#a folky tale

[saucedlx]

[a-noah-nova]

Isn't it great?

[fizzymilkcan]

Homestar Runner Screenshot Redraws!

(Original Images under the cut)

Source: Sbemail #130 - Do Over

Source: A Folky Tale

[scratchy829]

gacha animation test.

audio is from "A Folky Tale" by homestarrunnerdotcom on youtube

[bookshelfdreams]

The Band is called The Amazing Devil! You can find their stuff on the usual sites (yt, Spotify) or buy it on bandcamp

The Old Witch Sleep and the Good Man Grace is from their latest album ruin

(i always recommend this song when I want to introduce someone to their music)

Y’all know when a song is so good it just permanently changes your brain chemistry? Yea me with old witch sleep and good man grace, like I will never be the person I was before I listened to that

[vo-vehc-base-audiopropprop-t]

Ah, who doesn't remember Saddy Dumpington, and his iconic quote from A Folky Tale Car-Toon!

[autumnwhistles]

Audition Masterpost and Song Info (2/2)

Part 1

Right at the end of the week, here's Part 2 of the information I promised. This talks about the styles of various songs of the roles, again to give more information before the audition form comes out.

Note: there's a chart I made of voice types I imagine different characters to have under a cut below. Please read the notes above it before looking at it, though!

General info:

More major (ie Wither), serious, or Watcher-centric events will be in a similar style to the first song, Middle of Nowhere (which is already on Youtube). A lot of the other songs focusing on delving into the lives of players will be in a more folky style.

Excerpts of people's songs, when necessary, will be posted in the coming days!

The deadline for the first round of auditions is 00:00 UTC on the 20th November. People who are in contention for parts will be notified about further processes after this date.

Part-specific info:

The three main parts are Martyn, Scott and Grian, in this order. Information about styles of their songs is listed below:

Martyn – you can actually hear an excerpt of his first song here – he'll sing in a similar style for more than just this. In general I've been inspired by a lot of Oh Hellos music (eg Where Is Your Rider). When focusing on the Shadow Alliance and Watcher lore side of things though, songs will be more in the style of Middle of Nowhere. I can post an excerpt of another of his songs if necessary (In Spring We Met).

Scott – his songs are generally quite regal and collected – though it doesn't necessarily embody the second aspect of it, you may find that Honour Bound from the Death Note musical has quite a similar atmosphere. I will be posting some excerpts from his songs played on the piano (not necessarily in the key they'll be in).

Grian – I haven’t found a specific song for him, but his style and songs are VERY clear, sharp, and punctuated – definitely more on the modern musical theatre end of things. A lot of the later ones are more angry (slightly unhinged, though not nearly as much as Joel, ie When Will You Learn. The others are quite charismatic (ie telling tales because he Watches things, acting as a leading figure to the Southlands, trying to get people to gather wither skulls eyc). If necessary, I can send recordings of me improvising/trying to figure out some of his songs. I'll also be posting a wordless excerpt with live singing of some of his part in the third song, which he shares with Bdubs, to get across some of the stylistic differences I have for them right now. Note that Watcher!Grian is canon to this, as we're following Martyn's lore.

Throughout the musical, we'll be dwelling on the Southlands and the Shadow Alliance quite a lot, and as such the information in this paragraph applies to BigB, Lizzie, Ren, Impulse, Mumbo and Jimmy. The songs of the Shadow Alliance are quite similar in style to Middle of Nowhere, whereas a lot of the Southlands songs are more similar to (though not exactly the same as) the excerpt of the Martyn song I linked and posted. I will be posting a piano excerpt of 'A(ha)lliances' as well.

(Note that with Ren in particular, I imagine the atmosphere of a lot of his lines to be similar to that of Hellfire from the Hunchback of Notre Dame (though obviously... without the same message).)

Other roles with either solo parts or large roles in duets consist of Pearl, Tango, Bdubs, Scar, Joel, Jimmy and Cleo. Song information for these roles is below:

Pearl – livelier and more chaotic than Scott, but they share quite a few of their songs together. However, her solo – as well as letting her be more unhinged – is somewhat dance-like (she’s killing people on a dance floor after all — it's more modern as opposed to things like waltzing, but it isn’t 'dance music’). Again, I'll send excerpts of me working things out in that style if necessary.

Tango – very showman-like, quite jazzy (think the music of his intro). An excerpt of You Bet Your Life, his solo, has been made and will be posted shortly.

Bdubs – similar to Tango, an excerpt of his song will be posted – it's in a similar style but not as jazzy. I imagine him to be quite loud and vocally powerful.

Scar – I imagine his parts as having an atmosphere quite similar to Jack’s Lament from The Nightmare before Christmas – and to a lot of Jack's songs, actually.

Joel – VERY unhinged. Though I don't imagine the voices being too similar, I imagine the atmosphere of his parts being quite similar to The World Has Gone Insane from the 1994 concept version of Jekyll and Hyde the musical.

Jimmy – this isn't set in stone, but I imagine his song (about being worried about dying first again) being quite similar to the atmosphere of the first 35 seconds of Waiting In The Wings (Reprise) from Tangled: The Series

Cleo – their solo is Die For Me, so you can rewatch the scene to get the atmosphere (her episode 5 – not sure about the exact timestamp). Again, I'll try to send excerpts of me working out things in that style, but note that I don’t have it pinned down as much the others.

Voice chart

Notes about the chart before you see it:

THIS IS NOT SET IN STONE. This is what the characters sound like in my head right now, with no reference points. Though it may stay like this, it can and probably will change based on who I hear – this has already happened with one character! So don't be afraid

Range-wise – I did put higher and lower there. HOWEVER, I can adjust the range as needed for each part. This is more to do with your voice sounding deeper or higher as opposed to actually being lower or higher – I can demonstrate this in a recording if necessary.

These are rough placements! Even if things do stay like this, there's a range of values each voice could be placed at – imagine a wide circle around every name.

In general, remember that though I have some ideas, I have not written most of it – I'm continuously working on it. There's always a possibility that things will change (although if you get a part

[deadfish-dol]

dol character playlists

finally 'completed' all my in-progress dol playlists & realized that I've not posted all of them... so here they all are in one post! very likely will only be interesting/relevant to me, but thought I would share regardless lol :)

will try to keep the summaries short... each mix has 9 songs (idk why 9. it felt like a good number lmao). tone & vibe is all over the place from playlist to playlist—I'll briefly specify for each mix, but I literally went from house party bops in one mix to a Horror Movie Soundtrack for another. again, vibes 💁‍♀️

Avery—jaded Sugar Mommy mix. has a lot of triphop/shoegaze for some reason. also some Interpol for a touch of Old Pervert music

Bailey—sex trafficking, the playlist. depressing but I also found this one very relaxing to listen to as background?? that's just me

Eden—grim, vaguely folky mix. was visualizing a kind of dark fairy tale putting this together. songs about being murdered by your lover etc

Harper—fun, deeply unserious. committing outrageous medical malpractice & having a great time. Help Me Doctor Dick.....

Ivory Wraith—the Horror Movie Soundtrack mix. wake, haunt, repeat. a warning that the Pharmakon track is very loud, very suddenly lol

Jordan—circling back around to Deeply Unserious. mix for the rave constantly transpiring in Jordan's mind. it makes sense to meeeee

Kylar—generally soft, subdued yandere mix. sorry Kyky I'm not that creative... has some triphop, some Cocteau Twins, some Garbage

Robin—a stubbornly upbeat, often lyrically dissonant playlist. perhaps my favorite mix of the bunch (not just bc Robin is my fav lol)

Sydney—emotional, nervous breakdown mix. the 'bullying Sydney' playlist <3 great stuff by Faetooth, Emma Ruth Rundle, etc

Whitney—shithead delinquent mix. high energy, ecstatically angry, etc etc. generally rock w/ some electronic/gabber stuff thrown in

[barbwritesstuff]

do you have any plans for more if's?

Yes.

I'm going to release my visual novel, A Fairy Tale, later this year when all the sprites are done. This game is my first ever visual novel and will be free. The artist I've commissioned to do the sprites is doing an AMAZING job and I can't wait to show everyone the final version.

I'm also very close to finishing Something A Little Super, which is a parenting simulator about raising a super powered kid. It's very folky and homey and a wee bit bittersweet.

It looks like this when you play it:

I haven't decided on a final price for this one, but because the script is much longer and much more involved than A Fairy Tale, I don't think it will be free. Probably no where near as pricey as Blood Moon though so... maybe $2?

Links to demo versions of both these games are on my KoFi page.

However, I know a lot of people would prefer me to be working on a certain vampire choicescript game. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about that, I'm just waiting to see Blood Moon's numbers... and then I'll know whether or not I can go ahead with Thicker Than as a project.

I also have an outline for a dark mermaid game which would be epic... but I'm not sure how or when I will be able to write that.

I hope people check out A Fairy Tale and Something a Little Super when they come out. Neither are very long, but I'm really proud of what I've been able to make.

[goldenfreddys]

re: the happiest day by fuckbunny massacre tracklist

I do have vague ideas for what every song would center around.

Moment of Silence is literally a whole minute of silence recorded before the band started up in the studio. If you crank the volume, you can hear breathing and shuffling around in the static, but that's pretty much it.

The Happiest Day! Title track. Classic upbeat ska melody with dark lyrics detailing the lead up to the Crying Child's fatal accident.

It Was an Accident, I Swear is one centering around Gene's personal regrets with some really gut punching lines about how his friends aren't bad kids, but they all got carried away and have to live with that for the rest of their lives. Catchy as fuck unfortunately

In Absentia is kinda centered around the MCI and how their families went about grieving their children after they were presumed dead. How the Sullivans never stop hoping they'll come home safe and sound and Gabriel's family have a funeral, how Cassidy's parents add her photo and a couple belongings to their household altar. How they cope with the uncertainty and fear around that.

Lucky Number Five is a short, spoken monologue:

There were five children at that particular table, on the fateful day in the summer of 1994. Cassidy Zhang, the birthday girl. Susie and Fritz Sullivan, the two youngest in attendance. Gabriel Carter-Reed, best known for his sunny smile and protective attitude towards his two younger sisters. The police never disclosed the identity of the fifth child, or if there was a fifth child at all. One thing is certain: there were five children at the table, and exactly one survived.

Blood in the Wiring is about the rumours of blood and mucus from the animatronics.

Urban Legend is another detailing several tales and theories about the incident that were passed around locker rooms and playgrounds.

In Absentia (Reprise) is an additional verse to the first iteration, slower and a bit more solemn. Vaguely describes Michael and Clara's state of mind after Elizabeth disappeared.

Survival of the Shittest swings right back into the funky ska bassline, though the song runs a bit more on the rough and folky side—

It's a dog eat dog eat dingo eat baby

World out here

It's pond water through a sieve and this

City where we live is what's left behind

God has all his angels in a lovely little line

And as for us, we're making rows by the sink with empty bottles of wine

But it's fine, that's just the way it goes

The human race ain't finished

It's survival of the shittest, all the time

Overture is an instrumental outro medley.

and that's the happiest day. woooo

[where1endandyoubeg1n]

ROUND 1 MATCH 2

[mikewdriver]

Here's an artwork I worked on for Creative spark, for their annual charity exhibition, ‘The Little Print Shop of Horrors’, this year Creative Spark, have teamed up with Humans MCR to raise money to fight against food poverty in Manchester. As part of the project I was invited by Creative spark, to make an artwork based on a Horror Film.

When thinking about the artwork I wanted to make, I naturally gravitated towards something slightly more folky, there’s a number of A24 films I sat and watched before deciding to make an artwork inspired by 'The Lighthouse'. The movie tells the tale of two men stranded in a lighthouse in the middle of a storm and their slow demise as supplies and their sanity diminish. During the prep for the artwork I was looking at a lot of Gustave Doré’s etching plates, I wanted to make something that felt as emotive as those etchings whilst maintaining a degree of flatness.

In homage to the movie, which is shot in black and white, I thought I would try working with a monochromatic colour palette, which was a fun challenge!

You can pick up a copy of the artwork here...

[thislovintime]

(Photo 1) Peter Tork onstage at Carnegie Hall with Peter LaFarge, 1960s (photo by Bob Campbell); (photo 2) by Henry Diltz.

More about that gig with LaFarge here.

"I did some work accompanying Steve Stills when he was with Ron Long and the Buffalo Fish. I accompanied this black trio called the [Apollas], on the stand-up string bass." - Peter Tork, Goldmine, 1982

* * *

“[I] worked in a nightclub called The Shadow. And I think it was late June [1964] that the Phoenix Singers came through, and Peter was in the band, he was the banjo player in — behind the group… And he and I hit it off, and that Monday night, we did an impromptu show together, we just played a couple of tunes, you know, and had a good time, and stayed friends. And then when I opened a club in 1965, there was no place to play in the winter in that area — Virginia Beach, Norfolk… So I opened a club on my own with two friends, we called it The Folk Ghetto, and I contacted Peter in New York City and said, ‘I wanna hire you to come down here for a week and be the headlining act.’ Which he did. […] He was, he was fantastic. He was so good. It was wonderful." - James Lee Stanley, Tales of the Road Warriors, 2019 (x)

* * *

“Many people don’t know that Peter has a really rich baritone — had a voice like, it was like a cello, really rich and resonant, you know, and fun to listen to.” - James Lee Stanley, The Monkees Pad Show no. 11

* * *

“[E]ventually he had an offer to join the Phoenix Singers, who were short of a guy to play banjo AND guitar. And if you still have any doubts about whether he really does play, and play well, then the thing to do is ask the management behind the Phoenix Singers. Even without the Monkees, there is little doubt that the amiable Peter would have made the grade in the music business.” - Record Mirror, February 25, 1967

* * *

“[Peter’s] really a genius, a prolific musician — he plays about seven instruments.” - Micky Dolenz, Record Mirror, February 11, 1967

* * *

“Peter Tork has to be one of the best guitarists around — he can cut anybody on guitar. He plays about 10 instruments — banjo, uke, the lot.” - Davy Jones, The Ottawa Journal, January 20, 1967

* * *

“Peter was a much more skillful player than I was by some orders of magnitude.” - Michael Nesmith, The Monkees Tale (1985)

* * *

“[In the early 1980s, in NYC] I remember we went down to the China Club, and I took Peter down there, and… and I felt that a lot of the musicians, you know, disrespected him. He didn’t play, but I introduced him, ‘This is my pal, Peter,’ and they were kind of, like, blowing him off a little bit, and I remember seeing, you know, that pained look in his face as these guys were being rude — or condescending; not so much rude, it’s just condescending, like, ‘Oh, you were the Monkee, pfff,’ you know. And… and I know it troubled him. [Once the resurgence and 20th anniversary tour came around] that’s when Peter started — when they started giving him, you know, some regard.” - James Lee Stanley, The Monkees Pad Show no. 11

* * *

Q: "Most people know you from The Monkees but you were a well-respected musician before that."

Peter Tork. "You'll have to ask everyone else about the kind of respect I generated. I am a trained musician, somewhat trained. I took piano for six years and French horn. I took music theory for about three years. I learned to play the bass and the five-string banjo while I was learning a few other instruments here and there. So, I have some skills and some abilities. I'm pleased with what I got [...]. I wish I had more. But back then I was a folkie. Whatever I was, it seemed to be just the thing for The Monkees." - Daytona News Journal, October 8, 2009

[cooloffkidkilowatt]

batch 3 is done, just made a lil mock up of what it’ll all look like when it’s done. still need to do the 1936 & 20x6 variations, notable dangeresque characters, teenager/child/baby/petry dish variations, xeriouxly forxe, some other crap, teen girl squad, cheat commandos, trogdor/peasant's quest characters, sweet cuppin cakes, limozeen but they're in space, lil brudder + crew, PBTC, folky tale, maybe all the stinkoman enemies/bosses. is that a lot

[manysmallhands]

My Favourite Songs of 2023 part 1: 40 - 31

The route to this post has not been the smoothest. I've been working on this list since the end of November but I got Covid a few weeks ago and so writing became impossible for a while. Given the amount of time that's passed between then and now, it's become clear to me that some of my choices would be different if i did them over again. However, I am sticking to my original version of the list, a few ups and downs notwithstanding. This is because of one reason and one reason only: I am lazy and I don't want to do it again. My apologies to Troye Sivan and Baby Queen, who i'd probably have found places for amongst others. I can only imagine the streams these artists will lose by not being covered in my blog posts and I hope they can find it in their hearts to forgive me.

However! Every song here is still a banger and, even if I think there might be one or two that are better, surely that only adds to the fun of speculation: Which could it be? Which ones would I have left out? Don't imagine it's definitely the songs with the lowest numbers: my method of ranking is fairly haphazard and I might go so far as to say that these numbers are a load of old bollocks. Still, I've enjoyed myself writing this and, given the infinitesimal number of people who will read it, that is surely the thing that counts. I'm posting the songs in rounds of ten cos that's all that Tumblr will let me embed at a time. Let's go!

40. Girl Ray - Everybody’s Saying That

Girl Ray’s disco turn has in all truth been a bit ropey but Everybody’s Saying That is the best exception, all Nile Rogers shimmer and effortless Studio 54 cool. Poppy Hankin chimes in with the self confidence of the misfit (“Everybody’s saying that you could’ve done better but I really wanna end up with you!”), striking out with winningly frank charm against a backdrop of glittery nightlife

39. En Attendant Ana - Fools And Kings

En Attendant Ana’s third LP was a surprise critical hit but it was the more delicate songs which really stood out for me. Fools And Kings in particular ditches the jangly mathrock approach for a gentler, almost old style RnB feel, as Margaux moves to a more human level lyrically. I don’t think there’s another moment across the album nearly as touching as when she sings “Are you OK y’know?”, a question that we'd all benefit by hearing from time to time.

38. Cassö, RAYE, D-Block Europe - Prada

This thumping remix of DBE and RAYE’s Ferrari Horses takes the original understated vocal performances and hammers at them with a full range of doofs, bleeps, icy synths and the general sense of being in the middle of a cocaine heart attack. The result was wedged in the top 3 for weeks this autumn and, while doomed never to top the charts, it still feels as bracing as the first time I heard it.

37. Maple Glider - Dinah

Maple Glider is one of the new breed of folky singer songwriters but Dinah in particular has the same light as air charm as the sweetest kind of indiepop. Lyrically though, the song tells a much darker story, a tale of sexual abuse in the church where the ingenuousness in her voice underlines the deeply uncomfortable places that it goes. There's an obvious sense of queasiness in that contrast but Dinah's tuneful charm manages to hold it all together.

36. Dimension - DJ Turn It Up

I’ve spent a lot of the last 6 months listening to Radio 1 and this sort of 90s style rave banger is the kind of thing they play a lot. DJ Turn It Up has stuck with me more than most though: maybe that's cos it was the one of the first that I heard, or possibly because of the way the vocal is used as a kind of rhythm track rather than the focal point, relying on the song's musical hooks and twitchy energy to wind up the listener. Whatever it is, DJ Turn It Up slaps: do as the lady says.

35. Talib Kweli/Madlib - Marathon Thru Babylon

Following on from last year’s excellent Black Star reunion (also produced by Madlib), Kweli’s solo project was just as good, with Marathon Thru Babylon providing one of the highlights. Madlib’s signature of grainy old soul samples and booming beats underpins Talib and Mechell Ndegeocello as they trade verses on the nature of time and its malcontents and throw in some conspiracy theory for good measure too. Mechell’s wake up sheeple ending may prompt me to crack a smile but in truth it all just adds to the song’s murky charm.

34. Charli XCX - Speed Drive

One could make the case that Speed Drive has been phoned in a bit - trashy lyrics, yet another interpolation - but every time Charli says “HOT!” it probably makes me happier than I’ve been during any other song this year. The general impression I get from Speed Drive is that, not only would Charli and Barbie be fantastic pals, but also that I will cheerfully listen to any old bollocks that she puts out these days.

33. Free Love - Open The Door

The Glasgow duo probably have fewer listeners than anyone in this list but they sounded like the band who were enjoying themselves the most in 2023. While their Insides album was a more eclectic mix overall, Open the Door sticks close to a Jean Michel Jarre-like template of the future, all laser shots and weird analogue FX, while Suzi Cook’s smartly accented vocals managed to keep an indie vibe within its razor sharp pop hooks.

32. Miley Cyrus - Used To Be Young

Miley doing this kind of “looking back at my misspent youth” song aged 30 feels enjoyably transgressive in its own right but Used To Be Young is so much more than just its brilliant concept. A melodramatic power ballad with some fine turns of phrase, Miley stick two fingers up at the finger waggers and nails some genuinely colossal moments (her yelling of the title at 2.37 must surely become a karaoke staple) as the idea of Miley as ageing rock legend comes off as a surprisingly viable concept. 

31. Lana Del Rey - The Grants

There’s a gospel feel to the opener on Lana’s excellent Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard album, switching between a gloomy tone and something more redemptive as she contemplates reaching across the great divide. The effect is as uplifting as anything she's ever done, capturing that classic Lana space between the heartfelt and theatrical to create a secret third emotion that intensifies the whole idea. It’s another variation on her standard trick but what can I say, I remain easily pleased.

More tomorrow, if i get my act together.

[digitalclownery]

𝐓𝐀𝐆 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑!

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑(𝐒): Orange. Seconday favs: Blue, Green, Black. I also enjoy neons/very saturated hues when making art.

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑(𝐒): Fruits. Tang. I'm that person who picks rainbow sherbet for ice cream.

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐂: Insert standard "I listen to such a huge variety of music" statement here. But stand outs are techno/techno remixes of music and folky stuff

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐄(𝐒): Nightmare Before Christmas, Mirror Mask, Spirited Away, The Cat Returns, Addams Family (the 2 1990s movies), and etc.

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒: Courage the Cowardly Dog, Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Are you Afraid of the Dark, Twilight Zone, Tales from the Dark Side, Good Omens, Great British Bake Off, Chopped to name a few.

𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆:

𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒: One Piece

𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐄: One Piece Movie: Gold

𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆: Far too many books

𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆: One Piece

𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐍: Silly things.

tagged by @deepspacevivarium

tagging: @stories-of-the-multiverse @highclassmulticast and anyone else who wants to do this!