#Jon Randall

[thisaintascenereviews]

Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, & Jon Randall - The Marfa Tapes Country music is a genre of music that gives people one of two emotions when hearing its name and when it rears its head -- hatred or love. Some people really love it, and some people really hate it. You know what I mean, people say they “listen to everything but country.” Bonus points if they put rap / hip-hop, but the idea is the same -- people seem to brag about how they don’t like county music, and in some respects, I get it. A lot of the modern country music that you hear on the radio is very pop-friendly, generic, boring, and even incorporates a lot of hip-hop instrumentation, along with tons of tired cliches that have been tired for the past decade. Ever since Florida Georgia Line got big with “Cruise” in 2012, country music was never the same, for better or worse. I look at that in a good way, especially in retrospect, because that led to a resurgence of more “raw” styled country and folk music. Guys and gals like Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, Ian Noe, Adeem The Artist, Kacey Musgraves (she’s part of the “establishment,” too, but she always went against the grain), and many more are part of this movement that bring something new to the table, whether it’s a sense of storytelling, perspectives, ideas, or sounds. One artist in the genre that’s been a staple for the last 20 years is someone you could include in that crop of current artists that still bring something unique and interesting to the table that also break away from the cliches and the sounds that are popular. That artist is Miranda Lambert, who has been around since the early 00s, but didn’t release her label debut until 2005. She got big in 2007 with her third album, and second major label album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which showcased her prowess for stellar vocals, a kickass attitude that doesn’t take any shit from anyone (especially men), and songs that were written very strongly. She rose up the ranks in the scene, ultimately becoming one of the most important singers and songwriters of the genre, but one that doesn’t get enough credit. She is mainly known, too, for her marriage and eventual divorce from Blake Shelton, who you may know from making bad country music is exactly what people hate about it (or love, depending on what kind of country music you like). She released the ambitious double album, The Weight Of These Wings, back in 2016 and that served as an album to chronicle and talk about her divorce. I listened to that when it came out, because I was wanting to get more into country music, and that was a good decision. The Weight Of These Wings is a very ambitious and long album, but it was also very rewarding. Fast forward four years, and she released Wildcard, which came out right before the pandemic, unfortunately, so she never got to tour that album. I’ve listened to it in retrospect, and I really enjoy it, despite how long, ambitious, and messy it is in spots, thanks to its sound being all over the place and its tone not being set in stone. What I wanted to talk about, and this is a long way of getting to it, because I wanted a lot of background, since this is a weird album to talk about on its own, is The Marfa Tapes from 2021, featuring Lambert, Jon Randall, and Jack Ingram, who are two other songwriters from Nashville that she’s worked with. She worked with them a lot on her follow-up, 2022′s Palomino, which is a very good album. What is this album exactly? It’s not a studio album, per se, but it’s a collection of songs that the three of them wrote semi-live. This album is an acoustic, lo-fi, and sort of “live” album, because it features single takes of recording. You hear a little bit of studio banter, some background noise, and a few mistakes they make, but it works, where the album is meant to be very loose and easygoing. Personally, I love this record, and I’ve been very apprehensive to check out a lot of mainstream country, because it just hasn’t done anything for me, but this album is very different, so peoples’ mileage with it depends on how much they like Miranda Lambert and what they like from her. This is a very acoustic, lo-fi, and somewhat quiet album, because it just features a single acoustic guitar and the three musicians’ voices. That’s it. This album is bare bones, but it’s great. The harmonies are utterly gorgeous, the songwriting is very strong, and the production is very warm, inviting, and it makes you feel like you’re right there. This record is also a lot of fun, because for every emotional song, such as “Amazing Grace (West Texas),” “Ghost,” or “Breaking A Heart,” it features some very fun moments in the form of “Homegrown Tomatoes,” “Geraldene,” and “Two-Step Down To Texas,” which are all very bouncy and catchy. This album showcases a lot of very strong performances from Lambert especially, because her vocals are so good here. What works, though, are its lyrics and overall mood. I love a lot of the lyrics on this record, such as “Ghost,” “In His Arms,” “Tequila Does,” and “Homegrown Tomatoes.” Sometimes having fun can be all you need, and that song paints a great picture of just having a good time. This album features songs that were on Wildcard, including “Tequila Does,” as well as songs that were eventually on Palomino, albeit re-recorded with a fuller sound, including “In His Arms,” “Waxahachie,” and “Geraldene.” An acoustic version of “Tin Man” also appears from The Weight Of These Wings, which makes the song even more emotional and hardhitting. Overall, this album is fantastic, especially if you want something very personal, laidback, lo-fi, and warm. It’s a very warm sounding album in all the best ways. I absolutely love this record. I do admit that when Randall and Ingram, it’s not quite as good, but I do enjoy their songs, nonetheless, and I like that this isn’t just Miranda Lambert and two other musicians, so it feels more of a collaborative effort, but their voices aren’t quite as good as hers. I’d check this out, though, especially if you want to hear a very authentic and story-driven country album that’s none of that mainstream bullshit that you hear all the time. I’ve been playing it nonstop for the last few weeks, and I won’t be stopping anytime soon, I keep having a blast with it.

[krispyweiss]

Song Review: Sarah Jarosz - “Wildflower in the Sky”

“Wildflower in the Sky” is the Sarah Jarosz her fans have come to know and love.

A romantic, acoustic ballad full of musical and Rocky Mountain imagery, the co-write between Jarosz and Jon Randall is folksy and taut, clocking in at under three minutes.

That was the summer I learned to fly/I was his wildflower in the sky, Jarosz sings.

The track announces the Sept. 20 release of Polaroid Lovers (Deluxe Edition) and suggests the pop music of the original LP may have been a short-lived detour.

Let us hope.

Grade card: Sarah Jarosz - “Wildflower in the Sky” - B+

8/19/24

[thgegooberguy]

Various Luthers ❤️❤️❤️

Oh god

He’s multiplying

HEEEEELP

PLEASE HE’S TAKING OVER PLEASE. MAYDAY MAY DAY- MAY-

[aletterinthenameofsanity]

Ivan/Riley/Chase playlist!

Here it is: the big guns. The magnum opus of this series. The fic that started it all and is also somehow the one I've most recently updated. The holy grail slow-burn poly-shipping mutual-pining Soulmate AU and the longest fic in this series by a long shot (if only due to the fact that I stopped updating the Ziggy/Scott one, and even that was not a slow burn). I left y'all on tenterhooks for MONTHS as I updated this thing and whenever I want inspiration for writing slow-burns I come back to this fic. It meant so much to get to write asexual Riley and his soulmates' supportive reactions as well as Kaylee's aromantic journey, too!

Also, apparently it's the most kudosed one in the Dino Charge fandom? And the second-most viewed? So thank y'all so much! Once again, I cannot believe that these passion project rarepair fics have spoken so well to the good people of the power rangers fandom. I started this series when I was eighteen (I wrote the vast majority of it at eighteen) and a freshman in college and I got so much joy from writing all of these traumatized idiots sitting within stories that were just begging for a bit of tweaking/exploring. Thank you all so much for coming along this journey with me over the years- it means more than I can say!

@skyland2703 @madhare0512 @khruschevshoe @liveinalovelyway @disastardly @augment-techs @infinitysgrace @our-raven-strife-universe @estel-eruantien @miss-morgans-lover

[helioscopepdx]

SHOULD YOU GO TO ART SCHOOL?

Our own Leila Del Duca digs in, asking the Helioscope PDX crew to weigh the pros and cons. Find out why it might not be worth it for students paying their own way and what the alternatives are.

Featuring: Steve Lieber, Joelle Jones, Emi Lenox, Terry Blas, Jeff Parker, Lucas Ketner, Jon Siruno, Caitlin Like, Hopskotch Sunday, Ripley Lacross, Cat Farris, Paul Guinan, Ron Randall, Les McClain, Dan Schkade, Leila del Duca

[milliondollarbaby87]

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) Review

When Deadpool is eventually given the change he has always wanted to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe it turned out it wasn’t going to be the easiest decision when if he did that his whole universe would be extinct. So he finds a variant of Wolverine to help him instead … ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Continue reading Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) Review

[age-of-moonknight]

“Hearts on Fire,” Moon Knight: City of the Dead (Vol. 1/2023), #2.

Writer: David Pepose; Penciler: Marcelo Ferreira; Inker: Jay Leisten; Colorer: Rachelle Rosenberg; Letterer: Cory Petit

[white-cat-of-doom]

After a day off due to a typhoon passing through Taipei, Taiwan, Asia Tour 2022-2023 was back in action again today (04 August 2023).

Jennyanydots, played by Amy Louise Whittle, shows off the love of her life, Bustopher Jones, played by Ian Jon Bourg.

A pair of backstage photos featuring Saverio Pescucci as Alonzo, Johnny Randall as Mistoffelees, Katie Hutton as Rumpleteazer, and Taryn Donna as Cassandra.

Petra Ilse Dam is keeping busy in the Booth! The Bombalurina performer will likely stay there for the remainder of dates due to an injury.

[thecraggus]

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) Review

Deadpool & Wolverine brings the two best X-men together at last for an indulgent romp around the old Fox family home before it's gone. #Review

Deadpool & Wolverine disappears down its own Fox[Glory]hole First things first: Deadpool & Wolverine is fun. A lot of fun. So much fun. Really, just a whole load of fun. But… actually, hold on. Before we get to that, let’s rewind little. Using Cable’s time machine, Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) makes his way to the Sacred Timeline of the MCU to try out, unsuccessfully, for The Avengers. Crushed by…

[90smovies]

[oceanusborealis]

Deadpool & Wolverine - Movie Review

TL;DR – While it languishes in parts, the camaraderie and love for what they are doing is off the charts, and you feel that love in every part of the film. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid and post-credit scene.Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film. Deadpool & Wolverine Review – Well, here we are, with a movie that is either the MCU’s latest…

[krispyweiss]

Quarter Notes: Blurbs & Briefs from Sound Bites

- In this edition: Les Claypool, Sean Lennon and Billy Strings; Charlie Watts; the HillBenders and the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame

LES IS DOING MORE: Les Claypool is a busy man, telling Live for Live Music he and Sean Lennon are nearly done with a new Claypool Lennon Delirium record. More surprising is that Claypool says he’s making an album with Billy Strings.

CHARLIE WATTS’ STONE JAZZ: Coming June 30, Anthology collects 20 years of former Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts’ jazz recordings with various lineups.

GRAND OLE HILLBENDERS: The HillBenders, perhaps best known for their bluegrass interpretations of the Who’s songbook, will make their Grand Ole Opry debut July 1.

TEXAS SONGWRITERS HOF ANNOUNCES CLASS OF 2024: Eric Johnson, Jack Ingram, Jon Randall, Ruthie Foster and Terry McBride will be inducted into the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame on Feb. 24, 2024.

5/12/23

[orange-s-mario]

DC comics cameo

[ruleof3bobby]

I SEE YOU (2019) Grade: C-

Everyone keeps talking about the twist, but once they show the main one early on, the rest are out of left field, make no sense, and make so many of character look like idiots.

[adamwatchesmovies]

I See You (2019)

Do I give credit to I See You for what it did well, or punish it for the mistakes it makes? Tough call. When this film works, you’re overwhelmed with nervousness, fear and questions. In the end, once we know everything there is to know, things don’t add up but you have to credit it for being effective in the moment, which makes it worth seeing but probably not more than once.

A ten-year-old boy is abducted while riding his bike through a park. Clues show numerous similarities between the crime and those of a serial killer captured 15 years ago. Detective Greg Harper (Jon Tenney) is assigned to the case. When numerous unexplainable events begin disturbing his wife, Jackie (Helen Hunt) and teenage son, Connor (Judah Lewis), it’s unclear whether these are linked to the case, the affair Jackie recently broke off, the feelings Connor harbors towards his mother, or something else.

It’s best to go into I See You knowing as little as possible. Though the film only lasts 96 minutes, it feels like so much more. Writer Devon Graye and director Adam Randall have you caught in this bear trap that keeps tightening the more you wriggle. In the background, you see little things. A missing photo or objects that aren’t where they’re supposed to be. Unfortunately, the family is too preoccupied with their drama to recognize what’s happening. Is it already too late? How does this connect with the kidnapping? Your mind is buzzing with theories and you can’t wait for the next clue.

At one point, I See You drops a bombshell. While it dashes away many of your hypotheses, the fear that made the air so thick doesn’t disappear, it merely changes. You thought you were watching one kind of movie, turns out this is something completely different. You're knocked off your feet and not in a way that feels cheap. Everything adds up neatly. You’re shocked no one’s thought of this twist earlier but at the same time, this is the kind of development that feels fresh and new, a 21st-century kind of terror.

After the initial twist, the movie remains good. But then we get another twist… and then another. With each new shocking reveal, I See You makes less sense. Turns out those unexplainable events were caused by two “phroggers”, young adults who've snuck into the Harper’s home and have been living there in secret. Mindy (Life Barer) seems harmless for someone who broke into a household while Alec (Owen Teague) seems increasingly unhinged. If we knew this was a home invasion horror/thriller from the beginning it would've been one thing, but only realizing it midway through? It makes things so much scarier than before.

And then, we get another twist. Turns out Greg… is the serial killer who kidnapped the kid at the beginning! You thought the family was trapped in the house with the phroggers but it’s the other way around. If the intruders get caught, who knows what Greg is capable of? It's not as good a reveal but still effective. Then, ANOTHER twist. Alec knew this from the beginning. In fact, he’s been deliberately tormenting the Harper family as revenge for what Greg did to him 15 years ago and the man in jail was framed!

Will you see these reveals coming? No, but mostly because some of this makes no sense. If Alec knew whose house he was breaking into, why did he bring Mindy? If his objective was to torment Greg, why does he attack Connor? Why spend time tormenting the armed police officer at all when he could’ve easily gotten his revenge on him in the middle of the night and gotten away with it no problem? Has Alec been sitting on the killer’s identity for 15 years? Why didn’t he say anything as a boy? Why not years later when the innocent man was thrown in jail and seeking an appeal? This twist simply raises too many unanswerable questions.

Despite the plot holes, enough about I See You works to make it worth your while. The thing is, you won’t see the flaws while the movie is playing. The tension is too thick, the scares too real. It keeps you guessing. It’ll have you paranoid and even the stuff that doesn’t work makes sense in the movie world. Loopy as it is, this is the first script from Devon Graye and it’s impressive. You’ll want to keep an eye out for his future projects. (June 29, 2020)

[olivierdemangeon]

I SEE YOU (2019) ★★★★☆

I SEE YOU (2019) ★★★★☆