#are they flipping their guitars because if so darn that's cool

[terubakudan]

NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST - Strike in fact (PV FULL)

[mc-lukanette]

Take Stocking In

For Marinette, it was no longer "Christmas Day." It was now officially dubbed, "Marinette Christmissed the Mark Completely Day."

She'd originally thought it'd be a great idea to surprise Luka with. When she heard that everyone was getting individual stockings together and placing anonymous gifts into each one, she saw an opportunity.

She'd wanted to respond to Luka's confession for a while, but the stocking was the perfect chance; she intended on writing an "I love you," on it, then signing it and placing it in his stocking. After all, only Luka would see the signature; no one else had to know that it wasn't an anonymous gift.

The problem? She'd forgotten to sign it. She presumed that she knew deep down that the gifts were meant to be anonymous, and thus forgotten her signature out of habit.

It was technically better than what had always happened with Adrien where she just straight-up forgot without reason, but still, come on! She couldn't even tell Luka that it was hers later since it'd be too late and thus wouldn't be special anymore.

Worse still was the fact that, when everyone had finally gotten together and sat in a circle, the order was decided by age: youngest first, oldest last, meaning that Luka was last and she was going to have to stew over her inevitable suffering for as long as possible.

As if that wasn't enough, when it was her turn, she knew which gift had been his. At first, it looked like a simple drawstring attachment to her purse, perhaps to carry a few small things, like lip balm or some batteries, but a quick feeling of the pink fabric confirmed that there was something inside. She'd waited until it was the next person's turn to get their stocking, then poked and prodded to feel the foreign object.

Her eyes had widened at the realization that it was a music player; one to replace her old one that she'd broken not too long ago. It was definitely out of the recommended price range for the gifts, which was probably why Luka had hidden it in something cheaper. Marinette shot Luka an offended pout over the action, and while he'd looked away from her, his grin was anything but innocent.

Darn that sweet boy and his part-time delivery money. It only made Marinette feel worse about her upcoming unsigned gift. With each person's passing turn, she started to delve into worst-case scenarios.

Maybe it didn't matter if she didn't sign it, because what if he didn't even like the gift anyway? What if he did like it, but didn't think her confession was enough or thought it was pathetic that she'd forgotten to even sign it? Heck, what if he'd gotten sick of waiting and didn't even love her anymore? Worse yet, what if he saw the 'I love you' and was hoping it was from someone else, and what if he actually went to that person and they reject him because they don't love him and then he finds out that the gift was from her and hates her forev—

"Alright! Luka's turn!" someone shouted out, snapping Marinette out of her thoughts. She looked over as Rose grabbed the last stocking on the table, the thick white trim decorated with glitter-y lettering (obviously done by Rose herself) that spelled out Luka's name.

Luka let out a polite "thanks" as Rose brought the stocking over to him. He took it, settling it into his lap and making sure it was steady before reaching inside.

Marinette held her breath, only able to watch as Luka riffled through the stocking, seeming to be leaving whatever he'd grab up to random chance.

But, of course, the first thing he pulled out was her gift. There were a few sounds of interests amongst the room, a few people leaning in to ask what it was.

Luka turned the square object in his hand, it being not far off from a minaudiere, though the hard outer case was decorated in a cotton-y fabric rather than beads or crystals. Marinette bit her bottom lip, noting the fascination in Luka's eyes as he reached to undo the clip that kept it closed.

It opened with a satisfying 'pop' sound, a tiny card fluttering out in the process. Luka caught it, but observed the inside of the case first. It was black and soft inside, small indentations evenly spaced apart that were shaped like rounded triangles.

A flash of recognition came to Luka's face. Briefly setting the card down on his leg, he reached into his chest pocket, pulling out the black guitar pick that he used so often. He looked between the guitar pick and the indentations, then slipped the pick inside one of them.

It was a perfect fit.

Juleka leaned over, muttering something about how "cool" it was, but Luka was oddly silent. Marinette fidgeted in trepidation, unsure as to whether that was a good thing or not.

Finally, Luka turned his attention to the card. He held it close to himself, possibly aware that the contents may be for his eyes only. He gave Juleka a glance, to which she backed off and gave him space.

Marinette quietly wished to be put out of her misery, but on the plus side, she'd been holding her breath the whole time so maybe she'd fall unconscious before she saw his reaction?

Luka opened the card slowly, eyes shifting just slightly as he read. Marinette forced herself to maintain a neutral face, especially as Luka's brows rose in surprise and the hand holding the card went stiff.

Luka's original appearance of calm faded, his measured movements suddenly gone. Without a word, he placed the card back inside the case and shut it. When Juleka opened her mouth to say something, he tossed her his stocking so he could stand up. A few called out to him in confusion, but it was like he was in a trance.

Marinette let out the breath she'd been holding as he walked across the room, right towards her. She blushed, inching back and briefly looking behind her in hopes that maybe there was something there that he'd been after instead.

She looked back at him when she heard him get down on his knees. The case was held tenderly against his chest while his other hand reached forward to rest on hers. Marinette went to say his name, but the intense look in his eyes made it too hard to speak.

She was only able to mouth out 'Lu—' before he leaned in and kissed her. Her already rigid body stiffened further, a stark contrast to how soft his lips were and how easily his hand gingerly squeezed hers in reassurance. People around them were either gasping or cheering quietly, which was when it finally registered with her that this was real and he was really kissing her.

Her eyes fluttered shut, her free hand moving upwards to rest on his cheek so she could stroke his face. The way he leaned into her assured her that he enjoyed it.

It took her a while to realize exactly how long they were kissing when someone vocalized in a whisper that they were "surprised they hadn't come up for air yet." At that, they both pulled away, either because they realized that they were actually out of air or it had just been embarrassing to hear someone say that.

"Ah—" Marinette paused, needing a moment to bring herself back to reality. She glanced down at the case Luka was holding, then back to his love-struck face. Lowering her hand from his cheek, she said, "I-I don't get it. I didn't sign it; how did you—?"

He cut her off with a chuckle. She blinked at him, confused, and he simply raised the hand he'd been touching to his face.

Giving her hand a kiss that made her heart do flips, he smiled and replied, "I'd know your work anywhere, Marinette."

"...Oh," she uttered, her already red face turning redder as she smiled. She couldn't let out anything coherent with him staring at her like that, so she simply shifted her hand in his until she could slip her fingers through his and press their palms together.

Someone in the circle cheered, "Wow, way to go, Marinette!" Then, after a pause, someone else added, "But how are we supposed to compete with that?!"

In response, both Luka and Marinette joined together in laughing, which gave a very clear answer to the question: they weren't.

[howtotrainyouragents]

Adrien Trying to Be Cool

Let’s talk about Adrien for a second. This kid is a famous model with a rich, world-famous fashion designer father, and he moonlights as a superhero. Objectively speaking, he’s a very cool kid. BUT imagine if Adrien doesn’t see it that way. After all, he isn’t into fashion, doesn’t care much for modeling, and no one knows that he’s Chat Noir. 

Take that all away, and you’ve got a fourteen year old boy who’s new to school and is gonna try way to hard to be cool. 

There’s the meme-loving, angsty side of trying to be cool

-Memes galore. Obscure ones, dank ones, this boy basically speaks in meme. He thinks he’s the funniest person in the entire gosh darn city. Most people have no idea what he’s saying

-Nathalie: *tries to use meme in an attempt to be supportive* Adrien: Ugggghhhh, Nathalie, that was from two weeks ago. Keep up

-He’s all over social media, posting silly videos of himself talking to the camera or goofing off in his giant room. He’s trying to recreate the best vines one vine at a time

-Nerd shirts or those sassy shirts like “I’m too cool for this” solely

-*Tries to drink black coffee because it’ll make him look cool* *Dies*  

-Tries to do weird stuff to his hair until some adult comes rushing in and removes his razor, hair dyes, and mohawk references 

Then there’s the into-cool-stuff side of trying to be cool

-Plagg and he have jam sessions in his room where they blast Jagged Stone and air guitar like maniacs around the entire room until Gabriel yells at them to stop

-Begs Nathalie to let him wear the new fashion trends. And not like the cool stuff that Gabriel would approve of. The weird fashion trends. “It’ll make me look cool!”  “Your father will literally kick us both out. Now go back and change.” “Everyone’s wearing it!” “Who’s everyone?” “..........Nino.” 

-Host the school’s fidget spinner championship games 

-Can do the water bottle flip 

-Filmed himself doing the blanket/pet surprise thing with Plagg, but that obviously didn’t work out 

-Obnoxious sunglasses

But then there’s the sweet side of trying to be cool

-He's the first person to comment on every single thing his classmates post. He aggressively loves and supports his friends 

-Owns all the newest video games and movies and will lend it out at a drop of hat. “Dude, I’ve been wanting to see this movie forever!” “Keep it. Do you want me to get the second one for you too? I can do that for you. I will do that right now.” 

-Someone is picking on one of the classmate:  “Hey, don’t pick on MY friend. *turns to person* I hope it’s okay if I said we’re friends. Are we friends? It’s okay if you don’t want to be. I’m not used to having friends.” 

-He really just wants their love and attention 

-Has blown up their class photo and hung it on his wall.

-In short, he and Nino are kings of trying way too hard to be cool. Alya just shakes her head going, “Boys...” Marinette is totally a sucker for it, but when the kid walks in an obnoxious outfit and finger guns, there’s only so much an aspiring fashion designer can take

[regrettablewritings]

How You Met AU: Poe Dameron

Lifted from this ship meme

You were an idiot. You were an idiot who bought into the beauty of eating in the courtyard of this San Franciscan café and now, for deciding to eat outside, you were going to die in this absurd heat. You sighed even though you immediately regretted feeling the subsequent warmth of your breath running over your skin. It was too late to take it all back, though: Judging by the constant glances you made at the windows of the actual establishment, Café Madrinna’s insides were now filled to capacity for the lunch rush. You tried not to whimper, gripping your ice-cold glass of water with the hopes of relief. Your friend, much to your envy and despair, appeared to be unaffected by the West Coast heat as she continued to chatter about the divine nature of the miniature quiches this place served. “ – and the spinach-cheese ones? To die for, (Y/N),” she went on, gesturing just as dramatically as her claim. You nodded half-heartedly, only partially paying attention. The other part was trying to focus on not passing out in public. If you couldn’t be in the A/C-cooled building, then the only other thing you wanted more was for a waiter to come by so you could request another cold drink, order your food, and get out of here as soon as possible.

Your friend’s voice carried on with the one-sided conversation, quickly blurring into little more than white noise. In fact, everything was beginning to fade from your focus due to you swearing that you were melting. It was therefore a bit of a wonder to you that one noise did make it through your disappearing interest. Though, not by much. After all, it’s hard to ignore the sound of a microphone screeching. You flinched, faintly hearing others “ooh” and hiss as they cringed. “Sorry! Sorry … Testing, testing. 1, 2, 1, 2,” a voice magnified by the mic said. You wanted to start whimpering but lacked the energy; the last thing you wanted was for yet another source of stimuli to overwhelm you. Plus, if somebody started to play music, it would require even more energy for you to speak up to the waiter. Wherever the hell they were. You were so filled with spite that you mustered just enough strength to turn your head. It lulled lazily on your neck and, had you thought about it, ultimately dampened whatever effect your annoyed glare could’ve provided. Not that it mattered: It didn’t last very long anyway. It couldn’t possibly hold its own once you saw exactly whom you were intended to direct your ire. He was cute, but not in a little boy sort of way. You couldn’t quite place it, but you supposed it had something to do with the lax demeanor he carried about himself. … But he also had a guitar with him as he sat on a stool before the mic. The frown threatened to make its way back onto your face. California Guy + Guitar = Memories of That One Asshole in the Quad at College Trying to Pick Up Chicks. Grabbing the mic, he greeted, “Afternoon, ladies and gents and other heavenly bodies,” he greeted. He offered a smile, revealing his crooked but nevertheless adorable teeth (how could teeth be adorable, you had no idea). “Anyway,” he said, getting into position, “here’s ‘Wonderwall.’” Oh, God, no! “Nah, I’m just kidding.” A handful of people chuckled. You nearly sighed with relief. “But seriously … Here goes something.” The sound of the strings being plucked proved to be anything but the nuisance you had expected them to be. In fact, the chords seemed to flow through the air like silk, curling in waves before caressing your ears. But it couldn’t compare to the smooth, almost husky voice with which the musician sang. “That certain night, the night we met, There was magic abroad in the air. There were angels dining at the Ritz And a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.” Perhaps it was a heat-induced delirium, but part of you suspected the man’s voice of being supernatural: You no longer focused on the heat; in fact, you could barely determine if you were actually hot anymore. “I may be right and I may be wrong, But I’m perfectly willing to swear That when you turned and smiled at me, A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.” The way with which he delivered the lyrics seemed to serve as almost a portal, offering you an oasis to recuperate from. A balmy evening scene painted itself in your head, the man’s voice serving as both paintbrush and palette. You barely responded to your waiter as they finally came by your table (now of all times) to retrieve your orders. You dared yourself to not look away as you marveled how the man’s eyelashes fluttered with his perpetual bedroom eyes. Bedroom eyes that … were looking right at you. Sure enough, you could see the those dark eyes of his staring specifically at you. A stare so unbroken that you could see the warmth in those optics and be reminded of a cozy little nook where one could be gathered into a quilt and sleep in its cloth embrace. It was perhaps this observation that revived the heat in you. Only, instead of it being a painful, bodily heat beaten onto your skin by the sun, this heat seemed to stay specifically in your face and ears. Crud. It only worsened when the man, still staring at you, flashed you another crooked-toothed smile. Double crud! “The moon that lingered over London town – Poor puzzled moon, he wore a frown …” With far too much ease, he lifted himself from his seat. He started walking slowly away from the designated performance spot, never once missing a beat. “How could he know we two were so in love? The whole darn world seemed … upside down!” His voice continued, appearing to be unaffected by the lack of microphone as his singing still rang throughout the dining area. That would have impressed you, had it not been for your heartbeat muting out almost everything. He was coming closer! To you! You could feel yourself panicking inside, eyes skittering about you in a fruitless attempt to locate an escape route. You glanced back up. He was ten feet away. Six feet. Four feet. Three. Two. “The streets of town were paved with stars It was such a romantic affair. And as we kissed and said goodnight, A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.” Oh, God. He was here. In front of you. On one knee, still playing along, voice still carried through that cute smile of his. His stare was still on you. Everybody’s stare was on you. Your friend gushed in her seat, fists balled into her cheats as she quietly geeked out at what was happening to you. You, on the other hand, were two-parts mortified, two-parts twelve seconds away from going your own gushing. Certainly, it was not good for your hatred of being the center of attention in a public space for you to be serenaded. But on the flip-side, you were being serenaded! This was the sort of stuff you’d only ever seen in movies or Youtube videos. This wasn’t the sort of stuff that happened to people like you! Or at least, that was what you’d thought before. But this man was proving otherwise as his fingers practically waltzed along the strings of his guitar, treating you to a wordless solo that brought a piece of your mind back to the night scene. It now included him in there, with those warm eyes and kissable smile. Holding hands, walking along the streets – that that gooey romantic stuff you tried your best not to get too caught up in. But, oh, he made it look and sound so wonderful! In fact, it was that same wonderful voice that gently pulled you back to reality on a high note – literally. “Aaaaand like an echo far away, A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square,” he crooned. Before he got up, he offered you quite possibly the smoothest wink you’d ever bore witness to. His fingers were still strumming as he slowly returned to his original placement. By the time you’d remembered to clap, the audience had already been holding applause for ten seconds. He took a small bow, glowing grin in place. He leaned into the microphone once more: “Thank you so much! Wow, uh … Okay, I’ll be taking a ten-minute break so . . . I guess hang tight!” His eyes didn’t return to you as he turned around and exited the outside. As much as you felt a little disappointed by this fact, you couldn’t blame him. ++++++ “What’s the matter? You haven’t eaten much …” Your friend nodded at your plate. You shook your head, “Nothing, it’s just – I’m pacing myself.” You directed a bite-sized piece in a circle with your fork. Your companion pursed her lips in doubt. “I’m calling bull on that,” she muttered, taking a bite of the quiche she’d been going on about all day. “I think I know the reason.” The delivery of that sentence threatened a chill to go down your spine; you knew what was coming. And sure enough, as you looked up, you were met with a taunting smirk. “Tummy in a tizzy? ‘Cause that cutie sang to you? Be still, your beating heart!” You attempted to glare through your blushing, aching face. “Quiet, you!” you hissed. You really didn’t want to hear this: Both because of embarrassment, but also because you just wanted to forget about that guy already. You wanted to scarf down your food, pack up, and leave this barbaric heat and never come back! … If only you could actually will yourself to eat – “Uh … Hey, excuse me? Sorry if I’m interrupted but –” Your friend’s eyes widened as she looked upwards of the tableside. You, on the other hand, dared not look for once: You knew exactly who it was. “Yeah, so, uh …” A sugar cookie with frosting decorated to resemble a sun was placed on your napkin. Okay, now you had to look. You mustered the courage to look at the musician, trying your best to appear calm and collected yet confused when in reality, you were inwardly flustered, nervous, and confused. The simple bite of his lip almost broke you. “I just wanted to apologize for earlier,” he said. “I usually work best when there’s a, you know, specific person in mind to sing for. But I realized a little too late it’s not everybody’s style so … Cookie.” You could swear you saw his cheeks hinting red. You regarded the cookie. “It’s … I mean, that was okay, you were only –” “No, it isn’t,” your friend cut in. You and the musician immediately looked at her, both your faces painted with perplexity. “What?” you uttered. Your friend just shook her head. “A cookie isn’t gonna cut it. The poor dear can’t even eat, you made her so nervous with that performance! In fact, I dare say you owe her an actual meal!” Your mouth dropped, eyes widening. What in the ever-living Hell was this binch doing?! Before you could recite exactly that, your friend practically shot up from her seat. “Lemme get out your way so that the two of you can talk this out. By the time I come back, I’d better hear the location, price range, everything about the date!” (At the utterance of “date”, you swore you could feel your heart drop through your abdomen.)  “For my approval, of course,” she added. Nothing and nobody could stop her from then leaving, practically frolicking into the café building. Leaving you and the man alone … He actually seemed mostly unfazed. He shrugged, “She’s got a point … This place has decent cookies, but that’s not exactly great compensation.” He plopped himself in the now free chair and scooched in. “I’m Poe, by the way,” he said, offering you his hand. You blinked. He … He was seriously okay with this?! Apparently so. “(Y/N),” you returned, accepting the handshake. It was warm, just like everything else about him. Only this time, you didn’t mind the heat as it surged through you, from your hand to your head.

[oneweekoneband]

Opera / A-Cha / Spy (2011/2012)

“Opera” has a sneaky little synth riff, a vaguely Gothic masquerade video, and is a catchy enough album track to get upgraded to a single for Japan. Except Heechul was in the military by then so Eunhyuk took over his lines, and Sungmin took over Eunhyuk’s lines, nicely duplicating his little squeak on “neomu yumyeonghaeseo da michyeodeul bonikka”/”nee ii nara hito nishiyouka”. Too bad they brought back the “three guys dance and everyone else just kneels” crap though. 

That’s three really solid songs off the Mr. Simple album, which is pretty darn good; there are more on that album, but I’m skipping them for time’s sake. So many good songs must be why the re-release single, “A-Cha,” is probably their most underwhelming-to-me single ever (the other competitor is “Spy”) despite the nifty desaturated Look Around You-esque visual styling and percussive vocals and swooping electric guitar riff. It’s not great on lyrics: Kyuhyun announces he is a love spider, a “sarang-ui spider,” to be specific, and Sungmin states that he is Don Quixote jumping bravely into her tornado. And this is a totally serious, straight-faced song. Just look at Sungmin’s sour expression as he flips those playing cards toward the camera. Or well, Sungmin has a bowl cut and that’s pretty bad too. This is really just not a good song for Sungmin overall, huh? Nobody even knows what “A-Cha” means! From context it means “oops,” as in “you’ll say a-cha when you realize you missed out on this hunka burnin’ love,” but judging by the making-of video, it is a nonsense word that somebody made up for this song. They mostly just hem and haw and make jokes about what it could possibly be, and eventually decide it is a mystery for the viewers to decipher. (I mean, the joking and banter is funny, but uh…) The dance has a lot of waving one’s palms around, as if a mime in a box, or as if washing a car.

I mostly dislike “SPY” because the “Get Smart” synth horn riff gets repetitive, the choreography isn’t super memorable and is focused more on looking cool and James Bond-like than on doing anything interesting (slalom-y motions on “na, na, na, nareul saranghan” excepted), and because an A2, as heard repeatedly in the verses, is out of the comfort zone of everyone in Super Junior, especially Ryeowook. (and because their hair looks crunchy with gel) (and because they demonstrate poor trigger discipline) (and because they spend too much time standing in t-pose) (but I do like “go kick it in the butt!”) As evidence that the A2 is not a good note for Super Junior, I submit this live-mic performance, in which the only one who I am confident didn’t just lip-sync his way through the verse is Kyuhyun, and he’s just barely able to reach the A2. That’s not to say that I’m mad at Super Junior for not hitting the notes; I’m mad at whoever thought it would be a good idea to make them sing those notes, in this key.

[ncscope-archived-blog]

Do every 4 of that munday meme ✌

@visorshot [Why do you do this Harley] [acc but might be published later this week because I need to post actual content]

ᄏ:  Play any instruments?

I do - not very well though, but I try my best. I started learning the flute when I was seven, and gave it up (big mistake, never give up on an instrument, kids) when I was thirteen or fourteen because I wanted to play a cooler instrument. I return to it every now and then, mostly to play the old stuff I used to play in the orchestra (The Moldau and Pictures at the Exhibition are two favourites) or Irish folk songs. I did a bit of guitar because my friends and I wanted to start a rockband in middleschool, but we didn’t have a bassist so I switched to the bass. Our band lasted until the end of highschool, my love for bass guitar persists to this day, but I haven’t played in forever. Also, I have a good ear for rythm, but none at all for pitch. Which is a bummer for an instrument like the bass. 

【・ヘ・?】:  Ever tripped in front a bunch of people?

HAHA JOKE’S ON YOU I ALREADY DID THIS ONE.

愛:  Are you currently dating?

AND THIS ONE TOO.

(づ￣ ³￣)づ :  Have you ever had to hug someone you didn’t want to?

Oh yes. I think I’m pretty chill on the whole hug-giving thing (I like hugs, hugs are cool) but I don’t just give hugs to EVERYONE. Gotta earn the hug, fam. Some people don’t seem to realise that. 

ヽ(ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ:  Have you ever wanted to flip a table before? If so, why?

Absolutely. Because flipping a table seems terribly dramatic and absolutely awesome. Pretty sure I’d hurt myself with the table though. Like, one of the legs would knock me out or something.

♪:  Do you find yourself singing or humming to yourself sometimes?

I sing in the shower, I hum when I cook, and I sing again whenever I’m alone and listening to music. It’s a disaster. 

⅚:  Post the link if your current favorite song

DID THAT ONE TOO here have more Clapton goodness.

➍:  Ever been to a concert? Was it fun?

I’ve been to a few, the only major ones being Green Day and a French artist called Bénabar (great lyricist). The last proper concert I’ve been to would be Rosie Lowe at the festival I was volunteering at. She was GREAT. But generally speaking I don’t like crowds, so I tend to avoid concerts.

♞:  Showers or baths?

Showers, as I sadly get bored or cold quickly in baths. I’m a sad person.

（．＿．）:  Do you think you are an awkward person?

Have you even met me, I’m beyond the realm of awkwardness. I don’t know how to talk to people, I struggle with defining when someone is actually my friend or not (God knows tumblr is not helping with that), when I’m trespassing boundaries, and it takes me forever to connect with people in real life. My mom uses a word that I don’t think translates really well in English and says I’m “sauvage” (aka “wild” in English, but I feel like “wild” emphasizes more the aggressive and outward aspect, when she means that I’m difficult to approach and solitary. Basically a hermit).

ℝ:  What color shirt are you currently wearing?

My t-shirt is grey, my actual shirt is blue. I like the shirt-t-shirt combination don’t judge me.

礼:  Would you swim in the lake or ocean?

WHY NOT BOTH I love water. 

ℨ:  If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

SCOTLAND FOREVER. Scotland is my land of adoption and I will cherish it forever and ever.

Д:  Strangest food you’ve eaten?

Jellyfish salad. Japan is an very interesting place when it comes to food. (sidenote: I’ve never eaten better food than during my three-weeks trip to Japan in highschool, if you leave out the jellyfish salad and the darned natto).

[existentialcowboy]

June in July

JUNE IN JULY

a Branford Perry story

by Stephen Brooke ©2017

I've seen drunken rednecks aplenty. They can't compare with June’s family.

I know Yankees aren’t all like that. Well, honestly, I’ve not seen enough drunken northerners to say. I only know that those Michiganders were, if not rowdier than your typical good ol’ boys, far less gracious.

No, no, I’m not putting down folks of the Yankee persuasion, you understand, but I've seen enough to suspect that there is a different attitude up north. Shoot, just look at how the tourists drive when they come down here!

I loved June. That’s a fact. So, I figured I had to at least tolerate her people for a few days of family reunion and Fourth of July barbecue. Love’s like that, y’know?

Almost from the day I met June Schiller, she talked about her family — her father, especially. Looking down on the whole affair, from a perch a few years higher, I can see that was a pretty darn clear danger signal. But I hadn’t had any experience with a Daddy’s girl back then. I was kind of dumb, I reckon.

But love’s like that, y’know? Yeah, I said that already.

I’m okay with my siblings but nothing like that. We dispersed in all directions and didn’t look back. As for gathering us for a reunion — well, good luck with that.

It was a Sunday afternoon — I usually spent Sundays at June’s place, over near Gainesville — when she called me to the computer. “This is the tee-shirt I designed for the reunion,” she told me. June, by the way, was a graphic designer. I liked that about her. I like creative people.

I like to think that I’m creative but let’s not get into that.

I looked over her shoulder at the screen and the rainbow logo she had created. “You have the colors in the wrong order,” I offered. “Remember ‘Roy G. Biv.’”

“Who’s that?”

“It stands for red-orange-yellow-green-blue-indigo-violet. I learned about Roy by watching Sesame Street.”

“Oh. Okay.” Was that a bit of pique in her voice? Maybe I should have just said it looked nice and offered no more. Maybe some of my friends would have called it ‘man-splaining.’ I’m full of useless information, anyway.

She never changed it, of course, and all the tee-shirts ended up with incorrect rainbows. I suppose no one but me ever minded nor even noticed. My tee still hangs in the back of my closet, a small white ghost to haunt me, if I choose to look at it now and again. I don’t wear it.

It wasn’t just a celebration of the Fourth, you see, or a family reunion. It was also June’s birthday and that of her father, both clustered around Independence Day. That’s pretty much my favorite time of the year, the heat of the summer, the days of swimming in the clear, cool springs that well up around Florida, the afternoons of thunderstorm, bringing fresh, electric air to the evenings.

It may also have been the happiest time in my life. I was thoroughly in love, in a way I had never been before, and spent as many of those summer nights as possible with my June. I would have moved in – the hell with my responsibilities – if she had been willing. Oh, all those warning signs were there; they had been from the start. I avoided looking at them.

The sassafras grew along June’s fence line, standing as slender sentinels of her pasture. Inside those fences were the big live oaks, old survivors amid the grass, jungle gyms for her goats. It was the dead wood that had fallen from them we gathered on more than one Saturday, for the bonfire she envisioned.

It was her vision, after all, though I supported it as I could. The canopy from my art shows was at her disposal for an outdoor family dinner, laid out on the folding tables we brought home in my truck from a garage sale one Saturday. And her extended family ate and drank and talked and it was all stuff I didn’t much care about, nor even understand some of the time. We spoke a different language and I’m not just talking about my southern accent.  

Still, I’ll always have pleasant enough memories of sitting around the huge bonfire, the one for which I spent those weeks dragging dead wood from her pastures, with the family, playing guitar and watching that bunch of pyromaniacs shoot off fireworks.  Taking them all to Ginny Springs so they could tube down the river. Listening to stories of people I didn’t know.

There are those who tell me I don’t know how to have a good time. They could be right.

Did I see it as wasted time? Did I resent it? It is possible, but there was too much else in my head to sort that out, right then. It’s possible June sensed it too. Maybe she could tell I didn’t much like her folks.

I mostly just sat at the outside of her family’s circle at the bonfire, listened some, drank a little. I’m not one to overdo that, nor did I share the joint that eventually made its way around. “I shouldn’t. I could lose my job,” said one cousin, or whatever he was, before taking a toke and passing it along. No, I didn’t fit here; it was only because of June I let myself be bored this way, attempted to be friendly — or at least pretended to be.

But then, love’s like that, as I said.

There were fireworks one or another had brought, or maybe more than one. It was just as illegal, whoever was responsible. Or irresponsible. They didn’t seem to care. Ragged drunken cheers rose with each sky rocket launched into the July night.

A rocket flashes and fades, a fire burns down to embers. Scattered plastic chairs, their plainness turned to ruddy chiaroscuro by the dying bonfire, threw dark paths upon her lawn, her fresh-mown fragrant lawn, beneath summer’s stars. Couple by lingering couple, our guests hugged and farewelled and welcomed me to the family before flipping on headlights and driving out of my life.

In the silent emptiness of then, I held June to me, both of us too exhausted, both a little too full of Sam Adams — her brother had brought a keg — to make love that July night. I think that is when we, too, began to say goodbye.

“Thanks, Bran, for all you’ve done,” she whispered. And I wondered whether it was worth it. I still do. Then, I also was headed home, into the darkness, toward the responsibilities of my life.

I can see from here that was the high point of my relationship with June. Yeah, it too some time for it to fizzle out and maybe I’ll get into that one of these days — into that whole downhill slope. Or maybe it’s better just to leave it all at this point.

Despite the time that has passed, despite everything, I find myself misting up a bit when I think about those days. Nostalgia? I suppose. Love? Maybe a part of me still loves her. I think a part of me always will. Nothing wrong with that. It would be far worse if she became just a memory that no longer meant anything.

Love really is like that, y’know?

[houndsocean-blog]

A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships ya dig

As you may have noticed, my last post was my first (hooray), and also I sat on it for a month. Not sure why, just hadn't gotten around to posting it until just a little while ago. Anyway, I’m here today, this evening, this year to discuss a KILLER album. As I scroll past my two, count em, two posts I am overwhelmed with the desire to dance, but at the same time I want to feel shit. Welcome to the world of The 1975.

Yes, the 1975 have a “following” of “teens” with their posters adorning the “minimalist bedroom” tours of plenty twinkly eyed youtubers, but these aren't real things. The 1975 have FANS. Since when did that become a bad thing? I’m off my soapbox, the soapbox I’m going to aptly name in the spirit of The 1975, “The Step Onto Which Our Feet are Cleaned and Our Rhetoric Dirtied.” How was that? Terrible? I know.

Okay. So this album comes with some hot ass anticipation. I was a late comer to this band but once I head the looping guitar of “Chocolate” from their first album The 1975  I was taken by how good the chorus was. Fast forward a few years and their next one comes out. It’s called I Like it When You Sleep For You are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It.  Does my soapbox joke translate better now? So I’m watching them perform songs from it on SNL and damn it I liked the song but I was annoyed by Matt Healy the lead singer. He has a very meandering and “rockstar” stage presence. I later realized I was annoyed only because I secretly wanted to be him.

I tell this to say that I wrote them off as something “not for me.” Side note: I get there are a lot of quotation marks and I’m sorry but also i’m just illustrating a “point.”

Fast even more forward and i’m riding in the car listening to the Sound Opinions podcast and a song plays. This song is fucking ear candy. A lite-house-ambient mix with just the most beautiful plinking sounds you ever did here. I wait for the host to tell me the answer to who this band is, and lo and behold it is none other than The 1975. What I was listening to was the title track to  I Like it When You Sleep. I was shamed. Here I was blowing off this band for absolutely superficial reasons. Needless to say I learned my lesson and dove into that album and discover the magic that was the tracks “The Sound” and “This Must be My Dream” among other greats. So with this secret discovery I began singing the praises of the band to anyone who would listen. I began putting it on when I had too much to drink. I used it to keep me awake on long car rides. It was a jam.

So, I became a bit excited when I heard about their new album A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships. And the singles released leading up to it were fucking killer. One of the first I heard was Give Yourself a Try, an angular guitar driven ode to self love. I was immediately struck by the lyrics and the desire of Healy to ENCOURAGE. Damn does it feel good to be encouraged. That single was followed up later by Love it If We Made It. The power anthem of just everything. This song takes to task the headlines that have confronted us with little regard for our collective emotional health. “Thank you Kanye Very Cool,” “Rest in Peace Lil Peep” these are JABS. They fucking sting. Each phrase bringing back memories of adverse reactions, sadness and a general wtf. But, like the well-known Jesus Christ, there was more to come. The ticks of the synth fall away, a guitar builds and we are tumbled into a complete BOP. “I’d love it if we….. MADE IT” Healy yells over the forceful bump of the best use of a steel-drum synth mine ears have been blessed with. The ever-present 1975 choir brings an angelic feel, the guitar juts, Healy’s voice echoes just enough, and for a moment we are just fuckin dancing. I was so thankful for this, especially this year. This song exemplifies so much anxiety that many of us feel but also gives us a nice dose of joy.

I’m going to pause for a sec to explain a theory i’ve been thinking up of songs. Good songs are song that the artist MEANS. And when I say mean, I mean that even if it’s about the paint on a Lomborghini they fucking mean that shit. Great songs are ones where the artist means, and proposes a problem for us to join them in. They create a moment in time for us to understand. A room where we sit opposite them and see what they were dealing with when they wrote it. Truly Great songs: the artist means it, they’ve brought is into their problem and also GIVEN US A SOLUTION. “Love It If We Made It” Does these things. I know they mean it, I know exactly where they were mentally when they wrote it, and fuck it if we’re not gonna dance it off. Now, if that doesnt make a truly great song I have no idea what will.

Alright, pause over. I next heard the single TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME. It’s a super comfortable bop with the cutest darn music video you ever did see. Bless yourself and give it a gander.

Alright. Then something happened. I heard the tune ”It's Not Living (If It's Not With You).” Y’all to say this song enraptured me was an understatement. I spent much of that night starting it over and over. Dancing my heart out. I danced from the imagined perspective of the lead singer, the guitarist and most importantly the backing choir. Fuck. That is what got me. The choir behind Healy gently glides a few octaves over him, and for the words “All, I do” Healy pulls back letting them shine. Oh to be a member of that choir for a day, a month, a life. To get to sing with them is my new dream. Anyway, besides providing a moment of escape this song just FEELS good. I heard in an interview Healy describing it as the most 1975 song the 1975 has ever put out. A scrap of hearsay I daresay I believe. Thank god(ess) for this song.  

Also the other single Sincerity is Scary was great but i’m ready to move on.

So, the day comes, the album is out. I hold off listening because I’m taking my hard earned money and going to the record store and getting it on vinyl.

So, I grab it and when I get home the time has come. I play this thing. It opens strong, a nice twisted and screwed version of their opening track that they’ve repeated a few times on other albums. The first few tracks are the singles i’ve heard plus a great track called “How To Draw / Petrichor,” I guess you could call it the mid-beginning suite of the album. It kind of sets up a sonic palette that previews what is to come. And it is beautiful.

Flip over to side two and “Love It If We Made It” begins. I think you know how I feel about that one.

At the end of this side is a banger. “I Like America and America Likes Me” is what it’s called. It is a perfect synthesis of trap high-hats and a pitched Healy voice that just is really something. Solid Gold. It’s like bubbling up from foamy water. Imagine if that Rosalía album cover was a song by Lorde. Imagine if Lorde had discovered Rae Sremmurd in 2009 and Pure Heroin was white with black letters instead of black with white letters. Imagine Bjork’s Unison but produced by Mike WiLL Made-it in 2017. It’s good shit. Period.

This is followed by “The Man Who Married a Robot / Love Theme,” a British Siri narration of a guy falling in love with the internet. It’s wild.

“Inside your Mind” opens with all the promise of a Beach House wave and ends with a repeated guitar lick that feels stadium sized; a clash of two things that I really like and are rad.

After that we pass “It's Not Living (If It's Not With You).” Yup, talked about that one. A fuckin jam.

“Surrounded by Heads and Bodies” is really good as well. Healy does harmonies in a wonderfully pleasing way and I enjoy it, but I did get a little tired at this point. Not gonna lie. “Mine”  is like a jazz standard and I really like it.

Finally the album ends with “I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes).” This is a stadium song. A concert closer if I ever did hear one. Damn it’s good. Healy shows just the perfect amount of restraint in the chorus that soars man. The opening chords sound like a Dixie Chicks song and quickly becomes so fucking British it’s amazing. This is something that 8th grade me would have EATEN up in long car rides. When the guitar drops at the pre chorus……. just enjoy folks. You’ve made it to the end of an incredible journey with this band. You’re bruised but it’s mainly from dancing. You’ve got a bit of a headache but if you sing hard enough it goes away and you just wanna hear him sing “I just aaalwaaays waaaaanna dieeeee” one more time! Dissolve into the strings, close your eyes. You made it through this damn year.

In some ways i’m mad at The 1975. They’ve captured something in their art that I want to express with mine one day. A melancholy that’s so heavy, yet joy that bursts through like it’s been smiling under the sad for a long, long time. I appreciate this album and will be bumping it for years to come.

If you’ve stuck around for this long through my thoughts on this album thanks for reading. I just love music and couldn't contain these feelings. Have a good one.

[katherinedoeskpop]

Pristin Debut Review: “Wee Woo”

Pristin has a lot of recognition for a rookie group that just debuted a few weeks ago. Most of them competed on Produce 101, and they got two members into I.O.I. The remaining ones held a series of concerts last summer to introduce themselves to the public. Plus they’re the sister group to Seventeen, who is becoming very popular these days. Anticipation for them was definitely high. For all of these expectations, I think that “Wee Woo” is a pretty solid debut.  It might not be ground-breaking or innovative, but it shows that they’ve clearly mastered the basics. If they play their cards right, they could become a force to be reckoned with.

If you’d like to know more about what I look at in my reviews, click here.

*WARNING!* This review assumes the reader has listened to the music and/or seen the music video!

Concept: Girly or feminine.  This isn’t actually a K-pop concept to my knowledge. I just use it as a catch-all term for girl group concepts that are a mix of different things.  There are cute and bubbly parts, and there are also hints of more sexy things. (Other groups that use this concept are SNSD and Twice)

SONG:

Music by: Sungyeon, BUMZU, Anchor, Park Kitae

Arranged by: BUMZU, Anchor, Park Kitae

The producers of “Wee Woo” clearly know what’s in these days, because it’s got all the makings of a quintessential trendy pop song.  It’s upbeat, it’s easy to listen to, its got an addictive melody, and it’s bright and bubbly.  It’s like they followed the recipe for what makes a classic pop (and K-pop) song. It’s definitely a solid title track for a rookie group making their debut.

“Wee Woo” is definitely an earworm.  It has a lot of catchy elements: the lively and repetitive guitar, the pre-chorus chant of “You’re my super superhero,” random fun interjections like “bu bu” and “dugeun dugeun”…and of course, the highlight “wee woo” sound. These are all designed with the intention of sticking in your head.  You notice them when you hear the song, and they’re catchy enough for you to randomly remember them when the music isn’t playing.

In K-pop, at least half the songs that you will hear are super repetitive.  Most of those are guaranteed to get stuck in your head at some point, but how they do it is key. There are some that kind of force their way in and stay until you like them, like Red Velvet’s “Rookie.” There ones that you just love immediately and want to listen to over and over, like Girl’s Day’s “I’ll Be Yours.” (Both of those examples are totally subjective, by the way!) I think “Wee Woo” falls somewhere in between the two.  It’s catchy, but not persistent.  It pops in and out of my head, but it always knows when it’s overstayed its welcome.

When I first heard “Wee Woo,” I was pretty ambivalent.  I didn’t hate it, but at the same time I wasn’t wowed.  But repeat value is definitely a thing in K-pop, and I like it a little more with every listen. I do really like the “wee woo” sound; it’s catchy and it’s very girly.  It adds a nice feminine touch without being too cutesy. I wouldn’t say “Wee Woo” is one of my absolute favorites, but it’s still pretty darn good.

SCORE: 18/20

LYRICS:

Lyrics by: Sungyeon, BUMZU, Bae Soojung, Gustav Karlstrom

In this song, the girls compare falling for someone to be dangerous yet exciting.  Their heart flutters madly when they see the object of their affection, and the “wee woo” noise is a warning siren.  It’s a little stereotypical, but I think it’s also quite relatable for their demographic.  Who hasn’t had a high school or college crush that was equally thrilling and terrifying?

Unfortunately, there are a lot of clichés in the lyrics.  There’s a lot of, heart racing, being dazzled, getting dizzy, going crazy because they like this person so much, etc. And of course, they wonder why everyone seems to like and notice them except for this particular one. (“The kids who like me are standing in a line / Why aren’t you standing in between them?”)  There’s nothing wrong with clichés.  There’s a reason why they’re popular, and I don’t think a song like “Wee Woo” needs anything deep or meaningful. It’s just that there are so many of them.  The comparison between heart jitters and a siren is an interesting one, and it provides lot of potential for interesting lyrics. I wish they would have played more with that.

The one part of the song that I really like is the bridge, where the girls wish that they had same spellbinding effect on their crush:

“Rub a magic lamp, cast a spell to make you mine On the sun, moon, and stars Casting a spell, let’s check and see if the spell worked”

It does seem a little bit out of place, but it gives the song a little quirkiness and some extra fun.  And who knows?  Maybe it’s realistic too. I do seem to remember playing with magic eight balls and tarot cards to find out about my romantic future back in the day.

SCORE: 7/10

LINE DISTRIBUTION:

Apparently, Pristin doesn’t have any fixed roles when it comes to vocal or rap.  This means that anyone can do anything, although I would say some are more firmly established as a vocal or rapper. This approach is really apparent when you look at the line distribution.  It’s not completely equal: Xiyeon has the most lines at 15%, while Yehana has the least at 6.4%.  But they’re constantly rotating who sings what. The member who’s singing changes every line, or sometimes even every half-line.  So while it’s not really equal, it feels like it is.

I think it’s admirable that they have chosen not to pick main or lead roles. It gives everybody a fair chance, and members can improve and grow without being stuck in a certain label.  But at the same time, a group usually has structure for a reason.  The most relevant one here is that it’s a good way to help potential fans figure out who’s who.  A line distribution like this is good for a group like Twice, where all of the members are well known and popular.  It doesn’t work so well for a group that’s just debuting. Ten members is a lot, and you need some definitive ways to distinguish them.

I realize that this is a very small issue, but I do think it’s important in the long run. I had a very hard time telling half the members apart, and the only reason I can now is because I watched their videos a bunch of times for this review.  I understand not wanting to have designated roles, but I would suggest a slightly different approach.  It would probably work better if they chose the roles for each title track, and then switched who is showcased more every time – at least in the beginning.

SCORE: 7/10

CHOREOGRAPHY:

“Wee Woo” has everything you need for a classic pop song, and the choreography has everything you need for a classic girl group dance.  It’s eye-catching, entertaining, and memorable. I am a big believer in K-pop choreographies having a distinctive key point, and Pristin has delivered on that front.  I absolutely love the leg lift.  It’s such a simple move, but it fits the “wee woo” part perfectly. Plus it’s flirty and feminine, which is exactly what they’re going for.

I’d say it falls somewhere in the middle of the difficulty scale.  There are some more complicated sections, but for the most part it’s straightforward and easy to remember.  But at the same time, easy choreography isn’t a bad thing. If the wow factor of a routine doesn’t come from complicated dancing, it comes comes from how entertaining the performance is.  It’s simple enough to learn the steps, but they’ll fall flat if you just dance the moves.  Routines like this need to be filled with bright smiles, on-point expressions, and tons of fan appeal.  And every move has to be big and bright. Perhaps it’s because they’ve built up a lot of pre-debut experience, but the girls are already very skilled at showing off their charms.  This is really important for a rookie group, so they definitely have an advantage here.

I wrote before that a “girly” or “feminine” concept is kind of an umbrella term for concepts that are a bunch of things at once. We can see a lot of different styles in the dance throughout the different moves.  The hair flip move that they begin with is sexy.  The chorus is bubbly and cute.  The “wee woo” key point is flirty.  And the ending is and energetic with cheerleader vibes.  While this has the potential to be a very disjointed dance, it actually all blends together nicely because all of the moves match the rhythm and music.

Personally, I really enjoy this choreography.  It’s well-balanced in style and difficulty, and it lets the girls both show off their moves and draw us in with their performance.  I also appreciate that there’s not a lot of filler, which is very common in girl group dances. At the same time, the routine still has plenty of those nice girly touches fans like to see.  Best of all (in my book), the movements are very clean and dynamic. It’s clear that the overall look and flow and were well thought out.

SCORE: 19/20

CENTER AND FORMATIONS:

I don’t really think formations ever make or break a dance, but they definitely add dimension and shake things up. You don’t miss them if they’re not there, but you’ll definitely take notice if they are. Groups with lots of members have an advantage in performances because they can create a lot of cool formations.  Pristin’s brother group Seventeen is especially good at this – just watch “Pretty U.”  Pristin isn’t quite up to that level yet.  In fact, they mostly just stay in the same three clusters. But they do use tactics like staggering the members’ movements and changing levels to keep it fresh and fun.

I’m not sure if their stance on no fixed positions applies to dancing. They’re all about the same level, so I’m not sure who exactly would be dance line.  Nayoung is the center, which I think is a good choice for many reasons.  Most importantly, she’s a skilled dancer. But she also has popularity and recognition as an I.O.I. member.  And she’s good at doing both sexy and cute, which are the two main cornerstones of the feminine concept.

Although Nayoung gets the most time in the center, there are plenty of other members like Xiyeon and Roa who have a turn.  Eunwoo and Yuha also center the choruses.  I’m a little surprised that Kyulkyung wasn’t in the center as much as Nayoung, given her dancing prowess and her popularity. But overall, I would say that all of the girls got pretty decent individual exposure.

SCORE: 8/10

MUSIC VIDEO:

This music video is actually a lot deeper than it first appears.  It took me the longest time to figure out what it was actually about. I understood the idea that they represented different types of girls (girly girl, bad girl, sporty spice girl, etc.), but the supernatural stuff threw me for a loop.  Before I looked at the lyrics, I thought that the story was that they all got haunted by a ghost and got together to do a seance or something.  But that didn’t quite seem to fit into the tone of the song or their concept.

That still might actually be one interpretation of the music video.  I have no official evidence proving or refuting it.  But now that I know the lyrics, I think the “hauntings” are more symbolic.  They represent an unfamiliar situation for each girl that she doesn’t know how to handle, which according to the lyrics is having an enormous crush.  Most of the reactions are startled and surprised, like in the song itself. Once they become more comfortable or control the situation, they seem much more at ease. (Dream Teller has a similar idea, although I don’t agree with all of his points)

It’s a really strong idea, so I’m a little disappointed that it got muddled in the execution.  I think that a little more consistency would have gone a long way. For example, they could have had something weird happen to all of the members, instead of just some of them.  It would have given us more clues to what was going on, because a few examples don’t make it clear. It depends on the member, but we don’t always know basic information: who she’s supposed to be, why she is in that particular setting, and what’s going on. We don’t necessarily need an actual story with a narrative arc; we just need to get the basic premise on the first watch.

Even defining their “characters” more would have helped.  I’m not sure what half of the “types” were supposed to even be. Production design (costumes, decor, props, etc.) can be really helpful in giving visual clues, but it’s half-hearted here.  I think it’s because the creative team is clearly focused on having a uniform aesthetic, which pretty much translates to “pretty girls.”  There’s nothing wrong with that, but that also means the stereotypes these girls are playing are too similar.  They’re trying to be quirky and show off their individual charms, but it doesn’t work if they’re all basically an attractive version of something.

That being said, it’s still a fun music video that’s pleasing to the eye.  I’m a huge fan of the aesthetic. It’s colorful but not overly bright, and I enjoy the red and yellow accents that remind you of sirens and caution tape. I also really like the camera work, especially the one-shot sequences.  The more obvious one is the panning scene with all the occult stuff, but I also like the tracking one in the school hallway.  The camera tracks back as Kyulkyung walks through the halls, and the other members start to appear in small groups.  By the end of the sequence, they’re all winking and waving at us.  Those kind of shots take a lot of work, and it paid off because it stands out. I think they succeeded more in the moments where they charmed the fans than the ones where they were trying to implement an idea. But all in all, it’s a pretty solid music video for a debut.

SCORE: 17/20

STYLING:

I still maintain that the stylists should have put more effort into giving the girls a “type” for the sake of the music video’s narrative.  And they should have actually dressed them appropriately according to said “type.”  I mean, I was an actual bookworm in high school and I looked nothing like Nayoung.  That doesn’t mean that they should make them ugly or quirky looking, but if they were going to do the “pretty girl” thing, they should have just cut the stereotype idea

However, from an aesthetics point of view I think it’s a relatively minor issue.  If we’re talking about just the styling, it’s so on point: clothes, hair, makeup, everything.  The girls look absolutely fabulous and flawless. What’s great is that the styling will be pleasing to all of the fans.  Male fans’ hearts will probably be going “wee woo” when they see some of those outfits.  And on the flip side, I literally want to copy every single look.  K-pop relies heavily on visuals and that isn’t always a good thing, but having good ones might help Pristin put their foot in the door like it did Twice.  At least they won’t have any awkward debut photos or videos that will come back to haunt them.

STYLING MVP: Roa.  Honestly they all look amazing, but I personally prefer her look.

SCORE: 9/10

FINAL TALLY:

Song – 18

Lyrics – 7

Line Distribution – 7

Choreography – 19

Center and Formations – 8

Music Video – 17

Styling – 9

TOTAL: 85

CONCLUSION: A lot of new groups tend to have a distinct rookie vibe when they debut, but there are some that come out of the gate with a more professional feel.  I think that Pristin is one of those groups. There are a few missteps like with most debuts or comebacks, but “Wee Woo” is solid. Their debut has many indicators for success: a great catchy song, a fun dance that’s easy to learn, an aesthetically pleasing music video, and flawless styling and visuals.  They’re obviously not as experienced as girl groups that have been around for a few years, but they’re definitely making their mark.

I’ve noticed on social media and in articles that a lot of people are comparing Pristin to Twice and their debut. I did notice a lot of similarities to “Like Ooh Ahh,” and I do think that “Wee Woo” is a song that fits in Twice’s wheelhouse.  But I don’t believe that they’re outright copying them.  Instead of labeling Pristin as generic, boring, or unoriginal, I choose to look at it in a different way. This kind of concept is super popular right now, so I see it as Pristin being savvy and playing to the current trend.

A girly or feminine concept might not be anything exciting, but it’s a good way to prove what you’re capable of.  Pristin has already shown us that they’ve got a good grasp of the basics, and they have what it takes to become successful.  They’ve also indicated that they could branch into a whole different bunch of concepts: cute, sexy, or girl crush, to name a few.  I’m not sure what will come next, but I’m definitely excited to find out.

Sources: Youtube, Pledis Entertainment, Wikipedia, Soompi, K-Pop K-Fans (Blogspot)

Pristin Debut Review: “Wee Woo”

Pristin has a lot of recognition for a rookie group that just debuted a few weeks ago.

[music-of-silence]

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book but not quite as described

5.0 out of 5 stars Good basic collection of solid traditional arrangements. Good mix of popular and traditional sacred While no single collection of Christmas music is going to have everything you want in it, at least I have not found one, this is pretty darn fine for several reasons. It has a broad selection of the popular and traditional, with some lesser known numbers of each. The arrangements are interesting, but easy enough to play for someone of moderate ability and sight readable for someone who is skilled. Also, the arrangements are pretty traditional. So many arrangers feel the need of adding more colorful chords and changing rhythms. Many of us merely want good rich traditional arrangements where the harmonies of the original come through and the part writing for the for singing around a piano, and there are guitar chords and the fingering boxes provided as well.The book is arranged alphabetically, so you can quickly find the piece you are looking for. However, if you don't know the name, it takes awhile because the book is so big. My advice for using this book to play for any occasion is to use post it notes to mark the tunes you intend to play so you can flip to them quickly.The binding is good and strong, so it will stand up to use. While spiral binding might be preferred by some because it will lay flat, I find that they often break, get bent, or have other problems.I like this collection a lot and recommend it. Go to Amazon

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive collection of holiday music This book contains 126 songs (sheet music) for the December holiday season (predominantly Christmas). Although it lacks a few of the ones I was looking for, it contains not only the most popular songs, but some I'm not familiar with. The arrangement of the music in this book appears to be the originally written version instead of a chopped up, simplified, or edited version that is presented in some sheet music books. Presented for piano, vocal, and guitar. Go to Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Christmas piano songbook to date This book will get you the most for your dollar. You get over 100 songs, and literally every song you've ever heard during that time of year will be in here. There are even a few songs that include cover versions which is pretty cool. Rare songs that I had a hard time finding in other books like Carol of the Bells, We are Santa's Elves, and some of the older carols. There is a perfect variety of older hymns/carols such as Silent Night, First Noel, Joy to the World, Away in a Manger, as well as more up beat and popular Christmas songs like Jingle Bell Rock, Holly Jolly Christmas, and Wonderful Christmastime. A few are missing like White Christmas, Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, and Most Wonderful Time of the Year, but there is another book called Alfred's Ultimate Christmas collection that contains those songs and a lot more that this book doesn't. If you own this book though, you will have about 90% of the Christmas songs you've ever heard, and there is so much more too. Arrangements aren't bad either, they are pretty basic and get the job done, but aren't too simple where any beginner can sit down and play these perfectly. This is great for family get togethers and most people will easily recognize the songs, and if you play for a church, the hymns can be played around Christmas to help set up the mood. You get more than your bargain for, and this book is so cheap and full of all the classics. Buy it if you don't own it. Go to Amazon

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for family Christmas celebration A good mix of Religious and secular, old and new Christmas music with Auld Lang Syne and a couple of Hanukkah songs thrown in for good measure. The songs have music and words in print large enough for comfortable reading. The piano music has music for both hands, not just a "fake book". The guitar music has chord diagrams along with the name.of the chord. The words to ALL verses are provided. Binding is attractive and sturdy. I am pleased with the value and the customer service. Go to Amazon

3.0 out of 5 stars Extensive but a little boring The book does contain a ton of Christmas songs. I had hoped for more unfamiliar traditional ones, but that gap is filled with 20th century Christmas pop songs.The arrangements are okay, not necessarily too easy, just too soundless. All in all, this is probably a good book for beginners who don't want to struggle with complicated harmonies and sheet music. Go to Amazon