#Really fun ones that are slightly insane in a more modern context (but that I also love) are Pope's (1715) and Richard Whitaker (2012)

[gingermintpepper]

hi, i haven't read the iliad and the odyssey but want to - do u have a specific translation you recommend? the emily wilson one has been going around bc, y'know, first female translator of the iliad and odyssey into english, but i was wondering on if you had Thoughts

Hi anon! Sorry for the somewhat late response and I'm glad you trust me with recommendations! Full, disclosure, I am somewhat of a traditionalist when it comes to translations of the source text of the Iliad + Odyssey combo wombo, which means I tend to prefer closeness in literal verbiage over interpretation of the poetic form of these epics - for that reason, my personal preferred versions of the Odyssey and Iliad both are Robert Fitzgerald's. Because both of these translations (and his Aeneid!) were done some 50+ years ago (63 for his original Odyssey tl, 50 flat for his Iliad and 40 for his Aeneid) the English itself can be a bit difficult to read and the syntax can get confusing in a lot of places, so despite my personal preferences, I wouldn't recommend it for someone who is looking to experience the Iliad + Odyssey for the very first time.

For an absolute beginner, someone who has tried to read one or both of these epics but couldn't get into it or someone who has a lot of difficulty with concentrating on poetry or long, winding bits of prose, I fully and wholeheartedly recommend Wilson's translation! See, the genius of Emily Wilson's Iliad + Odyssey isn't that she's a woman who's translated these classics, it's that she's a poet who's adapted the greek traditional poetic form of dactylic hexameter into the english traditional poetic form of iambic pentameter. That alone goes a very very long way to making these poems feel more digestible and approachable - iambic pentameter is simply extremely comfortable and natural for native english speakers' brains and the general briskness of her verbiage helps a lot in getting through a lot of the problem books that people usually drop the Iliad or Odyssey in like Book 2 of the Iliad or Book 4 of the Odyssey. I think it's a wonderful starting point that allows people to familiarise themselves with the source text before deciding if they want to dig deeper - personally, researching Wilson's translation choices alone is a massive rabbit hole that is worth getting into LOL.

The happy medium between Fitzgerald's somewhat archaic but precise syntax and Wilson's comfortable meter but occasionally less detailled account is Robert Fagles' Iliad + Odyssey. Now, full disclosure, I detest how Fagles handles epithets in both of his versions, I think they're far too subtle which is something he himself has talked at length about in his translation notes, but for everything else - I'd consider his translations the most well rounded of english adaptations of this text in recent memory. They're accurate but written in plain English, they're descriptive and detailled without sacrificing a comfortable meter and, perhaps most importantly, they're very accessible for native english speaking audiences to approach and interact with. I've annotated my Fagles' volumes of these books to heaven and back because I'm deeply interested in a lot of the translation decisions made, but I also have to specifically compliment his ability to capture nuance in the characters' of these poems in a way I don't often see. He managed to adapt the ambivalence of ancient greek morality in a way I scarcely see and that probably has a hand in why I keep coming back to his translations.

Now, I know this wasn't much of a direct recommendation but as I do not know you personally, dear anon, I can't much make a direct recommendation to a version that would best appeal to your style of reading. Ideally, I'd recommend that you read and enjoy all three! But, presuming that you are a normal person, I suggest picking which one is most applicable for you. I hope this helps! 🥰

[amywritesthings]

did i cross the line ?

pairing: armin arlert x f!reader ( attack on titan ) word count: 1K+ warnings: 18+ for overall context; au - modern universe, slight dubcon due to intoxication, alcohol, college party, eren yeager being a shit, implied slow burn friends to lovers, ✨ tension author's note: i was drinking wine and wrote this up in 30 min?

You don't know how you ended up here -- tucked away in a closet of a fraternity house you want no part of, barely finding your breath as trembling hands hold either side of your face like you're something precious; something that can break.

You smell the distinct scent of cheap beer and a mirage of other liquors mixing with your own minty tooth paste. Your head is spinning, but you're sober.

Sometime between getting the panicked text from Armin ( i don't know why i'm getting dragged to this thing ) and seeing Eren's first private Instagram story ( look at @/aarlert getting insane! ) you had packed up your bag and save your friend from total embarrassment.

If this is Eren's doing, then he's been begging to drag Armin to Titan Frat for months now -- some bullshit excuse of wanting to prove that Armin can be fun, but you've always thought Armin was fun.

He's your favorite person; your best friend since the start of university. He's funny. He's compassionate.

He's much too hard on himself, constantly worrying, but you like to think you both cancel out one another's anxieties.

His roommate, Eren Yeager, liked to joke that he was in love with you. You didn't quite believe it -- couldn't, not when you have your own deep-seated crush in the back of your mind.

So somehow between making your way into this chaotic house where people dance, drink, and fuck the way through the hallways like they're on a world-ending marathon, you find him: his yellow-blonde hair is a dead giveaway, wipsy and faded at the nape of his neck. He's holding a red cup looking wildly out of place in this sea of extroverts wearing a faded flannel and band tee. You noticed he left his glasses at home, so you can only imagine how poor his eyesight is.

"Armin!" you shout over the music, and he turns on instinct. His eyes find yours, narrowing then widening. The relief passes like a crashing wave, as if you're the soothing balm to his nerves.

"What -- What are you doing here?" he yelps, abandoning his red cup to a table full of forgotten cups. His hands reach for your face, rendering you speechless.

Armin doesn't even like to bump shoulders, much less touch you. He's staunchly unaffectionate physically with a gift of gab -- he'll tell you how much he adores you, how important you are to him, but he's not the touchy-feely friend.

Still, you're stunned when his fingers run along your cheeks, cupping your face.

"I saw Eren's story," you say over the music, trying to lean closer.

His brows knit. "What?"

"I saw Eren's story!"

"I can't really hear -- hold on!"

Dropping his hands from his face, he quickly searches your sides -- there -- and grabs your hand. Again, the sudden proximity of him is knocking off your axis.

He navigates the hallways like he knows where he's going, cautious to protect you from touching the couples making out against walls, totally oblivious to the world around them. He covers your elbow, your shoulder, as if he's your own personal bubble.

Careful.

Always so goddamn careful with you.

He tugs on a bedroom door. Locked.

Armin groans, before trying another more slender door.

It's a closet, empty and seemingly refurbished. His gentle blue eyes, stormy from consuming liquor, look to you.

"Is this okay?"

"To what, talk in?"

"Yeah," he exhales, his pale cheeks peppered with a pink hue. "Pretty sure all the other rooms are occupied."

Huffing a sigh, you slip into the closet and turn. "Armin, you practically smell like a liquor cabinet."

"I know," he sheepishly confesses, closing the door behind him. He's only slightly taller than you, but not by much. "Eren, he..."

He's pushy, is what you imagine he wants to say.

Constantly badgering poor Armin to conform to things he isn't interested in just so he has a buddy to pledge with for rush season this year.

"Are you okay?" you softly ask, and Armin lets out a tiny huff of a laugh.

"Of course I'm fine," he mumbles. "You're here now."

Even in the small light of this closet you see his eyes widen, realizing he said it out loud. You try not to laugh, lips pursed together to avoid it, but he laughs for you.

"Shit," he exhales. "Okay. I stand by what I said."

"Yeah?"

"God, yeah, are you kidding?" Armin asks with a cute scrunch of his nose. "You make everything a thousand times better."

You lean against the wall, laughing softly with him. "Well, I appreciate that. Are you sure you're okay? On a scale of one to ten--"

"You don't have to take care of me," he reassures, moving closer to him. "You always take care of me. I-- I should be taking care of you."

Blinking twice, you look up at him, but he's busy staring at your lips.

"Min?"

"Uh-huh?"

"What's going on in that empty head of yours?"

"A lot, actually, if you can believe it," he admits. "So... so much, but I can't..."

Armin's always had difficulty verbalizing what he wants. What he's thinking. You've always been so patient, allowing him to unravel the ball of yarn in his head until the red string straightens itself out.

His hands slide up to your face again, as if magnetic. You make the smallest noise of surprise, but it isn't unwanted.

"I kept seeing all of those people," he murmurs, leaning in closer. His breath tickles your face. "Kissing, touching, in the halls of this damn place... all I wanted to do was to text you."

His thumb runs along your cheek like he's craving to know you, memorize you, the way he's memorized every note in your shared classes.

You make no sudden movement, as if the trance will somehow awaken Armin from this new warpath he's carved for himself. "Why didn't you?"

"Because I can't really see the buttons right now," he admits with a tiny, embarrassed laugh. "But you still came for me, like you knew I wanted you."

Oh.

That's a loaded double entendre.

Your eyes round, watching as he leans closer.

"Min?"

He doesn't answer right away.

Instead, Armin drops one of his hands to run a gentle finger up your arm -- it's subtle, the manicured edge of his fingernail running deliciously against your skin.

Like he's afraid to touch.

He's always so afraid.

But so are you.

"The things I wish I could do," he exhales, his nose ever so lightly brushing against yours. "Things I could do -- if you'd let me."

[maydayparkers]

hi! I've probably asked this before and/or you've just answered in general, but as a Flash Thompson fan what are your opinions towards mcu!Flash?

As a fan of comics and Amazing Spiderman flash I feel like the MCU version is just annoying and a little shit (but not in the likeable way) and kinda a really poorly done replacement for Harry Osborn. It sucks 'cause I like Tony Revolori and I really wanted to like mcu!Flash but I just despise him so much.

Short answer: I really like him!! I can't wait to see what they do with him moving forwards as of the glimpses of character we saw in FFH.

Long answer: Below

Frankly I don't think that Flash was in either one of the movies long enough to actively dislike.

MCU spidey characters (the side cast in particular though May and Peter aren't much better lmao) tend to have this problem where we get damn near nothing on them and when we do it's adapted so loosely it's hard to complain about accuracy. They tend to lean more towards giving you the general idea rather than a true to form adaptation (whether that's good or not is up to you).

Jumping off that I think what happened with Flash was a clumsy attempt at adapting what a "modern" bully is (you know the kind of kid that can get what away with all sorts of crap because mommy and daddy are school benefactors), rather than being a poor man's Harry Osborn, but if I'm being honest I'm kind of into the idea of Flash's lashing out being framed as honestly kind of pathetic because, like, it is.

I'll admit that it is also insanely shady to make the scholarship kid originally drafted into the army a rich kid because of how class & abuse are tied into spidey lore and how it's sort of short sighted that the only characters being race-swapped were the canonical abuse victims (Flash, MJ) or literal future supervillains (Ned, arguably Liz) in the original text but that's a convo for another day.

Do I miss the athleticism aspect to Flash's character? Yes, so much, but given the context of the movie he's in I'm actually pretty surprised (and pleasantly so!) as to how much meat we've gotten on his backstory and character development. As far as Tom's spidey cast goes, Flash is surprisingly fleshed out:

He's got shitty absent parents, he's trying his hand at being an influencer and a spidey lover (which is a cute and fun modernization of his dumb spidey fanclub and tracks with him wanting validation from strangers), he's trying to do and be better as of FFH which is a delicious head start for his and Peter's college friendship considering they're in what? Junior, Senior year in NWH?

We haven't even got that much with Ned which is why I really think they've got something cooking up for him if even just slightly more screentime or a reconciliation with Peter.

Also his new shitty dye job is so bad and funny I love it, total "I'm 17" move.

[a-little-slice-of-fandom]

I absolutely love your posts about Mary, there’s so much important information there. If you don’t mind me asking though, why are you so interested in her? This literally isn’t targeted at all but I would have thought that given the English history against Ireland maybe she would hardly be your favourite figure. Again, I’m sorry if this came of rude in any way and feel no pressure to answer

Hello love! You were rude at all and I’m always more than happy to discuss stuff like this!

I just want to set the record straight here: I’m not a fan of any of the historical Tudor monarchs/the English monarchy in general. I even have problems with a lot of Henry’s wives, like Anne Boleyn and the whole Protestant reformation, Catherine Parr being “the queen of Ireland” despite the fact she was not Irish and the fact that Aragon literally owned a slave!However, I still find them interesting as historical figures and I love them as characters in Six the musical! Another example could be Queen Victoria, who literally oversaw genocide of the Irish people during the Great Hunger in the 1840s...and yet I find Victoria and her reign fascinating! It’s probably one of my favourite periods of history, I’ll read anything set in that era and Jenna Coleman’s portrayal of Victoria on ITV lives in my brain rent free.

The Six wives, Mary, Victoria and many more are far from my favourite figures in history. As an Irish person I hate the English monarchy on sheer principle alone! But I’m one of those people who is very interested in historical figures and their lives, while also being totally aware of the fact that they did terrible things and I would always encourage others to be aware of that. I’m not a fan of any of the English monarchs, but I can concede that they’re interesting to learn about.

As for Mary specifically, there’s a lot of reasons why I’m interested in her. While she was by no means good to Ireland or the Irish, I think she’s the least bad out of all the Tudors, at in relation to Ireland. For example, she didn’t cause religious tensions that still pose a problem today. The person Irish people dislike more is probably Elizabeth 1st, possibly followed by James 1st as they’re responsible for the plantation of Ulster. For context: Ulster is the northern-most province of Ireland and consists of 9 counties. Ulster had always been the most rebellious place in Ireland and really resisted English rule. To stop this, Elizabeth in the 1570’s allowed plantations, where loyal English and Scottish Protestants would settle in Ulster, while the native Catholic Irish were forced off their land and if this sounds familiar it’s because Americans pretty much did the same thing to the native Americans! The plantation of Ulster was successful in England’s eyes, as Ulster was brought under England’s control because of the Protestant settlers...but the effects were incredibly long lasting. 6 out of the 9 counties in Ireland now form Northern Ireland, which is still part of the UK today and over the years there’s been considerable ethnic and sectarian tension between the British Protestants and Irish catholics, which resulted in the troubles which killed thousands of people. So it slightly annoys me when ELEPHANT while completely ignoring the effect that other monarchs had on the wider world.

(Also friendly reminder that Elizabeth is associated with the colonisation of America...because that went so well for everyone involved!)

Another reason why I really find Mary interesting is actually more to do with how she’s viewed by society. I find it fascinating how she’s become a legendary figure within society to the point where she’s literally a folk tale (Bloody Mary) despite the fact that she was really no more “bloody” than any other monarch at the time or even in her family!

I find it so interesting how propaganda essentially warped Mary into this demon and, like I said, I think it’s interesting how she was retroactively made to seem so much worse in order to make other monarchs look better and to justify the wider treatment and discrimination of Catholics in England after her reign. Its especially interesting to me that she was well liked during her reign and she actually did quite a lot of objectively good things as well! Yet we don’t hear about these things in the same way we hear about the good things Elizabeth did.

Now I do want to clarify that I don’t think we should just excuse Mary for burning people at the stake. That’s horrific and the fact that it was ever deemed okay for someone to order that is insane! Mary killed 300 people and that was wrong. I am not saying Mary is a Saint. However, I don’t think it’s fair for people to hold Mary to one standard and then Elizabeth to another. I also think we need to look at historical context as a whole to further understand what was going on at the time. There’s a difference between murder and historical execution, however petty or small that distinction may seem to us viewing the situation from a modern perspective (which again feeds into historical context). History is far from black and white and I think a lot of people are just happy enough to take things as very face value when it’s never that simple in history.

Anyway, this was a really fun ask to answer! Thank you so much for the question my love ❤️

[astro-break]

Thoughts on the 12th ep of Hypmic Rhyme Anima. Spoilers beware

Ep.1 | Ep.2 | Ep.3 | Ep.4 & 5 | Ep. 6 | Ep. 7 | Ep. 8 | Ep. 9 | Ep. 10 | Ep. 11

I am the definition of Fear.jpg rn please help

MTR are so cute, just celebrating their win. Look at how happy they are!

... Oh well thats new. I like how Ichijauku has a tiny bit more agency in throwing out ideas (it really shows how close her and otome trust each other) but it also completely retcons a part of hypmic lore that was established with the Drama tracks. If you’ve heard “” then you know what I’m talking about

SMILING DOPPO HOLY SHIT DOPPO

ahaha doppo i love you so much youre so adorable you deserve to be happy

MTR as a family is just soo good. Both as familial or 

Hmm.... yes Samatoki has the right to be angry but that flattens him to a good for nothing thinks first asks questions later type of thug which is absolutely not what his character is. Especially with how the anime portrays him, it seems like there's only one emotion that he feels at any moment and that is anger. Which, fair he is an angry boy, but thats just one facet of his character. He’s also logical and not that sore of a loser, seeing that he still has room to grow (if you want an anime example, refer to the previous episode where he genuinely wonders what he could have done to treat Nemu better)

I think my biggest gripe with the adaptation is the flattening of all the characters TBH. I only really see it in Samatoki since I understand his character the most but I also see hints of it with Rio, Hifumi, and Gentaro. Most of the characters are just flattened into 2D tropes and made to act those tropes out. Which, y’know is the basis of each character but the series has built upon each character so well that its kinda jarring seeing them all so flat

I’m not sayin that I hate what the Anime has done with MTC but I hate what the anime has done with MTC

I expected a “Brocon” “Siscon” fight not this. What the fuck

☆ミ＋。゜H A C K I N G ゜。＋ミ☆

ahaha Ichiro you’re too trusting and pure for your own good

Okay why does all the animation budget go to making Samatoki look hot as fuck?

Ahaha they really do get along like cats and dogs. Jyuto being the voice of reason is kinda weird tho but oh well I can live with it

Tom saying “hai warat~e!” is so cute wtf?????? Lemme pet your head please

GENTARO PICKING UP HIS HAKAMA TO RUN IS ADOARBLE HELP ME

Im getting second hand embarrassment from Ramuda lmao

Slightly suspicious about how these group of reporters know the underground layout of Chuuoku so well

Oh well see I was right to be suspicious

That Unit name is really funny considering the whole Galatic Federation thing ahahaha

Oh that english! that was super clean and enunciated really well

Good intentions, bad execution. His reasoning is a bit flawed but its at least sound

hmmm usually I’d be happy about Doppo giving Hifumi his jacket but in this context not so much. See, Doppo gave it to Hifumi mostly because they had to fight, not because there were woman (which let me remind you Hifumi is deathly afraid of and the jacket acts as a wall between him and his gynophobia)

...... uh Interesting choices of microphones for Secret Aliens. Tom’s is a recording studio mic which makes some??? but not much sense. like Tom is a street photographer, not a radio host. Iris’s mic is.... I’m sorry what is that? Some sort of keyboard and.... something. idk what it is on her finger. And T. Rex just ripped out a purple dinosaur spine, stuck a mic onto the neck and called it a day. Nice

At least their speakers are somewhat better. Iris has Iris plants which. hilarious, but also very modern looking and sleek fitting of her more tech savvy nature as a hacker Theres also phone cameras which makes sense but the butterfly imagery which is present .... Fear.jpg. Rex again just went with a T. Rex Speaker which. Thank you rex for being very predictable, we love you so much. That soundwave looks like DNA too which is cool as hell. Tom.... Idk man Tom are you okay? What exactly is your speaker? are they those aperture umbrella things that photographers use? Im so confused, photographers in the fandom please help

YOOOOOOOOO THAT RAP THOUGH IRIS SOUNDS SO PRETTY?!?!?!? Can she please sing me to sleep? its so smooth and rolling. If I had to describe it, I would say that its the type of voice that I would hope would sing the ballads that I compose, the voice of a mother who still holds on to something after loosing everything she has fought for. 

Too bad Iris doesn’t get a verse to Rap in but holy shit what? Secret Aliens just might become one of my fave divisions based off song alone

Ah theres the cancellers. Thats fun, nice to see that there isn’t an adaptation induced plot hole in this One instance. Lets see if they can patch up the other plot holes created because the anime and source material went into different places

Dice, bad. no cheating. Bad dice

Ahaha there the flash bomb. That high pitch wailing was awful though. please never do that again

Hah, typical Ichijaku. We love it

Oh look at them. Working together. How cute. I really like Rio and Saburo interactions mostly because theres so much potential

Oh noooo i worry for FP

That growl from Ichijaku though. That did things to my heart oh my god

Aww I do like that enthusiasm from Ramuda. I do hope that things turn out at least somewhat okay for him. He’ll probably suffer 

Wait why is Saburo’s left eye purple? Is it the lighting or something else? I hope its just the lighting bc if anything happens to Saburo i will be very very sad (I rewatched the episode and Saburo’s eye is blue all the way up till he gets hit by Secret Alien’s attack. Even in a brightly lit area, it looks purple... i hope it isn’t forshadowing but then again Saburo’s eye has always been a darker shade of blue so it could just be the yellowish lighting since Ichiro’s red eye looks fuchsia)

Ichijaku with an angry face is kinda hot ahaha. Her deep rolling voice of anger just. Ugh very very good. Major props to her VA for pulling it off

IM FUCKING SORRY WHAT

YOU CAN”T LEAVE US ON THAT CLIFF HANGER?!

WHAT THE FUCK

IM GOING TO GO INSANE

THAT WASN’T EVEN SATISFYING?!?!?!

WHAT THE FUCK

KING RECORDS E X P L A I N

I DEMAND AN EXPLANATION

oh there’s a 13th ep

well thank fuck for a 13th ep bc if they ended the season like that i think id actually cry lol

Ugh so I guess that next week will be the last episode. I was so prepared for today to be the last episode but its kinda surprising that they have 13, slightly different from the normal season

[chorusfm]

The Top Albums of 2018 (So Far)

I think I say this every year but fuck it – the music 2018 has blessed us with in its first six months has been extraordinary. With all the insane shit happening around us and to us in this day and age, it feels like music is the only sane thing we have. So below we have our top 20 favorite releases of the year thus far. If you can’t find something to love on this list then you just aren’t trying hard enough – this is an eclectic list that encompasses multiple genres and styles. I can’t wait to see what the next six months brings to our ears. Note: You can share your own list in our music forum. The Top Albums of 2018 (So Far) 1. Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers Brian Fallon came up in the New Jersey punk scene writing nostalgic rock songs about ferris wheels and that old house in Asbury Park and sleeping on the beach. He did it all so damn well that his band, The Gaslight Anthem, famously earned the Springsteen seal of approval. Fallon is a Jersey boy through and through, which makes the idea of his new departure of a solo record—an organ-led, British-invasion-influenced solo record recorded in New Orleans—so fascinating. That he completely pulled it off, continuing his incredible hot streak of albums that began with 2008’s The ’59 Sound, proves that Brian Fallon is among America’s greatest living songwriters. Following his solo debut, 2016’s great if slightly by-the-numbers Painkillers, Sleepwalkers feels far more confident and mature, as Brian Fallon stretches his skillset into a dozen interesting new territories. The NOLA flavor shows up when Fallon experiments with sultry new rhythms in “Come Wander With Me” and the horn-driven title track. “Forget Me Not” references the Beatles in the bridge to signal to listeners that, yes, this is a ‘60s pop song. There is a sizable dose of Pearl Jam in the grungy guitar tones on “My Name Is The Night (Color Me Black),” and there is just enough Barry Manilow flavor in stadium-sized ballad “Etta James,” which sounds like if “Mandy” were performed by a guy with neck tattoos. Still, despite the rampant experimentation, Sleepwalkers is as cohesive a record as we’ve come to expect from Fallon over the past decade, making it one of the most exciting moments in his impressive discography and one of 2018’s most well-crafted records. [JB] 2. The Wonder Years – Sister Cities “I feel like if you’ve been following The Wonder Years, this is where it’s been going,” frontman Dan Campbell states in the teaser trailer for Sister Cities, and he’s spot on. This is the band’s most dynamic album yet, which says a lot considering how much the band has grown with every release. “Raining in Kyoto”, one of the heavier songs the band has written, introduces the central theme of the record, which is that no matter how far apart we may be physically, we’re all connected by our shared humanity: “an older man stood close by and smiled at me / I rung the bell like he did, I told you I’m sorry / a makeshift funeral, I tried setting you free.” On the other side of the world during his grandfather’s funeral, Campbell found solace in a place that didn’t share a spoken language, but a language of grief and love. The album’s closer, “The Ocean Grew Hands to Hold Me,” is The Wonder Years at their most vulnerable: “when I was in shambles / when I got too weak / the ocean grew hands to hold me.” The song, and the album as a whole, is about darkness and loss, but it’s also triumphant. It’s about realizing that our individual struggles are our collective struggles. At our lowest points, our humanity—the ocean—lifts us up and carries us home. [SS] 3. Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour While Kacy Musgraves is a country artist, it’s hard to characterize Golden Hour as a strictly country album. She’s been bending the genre since her release of Same Trailer Different Park in 2013. Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me what genre Golden Hour is placed into because it’s just a good album. Some song on the record (“Slow Burn,” namely) require warming up to them before you can enjoy them in the full context of the album, but I didn’t mind giving this a few spins before it sank in. “High Horse” is a catchy tune and it’s not the only one on the record. With each song, you get the sense that Kacey just wants to do her own thing without focusing on what it’s going to be labeled as. Her personality shines through and that’s what makes this album a fun one to listen to. [DC] 4. Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz Spanish Love Songs are a band that play a particular brand of denim-jacket-punk that feels informed in equal parts by Against Me!…As The Eternal Cowboy and “The Authority Song” by John Mellancamp. Many of their songs contain lyrics where lead vocalist Dylan Slocum fears out loud that he will be killed in an act of random gun violence. This is to say that Spanish Love Songs are an American rock band. Schmaltz is greater than the sum of its parts. At first take, Spanish Love Songs sound a lot like The Menzingers, but that comparison is far too simple to leave unexamined. Compared to the Americana-influenced punk bands that preceded them, Spanish Love Songs’ choruses are more immediate with a notable to well-crafted vocal melodies and the inclusion of synthesizers to punch up the pop elements. The vocals are more frantic and anxious, as Slocum agonizes about the intersection of the aging process, the death of loved ones, and the definite timeline of his own life. Sure, the music Spanish Love Songs make may sound familiar, but the band have nailed the execution to the extent that Schmaltz is handily one of 2018’s most exciting releases from a new band. [JB] 5. Now, Now – Saved Every once in a while the perfect album seems to come along at the perfect time for me. I hear it, it just clicks, and it becomes not only my soundtrack for a few weeks, but my soundtrack for the year. Right now, that’s been the newest album from Now, Now. I find myself returning to Saved when I’m looking for a pick-me-up, when I’m looking to get into my feels on a late night, and when I’m just trying to zone out after a long day at work. The kind of album that just feels perfectly made for where I’m at and what I’m looking for from a record right now. I’m a sucker for pop-music that retains a strong emotional resonance. For music that is full of huge choruses and melodies while maintaining an emotional core. By and large, I think that’s the thread that’s followed me through my entire musical journey. It’s what really draws me to music in the first place. As we reflect on the albums that have made the first part of the year so special for us, I think about what’s going to stay with me through the rest of the year as well. I’ll be playing “SGL” while the sun’s out all summer, listening to “Knowme” as the leafs start to change colors, and have “P0WDER” on repeat in my headphones by the fire this winter. It’s an album for all seasons, for all moods, and it’s been my runaway favorite of the year so far. [JT] 6. Pianos Become The Teeth – Wait For Love After spending the last three Pianos Become The Teeth records recounting the life, love, pain, and loss of his father from multiple sclerosis, the band’s latest album Wait For Love features frontman Kyle Durfey exploring his own fatherhood, as he got married and had a child after finding some sort of closure on 2014’s Keep You. Wait For Love isn’t a happy record nor a sad record – it’s a realistic one that beautifully and painfully captures all the intoxicating highs and devastating lows of being a husband and father. The record is as emotionally complex as you’d expect from a Pianos record, but Durfey’s melodies have never been more powerful, surrounded by the band’s increased gracefulness in their musicianship and enhanced by David Haik’s pulsating and brilliant drumming. From the initial euphoric wave of “Fake Lighting” to the gorgeously intense closer “Blue,” Wait For Love is bursting with some of 2018’s most heartfelt, vulnerable tracks as Pianos Become The Teeth earnestly march into the next exhilarating phase of their career. (DB) 7. Pusha T – DAYTONA It’s been a long season for hip-hop, filled with new releases and controversy in equal measure. While many have taken Kanye West to task for his inane infatuation with Trump and a number of right-wing pundits, there was a certain curiousness ascribed to the announcement of his ambitious Wyoming Sessions. West set out to release five G.O.O.D Music albums within a month, and while ye may be polarizing enough to finally keep some listeners from buying into the producer’s schtick, the first release of these sessions, Pusha T’s DAYTONA, may be the best of the bunch. DAYTONA is as close as it gets to an instant classic, and the publicity surrounding the release, for better or worse, fuels that fact. In some ways, DAYTONA is exactly what we’ve come to expect from Pusha T – that is, luxury drug raps – but in another way, the album pushes new boundaries for the rapper. From the melodicism of opening single “If You Know You Know” to the stunning guitar samples on “The Games We Play” and “Santeria,” King Push manages to mix more braggadocio and quotables in just seven tracks than most rappers are capable of in an hour-plus. [AM] 8. Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog There is no voice in modern rock and roll as unique and indescribable as Hop Along’s Frances Quinlan. A constant see-saw between something beautiful and ugly, she undertakes a variety of different approaches, as if her voice is assuming a different character each time. And it’s so very apparent on the band’s incredible third album, Bark Your Head Off, Dog – a record that encapsulates a catharsis in the most imperfect yet perfect ways. Tracks like “How You Got Your Limp” and “Not Abel” prove that you don’t need to be abrasive to be impactful, each song channeling the tender yet spastic density of the band’s music. Bark Your Head Off, Dog may be the most visceral record of 2018, innately sticking with you long after the final track has finished playing. [DB] 9. Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer Josh Tillman is one of the most divisive voices in indie-rock, for reasons that are clear, but also somewhat silly. It seems many can’t stand the performer’s growing penchant for satire and theatrics, and if that’s the case, many will rejoice upon hearing his shortest and least ironic offering under the moniker yet. Taking sonic cues from his entire discography, God’s Favorite Customer is a piano record, a comparatively minimalist affair that often bursts into lavish compositions that would make a Beatle blush. Rooted in heartbreak and isolation, Gods Favorite Customer offers the unique songwriting chops fans have come to love as well as an unbridled and often bleak look at this particular songwriter’s process. An album of pleas, Tillman chastises himself on “Just Dumb Enough to Try” (“But I’m just dumb enough to try/To keep you in my life/For a little while longer”), but also switches places with his partner on standouts “Please Don’t Die” (“And honey, I’m worried ’bout you/Put yourself in my shoes/You’re all that I have/So please don’t die, wherever you are tonight”) and “The Songwriter.” Saving its least performative bits for the B-side, God’s Favorite Customer is the unfortunately common high point of an artist’s career mirroring a low point in their personal life. [AM] 10. Jeff Rosenstock – POST- If Jeff Rosenstock’s We Cool? is about the internally-directed disquiet that comes when an anxious person starts noticing the aging process, and if WORRY. is about the externally-directed disquiet that comes when an anxious person decides to get married and settle down in a troubled political climate, POST- is about that same anxious person trying their absolute hardest to keep it together in the era of Donald Trump. While POST- doesn’t shake up the WORRY. sound all that much (discounting some experimentation with longer song structures in the opening and closing tracks), Rosenstock has clearly gone through significant changes since Inauguration Day. Specifically, he’s writing from a much lower place. While Jeff postured himself as the flag-bearer in the movement against all that is fucked up in the world on WORRY., POST- finds the singer full of anxiety and paranoia with nothing but questions to offer. Did my friends and neighbors vote for him? How can I speak out against this? Is there really any point in doing so? Can I start a new life in Australia or something? And while “Let Them Win” doesn’t begin to start answering these questions, it does present the only possible conclusion, the only mantra that feels within reach: no matter how bad things get, we’re not gonna let them win. [JB] 11. Fall Out Boy – MANIA If you could put me in a time machine that looks like a DeLorean and shoot me back to the release of Fall Out Boy’s Take This To Your Grave, and let me tell myself that in 15 years the band would still be going strong, and, in fact, may have just released their best album? I’d probably believe time-traveling-Jason. I’ve always believed that this band is special and it’s thrilling for me to watch their career unfold. The constant has been the band’s ability to write very good songs. They’ve walked through a variety of different genres and branched out their sound, but I’d argue that the the underlying “Fall Out Boy-ness” has always remained. (Uh, ditto for people arguing about them on my forums.) MANIA has quickly grown to be one of my favorite Fall Out Boy albums. I’m drawn to this brash confidence I can feel in the songs. It’s got a pulsing soul that reverberates through a razor-tight 36 minutes. Between foot-stomping choruses and soul-baring ballads, it’s the amount of pure fun that I find in the album I’m drawn most to. In a world that feels more hellish each day, there’s a comfort to this record. I’m not surprised this band is still cranking out great songs all these years later, but I’m always pleasantly surprised when I not only find something to like, but something I genuinely want to listen to. Well done you little pleasing purple record you. [JT] 12. Lord Huron – Vide Noir Lord Huron, the indie rock group from Los Angeles, have had quite a few years to grow into their trademark sound of atmospheric landscapes and wandering journeys. Vide Noir, the third studio album and their first on a major label, was mixed by Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, The Flaming Lips) and self-produced by front-man Ben Schneider, in which he has crafted his early career masterpiece. Schneider recently credited this album to a new habit of taking nighttime drives around LA and the “search for meaning amidst the cold indifference of the universe,” according to his recent social media posts. This album in particular speaks to the late night journeys that Schneider had become accustomed to and takes the listener on a rewarding path of self discovery. Lord Huron are at their most comfortable when they experiment with these sonic landscapes and there’s plenty of this apparent on this LP. [AG] 13. Caitlyn Smith – Starfire Some artists just have those voices that you can’t deny. You might not usually listen to the genre they hail from, and you might not even love the songs, but you can hear them sing and understand why people love their music. Adele is one of those artists. Chris Stapleton is one of those artists. Jeff Buckley, when he was alive, was one of those artists. And Caitlyn Smith is one of those artists, too. For my money, Smith’s debut, titled Starfire, is one of the two or three most well-sung LPs of the decade so far. I’m guessing that one listen to the theatrical tour-de-force “East Side Restaurant” will be enough to tell you why. While Smith’s voice is the centerpiece, though, Starfire is what it is because of the songwriting. Smith has been waiting for this moment for a long time, releasing a series of EPs and writing songs for everyone from Garth Brooks to Dolly Parton to Meghan Trainor and John Legend. Starfire encapsulates that long-haul story into a record about chasing a dream until it breaks your heart—and then chasing it even harder. Songs like “Don’t Give up on My Love” and “This Town Is Killing Me” ache with the sting of everything you sacrifice when you gamble your life on a fool’s hope of music industry success. “They buried my granddad without me/’Cause I was out on the road at some one-off show in Tupelo/And I can’t take that one back,” Smith sings in the latter. Starfire is an album built on a lot of miles, a lot of lonely nights in shitty motel rooms, and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. You can hear every ounce of what the journey cost in the songs, so when Smith belts something like the rafter-shaking key change at the climax of “Tacoma,” it feels like nothing less than a triumph of the human spirit. [CM] 14. Camp Cope – How To Socialise and Make Friends There’s a renaissance of primal, emotionally-charged punk rock coming out of Melbourne, Australia right now (roo-rock?) and the all-female Camp Cope is leading the charge. Lead singer Georgia Maq started as a solo artist, but added Kelso Hellmrich and Sarah Thompson to great effect on their second studio album, How to Socialize & Make Friends, a loose reference to the classic Dan Carnegie self-help book published in the 30’s. Maq is equal parts sincere, sarcastic, bitter, and brazen singing about gender politics (“And all my success has got nothing to do with me/Yeah, tell me again how there just aren’t that many girls in the music scene”) and just surviving in a world not built for sensitive people (“But sometimes it’s hard to go outside/And I’ve been driving way too much/I’ve been too lazy to fix my bike”). Her beautiful banshee scream is reminiscent of Hop Along’s Frances Quinlan’s, but nothing about Camp Cope is purely derivative. Now in their prime as a band, they have created a place for themselves all their own. [DK] 15. Underoath – Erase Me The first time I heard “rase Me, I was let down—but somehow totally vibing with album standout “No Frame.” And then I listened again. And again. The songs started wiggling their way into my head. And then I listened again. The next thing I knew, I was belting every song for weeks on end. I’d trusted Underoath for fifteen years, and they delivered again, despite my initial reaction. Listening to an album “freed from religion” was listening to the catharsis of a man not afraid to address God from a place of vulnerability and honesty unafraid of how he was perceived in the asking, conquering the addiction demons of his past, and coming to a new sense of identity—all while exploring new avenues of sound for the band. Some defined these new sounds as selling out—and while I would’ve preferred more “Hold Your Breath”-type songs to “Rapture”-type songs—I’m all for bands writing what they want to write. This will never be remembered as their greatest album, but with enough time, it becomes an intensely personal album if you let it. The soaring chorus of “In Motion” or the absolutely crushing bridge of “ihateit” spoke directly to my life experiences. Spencer sang words echoing the thoughts I’ve kept on scraps of paper only I see. When I come to music, I just like to be seen. Thirteen years after “Young and Aspiring” changed my life, Underoath still makes music that sees me. And I still see them. I’m so happy for the continued success and happiness they’ve found along the way. Erase Me is an album about the journey, and I’m already excited for what the destination of a next album promises. [GL] 16. Soccer Mommy – Clean Perhaps no other artist understands coming of age in the 2010s the way Soccer Mommy’s Sophie Allison does. Her first proper full-length, Clean, displays her knack for chronicling the uncertainties of young love, feeling misunderstood, and avoiding one’s parents in a way that feels far more mature than the subject matter would suggest. Take “Flaw”’s honest retelling of a relationship gone sour, culminating in the self-aware line: “I choose to blame it all on you, ‘cause I don’t like the truth.” Or listen to the rollicking, defiant single “Your Dog,” a screed against a controlling boyfriend that turns into a positive affirmation of her autonomy. It’ll be exciting to watch Allison grow, but for now, Clean is a hell of a first step. [ZD] 17. Animal Flag – Void Ripper Animal Flag’s latest full-length, Void Ripper, is aptly named. It’s the band’s darkest and heaviest release yet, and the music is every bit as crushing and apocalyptic as Matt Politoski’s lyrics behind it – lyrics like, “everyone I know will die” and “life is short, it always ends.” While Politoski’s lyrics are admittedly depressing, they’re also his most personal and thought-provoking yet. He and the rest of Animal Flag have torn through the void, and what they discovered on the other side was something beautiful. [ZD] 18. Frank Turner – Be More Kind Frank Turner is an Englishman, dutifully touring his way around the world and then back again, racking up a whopping 2,202 shows under his belt. So if anyone knows what might help our country right now, it’s probably the very world-weary Frank Turner. On Be More Kind he prescribes one part decency (“Be more kind, my friends/Try to be more kind”) , one part rage (“Let’s make America great again/By making racists ashamed again.”), and one part persistence (“Put on your brave face, honey, your brave face/It’s funny how fear can bring your focus in tight”). It’s a winning formula and the subject matter forces Turner to slow down in way he’s never done before. He leans in hard on the end-of-the-world theme with titles like “21st Century Survival Blues” and “Making America Great Again,” but mostly gone are the fast guitars and punk power chords, replaced instead with sensitive acoustic strumming and even, on standout track “Blackout”, a clubby dance beat. Turner crafts a surprisingly mellow, insightful album, one that feels, more than ever, like one he’s been wanting to make. And if takes an Englishman with four chords to save our country, well, we’ll take it any way we can get it. [DK] 19. The Republic of Wolves – Shrine After my first listen of Shrine I knew that this was a very special record. On their 3rd LP The Republic of Wolves return to their roots. This record delivers an album full of dynamic dark alt rock songs that are sure to fill a void for some. Lyrically, Shrine is a concept album that centers around Japanese folklore while still touching on relatable themes such as heartbreak (Birdless Cage) and spiritual conflict (Bask) . One of the album’s highlights is the centerpiece “Dialogues,” which takes the listener through a musical journey of both loud and soft dynamics, while also containing a call back a track on the bands first LP “Monologues.” The production on shrine is fantastic and contains some of the best guitar tones I’ve heard this year. This record delivers on many layers and is a must listen for fans of dynamic alternative rock. [Teebs41] 20. Turnstile – Time & Space If you’re looking for 2018’s most wild ride look no further than Turnstile’s Roadrunner Records debut, Time & Space. Blending the perfect mix of shout-along choruses, super groovy musicianship, and just the right amount of heavy to get the pit moving (thanks to Will Yip’s crisp production), the Baltimore quintet is the most exciting and unique band to emerge from the hardcore scene in years. “Generator” flows like an out-of-body experience, elevating above any and all distractions, while the fuzzy crunch of “Moon” features a guest turn from Sheer Mag’s Tina Halladay and the blistering “Right To Be” features added production from none other than Diplo. Clocking in with 13 tracks at just under a half hour, Time & Space proves that the tired ideas of what hardcore should be will not stop Turnstile from getting freaky and releasing one of the best albums of the year. [DB] Contributor Key * [CM]: Craig Manning * [JT]: Jason Tate * [AM]: Aaron Mook * [SS]: Scott Surette * [ZD]: Zac Djamoos * [DC]: Deanna Chapman * [DB]: Drew Beringer * [AG]: Adam Grundy * [GL]: Garrett Lemons * [JB]: John Bazley * [DK]: David Kallison Contributor Lists Jason Tate * Now, Now – Saved * Fickle Friends – You Are Someone Else * Fall Out Boy – Mania * Half Waif – Lavender * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Dessa – Chime * The Neighbourhood – The Neighbourhood * Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour * Natalie Prass – The Future and the Past * Pennywise – Never Gonna Die * Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer * Soccer Mommy – Clean * Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz * Nathan Gray – Feral Hymns * Illuminati Hotties – Kiss Yr Frenemies * The Republic of Wolves – Shrine * Lykke Li – So Sad So Sexy * The Longshot – Love is For Losers * Annie-Marie – Speak Your Mind * Tonight Alive – Underworld Drew Beringer * Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer * The Wonder Years – Sister Cities * Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog * Turnstile – Time & Space * Petal – Magic Gone * Self Defense Family – Have You Considered Punk Music * Beach House – 7 * Pianos Become The Teeth – Wait For Love * Sleep – The Sciences * Tiny Moving Parts – Swell * Jeff Rosenstock – POST- * Culture Abuse – Bay Dream * Rolling Blackouts C.F. – Hope Downs * Dance Gavin Dance – Artificial Selection * Wax Idols – Happy Ending * Now, Now – Saved * Hurry – Every Little Thought * Drowse – Cold Air * Wye Oak – The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs * Anthony Green – Would You Still Be In Love Adam Grundy * Lord Huron – Vide Noir * Middle Kids – Lost Friends * The Aces – When my heart felt volcanic * CHVRCHES – Love is Dead * The Neighbourhood – S/T * Moon Taxi – Let the record play * Car Seat Headrest- Twin Fantasy * Kendrick Lamar/VA – Black panther soundtrack * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Senses Fail – If there is light… * Dashboard Confessional – Crooked Shadows * Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night sweats – Tearing at the Seams * Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino * The Voidz – Virtue * Underoath – Erase Me * Superorganism – S/T * Ben Howard – Noonday Dream * Pennywise – Never Gonna Die * Father John misty – Gods favorite customer * The Longshot – Love is for Losers Craig Manning * Caitlyn Smith – Starfire * Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour * Tenille Townes – The Living Room Worktapes * Dawes – Passwords * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Donovan Woods – Both Ways * Field Report – Summertime Songs * Brothers Osborne – Port Saint Joe * Steve Moakler – Born Ready * Dierks Bentley – The Mountain * LANCO – Hallelujah Nights * Ashley Monroe – Sparrow * Brandi Carlile – By the Way, I Forgive You * Courtney Marie Andrews – May Your Kindness Remain * Parker Millsap – Other Arrangements * The Dangerous Summer – The Dangerous Summer * The Church Sisters – A Night at the Opry * Snow Patrol – Wildness * Ashley McBryde – Girl Going Nowhere * American Aquarium – Things Change Scott Surette * the wonder years — sister cities * the republic of wolves — shrine * pusha t — daytona * dance gavin dance — artificial selection * hop along — bark your head off, dog * jeff rosenstock — post- * pianos become the teeth — wait for love * turnstile — time and space * cardi b — invasion of privacy * soccer mommy — clean * jpegmafia — veteran * tiny moving parts — swell * the dangerous summer — the dangerous summer * senses fail — if there is a light, it will find you * pennywise — never gonna die Deanna Chapman * Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour * Hidden Hospitals – Liars * Marian Hill – Unusual * Caitlyn Smith – Starfire * Brothers Osborne – Port Saint Joe * The XCERTS – Hold On To Your Heart * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Hurry – Every Little Thought * Elder Brother – Stay Inside * The Longshot – Love Is for Lovers Zac Djamoos * Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz * The Wonder Years – Sister Cities * Soccer Mommy – Clean * Animal Flag – Void Ripper * Camp Cope – How to Socialise and Make Friends * Long Neck – Will This Do * awakebutstillinbed – what people call low self-esteem… * Pianos Become the Teeth – Wait for Love * illuminati Hotties – Kiss Yr Frenemies 1 * Mighty – Mighty * The Republic of Wolves – shrine * No Thank You – All It Takes to Ruin It All * Black Foxxes – Reidi 14. Runaway Brother – New Pocket * Speak Low If You Speak Love – Nearsighted * Jeff Rosenstock – Post- * Toy Cars – Paint Brain * Late Bloomer – Waiting * Barely Civil – We Can Live Here Forever * Casey – Where I Go When I Am Sleeping Aaron Mook * Caroline Rose – LONER * Porches – The House * Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer * The Sidekicks – Happiness Hours * Pusha T – DAYTONA * Beach House – 7 * American Pleasure Club – A Whole Fucking Lifetime of This * Donovan Wolfington – Waves * Kraus – Path * Mount Eerie – Now Only Chrisanne Grise * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Franz Ferdinand – Always Ascending * Lord Huron – Vide Noir * Florence and the Machine – High as Hope * Leon Bridges – Good Thing * David Byrne – American Utopia * Father John Misty – God’s Favorite Customer * Frank Turner – Be More Kind * The Longshot – Love is for Losers * Kate Nash – Yesterday Was Forever David Kallison * Camp Cope – How to Socialize and Make Friends * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz * Sorority Noise – YNAAT * Frank Turner – Be More Kind * Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog * illuminati hotties – Kiss Yr Frenemies * Coach Phillips – Learning How To Swim EP * Pelafina – Sorry In Advance * Wonder Years – Sister Cities * Tiny Little Houses – Idiot Proverbs * The Penske File – Salvation * Childish Gambino – “This is America” single * Juice WRLD – Goodbye and Good Riddance * Pllush – Stranger to the Pain * Nahan Gray – Feral Hymns * Animal Flag – Void Ripper John Bazley * Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz * The Wonder Years – Sister Cities * Staten – I don’t want to be alone anymore * Now, Now – Saved * Pusha T – Daytona * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Kevin Gates – Chained to the City EP * Kississippi – Sunset Blush * Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer * Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog * The HIRS Collective – Friends. Lovers. Favorites. * Jeff Rosenstock – POST- * A Will Away – Hear Again EP * J Cole – KOD * Saba – Care For Me * Tiny Moving Parts – Swell * Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel * Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy * Animal Flag – Void Ripper * Zaytoven – Trap Holizay Garrett Lemons * Underoath – Erase Me * The Wonder Years – Sister Cities * Beyonce & Jay-Z — Love Is Everything * Jeff Rosenstock – POST- * The Weeknd – My Dear Melancholy * Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy * Frank Turner – Be More Kind * Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes * Dashboard Confessional – Crooked Shadows * Pianos Become The Teeth – Wait For Love * The Dangerous Summer – The Dangerous Summer * Senses Fail – If There Is A Light… * The Republic of Wolves – Shrine * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour * Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer * Migos – Culture II * Now, Now – Saved * Justin Timberlake – Man of the Woods * Pusha T – Daytona Ryan Gardner * The Wonder Years – Sister Cities * Spanish Love Songs – Schmaltz * Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour * Pianos Become The Teeth – Wait For Love * Now, Now – Saved * The Sidekicks – Happiness Hours * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * The Dangerous Summer – The Dangerous Summer * Underoath – Erase Me * Turnstile – Time & Space * Soccer Mommy – Clean * Harms Way – Posthuman Tommy Monroe * Pusha T – Daytona * Anne-Marie – Speak Your Mind * Charlie Puth – Voicenotes * Cozz – Effected * First Aid Kit – Ruins * Vance Joy – Nation Of Two * Princess Nokia – A Girl Cried Red * Fall Out Boy – Mania * Camila Cabello – CAMILA * Jay Rock – Redemption * Beyoncé & Jay-Z – Everything Is Love * Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer * Cardi B – Invasion Of Privacy * Royce da 5’9 – Book Of Ryan * Migos – culture 2 * J. Cole – KOD * The Dangerous Summer – The Dangerous Summer * Julie Bergan – Turn On The Lights * Kids See Ghosts – KIDS SEE GHOSTS * Kanye West – Ye Aj LaGambina * Now, Now – Saved * Pianos Become The Teeth – Wait for Love * Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour * Animal Flag – Void Ripper * Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off, Dog * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Jeff Rosenstock – Post- * Tiny Moving Parts – Swell * Fall Out Boy – Mania * MGMT – Little Dark Age Eric Wilson * Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour * Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers * Mayday Parade – Sunnyland * Camila Cabello – Camila * Mike Shinoda – Post Traumatic * Fall Out Boy – MANIA * Mat Kearney – Crazytalk * Dashboard Confessional – Crooked Shadows * Tonight Alive – Underworld * State Champs – Living Proof --- Please consider supporting us so we can keep bringing you stories like this one. ◎ https://chorus.fm/features/articles/the-top-albums-of-2018-so-far/

[beevean]

I’ve always liked to describe music and rate it, so I thought to put here my top 30 Sonic Forces tracks, and maybe in the future I’ll do the same for other games.

Under the cut because it’s a top 30, so it’s pretty long :V I couldn’t do less, I’m sorry!

@bookvideogamemaniac @ramenbomber  @dizzydennis

30) Eggman Empire Fortress: Iron Fortress

This is what happens when you mix the intensity of Scrap Brain and the dissonance of Death Egg. It’s suitably dramatic, and the harsh Genesis-esque sounds help the sense of being surrounded by cold, deadly metal. It feels very heavy for some reason. *insert joke about Classic’s physics*

29) Green Hill: Arsenal Pyramid - Interior

More Eggman bases should have a dance theme. This track manages to fit the sterile, technological environment, the context of a base infiltration and, while it does remind a bit of White Acropolis, manages also to be unique in the OST.

28) Green Hill: Arsenal Pyramid

While I’m happy there are some guitars, here they were really needed as the main instrument, as the saw wave not only doesn’t fit with the general Green Hill environment, but makes the whole track sound really similar to Sunset Heights. What stands out, at least, is how serious it is, especially the climax. It wouldn’t be out of place in a final level.

I also really like the piano at the beginning. It’s a nice touch.

27) Mystic Jungle: Casino Forest

I had no idea this one was composed by Tomoya Ohtani! I was so sure it was Naofumi Hataya, it just screams “Genesis-era”! The whole track fits perfectly the setting of a deranged casino area - somewhat spooky, but still with that bouncy feeling of many casino themes. (wish the level itself complemented the pinball gimmick with the forest background...)

Also when it was first revealed the official Sonic account pointed out the amazing bass, so... listen to that amazing bass. Very reminiscent of Casino Night’s, but more energetic.

26) Mystic Jungle: Luminous Forest

Unfitting with the stage? Yes. Didn’t need the saw wave at all? Absolutely. Catchy? Also absolutely. It helps that here the wave is accompanied by some very nice guitars reminiscent of the Adventure series - this whole soundtrack needs more of them, so any track with rocking guitars gains instant points from me. The funky bass solo near the end of the loop is just the cherry on top. An energetic old-school tune all around, it could’ve been much higher on the list if it didn’t suffer from Sonic Adventure 2 syndrome and wasn’t so unfitting for the level.

I once compared it to a Bad Future version of Savannah Citadel Day, and it was nice to see I wasn’t the only one thinking that!

25) Metropolis: Metropolitan Highway

This song is so happy! I still call it “Skyscraper Scamper Day Good Future”, and with good reason. It wouldn’t be out of places in a Riders game!

I don’t know what else to say. It just puts a smile on my face every time I listen to it. It’s very Sonic-y, that’s the best way to put it.

24) Boss: Infinite (Showdown)

As I pointed out a while ago, this one was composed not by Ohtani, but by Yutaka Minobe, a far less famous composer and pianist who’s largely responsible for a good chunk of the first two Advance games’ OSTs and miscellaneous tracks like Black Doom. From the tracks I’ve linked it’s easy to recognize his style in this orchestral piece that barely resembles the original theme anymore, unless you pay attention to it.

I’m disappointed in how little dubstep there’s here, but while the track doesn’t have a clear melody (aside for those short sections that call back Infinite’s theme, and to be fair they are really good reprises), it compensates by being highly atmospheric and making the final showdown with Infinite feel far more epic than it actually was.

Maybe there’s not much dubstep to symbolize how Infinite is going to lose control of the Ruby? Just speculating.

23) Boss: Infinite (First Bout & Second Bout)

Infinite’s boss remix is a wonderful mess of metal, dubstep and... a genre that I’ve seen multiple times being compared to k-pop, for some reason. It may take a while to grow on you, but it’s catchy from the get-go. Who could’ve thought this style would fit our new favorite edgelord so well?

I put these together because there are mininal differences within each other. However I slightly prefer the second version, it’s more danceable and not as repetitive as the first one.

22) Mystic Jungle: Aqua Road (Moonlight Battlefield)

While I admit this one dropped down a lot since it was first revealed (my only problem is that it’s pretty repetitive), it’s still pretty good, and it continues the sweet tradition of having a piano for the aquatic stage (if you want to call the slides gimmick “aquatic”).

I like how the echoing piano feels very light and how at the same time it’s contrasted by the strong synth bass and the electronic drums. The singer’s voice just makes everything prettier. A lovely theme with melancholic lyrics.

21) Mystic Jungle: Eggman's Facility

I’m not a fan of Sonic Adventure 2′s soundtrack, but I can at least appreciate White Jungle for standing out among the endless buttrock and for fitting both the stage and Shadow’s emotional state at that point. DnB really suits him.

This remix emphasises pretty much everything that made the original good, making both the lyrics and the guitars clearer. It’s pretty much a modernized remastered version, and it seems it was composed precisely for Shadow infiltrating Eggman’s base in Mystic Jungle. They choose the right track.

20) City: Enemy Territory

I have a mixed relationship with ShTH, and the same goes for its soundtrack: I hate half of the OST and love the other one, no in-between. In the half I love there’s the Westopolis theme - I don’t care if you’re forced to hear it 10 times in one of the dullest level in the game, the track itself is pretty badass, and yes, nostalgic for me.

So you can imagine how much I squeed when I realized they remixed it for the Shadow DLC.

I especially like how they made the main melody clearer and not as drowned under the edgy noises, while still keeping the overly-badass mood of the original. It even fits the aesthetic of Sunset Heights! And it even includes a Radical Highway cameo for free, because why not.

The PC version (beta version?) is not so bad either! It’s just more subdued.

19) Chemical Plant: Space Port (Fighting Onward)

A perfect introduction to the Avatar music style. The cold synths couples with the steady rhythm makes me imagine the Avatar walking in the middle of a blizzard, and the bass gives that touch of determination.

18) City: Red Gate Bridge

Very tranquil and somber, with a “calm before the storm” vibe to it. The piano and the strings go very well with the saw wave and the synth bass. Not easily hummable but memorable nonetheless.

A shame the main stage wastes it, but at least this one plays during those mini acts... other tracks aren’t so lucky.

17) Metropolis: Capital City (Virtual Enemies)

We will defeat insanity~

There’s something about the chords and the overly distorted voice that really fit both the futuristic, shiny, and sterile look of the city and the unsettling context of being mindraped by Infinite. It’s also pretty fun to sing out loud! Another track that could’ve come out from a Riders game, albeit more downbeat than others.

16) City: Park Avenue (Justice)

How can a track from June 2017 feel already nostalgic? This was the first music theme officially revealed, and what an impression it made. Like many, many other tracks in this soundtrack, it took me a while to fully appreciate it, but now it’s pretty much a classic in my book. Here the synths used truly shine - the chords at the beginning immediately set the mood and both solos convey the Avatar’s strenght and determination. Energetic and catchy, with cheesy (in a good way!) lyrics, it might as well be the symbol of the Avatar music style.

15) City: Sunset Heights

Another track that by now feels familiar. I just never get tired of this one, I could listen to it in a loop for twenty minutes straight. It reminds at the same time of Sonic Runners and Sonic Heroes, if not ShTH, almost a much more lighthearted version of Westopolis - fitting, all things considered - or Final Haunt. While the saw wave here goes very well, it’s the clean guitar that makes it for me, it gives the composition a nostalgic feeling. This is pretty much the very first theme that comes to my mind when I think of Forces.

14) Metropolis: Null Space

Poor track. You deserved so much better than what you got.

Even without knowing the context, you can perfectly picture in your head a vast, empty, dark, otherwordly place, and the eerie reverberating piano, the ethereal choir, and the subtle glitching noises are sure to send shivers down your spine. It being a dark reprise of the piano bridge of Fist Bump doesn’t help.

(side note: this was co-composed by the aforementioned Yutaka Minobe. I’m sure he’s also the one who plays it)

13) Green Hill: Virtual Reality

Who doesn’t love Supporting Me? It’s a fan favorite for obvious reasons. It’s been remixed in Generations 3DS, and once again in Forces, and each version is better than the last. This version is much less somber, with the added guitars, the synths replacing the strings, and the more frantic drums, and the whole remix feels like it mixes both genres that represented Shadow in Adventure 2 - heavy rock and DnB.

This is also the only track in the Shadow DLC that features dubstep to represent Infinite’s influence, which I think is a nice touch. The only downside is that the chorus isn’t a dark reprise of Live and Learn anymore.

At first I found it very odd that this plays in the bright Green Hill, but the soundtrack dissonance helps the feeling of creepiness and uncanniness Infinite was aiming at in the story. The lyrics also talk about illusions, so...

The PC version lacks most of the guitars, but that means you can enjoy the synths more, especially in the chorus. I almost prefer this version for this reason.

12) Fist Bump - Piano Ver.

Hey, remember when Aaron trolled us all by implying Tails was gonna die? :D

But even if this melancholy rendition of the main theme plays just in the theater option, it’s still lovely, the kind of piece you’d listen to in a rainy day with a mug of hot chocolate in hand. You can almost hear the gentleness of the player’s fingers.

11) Fist Bump

Speaking of the main theme!

This song just screams “early-2000s”, and it’s food for all the Adventure children inside of us. It’s corny and proud of it. It will never ever leave you head. It’s pure adrenaline in musical form. It has a piano bridge and a sweet guitar solo. You can’t ask for more from a Sonic song.

Shout out also to the Invincibility theme, a catchy 16-bit rendition of the chorus! And of course, the very first piece of music revealed, the instrumental version that goes well with everything.

10) This Is Who You Are

They didn’t need to go so hard for something as simple as the character customization theme. But they did. And I’m so glad.

There’s a certain cleverness into mixing a boppy square wave to the simple orchestral background, as not only the Avatar is mainly associated with synths but it also somewhat alleviates the serious mood, which is perfect for our rookie. The fluttering piano is gorgeous, and I have to mention that swelling climax. You really feel like you’re building up a hero from scratch.

9) This Is Our World (Eggman, War, Resistance)

What a cool title for a world map.

I put them all together because they’re very similar to each other, but the three different versions are great at setting up different moods with little tweaks. The first version has steady, powerful drums that remind of Eggman’s machinery and factories, but the overall tone is of a great war incoming. The second one cranks up the intensity and the mechanical noises, fitting for the definitive showdown between the Eggman Empire and the Resistance. And the final one is pure triumph and peace.

8) Eggman Empire Fortress: Final Judgement

... or is it Last Judgement? The OST isn’t quite clear. But in any case, this track is both intense and energetic, fitting for the very last stage, and somewhat melancholic. Amy does feel sorry for Infinite for being allegedly created here, but without context it actually makes me think of an imminent heroic sacrifice necessary to save the world. It definitely spells out “last stand”.

7) Boss: Zavok (Battle with Death Queen)

I’ll never understand why they named the track after the robotic wasp. Anyway, Zavok’s theme in Sonic Lost World wasn’t anything special, a menacing orchestral remix of the Deadly Six leitmotif (although it barely sounds like it). But the Zavok replica gets a sick dubstep strings remix! Twice as fast, with the intense violins getting drowned by the arhythmic, glitchy dubstep noises, it does a perfect job to pump you blood. To fight... the Death Queen, apparently. (rip zavok nobody loves him)

(I also have to point out that this is one of the only two major tracks Kenichi Tokoi had an hand in, the other being the Metal Sonic boss theme. I wish he did much more because boy he was on fire!)

6) Death Egg: Egg Gate

I learned to play this on my keyboard purely because I love it so much! It’s so badass! It could fit with Flash In The Dark or other Wily themes! Too bad it’s so short, but I feel it’s more complex than others, so it compensates. Not gonna lie, this theme coupled with the gorgeous background of the base in space made my jaw drop like few things in the series yet.

While here the saw wave actually fits, I would’ve died of happiness if it was played on an electric guitar. Bring me all the rock covers <3

5) Eggman Empire Fortress: Mortar Canyon

I can already tell this will be the most underrated track in the OST. It’s a shame it plays in the shortest level in the game, because it ends just as the music gets to the truly awesome part - and I don’t mean “awesome” in its more common sense, I truly mean “awe-inspiring”.

It starts out with the saw wave (which here would’ve also fit nicely), but slowly it fades in the background, the lead being replaced by a piano, then a choir, then strings, to create something that feels bigger than Sonic and the player. There’s a sense of despair, with only the slightest twinge of quiet, detemined hope. You’re so close to save the world from total destruction.

Chilling. One of the best “final level” themes in the series. Take the time to listen to it with headphones to enjoy all the tiny details, you won’t regret it.

4) Infinite

And after the remixes we get to the original version. This is, by far, my favorite character theme of the series, if only because it fits Infinite so well.

It manages to be ironically edgy, both with the overuse of HEAVY METAL RUMBLING GUITARS and lyrics such as I AM THE SHARPEST OF BLADES I’LL CUT YOU DOWN IN A SECOND... and yet it’s also unironically cool, especially if you grew up with this kind of music. The lyrics were also incredibly fun to analyze, even though at the end of it the meaning was just “I’m the best and y’all suck”, which perfectly reflects Infinite trying to appear more powerful and menacing than he actually was. 

Also, like I already mentioned, metal and dubstep go so well together.

When everything you know has come and gone... only scars remain through it all...

3) Boss: Mega Death Egg Robot Phase 2

Pure despair. You really feel like you’re facing something much bigger and more powerful than you are. It only needs a choir, some strings and a flute to achieve all of this - its semplicity it’s what makes it so effective.

It also seems it takes some inspiration from Egg Nega Wisp Phase 1, which I can be only happy about.

2) Boss: Mega Death Egg Robot Phase 3

Let’s get that one flaw out of the way: the loop is too short. But everything in the loop is spectacular.

It’s in the same style as Dr. Eggman Showdown, and while it’s not quite at the same level, it is pretty close, and I do prefer this guitar solo.

What truly makes this track great, however, is the buildup. It starts with a light, high choir that feels hopeless... then the drums kick in... then the guitars... and finally it explodes in a wonderful, triumpant mix of orchestra and rock. Eggman is on his last rope, you’ve already won. And when you defeat the final boss, it ends abruptly with the same choir of the beginning, in a satisfying book end.

And don’t miss that Fist Bump riff! I know some people would’ve preferred a full remix of the main theme, but I actually like this approach.

1) The Light of Hope

All that I see now, it’s not the same...

All you remember, has gone away...

But you’re still standing here...

The first stanza alone made me tear up, and I didn’t stop until the end. What a gorgeous song.

This song alone made me feel proud and accomplished... after watching a stream and being severely disappointed in what I had seen in the last hour. This one song almost fixed everything. And the new title screen, with the instrumental version in the background and the flower in the shining Resistance quarters... touching. It reminds me so much of Wiosna from Katawa Shoujo, a track I hold dear.

Kudos to Amy Hannam and her lovely voice - this song is much harder than it sounds, and she nailes every single note.

[thatgirlonstage]

A-Z Book Recommendation

I heard @macrolit​ started a trend of A-Z Book Recommendations? I may be late to this party but it looked like fun, so here are mine!

(Much to my chagrin I had to cheat on Q and Z; and V is also a bit of a cheat since I haven’t actually finished reading the book yet. On the other hand I did manage to get through it without repeating an author. Enjoy.)

The Archer's Tale by Bernard Cornwell (also published as Harlequin). An adventurous historical fiction novel diving into the life of an English longbow archer in 14th c Europe

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. One of my favorite books of all time; I sob like a baby every single time I read it. By turns heartwarming and heartwrenching, it tells the story of a young girl growing up in Nazi Germany, stealing books and finding escape and solace in reading. It is beautiful and unusual in its style, narrated by Death and painted in vivid imagery.

The Chimes by Anna Smaill. A moving and strange dystopia novel about a world where memories have been destroyed and people communicate using music.

Dune by Frank Herbert. A powerhouse science fiction novel, Dune is at once a space opera, a political thriller, and a study in religion and survivalism.

L’étudiant étranger by Philippe Labro. An autobiographical novel about the sometimes comedic, sometimes serious experience of Labro’s life as an exchange student at a US university.

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien. I’m sure this one needs no introduction - the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy remains, in my opinion, one of the best books ever published, and debatably the best fantasy epic of all time.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. A very dark but smart and exciting crime novel.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. It’s more accurate to say that I experienced this work than that I read it. Part autobiographical, part stretching the factual truth to tell an emotional one, part wild invention, this is the story of Dave and his little brother, Christopher, making their way in the world after the death of both their parents. It is stylized and designed to pull the rug out from under you, toss you out of your comfort zone, and it’s either insane pretentiousness or exactly what it claims: staggering genius.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. A futuristic fantasy novel about a living prison, the society that built itself inside, and those on the outside living a lie. A fascinating world to dive into.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. A massive brick of a book but well worth the time for the subtle and detailed world building. It takes place in a slightly different England, where magic was once a fact of life but has long been relegated to a purely theoretical field, until Mr. Norrell teaches himself how to be a practical magician.

Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson. A thrilling adventure story, following the journey of a young boy who ends up caught in the power struggles of 18th c Scotland.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. I don’t care how old I get or how many books he publishes, Rick Riordan will always make me laugh, and I was raised on Greek and Egyptian mythology, so I always adore seeing Riordan play with sticking the gods in the modern day world.

The Martian by Andy Weir. Even if you’ve seen the film, the book is still well worth a read. Weir’s story about a man stuck on Mars is both dramatic and funny.

The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter by Malcolm Mackay. The choppy style of this book can get on my nerves, but it’s a fantastic and smart crime novel that somehow gets you rooting for a professional hitman.

One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. A tragic but moving and at times inspiring dive into the oppressive and cruel world of psychiatric care in the 1960s.

Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov. A series of vignettes about an exiled Russian professor told through the eyes of an unreliable narrator.

The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran. Although she takes great liberties in the realm of historical accuracy, Moran’s Ancient Egypt is nevertheless a compelling and exciting world.

Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett. I could’ve listed any Discworld book on here because I have yet to read one I dislike, but I did particularly enjoy Raising Steam’s dip into steampunk and the Industrial Revolution, and its relationship with the fantasy life of Discworld

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. A story about a Shakespeare troupe in a post-apocalyptic world, so I was basically destined to love this. It follows the story of several different characters before, during, and after a near-extinction level plague, tying together the different narratives.

The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips. Written as if it were an autobiography, this is the story of a man whose father, imprisoned as a con man, leaves him what seems to be a lost Shakespeare play when he dies.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. I read this as a young teenager and I still love it; it’s a good combination of an adventurous YA sci-fi novel and a reflection on the societal fixation on beauty

The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman. A collection of speeches, essays, introductions, and more.

The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. The sequel to The Name of the Wind, Wise Man’s Fear keeps me just as captivated and invested in its main character as the first one did.

Xenocide by Orson Scott Card. In all honesty it’s been years since I read any of the Ender’s Game books and this was just one of very, very few books I could come up with that had an X in the title, but I remember it being really good sci-fi and social commentary.

The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606 by James Shapiro. An incredible book on the social and political context of Macbeth, Anthony and Cleopatra, and King Lear.

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. An amazing book set on Dejima at the turn of the 19th century, about the clash and exchange of culture between the West (primarily the Dutch) and the Japanese.

[what-even-is-thiss]

I love learning new mythology stuff if you want to go in depth about your ideas! Admittedly I know the most about Greek mythology, so you might have to give more details on any other myths you use.

I know the most about Greek/Roman and Norse mythology and a bit from my ancient Egyptian obsession I had back in sixth grade, but I’ve dabbled just a little in Polynesian, Japanese, and Celtic mythology, as well as several folktales from around Europe and one or two Aztec myths, and I’ve been meaning to do some research on the Orisha from eastern Africa I think it is, but haven’t gotten around to it.

Anyways, I’ve been developing a bit of a complicated mythology themed universe in my head and it only gets more confusing as I add more pantheons to the list, so for right now for this explaination I’ll stick with the Greek, Norse, and Egyptian ones, and maybe touch a bit on the Hawaiian stuff, but I’m not as comfortable putting that out there because I’m not overly well read on that yet.

I’m putting a cut here for anybody that doesn’t want to read this, because it gets long and complicated, and I’m not even close to being done with it, and I’m giving you all the simplified version.

So, the beginnings of my idea started when I was reading that wonderful wonderful author Rick Riordin. Specifically a short story crossover between his Egyptian and Greek series. This got me wondering if I could possibly make any of these pantheons coexist long term.

So, I began with what I call cross-pantheon deities. These are children of gods/goddesses from different pantheons. But then I had to figure out a way that these gods could meet each other.

So, the gods of old in this universe are a magical species I call manas deva from the Sanskrit words for “invented” and “god”. They are beings that came to exist because of human belief, and are a bit more contained and limited than the traditional idea of gods, but still the most powerful beings in this universe. And now that they exist, they can go do things like screw a few mortals and dink around with the weather just for the hell of it.

So once in a while you’ll get someone, (probably Zeus if we’re being honest) hanging around a mortal pub or something disguised as a mortal, and another disguised god or goddess disguised as a mortal, and since the pantheons shouldn’t interact with each other they don’t know what to look out for and therefore don’t know they’ve made a huge mistake until the morning after when they both decide to mention oh yeah you just did the thing with a god bye.

And that’s where the cross-pantheon characters come from.

I’m still working on characters and plot, but my main characters are this guy Deon, who is a cross-pantheon son of Zeus Greek god of lightning and being a terrible womanizer, and Freja, Norse goddess of beauty, war, and uh, fertility. The other main character is his twin sister Talin, which is also his half sister. (And yeah, fraternal twins can have different biological dads, it happens look it up) Her dad is Ra, god of the sun and everybody worshiped him in ancient Egypt it was just the cool thing to do.

Our buddy Deon doesn’t like either side of his family, but he kind of depends on them because his immortality is all wonky. Norse deities stay young by eating special golden apples distributed by the goddess of youth and can be killed, whereas Greek gods are just eternally young and can’t die. Deon got an awkward combination of these traits and can’t be killed but still ages, so he has to keep both sides of his family okay with him and not run off to join the mortals or something, because he can’t die and there are complications like lost limbs that can come from that, and he keeps aging, so he needs those sweet sweet golden apples to keep looking like a fresh twenty something, because who wants to spend all of eternity with joint pain? One of his best friends, Asger, son of Aphrodite, son of Odin, has the opposite problem. He’s eternally young but can be killed.

Talin hates her dad and would like to just stay in Vanaheim with her brother and favorite cousins all the time(also she might have a girlfriend there but I haven’t invented her yet), but keeps going back to the sun and puts up with her dad because there are several people there in the realm of gods and spirits that depend on her. I’m still thinking through her motivations and backstory, but she’s shaping up to be quite dangerous. She’s loud and slightly violent and is confrontational in a good way. She believes she knows what is right and will fight for it. She and Deon make nice foils for each other because he is much quieter and shy and prefers a more sneaky or indirect approach to conflict and doesn’t see morals as something set in stone. He has charming abilities and will use his magic to get what he wants, all the while making the other person believe it was their idea. So, she’s the huntress, he’s the trickster. Neither of them are overly gorgeous by society’s standards but have the ability to trick people into thinking that they are because their mom is a love goddess. Does that make sense?

I’ve got all kinds of other side characters I’m working on. None of them are overly developed at this point, but here’s some of my more well thought out ones.

I’m calling this one Jessie for now. She/her Greek/Hawaiian. Dad is Kanaloa, Hawaiian god of the underworld and magic, mom is Kymopoleia, Greek Goddess of sea storms. You’d expect somebody with that parentage to be pretty volatile, and you’d be right. Pansexual Demigirl that’s best friends with Deon and Asger and Deon is a trans guy as of right now, but I might change that later, but anyways, Jessie and Deon first got to know each other as of right now because they both wanted a trans friend and she got to know Asger through Deon. But like I said, I’m thinking about changing a few things we’ll see how it goes.

Apollo. Yes, that Apollo. He looked away from the mirror just long enough to be one of Deon’s mentors and teach him how to shoot. This is a modern day story, so that includes guns as well as bows and arrows. Don’t get the impression he’s a good person here. He’s not. He just chooses to care about his siblings sometimes.

Asger. he/him My one straight cis character. I needed one in there. He’s the son of Aphrodite Greek goddess of love and Odin, leader of the Norse aesir gods. He became friends with Deon after finding out he also had a love goddess mom and they bonded over how their moms are both just the worst. He’s incredibly strong and people often call him if they need a giant or dragon disposed of and Thor isn’t avalible. He’s also good friends with Talin and they bond over being kind of violent. They both like weapons and fighting and whatnot. The Norse gods find them to be fun at parties.

Eric, Dalia, and Astrid. Not much of a backstory for these three yet, but they are former demigods that were made gods after the Norse deities found them useful. They deliver messages, because I noticed the Norse pantheon has a god of messengers, but they don’t have a god whose job it is to deliver messages, so I invented the story of the four messengers. One for each season. Eric son of Loki in the winter, Astrid daughter of Thor in the spring, Dalia daughter of Tyr in the fall, and Deon is the summer messenger. This is an interesting device, because all four of these characters are very powerful and useful, but one of them is missing at any given time, because during the season they work they are busy almost all of the time and the only way to get a hold of them is to deliver a message. I’ve got a whole complicated story planned out how they were all added one at a time over the course of a few centuries, but this post is getting too long anyways.

Freja. Goddess of beauty and war. She runs a house of fallen warriors that are training for ragnarok, same as Valhalla. She seems ditzy and is basically the world’s worst beauty pageant mom, but if you piss her off you will suffer a fate worse than any of the underworld gods/goddesses could imagine for you. Do not cross her. She can run in heels.

Zeus. I don’t need to talk about this guy, do I? He sucks. He just really sucks. Get him out of my face. He’s a horribly abusive parent.

Ra. Good king, bad dad. Argues with other sun gods/goddesses. Sol never has any time to talk to him because she’s being chased by a wolf. For crying out loud, Ra. Stay in your lane. Focus on your own thing. This is why you have like three cross-pantheon kids.

Yeah, those are the more developed ones. I have tons more, but I don’t think I have time to get into those.

As for what kind of plot I’d have in this context? That’s a little fuzzy. I’m thinking something like demigods and minor deities are going missing, and since the gods can’t exactly throw demigods or mortal heroes at the problem, because the problem is that they’re disappearing they send some cross pantheon gods because they’re pretty much on the lowest rung right above mortals in these godly societies and their parents don’t really care for them that much. So, it would probably follow several characters on their quest to find out what the freak is going on and why all these spirits and demigods and favored mortals are disappearing across so many pantheons.

That probably leads to all kinds of shenanigans, including various figures from these mythologies that aren’t supposed to meet crossing paths. I like to imagine a scene ending with Asger smashing in some Greek monster’s head with Mjolnir or a similar Norse weapon. Probably Typhon. Can we have Typhon, a giant monster with insane features and probably bigger than mount everest get defeated by a tap from Thor’s hammer? Please and thank you?

Anyways, it’ll probably be a very long time before I get all of my thoughts together enough to actually get a screenplay together because this is taking a lot of sorting out and it would probably be several movies long, but there’s the bare bones of my mythology themed universe for you. It all takes place in modern day, so imagining Apollo sitting on the couch eating cereal and watching the golden girls on Netflix is totally something you can do, and something I have done, obviously.

Thanks for reading all of that. It’s kind of a lot.

[davidmann95]

This might be a broad set of questions and I'm so sorry if that's the case, but what's Jimmy Olsen's personality like? How does it play off characters like Superman, Lois, Perry, and others? What makes his character work so well in Superman's mythos and by extension the larger DC universe? Bottom line, what makes Jimmy Olsen tick?

That is…hard to say. Largely because he’s been played completely straight as the focus of a prominent story in, near as I can tell, exactly one (1) comic since the 1970s.

That’s really just about it. There’s otherwise only a couple little short pieces with him - and even those tend to downplay his weirder elements to the point of him for all intents and purposes being a completely different character - and that Nick Spencer/R.B. Silva special, which intentionally presents him outside his usual element and context, i.e. Superman’s off-Earth and Jimmy’s lost his groove. All-Star Superman #4 is the only major example of Jimmy being presented completely straightforwardly in a modern setup, and while it’s fantastic, it doesn’t apply to the DCU as it exists at this moment.

The reason for that is the same reason Jimmy hasn’t been around much in general: as Erica Henderson put it, we can’t really have Jimmy back until Superman stops being sorry for being Superman. I’m hardly breaking new ground in pointing this out, but Jimmy’s built to thrive as the viewpoint character to the wildest extremes of a superhero universe; a reasonably normal guy in a world of antimatter duplicates and elastic serums who occasionally has to deal with swapping minds with a gorilla (which in my vision of the DCU is a pretty common type of occurrence in Metropolis - if you haven’t traveled through time, you at least know someone who has - it just happens to him more often than most). And generally speaking, the modern Superman is entirely too self-conscious for that kind of fun. The books may be leaning in a self-professedly lighter direction lately, but the current volume of Superman still opened with a kitten being burned to death by his son, and climaxed in an epic four-part story justifying getting him a slightly less actively dumb costume, while still being too embarrassed to put him back in the real thing. 

In a world where Superman’s afraid to be too weird, his best friend getting into his own set of weird adventures isn’t something that can really happen, and when he’s no longer Superman’s Pal, he’s just Clark Kent’s Photographer Buddy Who’s Met The Big Guy A Couple Times, and while that has a charm all its own, he’s hardly leading man material. That relegates him to the background, which means he doesn’t get the same kind of development. And we can’t *just* go off his Silver Age characterization, any more than we could or should for Superman himself. We need to extrapolate a bit. Luckily, much like Superman has his own defining core that’s endured through the better part of a century, Jimmy has a central concept that’s endured from Binder and Swan to Kirby to Morrison and Quitely:

Jimmy Olsen is the coolest dude on Earth.

Not conventionally cool, mind you; it’s a big part of his appeal that he’s still on some level a down-to-earth doofus whose boss shits all over him and who spent years desperately going out with a woman who clearly hated his guts. If he were Batman’s Pal he’d definitely have a cool car and date a supermodel who moonlights as a supervillain, but he’s cool by the standards of what’s worthwhile and impressive in Superman’s world. He’s kind, he’s brave, he’s quick-witted, he’s clean-cut and unselfconscious to the point of often rocking a bow tie, and most importantly, he does things that are completely goddamn insane without losing his composure. As Morrison put it, he needs to be a guy Superman would want to hang out with.

How do you update him then? I liked what was done with him near the beginning of the New 52 - aging him up to be a direct peer to Lois and Clark, and having him get a sudden multi-billion dollar windfall from his negligent parents as a way to both contrast the power Superman received because of his own loving family, and potentially as a way of financing outrageous adventures - but that seems to be out the window. My take then would be that, as a cub reporter/junior photographer/whatever they want to do with him at the moment for the Daily Planet, he’s still doing grunt work, but what constitutes grunt work in the DCU is very, very different. If the Planet’s gone online as it very well should have by now, surely there’s some clickbait there to help keep things afloat, and he puts those pieces together with the help of some of his super friends. 5 things you see on the other side of the Speed Force! 10 things you learn spending a week with a future brain! Why getting cured of Lycanthropy is harder than it sounds! 8 mistakes to never make at an intergalactic disco! You won’t believe these shocking predictions chrononauts are making for the next 83 thousand years! It lets Jimmy do what Jimmy does in a way that balances his status on the lower-rungs of his workplace with still making him unambiguously awesome, defines a role for him separate from Lois’s hard-hitting journalism and Clark’s human-interest pieces that lets him look up to them as role-models, and plays off his connection to Superman in a way that justifies him going anywhere and everywhere, showing Superman’s right about humanity because Jimmy proves one of them can actually hang in the world of capes and tights.

[myrobertallen-blog]

Videosly Review and huge bonus

Videosly Allows You To Produce Videos Quicker Than Ever. Videosly's advanced modern technology does something no other software program can, it permits you to pick and choose the EXACT web content you want in your video.

Official site: http://www.socialleadfreak.com/videosly-review/

Seems simple, but do not forget that if you're cooking anything on a heater, you could constantly transform it off and also fire points numerous times if you should. Lighting Uniformity This is where if you're shooting with all-natural light, you're going to encounter some trouble. I don't want to blow your mind right here with some insane scientific research knowledge, but we keep spinning around the sun and that indicates that natural light is constantly changing. Just what this means for your video clip is when you sufficed together, you'll see various levels of illumination as well as it will not look as tidy. If all-natural light is your only option, wish for a gloomy day or a sunny day with indirect light and aim to obtain all of your recording done as snugly as possible to decrease the change in light. If you're utilizing synthetic light, make certain you're shutting shades, blinds, doors, the darker the far better if it's daytime. Aim for the Edit Shooting for the edit implies that you're not just shooting the procedure, you're considering how it will certainly go together when you're modifying the video. It likewise means providing on your own alternatives. Any time we fire something that doesn't entail an undoable activity, we shoot numerous takes. In the video over, instances of this are my arms dragging throughout the display, lassoing the video in as well as pointing to components. The more choices you have later on the easier of a time you'll have putting it together. Something specific to these types of video clips is additionally the value of the positioning of your tools/props. Be sure to keep in mind that if you wish to be able to reduce between two takes, as long as possible, items in the shot should not be disturbed as well as the video camera should additionally stagnate. Often times this is much easier said compared to done. Do your best and remember that at high speed, you have actually got more wiggle area compared to you would or else. Take Your Time If you've prepared points out, you must have the ability to focus on capturing in tiny items. Place components into bowl, mix components, draw bowl away, bring in another bowl. Each of these can be shot on their own with time between to intend your next action. If your plan is in area, you could leave the electronic camera shooting and then eliminated the voids as you relocate from action to tip later on (this can additionally be a huge help in preventing electronic camera movement). Enjoy Play around with different suggestions, get imaginative, a lot of times the little fun points that you include that have nothing to do with the real production of the dish are what could make your video stand apart. And Finally ... Errors Take Place In the video clip above, we got it excellent the very first time mixing with each other the Videosly Review, oil as well as vanilla. Would not it have actually been terrific if the electronic camera was taping. DOH! Hey, s ** t takes place as well as I ensure you it will certainly happen, so go into each shoot with the best purposes yet complete expectation that something might go wrong. For me, anticipating that something will certainly go wrong makes it a whole lot much easier to not obtain upset when it does.

The Editing and enhancing Refine When editing and enhancing fast setting up videos, you wish to keep it limited. The secret is to maintain something consistently involving your customer. Below are some ways to do that: Speed it up: Okay, you obtained that component already, however be discerning. My default is aiming at 150-200% for most of the video clip, yet ramping up to 600-2000% for areas where a great deal of blending or various other activity occurs. Throughout specifically long sections I'll cut large portions out, see below. Rough Cut: Assembled your timeline with every one of the Ins/Outs of each clips (the beginning as well as ending). This will certainly be truly long, yet you'll desire this as your structure to modify with, particularly if you're setting songs first. Rate AFTER THAT cut: When you accelerate a clip, you're basically getting rid of frameworks. If you're contending 24fps as well as speed that up 300%, you're only going to see 6 frames. Due to this, it is necessary to speed the video clip up very first and after that take the time improving the cuts. Otherwise you might wind up obtaining slightly different results than anticipated. You don't need to reveal whatever you filmed: When the video is flying by at 600-2000% you could cut out sections to reduce things up without anyone noticing. I do this a whole lot throughout lengthy blending sections where the initial fifty percent is important to see the blending begin, yet the last fifty percent does not change a lot. Every structure counts: Cut at the frame right before your hands/objects really leave the structure as well as reduced in the initial structure you see your hands/object returning to. It's amazing the result of just eliminating a handful of added frameworks can carry the smoothness. Struck 100% for impact: A really great impact can be falling to routine rate at specific minutes. I prefer to do this when getting bowls as well as drawing them out or bringing bowls back in. Decide on and see what works for you. Right here's what the final timeline for the example video above appeared like to offer you an idea of how it came together

So, why are these video clips so proficient at ORDERING people's interest? No Noise Essential A great deal of times we remain in a circumstance where we cannot (or shouldn't) hear sound as well as do not have any type of headphones. Whether you get on the bus, metro, in a waiting area, class, work, no matter. These kinds of Videosly Review let you appreciate them without sound because there's no dialog. All interaction is done visually, often with on-screen text instructions. Music could be a large part of the tone, however they can make it through without it. Attack Sized It's challenging to obtain individuals to buy a two, three, four plus minute video. 2 MINUTES! What!?!? Who has 2 minutes anymore. It seems insane, however with our need for every little thing on-demand, interest periods have actually obtained shorter as well as shorter. What individuals have actually been conditioned for nonetheless is seeing something for 30-60 seconds. Possibly you have actually seen a few of these little points we call commercials prior to. Anybody. any person. fine great. There's a factor they're all 15-60 secs. An Image deserves 1,000 Words Nothing proves that more than these fast-motion setting up video clips. You're not only combining a good quantity of info that would be included in the instructions, but you're giving your customer 24-30 pictures every second to reveal them precisely the best ways to do it. Effective. How? The just how is the component that I'm most delighted about. If you have a DSLR or mobile phone that was acquired within the last couple of years, you're a lot of the way there. Not just that, yet you do not need to worry about exactly what to claim, just how you'll appear, slipping up or how you look. It could be our little secret, however in the video clip above Jennifer as well as I remained in our jammies. Our Setup We've replaced the c-stand that you'll see in the arrangement photo listed below and also now we simply utilize our tripod that I state listed below. I such as the arrangement far better this way. It's cleaner, extra stable, uses much less equipment, no demand for sand bags etc. This is the setup that we'll be making use of progressing. I'm consisting of an image of the reverse angle with the tripod instead of the c-stand below.

How You Can Make Videos Play Much Faster on a Computer system

Computers use a wonderful means to see video clips, however rough playback as well as repeated buffering are an actual drag on the pleasure aspect. Nobody prefers to be disrupted in the middle of viewing something even if the innovation isn't up to the task. However before you invest the huge bucks on updating your hardware or replacing your whole computer, you can try a variety of easy and mainly totally free actions that must improve video rate and also integrity on your computer.

Step Close unnecessary tabs in your Internet web browser as well as other programs running on your computer system to liberate system RAM. Step Launch the Videosly Task Supervisor by keying "Job" on the Start Screen or pushing and holding "Ctrl," "Shift" and "Esc" on your key-board. In the Job Supervisor, check out the energetic processes as well as shut down any that you identify as excessive. Finishing procedures additionally decreases RAM use. Action Restart your device if it has been competing greater than a day. Operating systems are very complicated, as well as starting a fresh session can clear traffic jams that break down system efficiency.

Step Disable hardware acceleration if you're enjoying a Flash video clip. This could be specifically helpful if you have actually a computer made before 2010, or if you have trouble watching Flash video clips in full-screen mode. If you have no idea whether you're watching a Flash video clip or an additional kind, merely right-click on the real video during playback. If it's a Flash video, the Flash context menu will certainly pop up. Click "Settings." The Show Panel will certainly appear, and also from there uncheck the "Enable Hardware Velocity" alternative. Tips & Warnings If you're having problem with on the internet video clips particularly, see them utilizing a reduced resolution quality. A lot of video sites, consisting of YouTube, Dailymotion as well as several information video internet sites, permit you to readjust this setting. In YouTube, the "Settings" switch is in the bottom-right corner of the video. In Dailymotion, the "Resolution" button is at the top of the video clip. Reducing the quality of the video clip stream is among one of the most reputable ways making online video clips play much faster.

Why Does YouTube Maintain Stopping? Many YouTube video clips are published for the enjoyment of individuals all over the globe. Nevertheless, it is hard to enjoy the experience if the video clip maintains beginning and quiting. The longer the video, the a lot more information your computer system should download. It is normal for an on-line video clip to buffer just before it starts, yet it needs to not quit during playback unless you are seeing an exclusive video or have a Flash or data transfer issue.

Personal Video clips Some video clips are noted as exclusive and will certainly stop playing if you are out the uploader's Pals and Family members listing. Attempt viewing a different video clip to see if it is an isolated issue. If you are particular the video clip is public, your firewall software could be blocking YouTube. Attempt viewing it from a different network, if possible. If all else falls short, empty your web browser's cache and also clear the cookies before attempting once again. Go to "Tools," "Remove Surfing Background" and position a check by each choice other than "Preserve Faves Internet Site Information." Net Speed When videos do not play constantly, it is most likely because of a slow-moving Net link. Your Videosly should be quickly sufficient to download the video clip quicker than your computer plays it. If it is slow-moving, YouTube will keep quiting to buffer, or pre-download the video. At least 500 or more Kbps is recommended to stop this from taking place. In the meantime, you could stop briefly the video, providing the stream time to load.

Bandwidth Your transmission capacity is determined by your Net rate, and also it is the optimum quantity readily available for use. If you get on a network, the overall data transfer will certainly be shared amongst all computer systems linked to the network. If you are making use of any type of programs that make use of the Internet, they will certainly additionally gobble data transfer that might be utilized by YouTube. Do not make use of the Web till the YouTube video clip has actually totally filled. Flash All YouTube videos utilize the Adobe Flash Gamer. If you have problem with all of the video clips, install the latest version of the gamer. You may additionally see the complying with message: "You Had to Update Your Adobe Flash Player to Watch this Video clip." It is a great idea to uninstall previous versions of Flash, and also, if you are unsure, simply use Adobe's official uninstaller. If upgrading Flash does not fix the problem, disable your popup blocker from "Web Options," "Personal privacy.".

Readjust either end of the range to pick the beginning time as well as end time of the result.

Move the worth nob to the wanted speed:. You could quicken as well as slow down the video clip by an optimum value of 10 time the original speed. If you wish to make it slower move the nob to the left. If you want making it quicker move the nob to the right.

Select the smooth in/out alternative if you desire the video decrease as well as accelerate slowly over 1 2nd instead of instantaneously.

Preview the impact a number of times to see if you should raise the worth. If you are not satisfied with impact and also wish to eliminate it. Click the trash can symbol on the Rate Tab:.

You'll see that if you make your clip slower the general length of the clip will be much longer. If you speed up your clip the total length will be much shorter. When you pick the effect you wish to keep, readjust the rest of your story if needed.

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