#Steven Lomas

[dopescissorscashwagon]

Steven Lomas : A Stunning display of Noctilucent Clouds over Souter Lighthouse at 1.30am this morning. I love these super rare clouds of Meteorite dust. @FujifilmUK @SouterNT

[world-cinema-research]

Week 7 Short Essay Part 1 – Sex, Lies and Videotape comparison to Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai 

By Christian Lavarello

The films, Sex, Lies and Videotape by Director Steven Soderbergh and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai by director Jim Jarmusch are vastly different from one another. Sex, Lies and Videotape follows the intertwined lives of four individuals living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana: John Mulaney (Peter Gallagher), Ann Bishop Mulaney (Andie MacDowell), Cynthia Bishop, and Graham Dalton. John is an attorney who is having an affair with his wife Ann’s sister. Ann claims to not want sex anymore, being excessively concerned about world issues until John’s old college friend, Graham (James Spader) visits them. Graham is ‘brutally honesty,’ especially about the fact that he is impotent and the only way he can have some physical satisfaction is by videotaping women talking about sex and their sexual encounters. With his arrival, everyone’s deceptions and hypocrisies come to the surface and so does Ann’s desire to have to sex again. Director Steven Soderbergh’s groundbreaking debut shook the Indie Filmmaking scene awarding him the Palme d'Or at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival, making Soderbergh the youngest solo director to win the award.  

Almost ten years later, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai was released by director Jim Jarmusch which tells the story of an urban samurai (Forest Whitaker), a man who was saved when he was younger by Louie (John Tormey), a mafioso. Sometime later, Ghost Dog reappears before the mafioso and, in accordance with his samurai ethical code, admits he is in debt with Louie. Louie turns Ghost Dog into his own efficient, uncatchable hitman and nobody knows his "real" name and they communicate via carrier pigeon-delivered messages. Ghost Dog’s only "outside" conversations are with the French-speaking Haitian ice-cream vendor Raymond (Isaach De Baukole) and a precocious girl, Pearline (Camille Winbush), whom he meets in the park, and they share books.  

One the most prominent differences between both films is that Sex, Lies and Videotape is more of an unconventional film, whereas Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is conventional. Alisa Perren wrote a scholarly review on Sex, Lies and Videotape and its’ impact on filmmaking and marketing of the 80s and early 90s, where she states, “On a cost-to-earnings ratio, Steven Soderbergh’s creation —with its $1.1 million dollar budget and $24 million plus in North American box office—was a better investment than Batman, which—at an investment of $50 million—returned $250 million in domestic box office”.

Chuck Stephens wrote a scholarly article on Jim Jarmusch's way of telling the Ghost Dog’s story where he states, “There are many stories within Ghost Dog, and Jarmusch rashomon-ically wants to tell - or retell - them all. The simplest of them is this: Ghost Dog lives alone in a rooftop aerie, kept company by a covey of carrier pigeons as he studies the nihilist koans of the Hagakure. Around him, the wind whistles with hiphop hybridity ("black Mafia mind De Niro") and moans with the "everything's changing," time-to- die fatalism of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, another film in which out-moded men are picked off like chickens buried to their necks in sand”. Both films are reviewed critically from very different aspects and the reviewer sees they excel and radiate different qualities that contributed to films of the 80s and 90s.  

During the time of the film Sex, Lies and Videotape in 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake hit the San Francisco Bay Area with a 6.9 magnitude, leaving behind a trail of destruction, while in 1999 during the time of the film, Ghost Dog: The way of the Samurai John F. Kennedy Jr., wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister Lauren G. Bessette are lost at sea when a plane he was piloting disappears near Martha's Vineyard, off Mass. coast on July 16, 1999. Two different tragic events occur during the time of both films which affected many individuals.  

Both films had great success in their own ways with Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai touching on the history of the warriors of Japan with a gangster American twist where the characters are understood and the story comes together at the end, whereas Sex, Lies and Videotape touched on more socially unacceptable topics of its’ time and sexual conversations making the audience work to resolve issues brought up in the movie. Their differences make these films unique and do cater to very different audiences, but both are great films to watch. 

[drstevenlinyt]

Mouth-Body Connection & Holistic Dentistry

Mouth-Body Connection & Holistic Dentistry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qqbsganuw0g If you've wondered how issues in the mouth connect to the rest of the body, you may have researched the field of holistic dentistry. Explore the mouth-body connection, airway focussed and biologically consistent dental treatment with Dr Sebastian Lomas who is the UK's best known biological dentist. via Dr Steven Lin https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3usB3s0qqOo4wImv3fgf5A June 05, 2024 at 03:05PM

[angeliqueshelleyartist]

Representation

SOURCES AND SIGNIFICANCE BLOG POST #6

In this blog post I’ll be exploring the importance of positive representation in media. In our primarily visual culture, representation influences social interactions between people who have more mainstream identities and those within minorities. I’ll also be examining the HBO adaptation of The Last of Us and their positive representation of the characters Bill and Frank which caused waves of positive reception. 

Representation in the context of media is “the way that someone or something is shown or described” (Cambridge Dictionary, 2023). Positive and natural representation of people is more important than ever as it can challenge and alter harmful and inaccurate views and opinions people have of the “Other”, which is the psychological and media phenomenon of “othering” people who exist outside of mainstream identities (Fürsich, 2010). While violence against women has improved (UN Women, 2023) hate crimes against race and LGBTQ+ people have been on the rise (APCC, 2022; Stonewall, 2023). Media can have an active role in dismantling the fear and hate at the root of these crimes. 

Media has a massive impact on behaviour as mental conditioning through images and text begins in childhood (Adukia et al., 2023; Daniels et al., 2016), positive and natural representations of diversity in shows like Steven Universe and She-Ra can help children develop healthy, accurate views and even help them challenge the stereotyping they may encounter from their peers and adults. While media is usually constructed with intention  (see Barthe���s (2009) semiotics theory on decoding the Myth of images, and Berger’s 1972, Ways of Seeing), I think an intention to portray accurate and truthful representations is a positive one as it challenges deplorable antisocial behaviours through eliciting an emotional and empathetic response; Lomas (2019) explores the the psychological impact of positive semiotics. 

Not only can positive, realistic representations reduce prejudice, they can also offer aspirational models for LGBTQ+ people to identify with, this can be even more powerful through the portrayal of everyday day life in TV series (Masanet, M., et al., 2022). 

TV series are not only helpful for children, but also for adults trying to deconstruct the conditioning of a strictly conservative upbringing or an environment that is full of stereotyping and prejudice. An example of this is the recent adaptation of The Last of Us by HBO (first aired 2023). The Last of Us franchise has a few LGBTQ+ characters, though the most notable is Ellie, who is a lesbian and the main protagonist in The Last of Us 2; a decision that made leaps for inclusivity in the gaming industry (GameRant, 2021). Other notable LGBTQ+ characters include Frank and Bill (fig.1), who were fleshed out  in the TV adaptation and received their own devastatingly beautiful episode (Episode 3, Long, Long Time). It’s Frank and Bill’s episode in particular that seemed to have the greatest positive impact not only in the social circles around me, but also beyond (Esquire, 2023). 

Fig. 1 Frank (left) and Bill

Frank and Bill are caucasian, middle-aged, gay men played by Murray Bartlett (left) and Nick Offerman (fig.1). Although greater representation could have been achieved with a more racially diverse casting, I wonder how much or little the impact would have diverged as a result. While great LGBTQ+ representation is beneficial for everyone, a positive aspect for the casting choice was a chance to appeal for empathy from men who may relate to the demographic, and for the rest of us, it was wonderful seeing a layered and relatable representation of a loving relationship between two complex individuals. In the three stages of representation’s evolution according to Ventura et al. (2019), the first being invisibility, the second being imperfect representation and the last being fair representation, I think The Last of Us: Long, Long Time comfortably falls into the latter as it ticks the requirements of having “effective representation, rich and multi‐layered portrayal, positive models, complex and realistic characters, diversity of roles and identities,” (Masanet et al., 2022; Ventura et al., 2019). However, as much as The Last of Us: Long, Long Time was praised, it did receive some criticism of falling into "gay death-tropes" (Andrew, 2023; MacLeod, 2023), but in a post-apocaplytic world, having shared a 20-year romance despite the widespread death around them, a tragic ending seems inevitable in the universe of The Lat of Us. All things considered, I think that Bill and Frank's love story is the start of an upward trend of good and fair representation in mainstream media.

In summary, I think it’s tragic and heartbreaking that hate crimes against race and LGBTQ+ minorities are on the rise despite positive political advances in rights and freedoms. From what I experienced from positive representations like Bill and Frank’s in The Last of Us: Long, Long Time, the exposure to realistic and identifiable characters can alter people’s perceptions and create powerful feelings of empathy, and for me personally, the desire to protect what is beautiful. I want my work to reflect my values of inclusion and my desire for accurate representation. I’ll achieve this through thorough research and sensitivity to avoid stereotypes that I may unwittingly draw on through my own ignorance or exposure to inaccurate media.

References:

ADUKIA, A. et al. (2023). What We Teach About Race and Gender: Representation in Images and Text of Children’s Books. The Quarterly Journal of Economics. 138(4), p.2225–2285. [Online]. Available at: https://doi-org.ezproxy.herts.ac.uk/10.1093/qje/qjad028 [Accessed: 8 December 2023].

ANDREW, S. (2023). How ‘The Last of Us’ did Bill and Frank justice – and impressed many LGBTQ fans. [Online]. CNN. Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertainment/last-of-us-bill-frank-episode-3-cec/index.html#:~:t [Accessed: 4 January 2024].

APCC. (2022). Recorded Hate Crime on the Rise. [Online]. Association of Police and Crime Commissioners. Available at: https://www.apccs.police.uk/latest-news/recorded-hate-crime-on-the-rise/ [Accessed: 8 December 2023].

BARTHES, R. (2009) Mythologies. London: Vintage.

BERGER, J. (1972). Ways of Seeing , Episode 1. [Television Series]. London: BBC.

CAMBRIDGE DICTIONARY. (2023). representation. [Online]. cambridgedictionary.org. Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/representation [Accessed: 8 December 2023].

DANIELS, E., LAYH, M. & PORZELIUS, L. (2016). Grooming ten-year-olds with gender stereotypes? A content analysis of preteen and teen girl magazines. Body Image. 19, pp.57-67. [Online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.08.011 [Accessed: 8 December 2023].

ESQUIRE. (2023). That ‘The Last of Us’ Gay Love Story is Groundbreaking. [Online]. Available at: https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a42686416/the-last-of-us-gay-romance/ [Accessed: 8 December 2023].

FÜRSICH, E. (2010). Media and the representation of Others. International Social Science Journal. 61(199), pp.113-130. [Online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2451.2010.01751.x [Accessed: 8 December 2023].

GAMERANT. (2021). The Last of Us: Every LGBT+ Character in the Franchise. [Online]. Available at: https://gamerant.com/last-of-us-lgbtqia-ellie-dina-lev/ [Accessed: 8 December 2023].

LOMAS, T. (2019). Positive Semiotics. Review of General Psychology. 23(3), pp.359 - 370. [Online]. Available at: https://doi-org.ezproxy.herts.ac.uk/10.1177/1089268019832 [Accessed: 4 December 2023].

MACLEOD, R. (2023). ‘The Last of Us’ tells a new but familiar queer love story. [Online]. The Washington Post. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2023/01/29/last-of-us-bill-frank-episode-3/ [Accessed: 4 January 2024].

MASANET, M., VENTURA ,R. & BALLESTE, E. (2022). Beyond the “Trans Fact”? Trans Representation in the Teen Series Euphoria: Complexity, Recognition, and Comfort. Social Inclusion. 10(2), p.143 – 155. [Online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v10i2.4926 [Accessed: 8 December 2023].

STONEWALL. (2023). New data: Rise in hate crime against LGBTQ+ people continues, Stonewall slams UK Gov ‘inaction’. [Online]. stonewall.org. Available at: https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/new-data-rise-hate-crime-against-lgbtq-people-continues-s [Accessed: 8 December 2023].

UN WOMEN. (2023). Facts and figures: Ending violence against women. [Online]. unwomen.org. Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/facts-and-figures [Accessed: 8 December 2023]. Ventura, R., Guerrero, M., & Establés, M. J. (2019). Lesbian fan cyberactivism: Non‐violent protest actions against heteronormative representations of LGBTQ characters on television. In A. Iranzo & A. Farné (Eds.), Communication for social change: Proposals for action (pp. 137–157). Valencia: Tirant lo Blanch.

[diarioelpepazo]

  Seis hombres en motos dispararon indiscriminadamente contra una fiesta en el barrio La Loma. Hay 14 personas que resultaron heridas tras la balacera. La hipótesis de la Policía es que la nueva configuración de las estructuras criminales en Barranquilla provocó la tragedia.   Una nueva masacre se perpetró la noche del domingo 19 de marzo en la ciudad de Barranquilla, capital del departamento Atlántico (Colombia), donde cinco personas fueron asesinadas y 14 resultaron heridas tras una balacera que se registró en medio de una fiesta al aire libre. En el barrio La Loma, en el centro histórico de Barranquilla, un grupo de personas compartía a ritmo de música alrededor de las 11:00 de la noche, hasta que seis hombres en motos dispararon indiscriminadamente, informó la Policía Metropolitana de la ciudad. Dos de las víctimas fallecieron en el lugar, mientras que los otros tres perdieron la vida en centros de salud. Los muertos fueron identificados como Moisés Rafael Pacheco de la Cruz, Dailes Mar Coronel Álvarez, Alberto Enrique Guerrero, Ludy del Carmen Londoño Muñoz y Georgina Ortiz Berrio. Amanecemos con una nueva masacre en Barranquilla, esta vez desde el barrio Villanueva, cercano al corredor portuario, donde hombres fuertemente armados y en moto dispararon indiscriminadamente. Hasta el momento van 5 víctimas mortales y 14 heridos. Una tragedia. pic.twitter.com/xmFWecYJGO — Leonardo Guzmán 🌻 (@leonardoguzmann) March 20, 2023 De acuerdo al comandante de la Policía Metropolitana de Barranquilla, Jorge Urquijo, este suceso habría ocurrido en el marco de la nueva configuración de las estructuras criminales, que intentan tomar el control de las zonas portuarias de la localidad. "Estos grupos son conocidos como los Costeños, al mando de alias 'Castor', y los Pepes, al mando de alias 'Digno Palomino'", indicó Urquijo, citado por medios locales. Un grupo especializado de la Fiscalía General de la Nación y de la Policía Nacional ya inició con la indagación respectiva. Además, las autoridades ofrecen una recompensa de 100 millones de pesos por información para hallar y capturar a los responsables. El pasado 29 de enero, cuatro personas fueron asesinadas y seis fueron heridas dentro de un local en Barranquilla, donde veían el partido entre Junior y Deportivo Independiente Medellín.   Lista de víctimas Las víctimas fueron identificadas como Moisés Rafael Pacheco De La Cruz, Albeiro Enrique Guerrero, Georgina Ortiz Berrío, Dailes Mar Coronel Álvarez y Ludy Del Carmen Londoño Muñoz. Sobre Georgina Ortiz se sabe que tenía 22 años y tres hijos, era venezolana y se encontraba compartiendo con amigos en el lugar. Algo similar a lo que hacía Moisés Pacheco, de 52 años, quien llegó al lugar, junto a su esposa y su hija, luego de jugar un partido de fútbol. “Nosotros fuimos al bazar también, no pasó ni media hora cuando ocurrió todo, cuando levanté la cabeza ya mi papá estaba tirado, no pudo ser auxiliado, murió en el lugar. Mi mamá afortunadamente está bien. Mi ‘Moncho’ no era malo, él solo llegó a celebrar”, explicó a El Heraldo Yurleidys, hija de Pacheco. Entre los heridos se encuentran Miguel Ángel Castillo Brandford; Brandon Steven Gómez Vergara; Heliodoro Oliveros Rodríguez; John Jaime Polo Perea; Fernando Antonio Rocha Aconcha; Walberto Romero Arriguez; Yudis Patricia Barón Rivera; Zuleimy María Arroyo Durán; Daniel De Jesús Beleño Romero; Jenyfer Paola Cervantes González; Diana Patricia Coronado Villanueva; Juan Carlos Suárez Arriguez; Wilson Montes Genes; y Clara Navarro Aconcha.   Para recibir en tu celular esta y otras informaciones, únete a nuestras redes sociales, síguenos en Instagram, Twitter y Facebook como @DiarioElPepazo El Pepazo/RT Español/El Espectador

[materialleisure]

Annual celebration of faves.

Playlist: shorturl.at/bgjwz

[dustedmagazine]

Tim Clarke’s 2020

Trying to make sense of 2020 leaves me at a loss for words. Australia began the year with a Black Summer, as terrifying bushfires swept across vast swathes of the country. And then, of course, COVID-19 hit. Melbourne went into lockdown, many of us began working from home, and human connection, fragility, mortality and economic recession were all more important talking points than music. Yes, the music industry took a huge hit as the gig economy was decimated, but focus switched, it seemed, to smaller moments of connection. I transitioned from a headphone commute and attending sporadic gigs to sneaking in listening whenever I could: around home-schooling my daughter, during car rides, on headphones before bed, or while working from home. Music has seemed simultaneously less important and more important than ever. As a result, I couldn’t get a clear sense of how the albums that meant the most to me in 2020 could be arranged in any kind of order, so here they are alphabetically.

Activity — Unmask Whoever (Western Vinyl)

Unmask Whoever by Activity

Arising from the ashes of the criminally underrated Grooms, Activity put out their debut early in the year, latching onto my subconscious with their bewitching blend of noise-rock and synth-pop. Imagine Sonic Youth wandering lost in a haunted forest and you’re on your way to getting a handle on this slippery beast.

Anjimile — Giver Taker (Father Daughter)

Giver Taker by Anjimile

This one caught me by surprise late in the year, mainly thanks to Jennifer Kelly’s review. Giver Taker brings together the sprightly melodic sensibility of Illinoise-era Sufjan Stevens and the rhythmic and vocal qualities of the sorely missed Wild Beasts. Short, sweet and amiably tuneful.

Fake Laugh — Dining Alone (State 51 Conspiracy)

Kam Khan not only has a way with a tune, he also has a subtle sense of humor. On Dining Alone, he’s evolved the power/guitar-pop of his fantastic self-titled debut into a more strident, synthesized sound that’s undercut by self-deprecating wordplay and sly instrumental details. Catchy as all hell.

Yves Jarvis — Sundry Rock Song Stock (Anti- / Flemish Eye)

Sundry Rock Song Stock by Yves Jarvis

I’d never heard any of this guy’s music before this year. Jean-Sébastien Audet creates gorgeously affecting psych-pop that unfolds like a half-remembered fever dream. Woozy, hazy and deeply beautiful.

King Krule — Man Alive! (XL)

Hard to articulate how music that is so gloriously warts-and-all ugly can be so satisfying, but Archy Marshall has done it with his new album. Smoky jazz, belligerent post-punk and stoned lo-fi are all stirred together into a murky and intoxicating soup.

Adrianne Lenker — Songs (4AD)

songs by Adrianne Lenker

Given my adoration of last year’s two Big Thief records, I was really looking forward to Adrianne Lenker’s new solo albums. Instrumentals missed the mark for me, but Songs really shines, Lenker mustering a moving suite of achingly intimate folk.

Loma — Don’t Shy Away (Sub Pop)

Don't Shy Away by LOMA

Loma’s self-titled debut was my favorite album of 2018, so this follow-up was eagerly awaited. It didn’t end up quite what I was hoping for, but Don’t Shy Away is deeply affecting and intricately crafted, nonetheless. Emily Cross’s voice is as bewitching as ever, this time set within a more varied collection of songs, venturing into art-pop as well as their more familiar folk-rock terrain.

Protomartyr — Ultimate Success Today (Domino)

Ultimate Success Today by Protomartyr

A new Protomartyr album is always cause for celebration here at Dusted, and Ultimate Success Today is up there among their best. This time around they’ve incorporated a wider instrumental palette, including woodwind and cello, while also, somehow, getting heavier, befitting a year in desperate need of catharsis.

Shabason, Krgovich & Harris — Philadelphia (Idée Fixe)

Philadelphia by Shabason, Krgovich & Harris

Remember the Neil Young song “Philadelphia” from the Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington movie of the same name? Joseph Shabason, Nicholas Krgovich and Chris Harris do, and their interpretation sets the tone of this lovely album: hushed, introspective, delicately beautiful.

Andrew Wasylyk — Fugitive Light and Themes of Consolation (Athens of the North)

Fugitive Light and Themes of Consolation by Andrew Wasylyk

This is the third album in a trilogy of gorgeous instrumental records from Andrew Mitchell (who also plays bass in rabble-rousers Idlewild). Though all three albums are good, this is probably the best of the three, bringing to mind the suave sci-fi lounge-pop of Air’s Moon Safari, the lush soundtracks of Sven Libaek, or Mogwai at their most restrained and minimal.

Honorable mentions (10 more in alphabetical order):

Alabaster DePlume — To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1 (International Anthem)

Any Kind — Peacock (self-released)

Autechre — Sign (Warp)

Ian William Craig — Red Sun Through Smoke (130701)

Sarah Davachi — Cantus, Descant (Late Music)

Claire Deak & Tony Dupe — The Old Capital (Lost Tribe Sound)

Lemon Quartet — Crestless (Last Resort)

Owen Pallett — Island (Domino)

Lyra Pramuk — Fountain (Bedroom Community)

Dean Roberts — Not Fire (Erstwhile)

[yesterdaysanswers]

“A lot of the bands would be taking drugs, but our big thing was food,” Djivas says. “The bands we were playing with would often stay at the same hotel, and would come over to our room, attracted by this great smell. We’d be cooking spaghetti, we’d have a little wine and all start singing. Aerosmith used to come to our room every night for spaghetti. Steven Tyler would be singing and laughing all the time. We used to do little theatre pieces in our room, where we did imitations of Elvis Presley and Sha Na Na, and they were having so much fun.

“The two brothers at Atlantic Records, Ahmet and Nesuhi [Ertegun], were big enemies at the time and hadn’t talked to each other in years.

But they got together one night on our floor, eating spaghetti with plastic forks and having a good time. And all the other people at Atlantic were freaking out. We had so many times like that. Girls would be going past our room: ‘Hello, is there a party over here?’”

PFM captured their blazing live shows of ’74 on Cook, released later that year. Recorded in Toronto and New York, and topped off with the 15-minute free jam Alta Loma 5 ’Till 9, it was titled Live In U.S.A. for the European market. The press junket for Cook, fittingly, was held at a top restaurant, where 200 invited guests were served risotto and pasta – made by Mussida and Di Cioccio – in the colours of the Italian flag.

(from Classic Rock magazine, May 2018)

[catilinas]

so my school got closed down until april 12 (cause corona) and i was wondering if you have any book recs that would be fun to pass the time with. I do have plenty to read (jane eyre, sula, some julian may sci fi) but none of them are quite grabbing me.

 SOME BOOKS:

the roma sub rosa series by steven saylor. detective stories set in the late roman republic, and there’s found family tropes and well written lgbt characters. also there are Lots of them

any poetry by w.s. graham! he makes words move in unexpected directions. “What are Communication’s / Mistakes in the magic medium doing / To us? It matters only in / So far as we want to be telling / Each other alive about each other / Alive.”

the rise of rome by kathryn lomas. one of my favourite books on roman history and it’s written surprisingly engagingly? fun facts about grave goods! the pyrgi tablets! you still won’t find out what the curiate assembly actually did though

nothing by janne teller, a book which Fucked Me Up a few years ago. it’s about a guy who climbs a tree and won’t come down until someone can convince him there is meaning in life. Things Progress From There

the air year by caroline bird. came out earlier this month and it slaps. we need to collectively appreciate caroline bird more

the phantom atlas by edward brooke-hitching. an atlas of places that aren’t real, but that people Thought were real at some point. i’m v hyped to read this Eventually!

any of this (very incomplete!) list of weird early modern plays about ancient rome. the history and fall of caius marius is genuinely hilarious just because of how odd it is, and catiline by george croly has sexy treason and gay jailbreak

i’ve almost finished moby-dick and ive been having an extremely good time with it,

[thanksforthedinosaur]

october 2020

[future funk / kawaii future bass] 1. サクラsakura-lee - nobody else 2. ev.exi - lovin' you 3. mikazuki bigwave - sakimashita bloomin'!! 4. cape coral - 707 hotline 5. skule toyama - smooth 6. tsundere alley - sns 7. macross 82-99 - melt 8. greyl - let me be with you 9. yaffle - lng, before 10. fusq - yeah! 11. yuca - my love 12. aika - superstar 13. yukiyanagi - love overdose 14. synthion - volt switch 15. isuka hino - dreamin' adventure!! 16. mameyudoufu - space age 17. getty - twist str3am 18. toriena - getting into a pose 19. rejection - around you 20. serph - part of your world 21. project skylate - paradise 22. ferst - sparkle 23. kirara magic - journey 24. nyarons - voyager 25. sanso nakamura - mirror mirror 26. hikaru station - omae wa mou 27. 80kidz - heat [electropop] 28. andreas amato - daylight 29. veela - one day 30. lydmor - doubt - kasperg remix 31. maaruo - same light 32. muna - bodies - tycho remix 33. fickle friends - what a time 34. terror jr - would it make you feel better? 35. brothertiger - cannonball [r&b / hip-hop] 36. shiro schwarz - no fear no shame 37. janine - laugh now cry later 38. deaton chris anthony - tuethday 39. saweetie - tap in 40. parisalexa - kit kat - remix 41. rico nasty - own it 42. sevyn streeter - hmu 43. tobi lou - endorphins 44. misogi - heart chained 45. dounia - sucked all the fun 46. nakala - bachata 47. yuna - invisible 48. [ k s r ] - passion 49. frex - don't wait 50. jamila woods - sula (hardcover) 51. olympia - windows 52. alicia keys,tierra whack - me x 7 53. daniela andrade - puddles 54. niki - plot twist [pop-ish] 55. shawn wasabi - medicine 56. fletcher - the one 57. lava la rue - g.o.y.d. 58. rituals of mine - heights 59. carlie hanson - ego 60. shygirl - freak 61. city girl - easy 62. breakup - feel with me 63. the aces - 801 64. ena mori - fall inlove! 65. christina grimmie - cry wolf 66. silver sphere - ghosts! 67. glades - crush 68. lany - good guys 69. carla morrison - ansiedad 70. sarah reeves - motions 71. sara diamond - great together 72. vanjess - come over 73. jaden - muted sunrise [lo-fi hip-hop] 74. goosetaf - tripwire (g mills & birocratic remix) 75. saib - beyond clouds 76. akisai - simplify your life 77. haruka nakamura - ria [ambient / electronic] 78. teen daze - peaceful groove 79. suzanne ciani - a sonic womb pt. 3 80. astropilot - the phantom 81. 36 - all possible states 82. fractal designs - seahorses 83. emily sprague - star gazing 84. totally enormous extinct dinosaurs - brockley 85. sarah davachi - still lives 86. kagami smile - dream whisperer 87. tengger - water [emo / indie rock] 88. sufjan stevens - run away with me 89. joan of arc - destiny revision 90. into it. over it. - hollow halos 91. overo - haunted by heat [acoustic / indie rock] 92. frances quinlan - the cactus 93. mxmtoon,carly rae jepsen - ok on your own (feat. carly rae jepsen) 94. waveform* - hello goodbye 95. lomelda - polyurethane 96. helena deland - truth nugget 97. adrianne lenker - anything 98. kacey johansing - i try 99. jenny owen youngs - teenage dream 100. luwten - full well 101. teddy<3 - sharkbait 102. fenne lily - to be a woman pt. 1 [dream pop / indie rock / pop rock] 103. kate lomas - die young 104. sad13 - good grief 105. hanna järver - kalmar slott 106. terry vs. tori - magic hour 107. widowspeak - even true love 108. bantug - dizzy 109. mint field - contingencia 110. beabadoobee - worth it 111. misty coast - in a million years 112. gulfer - heat wave 113. slow pulp - at it again 114. honeyblood - simulator [j-roc / j-pop / k-pop / etc] 115. んoon - amber - summer ver. 116. jizue - marten 117. lovely summer chan - more light 118. niji no conquistador - fancy friday night 119. penguinrush - 喫水 120. aimer - spark-again 121. city your city - summer alien 122. aimyon - marshmallow 123. 2tonedisco - shoelaces 124. aya a.k.a panda - i miss u 125. cifika - déjà vu 126. red velvet - milky way 127. fromis_9 - feel good (secret code) 128. t-ara - don't say no 129. clc - helicopter 130. perfume - time warp 131. twice - 21:29 - japanese ver. 132. fromm - aliens 133. saucy dog - film 134. lucky kilimanjaro - sauna song 135. plastic plastic - ร้อน 136. bbhf - tokenai mahou 137. radwimps - shinsekai 138. rina katahira - hoshizora* 139. ichiko aoba - seabed eden 140. lamp - -ending- night blue

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5t1vyoBDw4mE1ZuutQn3oh?si=kW_eQNM0RamW__9QUhbY9w

[dopescissorscashwagon]

#StevenLomas : WOW WOW WOW - It was well worth the 230 mile round trip to photograph The Heart of the Lake district this afternoon. @Ross_Hutchinson @JenBartram @DJIGlobal @BBCNEandCumbria @BBC_Cumbria @LakesCumbria

[lomatheband]

Facepalm alert: We've just learned that the first pressings of the Loma LP and CD are MISSING THE MUSICIAN CREDITS. Please rest assured we don't think this record played itself! Many thanks to everyone listed here, who will appear in every future pressing: Emily Lee - Piano, Violin, Harp Matt Schuessler - Bass, Synthesizer Colin Houlihan- Baritone Saxophone José Carlos Izquierdo- Trumpet Josh Balleza- Trombone Nolan Potter - Flute on “Ocotillo” Andrew Stevens - Drums on “Breaking Waves” Anastasia Wright - Additional Backing vocals on “Given a Sign” Jenn Wasner - Piano on “Ocotillo”, bass on “Homing” and “Breaking Waves” Brian Eno - Additional synths and drum programming on “Homing” (JM/DD/EC)

[stevenvenn]

Nifty 50 of 2020

Sorry I have been so absent lately. I have been busy making lists. Ha ha. Just in time for Christmas. My gift to you. The Nifty 50 of 2020. My Top 50 albums (arranged by listening style). It’s been a great year for music (if not much else). Happy holidays!

You can HEAR the list here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0m8pimfuQFwWFaJ9Bs4c3t?si=MQzVkW6vSsqRhJsA0KOSQA 

You can SEE the list (videos) here (select PLAY ALL): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqUMf7mP_mnPgF3ffBwFyb70E9oBd6ueF NIFTY 50 of 2020 (the list)   

01. Deep Sea Diver - Impossible Weight 02. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher 03. Squirrel Flower - I Was Born Swimming 04. Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud 05. Kevin Morby - Sundowner 06. Andy Shauf - Neon Skyline 07. Widowspeak - Plum 08. Bonny Light Horseman - s/t 09. Adrianne Lenker - songs 10. Damien Jurado - What’s New, Tomboy? 11. Cut Worms - Nobody Lives Here Anymore 12. Bill Callahan - Gold Record 13. Fenne Lily - Breach 14. Soccer Mommy - Color Theory 15. Hazel English - Wake UP! 16. The Beths - Jump Rope Gazers 17. Shopping - All Or Nothing 18. Wray - Stream of Youth/Blank World 19. bdrmm - Bedroom 20. Peel Dream Magazine - Agitprop Alterna 21. JARV IS… - Beyond the Pale 22. Idles - Ultra Mono 23. Fontaines D.C. - A Hero’s Death 24. Moaning - Uneasy Laughter 25. Cold Beat - Mother 26. Working Men’s Club - s/t 27. Nation of Language - Introduction, Presence 28. Sufjan Stevens - The Ascension 29. Half Waif - The Caretaker 30. Loma - Don’t Shy Away 31. Babeheaven - Home for Now 32. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia 33. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush 34. Yumi Zouma - Truth or Consequences 35. Washed Out - Purple Noon 36. Thundercat - It Is What It Is 37. SAULT - Untitled (Rise) 38. Caribou - Suddenly 39. BRONSON - s/t 40. Yppah - Sunset in the Deep End 41. Four Tet - Sixteen Oceans 42. Kelly Lee Owens - Inner Song 43. Gidge - New Light 44. Christian Löffler - Lys 45. Ólafur Arnalds - some kind of peace 46. Julianna Barwick - Healing Is a Miracle 47. Mary Lattimore - Silver Ladders 48. Noveller - Arrow 49. Warmth - Life 50. Loscil - coast/range/arc// 

[youcanblogifyouwantto]

Biff’s Year in Music

2020 what can I say… I feel like this meme summed up the first half of it pretty well.

https://cheezburger.com/12209157/ant-man-meme-gives-a-recap-of-all-the-horrors-of-2020-so-far

Then to top it off this last week my son developed a spontaneous pneumothorax which basically is a collapsing of his lung for no apparent reason other than he is a tall thin white adolescent. To make matters worse he is 18 and COVID is raging in all the hospitals.  Thankfully my wife is an RN and should have been a lawyer as she was able to argue her way into staying with him.  Good thing she did because one the doctors fucked up so bad she gave him another Pneumothorax by turning a valve a wrong way.  Needless to say it has been a very rough year and especially rough week for me and my family.  Music has been and always will be the only constant positive release for me.  2020 had some great music and being home for almost an entire year now has led to a lot of music consumption.  The only other thing I did almost as much as listen to music was drink and cook food to match what I was drinking.  I’ve always loved beer and wine and dabbled in Whiskey but this year was the year of the cocktail for me.  I would discover a new alcohol type and then plan crazy elaborate dinners that cocktail would either be an aperitif of digestif for. Fun yes, healthy? …That is yet to be determined. I did take up running again to counter the amount I was drinking and eating and I would say that I have consistently worked out more this year than any other year so my liver might be fucked but my heart and lungs are strong.

So to start it off, this year saw releases from some of my all-time favorite musicians that I found nice and good even but never clicked or haven’t yet.  I had been eagerly anticipating Matt Berninger’s solo release all year and I dig it but strangely not enough to return to it unless I purposely tell myself to.  The same goes for Bright Eyes, Real Estate, Sylavan Esso, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever minus Cars in Space (I played the shit out of that song), Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Car Seat Headrest, Dirty Projectors, Sufjan Stevens, Laura Marling (on first listen I thought easy top for the year then Fiona Apple came out and I haven’t returned to Laura Marling since), Damien Jurado, Jason Isbell, Neil Young (Homegrown had a special place in my heart for a month but again haven’t returned since August), Future Islands, Kevin Morby, and Busta Rhymes. All of these albums I do not hate or even dislike in fact some I liked a lot at first but just didn’t have staying power.  The following list are albums I loved that some stayed all year in rotation. Not in particular order but kinda like a Coachella poster if it’s near the top it’s one of my favorites of the year. I can be very longwinded on paper and very brief in person so I will try my antisocial tendencies to describe these albums. I will say for the most part the albums that hit this year are like comfort food music for my soul.

Waxahatchee  - St. Cloud – Home, comfort, introspective

Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher – Witty, production, great voice

Run The Jewels – RTJ4  - best running album ever. My favorite from these guys and best rap album I’ve heard in a while.

Jeff Tweedy – Love is the King. Maybe blasphemy but I like better than Warm. Perfect example of music comfort food. His biography is great too and so is the Summer teeth deluxe reissue.

Fleet Foxes – Shore – Beautiful, peaceful everything I needed from them and more. Side note Helplessness Blues was the first album review I ever wrote for ATR and I’m so glad I found those guys! Thank you for continuing the tradition.

Jeff Rosenstock – NO DREAM There was some good punk rock this year but this was the best also great running music. Rosenstock is now my go to for punk

Taylor Swift- Folk Lore- Story Telling, Sweater music, more music comfort food. And now Evermore continues the greatness. Dorothea might be my favorite track from both records. If you would have told me a Taylor Swift album would be in my tops for the year a couple of years ago I would have laughed you out of my face and now she has two albums in my tops. 2020 is one crazy year!

The Avalanches- We Will Always Love You- I’ve loved every single and was waiting for this to drop before posting this.  Well Worth the wait. I like it better than the Gorillaz release and that is saying a lot. It’s hard to have this many spot on features and keep a cohesive vibe! Johnny Marr meets MGMT is another need more of this collab.

Loma  - Don’t Shy Away- If 2020 could be articulated through music disorienting but also working from home has some perks. Good balance of weird and comfort

Adrienne Leckner – Songs- She writes great songs and performs them immaculately

Muzz- ST – The last show I went to before shutdown was Morrissey with Interpol opening and I forgot how much I love Bank’s voice.  This album is highly underrated in my opinion especially Evergreen.

Gorillaz –Song Machine – Best since Demon Days and Robert Smith/Damon Albarn Collab was never anything I thought I needed but now want more of. When Tony Allen died I went through a deep Tony Allen dive that was quite enjoyable. Great Drummer!

Dinner party – ST – The title explains it better than I can

Against All Logic – 2017-2019 – Kelly Lee Owens and this were the only electronica to stay all year both great running albums and If you can’t do it good do it hard is worth the price of admission alone

Hamilton Leithhauser- The Loves of your life- I love this man and I loved the walkmen. I feel he for me is like Frank Sinatra was for my mom. Not as sweet as a voice but can sing the hell out of a song.

Walter Martin – The world at Night- Another Walkmen member, this is another comfort food album it just feels right in my soul

Ka – Descendants Of Cain – Criminally underrated for too long this dude paints lyrical mood pictures like GZA.

Perfume Genius – Set My Heart On Fire Immediately – Beautiful Authentic Elegant

Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters  - Lyrically and sonically slays me. You have to like spoken word and weird rhythm texture but she nails both of those.

Bonny Light Horseman- ST – Great folk indie I just knew this was an album for me on first listen

Rose city band - Summerlong – Best new discovery, feeds my jam band meets indie soul

Strokes - The New Abnormal – I don’t know why this didn’t get more love? I loved it and The Adults are Talking is top five best Strokes songs.

Pinegrove- Marigold – More indie comfort food music

Bartees Strange – Live Forever – Second best new discovery. This dude is all over the place but in a good way. If you like this check out his singles where he covers many National songs.

Kelly Lee Owens – Inner Song- My Friend Antony described this better than I can at the current moment. Inner songs indeed.

The Killers – Imploding the Mirage- Most surprised album of the year, I’ve never been a big Killers fan but this one just wrapped it hooks inside me and didn’t let go all year

Young Jesus – Welcome to Conceptual Beach- Avant-garde or experimental music stretches me in ways that are very good for my soul and this one was such an album

My Morning Jacket – Waterfall II – Took a trip up to Humboldt in Early August and this was the soundtrack of the trip. Very much needed social distance return to nature vacation.

Hum- Inlet – I rocked out to this many a summer early fall evening sitting on my dock fishing and drinking beer.

Haim- Women in Music Pt. III – Best Haim yet and yes they are maturing into great song writers

Nation of Language- Introduction, Presence – Third best new discovery.. My friend Spencer at Shadows and Noise (a blog I’ve contributed to on occasion) accurately describes this album nicely. My wife loves Depeche Mode, New Order, and Erasure so this album is a new version of that genre that she and I can love together.

Coriky- ST – Half of Fugazi with a female drummer that sounds like classic Sleater Kinney in fact Fugazi meets Sleater Kinney is how I would describe this and that can’t be wrong!

EP’s Singles

James Blake- Before (Great marriage of his old and new)

Kruangbin & Leon Bridges- Texas Sun

Local Natives – Sour Lemon

Radio Dept – The Absence of Birds

Leon Bridges – Sweeter

Tom Berlin – Projections

Father John Misty – To S/ To R

Rostam- Unfold you

 Mank is one of the only great movies of 2020!

[musicimlistening2]

5/31/17

[champnetx]

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