#andrea payne

[uwmspeccoll]

It’s Feral Friday! 

This week we’re taking a look at Taschen: Oliver Payne & Nick Relph. This beautifully designed exhibition catalog was printed by Busch Druck Medien Verlag (Bielefeld, Deutschlan) and published by Kerber Verlag in New York in 2004. It accompanied the exhibition Oliver Payne & Nick Relph, which was presented by the National Museum of Art (Oslo) and the Musee d'Art Moderne (Paris) the same year. Designed by graphic designer and artist Halvor Bodin, the text was authored by Payne & Relph in collaboration with curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, Andrea Kroknes (Senior Curator of the National Museum), and Sune Nordgren (director of the National Museum at the time).  

Oliver Payne & Nick Relph are a British artist duo who internationally exhibited film, video, & installation works from 1999 until 2009. Their practice grappled with themes of cultural identity, subcultures (such as skater, gaming, and DIY cultures), and corporate imperialism. This publication is particularly interesting within the context of our collection because it juxtaposes the design language of Fine Press movement forerunners like the Kelmscott Press with the lo-fi aesthetics of early internet & DIY culture and advertising, bringing the principles of the Arts & Crafts movement into critical conversation with the aesthetic and cultural landscape of our time.

In their early video work Driftwood (a "psycho-geographical tour of London"), Payne & Relph call to 'smash the symbols of the Empire in the name of nothing but the heart's longing for grace.' They demonstrate this ethos by gaming information and cataloging systems through their choice of the title Taschen, the moniker of one of the most ubiquitous and celebrated publishers of art books, thereby hacking their way into in a realm where artists working in new media and experimental art were rarely represented.

--Ana, Special Collections Graduate Intern

View more Feral Friday posts.

View more Fine Press posts.

View more Book Arts posts.

[letterboxd-loggd]

Ill Met By Moonlight (Night Ambush) (1957) Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

April 29th 2024

[essentialalls]

We need to talk seriously here. I used to like Joy. Or rather, I knew her little but I had high expectations for her at the end of s2. But then they decided to use her character like a plot device for creating drama and more sus for us as viewers. But in the end I think she is gonna be the endgame for Charles so I feel very guilty saying I don't like the idea anymore.

And that's sad bc she actually loves him, she does!! And I loved the idea that the one for him it could be her, the exuberant make up artist. But all the "I've been waiting for years for you to change" topic doesnt sit right with me. Not for a character like Charles. He is ok and perfect in his way. He is trying A LOT to change but not in the forced way. Love is not about changing is about acceptance in first place yy

And at the same time, maybe she is gonna accept him but for me it will be read almost as a defeat.

Idk mmh maybe Im wrong and I'm just speculating, sorry, a terrible place is my mind now.

[isupportzaynxliamxziam]

Friday, 1 June 2012

The boys are back in Michigan as they play in Detroit at night as part of their Up All Night Tour, but first all of them have an interview scheduled in the backstage of the Fox Theatre. Liam has a talk with Andrea Russett of HOT 107.9, where they talk about zombies

Zayn and Harry on the other hand have an awkward interview with Dani S of Mojo in the Morning

All of them also have a meet-and-great

Like always they start their concert with Na Na Na, Stand Up and I Wish

Followed by the medley of I Gotta Feeling, Stereo Hearts, Valerie and Torn as well as Moments and Gotta Be You. It's obvious the boys are in a mischievous mood, because when Harry sings his solo, Liam leans into him, which gets noticed by Louis. Zayn, who sits next to him on the couch, decides to sit on Louis' lap

The following song on the setlist is More Than This and while Zayn's singing his part during Up All Night, Liam's goofing around and trying to distract him. Liam succeeds as Zayn misses his high note. Both find it hilarious

credits to heyzayn (deactivated)

During the Twitter Questions, the boys get asked to dance the Macarena. The whole time Zayn keeps a close eye on Liam

credits to fuckyeahwanderection

Next on the playlist is Tell Me a Lie, where Liam, as always, films his bandmates with a fan's phone

credits to lewisandneil

They also sing Everything About You, Use Somebody, One Thing and Save Tonight, where Zayn mouths Liam's solo

credits to sepsnow-blog

After What Makes You Beautiful the boys have a quick clothing change to end their show with I Want

[lotusyiyen]

[donospl]

Co w jazzie piszczy [sezon 1 odcinek 26]

premierowa emisja 8 listopada 2023 – 18:00 Graliśmy: Maria Kannegaard Trio “Dere” z albumu “Live at Dokkhuset” – Jazzland Recordings Miriam Kibakaya “porcelain girl” z albumu „roots” – Jazzland Recordings Rasmus Oppenhagen Krogh “How U Look” z albumu “Until Then” – April Records Tijn Wybenga & AM.OK ft. Alistair Payne “Redleg” z albumu „Re:Brainteaser” Rob Luft “Be Water, My Friend” z…

[the-bi-library]

Happy bisexual visibility day! Here are bisexual books out in September!

Books listed:

The Lovers by Rebekah Faubion

Pumpkin Spice & Poltergeist by Ali K. Mulford and Elle Morrison

Love and Loathing in El Olvido by Sylvia San Sebastian

At the End of the River Styx by Michelle Kulwicki

We Will Devour The Night (The Essence of the Equinox, #2) by Camilla Andrew

The Hunter's Gambit by Ciel Pierlot

The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean by Ann Rose

The Age of Larkspur by Aleighsha Parke

She Slipped Through the Cracks by W. Payne Sillavan

The Glass Scientists, Vol. 2 by S.H. Cotugno

The Shadowbearer's Curse by Jasmyn Morning

Nightstrider (Nightstrider, 1) by Sophia Slade

No One Does It Like You by Katie Shepard

Imbued (Imbued, #1) by Helyna L. Clove

Ménage à Claws (Wayward Déine Chronicles Book 1) by Amelia Lascaux

Spells to Forget Us by Aislinn Brophy

Not The Fainting Kind (Not That Kind Of Dandy Book 2) by Will Soulsby-McCreath

Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner

The Gods Below (The Hollow Covenant, #1) by Andrea Stewart

Gravity’s Fire by C.J. Aralore

Hating a Witch by Brigid Hunt

Stuck in the Middle With You by Frances M. Thompson

You and I Collide by E. A. M. Trofimenkoff

The Kings of Dusk & Dawn (The Heir to Moondust, #4) by Lou Wilham

[jaemlynscharacters]

AND FURTHERMORE

^ This right here is an ultimate form of disrespect.

(Despite the joke reference to Father of the Bride.)

Disclaimer: We were led to believe that Joy’s wedding dress conveniently arrived (unaltered) in time for the trio to need it to save Loretta. So at this point in time I’m just assuming Mabel didn’t have a wedding dress already just hanging around and Joy’s only inspired them to use it. I’m assuming that was literally the dress that arrived.

That was JOY’S MOTHER’S wedding dress.

On top of which, a bride, in most cases, goes to great lengths to surprise her groom when she appears to him in their wedding, looking glamorous and breathtaking in a dress he has not been allowed to see until this point!

So in addition to Charles not showing much interest in preparations like cake tasting, accidentally proposing and then playing along with the mistake until it was real, and talking to everyone about his intimate partner of months and whatever of many years EXCEPT HER,

And in addition to Mabel and Oliver initially rooting for Charles’ relationship with a bassoonist murderer who inserted herself into their investigation, then discouraging him from being with someone he really liked for a long time while they themselves were invested in their own new romances,

The trio ALSO desecrates Joy’s wedding dress by not only revealing it to Charles but also running around town using it as a costume to catch a cab?

The more I hyper-fixate the more I realize

JOY WAS THE VICTIM.

And now I’m just kinda mad, honestly.

I haven’t seen any bad writing on this show so far but if this detail is overlooked it’s going to ruin everything for me. Fix this please, OMITB!

OMG.

Okay I’m finally watching omitb season 3 and it may be the sleep deprivation talking but charles’s dumb loser ass truly loving and completely failing to care for his breakup fish is like. Doing something to me. I’ve nearly got tears in my eyes right now he’s such a pathetic old man

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💙💜💖 Bi Books Coming Out September 2024

💖💜💙 It's Bisexuality Visibility Month! Here are a few bisexual books coming out in September that would make fabulous additions to your never-ending TBR! Happy reading!

💙 I apologize for any discrepancies. Publishing days are subject to change.

💖 The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean - Ann Rose 💜 Old Wounds - Logan-Ashley Kisner 💙 The Lovers - Rebekah Faubion

💖 This World Is Not Yours - Kemi Ashing-Giwa 💜 The Gods Below - Andrea Stewart 💙 Old Wounds - Logan-Ashley Kisner

💖 The Hunter's Gambit - Ciel Pierlot 💜 We Will Devour The Night - Camilla Andrew 💙 The Shadowbearer's Curse - Jasmyn Morning

💖 She Slipped Through the Cracks - W. Payne Sillavan 💜 The Age of Larkspur - Aleighsha Parke 💙 At the End of the River Styx - Michelle Kulwicki

💖 Love and Loathing in El Olvido - Sylvia San Sebastian 💜 Pumpkin Spice & Poltergeist - Ali K. Mulford & K. Elle Morrison 💙 The Gods Below - Andrea Stewart

💖 You and I Collide - E. A. M. Trofimenkoff 💜 No One Does It Like You - Katie Shepard 💙 Stuck in the Middle With You - Frances M. Thompson

💖 Imbued - Helyna L. Clove 💜 Spells to Forget Us - Aislinn Brophy 💙 Ménage à Claws - Amelia Lascaux

💖 Hating a Witch - Brigid Hunt 💜 Not The Fainting Kind - Will Soulsby-McCreath 💙 Gravity’s Fire - C.J. Aralore

[sparkspropaganda]

"Council President Elliott Payne voted for the resolution, and said he’d heard from lots of constituents about it. He pushed back against criticism directed at the council for debating a symbolic measure.

“For me on a personal level, I don't see this as a waste of time. I don’t see reflecting our communities’ voice and concerns as a waste of time, even when those concerns are outside of our jurisdiction,” he said.

In addition to Payne, Council Members Aurin Chowdhury, Aisha Chughtai, Robin Wonsley, Jason Chavez, Jeremiah Ellison, Jamal Osman, Andrea Jenkins and Katie Cashman voted for the resolution."

[foxes-that-run]

2019 Haylor Timeline

Timeline Tag, Back to 2018

1 January - Taylors New Years Eve costume party she dresses as Ariel

3 January - MH asks to produce Harry's next album... via twitter.... and says Harry has blocked him.

6 January - Taylor in LA at Golden Globes afterparty

9 January - Harry still in Japan

Miss Americana filmed between Rep tour and Lover, released in 2020.

16 January - Kiko Mizuhara says she has never met Harry, then

2 February - Kiko at Harry's birthday party they may or may not have dated.

18 January - Taylor seen at recording studio in NYC (suggested Me!, but I think that's too late, it was released as a single in April)

26 January - Harry still in Japan

1 February - Harry's 25th Birthday “I had a very Murakami birthday because I ended up staying in Tokyo on my own. I had grilled fish and miso soup for breakfast, then I went to this cafe. I sat and drank tea and read for five hours.” (Harry Styles on his 25th birthday, Rolling Stone 2019)

10 February - Joe and Taylor go to Harry's local, the Spaniards Inn Hampstead Heath ...... Harry was in LA on the 12th. Seen walking in Paris in March and not again for 7 months.

12 February - Joe and Taylor attend the BAFTAS Taylor is photographed having dinner with Liam Payne

5 March - Taylor things before 30 article, includes that Andrea is again in treatment

14 March - Harry arriving at gym in London

28 March - Harry JFK airport, then hotel in NY

29 March - Harry and Xander dinner Ny

5 April - Harry in LOndon

23 April - Taylor plays Time 100 show setlist is Style, Delicate, Love Story, NYD and Shake it off

26 April Me! Video released, just before April 29 anniversary... Joe not seen with Taylor till October.

2 May - Taylor Zane Lowe Me! Interview

3 May - Harry in LA

5 May - Harry Anna Wintour's apartment, pre-met Gala dinner

7 May - Harry hosts his only met gala attendance, Taylor’s doesn’t go anymore. Adore you and Lights up written in May. Harry and Kendall have after party and both leave at 6am and both stayed at the Bowery hotel. Jeff and Xander also there.

May - 6 July Joe filming A Christmas Carol in Hampstead Heath and stays in London after. Taylor in US, billboard awards, Lover media

15 May Harry was in the studio, Harry writes Adore You, Lights up, Treat People with Kindness, starts Boyfriends.

18 May - Harry driving a bright yellow vintage ferrari in Malibu, you can practically hear golden in that photo.

20 May (Haylor anniversary #1), still in studio, Harry wears a white horses shirt and fearless gold shorts on the beach in Malibu. While Horse is a Fearless song he also references in the Daylight video. Fine Line then complete

21 May - Gucci Swan Campaign released

24 May - Taylor in Paris with Joe, she recreates scenes from Begin Again which are later in the TV version of Taylor Swift Live in the City of Lover, except the concert was filmed months later when Joe was not there.

3, 6 June - Harry in London,

9 June - Blind that Taylor & Joe double date was PR setup

30 June Big Machine Records sold with Taylor’s masters.

2-6 July - Taylor in Virgin Isles with her mum, Ashley and the Haim sisters, Joe still filming UK.

10 July Taylor Performs at Amazon Prime event in NYC, points at a figure in Delicate thought to be Joe.

15-17 June - Harry visits Xander in Philly, airport photos

18 July - Harry sells LA house at a loss after 2 years on market

20 July - Taylor in NYC

29 July - Harry in NYC for Rolling Stone shoot in Hawaiian shirt (the eternal sunshine of Harry styles story with Rob Sheffield)

1 August - Gucci fragrance campaign where Harry plays with a ring and leans his head on a blonde lady with a cat masks shoulder. This mask is vintage, there is a Tiktok of the guy who owns it. Taylor wore a similar mask in the LAWYMMD video and was filming cats. We don't know who's in the mask, Harris Reed is on the set and I wonder if it is her.

4 August - Harry shot Lights Up music video in Mexico

6 August - Harry in philli

19 August - stories that KK falling out was she threw a party in Taylor’s NY house

23 August - Lover released. Lover Video released with quite clear Haylor references. Taylor says relationship not up for discussion. in NYC Taylor poses next to a photo of One Direction backstage at a signing in Brooklyn New York.

29 August - Taylor films BBC Live Lounge in NY with emotional performance of London Boy, Lover, The Archer, I can’t stop loving you (Phil Collin’s), Holy Ground and YNTCD. Holy Ground and ICSlY are particularly emotional and Taylor talks about loving someone even if they don’t love you back and that she chose Holy Ground because it refers to NY.

2 September - Harry in London, then disappears for 10 days. Gucci Fragrance Campaign where Harry wore the Haylor Ring.

7 September - both at Ed Sheeran's wedding in a big top. Joe maybe there - Niall followed Joe 8 Sept; Joe back 21 Sept

9 September - Taylor records City of Lover in Paris. Live setlist #7 was DBAC and #13 was Style, also played Love Story, Delicate, ATW, Red, Style and Shake it Off. Joe in Toronto.

11 September - Blind that Joe wasn't able to talk about Taylor, about stilted showing at Favorite premiere

12 September - Harry seen in London and MIA till LAX on 17th

14 September - Joe and Taylor Rhode Island and fly to London

17 September - Harry private club Hollywood

24 September - Harry seen with Xander in LA

26 September - Harry Miami with Xander

28 September - Harry leaves Miami with Gucci Mickey Mouse suitcase.

29 September - Harry in London gallery with Georgia Ritz and her BF (Xander’s sister)

4 October - Harry seen with fans in London. Matty Healy says he wants to produce Taylors record (said about Harry earlier the year) and went on to say 'that taylor swift song about supporting gay people, when it came out we already knew that."

5 October Joe hold hands at Taylors SNL appearance, Elle comments 'their version of PDA at least' which is holding hands. Do you know who you are starts. Taylor performs Lover at SNL, the arrangement is acoustic and slow, she's wearing green, with a green piano and green floor, walls and nails! The music sheets look like paper planes. False God also.

11 October - lights up released

14 October - Harry at John Mayer concert at O2 London, John posts backstage photo.

21 October - A Fashion designer said they met Harry at the Bowery Hotel

27 October - Harry goes on stage at Kasey Musgraves last concert, wearing an all black version of the Fine Line Outfit.

28 October - Taylor's tiny desk concert, her CD is still in the background for Harry's in March.

5 November - Harry announced Fine Line

12, 17 November - Harry in New York

13 November - Joe and Taylor Thai restaurant Hampstead

16 November - Watermelon Sugar released as promotional single. Harry with Xander NY

20 November - Harry filmed the cross walk concert

22 November - sponsored tweets for Eroda Tourism started ❤️ Scooter wrote open letter to Taylor wanting a resolution saying his family was being threatened

23 November Harry's Zane Lowe interview (SNL 16 Nov)

1 December - Taylor on cover of British Vogue

3 December - Harry announced Adore you confirming Eroda is related.

7 December - Harry performs at Capitals Jingle Bell Ball, London

8 December - Taylor performs at Capitals Jingle Bell Ball, London

11 December - Kendall and Harry on Spill your guts

13 December - Fine Line released, Taylor’s birthday, Harry performed it in LA that night Harry Styles ‘Fine Line’ Concert at Forum in L.A. – Rolling Stone. Photos of Harry in Japan released. Taylor also performed that night but at MSG NY, making of photos. Rumour Xander there. Taylor performs in NY for Jingle Bell Ball and tells Fletcher "She had mentioned to me how much she loved the lyrics [to Undrunk]. I nearly fainted and passed away at that moment." Undrunk is about wanting to be over an ex.

15 December - Taylor’s 30th birthday party in NY with all the famous people, tiny pupils and a cat face cake. Media says Joe there, but:

16 December - Joe is in London, not at Taylor's birthday

18 December - Cats premiere, Taylor has a swollen lip. Joe attends holds hands as they leave. Flakes answering about holiday plans. Joe does Christmas Carol interview where he says he jumps in Hampstead Heath Pond every year. What convenient cross marketing, the film is shot in Hampstead, Paper Rings refers to icy outdoor pools. I wonder if he ran into Harry there. Harry at BBC Live Lounge recorded Juice cover

31 December - Joe, Taylor and friends at Maldives for New Years, Harry first wore the But Daddy I love him shirt on New Years Eve video of him dancing with no shoes and tipped a bartender $2020 in Anguilla in the Caribbean

Continue in 2020

[f1ghtsoftly]

All The Women’s News You Missed Last Week 

11/4/24-11/11/24

Donald Trump wins the US presidential election. His party also won control of the Senate and could take the House, potentially giving Republicans control of all three branches of the Federal Government. Women in Gaza continue to suffer disproportionally from indiscriminate Israeli attacks on citizens. Raygun retires. The Pope initiates dialogue with abortion activists.

Read my election special report here.

Want this in your inbox instead? Subscribe here

Trump Transition:

Anti-abortion advocates press Trump for more restrictions as abortion pill sales spike

Democrats had bet on women showing up in force. They didn’t

Susie Wiles: Who is Trump's new chief of staff?

US Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor ignores pressure to retire - reports

Melania Trump, enigmatic first lady who might do it differently this time

Women’s Health:

Olympic Boxer Imane Khelif Takes Legal Action after Leaked Reports Claim She Is a 'DSD' Athlete

Nigeria offers free Caesareans to poorer women

Pope pays house visit to veteran Italian abortion rights advocate

With little water, displaced Lebanese women worry about periods

Male Violence:

McGregor rape accuser telling 'web of lies', court told

‘Catfish killer used my photo to trap other girls’

Church of England leader Welby urged to quit over abuse cover-up

Trial starts over rape, murder of junior doctor in India's Kolkata

Nigeria rights body finds 'no evidence' military conducted secret mass abortions

Women In The News:

South Korean president sorry for controversies surrounding wife

Raygun retires from breaking after Olympic backlash

How a Chinese maths 'prodigy' unravelled in cheating storm

Princess Kate attends Remembrance Day event in return to public duties

Gaza mother struggling to feed children says only death can end their suffering

Gaza women, children are nearly 70% of verified war dead, UN rights office says

Arts and Culture:

Judith Jamison, a dancer both eloquent and elegant, led Ailey troupe to success over two decades

Movie Review: In Andrea Arnold’s ‘Bird,’ a gritty fairy tale doesn’t take flight

Taylor Swift wins big and Rita Ora pays tribute to Liam Payne at the MTV EMAs

Mattel says it ‘deeply’ regrets misprint on ‘Wicked’ dolls packaging that links to porn site

As always, this is global and domestic news from a US perspective covering feminist issues and women in the news more generally. As of right now, I do not cover Women’s Sports. Published each Monday afternoon.

[filmaticbby]

Aries: Tarantino, F. F. Coppola, Andrea Arnold, Eric Rohmer, Edgar Wright, Ruben Östlund, Josh Safdie, David Lean, Andrei Tarkovsky, Michael Haneke, Martin McDonagh

Taurus: Wes Anderson, Orson Welles, Sofia Coppola, Lars von Trier, Terry Zwigoff, George Lucas, Robert Zemeckis, John Waters, Frank Capra

Gemini: Fassbinder, Hideaki Anno, Makhmalbaf, Agnès Varda, Alex Garland, Clint Eastwood, Yorgos Lanthimos, Aaron Sorkin, Ken Loach, Alexander Sokurov, Giuseppe Tornatore

Cancer: Abbas Kiarostami, Wong Kar-wai, P. T. Anderson, Mike White, Ari Aster, Ingmar Bergman, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Paul Verhoeven, Robert Eggers, Béla Tarr, Mel Brooks, Ken Russell, Sidney Lumet, Kinji Fukasaku

Leo: Alfred Hitchcock, Greta Gerwig, Alain Robbe-grillet, Kubrick, Wes Craven, Taika Waititi, Luca Guadagnino, Christopher Nolan, Polanski, Sam Mendes, Richard Linklater, Nicolas Roeg, James Cameron, Pablo Larraín, M. Night Shyamalan, Iñárritu, Gus Van Sant, Peter Weir, Wim Wenders, Maurice Pialat

Virgo: Tom Ford, Joe Wright, Paul Feig, Dario Argento, David Fincher, Brian De Palma, Baz Luhrmann, Tim Burton, Friedkin, Takashe Miike, Noah Baumbach, Werner Herzog, Elia Kazan, E. Coen

Libra: Julie Dash, Almodóvar, Jacques Tati, Ang Lee, Michelangelo Antonioni, Ti West, Walerian Borowczyk, Nicolas Winding Refn, Satoshi Kon, Kenneth Lonergan, Michael Powell, Jacques Tati, Steve McQueen, Denis Villeneuve

Scorpio: Mike Nichols, Barry Jenkins, Charlie Kaufman, Céline Sciamma, Tsai Ming-liang, Jean Rollin, Scorsese, Louis Malle, Luchino Visconti, François Ozon, Julia Ducournau

Sagittarius: Sion Sono, Cassavetes, Raj Kapoor, Steven Spielberg, Eliza Hittman, Terrence Malick, Ozu, Alfonso Cuarón, Gregg Araki, Larry Charles, Judd Apatow, Kathryn Bigelow, Lenny Abrahamson, J. Coen, Jean Luc Godard, Diane Kurys, Ridley Scott, Lynne Ramsay, Woody Allen, Fritz Lang

Capricorn: Larry Clark, David Lynch, Harmony Korine, Damien Chazelle, David Lowery, Mary Harron, Sergio Leone, Todd Haynes, Pedro Costa, Gaspar, Noe, Fellini, Joseph Losey, Miyazaki, John Carpenter, Steven Soderbergh, Michael Curtiz, John Singleton, Vertov

Aquarius: Jim Jarmusch, John Hughes, Darren Aronofsky, Jodorowski, Michael Mann, Derek Cianfrance, Alex Payne, Truffau, Eisenstein, Tone Hooper

Pisces: Pasolini, Sean Baker, Paul Schrader, Bernardo Bertolucci, Benny Safdie, Jacques Rivette, Bunuel, Luc Besson, David Cronenberg, Spike Lee, Rob Reiner, Mike Mills, Sebastián Lelio, Jordan Peele, Ron Howard, Robert Altman

[randomvarious]

Today’s compilation:

Now That's What I Call Music! 6 2001 Adult Contemporary / Pop-Rock / Alternative Rock / R&B / Teen Pop / Pop / Boy Bands / Post-Grunge

Here we go, folks. Another dispatch from the most pervasive compilation series to ever grace US shores: it's the triple-platinum-selling,  #1-spot-on-the-Billboard-200-album-chart-achieving, sixth installment from the king conglomerate of repackaging contemporary chart hits itself; the one and only Now That's What I Call Music!

Lots of fun stories behind this eclectic set of pop songs that, overall, feels like turning on your favorite top 40 radio station sometime between 2000 and 2001, but let's start with what was probably the most popular tune in the entirety of those two full years: Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me." If you've ever wondered why or how a song on which Shaggy himself doesn't really do that much came to be the signature hit of his whole career, it's because it wasn't actually ever intended to have been released as a single in the first place! Presumably, this was just a song that was to be included on his 2000 album, Hot Shot, that would serve as a showcase for another budding vocalist, Rik Rok, who sings the song's long pre-choruses, choruses, and bridge. Now, nothing substantial ever ended up materializing for Rik Rok after this song, but the story behind its global takeover started with a radio DJ in Hawaii who downloaded Hot Shot from a p2p network, like Napster, and then decided that his favorite track on it was "It Wasn't Me." He then played it on the air and received numerous requests to keep playing it, and that clamoring audience response then persuaded MCA to release it as the album's lead single, three months after the LP had already dropped.

Also, Shaggy became known as something of a heavy sampler and interpolator, with his follow-up single, "Angel," revitalizing the melody from Juice Newton's country-pop classic, "Angel of the Morning," and a popular remix of "Boombastic" using Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" (I actually wrote about how we should be taking that Marvin song off of our collective sex playlists earlier this week). But something that probably slipped under some people's radar is how he just pretty much took the intro from a song that’s a bit more obscure in order to make "It Wasn't Me": "Smile Happy," by War, the band who became famous in the 70s for songs like "Low Rider" and "Why Can't We Be Friends," all of which are from the same album. Listen to that song's opening! It's basically the same!

I don't think War or any of its members ever received a songwriting credit for "It Wasn't Me" either, but they did when One Direction's Liam Payne made his solo debut with "Strip That Down" in 2017, which interpolated Shaggy's song. So, nice to see that War finally started to accumulate some scratch from those few bars!

Next, *NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye," the lead single from No Strings Attached that served doubly as a dynamic teen pop breakup anthem and possibly as something of a middle finger to their former manager, Lou Pearlman, as well. It's an early 2000s pop masterpiece that comes from the famed Cheiron Studios in Sweden, which gave us the brunt of all those teen pop hits that use similar production techniques and lyrics that don't always quite make sense 😅. The most iconic producer from that teen pop haven was Max Martin, but he actually wasn't directly involved with this one. Instead, other guys from Cheiron produced and wrote it: Jake Schulze, Kristian Lundin—who was also behind "Tearin' Up My Heart"—and Andreas Carlsson.

And it's Carlsson who actually first took the song to UK boy band 5ive, who had previously charted Stateside in the top 10 with "When the Lights Go Out," in 1998. Carlsson's original conception of "Bye Bye Bye" had a rap chorus on it, and 5ive ended up really despising it, so much so, that one of the members actually called security on him 😂. Apparently, 5ive had decided that they wanted to be a "rap band" and sound like Eminem, so this "Bye Bye Bye" song, despite its chorus, was very much not for them anymore. So, the tune was then later retooled for *NSYNC, who would end up taking it to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, and it then summarily became one of the most memorable songs of the early 2000s and the boy band/teen pop era as a whole. And as a result, 5ive would never chart again anywhere after 2001 😬.

OK, now for Creed’s “With Arms Wide Open.” Did you know that this fucking song, the band's only single to top the Billboard Hot 100, which also contains some utterly incomprehensible choices in enunciation from lead vocalist Scott Stapp, took home a Grammy for Best Rock Song? Unreal, right? And what might be even more unreal is the fact that notoriously cool dude Dave Grohl actually genuinely loves it, having called it one of the most amazing songs he’s ever heard! What, Dave?!

And then there's U2's "Beautiful Day," a simply epic song to buy shampoo to that marked a departure from the electronic dance experiments that the band had become known for in the 90s, and began their transformation into the most ubiquitously annoying and insufferable act in the world for the next 15 years or so. Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, and Steve Lillywhite's production was really stellar on it, but a writer at NME wrote that John Lennon's assassin should be let out of prison so he could shoot Bono for making this one. And I mean, that's certainly a drastic measure, but then that other album wouldn't have ended up invading all of our iPhones in the 2010s, so... 🤷‍♂️....actually, I'm just kidding. Wanting people shot for making songs you don't like is unethical. Don't do that!

And lastly, I totally forgot that K-Ci & JoJo's "Crazy" even existed before I gave this album a spin today. Those guys were probably the most iconic vocal male R&B duo of the Y2K era, and were known especially for their super soulful adult contemporaryish slow jam-ballads, like "All My Life" and "Tell Me It's Real." But I don't think I'd heard "Crazy" once since it came out over 20 years ago, so, that was a total jolt of nostalgia for me, personally, right there. And I really wasn't cognizant of it at the time, but that song's also one of the first big hits to use a considerable amount of autotune on it too, long before people like T-Pain would go on to define their career with it towards the end of the decade. So, it's sort of a trailblazing song, I guess, but it was also K-Ci & JoJo's final appearance on the Hot 100 as well, so also bittersweet. And there’s another song with some autotune on here too, an early 2000s R&B classic, “No More (Baby I’ma Do Right),” by 3LW. It doesn’t use the autotune to the same extent, but it’s there in the first verse. Fantastic throwback.

So, this album was a lot of fun. Always love taking these trips down memory lane and re-experiencing, evaluating, and learning all these backstories behind these songs that I grew up with years ago 😊. Now was probably something of a nuisance when it arrived in the US because all it did was cash-grabbingly gather big chart hits onto CD, but now it's just a great collection of artifacts that document the music of bygone eras.

Highlights:

Britney Spears - “Stronger” *NSYNC - “Bye Bye Bye” ATC - "Around the World (La La La La)" Jennifer Lopez - “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” Destiny's Child - "Independent Women, Part 1" Shaggy - “It Wasn’t Me” 3LW - "No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)" K-Ci & JoJo - “Crazy” R. Kelly - “I Wish” Backstreet Boys - “Shape of My Heart” Evan and Jaron - “Crazy for This Girl” Coldplay - “Yellow” Lenny Kravitz - “Again” Fuel - "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" Creed - “With Arms Wide Open” Incubus - “Drive” U2 - “Beautiful Day”

[agentnico]

The Holdovers (2023) Review

Gosh, I do miss snow. Not something we get much of here in the dreary old UK. So thank you Alexander Payne for really rubbing it in our face.

Plot: A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school remains on campus during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students with nowhere to go. He soon forms an unlikely bond with a brainy but damaged troublemaker, and with the school's head cook, a woman who just lost a son in the Vietnam War.

Payne’s last movie 2017’s Downsizing was an underwhelming mess, with an interesting concept that is dropped within the first half hour, and instead of the fun science fiction/biting social satire we get a movie dealing with real-world dangers and a random apocalypse for reasons I don’t believe even Alexander Payne knows. It was very much a movie that was not conceived or thought out properly, hence why it was a flop financially and critically. And I didn’t like it myself, which is the worst of it all. So many may be doubting checking out Payne’s new film The Holdovers, however luckily this is a return to form for the talented scriptwriter/director, as pushed aside are any high concepts and instead we get a simple premise, yet it’s one that’s delivered in such an entertaining and heartwarming way.

The Holdovers is very much a vibes movie. It has that old-timey retro feel to it from how it is shot to make it look like it’s from the 70s (reminiscent of John Hughes films and Dead Poets Society). You also have the constant snow falling and the Christmas music just really delivers that cozy winter feel. It’s a wholesome Christmas movie through and through. Which is ironic due to two of the three main characters being absolute asses, but it’s the way the narrative forces these three characters to be stuck together by themselves over the holiday period, and how they develop from this that results in a very delightful little film. Also, having your main characters have flawed personas doesn’t always work with certain films, for as an audience it is easy to disconnect if you don’t at all sympathize with the characters you follow, however here Alexander Payne successfully manages to make you care about them by showcasing that at the end of the day, they are all just human, and through their dickishness they do still have some redeemable qualities too. Boasted by David Hemingson's very well-written script - some good wit and humour throughout, but also it’s the emotional backbone with the film reflectively diving into themes of grief and loneliness. It’s a dialogue-centric feature but one that easily wraps itself around you as you enjoy spending time with these characters.

Paul Giamatti is fantastic here. Giamatti always delivers a great performance, heck, even in the forgettable disaster CGI fest film San Andreas he managed to somehow deliver a solid turn as the climate professor, delivering endless exposition and science mumbo jumbo with such passion and vigor that one wouldn’t have questioned it if he got nominated for a Noble Prize. But with The Holdovers he finally gets to take on a lead role and he’s phenomenal. He’s very reserved as this Scrooge type who’s very bitter at life and life is bitter at him. Like it’s still Giamatti being Giamatti, yet you truly buy into his performance. Dominic Sessa as the troublesome kid too plays his part well, and in fact his performance mirrors a lot of what Giamatti is doing with that feeling that he is willing to help others, but he is also so stuck in his own ways and pissed off at the world that he constantly makes bad decisions. Da’Vine Joy Randolph brings so much to her role as a grieving mother and as such I do wish the movie did more with her character. There is only one real scene where she’s given rein to really portray the grief, anger and distress of her character but otherwise is written a bit one note, so I do wish Payne gave her more to work with as Randolph really brings it, but I also understand the movie’s intentions and focus were more on the professor and the student. That being said for Randolph to go from the crude Christmas comedy Office Christmas Party to another Christmas movie but one where she really brings her dramatic chops is very impressive. Now all she needs is to appear in a holiday-themed horror flick and she’s fully become the holiday movie queen!

In terms of negatives, there aren’t many. As I mentioned, Randolph’s character could have been explored more. Also, the film’s narrative is very predictable; again, just think of Dead Poets Society. However, Payne so successfully tells this story and delivers a heartwarming nostalgic experience that it’s hard not to love. It’s been a while since we’ve had a perfect old-school well-spirited Christmas movie, and luckily The Holdovers is destined to become a holiday classic.

Overall score: 8/10

[bow-chicka-wow-wow-wow]

Rockstar Games Facts You Should Know

There are some theories that suggest that all of Rockstar’s titles are all part of the same universe. This is untrue, especially considering the GTA games take part in 3 different universes: the 2D Universe, which consists of GTA 1, its London expansion packs, and GTA 2; the 3D Universe, which consists of GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas, GTA Advanced, Liberty City Stories, and Vice City Stories; and the HD Universe, which consists of GTA IV, its DLC expansions The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, Chinatown Wars, GTA V, GTA Online, and the upcoming GTA VI. We can rule out the Midnight Club and Max Payne series as well as L.A. Noire, since they use real-life locations as the main locations, plus the fact that Midnight Club uses actual real-life vehicle manufacturers. The Manhunt series and Bully are part of the GTA 3D Universe, and the Red Dead series could be argued to be part of the GTA HD Universe.

There exists a theory that suggests that Jimmy Hopkins from Bully and James Earl Cash from Manhunt are the same people, due to the two having similar hairstyles, and the fact that both their names are James.

With the exception of the Midnight Club series and Bully, Rockstar’s games have the M rating. Over the years, Rockstar has pushed some boundaries over what’s acceptable in an M rated game. During the development of San Andreas, Rockstar originally intended to implement a sex mini game after you go on a date with one of your girlfriends in the game, but this would’ve given the game the dreaded AO rating, meaning many retailers wouldn’t even have it on the shelves. More on that later. Also, if Rockstar hadn’t heavily censored Manhunt 2, it would’ve gotten that rating in the US.

Jack Thompson had an infamous reputation for being the worst enemy of video games, period. He especially had a hard-on for the GTA series, as he looks connections between the crimes the player would commit in the virtual world and crimes individuals have committed in the real world. Gamers would probably be pleased to hear that in 2008 he was permanently disbarred.

Who’s the mysterious man John Marston keeps running into throughout Red Dead Redemption? This man sends John out to “test his morality,” and when John meets him the last time, he gets frustrated that this man would not tell him who he is, and as he walks off, John shoots him, but the bullets just pass right through him. Many people have speculated that the man is actually God. Now as an atheist, I find that absurd, but to each his own.

Remember the sex mini-game I mentioned in San Andreas? Well, Rockstar, instead of simply removing mechanic, they just simply bury it in the game’s code. But thanks to some modding and some open-heart surgery on the game, PC gamers have unearthed this mini-game. The ESRB caught wind of this, and gave the game the AO rating, and many stores pulled the games from the shelves, and they were put back on the shelves once the “Hot Coffee” mod was removed entirely. So THAT was why my dad and I couldn’t find it at Blockbuster when it first out…

In Vice City, the main protagonist, Tommy Vercetti, was voiced by the late Ray Liotta. Employees at Rockstar have stated how difficult the actor was to work with, with one occasion with Ray pulling a Joe Pesci Goodfellas moment when they’re all eating and drinking at a steakhouse, and suddenly Ray says “What the fuck are you laughing at?” After a few seconds of awkward silence, he finally says “I’m fucking with you!” They even said Ray would groan before recording all his lines. Needless to say, this was just one of the reasons Rockstar decided not to employ big actors for future projects. Insult to injury, the late Burt Reynolds was also in Vice City, and Rockstar also did not enjoy working for him.

Young Maylay, the voice of CJ from San Andreas, and Shawn Fonteno, aka Solo, the voice of Franklin from GTA V, are cousins in real life. Fonteno even voiced a Grove Street NPC in San Andreas, which made it easier for him to secure a role in GTA V.

Gamers have sworn they saw Bigfoot in San Andreas. This has been proven a false myth, as modders have added a skin to an NPC seen in the wilderness. But Rockstar added a Sasquatch encounter in Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare, and the completion of this awards the achievement/trophy named “6 Years in the Making.” In the GTA V mission “Predator,” when you control Michael holding a sniper with a thermal scope, you can see Sasquatch in the corner of the screen. Once you aim your reticle at it, it disappears. Also, upon achieving 100% completion of GTA V, you’re given one more Strangers & Freaks mission named “The Last One,” where you’re helping a hunter hunt for a Sasquatch that he’s been looking for “for 9 years.” Gotta love the meta references that allude to the year 2004.

A fan has asked Steven Ogg to send a message via Cameo to Jason and Lucia, the protagonists of the upcoming GTA VI, as Trevor Phillips. Steven did the opposite by stating he’s not Trevor. Clearly he doesn’t wish to continue being associated with the character that essentially made his career. He’s been in AMC’s Better Call Saul and The Walking Dead, but I always referred to his characters as Trevor, even if his TWD character is named Simon.

Remember the 2021 disaster known as the GTA Trilogy: The “Definitive” Edition? Well did you know there was another “remastered” version of GTA: San Andreas released on the PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2014 to celebrate the 10 year anniversary? Yet there was no such version for Vice City or GTA III. Well, the “remaster” is actually the shitty mobile version that was ported for consoles. And yes, that version is ass! And guess who was responsible for that version? War Drum Studios, aka Grove Street Games. The same assholes that gave us the Defective Edition…

San Andreas’ “Wrong Side of the Tracks” has quite a reputation. Not just for being one of the toughest missions in GTA history thanks to Smoke’s Galactic Empire Marksmanship training, but due to the infamous “Mission Failed” cutscene: “All we had to do was follow the damn train, CJ!” That line has become a meme, that even one of the lines in the main menu in Minecraft said “Follow the train, CJ!” Hell, there’s even a gold medal requirement in GTA V’s mission “Derailed” called “Better Than CJ,” which is given if the player, controlling Trevor, hops onto the train in the very first attempt.