#THEE DRUMMER EVER

[tonguetyd]

ii’s staredown and adamross’s camera: name a more lethal combo. (Spoiler, you can’t)

[lifemod17]

Hi, I'm unwell, nice to meet you!

'The Offering' breakdown on Drumeo

[tonguetyd]

@lifemod17

footage of me trying to describe how amazing ii’s drum parts are:

[tsukuhoe]

ETC

note: these characters WILL NOT be considered as any of the love interests

yuji itadori (17) - your cute producer’s little brother who happens to be the lead singer in the band called “cursed spirts”! jennifer lawrence and megan thee stallion enthusiast. also a very big fan of yours (please give this boy an autograph) 

megumi fushiguro (17) - guitarist for cursed spirts and toji fushiguro’s son. gets called a “nepo baby” all the time ugh! he’s so done with everyone and everything… please help this poor boy. 

toge inumaki (19) - self-proclaimed “fortnite king” who also happens to be the drummer for cursed spirts. unfortunately has a hesitation speech disfluency, but he still can communicate just fine! 

yuta okkotsu (19) - bassist and the only “responsible” member. cares for every one of his bandmates ever so dearly. huge fan of geto’s music and was absolutely devastated when he announced his hiatus. 

nobara kugisaki (18) - instagram fashion blogger! friends with the band. adores your aesthetic and clothing. though you two haven’t formally met (yet), she believes you two would become best friends. 

maki zenin (19) - the hot girl that often appears in nobara’s daily blogs. affiliated with zenin crop (not by choice) due to family connections. proud man hater & girl kisser. 

MASTERLIST.

[black-arcana]

SPIRITBOX Reunites With MEGAN THEE STALLION For 'Tyg' Song

In an electrifying and unexpected new collaboration, Grammy-nominated heavy music trailblazers SPIRITBOX have joined forces once again with global hip-hop powerhouse Megan Thee Stallion for her latest project, "Megan: Act II". Produced by Bankroll Got It, Dan Braunstein, Mike Stringer (SPIRITBOX) and Shawn "Source" Jarrett, "TYG" showcases Megan's hard-hitting verses fused with SPIRITBOX's signature dynamic production and explosive riffs.

This marks the band's second team-up with the Houston icon, following the successful rock remix of Megan's hit single "Cobra", which made waves earlier this year. The collaboration was hailed as adding a "booming, reverb-drenched cascade of arena rock attitude" by Billboard, and "an extra layer of edge to the vulnerable track" by BET.

Joining Megan's highly anticipated project are other exciting features, including Flo Milli, RM of BTS and TWICE, further solidifying "Megan: Act II" as a groundbreaking moment in music. Fans of both SPIRITBOX and Megan can look forward to an unforgettable mix of heavy and hip-hop sounds on "TYG", which pushes boundaries and proves that the most unexpected partnerships can yield the most exhilarating results.

Most recently, SPIRITBOX released their newest single "Soft Spine", a standout track showcasing their evolving sound. The band is currently thrilling fans nationwide as part of KORN's 30th-anniversary tour, further cementing their reputation as one of metal's most dynamic and innovative forces.

For many artists, a meteoric rise can often mean a sudden plateau. However, for Grammy-nominated progressive heavy metal mainstays SPIRITBOX, there appears to be no end in sight on their near-constant ascent to the top. Formed in 2017 in the picturesque yet isolated region of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada by vocalist Courtney Laplante and guitarist Mike Stringer, SPIRITBOX would fully cement themselves as a household name in the summer of 2020 with the release of their blistering breakout single "Holy Roller", along with a host of other captivating singles shortly after, resulting in a media firestorm of hype.

With new and existing fans eagerly watching their next move, SPIRITBOX exceeded every expectation imaginable in 2021 with the release of their genre-defining debut studio album "Eternal Blue" via Pale Chord/Rise Records. "Eternal Blue", which debuted at #13 on the Billboard 200, kicked open the doors of the heavy metal scene and rewrote the genre's playbook with 12 stunning tracks that incorporated everything from djent and post-metal to infectious synth-laden pop sensibilities and cinematic arrangements, brought fully to life by the inimitable Laplante's ethereal and commanding vocal performances.

The album cycle for "Eternal Blue" saw SPIRITBOX not only grace the covers of esteemed music publications such as Revolver, Alternative Press, Rock Sound and Kerrang!, among many others but would also solidify the band as one of the most in-demand groups in live music today with their one-hundred percent sold out, first-ever headlining tour in support of the album which saw ticket sales over 40,000. The band would also share the stage with seasoned metal veterans such as LIMP BIZKIT and GHOST and win "Best International Breakthrough Band" at the 2021 Heavy Music Awards.

In 2022, SPIRITBOX secured highly-coveted spots at numerous major U.S. rock and metal festivals and were nominated for two JUNO Awards, respectively. SPIRITBOX would also round out their current lineup with the inclusion of drummer Zev Rose and bassist Josh Gilbert in addition to releasing their sonically experimental EP "Rotoscope" in June of that year as well as a cross-genre collaboration with dubstep artist Illenium for the track "Shivering".

During another whirlwind year for the band, including a U.S. tour with SHINEDOWN and PAPA ROACH, SPIRITBOX wrote and recorded their critically acclaimed EP, "The Fear Of Fear", released in November 2023. The EP features the single "Jaded", which was nominated for "Best Metal Performance" at the 66th annual Grammy Awards. In the same month, the band would make another genre-bending splash with a high-profile collaboration with rapper Megan Thee Stallion for a remix of her song "Cobra".

Photo credit: Jonathan Weiner

[tonguetyd]

Can I add this one from ig because. Like let’s all be crazy about hands 😂

from their FB page

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Sonic Youth - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands, August 30, 2004

What's my poison? I guess it's Sonic Youth bootlegs. For perhaps the finest live representation of the band in 2004, get thee to the superb Asheville recording on Bandcamp. But this SBD/AUD matrix from a few weeks later in Amsterdam is a treat as well. The setlist includes most of Sonic Nurse, an album that may well be the peak of the O'Rourke Years. Beautifully recorded, sleek tones, sculpted feedback. As I mentioned last week, I think the only song I don't really love is "Mariah Carey and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream" ... but I have to give it up for Kim Gordon's song-closing howl at the end of it on this particular evening.

The other Nurse jams are even better, from the enveloping mists of "I Love You Golden Blue" (a fantastically moody opener) to the crisp interplay of "Stones" to Lee's fantastic showcase "Paper Cup Exit." "It's later than it seems," he sings ominously. And yeah, it is. I also dig the Jim/Lee/Thurston trade-off solos on "Unmade Bed" — a rawk move for sure, but it works. (Is that song the closest they ever got to writing an actual Tom Petty song?) The highlight is the 13-minute rendition of "New Hampshire," which rises out of "Teenage Riot." Over rippling guitar noise, Steve Shelley kicks off a sweet motorik groove that stays remarkably steadfast and strong; Steve would go on to play with Michael Rother a couple years later — if Rother ever asked the drummer for proof of his skills, he could've just played this for him.

The encore is a monster, too, with "Pacific Coast Highway" crashing hellishly into the rocks (Kim breaks out the trumpet for the middle section, a rad addition) and an appropriately epic "Expressway To Yr Skull," stretching out to about 19 minutes. Forget the famed space cake — all you would've needed to get supremely high in Amsterdam that night is to ride this mystery train. Stay as long as you think you should.

[toxicsludgeyaoi]

Toxic Sludge Yaoi Tournament: Polyklok (Metalocalyplse) Vs Stannarrator (The Stanley Parable)

(The link provided for Polyklok did not work and no image was provided for Stannarrator. Vote for whichever you like more.)

Propaganda under cut. Note: spoilers for these medias may be below.

Polyklok propaganda

"They are the worst men you've ever seen and their manager. In the biggest deathmetal band in the world (Dethklok). Save the world or whatever. They are genuinely bad people not in a sexy way. You have 1. autistic guy just tryin to be normal and dark 2. cute EXTREMELY traumatized guy 3. alcoholic transmasc bi swag 4. He canon eats hotdogs in a closet after saying how gay it is 5. sex addict?? absent father to 100s-1000s of kids?? hell yeah 6. he's thee manager and just wants to protect His Boys. They fuel each others addictions and sue each other and have the most emotional found family somehow but at the end of the day they cuddle <3 (in the morning they will be dicks to each other)

The show also has an episode featuring gay nsfw fanart of them so yeah"

Stannarrator propaganda

""aww they're so cute together!" WRONG narrator makes stanley die or otherwise tortures him in several endings. stanley has no way out of this cycle other than the player (YOU!!) closing the game and never opening it ever again"

[tonguetyd]

GOOD MORNING II TOKEN HAPPY IISDAY ON WEDNESDAY TO YOU!!!

[musicblogwales]

Frankie and the Witch Fingers - Futurephobic (Official Video)

Los Angeles psych-punk quartet Frankie and the Witch Fingers have shared new track “Futurephobic” alongside an official video. The song is taken from their seventh studio album Data Doom, due September 1 via The Reverberation Appreciation Society / Greenway Records. FLOOD Magazine gave the video an early debut, describing it as “in line with the album title’s vintage dystopian sci-fi connotations, swapping weed-smoke riffs for frigid new wave pulses and staccato vocal deliveries.”

“The main riff was an idea we came up with during the writing process for our album Monsters Eating People Eating Monsters… but we kept it in our back pockets, as it wasn’t quite fitting in with the theme of that album,” the band explains. “When we started writing Data Doom, it reemerged very organically and everyone latched onto the idea surprisingly fast and ran with it. We expanded on the main riff and came up with the other parts and overall arrangement while writing with our new lineup in our studio in LA. The whole process went surprisingly smoothly. We added backing vocals and overdubs while on tour last year in Europe, doing all the passes to complete the song from various apart-hotels, attics in France and Amsterdam.”

Though they’re currently in the midst of a massive trek across Europe, the band recently announced an extensive run of headline U.S. tour dates for this fall, which include performances at such esteemed venues as Warsaw in Brooklyn and The Troubadour in Los Angeles. See below for the full list of currently-announced dates.

Through six progressively expansive albums, innumerable live dates on an ever-expanding list of continents, and performances with the likes of Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall, Cheap Trick, ZZ Top and more (to say nothing of their impressive headline dates), Frankie and the Witch Fingers have earned their throngs of global fans with their ecstatically wild live shows and layered, visionary recordings. With Data Doom, the band is poised to welcome even more uninitiated into the fold – it’s their most eclectic work yet, while remaining undeniably cohesive, and they’re supporting it with the biggest headline shows they’ve ever played. 

Over the past decade Frankie and the Witch Fingers have operated as an outright force of nature, offering up a revelatory form of psych-rock that hits on both a primal and ecstatically mind-bending level. In the making of their new album Data Doom, the Los Angeles-based four-piece forged a sublimely galvanizing sound informed by their love of Afrobeat and proto-punk—a potent vessel for their frenetic meditations on technological change run rampant, encroaching fascism, and corrosive systems of power. Animated by the explosive energy they’ve brought to the stage in sharing bills with such eclectic acts as Ty Segall and ZZ Top, the result is a major leap forward for one of the most adventurous and forward-thinking bands working today. 

Rooted in the cerebral yet viscerally commanding songwriting of co-founders Dylan Sizemore (vocals, guitar) and Josh Menashe (lead guitar, synth), Data Doom marks the first Frankie and the Witch Fingers album created with bassist Nikki “Pickle” Smith (formerly of Death Valley Girls) and drummer Nick Aguilar (previously a touring drummer for punk legend Mike Watt). In crafting their most rhythmically complex work to date, the band drew heavily from each new member’s distinct sensibilities: Smith tapped into her extensive background in West African drumming (an art form she first discovered thanks to her music-instructor parents), while Aguilar leaned into formative influences like longtime Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen. Self-produced by the DIY-minded band and recorded direct to tape by Menashe, Data Doom ultimately took shape through countless sessions in their Southeast L.A. rehearsal space, with Frankie and the Witch Fingers allowing themselves unlimited time to explore their most magnificently strange impulses.

Once again showcasing the expansive and fantastically eccentric musicality of past efforts like 2020’s Monsters Eating People Eating Monsters..., Data Doom encompasses nine high-wattage songs constructed with both dizzying intricacy and unfettered imagination. On “Mild Davis,” for instance, the band shares a gloriously spaced-out track inspired by a piece from Miles Davis’s early-’70s electric period, cycling through a vast whirlwind of rhythms and textures and wildly spellbinding guitar parts. “We worked on that for two weeks straight, puzzle-piecing together different parts into one very weird and stream-of-consciousness song that’s mostly in a 7/4 time signature,” Menashe recalls. Meanwhile, Sizemore’s lyrics shift between savagely despairing the state of the world and resolutely dreaming of a brighter future. “I wrote the lyrics to ‘Mild Davis' in a moment of feeling pessimistic about what technology is doing to our society, especially as AI is creeping to the forefront more and more,” says Sizemore. “But then the bridge comes from a more optimistic perspective, where it’s questioning whether we could reboot the whole system and start all over.”

After opening on the epic majesty of “Empire,” Data Doom launches into the first song the band’s new lineup wrote together: “Burn Me Down,” an irresistibly jittery track that perfectly encapsulates the album’s transcendent collision of blistering riffs and polyrhythmic grooves. On “Electricide,” Frankie and the Witch Fingers unleash the LP’s most unabashedly punk offering, a bombastic rallying cry built on Aguilar’s breakneck drumming. One of several songs featuring Menashe on sax, “Syster System” slips into a hypnotically fluid tempo as Frankie and the Witch Fingers muse on the possibilities of partnership culture (a concept introduced by futurist Riane Eisler in her seminal book The Chalice and the Blade). “Riane Eisler talks about how our society has a very masculine energy that manifests as the need to exert power, which she refers to as dominator culture,” Sizemore explains. “The alternative to that is partnership culture, which has a feminine energy that’s more symbiotic with nature. The idea behind ‘Syster System’ is that if we could bring that energy into technology, it could help make everything more harmonious.” And on “Political Cannibalism,” Data Doom closes out with a dance-ready anti-anthem stacked with so many loopy details, such as a warped and otherworldly guitar part Menashe spontaneously composed in an attic in France.

To create the cover art for Data Doom (a co-release from Greenway Records and the Reverberation Appreciation Society), Frankie and the Witch Fingers reached out to Italian illustrator Carlo Schievano and UK-based graphic designer Jordan Warren, who then joined forces in assembling an elaborate mixed-media piece complete with its own language system and accompanying decoder. “It was really fascinating to see two different artistic voices working together to make something so unique, with all these hidden elements for people to figure out,” says Smith. Not only an echo of the album’s endlessly immersive quality, Data Doom’s visual component reflects the band’s devotion to unbridled collaboration in all aspects of the creative process. “There was no pressure and no real time constraint for this record, and because of that the creativity flowed in a very free way that probably wouldn’t have happened if we’d been on the clock in a studio,” says Sizemore. “It showed us that the more we take the time to communicate and share our ideas with each other, the more it feeds our creative energy and helps us to make something we’re all really excited about.”

[ausetkmt]

Samara Joy’s Voice (and Social Media) Is Helping Jazz Find Fresh Ears - The New York Times

"Samara Joy was kicking off an encore engagement at New York’s storied Blue Note club in November, just days before her 23rd birthday, when sparks began to fly.

“It was my first set, and I was in the middle of telling a story,” she recounted a few weeks later. “I was building up this whole scenario that was going to get me into the song, and then I closed my eyes — and when I opened them, five seconds later, there was all this smoke coming up.” (A woman seated by the stage got a bit too close to a flickering candle; the fire was swiftly extinguished.)

“Nothing like that had ever happened to me before,” Joy said, giggling softly. Just a week later, she had another, more traditional first, picking up two Grammy nominations for “Linger Awhile,” her second album and Verve Records debut. The album teams her with noted musicians — the guitarist Pasquale Grasso, the pianist Ben Paterson, the bassist David Wong and the drummer Kenny Washington — on standards including Monk’s “‘Round Midnight” and Gershwin’s “Someone to Watch Over Me.”

Best Jazz Albums of 2022

Joy, a Bronx native who’s currently based in Washington Heights, goes by her first and middle name (her surname is McLendon). She will compete in February for best jazz vocal album and best new artist — a field in which recent winners have included ubiquitous stars such as Olivia Rodrigo, Megan Thee Stallion and Billie Eilish.

"

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/12/arts/music/samara-joy-linger-awhile.html#:~:text=Samara%20Joy%20was,the%20main%20story

[whatsonmedia]

Megan Thee Stallion | Israel-Hamas War| The Brazil-Musk Feud| Alan White

Megan Thee Stallion teams up with BTS’ RM for their first-ever collaboration "Neva Play," thrilling fans worldwide. Meanwhile, Israel faces massive protests after the tragic death of six hostages in Gaza, intensifying calls for a ceasefire. In Brazil, the feud with Elon Musk escalates as the Supreme Court suspends X for defying orders, leading UK Labour MPs to leave the platform over concerns of hate and disinformation. Oasis fans are excited as former drummer Alan White hints at joining the band's 2025 reunion tour. Stay updated with these major global events and trending stories.

[screamingforyears]

IN A MINUTE:

A NEW MUSIC ROUND_UP…

@armlock444 are here w/ “GUARDIAN,” the second single from their forthcoming LP titled ‘Seashell Angel Lucky Charm’ (7/12 @runforcover) & it finds the Melbourne-based duo of Simon Lam & Hamish Mitchell “looking around at life in the present for answers” across 3 ½ moodily minimal & post-EMO’d mins.

“MOB DLA” is the first taste of @highvis’ forthcoming LP (TBA @daisrecords) & it finds the London-based outfit of Graham Sayle, Edward “Ski” Harper, Martin MacNamara, Rob Hammeren & Rob Moss stumping for the marginalized across 2 ½ mins that seamlessly marries their kinetic brand of street punk energy/mentality.

“KILLDOZER” is the lead single from @mercury_tracer’s forthcoming LP titled ‘No Depression In Heaven’ (9/6 @theflenser) & it finds singer/songwriter Madeleine Johnson’s New Mexico-based project deploying its “Heaven Metal😭🦇🕊️𝓟𝓐𝓘𝓝” ethos across a sub-4 min slice of spaciously textured DreamPopGaze.

@nailstyranny are here w/ “IMPOSING WILL,” the lead single/track from their forthcoming @godcitymusic produced LP titled ‘Every Bridge Burning’ (8/30 @nuclearblastrecords) & it finds Todd Jones’ resurrected project, newly rounded out here by Ulthar guitarist Shelby Lermo, Despise You bassist Andrew Solis & Warbringer drummer Carlos Cruz setting the tone across 82 brutally scorched seconds.

“CASSIUS, BRUTUS & JUDAS” is the lead single from OSEES’ forthcoming LP titled ‘SORCS 80’ (8/9 @castlefacerecs) & it finds sampler effects vocalist John Dwyer’s ever evolving LA-based project, rounded out here by Tom Dolas (sampler/effects), Tim Hellman (bass), Dan Rincon (drums), Paul Quattrone (drums), Cansafis Foote (baritone sax) & Brad Caulkins (tenor sax) waxing upon “fear, greed & cowardice” across a skronky 2:47 clip of gonzo’d KrautSynthTrash.

[mymanyfandomramblings]

Gleecap 5x04--A Katy Or A Gaga

(and yes, I skipped reviewing The Quarterback for reasons that I believe are thoroughly obvious)

I like the sheer ridiculous mayhem in the choir room when Will walks in

NOOOOO! WHYYYYY GOD!--tina, you will always be iconic

So Throat Explosion is basically Vocal Adrenaline, but from Indiana. Good to know.

Sam geeking out at Penny is so funny and sweet to me

Sam is showing shades of Puck here in his rant at Blaine

Kitty has secret access to the fourth wall, I am forced to suspect

Becky Jackson, you will always be iconic to me

I love that "I would not be embarrassed to share the stage with you" is Santana's way of saying 'that was incredible'

Come on, Kurt, don't be the worst

Bree is scheming--unsurprising.

I feel like the writers have upped Marley's wholesomeness to like, a million percent for this

Sam is every person who has ever tried to plan something with friends right now

Becky has no time for Sam's utter insanity

Yes, Rach! Give the pep talk!

I do appreciate that Jake is trying to go along with Marley, and isn't trying to fight her on this or anything. He's a sweetheart.

Bree--I hate you. Well, it's nice to see that Jake and Marley trust each other. We'll see how that goes.

Sam's video is deeply bizarre

I love him defending his edginess

The Gagas need to tone it down--although the giant plastic bags of amniotic fluid idea is quite funny

Kitty's Bree impersonation is both hilarious and accurate

Unique's rant is amazing! I love Unique

Sam's voice sounded incredible in Applause.

Now listen, I don't think Marley should have had to wear a bikini, but she could have gone with some Gaga outfit that was less revealing but fit the aesthetic better

The Gagas are so dramatic, their arguments are hilarious

"I tried breakin' into the zoo! Turns out Lima doesn't have a zoo!"

Kitty's face in this scene is amazing

Jake licking his hand and using it to fix his hair is nothing if not hilarious. COMMIT TO THE BIT

Yes, Kurt, have a change of heart!

I feel like Sam is just changing to be whoever he needs to be to make relationships work

The Gagas actually sound really good singing together

Marley has THEE cutest smile known to mankind

Jake--stop it. I like you, but you need to shut up now

JAKE. NO.

So, Rachel is now joining the band. Which now has a name

I love them all lounging around in the choir room in their weird outfits. It's bringing back Theatricality vibes

'hellow glee club' I love how Sue said that

'yet again. it is brung.' Jane Lynch's delivery really went OFF this episode

Alright, the Roar performance is officially the weirdest thing they've done.

Dani's vocals are incredible!!

Also, if they couldn't find anyone to audition, where did the bassist, drummer and keyboardist come from?

[brn1029]

On this date in REAL music history…none of the Megan thee stallion crap…..

August 24th

2021 - Charlie Watts

English musician Charlie Watts died at a London hospital at the age of 80. Originally trained as a graphic artist, Watts developed an interest in jazz at a young age and joined the band Blues Incorporated. He also started playing drums in London's rhythm and blues clubs, where he met future band mates Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Brian Jones. In January 1963, he left Blues Incorporated and joined the Rolling Stones as drummer and remained with the group for 58 years.

1998 - Gene Page

Producer Gene Page died after a long illness. Worked with Barbra Streisand, Barry White, The Righteous Brothers, Dobie Gray, Bob and Earl. Produced Whitney Houston's 'Greatest Love of All' and Roberta Flack's 'Tonight I Celebrate My Love.'

1991 - Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz was at No.2 in the US singles chart with 'It Ain't Over Till It's Over', held off the No.1 position by Bryan Adams '(Everything I Do), I Do It for You'.

1990 - Judas Priest

Judas Priest successfully defended themselves against a lawsuit, after two fans attempted suicide while listening to the Stained Class album. Both fans eventually died, one immediately from a shotgun blast, and the other on a second attempt three years later by a methadone overdose. The prosecution claimed that there were subliminal messages in the group’s music that caused the two seventeen year olds to carry out the suicide pact in 1985.

1989 - The Who

The Who performed Tommy at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles with special guests Steve Winwood, Elton John, Phil Collins, Patti LaBelle and Billy Idol.

1985 - Huey Lewis and the News

Huey Lewis and the News started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'The Power Of Love', as featured in the movie Back To The Future.

1983 - Jerry Lee Lewis

The fifth wife of Jerry Lee Lewis, Shawn Michelle Stevens was found dead at their Mississippi home of a methadone overdose. They had been married less than three months. Jerry Lee would marry again in 1984 to 22 year-old Kerrie McCarver, but divorce in 2004.

1981 - Mark Chapman

Mark Chapman was given a 20 year jail sentence for the murder of John Lennon. The 25 year old had shot Lennon five times at close range on December 8th, 1980 in front of The Dakota apartment building in New York City. Over the next few months, Chapman would claim many times to have been beaten by fellow inmates, some of whom allegedly tried to kill him.

1975 - Queen

Queen started recording 'Bohemian Rhapsody' at Rockfield studio's in Monmouth, Wales, (the song was recorded over three weeks). Freddie Mercury had mentally prepared the song beforehand and directed the band throughout the sessions. May, Mercury, and Taylor sang their vocal parts continually for ten to twelve hours a day, resulting in 180 separate overdubs.

1967 - Bruce Springsteen

17-year old singer and guitarist Bruce Springsteen joined a group called Earth.

1966 - The Doors

The Doors started recording their first album at Sunset Sound Recording Studios, West Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California.

1963 - Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder became the first artist ever to score a US No.1 album and single in the same week. Wonder was at No.1 on the album chart with 'Little Stevie Wonder / The 12 Year Old Genius' and had the No.1 single 'Fingertips part 2'. This was also the first ever live recording to make No.1.

1959 - Rock 'n' Roll

In the US, a headline in Billboard magazine read, "Rock and Roll Ain't Ready For The Ol' Rockin' Chair Yet." The story stated that Rock 'n' Roll was losing popularity a year ago, but the record buyers now like Elvis Presley, Lloyd Price and Fats Domino along with newcomers, The Everly Brothers, The Drifters and Ricky Nelson.

(AND IT STILL AINT READY FOR THE ROCKIN’ CHAIR…)

🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[tanetlee]

Kamil's story

The funicular ride I took uphill brought me to the place known as [Kali’s] Garden of [Eden], where wild roses grow and every single bush bears sixty blooms, with the sweetest scent of any flowers anywhere [1].  On my way up, the hustle and bustle of the city below grew fainter and the sumptuous greenery of the surrounding hillsides came into view.

In front of my eyes was a garden, and what a garden [2]! Beautiful pictures [of] herbaceous lupins, pink, yellow, mauve, and other colours, [...]; myosotis [...], giving spring carpets of their precious blue in bulb and other beds; giant pansies, white, primrose, mauve, purple, and other shades; [...] perennial poppies of the orientale and bracteatum types, having giant flower stems [...]; double and single giant pyrethrums, having [...] masses of beautiful flowers; scarlet, white, pink, purple and rose Brompton stocks [3]. The air heavy with the delicate scent of pink blooms of hibiscus and orchids, springs of joy murmur on every side [4]. Butterflies fluttering daintily from bloom to bloom, their wings a riot of vibrant hues. Soft, velvety moss growing luxuriantly around majestic trees with sprawling canopies. The garden’s flowers breathed perfume and its birds warbled amid the bloom as it were a garden of the gardens of Paradise [2]. This garden [did] not whet your appetite; it quenche[d] it [5].

As I lingered, marvelling at the kaleidoscope of colours that surrounded me, I could discern a soft melody in the distance. And behold, up came dancers and drummers with their drums and pipers with their pipes, [...] and played all manner antics with voice and limbs [6]. The placid serenity from moments prior had suddenly bloomed into a symphony above [the branches], a beating of drums below [the moss], dances, joyous faces [...], songs, [...] and frank laughter [7]. All gathered by a field which stretched to the brink of a brusque cliff. As the crowd stood motionless, the stillness broken only to the gentle flutter of dragonfly wings, moments stretched into minutes. Finally, a delicate silhouette ascended the stairs leading up the cliff face.

‘Who is she?’, I asked my neighbour.

‘Newcomer I see’ he said, ‘You have been in Eden, the garden of [the] God[s][8], Kali and Apollo. You have joined to meet the oracle, Ewa. Now observe and talk not’.

It all made sense. Hence [faces] splendid with both [smile] and [laughter]; [...] hence the zither and lyre and drums [9]. Hence the dances and cheering.

The oracle’s eyes, dark and deep as a starless night, observed the masses with a calm intensity that belied the seriousness of her task. As her body swayed slightly, behind her, her long robes flowed in the wind. And then, a powerful voice bloomed from her lips:

‘[Kali and Apollo are] wise [11], so pray to the Winds [10]’ she spoke, ‘They will prove to be mighty allies of [Krakow] [10]. [Jack] is wiser [11], so, love of money and nothing else will ruin [Krakow] [12]. But of all men [you are] wisest [11], so make your own nature, not the advise of others, your guide in life [13]. Also the dragon, earthborn, in craftiness coming behind thee [14]. Your presence here outrages the God[s] [15] who offended you. Don’t go back, matricide [15]! The names Shiva, Argus and Pinterest mark the hour of your downfall [15]!’.

Ewa’s words rang out across the garden, her voice carrying the weight of the prophecy. The crowd listened in rapt attention, knowing that her words carried the authority of the divine.

She turned around and vanished down the face of the cliff. My neighbour, much like everyone else around me, seemed to have heared the true answer to [their] question [16], a question that only those of Krakow appeared to have pondered.

As I retraced my steps towards the city, I knew I had visited the Garden of Eden upon the earth, birth place of the fairies: I will never forget thy beauties, O [Krakow], for none but thee will I ever long:— Blessed be the wonders that glitter on thy [meadows] [6].

[1] Herodotus, The Histories

[2] The Book of the Thousand and One Nights

[3] Gothein, A History of Garden Art

[4] Wollstonecraft, Complete Works

[5] Seneca, Complete Works

[6] The Book of the Thousand and One Nights Supplementary Nights

[7] Hugo, Les Misérables

[8] Augustine, The City of God

[9] Melanchthon Bucer, Collected Works

[10] Macaulay, G. C., Herodotus Book VII

[11] Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy and Other Writings

[12] Diodorus VII.12.5

[13] Ciero

[14] Plutarch, On the Pythian Responses

[15] Markville History, World History to 16th Century

[16] Aquinas, Summa Theologica