#and he came up with a banger of a poem

[deadpoets]

DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989) dir. Peter Weir

[darabeatha]

[axelsagewrites]

Hey, could I request a love triangle with both Theon and Jon set in modern days? Fratboy!Theon (he's unsufurable and such dork! I can so imagine reader disliking him but he's cute when he wants to!) and Emo!Jon (he just gives off emo boy energy!!). Lots of teasing and rivalry (maybe? But definitely not needed) and maybe f!reader hooking up with both but separately.

Jon Snow/Theon Greyjoy*Hook ups

Pairing: jon x reader, theon x reader, past!jon x Ygritte

Word count: 3980

Warnings: secret hooking up, multiple partners, p in v sex, f! receiving oral, hickeys, praise, slight sub jon, cocky theon, smut 18+

Masterlist here

when you left for college, you were determined to break out of your shell. the first day was of course the toughest but luckily for you the dark-haired quiet kid beside you seemed equally on edge. you and Jon formed an instant friendship in freshman English and soon managed to develop a proper friendship group.

Jons half-brother Robb was also a freshman, so he was an obvious addition to the group. plus, you managed to make friends with a girl called Ygritte in your Ancient Histories class and whenever you all hung out, she would bring her friend Tormund along. the five of you were a close group all throughout freshman year and Jon and Ygritte even started dating at the end of freshman year.

you refused to admit to any of them that you were secretly a tiny bit completely and utterly jealous. you managed to keep your feelings at bay over the summer break but when you came back in your second year it was hard not to get angry seeing how happy they were. you knew it was neither of their faults, but you tried to keep it at bay and took the opportunity to expand your friendship group.

this was easy enough by tagging along wherever Robb went. he was such a sweetheart despite being such a party animal. he had been nicknamed across campus as the young wolf because of his string of girlfriends who all seemed to thank him when they got dumped. he was oddly charismatic when you thought of him, and Jon being related.

Jon was far shyer than Robb with his head often in a book or jotting lyrics and poems down in a notebook. he never left his dorm without headphones and majority of his music was all pre 2005 emo kid bangers. don’t get me wrong, you loved his music, but it was an acquired taste for sure. Ygritte however hadn’t acquired it, so it made it all the more frustrating for you when she never listened to the sweet songs, he sent her.

but you refused to let it keep you down so here you were at a Blackfyre Frat party standing with Robb who was introducing you to yet another friend of his. As he was telling Danerys that you were also into Taylor Swift you felt an arm suddenly grab over your shoulder and your neck snapped to the side to see its owner.

He had his other arm wrapped over Robbs shoulder and a beer bottle in hand, “and this is Theon,” Robb laughed as you shrugged him off as he kissed Robbs cheek, “aka a pain in my ass,”

“Thought you liked when I was in your ass,” Theon gasped as he finally removed himself from the young wolf. at times you had questioned if Robb was bi but now did not seem the time to ask as Theon held his hand out for you to shake, “And who do I owe the pleasure?”

you shook his hand lightly, trying your best not to grimace at the beer stench on his breath. you told him your name and quickly took your hand back, “I think im gonna get a drink,” you said, your eyes shooting to Dany who decided she also needed one. thank god for girls you thought.

“Cmon princess I don’t bite,” Theon joked but waved you and Dany off to slip into the crowds.

“He’s something alright,” you joked as you filled your cup with extra strong-smelling punch.

Dany laughed as she refilled her own drink, “He’s not as bad as he seems,” she said making your eyebrows scrunch in shock, “Nah seriously. its just this impression he puts on, I guess. I don’t really get it but alone he’s far more chill,”

“Please don’t leave me alone with him,” you said as you attempted to drink what tasted like straight vodka, “I don’t need him spilling beer down me,” you joked as you and Dany re-entered the crowd of people to dance.

you found your eyes wondering over to Theon a few times in the night. any time he caught you he sent a cheeky wink, and you rolled your eyes before turning to blush. maybe it was the alcohol or whatever issues high school had left you with, but Theon was kind of hot.

not in the Jon mysterious sensitive way but in the cocky I don’t give a fuck way. he was wearing his fraternity t-shirt which after Robb spilled his drink down revealed a surprisingly well toned body underneath. Dany seemed to notice your glances as she winked at you before demanding Robb and Theon come dance.

as Theon walked over you decided fuck it. Jon was taken and you were a woman with needs and even if he was a bit annoying Theon wad fit as fuck. you didn’t protest when they joined you to dance or run away when Theon would bump into you or spin you around the dance floor despite the music defiantly not being the spinning sort.

however eventually it was all becoming a bit too loud and a bit too fast. that plus the vodka was getting to you so without much warning you decided to duck out the dance floor and make your way to the kitchen where you stumbled upon Joffrey Lannister practically on top of Margaery Tyrell. you dipped your head as you headed for the back door and decided to just chill on the back steps for a few.

“You good bro?” you heard Theon’s concerned voice, but you didn’t need to turn as he moved to sit beside you on the step. he tried to hand you a cup, but you just looked at him in silent questioning, “Just water. promise,” he said reaching out his pinkie for you to link with your own.

you laughed as you made a pinkie promise with a near stranger before taking the cup, “Thanks man,” you said before almost downing the cup, “Sorry it just felt like really loud all of a sudden,”

“That’s cool,” Theon shrugged with a genuine smile that made your own lips curl up, “I just wanted to make sure nothing had happened. I know things like this aren’t always the easiest but its good you came,” he said as he knocked his knee into yours, “Even if you’re a terrible dancer,” he teased making you laugh and tease him right back.

you ended up sitting out there for the next hour before Dany eventually found you, wondering if you’d died or something. this was now your queue to leave since even Robb was too far gone to continue this night. “I’m gonna go get him into my bed then ill be back down to walk yous two home,” Theon said as Robb was slumped over his shoulder.

“Oh, you don’t have to- “you tried to say.

Theon cut you off, “Don’t worry love I’ll be two tics,” he said before he started to take Robb up the stairs, “Cmon buddy use those feet of yours,” you heard him mumble as you and Dany laughed at the state of Robb.

“See told you he’s not that bad,” she said, nudging you with her elbow.

you rolled your eyes at the blonde as you finished your drink, “Yeah, yeah. we’ll see,” and see you did. Theon had asked for your insta when you got to the dorms and somewhat shockingly to you didn’t try make a pass at you before he left. maybe he wasn’t that bad after all?

“Ugh that guy,” Jon groaned as you walked to class together, “I hate when Robb brings him round, he’s just so weird,”

“Some would say the same thing about you my goth little friend,” you said, poking at his arm making him swat it away.

“Not a goth,” he said, grabbing your hand to stop your attacks which for a moment almost made you blush, “Besides he always calls me an emo,” he said making you look at him like he said 2 + 2 = 5, “I’m not an emo. I just happen to have perfect taste,” all you did was snort as you finally reached English and took your seats.

for the month or so you spent a surprising amount of time dm-ing Theon. it started with him sending a couple memes to you having long conversations deep into the night about complete random topics. you also started actually going to parties once or twice a week with Theon and Robb much to Jons protest.

every time you told him he was welcome to come but he refused. instead, he would tell you all the reasons Theon annoyed him, and you could do better. it was ironic your old crush telling you to move on. the best thing was that you could finally see him and Ygritte around without wanting to vomit all over the place.

however, in a strange turn of events it was as soon as you got over Jon, or at least you thought, that he and Ygritte started having issues. Jon always refused to tell you what it was they fought about but you knew something was off. by now though you hung around with Dany, Theon, and Robb more than Ygritte, so you didn’t want to push. you and Jon still hung out as well of course but it was almost as if he was starting to ice you out.

you had talked to Theon about this on multiple occasions with him telling you that he was just being overly emo about things. you always defended Jon, but it was nice to know you weren’t crazy. then one night you got a text from Jon.

-she dumped me

this led to you and Jon locking yourself away in his dorm for a week as you helped him get over the breakup then a week of you dragging Jon out the dorms to see sunlight. you insisted he go out and enjoyed himself after allowing him to wallow for a time and soon a new friendship group was born.

you, Robb, Theon, Jon, and Dany hung out together at least three times a week, often all going to frat parties or drunken nights out. yes, even Jon would tag along to these parties, and you could tell he was enjoying it deep down. however, no matter what the two boys were always nipping at the other heels.

Theon would make fun of Jons clothes then Jon would quip back at his hair. when Jon poked fun at Theon’s grades Theon would make fun of Jons music taste. it was funny at times, frustrating at others, but overall, this was the most social Jon had been in months, so you weren’t going to complain.

something you hadn’t told Jon though, and had insisted that Theon couldn’t tell him either, was that you had secretly been hooking up with the Greyjoy without any of your friends knowing. he would text you late at night or you’d snap him when you were stressed. yes yes, the classic booty call things, you knew you were a cliché. but gods the sex was good.

you’d gotten a text from Theon that night and it didn’t take you long to get to his frat and sneak in through the backdoor. you slipped into Theon’s rooms unnoticed but as the door shut behind you you felt Theon press his chest into yours, “What took so long doll?” he grinned, his lips moving to kiss your jaw.

you laughed at the boy as your fingers travelled up to his hair, “Please you like when I keep you waiting,” you teased as you tugged lightly on his hair. you felt his lips move further down your neck, kissing softly at first but soon you felt him sucking gently on your skin, “You better not leave a mark,” you groaned, hating how you enjoyed it.

“I’ll think about it princess,” Theon said as his arms wrapped around your waist before tugging you over to the bed and pushing you down onto his sheets. he grabbed his collar, pulling his shirt over his head in a routine you had both practised down to perfection as you slipped your own top off.

Theon crawled over your body, his hands groping at your thighs and hips as his lips kissed the valley of your breasts. you moaned lightly as you felt him squeeze your hips and his hard on pressing into your thigh. “Now who’s making me wait,” you teased as you pulled Theon’s face up to yours, latching your lips together.

you knew each other’s rhythms, what they liked and where, his tongue slipped in with ease as your hands gripped his shoulders. meanwhile his were trailing up your body, squeezing your tits as he settled his legs between yours, grinding into you. you had of course changed into a cute little skirt when you saw the text so as your legs wrapped around his hips it left little to the imagination.

Theon hand slipped between your bodies, unbuttoning his jeans with ease and slipping them and his boxers off without even breaking your lips. you moaned lightly when his fingers rubbed your clit over your panties and your kiss grew deeper when he began to push them to the side. Theon only broke the kiss to quickly slip a condom on, something you had always insisted on and he had never complained about.

you felt him line his tip up with your hole, pushing it in slowly at first, “You like that?” he mumbled against your lips with that cocky smirk. god it shouldn’t be that hot to be a prick. your legs tightened around his waist, pushing Theon deeper in which he gladly complied as he sunk his length fully in, “Fuck,” he groaned, his thrusts attempting to set a steady pace.

his hand found your clit again, rubbing circles over it as your hands scratched gently down his back making him shiver. Theon’s lips fell from yours, moving to gently kiss down your jaw and neck before his head fell into your shoulder, his breathing growing heavy as you knew he was close to the edge.

with a final thrust you felt his body tighten for a moment before sinking into yours. you paused for a moment, letting Theon catch his breath. he pulled away for a moment, discarding the condom and kneeling over your thighs before he looked back down at you with a cocky grin, “Your turn now,” he said, and you laughed as he made his way down south.

by the end of the night, you were both hot and sweaty and both in a pair of Theon’s sweatpants. you were able to slip out and back to yours for a quick change of clothes before class the next morning though Jon shot you a questioning look when you had to practically run to class.

as the lecturer droned on and on you saw your phone light up and when you looked you saw a text from Jon. you unlocked your phone under the table, glancing over to see Jon was doing the same, as you opened the message.

-u wanna do something tonight?

-ye sure. want me to text everyone else?

you sent back and when you glanced at Jon you saw a faint blush on his cheeks. a few moments later another message came.

-was thinking it could be a just us thing. like old times

you didn’t even realise you were smiling when you saw the message, but Jon did. and gods did it make his legs go weak especially when you text back.

-great idea. movie night?

-only if u don’t hog the snacks

-no promises

after a long day of classes, a movie night was just what you needed especially since you knew it wasn’t hard to get Jon to let you pick the movie. when you arrived at his dorm, he was setting up a projector his dad had got him and you noticed his roommate, Tormund was out. “Did you kick Tormund to the curb for me?” you joked when you walked in through the open door.

Jon grinned as he stopped fiddling with his laptop cables and the projector lit up the room, “He didn’t mind,” he said as he took the bag of snacks out of your hand, adding them to the pile he had set up on his bed. “You ready for the ultimate movie experience?”

“Always,” you grinned as you jumped down onto his bed, kicking off your shoes and making yourself comfy. you didn’t catch the way Jon smiled at you as he watched this or how when he shut the door, he locked it also.

Jon flicked off the lights before returning to the bed, sitting beside you as he brought up Netflix on his laptop. before you could even start your spiel about how legally blonde the best film was and why you just had to watch it, he was handing you the laptop. you’d thought your crush had died but when you felt his fingers brush yours as you took the laptop you were grateful for the dimmed lighting to hide your blush.

Jon watched the movie without complaint, which honestly shocked you, especially when he even offered you some of his pringles. now that was odd. you were so into the movie you didn’t even realise you were leaning onto his shoulder till you felt his arm move to rest around your waist. when you glanced at Jon he cleared his throat, a blush spreading across his cheeks making you smile before you turned your attention back to Elle strutting her stuff.

by the end credits your body was fully rested against Jons, your snacks were gone, and his head was leant on top of yours. “See, told you it was a masterpiece,” you teased.

Jon chuckled lightly as you moved your head off his shoulder, but you couldn’t bring yourself to move his arm, “It was something alright,”

“Theres a second one,”

“Eh I think one movie was enough for tonight,” Jon said as he closed Netflix with his spare hand. the room was still pretty dark but the light from the projector lit it up just enough to notice the cute smile toying on his lips.

“So whatcha wanna do then?” you said, moving to face him without realising how close your faces were, “You can’t kick me out already. its only nine,” you said but Jon didn’t say anything back.

you just smiled, waiting for him to say something and wondering if you had accidentally broken the boy somehow when Jon suddenly leaned forward. he kissed you. like actually kissed you. on the mouth. it only lasted for a second and you were too stunned to react as he pulled back, “I’m sorry- “Jon tried to say, moving his arm but you cut him off by grabbing his jaw lightly making him face you.

Jon grew silent again as you studied his face for a moment before leaning in. this kiss was far softer than before and this time Jon didn’t run away. his lips moved against yours gently at first, almost as if you were made of glass, but with added courage now Jon grew bolder, his hand squeezing your waist gently.

you took your queue, if not maybe surprising Jon a little, as you moved to straddle his lap. however, it only took a moment for him to catch up as his hands moved to rest gently on your hips. “You can touch me you know,” you mumbled into the kiss, “I won’t break,” you teased as your own hands trailed down his chest.

much to your surprise since he always wore baggy black clothes, but you could feel how toned he was through his shirt. you couldn’t resist slipping your hands under his t-shirt, gently tracing your hands up his skin making him shiver.

you were breathless, pulling away for air but Jon wasn’t done. his lips soon fell to your neck, kissing down your skin gently as his fingers traced the hem of your waistband of your sweats. you moaned lightly when you felt him sucking soft hickeys across your collarbones but this time you didn’t mind the marks.

Jon seemed encouraged by your noises as his hands slipped under the fabric of your sweats as you felt his groan against your skin when he realised you were wearing something lacy. you bit your lip gently as he trailed hickeys down your chest, his hands squeezing your hips and ass. you decided to be bolder, if that was possible, and grind down onto his lap.

you could fell his boner through the fabric and heard Jons soft moans as you continued your movements. “Please,” he moaned against your skin, “I want you,” he begged.

“All you had to do was ask,” you teased as you pried yourself from his grip. the way Jon watched with awe as you stripped your t-shirt off made you want him ever more. “Take that off,” you said, pointing to his own top to which he happily complied.

you turned away for a moment, slipping your sweats down your legs to give Jon a proper show since he was determined to enjoy it. you heard him curse under his breath as you kicked away the fabric and when you turned around, he was finally tugging his jeans off leaving him in just his boxers. “Fuck,” Jon mumbled, his eyes glued to your frame for several moments before finally flickering to your eyes, “You’re perfect,”

you giggled a little, so unlike yourself, as you leaned down to kiss Jon again. it was slow and deep with your hands in his hair. you expected to be the one leading things, but Jons hand found its way to your hips and soon you were laying on the bed under neath Jon who was trailing open mouth kisses down your body, praising it all the way down.

your breathing hitched when he pressed a kiss to your clothed clit, your hand instinctually reaching for his hair as he slid your panties down your legs. within moments he was kissing your cunt soft as he moved your legs over his shoulders. you moaned when you felt his tongue against your clit, applying more and more pressure as he went till, he found your sweet spot.

you didn’t care how loud your moan was when you felt his fingers teasing your hole. you bit your lip as he slowly slipped them in, stretching you out before he began to gently curl his fingers. you could feel your orgasm already approaching as Jon began to suck on your clit gently making your legs instinctively wrap around his head.

it only seemed to spur him on more and it wasn’t long till you felt your orgasm threatening to spill. “Don’t stop,” you whined, your hand gripping his hair for dear life, “Fuck,” you gasped as your body tightened and your orgasm crashed down like a tsunami.

you could feel your legs twitch, but Jon wasn’t stopping. his seemingly magic tongue kept going till he was sure you were fully finished and when he pulled away, his face wet with your juices, he placed a soft kiss to your thigh. “You are amazing,” he said, kissing up your body with each word.

you were panting for air but still wanting more and Jon had no intentions of stopping there. by the end of the night, you had come five times, weren’t sure if you’d ever walk again, and you were both naked and sweaty under his sheets. you didn’t know how you’d explain these hickeys to Theon next time you saw him but god where they worth it.

Taglist: @clairacassidy @valeskafics

[fallenclan]

Hounds

FANTASTIC poem by dice anon... another fucking banger you literally never miss

Hounds

There is a hound.

He hunts and runs. Slobber drips from his lips. Bloodlust pumps through his veins.

He has snuffed the flames of a dying star And now He will slaughter the wildlife.

Ferns dance in the breeze. Blood splatters the leaves. The cave walls close in.

The light of that dying star flashes. There is a hound and he will hunt. An otter. Ivy curling up the walls. This family will die in blood.

He hunts and rips. Slobber drips from his lips. Bloodlust pumps through his veins.

There is a hound.

- 🎲

moon 205 update came out like twenty minutes ago. some writers fast but I work faster.

(asking once again to be anon, ty in advance beetle <33)

[diagonal-queen]

HI STILL NIGHTGOWN ANON. im a silly little fella. I JUST SAW THE OTHER POST. IM MOTIVATED. IM GLAD YOU LIKE THE IDEAS! ILL TRY AND THINK OF MORE.

- i see... so you have showed poe popipo?? alright next up on the chopping block: 'AaaAaaaAaa'

- i personally LOVE rabbits. Just imagine little karl with little holland lop bunny :) OKOK THATS MY PERSONAL PREF HAHA

- imagine reader is a fellow writer, and they meet at like.. this writing convention or something like that, going to like the same publisher/editor?? thats how they met

- what if you met through ranpo? again, reader also writes and has like weird ideas and hes like: i gochu. i introduce you to racoon man! you: .o. hes perfect.

- reader reviewing poe ideas and just being like: bro that wont work r u stupid

- reader sitting on poes lap while he writes and complaining about him writing too much

- poe gets a hand injury bc he writes too much and reader has to take care of him (babying him)

- poe and ranpo have 'friendly' playdates (although they like to call it a debate between skills) and reader like you said, is the mediator between the two.

- reader and ranpo are besties. poe being the sugar daddy he is, buys reader everything they want. reader then proceeds to take all snacks and stuff to share with ranpo. poe then has to monitor both of their sugar intakes because... well...

- poe babysitting reader and ranpo

- ranpo babysitting reader and poe

- trio being unsupervised (jk kunikidas there to save the day)

- ranpo dies and reader uses poe as therapy/replacement. poe accepts their date proposal because he liked them. OF COURSE RANPO WOULDNT DIE THOUGH BC HES TOO SMART I LOVE HIM

- vice versa. poe dies and reader uses ranpo as therapy/replacement. ranpo accepts their date/proposal because he had his eye on them. SAME THING THO HES TOO BABY TO DIE

IDK these thoughts came randomly to my head while i was writing them. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF MY LOVE! ❤️

nightgown you're like a stray cat that shows up every now and then but instead of me giving you treats you're giving me headcanons and i appreciate it because poe is the blorbo ever 🤧 i love all of these so much WHAT

poe can't get behind miku he'd be like 'BUT SHE'S A ROBOT ON THE COMPUTER. HOW CAN A ROBOT BE REAL' 'no edgar she's a vocaloid' 'THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE' lol, also poe lowkey really does seem like a bunny type. those rabbits are very cute <3

it would be very cute if poe and author!reader met because they had the same publisher but it would also be adorable if they met at a convention that they were both featured at and they were like huge fans of each other, so all the bookworms there who went to meet you and poe just watch the two of you awkwardly interact ksjskskjs

there are SO many ways you could fit ranpo into a poe x reader. i've written myself a little bit of a 'ranpo with a younger sister who likes poe's books meets him and falls immediately' already lmao but ranpo, knowing that poe can be awkward sometimes, would probably deadass just lock you two in a room with a bunch of pens and blank manuscripts and be like 'go on then' LMAO

poe's books and poems are basically always a hit but when he's tired and suffering writer's block some of his manuscripts are a bit iffy. you've had to help him out of his slump a time or two. get all the terrible drabbles out of his system before he finally presents you with another banger of a novel. don't be too relentless with him though he might cry

and of course the beloved poe scenario where reader is like 'POE STOP' and he's just writing light yagami style like 'NEVER'. he won't stop if you sit in his lap or complain though. he is a hard worker and very creative, and much like myself must get his ideas out or he'll forget them immediately. maybe if you manage to distract him somehow? put on the nightgown JYGSJKHKKJBRKTW IM SORRY

if he hurts his hand...imagine poe being so sad because he's physically unable to write- he'd definitely try anyway, but you need to be like NO, BAD. you do get to spend a bit more time together than normal which is nice, but once he's healed it'll take a miracle to pull him away from his desk

trying to be the diplomat for these two would be a nightmare. ranpo's silly, poe's awkward, they're both bickering ;-; at least if you team up with ranpo you can convince poe to buy the two of you candy (he really doesn't wanna, but...T-T). you two are far too excitable and talkative for his own good. on the flip side, ranpo would just give up taking care of the two of you immediately because EUGH romance and EUGH being quiet and EUGH socratic circles lmao

also you three are lowkey a menace to society. like in all honesty you solve crimes together and work towards a safer society but also, two chatterboxes being followed around by a tall awkward man wearing a cape and accompanied by a raccoon? yeah.

i would HATE to write a fic in which either of my beloved boys die but picture this- you're dating poe and he dies somehow. you and ranpo are very sad, you bond a little more after his death and eventually begin dating. it's been a while and you and ranpo are still together, but then poe reappears out of who knows where and sees that you're dating his best friend... (vice versa works too- either way it's the WORST)

[onawhimsicot]

I posted 2,461 times in 2022

168 posts created (7%)

2,293 posts reblogged (93%)

I tagged 882 of my posts in 2022

#pokemon - 53 posts

#critical role - 41 posts

#bry - 36 posts

#hermitcraft - 35 posts

#hades game - 20 posts

#in other lands - 20 posts

#splatoon - 20 posts

#reading log - 18 posts

#hades 2 - 18 posts

#splatoon 3 - 18 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#all these internship deadlines are coinciding with finals week and its like. i obviously should prioritize the former. everyone would agree

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

so i haven't really been plugged in to Critical Role news in a while but wasn't TLOVM going to be about pre-campaign stuff? I totally understand if things have changed with it being an Amazon show now + wanting to start with Whitestone to have a banger of an opening, but I thought that maybe we'd circle back around to the whole Uriel being possessed arc. But Uriel just stepped down and we're launching right into the Chroma Conclave arc so I'm guessing they're not doing any pre-campaign stuff and are just doing an adaptation?

14 notes - Posted February 20, 2022

#4

OHHHHH PIKE GIVING VEX A BOOST!! CLERICS!!!! I LOVE CLERICS!!!! ITS THE GIRLS!!!!!!

I MISSED PERCY'S STUPID PRETENTIOUS VOICE SO MUCH VOX MACHINA MY BELOVED

19 notes - Posted January 12, 2022

#3

[ID: A screenshot of a page from In Other Lands that reads, "Myra joined him, pulled up a chair to his table and took one of the books from his unread stack. / 'Luke and Serene told me what you were doing here,' she said. 'And I--I like Commander Woodsinger. She's kind to my cousin, who's all dwarf, and I don't want the camp to have any other commander, and I want to help."]

Even though I reread this book like every 6 months, I only just now caught on to this during my current reread given the recent news. So, for anyone else who was curious/forgot about this like me, Myra mentions her cousin shortly before Colonel Whiteleaf's attempted coup.

Very fascinating to see that the "exiled dwarven prince" mentioned in the announcement post presumably came and studied at the camp too! I can't wait to learn more about him, Myra my beloved, and the dwarves :O

77 notes - Posted December 21, 2022

#2

it is incredibly funny that Yizhi rolled up and went all in on saving the girl he's in love with but took a quick detour to google the infamous known murderer Li Shimin and immediately developed a celebrity crush on him like "oh, hes smart too? ....thats kinda hot actually"

hes literally like "okay so Li Shimin probably did bad things idk but like have you SEEN his test scores?? people said he used to STUDY" this trio has a buckwild dynamic ajdakhfs

265 notes - Posted January 5, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

i know not many people would want to read a 10,000 word article about the minecraft end poem and how the author, Julian Gough, was never fairly compensated for his work and has made it public domain.

But it's a very well-written and heartfelt read, and he makes it very clear that none of this is a cash-grab and despite the fact that he is essentially a starving artist in this capitalist society, he only mentions his financial struggles despite Minecraft's huge huge success at the bottom of this article and not in the tweets so as to not dilute his message.

Anyway, I just think it'd be cool if those who are able to could support him in some way whether it be subscribing to his substack or donating to his paypal (that's linked in the article, you can ctrl + F to find it easier), that's all.

11,950 notes - Posted December 7, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 1st August

Well, we're getting well into summer. The kids are off from school, the news cycle has slowed right down, and the weather's (hopefully) looking up. What better time for a thoroughly miserable ballad about going to the beach?

Love Letters in the Sand - Pat Boone (peaked at Number 2)

The title of this song sounds like it should invoke some sort of romantic, summery fun. It should be a lightweight bit of fluff about being in love on the beach. Unfortunately, that's not what we get - instead, we start slow and slightly bluesy, with Pat singing wistfully about a trip down to write love letters in the sand.

We get a sense early on that this relationship isn't going to work, as Pat reminisces: How you laughed when I cried each time I saw the tide / Take our love letters from the sand. So yeah. Pat's love is apparently on a different wavelength to him, emotionally speaking. Which is hardly a surprise, given how he's apparently just terminally lame. I mean, not to judge here, but what do you expect, Pat, when you write your love letters in sand? I get the whole metaphor you're going for, but also, it's very much on you if you're feeling sad that stuff you wrote in the sand washed away when the tide came in?

Predictably, the metaphor then takes over, and love letters in the sand become vows that are more metaphorically "washed away", as Pat laments about how You made a vow that you would ever be true / But somehow that vow meant nothing to you. His love was unfaithful, and now my broken heart aches / with every wave that breaks / Over love letters in the sand. Poor Pat.

I do enjoy the internal rhymes here, and I kind of enjoy the sand writing metaphor, as much as I mocked it a few paragraphs back. Compared to some of the poppier songwriting we've been seeing, it's a little more complex, a little more poetic. It's not out here winning any Pulitzers, but it's more interesting writing than some songs we've seen recently. Which is maybe not a surprise, since it's not a recent song, but a cover of a 1931 song, itself adapted, with permission, from a poem the songwriter saw in the New York Daily Mirror. Which really doesn't feel like the sort of things you ought to have in a newspaper, but what do I know about 1930s newspapers?

Anyway, the result is a song that's interesting, but also a bit of a downer. In this respect, I do think the jazzy rock and roll ballad vibe suits it well. I also like that Pat adds in a whistling section towards the end - it fits the song's energy excellently, and I'm always a sucker for whistling in songs. It's just... well, as good a fit as it is tonally, it does mean that the song's a bit of a drag. I get it, Pat. You're sad that your love was untrue, and now you're fixating on that trip you went on to the beach one time. But really, do you have to mope this much about it?

I should note for completeness that this song, like last week's Teddy Bear, originally debuted in a film, Bernardine. Unlike Loving You, which seems to have had at least the semblance of an interesting plot, Bernardine seems to just be about high schoolers inventing a perfect woman to fall in love with, and then one of them mistakenly falling in love with a woman that he thinks is this Bernardine. Not sure how this song plays into that narrative, especially seeing as how Pat doesn't even play the main character, but rather his friend, who doesn't even have an on-screen love interest - a decision that was apparently critiqued, even at the time. So yeah, this is Pat trying to be Elvis, and not entirely succeeding.

I didn't hate this song, but I'll not be going back to it much, I don't think. It's just a little bit too earnest, and it's got none of the goofy charm of Elvis' recent numbers. It has got whistling, though, and if you don't go into it expecting a fun summery pop banger, you'll probably find it fine. I'm also charmed by the idea of cinema-goers going to see Bernardine and just being given this random mopey-ass song.

Favourite song of the awkwardly-jammed-into-a-film bunch: Love Letters in the Sand

[sunjaesol]

THE MANY CRUSHES OF LUKE PATTERSON... AND THE ONE THAT STUCK

💌💌💌💌💌💌💌💌

1982

Luke Patterson's first crush ever was Haley Martin. He adored the colour of her hair — like the clementines his mom bought — and the way she finger-painted, enough for his four year old eyes to stare at her in awe.

He watched her make mud pies in the sandbox from the monkey bars, only to ruin them to get a rise out of her. He couldn't understand why she didn't like him the way he did, so he nagged his mom to explain.

"Teasing girls should be fun for them too, sweetheart," she soothed. "This Haley clearly didn't like it."

He blinked. "Huh?"

Her smile stayed warm, similar to hot chocolate and whenever grandpa conjured candies from behind his ear. "Why don't you share your grapes with her tomorrow? I'm sure she'll like that."

His nose scrunched up. "Why?"

"Because it's sweet, Luke."

"I don't get that," he shrugged. "But I'll try."

The next day, he sat beside her during storybook time and that seemed to help a little already. By the time it was lunch, her mood was lifted, which excited him too, and urged him to offer the grapes.

It earned him a featherlight kiss on the cheek.

Luke squeaked in surprise, flushing a firetruck red, to which she giggled and plopped another grape in her mouth.

Three days later, his crush was gone from his mind and he began sharing his grapes with his new friend Reginald instead.

1986

"Can you ask Jessica what she thinks of me?" Luke hurriedly whispered, eyes flickering between Reggie and the girl from across the courtyard.

Normally, Luke Patterson exuded confidence. The resident class clown, always opening his jaw to react to the teacher without raising his hand, catching fights with stupid classmates, sneaking into dad's stationwagon to create mixtapes.

Fearlessness was his freaking middle name. (It was actually Beck, but whatever. He wished it was something cool like Duran Duran though.)

But when it came to girls... he got so nervous. Because they were girls! He didn't understand them! They hated rambunctious boys and only listened to stupid pop music and blabbered about how they stole makeup from their sisters.

Jessica, however, somehow made his heart flutter and his stomach twist up. She just looked cool in her dungarees and she had a pretty smile and she didn't wear that overwhelming, sugary perfume that was now popular.

Reggie snickered, in the way only eight year old boys could. "You liiiiiiike her!"

"No!" He scowled. "I–I'm just curious."

"Sure," he drawled, but then shrugged in agreement, the oversized leather jacket rustling on his shoulders. He stole it from his older brother after he saw him kissing (!!!) some girl and figured it held some magic to impress the ladies with.

"Just do it!"

With a dramatic flourish, the boy left their hiding spot, Luke lurking around the corner of the alcove to watch. Jessica looked up from her hard work of creating friendship bracelets and smiled at Reggie.

Oh, gosh. She was pretty.

A minute later, a sheepish Reg slowly crawled back to him, cheeks red and fiddling with the zipper of his jacket.

Luke grabbed his shoulders, urgent. "What did she say?"

"Uh... well..."

"C'mon, dude!"

Reggie sighed. "She... likes me, buddy. Sorry."

His hopeful face crashed into one of devestation, quickly covering it up with a laugh and a squeeze of the shoulder. Oh, man, what would Steven Tyler do?

"That– that's dope!"

In the end, Reggie and Jessica were boyfriend and girlfriend for a week while he wrote an angry poem about how stupid dungarees were.

Huh... it was surprisingly good.

1988

"Hey, Luke," Gwenn greeted, shy, tucking her hands in her Camp Wacky Rocka hoodie. "I really liked that song you made about your guitar."

Jumping from the tree branch to the ground, Luke dazzled her with an appreciative smile. From above, Reggie and their new friend Alex watched on curiously.

"Thanks!"

Who would've thought that summer camp would be the first time he made a real, girl friend! Gwenn was super cool and she played the saxophone and she liked Joan Jett and her hair was all curly and big and it reminded him of pretty clouds.

Looking over her shoulder, he noticed a gaggle of girls staring at them. Like they were waiting.

Gwenn stared at him. "Can you close your eyes?"

He frowned. "Why?"

"Just 'cause."

Whatever. Maybe she wanted to show him something cool and would stick it in his hand. Complying, he closed his eyes and impatiently waited, bouncing on his heels.

"So?"

Suddenly, he felt a light, warm touch on his mouth and — oh! She was kissing him!

Luke staggered back in surprise, gawking at a blushing Gwenn as she squeaked a sorry and ran back to the now giggling and screeching girls. They ran away like a flock of birds.

It was a dare! His first kiss, stolen by a dare!

His boys jumped down beside him, awed.

Reggie hollered. "You kissed Gwenn!"

"I don't get it," Alex muttered.

Luke's face twisted up in a sour expression. Camp Wacky Rocka should be all about the music and becoming legends and Gwenn ruined it!

He stuck his tongue out. "Whatever. Let's go to the mess hall!"

1989

When Luke turned eleven, he kissed someone for real.

His birthday party was at the arcade, loud chatter and robotic sounds clashing together in an amazing cacophony. His parents hated the place, which is why Luke loved it.

Of the twenty guests, Yasmine clapped the loudest after he finished his song with the boys — Math Is For Losers! — and grabbed his hand as they walked to a duel game.

Luke felt fuckin' giddy the entire time. (Freakin' in front of his parents, fuckin' with friends.) The swoop in his stomach, his cheeks stretched into a wide beam.

Freshly eleven and the king of the arcade, he boldly asked if he could kiss her.

She smiled, her purple headband glittering in the neon lights, and nodded.

It was short and warm and her lips tasted like pink lemonade and sour gummies and it gave him an entirely new buzz. It was exciting.

He kissed her a couple more times the days after, eager and curious, until she claimed she was now only interested in twelve year old boys.

Since Luke now held the record of most kisses between him, Alex and Reggie, he wasn't too bothered by it. They shook hands, complimented each other on the kissing, and that was that.

1992

"Are you or are you not my boyfriend?" Olivia bit, crossing her arms.

Luke sighed, lazy gaze drifting from her to his band waiting by their bikes. Damn, he thought having a girlfriend would be way easier. Why was she so tense?

"I am," he said. "Why do you think I'm not?"

"Because you ignore me, like, all the time!" Pouting, she fiddled with the hem of her tartan skirt. "And now you're going to be with your band!"

He shrugged. "You can come with us and listen, if you want."

Luke met Olivia this year as deskmates in French class. Her raven hair was long and thick and her lips were all shiny from lip gloss and maybe he got a little cocky, thinking he could be dating the hottest girl of freshman year, so he naturally asked her out.

Maybe he should've considered beforehand whether they had anything in common, but he'd always been the overzealous type. And besides... she was a good kisser.

She scoffed. "That's not any better. Whatever. I'll just hang with Tina and Priscilla then. Laters!"

Plopping a kiss on his lips, she turned around and stalked to her whispering friends. Luke puffed, adjusted the beanie and made his way to the boys.

Girls were confusing.

"I bet dating boys is easier," Alex mused. "Like, equally terrifying, but also... easier. I think. Maybe."

Bobby laughed. "How's the girlfriend, Luke?"

"Ha ha," he deadpanned. "Let's go. I got this new song, Crooked Teeth, and it's a fucking banger!"

Olivia broke up with him after Sunset Curve's first, official gig at the arcade with the explanation that he loved music more than her. He never loved her to begin with, so maybe that was the problem.

She made out with Bobby that same night.

Holy shit, man. He supposed that bitter feeling at the sight of them tasted like rock 'n roll, the one thing he actually craved.

What a funny, funny feeling. (He wrote a hell of a lot of songs about it after. He never quite looked at Bobby the same way either.)

1995

"Hey, Maisie." Leaning against the locker beside the girl, he shot her a million dollar smile. "You comin' to our gig tonight? It's at The Orpheum."

Maisie was fucking awesome. Always in short, flowery dresses and fishnet tights and thick eyeliner like a rockstar, always listening to something new on her walkman. She came from a rich family, but that didn't hinder them from becoming friends.

Her jaw fell slack in awe, him instantly gaining more confidence. Ducking his head to meet her eye, he leaned a little closer. He knew damn well what he was doing, and he got a thrill every time it worked.

"Really?" She gasped. "That's awesome! I'll so be there!"

"Sweet," he grinned. "And stay after too."

A brow quirked up, intrigued. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Just 'cause."

"Right," she drawled. "Nothing is 'just because' with you, Luke."

"And that's why you gotta stay," he teased, nudging her shoe with his. "To find out."

If they rocked that gig and he felt like a fucking legend, he hoped it would end with the two of them hooking up. He wasn't interested in dating — having learned his lesson after Olivia — and he knew she wasn't either, but she was fun.

And that was the most important to him: to have fucking fun. Luke Patterson was here for a good time, not a long time.

And if nothing happened between him and Maisie, then he'd still feel like a legend. In a couple of hours, he was going to play at The Orpheum! How gnarly was that?!

2022

Twenty-seven years later, Luke was still seventeen years old. While he preferred to not question the science behind ghostly activities — he flunked physics anyway — he was happy that he froze at this age.

Because Julie was seventeen, too.

And, man. He was madly in love with her.

He loved everything, from the babyhairs curling around her ears, to her voice and compassionate soul, to her beautiful smile, all the way to her cute, doodled sneakers.

Her epic music taste, her snark, the way she always found his gaze, the way she finished his lyrics, the way she always knew what to say to make him feel better.

His heart melted to a flickering candle whenever she hugged him, a raging wildfire erupting between every kiss. He was a fool for her.

"Stop moving," she giggled, one hand coming up to hold his chin.

He grinned, "Sorry, Jules."

Shifting closer, she dabbled more glitter on his cheeks. They were playing at a black-light club tonight, so Julie and Flynn bought all the glow in the dark makeup available at the store for the occasion.

They looked ridiculous in daylight, Julie's weirdly pink lipstick claiming all his attention, but he knew they'd look fucking cool once the lights went down.

"You want to watch a movie after the gig?" she whispered.

Luke rolled his eyes, playful. "You're gonna fall asleep."

"Yeah." With a bashful tilt of the shoulder, she leaned in closer. "But then you'll be with me."

"Julie! How scandalous," he teased, though his chest swelled at the thought of having some alone time, some cuddle time, with Julie.

"So?"

Murmuring a yes, he closed the little distance to kiss her, sealing the deal, only for her to chase after him — an attempt to wipe the lipstick stain off his lips.

"Nah, keep it." A smirk grew. "So the people know."

She tsked. "Idiot."

"You like it."

"I'm still taking it off though, seeing as you're supposed to be a hologram," she pointed out. "But... you can kiss my lipstick away after the show."

He sighed, dreamy. "I love you."

Finishing his glitter and removing the stain, she dazzled him with a satisfied smile. "Love you too."

She rose up from the couch and went to search for Reggie, the boy likely with Carlos. For a moment, Luke was alone in the studio, allowing himself to sink into that warm, fuzzy feeling.

No matter how many blunders he went through with girls — Haley, Jessica, Gwenn, Yasmine, Olivia, Maisie — they all prepared him, in one way or the other, for Julie.

To not only recognise when an awesome girl was standing right in front of him, but also how to treat her — because Julie Molina deserved the fucking world.

Even if that world now included the supernatural.

Whatever. They were all a little crazy.

💌💌💌💌💌💌💌💌

@bluefirewrites @blush-and-books @pink-flame @ourstarscollided @constantly-singing @unsaid-emily @willexx

[epcnes]

here’s some music suggestions and me geeking out if you want it

holy shit. half•alive and The Regrettes released their albums today and i am fucking THRIVING, i am LIVID, i am living my BEST life out here.

How Do You Love? (The Regrettes)

Are You In Love? (Intro)

this poem is genuinely amazing. it’s so good holy shit this is a great precursor to the album and like hype. 9.5/10

California Friends

i didn’t even know this song was going to be on this album and i’m so glad it is. it fits in really fucking well and it’s a whole bop. the guitar really drives the song while lydia’s vocals and the drums and bass both complement it really well. 10/10

I Dare You

light and fluffy with a goos guitar riff? yes please. also lyrics are really fuckin good??? good dance bop. 9.7/10

Colouring Book

i like the warmth of the guitar and lydia’s vocals really go with the warmth. AND THEN THE CHORUS wow. it’s good. i love. AMD THE BACKGROUND VOCALS IN THE SECOND VERSE!!!! holy shit i love this song. 9/10

Fog

OH DAMN THE BASS!!! i love this. i didn’t know what to expect from this song but like WOW OK, THANKS GUYS. i love the chorus so much and it’s got a thing that just sticks, man. i was dancing in a dumpster to this song and that’s rare for me to do so it’s really good, obviously. 10/10

Pumpkin

they released this on valentine’s day and like still a solid ass song. the prechorus and chorus really carried the song and the bass is pretty simple. 8.7/10

Stop and Go

oh yes. sounds like a voice memo and i love that homemade shit at the beginning. then it goes like “lol nope we goin pro now, bitches.” i really love this song. i also danced in the dumpster to this song. chorus is really fucking a bop! IT’S SO FUN TO DANCE TO! 10/10

Dress Up

yep. riff, lyrics, back vocals, drums, bass? amazing. i loved this song as soon as i heard it and the chorus feels like a “FUCK YEAH BITCH” then the drive on the guitar and crunch? fan-fucking-tastic. 9/10

Dead Wrong

oh damn! ok lydia just snapped and yes please, thank you. a whole bop; prechorus has this droning in the background for a bit with just vocals and the chorus is really fuckin good, i swear to you. 10/10

More than a Month

i heard this song and i ALMOST sent it to an ‘old friend’. really fucking good; it’s super energetic and it’s amazing! it’s a striaght up banger. 11/10

Go Love You

i felt like the beginning of this was a bit awkward but it’s still a good song. the verses are totally solid. the chorus is nice af and prechorus works really fucking good. 8.9/10

Here You Go

BASS is STRONG AF. Keys sound really nice and is a good contrast to the ‘grittiness’ of the rest of the instruments. Lydia has solid fucking vocals and lyrics and i am LIVING! a good song to dance in your room to. 9/10

The Game

not the Queen album but still good - i’m kidding - it’s fucking amazing. HOLY SHIT! it’s mainly just pretty chill for the most part. but the chorus just goes full out and the drive on the guitar is turned WAYYY up and i have been given life. 10/10

Has It Hit You?

Am I in love? maybe. this song starts off STRONGGGGG very much grittiness in there and distortion. but lydia’s vocals are a really pleasant contrast to the static-like instruments. the drums Drew did are really fucking outstanding. 10/10

How Do You Love?

I don’t really know... it jumps STRIAGHT (haha) in. it’s mainly the speaker observing others in love and this is a great ending track and it really pulls the album together. Genessa’s guitar is SOLID AF. 9/10

Now, Not Yet (half•alive)

ok ok?

goes from UP THERE to down here. it’s really strong and loud and then it calms down and the vocals are like heavenly. wow. chorus is just... wow, i can’t describe it; it’s just really fucking good. super strong start to the album. 11/10

RUNAWAY

this song, man. my dad likes this song and he never likes my music unless it’s Queen or Led Zepplin or another 80’s rock band. Josh Taylor really knocked out of the park with the vocals like holy shit some of the theatre kids would be jealous. 11/10

Maybe

fUnkY bASs. also SYNTHHHHH and the whole general vibe of the song is very warm and vibrant. it’s kinda like 80’s synth pop with all the shit going on and yep, it’s good. a bop to damce to. 9/10

the notion

who dis? 36 seconds of someone speaking. nice accent, very hot. 8/10

still feel.

one of the first songs i heard from them. THAT BASS THO!!!! it’s groovy and a bop also the music video is lit. overall a good song and a bop. i’m still raving about the bass line tho.

TrusT

it builds and swells. a trumpet comes in amidst the chaos and then it goes bye bye. then it comes back like taylor swift does every album cycle. Keys? BEAUTIFUL! Bass is still strong af. flows really gooder and it’s lovely. 10/10

arrow

a bop. calm then it does the bass thingy and it goes into this tambourine, bass, vocal, (and eventually) guitar thing and the guitar fits in really well even if it came in later than the others. the guitar parts are always nice and simple; the bass just slaps (literally). 11/10

Pure Gold

it’s a really good listen and the bridge is really good and it really grabs your attention if you haven’t been paying much at all. the beginning of the song is absolutely phenomenal. the verses and prechorus are really fan-fucking-tastic. i love them. the chorus is just drums and synth sounds with a really low bass voice and it’s lit af. 9/10

ice cold (feat. Kimbra)

uhhhh... it took me a minute but i warmed up to it. the beginning gave me a bit of whiplash after hearing Taylor’s voice for the past 30 minutes. Kimbra really works well for this track tho and half•alive used her talent really well. the rapping was a very pleasant and welcome surprise. 8/10

EDIT: this is literally my new favourite song on this album. 11/10

Rest (feat. Samm Henshaw)

i love the intro to this song. it’s so chill, ya know? chorus is really good with the loudness and shit; it’s really fucking good. the spoken/rap parts are also really good. lyrics are also really good. Henshaw comes in after the second verse and his verse is really good. wow. 9/10

BREAKFAST

starts off strong with the synth vocals and Taylor’s voice just lays ontop of them then an acoustic guitar comes in and it’s starts to come together and it sounds vvv nice. it’s a really chilled and laid back song. 9/10

creature

calm then the synths came in and then more NOISE came in and then the acoustic guitar and Taylor’s vocals, holy shit they’re fucking spot on!! the chorus is also CHAOS!! it’s mostly chill until it’s a bit chaotic and loud and that’s how i like my music. 10/10

In conclusion:

How Do You Love? by The Regrettes:

a very good follow up album to ‘Feel You Feelings Fool!’ it’s really good. 9.87/10

i highly recommend this to anyone in the alternative/indie/rock/punk scenes.

Now, Not Yet. by half•alive:

really solid freshman album. the first half is really strong but i felt like it faltered a little in the backhalf. still solid af and i can’t wait to see where they go next! 9.67/10

i highly recommend to anyone in the alternative/indie/new wave/synth pop scenes.

[uglyducklingpresse]

Backlist Bulletin #6: NETS

NETS is not strictly an erasure, so much as an idea of an erasure. The title is taken from inside the letters “The Sonnets of William Shakespeare.” Each numbered piece in the book offers a Shakespeare sonnet in pale gray text, almost melting into the page, with some words Jen Bervin has selected in full black. So the erasure exists but the source text is still discernible. In the “working note” which closes the book, Bervin states her aim of making the language “open, porous, possible,” also saying “when we write poems, the history of poetry is with us.”

*

The first thing I think when I hear the word erasure is Mark Doty’s banger, “Homo Will Not Inherit.” Published during the mid-late years of the AIDS crisis, it opens with a description of New York City, arriving at a xeroxed picture of jesus taped up in public space, with “homo will not inherit; repent and be saved” written on it in marker. The speaker responds repetitively to this attempted warning. In one iteration, he says;

I’ll tell you what I’ll inherit:

stupidity, erasure, exile

In a poem that finds a lot of fierce delight in queerness, this stays with me like a hook. The inheritance, which is our pain on the cultural, heritable level. The inheritance which is the queer condition of being erased, being unremembered, or remembered wrongly. In a poem which, by and large, is celebratory, I am haunted by this moment.

Claiming literary techniques as queer can be sloppy and counterproductive, at times, but it is also very satisfying. So I’d like to claim erasure as queer.

*

Another thing I like to claim as queer is all Shakespeare (fight me.) I could talk for a long time about the sonnets as queer texts, and about contemporary gender nonconforming queer writers like Julian Talamanetz Brolaski or Jos Charles who implement ornate, archaic language in parts of their work. Literature is one of the ways I know we have always existed.

I realize that enjoying classical trappings, and specifically liking Shakespeare, is not an original position. What I’m getting at is that people talk a lot about the continued relevance of Shakespeare without acknowledging that there is at this point a vast cultural apparatus propping up his relevance. It’s like the ur-version of complaints about remakes and sequels on successful movie franchises. There is a lot of work that probably never gets made because we are all still gagging over Shakespeare’s relevance. (I admit I’m thinking more of theater than poetry.) I’m saying I’m ambivalent about the choice of the sonnets as a source text for erasure, and even having spent some time with the book, I am still not sure about it. Is it the clearest text, for Bervin, for this project of illuminating the presence of a history of literature within the present?

*

What is interesting (and very queer) about erasure is that it contains, inherently, a question of which text is the true text. Is the original the truth? Or did the original contain and obscure some deeper reality which the erasure made visible?

*

*

Why erasure? Does erasure have inherent qualities? Is it easier to erase than to generate? Certainly it feels game-like, math-like, as though it sits in another part of the brain. Is erasure an act of creation, distinct from writing?

I’ve read some erasures that feel successful that are mostly strange-making or whimsical. I’m thinking mostly of Matthea Harvey and Amy Jean Porter’s collaboration Of Lamb.

But beyond the surreal or disruptive possibilities of the form, erasure is political. There’s this great Solmaz Sharif essay about that. Erasure occurs in the non-literary sense of the world, all around us. There’s active erasure, and erasures of selective attention. Some news is not news, some voices are not voices. There are structures for archiving and validating peoples’ stories which constantly erase entire perspectives, entire lives, from the record.

Erasure is political and as such can sometimes be corrective. A couple years ago New Republic put together a piece about the movement towards erasure poetry under Trump, some need emerging for a reclamation or recontextualizing of language, faced with the illogic and malice embedded in the administration’s rhetoric. I know of two writer-artists (Erin Mizrahi and Isobel O’Hare) who are making erasure poetry from #metoo celebrity apology letters. Or Chase Beggrun’s book RED. RED is taken from Bram Stoker’s Dracula as NETS is taken from the Sonnets of William Shakespeare. Chase’s project feels clear and specific, in how it relates to the source text — where the original was a story about monsters, male heroes, and woman-victims, in RED it is a woman who acts, pursuing and being pursued by husbands and monsters. It is a book about trans identity which never needs to argue about trans identity. It simply finds itself, existing within the flesh of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, like a figure inside a sculptor’s stone.

*

There are many beautiful moments in NETS. With the original Sonnets present as a ghost-bolster, it is easy to see beautiful things, easy to appreciate the sparseness Bervin can create from those compact, lush texts. But the most impactful single poem, for me, is not in that category. It is this:

NETS came out in 2004. The Sonnets were published in 1609. In art the specific brings the general to life, which also contains the possibility of alienation, of staying too opaquely inside of the present and making work which fails the test of time. In this poem, the potential for making work against the backdrop of history comes alive for me. In this poem I understand why this project is necessary, why Bervin needs access to a canonical, larger-than-life, ancestral vocabulary for her own experience.

— C. Bain

NETS is available directly through Ugly Duckling Presse (here), through our Partner Bookstores (here), and through Small Press Distribution (here). Purchases made directly through Ugly Duckling Presse on January 24 are 50% off, use discount code DISAPPEAR at checkout.

The backlist bulletin is a column on titles from UDP’s back catalogue, curated and written by Apprentices.

[reikitai]

V E R Y unpopular opinion time.

If you’re easily offended by people with different thoughts this won’t be for you.

--- Basically, I’m really getting back into Tim Burton’s works. I’m feeling the groove from this creative genius. As such because of that I’m also turning goth again and god does it feel good.

No, like this is a really big deal for me. I was such a H U G E  TB geek growing up when I was 10-12. I wanted to die when I couldn’t go to the MOMA exhibit all the way in NY. Then I suddenly stopped admiring without any real reason.  

I’m 20 now. I’m going through all his films again, I have all time favorites that never seemed to change for me,*Beetlejuice/Scissorhands/Big fish* and then I’ve also seen some.... Not so good stuff. *Cue live action junk- Alice in Wonderland/Dumbo, etc. I’m looking at YOU.*  and then I saw it again. There in the somehow mediocre at best pile... There’s the famous Nightmare Before Christmas. Why is this a big deal? I haven’t watched it in forever and now I can look at it through adult lenses, critically. 

**This is NOT to say that adults who feel TNBC is Tim’s best work is wrong per say but it just didn’t do it for me like it used to personally.** Back in the day, I would have mauled anyone who didn’t praise this film as cinematic genius. It was my favorite movie and I would watch it whenever because I loved it so damn much. Here’s the thing. It’s good at best, but I personally can’t say it’s his magnum opus in my opinion.  I will break down each reason step by step.

The story: The story as we know it is actually based off a much shorter poem Tim came up with previously and then the movie took creative liberties with it. I can applaud these creative abilities to go forward with something like this, the poem itself was also simplistic so I can’t really hate on the movie’s story being simplistic afterwards.  A simple story can be cute, charming and straight to the point which is exactly what TNBC is. People love that kind of thing! Unless you want a complex story this won’t exactly do it for you. 

Plot: Simple and easy to follow yet also cliche to a fault. It can be argued that the film is aimed at children to begin with but really it just turned into a classic that everyone loves anyway. In short: Someone strives to be something they’re not and there’s the liar revealed, hero tries to fix their mistakes and makes everything right again. We’ve seen this kind of story over and over again before and that’s part of why I was disappointed. There’s this magical setting where anything could happen but it had to follow the poem so strictly, it didn’t leave much growth for story innovation at all. 

I felt as if the movie didn’t really have any lesson at all as much as I had hoped for a lesson on culture sharing or something similar. No such luck. The closest thing I got was “Stick to what you know instead of venturing out and you’ll never mess up again!” Not really a good message for anyone at all really.

Characters: The whole movie is set up to get to point A to B. We don’t really get enough time to explore characters besides their main goals and wants/needs, it would have been great to see more besides the curious Jack or cautious Sally. I live for dimensions in characters and it felt like this was pretty lacking. 

The cinematic/Style: The year is 1993- TNBC’s birth that would inspire generations to come. Scene kids, goths, emos.. Maybe even people beyond that spectrum. All uniting for one hella edgy movie that would go down in history. Technology was very limited. CGI wasn’t used hardly as much as it is now and Tim is out there being an innovator as per usual. Part of the stop motion charm is the technique itself and how it takes so much time to perfect a scene. That being said a few hiccups here and there are visible and it’s kind of hard not to notice a few seconds skipping upon occasion. A part of me almost likes how I can see the mistakes being “fixed” in a noticeable way. It feels modest in that way, the artists were really trying their best to perfect this thing when it was hard to find alternative ways to fix problems. 

It’s not fair to compare it to other stop motions that would happen years later, because that’s such a huge time gap. Techniques always change.

Music/score: Oh, I love Danny Elfman. I listen to Oingo Boingo on the regular and his music is an absolute banger. Nobody else could be a better composer for Tim’s movies. His scores are brilliant but unfortunately it doesn’t really hit anything here. The soundtrack was mostly very soft and forgettable besides He’s the Oogie boogie man and of course, This Is Halloween but that’s because it’s distinct. It stands out compared to the rest of the soundtrack. I can’t forget this is Halloween because it’s catchy. Catchy however.. Doesn’t always mean good. 

Danny is known for his outlandish tunes and the interesting instruments he chooses to make songs pop and stand out. Here it was just a lull, something ultimately just not very alluring. He missed the chance to flex his broad talent on this one and it shows.

Overall: 7.5/10. It deserves all the attention it gets, but I feel as if it overshadows Tim’s other works that could need this attention more. 

For those wondering, I identify this film as BOTH a Christmas and Halloween movie. Because... Why the hell not.

Happy haunting! 

[deadcactuswalking]

Review: Playboi Carti - Whole Lotta Red

I haven’t been this excited by an album in God knows how long so this may all just be rambling but... Long post(s) incoming.

Playboi Carti - Whole Lotta Red

I didn't get Die Lit at first - hell, I don't think I get it entirely still. Sure, Carti and his unique mumbling has grown on me quite a lot from his occasional guest features and extensive leaks, but other than some choice singles from either album, I still don't think I "get" why Playboi Carti is such a lauded rapper, at least amongst overly online music nerd circles. A couple of concerns leading into the record for me were mostly its length, as I saw that exhaustive 24-track listing as well as an hour-long runtime and immediately equated that to Die Lit, which I thought was crippled by overly lengthy runtimes and meandering song ideas. It didn't help that the single "@ MEH", not even on this album, was pretty uninspired and dull. I came into this album expecting something at least vaguely similar to his last full-length and was completely thrown for a loop... and thank God because this might be one of my favourite records of the year.

Whole Lotta Red is a cry for help. Everything about it screams a man consumed by this "rapper lifestyle" and is completely trapped. Throughout this hour of inane trap-rap, we are treated to an in-depth look at Carti as he evolves as a character and as a celebrity... but that's not high on Carti's priorities (and that's why I find this narrative so brilliant). From the first few seconds of the first track, the banger "Rockstar Made", Whole Lotta Red makes damn sure you know it's not fucking around. A set of bassy 808s drown out any remnant of that subtle distorted synth line in the back of the mix, and that's before we get the erratic Carti immediately hitting you with shoddily-mixed vocals, incessant ad-libs and yet somehow plenty of empty space, and lyrics worthy of little analysis, at least on surface level. None of that is to the song's disadvantage though, and Carti rides the beat perfectly in his boyish yelling tone that becomes his signature during the album. Not all of the tracks sound exactly like this, but it's what you should expect going in, and Carti immediately meets and succeeds said expectations.

As soon as the record finishes its first track, it devolves into chaos, and we see Carti's downward spiral into what seems like a pretty depressive state surrounded by yesmen who keep him on a constant rotation of Perkys and hoes. There is no helping Carti on this record but damn do Kanye and Cudi try, with some of their best verses ever on “Go2DaMoon” and “M3tamorphosis” respectively. After these features, Carti is left speechless, with his wordless mumbling following Kanye's comical yet unnervingly self-aware performance barely constituting as a "verse". Of course, this isn't for long as the “Go2DaMoon” ends abruptly for the sake of the heavy 808s that crash into the mix of “Stop Breathing” and grab your attention with his intense and most violent deliveries I've heard from him. Carti hasn't interested me as a performer until now, but the way he interrupts his routine... gasping sounds with his hungriest and clearest rapping ever is genius. We also get a sense of humanity from Carti, where he references how since his brother died, he's constantly seeking revenge in the form of homicide, murder and gang violence that he never fully realises won't fill the hole, at least not yet. For once, Carti sounds like he fucking cares.

What has always intrigued me about Carti was his lack of care for structure or conventions of trap-rap. On "Long Time - Intro", he doesn't come in perfectly when the beat comes in and prefers to stall time with ad-libs, as well as pointless phone call interludes. On "Shoota", he and Lil Uzi Vert split the song in half, leaving Uzi without much percussion to speak of, but when the beat drops and Carti starts rapping it completes the song. On the best tracks from the self-titled mixtape and Die Lit, Carti mixes and matches parts of verses, constant refrains and quirky, synth-lead beats to create jarring trap bangers that hit as hard as possible whilst still never feeling *right* exactly. Throughout Whole Lotta Red, this is so well implemented that Carti's sloppiest choruses, most uninteresting beats and most repetitious hooks feel more unique than most. Shit, if Carti tells me to jump out the house, I'll leap straight out the window. It's just that convincing, especially with how Carti sells this, in a boyish, childlike tone that carries whatever there is of a narrative in this project. You get a sense of naivety out of Carti that you don't get from other hip-hop musicians in the mainstream who want to show how experienced, relaxed and bored with the "rapper lifestyle" they are, whether it's luxury porn or aimless gunplay. Carti isn't bored, or exhausted, he's absolutely consumed and almost inseparable to what it means to be a rapper in 2020.

"M3tamorphosis" is one of the best tracks of the year, and another example where the guests can get through to Carti's rambling and even almost put an end to it. Cudi delivers an incredible meander of a verse, switching his flows from reverb-drenched yelling to sing-songy, drawn-out cadences to his signature high-speed systematic approach he has to these types of psychedelic trap beats, arguably proving himself a lot more than he did on Man on the Moon III. There are so many tiny moments I can pick out from this track alone, like that anthemic, quotable hook to the little nuances in Carti's verse, like that silence that cuts deep through his hashtag-rap murmuring. "I had to change my swag... ... ... ... metamorphosis". This is one of many moments spread across this album where Carti uses empty space to emphasise how so far detached he is from reality, or at least this vampire caricature Carti seems to play. Carti flows gorgeously over these hums and yes, it's rough around the edges and kind of awkward, but that is an attempt to express a constant stream of money, women and drugs in a creative way. It can't be robotic or professional because it's not as glamorous as some music videos and some rappers - including Kanye and Future - might want you to think. It simply can't be, and Carti, in his typical unsubtle way, gets that across perfectly. These beats are often just a beautiful synth melody or loop, or a genius piano melody like in "Vamp Anthem" and its sample of fucking Bach, overlayed with egregious 808s, Carti sputtering out rap stereotypes and trap percussion... but it never gets old because Carti doesn't give them time to, constantly switching between tracks before you can possibly be as exhausted as he is. It also helps that some of these beats, produced by a range of talents from his signature Maaly Raw and Pi'erre Bourne instrumentals, which are cloudy and ethereal, to a lot of tracks produced by the Working on Dying collective and other producers that seem to have a knack at creating these janky, badly-looped video game beats that sound amateur at points but create a basic foundation for Carti to flourish.

It's at this point in the album where Carti fully embraces that he's on top of the world, and nobody can knock him off that pedestal. When you feel like this, can't nobody tell you shit. He feels like he's God and could also join Slayer, comparing himself to Muhammed Ali to emphasise how he's the greatest, and no-one can get to him. "No Sl33p" acts as another interlude of violent paranoia, wherein he goes to sleep and dreams about murder. These short additions to the track list do not feel out of place within all of the hedonism and rather feel like a brief detour for Carti before he gets back to where he is now, rather than where he was in the hood. By "Meh", his ego has inflated to complete self-obsession. It's only at "Control" where Carti, still deflecting blame for his negligence with women, tries to concede and at an extreme where he offers a woman, presumably Iggy Azalea, pure materialism in exchange for some human connection, love and intimacy. He promises that he can wear a suit for her - as if keeping up appearances is what has ever mattered for Carti - over one of the most inspired beats this year, a brilliant juxtaposition of early 2010s club and dance-pop synths with the hardcore trap percussion and bass, which is in full force for "Punk Monk", in which the disguise falters and the facade falls. He doesn't care about anyone other than himself because he's a rockstar, and in the uncharacteristically long and lyrical verse, he lists off a specific set of rappers in such passing fashion that it becomes unclear whether he's showing genuine admiration or just dissing them, especially with how he thinks not he or his friends drifting apart is the reason why he feels so isolated. He has this idea that everyone above him is taking his friends from him. The label tricked him with Pi'erre, "they" turned Lil TJ against him. It's an us vs. them mentality but skipping the "us" and going straight to the core of the conflict: Playboi Carti himself, who purposefully cuts everyone off, begging everyone not to even contact him because, as he says, that shit's not his business. It would be almost motivational if it wasn't... just sad.

There's something comical but profound about the ugly, boyish tone Carti adopts when he says, "I don't rap, I write poems", before continuing to moan incoherently and repeat himself. Similarly comical and profound is the DJ Akademiks intro on "Control" because he, of all people, is a perfect satire of hip-hop commentary and the culture that hypes up people who genuinely fuck themselves up to the point of Carti's mind state on this album, or even to the point of the tragedy of Juice WRLD. For young hip-hop talents, no-one around them can really be trusted, and if they can, they lead these people in for their own greed and benefit, without paying attention to how these young rappers cope with newfound fame. For all we know, Carti's completely fine, but that isn't that common, and with everyone hyping up and "dickriding" young artists until they feel unstoppable, they feel like Carti on Whole Lotta Red, the only possible trajectory is swiftly downhill.

"On that Time" and "King Vamp" are both bangers with childish hooks and the same mentality that comes with a lot of Carti's sillier refrains, which at this point end up as just spelling out words. The incessant repetition drift away from being choruses and just end up as mantras for you to memorise and repeat when you bump this song. Carti indulges in codeine and ecstasy to the point where he can't feel anything and that no-one can get to him... at all. You'd think Future, an experienced trap-rapper in very much a similar lane and subject matter to Carti, would be able to prick his brain a bit more but instead, he just ends up imitating Carti and feeding into his fantasy. You can't really even tell where Future's usually deep-voiced murmur ends and where Carti's squeaky falsetto nonsense starts on "Teen X". By "Over", he's stuck in a loop over really dull, synth-y beats that don't interest me at all, in fact I would call "Sky" the one dud on the record because whilst it vaguely adds to the narrative, it overstays its welcome far too long for its inclusion to be worth it to me. Those two tracks and "Place" purposefully convey complacency but just end up being sleepy. At least "Over" has the rhetorical "Damn, how the fuck we got back to where we started?"

After "Over", I can't believe I'm saying this, but Carti starts to lyrically pick up an introspective theme that's subtle throughout the record but put on full display over slower, melancholy beats where Carti can spit some genuinely unnerving and haunting bars. The chorus on "ILoveUIHateU" is one of Carti's lyrical highlights throughout the whole discography, not like that has ever mattered to Carti. Regardless of if it matters, Carti definitely continues down this lane on "Die4Guy", where he depicts over a hard, menacing beat, his relationship with Reggie Carter, his brother, and how that inspired his rebellious nature and rockstar attitude, comparing himself to... the entirety of Black Flag in the process. We're invited to watch him spaz over this and just watch in astonishment as Carti acknowledges how reckless and dangerous this is without a care in the world. It's on these final tracks where we understand Carti's progress and why he feels the need to live this lifestyle, giving his history in poverty and how inspiring his family members, particularly brother and mother, have been to him in how they took advantage of the worst situations to give their closest what they deserved, and finally, his "going bananas" feels deserved and we briefly see a Carti a lot closer to Earth, and a lot closer to his hometown of Atlanta. He went through shit to get here, and he'll live life to his fullest as long as he can still get it. "F33l Lik3 Dyin" is an indescribably great track that sees Carti questioning relationships and updating us on his mental health as a perfect closer to the record, with a sample that proves Bon Iver is a perfect fit for any hip-hop. Justin Vernon's incoherent falsetto never gets in the way of Carti's own murmuring, as he mourns his own state of mind, with some really haunting refrains about his own death. His "fuck all y'all" mentality feels warranted by the end of Whole Lotta Red and we as a listener, after being entrenched in his psyche for more than an hour, finally get through to Carti, whether he likes it or not, and what we see is very clearly not what he wants us to.

Whether I see this album as genius story-telling as my tired brain inferred, or just a playlist of vaguely experimental trap bangers, I think I can say with confidence that this is at least my personal favourite of Carti's work by a long shot and I'm really excited to see what he has in store next - if he can even muster up another record in the next couple of years. This album is slap-dash and insane but I'm fucking astonished.

If I die, it's gon' be real sad, so I fuck on my bitch like it's our last

9/10

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Tomberlin has shared 'Wasted,' a lullaby-esque stunner about secrets that are hard to keep. Tomberlin engages in some clever wordplay as the song ambles along, each line bleeding into the next: “Can you tell the difference?/ I can tell the difference,” she sings. “Maybe you’re the difference/ Please don’t be indifferent/ I could make it different. "'Wasted’ was the most fun song to record. I brought the song with the guitar part and knew I wanted drums, but wasn’t sure what kind of beat I wanted,” Tomberlin said in a statement, continuing: "Alex played this drum beat for me and was all ‘kinda left field but maybe this would be cool.’ It took the song to a whole new level. Sad song or summer banger? You tell me. The video was made with the help of Busy Philipps (who directed) and Marc Silverstein (who shot it), who are more like family then friends at this point. I was quarantined with them and their girls in South Carolina and we came up with the idea and shot it in about 4 days on an iPhone." [via Stereogum]

With their debut EP Tell U set to land on October 30 via House Arrest, New Yorks’ Couch Prints - aka Jayanna Roberts, Brandon Tong, and Jacob Truax - have shared the video for the title track. “I wrote the first iteration of this track while living in Denver - I was working this job I hated and had this feeling that life was speeding by,” Brandon says of the new track. “I ended up moving to New York a few months later, and shortly after Jake came out from Paris to record some of the music we’d been collaborating on the past year. While he was [In Paris] he had worked on music with Jayanna, so he called her to come sing on the tracks. We showed her the tracks and immediately she was humming along and had this incredible tone and way of singing, so we started recording for ‘Tell U’ and finished it that night. With so many moving pieces coming together so serendipitously, the final song came to celebrate this feeling of transience and movement and leaving the past behind. When we gave the song to Mayachka for the music video, she took that wistful feeling and our experiences, and created a story about a supposed three-way love triangle between us - with all the romance and nostalgia of a 2000’s soap opera. It perfectly captured the melancholy and strangeness of our first year coming together.” [via DIY]

Setting her art rock-inspired single 'Battleship' against a stunning clip directed by Pete Majarich, the new one from Jordan Laser deserves all your attention. [via Happy Mag]

New Jersey-based artist PYNKIE releases lead single 'Personality' from her sophomore album #37 out October 16 via House Arrest. A self-proclaimed ode to divorce (more specifically Radice’s parents divorce), the track is as sharp and witty as you’d expect from PYNKIE. It possesses this off-kilter touch that we’ve seen her adopt since her self-released 2018 debut album neoteny. The track references specific interactions between PYNKIE’s parents as they fight over possessions in the messy divorce. Lines such as “Furniture, Furniture/Over my dead body” are sung with a delightfully naïve charm, effectively capturing the sometimes obliviousness or misunderstanding that children have when it comes to events of such grandeur. With its buoyant bassline, jangly guitars, stoic percussion and perfectly imperfect slacker vocals, 'Personality' is musically a raw joy to behold. It’s flawless in its mixture of the known and the unknown, expected and unexpected. Skilfully wrong-footing the listener by setting up expectations of direction and then changing at the last minute is something that PYNKIE excels at. Lo-fi ethics and embedded nostalgia have become a staple of her music. This 90s nostalgia also takes the main role in the accompanying Kelli McGuire-directed visuals. We see Radice with her hair in bunches, wearing chokers, double denim that’s been scrawled on in felt tip pen and jelly sandals. The lighting is soft yet colourful with a light fuzz that gives it a retro warmth to it, casting our minds back to childhood. With vibrant graphics breaking up the video, topped off with the karaoke-style lyrics at the bottom of the video, the effect is one of wistful fondness. With its combination of unadulterated playfulness, darker tones and gleefully childish sensibilities, 'Personality' speaks to a larger theme that will carry through the upcoming album #37. [via High Clouds]

No Joy releases the official music video for 'Dream Rats' from their album Motherhood which is out out. The video and track features frontperson and principal songwriter Jasamine White-Gluz’s sister, Alissa, of deathcore supergroup Arch Enemy. The video also features an amazing duck named Success who is somewhat of a local celebrity in Montreal. The White-Gluz sisters want to take this opportunity to spotlight the Le Nichoir Wild Bird Rehabilitation Centre, a non-profit organization located in Hudson, Quebec. Their mission is to conserve wild birds as part of our natural heritage.

Actor and singer-songwriter Maya Hawke released album opener 'Generous Heart' as the final preview of her debut LP Blush, out now. A new interview with i-D reveals that 'Generous Heart' is one of Hawke's favourites from her record, and was created from a poem about love that she wrote as a senior in high school. Hawke also revealed the inspiration behind her debut album title to i-D, "I am a person who really struggles with embarrassment and shame, but it’s such a weird thing to talk about. There’s something embarrassing about even talking about being embarrassed. And the word blush, or blushing, to me is this sort of feminised take on embarrassment. Someone will be like, 'Oh it’s so cute, you’re blushing!' But on the inside, you’re dying. I liked the idea of taking this feminised word for shame, and making it the album title - because I struggle with both the feminisation of it, and the thing itself." She adds of the album, "Something that feels really important to me - and the record is sort of all about this - is how, even as you grow up and start to go through more 'adult' experiences, you’re still a kid. You’re still the same person that you always were. And so there’s the need to remember that throughline of your own humanity. I wanted to have those children’s voices to add a reminder of 'this might sound like a woman’s voice, but this whole childhood life is connected through all these stories'." [via Line Of Best Fit]

GRETA is making waves. The Copenhagen-based German musician - real name Greta Louise Schenk - has peppered 2020 with a string of superb singles, re-casting Nordic pop in a sci-fi gaze. Working towards her debut album, GRETA has been spending time in the studio with Farao, who has been producing those enormously imaginative sessions. New album Ardent Spring Part hits home on September 4, and it's led by the drifting future-facing pop of new single 'Again'. A gorgeous return, 'Again' is GRETA at her most defiant, an attempt to break out the cycles of behaviour that define us. She comments: "It's a song about the patterns we humans keep repeating even though we would like to break them. How we spend our entire life waiting for it to happen instead of living it." Stine Thorbøll directs the video, a tour de force of female Nordic talent that features the likes of Helena Heinesen Rebensdorff (Brimheim), Julie Christiansen (We are the way for the cosmos to know itself), Mary Jean Moore (MARY JEAN) and Luna Matz (Takykardia). GRETA explains... "The video for ‘Again’ is about a transition to something new and about preparing for that change. About being afraid of uncertainty, but finding strength in each other and oneself. It is about taking its place in the world. About strength and vulnerability. It is an invitation to be with everything you are and a promise that everything is more beautiful on the other side." Bold, and hugely imaginative, 'Again' seems to exist on its own terms, a defiantly independent piece of pop music. [via Clash]

Australian pop/R&B singer Clairy Browne is making her return to 2020 with her dance-worthy hit, 'Not The Only'. Drenched in glamour and extravagance, Browne has dropped an atmospheric tune with anthemic hooks and enthralling choruses. 'Not The Only' signals a new chapter for the artist as she breaks away from her kitsch retro-pop sound and explores a new neon-tinged soundscape. The songwriter is gearing up to release her next EP ANGEL later on this year and we’re curious to see what else she’s got in store for us. [via Wonderland]

In these dark and uncertain times, there’s no arguing that we need some relief, and fast. And one act giving us an instant burst of feel-good energy and sonic elation is MRCH with their glittering electronic number 'I Like You'. Drenched in optimism and bouncing into life with retro 80s-style synths, undulating rhythms and ethereal vocal hooks, the Phoenix-hailed duo – made up of Mickey and Jesse Pangburn – are lifting spirits with the synth-pop dance floor filler. The track is the first offering from their forthcoming new EP, out later this year – and has fans excited for their usual riveting live performances when life resumes. The visuals are a trippy retro throwback with the pair bopping and jamming, and making us miss a full throttle hedonistic night out. “Making songs is how we tell ourselves we aren’t alone, and hopefully how we tell other people they aren’t alone either,” explains Mickey. “Ironically, the hardest year for us has produced perhaps the cheeriest of MRCH songs, and absolutely one of our favourites.” [via Wonderland]

The artist Elohim has been an enigma since she first broke on the scene a half decade ago. She's since stepped out from behind the anonymous persona she originally crafted, and through her tender exploration of mental illness in her art, has reached millions of fans — proving true authenticity has no labels. The Los Angeles-based artist and producer was in the midst of her headlining Group Therapy Tour when the coronavirus pandemic hit, and like so many artists, she had to step back from performing live. But she quickly recalibrated and has been performing live from her home studio — and also working on the visuals for her single, 'I'm Lost.' The supremely trippy, Chase O'Black video captures the surreal experience of dissociating — something Elohim says she's been experiencing she was 7-years-old. "A lot of the art I create is speaking about these experiences (i.e. hallucinating)," Elohim tells NYLON. "'I'm Lost' examines this part of my brain, which is something difficult to put into words, so we decided to share this experience through surreality in the desert. Creating this new music filled my life with the most freeing moments, and making this video felt similar." Take a trip with Elohim to the California desert (and the infamous Slab City — an ideal setting for any artist on an inward journey) with the 'I'm Lost' video [via NYLON]

Australian pop extroverts Confidence Man return with new single 'First Class Bitch'. The band's extra-dimensional pop activities are the stuff of legend, with their lysergic live shows infused with glorious ear-worm melodies. New single 'First Class Bitch' injects some Confidence Man energy into this quarantine summer, and it's a dazzling return. The central hook is worthy of a Charli XCX project, with the neat, acid house leaning production tapping into the buoyancy of their famed live shows. Singer Janet Planet explains that the title 'First Class Bitch' actually has its origins in London. She comments... “I'd been thinking about this for a while now... It all started in London, when I saw a pair of socks with the words 'first class bitch' embroidered on them, hanging in a shop front window. I suddenly realised, I too was a first class bitch. I rushed back to the penthouse and penned this hit. Ever wondered what you hear when you die? This is it.” [via Clash]

[wild-blue-sonder]

Kat Tracks: 2017

Not a bad year for trance and electronic, but not particularly good either. 2017 was pretty ‘meh’ especially in the latter half of the year; most of my favorite tunes came out before May. Even though I was basically without internet since October and thus unable to keep up with my podcasts, it turns out I didn’t miss anything particularly intriguing which is kind of sad. That said, I think this year’s track selection is one of the most diverse to date.

1: Harry Vederci- The Power of Love (Adam White Remix) A January release that received profuse exposure on the Planet Perfecto podcast, I didn’t think much of it until about the fifth time it came up, then I decided to listen to the song in its entirety. It’s a decent cover of the original version by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. If you have an affinity for early 2000′s dance music like me, give the Rob Searle club mix a listen (but ignore the terrible music video).

2: Arston- Rage If you were one of those angry people at the beginning of 2017 for whatever reason, (most likely politics, right?), this is the track for you! Rage is a big room banger that will certainly help you release your aggression!

3: Solis & Sean Truby- Feel It (Mark W. Remix) I can’t not move in some manner when I hear this track; “bouncy” seems like an adequate description. Hopefully it’ll put you on your feet, too!

4: Orkidea- Higher State This is one of those rare tracks that I can’t quite classify, existing somewhere between trance, electronica, and progressive house. Whatever it is, I’m totally in love with it. Definitely a favorite of 2017.

5: Venaccio- Apollo This uplifting trance tune completely swept me off my feet the first time I heard it. The producer is new to me, but I can’t help but wonder if he was inspired by Ferry Corsten’s Gouryella alias after his string of successful releases. Apollo is simply a joy to listen to.

6: Armin van Buuren & Garibay feat. Olaf Blackwood- I Need You (Standerwick Remix) It’s really sad that there hasn’t been an original AvB release I’ve liked since his 2011 album Mirage. Intense was generic EDM and the majority of singles released since then have been pretty terrible. Leave it to remixers like Ian Standerwick to give us the sound Armin has abandoned.

7: James Cottle- Kesselhaus A solid trance offering from the Vandit label, which never fails to turn out quality tunes. Kesselhaus is named after the nightclub in Augsberg, Germany where this track debuted.

8: Game Chasers feat. Jes- Carry Me Away (Markus Schulz Remix) Moving into several spring releases now, this track has a light, airy vibe that made me look forward to summer. It’s been a long time since I heard Jes on a track I really liked; the last one was Cosmic Gate’s Here We Go Again.

9: Sasha feat. Poliça- Out of Time (Patrice Baumel Remix) The minimalist vibe in this deep house tune seems ideal for relaxing at a club or maybe a beach party. Sasha aka Alexander Coe has been around forever and if he keeps producing tracks like this it’s safe to say he’s still not going anywhere any time soon.

10: Para X- Rising Star (Chilled Mix) This version of Rising Star serves as the intro to Alex Roezel’s debut artist album of the same name, and what an appropriate beginning it is. I’m always a fan of good chillout tunes.

11: Andy Tau, Sean Mathews & Max Millian- Shadows & Light (Solid Stone Remix) Honestly I forgot about this tune until rediscovering it during my search for tracks to include in this list. One listen and I remembered why I downloaded it: I love the dark, progressive sound Solid Stone has adopted over the last couple years.

12: Cengiz Coşkuner- Emmioğlu (Ahmed Romel Remix) Ahmed Romel is a staple on the Blue Soho and Future Sound of Egypt labels. He has a really solid grasp on trance and progressive trance which enables him to deliver tracks like this, a captivating deep and dark take on Turkish folk music.

13: Talisman & Hudson- Leaving Planet Earth (21st Century Mix) The original version of this track debuted in 1997, so this year marks its 20th anniversary. If there’s one thing I love about the electronic music genre as a whole it’s its penchant for taking old tracks like this and refreshing them for modern audiences. In this manner, genre-defining tracks are able to withstand the test of time. This one certainly deserves to be remembered!

14: Dim3nsion- Eterna Eterna had something like a three-week run as the number one tune on Corsten’s Countdown back in August, understandable when it’s such a fantastic production. It takes you on a bit of a roller coaster ride with the intro, breakdown and build-up, but the journey is quite enjoyable.

15: Kidnap Kid- Where the Sea Swings in Like an Iron Gate Definitely one of the longest song titles I’ve ever seen. It along with the vocal sample are of Anne Sexton reading her poem “The Truth the Dead Know” which when combined with the melancholy flavor of this deep house track make for a very emotive piece of music.

16: Ilan Bluestone feat. Giuseppe de Luca- Frozen Ground (Spencer Brown Remix)       Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford- Northern Soul (Spencer Brown Remix) My penultimate picks of the year are two great remixes of Anjuna tunes by Spencer Brown. Frozen Ground debuted in June and Northern Soul was an emotive December release. I’m a bit more partial to the latter because I loved Richard Bedford’s work on A&B’s Group Therapy artist album which came out back in 2011, so it’s nice to hear them collaborating again.

17: Gabriel & Dresden- The Only Road This artist album from the legendary duo Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden was a really nice way to finish off the year. It’s also their second artist album ever, the first being a self-titled one from 2005. I think Waiting for Winter is my favorite track among the dozen, but really the whole thing makes for good moody background music.

Previous Lists: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

[onestowatch]

Baker Grace’s ‘Girl, I Know’ EP Proves That She Is Ready to Conquer the Pop World [Q&A]

At just 14 years old, Baker Grace was already professionally releasing music under the moniker Bitter’s Kiss, with an acclaimed self-titled album in 2015. Fast forward to four years later and a drastic name change, Grace has honed her utterly transcendental sound that’s both dreamy and sharp. Heavily influenced by Carole King, Grace showcases her truest self through her genuine lyricism, as we see in her brilliant new EP, Girl, I Know.

The five-track collection represents Grace’s concept of a five-day work week in which each day and song evokes its own atmosphere. The opening title track, “Girl, I Know” is Grace’s promise to herself to never lose her sense of curiosity and invincibility. Balanced with stirring electronics and charming guitar strokes, this uplifting tune is a generous hurrah to all the young women listening. The ethereal “Wrong Kind of People” touches on Grace’s experiences with unrealistic expectations and societal pressures that led her to question what she really wants.

Grace then switches up the tempo with a twinkly, upbeat tune about confidence and taking ownership of our lives called “Numb.” Advocating for self-care, “Numb” features bouncy instrumentals and Grace’s charismatic vocals that we’re spoiled with throughout the dynamic EP. Taking Girl, I Know into a completely different soundscape, “Illest” is a trap-infused banger in which Grace reassures people to not seek validation through other people. The uplifting closing track, “Handcuffs” begins with delicate pianos and leads into Grace’s vibrant vocals as she chooses love over hate amidst the acts of violence we see on the news every day.

Enter Baker Grace’s world of pop melodies with Girl, I Know below:

In anticipation of her fantastic new EP, Ones To Watch recently chatted with Baker Grace about stage names, music production, and of course, Girl, I Know.

OTW: You grew up listening to greats like Carole King and Tupac Shakur and eventually taught yourself how to play piano and guitar. How else was your childhood shaped by music?

Grace: My father is a musician and a songwriter, and I grew up surrounded by instruments and music. He used to sing me to sleep at night, and I began singing with him. I always admired his talent and his songwriting. It inspired me to sing and create myself and I fell in love with it.

OTW: Before releasing music as Baker Grace, you performed under the name Bitter's Kiss. Why did you change your stage name and how has your career grown because of that shift in direction?

Grace: Bitter’s Kiss was my first project I created with my father when I was 14. It will always hold a special place in my heart but I have grown a lot since then both personally and musically. Bitter's Kiss was made at a time when I was in a jaded, darker place, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. Baker Grace represents an empowered women staying graceful in the chaos, holding her own weight.

OTW: Just a few years ago, you were discovered by Scott Harris (Shawn Mendes, The Chainsmokers), who got you making music with Republic Records. What was this experience like?

Grace: I learned a lot from working with Scott and Republic. I learned how to structure a song and make it digestible for listening. My mind can be all over the place so learning how to focus my mind into creating a message other people can understand was key. I also learned a lot about the industry and what I want for myself. I realized how little fame, money, or praise was ever gonna mean to me if I can’t be myself, share my message, and use my power to empower and help others.

Photo Credit: Chuck Willis

OTW: You have an incredible energy and inviting soundscape that fans seem to respond very warmly to. How would you describe your sound to new listeners in five words?

Grace: I would describe my sound as “an escape into your truth.”

OTW: You've already released four singles off your stunning new EP, Girl, I Know. Which one is your favorite track off the EP?

Grace: I like them all for different reasons. It’s hard to judge because they all mean something unique and special to me. I think lyrically and melodically I am most proud of “Wrong Kind Of People.” It is the one that made me the most emotional when I first heard it.

OTW: What was your creative process like for Girl, I Know? Were there any songs in particular that you struggled with?

Grace: The songs on the EP all came to me very naturally, and I think that’s the way the best music is made. It can’t be forced or trying too hard. Some songs started with poems I had in my notes and some just singing random melodies and lyrics over a guitar or piano and some writing over produced out tracks. I like to just start singing how I feel and creating a story out of it.

Photo Credit: Chuck Willis

OTW: Girl, I Know focuses a lot on themes like self love and confidence. What inspired you to create this reflective EP?

Grace: I wrote the songs on this EP when I was 16-18 years old. Being a young woman today isn’t easy; the pressure, judgement, and expectations on how we are supposed to look and act had me very overwhelmed. How about happiness? How about self worth? Self love? They all seemed to get lost in a sea of “who looks better” and “who has more.” I didn’t wanna live like that. This EP helped me gain the confidence to create my own definitions and standards and not let society determine how I see myself. I’m still learning, but I know who I am enough to not let anyone else decide for me.

OTW: As you've been crafting Girl, I Know, you've also taken it upon yourself to explore music production. What have you learned so far?

Grace: I am starting to learn how to create instruments and tracks and how to add effects. I’m getting familiar with the software. Mostly getting into basics so that I can explore more freely in the future.

OTW: If you could collaborate with anyone in the industry, who would you want to work with?

Grace: I would definitely want to collaborate with J Cole. His lyrics have always spoken to me and I love his vibe. I would love to see what we could say together and how my vocals would sound over one of his beats.

OTW: Who are your current Ones To Watch?

Grace: I really like this artist Cautious Clay who I worked with in New York. I also have been listening to Lennon Stella; I think she’s about to really break.

[uclaradio]

Excerpted Interview With Westside McFly (11/16/18)

Interview occurred on the “No Pulp Radio Show” with DJ Odyssey, Ishaan Pota and Lily Frankel 

This interview has been transcribed edited for concision with some questions edited for clarity by Lily Frankel

DJO: So for those who aren’t familiar with you, who are you, where are you from? 

WM: Yeah, well, I grew up in South Central, man. I’m from Los Angeles, you know what I’m saying. Right there on the east side. Everybody kinda get confused by the name and stuff like that, but you know it’s Westside McFly I’m from the West Coast, but I grew up on the east side, Los Angeles. 

DJO: And what was that experience like, growing up in Los Angeles? 

WM: Man, it was crazy, you know what I’m saying. You know, obviously, the album is out, and the title of it is, “South Central Ain’t 4 Everybody.” I feel like, that experience, growing up in South Central, is really difficult, and I wanted to... kinda let the world know what’s it’s like, and how, you know, it’s kinda hard to make it, where we from. 

DJO: And seeing what you’re saying, it’s so hard to make it, coming out of South Central, what do you think is the most notorious challenge of trying to get out? 

WM: Well I mean, obviously, you know, when you think about South Central, you think about LA, everybody already think about the gangs, the violence, the drugs, the police. You know what I’m saying, when you think about like, NWA, and all, like, fuck the police, you know what I’m saying, like. So growing up, where I grew up, you see that a lot, you know what I’m saying. It was drug dealers, it was gang bangers, it was—I mean, we, you know, we don’ faced it all. We don’ dealt with the police, we done all of the that, you know what I’m saying. So... um, you kinda come from a different cloth when you gotta go through that as a young kid and you see so early, and there’s no way for your parents to kinda like shield you from what’s going on outside, in the world, you know what I’m saying. My granny lived on 81st and Central, the school I went to was off of McKinley and 83rd, that’s like two blocks up! So just walkin from my granny’s house to school, you could either run into somebody that’s gon ask you where you from, you might see a cop roll by, and they, you know, the cops—like, people always kinda confuse that, like, “oh, they gettin harassed by the cop, they gettin beat on by the cops,” it’s not that, like you could just get flashed by some police, and we take that as harassment, you know what I’m saying, cause I’m just mindin’ my business, just walkin up the street, what you got to flash me with your light for? You know what I’m saying. So it’s a lot of things that... I would say, made me who I am today, and... bring the music out.

DJO: Was music always the first option, or did you wanna be something else?

WM: Nah, nah, I would say that was like my first option. I come from a family... you know, basketball players. Actually my cousin is actually Baron Davis. So I come from a basketball family, it was all sports. For me, I was that kid that was like... I had my little composition book and I was writing poems. You know what I’m saying? Like my pops, he lived in Compton, so he lived right off Piru street... I was at his house one day and I was writing like, little poems in my little composition book. And then like the neighbrohood bum, you know, he came through or whatever—think he was asking my dad if he could wash the car or somethin’, and he was askin’ me what I was doin’. And I was like, “what?” And he was like, “man, what you doin?” And tell him, I’m like, “man, I’m writing some poetry, you know what I’m sayin, just workin on my stuff.” He was like, “ahh, let me hear some stuff,” so I spit it and he was like, “man, you sound like you rappin!” And that was kinda like my first, like, “damn, like, it kinda do sound like I’m rappin.” And then I kinda took to it more cause my grandfather was a DJ, my grandmother, she collected like, old school 45 records, and stuff like that, so music kinda just always been there for me, you know what I’m sayin?

DJO: So mentioning how you got a DJ in your family, mentioning that, you know, your grandma had the 45s, like, what were some of the musical influences that you grew up listening to, like what was Grandma spinning, what was the family spinnin? 

WM: Damn. Alright so, back then? I mean you thinkin’ about like the The Temptations, you think about Diane Ross, Minnie Riperton. That’s what she was into. Al Green, Marvin Gaye—Michael Jackson was her ultimate favorite [laughing]. She had every Michael Jackson record you could think of. All the way back from Jackson 5, little Michael, to like, Billy Jean, Bad Michael. Like, she was a huge fan of Mike. My grandfather, being a DJ I guess, his vibe was different, because the club setting is different, people here drinking and smoking, and all of that goin on or whatever, back in that time. So it was a little different, his records had a little bit more upbeat, but, I felt like, every time music came on, it gave you a different experience about life. And a different setting. And it put you in a different place. And for me, I just kinda always wanted to be a part of that world. To be a creator of that, you know what I’m saying? And kinda capture and cement the memories and moments of--of what we don’ went through. 

DJO: Does it piss you off when you hear a younger rapper, or people who pretend to be from “the hood,” to use that—when they haven’t actually seen it.

WM: Yeah, I definitely, it makes me mad, when that happens. Because, you know, that’s not anything to be glamorized, in my opinion. When you really from a place that’s like, it’s trife, you know what I’m saying? And it’s really like, yo, you could really lose you life, livin out here. It’s... it’s kinda difficult when that happens, cause you got people that are kinda like, fakin’ it. And for me, I take it as disrespect, because it’s kinda like a badge of honor to be able to say, “look, I lived in this city, I grew up in this neighborhood, I seen my friend get shot right here, I don seen this happen right here, I don—duh duh duh duh duh.” And for somebody to come along and just kinda fake that, and want to be part of that cause it look cool—it’s like, nah, I’m not wit that, you not gon come make money off of our struggle, you know what I’m saying? I ain’t having that. 

DJO: Especially when you livin’ it day in, day out. 

WM: Day in’ day out! And I still got friends that’s livin in the hood, you know, I still got aunties, I still got cousins, so—it’s not always pretty, but it ain’t always ugly, like don’t get it twisted, the hood ain’t just like a “scary” place. Like if you get a chance? Fo sure, go take a trip down to Watts, go take a trip down to South Central, go see what it’s like. Go breathe in the air. You know what I’m saying? Go see what the people is like, so then you could really understand it. And I feel like people that are infatuated with like, Compton and Watts and South Central, they should go do that. If they really like—you know, if you really wanna know about it, go see about it. That’s what you gon do when you—if it’s a pair of Gucci shoes out that you want, you gon go to the Beverly Center, you gon cop them Gucci shoes, you gon go see how they look, you gon put em on your feet, you gon walk in them. So go do the same thing with the neighborhood, you know what I’m saying? Lily: Do you feel like people have certain misconceptions about South Central, or that area in general? 

WM: Definitely. Because of—I think it started when the riots happened. When the riots happened—there’s certain things about, you know, East LA, that we can’t control. And what the media puts out about East LA, we can’t control it. You know what I’m saying? We don’t have those platforms. And... the last big artist to make it from the east side.. [long pause] I don’t—dang. In my opinion, you’d probably have to say like, NWA, Snoop came from the East side of Long Beach, you know what I’m saying? Like, who can speak on that major platform, Snoop made it to that major platform, where he can kinda give you a different outlook of how the hood is, you know what I’m saying? Is it dangerous? Yes. Is it a whole bunch of, like, just crackheads and crack babies? No. Like, you know what I’m saying? Like, yeah, you gon see a few. But, we didn’t have no money to bring crack there, you know what I’m saying? How did it get there? So you go back to Reaganomics, and you go back—like, everything started back then. And I feel like the perception that the media painted for the city, you know what I’m saying? We cleanin’ it up. The youngers that’s coming out, you got a lot of people that’s coming out... from Watts, from Compton. When you think about Kendrick Lamar—Kendrick Lamar, you know, his grammy performances and everything like that, that’s changing the perception of people, you know what I’m saying? Like of what they think about Compton. Back then it was “fuck the police,” and now you watchin Kendrick, you know, at the Grammys, on stage, and you lookin’ at Compton a whole different way. You know what I’m saying? So... I feel like the perception is definitely changin. 

DJO: So let’s talk about your album, you know, “South Central Ain’t 4 Everybody.” With that title in itself, it’s just like, it seems like you’re just tryna like, “yo, let me set the record straight.” 

WM: Yeah, definitely. Quick story. I was in the studio, man. And I wanna say at the time, the album was maybe like, 75% done, and I was playing records for people, just tryna get reactions and stuff like that, and I had this one particular A&R that was there, I’m not gon name drop. [Laughs.] Yeah, that’s for snitches, I ain’t gon name drop. But, he actually heard the music, man, and he was like, yo, I really think you should do like this type of sound, you know, you should do what’s in right now, what’s hot. You should do that other record that you did. And because I write for people, I have a different—a wide-range, I should say, of records in my catalogue. So at the time, he had probably heard like some trap record that I had wrote for like TV or film, or whatever. And I remember just telling him like, Bro, that ain’t me. That’s not the picture that I’m tryna paint, that’s not South Central, that’s not what I’m about, you know what I mean. And I remember leaving the studio, it was me, my engineer, and my little cousin. My little cousin’s maybe like 15, he go to Crenshaw High. And literally we was having a conversation about it, and I’m like damn, I really can’t understand why people don't understand... you know, where we come from, and why that’s, like, not mainstream enough for them. And I remember my little cousin saying to me “yo, South Central ain’t for erybody, cuzzo.” And, at that time, I was just like, yo [laughs], that’s what I’m naming the album. [...] It was just like, yo. Simple and plain, bro, like, South Central ain’t for everybody. There are certain people that can make it here and certain people that can’t. And this album will give you a piece of that, like, so you can understand it. 

DJO: You said there are some people who can make it and some people who can’t. What are the characteristics of somebody who can make it? 

WM: You gotta be tough. Erybody ain’t gotta be a gangster to make it in South Central but you gotta be tough for sure. You know, you gotta be real. You gotta stay loyal, you gotta ride for your people. You gotta... I mean, you just gotta have like, the ambition and hustle of... a real hustler, like for real. Because ain’t nobody like, gonna give you anything, where we from. We weren’t given anything. You know, to begin with. Like I said, like, watchin’ my momma struggle, she had four kids. She had no handouts. She had no help. You know what I’m saying? She had to work hard. And... watchin the strength of her, put it in me. Like alright, I gotta get up and go get it, especially if pops ain’t around, and—you know what I’m saying? So you kinda go through a lot of different phases as a young man, growing up in South Central, right, where you gotta now—I gotta help my moms, and my sisters, I want them—you know what I’m saying? And especially if you wanna be on some fly shit yo self, and you wanna look fresh and you don’t wanna go to school looking like... you know what I’m saying? You got—kids is mean! [DJO laughs.] Let’s think about it, come on man, the 90s, what? You was gettin clowned if you was comin to school with some busted shoes. But if you had some fresh whites on, you was the man. And you had a nice outfit, you was—you know what I’m saying? Fresh cut, all of that, so—moms couldn’t always afford everything! So sometimes you gotta go get up and go hustle up some stuff with homies and—ay, mom, I just bought my own shoes, like you feel me? She don’t gotta know where it came from. There’s a lot of things we don did that, of course your parents ain’t gon be proud of, you know what I’m saying. But at the same time, you do what you gotta do to survive. Yeah, so I think that survival instinct, it comes. 

DJO: Take me over when you were composing these two songs [“Bitch Please” and “Piece of My Love”], what was going through your mind? Because in listening to “Bitch Please,” and then “Piece of My Love,” they’re on both ends of the spectrum. 

WM: One of them’s far left, the other’s far right. Yeah, definitely. So a lot of people was... disturbed when they first heard “Bitch please,” cause they like, “ahh, you talkin bout women.” I’m like, nah—okay, so to break that down—and I feel like men know what’s up when it comes to this—you got women out there, sometime, that like—not all women are bitches, like you know what I’m sayin, but you have some that you come across where you’re like “man, bitch please,” like you’re feeling yourself a little too much, and there is certain women that are just so into themselves where it’s like yo, you gotta kinda like bring em back down to earth, but besides that, you got women out there that are like just gold-diggers, clout-chasers, like you know what I’m saying? They just want to be around, and be in the scene, or they might wanna talk to you, or get with the homie, and those are the women that I’m talkin to on “Bitch Please,” the trifling ones. There’s a separation between real women that’s out there, doin they job, and really gettin to a bag, and hustlin, and providing for themselves, they not lookin for no man for nothin, so it’s a separation, and that’s what “Piece of My love Is,” for that women that really deserve that, because not every woman, you know what I’m saying, really deserve that from you. There’s certain women out there that you gonna throw ones at, it’s certain women out there that you gonna go buy, you know, a gucci bag, or a ring, you feel me? It’s different types of women in the world, so. That’s just me bein real. 

L: So you’ve written songs for other people, and you write your own music. What is the difference for you in that process, between when you’re writing a song for somebody else, verses when you’re focusing on your own music, do you feel like there’s a difference? 

WM: Yeah definitely, cause... when I’m writing for other people, I have to really put myself in that place, where they are in their life. And, I can’t always just be like yo, who is this person, what have they gone through, and write about that. It’s gotta be like, what could they possibly be going through right now, what’s next for them, you know what I’m saying? Sometimes you can go off past experiences but you just gotta put yourself in their shoes, for a second. And I feel like as a creator and somebody that’s a fan of music, that’s pretty easy to do. And I feel like most artists—if you’re a true artist, you can do that. You know what I’m saying? I’m not afraid to say I’m a fan of certain artists, you feel me? So to be able to step outside of who I am as a person, and as a creator, as an artist, and be like, well, let me put myself in this person’s shoes real quick and write a record, what would it sound like. You know what I’m saying, to me that’s fun... and it’s challenging at the same time. But it’s something that I’ve grown to learn—the whole like songwriting process, being a songwriter, it’s just something that I’ve learned, for sure, and I’m still learning! You know what I’m saying? I don’t even feel like—if you think about Quincy Jones, you think about a lot of like great musicians in the industry, right, they kept learning, they whole career, they just kept learning, kept learning, kept learning, so every day is a part of the process. 

Ishaan: So when you go to the studio, what’s your process? Do you go in with ideas? 

WM: Yeah, my process is kinda weird, I always feel like in order for me to create records, I have to live, right? So like, “South Central Ain’t 4 Everybody” was like a two year... two and a half year project. I put a lot of time into that project, you know what I’m saying? Like, you have a lot of different artists now that will just sit in they room for like ten days and be like “yo I got a mixtape and it’s the hottest shit out.” That’s not gonna be the case, cause you ain’t experience shit in that ten days, bro. You sat in that room by yourself, like, either smokin, or drinking, or eatin hot cheetos, whatever the fuck you was doin [studio laughs], and you just felt like—you imagined life instead of really experiencing it, like you know what I’m saying? So for me like, I felt like I have to go through shit in order to be able to go into the studio and talk about shit, so you gotta be livin like, every day, like you know what I’m saying? I gotta be able to talk about what I see my moms go through, sometimes you gotta get back to that. You know what I’m saying? And sometimes it be reality, like yo I just hung up with mom, she sick, yada yada yada, and now, you know what I’m saying, this is where I’m at mentality, it’s taking me back to when I was a kid, and now I’m writing this type of record. You know, or, it’s just one of them nights, where it’s like, yo, this chick, she trippin, she—she just worried about what Ima buy her and where Ima take her, and duh duh duh duh duh, and then you get records like “Bitch Please” and then like—you know what I’m saying? It’s all different types of moods and vibes, like lit, like I’m know, notoriously known, the come-up boys, we known, for like throwin parties like, house parties. [...] We also do a charity thing with the come-up boys, our movement, so this year we’re gon do a blanket give-back. Over the summer we did a food, hygiene, uh, care packs, and water, and soda. Um... so this December I think we’ll do food again, um, but instead of the hygiene pack—over the Summer we did like toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, wipes, socks—this time we’re gonna do blankets and jackets. That’s the plan for the Winter. [...] It’s so crazy, the—it’s an ongoing problem, obviously, we have a lot of homeless out here, in Los Angeles. And I remember growing up, I went to high school, Hamilton, bro. And I remember one day I was driving up—I want to say I was driving up either Broadway or Main—and I seen somebody I went to school with, and bro was doing bad, man. Like bad bad. And I’m like, “yo, this is somebody I actually went to high school with.” So you kinda see yourself in that, cause it’s like, yo, this can easily be you, and we don’t know what happened in his life, you know what I’m saying, but obviously he need help, and, you know, I pulled over, I helped. There’s been times, you can ask my people, there’s been times I done gave shoes away, you know what I’m saying, if I got shoes in my cars, then forget it, if I got shoes in my trunk, forget it, you can have it. Shirts, money, all that, bro. Cause we gon get it back tenfolds over, you know what I’m saying. But you don’t know what that can do, just to help somebody else. [...] And that’s really important with our squad, because we know where we come from, so we know how hard it is to get it, we know how hard it is to lose it, and we always want to give back to those who don’t. L: So, it seems like with your music, the overall goal or theme is trying to convey what you were talking about earlier, like this is where you’re from and trying to portray it in an accurate way, would you say that’s your goal with making music? 

WM: Yeah. And just speaking for the streets and the people that had to come from the streets, you know what I’m saying? And from, with a different perspective, cause like obviously, when you think about the gangs and stuff like that, everybody—you ain’t gotta grow up and be from somewhere, or be a gang-banger, to speak for the streets, you know what I’m saying? You ain’t gotta sell drugs to speak for the streets. Now mind you, there’s—like I said, again, there’s things in my life, that, you know, you don did, that your moms and pops may not be proud of, but you do what you had to do to survive, right, but at the same time, I just wanna be that beacon for the next kid, to be like, “yo, you can do it like me, and you can make it.” You know what I’m saying? You ain’t gotta succumb to what your homies want you to be, you ain’t gotta succumb to what the world think you should be, or think—who you are, you know, like sometimes the world may already have they mind made up about who you are. You could change that person’s perception, like you could change the perception of the world, you know what I’m saying, so I just wanna be that beacon that provides that message, through my music. [...] I mean like, just with the company itself, we do everything, like we got a catering service, you know what I’m saying? We have a, obviously, it was clothing line, originally. It was the record label and our clothing line, originally. And I wanna say after the first two years we expanded, we had a catering service. After that we started doing our charity give-back. And there’s gonna be more expansions, like we want to get into tech stuff, you know what I’m saying? That’s stuff that we into. Just cause we grew up in the hood don’t mean that we’re not entrepreneurs, we’re not smart, you know what I’m saying, like we don’t have, you know, any kind of vision behind our brand, you know what I’m saying? But we have these people like myself, like Q, my boy Jamil, my boy Trill, my boy Jax, we’re all like, you know, the main people pushing this brand. And even those up under us, you know—it’s so many come-up boys, it’s like 20 of us, to be honest with you. We gotta whole gang, for real, it looks like a gang. We move like a gang, look like a gang, but we ain’t a gang, you know what I’m saying? [studio and DJO laughing] It’s crazy. 

DJO: I feel like it’s really important that your neighborhood see somebody like you that made it out, see somebody succeeding, see somebody who’s contributing and giving back. 

WM: Talk that talk. I wasn’t destined to be here, bro. When I was born, I was born with sickle cell, right? So the doctors told my mom I’m supposed to die at the age of 10. So I’m already up against that, right? But then you grew up in the hood, you grew up poor, then you had to deal with the gangs, then you had to deal with the drugs, then you had to deal with the cops, then—you know what I’m saying? So you already up against everything, not to mention being black in America—it’s difficult. [Agreement from the studio.] You know what I’m saying? Like let’s just be honest. So when you look at that, and you be like, yo, this kid made it from here, and this is the success he attained over this amount of time, by putting in this work, staying true to who he was, staying true to his people and his friends that was around him, listening, learning, taking in everything, and then creatively puttin it out to the world to be like yo, this is what I’m about, you feel me? 

DJO: Do you ever feel like, you know, because you’ve overcome so much adversity and so many obstacles in your life, like, you ever walk around with a chip on your shoulder? Or you always keep it humble. WM: It’s kind of like, you know how like, one side is the angel, one side is the devil? [Laughter in the studio.] I have the chip over here [gestures to left shoulder], but then I’m humble as fuck over here [gestures to other shoulder]. And sometimes it’s difficult cause you don’t know which one to listen to. You know what I’m saying, like is it stay humble, or is it walk around with that chip? But I feel like, when you grow in the hood, you already kinda got a chip on your shoulder, to prove that you’re more than what they’ve told people the people that come from the hood is about. You know what I’m saying? Like I said, going back to that perception that’s put out there by the media, you know what I’m saying? The way they talk about the hood is not always... proper. And so that perception, that people think about us, we already kinda have that chip on our shoulder, where we gotta prove people wrong,, you feel me? I think that’s always gonna be a part of who I am as a person and as an artist. You gon hear it in my music, you gon see it when I’m walking, you gon see it when I’m having a conversation with whoever, and then also being humble about where I come from, and about what I had to go through, and the successes that I attained. I’m still gon be humble about it cause I understand like yo, it could be here today, it could be gon tomorrow. 

DJO: And what would you say—you know, respecting the process—what was the hardest part in your process? 

WM: I think gettin out of my own way sometimes. Cause I’m a perfectionist. And I think the hardest part about my own process—like me and the homies, we don got into many arguments, about when to pick the music out, and what songs to put out, what videos to shoot, I don got in a lot of arguments with these dudes. But they brothers for life, you feel me? But sometimes I be in my own way, and I be like, overthinking. But that goes back to having that chip on my shoulder, I wanna prove people wrong. So I just got this burning ambition to be like yo, I gotta do it right, it gotta look good, it gotta duh-duh-duh-duh-duh, we can’t take no Ls, you know what I’m saying? Even though like, all Ls are lessons, but [laughs] like nah, for real, Ls is lessons, but you know for me, it’s like nah, we ain’t got time for that. We puttin points on the board. We gotta move correctly, you know what I’m saying? We gotta move proper, strategically, so I’m real big on that, and I’m the type of person, people can’t tell me no. You know what I’m saying? “Ah nah, we can’t do that! That’s impossible!” I can’t be around a motherfucker that’s like that. You know what I’m saying? Like, you... I’m not gon let anybody tell me that something can’t be done. Cause we gon figure it out, you know what I’m saying? And that’s just what it is. 

DJO: So what would you say is one of those biggest dreams? Do you ever see yourself falling back from rap and being like, “I’m gonna make a label now”? I mean, we gon do way more than just a record label, like we already own our own record label, shoutout to Empire, we were able to get independent distribution through them, and own our own record label, we can sign artists, we have artists, you know what I’m saying, we’re looking for artists, um... but, even beyond that, we gon do films, you know what I’m saying? We gon get into the fashion business even heavier, you gon catch us at New York Fashion Week, you gon catch us at Complex Con, and you know, all these different places, like Come-Up Boys, the brand in itself, is gonna be way bigger than just music, that’s just our starting point, you know what I’m saying? [...] One of my favorite Jay lines, I would have to say, was when he was like: “If skills sold / Truth be told / I'd probably be / Lyrically / Talib Kweli / Truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense / But I made 5 mil, I ain't been rhyming like Common since.” So to me, that right there was like yo, he lettin you know, lyrically I could be Talib Kweli, bro. Who was like one of the greatest, like come on! “Truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common, but I made 5 mil, I ain't been rhyming like Common since,” like that shit is crazy, bro. You know what I’m saying? It lets you know what he about, it lets you know the intelligence of who he can be, and who he wants to be, and him understanding that. Most people don’t get that, you know what I’m saying? They know who they want to be, you know what I’m saying? They don’t know who they can be, though. They thinking too small. So you gotta know who you are, in a sense. At the same time, when you moving in this game, no matter what you doing, I don’t care if you a radio DJ, I don’t care if you a English major, a tech student [L and I laugh], whatever, you gotta know who the fuck you wanna be, and know who you are. And know what it’s gon take to get there. Like you know what I’m saying? That’s just that. DJO: Especially like going to college here, you know some people feel like, they feel boxed in by their major, like they can only do one thing. WM: Ay, none of them people that’s running this school man, they didn’t call you and say ay, you can only have one major, or you can only do this. Look... here’s the pamphlet, here’s the book, you figure out who you wanna be. That’s what college is about, right? Okay so you gotta get out there, and you gotta try stuff, you know what I’m saying? You ain’t gon get it on the first go around. The first year you might have one major, second year you gotta switch to another major, whatever, you ain’t gon get it on the first go around! Don’t be afraid to fail, man! Michael Jordan said that, you know what I’m saying? And he got six rings! [Laughter in the studio.] This man is making billions off tennis shoes, and he just keep puttin out the same ones! [More laughter.] And I got a pair of em on, right now! 

DJO: But I really think that’s the thing, like, everyone is so afraid of failure. Like, and I feel it’s like, not everyone, but like a majority, some people just afraid like “hey I failed I am gonna be discouraged I’m never gonna dip back into that again.” 

WM: Check it, if you afraid to fail, you might as well give up on life. I don’t care what it is! You gotta be willing to fail. Every L is a lesson. It’s not a loss, it’s a lesson. Only thing you lose is time. And you can’t get it back, right? But that lesson gon make up for the time that you lost. Because eventually you gon have to learn what not to do, in order to know what to do! 

I: What’s been your biggest L, and lesson? 

WM: My biggest lesson. I’m gonna think. Hold on. Cause I’m gonna give you a good one. My biggest lesson... would probably have to be trust yourself. Cause some people, they don’t do that, and they start listening—like everybody gon have an opinion, right? If you in the studio, and it’s like ten people in the studio. Or it’s five people in the studio. Everybody in that room is gonna have an opinion about the record. Sometimes you have to be able to listen to others, and take parts of what they saying, and apply, and sometimes, some people gon say stuff that, just, nah. And you gotta trust yourself in the moments, you get what I’m saying? So it’s about knowing that. I wanna say that’s probably my biggest lesson. And it was a L! There’s been times where I did not trust myself and I listened to other people, and that shit got me in trouble! You know what I’m saying? I don lost money behind that [laughs], for real, I don lost money behind that, I don got in trouble behind that. So trust in myself, man.

Listen to the full interview here and give “South Central Ain’t 4 Everybody” a listen on Spotify now! Also make sure to check out the new video for "Bitch Please"!