#I’m so glad DJ crazy times is mainstream now

[otasunedaily]

day 6 (women are my favorite guy)

[say-the-name-sebongie]

Stereo Hearts

Synopsis: Silence can drive a person mad which makes radio like some sort of hero. It just takes a while to find the right station to listen to. Pairing: Jihoon x fem!reader Genre: fluff, collegeAU!Jihoon Warnings: noneeee Word Count: 1.6k words a/n: pls pretend spotify doesn't exist yet and yes this was kinda inspired by radio rebel

_____ silently thanked whoever created the radio. She thought that she would go crazy from the silence of the room she was in. The fact that her roommate was always grouchy and complained that she couldn't do anything if there were any "annoying" sounds made it hard for her to study in their shared room. She couldn't complain about it because the free dorm room that came with the scholarship was more than she could as for. So that left her to study in the dorm common room, earphones plugged into her phone and its radio tuned on some old radio station nobody listened to anymore.

Unfortunately for her, the songs that played on the radio these days didn't have any essence. They were either about having sex or were just pure electronic noise if they weren't memes. None of which helped her study. Sure there were some good songs but that only came on the radio every few weeks. So she had no choice but to go back to her routine of ever maddening silence.

On her way to class one day, she saw a poster on the notification board at the school entrance about the launch of the university's first radio station.

"I didn't know the university had its own radio station," she mumbled to herself. The bell rang and she left the poster behind, taking note of the station numbers and promising herself that she would check out the newfound radio station after class. Station 5.26.

That night she calibrated her phone radio until she heard a voice crackling in her earphones.

" -again guys to Station 5.26, University Radio. I have to get out of here to give my shift over to DJ Woozi so here's Fly Me To The Moon by good old Frank Sinatra. Good night!"

Old-timey music wafted into her ears as Frank Sinatra sang. The girl smiled. Now there was some good music. She took her books out of her bag and started going through what she had learned that day.

Studying became a joy more than a job when she listened to University Radio. Her favorite segment was the one hosted by DJ Woozi, who she heard was a student in the university. She had fallen in love with his impeccable taste in music, ranging from hard rock and hip hop to orchestral music and old classics. But that wasn't the only thing she had fallen in love with.

Hearing his voice over the crackly speakers of her phone made her feel better. A day hadn't gone since discovering that radio station that she didn't listen to his segment, Simple Radio, all night. Even if it ended at 3am, she couldn't finish her day without hearing him sign off with his signature "Goodbye guys, and may the simplest things make you smile today."

He was her vitamin. And though she had never even seen him yet, one could say that she had fallen for him.

Which is why she was devastated to hear that the station would be offline for the duration of the coming school break.

Over spring break she could think of nothing but going back to school. Most students wouldn't want their days of vacation to end but _____ was itching for the new term to arrive.

After an eternity, the day classes resumed came. As she sat in the back of her father's car, she could barely hear him talk about how he had gotten an email from the university about new dorm arrangements. Her mind was off in another place, some specific radio booth to be exact. As soon as they stopped at the school gate she hurried out of the car, not even bothering to give her bewildered father a second look.

A bunch of students were crowding the notification board, blocking the entrance. When she got to the front of the crowd she saw that the dorm rooms offered by the university were shuffled, including her dorm room.

To: The Students

Re: Dorm Room Assignments

Dear Beloved Students,

The faculty has come to a decision to rearrange the existing dorm rooms from being separated by gender to a co-ed arrangement. This is to ensure that we make the most of the space that is allotted for the dormitory rooms. Posted below are the said room assignments.

Thank you for your cooperation.

_____ scanned the list until she found her name. Room 17, Building B. Under that was another name equating to the same dorm. Lee Jihoon. From an annoyingly sensitive girl to some strange guy she had never met, her dorm life was never boring.

She dragged her luggage to Building B, hurrying so she could turn on her radio again. Heaving a sigh in front of room number 17, she opened the door to reveal a room with two beds and a boy in front of his laptop on one of the desks that were pushed against the wall. He had brightly colored hair buried under a big pair of headphones, his fingers tapping on the desk as he listened to something on his laptop.

As quietly as she could, _____ snuck into the room. She must have been noisier than she thought because he turned around to face her. His surprisingly handsome features gathering in confusion before they softened into understanding.

"You're _____, right?" he said, his hand slightly hesitating whether it should hold itself out for her to shake or not. The girl smiled and nodded before shaking his hand which he finally decided to stretch out. He smiled, his starry eyes disappearing into half-moons. Maybe this guy was better than her last dormmate.

Over the next few weeks, she and Jihoon became friends. Meeting up outside of class and talking about absolutely anything. _____ was glad to not be in the company of someone who hated listening to music. Blasting music in their dorm room was something they both enjoyed. She and Jihoon even shared the same favorite artists so picking which songs to play was never an issue.

There was something about the boy that felt so familiar as if she had met him before. She couldn't deny the fact that she liked being with him. Not even to herself. Being with him almost made her forget about her favorite radio station.

Almost.

On one early Saturday morning, she was alone in the dorm listening to Station 5.26 yet again when Jihoon came through the door from his part-time job. "Hey." she greeted him, not bothering to remove her earphones or even look up at her roommate.

"What are you listening to?" he asked, walking to her side and peeking at her phone screen. _____ turned her phone slightly to show the boy. He turned to look at her, a surprised look on his face.

"You listen to University Radio too?" Jihoon asked her incredulously. Enthusiastic about finding another common thing between them she started gushing about how she found the radio stations and how much she loved it over all the more mainstream stations.

Her roommate just smiled as she talked, silently taking in everything she said as he put his bag down and sat on his bed. The boy stared at her smiling face and blushing cheeks, hands that moved with every word she said, dainty fingers that pointed to nowhere in particular as she spoke, eyes that shone and sparkled and luscious pink lips that he just wanted to-

The boy pinched himself out of his daydream. He couldn't be crushing on his roommate right now.

It didn't take long for her to start talking about Simple Radio and DJ Woozi. Jihoon's eyes lit up when she mentioned it. _____ spilled everything she had kept to herself, from her love for his taste in music to her embarrassing crush on him. It all came spilling out. She felt as if she could trust Jihoon with them. As her secrets came to the light, the boy's eyes became wider and wider.

"Hey, you know I work for the university radio station, you wanna come along to my shift tonight?" he offered her. His roommate immediately agreed, wrapping her arms around his neck and thanking him again and again. His cheeks burned, a reddish tint left on them when she let go.

That night they got ready to go out. _____ could hardly believe her luck. It was almost 9pm, the time for Simple Radio to come on. That meant that when she got to the studio, her idol would be there. And she could finally meet him!

The studio was a dimly lit but cozy place. It was filled to the brim with CDs and records. Several speakers hung from the ceiling and stood at every corner. An empty booth stood in the middle of the floor. Jihoon put down his bag and walked to it, fiddling with some buttons and levers. _____ walked around to inspect the shelves. She found old CDs of famous singers and unknown rock bands. It fascinated her that so much music could be contained in one place.

A crackling came from the speakers, then a voice.

"Hey guys welcome back to Station 5.26 University Radio, I'm your nighttime companion DJ Woozi and this is Simple Radio."

_____'s eyes widened. She looked at her watch. 9:00pm, it said. The girl hurried back towards the booth, expecting to see DJ Woozi. But when she got there it was only Jihoon, headphones on his ears. She watched him, confused as to why he was inside. His gaze met hers through the glass.

"I'm here today in the booth with a person that's very special to me standing outside, watching me. She doesn't know that I'm the DJ Woozi she wanted to meet so bad,"

_____'s mouth gaped open.

"Nor does she know that I like her."

Jihoon smiled at her through the glass, mouth still near the microphone.

"And I hope that my confession today will blossom into something more."

[mcardoso]

Backlash

And here…here is our ‘piéce de resistance’. The latest addition to our humble residential retreat: the tranquility den. This is where the ceremony will take place. As you can see, we opted for an East-meets-Midwest vibe, taking inspiration from Ayurveda principles and Feng shui. Think curved walls, an open space and lots of natural light. We find that a bright open space is just the most wonderful vehicle to connect with the absolute. Being here feels like… standing in a big mirror. Reflective. Peaceful. Absolutely transcendent. When the entire assembly gathers together and meditates, you can feel everyone actively relearning themselves, in a much deeper way than they had ever thought they could. It’s magical. To be perfectly honest, the worst thing about being the eminent chief, is that I personally don’t get to spend as much time meditating, but that’s the burden of being a visionary, a minister of light. No one can truly understand.

I like to call it our Sandals Resort for the soul. Every day, our four hundred residents and many of our loyal Instagram followers who tune in online, routinely partake in our daily introspection sessions, morning yoga, intuitive massage, dancing sessions…sometimes we even bring in a DJ on Saturdays. Whoever said soul searching couldn’t be fun? We celebrate the joyous stages of human experience just like anyone else. But we’re not like everyone else. We have a mission. A noble pursuit. To elevate our minds to a higher plane of being, the Kingdom. Dramatic, I know. However, if we are to gain access to the Kingdom, we must do the work. That’s the part few understand. We are here to work. On ourselves, on our minds and spirits. On our souls. As eminent chief, I am here to empower and instruct. I’m hoping this interview sets the record straight on that.

We couldn’t be more excited that you are joining us today. It’ll be a real treat to experience the Purifying Ceremony for the first time. I’m jealous of you! To be perfectly honest, we are long overdue for one. I think some of the recent bad press- the article that shall not be named- has really placed a hamper on our spirits. We started the day with a gorgeous morning hike, did some guided meditation and now we’re all running around getting everything ready for tonight. Don’t worry, it’s nothing crazy. No robe wearing crew around a huge caldron. We’ll just all gather together, take turns venting, purging all of the negativity out into the energy field. Then, I’ll naturally take the stage and counsel the entire assembly. That is my absolute favorite part. To stand in front of my brothers and sisters, and feel the love, the respect…the admiration. It’s… intoxicating.

I don’t really plan my lectures ahead of time or anything. I usually just close my eyes, and hope for that tranquil awakening to express itself verbally. It’s a very, very spiritual experience. Much like taking your bra off at the end of a very long day. I must admit though, tonight I do have somewhat of an agenda. I feel it is my duty to address some of the issues that have come to light that outsiders really don’t understand about our movement.

 I just despise talking about things that genuinely don’t matter in the greater scheme. I mean, why does it matter how much my sessions cost, when I’m selling enlightenment?

Yes, I do make quite a bit of money. With the lectures, and the book sales, and the sessions, and our daily Assembly collection…But all this money talk is terribly impolite. You must understand, all of our funding goes right back to the cause. And yes, as an instructor, I need to nourish my own being, and that costs money as well. When you’re running what is essentially an empire, though a virtuous one at that, you need to maintain a profit. Having good business sense does not mean I’m greedy. That we’re greedy. Greed has no place within these walls.

I fear the media has been quite unfair. When the article came out, I was not surprised by the backlash. Not in the least. I understand that the nature of my work rubs some people the wrong way. I have seen a lot of envy, and jealousy, and opposition. It’s honestly just taught us to become more mindful as to who we choose to include in our meetings or what-have you. I am a good person. I have great intentions. You don’t need to like me. Hell, you don’t even have to join our mission. But slander is simply shameful. And those who judge me will be disappointed in the Kingdom beyond.

They would also judge those who would follow us. Determining the worthlessness of any that would join some “cult”, assuming that that is the worst thing that anyone could possibly do, for they are being brainwashed. Led down the wrong track into some obscure camp, going to the devil. What does that devil look like?

Oh, and how I simply detest their language. They try to undermine my authority among our assembly, referring to me as a “delusional charlatan.” Me! Meanwhile David Koresh, Jim Jones, Charles Manson: they were never seen as charlatans. Oh no. They were “visionaries whose missions went awry”. They were cult “leaders”. Leaders! Can you believe that? Them, leaders��Those murderous fools. Excuse my language, but they were sex-crazed maniacs, who were just…just…messy. Allowing their male urges to guide their prophesizing, mixing business and pleasure with no respect to the former. Never have I been described as a leader by the media. Technically, I would prefer eminent chief or minister of light, but I’d settle for leader. Just look around! I’m running a tight ship here; a most efficient organization.

 And sure, we share some of the same strategies and beliefs. But we are nothing alike. Apples and Oranges. Our Assembly is nothing like the organizations led by those imbeciles. Not that the mainstream world would care. Everyone is so quick to condemn and judge those of us who seek to look beyond, that they will go to any lengths to make us look bad. To make me look bad. I will no longer stand for it.

I’ve fought for the platform I have. I’ve spoken, written, expended my blood, sweat and tears to create this community from the ground up. This community that trusts my teachings, accepts my ideology, believes…believes in our power. The power of belief and objective. My power. No outrageous article could bring us down.

No offense. I am sure you won’t defame our character: you’ve been here, you’ve spent time with us, you understand what we’re all about. Sincerely, I am so, so grateful to you. To real journalists like you. Thank you again for coming down and listening to our side of the story. I see greatness in you. If you’re interested, I’d love to talk to you about our organized program of thought reform. You seem like a great candidate and I just know we’d love to have you in our community.

Welcome brothers and sisters, I’m so glad to see you. It’s been far too long since our last ceremony. We have work to do. 

Original Text by M. Cardoso

Published 2020

[mashitandsmashit]

America’s Got Talent: The Champions - Auditions 2 (Review)

10: Taylor Williamson. While his character has certainly grown on me since his initial audition, I never really found him that funny. You can make awkward funny, but you gotta have the humor to back it up, and here, he just couldn't find the right material...Can't say he deserved to be runner-up back in Season 8...

9: DDF Crew. What might be seen as a million dollar act in Holland would be filler and fodder in America...I'd also complain about the “Fortnite” dance, but with jumpropes, it's actually quite impressive! Still, this was forgettable...

8: Ashleigh & Sully. Despite ranking in the same spot as the dog act last week, this show had much stiffer competition, and from here on out it's mostly praise...Indeed, I found this superior to Sara and Hero last week; While S&H may have had a more interesting set, Sully's youthful excitement gave this performance a much bigger spark! I thoroughly enjoyed it, though the later entries in this list kinda pushed this one aside in my mind...

7: Piff the Magic Dragon. From one adorable dog to another...Piff is a fine example of a magician who gets by on his personality, but he can still evoke the classic question of “How did he do that!?” every now and then, in this case with the ring appearing in the egg yoke...Actually, some sleight of hand might explain that...But regardless, he's just a lovable character with an even more lovable animal sidekick, and as long as they entertain, they can make all the poop jokes they want...

6: Light Balance. I might be a little biased putting them just shy of the Top 5, because even at their worst they're still entertaining as hell...But I disagree with the judges, because I found this to be pretty safe compared to what they gave us back in Season 12...The theme was cool, but there weren't as many cool effects...But again, if I saw this performance as part of their full show with all of their other crazy stuff, I'd get a kick out of this! Still a favorite of mine!

5: Darci Lynne. The singing was great and energetic, and between this and her recent Christmas special, you can tell she's trying to put her own singing on a bigger display (though to be honest, I can't picture her being nearly as enjoyable as just a singer). But this was kinda safe as well...I kinda wish she'd bring in a new puppet; Revolving between the same three starts to get monotonous...Still, I wish her the best in her career, wherever she decides to go...And yeah, it's a shame she didn't make it...

4: Courtney Hadwin. While it was mostly the same kind of performance she's been leaning on throughout Season 13, performing her own original song does breathe new life into it! And yeah, I liked the song! This gives me some high hopes for her future music career! Lord knows, we could certainly use more rock music in the mainstream again!

3: Viktor Kee. Still finding new ways to make juggling a beautiful spectacle!

2: Deadly Games. Now, I'm convinced that Heidi once again just waited until near the very end before pushing the GB as an afterthought, because that is so her! ...That being said, this is her best Golden Buzzer to date! I remember when these guys were on AGT a few years back, and I didn't really care for them...Here, they seemed to have developed the right idea of what they are! The set was more unique, the knife throwing was more intense and the targets were more interesting! Everything just came together for this act! Had I not read the spoilers for this show ahead of time, I certainly wouldn't have expected them to make it over Darci, Courtney or any of my other old favorites...But somehow, Heidi's last-minute GB pick made sense! And hey, any Golden Buzzer not given to a singer is a plus for me!

1: Cristina Ramos. Never heard of her before, but she made quite the first impression for American audiences! What makes her stand out is her variability what with her clashing genres and several different singing voices...And she makes it work with her stage presence and powerful vocals! This looked like it SHOULD have been the closing act! But because she was only the half-point of the show, it probably put a lot of pressure on Courtney performing later, because this lady puts even her to shame! Regardless, I'm glad America got her well enough to give her more votes than favorites like Courtney and Darci...We may not have known about her before, but we're certainly gonna know now!

This was a great show! It was great enough that I'm willing to accept Piff, Viktor, Darci, Courtney and Light Balance getting eliminated for what were clearly two underdogs who somehow managed to rise well above! The format still sucks...But whatever, for such a stacked night, I'm surprised at who I was willing to accept going through...

And now, once again, I shall rank next week's acts based on how much I know about them, how much I liked them in the past (or might think of them now), and who I already know is going through and hope their position is well-earned, because once again, it will come at the expense of some old favorites...

10: DJ Arch JNR

9: Ryan Stock and AmberLynn

8: Tom Cotter

7: Angelica Hale

6: Paul Potts

5: Darcy Oake

4: Jon Dorenbos

3: Billy & Emily England

2: Samuel J. Comroe

1: Prince Poppycock

Two opera singers, two child musicians, two magicians, two comedians and two danger duos! What an interesting combination!

[jafreitag]

Disco Shrine: The Liner Notes Interview

The internet is weird.

Late last summer, I received an email from a guy named Scott Brown. I know alot of Browns in NWI, and one is named Scott. He runs a breakfast place in town, and his daughter is the Sweetheart of Downtown Valpo – my dear amiga CBB, and my best friend’s best friend.

I see Scott sorta regularly at Brown family events. Super nice guy, great dad, great grandpa. Quick with a handshake and a smile. We’re on good terms, but not like email tight. So why would he email me and title it “Inspiring New Visuals Indie Electro Artist”? Huh?

Different Scott Brown, turns out. The SB who emailed me promotes music. Here’s what he said (bold is him):

“Hi there, 

  We are excited to send you the new visuals by indie/electro pop artist Disco Shrine. Entitled “Up in the Air” the video and song narrate the struggle her parents faced when immigrating to America from Iran and is the perfect anthem for the current situation in America. Disco Shrine is also known as a sought after DJ and has toured extensively throughout the US, as well as having been featured in outlets such as The 405 and Earmilk, among others.

Thanks so much for watching and for your support!”

I immediately hit OM on Slack to ask if he had met a Mr. Brown at a blog conference or something. Nope. Apparently, Liner Notes crossed the radar of an A&R guy on the Left Coast. Not sure how, not complaining. Anyway, my brother’s grad school “partner-in-crime” is a badass woman of Iranian decent, and her parents immigrated to the U.S. around the time of the revolution there in the late ’70s. So I was intrigued enough to listen to “Up in the Air.” Glad I did.

Disco Shrine is the nom de musique of Jessica Delijani, and she, too, is a badass woman of Iranian descent. The email from SB called her the “pop spark plug behind Disco Shrine,” and added that she “makes music that plays around with the contrast between high energy electronic beats and sensual melodies.” More SB: “By embodying the mission of empowerment, Disco Shrine thrives off of being an outlet for listeners to be carefree, accepted, and liberated through dance music.” Great stuff, but enough mansplain. Let’s let Jessica talk about “Up in the Air” herself:

“This song is about my parents immigrating to America from Iran after escaping the Iranian revolution in the 70’s. ‘Up in the Air’ paints a picture of them literally up in the air on their plane ride over to America, leaving the past behind and looking towards their new future. It’s also symbolic of their whole lives suddenly being up in the air, uncertain, and not knowing what to expect at all.  It’s more so in my mother’s perspective and the strength she had to leave her whole life behind to bring a better life for her children and family. “ 

Jessica was born/raised in the San Fernando Valley, and grew up with watching traditional Persian jam sessions with her family. She taught herself how to play guitar and banjo, and started writing and performing folk music as a teenager, before debuting as Disco Shrine in 2015. I dropped a few DS songs on playlists last summer, and connected with her via Instagram. Eventually, I sent her some interview questions, which she was kind enough to answer.

JF: Hi. Before I get to real questions, I have a silly, preliminary one. What should I call you? Disco Shrine? DS? Jessica?

DS: Hey, Jason! People call me Jess and sometimes Disco. I answer to any and all, haha.

JF: Are you a lyric-first or a music-first person? Like do you find the melody, then put words to it, or vice versa?

DS: Honestly, I have worked both ways. I think I tend to come up with the melody first, and then lay out lyrics. But some of my favorite songs I’ve written have been when I have something I need to get out, and those lines or lyrics end up remolding the song.

JF: What’s your workflow?  Notebooks, voice memos, both?

DS: Millions and millions of voice memos and notepad (the app).

JF: Where have you played? The email that I got from a PR guy mentioned “all of the quintessential LA landmarks” and some fests. Any shows or sets stick out?

DS: This year has been a wild year of checking venues off of my bucket list and some that I didn’t even know I wanted. I played Santa Monica Pier, which was crazy, because Santa Monica Pier was iconic for my parents, when they first immigrated here. So to see their daughter performing a big festival (Pier 360) was crazy for them and really special for me.

Playing Baby’s All Right in New York was also pretty magical. The crowd was so amazing and fun. I ended up crowd surfing and getting this gnarly scar on my leg … totally worth it.

I’ve also created this strange pattern of playing really unconventional places this year. I played this warehouse party where I performed on an old geometro car. I had my music video release party in a Barber Shop and I also threw my single release party for Everyday at a Laundromat.

I’ve also created this strange pattern of playing really unconventional places this year. I played this warehouse party, where I performed on an old Geo Metro car. I had my music video release in a barber shop, and I also threw my single release party for “Everyday” at a Laundromat.

The biggest reason behind doing this release party in a Laundromat is because of everything a laundromat is symbolic of (workin’ hard, the everyday hustle, helping local businesses, the fact that they’re usually immigrant owned or used, etc…)! I would never have had the same opportunities and freedom to pursue what I love, if my parents didn’t immigrate to America. “Everyday” is all about seizing that opportunity and not taking it for granted. And what better way to celebrate that than through a Laundromat Party!

I also just played at a large benefit festival called The Billy Ball with Charli XCX, Dorian Electra, Allie X, Vincent, Daya, Leland, Chester Lockhart, etc. All proceeds go towards helping a young artist get life saving cancer treatment. It was a dream come true playing in front of such a huge crowd of people that were so receptive, especially for such a good cause.

JF: Have you toured much? And what’s that like? What’s the life of a “indie/electro pop artist” on the road?  I’m imagining it’s you and tidy cases, and not so much instruments, cables, and speakers.

DS: I have toured and travelled a lot this year. Half of it has been for live shows, and the other half has been for DJing. It’s so much fun, and it feeds so much of my soul, but it definitely gets exhausting at times, too. What I love most about it is just connecting with the crowd and meeting people across the country. Whenever I play shows out of town, I usually keep the set up pretty minimal. It’s usually just me, a dj, and maybe back up dancers. I’ll have a live band for my hometown shows

JF: I dropped “Soft Fur” onto a recent playlist between Moses Sumney and Blood Orange – good company, haha. Who are your influences? Anybody you want to single out? I just checked out your Disco Diamonds playlist. I saw Empress Of on there, and her new record is great.

DS: Love both of them. It’s so hard to answer that question, because I feel like who I’m listening to is constantly changing, and I admire different things about different artists that help me grow. So it’s really not just any few people I take from. I think I tend to love and listen to a lot of badass pop artists like Empress Of, Elohim, Hayley Kyiko, etc. Some of my faves from this year are Dorian Electra, Phem, Holychild, Zella Day, Mallrat, and the queen Ariana Grande.

Gwen Stefani, circa No Doubt, is definitely my spirit animal on stage. I feel like I always tell myself to channel Gwen before I hit a stage.

JF: Genre-wise, how would you classify DS? What do you think about the state of electronic music? What do you find interesting, and what do you find boring? What would you change?

DS: I would say that I make really melodic, upbeat music that you can bob your head to on a drive or on a dance floor. I love that the sky is the limit right now. A lot of mainstream music is experimenting with genres and non-formulaic type pop, which I think is pretty cool, because it opens the door to experiment more – and, hopefully, makes people more open-minded.

JF: And what about the state of the music industry?

DS: Ugh, I can’t even with this …

JF: Turning to “Up in the Air,” it’s obviously personal. Would you share some of your parents’ story?

DS: “Up in the Air” was written shortly after I found out about the crazy journey my parents went through to get my family to America. I was so inspired by the tale I heard, one that involved escaping prison, fleeing the country, and finding a way to get a greencard to America. I was in such disbelief that it was my mom and dad that did something so brave for the hope of a better future, and it really inspired me. That’s how “Up in the Air” was born. We wrote and finished it in an hour with my friend/producer Samuel Jacob Lopez, Jr. (coqui).

In a lot of ways it breaks my heart to think about other people trying to get to America and not being able to do so. Everyday I think about what my life would be like if I didn’t have the freedom and opportunities that I have. And it’s sad that there are others out there that are trying to have the same opportunities, but are being stopped.

JF: Favorite place in the world?

DS: Lake Como Italy was the most breathtakingly beautiful place I have ever been to, and it’s crazy that a place that looks that beautiful exists in this world. So, yes, Lake Como.

JF: You’re LA-based, so best restaurant in LA? Best bar in LA?

DS: My go-to spot is this amazing tex-mex brunch restaurant called Homestate in Los Feliz. Their breakfast tacos are bomb. They’re also right next to this coffee shop Go Get Em Tiger. Getting coffee their after breakfast tacos is sort of a Sunday morning ritual.

Fave bar is the secret tiki room at Cliftons in DTLA.

JF: Favorite food?

DS: Mexican food! Whenever I leave LA, I always find myself missing good Mexican food the most.

JF: Favorite and least favorite words?  For the latter, my best friend/wife would say “moist,” but that seems too easy.

DS: I just hung out with a bunch of my Australian friends – shoutout to Oh Boy, Tanssi, Lover, and Tekie. They’re amazing musicians, and they taught me so many Aussie phrases that I love. I think the one that stuck the most was “redhot”. It basically means sus or suspicious.

JF: The new single, “Everyday,” with Omenihu just dropped. How did that collaboration come about?

DS: Omenihu and I met at School Night earlier this year. He photobombed a photo I was taking on the stairs, and we ended up laughing and talking for like an hour. He was living in Austin at the time and told me he was planning on moving to LA. We just got along really well and kept in touch over the next few months.

Then I ended up writing Everyday, which is all about moving to a new place and having all the odds against you, but persevering and taking advantage of the opportunities you have. And I knew I wanted Omenihu on it because he was going on the same journey – soon to move to LA in pursuit of his dreams and not knowing anyone here, facing challenges, etc. So the timing of it all was really perfect. I sent him the song, and he loved it and ended up sending me his verse back in a voice memo the same day. It was really serendipitous.

JF: What are you working on? New material? Shows? This is your chance to shamelessly  plug anything.

DS: Yess haha! I just threw my release party at a Laundromat in Los Feliz which featured special guests Wes Period (just toured w/ Macklemore and Kesha), Phem (just toured w/ Lil Xan), Dorian Electra (toured + featured w/ Charli XCX), Mood Killer, Dance Yourself Clean etc… Who are all artists I admire so much and are each killing it in their own lanes. Next year, I plan on releasing way more music and throwing even weirder release parties.

I have a show on 1/21 at The Echo too

There you go. I’ve done four interviews with musicians so far on LN. All have been fun, but the first three were people that I know, so they were pretty easy. I stretched a bit to do this one, and Jess couldn’t have been nicer – reachable, relatable, and genuinely sweet. Big thanks to her, and best wishes for a huge 2019!!

You can check out Disco Shrine on Spotify. Here’s a playlist that I compiled of her material so far. It’s all good, and well worth your time.

And here are her links:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/discoshrine/

Website: https://discoshrine.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiscoShrine

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoshrine

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/discoshrine

More soon.

JF

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