#as a musician understanding music streaming feels more and more like a bad trip

[virgo-dream]

ok Spotify send this straight to my therapist then!!!!!

[popwasabi]

“Little Monsters” Review: Wait, this movie isn’t about Lupita killing zombies??

Directed by Abe Foresythe

Starring: Alexander England, Lupita Nyong’o, Josh Gad

No one would blame you if you thought Hulu’s “Little Monsters” was going to be about Lupita Nyong’o

After all, the viral campaign featured her heavily on both the movie’s poster and trailer leading us all to believe we were going to get a heaping helping of the Oscar-winning actress getting her turn to kick zombie ass in Australia.

(Seriously!)

But what ends up happening in the end is a fairly run of the mill zombie comedy that, though entertaining, isn’t even about Nyong’o’s character, instead kicking the tires on some tired tropes within its comedic sub-genre with a far less captivating character.

Nyong’o does her very best though to lift “Little Monsters” average script and makes it worth the stream alone but feels ultimately like a missed opportunity to tell a more interesting story and an ultimately more fun zombie comedy.

(^A more fun zombie comedy)

“Little Monsters” follows Dave, a washed-up, loser musician who’s been kicked out of his house by his girlfriend for not understanding her feelings regarding child-rearing. He moves into his sister’s house and finds himself in the care of his nephew who’s picked on at school. When Dave discovers his nephew’s school teacher Ms. Caroline he immediately becomes infatuated with her and works up a plan to win her affection by volunteering to go on a class field trip to a petting zoo with the class. When they get there however it appears things have gone horribly wrong as a nearby American military base accidentally unleashes a zombie horde on the class and now Dave and Ms. Caroline must work to stay alive and keep the kids spirits high.

The modern zombie genre is now over 40 years old with dozens of movies and TV shows sprinkled between George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” and AMC’s seemingly undying “The Walking Dead.” With a few notable exceptions here and there since 1968 such as “Shaun of the Dead” and “Train to Busan,” the genre has grown as stale as the shambling corpses its protagonist shoot, stab, smash and murder has grown more and more repetitive over the years. There’s been some attempts at really outlandish ideas such as making the zombies romantic interests in “Warm Bodies,” and making a Christmas musical out of them in “Anna and the Apocalypse” but even those films couldn’t escape many of the tropes we see over and over again in these movies.

(”Anna and the Apocalypse” does have some decent show-stopping tunes though.)

“Little Monsters,” in the trailers at least, appeared to be attempting something new. What if a school teacher had to play dumb in front of her kindergarten students while the apocalypse raged around her? How can the eternal optimism, patience and responsibility needed to control 20 plus ignorant, unattentive, needy, clingy children hold up against the ravenous undead? 

There was potential for a very interesting take on a tired genre of film here but director Abe Forsythe bafflingly decides the lead of this film should instead be another mediocre white man who needs the help and charisma of a far more charming female character to learn the power of responsibility and fweelings.

Alexander England isn’t bad per se in his portrayal of Dave but his character is just the same irritating schmuck we all see in these types of movies and frankly not a good person. He’s Safeway brand Shaun of the Dead but without Simon Pegg’s impeccable charm or more importantly Edgar Wright’s directorial finesse and brilliance. He’s a loser but far from the lovable kind as the film seems to think comedy through this character should revolve all around dropping multiple F-bombs and lazy casual sexism at every moment.

Meanwhile, Lupita plays a far more entertaining protagonist who’s relegated to side character in the middle of this catastrophe. She sings, laughs, dances and is just perfect playing this character as she charms her students into believing their playing a “game” of tag with the voracious undead clawing at their windows. How any director could think this character played by an Oscar-winning actress should play out as simply a love interest for such a mediocre hero is just beyond comprehension.

What makes it so infuriating is there are glimpses of how much better this movie could’ve been written throughout the story had they focused on Lupita’s Ms. Caroline instead. Ms. Caroline is eternally optimistic for her students but she alludes to a more pained past at multiple points during the film. She talks about how she caught her ex fiance cheating on her and how she wears her engagement ring still as a defense mechanism to men who keep hitting on her. This all happening while England’s Dave continues to be an insufferable jackass.

The script could’ve worked with that immensely; make it about how Lupita is hiding her pain by pretending, much like how she’s doing with the children in front of the zombies. Talk about how she see’s the need for positivity no matter what, beyond just being there for her kids even in these horrible circumstances because its the only way she can function without falling apart. The movie could’ve really worked with this through the lens of the zombie genre to great comedic affect but again, bafflingly decides the movie is best viewed through the eyes of a frankly shitty white dude.

This all said the movie is fun enough and plenty cute given the children’s often innocent reactions to the carnage around them and Josh Gadd’s puts in a fun short performance as a children’s TV show host who just can’t take it anymore. If you have Hulu there are worst things you can do for an hour a half of your time. As mentioned, Lupita is infuriatingly relegated to a side character in this film but she nonetheless delivers and makes the whole film worth it in the end.

“Little Monsters” is still a missed opportunity in the decaying landscape of the zombie genre and its unfortunate that not even a talented actress such as Lupita could win out the starting protagonist job on such a small movie.

(Seriously, again, how dare you?)

But that’s how it is unfortunately. Despite some major strides in story-telling in Hollywood the last few years, plenty of director’s still think the audience will only enjoy it if its told through the lens of an uninteresting white man in place instead of the far more interesting supporting character, who do tend to be women and people of color.

Hopefully this trope dies along with the tired clichés of the zombie genre in the coming years, lest we have to suffer its shambling corpse again.

Not Holding my breath though…

VERDICT:

3 out of 5

You said it, Rick...

[anarchist-caravan]

(My) TOP Discovered Albums of the year 2019 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Here again, for the fourth year in a row! Ready to go through the list of discovered music that I have found this year. It has been quite a long year. The thing that is different from the other years is that I have felt a little bit more stressed about the list. I don’ t know why. Just is. And that is a good judgement of what my year has been about. Stress. Angst. Hardships. Fatigue. And Surprises.

I always think I won’t be able to find any new music each year. But I am always mistaken. Thousands of albums down the road. And ain’t that the best thing. Amidst the times. 

And thus, a lot of the music I found this year, that has been put on this list is of the more chill side. Not anything too harsh. Just.... a stream of consciousness.

As Usual, Albums I have encountered throughout the year are listed below -with only the last five in a true top order:

40.

Mad Doctor X - Picnic with the Greys (1997)

A picnic we should all attend, -don’t forget the Oui’d!

39.

Tomb Mold ‎– Planetary Clairvoyance (2019)

Dang, that’s death metal done well.

38.

Moor Mother - Analog Fluids Of Sonic Black Holes (2019)

Self-explanatory. 

37.

Darzamat - In the Opium of Black Veil (1999)

Good AF black metal. 

36.

karl sanders - saurian meditation (2004)

Darker than you think. Hypnosis.

35.

The Dolphin Brothers - Catch the Fall (1987)

Richard Barbieri and Steve Jansen plays wonderous synth-pop akin to something... I cannot remember right now. But they are good nonetheless. 

34.

Reiko Kudo - Rice Field Silently Riping In The Night (2019) 

(Dis)harmonious multi-instrumental live-recording’easque music with singing and (soft) noise. 

33.

Michael Stearns - M'Ocean

Michael Stearns makes the most chill music in the universe. Except for maybe that one U.F.O. trip album that can be chill in the scary cold sense. 

32.

Henryk Górecki - Kleines Requiem-Lerchenmusik

Classical album of the year. Górecki always delivers. 

31.

VOIGHT KAMPFF - MORE HUMAN THAN HUMAN (2012)

Fast techno-trash metal band. 

30.

Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble Of Shadows - Death And Flamingos (2019)

Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble Of Shadows is a band that will always have a special space in my heart. Their music got me through the most part of high school. The dark ambivalent songs. Yet, never forgetting the ironic twinkle in the eye. 

29.

Earl Slick - Zig Zag (2003)

That edge of the seat feel of rock; next stage to come, just: SLICK.

28.

Kooba Tercu - Kharrub (2019)

You will be grateful I rec’d this jammin’ piece of fast jumping action of absurdity and happiness. :)

27. 

Red Snapper - Making Bones (1998) 

Trip Hop Album of The year. Seeing to what trip-hop releases there were around the time of this album’s release, I am so fucking surprised I had never heard of these before. They are just as brilliant as the all too famous Portishead, if not with an upper edge in a lot of cases. 

26.

Supercar - Three Out Changes!! (1998)

Shoegaze of the year. Lovely. CHILL. Summer evening breathe’

25.

Anna Domino - East & West (1984)

Timeless synth-pop with rich textures of dreamy lyrics that ensnares you into a downtempo that.... goes up.

24.

Troy Gregory - XAVIERA (2018) 

Monumental Prog.

23.

shit & shine - bad vibes (2018)

It is What it Says. Yeah I am on Acid’

22.

Datarock ‎- Face The Brutality (2018) 

Norwegian indie masters. I love Datarock very, very much. I’ve listened to them since the 2007 release Red and I don’t know a band with as much coercive pop in each track. This album was a surprise find, since I was convinced they were out of the loop.

21.

HIZAKI grace project  - Curse Of Virgo (2008)   

Symphonic Metal. Hizaki is a master of the guitar. Such Riffs. If you need to drain your brain to metal and feel energized but still mesmerized, this is it. 

20.

Institut Für Feinmotorik ‎- Abgegriffen (2011)

Coolest Experimental Band of the year. Go check them out on youtube. The making of the music here is truly an Experience.

19.

Deafkids ‎- Metaprogramação (2019)

D-beat, Raw Punk, Downtempo ... band from Volta Redonda, Rio De Janeiro - Brazil. NOISE.

18.

 WipEout Omega Collection OST (2017)

The wipeout games are and will forever be my favorite way of anti-gravity racing. The music to Wipeout Omega Collection is as stellar as ever, a great list of electro and techno musicians. 

17.

Hammer Bros. - Police Story (1997) 

Imagine being at an underground hardcore noise rave party in 1997. Imagine the beat blasts. The speed. The energy. Just the grinding shouts, the beat, and you. Ready to dive. BURN. WATER. REPEAT.

16.

AFCGT ‎– Square Microphone Tapes 

Noise rock galore. Glory. Wonderful. Gnarly. Intelligent. Different. Moody.

15.

Future Of The Left ‎– Human Death (2013)

Great leftist lyrics. Another one of RIk’s rec’s. Just Awesome. Good Music. Hate on capitalism and its endless bringer of deaths. 

14.

Molchat Doma* ‎– Etazhi (2018)

Youtube rec of the year. Darkwave energies en masse!

13.

3.2 - The Rules Have Changed  (2018)

The follow up to the infamous To The Power Of Three album from 1986 by Emerson, Lake and Berry. The first record was hated on by many, but I love it. And this very late follow up is a huge accomplishment and honoring to the late people involved. A record my dad would have liked. I just love prog music. Sigh. 

12.

Saori Kobayashi - Terra Magica (2016)

Ethereal Game Music is not easy to make. Yet somehow, Saori manages it. No wonder really. She was behind Panzer Dragoon. Masterpiece album for what a tribute it is.

“Terra Magica is a love letter from Saori Kobayashi to her fans. Featuring the same rich, melodic tones that defined the iconic soundtracks of Panzer Dragoon Saga and Panzer Dragoon Orta, Kobayashi invites listeners to enter the world she has created, while encouraging them to create their very own story to match the progression of the music.“

11.

ENTROPY CREATED CONSCIOUSNESS - Impressions of the Morning Star (2018)

Symphonic Doom Metal of the year

10.

Sleaford Mods - Divide and Exit (2014)

Rec of the year by @planetsedge​ - Rik has served several discs on this list this year.

9.

Mobile Suit Z Gundam BGM Collection (Vol.1 - Vol.3)  (1985)

The title track to this animé, sung by Mami Ayukawa, and its subsequent soundtrack is probably one of the best I have heard. 80��s animé has the best soundtracks, mostly. 

8.

K2 - Iron Kulture 7' (1996)

Noise artist of the year.

7.

Klaus Dinger + Japandorf (2013)

Surprise find of the year in the sense of knowing the artist in other bands (NEU! and Kraftwerk) but totally missing this somehow. Late late find. Total love. Electronic mists will seep into your ears listening to this. 

6.

Beak - >>>

Pop-like krautrock. Laid back, but with thought behind it. Allé Sauvage is my fave track. Just the perfect amount of mystery and rhythm and synths. First list find of the year. 

5.

The Muffs - Alert Today Alive Tomorrow

20 years ago The Muffs released this album, and I wish... the years had been kinder. This album helped me a lot though when I found it. A lot of nostalgia will arise listening to this. 

Damned if you feel alright ~

4.

BIG STICK - LP (2019)

EARWORM OF THE YEAR!!! Calamari Co Co Butter Calamari Co Co Butter Calamari Co Co Butter Calamari Co Co Butter Calamari Co Co Butter Calamari Co Co Butter Calamari Co Co Butter Calamari Co Co Butter Calamari Co Co Butter Calamari Co Co Butter Calamari Co Co Butter Calamari Co Co ButterCalamari Co Co Butttttttttttttttteeeeerrrrr. 

In the bodega. 

3.

Jesca Hoop - Stonechild (2019)

Indie folk niceties. Chill, interesting blend of rock and singing elements. Not mystical, but still with mysteries. Got third place because I kept remembering it so much. It penetrated my skull. 

2. 

Doji Morita - A Boy (1977) 

This album was an early find and should be my album of the year. Morita’s voice is amongst the softest and kindest I have ever heard. And she has all the wonderful aesthetics to boot! Acoustics with accompanying strings and pianos in most of the tracks. It isn’t, because the N’1 is such an explosion of a surprise. 

The third track, ふるえているネ (One who is trembling) is my favorite. I do tremble at the very thoughts expressed in this track. The bird wings at the end... yeah. Every track on this album is a masterpiece. 

Music as pulling one’ s strings of the heart. That is what this album is about. 

I will keep it at that with the words. No more has to be said. Just listen, you will understand. 

1.

Kagami - Star Arts (2002)

Explosive, Happy, Creative, Constantly Changing Originality.

 Techno. Disco. TeSco.

Toshiyasu Kagami was a genius in his genre. I’ve heard a lot of techno mixes and textures in my life, but not anything like this before. 

Each track slaps you in the head and forces you to the rhythm, only for you to go.... HMMMMMMMMmmmMmmMmMMmmMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMM when the flow enters its synergies of musical delight. What else is there to say when your ears are filled with such pleasant sounds. Just when you think it won’t change up, it will change up. Impossible to predict. Dancefloor killer. Intelligent Mixes. 

No philosophical analysis, only my body moving to the most energetic beat EVER.

Concrete Masterpiece. My album of the year in 2019. 

[morfinwen]

For the OC ask: Aidan, Niner, Q, Ian, and Lauren, if you please. :)

Full Name: Ian Alan Grayson

Gender and Sexuality: Male, straight

Pronouns: He/him

Ethnicity/Species: White, human.

Birthplace and Birthdate: Undetermined date, somewhere in Tennessee.

Guilty Pleasures: Twinkies. 

Phobias: He’s not afraid, exactly, but deep or fast-moving water sometimes sets off a “what if I tripped or something grabbed me” hypothetical scenario in his head. Swimming pools are fine, shallow streams are cool, lakes are usually okay, but oceans or any river that goes deeper than his waist can worry him. 

What They Would Be Famous For: He hopes to be reasonably well-known as a musician someday. His inability to sing well is a bit of an obstacle, he’ll admit, but he’s got ideas for an instrumental guitar album of original songs he’s working on.

What They Would Be Arrested For: There’s been a couple times where he’s driven into a restricted area by accident. So far, it’s never been anywhere serious enough to get him in actual trouble, but it’s a concern Lauren has expressed on multiple occasions.

OC You Ship Them With: No one at present.

OC Most Likely to Murder Them: None of them, though Lauren has threatened to once or twice.

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: Ian likes really old classics and comic books -- big epics with larger-than-life characters. He also likes sci-fi or fantasy drama shows.

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: It was all just a dream.

Talents and/or Powers: Music, particularly guitar. Getting lost. Annoying people who are rude or hurtful to others.

Why Someone Might Love Them: Easy-going, funny, a great listener, supportive but won’t take any bull, and willing to step in when someone needs help or someone else is being awful and needs to stop.

Why Someone Might Hate Them: If you deliberately hurt someone, especially one of Ian’s friends, he is very, very good at being obnoxious.

How They Change: Haven’t gotten there yet. 

Why You Love Them: At its zenith, Ian’s story had maybe four paragraphs in it, but he has become such a distinctive character anyway.

Full Name: Lauren Eleanor Winston

Gender and Sexuality: Female, straight

Pronouns: She/her

Ethnicity/Species: White, human.

Birthplace and Birthdate: Undetermined, somewhere in Tennessee.

Guilty Pleasures: Cigarettes. It’s not precisely a pleasure, but every time she coughs or sees an anti-smoking ad, she definitely feels guilty.

Phobias: Chasing away everyone and ending up alone.

What They Would Be Famous For: Like Ian, she hopes to be a famous musician someday. She’d rather get into the classical music scene than bluegrass, but for now, it’s what she’s got.

What They Would Be Arrested For: Nothing serious. When she blows up at people, it cools down relatively quick, and she’s got enough of a grip on it that she would never hit someone or throw something dangerous at them.

OC You Ship Them With: No one at present.

OC Most Likely to Murder Them: She’s certainly aggravated more people than Ian has, but not to the point of murder.

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: She doesn’t read a lot, and when she does, it’s usually something she read and liked as a child, so technically Children’s. 

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: If you kill this one person, you are as bad as the mass-murdering villain/the villain says “You and I aren’t so different after all” and the hero admits they’re right

Talents and/or Powers: Music, particularly piano. Strategy games. She can also write nice poetry, but she doesn’t see the value in it yet.

Why Someone Might Love Them: Lauren has an instinctive sensitivity to justice, and will get just as angry on someone else’s behalf as her own if she believes an injustice has been committed. She doesn’t let disapproval or confrontation stop her. 

Why Someone Might Hate Them: She is not an easy person to get along with, and can take things too personally.

How They Change: Not certain yet.

Why You Love Them: Same as Ian.

Full Name: Niner

Gender and Sexuality: Female, whatever.

Pronouns: She/her, “hey you”

Ethnicity/Species: Werecat

Birthplace and Birthdate: Birthdate, sometime in the summer, twenty-odd years ago. Birthplace … dunno. South of where she lives now. Probably east, too.

Guilty Pleasures: Hot, melted cheese. Batting around a ball of yarn. Snuggling up with Connie in cat-form (he’s so warm).

Phobias: Not a fan of being wet, or thunderstorms. On a deeper level, getting trapped or otherwise losing her independence.

What They Would Be Famous For: Nothing, really. She has no particular talents or skills that lend themselves to fame, and she would actively avoid fame if she did.

What They Would Be Arrested For: To be arrested, she would first have to be caught doing it, and then actually caught. Both of which would be very difficult to do.

OC You Ship Them With: No one at present

OC Most Likely to Murder Them: She and Aidan … have issues sometimes.

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: Not much of a reader or movie-watcher.

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: The occasional TV show or movie has caught her interest for a little while, and none of them lose it faster than those where a character changes themselves for the approval of others. Even if the story ultimately has the moral that you shouldn’t do that, Niner will never know, because she won’t be watching anymore.

Talents and/or Powers: She can turn into a cat. As far as Niner is concerned, she doesn’t need anything else.

Why Someone Might Love Them: Niner has her own ideas of who she is, and takes zero input on who she is supposed to be. 

Why Someone Might Hate Them: Niner has her own ideas of who she is, and takes zero input on who she is supposed to be.

How They Change: Not sure yet.

Why You Love Them: I don’t think any of my other OCs are quite so determinedly independent. 

Full Name: Quincy Odell Free

Gender and Sexuality: Male, straight

Pronouns: He/him

Ethnicity/Species: White (English), human

Birthplace and Birthdate: Somewhere in England, July 3, 1989.

Guilty Pleasures: There aren’t many things he enjoys he would admit to -- less because they’re guilty pleasures he’s embarrassed about, and more because he is very cautious about opening up to people. That said, there is an animated kids show he really liked that he has episodes of saved on his computer that he will never, ever tell anyone about.

Phobias: Both afraid of being known and manipulated through it, and living his entire life without ever forming a real connection. 

What They Would Be Famous For: If he wanted, he could suck up enough to his aunt and uncle to get named the heir to their hundreds of millions of dollars worth of real estate, businesses, corporations, foundations, etc. 

What They Would Be Arrested For: Nothing terribly dramatic, and once it happened his aunt and uncle would most likely cover it up or sweep it under the rug as soon as possible.

OC You Ship Them With: No one at present

OC Most Likely to Murder Them: They would never dirty their hands by actually doing it themselves, but if Q was stupid enough to cross his aunt and uncle, there could definitely be an … accident … in his future.

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: Fantasy or adventure stories, the more exciting and epic the better, and with happy endings.

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: Evil twins/evil mentors/bad guys disguised as good guys in general. He has nothing against morally gray characters or believable development from hero to villain or villain to hero, but most of the time the “this guy was evil all along!/the characters are fooled by the villain!” tropes feel like cheating for manufactured drama.

Talents and/or Powers: He’s picked up a lot of odd knowledge and abilities from his education and time spent with his family, most notably an excellent poker face, understanding of human body language, and generally able to persuade people to do what he wants them to -- not that he uses it often.

Why Someone Might Love Them: He’s got that “confused everyman in weird circumstances” thing going on that a lot of people seem to like. If you really got to know him, underneath his bland, indifferent attitude, he’s incredibly loyal.

Why Someone Might Hate Them: Q doesn’t really make enough of an impression on most people to be worth hating.

How They Change: Basically, learns that not everyone is like his aunt and uncle: learns to open up more, accept help, and connect emotionally with other people.

Why You Love Them: He’s got an interesting background that’s shaped him in interesting ways, and he manages to be an everyman compared to his roommates while being an outlier for the rest of humanity.

Thanks for asking!

[vrepitsorrynotsorry]

Lay Your Hands on Me

This is my gift for @floranna2 for @monstertronexchange 2019. I kind of combined two separate things on your prompt list, and I hope you enjoy it.

I’ll probably post to AO3 later after I get home from work.

Title: Lay Your Hands on Me Rating: PG-13ish? It’s sort of NSFW but not graphically so. Pairing: Lancelot. Featuring Näkki!Lance and Sort-of-Incubus!Lotor Warnings/Spoilers: Set shortly after Lotor and Allura went to Oriande together in an alternate reality where everything didn’t end like canon. One character assumes another’s consent is dubious. It isn’t, but if you’re very sensitive to that kind of thing, be aware. A/N: The title is stolen from a Bon Jovi song. Lance is assumed by me to be at least 18 at this point in the storyline. I will never be able to look at the spelling/pronunciation of “naked” as “nekkid” the same again.

Lance had a secret. Okay, he had more than one--who didn’t? Lance had one really big secret. Well, Hunk knew, but he was Lance’s best friend and former roommate, so how could he not know? His family also knew for obvious reasons. Lance had one really big secret that almost nobody else knew: he wasn’t human.

Throughout his childhood, it wasn’t difficult for him to hide it. Maintaining a human form was almost effortless, and he never had any compulsion to assume his alternate form, so for all that he rarely did anything connected to it, he may as well have been an ordinary human.

There were many names for what he was, as many as there were peoples who told stories of them his mother had once told him, but his personal favorite was näkki. He loved the water, was an excellent swimmer, and he had a natural gift with music. Most of the time, it didn’t seem all that unusual.

He had done a little research at the local library once, after his mother kept telling him she would tell him more about it when he was older. Some of the stories were pretty dark.

“Do we really like drowning people?” he had demanded of his mother later. 

She gave a long suffering sigh and took a walk with him out to a nearby stream. Water always helped to soothe and calm him.

“We are like any other group,” she had patiently explained. “A few are bad and do terrible things, but most don’t. A few are also very good and have done great things, but most don’t. People remember things that frighten them, so is it any wonder that the stories the humans have passed along are about the bad ones? You are responsible for the choices you make in your life. I can hope that you’ll make good ones, but it is you who must live them.”

During puberty, his abilities spiked and then settled out again at a stronger level than they had been before. Now he had to be more careful to intentionally sing worse than he was capable and he didn’t play instruments for an audience anymore--it would be too easy to accidentally put someone under his thrall.

At that point, he also developed two additional skills.

First, if someone near him was feeling anything particularly strongly, he could tell. Beautiful music would spring into his mind to fit that mood. He somehow just knew that if he played the music for them, it could amplify good emotions and soothe negative ones. Every once in awhile, if the emotions were especially unsettling, he would hum a little under his breath, just to take the edge off.

The second new talent helped him identify other supernatural beings. They weren’t very common, and it seemed like the majority of the time, they didn’t even seem to know about it, if several really awkward conversations with strangers were anything to go by. It worked a lot like the emotional sense, only it was like he could feel a pressure and power radiating off of the individuals. His hypothesis was that maybe they had diluted supernatural ancestry. It turned out to be correct, but he didn’t find that out until they met Allura.

If the power he had felt from others before was like a gentle push against his own abilities, Allura’s power was like being hit by a bus. He eventually realized it wasn’t just that she had a lot of power, and boy did she ever, but also that she didn’t have the best control of it.

Looking back he wondered if some of his infatuation with her was finding someone else who was different from most others in the same way. Maybe just a little. She had lots of things going for her. Unfortunately, one of those things did not appear to be the ability to recognize Lance’s own innate power.

When Lotor appeared on the scene, Lance could sense right away that he had some kind of latent power, so he was probably the only one who wasn’t surprised when “the Mark of the Chosen” appeared on the newly instated Emperor. 

Lotor’s power wasn’t like anything he had ever felt before--more of a pull than a push. Lance couldn’t help but wonder if that wan’t part of what drew Allura to him, and it was a large part of the reason Lotor irritated him so much.

When the pair of royals had emerged from Oriande, it had also been obvious to Lance that it had affected both of them, no matter what Lotor claimed. Allura’s power had been amplified, but fortunately, she had also been granted greater understanding and control. Whatever Lotor had had been dialed up to eleven as well, and even if no one else seemed to be able to sense the change, Lance could tell the other man was aware now that he had some kind of ability, but he seemed almost afraid of it.

Lotor began to withdraw from everyone, especially Allura, speaking to them only when absolutely necessary and minimizing in person meetings. When they had to be in the same room, he always stood as far from everyone as possible, and it wasn’t subtle, which was very unlike what Lance had come to expect from him.

It was also affecting Lotor physically. The guy had always been lithe, but now he seemed to almost be wasting away right in front of them. Before, there was a light of intellectual curiosity and even a bit of mischief in his eyes that had become a dull, haunted shadow.

Lance was already trying to plan some way to broach to subject with Lotor when Allura had come to him with a surprising request.

“I know you are not fond of Lotor-” Allura had really been working on her diplomacy “-but I am becoming increasingly worried about him. Oriande changed him in some way, and I don’t think I’m going to be able to get him to talk to me about it.”

“Really? Aren’t you two, you know...together?”

Allura sighed, and smiled sadly. “No. I thought perhaps that might be where we were headed, but it’s clear to me now that Lotor has changed his mind. He’s still a dear friend to me, and our alliance, if only political, is still vital.”

“Well, what makes you think he’d talk to me? We’re not exactly friends, like you said.”

“Why, because you also have magical abilities.”

Lance was taken aback. She said it like it was really obvious, but Lance had convinced himself that she must be unaware that he was different.

“You also seem to have admirable control,” she continued, “and I’m still working on mine. I think he might be afraid that he’ll hurt someone. Perhaps you could help him?”

Lance had been thinking along the same lines. Both he and Allura had grown up knowing they had magic in them. Admittedly, Lance had never really had to struggle to control his, but he’d always known it was there. He couldn’t imagine what it must be like to suddenly be granted a strong power that he had no idea how to use.

“I’d be happy to try, but I’m not sure how to get him to listen.”

Allura smiled at him. “Oh, I’ve taken care of that. Well, mostly. Lotor is going to travel to speak to a planet we would like to bring into our alliance. I insisted that at least one Lion should accompany him, and Red is the logical choice, given the distance and necessity of speed.”

“Wait a minute, what would you have done if I said ‘no’?”

“I had a feeling you wouldn’t,” she answered with a wink. Then her expression became more serious. “I know you care about everyone’s well-being. It makes you a great team member and a true paladin. You’ll do everything in your power to help, and that’s all I really need to know.”

How could anybody turn down that? 

The date of the diplomatic mission crept up faster than he would have liked, but he was totally a master of improvisation! He just had to wait for inspiration to strike. It still hadn’t struck before they left the castle ship in the Red Lion in heavy, awkward silence. He’d done some of his best school assignments the night before they were due, though. He had this--no sweat.

It was the longest trip he had ever taken because Lotor somehow avoided every single attempt at conversation, and Lance was great at talking, okay? Like, amazing even. He could have a conversation with thin air. There may have been a little mild sweating by the time they were getting ready to land on the planet.

Lance’s luck finally started to turn, however, when he spotted a small lake not far from where they would be staying. There was a small group of musicians at the welcoming ceremony, and one of them let him borrow an instrument that was close enough to an Earth guitar that he could make it work. A plan was coming together just like he knew it would all along.

The trickiest part was luring Lotor. Lance knew that in theory he could play a song that Lotor should find beautiful and irresistible, but he’d never actually tried calling someone to him with song before. In the past, he’d always just had a feeling the music in his mind and heart would be right, but he’d never actually tested it. He really needed this to work, and he was hoping that desire would be the little bit extra he might need for his first on-demand performance to succeed.

He probably didn’t have to be naked for it to work, but that was how many of the old stories went, and he figured it couldn’t hurt. He dug his bare feet into the cool, damp sand of the lakeshore and let the tiny lapping waves calm him down and set a natural rhythm for the song. He closed his eyes, opened his mouth, and let his voice join the strumming of the not-quite-a-guitar. It was a song full of the emotions he’d been picking up from Lotor: loneliness, unease, and a deep hunger for something unclear. He got really into it--so much so that Lotor’s voice just about gave him a heart attack.

“You’re quite talented.”

“Thanks,” he managed to stammer even though his mouth was suddenly as dry as a desert. “I wrote it for you.”

Lotor raised one snowy brow. “Why would you write something so lovely for someone you hate?”

“I don’t hate you.” Lotor laughed bitterly at that, and Lance reminded himself that getting into a fight was the opposite of what he was trying to do. “I don’t. I know I always give you a hard time, but...”

“But?”

This was hard for Lance. He was going to have to lay bare some of his own insecurities to get Lotor to open up, and he was not looking forward to it.

“I was jealous, okay?” There. He said it. Lotor was just staring at him, so it looked like he was going to have to elaborate. “I like Allura, too, but she’s never seen me as anything more than a friend, a teammate. Then you came waltzing in, and how was I supposed to compete with a handsome but extremely suspicious prince with amazing hair?”

One of Lotor’s hands slipped up to grasp a lock of that hair that Lance might actually kill for the secrets behind. It was possible that he imagined it, but Lance was ninety-nine percent sure Lotor blushed a little and he definitely looked away. “Handsome?” he murmured under his breath.

“Well, yeah. I mean, you’re looking a little rough recently, but you can’t expect me to believe you don’t know you’re attractive.”

“That’s easy to say for someone who as far as I can discern meets all your species’ standards of beauty.” 

Lance had to think about that for a minute for a couple of reasons. First off, whoa! Lotor thought he was good looking? The Galra man had only ever seemed interested in Allura, which was understandable because she was amazing, but maybe Lance just hadn’t noticed any interest cues toward himself because he’d been so determined to dislike Lotor. Second, he felt a little dumb for not considering human standards did not apply to all alien races.

“What, uh, if you don’t mind me asking, are Galra standards of beauty?”

“Size, strength, resilience. Obvious battle scars are quite in fashion.”

Lotor was quite a bit taller than himself, but Lance realized that he was shorter than most other Galra he’d seen him around. He wasn’t bulkily muscled, and he didn’t seem to have any readily visible scars. By all accounts, the closest thing to a genuine Galra hottie he’d come across was probably Sendak.

“As enjoyable as it has been discussing my shortcomings, I think I’ll leave you to your...music.”

This was not going according to plan.

“Wait! I used the song to call you here because I want to talk to you about something.”

Lotor looked genuinely confused by that statement. “You called me?”

“Yeah, it’s a thing I can do. I’m not a regular human. I’m a creature called a ‘näkki’.”

Lotor seemed to find this claim highly dubious. Lance carefully set his borrowed instrument down and changed to his other form. It looked like a beautiful, if kind of shaggy, white horse. Now Lotor appeared suitably impressed, so Lance changed back to his human form and pulled the instrument back into his lap. He was pretty sure Lotor hadn’t blinked for over thirty seconds, and the staring was making him a little self-conscious.

“Anyways, I can feel strong emotions from people around me, and I know you’re having a hard time after-”

“I do not wish to discuss my feelings.” Rude! Lotor just cut him off and turned away. Guess it was time to cut right to the heart of the matter.

“Oriande changed you.” Lotor visibly tensed, but he turned back around. “That’s another thing I can tell--when others have magical power, I mean. Something happened to you in there, and you’re letting it eat you alive instead of dealing with it. Everyone can see it, even if all of them don’t understand.”

Lotor’s eyes narrowed. “Did Allura send you?”

“I would have confronted you anyway, but yes, she’s worried about you, too.”

“You’re all safer far away from me, Allura especially.”

“Why? Because you feel like we’re safer? What about you? Are we all going to be safer if you die or self-destruct from this and we have to deal with whoever takes your place? I want to help you, but I need you to tell me about what’s going on with you. Maybe I can help you control it.”

Lotor sighed and took a seat on the shore. “If I tell you, you might no longer wish to help.”

“We won’t know until you do, so spill.”

“Orainde was supposed to be place of great alchemical knowledge. I never doubted that Allura would be welcomed, but I didn’t expect that I would be able to enter.” He absently brushed the fingertips of his right hand over one of the spots on his cheeks where the Mark had glowed. “There was a test. At least, I thought it was a test, and that I failed it. Oriande looked deep within me to determine my desire. I was certain all I wanted was knowledge of that part of my history kept from me, my Altean heritage. That isn’t what the guardian found, and it’s not what it awoke.”

Well, that sounded ominous... He was about to ask, but Lotor continued.

“I thought I had buried the part of myself that longed for affection and admiration. I told myself I could never truly have it. I started to believe it was possible again when Allura seemed to care for me, and that is what Oriande amplified. Whatever this thing it gave to me is, it hungers for the love and desire of others. I’m afraid it can’t be satisfied, that it would take and take until there was nothing left to give it, and that’s not what I want.”

“So that’s why you’ve been avoiding Allura. You’re afraid you’ll suck all the, uh, ‘love’ out of her?”

“Partly,” Lotor admitted with a shrug, “Allura is too tempting. Her power is too strong and pure. This beast inside me woke up starving, and I can’t trust myself to let it near her. It might take more than just emotional energy.”

“You have to give it something.” Lance wasn’t sure how he knew that, but he was certain. “The longer you starve it, the harder it’ll be to keep it from taking over. You’re making things worse by denying that part of yourself.”

“I’m fairly certain my ability requires intimate physical contact. Are you volunteering?”

Was that what he was doing? He had to admit, he wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea. In fact, behind the not-guitar, he was getting pretty interested. A little part of him wondered if Lotor’s ability wasn’t egging him on a little. He squashed that thought, though. It was unfair.

His opinion of Lotor had been slowly but steadily shifting since even before Oriande. He hated to admit it, but they’d been pretty hard on the guy, and he put up with it with patience Lance couldn’t even dream of having. He should really work on that...

“Yes.” Starting tomorrow maybe. “I trust you to do your best to control it. It’s always been a part of you, you know. It’s just stronger, now.”

Lotor scooted closer and moved the instrument out of Lance’s lap. His eyes raked up and down Lance’s naked form and he couldn’t help a little shiver. Lotor froze.

“I’m not afraid,” he insisted. “It’s just been awhile since, well, anybody but me.”

“You can still say no.” There was a wild gleam in Lotor’s eyes now, but Lance believed him. He could call this off right now, and Lotor would walk away. Walk away and keep suffering alone because he was too proud or scared or whatever to let somebody help him with this.

Lance didn’t say “no”. 

He closed his eyes as Lotor’s hands began a slow and studious exploration of his entire body. He paused in any area where he got extra responsiveness. Probably making mental notes like the giant nerd he was.

Without visual stimuli, Lance could focus on the feel of the energy radiating off of Lotor in waves. Waves. Lotor’s power was like water. It swept over Lance, flowing into every nook and then receded, drawing a little energy with it. Now Lance definitely wasn’t afraid. Water had always been a friend to him.

When Lotor finally, finally took him gently in one hand, it was over embarrassingly quickly. It had been awhile, remember? Totally not his fault. Powers were involved and stuff. 

He was suddenly very tired. Just before he nodded off, he could swear the Mark was glowing on Lotor’s face again, and so were his eyes.

“Thank you.”

Lance woke up clean and tucked into his bed in the rooms the planetary government had given them during their stay. He didn’t feel drained at all. In fact, he felt great! Lighter somehow. Until he thought about how Lotor probably had to drag his naked butt back here, hopefully unseen by all.

Lotor was much improved as well, as far as Lance could tell, anyway. Guy was pretty stoic. He didn’t look like he was going to keel over any minute at least. Mission accomplished. Oh, they also got the planet to agree to join the coalition. Double mission accomplished.

Everything should have been resolved, but Lotor kept shunning everybody. He came to meetings and that was it. It wasn’t like Lance expected him to arrange slumber parties or anything, but he thought Lotor understood his, “you don’t have to avoid everyone” message. Apparently, he was wrong.

Upon reflection, he wasn’t sure he’d actually said anything like that. He did imply Lotor shouldn’t let things get that bad again, though, and he seemed headed in that direction again, even if he still looked pretty healthy.

Lance confronted him after one of their meetings. He made sure everyone else had already left first. He could be tactful when he wanted.

“Have you been feeding the beast?” Direct was usually better, though.

“I haven’t felt the need.”

Lance could have cheerfully strangled him. “The point is not to wait until it’s a need, man! You want it to get out of control again?”

“It’s not like I have prospective partners beating down my door, you know.”

“You could ask me.” 

“Really?” Lotor asked skeptically. 

“Well, sure! I mean, I don’t know about you, but I had a pretty good time. No lasting side effects or anything, either.”

“You’d be willing?”

Geez, for a tactical genius, this guy could be extremely dense! “I was willing enough last time, wasn’t I?”

Lotor’s jaw clenched and he looked like he wanted to hit something. Why was he angry? Lance was extremely confused. Lotor closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath.

“Follow me.” He turned on his heel and took off toward the docking bay between the castle and his personal ship. When Lance didn’t take after him immediately he called back without even turning around, “Are you coming or not?”

That was a loaded question if Lance had ever heard one... He had to jog to catch up.

“Where are we going?”

“My quarters.”

He sure didn’t sound excited about it. Lance had to be missing something here, and he racked his brain for anything from their previous encounter that would have been upsetting. He decided it must be that he fell asleep right after. Lotor never even took off any of his armor, and he probably didn’t get anything out of it other than the emotional energy. Lance did not want a reputation as a selfish lover, even if it was only with one person who probably wasn’t going to say anything.

Lotor scanned open the door to his sleeping quarters and immediately began stripping off his armor. 

“Listen, if this is about last time-”

“Of course, it’s about last time.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t return the favor, but I think the energy drain must have worn me out, and-”

Lotor snorted. “It wasn’t about that for me at the time. My only interest was in ‘feeding the beast’, as you so colorfully put it.”

“Then why are you so mad about it?” At least Lotor finally let him finish a sentence. Question. Whatever.

“If it weren’t your duty, if you didn’t have an obligation to preserve everyone’s safety, would you have ever considered a physical relationship with me?”

“I dunno... Maybe?”

“That’s not good enough for me.” Lotor had finished disrobing by this point and sprawled across the bed like some kind of big cat or something. “If you want me to believe that you’re more than just accepting an unfortunate task, you’ll have to prove it to me.”

“Um, okay. How?”

“I want no less than enthusiastic consent. If you truly find me desirable, get over here and take the initiative. Show me what you like. Our anatomy is similar enough. Unless you don’t really want this?”

Did Lotor just call him a chicken? Oh, it was on now! He began taking his own clothing off a little more recklessly than usual.

“Remember,” Lotor cautioned arrogantly, “enthusiastic. If you’re doing this purely as an answer to a challenge, I’m fairly certain I’ll be able to tell.”

“Seriously?” Now Lance was getting a little peeved himself. “You really think I would offer myself up as some kind of sex sacrifice? I may not have the greatest self-esteem ever, but I’m not that big of a martyr!”

Lotor’s face was deadpan.

“You want enthusiasm, buddy? Well, that’s what you’re gonna get!”

That’s what he said, but once he was standing at the foot of the bed, he paused to take in Lotor in all his glory.

“Has your bravado deserted you so soon?”

“No. Last time you got a real thorough look at me, and now it’s my turn, so shush.”

Lotor obligingly closed his mouth, even if it still wore an infuriatingly smug smirk.

The first thing to catch Lance’s eye was a virtual encyclopedia of scars normally hidden by Lotor’s armor. There were big ones, little ones, faded and almost invisible ones, a few that looked like burns of some sort, and even one that he was pretty sure was a bite mark. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised; Lotor was a Galra warrior after all. He’d seen him in action both as a pilot and on his own against Zarkon. Off the field of battle, though, it was easy to forget. The young emperor acted far more like a scholar than a soldier.

His skin was covered in silky fuzz, and Lance wondered if it would feel as soft as it looked. It wasn’t time to touch yet, though. He was still looking his fill. 

After a few more moments, he gently grasped one of Lotor’s ankles to move the other man’s legs apart so he could climb up onto the bed between them. As soon as his hand made contact, he heard Lotor gasp and felt his power pull at him gently. Had he done something wrong? He pulled his hand back and snapped his gaze up to Lotor’s face to find his pupils dilated and his expression one of surprise.

“You really are attracted to me...”

“Duh.” Hadn’t he already told Lotor he thought he was handsome? Then again, maybe this went deeper than just the purely physical. “Can you pick up on emotions with your power?”

“Only if we’re touching skin to skin. You- Affection? Why?” 

It took a ridiculous amount of effort, but Lance kept himself from laughing. It wasn’t every day Mr. Suave over there was at a loss for words.

“It kinda took me by surprise, too. I really did try to hate you for a long time, but you care. About Allura, about the future, about changing the Empire into something better, about all of us, and that means a lot to me. I’m not going to lie, the fact that underneath all the front you put up there’s somebody who’s got some of the same insecurities as me also goes a long way.”

Lotor closed his eyes and let out a soft scoff. “Right. You said you can pick up on strong emotions.” When he opened his eyes again, the confrontational bluster was gone. He looked a lot younger when he allowed himself to be open like that. “Have I ruined the mood?”

“I’m game to keep going if you are.”

Lotor answered by voluntarily making room for Lance at the foot of the bed.

He knelt between Lotor’s knees and tried to decide where he wanted to start. He leaned forward and let his fingertips glide up along Lotor’s ribs. The other man flinched away slightly and snorted. Ticklish, huh? You’d better believe he was going to remember that for later. He’d also discovered that Lotor’s downy fur was just as soft as he could have possibly imagined.

He walked his hands along the bed closer to Lotor’s shoulders and lowered himself so their torsos were in full contact and it felt amazing. Lotor was warm, and the auras of their powers pressed and played against one another as well. Lance let his nose run along Lotor’s neck to the back of his jaw and just below his ear, planting an open mouthed kiss there. He could feel the other mans rapid pulse under his tongue. 

Lotor moaned in approval, and Lance could feel it not only with his regular senses but his magic as well. Knowing Lotor could feel something similar from him, he focussed on sending just how much he was enjoying himself to the forefront of his mind. It was a feedback loop, and it was Lance’s new favorite thing ever.

Without any of the urgency of their first encounter, they simply rocked against one another, enjoying the contact and slow build.

Afterward, Lotor got up briefly to fetch a warm, damp cloth to clean them up. They lay side by side, staring at the ceiling in comfortable silence.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve, you know.” Lance couldn’t keep himself from bringing up the conversation from earlier, though. “Making me out to be a martyr when you were gonna let yourself waste away instead of just getting some. Jerk. Isn’t this way better?”

Lotor chuckled, and Lance could feel the vibration along the line where their bodies touched. “Indeed. It would seem we’re two of a kind.”

Lance could live with that.

[dilettantereviews]

Here is my delayed but finalized 2018 EP list!

Princess Nokia- For this EP, Princess Nokia switched to an emo rap style popular on Soundcloud. I thought I wouldn’t like or even understand this EP because I don’t listen to Soundcloud rap, I didn’t really have Fueled by Ramen fever in middle school, and I never liked nu metal (which Princess Nokia says this EP is inspired by but I don’t personally hear it). I listened to the songs ironically until they began to grow on me. Those warbly vocals. The repeated Smash my heart to pieces line. How For the Night sounds like Frere Jacques instrumentally. And now I can proudly say it holds my top spot in my 2018 EP list. I’d like to say something about “in a world where we’re always told to look like we’re unbothered and #winning and other people are always pressed, Princess Nokia tells us it’s okay to feel normal human emotions” but that’s not close. 2018 was the year of Princess Nokia for me, so it’s only natural her new EP would be my favorite. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be with a wink and a nudge but let’s ask all the other Soundcloud rappers first.  

Kilo Kish- While Kilo Kish’s sound is the epitome of chill, her lyrics are bizarrely accurate portraits of millennial anxiety and contemplations. This time, she changes her ambient spoken word poems for outsider electronic music that is neither PC music nor generic tropical house. In one interview, she said that her biggest regret was that she didn’t go as experimental as she could’ve on this project, so here’s to wondering what the multi hyphenate will do for her next project.  

Ojerimie- I feel like 2018 is the year that alt r&B became oversaturated. Personally, I think as long as there will be sad and lonely late night texters, there will be an audience for musicians who can’t always sing, use electronic production, and claim to be influenced by Sade. Artists like The Weeknd and Beyonce who used to receive more commercial attention (or at least better first week numbers) were unable to meet previously set high expectations; Drake, who set the tone for alt r&b in 2011, turned out to be a secret father, cementing his status as f***boi supreme with several years of worst behavior including streaming schemes, Spotify takeovers, cultural appropriation, mental health misstatements, age gaps, and celebrating human traffickers, showing us that sensitive isn’t always good. Genre gentrifiers like Disclosure, The 1975, Justin Timberlake, Years and Years, and Ryan Hemsworth left to do other sounds; critical darlings like Blood Orange and The Internet have less hype for their albums this time around, newcomer Jorja Smith was completely clowned upon by Twitter for her vocals, and artists like Zayn, Tinashe, and Indiana all had albums all pushed back and compromised (all on Sony), so hearing a newcomer have late night red wine R&B music is a great pleasure. Highlights include drum and bass 2003, 80’s sophisti pop sounding Heat, and camming theme song 4U. Do yourself a favor and check out her great back catalogue as well.

Ravyn Lenae- I listened to Ravyn’s EP back in February, but what made me really remember her now was her performance on the now cancelled Rundown with Robin Thede on BET. Not only was it a good place for politics, but also a good venue for smaller artists. SNL is only decent for white hipster bands so it’s nice for black artists who aren’t that huge yet to have places to perform on television. Ravyn is from the Chicago scene and has put out 2 projects before this. EP highlights include the chill Night Song, the uplifting Sticky, and her stellar collaborations with Steve Lacy. With catchy hooks, sweet vocals, and a short track list that leaves you craving for more, Ravyn Lenae is the real Sweetener of 2018.

Hatchie- I once read that shoegaze and noise pop are popular because the whirring and noises from the guitars make it sound like people are talking, which makes people feel less lonely. I can’t say whether or not that’s true as a fact, but I can admit that Hatchie does make me feel happy. The shoegazer from the South has toured with Kylie Minogue and worked with Robin Guthrie already. Her songs have a joyful warmth to them and remind me of 90’s artists like The Cranberries, Drop Nineteens, and Madder Rose. Don’t incubate- hatch today.

Disclosure- I once read about the 2nd album UK artist curse, where an artist who had a specific UK niche tries to go too general for their sophomore album and end up losing everyone, with Katy B and Duffy being some examples of it. I still loved Caracal by Disclosure, but other people thought it was just a straightforward pop album rather than a forward thinking electronic album. Then another bad EP in 2016 made me lose interest in them until their new EP this year. It’s more sample heavy and very retro inspired but I think anyone would like it, but in a good way and not like Maroon 5.

Kitten- 2 years after their most recent EP, Kitten is back with their first fan funded project. Truth be told, I don’t really see why their had to be an independent label, because it stays in the same 80’s goth synthpop atmosphere as their previous songs. That doesn’t mean it’s derivative, but I’d like to know what happened at the label. Tracks include the Halloweenish Pink Champagne, the Robert Smith sounding I Did It!, and the vulnerable Abigail.

Kaytranada- More straightforward R&B/synth than his albums and remixes but good stuff to chill to.

Childlike Sound- I’ll be honest and say that I don’t know too much about them. I always saw @emoblackthot promote them on Twitter which encouraged me to try them out. Although they’re self produced, they go above and far beyond most bedroom pop acts. Some of their songs sound nu disco while others would fit right in on Solange’s True. Remember, why act grown when you can be Childlike?

St Beauty- A duo of singer songwriters on Janelle Monae’s label, St Beauty released a promising debut EP this year. Maybe this is because I had no expectations, but I preferred this to Dirty Computer because they were more concise and didn’t try too hard with the concept. I enjoyed Stone Mountain, a niece to Cranes in the Sky by Solange. Tides is a nice pseudo trip hop song (well, at least it sounds more trip hop than whatever the hell Morcheeba and Hooverphonic have been putting out for a decade), and Colors is a nice summery dancehall song.

Channel Tres- He joins Princess Nokia’s Versace Hottie as the only non Azealia Banks or Drag Race contestant hip house song that came out after the year 2000 and is actually good. Minimal camp value though, if that’s what you’re looking for.

Shygirl- Bombastic club music perfect for a night out or the last night on earth. A cross between Jlin and Charli XCX, has enough bite in it to keep you going the whole night. Bring your steel toe boots.

Yuno- How someone this catchy flew past me is a complete mystery, but I’m glad I know about him now. If you liked when Tame Impala remixed Miguel, you would enjoy this. It’s perfect enough to soundtrack your summer to, or at least a soundtrack for cruise line commercials and martinis in a can. Some slight unconventional moments like pitched vocals.

The Marias- Lofi, chill, jazzy, summer, outdoorsy music. I’m still waiting for an a ha moment song but for now, I’m enjoying the nice psychedelic vibes that they give me.

Alina Baraz- I was almost finished with this list, but I thought 14 was an ugly number and some Russian collusion lead me to putting Alina Baraz on my EP list! I didn’t listen to this too much yet, but I can always appreciate minimal electronic music with pleasant vocals and decent features, especially now that Sabrina Fraudio has been exposed.

[rosellateece-blog]

A Historical past Of Musical Type In Modern Europe And America (Norton Introduction To Music.

It is official - science has basically confirmed, with a research, that Pop music is indeed each getting louder and diminishing in selection. What we think about traditional Greek folks music is intently tied to the wealthy history of Greece. In Historic Greece, the music was an integral part of Greek theater. Afterward, music evolved and was influenced by the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, and in a while, the Ottoman Empire. In this instance, you will be listening to a Latin music clip. In Latin music like merengue and salsa, the percussion instruments, piano, and bass line all work collectively to make an incredible intricate rhythmic internet. Within the clips below you'll hear the entire different Latin percussion instruments solo. Then you'll hear the full observe (repeated once for a total of eight measures). Provided that we do find that MySpace musicians group genres into constant complexes (3 worlds, sixteen style communities), we turn to our third question, about the structural dimensions of those complexes. To do so, we look at the extent to which the permeability of genre communities' boundaries differ. Here we return to the 2x2 desk from above, and show how the most important genre complexes within the MySpace universe fit inside it. Thanks MagicKat. A lot of girls do say they've encountered important quantities of sexism and harassment in the rock music scene, which can clarify why some ladies might have felt they wanted to be more masculine to fit in. But I agree that's not necessarily each lady's experience. Nonetheless perceptions depend for lots. If women believe the rock music scene will likely be hostile to them, they could be wary of coming into it to begin with. Fewer female artists might then imply fewer feminine followers.

Initially from the Dominican Republic , bachata is likely one of the most popular Latin music genres today. Though the making of Bachata music began again in the Sixties with the songs produced by Jose Manuel Calderon, this rhythm was not capable of compete with the recognition that Merengue used to have. Popular music serves as an id badge for certain social teams, www.magicaudiotools.com a badge that's worn with nice satisfaction. Its bonding mechanism can, North argues, ‘be useful to weak youngsters', regardless of any anti-social message it may proclaim. He commends style radio, such because the BBC's Asian Network, as being notably helpful.

Live performance Music: Many composers mixed jazz music elements with different music kinds such as classical and blues. Music during this time additionally spoke of nationalistic fervor. Among the composers whose works had been drastically appreciated have been George Gershwin (Rhapsody in Blue), Aaron Copland (Rodeo) and Dmitry Shostakovich (The Golden Age). You'll be able to hear parts of submit-‘Royals' pop in ‘Hands to Myself' and ‘Bad Liar' by Selena Gomez, ‘New Americana' and ‘Now or Never' by Halsey, ‘Gold' by Kiiara, ‘Right here' by Alessia Cara (the Grammy's Greatest New Artist), Troye Sivan, Banks - even ‘Clean House' and ‘Look What You Made Me Do' by Taylor Swift. But there is another excuse for that past altering occasions. Its name is Jack Antonoff. Pop, which is not synonymous with the time period fashionable music, arose out of rock'n'roll, people and beat music in the mid 50s USA. Nevertheless, Elvis Presley is also counted as a pioneer of the popular culture. The complexity of the original music fashion largely disappeared. In its place, easy harmonicas and series' of melodies straightforward to recollect had been launched, giving the populace higher entry to this music. With its catchy melodies the brand new style of pop was especially effectively obtained by the younger era.

On the one hand, we generally imagine biology refers to a hard and fast actuality. Our body is doing issues whether or not or not I believe it's doing these issues, no matter whether or not I'm conscious of them or understand them. It follows with this pondering that there are no privileged locations. Gravity functions the identical in Bangalore as in Paris. But at the identical time, the postmodern statement that our understanding of the world is conditioned by culture and historical past in ways in which we aren't even able to being aware of. The unknown unknowns of Donald Rumsfeld's amateur philosophizing could in the future hang-out us greater than his foreign coverage. This point is nicely taken, even if it must be balanced towards a backdrop of real waveforms and ear canals.After slapping on some reverb, the chamber strings sounded pretty lifelike, but before bouncing them I placed on my producer's hat (accessible at Asda shops for only £2.99) and added a dash of my unique keyboard patch to the combination to sweeten the sound. I despatched the composers two stereo information: a mix of my demo strings and their tough mix (so they might hear the arrangement in context), and a separate strings‑solely file so they could pinpoint its musical details. The relationship between music and hashish begins with understanding how music impacts the mind. In accordance with Michael Thaut , a professor of music and neurology at the University of Toronto, sound is processed from the spinal cord to the cortex. This means that the complete range of the central nervous system is activated after we take heed to a bit of music.Did not Arthur C. Clarke write a story about this? If I keep in mind, the researcher distilled standard music to a series of good" notes. For the centerpiece of his 1993 album, Billy Joel put collectively this stream-of-consciousness, gospel-influenced recording. It spent three weeks on the top of the pop singles chart and is likely one of the most uplifting hits of Joel's career. Typically a producer throws the whole lot they have into the arrangement, with the concept that pop music, by nature, ought to include every track you'll be able to cram and more. As a mixing engineer, you do have a little bit of freedom to mute an unnecessary sound—particularly if it is so outside the realm of at this time's pop that it might instantly detract from the mainstream expertise.You'll have listened to plenty of techno music whereas clubbing, but it is Detroit techno that is thought of to be the foundation of this type of music. Unlike the times of its emergence, the use of technology as we speak has tremendously enhanced the quality of techno model music and popularizing it amongst folks day-to-day. This was a spacey techno-trip - with a mild beat, so's dancers could come down" slowly. Aaa-ah. And as the Eighties gave solution to the Nineties, this evolved into TRANCE. Trance started, basically, as Ambient, but slowly developed into a more light type of Dance music in its personal right. And it had LYRICS. Which by definition (see MANNER above) made it POP.Future musicians can usually hear more sound than the common person, according to Gardner (2006). They could expertise their feelings auditorily. As an example, the drone of a spring rain or the out of tune E string on a guitar has the potential to turn into categorized fairly than heard in environmental bulk to those individuals. These sounds are related to emotion and will be reproduced, remembered, and referenced back to on command. You're right that numerous Okay-pop hate comes from racism, but I do not think this was hate. That is just stating reality. I am a Korean learning in US proper now and I can see that BTS is on loads of information and charts however it is just because of a particular group of fans, not widespread reputation. Individuals who like Kpop are still seen as weird like otakus, BTS has not modified that to date. Most Americans around me will not be BTS followers.

[lauralikesbaking]

Feedback on my short story?

Hello! So as a writing exercise I wrote a short story based on one of my secondary characters to understand the character more and now I have a completely different character than the one I started off with. And now I’m hoping to get some feedback on the character and my writing style. 

The short story just mainly follows the inner dialogue of the character, Jack Drummond. He’s the lead singer of a band and he’s supposed to be writing music but he’s having a bad bout of writer’s block and anxiety. His label creates a contest - Jack is going to pick a fan with an original song the fan wrote and produce it in his studio. It goes into his back story of how he became a musician and a certain gay love interest, and why he chooses the winning song. 

The book I’m writing is going to follow the contest winner’s point of view - this is like a prequel to that. The book is going to focus on how music production works and what it’s like to work up close and personal with your favorite band.

Anyway please and thank you in advance!!

Shit. Shit. Shit. Absolute shit.

Jack Drummond was lying on his back on his old leather sofa, cradling his laptop between his stomach and his thighs. Scattered around him, stuck in between the cushions and on the floor, were various open bags of beef jerky and peanut m&ms. A couple of empty cans of Monster energy drink were on the coffee table beside him.

Jack had lost count of how many nights he had spent in the studio. He was trying to force himself to write something, anything. It had been over two months and he hadn’t been able to write a single lyric, melody, or even a decent beat to work off of. He was sifting through his library of saved voice memos on his computer, hoping something would spark inspiration. He had over 500 tracks of recorded material, and he had so far been unsuccessful..

So much fucking shit.

His voice memos contained different melodies, drum beats, harmonies and various compositions that had come to him on the fly. Scores and instrumentals he drafted while he grocery shopped. There were harmonies inspired by a flock of sparrows nesting in the trees who called out to each other. Composed guitar riffs and percussion to match the beat of his nervous energy while sitting in interviews. He’d be on the toilet in the middle of the night and find that his hands would be tapping out a rhythm. It never seemed to matter where he was, or what he was doing, or what time it was - there was always music in his mind.

For the last two months however, his mind had been quiet. His normally restless hands remained steady at his sides. His knees didn’t bounce when he sat. He wasn’t walking to the pace of the half formed song. There wasn’t a soothing lullaby in the back of his mind either to lull him to sleep. He was no longer overwhelmed by the music notes no one else could hear. His brain remained stoically and numbingly silent.

Jack reached the last voice memo. A jarring, pop beat played out from his speakers and just as soon as it started playing, he hit the spacebar, cutting off the music. He groaned, rubbing his hands over his eyes that were sore from staring at his computer screen from too long. He had listened to all 500 recordings he had made over the last three years and every single one of them were absolute crap.  

He was supposed to be working on demos for a new album. Now that the Archives cycle was over, he was due to hand in 10 to 12 new songs in a year and a half from now. Usually, around this time after the last cycle had ended, he would have handed in five, different sounding demos. His label would then approve the ones they liked and would tell him to write more like them. By now, he should have already had ideas lined up that he had thought of while he was way on tour during the long bus commutes from city to city. He had some half assed ideas, but when he recorded them listened to them, he’d just as soon as scrap it.

His band mates suggested that he’d take some time to do some solo research and travel to a couple of cities famous for music. He decided on the U.K., hoping the country’s old rock sounds and history of producing world famous bands like the Beatles and Queen would give him inspiration. He toured all the old famous recording studios; Abbey Studios, Olympic Studios, and Trident Studios. He visited the venues and cafe’s where The Who had first played at. He browsed through vintage record shops and scored a couple of rad guitars that he couldn’t wait to play around on. He even went as far to travel to Scotland, but the only thing he gained from that trip was a severe hangover after being challenged by a local to a drink off in the pub. It turned out the pub had a fun time tricking Americans into drink offs, get them completely wasted, and then take their photo and add it to their “Make Americans Drunk Again” Wall of Fame. Jack returned home to the states with two new guitars, a severe headache, and still no new ideas.

He dreaded the meeting between him and the label when he returned. He knew that once he explained to the label he still hadn’t thought of anything new, they would threaten to let him go. There was no point for a label to continue to support a musician who couldn’t produce music.

Instead, the label had suggested the fan contest. For one week, Jack would work with a fan one on one with the fan’s original song and produce it in his studio. Jack wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of having a fan shipped out here. It wasn’t that he despised or was afraid of his fans, even if he’d get the uncomfortably personal question at almost every meet and greet, or the time he was gifted a handmade doll of himself made with the fan’s own hair. He loved his fans, and he was grateful for their unyielding love and support of the band. It was himself he didn’t trust. He was afraid that he would disappoint the fan, that the fan would show up, eager to produce their song and Jack still wouldn’t have any fresh new ideas. The winning song is supposed to be released digitally at the end of the week of the fan’s stay, and if those digital sales and streams tanked, it would be Jack’s fault.

. The contest was a good idea. Sometimes working outside of your own work to someone else’s sound sparked creativity. But he also knew the contest was the label’s last ditch effort to get him writing again. If he didn’t, then Jack would know for certain; he would be done. He’d be Jack Drummond, former lead singer of the band 5 Years From Now, officially washed up at 27 years old.

Jack ran a hand over his tired face, feeling the scratchy stubble that had started to grow across his chin and jawline. It had been over a month since he bothered to shaved. He didn’t have any gigs, music videos, photoshoots or interviews he had to prepare for. He wasn’t supposed to be assigned to one for a while anyway. He was supposed to be using the time away to write music.

With an exasperated sigh, he closed out of his iTunes library and opened up Twitter. He ignored the hundreds of notifications he would get daily from fans tagging him in posts. In the search bar, he typed in #5YFNMYSONG. The page reloaded and displayed all of the fan entries, from most popular to most recently uploaded. The contest had closed a few days ago, but fans were still submitting entries.

Jack was responsible for picking a winner. Each of his band members and his team at the label were helping him sort through the entries, but in the end Jack would have the final say. The problem was there were literally thousands of entries. Word had spread about the contest, and aspiring musicians from all across the country were entering. The entries had a wide range of aged contestants, the youngest he had seen being about ten years old to contestants in their 20s.

They couldn’t help but remind him of his time in Hollywood when he was on Great American Voice, the country’s singing competition. There were thousands of people who had tried out over the course of the few days he was there. They had driven from all over the tri-state area. There were people of all ages, which had surprised Jack since the show had only ever cast competitors ranging between mid teens to mid twenties. There were little kids dragged in by their parents who hoped to make money off by sticking them in front of cameras. There were adults who hoped to at long last chase their dream of pursuing music. And everyone he talked to had a deeply personal, traumatic, backstory; one girl had been abused by her father up until she was 13 years old; an 18 year old boy suffered from severe bouts of depression. There was another girl who had at last minute decided to enter because she wanted to make her recently departed mother proud. These were the type of contestants who got film time with the celebrity judges, and that was when Jack realized what they were doing. They were using their trauma, deaths, mental disorders, any type of leverage they could to get themselves filming time with the celebrity judges.

Several fans who uploaded videos to his contest were doing the same. They would spend a few minutes before performing their song to explain their own backstories of depression, anxiety, death of a loved one, abuse, and other various traumatic experiences, and how music has helped them become stronger. He wanted to believe their stories. But he wasn’t interested in selecting a fan just because it was their parent’s dying wish. If they were talented on top of their tragic backstory, then great. But Jack needed someone who was both talented and sparked his own creativity.

Truthfully, Jack hated singing competitions, and he despised the fact that this fan contest was essentially just another form of one. At least this way, he could just choose one person and be done with it. He knew first hand the true toxicity of reality competitions. It had been over ten years since he was on Great American Voice, but the memories still burned in his mind.

It was difficult from the start. In the beginning he was sectioned off into group harmonies with contestants who thought they were better than everyone else and tried to take charge. Those first few weeks of group harmonies and group performances were tests to see how well you collaborated with the other contestants. The test was designed to make you feel uncomfortable. Really, they were just picking out anyone who succumbed to the stress early on and send them home.

As Jack advanced through the weeks, he found each week was always harder than the last. There was constant pressure to sound great, look great, and be great. You had to convince the judges and the fans each week to vote you back for the next round. It didn’t matter if he nailed Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” last week. If you got a bad review from one of the judges, it could cost you your spot on the show. Soon sounding and looking great weren’t enough. There was always something new added each week. Photoshoots, interviews, and costume fittings. Charities, children hospital visits, school visits, parade appearances and sponsorship commercials. And you were still expected to do four to five hours of vocal rehearsals. The schedule was endless.

By the time Jack was finished with the show he had lost about 15 pounds and was struggling with episodes of insomnia and depression. Jack thought he’d be relieved when he was kicked off the show. He could finally sleep in. He could finally eat whatever he wanted and not what his vocal coaches and stylists told him to avoid. He could finally relax from being under the spotlight, from being picked apart week from week by his stylists, the publicists, the judges and from the public. He didn’t have to be followed by camera crew from the moment he woke up to when he lay his head down to rest in the evening.

But he wasn’t relieved. He’d lay awake at night, angry that he had come so far in the competition, and with a single vote, he was kicked off. He had developed his own sound on the show. He loved working on new covers each week with his production team, and each Friday night he couldn’t wait to get on stage and show everyone what he had been working on. But the show had left him high and dry. He beat himself up, blaming himself for not being good enough to make it to the next round. He self critiqued constantly, watching and rewatching his performances, trying to figure out where he went wrong, and what he could have done better. The sickening truth was, he wasn’t done being in the spotlight. He wanted it more.

When he made the decision to stay in L.A. after the Great American Voice LIVE! Tour concluded, he jumped right back into the music scene, scoring a small one album record deal with Kathoulos Records. But that had been a mistake. Right before the album was supposed to released, the label was taken over by new management and dropped Jack and his band. The label refused to sell them back the rights to their album and the album was never released.

The days following the label drop crept from Jack’s memory like a slow, sinking infestation. The black, bleak days when he continued to make desperate attempts to get resigned by a label. The swell of bitter disappointment of doors slamming in his face over and over again; the paranoia of over hearing security guards murmuring into their ear pieces. The nights he spent stumbling through bars and dark alleys in a dizzy, drunken hazes…

He closed his eyes and breathed in through his nose. He counted to four and exhaled slowly through his mouth. The flashbacks were coming at him more often now that his mind wasn’t distracted with constantly writing music. It was why he was so desperate to get back to writing music. When his mind was silent, everything else he suppressed began to resurface. Each night he lost more sleep, and each night it would whisper in his ears, reminding him of who he used to be. Who he still could be. They would become louder and more insistent as the days and nights blended together. He heard it now as he struggled to slow down his heartbeat, quickly rising into panic. He needed to get back to writing music, and soon.

Not all of his memories from those years were bad. He still talked with his vocal coaches from time to time. His real saving grace during those first few months was his hotel roommate, Danny, a boy his age from Mississippi. They had become fast friends when they discovered they had a bunch of shared interests - music, movies, online gaming. Jack had never become so close with someone so quickly. Maybe it was just the pressure of the competition, and it was his own selfish desires to meet someone who wasn’t trying to sabotage his performances. When Danny and Jack had both made it to the top ten, they had celebrated by sneaking cheap champagne into the hotel room. They had gotten deliriously drunk and were jumping on their beds belting Queen. Danny had hopped from his bed to Jack’s, tackling Jack on to his back. As they lay there, laughing and out of breath, he had noticed the precise shade of green Danny’s eyes were. Clover green with specks of silver, like morning dew sparkling in the sun. The way his heart had pounded in his ears.

Jack forced his attention back to his computer, yanking himself out of the memory. He refused to let himself go back there.

He scrolled through the entries. Twitter automatically displayed the most popular entries first, and then the most recently added. Right now, the fan favorite was a girl from Tennessee named Missy Maeve, the red headed version of Ariana Grande, except instead of singing about goddesses and ninety nine problems, Missy Maeve sung in a strong country voice about being true to yourself in a world of fake media. She stared confidently into the camera, pouring all of her energy into the performance.She had spared no expense in creating her video, using professional cameras and lighting, and had an entire back up band performing behind her as she danced around on stage with her long red ponytail swinging hypnotically behind her.

Right away, Jack knew she wasn’t the one. He had seen these types of artists before. They may have sounded and looked good, but at the end of the day, they weren’t connecting with the music. They’d be more focused on how they looked and sounded to other people. A real musician didn’t care about performing; he played music for the sake of music. He didn’t give a fuck who listened. He also would rather be caught dead than write a fluff piece about being true to yourself.

There were several decent entries, but none of them had what Jack was looking for. Jack wasn’t even sure if it existed in other musicians. He was searching for the moment when the musician was no longer a musician. It was those moments he felt himself, when he became so in tune with the music itself that reality fell around him. He’d forget he was on stage, performing in front of hundreds or thousands of fans. The music would fill him so completely, it was like he was the music. Every time he performed like that, it would leave him shaking and exhausted. It was the best kind of high.

He sifted through the videos. He felt guilty knowing he couldn’t possibly watch all of them. There were just so many. His label assured him not to worry about watching them all. The label was responsible for looking at the numbers - meaning who ever had the most likes and views. The band was free to look through them at their convenience, just as long as he had an ideal entry picked out by tomorrow.

There were a lot of good videos - too many good ones, in fact. A lot of the fans showed off their riffing skills, as if that was the one vocal skill that proved how well of a singer they were. Jack secretly despised artists who used too much riffing in their songs. It always sounded like the artist was trying to say “look at me! Look out amazing I am at singing! No one else will be able to copy these incredibly complex arrangement of riffs because I’m so amazing!” There were artists who tried to over compensate with autotune, which he detested more than any other sound engineering tool. It always felt like cheating. If you can’t hit the note, why bother pretend you can?

Jack continued to click through the entries. There were just as many bad ones as there were good ones. There were fans who recorded with voices too flat, or too sharp. They were monotonous, or pitchy. Some hadn’t even tried to submit an original song and sang a cover of one of his song. It was almost always his song, “Perfect Chasers” that he had written about the toxicity of perfection and his own personal addictions. Even though it had been years since he released it, it continued to be a fan favorite.

He kept sifting through hoping a song would jump out at him or he’d find an artist with unique vocals. He kept checking the time. 12 hours before he had to pick someone. Then it was 9. Then it was 6. Jack shifted his weight, so he was lying on his side curled up and had his computer sitting on the coffee table and continued to scroll with his wireless mouse. The couch perfectly cradled his thin form. His eyes burned from the white light of the endless scrolling through Twitter…

“DUDE!”

Jack jumped awake. The bright lights of the studio blinded him. He blinked away the the thick eye crust coating his eyelashes. He made out a silhouette standing in front of him.

“Huh?” Jack mumbled.

“We’ve been trying to get a hold of you,” said the silhouette that Jack recognized as Cody, his guitarist. “The meeting with the label is in a half hour.”

“Shit.” Jack sat up. The room spun around him for a moment and stars popped into his vision. His neck and back was sore after another night of sleeping on the couch. He grabbed his phone to check the time. It was dead.

“Did you pick someone?” Cody asked.

“Um…” Jack couldn’t remember. He saw him computer still sitting on the table. He reached over and tapped the keyboard. The screen lit up and showed all of the Twitter entries he had been looking through. He had gotten deep into scrolling through the entries last night. He was almost at the end of the list.

“Yeah,” he lied.

“Cool. Get ready, the guys and I are out back.” Cody left.

When he was gone, Jack groaned and leaned into his hands. Taking a moment to gather himself, he breathed in deeply. He figured he got maybe three or four hours of sleep. His head ached, rebelling against him for the lack of sleep. After a few slow deep breaths he got up and washed his face and brushed his teeth in the studio bathroom, ignoring the dark shadows under his eyes that matched the shadow of his beard.

When he finished he sat back down at his computer. He still had to choose someone. At this point he didn’t care if they were bad. He couldn’t show up empty handed. He randomly chose a name, scrawled it on a piece of paper and tucked it into his jeans.

Jack climbed into the backseat of the bassist player, Mark’s truck. He slid in next to Brendon, the band’s drummer..

“Good morning, sunshine,” Mark called back to him from the driver’s seat. “You enjoy sleeping in?”

“Mhm, right.” Jack mumbled, if you counted barely sleeping at all as sleeping in.

Brendon looked at him. “You kinda look like hell man,” Brendon said, concerned. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” Jack said. Brendon handed him a pair of sunglasses.

Out of everyone in the band, Jack had known Brendon the longest. They had gone to grade school together and form a band after Jack finished on Great American Voice. Jack was close with all of the guys, but Brendon was always the one who somehow understood Jack and noticed all of Jack’s warning signs. Like right now.

Jack gratefully accepted the sunglasses.

Thank God for coffee, thought Jack as he filled a styrofoam cup.

At the label meeting, everyone was going around the room, pitching their chosen contest candidates. Someone mentioned Missy Maeve and Jack immediately shot it down, claiming if he had to write a bubble gum pop country song, he’d cut off his ears.

Each of the guys in the band got a turn to present someone. Jack waited to go last, since he technically didn’t pick out anyone in specific. He trusted his band, and hoped they would find someone decent enough to produce for that wouldn’t want to make him chuck himself over a cliff. Each band member played the video and explained why they chose it. Their reasons were good and valid, but despite the talent presented, none of them inspired Jack. He had been betting on one of the guys would find someone for him.

“Alright then Jack,” the label manager asked, swiveling his chair towards Jack. “Who did you pick?”

Jack swallowed the lump his throat. “Yeah, I’ve got someone. Her name is…” He pulled the piece of paper out of his pocket and read the hastily scrawled note. “...Robin Jones.” He walked up to the front of the room to the computer that was projected onto the pull out screen. He searched for her name in Youtube. Her video came up as the 7th result on the page.

Christ, she only has 6 views. Jack kicked himself. Why didn’t he bother to check the view count? He hit play. Please don’t suck, please don’t suck.

The video began with a blurry close up of blonde hair. The camera refocused as Robin leaned back from the camera. She was sitting at a baby grand piano. Around her were music stands, stage risers, and a variety of other instruments were stacked up against the wall. She looked like she was recording from a high school band room.

The girl cleared her throat and stated to the camera, “Hi. My name is Robin Jones. I am 18 years old. I am from Boston, Massachusetts and this my original song, Candle Light.” She turned to the piano, a curtain of blonde hair falling in front of her face. She paused for a moment to take a deep breath. Then she began to play.

She was nervous. Her movements were slow, calculated and careful. The notes began higher on the scale, and then steadily dropped into lower notes as she began to quietly sing the first verse.

“When did it begin?

Couldn’t you tell me where the start of it ends?

Cause I got caught in the light.

Yeah, it was too damn bright.

It left me blinded, just for you.”

She sang in a soft, lower register, which surprised Jack. He thought by the tone of her voice, she would have sung higher. But she was good. Thank God.

Her voice shook slightly through the first chorus. It wasn’t until she broke into the second verse, he noticed a shift in her performance. Her voice grew stronger, and she tucked the hair that had curtained off her face behind her ear. Jack found himself nodding along with the gentle rhythm of the song.

I had to take the long

way home, did you know I barely survived

I couldn’t see how and I,

Couldn’t see why after all this time

the goodbye still hurts you more.

Jack almost paused the video on that last line. It stood out to him. It was a good, subjective line that he liked to use in his own music. It was one of those lines he knew came from her specific experience, but it could relate to anyone. It could relate to him. It did relate to him. The goodbye still hurts you more. Jack knew exactly just how it related to him.

Memories of Danny popped back into mind. He saw Danny standing to the side of the stage with everyone else advancing, crying when Jack was voted off. He saw Danny fight with him at the end of the Great American Tour when he didn’t want to move back out to L.A. with Jack. The look on Danny’s face when Jack spit harsh words out of anger and regret. He saw himself a month later, staring at his phone, wishing Danny would just fucking text him back. Danny and his stupid, morning dew green eyes.

The harder lessons are learned

When you see the scars are from the burn

Wish I wasn’t so afraid to believe

That there could still be so much more.

There was Danny was again in the last line. Robin was good with her lyrics.

She launched into the chorus with a change of confidence. She sang with a soulful vibrato. Her eyes were closed as felt her way through the song, her fingers finding the right keys on their own. Her performance looked effortless, but Jack could tell she was pouring everything inside of her into the music.

Her fingers danced across the keyboard, racing towards the bridge. Robin’s entire body rocked along with the rhythm. Suddenly the song tapered off to the quiet notes from the beginning of the song.

I could for now, just stay where I am

Though I still don’t know how this all ends.

Until then I’ll hold on to a little light

So one day you might find me again.

When she finished, she rested her hands on the keys, drawing in a few deep breaths. Her hands dropped so suddenly from the keys, like someone had caught her playing when she wasn’t supposed to. Robin turned back towards the camera and leaned in to end the video.

There was silence in the room. Jack was holding his breath, waiting for someone to respond.

“Well,” the assistant manager started. “She has a nice voice, but -”

“This one,” Jack interrupted. “I want this one.”

His manager looked at him, arching an eyebrow. “You want this one? A romance song?”

Jack was equally surprised. What was he doing? He doesn’t write romance. He doesn’t even like songs about romance. And the memories that she pulled from the back of his mind should have given him enough of a reason not to pick this one. And yet, it had slipped out. He wanted this song.

Jack looked to his bandmates for their confirmation. He wasn’t about to make a decision without them, especially when it involved all four of them. They looked between the three of them, silently discussing the song. After a few moments, and some shrugging, Brendon nodded to Jack.

“Yeah,” Jack said. He cleared his throat. “She’s got a great voice, and the song sounds a little different from most romance songs I’ve heard. I think maybe the lyrics could use a little help, and I think if we put in some percussion with some better acoustics - “ Jack caught himself. He almost didn’t notice the click in his brain. It was like suddenly he turned on a light. Or lit a candle after the power had gone out. His was brainstorming. He was writing.

At that moment he knew for a fact - this was the winning song.

He looked around the room, waiting for everyone’s opinion. They exchanged glances, debating.

Finally, the manager stood up. “Alright, I guess that’s it then. We’ll go with…” He squinted his eyes, looking up at the project screen. “...Robin Jones. Tomorrow we’ll go live with the announcement.”

The meeting concluded. Everyone started packing up. Jack let out a breath of air he didn’t realize he was holding.

The guys approached him.

“So...romance now, huh? Didn’t know you had such a soft spot all of the sudden,” Cody remarked, smiling.

Jack shook his head, just as surprised as they were. “I guess maybe I need to start looking into the romance writing genre.”

“Hah, yeah man.” Brendon clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Good to have you back man.”

Jack gave him a smile of thanks.

When he got home, he pulled up Robin’s song again and rewatched it, beginning the process of drafting different types of instruments and background sounds he could add to the song. The ideas came easy, and he could feel something in him relax. He was relieved. He was writing again.

The song had resurfaced those memories of Danny that he fought for so long to forget. Some part of him still thought he was insane to want to work on this song. But another part of him, the part that he had shared with Danny all those years, demanded him to work on this song, and it refused to be ignored. He felt a nervous tingle in the pit of his stomach.

He didn’t want to acknowledge it, but the song had given that part of him a new, stronger voice. And it was screaming at him.

Jack continued to write.

[n0verias]

This is for @nyappykid, I was your Ace Attorney Secret Santa! I hope you like it!

Title: Christmas in Khura’in Pairing: Klavier/Apollo Rating: T Warnings: Mentions of crimes/murders, mentions of death Additional Tags: Made-up Khura’inese words, Apollo is a lovestruck fool AO3 Link

December 22, 2028 Justice Law Office

“Horned Head! I command you to help me this instant!” Rayfa shouted as she attempted, with little success, to hold up a huge stream of prayer flags. Her small frame was barely visible with how much she was holding, and Apollo was actually quite impressed.

“I got it.” Apollo lessened the load for Rayfa by taking half the pile in his arms. “I honestly didn’t think Christmas was celebrated here.”

Rayfa let out a pronounced ‘hmph’. “Is that what you call it in America? Here, we call it Khu’khurist. It’s an ancient tradition brought upon by the Holy Mother herself as a means to celebrate all that we are thankful for. And while you selfish Americans demand gift offerings, we hold a giant festival for all to enjoy.”

“And on the day of the 25th, we conclude by lighting the candles of prayer around the giant hal’abad tree.”

Apollo and Rayfa turned to see Nahyuta entering the Justice Law Office with a box of decorations. “And while we generally don’t hand out gifts as Rayfa said, it is not uncommon for couples to exchange a small token of their love for each other.” Nahyuta chuckled as he set down the box. Apollo took a peek and saw that there were a bunch of unlit candles, as well as holly, a wreath, and…oh god, was that what Apollo thought it was?

“Ah, and I did some research on American customs as well. Apparently, Americans hang some kind of plant called ‘mistletoe’ in a doorway, and whoever ends up under it has to kiss someone.” Nahyuta held up the mistletoe in his fingers and tried to find a perfect spot for it. “I thought it would make Apollo feel more at home.”

Apollo grimaced. So it WAS what he thought. “I don’t think something like that is necessary.” Besides, there is literally no one here who he would want to kiss, and he’ll be damned if he had to kiss someone like…Datz. He shuddered at the thought.

Rayfa crossed her arms. “How barbaric. So this is what America is like during the holidays?”

“NO.” Apollo shouted a lot louder than he intended. “Putting something like that up in the office is just asking for bad luck to happen!”

And as if things couldn’t get any worse, Datz Are’bal burst through the door and almost tripped over the rug. He managed to catch his balance as he skidded to a halt right in front of them. “Did you guys hear?! They managed to get some hot shot musician to sing at the festival!”

Nahyuta and Apollo stared at Datz as if he grew a second head. Rayfa in contrast smirked.

“Ah that’s right! I heard from Mother…I—I mean Queen Amara…” Rayfa blushed at her blunder. “That she sought to find a form of American entertainment, since this would be Horned Head’s first Khu’khurist with us.”

Why did Apollo feel so uneasy? “Dare I ask who this musician is?”

Rayfa pondered the thought. “Uh…I believe it was Klavier Gavin…?”

Apollo was stunned into silence. He hadn’t heard from or spoken to Klavier for more than a year…not since that incident at Themis Legal Academy. And if he were to be completely honest, he thought that Khura’in would be the LAST place he would ever run into the fop. Did this mean that Klavier was reviving his musical career? He recalled last time they spoke that Klavier was going to focus more on his prosecuting, especially after Daryan Crescend was convicted of murder and the Gavinners were disbanded. He recalled that to be a dark time for Klavier, and no matter how much the man showed off a smile, it was clear that underneath it was sorrow. Of course, a lot can change within the course of a year. He wondered how Klavier was doing…he didn’t even think that Klavier knew that he was in Khura’in.

“Earth to Apollo!”

Apollo was snapped out of his thoughts by Datz waving his hand ferociously in front of his face. Apollo slapped the hand away with mild annoyance. “Sorry…just that hearing the name Klavier Gavin brings back old memories.”

“Do you know him?” Nahyuta questioned, to which Apollo nodded.

“After a fashion. He’s actually a prosecutor who I fought against on many occasions.”

Rayfa tilted her head. “So he’s a friend? Maybe it’s a good thing he’ll be the one performing, then.”

Could Apollo consider Klavier a friend? Sure they were on good terms both outside the courtroom and inside, but it’s not like they ever took time out of their busy schedules to have a chat over coffee. Apollo sighed. “When’s he supposed to arrive?”

“Actually, he might already be here. His plane landed yesterday and should be staying at Tehm-pul Temple—” Before Rayfa could finish her sentence, Apollo dashed out of the office, leaving behind stunned and mildly amused expressions.

“Something tells me this will be an interesting Khu’khurist indeed.” Nahyuta chuckled.

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Apollo panted and wheezed as he stopped in front of the temple. He hadn’t run that fast in a while, it felt like; but his exhaustion soon wore off when he caught sight of the familiar silhouette of someone he hadn’t seen in a long while. The purple jacket, those rings…that platinum blond hair.”

“K-Klavier?!”

Said figure turned around, revealing crystal blue eyes peeking out from behind black shades. The look of shock on Klavier’s face was very apparent.

“H-Herr Forehead?” Klavier rushed to Apollo. “Mein gott, why are you here?”

Oh, that’s right. He…never told Klavier that his new residence was in Khura’in. “I’ve been living here for a few months now, actually.” Apollo explained awkwardly. “It’s a long story…”

“Oh? So you’re no longer employed under Herr Wright? What did you do that caused him to fire you?” Klavier chuckled.

If there’s one thing he didn’t miss, it was Klavier’s sharp tongue. “That’s not what happened! I told you it was a long story.”

Klavier grinned. “Well, we have plenty of time to catch up. Maybe over drinks?”

Apollo wanted to protest, but a part of him couldn’t bring himself to refuse. It was probably that smile. That annoying, pretty boy smile. He didn’t like talking about the events that transpired earlier in the year, but he supposed he owed Klavier an explanation for disappearing from the courtrooms in Los Angeles.

They managed to find a small café that sold different Khura’inese pastries and drinks, which they sat down and caught up. Klavier told him about how he visited Germany for a couple of weeks, and how his music was still very popular there much to his surprise. His prosecuting career is still as successful as ever, making sure that no one was falsely convicted and that only the true criminal was brought to justice. That was one thing he and Apollo had in common, and something that Apollo was grateful of. On a more somber note…Klavier also told him of Kristoph’s execution. Kristoph Gavin, Klavier’s brother and Apollo’s former boss, was finally executed via lethal injection about a month ago. Klavier was present, and while Kristoph had no last words, their eyes locked one last time before the deed was done.

And as if things couldn’t get more depressing, Apollo decided to tell Klavier about his adoptive father, Dhurke Sahdmadhi, and the events that sparked a revolution here in the Kingdom of Khura’in. Which, of course, included the details surrounding Dhurke’s death, as well as his biological father’s murder at the hands of the former Queen of Khura’in. It was still rather difficult to retell the events that haunted his memories, but he knew that he would have to get over it eventually.

“I’m really sorry to hear about Kristoph.” Apollo looked at Klavier with sympathy. “Regardless of what he’s done, I’m sure it must’ve been hard for you.”

Klavier sighed. “The past is past. I can’t waste time feeling sorry for myself.” He smiled sadly. “It’s strange, really…he had done some cruel things that ruined him, and I pitied him. But as his brother, I couldn’t help but feel sad. He wasn’t even a supportive brother to begin with.”

“That’s only human nature.” Apollo took a sip of his herbal tea. “To me, he was just my boss; but to you, he was family.”

Klavier chuckled. “How about we change the subject to something more…cheerful.” He rested his chin on his hands and smiled. “So am I to understand that you inherited your adopted father’s law office? You sure are making a name for yourself, Herr Forehead.”

Apollo laughed awkwardly and scratched his cheek a little. “Something like that. I wanted Dhurke’s dream to live on, so I made the tough decision to stay here…at least until the justice system in this country gets revived.”

Klavier hummed. “Do you still keep in contact with Fräulein Magician and Fräulein Cykes? And what happened to Fräulein Detective? I haven’t seen her in quite some time.”

“Ever the romantic, aren’t you.” Apollo rolled his eyes. Ema was probably over the moon over not having to work side-by-side with Klavier. “It’s pretty expensive to talk over the phone, but I send them letters whenever I’m able to. Trucy apparently promoted Athena to her magical assistant.” Apollo thanked the stars that he no longer had that position. “As for Ema…I think she’s here in Khura’in, actually.”

That earned him a raised eyebrow, so Apollo explained further. “The prosecutor in this country has taken a liking to her, so she’s here for as long as I have helping us with cases.”

“I’m amazed that someone could tolerate the detective for too long without stepping on her toes.” Klavier chuckled.

Apollo shot him a deadpanned expression. “I’m sure she was only like that because she had to deal with you on a daily basis.”

Klavier feigned hurt. “Way to strike me where it hurts, Herr Forehead.”

Of course, Apollo knew that the real reason behind Ema’s sour attitude back then was due to her having failed the forensics exam. Now that she was a certified forensic scientist, she was in much higher spirits.

They spent a few more minutes of small chatter before leaving the café. And who should they run into but Nahyuta and Rayfa carrying more supplies, no doubt in preparation for the festival.

“So you must be the musician that will be performing in a few days?” Nahyuta questioned, to which Klavier nodded. Nahyuta smiled. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance. Any friend of Apollo is a friend of mine.”

Apollo crossed his arms. “Klavier, this is Nahyuta Sahdmadhi. He’s the prosecutor for this country. And the girl next to him is Rayfa Padma Khura’in���crowned princess of Khura’in, as well as a holy priestess.”

Klavier whistled. “You sure have friends in high places, Herr Forehead.”

“Herr…Forehead…?” Nahyuta chuckled, and Rayfa smirked.

“I see that Horned Head has many titles.”

Klavier bowed to Rayfa, took her hand in his, and kissed it. “It’s an honor to meet the princess of this country.”

Rayfa’s face turned a dark shade of red and Apollo thought for a moment that she had short-circuited. And as expected, Rayfa hastily pulled her hand away and pouted. “You will cease this inappropriate behavior at once!” Her voice slightly cracked at the end, which didn’t help her case at all.

“I see you’re still an insufferable charmer.” Apollo rolled his eyes, to which Klavier chuckled.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Klavier then took Apollo’s hand and did the same thing. “Unless it’s working, of course.”

Apollo stood there, frozen like a statue. “N-Now you’re just trying to be annoying.” However, the fact that he hesitated to pull his hand away caused Nahyuta to chuckle. Thankfully, Klavier didn’t notice as he stood up.

“Well, I think I will head back to my room. I think jet lag is finally catching up with me.” Klavier smiled. “Good to see you again, Herr Forehead. Maybe we’ll see each other tomorrow. My number is still the same.” And with a wink, Klavier walked back in the direction of Tehm’pul Temple without looking back.

After a few minutes of saying nothing, Nahyuta cleared his throat. “So…just a friend, you said?”

Apollo snapped out of his trance. “Uh…what?”

“You and Klavier Gavin seemed very close.”

Apollo was silent for a short moment, before looking to the side. “He and I have known each other for a while. And while I hate to admit it, he’s helped me out with my first few cases as an attorney.”

Nahyuta nodded in understanding. “So your relationship is strictly professional?”

“…What are you implying?”

“You reacted the same way that Rayfa did when Mr. Gavin kissed your hand.” Nahyuta smiled sweetly. “And unlike her, you’re not a small child vulnerable to precocious crushes.”

“Hey!” Rayfa pouted next to Nahyuta, but he ignored her.

“Hm…maybe that mistletoe will come in handy, after all.”

Apollo wasn’t impressed in the slightest. “You’re just imagining things, Nahyuta.” However, that did nothing to stop his heart from racing at an unnatural pace. He desperately wanted the subject to change. “So if you two are here, who’s watching the office?”

Rayfa crossed her arms. “Datz, of course.”

The color from Apollo’s face drained away and he rushed back in the direction of his office, all while grateful for that embarrassing conversation to end.

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“Whoa, you must be in deep trouble if you’re willing to pay for a long distance phone call, Polly!” Trucy’s voice chimed through Apollo’s cell phone. “You’re not in trouble with the law again, are you?”

Apollo frowned. “No, nothing like that…and what do you mean ‘again’?!” He huffed. “If you must know, Klavier is here in Khura’in. To perform for the Christmas festival.”

He could practically feel the amount of glee seeping through Trucy’s voice. “Oooooh, so that’s where he went! We’re actually babysitting his dog for him while he’s away. I wanted to tell you, but by the time the letter would reach you it’d probably be too late.”

Well, he appreciated the thought, he supposed. Though that still did nothing to calm his heart down. It felt like it was about to explode, and there was no way in hell he would ever admit to the reason for it. “I wonder how Ema would react to seeing him here. She’s been so busy with work that I doubt she even knows about the festival.”

Trucy giggled. “It’s just like you to change the subject like that, Polly.”

“I admit nothing.”

“Well, I’m sure Ema won’t be as grumpy as she used to be, now that she can legally take people’s fingerprints!” Trucy’s voice faltered all of a sudden, and soon after there was a loud crashing noise in the background.

“Are you alright, Trucy?!” Apollo began to worry.

Trucy’s voice sounded distant for a moment, before it came back to the phone. “Sorry about that, I’m practicing a new magic trick but Athena keeps messing up her part. She’s enthusiastic, but she doesn’t have the same charm that you did.”

“And I don’t miss those days for a moment.” Apollo deadpanned. “I hope Athena isn’t bleeding to death right now, otherwise Mr. Wright will not only have to find a new attorney, but also deal with Mr. Blackquill’s wrath on top of that.”

“No no she’s fine! For the most part…” Trucy’s voice trailed off. “Might have gotten a few paper cuts but nothing serious! Besides, Pearl is helping out too. She’s our resident first-aid kit for Athena.”

Apollo sighed. “Stop bringing other people into your convoluted magic tricks.”

“I can’t hear you, Polly!” Trucy sing-songed. “So back to your reason for calling. I think your situation desperately calls for some Christmas magic. Like a clear starry night…or mistletoe!”

“Enough with the mistletoe!” Apollo’s chords of steel made its appearance in the form of a grating shout. “It’s not like that.”

“Are you sure about tha—”

Apollo could hear a commotion on the other end, followed by some protests from Trucy. Seconds later, a new voice popped up.

“Okay listen up, Apollo, I was listening to the entire conversation!”

Apollo scowled. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s impolite to eavesdrop, Athena?”

Athena scoffed. “Whatever, just listen. You can’t keep your feelings inside you for so long. I’m practically on the other side of the world and I can still feel your emotions loud and clear! And if you think I’m not willing to give you a therapy session over the phone, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“Alright, alright I get it. So what are your ears picking up, exactly? Because I have no idea.”

It sounded like Athena grabbed something from the other end. “Glad you asked! Now, as your resident therapist, I suggest you first admit your feelings for Klavier—”

“Wait wait what, WHAT?!” Apollo practically screamed.

“Oh please, Apollo, it was obvious to me since you made that huge tangent about those roses Klavier sent Trucy earlier in the year.” Athena’s voice was flat, and Apollo could just about picture her eyes rolling. “You don’t have to tell the man, but admitting to yourself that you have feelings for him will definitely ease the tight feeling in your chest.”

“………..Goodbye, Athena. Tell Trucy I said goodbye, and if she asks, you are the reason I’m cutting this conversation short.”

Before Athena could protest, Apollo hung up his phone and let out a loud, drawn out sigh. He lied back on his bed and stared up at the ceiling.

(Feelings for Klavier, huh…)

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December 22, 2028 Wright Anything Agency

“I can’t believe you, Athena!” Trucy huffed with her hands on her hips. “I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to him!”

Athena felt only slightly guilty. “It’s not MY fault he refuses to admit his feelings for Klavier!”

Trucy crossed her arms. “Polly’s a boy, Athena! They don’t admit things like that so easily, if at all!”

Athena frowned. “I would think he would have outgrown that behavior by now, he’s in his mid-twenties!”

“Umm…guys?”

Both Trucy and Athena looked in the direction of the voice to see Pearl standing there with an apologetic smile. “Sorry to interrupt, but I just got off the phone with Bonny. She was wondering if you wanted her to get Mr. Hat ready for tomorrow’s Christmas show…”

“Oh!” Trucy ran to grab her notes that were sitting on the coffee table. “Yeah, if she’s able to!”

Athena toyed with her earring. “…Didn’t Bonny mess up Mr. Hat’s positioning during that one case…?”

“Yeah, but I trust her! Besides, Betty is there too to supervise.” Trucy went back to practicing her magic trick, and Athena grimaced.

(Wasn’t Betty actively trying to sabotage you, too?!)

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December 25, 2028 Justice Law Office

It was finally time for the festival, and Apollo was absolutely floored by how beautiful the bazaar was. Candles illuminated every corner of each store; people selling small candies colored in silver and gold. Khura’in even had their own version of Santa Claus, although it was an overly long name that Apollo couldn’t even try to pronounce if he wanted to. Apparently this version of Santa Claus was a holy priest who dedicated his life to making children happy; he awarded those who practiced his religion with devout faith, and punished those by sending them to a dark abyss where they would face eternal suffering. A bit excessive, Apollo thought, but he can’t say he was surprised.

He hadn’t seen Klavier since the other day. He didn’t want to pull Klavier away from his rehearsals for later tonight. Klavier did however text him that he would be performing ‘The Guitar’s Serenade’ after the candles are lit on the hal’abad tree. It was customary for an hour sermon to be recited during the lighting, followed by up to three hours of prayer. Apollo was grateful that he wouldn’t have to participate in that; he wasn’t sure if his back can handle being in a hunched position like that for three whole hours.

He walked through the bazaar, admiring the lights and little trinkets hanging from the rafters with a carefree expression. It wasn’t often that he can enjoy something like this without thinking about a case in the back of his mind. Ever since the abolishment of the Defense Culpability Act, his office has heard no end to cases involving wrongful convictions; and while he was more than happy to right the wrongs done by a twisted government, it was nice to have some time to himself.

His eyes fell upon Nahyuta and Ema by a fruit stand. Ema had a very confused expression on her face while Nahyuta was holding up a bizarre-looking fruit with pink skin and purple splotches, all while making a gesture with his hand. Surely he was giving Ema some kind of lecture about the significance of that particular fruit, and Apollo couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle at the scene. He walked a little further and noticed Datz selling some…were those lizards? Surely not the same lizards that he had hanging in the office at some point?! Apollo couldn’t walk fast enough when he saw that Datz noticed him and egged him to come over.

When he finally made it to Tehm’pul Temple, he stared in awe at the huge hal’abad tree with what looked like thousands of candles on each branch. This seemed like a fire hazard, but who was he to question a sacred Khura’inese holiday? As he walked closer, he noticed Rayfa standing in front of the tree looking at a piece of parchment. He wondered if Rayfa also had an important part in the ceremony; it made sense, her being the royal priestess and all.

A quick glance to his left, and his gaze landed on that of Klavier Gavin, clad in his normal wear and going over some of the vocals for his song. He even had a guitar in hand. Apollo couldn’t help but think about the conversation he had with Trucy a few days ago, and he immediately felt tense. Is this how witnesses felt whenever he perceived them? It was such an uneasy feeling, and it sent a chill down his spine.

Klavier must’ve noticed him staring, for he called him over with a smile and wave. Apollo feigned a scoff and walked over.

“I’m still surprised they decided to get a foreign performer for such an important day.” Apollo commented, to which Klavier chuckled.

“Believe me when I almost refused the offer…until the queen herself asked, and well, who can say no to royalty?”

Apollo shot him a small smile. “Understandable.” His gaze drifted towards the sky, where a bunch of stars danced in the night. “…You know, we’ve known each other for a while, and while I hate to admit it…” He sighed. “…You were part of the reason for me lasting this long as an attorney. Going against you has taught me many things, and…I guess I’m saying I’m thankful.”

Klavier had a dumbfounded expression on his face for a split second, but quickly recovered. “While I appreciate the sentiment, Herr Forehead, that was entirely your doing. I just pushed you in the right direction.” He smiled. “We were both aiming towards the same truth, were we not?” He looked up at the sky as well. “Ach, I do have to say that I miss our days in the courtroom. It’s just not the same without you on the other side.”

Apollo’s heart made an involuntary leap and for a second, he thought he would faint. “Uh…r-right. And here I thought you only saw me as a naïve greenhorn who needed to be spoon-fed evidence.”

The light laugh that escaped Klavier’s throat was intoxicating. “Of course I thought that at first, but that was before I got to know you. I always wondered what kind of attorney you were, after you bested my bro in court…and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.”

“…Of what?”

Klavier looked back at Apollo. “Everything, I guess. But most of all, that determination you had to find the truth, and undying faith towards your client. Despite being your boss, you turned out to be nothing like Kristoph.”

He hated to admit it, but he was starting to feeling butterflies in his stomach. He hated it when Athena was right, especially about something like this. “…Listen, Gav—uh, Klavier…”

Klavier raised an eyebrow, and it was then that Apollo realized that this was the first time he ever referred to Klavier by his first name. And upon realizing this, it became much more difficult to form the correct words—

“Hey, Horned Head. I’m unsure of where to put this, but Nahyuta handed it to me and now I’m stuck with it. What are the customs for this in America, again?”

Apollo turned his head up behind him and saw Rayfa standing there, a blunt expression on her face...holding a bundle of mistletoe in her fingers and dangling it above where he and Klavier were sitting. He was mortified. He dared to glance at Klavier, who was merely chuckling, his chin propped up by his hand and staring at him.

“The fräulein wants to know what people do under the mistletoe. Would you like to help me show her, Herr Forehead?” Klavier smiled, and Apollo couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed hold of the front of Klavier’s shirt and pulled him in closer, giving him a forceful kiss that couldn’t have lasted more than a few seconds. When he pulled away, Apollo got up from his seat and stormed off, not even bothering to look back. Why did he do that?! He was such an idiot, and the worst part was he couldn’t tell which part he regretted more, the kiss or leaving right after. It wasn’t until he heard someone shouting his name that he came to a halt and turned around.

“You know it’s bad taste to leave without a word after kissing someone, ja?” Klavier panted a little. He must have ran after him shortly after what happened.

Honestly speaking, Apollo acted on impulse. It was a spur of the moment decision brought about by everyone taunting him; first Nahyuta, then Trucy and Athena…he let out a frustrated sigh as he turned his head to look back at Klavier, who was running his fingers through his hair.

“I…I just did what people normally do under mistletoe. It’s what everyone wanted of me, right?” Apollo bit out.

Klavier tilted his head with a mildly concerned expression. “I was just humoring the young fräulein—”

“What do you want from me, Gavin?” Apollo cut Klavier off.

Klavier took a step toward Apollo. “I should be the one asking you that.” Klavier reached out with the intent to rest his hand on Apollo’s shoulder, but stopped when he saw how the other man recoiled. “Is there something bothering you? Ach, did I do something to offend you in any way?” He grew more concerned by the minute. “Please talk to me.”

Apollo hesitated. His gaze darted back and forth between Klavier’s face and the hand that was ever so slightly reaching out to him. There is no turning back once he speaks the words he desperately wants to get out. But really, why would someone as famous as Klavier, the rock star prosecutor himself, even think about reciprocating his feelings? Sure he was making a name for himself in Khura’in, but back in the States he was just a defense attorney working under the legendary Phoenix Wright. Hell, Klavier witnessed Apollo’s very first cases as a defense attorney, and all the embarrassments that came with being a greenhorn.

He never could take rejection very well; his mind was already settling on the worst possible outcome before anything even happened.

“Apollo?”

Apollo was dragged out of his thoughts by Klavier’s voice, and when his eyes focused in front of him, he realized that Klavier’s face was much closer to his own than before. He could feel his own face getting hotter and hotter, despite his efforts to stop it.

“…What do you think of me, Gav…Klavier.” Apollo’s voice broke a little. “Please, I need to know.”

Klavier stared at Apollo for what felt like an eternity, before he finally answered. “Words cannot even begin to describe how I feel about you, Apollo.” His expression was somber as he glanced around at the lit candles illuminating the bazaar. “You remember when we first met?”

Apollo slowly nodded. “I could never forget that case…” Although he would be more than happy to forget about stolen panties. “Trucy noticed you standing in front of your motorcycle, waving to a bunch of your fans.” He let out a chuckle. “You were the one who made it possible for me to investigate the crime scene.”

Klavier smiled. “I probably didn’t look like it to you, but I was…suffering back then. Emotionally, and mentally.”

“…Was it because of Kristoph?” Apollo already knew the answer, but wanted confirmation.

Klavier nodded. “My bro was certainly one of a kind. But behind closed doors, he was just as manipulative and scheming as how he was in the courtroom. Every waking hour growing up with him felt like there was a noose around my neck, and he was the judge, jury, and executioner.” He let out a sigh. “And then…that case happened. Kristoph set me up to destroy Phoenix Wright’s career. I had my suspicions of course, but with all my heart I really wanted to believe that there was no way my own brother could do something that cruel. And then you came along and pulled the covers from my eyes. And thanks to you, I was finally able to confront Klavier on equal footing; I was no longer afraid of him.”

Apollo didn’t know what to say, but Klavier continued. “What I’m trying to say is that, in a way, you saved me back then. Without you there to accuse Kristoph and bring him into the courtroom once more, I don’t think I would have ever been able to face my demons.” Klavier looked at Apollo and smiled. “You mean a lot to me, Apollo…more than I’m sure you can even begin to imagine.”

A small breath escaped Apollo’s mouth as he was rendered speechless.

(C’mon, say something, damnit!)

“I would like to know what you think of me, too…if that’s alright.” Klavier asked thoughtfully. He just gave Apollo an opening, one that he decided to take.

Apollo let out a breath of air. “…If it weren’t for you, I don’t think I ever would have made it this far as an attorney.”

Klavier was about to say something, but Apollo held a hand up to stop him. “Before you tell me how that’s not true, just listen for a second. I was a novice, my former boss was sent to prison on murder charges…I had nowhere to go until the Wright Anything Agency phoned me. And the last thing I expected was to be immediately thrust into investigating a murder from stolen noodle carts and panties.”

Klavier chuckled, which Apollo responded with a chuckle of his own. “…Was it your intention to give me all those hints? When we were in court, it felt like you were guiding me along to finding the answer…I might have gotten a Not Guilty verdict, but at the time, it still didn’t feel like a victory to me.”

“I’m sure you’re already well-aware of this, Apollo, but the most important thing for me was to find the truth…it wasn’t about winning or losing, or a personal battle between attorney and prosecutor. And as a rookie defense attorney, I was positive that you probably wouldn’t have understood that.” Klavier explained, to which Apollo nodded.

“You were right, of course.” Apollo glanced away. “Back then, I didn’t know what it meant to find the truth. I didn’t know what it meant for an attorney to be working together with a prosecutor and share evidence. But you helped me see that the way I was brought up was wrong.” He hesitated to bring up the next thoughts on his mind, but it was now or never. He had to do it.

“…I-I know I always acted like you were the most annoying person on the planet, but I want you to know that I never thought of you in that way.”

(Breathe, Apollo. You can do this.)

When his eyes met Klavier’s, he saw the light shining from the candles reflect on Klavier’s pupils. It was beautiful.

“You mean a lot to me, more than you probably realize.”

Klavier smiled. “You repeated what I told you—”

“I’m not finished.” Apollo bit his lip, and stepped closer to Klavier until they were mere inches apart. Klavier’s eyes widened, but Apollo paid no mind as he stood on his toes and pressed his lips softly onto Klavier’s. It didn’t last long, but he just wanted to get the message across.

You…mean a lot to me. More than you probably realize.”

Klavier just stared at Apollo with his mouth slightly agape, before he finally snapped out of it.

“Apollo…how long?”

Apollo shook his head. “Honestly, I probably couldn’t tell you that. But if I had to guess, it probably started developing around the time you invited Trucy and I to your concert.”

“And you never told me?”

Apollo grew frustrated once more. “It’s not that easy, okay?! For someone like you who has people confessing their love to you on a daily basis, maybe. But for someone like me…”

Klavier watched quietly as Apollo tried to stop his body from shaking. When a few minutes had passed, Klavier took the opportunity to pull Apollo in closer. Apollo’s eyes widened.

“Those people who you say confess their love for me? They’re just fans. They probably say the same thing to their other favorite celebrities. Contrary to popular belief, I’ve never even had a girlfriend or boyfriend.” Klavier smiled as Apollo huffed.

“I don’t believe it. Not even when you were starting out as a rock star?”

Klavier shook his head. “Kind of hard to trust people, you know? Are they dating me because they love me, or are they dating me because I’m famous? Trust is one of the most important factors in a relationship…to me, anyway.”

Apollo looked down. “I see…”

He felt a slight pressure on the top of his head; it took him a moment to realize that Klavier had kissed his head very softly.

“I trust you, Apollo.”

“…What are you saying?” Apollo glanced back up at Klavier, who tilted his head and smiled.

“I’m saying that I feel the same way about you…if you’ll have me.”

Apollo didn’t hear anything else; didn’t see anything else. All of his focus was on Klavier. He wasted no time pulling the other man in and kissing him under the candlelight, just as the snow was beginning to fall once more.

.

.

.

“Happi’raki Khu’khurist!”

A chorus of shouts and cheers as the people of Khura’in witnessed the lighting of the hal’abad tree, welcoming Christmas with open arms and many prayers. The concert was a big hit, with many of the younger citizens practically begging Klavier to visit again, which he was more than happy to oblige…although it was probably mostly due to his new boyfriend being the revolutionary defense attorney in this country.

Rayfa was overseeing the festival of prayers, where everyone knelt down in prayer for hours on end until the candles on the hal’abad tree burn out. It was mildly amusing seeing how serious Rayfa was while looking over everyone, but every now and then she would glance at the children with their parents enjoying themselves and huff. Apollo decided maybe he’ll buy her a festive pastry later.

Nahyuta was helping Rayfa with her duties whenever possible, but for the most part he was done with the festivities and decided to go back to Justice Law Office to rest up. He wasn’t alone, however, as Ema, Ahlbi, and Datz were also enjoying themselves in the warmth of the office. Didn’t Khura’inists enjoy the cold? Or maybe they were just enjoying each other’s company, which Apollo thought was far more plausible.

All in all, the festival was a success. His first Christmas in Khura’in…Apollo now had more memories to share with Trucy and Athena, and everyone else back home in the States. And of course, more memories to come with Klavier.

“So just out of curiosity, Herr Forehead…what did you REALLY think of me when you first saw me up on stage…?”

“OBJECTION! No comment.”

[sargenthouse]

Big Walnuts Yonder announce upcoming album, first track “Raise The Drawbridges?”

This year has already seen its fair share of mighty supergroups, featuring various members of At The Drive-In, Melvins, Grandaddy, and Franz Ferdinand. Big Walnuts Yonder is a collection of similarly talented veteran musicians — Mike Watt (Minutemen, The Stooges), Nels Cline (Wilco, Nels Cline Singers), Greg Saunier (Deerhoof) and Nick Reinhart (Tera Melos) to be exact — but the chemistry and creative process behind the new outfit are decidedly of a different breed.

“It’s worlds colliding,” Watt explains of the four-piece, which draws in elements of “proto-punk, free jazz, power pop, experimental music, psych-rock and your first teenage acid trip all in one.” Big Walnuts Yonder’s beginnings date back to a 2008 conversation between Watt and Reinhart, but because of hectic, overlapping schedules, it hasn’t been easy to sit down and polish off an official album.

“We had planned it for so long,” recalls Saunier. “Then several years passed in which nothing occurred due to everyone’s schedules. It was 2-3 years of warm, leisurely prep time, then suddenly made in a panic with time and money on the line.” The resulting effort is the band’s self-titled debut, due out May 5th via Sargent House.

The LP was recorded in just three days over the summer of 2014 with the help of producer and former Pere Ubu bassist Tony Maimone engineering at his Studio G in Brooklyn. Its collects 10 songs, eight of which started as “song forms” on Watt’s bass, then later fleshed out and added to by other band members; Saunier and Cline each contributed one track of their own to the final product. “I’m pretty sure the other guys didn’t have parts set before going into the studio,” says Reinhart. “But it’s interesting how a lot of the songs began as Mike Watt basslines, and everyone was able to pull songs and melodies out of them.”

The whole thing seemed to materialize in a way that was spontaneous, but also quite focused — a “concentrated sort of freakout,” according to Saunier. “We basically had to invent a new band on the spot. And, people might have a stereotype of what each person does, but we all showed up to do what we’re prevented from doing in other groups.”

As a first look at Big Walnuts Yonder, the group has shared “Raise the Drawbridges”, a track that captures an instance of police brutality. “He [Watt] takes the voice of an officer acting too tough and provoking conflict,” Saunier explains, “and then comments on the transparency of the officer’s fear and the futility of this dynamic.” Stream it down below.

To accompany the song premiere, Consequence of Sound is happy to present an expansive interview with Saunier, Reinhart, and Cline, in which each talks at length about Big Walnut Yonder’s formation, the importance of each member’s contributions to the album, and the newly released lead single. (Note: All questions were submitted by our one and only News Editor Ben Kaye.)

You guys all come from pretty disparate musical backgrounds. When you were first forming the idea for Big Walnuts Yonder, what was it that drew you to go a little outside the box and bring such different styles together, and how did you figure out what sonic direction you’d be going in as a unit?

Greg Saunier: I sort of felt the opposite. Playing with Nick Nels and Watt was a piece of cake. Like coming home to a band you’ve never been in. I can think of musical projects each member has done that seems like way more of a stretch.

Nels Cline: I live in the cracks musically and always have. “Styles” and “genres” are not really my thing, so all I know is that I respect the musicians I play with and that I will do my best to participate in any endeavor in which we coalesce. It’s been my way since the late 70s! The sonic direction presents itself and demands respect more than we direct it when there is true collaboration in my opinion.

All the songs began with Mike’s basslines and then were built out from there, starting with NIck’s guitar riffs. What are some of the challenges writing in that way present, and how did you guys all figure out how to pull together a song from such basic starting points?

GS: I contributed one song, and its garageband demo was emailed to the gang the day before meeting up. I played all the parts myself but when I say parts you must understand I mean I played them on the computer with electronic sounds, using something called the “musical typing” feature in garageband. The funny thing about musical typing is that if your RAM isn’t up to scratch, some of the notes you type come out late. Like every note is a different amount late. The result is woeful. I hoped that even though my demo was so out of rhythm and discombobulated that they would still somehow glean what I’d meant, and come in the next day saying “no problem Greg, bad RAM, happens to the best of em” but actually I think they were really worried that I had no idea what rhythm was.

Nick Reinhart: I remember being really excited and nervous when my email dinged and there were mike watt bass demos sitting in my inbox. I listened through the 8 tracks and initially felt overwhelmed about how to approach adding guitars and doing justice to these bass parts. Watt’s musical language is so curious and unique. that’s part of the watt legacy — he sounds like himself. Finding interesting ways to dance around the bass and add to the conversation was really special.

NC: This is really the same way I recorded with Watt on “Contemplating the Engine Room” and Brother’s Sister’s Daughter (Japanese project). As Daevid Allen once sang with Gong, “Imagination is the key!”.

It sounds like a lot of the songs came together in a rather improvisational manner. How do you go from that to performing the songs in a live setting? Have you ever had to sit and re-listen to a track and sort of reverse engineer the music for yourself?

GS: I wouldn’t quite call it improv but it was pretty crazy how quick everybody came up with their parts even if they didn’t know the song. Particularly Nels hadn’t prepared any parts before recording but within seconds of hearing stuff he was playing stuff that sounded etched in stone like it had always been there.

NC: In this case I will definitely have to listen to stems or something to re-learn my parts! How we end up playing this ‘live’ is still a mystery and will be a fun challenge. I hope!

There’s a pretty big age gap between members of the band. What was surprising or inspiring about working with people from different generations? Any tips or tricks you picked up from the opposite end of the generational spectrum that you weren’t expecting?

GS: When everybody is able to quote Buddy Rich bus tape insults, age disappears.

NR: The creative wisdom these guys possess is totally amazing and being able to make art with musical giants is a real pleasure. I had previously learned so much from them from a distance, so being able to see it all from the inside out was super inspiring. They’re still ripping and learning. For me it was like looking into a crystal ball and seeing my future. It’d be like if I saw a newborn baby today and said, “Hi, in 30 years we’ll have a band and do something cool.”

NC: I play with people from their 20s to 70s. I don’t really think about age unless someone mentions it or brings up a reference that I am unaware of that is of their generation, so to speak. But in this case I think we all like sound and rock music, so…”

Most of the album was actually recorded in 2014, after some years of trying to get everyone in the same room together. Why has it taken three years to go from there to here? How does it feel to finally have it coming out and what’s it like having to talk about a project that’s, in a way, three years old already?

GS: Well I mixed this record so even though there was a gap after we did it, that was kind of useful. Came back to it ultra-fresh. And just finished the mixes recently, like three months ago or something. Stuff takes time especially when you’re DIY.

NC: My massive record from last year “Lovers” also took forever to come out and I am performing it this year. I don’t know… In this case it was Nick’s lyric writing/vocal recording that seemed to take some time. But we didn’t do an “Obama Suite” or anything, so I guess time isn’t really an important factor, really. “No wine before its time”! The music sounds fresh to me.

Watt, you wrote the lyrics for “Raise the Drawbridges” — can you tell me a little bit about what the track is about? It sounds to me like it’s about people too afraid to take charge of their life and face down challenges or those who try to stand in their way. Am I far off?

GS: I’m going to answer this because who says the person who wrote it is the only one who knows what something is about? This vocal moved me deeply when Watt first sent it to me. In the instrumental version this is probably the goofiest one we did, but the meaning completely changed once this portrait of police brutality was recorded. He takes the voice of an officer acting too tough and provoking conflict, and then comments on the transparency of the officer’s fear and the futility of this dynamic.

In his own words, Watt offered up a very detailed account of how Big Walnuts Yonder the album came together from start to finish:

“Eight of the ten songs started w/ Watt composition via bass only and he sent these out. nick worked on his developing his parts in response. this all happened well before ever getting into studio g in brooklyn. what I presented the band for my compositions were bass only (deliberately, to let Nick, nels and greg bring in their own for the collab) but they are what I would call SONG FORMS and not just bass lines. what I mean by that is there’s this part so many times and then it goes to this part so many times and so on. it’s supposed to be a foundation for a song form which I guess is made out of bass lines.

all four of us together for first time in brooklyn, we first attack these eight tunes as a team. the only titles they had were letters like song a, song b and so on. I’m re-enacting what I did at my pad by myself but w/these guys, I’m using tony maimone’s bass. nick’s doing the same except I think w/some of his solos cuz he’s interacting w/nels in real time. I remember greg asking me for a tiny bit of direction explanation for what was to become “I’ve got marty feldman’s eyes” when I put out a statement like, “I was influenced a little bit here by doing stuff from the clash’s first singles and album” cuz yeah, I had just done a benefit gig for the strummerville foundation and had to learn some of those tunes but it was still just a pure musical ref – I ended up using that confusion (sorry to confuse you, greg!) for the gist of my spiel when laster nick asked me to do spiel for it… I thought that point was very relevant! it was “dreamed up by committee” but still very connected to the cats on this proj.

nels brought his tune and explained what he wanted from each of us and made out a brief sketch roadmap the piece. we all four acted on that in real time, being it our first time for all of us – no “demo” to hear beforehand. same thing ‘pert-near happened w/greg’s tune. so there was actually two processes used: 1) eight had the watt, then nick and then all of us together and 2) two had their composers show us (the other three in each case) in the studio and then we went at it. to examine further, here’s my take. we got ten tunes recorded the way I just described and then were given roughs. down the road nick asks me to get spiel for two of the tunes, he gives me which ones, I think they might’ve been song t and song u. then he starts recording from his pad his spiel for seven of the other ones.

nels tune he decided was gonna remain instrumental. greg decided he would mix everything which is what we all wanted from the git-go and were very happy excited. I sent my two spiels but screwed up somehow so he mixed my two as instrumentals ’til I got him my spiels proper. he had gotten nick’s spiels from him. he had a few runs of mixes, each run being sent to us all and then he’d hear our opinions and do another run of mixes under those influences. I think there were four runs maybe altogether.”

(via Consequence of Sound)

[teramelos1]

Big Walnuts Yonder with Nick Reinhart announce self-titled album, release “Raise The Drawbridges?” via Consequence of Sound

This year has already seen its fair share of mighty supergroups, featuring various members of At The Drive-In, Melvins, Grandaddy, and Franz Ferdinand. Big Walnuts Yonder is a collection of similarly talented veteran musicians — Mike Watt (Minutemen, The Stooges), Nels Cline (Wilco, Nels Cline Singers), Greg Saunier (Deerhoof) and Nick Reinhart (Tera Melos) to be exact — but the chemistry and creative process behind the new outfit are decidedly of a different breed.

“It’s worlds colliding,” Watt explains of the four-piece, which draws in elements of “proto-punk, free jazz, power pop, experimental music, psych-rock and your first teenage acid trip all in one.” Big Walnuts Yonder’s beginnings date back to a 2008 conversation between Watt and Reinhart, but because of hectic, overlapping schedules, it hasn’t been easy to sit down and polish off an official album.

“We had planned it for so long,” recalls Saunier. “Then several years passed in which nothing occurred due to everyone’s schedules. It was 2-3 years of warm, leisurely prep time, then suddenly made in a panic with time and money on the line.” The resulting effort is the band’s self-titled debut, due out May 5th via Sargent House.

The LP was recorded in just three days over the summer of 2014 with the help of producer and former Pere Ubu bassist Tony Maimone engineering at his Studio G in Brooklyn. Its collects 10 songs, eight of which started as “song forms” on Watt’s bass, then later fleshed out and added to by other band members; Saunier and Cline each contributed one track of their own to the final product. “I’m pretty sure the other guys didn’t have parts set before going into the studio,” says Reinhart. “But it’s interesting how a lot of the songs began as Mike Watt basslines, and everyone was able to pull songs and melodies out of them.”

The whole thing seemed to materialize in a way that was spontaneous, but also quite focused — a “concentrated sort of freakout,” according to Saunier. “We basically had to invent a new band on the spot. And, people might have a stereotype of what each person does, but we all showed up to do what we’re prevented from doing in other groups.”

As a first look at Big Walnuts Yonder, the group has shared “Raise the Drawbridges”, a track that captures an instance of police brutality. “He [Watt] takes the voice of an officer acting too tough and provoking conflict,” Saunier explains, “and then comments on the transparency of the officer’s fear and the futility of this dynamic.” Stream it down below.

To accompany the song premiere, Consequence of Sound is happy to present an expansive interview with Saunier, Reinhart, and Cline, in which each talks at length about Big Walnut Yonder’s formation, the importance of each member’s contributions to the album, and the newly released lead single. (Note: All questions were submitted by our one and only News Editor Ben Kaye.)

You guys all come from pretty disparate musical backgrounds. When you were first forming the idea for Big Walnuts Yonder, what was it that drew you to go a little outside the box and bring such different styles together, and how did you figure out what sonic direction you’d be going in as a unit?

Greg Saunier: I sort of felt the opposite. Playing with Nick Nels and Watt was a piece of cake. Like coming home to a band you’ve never been in. I can think of musical projects each member has done that seems like way more of a stretch.

Nels Cline: I live in the cracks musically and always have. “Styles” and “genres” are not really my thing, so all I know is that I respect the musicians I play with and that I will do my best to participate in any endeavor in which we coalesce. It’s been my way since the late 70s! The sonic direction presents itself and demands respect more than we direct it when there is true collaboration in my opinion.

All the songs began with Mike’s basslines and then were built out from there, starting with NIck’s guitar riffs. What are some of the challenges writing in that way present, and how did you guys all figure out how to pull together a song from such basic starting points?

GS: I contributed one song, and its garageband demo was emailed to the gang the day before meeting up. I played all the parts myself but when I say parts you must understand I mean I played them on the computer with electronic sounds, using something called the “musical typing” feature in garageband. The funny thing about musical typing is that if your RAM isn’t up to scratch, some of the notes you type come out late. Like every note is a different amount late. The result is woeful. I hoped that even though my demo was so out of rhythm and discombobulated that they would still somehow glean what I’d meant, and come in the next day saying “no problem Greg, bad RAM, happens to the best of em” but actually I think they were really worried that I had no idea what rhythm was.

Nick Reinhart: I remember being really excited and nervous when my email dinged and there were mike watt bass demos sitting in my inbox. I listened through the 8 tracks and initially felt overwhelmed about how to approach adding guitars and doing justice to these bass parts. Watt’s musical language is so curious and unique. that’s part of the watt legacy — he sounds like himself. Finding interesting ways to dance around the bass and add to the conversation was really special.

NC: This is really the same way I recorded with Watt on “Contemplating the Engine Room” and Brother’s Sister’s Daughter (Japanese project). As Daevid Allen once sang with Gong, “Imagination is the key!”.

It sounds like a lot of the songs came together in a rather improvisational manner. How do you go from that to performing the songs in a live setting? Have you ever had to sit and re-listen to a track and sort of reverse engineer the music for yourself?

GS: I wouldn’t quite call it improv but it was pretty crazy how quick everybody came up with their parts even if they didn’t know the song. Particularly Nels hadn’t prepared any parts before recording but within seconds of hearing stuff he was playing stuff that sounded etched in stone like it had always been there.

NC: In this case I will definitely have to listen to stems or something to re-learn my parts! How we end up playing this ‘live’ is still a mystery and will be a fun challenge. I hope!

There’s a pretty big age gap between members of the band. What was surprising or inspiring about working with people from different generations? Any tips or tricks you picked up from the opposite end of the generational spectrum that you weren’t expecting?

GS: When everybody is able to quote Buddy Rich bus tape insults, age disappears.

NR: The creative wisdom these guys possess is totally amazing and being able to make art with musical giants is a real pleasure. I had previously learned so much from them from a distance, so being able to see it all from the inside out was super inspiring. They’re still ripping and learning. For me it was like looking into a crystal ball and seeing my future. It’d be like if I saw a newborn baby today and said, “Hi, in 30 years we’ll have a band and do something cool.”

NC: I play with people from their 20s to 70s. I don’t really think about age unless someone mentions it or brings up a reference that I am unaware of that is of their generation, so to speak. But in this case I think we all like sound and rock music, so…”

Most of the album was actually recorded in 2014, after some years of trying to get everyone in the same room together. Why has it taken three years to go from there to here? How does it feel to finally have it coming out and what’s it like having to talk about a project that’s, in a way, three years old already?

GS: Well I mixed this record so even though there was a gap after we did it, that was kind of useful. Came back to it ultra-fresh. And just finished the mixes recently, like three months ago or something. Stuff takes time especially when you’re DIY.

NC: My massive record from last year “Lovers” also took forever to come out and I am performing it this year. I don’t know… In this case it was Nick’s lyric writing/vocal recording that seemed to take some time. But we didn’t do an “Obama Suite” or anything, so I guess time isn’t really an important factor, really. “No wine before its time”! The music sounds fresh to me.

Watt, you wrote the lyrics for “Raise the Drawbridges” — can you tell me a little bit about what the track is about? It sounds to me like it’s about people too afraid to take charge of their life and face down challenges or those who try to stand in their way. Am I far off?

GS: I’m going to answer this because who says the person who wrote it is the only one who knows what something is about? This vocal moved me deeply when Watt first sent it to me. In the instrumental version this is probably the goofiest one we did, but the meaning completely changed once this portrait of police brutality was recorded. He takes the voice of an officer acting too tough and provoking conflict, and then comments on the transparency of the officer’s fear and the futility of this dynamic.

In his own words, Watt offered up a very detailed account of how Big Walnuts Yonder the album came together from start to finish:

“Eight of the ten songs started w/ Watt composition via bass only and he sent these out. nick worked on his developing his parts in response. this all happened well before ever getting into studio g in brooklyn. what I presented the band for my compositions were bass only (deliberately, to let Nick, nels and greg bring in their own for the collab) but they are what I would call SONG FORMS and not just bass lines. what I mean by that is there’s this part so many times and then it goes to this part so many times and so on. it’s supposed to be a foundation for a song form which I guess is made out of bass lines.

all four of us together for first time in brooklyn, we first attack these eight tunes as a team. the only titles they had were letters like song a, song b and so on. I’m re-enacting what I did at my pad by myself but w/these guys, I’m using tony maimone’s bass. nick’s doing the same except I think w/some of his solos cuz he’s interacting w/nels in real time. I remember greg asking me for a tiny bit of direction explanation for what was to become “I’ve got marty feldman’s eyes” when I put out a statement like, “I was influenced a little bit here by doing stuff from the clash’s first singles and album” cuz yeah, I had just done a benefit gig for the strummerville foundation and had to learn some of those tunes but it was still just a pure musical ref – I ended up using that confusion (sorry to confuse you, greg!) for the gist of my spiel when laster nick asked me to do spiel for it… I thought that point was very relevant! it was “dreamed up by committee” but still very connected to the cats on this proj.

nels brought his tune and explained what he wanted from each of us and made out a brief sketch roadmap the piece. we all four acted on that in real time, being it our first time for all of us – no “demo” to hear beforehand. same thing ‘pert-near happened w/greg’s tune. so there was actually two processes used: 1) eight had the watt, then nick and then all of us together and 2) two had their composers show us (the other three in each case) in the studio and then we went at it. to examine further, here’s my take. we got ten tunes recorded the way I just described and then were given roughs. down the road nick asks me to get spiel for two of the tunes, he gives me which ones, I think they might’ve been song t and song u. then he starts recording from his pad his spiel for seven of the other ones.

nels tune he decided was gonna remain instrumental. greg decided he would mix everything which is what we all wanted from the git-go and were very happy excited. I sent my two spiels but screwed up somehow so he mixed my two as instrumentals ’til I got him my spiels proper. he had gotten nick’s spiels from him. he had a few runs of mixes, each run being sent to us all and then he’d hear our opinions and do another run of mixes under those influences. I think there were four runs maybe altogether.”

(via Consequence of Sound)

[jakepaule]

Music 2016

Top 10 Albums

1.     Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial

Turn your radio all the way up for this one. This album is saturated with high quality musicianship and lyrical creativity. I was impressed right from the start and it just keeps getting better and better. Will Toledo masterfully blends humor, depression, anxiety, and emotional self-understanding with crafty songwriting. He anecdotes his experience with escaping the wreckage of his teenage years and entering into adulthood. Toledo puts his heart and soul into this one. The album is reflective, introspective, and spirited. Just buy the album, please.

Hot Tracks: “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales”, “The Ballad of Costa Concordia”

2.     Frank Ocean – Blonde

Frank Ocean achieved huge commercial success with Channel Orange, his debut album influenced heavily by R&B and Soul. In Blonde, Ocean leans away from R&B and more towards experimental hip-hop. The whole album is rich with other themes of nostalgia, mortality, and sexuality. He opens up on his inner thoughts and ties them to some significant allusions like Elliott Smith lyrics (“This is not my life/It’s just a fond farewell to a friend”). I can’t get enough of this album. I admire how much work he put into it and how flexible his music really is. He reaches into the melting pot of music and hired help from Jonny Greenwood and the London Contemporary Orchestra, Alex G, André 3000, Justin Vernon, and many more.

Hot Tracks: “Nights”, “Seigfried”

3.     Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool

Back in May, Radiohead blacked themselves out on social media. They released a short stop-motion animated clip of a ceremonial witch burning. Then, their single “Burn the Witch” came out on Spotify, the musical platform Thom Yorke had previously spurned. I was immediately attracted and hyped for a new album to redeem themselves after their mediocre album The King of Limbs. And this one did live up to my expectations. Radiohead and Nigel Godrich always have some tricks up their sleeves to creatively revolutionize the way they produce music from album to album. For this one, they decided to use magnetic tape and I think it really worked for them.

Hot Tracks: “Glass Eyes”, “True Love Waits”

4.     Pinegrove – Cardinal

 I first heard of Pinegrove while listening to NPR’s All Songs Considered podcast during a car ride this past summer. The first song I heard was “Old Friends” and I was immediately hooked. Lead singer Evan Stephens Hall has an incredibly distinct and memorable voice fueled by powerful, heavy lyrics. Hall sorts through his feelings on life’s most critical personal connections and weaves them intricately throughout his music. There was never a dull moment in this album; it is colorful and vibrant all the way through. Give this one your full attention, because I really think Hall develops an instantaneous bond with his listeners and cultivates that bond throughout the album.

Hot Tracks: “Waveform”, “Old Friends”

5.       A Tribe Called Quest – We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service

Tribe really lit up the place with this one. It’s been a long time since they released anything. The last I remembered from any of them was “Dear Dilla,” a special single performed by the late great Phife Dawg. The album has a lot of interesting collaborative work with Jack White and André 3000 and a track that include a sampling of Elton John. This one might be a little more politically charged than their other albums, but not in-your-face annoyingly political. It challenges us and calls us to mobilize and stand up for our rights. I’ve been jamming to this one since it came out. Give this one a good listen.

Hot Tracks: “Dis Generation”, “We The People…”

6.     Bon Iver – 22, A Million

Bon Iver fans everywhere had been yearning for something new, but most people (including myself) probably didn’t expect anything like this. The sounds are very unfamiliar and somewhat unsettling, but they mix well with cryptic lyrics to foster a brand new soundscape. Just look at the track listing and you’ll get what I mean by cryptic and unfamiliar.  22, A Million will be regarded as his most bold, inventive LP to date. I strongly recommend purchasing a physical copy, because this album was built up to be a multi-media experience.

Hot Tracks: “29 #Strafford APTS”, “8 (circle)”

7.     Whitney – Light Upon the Lake

I believe the first time I heard of Whitney was over the summer while listening to NPR’s podcast All Songs Considered (along with Pinegrove). Later, I heard in a trip out west with some friends. Many thanks to Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton, and Andrew for opening me up to these awesome musicians. This album really stuck with me after I first purchased it later in the summer. Impressive musicianship, graceful flow, and beautiful imagery are some of the main qualities of this album. The best way to describe this album is perhaps trying chocolate for the first time. The album has some distinctly vintage characteristics, but comes off as an easy and immensely satisfying listen. Buy it. 

Hot Tracks: “No Woman”, “Golden Days”

8.     Hamilton Leithauser & Rostam – I Had a Dream That You Were Mine

The opening track, “A 1000 Times,” has a tendency to get stuck in my head every time I listen to it, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. Hamilton of The Walkmen and Rostam of Vampire Weekend combined their superpowers to masterfully create what I consider to be the most elegant album of the year. The album is exactly what I would expect to hear if The Walkmen and Vampire weekend merged (go figure). Hamilton’s vocal prowess and Rostam’s musical genius (and supporting vocals) formed an incredibly powerful album. Give it a listen, sing along, and get steamrolled by Hamilton’s energetic voice.  A 1000 thumbs up.

Hot Tracks: “A 1000 Times”, “1959”

9.     Chance the Rapper – Coloring Book

Chance is the man. I absolutely love his brand of gospel inspired hip hop. To me, Coloring Book is really what it claims to be, a coloring book. He painted a beautiful portrait of his faith on the canvas of modern hip hop music. “Blessings” really stood out to me as a perfect example of gospel/hip hop fusion. Gotta love Chance’s versatility and skill. Stream this one A$AP.

Hot Tracks: “Summer Friends”, “Blessings”

10.     Parquet Courts – Human Performance

This spot on my top 10 list was difficult to narrow down as 2016 was an amazing year for music. Parquet Courts’ new album Human Performance is actually the first full-length album I personally listened to by them. The gnarly guitar licks and catchy rhythms really grabbed me on this one. Some of the vocals could be off-putting to some. Andrew Savage’s vocals sound to me like a punk-ish mix between Elvis Costello and David Byrne (maybe?). Definitely an interesting and fun listen.

Hot Tracks: “Berlin Got Blurry”, “Human Performance”

Honorable Mention

Jim James – Eternally Even

Kevin Morby – Singing Saw

James Blake – The Colour in Anything

Kendrick Lamar – untitled, unmastered

Wilco – Schmilco

David Bowie – Blackstar

Hamburger Helper Mixtape

Disappointing Albums of 2016

The Avett Brothers – True Sadness

Truly disappointing. The album really is True Sadness. It was actually challenging for me to sit down and listen to this one (not unlike my experience with Magpie and the Dandelion and The Carpenter). The Avett Brothers have taken a significant departure from “roots revival” since A Carolina Jubilee and seem to be trying to make some profound musical statements with this one. It appears that they are trying so hard to make some extraordinary changes in their sonic arsenal by introducing electronics and mixing it in the pot with their typical folk sound. I don’t know if this is a product of an attempt at redefining a genre or if sitting near the top of Billboard’s 200 has led them to spoon feed listeners with their very own electronic folk fusion because it’s the latest, coolest trend.

Wild Nothing – Life of Pause

When the single “To Know You” came out in February, I got immediately hyped for Wild Nothing’s next album. But definitely a little bit too hyped. Virginia Tech alumnus Jack Tatum’s slick debut album Gemini and sophomore release Nocturne opened me up to the indie pop genre. Tatum’s world of fantasy has molded into something quite different with this one. Life of Pause contains some high points with “To Know You” and “TV Queen”, but the album felt a little less imaginative and cohesive to me. Tatum still has a talent for creating some interesting soundscapes and we can clearly see that with some of his interesting xylophone and synth work, but I feel this one is lagging behind his previous full-length albums.

Notable Singles

Cloud Nothings – “Modern Act”

Maggie Rogers – “Alaska”

Father John Misty – “Real Love Baby”

Sunflower Bean – “Easier Said”

Blood Orange – “Best to You”

JP