#Tuff London

[bandcampsnoop]

6/27/23.

Firestations are a London based band who have been making music for around 10 years. "Thick Terrain" (original title was going to be "Ick Terrain". I think that's a great title for a record.

Firestations recall the kind of indie rock championed by bands like The Delgados. But their synth sounds and melodies also remind me a bit of Grandaddy.

Lost Map Records (it looks like we posted about the label way back in February 2015) is releasing this. The label is based on the Isle of Eigg off the western coast of Scotland. They've been associated with a diverse group of bands including Randolph's Leap and Tuff Love.

[myfuneralismytimetoshine]

Storytime!

8-7 years ago I had this HUGE crush on Shawn Mendes bc I was young and he was nice, cute, a musician and from Canada... So yeah. The point is that while I had this crush it's when I realised I was a teenager bc I cried everytime someone talked to me about him and got excited when he posted ANYTHING on social media; a picture of a Cat? AWESOME. His sister and him doing a musical.ly? THE BEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE

Now, how do you know you are not a teen anymore? When this same man posts a shirtless picture of himself and you just like it and move on like nothing happened. That's real growth right there.

But naaah, bc now I just have a different type and I'm currently obsessing over other people 💅

Good news is... I dont cry while talking about them anymore, that's a change

[insidecroydon]

Perry's Facebook group hosted video by Islamophobic 'comic'

EXCLUSIVE: A secretive Facebook group which has policing minister Chris Philp among its members and where the Mayor of Croydon is an administrator has been sharing content from a far-right mate of the EDL’s Tommy Robinson. By STEVEN DOWNES Far right: the content being allowed on Mayor Perry’s Facebook group is becoming more extreme The secretive Facebook group set up by Croydon’s Tory Mayor Jason…

[house-of-mirrors]

I don't think I can coherently share my reactions to the Martyr-King's Cup

(I'm not done yet, just stopped playing today at the point right before going to the Blue Kingdom, nobody mention how it ends thanks)

aaaaaaaaaaaaa (major sskies spoilers under the cut)

The crew watching the Captain be seized by a higher power. Falling under the spell of moonlight. Dragging everyone across the far reaches of the skies on a "quest" for bits of garbage and a broken painting, which by all accounts seems like they've gone mad, but then there's a real magic sword and you use it! You use it to slay the monster lurking in the clock tower.

(which I strongly suspect was Veils, cmon, bat-winged beast glutted on thousands of years of violence. And additionally on that bullet point, AAAAA compared to the amount of painful preparation you have to do in BAL, which doesn't even fully work, versus here in skies you have a sword that was used to end the reign of a judgement - it's such a stark difference in power).

I'm also... emotional at the idea of the Hoarder watching the Captain slipping from reality. It watches them kill who might be Veils and revel in the triumph. Apples and Veils were allies in Old London. What must it be thinking... It refuses to let the Captain near after that incident, not till this issue is resolved. They're unstable and unpredictable right now and what if they think it's a monster next? It has to protect the babies. 😭 I didn't expect to get angst arc in their relationship and yet.........

ANYWAY back to game, the sword is called the Minute to Midnight, which only makes me think of December despite the context of the weapon's use.

The Arthurian quest is masterfully done. I feel like I'm back in my Brit lit college course, and also the Renaissance fair.

The delightful insanity. The inherent eroticism of a powerful being manipulating you 😳 and the writing is so damn funny. The simple mental image of the crew and officers reacting is too much. (Also! The ambition integrates your officers' presence which doesn't happen often! Yay!) The butter knife stabbed into the table instead of a sword. Something about me is that my physical shows of emotion tend to be muted but I've been laughing out loud the whole time. Most excellent.

Then again, my response to horror is also to laugh :)

I'm playing through full embrace of moonlight this time. Strongly get the sense this is going to lead to a bad ending for me but what can I say, I chose what looked cool at the time.

But I intend to immediately restart it and play with no moonlight, because the story is told in a vastly different way depending on the quality. It's just so much. I'm blown away.

In conclusion, THE KING OF HOURS IS A BASTARD 🔪⏳👑☀️ if you know you know

And I'm yelling re: the Blue Kingdom's involvement, lmao, they act all reclusive and poised but they too have killed stars over philosophical disagreements. Who would win, the King of Hours trying to be immortal or the Arbiter of Fates aligned with the Philosophy of Culmination? (it's the Arbiter. girlboss moment)

This also clears up a question I had of how the King of Hours died. I knew the devils had rebelled from the Irem update in Fallen London, but Skies makes it seem like the only way for lower beings to kill a Judgement is with the aid of another Judgement. So the Blue Kingdom helped. Got it.

So now I have to kill three (3) (III) Logoi and I'm so so so so so scared someone please come pick me up I'm so bad at combat and they move so fast and have so much health and attack power. I managed to finish an Undeparted once but oof. And while typing this I just remembered it's hard to repair hull in the Blue Kingdom. 😀👍

In conclusion 2 electric boogaloo: OUGH

Everyone say thank you, Mr Tuffs

[kangjiyeonn]

✮╶.╶ 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬.

In school Jiyeon wasn't doing well, she tried her best but she still didn't have the ideal grades she needed, during her school life she struggle not only academically but also with mental health. She started feeling out of place mostly when she was in grade 9/year 9 and that's when she had the symptoms of anxiety, which kind of took a turn on her as she would always be out of classes or skipping a whole day or two. Which is also why she was behind and didn't understand the lessons she was in.

When jiyeon lived in London, at first she was okay as she went in London in such a young age so her childhood was alright, and joyful, but once she turned 9,her and her parents loved to leeds, at first she's liked living there but then overtime she hated being there and was bored.

When she was in year 9,she talked to her parents about potentially moving back to Korea, which happened 2 months after she's has asked. Once they were living back in Korea, jiyeon had a dream of becoming a k-pop idol and has talked with her parents about it which they were absolutely against the idea of her auditioning, so when jiyeon heard that her parents were against her dream, she was upset and frustrated.

So one day, when she was supposed to go to school, she skipped school and went to SM entertainment to audition. Jiyeon auctioned with 'into the new world' jiyeon made sure to give her number instead of her parents if she gets accepted. A month later, SM entertainment contacted her to do another audition which she did, but this time she audition with 'gee', and got accepted. Jiyeon trained for a while year and then debuted.

Her training life wasn't as easy, as jiyeon had to learn how to dance, and not forget and steps, she was also put on a heavy diet, where she only ate strawberries, bananas and other low calorie food such as beans and she only drank water which for a 14 year old was tuff, as she's supposed to have all the nutrients. One day, when she was practicing she fainted due to lack of food she's has been eating, her company made sure she ate more then beans, strawberry and bananas, but they also made sure that it was low calorie.

Once, jiyeon debuted in 2015 with her single 'blue flame' which was a hit back then as it was something new, some people didn't like it and some people did. Jiyeon was only 15 at the time so she's didn't fit in, but there was idols and groups that have kept her company when she was alone during awards couple of them being BTS, SHINEE, GIRL'S GENERATION, and SUNMI. She is technically sunmi's daughter.

[fallenlondonreviewed]

The Queen of the Elephants

Queen Mary and her Forty Elephants. They must be thieves — nobody has that much money to spend — but nobody knows from whom they steal. As you discover the key behind their impossible success, you attract the attention of greater parabolan forces and need to make a decision: Will you stop Mary and the havoc that she wreaks, or help her become who she is destined to be? This story will take you as close to the border between the Is and the Is-Not as you can get. Watch out or you will get your hands bloody.

MY RATING: ★★★★☆ COMMUNITY RATING: ★★★★☆ (Community Survey January 2023) A dark, haunting tale and a warning about what happens if you dabble with the Is-Not, told through one (and a half) fascinating story with more options than one could wish for. MAIN FOCUS: Red Handed Queen, Parabola SECONDARY FOCUS: Beleaguered King, Criminals

Spoiler Free

Opening

News spread throughout London of an infamous gang of thieves, and the lavish parties they throw. Your best investigative skills are needed! Ultimately, you end up meeting their leader, Mary, Queen of the Forty Elephants. She is charming but ruthless, but you can convince her to take you with her on one of her heists.

After a successful heist (and another lavish party), you are approached by the person you stole from, and have to choose a side.

“Queen of the Elephants”’s opening tries to be inclusive, giving options to lawful aligned characters. But throughout the ES, you will, whether you want to or not, act like you’re a fixture in London’s underworld. If your character isn’t comfortable around criminals, especially the first half will feel extremely out of character for them.

Criminals on the other hand will feel right at home. Silverers as well — they get to apply their expertise multiple times here. And anyone with ties to the Red Handed Queen will get to interact with their idol, which in itself is rewarding enough. It offers very ruthless options which are rewarded, so if you’ve got an “evil-aligned” character, they’ll delight in this ES.

One path requires animal-cruelty, but the ES makes it very clear and lets you opt out of it.

Review

Ah, yes, the story of a queen who girlbossed too close too the sun…

After reviewing “The Pursuit of Moths,” “The Queen of the Elephants” is such a treat! Both of them are by Harry Tuffs, and “The Queen of the Elephants” has seemingly left behind all the issues that “The Pursuit of Moths” had.

Most of all the length. This ES is a chonker. It has four distinct acts connected by a lot of legwork in between. Even getting to the proper opening of the ES — the party — requires you to do several actions worth of detective work. Halfway through it splits down two paths, both of which are so distinct that they’d warrant a reset just to find out what the other offers.

The next big and noticeable strength of this ES are the various dialogue options. All ambitions except Nemesis get a tie in. Anything to do with the Red Handed Queen will give you incredibly satisfying options where your character gets to actually explain something to other people. And finally, Silverers get to feel useful for once.

These are all very nice (mechanical) things, but what about the story?

This story, in its essence, is about the Red Handed Queen. And that’s exactly how it feels while playing it. There are no characters for you to get overly attached to. Sure, Queen Mary and her main opponent are very memorable. Over time, they reveal their past struggles and you will feel sorry for them. But to me, they were never likeable. Which is not a bad thing! I will explain in a bit.

Because the character that actually shines in this ES is the player character. This ES offers so many choices and roleplay options, but also so many descriptions of your characters actions that it is as much about your choices as the choices of the characters. If you play the type of character who doesn’t have the most rigid of consciences. But hey. Us, who will not be caught Red Handed, rarely do.

From a lore-perspective, this ES explores the borders between the Is and Is-Not like no other. The entire conflict in both paths is about how characters’ choices influence Parabola and how it influences their real life. And about the Red Handed Queen. It’s about the Red Handed Queen. She appears towards the climax, and is only there for a brief moment, but man does she leave an impression.

Which brings me to the story’s conclusion. This ES on paper ends on a good note, but I never felt fluffy happy feelings about it. Rather, it leaves you a bit disturbed about the powers that lurk on the other side of the mirror. That’s why the dark-grey, not very likeable characters were actually a blessing. The conclusion was not per se satisfying, since it left some questions unanswered on purpose, but to this day, when I look at the story’s gorgeous art, it sends a shiver down my spine.

Community opinion is overwhelmingly positive. People especially loved the options it gives for “evil-aligned” characters to just be themselves, and my evil-aligned character would agree. That and the haunting ending.

All in all, this is a clear recommend for the right kind of characters. It’s got good writing (a lot of it), phenomenal roleplay opportunities and so much lore. A very loving four out of five, the one star missing because it’s clearly not for everybody.

Additional Thoughts (Full Spoilers)

My personal favourite characters this ES introduced where the forty elephants. An all female gang, and they’re cool af? Goals. I felt personally affronted by the gruff dude in the image of my Gang of Hoodlums, because now I can’t pretend that I took over the elephants. It’s the only thing I’m missing from this ES — an option to become their leader. That and, a little technicality: All my characters are male. So what? They can be female in parabola!

For some reason, I really love that this gang has been established to be all female twice. It doesn’t have a narrative purpose, it’s simply girl-power. In fact, I felt lowkey uncomfortable by the description of the mendicants beating up the elephants like I’m supposed to cheer for them. Fallen London is really low on sexism, but I guess my alarm-bells that I transported over from other franchises started ringing.

The split between following either Mary or the Miser is one of the best splits I’ve ever seen. These are two completely different storylines altogether. They recycle some bits and pieces for the mechanics, but use them so differently that I didn’t even notice.

The idea that Mary was chosen as a child is both tragic and interesting, since as far as I know, the Red Handed Queen doesn’t choose you, you choose the Red Handed Queen. But well. Maybe Mary has been more dedicated to herself than she thought even before she mantled the Red Woman. I wonder what her backstory is, but I’m also glad the ES doesn’t answer it for me. Gives me more room to think something up myself.

Another big point I enjoyed was how my character and me got to relentlessly simp for our Queen. As a player I’m very freaked out by her, but I love my character the most when he’s running around red-handed and having a good time while doing so.

Really loved it, but in an entirely different way than I loved “The Bloody Wallpaper” or “Caveat Emptor.” It’s disturbing. It’s dark. It’s London’s underworld mixed with the cosmogone light of Parabola.

CREDITS FOR “The Queen of the Elephants” WRITING: Harry Tuffs EDITING AND QA: Luke van den Barselaar ART: Erion Makuo

Link to the FL Forum

[celestie0]

IM PRETTY SURE YOU SAID YOU LIKE TAYLOR have you listened to the TTPD? if so share thoughts bc imo so high school is sooo kickoff😭

hii bb yes i have!! i think if you filter #ttpd on my blog you can find where i've talked a bit ab my thoughts, but in general i wasn't all too dazzled by the front half of the album when it first released, although some of the songs grew on me the past few days, but the anthology part of the album is really good i def enjoyed that more

YES so high school reminds me of kickoff couple sm :'') YOU KNOW HOW TO BALL I KNOW ARISTOTLE looolll if that isn't them

also i went absolutely lunatic last night and very loosely ranked all 31 songs (i usually do this after each of her ep releases) n imma just use your ask as an excuse to share the list LOL lmk what u thought of the album too bb!!

ttpd rankings:

the black dog

peter

robin

but daddy i love him

loml

the smallest man who ever lived

imgonnagetyouback

so high school

who's afraid of little old me

how did it end?

clara bow

down bad

guilty as sin

the albatross

the manuscript

so long london

i hate it here

the tortured poets dept

the bolter

i can do it w a broken heart

florida

chloe or sam or sophia or marcus

cassandra

the prophecy

fortnight

the alchemy

my boy only breaks his fave toys

thank you aimee

i look in people's windows

fresh out of the slammer

i can fix him no rly i can

ranking 31 songs is hella tuff lmfao

[jwolf85]

Happy Halloween y'all!

This year I have felt a severe lack of Werewolves out of the monsters being talked about. So, I'm gonna rate some classic werewolves from Film!

Werewolf of London (1935)

Rating: 7/10

Universal's (slightly forgotten) first go at a werewolf movie, and it has a surprisingly sick design! Henry Hull's eyes are terrifying and complex, giving it a great strength compared to other monsters. The wrinkles around the nose and mouth add another twisted feel to it! However, the V on the hairline is a bit too deep in a way only Vegeta could challenge, and the eyebrows have an odd flair to them. Also, not down with a werewolf that actively dresses himself when he goes out on his hunting. Went down a point because of it. If we had a more of a beast-like nature with this as a base design, would've added some more points. Nonetheless, very underrated design!

The Wolf Man (1941)

Rating: 6/10

I get it, it's iconic and all. The nailed the transformation, nailed the behavior, but he looks more like a teddy bear than a wolf. We're all thinking it. I'm sorry. I respect Lon Chaney for everything he's done in regard to the character and what the movie accomplished. Not a fan of the design overall. However, the sunken shape around the eyes is pretty dope. And design choices aside, the movie is my favorite of the Universal Monsters!

The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)

Rating: 4/10

Now I have not seen this film, but every shot I have seen of this Werewolf is radiating drama. I expect nothing less from a Hammer film. But as for the design itself, a very bold move to go with white hair for the fur and works well distinguishing it from the werewolves preceding it. However, as for the ears on top of his head, I don't think it works quite as well. It makes it lean more towards cat rather than wolf. The forehead is very prominent and while it definitely works to intimidate, the hair line is a bit too far up on his scalp. Having too much of a round outline where the hair meets the face almost makes it look like a normal face photoshopped on in some stills.

American Werewolf in London (1981)

Rating: 6/10

I'm not too big a fan of the more-wolf-than-man werewolf myself tbh. However, Rick Baker does masterful work and this ugly mf'er is absolutely terrifying. Taking the design into consideration, the main issue I have for it is he doesn't have much of a neck. With the big tuff of fur, giving it a mane of sort, the body looks almost like a big bob with a face coming out of it. This is without a doubt, one of the very best transformation scenes in film history! Taking the Jaws approach of obscuring the monster is incredibly effective as well.

You know what, Fuck it. 7/10 for the transformation scene in account.

The Howling (1981)

Rating: 7/10

1981 was a solid year for werewolves! Seems like this is where we're getting into the switch to more-wolf-than-man werewolves, I assume because of the advances of make-up and costuming effects. Putting my bias aside, look at this mangy bastard!!! Brilliant! The eyes look almost demonic, glazed-over and possessed. The hair is unkept and wild! My big reservation that keeps it from getting a higher rating is the ears look a bit like a mangy rabbit.

Teen Wolf (1985)

Rating: 3/10

This movie is the balls man!! Fuckin rocks! Werewolf doesn't look good, but who cares! He's standing on a moving bus and playing air guitar!! Badass. My main issue is that the hair in both the beard and head go way too long.

Monster Squad (1987)

Rating: 5/10

I wasn't gonna include this one, but I work where it was filmed (WB). Very creative and different in the face design, so gotta respect it for that! It's closer to being a wolf monster, but doesn't fully just try to emulate a wolf. Which I like. The eyes may be a bit too far apart from each other and at times you can tell the head is a bit too blocky when it moves. The bottom half in its legs aren't interesting at all either. There's a lot going on in the top half but when it's a full body shot, it just kinda looks like a dudes regular legs with hairy feet. I do really love the white eyes!!

Van Helsing (2004)

Rating: 8/10

I would be lying if I said this movie did not play a part in why werewolves are my favorite monster. It's a very uneven movie(I'll save those thoughts for another time), but the werewolves were badass all the way through. Cgi has definitely aged, but I think it's a solid standard of what the more wolf-like werewolves should be.

The Wolfman (2010)

Rating: 9/10

I love this design. It's a fantastic adaptation of Lon Chaney's style, but updated with the advancements in make-up. The nose is a similar style, but is not as long and narrow and has a strong shape to it that complements the brow. The eyes are phenomenal, in this picture specifically, it captures the intensity of Henry Hull's 1935 design. But throughout the film, there's still the glimpse of humanity still left in the same way Lon Chaney has. I do have an issue with the hair on his head and neck. The hair on his neck is too thick where the silhouette kinda loses form a bit. Regardless, Rick Baker, still a master.

Werewolf by Night (2022)

Rating: 8/10

The cinematic presentation of this is incredible! From the transformation shadow to the darkened figure with the reflective glow of the eyes, it artistically uses the black and white to its advantage. The design is very reminiscent to the 1935 Henry Hull Werewolf in London, with the flair of the eyebrows and the darkened indentations shaping the face. It also does the wolf/dog nose in a unique way! Darkened eyes was a great makeup choice. My only major complaint is that the body(and specifically the shoulder) hair looks kind of like a fur coat he's wearing and not like it's coming from his skin. Also, the way he moves is incredible! Great action and agility!

If you made it this far, you're cool and I hope you enjoyed reading my ramblings on werewolves. I could only fit 10 here, so I'd love to hear thoughts on either these werewolves or more that I couldn't fit in here!! I love monsters!! Also, once again, Happy Halloween🎃!!!

[sawvhs]

Top 5 horror movies? (and why? if you want!)

ohhh anon ty for this little treat…. ok this is TUFF tho, idk if these r my top 5 so much as the ones i rewatch most offen maybe?

1. SAW (2004) baby!!!!

Besides it being what this whole blog is abt and all it just has a special special place in my heart, its been my most consistent interest ever (almost 8 years now!! wowie) and its like you can feel the love that was put into it when you’re watching it. Thats not the only reason i love it by a long shot but u can probably scroll around this blog and get a good idea how i feel about it lol, Saw is the Movie of All Time Baby!!!!!!

2. Nope

A recent one but JEEZ it has not left my head since i first saw it, i have a soft spot for siblings and sci-fi and it really checked all the boxes for things i enjoy. Silly dialogue to offset the horror, small cast of characters, AMAZING alien concept, super yummy symbolism, its so good!!!

3. Child’s Play 2 / Bride of Chucky

I’m a big fan of the whole child’s play series but i have a hard time choosing between these two, one has Kyle my friend Kyle, kid but not toddler Andy, and the whole factory section of the movie at the end(chefs kiss). and the other has TIFFANY!!!!🥰 and is where child’s play really starts to lean more into its camp comedy aspect that i love oh so dearly

4. Little Shop of Horrors

You may have noticed by now i have a soft spot for comedy in my horror pics… i know its really not actually scary but this movie has always been near and dear to my heart. i’m a big fan of musical/general theatrics and the practical effects/puppetry are to DIE FOR!!! we looove people eating plants here.. (shoutout to the OG ending)

5. Ginger Snaps

It was hard to pick a final one honestly but i find myself coming back to ginger snaps so often its gotta be on here. inspired by an american werewolf in london and INSPIRED jennifers body.. THESE GIRLS ARE NOT ALRIGHT!!! it just really nails the horror of being a weird teen girl and has sooo many striking visuals and soo much gnarly werewolf shit… amazing..

[thedeafprophet]

also while I Am a fan of Tuffs' writing, i do remain that his writing does have carry over of issues that the other writers in Fallen London, namely the christanity-centric-assumptions type deal lol

[neon-junkie]

🎶✨️when u get this u have to put 5 songs u actually listen to, publish. then, send this ask to 10 of your followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool)🎶✨️

I decided to put my Spotify on shuffle, and pick out the first 5 that came up!

Promiscuous (Nelly Furtado, Timberland)

2. Californication (Red Hot Chilli Peppers)

3. Kill 'em with da Boom (Tuff London, Miss B)

4. Mask Off (Future)

5. Grand Finale (Studio Killers)

[ghettoorion]

Prince Far I - Cry Tuff Chants On U

#princefari #vinyl #vinylrecords The reissue of Cry Tuff Chants On U marks a significant moment for reggae enthusiasts, bringing back the powerful sounds of one of Jamaica's most influential figures in roots reggae, Prince Far I. Known for his distinctive deep bass voice and a unique chanting style that set him apart from other reggae artists, Prince Far I left an indelible mark on the genre before his untimely death in 1983. This album serves as a reminder of his contributions to the reggae world and his collaboration with London's On-U Sound label, which has played a pivotal role in keeping his legacy alive.(...) Read the full article

[theurbanhippieswe]

THE MAN IN THE COAT.

Wearing a coat in summer it has to be thin. This one is. It’s by Nigel Cabourn. Bought it in London when Cabourn still had a store on Henrietta Street.

Shirt by The Rite Stuff and black jean by Nudie Jeans. It’s their wide model, Tuff Tony.

Stetson hat and JMM eyewear. Haircut by The Barber.

Photo: Sara at @brillorasant

@nigelcabournengland

@the_rite_stuff

@nudiejeans

@jacquesmariemage

@bleudechauffe

@thebarber.se

@stetsoneurope

@novesta

#theritestuff

#nigelcabournengland

#bleudechauffe

#thebarbermalmo

#novesta

#jacquesmariemage

#stetsoneurope

#nudiejeans

#styleinmalmo #menswear #fashion #heritagestyle #pinterest #instagram #vintage #agingwithstyle #theurbanhippieswe #ruggedstyle #dailyruggedstyle

#ruggedguy #vintagestyle #fashionblogger #styleblogger

[eienoah]

May 13 - Tsukiji Honganji

Today we took a short little train ride over to Tsukiji Honganji which is a modern Buddhist temple with draws from Roman architecture. I was perplexed when we had arrived as I had barely even noticed that we had reached the temple. It felt almost like I was in London just by how much stonework was used but as we approached the temple the signs started showing more clearly. Inside looked almost like a small gothic church with a wall mounted organ on the back lining the walls. It truly felt like such a clash of different themes that I wasn’t sure what to think of the place. We then went on to a fish market to check out what local fish sales are like and to get a better experience for a fishing street. It was smelly but interesting. I have always liked fishing since I was young so it was cool to see what pricing was like here. Me and a couple of friends ate at a sushi chain that was pretty good but I had a late breakfast so I only decided on just one sushi. I’ve been trying to keep my money consumption down as much as I possibly can. From then we went on to Ginza where Alexyss confused the two super dry’s of Japan and almost had us walk into a beer experience rather than a clothing store. I took a pit stop in Uniqlo and fled home till the Bunraku. The play was interesting with all the twists and turns but it really just isn’t my thing. I have always been weak at watching any type of opera or plays so it was a bit of a tuff sit through for me. I tried my best to understand the Japanese being used but it proved too difficult so I had to rely on the English subbing. Had I been able to understand the language better I feel as if I would have liked the play a lot more but I only grasped like 30% of the Japanese. 

Connection to Reading

I mean this time the reading was just the script for how the play progresses. We have the undercover samurai who used to be a top retainer for the previous shogun. The child who was swapped and turned out to be the shogun’s son. The old man and his daughter, who took the shogun’s son in and raised him as their own. We then see the conflict occur where the samurai is told to teach the boatmen the secret technique in order to become a captain but he instead kills the boatmen and is turned in to the lord who killed his lord. The previous shogun's son dies and the undercover samurai is arrested in a not so happy ending where no one truly wins. I don’t really know how I felt about the play truly because in the end it felt kind of pointless for literally no one  to win. It almost left me feeling empty waiting for something better to happen. It’s not even like a bittersweet ending where the samurai sacrifices himself to get the previous shogun’s son away. It just ends rather abruptly in defeat. I will say the Shamisen player was probably my favorite part as I am fascinated with that instrument and the shouting and facial expressions of the singer were amazing. They truly did work well to convey emotion. However, I could only figure out that emotion 30%  of the time.

[my-chaos-radio]

Release: August 13, 1989

Lyrics:

Cut, cut, cut, tell me somethin'

You can play a bass

You can play a drum

Everybody shake your stuff

The Rebel's here

Get up, the MC has started

Pump up the house and groove it

Stop, you're in a shakedown zone

You like bass, I love it to the bone

Hustle, I got muscle

Time to rock 'cause the rhythm is trouble

Dance, let's go crazy

When you see me, shout "Rebel MC"

Outlaw kicking up dust

You know what it is, I'm just street tuff

Everybody shake your stuff

The Rebel's here and he's street tuff

Everybody shake your stuff

The Rebel's here

"Just keep rockin'" was the last chant

I'm back, brand new round the mike stand

On stage I make it look easy

I'm the Rebel so run, come follow me

Hard not soft, underground boss

Turn up the bass and the treble of course

Feel with the music and you wonder

Is he a Yankee? No, I'm a Londoner

Tell yo mate I'm droppin' it rough

You know what it is, I'm just street tuff

Everybody shake your stuff

The Rebel's here and he's street tuff

Everybody shake your stuff

The Rebel's here

Elementary like A, B, C

Easy as one, two, three

Yes, it's the Rebel MC

Rough like a ninja, stinging like a bee

Back by public demand

You're now rockin' with a one man band

Go with the flow, moves you know

Jam the nightclub, rock the disco

Funky music, I can't get enough

Know what it is, I'm just street tuff

Everybody shake your stuff

The Rebel's here and he's street tuff

Everybody shake your stuff

The Rebel's here

Rhythm gets me hype

Let me take you on a journey, a musical flight

I'm a hustler, know how to deal

Not fake 'cause I'm so real

Get down to the brand new mix down

Stand firm, Double Trouble in the background

For the white, black and the light brown

Dash the old style, this is the new sound

Wheel

You know what it is, I'm just street tuff

Songwriter:

Everybody shake your stuff

The Rebel's here and he's street tuff

Everybody shake your stuff

The Rebel's here

Claudine Cramer / Leigh Guest / Michael Alec Anthony West / Michael Menson / Michael West

SongFacts:

👉📖

[wub-fur-radio]

’23 Skidoo (Just Some Indie Rock Bangers for You)

Hail Eris! Wub-Fur Internet Radio wishes you a belated Happy New Year ’23 and begs your pardon for our absence from the Internet airwaves these last few months with hopes you will accept this mix of 23 excellent contemporary indie rock bangers as recompense. Featuring Purling Hiss, The Tubs, Robyn Hitchcock, Sloan, King Tuff, Built to Spill, No Age, Archers of Loaf, 2nd Grade, Martha, and 13 more faves, old and new. Fnord

▶︎ Listen: Mixcloud | Bndcmpr | YouTube | Apple Music (or scroll down to use one of the embedded players below)

Running Time: 1 hour, 10 seconds

Tracklist

Yer All In My Dreams (4:32) — Purling Hiss | Philadelphia, PA †

That’s Fine (2:32) — The Tubs | London, UK †

I Am the Stone in Your Shoe (2:45) — Fruit Tones | Manchester, UK

Scratch the Surface (2:54) — Sloan | Toronto, ON, Canada

Downtown (1:47) — Uni Boys | Los Angeles, CA

Smalltown Stardust (3:07) — King Tuff | Vermont †

The Shuffle Man (2:37) — Robyn Hitchcock | London, UK

Forcefield II (3:29) — Avions | Lyons, France

Excuse Me (2:26) — dumb | Vancouver, BC, Canada

Gonna Lose (2:31) — Built To Spill | Boise, ID

Face Eraser (2:48) — Guided By Voices | Dayton, OH †

Write It in the Sky (2:54) — The Umbrellas | San Francisco, CA

Cover of Rolling Stone (1:14) — 2nd Grade | Philadelphia, PA

Red Lantern (1:39) — The Special Pillow | Hoboken, NJ

Gets Me Everytime (2:00) — Outtacontroller | Halifax, NS, Canada

Colour Me Stupefied (2:24) — More Kicks | London, UK

So Cool (3:13) — Las Robertas | San José, Costa Rica †

Misinformation Age (2:14) — Archers of Loaf | North Carolina

Please Don't Take Me Back (2:06) — Martha | Durham, UK

Quiet! (3:19) — Flowertruck | Sydney, Australia

Tripped Out Before Scott (2:45) — No Age | Los Angeles, CA

6th Street Bridge (2:42) — The Paranoyds | Los Angeles, CA

Split Decision (2:15) — Popular Creeps | Detroit, MI

All tracks released in 2022 except those marked †, which were released this year.

2️⃣3️⃣ ➜ 2️⃣3️⃣ ➜ 2️⃣3️⃣ ➜ 2️⃣3️⃣ ➜ 2️⃣3️⃣ ➜ 2️⃣3️⃣ ➜ 2️⃣3️⃣ ➜

Embedded Mixcloud Player

Embedded Bndcmpr Player

Embedded YouTube Player

Embedded Apple Music Player

If you’re not seeing any embedded players it’s probably because you’re reading this on Tumblr, in which case you can try clicking here to open this post directly on the Wub-Blog.