#aficionado recordings

[sluiba]

a year ago:

today:

all is not yet lost.... nature is fuckign healing

[copperbadge]

I took a survey when I left the Country Music Hall of Fame that asked me about "artifacts" in the collection, which isn't wrong but did crack me up as a term to use, so here are two of my favorite weird artifacts:

The photo of the front seat of the car is just so unhinged. I'm going to do the description of it here because I want to make sure you guys notice that this is a white open-top car with front hybrid bench-bucket seats upholstered in leather, but that is where the normalcy ends. The door handles on both outside and inside are made of SIX SHOOTERS with mother-of-pearl grips, the sun shades are embossed leather flaps like cowboy boots might look if you flattened them, and between the two front seats where the gearshift normally goes is a large saddle covered in silver dollars. The horn of the western-style saddle might be the gearshift, it's tough to say. According to a placard nearby, this is the Nudie Mobile, so called because it was customized by "Nudie's Rodeo Tailors" which did a lot of early costume design for country performers.

This image looks more normal but I promise you it is not.

This is a Gibson F-5 mandolin, billed in the placard as the most famous mandolin in American music history, which seems like a low bar to clear, but I'm not a mandolin aficionado. Again, for an image ID, it is an extremely worn-looking eight-string instrument, a fairly standard modern mandolin. It has a number of bare patches and scratches on the soundboard. Wanna know why?

It's because this famous mandolin belonged to Bill Monroe, who bought it from a barbershop (how a Gibson made by Lloyd Loar got into a barbershop is a mystery) in the 40s. He played it for decades until 1985, when an intruder broke in and beat the mandolin to pieces with a fireplace poker. So what you're seeing in that image is the original Gibson -- reassembled from about 150 splintered pieces by Gibson company. Monroe kept playing it, including in recordings, until he died in 1996.

I have to say, I spent maybe five, ten minutes standing in front of it, leaning this way and that, looking like an idiot I'm sure as I tried to detect seams and cracks where it was reassembled, and whoever at Gibson put this back together did a spectacular job. For all it looks kicked to shit in this picture, it looks fantastic in person.

[novlr]

6 More Writing Playlists for Scenes and Vibes!

If you love music, you’ll love these playlists! We’ve added 6 more amazing playlists to our already-growing collection.

From sweeping classical themes to write a royal court, some eerie tunes and soundscapes for writing a creepy carnival, vinyl classics for a vintage record store feel, pumping euro tunes for a European road trip, sea shanties for ocean voyages, and some vintage and modern French melodies for when you need a French bistro vibe, we’ve got you covered.

Writing a Royal Court

The pomp and circumstance of a Royal Court are palpable in this collection. This classical playlist is perfect for writing grand palaces, stately homes, balls, banquets, and court intrigues. Be transported to a world of nobles and chivalry where life is decadent and opulent.

Writing a Creepy Carnival

Creepy carnivals are staples of the horror genre, so we’ve put together this collection to help you write it. Whether your carnival travels the world, putting up stakes and causing mayhem wherever they go, or if you’re writing a static circus where visitors inexplicably go missing, then this is the playlist for you. Terrifying ringmasters, creepy rides, and eerie rituals – whatever your carnival holds, this is the playlist to write it to.

Writing in a Parisian Cafe

Sitting in a window of a cafe in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, watching the world go by, the young writer puts pen to paper. The characters who pass by them every day inspire and come alive. If you can’t people-watch, you can certainly imagine it! A mix of classical, acoustic folk, and French pop tunes, this collection will make you feel like you’re really there. So grab a croissant and a coffee and bring the Paris to you!

Writing a Vintage Record Store

Indie record stores have a vibe and are always full of interesting characters. There’s something special about them, and they’re always full of people who love music. This is a playlist for those who need to write a modern vintage feel. It’s a mix of tunes from the 1960s to the early 2000s – the kind of records vinyl aficionados would love a first pressing of. Get in the creative space to write about some of the weird and wonderful obsessive characters you’d find in an underground record shop in your favourite city.

Writing a Journey at Sea

Beware, me hearties, for here be dragons! Whether you’re writing an arctic exploration, an ancient sea voyage, preparations for a naval battle, or a band of intrepid pirates, there’s something in this playlist for you. With a mixture of modern folk tracks, sea shanties, and sea journey-themed instrumental pieces, this collection will conjure images of the salt spray on your face and the wind whipping your hair as you stand on deck, exploring unmapped places.

Writing a European Road Trip

Travel is always an adventure, but there’s something unique about a European road trip where you can fit so many different countries and cities into a small space of time. It’s a whirlwind of sights, tastes, and sounds, so this collection of tracks from all over Europe is sure to get you in the mood. From visiting the sights to sampling the cuisines, and nights out in some of Europe’s most infamous superclubs, this collection is sure to inspire you.

[kaylor]

for real though if you were a pop star and you were going to [redacted] wouldn't you also start your album cycle & your newly found freedom under a new record label with a song about self love, about acknowledging your flaws and your assets and embracing them, about being multifaceted like a... rainbow? and include a quite frankly visually invasive amount of rainbow imagery in your music video about how much you love and embrace who you are. and wouldn't you then also find it really funny to follow that up with another visually invasive rainbow music video for a song about telling people to calm down like damn it's literally not a big deal!!! because if i was taylor swift, known millennial & infamous attention and controversy aficionado, that's exactly how i would do it too.

[zilabee]

Living The Beatles Legend:

After a lifetime of self-doubt over body issues and inveterate shyness, he simply couldn’t control himself. “Big Mal was a demon for sex,” Tony wrote. “[...] Like sacrificial virgins, a lot of the girls willingly accepted that they would have to do it with Mal to get to John, Paul, George, or Ringo, and Mal knew it.”

“A couple of newspaper friends put on a private show involving several prostitutes for our entertainment, one of them being very pregnant.” As Mal recalled, “It was a little unnerving to have these ladies performing before our eyes with each other in one room, with Brian, George Martin and Judy, and the rather more staid members of the press in the adjoining living room.”

“I was being entertained by a young lady late one evening,” Mal wrote, “when George rushes into the darkened room, stoned out of his mind, tearing the bedclothes off, shouting, ‘My turn next—come on, give us a bit!’” Mal gave way to the Beatle, concluding that “apart from that, I was the one that got screwed.”

By this point, [Lily] wasn’t just finding “silly groupie letters” in his suitcase, but also the occasional stray pair of knickers and other telltale signs of infidelity. She recognized that Mal was being seduced—and had been for some time—by overwhelming forces, impulses with which she could hardly begin to compete.

After her brother returned from the States, June recalled that “Malcolm came home knackered, absolutely shattered from that tour.” [...] Her brother and the Beatles were living in a “totally unreal world—an extraordinary, horrendous, wonderful, terrible place that they were all existing in during that period. And they were all damaged by it. They suddenly could have anything they wanted.”

After sharing a convivial dinner with Victoria’s father, who retired early, Mal (31yo) and Victoria (16yo) returned to the hotel and went up to the twenty-seventh floor. [..] “Mal was very sweet,” she recalled, “and we talked and we talked, and we sort of made out.” And while she was unable to meet the Beatles the next morning to do an interview, she exchanged contact information with Mal. And later that year, the letters from her new pen pal began arriving, elegantly adorned with “this beautiful British handwriting.” *

Eventually, Mal would develop a vital relationship of his own with the Scruffs, although he had his detractors—namely, Carol Bedford, a peripheral member of their scrum and a George aficionado who later claimed that Mal tried to put the moves on her. Apparently, Mal had continued to approach women in the Beatles’ universe in the same transactional manner in which he and Neil had “auditioned” willing fans during the band’s touring years. Another Apple Scruff recalled a similar instance when Mal’s attempts to cozy up to the Scruffs went terribly wrong. Apparently, he had crawled under one of the girls’ blankets and “touched something he shouldn’t have.” With that, the offended Scruff came flying out from under the blanket yelling, “Who do you think you are, Paul McCartney?” **

Since leaving the hospital, [Arwen (21yo)] had reared Little Malcolm in her cramped lodgings in West Hampstead. At some point, around the age of six months, he was put up for adoption, leaving her care lock, stock, and barrel, with Mal’s teddy bear as the baby’s only consolation. Mal’s diary would enumerate lunches and telephone calls with the young woman at various points across 1969, but eventually, Arwen chose to move on, putting the whole painful episode behind her. ***

[For his son's birthday] Mal made a cassette recording in which he offered his sincere wishes for the coming year. [...] But any goodwill Mal hoped to deliver was quickly undone that morning as Gary listened to the recording over breakfast with his mother and sister. To his incredible pain and embarrassment, the tape didn’t end with his father’s birthday greeting. Apparently, Mal had recycled the cassette, and as Gary and his sister prepared to go to school, they heard the unmistakable sounds of Fran fellating their dad. The boy’s only solace was the knowledge that his eight-year-old sister didn’t understand the sounds emanating from the tape player.

[..]for the first time, Fran found herself afraid of her boyfriend, whose darkness had never been more acute. It all came to a head one night when Mal, drunk to the gills, began threatening her with his Colt Woodsman pistol, at one point placing the gun against her head before discharging it into the washing machine. When he sobered up, Mal couldn’t have been more apologetic, swearing to mend his ways and be the boyfriend she deserved.

____________________________________

Another quote under the cut, with trigger warning for rape and attempted suicide - and a few notes about some of it.

____________________________________

June 1964 - New Zealand

At the time, the official story involved a twenty-year-old female fan who, having secreted her way into the hotel, chose to slash her wrists in Mal’s room after being unable to talk her way into the Beatles’ suite. Fortunately, police caught sight of the young woman through a window and broke down the locked door with a battering ram. She was subsequently taken to a local hospital and discharged that same day.

[There are then some bits about how Derek tried to ensure it didn't link back to the Beatles in anyway, and the way the press reported it as "Girl Tries To Die For Beatles", and someone else claiming she'd actually had sex with someone and then got 'hysterical' because she realised he wasn't going to get her in to see the Beatles... but eventually it cuts to the quote from Mal's diary below.]

“On arriving back at the hotel at two in the morning,” he wrote, “I was greeted by a crowd of police and detectives as the elevator doors opened at my floor. On verifying that I occupied a particular room number, they very solemnly escorted me there, where to my horror on opening the door, I found the bathroom and bedroom covered in blood. Apparently, what had happened [was] several people had gang-banged her in my bedroom. She was so distraught, she took a razor blade from my razor and slashed her wrists, but was discovered in time and recovered in hospital. Obviously I was a prime suspect, but I had the best alibi in the world—I was drinking tea with her mother.” ****

____________________________________

* Victoria was 16, and Mal was 31. He wrote with her for a few years and met up with her again several times, and there's a quote where she says she "thought she was in love with him", and another where she was surprised to find out he was married. He's a grown man with a family and it's creepy as fuck that he was leading on/grooming a 16 year old girl - although I think according to the book they never had sex.

** I've bolded a lot of the wording which fucks me the fuck off in that passage about apple scruffs, what a fucking weird piece of writing. Apparently apparently apparently - I don't even think he's using it to suggest it might not be true, I think he's just using it to make it sound a bit casual, oh turns out he was just treating them like shit like he used to! Oh he was just 'cozying up' ??????? The last bit also feels like the girl being able to fight her corner and tell him off is being used to suggest it therefore didn't matter - not to suggest that there were probably lots of other girls who didn't want his hands on them but didn't know how to say no. It's also quickly followed by a quote of another apple scruff saying he took care of them like a big brother and they all loved him. Which is fine. But teenage girls feeling as though the creepy guy who is being nice to them in order to take advantage is just being nice to them, doesn't mean much. It's creepy that he was trying to befriend the young vulnerable girls that idolised anyone who worked with Beatles, you've literally just said he was doing it in a 'transactional manner'.

*** The author used a pseudonym for Arwen - a young woman that Mal had an affair and a child with. He wrote in his diary when the child was born, and visited them, "gifting the boy with an oversize teddy bear from Harrods". Personally I think 'chose to move on' covers an awful lot of pain very glibly. Imagine having to give your baby away after six months, imagine what she went through. It is not a small thing that he carelessly got a young woman pregnant and then offered her nothing.

**** I think we all live in Beatles fandom knowing that the people we enjoy did awful terrible things, but sometimes it's good to confront how bad it was, even if we'll never know who was involved in this particular incident. Or how often it happened to other women. Whether Beatles were involved here or not, they were around this, they were inside it. They were influenced by and friends with horrible people. Imagine writing that in your diary like it's a good joke that you were having tea with her mum while she was going through that, and not how awful that would actually feel if you had a heart. The author adds that this incident affected Mal, saying, "His “demon” persona was still alive and well, to be sure, but there would be perceptible shifts in his outlook as the group’s touring days moved forward." I didn't really pick up on these, so I'm not sure how so.

[aifanfictions]

Can I request Alastor x female reader who loves 70-90 year old jazz? Maybe she's Charlie's sister, and Alastor hears music coming from her hotel room. Probably something like Ruth Etting or Annette Henshaw.

Jazz of the Heart

In the heart of Hell, within the walls of the Hazbin Hotel, chaos and mayhem reigned. Among the residents was Charlie, the determined princess of Hell, and her sister, (Y/N). (Y/N) was unlike her sister in many ways. While Charlie was passionate about redemption and salvation, (Y/N) had a deep love for the music of a bygone era.

Her heart belonged to the tunes of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, especially the enchanting jazz of Ruth Etting and Annette Henshaw. As she settled into her room at the hotel, the smooth melodies of these jazz legends echoed through the walls, serenading the restless souls of Hell.

Alastor, the charming Radio Demon, couldn't help but be drawn to the sultry, nostalgic sounds. He had heard countless songs from different eras, but there was something enchanting about the vintage jazz tunes that (Y/N) played.

One evening, as (Y/N) sat by the record player, carefully selecting the next vinyl to spin, Alastor decided to investigate the source of this delightful music. He followed the alluring melodies to (Y/N)'s room and knocked lightly on the door.

(Y/N) opened the door to find the grinning Radio Demon. "Alastor, isn't it? How can I help you?"

He tipped his hat with a charming flourish. "Why, (Y/N), I couldn't help but be drawn to this mesmerizing music of yours. Quite the aficionado of vintage jazz, aren't you?"

She smiled, appreciating his recognition. "Oh, indeed. There's nothing quite like the classics. They have a soul that modern music often lacks."

Alastor stepped inside, and as the melodies of "Button Up Your Overcoat" filled the room, he extended his hand. "Would you do me the honor of a dance, my dear?"

(Y/N) was taken aback for a moment but couldn't resist the charisma of the Radio Demon. She accepted his offer, and they began to waltz around the room. Their movements were as smooth and enchanting as the jazz itself.

As they danced, Alastor couldn't help but be captivated by (Y/N)'s grace and love for the music. He found himself falling deeper and deeper under her spell, and he knew he had to have her in his life.

The soft, velvety notes of the song enveloped them, creating an intimate atmosphere. As the music swirled around them, Alastor's scarlet eyes bore into (Y/N)'s, and he gently pulled her closer. Their bodies moved in perfect harmony, each step a declaration of their growing connection.

With every subtle touch and the close proximity of their bodies, an electric charge filled the room. The scent of old vinyl records mixed with the faint aroma of (Y/N)'s perfume, creating an intoxicating blend. As Alastor's hand rested at the small of her back, a shiver ran down (Y/N)'s spine.

The song reached its climax, and Alastor couldn't resist the magnetic pull drawing him to (Y/N). In a fluid motion, he dipped her low, their faces mere inches apart. The world around them seemed to blur as time slowed down. Their breaths became shallow, and they shared a charged silence.

As the final notes of the song lingered in the air, Alastor, his voice as smooth as honey, whispered, "My dear (Y/N), it seems the music has brought our hearts together."

With an irresistible charm, he closed the remaining distance between them. His lips brushed against hers, gentle and tentative, igniting a spark that neither of them could deny. The kiss deepened, a passionate fusion of two souls drawn together by the enchantment of jazz and the intoxicating allure of their shared attraction.

The world outside faded into insignificance as (Y/N) and Alastor surrendered to the magnetic pull they couldn't escape. His gloved hand cradled her cheek, and the kiss became an exquisite dance of longing and affection.

It was a kiss that transcended time and place, a kiss that marked the beginning of a love story that defied the boundaries of Hell. In that fleeting moment, (Y/N) and Alastor discovered that love, like jazz, was timeless, resonating in the deepest recesses of their hearts.

As they broke the kiss, (Y/N) was left breathless, her eyes filled with both surprise and a hint of desire. Alastor's grin was filled with satisfaction and a hint of mischief. He took her hand, and as the music continued to play, they swayed together, their hearts in sync with the rhythm of love.

In Hell, where chaos and darkness reigned, their love shone like a beacon of light and passion, and the jazz of their hearts would play on, a melody that would never fade away.

NOTE! This story was generated by OpenAI

[millerflintstone]

Mad City records stop. So cool that my hooping friend is also a music aficionado

[sivavakkiyar]

Holy shit an entire performance of El/Aficionado from 2021 is on YouTube if you like Badalementi’s Twin Peaks score you should *really* check it out, opera, noir etc etc it’s weird and wonderful

This new production of eL/Aficionado by the late Robert Ashley (written in 1987 and last performed in 1995) is an opera scored for four voices and a pre-recorded electronic orchestra.

It is the story of a person on trial — on trial for her character and the quality of her answers, on trial for her skills of perception and her intelligence, on trial as a human being. The principal character (the Agent) is being cross-examined by two persons (Interrogators) under the direction of a third person (First Interrogator), who directs the narrative and comments on the Agent’s answers throughout the opera. The Agent is required to recount her actions and explain her behavior in carrying out certain assignments. She does not explain whom she works for, or even why she does what she does, but she is expected to respond without question to some deep obligation or contract with the past.

Although the opera’s mysterious mood owes much to John LeCarré’s world of espionage, it is not a spy story. The four scenes of the narrative are progressively concerned with events of an otherworldly nature while delving into the Agent’s different life stages, from the present time to her earliest memories. Throughout the First Interrogator’s remarks, there are passing references to analysis and to the world of dreams. eL/Aficionado is the trial of a mind or an imagination, of “every person” coming in contact with something foreign — the unknown.

Kayleigh Butcher will sing the lead role of the Agent. The other vocalists are Bonnie Lander, Paul Pinto, and Brian McCorkle. Music direction and sound design are by Tom Hamilton, and lighting and stage design are by David Moodey.

[louisupdates]

Gracias a este gesto Louis Tomlinson fue considerado como el "Dios" de este festival, ya que los aficionados al futbol morían por ver este partido.

A lo largo de los años, los fans de Louis Tomlinson han sido testigos de la pasión que el cantante siente por la música, pero también por el futbol, pues además de ser un aficionado de este deporte también suele practicarlo.

Por ejemplo, durante su visita a Argentina en abril de este año, el cantante se viralizó, ya que mientras visitaba el Estadio Vélez, Louis Tomlinson aprovechó para tirar un penal, momento que quedó grabado en un video, el cual tuvo una fuerte aceptación entre sus seguidores y en Argentina, un país, donde históricamente el futbol ha tenido una amplia aceptación.

[Thanks to this gesture, Louis Tomlinson was considered the "God" of this festival, since football fans were dying to see this match.

Over the years, Louis Tomlinson's fans have witnessed the passion that the singer feels for music, but also for football, since in addition to being a fan of this sport he also usually practices it.

For example, during his visit to Argentina in April of this year, the singer went viral, since while visiting the Vélez Stadium, Louis Tomlinson took the opportunity to take a penalty, a moment that was recorded in a video, which had a strong acceptance among his followers and in Argentina, a country where football has historically been widely accepted.

[hymnsofheresy]

Truly He taught us to love one another His law is love and His gospel is peace Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother And in his name all oppression shall cease Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we With all our hearts we praise His holy name Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we His power and glory ever more proclaim!

“Since that first rendition at a small Christmas mass in 1847, "O Holy Night" has been sung millions of times in churches in every corner of the world. And since the moment a handful of people first heard it played over the radio, the carol has gone on to become one of the entertainment industry's most recorded and played spiritual songs. This incredible work--requested by a forgotten parish priest, written by a poet who would later split from the church, given soaring music by a Jewish composer, and brought to Americans to serve as much as a tool to spotlight the sinful nature of slavery as tell the story of the birth of a Savior--has become one of the most beautiful, inspired pieces of music ever created.” (x)

Learn about the abolitionist history of O Holy Night:

“Things start in 1843 or 1847—there’s some discrepancy about the year—in Roquemaure, a small town in the Rhône valley region. Placide Cappeau, who had followed his father into the wine business, was also known for the poetry he composed. Though a critic of the Catholic church, Cappeau was asked by the local priest to write a few stanzas in celebration of the town cathedral’s newly refurbished organ. He is said to have written the song’s words while in transit to Paris on business, with the biblical Gospel of Luke as inspiration. On the advice of the same clergyman who had commissioned him, Cappeau took his completed work—then titled “Minuit, Chrétiens,” or “Midnight, Christians”—to Adolphe Adams, a composer of some renown. Adams, who was of French-Jewish descent, arranged the music, and the song was newly christened as "Cantique de Noel.” The carol would make its world debut, with opera singer Emily Laurey belting lyrics, during Christmas eve midnight mass at the Roquemaure church...

Though "Cantique de Noel” would quickly become a French Christmas favorite, it was later denounced by the French Catholic church—a reported consequence of Cappeau being an avowed atheist and socialist, along with the discovery that Adams was Jewish, not Christian. One bishop reportedly dismissed the song as having a "lack of musical taste and total absence of the spirit of religion.” There was also some resistance to Cappeau’s overtly anti-slavery lyrics in the third verse, which were perhaps made more glaring by his emergent political outspokenness. In any case, the ban reveals where the French Catholic church stood on matters of abolition...

In any case, "Cantique de Noel” would make its way across the Atlantic to John Sullivan Dwight, a white American abolitionist, Unitarian minister, musician and classical music aficionado who published a magazine called Dwight's Journal of Music...

Dwight gave his translated verse the title “O Holy Night” when he published it in his music periodical in 1855. It apparently became a hit in the U.S., gaining popularity among the abolitionist crowd during the Civil War. Even as the song was being banned in its home country, it was becoming a staple of Christmas, and a song of protest, thousands of miles away, in the U.S. It’s long since become part of the broader American Christmas songbook.”

(x)

[a-roguish-gambit]

I am OBSESSED with your turn of the century AU. OBSESSED. Foaming at the mouth. Any fun Hank stuff from the AU? Does he ever gaslight people about being Bigfoot like he did in that one episode of Evo?

Thank you!!!

Hank has a degree in medicine and chemistry. He kinda left the greater scientific community disillusioned though because of the focus being placed on pseudo scientific thought and disregard burgeoning discoveries due to who they were coming from. This was before he had his full furry awakening thankfully.

He traveled the world for a while with some anthropologists to study medicine in other areas of the world and test what worked and what was placebo. As a result he's become quite the aficionado for different kinds of teas and herbal drinks, as well as foreign translated works. Jubilee enjoys hanging out with him because he has a few records in her mother's native mandarin to listen too when she's feeling home sick for California.

Speaking of he has a large collection of wax records he's slowly trying to get transferred into disc records to preserve them. In the early days of records you could make your own at home out of wax cylinders. When he was traveling he made a lot of people singing in their native language as souvenirs. They are fragile so he doesn't play them much unless forge is helping get them transfered. He had the ones in students native tongues transfered first so they could listen to them and not have to worry about damage from repeated playback.

He still keeps in touch with a few of his contemporaries but doesn't go to events anymore for obvious reasons. Curie is a good friend of his, as was Booker T Washington, though not a scientist. He also personally met Mark Twain which is something he brags about.

He doesn't pretend to be bigfoot, he does pretend to have been a yeti when he was in tibet.

Also due to the time period he is a first generation Irish immigrant. He has a little bit of an accent.

[devildomditzy]

Pacts 2; Levi - A Mammon x MC Fic

Part one of ?

Haven’t read Pacts No. 1? Click here for the three part story!

🚨🚨:) this is still missing the final line on mobile and it’s displaying twice on desktop. i don’t know what to do about that :)

——————————————————————————-

Ah, nothing like a nice mist hitting your face on a hot day to keep you cool from the sweltering heat of hell.

Was it a light rain that suddenly moved in, uninvited? no.

Was it one of those flimsy tourist fans found at human realm theme parks that mixed a laughable amount of water into its foam propellers to bring your body temperature down?

of course not.

Was it your demonic boyfriend spitting out your shared bufo egg tea all over your face in shock at the words that had just left your mouth? bingo.

“YA WANNA WHAT?!”

“First of all, gross,” you grimace, wiping the remnants of the drink off of your cheeks and out of your eyes. “Second of all, I said I want to form a pact with Levi.”

“W-Why do ya need to go a do a thing like that for! You’ve got me! Ain’t I enough?!”

You can’t help the small smile that begins to form on your lips. Of course he’d get jealous over this. And while Mammon was certainly more than enough on his own for you personally, you simply couldn’t help but want to get closer to your newly forced housemates.

“It’s not that! You’re perfect. It would just…be nice you know…to have more than one friend here. And to maybe get to know your brothers more?”

“T-There’s no need! I can tell ya anything about them ya wanna know!”

“You know that’s not what I mean. I want to be friends with them!”

“And out of all of em to be friends with, ya pick Levi?!”

You roll your eyes at your incredulous pact mate. “Well, he was the first one to talk to me besides you. And he didn’t have to be forced to, unlike some people”.

While you mutter the last part under your breath, it was still loud enough to hear, causing a swift flick to your forehead from the second born.

“Oi! Do I gotta remind ya he used ya to make me pay him back? He saw ya as a means to an end! At least I saw ya for what you were.”

“Oh, and what is that?”

“A spoiled brat”, he mocks, ruffling a hand atop your head causing you to lightly push him back.

“Cmon. I didn’t make you and Beel marathon TSL for nothing! Levi’s not gonna just befriend some normie who doesn’t know their stuff! I gotta get good!”

“Gross! You’re even startin’ to sound like him.”

“Lol.”

“Ugh! Stop, I feel like I’m on a date with my brother!”

“Lmao. Rofl.”

“CAN IT!”

Mammon takes another irritated sip of tea before continuing, “How’d ya expect to do that anyway huh? It’s Levi we’re talkin’ about. The only person he’s nice to ain’t even a person. It’s a damn fish for cryin’ out loud!”

Your eyes twinkle in determination. “Maybe he just hasn’t met anyone like me!”

Mammon breaks out into a cackle at that one. “Yeah, you’re certainly somethin’!” He can hardly contain his laughter. “Aw shut up”, you shine, playfully pushing his shoulder. “It’ll work! I’ve already got a plan!”

“Ah- does this little ‘plan’ involve me?”, he questions, whipping away a stray tear.

You shoot him a mischievous look as you steal the cup away from him. “Yes, to some degree.”

“Damn. You’re really hellbent on this, huh?”

You nod in agreement. Of course you were, though why you could not disclose to the demon in front of you. You’ve heard someone? or something? calling to you from the top of that spiral staircase ever since you got here, the one Lucifer was determined to keep you from climbing. Unlucky for him, you were just as determined to get up there. The others must be suspicious too, considering the fact they’ve been dropping hints on how to catch Levi off guard.

Appealing to his music aficionado side with a rare cursed record was sure to work to lure Lucifer from the place his been guarding steadfast, but first you had to obtain said record. Of course, that’s were Levithan came in, the owner of the TSL record. Also, adding one more demon friend to your repertoire wouldn’t hurt. The more the merrier.

A TSL quiz, you wagered to the third born, to prove who was the biggest fan. Talking about TSL was about the only way to get him to interact with you, and it seems he wasn’t gonna budge. If he wants you to prove you can be a bigger dweeb then him, fine. So be it. As long as it brought you closer together.

And one step closer to the top of that staircase.

You stand up abruptly, wiping the front of your uniform off. “C’mon, we’re going to go talk to Simeon.”

Your lover looks at you with an annoyed gaze. “Ugh, why do I have to come? I don’t need anythin’ from the angel or the pipsqueak.”

“No, but you’ll do it because you looooove me? Or, you know, I could just command you to come with me?”, you point out, a crucial detail that he seems to forget often.

“Hey! You can’t play those cards! That’s cheatin’”.

You lean forward to place a chaste kiss on his cheek. “I learned from the best!”.

The second born (begrudgingly) grabs your hand as you walk towards purgatory hall together in search of Simeon at the behest of Satan’s advice. You needed something big to stump Levi, something he can’t one up you on, something that will make him jealous. And for some reason, it seems the answer to your prayers lie with the angel.

“WHAT!? Woah woah woah slow down! Ya mean to tell me you know what happens in the ninth volume of The Seven Lords!?”, your boyfriend questions, openly gawking at the angel sitting across from you.

Simeon chuckles fondly, “Is that so hard to believe?”. As you converse, Luke sits at his side, pouring you a steaming cup of devilwood tea all the while throwing the man sitting next to you a look that could kill.

“How do ya know all this? What happens to Geldie? To the Lord of Fools? To Henry? Ya gotta tell me!”, Mammon all but begs the angel.

Once again Simeon let’s out a laugh at his astonishment. “Let’s just say the author and I are…close.”

“Isn’t this a series of books? How does Mammon know about it? Does he even know how to read?”, pips the smaller of the two, still holding his glare steady.

“Oi! How dare ya speak to yer elders like that! Course I can read!”

“How long did it take you to finish all eight books?”, questions Luke in an innocent voice you can tell is laced with venom.

“Uh- I uh- I didn’t read the books. I-Im not some nerd! I watched the movies. B-but I coulda read em if I wanted to!”

Luke’s laughter fills the room as Simeon has to hold back another giggle.

“Shaddup, tiny! Even yer laughs sound like yapping.”

Luke snaps to attention at his comment, Mammon’s teasing.

“Hey! I am not a chihuahua!”, he shouts, crossing his arms across his chest.

You give Simeon an apologetic glance on behalf of your second half. He simply responds back with a knowing one, placing a hand on Luke’s shoulder.

“Luke, would you please go brew some more tea for our guests?”, he asks as gently as he can.

"Hmph!", Luke indignantly huffs as he snatched the kettle off the table and heads towards the kitchen.

Simeon settles back on the couch after watching Luke leave the room. Facing the two of you once more, he says, “I suggest the two of you make yourselves comfortable. This… may take awhile.”

[fionarara]

+ hipster ! kenma .

+ tw : one mention of a drug, cigarettes, slight cat slander, please this is a joke

+ hipster ! kenma . owns a hairless sphynx cat, because cutesy cats with fluffy fur are for plebs + hipster ! kenma . who shows up to a kickback party at kuroo’s place and upon discovering that the fridge is only stocked full of ultra-generic basic beer brands, decides he would rather drink the warm belgium-imported craft beer which has not yet been cooled, because dude would never be caught holding a shitty bud light in hand or drinking a white claw + hipster ! kenma . “knows the DJ” when you walk into this music venue with him, but in actuality, they only had a singular random encounter on the street during one of kenma's smoke breaks from his part-time job at a local arcade bar: this DJ guy just happened to be strolling by when he casually asked kenma if he could bum a cig off of him and come in real quick just to use the bathroom

+ hipster ! kenma . says, not only is it too expensive to touch up the roots of your hair so often with bleach, but it’s also way too high maintenance, and according to hipster kenma, high-maintenance = highly manufactured, super lame. clearly, presenting with two-toned slightly unkempt hair with a heroin-chic grunge look is some sort of torch one can hold about their own authentic individuality against the status quo...and how one is too cool to give a fuck, yeah + hipster ! kenma . who only rolls his own cigarettes, being the loose tobacco aficionado he is, and uses Bali Shag brand–exclusively. shows you how to roll it just right into a small narrowed cone shape that’s precise and comfortable enough to rest between your pretty fingers, demonstrating how to twist the tip’s end of the handmade cig in the most exquisitely cool way so that when you flame it up, it'll flash with a dazzling little light show right before you take a puff and inhaaale + hipster ! kenma . shows you his entire collection of vintage 8-bit video games, his faves are the few that are most rare and special edition versions where only a handful in the world were made (500 copies worldwide to be exact) + hipster ! kenma . will often wear high quality acetate-plastic glasses with thick-rimmed frames – non-prescription. boy has 20/20 vision and, more often than not, has his bicolored strands of hair hanging over his eyes, barely able to see from his own peripheral vision, so can someone please explain why the guy has thirteen different varying-style pairs of them? + hipster ! kenma . who is, duh, a self-proclaimed male feminist. he even has a cat onesie for his hairless sphynx kitty made of organic cotton with the words 'The Future is Female' printed on it. he makes sure to put the garment on his penisy-looking cat before going out on any first date in case he happens to score that night by getting to bring the date home

+ hipster ! kenma . buys and then wears a thrifted 90s D.A.R.E. T-shirt three days in a row, but later that weekend does cocaine off the cover of a vinyl record by The Stokes at this hole-in-the-wall dive bar while attending Yamamoto’s birthday party

+ hipster ! kenma . hates every mainstream video game, yet you’ll still catch him playing Pokémon GO on the DL when he thinks no one is looking because the nostalgia can’t be beat no matter how much his little alt-heart tries, plus deep down he refuses to quit until he’s at least caught the shiny versions of Jolteon and Umbreon

+ hipster ! kenma . has a nose piercing, with a vintage sterling-silver stud that comes with a whole intricate story and history behind it that he purchased at this obscure pawn shop out in the arts district of a super hip neighborhood he heard about + hipster ! kenma . whose newest pair of skinny jeans are so tight on him, they’ve begun to chafe the delicate skin of his thighs and a small rash developed as a result (despite hinata repeatedly mentioning they were probably a bit too snug), so he takes himself in for a yearly doctor’s visit for a simple topical cream prescription fix when his physician informs him they’d detected some curious results of a lower sperm count, asking kenma if for any reason he’d been doing anything as of late that would impact his testicles…oopsie

+ hipster ! kenma . whose favorite beanie is definitely in need of a wash soon, however he can’t just go ruining the ethically-sourced organic cashmere it's made of and risk ruining this special material + hipster ! kenma . would grow a “dope stubble beard” – if only he could, but alas – (and he would use the word, alas, whenever sharing this dilemma with anyone) alas, he—cannot. “...damn my damned genetics...”

+ hipster ! kenma . has not been to see or support a nekoma game as an alumni ever since he seriously started working (–biking to work, by the way, because ‘excess fossil fuels are whack’) in the tech world at this startup company of some trendy new game app…since being associated with any jock conduct anymore is the antithesis of his counter-culture lifestyle now

+ hipster ! kenma . believes heavily in the issue of gentrification in the new neighborhood he just relocated to, without realizing he is part of the problem + hipster ! kenma. has a snide opinion about eeeeverything …

 + hipster ! kenma . part 2 . ⇢ + link2masterlist . ⇢

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Television - Max's Kansas City, New York City, August 28, 1974

I just got my copy of Uncut's Ultimate Music Guide — the Television edition! Very cool to see a band that was far from a chart-topper / arena-filler get this kind of lavish treatment. The mag is a thing of beauty: tons of fascinating vintage articles/interviews, fantastic photos, interesting new reviews and plenty of dips into Television-adjacent zones (Voidoids, Heartbreakers, etc). Go grab it ...

You will probably not be shocked to learn that my contribution to the UMG Television extravaganza is a lengthy writeup of the band's live albums and bootlegs ... a favorite Doom & Gloom subject since before the beginning. Here's what I wrote about the Max's gig in 1974, which is one of the earliest Television (if not the earliest) live tapes out there. (How early? Well, "Marquee Moon" is introduced as "the new one.")

Richard Hell was long gone by the time Television recorded Marquee Moon. In the beginning, however, it was as much his band as it was Verlaine’s — a fact made clear by this Max’s gig, which took place just a few months after the quartet had played their first shows. Hell’s rudimentary-but-right bass work and strung-out vocals may make later Television sound like Steely Dan in comparison, but the impressive verve and originality of the band is positively thrilling even at this early stage. With a host of songs that wouldn’t survive Hell’s ousting from Television, this tape is a vital document of what might have been. 

Ohhh yeah. I'm fascinated by the list of songs above, which seems to be a comprehensive rundown of the Hell era. A lot of tunes for a band that hadn't existed for all that long — and many of them future classics.

And hey, one more thing: sad news that Keith Allison passed away this month. Keith was the webmaster / Television aficionado behind the long-running The Wonder website, which has been an indispensable resource on Verlaine and the band and beyond for decades now. It was the kind of site that always made you remember that the internet could actually be ... good? I didn't know Keith personally, but I greatly appreciated his work. Hopefully there is some way that The Wonder can stay up for future generations to access ...

[mywifeleftme]

364: Various Artists // Israfel

Israfel Various Artists 1997, Ape

A 1997 vinyl benefit compilation of mostly Middle American grindcore / powerviolence / emo acts, assembled in an edition of about 1000 by Bloomington-based DIY label Ape Records (active 1995 to 2002), in handmade sleeve with a recent release catalogue, a substantial zine, and a few priceless gag inserts (incl. YOUR HARDCORE SELL OUT DECODER RING). I’m not an aficionado of any of the genres Israfel covers by any means, but you’d have to be a real head to know most of these: in terms of notoriety, the Locust (who contribute a 47 second blast of lo-fi outrage) are basically Led Zeppelin compared to the rest of the acts, most of whom topped out with a couple of EPs and compilation appearances.

Of course, hearing music that would otherwise be basically lost to time is the appeal of taking a flyer on a comp like this. One of my favourite tracks is “Untitled” by Roanoke, VA’s the Weak Link Breaks, supposedly the first thing the band ever wrote (and, judging from their discography, nearly the last too). It begins with a very, very quiet spacy-Fugazi-style amble (the vocal harmonies couldn’t be more Ian and Guy) that explodes into a brief screamo-style D-beat section, and then some big heaving riffs that make me want to exaggeratedly lift and stomp my feet like a giant trying to keep his balance. I also dig Murfreesboro, TN’s Serotonin, an emo / post-hardcore act with a steely '80s shred band guitar tone who play like they want people in the pit to twirl around ecstatically instead of slam dancing. A lot of the other nasty yowling cat speedballs on Israfel don’t really catch my ear, but that’s okay—I’m weirdly proud of them 27 years after the fact for being themselves and getting out whatever they needed to get out through this violence.

The package’s tone is all over the place. The zine opens with a haunting description of the compilation’s beneficiaries, the family of a pair of little girls with spinal muscular atrophy (a common birth defect) whose condition worsened until they perished, leaving their parents distraught and financially ruined—and the 21-year-old compiler racked with guilt that he didn’t somehow do more to help. From there, it whips through his heterodox thoughts about the hardcore scene (despicably self-absorbed; unresponsive to requests from label operators); the state of emo (too abstract); the best way to bring about change (working within the capitalist system); rape (it’s bad; consent is black and white; can we stop litigating this in the scene?); calling the cops (fine to do); disrespecting the American flag (played out; tacky); and drinking/drug use (“when did self-destruction become rebellion?”). After he finishes up, each band (that got their artwork in on time anyway) gets a page to talk about themselves. This section is full of old school punk zine/leaflet treasures, with designs that mimic motel newspaper ads, postcards, messy handwritten perzines, and Xeroxed 7” grindcore sleeves.

It's funny reading his scornful words about pseudo-rebellious drunkards stumbling toward “the day when punk rock is shelved for an 8 hour workday, Budweiser, and television” and then finding his LinkedIn, where he describes himself as “driving omnichannel excellence” and as “whimsical (after coffee).” You wouldn’t believe it from the splenetic angst of the Israfel zine, but the guy seems like he turned out happy and normal, with a few kids and a successful career. I wonder how the 21-year-old would see the 48-year-old, if he’d call him a sell-out or feel relieved that things worked out; if the 48-year-old would pity his former self, or feel ashamed about losing his edge. More one-time zinesters and hardcore kids end up looking square from a distance than you’d think (I certainly do if you catch me during the workday), because you usually stop hearing about them when they drop out of the scene. For most, the quiet part of life is the larger portion by far. It’s your choice whether to embrace that, mourn it, or seek your own alternative. But if Israfel reminds us of nothing else, it’s the importance of having a good scream at least once in your life.

364/365

[kitnita]

Hi Zoe Kitnita I have a burning question about nhl logistics and it seems like one that an rpf aficionado such as yourself might know the answer to. Do you know what order postgame activities go in for the players. Like cooldowns and coach speeches and various media duties and showers and medical staff checks and the stars and their player of the game beer thing. Because sometimes I imagine something and then have a record scratch moment where I realize I have no idea how it works, actually

so the thing is: i also don't really know how it works, because probably every team & every player does things a little differently!! i try and keep postgame details a little vague & malleable even when writing fic set directly after a game.

my extrapolation has always been that coach speeches + player-of-the-game stuff happens before media duties (especially on the stars rn, when they don't seem to want anyone (even starsmin courtney!) to film the beer chugging). and media duties probably happen before guys shower (and therefore before whatever their cooldown routine is) because guys are always Relatively Dry in filmed postgame media availabilities & i doubt they're blow-drying their hair just to talk about how all the guys put in a lot of effort tonight. that said!! for guys who aren't meeting with the media, the timeline probably goes differently; they go to meet with medical staff or get stuff massaged out before stretching or lifting weights or doing a stint on a stationary bike for lactic acid reasons, then shower, then eat, etc.

there's this march 2019 article from the athletic (which, heads up, is from mark lazerus & is about the blackhawks) that goes a little more in-depth on specific postgame routine details that i've found super interesting!! but it doesn't so much lay things out in a neat timeline — it's great for figuring out specific details but not so much for clarifying when in a given postgame routine those details come into play.

however!!! this is good to know, generally: whatever postgame routines guys have are compressed into 20-40 minutes on the road.

it also talks about how the kind of exercise guys do postgame differs between vets and younger guys, the sorts of postgame meals they get on the road when their usual caterer isn't there, what kind of electrolyte drinks their strength & conditioning coach gives them, the difference between working out or using the cold/hot tubs on the road vs. at home, etc.

if you don't have a subscription to the athletic & want screenshots or whatever from the rest of the article please lmk!! i know it (and my answer here) probably doesn't nail down an answer to your actual question but i hope it's still a little helpful!!!