acosta family moved from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Miami, Florida where they started their real estate business; The Acosta Group. They dominated the Miami market of luxury residential and commercial property, all while raising six children. Once their children were grown, each one assumed an integral role in the company that allowed the business to expand up the East Coast. The eldest, Manny, assumed the role of C.E.O in the 1980′s and fostered the company into the real estate empire that it is today.

Only one thing superseded Manny’s ambition, and that was his faith. The Acosta family were devote Catholics, which is what prompted Manny to marry Amy Wilson just a few months before the couple welcomed their first child into the world. A son they named Michael, after Manny’s father. It was a loveless marriage, but Manny didn’t believe in divorce and Amy had much to gain financially from the arrangement. Their second child was just as much of a surprise as the first, however quickly became her father’s favorite.

Alycia Camila Acosta was born August 2nd, 1991 on the hottest day Miami had seen in a decade. Nicknamed Aly by her brother. No one loved her more. Michael took his role as a big brother seriously. Before Aly could walk he taught her to swim, and she quickly began following in his every foot step. He protected her from feeling unloved in a household where their father always worked, and their mother preferred social clubs to raising children. They took care of one another, and it was obvious that there was no one else more important to either than each other.

While Amy exhausted every effort to live the life she had always dreamed of through her daughter, Aly resisted at every turn. She purposely preformed poorly in pageants, and sang off key in choir. The only thing she indulged Amy on was camp Walt Whitman, an illustrious summer camp in New England, and only because her brother went along too. It was a place she should’ve been grateful to attend, but by eleven Aly only wanted to spend summers in the ocean. She’d learned to surf alongside Michael, and possessed a natural talent and great skill on the board. Even before high school she began competing, and at only sixteen Aly won her first Women's WSL World Tour.

It wasn’t the kind of accolade Amy had in mind for her daughter, but as long as she kept her grades up the Acostas allowed it. Academia was easy for the brunette, even as she attended Miami’s most prestige Catholic schools. She excelled from the start, especially in math, and skipped a grade in middle school. With extra curricular activities and academics Aly kept busy, but it wasn’t her schedule that kept her from dating. Rather, the obscenely strict rules her parents enforced, and while Michael was usually always Aly’s advocate, on this he seemed to agree with them.

The summer before her senior year Aly fell unexpectedly for her long time camp Walt Whitman friend, Nicholas Vanderbilt. His family’s notoriety made him an acceptable candidate for her parent’s exceedingly high expectations, and the twelve hundred miles of distance between Miami and New York City eased their worries about any inappropriate conduct. While Aly truly did love Nick it was incredibly difficult for her to imagine an immediate future with someone so far a way. After making a pact to get married at 40 if they were both still single the pair parted ways before college.

At The University of Miami Aly studied business. It was a well established precedent amongst the Acosta that every member of the family contributed to The Acosta Group, even though for her that just meant a figurehead role. Michael bore the brunt of their parent’s business expectations, and therefor all the responsibility. For which Aly was extremely grateful because her interests were strictly surfing and social. During undergrad Aly won two more Women's WSL World Tours, and was a frequent but casual dater. She struggled to find someone with whom she shared real passion and was starting to wonder if she’d already had her one, epic love until she met him. Bennett Ryan Brody. Aly was falling in love before she even realized what was happening. Head over heels, stupid in love with every six foot and five inches of him. If it wasn’t enough to look and fuck like an actual god he strung words together more brilliant than any symphony she’d ever heard. Maybe it was kismet that, for as hot as their love burned, it all ended in flames.

Eager to put some distance between herself all the heart break that had happened in Miami, Aly accepted Columbia’s invitation to attend grad school in New York. Her MBA was really just a formality, but she loved life in the city. It was strange place, but familiar enough with her long time friend and ex, Nick, also living there. The lines of friendship had always been blurry for them, and their relationship grew even more complicated when Aly and Nick blackout exchanged vows. A divorce was messier than either family wanted, especially with Nick’s budding legal career. So, they agreed to stay married and try to make things work. Which they did, for a little while, but then they both graduated and work got in the way.

Long distance wasn’t unfamiliar to either party, but it certainly wasn’t desired. Aly spent years after grad school opening offices for the Acosta group up and down The Americas, which left them with no other options. She would visit whenever she was close to wherever Nick was working, but it was inevitable that they both began to see other people. Unsurprisingly, Aly couldn’t commit to anything serious. Her list of one night stands longer than she cared to admit because a part of her would always feel guilty. A part of her would always feel like Nick’s.

In the Spring of 2020 Aly’s abuela, the largest shareholder of the Acosta group, passed away. The disbursement of shares and funds created a power shift within the company. Aly inherited a lofty sum that came with a legal reminder of her marriage to Nick and their lack of a prenup. Her older brother Michael assumed more responsibility and influence, which later resulted in his promotion to the Acosta Group’s CEO. With her brother calling all the shots Aly had more control over her life. After opening the D.C. branch of The Acosta Group she requested a permanent position in its office as the regional director for the company’s North Eastern division. The stability comes with proximity to friends and a relationship she’s hoping to figure alongside questions Aly has about herself. Her travels changed her, even if she’s not quite sure how yet.

Aly is written by Ash.

#district character bio.#c; aly acosta #victoria justice fc #pronouns; she/her #residence; upper northwest #writer; ash

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blackmuzak8484 · 4 years ago

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nortey dowuona’s best of 2020

to be completely honest, I decided to do this entirely for TSJ. otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered at all. Best end lists are for music nerds and billboard chart nerds and industry vultures, and i happen to be subscribed, in the discord and in the comments of the youtube vids of these folk. so, i decided to pick 10 out of random from the big best of 2020 i was compiling for the whole of the year, which I was gonna post to this Tumblr at the end of the damn year, but I guess I can just post the link to the playlist in the bottom of this post. Here, i’m gonna write about 10 songs I personally love, and pick out a few artists i specifically loved:

artist of the year.

RAP Ferreira put out his best album and best verses in a year everybody either stagnated, fell off or got rendered irrelevant by the world at large. He was ebullient, hilarious, thoughtful and even surprisingly honest. I enjoyed the fact that now he’s begun to create a real platform for many talented folx, and I hope he continues to do that in the margins and make even more beautiful music in the years to come.

rookie of the year.

Enny by a mile. Everybody else who debuted this year got hamstrung by the pandemic but she created 3 great songs, each thoughtful, insightful and a joy. Apparently she just started publicly releasing music to a large audience, and I hope she gets better and better, and even gets bigger than J-

most pleasant surprise.

Vic Mensa’s V Tape. An artist who I though had no more moves left completely turned around his whole career with a fantastic performance at Lollapalooza, a fantastic fleet of features and tis gorgeously produced EP which had some of his most brilliant songs on it. I love it all, Vic Mensah is well and truly back. Welcome back bro. (ALSO, DROP THE DRILL TRACK.)

GREAT THING A GHANAIAN ARTIST DID.

Strongman Burner, Amarae, Okunta Kinte, Vic Mensah in general.

cool things my friends and classmates did.

Justine Darcenne’s #4TheBaeless. Valencia Rae’s Siren thyhomebodies’s Coming of Age. (Phil, a producer in the group, made his own studio!) Brad built his own computer. petit abri put a track on APT9 Record’s compiliation album Volume II. khaalid anderson’s transitions. (khaalid will also be performing at Beats & Brunch on January 23, 2021 at 11 am.) Yannick Paul’s Bear Fruit. The Big Climax’s This Is Ya Boy kxng jetson’s Waves (ft. Kokko Williams & Mike Mezzl) Nicole Gonzalez performed in The Composer’s Melody. Victoria Marie released a bunch of beaufiful covers on her Insta, @toriiii_marie @ph0ssy_jaw works as a counselor online. Pay her at her PayPal. Johnny Aperano Yoba was on People AND Vogue. Dalitso is a wonderful pianist at his church back home in Zambia. Kobina is a fantastic drummer at his church. Kayla graduated with a BS in Music Technology and Industry! Damian been cookin on his insta. Travis graduated! (Look out for Clan of Dragons.) Rorghino Flores made a documentary! Francis (and Animax FYB) put out Mmofra on AmaLexPrime! (play it with yo kids.) A Hype has been dropping crazy all year, roll by his SoundCloud and check out Persistence Of Memory. Reina H been doing great covers on her Insta, @challenges_inlife. Hannah placed music on C. B. S.

best albums of the year (that nobody’s written about).

Maya Huyana -1991 DaWeirdo - Broke and Ugly $ilkMoney - Attack of the Future Shocked, Flesh Covered, Meatbags of the 85 VI Seconds - Because Why Not/Never Knows Best Erik Cain - Heart & Soul Vol. 2 Dimitri & the Scarecrow - Messenger is Sender (from 2015, finally got released onto streaming this year, still pretty great and another great Zimbabwean rapper for us to all fawn over, just like billy woods) Flowking Stone - Gifted 1 The Hoodies - Incommunicado Jayy Grams - Every Gram Counts Domo Genesis/Mike and Keys - Just in Case1/2 Madwiz - God’s Gold Teeth Maez301 - Hasaan Daara J Family - Yaamatele Dai Burger - Dessert EP TeePhlow - Road To Phlowducation II Tef Poe/Blvck Spade - Preacher in the Trap Terrell Hines - Portal One: The Mixtape redveil - niagara Nyukyung - Trap Harmonix AdrianXpression - Sucka Deante Hitchcock - Better (Deluxe) maassai & jWords - ve.loc.i.ty tobe nwigwe - cincoriginals everything Kelsey Lu did this year.

strangest things happening in music in general.

vic mensah actually making a great record. goldlink going through a narcissistic collapse and winding up making the best music of his career. redveil blowing up off Fantano calling him wack. pharoahe monch finally making a rock pivot and it actually works. meet me@the garden coming 10 years too late for my 14 year old self. RAP Ferreira being in the NYTimes, selling a vinyl record for $72, creating an actual nostrum grocers in a video game so we can listen to his next record. The entirety of the playboi carti phenomenom. The entirety of the lil uzi vert phenomenom. The entirety of Chance’s instagram EP being far more money worthy then the entirety of the Big Day and yet being released on Insta and not immediately monetized. Deante Hitchcock releasing a great album and being completely forgotten armand hammer releasing their underground kings wayyy too early. my ass continually not actually looking into amapiano despite always loving it when I review it. several good songs needing to be tacked on to a prior youtube vid as an ad for me to find them instead of actually listening to the artists. santan dave still releasing good verses after he made his illmatic. (expect his new album to suck.) slowthai becoming cake. (we let that go way too far.) Guapdad and BfB Packman being wonderful. Finding out BfB PAckman is a better rapper than Sada Baby. John Boyega putting on Ego Ella May. Having to admit Young Dolph was good all this time and i missed out like a fool.

best tv performance.

Chance The Rapper’s “A Chi-Town Christmas.” IDK’s “Change The Channel.” Sa-Roc’s Tiny Desk Concert. Chika in general. Robert Glapser’s “This Changes Everything (ft. Denzel Curry).” SZA at the Roots Picnic. Sampa The Great at the Roots Picnic. RAP Ferreira in general. Umi’s “Introspection Live Show.” Alexa Esperanza’s cover of “Is It A Crime.” Bad Bunny in general. the jwords, nappy nina and MIKE performances at Satellite Syndicate

most embarrassing piece of music i love with all my heart

Logic’s No Pressure. In all sense of the words I should not love this album like I love my siblings but I do. It is beautiful.

best 10 songs of this year objectively

1 - RAP Ferriera - An Idea Is A Work Of Art (ft. Mike Ladd) [prod. by Kenny Segal, mr. carmack and Mike Parvizi]

I know, I know. In all honesty Doldrums should be here. Then Noz put it on his best list and I had to be all ChiTown Go-Getter and pick the next better thing: this. And in all honesty, it has the best lyric RAP spits on the album: “we build better answers.” But it��s not just that, it’s RAP’s most animated performance, the most dexterous piece on the whole album and the most gorgeous beat, a loping bassline sliding behind the flatfooted drum, allowing Mike Ladd, his musical father, to gently drift through, saying, “what if royalty depised us?” and knowing the only gold is soul and giving it to all of us, all us maggots and vultures and locusts and weevils, to hold to the light so we can finally see. On the quest to get open and free, we continue.

2 - Chika - U Should [prod. by Lido]

I heard this the night it dropped and shot 2 insta videos playacting as it played. But apart from that, it’s a intimate, beautiful song about getting to know a new lady love, so tenderly sung it might melt and disappear if not held gently, with a sweeping guitar lick and purring trumpets sliding all over the place, Chika softly holding each frayed piece together into a considered, gorgeous piece - wait, she’s talking her shit.

3 - Issa Gold - Boys Don’t Cry [prod. by Kingjet & Sherwyn and Matt Zara]

The only reason this isn’t number one is because it dropped on Christmas Eve. But otherwise, it’s a openheart letter to us all. “it’s a lonely path being different,” Issa says, swimming in the melted ice caps as he once danced happily on the edges of melting glaciers that failed to drown him, looking at the world that keeps hurting his heart, yet he still opens his eyes and smiles, and dances. The heavy drums are so bouncy the whole song suddenly flies, formerly a hidden murmur becoming a bright sunlit flight across the sky so we can all see. I can’t wait to see Tempus, if it’s anything as good as this was.

4 - Deante Hitchcock - Growing Up/Mother God [prod. by Brandon Phillips-Taylor]

In all honesty, “Growing Up” is really not the best song on Better. It’s a sweet, happy song with a smooth, crackling bassline with soft, ghostly synths, but still kinda ok. It’s the song added at the end, “Mother God”, that has warm, sizzling piano chords and gorgeous singing in the back. It’s one of the few time I’ve ever heard a man pay homage to the woman in his life and to the God above while being entirely sincere and not faking the funk. The way he praises his mom, his lady, remembering the women in his family taking care of him and him foolishly neglecting Breonna due to his overburdened mind feels full of details, remembrances, explanations and praises. Plus, it actually makes sense that God, if she exists (she does) is a woman since -

5 - Yana Perrault - whiskey and weed [prod. by slate]

Apparently, Yana Perrault is verified now. Excellent. {YES YES MY GOD YESS}, It means more folks know about how great this song, and Yana herself is. If I had any sense, I would’ve written up 12:21 as the best song of 2018, but such is life. Anyway, we have this smooth, bass heavy slinker with shimmering percussion and lumbering drums about hooking up with a former flame who’s “sober” yet keeps on calling Yana to break their sobriety, “know we ain’t talked in a while but you still know my address,” she wryly mentions. As the beat sprints away under a warm cocoon of accapella echoes, it mirrors a relationship so tenuous it might disappear into the wind. Yet still strong enough to have whiskey on call.

6 - Marlon Craft - Culture Sick Freestyle [prod. by Cormill]

Apparently this was supposed to be a shot at Flex. And since Flex is a woman beater and a lame, good for him. Shouldn’t have even gone on Flex to be honest, but then again neither should Jay Critch or Tyler or Black Thought and besides, I watch those freestyles too. And on the freestyle, Marlon frankly put things in perspective. “You don’t want us to better, you just want to be cool still.” This describes all of rap media to be real. And tellingly, it only has 310,000 views. Methinks nobody really wants real. But I do. Thank u Marlon, you continue to be the best white rapper alive. (Nowhere near the best rapper tho, and if Token hadn’t fell off -)

7 - Miah - Cascades [prod. by Cedes]

I’m sideeyeing the boy Miah cuz I had to search up his Audiomack to find the producer’s name (it’s Cedes, and they have a really great avalanche of Drake Type Beats is you like that kind of thing). Were you trying to trick folk into thinking you produced it yourself? You don’t need to do that shit. Especially since you’re writing stuff like “back in high school all my peers were tryin to hit the league / until the league too far from reach so they tap dancing over beats.” When you can frankly break down life that clearly, don’t be trying to hide producer’s names unless you actually learn to produce too. Plaster your name all over that shit.

8 - Justine Darcenne - Off Days [prod. by Mikhail Miller] / Enny - Peng Black Girls (ft. Amia Brave [prod. by Paya]

Justine is indeed my classmate, but that’s not why this song is here. it’s here because it’s a nice little guitar driven song with a spellbinding bridge that’s the best thing I’ve heard her do yet. And I’mma keep it short cuz I already wrote this up at the Singles Jukebox.

Enny released this soft, cushiony record with washed out synths over bulky drums and floated FLOATED over them without even trying to run in the tar, saying frankly, “He said to me, 'they put guns in the streets, that’s what they wanted for me.’ And I said, ‘G, someone can fix you a plate but no one can force you to eat.’” After all, why not try to live for something greater than what the world has expected you to be. And Amia sings, “We’re gon be alright, ok?” with the joy and excitement of someone realizing the words coming alive on their tongue. One of the best songs of this miserable year, and it’s kinda funny watching Jorja accidentally Drake out Amia and even Enny (and by funny I mean irritating.)

9 - Tobi Lou - okay (ft. Dreezy) [prod. by Matteo Woods & Dilip]

Fun fact: Dilip did some great songs with Otxhello, a producer who recorded and mixed 2 records on my first album. That again is not why this song is here. The warm, swinging synths and heavy, bouncy drums are why this is here. Oh, and Tobi’s goofy, silly lyrics and his surprisingly effective Missy Elliott tribute are great too. But obviously, the verse that vaulted this into top 10 was Dreezy, which opens with such a openhearted line, “i can’t help it, it’s too hard to say I’m sorry.” And every line is harder than the last, until she closes with “and I ain’t talkin frontals but we got the city sown up.” Absolutely amazing.

10 - Strongman Burner - Pilolo (ft. KelvynBoy) [prod. by Nixie]

The sweet, gooey synths are poured over the soft, zipping and smooth drums as the wiry bass whirls between Kelvyn’s soft, thin crooning as Stoneman tap dances over the drums, both desperate and defiant, trying to salvage a sinking relationship that he knows is already gathering coral and snappers. It’s the best afropop song of the year and yet it still has a Nigerian on it (well, I put 4 Nigerians on here, next year I’m rectifying that.) And they even did a song together last year , not as good as this. At all. (still pretty good tho.)

best 10 songs i love (but not enough to write full paragraphs for, I already put 10 in and this is already 5 goddamn pages)

11 - Logic - Heard ‘Em Say

best song on the project that isn’t Dadbod but at least it isn’t tempting fate.

12 - Deqn Sue - Creep

I already love this for having a gorgeous bridge, and is cute af. Yes Sue, you can creep.

13 - Quelle Chris & Chris Keys - Sudden Death/ka - i love {moms, mimi, kev}

QUELLE CHIS CAN SANG SANG./ka can heart heart write.

14 - IDK - Square Up (ft. Juicy J)

I don’t know why this is here either but this slaps regardless.

15 - Nappy Nina - Modestly (ft. Maassai)

Maassai is creating some of the best raps out here. so is Nappy Nina.

16 - Kehlani - Lexii’s Outro (ft. Lexii Ajaii)

Let’s celebrate our great rappers when they’re alive (and this includes me. Pls Chika, don’t win Best New Artist.)

17 - Samad Savage - Goodnight

What Travis Scott should’ve tried to be instead of what he is now. Samad still dope af regardless.

18 - Bad Bunny - Si Veo Tu Mama

The way Bad Bunny actually hits that last note makes me feel so excited and alive.

19 - Fat Tony - Back In The Saddle

I fucked up. But I’m getting back in the saddle, back in the saddle next year. NO NIGERIANS ALL NIGERIENS. #ENDSARS tho.

20 - Lady A - the truth is loud

Why am I the only one who has this on a best list? I have 34 bot followers. Vibe, step it up.

best of 2020 music right here folxs.

worst music things of the year:

The Pop Smoke album. Just in all areas. (Better win that Grammy tho.) Travis Scott in general. (So loud and empty and boring.) Big Sean’s Detroit 2. (why does this exist? Just put out Deep Reverence and Detroit Night Cypher and leave everything on the cutting room floor fo the next album.) Remembering all the great rappers who are dead or incarcerated. No Kendrick album (just leaks. Not good enough.) J. Cole and Noname beefing and Noname getting strung up by twitter. Jay Rock pushing being anti-vaccinations. The realization that Normani might never drop a single record ever again. Tory Lanez in general. Joyner Lucas making actually good songs and falling off almost immediately. Cardi B in general. Anything positive being said about steven Universe songs. Luzamity shipping (until it’s canon please stop! Willuz is RIGHT THERE!)

#rap ferreira #best of 2020 #the singles jukebox

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bobmccullochny · 5 years ago

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December History

December 17 497 BC - The first Saturnalia festival was celebrated in ancient Rome.

1538 - Pope Paul III excommunicated England's Henry VIII.

1790 - The Aztec Stone ('Sun Stone') was excavated in the Zócalo, the main square of Mexico City. It is about 12 feet across and weighs about 24 tons.

1835 - The Great Fire of New York took place in New York City in 1835, destroying hundreds of buildings and killing two people.

1843 - Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol novella was published by Chapman and Hall. It is one of the most well-known books and stories of all time.

1880 -The Edison Electric Illuminating Company was incorporated to provide electric light to New York City.

1892 - First issue of Vogue magazine was published.

1903 - Orville piloted the gasoline-powered, propeller-driven biplane he made with his brother Wilbur, which stayed aloft for 12 seconds and covered 120 feet on its inaugural flight near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

1933 - The Chicago Bears beat the New York Giants 23-21 in the second NFL Championship game.

1957 - The United States successfully launched the first (Atlas) InterContinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

1969 - Tiny Tim married Miss Vicky (Victoria May Budinger) on The Tonight Show.

1969 - The United States Air Force closed its study of UFOs, Project Blue Book.

1979 - The first rocket automobile vehicle to break the sound barrier on land was driven by Stan Barrett who reached 739.7 mph (speed of sound: 761.2) on a 3-mile test-strip at Rogers Lake, Edwards Air Force Base, CA.

1982 - Tootsie and The Dark Crystal debuted in theaters.

1987 - Final Fantasy (I) was released in Japan.

1991 - Gilbert O'Sullivan's Alone Again (Naturally) was 'sampled' in Biz Markie's "Alone Again," and the United States Federal Court for the Southern District of New York agreed with the 70's artist that Biz needed to get permission to use his music in a very landmark case. That permission typically involves direct payment or a portion of the net profits today.

1993 - What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Pelican Brief and Beethoven's 2nd were released in theaters.

1999 - Stuart Little was released in theaters.

2000 - In addition to a 17-0 victory by the San Francisco 49ers over the Chicago Bears, San Francisco's wide receiver Terrell Owens set a new NFL record of 20 catches in a single game.

2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was released, and it went on to win 11 Oscars. Score eleven for the nerds! The Lord of the Rings Trilogy were first published in 1954/1955.

2004 - Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Aviator debuted in theaters.

2008 - The Wrestler debuted in theaters.

2011 - Yogi Bear was released in theaters.

2011 - Kim Jong Il, 'Beloved, Brilliant, Perfect, Wise, Unique and Dear' Leader and Father of the People of North Korea, Died. He was also referred to as the Superior Person, Sun of the Communist Future and The Shining Star of Paektu Mountain.

2011 - The Adventures of Tintin was released in theaters.

2014 - The United States and Cuba re-established diplomatic relations.

2014 - The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies was released in US theaters

#today's smile #history #december

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intoabrownstudy · 7 years ago

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Sonic Review of 2017 (so far):

I listen to a lot of stuff. I devour audio content. Be it new music, podcasts, radio, bird song. Quality is the only prerequisite. I have been meaning to start commenting on what I listen to and so David requesting that I submit something in print has been the stimulus to sit down and collate. The idea for future weeks is to present audio highlights on a week-to-week basis, but this submission is a summation of the best bits of sound so far this year. I’ll be covering the podcasts and radio programmes, the albums and individual tracks, and the live shows that I have made an impression on me so far this year.

So here goes. The descriptions will be fairly brief this time around, as I’m going to cover six whole months, but here’s what I have enjoyed sonically so far in 2017, starting with my favourite albums so far this year:

There are 11 here; these are albums that have made an impression on me and that I have continued to listen to. I’ll say a few words about what to expect from each them, as well as a little bit about why I have chosen them:

San Fermin; Belong

My favourite. From soup to nuts, a consistently wondrous collection of tunes that hop from genre to genre effortlessly. Beautifully arranged and performed.

Highlight: the emotional-charged title track, Belong.

Fleet Foxes; Crack Up

New music from Fleet Foxes that’s not a minute too soon. Essentially, it is more of the same acoustic sound and the divine close harmonies we have come to expect from the Seattleites. There is definitely more chances taken in the way the album is produced, so there is enough to distinguish this album from their others. Gorgeous.

Highlight: Third Of May/Odaigahara

Cigarettes After Sex; Cigarettes After Sex

This album travels at it’s own glacial pace. Majestic, with definite nods to New Order.

Highlight: Apocalypse. No K. No Apocalypse. No K.

Roger Waters; Is This The Life We Want

Not being the most ardent fan of Pink Floyd, I hadn’t been in too much of a hurry to listen to this album. But I am so glad to have got round to it. Roge ain’t happy with how things are just now, and he’s going to tell you about it. I was just as riled by the end. It’s also an old-fashioned album in the sense that this tells a story with each tune morphing into the next.

Highlight: Picture That

Kendrick Lamar; DAMN.

Goodness. Where do you start? After I had seen Old Country For Old Men, my immediate impression was that I knew it was brilliant, but I wasn’t sure how I’ll be able to prepare myself to see it again. I had exactly that same thought after listening to this utterly overwhelming piece of documentary. Mesmerising.

Highlight: DUCKWORTH.

Public Service Broadcasting; Every Valley

Continuing with their M.O. of sampling old public information announcements; this time focusing on the fate of the Welsh Coal mining industry. This may not sound too exciting or indeed, to some, even interesting, but somehow, again they are able to tug at the heart strings with tape recordings, empty spaces and fine musicianship.

Highlight: Progress

Father John Misty; Pure Comedy

Lyrics so dry, I was on a drip by the end.

Highlight: Total Entertainment Forever

Com Truise; Iteration

The slightly 80s-tinged instrumental EDM is making a bit of a comeback following the Stranger Things soundtrack. this is some of the best electronica so far this year.

Highlight: Memory

London Grammar; Truth Is A Beautiful Thing

The vocals are the main event here, ably supported by the stark production surrounding them.

Highlight: Routing For You

Run The Jewels; Run The Jewels 3

Certainly gets the heart pumping. Lyrically charged ebullience.

Highlight: Legend Has It

The xx; I See You

Somewhere between the minimalist production of The xx’s previous releases and the more poppy output of Jamie xx, this album offers very judiciously-deployed samples of Hall & Oates and stonking vocal performances.

Highlight: On Hold

-o-

One of my favourite things to do is to collate new tracks that I hear from my various sources into quarterly playlists on Spotify. I am phutch1977 on Spotify so feel free to follow. Below is a link to what individual tracks I have enjoyed between January 1 and June 30 this year. I’m going to pick out a couple of my favourites:

https://open.spotify.com/user/phutch1977/playlist/4HDLGq11dknFaTLwBIJQ2v

UNKLE (feat. Mark Lanegan and ESKA); Looking For The Rain

Thumping beats with swooping orchestrations and one of my favourite baritones. Ticks a great many boxes for me does that.

Young Fathers; Only God Knows

Off the new T2: Trainspotting soundtrack, which incidentally is a thoroughly captivating watch, it highlights the changing of the guard of what is current within the British music scene. See also, Slow Slippy, Underworld’s remix of their classic, Born Slippy, that became so synonymous with the first movie.

The War On Drugs; Holding On

An exciting amuse-bouche for what is to come from their new album released later this year. Sounds like more of the same, which gets two thumbs up from this reviewer.

-o-

These are the podcast that I have gone back to consistently and those that I look forward have a new episode showing up each week:

Revisionist History; http://revisionisthistory.com/

This is the second series of Malcolm Gladwell’s attempt to revisit and/or reinterpret an event, a person or an idea from the past that he feels has been overlooked or misunderstood. At time of writing, there are 4 episodes of the new series available, but so far he has covered topics as diverse as terrorism, civil rights and rich folks addiction to golf. I like how he picks out something relatable to the present day. The first series is also worth digging out.

S-Town; https://stownpodcast.org/

This is produced by the same team that created the Serial podcast. I didn’t actually fully embrace Serial, however this series did I great job of hooking me in. The focus of S-Town shifts continuously throughout the series, and just when you think it has run out of puff, there is a new revelation that makes you do whatever the equivalent of page-turning is with a podcast. All of the episodes were released at the same time, so you could genuinely binge-listen to this story. Brilliantly put together and extremely poignant right now, S-Town is fantastic.

30 for 30 Podcasts; https://30for30podcasts.com/

Short and sweet. If you’ve seen the supreme sports documentaries on ESPN, well now there are some for your ears.

The Political Party with Matt Forde; https://soundcloud.com/thepoliticalparty

I have a bit of a crush on Matt Forde. In this podcast, he does a few minutes of super-topical (and super-funny, which doesn’t always happen concurrently) stand-up and then interviews a prominent political figure from either side of the aisle. Matt Forde, a stand-up by trade, is able to really humanise his guests with his very disarming style and focus on a side of their personality that doesn’t usually shine through in more formal interviews. He even managed to show that even William Hague is a right craic. Really good fun.

Special mentions:

The Adam Buxton Podcast; https://soundcloud.com/adam-buxton (especially The Steve Coogan episode)

Song Exploder; http://songexploder.net/ (especially the Fleet Foxes episode)

This next section are still podcasts but are based on actual live radio shows:

James O’Brien’s Mystery Hour; http://lbc.audioagain.com/presenters/6-james-obrien/368-the-mystery-hour-free

This is the pure sharing of knowledge. It’s the audio equivalent of when you used to have to write into a newspaper, before Google, if you had a question you wanted the answer to, and wait two weeks for it to be answered. This show rewards and celebrates acquired knowledge. The minutiae of life attempted to be explained.

Russell Brand on Radio X Podcast; http://www.radiox.co.uk/radio/podcasts/download-the-russell-brand-on-radio-x-podcast/

Russell Brand reminds me so much of Peter Cook. Previous forays into cinema might show that it may not his medium, but radio may very well be. He is just allowed to explode for a couple of hours on a Sunday, riffing on everything and nothing. Sublime stuff.

Johnny Vaughn on Radio X Podcast; http://www.radiox.co.uk/radio/johnny-vaughan/highlights/download-johnny-vaughan-on-radio-x-podcast/

Again, Johnny Vaughn is just so good on the wireless. Lightning quick. And there is a more sport-focussed show at the weekends called The Kickabout which is also hilarious.

Loose Ends; http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qjym/episodes/downloads

So happy that the BBC made the decision to start podcasting this live show with its wide ranging guests from film, stage, literature, comedy and all parts in between with excellent musical guests who perform live in the studio. Everyone is encouraged to contribute and interject throughout the show, even if the focus isn’t particularly on them at that time. Clive Anderson is the perfect host for this kind of format.

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 Podcast; http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02pc9pj/episodes/downloads (especially the Dead Ringers episodes; not so much The Now Show)

A lot of the time, the comedy writing doesn’t match the performances when it comes to impressionist shows. For Dead Ringers, they are definitely on a par with each other. Highlights are Jeremy Vine and Andrew Neill’s exasperated utterances of “Diane Abbott..?!?!”

All Songs Considered Podcast; http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510019/all-songs-considered

Bob Boilen has my job. That is all. Great new music in a handy hour-long package.

-o-

And finally… I have been lucky enough to get to see a good number of live shows so far this year. Here are a few of my highlights:

Kate Tempest @ The Casbah

She performed her second album, Let Them Eat Chaos, in its entirety, from track #1 to track #last. Performed from the heart, you could hear a PBR tallboy drop such was the respect for performance. Amazing. Amazing.

San Fermin @ The Casbah

The sound created by this very talented bunch will live long in the memory. They simply crushed it. And there is a horn section. Even the sax solo was well done. Highly recommended.

Timber Timbre @ Soda Bar

Obviously there to push their new album, Sincerely Future Pollution, but I would have liked for them to have played more off their eponymous first album. Lively, intimate show.

Blossoms @ The Casbah

Stockport’s own. I felt very old watching these fresh-faced whippersnappers. Great set and went down a storm.

I’m excited that I have more shows lined up for the rest of the year. Public Service Broadcasting play the Soda Bar. I’ve managed to secure a ticket to see Fleet Foxes at The Observatory in September, as well as an outdoor show with Future Islands & Explosions In The Sky on the same bill. And the great Elbow are in SoCal in November, so I’m going to see them in Santa Ana. All very thrilling.

-o-

Hope you find something interesting out of all this. Going forward, this will be hopefully a little more concise, listing a few highlights of what I’ve enjoyed listening to week by week. I’d also be very interested in your own suggestions, be that podcasts, radio shows, albums, tracks or live performances.

open.spotify.com/user/phutch1977/

twitter.com/IntoABrownStudy

tumblr.com/IntoABrownStudy

#newmusic #newalbum #livemusic #radio #bbc #podcast #bestof

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djrelentless · 8 years ago

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“Circles And Old Habits”

December 19, 2013 at 5:11pm

I am finally back in Toronto. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of events and emotions. I started December with one of my most ambitious endeavors to date. I put together an awards show to honor ten people from the community who either helped raise awareness or money in the fight against HIV/AIDS. I am happy to say that the POZ-TO Awards at Crews & Tangos were a success on World AIDS Day. It was amazing to see so many people come out from our diverse Gay Community to celebrate and help raise just under $1200 for Toronto's People With AIDS Foundation. What a way to close out the year!

Then it was the mad rush to get everything ready for probably one of the most important trips for myself and my husband, John.

Earlier this year I wrote about reconnecting with my family in Florida. I told you about not being in contact with my family for almost 24 years. I wrote about my strained relationship with my father and a Thanksgiving Dinner back in 1991 that would change the course of all our lives.

Well, after spending the better part of the spring, summer and fall of 2013 writing and calling my step-mother (Teresa), my uncle (Rudolph), my brothers (Anthony & Anton) I decided that I really wanted to go see them around Christmas. I had some gigs scheduled in New York City and Asbury Park. So, I booked a couple of cheap airline tickets to Tampa, Florida. I was taking my husband home for the holidays! Wow….I never thought I would be uttering that phrase in my life. This would be a trip back to two of my homes of the past. John had been to the New York area with me before, but going to a family reunion at my Uncle Rudolph's house in Florida was a big deal.

So, let's start with the trip to The Big Apple and New Jersey. Arriving in New York City felt like home. Seeing my friends like Marshall, Andrew, Adrian, Neil, Jermaine and Kale was a real nice way to start off. Tried to go to some of my old haunts like The Monster and The Hangar, but I'm afraid too much time has past. Both places were just the mere shells of themselves. I didn't recognize any of the small attendees (except for maybe a couple of die-hard regulars sprinkled here and there). Those places of old employment didn't feel like home anymore.

I called a few of my old friends but their lives seemed to have moved on in different directions. As I explained to my husband, the longer I stay away the further I am in most's memories. But oddly enough, a theme for our trip was starting in New York and New Jersey. And the theme was "Circles & Old Habits". From friends repeating old patterns in relationships to others not recognizing that they have addiction problems……some things never change.

Somehow, Asbury Park always seems to be the same. I guess it is because it is a little smaller than NYC. Spinning at Georgies Bar is always a treat. The reputation and legacy of DJ Relentless still holds up there. Unfortunately, the cold weather kept a lot folks in (and truthfully….I don't blame 'em). If I didn't have to be out, I wouldn't either. And no visit to Asbury Park is complete without the late night after the bar talk to catch up with David Hoffman. Him and Marshall White are probably my oldest friends (not meaning in age, but as in longest time knowing each other) in the Tri-State area.

So, then it was off to Atlantic City to fly out to Florida. To tell the truth, I was a little nervous. Talking to someone over the phone or through facebook is one thing, but seeing them face to face is another. Memories of the reasons I left Tampa came flooding back. And that insecure kid who so desperately wanted acceptance reared his head on the plane ride down. But as soon as I saw my Uncle Rudolph waiting for us at the airport, a sense of accomplishment rushed over me. The look in his eyes told me that I had done the right thing by coming home.

Finally, I could show my husband where I came from. The places I grew up and the food I always brag about. As we drove through the city, tons of memories that I had not thought about in years came back. Stories of my youth poured from my mouth. I'm sure John was sick of it by the second the day. And finally, I was going to find out what had happen over the past two decades in my family.

Me and the saviors of our family....Uncle Rudolph & Aunt Ruthie. These two are the ones who are trying keep everyone together.

First, I have to say that my Uncle Rudolph and my Aunt Ruth are the glue that holds what's left of my family together. I applaud them for putting "Family First" regardless what happens. After some of the things they shared with me, I don't know if I could do what they have done. My father's side of my family is a big bundle of "Circles & Old Habits". And the expression of "history repeating itself" is so fitting. My father, his mother, my Aunt Kathy and even the man who got me into DJ-ing (Uncle Herb) were not nice people. And the disfunction that they wallowed in has ruled the development of their off-spring. My brothers, Vaughn, Adrain, Anton, and Anthony are all following in my fathers foot-steps. All with kids too early in life, all consumed with sex and all making mistakes that are gonna haunt them later in life. Except for the kids, I am guilty of these things too. But fortunately, I stopped and changed my cycle. I have a different perspective about my life. In a way….I kinda feel like Uncle Rudolph's approach rubbed off on me. We both have the ability to see the bigger picture and what's important in life.

My Uncle Rudolph and Aunt Ruth invited everyone over to their house for a barbecue. They spend two days preparing all the food for that day. Chicken, beef ribs, pork ribs, potato salad, collard greens….hell, there was so much food I couldn't sample it all! Oh….and the best macaroni & cheese I've had in a long time! See my brothers, cousins (Tarkesha, Tula, Cookie and Cornell), nieces and nephews was such a treat. We laughed and reminisce all day. It was a shame that everyone didn't make it over at the same time. It would have been great to get a group photo. And John had such a great time meeting everyone. As a Canadian, John was really enjoying my family's accents and sensibilities. I think Aunt Ruth was his favorite. It was wonderful being respected and accepted. Too bad, Teresa (my step-mother) was not well enough to make over that day. So, we went to see her the next day.

But I guess the one brother that I was most disappointed with was Vaughn. He did not want to see me at all. I found out that his first born son is also gay. In some strange way he blames me. He treats his son exactly like my father treated me. He has nothing to do with him. I hope that he does not have the same fate as my father. I am a firm believer that God puts people and situations in your life to teach you how to love. It's just a shame that not everyone gets that lesson. Perhaps Vaughn thinks because I was so "out" about being gay so young that I set a bad example. But from my mother's side of the family, I was taught to just be me. That's all I can be. So, if that meant that I wanted o wear a wig and lip-sync songs for the family at Christmas….so be it. No one told me that I was wrong. My grandmother (Carrie-Mae) just let me be who I was and loved me unconditionally.

It was really heartbreaking to hear the demise of my Uncle Herbert. He went blind as a teenager, but was always talented in music. My Uncle Rudolph told me that he graduated from college with degrees in child psychology. I never knew that. I only knew him as a DJ and musician. It was terrible to know that he was robbed and beaten up so badly that he had to be put on life support. And basically it was my father's fault for leaving him alone with a stranger in the house. He was a brilliant man and he taught me so much about music. It's hard to believe that he is gone.

And the last disturbing thing to finally see the last mother figure in my life being mistreated my her sons. Teresa was a very important part of my life when I was trying to know my father back in the early 80's. She recognized that I was gay and tried to get him to accept it. I witnessed her taking mental and physical abuse from this man. I watched her get up and go to work to feed me, Adrian, Anton, Zuberi (my mother's other child) and Anthony while my father would lay around drinking some days. So, to see her not well and her own sons not making sure that she is comfortable and living better was just upsetting! This is what I meant about "Circles & Old Habits". My brothers are doing the same things my father did and don't even realize it. The disfunction continues with no end in sight. These lives are going round and round in circles.

Now, some would say…..why are you putting your family out there on "front street" like this? Well, I am hoping they read this and do something about it. I know that I am risking alienating myself all over again, but something also occurred to me while I was visiting. I am the oldest. After my Uncle Rudolph, I am the oldest male on my father's side of the family. It is my responsibility to step up to the plate and do what I can. I cannot be a father to my brothers. Too much time has past. Attitudes and habits have been formed. I can only set an example and lend my experiences to the fabric of what is our family.

Another interesting thing that my aunt and uncle shared with me was the last monarch of the family was gay also. My Great Uncle Luther was a closeted homosexual. So, it is so funny to me that some of the men in my family have issues with gay people. There are plenty of us in the family and have been for years.

So, I shall return to Tampa more often. There was a time that I was not interested in ever seeing Florida again. Now, I think I have to spend some more time there…..for my family and most importantly for me. Plus, I also found out that I have a couple of gay relatives who I think could benefit from having me around. I wanna make sure that they don't have to grow up with all the baggage that my father put on me. So, Uncle Jade and Aunt Johnny are gonna be a part of your lives.

The long weekend in Tampa seemed to have flown by. I did get to reconnect with my probably one of my longest running friends, Rossie. It's hard to believe that I met him back in the late 70's. It is great to know that some friends may come and go, but others are there for life. Hopefully, LaKiria & Ashley (girlfriends of my brothers) will be added to that list of life long friends.

So, we rushed backed to NYC for my last gig this trip. I was spinning at an East Village landmark, The Cock. I never really had a huge following in the East Village. I built my reputation on the Westside of Manhattan (Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen, Harlem). But thanks to another good friend, Shameless I think I am beginning to lay the foundation in other circles. New work relationships and new followings are being forged. I like it!

This trip really showed me that I made the right decisions in my life. I'm glad that I left Tampa when I did. That circle of disfunction had to be broken. I would not be the person I am today if I had not stepped out on faith and took a chance to change my life. And now I have a completely new life. I have continued to be blessed.

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cratesofjr · 8 years ago

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Tears For Fears Vocalist Oleta Adams Does Jazz, Soul & Blues On "Third Set" LP

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"Since the runaway success of her 1990 debut album Circle of One (which went Platinum), and the impassioned hit single “Get Here” (the Brenda Russell composition that became an unofficial anthem of the 1991 Gulf War) Oleta Adams has inspired a growing legion of fans in the U.S. and Europe with journeys of the heart via songs that draw deeply from her roots in gospel, while crossing effortlessly into the realms of soul, R&B, urban, and popular music. Her success, nurtured by worldwide tours with Tears for Fears, Phil Collins, Michael Bolton, and Luther Vandross, has been solidified by four Grammy nominations and a seemingly bottomless well of creative energy. A long-time resident of Kansas City, Kansas, where she has found sanctuary from the turmoil of the entertainment industry, Oleta Adams also remains anchored by her upbringing in the Pacific Northwest. The youngest of three girls and two boys, Oleta spent her formative years in Seattle before traveling over the mountains at age six to Yakima, Washington, an idyllic town of 60,000. She first demonstrated her budding vocal gifts in the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church where her father served as minister. By the time Oleta was eleven, she was directing and accompanying four choirs, having already established herself as a piano prodigy. She credits her further musical development in junior high school to Lee Farrell, “the brilliant Julliard-trained teacher and voice coach who changed my life.” School provided another outlet for Oleta Adams: the theatrical stage. In her senior year she broke barriers and traditions as the star of Hello Dolly! admitting that “early on I realized the pleasures of being a big fish in a small pond.”

Turning down the chance to pursue an operatic career as a lyric soprano, along with a scholarship to Pacific Lutheran University, Oleta instead spent a summer in Europe before heading to Los Angeles in the early 1970s. One demo tape and $5,000 later, she discovered that the disco movement had deafened music executives. Oleta’s gospel-flavored voice was not “in.” With the help of Coach Lee Farrell she wound up in Kansas City, where she launched her career playing piano bars, hotel lounges and showrooms. Oleta quickly became a local institution, with her own billboard and a regular gig at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Celebrities from every musical genre caught her act, including Eartha Kitt, Cab Calloway, Air Supply, Gino Vanelli, Yes and Billy Joel. Finally serendipity came in the form of the British band Tears for Fears, whose frontmen Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith asked her to appear on their 1989 “The Seeds of Love’ album, video and European tour. Proving that good things come to those who wait, upon her return to the U.S. Oleta signed a record deal for her first solo album in 1991. With eight CD releases including secular, gospel, and a Christmas album, worldwide acclaim and over two-and-a-half million albums sold. Oleta’s musical odyssey continues – spiritually and creatively. For this consummate artist – composer – producer – musician, many goals remain on the horizon. The first of which is two new songs being released on iTunes from an in the works prayer album Safe and Sound & Long and Lonely Hours."

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