#anyways i am sorry that this is so much filler and that it took 50 billion years to get here

[xieyouji-xiegushi]

Just What I Needed (Chapter 1)

Cross-posting my fics while AO3 is down! This is a multi-chapter fic; please check out the contents page for additional tags, overall CWs and other chapters before reading!

Title: Just What I Needed (Chapter 1) Fandom: Supernatural Rating: E Ship: Destiel Chapter 1 CWs: none Summary: All Sam and Dean have to their names right now is $200, a '67 Chevy Impala, and a lead.

Dean walked into the restaurant, fiddling with his shirt, the top two buttons of which were undone, the collar sitting at a jaunty angle. He scanned the room, searching for a vaguely familiar face. His eyes settled on an older man, probably in his early 50s, sitting alone at a table for two. Dean took a deep breath and walked over to join him.

“Hi, are you Max?” Dean asked.

“I am! You must be Charlie.”

“That’s right. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Max looked him up and down, taking Dean’s appearance, his eyes resting for a moment on the patch of exposed collarbone.

“Charlie, I’m quite sure the pleasure is all mine.”

Dean smiled. A cheesy line, but nothing he hadn’t heard before. He sat down at the table opposite Max, who had already ordered them a glass of wine each.

“I have to say, Charlie, I’m thrilled that you agreed to come out with me this evening. A man of my age… you younger types don’t usually look twice.”

“Well, Max, I tend to find that men of your age, as you put it, appreciate the finer things in life. So much more than guys my age do, anyway.”

“Well, if you have the means, why not? That’s what I say. Now, if you don’t like the wine, we can try a different one. Please, order anything you want.”

Dean happily obliged. The restaurant was quite expensive, and fancy, which probably meant the portions would be small. Dean scoured the menu for the most promising option, eventually settling on two simple pasta dishes, ordering both under the guise of not being able to decide. Max didn’t mind – the wine he had ordered already cost more than the entire meal.

Dean picked at his food and nursed his wine. He supposed he should make conversation, as an excuse for his slow eating.

“So, tell me about yourself. Who is Max? What brings a man of taste such as yourself to Nowheresville, USA?”

“Well, you see, my father wanted me to become an accountant, like him. But it wasn’t the life for me. I went to school for it, but after completing my degree, I found my real passion. So, I became a financial manager. Take that, Dad!” Max laughed at his own joke. At least, Dean thought it was a supposed to be a joke.

“Sorry, um, I’m not sure I understand the difference.”

“Oh, there’s a huge difference! You see, an accountant manages people’s accounts, whereas a financial manager…”

Max continued to explain the differences in excruciating detail, and Dean drifted off. He ate and drank just enough to be polite, but still leave leftovers. He made filler noises and asked simple questions to feign interest, whilst keeping half an eye on his watch. As the time ticked on, he began to grow restless. At precisely 8.30, his phone rang.

“Hey, sorry, do you mind if I take this?”

“No, go ahead.” Max smiled at him.

Dean nodded his head, before standing up and walking a few feet away from the table.

“Hey, Sammy.”

“Hi Dean. This is your get out of jail free call. Ready to wrap up?”

“Sure, I’ll come pick you up. Be there in 20 minutes.”

“See you soon.”

Dean hung up, and paced for a few seconds, for effect. He marched back to the table with a frown.

“Max, I’m so sorry, it looks like I have to cut this short.” As he was talking, he waved over a waiter. “I’ve got a small emergency I need to go and take care of. Yeah, can I get these to go please?” he asked the waiter, gesturing at his two plates of pasta.

Max looked slightly taken aback, but quickly recovered. “I’m sorry to hear that, Charlie. Is there anything I can help with?”

“No, thank you, it’s okay. I had a lovely time this evening. Thank you so much for dinner. Take care, Max.” The waiter returned with his food, and he grabbed the bag and left before Max had much of a chance to answer.

Dean jumped in the Impala, which he’d left parked about a block away from the restaurant. He fired up the engine and headed over to the local library. He arrived at exactly 8.50, and Sam was waiting on the steps outside. Dean honked the horn, and Sam jumped up and ran over, clambering into the car. They pulled off, and Dean drove them to the nearest free car park, pulling into the first free space he saw.

“What did we get?”

“I don’t know, pasta something. Truffle maybe.”

“Truffle? Fancy restaurant?”

“Yeah, real expensive. Tiny portions, so I got two.”

“How was it?”

“What? The pasta?”

“Your date.”

“It was fine. He was nice enough. An accountant or something. You know, boring, but harmless.”

Sam nodded. “Don’t you feel bad? You basically scammed some lonely old man.”

“Yeah, not for the first time, and it won’t be the last. As for what I feel, what I feel is hungry. Come on, dig in. This stuff won’t be good cold.”

Sam grabbed some camping forks from the glove compartment, and they ate their lukewarm pasta in silence. After finishing his food, Dean reached over Sam and pulled out an envelope. He rifled through it.

“How much is left?” Sam asked.

“About $200.”

“So, can we get a motel tonight? I don’t want to sleep in the car again.”

“Afraid not. We need gas, and new brake pads. These ones are down to their last scrap.”

“You know, if we’re gonna be in this town for a while, I could get a job. You know, a regular job.”

Dean looked at his brother. Sam was serious. And worried.

“No way. You’re in school – focus on that. Who the hell is gonna hire some 15-year-old anyway?”

“I can lie. Dean, we’re broke. Dad’s cash is literally about to run out. And the only other thing he left us was this money pit of a car.”

“Hey, don’t talk about the Chevy that way. Sammy, I know you’re stressed, but don’t be. I’ll figure something out.”

“What, are you gonna start scamming for McDonald’s coupons?”

“I said I’d figure it out. Now shut up and get to sleep, you’ve got school tomorrow.”

Grumbling, Sam crawled into the back of the car. The backseats were down, creating something approaching a bed. Dean watched his brother awkwardly fold himself up and cover himself with the thin blanket, before turning around and trying to get comfy in the driver’s seat. He drifted off, sleeping lightly enough that he would wake if there was trouble.

The alley is dark; only its mouth is lit by the faint orange glow of a nearby streetlight. Dean limps into the black, glancing furtively at his surroundings, trying to make out whatever shapes he can. His right hand is glued to the gun at his hip.

He hears a snarl behind him, before an ungodly force knocks him to the ground. Claws tear at his back and sharp, white teeth dig into his neck. He hears a crack. A gunshot. The creature – a vampire – springs away from him, towards the source of the bullet, screeching at the sky.

“Dean, run!” calls his father. John is standing 20 feet ahead of him in the alleyway, his shotgun locked and loaded. The vamp bounds towards him.

“Get up, Dean!” But Dean is fixed to the floor. He can’t run. He can’t look away. The vamp reaches its target. It tears into John Winchester, rips him limb from limb. He screams.

“Dean! DEAN-“

“- Dean! Dean! Come on, I’m gonna be late for school!”

Dean was abruptly pulled from his dream, shaken awake by his brother. He blinked a few times to clear the images from his vision, before putting the car in gear and racing over to Sam’s school. After dropping him off, Dean swung around and headed back to the library. He was here for a job, after all, and he had work to do.

[saleintothe90s]

422. ”Carrie” (May 12 - May 15 1988)

I adore reading about flops. One of my favorite flops to read about is Carrie the musical. A doomed production from the start. Millions of dollars wasted. Bad costumes. Filler songs.

Similar to my Simpsons season 10 review, I wanna give something to the worst aspects of the show. With Simpsons, bad episodes were awarded Marge’s homemade Pepsi. For Carrie, I think I’m going to give the bad parts the “Vending Machine Maxi Pad” award. 

As most anybody who follows Broadway flops knows, clips from Carrie are scarce and are in poor condition on YouTube. Most of the actual clips are from when the show was in test productions in Stratford Upon Avon, but the music has been replaced with the Broadway soundboard.  So, keep that in mind. Most of the time you can’t even make out what’s going on. Here’s the closest copy of the entire show I could find on YouTube, from the Sratford Upon Avon production. 

I know people bash the musical, and sometimes it’s rightfully so, but two things are consistent: Linzi Hateley who played Carrie, and that orchestra that is on.point. Check out the overture.

(source)

The show begins with girls cheering in gym class in the beginning of an aerobics lesson?  The white gym shorts look like diapers. That’s the first of many costume mistakes. 

The song is a banger, I love Darlene Love playing the gym teacher, she’s my favorite part of the song. The only part that is cringey to me is when the girls sing “I go CrAzZyyyyy” and they get on the ground and dance like a toddler having a temper tantrum in a Toys R Us. Since the audio quality is so bad in these clips, I thought at one point the girls were singing about not being caught picking their nose, no, the lyric is:

Bought the clothes, did my nose,

Near the end of the song, the girls are on these rising rafters? It took me for-ever to realize that they were simulating a cheerleader pyramid, and that Carrie had snuck in near the end of the number to be on the bottom of the pyramid. Oh, and she causes it to fall and someone tells her to eat shit. 

“Dream On” is the song that the girls sing while in the showers. Why yes, it does look like they’re in the nude due to the poor quality of the video.  The song is ok, it gives total night driving home from the mall in the late 80s early 90s vibes.  Although one girl says the line, “Six foot three and he's in his forties!”. WHAT. 

Carrie breaks those vibes at around 3:44 by screaming that she’s bleeding. When Miss Gardener slaps Carrie, a cymbal plays. I love it.

I like to imagine that when the girls threw the tampons and pads at Carrie, some flew into the audience. 

“Carrie” is shrill at first, and then it turns into a bit of snoozefest. Linzi sings the name “Carrie” about 458 times. 

Betty Buckley who previously had played the original Grizabella in Cats. and who played the gym teacher in the original movie plays Carrie’s mom. Her song, “Open Your Heart” is pretty good. It’s a nice little break before mom goes bottoms up on Carrie for getting her period (”And Eve Was Weak” [Stratford version with Barbara Cook]):

Carrie: I was in the shower and...

Mom: You’re forbidden from showering with the other girls...

Carrie: I started to bleed!

While Carrie spends the rest of the night in a cellar, the popular girls are at the drive-in. Now, this musical cost over $7 million dollars 1, but yet this was the best set they could think of for a drive-in movie theater: 

It looks like something out of a high school play -- which I guess makes a little sense since they are high schoolers? I’m grabbing at straws here. It cost so much money to put Carrie on, what’s a few more dollars to have two real hollowed out cars on stage, one with Chris (in the red) & Billy (in black) in it, and the other with Sue (pink leggings) and Tommy (purple windbreaker)? 

“Don’t Waste the Moon” is the song sung at the drive-in, with Sue having regrets about throwing tampons at Carrie in the beginning of the song. The song is very 1980s, and it kind of doesn’t fit in the musical. Gene Anthony Ray’s (Billy) talent is wasted here. 

It’s time for some “Evening Prayers” for Carrie where she discusses with God her new telekinesis powers. Meanwhile Carrie’s mom is being a worrywort. During the Stratford production, Carrie’s mom is in a rocking chair over there looking like Whistler’s Mother. 

“You’re going to tell Carrie that you’re sorry!” belts out Miss Gardner. In the musical, Chris seems more obsessed with torturing Carrie than in the movie or book if that’s even possible. Sue is like, “What did she even do to you?”. Even Billy asked earlier, “Who the hell is Carrie White?”. 

Oooof. Seeing the gym teacher try to cheer Carrie up by singing a song about the prom (”Unsuspecting Hearts”) and how she could go too is patronizing. Even if its sung by Darlene Love. 

“Do Me a Favor” might be the most infamous song from the musical. It’s the song I see referred to the most when I read bad reviews. For some reason Chris is wearing a metallic red bodysuit and Sue is wearing a light pink bodysuit. Are they supposed to be that cliche devil and the angel on the shoulder thing? 

Chris looks like Evil Homer! 

I’m going be the unpopular opinion here and say that I love the song! The erratic dancing also fits with the song. 

Carrie tells her mom before “I Remember How Those Boys Would Dance” that Tommy is sweet and polite, but the audience doesn’t know that. Tommy is barely a character in this production. In the end, Carrie uses her powers to shut her mama up.

From what I gather in “Out for Blood” (audio) where Chris and Billy go looking for a pig to kill, the chorus dancers are the pigs? The video quality is so poor. Chris had another crazy ass red outfit on, some sort of shiny red skirt and a crop top. The costumes in this are just horrible. It was like the wardrobe budget was $50. 

This song is so.so.bad. It reminds me of whenever Rocko from Rocko’s Modern Life would see a movie trailer or a parody of something on TV for some reason?! Or the “gotta get that Reptar song” from Rugrats when the kids saw Reptar on ice. Especially when the chorus tells Billy to kill the pig: 

CHORUS Cha! Kill the pig, pig, pig! CHRIS Go! CHORUS Kill 'im, kill 'im, kill, kill! We'll make him bleed! CHRIS Go! CHORUS Get the blood, blood, blood Oooh, blood! CHRIS Oh, baby show... CHORUS Kill the pig, make 'im bleed Let's get the blood, that's all we need!

Sue’s song “It Hurts to be Strong” is a bit of a throw-away. It gets a vending machine maxi pad award. Moving on. It’s filler  

In “I’m Not Alone”, Carrie sings while using her powers to move things around in her room. What things? I don’t know the video quality was so bad. That’s another thing! The sets are nonexistent! I wouldn’t know we were in Carrie’s room unless the Playbill told me. It’s another forgettable song. Three in a row!

Betty Buckley saves the day in, “When There’s No One”, a sad song about facing life without Carrie being her subordinate. 

I don’t understand the prom dresses in “Wotta Night”, they’re all garish giant white numbers that make the actresses look about 20 pounds heaver.  The guys look like that Rio doll from Jem. The costume designer couldn’t just go to Alexanders or A&S and buy prom dresses? You know, why am I even asking at this point. We all saw what Chris has been wearing this whole time. There is a disco ball thrown aside in the corner instead of hanging up. More on that later.

The song sounds way too much like that song “Rock on” by David Essex.  Automatic Vending Machine Maxi Pad. 

Here’s a cute rehearsal clip I found of “Heaven”, the song sung while the Prom Queen and King ballots are being counted. Unfortunately, the audio is bad. Chris is there to remind us that she’s still out for blood.

Finally, finally it’s time for Carrie the prom queen to get drenched with blood -- but the thing is, due to microphone technology back then, Carrie really couldn’t have blood dumped on her. Chris and Billy just run up to her and half ass pour the bucket at her. Could the set designer not suspend the bucket from above the stage? Is that also why the disco ball is thrown in the corner? I don’t even think she has stage blood on her during “The Destruction”, (which is the best song from the musical).  I think a red spotlight over Carrie signifies the blood.

I think Linzi is really only truly covered in blood for press shots. 

Anyway, the Destruction, I love it when she screeches “DOESN’T ANYBODY EVER GET IT RIGHT??! DOESN’T ANYBODY THINK THAT I HEAR?!” It’s the best. I could listen to it all day and I almost did the other day. 

Due the poor video quality, I can’t really tell how the prom-goers are dying. They’re kinda just twitching there in the laser light or slamming themselves against the clear barrier that descended from the stage to signify Carrie closing the doors to the gym. 

After Carie kills everybody, this giant white staircase descends and covers up the gym. I read somewhere, I forgot where, that its supposed to be the school stairs? We’re led to believe that Carrie’s crazy mom ran to the school. The first time I saw it, I thought that it was Carrie and her mom getting ready to go to heaven. I thought maybe someone over at the set department took the classic song too literally. 

It appears that while the stairs are descending, Carrie smears stage blood on her. 

The reprise of “Carrie’ is so much better than the original. Carrie stops her mom’s heart cold mid song. Then she slins down the stairs and Sue catches her. In an interview on playbill.com, Betty Buckley says that on opening night (I don’t know if she meant the first preview, or the official opening night), there were boos from the audience at the end, but cheers for Linzi and herself. I believe it. Betty and Linzi were amazing. Darlene Love was amazing. The rough scenes are the scenes with the school kids. They’re awful, in the words of my boy Jay Sherman, “they’re awful I tell you. aw.ful.” 

(relevant prom .gif) 

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1. Rothstein, Mervyn. “After Seven Years And $7 Million, ‘Carrie’ Is a Kinetic Memory (Published 1988).” The New York Times, May 17, 1988, sec. Theater. https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/17/theater/after-seven-years-and-7-million-carrie-is-a-kinetic-memory.html.

New York City Broadway reviews on the news in NYC for Carrie.  That first reviewer, Stuart Klein, I love him. I’ve watched several of his reviews on flops on YouTube. Joel Sigel who was the Good Morning America film reviewer is here too. 

Archive of Betty Buckley interview. 

[finn-nelson-for-the-win]

The Good Life: Chapter 12

Hello, my lovelies! I know it’s been a little while since my last post, and I’m sorry about that, but it’s been hard to find time to write anything as of lately. This is just a relatively short chapter to act as filler and to fill in some gaps in the events of the previous chapter and to segue into what’s to come in the next few chapters that I have all mapped out. I hope you enjoy this little chapter!

Need to get caught up? The Good Life: Ch1, Ch2, Ch3, Ch4 , Ch5, Ch6, Ch7, Ch8 , Ch9 , Ch10, Ch 11

If you want to be added (or  removed) from the tags list for this story, just feel free to let me know!

@pink-royaute @believethaticanandiwill @milllott @likeashootingstarfades @i-dream-of-emus @eveerez @saintsisterwriter

The Good Life: Chapter 12

“No offense, babes, but you look like shit. Actually, you look worse than shit,” Chloe said as she took a sip of her mimosa.

“Thanks, Chlo! Why don’t you tell me how you really feel?” Rae remarked sarcastically as she added sugar to her coffee and took a long drink.

“Sorry, but it’s true.”

“I know that I look like shit. I had a really late-night last night and I definitely wasn’t expecting for someone to call me repeatedly at half past six this morning,” Rae grumbled.

“I said I was sorry, but you weren’t picking up your phone and I really wanted to see if you were free to do brunch today. We’re both always so busy and I didn’t know when I’d get to see you again since I’m going on a trip to New York for work for the rest of the month.”

“I know, and I’m sorry that I’ve been so hard to make plans with lately. I’m happy to spend time with you and see you before you leave later this week, I just don’t love how early I had to wake up this morning, so please forgive my grumpiness.”

“You’re already forgiven, Rae-Rae,” Chloe replied, “So…were you gonna tell me why you had such a late night or am I going to have to coax the truth out of you?”

“Well, I went out to that new bar in the city. The one where they have all the board games and stuff that you can play—”

“Oh my god! Were you on a date last night, Rae? I know that that bar closes fairly early, so if you had a ‘late night’ you must have continued the fun after leaving the bar, didn’t you?” Chloe asked with a smirk.

“I went to the bar last night with Finn,” Rae clarified.

“Oh.”

“Why do you sound so disappointed?”

“I really hoped you had gone on a date. Your love life has plummeted since you moved in with Finn, since the two of you are practically inseparable.”

“What are you talking about, Chlo? I didn’t have a love life, before or after moving in with Finn,” Rae chuckled.

“That’s not the point, Rae. I just want you to have some excitement in your life!”

“You mean you want me to have excitement in my life so then I can tell you exciting stories about my sexcapades since you’re in a long-term relationship and want to live vicariously through me,” Rae added with an eye roll.

“While that is true, I mean it when I say that I want you to have fun. You’re young and single and bloody gorgeous and I have no clue why you don’t have crowds of men groveling at your feet constantly.”

“I’m just really focused on work and finishing Uni, so dating hasn’t been much of a priority for me. My life is just fine as it is.”

“Your life is boring.”

“That’s not true!”

“Oh really? What’s the most recent interesting thing that has happened in your life?”

“I went on a date with the guy I met at Chop’s party a while back,” Rae replied matter of factly.

“Blue? Yeah, you mentioned that to me when we got coffee a couple days after your date.”

“Oh, then...I’ve been puppy sitting my coworker’s dog for the last week!”

“I know, you showed me Rocky via video chat on Wednesday.”

“Oh…” Rae trailed off.

“I told you! No offense, but you live a quite boring life, Rae!”

“I do not!”

“You really do, babes.”

“Well, here’s something that I know you don’t know about already,” Rae began, “Finn and I kissed last night.”

“You what?”

“We kissed. Technically he kissed me, I think, but I kissed him back...I think.”

“You think? What do you mean you ���think’?”

“Well we went to that bar together, which may or may not have been a date. I’m actually not too sure about that in hindsight...anyways, after the bar we came home and kept drinking and then we were playing truth or dare. When we decided to call it a night, he kissed me.”

“On the cheek?”

“Nope! On the lips. For a solid few seconds too,”

“Then what?”

“Well, to be honest, I was really drunk by that point and some of the details are a little bit hazy. But I think he pulled away and started to apologize, I said that I didn’t mind, he kissed me again and I’m pretty sure I kissed him back. We just kept kissing for a little while and then we went to sleep.”

“Just like that? You went from swapping spit to saying ‘goodnight’ just like that?”

“Technically we said goodnight before we started kissing, but yeah,” Rae replied with a shrug.

“So, what now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you and Finn together now or are you both wanting to act on the sexual tension that’s been building between the two of you since you first met?”

“Sexual tension? What do you mean? Actually, it doesn’t matter. We haven’t talked about the kiss, actually. He was still very much asleep when I left to meet you for brunch, so that conversation will have to wait until a later time.”

“Well I look forward to hearing how that conversation goes.”

“I think I am looking forward to it too,” Rae replied with a small smile.

“Stop me if I’m interpreting this all wrong, but you wouldn’t happen to still have a tiny crush on a certain boy named Finn Nelson, would you?”

“No! No, of course not...probably not. Well, actually, I don’t know…”

“Rae…”

“I know, I know. You don’t have to have this whole discussion with me yet again,”

“I just don’t want you and Finn to end up on different pages with what your relationship is and you end up getting hurt. Especially now that you two are living together and stuck in a lease until next summer.”

“Trust me, Chloe, I know. And I am being careful. I just don’t want to get ahead of myself and make a big deal out of nothing. Finn had a lot to drink last night too, most likely more than I did, so who knows if he even remembers anything that happened.”

“Maybe you’re right, Rae,” Chloe replied dropping the subject as soon as the food they had ordered was delivered by their waitress.

Chloe and Rae continued enjoying their brunch and talking, being sure to avoid any mention of their previous topics of conversation.

After they were done, Chloe gave Rae a ride back to her apartment and parked her car in the lot nearest to Rae’s apartment.

“Thanks for joining me for brunch, Rae-Rae!”

“It’s no problem, I’m glad that I got to see you before you leave. Even if that meant waking up early with a massive hangover,” Rae chuckled lightly.

“I certainly owe you one,” Chloe responded before hesitating, “I also look forward to hearing how it goes when you talk to Finn about—”

“Yeah, I’ll be sure to give you all the details,” Rae interrupted, “I gotta go make sure that Finn is awake and has taken Rocky for his walk or take him out myself, if not.”

“Okay, well...tell Finn and Rocky that I say ‘hello’, I suppose” Chloe replied, worry clear in her voice as Rae stepped out of the car.

“Relax, Chloe. I know you’re worried about me, but you don’t have to be. I doubt Finn remembers a thing, but even if he does, I can almost guarantee that it meant nothing to him!” Rae replied just before closing the door of Chloe’s car.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Chloe muttered as the door shut and she watched Rae walking away from her car towards the stairs to get to her apartment.

A/N: So I know that I’ve been pretty MIA for the last couple weeks and have been shit about writing/posting. There’s been a lot of changes in my life over the past month and a lot going on, but just to name a few things: I graduated from Uni, I started a new job 3 days ago, I’m currently working 2 jobs totaling 50-60hrs of work per week, I’m in the process of finding a new place to live, I’m trying to pull myself out of the deepest depression that I’ve been in since I was about 16yrs old...so yeah, I have a lot going on.

I know my posting habits wouldn’t show it, but I’m still really excited about this story and want to continue developing it as long as I’m able to and as long as people are still willing to read it. I don’t know what else to say here, really, but in case I go another week or two or three etc. without posting, I’m always still here and just an ask/message away if you wanna chat or whatever. Even when I’m not posting, I’m still always on Tumblr lurking and seeing what others are posting hahaha

Until next time: stay awesome, my friends!

[morbidy]

Teddy Opal bio ramble

Friend asked for Teddy Opal details so I wrote 900+ words because I don’t know when to stop. There is so much I am so sorry

You don’t have to read if you don’t want to. But if you don’t, you should still be subjected to Teddy’s favorite pair of shoes:

Teddy was born in England in 1964. Low-middle class, I’m thinking. He probably has one or two older siblings that took a lot of attention, so was left to his own entertainment a lot. He was kind of rowdy, energetic, was the type to climb around derelict buildings and get kicked out of corner stores for being loud and untrustworthy.

Some of his loud energy got channeled into piano lessons - he actually enjoyed them a lot. He was no prodigy, but he was pretty quickly coming up with his own, simple little sequences. He grew up listening to 70s rock, and into his teen years was learning guitar, bass guitar, and finding he was a decent vocalist.

He was in and out of a couple bands as a teenager, gaining enough of a reputation in the area to head his own band, Opal Stallions. Though he was the youngest of his bandmates by a handful of years, his charisma and dedication to finding gigs and rehearsal time made him the unquestionable leader. By the time Teddy was 21 (1985), they were signed and rapidly gaining popularity as a rock band with some punk influence.

They enjoyed something very near stardom for a while, releasing a couple well-received albums and doing shows. Not a top band, but beyond being a local band. They had music videos and did big events and and could easily be described as famous. As most famous 80s bands, drugs and partying were a large part of their lives. Especially for Teddy, who was still really just a rambunctious kid who now had the world at his feet.

A few years into their rising stardom, a scandal knocks the feet out from under the band. I’m not sure what yet - I want it to be something they brought on themselves, probably, because that's more poetic. A lesson in hubris like some dramatic Greek tragedy. But anyway, whether its some legal money scandal, or the death of a groupie at a party, or whatever - it ruins the band. Quickly they find this scandal following them and tarnishing their reputation, and popularity plummets. The band cracks from all the internal fighting, and they split.

Teddy still had his charming charisma, and was able to keep some of his contacts in the music industry. He moves to the US at this point, I think. He did some session/studio musician work for a while - providing guitar on the albums of other musicians. Generally he moped around and mourned the music career he killed just as it was getting started. He stopped partying, mostly drinking alone now and living a very boring life.

Sometime in his 40s, I think, he is able to buy or become partners in owning a music venue in a city. I’m going to say Seattle ( I feel like all my real-world stories take place near Seattle, but oh well). He runs the music venue now, bringing in lots of popular bands, and letting up-and-coming local bands perform on weekday nights for cheap. At this point he starts becoming less broody over his past - he meets all these kids who say how much they liked Opal Stallions growing up, how they influenced their music, and stuff like that. And he becomes this weird uncle figure to the local music scene.

He’s really casual - he doesn’t like being called Sir or Mr Opal. Even Ted and Theodore sound too stiff for him, so he still goes by Teddy. He has a sense of humor, but it’s hidden under a calm demeanor. His face is rather severe looking - gaunt cheeks, a boney chin, and sharp little ears. He dresses in mostly simple, dark clothing - except his shoes. He seems to have a collection of interesting shoes -  things like teal zebra-print pointed toe things (i used to have a picture saved of these shoes for him, but have since lost it.) They are often colorful and tacky, and no one can tell if he’s being ironic by wearing them, or if he actually likes them.  

I kind of designed his tattoos! He has quarter sleeves on both his arms. His left arm is mostly snakes winding through flowers, with some mice running around in between. Teddy has had a few pet snakes over the course of his life. He probably always has one or two, and is the type to bring one from home to the office every day to let it hang out in his shirt. His left forearm has some nautical stars around the bottom of the sleeve, and some stray matches and a zippo lighter. There’s also a hissing black cat done in a like.. 50’s halloween decoration style.

His left sleeve extends up onto his neck where he has something written in scrolly font, but I don’t know what yet. I need to figure out when in his life he got it to determine what the quote says.

His right pectoral is a rearing horse with a sunburst behind it, which fades into clouds on his right shoulder. Under the clouds is a cemetery scene, and the headstones have some dates on them - I think the dates of some close friends and family who died. From there to his elbow is random edgy stuff - a coffin, an iron wrought cemetery fence. Not sure about his right forearm yet.

The front of his right hip has a skeletal hand giving a middle finger.

I have all these sketched out for an idea but need to finalize things and find more filler to make the sleeves look better. Also, I feel like in his late 30s he started going to the gym and kept at it, and so now is surprisingly agile and fit for his age. Still smokes a lot of cigarettes though.

[yutamint]

pink ears + peanut butter (college!au I.M)

hello i am back w/ college!au changkyun bc i was just thinking bout it ok

pairing: im changkyun x reader (f)

genre: fluff pretty much

notes: there’s some swearing so sorry bout that also this is pretty long sorry also i didn’t proofread i’m just here posting it thank u

word count: 1.8k

so listen you aren’t a straight A student ok you’re like maybe a B average student bc math is hard and chemistry is the devil’s asshole

but one thing you’re good at?? world history

all those crash course videos you watched in your spare time came in clutch when it came to this class bc wow you shine like a star in hist25

and plot twist?? you actually enjoy it

the crusades?? FUCK YEAH gimme more on eleanor of aquitaine

anyways, long story short you’re pretty good at world history and your professor KNOWS you’re good bc you’re literally... the only one who answers questions in lecture.... about literally anything

“how are we all doing?” “i’m good how are you professor” “thank you Y/N”

so yea you’re a big nerd for this ok cool let’s move on

im changkyun is doing well in all of his classes except for... you guessed it: hist25!! with you!!

he just doesn’t show any interest in it honestly? it was one of those filler classes he has to take in order to graduate and tbh..... it’s like he never enrolled

he never shows up to lecture bc “he has better things to do with his time”

but your professor knows that he’s capable of so much more than a damn 59%

so you’re casually discussing the cold war at office hours when knock knock changkyun shows up

“ah mr. im, glad you could join us” and you’re over here like ‘he’s joining us?? who is this dude?? he’s in my class??’ “glad i could make it professor”

anyways this fucker pulls up a seat next to you and you ... just... look at him like ‘why are you here but also why have i never seen you before you are so cute??’

“so changkyun, i understand you’ve been doing relatively well in all your other classes but not mine.... is there any particular reason??” “i’m not very good at history professor” “i’d like to introduce you to Y/N. they’re one of the top students in the class and willing to help you in the course, right Y/N??” and you actually cHOKE ON YOUR OWN SPIT because when did YOu say you were willing to help

“ahem.. right Y/N? your notes are far more helpful than the textbook and i’m sure changkyun would learn a lot from you” “y-y-yes a-a-absolutely professor! i’d love to help changin” “it’s changkyun” “right, sorry” at this point your ears are literally flaming red and you can feel your fingers start to clam up

and changkyun notices all of this bc as soon as he walked into the room, he couldn’t take his eyes off you!! bc wow you were gorgeous!! even in your school sweatshirt and messy hair hehe

he can’t stop looking over at you bc 1. you were cute and 2. you were fidgeting like no end smh changkyun noticed how you shake your leg when you get nervous, how your eyebrows raised when your professor mentioned your name, and the various shades of pink and red your ears turned as soon as you realized what was going on

“wait so am i tutoring him or something” “you could say that! of course you don’t have to work with Y/N, changkyun, but i really would like to see you pass the course” “i’d be happy to work with them, sir” and he gave u a small grin and you actually felt your heart stop

anyways you have a class starts in like 20 min so you start to get up to say goodbye to your prof and changkyun but you feel a hand on your shoulder

“wait where’s your class?” “oh uh it’s in the engineering building” “i can walk you there?” and you look at the professor like he was supposed to tell you what to do like what the actual fUCK DO I DO but you look back at changkyun and you just nod

why is the air so thick between you two?? you can feel his eyes on you and you’re just like.... pls

“c-changkyun you didn’t have to w-walk me to class... thank you though” you literally avoid eye contact with him in order to not embarrass yourself further “don’t worry about it Y/N, my next class is in that direction as well” “when’s your class?” “oh in about 2 hours” “what the hell dude”

you walk faster bc class is in 5 min and you aren’t even halfway across campus ok cool speed lightning

so ye you guys finally get to the lecture hall and changkyun looks so surprised?? like “wait is this chem” “yeah kill me right” “wait no i love chem” “are you serious” “yeah i’m really good at it.... can i sit next to you?” and you look at him like are you insane.... who would sit in a chemistry lecture for 50 min for fun?? answer: im changkyun

so you two are in the back of the lecture hall and he’s literally just sitting there watching you take notes and scratch your head in confusion... “hey you wrote down that entropy is change in heat but that’s enthalpy” “oh... thanks changkyun” “your handwriting is cute” and honestly he finds so much amusement in seeing your ears go from pink to red in 5 seconds

chem is already hard as it is but having hIM sit next to you watching your every move made you want to get up and leave... but if you left then you wouldn’t be able to see changkyun so you just suffered quietly like usual

after lecture, you were off to your dorm to take a nap after everything that happened and changkyun was off to meet his friends, but before you two parted ways, he mentioned to go through your notes from today when you had a spare chance

you flip through your notebook and surprise he scribbled down his number on your chem notes w/ a lil note ‘let’s study for world history tonight!! text me’ and you actually thank your professor for letting this happen

so pull your blankets over your head and shoot him a lil text

‘changkyun?? it’s Y/N’ ‘you checked your notes huh? ;)’ ‘yeah ngl that was pretty smooth of you’ ‘i try my best :~) do you wanna meet @ the lib to study?’ ‘sure!! is 7 on the 3rd floor okay?’ ‘perfect i’ll see u then’ ‘ok goodnight’ ‘goodnight??’

you woke up from your nap literally 10 min before you had to meet changkyun and honestly it was terrible bc your hair was a mess and you had drool on your chin but anyways you rushed to get yourself together bc you didn’t want to leave him waiting 

you didn’t realize that he texted you like 5 diff times asking you if you wanted to eat dinner before studying until you got to the library

‘changkyun.......... i’m so sorry omg’ ‘are u alive now’ ‘yes omg i fell asleep are u here yet’ ‘ya i’m on the third floor by the window’ ‘wait... there are windows everywhere’ ‘ok i’ll come get u’

so you stood by the elevator trying to fix your hair to look presentable when you hear “Y/N!” to your right and you look over to see changkyun and his lil smiley face waving over to you

“have you eaten yet?” “no i came straight here after my nap” “i got you something in case you get hungry” and you stopped dead in your tracks bc... you barely know him yet he was kind enough to get you food wtf

so anyways you both got settled and changkyun handed you a juice pouch and a messily wrapped sandwich in a ziploc bag

“are you allergic to peanut butter” “no i don’t think so” “ok good bc i only know how to make pb and jelly sandwiches”

and your heart fluttered a lil bit bc..... he made u a sandwich wtf changkyun

“so where do we start” “where’s your textbook??” “i never bought one” and you look at this boy like ..... why.... did you not buy one and he just shrugs and says “it’s not like i was gonna need it and it was $300″

so you pull out your notebook and you guys start to go over everything that would be on the upcoming exam

and changkyun gets it!! maybe it’s bc he’s finally paid attention to material or maybe it’s bc you’re teaching him!! who knows

but seeing you nod enthusiastically and praise him when he got something right motivated him to keep going!! bc seeing your smile and your eyes light up was something that made HIS ears turn pink and his palms sweaty (but he wouldn’t ever tell you that)

and you were so excited bc changkyun was starting to show interest in something that you enjoyed and loved and that made you so happy!! plus you didn’t mind the attention that he was giving you who wouldn’t mind it’s changkyun wtf

so anyways you guys met up at the library practically every day up until the exam

he actually shows up to class now and always saves you a seat

and you always give him a pen bc he happens to “lose” his every single time

and by this point you’re like 900% sure changkyun knows more about the byzantine empire than you did

so it’s no surprise when you get your scores for the exam back and changkyun does better than you?? and you’re like ..... i taught you everything 

but he gives you this look like holy shit you actually taught me something and i thought i wasn’t gonna make it but it looks like i can pass with at least a solid C now and like.... that’s when the lightbulb flickers on for you??

like.... am i actually.... romantically....interested in im changkyun?? and ring ding dong you are

bc while you guys would be at the library, you’d always bring an extra carton of milk for him and he’d always split his sandwich with you.... and he would always doodle lil stars on the corners of your notebook.... and you’d always let him borrow your textbook and leave him lil post it notes saying stuff like “ur annoying” and “pls bring food to class on tuesday”... and you guys would literally stay until the librarian begged you to leave bc you two were the only people left... 

and when you’d show up to your guys’ study sessions frustrated bc your damn lab partner didn’t pull his weight on the assignment again and you were left to finish the entire lab report by yourself again, changkyun wouldn’t hesitate to help you finish everything

so when changkyun gave you the bIGGEST hug and pressed his lips to your forehead after class one day, you were like !!!!!!!

“you know Y/N we only see each other in class and when we have our study sessions, but i’d like to see you more than that...do you wanna get dinner w/ me sometime? like maybe tonight?”

“changkyun, is this like a d-date?” “yup it is, make sure you don’t wake up from your nap 10 min before”

thank u for reading this if u got all the way to the end i love changkyun

[scartale-an-undertale-au]

in nine days. the 12th of September, it’s this blog first anniversary. This is the blog’s first post. the very first chapter of scartale, edited to fit Tumblr.

it’s... it has been a year already, huh? it’s kind of hard to imagine that. it felt as if this blog was created yesterday and yet as if it was made a century ago.

so much had happened in this year I can barely remember most of it with my terrible memory *chuckle*

I remember when I wanted to close this blog since no one took notice of this place or my posts. I literally had only ten followers for the a few months (two were my reblog blog and staff)

I remember beginning to draw digitally because I wanted more people to see my blog and thought that it would be the way. I even tried to draw a comic... didn’t work XD

I remember starting to go to streams and meeting chara, Hermione and tm. I love you guys so much!

I remember finding Nicolle’s story and finding out that she was searching for aus and offered her mine. the beginning of our friendship ^^ i’m still so honored to be her friend. she’s an amazing friend and her story is amazing.

I still laugh at how, when I began my job and decided to put PoH and my original works as a filler, I had never expected to come back to an increase of 50 followers XD and I would have never imagined PoH becoming this big in my life. I didn’t even plan to post it before finishing scartale. but I don’t regret posting it ^^

I remember befriending bente, qy, mile, deusn, kira, wolfie, nx, ksenya, and rose. talking to some amazing people who followed me like an, 2tcool, xxxx-123, livingfull, italianspy, piethecreator, tiger, theblankandthewritten, and chinchy. sadly some conversations simply faded out and some didn’t end so well. but I am still thankful for the time we spent together ^^

receiving amazing fanart (first one from mongreldog, who is unfortunately unable to talk anymore).

starting rp with random people like 2tcool, undertaletrash and deusn (still waiting XD)

I even hosted some streams of mine and people came! I asked chara to create me a speedaint even! (didn’t know it was streaming while I was recording XD sorry about being absent then.)

I... I was a broken woman a year ago. I had just lost my father who had emotionally abused me and my family for the past five years because his meds had messed him up in the head. I had no confidence, was lonely, was heavily depressed, barely lived day to day because I knew dying would break my mom, trying to recover the broken pieces of my lost stories that my father destroyed when I stood up to him.

Moshe had introduced me to Undertale and I fell in love with the game and with the fandom despite its many many problems. and suddenly I wanted to create a blog. I had a mighty need to create a blog for my story and become famous so I could hear a lot of reactions to my story.

and so... this came to be. this mess of links, pictures, shenanigans, asks, reblogs, sin... a really big mess. someone help me ;-;

*chuckle as I start to tear up* and today... I still have many problems. as I said, tumblr didn’t erase my problems, but now i’m happier. I have rekindled my friendship with moshe and racheli, I met so many people and made so many friends. people actually like my stories and art. I am trying to open kofi to get paid for what I create and even try to begin on commissions, something I couldn’t believe last year that I would ever do. I never thought people would actually like my creations, would send me such silly and fun asks, would waste their time on me ;-;. I love you guys so much!

I now have something to look forward to at the end of the week.

I have regained most of my confidence back and now my job is not as taunting as I thought it would be. I have friends at the workplace’s dorms, in my team. i’m still shy and socially awkward, but i’m mostly able to push through that.

... i’m rambling again, oops XD

anyways, I... I just wanted to thank you guys. I wanted to thank you for this amazing year. for being part of this small world that I had created.

(I forget how to draw my persona since I didn’t draw her for so long XD so embarrassing)

[obtusemedia]

In Ascending Order: Top 50 Songs of the ‘90s

The ‘90s have become sort of an idyllic period that many Millennials and Gen Xers look fondly upon. It makes sense — the economy was good, Seinfeld ruled televisions, we weren’t worried about either the USSR or North Korea nuking us — but if there’s one thing that has really kept the ‘90s beloved, it’s the music.

There’s something for everyone at the end of the 20th Century, from grunge to gangsta rap to boy bands to Britpop. The ‘90s featured rock’s final years of pop relevance, as well as the blossoming of its underground movements. Hip-hop became a massive cultural force. And although pop wasn’t as strong as it was in the ‘80s, it did have a nice bounce-back period near Y2K.

Capturing the essence of the wildly-divergent ‘90s in just 50 songs is difficult, but I took a swing at it anyways. Let’s dive in:

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

> “Even Flow” by Pearl Jam (1992): Since I’m a Puget Sound native, I should love Pearl Jam more than I do. But sorry, I’ve never been able to muster too much love for the iconic grunge act. That said, “Even Flow” has a great, energetic groove that goes nicely with Eddie Vedder’s bellow.

> “Not If You Were the Last Junkie On Earth” by the Dandy Warhols (1997): By 1997, Nevermind seemed like a century away, as bright-and-shiny pop tunes took over from Alt Nation. So how did indie rock respond? By making a snarktastic, uber-catchy power pop jam about how “heroin was so passé,” complete with a music video featuring dancing syringes. The ‘90s were wild, guys.

> “Crash Into Me” by Dave Matthews Band (1996): If Greta Gerwig gets to admit that this song is actually good despite the oddly skeevy lyrics at times, then so do I. Just forget about the time they dumped 800 pounds of poop in the Chicago River and let Dave’s froggy voice whisk you away.

> “Metal Detektor” by Spoon (1998): America’s most consistent indie rock band wouldn’t reach their heights until the early 2000′s, but “Metal Detektor” is a solid lo-fi preview of the groovy, nervy tunes to come.

> “All Star” by Smash Mouth (1999): Forget the memes and Shrek and remember that this song is iconic for a reason. Did it age badly? Absolutely. But that’s part of its dorky, wonderful charm. And like every young Millennial, I know every word by heart. HEY NOW

#50: “Inbetweener” by Sleeper (1995)

One thing I love about Britpop is its fondness for character vignettes. Pulp were masters of this, and Blur occasionally dipped their toes in that pool, but even the B-listers knew how to nail a depressed-suburbanite character study.

“Inbetweener” tells the story of a married couple who settled for each other. They weren’t each others’ first-choices, they were just supposed to be “inbetweeners.” By the time they’ve settled into adulthood, their lives have descended into complete boredom, but they’re also too lazy to change anything. It’s the black hole of mediocrity.

Sleeper does a stellar job making the story pop, with a sunny sound to balance out lead singer Louise Wener’s deadpan vocals. In a way, it’s a bit ironic that a pop-rock song with a chorus this anthemic would be about the most boring lives imaginable, but I imagine that was sort-of the point.

#49: “When I Come Around” by Green Day (1994)

Bay Area legends Green Day went 100 percent into the pop side of pop-punk with the infamous graduation anthem “Good Riddance.” But I’ll always prefer their earlier, snottier side, which balanced the two genres perfectly.

“When I Come Around” is a song so maddeningly catchy that it doesn’t even matter that drummer Tre Cool utterly fails to stay on beat, occasionally slowing down and speeding up. Thank god for Billie Joe Armstrong’s timeless melody and crunchy guitar tone, both of which keep this song afloat, along with a solid slap-bass. 

Honestly, the amateur vibe of “When I Come Around” is endearing nearly 25 years later, when most mainstream rock feels aggressively focus-grouped. Even Green Day would become much more polished later on (not that this was always bad), so it’s nice to see the youthful energy and passion on display.

#48: “Jesus Freak” by DC Talk (1995)

There were many subgenres that peaked in the ‘90s that I’ve already mentioned, but there’s one more movement that had its prime years in this era: Christian rock.

...wait, wait, don’t click away yet! I’m not trying to proselytize here — some ‘90s Christian music could pass as the real deal. A few, like Jars of Clay, even notched a mainstream hit. But no Christian rock band was bigger among the youth-group set than DC Talk, who never really crossed over to secular audiences. And their signature song, “Jesus Freak,” is absolutely ridiculous — and that’s what makes it great.

Christian music in the ‘10s is mostly bland and focus-grouped to death. If you can tell one Hillsong or Lauren Daigle tune apart from the next, you have better ears than I. But “Jesus Freak” was a strange beast. Instead of joy or thankfulness, its primary emotions are defiance and rage. They even worked with the same music video director as Nine Inch Nails! Amy Grant would never. (although she certainly had her mainstream pop sellout moment in the ‘90s)

Does “Jesus Freak” have some embarrassing lyrics about John The Baptist’s belly? Of course. Does it blatantly rip off “Smells Like Teen Spirit?" Definitely. But, most importantly — is it a banger? HELL (err...heaven) YEAH.

#47: “Vapour Trail” by Ride (1990)

Shoegaze is definitely a sound that I respect more than I actually like. Personally (as you’ll see later on this list), I prefer its more structured, catchier cousin, dream pop.

But Ride managed to find the sweet spot between My Bloody Valentine and top-40 with their sweetly melancholy “Vapour Trail.” It definitely has all the hallmarks of shoegaze — it’s very spaced-out, the lyrics are both romantic and depressing, and there’s a definite wall-of-sound feel to it — but there’s also an actual hook. Thanks to its jangly guitars and orchestral coda, it almost feels like The Smiths’ take on the subgenre.

#46: “Enter Sandman” by Metallica (1991)

Why yes, I am that loser that’s never been able to get into metal, yet loves the simpler pleasures of “Enter Sandman.” What can I say — it’s a total jam and the hooks are plentiful.

It’s honestly kind of hilarious that this song became a massive success right as R.E.M. and Nirvana were rapidly shifting what popular rock sounded like, because “Enter Sandman” leans much heavier towards cheesy, over-the-top hair metal than grunge. I can’t get enough of James Hetfield hamming it up on the mic, literally cackling like a Disney villain at a few points.

For me, the corniness is part of the fun here, along with the raw energy that the band brings to the song. “Enter Sandman” let the masses headbang along with the metalheads, and for that, I’m grateful.

#45: “...Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears (1998)

Here’s proof of how massive Britney Spears’ debut single was: I was in preschool when it was released, and I knew it just as well as the Sesame Street or Arthur theme songs at the time. “...Baby One More Time” was a staple of Radio Disney, which was my main exposure to non-Christian music before elementary school (that, and Thriller, of course). Those opening piano stabs were etched into my brain from a very early age.

There’s a good reason it’s stuck with me: Britney’s breakthrough smash is a pop classic. “...Baby One More Time” captures the passion of a teenage crush better than almost any song from its era. And Max Martin’s crystal-clear, melodramatic production is untouchable. Frankly, it might still be Britney’s best song, over 20 years later.

#44: “Animal Nitrate” by Suede (1993)

One of the first major Britpop anthems, “Animal Nitrate” is a swaggering, cocky ode to the UK’s finest glam rock. Marc Bolan would’ve killed to write something this seedy and catchy.

In a way, it serves as sort of the mid-point between Blur and Pulp’s winking snark and Oasis’ hard-charging stadium-fillers. Just add a nice dose of sleaze. Suede weren’t able to keep up the momentum from their landmark debut, but at least they have classic singles like “Animal Nitrate” that cemented their legacy as pioneers.

#43: “Born Slippy .NUXX” by Underworld (1996)

I’m not normally a fan of super-long electronic songs. In fact, this will be the only representative of electronica — a fairly popular scene in the late ‘90s — to show up on this list.

But “Born Slippy” is special. First off, to be completely honest with y’all: I’m a bit biased, since the track was famously featured in Trainspotting, one of my favorite ‘90s movies. So it was always going to have positive connotations for me. Beyond that, “Born Slippy,” more than any other classic electronica song of its time, is bonkers. After a long, atmospheric intro, it’s essentially five and a half minutes of rambling, drunken chaos over a thudding drum beat (with one little break in the middle).

It’s both minimalist (a good chunk of the song is just a drum machine and chanting) and maximalist (IT’S SO LOUD). “Born Slippy” is the audio equivalent of losing your mind, and I love every second of it.

#42: “Groove Is In The Heart” by Deee-Lite ft. Q-Tip (1990)

And here’s a dance song with the complete opposite vibe! While Underworld turned their thumping beats into cold, confusing chaos, Deee-Lite only has one mission with their classic one-hit-wonder: to soundtrack the greatest party of all time.

“Groove” just about succeeds in that goal, too. The bassline and clattering percussion are untouchable, the lyrics are pure nonsense in the best way (more dance songs should throw in Dr. Seuss references), and the group even snagged funk legend Bootsy Collins to throw in some random ad-libs here and there. 

Q-Tip, a budding legend in his own right, contributes a nice verse, but the real draw here is Deee-Lite’s aggressive quirkiness. Where else will you find a dancefloor filler that includes slide-whistle solos?

#41: “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan (1995)

New Jack Swing — the subgenre that mixed R&B smoothness with hip-hop beats and attitude — might have peaked in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, but its best track came way after its pinnacle.

“This Is How We Do It” will always be an effective crowdpleaser. Somehow, Montell Jordan found a way to balance street smarts with a squeaky-clean jam perfect for a Bar Mitzvah. He essentially perfected Will Smith’s formula, but Jordan had an extra advantage: his golden vocals. Yeah, his rapping is a bit corny, but you can’t deny that voice.

The ‘90s had plenty of gangsta-lite party jams like “This Is How We Do It,” but thanks to Jordan’s charisma and a deathless chorus, this one stands above the rest.

#40: “Movin’ On Up” by Primal Scream (1991)

If you’re going to rip off the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” you might as well go for the jugular and only steal its massive ending.

“Movin’ On Up” is absolutely shameless in that regard, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t effective anyways. This gospel/classic-rock pastiche is four minutes of straight euphoria: Uplifting lyrics! Jazzy piano! Soaring guitar solos! And of course, a gospel choir so powerful that their voices break through the noise like the Kool-Aid Man. 

Primal Scream were smart enough to let the choir take over the second half of the song, just letting the vaguely-religious vibes ride itself out. Because of this brilliant decision, “Movin’ On Up” is somehow more danceable than the rest of its album, the acid-house landmark Screamadelica.

#39: “Just A Girl” by No Doubt (1995)

Riot grrrl, an aggressively feminist brand of indie rock, was an important ‘90s subgenre, but rarely a commercially successful one. Still, there were some acts that polished up that style of angst and packaged into something different yet still great, and one of them was No Doubt.

Although Gwen Stefani might be more well-known to most millennials for teaching us all how to spell bananas, her best song might still be “Just A Girl.” It’s a pretty simple concept — woman is righteously upset by how society coddles her because of her gender — but Stefani sells with her flexible vocals and loads of personality. She shifts from an exaggerated Betty Boop pastiche to a Californian alt-rock wail within seconds.

The rest of No Doubt are able to keep pace with their frontwoman, bouncing back and forth between the springy verses and mosh-friendly, speedy choruses. It’s a good fit for Stefani’s manic energy, and a nice burst of bright energy to bring a close to a dreary era of rock.

#38: “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” by DMX (1998)

Forget shiny suits: If I’m listening to late ‘90s hip-hop, I’ll take the rawer pleasures of DMX every day of the week.

On his breakout hit “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem,” DMX began to hone his now-legendary untamed style, although it’s a bit more subtle than how he would sound a few years later. It’s not quite as bombastic, but in some ways, that makes this feel a little more like the real X. It literally sounds like a mobster making threats, and it just happens to rhyme and be over a killer beat.

There’s all the ridiculous lyrics you’d expect from DMX here — highlights include the wonderfully emo couplet “All I know is pain/all I feel is rain” and a coda that’s simply a machine gun firing and X yelling “TALK IS CHEAP, MOTHERFUCKER!!!” But for the most part, it’s proto-DMX, and it’s interesting to see a larger-than-life figure somewhat grounded.

#37: “Friday I’m In Love” by The Cure (1992)

The first couple years of the ‘90s are flooded with awkward ‘80s leftovers, but one wonderful (and very ‘80s) song that snuck into the next decade is “Friday I’m In Love,” The Cure’s final hit.

It’s shocking that something this bouncy, simple and optimistic came out the same year Nirvana and Pearl Jam dominated the airwaves, but great music can succeed at any time. Robert Smith’s nursery-rhyme melodies and lyrics are so simple that it’s shocking that this song wasn’t actually written ages beforehand.

And it’s refreshing to hear a band famous for getting angsty pull out a happy-go-lucky love song tailor-made for romantic comedies. At some point, Smith had to write an upbeat song, right?

#36: “Everlong” by Foo Fighters (1997)

There’s an argument out there that “Everlong,” written by Foo Fighters frontman and former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, is better than any Nirvana song. I cannot remotely agree (spoiler: Nirvana places much higher on this list), but I can understand why “Everlong” has such a strong reputation.

Easily the best Foo Fighters song, “Everlong” is everything you’d want in a radio-friendly alt-rock single. It’s catchy, but still has some legitimate grit and bite. Propulsive and anthemic, yet still angsty and relatable. Grohl somehow took a grimy post-grunge banger, added romantic lyrics, and made it work. I certainly can’t imagine Bush or Everclear pulling that off.

#35: “Wannabe” by Spice Girls (1996)

In less than three minutes, five British women kicked down the doors of alt-rock and birthed the late-’90s bubblegum pop boom with one song. And what a glorious burst of energy that song is.

"Wannabe” might be the most purely fun song on this entire list. From the springy piano beat to each of the five girls showing off their bold, feisty attitudes (except for Posh Spice...sorry, Victoria), to Scary and Ginger Spices’ cheeky rap breakdown at the end, it’s impossible not to like. The song is a bit repetitive, yes, but when you have nuclear-grade weapon hooks like these, you might as well use them. ZIGAZIGAHHH

#34: “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead (1995)

And now to the exact opposite side of British music!

Not to be that annoying contrarian, but I’ve never been able to get into Radiohead. A lot of their music is too cerebral for my tastes — I don’t mind thoughtful lyrics or experimentation, but I need a hook or a groove to grab onto.

Still, I do have a fond spot for their early years. And “Fake Plastic Trees,” my favorite song of theirs, is the perfect midpoint between grunge angst and sweeping Britpop balladry. 

The lyrics are abstract, yet Thom Yorke’s yearning, cracked vocals convey more than any words could’ve. Like one of my favorite modern acts, Japanese Breakfast, his voice acts simply as another instrument to convey the heartbreak. Match that with a slow-burn power ballad fit for a rom-com credit roll, and you’ve got an instant classic. It’s really too bad Radiohead got bored with this sound...

#33: “It Was A Good Day” by Ice Cube (1992)

Ice Cube is not normally a happy guy in his classic songs. Whether he’s pissed at the cops or his former bandmates, he’s usually in a bad mood for some reason. But for his most beloved track, Cube imagines what a day with no problems would be like, and it’s sublime.

He nabs a triple double on the court without trying. He gets to bang a chick he’s been trying to have sex with since high school. He seemingly wins every game of bones and craps he plays. And most importantly, the police and gangs didn’t hassle him.

Many gangsta rap songs are about turmoil and chaos, but “It Was A Good Day” shows that even the toughest thugs just wanted some peace and to have a good time.

(although if it was a really good day, the Supersonics would’ve beaten the Lakers...)

#32: “Hunger Strike” by Temple of the Dog (1991)

This song is so Seattle that the CD single probably came with a complimentary damp flannel, a Dick’s deluxe, and coffee stains.

It’s a bit surprising to me that there hasn’t ben any Seattle artists on the list proper yet, seeing as the city was the epicenter of ‘90s culture. Obviously, grunge played a role, but this was also the decade when Starbucks, Microsoft and Amazon blew up; the decade when the Sonics and Mariners had superstars like Gary Payton and Ken Griffey, Jr. (the Seahawks had to wait another decade to hit their stride); the decade where the Emerald City’s reputation changed from South Alaska to one of America’s iconic locales.

And before Nirvana and Pearl Jam took led that charge, “Hunger Strike” was the first grunge breakthrough, and for good reason. In a way, it’s sort of the Watch The Throne of grunge, with Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder exchanging vocals. The chorus, when Vedder sings the hook while Cornell bellows “I’M GOING HUNGRAAAAAAAAAAAY” like a madman, gives me goosebumps every time. 

Honestly, I like this lighter-waving ballad more than any of Pearl Jam or Soundgarden’s actual songs. Not sure why this connects with me more — perhaps it’s the four minutes of raw emotion and wailing vocals over gorgeous harmonizing guitars. Vedder and Cornell work shockingly well together, too. I wish the duo made more music.

#31: “Connection” by Elastica (1994)

There is no Britpop song that’s cooler than “Connection.” While most of the subgenre is all about wink-wink cleverness or gigantic classic-rock riffs, Elastica dispenses with both of those for Justine Frischmann’s snarling attitude.

Elastica kept things very simple on their most iconic single. There’s a rudimentary guitar riff (which yes, they stole from Wire, but who cares), a steady beat, and Frischmann rolling her eyes over the whole thing. “Connection” is not a song that needs a lot of explaining: one listen, and you’ll instantly understand why even American teens couldn’t resist the snark.

#30: “Alison” by Slowdive (1993)

Slowdive’s masterpiece, Souvlaki, might have been a bit late to the shoegaze party by 1993, but it and its iconic leadoff track, “Alison,” have stood tall over the movement regardless.

My favorite shoegaze song, “Alison” is a hazy soup of distorted guitars, hypnotic drums and hopelessly romantic lyrics about a druggy (and possibly imaginary?) relationship. About half of the lines are about drugs and confusion, and lead singer Neil Halstead describes the titular woman as his anchor through the chaos of life. It’s a slow-dance made for a goth prom, and it lingers in your brain long after it’s over.

#29: “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-a-Lot (1992)

“Baby Got Back” has unfortunately become sort of a punchline by this point. Not because it’s a clunker —I think most people seem to love it as much as I do — but because of its constant feature in kids’ movies (I first heard it in Shark Tale as a child...the early ‘00s were a strange time) and the fact that the song has been boiled down to just a few lines. 

“I like big butts and I cannot lie.” “Oh. My. Gawd. Becky, look at her butt.” “My anaconda don’t want none unless you’ve got buns, hon.” Those moments define “Baby Got Back” more than anything else.

Which is a shame, because it’s a masterpiece of trashy fun. Seattle icon Sir-Mix-a-Lot somehow found out how to make solid punchlines about booty for four minutes — you try coming up with that many iconic moments in a short timespan! And the dizzying production, with its sharp horn bursts and super-tight bassline, is no joke.

"Baby Got Back” might be a goofy novelty track, but there’s actual effort put in. It’s a formula more artists should strive for.

#28: “California Love” by 2Pac feat. Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman (1995)

Yes, this is the cliché 2Pac choice. But “California Love” is difficult to resist.

Backed by a rowdy Dre beat (and a great opening verse from the Dr. as well), Pac’s comeback single after being released from prison is truly timeless. You go to any L.A. party or sporting event and it’ll inevitably be played (partly because it’s strangely clean for a gangsta rap anthem). And 2Pac is game to shout out the entire state — he even gives Sacramento props over 20 years before Lady Bird!

Pac has some deeper, more introspective songs than “California Love.” But sometimes, the basic pick is the right one.

#27: “Summer Babe (Winter Version)” by Pavement (1992)

Pavement has always been the cool kids’ ‘90s band. While the massive alt-rock acts put their raw, bleeding-heart emotions on display, Pavement kept things sardonic and snarky. They were willing to poke fun at The Smashing Pumpkins. They’re essentially the Jim Halpert of rock — kind of lazy and self-removed, but with too much charisma to ignore.

Yet, for all their snarky bonafides, my favorite song of theirs is one of their more emotional. “Summer Babe” still features Stephen Malkmus’ famously flat, dry vocals, but the song has some real heft to it regardless. The deep-fried guitar shredding its way though the track and the noisy drums work well amongst the sloppy-but-charming sound. It’s meandering, but when Malkmus puts some juice in his vocals for the final minute, it still strikes a chord. 

#26: “Deceptacon” by Le Tigre (1999)

By the late ‘90s, punk icon Kathleen Hanna had already moved on from her massively influential riot grrrl band, Bikini Kill. Distorted guitars were so 1992. What was next? ‘80s nostalgia, of course!

“Deceptacon,” by Hanna’s other famous band, Le Tigre, is a sizzling slice of new wave perfection. With its proudly-analog synth stabs and dance beat, the song perfected the indie-band-goes-disco formula 10 years before everyone else tried it. Seriously, this sounds way more like 2009 than 1999, and it’s shocking that its somehow from the 20th Century.

But “Deceptacon” isn’t purely a Duran Duran tribute — there’s still that same fury that Hanna was famous for. Her raw vocals make for a strange, yet captivating combination with the poppy beat. It’s a punk song you could dance to, just like the Ramones always wanted!

#25: “Fantasy (Bad Boy Remix)” by Mariah Carey feat. Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Puff Daddy (1995)

There might not have been any ‘90s popstar bigger than Mariah Carey. She racked up 14 number-one hits, including “One Sweet Day,” a monster R&B collaboration with Boys II Men that is still tied for the longest stay at the top of the charts (if only it was a better song). 

However, she’s never been my favorite — overwrought R&B ballads really aren’t my thing. But she did release one single that I unabashedly love, and that’s partly due to an assist from one of hip-hop’s weirdest stars.

I’m still not sure why the powers that be felt that Carey, a super-polished pop balladeer, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, a rapper who sounded and acted like a homeless man on bath salts, was a good combo. But it worked beautifully! ODB’s weirdo charm proved to be a nice balance to Carey’s more sanitized sound. And the pop structure reigned in ODB just enough — although that didn’t stop him from spending the first 45 seconds just shouting out random places (“JAPAN ARE YOU IN THE HOUSE?!?”) and later quoting Donny and Marie Osmond. The man was a maniac.

But arguably what makes the song work better than either artist’s contribution is that sparkling production. The remix of “Fantasy,” helmed by Bad Boy mastermind Puff Daddy, strips back the original song’s heavier sampling of the ‘80s classic “Genius of Love” to just the groovy bassline for most of the song, letting the synth burbles wait until the chorus to pop. The result is one of the few truly great American pop songs of the mid ‘90s.

#24: “Blue Jeans” by Blur (1993)

Despite their relatively low placement on this list, Blur are my absolute favorite band of the ‘90s. They helped create one of its prominent movements, Britpop, with their 1992 single “Popscene,” and went on to dominate the subgenre. And when they got bored with that sound five years later, Blur proved they could do angsty, distorted alt-rock just as well as the Americans. (And five years after that, lead singer Damon Albarn started a fun little side project — you might have heard of them.)

But my favorite song of theirs doesn’t really fit into either Blur’s eras. Technically, “Blue Jeans” was released on their first Britpop album, Modern Life is Rubbish, but it doesn’t really have the same witty, uber-English vibe as their hit singles from that time. Instead, it’s a low-key, almost dream-pop song that’s simply about being content in a relationship. 

Sounds a bit boring, until you actually listen to the track — Albarn’s melody here is stunningly beautiful, yet down-to-earth, and the quaint music backing him matches the vibe of the song exactly. And his lyrics nail the early stages of love — “I don’t really wanna change a thing/I wanna stay this way forever.” There’s few songs that capture the simple joys of a romance like “Blue Jeans,” particularly in the honeymoon period.

#23: “Forgot About Dre” by Dr. Dre feat. Eminem (1999)

The defining sound of West Coast hip-hop — the squealing synths and trunk-rattling bass of G-Funk — was mastered by one man in the early ‘90s. Dr. Dre’s The Chronic was a landmark for the genre in 1992, and his iconic style can be heard from MCs throughout most of the decade.

But by 1999, things had changed. The biggest names in hip-hop sounded nothing like Dre’s signature sound, from Puff Daddy’s sample-heavy pop-rap to the chaotic Southern twang coming from No Limit Records. Dre was seen as a has-been, a relic.

However, “Forgot About Dre” ended Dre’s slump that year. The funky Chronic beats were supplanted by a sharper-edged, metallic production over which Dre publicly shamed the world for ignoring him and his legacy. It’s a ballsy move to already anoint yourself as a legend just 11 years after you burst onto the scene, but with Dre’s track record, he could afford to do so. And although he’s not the greatest rapper technically, he spits with enough force and charisma to sell his snarling lines.

Dre also had a partner to give him a boost: the then-newbie Eminem. A lot of Em’s big 2000′s hits have aged badly in my opinion — the production is awkward and there’s too much homophobia — but he sounds sharp as hell on “Forgot About Dre.” His verse is arguably the song’s highlight, as he unleashes a rapid-fire, charmingly random verse with endlessly quotable lines.

“Forgot About Dre” cemented Dre’s status as a titan of the industry who could seemlessly create new trends and stay afloat through multiple decades. And with it being one of Eminem’s breakout moments, it also proved Dre could be a kingmaker.

#22: “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette (1995)

The ‘90s were the decade of angst. So what better climate was there to release a scathing takedown of an ex, who may or may not be one of the dudes from Full House?

Okay, so it’s never been confirmed that “You Oughta Know” is actually about Dave Coulier. But that doesn’t lessen its rage and impact. Morissette is seething with rage about this breakup, writing all-time classic lines like “Does she know how you told you’d hold me until you die/’Til you die, BUT YOU’RE STILL ALIVE” and of course, “Are you thinking of me when you fuck her?!”

Morissette perfectly uses the era’s classic quiet-loud dynamic shifts to her advantage, creepily whispering at the start of the verses, and slowly growing louder and angrier until she’s screaming her lungs out by the chorus. Her ragged, off-kilter vocals perfectly capture the blinding emotion she feels. It’s a karaoke staple for those who’ve just been dumped for a good reason.

#21: “Big Pimpin’” by Jay-Z feat. UGK (1999)

That Timbaland beat. Dear lord. How can it sound so good against three radically different flows?! The man is truly a genius.

Yeah, Hov and Bun B and Pimp C all deliver here too, but let’s not pretend that beat isn’t the reason why this is a top-shelf Jay-Z single.

#20: “Larger Than Life” by Backstreet Boys (1999)

Yeah, it’s better than “I Want It That Way.” Not by a lot — they’re both perfect — but I’ve always preferred upbeat boy band songs to ballads.

“Larger Than Life” was named accurately. From the second the thumping beat kicks in, the song is a stadium-filling anthem, the kind arena-rock bands would’ve written a decade prior. Does it have a chorus that’s easy to scream along to at concerts? Check. Does it have a beat you can awkwardly groove to? Check. Does it have a bad-ass guitar solo thrown in? Shockingly, yeah.

Boy bands were the true rockstars of the late-’90s (apologies to, uh, Matchbox 20?), so it would only make sense to have one of them create a bonafide rock anthem. And when you match the Backstreet Boys’ sugary hooks with a roaring atmosphere worthy of Def Leppard, you’ve got a classic on your hands.

#19: “The Fly” by U2 (1991)

‘90s U2 is the best U2. I love Joshua Tree and Unforgettable Fire as much as the next guy, but I’ll take their weirdo, aggressively-ironic decade over their more earnest years any day.

Perhaps no song encapsulates U2′s ‘90s ethos better than “The Fly.” It’s got a slinky, nocturnal feel to the music, with The Edge’s guitar distorted slicing through like a machete. The swirling, tripped-out guitar solo here might be his greatest ever.

But like many U2 songs, “The Fly” belongs to Bono. In it, he plays the titular sleazebag from hell (literally — the song is about a crank call from down there), whispering sweet nothings into the listener’s ear. Do the lyrics actually mean anything? Honestly, I’m still not sure, but they still somehow sound transgressive and witty, if a bit corny. But you’ve got to expect a little corn when U2 is involved. And when Bono duets with himself on the sublime chorus, both as The Fly and in a piercing operatic falsetto, it’s one of the best hooks of the band’s career.

“The Fly” was the world’s introduction to the new U2 in 1991, and although it might have shocked people expecting another “With Or Without You,” it’s aged beautifully over 25 years later.

#18: “Heaven Or Las Vegas” by Cocteau Twins (1990)

Cocteau Twins are usually held up as dream pop’s forefathers, helping create a distinct, hazy sound that would inspire future artists from The Cranberries to Beach House to Washed Out. One listen to “Heaven Or Las Vegas” proves why the Scottish trio was such an inspiration.

“Heaven Or Las Vegas,” the title track to Cocteau Twins’ flawless 1990 album, is one of the most immaculate, gorgeous songs of the decade. Invoking both heaven and Las Vegas was accurate: the track is graceful, yet also drenched in neon synths and glitz. It perfectly toes the line between holiness and kitsch.

And here’s where I admit that, like most people, I can’t make out 90 percent of what vocalist Elizabeth Fraser is singing. Beyond belting out the title of the song in the chorus, the rest sounds like French, or speaking in tongues. Regardless, her ethereal alto is a perfect compliment to the swirling keyboards and gauzy guitars floating around her in space.

#17: “All The Small Things” by Blink-182 (1999)

In the classic video for “All The Small Things,” Blink-182 spends the entire runtime clowning on the TRL-era boy bands of the time. Here’s the ironic thing about that video: “All The Small Things” is secretly the greatest boy band song of the ‘90s (yes, that means *NSYNC didn’t make the list...their best songs came out in the early aughts, sorry).

Blink-182 are technically a pop-punk band, not a boy band, but you wouldn’t really know that from their most iconic, and best, hit. “All The Small Things” is direct, punchy and has a monster sing-along chorus. Sure, Tom DeLonge’s nasal whine isn’t a typical teen heartthrob voice, but young Justin Timberlake had an unusual voice too (“IT’S GONNA BAY MAAAAE”). 

The fact that “All The Small Things” is basically a bubblegum Trojan horse for Hot Topic kids is exactly what makes it so great. Chugging guitars can peacefully coexist with a TRL-ready melody and surprisingly romantic (if simple) lyrics. 

#16: “Gin & Juice” by Snoop Doggy Dogg (1993)

Nowadays, Snoop Dogg is probably more known for his intense love of weed, unwillingness to turn down collaborations, and friendship with Martha Stewart more than any new music. But Snoop’s earned the right to ease into being a hip-hop elder statesman, thanks to his landmark album Doggystyle and its standout single, “Gin & Juice.”

The young Snoop (only 22 at the time!!) had already nailed down his trademark, chilled-out drawl by 1993. He uses it to great effect on “Gin & Juice,” describing a wild house party filled with sex, drugs and alcohol like it’s just another regular day at the office. You can practically hear his knowing smile in the verses, and the chorus sung by D-Ruff is infectious as hell.

Of course, major credit has to be given to Dr. Dre’s G-funk production. It’s my favorite beat of his from this era, and its dog-whistle synths and shuffling beat perfectly fit the early-’90s California party vibe. 

#15: “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind (1997)

This is probably the only song in history to take heavy lyrical influence from the Doug theme song and simultaneously be about crystal meth.

It shouldn’t be hard to explain why “Semi-Charmed Life” is a classic, right? It turned an insanely bleak topic into one of the sunniest, most propulsive jams of all time. The rap-singing in the verses is a blast to keep up with, and that falsetto “goodBYYYYYYYE” in the chorus is the ‘90s equivalent of the high note in “Take On Me”: often-attempted in karaoke, with a very low success rate.

The late ‘90s had no shortage of great, weird pop jams, and “Semi-Charmed Life” is near the top of the pile.

#14: “Say It Ain’t So” by Weezer (1994)

My favorite ‘90s album will always be Blur’s Parklife. But my second choice would probably be Weezer’s self-titled “Blue Album,” a nerdy power-pop masterpiece. It’s an angstier mirror of The Cars’ 1976 debut, also self-titled; appropriate, seeing as Cars frontman Rik Ocasek produced Weezer’s first album.

The record’s centerpiece is the heartbreaking “Say It Ain’t So,” a perfect power ballad. The band nails the quiet/loud/quiet dynamic shifts from the mumbling verses to the supercharged chorus. There, Rivers Cuomo scratches his vocals, displaying his emotional wounds after alcoholism tore apart his family. 

For a band known for very silly songs like “Buddy Holly” and “Beverly Hills,” the passionate bridge, where Cuomo first wails away vocally before making his guitar do the same in a fiery solo, is truly heartbreaking. “Say It Ain’t So” proved that California dorks could pull off sadness just as well as the flannel-wearing Seattleites, if not better.

#13: “My Heart Will Go On” by Céline Dion (1997)

Earlier this year, Avengers: Endgame moved past Titanic on the all-time box office charts. As much as I enjoyed Endgame, this feels wrong. Sure, Marvel is a big deal, but was Endgame as much of a phenomenon as Titanic? No. Frankly, it’s not even a top-5 Marvel movie (although it is better than Avatar, which Endgame could pass soon for first place). 

Why has Titanic cemented itself in pop culture history? Part of that is because the movie is a stone-cold classic, featuring a frothy romance between two of a generation’s greatest actors that ends in unspeakable tragedy and heartbreak. But I believe there’s another aspect to the film that’s helped keep its legacy strong: its unsinkable theme song.

“My Heart Will Go On” is one of the greatest movie themes of all time, precisely because it mirrors its movie. Like Titanic, Céline Dion’s signature song starts as a tender, soft romance, before bursting into a dizzying climax that pummels the audience into submission, forcing tears.

I don’t think I need to emphasize that Dion is a fantastic singer — there are very few singers that could nail both the cooing opening and the Whitney Houston-esque belting at the final chorus. But “My Heart Will Go On” is still occasionally considered a punchline, and that’s just wrong. Any song with this much emotional heft and force cannot be taken lightly.

#12: “What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?” by R.E.M. (1994)

Two of Gen X’s longest-lasting and most important acts, U2 and R.E.M., switched roles in the ‘90s. U2 shifted their image from overly-earnest arena-rockers to weirdos dabbling in underground sounds. Meanwhile, their American counterparts went from mumbling college rock jams to radio-friendly ballads.

Not to be a total snob, but I’ve always preferred R.E.M.’s jangly ‘80s sound over their blockbuster early ‘90s albums. But the lead single off their underrated 1994 record Monster might be my favorite song of theirs.

“What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?” sounds like very few other R.E.M. songs. There’s no mandolins, and Michael Stipe’s lyrics are much clearer (although they make little sense). Instead of being bouncy and light, the guitars are a blast of crunchy distortion, not far off from a typical Smashing Pumpkins song.

In fact, Peter Buck’s guitar work here is what makes “Kenneth.” His echo-y sound adds a raw texture to the tune. And although the lyrics are a bit cryptic (apparently it’s about Boomers trying to advertise to Gen Xers? I have no clue), Stipe’s melody is on-point, as usual.

Although the sound of alt-rock had long passed by R.E.M.’s original style, “Kenneth” showed that the Georgia legends were more than able to keep up.

#11: “Steal My Sunshine” by Len (1999)

This sunburnt ode to being young and dumb in the gloriously young-and-dumb late ‘90s is the greatest summer anthem of all time. And the greatest one-hit-wonder of all time.

“Steal My Sunshine” is the soundtrack to driving with the windows down, goofing with your friends and pretty much any positive aspect of summer. Gloriously dumb and kitschy-fun summer songs like this are perfect examples of why the late-’90s was a golden age for pop.

#10: “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” by Shania Twain (1997)

While we’re talking about that late-’90s pop boom, how crazy is it that the era’s best single is technically a country song? 

Of course, “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” is barely a country song — yes, there’s some violins and slide guitar buried in the mix, but there’s also a thundering synth riff and Twain barely has a Southern twang (makes sense, seeing as she’s Canadian). And there’s no mention of any country tropes like pickup trucks or whiskey in the lyrics.

What “Man!” does bring to the table is a tongue-in-cheek, groovy pop-rock jam that’s just as easy to love as it is to make jokes about. Sure, it’s corny as hell — see the obvious joke in the song’s title — but Twain is clearly having way too much fun to care. And in a decade filled with angst and irony, a super-cheesy pop jam like this probably seemed like a needed salvo.

And the Mutt Lange production on this has some serious oomph to it. Before his extensive work with Twain, his then-wife, Lange was arguably best known for mastering the roided-out arena rock sound of the ‘80s, assisting on classic tunes from The Cars, AC/DC and Def Leppard. He even gave us this beautifully ridiculous Billy Ocean track, which might be the greatest song ever written. Lange brings some weight to “Man!”, making Twain’s female-empowerment anthem an actual anthem.

Listen, if this song isn’t for you, I get it. But for those of us who have the prerogative to have a little fun, “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” is the pinnacle of one of pop’s greatest eras.

#9: “Check The Rhime” by A Tribe Called Quest (1991)

A lot of ‘90s rap hasn’t aged well, even if it’s still a ton of fun. Albums from Dr. Dre and Puff Daddy and even Jay-Z can sound like time capsules. But that’s not a problem that A Tribe Called Quest has, as their smooth jazz-rap still sounds timeless and perfect.

“Check The Rhime” is the Queens group’s brightest highlight off of their 1991 magnum opus, The Low End Theory. It’s a simple setup: MCs Q-Tip and Phife Dawg introduce the other rapper by reminiscing about freestyling on street corners back in the day. Then, both Tip and Phife get their own verse, each stuffed with playful lines and life advice — Industry Rule 4080 still holds to this day.

Unlike a lot of ‘90s hip-hop that was trying desperately to either be menacing or cool, Tip and Phife ooze effortless charisma on their verses in a playful, almost childlike way. Phife starts his verse reminding everyone “how nice I am” (before proclaiming that he flips off “punk MCs”). Tip even seems to diss MC Hammer by saying “rap is not pop/if you call it that then stop,” but apparently, this was meant as a defense of the then-megastar. Maybe.

“Check The Rhime” works partially because of its funky, minimalist production, but also because the Tribe’s two rappers were born to spit non sequiturs and awkward brags over a jazz-rap beat until the end of time.

#8: “I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone” by Sleater-Kinney (1996)

I’m not sure how flamingly hot of a take this is, but I’d say Sleater-Kinney is the greatest band in Northwest history. Yes, better than Nirvana. 

1997′s Dig Me Out is a flawless masterpiece, and there’s not a single dud in their eight-album discography. Unlike many of the major Washington acts from this era, the Olympia three-piece never lost relevancy, releasing some of their strongest work in the 2000′s.

But Sleater-Kinney’s best single, “I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone,” is actually from one of their early albums. And it serves as a thesis statement for the decades of great music to come.

Legendary guitarist Carrie Brownstein takes over vocals here, nailing both the sardonic verses and the thrilling, off-kilter chorus. “Joey Ramone” tackles an interesting subject: how almost all of indie rock’s heroes up to that point had been male. So when Brownstein wails about wanting to be Joey Ramone or Thurston Moore, she’s placing Sleater-Kinney in the pantheon of rock greats. And this was just their second album.

Luckily, Sleater-Kinney had the goods to back up their chutzpah, and “Joey Ramone” became prophetic.

#7: “Supersonic” by Oasis (1994)

Just a couple months after Kurt Cobain’s death, two unibrowed guys from Manchester (and the rest of their band) completely upended the rock world with their band Oasis’ debut album, Definitely Maybe. After a few years of gloom-and-doom dominating the genre, it, along with fellow hit albums from Blur and Pulp, helped usher in the brighter world of Britpop in the mid-’90s.

That album’s first single, “Supersonic,” is still the greatest thing Oasis ever produced. (Yes, it’s better than “Wonderwall.”)

“Supersonic” is a blast of rude, snotty rock-n-roll cranked up to 11. In an era of irony and sarcasm, lead singer Liam Gallagher was spouting out nonsense lyrics like they were the most important and coolest thing in the world. And for the four-and-a-half minutes of this song, they probably are.

Everything about “Supersonic” is boneheaded perfection, from the thunderous drums to the dual guitars, one crunchy, one soaring; all the way to Liam’s sneer. This is prime Oasis, the band running on all cylinders. Based on how ramshackle this sounds, it’s no wonder the band only stayed great for two albums. But at least we’ll always have that legendary start.

#6: “1979″ by The Smashing Pumpkins (1995)

On the opposite end of the cool spectrum as Oasis and Sleater-Kinney, you have Billy Corgan — singer/songwriter/control freak of The Smashing Pumpkins and alt-rock’s most weaselly, petty figure. But say what you want about him as a person, Corgan wrote some incredible alt-rock pop nuggets.

“1979″ is a major outlier in the Pumpkins’ discography. It’s not an angsty shoegaze/grunge banger or an orchestral power ballad. It’s a low-key, skeletal new-wave track that perfectly captures the boredom and aimlessness of youth.

While many songs about being a teenager capture either its euphoric highs or angsty lows, “1979″ is one of the few classic songs that nails the in-between moments. It’s the feeling of walking to the 7-Eleven with your friends, cracking jokes that you’ll probably forget the next day. It’s about sitting in a parking lot and just waiting to leave your hometown.

"1979″ isn’t a grand gesture, but in a backwards way, that makes it even more profound. And from a band who typically dealt in soaring, intensely emotional songs, it was a brilliant change-of-pace that will no-doubt be relatable to teens for a long time to come.

#5: “Rebel Girl” by Bikini Kill (1993)

Two massively important alt-rock movements came from the Puget Sound in the early ‘90s. One is grunge. The other is riot grrrl, centered around a group of furious, political women-led bands in Olympia. And although Sleater-Kinney may be the subgenre’s longest-lasting act, its brightest moment came in 1993 with Bikini Kill and their incendiary single “Rebel Girl.”

Lead singer/songwriter/punk icon Kathleen Hanna is the focal point of “Rebel Girl,” wailing away on the microphone about an unnamed woman who is just the absolute coolest. The woman is described as a confident, revolutionary lesbian figure who would serve as an inspiration for angsty teens across the globe.

And oh yeah — “Rebel Girl” absolutely shreds. It sounds like there’s maybe 18 guitars going at once on the track, and Tobi Vail’s drum work is fearsome. Just to give more rock cred to the song, it was produced and features guitar work from Joan Jett. The rock legend and Bikini Kill made a great pairing, creating a song that sounds angry, with its distorted guitars and punk drums, but is actually a triumphant feminist anthem for the ages.

#4: “Linger” by The Cranberries (1993)

In an early-’90s rock scene filled with distorted guitars and raw angst, The Cranberries broke out in 1993 with a song that sounded nothing like the crowd. And over 25 years later, their stunningly gorgeous single “Linger” has aged far better than most of the grunge and alt-rock it was surrounded by.

The Irish four-piece took inspiration from Cocteau Twins’ and Galaxie 500′s dream pop and just made the hooks even more bulletproof and melancholy. “Linger” is the kind of ballad that’s a perfect fit for a longing prom slow dance and for crying with a tub of Ben & Jerry’s on the couch after a break up.

The late Dolores O’Riordan’s lilting vocals are a miracle here, able to express both hope and resignation. Her heavy Irish accent helps the vocals become another instrument in the band’s sweeping wall of sound, alongside the jangly guitars, marching-beat drums and orchestral swells.

It’s the most beautiful song of an ugly (in a good way!) decade, and arguably the greatest dream pop song ever written. The Cranberries would later adopt the heavy guitars of their Seattle peers, but “Linger” is still a high-water mark for the subgenre.

#3: “Juicy” by The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)

The first verse alone could’ve gotten “Juicy” into this list’s top 10. It’s one of the most-memorable and quotable verses of all time, exquisitely detailing The Notorious B.I.G.’s rise to fame. And then we get two more stellar verses?! 

“Juicy” is frequently cited among one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time, and it’s deserving of that reputation. Biggie penned the definitive rags-to-riches story in just five minutes (honestly, more like four, as he and producer Puff Daddy let the beat ride for a bit at the end) and then blessed it with his silky-smooth, commanding flow.

What separates “Juicy” from other come-up anthems is the vivid detail Biggie gives us, both about his impoverished Brooklyn upbringing (“We used to fuss when the landlord dissed us/No heat, wondered why Christmas missed us”) and his stunning rise to fame (“Girls used to diss me/Now they write letters cause they miss me”). He even brags about owning a Super Nintendo AND a Sega Genesis, which was the biggest early-90′s flex possible.

Of course, knowing the tragic ending of Biggie’s story, “Juicy” has a bit of a bittersweet feeling to it now. But its ‘80′s-retro beat and infectious glee can still bring a smile to my face every time I hear it.

#2: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana (1991)

Well, duh.

There is no song that encapsulates an entire decade and generation like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” does for the ‘90′s and Gen X. It famously changed the entire rock landscape nearly overnight from sleazy hair metal to grimy alt-rock. It’s one of the most famous and iconic songs ever written. And shockingly, it still retains all of its revolutionary power nearly 30 years later.

How does “Smells Like Teen Spirit” pull off the balancing act of being a time capsule, yet still sounding remarkably fresh? I believe it’s because it captures the raw feeling of visceral rage and confusion better than nearly any song. Most angry songs have a target, whether its racist politicians, stuffy adults, or even a crappy ex. “Teen Spirit” has no tangible reason for its angst. Kurt Cobain’s lyrics are famously nonsense. And that’s what makes the song so brilliant.

Because the song is so emotionally powerful in a visceral way, it really doesn’t matter that the lyrics are meaningless. All you need to love the song is to connect with the anger buried deep, and start moshing the moment Dave Grohl’s instantly-recognizable drum fill meets the clanging guitars. It’s a total banger.

Cobain might not have had the intent of creating a generational anthem that would last beyond Gen X. But as long as people feel “stupid and contagious” alongside a creeping rise of angst, waiting to burst, “Teen Spirit” will remain relevant.

#1: “Common People” by Pulp (1995)

For a subgenre entirely built around a particular country’s culture, most major Britpop acts surprisingly refrained from politics. Oasis never sniffed the subject, and while Blur got close, songs like “Parklife” or “Stereotypes” were more winking jokes than bold statements.

Then there’s Pulp. Their most beloved track, “Common People,” is a scathing attack on the British upper class who indulge in poverty tourism, unaware of how the other half really lives. And it’s the best song of the ‘90s.

There are few things I love more than a perfectly executed story-song, and lead singer/songwriter Jarvis Cocker gives listeners a doozy here. “Common People” is about a rich woman talking to, well, a common person, and she decides she wants the poor guy to show her how to “live like common people.” Cocker’s songwriting is very literary, going into detail about the woman’s history and her botched attempt to act poor while shopping for groceries, as well as all the lower-class problems the wealthy will never understand. As Cocker bluntly puts it, “If you call your dad/he could stop it all.”

“Common People” is just as furious as “Teen Spirit,” but Cocker has clear targets here: the one-percent, and the misguided idea that poverty is somehow cool. The song starts calmly, almost at a whisper, but by the final, heart-pounding climax, Cocker is wailing away, condemning the upper-class with gusto.

The swelling disco-rock groove channels this anger into an absurdly catchy tune — an odd combination of musical tone and lyrics, but one that’s effective. It’s a giant middle finger that you can sing along to.

Britpop might have ended, but the sentiment of “Common People” is still fresh today as a righteous anthem for the trod-upon. 

[mysticsparklewings]

Crayola Artist Colored Pencils Test

Disclaimer: I would not have purchased these pencils even out of curiosity had they not been on clearance for around $9 at my local Michaels. Even before I bought them I was convinced they were not worth the $20-$30 retail price tag, based on other reviews I had already seen. I've had this set of the Crayola Signature Blend & Shade/Artist colored pencils for a couple of weeks now, and I put off addressing them in favor of some other art supplies I'd been salivating to get my hands on. But now that I've taken care of those, I finally sat down and decided to see what these were like for myself. I went in with very low expectations. First, let's talk about the name and a little background on the pencils themselves. For starters, there are at least two if not three kinds of "premium" colored pencils currently listed on Crayola's website, the Blend & Shade pencils (24 count, retail $20), the Artist pencils (24 count, retail $20), and the Color Escapes (72 count, retail $25). Based on the name on the packaging, I have the "Blend & Shade" pencils, but a quick look at the details of the packaging and on the website, you cannot convince me that the Blend & Shade and the Artist pencils aren't the bloody exact same pencils, just with a different name and in different tins. The Color Escapes might not be the same as them, if only because their barrels appear to be hexagonal (hexagon shaped/six-sided), and the other two are circular/round. But based on the specifications, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that they're otherwise identical. The other thing I want to point out are two very specific claims for these pencils; Crayola claims that they have soft, gel-based cores. The soft claim isn't very special, as most any colored pencil trying to lay stake in the same market as Prismacolor will say that, whether it's actually true or not. (For the record, I didn't find them that soft, but we'll get to that later.) The gel-based cores, on the other hand, are what initially caught my attention the first time I encountered these pencils. If you Google "gel core pencils" or some variation, you'll find listings for these pencils, and articles comparing colored pencils and gel pens, and not much else. Usually, colored pencils are either wax (Prismacolor, classic Crayola, etc.) or oil (Faber Castell Polychromos, Schpirerr Farben, etc.) based, so these are an interesting case, and I think this is a lot more important than most people that have taken a look at these realize. The first 1-2 layers, which for me was a white base to neutralize the tan paper, and the base for the lighter areas of color, went down feeling okay, but they looked pretty scratchy. Once I got to about the third layer though, things started to smooth out. After that, they layered and blended much better than I expected. Not perfectly, but well enough I would dare to call both good. The pigmentation was...interesting. The colors are bright, but they just don't get very dark or rich, including the black, which looks more like a very very dark gray and not a true black. So they took a bit of extra force to get the payoff I wanted, but they were by no means a total nightmare to get color out of. The thing is, I think the wonky pigmentation lends itself to blending and layering with these. Although I will say I was impressed with how easily the other colors "read" when layered over black. Usually, once you put a heavy layer of black down, you can't do much else with it. But here, you could sort of see the color "bleeding" over it, and that was actually pretty useful to me. The only truly bothersome issue I had was that I had the black pencil tip break three times back to back while trying to sharpen it (and eventually had to resort to using the fat side of an eyeliner sharpener to get it to actually sharpen and stay that way), and the purple/violet broke once. I think the pencils sharpen much quicker and much more sensitively than the average pencil user would be used to since when you're coloring with them the cores seem pretty sturdy and didn't give me any breaking issues there. If anything, the cores seem much harder than one would expect a "soft, gel" core to be. (And I am 100% sure it wasn't my normal sharpener that was the problem because it sharpens all my other pencils [including my softcore Prismacolors] just fine and has a high quality, sharp blade.) I have a theory on how a lot of what I observed might relate to the gel cores, but I'll be putting it in small text so that if you're really not interested you can just skip down to my final verdict. And just one other disclaimer here that I'm not an art-scientist of any kind so this is all nothing more than speculation based on prior knowledge: So, I don't know about you guys, but the idea of "gel" cores draws me almost immediately to gel pens. You'll notice if you look at the barrel of a gel pen that you can usually see the ink and a clear liquid pocket seeming to sit on top of it, but if you tilt the pen that stuff doesn't usually visibly move at all, leading me to believe if probably adjusted it could be used as a solid not unlikely these pencils. Now, the reason that wax and oil based pencils still have similar behaviors is that by virtue of being pencils they both still have a lot of similar fillers and additives that make up a pencil-core formula. (Hence why oil-based pencils do not feel oily to the touch, etc.) My theory is that the gel in the cores behaves/is treated largely the same way. And this makes sense considering that in my experience with oil-based pencils, even the expensive Faber-Castell Polychromos, their pigmentation just can't seem to go quite as dark as something like the wax-based Prismacolors (specifically when looking at the black, though other colors can portray this too), and as I've already mentioned the gel cores didn't impress me with their pigmentation, either. But they did layer fairly well after giving them a base to work on, dare I say feeling somewhat like oil-based pencils would after that. Also, my theory for the sharpening issues is where things really get iffy on how accurate my ideas might be. If the gel cores contain that same unknown clear substance as part of their chemical make up, I'm left to wonder if it might be in the same family as liquid silicone or glycerin (since glycerin is often used by colorists to get more mileage out of gel pens in various ways) and thus can form "cells" in the gel, which could cause it to have natural cleavage like certain gemstones. (Cleavage in this case being points where it naturally breaks very easily). If all that is correct, and the cleavage points are in the right place, the sharpener blade could be naturally hitting them as it or the pencil is turned and causing the breaking issues. And if I am completely wrong, then I haven't the foggiest idea what's going on. Anyway. Ultimately, I do think these are at least a slight step up from the classic Crayola colored pencils, but for 24 pencils at $17.99 on Crayola's website...I'm sorry, but I can't in good conscience recommend these when the 24 set of Prismacolor pencils is currently $16.42 on Amazon, and the quality of those overall is much better. (At least if you ask me). At the very least, I'd say get the Crayola off of Amazon, as they're only $12.39 under the "Blend & Shade" name there. But even so...the June Gold mechanical pencils that I've tested before are also currently $9.97 for a set of 36... Look, Crayola, I'm sorry, and I really wanted to like these as much as I liked the Blending Markers, but from where I'm standing it looks like the gel cores were an experiment, and it shows pretty badly. It was an interesting concept, but I think some perfecting needs to be done before I can really get behind these pencils. That said, based on what I'd seen other people saying, I was expecting garbage. They aren't garbage, but I would make at least two other recommendations before I came to these when it comes to pencils. Although I am curious about what other colors you get in the 50 set...but I really sincerely don't need any more colored pencils  (For now...) As for the piece itself, I got the funky shape from using a stencil to draw several overlapping squares and then erasing the inner lines, and then accented with gel pens as usual (and it didn't really look that special before I took the pens to it). Oh, and a side note: these are the pencils my white Gelly Roll had the least issues trying to go over, likely because of the gel cores, but I'm not certain. Hopefully, my next supply test/review will be more positive. (It really should be; I've got two kinds of watercolor supplies and some water-based markers and all these things have left pretty positive impressions on others already). ____ Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |   Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram

[meowsaidmayaanime]

What I'm Watching June 2016

Here I will post the anime's that I am currently watching or re-watching, of course this does not include simulcasts as they are in a separate category all together. No, this is a list of the (some partially completed) anime that I binge watch. This post is constantly updated, as I tend to go through a single anime in its entirety within a couple of days, so keep your eye out!

6/25 Blood Blockade Battlefront

Let me get this down now. This anime is visually beautiful, sooooooo much time went into the art and details. Its movie quality beautiful, which is very unusual in a series. So onto the series itself it's about a boy who began living in a post apocalyptic New York after the gates between the human world and the 'monster' world opened. The characters are great, the premise was great, the episodes were great, everything was going wonderfully. Until the anime took an arrow to the knee... Metaphorically of course. So much was left unresolved, and in the last few episodes an obstacle was haphazardly thrown at us. I didn't check the episode count before watching the anime so I was shocked when I found out that there were only 13 (well 12 really) episodes. I get the impression that the studio was initially expecting to do a full 24 ep season considering the pacing of the anime up until episode 10. Evidently this is where the anime diverges quite a bit from the manga itself (my guess is that its unfinished. SOOOOO many anime are left in disappointment because the anime company decides to start a series before the manga has a chance to complete itself leaving the anime with a weird and out of place ending. sigh)

It really is a huge shame that Blood Blockade Battlefront ended the way it did. And its a shame that this recent trend of only creating 'half seasons' has once again resulted in a poor ending. I really liked this anime too, like I said earlier it was amazing. Seriously here's a quote from Toshi Nakamura who wrote a review of the anime itself.

"All in all, Blood Blockade Battlefront was a beautiful jewelry box filled with glittering stones that are individually beautiful, but when you put them on a string to make a necklace, on a whole, they lose a lot of their shine. Plus it feels like some of the most precious gems were left in the box."

My thoughts exactly. Those loose gems left in the box being the other 12 episodes this anime deserved in order to make one complete 24 ep season. I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.

Its so hard trying to recommend an anime when the end is a let down. I want people to see it because the first 9 episodes are fabulous, but I don't want to subject an unsatisfactory anime to anyone. Its not like the ending was bad, for how last minute it was, it was pretty well done, and it did make sense. It just wasn't the ending this anime deserved. If your willing to take this on I highly recommend it to anyone who loves the paranormal genre. Maybe it would just be best to read the manga. Its definitely on my list to read.

6/21 Sankarea Undying Love re-watch

Last time I watched this anime it was in high school after a friend recommended it to me. So I figured why not watch it again? Its a short 12 episode zombie love story. Haha, yup a zombie slice of life love story. In the world of American media, its a really unusual combination of genres, but in anime its no real surprise. I suppose the only real surprise about the anime is the fact that its relatively good, and not at all a harem like High School of the Dead. Its very cute and I think well done. The main female characters father is a total creep and wack-job but that is one of the reasons why he is the main antagonist. For being a zombie anime, its very laid back and you'll find out why as you watch it. Sankarea is an anime that I would recommend to people if I was aware of what kind of anime they liked. If you like the zombie scene but want to watch something not totally gruesome and hyped up, or if you like unusual/ supernatural/ paranormal/ ect. romances I think this is worth a shot.

6/17 Barakamon

WOW, this was really good. I initially started watching this because Funimation's YouTube channel posts trailers and promo videos for its anime. I watched the promo trailer for the English dub, recognized a lot of the voice actors in it and decided to give it a try. I'm gonna say this now, it's probably the best slice of life anime I have seen. and I mean full on slice of life, no paranormal or fantasy or anything else, it's pure slice of life. Its well written, the episodes flow, and its got a great story and great characters. The premise is that a young 20-something artist calligrapher Seishu punches a man who criticized his work as being unimaginative. As a result Seishu's father sends him to live on a rural island to 'cool his head'. The anime then follows the life of Seishu as he makes unexpected friendships and discovers who he is as an artist.

I just loved this anime, If you like slice of life, yes DEFINITELY watch this. Same if you like watching characters grow and their struggle to discover themselves, or if you like comedy, or if you like realism, or if you want a well made anime to calm down with after watching an emotionally draining one. Even if your not into the genre I recommend you give the first episode a try at least. I was immensely impressed with it.

Oh, and the full series won't be released in English until August 9, 2016, but Funimation is releasing the first two episodes in English on June 28th. I know I will definitely be re-watching this when the full English dub release comes out!!

6/16 Charlotte (re-watch)

I LOVED this anime when it came out last year. I remember getting to the last few episodes and going to the public library to finish watching it because the power went out in my house. I just finished re-watching it with one of my friends who had never seen it before. Haha, she was mad at me cause she got so invested in it. It is a doozy. But anyway, it follows high school boy Yuu Otosaka who recently became aware of a supernatural ability of his to be able to control a persons body for 5 seconds at a time. After abusing this power to cheat his way into a good high school, a girl named Tomoe catches him and makes him transfer to a school for people with other abilities. It goes on from there showing their lives, introducing characters and fortifying relationships until the REAL plot reveals itself~

If you like supernatural anime this is a really one, full story in only 13 episodes. It also touches up on quite a few 'heavy' topics, which it actually handles really well. I do recommend this to anyone actually, it was my third favourite 2015 anime of the one I watched that year.

(Bonus: I don't know who wrote this or how far into the anime hey were in, but I agree.)

6/14 50% Off (re-watch)

Oh man, I love this show. I just watched their two A-kon panels from a few weeks ago, and it's great. Just watch this show, make sure you watch it. Here's a link to my post on my favourite parody/abridge series where I talk about this show more. You don't have to know the original anime to enjoy it (I didn't watch Free until recently), so get on YouTube type it in and get going!

6/13 Princess Jellyfish (re-watch)

Alright, So now you guys are up to speed on the anime I watched during my vacation, I just started re-watching Princess Jellyfish. Oh man, I completely forgot about this little gem. I first watched it my freshman year of college (two years ago), and LOVED it. It's basically about a household of otaku young women, and one in particular who is in love with jellyfish, who make friends with their arch enemy, a stylish person! Haha, it is hilarious and a great commentary on stereotypes/social norms in Japanese culture (and really many other first world cultures for that matter.) I am having so much fun re-watching this series, it is slice of life so there is not much of an overarching plot so much as it is just following the exploits of the group after becoming friends with said stylish person I mentioned earlier. Each episode flows naturally into the next creating a constant story with each episode having to do with the next. So despite it being a slice of life, there are no filler episodes that forgotten or have nothing to do with anything. it also consistently references pop-culture and media not just from Japan, but from America too. Really, I can't express how great it is. Watch it, you won't regret it.

6/9 & 6/12

HEY! Sorry for the inactivity, I was on vacation out of state. While I was not able to do anything on this site for the past week, I was able to watch a few anime! AND hey are new ones!

So during my summer vay-cay (haha, thats such a terrible word) I watched:

Dusk Maiden of Amnesia

and Amnesia

Dusk Maiden of Amnesia was good. It's about a high school boy who makes a friend out of a ghost, Yuuko, who doesn't remember anything from when she was alive. In terms of content, while they do try to figure out how she died and who she is, a good portion is about tellig the story of the two main characters. Doing high school activities, developing relationships, ect. While the anime does frequently talk about the mystery and paranormal throughout these episodes, its not until the end of the series that the mystery of Yuuko ACTUALLY begins being solved, and they find out REAL information of her past. In hindsight, her past and the climax of the series is thrust upon you towards the end. It would have been better in my opinion if the events and info were more evenly dispersed throughout each episode from the beginning. I still really liked this anime, though I'm not sure as to how good it is. If your into the sort of subdued paranormal scene, then you may want to give this a shot. Its short, its sweet, I really liked learning about Yuuko's past when it finally got around to it, and I personally really liked it. But again, if you like the paranormal, you may like this. If your not into paranormal stuff, then I wouldn't recommend it.

Now Amnesia was a whole different box of pillows. By that I mean body pillows, and by that I mean I am sure that there area tons available. Why? Because this short anime was adapted from a dating sim called Amnesia: Memories. I wish I had known that before I started watching it, but no matter. In terms of dating sim adaptations, it's pretty good. In terms of an anime, not so much. The premise for both the anime and the game is that you are a girl who just woke up and knows absolutely nothing about herself, where she is, or who anyone else is. She has, you guessed it, amnesia. Amnesia caused by a fairy 'bumping' into her? which doesn't make too much sense. (but hey at least it wasn't because she performed horrific acts of manslaughter, created a patchwork monster, and played a huge part in nearly destroying humanity all so Alexander could become godlike, am I right?) Anyway, she wakes up and begins jumping alternate worlds in which she is dating different guys, thus the dating sim part comes in. In therms of the anime itself, the plot is a little wobbly waiting until the last 2 or 3 episodes to actually explain her true past and give a substantial story line. Because in the game, the female character and her name/personality is you, the anime version of her is left 'blank' for self insertion. Making a poor main character being pushed to and fro. But I will tell you this the music was REALLY good, the opening, closing and background music were absolutely fantastic. SO, if you have played this game and enjoyed it then I would definitely recommend it. If you have not, and have absolutely no interest in self-insertion romance, then its not worth the watch for the plot. Although I did like it myself. It's a good addition to my, quote-unquote, "trash anime" (watch out for a post in the maybe near future). Basically a list of guilty pleasure anime which are terrible when it comes to plot and characters, but I just can't resist. Its like reading trashy romance novels, but better and worse at the same time.

6/5 Red Data Girl (re-watch)

Another re-watch, maybe June will be a month of oldies~ (at least for me). RDG is an adorable anime, its a short 12 ep, one season series based off the Japanese novels of the same title. 6 novels (no official translation, but this person on tumblr has been translating them in their spare time), 4 manga novel adaptations, and one anime as mentioned. I'm not familiar with the novels or manga, but I do know that the anime covers most but not all of the novels. One person said it covers the first 5 novels but that's it. Anyway, the anime is super cute, and I really like the premise. My only issue is that the end felt like the completion of a smaller story arch within a larger one. Leaving no REAL ending, you can't even argue that the end is open to interpretation because they didn't leave you wondering what happened, they leave you without ever continuing the main story arch. Without explaining the endless questions that rose with the intention of it being resolved later. Hopefully the manga will give me some solace but with 4 books, i'm not sure if it will... I really like it, and I really wish it would continue.

oh btw, as of right now it's available on netflix, the English voice acting is ok, its not bad, but its also not great. The voice actors are able to but the right voice out, but not give the voice the emotion that the words give. I greatly prefer the Japanese voice acting, but I'm able to live with the English if I'm multi-tasking. (random note: the ending theme is super pretty. Actually, a lot about this anime is pretty)

6/2 Blue Exorcist Movie TOP PICK FOR THIS MONTH (new)

The movie has nothing to do with the plot of the anime at all, and takes place after the events in the series. Atleast I'm fairly certain it does? There's an important (and spoiler-y) thing that happens at the end of the series, that is never addressed or acknowledged in the movie which I think is really weird..... Either way, the movie itself is simply a completely stand alone story from the series. And it was absolutely stunning! Sooooo much detail went into all of the backgrounds and items. On top of that its very well scripted, and the plot flowed incredibly well together without being convoluted, which is surprising since a number of movie sequels to tv series's tend to go overboard by stuffing too much information into an hour and a half.

It was amazing. Its possible that someone could watch the movie without watching the single season anime, just because of how it was written. However you would not know the relationships or the back story of the main character, which helps to explain a lot of the terminology and setting. Especially the part about demons ect ect.

Either way, I LOVED this movie. I didn't even know that there was a movie at all until just now. I'm going to re-watch it with a friend when she gets back into town and I am soooooo excited because I KNOW she will love it too. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. I RECOMMEND THIS SO HARD.

6/1 Blue Exorcist (re-watch)

Well I can't sleep, so what better opportunity than this to re-watch Ao no Exorcist in the English dub~ Ah, I love this anime. Its funny, has great main characters, a good story and writing, and I seem to have a week spot for exorcist anime's, haha. Man, I remember watching this when it first came out in high school, I have a distinct memory of watching one of the later episodes before going to one of my friends concerts. There was a movie made about a year later, AAAAAND a series of specials. Oh, man the movie was so amazing. It has nothing to do with the plot of the anime at all, in fact the anime wrapped up everything rather nicely. The Movie itself is simply another story in cinematic format. It was absolutely beautiful, well made, well scripted, and the plot flowed incredibly well together without being convoluted. Would 100% recommend.

Oh, right! The dub isn't that bad, I mean I wish they had a different voice actor for Rin, I just don't feel like this one really lives up to the character. The other voice actors are great though, really fit the characters. The dub is well done, but I think I preferred the Japanese voice actors (they have a better pick than we do.) I just think that someone with a slightly lower, more thug-ish voice would have been better. The English actors voice is a little too high for me, it's even higher than Yukio's voice ._.

6/1 Black Butler (re-watch)

I decided to re-watch the show (minus the second season) after writing up my post from yesterday about anime whose second season could just go and disappear from existence. I love Sebastian, he is a saint, well a saint among devils. Not only is he one hell of a butler, but one hell of a contractor too, he REALLY get into his jobs, and it is amazing. Even I would enter into a contract if I could have him as a butler~ It's a goon anime, not sure if its recommendation worthy though. I mean yes it's good but it's not something that you HAVE to see, or something you would be missing out on. It's surprisingly fun and while it can and does get intense in certain areas, its not so intense that its going to mess you up.  As long as you never touch the second season, NEVER.

Bonus image, cause why not: