#and other artists i like are born in oct

[linoguy]

chan and lee know really had to be born in october.... i have too many october mfs in my life

[my-plastic-life]

Inspiring Women: Rumiko Takahashi

New custom doll is here! I'm sure we all know about the Mattel Barbie Inspiring Women doll line, right? Well, I took it upon myself to create one of my own because I'm sure Mattel will never make one lol. Click here for behind the scenes on how I made this doll!

I opted to create an Inspiring Woman Barbie based off Rumiko Takahashi, the Japanese manga artist who created my all-time favorite manga and anime, Inuyasha. But that isn't the sole reason she's deserving of this title. Yes, that creation got me into all things Japan and introduced me to the entire anime genre, but this mangaka has excelled in her career for 45 years - a profession that has been primarily male-dominated since its inception.

I also created a box for her designed after the official Mattel Inspiring Women boxes. The outfit she's wearing is inspired by the one she wore during the 2023 knighthood honor she received. Accessories include her most recent book, Rumiko Takahashi: Colors 1978-2024, as well as her 35th anniversary book that comes with removable genuine sketches, plus the first volume of the Inuyasha manga (original Japanese version). The doll I used was the Asian sister of Ariel from the live action Little Mermaid, but I cut her hair and styled it differently, painted some age lines on her face, removed her pink eyeshadow, and gave her some glasses. I also gave her a curvy body with the same articulation that dolls in this series have - movement at the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, and knee. Because I'm that much of a perfectionist. :D

Doll in the Inspiring Women box. The scene behind her is an actual photo of Rumiko Takahashi's studio.

Back of the box, all made by me based on actual Inspiring Women boxes.

Fun facts: Takahashi has never been married, and she has stated in interviews that she doesn't plan to. In addition, she works with women exclusively as she writes and creates. She has specifically said that she wouldn't hire a male assistant because he would be "troublesome." She prefers the atmosphere of a studio of women working together without distraction. Her work stands out among other shonen pieces because of its creativity, complex characters, and nuanced romances. Her woman and girl characters are never accessories to the guy hero, which was often the case in early shonen stories, especially. Takahashi often likes to implement strong, independent, multi-facetted female characters in leading roles into her stories. Talk about girl power!

Now for more information as to why she's so deserving of having her own doll in my collection. :D Strap in, because this post is a doozy!

BIO: Rumiko Takahashi (born Oct. 10, 1957) is the best-selling female comic artist of all time, selling more than 170 million copies of her work in Japan alone, and one of the names by which to reckon the evolution of anime. She is one of the wealthiest women in Japan, all of her longer running manga have become TV series, and nearly everything she has written has been adapted into animation (OVA or TV). Perhaps more importantly, her influence and the nature of her series since 1980 have been cited as large contributors to the perception and acceptance of anime as a medium today.

Rumiko with her new Colors book. Outfit inspired by the one she wore when receiving her knighthood.

All of Takahashi’s work has become popular throughout the world, and with more than 20 years of publishing her manga art, she earned the title of The Princess of Manga.

Takahashi's professional career began in 1978 when she was a university student. That year, she worked on her first full-length series entitled Urusei Yatsura. It became one of the most loved manga and anime comedies in Japan. In 1980, when she began to publish regularly, she began her second major series, Maison Ikkoku. This series is now considered to be one of the all-time best manga romances.

As her stories appeared and attracted many fans, Takahashi grew in popularity as an artist while improving her writing and artistic abilities. In 1987, a huge year for her career success, three of her most well-known stories ended and she began work on Ranma ½. The series continued for nearly a decade until 1996, when it ended at 38 volumes. Ranma ½ and its anime adaptation are cited as some of the first of their mediums to have become popular in the United States. While publishing Ranma ½, Takahashi was hospitalized several times for peritonitis. But even during her second hospital stay, the series did not stop.

35th anniversary book has removable sketches - real photos actually drawn by the artist. The background is an actual photo of her basement (note all her figures!)

During the latter half of the 1990s, Takahashi began her fourth major work, Inuyasha. With this series, Takahashi is also often said to be the first woman to successfully set foot in the Shōnen genre and leave a lasting impact on it. To date, Inuyasha is her longest-running series, ending in 2008. In 2020, it received a sequel series titled Yashahime: Princess Half Demon.

In the basement library (actually in her home) with the first volume of the Inuyasha manga.

On July 30, 2008, Takahashi noted her 30th anniversary as a mangaka, and on July 8, 2009, during Shonen Sunday's 50th anniversary celebration, characters from three of her most popular series (Urusei Yatsura, Ranma ½, and Inuyasha) joined together in a short crossover to welcome everyone to the celebratory milestone. That same year, VIZ Media, one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, announced the launch of a brand new imprint, Shonen Sunday, featuring the works of some of the top shonen manga creators in the world today. Takahashi's series RIN-NE was the first to be featured in the new imprint, and was the first manga novel ever to be published simultaneously in Japan and North America.

In her studio showing off genuine sketches. Featured here: Featured here: Lum from Urusei Yatsura, the Tendo house from Ranma 1/2, and Inuyasha character heights. This outfit is inspired by the one she wore at the Rumic World 30th anniversary ribbon-cutting.

Early in her career, Takahashi expressed that though she doesn't write love stories often, she loves a good love story. While none of her works are straightforward romances, many of her works early and later on have compelling romance subplots that are integral to the characters and world. Her works like Inuyasha and Ranma 1/2 are known for their romances. Takahashi's romances are varied, and they are trendsetting. They set the standard for popular romance tropes like slow-burn romances and love triangles. The love triangle between Kagome, Kikyo, and Inuyasha is one of the most iconic in all anime.

In her studio showing off genuine sketches. Featured here: Ranma from Ranma 1/2, Lum from Urusei Yatsura, and Mao and Kiba from Mao.

In her studio showing off genuine sketches. Featured here: Yashahime, Inuyasha 20th anniversary, and Inuyasha, Kagome, and Moroha.

Outfit inspired by the one worn during the Rumic World 30th anniversary ribbon cutting.

HONORS: * Takahashi won the New Comic Artist Award in 1978. * Winner of the 1994 Inkpot Award at The San Diego Comic Con in America. *In 2016, ComicsAlliance listed Takahashi as one of 12 women cartoonists deserving of lifetime achievement recognition, stating that "any one of her projects would be the career highlight of another talent." In 2017, Takahashi was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame as part of the 2016 class. *In July 2018, Takahashi was inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame. She was previously nominated for entry in 2014, 2016 and 2017. *In January 2019, Takahashi won the grand prize at the prestigious Angouleme International Comics Festival in France, becoming the second woman and second Japanese manga artist to win the award at the festival. * In 2020, Takahashi was awarded Japan's Medal with Purple Ribbon. First awarded in 1955, this honor is awarded to individuals who have contributed to academic and artistic developments, improvements, and accomplishments. * Takahashi was inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame in October 2021. The Harvey Awards are one of the comic industry's oldest and most prestigious awards. Recognizing outstanding achievement in multiple categories, the Harvey's have been a fixture of the comic industry since 1988. * In April 2023, Takahashi was conferred the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) by the French government. She is the first female mangaka to receive this honor.

Books: 35th anniversary (with removable genuine sketches inside), Colors: 1978-2024, and volume 1 of the Inuyasha manga.

Genuine sketches, all fit inside the 35th anniversary book.

Source photos (first is from being bestowed a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, second is from the Rumic World 30th anniversary ribbon cutting in 2008):

[matan4il]

Daily update post:

Today, once more we had Palestinian terrorists shooting at the houses of kibbutz Meirav in the Gilboa mountains. No injuries have been reported. The more grave news are that, for the second day in a row, Hezbollah managed to hit a city in Israel, this time Tzfat (in English: Safed), one of the 4 holy cities in Judaism. Hezbollah's rocket barrage caused the death of a young Israeli woman, and wounded 8, one of which is in a critical state.

Meanwhile, we got some good news, too. The mother and teenage son who were seriously hurt by Hezbollah's fire yesterday (see link above) have regained consciousness. Also, Luis Har and Fernando Merman, who had been rescued by the IDF from Hamas captivity in the Gazan city of Rafah, are being released from the hospital today. They obviously have a rehabilitation process to go through still, but this is a good sign.

The IDF has released footage it found of the leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, walking down a terror tunnel. The footage is from early in the war, CCTV from Oct 7, as he was evacuating from the northern part of Gaza, exploiting the humanitarian warning given to civilians to move to the south. He's seen with a woman and kids in that tunnel, presumably his wife and his own children. While the footage is older, the IDF got it recently, which shows that the Israeli presence in Gaza allows for the gathering of more and more intel on Hamas.

Speaking of Sinwar, the IDF also got to the bedroom that he, his wife and kids used underground, and among other things, they found there an insne amount of cash, as well as some luxury items like perfumes, which he prepared there, while he forced the people of Gaza to be evacuated into tents:

While South Africa is asking the International Court of Justice to tighten its provisional measures against Israel in light of a future ground operation in Rafah (I've mentioned that only those who are interested in saving Hamas and keeping the Israeli hostages as its assets, have a real reason to try and stop Israel from entering Rafah and destroying Hamas' last 4 regiments), the families of Israeli hostages have landed in Hague today, asking to file a complaint against Hamas and its crimes against humanity.

The Israeli health ministry is preparing for 20,000 people with disabilities due to injuries caused in the line of serving in the IDF by the end of 2024. I don't know how to put into words what this number, out of all able bodied young people fighting in this war, means in terms of our challenges as a soceity for years to come, but if you know something of the social crisis at the end of WWI, when so many young men returned from the war with injuries, amputations and the psychological harm that comes with them and the battles, and that there was a whole artistic movement (expressionism) changed and conveying this distress, then you have an idea of what this means. I'm even more grateful for programs such as the one I wrote about yesterday.

This is 25 years old Ionatan Dean Chaim.

He was born in the US to a Christian family, but fell in love with Judaism, and converted to it. He then chose to make aliyah to Israel all alone, while his family remains across the ocean. Immigration is always a difficult step, even more so if the person is alone, but he chose to do that. And even though he didn't have to, he decided to enter the Israeli army, to serve the state and the people which he chose to join. He was 3 weeks away from his discharge date, and his friends say he was already planning his post-army life, which he was killed by explosives that Hamas placed in a mosque in Gaza. His service is a testament to how much he loved and respected his chosen religion. The way he was killed is a testament to how much Hamas doesn't respect the religion in whose name they kill. Ionatan's friends said he was incredibly kind, and it was a privilege to know him. Even the city he lived in during his too short stay in Israel, Ramat Gan, published an official statement mourning his death. He chose to be one of us, and to pay a heavy price for it, and we choose to embrace him right back, even after he's gone. Ionatan is and always will be a part of us, flesh of our flesh.

May his memory be a blessing.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[starsomens]

Can you tell us 5 random facts about yourself so we can know you better??

You don't have to❤

Oh how fun! I love these!

I am Latina! My parents are from the Dominican Republic, but I was born in the states however I am very connected to my culture and yes, I do speak Spanish and I do hope to try and integrate that into my future writing

Some other artists I listen to really do range and depend on the day so I can always go for some classics like fun, boy, twenty one pilots, or My Chemical Romance. On other days I’m very into the 2000s Kelly Clarkson and pink., etc or I will settle for some classic Bachata, merengue or salsa

For those of you who I knew here, I am a libra! (Oct 9!)

My biggest pet peeve is noisy eaters. I just can’t stand it. It gets me very quickly even though I tend to be pretty patient

I am an only child but I do have a niece through my best friend :)

[bossymarmalade]

(originally posted on my dw, 12-oct-2010)

Dear Yoko Ono: You shouldn't even be here. But since you are, and at the time when the man you wanted to spend the rest of your life with would have turned seventy years old -- I guess they thought you couldn't carry your own story, the one that began with you surviving the bombing of Tokyo and continued with you becoming the first woman accepted into the philosophy department of Gakushuin University. Maybe it didn't make you three-dimensional enough that you studied music and art at Sarah Lawrence with a special interest in the avant-garde and audience participation, that you had sex with who you wanted when you wanted and had abortions and miscarriages. Maybe to them you represent an idea of a weird dragon lady with careful accented English and inscrutable slanted eyes and wild harionago hair. I know you didn't make it onto the chart because they think you don't have any flaws. So you're not a villain, but you, an artist and a woman long long before Johnny and Paulie went on a magical mystery tour, you are mainly a love interest. They at least know you're not only interested in your man and only disapprove of his actions from time to time, but it's easy to assume that May Pang (another unimportant possibly fictional Asian woman) never existed, that you never sent John off to have his lost weekend and recover from all the alcohol and heroin before you let him come back to you. You're not an action heroine. Hunting down the daughter who was stolen away by your ex-husband, facing down headlines like "John Rennon's Excrusive Gloupie" and the constant death-threats and racialized insults, enduring the deep freeze from the rest of the Beatles during those tense White Album sessions because John would only go if you promised to go with him, those don't qualify you. Do others like her? Oh, Yoko, surely that's the damning stroke, because who could like you? A nation full of white people enraged that you stole away their Liverpudlian poet son, a world full of people enraged that you, single-handedly, YOU caused the end of the fabbest four, an unending stream of people who still call you ugly and shrill and a bitch, who say that those bullets should have found their way into your body that night and not that man who you loved and who you watched be gunned down and lost. How dare you think that you and your son have any right to decide how to remember John? Don't you know he belongs to the world, and not you who taught him to love and respect women, not you who took care of the business so he could stay home to feed the cats and rock the baby and bake the bread when he wanted to do that most of all? Do others like you? No, the chart says, and so you're Yoko Ono. Dear Yoko: I'd say fuck them, but you were in a bag in a hotel room decidedly *not* losing your shit at assholes attacking you for being a strong Asian woman since before I was born, so instead I'll say: It's bullshit that you're on this godawful chart at all, but I'd still be happy to find myself landing on your name at the end of it.

[mlleclaudine]

Born into slavery, he rose to the top of France’s art world

by Sebastian Smee - The Washington Post, July 12, 2024

Guillaume Lethière’s epic life is the subject of a stunning new exhibition, in the U.S. before it travels to the Louvre.

Guillaume Lethière, “Woman Leaning on a Portfolio,” circa 1799. (Frank E. Graham/Worcester Art Museum/Bridgeman Images)

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — During the most tumultuous period in France’s modern history, Guillaume Lethière was one of its most venerated artists. His story is epic. Charles Dickens or Alexandre Dumas (who delivered a eulogy at Lethière’s funeral) would have struggled to make it sound credible. Pity me, your poor reviewer.

He was the third child (“Le Thière” is French for “the third”) of an enslaved, mixed-race woman and a White plantation owner. Today, his paintings — some of them cinematic in scale — can be found in museums in the United States and Europe, including the Louvre, and also in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Among his smaller works is one of the most tender and beautiful portraits I know.

Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of him. But be aware that in Guadeloupe, where he was born in 1760, Lethière has long been celebrated. According to Esther Bell, the curator of an extraordinary new exhibition about Lethière, there is an auto-body repair shop in the coastal town of Sainte-Anne bearing the name “Guillaume Lethière.” Nearby, in the center of a busy rotary in the French neighborhood — previously the site of the plantation whereLethière grew up — is a huge steel sculpture in the shape of an artist’s palette alongside two enormous paintbrushes. Shapes cut out of the steel reveal the face of Lethière as he looked in an 1815 drawing by his pupil, the great neoclassical artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres.

This summer, you might see Lethière’s loveliest portrait (scholars think it probably depicts his stepdaughter, Eugénie Servières, herself an accomplished artist) blown up on highway billboards advertising “Guillaume Lethière” at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass., through Oct. 14. The exhibition will travel to the Louvre in November.

Guillaume Lethière, “Lafayette Introducing Louis-Philippe to the People of Paris,” 1830-1831. (Tokyo Fuji Art Museum/Bridgeman Images)

Researched and developed over many years by Bell, the Clark’s deputy director and chief curator, with Olivier Meslay, the museum’s director, and accompanied by a 432-page catalogue, the exhibition tells the story of Lethière’s improbable life.

To understand his significance, it’s not enough just to look at his paintings and drawings — although these are very good and earned him accolades aplenty during his lifetime. You need to consider his own complicated proximity to the world-historical events through which he lived.

Born into slavery (or so it’s assumed, given his parentage and the telling absence of baptismal records), Lethière was brought to France by his father, the French king’s public prosecutor in Guadeloupe, in 1774, when he was 14. He began training as an artist in Rouen. Thanks to his father’s influence, he was already close to serious power by his late teens.

Guillaume Lethière, “Académie,” 1782 (Beaux-Arts de Paris/RMN-Grand Palais/Art Resource, New York)

But of course, staying close to power is not easy when the personnel keeps changing. Like others of his generation, Lethière had to steer a course through the last days of the Ancien Régime, the French Revolution, the Terror, the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, European conquest, imperial collapse, a brief Bonapartist revival, a restored monarchy, and finally, just before Lethière’s death in 1832, a constitutional monarchy.

What makes him uniquely interesting is that he managed all this while also navigating the shifting implications of his illegitimate, mixed-race origins in Guadeloupe.

Lethière was neither smarmy nor sycophantic, but he knew how to ingratiate himself to others. He “won the esteem and friendship of everyone by his honesty, his politeness, and a frank and loyal character that never wavered,” wrote Francois-Guillaume Ménageot, the director of the French Academy.

Alexandre Clément, after Louis-Léopold Boilly, “Reunion of Artists,” 1804. Guillaume Lethière is shown at center. (Clark Art Institute)

Lethière and his mother, Marie-Françoise Pepeye, were both emancipated by his father, Pierre Guillon. But it was many years before changes to the law allowed Guillon to recognize Lethière as his son. Lethière and his sister were named as Guillon’s heirs around the time Napoleon seized power in 1799.

Even so, years later, Lethière had to defend himself against an embarrassing challenge by a distant cousin, who claimed he was the rightful heir. This was in 1819, when the artist was at the height of his renown. The courts eventually found in Lethière’s favor — but not before humiliating references in the press to the esteemed painter’s “naive and modest genealogy.”

Louis-Léopold Boilly, “Guillaume Lethière and Carle Vernet” circa 1798. (Stéphane Maréchal/Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille/RMN-Grand Palais/Art Resource, New York)

Moral and political complexities choked almost every aspect of Lethière’s life. There’s no doubt, for instance, that he was an abolitionist. And yet he benefited financially from his father’s plantation, which depended on enslaved labor.

Although Lethière never returned to the Caribbean, he cared deeply about the fate of its people. He supported the revolution in Haiti, which began in 1791, just before the French monarchy was abolished, and welcomed the French government’s decision, in 1794, to end slavery in all its territories.

When, eight years later, Napoleon reinstated slavery in the colonies, brutally suppressing an attempt at resistance in Guadeloupe, Lethière was surely disappointed. But by now he was in with the Bonapartes. He painted portraits of, among others, Napoleon’s Caribbean-born wife, the Empress Joséphine, and hitched his fortunes to Lucien Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother.

Guillaume Lethière, “Joséphine, Empress of the French,” 1807. (Franck Raux/Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon/RMN-Grand Palais/Art Resource, New York)

In 1807, Lethière’s friendship with Lucien Bonaparte led directly to his appointment as director of the French Academy in Rome — an immensely prestigious post. There he reinvigorated the academy andoversaw the training of dozens of France’s best artists — among them Ingres, who made a series of stunning drawings of Lethière’s family (included in the show), and a female pupil, Antoinette Cécile Hortense Lescot, who went on to exhibit more than 100 paintings in the Paris Salon.

Ancient Rome was of intense interest not only to France’s revolutionaries, who looked to republican Rome as a model, but also to Napoleon, who of course saw more upside for himself in Rome’s imperial period. Art played a huge role in establishing these lines of pedigree.

Guillaume Lethière, “Brutus Condemning His Sons to Death,” circa 1788. (Clark Art Institute)

The French Revolution had broken out while Lethière was a student at the same academy in Rome. At the time, inspired by his environs, he worked on a major canvas, “Brutus Condemning His Sons to Death.” In a carefully structured, frieze-like composition, he depicted the founder of the Roman republic, Lucius Junius Brutus, looking on stoically as his sons, who had plotted to restore a monarchy, are decapitated.

Lethière returned repeatedly to this subject and to another episode from ancient Rome, “The Death of Virginia.” We can perhaps imagine the painting’s special significance for him when we understand that its subject — a father killing his daughter, at her own request — hinges on the dishonor of being enslaved.

Guillaume Lethière, “The Death of Virginia,” circa 1823-1828. (Rebecca Vera-Martinez/ J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles)

Versions of both paintings enjoyed great success when they were exhibited in Rome and London. But in Paris, tastes were changing, and by the 19th century’s second decade, romanticism was on the rise. Lethière’s neoclassical style began to fall out of favor.

Winning the 1819 inheritance case seems to have inspired Lethière to turn his attention back to the Caribbean, and in 1822 he painted one of his most audacious canvases — an enormous (approximately 11 by 7 feet) painting owned by the Musée du Panthéon National Haitien in Port-au-Prince. It shows two generals, one mixed-race and the other Black, swearing an oath to fight together for the freedom and independence of the people of Saint-Domingue (now Haiti).

Guillaume Lethière, “Oath of the Ancestors,” 1822. (Gérard Blot/Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien, Port-au-Prince)

After a risky and clandestine sea voyage, Lethière’s son personally delivered the painting to Haiti’s President Jean-Pierre Boyer in Port-au-Prince. Two years later, France’s Charles X grudgingly recognized Haiti — but only in return for an indemnity payment that would cripple the young nation for decades.

Unfortunately, the recent civil strife in Haiti has prevented the painting from traveling to the United States. Lethière himself intended the painting for a Haitian audience and, according to Bell, who has tastefully installed a reproduction of it in the exhibition, it “encapsulates Lethière’s fidelity to his place of origin.”

The Clark show immerses us in several decades of political tumult that continue to reverberate today. It has much to say about other French artists and writers with ties to the Caribbean. So it is much more than just a monographic exhibition. For all the stately arrangement of the Clark’s galleries and the superficial stiffness of Lethière’s neoclassical style, the exhibit is like a pinwheeling firecracker, blazing out light, knowledge and cultural energy, and deepening our understanding of a remarkable inheritance.

Guillaume Lethière Through Oct. 14 at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass., and then at the Louvre in Paris from Nov. 13 through Feb. 17. clarkart.edu.

[theclaravoyant]

AN ~ The Heartstopper/GOmens double feature is doing a number on me ok, I loathe to think what will happen to my sanity when OFMD hits (Oct?). This is inspired by, but a little saucier than, "Do You Like It When I Speak French?" ... because this is adult man-shaped ethereal beings we're dealing with here.

Read on AO3

The Louvre is always busy, but it’s also huge. It gives them plenty to talk about - not least squabbling with each other, and with the notecards on the art, but there’s also plenty of reminiscing and waxing poetic about the artists, their subjects, and this place. It feels kind of timeless here, especially once they’ve surpassed the crowded halls and taken themselves out to those less traveled.

Crowley’s enthusiasm for the museum itself is soon flagging, but he trails Aziraphale with a sense of contentedness he’s still getting a handle on. He’s happy drinking in the experience, watching his Angel animatedly recount a tale about Catherine de Medici, the wariness that’s stalked him for centuries just barely prickling the back of his mind. 

He damn near jumps out of his skin when his phone rings, and all but throws it on the floor in an effort to pick it up as fast as possible. But the violent stab of fear and rage soothes quickly. It’s just the restaurant, confirming their booking and any special requests. He makes his notes and bids them au revoir, and hangs up to find Aziraphale.

Staring. It’s not unusual to find Aziraphale staring, especially as they venture down this path of being together-in-a-new-but-not-at-all-new-way. It makes him feel flattered. Flustered. This one even makes a little bit of heat creep in behind his ears, especially when Aziraphale’s tongue just ever so slightly touches his lip, like he doesn’t even know he’s doing it. Christ, it’s positively -

Crowley clears his throat.

“Sorry,” he says, tucking the phone away. “I’m listening. Just tonight’s reservations.”

“You made reservations?”

That’s not why he’s staring. Why he hasn’t put those hungry eyes away.

It starts to sink in, and Crowley almost, almost laughs.

“Angel. We can both speak French,” he reminds him.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Aziraphale blushes, but he’s in too deep, he can’t hide the sparkle of lust in his eyes. He turns away, trying to dredge up whatever he’d been talking about before. What’s a Medici? (It doesn’t help that he can feel Crowley’s eyes tracking his every move, with a lot more nerve endings all of a sudden than he could before.)

“I mean…” Crowley clarifies, and scoops him into an embrace from behind. And maybe with just a little tiny flicker of snake tongue against his Angel’s ear, he murmurs deep and low; “You like it when I speak French.”

“Oh, come now, Crowley-”

“Buy me dinner first?”

Aziraphale damn near trips over his own feet. He catches himself half on Crowley and half on the wall, and finds himself face to face with his Demon smiling, looking at once mischievous and ravenous and like he wants nothing more than to drink him slowly and sweetly like a rich cherry port. The feeling is very much mutual, and so he wraps a hand in Crowley’s lapel, pulling himself forward for a kiss even as Crowley begins to recite;

“L’espoir divin qu’à deux on parvient à former

Et qu’à deux on part–”

He knows it. It’s a poem about longing and timeless love. It rolls off Crowley’s tongue like he was born to speak it into existence - or like the words came into being to be spoken by none other than him - and yet Aziraphale can’t bring himself to feel bad that said tongue is too busy now to entertain itself with such beauty. Crowley takes his invitation to heart, kissing back with such care and passion, flooding them both with such a wave of unbridled sensation, that they don’t even hear the footsteps.

It takes a bit of shouting for them to register, they’re being told off like randy teenagers by a very irritated, probably long-suffering guard.

Crowley looks at Aziraphale. Aziraphale looks at Crowley. Each kind of expecting the other to reel it in and apologise, or at least smooth things over and serruptiously make an exit, but neither do. Aziraphale laughs, grabs Crowley’s hand and pulls until they’re running and the guard shakes his head and lets them go, with a sloppy Nous Sommes Desoles! shouted in their wake.

[officialtayley]

God you're far more patient than me, Ash. Like...are anon messages to a Tayley stan blog the best place for discourse, maybe yes maybe no, it's a good conversation to me have but jeeeeez. Always jarring seeing people find ways to excuse and justify themselves not condemning little war crimes lmao.

So, to mix it up a little, please feel free to answer all or some (or simply none of the following haha if you've answered them before or just don't want to):

🪄

1) When did you first become aware of Paramore?

2) When did you first see Paramore live/how many times have you?

3) What other artists/bands do you listen to a lot? Maybe...top 5 (no particular order)

4) Do you have any pets? Talk about them (if you want)

5) What was the last new-to-you film, TV show and book you watched/read?

6) What was your favourite moment from running this blog before their relationship was official? I wasn't here then but reading Kels' archive makes me so jealous of how fun and mad it all seemed whenever a new scrap of content arrived haha.

7) If you woke up tomorrow looking like Hayley and couldn't dye your hair (except to refresh it), which hair era would you want?

8) If you had half an hour with Hayley, what would you want to talk about?

That's all I can think of but hopefully it'll give you SOMETHING different to talk/think about!! 🫡🌻

i was saving this so now i shall answer :) the questions were very fun to answer i loved this so much, thank you!! 🖤

1) 2007! that is how long i have been a fan too :)

2) 27th september 2013. overall i have seen them live 4 times! i also saw halfnoise in 2017 and met zac

3) seventeen, jungkook, iu, eminem, billie eilish. honourable mention to taeyeon tho!

4) i don't have any pets. i had a dog (german shepherd) called sam, we had him before i was born so when i came along he was super protective, when i was baby he was always by my crib and stuff and as i was growing up if i needed help when walking or walking down the stairs at our back door (they had no railing) he'd always stand by my side so i could hold him, and then as i grew up too he always slept in my room or on my bed. he passed though in 2005 or 2006? so sad i miss him he was the best. i had another dog after that (yorkshire terrier) and i called him marmite but he was too hyperactive and aggressive so we ended up having to give him to a friend.

5) um..... i don't know. i watched barbie but that was new to everyone. vincenzo (kdrama) is the only thing that comes to mind since i only got into kdramas last year and it came out in 2021. some other things, not new to me but hey i wanna share, little women (kdrama), extraordinary attorney woo (kdrama) and a business proposal (kdrama), the first two were so incredible, the last one was silly but it was a fun time.

6) my fave moment.... the date at the gallery in oct 2018. also LA nov 2018. it was a party over here it was so fun each time. obvs they were dating then but majority of the fanbase still hating tayley shippers and that's what tayley were up to..... incredible time.

7) self titled. granted her personal life was a mess but she went thru 2726267227 hair styles and colours and i think it would be fun

8) hm.... well id like to tell her about finding paramore in 2007 during the literal worst year is my whole life and how it really helped me as a 10 year have something to turn to when i was going through something very traumatic. id also like to pick her brain over some lyrics on ffv so i can understand them properly finally, and hm..... idk what else

[shoyastars]

HI! I’m Sage!

I’m a current online artist. However I do writing. And of course I love video games, horror films, voice acting, and writing stories. Hope you all will join me upon my current journey as I grow! I hope you all will enjoy what I make! ^^

Here’s what I do here on my tumblr so far.

I don’t do commissions just yet because I think I need more time to get used to this, I am practicing animation so I’m sorry if it seems a bit weird and funky at first, I mostly make oc lore and character stories, I don’t do nsfw YET! I do have a twitter but I’m still working up the courage to post or do some in the near future if necessary, I do random uploads and mostly like doing character development and design.

Rules:

1. Be respectful and kind

2. If you make me uncomfortable I’ll tell you to stop, you have 5 warnings total if ignored all of them you are blocked

3. Feel free to ask questions or scenario ideas, they can be spicy.

4. Don’t pull me into drama or cause drama, if you do so it will only result in nothing good, and I will block whoever does, I don’t wish to cause anything unless it is a very serious issue.

5. No minors I interact with fandoms that aren’t for kids. If you are a kid I’m blocking you.

Favorite movies:

Real Steel

Ready player one

The Adam project

The Fall Guy

Favorite games:

Stardew Valley

Minecraft

Undertale

Fae Farm

Favorite genre:

Romance

Horror

Fantasy

Favorite Visual Novels:

Binary Star Hero 18+

The Kid at the Back 18+

Date with Death

And more 😊

Reason why I don’t tag big creators:

I want them to find me at they’re own will instead of forcing them to look my way, it’s almost like showing an art teacher you’re work and hoping it’s good for the grade… but yeah…… it also causes my anxiety to skyrocket. (Don’t wanna cause any bad mindsets in my brain again…. ;-;) maybe one day I’ll tag one without a problem but for now I hope you understand why.

I hope you all will respect my decisions and boundaries for my adventure onwards!

I have written a Binary Star oc x Ray

Named Mistin Malace! I have other oc’s as well! Each written fanfic has the previous part at the very end! Unless I decide to put it at the top hehe- anyways! If you’re interested! Here was the last part I did!

However if you’d like to see the Ao3 version of the Story you can! Here’s the link so you can see it!

[pathos-logical]

[ID: A tweet by wendy @/friends3000 that says: "1979 horoscope I am fucking begging you to read this." Attached is a photo of a yellowed piece of paper with all-caps serif font text listing horoscopes. It reads:

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18) You have an inventive mind and are inclined to be progressive. You lie a great deal. You make the same mistakes repeatedly because you're stupid. Everyone thinks you're a fucking jerk.

Pisces (Feb 9 - Mar 20) You have a vivid imagination and often think you are followed by the FBI or CIA. You have no influence on your friends and people resent you for flaunting your power. You lack confidence and are generally a dipshit.

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19) You are the pioneer type and think that most people are dickheads. You are quick tempered, impatient and scornful of advice. You are a prick.

Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20) You are oractical and persistent. You have dogged determination to work life hell. Most people think you are stubborn and bullheaded. Your nothing but a dam communist.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20) You are a quick and intelligent thinker. People like you because you are bisexual. You are inclined to expect too much for too little. This means you are a cheap bastard/bitch.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22) You are sympathetic and understanding of othef people's problems, which makes you a sucker. You are always putting things off. That is why you will always be on welfare and won't be worth a shit. Everybody in prison is a Cancer.

Leo (July 23 - Aug 22) You consider yourself a born leader. Others think you are an idiot. Most Leos are bullies. You are vain and can't tolerate honest ciritcism. Your arrogance is digustin. Leo people are thieving and mother fuckers and spend most of their time kissing mirrors.

Virgo (Aug 23 - Sept 22) You are the logical type and hate discord. This shit-picking is sickening to your friends. You're unemotional at often fall asleep while fucking. Virgos are good bus drivers and pimps. (Note: "pimps" is very spaced out)

Libra (Sept 23 - Oct 2) You are the artistic type and have a difficult time with reality. If you are male, you are nil. Most Libra men are whores. All Libras die of veneral disease.

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21) The worst of the lot. You are shrewd in business and can't be trusted. You shall achieve the pinnacle of success because of your total lack of ethics. You are a perfect son-of-a-bitch. Most Scorpios are murderers.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21) You are optomistic and enthusiastic. You have reckless tendency to rely on luck since you have no talent. The majority of Sagittarians are drunks. Nixon is a Sagittarian. You are not worth the time of day.

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19) You are conservative and afraid of taking risks. You are basically a chickenshit. There has never been a Capricorn any importance. (Note: One line is digitally blacked out.) End ID]

mine is so accurate im screaminggg

[konayeon-lasalle]

CTS B Compulsory Question 1

Most people wish to share a part of their life with others. This is not something that can be explained simply; they hope to express it in a 'language of their own'—one that captures the insights and experiences uniquely shaped by their personal journey.

This longing is closely linked to the essence of a manifesto. While a manifesto is an act of documenting one’s goals or thoughts, it goes beyond merely listing ideas, as it is a way for an individual to boldly declare their beliefs, values, and goals to the world.

The reason for having a manifesto is clear: when a vision for change and growth is shared and agreed upon, people feel a stronger sense of unity and purpose. A manifesto provides direction and clarifies the values people should pursue within this journey.

Among them, artists' manifestos are deeply connected with various art movements. Movements like Futurism or Surrealism used manifestos to express their determination to break from the boundaries of traditional art. For example, André Breton’s Surrealist Art Movement is one such case.

This week, our group had a valuable opportunity to create a manifesto as designers. Our manifesto reflects our passion for design and declares our goal of bringing positive changes to the environment through our work.

I believe this act is born from the combination of 'creative practice' and 'critical thinking' that we learned in CTS B, Week 1. Creative practice drives an artist to break beyond existing forms to try new expressions, and critical thinking makes this creative direction clearer.

One of the manifestos I found interesting through this experience is Dieter Rams' Ten Principles of Good Design. His manifesto provides concrete guidelines on what ‘good design’ should be, emphasizing both functionality and aesthetic balance. Compared to our group's manifesto, his is clear and actionable, inspiring us to incorporate more specific and achievable goals into our own.

Taking this as a reference, I was able to create a new manifesto focused on clear, practical actions that reflect a designer's mindset and are embedded within design work.

This manifesto activity has positively influenced other modules of my work as well. For example, in Materiality & Techniques module, I created a zine on the theme of 'Memory,' reflecting these design values. I minimized the text and added graphic elements to convey the meaning more clearly.

Additionally, following the principles outlined in my manifesto, I began learning Blender to take on new challenges of my own. This has allowed me to create 3D characters, animate them, and apply them to additional programs like the AR feature of Studio B modules.

This experience reminds me that design should pursue meaning beyond mere beauty or function. Moving forward, this manifesto will deeply anchor my design philosophy and my work overall. I aim not only to create works but to design with a purpose of making a better world, and I will continue to work towards that vision.

(~488 words)

References:

Mineo, Liz. “Relationships make us happy — and healthy.” Harvard Gazette, 10 February 2023, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/02/work-out-daily-ok-but-how-socially-fit-are-you/. Accessed 6 November 2024.

Yanoshevsky, Galia. “(PDF) Three Decades of Writing on Manifesto: The Making of a Genre.” ResearchGate, 22 October 2024, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249880020_Three_Decades_of_Writing_on_Manifesto_The_Making_of_a_Genre. Accessed 31 Oct 2024.

Liebergall, Molly. “Author Talks: Robert Waldinger on "The Good Life."” McKinsey & Company, 16 February 2023, https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/author-talks-the-worlds-longest-study-of-adult-development-finds-the-key-to-happy-living. Accessed 2 November 2024.

The Art Story Contributors, "André Breton Artist Overview and Analysis". [Internet]. 2024. TheArtStory.org, edited and published by The Art Story Contributors, https://www.theartstory.org/artist/breton-andre/ First published on 01 Jul 2009. Updated and modified regularly Accessed 5 Nov 2024

Impressionist & Modern Art, “100 years of Surrealism 1924-2024.” Christie's, 13 September 2024, https://www.christies.com/en/stories/centenary-of-surrealism-1924-2024-833c59c4ab544664a2c08a85759c6ff2. Accessed 6 November 2024.

[blogger360ncislarules]

2004 was a notable year for television viewers. “Friends” wrapped up its 10-year run; Ken Jennings had his first winning streak on “Jeopardy!”; Illinois senator Barack Obama made a splash with a keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention; new series “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” became obsessions. And the news was constantly filled with stories from the Iraq war.

Then, on Oct. 30, a network known as the Gospel Music Channel was born. “I remember thinking ‘Wow, it’s the perfect time to have something positive and uplifting and there was probably nothing more hopeful than gospel music,” says Charles “Charley” Humbard, the founder and CEO of UP Entertainment.

Humbard is aware that a faith-based music channel might not have been the obvious choice for a new network, but he saw indicators that told him they were on the right path. “The landscape was really good at the time,” he says.

“‘The Passion of the Christ’ had come out and really opened eyes to this audience that are more faith-oriented in entertainment. Also, gospel music was as big in sales as country music, so we had some really interesting things working for us.”

So when the network launched, its music-heavy programming slate featured Christian music award shows, music video blocks as well as concerts, singing competitions and artist biographies.

After five years, Humbard noticed they were doing something right when compared to other new networks. “At the same time, the NFL Network launched, and we outgrew the NFL Network. That was something I always looked at as a pacer because I know how popular that was,” he says. With the network in 70 million homes, it also signaled that it was time to start broadening their scope beyond gospel music — and in 2010, they rebranded as GMC.

Under the new name, the network began making its own faith-based films as well as acquiring inspiring broadcast series like “Highway to Heaven” and “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” but staying on brand wasn’t always easy.

“There’s a lot of temptation to go out and buy certain shows that we know might rate better, but we put them up against the measuring stick of, ‘Is that what our audience expects?’” he says. “It may not grow our audience as fast, but it’s the right thing to do to grow trust with your audience. For us, that is essential.”

However, the network met an unexpected obstacle given the importance of an online presence. The GMC name came with a large problem. “There was also this little truck company in Detroit that wouldn’t give up: GMC.com,” Humbard says with a laugh about the popularity of General Motors Company’s vehicles in America. “So, we got back to work not long after that to come up with what would be the right name for us.”

Inspiration came to Humbard during a family trip to Cape Canaveral, Fla., where conversations about the many space launches shooting into the sky sparked an idea.

“We had always been about uplifting entertainment so why not just be ‘UP?’” he recalls. “The name really worked for us, and it drives home what our brands represent in the market.” On June 1, 2013, GMC became UPtv, as it’s still known today.

Currently, the network airs a mix of acquired family dramas like “Heartland” as well as continuing to air broadcast sitcoms like “Last Man Standing” and procedurals like “Blue Bloods,” which ensure their schedule isn’t stuck in the past.

“Most of our acquisitions are newer and not 50-year-old shows like some of the other networks that are out there doing family programming for people over 70,” he says. “‘Last Man Standing’ has a lot of current issues that they deal with, but we think that’s good. ‘Heartland’ has modern day issues, too. Our audience expects that we tell stories about people who are broken, and I think it’s important to tell those stories.”

An original movie slate with mysteries and romantic comedies are also a big part of today’s business with an eye on giving some of them a longer life. “Positive and uplifting movies are a staple for us, but we’re also looking at opportunities now to really develop movies into series,” Humbard says.

Currently, the network is gearing up for a robust holiday slate.

“We’re doing over 500 hours of programming again this year and we’ll have 12 movies premiere, too,” he says. In addition to their new films, with stars like Vivica A. Fox and William Baldwin, music is still a part of the mix with the special “Gaither Vocal Band: New Star Shining” set to air on Christmas Eve. Also, the “Most Uplifting Christmas Ever” sweepstakes returns for a third year with one lucky winner taking home a $10,000 cash prize with another $10,000 going to the charity of their choice.

Always looking for a way to extend its reach, the brand has not only partnered with existing network Ovation and its free ad supported video on demand channel, Journy, UPtv has also branched out into the streaming world. UP Faith and Family features acquired drama series like “Hudson & Rex” and “The Chosen,” while aspireTV and aspireTV+ offer programming for Black viewers, and GaitherTV+ brings country, bluegrass and gospel music to audiences.

“We still service our cable operate partners, but the real growth area of our business is now learning how to sell directly to consumer,” Humbard says. “We’ve become a subscription company, which is a very different business than it was.”

This year, their tried-and-true brand message is out in the world as the network is launching National UPlift Someone Day on the Oct. 30 anniversary date. “If there’s anything that America needs right now, it’s this day,” Humbard says of the event, which will be held annually. “This is a movement to really reach out into the communities and our employees on our anniversary day. We’ll be putting together care kits for the unhoused and we also have a national partner, Feeding America, which has a way for local communities to get involved.”

It’s that commitment to community that has helped keep UPtv consistently on the same path it embarked upon 20 years ago. With a current total distribution of 42.8 million households, UPtv has been able to keep up with the times, but Humbard knows the best barometer for success is easily found by looking to the audience.

“Our audience has told us what they want to watch and we’re going to give it to them, so we remain uplifting, and I think really true to, after 20 years, where we began.”

And while Humbard admits to keeping an eye on the competition, he isn’t losing sleep over what similar networks like Hallmark are doing when planning UPtv’s future.

“We believe that quality entertainment with uplifting stories will have a positive impact on people’s hearts and change our world,” he says. “We feel like we’re the leaders — and we keep trying to look out the front window, not the rear view.”

[lizzmama]

"The World through My Eyes" - Daido Moriyama

I saw this book get placed on the table in a pile in front of me in class and decided to look through it, it's a hard cover, 440 pages long, published in 2010 by Skira Photography in Italy, featuring photos that take up the entirety of a page or 2 full pages.

The photobook features Daido Moriyama's work. Born October 10th, 1938 right before WWII, His birth name is "Hiromichi Moriyama" and he got the name "Daido" from the literal meaning of his name being "Wide Street" ("Hiro" being "wide" and "michi" being "street") Because of the different ways kanji could be read, his name was constantly misread as "Daido" and eventually he just stuck with it.

A noticeable chunk of photos from the published work have sexually explicit themes, I read the interview between Moriyama and an editor of the book, and he says that many of the photos he takes are supposed to be mysterious and thought-provoking, that they don't even make much sense to him, or he has no true explanation for them, and he doesn't want to. (which is why he takes a photograph)

I did have to constantly remind myself of that fact when I wondered how he was able to take some of his erotic photos. I found out through researching him online that he is actually more known and praised for those sorts of photos, and they were the ones I didn't really appreciate too much in the book. I did appreciate these two, though.

I loved the photo of the cross-dresser specifically, and despite me questioning the intentions behind why the photo was taken, I tried keeping the artist's word in mind. I love seeing Queer history (as a Queer LGBTQ2+ studies student), and seeing it in this publication from nearly 15 years ago, taken likely several decades before it was published, makes Moriyama's "world" he depicts in his photos feel extremely authentic in its diversity.

I think his photos work wonderfully in black and white, because it pushes the elements of light and shadows to the extremes, and allows the viewer to see the textures of things much more clearly. I feel like texture for sure is apparent in the photo of the cross-dresser, and the extreme black and white difference that implies several textures is seen in the photo of kittens in a narrow alleyway.

Seeing how he takes photos of things that interest him, be it random shapes, interesting findings, portraits, or extreme closeups, it made me feel less overwhelmed by my own idea of what my photography might look like. I enjoy photographing others, more than anything else, as well as cats and the cool things I see. Seeing this book showed me what closeups could look like and how I could go about exploring it.

Reader feedback and publishing information from:

“The World Through My Eyes.” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/book/show/6612455-the-world-through-my-eyes. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024

Photos and biographical information from:

Moriyama, Daidō, and Filippo Maggia. The World Through My Eyes. Skira ; Distributed in North America by Rizzoli International Pub, 2010

[reflection-s-of-stars]

[ID: A tweet saying “1979 horoscope I am fucking begging you to read this” by Wendy (friends3000), with a photo of an old horoscope page that reads:

Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18): You have an inventive mind and are inclined to be progressive. You lie a great deal. You make the same mistakes repeatedly because you’re stupid. Everyone thinks you’re a fucking jerk.

Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20): You have a vivid imagination and often think you are followed by the FBI or CIA. You have no influence on your friends and people resent you for flaunting your power. You lack confidence and are generally a dipshit.

Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19): You are the pioneer type and think that most people are dickheads. You are quick-tempered, impatient and scornful of advice. You are a prick.

Taurus (Apr 20-May 20): You are practical and persistent. You have dogged determination to work like hell. Most people think you are stubborn and bull-headed. Your [sic] nothing but a dam [sic] communist.

Gemini (May 21-June 21): You are a quick and intelligent thinker. People like you because you are bi-sexual [sic]. You are inclined to expect too much for too little. This means you are a cheap bastard/bitch.

Cancer (June 21-July 22): You are sympathetic and understanding of other people’s problems, which makes you a sucker. You are always putting things off. That is why you will always be on welfare and won’t be worth a shit. Everybody in prison is a Cancer.

Leo (July 23-Aug 22): You consider yourself a born leader. Others think you are an idiot. Most Leos are bullies. You are vain and can’t tolerate honest criticism. Your arrogance is disgusting. Leo people are thieving and mother fuckers [sic] and spend most of their time kissing mirrors.

Virgo (Aug 23-Sept 22): You are the logical type and hate discord. This shit-picking is sickening to your friends. You’re unemotional and often fall asleep while fucking. Virgos are good bus drivers and pimps.

Libra (Sept 23-Oct 22): You are the artistic type and have a difficult time with reality. If you are male, you are nil. Most Libra women are whores. All Libras die of venereal disease.

Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21): The worst of the lot. You are shrewd in business and can’t be trusted. You shall achieve the pinnacle of success because of your total lack of ethics. You are a perfect son-of-a-bitch. Most Scorpios are murderers.

Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21): You are optimistic and enthusiastic. You have a reckless tendency to rely on luck since you have no talent. The majority of Sagittarians are drunks. Nixon is a Sagittarian. You are not worth the time of day.

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19): You are conservative and afraid of taking risks. You are basically a chickenshit. There has never been a Capricorn of any importance. You should kill yourself.

End ID]

80's astrologers were savages. 😭😂

[deltaboogie]

Benny Turner - BT - Nola Blue Records

       Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro © Oct '24 

BT is Benny Turner's fifth release, and I'm very happy to say that I have now had the honor and pleasure of reviewing them all. To quote Benny: "I had a great time working on this album with some of my favorite musicians and reminiscing about my music history, from picking up the guitar again to revisiting my gospel roots, to finally recording some of my favorites......."

As I prepare to list those favorite musicians of Benny's, I'm going to take the liberty of saying that when Benny said "some", I'm pretty sure he meant "a whole lot". That said, with all of them being dear to him, and many to me as well, I'm going to attempt to name them all. For this project Benny - on lead and background vocals, bass, lead guitar, banjo, percussion and hand claps - is joined by: Bobby Gentilo on guitar, clavinet, piano, percussion and background vocals; Charlie Burnett on upright bass and background vocals; Nate Young on Wurlitzer, piano, clavinet and background vocals; Paul Murr on drums and background vocals; Will McFarlane, Derwin "Big D" Perkins, Billy Davis, Steve Grills, June Yamagishi and Jack Miele on guitar; Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport on harmonica; Clayton Ivey on Wurlitzer, keys and Hammond B3; Justin Holder, and Christy Engel on drums; Jeffrey "Jellybean" Alexander on drums; Sax Gordon on horns; Shawn Allen and Keiko Komaki on piano and B3; Dave Keyes on piano; Norwood "Geechie" Johnson on bass drum; Joe Krown on B3; Tiffany Pollack, Warner Williams, Marva Wright and Kassie Netherland Miele on background vocals; and making her recording debut, Nola Blue Records' very own, Sallie Bengtson on background vocals and claps.

BT contains three of Benny's originals and seven covers that were some of his, and his families, favorite recordings by some of their favorite artists.

Kicking things off is Benny's rendition of "Bump Miss Susie", a song by Rudolph Toombs that's often credited to Big Joe Turner. And just like Miss Susie herself, the song is a smokin' hot number. While Benny excitedly tells us about just how much Miss Susie enjoys bumping, the chorus line of "all night long" features Charlie, Bobby, Paul and Nate enthusiastically reminding us of just how long she enjoys doing it. Musically, the profound rhythm Charlie (upright bass) and Paul (drums) are thumping out is absolutely perfect to bump to; and the rousing guitar (Bobby) and piano (Nate) leads create a perfect bump party atmosphere.

"Going Down Slow" (James Oden) is a song that Benny says is one of the most requested songs at his live shows. With it being one of my favorites of this lot, I get why. Benny took a classic Howlin' Wolf slow blues song, and with his heartfelt and soulful lead and background vocals, he gave it an inspirational gospel feel. Musically, the song is nothing short of masterful: Benny, on the bass, Justin on the drums, and Clayton on the piano and B3 - have the slow blues rhythm groove nailed; while "Young Rell" and Will shine on the killer slow blues harmonica and guitar leads. With its several replays, this one just became the most requested track at the House of Blewzz as well.

The next two songs are songs where in addition to sounding absolutely fabulous, the band does an equally great job of allowing the vocalists to shine. On ballads titled "When I Call On You" (Dee Clark) and "Born This Time", Benny and Tiffany are flawless together. You know those live shows where from time to time the musicians leave the stage and the vocalist does a solo acapella type song? These are that song! The story about how and why this track got recorded is as interesting as the track itself. Other than to tell you that it started in 2017 when Benny met Billy Davis - an original member of The Midnighters - while they were both billed at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival, you'll have to read the rest as Sallie Bengtson, the President of Nola Blue Records tells it on the liner notes. Although it's more of a compilation, Benny's calling it "Finger Poppin Time" (Hank Ballard). Along with Benny singing lead and all harmonies, the song is highlighted by Billy sounding as good as he did on guitar, back when the originals were recorded, and some killer piano leads from Dave Keyes. The first of the final three songs on the disc is also the first of Benny's three originals. The song is called "Drunk" as in "If you see me on the ground, don't try to pick me up - unless you've got a bottle and a sixteen-ounce cup. I want to get drunk". According to the liner notes pertaining to this one, Benny wrote it with his late friend Jimmy Reed in mind. Hmmmmmm, I'd like to hear more about this inspiration. Although some are more common than others, the thoughts that inspire original songs are literally endless. That said, this instrumental composition has to be one of the more unique. While Benny was writing it, It seems that the lazy, laid-back vibe the music created reminded him of "how the animals would lay around in the barnyard at the end of a long hot day in the fields." Hence the title "Sleepy Time In The Barnyard". It features Benny playing his first instrument - guitar. Joining him on what Benny calls "a down-home back porch country blues instrumental like he used to hear his family play when he was a boy in East Texas", are Bobby on guitar, Charlie on upright bass, Nate on piano, and Paul on drums.

The closing track and final original song is titled "Who Sang It First". It's a track that Benny co-wrote with Jim George and it first appeared on "Breakin' News: 10 Years of Blues" - the celebratory Nola Blue ten-year anniversary album. In actuality, the song is a re-write of Jim's original composition titled "Black Is Beautiful". The idea behind the song is that it really doesn't matter if you covered a song and did it better or worse than the original artists, as long as you remember who did it first. Jim describes his original song as a “tribute to all the black pioneers and artists who have paved the way, invented the music and enriched all our lives.” The sincerity that Benny exudes on his vocals, with beautiful backing help from Kassie and Tiffany - truly bring the song's lyrics to life.

Other tracks on another dynamite Benny Turner release include: "The Walk" (Jimmy McCracklin) and "Smoke My Peace Pipe (Smoke it Right)" (Wilson Turbington).

[moochilatv]

BATTS presents: Vessel Of Love

The voice feet's perfect with the song amazing piano production

Vessel Of Love is the lead single off BATTS third album 'Just My Luck', the project of England born-Melbourne based Tanya Batt.

It follows her AMP nominated Sophomore album ‘The Nightline’ which featured songs with Sharon Van Etten and Deep Sea Diver. Supported around the world by BBC 6 Music, NPR, Brooklyn Vegan, NME, Sterogum and other notable outlets, ‘The Nightline’ was followed by tours with Sharon Van Etten, Cate Le Bon, Beth Orton and Peter Garrett before Batt re-entered the studio to create her third album.

Batt’s main focus for the third album was to fall in love with music again, to find the joy and playfulness in it all, something she felt she had lost through grief and the toxicities that exist in the industry. Created alongside her longtime band members Lachlan O’Kane, Brendan Tsui, and Ross Beaton and recorded in the beautiful surrounds of rural Victoria with engineer Alex O’Gorman. It was a chance to experiment and make an album rid of pressures with her musical family, an album she vowed she wanted to make before starting her own family. It covers an array of topics and chapters throughout her own life and gave her a chance to close some doors behind her before walking into the new one of ‘Motherhood’. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BATTS (@battsmusic)

Just My Luck emotionally and sonically ranges from fun and upbeat with numbers like ‘Sell You The Sun’ drawing on influences such as The Beatles and Wilco to the heart wrenching closer ‘Bereaved’.

Batt expresses: “I feel like there is a little something for everyone on this album, the first half is more upbeat and punchy and then it takes a more melancholy turn towards the end. This is my third album and I just really wanted to have fun with my band, take away the pressures and just have a great time creating.”

Listen Vessel of Love in Soundcloud:

Pre-order Just My Luck: https://www.diggersfactory.com/fr/artist/2282/batts

BIO:

BATTS is the project of Melbourne based musician and space enthusiast Tanya Batt. Creating a blend of folk and rock, whilst previously weaving in samples collected from space missions courtesy of NASA, throughout her music.

2022 saw BATTS moving away from space collaborations and onto collaborating with two of her songwriting idols - Sharon Van Etten with her single ‘Blue’ and Deep Sea Diver on ‘Linger’. 2022 also saw the announcement of her own label ‘I Feel Fine Records’ to launch her Amp Nominated Sophomore release ‘The Nightline’ released on Oct 14th 2022. 

Returning again in 2024, BATTS shares her new single ‘Sell You The Sun’ off the back of three sold out headline shows and two sold out shows supporting Beth Orton. Having spent 2023 writing and recording a new album, Sell You The Sun is her first new musical offering since ‘The Nightline’. 

BATTS has toured Australia with many international and local artists - Sharon Van Etten, Lucius, Cate Le Bon, Beth Orton, Vika & Linda, The Teskey Brothers, The Magic Numbers, Nilüfer Yanya, Leif Vollebekk and many more.